Not Forgotten
Not Forgotten: XTC – Nonsuch
In the latter half of the 80s the combined successes of Skylarking and Oranges & Lemons had saved XTC and they had re-established themselves as mature and intelligent pop-rockers that could appeal to all ages. The conceptual grandeur of Skylarking had initially been a commercial failure, but a freak hit on American College Radio with …
Not Forgotten – Bradford – Shouting Quietly
It was pure luck really. I was browsing in my local record and cd emporium, The Left Legged Pineapple in Loughborough (R.I.P) and as I delved through the 12” I saw it. There was nothing remarkable about it, an old man on a one colour (like weak magnolia) sleeve, but I kept coming back to …
Remembering The Lucksmiths
One thing I struggle to understand whenever I meet an Australian is how they never seem to have heard of The Lucksmiths. Lunacy. For a time, it was also incredibly frustrating. “But they’re yours !” I used to think, “How can you not know EVERYTHING about them ?”. I was just hoping I would meet …
Sarah Records, and an interview with Clare Wadd, co-founder
Both me and my brother went through a period of waiting furtively for the postman to deliver these plain brown packages, which we ripped open and almost tore the plastic covering off to get to the good stuff inside. And no, it wasn’t what you’re thinking. These were singles from a small Bristol based record company, …
Not Forgotten: Blur – Modern Life is Rubbish
Most people remember the time they heard ‘the’ album – the one that became their moment of musical epiphany. And most people also remember the first time they fell in love. Mine were one and the same. 1993, I was an awkward 13-year-old with a record collection that was pretty much made up entirely …
Past lives: John Lennon assassinated – December 8th, 1980
Its December 8th today, and exactly 32 years ago to the day Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon in the back four times, on the steps of his apartment building, The Dakota in New York. Doctors said no-one could have lived for more than a few minutes with the scale of injuries Lennon sustained, and …
Not Forgotten: Ruthless Rap Assassins – And it wasn’t a dream (+ uk hip-hop doc.)
Formed by future Black Grape MC Kermit (then known as MC Kermit la Freak) in the late 1980’s with brothers Dangerous Hinds and Dangerous C, Manchester’s Ruthless Rap Assassins made two great albums to critical acclaim and mystifying commercial indifference, but had split by the beginning of 1992 The first album produced this killer track …