The albums I am usually most looking forward to are by bands that I have listened to for years. But I also surprise myself by still finding new “favorite” bands.
Half Man Half Biscuit is surely one of Earth’s most unusual bands.
I have to admit this started off as a reference from a friend to a song exploration to fill out fandom.
Debuting their first album in 1985, even in the intellectual world of the Smiths and Echo & the Bunnymen, there’s few truly sardonic bands.
There’s the Fall, of course and the Wedding Present, but not many more.
The band (after a brief break up from 1986-1990) seems a better fit for the 90s- the era that gave us The Wonder Stuff, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine and Cud.
Although I haven’t seen anyone make this comparison, I can’t help but think of Sparks when it comes to 2025. HMHB are not only incredibly prolific (9 albums in the last 25 years) but it’s almost guaranteed that every album has a gem. Still relevant enough that in 2010, their 2005 song “Joy Division Oven Gloves” was pushed up the British charts by a movement aligned with preventing the closure of BBC6.
“JDOG” is their most streamed song.
A band’s most popular song coming off their tenth album is the thing only generally bands like U2 and Radiohead can achieve. They are possibly as close as you can get to Monty Python for a three minute pop song band.
There’s plenty of bon mots in these latter albums. 2016s “Vatican Broadside” imagines Slipknot meeting the Pope. 2005s “Upon Westminster Bridge” is a stream of consciousness that ponders “I’ve only got three bullets and there’s four of Motley Crue”.
There’s no other band quite like them.
It might not also work if lead singer Nigel Blackwell didn't have a distinct voice like David Gedge or Mark E Smith. Album # 16 All Asimov and No Fresh Air came out in June. It is led off most assuredly by a single called “Horror Clowns are Dickheads”
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