Stay Sick by The Cramps

The Cramps should be easily dismissed due to their camp aesthetic, but then that would be dismissive of their punk ferocity, the skill and talent of their combined musicianship. Poison Ivy, still the baddest bitch on the block, also seems to me like one of the most underrated guitarists in the game. Guitarist? Also the…

Get Skintight by The Donnas

A problem I always felt people had with The Donnas was an all-pervading idea that they were somehow novelty, less serious than proper guitar bands. For me, they were a dream come true. They looked like brats. They made a racket. They wrote songs about drinking, partying, dating, and...Doin' Donuts. Less serious than 'proper' guitar…

Living in the time of Angelica

Your first gig is a rite of passage you never forget. For me, it was Babes In Toyland at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. Except it wasn't, because this itineration was actually Kat Bjelland without her Nemesisters. But this was as close as I could get to one of my new favourite bands. Yes, I…

Midnite Vultures by Beck

I have a theory that your first Beck album is always your favourite. He’s a sonic shapeshifter whose music is always different, but always essentially ‘Beck’. To put it another way, his albums are different suits on the same body. Yet despite my theory about your first Beck album being the one you enjoy the…

Hall Of Fame: Totally Crushed Out by That Dog

I hate concept albums, but not this one.

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…

Hall Of Fame: The Real Ramona by Throwing Muses

  Throwing Muses made everything better. Their music, all awkward patterns, assumed a disordered beauty once you fully immersed yourself in their world, an introverted and often surreal place full of drama, horror, beauty, and wonder. I lived there quite a lot during my years at school. What set them apart from other bands during…