Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Playlist : October 31st - November 5th, 2011

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

It's a 'surprise' long weekend here in Perth, with Her Majesty here to visit. We've all got Friday off (it's Thursday night as I write this) and there's some sort of mass barbecue happening. It feels a bit Jonestowny, but I was staying away for other reasons.

This week's list features the first Christmas album of the year that I'm willing to spin with the new She & Him. Some old grungey favourites in Triple J's Hottest 100 Volume 2 and The Breeders' Pod made the cut. Inspired by @BreeMateljan's SOTW, I've reached for ZZ Top - Afterburner. I've got some moody electronic stuff from Nightmares On Wax, some new tracks from Spin, a new Dylan compilation and some more.

Check it out:
  1. Nina Simone
  2. The Jam
  3. Bliss N Eso
  4. US3
  5. Ben Lee



I am torn between two songs for SOTW today. Both have been inspired by some excellent televisual programming. I’m choosing this one because the program and the period of history that it covered was far more monumental. The PBS documentary series Eyes On The Prize from 1987 traces the history of the Civil Rights movement in the US. I recently watched episode 2 which deals with the period between 1957 and 1962. Key to this period was the integration of schools and in particular the resistance to same at Little Rock, Arkansas – home of the PUSA with the busy hands ;)

Mississippi God Damn is Nina Simone’s most scathing protest song, but it starts out like a sly joke. This version is live and you can hear the audience chuckling along with Nina’s trademark asides. Until she sings the verse that says “Don’t tell me, I’ll tell you!” and by the end of that, the silence is palpable. There’s a real threat in her voice when she says “Bet you thought I was kidding, didn’t you?” Then the lyrics get even harsher. It’s pure magic and surely one of the greatest protest songs of the era. She sings Strange Fruit like a sad hymn, but Mississippi God Damn is an incitement to riot. Enjoy.

Tah Tah
If you haven't heard it already, make sure you check out this week's Song of the Week. Nina's angry rant brought on by the bombing of a church in Alabama, killing four girls, is one of those songs that's a must for anyone who appreciates the power of lyrics and performance.

In "the old country", my grandmother and her brothers used to say 'May the road rise up to meet you'. My wish for you is that the road stays where the hell it is, because that just sounds dangerous.

Play safe kids. Hasala malakim.
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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Playlist : October 24th -28th, 2011

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

This week the Australian and more specifically Perth Hip Hop community mourns the loss of Hunter of the SBX Crew. Hunter battled cancer for more than a year and managed to organise a compilation of Australian rap acts to raise money for Canteen. The disc is due out in November and you can order it here on release. Condolences to Hunter's son and family, the Syllabollix Crew and the whole Australian Hip Hop community on a great loss.

So with a heavy heart, it's on with the music. I had to have a "Skip Hop" contingent and I've chosen Bliss n Eso and the excellent Culture of Kings compilation where I first heard Hunter. Watching This Is England '86 this week has put me in the mood for The Jam. New albums from Ben Lee and Noel Gallagher; a Nina Simone anthology, Dixie Chicks - yeah Dixie Chicks. What pimp?! Come at me - plus some other gems and there you have a whole week's listening. It's actually a short week this week because of the relocated-just-for-CHOGM long weekend.

My list goes:
  1. Hilltop Hoods
  2. Nas
  3. US3
  4. The Pleased
  5. Sonic Youth



Yesterday morning, Perth rapper and long-time Syllabolix Crew member Hunter lost his battle with endocrine cancer. You can read about it at PerthNow.

This is one of the only solo tracks of his that I know. It appears on Culture of Kings Vol. II. Hunter and the SBX crew were among those who first gave Australian Hip Hop its own sound. In the early days, we had Mighty Big Crime who were Beastie Boys rip offs, plus a bunch of mostly American-style lesser lights. Even the DJs on 100FM who I listened to in the 80s would put on fake US accents to rap or to talk Hip Hop.

SBX’s uniqueness gave us a completely Ocker sound and content. They rapped about Centrelink and beer and trainlines. Hunter actually has an LP called Going Back To Yokine where he raps all about his home suburb. This track Jam Roll is about fudging Dole forms and living unemployed. I think that now Australian Hip Hop has found a happy medium between the larrikin and the serious exponent of the culture, but back when people like Huntz got started, it was still finding its way ahead. He really was a pioneer for what we have now.

As I said, I have only heard a few of his songs apart from his appearances in other people’s tracks like Drapht, Hilltop Hoods, Bias B and Matty B, but I have been following him on Twitter for the last year. It has been a little bit of a humbling journey. He ran the gamut of emotion from day to day from upbeat positivity to out and out depression. It was a sad day for the heads yesterday and a lot of us felt it. So this is me pouring a ‘forty’ on the curb for a ‘homie’ who’s gone. Except Hunter hated US rap.

RIP Hunter
Rest in peace to a rapper who helped point Australian Hip Hop in it's own direction. Without Hunter, things wouldn't be quite the same. He introduced a uniquely Australian identity to the music and elements of it still remain. That identity was the reason we managed to shake off most of the US imitation from our collective backs.

Play safe out there kids, no matter what you do. And don't forget to have fun. Hasala malakim.
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Thursday, October 13, 2011

Playlist October 17th - 21st, 2011

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

This week has been fairly unspectacular. I've spent a lot of it in a haze of hayfever/flu drugs while I fought off epic sniffles. I'm almost recovered now though, thanks for asking.

To the music and this week I have a band I just discovered, Real Estate, though they're not new. I have a soundtrack from a so-so indie sleeper; the latest from funky jazz rap outfit Us3; some Nas; a Rickie Lee Jones classic, Prince's 20Ten record that he released via the Daily Mirror in the UK, some good old-fashioned Sonic Youth and more.

See what you think
  1. Digable Planets
  2. Fela Kuti
  3. Superstar Quamallah
  4. Toy Box Scholars
  5. Horse Feathers



My song this week came from the free Spin playlist for October. I don’t know this band, but this song makes them sound like Weezer maybe spent some time in the studio with Bush of all bands. What I like about it is it wouldn't raise an eyebrow if you took it back and released it in the early to mid 90s. When the kids are ripping off that kind of sound and doing it well, I’m not sure if that’s a good sign or not, but I like how it sounds.

There’s an obvious 90s vibe running through with the quiet loud distortion of it. Even the arpeggiated guitar under the verse. It makes me think that nostalgia is moving faster than ever before, but then I remember that 1991 was 20 years ago and that’s about how long nostalgia usually takes. There’s still a little bit of current style about it too, with an epic harmonised refrain of Ooooos and the swelling of instruments into that wall of sound orchestration we’re used to from Bon Iver, Polyphonic Spree etc.

TGIS
Well that's me for another week. I trust your week will be sunshine and lollipops; or at the very least, a light breeze and good coffee. If you get a chance, stream the Real Estate LP on NPR if you like mellow surf pop. It's quite an enjoyable listen.

Take care out there kids. Don't let the Man turn you around. Hasala malakim.
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Friday, October 7, 2011

Playlist : October 10th - 14th, 2011

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

Almost ran out of time this week. Monday's dreaded lurgee returned yesterday and stole much of last night. It's still hanging around today and we're meant to be going to a party.

So this hurridly scrambled together list features and old 80s compilation favourite, some world music and The Drones recommended by friends, some new cuts from Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and Bjork, Spin's latest playlist and some funkier choices.

Check it out:
  1. Nirvana
  2. Digable Planets
  3. Violent Femmes
  4. The Whitlams
  5. Ryan Adams
    Song of the Week : Feist - Cicadas & Gulls
    This week I haven’t paid much attention to the tunes I’ve been hearing, but one album that made an impact was the new Feist – Metals. I didn’t mind their last album, but it was just your standard pop set with that solid 1 2 3 4 single. This one is very different. It’s very quiet and sparse and the songs are far less upbeat and hopeful.

    I picked Cicadas & Gulls because it’s even more raw than the rest of the album. This track and a couple of others sound like they’ve been recorded through an old four track mixer to cassette tape live. See what you think.

    Ciao
    That's it for another week. Off to that party, which is a 1 year old birthday.We've been given the all clear to bring our germs if we promise not to sneeze on the barbecue.

    Adieu until next time. Hasala malakim.
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