Albums·Music·Recordings Who you jiving with that cosmic debris? Zappa’s Apostrophe (โ) at 50 October 6, 2024 Gary Steel Frank Zappaโs most popular album gets a chunky six-disc elaboration. GARY STEEL wonders whether it warrants the attention. Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Music·Recordings World’s Worst Records – Alison Gold’s Chinese Food October 1, 2024 Matthew Kelly Our expert on the worst of the worst, the honourable MATT KELLY, gets stuck into a very dubious release that verges on culturally insensitive. Read More
Amplifiers·Gear·Hi-Fi·Music·Recordings·Sound and Vision Stuck between rock and a hi-fi space September 7, 2024 Gary Steel GARY STEEL loves the world of music heโs discovered in hi-fi appreciation but hates what its sonic refinement does to many of his favourite Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Music·Recordings World’s Worst Records: Liverpool FC’s Anfield Rap September 6, 2024 Matthew Kelly MATT KELLY could write a book about the thoroughly awful phenomenon of English football club singles, but wisely chooses to stick to an especially Read More
Albums·Music·Recordings Guilty Pleasures: Electric Light Orchestraโs Eldorado August 19, 2024 Gary Steel ELOโs grandiose 1974 monstrosity is an over-the-top masterpiece, according to long-time appreciator GARY STEEL. Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Music·Recordings World’s worst records: Ladbaby July 24, 2024 Matthew Kelly MATT KELLY was going to review Journey until he heard Ladbaby's appropriation of a really shit song. We feel really sorry for him. Read More
Albums·Concerts·Music·Recordings The long-delayed release of a legendary 1968 performance by Zappa/The Mothers June 23, 2024 Gary Steel Frank Zappa and his Mothers would never be hotter than they were the week in 1968 when this gig was recorded. GARY STEEL takes Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Albums·Music·Recordings World’s Worst Records: Janelle Monae May 30, 2024 Matthew Kelly MATT KELLY absolutely loved her previous album but Janelle Monae's latest sucks so bad that he can't help feel let down. Read More
Albums·Interviews·Music·NZ music·Recordings Jayrem โ The โnot Flying Nunโ 1980s Kiwi record label May 24, 2024 Gary Steel To celebrate NZ Music Month GARY STEEL digs up a rare 1986 interview with Wellington record label owner Jim Moss. Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Albums·Music·Recordings World’s Worst Records – The Portsmouth Sinfonia May 23, 2024 Matthew Kelly MATT KELLY writes about a record that is both diabolically awful and amazingly great and which everyone should get out there and hear. Read More
Albums·Concerts·Interviews·Music·Recordings Mike Oldfield with bells on May 20, 2024 Gary Steel Mike Oldfieldโs Tubular Bells is over 50 years old but still sounds fresh. GARY STEEL chats with the man behind the upcoming Auckland performance Read More
Albums·Concerts·Interviews·Music·NZ music·Recordings Aldous Harding: The lost interview May 2, 2024 Gary Steel Especially for New Zealand Music Month GARY STEEL disinters a 10-year-old interview with Aldous Harding conducted at the time of her debut album. Read More
Albums·Concerts·Music·Recordings Icehouse, 40 years ago April 30, 2024 Gary Steel Itโs not often you get to interview Iva Davies (Icehouse) and Jo Camilleri (Jo Jo Zep) at the same time. GARY STEEL did way Read More
Gear·Hi-Fi·Music·Recordings·Sound and Vision Hi-Fi Show Report: AXPONA April 30, 2024 Guest Contributor OWEN HARRIS moseyed along to the largest hi-fi show in the USA and instead of just taking in endless rooms of product took time Read More
Albums·Music·Recordings Random Vinyl Play: This 1969 debut is an unheralded classic April 24, 2024 Gary Steel In a new column, GARY STEEL dips into his vinyl racks. Today itโs the tasty debut by UK psychedelic band Caravan. Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Albums·Music·Recordings·Thought Piece 1001 Albums You Must Die Before You Hear #100: Metallica with Lou Reed – Lulu March 23, 2024 Matthew Kelly MATT KELLY somehow manages to listen to 90 minutes of possibly the worst collaborative album by major rock figures ever made. Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Music·Recordings Rick Wakeman’s horrific Beatles ‘Tribute’ March 14, 2024 Matthew Kelly MATT KELLY finds a blotch in the prog-rock keyboard maestro's catalogue that's even more risible than King Arthur On Ice. Read More
Albums·Music·NZ music·Recordings NZ music’s battle to be heard – 40 years ago, that is March 4, 2024 Gary Steel NZ music acts whining about how hard it is to make a mark in 2024 might find this piece about the struggle to make Read More
1001 albums you must die before you hear·Albums·Music·NZ music·Recordings·Thought Piece 1001 Albums You Must Die Before You Hear: Wing March 4, 2024 Matthew Kelly MATT KELLY's tribute to one of the best/worst singers ever to grace NZ stages and Southpark, a true classic of awful. RIP Wing. Read More
Albums·Concerts·Interviews·Music·Recordings Graham Nash’s 60 Years Of Songs & Stories February 15, 2024 Gary Steel GARY STEEL chats with GRAHAM NASH about his halcyon 60 years in rock and his first-ever solo dates in New Zealand. Read More