Songs To Lose Your Wig Over #2: Overload by Sugababes

Pop music after the Spice Girls was definitely not for me. I was well into Juliana Hatfield, Beck, Juliana Hatfield, Lolita Storm, The Pumpkins and - yes - Juliana Hatfield by that point. I hated S Club 7. The ‘S’ clearly stood for ‘shite’ and I resented how happy they seemed. In hindsight, the smiles…

The Ryu Murakami Fan Club

Ryu Murakami is not Haruki Murakami. Not even close. Their books are filed together in bookshops, but that’s about as close as they’ll ever be in any way whatsoever. Ryu Murakami’s bleak tales of destructive youth in dystopian Japan are unlike any other books I’ve ever read. I’ve read a lot of books. His writing…

Hall Of Fame: Sexplosion by My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult

There's alternative and then there's alternative. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult make music for whenever you feel like venturing out into the night-time neon streets of the rain slicked city of sin, places with go-go dancers, and secret Satanists. Trashy? Most definitely. Fun? Always. Satirical and smart, My Life With The Thrill Kill…

All About Kittie: Remembering Spit

I swore to everyone in my circle of friends that the future of rock music could be found on an album named Spit. Kittie, a feminine word that belied a decidedly loud band, were the new Hole. They would bent and bash inflexible Metal into exciting new shapes; they were IT and I loved them.…

Hall Of Fame: 1.Outside by David Bowie

Certain albums need help in order to work better. In theory, it’s simply a case of buying a record/downloading an album/sticking on a CD and listening to your music. And for most albums, that’s exactly how the transaction works. But not 1.Outside. Released in the 90s, years after last having any substantial hit songs in…

Hall Of Fame: Adore by Smashing Pumpkins

There are certain opinions enshrined in music journalism by music journalists. For the most part their thoughts remain unchallenged, unchanged. These edicts have been chipped into the rock of rock music itself. You know what I’m talking about, of course. Nevermind is the best Nirvana album. Blur won the battle, Oasis won the war. Sgt…

Banana Yoshimoto Is Good For You

When my mother took a nervous breakdown (her fourth in a week), she was prescribed a book by her GP. “Fuck reading the book,” she snarled. “I want Valium.” In theory, the NHS scheme of giving patients a list of books to make them feel better is a worthy thing to do. In practice, most…