Read the most amazing book over the weekend waiting for the final lines of the Tuesday Poem communal birthday poem to be posted. (It's all up there now, by the way, awaiting a final edit - an astonishing multi-national effort that does my head in, and of which I am incredibly proud. More on that tomorrow...) But back to this amazing book Soundtrack which does my head in too: a passionate, provocative, idiosyncratic, hilarious, moving paean to NZ music. The stellar writing - by Grant Smithies, and guests like Nigel Cox, Damien Wilkins, Sam Neill, Jolisa Gracewood - makes so many other reviews (book reviews included) look dull as ditch water. This is about music that's unashamedly LOVED. The music and the words rush out past you as you read and hang in the air - you just have to go and find the artists and play them. Some of it I know, alot I don't, and there's so much I wished I'd been there for ... The delighted spark of recognition - yes! the moment when Space Waltz blew our socks off on TV's New Faces with 'Out on the Street' ... the phenomenon that is Chris Knox ... that is Crowded House ... that is Straightjacket Fits ... and mention of that little-mentioned Dunedin garage band Sneaky Feelings - hey we billeted David Pine at our flat in Aro Valley when SF was doing its thing. We were so impressed that he was in a band. Sadly, I don't have the vinyl to put on the record player but there's always youtube ... three great tracks here... enjoy (and oh, that Dunedin footage in the Sneaky Feelings video!) Monday, April 11, 2011
Soundtrack: Sneaky Feelings, Space Waltz, Straightjacket Fits
Read the most amazing book over the weekend waiting for the final lines of the Tuesday Poem communal birthday poem to be posted. (It's all up there now, by the way, awaiting a final edit - an astonishing multi-national effort that does my head in, and of which I am incredibly proud. More on that tomorrow...) But back to this amazing book Soundtrack which does my head in too: a passionate, provocative, idiosyncratic, hilarious, moving paean to NZ music. The stellar writing - by Grant Smithies, and guests like Nigel Cox, Damien Wilkins, Sam Neill, Jolisa Gracewood - makes so many other reviews (book reviews included) look dull as ditch water. This is about music that's unashamedly LOVED. The music and the words rush out past you as you read and hang in the air - you just have to go and find the artists and play them. Some of it I know, alot I don't, and there's so much I wished I'd been there for ... The delighted spark of recognition - yes! the moment when Space Waltz blew our socks off on TV's New Faces with 'Out on the Street' ... the phenomenon that is Chris Knox ... that is Crowded House ... that is Straightjacket Fits ... and mention of that little-mentioned Dunedin garage band Sneaky Feelings - hey we billeted David Pine at our flat in Aro Valley when SF was doing its thing. We were so impressed that he was in a band. Sadly, I don't have the vinyl to put on the record player but there's always youtube ... three great tracks here... enjoy (and oh, that Dunedin footage in the Sneaky Feelings video!) 
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4 comments:
Wow! A great post, and there is so much timebinding in this for me - especially in the "Husband House" video. My first full-time job was in the National Insurance building at 0:16 in the video, and I trod a lot of the same ground during my years in Dunedin. Later, I married Kay, who used to go out with Sneaky Feelings' drummer Martin Durrant, and has an acknowledgement on the sleeve of a Dribbling Darts of Love album for letting them rehearse in the room in which I'm now typing this - the Dribbling Darts being the band that Matthew Bannister formed with Alice Bulmer after Sneaky Feelings. Rock'n'roll!
Have you read Matthew Bannister's book "Positively George St" - half Sneaky Feelings band bio, half history of the Flying Nun years? It is well worth reading.
The Straitjacket Fits song is wonderful as well, and I love "Out in the Street" - but Alistair, David Bowie called, and he wants his "Hunky Dory" look back...
Dear Tim - So glad the post resonated. Wonderful to hear your stories about Dunedin. I saw where you worked (reviewing the vid). I'm still loving going back into Smithies' book. We have them at the bookshop marked down to $10 - I am busily buying most of them up for gifts, but if you're interested I can nab you a copy.
Mary, I'm only three weeks late, but I have just seen your comment (while pointing out this post to Matthew Bannister!). It's unlikely, I know, but if you still have any copies left, I would definitely be interested in getting one.
I'm sure I've got one left, Tim ... will check tomorrow! Matthew Bannister eh?
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