Have A GOOD Friday! Here’s Some Music For Ya!

Friday is fun - because it's about music. And playlists. This week I offer a bunch of albums and playlists as musical starters. Happy Easter! Be sure to share some of your top picks in the comments.

It’s Easter. Or will be by the time you read this. We were reminiscing with a friend the other day, about that time, six years ago now to the day (well, not really, but to the holiday), that we almost met Patti Smith. She invited us, true story, to Melbourne to see her gig. I still can’t believe this happened. But it did. We flew over for a holiday and Patti Smith comped us to her gig – inviting us backstage to meet. We weren’t really into the backstage hustle but sat around for a bit, didn’t see her – and then decided to leave without making any fuss.

The next day I received a message from Patti Smith asking if we’d enjoyed the show – and if we’d like to meet up or attend another of the gigs. And I had to send the saddest email of my life, in a taxi on the way to the airport, explaining that I had to go back home…

Crazy times. But what a show!

There was always a reason to think about Patti Smith and play her music at Easter before this.

But now there’s two reasons!

I thought I’d share some favourite new (and old) music selections with you, give you some albums and playlists to dig in to over Easter…so I’ll dot them down the page of this newsletter eh…

I’m in Hawke’s Bay for a private gig. Well, to call it a gig is pushing it. I’m off to have a band jam. My old covers-band from University, Sofa. It’s close to thirty years since we were ever a thing. But look at this poster from back in the day! Majestical. And look at that tagline, Cheap Piss! Lol. Those were different times.

It’s the first time we’ll be in the same city in well over 20 years. So we’re getting the band back together for a jam. It will be fun. Cathartic, possibly. I like to think we’re doing it in the spirit of Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s Barn film – which you should watch. It brings a tear to the eye. When you cut through all the shit, that is what making music is about. Having a jam with your mates. My new band, Dirty Spoons, will also be there – given I am one half of the band – so we’ll probably run a wee set too. Mates making music. Or giving it a go. Beautiful.

Here's the planned setlist for Sofa. We were a covers band – so some of these originals might hit you hard in the nostalgia-spot.

Eddie Chacon is a name you may not know, but his new album is one you should listen to. And perhaps you remember his old duo, Charles & Eddie. They were, briefly, a thing. I remember them from the True Romance soundtrack, but they had a bigger banger which everyone knows.

Anyway, Charles died in the early 00s, the band had broken up long before that. And Eddie returned to singing with an album in 2020, so this is just his second solo album. He’s billed as a low-key R’n’B legend and the album is produced by John Carroll Kirby, who is a fascinating musical talent. But hey, why stop there, dig into Eddie Chacon’s musical backstory a bit: As a kid he formed a neighbourhood band with Cliff Burton (yes, Metallica’s first bassist – R.I.P.) and drummer Mike Bordin (aka “Puffy” – he of Faith No More and Ozzy Osbourne fame). So, yeah, that alone would have had me interested eh. But, it’s a great wee album. Do try it.

I was also super excited to read this amazing article about Natalie Merchant – which is just a wonderful (and rare) interview with one of my favourite musicians. (So I’m now super excited to share it with you). It carries the news that she’s releasing her first new album in nine years at the end of this month. Cannot wait. Also, how tantalising is this: She will be playing in America nearer the end of this year at the exact time that I will be there. My wife is staying on for a bit longer for work, and has snapped up Nick Cave tickets for herself – so I reckon I should be allowed to see Natalie Merchant, right? Well, dreams are free, even if concert tickets aren’t. A couple of years ago I did a huge deep dive into Natalie Merchant’s catalogue – all the solo albums. And all the 10,000 Maniacs albums; hadn’t quite appreciated she was just a teenager when she was writing those great songs that reference Jack Kerouac and social justice issues. What a legend.

My soundtrack fascination continues, and I’ve been buying many on CD – vinyl just too cost-prohibitive these days. The compact disc is making a comeback I think. Its (now low) cost and portability meaning it’s just right for those that want to still show off some sort of ‘ownership’ or curator-feel. Well, anyway, I recently bought the Schindler’s List soundtrack which of course needs no introduction. But it is 30 years old now. And it is in my collection as part of a wider appreciation of John Williams. He too needs no introduction, but I think for a while there I had written him off as being the big blockbuster guy, so it’s been great digging deeper into the enormous breadth of his canon. And then still coming back to some of those big blockbuster scores too. Also, random confession: I have never seen the movie Schindler’s List. So, its music was like some special secret to me. I knew the famous cues but to hear it all now as an album has been a strange revelation.

Vinyl might well be cost prohibitive/ish but that didn’t stop me buying a copy of Brian Eno’s Discreet Music at last week’s cancelled Aro Fair. They had the vinyl truck there, one food truck and a few bands in the hall. I have loved Discreet Music forever, and though it’s impossible to name one favourite Eno record, this would be close to my most-played and always in my Top 5. It’s nice to have it on vinyl and I always take a small handful of records away with me, in the hope I get to wake up while the rest of the house is sleeping and have some time to myself listening to the music that matters most.

I’m also going to treat myself to the CD of Hans Zimmer Live for the trip, and because I’m very excited about the prospect of hopefully seeing the Music of Hans Zimmer and Others concert in Wellington next month. Hans Zimmer is everywhere, doing everything, so many scores and most of them amazing on some level. He’s really the new go-to blockbuster-y John Williams guy, and has that same level of depth and breadth beyond just the big-big blockbuster moments.

Earlier this week I made a bonus playlist over at Off The Tracks – so if you missed that, and you want a “longer” something for your weekend (since it’s a longer weekend) then check it out right here.

My son Oscar, 11, is getting big-time into reading, which is great. And with that, he’s also getting into a lot of 80s music – so that’s two things very dear to my heart. He got me to make him a playlist of all the songs from the fictional “Mixtape” at the heart of one of his favourite new books, A Family of Liars.

It's a great wee 80s mixtape. So check that out if you haven’t already.

And penultimately, a wee plug for the new Vera Ellen album. Released this time last week. A brilliant Kiwi talent. Check her out, she’s playing Auckland and Wellington very soon.

Of course I said penultimately, because there’s also an Easter Edition of A Little Something For The Weekend (aka Vol. 111). It features a Vera Ellen song and an Eddie Chacon song, and one or two others from a couple of the other playlists linked here. But it is also its own thing.

So there’s some Easter Long Weekend Music for you. And if you have any top tips or playlists or albums to add in below make sure you do.

Happy Easter to you and yours…and thanks as always for reading. And for listening.