joe_shoo has written the following articles:
Soulspeckled mopflippin’ pop sharks Julie’s Haircut may not win any awards for their dreadful band name, but when bound to vinyl, they present an effortlessly diverse set of tracks and tasslytacks for our delecation.»
Purveyors of fine Soul-Punk-Rock-n-Roll The Bellrays are dangerously addictive. With a new album, and a massive tour of the UK and Europe scheduled in for the latter stages of 2003, Joe Shooman finds out that there’s more to this most crackling of outfits than a mere work ethic.»
Post-punk dumdumdrumming pop pips Bow Wow Wow’s four year career in the late 70s and early 1980s managed to encompass underage sexual suggestion, intrestingly camp backing singers and Svengali management / meddling. But where are the songs to back up the legend?»
Worcester Pop-Punkers B*Movie Heroes can hardly be accused of laziness, being, as they are, practically supernomadic between now and Xmas.»
The Official UK Charts Company OCC has finally acknowledged that we live in the 21st Century by submitting recommendations to rejig format-based chart eligibility rules for CD singles on the advice of their Chart Supervisory Committee.
'Many people in the industry have long advocated the need for an inexpensive two-track CD single. These new rule changes should facilitate the revitalisation of our singles market.'»
Liverpool's most absinth-soaked delinquent rockers The Mighty Saguaro are hitting the road with a vengeance to back up their debut appearance on vinyl.»
"...I like the idea that people are making a little bit of an effort. People are dressing slightly differently, they’re being more individual, which is such a breath of fresh air after spending four years or something in the morass of nu-metal bands, who attract the same sort of crowd from around the suburbs"»
One of them nasty ol’ side-projects this may be, featuring members of Black Heart Procession, Soul Junk and Trumans Water, but this is one triumvirate that proves that when talents of this calibre collide, often the results can be explosive. Or should that be implosive? The fifth release in»
Poignant pop strivings here from the Melbourne’s finest exports since they threw wobbly-chinned tuba-playing god-botherer (but obviously an all round good egg) Harold Bishop in the sea, as Sodastream deliver two tracks that showcase the stylistic breadth of their oeuvre. Like, get this: ’Seasons On A S»
30 years back, a progressive act from Rome took the name Giardini Di Miro and almost even got a record out. But they didn’t bother. So they split up instead. And then the nephew of one of the original band members got a group together to cover ’Ciatta di Vetro’ - an old track of the erstwhile legends »
For those who like their reggae uplifting and soulful, Ken Parker’s career should already be familiar. This compilation spans the years of 1967-1973, important times and then some in the dissemination of the genre to an audience desperate for new sound – albeit here with a sonically familiar focus. Essentially, Par»
Aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the sound of exhalation, the insight of the inspired, the volumic ministrations of the medicine, the giggle of the gorgeously-horizontal, the praise of the perfect, the respect for the reality of rebirth… A triple CD box set here of fabulous spliff-song and collie-class is of course in danger »
Christ knows what the crass carcrash of my feelings really, really are about this band. I mean, I can’t say what I mean ‘cause I can’t work them out at all. And maybe that’s the whole point. I just don’t know. But let’s try anyway… I mean, of course, I love The Fall. I love them with all my sickness of gut a»
The sound of love and laid-back soft-fingered caress here in a brilliant trio of tracks that are notable for their honest realisation of the melting, melding mercurial munificence and dreamery of philosophical peach-peel prettiness. But they can do pulsing 70s New Yoikness as well – the title opus is proof of the b»
The latest offering from the vital and energized Ankst fable-label-stable brings us a delightfully fingerfuckin E.P. from 5-piece mongrel pop-psych brassnecked beatlifters Zabrinski, and, Iesu Mawr, it’s a crumblowin’, ffansi-that flipperclap, and no mistakin’. Lead track Executive Decision is»
Ah... now this, hear this, hear dis, hear DiS: this record is something special and self-indulgent and summery and sweaty and evening-like and simply an essential purchase for anyone who wants to create a sun-soaked scene in the dankest of bedsits. 'Many Rivers To Cross' comprises the best of Jimmy Cli»
North Wales indie-hopper-tunetwatted-fuckers Melys' third studio album proper is at turns plaintive, aggressive, painful and passionate. In truth it's a proven combination that has served the four-piece well throughout the years: a stew of soul-led scene-stealing that serves to reinforce the band’s reputat»
Liverpool – recently crowned European Capital of Culture 2008 – is to add a new venue to its already impressive list of gig spaces. With the City perceived as now having a higher musical profile than for some years, the rush to»
Liverpool is bozzin’ with the news that it has been named as European Capital of Culture for 2008. On Wednesday, 4th June, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell announced that the recently crowned City Of Music had beaten back bids from Cardiff, »
Sodding been a fallow month, a sallow stretch of gigless work-fucked headmash bullshit defined and defiled by deadlinedickin late Spring stupidity; but now I’m back in full-on, Sex-box pixelshaggin attack mode. And with San Miguel cheapish at the Masque Theatre, I’m ready and shouty and standing swaying, playing, r»
Indie labels music festival in Scouseland... A new event in Merseyside takes place next month that seeks to underline the vast current array of Scouse talent that has permeated the nation’s musical consciousness over the last year or so, all courtesy of the Independent labels that have launched acts of the»
Redolent with the mastery of sonic manipulation, the barren barracuda-beat Bristolians flit onto the Apollo stage through a dryhumping carrion crowd, heavy-lidded through improper synapse-scraggling; and the theatre breathes in deeply, inhaling the tonal torpor, exhaling in serpentine sympathy. Slowly and s»
The debut EP from Liverpudlian songwriter Steven Kennedy is a multilayered aural experience that should propel this talented young performer into the highest strata when his debut album, ‘Control Freak’ finally hits the streets. Featuring full band workouts of three album tracks, this is a release t»
And so it goes on, and The Fall regroup and deconstruct and implode and regather, and here we are again, and this triple CD set of 90s rarities and dodgy live tracks is a mediocre and overblown addition to the ouvre of this prolific and decidedly disrespectful outfit. A triumvirate of long-players that appe»
Alright then, Mark so-called Edward so-called Smith, I’ll listen to your Northern white crap that talks back: Tall ranting redolent with the scarified scarfaced semen of seminal spark, sparseness, strangeness. And yeah I do love ‘Live At The Witch Trials’ and yeah I do think it’s all »
‘Team Extreme’, the World Champions and largest BMX and skateboarding team, are linking up with the best in Urban Sports for the Healthy Lifestyle Programme’s ‘Urban Gathering’ Event at Crosby Marina, Liverpool on April 26th. Supported by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF), South Sefton Primary Care Tru»
This schizo-soul land touched by Morpheus’ hand where I fall and I flail and I warp and I wail cause the chips are all green and the faces are mean so I crawl and I snail searching sound’s holey grail; where there’s mischief and magic and laughter and crassness and chancers and dancers and crackfuck and cream crew»
With the scribblers and dribblers of the media flirting with nose-burning exhortations in the fair(ly minging) City of Liverpool, a plethora of events, promoters, labels and websites have been unearthed that really give a flavour of the extent of talent in the area. One of the recent – and welcome – addition»
The recent semi-ludicrous rumours that intimated that one of the members of recently defunct Poppy Punk tunesmiths Pinhole was last seen auditioning for the vacant geetar post in B»
Liverpool-based Independent label Spank Records have announced the forthcoming release of the first Inner City Sumo compilation. The album marks an exciting collaboration with the event, which since its inception in April 2002 and has highlighted and showcased the talented acts of the Me»
