marlow

Just working on some new demos at the moment. My hair can also be found playing guitar here: www.theprisonlibrary.com

might I also add that the new Ajimal and Soundtracks For a B-Movie recordings are sounding flipping amazing!

But aye, he was mint at the Cockpit gig. First time I've seen them live.

Don't think I wore it more than once!

you make me fucking sick.

They chased David O'Messy Life away from the Cumberland Arms with a pig's head once... true fact.

More people than I even thought loved the last Tom Vek album, and so far all of them love this one too.

I think you need a real problem.

I've changed.

and that's TWO Brilliant Mind mentions, don't get Calum too excited ;)

...and perfectly encapsulates what I find so diabolical about Moby.

Apart from the bit about satellites and the sea covered in shit. That was just weird.

I found this review to be very balanced and diplomatic, which must have been hard when the bafflingly continuence of the Oasis/Libs bastard offspring goes against human evolution and a basic grasp of fucking taste.

seriously though, why do mods still exist? They were shit to start with.

I reckon it's a solid 7. I haven't listened to the last track yet though!

I was pleasantly surprised upon listening to this after everyone seemingly writing it off. It sounds far less hollow to me than Narrow Stairs did.

I was never massively fussed about this band, but I'll give this one a go. Thanks!

...hadn't woken up yet!

and I liked it. I felt the same way about the Maximum Balloon album though, and even Dear Science. Does this flirt even more dangerously with mediocre?

IMOROFLZORD!

I love PJ Harvey, White Chalk and Is This Desire? being my two favourite albums so I like her diversity... but this album is just musically, lyrically and vocally DULL. Maybe I have to be old to appreciate? I just don't have any interest in war and it's not until 'In the Dark Places' that I remember more than 5 seconds of what I've just listened to. Even the John Parish album had more to captivate me than this... had to watch the Uh Huh Her tour DVD to remind myself why I used to find her so exciting and sexy.

...weirdos. Not the best songs, but some of his best lyrics and certainly the best production of all the albums.

Wha!?

other than an attempt by Courtney to quash the murder rumours.

Pattison does Cobain?? Underage emo girl wank bank.

And I'm not hearing the rest...

kudos. for someone who has an awful lot of interesting things to say, none of it is ever in the music. like the anti-Bat For Lashes!

And not because I didn't like the covers, because I did, lots. But I think they are interesting songs to give a go amongst the stronger 'songwriting' ones. And it's free, ya belm!

It's one of the few weak tracks and really isn't very single material. Almost any of the other tracks would have suited better, annoyed.

Most of the best north east bands are playing this:

http://www.solutiongroup.co.uk/testing/nse_poster/poster_web.jpg

When's the next column Toby??

But I don't think it's what DiS stands for and what they would ask from their writer.

I also think that bands like DSC, Little Comets and LBH kind of surpass the NARC stratosphere in that they've mostly received national attention prior to any major coverage in the magazine. They get covered by this site and NARC now because you can't deny they are at the forefront, nationally, of bands that represent the north east whether you like them or not.

I just don't agree that the bands/scenes you refer to don't get covered, because I read about them in there a fair bit, otherwise I wouldn't know about them. Certainly not as the main coverage, but there are columns and live reviews that cover the more alternative stuff that goes on... and if they've chosen not to get involved in the magazine, when it's based on local contributions, then that's up to them.

NARC has no agenda, no backhanders from anyone to cover their bands or any particular scene. If you're that into the bands and the music and you can write then there's no reason not to get involved rather than be jaded about it.

That'd be pretty stupid.

I've written some shit reviews and I dare say I've some. I wasn't saying to hide behind the volunteer thing just if you haven't read it in a while you might see how they've improved, or the shit ones aren't writing for it anymore. Depends on whether you and the editor agree on what's 'shit' or not.

I'm not saying it's the best, I'm saying there's nothing else really. Bar the Crack and a couple of fanzines. And the content IS determined by the contributors and I really don't think it gears towards any particular genre or scene. You've got writers like Idene covering the clubs, a few people interested in punk/metal (though probably not enough), Alt Vinyl and Richard Dawson cover the weird avant garde stuff in their column... so what's not getting covered?

I just don't think there are NARC bands. Are you one of the ones that thinks it's too indie guitar orientated or too experimental and weird?? Because there seems to be two camps.

Well the steady decline in the number of decent promoters and venues makes me less optimistic... there needs to be more support and participation if things are to stabilise.

If you've never heard her music?

She's actually a lovely person.

unfortunately you just stirred years of backed up retaliation! ;)

When they cover the bands you refer to? And if they don't, their door is always open for contributors. I know it was mainly soapy, but your post picks up on the widespread misconception of 'NARC bands' and it being all mates reviewing each other and supposedly indie type stuff (though it's mainly the proper indie bands who kick up a fuss). It's always tried to be inclusive of more alternative/punk/metal bands, but if the people who know those scenes don't contribute how are they supposed to know?

That reminds me I think I'm meant to be doing something on Lavotchkin, I'll have a word with Si!

It's also got a lot of snidy cynics who could try pulling their fingers out to support the scene instead of jeering at the select few positive folk who make music/promote gigs/write about it.

Everywhere else in the UK has a supportive network of bands, venues and promoters - we just have jealousy, bitching and backstabbing where no one can receive recognition without it supposedly being about who your mates are. Fucktards.

But if you think that's a rare occurence in music journalism you'd be sorely mistaken.... certainly from my experience.

You'd also be mistaken in thinking NARC hired 'good journalists' in it's first year. I've been writing since issue one and at the time I was fresh out of university with only the uni entertainments rag on my CV. Writers are volunteer contributors and I think Claire would agree with me that NARC is very much about giving promising talent an opportunity to develop their writing, and that has certainly been my experience.

The guy who reviewed a solo gig I did and who wasn't actually at the gig doesn't write for it anymore. Like I say, it's just one editor so she isn't always going to keep on top of people who aren't attending gigs.

If you haven't read it in 4 years you might want to pick up a copy and see how the writing and layout has improved since then.

I reviewed Flowers myself and know for a fact MASS and all related bands are covered. So you're just putting the blinkers on. There's also a regular clubs section now, so I don't know what kind of 'thing' NARC is?

I just don't see the point in slagging the only decent mag in the north east, let's face it it pisses over The Crack from a great height for reviews and interviews. If you don't like it start your own zine, there's plenty of DIY ones around.

Because a man named Ettrick reviewed that gig and I distinctly remember when it first got cancelled and he then attended the rescheduled gig.

NARC is run by one editor, the writers are all volunteer contributors. If they want to be disingenuous about whether they went to a gig or not then who's to stop them? Who's to stop soapy writing a good review of his mate's shit band?

Criminal non-mention of Mammal Club, best band in the north east right now: www.myspace.com/mammalclub

I don't have any friends and I write for NARC. In fact I only make friends with people who got good reviews in it...

I got reviewed by someone who wasn't at the gig once. It happens in all the magazines I've written for, soz.

radge tuesday.

Bully.