Almost New Hell Night (November 4th - 8th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

This is one of those lists I prepared early in anticipation of being too busy and/or exhausted to get it done this weekend. So it's Friday lunch time and I've just finished it off.

Paul MacCartney and Elvis Costello are here because I've read about these albums this week. Following on from X-Ray Spex last week, I've got The Undertones for a bit of a punk fix. I'm getting my Hip Hop fix from The Cancel again as well as The Roots. For some dinosaur rock and soul, there's Sting and the second volume of tracks from The Big Chill. Something a little experimental from James Ferraro is here, as is the latest from prog rockers Hawkwind. Finally, an old favourite from Son Volt gets a nod. 

Check it out:

• Elvis Costello - Almost Blue
• The Cancel - Night Light
• The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
• Paul MacCartney - New
• Sting - Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting
• VA - The Big Chill : More Songs From the Original Soundtrack
• The Roots - Things Fall Apart
• James Ferraro - NYC Hell 3:00 AM
• Son Volt - Straightaways
• Hawkwind - Spacehawks

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Missy Elliott
2. X-Ray Spex
3. Drive-By Truckers
4. Dinosaur Jr.
5. R.E.M.

Song of the Week : Ylvis - What Does the Fox Say?

Let me preface my SOTW by saying I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry…

Having said that, I’m a big believer in ‘Truth in SOTW’ at all costs. I could have chosen a Lou Reed/Velvets song, because it was awful to lose another great musician. I could have picked a Breeders track because I should have gone to see them last night. I’ve also been digging on Veruca Salt this week. But this one song has been all-pervasive, all week, night and day. 

I am not proud of my song, but I can’t deny it is THE song of my week. I heard it for the first time last week and then made the mistake of showing the kids the film clip on the weekend. Since then the whole family has been singing it all the time, with and without alternate lyrics. 

I don’t own a copy of the song (small mercies) but the film clip is worth a look – though I bet you’ve all seen it. Okay, I have to admit what it is now, yeah?

Ylvis – What Does the Fox Say?

If you haven’t seen it, I’m even more sorry. It’s way too catchy and it’s like a non-New Zealand Flight of the Conchords song. The silliest bit is, I am completely aware of how a fox sounds (they yap and sometimes howl fyi) from plenty of exposure to them in Ejanding. But that didn’t stop me watching this clip for the first time, mouth agape, brain screaming WTH IS THIS?! Before laughing and contracting a permanent earworm.  

So, feel free to not listen if you know it, or even if I’ve scared you off, but this has got to be my truthful SOTW.

Ciao for Niao

It's now Saturday afternoon and I've endured a photo-shoot in Hyde Park (not the fancy pants London one, the nice and friendly Mount Lawley one). If you know me at all, you know that a photo-shoot is a huge deal. I hated every second of it, but it was a gift to my wife, so you know. The things we do, hey?

That's all for now. Keep sticking it to The Man. Thanks for stopping by.

Hasala malakim.

Yep Bowie Surreal Indeed (March 11th - 15th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

Have you voted Western Australians? I was seriously contemplating not going to the polling booth and just paying the whopping $20 fine because a) I'm disillusioned with the state of State politics and b) don't nobody got time for that! But I did go; and thanks to the new "voting card" I was straight in and straight out. I actually didn't know too much about the independent candidates, but as I always do, I started with Family First last and worked my way to the top. 

Music-wise there's a whole stack of new stuff this week. First of all I have two free samplers from Yep Roc and Paste (their SXSW sampler). The other new albums come from diverse corners - there's folky hipster Josh Rouse; dead set legend David Bowie with a brand new classic; alt country heroes Son Volt and Thurston Moore's new band Chelsea Light Moving. For some hip hop I grabbed the John Legend and The Roots LP I haven't heard since I loved it in 2010 and an old favourite from Surreal & the Sound Providers. The Lemonheads get a guernsey and finally, so does Kathleen Edwards; both with favourites of mine. 

Check it out:

• VA - Explore Yep Roc Records
• Josh Rouse - The Happiness Waltz
• David Bowie - The Next Day
• Chelsea Light Moving - Chelsea Light Moving
• The Lemonheads - Car Button Cloth
• Kathleen Edwards - Back To Me
• Surreal & The Sound Providers - True Indeed
• John Legend and The Roots - Wake Up!
• Son Volt - Honky Tonk
  
• VA - HGTV/Paste SXSW 2013 Sampler

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Steve Miller Band
2. Bilal
3. The Pretenders
4. Ben Folds
5. Lou Reed

Song of the Week : Cold Chisel - Flame Trees

For my song of the week, my apologies that is so far out of left field, but it’s a track that only occurred to me on the way in this morning. 

The smart playlist I've made for the journey in picked Sara Blasko covering Flame Trees. Listening to it, I couldn't stop myself from hearing Chisel's original in my head. It made me realise that Flame Trees is a truly great song. I mean it. Really, really great. I think we disrespect it a lot for the bogan and ocker culture that has built up around it, but it is tremendous songwriting and probably the greatest vocal performance Barnes ever put down on tape. 

The suburban melodrama of the old home town pub and the footy mates and their reminiscing; plugged together with the domestic tragedy of a broken marriage puts the lyrics in the realm of workaday poetry. The grief in the song is given an extra injection of poignancy because it was Chisel's last mainstream hit (before the 'comeback' in the 90s). You take a part of the natural landscape, the flame tree, and you give that song a place; the feel of the open bush road and you make it uniquely small town Australia. The impassioned pleading in Jimmy’s vocal is not far off of Soul music and then he pushes it all aside with the broken down line of “who needs that sentimental bullshit, anyway?” 

As a nation, in general, Australia loves this song; and like a lot of the things we love collectively, we infuse it with a little bit of embarrassment and self-deprecation. Cultural cringe if you will. Not me. Not anymore. I've promised myself I will chase down the Tab for this on the weekend and give it a bash. I hope that my neighbours hear me and start swaying with their lighters in the air.

Cheerio

So, that's it, that's all, that's all there is. Have a cracking weekend and if you're a Perthie, may your guy win the election. Unless it's not my guy. Then, to hell with your guy. 

Hasala malakim.

Essential Post Country Hysteria (October 22nd - 26th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

Pushed for time again this week. Still sorting out the computers - swapping hard drives, backing up files and what-not. So I won't waste any more time and instead jump both feet into the music. 

Thanks to @BreeMateljan, I'm visiting a friend I haven't seen since high school - Def Leppard! Another old friend, like a comfy blanket is Geffen Rarities (if you don't own this, you probably didn't live through Grunge). I sense a theme here, because another album that doesn't get any Work Tunes love is here, The Calling.  I went old school with my other rap choice and grabbed some Bam. I have some Bjork and some Josh Rouse. I had to slip on disc 2 from Triple J Vol. 13. For a bit of twang there's Son Volt. Also here I picked out a Hall & Oates compilation. And finally, my Sonic Youth addiction is taking over my life and I am not ashamed to admit I don't want to be saved - here's Rather Ripped.

Check it out:

• Def Leppard - Hysteria
• Son Volt - The Search
• VA - Geffen Rarities Vol. 1
• Josh Rouse - Country Mouse, City House
• Bjork - Post
• VA - Triple J's Hottest 100 13 (Disc Two)
• Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
• Hall & Oates - The Essential Hall & Oates
• Hilltop Hoods - The Calling
• Afrika Bambaataa - Looking for the Perfect Beat

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Brand Nubian
2. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
3. Dr. Dre
4. Nirvana
5. The National

Song of the Week : Dire Straits - Romeo & Juliet

This week’s song was inspired by the always enjoyable #Clay5 lists. In particular, the favourite Dire Straits song list. Mine is and forever shall be Romeo & Juliet; by a very, very long margin from Money For Nothing.

What I just can’t resist about this song is that million dollar riff and the production on it’s sound. You can hear the strings being fondled like Knopfler is warming up in your headphones. Plus, when the song really picks up, the drums just sound so good. 

Besides that, there’s the pure romance of “You and me babe, how about it?” What lady could resist that charm?!

Love, love, love this song. 

Adieu

Thanks for stopping by. I must be off to go and sort out my HDD and my codecs and all the other things that didn't cause us an ounce of hassle not 20 years ago.

Adieu. Hasala malakim.

Playlist July 4th - 8th, 2011

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

Straight into the music this week. I was completely floored by Gillian Welch's new one The Harrow & The Harvest and so I'm spinning another of her classics this week in Hell Among the Yearlings. While trawling my iTunes, I found an album I'd forgotten about from Little Barrie and that's here too. Along with some smooth jazz hop from Pete Rock and some even smoother flows from Rakim, I've got two breakthrough classics from Madonna and the Boss, the soundtrack to Larry Clark's 1995 Kids and a little alt country as usual from Son Volt and The Autumn Defense.

Check it out:

• Gillian Welch - Hell Among The Yearlings
• Madonna - Like A Virgin
• Pete Rock & CL Smooth - The Main Ingredient
• VA - Spin Magazine July 2011
• Rakim - The Master
• VA - Kids OST
• The Autumn Defense - Once Around
• Little Barrie - Stand Your Ground
• Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run
• Son Volt - Wide Swing Tremelo

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Gillian Welch
2. T. Rex
3. Bias B
4. Jimi Hendrix
5. Ladybug Mecca

Song of the Week : Gillian Welch - Tennessee

The weather is partly responsible for my song of the week. A while ago, I preordered Gillian Welch’s new album. It’s been a long time between drinks for her and when she finally released something, I didn’t hesitate to grab it. The CD is in the mail, but on release day, I got a DL link to lossless quality mp3s of The Harrow & The Harvest.

I don’t know if it’s the cold, or the music or the high quality of the sound files, but the whole thing sounds amazing. I’m not sure what you’d call it, but there’s all this space in the tracks like it was recorded in some huge and ancient cathedral. Dave Rawling’s guitar rings out in the hollows like bells and you can hear the breath in Welch’s voice. I told someone it’s like the whole thing is haunted.

The track is the best example of what I mean about the haunting. The story goes that for all these years since her last LP Soul Journey, they have been recording things and then ditching them as not good enough. What I think has changed for the better is the personal aspect of the lyrics. Where once they’d write old gothic hillbilly tales, these songs are about their own lives but still sound like those Appalachian dirges. It’s just blown me away and is definitely the best thing she’s released since Time (The Revelator). You can stream the whole album at NPR http://n.pr/mvy5lL

Ciao Bellas

That's all folks. I'll see you at the same blog time, same blog channel next week. I'm going to bed now to listen to some tunes before some sweet, sweet sleep. Nighty night.

Playlist : November 8th - 12th, 2010

Welcome to another working week of Work Tunes. Maybe the changing weather and a little bit of rain is to blame, but things seem a little twangy and chilled on this week's playlist.

See what I mean:

• R.E.M. - Accelerate : I'm a longtime R.E.M. fan, so this release in 2008 was a big deal. It was a little punchier than they'd been putting out since New Adventures In Hifi, and I was initially in two minds about it. Strangely, I think the first listen was the last one, so I'm dusting it off for a spin.

• The Patty Duke Syndrome - The Patty Duke Syndrome : Ryan Adams' pre-Whiskeytown grungey rock punk band. The band split in 1994 and Whiskeytown formed shortly after. The music on this cobbled together bootleg holds up fairly well. Though he wasn't a founding member, you can hear Adams' influence on the songs and some sound as if they could have made Rock n Roll.

• Paul Kelly - Deeper Water : I'm not yet through with the Paul Kelly kick I've been on of late. This 1995 release was on massive rotation on my stereo when it was new - even cluttered with much louder albums such as In Utero still on constant standby. The raw emotion of I'll Forgive But I Won't Forget and the suburban salt of Anastasia Changes Her Mind are standout tracks for me.

• Bright Eyes - Oh, Holy Fools : I've always been a fan of Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning album and other offerings like Noise Floor. This album is a little more subdued and a bit morose, but it's a decent listen none-the-less.

• Josh Rouse - Nashville : After getting hold of a copy of 1972, purely because that was the year I was born, I have since gone and got everything Josh Rouse ever did - including collaboration project She's Spanish, I'm American. I regard Nashville as among the best of all those offerings. Bouncy pop folk like It's The Nightime and mellow soul like Saturday are offset with the sweet, quiet Sad Eyes and Life to make a near perfect set.

• Son Volt - American Central Dust : The band that formed, along with Wilco, when Uncle Tupelo split, Son Volt released this album in 2009. This is their most recent release and features the quite catchy (by their standards) Dynamite and the dirge-like Cocaine and Ashes.

• The Himalayans - She Likes The Weather : Before he gave us the monsterously successful Mr. Jones, Adam Duritz of Counting Crows was in The Himalayans with Mr Jones - Marty Jones, bass player for the band. This album was engineered from demos, studio recordings and radio interviews. The music is a little less radio friendly than Counting Crows and worth checking out whether you're a Crows fan or not.

• Quinine - Regrets Only : Heard about these guys from another blog I frequent. Quinine sound like an edgier Soul Asylum jamming with Toad The Wet Sprocket. Very 90s, a little grimey and not bad at all. This is a 1995 release and I can't seem to find anything else they put out. Bonus points for obscurity, Quinine. If you like 90s music, be sure to check out I Hate The 90s despite its name.

• Front Porch Poets - Off The Record : An always tasty Jazz Hop blog that I follow had a link to this album where the artist was giving away free downloads in a stack of formats. You can grab it yourself from the link on the title here. I've only given it a scan through, but it sounds okay.

• 2Pac - 2Pacalypse Now : I'll confess, I never really got into 2Pac. For one, I was pretty much away from Hip Hop when he came up and secondly, when I did hear him, I was very unfond of gangsta rap. Being a dedicated head though, I want to keep my knowledge of Rap complete, so I'm going to give Pac a go and start at the beginning. One thing I already know is anyone who claims he is the best rapper ever doesn't know their history.

If you've never heard any Josh Rouse, and you like a bit of country tinged pop folk, grab a copy of Nashville, it is well worth checking out.

Until next time, remember : The true revolutionary knows how to wait.

Playlist : May 17th - 21st, 2010

Busy weekend this week, so I'm posting my list early. I seem to have gone with mostly somber or smooth tunes that match the weather. So I deliberately added some ruckus at the last minute.

This weeks list looks like this:

• Son Volt - The Search - After I realised the chorus chords to one of my favourite ever songs, Methamphetamine, were DEADEADEAD (spooky) I tweeted it and promptly picked up a new follower who said "I started following you based solely on your mention of Son Volt." So I figured I'd spin the album.

• Gil Scott-Heron - Spirits - I really enjoyed playing Glory last week. Also, the documentary I watched on Heron was excellent. I felt like more of old Gil <~ see what I did there? This album was the first released after the man served time for possessing cocaine. He was released in 1994, same as this album.

• The National - Alligator - As I said last week, too much of The National is not enough right now. Their second to latest release, Alligator was a critical hit and the first real commercial success for the boys from Brooklyn.

• Beck - Sea Change - An old favourite and one that always seems to make an appearance when it gets a little chilly. When it gets really, really cold, watch for Nick Cave.

• Jackson Browne - The Very Best Of... - While listening to a 70s internet radio station last week, I heard a non-single Browne track and it felt right. I am going to look into the man whom I am told writes a mean song beyond those old chestnuts we're used to on 94.5 et al.

• VA - What It Is! Vol. 3 - The third installment in the funky series. I'm loving these grooves of a Friday.

• Eels - End Times - My boss today told me Mr E. likes to write and record in a closet. But this album sounds like it's recorded in the back row of a funeral. Haunted and cracked and fit for a stormy day. Even the guy on the cover looks like he's freezing.

• Hole - Live Through This - Checking... nope, still not dated. This will always be one of my most treasured albums. Listening to the new Hole just reminded me how good this was. Polished and determined and hardcore rawk. Courtney Love : Had it, lost it.

• Nirvana - Singles - The perfect compliment to Live Through This, I chose this increasingly hard to get box set in case the guys at my work wanted a listen and hadn't heard some of the B Sides here. Also, I wanted a nice 90s hug to slip into with Hole and Nirvana. Interestingly, that Amazon link is to a US$146.99 unopened copy. Not that I'd ever sell my open one.

That's it then. It's almost 2am, time for bed. Off out to lunch with @2ompkins for Japanese tomorrow and out with my lovely wife @boobalee_ann to the movies Sunday. You crazy kids take care.