Lay Down Your Weary Tune

Ahh! Monica!

2009-07-30T10:42:00.001+10:00

Ohh! Monica!

2009-06-28T12:49:00.001+10:00

Don't you wonder sometimes, 'bout sound and vision?

2009-06-15T14:43:00.010+10:00

Is it just me, or have big, expensive hi-fi systems become far less trendy status symbols? Obviously download-able music has become commonplace, and in doing so, it has made the CD player an unnecessary device for many. But it seems that the iPod/iPhone/iEverything age has made the huge sound system (with "mega bass" and speakers that are 5 ft high proudly displayed in the lounge/chill out room; the type of thing you could win on The Price Is Right or buy from shops like Quantum) a tragic, 90s, middle-class embarrassment. It used to be impressive but now it's a little bit sad.

These days, you're "with it" if you can fit your entire music and DVD collection onto your 6000GB iPod video that also connects to the internet better than any computer ever could.

I'm sure this observation is nothing you haven't all thought of before, but it just struck me over the weekend while I was looking for a new CD player. How quickly the grand becomes tacky.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also, how funny is the word "Ghetto Blaster"?! It's so descriptive of a classic stereotype (pun not intended but certainly approved). It is not used to play music but to "blast the ghetto". And it's great how, in the 80s, everyone seemed to refer to "ghetto blasters" without even a hint of irony. And how old people still called CD players "ghetto blasters" or "boom boxes", even until recently!

I don't know how to like these bands

2009-06-04T12:33:00.002+10:00

Not that I feel like I have to like them, but the following are very popular, critically acclaimed, successful bands that I just don't get. I guess there's no great mystery as to why I don't like them; it's just not my type of music, but I'm sure everyone has their own equivalent list, so I'll share mine anyway.

The Foo Fighters
Somehow, for me, any Foo Fighters' song sounds like it's been playing for about 10 minutes, regardless of its actual length. They've got an impressive discography but I just don't think I'll ever like them.

Kiss
It is beyond me why this band is so huge. They're nothing but an overblown gimmick. For most of these bands it's a case of "it's not you... it's me"; but with Kiss, I think it's them.

Nine Inch Nails
Most people have nothing but good things to say about Trent Reznor and his music. I can see how innovative he is. I like 'Head Like A Hole'. But that's about it. What am I missing with this band?

Beastie Boys
I like a bit of 80s hip hop (De La Soul, Public Enemy are great!) but I don't think I've ever enjoyed a Beastie Boys song. I didn't even go through a brief faze of liking them.

Arctic Monkeys
Time will eventually tell us if these guys are the real deal, but I'm willing to take a stab and say "no, they are not". "Chav rock" doesn't really appeal to me, and I think they're one of many hyped up British bands that no one will remember in ten years. I thought The Libertines were a better band.

It feels good to get that out there. Anyone else want to confess?

Keep It Hid

2009-05-21T23:20:00.007+10:00

I highly recommend the debut solo album by Black Keys singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach. It's a very solid and surprisingly diverse collection of songs and you instantly get the impression that the Bach is loving the freedom of not doing a Black Keys album (not that there's anything wrong with that) . Keep It Hid opens with the gospel-tinged 'Trouble Weighs A Ton' and followed by the rocking 'I Want Some More', you have to wonder where on earth this album is taking you. The tracks draw their influence from various genres, including country, gospel, and 70s rock; but it's clear that Dan Auerbach has a genuine love for blues music. If this all sounds a bit 'adult contemporary', like something Ray Lamontagne would release - fear not! There's enough fuzzy, dirty guitar and psychedelic moments to steer this album well out of the path of bland, flavour of the month mediocrity. There's enough Black Keyishness (goodness me, what a painful description) to please fans of that band but not too much to make this project a pointless exercise.

The Bach has an awesome voice; so textured, whatever that means. Also, at times (especially in the Black Keys), he sounds like he's singing into a tin can, but in a good way. Apparently some of the lyrics for this album were written by his dad, although there's nothing in the liner notes that confirms it (EDIT: Yes there is! 'Whispered Words' by Charles Auerbach). Keep It Hid should not be kept hidden but... made visible? Kept in the clear? Whatever, just give it a listen.

Great Opening Tracks

2009-05-04T14:14:00.003+10:00

Some albums kick off with a smash hit single, dedicate the next three or four tracks to singles and then get progressively worse with every track after that. In that context, of course the first song on the album is going to be a "great opening track"; this isn't what I'm talking about. I think a great opening track has to be a part of a great album. While, on one level, it will have the honour of being a first impression of an album full of equally good songs, it will also be irreplaceable as the opening track; perfectly placed.

Here are some of the most memorable opening tracks:

Break On Through (To The Other Side) - The Doors (The Doors)
I can't describe why, but this song would be a good start to any album. It's such a short, sharp, punchy, aggressively catchy song!

Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan (Highway 61 Revisited)
This song stands alone on it's own merit, but within the context of Highway 61 Revisited, it is an awesome achievement.

Come Together - The Beatles (Abbey Road)
Here's an example of the softer, perhaps riskier, opening to an album.

London Calling - The Clash (London Calling)
Those steady, urgent opening chords...

Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen (Born To Run)
By the time this song is finished, you are left totally pumped for whatever else the Boss has to throw at you in this album. You don't even care that the next track isn't half as good.

Debaser - Pixies (Doolittle)
I love how the album starts with a just a bass line, and then blasts into wild, catchy, addictive, glory. The order that the songs are in on Doolittle (the best Pixies album without a doubt) is pure genius.

Fight Test - The Flaming Lips (Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots)
This concept(?) album begins wonderfully with an accidental Cat Stevens rip-off that will be familiar to many.

Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys (Pet Sounds)
Now, I'm not much of a Pet Sounds fan and I'm definitely not a Beach Boys fan but this song deserves its place in great opening track history.

Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels) - Arcade Fire (Funeral)
It's great how this song builds in intensity until it has reached the powerful sound that will sustain the rest of the album.

Hourly, Daily - You Am I (Hourly, Daily)
This is strange: an acoustic little ditty, opening up a classic Oz rock album? Yes, and it works perfectly. I suppose you could call this a semi-concept album (the whole album takes place over a day... not that the length is 24 hours... you know what I mean). The title track serves as a prologue to Good Mornin', and I often remember the lyrics "don't let there be something sour in my coffee, fourteen year olds are screaming 'get out of my country'".

Can you think of any others?

A Five Year Crash Course In Music

2009-04-23T12:01:00.002+10:00

I would like to point you in the direction of this blog. It's an ambitious project by someone called Ang, attempting to listen to and review a classic album every week for the next five years. This year is devoted to the 60s; next year, the 70s, and so on.

I like it because, quite often, she is reviewing an album with a fresh pair of ears. Sometimes, I find it more interesting if someone is writing about something after hearing it for the first time, rather than being an expert. She's picked many great albums, so it will be quite an educational five years.

Concert Reviews

2009-04-16T12:22:00.002+10:00

I went to see Ben Kweller last night. He was excellent. But I'm not going to write about it because I've realised, I don't like concert reviews. There's nothing a review can convey, that comes close to being at the concert; you might get an idea of the set list and you can read about the vibe, but you can't experience it. Unlike a movie or album review, you can't read a review of a concert and then decide to go and see it (you sort of can if it's on two nights, but it's not the same concert is it?).

What do people think of concert reviews?

Smog Lyrics Part I

2009-03-31T16:13:00.009+11:00

I'm not sure how much of a market there is for this, but I'm going to do a series attempting to interpret Smog lyrics. He writes some weird but evocative phrases.
Here's the first installment:

'Cold Discovery' from the album Dongs of Sevotion.

And though your teeth have gnashed through death
Still you come to me so gently
And find a soft place on your body
And rub me with it

Of this I won't soon forget
You're the one that will remain
You're the one that will remain

Bust a lock with a rock
Don't need a key to have me
This was your cold discovery

We needed a fever then we needed a cure
The bait no longer lured
Say goodbye quick as you can
A car waits for me just across the border

Wish me luck no good luck no bad luck
Just wish me luck in my cold discovery
That you are gone
My cold discovery
That you're the one
That will remain

Oh I can hold a woman
Down on a hardwood floor
Oh I can hold a woman
Down on a hardwood floor
And her teeth can gnash right through me
Looking for a soft place
And of this you won't soon forget
I had no soft place for you to rest
And this was your cold discovery

I can hold a woman
Down on a hardwood floor
I can hold a woman
Down on a hardwood floor
And this was my cold discovery

Few saw it for what it really was

I think this song is about someone coming to terms with the fact that they are emotionally hardened and incapable of a loving relationship. It hints that the relationship may have been an abusive one. There is a contrast between soft and hard; the woman is associated with both softness and hardness ("And though your teeth have gnashed through death/Still you come to me so gently/And find a soft place on your body/And rub me with it") while the man is characterised as hardness alone ("bust a lock with a rock", "hardwood floor", "I had no soft place for you to rest"). The song's view of a functional relationship seems to be that both members need to compliment each other's hardness with the softness that they also possess. If a member of this relationship has only hardness then they cannot compliment the other person.

The woman's "cold discovery" is realising that her lover is emotionally incompatible with her, and does not have the compassion to soften the hardened parts of her personality. The man's "cold discovery" is the realisation that he is like this. He discovers that he is to blame for the failure of the relationship, that although the woman's "teeth can gnash right through him", she still has a softer side. His cold discovery is that cannot say this about himself, which is why the woman is the one that will remain, while he must leave ("a car waits for me just across the border").

The line "I can hold a woman down on a hardwood floor" implies that the man has abused the strength he has over the woman. I don't think it's referring to rape; I get the impression it's about an argument gone too far, that the man is realising how violent he is capable of being. This is the point where they both make a "cold discovery", and the relationship collapses. The man is now in a situation where he must confront the truth about himself. He wants some sort of closure to the relationship but knows he cannot ask for much, after what he has done ("Wish me luck no good luck no bad luck/Just wish me luck in my cold discovery").

The last line is the man's confession of why the relationship ended. That few saw it for what it really was but he admits the blame must rest solely on his hardened shoulders. It's a confronting song.

Eclectic? Really?

2009-03-27T16:34:00.002+11:00

A lot of people use the word "eclectic" to describe their taste in music. What this usually means, is that they like rock and/or pop music. Is it really eclectic to listen to Metallica and Jack Johnson? They're both expressions of popular music and both have been played on Top 40 radio. They might not sound the same, but they are both influenced to some degree by blues music, and I don't think they're that far apart, in terms of their genre. Surely, for a music collection to be truly labelled "eclectic", it would need to contain music as broad as classical baroque, jazz, Peking opera, traditional Celtic folk songs, Indigenous Australian music, and Western contemporary music.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with listening to a limited area of music; I have a very limited taste, and nearly all the CDs I have would fall comfortably within the "alternative rock/pop" pigeon hole. I'm just pointing out that it's not eclectic.

Modern Britpop

2009-03-26T00:16:00.002+11:00

I'm finding the latest wave of Britpop (I know Britpop died when Oasis released 'Be Here Now' but it's still a cool term) to be quite bland and uninspiring. Bands like The Kooks, Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, Babyshambles, Franz Ferdinand, The Cribs, The Fratellis, Arctic Monkeys etc... They all sound alike and their sound isn't that great. It seems the days of interesting British bands are over (for the time being anyway). Pulp, Blur, Supergrass etc were good bands with character. Jarvis Cocker was a character (still is), but the members of these current bands all seem like twats (to use the vernacular).

Can anybody recommend some good, new British music?

American Hardcore

2009-03-14T15:35:00.004+11:00

The other night I watched American Hardcore, a documentary on the hardcore/punk scene in early 80s America. It's basically just fragmented interviews with people like Henry Rollins and Ian Mackaye, with some live footage of prominent bands. A few things occurred to me when I watched it:

1. I would have been ecstatic about this film about 10 years ago. I loved this music when I was a teenager, but as far as I was aware, there was limited access to American hardcore bands in Tassie. Now, I don't have as much interest in it.

2. All of the hardcore guys that were interviewed, said that they were sick of rock music and thought that punk was boring. They thought that most music had become too generic and they wanted to do something different. What they didn't acknowledge is that most of the hardcore bands from that scene sounded exactly the same! The Circle Jerks, Minor Threat, 7 Seconds... there's not a lot of variety.

3. These guys prided themselves on not being able to play their instruments and just making loud, fast noise. However, this film implied that there was a general consensus that Bad Brains were a highly respected hardcore band on the scene because of their music ability and tightness as a band...

4. It's funny to see men in their 50s that are still trying to be punk; still dressing and acting the same way they did when they were 18. Most of these guys came across as huge nerds. Except for Henry Rollins, whom you wouldn't dare call any kind of name.

The best Kings of Leon album

2009-03-09T14:50:00.005+11:00

Is Youth and Young Manhood. I don't think they've been able to match the quality of songs on this, their debut album. The Kings have a raw, swampy sound that I'm sure many other bands wish they could replicate. If you are thinking about buying a Kings of Leon album, this is the one to get.

Aha Shake Heartbreak - Not bad. The whole album sounds great, but there aren't as many memorable tunes, as there are on Manhood.

Because of the Times - On this album, the boys went for a more sonic vibe, and it works pretty well. Half of the songs on here are brilliant ('Fans', 'Arizona', 'The Runner', 'On Call'), the rest of the album is decent but not super.

Only by the Night - A grand attempt, and you have to give them credit for trying out a different sound. The songs tick all the boxes but they didn't make me want to re-play them. In my opinion, what made them so exciting on Youth and Young Manhood, is not present on this album (something that I can't really back up, because this album is by far their biggest hit. Clearly I'm in the minority).

La Blogotheque's Take-Away Shows

2009-02-27T13:29:00.002+11:00

I don't usually post links or videos here, at least not on their own. But if you haven't seen any of the Take-Away Shows, then you simply must do so.
From the website:

Every week, we invite an artist or a band to play in the streets, in a bar, a park, or even in a flat or in an elevator, and we film the whole session. Of course, what makes the beauty of it is all the little incidents, hesitations, and crazy stuff happening unexpectingly. Besides, we do not edit the videos so they look perfectly flawless, instead we keep the raw sound of the surroundings. Our goal is to try and capture instants, film the music just like it happens, without preparation, without tricks. Spontaneity is the keyword.

Some of the notable appearances have been from Beirut, Sufjan Stevens, Jose Gonzales, Fleet Foxes, The Shins... whoever picks them has fine taste.

Here's the website
and here's their YouTube channel

PrYdEri'S LiMp bIzKiT PaGe

2009-02-27T12:15:00.003+11:00

Sometimes if I'm doing a bit of research for this blog, I stumble on all sorts of music related websites. Some of them are very minimal, with no links, no nothing. Like a church website. More often, if I'm searching for song lyrics, I'll end up on a site that is completely cluttered by advertising that surrounds the tiny bit of information that the site was set up for. I'll be tempted with offers of ring tones, online blackjack tournaments, and "singles in your area", and about 5 extra pages will spring up from nowhere.

What I don't see so much of are fan pages like this. These DIY websites were very popular when I was about 15 and are now a thing of the past; partly because of blogs, partly because they're crap. Check out PrYdEri'S LiMp bIzKiT PaGe. It's not mine, at least I don't think it is - it doesn't look like it's been updated since 1998 so I suppose it's possible I made it and forgot about it. But I was never a huge fan of Limp Bizkit (weren't they great?), so that's unlikely. I love the lowercase/uppercase teen angst writing, and the fact that every page has about one item with "more to come soon" promised. It's been 10 years, and we're still waiting.

Awkward Bushfire Relief Concert

2009-02-26T11:07:00.002+11:00

I got this idea from a Facebook status of Tracey's. Midnight Oil and Kings of Leon will be playing at a fundraising concert at the MCG in March for the bushfire victims. 'Beds are Burning' and 'Sex on Fire' are two big hits that will surely be performed... is that a good idea?

Here are some other potentially awkward songs for a bushfire concert:

Elvis Presley - Burning Love
Talking Heads - Burning Down the House The awful Tom Jones/Cardigans cover would be even worse.
Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire
Bloodhound Gang - Fire Water Burn Imagine how the refrain of this song would go down...
Arrow - Hot Hot Hot The disco vibe of this song would make it doubly inappropriate!
Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water
The Doors - Light My Fire
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
Jesus and Mary Chain - Catch Fire

You should listen to...

2009-02-12T21:56:00.004+11:00

Nick Drake - Bryter Layter

Some people have called this the ugly duckling of the Nick Drake trilogy. I can kind of see why; besides the hideous album cover, there's a lot of weird instrumentation on this album and it doesn't have the trademark Drake glumness. It has quite a 70s sound, and it borders on being, perhaps too 70s. But Bryter Layter is a very solid album with some wonderful songs. There's a lot more to it than the much praised Pink Moon, in my opinion. It opens with a cinematic sounding instrumental track and the songs remain surprisingly upbeat throughout. I can understand why this album's sound might grate with some, but I think it's right up there with Drake's other stuff (on par with Pink Moon but not as good as Five Leaves Left). If people have put you off this album, it's worth giving it a go anyway.

By the way, if you haven't heard them, you should definitely listen to Nick Drake's other two albums as well.

Ethnic Parody Bands

2009-02-09T13:20:00.004+11:00

If you like stereotypes, terrible puns, and music - something you can lose a lot of sleep over, is trying to think of potential ethnic parody bands. Here are some that Nick G and I created.

Italian 80s pop/rock band - Mario Speedwagon

Japanese post-punk band - Sushi and the Banshees

African soft rock AM radio number one hit making duo - Zaire Supply

Orthodox Jewish metal band, quite big in the late nineties - Fear Phylactery

Communist Russian hillbilly southern hard rock band - Lenin Skynyrd

Traditional Greek indie band - Smash Your Plates Say Yeah

Dutch rock band (inexplicably) big in the nineties - Counting Croquettes

Belgian alternative/folk punk band - Violent Flems

Arab rock from the 70s - The Dubai Brothers

Zimbabwean fascist post punk band - Mugazi

Militant Colombian hip hop - FARC da Police

Cheesy Indian folk group - Mumbai Ya

Godly ManCrush

2009-01-30T17:08:00.002+11:00

Here's a song that Aaron Johnstone and I wrote at the Tasmanian Christian Convention, over the new year. It was recorded by Anthony Rochester at the Winter Palace. It took me a bloody long time to work out how to get it to play on my blog, but hopefully it will. Let me know if it doesn't work.

Just to give the song a bit of context: it was written for a "talent" night at the aforementioned convention and is about one of the speakers, Paul Harrington. And it's called 'Godly ManCrush'.

Singers that are an acquired taste

2009-01-29T21:41:00.003+11:00

Sometimes it takes a little while to warm to a singer's voice. For example:

Bob Dylan - The classic. So many people can't get over his voice; they see it as an obstacle to overcome, in order to get to the music. I actually love it - even the weird "lay lady lay" variant.

Neil Young - Sounds a little bit like Kermit the frog but his voice adds so much emotion to the songs.

Kate Bush - I can remember hating her voice when I first heard it; I thought it sounded so over the top. Now I think it's brill.

Ben Kweller - It took me a while to get into his music because it sounded to me like he was putting on that singing voice. I'm used to his voice now, and I think he's pretty genuine.

Joanna Newsom - Sort of sounds like she could be deaf, or a bit special, if you know what I mean. Her odd voice adds an interesting texture to her music (which is already interesting enough).

Anyone that's a little bit country.

Great Final Songs

2009-01-27T17:32:00.003+11:00

By "great final songs", I don't mean just a good song that happens to be the final track on the album. I'm referring to good songs that are a fitting end to the album; songs that seem to know what the previous 10 or so songs have been doing.

An album's closing song is, quite often, a bit different to the rest of the album. Sometimes it foreshadows the sound of the next album. I think the perfect final song has to be in response to a near perfect album. Otherwise it's just a good song, and you could just download it from iTunes.

Here are some great final songs that spring to mind:

Mothers Of The Disappeared - U2, The Joshua Tree
Although the big hits are found at the beginning of this classic album, it still finishes strongly with this mesmerising song.

Find The River - REM, Automatic For The People
This album finishes on a great note thanks to this beautiful song.

Indifference - Pearl Jam, VS
A great rock album and one of the finest things to come out of the grunge era; Pearl Jam's 'VS' closes with a slightly eerie, depressing but excellent song. Musically, this album is reasonably varied so it doesn't seem out of place at all.

Rock n Roll Suicide - David Bowie, Ziggy Stardust
This song has a very conclusive vibe to it. The opening chords sound so perfect after the big riff based rock tracks that precede it. Lyrically, it is a great epilogue to the album's story. Probably my favourite Bowie song.

A Day In The Life - The Beatles, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
This would have to be high up on any "best closing tracks of all time" list. After you hear this song, it doesn't matter how many silly songs there are on this album, 'A Day In The Life' redeems them.

You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed
An epic ballad - always a great way to close an album. This perfect album finishes as strongly as at starts (Gimme Shelter), with one of the Rolling Stone's best.

Street Spirit (Fade Out) - Radiohead, The Bends
This is probably one of the most sombre songs ever recorded. But it brings the album to a close, leaving you a little bit numb in the process.

Desolation Row - Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited
An 11 minute, heavily poetic, exercise in surrealism would not be the average person's choice to put on the end of a rock n roll album. But it works brilliantly. I reckon it's a better song than 'Like a Rolling Stone'.

Can you think of any others?

Drag your blanket blindly

2009-01-06T21:55:00.003+11:00

Most of the time, writing music or being "in a band", is considered cool. It doesn't matter what kind of job you have; you can be a doctor, lawyer, shelf-stacker, plumber, prostitute - you can still do music on the side. In fact, if you're serious about making music, it will alter people's perceptions of your crummy job; if you work at a supermarket but write songs on the side, your choice of occupation is justified because you clearly have a passion. If you just work at a supermarket and don't aspire to anything else then you're considered a loser/bum/loserbum.

It seems an exception however, if you are a church minister or a youth pastor and you do a bit of songwriting or band practise on the side, then your credibility crumbles. A guitar playing pastor just seems painfully uncool. I think there are few reasons for this:

1. With any other job you have the convenience of being able to say that music is more important to you than your profession, i.e. "I don't like my job that much, I just do it to enable myself to play music". You can't really do that if you're a pastor, and you'd have to question the motives of any pastor that gives up his church in order to focus more on his band. With a pastor, music will always be a secondary passion, and I suppose this makes it seem less genuine.

2. I automatically think of the most cheesy, middle-aged, Hawaiian shirt-wearing pastor that's ever lived. If you do that, it's easy to assume that any pastor is just using music to try to feel young again.

3. Pastors are Christians, therefore they will be in Christian bands. And Christian bands are terrible.

4. Some people are suspicious of church workers, so they might think there's an agenda attached to their musical hobby. And some of the time, this might actually be the case.

Tracks Music

2008-12-15T23:06:00.002+11:00

I wrote about JB HIFI and its inhabitants a few weeks ago. Tracks Music is a much smaller and more "specialised" shop. While JB has roughly 700 employees trekking around a vast yellow cavern, Tracks has about two old men (I say old, but they could be anywhere between the ages of 30 to 60. I can't tell) that never set foot from behind the desk.

The clientele are different too. The typical Tracks customer will be a slightly overweight long-haired male, accompanied by a skinny, pimple-faced boy. They will be after the latest Bloodchurn album 'Born of the Devil Inside', which the dry man at the counter will spend 20 minutes searching for on the "system". He won't find it but will know, off the top of his head, that the album was released in America the previous week and that the stuff Bloodchurn singer Maxx Von Gurber did with Elephant Spermicide was better anyway. The two customers will then browse the 'alternative/prog-grindcore' section spouting bits of trivia to each other about every CD they pick up. After an hour they leave with nothing, but that's OK because they'll be back the next day.

P.S. I thought I'd made up the band 'Bloodchurn' but Google informed me that there is a band with that name and they sound exactly as I imagined them to! Here's their Myspace.

State Songs #6 - Colorado

2008-12-11T21:49:00.005+11:00

Boulder To Birmingham - Emmylou Harris

Not so long ago, whenever someone asked me the question "what kind of music do you like?", I could answer for certain that whatever I liked, it definitely wasn't country music. I couldn't stand the quivery, regional vocals; the slide guitar; the cheesy string sections; the hillbilly bass lines; the sickly lyrics. As I've grown older though, I've learnt that not all country music is bad. Some of it is very good. A lot of music that came from the 60s and 70s had strong links with country music. Johnny Cash influenced many and possessed traits that were "rock". The further you gaze into the expanse of music, the harder it becomes to maintain a high level of disdain for country music.

I'm not applying this reassessment of country to the entire genre. Some of it... most of it, is truly awful. In fact, bad country music is probably the most vile of all sounds (Hobart FM "the sound of the city" sometimes plays this type of stuff). Modern country is awful as well, and it's inexplicably popular. Keith Urban, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw... vomit. Alt/Country is OK because it takes the good parts of country music (discarding the bad) and blends them with more digestible sounds.

Emmylou Harris is good country, and this is a song she wrote about her collaborator and friend Gram Parsons (another hugely influential country dude), after his tragic death. It's great how classic songs can lead you to discover more classics - by reading their back stories, or by trying to interpret them. So many of these old songs seem soaked in history. 'Boulder to Birmingham' is a sad and beautiful song that doubles in emotion when you think about why it was written.

Colorado (where Boulder is, of course) seems like a very "country" place... maybe because John Denver named himself after the capital city. The Colorado of my mind is a desolate plain, inhabited by coyotes, lonesome campfires, and cacti. I'm not sure how accurate that picture is but I know about the Rocky Mountains.

Busking Classics

2008-12-07T23:52:00.002+11:00

Some buskers are decent, while some are horrendous. Whatever the level of talent, there are some songs you can be assured of hearing when you walk past those that lurk in malls with guitars. The coolest busking song I heard was Pink Floyd's 'Money', performed by a homeless looking guy with a Tom Waits voice and an acoustic guitar, sitting on the ground underneath an ATM at about midnight. The worst is probably that wildly off-key lady who blasts people half to death in the Elizabeth St mall; if you've encountered her, you will know what I mean.

Here are some busking classics:
(I've noticed a lot of Australian buskers pick Australian songs...)

'Holy Grail' (Hunters and Collectors) - An instantly recognisable and likable song, which is a good way to keep people listening if you sing it well enough.

'Brown Eyed Girl' (Van Morrison) - Golden oldie, means people don't need to listen to their radio.

'Miss You Love' (Silverchair) - This is a popular song for younger buskers to perform. Teenage buskers are usually pretty bad, and this song is pretty annoying. What a combo.

'Heart of Gold' (Neil Young) - It's like it was written for buskers.

'Reckless' (Australian Crawl) - This song doesn't make any sense. It starts off about going to the jetty at Circular Quay and noticing the Manly ferry (not a big, masculine boat of testosterone - Manly is a place in Sydney)... then it starts talking about laying down your guns because "she don't like that kind of behaviour". If someone has a gun (let alone two or more of them), and is pointing it at someone - of course she's not going to like that sort of behaviour. "Don't be so reckless" seems a very understated plea... "reckless" is taking a corner a little bit fast, or eating a raw onion (OK, maybe that's not reckless); shooting someone is a VERY BAD act of violence! Calling it "reckless" is like saying "ooh that was a bit naughty!" /end ridiculous rant

'Throw Your Arms Around Me' (Hunters and Collectors) - When you think about it, it's kind of inappropriate - some guy trying to catch someone's eye, whilst singing "we may never meet again so shed your skin and let's get started". And, imagine if humans could shed their skin like a snake... I reckon that would be quite off-putting.

'Wonderwall' (Oasis) - More of a cliché than a song, these days.

Predictability in the comments section

2008-12-06T16:41:00.005+11:00

(click to enlarge - it's hilarious)

I like watching YouTube videos. Sometimes I listen to songs on YouTube. The only problem with this is: regardless of what the video is, I find I always have to read the comments. I can't help it, even though I know that the average YouTube user is an illiterate, racist, short-tempered teenager.

Here are the types of comments you are sure to find on certain YouTube music videos:

If a song has a notable guitar solo or riff - you will read comments like "there not akchuly tlnted ne1 can play pentatonic solos" "FAIL. You sir, are a moron". There will always be a debate about how good/bad someone is at guitar. Incidentally, these people miss the point - the talent is not about how well the artist in question can perform a guitar solo, it's that they were able to create a song far better than anyone on YouTube could ever do.

If a song has even the slightest hint of political undertones - you will read comments about the war in Iraq, about Obama, about Hitler, about religion, and about slavery.

If a song is making a blatant political statement - you will come across some twit saying "Why is everyone bringing politics into this? Why can't you just enjoy the music?"

If a song is a little bit old and sentimental - you will get some 60 year old man talking about how "music like this ain't made no more" or that they were "at that Neil Diamond concert in '73 - that's where I met my darlin' wife".

If a song is new and popular (and has 200,832,291 views) - you will either read "I luv this song!!!!!!!111" or "Great vid, check out my profile for hot babes".

If a song has been covered by another artist, or if it is a cover - a raging and occasionally obscene debate will take place about which version is better.

Feel free to add any others you've noticed.

Favourite Singers

2008-12-04T23:59:00.004+11:00

Everyone can sing to a small extent, but very few people will be happy with the sound of their own voice.
Here are some people that, I think, are blessed with awesome singing voices. They might not be technically brilliant singers but I really like the way they sing and would love to have a voice like any of them. There are no female singers here (perhaps that can be another post). I like female singers but I don't really desire to have a female voice.

Freddie Mercury (Queen) - R.I.P. He had truly amazing range; Freddie could pull off a piano ballad just as convincingly as a rock anthem. Aids is no fun, but being able to sing like that would be heaps of fun.

Tex Perkins (The Cruel Sea) - As I mentioned in the previous post, this guy has one of my favourite singing voices. Deep and resonant but not too gravelly. If I want to make toast, I just hold a piece of bread next to the speakers when Tex is singing. It doesn't actually work, you still have to use the toaster but that's OK.

James Hetfield (Metallica) - I know it's pretty bogan to like Metallica, but that's why I don't like AC/DC - so I don't exceed my quota of bogan points. It's nice to hear someone in a metal band that actually sings, and not scream. I think I like deeper voices because I don't have a very deep voice myself - coveting the unattainable.

Neil Finn (Crowded House) - A perfect voice but with so much character. If Neil Finn went on Australian Idol, he would get a "touchdown", and a "that's what I'm talkin about", and a "you really felt what that song was about, didn't you?" etc, every time he opened his mouth.

Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) - He sounds like a heavy smoker but in a good way. Very powerful and emotional singing voice; listen to his cover of 'Billie Jean', for an example. I like his voice so much because it's almost the opposite of mine.

John Lennon - R.I.P. The best voice out of all the Beatles. His original recording of 'Real Love' is one of my favourite Lennon moments.

Johnny Cash - R.I.P. It would be very, very special to wake up with Johnny Cash's voice - and to be able to keep it after you've had a drink of water.

Who's singing voice do you (secretly?) wish you had? Who are some of your favourites?

Top 10 Australian Bands

2008-12-03T17:09:00.004+11:00

10. The Go Betweens - Very influential pop band. Paved the way for a lot of Australian indie music, and wrote some good songs themselves.

9. The Cruel Sea - Tex Perkins has one of my favourite singing voices - I'd like to saw out his voice box and use it as my own.

8. INXS - They've become a bit of a joke now, with the whole "finding the next Michael Hutchence" nonsense - but in their prime, they released good stuff.

7. The Lucksmiths - Under-appreciated indie-pop, better songs than the Go Betweens. It's a mystery why these guys aren't BIG.

6. AC/DC - Speaking of big. I'm not a huge fan but it would be silly not to include them in this list. AC/DC are still a massively worldwide popular hard rock band and have written some of the most iconic guitar riffs ever. Very bogan.

5. Cold Chisel - Speaking of bogan. Jimmy Barns can be a bit much but Chisel are more than just a pub band; they had some very well-crafted songs.

4. The Easybeats - Genuinely good Aussie 60s pop. It doesn't seem possible, but listen to it - it's good stuff!

3. You Am I - Wonderful, consistent, genre-defying. They deserve international attention but probably won't get it because their songs are so "Oz".

2. Midnight Oil - Groundbreaking and meaningful rock band, with a very charismatic front man. Very, very good stuff.

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Still going strong (playing at the crustbowl (Derwent Entertainment Centre) next month), Nick Cave has gone through many incarnations but I think his best stuff is with the Bad Seeds. Not many can combine poetry, Old Testament theology, punk, and piano ballads so seamlessly.

Notable omissions:
Crowded House - More of NZ band, really. They wouldn't exist without Neil Finn. Otherwise they'd be in the top 5.
The Saints - Yes, they were one of the first punk bands and '(I'm) Stranded' is a great song, but they don't have a very impressive catalogue of good songs.
The Church - I've heard they're a good band but I've just never bothered to listen to them. Pure ignorance.
The Dirty Three - I find them a bit boring, as great as they may be.

Potentially great:
Augie March - If their last album was anywhere near as good as their first three, I would have included them in the top 10.
Luke Steele - He's very talented and one of the most interesting people in Australian music. If he can stick to one project at a time, he might be one of the greats - whether it be under 'Sleepy Jackson', 'Nations By The River', 'Empire Of The Sun'...

Disturbing Crowded House Lyric

2008-12-02T00:05:00.003+11:00

I wake up in your room
Share one piece of your life
I'd give anything to be a fly upon the wall
And hear your whispers and moans
I like to hear your whispers and moans

Not choice Neil. Not choice.

Classic Albums That Are Not Classic

2008-12-01T18:58:00.003+11:00

Don McLean - American Pie

Half of the songs on this album are just filler to justify the album's existence based on only the title track. 'American Pie' is a good song but I'd be happy if I never listened to it again (too many crusty pub classics can do you harm). 'Vincent' is an excellent song that I really like. The rest of the songs are pedestrian folk/pop, not awful but not worthy of a place on anything considered "classic".

If you're a fifty year old, you might enjoy this album for the blast of nostalgia it probably deliverers, but I don't get it - the poetry seems far too sentimental, and there's not much on here that hasn't been done far better by Simon and Garfunkel.

Not classic.

Rock n Roll Lyric Cliché #1

2008-11-25T23:54:00.004+11:00

"A Crying Shame"

Who uses this phrase in conversation? I haven't noticed anyone say it but it creeps up regularly in song lyrics. It appeared in the Belle and Sebastian song that I just listened to; it is the title of songs by Muse and Jack Johnson, and an album by The Mavericks. "The Crying Shame" is also the name of a folk/rock band in Seattle (thanks Google). I reckon there's a list of rock n roll phrases on a notice board somewhere in the music community for struggling lyricists to borrow from.

Secular music that stereotypical Christians usually like

2008-11-24T17:56:00.003+11:00

Sometimes you meet a certain type of Christian, whose favourite bands can be immediately predicted with 100% accuracy.

They will like:

Counting Crows
I'm really unsure about this band. What is it about them? Their most famous song is "shalalalala Mr Jones and me blah blah..." (zzzzzzz) and people talk about it as though it's one of the greatest masterpieces of all time.

Ben Harper
I don't mind Ben Harper. He's pretty good. For some reason, he's really popular amongst Christians. Maybe because he dresses like a youth pastor?

Dave Matthews Band
Yuck! I think it's only Christians that listen to Dave Matthews and his nonsense. Pure mediocrity, at best.

Coldplay
We sang a version of 'Yellow' at church years ago, but the lyrics were changed to "He came across/ died on a cross for you/ and all the things that you do... you were all sinful" Who remembers that?

Maroon 5
Silly name for a band. They're a bit like Counting Crows and Dave Matthews in that no one can work out why they're even famous.

Christian Music

2008-11-21T15:33:00.008+11:00

I downloaded the Sojourn Christmas album recently, and was surprised to find myself actually liking it. I normally hate the concept and results of both "Christmas albums" and "Christian music", but this one seems an exception.

This got me thinking about why Christian music is usually so awful, and if it is possible for good (as subjective as that may be) Christian music to exist.

I think one of the main reasons behind Christian music's unlistenable quality, is the reasoning behind its existence. Many Christian bands exist as an alternative to secular bands, so that Christian kids can listen to music that won't be a bad influence on them. Perhaps the people that believe this also believe that music as an art form is "of the world" and Christians need to create their own version of it... That sort of thinking is definitely wrong - music comes from God and is a good thing; it isn't evil. It also explains why this sort of Christian music sounds so bad - because it isn't genuine; it is an imitation of music.

Another reason why Christian music so often sucks: because there is a huge market for it, especially in America. This means there are many bands competing for attention and for money (much like any section of the music industry), which doesn't encourage originality or innovation, it encourages bands to stick to the formula. This leaves room for vague but equally rubbish bands like Creed to pop up, sing about God a little, and sell some records at Koorong.

Christian culture, particularly Christian music, is still in the 1990s. Not so long ago it was still in the 1980s. This explains why there are so many post-grunge Christian guitar bands rockin' out for the Lord. In the 90s, bands like The Newsboys and DC Talk were called a lot of things but I doubt it was ever "ahead of their time".

Here are some more personal reasons why I don't usually listen to Christian music:

- For whatever reason, I just can't bring myself to listen to "praise" music recreationally. I like singing it in Church, but I wouldn't normally put it on at home. I think this has more to do with the sound of the music than the subject matter; I like the Sojourn CD after all...

- I tend to enjoy music that's more understated, lyrics that are more ambiguous, and I prefer a song's "vibe" over its reason for being written.

Christian music isn't all bad though. Here are some examples of Christian music that works well and is pleasing to listen to:

U2 - because they are not a "Christian band", they are a band. A very good band.

Johnny Cash - He was such a legendary figure to most people, that it doesn't really matter to them what he believes.

Sufjan Stevens - He's a brilliant songwriter and musician, and that has cemented him in the music community, even though he does write some undeniably Christian-tinged lyrics.

Sinéad O'Connor's 'Theology' - I don't know what Sinéad believes, only that she's not too pumped for the Pope, but this album is really good and the songs are based on parts of the Old Testament. I read an interview she did about making this album, where she said something about the Old Testament being much cooler than the New Testament - if you write a song about loving Jesus, it's daggy, but if you quote the Psalms then it's poetic. I reckon there's some truth in that.

Bob Dylan's 'Slow Train Coming' - I know he got a lot of crap for his Christian period but at the same time, Bob Dylan was such a legend, there are people willing to follow him in any musical direction he chooses to take. This is is best album from that period and it contains some really cool gospel songs.

Anything 'Gospel' - Genuine gospel music will always be cool.

Basically, I think Christian music is good when it doesn't try too hard; when the artists' faith is a more natural part of self-expression, which it will be if they are making music as a Christian anyway.

What do you guys think about Christian music? Do you ever listen to it?

Bands vs Singer-Songwriters

2008-11-20T00:26:00.004+11:00

Do you listen more to bands or to individual songwriters? A study of my CD collection has revealed I have more albums by bands, but not by a large margin. A few years ago I thought bands were the only legitimate form of music; I couldn't stand the idea of solo artists. Now though, I think I listen more to singer-songwriters than bands. When I say "singer-songwriter", I don't just mean some earnest, acoustic guitar-strumming, ballad maker; I'm talking about multi-instrumentalists and people that have a backing band, as well.

I reckon people that perform and have more control over their own songs, are able to create a more personal feeling in their music. I'm more likely to "connect" with individual songwriters than to the music of a group of people. Bands seem to treat songs differently because there's usually only one or two people that have had input into the lyrics and meaning of a song, and the more people involved the less personal it becomes. I'm not knocking the idea of bands - I like them, but if I wrote songs I don't think I'd want other people messing with them!

Currently Annoyed By...

2008-11-17T23:33:00.005+11:00

Here's a list of musicians/singers/bands that I find exceptionally irritating at the moment. This is not a list of "Most Annoying Bands of All Time"; I don't think such a list would be possible because my annoyance of things fluctuates over time.

Josh Pyke
The new Pete Murray. Bad songs, average voice and a huge following of people you would rather avoid (the type of people that annually attend the Falls Festival)

Avril Lavigne
She capitalises on the increasing popularity of punk rock by taking the worst of that genre and combining it with the worst type of pop music. I think I have a tendency to dislike anyone famous that's young - especially singer/actress/fashion designers.

Cog/The Butterfly Effect
Yes, I know they're not the same band, but they have both been getting an inconceivable amount of praise. I read somewhere that Cog where classified as "post nu-metal" - I'm not sure if that is common agreement but it certainly summarises their sound as far as I'm concerned. If these "whinge-metal" bands weren't Australian, no one would take any interest in them.

John Mayer
I don't get it. Breathy vocals... forgettable songs, except for one particular tune I wish I could forget.

Bright Eyes/Conor Oberst
(Whatever he calls himself these days) One thing that will always irritate me about some singers, movies, or books is transparent motives. I don't like it when you can immediately see what someone is trying to achieve and who they're trying to appeal to. This guy is so obviously trying to be a cute, indie Robert Smith. Why else would he call himself "Bright Eyes" and sing as though he's about to cry.

Thirsty Merc
I don't think I need to explain.

Kimya Dawson
This lady was responsible for a lot of the 'Juno' soundtrack. Her music epitomises what I can't stand about "quirky" teenage irony (although she's actually in her mid 30s). Also, I really dislike "anti-folk" as a genre - it seems completely pointless to me.

Jason Mraz
Just awful! He even looks annoying, like someone who would audition for Big Brother. This acoustic chill-out pseudo-hippy music needs to stop. He's obviously a big fan of Jack Johnson, which is fine but we really don't need two Jack Johnsons, do we?

Karaoke Guilt

2008-11-16T23:56:00.005+11:00

Last night, I went to a fun party held by Jonny. There was some live music by people who knew what they were doing. When this part of the evening drew to a close, the floor was opened for anyone who felt like having a bash on an instrument or with their voice... towards the end of the night, it was just bad, bad karaoke. No one was even listening; most people had gone home. There were moments when the party could have come to a fitting end - Nathan and Fairlie's (The Steadfast Shepherd) impromptu mini-gig seemed like a great finale. But no, we needed to sing a few more terrible Powderfinger songs, and of course 'You Raise Me Up'. It was heaps of fun, but I felt a bit rotten when we finally went home.

This got me thinking about karaoke guilt. When I do karaoke, I'm usually left with a feeling, somewhat akin to committing a grave sin. Part of the reason is because I can never stop at just one song. It always feels natural to do several more, I suppose because nobody is leaping up to take the microphone from me. I think this feeling of seediness also comes from singing songs that are far beyond my (limited) range; knowing that I cannot sing something but doing it anyway, and being well aware that the "audience" are not enjoying it leads to a feeling of mild regret, along with the absence of humiliation (a feeling that should be present but isn't). Maybe it's all that, combined with the feeling you get when you stay up too late.

Does anyone else experience karaoke guilt? Or has anyone had any extra-bad karaoke moments?

Rockstars that could be mistaken for bogans

2008-11-13T14:29:00.008+11:00

Bon Scott

James Hetfield

The Edge

Rod Stewart

Amy Winehouse

Air Supply (Don't they look like a couple of bogan dads having too much fun at a wedding?)

Shit Songs on Perfect Albums

2008-11-12T16:31:00.003+11:00

An idea of Mikey's.

'Zoo Station' from Achtung Baby (U2)
Not sure how many would agree but I've always thought this album gets off to a bad start. I love all of its other songs but could never get into this one.

'Dr Robert' and 'Yellow Submarine' from Revolver (The Beatles) Could almost include 'Taxman' but I'll admit it's a well written song. 'Dr Robert' is just a nothing song and 'Yellow Submarine' is irritating and silly.

'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' from Abbey Road (The Beatles)Faaaaaaaaar too long. I know it makes 'Here Comes the Sun' more appropriate but I still can't listen to the whole thing.

'Dead Flowers' from Sticky Fingers (The Rolling Stones)
Not a terrible song, but I don't think it fits on this album.

'Sulk' from The Bends (Radiohead)
It's just not as good as the other songs. Mikey also mentioned 'Bones' but I like that one.

'Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)' from Pet Sounds (The Beach Boys)
Too much saccharine. This song nauseates me. It almost ruins the album for me but not quite.

'Romance in Durango' from Desire (Bob Dylan)
I always have to skip this one; it really grates with me. Unfortunately, 'Abandoned Love' is a brilliant song that was left off this album... I know what I'd swap it with.

Any others?

Watch Me Disappear

2008-11-12T13:17:00.003+11:00

I've been holding off writing a review of this CD for a little while. Augie March albums tend to reveal more and more after several listens. They're complex, both musically and lyrically. With their latest album 'Watch Me Disappear', I think my first impression will be somewhat of a lasting one.

Augie March are one of the best bands in Australia. You should definitely listen to their first three albums. One of the things I like about them is they write about Australian places, and history, without causing embarrassment. They even have songs about Hobart ('Mt Wellington Reverie' from Moo, You Bloody Choir, 'The Slant' and get this - 'The Glenorchy Bunyip', both from Watch Me Disappear). In that regard, they are one of the most "Oz" bands I can think of... they're up there with Midnight Oil and Cold Chisel.

Their last album brought them commercial success so it was always going to be interesting to see where they went next. 'Watch Me Disappear' sounds like Augie March, but unfortunately, it sounds like Augie March on auto pilot. Some of the songs seem empty when compared to their previous offerings. It's still a nice album to listen to and a few of the songs - 'Becoming Bryn', 'The Slant', and 'Dogsday' are among the best they've ever written. One of the great things about Augie March, are the lyrics of singer Glenn Richards. They are just as good on this album. He's able to write phrases that don't always make sense but sound great and conjure up fantastic imagery (ahem). "The mothers' competitions, the fathers' stifled yawns/
In this hazy picnic season, light beer and gentle treason."

While 'Sunset Studies' and 'Strange Bird' (the first two albums) are difficult to pigeon-hole into a genre, this album falls neatly into the "pop" box. It lacks the attention to detail of their earlier songs, where every chord change and melody were unpredictable and fresh. I don't feel as though this album will improve much with age, either...

I was a little disappointed with the overall result, but very pleased to hear some great new songs. It's worth getting on special.

Pseudo Reggae

2008-11-10T16:36:00.002+11:00

I think one of the worst types of songs is something I will call "white-man-pseudo-reggae". It seemed to be particularly popular during the 70s and consists of British rock bands (or singers) trying their hand at reggae. Usually, one of these songs will appear on an otherwise completely rock n roll album, making it stick out like a sore thumb, while being as equally painful as one.

Here are some examples:

Elton John - 'Jamaica Jerk-off' from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
The Rolling Stones - 'Luxury' from It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
Led Zeppelin - 'D'yer Mak'er' from Houses of the Holy
UB40 - All of their songs from all of their albums.

This practice of "white-man-pseudo-reggae" is not unlike a misguided, middle aged man that skateboards to work, in order to be like the younger people.
I don't mind reggae in limited doses. I like Bob Marley. But it just sounds so wrong when people that are so obviously not Bob Marley "give it a go".

Sgt. Pepper: Classic or Not?

2008-11-08T17:54:00.002+11:00

In a comment on my previous post, Pos claims that the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band should not be considered a classic.

He writes:

Compare it to Abbey Road, The White Album, Revolver or Rubber Soul.

Fixing a Hole is filler, She's Leaving Home is dreary, Within You Without You is unnecessary, Lovely Rita sounds like it was cobbled together out of other Beatles songs, and did we really need two versions of the title track?

The definition of a classic album that is not classic.

What do people think of this album? Classic or overrated?
For the record, I think it's a classic.

Classic Albums That Are Not Classic

2008-11-07T15:33:00.005+11:00

Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

I've been trying to enjoy this album for about 5 years and haven't managed to do so. I remember buying it under the impression that it was "one of the best albums of all time" or some sort of nonsense like that. There are some songs on it that I like - The first four on the album, particularly the title track, but most of the others are so-so at best. At worst, they are clunky, daggy, over-produced piano rockers. The whole album doesn't sound like it has stood the test of time. It has moments of greatness and moments of yuck; this is best summarised by listening to 'This song has no title' - a beautiful verse ruined by a dreadful, out-of-place chorus.

I reckon this was the logic used by music critics when reviewing this album:

Elton John has some classic songs
therefore Elton John is "classic".
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is Elton John's best album
therefore Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is a "classic album"

Hardly a sound argument.

Scary Songs

2008-11-06T15:14:00.004+11:00

I think many of the creators of black metal/death metal would like to think they're being pretty scary. They're not. They're just geeks with long hair and black t-shirts that growl into microphones. Fast drumming and guitar riffs (no matter how "heavy") are not scary; guitar solos are definitely not going to send someone into a state of terror. Marylin Manson would like to think he's frightening. He looks like a drag queen. Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne have basically given up and are now just funny old men.

No, the music that has the greatest potential to scare, is as far away from music as it can possibly be. Usually it's referred to as "industrial" or "musique concrète" (there is a difference between the two but I can't be bothered finding or writing about it), and it doesn't sound like anything created by a regular band.

Here are some songs that may just freak you out if you listen to them alone, in the dark (they probably won't have the same effect, during the day):

Frankie Teardrop - Suicide
The first time I heard this, I knew it was meant to be pretty creepy and I had my cynic hat on. It sounded almost funny at first; the singer's voice is strange and his delivery of the corny lyrics is pretty amusing. But the song draws you in and the relentless background noise, along with the sudden shrieking, make for an intense 10 minutes.

Revolution 9 - The Beatles
I'm not sure if this song is intended to freak people out... I think it's just an experiment. It appears on the White Album and I would often skip it because it was too long and not tuneful enough (or rather, not tuneful at all). Once though, I was listening to the White Album when I was in bed and I dosed off, then woke up when Revolution 9 was playing. There is definitely something creepy about hearing that "number 9... number 9... number 9... number 9..." when you're lying by yourself in complete darkness.

Hamburger Lady - Throbbing Gristle
I don't even know what this song is about, and I don't want to know. The sound of it is chilling enough.

Come to Daddy - Aphex Twin
I can remember seeing the film clip to this, late one night on Rage. It scared the crap out of me. While it's not a terrifying song, it was creepy enough to have an effect on me at the time.

What are some songs you find a bit freaky?

Listening to the lead up to Obama's speech...

2008-11-05T15:55:00.002+11:00

You could be forgiven for thinking you'd tuned into HOFM or somesuch drivel. Are these some crusty songs or what?!

Black

2008-11-05T01:15:00.002+11:00

I was trying to think of bands with the word "black" in the title, and I realised that nearly all the ones I thought of were quite similar. They all have psychedelic tendencies with strong roots in the 70s. Black Sabbath (of course), The Black Crowes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Black Keys, The Black Angels, Black Mountain, Black Lips...

Why do you think that is? Maybe the use of the word "black" by these bands is an ironic (or even, a sincere) take on something "cool" or "dark"; very rock n roll.

Novelty Songs

2008-11-03T14:46:00.002+11:00

I'm not a big fan of novelty or "funny" songs. They're amusing the first time you hear them but after that, they just seem pointless and lame. The novelty wears off all too quickly for me. I don't mind it when (talented) comedians make up a song for a comedy act - like Bill Bailey or Flight of the Concords. I like some artists that skirt but never quite cross the border to Noveltysongland; you know, people like Jonathan Richman (Modern Lovers), Jens Lekman, Darren Hanlon, and dare I say it... Anthony Rochester. They write silly songs but they're not written for strictly comedic purposes.

I don't like Weird Al Yankovic, The Bloodhound Gang, or that song 'Shaddap you face'. After they stop being funny (if they ever were), my mind doesn't know what to do with them; I can't take them seriously as songs and I can't listen to them as comedy.

It's pretty hard to write a decent comedy song. It's one thing to string a few rhymes together and make them fit into a familiar tune, but it's much more challenging to use wit and innovation as well as clever rhyming. Even if you succeed and end up with a popular, chart-topping novelty song - I will find it incredibly irritating after the third or fourth listen.

Trying to like an album

2008-10-30T16:38:00.002+11:00

I bought an album recently ($10 - thanks JB) in the hope, and with the assumption that I would like it. The album is Ryan Adams' (Ryan, not Bryan) Rock n Roll and I don't really like it. I don't know much about Ryan, only that he's critically acclaimed and that he's a little bit alt/country. My research has found that this is not one of his best albums (according to general consensus) and it's a strictly rock n roll album (I thought the title might have been ironic). I do like rock n roll music, of course (I'm pretty trigger-happy with the brackets, aren't I?).

So, in a Dutch attempt to save $10, and just because I've bought it, I'm determined to force myself to like this album. I think, if I listen to it enough, it will grow on me. I'm going to keep a little diary of my sessions with Ryan, which I'll post on here. My goal is to like this album by the end of the year.
Has anyone else managed to force themselves to like an album or are my efforts in vain?

JB HIFI

2008-10-29T23:35:00.005+11:00

JB is a blessing to Hobart. You can go in there with $10 and come out with a good CD or DVD. But, there are a few things I've noticed about that shop:

1. They have an obscene amount of staff members. There seems to be about 4 or 5 of them patrolling each aisle. You can barely browse without tripping over a staff member! If they didn't have as much staff, the shop would be a lot less busy. Also, it seems certain staff members follow you to whichever aisle you're in - like they've secretly assigned a member of staff to each customer as a pet.

2. The staff members all look a bit like hobbits. A lot of them have wispy beards and shaggy hair - and none of them are particularly tall. A couple of them seem really, really young as well, like McDonald's employees. There is definitely a JB "look".

3. They have music playing (as you'd expect) but it repeatedly comes to an abrupt halt so that the PA can come into action:
"Gavin, you've got a call on line 1"
"Tracy, your boyfriend's waiting at the HIFI section"
"DVDs, we need some assistance with an STD at the front desk"
Then the music starts again.

State Songs #5 - California

2008-10-28T18:52:00.009+11:00

California Stars - Wilco

There are a great deal of songs written about California. Why then, would I pick something so obscure when I could have chosen 'California Girls' or 'California Dreamin'? Well, just because they are some of the most famous California songs, it doesn't immediately qualify them as representatives of their state; not in my list, anyway. These songs don't make me think of California at all. The Beach Boys' song makes me think of the "stop" button while 'California Dreamin' actually draws to my mind brown leaves, grey skies, and winter's days - not the sunny respite that the song points toward. To me, that song is more of a winter classic than a summer anthem.

California, much like Australia, has a certain image that's often shown and idealised around the world - that of endless summers, beaches and bikinis. But, just like Tassie is hardly the epitome of an "endless summer", California also has areas where mountains, wilderness, and, even snow dominate the scenery. It seems there's much more to California than what the stereotype allows for, and it seems to me that all those Beach Boys' songs about "fun fun fun" and "surfin' USA" and "wishing they could all be California girls" are songs written about the stereotype - songs that could be used in a tourism campaign to get people onto an overcrowded beach. Don't get me wrong, I like the beach as much as the next man and I'm not trying pretend there aren't any beaches in California, that would be quite a claim! I'm just trying to work out why I don't like the Beach Boys very much.

The song I chose is from 'Mermaid Avenue' - Wilco and Billy Bragg's album of Woody Guthrie songs. It's really good. So the lyrics to this song are by Woody Guthrie and the music, tune etc is Wilco...

'California Stars' is a song that instantly evokes feeling and a strong vibe. It makes me think of California, because (despite its title) it's not really about California. I'm aware that doesn't make any sense so I'll try to explain: The Beach Boys' song 'California Girls' is about California; it's basically saying that girls from California are the best in the world. Wilco's song is more personal. It's about taking refuge and striving towards rest - "on a bed of California stars". This resonates quite strongly with me, and I dare say many others; it doesn't matter if you're thinking of California or not, it could be anywhere that means something to you. It's the song's vibe that does most of the work in taking me to California; the title just rounds it off. The experience of a place will come laced with feelings about being there, as well as some unrelated thoughts. I think this is how we remember places - if we truly remember them, we don't remember what they're supposed to look like, we remember our emotions about being there.

In the video I linked to, someone has put up some footage of their holiday to Northern California, with 'California Stars' as the soundtrack. It's kind of weird watching a complete stranger's holiday video - you feel a bit like an involuntary stalker. Or you're just bored to death. This video accompanies the song really well though, and when I watched it, I felt my brain was trying to remember a holiday that I never actually went on... weird.

Top 5 musical acts whose names start with "Cat"

2008-10-27T14:05:00.003+11:00

5. Catherine Wheel
4. Cat Empire, The
3. Catatonia
2. Cat Power
1. Cat Stevens

Music DVDs

2008-10-25T00:52:00.002+11:00

I don't like live music DVDs at all. I don't understand why there is such a large section devoted to them in most music stores... I guess people must buy them. It's basically an inconvenient way of listening to music; you have to play it through the TV and you have to watch it being performed - an experience that would not come at all close to replicating the excitement of being at the concert.

Do people watch music DVDs?

No home is complete without...

2008-10-23T19:19:00.003+11:00

A life size cardboard cutout of André Rieu.

I wish I had one.

Top 5 Gay Bands/Singers

2008-10-22T16:47:00.002+11:00

Not including people like Freddy Mercury and Michael Stipe, because they are (or were) in bands with mostly heterosexual members.

5. Indigo Girls
4. Elton John
3. Rufus Wainwright
2. Scissor Sisters
1. David Bowie (he's bi-sexual - that counts)

The Drones

2008-10-21T02:44:00.002+11:00

Mikey saw them at the Republic last Friday and posts a review on his blog.

90s Aussie Alternative Rock Bands

2008-10-20T19:12:00.004+11:00

There were some fairly successful bands around this country in the nineties. There were also quite a few that didn't do so well but still gathered a bit of following, through live shows and Triple J airplay. Some of these bands I couldn't stand while some others I remember quite fondly (but vaguely). At its best, I think the music that these bands produced was better than some of Australia's more popular groups - I've never been a huge Silverchair or Something For Kate fan and I get significantly closer to death when I hear the Hoodoo Gurus or Hunters and Collectors. Poisonous stuff.

Here are some bands I remember being pretty good back in the day, but have since defunct or have disappeared into further obscurity:

Ammonia - they had some great songs like 'You're Not The Only One'.

Violetine - I used to love the song 'Any Day'.

Pollyanna - This person has several videos of this underrated band. Check them out.

Even - Remember their really cruisy song 'Black Umbrella'?

Some bands I didn't like nor dislike:

Not From There - They were from Brisbane but had that German song 'Sich Offnen'.

Screamfeeder - Another Brisbane band. I don't remember any standout songs so here's a segment of them on the show 'Recovery'. So nineties!

Deadstar - Had some pretty good songs. I used to find their song 'Deeper Water' pretty annoying at the time, but quite enjoyed listening to it again just now.

Skunkhour - 'Up To Our Necks In It' was such a cheesy song but also very likeable.

Shocking, awful, embarrassing bands that I will not link any songs to because I don't want to remember or promote them:

The Fauves - These guys seemed to have a bit of cred and I didn't mind a few of their songs, but 'Bigger Than Tina' was so bad it erased anything half-decent they may have made from my memory.

Happyland - When you mix two rubbish bands (Spiderbait and Regurgitator), the result is bound to be dismal. I could have told them that before they made an album.

Custard - Just a little too silly for me. I could never take Dave McCormack seriously, although he is pretty talented.

Loki - Really bad, amateur rock trio. Can't believe I even remember them.

Any others?

Another look at 90s Eurodance

2008-10-16T00:01:00.005+11:00

The 1990s were over, but not before its fair share of sins were dealt out. Bill Clinton committed adultery, Martin Bryant murdered 35 people... and 'I like to Move it Move it' was created, recorded and sold to the public. That was just one of many songs that followed the exact same formula, to be pumped out (with alarming regularity) from commercial radio stations and party dance floors.

For a band to qualify as 'eurodance' (which seems to be the official term for the genre), it needs the following ingredients:

1. A singer capable of repetitive pop choruses
2. A not especially talented rapper (perhaps a white German rapper)
3. Tacky Synth hooks
4. Tacky, pounding bass beats (doof doof)
5. Cheesy lyrics

I think you all know what type of music I'm talking about. I can remember it being very popular at the time but now not many dare speak of it. One of the reasons why I think it was successful, is that it was dance music for people that didn't like dance music. It wasn't relentless electronic noise, or rather, it was relentless electronic noise but it also had infectious catchy pop tunes. To give credit where it's due, a lot of these songs will get stuck in your head all day if you have the misfortune of remembering one.

As bad as it was, I can't quite bring myself to completely hate this genre of music. I certainly don't like it, but sadly, these songs built part of the soundtrack to my formative years - as a result, they hold a lot of memories. If today, I were to hear a classic sixties song, or a brand new 2008 release, I would be free to listen to it and enjoy (or not enjoy) it without any connotations; it would just be a good (or a bad) song. But I can't do that with music from the nineties because I listened to these songs during a time when I was young enough to be heavily influenced by any kind of media and entertainment, and not old enough to think sensibly about the music I was exposed to. The nineties are a vivid memory to me; the eighties are a distant memory and anything before that is not a genuine memory (because I wasn't around). That, combined with the fact that 90s eurodance has been swept under the carpet, means that these songs will always trigger some kind of memory... which seems unfair because I never even liked these songs at the time!

If anyone wants to re-live their younger years, I have compiled a little You Tube tour for you. Take it at your own risk.

Real McCoy - Love and Devotion

Ace of Base - All That She Wants

La Bouche - Be My Lover

Culture Beat - Mr Vain

Corona - Rhythm of the Night

Whigfield - Sexy Eyes (This one might give you an aneurysm.)

Simply Red - Fairground (This could have been included in the cheesy songs list I did earlier.)

Haddaway - What is Love (This song is often associated with the awful Will Ferrell film A Night at the Roxbury. Don't let anyone tell you "it's so bad, it's funny!". It's not. It's so bad, it's unwatchable.)

Amber - This is your night

You should listen to...

2008-10-14T15:28:00.004+11:00

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

Fantastic. It's a bit more "normal" than some of Wilco's other albums, which is not a bad thing. There are some really nice, mellow, borderline-country tracks on here. Some of the album is a bit "progressive", something I normally hate, but it works well and sounds good in songs like 'Impossible Germany'. It's a great album to "do stuff to" (essay writing, cleaning, cooking), not that it's background music, it just has a great accompanying quality.

State Songs #4 - Arkansas

2008-10-13T14:41:00.004+11:00

What'd I Say - Ray Charles

If you're familiar with this song, and I dare say many people are, you might wonder if the only reason I have decided to dedicate it to the state of Arkansas, is the line

Tell your mama, tell your pa
I'm gonna send you back to Arkansas

Well, yes. That's basically the reason. That line, as far as I can tell, is the only thing that connects 'What'd I Say' to Arkansas. I think that's OK because, when you think about it, how many times have you heard the name of a location in a throwaway lyric? Probably heaps of times. I reckon that experience is part of many Australians' relationship with the USA. The reason I've heard of places like Arkansas, is not because I took extensive geography classes at school, it's because Ray Charles refers to it once in a classic song. While that's a little bit ignorant, I don't think I should be too ashamed to admit that I know next to nothing about Arkansas (only that its pronunciation is inconsistent with that of 'Kansas' and that Johnny Cash comes from there). Why should I? It doesn't seem a very significant state, and unless you live in Australia (or have friends here) you're probably not going to know too much about Tasmania. But American cities and states are so often mentioned in songs for no apparent reason, it gives us a weird sense of the familiar for something we know nothing about. For the record, I don't think that's a bad thing. It's kind of cool.

I also chose this song because it's great and Ray Charles is awesome. It was literally made up on the spot, at a concert in the late 50s, where Charles ran out of songs and decided to improvise, telling his back-up singers "whatever I say, just repeat after me".

Speaking of things medical

2008-10-09T23:10:00.003+11:00

If you're looking for a doctor in Lenah Valley, you may come across a Dr Michael Jackson or a Dr Paul McCartney. Who would you rather be treated by? Macca or Jacko? I think Jackson would have good bedside manner...perhaps a little too good. I could actually imagine Paul being a doctor... or a dentist, he looks like a dentist.

I'd love to get these two doctors together so they could collaborate on a surgical equivalent of 'The Girl Is Mine'.

Enya

2008-10-09T15:37:00.003+11:00

This year, a Hobart doctor called Christine Boyce was awarded 'General Practicioner of the Year'. That's definitely true, you can look it up. What I've also heard - and I can't find any evidence for this, but I heard it through a reliable source - is that Dr Boyce was in the same school class as Enya (in Ireland). Now, that information gave me quite a shock, not that a local has such a cool claim to fame, but that Enya went to school. This has completely tarnished my view of Enya. The Enya of my mind never went to school, she was not born in 1961 (she is ageless), she doesn't speak any modern human dialect, she was never in 'Clannad' and she can probably fly. I seriously have always thought of Enya as some kind of alien! She floats around undiscovered Celtic planets making ethereal noises.

Does anyone else see Enya like that or is it just me?

Lactose Tolerance

2008-10-07T17:01:00.004+11:00

I've been thinking about cheesy songs recently. I've noticed that a lot of cheesy songs came from the seventies and eighties; although there was a lot of cheese in the sixties, it was often coated in enough sugar to qualify as something more digestible. I've made a list of six essential cheesy songs, but let me first explain the criteria of this list... The following will not necessarily be the most cheesy songs ever, for I'm sure there have been cheesier songs written, it's just that no one listens to them. Of course patriotic anthems are cheesy, but that's more like processed cheese. The type of cheese I'm talking about is blue brie - songs that, at the time of creation (the song's creation not THE creation of the world), were trying to be regular pop or rock songs, but have now given up on that and have matured into mouldy cheese - festering in the exposure of their true food group.

The thing that makes a "good" (and I'm not sure if that's the right word) cheesy song is the tune. I'm assuming there will be plenty of synth and white suits. But the thing that brings the following songs together, is that they have very memorable, catchy tunes. A tune that you might remember during the day, tricking you into thinking that the song it belongs to is actually a good one. You sing this song in your head and it almost becomes a guilty pleasure. Until at last you hear the song played in a waiting room, bus, or worst of all, you SEE IT on a late night TV promo for Forgotten Classics of the 70s. And then you remember how bad the song was and hope you never start humming it again. But you do.

So here's my top 6 essential cheesy songs:
(There's no order because they're all as bad as each other)

Baby I Love Your Way - Peter Frampton
The person responsible for uploading this song onto Ewe Tube, had the nerve to describe it as "a little fixer upper". This song does not fix anything.

All Out Of Love - Air Supply
For quite some time, I was under the impression that the chorus was sung by a girl. This film clip is an eye-opening experience. And isn't 'Air Supply' an atrocious name for a band?!

I Wanna Know What Love Is - Foreigner
I don't wanna know about this crusty guy's desire to know what love is. And I certainly don't want to show him.

Lady In Red - Chris De Burgh
There was a song we sang at Crossroads recently that sounded remarkably like this rotten song. At least, it had the same chorus. Not only was that a distraction to me at the time, it put this song in my head and it has stayed there for the last few weeks. Seriously, when I wake up I can't help but hear "laaaady in reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed".

I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder has released some really cool songs. He also has done 'Ebony and Ivory', 'Isn't She Lovely' and this. I heard it in the super-market the other day and it was the perfect soundtrack for wandering around the aisles.

The Longest Time - Billy Joel
Billy Joel is a cheese factory masquerading as a rock legend. Surely this song is proof.

Top 5 Scottish bands

2008-10-04T19:01:00.002+10:00

5. Travis
4. Simple Minds
3. The Jesus and Mary Chain
2. Teenage Fanclub
1. Belle and Sebastian

What d'you reckon?

Your bessht? Losers always whine about their bessht...

2008-10-03T20:46:00.007+10:00

I think one of the secret ingredients to being a credible alternative pop band is to be Scottish. Just be from Scotland and sing with a slightly milder Scottish accent than what you would speak with, have lovely jangly guitars, understated lyrics and harmonic choruses. Have nice Scottish haircuts and wear scarfs and warm Scottish jackets. Don't wear a kilt, that's overdoing it. I think that guy from Korn wore a kilt, and you don't want that kind of look... Have a cute band name like "Travis" or "Belle and Sebastian".

Using that same secret ingredient, you can also become an over hyped, overplayed, top 40 rock band. Think of 'Snow Patrol', 'Idlewild' (is there any difference?) and 'Franz Ferdinand'.

I have created my own Scottish pop band (well it's just me and my imaginary friends), which I will unveil in a later post.

State Songs #3 - Arizona

2008-10-02T00:51:00.008+10:00

By The Time I Get To Arizona - Public Enemy

This song is quite 'relevant', despite being released in 1991. It's about the State of Arizona's refusal to observe the Martin Luther King holiday - something Senator John McCain voted against. The song tells of a fictitious plan to assassinate the Governor of Arizona because of this seemingly racist political decision.

I reckon Public Enemy are classic. Their style (both musical and fashion) is very dated but somehow not daggy. They also managed to get away with creating extremely political songs without seeming fake.

For these state songs, I expected Arizona to produce a country ballad, or perhaps something more in the vain of 'southern rock' (although Arizona is more south-western)- not New York hip hop. In fact the song I initially thought of was Kings of Leon's 'Arizona' - the sound of that song makes me think of the desert. But the lyrics don't have much to do with Arizona at all.

That a Public Enemy song can be used to represent the State of Arizona, really typifies the contrast between many of the US states - in my mind, at least. New York seems like a completely different world to Phoenix, partly due to my ignorance but also because of the representation of these places in the media. I wonder if this 'gap' would be as noticeable if I actually went there...

Spice Girls and Pavarotti

2008-09-30T15:50:00.001+10:00

Check out this performance of Pav and the Spice Girls. It's bizarre. It sounds like Pav is trying to blow them off the stage with a completely different song.

Emo

2008-09-30T15:36:00.002+10:00

Angus shares the ingredients of a good emo song. I might try writing one sometime.

You should listen to...

2008-09-29T22:48:00.004+10:00

Beth Orton - Central Reservation

This is a bit of an old favourite that I've been listening to heaps recently and have not yet gotten sick of. It's such a good album. Beth Orton is a talented songwriter but she also has such a mesmerising voice - it's very difficult to turn off her music. Maximum recommendations.

State Songs #2 - Alaska

2008-09-25T16:49:00.005+10:00

Stephanie Says - The Velvet Underground

I'd love to go to Alaska, it looks awesome. It seems like it would be one of the most beautiful but bleak places on earth. A bit like this song, funnily enough. 'Stephanie Says' is a really pretty sounding pop song but it has a tone of isolation and disconnection. I think the song is about a girl that's grown so numb and tired of life and human interaction that she's basically living in Alaska - in her mind. The cold climate of Alaska is likened to her outlook and mood.

But she's not afraid to die
the people all call her Alaska
Between worlds so the people ask her
'Cause it's all in her mind
it's all in her mind
They're asking is it good or bad
It's such an icy feeling
It's so cold in Alaska

If my interpretation has any merit, then Alaska is seen as a state of mind, which I think is pretty cool. It seems like a place where there's no reprieve from the cold and the bitter elements of winter - a bit like Hobart gone wrong. The literal meaning of "Alaska" (in the Eskimo dialect from which the word originates) is "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed." Pretty grim place then.

I'm curious about other people's interpretations of this song. Have a listen to it.

State Songs #1 - Alabama

2008-09-24T23:41:00.006+10:00

(I'm going alphabetically)

Alabama - Neil Young

There were a few songs I could have picked. Most obviously, 'Alabama Song' - which The Doors and David Bowie have both recorded and 'Sweet Home Alabama' (by Lynyrd Skynyrd), which was partly inspired by the song I ended up choosing. 'Sweet Home Alabama' was written in response to Neil Young's 'Alabama' and 'Southern Man' - two songs about racism in the south. These are the songs that are referred to in the verse:

"Well I heard Mr Young sing about her
Well I heard ol' Neil put her down
Well I hope Neil Young will remember
A southern man don't need him around anyhow"

I chose to dedicate Neil Young's song to Alabama, mainly because I like it more. Also because it is written from the point of view of a visitor (Neil Young is from Canada), as I have never set foot in Alabama, it seems more appropriate to pick a song coming from that point of view. I identify more with this song because it is pointing out something that needs fixing. To me, cities, nations, states etc are nothing more than communities of people - they are not something that should be glorified and praised just because you were born there and despite anything dodgy that might happen there. And that seems to be what 'Sweet Home Alabama' is about. It's a fun song but it has an air of blind patriotism that misses the point of Neil Young's 'Alabama'.

Do you like American music? (I like all kinds of music)

2008-09-24T15:01:00.003+10:00

At our house the other day, Joel was trying to name all 50 US states. He just about managed to do it, with the help of a few generous clues. During this spontaneous, geographical quiz (not nerdy at all), it occurred to me how familiar all of the names of these places were. Even for someone that's only spend 4-5 days in the USA, these place names trigger some significance, because they are so often mentioned in the songs we listen to and the movies we watch. Thanks to modern cultural history, hearing the name of an American state in a song gives it a form of romanticism; it gives a folk song instant authenticity. This cannot be said of Australian place names, at least, it's much harder to name-drop an Australian town without sounding like John Williamson or be taken seriously. Not many would bother writing a song like "Launceston Blues" or "Love in Maribyrnong" (Paul Kelly probably has written these songs, I'm not sure).

Songs about European cities don't have the same effect either. Perhaps it's too pretentious to write about a weekend you spent in Rome or Prague. Or perhaps these places come laden with too long a history; connotations that would override the song itself.

Given that so many people have written songs about America, I've decided to find a song for each US state. The song can either be about a state or it can simply mention it in passing (which should make it a bit easier). Stay tuned for my first state dedication.

Walking Songs

2008-09-22T19:35:00.002+10:00

Plenty of crusty compilation CDs have been released with titles like "The Best Ever Driving (bogan) Songs". The concept of driving songs has been discussed to death, but you don't often hear about walking songs. Some songs are really good for walking.

There's a definite type of song that I like to walk to. The song doesn't have to be about walking, but it usually will be about thinking or reflecting - things that happen when you walk by yourself. Most often, walking songs will be slower than driving songs. That makes a lot of sense because the average human will be slower than the average car (you heard it here first!). Apart from that, I can't quite put my finger on why some songs are better for walking than others... I think it helps if the singer is walking in the video clip.

Here are some songs I like to tune into when I walk:

The Wanderer - U2 and Johnny Cash
Streets of Philadelphia - Bruce Springsteen
Ain't Talkin' - Bob Dylan
Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Moonlight Mile - Rolling Stones
Have You Ever Seen the Rain?* - CCR
California Dreamin' - The Mamas and the Papas
The Unforgettable Fire - U2
Downbound Train - Bruce Springsteen

Does anyone else have any walking classics?

*Yes I have.

Pfft. Amateurs!

2008-09-18T00:28:00.003+10:00

Not to sound like a snob, but I hate it how actors in amateur musicals (and other theatrical productions - I just said musicals to keep this in theme with the rest of my blog) put on grotesquely exaggerated Australian accents - often in bits that are meant to be funny. The UniRevue is a case in point. Why do they do this? Does it happen naturally when they project their voice? Or are they under the misapprehension that the voice is funny? No one talks like that; even the most boganic of creatures would turn their nose up if they encountered someone speaking with that kind of voice.

I'm Your Man

2008-09-12T19:18:00.002+10:00

In this song,

If you want a lover
I'll do anything you ask me to
And if you want another kind of love
I'll wear a mask for you

Do you think Leonard Cohen is referring to S&M? Or is he saying "if you want to sleep with someone else, I will turn a blind eye"?

You should listen to...

2008-09-10T16:33:00.005+10:00

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

It's a very long album and, as a result, it's rather overwhelming for the first couple of listens. On the flip side, you can listen to it many times and half of the songs still seem new. It really does grow on you. There are some fantastic songs on here but the most rewarding experience comes from listening to the entire thing because it flows so well as an album. Some of the musical arrangement is quite bizarre (Nick Gross said it sounds like music from a musical - which I think is an accurate description) but it quickly becomes normal and you have to take a step back to realise how weird the album actually is. The highlights for me are 'John Wayne Gacy Jnr.", an almost uncomfortably sad song about the serial killer, and 'The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out To Get Us!', which I think summarises the genius of the album, and is almost a mini-album in itself. But these songs really sound better if you hear them within the context of the whole CD. Another point of note: Sufjan Stevens is a Christian and you can hear traces of his faith in his lyrics but he's not some sort of Michael W Smith type. This is 'Christian music' that won't make you cringe.

Bono and U2

2008-09-08T13:52:00.003+10:00

A lot of people seem to hate Bono. I don't really get it. Yeah, he talks about Africa an awful lot but everyone has their hobby-horse. Some people think he's arrogant; I don't get that impression. He has charisma - that's not arrogance. I've always thought he seems genuinely down to earth when he's interviewed. I guess he has an inflated ego but most rock stars do.

Here are some reasons why I think people don't like Bono:

- People don't like preachers. Paying $200 for a U2 ticket to listen to Bono rant about third world debt isn't something the average consumer wants to deal with.

- He makes people feel guilty. They feel uncomfortable being asked to give money to charities. Instead, they would rather say things like "if Bono gave half his money to Africa then there wouldn't be a problem". He might live an indulgent lifestyle, but he gives a heap of money to charity and spends a lot of his time being an advocate and instigator - more than most celebrities do. Even if he could feed the entire planet for decades with his loose change, why should it be up to one man to do so?

- They think he is fake. People can't comprehend that someone might want to care for human rights in other countries without having some sort of ulterior motive. They just don't believe he could be genuine.

- He has opinions. Strong opinions. Sometimes controversial opinions. Opinions on God, on politics, on humanity. People don't like that.

- His sunglasses. Some people don't like those.

Anyway, I like Bono. I think he's a good bloke. I reckon this Bono-bashing has led to people discrediting his music. It's certainly not very 'cool' to like U2 these days; they're often dismissed as a massively commercial talentless stadium-pop band. They're not an unpopular band, obviously. Millions of people like them, but the average music snob probably doesn't rate them very highly. U2 aren't my favourite band but there's no escaping the fact that Achtung Baby was a great, original and groundbreaking album, or that The Joshua Tree was one of the best albums of the last 30 years. The U2 of the 80s and early 90s were a very daring, exciting and talented band. People tend to overlook this now because they don't like Bono.

I'd be curious to hear other people's thoughts on Bono. Do you like him? Or is he annoying?

New Blog

2008-09-04T20:49:00.002+10:00

In case anyone's interested, I've started another blog. It's about movies and can be found here. I still plan to update this one from time to time, so stick around.

Barney covers Tupac

2008-06-23T17:20:00.001+10:00

This is hilarious. There's a bit of swearing in it, by the way.

Music Confessional

2008-06-23T15:48:00.002+10:00

I know this blog is meant to be about music but I've come to realise something: I only like certain aspects of that very thing.

When some people say that they like music, they mean they're interested in band members, back catalogues and rock'n'roll history. I don't find that stuff very interesting. What I like about it is how it sounds; how it can accompany you in your day, how it's available at the flick of a switch, and I love the vibe that a certain song can resonate, in contrast to another. It doesn't matter to me who wrote a song or why they wrote it. Not that I don't take any notice of that stuff; if you're going to find new music (new as in "I've never heard this before", not necessarily the latest release.), then it's very helpful to know what you like and who makes what you like. I find this a much more liberating approach because I don't have any 'allegiance' to an artist or band. I don't have to care whether Enya's latest album is good or if it's rubbish, and I'm not obliged to own all of Bob Dylan's albums; some of them are crap!

I acknowledge, this is a very consumerist approach to music listening but I don't see a problem with that.

Something else I don't like as much: live music. I don't dislike it; I've been to concerts and thoroughly enjoyed them, and there are some groups I think it would be AWESOME to see live. But I don't usually get that excited when I consider the prospect of going to a concert. Some would say that music is at its best when it's performed on stage, to an audience; that it's meant to be heard live. I don't agree. I'm more than happy to listen to music on a CD and I love the thought that someone can record something in 1967, I can listen to it in 2008 and enjoy it just as much as anyone. I've heard people lament the fact that they were born too late to be around in the 60s, so that they could experience the Beatles live, or so that they could hear the Rolling Stones when they were fresh, because, apparently it's just not the same as listening to it now. I'm sure it isn't but I'm quite content to listen to it on CD.

Dishwashing Favourites

2008-06-14T14:07:00.002+10:00

At our house, we have a selection of CDs that we like to put on to accompany us in the task of doing the washing up. It makes the process much more enjoyable than it should be.
Here is the collection:

Michael Jackson
Marvin Gaye
Scissor Sisters
The Four Tops (anything motown is good)
Madonna
Queen

Cooking music is great too. It can be more ambient than that of dishwashing. And harder to categorise, probably because there is more variety involved in the cooking process.

The Power Ballad

2007-09-18T18:07:00.000+10:00

Phil suggested I do a post on power ballads. I had no hesitation. Actually, it turns out I did hesitate. That sentence was written about a week ago, whereas the sentence you're currently reading was written (hopefully) in the "present day". Who would've thought it possible to procrastinate in order to avoid doing a blog post! Anyway...

Picture, if you will, the lights gleaming on the beads of sweat, dripping from a generous amount of long blond curls. Chest hair and facial hair, entwined. The man (there's no doubting that's what he is), walks effortlessly and purposefully to the wooden bench, sits down and closes his eyes... That was the last time I used a public sauna. So, onto power ballads.

There is nothing quite like the sight of a grown, permed man wearing a skimpy lycra outfit, pouring his heart out to a mass of mullets in a stadium. The power ballad is usually packaged as a reflective interlude to the testosterone-charged, riff-laden ROCK that fills up the set list at the average stadium-rock concert. In the eighties. It's very easy to predict the structure of the song. It will begin with the soft, hopeful plucking of an acoustic guitar. If not, then probably the graceful, ambient chords of a synthesiser. If not, then certainly the restrained, minor-key melody of the piano. Probably a grand piano that looks hopelessly out of place, yet oddly suitable in the seedy surroundings of the film clip. The instrumental intro will lead into the opening verse up until the chorus, where the "power" part of the ballad rocks up. The guitars will become distorted, the vocals more aggressive, and the band members' hair will be tossed back to emphasise the poignancy of the moment. After this, expect a heartfelt guitar solo, climaxing in an even more high-pitched version of the chorus, presumably the pants are suddenly, somehow tightened at the crotch, at this point.

Europe's Carrie is a great example for the standard power ballad. Have a listen (and a look, if you have a strong stomach). If you listen carefully, it sounds like the singer is saying "Gary", instead of "Carrie". Or perhaps that happens if you listen carelessly. I'm not sure. Or it could just be me.

The most important aspect of the power ballad, is the outfit. Can you imagine how fun it must have been to be an eighties rockstar? "So should I wear the sleeveless denim jacket with the purple leather pants, or the velvet-lycra combo?"
"Why don't you wear the gold hotpants? You haven't pulled on those babies since the Eastern Europe tour in '84."
"Hey good call man, but what are you gonna wear?"
"Two words: Spandex. Jumpsuit."

What would you wear if you could be king or queen of the power ballad?

Never Mind the Buzzcocks

2007-09-11T02:41:00.000+10:00

If you're not familiar with it, Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a British music-quiz show. It's similar to Spicks and Specks but 150, 000 times better (actually, NMTB was the inspiration behind S&S). There's much less focus on points and more on comedy. And the comedy is brilliant! How could it not be? Bill Bailey is one of the team captains. Much better than that New Zealander with the double chin. The host, Simon Amstell (and his predecessor) is funnier than Adam Hills as well.

Anyway, there are quite a few full episodes on YouTube. You have to watch them in 3 parts though. Here are the links to one of the funniest episodes episodes, I've seen:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Talent @ Xrds

2007-07-26T02:36:00.001+10:00

We have some superb musicians at our church (Crossroads). Here is Nick performing the rather difficult Rachmaninov Etude Op. 33 No. 4

I know it wasn't meant to be funny...

2007-07-02T23:09:00.000+10:00

...but P Diddy was hilarious at the "Concert for Diana" tonight.
He performed "I'll Be Missing You" and, in case his intention wasn't already obvious, he came loaded with emotive one-liners. "We miss you Diana", "make some noise if you miss Diana y'all" and (my favourite) "so beautiful...so graceful... so compassionate... so royal... incredible mother".

Trumpet Piece

2007-06-07T22:37:00.000+10:00

Oh, look what I've found! It's the film clip to "Trumpet Piece" from the Calvin CD. Enjoy.

Dreaming of a Safe Place

2007-06-06T22:22:00.000+10:00

Rarely does a classic of this magnitude slip under the critical radar to such an extent. Calvin Christian School's 1999 release Dreaming of a Safe Place is a true feast for the ears. I can't find any explanation as to why this little gem failed to put a dent in the musical world, let alone the Tasmanian scene. To my surprise, I couldn't even find any results for it on Google.

Most of the songs are quivery-voiced, off-key, Jewell-esque female piano ballads. The haunting "I Will Never Forget You" effortlessly blends into the joyous "Trumpet Piece", which is undoubtedly the album's pièce de résistance. The cleverly titled "Canever" echos Alanis Morissette's work (which may have been quite popular with year 11 girls at the turn of the millenium?), and is rumoured to be about drugs*.

Masterpiece has a new name and it's "Dreaming of a Safe Place". I can do no better than quote from the album's liner notes:
"Well done to the students who had their work included on this CD. You are an exceptionally talented group of people."

*I've heard that the girls responsible for "Canever" were expelled from the school (or given a "home school scholarship"), due to the ambiguity of the lyrics.

I can’t see you
I can’t feel you
I can’t live with you… for now

Junky in need of a score but rational enough to wait till payday.

But I hear you
And I know you
I see and feel the way you love me so
Love me
Love me
Love me

The familiar sensations of the hit begins to play on the imagination, leading the junky into a sense of desperation.

I will love you
Now I’ve found you
I will never turn away
My life’s your life
Give it to you
You can do with it what you want to
Love you
Love you

I see and feel the way

The drugs demand full control of the junky's life. She/he realises it's the only way forward now.

Man Playlist

2007-05-30T21:18:00.000+10:00

For those going through "Man-o-pause"... I have found the cure. Thanks to all who gave suggestions.

I added some less manly songs just to balance out the testosterone.

1. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Suck My Kiss
2. Midnight Oil - My Country
3. Agnostic Front - Gotta Go
4. Queen - Don't Stop Me Now
5. Scissor Sisters - She's My Man
6. Men at Work - Down Under
7. Slim Dusty - Duncan
8. Cold Chisel - Khe Sahn
9. Belle and Sebastian - The State I Am In
10. Dr Dre - Bitches Ain't Sh@#
11. Australian Crawl - Boys Light Up
12. Jimmy Barns - Working Class Man
13. Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World (I'm still not convinced about this)
14. Village People - In the Navy

Coming to a Man Day near you.

Man, I feel like a woman

2007-05-24T19:21:00.000+10:00

Over the last few days I've been feeling a little demasculated. I'm not entirely sure why...

I tried listening to some manly music, in the hope of re-claiming some of my stolen testosterone. So I rocked out to the tunes of Elton John and the Scissor Sisters...but to no avail.

I'm thinking of having a "Man day". During "Man day", I will listen to some of the manliest man-tunes I can get my manly hands on. The problem is, finding man-tunes is a lot harder than I first anticipated.

The most manly form of music I could think of (80s Hair metal), turned out to be...

...slightly less manly than I'd anticipated.

What do real men listen to? For some reason (goodness knows why), I own a CD called "The World's Best Ever Beer Songs". Needless to say, it's not very good. But are these "beer songs" the man-tunes I'd been searching for? Maybe, but I wish not to listen to awful, awful, awful songs like Copperhead Road and Mustang Sally. I'm beginning to suspect that a lot of the "best" (subjective, I know) music from the last 50 years, was not particularly manly. Bob Dylan and David Bowie, at times could be considered androgynous, certainly not afraid of make up. The Beatles loved matching outfits. Marvin Gaye's surname is "Gaye". Leonard Cohen could be considered by some as a slight pansy. And as for Frank Zappa...

...well.

He is quite hairy though, to be fair to him.

When I speak of man-tunes though, I am referring to overtly macho tunes (which I generally dislike) that will overcompensate for my drag queen adventures of the past week. I have been listening to some Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen, both of which I consider to be masculine.

I think that's been doing the trick, but can anyone recommend me some more man-tunes?
Happy "Man day" everyone.

Fantastic Imagary

2007-05-15T13:48:00.000+10:00

You know those moments when you wake up to find your face smudged with purple eyeliner and lipstick, and there are two lemons in your bed? Well that was me yesterday morning. It took me a little while to remember why I resembled The Joker, after he fell into the acid. It was of course, because I went to Jolly's Eurovision party the night before.

I was most fortunate to have seen the highly acclaimed Hungarian transsexual PiPi perform her latest hit single "True Fantasy" with her band PiPi's Pretzels, in front of a somewhat bewildered audience.

Let me introduce the band members:

Sleazy Jim (Band manager)

The Cowboy

Curly Ju-Ju

PiPi

Madam A-Go Go

Eye-Candy Heinz

Together they are "PiPi's Pretzel".

I can't really comment on the actual Eurovision song contest because I was too busy trying on women's clothing while it was on...but I will say that I was very impressed by the Ukraine and France.

I'll leave you with the inspiring words from PiPi's hit song.

"People always judged me
when I walked the streets*
They think how I am on the outside
is how I want to be

But inside I am free -
to be me!"

*Literary scholars, music critics and fans have all speculated on the meaning of this line. Many books have been written about it. Is it just a straight forward, literal reference to walking down the street? Or could it be a passing hint at PiPi's rumoured career as a prostitute? Critical analysis of PiPi's lyrics have left many minds baffled but she is well known for her deep, multi-layered, poetic turn of phrase, which would point toward the latter interpretation. In her 1987 song "Don't be such a big girl", PiPi used this clever line to criticise the Hungarian Prime Minister Károly Grósz and his communist regime. A deeper look at the song, also indicated that PiPi was singing against hormonal increase in gender reassignment surgery (a worrying trend in late 80s Europe, which lead to many male-to-female transsexuals taking steroids to boost their testosterone levels after the operation, causing them to become larger than average ladies). So who was she really speaking to when she sang "Don't be such a big girl"? Her fellow Post-ops or the Prime Minister? It's not unfeasible to conclude that PiPi was singing about both these things. She has been quoted as saying "my art is for everybody...my transformation is my art". This makes things a little easier for us, when delving into the magical kingdom of double entendre and political opinion that are PiPi's lyrics.

Eurovision

2007-05-09T23:02:00.000+10:00

The Eurovision Song Contest is on this weekend. It is a crack-up. I would very much like to be in it myself. I'll see if I can enter it next year, representing Wales (although I think they count Great Britain as one country. Ridiculous! If Luxembourg can enter why can't Wales?).

So I've created my Eurovision persona, taking inspiration from 1998's transsexual winner from Israel, Dana International.

Introducing PiPi: (pronounced Pee Pee)

Originally from Budapest, Hungary, PiPi hopes to enter the 2008 Song Contest with her song (Strengthen me)My Boulder of Love.

Born with the name Peter, "PiPi" underwent gender reassignment surgery in 1968 and has never looked back.

The above picture is the cover art for her forthcoming album, Gender Studies.

I hope to watch Eurovision on Sunday night so I might post a review of it next week.
If anyone is remotely freaked out by any of the above pictures, you can blame Jerome. He wanted me to post on Eurovision.

WeatherWatch

2007-05-02T22:58:00.000+10:00

If you’re a late TV watcher, you will no doubt, have come across “WeatherWatch” on SBS. It’s not exactly the most…um…eventful of programs but if you are a keen follower of meteorology and/or an insomniac then it may just be your favourite show (I’m waiting for the DVD box set). It also happens to be the cultural hub of music in Australia. The likes of Norah Jones, Il Divo and Aled “it’s all gone wrong for me” Jones are all headline acts on the WeatherWatch stage. It’s a more soothing (or perhaps “numbing”) alternative to Rage. If you’ve got no idea what I’m talking about, it’s a map, much like the one pictured, accompanied by a CD that plays over and over again (Yes I have checked. They don’t change the CD when it finishes. Obviously there wasn’t much else on TV that night.). You can order the CD from Dymocks, if you really like it.

So far, I haven’t really been tempted to ring up the hotline and place an order. Only two albums have come close to making the grand claim of getting me to consider a purchase; one, a compilation of French Café tunes (I think it may have been titled French Café, appropriately enough), the other, Madeleine Peyroux’s album Half the Perfect World.

Madeleine is, in my opinion a “rich man’s Norah Jones” and her album contains delightful covers of Tom Waits’ (Lookin’ for) The Heart of Saturday Night and Joni Mitchell’s River, amongst others. I’d probably pick it up on special but not at Dymocks.

Have you ever watched WeatherWatch? Have you ever bought anything because of it? Or have you ever been turned on to some music from an unlikely source?

Soundtrack to War

2007-04-25T17:31:00.000+10:00

What would you listen to if you were a soldier? I imagine iPods are discouraged from the trenches, but there must be some opportunity to listen to music whilst at war.

Last night, I watched part of the documentary Soundtrack to War, by George Gittoes. The film explores the influence of music amongst the soldiers fighting in Iraq. There was unsurprisingly, a lot of heavy metal and rap to be heard blasting from the tank stereo.
A lot of angry music, which I suppose, makes sense if you're trying to kill people. Unfortunately, none of the soldiers that were interviewed were listening to "wartime classics". You know, the type of music with crackly muted trumpets and quivery grandpa vocals. Surely it's the obvious choice if you're at war? "It's wartime and I'm in the mood for a classic...shall we put on some Slayer or...some wartime classics?"
"Fire up the gramophone old boy!"

I would like to do an experiment on the war in Iraq (well, any war will do). Ideally, I'd like to stop the war if I could, but an experiment will do for now. The experiment would involve: confiscating (or destroying) the soldiers' music collections and replacing them with some quality wartime tunes. Out with the Metallica rubbish and in with some George Gershwin (he's wartime isn't he?). I wonder what would happen... Perhaps the soldiers would become more relaxed, start slow dancing. Or maybe they would snap, due to Slipknot withdrawals and commit a few warcrimes. Hopefully it would be the former, for my sake. I'm not sure how feasible this experiment is. I'd want gramophones. If you're going to listen to wartime classics you've got to do it properly. My request would be a gramophone on top of each tank. I'd ban helicopters because they're too loud. I'd mute the guns. Of course you'd want the sound of gunfire in the background but it might overrule the sound of the classics. Surely I can't be the only one to think this is a great idea?
If you're not sold on it yet, have a listen to these wartime classics and then tell me you wouldn't like to hear them blasting out of a gramophone-mounted tank.
Andrews Sisters - Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree
Al Jolson - Four Leaf Clover/Babyface

And here is an article about Wagner's influence on Hitler.

Introduction

2007-04-17T16:47:00.000+10:00

Hello to anybody that may be reading this. Yes, I have started a blog. A music blog, to be precise. I, like many people, listen to a lot of music and I find myself thinking a great deal about it. Recently I had a sudden urge to write these thoughts down and where better to do so than here? Part of the inspiration for this was from Nick Hornby's book '31 Songs' (a collection of essays about songs) which, upon reading it, drew from me the reaction that "this is exactly what I think about". I don't want to rip off the book though. I've credited it (and I recommend it - it's a good read) but hopefully there will be a limited number of suspicious parallels between Hornby's book and this blog.

I'm quite self-conscious about writing a blog. In fact I can't even type the word "blog" without experiencing an internal cringe. I actually had to re-type the word just then; due to the cringe...I'd initially typed "lbog" which I believe is French (L'Bog - literally "a lake of poo"). Anyway, the point is that I'm a little bit ashamed of myself for starting a blog, a feeling that will either disappear or get worse as I continue (I've already been completely ridiculed for this blog, even before I'd finished the first post! If anyone sees Tim Hansard, give him a swift kick to the buttocks). I'm not going to write about myself - there are more than enough of these types of blogs at the moment. I'm not planning to get an Internet girlfriend/boyfriend/transgenderedfriend. No, this blog will be about music; my reflexions on different songs, artists, styles and anything else that falls within this framework.
Please leave comments if you like!