September 1981. I’m in my last year of high school and supposed to be studying for my final exams, but there’s this hot new band from Sydney whose album I’ve rushed out to buy and I can’t stop thrashing it on the little 3 in 1 stereo in my bedroom. I play the record so much that after a couple of weeks I swear the vinyl is only half as thick as it used to be. Unfortunately I’m … [Read more...]
Lloyd Cole – Podcast
When Lloyd Cole burst onto the world music scene in 1984 with his band the Commotions and the album Rattlesnakes he was hailed as one of the most brilliant songwriters of his generation. Cole’s lyrics were loaded with literary and pop culture references, the kind that had you knowingly smile at his wit and irony while he casually dropped names like Greta Garbo and Simone de … [Read more...]
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
For the best part of a decade Elton John’s creative output was astonishing, not just in terms of the amount of music he was delivering but the quality of it. From June 69 through to October 78 he released 12 albums, including the phenomenal double Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. That effectively equates to 13 albums loaded with some exceptional music in just 9 years. He didn’t … [Read more...]
Dave Faulkner – Podcast
In 1981 just as the Oz pub rock scene was really hitting its stride, a young Sydney band launched itself onto our stages in a blaze of electric guitars and foot stomping psychedelia backed with classic 60’s harmonies. Beyond their incredible sound they were one of the most amazing looking bands around, tapping into trash culture and embracing it with self-deprecating … [Read more...]
Show Some Emotion – Joan Armatrading
There’s something about the sound of the early Joan Armatrading albums that made music in the 70’s so good, particularly her self titled album from 1976 and Show Some Emotion which was released the following year. Before moving into a more pop oriented style these Armatrading albums from the mid 70’s were very much a product of the singer/songwriter era with considerable jazz … [Read more...]