Posts Tagged Songs
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April 23, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 204 The Set List
It was where we got our name from in the first place The Spines very first gig We’d been unable to decide from a long list of terrible attempts It was a packed University hall at lunchtime orientation Malcom McSporran was going to introduce us and he asked me what we were called I looked […]Archive
March 21, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
On: Giving Up Everything
Elton John had it wrong – or rather Bernie Taupin if you prefer. Sad songs are not the ones that say so much – it’s only a special type of sad song; where there’s hope peeking through, where there’s an attempt at stoicism – the head being held high, an aim to move on, an attempt at rebirth or a […]Archive
March 8, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
RNZ Reviews: March 2018
Once a month or so I have a chat on RNZ on their Afternoons show with Jesse Mulligan. These things start – randomly and stop in much the same way. I hope to keep doing this. For a while at least. I think I started in December of 2015, so a couple of years into […]Archive
January 8, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
I (Still) Keep Forgetting He’s Gone: The Great, Great Songs By Warren Zevon
There’s a track on the last (to date) Dirty Three album called Sometimes I Forget You’ve Gone. It’s quickly became one of my favourite pieces of music ever – certainly my favourite by the Dirty Three. It’s got a bit of competition, obviously – but what a lovely thing it is. A showcase for Jim White and gorgeously evocative (to me […]Archive
December 28, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Sweetman Podcast: Episode 96 – Andrew Johnstone from Rip It Up Radio Talks To Me
Welcome to episode 96 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T, Yeastie Boys and Le Petite Chocolat. It’s the summer holidays – I hope you’re enjoying your break. The podcast will continue weekly but for this episode it’s a dip into the archives, in a way. This is a conversation where I was interviewed- a couple […]Archive
December 11, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 190 David Brent
I watched the David Brent: Life on the Road movie the other day. It was alright – I like Ricky Gervais a lot though the film broke no new ground and just delivered up more of The Office but in a different context. In the picture David Brent (now a travelling salesman) puts together a […]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 […]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 […]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 […]Archive
October 12, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Litcrawl 2017: Bringing It All Back Home
Litcrawl takes place over the weekend of November 10-12 in various venues across Wellington. And one of the sessions I’m most looking forward to is Bringing It All Back Home, part of the first phase of the crawl, 6pm at MEOW on Saturday, November 11. This session is about the greatest songwriter of the modern […]Archive
September 22, 2017 by Simon Sweetman