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July 18, 2022 by Simon Sweetman

Poem: La-Z-Boys

The closest I’ve ever been to my brother,
is one time in a furniture store – we were
browsing, as a family, which meant he and
I were just killing time, while mum and dad
shopped prices and fabrics. And so we
took turns on the couches, and chairs.
Pushing back the recliners, soaking up the
comfort; those footstools we never had.

And then, it was time to go. And my bro
couldn’t get the footstool pushed back in –
so he stood awkwardly up against the big chair
while an eager salesperson who clearly did not
know our dad went in for one final push.
My brother did the same actually, leaning in
against the chair, so hopeful to make it click –
like the safety belt message in the ad campaign.

Dad told the guy in the store he was out to lunch,
his prices obscene, his delusions so grand. And
with that, we walked away; a family in unison.
But the footrest on the recliner was like a comedy
Boomerang; the sound of the Roadrunner cartoons
soundtracking our departure. My older brother was
red-face embarrassed. But we laughed all the way
home – and for days after, or so it seemed.

Posted in Back Catalogue, Miscellany · Tagged La-Z-Boys, Poem, Poem: La-Z-Boys ·

Archive

June 2, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

Brian Eno: The Drums Between The Bells

downloadBrian Eno

The Drums Between The Bells

Beat Records

The name Brian Eno hovers large above any form of pop or dance music that attempts to think outside the square. There is the mainstream Brian Eno (producer for U2 and now Coldplay) and there is the artist Brian Eno, as busy creating installations and exhibiting photos as he is making albums. Read More »

Posted in Back Catalogue, Reviews · Tagged Back Catalogue, Brian Eno, Brian Eno: The Drums Between The Bells, Review, Rick Holland, The Drums Between The Bells ·

Archive

May 27, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

Miles Kane: Colour of the Trap

Miles KaneMiles Kane

Colour of the Trap

Sony

Miles Kane is best known as one half of The Last Shadow Puppets, who in turn are best known for being the side-project of Alex Turner (The Arctic Monkeys). Kane has walked away from his band, The Rascals, to launch a solo career. Read More »

Posted in Back Catalogue, Reviews · Tagged Album Review, Colour of the Trap, Miles Kane ·

Archive

May 27, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

Billy T. James: Live! At Pips

pipsBilly T. James

Live! At Pips

Sony

There’s been some interest in Billy T. James again with a TV dramatisation and a movie-length documentary. The old shows are being repeated and the general reason for the reminders is the 20th anniversary of this classic Kiwi comic’s death. Read More »

Posted in Back Catalogue, Reviews · Tagged Album Review, Billy T. James, Comedy, Live! At Pips, Reissue ·

Archive

May 27, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

V/A: O Brother Where Art Thou? – Deluxe Edition

O Brother DeluxeVarious Artists

O Brother Where Art Thou? – Deluxe Edition

Universal

Hard to believe it’s been a decade since the O Brother Where Art Thou? movie and accompanying soundtrack. The music was arguably more important than the film – it certainly went off to create its own life; a powerful introduction to country music and mountain soul music for so many people. Read More »

Posted in Back Catalogue, Reviews · Tagged [OST], Album Review, O Brother Where Art Thou? - Deluxe Edition, Soundtrack, V/A, Various, Various Artists ·

Archive

May 27, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

Active Child: You Are All I See

Active ChildActive Child

You Are All I See

Vagrant Records

Pat Grossi records as Active Child and where I have found Kanye West and Bon Iver’s versions of confessional songwriting to be overhyped and underwhelming I love the hypnotic spell cast by Grossi as both singer and songwriter. Beguiling song constructions – think Sigur Ros and The Album Leaf – and a tremulous tenor that will polarise audiences has me absolutely hooked. Read More »

Posted in Back Catalogue, Reviews · Tagged Active Child, Album Review, Pat Grossi, Vagrant Records, You Are All I See ·

Archive

May 26, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

Bo Diddley: I’m A Man – The Singles As & Bs (1955-1959)

BoBo Diddley

I’m A Man: The Singles As & Bs (1955-1959)

Jasmine Music

This budget-price compilation is all the Bo Diddley you’ll ever need; 26 tracks of rhythm’n’blues magic.

Considering he created one of the most important and influential sounds, The Bo Diddley Beat, it feels like the man born Ellas McDaniel hasn’t quite got his dues – he created a sound and so many great songs that still have grit and soul oozing from them. Read More »

Posted in Back Catalogue, Reviews · Tagged Album Review, Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley: I’m A Man - The Singles As & Bs (1955-1959), I'm A Man, I’m A Man: The Singles As & Bs (1955-1959), Reissue ·

Archive

May 26, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

St. Vincent: Strange Mercy

St Vincent Strange MercySt. Vincent

Strange Mercy

4ad Records

Annie Clark records and tours under the name St. Vincent and Strange Mercy is the American singer/guitarist’s third album of original compositions.

Clark has previously worked as part of Sufjan Stevens’ live band and as a member of The Polyphonic Spree. Her breathy voice caresses dark pop songs and she strangles notes from the neck of her guitar, whipping solos in to place to provide punctuation for her quirky short-story songs. Read More »

Posted in Back Catalogue, Reviews · Tagged Album Review, Annie Clark, St. Vincent, Strange Mercy ·

Archive

May 26, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

Pajama Club: Pajama Club

PJ CLubPajama Club

Pajama Club

Lester Records

Neil Finn’s new album is a project that he and wife Sharon started – to combat Empty Nest syndrome.

A few bottles of wine and into the studio to have some fun; Neil fancied himself a bash on the drums for a change. The result – fleshed out with the help of Sean Donnelly (SJD) – is the best album Finn has produced in at least a decade. Read More »

Posted in Back Catalogue · Tagged Album Review, Neil Finn, Pajama Club, Sharon Finn, SJD ·

Archive

October 23, 2013 by Simon Sweetman

Incubus: If Now Now, When?

incubus if notIncubus

If Not Now, When?

Sony

I like to believe that Incubus has named its new album after the Tracy Chapman song. It’s so very unlikely but it would almost excuse the contents. Now, I’m not picking a fight with Chapman or her fans – I was a card-carrying, paid up member of her crowd for the first four albums but a rock band, or whatever Incubus is, shouldn’t be trying to trace around a political folkie-pop singer from two decades earlier, right? Read More »

Posted in Back Catalogue, Reviews · Tagged If Not Now, Incubus, Tracy Chapman, When? ·

Archive

October 23, 2013 by Simon Sweetman

Gold Leaves: The Ornament

Gold leaves ornamentGold Leaves

The Ornament

Hardly Art

Grant Olsen was making music as one half of Seattle folk-pop duo, Arthur & Yu. With that project on hiatus he’s created Gold Leaves – it’s a sound that fans of Fleet Foxes should lap up; comfy and relaxed, not quite country, not quite folk but with enough yearning and great vocal harmonies to create a nostalgia for a sound that never actually quite existed before this but seems like it should have. Read More »

Posted in Back Catalogue, Reviews · Tagged Gold Leaves, Papercuts, The Ornament ·

Archive

October 23, 2013 by Simon Sweetman

Tyler, The Creator: Goblin

goblinTyler, The Creator

Goblin

XL Recording/Rhythmethod

Tyler, The Creator is now 20, he was 19 when he made this, his second full-lengther.

It includes contributions from Left Brain, also a member of Odd Future; a sort of Wu-Tang Clan-lite that rides entirely on shock value. Recent headlines have it that the group’s invitation to the Auckland leg of the Big Day Out has been revoked due to homophobic and misogynistic lyrical content. Some people have cried out that this is a Freedom of Speech issue. But the lyrical tone and indeed the actual sound of Tyler’s Goblin album makes you wonder why the Insane Clown Posse has not yet won a Pulitzer. Read More »

Posted in Back Catalogue, Reviews · Tagged Goblin, The Creator, Tyler ·
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