THE ENGLISH TAPE, SIDE 1 TRACK 7
FRAZIER CHORUS – “Typical” (from the album Sue)
More politeness: Tim Freeman’s whispery, resigned entreaties to his lover are as English as tea on a rainy day, the disappointed murmurings and s[…]

NICK DRAKE – “Hazey Jane II” (from the album Bryter Later)
The sudden inflation of Nick Drake’s fame is deeply pleasing: sensitive and gorgeous, he makes a much better ambassador for British pop than Travis or bloody Toploader[…]

THE ENGLISH ISSUE, SIDE 1 TRACK 5
SAINT ETIENNE – “Mario’s Cafe” (from the album So Tough)
The same scene, nearly thirty years later, and one of Saint Etienne’s most beautiful songs, the peak of the bubblegum-dub style t[…]

… Note, for instance, the seeming contradictions between playing music to set a mood and playing it to get into a mood. Currently I’m listening to Brother JT, who might or might not be insane. Certainly when I saw him live at Terrastock 2, a[…]

Create your own Belle And Sebastian song!: you know you want to. “Is she alright or is she on the game?” etc. And for karmic balance here’s Full Fathom Five on why B & S matter.[…]

confessions of a canadian anglophile: great reply/follow-up to Tim’s Britpop story.[…]

Promise Ring: Electric Pink EP: Pitchfork Review: I have never in my life heard The Promise Ring – this review suggests I should keep it that way. Pitchforkpeople can write, of course they can, but the dig at westernhomes at the end of this rev[…]

The reeducation of Lauryn Hill: what makes a pop song? asks Salon (in publishing and royalties terms, that is). Interesting topic, surprisingly dull article. It might be this, says one guy. It might be that. says another. There’s a basic contra[…]

Punk Manifesto: Greg Griffin’s ‘punk manifesto”s core message (summary: Ask Questions) is good and infinitely repeatable. The evolutionary-biology flimflam surrounding it is original, though I wouldn’t agree with him that lyin[…]

us|against|them – an indie music weblog yo: damnation, I should be going to work, yet still the blogging madness continues. This is, as it says, an indie music weblog, and lists a lot of reviews of bands I’m far to out of touch (and Briti[…]