See: The video for Elvis Costello’s ‘Newspaper Pane’
ELVIS COSTELLO could’ve been another ageing punk pioneer, making occasional appearances for the faithful; but instead, since his 1977 debut, he’s been uncompromising, eclectic, prolific and ever-present. His total embrace and respect for all musicians and genres of music is what sets him apart. Despite his formidable career he sits humbly at the feet of …
News: Brussels ‘Fifty Lab’ Concerts
Starting last year, the Fifty Lab concept showcases up and coming exclusively Belgian talent at three key venues across Brussels. The Ancienne Belgique, Archiduc and Beursschouburg will host three days of concerts (nine in total), on the 18th, 19th and 20th of November. The full line-up has yet to be confirmed though some names have …
ALBUM REVIEW: Concretism – ‘Dick and Stewart: Original Soundtrack’
SCARFOLK is a fictional Northern English town created by Richard Littler, a place forever trapped in a 70s’ dystopia. Starting life as a fake blog by the town council, it soon developed into books, posters and various other parodies. Inspiration came from public information Films and kids’ TV of the era, both of which had …
Album Review: YELLO – Point
Swiss duo Yello are a hive of contradictions and conundrums. Before starting the band in the late seventies, singer Dieter Meier was already a millionaire, Boris Blank had no formal musical training and was a truck driver. They consistently deliver nothing short of sonic excellence, yet are never mentioned in the same breath as Kraftwerk. …
Live Review: IDLES – Lock-In Sessions, 29/30.08.2020
This live stream performance from Abbey Road studios consisted of three sets; two on Saturday night at 9pm and 11:45pm (BST) and a third on Sunday at 12pm. There’s a palpable sense of anticipation as the minutes count down, amplified by the excited comments in the live chat column. At just after nine, the screen …
ALBUM REVIEW: ENO/CALE – WRONG WAY UP (REISSUE)
A simultaneous anniversary re-release alongside ‘Spinner’, Eno’s collaboration with Jah Wobble five years later, this is another meeting of great minds with John Cale. The former was very much immersed in Eno’s ambient soundscape world, whereas this album draws from his brace of accessible yet slightly skewed pop albums in the seventies. For many, this …
Album Review: Eno/Wobble – Spinner (Reissue)
Originally released 25 years ago, this reissue comes remastered with a booklet and two bonus tracks. The music started life as the soundtrack to Derek Jarman’s final film ‘Glitterbug’, which was a Super-8 scrapbook of his life. Eno then gave it to Jah Wobble to do with as he saw fit, who added a kind …
Feature: CARDIACS – A Backseat Mafia top ten playlist in memory of Tim Smith
A personal selection from Backseat Mafia contributors Richard Farnell and Briandroid TO CHOOSE just ten tracks from Cardiacs’ impressive body of work is a near-impossible task. You might think they didn’t do that many albums compared to some, but they often crammed an album’s worth of ideas into just one song. Had circumstances been different …
ALBUM REVIEW: The Streets – None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive
When The Streets burst onto the scene in 2002 with ‘Original Pirate Material’, it really was exhilarating zeitgeist-moment stuff. Mike Skinner was a much-needed, refreshing and relevant voice, and his musical portrayal of a loved-up rave-night experience will never be bettered. On subsequent albums however, his social commentator side became increasingly subservient to the “geezer” …
Album review: Wire – 10:20
Wire have been producing scratchy abrasive arty intelligent pop/punk since the late 70s, and have therefore an impressive and formidable back-catalogue. With that inevitably comes an equally impressive cutting-room floor, where songs that didn’t make it to the disc in question languish, and in the wrong hands could’ve been lost forever. No so with Wire, …