Idiot Box Comes Good

I tend not to watch telly that much, especially this time of year, but I should probably be a bit less churlish now that the good people behind US drama Lodge 49 have seen fit to include a piece of music from Belbury Poly's 2012 LP The Belbury Tales, on which I laid down a bit of that old bass guitar. The show has received praise for it's soundtrack, which includes a lot of fun offbeat obscurities and a good chunk of material new and old from Ghost Box pals The Soundcarriers.

The track in question appears in tonight's episode (if you're in the US), or UK viewers can watch on Amazon, I gather.

In Colour

Two opportunities to see me talking (and showing lots of clips) on the history of colour filming at King's Lynn Community Cinema Club on Thursday 20th September at 7pm then at the Letchworth Settlement on October 22nd at 10.30am. Come!

Shindig! No.83

All the way from Chickasaw County and out today it's this month's Shindig! Magazine. As well as that tremendous Bobbie Gentry feature and all the goodies you're used to, dig the Vinyl Art column in which I cover a corker by Gene Szafran.

Shindig! No.82

Recently it was my absolute pleasure to spend an hour in the company of Stanley Dorfman, the man who virtually invented UK music TV. Enjoy my 20 Questions with him in this month's Shindig! Magazine, which is a bit of a mod special on the sly, including The Small Faces and my dad's favourite live act The Action. Vroom!

Shindig! No.79

Don't forget Shindig! Magazine No.79, out this week, chock full o'the usual goodies, including me talking to Richard Mantel about where one might rent farmyard animals in New York City. Mooo!

Carry On Scoring

Come to my talk: Carry On Scoring: Eric Rogers and the Legacy of Light Music' at the Letchworth Settlement on 23rd May at 10.30am.

Shindig! No.78

Today! Shindig! No.78 with all manner of greatness, and a tiny bit of me talking to Guy Webster and Peter Stampfel about snakes and wee and that time we nearly got a very brilliant album cover to add to the 'banned' list. Buy this mag kids.

Talking January Blues

This month you can catch two of my talks.

I'll be at Kings Lynn Community Cinema Club on Thursday 18th January at 7pm with 'The Sound of Silents', two hours of silent movie music, clips, and discussion.

Then at the Letchworth Settlement on Thursday 25th January at 10.30am with 'Visual Magic In The Musicals', a celebration of the pioneering effects work of the classic musical films under the studio system.

See you there!

Shindig! No.75

Happy 1968! Out today is Shindig No.75 with too much top stuff to list here, but if you can dig the avant-garde, psychedelic cinema, the rebirth of Motown, and sisters sticking it to the man, then '68 might just be the new '67. I've said it before and I'll say it again - best issue yet!