1980s
10 Questions for Russell Smith of Terminal CheesecakeMonday, 05 August 2013
In the late Eighties one of the most sonically unhinged bands of all time came together in East London. Terminal Cheesecake caused few commercial waves but gathered a devoted coterie of fans for their unholy racket at pummelling concerts. Their... Read more... |
DVD: Runaway TrainTuesday, 30 July 2013
Influencing Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity, director Andrei Konchalovsky’s underrated marvel Runaway Train is finally available on crisp Blu-ray: think masculine philosophy meets Alaskan wilderness in an existential thriller as exciting today as it was in... Read more... |
Burton and Taylor, BBC FourTuesday, 23 July 2013
They’ve served BBC Four well, these dramas about the private lives of the stars. From writers to comics, presenters to chefs, the secret traumas of yesteryear’s celebs have entertained and enlightened. And, if we’re honest, embellished. Now that the... Read more... |
Interview: Grant Hart on Science, the Devil and DeathTuesday, 23 July 2013
In both a personal and literary sense, Grant Hart has been to hell and back. While the 52-year-old Minnesotan is still best known as the drummer and songwriting contributor behind legendary US punk band Hüsker Dü, his fourth solo album, The... Read more... |
Extract: That's Not Funny, That's SickMonday, 15 July 2013
Christened the Blues Brothers, Elwood and Jake’s first public appearance was as the warm-up act Lorne Michaels used to put the studio audience in a receptive mood before the show started. The audience became so warmed up that in April 1978, Michaels... Read more... |
CD: Pet Shop Boys – ElectricSaturday, 06 July 2013
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe's twelfth studio album sounds strangely familiar. I thought for a moment they had already released an album with the same title and then I realised that I was thinking of the Tennant/Johnny Marr/Bernard Sumner... Read more... |
Blondie, Usher Hall, EdinburghWednesday, 03 July 2013
Blondie are one of a handful of bands capable of producing a set list which renders rational critical argument all but obsolete. If they play the hits and they play them straight and true, there’s not really much to complain about. Last night in... Read more... |
Reissue CDs Weekly: Giorgio Moroder, The Teardrop ExplodesSunday, 30 June 2013
Giorgio Moroder: Schlagermoroder Volume 1 1966-1975 / On the Groove Train Volume 1 1975-1993 / On the Groove Train Volume 2 1974-1985 / Son of my FatherSo far, this year has been good for Giorgio Moroder. He’s been integral to Daft Punk’s world-... Read more... |
Reissue CDs Weekly: Scared to Get HappySunday, 23 June 2013
Various Artists: Scared to Get Happy – A Story of Indie-pop 1980-1989It’s a good thing this box set has the hedge-betting sub-title A Story of Indie-pop. Making the definitive statement on a whole decade of pop’s undergrowth is probably... Read more... |
Hard Feelings, Finborough TheatreTuesday, 18 June 2013
Doug Lucie's signature spikiness remains intact, and then some, in the Defibrillator production of Hard Feelings, which is sure to pack out west London's tiny Finborough and might well be a candidate for a transfer. Telling of the various meltdowns... Read more... |
CD: Camera Obscura – Desire LinesThursday, 30 May 2013
It says something about the commodification of modern music that Scottish poppets Camera Obscura are probably best known for "French Navy" because it is used by wine company Echo Falls on the sponsored intros to Come Dine With Me. It is a... Read more... |
Depeche Mode, 02 ArenaWednesday, 29 May 2013
Even the most committed lover of long odds would not have bet on Depeche Mode still being this big when they first tinkled their way into the charts over three decades ago. The smart money would probably have been on them now playing, at best, to a... Read more... |
