Welcome to the Kaleidiscope blog, discussing music past and present. The blog is an attempt to promote discourse about music between generations.
In our blogs we will review new music, do deep dives into classic pop songs, among many other things. If you want to stay up-to-date with the best new releases, the latest controversies and occasionally take a trip down memory lane, then this blog is for you!
25 for ‘25: Kaleidiscope’s Songs of the Year
Here are 25 of our favourite tracks that have accompanied us in 2025. We bet you can figure out which ones Billy and which ones Rich added to the list!
25 for ‘25: Billy’s Albums of the Year
2025 - a great year for hip hop, a disappointing one for indie-rock. This year has been all about listening to new artists and genres and expanding my taste. And on the way I have stumbled upon some really enjoyable albums. So here it is - my top 25 of ‘25!
25 for ‘25: Rich’s Albums of the Year
After the highs of 2024, it was always a big ask to get another year so chock-a-block with excellent music. Nonetheless, great music from legends like Jeff Tweedy, Van Morrison and Matt Berninger as well as breakout records from the likes of S.G. Goodman and Minor Gold made 2025 an enjoyable year. Here are Rich’s top 25 albums of the year.
A Night Out with… Somebody’s Child
Up-and-coming Irish indie rock band Somebody’s Child treated the Zurich audience to a magnificent night out and lived up to high expectations. Led by fantastic frontman Cian Godfrey, the band’s sound was elevated to new heights in the live setting.
A Night Out with… Johnny Marr
Throughout this 90 minute set Johnny proved that it would indeed have been possible to imagine The Smiths without Morrissey’s vocals, distinctive and legendary though they are – for Johnny Marr over the course of his post-Smiths career has turned into a fine and note perfect lead singer, which we were privileged to witness here on a rare visit to Zurich cover.
The Perfect Song #4 - Slide Away - Oasis
Oasis are back! The band that got me into indie rock in the first place have reunited and are back to playing all their classics. It’s high time to give the “Big O” their flowers. And what better way to do so than by bringing back our “The Perfect Song” series?
2025 - The Summer of Neil
Neil Young is showing no signs of slowing down even as he approaches his 80th birthday this November. Let’s show some love to this all-time legend and celebrate his work.
A Night Out with… King Hannah, Nick Cave and Wunderhorse
We were spoiled by not one, not two, but three gigs in three consecutive nights in Zurich, as King Hannah, Nick Cave and Wunderhorse came to town.
The Album Intruders, Ep. 1 - It Ain’t Easy
How often since all those countless albums releases has there been an album with one track on it that doesn’t seem to belong, that is out of kilter with the rest of the album, that needs dumping in order not to interfere with the whole listening experience?
The Return of the Grievous Angel?
As he enters his sixth decade Ryan Adams has ensured that the soul of Gram Parsons lives on in such a way that some of his recorded output could quite easily be imagined as coming from the great man himself.
A Night Out with… Inhaler
Inhaler and Blossoms teamed up to provide an evening of thoroughly enjoyable entertainment as they dazzled the Zürich crowd with their catchy hooks, riffs and licks and irresistible confidence.
The Genreration Game: Dub Poetry / Jazzoetry, Ep. 2
In episode 2 of “The Genreration Game”, our recurring series taking us across time through the lens of a particular musical genre, we take a dive into Black British history. Two artists with different approaches and perspectives - Linton Kwesi Johnson and Anthony Joseph - tell us their stories through poetry backed by reggae (Dub Reggae) and jazz (Jazzoetry) music.
Top 20 Bob Dylan Covers
With A Complete Unknown riding high in the cinema charts it seems an apt time to look into an underappreciated aspect of Bob Dylan’s career - the many covers he inspired.
The Musician as Novelist
Born in that city at the height of the summer of love, Willy Vlautin would go on to be to the 21st century what Dickens was to the 19th, who would relate to us the stories of the real America, of the lost and lonesome, of those plagued by bad luck seeking a way out. He is our generation's Steinbeck and one feels the spirit of a Tom Joad or a Lennie Small in every page of his heartfelt hard-hitting tales.
Balloonerism and posthumous albums
Some of the best material of Mac Miller’s career dropped last Friday with the release of his second posthumous record Balloonerism. And I feel nothing.
Original vs. Cover: Goin’ Back
Our new series Original vs. Cover looks at two versions of the same song, the original release and a cover, as we answer the question: Who did it better?
The Genreration Game: Punk, Ep. 1
Punk was a movement that established itself in the UK in the long hot summer of 1976, but perhaps punk music's roots are to be found over the pond on the East Coast of America where glam rockers The New York Dolls, then Television and The Ramones were beginning to make a name for themselves between '74 and '75.
The Perfect Song #3 - This Modern Love - Bloc Party
Bloc Party rose to indie stardom in the mid-2000s with the release of their 2005 debut album Silent Alarm. Keen to overcome the post-punk revival act moniker, the album successfully marked Bloc Party as a unique, inventive and exciting act in the independent music scene. On Silent Alarm, “Like Eating Glass”, “Helicopter” and “Banquet” instantly give the record its pulsating energy. The album’s perfect song and its emotional bedrock, however, is “This Modern Love”.
