Category Archives: Pop Music

Introduction

October 10, 2017Brexit, Lists, Pop MusicDavid Bowie, JAMC, Jesus and Mary Chain, Kraftwerk, Public Enemy, Rick and Morty, The Beatlesricky

It feels like the subject matter on the blog has been kinda heavy these past weeks, so how about a bit of fun?

OK, probably. But I support the Rickmobile riot. Ⓐ — “Don’t use this. Ricky & Morty fans are terrible people!”

Maybe you’ve seen the recent news article to the effect that the average intro time for a pop hit has dropped from more than 20 seconds to five seconds since the mid-1980s. I mean, I don’t know why the BBC are banging on about it now, when Mashable reported on the underlying research in April.

[Who cares? Read on for five of the best intros ever.] Continue reading Introduction →

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Antepenultimatum III

September 19, 2017Art, Books, Design, Politics, Pop MusicABBA, The JAMs, The KLF, Witney Houstonricky

We pick up the story after our hero and key to the secrets of graphic design, logos, and intellectual property (Tristram Hunt, for it is he) has twice submitted his name unsuccessfully for selection as a Labour parliamentary candidate…

The Return of Man at C&A — “I got yer click-bait right here, Sexy”

After being parachuted out of New Labour’s Milbank Palace into a safe seat in Stoke, the biographer of Engels and picket line-crosser spent five years slashing Labour’s majority before letting it be known that he would be giving up the seat at a time when the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn were at their most embattled.

[Can’t get enough of that PHWOAR!!! factor? Get your Apoplexy Tiny Letter here.] Continue reading Antepenultimatum III →

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Penultimatum

September 12, 2017Design, Economics, Politics, Pop MusicDavid Bowie, Regina Spektor, The KLF, Vetementsricky

If you’re reading this after last week, I guess we’re still here. Or, at least, you are.

I think you're in the villa of Ormen, pal — Aw, Dave, mate. Don’t make me say it.

And yes, me too, still thinking about the dissemination of ideas through graphic designs and logos and t-shirts.

[Or you could just go a listen to a tune at the Apoplexy Tiny Letter.] Continue reading Penultimatum →

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Digesta Plaga #10

July 18, 2017Death, Digest Post, Digesta Plaga, Dr. Who, Pop Music, Rehab, StrokeGrandaddy, Jodie Whittaker, Loretta Lynn, Wallace and Gromitricky

Isn’t it always the way? You wait over a year for a Stroke Digest post, then two come along at once. Last week’s Apoplexy Tiny Letter – accompanying the post Muppets – featured Loretta Lynn performing her 1971 #1 Country hit One’s on the Way with the Henson crew. And that’s how we find ourselves at Digesta Plaga #10…

Continue reading Digesta Plaga #10 →

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Is That All There Is?

July 5, 2017Art, Pop MusicDonald Trump, Hugh Laurie, John Peel, Joy Division, Neil Young, New Order, Peggy Lee, William Wegmanricky

A while ago, I interviewed Ian Rankin for The Fountain, in anticipation of the recent Rebus Fest.

Been enjoying him on Veep — Man, I can’t keep up with all the incarnations of Hugh Laurie any more

Well, Hugh. Let’s see, shall we…?

[For more whimsy and less namedropping, check out the Apoplexy Tiny Letter.] Continue reading Is That All There Is? →

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The Sound of [Young] Scotland

April 19, 2017Art, Edinburgh, Pop Music, ReviewsBig Gold Dream, Fast Product, Fire Engines, Josef K, Postcard, Scars, Winricky

Mrs Stroke Bloke and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary this past weekend.

The Third Firth of Forth Bridge — Where it all went down – over by the Irn Bru coloured one

And what a pleasant day our anniversary was. We started off at the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, which was featuring a Bridget Riley exhibition. I found that some of the impact of seeing her work for the first time in New York many years ago had faded. YMMV, obvs.

For more uninformed opinion, check out the Apoplexy Tiny Letter. Or BBC politics correspondent Norman Smith trying to talk about Scottish politics on the PM show.

Continue reading The Sound of [Young] Scotland →

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Everybody Needs a 303

April 6, 2017Great British Strokes, Mindfulness, Pop Music, Science, StrokeFatboy Slim, Ikutaro Kakehashi, Marvin Gaye, Orange Juice, Rolandricky

Ikutaro Kakehashi died on Saturday at the age of 87. A check check of the Interwebz doesn’t reveal the cause of his death, and he was Japanese – but he has to get a Great British Strokes-shaped post.

Y’see, this…

You may need one of these — Roland TB-303 Bass Line

[For more repetitive beats, check out the Apoplexy Tiny Letter.] Continue reading Everybody Needs a 303 →

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Death Mettle

February 28, 2017Death, Healthcare, Nerd Bait, Podcasts, Pop MusicBullseye, death, Gravediggaz, Jesse Thorne, Laurie Kilmartin, Ste Hewlett, Too Poeticricky

Death Mettle. That’s some Punderdome 3000 level shit right there! Amirite?!

Carcass are not amused — “Stop it. You’re killing us.” – Carcass

What I’m saying is, gird your loins, y’all.

Y’see, in the aftermath of last week’s laughfest about the movie Ghost and the experience of death, Paul pointed out that there’s a deep vein of pop culture death to be mined when it comes to the subject of death…

[This week’s Tiny Letter tuneage isn’t death metal, I promise. Probably.] Continue reading Death Mettle →

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I feel you

January 23, 2017Death, Pop Music, Strokebrainwaves, eric sinclair, malcolm middletonricky

Well, I did promise that I’d chat about strokes this week. This is nominally a stroke blog, after all.

Not a heart attack blog, Dave.

David Gahan of Depeche Mode knows what it’s like to die, more or less. And to some degree, so does former teacher Eric Sinclair.

[Sign up for the Apoplexy Newsletter – it’s like experiencing death!] Continue reading I feel you →

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A Cunning Plan

January 9, 2017Death, Pop Music, Reviews, UncategorizedDavid Bowie, James Van der Beek, No Plan, The Last Five Yearsricky

I did have a plan for today’s blog. Honest. It was super-clever. So clever, I’m going to retain it for next week’s post.

A cunning plan, you say? — Mmmf mmmf mmf mmf-mmf mmmf!

But in the meantime, I’ve been asked to do a review of David Bowie’s posthumous download-only No Plan EP that dropped yesterday. So I’ve been working on that today.

[Feeling short-changed by today’s post? There’s more at the Apoplexy Tiny Letter.] Continue reading A Cunning Plan →

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Apoplectic Me

the scribblings of a bloke who had a stroke…

Category Archives: Pop Music

Introduction

Antepenultimatum III

Penultimatum

Digesta Plaga #10

Is That All There Is?

The Sound of [Young] Scotland

Everybody Needs a 303

Death Mettle

I feel you

A Cunning Plan