For me, The Hold Steady were the last gasp of a prolonged musical adolescence that reached into my mid-twenties. My first Hold Steady album hit me hard. I played it repeatedly, enjoying its intoxicating modernisation of classic rock, topped by…
The New Pornographers emerged in 2000, pooling talent from nationally successful Canadian bands like Zumpano, Destroyer, and Limblifter. While A.C. Newman is the group’s main creative force, the band spotlighted Neko Case’s warm, sumptuous voice and Dan Bejar’s offbeat songs…
Jeff Tweedy was the junior partner in alt-country outfit Uncle Tupelo, playing bass and fronting the occasional song. When the group split, Tweedy formed Wilco with other Uncle Tupelo musicians – notably bassist John Stirratt, Wilco’s only other constant member.…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 4 Low by Flo Rida (featuring T-Pain) Topped the NZ chart for 3 weeks from 28 January 2008. Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard was born in Miami Gardens, Florida, and grew up with seven sisters.…
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…
When Uncle Tupelo split up after 1993’s Anodyne, guitarist and primary song-writer Jay Farrar seemed the best bet for a successful career with his new act Son Volt. But Jeff Tweedy formed Wilco with the remnants of Uncle Tupelo – bassist…
Bic Runga was born in 1976, the youngest daughter of a Chinese Malaysian lounge singer and a Maori ex-serviceman. While still in her teens, major record labels entered into a bidding war for her signature. Bic Runga’s a New Zealand…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 4 The Ketchup Song (Aserejé) by Las Ketchup Topped the NZ chart for 10 weeks from 17 November 2002. Las Ketchup Lucía, Lola, and Pilar Muñoz are daughters of flamenco musician Juan Manuel Muñoz Expósito.…
Kathleen Edwards was born in Ottawa, but a diplomat’s daughter, she grew up in Korea and Switzerland. She learned the violin and listened to Tom Petty, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan. After high school, she started a career as a…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 9 Here Comes the Hotstepper by Ini Kamoze Topped the NZ chart for 5 non-consecutive weeks from 18 December 1994 Ini Kamoze recorded ‘Here Comes the Hotstepper’ in early 1992, but it wasn’t released until…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 3 Crawl by Atlas Topped the NZ chart for 7 weeks from 12 March 2007 ‘Crawl’ is another unexpected mega chart-topper from New Zealand. After nu-metal and alt-rock was largely extinct, ‘Crawl’ topped the NZ…
Sparks are the world’s longest-running cult band. The only constant members are siblings Ron and Russell Mael, who grew up in Pacific Palisades, California. They emerged with the glam movement of the 1970s. Their single ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough…
If you’re an old man, shouting at the clouds about how modern music isn’t the same as it was in your heyday, you’ll probably enjoy the Americana of Jason Isbell. Isbell’s music could have been made any time in the…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 2 Locomotion by Ritz Topped the NZ chart: from 20 July 1980 for 7 non-consecutive weeks. Sometimes it’s embarrassing to be a New Zealander. We’ve held the world record for the lowest test cricket score…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 8 Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis Topped the NZ chart: from 17 December 2007 for 5 non-consecutive weeks Leona Lewis was born in London. She attended BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology, the same…
4 Somethin’ Stupid by Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman Topped the NZ chart: for 4 weeks from 23 December 2001. New Zealand’s 2001 Christmas number one was a cover of a 1960s chestnut, recorded by a famous actress and a…
3 Wind It Up by Gwen Stefani Topped the NZ chart: for 2 weeks from 25 December 2006. Gwen Stefani was already an established star before she went solo. She sang for California ska-punk band No Doubt, fronting hits like…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 10 Crazy by Gnarls Barkley Topped the NZ chart: for 7 weeks from 29 May 2006. Producer Danger Mouse and vocalist CeeLo Green were already well known before they released their first single as Gnarls…
For someone born in New York City, Gillian Welch has the uncanny ability to evoke the pastoral music of a bygone America. Part bluegrass and part Appalachian folk, she’s able to sound authentic. She’s accompanied by guitarist Dave Rawlings, who…
Kathleen Edwards was born in Ottawa but spent part of her youth in Korea and Switzerland with her diplomat father. She grew up playing classical violin and enjoying the music of Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Edwards skipped college to…
The Decemberists rode the wave of early 21st-century Indie to success, attracting attention with their predilection for historical epics and olde English folk music. They hail from Portland, Oregon, but the band was named for the Decembrist Revolution in 19th-century…
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…
Vampire Weekend were formed by students at Columbia University. Frontman Ezra Koenig named the project after a vampire movie he started making in college. The group were interested in African music and punk rock, influences that are clear on their…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 5 In the Shadows Topped the NZ chart: for 1 week from 23 August 2004. In the last column, I covered ABBA’s ‘Fernando‘. This week the randomiser threw up another track from Scandinavia, from Finland’s…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 4 Beautiful Liar Topped the NZ chart: from 23 April 2007 for 1 week Beyoncé and Shakira were two of New Zealand’s most successful chart stars in the first decade of the 21st century. Between…
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…
Nebraskan-born singer-songwriter Josh Rouse grew up inspired by British bands like The Smiths and The Cure. His music reflects the homespun feeling of the American Midwest and the introverted yet poppy sound of the bands that influenced him. He also…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 8 With You Topped the NZ chart: from 18 February 2008 for 4 weeks Chris Brown was one of the most successful singles artists on the New Zealand chart during the first decade of the…
Vanessa Carlton is largely known as a one-hit wonder. The Pennsylvania-born pianist and singer hit the big time with her debut single ‘A Thousand Miles’. Technically Carlton had a couple more hits. She was featured on Counting Crows’ cover of…
Vanessa Carlton is best known for the 2002 hit ‘A Thousand Miles’ and singing backing vocals on the Counting Crows’ cover of Joni Mitchell‘s ‘Big Yellow Taxi’. Her debut album Be Not Nobody was successful, but she’s struggled for sales…
Welcome back for another exciting season of quizzing. Last week’s title was shared by Tony and Jim. Both scored 22/22 with 2:58 remaining. This week your challenge is to link the adjective to the 2000s song. I struggled with…
Every New Zealand #1 single… 1 Axel F by Crazy Frog Topped the NZ chart: from 18 July 2005 for 11 weeks. 2005 just might be the worst year for #1 singles in the history of the NZ chart. There…
Jenny Lewis’ musical career is the second act in her working life. She first achieved fame as a child star, appearing in commercials then movies like The Wizard and Troop Beverly Hills. She largely quit acting in the mid-1990s to…
Caroline Polachek has enjoyed a breakout year, enjoying critical adoration for her second solo album, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You. Her 2019 single, ‘So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings’ turned into a sleeper success via TikTok, paving the…
Caroline Polachek formed Chairlift with her college boyfriend Aaron Pfenning. The pair initially planned to make music for haunted houses. Instead they were disappointingly conventional – recording an EP. In 2006 they moved to Brooklyn and recorded their debut album,…
Ray LaMontagne worked in a shoe factory in Maine. One morning he was woken by his alarm at 4 am for work. The alarm clock’s radio served up Stephen Stills’ ‘Treetop Flyer’. At that instant, LaMontagne decided to become a…
Hayley Williams moved to Franklin, Tennessee, in 2002, to escape from her abusive stepfather. She formed Paramore at the age of 15, joining forces with Josh and Zac Farro, whom she met at a music program for homeschooled students. She…
Tori Amos was the youngest ever person admitted to the prestigious Peabody Institute before she was asked to leave for musical insubordination at the age of 11. After a false start with her synth-pop band on 1988’s Y Kant Tori…
Allan Carl Newman is best known as the driving force behind Vancouver’s indie-pop supergroup The New Pornographers. Newman started a solo career because fellow New Pornographer Neko Case was working on her own solo material, and the band didn’t want…
The progressive rock supergroup Transatlantic played the last concert of their Absolute Universe tour in July 2022. The group have hinted that it might be their final tour, so it’s possible that their studio catalogue might remain as the five…
The Y2K bug didn’t hit the way doomsayers predicted. Planes didn’t fall out of the sky and artists continued to make music, both good and bad. Here I pick out ten of my most loathed songs from the first decade…
Miranda Lambert was born in Longview, Texas. Her parents were private detectives and then ran a shelter for abused women – both of these experiences feed into Lambert’s songwriting. Lambert’s father played in a country-rock band and taught Lambert how…
Canadian indie-rock band Arcade Fire formed in Montreal in 2001. The band is centred around the husband-and-wife duo of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne. Butler’s brother Will was also a member until 2021. The current lineup, including touring members, has…
For a band, there are essentially two different career trajectories for a recording career. Like Radiohead or The Beatles, you can start your career with a promising album and work your way up to your masterpiece. Or, like Montreal’s Arcade…
Canadian power pop band The New Pornographers are often described as a supergroup. Leader A.C. Newman disputes this, pointing out that neither Dan Bejar’s Destroyer, alt-country vocalist Neko Case, nor his former band Zumpano were famous when the New Pornographers…
Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam was born in London but spent most of her childhood in Sri Lanka, where her father was a Tamil activist. She originally planned a career in the visual arts but pivoted to a music career after she…
Nebraskan singer-songwriter Josh Rouse is undervalued – his thoughtful and tuneful songs could have been hits in another era. He released some great records in the early 21st century – the concept album of Under Cold Blue Stars, about a…
One of the most consistently fascinating musicians to emerge in the 21st century, Sufjan Stevens is nominally an alt-folk artist, with his hushed, vulnerable vocals and predominance of acoustic instruments. But that’s underselling his talents – he’s also a sophisticated…
Vocalist Craig Finn and guitarist Tab Kubler started their careers with the indie-rock band Lifter Puller. They formed The Hold Steady after watching The Band‘s The Last Waltz. But unlike The Band, The Hold Steady aren’t rooted in traditional music…
Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams moved from Mississippi to Tennessee at the age of 13. She met Josh and Zac Farro in a program for home-schooled students. Drummer Zac Farro was in his early teens when they formed Paramore in…
Transatlantic are a progressive rock supergroup, plucking members from other successful neo-prog acts. Bassist Pete Trewavas has been a member of Marillion since 1982, while drummer Mike Portnoy is a former member of Dream Theater. Guitarist Roine Stolt comes from…
When Jenny Lewis released her first solo album in 2006, it was her third high-profile career. She’d already enjoyed success as a child actor in the 1980s, appearing in movies like 1989’s The Wizard. She wound down her acting career…
Writing about Dire Straits’ discography this week, I learned that 1985’s Brothers in Arms was one of ten albums nominated in 2010 for the title of best British album of the previous 30 years. I was especially intrigued by a…
Detroit based married couple Jack and Meg White started playing music as a duo in 1997. Jack White played bluesy guitar, while Meg White’s primitive, untrained drumming was distinctive and refreshing. From the beginning of their career The White Stripes…
Welcome back to the last episode of the 6 week decade challenge. Let’s check the leader-board. Average Paul 61% Badfinger 65% Chris 66% J 67% 2loud2oldmusic 68% jprobichaud 72% Angie 74% Jim S 74% Bruce 75% Rich K 81% Tony…
Welcome to week 3 of the music decades challenge. Of the contestants who’ve completed both week’s challenges so far, the leaders are: J 58% 2loud2oldmusic 75% jprobichaud 75% Paul 75% Stephen1001 81% Bruce 89% Rich K 97% Tony 97% Jim…
The first decade of the 21st century feels like my home territory. I spent my teenage years in the 1990s catching up with the 1960s and 1970s, so the 2000s were the first decade in which I actively engaged with…
James Murphy always intended to be a drummer or a sound technician, but ended up fronting a dance-rock band New York’s LCD Soundsystem bridge the divide between dance and rock – Murphy’s raw vocals are a great entry point for…
James Murphy’s LCD Soundsystem blurred the lines between electronic and rock music in the 21st century. Murphy’s original career plan was to become a sound engineer or a drummer, but took on a front-man role after the band he was…
The Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There is a fascinating film, portraying different aspects of Dylan using six different actors, including a woman; Cate Blanchett steals the show with her portrayal of Bob Dylan’s twitchy peak in the mid-1960s. I…
I’ve been tremendously under the weather this week, and one of the best parts of being sick is the hallucinatory dreams I sometimes experience. In the throes of sickness I dreamed that I interviewed Neil Finn (of Crowded House and…
1970s progressive rock is one of my favourite eras of music – bands like Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, and Gentle Giant produced adventurous sonic tapestries. If you broaden the definition of progressive rock outside of symphonic rock acts, you can…
In New Zealand, this week has witnessed the beginning of sprinter. The daffodils are flowering, and the washing is drying in the sunny breeze. In New Zealand and Australia, some weather scientists have attempted to change our weather paradigm to…
Canadian indie pop band The New Pornographers took their name from a 1966 Japanese anthropological film, The Pornographers. The term supergroup has always felt a little misleading for this conglomerate of musicians. Most of the members were only known within…
The members of Radiohead formed the band at high school – they were originally named On A Friday, reflecting their practice regime at Abingdon School in Oxfordshire. It took them an album to find their feet – debut Pablo Honey contained…
Iceland’s most famous post-rock band is named after the sister of singer/guitarist Jónsi Birgisson, who was born on the same day as the band was formed in Reykjavík in 1994. The group combine Jonsi’s high pitched, gorgeous voice with pretty…
‘Heads Roll Off’ has one of my favourite openings – a Church-like organ fills the room, before a chugging guitar and thick Scottish accent delivers a memorable opening line; “Jesus is just a Spanish boy’s name….to anybody that doesn’t have…
There are many examples in popular music of stripping away the superfluity and getting back to basics. But it doesn’t get much more basic than Detroit’s The White Stripes. Dispensing even with a bass player, the purported brother and sister…
As a piano playing singer and song writer, North Carolina’s Ben Folds is almost inevitably going to draw comparisons to Elton John, the godfather of piano pop. But the first single from Folds’ second solo album, 2005’s Songs For Silverman,…
I’m publishing this blog entry in advance, and this song gives an indication, better than any other piece of pop music than I can think of, of what I’ll be doing this Sunday morning (although of course my circumstances won’t…
When my wife and I bought our first house, it was a small two-bedroom doer upper. It needed plenty of work, but the most memorable was the asbestos removal. Obviously asbestos has a dangerous reputation, but at the same time,…
The New Pornographers are a Canadian power pop super-group – the members were drawn together from other projects. Notable alumni include leader A.C. Newman, previously of Zumpano, alt-country vocalist Neko Case, and Dan Bejar, who records as Destroyer. The group…
The band most likely to win a Scrabble tournament, The Decemberists hail from Portland, Oregon, and are notable for flaunting their extensive vocabulary in song. Despite their American heritage, they’re staunch Anglophiles; many of their early songs are set in Victorian…
This page collects miscellaneous reviews for artists who don’t have their own page. Coldplay Parachutes 2000, 5.5/10As Radiohead retreated from conventional songwriting into more experimental realms, a market niche opened for groups to pursue an accessible adaptation of melancholy semi-acoustic…
