top of page
Victor Stranges
Dec 28, 20243 min read
The Sounds of Solitude: How Brian Wilson’s Inner Struggles Shaped the Beach Boys’ Greatest Music
In December 1964, Brian Wilson’s life took a dramatic turn, forever altering the course of the Beach Boys and reshaping music history.
17 views
Victor Stranges
Dec 28, 20245 min read
A Tangled Melody: Tommy James, the Mob, and the Music Industry’s Dark Underbelly
The American music industry—a glittering emblem of creativity and rebellion—has long been shadowed by less savory forces...
24 views
Zac Wilde
Dec 27, 20243 min read
Arctic Monkeys' AM: The Nocturnal Opus That Redefined Rock's Rhythms
In 2013, Arctic Monkeys released AM, their fifth studio album, heralding a stylistic reinvention that defied the conventions of their...
11 views
Zac Wilde
Dec 10, 20242 min read
Peter Freebairn’s Silhouettes & Cigarettes: A Sublime Convergence of Power-Pop and Emotional Introspection
Freebairn establishes himself as a formidable storyteller, weaving tales of love, loss, and resilience through melodies that are both ...
54 views
Zac Wilde
Dec 9, 20245 min read
The Sound of Their Stories: Ten Essential Music Biographies
Mötley Crüe’s collective autobiography reads like a time capsule from an era of unapologetic hedonism.
13 views
Zac Wilde
Dec 9, 20245 min read
The Cure’s 'Songs of a Lost World': A Haunting and Layered Return
The album’s themes of loss and aging are deeply personal for Smith, who has faced the passing of his mother, father, and brother in ...
61 views
Zac Wilde
Dec 9, 20245 min read
Behind the Lyrics: The Enduring, Restless Genius of Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello’s songs reveal a world where love and resentment, hope and despair, intimacy and detachment coexist, capturing the ...
12 views
Zac Wilde
Dec 9, 20243 min read
Earth to Moon: Moon Zappa's Odyssey Through Fame, Family, and Self-Discovery
"Valley Girl" emerges as a turning point in Moon's life ... sparking her father's simultaneous pride and irritation.
17 views
Victor Stranges
Dec 9, 20244 min read
Parallel Lines: Blondie's Genre-Defying Leap Into Pop Perfection
The studio at the time was filled with tension, marrying a punk ethos with a successful pop producer gave rise to some ill feelings ...
19 views
Zac Wilde
Dec 9, 20243 min read
Tears For Fears Revisit Four Decades of Sound and Soul with 'Songs For A Nervous Planet' and Accompanying Concert Film
“I think a lot of people don’t know that we are a good live band, actually. They see a duo, and they think it’s going to be two people...
6 views
Victor Stranges
Dec 9, 20243 min read
The Stone Roses: A Timeless Debut That Defined Madchester and Inspired Britpop
I was working in a suburban record shop that still carried vinyl in 1989. CDs had, by then, outstripped sales of vinyl. Some may remember...
22 views
Victor Stranges
Dec 8, 20244 min read
Rain Dogs: Tom Waits' Masterpiece of Grit and Innovation
The themes centre around fringe personalities that are down and out in New York.
46 views
Victor Stranges
Dec 8, 20246 min read
Jason Falkner: A Retrospective on a Power Pop Craftsman
Falkner stands alongside artists like XTC and Elvis Costello as a master of intelligent, well-crafted pop.
38 views
Victor Stranges
Dec 8, 20243 min read
CONCERT REVIEW - Patti Smith, Melbourne (Australia) 1997
I don't know what it was but her conviction was absolute and she seemed to have some sort of authority while she was on stage; a power.
31 views
Victor Stranges
Dec 8, 20243 min read
From The Smiths to Solo Majesty: How Morrissey’s You Are The Quarry Reclaimed His Crown
There were some glorious moments over his first 6 solo albums but nothing prepared me for the majesty of his 2004 opus, "You Are The Quarry"
32 views
Victor Stranges
Dec 8, 20244 min read
Encore: The Specials Deliver Timeless Relevance and Bold Reinvention
Its dark overtones and disdain for the political class are underpinned by a kooky horn section, strange key changes, and a generally ...
22 views
Victor Stranges
Dec 8, 20243 min read
Spring Hill Fair by The Go-Betweens: A Quiet Australian Classic Album from 1984
Spring Hill Fair is a treasure waiting to be discovered—a moment of pure artistic expression from a band that dared to rewrite the rules...
14 views
Zac Wilde
Dec 8, 20243 min read
Jimmie Nicol’s 10 Days as a Beatle: A Brush with Fame, Followed by a Lifetime in Shadows
Despite reservations, manager Brian Epstein ultimately convinced George Harrison to agree to the temporary stand-in, thrusting Nicol into ..
82 views
Zac Wilde
Dec 8, 20245 min read
David Bowie’s Let’s Dance: The Album That Turned an Arty Outsider into a Global Superstar
The partnership was electric. Bowie arrived at Rodgers’ Montreux home with a twelve-string acoustic guitar and played the beginnings of ...
23 views
Zac Wilde
Dec 7, 20244 min read
London Calling: A Monument to Rock’s Rebellion and Renewal by The Clash
Drawing from rockabilly, reggae, ska, R&B, and even jazz, it painted a panoramic portrait of a world on the brink.
75 views
bottom of page