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

Antietam: His Majesty’s Request: A Wink O’Bannon Select – “a fitting tribute”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date October 14, 2021
No Comments on Antietam: His Majesty’s Request: A Wink O’Bannon Select – “a fitting tribute”

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

Album Reviews

HEXA: Material Interstices – “too dark for the apocalypse itself”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date October 14, 2021
No Comments on HEXA: Material Interstices – “too dark for the apocalypse itself”

HEXA

Tags David Lynch, HEXA, Jamie Stewart, Labradford, Lawrence English, Room40, Xiu Xiu

Features Interviews

A Golden Sky: In Conversation with Damon & Naomi – Part 2

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date October 13, 2021
No Comments on A Golden Sky: In Conversation with Damon & Naomi – Part 2

Damon & Naomi (photo credit: Anabel Vazquex Rodriquez)

Tags 20/20/20, cocteau twins, Damon & Naomi, Damon Krukowski, Galaxie 500, George Harrison, Jarvis Cocker, John Cage, Michio Kurihara, Naomi Yang, nirvana, Pulp, Richard Youngs, Suzanne Sassic

Features Interviews

Mysterious Motion: In Conversation with Activity’s Travis Johnson

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date October 12, 2021
1 Comment on Mysterious Motion: In Conversation with Activity’s Travis Johnson

Activity

Tags Activity, Alexalone, FACS, Field Mouse, Grooms, Jeff Berner, protomartyr, Psychic TV, Russian Baths, Sonic Youth, Steve Levine, Travis Johnson, Zoe Browne

Album Reviews

Jerusalem In My Heart: Qalaq – “a recurring, abstract dream”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date October 11, 2021
No Comments on Jerusalem In My Heart: Qalaq – “a recurring, abstract dream”

Jerusalem In My Heart (photo credit: Isabelle Stachtchenko)

Album Reviews

Kowloon Walled City: Piecework – “a new born emotional intensity”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date October 7, 2021
No Comments on Kowloon Walled City: Piecework – “a new born emotional intensity”

Kowloon Walled City

Tags Dan Sneddon, Daughters, Gilead Media, Ian Miller, Kowloon Walled City, Neurot Recordings, Scott Evans

Features Interviews

NNHMN interview: “This is the chaos of me”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date October 6, 2021
No Comments on NNHMN interview: “This is the chaos of me”

NNHMN (photo credit: Marcus Rietzsch http://t-arts.com/)

Tags 4ad, Alan Vega, Caroline Bonarde, Chelsea Wolfe, DJ Hell, KAA:ST, Kazimier Stockroom, Lee, Lee Laudarg, Lonesaw, Michal Laudarg, Nico, NNHMN, Siekiera, Umek, Veronica Vasicka, Vitalic

Features Interviews

A Golden Sky: In Conversation with Damon & Naomi – Part 1

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date October 5, 2021
2 Comments on A Golden Sky: In Conversation with Damon & Naomi – Part 1

Damon & Naomi (photo credit: Norman von Holtzendorff)

Tags Alan Sparhawk, Boris, Brian Eno, can, Conny Plank, Damon & Naomi, Damon Krukowski, Galaxie 500, Low, Masaki Bato, Michael Rother, Michio Kurihara, Mimi Parker, Neu!, Peace Music, Sky Records, Soichiro Nakamura

Albums Lost Albums

Enablers’ Output Negative Space 15th anniversary

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date October 1, 2021
1 Comment on Enablers’ Output Negative Space 15th anniversary

Enablers

Tags Charles Bukowski, dAVID hAND, Emma Ruth Rundle, Enablers, Holy Sons, Human Worth, Joe Goldring, June of 44, Kevin Thompson, Lancashire & Somerset, Low, Neurot Recordings, nick cave and the bad seeds, Pete Simonelli, Rodan, Slint, Steve Von Till, Tom Waits

News

Mess Esque release new single, ‘Sweetspot’ – watch/listen

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date September 29, 2021
No Comments on Mess Esque release new single, ‘Sweetspot’ – watch/listen

Mess Esque (photo credit: Mick Turner and D Ryan)

Tags Drag City, Helen Franzmann, Mckisko, Mess Esque, Mick Turner, The Dirty Three

Album Reviews

The Body and BIG|BRAVE: Leave None But Small Birds – “a newfound terrain of storytelling”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date September 29, 2021
No Comments on The Body and BIG|BRAVE: Leave None But Small Birds – “a newfound terrain of storytelling”

The Body and BIG|BRAVE

Tags big brave, BIG | BRAVE, Chip King, Lee Buford, Lingua Ignota, Mathieu Ball, Robin Wattie, Seth Manchester, Tasreen Hudson, The Body, Thrill Jockey

Albums Features

Sun 13’s Albums Quarterly #3

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date September 27, 2021
5 Comments on Sun 13’s Albums Quarterly #3

Photo credit (original images via artists' respective Bandcamp pages)

13 Questions

13 Questions with Imperial Broads

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date September 24, 2021
1 Comment on 13 Questions with Imperial Broads

Imperial Broads

Tags Angeles, bob dylan, Broken Stone Records, Courtney Barnett, Eve Lande, Imperial Broads, Liam Judson, Loose Fit, Magnetic Heads, Nick Kennedy, Noel McKenna, Pip Smith

Album Reviews

Black Tempel Pyrämid: Infinite Tombs – “a five-dimensional wall of sound”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date September 23, 2021
No Comments on Black Tempel Pyrämid: Infinite Tombs – “a five-dimensional wall of sound”

Black Tempel Pyrämid

Tags Labradford, Spaceman 3, Matt Christensen, Lilacs & Champagne, gRAILS, Cruel Nature Records, Black Tempel Pyrämid, Patrick R. Pärk, Michael Rother

Singles

Activity: Text the Dead – “exploring the outer limits”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date September 22, 2021
1 Comment on Activity: Text the Dead – “exploring the outer limits”

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

Tags Activity, Western Vinyl

Album Reviews

Dr. Joy: Dr. Joy – “beautifully assured and undoubtedly mind-bending”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date September 21, 2021
No Comments on Dr. Joy: Dr. Joy – “beautifully assured and undoubtedly mind-bending”

Dr. Joy

Tags Animal Collective, Asher Gould-Murtagh, Ben Chasny, Dr. Joy, Matthew "Doc" Dunn, Meg Remy, Mr. Joy, Pink Floyd, Six Organs of Admittance, Suss, syd barrett, Talking Heads, The Cosmic Range, Transcendental Rodeo, U.S. Girls

Features Interviews

Smoke Bellow interview: “Making music is primarily a vehicle to allow us to engage in the conversation”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date September 17, 2021
3 Comments on Smoke Bellow interview: “Making music is primarily a vehicle to allow us to engage in the conversation”

Smoke Bellow (photo credit: via artist's Bandcamp page)

Album Reviews Lost Albums

Sofa: Source Crossfire – “a retrospective that covers all bases”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date September 16, 2021
2 Comments on Sofa: Source Crossfire – “a retrospective that covers all bases”

Sofa (photo credit: Nora Ben Sadoune)

Tags Brad Todd, Breakglass Studios, Coedine, Constellation Records, Don Caballero, Girls Against Boys, Harris Newman, Ian Ilavsky, Jace Lacek, Keith Marchland, Scott Clarkson, Shipping News, The Besnard Lakes, The Jesus Lizard

Features Interviews

Space and Time: In Conversation with Pile’s Rick Maguire

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date September 13, 2021
4 Comments on Space and Time: In Conversation with Pile’s Rick Maguire

Pile's Rick Maguire (photo credit: Mark Lapriore)

Tags Alex Molini, Exploding In Sound, Kevin McMahon, Kris Kuss, Pelican Movement, Pile, Rick Maguire

Singles

Nation of Language: A Word & A Wave – “another solid offering”

Post author By Simon Kirk
Post date September 10, 2021
No Comments on Nation of Language: A Word & A Wave – “another solid offering”

Nation Of Language (photo credit: Robin Laananen)

Tags Activity, Ian Devaney, Nation of Language, P.E., Public Practice