Michele Kirsch is a friend from NME days; Mama K’s True Stories began as a column devised for City Limits in the mid 80s. It suited her writing style — and the need for it perhaps marked the accelerated dwindling in that time of the range of […]

Welcome to the final Group C match. Let’s see how things stand.
This group is a 3-way scrap. Japan (managed by Patrick St Michel) sit precariously on top with 4 points and a strong %-point difference. Cote D’Ivoire (managed by Garry) also[…]

“Unless we can somehow recycle the concept of the great artist so that it supports Chuck Berry as well as it does Marcel Proust, we might as well trash it altogether” — Robert Christgau
“But rock criticism does something even more interes[…]

I’ve spent the last month or so quarter of a year thinking a lot about what I’m going to write in my last thing about Young Avengers. I had thought I was done, mostly in the sense that although the series had more to go, I’d got so […]

Of course he doesn’t have pneumonia, that would just be silly. What does Italian #2 hit-maker Gala‘s lover REALLY have apart from a shortage of cash?
(more…)[…]

England (managed by Ronald) top Group D at the moment – sparking tabloid frenzy back home – while Uruguay (Matthew), Costa Rica (Pete) and Italy (Andrew Hickey) will be looking to stop their momentum. It could be a closely fought group, w[…]

Today I'm going to decide, once and for all, which one is my favourite. Debbie Gibson or Tiffany. pic.twitter.com/1sD5vl8lXO
— Susan Calman (@SusanCalman) February 18, 2014

Which one is YOUR favourite: Debbie Gibson or Tiffany?
[…]

Group F is home to one of our Pop World Cup debutants, Bosnia-Herzegovina, who have been thrown into a highly unpredictable group. They’re making their first PWC appearance next to Iran, who stormed to the semis of the 2006 tournament, Argentin[…]

THERE ARE NO MINNOWS IN POP FOOTBALL. And Group E is proof, being home to the mighty Honduras, shock semi-finalists in the 2010 Tournament, and Europop 2010 stars Switzerland. France and Ecuador are pretty handy too. Managers this time out include Ka[…]

Our third game is the Group C curtain-raiser – bringing you Colombia, Greece, Cote D’Ivoire, and sleeping pop giant Japan. This group has been subject to a bit of upheaval as, very sadly, Colombia manager and Popular comments stalwart Pat[…]