The Beths’ ‘Auckland, New Zealand, 2020’ Documents a Liberating Concert
The Beths’ new live album, Auckland, New Zealand, 2020, features possibly the most exhilarating music to yet come out of the COVID darkness.
Adam Mason
Adam Mason has a PhD in Literature from the University of Bristol. He has written for the Journal for Eighteenth Century Studies and for his own music blog, Ad's Vinyl Adventures. He is a firm believer in drinking real ale and listening to vinyl, which he does as often as his two small daughters will let him.
Deacon Blue Continue Their Resurgence on Anthemic ‘City of Love’
Much loved Scottish band Deacon Blue deliver a confident set of arena-friendly songs of hope on their ninth studio album, City of Love. Just don't call them a legacy act.
Prefab Sprout’s Audacious Pop of 1984-92 Is Illuminated on Four Vinyl Re-issues
On remastered and reconfigured versions of Prefab Sprout LPs Swoon, From Langley Park to Memphis, Jordan: The Comeback, and A Life of Surprises, songs involving a chess grandmaster, Springsteen, Elvis, Jesse James, God and Lucifer get a deserved new lease of life.
“I Wanna Be Someone Else”: The Lemonheads’ Transformative Adventures in Cover Versions
By way of Charles Manson, Suzanne Vega, Gram Parsons, and, yes, Simon and Garfunkel, the Lemonheads once utilized cover songs to reinvent themselves and spark brilliantly infectious guitar-pop originals. And they will again. One day. Perhaps.
Anne Dudley’s ‘Plays the Art of Noise’ Is an Unexpected Triumph of Tunes Over Technology
Showcasing supreme piano versatility, a solo Anne Dudley proves that the instrumental gems she co-created in synthpop group Art of Noise can survive and even flourish without the car engine samples and robotic "dum-dum-dum" effects.
33 Again: The Rejuvenation of Eurythmics on Vinyl LP
Never mind Eurythmics' era-defining singles and videos, it's time to reconnect with the new wave duo's broader artistic statements in a more intimate way.
Relisten Without Prejudice to Yoko Ono’s ‘Plastic Ono Band’
Americans in the ’70s would not accommodate a female Japanese performer of experimental music designed to provoke. Have we grown since then? Can we revisit Yoko Ono’s ‘Plastic Ono Band’ without prejudice?