Log #200 - Keep On Trekking For The People

It took 200 blog posts to reach REM. I think they were the sort of band that suffered a bit from over familiarity, like U2 or Coldplay. They were also, allegedly, quite middle of the road and mainstream, certainly in their mid to latter period. I don't know much about them to be fair but know they hit the mainstream big around the time of this album (their 8th released in 1992), and the predecessor ...

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Log #199 - Discovering Daft Punk

  Matthew E White - Fresh Blood War On Drugs - Slave Ambient Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas Alva Noto - Unieqav Daft Punk - Discovery Fennesz - VeniceI discovered Daft Punk through the animated film Interstellar 5555. The film tells the story of a band who are kidnapped by an evil dictator who wants to rule the world, or something. ...

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Log #74 - Non Swimmer Saved Mid Lake By The Tender Coming

This week's blog features three artists across the broad folk/rock spectrum. We have the first sighting of the accomplished acoustic guitar troubadour Laura Marling, sandwiched between the traditional yet original folk song of the Unthanks sisters and Midlake's easy going yet dark brand of Americana. ~ 1. Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim 2. The Unthanks - Here's The Tender ...

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Log #66 - Christmas Cheese and Real Drugs

A #CheeseAlert apology to start. All Christmas music is tripe. This includes both the sickly pop songs we are battered with in all public places for at least two months before the big day (I'd be mightily relieved if I could be spared ever hearing The Fairytale of New York again, or anything by Slade or Wizard), and Christmas Carols with their piercing singing and questionable lyrics (give me ...

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Log #2 - Bob Marley Lights Up and Catches Fire

I've been playing quite alot of reggae and reggae/dub recently. This culminated in seeing the reggae covers band Easy Star All Stars a couple of weeks ago - a band that plays covers of Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Beatles and Radiohead - check out their cover of Paranoid Android for something completely different. The Trojan set contains a wealth of music I'm not familiar with like The Upsetters, ...

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The War on Drugs

This week's selection is a marvellous traditional rock album by oddly named band War on Drugs. On first listen the Lost in the Dream album seems rather primitive with basic one-two-one-two drum beats, flangey guitar, Neil Young solos, and Dylanesque vocals. But it's a tremendous grower jam packed with catchy tunes and won Album of the Year at our local Resident Records in Brighton for 2014. Check ...

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