There was a period through the mid 80’s and into the 90’s where Daniel Lanois was responsible for producing some of the most sonically majestic records of that era. He crafted memorable albums for a diverse range of artists including Bob Dylan (Oh Mercy); The Neville Brothers (Yellow Moon); Emmylou Harris (Wrecking Ball); and with Brian Eno a string of U2 albums (Unforgettable … [Read more...]
Little Hurricane – Podcast
A couple of years ago I discovered an album called Gold Fever by Little Hurricane. The record was dirty, bluesy and at times slightly distorted, but the songs were also melodic with a lyrical honesty that was refreshing. As a duo featuring drums and guitar playing their own brand of dirty blues Little Hurricane were always likely to be compared to bands like the Black Keys, … [Read more...]
Pray – Black Rabbit George
As one half of the Tijuana Cartel Paul George has built a sustained following over many years through the band’s impressively energised live performances. At a Tijuana Cartel gig you know you’re guaranteed a good time. Two years ago Paul began a side project that couldn’t have been further from that scene. Black Rabbit George was created as an opportunity for Paul to explore … [Read more...]
Midge Ure – Podcast (Part 2)
Midge Ure. The Ultravox front man who rode the crest of the wave through the band’s biggest success and then went on to form Band Aid and Live Aid to feed the starving millions in Ethiopia. In part 2 of this podcast Midge takes us behind the scenes of the Band Aid recording where he and Bob Geldof stood outside the Sarm West recording studios in front of a huge media … [Read more...]
Green Light – Lorde
When an unheralded sixteen year old New Zealander called Lorde released Royals onto an unsuspecting audience in 2013 the song captivated the world. As a song that encapsulated the obsessive nature of materialist millenials and the aspirations of those too poor to afford what they wanted and then finally the rejection of the idea of it by the song’s narrator, it was a … [Read more...]