We all know what symmetry is, don't we? If we take this lovely picture of the dome of the Sheik Lotfollah mosque in Isfahan, Iran and flip it horizontally the resulting pattern will be indistinguishable from the original. There are several other operations we could perform that also leave the pattern unchanged - we might…Read more Symmetry
rock
Karta & Kompass
Urtidsdjur's self-titled debut album, originally released only on vinyl, is now also available on streaming services. To coincide with this milestone the band has released a video of the Karta & Kompass track. As you can see, their unerring navigational skills have brought them to their destination in high spirits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnFnilOaU1Q The figure on that…Read more Karta & Kompass
Unchain My Heart
Unchain My Heart was written by a guy called Bobby Sharp (about whom I know nothing more). It was recorded by Ray Charles in 1961, by Trini Lopez in 1963 and, of more relevance to this post, by Joe Cocker in 1987. Here's a somewhat muted video of Joe Cocker's version. I recommend you turn…Read more Unchain My Heart
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
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
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
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
Radar Blips
My Release Radar this week included several interesting new pieces by not-so-new artists spanning a wide range of styles. I'm featuring them in another Spotify playlist this week. But before we get to that, I must pay tribute to Peter Green, who's death was announced yesterday. Rolling Stone placed the blues/rock guitarist born Peter Allen Greenbaum…Read more Radar Blips
Butterflies
Summer has returned to central England. The sun is shining, the grass is green, the flowers are blooming. In the corner of our garden there's a large buddleia bush full of blossom and the butterflies love it. So, by way of celebration, here's a short playlist of 'butterfly' songs. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_hAakygTXsEDpHf_cKehh-wAqVTVEAWJ Tracks (with Spotify links) Dog…Read more Butterflies
Vimana
It seems to me that progressive rock and its close cousin, jazz-rock fusion, have undergone a welcome renaissance over the past two decades or so. Or is it just that modern technology has made it so much easier to find art that rises above the bland, the mediocre and the ugly? It's hard to be…Read more Vimana
