Work Tunes: January 2012

Friday, January 27, 2012

Playlist : January 30th - February 3rd, 2012

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

It feels like it's been one long tun of short weeks this year so far, but I have Tuesday off this week too. After a babysitting dilemma, I decided to stay home and take Miss 5 to see Hugo. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Scorsese does with not just the 3D, but his utter love of cinema and the early history of film-making. I can't wait.

For the soundtrack of my working week, I've got the self-titled LP from The Felice Brothers; the debuts of Iron & Wine and First Aid Kit; some James Taylor because I only just discovered Dolorean's Hey Mister, That's Me On The Jukebox was a Taylor cover; Fear Of A Black Planet because I just bought the vinyl; a Lost Highway compilation; classics from The Flaming Lips and U2; my favourite hot summer album, Crazy For You from Best Coast and finally Hilltop's State of the Art because I have a Hoods gig on Friday night.

Check it out:

Top Five Artists Last Week

Bob Dylan
Nada Surf
Belle and Sebastian
Lil' Kim
Concrete Blonde

Song of the Week : First Aid Kit - King of the World

I had a tough decision to make between two songs that have stuck with me this week, so I chose the one I think you’ll all prefer. I only just discovered this band First Aid Kit through the NPR stream of their latest LP The Lion’s Roar. They are a duo of sisters from Stockholm who play kind of freak folk style tunes. Wiki says Fleet Foxes and Joanna Newsom are influences, but I heard a bit of Bright Eyes too. Lo and behold, there’s Conor Oberst on the final track of this album – King of the World.

King of the World sounds more like a Bright Eyes song than a First Aid Kit song, almost like Conor co-wrote it, but I don’t think he did. It’s a very wordy track with that rollicking hoedown style that Bright Eyes sometimes does (never, ever stop in the middle of a hoedown!). See what you think anyway. I dig the band a lot and will be checking out their debut album next week.

Enjoy.

Congé

If you get the chance, check out the new Nada Surf. The song Teenage Dreams was almost my Song of the Week. They don't sound much like the guys who released Popular all those moons ago.

That's it for this week. Try and stay cool and happy for the rest of the week. I'll see you back here next week, no doubt still buzzing from the Hoods. Congratulations to Gotye on the most unsurprising JJJ Hottest #1 since Oasis - Wonderwall. It really is a great track and deserves all the attention it has had all year.

Hasala malakim.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Playlist : January 23rd - 27th, 2011

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

Another short week at work next week, with the Australia Day public holiday coming up on Thursday. That's okay though, because the week I just had was extra long. Never mind all that now though, it's on to the music.

For my listening pleasure, I have an album of remixed Beastie Boys acapellas from Barzin (get the download free at Bandcamp and buy the CD for a pound, it's awesome). There's some new stuff from Nada Surf, Gem Club and a band I've only just met, First Aid Kit. From one of my favourite bands, Dolorean, I have an album of acoustic demos. There's some Belle & Sebastian because it's been ages; some Lil' Kim; a Dylan protest era classic; Bon Iver's debut and to round it all out Concrete Blonde's moody Walking In London.

Check it out:

Top Five Artists Last Week

Camera Obscura
Cream
Boy and Bear
Tom McRae
Jay-Z

Song of the Week : The Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane

You all know me well enough that you might have guessed from my love of all things Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, New York, the 60s and 70s, Dylan and rock n roll, that I would dig on The Velvet Underground. I just this week picked up a copy of Loaded, the band’s first release after they broke up (on which Lou Reed had no say). There is a deluxe version available with some alternate versions of songs and some bonus tracks etc, but I got the original Loaded.

The song from Loaded I’m choosing today is Sweet Jane. I’m sure you all know it well. I was thinking about it this morning before work and it occurred to me that in rock n roll culture, there are a cache of songs that are like staples in a diet. Whether it’s Hey Jude, Like a Rolling Stone, Satisfaction, Space Oddity or even Creep, some songs are just must hears. Sweet Jane is to me in that same company. If the entire world of pop culture was an art gallery, and songs just pieces of art hung on the wall, Sweet Jane would be in the main gallery for all to see; but kept locked in an impenetrable glass case with a bunch of other super important songs.

As to what the song is about, well who knows. Some people say drugs and a transvestite called Jack. Mostly I think it’s about life choices and the difference between living the life of a rock n roll star and the 9 – 5 workaday schlub and how both choices are valid and neither should envy or judge the other.

Enjoy it anyway. It’s a great song and it should serve you well on a Friday.

Happy Invasion Day

Look, kids, I don't want to get all preachy or anything and ruin your public holiday, but the fact remains that the 26th of January marks a contentious date in Australian history. It has got to be a huge slap in the face to Aboriginal Australia when we're celebrating the day that Cook came, declared the place Terra Nullis and claimed their home. It would be like, say, me having to celebrate an "AFL Day"on the anniversary of the Dockers inaugruation - except a million times worse.

All I'm saying is it couldn't hurt and only help to move the date. Let's pick something with no significance. Something in Summer, when the car parks are melting thongs and the beers are ice cold. Cliche it might be, but it's a hell of a lot more "Australian" than some English ponce sticking a flag in our beautiful dirt.

And this Invasion Day, remember;

"For those who've come across the sea,
We've boundless plains to share.
With courage let us all combine,
To Advance Australia fair."

So stfu Abbott.

Arrivederci.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Playlist : January 16th - 20th, 2012

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

Usually about this time every year, I tend to check out some albums I slept on the year before or just didn't get around to hearing. If you can believe it, this year that means I have picked Adele - 21. I know, right?! But too many people whose opinion I trust told me this girl can really sing.

Fear not, it also means I'll check out Yuck, Kurt Vile and Wild Flag and finally get around to Shabazz Palaces - Black Up. I've got some Cream in there, Tom McRae, a compilation or two (including NPRs best artists of 2011 which you can download free from the link) and Boy and Bear's great Moonfire LP from last year. That should just about do me.

Check it out:

Top Five Artists Last Week

R.E.M.
Camera Obscura
The Beatles
The Dø
The Avett Brothers

Song of the Week : Camera Obscura - Forests and Sands

Musically this week, I have been on somewhat of a Camera Obscura bender. So, sticking with the spirit of SOTW, I thought it was only fair I chose a song of theirs. If you don’t know them, they are a 5, sometimes 6 piece “twee folk” outfit from Glasgow. Lead by Tracyanne Campbell, the band makes sentimental sounding pop tracks which I really like.

This track Forests and Sands is a slow shuffling, sweetly breathed song about a road trip. I think Campbell’s accent adds to the sweetness of the song. I especially dig the way she phrases the refrain. Phonetically it’s almost:

“But if the blood pumpin through ma veins cud freeze like a reever in Tauraunto then I’d be pleased…”

Scottish accents aside, I really like the melody of the song and the overblown sentimentality of the lyrics. Not sure why I’ve been stuck on the band all week, but I have enjoyed listening to all four of their albums. Hope you enjoy this track off their last release from 2009.

Toodle-oo

There you have it. Wish me luck on the whole Adele thing (takes off cynical music snob hat). Hopefully you'll find something worth listening to.

Play safe out there kids. Until next week - be excellent to each other. Hasala malakim.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Playlist : January 9th - 13th, 2012

Hello and welcome to a new year of Work Tunes.

So the world ends this year apparently. At least if you're an ancient Mayan it does. Did anyone ever think maybe some Mayan calendar maker just got jack of adding year after year after year?

"Hey Bob, I got to December 2012 and I can't be stuffed!"

"Yeah, I don't blame you. Just finish there, no big deal. Who's going to care?"

Regardless, this year we're going to party like it's 1999... again. And to start my working year right, I've got a few choice cuts.

Listening to an 8 tracks mix the other night, I first heard the title song from I And Love And You, so I checked it out. I've also got the final release from The Beatles; the latest R.E.M. retrospective; new albums from Common, Weinland and The Do; a Smiths tribute; the soundtrack to Downtown 81 (a film released in 2000 but shot in 1981 starring Jean-Michel Basquiat); Spin's 2011 mix and finally, some Australian Hip Hop from Vents.

Check it out:

Tah Tah

That's it for now. No song of the week until next week, and no Top 5 Artists because I haven't been scrobbling. I can tell you I've been listening to a lot of Camera Obscura as well as a bit of the Beach Boys and other surf themed tunes thanks to the weather and some timely trips to the beach.

Hopefully your holidays were a great big bunch of fun and your new year is the best one yet. Be good to each other. Hasala malakim.

PS Support Hunter the Documentary and help get a film about Hunter made.