Suicide Suicide: Alan Vega · Martin Rev ZE 1980 In the wake of Ric Ocasek's recent passing, I spent a lot of time listening to The Cars, along with Ocasek's solo records, and of course Suicide. In particular, Heartbeat City, Beatitude and Suicide: Alan Vega · Martin Rev have been in heavy rotation ever since. … Continue reading Suicide: Alan Vega · Martin Rev

New Wave Man It was a shame to hear about Ric Ocasek's passing last weekend. One of my earliest musical memories was seeing him in the video for Magic on MTV. I distinctly remember thinking he was the coolest guy I'd ever seen! Even watching it now, his eccentric, offbeat delivery — alternating between quirky new wave … Continue reading Ric Ocasek

Hip hop blues lurking in the mist... The great swaying downbeat drift of Exchange has me thinking about the way the whole trip hop impulse seems to stretch back into time, beyond even the post punk and soundsystem soul of the 1980s into the glory days of the original soul music: the 60s and 70s. … Continue reading Walk Under A Full Moon’s Light

I quietly observe standing in my space... daydreaming. I've been rolling through the Heights on a wave of rugged roots 'n future in the afterglow of the Mezzanine XXI show, not only Mezzanine itself but surrounding Massive Attack records and the productions of the greater Bristol scene, shearing into a sound often termed soundsystem soul. … Continue reading Soundsystem Soul

Massive Attack: 3D, Daddy G and Mushroom Vowles Last Sunday, I was lucky enough to catch Massive Attack on their Mezzanine XXI tour with my man Snakes, bringing it all back home with those trip hop vibes from the days of wayback. This tour marks the 21st anniversary of the group's monumental third album Mezzanine, … Continue reading Mezzanine XXI