Whisper it, but it appears that the feuding Gallagher bros Lennon and Brains are actually getting the band back together. Yes, Ahr Kid and Songwriter Kid are apparently reforming Oasis. The overrated monobrows will be touring next year. I’m with the ever-quotable Bjork who described Oasis as “bad boy scout music”. Their laddish, Beatles -worshippingContinue reading “Possibly, Definitely, Actually… Maybe…”
Category Archives: Profile
How Jennifer Coolidge Became A Queer Icon
Jennifer, Oh Jenny!There was always more to her than just a MILF. Jennifer Coolidge, the sixty two year old icon of the silver screen, became one of Time magazine’s recipients of “100 most influential people” last year, which is proof of her longevity as a comic actor, but also a Hollywood legend who still getsContinue reading “How Jennifer Coolidge Became A Queer Icon”
Overlooked Classics: Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band-Safe As Milk
Running the gamut of genres- from Delta blues to experimental psych- the magnificent debut album from Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band is all about the inimitable singer songwriter and musical fruitloop, aka Don Van Vliet, finding his feet after an attempt at popularity with the swampy hit, the cover of Bo Diddley’s Diddy WahContinue reading “Overlooked Classics: Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band-Safe As Milk”
Favourite Cover Versions: Shane MacGowan – What’s Another Year
Another year, another Eurovision. It’s faced controversy this year for including Israel, and justifiably so. Indeed, last year saw the UK host in Liverpool, in lieu of winners Ukraine, for obvious reasons. The seventies heyday was pure camp, so bad it was good. Funkless songs with questionable lyrics, uncoordinated dance routines, even worse outfits. IContinue reading “Favourite Cover Versions: Shane MacGowan – What’s Another Year”
The Power of the Sad Banger
As Sophie Ellis-Bextor once observed, “It’s murder on the dancefloor”. But it’s sometimes fun to wallow in a little drama. This is where the sad banger comes in. It’s an anthem for the dumped, the disillusioned, or simply the thwarted romantic. Abba probably started it, these Eurovision winners with their Scandinavian melancholy in the verses,Continue reading “The Power of the Sad Banger”
Overlooked Classics: Hole- Pretty On The Inside
You love Nevermind. I love Nevermind. We all do. But let’s not overlook Hole’s ferocious debut studio album from 1991, Pretty On The Inside. The kinder whore aesthetic, as it had been unfortunately termed, suited the sound: ripped lace, torn tights and smudged makeup. The Slits, as far as I’m concerned, invented the look. CourtneyContinue reading “Overlooked Classics: Hole- Pretty On The Inside”
The Arts Are Not A Luxury
I grew up in a small working- class rural town in Perthshire, Scotland. Nothing much happened there; we didn’t have much money and TV was our only dose of culture. In my house, books were shoved into cupboards, hidden away like skeletons, and theatre, with the exception of am- dram panto, wasn’t “for the likesContinue reading “The Arts Are Not A Luxury”
Lost In Music: Bodega Are Brilliant
Aww. Forgive me for getting all gooey and gushy for a moment. It’s just the power of music again, casting its spell .*Sigh* I just wanna scratch their name in bubbly writing on my pencil case. New York based indie scamps Bodega just make me so happy. They’re intelligent, a bit subversive, and make neonContinue reading “Lost In Music: Bodega Are Brilliant”
The Future’s Here Today: Loren Kramar
Oooh, that is a voice. Eccentric, velveteen and beautiful, the honeyed tones of Loren Kramar are going to be everywhere this year, if there is any justice left. With a background in gospel and musical theatre, these are perhaps not such a conventional route into contemporary music, but the perfectly crafted songs are exemplars inContinue reading “The Future’s Here Today: Loren Kramar”
Overlooked Classics: Cibo Matto-Viva!La Woman
Cibo Matto never got their dues, I think. The Japanese -American duo, who recently reformed, made one of my favourite nineties albums with the debut, Viva! La Woman.. I think humour is often dismissed in music, and there is a lot of humour here, but it’s simply brilliant avant – pop. For a pair obsessedContinue reading “Overlooked Classics: Cibo Matto-Viva!La Woman”
Hit The North 