The Byrds were one of the most significant American bands of the 1960s. They emerged from the L.A. folk scene, featuring three singer-guitarists: James Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, and David Crosby. Their first single as The Byrds was their chart-topping…
Two female artists this week. Confusingly, Ichiko Aoba is Japanese, while Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner was born in South Korea. Both records are brief and mellow, but still substantial. Japanese Breakfast For Melancholy Brunettes (and Sad Women) 2025, 8.5/10Zauner’s discography…
Discover the wild sounds of Chants R&B, direct from the Addington Raceway…. Credits PERSONNEL/MIKE RUDD: vocal, harmonica, rhythm guitar * MAX KELLY (aka MATT CROKE): lead guitar * MARTIN FORRER: bass * TREVOR COURTNEY: drumsProduced by JAMES R. TOMLINRecorded in…
There are 25 albums this week, but it’s much easier than that Q abomination. There are plenty of famous albums starting with R. I’m ineligible. Hopefully it’s not too tricky! Congratulations to Rich Kamerman, who scrabbled his way to…
General elections are held every three years in New Zealand, and they’re due soon. Our electoral system is known as MMP – Mixed Member Proportional. Everyone gets two votes – one for a party and one for an electorate MP…
Two new-ish records this week. The erotic pop of FKA Twigs and the power-pop of The Tubs. One is extremely solid, the other is probably the worst album I’ll cover in this column in 2025. Find out which is which!…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 8 Rain and Tears by The Hi-Revving Tongues Topped the NZ chart from 14 November 1969 for 1 week. Hi-Revving Tongues topped the New Zealand charts with a cover of Aphrodite’s Child’s ‘Rain and Tears’.…
Not gonna lie – sorting out 15 Q albums is a tricky business. There are probably some you’ve never heard of. It doesn’t help that two of the most famous Q albums in the classic rock canon are by The…
Genesis formed in the 1960s, when Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford met at Charterhouse School. By 1971, they’d found their classic quintet of vocalist Peter Gabriel, drummer Phil Collins, keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist Mike Rutherford, and guitarist Steve…
The Flight of the Conchords weren’t New Zealand’s first musical/theatrical duo. Auckland’s The Front Lawn were active from 1985 to 1990. Don McGlashan had already cemented his place in New Zealand music history, singing and drumming on Blam Blam Blam’s…
