My workplace Crikey held a fascinating and invigorating interview with singer-songwriter and activist Billy Bragg last night. Bragg has written a handful of the songs that mean the most to me in all the world, and he everything you’d hope, talking with wit, optimism and clear-eyed scepticism about empathy, music, politics and going to Glastonbury …
Author Archives: Dancing to architecture
Pat Thomas Introduces Marijata
Pat Thomas, The “Golden Voice of Africa” has had a career that spans more than 50 years. In that time, he’s turned his hand to a seemingly endless array of genres – Big Band, Reggae, Soul, Disco and Funk – but he’s a true master of Highlife. Highlife originated in Thomas’ native Ghana in the …
Youth, Pop, and “Surf Music”
On a singular and lovely (in baffling sort of way) album by comedian Paul Willliams
Lyrical Wax: Yvonne Fair The Bitch is Black
A lost funk masterpiece from a woman who was present at many of the key moments of 20th century soul.
Gerry Marsden
Farewell to the reedy accented voice behind one of the 1960s great anthems.
MF DOOM
Farewell MF DOOM, the first and last of his kind
Lyrical Wax: Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label
The story of an Ohio DJ’s doomed attempt to create his very own Motown.
Fear and loathing on the campaign trail
After months of fairly solid listening, I can say with some confidence the name Donald Trump does not cross the lips of either member of Run The Jewels for the length of RTJ4, their mid-year album from which “walking in the snow ” comes. But the omission is much the same as the absence of the …
Bad Romance
In news that’s been my greatest source of cheer in the last few weeks, my proper employer, Crikey has started a new series called “Yesterdays Papers”, a fortnightly series of topical themed playlists. Our first theme is, of course, Bad Romance, after the incredible revelations that New South Wales’ first premier to be untainted by …
Cable Ties Far Enough
An incredibly delayed look at a record that sounds like Melbourne feels right now.
Dancing to Architecture 