Category Archives: Rock
MARIANNE FAITHFUL-NORTH COUNTRY MAID AND LOVE IN A MIST.
MARIANNE FAITHFUL-NORTH COUNTRY MAID AND LOVE IN A MIST. By March 1964, it was apparent that pop music wasn’t just a passing fad. The Beatles were a global phenomenon, and the British Invasion of the American charts had just begun. Britain was a musical powerhouse, that the world envied. Despite this, many labels weren’t resting …
HOUSE OF NOT-THE WALKABOUT OF A. NEXTER NIODE- PART TWO-SEXUS,
HOUSE OF NOT-THE WALKABOUT OF A. NEXTER NIODE- PART TWO-SEXUS, For many people, the golden age of the concept album was the seventies. It seemed that every self respecting rock band had to release a concept album. This was almost a musical rite of passage. However, rock’s royalty weren’t content to release just one concept …
MOGWAI-ATOMIC.
MOGWAI-ATOMIC. Glasgow-based post rock pioneers Mogwai, are no strangers to the world of soundtracks. They’ve previously released three soundtracks in the last ten years. The first was Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait in October 2006. Just a month later, Mogwai released the soundtrack to The Fountain in November 2006. After releasing two soundtracks in the …
QLUSTER-ECHTZEIT-VINYL EDITION.
QLUSTER-ECHTZEIT-VINYL EDITION. Back in 1969, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Dieter Moebius and Conrad Schnitzler founded Kluster, which would become one of the most important groups in the nascent Krautrock movement. Kluster went on to release two albums between 1969 and 1971, Zwei-Ostere and Klopfzeichen. However, in 1971 Conrad Schnitzler announced that he was leaving Kluster. So Hans-Joachim …
KINKED! KINKS SONGS AND SESSIONS 1964-1971.
KINKED! KINKS SONGS AND SESSIONS 1964-1971. Between 1964 and 1971, The Kinks were musical trailblazers who took Britain and America by storm. Critical acclaim accompanied many of The Kinks’ albums. Partly, this was because The Kinks never stood still musically. Instead, they were musical chameleons. They realised that to stay relevant, that their music had …
DIETER MOEBIUS-BLOTCH.
DIETER MOEBIUS-BLOTCH. Probably, the most overused word in the English language is legend. Recently, it seems, the word has been used to describe overrated musical butterflies, who glibly flit between musical genres. They hang onto the coattails of much more talented musicians, hoping that some of their magic will rub off. When this didn’t result …
MIKE HARRISON-MIKE HARRISON, SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING AND RAINBOW RIDER.
MIKE HARRISON-MIKE HARRISON, SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING AND RAINBOW RIDER. There aren’t many artists who enjoy the longevity that Mike Harrison has enjoyed. His career has spanned six decades. During that period Mike Harrison has been the lead singer of The V.I.P.s, Art and the Hamburg Blues Band. However, Mike Harrison is best known as the lead …
CLUSTER 1971-1981.
CLUSTER 1971-1981. The Cluster story began in the Zodiak Free Arts Lab in West Berlin. That’s where Hans-Joachim Roedelius first met Dieter Moebius. Little did they know that they were about to embark upon a musical journey that would last five decades. During that period, Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius were part of three of …
DAN WHITEHOUSE-INTRODUCING.
DAN WHITEHOUSE-INTRODUCING. When Birmingham based Dan Whitehouse came to record his debut album, he didn’t head to one of the city’s many recording studios. Instead, his flat became a makeshift studio. That was where Dan Whitehouse recorded the eleven songs that became his eponymous debut album. It was released in 2012, and introduced Dan Whitehouse …
BLACK MOON CIRCLE-SEA OF CLOUDS.
BLACK MOON CIRCLE-SEA OF CLOUDS. Last year, I described Norwegian space rock pioneers, Black Moon Circle as one of the rising stars of the Norwegian music scene. Since then, Black Moon Circle’s star has been in the ascendancy. Their third album, The Studio Jams Volume I: Yellow Nebula In The Sky was released to widespread …
YURI GAGARIN-AT THE CENTER OF ALL INFINITY-VINYL EDITION.
YURI GAGARIN-AT THE CENTER OF ALL INFINITY-VINYL EDITION. Since the dawn of the internet age, the way music has been made, released and consumed has been totally transformed. For unsigned bands this has been a game-changer. Yuri Gagarin are proof of this. Swedish space rockers Yuri Gagarin were formed in Gothenburg, in early 2012. For …
CAUSA SUI-RETURN TO SKY.
CAUSA SUI-RETURN TO SKY. Nowadays, not many groups manage to release eleven albums in eleven years. Instead, they spend two or three years ‘perfecting’ their future Magnus Opus. It’s changed days indeed. Back in the early seventies, bands were often contracted to release two album each year. Groups like Yes rose to the challenge, and …
WHOLEWHEAT-SONGS FROM MY PARENT’S BASEMENT.
WHOLEWHEAT-SONGS FROM MY PARENT’S BASEMENT. A degree of mystery surrounds New Jersey based singer-songwriter, Wholewheat. Musically, Brian Austin a.k.a. Wholewheat is something an enigma. Very little is known of him. However, in September 2014, Wholewheat released his debut album Songs From My Parent’s Basement. It features songs that Wholewheat recorded between 1995 and 2003. Songs From …
STEVE KHAN-EYEWITNESS, MODERN TIMES AND CASA LOCO.
STEVE KHAN-EYEWITNESS, MODERN TIMES AND CASA LOCO. During the seventies, Steve Khan was one of the top session musicians in New York. He seemed to work non-stop, and was the go to guy for anyone looking for a guitarist. Steve Khan had worked with some of the biggest names in music; including Steely Dan, Blood …
THE PRISONERS-THE WISEMISERDEMELZA.
THE PRISONERS-THE WISEMISERDEMELZA. Musical history is littered with groups whose report card said could have done better. This includes The Prisoners, who were formed in Rochester, Kent in 1980, and released four albums, before splitting up in 1986. However, things could’ve been very different for The Prisoners. That’s if The Prisoners hadn’t been determined to …
LAU-THE BELL THAT NEVER RANG-VINYL EDITION.
LAU-THE BELL THAT NEVER RANG-VINYL EDITION. Ever since the release of their 2007 debut album. Lightweights and Gentlemen, Lau have been variously described as “adventurous,” and “modern folk’s most innovative band.” That’s no exaggeration. Lau are, without doubt, one of the most exciting and ambitious folk bands of their generation. That’s why Kris Drever, Martin …
THE CHARLATANS-THE LIMIT OF THE MARVELLOUS-VINYL EDITION.
THE CHARLATANS-THE LIMIT OF THE MARVELLOUS-VINYL EDITION. Between 1964 and 1969, The Charlatans’ star shawn bright. However, The Charlatans were larger than life mavericks. They dressed like 19th Century outlaws, and embraced the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle. L.S.D. and pot were part of The Charlatans’ diet. It fuelled The Charlatans as they took San Francisco …
EDDI READER-THE BEST OF EDDI READER.
EDDI READER-THE BEST OF EDDI READER. Eddi Reader was twenty-eight when Fairground Attraction signed to RCA. The next three years were a roller coaster for Fairground Attraction. Their debut single Perfect was released in April 1988, and reached number one in the British singles charts. Fairground Attraction slice of pop perfection whetted record buyer’s attention …
CIRCLES-CIRCLES AND MORE CIRCLES.
CIRCLES-CIRCLES AND MORE CIRCLES. Between 1969 and 1977, German music was thriving. In towns and cities, new groups were being formed. Many of these bands eschewed the Anglo-American, jazz-blues tradition, and decided to plough their own musical furrow. What followed, was a musical revolution…Krautrock. The Krautrock era lasted for eight years, and nowadays, is regarded …
ALOHA GOT SOUL.
ALOHA GOT SOUL. The 21st of August 1959 was the day the Hawaiian history was changed forever. That day, Hawaii became the fiftieth and most recent American state. This changed Hawaii forevermore; including its cultural identity. From that day onwards, Hawaiian music changed. The next generation of Hawaiian musicians would be influenced the British Invasion …
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