I will carve you in marble...

After the positive feedback from the recent Nik Kershaw piece, my next Idiot's Guide is now online. This time I've looked at the career of someone I consider to be one of the true demi-gods of pop, Tim Finn.

Head on over to Jefitoblog to read the article.

I'll shake the dust off of my feet...

Great Overlooked Albums #1

Geneva - Weather Underground

Having appeared at the tail end of Britpop with their debut Further, Geneva immediately stood out as a result of the extraordinary vocal talents of Andrew Montgomery and a bucketload of amazing songs too - singles Into The Blue, No One Speaks and career best Tranquillizer more than equalling anything else to be released in those heady times.

So how come their follow-up, 2000's brilliant Weather Underground, was so overlooked? A concept record in all but name, the themes of space travel and the state of the world give the songs a poignant edge, and their previous straightforward indie-rock stylings - seen here on single Dollars In The Heavens - are balanced out by the more reflective likes of If You Have To Go.

While their fellow countrymen Travis were selling millions of albums of by-numbers guitar pop, Geneva were producing tracks like the stunning Museum Mile, the album's centrepiece and beating heart. It didn't catch on, and they split up soon after.

Thankfully, the now Brighton-based Montgomery is still putting his choirboy voice to good use in St Famous


MP3: Dollars In The Heavens

MP3: If You Have To Go

MP3: Museum Mile


And as a bonus...

MP3: Tranquillizer (from Further)

A couple of other tracks from the debut album can currently be found here