indie interviews
Not Forgotten: Bob – Leave the Straight Life Behind Reissue, plus interview
It might be unjustified, but I’ve always North London indie band BOB were in debt to me. I’d discovered them, as I did most things back then (then being the cusp of the 1990’s) by listening to John Peel, and there, shoehorned in between experimental electronica and dub reggae (probably) was this gorgeous, uplifting, glistening …
Meet: We chat with Australian indie legends Underground Lovers
This Saturday and Sunday night in Melbourne, one of my favourite bands, Underground Lovers, will playing a double set celebrating their 25 years together as a band. For details of these gigs, see my piece last week. I asked Vince Giarrusso, singer and co-songwriter (along with Glenn Bennie) a few questions about the band. You …
Meet: We speak with Italian indie band Sweet Jane and Claire
At the risk of seeming obsessive, I have already reviewed the brilliant new album by Italian band Sweet Jane and Claire and their video to accompany the single “I’m Afraid When Guilio Whistles”. Their new album, “Stick Caramel Mind” is on constant rotation: it is an intriguing indie debut from a band that deserves a …
Meet: We interview Brisbane electronic / dreampop band MTNS
We recently reviewed a new single from Brisbane band MTNS. I had the opportunity of catching up with singer/guitarist and songwriter Tom Eggert. I began by asking if the band had a problem with vowels. Tom fielded this question with good grace, telling me that the band did originally include all vowels and consonants but …
Meet: Goodbye Van Occupanther – Tim Smith and life after Midlake
In the fall of 2007 I read an article in Spin Magazine about this band named Midlake. Denton, Texas boys with a penchant for dark, folksy songs that had the feel of both Fairport Convention, Fleetwood Mac, and a Ray Brandbury story. It was a review of a live show and the journalist put them …
Meet: The Kitchens of Distinction, and news of their new album
Sometimes you have your head turned. By money, by people you find attractive, by a job offer. For me it was much more simplistic. It was by records. So when I saw something made by the impossibly named Kitchens of Distinction (named, unsurprisingly I suppose on thinking about it) after a shop the band drove …
Meet: We chat with The Magic Numbers, with new album news
You know sometimes you get this sort of blinkered memory of something, or somewhere. Like when I first went to Whitby and I thought it was this fantastic place where I had literally had the food of the gods (well, the best fish and chips ever), but every other time I’ve been I’ve so looked …
Meet: Melbourne singer-songwriter/ producer Tom Day, ahead of his collaborative EP with Monsoonsiren
I sat here thinking what I should write for the introductory paragraph to this contribution. I was going to write something clever about how some composers don’t give the listener any insight into their personality, but Tom Day does. Then I thought I might write about how some music only fits the mood, whereas Tom’s music creates …
Meet: Emily Ireland a.k.a. See Emily Play on Sheffield, new songs, performing and more
I nearly wore out my copy of Kate Bush – The Whole Story when I first started work. For some reason, I found playing The Man with a child in his eyes was just about the most soothing thing it was possible to listen to when I got home from those first steps into being …
Meet: Indie pop darlings Making Marks, and listen to new track ‘Barcodes’.
Sometimes, you hear quite by accident a track that literally bowls you away. That happened to me a couple of weeks ago when I was trawling various social media sites to find something new and good to listen to. I can’t quite remember now how I came across ‘Barcodes’ by Oslo based Making Marks, but …