It was the 1980s. We all had glossy hair, wore shoulder pads, and made music with the same three models … More
Category: Music
Posts about music.
Bonfire of the hierarchies
As a librarian, as a lover of history and the literature that constitutes it, as a custodian and celebrant of … More
Once upon a time in Canterbury…
Lots of regional music scenes have come and gone. Some we’ve heard of. We know that there were interesting things … More
No detour
Slayer’s fourth album, South of Heaven was released when their sound and status were well-established, and it was conceived as … More
Joyous celebration
People whose names appear on albums are often not ‘professional musicians’ in the sense of someone who has honed their … More
A ritual of world-building
A rich, deep evocation of… Well, it’s something of a cliché to say ‘the movement of the earth’, or ‘geology’, … More
Staring back
Darkness, an absence of light, is an obvious, unavoidable presence in the visual realm. We live in a world of … More
Balancing act
So what happens when you take one of the most distinctive and stylish rhythm sections of the post-punk era and … More
Sharing the fun
Herbie Hancock was right at the beginning of his career as a sideman when he made his debut recording as … More
What punk is for
A lot of the time, I listen to contemporary punk records, and I wonder where the anger’s coming from. I … More
Presence
There are no cum shots in Black Oni. There are long builds, ecstatic crescendi, contemplative soundfields, thunderous riffs, all the … More
Being themselves
I reviewed this album in 2013 when it came out, but I didn’t spend a huge amount of time with … More
Staying true
There’s a sense that musicians (and other artists) are supposed to keep innovating, to follow an endless quest for the … More
A body speaks its truth
Having trained as an instrumentalist, and associated with other instrumentalists over many years, I’ve often found myself having to argue … More