Music at Elsewhere

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Malcolm Middleton: Sleight of Heart (FullTimeHobby/Rhythmethod)

This astringent Scottish singer-songwriter and former Arab Strap member appeared at Elsewhere previously with his excellent album A Brighter Beat, the opening track of which was the brittle but bouncy We're All Going To Die. That song was released as a UK single before Christmas last year and started at odds of 1000-1 against becoming Radio 1's Christmas number one. But -- shades of Love... more >>

Malcolm Middleton: Blue Plastic Bags

Added: 12 Apr 2008

The Rolling Stones: Shine A Light (Universal)

Some might say that the last thing the world needs right now is another live Stones collection. After all Get Yer Ya Ya's Out (released a whopping 38 years go!) is the hardcore fan's classic, and we've had Love You Live, Still Life, Flashpoint, Stripped and No Security since. And it was only four years ago that we had Live Licks, a sort-of-greatest hits done live. But the selling... more >>

The Rolling Stones: Paint It Black

Added: 12 Apr 2008

The Quick and the Dead: Heartbreak 365 (Cosmic Federation)

Elsewhere always has a warm place in its heart for young band full of energy, ideas (if not always original) and enthusiastic execution. And this Auckland three-piece has all those. While I might hear 60s garageband pop-rock, the Clash and Chris Knox -- and a worrying lurch into prog-psychedelia on She Knows -- that doesn't change the fact that this has been taking a hammering once I got... more >>

The Quick and the Dead: Heartbreak 365

Added: 12 Apr 2008

The Happy Prince by the La De Das (EMI reissue, 2005)

Most people remember Auckland's La De Das for classic r'n'b 60s rock such as How is the Air Up There? and Don't You Stand in My Way, two songs which established them as the Rolling Stones of our hometown. There was much more to them, but this album seemed to pass most people by. Even before Pete Townshend wrote Tommy, band members Bruce Howard and Trevor Wilson were talking of a... more >>

The La De Das: Lullaby

Added: 6 Apr 2008

Caroline Herring, Lantana (Signature)

To my embarrassment I admit to never having heard of this alt.country singer-songwriter, now onto (I think) her third album. Apparently she won the best new artist award at Austin's South X Southwest Festival in 2002 and I imagine she has picked a few awards and many fans since. She's won me with this one, her pure Baez-like vocals, the crisp and clear arrangements for pedal steel, fiddle... more >>

Caroline Herring: Paper Gown

Added: 6 Apr 2008

White Swan Black Swan: Castle of Useless Junk, (Arch Hill)

This five-song EP by the Auckland duo of Ben Howe and Sonya Waters is a charming little collection: a little bit alt.country, a little bit alt.pop. Considered and quiet -- and needlessly modest. Check their label www.archhill.co.nz (Good website all round) more >>

Black Swan White Swan: Orange & Brown

Added: 6 Apr 2008

An Emerald City, An Emerald City (Monkey Records)

This extraordinary four-track EP by an Auckland band which is long on instrumental elegance and very short on pretention is a diamond, and like a precious gem you can turn it many ways and appreciate different refractions. These swooning, grand and widescreen instrumentals have something in common with the great US band Explosions in the Sky but they also have a more exotic element through... more >>

An Emerald City: A Thousand Stars At Night

Added: 5 Apr 2008

The Calico Brothers: God Left Town EP (Ode)

As with the Traveling Wilburys these "brothers" (three, a cousin and a friend) all share the coincidence of the same surname, "Calico". And as with the Wilburys they also share a love of clearly rendered country-pop pushed by acoustic guitars, distinctive vocals and memorable melodies. This six-song EP (I leave it up to you to figure out who some of these Aucklanders... more >>

The Calico Brothers: Hundred and One

Added: 5 Apr 2008

North Mississippi Allstars: Hernando (Songs of the South)

These Allstars aren't really, but two of them are the sons of the great James Luther Dickinson whose last album was one of the Best of Elsewhere 2007: a swirling implosion of country, psychedelic rock, blues and cornmash liquor. The boys haven't fallen too far from the tree but sometimes bring a swag more gritty psychedelic blues into the picture here and you'd be forgiven for thinking some... more >>

North Mississippi Allstars: Soldier

Added: 5 Apr 2008

REM, Accelerate (Warners)

Yes, REM are a Very Big Band Indeed and so you will doubtless be reading reviews of this in many other places -- but the reason it also gets a showing at Elsewhere where they keep company with rather more obscure artists is because I have faithfully bought every REM album in the past decade and have been mostly disappointed. But Accelerate vindicates the faith. The criticisms of it are... more >>

REM: Mr Richards

Added: 1 Apr 2008

Beck: Odelay Deluxe Edition (Universal)

This cornerstone album from '96 confirmed that Beck was going to be something much more than the one-hit wonder for Loser and even the "Dylan of his generation" as some writers had it. Odelay was good enough in itself to stand some kind of re-issue/repackaging, but this Deluxe Edition (some unreleased tracks, another disc of remixes and a dozen B-sides, big booklet of lyrics,... more >>

Beck: Thunder Peel Extra track)

Added: 1 Apr 2008

Stephen Malkmus and Jicks: Real Emotional Trash (UNSpin)

With guitar playing that slips from Blue Cheer's fuzzy density to Television's ethereal astral flights, lyrics that typically defy interpretation, and some of Neil Young's intensity this is quite some statement by the former Pavement frontman who here takes his tight band through everything from driving and economic prog-rock to almost alt.country-rock moods. This is music that you simply... more >>

Stephen Malkmus and Jicks: Hopscotch Willie

Added: 26 Mar 2008

Eilen Jewell: Boundary County

Jewell appeared on Elsewhere a few weeks back (see tag) with her second album Letters From Sinners & Strangers -- but this debut from 2006 is actually much better, and it seems to have been given local release on the back of interest in that more recent one. Where Sinners/Strangers has a jazzy shuffle in places, this one is more firmly in the alt.country camp and her lazy, slightly... more >>

Eilen Jewell: Fourth Degree

Added: 25 Mar 2008

The Magnetic Fields: Distortion (Nonesuch)

Okay, this is wilful on the part of Magnetic Fields' mainman Stephin Merritt and myself. On his part because here the wunderkind of US pop-rock saturates everything in feedback and distortion (hence the album title) -- and on my part because this album won't be easy to find in New Zealand (if you wanted to, that is). But I include it here largely to point to the Essential Elsewhere album... more >>

The Magnetic Fields: Till the Bitter End

Added: 25 Mar 2008

Elbow: The Seldom Seen Kid (Mag)

Back in 2001 Elbow were shortlisted for Britain's prestigious Mercury Prize for their debut album Asleep in the Back* and for my money it has all been up since then, although I suspect sales haven't followed accordingly. They are a cult name in New Zealand (mid-sized cult however) and a band that is too easy to let slip past you. But they are musically unconstrained (Led Zepp who went from... more >>

Elbow: An Audience with the Pope

Added: 25 Mar 2008 3 Comments

Ringo Starr: Liverpool 8 (EMI)

No one, surely, has seriously followed Ringo's career since some time in the late 70s when the hits stopped coming (but he did have quite a few solo hits). But one thing he used to do was sing a convincingly autobiographical song (the terrific Late 1970 when he seemingly tried to reconcile his sparring former bandmates) and this title track from his latest album is one of those: he starts... more >>

Ringo Starr: Liverpool 8

Added: 20 Mar 2008

Grand Archives: The Grand Archive (SubPop/Rhythmethod)

There are albums which, if you never hear, you probably can ignore and live happily without. For those who hear them however they become a private passion. I can't imagine my life without a regular blast of the Dwight Twilley Band or Neil Halstead's Sleeping on Roads. This debut album is like that: it breaks no particular boundaries and nor does it sets off on any original path. In fact... more >>

Grand Archives: Swan Matches

Added: 16 Mar 2008

Lizz Wright: The Orchard (Verve)

We aren't short of soulful women singers right now, but few deliver with such blues gravitas and sensual authority as this Georgia-raised New Yorker whose two previous albums on Verve announced her as one of the rare ones. Most black (and a few white) women singers who sing with an ache are hailed as the new Billie Holiday (Corinne Bailey Rae? Gimme a break!) but for once the reference is... more >>

Lizz Wright: Another Angel

Added: 15 Mar 2008

The Gutter Twins: Saturnalia (SubPop)

The menacing baritone of Mark Lanegan (formerly of grunge-era Screaming Trees, sometime guest with Queens of the Stone Age) was recently employed to redemptive uplift on the Soulsavers album which was one of the Best of Elsewhere 2007 (see tag). Here he and Greg Dulli (of Afghan Whigs and Twilight Singers) as the Gutter Twins explore similarly dense emotional territory but without the gospel... more >>

The Gutter Twins: Idle Hands

Added: 15 Mar 2008

Joe Jackson: Rain (Ryko/Elite)

By the end of the first, somewhat leaden track Invisible Man, even longtime fans might be gulping hard. But things take off after that clunker (which is much better live as the DVD which comes with early copies of this album shows). Jackson's desperate sounding vocals and his exceptional piano playing get a long overdue showcase on this pared back outing with just the rhythm section from his... more >>

Joe Jackson: King Pleasure Time