LIVE REVIEW: Sparks – Ancienne Belgique, Brussels 22/04/2022
After over twenty albums and fifty years in the business, the Mael brothers have weathered everything from adulation to ridicule and indifference, yet resolutely ploughed their own idiosyncratic furrow. Long ago realising that trying to play to the fickle tastes of the public was a risky and ultimately futile endeavour, they simply did their uniquely …
Not Forgotten: Gong – Camembert Electrique
Released in 1971 on French label BYG Actuel, Gong’s second album resurfaced on Virgin Records in 1974 at the special price of 59p, by which time the teapot was in full flight with the Radio Gnome trilogy. Even back then, Daevid Allen’s mythology was close to fully formed. The photo on the back sleeve shows …
Obituary: Meat Loaf aka Marvin Lee Adey September 27th, 1947- January 20th, 2022
One of Rock’s larger than life characters has passed away at the age of 74. Born Marvin Lee Adey in Dallas, the former high-school football player relocated to New York in the late 60s, and began landing roles in musical theatre, most notably ‘Hair’ and ‘The Rocky Horror Show’. It was in this world that …
Album Review: Matt Baber & Richard Wileman – Baber Wileman
Richard Wileman’s 2020 album, ‘Arcana’ was a melodic yet unnerving gothic treat, with a Hammer Horror, Wicker Man vibe. This new offering continues in a similar vein, a collaboration with Matt Baber of Sanguine Hum. They had previously worked together in 2011, on a track (Mondo Profondo 1) for Wileman’s earlier incarnation, Karda Estra. This …
Feature: A Buyer’s Guide to DEVO
Devo is a band that seems destined to be eternally misunderstood, probably because of multi-faceted elements in the pot. Many adjectives and nouns spring forth – humorous, novelty, plastic, comedy, but dig beyond the superficial and you’ll find subversive, pioneers, provocateurs, innovators, and let’s not forget entertainers, and if you’ve ever had the pleasure to see …
ALBUM REVIEW – THE FALL – ‘LIVE AT ST HELENS TECHNICAL COLLEGE, 1981’
The chance unearthing of a bootleg of this show, by Marc Riley has been well documented by now in the press. John Dwyer, leader of The Oh Sees eagerly stepped in to release this vinyl-only album on his Castle Face label, so now we have it. It’s exorbitant price results from 50% of its proceeds …
News: Skids covers album – ‘Songs From a Haunted Ballroom’
Scottish Punk icons, Skids have recorded their first ever covers album. It’s a tribute to the Kinema Ballroom in Dunfermline, which served as both club and venue in their formative years. The choice of tracks is based on the seminal tracks played there and the legendary concerts that took place, often with Skids in the …
Track: Paar release new single, ‘Eis’
Pastiche, homage and original twist might sound like three orders in your local Starbucks , but in fact it’s a delicate balancing act that many bands flounder at. Too much heart on the sleeve can lead to egg on your face, so you’ve got to bring something new to the table…but before Greg Wallace comes …
TRACK – Brinsley Schwarz, new single: ‘Storm in the Hills’
Just as Alice Cooper the band became the man, guitarist Brinsley Schwarz became the band when they adopted his name as their moniker; a band often mentioned in revered tones as leading lights in the Pub Rock movement. With Nick Lowe also in the ranks and Elvis Costello as occasional roadie, they rubbed shoulders with …
SEE: Brian Eno video from Film Music album
Brian Eno has commissioned a video for one of the tracks from his recently released ‘Film Music 1976 – 2020’ album. ‘Decline and Fall’, from the film, ‘O Nome da Morte’ is the piece in question, so it seemed only natural to ask the film’s director to provide the visuals. Award-winning Brazilian-born director Henrique Goldman …