Category Archives: Podcast

Leeds Festival Review: Day 1

Before me sits the remnants of a full English breakfast, served to me with piping hot hash browns to mask the fact that the rest of it was clap cold. I’ve paid £7.50 for the privilege. I’m just wondering if I’ll manage to be be able to consume my body weight in orange juice from the refillable dispenser before they tell me to shit off.  You’ve got to get your five a day somehow, but fruit & veg isn’t especially forthcoming at a festival.

I arrived here yesterday morning intent (and with tent) on having enough time to pitch my canvas Shangri-La before going to catch The Walkmenopening up the Main Stage at Noon. But for a false start where I had to return to my temporary home after being denied entry due to possession of a can of well-known stout (cans not allowed apparently – though I later noticed that the novelty of the power wielded by the “Customer Protection Office” had waned after a few hours and his bag check became somewhat less censorious) and the fact that the splendid New York noiseniks start 8 minutes early for some reason, I’d have pretty much timed it to perfection.

The Walkmen: larger than actually pictured.

The Walkmen: larger than actually pictured.

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Cover up / Selection Box Show 144

A different sort of Moon Delight after being Rammed.

A couple of weeks ago my best chum described me as a “Paul McCartney aficionado”, which is certainly not something I would say was true at all.  I do think he used to look like my mum, but I don’t think that counts and my mum probably wouldn’t be chuffed (although if I was told I looked like someone handsome enough to trap off with the young Jane Asher I’d probably be delighted).  I am, however, one of those few people whose answer to the query of favourite Beatle would be answered with positive messages for the unidexter-divorcing vegetarian former mullet-sporter.  Whilst I could never for a moment defend the sheer horror of the likes of Ebony & Ivory, That Fecking Frog Song With Ruperb The Bear In The Videoor even the ineffective hey-let’s-all-be-nice-to-one-another-man anti-war lamery of Pipes of Peace, McCartney seems to be largely overshadowed by the beautiful corpse of his probably-an-awful-twat-in-real-life mate and his over-bearing political conscience.  Yeah, stay in bed for peace, John, that’ll work.  Thanks for that.  You’ve been a massive help. Continue reading

Ça n’etait pas moi: Selection Box 143

Dont worry, you can still count him on your Famous Belgians list.

Don't worry, you can still count him on your Famous Belgians list.

Last week I accidentally ruined any remaining vestiges of childhood innocence for BCB’s Tez Burke.  A man with a beard as fulsome and manly as Tez’s should probably have left Playmobil and Ker-Plunk behind a long time ago (though Lego is allowed – you can never truly tire or grow out of Lego.  God, I miss Lego.  I’m off to buy some Lego…), but I suppose William Blake would probably argue that our days of innocence are not to be dismissed in our grown up cynicism.  Whilst I agree to an extent, this doesn’t forgive The Songs of Innocence which are, contrary to what your English teacher may have tried to tell you, a load of old shit.  (I give you this, from Laughing Song: “When the meadows laugh with lively green / And the grasshopper laughs in the merry scene / When Mary and Susan and Emily / With their sweet round mouths sing “Ha, ha he!”  Sorry, but that’s rubbish.  Did he not think, “Hmmm, needs a bit of work”?) Continue reading

Cope, Arrowsmith & McLaren: Selection Box Shows 128, 129 & 130

After a false start a little while ago, Brigadeer Phillip Agnostin D’Argtanian Tannoy Gargle Pissflap Cope III plonked his posterior into the guest chair for Selection Box 128.  I continually say that I am not going to keep noting the number of the show we’re on, as its something I only mark out for my own probably-autistic filing purposes.  And yet I continue to announce how many of these by-the-seat-of-the-pants produced pillock presented programmes we’re up to now.  Still, worth noting that in around four months we’ll (and that’s very much the royal “we”) be up to 147 shows.  Perhaps I’ll have a snooker-themed special to celebrate.  Chas & Dave have retired now, so that’s them out the window as potential session guests, but no doubt referee Len Ganley knows how to tap a triangle on cue, so that’s a part of the rhythm section sorted.  Actually, he’s probably dead now I think about it.  I do know that Steve Davis is a prog rock aficianado, so perhaps this isn’t as daft an idea as it first seemed.  The only problem I foresee is that personally I find the majority of prog a bit too, well, shit to play on air.

Yours truly (right) and Phil Cope clearly have nothing in common.

Yours truly (right) and Phil Cope clearly have nothing in common.

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Eclectic Mainline 17th March 2010 – Midlake interview

Midlake - The Courage Of Others

Midlake - The Courage Of Others

For the very first time, my show has a podcast this week. If you heard the show you will have heard me talking to Eric Pulido of Midlake. What you will have heard is the abridged version of the interview, but the full thing is available for you here now, at the bottom of this blog entry.

Midlake have also backed John Grant on his debut solo album (he used to be the singer in The Czars). A funny thing happened the other day while I was listening to his album, Queen Of Denmark, for the first time. I was reading the brochure for the 16th Bradford International Film Festival while listening. Just as I was reading about Alien being on as part of Widescreen Weekend, John Grant was singing “I feel just like Sigourney Weaver, when she had to kill those aliens“. Spooksville..!

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Archive Interview: Martha Wainwright on Selection Box, 30 July 2008

Proof that smoking IS cool.  (The opinions expressed by this writer are not necessarily the opinions of this writer.)

Proof that smoking IS cool. (The opinions expressed by this writer are not necessarily the opinions of this writer.)

Last Summer, a short time after the release of her second album I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too, I was rather excited by the opportunity to speak to Martha Wainwright.  For “rather excited” also see “so giddy a bit of wee came out.”

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Podcast Special – Selection Box v Speech Debelle

Yon editor seems to have got all a-giddy and presented this as some kind of huge new exciting podcast brew ha ha type behaviour. It seems a bit over excited, considering that I announced that this interview would appear on these pages a few weeks ago, but if someone wants to trump for my corner, who I am to complain? So long as it doesn’t smell.

Speaking of corners, it also seems that young Adam – for he is the aforementioned editor in question – has titled this interview as either some sort of pugilist pagga betwixt myself and my subject. Either that or that we’re indulging in one of those terpsichorean mash-ups, which is not the case either. It’s just two people having a chinwag, one of them (me) duty-bound to be far nosier than the other.

So, here’s the obligatory photo for visual stimulus, and then you can listen to the interview, by jiminy.

The wind was a South Easterly that day

The wind was a South Easterly that day

[podcast]https://www.bcbradio.co.uk/musicblog/wp-content/uploads/SinglesClub_03.mp3[/podcast]

Singles Club 2 – Abrasive Electro

Untitled-2

Got 10 minutes, listen to this? If you very much enjoy hearing me say things like ‘erm, ok, so yes, no’ then you will love singles club. This week we listen to a host of the latest tracks that all the cool kids are listing to. Then mutter about them like a bunch of old WI ladies complaining at the state of sociaity. Classic.

[podcast]https://www.bcbradio.co.uk/musicblog/wp-content/uploads/SinglesClub_02.mp3[/podcast]

For optimal listing may I suggest itunes, click here to go there now.

Singles Club – Our first Podcast

Untitled-2

Introducing our first podcast, not quite sure how regular this will be yet. But the pretext is simple. Some of the blog’s authors squabble and talk over each other while stating view points as fact. You can put it on your mobile machines so you’re never too far from BCB.

This week we look at The Twilight Sad, Kate Walsh, Jack White’s new band The Dead Weather and Wild Beasts.

[podcast]https://www.bcbradio.co.uk/musicblog/wp-content/uploads/SinglesClub_01.mp3[/podcast]