Ted Kessler
Ted Kessler has written for NME, The Observer and many other publications. As of May 2020, he is the editor of Q magazine.
35 articles
List of articles in the library by artist
Comment by Ted Kessler, New Statesman, 31 March 2003
Ted Kessler on the rise of a new rap star who just can't stay out of trouble ...
Review by Ted Kessler, Select, April 1993
THE RAILWAY CHILDREN revival finally kicks in! Adorable, Creation's mouthy four-piece, were clearly reared on a grim teenage diet of early '80s guitarbased angst — ...
Arthur Lee, Love: Arthur Lee: Winter of Love
Overview by Ted Kessler, New Statesman, 20 January 2003
MANY outrageous claims have been made on Arthur Lee's behalf — but most of them are true. ...
The Beastie Boys: We Clamorous Beasties
Interview by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 21 May 1994
The Beastie Boys, icons to the sunstruck, tattooed youth of California have set up every American boy's dream empire — clothes, fanzine, record label and ...
Review by Ted Kessler, Select, May 1992
PAUL HEATON hasn't had a whiff of the much bandied about teen spirit since disbanding The Housemartins. When he ditched every thinking bank clerk's favourite ...
Interview by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 27 August 1994
Born with a voice to die for and a runaway father who follows him everywhere, JEFF BUCKLEY's wish not to discuss the late, great old ...
Interview by Ted Kessler, The Observer, 28 July 2002
He worries about his hair, he worries about women and he worries about death. Chris Martin even worries about worrying. But with the launch of ...
Echobelly, Elastica, Gene, Oasis, Shed Seven: Oasis/Shed Seven/Elastica/Echobelly/Gene: EC Raiders
Report and Interview by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 19 November 1994
Sacre bleurgh! Parisian hoteliers flee through the boulevards as la creme de Brit indie culture — i.e., OASIS, SHED SEVEN, ELASTICA, ECHOBELLY and GENE — ...
Review by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, May 2001
HOORAY! MANCHESTER has delivered its first great album of the millennium. Others will doubtless follow, but few will conjure up magic as brooding as Elbow ...
Review by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 22 May 2001
FOUR TET's second album is a voyage of warm, ambient loveliness. It is its author Kieran Hebden's best work to date and confirms the prolific ...
Happy Mondays: Shaun Ryder: "I look all right, don't I?"
Interview by Ted Kessler, The Guardian, 20 June 2003
Two years ago Shaun Ryder was finished. He had lost his money, his mates and the plot. With a new album out, he tells Ted ...
Review by Ted Kessler, Select, January 1992
ICE CUBE IS NOT A MAN to mince his words. "Niggers," he declares solemnly during the introduction to 'Death Certificate', "are in a state of ...
Interview by Ted Kessler, The Guardian, 25 January 2003
America's favourite hip-hop artist Jay-Z is hanging up his mic. After all, what's left to talk about when you've achieved everything? Ted Kessler raps things ...
The Libertines: The decline and fall of the Albion Empire
Profile and Interview by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 20 September 2003
THE LAST TIME Pete Doherty and Carl Barat played on the same stage together was at the summit of the Libertines' explosive career in May. ...
Manic Street Preachers: Everything Must Go
Review by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 18 May 1996
IMAGINE ONLY good things. Imagine that after checking out of the Embassy Hotel in London on February 1, 1995, Richey James drove to his flat ...
Missy Elliott: Missy in Action: Missy Elliott
Profile and Interview by Ted Kessler, Observer Music Monthly, 5 August 2001
As a child, Missy Elliott sent daily letters and tapes to her heroes Michael and Janet Jackson, asking them to save her from abuse and ...
Review by Ted Kessler, Select, August 1991
MOMUS (AKA NICHOLAS CURRIE) is way, way out there. A wicked pop weasel whose poisoned Euro-pop fizzes with animal sex, human sex and cannibalism. His ...
Naughty By Nature: Hammersmith Palais, London
Live Review by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 19 June 1993
ALL THE WHITE LIBERALS in the house go: "Uh oh!" ...
New Order: "We've had it large"
Profile and Interview by Ted Kessler, The Guardian, 22 November 2002
A five-year split, a suicide, financial ruin, heavy cocaine abuse... New Order have survived the lot – and they're nowhere near quitting. Ted Kessler meets ...
Oasis: Liam Gallagher: Mad for it
Interview by Ted Kessler, The Observer, 16 June 2002
Liam Gallagher has it all: the looks, the voice, the blondes, the tabloid headlines. So why is the new album his last chance of rock ...
Oasis: Fan-ish Inquisition, Pt. 1
Interview by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 19 February 2000
Go Letter It Out. The New Oasis. Your Questions! Their answers! Oh no, it's…the fan-ish inquisition. In the first of a two-part interview with Oasis, ...
Oasis, Whiteout: Respect is Dune: Oasis/Whiteout: 100 Club, London
Live Review by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 9 April 1994
THERE IT IS, the new sound of young Scotland, wiggling its corduroy-wrapped hips, pursing its lips and clapping enthusiastically into the mic in a basement ...
Primal Scream: You Can't Always Take What You Want: Primal Scream: Civic Hall, Wolverhampton
Live Review by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 9 April 1994
BOBBY GILLESPIE yells something victorious and completely unintelligible into the mic, waves a bottle of champers at the ecstatic throng at the front and falls ...
Live Review by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 11 December 1993
JARVIS COCKER stands on a little raised section of the stage, one finger pointing a la Travolta to the heavens, the other holding the mic ...
Pulp: Postcards From The Hedge
Profile and Interview by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 2 June 2001
Galloping stallions, shagging on a mountain top and perhaps a spot of weeding. Welcome to the all-new pastoral pastimes of Pulp. ...
The Sabres of Paradise, Andrew Weatherall: Andrew Weatherall: Sabre as a Judge
Interview by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 17 December 1994
ANDREW WEATHERALL was a wanker, but he's alright new. At least that what he tells TED KESSLER in the wake of his girlfriend ditching him ...
Interview by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 14 March 1998
Smack addiction, tragic death and a clueless music biz may have conspired against the fortunes of genius singer-songwriter MICK HEAD and his band SHACK, but ...
Interview by Ted Kessler, The Observer, 14 July 2002
As a schoolgirl she drove the nuns crazy with her belly dancing, now she's got the world gyrating. Ted Kessler meets Shakira, the Colombian superstar ...
Review by Ted Kessler, Vox, December 1995
WELL, COME ON IN, Mr Corgan. What will it be today? Let's see… Perhaps the whip-cracking, bitch-baiting, wrap-around metal thong? No? What about the cherubic ...
Spiritualized: Shirk, Rattle & Roll-up
Interview by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 23 October 1993
Jason Pierce — supposedly SPIRITUALIZED's miserable junky control-freak layabout — has been completely misunderstood… and so have his band. TED KESSLER finds that Mr Glum ...
The Strokes: Great White Hopes
Report and Interview by Ted Kessler, The Observer, 16 December 2001
Twelve months ago they were an unheard of indie band. Today, they're being compared to The Rolling Stones. Ted Kessler goes on the road in ...
The Strokes: Not So Different Strokes: The Strokes: Room On Fire (Rough Trade) ****
Review and Interview by Ted Kessler, Uncut, November 2003
Hotly-anticipated second album from New York's finest ...
Teenage Fanclub: Norman's Song Quest
Interview by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 9 October 1993
TEENAGE FANCLUB have unleashed their new album, Thirteen, already resigned to a critical savaging — because it's not the latest word in designer grunge. TED ...
The Wedding Present: Seamonsters
Review by Ted Kessler, Select, July 1991
JILTED, JADED AND USED, David Gedge is back and thirsty for the taste of revenge. The bad news for those who've crossed him is that ...
Review by Ted Kessler, Select, June 1991
NO LESSER pop pundits than Ian Broudie and Tony Wilson have thrown their lot in with Edinburgh's Wendys. And judging by this debut LP the ...
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