Author Archive
September 17, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 51
Mel Tormé, The Velvet Fog (1970) So many crooners. So many good singers. Singing so many good songs. I got to Mel Tormé in the silliest of ways – but it’s one that is in keeping with my generation’s way of being introduced to things I guess. The TV show Night Court, a favourite features […]
September 17, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Stubs: # 278 – Teju Cole: Blind Spot, Wellington 2018
Most days I think about Teju Cole’s book Blind Spot (and how wonderful it is). And sometimes I remember how lucky I was to see him not just once but twice in the same weekend. Just recently I found the stub for that first show – and remembered that it was slightly derailed by tech […]
September 17, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Edgelords
There at the edge of the world, where once it was only a metaphor – now it’s a contingency we never quite planned for – the world is watching itself from the edges. At its edges. Torn. Frayed. Damaged. Dismayed. Afraid. All of us on edge – of one type and/or another. With new edges […]
September 17, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Chuck Palahniuk: Consider This
Consider This: Moments In My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different Chuck Palahniuk Grand Central Publishing I am probably best described as a fairweather fan of Chuck Palahniuk – but certainly the visceral charge of catching up with his first few books (Fight Club, Survivor, Invisible Monsters and Choke) was akin to blasting my […]
September 16, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Sweetman Podcast # 230: Anna Dean
Welcome to episode 230 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T and Yeastie Boys 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 in your Spotify […]
September 16, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 52
Neil Young, Tonight’s The Night (1975) I guess I have about 10 favourite Neil Young albums – even albums of his that are pretty-much duds are sometimes on that list by the way. Such is my love for what he does and perhaps particularly the way he has gone about it. But one album I […]
September 15, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Short Story: The Short And Long Of It
Of all the chronic addictions I am going to guess that masturbation is the hardest one to pull off. And still feel good about yourself.
September 15, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
The Flaming Lips: American Head
The Flaming Lips American Head Warner Records No other band I can think of, save for maybe a mid-90s Sonic Youth, has enjoyed the freedom of wilful experimentation to levels of near self-sabotage as all the while they were supported (and sometimes encouraged) by a major label. Then again The Flaming Lips has only really […]
September 15, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Stubs: # 277 – The Staves, Wellington 2018
The really great thing about music reviewing (esp gigs) is you get to see some acts you never would have thought to get to – like The Staves. The really dumb thing about music reviewing (esp gigs) is you go along, you review the show, rave about it, place it as one of the best […]
September 15, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 53
Madonna, Papa Don’t Preach [Single] (1986) When I was a kid and Madonna burst onto the scene I thought she was fantastic – and then very quickly grew self-conscious about that; I wasn’t meant to like her. So I didn’t really pursue fandom, never bought any of the records. But the big songs were inescapable. […]
September 15, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: My Actual Hero
I’m often asked who my heroes are. And I line up a list of names. I never get through all the ones that I should and it’s different every time. But I try to include a few obvious ones – Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Neil Young. And I try to mention a few lesser known […]
September 14, 2020 by Simon Sweetman