What does it sound like?: I have been a bit obsessed with the latest album by Nathaniel Rateliff, recorded sans Nightsweats. I am still trying to figure this guy out. I first … [Read More...]
The Afterword
Musings on the byways of popular culture
Nights In
Agnes Obel – Myopia
What does it sound like?: All of Agnes Obel's albums are tender, elegant and graceful. Her first, Philharmonics, evokes the delicate, pristine beauty of a snowflake. Aventine, … [Read More...]
Miles Davis: Birth Of The Cool (Soundtrack)
What does it sound like?: How can you sum up a gargantuan career like Miles Davis's in a single documentary or compilation of recordings? There are so many phases, all rich with … [Read More...]
Nada Surf Never Not Together
What does it sound like?: Back in the mists of time I went to my first London Mingle. It was the one before the one when the Word closed. I had burnt a few copies of a CD and … [Read More...]
Nights Out
A Night Out with Damien Jurado
Venue: St Paul's Church, Birmingham Date: 22/02/2020 Jurado is one of what I think of as the good guys, one of that welter of earnest and efficient acoustic troubadours, … [Read More...]
Field Music
Venue: Rescue Rooms, Nottingham Date: 21/02/2020 I finally, at the third attempt, got to see Field Music live. Despite the best attempts of the weather to close major roads, and … [Read More...]
Sam Lee and Friends
Venue: St. Georges, Bristol Date: 19/02/2020 There are many songs out there that are older than I am, songs older than my house, older even than the village in which I live. Some … [Read More...]
A Tribute To Ginger Baker
Venue: Hammersmith Apollo Date: 17/02/2020 Firstly, this was a Clapton-curated event so was based exclusively around Ginger’s output between ‘66 and ‘69. For fans of the Graham … [Read More...]
Features
Colin H interviews… the Presleys
Colin H on The Presleys
‘Embrace’ is the first album by the Presleys. It’s a 35-minute barnstorming, blistering urban garage blues-rock behemoth – and it benefits homeless people. It’s an album that requires no previous knowledge of those involved: Ned Alexander (drums, backing vocals) and Brian Houston (guitars, vocals, piano, banjo). The tracking engineer, Ben Loughran, adds bass and Moog on some tracks. It was recorded and mixed at Brian’s studio in Belfast.
It’s tempting to leave it there as an intro – because I’ve just said that one needs no other information to crank up this album and enjoy it. But… okay, let me tell you just a little about Brian Houston before we hear what he has to say…
Thirty years ago, around 1990, Brian’s band the Mighty Fall caused a sensation on the Belfast bar scene. Not least, they opened up a major covers-only venue to original music with a weekly residency at the Empire Bar. The Empire became one of Belfast’s key handful of original music venues in the mid-90s, along with the Warehouse (1994–96), the Front Page, the Duke of York and a couple of others. The Empire is still a key venue to » Continue Reading.
Films
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...]
Uncut Gems
Year: 2019 Director: The Safdie Brothers This is latest film from the Safdie Brothers about whom I have to say I knew nothing before this. It’s in the cinemas but also … [Read More...]
1917
Year: 2019 Director: Sam Mendes “From the director of Skyfall” yells the poster and the trailer, which is true but not the point. The story is simple enough, though I won’t go … [Read More...]
Parasite
Year: 2019 Director: Bong Joon-Ho Well now. Is it a black comedy? Is it a thriller? Is it a modern parable? All of these, and none of these. If there is one criticism - and it's … [Read More...]
Reads
On Track – Toto
Author:Jacob Holm-Lupo Although they sold over forty million albums over a forty year period, when I think of Toto I think, like most people I suspect, of just three songs – Hold … [Read More...]
A New Day Yesterday:UK Progressive Rock & the 1970s
Author:Mike Barnes Just what I always wanted! This epic six hundred page plus tome really has everything you could hope for and more besides, covering the genesis (pardon the pun) … [Read More...]
10cc:The Worst Band In The World
Author:Liam Newton The original, long out of print, edition of this book first appeared in 2000. It has now been revised, updated and expanded for this comprehensive new … [Read More...]
Hard to Handle the life and death of The Black Crowes: A memoir
Author:Steve Gorman +Stephen Hyden I stopped reading rock star memoirs a few years ago, having taken a view of what more could they offer. This probably arose when I read Motley … [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
My 50th birthday
29/02/2020 I'm having a gig on Saturday, in a small Cambridge club, to celebrate/commiserate turning 50 on Monday. Three bands: Pink Lemonade (all-girl pop-punk trio), The Pony … [Read More...]
Re-Play Papworth – 1970
29/03/2020 Abbey Read, Let It Bleed and Bridge Over Troubled Water played from remastered vinyl on a top-flight hi-fi in the Courtyard Café, Papworth Everard. Home-roasted … [Read More...]
“Turn ‘em all on, then turn ‘em all down…”
I first met Shane Kirk in 1997 when I auditioned for his Beatles specialist band The Star Club. I was feeling very pleased with myself until he dryly informed me that I was the … [Read More...]
Sarah McQuaid tour… and a look over the abyss of future UK/Euro touring
I'm posting this PR mail-out in the Noticeboard section, and as a long-time Sarah McQuaid fan I commend her live show to one and all - a blanket of musical warmth and ruminative … [Read More...]
Re-Play Papworth – 1986
23/02/2020 Hounds of Love, So and Graceland played from remastered vinyl on a top-flight hi-fi in the Courtyard Café, Papworth Everard. Home-roasted coffee, loose-leaf tea, … [Read More...]
Come All Ye presents The Folk Cabaret
13/02/2020 Every second Thursday of the month at The Blue Moon, Cambridge. A folk-roots night with a house band, guest artists and a quiz. Live music 8pm-10pm. + … [Read More...]
