First-hand tales from the people down in the engine room.
Read MoreRyder: For What It’s Worth (Live) (2018).
Buttrock band.
Read MoreHARKII Of Sound Mind podcast Episode 1: “Why I don’t think blockchain will change the music industry.”
In which I go on a podcast and talk about why blockchains are still trash, particularly for music. Don’t fall for resentment-based marketing!
Read MoreGary Miller: Anarcho-Punk Albums: The Band’s Story behind Anarchist Punk Music (2018).
A document of anarchopunk of the late 1970s and early 1980. It’s short, but it’s cheap and a great read.
Read MoreFelix Colgrave: Royal Noises from Dead Kingdoms: The Music of Double King (2018).
Colgrave’s animation is beautiful. It is alternately stark and lush, full of repeating patterns and startling aberrations and the score, Royal Noises from Dead Kingdoms, mirrors the hypnotic visuals in its layered, thoughtful construction.
Read MoreNekrogoblikon: Welcome to Bonkers (2018).
A lot of metal is full of goofy bullshit, a lot of which is very somberly growling about satan, hell, torture, shit, darkness, and other suitably grimy and nasty metal things. And sometimes it turns out that goofy bullshit is pure, distilled perfection and the concentrated essence of joy.
Read MoreThe Cascades: Diamonds and Rust (2017).
While the rest of the world moves, changes, shifts, reshapes itself, and discovers irony you can always return to the comforting refuge of goth rock.
Read MoreLinks: High-Definition Vinyl, Brian Hooper RIP, Eventbrite’s we-take-all ticketing contract.
At least Twitter reaps a bountiful harvest these days.
Read MoreLinks: Spotify windowing, Spotify and The Pirate Bay, industry shows piracy correlating with music industry success, Section 26.
The record industry is being blustering idiots about piracy again.
Read MoreOh, eMusic, no — don’t go blockchain! Another Kodak moment.
It looks like eMusic’s attempt at a comeback last year didn’t work out so well. Behold: the eMusic Blockchain Platform! … a Kodak moment indeed.
Read MoreWhite Cross: Take heart. You’re not alone.
Australian indie guitar favourites from the late 1980s, their complete catalogue available once more.
Read MoreNemesis Inferi: A Bad Mess (2018).
The record is a solid piece of work with plenty of power. A sound that wavers between groove and thrash from song to song.
Read MoreNervenbeisser: Zeitenwandel (2017).
If you’ve been hankering for some growly Germans who make music that complements PVC outfits and stompy dancing, Nervenbeisser might be for you.
Read MoreLinks: Dragon Ball Super mass piracy, origin of the gated reverb snare, the return of illegal raves.
Plus Salman Rushdie’s disco turn, and “Ace Of Spades” played on an actual spade.
Read MoreLinks: NME goes out of print, write about music anyway, Qwant music search, how to write a hit in 2018.
Choreography about architecture.
Read MoreThe Frozen Autumn: The Fellow Traveler (2017).
Are you into synthpop? Do you believe in heaven above, do you believe in love?
Read MoreReviews: Cloud, LisaWars (2017, 2018).
Cinematic indie pop and some NDW revival.
Read MoreLinks: Andrew Hickey “Monkee Music,” Paul Morley and Propaganda, Kim Deal, YouTube finances, Bananarama and the legal system.
There are many legal inaccuracies and errors that Bananarama fall into here. I think it’s important that we address them.
Read MoreAndrew W. K.: You’re Not Alone (2018).
How do you feel about relentless positivity and good cheer? I’m a bit cynical about it myself, but once in a while something comes by that slaps a smile on your face and won’t get out of your head.
Read MoreLinks: Peter Saville, pirates buy streaming, Bandcamp users buy music, vinyl demand, Mark E. Smith, Kam Franklin.
Medical journal Lancet Psychiatry ran a Mark E. Smith obituary.
Read MoreKing Trigger: The River (1982).
Today’s one-hit wonder.
Read MoreLinks: The grunge gold rush, the Lester Bangs play, headphone jacks, Chandra, the first Velvets gig.
A pile of writing.
Read MorePerfume: Cosmic Explorer (2016).
Hear some pop trash you haven’t heard played to death!
Read MoreLinks: The Shakin’ Stevens game, Quincy Jones, death of the CD, Spotify songwriter credits, Snub TV.
Now I’m trying to imagine an ’80s Quincy Jones game.
Read MoreReviews: Dboy, Distant Stars, Cherry Heaven (2017, 2018).
Doing it yourself with trashy rock’n’roll, minimal synth and shoegazy indie.
Read MoreThe Chameleons, Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 2018-01-12
It was a good-sized crowd on the night with a surprising and pleasingly diverse audience, ranging from young post-punk revivalists who were born around the start of this century to those elder folk who had been there from the original days, now more than thirty-five years in the past.
Read MoreLinks: Rasa Didzpetris Davies genius of The Kinks, Milli Vanilli, Arthur Baker, Children of Satoshi.
Planet Rock. Nicht halt. Raza DIdzpetris is why the Kinks were that good.
Read MoreLast week after “Dynasty” I had crows feet under my eyes. Paid two days for getting high. Mark E. Smith is dead.
Sounds like MiG 20 crack, huh? Over! Over!
Read MoreReviews: Fires, Second Still (2017), Duran Duran (1979).
Industrialised synthwave, goth and a pop demo from the mists of time.
Read MoreProto Idiot: Leisure Opportunity (2017).
A bright and delirious combination of garage punk, psychedelic rock, and addictive joy.
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