I don’t think I’ve really written much about classic Siouxsie and the Banshees albums before, so thought it was time to rectify that. Juju is one of my favourites from my teens. I came to It late, probably the late eighties, as it had already been released in 1981, and I was too young toContinue reading “Lost In Music: Siouxsie and the Banshees- Juju”
Category Archives: Music
Album Review: The Drums- Jonny
One of the most surprising albums of the year, Jonny by The Drums, is striking for many reasons. The album cover shows singer and main member Jonny Pierce crouched down, naked and seemingly praying in his parents’ house. The album is similarly raw, intimate and honest. Gone is the easy -breeziness of previous work, whichContinue reading “Album Review: The Drums- Jonny”
New Release: Gazelle Twin- Black Dog
Just in time for Halloween, or Samhain if you’d rather, Gazelle Twin is back, with a new album titled Black Dog. As Elizabeth Bernholz explains, it’s inspired by nightmares going back to childhood trauma, and essentially,”It’s all about confronting fear”. The title track is out now, with Bernholz’ trademark pitchshifted growls and whispers set againstContinue reading “New Release: Gazelle Twin- Black Dog”
The Future’s Here Today: Miso Extra
Not just a witty pseudonym, Miso Extra is a brilliant artist who sings as sweetly as she raps. With bilingual lyrics which reflect her dual heritage and thought processes, she’s part of the new wave of British hip hop that draws from eclectic sources. Creating her own “Misoverse”, the young eccentric wears vintage Japanese footballContinue reading “The Future’s Here Today: Miso Extra”
Worth Revisiting: Wild Man Blues
‘Grumpy Old Man B!ues’, more like. What a miserable old git Woody Allen is. That’s the takeaway from Barbara Kopple’s 1997 documentary on the legendary but controversial film director. Holding forth on his favourite subjects: New York; himself, jazz, himself, Paris, himself, travel, himself, and, mostly, himself, the camera follows him, alongside his very youngContinue reading “Worth Revisiting: Wild Man Blues”
Album Review: Mary Lattimore- Goodbye,Hotel Arkada
Don’t let the title fool you – the fifth studio album from LA harpist Mary Lattimore isn’t a hippy-dippy concept album. Rather, it invites adjectives like “ethereal” and “otherworldly” . Very much a collaborative project, Lattimore has again created music that exists in liminal spaces, dense but delicate, and powerful even when calm. The blurringContinue reading “Album Review: Mary Lattimore- Goodbye,Hotel Arkada”
Overlooked Classics: The Kills- Keep On Your Mean Side (2003)
Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince, aka The Kills, arrived at a strange time for grunge/blues rock like lizards wriggling in a tin.. Indie sleaze, or whatever the tastemakers deemed it that week, was becoming passe, and genres were starting to blur, so a duo who came on like Royal Trux playing Beefheart were of courseContinue reading “Overlooked Classics: The Kills- Keep On Your Mean Side (2003)”
The Future’s Here Today: Screensaver
There are few things finer in life than hearing about a new release from Upset The Rhythm. The Australian rascals called Screensaver are described as “synth punks” and make energetic, fizzy music that throws you around and bites you like a chew toy. Decent Shapes, the forthcoming album, is released on October 20th, so that’sContinue reading “The Future’s Here Today: Screensaver”
MALKA Makes Hopscotch Pop
Can we all agree that MALKA, aka Tamara Schlesinger, is making some of the best pop out there? It’s warm, catchy and inventive, with a little of everything thrown into the cocktail mix, in terms of genre… As well as forming the collaborative Hen Hoose, she continues to tread her own original path. This newContinue reading “MALKA Makes Hopscotch Pop”
Favourite Cover Versions: Tonight You Belong To Me (The Jerk)
The Jerk is in essence a silly film, showcasing the slapstick comedy of Steve Martin. He’s Navin, a classic doofus, a guy who, raised by a poor Black family, believes himself to be Black also. But also central to this runs the relationship between Navin and Marie. Bernadette Peters is Marie, and is a ClaraContinue reading “Favourite Cover Versions: Tonight You Belong To Me (The Jerk)”
Hit The North 