What does it sound like?: If you are capable of doing anything, why not do everything at once? Sign "☮︎" the Times is Prince's definitive statement, a double album displaying the … [Read More...]
The Afterword
Musings on the byways of popular culture
Nights In
Fay Hield – Wrackline’
What does it sound like?: Twelve songs, 47 minutes and an aura of magic. Northern lass Fay goes in search of the Otherworld - a place of strangeness, adventures, wistful pathways … [Read More...]
Dyble Longdon – Between a Breath and a Breath
What does it sound like?: Big Big Train vocalist and front man David Longdon and iconic vocalist Judy Dyble collaborate here on what, it turns out, is a very fine album indeed. … [Read More...]
Long and violent history – Tyler Childers goes the full monty on Kentucky fiddles
What does it sound like?: Bluegrass, straight from Kentucky, traditional fiddle tunes and songs in their style. Tyler Childers is an interesting character. Kentucky born and … [Read More...]
Nights Out
Chester Folk Festival Online!
Venue: Nowhere, yet everywhere Date: 29/05/2020 Nights Out? Are you serious? In the tradition of Russian election results, this is part announcement and part review in that we … [Read More...]
Womad NZ -was this the last music festival of the year?
Venue: New Plymouth Botanical Gardens, North Island, New Zealand Date: 13/03/2020 New Zealand is the first country of size to herald in the new year.This year it may have been … [Read More...]
Pat Metheny , Auckland Town Hall
Venue: Auckland Town Hall, New Zealand Date: 10/03/2020 I've never been a fan of Pat Metheny. In fact, I have never been a fan of jazz guitar though there are notable exceptions. … [Read More...]
Stewart Lee on tour 2020
Venue: Oxford Playhouse Date: 24/02/2020 This was the first time I have seen Stewart Lee live despite being a long time fan of his previous work on TV and on stage. The show … [Read More...]
Films
Bill and Ted Face the Music
Year: 2020 Director: Dean Parisot *Mild Spoilers ahead* Anyone who rejoices in youth, optimism and companionship will feel a warm glow when they remember the triumphant final … [Read More...]
Tenet *MILD SPOILERS*
Year: 2020 Director: Christopher Nolan * Mild Spoilers * If you are like me and you like to see a new Christopher Nolan film totally cold without knowing anything about it, then … [Read More...]
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
Year: 1970 Director: Kevin Billington I remember wanting to see this when it came out only for it never to show up at my local Odeon on its 1970 release (those were the days!) … [Read More...]
A beautiful day in the neighbourhood
Year: 2019 Director: Mariel Weller I was thinking about seeing the film 1917 then I read a tweet where the poster said they felt like they had had the shit kicked out of them by … [Read More...]
Reads
On Track… Mike Oldfield – Every Album, Every Song
Author:Ryan Yard I rather like the "On Track" series. They are books which unpretentiously do what they say on the tin: "every album, every song". So they act as a reference guide … [Read More...]
Inside Story
Author:Martin Amis I’ve followed the career of Martin Amis for many years now, from the highs of Money, London Fields and Time’s Arrow through the lows of Yellow Dog and Lionel … [Read More...]
Side By Side – Selected Lyrics
Author:Robert Wyatt & Alfie Benge I first heard Robert Wyatt on John Peel’s show in the mid seventies, and I was sufficiently intrigued to invest my limited cash in the albums … [Read More...]
Monsters of River and Rock
Author:Adrian Smith This is certainly an unusual twist on the normal rock star memoir of drugs, drink and debauchery. Speaking as a long time Maiden fan, I had no idea one of … [Read More...]
Games
Game help!
Platform:XBox, PC/Mac Age Rating:3+ Year of Release:2019 Review:I'm in need of a new game or two. This year I have played - 1 PUBG - I like it generally but I feel that I'm up … [Read More...]
Nier 2: Automata
Platform:Playstation Age Rating:16+ Year of Release:1949 Review:This batshit crazy Japanese manga-esque RPG explore-and-destroyer has been a game that’s broken through into the … [Read More...]
Noticeboard
JJ and J – A Tribute to J.J. Cale
I've been listening to a lot of JJ Cale recently, who seems to suit my mood, and started writing songs which, if not like him (no one is like him) caught some of his mood. So I … [Read More...]
50 years after: Ian Anderson’s Village Thing label (1970-74) celebrated on air
Folk/blues scenester, performer, club organiser, sometime broadcaster, former 'Froots' editor and personality Ian Anderson started a record label in Bristol in 1970. In this new … [Read More...]
Jimi Hendrix
18/09/2020 Hi, Tomorrow (18 September) from 15:00 UK time, on the 50th Anniversary of Jimi's death, my friend Keith will be presenting a "3 hour celebration of his musical … [Read More...]
Analogue Hashtag – ‘One of our agents is missing’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErjHXXY5HMM Analogue Hashtag's debut album is inspired and influenced by some classic TV themes, in particular the work of composers like Edwin … [Read More...]
Joni Archives
Just the press release for those interested.... Since her debut album arrived in 1968, Joni Mitchell’s songs have been embraced across generations, inspired multitudes of artists … [Read More...]
“Songs From Under The Floorboards”/”2 Fish & An Elephant”
05/09/2020 Hello again. Thought some may be interested that Songs From Under The Floorboards will be returning to the airwaves next Thursday (10 September) at 17:00 UK … [Read More...]
