After nu-metal and alt-rock were largely extinct from the singles chart, ‘Crawl’ topped the NZ charts for seven weeks in 2007. Atlas Producer Hank Linderman introduced Louisville vocalist Sean Cunningham to New Zealand’s Campbell siblings. Bassist Ben Campbell was previously in…
Let’s take another break from sorting albums this week and guess which half of the decade songs belong to. Remember that 1975 is in the decade’s second half. I scored 42/50 – solid, but mildly disappointing. Can you beat…
The late John Martyn never enjoyed the mass acclaim that his immense talent deserved. Nonetheless, he delivered a string of great records in the 1970s and early 1980s. He started as a folk artist, emerging in the late 1960s alongside…
Alt-rock and prog rock this week. Blondshell’s refined her angsty alt-rock, while Neal Morse recruits a veteran band and gives them a hokey name. Blondshell If You Asked For A Picture 2025, 8.5/10Sabrina Teitelbaum took a while to find her…
Even though they were better at spelling, they weren’t as successful as America’s Byrds. Credits PERSONNEL/ALI McKENZIE: vocals * RON WOOD: lead guitar, vocals * TONY MUNROE: rhythm guitar, vocals * KIM GARDNER: bass, vocals * PETE McDANIELS: drumsProduced by…
We’re still sorting albums this week, and up to V. Can you tell the Violator from the Vulture Prince? I’m ineligible because I created the quiz. Congratulations to Tony, who scored 14/15 in last week’s quiz. Here’s ‘Ben Franklin’.…
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been covering The Beach Boys’ solo careers – albeit only two of them. Brian Wilson’s solo albums of new material, starting with 1988’s self-titled record, show flashes of brilliance, although they often suffer…
Chubby Checker was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, largely because of a handful of dance-themed hits in the early 1960s. Let’s discuss his breakthough hit, ‘The Twist’. Chubby Checker Ernest Evans was born in Spring…
The Zipps formed in 1965 in Dordrecht, a Dutch city known for a folktale where a sheep masqueraded as a person. Credits 4 KICKS & CHICKS – The Zipps (NL)(Peter Nuyten/Ben Katerberg) PERSONNEL/PHILIP ELZERMAN: vocals, guitar * PETER NUYTEN: lead…
Sparks are the world’s longest-running cult band. The only constant members are siblings Ron and Russell Mael, who grew up in Pacific Palisades, California. They emerged with the glam movement of the 1970s. Their single ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough…
