Do not adjust your opinion

80's

Singles Reviewed : Reverend & The Makers, Stalagmites, Fresh Snow, Macho Muchacho, Freeze the Atlantic, Doctrines, Allman Brown, Nordenfelt, MJ Hibbett

Greetings, readers who know how to do a stoppie in a tricycle without a “rajita de canela” appearing afterwards.  Welcome to another edition of our “off again, off again, hey it’s on again!” single reviews column. Granted, some of them aren’t singles, but I liked them and made my stupid human collaborators review ‘em. A huevo que sí. 

This week’s singles come courtesy of Nelly Furtado’s left eyebrow, she was great ’til she did that album with Timbaland. Same goes for Chris Cornell. What the fuck, Timbaland? Why you taking me fave artists? Who’s next, Elton John? Bastard.

Mind you, a Timbaland produced Elton John album would be great. I’m a contradiction.

Ah, singles, right:

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Singles Reviewed – Dead Sons, Ninetails, Finn Bonel, The Black Hats, In Golden Tears, Shibuya Crossings

Greetings, readers who know how to fold a burrito properly. Hook a brother up, please? Welcome to another edition of our “off again, off again, hey it’s on again!” single reviews column. Granted, some of them aren’t singles, but I liked them and made my stupid human collaborators review ‘em. A huevo que sí. 

This week’s singles come courtesy of Pascualo Zindugüarapos, the guy who serves pork kebabs in Broomhill. They be awesome, yo! No, wait, they don’t sell pork kebabs in England. Dammit.

Ah, singles, right:

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These days (or janitor of lunacy)

Sometimes I find the connections a bit too overwhelming. Six degrees of separation and all that. Back in the early 80s, I had returned from working in Casablanca to Manchester, and I got involved in the music scene there again. I used to do the door at various venues for Alan Wise, a promoter and manager, and for Factory records. I was working on the door the night the Hacienda opened, though I don’t appear in 24 Hour Party People. (more…)


Blue Lip Feel – Glitterbox

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The Fiction – The Greatest Hits EP

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Singles Reviewed : Maybeshewill, URSS bajo el arbol, Mooi, The Bedford Incident, The Narrows, Spring Offensive, Athena, Funeral Suits, Thelonius Rex, Partly Faithful

Greetings, readers who went to Vive Latino 2012 and fell in love at the party pit while being showered by plastic cups containing Cerveza Sol (and if it wasn’t beer, then fúchila)! Welcome to another edition of our “off again, off again, hey it’s on again!” single reviews column. Granted, some of them aren’t singles, but I liked them and made my stupid human collaborators review ‘em. A huevo que sí. 

This week’s singles come courtesy of Macabre Johnson,  the conspiracy theory nutjob that lives in Weston Park, Sheffield. He keeps telling me that we are being watched with microcameras and microphones in all our gadgets and that we all are being sheepled into believing an alien invasion that is actually holograms projected in the sky. Get Scooby Doo and the gang on the case! Strangely enough, Macabre also makes a cracking cover of Muse’s ‘Dead star’ on the nose harmonica. He even gets Matt Bellamy‘s choirboy-meets-Thom Yorke tone right!

Ah, singles, right:

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Single Reviews : Sick Boy, Emily J. Grove, Louise Distras, Maps & Atlases, Films of Colour, Karhide, The Evaporators & Andrew W.K.

Greetings, readers who took the jam out of my doughnut. You’re going to hell! Welcome to another edition of our “off again, off again, hey it’s on again!” single reviews column. Granted, some of them aren’t singles, but I liked them and made my stupid human collaborators review ‘em. Mahalo. 

This week’s singles come courtesy of the sexy voice of K-Billy Super Sounds of the 70s. Now, put down that razor blade, let the cop walk away and boogey down to Morrison’s and buy me more doughnuts. Or else all your music will turn into 5 hours of Chris Martin yodelling.

Ah, singles, right:

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Singles review : Wet Nuns, Mononoke, Toy Horses, Gunning for Tamar, Jumping Ships, Uno Moller, Cold in Berlin, The Naturals, Swaying Wires

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Greetings, readers who steal golf carts left to rust in your local parks! Welcome to another edition of our “off again, off again, hey it’s on again!” single reviews column. Granted, some of them aren’t singles, but I liked them and made my stupid human collaborators review ‘em. Mahalo. 

This week’s singles come courtesy of The Hillside 19 mob, comprised of ninja penguins, barbarian seals, kamikaze sea lions and a rather handsome manatee. Oh, the manatee! How it hates us! Go listen to Gallops, btw. Back? Cool, now stand upside. Wave to the crowd. Get roses, kiss the girl (or boy or significant other) and now jump through hoops to get your creme egg.

Ah, singles, right:

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Singles Reviewed: Daddy Lion, Jake Morley, Decibels, Katzenjammer, Greymouth, Oceanwake, Man of the hour

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Greetings, readers who bought my copy of Building your own death ray gun from radishes and aspargus stalks (vol .1 Disintegration for the soul)! Welcome to another edition of our “off again, off again, hey it’s on again!” single reviews column. Granted, some of them aren’t singles, but I liked them and made my stupid human collaborators review ‘em. Mahalo. 

This week’s singles come courtesy of WorkForce, because we all mofos here are writing for gratis. Grumble, grumble. We are the 99%, as in, we like to sing “99 luftballoons, ich bin ein ausgangeeeer!” while playing hopscotch against the ghost of DeForest Kelley. He’s quite the sport.

Ah, singles, right:

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Singles reviewed : What the Blood Revealed, Adi Carter, Heroes of the Mexican Independence Movement, Johan Reinhold, Floating Death Picnic, The Bedford Incident, Black Market Serotonin, Nowhere Again, Ninetails, The Hudares

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Greetings, readers bought all seven copies of my self-help guide, Getting back at the rustler that stole your red oxen (vol .2 Electric Boogaloo)! Welcome to another edition of our “off again, off again, hey it’s on again!” single reviews column. Granted, some of them aren’t singles, but I liked them and made my stupid human collaborators review ‘em. Mahalo. 

This week’s singles are double-double, so watch out for that trans fat in our delicious cuts of smoked shoegazing bacon. Mind the indie dance chicken. And for Krist Novoselic‘s sake, don’t throw your bass in the air, you might end up writing political science for the rest of your life while you wallow in self-pity on that day you said no to a high paying job packing foodstuffs in orange bags at Sainsbury’s.

Ah, singles, right:

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Singles: Field Music, Alvin Purple, Master and the Mule, Cut yourself in half, Holy State, Baddies, Blacklisters

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Greetings, readers bought Orestes P. Coltrane’s guide to stalking your kindergarten teacher (vol. 1 Jello o’death!! Welcome to another edition of our “off again, off again, hey it’s on again!” single reviews column. Granted, some of them aren’t singles, but I liked them and made my stupid human collaborators review ‘em. Mahalo. 

This week’s singles come courtesy of Mexico‘s own Safari Tacos. Great food, so-so service, great memories. Go for a Quesafari al Pastor, which basically is a big arse quesadilla with pastor meat (the non-unionised Mexican equivalent of kebab meat). It fucking rules and best of all: it has a lot of piña (that’s pineapple in Spanish).

Ah, singles, right:

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Single Reviews : Two Skies, Sickboy, Greymouth, Revival Hymns, Antlered Man, Finn Bonel

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Greetings, readers bought all five copies of my self-help guide, Growing your own fairtrade kebab bonsai (vol .1 Ikkebana for the Soul)! Welcome to another edition of our “off again, off again, hey it’s on again!” single reviews column. Granted, some of them aren’t singles, but I liked them and made my stupid human collaborators review ‘em. Mahalo. 

This week’s singles come courtesy of Top Gear‘s delicious chili con carne. Now, if I could be any of them, I would be James May. He’s the intelligent one of the bunch. Although, how intelligent can he be while still tolerating Clarkson? The mind boggles. As much as Basil Brush‘s brush. That is not a double-entendre.

Ah, singles, right:

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Odisseo – Los Salvajes EP

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We Barbarians – Headspace EP

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Sheffield and California, sitting under a tree

Mazes Spectrals and Best Coast @ Queens Social Club, Sheffield

It was a very sunny Thursday, a strange occurrence in Sheffield’s “blink and you miss” spring, one that has felt more like a bad mood swing.

So, in order to cure those weather-got-me-down-blues, what best than 3 very uplifting bands to rock out in that place where time stopped, Queens Social Club?

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A punkier shade of pop

The Static Age – In the city of wandering lights

Stream – ‘Metropolis’


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Sunshiney pop

Just Handshakes (We’re British) – New Adventures in pop

Stream – ‘Downward spiral’

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Dance your Indie self away

Starfucker – Reptilians

Streaming – ‘Quality time’

The skinny: Dance with Indie. Or the other way around.

The review proper: The sound of indie bands replacing their xylophones and glockenspiels with midi and keyboards.

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Nicholas Courtney

Nicholas Courtney (1929 – 2011 )

“Just once, I’d like to face an alien menace that wasn’t immune to bullets!”

We’ll take a moment from our usual music rants to remember this good fellow, who acted with all the Doctors from the past in one of the shows we enjoy (mostly) at the site, Doctor Who.

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To the beat of the drum machine

Still Flyin’ – A party in motion


The Skinny : Synth overdose.

The review proper: Might have to get something out of my chest before starting this review. A party in motion is a bit too 80s for my own tastes. Drum machines, synths and even a sax (‘Victory walker (2 AM)’).

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Notes from Overground

Book Review: American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
(For those that haven’t seen the film of the book or the book of the book)

 “I just hate that whole self-involved thing that modern male American writers do” said my friend, a well-read literature student, as we were discussing Bret Easton Ellis over beer one day. There was a mixture in our group of those that had read Ellis’ work and liked it, those that had read it and hated it and those that hadn’t heard of him.

But trying to argue that Ellis is the natural evolutionary outcome of the Jack Kerouac’s and Dr Gonzo’s of this world seemed sort of void to me. It’s not that Ellis himself comes across as narcissistic; rather he has an uncanny ability to penetrate the thoughts and feelings of those that are. Either that, or we may want to start getting quite worried about Mr Ellis.

 ‘American Psycho’ tells the story of Patrick Bateman, a young investment banker who works on Wall Street during the late 1980’s and early 90’s. A yuppie living in a narcissistic consumerist void. Shallow, charming, attractive, sauve, egotistical, hedonistic, privileged. Oh yes and also possibly a delusional maniac who tortures animals and people to death for kicks.

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Wake up song -138

I’m really enjoying ‘Serotonin’ – it’s got this poppy, synthy 80′s vibe that the Mystery Jets can really pull off. Here’s the video to the latest single and, if you can ignore the girl that looks like the love child of Claudia Winkleman and Liz Hurley in drag, it’s pretty entertaining. Enjoy!

- Misky

p.s. They should let William sing more songs because he’s great - he ain’t no Ringo!


Looking back at … Billy Joel

“Some things were perfectly clear / seen with the vision of youth / no doubts and nothing to fear, I claimed the corner on truth / These days it’s harder to say I know what I’m fighting for / My faith is falling away / I’m not sure any more” —Billy Joel, ‘Shades of Grey’.

“Every one of Joel’s important songs, including the happy ones, are ultimately about loneliness. And it’s not ‘clever lonely’ (like Morrissey) or ‘interesting lonely’ (like Radiohead); it’s ‘lonely lonely’, like the way it feels when you’re being hugged by someone and it somehow makes you sadder.” —Chuck Klosterman.

There are artists which puzzle me in respect of why they get so much hate. Brand New, Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, Mars Volta, Porter and Billy Joel.

Yes, I’ve just paired Billy Joel with those once loved, now derided musicians. What’s with the hate?

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