Tag Archives: sound

Album review: Dear Mark Mulcahy, I Love You – Mark Mulcahy

DEAR MARK J MULCAHY, I LOVE YOU Mark Mulcahy (Southbound) When Mark Mulcahy’s wife died suddenly in 2008 aged 41, some of his fans put together a tribute album – with star turns by Michael Stipe, Thom Yorke, Mercury Rev, The National and Dinosaur Jr. So if such luminaries like him, how come the rest of the world have taken such a long time to catch on – after all, he’s been out there three decades and has five previous solo full-lengthers as well as his 80s band Miracle Legion back catalogue His strangely gentle psychedelic sound supports wonderfully observant street poetry – like Lou Reed backed by The Presidents of the USA with the occasional flute thrown in for good luck

Share

Album review: The devil put dinosaurs here – Alice in Chains

THE DEVIL PUT DINOSAURS HERE Alice In Chains (Universal) Twenty five plus years on and, in musical terms, Alice In Chains are getting to be dinosaurs. That they’ve survived this long, even after the death of core members Layne Staley and Mike Starr is partly because they are great riff merchants and are a lot closer to being a heavy metal band than their grunge roots might suggest.

Share

Julie Andrews not all sweet like sugar

She swears, shouts and likes a good game of “rugger” – screen star Julie Andrews has revealed she’s not always as sweet as a spoonful of sugar. The veteran Mary Poppins and Sound of Music star is in New Zealand for her latest stage show, An Evening with Julie Andrews, which plays tomorrow

Share

Album review: 180 – Palma Violets

180 Palma Violets (The Label/Rhythmethod) As retro as their candied namesakes, the Palma Violets have ridden a wave of hype off the back of an NME tour and crashing single Best of Friends, but their youthful exuberance and hurtling adherence to the rock n roll lifestyle fails to provide the solid bedrock of promised stardom. True, they’ve mastered a ”sound” thanks to Pete Mayhew’s swirling gothic organ and lad-about-town lyrics from frontmen Chilli Jesson and Sam Fryer, and ex-Pulp bassman producer Steve Mackey does very little to break their live-feel style by twiddling too many knobs, but this next big thing just doesn’t seem to have the same smash-and-grab impact of, say, The Arctic Monkeys.

Share