Dummy’s new album, Free Energy, is perfect for moving to, or moving around cities to. It hits the sweet spot between experimentation and melodic indie pop. The Los Angeles band, comprised of Emma Maatman, Alex Ewell, Nathan O’ Dell and Joe Trainor, feel very much of the zeitgeist, as well as timeless. ‘Nine Clean Nails’Continue reading “Album Review: Dummy- Free Energy”
Tag Archives: Lorna Irvine
Overlooked Classics: Monkey Dust
Monkey Dust could be the darkest animation ever shown on TV. Forget cats called Fritz, Cartman and co or even Quagmire on the vastly overrated Family Guy, this was brutal. Created by the truly warped minds of Harry Thompson and Shaun Pye, characters such as the Meat Safe Murderer, Pretentious Hipsters and Paedophile Finder GeneralContinue reading “Overlooked Classics: Monkey Dust”
Album Review: Molchat Doma- Balaya Palosa
The Belarus trio, who recently relocated to Los Angeles, have crafted a subtle and complex piece of darkwave here. It’s music which is perfect for travelling home on trains as dusk gathers in crowded cities. Take your pick which city. This album is concrete and neon, dark and ominous. It’s rather beautiful too. The plethoraContinue reading “Album Review: Molchat Doma- Balaya Palosa”
Lost In Music: This Mortal Coil
Formed by 4AD bosses Ivo Watts-Russell and John Fryer, This Mortal Coil made some of the most sublime, prescient music ever. Not everyone was keen. AR Kane dismissed them as simply “people in black clothes with shaved heads” and the second album by the collective , the dense,sprawling Filigree and Shadow (also my favourite) wasContinue reading “Lost In Music: This Mortal Coil”
Book Review: Janey Godley – Handstands In The Dark
Scottish comedian and actor Janey Godley is currently touring with a typically unsparing title, the Not Dead Yet tour. This is because she’s been battling cancer. It’s this sense of looking life (and death) directly in the eye that permeates throughout her comedy career and in this, her memoir, first published in 2005. Born intoContinue reading “Book Review: Janey Godley – Handstands In The Dark”
Album Review: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds- Wild God
And lo, Nick Cave and his band of Bad Seeds did release their most epic, commercial album thus far. ‘Conversion’ is cinematic, bolstered by a heavenly choir. ‘Frogs’ is similar, and the title track is some kind of attempt to glean joy from adversity. Obviously, there’s some personal stuff in there: O Wow O WowContinue reading “Album Review: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds- Wild God”
Film Review: Distant Sky- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Live in Copenhagen
Oh,Nick. These are the sweeping, thunderous songs, mostly from the period of Push The Sky Away/ Skeleton Tree . When Cave and the band really let go, they’re mesmerising. Cave’s baritone seems coated in sulphur, and he’s not so much singing as spitting out ghostly ectoplasm. He roars, hollers, or menacingly takes it down toContinue reading “Film Review: Distant Sky- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Live in Copenhagen”
Possibly, Definitely, Actually… Maybe…
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…”
How Sharon Needles Transformed Drag Race
Once upon a time, there was a new entertainment franchise called Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Now, this little TV show was a little bit of a risk, because drag as reality TV concept hadn’t yet quite taken off: too subversive to be mainstream and too niche to be ‘normal ‘. The money wasn’t quite thereContinue reading “How Sharon Needles Transformed Drag Race”
Film Review: Weird:The Al Yankovic Story
The man,the myth,the moustache.. Now, the movie. In many ways, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic epitomises not only art, but in some ways strikes at the core of what it is to be human. So it is with this inspired mock biopic, co-written and directed by Yankovic himself with Eric Appel, starring Daniel Radcliffe as the parodyContinue reading “Film Review: Weird:The Al Yankovic Story”
Hit The North 