Music at Elsewhere

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Juliagrace: Beautiful Survivor (Parachute)

One problem with being identified as a "Christian artist" -- as so many have discovered -- is that there is a resistance to them outside that market, and because of that many simply give up and stay with the audience which has and will support them. The other problem is that it means many outside of Christian circles are denied hearing some exceptional singers and songwriters --... more >>

Juliagrace: Diamond

Added: 23 Aug 2010 3 Comments

Various Artists: The Great New Zealand Songbook Vol 2 (Thom/Universal)

The previous volume in this series (see here) sold eight times platinum which proved two things: that well packaged and intelligently compiled collections of New Zealand are popular and in short supply, and that a lot of Kiwis living abroad probably got one for a birthday/Christmas. If that set -- 42 tracks over two discs -- came up a little short in the wave of Pacific artists of the past... more >>

The Veils: Lavinia

Added: 23 Aug 2010

Tom Jones: Praise and Blame (Island)

The late-career revival isn't uncommon these days (Bob Dylan, Bettye LaVette, Solomon Burke, Johnny Cash et al) but it still comes as a surprise, especially in the case of 70-year old Tom Jones who could have coasted into retirement with albums of interesting standards (in the manner of Rod Stewart) or even just pick up a few contemporary songs which suited his soul-belter style. But, as the... more >>

Tom Jones: Lord Help

Added: 23 Aug 2010

Queens of the Stone Age: Rated R, Deluxe Edition (Universal)

This, the second album by QOTSA and their first on a major label, was their breakthrough exactly a deacde ago and had critics digging in their superlatives bag. Oddly enough though, it wasn't because it was ground-breaking and innovative but rather it was (mostly) simply no nonsense, no flaffing about hard rock which was grounded in the great tradition of Zepp/Sabbath but with a dollop Meat... more >>

QOTSA: Feel Good Hit of the Summer (live)

[[jplayer:2-07 Feel Good Hit Of The Summer [Live From The Reading Festival 2000].mp3]]

Added: 23 Aug 2010

Simon Lynge: The Future (Lo-Max)

Singer-songwriter Lynge's story may be more interesting than his lowkey acoustic folk-pop: born in Denmark, childhood in Greenland (where his father is the local Bob Dylan apparently), back to Denmark, then to Los Angeles and Nashville, debut album Beautiful Way to Drown recorded in LA in Copenhagen in 2005 . . . Hard to top that in life experience for a 24-year old Inuit-Scandinavian... more >>

Simon Lynge: Infinitely You

Added: 22 Aug 2010

Various Artists: The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle (EMI)

Although very different, Brian Eno and Malcolm McLaren had one trait in common: after the event both would attribute philosophical and/or political meaning to something they had done. In the case of the late McLaren, the prime mover behind the Sex Pistols -- Johnny Rotten/John Lydon denies he was ever their "manager" -- would have had us believe that the Pistols/punk/anarchy of... more >>

Johnny Rotten: Stepping Stone

Added: 22 Aug 2010

Hawklords: 25 Years On (Esoteric/Southbound)

This will be reasonably brief because there is perhaps a limited audience for this double CD reissue of the '78 album and EP by an off-shoot of the sci-fi prog-rock band Hawkwind. Inspired by the science fiction of Michael Moorcock, Hawkwind's Dave Brock and Robert Calvert created Hawklords after Hawkwind briefly fell apart (they are still a going concern in some form or other). And --... more >>

Hawklords: Flying Doctor

Added: 22 Aug 2010

The Erica Miller Experience: Reconsidered (Universal)

Obviously there is a curiosity factor at work here: 63-year old Erica Miller is the woman Shayne Carter (Straitjacket Fits/Dimmer) calls "Mum" and so the album comes with acquired cachet in some circles. That it is also an album of covers of songs first recorded by Elvis and arrives on the anniversary of Presley's death adds another dimension of interest. The question is... more >>

Erica Miller Experience: Don't

Added: 17 Aug 2010 1 Comment

Brendan Perry: Ark (Cooking Vinyl)

As half of Dead Can Dance (alongside Lisa Gerrard), Perry was responsible for impressive sonic landscapes which owed a little to a kind of geographically amorphous "world music" and also to cinema soundtracks. Here, more than a decade after his previous solo outing, he embarks on gloomy sounding, authoratively-delivered meditations and thoughts over his swathe of synths which have... more >>

Brendan Perry: Utopia

Added: 16 Aug 2010

Bill Kirchen: Word to the Wise (Proper/Southbound)

It really doesn't matter if you don't already know of guitarist/singer Kirchen, judge him by the friends he keeps. Here are his longtime friend Nick Lowe (on the wonderfully overhauled Merle Haggard number Shelly's Winter Love, with Paul Carrack); Elvis Costello on Kirchen's outstanding Man in The Bottom of the Well; Commander Cody playing piano on the funny I Don't Work That Cheap (Bill... more >>

Bil Kirchen: Time Will Tell the Story

Added: 16 Aug 2010

Department of Eagles: Archive 2003 - 2006 (Bella Union)

Department of Eagles became the vehicle for Daniel Rossen and Fred Nicolaus to get their staccato sonic'n'sample experiments and increasingly dreamy pop into the wider world from their university dorm in New York. Initially they were called Whitey on the Moon, then Dept of Eagles . . . and later Rossen became the mainman in the already extant Grizzly Bear. The Eagles still... more >>

Department of Eagles: Golden Apples

Added: 15 Aug 2010

Dan Sultan: Get Out While You Can (Arts Victoria/Southbound)

Sultan from Melbourne -- father Irish, mother Aboriginal -- is a hard one to put in any box: tracks here are reflective but mainstream country rock, others more alt.country, then he delivers some rural balladry and a broken-down acoustic folk ballad. Then things rock out. This also opens with a terrific slice of Sixties soulful pop balladry on Goddess Love and Dingo rides a Johnny Cash... more >>

Dan Sultan: Crazy

Added: 15 Aug 2010

Peter Wolf Crier: Inter-Be (Jagjaguwar)

Peter Wolf Crier are an electro-acoustic duo out of Minneapolis (not to be confused with this guy) and this is their modest debut album. I say modest because while they utilise all the lo-tech vehicles at their command (loops, filters) they aren't intent on breaking free as a duo like the White Stripes or Black Keys. Their hearts are closer to the melodic school of M. Ward/early Beck and... more >>

Peter Wolf Crier: Lion

Added: 15 Aug 2010

Butcher Holler: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn (Signature)

As well-intentioned as this is -- a tribute to the country legend Loretta Lynn from a group lead by the excellent Eilen Jewel -- Lynn herself brought self-confident earthiness to her delivery of assertive songs like Fist City, Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' With Lovin' on Your Mind and You Ain't Woman Enough to Take My Man which somewhat eludes Jewel's pleasant and smoother delivery here.... more >>

Butcher Holler: Whispering Sea

Added: 14 Aug 2010

Cyndi Lauper: Memphis Blues (Inertia)

Even those of us who would still mount the argument that Cyndi Lauper was -- and remains -- a far greater talent than her peer, Madonna, might approach this album with some trepidation: just as Dusty and Elvis went to Memphis to record some of their finest songs, so now has Cyndi -- but a rather different, more bluesy Memphis than that which drew the sophisticated Ms Springfield. But with a... more >>

Cyndi Lauper: Shattered Dreams (with Allen Toussaint)

Added: 9 Aug 2010

Various Artists: All We Wanna do is Rock (Bear Family/Yellow Eye)

The great thing about Fifties rock'n'roll songs is they give you more bang for your buck -- this single disc from the German reissue label Bear Family (sort of Ryko-and-Rhino out of Hambergen) delivers 36 -- yep, count 'em, 36 -- tracks "carefully selected for moondogs and hepcats". There are many familiar names here for sure and a number deliver their classic songs: Smiley Lewis... more >>

Screamin' Jay Hawkins: Little Demon

Added: 9 Aug 2010

Tom Kerstens' G Plus Ensemble: Utopia (Real World/Southbound)

Although nominally a contemporary classical album -- English acoustic guitarist Kerstens and a string quartet -- this delightful, deep, meditative and probing album should find wide favour beyond the recital hall. Kerstens has commissioned from outside the classical world for this debut of his G Plus ensemble (which includes The Tippett Quartet) and among the composers are New Zealander... more >>

Tom Kerstens: The Number 88

Added: 9 Aug 2010

Sarah McLachlan: Laws of Illusion (Sony)

This prime mover behind the Lilith Fair all-women-artists tours of over a decade ago (and resurrected this year) hasn't released a new album in seven years, so in some quarters expectation must be very high. A gifted, emotionally-driven singer-songwriter, McLachlan here comes out with all guns blasting on the rocking opener Awakenings which starts restrained then opens out when the electric... more >>

Sarah McLachlan: Out of Tune

Added: 9 Aug 2010

Los Lobos: Tin Can Trust (Shock)

Los Lobos have always had a propensity to revert back to being a bar band (albeit a well produced one with terrific guitar playing) and that is their default position too often here for this to be truly satisfying -- and some dreary lyrics . . . "Down Main Street/down easy street, it's when I feel at home"; "Little darling I can't buy you gold rings and things"; "If... more >>

Los Lobos: Yo Canto

Added: 9 Aug 2010

Mark Olson: Many Colored Kite (Ryko)

As a founder member of the Jayhawks - and for the album '09 Ready for the Flood with former-Hawk Gary Louris -- Olson would always command a fair hearing, but this 11 track outing with roots of fingerpicking Anglofolk as much as Americana becomes a very difficult haul. Although Olson seems to have put some of his demons behind him his vocals here are narrow in emotional range and often... more >>

Mark Olson: Bluebell Song