Good Reads

Not very often I mention books on here, but then again don't read a great deal of music books, but I want to mention two.

The first one I haven't read yet, but is written by the friend of a friend of mine - Daryl Easlea

Without Frontiers: The Life & Music of Peter Gabriel

I've read the first few pages and it looks good [Todd mentioned 5 times] Daryl has previously written books on Sparks, Chic and Beyonce. Read the Chic one and it was very good.

The second book is one that EVERY pop music fan should read. 

Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop

Written by Bob Stanley (from the band Saint Etienne) it is a chronological trip through the history of 'the pop single' in the UK/US, and is a pure delight from start to finish. If you have access to a streaming music service such as Spotify etc you'll also find yourself checking out LOTS of stuff you didn't know or had somehow forgotten about. Brilliant.

BabyMetal

Like me, you must have often sat down and pondered just why no one had ever thought to blend Japanese Jpop with Heavy Metal. Well, my friends, wonder no more.

This will be the best AND/OR worst thing you heard this week. I have to admit, I kind of like it. Truely bonkers.

Baskery - A Swedish country delight

Diane had a night off so we decided to go out and catch some live music. Wasn't a great deal of choice so we decided to head to one of my favourite venues The Borderline to check out Swedish alt country band Baskery. Made up of three sisters, they have been going for six years or so and describe their sound as 'killbilly'.

Didn't really know what to expect. Venue was only about a quarter to a third full, so like us the knowledge of the band didn't seem great to London's masses.  On the evidence of this gig, this is a shame as Greta, Stella and Sunniva Bondesso are a delightful and engaging trio who know put on a show.  Great songs, great harmonies, great musicianship left us scratching our heads to figure out why they were not already HUGE. They have recently relocated to Nashville and even with the local competition that will bring I'd be surprised if these girls didn't make their mark (just need a good support slot on someone's tour). They write strong commercial material and deliver it live with gusto. They've headed off the Germany now for a few dates. If you get a chance to see them, take it.

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