I remember when the main thing that worried the music industry was people naughtily making cassette tapes of some of their records and giving them to their friends.  They came up with the idiotic slogan ‘Home Taping is Killing Music’ and, do you know, I think they really believed that this was true. Obviously technology…

A few weeks ago, Shaky mentioned liveplasma, which is a rather clever website that tries to graphically illustrate connections between bands (and now films as well).  The idea being that if you like Massive Attack, you will like Portishead, Tricky and Thievery Corporation.  I do already like the first two, but the third one is…

Very sad to hear that John Peel has died (whilst on holiday in Peru). I have happy memories of listening to his shows on BBC Radio One (many years ago), particularly the ‘Festive 50’ when it was effectively a contest between the Sex Pistols (and other punk bands championed by Peel) and the likes of…

Some song lyrics about life in England from this week’s Sunday Times (subscription required): I give a little muscle and I spend a little cash But all I get is bitter and a nasty little rash – Cool for Cats by Squeeze Rent a flat above a shop, Cut your hair and get a job Smoke some…

A story in today’s Standard about a more imaginative response to the ‘problem’ of falling numbers of school-age children: With a decline in enrolment, the Buddhist Bright Pearl Primary School in Sha Tin started small-class teaching in Primary One for the 2002-03 school year with financial support from the Hong Kong Buddhist Association. Class sizes…

Any Elvis Costello fans reading this might want to watch him here performing at the House of Blues in L.A.

Phil has commented on Hans Ebert’s letter in yesterday’s South China Morning Post. I thought this was a typically self-serving music biz response. After raising valid (but familiar) questions about the Harbour Fest fiasco, Mr Ebert goes on to suggest that the government would be better off spending HK$100m fighting piracy of CDs, DVDs and…