Posts Tagged Tom Waits
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July 20, 2020 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: $29.00
When I heard ‘Blue Valentine’ by Tom Waits it blew my mind and I wanted to be a version of him. Not the kind that sat and created a character to live inside. Not the kind that shared great music. I just visited bars, often with a copy of the album (also ‘The Heart of […]Archive
December 2, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
RNZ Reviews: November 2019
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 now four years into it or so… It’s […]Archive
November 27, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
V/A: Come On Up To The House – Women Sing Waits
Various Artists: Come On Up To The House: Women Sing Waits Dualtone Music Devised as a 70th Birthday gift to Tom Waits (December 7 is the day) this compilation of female singer/songwriters interpreting material from all across Waits’ 45 year recording career is in fact a gift to us all.Archive
November 10, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Jesca Hoop: STONECHILD
Jesca Hoop STONECHILD Memphis Industries Jesca Hoop’s previous record – Memories Are Now – was her gold-standard; it moved her from the one-to-watch list to the one-to-listen-to pile. And in my case it was the one-to-listen-to-on-repeat pile. One of the best albums of 2017 for me. By quite a way. It was a perfect study […]Archive
April 16, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Poem: Terrible Things, Beautiful Melodies, Ugly Truths, Fuck You Tom Waits
We were watching music videos, old concerts – some we’d seen and others we hadn’t – and it was going well, it was good. Until I put on ol’ Tom Waits. And almost as soon as he crooned I felt out of tune with it all. I love Tom Waits. I barely listen to him […]Archive
March 14, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 424
Tom Waits, The Heart of Saturday Night (1974) I come and go with Tom Waits but in some ways this is my favourite albums of his, the most special to me might be the better way to put it. I discovered it as a CD – and it needed to be that way. You see […]Archive
May 5, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Carving It Out: Backstory and Economy in Songwriting
A couple of years ago I had a chat with Anthonie Tonnon –it was in the lead up to his then-new album, his first solo record and we got to talking about economy in songwriting, the ideas around narrative, songs that seem to be stuffed with back-story, but done in a subtle, stirring way. There are certain […]Archive
March 30, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Five Songs For Friday: # 10 – Remembering Old Favourite albums
I guess I do this most weeks – occupational hazard or whatever – but this week in particular I’ve been revisiting old favourites, thinking about albums I liked a lot 5 and 10 years ago, and 20 years ago…and in some cases just 2-3 years ago… I’ll also give an early mention of Goose Snow […]Archive
March 16, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Jesca Hoop: Memories Are Now
Jesca Hoop Memories Are Now Sub Pop This is the album where Jesca Hoop moves off the One To Watch list and firmly onto the One To Listen To list; the record likely to stay there all year; its production (Blake Mills, once again) exquisite, its songs deep, the performances intoxicating.Archive
March 9, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Songs Sung Blue: Everybody Knows One…
People love Johnny Cash’s version of the Nine Inch Nails song, Hurt because of the timing; that video, his wife had died – then Johnny died shortly after. Complications resulting from a broken heart. It’s a good song, a good version. But the original is better. I know I’m not alone in thinking that – […]Archive
January 14, 2017 by Simon Sweetman