Drift

'Drift', the second LP by The Apartments, originally released in 1992, has recently been re-issued on vinyl by the French label Talitres. As always on occasions such as this, I do a double-take at the date - 1992? Have I really had 'Drift' in my collection for 25 years? Following a flurry of activity in the mid-90s, The Apartments all but disappeared following 1997's 'Apart', fully re-emerging in 2015 with their frankly magnificent 7th LP, 'No Song, No Spell, No Madrigal'.

The band's one constant member, Peter Milton Walsh, has previously served time in both The Laughing Clowns and The Go-Betweens and if you have even a passing interest in either of those fine combos, I would heartily commend 'Drift' (and indeed all of the other six Apartments albums) to your ears.

Grant McLennan - 10 Years Gone

It barely seems possible that 10 years have passed since Grant McLennan's untimely death, at the dreadfully early age of 48. To mark the day, I direct you to two of my own favourite performers, both personal friends of Grant. Peter Walsh fronts The Apartments, a band I've been listening to since 1984. If you haven't yet picked up on last year's magnificent 'No Song, No Spell, No Madrigal', you should really make it your business to do so. Peter wrote a generous and moving piece about Grant six years ago and republished it today - read it here.

My admiration for Ed Kuepper's music knows no bounds. I've gone whole weeks of my life listening to nothing but his records. 'Finding You' originally appeared on 'Oceans Apart', the final Go-Betweens LP, in 2005. Ed recorded his own version the song for the 2007 Grant McLennan tribute album, 'Love Goes On'.

Albums of the Year 2015 - 6 to 10

Here we are at the end of another year. Where did it go? A big thank you to everyone who stopped by my little corner of the internet over the past 12 months. Particular thanks go to all my blogging chums who continue to inspire me every single day. I'll leave you with numbers 6 to 10 in the countdown of my favourite albums of 2015. Top 5 tomorrow!

A Happy New Year to you and those you love. Let's do it all again in 2016. 

6) This is the Kit - Bashed Out

7) Low - Ones & Sixes

8) The Apartments - No Song, No Spell, No Madrigal

9) The Staves - If I Was

10) The Charlatans - Modern Nature