Blur B-sides...

... as in I have recently been inundated with them by purchasing several of their expanded editions, featuring remastered albums with bonus discs of B-sides and other stray material. For me these songs are all new... and, as seems to be common with Britpop bands [Suede, Oasis ... ], their B-sides are generally of a quality with ( Read more... )

The birthday of my fave album of 2013, Graceless, released one year ago today -- rock on, lads!


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In April 1994 a Britpop single which I quite enjoy was released:  Chinese Bakery by The Auteurs!

Two landmark Britpop singles released on this date twenty years ago:

Girls and Boys, Blur's first Top 5 single and the beginning of an upswing that was to mark Their Year;

and the double-A-side Mark b/w Casino Girl, the debut single from prodigious hitmakers Shed Seven.

Payday! And discovering a swell band....

The release twenty years ago today of Line Up, the first chart single by Elastica.

Elastica was the first Britpop band to be influenced primarily by 70s punk as opposed to 70s glam or 60s rock, thereby widening the range of retro available for Britpop to draw upon. They soon became phenomenally successful in the UK [as we'll see when their album ( Read more... )

My grandma (in this case meaning my mother's mother) -- she's been in my thoughts lately.

Lucy was a wiseacre and kinda cool for a grandma, plus she could bake like nobody's business -- so I always enjoyed when she came to visit or we went to visit her.

Two stories are in my mind today, both involving music:

1) I remember a time when Ain't No ( Read more... )

Times when I'm alone in the car with the windows rolled up and I can sing. I mean, like really belt it out if I wanna and it isn't bothering anyone. I've learned to really enjoy singing -- imperfectly notwithstanding -- in the last few years....

[This morning's feature: “Anything Could Happen” ]

Marc Bolan's birthday -- woulda been 66 today. His music has meant an awful lot to me over the years....

Driving in the countryside while listening to early Charlatans, which seems to fit somehow...