Showing posts with label sonic youth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sonic youth. Show all posts

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Fade a Bronzed Familia (October 21st - 25th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

Bit of a late one this week, because the day just got away from me. I've been out with the fam into town at MYRE and the markets, plus the usual Saturday grocery run and then swimming so I'm only just sitting down. Better get into it then hey?

Besides the second disc of the Essential Bill Withers, there's a David Wilcox LP and some LCD Soundsystem. A few new ones make the list this week, with Best Coast's new EP, the soundtrack to a Spanish film from Josh Rouse and the enticingly titled (for me) Jazz Hop from Gas-Lab and Traum Diggs. Also new, kind of, is the 2013 mix of Nirvana's brilliant In Utero. Slotting in nicely with the noise of Nirvana, there's Dom and Sonic Youth. Finally, just a bit of Missy Elliott along for the ride.   

Check it out:

  1. Ryan Adams
  2. Soul Asylum
  3. Pearl Jam
  4. Devo
  5. LL Cool J
Song of the Week : Wilco - My Darling


When my Brother in Law and Sister in Law had their first child, I made them a video using the footage I’d taken on our hospital visit and this song. At the time, Mrs CoreyJ and I didn't quite have children on the radar. When we did have our first, I used a different song than the one I used for her cousin because I didn't want them to be the same. I've always been bummed about that, because this is such a beautifully simple song and it just says so much with very little. If I’d used something else for my niece, I definitely would have snatched this one up for Miss 7. 

I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with it. It’s got that rickety honky tonk piano in the intro and throughout. The acoustic guitar strumming beneath is steady and plain, while the drums and the backing vocals are what ramps it up a little. What the lyrics are saying is universal, I think. Go to sleep, I’ll take care of everything, don’t grow up too fast, your parents love you and each other, we’re a family. It’s all so cheesy and yet isn't  because it’s a universal truth.

I’d really love to hear a remix with just that piano and Tweedy, because it would be a completely different song. I’d still want to have the original to listen to, but I would love to hear a different form. Garage band, get on it!    


Bye
No point waffling on then, I'm already late. I have to go prepare some tapas soon from a bunch of stuff we bought while out and about. I do believe it will go well with a beer and all. 

The best of the weekend to you and yours. Hasala malakim.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Hurry Sing Trouble Pilgrim (June 10th - 14th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

I'm just back from the Program Launch of the 2013 Perth Revelation Film Festival after checking out The Deep. Quite an enjoyable film, shot tremendously well. Check it out if you like Icelandic films based on the true life events of a fishing boat tragedy at sea. I think I'd have structured it differently; but what would I know? I'll just get on with the music, shall I?
  
Again this week I've got a couple of artists I've never heard before in Laura Mvula and City and Colour. The other new album this time around is from The National. There's some old, old releases from Pixies and Sonic Youth, as well as a late career release from Concrete Blonde.Two compilations will be on rotation, a Tour Of Duty soundtrack and one of my favourites from KCRW, Rare On Air. Repping Hip Hop for the week, there's two legends in Mos Def (now Yasim Bey) and Brother Ali. 

Check it out:


Top Five Artists Last Week
  1. Boards of Canada
  2. The Church
  3. Pink Floyd
  4. Blondie
  5. Bob Evans

Song of the Week : J Geils Band - Freeze Frame



My song this week is just a bit of fun that was conjured up by my roller skating trip on Sunday. As a bit of background, from the time I was about 9 to the time I was 14 and got serious about skateboarding, I was a roller skater. I took actual lessons in figure skating when I was about 11 - 12 down at Kwinana’s then number 1 teen hang out – Astroskate. After each lesson at Astroskate, there’d be a free skate session on a Saturday afternoon. When I’d moved into speedskating, Sunday at 2pm was the session to be at (where a young lad could meet and snowball with lots of likely lasses).


Throughout my time as a roller skater, a few songs were absolute mainstays to certain parts of the session – such as J Geils Band – Freeze Frame  and The Angels – Take a Long Line for speed skate. Imagine my surprise down in Cockburn on Sunday when this song from the was the song of choice for the speed skate session. I know that roller skating is kind of the sport that time forgot, but I was really surprised that the people who control the music were playing Beiber and Psy and all that garbage but still holding onto their staples (Ne Order – Blue Monday in particular).

The only other song by J Geils Band that I know is Centrefold and that got flogged to death at Astroskate too. I’m not sure what this one is really about, other than a model(?!) but I never considered it either while whizzing around the blue concrete wearing my Adidas footy boots with shiny blue trucks and some wheels that were the business back then but who’s name I can’t even recall now. Enjoy!

Ciao 

That's it for this week. If you're a movie person, run on over to the Revelation site and check out the program. Even if you're a music person, there's a bunch of great music docs playing this year; including the Big Star documentary and the one on the late Oz Hip Hop legend, Hunter.

Hasala malakim.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Darkness Never Moving Toto (January 14th - 18th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

The first working week of the year is done and dusted and it wasn't half bad. The usual administrative start led smoothly into the massive workload and busy bee of a the end of the week. Through it all of course was the music, just like next week.

For next week, I have a few musical equivalents of a warm cup of cocoa with 80s radio-friendly sets from Toto, Van Halen and The B-52s. I've got a Skip Hop contingent from a compilation and an album from The Herd; as well as more Australian music from the one and only Paul Kelly. I'm trying to rediscover the Ryan Adams & the Cardinals outtakes from III/IV and I bought a Sonic Youth album I haven't heard. Lastly, for a little bit of groove, I am including Jamiroquai. 

Check it out:
  1. Bruce Hornsby
  2. The Autumn Defense
  3. JEFF the Brotherhood
  4. Datarock
  5. Cotton Jones

Song of the Week : Joe "Bean" Esposito - You're The Best



Speaking of holidays, mine was great, thanks for asking and it inspired this week’s SOTW. It’s actually more like Song of the Month because we've hummed and sung and played it all holidays. 

As you probably know from Twitter, I got my girls a skateboard each for Christmas. I haven’t had a chance to take Miss 3 out because we kept her in the day care routine as best we could, but I taught Miss 6 the basics and she is doing well. She can now stand up and push and coast in a mostly straight line. I have taught her to lean turn but she can’t turn in a big arc yet. Still, a lot better than me at 6 when I used to basically sit on my plastic board and roll down our steep driveway. 

Because it was like a training montage of trying and failing, I happened to sing (for Mrs Coreyj's benefit) the Joe Esposito track from Karate Kid – You’re The Best. Big chuckles ensued of course. But the song hasn't gone away. It’s been stuck in all our heads for weeks. So now I’m giving it to you! The interesting thing about the track is how cheesy and comically-sincere it is, but at the time, it was completely serious. It’s a “hard rock” track with keys in the mode of a Journey or even a Toto, but with small and aborted attempts at Ian Gillan style vocal acrobatics. 

So, try to ignore the fact that this track is from the GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE and just judge it on its own merits. 



Adieu

Thanks for stopping by. As always, happy musical trails to you all. Hasala malakim.

Friday, October 19, 2012

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:

  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.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Follow the Experimental Maiden Mirage (September 24th - 28th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

It's been a bit of a tech day today, good and bad. I bought some new headphones for work and also battled with iOS6 and my iPad. Everything seems to be in order now though. I'm sure the novelty of Siri will wear off very soon, but right now, she's a hoot.

I'll only be at work for a few days this week, because Miss 6 is going in for a 
tonsillectomy and I'll be staying home to look after Miss 3. I'm not looking forward to any of it of course. I'm told recovery from tonsils can be a horrid affair, and you never like to see your kids in pain. 

Inspiration for choosing the LPs on this week's list has come from a bunch of places. Firstly, watching Ice-T's excellent Art of Rap provided me with the soundtrack as well as an Eric B & Rakim album I haven't heard in forever. Last week's #Clay5 on Pearl Jam albums obviously gave me Vs, while a Spotify list from @sunky provided Bjork. Metal Evolution has put Iron Maiden on my radar, while a rave about TIM from @bobearth made me pick The Replacements. Sonic Youth are here because omg I love Sonic Youth. There's the second disc of  Led Zeppelin's Remasters and finally some new albums from favourites Band of Horses and Seapony.

Check it out:

  1. Led Zeppelin
  2. Sly & The Family Stone
  3. A Tribe Called Quest
  4. Tori Amos
  5. Down South

Song of the Week : Dinosaur Jr. - Watch The Corners



The latest album from Dinosaur Jr is out and it reunites the original line-up of the band. I have chosen Watch The Corners,  the track from it that most sounds like the Dinosaur Jr. of old. That's not a bad thing; for me, anyway. Listening to the best Dinosaur Jr. tracks feels like reaching into your closet and fishing out that super warm and fleecy flannel jacket, your heaviest pair of cargo shorts and a nice shiny pair of Docs and stepping back into the era when J Mascis was guitar god extraordinaire.

So that's what my SOTW is for today. It's a time travel vessel that will put you in the heady days of grunge and Seinfeld and Winona Ryder and Kyra Sedgwick. Enjoy the ride. And on a side and somewhat related note, did you see Singles the Cameron Crowe film is 20 YEARS OLD! Wow.

Hope you enjoy your time travel experience – please, keep all limbs inside the car at all times.

TTFN

Thanks for stopping by. Here's hoping the Universe smiles on you this weekend and you win lotto or something. If you're a Hawks or Crows fan, good luck to your team. But let's face it, the Crows need more luck than the Hawks. 

Adios. Hasala malakim.

Friday, June 29, 2012

Sunday Public Asylum Massacre (July 2nd - 6th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.


A week of all work and no play make Corey J something something. Go crazy? Not quite, but it was touch and go there for a while. All enjoyable stress of course, but it does take its toll. Skagboys is going well. One good thing about being tired from work is getting to bed earlier and getting to read every night. Renton and Co. have just had a couple of tastes of Heroin and the book is mainly concerned at this stage with the rampant unemployment of Thatcher's Britain in the 80s. That's not a book report, that's just me making conversation. Okay, okay shut up monkey boy and make with the music. 


In this week's bag of treats, I have the kick-ass soundtrack to a cheesy 70s teen melodrama I just watched, Over The Edge; there's the Sonic Youth and Public Image Limited albums I bought courtesy of a carton of Becks; your funky education continues with disc 3 of Star Time; I threw in some 50 Cent and Cypress Hill coz I is well gangsta innit?; do you remember Soul Asylum? Dave Pirner dated Winona Ryder. You don't remember Winona Ryder? Me either. Queen are good though eh? For new sounds I have some old sounds by Silver Jews and the latest from Japandroids that some well-respected Twitter critics have raved about. I haven't heard them since Post-Nothing and I wasn't overly fussed on that album. I do trust my Twitter critics though, so we'll see.

Check it out:


  1. James Brown
  2. The Cure
  3. Eminem
  4. Circle Jerks
  5. The Police

Song of the Week : Wax Audio - Disturbing Practices (Overboard)

Click for Link
Initially I was going to pick a vitriolic Elvis Costello song about Thatcher just to highlight how great some songs can be when they're so nasty. Then I remembered a song far more closely related to our own mess and just as nasty - only this time, the politicians' own words are used to hang them out to dry.


This is Disturbing Practices by Wax Audio, a remix of political propoganda from the time of the Children Overboard fiasco. The fact that people forgot Howard and Costello's lies and voted them back in, just illustrates how too many Australians have the derp derp deyturkarejarbs! mentality.


Problem is, the majority of voters seem to still be conveniently forgetting that people have died as a result of this veiled White Australia Policy, this attempt to rile up rednecks and make them feel 'secure' from those nasty desperate people. I'm disgusted in The Ranga for still playing the games with people's lives that got Howard elected. I can say with pride that I voted Greens and kept offshore processing out of the Senate.


I'm 5000

Thanks for stopping by. It is my nephew's first birthday bash this weekend. It's a
pirate themed party. So I thoroughly intend to burn copies of all my sister and brother in law's DVDs. Yaaaar! 


Be good to one another. Don't worry about a thing, because damn it, if you're reading this it means you have an internet enabled device and a connection. That's already put you in the richest 30 or so percent of people in the world. Share the wealth a little hey? 


Go Eagles. Hasala malakim.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Shame Dirty Nashville Jack Crosby (May 7th - 11th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.


It's been a very busy and very productive week at work. A last minute task I completed on time has received rave reviews; which is always awesome. The wet weather is making the drive to and from all that more sucky, but you get by... you get by < /Cartman >.  So here's what I need to sail me through another working week. 


First of all, a note. I've just updated my list to include two great albums from the Beastie Boys after hearing at 2am this morning that MCA had passed (more on that later). I can't guarantee that next week's list won't have two more.


I'm finally getting around to listening to Crosby, Stills & Nash; I have a straight up 90s essential from the Lemonheads; a little bit of Sonic Youth; the latest from Beach House and Jack White; a bonafide classic from The Clash; a free mixtape from the Nashville Film Festival; and finally a familiar Weepies set for reliable service. 


Check it out:

  1. Beach Fossils
  2. Pixies
  3. Snoop Dogg
  4. Bonnie "Prince" Billy
  5. Iron & Wine

Song of the Week : Spectrals - Get a Grip

Thanks to the lovely wet and cold weather, I almost went with a Bonnie "Prince" Billy song, but Spectrals have been my band of the week. After loving Beach Fossils all last week, I checked out Spectrals because Songl had them under Similar Artists. 


Turns out they are probably more like The Smiths than Beach Fossils. Very English, a bit Stone Roses, a bit Blur, a bit Smiths, detached hipster irony a-plenty. 


This song, Get A Grip is jangly and upbeat. What it shares in common with Beach Fossils is probably the echo and the layered guitars. A similar feel if not a similar sound. Check it out and see what you think.

Toodle-Ooh

Whatever you do this weekend folks, have a total ball. Eat great food, drink great (*insert your poison here*), have great laughs and listen to a ton of great tunes. I'll be here next week with some more of what I'm digging at the time.


Be good to each other. Go Eagles! Hasala malakim.


Post Script May 5th, 2012: I've just now finished writing a tumblr post on the passing of MCA of the Beastie Boys. I'm completely floored by the news. It's 2:03am Saturday morning and I'm off to bed with a very heavy heart. 

Timing like a clock when I rock the Hip Hop
Top notch is my stock on the soap box
I've got more rhymes than I've got grey hairs
And that's a lot because I've got my share
Rest in Power MCA.

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.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Playlist : March 7th - 11th, 2011

So here we are again. I've decided to just list my playlist every week to keep track of what I've played. Then every month, I will blog a selection of albums from all those I've played. Make sense? Good. Let's continue.
  1. The Rolling Stones
  2. Radiohead
  3. Digable Planets
  4. Edie Brickell and New Bohemians
  5. Dolorean

Top 5 Tracks of Last Week

Song of the Week
This week I have gone with a track that came with my most recent edition of Spin Magazine for Zinio on my iPad. It’s great how the digital version always has a playlist for free from iTunes.

This is Wye Oak – Civilian. I don’t know a lot about this band, but I have heard their most recent album over at NPR It’s a pretty good listen. Fairly moody indie pop with a decent layer of fuzz and jangle. Civilian has a bit of a country stomp about it while keeping the indie atmospheric vocals before it launches into a bit of rock. Not bad at all.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Playlist February 28th - March 4th, 2011

Howdy pardners, welcome to what may be the last Work Tunes.

After reading a blog about simplifying your life and finding more time for what you love, I realised that I could probably stop this blog and focus on Make Films Not Movies. Though I do enjoy talking music, I prefer movies and I’m not finding enough time to watch and review them.

There are other things I can cut out of my schedule though, so I have some decisions to make.In any case, for this week I’m listening to :
  • Paul Kelly - The A to Z Recordings (Disc 7) : With just two more discs to go, I should probably make next week the last week for Work Tunes. Disc 6 of this epic box contained a humdinger of a ditty in Shane Warne. With a swinging summer horn and calypso rhythm, the track was a great bit of levity in a fairly serious set of songs. This disc features mostly S and T songs, including perhaps two of PKs best known in To Her Door and Sweet Guy.
  • Rolling Stones – Rolled Gold (Disc Two) : The second part of the Rolled Gold Best Of compilation features some of the Stones' meatier tracks including Sympathy For The Devil, Wild Horses and You Can't Always Get What You Want. There are more of the early 70s songs here than on Disc One, which had several very early tracks from when the Stones thought they were Mississippi Bluesmen. I prefer this side of the band.
  • Dolorean - You Can't Win : After hearing the latest effort from Dolorean last week, I was reminded why I really dig this band. Simple chord progressions, quiet twang and thought out lyrics will always be high on my list of things-i-like-in-music. Dolorean does all of that so well.
  • Digable Planets - Reachin (A New Refutation Of Time And Space) : Lately, the Native Tongues style of jazz beats and positive, conscious lyrics has been sounding pretty good to me. I flip out over Blowout Comb by Digable Planets, but this is another great album. If only they were still around. Maybe they could resurrect Black Star while they were at it.
  • Thom Yorke - The Eraser : Last week, I slowly but surely became in awe of The King of Limbs, Radiohead's brand new release. One thing I liked about it is the layering of electronic sound, which is the same thing I like about The Eraser. The King of Limbs is superior to Thom Yorke's solo debut, in my opinion, but this is still worth a listen.
  • Radiohead - OK Computer : A lot of listeners would agree that OK Computer is Radiohead's finest hour. It has made countless critics' lists of the best albums of all time, or of the 90s of the UK and so on. The critical response to The King of Limbs has been mixed, to be polite. I wanted to play this album this week to get a better gauge on the difference. I bleieve TKOL will someday get a little more love than it does now.
  • Sonic Youth - Goo : Goo was Sonic Youth’s seventh release, but got them a good deal of attention from further mainstream than usual thanks to the Seattle ‘scene’ that broke around them. The album after this, Dirty, got even more. Though it was released in 1990, Goo contains much of the sound everybody went crazy for not long after. It is the start of a more cohesive, less experimental Sonic Youth sound and a decently fuzzy and rocking album. The biggest track on the album is Kool Thing. We of course all know how cool Kim Deal is, thanks to the Dandy Warhols.
  • Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians - Ghost of a Dog : Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians' 1988 release Shooting Rubber Bands at the Stars has always been one of my personal favourites. I have only ever had a cassette copy of this, it's follow up, until recently when I bought the CD. Stand out tracks are the title track and the jaunty Black and Blue.
  • Marcy Playground – Marcy Playground : Remember Sex and Candy? Yeah, me too! But that's about all I ever knew of Marcy Playground. So when I saw this CD on ebay for 1c, I thought "why not?" I haven't listened to it yet. Fingers crossed.
Regardless of whether I decide to give this blog away, I will be making a playlist every week. I may just blog here once a month a list of the albums I enjoyed most and try to review a movie a week for MFNM.

Thanks to those who come to read. If I’m here next week, I hope you will be too.

Ciao for now.