The Next Big Thing

Robert Coyne’s “Woodland Conspiracy” is an altogether different beastie from “Death Is Not My Destiny” in all but one way. They both include versions of “What A Pleasure It’s Been”. It’s a stripped down, acoustic album. I’m tempted to use an overplayed cliché from the 90’s here but won’t because Rob deserves better than that and he’s just about as far away from MTV fodder as you can get. Not because his stuff isn’t commercial because it is. I mean more because it simply reeks of quality. I can never get away from mentioning Silver Chapter when I consider one of Mr Coyne’s ventures. As mere youngsters they always pushed the envelope.

Real teenagers making grandiose pop music but never in a pompous way, Pete Kember knows what I’m talking about. I’m pretty sure that Rob is sick of me asking him why there’s no one stepping up to the plate to compile that great old gear but I do it anyway. And there was Mean Vincent too. They should have been able to cash-in on that with the name alone. It’s a bit better than Elbow, you have to admit.

So yes, this is another treasure. Available on CD and also vinyl from the Meyer Records imprint. The closer is a version of “Sugar Candy Taxi”, recorded live. It’s a song that Robert wrote with his dad. There’s no big ad campaign or media push to go with this. It would be cool to think that something of such obvious worth would percolate on to the radar of those who need it most. This is what mags like Mojo ought to be raving about but Rob isn’t about to be booking ad space in the hope of making that happen. Always a pleasure to hear, see or hang out with this gent. That remains the whole truth and nothing but.





When I was looking for Silver Chapter, I found this. Britney goes Alan Vega via SSS. For Bill Henderson – The Big Kahuna – out there in Tacoma, WA.