Think of music from Bristol, and I dare you – I double dare you – to not think of Massive Attack. I certainly can’t help it. The reaction is totally involuntary – the place and the band being as deeply connected in my mind as Radiohead to Oxford, The Boss with New Jersey, and, er, […]
Category: recommendations
The chunky ZZ-Topping Roadie in Jay Z’s 99 Problems video. He’s Rick Rubin. You know him. You just don’t know how much. Beastie Boys:’ “You’ve got to fight for your right to party”. Johnny Cash: “Hurt”. Chili Peppers: “Under the bridge” & “Give it Away”. Run DMC: “It’s Tricky” & “Walk this Way”. Adele, JayZ, Metallica, […]
Even the most casual reader of these pages will know that I’m a bit of an Elbow fan. I feel that I need to put that out there straight from the off, so you know what you’re dealing with, here. That said, I’ve largely held back on commentary around ‘Build A Rocket Boys!’, save for […]
My last post was about The Stone Roses: a Manchester band which left a mark so deep on our cultural landscape that you can probably see it from space. At the other end of the scale, a band which made barely a dent, but one from the same time and same place as The Stone […]
Strap yourself in for this. Here’s your new favourite track, by your new favourite band. When a band comes out of nowhere with a tune of this calibre, it makes you realise that there was a void in the musical landscape. I’m talking about perfect, infectious pop – completely nailed with polish and a swagger […]
I’ll just come out and say it: I hope PJ Harvey wins the 2011 Mercury Prize. Yes, even though she’s up against Elbow, and even though I’ve already waxed lyrical about my huge admiration for fellow nominees Anna Calvi and Everything Everything, I hope Polly walks away with the award. (And, yes, I can’t help […]
My daily commute takes me from Manhattan out to deepest, darkest New Jersey, taking in the industrial wasteland bordering Newark airport, before finally landing in the greenery of ‘The Garden State’. The journey takes me through East Orange. And so, as I sat in my car last week, surrounded by SUVs, pick-up trucks, and knackered […]
When I fall for a band, I sometimes fall hard. A case in point: Warpaint. I’ve mentioned them to a few people recently – and their name receives a nod of recognition. I hear good words of their live reputation, and a general acceptance that ‘The Fool’ is a fine album. For me, it’s an […]
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Thomas Dolby
I don’t know when it happened. People started to play 80s music – in a deeply un-ironic way. A case in point: Roxy Music. I am serious here – I can barely move in the shops of NYC without hearing the strains of Brian Ferry. I’m not saying that this is a bad thing at […]
Call it blues, delivered with an operatic sneer. Sounding like the nasty sister of Bat For Lashes – the one who grew up listening to dirty rock, as opposed to Kate Bush – Anna Calvi demands your attention. Take one part Florence Welch (the voice bit), one part Patti Smith (the attitude) and one part […]
Lamb are back. This can only be good news. ‘Trans Fatty Acid’, ‘What Sound’ and ‘Gabriel’ would be enough to justify high expectations surrounding the return of one of Manchester’s finest. But, to put beyond doubt the notion that Lamb are ‘an important band’, I give you ‘Gorecki’. Lamb are creators of much more than […]
OK, I’m from Stoke. It’s not exactly a city known for solid summer weather. Compound that with the fact that I am probably one of the whitest people around, and it’s perhaps surprising that I am such a fan of ‘The Summer’. Turn the temperature up, even throw in some humidity, and I am generally […]