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John Clarkson


Interviews



Edinburgh-born singer and songwriter Roy Moller speaks to John Clarkson about his new album ‘Be My Baby’,which is about his discovery that his birth parents were Canadian and that his mother flew from Toronto to Edinburgh to give birth to and put him up for adoption.




Black Hill Transmissions
Louise McCorkindale
NOISE

Experimental musician Mark Scanlan talks to John Clarkson about his project Black Hill Transmissions and its new release 'Transmissions #3'.
Aberdee singer-songwriter and former Only A Ghost frontwoman Louise McCorkindale talks to John Clarkson about her debut solo release, EP ‘Her Art’.
New Glasgow-based band NOISE speak to John Clarkson about their experimental debut EP, 'Not Until Tomorrow Night'.




Morton Valence
Richard Cabut
Heavenly
Deadset

Robert 'Hacker' Jessett from 'urban country' group Morton Valence speaks to John Clarkson about their self-titled eighth album and their unusual interpretation of Americana.
John Clarkson speaks to music journalist Richard Cabut about his reissued debut novel, ‘Looking for a Kiss’ and its forthcoming film adaption.
Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey speak to John Clarkson about the reformation of their 90’s indiepop band Heavenly for three gigs and the vinyl reissue of their albums.
John Clarkson speaks to Sam Mellors, the vocalist from Hull-based indie band Deadset, about its debut single, 'The Art of Pointscoring' .


Bluebells
Transmissionary Six
Transmissionary Six
Cowboy Mouth

Bluebells frontman Ken McCluskey talks to John Clarkson about the release of their long-awaited new LP and first album in almost forty years, 'In the 21st Century'.
In the first part of a two part interview, both parts which we are running consecutively, guitarist Paul Austin talks to John Clarkson about the reformation of his band The Transmissionary Six after a decade-long absence, and their new album, 'Often Sometimes Rarely Never'.
In the second part of our interview with guitarist Paul Austin, John Clarkson talks to him about songwriting with Robert Fisher from Willard Grant Conspiracy, Chris Eckman from The Walkabouts and Terri Pearson from The Transmissionary Six, and The Transmissionary Six's unusual new videos.
Hipsway frontman Grahame Skinner talks to John Clarkson about the surprise return of his 90's project The Cowboy Mouth.


Panic Pocket
CUT
Michael R. Shaw
Glen Matlock

London-based indiepop act Panic Pocket talk to John Clarkson about their irreverent but melodic debut album, 'Mad Half Hour'.
Vocalist and guitarist Ferruccio Quercetti from Italian post-punk/blues trio CUT talks to John Clarkson about his group's hard touring, singing in English and new album, 'Dead City NIghts'.
Manchester musician Michael R. Shaw with producer James Youngjohns talks to John Clarkson about his brooding and enigmatic solo debut album, 'How Is This Helping?'
Ex-Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock talks to John Clarkson about his politically-conscious sixth solo album 'Consequences Coming' and working with Blondie.


Profiles



John Clarkson examines Nashville-based singer-songwriter and author Doug Hoekstra's haunting new collection of short stories.




Miscellaneous
Doug Hoekstra
Anthony Strutt
Mary O'Meara

John Clarkson examines new five-CD box set 'Big Gold Dreams', which documents Scottish punk and independent music between 1977 and 1989, and proves to be the definitive account of a definitive era.
John Clarkson reflectson 'Unopened'. the debut poetry collection of Nashville-based singer-songwriter Doug Hoekstra.
Editor John Clarkson reflects on the music writing and his own friendship with our long-term writer Anthony Strutt, who died on March 25th after a lengthy battle with cancer.
John Clarkson pays tribute to our writer and his friend Mary O'Meara who died in December.


Live Reviews





Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets
Moon Under Water
Echo And The Bunnymen

With photos by Andrew Twambley, John Clarkson enjoys a compelling show from Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets of the music of the early Pink Floyd at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.
John Clarkson watches Moon under Water play their official debut show in London at a tribute gig to Sound frontman Adrian Borland to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of his death, and sees them reunite his and drummer Adrian Janes' old band The Outsiders for the first time in forty years
John Clarkson at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh watches Echo and The Bunnymen play a gripping set which finds them reinterpreting for a new album their back catalogue with a strings section.


Favourite Albums




New Leaf
Ian Dury
Hipsway

John Clarkson ref;lects on Edinburgh-based band New Leaf's fourth album 'The Year of the Ox', which recorded originally in 2001, has finally seen release twenty years later.in an updated version.
In our Re:View section John Clarkson examines an impressive three CD Ian Dury retrospective.
John Clarkson finds that Scottish dance/rock act Hipsway's 1986 eponymous debut album, which has just been released in a double CD thirtieth anniversary edition, remains substantial


Features



Who

John Clarkson


In 'The Image That Made Me Weep' John Clarkson reflects on a photograph of The Who taken backstage after their performance at Live Aid.
In our new series 'Tickets Rewind', in which our writers look back at their old concert tickets and the stories associated with them, our Editor John Clarkson reflects on some of his favourite gigs.



Willard Grant Conspiracy
Lou Reed
Baptiste
Miscellaneous

In 'Ten Songs That Made Me Love...' John Clarkson pays tribute to Robert Fisher from the Willard Grant Conspiracy, who died at the age of 59 in February and who we interviewed many times and headlined our Bands Nights on four occasions
John Clarkson writes of ten of his favourite songs in the solo career of the late Lou Reed
In our 'Soundtrack of Our Lives' column, in which our writers describe the personal impact of music upon them, John Clarkson writes about hearing in 2000 London-based indie band Baptiste's first two singles, 'A New Career in a New Town' and 'The Quiet Times'
Pennyblackmusic photographer-in-residence Matt Williams’ latest photographic exhibition, ‘Shield Your Eyes, Shield Your Pies’, opens at the West End in Centre in Aldershot on May 7th and closes on May 30th. Find out more about it here.


Reviews



Swansea Sound
Autumn 1904
Vinny Peculiar
Heist

Typically thoughtful and refreshingly caustic Christmas EP from indie pop supergroup Swansea Sound which reflects on both sides of the festive season
Literate and thought-provoking concept album about hippy culture from Vinny Peculiar, who remains one of our most individual and unique musical talents
Outstanding third album and first is seventeen years from orchestral pop act Heist, which reflects on the impact of history on all our lives and how it continues to have a hold and effect on the present


Morton Valence
Godfathers
Moon Under Water
Paul Iwan

Excellent and eponymous eighth album from South London-formed 'urban' country duo Morton Valence which finds them as experimental as ever
Inventive and richly versatile ninth album from The Godfathers which proves to be a career highlight
Evocative and thoughtful post-punk on second EP from Leicester/Liverpool/Basildon group Moon Under Water
Compelling and forceful second album from talented Liverpudlian singer-songwriter Paul Iwan


Moon Under Water
Launchers
Visions of Albion
Morton Valence

Excellent debut EP from brooding indie guitar band Moon Under Water
Upbeat and hopeful new single from West London nine-piece reggae/ska act The Launchers
Diverse debut EP from promising Merseyside-based Americana/folk act Visions of Albion
Unusual and obscure album from London 'urban country' duo Morton Valence, which, originally released under the alias of Black Angel Drifter, is now being reissued on vinyl under their own name


Swansea Sound
That Will Be Lunch
Waterboys
Eight Rounds Rapid

Fine debut single from new indie supergroup Swansea Sound, which includes Heavenly and Tender Trap'S Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey
Offbeat but unique and endearing cover of classic 1976 hit by That Will Be Lunch, the project of electronic solo musician Alvin Spetz
Imaginative and literate latest from the Waterboys which proves to be an album of contrasts
Southend’s thuggy rhythm and blues kings Eight Rounds Rapid shine on their third album


Fabulous Artisans
Mark Eitzel
A Different Thread
Godfathers

Excellent first single in over five years from harmonic Scottish duo the Fabulous Artisans
First-rate vinyl reissue of Mark Eitzel's controversial eighth solo album which was recorded with a group of Greek traditional musicians
Hauntingly beautiful but melancholic new EP from 'British Americana' duo A Different Thread
First-rate double A-sided single in a new line-up from alternative rock band the Godfathers, released to coincide with their 35th anniversary


Strokes
Cathode Ray
Vinny Peculiar
Fariña

Flawed sixth album and first album in seven years from much acclaimed New York band the Strokes
Fabulous third album from Edinburgh-based alt. rock band the Cathode Ray which merges punk and post-punk with pop, psychedelia, glam rock, disco, folk and reggae
Irreverent and frequently hilarious but also thought-provoking new album from singer-songwriter Vinny Peculiar about the current political landscape
Low-key but evocative return from trio Fariña with tape-only release, the soundtrack to member Mark Brend's debut novel






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