Category Archives: Music

A Day In The Life – 27 September 1969

Posted on March 21, 2015 by westiedad

Has it really been that long since my last post? Moving house seems to be a process that never quite finishes. With only a few boxes left to unpack, I don’t feel too guilty visiting the 60’s again. 27 September … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged 1969, Black Sabbath, david bowie, Dr John, Fleetwood Mac, Grateful Dead, I'm Gonna Move Right In, Jimi Hendrix, music, nana mouskouri, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Saint Paul, Sanata, Scooby Doo, Shane, Simon and Garfunkel, Terry Knight, The Who, Van Morrison, velvet underground, vu | Leave a comment

Laneway Festival, Auckland, 26 January 2015

Posted on January 27, 2015 by westiedad

Here are some quick memories from Laneway 2015 in Auckland, New Zealand. A fantastic day, beautiful weather, great music, and a $5 carton of hot chips for dinner. What else could you ask for? The bands seemed to enjoy it … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Travel | Tagged Angel Olsen, Angus and Julia Stone, Angus Stone, Ariel Pink, auckland, Belle and Sebastian, Connan Mockasin, Courtney Barnett, Future Islands, Future Islands dance, Julia Stone, Laneway, Mac DeMarco, music, St Vincent | Leave a comment

A Day In The Life – 27 September 1968

Posted on January 20, 2015 by westiedad

“I was born the same year the greatest automobile in the history of automobiles was created, the 1957 Chevrolet. Thank God only one of us had tail fins.” ― Michael Buffalo Smith, Prisoner of Southern Rock: A Memoir I think … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged 27 September 68, Allison Durbin, Baby Please Don't Go, Beatles, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Big Joe Williams, Carl Perkins, Chicago, CTA, Dunoon, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, I Have Loved Me A Man, Janis Joplin, John Mayall, Led Zeppelin, Mick Taylor, music, Piece Of My Heart, Pink Floyd, Restless, The Who, Tommy | 1 Comment

Musical Micropause: Z

Posted on December 13, 2014 by westiedad

Zoot Woman: Grey Day (2003) Zoot Woman is a three-piece electronica band from the UK. They released their debut EP in 1995, and in August 2014 they released their fourth full-length CD. During that time they’ve picked up a range … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Billy Gibbons, Body Memory, Carmelita, Dusty Hill, Frank Beard, Grey Day, Thalia Zedek, Tush, Warren Zevon, Zoot Woman, ZZ Top | 2 Comments

Nick Cave – live in Auckland, 7 December 2014

Posted on December 8, 2014 by westiedad

It has to be a sign of a great gig, where you can’t stop the songs from going around your head a day later, and after listening to nothing but Nick Cave for weeks, you don’t want to stop. My … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged music, nick cave | Leave a comment

Musical Micropause: Y

Posted on November 19, 2014 by westiedad

Neil Young: Rockin In The Free World (1989) How do you pick one Neil Young song? Do you choose acoustic Neil or noisy Neil? There’s a world between “See The Sky About To Rain” and “Cortex The Killer”, but both … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Amish Paradise, Bob Dylan, Chris Keating, David Kelly, Fingers Never Bleed, Fragrant World, Harrowdown Hill, Neil Young, palindrome, Rockin In The Free World, Subterranean Homesick Blues, The Eraser, Thom Yorke, Weird Al Yankovic, Yeasayer | Leave a comment

Musical Micropause: X

Posted on November 12, 2014 by westiedad

XTC: Making Plans For Nigel (1979) It’s generally a sign that a single has been a major success in the UK if it manages to find its way to New Zealand airwaves, and this was particularly true in the late … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Afraid Of Monsters, Arms For Hostages, For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights, hey Zeus!, John Twells, Making Plans for Nigel, music, VCR, X, xela, XTC, XX | 2 Comments

Musical Micropause: W

Posted on October 19, 2014 by westiedad

White Stripes: You’re Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl) (2000) I wish I’d seen these guys live, but hopefully I’ll see Jack White one day. This song seems to contain all the elements of a classic White Stripes song: slightly ragged but … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Fisherman's Blues, Goodby Jumbo, Jack White, Karl Wallinger, Sweet Soul Dream, Waterboys, When You go Away, White Stripes, Whole Of The Moon, World Party, You're Pretty Good Looking | Leave a comment

Musical Micropause: V

Posted on October 5, 2014 by westiedad

Townes Van Zandt: No Place To Fall – Live At The Old Quarter, Houston, Texas (1973) I’d come across the name of Townes Van Zandt in many interviews and articles, with one quote attributed to Steve Earle getting my attention: “Townes … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged I'll Be Your Mirror, John cale, Lou Reed, Nico, No Place To Fall, Suzanne Vega, The Queen and the Soldier, Townes Van Zandt, velvet underground, venus in furs | 4 Comments

Musical Micropause U: 35 years of U2 live

Posted on December 13, 2013 by westiedad

Just as Q is dominated by Queen, so it is with U and U2. Underworld did have a great track with Born Slippy, and UB40 were nothing to be ashamed of in their early days, but it gets tricky after … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Adam Clayton, Bono, dublin, Edge, ireland, Larry Mullen, Live Aid, Street Mission, u2, Vertigo, ZooTV | 2 Comments

Musical Micropause: T

Posted on December 12, 2013 by westiedad

TV On The Radio: Wolf Like Me (2006) Rated as Spin’s album of the year, no 2 for Pitchfork, and no 4 for both Stylus and Rolling Stone, it was hard not to hear the positive reviews received in 2006 … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Ain’t Too Proud To Beg, Amy Winehouse, Came So Far for Beauty, David Byrne, Dusk, I'm Your Man, Johnny Marr, leonard cohen, Life During Wartime, Return To Cookie Mountain, Rolling Stones, Slow Emotion Reply, Talking Heads, Teddy Thompson, Temptations, The The, Tonight Will Be Fine, TV On The Radio, Wolf Like Me | 5 Comments

New York – first taste of the Apple: May 1994

Posted on December 12, 2013 by westiedad

My neighbor is very chatty, and as she’s a New Yorker, I try to get some hints that aren’t covered by the guidebooks. I’m on the countdown now. This is my first visit to New York, and I’ve managed to … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Travel | Tagged Andy Warhol, John cale, Lou Reed, Manhattan, New York, Tom Wilson, travel, USA, velvet underground | 2 Comments

Musical Micropause: S

Posted on November 29, 2013 by westiedad

The Smiths: Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want (1984) I first became aware of the Smiths in 1985 when a friend who was far cooler than me took to wearing a “Meat Is Murder” t-shirt at every opportunity. … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Agaetis Byrjun, andrew brough, bob mould, down in splendour, flying nun, helpless, marr, morrissey, new zealand music, please please please let me get what I want, shayne carter, sigur ros, smiths, straitjacket fits, sugar | 9 Comments

Musical Micropause: R

Posted on November 20, 2013 by westiedad

Commercially and critically, R surely has to be recognised as one of the most successful letters in the modern musical era. A micropauser is truly spoiled for choice. Open up and say….R! Lou Reed: Dirty Boulevard (live in New York, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged auckland, Bryan Ferry, Bulgakov, Dirty Boulevard, Glastonbury, Idioteque, Kid A, Lou Reed, Master and Margarita, music, New York, radiohead, REM, Rolling Stones, Roxy Music, Sympathy For The Devil, Virginia Plain | 3 Comments

Musical Micropause: Q

Posted on November 5, 2013 by westiedad

There’s no way around it. If you wouldn’t recognise Queens of the Stone Age, and don’t know Q-Tip, then Q is for Queen. Queen: Love of My Life – Live (1986) I think my main problem with Queen’s music is … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Brian May, david bowie, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Love of my life, music, Queen, Roger Taylor, Somebody to Love, The Show Must Go On, Under Pressure | 3 Comments

Musical Micropause: P

Posted on October 30, 2013 by westiedad

Grant-Lee Phillips: Mona Lisa (2004) I first came across Grant-Lee Phillips when he was the front man and songwriter for Grant Lee Buffalo, and began another campaign to convince friends that GLB were the next big thing. Everything was on … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged bike, chills, grant lee buffalo, grant-lee phillips, I've Been Tired, Lou Reed, martin phillipps, mona lisa, Pink Floyd, Pixies, Syd Barrett | 2 Comments

Musical Micropause: O

Posted on October 28, 2013 by westiedad

Okkervil River: Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe (2007) Another band that I’ve discovered through the pages of Word and Uncut, Okkervil River are sometimes labelled indie-folk, sometimes Americana. Being named after a short story by a Russian author hints … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged a minha menina, beth orton, feel to believe, masterplan, noel gallagher, oasis, okkervil river, os mutantes, will sheff | 6 Comments

Musical Micropause: N

Posted on October 17, 2013 by westiedad

New Pornographers: Myriad Harbour (2007) Another band that I’ve discovered through Word and Uncut magazines, the New Pornographers formed in Vancouver in 1999. This track was one of the singles from Challengers, the CD that the were promoting when they … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged a song for you, apartment story, ceremony, king arms, leon russell, music, myriad harbour, new order, new pornographers, rainbow connection, stephen morris, the national, vector arena, willie nelson | 9 Comments

Musical Micropause: M

Posted on October 3, 2013 by westiedad

Unintentionally all old school today. Tales from the M drawer… Bob Mould: See A Little Light (1989) This is from Workbook, Bob Mould’s first solo album after the break-up of Hüsker Dü in 1988. After the volume of Hüsker Dü, this … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged angel, bob mould, deserters songs, don mcglashan, massive attack, mercury rev, mezzanine, mutton birds, opus 40, white valiant, workbook | Leave a comment

Musical Micropause: L

Posted on September 20, 2013 by westiedad

Luna: 23 Minutes In Brussels (1995) My introduction to Luna was their 1995 CD, “Penthouse”, which includes this track. A lot of bands claim to be influenced by the Velvet Underground, but with their relentless chug I think these guys may … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged jens lekman, lambchop, low, luna, mojo, music, robert plant, silver rider, uncut, word magazine | 2 Comments

Musical Micropause: K

Posted on September 10, 2013 by westiedad

Kings of Convenience: I’d Rather Dance With You (2004) My favourite act of 2013. The Kings of Convenience produce beautiful melodies, but how do two guys from Bergen, Norway, come up with such intricate lyrics? With a tall blond guy leading the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Killers, Kings of Convenience, Kinks, Mark Knopfler, Romeo and Juliet, Waterloo Sunset | Leave a comment

Musical micropause: J

Posted on September 3, 2013 by westiedad

Joy Division: Disorder (1979) Disorder opens Unknown Pleasures, Joy Division’s debut studio album from 1979. Until the last few years I’ve only been vaguely familiar with their story, knowing only “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, and that they became New Order … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Anita Pallenberg, Disorder, Greg Johnson, Joy Order, Keith Richards, Love In Vain, madeleine peyroux, Mick Jagger, Performance, Robert Johnson, Rolling Stones | Leave a comment

Keep on Running – back to Bordeaux: November 1989

Posted on August 29, 2013 by westiedad

Wake UP! What the..?? What is hell is THAT?? It’s pitch black outside. It sounds like a drill? Have I fallen asleep in a construction site? No, that’s the phone, but the ringer volume seems to have been set by … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Travel | Tagged 1989, amsterdam, auckland, Austerlitz, bordeaux, busker, gare du nord, Kronenbourg, lovetown, metro, music, paris, travel, u2 | 3 Comments

Musical micropause: I

Posted on August 23, 2013 by westiedad

This one was hard work. If you’re going to start a band, try something beginning with R, like REM, Radiohead and the Rolling Stones. There aren’t that many big name I-bands out there, especially if you don’t like Iron Maiden. … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged closer to fine, great southern land, icehouse, indigo girls, interpol, iva davies, mullet, nyc, obstacle 1 | 4 Comments

Musical micropause: H

Posted on August 14, 2013 by westiedad

Some guilty pleasures (Caution: NSFW, nothing wrong with the language, but people will talk about you) Harpo: Moviestar (1975) Definitely one for the car with all windows wound up tight. A native of Sweden, Jan Harpo Torsten Svensson was assigned to two … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged abba, frida, harpo, hat, heebeegeebees, husker du, love is all around, mary tyler moore, meaningless songs, minneapolis, movie star | Leave a comment

Musical micropause: G

Posted on August 4, 2013 by westiedad

From the G drawer, some memories of great nights here and some hopefully still to come… Gorillaz: Dare (2005) Gorillaz, the brainchild of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, started as a virtual band in 1998 and may have ended on-stage in … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged crowded house, damon albarn, dare, David Gilmour, david gray, gorillaz, grant lee buffalo, honey don't think, obscured by clouds, one with the birds, phil manzanera, Pink Floyd, plastic beach, REM, richard wright, will oldham, wots uh the deal | Leave a comment

Musical micropause: F – voices from down under

Posted on July 16, 2013 by westiedad

I’m feeling patriotic today, so here are four favourites from New Zealand, starting on Takapuna Beach, Auckland… The Front Lawn: Andy (1989) The short-lived Front Lawn was founded in 1985, and this is probably their best-known song. Andy was written by … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Travel | Tagged all blacks, andy, cheer up murray, couldn't be done, don mcglashan, faster than light, fish and chups, flight of the conchords, front lawn, kiwifruit, murray hewitt, neil finn, new zealand, new zealand take your mum, pavlova, sheep, tim finn, try whistling this | 3 Comments

Musical micropause: E

Posted on July 9, 2013 by westiedad

Move over iTunes, here come the eTunes… Easy Star All*Stars: Let Down (2006) Radiohead meets reggae on the Easy Star All*Stars cover album of OK Computer. This was recorded with Toots and the Maytals, and according to this concert report from Philadelphia … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged easy star allstars, editors, elbow, everything but the girl, let down, munich, radiohead, seldom seen kid, walking wounded, weather to fly, wrong | 4 Comments

Musical micropause: D

Posted on July 2, 2013 by westiedad

Some favourites from the D vaults: Miles Davis: Nuit Sur Les Champs-Élysées (1958) This is from the soundtrack to “Ascenseur pour l’Échafaud” and was recorded by Miles Davis in Paris the year before Kind of Blue was released. It has a similar … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Ascenseur pour l’Échafaud, Bob Dylan, Colin Meloy, Crane Wife, Decemberists, Jazz, Kind of Blue, Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie, Miles Davis, music, Nick Drake, Northern Sky, paris | 6 Comments

Musical micropause: C

Posted on June 23, 2013 by westiedad

Four more memories….this time from the C artists: John Cale: Venus In Furs (live) In my previous job a few years ago, I told my boss one day that I would be working out of the office. I didn’t tell … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged auckland, brussels, Cale, Fragments Of A Rainy Season, germany, John cale, jools holland, leonard cohen, live, mainz, music, nick cave, night comes on, right now I'm a roaming, velvet underground, venus in furs | 2 Comments

Musical micropause: B

Posted on June 8, 2013 by westiedad

Four more of my favourite songs…. Beck: Mexico A cautionary tale of the dangers faced by McDonalds night shift workers everywhere. I think it’s hilarious, but I don’t work at McDonalds. Blue Nile: Happiness When I was driving from … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged beck, Billy Bragg, Blue Nile, Dark Globe, David Gilmour, Happiness, Mexico, Paul Buchanan, Pink Floyd, REM, Saturday Boy, Syd Barrett | Leave a comment

Musical micropause: A

Posted on May 30, 2013 by westiedad

Random goodness brought to you by the letter A… Air: La Femme d’Argent “A slow glide through seven minutes of growing bliss” – allmusic.com “…neo-symphonic bliss-outs for the next Generation Next. For the Jazz Club in space” – NME … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged A, Air, arcade fire, bad seeds, barry adamson, brazil, damn sam, Femme d'argent, heartbreaker, moon safari, music, nick cave, Oedipus Schmoedipus, rebellion (lies), ryan adams, Sweetest Embrace, woman that rains | Leave a comment

John Cale, live in Dublin 1998 – Not Going Gentle Into That Good Night

Posted on June 22, 2012 by westiedad

“Never miss the opportunity to see John Cale live”. That’s the unambiguous advice from a review of Cale’s show at the Gluepot in Auckland in 1983. The review has been republished in a local newspaper as part of a series … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Cale, dublin, Fragments Of A Rainy Season, ireland, John cale, velvet underground, vicar street | 2 Comments

David Bowie in Auckland, November 1987: Along Came A Spider…

Posted on June 2, 2012 by westiedad

1987…..the year of Fatal Attraction, Wall Street; and if you were female – Dirty Dancing. For many it was the Year of the Rabbit. But for David Bowie, 1987 was the Year of the Spider; not a spider from Mars … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged 1987, auckland, bowie, carlos alomar, david bowie, glass spider, new zealand, peter frampton, western springs | 3 Comments