It's official: I love Hefner. They weren't kiddin' when they called themselves "Britain's Largest Small Band"! However, as dynamic as Hefner is, that's not what I'm writing about tonight. No, the spotlight's on two other artists - who, directly and marginally, are linked to Hefner! Ready?

Jack Hayter - Hayter can don many hats: multi-instrumentalist for Hefner, ditto for Spongefinger, steel pedal guitar session player. Now this talented dude can claim another title: alternate folk soloist! And my, oh my, what a lovely hat that is. Have you heard I Stole the Cutty Sark yet? A balm to cure…

Hey, perhaps we have a new feature on our hands! I've encountered two crackin' good bands lately, that unfortunately lack much material. That's about all they have in common, though!

SAVAGES - Been missing some darkness in your life? Craving some killer bass? Look no further than the first single from London-based SAVAGES. "Husbands" is a vicious assault on normalcy, a utter rejection in both content and style of anything safe and comfortable. Call it the new "goth", if you will - but SAVAGES lacks the macabre excesses and arty pretensions of the genre. Their sound is stark, direct, and…

A few days ago, when I rolled out my recommendations from this summer, I forgot to mention one other indie band - a German one known as Mikrofisch. I picked them out from the 49 other bands featured on Indietracks' compilation album, compiled in honor of the Indietracks Festival back in July. (That, by the way, is still available for just a pound, right here - although I donated just a little more, for the sake of courtesy.)

Who are Mikrofisch? Well, unlike many indie bands who embrace a stripped down rock outfit, this German duo utilize simple automated…

Hello again, folks. So - if you've known me at all, you've surely seen that bit on my profile about my penchant for dancing. Well, ever wondered, "Well, what could Lee possibly dance to?" Probably not, but I've been dying to write about it for months now, so I shall. This is not an exercise in hipster egotism - there's some crowd pleasers on here, too - just some suggestions for other fellow victims of the dance out there. ; )

This first installment encompasses eight of my go-to tracks for cutting a jig. I've strived to not use any…

I've this idea for a new group for months now. Yet, given the legions of groups that haunt last.fm, I thought I'd make sure that no similar group(s) already exists.

Methinks it's time - if it hasn't happened before - to start a Music Video Appreciation Society, or specifically a Music Video Preservation Society. I'm personally way too young to have known/appreciated MTV in its heyday, but thanks to YouTube I've become fascinated with videos. I've read quite a few other journals dedicated to the same topic - but I don't think I've ever found one group to tie all…

This review has been long overdue. I read this book back in early October, and devoured it within a week of receiving it. But, what with all my college assignments and whatnot, I haven't been able to sit down and write a fair review until now. Well - 'tis the season for gift ideas, right? : P

Anywho…Simon Reynolds. If his name sounds familiar, no wonder - he's got a solid background as an author and a music journalist. Might've seen him in The New York Times, Blender, Wire, or other similar journals. And, he experienced this whole post-punk experience…

(As much as I need to be writing an essay, I've had this on my chest for some time now. So…)

Glance at my Top 50 for a sec. At the time I'm writing this, there's only four individuals on the list - Elvis Costello, David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Joe Jackson. The other 46 artists are bands.

Now, I'm not saying I deliberately avoid singer/songwriters, solo artists, or what-have-you. But there IS some aspect about a band - a unit of musicians, each individual with (ideally) equal status in the whole - that's always intrigued…