Glasshouse

Finished Charles Stross’s ‘Glasshouse’ on holiday recently and whilst I’ve liked his other books (quite a bit actually) ‘Glasshouse’ is the best I’ve read to date. An intelligent sci-fi thriller centred around what memory means to us as individuals and as a society, the Glasshouse of the title is supposedly a research sociological experiment aimed…

Make It Quick

I’ve been rather remiss in not mentioning the That Petrol Emotion reunion before now but I kept hoping that a proper tour may have been announced. No such luck (so far) and the only dates confirmed are “secret” warm-ups in London and Galway (details) and a show at Electric Picnic (sold out). For more info…

In Daylight She Was Desperate

I kind of dismissed the Hold Steady last year after a Myspace audition but a combination of circumstances led me to their new LP ‘Stay Positive’. I guess my reservations aren’t entirely gone but on the whole ‘Stay Positive’ is a strikingly good no nonsense rock LP. Tad Kubler’s guitar is a large part of…

Unruly Boys

Here’s the second in MPT’s series of classic radio broadcast gigs. And hopefully featuring the Smiths will prove to be something of a crowd pleaser. This gig actually took place on 2nd March 1984 at the Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow, not the Glasgow University Union as mentioned in the original Radio Clyde broadcast. The show…

2008YTD3

A final round-up of the best stuff I’ve heard for the first time this year (or re-released in one case!): Sleater-Kinney – Far Away (from ‘One Beat’) [Buy the CD] [Download it] I’d no sooner purchased their last LP than S/K inconsiderately split up. At least I have the back catalogue to explore and ‘One…

2008YTD2

More of the best from the stuff I’ve bought in 2008: De Rosa – Ore (from ‘Appendices’) [Get it] As a build up to new LP ‘Prevention’ in the autumn De Rosa are releasing one free track on the first Monday of every month. ‘Ore’ was the second release, and it is quite astonishing that…