A few facts: Diamond Dogs was David Bowie’s attempt at fusing a never produced self-penned musical of George Orwell’s novel ‘1984’ with his own dystopian fantasy ‘Hunger City’. While Orwell created Winston Smith, an everyman protagonist who works in the records department of The Ministry of Truth, Bowie gives us Halloween Jack, a real cool [...]
David Bowie : Station To Station (by Matt Scott)
An album smelted from the requisite daring, genius, madness, myth, swagger, bluster and sheer preposterous cool expected of any Bowie classic, some say Station to Station is his finest work. His delivery – detached and filtered through the gauze of cocaine psychosis – has led to an almost voyeuristic quality to the album, especially when [...]
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David Bowie : Hunky Dory (by Matt Scott)
When I was a child, I played The Laughing Gnome; when I was in college, I took Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide seriously; but now I am a man, I listen to Bowie like a man: I go on about the Berlin albums while keeping my love of Let’s Dance secret. Bowie is an artist you [...]
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Deer Park : Deer Park
Matt’s album of the year 2010. Deer Park is a collective of sorts, a constantly shifting entity. A band, yet also a person. Sometimes two. Maybe three, if you’re lucky. Occasionally it’s a lot of people. It’s always Mark Christopher Grassick, the man who writes and sings the songs. Deer Park started as a stage [...]
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Cats & Cats & Cats : If I’d Had An Atlas
I love this band. Following two acclaimed EP’s and numerous sold out splits and singles If I’d Had an Atlas is the long awaited debut album from Cats and Cats and Cats. Recorded by Forward Russia’s Tom Woodhead and mastered by Billy Stull (Okerill River, Midlake) this 11 song journey is the sound of a [...]
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The Rural Alberta Advantage : Hometowns
With a name like the Rural Alberta Advantage and a debut album called HOMETOWNS, one would hope for an unpretentious collection of amiable indie pop tunes filtered through the wistful lens of a Wes Anderson film, and that’s exactly what you get. Singer/songwriter Nils, along with Amy Cole and Paul Banwatt, craft lovelorn postcards to [...]
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Fionn Regan : The Shadow Of An Empire
Fionn’s debut album was full of introspective, Nick Drake likeacoustic folk songs. On album number two he’s come alive. Far more Dylan than Drake, upbeat numbers dominate proceedings.Very reminiscent of Ryan Adams when he’s being a bit rockabilly.The boy from Ireland has grown up and this holds it’s own with any singer songwriter on today’s [...]
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Los Campesinos! : Romance Is Boring
After 2 albums released in 2007, LC! are back. This may become known as their ‘grown up’ album, it still has lyrics aimed at anyone that has seen their object of affection kissing the bloke you’ve always hated across a crowded room but the songs are fuller, darker and are less indie disco. That said, they’ve not lost their knack [...]
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The Doublecross : Things Will Never Change
Right up my street this one. It’s sort of a solo album but with all his mates making it a band effort. It features half of the South Wales punk scene, including Diverse regulars Steve Honeywill and Kate Gatt. Gruff melodic punk in the vein of Lawrence Arms, Leatherface and Cardiff’s Bedford Falls. On the same label [...]
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David Bowie : Low (by Matt Scott)
Low is the first of a trio of albums on which Bowie collaborated with musician and ex-Rod Hull puppet, Brian Eno. As one might expect of the hallowed Berlin albums, Low was recorded in France, and such was Eno’s giant presence on the record, Tony Visconti produced it. Due to all of these things, Low [...]