English folk singer-songwriter Nick Drake barely sold a record during his lifetime. But since his premature passing in 1974, at the age of 26, his acclaim and legend have grown. His gentle delivery, virtuoso fingerpicking, poetic lyrics, and sophisticated lyrics…
You know the drill – 20 more greatest hits albums to identify. Can you match the heroics of Tony, who scored 20/20 with more than 2 minutes remaining in last week’s quiz? I scored 20/20 this week (with 41…
Two mononymous female artists this week – the Americana of Waxahatchee and the smooth Afrobeats pop of South Africa’s Tyla. Waxahatchee Tigers Blood 2024, 9/10Indie artist Katie Crutchfield keeps getting better with each album. Tigers Blood dips back into the…
Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled 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 a major influence on…
Taylor Swift is a megastar, and her celebrity profile sometimes overshadows her musical abilities. Opinions on Swift are wildly diverse. In some quarters, she’s dismissed as disposable music for teenage girls. In others, she’s highly respected as a songwriter and…
Congratulations to EclecticMusicLover who had the only perfect score in last week’s quiz. My performance this week is a little controversial. I was interrupted 3/4 of the way through, forgot to pause, and had to restart. I tried to reconstruct…
Two very different female solo artists this week. Mary Timony is a thirty-year indie veteran, having made her name in the 1990s with Helium. Portuguese-born Erika de Casier makes breezy R&B Mary Timony Untame the Tiger 2024, 7.5/10I only discovered…
The bass and the tweeters make the speakers go to war! Ah, the mighty trumpet brings the freaks out to the floor! Freaks After years of bickering over the racehorse Phar Lap, pavlova, and Crowded House, ‘Freaks’ is a lovely…
Another week, and the artists are just getting more obscure. Can you guess these 20 artists from their greatest hits albums? Somehow, I thrifted my way to 19 I had a slight advantage where there’s a relatively obscure NZ…
Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled 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 a major influence on…
