Time for some new music. This is the first song from our brand new Messengers EP, and it’s called Animal. I hope you love it as much as we do. HAVR · Animal
Category: Music
Gratuitous Girls Aloud references
Everyone is awful
Seven years ago, I wrote about my love for New Model Army, a post-punk band from England. I got into New Model Army in Kilbirnie Library, in the late 1980s. I was going through a bit of a punk/new wave thing at the time, and the library’s collection of vinyl LPs included one whose cover… Continue reading Everyone is awful
Trying to walk like a man
It took me a very long time to realise how good Bruce Springsteen is: like many people, I misinterpreted Born in the USA as a tub-thumping, chest-beating, USA! USA! USA! anthem and didn’t investigate further. I’m a lot older and a little bit wiser now, and while I wouldn’t call myself a fan – I… Continue reading Trying to walk like a man
“How private equity drained the record industry”
As a rule of thumb, when a famous company goes under it’s usually because private equity firms bought it, hollowed it out and loaded it with so much debt that even a relatively small drop in demand made it unsustainable. As David Turner writes, private equity has had a huge influence on the music business… Continue reading “How private equity drained the record industry”
Glasgow is going to lose another historic building
To paraphrase The Onion: I can’t believe this is happening in the only city where this regularly happens. Glasgow is set to lose another iconic building, the ABC in Sauchiehall Street. The music venue – one of my very favourite places – was badly damaged by the second Art School fire and has effectively been… Continue reading Glasgow is going to lose another historic building
It’s Not The End of the World (But You Can See It From Here)
My band has released a new song, and a video to go with it. It’s Not The End of the World (But You Can See It From Here) is a lockdown song, and while there’s plenty of bile in there it’s also hopeful: after all, it’s not the end of the world. The song will… Continue reading It’s Not The End of the World (But You Can See It From Here)
Useful, free apps for music and video
I get quite annoyed by social media posts urging us all to be productive and/or learn new skills during THE END OF THE BLOODY WORLD – but I also get really bored when I’m stuck at home and I find messing around with music helps enormously. If you’re a musician or want to be one,… Continue reading Useful, free apps for music and video
Bright SPARKs
I’ve become a little bit obsessed by the marketing for Positive Grid’s SPARK, a very clever guitar amplifier. In recent weeks I’ve been seeing a lot of videos like the one pictured below, in which really amazing women guitarists test the amp. I’m not used to seeing women in marketing for musical stuff, which tends… Continue reading Bright SPARKs
Rough boys
The new ZZ Top documentary, That Little Ol’ Band From Texas, is a little Netflix gem. It traces the history of the band from their earliest musical adventures until the release of their smash hit Eliminator in 1983, which coincided with the launch of MTV. I’d have liked it to continue – the band didn’t… Continue reading Rough boys
All together now: Nazi punks f*** off
Glasgow’s Classic Grand venue will host a festival including neo-Nazi bands later this year. The organiser, who’s either a Nazi or incredibly stupid, told the National that there was no difference between fascists and anti-fascists and that he’s “disgusted by what they represent”. Apparently he’s not so disgusted that he wasn’t willing to book them… Continue reading All together now: Nazi punks f*** off