Posts Tagged In Praise
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February 14, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
In Praise of Tracy Chapman
That first Tracy Chapman album is a masterpiece. I loved it when I first heard it. I remember vividly listening to it on the side of the road over and over. My mum had to sleep after a long drive and a rough ferry crossing, so we parked up out of Wellington and while she […]Archive
January 27, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
In Praise of ‘Succession’
Succession debuted in 2018, created by British screenwriter and producer Jesse Armstrong. He was best known for the brilliant Peep Show – and his largely British writing team (you may remember I recommended Georgia Pritchard’s “anxiety memoir”) have, over three seasons, done the most amazing job of pitching black-as-the-inside-of-a-coffin-on-a-moonless-night comedy that satirises the Trump/Murdoch-level arrogance, […]Archive
January 21, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
In Praise of Thrash
I’ve started listening to a lot of Thrash. I don’t usually listen to a lot of Thrash. Not since I was about 15 or 16. But, ever since then, it has been a component of my listening. I have my favourites. Metallica’s Ride The Lightning, Slayer’s Reign In Blood, the first few Megadeth albums…early Anthrax, […]Archive
January 10, 2022 by Simon Sweetman
In Praise of Little Earthquakes, Now 30 Years Old
When Tori Amos seemingly burst out of nowhere to release her debut album Little Earthquakes she already had a lifetime of experiences. She had trauma to sing through – and the way she did that (Me And A Gun, Silent All These Years) would not only go on to inspire people but create movements. Nothing […]Archive
December 28, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
In Praise of Paul Hertzog’s Martial Arts Soundtracks
I know I’ve told you at least once already that I’m a huge fan of listening to soundtracks and in the last couple of years I’ve really decided to embrace that. In fact part of the decision to downscale my record collection is around the focus on film scores – I’m teaching myself to be […]Archive
December 14, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
In Praise of 2021’s TV Shows (TIME Magazine’s List)
It’s the time of the year where we get – and share – lists. Some of us make them. And I’m not talking about lists of gifts we want. I mean the annual line-up of best films, best books, best albums and so on… Well, earlier I read TIME magazine’s 10 Best TV Shows of […]Archive
December 4, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
In Praise of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
In late 2007, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss released Raising Sand. What an album. I remember it well – the release and early years of playing it, I mean. The album is still with me now. A forever favourite. A modern classic that feels like it was beamed in from another time entirely. I was […]Archive
November 24, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
In Praise of ‘The Morning Show’
Over the weekend we finished the final episodes of season two of The Morning Show. I liked this show a lot. It’s a smart soap-opera, a compelling and very straight-faced satire. The Morning Show debuted in 2019 as a flagship for then-new streaming platform, Apple TV+ and its stacked cast – Steve Carrell, Jennifer Aniston, […]Archive
November 21, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
In Praise of Tom Scharpling
Some days I reckon Tom Scharpling is one of the funniest people alive. Certainly, Tom Scharpling is one of the great underground wizards of radio, and podcasting. I don’t know how I first heard about him – or when I first started tuning in properly, but he has backstory and projects for days. And as […]Archive
November 18, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
In Praise of The Tank and The Bangas Tiny Desk Concert
One of my favourite music clips to watch over and again is Tank and the Bangas when they won a spot on the Tiny Desk – their concert happened in 2017. And I saw it for the first time shortly after. And I was mesmerised. But it’s the gift that keeps on giving. For instance, […]Archive
November 1, 2021 by Simon Sweetman