A bunch of songs have been transmogrified into Shakespearean sonnets. Apologies – this one is a bit more brain-intensive than usual. You might need to wait until you have ten minutes of focused time. I puzzled through 12/14 –…
A guest article by Scott Floman I love lists, in fact it’s right there in the title of the book I’ve written (and continue to periodically update) about music: The Story Of Rock and Soul Music: Album Reviews and Lists.…
Vanessa Carlton is a one-hit wonder, best known for 2002’s ‘A Thousand Miles’. You may question why I’m ranking a one-hit wonder’s albums, but she’s actually made a string of strong records. She’s grown from her debut, which spawned ‘A…
Before he topped the 1970s charts with Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne recorded some gems with The Idle Race. Credits 3 DAYS OF THE BROKEN ARROWS -The Idle Race(Jeff Lynne) PERSONNEL/JEFF LYNNE: vocals, guitar * DAVE PRITCHARD: guitar * GREG…
Can you guess a band when given a literal depiction of their band names? I was doing well for 17, but missed the last one. Only 20% of contestants got #18 right – it was the toughest image paired…
For me, The Hold Steady were the last gasp of a prolonged musical adolescence that reached into my mid-twenties. My first Hold Steady album hit me hard. I played it repeatedly, enjoying its intoxicating modernisation of classic rock, topped by…
Kacey Musgraves was born in Golden, Texas. She didn’t release her debut album until she was almost 25. Before that, she performed as Hannah Montana at children’s birthday parties and appeared on the talent show Nashville Star. In 2012 she…
It’s a low-key week – Kacey Musgraves returns to traditional-sounding Americana on Middle of Nowhere, while Glenn Donaldson is back with another gorgeous record of jangle-pop. Kacey Musgraves Middle of Nowhere 2026, 7/10Kacey Musgraves made her name with traditional-sounding country…
‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’ is one of The Beatles’ biggest earworms. Sensibly, they didn’t release it as a single, creating an opportunity for Marmalade … Marmalade The Gaylords formed in Glasgow in 1961. Their name was inspired by the infamous post-war Chicago street…
Can you link the songs and the artists from the Billboard Top 30 at the end of 1973? I sure couldn’t – I crashed and burned after the 17 I knew, failing to score anymore. Congratulations to Tony, who…
