Acromegaly: noun (Derived from the Greek words “akros“, extremities, and “megas“, big) A medical disease in which the bones of the head, hands, and feet grow larger than normal, caused by the pituitary gland producing too much growth hormone Rondo Hatton was born with the genetic condition acromegaly which affects the pituitary gland. Like all sufferers, there were few, if any signs, when he was young, the effects only becoming more obvious […]
The Residents Present: Buy or Die! Ralph Records 1972-1982 This could be one of the most surprising retrospectives released this year. Not that it exists – maybe a few years ago, the notion of collecting some of the label’s releases would’ve been considered too niche, but Cherry Red’s ultra-deep Residents digging has put paid to […]
Like most bands, The Electric Mayhem has experienced more than a few ups and downs nearly 50 years since its inception. That they are all still alive to tell the tale says much. But what skeletons lurk in the closet one of the tightest bands in showbiz? Dr. Gerald Teeth Jr, D.D.S. Coming from an […]
Rosalie Cunningham – To Shoot Another Day (Esoteric Antenna) Along with Weyes Blood’s Natalie Mering, Rosalie Cunningham has quietly established herself as one of the pre-eminent singer/songwriter/instrumentalists currently working. Her voice alone would be enough to separate her from the crowd, but what truly sets her apart is her spectacularly singular songwriting – fiendish melodies […]
Various Artists – ‘Pour a Little Sugar On It The Chewy Chewy Sounds Of American Bubblegum 1966-1971′ On the face of it, the bubblegum pop sounds of the late 60s are everything the name promises – easily accessible throwaway pop with a day-glo sheen and enough gooey cloying sweetness to make your teeth crackle. But, […]
Black Widow – Sabbat Days, The Complete Anthology 1969-1972 It’s perhaps appropriate that the typeface on the cover of this exhaustive boxset covering the career of the notorious Leicester band makes the title look at first glance like it says, “Sabbat Dads”. Predicting both the impossible-to-decipher Satan-obsessed death metal band logos of decades hence, as […]
The Devil Rides In – Spellbinding Satanic Magick & The Rockult 1967-1974 A pretty irresistible set on the surface – 3 discs focused on the weird, occult and devil-themed rock of the 60s and 70s with curly typefaces and alluring ladies dug out especially for cover duties. A quick look at the track listing and […]
Frank Sidebottom – Little Box of Bobbins – Frank’s Fantastic Anthology 1985-1993 It’s a testament to the uniqueness of Chris Sievey‘s glorious creation, that despite his own TV show, guest appearances on countless other programmes, regular attempts at cracking the hit parade, relentless touring, books and a film semi-based on his life starring Hollywood A-listers, […]
The Residents – Demons Dance Alone (pREServed re-issue) I’ve long since lost track of whether these releases are in any sort of order, but let’s at least rejoice that so much time and care has been given to a band’s legacy which could so easily have disappeared into complete obscurity. Of course, we’re still on […]
*Contains spoilers* Of course, it’s not just this review that contains spoilers – ultimately, that’s exactly what the film is. The much-heralded ‘In a Violent Nature’ looks to turn the slasher film on its head by telling the story from the killer’s perspective, giving us an insight into not just his motivation but the methods, […]
