SoundBites: Stretch, Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd

Stretch

Described as a bit Springsteen, a little bit Tom Waits, Kiwi alt-country singer-songwriter Stretch is set to hit the road on a summer tour of towns.

Following two national tours in 2015, this trip will kick off in Hamilton on February 5 and take in centres including Mount Maunganui, Wairoa, Tokomaru, Raumati and Whanganui among others.

Stretch's repertoire is said to span dark-hearted ballads to "roof-raising" choruses, "set to a boot stomping backbeat while Stretch's soulful voice cuts through it all".

Check out his music at stretchsongs.com. The debut album is due this year.

A website launched last month to mark what would have been the 70th birthday of Syd Barrett had such a huge response from fans it initially crashed under the load.

Barrett, who died in 2006, was a founding member of Pink Floyd.

The website, sydbarrett.com, was created by family and friends and features photos, music, art and more from and about the influential artist.

Plans for the site include detailed analysis of featured songs, reviews, essays and images from celebrity guest writers.

Barrett was with Pink Floyd from 1965 to 1968.

Revisit a classic

Barrett had long since left the band when they released Dark Side of the Moon, though its theme of madness was based at least in part on the former member's mental state.

One of the world's biggest selling albums, with its iconic prism cover art, Dark Side of the Moon is a timeless masterpiece, even though it avoids the lengthy (and some would consider indulgent) nature of their earlier and later works (the longest track is Us and Them at seven minutes).

Those of a certain age will think of the record as having two sides - side A kicking off with Speak to Me and Breathe and finishing with the marvellous swirling vocals of Clare Torry on The Great Gig in the Sky, and side B beginning with the single Money before descending into the madness of Brain Damage and Eclipse.

Dark Side of the Moon is one of those rare albums that must be listened to from beginning to end to make sense, but it's so worth the effort.