Almanac Music: The Best Australian Albums of 2024

Smokie has listened to over 120 new Australian albums this year. Here is his best of 2024.

Almanac Music: So, you’re overseas and suddenly…(Part 1)

‘Have you ever been a long way from home for a significant period when suddenly you hear the opening chords from an Australian band, a band you may not have even loved, just that song?’ This is the start of a new series by Ian Wilson.

Almanac Music – 33 1/3 Reasons Why: Where You Been and Without a Sound (Dinosaur Jr)

Music captures the moment – even with decades of time in between.

Almanac Music: An Evening with Marlon Williams

A much loved artist from accross the ditch, Marlon Williams played a small-scale gig in Anglesea with a lot of heart. Andrew Fithall was in attendance.

Almanac Rugby League Meets Bob Dylan: Juxtaposition or Oxymoron?

Can there possibly be a link between rugby league and Bob Dylan cover songs? Moondance has unearthed this unlikely scenario.

Almanac Music (Podcast) – The Beatles: They Came to a Land Downunder

The legendary Beatles tour of 1964 has inspired many – including plenty of Almanackers – and this cultural touchstone is the driver of Gareth Meyer’s new podcast that looks deeply at the phenomenon

Stereo Stories: Sing Along with Smokie Dawson

Smokie Dawson has a brand new Stereo Story. Vin Maskell, long time editor of stereostories.com, explains…

Almanac Music: And then there were two

Roger Lowrey laments the passing of the last member of the original Moody Blues line-up, Mike Pinder, who played on as part of the band through their various incarnations.

Almanac Poetry: A Very Minor Composer Speaks

In this poem, the speaker is a third-rate music composer, who in football parlance, according to KD, ‘would be lucky to make it onto the bench in the reserves’. [These aren’t the droids you’re looking for – Ed.]

Almanac Music – Wantok Sing Sing: 16 artists from Melanesia and Australia together in one show (Melbourne/Adelaide)

This is a very special lineup of musicians from the Wantok Musik family, playing together for just two dates in Melbourne and Adelaide this coming weekend.

Almanac Life: Discarded boots, our old car, and ‘Hotel California’

Mickey Randall discusses the transformative power specific items have had in his life.

Almanac Poetry: Contemplation upon the Death Mask of Alban Berg

This week’s poem from Kevin Densley tells the beautiful story behind the final work of Austrian twentieth century composer, Alban Berg.

Almanac Music: Two evenings with Calexico

Venusmoon witnesses Calexico shine at both Hamer Hall and in a Sth Gippsland Town Hall in 2016. [With the announcement of Calexico’s forthcoming tour it is timely to reprise this wonderful review from 2016 – ED]

Almanac Travel: Castlemaine’s Arts Hub

Ian Wilson makes a case for Castlemaine’s up and coming place in the zeitgeist for multiple generations of art lovers in and around Melbourne.

Almanac Music – Harvest Rock: Beck’s Chicken Curry and the Celebrated Drumsticks of Christmas

It’s the time for festivals in the most festive of states and Mickey Randall and his Family Band were on hand to witness some musical delight at Harvest Rock.

Almanac Life: Melbourne’s resurgence

Ian Wilson compares the wellbeing of Melbourne’s social night life with the earlier days of the covid pandemic and can’t help but feel buoyed, while two of the biggest names in the last 70 years of music feature too.

Almanac Poetry: In the Manner of C. P. E. Bach

Kevin Densley’s poem today is about getting Bach to basics; Johann Sebastian Bach had twenty children from two wives. A number of his sons also became famous musicians, of those this mentions three.

Almanac Music: Aussie Album Review – Jet ‘Get Born’

In the wake of Jet’s elevation to the ARIA Hall of Fame, Smokie returns to their debut album “Get Born”. It is the 17th of his Aussie album reviews

Almanac Music: David Bowie’s Live Genius

Ian Wilson only came to fully ‘get’ David Bowie’s brilliance after Bowie’s death. The recent release of a tribute film added to our writer’s appreciation of the chameleon artist.

Almanac Book Reviews: Two Fine Music Biographies

Ian Wilson shares his thoughts about the biographies of contrasting musicians Lucinda Williams and Tony Cohen.