Album Roundup: June 2015
By Scott Creney So if Robert Christgau—who pretty much invented this format—is the Dean of Rock Critics, then what does that make me? The Mujahideen of Rock Critics? The Paula Deen of Rock Critics? The Jan & Dean? Whatever. Here’s some stuff that came out in June. I’m not going to bother embedding pictures and […]
The return of Everett True | 157. FFS
Russell’s voice from the right speaker. Alex’s voice from the left. Welcome to the next level. Collaborations don’t work/They don’t work/they don’t work. I don’t like films about film. I don’t like songs about songs. I love this. It’s arch and affectionate like my last cat Carla. It’s slinky like my first cat Slinky. It’s […]
Various Artists – Song Reader (Capitol)
Beck’s sheet music-only “album”, Song Reader, proved surprisingly divisive as a concept. Some lapped up the intended, vaguely Luddite reminder of pop music’s origins as a DIY and ephemeral home entertainment; others shuddered at the “vintage” flavour (liquorice and pomade) or found the prerequisites of musical literacy/ability and access to an instrument elitist. I was always in […]
Song of the day – 628: Secret Beach
What would you rather listen to? Something that might turn out to be Sparks or The School or something that’s undeniably Pearl Jam?
Song of the day – 427: Planningtorock
The menace is playful but it’s still menace and it’s still seductive as all warm leatherette seats.
Music Critics Are Scum (Uh Huh Uh Huh, I Like It, Uh Huh Uh Huh)
Fact is, there’s nothing I like more than someone who utterly and completely sucks – that’s why I got into music instead of politics.
Big Strong Brute + Carry Nation + Scott Spark live @ The Troubadour, 19.08.10
Emaciated, agitated and wearing a Vegemite woolen sweater, Scott Spark was daintily poised at his keyboard belting out his lovelorn pop as I walked into The Troubadour. Over the inattentive crowd’s chatter, it seemed to be typical bedroom pop: a kitschy drum machine and a backing band that unobtrusively augmented the the dainty songs. I […]
Song of the day – 74: Echoes In Rows
This song is by Adam Leonard. Actually, this song is by Adam Leonard as one-half of Echoes In Rows. (The other half is one David Ansara, playing some fine analogue synths.) Adam doesn’t normally remotely sound like this. I once wrote of Adam Leonard (solo) that he’d made a “Charming, ramshackle album that whirls and […]
