Music Quiz: E Names for Singers
Can you supply the first names (starting with E) for these singers who have scored Billboard year-end Top 100 singles. I scored 31/39 – there were a few where I had no idea…. Can you beat my score? I…
Aphoristical
Graham Fyfe has been writing this website since his late teens. Now in his forties, he's been obsessively listening to albums for years. He works as a web editor and plays the piano.
New Music Reviews: Death Cab For Cutie, Hannah Peel & Beibei Wang
Death Cab For Cutie are back for their 11th album of anguished indie rock. Meanwhile, the pairing of percussionist Beibei Wang and keyboardist Hannah Peel is fresh and new. Death Cab For Cutie I Built You A Tower 2026, 8/10Washington…
Nuggets II: A Midsummer’s Night Scene by John’s Children
Every second Nuggets II track from the UK features a future star in an obscure band. This time it’s Marc “Bang a Gong” Bolan. Credits 3 A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT SCENE – John’s Children(Marc Bolan) PERSONNEL/ANDY ELLISON: vocals * MARC BOLAN:…
Music Quiz: Opening Lyrics II
Can you identify these famous opening lyrics? I found this much harder than the first set. I scored 15/19, and missed the country ones. Congratulations to Rich Kamerman, who scored the fastest 19/19 last week. We recently had a…
New Zealand’s 2023 election in five songs
General elections are held every three years in New Zealand and they’re due soon. Our electoral system is known as Mixed Member Proportional (MMP for short). Everyone gets two votes – one for a party and one for an electorate…
New Music Reviews: My New Band Believe, Bill Orcutt and Mabe Fratti
It’s a week of remaking and remodelling. Former Black Midi bassist Cameron Picton goes (sort of) solo with My New Band Believe. Avant-garde musicians Bill Orcutt and Mabe Fratti collaborate on Almost Waking. My New Band Believe My New Band…
Poison by Bardot
New Zealand number-one hits don’t get much worse than this Australian reality-TV show product. Bardot Around the turn of the millennium, the Popstars TV franchise manufactured pop groups, auditioning contestants and winnowing them down to a successful pop quintet. The…
Music Quiz: Opening Lyrics
Another Thursday (NZ time), another quiz. Can you identify these famous opening lyrics? They’re famous, yet eclectic. I scored 18/19 – I don’t know much about Nine Inch Nails, apart from the song that Johnny Cash covered. Can you…
Fire Drill by Split Enz: Great B-Sides
Split Enz are still perhaps New Zealand’s best-loved band. In their early days, they were art-rockers, releasing the strange art-rock of Mental Notes. When a teenage Neil Finn replaced original songwriter/guitarist Phil Judd, they steered closer to new wave pop.…
Nuggets II: Listen to the Sky by Sands
Rob Freeman and Ian McLintock had a wide-ranging career in the 1960s, covering Bo Diddley, being managed by Brian Epstein, and playing with Deep Purple. Credits 3 LISTEN TO THE SKY – Sands (U.K.)(Ian McLintock/Pete Hammerton/Robert Freeman/Paul Stewart) PERSONNEL/PAUL STEWART:…
