Theremin trilogy

The Inventor


The Film Composer


The Rock Star

Tricky - "Chinese Interlude"

Tricky's new album 'False Idols' is up there with his debut 'Maxinquaye' on many levels. Firstly, the most obvious, is the quality of the songs. Secondly, his attitude is the same as it was when he started his solo career and released his debut... no pressure put on himself and just doing what he wants and what feels right. It is hard to find a track that stands out on such a great album. However, there is one that is a bit different and ironically it doesn't have much input from Tricky himself. He has many vocal guests on all his releases and one of them this time is Fifi Rong, a London based - Chinese born singer/songwriter producer. The song "Chinese Interlude" is described well in its title. A beautiful interlude written and performed by Fifi Rong. So for me, when I downloaded 'False Idols' I got an album by Tricky back at his best and I got to discover a new artist in Fifi Rong.... two for the price of one. 'False Idols' may not be as important to the trip-hop and music world as 'Maxinquaye' was - but it is as important to everyone who bought that album and wanted more.

The Babies - "Mess Me Around"

I heard "Mess Me Around" by The Babies again (on Bitter FM, of course) and this time around it reminded me so much of the Flying Nun 'Dunedin' sound of the 80's and 90's. There is definitely some Verlaines, a little bit of The Clean and slightly more Look Blue Go Purple... or is it just me? Either the observation of the day or the most meaningless piece of information you heard all day.

Lower Plenty - "Strange Beast"

"Strange Beast" by Australian band Lower Plenty is gothic country/folk/blues at its best. From the baritone vocals to the ghostly and distant backing vocals, it has a kind of darkness that I crave. A wonderful strange beast it is.

Vampire Weekend - Hannah Hunt

The news of a new Vampire Weekend album didn't have the excitement the previous 'Contra' album had when that was at pre-order stage. That one was expected to match the debut and it ticked all the boxes. This time though, I just thought I could probably give their third album 'Modern Vampires of the City' a miss. Maybe the first two albums satisfied my need for quirky African indie rock music and there is so much good music around anyway. Well that was before I heard "Hannah Hunt" - so disregard all above comments.

Natasha Leggero - LA Gang Tours

Here is some comedy from Natasha Leggero. Check out her album 'Coke Money' for one of the best comedy albums in recent times.

The Front Bottoms - "Au Revoir (Adios)"

The Front Bottoms are an indie-rock band from New Jersey. "Au Revoir" is from their fourth album 'Talon of the Hawk' released last month. If "Au Revoir" doesn't put a smile on your face, don't worry, there is help available and I hope you have a speedy recovery. Au Revoir.