interview | Shonen Knife, Interview with Naoko Yamano

“Monday I go to watch Sumo wrestling/It’s an easy day to get a good ticket” (One Week from Brand New Knife, 1996) Their songs bounce from jangling, smiling pop all the way through bashing, smashing punk. They are Shonen Knife, three Japanese grrrls who mix topics of buying Barbie dolls, drinking beer and watching Sumo … Continue reading “interview | Shonen Knife, Interview with Naoko Yamano”

The Spinanes’ Rebecca Gates

Warm, generous in mirth, ensconced in simple riffery … Rebecca Gates, the once fanzine editor, record store clerk and college radio gun from Portland, Oregon, is certainly ‘chuffed’ about the peculiar rise of her now-jetsetting outfit, The Spinanes. “Chuffed? Yeah, chuffed is a great word for what has happened!”

interview | 808 State – Interview with Darren Partington

In the world of 808 State, hip hop gave way to baggy, rave gave way to freestyle, and their namesake 808 drum machines now serve as dusty benches for their TR909s. Nine years on and with their new album Don Solaris again reflecting the state of dance and subtle indie crossover in 1996, may we … Continue reading “interview | 808 State – Interview with Darren Partington”

The Big Bubble, Harbourside Hotel, December 31, 1995

With a pocket full of change and a little taste for the bizarre, the Harbourside’s last gig for 1995 promised eleven hours of music from eleven bands and no pass-outs, so you were indeed trapped for the long haul. After making the venue my home for the evening there was certainly nothing to do but … Continue reading “The Big Bubble, Harbourside Hotel, December 31, 1995”