189 posts
New albums
“All I’ve got is a red guitar, three chords, and the truth,” Bono announced on Rattle & Hum, borrowing a phrase from country music’s Harlan Howard. Judging from his latest…
Rupert Holmes – Songs That Sound Like Movies review
Rupert Holmes is a British- American tunesmith largely remembered – or despised – for his somewhat anomalous 1979 hit single, Escape (The Piña Colada Song), probably because listeners assumed he…
Flesh For Lulu – Flesh For Lulu review
Flesh For Lulu were a bunch of South Londoners who, in the 80s and early-90s, specialised in new wave pop-rock with a hint of glam, all dressed up in the…
Nick J.D. Hodgson – Tell Your Friends review
“I don’t care about you,” former Kaiser Chief Nick Hodgson confesses early on this solo album, “But I’m trying to get you to smile.” How noble that is, though in…
Tony Banks – 5 review
Genesis founder and keyboardist Tony Banks said he didn’t appear on his last LP, 2012’s Six Pieces for Orchestra, because: “It had always been an ambition of mine to have…
Hiroshi Sato – Orient review
If you like synth-pop, you’ll love this obscure, cult-ish, previously hard to find and expensive treat. Actually, it’s synth-pop meets jazz-funk with more than a touch of exotica and Oriental…
The Fiction Aisle – Jupiter, Florida review
Despite considerable plaudits, Thomas White’s parent band, Electric Soft Parade, have often struggled to convert kudos into commerce. Perhaps conscious of this, White has immersed himself in other activities, including…
Skids – Burning Cities review
Their career was short, but left its mark, as a recent reissue of 1979’s Scared To Dance will remind you. All it takes is Kings Of The New World Order’s…
Torn Sail – This Short Sweet Life review
Huw Costin has been promising his ‘new’ project’s debut for almost a decade. Perhaps he was waiting for middle age to arrive: having once rocked with Earth The Californian Love…
They Might Be Giants – I Like Fun review
Johns Flansburgh and Linnell currently knock out new material at such a pace one wonders whether they have gambling debts to pay. This year they’ll revive their Dial-A-Song website, but…