Author Archive
January 20, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Radio Head: RNZ Features and Reviews
In 2015 I started reviewing albums on RNZ – a quick chat, mentioning a couple of artists, playing a couple of songs. I loved it. I love talking on radio. Love the medium. Love the challenge of “reviewing” music that way. It’s different from writing about music – or should be. Some radio reviewers write […]
January 19, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Surety
Little certain moments. You feel relief, you know it was the right call. You made it – because you had to. Needed it, for your sanity. Walked away in just the right way, at just the right time. A moment, although little, and you were certain. You were right to do it, it was right […]
January 19, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Not Much, But It’s Mine
I had a typewriter and a box of tapes and that was enough to get me started. Every night, in my room, after school, after sport, I’d write what I could. Not much has changed. I’ve blazed through formats – to CDs, and records, streaming, back to CDs and records, and so many computers. I […]
January 18, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Nicholas Britell: Don’t Look Up (Soundtrack From The Netflix Film)
Nicholas Britell Don’t Look Up (Soundtrack From The Netflix Film) Maisie Music Publishing, LLC, under exclusive license to Republic Records, a division of UMG Recording, Inc. First off, I loved the film – good fun, sharp, cruel, cutting and above-all, disturbingly accurate. But this is a review of the film’s score. Something I can’t say […]
January 18, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
It Was The Best Gig Ever # 25: Gorillaz, Auckland 2010
After interviewing Damon Albarn I knew I had to go to the Gorillaz concert. Before that I wanted to, sure. But Albarn’s interest in music – his dedication to recreating so much of the Plastic Beach album – made it impossible not to get caught up in the need to be there. So it was off on the plane to Auckland, overnight, for Gorillaz. I […]
January 17, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Rest
Rest is what’s happening when you’re not being who you want to be – but you’re preparing for that role. Rest is that tension, that exhalation. Rest is a conversation between what you love to do and how you love to be. The rest is history.
January 17, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Orrin Evans: The Magic of Now
Orrin Evans The Magic of Now Smoke Sessions Records Orrin Evans has released a bunch of albums as a leader – mostly of small combos but he’s also collaborated with big bands too, and there was a recent stint as the replacement for Ethan Iverson in The Bad Plus. An adaptable, charismatic pianist, Evans is […]
January 16, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: The Best Part About Aging
There’s a guy in a documentary about movie fanatics. He collects the soundtracks on vinyl. Has hundreds. When asked, on camera, about his favourite – he points out that he doesn’t have one. Because he doesn’t have a turntable. When I saw that film, in a crowded cinema, everyone laughing, I thought he was a […]
January 15, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Scream (5): Film
Scream Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett Spyglass Media Group / Project X Entertainment / Paramount Pictures Scream (aka Scream 5) is both sequel and reboot – a “requel” as the very knowing and cracking-good script tells us. It features the big names from the original – back as second-generation helpers. And of course a […]
January 14, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
What A Good Score! – #4: Donnie Darko by Michael Andrews
Michael Andrews’ score for the film Donnie Darko was a huge disappointment to many. Not, the music as such – but the product. People weren’t hopeful for a release of the score, what they wanted was the soundtrack. They wanted Tears For Fears and Joy Division and Oingo Boingo and The Church and Duran Duran. […]
January 14, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Ha Ha, Charade You Are
Just back from the overthinking conference which took even longer than expected
January 13, 2022 by Simon Sweetman