Album Review: Miley Cyrus – Plastic Hearts (RCA)
This album is a showcase and tour-de-force for Miley Cyrus and her magnificent voice. A major artist prodigy at a young age. Negotiating the myriads pitfalls and Faustian traps that privileged position can bring.
Album Review: The Guilty Hearts – The Guilty Hearts (Voodoo Rhythm Records)
Reissue: First released 2005 Arising from the fertile soil that was Los Angeles Rock’n’Roll Punk of the late Seventies. Offspring of The Cramps, X and more directly The Gun Club and their glorious debut lost masterpiece Fire of Love album.
Album Review: Tom Petty – Wildflowers & All The Rest (Warner)
Weighing in with 7 (count ‘em ) 140g vinyl records and a 60 page booklet this version of Tom Petty’s 1994 solo album, Wildflowers should keep any Petty fan busy or at least serve as a decent door stop.
Album Review: King Ketchup, Special Blend
New Auckland band King Ketchup drop this fiery debut album, intent on levelling everything in their path. The blitz and pyrotechnics of frantic computer games as played by Rick and Morty.
Album Review: Brave Caitlin Smith’s Imaginary Band – You Have Reached Your Destination
Song Poet, Story Singer and Caster of Spells, Caitlin Smith presents a collection of her songs recorded ten years ago. There has been drama, trauma and difficulty. There has also been a journey of healing, redemption and spiritual awakening.
Album Review: Bruce Springsteen – Letter For You (Columbia)
A man out of time, just in time… Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band serve up an album that drips with nostalgia and yet sounds so timely.
Album Review: Dick Move – Chop (1:12 Records)
With the briefest nod to Blitzkreig Bop and Dick Move are off with well-drilled Punk attack riffs and surgical strikes of youthful angst and just general rage and fury.
Album Review: Public Enemy, What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down? (Enemy Records Ltd)
Hostilities are opened from the first line of Public Enemy’s Pandemic Year album Not pretty, slaps you in the head and kicks your butt. But it also completes an American Classic trilogy of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Fear of a Black Planet. State of the Union/ Shut the […]
Album Review: Wax Chattels – Clot (Flying Nun Records)
A tense visceral experience with a strange beauty and charm is Clot the album. From the Auckland noise merchants and music mercenaries that is the threesome Wax Chattels.
Album Review: Marilyn Manson, We Are Chaos (Loma Vista Recordings)
Marilyn Manson is one of those artists that weather changes in musical fashion and manages to remain relevant. He started way back in 1989 as Marilyn Manson & The Spooky Kids. Since then he has released 11 studio albums. We are Chaos is one of his best since Mechanical Animals.
Album Review: Bob Mould – Blue Hearts (Merge Records)
On stage before the curtains pull back, Bob Mould is strumming an acoustic guitar and lamenting. And we’re all going to war/ And we’re all gonna die/ I wear my heart on my sleeve. Far from it as the Blue Hearts album is revealed in all its fierce and raging glory. The spirit of Hüsker […]
Album Review: Delta Spirit, What Is There (New West Records)
What Is There is not a question. Delta Spirit on this album take a tour through Heartland America. They can be as bemused and resigned as anyone over the course of this unprecedented year. But the music drives it with optimism to foreshadow a brighter future. So, it is distinctively American.
Album Review: Fleet Foxes – Shore
While you were sleeping Fleet Foxes released a “surprise” new album, Shore, their first since 2017’s Crack-Up.
Concert Review: Alda Rezende, Ponsonby Social Club, 18 September 2020
Alda Rezende has a commanding presence when she comes on stage. From Minas Gerais State in heartland Brazil. A spicy gumbo of Indigenous, Portuguese, African and European people. Music which draws from Latin, Folk, Country, Popular, Classical, Jazz and Punk! Tasty soul food to accompany the music tonight. All the senses tantalized and entertained tonight […]
Album Review: A. Swayze & The Ghosts, Paid Salvation (Sunset Pig Records)
Tasmanian newbies A. Swayze & The Ghosts are a fresh revival of Punk. An act of resurrection in the spirit of the original artists. Irreverent and full of humour whilst giving their own generation a few swift kicks in the head and arse.
EP Review: Hey! King – Be Still (ANTI- Records)
Hey! King are a young American couple who sing Indie Folk songs with an exhilarating intensity on their debut EP Be Still. They have been mentored by Ben Harper who produces here, as well as having them as support artists on his tours.
Album Review: Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T.Rex (BMG)
A stellar ensemble of artists which include Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams, Todd Rundgren, Joan Jett, two sons of John Lennon amongst others, lay down a worthy and often inspired double album’s worth of classic Marc Bolan songs. Preceding his induction to the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame later in November this year.
Album Review: Rumer – Nashville Tears (Cooking Vinyl)
Rumer pays tribute to Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame alumnus Hugh Prestwood. The match is like vintage whisky, or bourbon to be accurate. Glides down so smoothly and the warmth then resonates through you.
Album Review: Toots and the Maytals – Got to Be Tough (Trojan Jamaica)
Frederick “Toots” Hibberts is one of the world’s all-time greatest singers. Passionate people still like to duke it out as to who was greater Soul singer, Otis Redding or James Carr. Toots is a blend of both.
Album Review: Molly Tuttle – …but I’d rather be with you ( Molly Tuttle)
Molly Tuttle is a musical prodigy who has a growing cult following among aficionados of American Roots music.