Once I get the hang of it, I'll try to keep this updated. Meanwhile, these are some people who have permanent residency on my stereo:

Ronny Elliott, Neal Casal, Chuck Prophet, Johnny Dowd, Giant Sand, Handsome Family, Jim White, The Arlenes, Ben Weaver, Steve Wynn, Utah Carol
Lust for life
I was back in London for a visit last March and my local newspaper did an interview which didn't exactly get all the facts right (I write for MOJO, not Sounds; was born in Islington, not Camden; I've never been on the road with Johnny Cash, and Iggy, so far as I can tell, couldn't stand the book) but I like it anyway. I especially like imagining I'm sitting on Serge Gainsbourg's hand.

Two From Texas (1, 2)
Here's me and my good pal Jaan on a panel at South by Southwest

Cuss-free radio
And here I am on KPFA. They asked me to read something from Too Weird For Ziggy that didn't have cuss words in. It was fucking hard.

Not me either
How impressive is this? The US publisher of my Serge Gainsbourg book has a picture of me that isn't me, and very little info other than that I live in London. I don't. Hey, it keeps me humble.

Talking french
I did a lecture (I use the term loosely) about Gainsbourg at a UK book festival. The interview they did for it makes me sound very sober and authorial. The picture of me chatting up a waxwork dummy and offering it a cigarette suggests otherwise.

I didn't write Hickory Wind
Someone once muddled my name up with Sylvia Sammons, a blind folk singer. Fascinating fact: according to this interview, she actually wrote Hickory Wind, the song credited to the glorious Gram Parsons.

Rough guide to Americana
A review of an album I compiled called Rough Guide To Americana. I'm not trying to sell it - I don't get royalties - but I like the popmatters site. And I love Americana. MOJO readers will know that from the Americana column I write every month.


Book People
Powell's

But if you want to buy from Amazon, please do so via the links below: