Jane's Sovereign Dogtown Tribe (January 21st - 25th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

It's been a bit of a mixed bag for me this week. Work has been great with a bunch of quick and easy new projects that went down well, but at home my phone and Internet have been more off than on. Much more off. Living in a renovated house more than 50 years old has it's charms, but tell that to the phone cables. Now though, everything is sweet again - for now. Let's have a look at the music, shall we?

To start with, I have two soundtracks, which I wouldn't normally do but these are so different and I only just bought both - The Hottest State (from Ethan Hawke's novel) and Dogtown and Z-Boys. I haven't listened to a whole ATCQ album in a while, so I'm remedying that, plus adding Lady Sovereign for some more rap. To dish up some classics, I have Bowie and The Jam; while some real soul comes from Solomon Burke and S.O.U.L. Lastly, two very different but equally important bands, Wilco and Jane's Addiction. 

Check it out:

• VA - The Hottest State OST
• A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm
• David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World
• Lady Sovereign - Public Warning
• Jane's Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual
• Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
• S.O.U.L. - What Is It
• VA - Dogtown and Z-Boys OST
• The Jam - Sound Affects
• Solomon Burke - Don't Give Up On Me

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Hilltop Hoods
2. Bruce Hornsby
3. The Autumn Defense
4. The Bamboos
5. JEFF the Brotherhood

Song of the Week : She's Spanish, I'm American - The Ocean Always Wins

I can’t believe I haven’t already pulled this one out. It’s from a collaboration that Josh Rouse did with his girlfriend Paz Suay (now defacto and reason for moving to Spain) called She’s Spanish, I’m American. Rouse is a bit of a folky as you all probably know, but the collaboration throws a bit of electronic elements in. This one has a real hip hop beat about it and Paz sings, so it’s a little more dreamy than forlorn.

I chose this song because it forms one part of my children’s safety lessons re: the beach. They know this song and they have been told what the title means – The Ocean Always Wins. I pulled it out today because on the weekend we spent a bit of time down at Port Beach, walking and combing (the weather was a bit bleh and we had to go into town straight after). While there I saw a number of people on the sand, heads buried in their iPhones while their small children swam in front of them, unsupervised. Occasionally one would stand in the water and take photos with said phone. Now, I might be overly cautious, but I never turn my back on my small kids while they are in the sea (and never take my phone into the water!). The ocean always, always wins. There were huge waves that day (the sea was angry that day my friends) and rips everywhere.

Of course, that is not what this song is about. It seems to be about going on a sea cruise early in a relationship and not knowing if it’s the right time to do it, or even how to swim. But I have told my kids that the chorus means you must respect the ocean; that if you don’t it will swallow you up. So the rules are have fun, but be careful. And my rule is never, ever take your eyes off them. Great song though.

Bon Voyage

Thanks for stopping by. If you're in Perth, the heat is ramping up again this weekend, so remember to slip, slop, slap. If you're somewhere that is cold and breezy, or snowing, or raining, or basically just not stinking hot - I hate you (okay, not really). 

Hasala malakim.

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:

• Ben Lee - Deeper Into Dream
• Ray LaMontagne - Gossip In The Grain
• Bliss n Eso - Day of the Dog
• VA - Culture of Kings Vol 2
• The Jam - Greatest Hits
• VA - Retrospace : Soul Mixtape
• VA - Elizabethtown OST Vol. 2
• Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - S/T
• Nina Simone - Sugar In My Bowl : The Best of Nina Simone
• Dixie Chicks - Home

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Hilltop Hoods
2. Nas
3. US3
4. The Pleased
5. Sonic Youth

Song of the Week : Hunter - Jam Roll

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.