Category: Political Pops

Pick of the Political Pops: Dwight Yoakam “Suspicious Minds”

There is a small but active cabal here at Americana-UK Towers who are vociferous supporters of a little known genre of music which we term ‘Cowboy-grime-hop’. This musical back alley is chiefly notable for its heady mix of slap bass, drum machine aesthetic and steel guitars. Lyrically it is an acquired taste espousing as it does such ‘virtues’ as homophobia, sexism and a nostalgia for apartheid type politics. On the plus side some of the harmonies are great. Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: Dwight Yoakam “Suspicious Minds””

Pick of the Political Pops: Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls “Maralinga (Rainy Land)”

British nuclear tests at Maralinga occurred between 1956 and 1963 at the Maralinga site, part of the Woomera Prohibited Area in South Australia and about 800 kilometres north-west of Adelaide. Indigenous people who lived in the vicinity of the test sites suffered displacement, injury and death, not to mention the service personnel from several countries including Britain and Australia who also suffered long term damage from the tests. The cost of the clean-up exceeded £50m but the UK paid less than half that amount, and that was only after protracted pressure and negotiations. Still today, the full extent of the effects suffered by service personnel and local communities is not known. Despite years of legal wrangling, the suffering and illness that those communities endured has never been properly recognised or compensated.

Pick of the Political Pops: The Scud Mountain Boys “Silo”

Disastrous news, readers (or reader as we have previously established). It has come to our attention that not everyone in public office necessarily has the public’s best interest at heart. How else does one explain the shenanigans taking place in certain places of late? What with the politicking, the tactical voting, the arguing, the bullying, the threats and the back-biting one could be forgiven for thinking that there are ulterior motives at work and vested interests to be surreptitiously attended to. That couldn’t be could it? Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: The Scud Mountain Boys “Silo””

Pick of the Political Pops: Chairmen of the Board “Give Me Just A Little More Time”

Oliver Cromwell (April 1653): It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue and defiled by your practice of every vice. Ye are a factious crew and enemies to all good government. Ye are a pack of mercenary wretches and would, like Esau, sell your country for a mess of pottage and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money. Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: Chairmen of the Board “Give Me Just A Little More Time””

Pick of the Political Pops: The High Llamas “Checking In and Checking Out”

“It’s been a quiet week in politics and we don’t really have much to say…” …said no one ever. When the ‘leader’ of a ‘government’ suffers two of the three most catastrophic defeats in the history of Parliament one would probably expect them to resign. Not so PM Terry Might. Here is a person who has had two years to come up with a decent agreement to leave the European Union but couldn’t manage it. Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: The High Llamas “Checking In and Checking Out””

Pick of the Political Pops: Sparklehorse “Knives of Summertime”

It would appear that PM Terry Might is conducting the political equivalent of fiddling whilst Rome burns. There are of course many problems facing the country – there always are – but one particular bête noir of the moment is knife crime. We don’t have knives here at Americana-UK Towers because we can’t be trusted with them (except plastic ones) but news has filtered down to us that attacks featuring the use of knives are on the rise. It appears that the conversation round this has gone something like: Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: Sparklehorse “Knives of Summertime””

Pick of the Political Pops: Ry Cooder “How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live”

Down here in The Bunker we have a simple sort of justice which applies when one of our number is accused of doing something wrong. They are questioned and then allowed a right of reply. For example: (Q)“It was your turn to take the rubbish out – why didn’t you?” (A) “I am in the process of taking the rubbish out but there was a lot of it and I couldn’t carry it all” or (Q) “You drank the last of the gin – why didn’t you replace it?” (A) “I am en route to the supermarket to replensish supplies” or (Q)“You are a rascist anti-Semite – how can you live with yourself?” (A) “I am a life-long campaigner against racism in all its forms including anti-Semitism”. Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: Ry Cooder “How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live””

Pick of the Political Pops: 10CC “The Sacro Illiac”

Our eagle-eyed reader (we’ve established that there is one of you) will remember that last week we were somewhat nervous at being summoned unto the company of The Big Boss Editor. Fear not gentle reader – not only did we survive but we came away with a fulsome sense of responsibility, a warm feeling of loyalty and a belly full of gin. Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: 10CC “The Sacro Illiac””

Pick of the Political Pops: The Delmore Brothers “Browns Ferry Blues”

This week sees your humble correspondent and his encumbrance being treated to an outing in the wilds of the People’s Republic of Liverpudlia. The Editor, in a highly unusual display of largesse and munificence, has insisted that we sample the cultural highlights of the desolate North (possibly on his dollar but we’ll see about that). Continue reading “Pick of the Political Pops: The Delmore Brothers “Browns Ferry Blues””