This is one of those wonderful resources that make the Web so addictive: an almost-scholarly collection of pop songs influenced by classical pieces, written by a musicologist going by the pseudonym of “Ostin Allegro”, and complete with MP3 snippets. (For younger/non-UK readers this is an Austin Allegro, a not-inherently-terrible small car let down by shockingly […]
Read MoreScientology is evil rubbish. South Park is gloriously disrespectful of every kind of religious and ideological fairy tale. So this story LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Soul singer Isaac Hayes said on Monday he was quitting his job as the voice of the lusty character “Chef” on the satiric cable TV cartoon “South Park,” citing the […]
Read MoreThere’s an overlap between my CD collection and Richard‘s, but we do come at music from slightly different angles. He subscribes to The Wire; I subscribe to Sound On Sound. In the most recent edition of The Wire all three of their interviewees had beards—two of them goatees. In the most recent Sound On Sound the main interviewee was 80s pop […]
Read MoreFor girls (or boys) reading this who used to have a crush on John Corbett, the actor who played DJ Chris Stevens in the TV series Northern Exposure, an uncharacteristically frivolous Gloria Salt has some bad news. For the (other) boys, all I can say is that there’s a special kind of schadenfreude that comes […]
Read MoreThis is a message for magmavander in Hyères les Palmiers. I am trying to send you a link to another rough mix, but your wanadoo address is bouncing as non-existent. Please email me an alternative contact. Thank you.
Read MoreEvery time I see a photograph of Abu Hamza that includes his torso, it looks like he’s got an iPod Mini hanging round his neck. What is it?
Read MoreJason Donovan, has-been popstar Tony Blair, wannabe popstar
Read MoreTHE EDGE: dicka-ticka-ticka-ticka [dicka-ticka-ticka-ticka] [[dicka-ticka-ticka-ticka]] [[[dicka-ticka-ticka-ticka… BONO: And the Devil touched the angel in the middle of the desert… BROOCE: Bwangggg! …in the shadow of the foundry, in the shadow of the flag… ELVIS COSTELLO: …and the angel was a s-s-s-squaddie and the Devil was Thatch… LORD MACCA OF LOCH KODAK: …and the little green […]
Read MoreAn earlier post of mine might have been construed as criticism of respected rapper and member of the community of People Of Colour Notorious B.I.G.. Since writing that entry in my Weblog I have been informed by two of my readers that Mr B.I.G. is, in fact, deceased. I think I and everyone here will […]
Read MoreMainstream hip-hop has become cock rock in blackface. Twenty years from now we will look back and laugh ourselves silly that it was possible for a lardy munter like the stupidly named “Notorious BIG” (that’s “Bee-Eye-Gee”, ladeez) to be Number One in the UK charts with an unironic Feed-The-World style ensemble display of sexual bragaddocio […]
Read MoreRichard and I have been experimenting a lot with musical rounds and vocal counterpoint lately, but never have we scaled the heights of P D Q Bach, “oddest and least loved of the twenty-odd sons of Johann Sebastian Bach”. How is it that I had never heard of the satirist and pioneer of the classical mash-up (and serious […]
Read MoreDave Simpson reviews Brighton bedwetters The Kooks in yesterday’s Guardian: “Ironically, they do white reggae much better than Babyshambles—if not yet as jaw-droppingly as The Clash.” Indeed. As rock’n’roll compliments go, that’s on a par with: Ironically, they do white rap much better than Ali G—if not yet as jaw-droppingly as Blondie.
Read MoreTo celebrate my (late) discovery earlier in the week of the Dr Who theme remix site I offer you a chance to participate in PooterGeek’s toughest end-of-the-week challenge yet: The Instrumental Transliteration Tournament. Inspired by the Whovian musicians’ model I give you three examples: Dr Who EEEEEeeeeeeaouuuuw WHOO-eee-OOO [bumbly-bum, bumbly-bum, bumbly-bum] WHOO-eee-OOO [bumbly-bum, bumbly-bum, bumbly-bum] […]
Read MoreExcuse me, sir? Yes? I’m here for the life drawing class. Blimey. No one else is. Yes, I noticed that. Are we going to start anyway, sir? Why are you calling me “Sir”? You are the life drawing teacher, aren’t you? I prefer to think of myself as an creative facilitator, but, technically, I am, […]
Read MoreI was recording in Richard’s little studio the other day and he showed me some scenes from a short film he’s doing the music for. (His initial ideas sound excellent and the short not only looks good, but stars Someone Famous Off Telly.) Populated by children’s toys as his and Kate’s home is, I had […]
Read MorePeace-loving, anti-gun, has-been “urban” popstress Ms Dynamite, who re-wrote George Michael’s “Faith” for the pre-Iraq War Brit Awards to include the declaration “I don’t want blood on my hands”, has been accused of having the blood of a female police officer on her hands.
Read MoreI’d just like to point out that my preceding post was in no way a fishing operation, intended to elicit appeals from “fans”; I just sat down at the keyboard at midnight with the radio on and really couldn’t think of anything weirder than the actual news. In fact, earlier in the week I came […]
Read MoreRock chick? Heavily pregnant? At last an answer to your fashion needs, including something to raise eyebrows down at those pre-natal classes. [via Frank Cheshire]
Read MoreAnd thank you to the members of SIAW and everyone else for reading and commenting in 2005. Have a wonderful 2006. Cheers! I’m still suffering the last of my cold and I’ve just spent New Year’s Eve trying to work out how to use FL Studio 6’s new mixer. I didn’t even notice that midnight had passed […]
Read MoreClean-cut “youf” operatic quartet G4‘s cover of Radiohead’s Creep is either a crime against music or a post-modern deflation of passive-aggressive indie rock whining. I’m not sure which, but either way I am worried that my sister likes it and that I can’t think of a good reason why she shouldn’t. “Is It Just Me […]
Read MoreI forgot to mention that my Thursday last week started with my being trapped in my car when its cheap-and-nasty central locking system went bonkers and shut me in (I had to pass the keys out through the window to a mechanic at local garage who got a passenger-side door open) and ended with my […]
Read MoreOn Friday Saturday evening, I went out for a noisy drink with Mr and Mrs Wardytron, their livejournal friend Jim(?) and a posse of goths. Thank you, Wardy, for inviting me. It was fun. One of the few serious topics of conversation that came up was the new Conservative Party leader. It’s not been often […]
Read MoreYesterday in the Guardian Nicky Campbell joined the minority of press commentators who have mentioned recently deceased footballer George Best’s tendency to slap women around. He did so with a telling quote from one of Best’s exes: “I adored George, and do you know what? In almost two and half years together he only hit […]
Read MoreBlimey. I switch my phone off and stay away from the Net for one day (and a Sunday at that) and everything goes to hell. Apologies to Auriol and Leasey (and anyone else who was trying to get in touch). I heard your messages and will get back to you. PooterGeek was crawling with comment […]
Read MoreLike Frank Sinatra entering a karaoke contest, my friend and co-conspirator Richard Brincklow recently decided to follow up being paid by people to compose music by going to university part-time to study for a degree in music composition. It turns out this week that the jammy bastard has been awarded a First. I suppose I […]
Read More[Location: Fallujah, I-raq. Dateline: November 2004; well past your bedtime. US Rangers and special forces operatives advance on a complex of residential buildings believed to be crawling with the enemy. Watching one entrance through night vision goggles, Sergeant Steve “The Rock” Jenovich leads a half-dozen of his best men into what they believe will be […]
Read MoreI realise a gym in Brighton is probably not the kind of place where you would expect to find, say, The Playboy Channel showing on the TV screens, but yesterday while I was working out the video to the latest Will Young single was on. It’s a Top Gun pastiche that opens with a great […]
Read MoreYesterday, the guy who runs the Internet caff where I have become a regular introduced me to Jay, The Only Black Man In Hove. The proprietor thought that I should meet him because Jay makes his living writing and remixing pop. Coming from Hove though, “Jay” turns out to be short for “Justin St Clair […]
Read MoreFurther to the ginge-rock question, my Oirish friend Cathal emailed to point us at this Red Pride site, where there are plenty of copper-topped celebs.
Read MoreUPDATE: Here’s a picture of Kate’s excellent hair (Freya in the foreground, Richard in the background): [click to enlarge] My friend and musical collaborator Richard and his missus Kate had me round for dinner the other evening and we got into a conversation about the recent Observer Music Monthly list of “larger-than-life” performers (i.e. fat […]
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