Guilty Pleasures (Theory And Practice)
I’ve just been sent a review copy of a new compilation of DFA stuff and very fine it is too. But how’s about this for a quote from the press release, attributed to James Murphy:
“We’d bot[…]

The first of my generation has made it. While shopping with my mum today in Tesco, we/she bought Gwyneth Herbert‘s album. Gwyneth was in the year above me at uni. In fact, the first thing I ever ‘reviewed’ was a gig of hers. She was[…]

I’m currently reading that Planet Simpson book that purports to be an intelligent look at The Simpsons. Methinks it doth purport too much. For tis – in part at least – a book both created by and created about the ‘slacker&#821[…]

What is the correct response to the old ‘what are your influences‘ chestnut?
It really should be an interesting question as genuine influence is usually pretty fascinating. Witness, for example, the John Lennon jukebox CD/documentary or, […]

Here‘s something for use in the current discussion about the ‘state’ of the music journalism business.
On the Plan B forum, it prompted me to say that hating the NME was the new hating ‘manufactured chart pop’, even if t[…]

All the talk downscreen about the ‘uses’ of music got me thinking. Thinking about shelving. Sure, I ‘use’ music as much as the next blogger but the music I actually ‘use’ is pretty much entirely dependent on storag[…]

To continue my theme of songs on a theme, two particular tunes have been haunting me this week. The first is by the dearly departed ironist Mr Johnny Cash and is called ‘Strawberry Cake’. The second is by a similarly dearly departed heart[…]

I’ve just been listening to a song called ‘Tupelo Mississippi Flash’ by Tom Jones. It’s on the flip of his 1970 single, ‘Daughter of Darkness’. Here‘s the lyrics. It’s one of Jones’ typically r&#8[…]

There’s plenty to get mildly irate about with this Guardian article by The Usual Suspect on McFly but, for our present purposes, take note of the tone of voice with which he talks about four intelligent, successful, talented – and I […]

Some more Dylanology f’ya.
After the sudden spurt of Dylanology* downscreen, I’ve just finished Toby Thompson’s ‘Positively Main Street’. Like George Melly’s Revolt Into Style, it positively fizzes with contemporar[…]