Interesting Animals and Men review

'understated humdrum homemade music about the travails of their quotidian lives' - wow - spot-on and intelligent review on Shit-fi dot.com

The Buzzards 'You got me down'

This is a great song and video - I am only sorry it took me so long to hear it but what the hell I live in North Somerset fer goodness sake. Anyway they are from Detroit and you won't regret giving them a spin, believe me. Their myspace

The Fall (2008) trailer

Nothing to do with M E Smith - this is a fantast movie that looks worth watching. 'In a hospital on the outskirts of 1920s Los Angeles, an injured stuntman begins to tell a fellow patient, a little girl with a broken arm, a fantastical story about 5 mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality starts to blur as the tale advances.'

Jimmy Reed 'I'm Goin' New York'

This is really great - blues legend Jimmy Reed talking about his hit song and then followed by it...brilliant. Make this old person happy and listen to it.

Terraplanes Evil Going On artwork

I love this artwork. Hope you do too. I'd like a t-shirt with it on, but I would look horrible in it. From here on Superfake.net

Doin' the Jaguar Bo Diddley

We got this new record deck at the end of last year (I recommend this Ministry of Sound deck - about 40 quid - search dj decks on ebay) and we decided to do one of those 'filming the record going round' videos...but what song? It had to be Bo Diddley - this 45 on the PYE RnB label was one of my first real records - bought for about 20p from a junk shop in Frome in about 74. It has one of the best guitar solos ever recorded. Backing vocals by girl group the Impalas and recorded in 61 - more details here in a book on doo wop.

Monochrome Set 'Fat Fun'

Excellent song - brilliant video...what more can I say? It's one of those circular discussions we have had every now and then over the last 28 years - why didn't the Monochrome Set become household names? Why weren't they on Top of the Pops and so on. Who knows? Listen to 1980's the Lighter Side of Dating with lyrics to see the mastery of their songwriting.

Buzzcocks

My son is off to see the Buzzcocks tonight - tomorrow they're in Bristol. Apparently the Lurkers are supporting...should be fun.

Paranoid Time

Weekly radio show playing D-i-Y punk etc from Lyon France on tonight (tuesday) at 11pm. They've written a great review of our band Animals and Men so we shall no doubt listen in.

The Would Be Goods 'Le Crocodile'

If you have been wondering what Andy Warren - one-time bass player in Adam and the Ants and latterly the Monochrome Set - has been doing then check out his band the Would Be Goods. Excellent stuff.

Buzzcocks 'What do I get?'

The Buzzcocks are touring at the moment - doing their first two lps - not sure if this one counts as it wasn't on an lp - from the days when people left off singles from albums. 'For the very first time, we will be playing our first two albums - Another Music In A Different Kitchen and Love Bites - in their entirety + other hits!' Tour dates here

Monochrome Set 'Jet Set Junta'

Another song from the 30th anniversary show at Dingwalls. See more of Bid and his band Scarlet's Well here.

AMONG THE POST-PUNK CRÈME DE LA CRÈME – ANIMALS & MEN

Nice review for our band on the Detailed Twang site. So true, so true...

Monochrome Set 'Forever Young'

Footage from the 30th anniversary gig at Dingwalls earlier this year on 08/10/08, featuring Andy Warren, Bid, Lester Square, Jennifer Denitto (drums), Sian Chaffer (keyboards) . Happy New Year to you all...

The great harmonica revival

Seems like everyone I talk to these days is talking about the harmonica. Not sure what this means but it could be that we might have a revival on our hands. Anyhoo here's a virtuoso piece for you to try out - Big Walter Horton's Little Boy Blue.

Smokestack Lightning

More Cadillac Records - this time Chester Burnett aka Howling Wolf. Not a bad facsimile in terms of visuals and sound maybe I can build up the courage to watch the whole movie. Hard to imagine the Chess story in isolation - there was a whole load of labels and artists but I suppose this is a movie not a book. Chicago Breakdown by Mike Rowe from 1973 is worth tracking down though it's long out of print - you'll need the library loan system but maybe it might get a reprint if people get interested in the Chicago Blues scene. Another book to have is Blues Records 1943-66 - a complete guide to 20 years of recorded blues by Leadbitter and Slaven. It tells all the session details, musicians, dates songs of all the post war classics. Maybe a bit trainspotterish but I found it useful.

ESG 'Moody'

Scene from a 1989 movie called the Vampire's Kiss depicting that great band in the background. It's a great way to be immortalised, being in a movie playing in the background, I wonder if there's enough for a short season of clips?

Adam and the Ants 'Press Darlings'

My sister bought us the Adam Ant autobiography on talking book so we've been enjoying - if that's the correct word - listening to him cataloguing his unusual life. It's a great opportunity to perfect the impression...

Psychotic Reaction

Before Susan starting singing and we became Animals and Men we were briefly a 3 piece called Psychotic Reaction doing a couple of covers like 'You're Gonna Miss Me' and a few self penned ones like 'I'm being Buried alive'.

Thought you might like a laugh and see Geoff me and Nigel (left) in our punk rock glory....check the strides....

Elvis 'Blue Christmas'

I am the least christmassy person in the universe so I am sort of the anti-christ-mas - santa is my satan - but here's my favourite festive song (after Toxic Sonic's I can't stand Christmas) as a way of wishing you a speedy return to normality. Dont forget to listen in to the Bad Detectives on Frome FM tonight