THE MAGAZINE FOR CURIOUS PEOPLE
Elsewhere is a concept and a place, and for many years Graham Reid has been going there for his wide angle travels, writing, music review columns and interviews with writers, musicians and artists.
Elsewhere is an ever-expanding on-line magazine for people curious about new music, different travel, interesting arts and much more. This site is dedicated to the diversity and possibilities of Elsewhere. It is an equal opportunity enjoyer. Subscribe here (it's free) for a weekly newsletter. Welcome . . .
Latest posts
Stephen Galvin: Modal Behaviour (ABC Studios)
20 Jan 2022 | 1 min read
Guitarist, singer and educator Stephen Galvin runs Auckland's ABC Studios and freely admits that this album is a showcase for himself and the many excellent musicians who appear on it. Among them are longtime jazz saxophonist Paul Nairn, percussion player Miguel Fuentes, trumpeter James Guildford-Smith, keyboard player Phil Hornblow, bassist Paul Mouncey and drummer Jacob... > Read more
Free Palestine
The Famous Elsewhere Questionnaire
THE FAMOUS ELSEWHERE HIGHLY PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE: Jack Ringhand of Tall Folk
19 Jan 2022 | 4 min read
Elsewhere readers will know that we have sung high the praises of the Dunedin-based folk duo Tall Folk (whom we noted in our review are indeed very tall folk). Jack Ringhand and Lara Robertson not only have exceptional solo voices but nail down classic country-folk sounds on their excellent original songs on their debut album Wiser. We invited Jack to answer this... > Read more
MEREDITH MONK: DOLMEN MUSIC, CONSIDERED (1981): Sing, shout, let it all out
17 Jan 2022 | 3 min read
When Meredith Monk performed at New York's Town Hall on West Forty-Third in January 1973 she had only recently turned 30 and this was, after years of experimental music, dance and multi-media projects, a big moment for her. She had rented the 1500-seat theatre and her only instrument – aside from her astonishing voice – was a wine-glass which she played in... > Read more
Travelling, from Dolmen Music
Houeida Hedfi: Fleuves De l'Ame (Phantasy/digital outlets)
17 Jan 2022 | 1 min read
For further evidence that some of the most interesting music comes when genres or cultures collide you need only look at Elsewhere's list of the best albums of 2021. The albums by Tararua, Arushi Jain, Mdou Moctar, Circuit Des Yeux, Jane Weaver, Namgar, Arooj Aftab, Joy Harjo and others were confirmation. And the list our readers provided includes further examples.... > Read more
Various Artists: Songs inspired by the film The Beatles And India (Silva Screen/digital outlets)
17 Jan 2022 | 1 min read
On paper this double CD by Indian artists, among them Anoushka Shankar and Karsh Kale, makes sense because when the Beatles were at the Maharishi Mahesh Yoga's ashram at Rishikesh in early 68 they wrote a swag of songs, many appearing on The Beatles (aka The White Album). The 2020 film, based on 54 informal Beatle photographs by 23-year old Canadian Paul Saltzman also... > Read more
The Kinks: Dancing in the Street (1965)
17 Jan 2022 | 1 min read
Even their most generous fans would have to concede that – unlike their peers the Rolling Stones, Small Face, Who, Animals and other – the Kinks didn't have a natural feel for black American r'n'b. This was the music of the club circuit in Britain but the few times the Kinks attempted to do those songs in the studio they came off very flat when compared to... > Read more
Elsewhere Art . . . Leo Ferre
17 Jan 2022 | <1 min read
When I wrote a column Five French Albums I'm Surprised I Own I could just have easily made it 10, 20 or 30 albums. Or a few dozen singles, 10'' or EPs. As I mentioned, the School of Music library at the University of Auckland was downsizing and putting out boxes, literally dozens of albums at a time, of records it no longer needed. Free to a good home. My... > Read more
THE DREAM SYNDICATE, REVISITED: (2022): Fifty-one shades of Grey
16 Jan 2022 | 2 min read
In mid-'86, the LA indie-rock band the Dream Syndicate released their third album Out of the Grey. The critical consensus had it as their best to date – and in retrospect still their finest studio moment – but as so often happens, it didn't sell as expected. And expectation was high because songwriter Steve Wynn (who went on to a very creditable solo career... > Read more
Dying Embers
Sunn O))): Metta, Benevolence (Southern Lords/bandcamp)
14 Jan 2022 | 1 min read
The wall of sound and distortion which bands like Japan's Boris and Seattle's drone metallers Sunn O))) deliver is not for everyone. Although in the case of the latter it was for the late Scott Walker who recorded Soused with them. It was the meeting of outliers who went even further outwhere. We liked it but don't play it a lot.. These three pieces were recorded... > Read more
Tall Folk: Wiser (digital outlets)
14 Jan 2022 | 2 min read
As their name implies, this country-folk duo of Jack Ringhand and Lara Robertson out of Dunedin are indeed towering and leggy figures. On this 10-song debut Tall Folk arrive as fully formed and impressive songwriters who shift effortlessly from downbeat political folk (Empire) to the jaunty sounding but lyrically wry (Could Be Worse) and the downright gorgeous soundscape... > Read more
I'D LOVE TO TURN YOU ON (2022): The psychedelic year of 1967 in Britain
12 Jan 2022 | 9 min read
"Tune in, turn on, drop out" -- LSD advocate Dr Timothy Leary THE MUSICAL JOURNEY FROM MARIJUANA TO LSD: '66 TO THE SUMMER OF LOVE IN 1967 after years of British dominance in the middle of the decade as we noted in this article, the focus moves back to the US Psychedelic music inspired or influenced by the consciousness changing drug LSD aka acid... > Read more
Wadada Leo Smith/Henry Kaiser/Alex Varty: Pacifica Koral Reef (577 Records/bandcamp)
10 Jan 2022 | 1 min read | 1
Guitarist Alex Varty said this recording from 2018 – a 55 minute improvised piece – began life as what looked like a painting more than a score by trumpeter/composer Wadada Leo Smith who refers to his graphic work as “Ankhrasmation”. “Ankhrasmation is a musical language, as opposed to a musical notation system,” Smith told music... > Read more
Pacifica Koral Reef preview
JUDY COLLINS: WILDFLOWERS, CONSIDERED (1967): Respect it, can't love it
10 Jan 2022 | 3 min read
Elsewhere's shelves are weighed down by albums, some shameful, some in shameful covers, others just plain odd and some unusual 10'' records. There are also excellent records of course, the rare free jazz albums, masses of Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, the Beatles and Stones and . .. There is Laura Nyro and Dory Previn, punk and country, rare... > Read more