Warped Reality Magazine

02/23/2023

I spoke to Marco Porsia and 4AD designer Chris Bigg about “What You Could Not Visualise,” a new feature documentary about "super group in reverse" Rema-Rema and their legacy. The film screens this weekend at SEEYOUSOUND 9 with Gary Asquith and Mick Allen — but to get a sneak peek, read on: https://warpedrealitymagazine.com/2023/02/visualizing-rema-rema.html

04/12/2021

It’s always fascinating to revisit and build upon previous conversations with musicians. I recently asked Warren Defever of His Name is Alive to talk about his teenage tape experimentation and how it’s come full circle, now that Warp Records sub-label Disciples has released a remarkable LP trilogy/4 CD box compiling the best of his early cassettes. Read on:

Return to Never: Revisiting Early His Name Is Alive By andrea On April 12, 2021 In 4AD, Interviews During the past year that took so many things away from us, including the catharsis of live music, I’ve increasingly relied on listening to LPs in their entirety, rather than my iPod on shuffle. Al....

02/22/2020

Fantastic 40th anniversary show Bush Tetras at Le Poisson Rouge last night. How many bands sound this vital at year 4, never mind 40?!

02/05/2020

Kristin Hersh is playing this Friday — always a good time to armchair-travel to the places in her musical DNA 🧬 : http://warpedrealitymagazine.com/2014/01/throwing-muses-week-home-is-where-the-heart-lies.html

Songwriter Kristin Hersh has called Throwing Muses’ new album + book Purgatory/Paradise “a keyhole view of our goofy world.”

01/03/2020

01/03/2020

Reposting the Vaughan Oliver tribute, because stupid Fbk turned the first link I posted into a Messenger loop that doesn’t take you right to the story. Grr!! // A tribute to iconic graphic designer Vaughan Oliver, who passed away on December 29: http://warpedrealitymagazine.com/2020/01/vaughan-oliver-1957-2019.html

Early on Sunday, December 29, Adrian Shaughnessy of Unit Editions announced, “My friend and design hero Vaughan Oliver died peacefully today, with his partner Lee by his side. Vaughan Oliver, 1957-2019.”

01/02/2020

A tribute to iconic graphic designer Vaughan Oliver, who passed away on December 29:

Early on Sunday, December 29, Adrian Shaughnessy of Unit Editions announced, “My friend and design hero Vaughan Oliver died peacefully today, with his partner Lee by his side. Vaughan Oliver, 1957-2019.”

10/31/2019

Incredibly excited and proud to see that Turkish Delight Reunion’s two 1990s CDs are being reissued by on November 22! Two classics that never quite got their due upon release:

09/30/2019

‪For fun, my 1995 Warped Reality interview with Tim & Laetitia of Stereolab just prior to their summer of Lollapalooza gigs ca. “Mars Audiac Quintet.” Takeaway: Don’t get caught in Providence looking scruffy!

09/28/2019

Happy birthday, Trish Keenan! We miss you. 💕

Performed live on MTV 1997.

08/01/2019

‪Curious about , , and their de facto recording studio, Cold Storage? I wrote this overview when Chris Cutler’s ReR released a 6-CD box set of their music (two studio albums, Peel sessions, outtakes, etc.):

An airless former meat storage unit in an industrial corner of Brixton in London hardly sounds like a place with any potential to spark creativity. Originally discovered by David Cunningham (Flying…

07/08/2019

Three years ago today, Belly’s reunion kicked off with an “open rehearsal” show in Newport. I sat down with them over coffee to discuss how it all came together:

Sitting down with the reunited members of Belly in a Middletown, RI, coffee shop is a great reminder about the importance of band chemistry. My questions are frequently derailed as the group — sing…

05/23/2019

If you’ve seen Penelope Spheeris’ iconic document of LA punk, “Decline of Western Civilization,” there’s a lengthy section where Slash co-editor Claude “Kickboy Face” Bessy practically runs away with the film. Claude is a chain-smoking Frenchman who treats language like a blunt instrument. By contrast, his creative co-conspirator (and Slash co-founder) Philomena Winstanley is precise and wry, with a dry British sense of humor.

In a new book titled “Underground Babilonia” (Editorial La Felguera), Madrid-based journalist Ivar Muñoz-Rojas traces the couple’s wild, music-filled life, from nurturing the LA punk scene to shaping the legendary Manchester club, the Haçienda.

Read more:

There is no shortage of charisma (positive and negative) in Decline of Western Civilization — X, Alice Bag Band, the Germs, Black Flag Mach 1.0. But the segment where a certain Claude Bessy — Slash…

02/12/2019

Some exciting announcements on the Ut front: “Conviction” is getting reissued in early April, and the band will play at least 3 dates (London, Newport and Paris have been announced). Read on:

Read more about “Conviction,” next up in the Ut reissue series from Out Records and Forte Distribution! http://www.utmusic.net/news-tour-dates

11/30/2018

Starting with a logo crafted from “cut, paste, tape, bleach, pencil and love,” graphic designer Chris Bigg shares his inspiration for the visuals — and new video — that he and Martin Masai Andersen have created for Piroshka’s debut, “Brickbat”:

When Lush called it quits after a brief but successful 2015-16 reunion, the big question was: Would vocalist/guitarist Miki Berenyi keep playing music? (She left music almost completely after Lush …

09/11/2018

Bittersweet congrats to the Zero Point Zero Production Inc. team, as last night they won 5 Emmys for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, including a much-deserved posthumous writing Emmy for Anthony Bourdain.

I only had the pleasure of meeting Tony once, when he visited JWU Providence in 2009. He was raw, off-the-cuff, and wore his heart on his sleeve. And he spent a good deal of time with students afterwards, taking selfies, talking with them about their career goals, and signing their copies of his books. His open-hearted curiosity about the world (as seen through the lens of food) is much missed.

Anthony Bourdain Johnson & Wales University March 18, 2009 Chef, author and culinary adventurer Anthony Bourdain certainly relishes his role as the bad boy of the culinary world. Striding acros…

08/16/2018

When Belly completed their first LP in 20+ years, DOVE, the artwork was a decidedly DIY, in-house affair. How drummer/photographer Christopher T Gorman + designer Chil Mott found their inspiration:

When Belly reunited in 2016 after 20+ years, they didn’t waste time hinting that they might have new material in the works. Initially, the band floated the idea of an EP. But at some point, they cl…