Author Archive
March 28, 2013 by Simon Sweetman
Steve Martin: The Television Stuff
Steve Martin The Television Stuff Shout! Factory This three-disc set is a reminder of Steve Martin’s “wild and crazy guy” persona, the seeds of The Jerk, the memory of him as a rock’n’roll star within comedy, the first hints of his more than decent abilities on the banjo, the early peak, and a portrait of [...]
March 27, 2013 by Simon Sweetman
Record Store Day 2013: Slow Boat Records
Record Store Day continues to grow – bringing in new punters each year along with the old faithful. Record Store Day is a chance for people to experience the “community” idea behind independent record stores. I sure learned a lot about music from time on the floor in record stores (on both sides of the counter). [...]
March 27, 2013 by Simon Sweetman
JP Young: Anniversary Day
JP Young Anniversary Day (Independent) You might fall for JP Young’s Anniversary Day because it combines great pop/rock playing with a folk-music commitment to writing about something; you might fall for it because of the almost baroque sensibility that permeates, you may fall for it because, when you least it expect it – and in [...]
March 27, 2013 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 1395
Kiss, Dynasty (1979) It felt good to come clean about my Kiss problem/s – and it cured me. Finally. I still think Kiss is an overblown, silly load of shit. But now I like them for that. They are the pro-wrestling of music. And hey, I spent a lot of time watching pro-wrestling. So lately [...]
March 27, 2013 by Simon Sweetman
Michael Houstoun: Inland
Michael Houstoun Inland Rattle This version of Inland is a reissue of 2007’s double-CD with a bonus DVD, the Keith Hill-directed feature, Michael Houstoun: New Zealand Pianist. The film collects footage from the recording of Inland, Houstoun plays and talks about the pieces; about his playing and development, about his connection to the works, his [...]
March 27, 2013 by Simon Sweetman
Red Jacket Mine: Someone Else’s Cake
Red Jacket Mine Someone Else’s Cake Fin Records Someone Else’s Cake is the third full-lengther from this Seattle power-pop quartet. It’s 2013-meets-1979 with obvious Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Squeeze, Graham Parker influences. And then there are the American bands – everything from Big Star to The Minus 5, I thought, too, of The Grays (that [...]
March 27, 2013 by Simon Sweetman
Sam Hunt: Knucklebones – Poems 1962-2012
Knucklebones: Poems 1962-2012 Sam Hunt Craig Potton Publishing Sam Hunt is not only this country’s greatest ambassador for poetry; the one taking it to the people – poetry is of and for the people and Sam knows this better than anyone, his poems come from the people and are for the people – but he’s [...]
March 26, 2013 by Simon Sweetman
Five Albums I’m Loving Right Now: Darryl Kirk
Darryl Kirk is a graphic designer and drummer from Christchurch. He’s always been attracted to the weirder side of music, music that isn’t contrived to just sell some units. Sincerity and performances you can believe in are more important than the perfect melody without a soul. Darryl is currently playing drums for art rock weirdos [...]
March 26, 2013 by Simon Sweetman
Nataly Dawn: How I Knew Her
Nataly Dawn How I Knew Her Nonesuch This is Nataly Dawn’s debut album proper, in that she had already self-released to iTunes a set of songs that had been worked up but this is the collection (of new songs) that has been shaped and made as an album. And it’s a nice album too. It [...]
March 26, 2013 by Simon Sweetman
Five Albums I’m Loving Right Now: Neil Nathan
Neil Nathan is a NYC singer/songwriter/producer. He’s been called “the bastard stepchild of Jackson Browne and David Bowie”, which makes him sleep very well at night. His debut LP, The Distance Calls, featured musicians from The Dead Weather, Detroit Cobras, and The Go. His new record is a power-to-the-people concept LP that’s been called “a [...]
March 25, 2013 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 1396
Wilco, Wilco (The Album) (2009) This album arrived rather swiftly on the back of Sky Blue Sky and at the time I liked Sky Blue Sky – it felt pretty, the playing was exquisite – but I was still sold on the Wilco of everything up to Sky Blue Sky. I still feel that Sky’s [...]
March 25, 2013 by Simon Sweetman