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…

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…

Hall Of Fame: Bed by Juliana Hatfield

The truth is I listened to 'college rock' before I ever went to college. I'd already decided what life was going to be like based on some CDs and movies, all of which were from America. Britain was going through a post-Britpop hangover and for the most part, I favoured alternative American bands. I had…

Hall Of Fame: Evol by Sonic Youth

There are certain albums within a band's canon when everything works. The formula is finally perfected. It may be the case that a band finally discover what makes them great, or it could be an addition to the group adds something that was previously mission. Whatever the reason, everything works and nothing can ever be…

Hall Of Fame: Viva La Woman by Cibo Matto

Hall Of Fame is the strand of this blog where I discuss my favourite things. It might be a book, an album, a movie or a video game. Can you imagine being the A&R man (or woman) responsible for signing Cibo Matto? Here's the concept: two Japanese artists, one rapper and a multi-instrumentalist, in a…