National Railways of Zimbabwe class 15A 4-6-4+4-6-4 'Garratt' steam locomotive no. 410 'Inkolomi' (built by Beyer Peacock in 1950) at Heany Junction, Zimbabwe, with a coal train, 29th July 1992. Never use two words where one will do. That's what they tell aspiring writers. So let's use the South African word for "coal train" -…Read more Stimela
Track
Vandringssång
We met a Swedish prehistoric beast for the first time in September when this blog featured Trippar Runt Dig, a single released ahead of Urtidsdjur's forthcoming eponymous album. It was just a short exploratory trip then but those guys are on a much longer journey now. Here's the first single taken from the album itself,…Read more Vandringssång
Silver Pendulum
So, I was thinking about time shifts: from British Summer Time to Greenwich Meantime, or the paradoxes of space-time rifts in Science Fiction stories. And I wondered if I could find some music on that theme. It's not as easy as you might imagine but, eventually, the naïve search algorithm chanced upon a title that…Read more Silver Pendulum
Mediterranean Sundance
For some of us the social distancing rules that Covid-19 has brought about are torture and the self-isolation rules are a prison. The virus itself is a black cloud that dampens our spirits and darkens our moods, a devilish presence that constantly haunts our souls. But there is a silver lining. We have had to…Read more Mediterranean Sundance
Five Rooms
A crowded 5-room house I should say straight away that this post has nothing to do with the band called Crowded House - unless they are fans of the Norwegian prog rock outfit, Wobbler (which seems unlikely). The headline photo is just an amusing illustration of Five Rooms, which is the title of the recently…Read more Five Rooms
Every Atom
It's Mercury Prize season again. There has been very little fanfare for this year's prize. The shortlist for the best album released in the UK in the year to 17th July 2020 was announced on 23rd of that month and, since then, the Crotchety Headphones had heard nary a peep out of the music press…Read more Every Atom
Missing
There's something missing from this blog: it's 'sophisti-pop', the musical style that encompasses Simply Red, Sade, the Style Council and Everything But the Girl. It must have slipped through the cracks, but I think I can reach it down there in the underground YouTube ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U56Ns66Qrb8 Missing is a perplexing title. Is this a song…Read more Missing
Trippar Runt Dig
For those of you who don't speak Swedish, "trippar runt dig" has nothing to do with weakling piglets or archeological excavations. It means "trips around you" in English and it is the title of a single by Urtidsdjur that is released today. "Urtidsdjur" translates as "prehistoric animal" but the band with that name is very…Read more Trippar Runt Dig
Song of the Stars
The dead can be many things. They can be buried or incinerated; they can be forgotten or revered. They can star in zombie films. They can even be grateful. But there's very little that the dead can do. And yet, according to one Australian duo, the dead can dance. Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard formed…Read more Song of the Stars
Run For Cover
Crotchety Man has been exploring Hubzilla country for about three months now. I've come across interesting artefacts in all the arts, including literature and painting, but I haven't ventured much beyond the celestial music sphere so far. Even in this relatively confined space I've been introduced to all sorts of hitherto unknown wonders. Hubzilla seems…Read more Run For Cover
Crotchety Man 