Not Forgotten: Warren Zevon

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Not Forgotten: Teenage Fanclub – Grand Prix

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Album Review: Mark Lanegan – Straight Songs of Sorrow.

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2005 was an odd year for power pop, when three big names released albums of new material. As fate would have it these much anticipated releases by Teenage Fanclub, The Posies and Big Star were solid, but at the end of the day they were just preaching to the converted. Just the same skillful playing …

The career arc of David Bowie was nothing if not fascinating. From his early attempts at just about anything that would get him noticed, he managed a freak hit single after years of trying with the evergreen “Space Oddity” at the back end of 1969. Following the success of “Space Oddity” and the relative lack …

You know something, sometimes it’s okay to not succeed. Sometimes you put every ounce of energy and emotion at your disposal into achieving your goal and still you fail. Sometimes the level of effort you have put into something only becomes evident months, years, maybe even decades after the event, thus offering retrospective redemption to …

Way back in the mid 90s there was a radio documentary about The Bonzo Dog Band. Co-bandleader Vivian Stanshall had passed away in recent years in tragic circumstances, so it was a nice tip of the hat to an act that contemporary audiences had dismissed as a mere novelty act responsible for nothing more than …

When was the last time you were surprised to hear a genuinely good rock band? One that you couldn’t help but be compellingly drawn towards and impressed by. A band that grabbed your attention regardless of whether you were willing to offer it or not. It’s been years since I encountered a band like that, …

It’s Saturday and I’m at The Leadmill, a venue I’ve not been to for at least five years. I’m here to see I Set the Sea on Fire, a hotly tipped five piece from right here in Sheffield. They’ve been making waves recently with a couple of singles, the best of which, “Monsters”, is a …

Eels are a band that too many people viewed as post-grunge alt-rock oddities as they rose to prominence in the late 90s. This wasn’t help by such stunts as appearing on Top of the Pops playing toy instruments to promote early hit single “Susan’s House” and having such oddly unsettling artwork on their debut album. …

After years of only being available as a hideously overpriced import, when The Rutles finally received an official CD release in the UK, it was at least a decade too late, but hey, we have it now and the pre-fab four have never sounded better. So why was it at least a decade too late? …

After the totally unexpected comeback that was the brilliant Deserter’s Songs, Mercury Rev had to put out an album that was a suitable follow up to one of the key albums of the late 90s. Their track record of coming up with the goods when the chips was so far untested and there was the …

The White Stripes were a band that spilt opinion. For many music fans, they were a thrilling two piece rock band who were able to update the blues tradition for a modern audience. To others they were a gimmicky and derivative act with a drummer of limited ability who were little more than a vehicle …