Zazie dans le Métro by Raymond Queneau

Blame Joe Meno. I was going through a period of obsession with his work because I enjoyed The Boy Detective Fails so much. This happens when I find someone new whose work sparks something, a need for more. Hairstyles of the Damned came next. I read that in a few days, turning the pages until…

Vampira, a love story

Vampira exists in a few clips and the hearts of her fans, who have kept her memory alive for decades. When I think of Vampira, usually around the end of October every year, I wonder if she knew her work was pioneering. Everything about her perfectly summed up the time, yet sent it up as…

Benefactor by Romeo Void

Let's have it right: no other band sound, or made sounds like Romeo Void. It isn't just the saxophone or the synths. Romeo Void had something else that set it apart from other songwriters and musicians - her name is Debora Iyall and her writing was fundamentally rooted in poetry, while her appearance was striking…

The Fifth Release From Matador by Pizzicato Five

Pizzicato Five were an oddity of a band among a collection of odd bands - my collection, in fact. In a cupboard full of CDs, all arranged in order of how much I loved them, Pizzicato Five were always near the top row, alongside other dear favourites, the songs that gave me an escape route…

Republica by Republica

There are musicians in bands who become faceless and nameless in the presence of their singer. It happened with Blondie, an amazing band but whose presence was obliterated the sheer star power of Debbie Harry. It happened to everyone in Sleeper, who were termed Sleeperblokes by the British music press, their identities removed as a…

Two cool authors live on a screen talking to YOU and YOU and YOU!

Hello everyone. I'll be appearing live with Ely Percy (author of Duck Feet, which is amazing by the way) as part of Scottish Books Long Weekend. It's nice to finally be doing promo for something I wrote two years ago, but the pandemic has made us all get creative in other ways, hasn't it? Anyway,…

Alisha Rules The World by Alisha’s Attic

I really want to wash those dishes up. 1996 was a vintage year for my CD rack. Keith Flint stood in a tunnel, monochromatic yet brighter and more colourful than anything else around. Britpop approached a zenith, Jarvis Cocker's arse made The Brits relevant, Alanis made us reach for a dictionary to check the actual…

Adventures Close To Home!

Last year I was forced to launch my book digitally. I really wanted to have the experience of a live book launch in a shop, but I actually enjoyed myself. Putting together a set of clips, turning my ideas into something visual, structuring a small film...well, I enjoyed it. So I'm doing it again. On…

I Am Lisa Simpson

It's Morrissey's fault I even knew about the special Smiths inspired episode of The Simpsons. Somehow I hadn't got around to unfollowing Morrissey Official on Facebook, so the news appeared on my feed, promoting what seemed to be a wonderful tribute to one of the greatest pop groups ever to emerge from the neon lit…

City of Subarus by Tullycraft

Debut albums (like debut novels) contain an entire lifetime of ideas and ambition. The really great ones are those that make everything fit together as neatly as possible. But sophomoric albums? They're a trickier proposition, because with your first attempt you've said everything you've always wanted to say - and if you're lucky enough, you've…