Hopefully there’s something for everyone – the smooth pop/rock of California’s HAIM, Ezra Furman’s intense psychedelia, and The Mars Volta’s jazzy Latin rhythms. HAIM I Quit 2025, 7/10It’s been five years since HAIM’s last record. In the meantime, Alana Haim…
Brazil’s Os Mutantes’ ‘Bat Macumba’ is a fascinating hybrid of tradition and psychedelia. Credits 4 BAT MACUMBA – Os Mutantes (Brazil)(Gilberto Gil/Caetano Veloso) PERSONNEL/RITA LEE: vocals, flute, percussion * ARNALDO DIAS BAPTISTA: vocals, bass, keyboards * SERGIO DIAS BAPTISTA: vocals,…
I’m finally unleashed on the world again, consistently able to compete in these quizzes. Here’s one about the original versions of famous covers. I was surprised not to see Otis Redding with ‘Respect’, although he’s included with another song. …
James Marshall Hendrix was born in Seattle. After his discharge from the army he became a musician, spending years gigging with acts like Little Richard, Sam Cooke, and Ike & Tina Turner. Despite his immense talent, it wasn’t until he…
The Bangles’ work has two facets. There’s the 1960s garage rock sound of their early singles and reunion work. And there’s the mainstream pop/rock of ‘Manic Monday’ and ‘Eternal Flame’. Susanna Hoffs formed a band with lead guitarist Vicki Peterson…
Only one thing I did wrong, listened to Mississippi a minute too long. Bigger than Bohemian Rhapsody ‘Mississippi’ is a country song by the Dutch band Pussycat. It pushed Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ off the top of the charts, and was…
There might be one final outtakes quiz, but we’ve reached the end of the alphabet. There aren’t many famous X,Y, and Z albums – even with all three, I think it’s one of the tougher quizzes in the series. …
Of the indie guitar bands proffered by Dunedin’s Flying Nun label in the 1980s, Straitjacket Fits were the most likely to break through to a mass audience. The Fits were based around two vocalists and songwriters who were an unlikely…
We have music from both sides of the pond this week. There’s folk from Richard Dawson and blackgaze from Deafheaven. The two acts don’t have much in common, but both vocalists are acquired tastes – Dawson’s warbling and George Clarke’s…
Original Faces’ keyboardist Jimmy Winston spearheaded this hidden gem, featuring future Yes member Tony Kaye. Credits 4 REAL CRAZY APARTMENT – Winston’s Fumbs (U.K.)(Jimmy Winston) PERSONNEL/JIMMY WINSTON: vocals, guitar * TONY KAYE: organ * ALEX PARIS: bass * RAY STOCK:…
