http://blogs.nokia.com/entertainment/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/POLYSICS-small.jpg

Originally posted @ Nokia Entertainment

After a brief hiatus following the “graduation” of vocoder and synth player Kayo, Japanese New Wave Pop Punk band POLYSICS made their return as a 3-piece in December with the new 5 track eee-P!!!

As the band are far more prolific with releases in their native Japan this only came to my attention today, resulting in much verbal self-abuse and back to back plays of the EP’s lead single, How Are You?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2QVhuNDBVE

The band have wisely chosen to not even try to replace fan-beloved Kayo and have taken it upon themselves to trigger…

http://blogs.nokia.com/entertainment/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Skin-Mark-small.jpg

[originally posted @ Nokia Entertainment]

Still one of the greatest live bands I’ve ever seen… but after notching up my eighth Skunk Anansie gig, and the first I’ve ever watched from anywhere other than the pit, the show was unfortunately my least favourite to date. But this has absolutely nothing to do with the band’s performance, but rather due to my lack of intoxication from the pit euphoria.

Never the less, the band seize my full attention early as they kick off the show with Stoosh opener, Yes It’s Fucking Political, rather than the predictable new album opener…

http://blogs.nokia.com/entertainment/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/The-Gracious-Few-small-310x210.jpg

Originally posted @ Nokia Entertainment]

Take a big-hitting 90′s alt/rock band, throw in a little greed and egomania, and the seeds of discontent sow themselves. In this case, what remains are The Gracious Few.

Now I’d like to believe the name isn’t a poke at the behaviour of former +Live+ bandmate and lead singer, Ed Kowalczyk, but I just can’t help but feel that it might. Just as Ed; though he claims otherwise; seems to have done by titling his recent solo debut, “Alive”…

And so, Chad Taylor, Chad Gracey and Patrick Dahlheimer’s…

http://blogs.nokia.com/entertainment/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Gorillaz-small.jpg

[Originally posted @ Nokia Entertainment]

Sunday isn’t the best day to watch a live show for several reasons… mostly due to the looming misery of Monday morning. Couple this with planned engineering work on the only London underground line that serves North Greenwich, and it just nearly becomes too big a chore to bother.

But money is money, so one persists, and hopes things won’t go as bad as one might expect. Which they don’t. In fact, the suspended service does the favour of forcing me out of the tried and trusted O2 commute routine, and I find myself…

http://blogs.nokia.com/entertainment/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/SP-small-310x210.jpg

[Originally posted @ Nokia Entertainment]

I was keeping a blog record of the progress of The Smashing Pumpkins track-at-a-time mega project Teargarden By Kaliedyscope, but somewhere between the transition from the old blog to this one the posts never quite made it over, but no biggie… someone was nice enough to quote a few of my words under the “reception” header of the the album’s dedicated Wikipedia page for previously released track, Freak. Thank you kindly!

I’ve since missed the opportunity to blog about the following release, Spangled. Unfortunately it’s not really the kind of Pumpkins song…

http://blogs.nokia.com/entertainment/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Marcy-Playground-small.jpg

Originally posted @ Nokia Entertainment

As an alternate rock kid of the 90′s, seeing the return of bands like Skunk Anansie, Soundgarden and of course, Marcy Playground has made for a great year or so.

Intended as a solo project from frontman John Wozniak, Leaving Wonderland… In A Fit Of Rage was ultimately released under the band’s name in July 2009. Now, the album’s had the remix makeover… with a twist!

Having seen Bloc Party do it before with Hunting For Witches whereby one user submitted remix was selected for their 2006-2007 fan club download only album Christmas…

http://4.musicimg.ovi.com/u/1.0/image/167084183/?w=100&q=90

I’ve made no small claim as to what Skunk Anansie meant to me throughout my teen years, and those which I longed for their return. With this in mind I’ll admit to being a little annoyed when the band returned to announce the release a greatest hits compilation when all I really wanted was a heap of new material to quench a 9 year dry spell.

Thankfully, somehow within 18 months they’ve managed to deliver a world tour, 3 brand new and dynamically different tracks for the aforementioned greatest hits compilation – each fresh yet so classically Skunk Anansie,…

http://4.musicimg.ovi.com/u/1.0/image/167084183/?w=100&q=90

I’ve made no small claim as to what Skunk Anansie meant to me throughout my teen years, and those which I longed for their return. With this in mind I’ll admit to being a little annoyed when the band returned to announce the release a greatest hits compilation when all I really wanted was a heap of new material to quench a 9 year dry spell.

Thankfully, somehow within 18 months they’ve managed to deliver a world tour, 3 brand new and dynamically different tracks for the aforementioned greatest hits compilation – each fresh yet so classically Skunk Anansie,…

[Originally posted at Nokia Entertainment]

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/130/l_f5e09b1efdf540c0a2b8a285f731d682.jpg

Typical of me I was standing by for the premiere of this yesterday, but then something else must have come up, ejecting the idea from my limited male-like memory slots.

Now, I’m a part of the contingent of old school KOL fans disappointed with the direction taken by the band on Only By The Night – not a terrible album, just in my opinion lacking the country charm and let’s face it, the novelty of sons and a nephew of a preacher experiencing the hedonistic rock ‘n roll lifestyle.

Come around morning (hehe) I…

http://images.marbecks.co.nz/_covers/10585/10585593.jpg
[Originally posted @ insidenokiamusic.com]

Solo albums, the inevitable self-indulgent need to liberate oneself creatively from the mostly unsung heroes largely responsible for the success of the band from whence one came, all the while preying on their established fan base. As a flag-flyer for the lesser credited band members this is something I have my reservations about… Apparently!

Nonetheless, as a Comes With Music subscriber and an adamant discography collector of multiple physical formats from the bands I hold in high esteem, I can afford the luxury of completing these discographies for that purpose alone, and still take a…