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
Versions of the Truth – Reblog
THE PINEAPPLE THIEF, Versions of the Truth (Kscope, 2020)PERSONNELBruce Soord, Vocals and GuitarSteve Skitch, KeyboardsJon Sykes, Bass & Backing vocalsGavin Harrison, Drums and Percussion […]A Third Ear for “Versions of the Truth” — CirdecSongs
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
Antiphon
Arguing with Antiphon History records Antiphon of Rhamnus as an orator in ancient Greece. He was, in fact, a professional ghostwriter, writing speeches for disputants in the courts, and was regarded as perhaps the finest exponent of rhetoric in Athens at the time. Curiously, though, he only addressed the public directly once, when he was…Read more Antiphon
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
The Ghosts of Pripyat
The Pripyat Post Office - then and now At 01:23:40 hrs on 26th April 1986 there was a catastrophic incident in the No. 4 reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Some of the safety systems had been disabled so that an emergency procedure could be tested. Having completed the test all that remained to…Read more The Ghosts of Pripyat
Airbag
Airbag is a Norwegian progressive rock band. Originally formed in 2004 they released two EPs in 2007 before signing with Karisma in 2008 and releasing their first full album, Identity, the following year. According to their website their music "is best described as scenic, epic rock"; reviewers consistently compare it with Roger Waters era Pink…Read more Airbag
Poison Heart
This Blondie video appeared in my Diaspora feed yesterday. It was in one of several posts from channels I'd not come across before and that was puzzling because there hasn't been much traffic over there since I signed up two months ago. Still, I'm always happy to meet new online friends that share my taste in…Read more Poison Heart
Crotchety Man 