Siv Jakobsen is a Norwegian mystery. She has no page on Wikipedia. Her Facebook page is uninformative. Even Google struggles to find much information about the singer/songwriter who recorded her latest album, A Temporary Soothing, in the rugged beauty of Devon, UK as 2018 marched on into 2019. But a little perseverance at the Crotchety…Read more A Temporary Soothing
Hubzilla Recommends
The Phantom of the Opera
On the whole Crotchety Man doesn't like musicals. I have seen a handful, either on stage or as a film, but they usually leave me cringing with embarrassment for the writers, the cast and the poor, long suffering audience. There are exceptions: Hair had some good songs and a decent storyline; The Little Shop of…Read more The Phantom of the Opera
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
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
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
