It’s an especially eclectic bunch this week – the ambient collaboration of Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore, the funk of Sault, and Titanic’s concise progressive rock. Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore Tragic Magic 2026, 8.5/10Harpist Mary Lattimore and vocalist/producer Julianna…
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the first volume only chronicled the USA. Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964–1969 emerged in 2001.…
I found this week’s quiz confusing at first. You need to link three songs to one first name – a name shared by people who sang the three songs. So the answer for ‘Suspicious Minds’ and ‘Alison’ would be Elvia.…
New Jersey’s James Murphy obviously has a terrific record collection – his favourite artists include The Fall, Yes, The B-52’s, David Bowie, and Can. LCD Soundsystem’s music echoes these influences, along with electronic pioneers like New Order and Kraftwerk. Murphy…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 4 Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex Topped the NZ chart for 6 weeks from 5 March 1995. Rednex Inspired by Ricky Skaggs, Swedish producers Janne Ericsson, Örjan “Öban” Öberg, and Ranis Edenberg formed Rednex. They…
Over the last couple of days, a treasure trove of Beach Boys outtakes has slipped out into the wild. It’s on Google Drive, archive.org, and other places. The leaked songs span the band’s career, but I’m most interested in the…
I often try to steer away from single-artist quizzes. But I figure Three Dog Night are a level playing field – most people know some songs, but probably not many mega-fans out there. Can you complete the titles of these…
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel started their recording career as Tom & Jerry in 1957, making teen-oriented Everly Brothers style pop. After a temporary split, they re-branded as Simon & Garfunkel, an earnest folk duo. Their debut album, 1964’s Wednesday Morning,…
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the first volume only chronicled the USA. Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964–1969 emerged in 2001.…
I have an irrational love for John Finnemore’s Teddy Lester books. First published in the early 20th century, they were republished in the 1950s. My dad won some as school prizes, and I completed the collection on TradeMe (New Zealand’s…
