Spike Another Carpenter Day (September 30th - October 4th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

I'm at home today (it's Friday, in case I don't finish this until tomorrow) looking after a swollen Miss 7 who appears to have either the mums or an infection in her lymph node on one side of her face. I'v used the time while she watches Mr Maker and before I have to make her lunch to get this list happening. And here it is. 

Besides the second disc of Bootleg Series 10 to finish it up, I've just been hipped to the new Arctic Monkeys album through @sunky's Song of the Week. In other new releases, I've got the latest from Mazzy Star, Haim and also Yuck. I am giving Beezwax a long overdue spin, plus selecting the Golden Era Mixtape from 2011 which is great but I haven't heard in full since release. Also in overdue listens, Elvis Costello's excellent Spike (a choice inspired by enjoying latest collaboration with The Roots on my list last week) and Counting Crows' second album which came out far too long after their brilliant first. Lastly, from the early 90s, I have the Carpenter tribute featuring great bands like Sonic Youth, Shonen Knife and Babes In Toyland doing Carpenters covers.

Check it out:

• Arctic Monkeys - AM
• Bob Dylan - Another Self Portrait (Bootleg Series 10) (Disc 2)
• Bias B - Beezwax
• Elvis Costello - Spike
• Mazzy Star - Seasons Of Your Day
• Haim - Days Are Gone
• Counting Crows - Recovering the Satellites
• VA - If I Were A Carpenter
• Yuck - Glow And Behold
• VA - Golden Era Mixtape 2011

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Bob Dylan
2. Brother Ali
3. Talking Heads
4. (Please) Don't Blame Mexico
5. Van Halen

Song of the Week : Elvis Costello & The Roots - Wake Me Up

My SOTW comes from the unlikely pairing of Elvis Costello and The Roots. Who'd have ever thought that the jazzy nerd songs of Mr Costello would make such sweet sweet love to the groovy hip hop musicianship of Questlove and co. But it really does. 

I chose Wake Me Up because it's a track that is equal parts a standard EC song (with complex lyrics, historical references and Costello's iconic voice) and the solid funk soul groove of The Roots. I like the horn blasts and the little key riffs that punctuate Elvis' constant low jazz vocal babble and I dig that there's a clanging consistent guitar riff throughout that calls to mind an old train (and the words 'iron frame' are used in the lyrics, like it's deliberate). 


There's a lot to like about this coupling, not the least of which is renewed creative energy from Elvis Costello. The Roots have been the go to backing band for every two bit soul or r&b singer for years now, but this is the first time I've heard them play for an old fogey like EC. And I like what I hear.

Αντίο

Well the big game is tomorrow; Hawthorn vs Fremantle in the 2013 AFL Grand Final. I'm not really supporting either team, because they're not the Eagles. On the other hand, there are good reasons for either team to win. The Hawks have been the best team all year, our family has an association with Lance Franklin that goes back a ways, plus if they win Clarkson may be more likely to leave for West Coast. As for Fremantle, Pavlich definitely deserves reward for years of staunch loyalty to the purple freaks, Ross Lyon deserves a flag for taking those same freaks from rabble to riot in 2 years and I am a Fremantle (the city) person to the core. So whoever wins, I'll be happy, but most of all I'll be glad it's over and the Eagles can start interviewing for coaches.

It's a long weekend this week for the Queen's birthday (in WA) so if you're doing anything nice, have a great time and play safe. 

Go Hawmantle. Hasala malakim.

Faithless British Lambchop Sirens (March 5th - 9th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.


Well, I had an incredible time at the Ryan Adams concert. The man himself was in fantastic form, cutting up his stripped-back heartbroken songs with hillarious asides in between and a few insane improvs (about sneezing, about only being popular when playing and about the 'soft as fuck' Mr Cat.). Plus, the company I was keeping was just as hysterical and the crowd was 'diverse'. We had a cameo appearance by Warrant (couple in their 50s, both long white hair) and some guy who kept practicing his Werewolf call. There were a couple of young women who obviously won their tickets from Nova or something, because they never shut up whispering the whole concert.


But enough of all that. It's all about the music. That music this week is a hodge podge of what I feel like listening to. Besides the new one from Lambchop, there's some Jason Isbell that I got after enjoying his opening set for Ryan Adams; Nirvana, Judas Priest and Metallica, thanks again to the BBC; Noisetrade artist Chasing Summer to check out for free; some rap from Bias B and Talib Kweli; Whiskeytown for obvious reasons and The Smiths because the CD came in the mail this week.


Check it out:

• Lambchop - Mr M
• Judas Priest - British Steel
• Jason Isbell - Sirens of the Ditch
• Metallica - The Black Album
• Chasing Summer - Chasing Summer
• Bias B - Been There Done That
• Whiskeytown - Faithless Street
• Talib Kweli - The Beautiful Struggle
• Nirvana - In Utero
• The Smiths - Best ...II

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Ramones
   
2. Palace Brothers
3. Wilco
4. Cowboy Junkies
5. Jamiroquai

Song of the Week : Beck - Already Dead

While browsing @sunky 's latest iPhone album list, I saw Sea Change and it struck me that it would be a great album to listen to at bed time. So that's what I did, but I ended up laying there, headphones in, listening to the whole thing without being asleep.


I don't think I've ever listened so closely to it before. I took in the bass and the strings behind it as well as all the silence. I really love the overall feel of it. There's an atmosphere across the whole album that could be the soundtrack to floating silently in space; it's that quiet and vast. I'm only a casual Beck fan. I like his music and I have a few albums, but I think Sea Change is his masterwork. Without all the smart aleck irony and slacker posing of other albums, it is just a sublimely serious piece of art. ...And now I want the vinyl!


I could have picked any song, but I chose Already Dead because it is a good illustration of the atmosphere of the whole album and because it's short enough to leave a decent size file for download.

Toodle Pip

It's another long weekend this week, for Labour Day. I plan on digging out the lead to my Atari 2600 and maybe writing a review at MFNM. Whatever you do, do it safe and have fun. Thanks for stopping by. See you next time. 


Hasala malakim.

Playlist : June 27th - July 1st, 2011

Hey there Tunesters, nice to see you. How's things?

My whole household has the dreaded lurgee and so we haven't even been able to go and meet my newborn nephew in person. I had Monday off work and have been popping tablets like an early 90s raver while Mrs coreyj spent the day at home sick today (Friday).

Hopefully when Monday rolls around, I'll be fighting fit and able to tuck into this week's list. Good for what ails me this week is the new (and apparently last) Bias B, new ones from Gillian Welch and Vetiver, another free album from Noisetrade, a Digable Planets MC's solo effort and some T Rex and Marilyn Manson (after I realised the similarities between them). All that and more, see:

• Bias B - Biaslife
• Graham Colton - Pacific Coast Eyes
• Vetiver - The Errant Charm
• Boho Fau & Elevated Soul - Coffee House Swinger
• Ladybug Mecca - Trip The Light Fantastic
• VA - Rave On Buddy Holly
• Gillian Welch - The Harrow and the Harvest
• Marilyn Manson - Lest We Forget
• Marc Bolan & T Rex - Essential Collection
• Pretty & Twisted - Pretty & Twisted

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Josh Rouse
2. Bob Seger
3. Edie Brickell and New Bohemians
4. Bias B
5. David Bowie

Song of the Week : Hole - Plump

I plugged an old DVD player into the Yamaha to serve as a CD player and decided to hear a CD instead of my usual LP for a change. Just by chance of browsing the CD shelves, I picked Hole – Live Through This. After hearing it on CD through the amp, I had to re-rip it in Apple Lossless for the iPod. Putting it into iTunes and rating everything again made me twig that this is very likely my favourite album of all time. There isn't a track on there that I dislike and over half of it is pure gold. I soon commenced to rave about how incredibly good it is and @sunky and others joined in.

Live Through This is seriously a masterpiece of the 90s and imho will hold up for a very long time to come.To look at it, the first 7 tracks on a 12 track LP are the same outstanding quality. She Walks On Me is not as good, then comes I Think That I Would Die and Gutless both superb ending with Rockstar that isn’t as good but better than She Walks. I can not think of another album that I can say that about. Given Hole never touched close to it again, Kurt had to have written at least some of it, surely. Or else Courtney lost all her mojo when he died. I don’t want to believe that last bit, because that makes their story so much sadder and gives me empathy for her. Crazy bitch.

Sayonara

Thanks for visiting. I'll be back next week with another list. Unless I win lotto. In which case, it won't be work tunes, it will just be tunes. You know, on some other blog. ...one powerball.