Farewell then, Penelope Keith.
I hope it was a Good Life.
Wednesday, 1 July 2026
Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Namesakes #195: The Triffids
When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere.
I was nine when the BBC's adaptation of Day of the Triffids arrived on TV... the perfect age for watching a scary show about killer plants taking over the world. In later years, I would discover the novel - one of many excellent sci fi / horror novels by the late, great John Wyndham who also wrote The Midwich Cuckoos, The Chrysalids and The Kraken Wakes, among others.
The Triffids were truly terrifying creatures... but will they prove as scary as some of the acts below?
THE TRIFFIDS #1
Made in Great Britain in 1963, and featuring Ernie and Barry
Hilton… that’s about all I can tell you about these Triffids. Poppy beat band
here, but later they went Folk.
THE TRIFFIDS #2
Aussie Triffids, though they were more successful in the UK
than in their native land. They germinated in Perth in 1978 and were still kicking
around a decade later. Lead singer David McComb would then transfer his green
fingers to producing Blackeyed Susans instead.
TRIFFID #3
THE TRIFFIDS #4
Around the same time in New Zealand, these Triffids were invading. You'd have thought being neighbours, they might have heard of their Australian counterparts and chosen a different name. But obviously not...
That's your lot for today - there were a couple more listed on discogs, but obviously their music was far too scary for the tube of you.
Which Triffids made your day?
Sunday, 28 June 2026
Snapshots #454: Settlement Songs
Welcome to a list of 15 songs about places we might choose to make a home in...
15. Mourning turtles and dodos.
14. Mimosa.
Those of you who enjoy a nice cocktail will know that a Mimosa is another name for...
Bucks Fizz - The Land Of Make Believe
13. Strictly - new meets half of old.
Those of you who like watching celebrities dance on TV may well be horrified to have learned that the new Strictly host is Josh Widdecombe. Not a patch on the former host, old Wink' (Claudia Winkelman).
Josh Wink - Higher State Of Consciousness
12. Novel prize and contemporary currents, tripled.
Booker Prize. New berries. (Yes, currants are berries. I googled it.)
Booker Newbury III - Love Town
11. What's Ben's tomato worth, under the current exchange rate?
"Ben's tomato worth" was an anagram.
The Boomtown Rats - Banana Republic
10. Glaswegian Manga.
Urusei Yatsura - Strategic Hamlets
9. Stewart, Dean and Joyce.
8. Hymn to making her doubt her own sanity.
Gaslighting is not big and not clever.
The Gaslight Anthem - Biloxi Parish
7. Not an imaginary hatchback.
No, it's a Real Estate!
6. The first search engine found rhymes for campanologists.
The first search engine was (apparently) called Archie.
Archie Bell & The Drells - Soul City Walk
5. Deliver them from email.
The Postal Service - The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
...or you could have had...
The Postal Service - Brand New Colony
4. Swollen Cindy needs to unwind.
"Swollen Cindy" was an anagram.
Edwyn Collins - Nation Shall Speak Unto Nation
3. From Sunnydale to Martinique.
Buffy came from Sunnydale. Sainte Marie is in Martinique.
Buffy Sainte Marie - I'm Gonna Be A Country Girl Again
2. Oddities.
1. Fancy pants in Ginger.
Kenny sang about Fancy Pants, with Ginger Rogers.
Kenny Rogers - Coward of the County
Come back to the Snapshots settlement next Saturday.
Saturday, 27 June 2026
Saturday Snapshots #454
Weller, Weller, Weller... I hope you've got some Jam on your toast this morning and you're ready for this week's quiz.
Who are these people and how are their songs connected?
15. Mourning turtles and dodos.
14. Mimosa.
13. Strictly - new meets half of old.
12. Novel prize and contemporary currents, tripled.
11. What's Ben's tomato worth, under the current exchange rate?
10. Glaswegian Manga.
9. Stewart, Dean and Joyce.
8. Hymn to making her doubt her own sanity.
7. Not an imaginary hatchback.
6. The first search engine found rhymes for campanologists.
5. Deliver them from email.
4. Swollen Cindy needs to unwind.
3. From Sunnydale to Martinique.
2. Oddities.
1. Fancy pants in Ginger.
Just who will be the 9 o'clock hero?
Answers tomorrow morning.
Friday, 26 June 2026
One Track Summer #2: Loose Articles
Loose Articles are from Manchester. They're one of an increasing number of punky girl&guitar bands that are leaving the boys in the shade at the moment. (See also Panic Shack, Twat Union, The Pill et al.) They also have a lot of fun in their videos, like here...
...and here...
However, the song I'm most taken with at the moment is this one, which doesn't appear to have a video... yet, at least. I'm fascinated with it because it appears to start with the intro to Run To You by Bryan Adams... and then segue into Come As You Are by Nirvana. Or is it Teen Spirit? It definitely sounds Nirvana-ey. That's some audacious theft right there. More power to the Loose Articles!
Wednesday, 24 June 2026
One Track Summer #1: How To Keep Your Husband Happy
As we approach the summer holidays, I'm going to have less time than usual to blog. Partly because of summer fun, partly because I've got another writing project I want to get cracking with. I've spent the last few weeks getting ahead on Snapshots and Namesakes so they should take care of themselves... but in between, other regular features will probably be on hold.
I will be posting the final edition of the Cancel Culture Club soon though - so if anyone else has any thoughts on whether Dreadlock Holiday by 10CC needs cancelling, please let me know by the end of this weekend.
To help fill the gaps, there will be a series of short posts in which I play one song I've been listening to recently and tell you why I like it.
Let's start with this...
The Cosmopolitans were a New York new wave / burlesque dance band famous for their live shows featuring live shows featuring go-go dancing, baton routines and "buffoonish acts". There's not enough buffoonish acts in pop music these days. Their most popular single (above) offered some useful, if tongue-in-cheek, advice for young women everywhere.
They also enjoyed Wild Moose Parties...
OK, so that was two tracks. I've already broken this feature's only rule. Bodes well...
Tuesday, 23 June 2026
Namesakes #194: Heatwave
Is it me or is it getting hot in here?
THE HEATWAVES #1
We start today with the soulful sounds of the New York City Heatwaves from 1963, and a punishment worthy of Bart Simpson...
The Heatwaves - (Write It On The Blackboard) 99 Times
THE HEATWAVE #2
Next up, a Dutch psychedelic band from the late 60s. They don't sound particularly psychedelic to me.
The Heatwave - Said Before It Couldn't Happen To Me
HEATWAVE #3
From 1970, this London based Heatwave sound like they're caught halfway between chirpy 60s pop and early glam stomp. Drummer Martin H. Samuel used to do a bit of fire-eating to liven up the set. They soon changed their name to Peter's World and then The Sensations.
Heatwave - Sister Simon (Funny Man)
HEATWAVE #4
The Welsh Heatwave of 1975, surfing in from the small seaside village of Pwll in Carmarthenshire. They were all teenagers when they recorded this emergency call...
HEATWAVE #5
That's my favourite picture of the Anglo-American disco band Heatwave, because they all have matching knitwear. Nothing say rock 'n' roll more, etc. etc. However, I thought some of you might also get a little thrill from this picture...
Heatwave enjoyed a run of Top 20 hits at the height of the disco boom, most of them written by keyboard player Rod Temperton (second from the right) who went on to become even more successful as a songwriter for other people. He's the guy who wrote Off The Wall, Rock With You and Thriller (what do you mean, you thought Jacko wrote those songs? Yeah, me too.) as well as George Benson's Give Me The Night and Love X Love, and the huge Patti Austin / James Ingram hit Baby, Come to Me. After leaving Heatwave, he withdrew from the celebrity lifestyle and became known as "The Invisible Man" in music business circles. Presumably content to sit at home on a huge throne made out of £50 notes.
HEATWAVE #6
A Japanese Heatwave, active from 1985 through the turn of the century. This may well have been their debut single...
HEATWAVE #7
Italian "prog-folk" duo from 1999...
HEATWAVE #8
Canadian hip hop collective from 2011...
HEATWAVE #9
Martin Reeves, discogs tells me, owned the Instant Vibes record shop in Worthing and the Happy Vibes record shop in Brighton. You might ask why he needed a discogs page if he just flogged records. Turns out he also made them too as "Heatwave"...
DJ Quantum & Heatwave - Get Ill
Stick with the day job, mate.
THE HEATWAVE #10
"Dancehall soundsystem and production outfit" who made regular appearances at the Notting Hill Carnival and the UK festival scene in the decade known, rather boringly, as the Tens. Here they are with special guest vocalist Tippa Irie - remember him?
The Heatwave - Tun Ova (feat. Tippa Irie)
HEATWAVE #11
German electronic dude, aka Markus Spillner, clearly influenced by Vangelis & Jan Hammer's 80s work on Blade Runner and Miami Vice. What goes around comes around. This is from 2016, not 2087.
HEATWAVES #12
Spanish pop-rock group from 2017 onwards. The Heatwaves get particularly hot in Spain, I imagine.
HEATWAVES #13
On the other hand, I'm betting Norwegian Heatwaves are muchcooler. Looks like these guys even had to light a fire to keep warm.
HEATWAVE #14
"Regular, everyday normal guy" from Russia, and he's obviously rather enthralled with the 80s. This is from 2021.
HEATWAVE #15
Finally, a "groovy and melodic" hardcore band from Germany. Your definition of "groovy and melodic" may differ.
Other Heatwaves were available, but I spared you.
Which one gets you hot hot hot... and which just makes you hot under the collar?