Cassette Culture

So, for my last birthday my nearest and dearest clubbed together and got me a lovely VW Golf run-around. So happy was I with the gift,that it took me a while to realise, shit, it's only got a tape player. After cursing myself for throwing out ALL my tapes 5 or so years ago, i quickly sent a Facebook plea round for donations. My biggest donation ended up coming from myself, in so much as my mum still kept all the tapes i made for her in the mid 90's when i first moved to London.

Amidst a lot of really dull dross, which i apologise for inflicting on my mum (stand up Suede, Boo Radleys, Arnold - who? don't worry, you didn't miss anything), i was reminded of some lovely gems. Like...

I've decided that this is in the top ten folkpsychepop songs ever. And despite just making this spurious genre up, i think you'll agree.



When this blasted onto the car stereo, the sun came out, coincidence? not fucking likely.


Wilco - Outtasite by WBRNewMedia

I used to tell everyone (who'd listen) that Eric Matthews was going to be MASSIVE. He was the missing link between The Zombies and Nirvana, he was a baroque-pop master. Actually, i was talking nonsense, he had one great collaborative album (the sorely underheard Cardinal album with ace Aussie Richard Davies) and one great solo album, of which this was the best song.



I was seriously into Power-Pop back in the mid 90's (as my old mixtapes have ably demonstrated to me), thinking back, i spent about 2 years, constantly stoned listening to Raspberries albums, which, by the way, is not big OR clever. Anyways, i thought power-pop was heading for a big revival and these were the band to do it. It wasn't though, and they weren't.



Finally, Salako. I bloody loved Salako, funny & poignant lyrics, schizophrenic musicality & better than the Beta Band (yes, really) - here's a chance to 'get with the program'.


Salako – Reinventing Punctuation