The hype surrounding the Yeah Yeah Yeahs took a long time to reach NZ (or at least me). Their EP’s (2001’s self titled, and 2002’s Machine) caught the ears of nearly everyone in the music industry and the hype generated was huge. While their debut album ‘Fever to Tell’ reportedly did not meet the hype [...]

Without a breath of promotion or advertising, CYHSY’s debut album went from a self-funded 2000 album press release, to making them indie darlings in the space of a year. In all regards, CYHSY are like nothing you’ve heard – at least in a while. With Alec Ounsworth’s (at times) near yodeling vocals, the comparison to [...]

I was not quite sure what to make of this album – I had never heard anything by ‘Trail of the Dead’, but had seen their name bandied around in a heap of literature over the past few years, and their album ‘Source Tags & Codes’ has been given huge ups all over the show. [...]

I’ll admit that I have always thought that the Pink Floyd thing was a whole heap of hype. I had seen ‘The Wall’ and thought it was good, but never really dug the whole ‘epic-ness’ of Pink Floyd. It always seemed so dramatic and bloated. And then I saw Live 8, and Pink Floyd completely [...]

Pulp Fiction was responsible for a heap of good things (excellent dialogue in movies being cool again, the reinvention of John Travolta, the spotlight on Samuel L Jackson), and musically for me, two important realisations. 1) Dusty Springfeild’s ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ 2) Al Green’s ‘Let’s Stay Together’ Al Green was one of those [...]

For whatever reason, I have always been drawn to Bowie’s music. I was a child of the 80’s which meant I heard ‘China Girl’, ‘Modern Love’ and ‘Under Pressure’ when they were released, and while I would not say I loved them back in the day, it would be fair to say that they have [...]

Dylan could possibly be the most referenced musician of all time; not only because songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are A-Changin’” were anthems in the 60’s and 70s for anti-war and civil rights movements, but also because he has consistently delivered, and adapted to the times to produce albums that [...]

In many people’s eyes, this album is the pinnacle of Neil Young’s career (so far), and captures Neil Young and the Crazy Horse live, which for all accounts, must have been a damn treat to experience. (The difference between studio and live is so minimal in Young’s catalogue). Anthems like ‘Hey Hey My My (Out [...]