Various Artists – War Child Presents Heroes & Dark Was the Night
Whatever goodwill most benefit albums acquire through their altruism, they tend to blow on inappropriate covers, hookless B-sides and other inessential tunes. Music fans looking to get charitable would be better off donating directly to their pet cause and getting on with their day. At least War Child Presents Heroes has a decent concept. Rather … Continue reading
Welcome to the Sticks (review)
From an outsider’s perspective, Welcome to the Sticks is a straightforward fish-out-of-water comedy — French post office worker Phillipe (Kad Merad) is forced to transfer to a small town in the north of France, a punishment worse than being fired. Will he discover that the northern region is not as backwards as he once thought? … Continue reading
Listening to Who (Murray Lerner intervew)
Some musicians go a long way for spectacle — lasers, makeup and inflatable pigs have all been par for the course. The Who didn’t need any of that. By 1970, they had already perfected and moved beyond mod rock, well on their way to becoming hard rock’s greatest act. When they played at the Isle … Continue reading
Bibio — Vignetting the Compost
Bibio’s sound is at once unique and instantly welcoming. Delicate acoustic guitar lines are looped, phased and bent, layered forwards and in reverse, sculpted into fragile symphonies in miniature. It’s a formula that’s served the British artist well over his past two albums, and earned him accolades from influential friends like electronic outfit Boards of … Continue reading
Listening to Who (Murray Lerner intervew)
Some musicians go a long way for spectacle — lasers, makeup and inflatable pigs have all been par for the course. The Who didn’t need any of that. By 1970, they had already perfected and moved beyond mod rock, well on their way to becoming hard rock’s greatest act. When they played at the Isle … Continue reading
Unbuttoning Coraline — Neil Gaiman interview
Neil Gaiman has been responsible for some of the most remarkable works of fantasy in the last 20 years. Along with Alan Moore’s Watchmen and Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, Gaiman’s Sandman series essentially defined what modern comic books are capable of — it remains the only comic to win The World Fantasy Award. … Continue reading
The Consumption 