Siouxsie & The Banshees / Nocturne

It’s no esoteric bit of trivia that The Cure’s Robert Smith joined Siouxsie & The Banshees in 1983, stepping in on guitar after John McGeoch left in October 1982 following a nervous breakdown just prior to the release of A Kiss In The Dreamhouse. This was the second time he joined the Banshees, having previously […]

Wire – “Kidney Bingos”

Saluting of one of the most satisfying combinations of melody and gibberish, “Kidney Bingos”, the single from Wire’s 1988 album A Bell Is A Cup… Until It Is Struck. In a 1988 interview with McGill University radio station CKUT, Colin Newman offered these thoughts on the song: “There’s always been a very strong pop element […]

XTC’s English Settlement at 40

This year marks the 40th anniversary of XTC’s fifth album, English Settlement, a record that represents the inflection point in the band’s career between the frantic, high-energy post-punk they made their name with to the more orchestrated, pastoral sounds that defined the remainder of their active years. It also marked the final record that the […]