Music
Not Forgotten: William Shatner – Has Been
Can you imagine trying to pitch a William Shatner album to a record label in 2003? For decades he had been sniggered at for his various attempts at ‘singing’, with his much derided rendition of “Mr Tambourine Man” being a subject of much criticism down the years, though the reaction to that was nothing compared …
Say Psych: Album review, Astragal by Broken DC
As summer turns to autumn there’s a certain melancholia in the air. It’s often a time for introspection, for remembering the (relative) warmth of the season gone by; while at the same time looking forward to the beauty of what is to come. The colours that arrive as leaves gradually lose their sense of purpose. …
See: Watch the new video from Ben Millburn for his track ‘I’ll Go’
If his first EP, Part One – Strange love and consequence, was about a recurring dream, then the latest in a set of EPs entitled ‘The Balance EP’s’ from Louisiana born and Austin based singer-songwriter Ben Millburn is about dealing with them. Whereas it’s predecessor was a loud affair, so this new EP, Local Honey …
Say Psych: Album Review, Is God’s Creation by Nudity
Sometimes, just sometimes, something comes along that stops you in your tracks. You put the thing on not knowing what to expect and BAM! it fucking slays you from the outset. That’s what happened when I first heard this double album from Nudity, a band that was totally new to me. Wait though, to my …
Not Forgotten: Leaf Hound – Growers of Mushroom
Ah, 1971, a time when rock music was rapidly evolving and youth culture as a whole was still suffering from the hangover caused by the end of the hippy dream. The giants of the new decade had begun to emerge in the late 60s, with The Beatles split having handily cleared the decks for a …
Album Review: Silver Apples : Clinging To A Dream
I have to be honest, besides a vague awareness of the name I wasn’t all that familiar with Silver Apples. I knew they were instrumental in pushing electronic music into the ears of folks that would go on to revolutionize the genre. Experimental electronic, Krautrock, motorik beats, and the whole German electronic music scene of …
Album Review: Drugdealer – The End of Comedy
I really didn’t know what to expect when I was asked to review the new album by Mike Collins, the man who is Drugdealer, all I knew was that Collins had been on the LA music scene for a number of years and that he had a reputation for his Carole King-esque piano playing. I …
Not Forgotten: Ocean Colour Scene – Marchin’ Already
Anyone who has read more than a handful of my reviews will be familiar with my oddly conflicted attitude to the mid-90s Britpop movement. Seemingly a term coined by Stuart Maconie, it was one co-opted by mass-media to basically refer to any British guitar wielding act at the time. This led to a lot of …
Album Review: Various Artists – Another Splash of Colour: New Psychedelia in Britain 1980-1985
For regulars at Alice in Wonderland and the Bat Cave some of Londons more obscure 80`s nightclubs the Psychedelic scene in the mids 80`s was thriving, many bands featured on the Cherry Red box Another Splash Of Colour Psychedelia in Britian 1980-1985 frequented and played at these clubs, as were other small clubs all over …
New Music: Stephen Marley Review – Revelation Pt. II: The Fruit of Life
Hip hop owes a debt to reggae although it’s one that is not always appreciated or acknowledged. Jamaican foundation DJs of the early 1970s, like U Roy and Big Youth, chanted over riddims that were usually instrumental versions of popular songs in Jamaica and individual sound systems battled to rule the dancehalls. Fast forward to …