When an unheralded sixteen year old New Zealander called Lorde released Royals onto an unsuspecting audience in 2013 the song captivated the world. As a song that encapsulated the obsessive nature of materialist millenials and the aspirations of those too poor to afford what they wanted and then finally the rejection of the idea of it by the song’s narrator, it was a … [Read more...]
The Kick Inside – Kate Bush
The idiosyncratic, mercurial, talented and tenacious Kate Bush. An acquired taste for some, a musical goddess for many others. Her debut album The Kick Inside was released in 1978 when she was still only 19, but its origins were laid years before with some of these songs written when she was just thirteen. The story goes that Kate’s family helped her produce a demo while … [Read more...]
Midge Ure – Podcast (Part 1)
Midge Ure had been kicking around in a number of bands since the early 70’s, from soft pop with bands like Slik through to punk with PVC2 and The Rich Kids. But it was the 1980’s when Midge really made his mark. His initial success in that decade arrived via Visage and the massive hit he co-wrote Fade To Grey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMPC8QJF6sI Soon after he was … [Read more...]
Couldn’t Stand The Weather – Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
When you’re talking blues guitarists Stevie Ray Vaughan is the crème de la crème - one of the most incredibly expressive and dynamic players of all time. When it comes to electric blues there’s no shortage of axe men who can tear up a fret board with scintillating riffs executed with dexterity and technique, but so very few can do it with such feel. As Jimi Hendrix said: “The … [Read more...]
Nicky Bomba – Podcast (Part 2)
Nicky Bomba. An avid musicologist with an interest running deep through many musical genres and the cultures that created them. In part one of the Sound Distractions podcast with Nicky he looked back over the early part of his career – embracing a broad palette of music that included funk, jazz, reggae and mento. In the process he shared his passion for music and his desire to … [Read more...]