In the old days, record sales were everything. Bands measured their success by gold and platinum discs. With the advent of the internet – and more specifically the ability to stream music at the push of a button – the measure of success gradually changed. In a world of Spotify and Apple Music users, Roo Panes is a runaway success, having had his music streamed millions of times.
Tag Archives: singer songwriter
NICK PIUNTI & THE COMPLICATED MEN – Downtime
“Sometimes you hear new songs that sound like old songs…”, says Nick Piunti of ‘Downtime’, making no secret of the retro qualities that provide the heart of his 2020 release. It’s ten songs draw influence from a very broad selection of power pop and radio friendly alt-pop tunes from the 90s, serving up a selection of songs that easily feel like a visit from an old musical friend and could even awaken a few old memories along the way.
JUDIE TZUKE – Road Noise: The Official Bootleg
From an historical perspective, Judie Tzuke’s ‘Road Noise: The Official Bootleg’ is an interesting proposition. At the time of its original release in 1982, the double live album format had been dominated by rock bands – it was rare that a contemporary pop artist or singer songwriter would bother with such a release. Also, its extended format had almost become yesterdays news. In a musical landscape populated by synth pop bands and the birth of the New Romantics, the 7” single had once again become king, much as it had been in the early to mid sixties. The decision for Tzuke to release a double platter of live material in the Autumn of ’82 certainly went against the grain.
Grab ‘Segall Smeagol’, a free download from Ty Segall
At a time when most of the world is under quarantine, we all need entertainment and cult singer songwriter Ty Segall has a gift for everyone. A surprise release, ‘Segall Smeagol’ features reworkings of six tracks from the Harry Nilsson album ‘Nilsson Schmilsson’, a classic long player, reworked in Segall’s own style.
JIM CAPALDI – Oh How We Danced
1972 was a particularly fruitful year for rock and pop music. That year saw The Rolling Stones release their critically acclaimed ‘Exile On Main Street’; Yes explored deep sonic textures on their indulgent ‘Close To The Edge’; Alice Cooper achieved worldwide acclaim and a massive hit single with ‘School’s Out’; Deep Purple gave us ‘Machine Head and Bowie introduced us to ‘Ziggy Stardust’. That might have been enough to make it great, but in addition, Steely Dan made their debut with the brilliant ‘Can’t Buy A Thrill’; Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’ was a massive success and Roxy Music‘s debut album sounded as if it were beamed in from another planet. The year also spawned T. Rex’s ‘The Slider’, Lou Reed’s ‘Transformer’, Stevie Wonder’s ‘Talking Book’, Joni Mitchell’s ‘For The Roses’, Elton’s ‘Honky Chateau’ and Van’s ‘Saint Dominic’s Preview’. With several dozen essential albums, 1972 had so much to give…and often feels like one of those years that keeps giving.
It was also the year that Jim Capaldi released his solo debut. It wasn’t something the Traffic multi-instrumentalist and songwriter had necessarily planned; it came about through a cruel twist of fate. Towards the end of 1971, Traffic were riding high with their fourth studio album ‘The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys’, but disaster struck when Steve Winwood suffered an appendicitis and subsequently became very ill with peritonitis, forcing the band to take a break. Rather than rest, Capaldi took the time to quickly record a selection of his own material during December, and that appeared on record shop shelves as ‘Oh How We Danced’ in March ’72. Kick starting what turned out to be a successful solo career, it had been a serendipitous twist in the Traffic saga.