Posts Tagged England
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May 22, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Gig Review: Brodsky Quartet (May 20, Wgtn)
Brodsky Quartet MFC Monday, May 20 Britain’s long-running Brodsky Quartet (formed in 1972 and still with two original members) are known for their regular touring (including at least four visits to New Zealand) and their crossover pop collaborations (Elvis Costello, Bjork, Paul McCartney) as well as their refined chamber work – including a fondness for the string-quartet […]Archive
February 25, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 128: Stereo MC’s – “Connected”
There’s a wince of nostalgia at the title track and though I know a few more songs on here and by Stereo MC’s this is my first time hearing the Connected album. And I definitely didn’t need to hear this. It’s a bit like – I imagine – recommending something by Ronny Jordan or The Seahorses or Ocean Colour Scene. Just dated shit from a time when you had […]Archive
February 8, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 122: The Shamen – “En-Tact”
Barriers of entry. You just need to dive in – mostly. But sometimes it helps if you’re there at the right time. And with anything dance-music related I feel that’s most certainly the case, for the most part anyway. I love a lot of Daft Punk’s music because I hear it always thinking about how I heard […]Archive
January 9, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
John Cooper Clarke: The Luckiest Guy Alive
The Luckiest Guy Alive John Cooper Clarke Picador “Dr.” John Cooper Clarke is, like our own Sam Hunt, perhaps better known for his voice, for his performances, rather than actual words on the page. Both have published books, been anthologised, and recorded audio – but it’s about the spirit of the performance on the night; […]Archive
December 27, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 114: Happy Mondays – “Bummed”
Again, Happy Mondays occupy a strange space for me. I was never a fan. And never really not-a-fan at the same time. I had some mates that were into them – but the whole Madchester/Second Summer of Love thing passed me by, I guess I was a bit young to care about it – or […]Archive
December 16, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 111: Napalm Death – “Scum”
I’ve been aware of Napalm Death for some time but I’ve done very little listening; I regret not going to see the band when they played here a few years back…I saw a few years, it was probably around a decade now…but yeah…one of those names to tick off an imaginary list or something… I […]Archive
October 14, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 94: Orange Juice – “Rip It Up”
I hadn’t ever heard an Orange Juice album – but I know the songs; I was hipped to them only later though, the compilation Edwyn Collins & Orange Juice: A Casual Introduction 1981/2001 was the thing that set it all off for me. By then I’d heard some Edwyn Collins songs I liked a lot […]Archive
October 10, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 93: Haircut One Hundred – “Pelican West ”
So, the band Haircut One Hundred (or Haircut 100) totally passed me by. I really don’t know them at all. I know the name, I’ve seen it mentioned, the first two songs here felt instantly familiar – probably have heard them out and about, as part of compilations, in DJ sets, etc – but I […]Archive
September 20, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Sweetman Podcast: Episode 134 – Dianne Swann
Welcome to episode 134 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T, Yeastie Boys and La Petite Chocolat. Dianne Swann is known for her time in the bands Everything That Flies, When The Cat’s Away, The Julie Dolphin, Boom Boom Mancini and – most recently – The Bads. She has performed around the world as a headliner […]Archive
July 21, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Sweetman Podcast: Episode 125 – Russell Self
Welcome to episode 125 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T, Yeastie Boys and La Petite Chocolat. Here I had a chat with Russell Self. He’s a Wellington-based, English-born musician and poet. Russell’s held many jobs, let many more go, he’s been a busker, a troubadour, he recites his own poems and sings covers – he also […]Archive
June 15, 2018 by Simon Sweetman