Further to my brief post about Numero Group's "Early Emo: 1985-1995" Spotify playlist, I thought I'd highlight some names that were notable by their absence from that selection. Their omission is likely for a variety of reasons. A lack of any material available on Spotify would be one. The catalogues of some groups of this … Continue reading Highlighting some notable omissions from Numero Group’s “Early Emo: 1985-1995” playlist. #1: The Hated
Author: danielbaker0107gmailcom
Numero Emo
The relentlessly reliable Numero Group have just dropped this superb, exhaustive playlist. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/67gpXe1FXkdImxgxC2a6U7?si=EWzXVt3FRk-4RcbXb7hMiw It's apt given their curation of the Indian Summer compilation a few years ago, but even by their standards this is a brilliantly authoritative selection. The decade time-span here is crucial. The term "Emo" as it's understood in everyday usage these days, … Continue reading Numero Emo
The IRA on Tyneside during the War of Independence
I'm currently engaged in a bit of hobbyist research around the IRA on Tyneside during the War of Independence. There's already a good amount of research on this subject from both amateur and academic historians, with a decent archive of local and regional press available to cross reference dates and some details of actions carried … Continue reading The IRA on Tyneside during the War of Independence
Lynn, Lucy and Internalised Neoliberalism
"Lynn + Lucy" is a study in violence that hinges on a disputed, unseen tragedy, with consequences that unearth long held resentments and desires. The cruelties of childhood and the injustices of schooling linger and simmer in an unnamed, post-Fordist new town. Contempt, mistrust and regrets that have remained without closure for decades become grafted … Continue reading Lynn, Lucy and Internalised Neoliberalism
Learning history during the End of History (thoughts on decolonisation and imperialism).
The uprisings in the US and the tandem solidarity actions worldwide over the past two weeks feel like some of the most emphatic, militant and transformative moments of historical rupture I’ve yet lived through. In the unnamed interregnum that constitutes the end of the End Of History, we’ve seen a cumulative number of these, the … Continue reading Learning history during the End of History (thoughts on decolonisation and imperialism).
The English Irish Rebel and the Protestant Republican
I've just submitted my first piece for inclusion in New Socialist, a lengthy interview with Daniel Finn on his recent Verso publication "One Man's Terrorist: A Political History of the IRA". Daniel was incredibly kind and giving of his time and we ended up speaking for the best part of 3 hours, covering a range … Continue reading The English Irish Rebel and the Protestant Republican
“The Great Sasuke” (Mikiko Sasaki, 2015)
https://www.youtube.com/embed/frxEzQ5VtR8 Professional wrestling is almost uniquely underserved by cultural mediums outside of itself. That this is still broadly the case given the disintegration of the divide between niche cultural pursuits and what constitutes mainstream entertainment in the hyperinformation age, seems more than a little off. In many respect what was formerly designated the preserve of … Continue reading “The Great Sasuke” (Mikiko Sasaki, 2015)
The Cookie Duster Canon (1-5)
Over on Facebook I've been posting about moustaches. I had these posts to be of little consequence whatsoever, little more than an excuse to write in an overly florid manner about some of my minor pop cultural obsessions and engage in some coarse and unseemly flights of fancy/fantasy. It's gone down surprisingly well amongst friends, … Continue reading The Cookie Duster Canon (1-5)
This isn’t socialism…
Originally published May 2nd 2020 Given I’m working from home for the foreseeable future, and feeling very lucky in that regard, especially in relation to my friends, family and flatmates on zero hours contract left at the mercy of their employers to decide on the status of employment and pay during the looming Covid19 lockdown, … Continue reading This isn’t socialism…
Notes on The Chambermaid
Gabriela Cartol as Eve One of the core social currencies of late capitalism is tempered invisibility. Workplace and community atomisation, as well as a dispiriting inclination to designate class based purely on culture and aesthetics, has made social divisions slippery and diffuse. But they remain constant and unyielding. The processes that produce this invisibilisation and … Continue reading Notes on The Chambermaid