Mark Grassick

Freelance copywriter, screenwriter, editor and journalist

Latest articles

3rd Secret and 15 more super supergroups

As members of grunge's holy trinity combine, we look at some of the best supergroups of all time Music is by its very nature a collaborative medium. And people are easily bored. Add one to the other and you get a fertile environment for restless band members teaming up to try something a bit out of the ordinary or to just fall out with three different people for a change. It’s all a bit like ethical affairs that only rarely end the marriage.

Album Review: Jeanines – Don’t Wait For A Sign

The Brooklyn duo delivers an album that is short, sweet and overflowing with memorable memories Jeanines’ self-titled debut album was one that flew under most radars, but those who knew, knew. Brooklynites Alicia Jeanine and Jed Smith specialise in a quintessentially San Francisco sound – 80s jangle with a 60s ethereal air. It’s a line drawn between C86 indie pop and the crisp guitars and gentle psychedelia that influenced it…

Nine of the most hilarious comedy albums of all time

Comedy albums are a bit of an anomaly. Almost every other way of experiencing comedy includes a visual aspect, even if it’s just one person, a mic and a stool on a bare stage. But when you remove the visuals completely, the focus shifts to one aspect only: sound. For comedy diehards, these nine albums can allow a greater appreciation of how the greats construct a joke, how their pacing and delivery alters at just the right moment. For those who just want to laugh, there’s no shortage of that either…

10 of the best sketch comedy shows in TV history

The sketch show is the comedy equivalent of going for tapas. You get one big meal of quick little bites, each providing its own instant gratification before making way for another. Actually, tapas might not be the best analogy, seeing as sketch comedy is also a predominantly British phenomenon. Maybe it’s more like those little parcels of fish & chips or mini Yorkshires with a sliver of beef and horseradish in the middle. Those are great…

Adam Schlesinger's 10 best songs

It’s always tragic when a beloved musician dies. But the loss feels even more acute when that musician was responsible for as many sun-kissed and life-affirming melodies as Adam Schlesinger. In the wake of his death from coronavirus, the divinely bittersweet and resilient spirit in songs such as ‘Hey Julie’ and ‘Troubled Times’ takes on a poignancy that is almost too much to bear…

R.E.M.: every single album ranked and rated

Some bands might take exception to their first two records being regarded as their best. But not all bands kick off with a one-two like ‘Murmur’ and ‘Reckoning’. In truth, the top five records on this list could be rearranged in any given order on any given day and still be objectively correct. R.E.M. were so restless and eclectic from record to record that it’s hard to declare any one record their absolute best…

Honour St Patrick's Day with the 10 best Irish bands of all time

Happy St Patrick’s Day! For this feast day of Ireland’s most famous snake banisher, we’re shunning the giant leprechaun hats and instead treating our ears to a feast of some great Irish music. Ireland is a country that both embraces and challenges its clichés – for every Enya or Clannad, there’s a My Bloody Valentine or Girl Band – and what makes the place so special is how it doesn’t disappoint on either side of that coin.

'Ready Or Not' film review

There’s a certain expectation that comes with Fox Searchlight’s first foray into outright horror. The studio, traditionally seen as Fox’s prestige arm, has been home to four Best Picture winners, so venturing into such territory conjures images of something along the lines of an Ari Aster or Jordan Peele film. Enter Ready Or Not with that mindset and you’ll find yourself drastically recalibrating your expectations about five minutes…
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