So we’ve all pretty much had our fill of elections and the debates surrounding them I guess. Our own election for the position of Editor went flawlessly as usual whilst the UK General Election just went (at least from one side of the barricades). So we’re supposing that unless you have a stake in it the Reds leadership election is probably passing you by. Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: Richmond Fontaine “Post To Wire””
Here we are again folks with another eagerly anticipated contribution to our semi-regular “What Is This…?” feature. This time around Martin Johnson reveals his (what we can only surmise are) hippy roots in the North East of England and the shocking fact that he is not, in fact, an ex-England rugby captain: Continue reading ““What Is This Americana Thing Anyway…?” – Martin Johnson”
So after hibernating over the ‘festive’ period we here at Americana-UK Towers are back up and running and ready for anything. Eagle-eyed viewers will note that most of my colleagues have already returned to the fray but I offered to take out the empties from down here in The Bunker and there were an awful lot of them. Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: Ned Miller “From A Jack To A King””
Time for another in our series looking at the routes our writers have taken into Americana and just what it is that makes it our favourite genre. This week we are warmed by Clint West’s pathological dislike of country music and how the poacher turned a gamekeeper. Continue reading ““What is this Americana thing anyway…?” – Clint West”
Friends, readers, colleagues! Rejoice! AUK have held our election for the position of The Editor and we are supremely proud to announce that – for the nth year running – The Editor has pulled off a triumphant victory and we are beside ourselves with delight. As we have said before his was the only name on the ballot paper but that matters not a jot. He won. Get over it. Don’t even think about taking to the streets in protest. It’s the natural order of things. What the fuck are you thinking??? Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: Robert Wyatt “At Last I Am Free””
Our Americana-UK election – a sort of microcosm of the country at large’s descent into folly – is going swimmingly and as the big day approaches we become more half-arsed about it by the minute…er…sorry that should read ‘we become more engaged with it by the second’. I suppose we should be grateful that existing in our own little bubble as we do we aren’t subjected to the daily torrent of lies, obfuscation and cant from the majority of those up for election and that the smears, character assassinations and foaming-mouth scare stories from the (billionaire right wing-owned) press have little effect on us. Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: Jack Greene “Statue of a Fool””
Something of a milestone this week folks – this is the one hundredth Pick of the Political Pops in the series (at least from this correspondent’s pen – The Editor, thanks to his largesse, has stepped in on a few occasions). Now you might ask – and would be entitled to do so – why does the UK’s (and probably the world’s) preeminent Americana based music webzine require a political slot? In truth it probably doesn’t. No one really needs the sneering, smug, self-referencing inarticulate ramblings of a burnt-out, gin perfumed musical journo who’s whole raison d’etre appears to be the humiliation of the those fine, upstanding folks who seek to represent us in public life. Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: Drive By Truckers “Never Gonna Change””
Mirroring the country at large our own election process is in full swing as you know and the position of Editorship is up for grabs. We have had the ballot papers printed – featuring just the one name obviously – and we have been having a fulsome and detailed hustings. Unfortunately The Editor was unable to attend citing reasons of utter apathy but we like to think that we carried the torch in his absence and that our democratic process is going swimmingly. So swimmingly that we have decided to let you, our dear reader, have a vote or votes of your own. You can’t vote for The Editorship but you can let your feelings be known about other stuff that has happened this year by heading over to our Official Best Of Year page. Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: Big Star “Don’t Lie To Me””
This week in our occasional series in which we ask the Americana UK staff writers and contributors to give us a handle on the what, whys and wherefores that got them into the genre, Tim Martin goes up before the beak to explain himself to the gathered hoard. Apparently he’s not a punk or a heavy metal drummer (at least not anymore if ever he was). Read on to find out exactly where he does stand… Continue reading “What Is This Americana Thing Anyway…?”
Our regular reader is up to speed but in case you missed it we here at Americana-UK Towers are holding our decennial election and it is all going swimmingly. We are fully convinced that the incumbent is going to win and everybody is down with that. Indeed Sven and Abdullah, the minimum waged Estonian and Eritrean émigrés who attend to the dying autumn flower beds in the grounds, were so impressed with our glorious leader’s hustings that even they were convinced that he was going to win. And they don’t even know his name. Now that’s impressive. Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: Badly Drawn Boy “Year Of The Rat””
