STGH: Sean Dickson of THE SOUP DRAGONS: the mouthcast

THE SOUP DRAGONS FORMED IN GLASGOW IN 1985, ISSUING A STRING OF PERFECT PUNK-POP SINGLES – WHOLE WIDE WORLD, HANG TEN, HEAD GONE ASTRAY, CAN’T TAKE NO MORE AND SOFT AS YOUR FACE – BEFORE REACHING WIDER ACCLAIM IN 1990 WITH A VERSION OF THE ROLLING STONES’ I’M FREE. In this new edition of The … Continue reading »

STGH: an interview with Jez Alan of GIRLS AT OUR BEST

THE SPIKY SYNCOPATED GUITARS, TUMBLING BASS AND AGITATED DRUMS OF GETTING NOWHERE FAST – THE DEBUT SINGLE FROM GIRLS AT OUR BEST – MAKE IT A HIGHLIGHT OF THE FIRST DISC IN THE SCARED TO GET HAPPY BOX SET. GETTING NOWHERE FAST was the NME’s Single Of The Week and reached the Top 10 on … Continue reading »

STGH: an interview with David Newton of THE MIGHTY LEMON DROPS

AN INTENSE JANGLING POST-PUNK PSYCHEDELIA SAW FOUR-PIECE THE MIGHTY LEMON DROPS OFTEN COMPARED TO ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN. Formed in 1985, the Wolverhampton band released an independent EP – LIKE AN ANGEL (SOMETHING HAPPENS, from it, features on SCARED TO GET HAPPY) – before inclusion on the NME’s seminal C86 compilation tape, and signing to a … Continue reading »

THE TEARDROP EXPLODES – Wilder (RePresents Edition)

AN EVEN ONLY CURSORY GLANCE THROUGH JULIAN COPE’S MEMOIR REVEALS THAT THE TEARDROP EXPLODES WAS A BAND ALMOST COMPLETELY TORN APART BY THE TIME OF SECOND ALBUM WILDER. THOROUGH READERS WOULD HAVE SEEN THOSE DIFFICULTIES CLOSING IN FAST FROM WAY OFF IN THE DISTANCE. HEAD-ON, the post-punk pop psychedelia figurehead’s extraordinary book, first published in … Continue reading »

ALAN McGEE: the mouthcast (1)

AS A PRELUDE TO OUR COVERAGE OF SCARED TO GET HAPPY – THE NEW FIVE DISC BOX SET COMPILING OVER 100 INDIE SINGLES FROM THE 1980s – WE’RE DELIGHTED TO PRESENT A TWO-PART EDITION OF THE MOUTHCAST FEATURING ONE OF THE LEGENDARY FIGURES TO EMERGE FROM THAT ERA. Alan McGee – founder of the label … Continue reading »

STUART MACONIE – The People’s Songs (The Story Of Modern Britain In 50 Records)

TYING IN WITH 2013′s ONGOING BBC RADIO 2 SERIES, STUART MACONIE’S NEW BOOK – THE PEOPLE’S SONGS (THE STORY OF MODERN BRITAIN IN 50 RECORDS) - OFFERS SOME NEAT LEFT-OF-CENTRE SOCIAL THEORISING DURING A LIGHT ON ITS FEET JAUNT THROUGH FIVE DECADES OF MUSIC.  Launching with the sentimental strains of Vera Lynn’s WE’LL MEET AGAIN and landing at … Continue reading »

new DAVID LYNCH & LYKKE LI

FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF 2011′s CRAZY CLOWN TIME, DAVID LYNCH HAS ANNOUNCED DETAILS OF A NEW SOLO ALBUM.  Thirteen track THE BIG DREAM will be released on 15th July. THE ELEPHANT MAN, BLUE VELVET and TWIN PEAKS director has described his second solo album – which includes a cover of Bob Dylan’s THE BALLAD OF … Continue reading »

JOHN POWER: the mouthcast (2)

IN THE SECOND MOUTHCAST TO FOCUS ON JOHN POWER, THE CAST FRONTMAN DISCUSSES PRESS REACTION TO THE BAND IN ITS BRITPOP HEYDAY. He explains how the seeds of negative opinion might have been sown during an interview with Melody Maker. In addition, Power looks back at HAPPENING FOR LOVE, 2003′s “disappointing” first solo album, and reveals … Continue reading »

JOHN POWER: the mouthcast (1)

AS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE LA’S, JOHN POWER HAD ALREADY SEEN IT ALL BY THE TIME WIDER SUCCESS CAME WITH CAST, THE GROUP HE FRONTED THROUGHOUT THE BRITPOP ERA OF THE MID-1990s. In the first of two editions of The Mouthcast to be recorded during his current solo tour, Power looks back across his … Continue reading »

exclusive extract: WAYWARD DAUGHTER (AN OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY OF ELIZA CARTHY) by Sophie Parkes

AS THE TWO DECADES SINCE HER FIRST RELEASE HAVE UNFOLDED, IT’S BECOME LESS AND LESS BEFITTING TO DESCRIBE ELIZA CARTHY AS A FOLK ARTIST. A new 31-track 2-CD celebratory compilation – WAYWARD DAUGHTER (review to follow) – neatly showcases her range by cherry-picking the best of her discography to date. Idiosyncratic self-penned material and offbeat … Continue reading »

preview: DELIRIUM

CONSISTENTLY INTERESTING SINGER-SONGWRITER VICTORIA HUME PERFORMS DELIRIUM – HER NEW “SERIES OF SONGS ABOUT HALLUCINATIONS AND INTENSIVE CARE” – IN LONDON ON 19TH AND 20TH JUNE. It has been estimated that up to 80% of people treated in intensive care units will experience delirium, and Victoria’s song-cycle is based around the results of interviews she’s … Continue reading »