Author Archive
April 10, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Merry Clayton: Beautiful Scars
Merry Clayton Beautiful Scars Motown Gospel Anyone that hadn’t already heard of Merry Clayton not only found out that they had heard her but also recognised her as the star of 20 Feet From Stardom. That documentary about backup singers put Clayton front and centre where she belonged – her own version of Gimme Shelter […]
April 10, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: For Whom
She walked past and I remembered here from one moment. Me, drunk on New Year’s Eve, I ripped the bell from the front door and then ran to town clanging it, yelling “bring out your dead”, thinking myself so funny. Some 25 years on I wouldn’t say I’m awful. I’ve done a lot of bad […]
April 9, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Fatman: DVD
Fatman (Blu-Ray) Directors: Eshom and Ian Nelms Madman Elton John has made more bad albums than good. That’s a fact. But of course he still shows the chops, those classic albums have their magical moments and he’s fondly remembered as being, well, ‘good’. To endure one of his worst songs is something, but you can […]
April 8, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Tenderlonious: Tek-88 (ep)
Tenderlonious Tek-88 (ep) DAM Records Prolific producer and mult-instrumentalist Tenderlonious returns with an EP as love-letter to the Roland TR-808. Its cover is enough to get hip-hop heads, vinyl purists and studio boffins salivating – and is probably reason alone for the limited edition 12” vinyl to already be gone, long gone. Sold out just […]
April 8, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Ani DiFranco Might Have Been The Original Slam Poet For All We Really Know (Or Care)
right now a slam poet is committing to memory a new poem that makes their lips and tongue do a dance determined to make sibilance sexy (it’s not!) and then hoping to evoke the feel of their feet merging with the earth and feeling so goddamn at one with it all eh. basically fingering the […]
April 8, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
José James: New York 2020 (Live)
José James New York 2020 (Live) Rainbow Blonde I’m a huge fan of José James – he was, for a time, the most exciting new jazz singer on the planet. But he gave that up to be a super great R’n’B singer. Then he decided to be a Bill Withers jukebox for a while. And […]
April 7, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Old Skies
the new moon sits in an old sky, reminding us that you can never truly say goodbye, unless the plan is to stay gone for good – or for worse.
April 7, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Sweetman Podcast # 252: Mike McKeon aka Mike Dr. Blue
Welcome back for another week and another new guest, this is episode 252 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T and Yeastie Boys and thanks to you readers and listeners. Now – as you probably know, as well as the usual platforms (this site, soundcloud, iTunes/Apple) you can get to […]
April 6, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Blood Is Thicker Than Water
The new move is to just let them be. Chat about the things they find interesting. Blood is thicker than water. So a drink helps to dilute the build up from tongues bitten.
April 6, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Little Feat: Meanest Blues of All (Live 1973)
Little Feat Meanest Blues of All (Live 1973) Second Line This bootleg has been knocking around in various forms ever since there was digital music – and probably in some shape or form before that. Most recently it’s being credited to Lowell George solo rather than the band Little Feat but make no mistake this […]
April 6, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Nathan Salsburg, Max Porter: Three Feral Pieces (ep)
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Nathan Salsburg, Max Porter Three Feral Pieces (ep) (Independent / Bandcamp) Max Porter’s books are getting shorter – each release is smaller than the one previous, a master of opaque prose-poetry masquerading in novel-form. Now, how very novel, he turns his hand to songwriting, the British essayist, poet and writer served up […]
April 6, 2021 by Simon Sweetman