Author: Simon Kirk

Product from the happy generation. Proud purple bin owner surviving on music, books and LFC. New book, Welcome To Charmsville, available from all major vendors.

Album Reviews

Pom Poko: Cheater – “bundles of raw energy and sharp songcraft”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 27, 2021
No Comments on Pom Poko: Cheater – “bundles of raw energy and sharp songcraft”

Pom Poko (photo credit: via the artist's Bandcamp page)

Tags Beat Happening, Bella Union, Deerhoof, K Records, Pom Poko

Film

Joel C. Murray releases new short film – watch here

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 26, 2021
No Comments on Joel C. Murray releases new short film – watch here

Joel C. Murray

Tags a.P.A.t.T, Barberos, Joel C. Murray, Tommy Husband

Albums Features

Albums We Missed in 2020 – Part 2

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 25, 2021
1 Comment on Albums We Missed in 2020 – Part 2

Photo credit: all original photos source from respective artists' Bandcamp/Facebook pages)

News

Tomahawk announce new album – listen to lead track, ‘Business Casual’

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 24, 2021
No Comments on Tomahawk announce new album – listen to lead track, ‘Business Casual’

Tomahawk (photo credit: Eric Livingston)

Tags Battles, Duane Denison, Eric Livingston, Fantomas, Helmet, Ipecac Recordings, John Stanier, Mike Patton, Mr. Bungle, Paul Allen, The Jesus Lizard, The Mark of Cain, Tomahawk, Trevor Dunn, Unsemble

Features Interviews

Clara Engel interview: “I tend to connect with other people who are also outliers”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 22, 2021
No Comments on Clara Engel interview: “I tend to connect with other people who are also outliers”

Clara Engel (photo credit: via the artist's Bandcamp page)

Tags Aiden Baker, Amen RA, Brad Deschamps, Clara Engel, Ilyse Krivel, Jaggery, Mali Sastri, Org, Polar Seas Recordings

Album Reviews

Sleaford Mods: Spare Ribs – “the venom is as potent as ever”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 21, 2021
2 Comments on Sleaford Mods: Spare Ribs – “the venom is as potent as ever”

Sleaford Mods (photo credit: via the artist's Bandcamp page)

Tags Amy Taylor, Amyl and the Sniffers, Andrew Fearn, Billy Nomates, brexit, Jason Williamson, Rough Trade, sleaford mods

Album Reviews

Mike Blue: Dark Daze – “an honest approach to song writing”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 20, 2021
No Comments on Mike Blue: Dark Daze – “an honest approach to song writing”

Mike Blue (photo credit: Michael McAnaulty)

Tags bob dylan, Brett Anderson, Mike Blue, Ryan Adams, Suede

Books

Valeria Luiselli: Lost Children Archive – “one of the sharpest new voices”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 16, 2021
No Comments on Valeria Luiselli: Lost Children Archive – “one of the sharpest new voices”

Valeria Luiselli (photo credit: via the author's Twitter page)

Tags 4th Estate, Booker Prize, Cormac McCarthy, Jack Kerouac, Jonathan Franzen, Mercury Music Prize, Rathbones Folio Prize, Valeria Luiselli, Virginia Woolf

Album Reviews

Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou: The Helm of Sorrow EP – “the spark is raging”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 15, 2021
No Comments on Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou: The Helm of Sorrow EP – “the spark is raging”

Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou (photo credit: Craig Mulcahy)

Tags Bryan Funck, Emma Ruth Rundle, Sacred Bones, Sargent House, The Cranberries, Thou

Album Reviews

The Aleph: Cheshire Cat EP – “futuristic pop music”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 13, 2021
No Comments on The Aleph: Cheshire Cat EP – “futuristic pop music”

The Aleph (photo credit: Simon Gabriel)

Tags Andrew PM Hunt, Benjamin Fair, Bulbils, Dale Whitfield, Ex-Easter Island Head, Grandaddy, John Hering, Land Trance, Poppy Fair, richard dawson, Stereolab, The Aleph

Albums Features

13 Albums We Missed in 2020 – Part 1

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 11, 2021
4 Comments on 13 Albums We Missed in 2020 – Part 1

Photo credits: (all original images sourced from artists' Bandcamp pages)

Features Interviews

Zelienople interview: “our biggest enemy is cynicism”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 8, 2021
3 Comments on Zelienople interview: “our biggest enemy is cynicism”

Zelienople (photo credit: Christopher Michael Hefner)

Tags Kranky, Matt Christensen, Miashma Recordings, Mike Weis, Sun Ra, Tortoise, Zelienople

Features Lost Albums

Beasts Of Bourbon’s Sour Mash: “A potent brew of belligerence and hedonism”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 7, 2021
2 Comments on Beasts Of Bourbon’s Sour Mash: “A potent brew of belligerence and hedonism”

Beasts of Bourbon (photo credit: Alain Rodier)

Tags AC/DC, Beasts Of Bourbon, Big Day Out, Boris Sujdovic, Comic Psychos, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, James Baker, Kim Salmon, Mudhoney, nirvana, RVG, Scientists, Slug Guts, Spencer P. Jones, Tex Perkins, The Jesus Lizard, Tom Waites

Singles

Emily Callacher: Run – ” summery pop in every sense”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 5, 2021
1 Comment on Emily Callacher: Run – ” summery pop in every sense”

Emily Callacher

Tags Big Condo Records, Emily Callacher

Features Interviews

Daren Muti interview: “The purpose of a song is to balance light and shadow”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date January 4, 2021
2 Comments on Daren Muti interview: “The purpose of a song is to balance light and shadow”

Daren Muti

Tags Acetate Zero, Araki Records, Daren Muti, Du Haut du Sol, Labradford

Album Reviews

Lanterns On The Lake: The Realist EP – “a beautiful companion”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date December 31, 2020
No Comments on Lanterns On The Lake: The Realist EP – “a beautiful companion”

Lanterns on the Lake (photo credit: via the artist's Facebook page)

Tags bbc, Bella Union, erland cooper, Lanterns on the Lake, mercury prize

News

A Thank You Message from Sun 13

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date December 24, 2020
No Comments on A Thank You Message from Sun 13

Tags Sun 13

13 Questions

Meet the Team: 13 Questions with Banjo

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date December 22, 2020
No Comments on Meet the Team: 13 Questions with Banjo

Tags 13 Questions, banjo, Captain Sensible, dave haslam, etherwood, getintothis, joy division, Mark E. Smith, mogwai, paul simpson, peter hook, Sun 13, the smiths

News

The Besnard Lakes announce new album, UK tour and Liverpool date

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date December 16, 2020
No Comments on The Besnard Lakes announce new album, UK tour and Liverpool date

The Besnard Lakes (photo credit: via the artist's Bandcamp page)

Tags Full Time Hobby, The Besnard Lakes

Album Reviews

S.J. Downes: Lion’s Path – “finger-picking road dog blues”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date December 15, 2020
No Comments on S.J. Downes: Lion’s Path – “finger-picking road dog blues”

S.J. Downes (photo credit: Angela Christofilou)

Tags Chuck Johnson, John Fahey, Mellowtone Records, S.J. Downes