Traitors US Series 4 Playlist

I’ve just finished binge- watching the excellent fourth series of Traitors US, and wow, what a series finale! A worthy winner, if contentious to the loser ( I don’t think “we made a pinky promise” is legally binding, you know!) and full of high- camp, frenetic fun as ever. No spoilers here… Alan Cumming lookedContinue reading “Traitors US Series 4 Playlist”

Overlooked Classic: Plan 9 From Outer Space

Ah, pity poor misunderstood Ed Wood Jr. He was a man with a dream, a love of pink angora, and a movie camera. No matter that he barely scraped a storyboard together: in his head IT ALL MADE SENSE. Let’s ignore his dreadful nudie cutie film nonsense and zoom in on his masterwork, For thereContinue reading “Overlooked Classic: Plan 9 From Outer Space”

Arab Strap Are Fighting…The Seven Signs of Ageing

Rejoice! For arch Falkirk indie satirists Arab Strap are back, and on fighting form. The new single, ‘Glamour Magick’, is excellent, taking a pop at quick -fix solutions for the truly vain and vacuous. It’s a nice antidote to the uptake in cosmetic surgery, weight loss jags and skin remedies across the world. Trust AidanContinue reading “Arab Strap Are Fighting…The Seven Signs of Ageing”

Film Review: Misericordia (2024)

When Jeremie (Felix Kysl) comes to pay his respects to his now deceased boss, for whom he once had a thing, it seems he may now have designs on the widow, Martine ,(Catherine Frot) too. He’s a strange presence, Jeremie, with darting eyes and a twisting mouth. Later, he gets drunk and pursues the slobbish,Continue reading “Film Review: Misericordia (2024)”

Album Review: Josh da Costa- New Wave Graveyard

“Welcome to the US, 80s, 90s”, Mark E Smith once chanted. We’re firmly entrenched in both decades in Los Angeles singer-songwriter and musician Josh da Costa’s rather charming debut solo album. Easy breezy jangle like ‘Proving Me Right’ and ‘Cordelia’ shimmer like cinematic Cadillacs on hazy highways, and ‘Skygirl’ and ‘Hospital Clown’ bounce like 90sContinue reading “Album Review: Josh da Costa- New Wave Graveyard”

Lost In Music: Richard Dawson- Two Halves

Richard Dawson, the cherubic neo-folk Geordie singer, could bring eloquence to a song about peeling paint on a kitchen wall. His witty, deeply humane slice of life material is why he’s one of my favourite songwriters around. His album ‘2020’ (recorded in 2019 before you- know -what ruined everything) took on pub flooding, racist neighbours,Continue reading “Lost In Music: Richard Dawson- Two Halves”

Every Generic Animated Sitcom

You’ve seen them, broader than Broadway, written by manatees, lacking humanity, and punching down. Alasdair Beckett- King’s parody absolutely nails it. *Cue canned laughter, disproportionate whooping and applause*

RIP Bonnie Tyler

The Welsh singer songwriter, born Gaynor Hopkins, we found out this morning, has passed away at seventy five. She seemed like a sweetheart, really funny and vivacious, like your favourite auntie. Here’s her first hit single, ‘Lost In France’, recorded before the operation on her throat that left her with that trademark raspy voice. SheContinue reading “RIP Bonnie Tyler”

Lost In Music: Fini Tribe*

If Pet Shop Boys are perceived as the pop Gilbert and George, then Edinburgh’s Fini Tribe (sometimes written as finitribe) were DADA. Formed in 1982, there were originally six members: Phillip Pinsky, Chris Connelly, Davie Miller ,John Vick, Andy McGregor and Simon McGlynn. Together, they fused post-punk radicalism with strong visual art, samples and beats,Continue reading “Lost In Music: Fini Tribe*”

Our Bodies Are Not Trends

The recent trend for mega-skinny bodies is really concerning to me. When I was a teen and up until my early thirties, I was slender, and have never been particularly overweight, until the last six years when I’ve been disabled. So it was horrible to see that, yet again, the twig look was starting toContinue reading “Our Bodies Are Not Trends”