Head and Cloud Strata, Geoffrey Key Here we are at the start of another year. What, I wonder, will it bring? It's dangerous, of course, to make predictions, but I'm going to stick my neck out and say that Graham Costello's Strata will turn out to stand head and shoulders above all the other bands…Read more Graham Costello’s Strata
Band/Artist of the Year
Monsieur MÂLÂ
Spotify delivered an early Christmas present this week. Down at number 28 in my Release Radar playlist, there was a track called Sahara Spring by Monsieur MÂLÂ. In these cold, damp, early winter days, there could hardly be anything more incongruous than a Sahara Spring, but the music warms the heart like a glass of…Read more Monsieur MÂLÂ
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Right, pin back your lugholes, listeners, because I've got a real treat for you this week. Set aside the next 45 minutes and press Play on this video of Rodrigo y Gabriela in Seattle, 11th May 2014. But, first, turn off the phone, send the wife out shopping, gag the kids and muzzle the mutt.…Read more Rodrigo y Gabriela
The Staves
There's an economic and cultural schism in the UK. It's called the North/South divide. In the South the people are wealthy, urbane and sophisticated; in the North they are poor, primitive and uncouth. Colloquially, the boundary between these two regions runs through Watford. When a southerner refers to people living in places "north of Watford"…Read more The Staves
The Kinks
It was 1963 when the Beatles' She Loves You sparked my road to musical Damascus moment. For the next two or three years the Beatles were the benchmark for every song I heard on the radio. Only the Rolling Stones challenged them for the honour of the Crotchety Kid's 'best band' rosette. But there was another group at that time that sounded…Read more The Kinks
Bob Dylan
When it comes to Bob Dylan, Crotchety Man came late to the party. He had raved about House of the Rising Sun (by the Animals), adored Blowin' In The Wind (by Peter, Paul and Mary) and swooned over Mr. Tambourine Man (by the Byrds). He was moved by The Times They Are A-Changin', With God on Our Side and Just Like a…Read more Bob Dylan
The Beatles
First I want to make it clear that The Beatles isn't one of my favourite bands. They made some terrific singles in the sixties but, overall, I think they have always been overrated. That said, they were the best pop band around in the mid-sixties and She Loves You was the song that prompted me to take…Read more The Beatles
Axis
It's time to introduce you to the best band you've never heard of. I know you've never heard of them for two reasons. Firstly, although they recorded three albums in the mid to late seventies they were never signed up by a record company and never promoted in any way. Secondly, they never played any live gigs.…Read more Axis
Guillemots
Guillemots are a bit of a mystery. They are undoubtedly my favourite band of all time but it's hard to say why. Let's do some research, see what we can find out, and try to throw some light on the band and their music. First of all, they are named after a seabird. Guillemot: /ˈɡiləˌmät/ noun…Read more Guillemots
Yes
There was a lot of good music on the radio in the late sixties but by the time I started university in 1971 it had been almost entirely replaced with banal and sickly-sweet pop songs. Look away now if, like me, you don't want to be reminded of Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, Grandad or Bridget…Read more Yes
Crotchety Man 