New release of “Motor Driven Bimbo” by Rockbitch has caused something of a stir. Censored live, cruelly edited by children’s TV and simultaneously loved and loathed by many a teenage right hand, Gary Hill gets the dirty on Babe.20/09/01 Yes, I know what you’re thinking; Rockbitch represent anarchy and subversion by any other name. It’s not strictly that we’re at odds with this band performing sex acts on stage. On the contrary, it’s curiously satisfying. It’s that their faintly comical, Continue Reading

Alan McGee’s new cult indie label, Poptones release the excellent Mona Lisa Overdrive by Trashmonk — aka Nick Laird-Clowes — on September 10th 2001. Here’s the story so far, plus entry into our competition. The man sang backing vocals on the last T Rex album. He’s rented office space with Paul Simon, he lost his virginity to an Australian model at John Lennon’s house. Brian Wilson called him a genius. He also presented the cult eighties music shabang, The Tube Continue Reading

The new album by Tweaker aka. Chris Vrenna, The Attraction to All Things Uncertain (Six Degrees Records) from Tune Raider, is released September 18th. Meet Elliot featuring the elusive David Sylvian. Not content with providing a special remix of U2’s “Elevation”, for the Tomb Raider soundtrack, Chris Vrenna, the former drummer and programmer for Nine Inch Nails has written and produced the Tweaker album, The Attraction to All Things Uncertain, an account of virtual everyman, Elliot and his own anxious Continue Reading

Trashmonk — Alan McGee’s new cult indie label, Poptones released the excellent “Mona Lisa Overdrive” on September 10th 2001. Trashmonk aka Nick laird Clowes of the Dream Academy talks to James Berry.12/08/01 October 2001 – You probably think you’ve lived. Done this and that, met a few people, travelled, worked here and there, been around, seen some things. But you haven’t. Trashmonk, a.k.a. Nick Laird-Clowes has. That’s your benchmark. You might not think you know him, you probably don’t, but Continue Reading

After their now infamous “no guitars allowed” three night residency at The Camden Underworld, the band then took the stage co-headlining with Evan Dando at the recently rained out Fleadh festival. Francis Macdonald speaks up.28/07/01 It’s been a furious couple months for Glasgow’s favourite sons, Teenage Fanclub. Having just completed their first US tour for six years, Crud spoke exclusively with The Fannies drummer, Francis MacDonald. Francis and Priya Elangasinghe discussed the bands whirlwind year, his groovy record label “SHOESHINE Continue Reading

What do Abba, Serge Gainsborough and disastrous French pop shows have in common? Absolutely nothing, as that would be absurd. But then, perhaps, The Three Terrors are absurd.10/07/01 A performance only project, occurring at sporadic intervals throughout the year, and with little or no signs of official release, The Three Terrors is the 1930s film-loving Hollywood love child of LD Beghtol, Stephin Merritt and Dudley Klute. A child born out of the soirèes and downtown celebrations of dead-celebrity anniversaries and Continue Reading

STEPHIN MERRITT – The often singular creative force behind the sometimes band, THE MAGNETIC FIELDS have gone and released an album described by some as nothing less than a ‘21st century songbook’ and by others as an ‘antidote’ to the mindless conventions of rockisms. Some have even described it as a humble masterpiece. And yes, it really does have 69 tracks. This time, however Merrit has been more than ably abetted by the likes of LD BEGHTOL, DUDLEY KLUTE and Continue Reading