Category Archives: Pop Music

The State of Origins, Pt. 2

January 18, 2016Poetry, Politics, Pop MusicJerusalem, Prometheus, The JAMs, The National Anthemricky

A blog established in the aftermath of a catastrophic stroke necessarily dwells on issues of personal identity. There have certainly been plenty of those sorts of posts over the past three-and-a-bit years.

Is it tee-time yet? — Don’t worry, Dude. I’m going somewhere else with this

But last week found me thinking about the origin stories and “values” of various countries. The French and the Americans have theirs, of course. Forged in, respectively, the white hot heat of revolution and, er, revolution. Eras that demanded flags and symbols and identities around which to rally. Their own spasm-ing bouts of apoplexy, if you will.

So, where does that leave national constructs closer to home?

[Get apoplectic.me’s more whimsical and personal cousin here.] Continue reading The State of Origins, Pt. 2 →

Share this:

Broken Mirror – The Collected Bird’s Fate Posts

December 24, 2015Birds Fate, Edinburgh, Nerd Bait, Pop Music, TravelBirds Fate, Nerd Bait, The Wedding Presentricky

In which I reflect upon the true story of meeting a hero….

The signs tell me to descend deep into a mammoth stone bridge that supports the weight of a town, into a venue that shouldn’t exist. I do as I am told, make my way down the black steps of the black stairwell, and pass through a black door into a wide, black-walled space with a black floor and a low, black ceiling. So the grime won’t show, I guess.

The only contrast is provided by a handful of handbills dotted around, advertising a forthcoming show. A single, black mitt on a white background, tattooed with an inverted image of the radio waves from pulsar CP 1919 — the cover of Unknown Pleasures. I smile, partly because it’s funny; it’s the first time I’ve seen a representation of a Joy Division Oven Glove. And partly because I’m patting myself on the back for knowing that this means the authors of that song are coming to town.

Before PANKHURST were confirmed — A little like this

Continue reading Broken Mirror – The Collected Bird’s Fate Posts →

Share this:

The Band of Möbius

December 7, 2015Art, Composed Music, Edinburgh, Nerd Bait, Pop MusicBilly Bragg, Drake, Duke Special, Nerd Bait, Orbital, Steve Reichricky

Anyone who’s ever subscribed to the Apoplexy Newsletter, read this blog, or met me, will be unsurprised to read that The Fabulous Beth and I went to see Billy Bragg play Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall last week. And those sorts of people will probably also find it predictable that Billy brought along a quirky support act, made an obscure and humorous reference to Craig Gannon in his stage banter, and was playing in the aftermath of the United Kingdom’s (sic) decision to open a new campaign of war.

Not Tim Minchin. I know, he probably gets that a lot. — Quirky support act

I was particularly taken by Duke Special – for it is he – because he has ridiculous/awesome hair, had covered half of the merch table with an eclectic range of different types of art, and he sang a song called Last Night I Nearly Died. (That’s enough rule of three – Ed.)

Hey! Last night about three years ago, I nearly died!

But that wasn’t all that went on last week…

Continue reading The Band of Möbius →

Share this:

Reflektor Reduks

September 28, 2015Art, Brooklyn, Death, Edinburgh, Movies, Pop MusicArcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Orpheus and Eurydice, The Reflektor Tapesricky

[Long-Suffering Girlfriend of the Blog Beth and I went to see Kahlil Joseph and Arcade Fire’s The Reflektor Tapes this past weekend. So, today seemed like a good day to repost some reflektions on the album Reflektor and… other stuff.]

And it just got spacier from there — Weirdly, the entire movie theatre lobby was an Italian restaurant

One of the many rubbish things about having a massive haemorrhagic stroke is that the ever-present factor of fatigue, and the whole brain lesions thing, militate against a quick return to the traditional, full-time workforce. Continue reading Reflektor Reduks →

Share this:

Nerd Bait GHV6 – Update

September 9, 2015Birds Fate, Composed Music, Nerd Bait, Pop Music, StrokeBandcamp, GHV6, Nerd Baitricky

Nerd Bait’s Wurdz Boi writes:

Nerd Bait’s appointed-against-his-will marketing svengali and master of low-light photography @chrisdonia suggested that the band get hip to the kids and put Greatest Hits, Vol.6 – featuring stroke-themed mini-musical The Treacherous Brain – up on Bandcamp.

<a href="http://nerdbait.bandcamp.com/album/greatest-hits-volume-6">Greatest Hits, Volume 6 by Nerd Bait</a>

So just like Radiohead, we posted our album with a “name your price” option starting at £0.00. You get high-quality downloads in MP3, FLAC, and more, as well as unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app. We get to be rich. Like Radiohead. Rich, I tells ya!

"All the peanut butter, bacon, and jelly sandwiches you can eat, son." — Nerd Bait’s Wurdz Boi signs the band’s publishing deal.

Well, we get to share our stuff with you in a convenient and free fashion, and we’re very happy about that.

We hope you’ll take advantage of us it.

Share this:

Monofinism

September 7, 2015Books, Composed Music, Nerd Bait, Pop MusicEdinburgh International Book Festival, Free downloads, Illicit Ink, Jura Unbound, Nerd Baitricky

This post is being simulposted at nerdbaitband.com. If you’ve not been there before – and even if you have – I’d ask you to read it there. There’s stacks of stuff to explore that isn’t here at apoplectic.me.

As intimated last week, the Festival really is over. So this week, rather than sitting shiva in Edinburgh, Beth and I are paying a quick visit to the U.S. This means that for the first time in some time I’m blogging at 35,000 feet, while I continue to reminisce about all fun I had during August.

Sian sez "LIVE FOR THE NOIZE!!!" — Stroke Bloke having fun. During August. (Photo credits: Chris Scott, @chrisdonia)

Continue reading Monofinism →

Share this:

Mermaids

July 6, 2015Death, Movies, Nerd Bait, Pop MusicAmy, Mermaids, Nick Cavericky

Sometime this week, Longsufferinggirlfriendoftheblogbeth and I are going to see Amy, Asif Kapadia’s five-star-reviewed documentary of Amy Winehouse’s life. I saw Senna, his similar movie about the late Brazilian Formula 1, last year and thought it was very powerful. Given the interest in death often expressed on the blog, that’s maybe not surprising. Even if that interest itself is. To me at least.

There never were such devoted Sisters — Stroke Bloke and L-SGotBB prepare next week’s blog

[“A particularly apposite week to sign up for the Apoplexy Tiny Letter.” – Stroke Bloke.]

Continue reading Mermaids →

Share this:

I Can Hear the Sirens Coming

June 22, 2015Fiction, Pop Music, TravelFalkirk, Inverness, Kelpies, Loch Ness Monsterricky

Later this week, Phonefinderoftheblogbeth and I will be taking a trip to Inverness. The capital of the Highlands is an interesting place for all sorts of reasons – I’d recommend taking a look at what Ian Wiki has to say about it here.

Nessie doesn't really exist. It's Hogwarts — Nessie, hiding behind Inverness Castle. By Dave Conner.

[Find out more about today’s post by getting the Apoplexy Newletter here.] Continue reading I Can Hear the Sirens Coming →

Share this:

Free Fries Here!

May 11, 2015Edinburgh, Mindfulness, Nerd Bait, Podcasts, Pop Music, ScienceDavid Hume, free will, The Atlanticricky

Nerd Bait’s Prof Paul pointed me to an interesting article the other day. But before we get to that, here’s a track he wrote that has apparently been generating a lot of hits in Japan:

We’re not entirely sure whether this is because we’re getting hits from real people, or a Japanese robot. Nor are we quite sure which which would be cooler. (Spoiler: the answer’s at the bottom of the page….)

Anyway, about that article from The Atlantic… Continue reading Free Fries Here! →

Share this:

Standard Deviation

April 27, 2015Edinburgh, Pop Music, Science, StrokeBatman, Nick Cave, Statistics, The Birthday Partyricky

Last week‘s visit to Coda Music’s event for Record Store Day was a reminder of the late, lamented branch of Avalanche Records on West Nicholson Street. Not that I need much reminding, as regular readers will know (1, 2, 3).

Alas poor Kilroy, I knew him backwards.... — Hardly knew ye? Hardly!

[Interested in how recorded and composed music is created?
Check out the Prof’s new post at nerdbaitband.com] Continue reading Standard Deviation →

Share this:

Apoplectic Me

the scribblings of a bloke who had a stroke…

Category Archives: Pop Music

The State of Origins, Pt. 2

Broken Mirror – The Collected Bird’s Fate Posts

The Band of Möbius

Reflektor Reduks

Nerd Bait GHV6 – Update

Monofinism

Mermaids

I Can Hear the Sirens Coming

Free Fries Here!

Standard Deviation