Indie
Classic Compilation: Talkings Heads – The Best of
Rhino have always had a reputation for putting together some damn fine compilations which work as ideal introductions to the bands in question. The Best of Faces – Good Boys … When They’re Asleep and Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes have been much-needed single disc introductions to two bands that may otherwise have remained permanently …
Not Forgotten: Sparks – Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins
Sparks were in a weird position in the mid 90s. Once one of the most subversively inspirational acts, by the time Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins was released, The Mael Brothers has been overtaken both commercially and artistically by some of the very acts that they had inspired, most obviously Pet Shop Boys. From it’s sphincter tighteningly bad …
Not Forgotten: The Wonder Stuff – Hup
While 1987’s The Eight Legged Groove Machine was The Wonder Stuff’s statement of intent, ultimately it was little more than thrillingly scruffy post-punk guitar thrash aimed squarely at the pop charts. It was utterly brilliant for what it was, but ultimately it was the type of album that a band could only release once, with any attempt …
Track: BOB re-release Convenience in support of their final tour dates
All good things must come to an end, and largely unheralded but none the less brilliant 80s/90s indie merchants BOB have decided to end their reemergence with a flurry of live dates in November, and with a reissue of their Peel approved classic ‘Convenience’. Released as part of the Optic Sevens 2.0 reissue series via …
Live: Honeyblood – QMU Glasgow 24.10.2019 Plus Gallery
Stina Tweeddale and band bewitch the Glasgow crowd with an intoxicating brew of beloved back catalogue tracks and box-fresh songs from her latest album. It’s appropriate that Honeyblood are returning to the stage now; latest album In Plain Sight was recorded during Halloween season this time last year. Spooky imagery interwoven with reflections on the …
Not Forgotten: Super Furry Animals – Guerrilla
For years I felt that Guerrilla was Super Furry Animals‘ untidiest album by some distance, never quite really holding it as close to my heart as I have their other albums, despite SFA being one of one of my favourite bands. Regardless of my how much Guerrilla has baffled me down the years, the opening five numbers of the album have …
Track: Didirri – Blue Mood Rising
Didirri is at the forefront of a whole bunch of preciously talented youngsters producing some incredible guitar-based music across Australia (see also Hatchie and Chakra Efendi, recently reviewed by Backseat Mafia). We have visited Didirri before, and his talent appears to be exponentially maturing and developing on the strength of his new single ‘Blue Mood …
Not Forgotten: Flight of the Conchords – I Told You I Was Freaky
Follow ups to successful albums where the primary ingredient was humour are few and far between. Humour is a transient thing and can fall out of fashion even quicker than music (just look at how arse-clenchingly unfunny a big-at-the-time Little Britain looks these days), so there are very few acts that maintain a consistent level of humour …
Classic Compilation: Barenaked Ladies – Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits (1991-2001)
Barenaked Ladies continue to get a bad rap, particularly here in the UK, where they are primarily known for their one hit wonder status courtesy of “One Week”, and the theme to love it / hate it mainstream comedy The Big Bang Theory. While admittedly knowing, arch, and just a bit too smart-arse, Barenaked Ladies …
Not Forgotten: Suede – Dog Man Star
For all the hype around the band, in retrospect Suede’s self titled debut album was pretty damn ordinary, with only a few decent singles to mark the band out as anything above average. Despite this, in Brett Anderson they had a fine vocalist, and in Bernard Butler they had one of the UK’s hottest young guitar …