Albums·Music·Recordings·Thought Piece Kate Bush was a figure of fun June 25, 2022 Gary Steel She’s rock royalty with an old song riding high in the charts, but not so long ago Kate Bush was mercilessly ridiculed, writes GARY Read More
Albums·Interviews·Music·Recordings Rebel smell – Time’s up for shock rockers June 21, 2022 Gary Steel Is it time for rock and roll rebels to face the music? GARY STEEL fuses his 1990s Marilyn Manson interview with musings on shock Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Albums·Music·Recordings·Thought Piece 1001 Albums You Must Die Before You Hear – Marilyn Manson’s Mechanical Animals June 15, 2022 Matthew Kelly Even at his very best Marilyn Manson sucks the biscuit as far as MATT KELLY is concerned. Read on to find out why. Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Albums·Music·Recordings·Thought Piece 1001 Albums You Must Die Before You Hear – Walker Hayes’ Country Stuff June 9, 2022 Matthew Kelly MATT KELLY puts a very sharp knife into a fat platter with thin ideas that may actually be the worst album of our year Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Albums·Music·Recordings·Thought Piece 1001 Albums You Must Die Before You Hear – Mick Jagger’s She’s The Boss June 3, 2022 Matthew Kelly MATT KELLY marvels at a shockingly bad album wherein Jagger uses 31 great session musicians for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Read More
Albums·Music·NZ music·Recordings·Thought Piece Lea Maalfrid’s This Love – a master class in singer-songwriting June 3, 2022 Gary Steel One of NZ’s most distinguished songwriters finally gets round to recording a career-spanning overview, and GARY STEEL is well impressed. Read More
Albums·Music·NZ music·Recordings·Thought Piece Lawnmaster’s Curable Romantic – Wellington’s self-proclaimed laziest band steps up June 2, 2022 Gary Steel Self-deprecating, funny and deeply humanistic, this Wellington band’s latest deserves a hearing, reckons GARY STEEL. Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Albums·Music·Recordings·Thought Piece 1001 Albums You Must Die Before You Hear – The Doors’ Full Circle June 2, 2022 Matthew Kelly MATT KELLY casts his withering gaze at the second and final post-Jim Morrison album and isn't in the least bit impressed. Read More
Concerts·Interviews·Music·NZ music·Recordings The Witchdoctor Q&A – Sandy Mill May 26, 2022 Gary Steel Sandy Mill is one of Aotearoa's finest singers. To mark a rare performance in Auckland this weekend, we ask her some leading questions. Read More
Music·NZ music·Recordings The Steroids and White Light Records May 25, 2022 Gary Steel In 1980 In Touch magazine got all excited about Wellington post-punk band The Steroids and the launching of their independent record label. Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Albums·Music·Recordings 1001 Albums You Must Die Before You Hear – William Hung x 3 May 25, 2022 Matthew Kelly MATT KELLY traces the mercifully brief career over just three abysmal albums of former American Idol star William Hung. Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Albums·Music·Recordings 1001 Albums You Must Die Before You Hear – Mrs Miller’s Greatest Hits May 24, 2022 Matthew Kelly MATT KELLY finds himself actually enjoying this awful album, and siding with the masses who put it on the charts in the '60s. Read More
Albums·Music·Recordings The Death Of Co-Aklan – Cathal Coughlan, gone… May 24, 2022 Guest Contributor GEORGE HENDERSON pays tribute to former Microdisney and Fatima Mansions singer-songwriter Cathal Coughlin. Read More
Concerts·Music·NZ music·Thought Piece Live shows from long ago… The Crocodiles/The Whizz Kids May 23, 2022 Gary Steel By late 1980 The Crocodiles lineup had splintered. GARY STEEL wrote this review of their Wellington gig at shortlived venue Billy D'Club. Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Albums·Music·Recordings 1001 Albums You Must Die Before You Hear – Grand Funk Railroad’s All The Girls In The World Beware May 23, 2022 Matthew Kelly Do you want to hear the singer boast about the dark brown stains on his underwear? MATT KELLY sure as hell does not. Read More
Albums·Music·Recordings·Thought Piece Ancient Album Review Columns #3: Pity the critic May 21, 2022 Gary Steel GARY STEEL suffers a complete breakdown while attempting to review all the shit that came out in December 1987. Read More
Albums·Music·Recordings·Thought Piece Automatic Static’s Time Before Time – an imagined sax and drum duel May 19, 2022 Gary Steel Jazz duets aren't dead, they just smell weird, writes GARY STEEL about an odd sax/drums project. Read More
Music·Thought Piece The Opshop Critique – unbearable music icons and celebrities, ’90s-style May 18, 2022 Guest Contributor Guest columnist GEORGE HENDERSON is shocked by a book of 1990s interviews with more than a few repugnant personalities. Read More
Gear·Music·Smartphones·Thought Piece The iPod is history – but is that such a big deal? May 17, 2022 Gary Steel GARY STEEL reflects on Apple's announcement on the demise of the iPod and our relationship to the iconic music player. Read More
Concerts·Music·NZ music·Thought Piece Live shows from long ago… Wolfgang/Coup D’Etat May 16, 2022 Gary Steel GARY STEEL's 1980 review of a gig by the Red Mole theatre troupe splinter band that was soon to become the hitmaking Coup D'Etat. Read More