John Mouse
Blancmange with John Cooper Clarke?
Field Music: Cafe Society
The new Field Music offering, ‘Limits Of Language’, finds brothers Peter and David Brewis in a nostalgic mood. Overdosing on Marmite in their favourite Wearside cafe, they look back on the vanished eateries and melancholy early Septembers of their youth
Faithful Johannes: Yours Faithfully
Faithful Johannes? The Alan Bennett of hip hop. Sir John Betjemen with beats. And weighing on his mind at the moment are life-threatening lawns, river monsters called Tony and the “icky” thoughts that have inspired an album riddled with very English anxieties
Propaganda: Wishful Thinking
German synth supremo Ralf Dörper invited classical percussionist Michael Mertens to join Propaganda in 1983. Their debut album, ‘A Secret Wish’, is still a dark-hearted classic, but the reunited pair are now looking to the future with a fresh incarnation of the outfit that made their names
Thomas Dolby: This Charming Man
In 1984, Thomas Dolby’s ‘The Flat Earth’ album saw him outgrow his persona as MTV’s favourite “outgoing boffin” and flourish into a songwriter of impressive versatility. With an expanded digital version recently released, is he still “hyperactive now he’s grown”? He may be more reflective, but as he explains, life still has its fair share of adventure and excitement
Jodie Nicholson
Exquisite synthpop with north-east grit
Andrew Wasylyk And Tommy Perman ‘Ash Grey And The Gull Glides On’ (Clay Pipe)
Beauty And The Beats
Paddy Kingsland ‘Reg’
BBC Radiophonic Workshop legend Paddy Kingsland tells us about his reggae-influenced classic, ‘Reg’, the B-side to the 1973 single release of the ‘Doctor Who’ theme tune
Walt Disco: The Rebel Alliance
It’s already been a hell of a year for Glaswegian art rockers Walt Disco. The band have enjoyed a rapturous reception as tour support with OMD and released a new album, ‘The Warping’, combining the anthemic with the deeply personal
Orbury Common: Common People
Orbury Common’s records are fanciful delights, combining hazy hip hop beats and traditional folk trappings with the hallucinogenic imagery of a nightmarish parallel universe