‘Beautiful Liar’ squanders the powers of two charismatic stars with a mediocre song. Beyoncé and Shakira were two of New Zealand’s most successful chart stars in the first decade of the 21st century. Between them, they racked up eight #1…
Ariana Grande pivoted to a music career after four seasons on Nickelodeon teen comedy Victorious. She released her debut, Yours Truly, in 2013 at the age of 20. It showcased a beautiful voice with a four-octave range, warm tones, and…
Welcome back to another week of quizzing. We’re back for yet another round of identifying greatest hits albums. Just like last week, identify the greatest hits album given the artist and title. I scored 17/20 – it was a little…
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 to 1968 and was a major…
Singer-songwriter Josh Rouse was born in the small town of Oshkosh, Nebraska. He moved often as a child, due to his father’s military career. His first record, Dressed Up Like Nebraska, was released in 1998. But Rouse’s sweet voice and…
Welcome back to another week of quizzing. We’re back for another round of identifying greatest hits albums. This week’s quiz requires you to identify the greatest hits album by artist, given the artist and title. Congratulations to Heavy Metal…
It’s the last batch of 2023 reviews for 2024. There’s a marked contrast between the rough-hewn sounds of Asheville’s Wednesday and the pristine, keyboard-driven sophisti-pop of Laura Groves. Laura Groves Radio Red 2023, 9/10Laura Groves released her debut album, as…
‘Chains’ is New Zealand hip-hop and soul’s equivalent to Queen and Bowie’s ‘Under Pressure’. Two musicians from different bands jammed together, and produced some magic. DLT and Che Fu Darryl Thompson, aka DLT, was a DJ for Upper Hutt Posse.…
I was a keen buyer of greatest hits records in my teens. With a limited budget, they were bang for your buck, and they suited the CD format of the 1990s – often the LP length of 40 minutes wasn’t…
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 to 1968 and was a major…
