Friday, February 17, 2012

Playlist : Love is the Electric Bite Marked Exile (Feb 20th - 24th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.


Happy belated Valentine's Day, cherubs. I was once under the mistaken belief that Valentine's was akin to "Love Day" (as portrayed on The Simpsons #5F09); made up by card and chocolate companies to sell product. Not so, sweet cynics, it did in fact originate in 496 AD in honour of several Christian martyrs named Valentinus. It became about romantic love in the 14th century thanks to Chaucer. Given all this, I'm quite happy to take the day as one particular celebration of not just my love for my wife and soul mate, but the joy of romance itself. So, no cynicism from me - all you need is love.


And music. You need music too. As for me, what I need this week is Exile on Main Street after watching the excellent documentary Stones In Exile; Love Is Hell because I am seeing young Grizzly Adams next weekend; I need The Cars, just 'cause it has been so very long that I almost forgot they existed; Brother Ali's latest EP; The Militia; Bob Dylan's mellow 70s New Morning; the debut self-titled LP from Mount Washington; a true classic with Electric Ladyland; Stiff Little Fingers, inspired again by High Fidelity; and finally a Mojo compilation of music that is supposedly 'the roots' of Nirvana.


Check it out:

  1. Hilltop Hoods
  2. Paul Simon
  3. Tori Amos
  4. The Rolling Stones
  5. Pearl Jam

Song of the Week : The Beta Band - Dry The Rain



The night my wife and Miss 5 spent at PMH, I watched High Fidelity. It’s a great film, simply for its overarching theme of music’s place in everyone’s life. It made me make my wife a mix CD (complete with artwork) of all the songs that used to be “ours” when we were dating and then at our wedding.


I've listened to the soundtrack this week, but I also checked out The Beta Band because of the scene where Cusack plays Dry The Rain and says he’ll now sell 5 copies of Three EPs. I thought “I’d totally have bought one”. Turns out Dry The Rain is the most obvious single off the set. It’s very Beatlesque in a jangly UK pop way, and it starts slow and quirky before kicking into gear with a refrain that has been stuck in my head for days – “I will be alright, I will be alright…”


The most fantastic quote from High Fidelity that sums up how the film makes me feel is from Cusack’s character Rob, who says:
“Books, records, films -- these things matter. Call me shallow but it's the fuckin' truth…”
Amen, brother.


Toodle-oooh

If you're wondering why the crazy title on this week's playlist, it's something I always do at work. I name my playlist based on a few titles. I've been meaning to post my blog entries with the right name for ages, and never got around to it. I'll most likely forget from week to week, but I'll try to keep it up. 


And there we have it. Another week, another playlist. I'll be hard at work next week on a new campaign and looking forward to the Ryan Adams concert on Saturday night. In the meantime, I hope your respective weeks are sensational and you stumble across some music you've never heard that changes your life.


Hasala malakim.
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Friday, February 10, 2012

Playlist : February 13th - 17th, 2012

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.


So the bad news is, I didn't get to go to the Hilltop Hoods gig. I had to sell my tickets because my cousin/old mate could barely walk, let alone stand for hours in a mosh pit. These things happen. I'll throw my Parade of the Dead DVD on, turn the lights out and mosh in my lounge instead.


To the music then. This week's list is a little bit all over the place. Don't you judge me! I've got Paul Simon's monumental Graceland; the very latest from KRS One; a bit of Pearl Jam; the soundtrack to High Fidelity, plus Three EPs by The Beta Band featured in that film (I watched it on the weekend); some My Bloody Valentine for obvious reasons; Tori Amos; Beastie Boys; The Smiths and Jason Isbell because he's supporting Ryan Adams in a couple of weeks and I've never heard him.


Check it out:
  1. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
  2. The Doors
  3. Melissa Etheridge
  4. John Coltrane
  5. X

Song of the Week : Hilltop Hoods - City Of Light



I don’t know if you saw my indignant rant, but I recently read an article on how JJJ listeners were bitching about the amount of airplay AUS rap gets. That’s a matter of personal choice and I don’t have any problems with that, but the author of the article tried to say the reason was that AUS rap is no good; that it’s a pale imitation of current US rap. For starters, US rap is a pale imitation of itself these days; and secondly, AUS rap has always been it’s own phenomenon.


The writer seemed to be questioning the authenticity of Australian rappers; as if because they didn’t grow up in Compton doing drive-bys that they don’t know how to rap, or aren’t part of the culture. Why they pay people to write who have no idea of their history is beyond me. Australia, whether people like it or not, has had it’s own Hip Hop culture since the early 80s. What the best AUS rap acts are doing isn’t trying to be American, it’s telling their own stories in their own voices. Kids today seem to think that rappers should be talking about guns and bling and bitches, because they don’t know any better.


So my song (and this is also because I missed the gig) is Hilltop Hoods – City Of Light. I choose it because it’s a telling of their time growing up within Australia’s Hip Hop subculture. These are stories of Australian graffiti writers, Australian fashion trends (I bet Tupac never wore a Country Road parka), Australian open mic gigs. The Hoods helped get me back into rap after my long absence precisely because I was relating more to the lyrics and to the style. I fell off because I didn’t care for gangsta rap and I got back on because this wasn’t gangsta.

Turrah

There goes another list for another week. I'm writing this rather hurriedly at 1:30am on Friday because I've been up making Mrs coreyj a Valentine's Day present. I promise that no macaroni, glitter or PVA glue was used in the construction of said present. Plus, there will be other pleasant, more store-bought, treats.


Be excellent to each other, people. If you have a special someone and you celebrate such commercial constructions, have a happy Valentine's Day. If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with ;).


Arrivederci amanti.
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Friday, February 3, 2012

Playlist : February 6th - 10th, 2012

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.


Well, I must say, Hugo was spectacular. Scorsese used the 3D tech to bring the characters to life, more so than the action; and to add magical touches like snow in the theatre. If you're a film obsessive like me, you'll love details like seeing the iconic Moon scene from Le voyage dans la lune in 3D and you'll love Scorsese's complete affection for the art of movie-making. But enough Hugo plugging, let's talk about Sets baby. 


The Golden Era Mixtape for 2012 dropped this week, for free, so that's here and you can grab a copy. For the quiet moments during the long week at work, I've got some jazz from Coltrane and the sweet indie pop of the Away We Go soundtrack; more Bonnie 'Prince' Billy; another mixtape, this time from Rhymesayers' I Self Divine; some X, The Doors and Vetiver; as well as Dan Mangan who I only just discovered and The New Pornographers' 2003 effort Mass Romantic.


Check it out:

  1. Public Enemy
  2. Hilltop Hoods
  3. The Felice Brothers
  4. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
  5. James Taylor

Song of the Week : The Felice Brothers - Frankie's Gun!



This week I’ve got a track from The Felice Brothers’ self-titled LP from 2008. Frankie’s Gun! is a dirty country rock song which seems to be about a guy working as a bagman for criminals who is either shot by Frankie or is pretending that he was to justify a missing $30 meant for a girl named Lucille. The song is sung to Lucille explaining how Frankie shot the narrator.


What I love about the track besides its rollicking fun time jig is the rhyming scheme in the lyrics. Some lines almost make me laugh at the rhymes and the way the words get packed in – “My car goes / To Chicago / Every weekend to pick up some cargo” and “I saw a man hit my Mom one time, really / I hurt him so damn bad I had to hide in Jersey”. It’s just a lot of fun with a timeless vibe like it’s about the bootlegging era but could just as easily be about today.


I hope you dig it.

Ciao For Niao

So there you have it. If anything takes your fancy, go and check it out. Drop me a comment if you know anything you think I might want to hear. 


Be good to each other kids; we're all we've got. 


Hasala malakim.
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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:

  1. Bob Dylan
  2. Nada Surf
  3. Belle and Sebastian
  4. Lil' Kim
  5. 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.
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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:

  1. Camera Obscura
  2. Cream
  3. Boy and Bear
  4. Tom McRae
  5. 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.
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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.

  1. R.E.M.
  2. Camera Obscura
  3. The Beatles
  4. The Dø
  5. The Avett Brothers


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.
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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:
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.

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