Category Archives: Pop Music

Irregular Programming

July 19, 2018Aneurysms, Dr. Who, Edinburgh, Healthcare, News, Pop Music, Science, Stroke, TelevisionBBC, BHF, British Heart Foundation, Doctor Who, heart disease, Lucy Dacus, STVricky

After chatting about shiftwork last week, I planned to spend this week talking about why we’re working longer and later hours. But then some stuff cropped up, and there’s going to have to be a change to our scheduled programming.

First, here’s LongSufferingReaderOfTheBlogPaul’s favourite track of 2018 [sic], regardless.

Rule of thumb: That guy ~~would never swimmie-swim~~ knows what he’s talking about

[Sleep patterns messed up? The Apoplexy Tiny Letter can help with that.] Continue reading Irregular Programming →

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The Hexx

June 26, 2018Brexit, Design, EU Referendum, Interrobang, Nerd Bait, Pop MusicLe Corbusier, Nerd Bait, Pavement, Talking Headsricky

This week, Mrs Stroke Bloke and I are in Rhode Island, the home of legendary Scottish band Talking Heads.

Basically, they're The Skids — Talking Heads: Almost as Scottish as AC/DC

[When you go, will you send back/A Tiny Letter from America?]

Continue reading The Hexx →

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These Things

February 13, 2018Books, Healthcare, Mental Health, Pop Music, ScienceGay Dad, Joe Biden, Key & Peele, Morrissey, Roger Hargreaves, The Smithsricky

Yesterday, Mrs Stroke Bloke sent me a link to what, at first, looked like an article in The Onion.

New study says 38-year-old men like “Creep” https://t.co/jlT83yW15e pic.twitter.com/3yv4tVsGOE

— Stereogum (@stereogum) February 12, 2018

I mean, seriously, right? Clumsily cut and paste Joe Biden’s head onto that, sit back, and watch the advertising dollars roll in.

[Find out about the latest developments in memory science below,
and check out the Apoplexy Newsletter here.] Continue reading These Things →

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Dragons

February 6, 2018Books, Death, Pop Music, Sci-fiAlbert Camus, David Bowie, Mark E Smith, T2: Trainspotting, The Fall, Ursula K. Le Guin, Val McDermidricky

They say, You’re never too old to learn. And I’m worried that I may have to cast aside one of the touchstones by which I live my live.

My 🙅‍♂️🐉 No #Dragon policy means that I don’t even imagine what #GameofThrones might look like. https://t.co/gVkJi6D8KJ

— Ricky Monahan Brown (@ricky_ballboy) January 2, 2018

Not that I’ve got anything against dragons, you understand. Just everything they stand for.

[Boycotting this post due to a love of dragons? Check out the Apoplexy Newsletter instead.] Continue reading Dragons →

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Immortality

January 30, 2018Death, Pop MusicMark E Smith, Nick Cave, Shane MacGowan, Stewart Lee, The Fallricky

It occurred to me this morning that, maybe, this blog is about death. A near death experience will do that to a person.

Or maybe, I just haven’t recovered from watching The Thing last week. Or maybe Mrs Stroke Bloke and I just went a little hard on our binge watching of The Good Place.

You're basic, byrraway — Off: Middle-aged Scotsman tries to figure out how to pull off his new jam

Except of course, The Good Place isn’t about death, really. It’s about life.

And the tsunami of famous deaths since Bowie kicked off the craze in early 2016 just keeps rolling with the death last week of Mark E Smith of The Fall…

[Have a wee apoplectic aperitif over at the Apoplexy Tiny Letter, or read on…] Continue reading Immortality →

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Eight Tracks

January 9, 2018Lists, Mindfulness, Pop Music, ReviewsArcade Fire, Brandi Carlile, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Cigarettes After Sex, Kendrick Lamar, LCD Soundsystem, Loyle Carner, Partner, Toby Youngricky

We’re just over a week into 2018, and already it seems like

2018 : 2017 : : 2017 : 2016

Sloooooooooooow clap — 1 Jan 2018: Racist, misogynist fan of eugenics appointed eno new universities regulator

Maybe things look more upbeat in the United States, where instead of Weak And Wobbly Theresa, there’s a VERY STABLE GENIUS!!! in charge.

[Check out the Apoplexy Tiny Letter for bonus Track Nine?!]

Continue reading Eight Tracks →

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Kicking Boys

November 21, 2017Mindfulness, Politics, Pop Music, US ElectionsGarbage, Goodby Mr Mackenzie, Morrissey, Shirley Manson, The Smiths, The Smyths, The Sundaysricky

So, wow. Last week’s post was kinda prescient, wasn’t it?

It turns out Moz really is a bit of a monster.

But it's pretty easy to hate the things Moz says — “It takes guts to be gentle and kind”

I should have known he’d have something unhelpful to say on the subject. Devious, truculent, and unreliable, right enough.

[We don’t need to talk about Moz. Let’s career off in a different direction…] Continue reading Kicking Boys →

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Monster

November 14, 2017EU Referendum, Holidays, Pop MusicChristmas, Morrissey, NME, Nouvelle Vague, The Now Showricky

I feel like I miss the Thanksgiving buffer that stops the Christmas bandwagon from building up speed too early. But then, Britain isn’t exactly short of pre-Christmas high days and holy days around this time of year.

Strictly's gone a bit dark — BBC’s Gunpowder: *This* is what happens to people who don’t have fun on Bonfire Night!

As well as Guy Fawkes Night, there’s Black Friday (without all the tedious mindfulness suggested by Thanksgiving), Saint Andrew’s Day, and PEN International’s Day of The Imprisoned Writer.

[Give yourself a festive treat and check out the Apoplexy Tiny Letter]
Continue reading Monster →

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Apoplectic Me

November 7, 2017Brexit, Current Affairs, Edinburgh, Mental Health, Mindfulness, News, Poetry, Pop Music, StrokeCatholic Action, Donald Trump, Seamus Heaney, W.B. Yeats, Wilfred Owenricky

Here is the news…

Knock-knock. Who's there? Ivor Liddle — “Everything is fine. Return to your homes.”

Whimsical blog of #stroke survivor credited with 38,000% increase in lookups for ‘apoplectic’: https://t.co/jNgTaCxKx1 #Trump @VanityFair https://t.co/Tat9SOhy97

— Ricky Monahan Brown (@ricky_ballboy) November 2, 2017

[Is this more FAKE NEWS?!?! Read on to find out where Stroke Bloke’s going with this…] Continue reading Apoplectic Me →

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Outros

October 17, 2017Lists, Pop MusicButthole Surfers, Depeche Mode, Orbital, Spiritualized, The Prodigyricky

Last week’s first five suggestions for a top ten list of musical introductions ended with a plea for help in picking out the balance. And Long-Suffering Readers Of The Blog Prof Paul and Atletico Marcelo didn’t disappoint in the comments.

Srzly, how difficult can it be? — Top Ten Times The Late Show Top Ten List Was Funny: a countdown from 0-0

[How to round out a Top Ten List: read on.] Continue reading Outros →

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