It’s a midlly disappointing week of new releases (keep in mind I’m generally a couple of months behind the rest of the world). Nilüfer Yanya and Caribou have both made better albums in the past, although both of their 2024…
9 Into the Groove by Madonna Topped the NZ chart: for 6 weeks from 11 August 1985. Madonna was one of the best singles artists of the 1980s. Between 1985 and 1990, ‘Into the Groove’, ‘Like A Prayer’, and ‘Vogue’…
We’re almost at the end of this epic series – just three more to go after this quiz, one of which is dedicated entirely to The Beatles. You probably know the drill by now – link the artist to the…
It’s easy to imagine both of these two acts residing in late-1960s Los Angeles. Beachwood Sparks adopt a Byrds-ish jangle with warm harmonies. MJ Lenderman pitches his music somewhere between Neil Young and Pavement. MJ Lenderman Manning Fireworks 2024, 8.5/10Asheville…
Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled the 2 album set, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from the years 1965-1968 and was…
We’re up to quiz 46 in our greatest hits sequence – congratulations for sticking it out so long. This week’s seemed the easiest for a while – I could guess based on genre conventions. I scored 15/20 but probably…
There are some fun classic rock Easter eggs in this week’s pair of new releases. Bruce Springsteen duets with Zach Bryan on ‘Sandpaper’ from The Great American Bar Scene. Meanwhile, Magdalena Bay pay tribute to Love’s ‘The Red Telephone’ on…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 8 Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars Topped the NZ chart: for 2 weeks from 4 October 2010. Peter Hernandez was born in Honolulu to parents with Filipino, Jewish, and Puerto Rican heritage.…
We’re up to quiz #45 in the series. 45AD was the year the Roman senate consulted about real estate speculation in Rome. Can you score 20/20 in this quiz. I’d be impressed if you can. I scored 11 I got fixated…
It feels a little exotic this week – Brazilian jazz pianist Amaro Freitas plays music inspired by a recent trip to the Amazon. Bristol’s The Fauns blend shoegaze with pop sounds on their most recent record. Amaro Freitas Y’Y 2024,…
