Remembering
Book Review: The Ballad of Jethro Tull
Despite being one of the biggest acts of the 70s, Jethro Tull are not a band that have ever enjoyed career reassessment and rehabilitation by subsequent generations. Sure, they have enjoyed steady sales to this day, and there has even been a string of hefty box set reissues which have seen their classic albums remastered …
Remembered : Leon Redbone
Leon Redbone was one of those characters that seemed to have stepped out of an E.L. Doctorow novel, or an Our Gang comedy. Playing Tin Pan Alley shuffles and ragtime ballads on the guitar and whistling like a drunken bum with just a swig of whiskey left in his flask. Except instead of appearing out …
News: Farewell Bastard Song, By Toad – a celebration
A few days back Matthew Young who runs Song, By Toad Records let slip that he was calling it a day. While a decade of doing anything is a lot and it’s often better for everyone that people move on and do new stuff, Song, By Toad will be missed – not least by me. …
Remembering : Composer Johann Johannsson Dies At 48
The last three weekends I’ve barely left my pajama pants, let alone my house. Winter blues? Middle age aches and pains? The hermit transformation nearly complete? Maybe a little of all of that. Anyways, this weekend I wasn’t going to melt into the caverns of the couch watching a Sam Raimi marathon like I did …
Not Forgotten: Rowland S. Howard
In 1975, Rowland S. Howard wrote a song called ‘Shivers’, one of the best songs ever to come out of Australia and indeed anywhere (in my humble opinion) at the tender age of 16. Originally written for Howard’s first band,The Young Charlatans, Howard took the song, ‘Shivers’, with him when he joined another local Melbourne …
Remembering: Bradford’s Ian H Interview
I suppose you’d say they were nearly men, Bradford. And just writing that makes me feel a little sad. The Blackburn five piece, Ian H. (Ian Michael Hodgson, vocals), Ewan Butler (guitar), John Baulcombe (Keyboards),Jos Murphy (bass guitar), and Mark McVitie (drums), released a handful of singles and one brilliant album Shouting Quietly, as well …
Remembering: Archie Shepp interview, 40 Years on from Attica Blues
Let’s get the background out of the way first. Archie Shepp is a jazz legend. Maybe not one of the big names of jazz, but a browse of the mans discography shows this guy could, and did, mix it with the very best. Born in 1937, his early collaborations included work with Don Cherry, legendary …
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, …