The Tone Generation

The Tone Generation is a radio series by Ian Helliwell ‘looking at different themes or composers in the era of analogue tape and early synthesizer technology’. The original globe-trotting series: Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, USA, Canada, Rest of World. Bonus programmes: Expo 58, The RCA Synthesizer. All links are to MP3 files, except the first one. Alternatively, you can slurp down the lot in one go by subscribing to the podcast feed.

Theatre of the New Ear

Theatre of the New Ear. Two radio plays: one by Charlie Kaufman, the other by the Coen Brothers, recorded live and starring Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep.

The Coen Brothers’ Sawbones can be downloaded from the site linked above, or streamed along with Kaufman’s Hope Leaves the Theatre here. Via Subtraction.

L’Officiel de la Couture et de la Mode

A complete archive of French magazine L’Officiel de la Mode, from 1921 to 2008. It’s a treasure trove for fans of fashion, photography, advertising and design.

Architecture, Sampled And Remixed

Dionisio González makes photographs of imaginary favelas, Filip Dujardin makes photographs of imaginary buildings.

The Demarco Digital Archive

The Demarco Digital Archive holds 10,000 images and documents gathered by Richard Demarco, gallerist, Beuys collaborator, founder of the Traverse theatre and a key figure on the Scottish arts scene since the ’60s.

The Lost Synthesizer Classics of Ursula Bogner

It seems almost incredible that Ursula Bogner’s musical talents should have remained undiscovered until now.

Apologies for the lack of Today’s Links lately: the jerry-rigged tangle of scripts that make the posts appear broke and I didn’t notice.

According to Scotland on Sunday, Han was chosen by the judging panel (including Elle McPherson and, er, Dinos Chapman) for her ‘signature smear of dark lipstick’ and ability to ‘work a pencil skirt with aplomb’. Is there an emoticon for helpless giggling? If so, insert here.

Having enjoyed countless hours over the past decade sipping warm champagne outside the changing rooms of high-end boutiques, saying things like ‘Ooh, yes, lovely! Buy it and then we can go for a pint.’ or ‘Christ no! You look like Christopher Biggins.’ at ten minute intervals, I trust I will merit a mention in La McGill’s acceptance speech when she inevitably and deservedly wins.

After Ruthie and Doug’s splendid performance collecting an award on Amy Winehouse’s behalf at the Vodafone Live shindig last weekend, I might have to add an ‘Award Ceremony News’ section to the site.

As true aberdonian and worked in Edinburgh for years and went to loads of matches - in both ends - you talk off the fights and crews but realy being a supporter would be fun.

ps was left in Edinburgh when 11 when cousin was arrested for fighting at Waverley in 1981 nae good.

You never hear of the girl crews and we were there week in week out and fought like men when needed.

That last sentence just screams Sunday supplement feature, doesn’t it?

I’ve never read anything about female casuals, whether in terms of fashion or violence, and the only reference I can dig up, on the exhaustive Football Research Organisation UK website, is to a 1998 pamphlet from Leicester University’s Sir Norman Chester Centre for Football Research titled Factsheet 9: A History of Female Football Fans.

The only problem is, if I pitch the piece, and someone goes for it, I’ll have to actually talk to some lady hooligans. Scary. Very scary.

Thanks!

There are two bands in Glasgow pioneering the trend: Uncle John & Whitelock, and Sons and Daughters.

The former are, for my money, the best rock ‘n’ roll band in the city since V-Twin. They make filthy swamp music, and write a mean lyric (Where’s your wife? She’s on the sunbed). Their debut EP was a beautiful thing to behold too, being a ten inch packaged in a hand-sewn sleeve, with the look of a lost classic 78, dusted off and reclaimed. To deploy the cliched formula, UJ&W are like Captain Beefheart, The Dirty Three and a preacher from the Deep South… on Benylin.

Sons & Daughters, meanwhile, are about to get rather well known rather quickly - at one recent gig the A&R men and label lawyers practically outnumbered ordinary punters, and regular plugs in the press from Franz Ferdinand can’t hurt, nor can their close connections to Arab Strap. Not that they don’t deserve it: when playing live, they make fabulous hillbilly stomp music with folky tinges; real riotous stuff, but delicate too at times. As a further clue to their sound, I hear Scott Patterson (guitar and vocals, and a fully trained dentist, fact fans) sees it as his job to bridge the gap between Bo Diddley and Bill Callahan - a laudable aim, I’m sure you’ll agree.

So, yeah, if you’re thinking of starting a group, be sure to get an ‘And’ in your name. I would suggest Polly & The Syndetons, if the pun wasn’t so dreadful