Song of the day: BLUE NILE - Family Life (1996)

Some years ago I did a compilation tape for a friend. Musically, we didn’t have an enormous amount in common, so I was quite pleased that the songs I’d chosen met with her approval. One, though, was singled out for some harsh criticism – “that really miserable song about families and Christmas”.
A lot of tracks [...]

Mojo Muffs It

Mojo gets more bone-headed by the month. This issue has that buffoon Liam Gallagher on the cover, a dreary A-Z of new wave, and the usual reviews section that seems to be governed more by potential advertising revenue rather than the worth of the records. The magazine seems to be spiralling downwards rapidly into Q [...]

A Few Forthcoming Long Players

These are all subject to change, of course. 
ALTER EGO WHY NOT KLANG 15th October
BEIRUT FLYING CLUB CUP 4AD 8th October
BOXCUTTER GLYPHIC PLANET MU 8th October
BUCK 65 SITUATION STRANGEFAMOUS 29th October
BUCKETHEAD ISLAND OF LOST MINDS TDR 5th November
BURIAL UNTRUE HYPERDUB 5th November
CHARALIMBIDES LIKENESS KRANKY 29th October
EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN ALLES WIEDER OFFEN POTOMAK 22nd October
FEU THERESE CA VA [...]

Song of the day: JONI MITCHELL - The Last Time I Saw Richard (1971)

The last time I saw Richard was Detroit in 68,
And he told me all romantics meet the same fate someday
Cynical and drunk and boring someone in some dark cafe
You laugh, he said, you think you’re immune
Go look at your eyes, they’re full of moon
You like roses and kisses and pretty men to tell you
All those [...]

Album: SUSANNA - Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos (Rune Grammofon RCD2066 2007)

Rune Kristoffersen is a bit of a star. There aren’t many labels out there with the kind of roster that Rune Grammofon has – Supersilent, Shining and Deathprod to name but three. Not only are the standards consistently high, there is a bewildering range to the kind of music released by the label – from [...]

Album: THE FUN YEARS - Life-Sized Psychoses (Barge Recordings BRG002 2007)

For me, the stand-out cut on Wire Tapper 18 (reviewed below) is “Electricty Is A Scarce Commodity” by The Fun Years, so imagine my glee to find their recent album in the clearance bin in Monorail for just a couple of quid. The Wire track is not present, but what you do get on Life-Sized [...]

Album: P J HARVEY - White Chalk (Island 2007)

After the expansive and commercial rock sound of 2000’s Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea, Polly Harvey threw something of a curveball with her next record Uh Huh Her when it eventually emerged four years on. It was rough and skeletal, with half the 14 tracks clocking in at under three minutes. White [...]

Instal

Instal 07 takes place at the Arches in Glasgow between November 30th and December 2nd this year. There has been no announcement yet as to who is playing, but it will no doubt be a mixture of the sublime and the ridiculous. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
In 2006 I attended all three days. [...]