Musical Essays

I know you are all very excited, but I continue with my mission to bring you new music! Here we are again with ten tunes released over the last month or so - as ever there are some acts you may never have heard of, and a few that you will... 1. Johnny Marr: It's Time Photo: C Brandon / Getty Here's more rockin' times from the Smiths veteran and bona fide guitar hero, Johnny Marr. This one is the third effort from solo album number six, The Age Of Everything. The verse cranks

Here we are at part three of this deep, deep dive into the wonderful world of Neil Finn. We have looked at those early days with New Zealand art-pop royalty, Split Enz, the end of that and the first phase of his own band, Crowded House. So, here we are, as he leaves the band world behind for a solo adventure…. And don't forget to check in on Part 1 and Part 2. Going Solo: As the Crowded House adventure was drawing to a close and a new solo chapter was about to dawn, he even f

Yes, in the last few weeks southern England has finally seen something we were beginning to think we would never see again. After more than seven weeks (52 days) without any measurable amount, the tail end of August finally brought us some rain! So, to celebrate, here are ten top tracks from across the years that are all about the rain. As always, hopefully something in here for everyone. Enjoy.... 1. Creedence Clearwater Revival: Who Will Stop The Rain I don't think we're qu

It used to be that soundtracks were the place for specially commissioned musical scores, the classical sounding epics of John Williams, or the spaghetti sounds of Sergio Morricone. But then, somewhere in the late 1960s, film producers cottoned on to the use of regular mainstream tunes, to complement the themes, era and tone of their movies. Starting with classics like The Graduate and Easy Rider, it has now become the norm. So, here is a playlist with representatives of ten g

Here we are again, with some more new tunes for you to open your ears up for. These songs have all been released in the last month or so - the majority this time are by artists nearer the start of their careers, but there are a few 'old timers' mixed in too. I say this every time with the playlists, but I think there is something in here for pretty much all tastes, so try and give at least one or two of these a go. I had become pretty set in my musical ways for a long time, b