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Posts Tagged On Song

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November 15, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

The Things You Find Out On The Side Are Sometimes The Best Bits of Interviews

I used to write this thing called The Vinyl Countdown – I was curious about my own record collection, why did I have the albums I had? Where had they come from – not just the store or record fair, but where were they before I owned them? How did I hear about them? What […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtrack, Blog, Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, Dave Dobbyn, David Byrne, Interview, My Life In The Bush of Ghosts, On Song, The Things You Find Out On The Side Are Sometimes The Best Bits of Interviews, Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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September 20, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Playlist: The Death Of Music Journalism – Songtrack

I’m releasing my debut collection of poetry on October 12. It’s called The Death of Music Journalism – and unsurprisingly features a lot of references to music. When I published my first book, On Song, back in 2012, the number one question/complaint was Where’s the accompanying CD? (We still had CDs back in 2012). It was way too expensive to […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Book, Off The Tracks, On Song, Playlist, Playlist: The Death Of Music Journalism - Songtrack, Poem, Poems, Poet, Poetry, Simon Sweetman, Songs, Songtrack, Soundtrack, Spotify, Stream, The Cuba Press, The Death of Music Journalism, The Death Of Music Journalism - Songtrack, Writing ·

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July 26, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Ten of My All-Time Favourite Kiwi Songs

When I wrote these notes I was planning for the start of my book about favourite NZ songs. All of these songs made it into that book – and were written about in further detail. In most cases I spoke with the songwriters or key players/producers involved with the music. On Song featured 30 tunes, […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Blog, Kiwi, New Zealand, NZ, On Song, Songs, Ten of my All-Time Favourite Kiwi Songs, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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October 17, 2019 by Simon Sweetman

The Vinyl Countdown # 233

The Fourmyula, Nature [Single] (1969) I wrote about it in my book – it was, long before that, voted the top of a list of 75 NZ songs. I’ve always loved it – and the band The Fourmyula, they have some psych-rock masterpieces that still seem forgotten/under-discovered in the wider catalogue. But this song carries […]
Posted in Blog, The Vinyl Countdown · Tagged 1969, brand new discoveries and old-old favourites; extremely pre-loved, EP, Home, Kiwi, LP, Nature, Nature's Best, NZ, On Song, previously abandoned or with the shrink-wrap having just been removed it’s all here at The Vinyl Countdown, Single, The Fourmyula, The Vinyl Countdown, The Vinyl Countdown # 233, The Vinyl Countdown is a document of every LP I listen to, Vinyl, Wayne Mason ·

Archive

April 11, 2019 by Simon Sweetman

The Hardest I’ve Ever Not Worked

People tell you not to read the comments – but you can really learn a lot about yourself. For example: Did you know that I used to earn enough to pay my mortgage by trolling music fans on Stuff? Neither did I. That was definitely news to me. I must have been stuck in that dreary day-job […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Archive, Blog, Blog On The Tracks, Blogging, Dad, Day Job, Kid, Off The Tracks, On Song, Oscar, Parenting, Parents, Son, Spinoff Parents, Stay at Home Dad, The Hardest I’ve Ever Not Worked, The Spinoff, Work, Working Parent, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

Archive

December 6, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Ballad of The Finn Brothers: A Musical Life Between Them

Neil and Tim Finn. The Finn Brothers. We think of them as a pair. We group them together even when they are off making music independently. They have made two albums together under the family surname. Prior to that they have worked together in two bands, Tim appeared on just the one Crowded House album […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged A Musical Life Between Them, Alt, Collaboration, Finn, Finn Brothers, Finn Family, Kiwi, Liam Finn, Music, Neil, Neil Finn, NZ, On Song, Singing, Songs, Songwriting, Split Enz, The Ballad of The Finn Brothers, The Ballad of The Finn Brothers: A Musical Life Between Them, The Finn Brothers, The Finns, Tim, Tim Finn ·

Archive

December 3, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

Songwriter Profile: Chris Knox

From his time with The Enemy and Toy Love through to Tall Dwarfs and his solo career, Chris Knox has been a hero to many, domestically and abroad, for his passionate performances, his writing and his ethos: a DIY song-craftsman. The image of Knox as the man in the stubbies and jandals is a crucial […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged "Singer", Alec Bathgate, Beat, Boodle, Chris Knox, DIY, Essay, Flying Nun, On Song, Seizure, Singer/Songwriter, Songs, Songwriter, Songwriter Profile, Songwriter Profile: Chris Knox, Songwriting, Tall Dwarfs, The Enemy, Toy Love ·

Archive

November 25, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

Songwriter Profile: Don McGlashan

Don McGlashan played French horn and percussion in the Auckland Symphonia. He would leave classical rehearsals to play punk-infused music and was a member of From Scratch; the idea being that instruments were created from scratch. Here McGlashan’s classical percussion training would give way to PVC pipes being hit with jandals. His songwriting first announced […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged An Angel At My Table, Bathe In The River, Blam Blam Blam, Don McGlashan, Marvellous Year, No. 2, On Song, Rain Steam and Speed, Salty, Songwriter, Songwriter Profile, Songwriter Profile: Don McGlashan, The Front Lawn, The Mutton Birds, Warm Hand ·

Archive

November 19, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

Truly Bizarre: The Story of ‘How Bizarre’

How Bizarre is 20 years old. In fact a little older now even. When I was asked to write a book about important/favourite songs I was encouraged to make it a personal selection but there was a list supplied of obvious contenders. Top of that list was How Bizarre.
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Album, Book, Documentary, Kiwi, Memoir, NZ, OMC, On Song, Otara Millionaire's Club, Pauly Fuemana, Simon Grigg, Single, Song, Truly Bizarre: The Story of 'How Bizarre' ·

Archive

October 25, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

On Song: Five Years Old/Five Years On

Five years ago I released a book. On Song looked at 30 of the best New Zealand songs, 30 of my favourites. We started with a long list of at least 100 songs and whittled and whittled. I say ‘we’ – I am referring to the publisher, Penguin. And me. I was commissioned to write […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 30 Songs, Author, Blog, Blog Post, Book, Book Writing, Five Years Old/Five Years On, Five Years On, Flying Nun, Interviews, Kiwi, Kiwi Classics, Music, New Zealand, NZ, NZ Music, On Song, On Song: Five Years Old, On Song: Five Years Old/Five Years On, Penguin, Simon Sweetman, Six60, Songs, Songwriting ·

Archive

March 16, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

Hamish Kilgour Sends An Email: The Poppies Want To Grow A Little Taller

A few years back I wrote to Hamish Kilgour of The Clean – and asked him some questions about one of my favourite songs, Anything Could Happen. It was for a book I was writing, On Song. Hamish wrote back to me with a response that seemed worthy of quoting in full. Only one problem: […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Anything Could Happen, Guest Blog, Hamish Kilgour, Hamish Kilgour Sends An Email, Hamish Kilgour Sends An Email: The Poppies Want To Grow A Little Taller, Interview, On Song, The Clean, The Poppies Want To Grow A Little Taller ·

Archive

February 8, 2016 by Simon Sweetman

Better off Read Podcast: Episode 29 – Stranger Music by Leonard Cohen

One of my favourite podcasts to check in on is Better off Read. Hosted by Pip Adam (a great writer) it features authors in conversation around a favourite, formative book. I was honoured to be invited onto the podcast and the latest episode features me in conversation with Pip around the Leonard Cohen book of […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Better off Read, Better off Read Podcast: Episode 29 – Stranger Music by Leonard Cohen, Blog On The Tracks, Converation, Episode 29, Interview, Leonard Cohen, Lyrics, Music, Music Writing, Off The Tracks, On Song, Pip Adam, Podcast, Poem, Poems, Poetry, Simon Sweetman, Songs, Stranger Music, Writing ·
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