Music Quiz: Pick a 1990s Music Artist By Hit
Can you link an image of a 1990s band to an iconic hit? I scored 21 Can you beat…
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Jessie Ware: Albums Ranked from Worst to Best
Jessie Ware is the UK’s most likeable pop star. She’s charming where other mainstream acts leave me cold. Ware has…
The Blue Nile's Best Album: Hats
The Blue Nile are famous for their lack of productivity. The Glasgow-based group were formed in 1981 and effectively broke…
New Music Reviews: Angine de Poitrine and Joyce Manor
It’s an unusually rocking week – the microtonal art rock of Angine de Poitrine and the punk of Joyce Manor…
Nuggets II: Path Through The Forest by The Factory
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the…
Music Quiz: Pick a 1980s Music Band By Hit
Can you link an image of a 1980s band to an iconic hit? I scored 19 Can you beat…
Ten Favourite Keyboard Players
“These fingers of mine, they got brains in ’em. You don’t tell them what to do – they do it.”…
The New Pornographers' Albums: Ranked from Worst to Best
The New Pornographers emerged in 2000, pooling talent from nationally successful Canadian bands like Zumpano, Destroyer, and Limblifter. While A.C.…
New Music Reviews: The New Pornographers and Courtney Marie Andrews
Two albums inspired by darkness and turmoil this week. Courtney Marie Andrews reports that she wrote Valentine during “a dark…
Whenever, Wherever by Shakira
Every New Zealand #1 single… 8 Whenever, Wherever by Shakira Topped the NZ chart for 8 weeks from 10 February…
Music Quiz: Pick a 1980s Music Artist By Hit
Can you link an image of a 1980s artist to an iconic hit? I scored 21 I found it…
Lindsey Buckingham Albums: Ranked from Worst to Best
It’s difficult to blame Lindsey Buckingham for having a chip on his shoulder. He’s the studio mastermind, the live spark,…
New Music Reviews: Avalon Emerson and Snail Mail
If you look at my favourite album per year list, both of these artists have already had a year’s best…
Nuggets II: Love Hate Revenge by Episode Six
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the…
Music Quiz: Pick a 1970s Music Band By Hit
Can you link an image of a 1970s band to an iconic hit? I scored 18 I think 20…
10 Favourite Drummers
Along with the lead singer and the flashy lead guitarist, the drummer’s often a focal point in a band. I’ve…
New Music Reviews: Mod Lang and Sun-El Musician
Two very different albums this week – the succinct, retro power-pop of Mod Lang, and the sprawling, forward-looking house of…
The Newcastle Song by Bob Hudson
Every New Zealand #1 single… 2 The Newcastle Song by Bob Hudson Topped the NZ chart for 4 (non-consecutive) weeks…
Music Quiz: Pick a 1970s Music Artist By Hit
Can you link an image of a 1970s artist to an iconic hit? I scored 24/25, struggling with differentiating…
Music Is My Life: Book Review
by Myles Tanzer, Illustrated by Ali Mac My two daughters are voracious learners, so when we found this book about…
10 Best Tears For Fears Songs
Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal began their recording careers in a terrible band named Graduate, known for the track ‘Elvis…
Nuggets II: Pictures of Matchstick Men by The Status Quo
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the…
Music Quiz: Pick a 1960s Music Artist By Hit
Can you link an image of a 1960s artist to an iconic hit? I scored 25/25, but it took…
The Woodstock Movie
An analysis of the 1969 Woodstock movie.
New Music Reviews: Dina Ögon, Jill Scott
Always welcome, Dina Ögon deliver another album of smooth Scandinavian pop. American neo-soul singer Jill Scott is back for her…
Dance Monkey by Tones and I
Every New Zealand #1 single… 1 Dance Monkey by Tones and I Topped the NZ chart for 11 (non-consecutive) weeks…
Music Quiz: An Anatomy of Songs Graph
Can you fill in the blank of these 1990s songs? I had to do a fair bit of thinking,…
In Praise of Lindsey Buckingham
The entire 50 year history of Fleetwood Mac has essentially been one long soap opera, but the group’s storied history…
10 Best Midnight Oil Songs
Drummer Rob Hirst, bassist Andrew James, and guitarist Jim Moginie started performing together in Sydney in 1971, covering Cream, Creedence…
Nuggets II: The Train to Disaster by The Voice
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the…
Music Quiz: Can You Fill Me In? 1990s Songs III
Can you fill in the blank of these 1990s songs? I had to do a fair bit of guessing,…
10 Best Wilco Songs
Jeff Tweedy was the junior partner in alt-country outfit Uncle Tupelo, playing bass and fronting the occasional song. When the…
New Music Reviews: Mitski, Hemlocke Springs, L.A. Mitchell
Three female solo artists this week. Mitski and Hemlocke Springs deliver conceptual albums, while L.A. Mitchell is back with her…
Penny Lane by The Beatles
Every New Zealand #1 single… 10 Penny Lane by The Beatles Topped the NZ chart for 2 weeks from 31…
Music Quiz: #1 Song to Artist Match-Up (1982)
Who knows what tomorrow brings? But today brings a quiz about #1 songs of 1982. There are mountains in…
The French Horn in Popular Music: A Playlist
As its name suggests, the French horn evolved from humans blowing into actual animal horns, like the Jewish shofar. The…
The Shuffle the Music Tag #2
Way back in October 2017, I was invited to participate in the Shuffle the Music Tag challenge. Here are the…
Nuggets II: Sad by The (Australian) Playboys
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the…
Music Quiz: Women of Pop Music
Can you link the first and last names of famous female singers? It’s not all young starlets – it reaches…
The Shuffle the Music Tag
I was invited to participate in the Shuffle the Music Tag challenge in October 2017. THE RULES• Mention the creator…
New Music Reviews: Ratboys and Mandy, Indiana
It’s an uncharacteristically rocking week. Ratboys play rootsy rock and roll, while Mandy, Indiana find the previously uncharted sweet spot…
Low by Flo Rida (featuring T-Pain)
Every New Zealand #1 single… 4 Low by Flo Rida (featuring T-Pain) Topped the NZ chart for 3 weeks from…
Music Quiz: Robots on Album Covers
Can you identify album covers featuring robots? We’re here for a good time, not a long time this week,…
10 Best Hit Songs of the 1980s
My list of the ten worst songs of the 1980s has received thousands of visitors over the last couple of…
New Music Reviews: Dry Cleaning and Charli XCX
We’re stuck in the UK this week – the deadpan post-punk of Dry Cleaning, and Charli XCX’s Gothic literature soundtrack.…
Nuggets II: Slaves Time by The Slaves
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the…
Music Quiz: D Singers by Decade
Can you match a bunch of singers to the decade they were born in? I started well, but then…
Van Morrison in the 1980s: Five Best Albums
I’ve already posted about my favourite five Van Morrison albums, but all five were released in the 1960s and 1970s.…
Five Best Michael Omartian Songs
Illinois-born Michael Omartian is best known as a producer. He was the first person to produce number one hits in…
Homeward Bound by Simon and Garfunkel
Every New Zealand #1 single… 9 Homeward Bound by Simon and Garfunkel Topped the NZ chart for 4 (non-consecutive) weeks…
Music Quiz: 1971 in British Music
Can you correctly answer multi-choice questions about British music in 1971? Find out here: I scored a just-above-average 13/20…
10 Best Fairport Convention Songs
Bassist Ashley Hutchings and rhythm guitarist Simon Nicol formed Fairport Convention in 1967. They named the band after Nicol’s father’s medical practice,…
New Music Reviews: Titanic, Sault, and Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore
It’s an especially eclectic bunch this week – the ambient collaboration of Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore, the funk of…
Nuggets II: You Can Be My Baby by The Red Squares
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the…
Music Quiz: 3 Songs, 1 Common Name
I found this week’s quiz confusing at first. You need to link three songs to one first name – a…
10 Best LCD Soundsystem Songs
New Jersey’s James Murphy obviously has a terrific record collection – his favourite artists include The Fall, Yes, The B-52’s,…
Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex
Every New Zealand #1 single… 4 Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex Topped the NZ chart for 6 weeks from 5…
The Beach Boys—1978-1981 outtakes
Over the last couple of days, a treasure trove of Beach Boys outtakes has slipped out into the wild. It’s…
Music Quiz: Three Dog Night songs
I often try to steer away from single-artist quizzes. But I figure Three Dog Night are a level playing field…
Simon & Garfunkel Albums: Ranked from Worst to Best
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel started their recording career as Tom & Jerry in 1957, making teen-oriented Everly Brothers style pop.…
Nuggets II: I Wish I Was Five by Scrugg
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the…
Teddy Lester’s Quotes
I have an irrational love for John Finnemore’s Teddy Lester books. First published in the early 20th century, they were…
Music Quiz: Third in Line
Can you identify 20 artists by their third album? I identified them all in 1:03, although I had to…
10 Best Fleetwood Mac Songs from the Buckingham-Nicks Era
On New Year’s Eve 1974, Mick Fleetwood invited guitarist Lindsey Buckingham to join Fleetwood Mac. Buckingham insisted that his girlfriend…
Warren Zevon Albums Ranked from Worst to Best
Warren Zevon emerged later than most of his LA singer-songwriter contemporaries. His work was often dark and nasty, like film…
Golden by Huntrix
Every New Zealand #1 single… 2 Golden by Huntrix Topped the NZ chart for 8 (non-consecutive) weeks from 18 July…
Music Quiz: Album by Final Track
Can you identify 12 albums by their final track? I identified them all in 31 seconds – can you…
The Replacements Albums: Ranked from Worst to Best
During ten anarchic years, The Replacements recorded a ton of wonderful songs, self-sabotaged their career, and never achieved the mass…
New Music Reviews: Eddie Chacon, CMAT, Oklou, etc
It’s 2026 now, but I’m still working through some 2025 releases. New music reviews might be an overstatement here –…
Nuggets II: Glendora by Downliners Sect
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the…
Music Quiz: Artists on Billboard Year-End Hot 25 singles of 1970
Last week we looked at 1990. This week, can you name all the year-end hot 25 singles of 1970? …
The Ten Best Songs Ever (According To Me)
Lists are always subjective, but songs are particularly so – there are way more to choose from. It’s also way…
Saint Paul by Shane
Every New Zealand #1 single… 3 Saint Paul by Shane Topped the NZ chart for 6 weeks from 26 September…
A True Star—the 10 Best Albums of 1973
1973 featured the OPEC oil crisis, the Yom Kippur War, and the death of Salvador Allende. But it was also…
Music Quiz: Artists on Billboard Year-End Hot 25 singles of 1990
Last week we looked at 1980. This week, can you name all the year-end hot 25 singles of 1990? …
Wilco: Five Best Albums
When Uncle Tupelo split up after 1993’s Anodyne, guitarist and primary song-writer Jay Farrar seemed the best bet for a successful…
Nuggets II: Rosalyn by The Pretty Things
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the…
No matter how jangled—10 Best Albums of 2025
As a one-person music website, I’m unable to cover everything. I’ve reviewed about 75 albums from 2025, slightly inflated by…
Music Quiz: Artists on Billboard Year-End Hot 25 singles of 1980
Can you name all the year-end hot 25 singles of 1980? I certainly couldn’t – I struggled with the…
10 Best Jessie Ware Songs
The United Kingdom’s most likeable pop star, Jessie Ware is charming while other mainstream acts leave me cold. She has…
New Music Reviews: Flock of Dimes, Nourished by Time, and Candelabra
Flock of Dimes and Nourished By Time are both solo projects from Baltimore artists, with monikers that sound like band…
The Sign by Ace of Base
Every New Zealand #1 single… 2 The Sign by Ace of Base Topped the NZ chart for 5 (non-consecutive) weeks…
Music Quiz: Click, Click, BOOM! III
For the third time, this week’s challenge is sudden death – if you get one wrong, the quiz stops. Also,…
10 Best Hit Songs of the 1960s
The 1960s were an exciting time for popular music, with new genres emerging and recording technology evolving constantly. I recently…
New Music Reviews: Snocaps, Hatchie, and Jeff Tweedy
The Crutchfield twins collaborate on Snocaps. Jeff Tweedy, formerly of Uncle Tupelo and Tweedy, releases a triple album. And Australia’s…
Nuggets II: Come On by The Atlantics
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the…
Music Quiz: Click, Click, BOOM! II
Again, this week’s challenge is sudden death – if you get one wrong, the quiz stops. Also, it’s not possible…
Sault Albums Ranked from Worst to Best
British soul collective Sault have broken almost every rule of album-making during their brief career. Debuting in 2019, they’ve already…
New Music Reviews: Sudan Archives, Westerman, and Rosalía
Rosalía delivers on the year’s most ambitious album. Westerman delivers another album of exquisite 1980s-soaked melancholy, while Sudan Archives is…
Gangnam Style by Psy
Every New Zealand #1 single… 7 Gangnam Style by Psy Topped the NZ chart for 6 (non-consecutive) weeks from 24…
Music Quiz: Click, Click, BOOM!
This week’s challenge is sudden death – if you get one wrong, the quiz stops. Also, it’s not possible to…
10 Best Rage Against the Machine Songs
Rage Against the Machine’s debut album was a slow-burn success. Their debut single ‘Killing in the Name’ was initially released…
New Music Reviews: The Last Dinner Party, Cate Le Bon, and Brìghde Chaimbeul
Arty fare from three different parts of the UK – Wales’ Cate Le Bon, Scottish piper Brìghde Chaimbeul, and theatrical…
Nuggets II: The Madman Running Through The Fields by Dantalian’s Chariot
The success of Rhino’s 1998 Nuggets boxset justified a follow-up. The sequel covers the rest of the world since the…
Music Quiz: Missing Word Band Songs
Can you complete song titles with the word “band” in them. I scored 14/14 – can you beat my…
10 Best Talking Heads Songs
Talking Heads emerged from the mid-1970s CBGB scene, along with Blondie, The Ramones, and Television. Neurotic frontman David Byrne formed…