In London, just south of the river, there's a large, multi-lane roundabout complex called the Elephant and Castle. For drivers not used to big cities and unfamiliar with the area it's a terrifying place. Cars come at you from every direction. And not just cars. Lorries, vans, motorcycles and buses roar and thunder round the bends…Read more Marks To Prove It
indie
Take Me To Church
You know a song has caught the imagination of the general public when it's played to accompany the trailer for a popular TV program. I realised just the other day that Hozier's Take Me To Church has achieved that ultimate honour, and it's a really good tune, so I've chosen it as my Track of the Week. Needless to say…Read more Take Me To Church
Falling
A band called Here We Go Magic cropped up a couple of times recently. They were mentioned on a blog I follow and Guy Garvey (of Elbow) featured them on one of his radio shows. Out of curiosity I looked them up on Spotify. They're an interesting band. A touch on the happy-slappy side for…Read more Falling
Somebody…
Back in January 2012, looking forward to my 60th birthday later that month, I spent some time browsing Internet sites for music I might like and came across a blogger called Xandi. He (I’m guessing it’s a ‘he’) publishes links to music videos of a wide range of genres from all round the world and I enjoyed…Read more Somebody…
Regret
I've listened to a lot of contemporary music over the last 50 years or so. Inevitably, most of the tracks and albums I blog about were recorded and released a long time ago. But to prove I'm not stuck in the past my latest track of the week was only released at the end of April (this year)…Read more Regret
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
Reflektor
The older I get the harder it is to find new music that stands out. It's like prime numbers; there are infinitely many of them, but they get harder to find the further you go. Just once in a while, though, mathematicians find a new prime and sometimes, in my wanderings through the soundscape, I stumble…Read more Reflektor
Valerie
Most of the boxes have been unpacked and our new home is fit for a few select visitors. I'm not going to invite the Queen just yet, but family and friends are welcome. I would also be pleased to see the Zutons and their friend Valerie so that I can tell them how much I…Read more Valerie
Books From Boxes
Last week we moved house. This week we'll be unpacking many of our belongings. With a bit of luck we might even find our books somewhere at the back of bedroom 3. If we do I'll put on Maximo Park's Books From Boxes. This is the track from the Earthly Pleasures album that first piqued…Read more Books From Boxes
Full Circle
In 1997 my partner and I moved from Leicester to York. On Tuesday we move back to a Leicestershire village just a few miles from where we used to live. Appropriately, as we travel south I shall be accompanied by Half Moon Run singing Full Circle. It's a catchy tune with a contemplative feel and one of the…Read more Full Circle
Crotchety Man 