In the first part of this millenium, it seems you couldn’t move for irony. Arched of brow,barbed of zinger, pop culture was dominated by irony. It gave us nu-rave, refurbished arcade games, vintage style, the Burlesque and cabaret revival, and- arguably most prominently – comedy that to many was just plain offensive. I get it,Continue reading “The Trouble With Irony”
Tag Archives: Lorna Irvine
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”
Overlooked Classics: Niagara
Henry Hathaway ‘s 1953 thriller was a radical departure for rising star Marilyn Monroe. She portrays Rose, an ice cool newlywed just hitched to George (Joseph Cotten) who’s just been discharged from an army mental hospital, having served in Korea. She befriends the sweet if vapid Polly and Ray (Jean Peters and Casey Adams) alsoContinue reading “Overlooked Classics: Niagara”
The Callous Arts Critic
Even his name is evocative of a furball being spat out. They don’t call him a hack for nothing. This arts critic, killer of dreams and mangler of the English language, stalks his prey undercover of darkness. Nobody is safe. I’m not naming names: here is not the space to settle scores. But I’ve metContinue reading “The Callous Arts Critic”
Favourite Cover Versions: Dave Gahan – Nothing Else Matters
You know how it is – you wait for a Metallica cover and two come along at once. Phoebe Bridgers has recently released a cover of Nothing Else Matters. But I prefer Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode and his solo version. There’s nothing as affected in the delivery here (sorry James Hetfield, I know it’sContinue reading “Favourite Cover Versions: Dave Gahan – Nothing Else Matters”
Film Review: Beau Is Afraid
Pitched between hysterical mayhem and an eerie calm, Beau Is Afraid makes Get Out look like The Wiggles. This almost three hour epic is trippy indeed, with all the logic of a fever dream.Although written and directed by Ari Aster it’s like a Kafka compendium created by Paul Thomas Anderson, with a soupcon of DavidContinue reading “Film Review: Beau Is Afraid”
Overlooked Classics: Night On Earth (1991)
Among Jim Jarmusch’s many films, I feel two are often overlooked, Ghost Dog (Way Of The Samurai) and Night On Earth. The former, I’ll get to later, but I often wonder why this is the case. Night On Earth has all of the JarmuschIan qualities you’d expect: deadpan humour; strangers thrown together by circumstances outContinue reading “Overlooked Classics: Night On Earth (1991)”
Favourite Cover Versions: Lianne La Havas- Weird Fishes
A cover version is always going to divide people, but I’ve got a feeling that Lianne La Havas, the glorious London soul singer, met with approval from Thom Yorke here. Weird Fishes from the Radiohead album In Rainbows is transformed . Her powerful vibrato is beautiful, and you know straight off the bat that it’sContinue reading “Favourite Cover Versions: Lianne La Havas- Weird Fishes”
New Release: Brontez Purnell: Stay Monkey
This new single, a riotous cover of the Julie Ruin song, Stay Monkey, is absolutely badass. I’m so grateful every day for Indies like Upset The Rhythm, because they’re genuinely alternative, excited about music that’s completely out of the mainstream playlist of curated crap, designed for algorithms. They kow-tow to no -one. As for Brontez,Continue reading “New Release: Brontez Purnell: Stay Monkey”
Hit The North 