Pennyblackmusic - Magazine Articles

Belle and Sebastian: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Ben Howarth speaks to Chris Geddes, the keyboardist with Belle and Sebastian about how their own one-off 1999 festival, the Bowlie Weekender had a crucial impact on the All Tomorrow's Parties festivals, and, after a long absence, his band's own plans for the future

Pere Ubu: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Pere Ubu frontman David Thomas speaks to Mark Rowland about the problems he and his band faced making their latest album ‘Long Live Pere Ubu’, which is a musical adaption of Alfred Jarry’s absurdist drama, ‘Bring Me the Head of Ubu Roi’

Willard Grant Conspiracy: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

At a show in Edinburgh, Robert Fisher from the Willard Grant Conspiracy speaks to John Clarkson about the split reaction to his band's last album, 'Pilgrim Road', and their just released eighth album 'Paper Covers Stone', which features both reworked old songs and also new material

Jim Peterik: Interview Part 1

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Songwriter and musician Jim Peterik was a member of both the Ides of May and also Survivor, who had a worldwide hit with 'Eye of the Tiger', the theme tune to Sylvester Stallone's 'Rocky III', in 1983. In the first part of a two part interview, he speaks to Lisa Torem about both bands...

Jim Peterik: Interview Part 2

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

...while in the second part he talks to her about some of his other projects and why he has always maintained his Chicago working class roots

Barry Hogan: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Ben Howarth speaks to Barry Hogan, the promoter of All Tomorrow's Parties, about the evolution and some of the challenges of his alternative rock festival over the last decade

Luke Morris: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Luke Morris, the producer of the new 'All Tomorrow's Parties' film talks to Mark Rowland about its making and the initial reaction towards it

Deadstring Brothers: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Carl Bookstein chats to Spencer Cullum, the guitarist with Detroit-based country band about his band's latest album 'São Paulo' and its hard-turing schedule

OAK: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Peter Allison speaks to Kidderminster-based industrial-metal group OAK about the hard-hitting effects of the recession on their band and their forthcoming debut album

Cornershop: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

One of the great British bands, Cornershop are back after with their first album in seven years. Sarah Maybank speaks to front man Tjinder Singh about the new record, 'Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast', and why there has been such a prolonged absence between albums

Mars Williams/Psychedelic Furs: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Lisa Torem speaks to Chicago-based musician Mars Williams about his career both playing saxophone with the Psychedelic Furs and also as the leader of much acclaimed free jazz outfit Liquid Soul

Daniel Johnston: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Mark Rowland speaks to damaged musical genius Daniel Johnston about his forthcoming album, 'Is and Always Was'. which has been produced by Paul McCartney producer Jason Falkner, and his long musical history

Trashcan Sinatras: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Scottish guitar band the Trash Can Sinatras have just released their fifth album, 'In the Music'. Dixie Ernill speaks to guitarist John Douglas about it and his band's twenty years together

Reegs: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

The Reegs were a 90s offshoot of the Chameleons and recorded two albums in their lifetime. With a new double compilation of their work out, we are reprising this interview from 1998 in which Anthony Strutt for his former publication Independent Underground Sound spoke to guitarist Dave Fielding

Dot Allison: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

John Clarkson speaks to Scottish-born songwriter Dot Allison about her recently released fourth solo album, 'Room 7½', which features appearances from both Paul Weller and Peter Doherty

Crocodiles: Interview

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Crocodiles are a young Californian noise duo, who have recently released their debut album,'Summer of Hate'. Anthony Strutt speaks to guitarist Charles Rowell about the nightmare world he and vocalist Brandon Welchez have envisioned on it

Film: All Tomorrow's Parties

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Chris O' Toole finds much to recommend in the new 'All Tomorrow's Parties' film, which has been released to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the influential indie rock festival

Profile: Kraftwerk-The Catalogue

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Jon Rogers, in the first part of a two part profile, examines the history of seminal German electro outfit Kraftwerk, and 'The Catalogue', a new box set, which collects together all their albums between 1974 and 2003...

Profile: Kraftwerk-The Influence

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

...while in the second part he looks at their influence on acts as diverse as David Bowie, Afrika Bambaataa and Ian Dury

Profile: Beatles Part 1

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

With their albums having recently been the subject of a major remastering album campaign, Anthony Strutt, in the first of a several part series, looks at the Beatles' early years in Hamburg, and their first two albums, 'Please Please Me' and 'With the Beatles'

Profile: Sunny Day Real Estate

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Carl Bookstein examines the career of early 1990s emo pioneers Sunny Day Real Estate, who have recently had their first two albums, 'Diary' and 'LP2', re-released

Willard Grant Conspiracy: Garage, London, 18/9/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

In an evening fraught with difficulties and distractions, Ben Howarth at the Garage in London watches Robert Fisher's Willard Grant Conspiracy, against the odds and a heavily reduced stage time, play a riveting and forceful set

I Am Kloot: Deaf Institute, Manchester, 17/9/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

At the second of four sell out gigs in their home town of Manchester, Dixie Ernill watches the still under-rated I Am Kloot play an extended set of their kitchen sink pop gems

Son Volt: Majestic Theater, Detroit, 24/9/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Carl Bookstein at the Majestic Theater in Detroit watches much acclaimed alt. country band Son Volt play a poetically lyrical and passionately explosive set

James Blackshaw: Vortex, London, 16/9/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

At the Vortex in London, Dominic Simpson watches instrumental British guitarist James Blackshaw, backed by a mini-orchestra, play a spellbinding set

Wild Beasts: Bodoga, Nottingham, 2/10//2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Despite being confined by the small stage of the Nottingham Bodega, Sarah Mwangi sees upbeat Cumbria-based indie rock outfit Wild Beasts play an exuberant and forceful set

Howe Gelb: Luminaire, London, 4/10/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

At the London Luminaire, Anthony Middleton watches Howe Gelb manage to pull off the rare trick of being both consumately entertaining and also genuinely experimental and inspirational

Wooden Shjips: Borderline, London, 20/8//2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Anthony Strutt finds San Francisco-based psychedelic/prog rock outfit Wooden Shjips lacking depth at a show at the London Borderline

Fanfarlo: Deaf Institute, Manchester, 28/9/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

At the Deaf Insitute in Manchester, Dixie Ernill sees much hyped London-based indie rock band Fanfarlo play a fiery set

Roky Erickson: HMV Forum, London, 20/8/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

At a comeback gig at London's HMV Forum, Anthony Strutt watches former Thirteenth Floor Elevators and psychedelic pioneer Roky Erickson reduce his often classic songs to bar garage blues numbers

Flashguns: Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, 28/9/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

At the Nottingham Rescue Rooms, Sarah Mwangi finds energetic teenage indie rock band Flashguns more mature than their youth would suggest, but their ideas coming out too thick and fast sometimes for the good of their music

Gang of Four: Macbeth,London, 24/8/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

At a warm-up secret gig at the tiny venue of the Macbeth in London before a UK tour, Anthony Strutt finds 1970s group the Gang of Four's combination of politics and dance-influnced post-punk still compelling and relevant three decades on

She Keeps Bees: Puzzle Hall, Sowerby Bridge, 13/8/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

At the Puzzle Hall in Sowerby Bridge , Helen Tipping is impressed by both Brooklyn-based bluesy indie rock duo She Keeps Bees' enthusiasm as well as talent at a show on their first UK tour

Bill Callahan: Union Chapel, London, 20/8/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Chris O'Toole finds former Smog star, Bill Callahan, despite a new found buoyancy, aloof and rigid with his audience at a show at the Union Chapel in London

Zoroaster, Gates of Slumber and Serpentcult: Rainbow, Ottawa, 4/8/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

At blues venue the Rainbow in Ottawa, Andrew Carver watches underground metal heavyweights, Zoroaster, Gates of Slumber and Serpentcult, play effective and often powerful sets to their small, but dedicated and loyal following

Morrissey: Brixton Academy, London, 21/7/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Despite being initally cancelled due to illness, Anthony Strutt watches Morrissey play a fantastic set in a rescheduled show at the Brixton Academy in London

Marianne Faithfull: Royal Festival Hall, 20/7/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Anthony Midleton watches a superb set from sixties survivor Marianne Faithfull to promote her new album of covers, 'Easy Come, Easy Go', at the Royal Festival Hall in London

Hefner: We Love the City

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

In our 'Re:View' series, in which our writers rrflect on albums from the past, Ben Howarth looks at Hefner's 'We Love the City', which originally released in 2000, has just been reissued in a new double CD edition

AGF/Delay: Symptoms

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Maarten Schiethart looks at Berlin-based electro lounge pop act AGF/Delay's second album, 'Symptoms', which was released at the beginning of this year

Sad Lovers and Giants: Feed the Flames

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

In our 'Re: View' column, in which our writers look back at albums from the past, Anthony Strutt examines Watford-based post-punk band Sad Lovers and Giants' recently reissued 1983 second album, 'Feeding the Flame'

This Metal Sky: Tricky

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

In his 'This Metal Sky' column, Jeff Thiessen reflects upon the career of Tricky, and his three albums, 'Maxinquaye', 'Pre-Millenium Tension' and 'Angels with Dirty Faces'

Hitting the Right Note: The Reissues Market

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

In the first double instalment of his new column, 'Hitting the Right Note', Jon Rogers looks at the record industry's increasing reliance on reissuing and remarketing classic albums and other albums from the past...

Hitting the Right Note: The Spotify Phenomenon

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

...while in the second part he examines the issue of free, legal music websites such as Spotify and we7

Rock Salt Row: October 2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

In 'Rock Salt Row', Lisa Torem debates each month with another writer about a different issue in rock. In the latest installment, she chats with John Clarkson about the effect of dreams as an inspiration on songwriters and musicians

Competition: New York Dolls UK Tour Tickets

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

We have tickets to give away for the New York Dolls' forthcoming UK tour in December. To hopefully win them, answer three questions

Photoscapes: King Blues

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Katie Anderson photographs London-based ska/acoustic folk band the King Blues at the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth

Photoscapes: Wildhearts

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

At the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth, Katie Anderson photographs the notoriously erratic Wildhearts at a show on the 21st September

Website of the Month: PopMatters

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Our Website of the Month is PopMatters, a cultural site which is based in Chicago

Editorial: October 2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:48:08 GMT

Hello and welcome to the October edition of the Pennyblackmusic magazine. We tend to do themed editions at Pennyblackmusic just occasionally. This month’s edition, however, examines the ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’ festival, which takes