Author Archive
September 22, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Dawn Landes: My Tiny Twilight (ep)
Dawn Landes My Tiny Twilight (ep) Yep Roc Records In and around the five full length albums that American singer/songwriter Dawn Landes has released to date she’s threaded a series of EPs. Covers, little changes of pace, leftovers, almost like the working diary or background notes for the albums. This time she has released a […]
September 22, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: New Year’s Eve in Matamata. Early 1990s.
Three of us. We only have a few beers – but we can get into the booze-cabinet if we want to. First, we’ll run down the road and put a bambina car up on someone’s front lawn. We sprint, hard, as if anyone might be watching. There’s a rush as we hide behind the couches, […]
September 22, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Jim Gaffigan: Quality Time
Jim Gaffigan Quality Time Comedy Dynamics, A Nacelle Company I wonder these days what the need is for a “Comedy Album” – given that we are inundated with Netflix specials; you can just watch those without really watching them for the album experience; you can put your headphones on and walk around with Netflix on […]
September 22, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 248
Peter Fonda, Peter Fonda (2018) I have a very kind friend based in Australia who has hooked me up with some interesting vinyl from talented, if lesser known players. His philosophy is simple: connecting people with music, sharing his tastes, helping out his mates – his mates in bands and his mates that like music. […]
September 21, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Monody For Daniel Johnston
I saw a busker in Cuba Mall today. He looked like Daniel Johnston. Didn’t sound like him at all – because no one did. He had his kid with him too – so that didn’t help. But it was enough to remind me that not a day’s gone by in the last week that I […]
September 21, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Ahmad Jamal: Ballades
Ahmad Jamal Ballades Jazz Village He’s just turned 89, he’s given us more than enough already – I haven’t even heard every Ahmad Jamal album that is available, and yet a part of me is worried at how I’ll feel when he’s no longer here to make music. Because over the last decade he’s released […]
September 20, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Sweetman Podcast # 185: Paula Penfold
Welcome to episode 185 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T, Yeastie Boys and La Petite Chocolat. Now – as you probably know, as well as the usual platforms (this site, soundcloud, iTunes/Apple) you can now get to Sweetman Podcast on Spotify – follow it there and have it saved […]
September 19, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Rambo – Last Blood: Film
Rambo: Last Blood Director: Adrian Grunberg Millennium Media / Balboa Productions / Templeton Media Sylvester Stallone successfully resurrected the Rocky franchise – twice – so here he is with a second crack at bringing back Rambo. And just as the Rocky Balboa and now Creed movies succeeded on many levels [John] Rambo and now Rambo: […]
September 19, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Overleaf
Turning pages is such a drag, but it’s required for reading, for writing, for igniting the brain; for starting again.
September 19, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 249
Darren Cross, Peacer (2018) I had best intentions about reviewing this – I really like it – but time has gathered up around me and surged everything forward. Darren Cross already has another new album – all instrumental too – so I’ll review that. And soon. But meanwhile I’ll give it a wee plug here. […]
September 19, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Interns: Headbanger (ep)
Interns Headbanger (ep) 1133265 Records DK Wellington’s Interns have here done what any band should do I think – that is to say, release the good songs, go EP over album. So here we have seven smugly cynical, sharply satirical pop songs. Good fun.
September 18, 2019 by Simon Sweetman