Lucky Number

Since Lene Lovich burst onto the scene with her 1979 hit single "Lucky Number," ushering in the New Wave era, her life has been defined by an unyielding commitment to the arts and activism. She starred in the French television film Rock, costarred (with Nina Hagen and Herman Brood) in the motion picture Cha-Cha, and co-wrote and played the lead in the London stage play Mata Hari. She co-wrote the score to the short film Alpha Girls, and also wrote the libretto for the opera The Collector, and recorded Peter Hammill and Judge Smith's opera Fall of the House of Usher. She recorded and toured in support of the fundraising single "Don't Kill The Animals" with German star Nina Hagen. The Stereo Society, the on-line label founded in 1999 by celebrated producer Mike Thorne (Wire, Bronski Beat, John Cale), now proudly presents us with Lene's greatly anticipated new album: Shadows and Dust.

The Word Is Hate

The Sound of the North

At the height of the so-called 'Madchester' scene or 'baggy' if you will, this captured everything in all its glory. For a start Northside featured in a major item. Footage shows the band in interview, rehearsal, live in concert and even at work (well, the one band member who worked); Central Station Design in their studio creating something out of a pane of glass and loads of ephemera; Happy Mondays in Amsterdam - including Derek Ryder soundchecking for his son!; also includes 808 State and MC Tunes; Celebration was a Granada Television arts strand and undoubtedly Anthony H Wilson (So It Goes, The Other Side of Midnight, Remote Control, Content) must have had some influence in the making of a programme featuring Northside from his own record label.

Funk Pop A Roll

Emerging from the British Punk/New Wave movement of the late seventies,
XTC quickly established themselves as a band that transcends either category with the angular, hook-filled "White Music" album, featuring the songs, unconventional guitar and voice of leader Andy Partridge, bassist/vocalist/songwriter Colin Moulding, quirky organ by Barry Andrews and drummer Terry Chambers. One more album with this line-up, "GO2", quickly followed. After this less accessable collection, Andrews left to form Shriekback. He was replaced by guitarist/keyboardist Dave Gregory and in the first few years of the 80s, XTC produced the three albums, "Drums and Wires", "Black Sea", and "English Settlement" that firmly established them as one of England's "bands to watch".
Combining literate, pointed lyrics with Beatles meets Captain Beefheart instrumental sensibilities, XTC seemed poised for stardom when they unexpectedly stopped touring in 1982 due to their leader's stage fright.