Self-reference is a dangerous game in the world of music. Rockstars have typically never been shy about their rockstardom — in fact, the concept of rockstar as self-appraised sacred cow has been around since the genesis of the rock genre; even before Bo Diddley asked the crowd, “Who do you love?” (and provided as laundry [...]
Brian Eno — Before and After…
8 February 2013 by Leave a Comment
The career and persona of Brian Eno has always been a bit of a puzzle for me. I’ve heard the stories and I’ve experienced the work; I understand how much of his influence has come through on an innumerable amount of genres and styles. But to look back on his journey all at once — [...]
Lost in Translation OST
1 February 2013 by Leave a Comment
When I decided to cover the Lost in Translation soundtrack, it struck me as odd that I had never seriously considered a soundtrack for PJH. At first glance, it would make sense — if this site is about merging sound and vision, then film music seems like a natural choice since it’s often written or [...]
Pulp — Different Class
22 January 2013 by Leave a Comment
Despite a love for fish and chips and a nostalgic fondness for my punk and goth phases, I don’t claim to know much more than a little about the way class systems work in the United Kingdom. What I do understand is that it’s something that pervades the culture there, maybe a bit like race [...]
Big Star — #1 Record
2 January 2013 by Leave a Comment
The further forward we travel in time, the more of a statement neon signs seem to make. It could be the cultural climate of the times — our keen sense of nostalgia set against the rapidly developing cult of technology. Maybe it’s the light that comes off of a glowing tube of electrified gas, which [...]
Camera Obscura — Underachieve…
13 December 2012 by Leave a Comment
The cult of Twee is one I’ve never really quite understood, despite owning a vintage camera and having nodded my head gently to several Belle & Sebastian records. There’s are a ton of facets to the sound and the subculture, many of which I haven’t even attempted to explore, so I’ll try not to make [...]
Cornelius – Fantasma
12 November 2012 by Leave a Comment
Japan’s Keigo Oyamada, a.k.a. Cornelius, is often touted as a modern pop savant, and it’s for good reason. There are few things as gleefully disorienting as a Cornelius album, and Fantasma, his 1998 U.S. debut, is just the kind of sonic tapestry that can keep its listeners as simultaneously confused and enthused as a horde [...]
Aphex Twin – SAW 85-92
31 October 2012 by Leave a Comment
Aphex Twin’s debut album Selected Ambient Works 85-92 might sound fairly vanilla to us now — and in truth it’s not Richard D. James’ most adventurous effort — but there’s no denying that it has a unique combination of rhythm and ambience that is utterly seductive. Though James’ follow up to this album, the appropriately [...]
Rod Stewart – Tonight I’m Yours
23 October 2012 by Leave a Comment
This is a terrible terrible album. Rod Stewart’s 1981 effort, titled Tonight I’m Yours, is an album that has been certified as platinum in the U.S., sounds like a bastardized collection of the state of the industry, which makes sense in a way. The tracklist’s sound jumps around dramatically, with Stewart drawing from personnel versed [...]
Women – Public Strain
My Target Demographic
Big Star — #1 Record
The Aislers Set – Terrible Things…
Cold Cave - Love Comes Close