Steve Jansen

Recent

Music

The Gravity Drive - "Push Your Luck" (single)

The Gravity Drive's latest is a wonderfully loopy, up, dizzy and dancing three minute pop joy... the Beautiful South meets the Monkees.

Music

Tycho: Sounds Like Serotonin

While the music industry continues to chase its own tail, Scott Hansen is happily taking care of his own business -- serving America's current love affair with electronica, as Tycho.

Music

George Michael - "White Light" (video)

George Michael celebrates Wham's 30th anniversary with a solo single which Andrew Ridgeley doesn't appear on, ironically.

Music

The Stone Roses... The Second Second Coming (documentary)

This unofficial but revealing reunion documentary seeks out the truth about this year's biggest reunion.

Film

"Mission to Lars" Is a Documentary Movie with Metallica

Feature length documentary following the trials and tribulations of the Spicer family, as they set out to make Tom a fragile X syndrome sufferer's dream of meeting Metallica’s Lars Ulrich a reality

Featured: Top of Home Page

The Pet Shop Boys - "Invisible" (video)

Gorgeousness abounds as Messrs Tennant and Lowe serve up a sequel to "Being Boring".

Music

Paul Buchanan - "Mid-Air" (live performance)

Buchanan might not have ninety-nine problems or wanna get wit’ you, but give "Mid-Air" a chance and he might lift you all the same.

Music

Paul McCartney - "Too Many People" and the Re-release of 'Ram'

Check out "Too Many People", the opening track on the newly re-released and re-mastered Ram and, if you listen in on headphones, the big treat will be the collage-like cut and paste of the finished soundscape.

Music

Poppy & the Jezebels: Dig the New Breed!

They’re four girls whose debut single, released on a good old fashioned independent label, was also the first song they ever wrote at just aged 13. They sound like little else right now -- except the swell of Generation LOL rising up to take on the charts. They’re Poppy & the Jezebels and they’re from Birmingham.

Music

Sam Sparro - "I Wish I Never Met You" (video)

Sam Sparro's latest delivers a pitch perfect, creamy vocal, arriving at a hair-on-the-back-of-the-neck chorus.

Music

Poppy & The Jezebels - "Sign In, Dream On, Drop Out" (video)

Turn amps to max and go jump up and down on a bed – because Poppy & The Jezebels' new single remix is the sound of life arrived with extra smiles.

Music

Elijah and Ava Wolf's "Cherry Ripe" Is Truly Sweet

"Cherry Ripe" is a ramshackle clutch of spring-crisp vocal harmonies: one male on lead and the other female to back-up. There’s an acoustic. Oh, and a lone electric six-string: for punctuation. After that, you're on your own with a killer tune.

Music

Van Halen Finally Gives the World a New Tune with "Tattoo"

Fair due – "Tattoo" ain’t no instant classic. It is, however, Diamond Dave, Eddie Van Halen; loud, gonzo – and about bloody time.

Music

Prince - "Dance 4 Me" (stream)

Somewhere in this infinite universe there’s a club which only jumps to Prince tunes. Do yourself a favor and call back in – you’ll wonder why you ever left.

Music

Crystal Fighters - "Champion Sound" (video)

Imagine Stereo MCs covering Fleetwood Mac via Empire of the Sun, those are the touchstones. "Champion Sound" is odd -- and it’s the kind of record you never want to end.

Television

Living the Scream: How 'Six Feet Under' Woke TV from the Dream

Six Feet Under went straight for the jugular of the American Dream, daring to suggest it less an ongoing embarrassment of riches, more a shame-filled endurance of unease.

Steve Jansen

Music

Chic, Le Freak: Why Nile Rodgers Is the Guv’nor

Nile Rodgers is undoubtedly one of the architects of contemporary pop, yet the Chic man, über-producer and guitar legend has not always received full praise -- he's even had his records dynamited. However, according to Steve Jansen, Rodgers has never been anything less than the Guv'nor.

Music

A Winged Victory for the Sullen - Minuet for a Cheap Piano #2

One thing’s for sure, A Winged Victory for the Sullen won’t make you angry or want to destroy civilization. Which is more than can be said for Cobra Starship.

Music

M83 - "Midnight City" (video)

Bin your moodiness, give "Midnight City" a few spins and step outside: Feel the sun on your face – it’s a beautiful day.

Music

The Album That Changed Everything: Massive Attack's 'Blue Lines'

Even now with all our understanding and acceptance of genre-mashing, Massive Attack’s opening salvo remains as bold and eclectic, as utterly assured a musical message as it was upon release.

Steve Jansen

Music

Hurricane Bells - "The Ghost of Her" (video)

Inertia and indifference are clearly in, chez Hurricane Bells; innovation and, well, a pulse to prove life, are evidently out.

Music

DJ Shadow - "Border Crossing" (video)

DJ Shadow has turned in a synapse-frying mixture of agit-prop video art and ‘80s VCR nostalgia, with a healthy dose of Tea Party baiting stirred in for good measure.

Music

15 Landmark Dance Tracks from 1991

As a precursor to PopMatters' upcoming retrospective on music in 1991, Sound Affects takes at look at 15 pivotal tracks from the year where dance music's potential to amaze seemed boundless.

Steve Jansen

Reviews

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The 50 Best Post-Punk Albums Ever: Part 3, Echo & the Bunnymen to Lizzy Mercier Descloux

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The Gravity Drive's latest is a wonderfully loopy, up, dizzy and dancing three minute pop joy... the Beautiful South meets the Monkees.

While the music industry continues to chase its own tail, Scott Hansen is happily taking care of his own business -- serving America's current love affair with electronica, as Tycho.

George Michael celebrates Wham's 30th anniversary with a solo single which Andrew Ridgeley doesn't appear on, ironically.

This unofficial but revealing reunion documentary seeks out the truth about this year's biggest reunion.

Feature length documentary following the trials and tribulations of the Spicer family, as they set out to make Tom a fragile X syndrome sufferer's dream of meeting Metallica’s Lars Ulrich a reality

Gorgeousness abounds as Messrs Tennant and Lowe serve up a sequel to "Being Boring".

Buchanan might not have ninety-nine problems or wanna get wit’ you, but give "Mid-Air" a chance and he might lift you all the same.

Check out "Too Many People", the opening track on the newly re-released and re-mastered Ram and, if you listen in on headphones, the big treat will be the collage-like cut and paste of the finished soundscape.

Sam Sparro's latest delivers a pitch perfect, creamy vocal, arriving at a hair-on-the-back-of-the-neck chorus.

Turn amps to max and go jump up and down on a bed – because Poppy & The Jezebels' new single remix is the sound of life arrived with extra smiles.

Happy, like serotonin.

"Cherry Ripe" is a ramshackle clutch of spring-crisp vocal harmonies: one male on lead and the other female to back-up. There’s an acoustic. Oh, and a lone electric six-string: for punctuation. After that, you're on your own with a killer tune.

Fair due – "Tattoo" ain’t no instant classic. It is, however, Diamond Dave, Eddie Van Halen; loud, gonzo – and about bloody time.

Somewhere in this infinite universe there’s a club which only jumps to Prince tunes. Do yourself a favor and call back in – you’ll wonder why you ever left.

Imagine Stereo MCs covering Fleetwood Mac via Empire of the Sun, those are the touchstones. "Champion Sound" is odd -- and it’s the kind of record you never want to end.

Six Feet Under went straight for the jugular of the American Dream, daring to suggest it less an ongoing embarrassment of riches, more a shame-filled endurance of unease.

Nile Rodgers is undoubtedly one of the architects of contemporary pop, yet the Chic man, über-producer and guitar legend has not always received full praise -- he's even had his records dynamited. However, according to Steve Jansen, Rodgers has never been anything less than the Guv'nor.

One thing’s for sure, A Winged Victory for the Sullen won’t make you angry or want to destroy civilization. Which is more than can be said for Cobra Starship.

Bin your moodiness, give "Midnight City" a few spins and step outside: Feel the sun on your face – it’s a beautiful day.

Even now with all our understanding and acceptance of genre-mashing, Massive Attack’s opening salvo remains as bold and eclectic, as utterly assured a musical message as it was upon release.

Inertia and indifference are clearly in, chez Hurricane Bells; innovation and, well, a pulse to prove life, are evidently out.

DJ Shadow has turned in a synapse-frying mixture of agit-prop video art and ‘80s VCR nostalgia, with a healthy dose of Tea Party baiting stirred in for good measure.

As a precursor to PopMatters' upcoming retrospective on music in 1991, Sound Affects takes at look at 15 pivotal tracks from the year where dance music's potential to amaze seemed boundless.