Cold Elephant Alligator Illusion (March 18th - 22nd)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

Well, not having learned my lesson from doing my knee to One Direction on the Kinect last week, I have just returned from town where I bought the Michael Jackson Experience. Obviously I am already an expert moonwalker, but I am looking forward to learning the entire Thriller routine. Look for me in flash mobs near you soon (as long as you live in 2010). 

Anyway... This week I have reached for a couple of old favourites. First there's The National with the one album of theirs I haven't flogged to death. Then we have Green Day's Dookie - a staple for any 90s Discman. Then there's The White Stripes - a Noughties iPod staple. After seeing the excellent Searching For Sugar Man documentary recently, Rodriguez is here. Another selection thanks to @Clay5 is the first volume of Use Your Illusion. Volume 2 will get a go next week. I finally got hold of The Raincoats, so that is here along with Black Prairie and Jurassic 5. Two compilations this week; one the soundtrack to Dave Grohl's Sound City doco and the other a sampler of a larger box set called Say It Loud! Black Music in America.

Check it out:

• The National - Alligator
• VA - Sound City : Real to Reel
• Guns n' Roses - Use Your Illusion 1
• Jurassic 5 - Power In Numbers
• Rodriguez - Cold Fact
• The White Stripes - Elephant
• The Raincoats - The Raincoats
• Black Prairie - A Tear in the Eye Is a Wound In The Heart
• Green Day - Dookie
  
• VA - Say It Loud! Black Music In America

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Josh Rouse
2. The Lemonheads
3. Son Volt
4. David Bowie
5. Chelsea Light Moving

Song of the Week : Chelsea Light Moving - Groovy & Linda

In the past, I think I've made my pro-Sonic Youth agenda pretty clear. The band is on hiatus (for retooling?) at the moment, but Thurston has a new side project - Chelsea Light Moving. 

Something to love or loathe about Thurston Moore in equal measure is that he has never grown up. He's really a bit of a brat when you take the music into account. This album is no different. While I could have chosen the song Lip which is just a tantrum with the refrain "too fucking bad!" to illustrate my point, I've gone with Groovy & Linda because it's a better song. 

I like the album and it’s good to have what is basically just new Sonic Youth material missing Kim and adding instead an edge of old Metallica style metal bass and rhythm guitar. This song is exactly like that. 

Adieu

See anything you don't know this week? Check it out and maybe it will lead to something else and something else and something else and soon you'll become as roped into buying music all the time as I am. MWOOOHAHAHAHA! 

Ahem. 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.

Above Normal Transformer Resurrection (March 4th - 8th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

A very merry long weekend to you all - assuming you're in WA. It's Labour Day long weekend here and it couldn't have come at a better time. I have been worked like an overworked something that works a lot lately and it's time to unwind. A trip to the country, a kayak on the lake and a bike ride back home by the river is all in order. That should all get me nice and relaxed just in time to go back and start again on Tuesday. 

For the week's listening I've grabbed a couple of Hip Hop classics from Mos Def & Talib Kweli an from Common. Because I didn't pay it much attention on release, I've got Way to Normal from Ben Folds. I couldn't wait to get hold of Bilal after streaming it last week, so that is here. Reading How To Archer led to wanting to hear Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits (because Archer says it's their best album :) ). Adding to the FM rock feel I grabbed Pretenders II and slipped in a bona fide masterpiece from Lou Reed. Also here I've got Seattle super-group Mad Season, Australian institution The Whitlams and finally the first Morning Becomes Eclectic compilation from KCRW. 

Check it out:

• Mos Def & Talib Kweli - Black Star
• Ben Folds - Way To Normal
• Bilal - A Love Surreal
• Steve Miller Band - Greatest Hits 1974 - 1978
• The Pretenders - Pretenders II
• Common - Resurrection
• Lou Reed - Transformer
• The Whitlams - Introducing the Whitlams
• Mad Season - Above
  
• VA - KCRW Sounds Eclectic 

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. The Cranberries
2. Tim Easton
3. R.E.M.
4. Ice-T
5. Beach Fossils

Song of the Week : Atoms For Peace - Ingenue

I don't know if you've heard the whole thing yet, but Atoms For Peace' Amok has opened my eyes to just how much Thom Yorke is in charge of Radiohead. More than half the tracks here wouldn't be out of place on King of Limbs. That might be a bad thing for some, but i really like that album, so I'm happy to hear more. I am betting it doesn't sit well with the rest of Radiohead though.

I chose Ingenue because it is one of those Radioheadesque tracks, but also because of Thom's crazy dancing in the film clip which was released recently. 

The song has the layered electronics and the falsetto vocals with all those little ticks and bleeps that dance in your earbuds the same as KOL has.I like it a lot, but if I were judging Thom on the originality of his side project, I'd say Fail.  

Audi 5000

My apologies to those of you who don't have Monday off. For those who do, I hope you can make the most of it like I'm going to try and do. 

Stay in the groove. Hasala malakim.

Blonde Celebrity Kingdom Revolution (February 25th - March 1st)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

Just back from a haircut to hurriedly throw this all together. Seems I have to hurry through everything at the moment with so many deadlines going around. Be that as it may, there's always time for music.

A couple of Best Ofs this week from folk rocker Tim Easton and 80s icon Pat Benatar. There's a grimy old Dinosaur Jr. and a more saccharine Cranberries debut. I found an Eminem bootleg and I'm spinning Jay-Z for a rap fix. Thanks to Clay5 I have my number 1 favourite Bob Dylan album. There's the Forrest Gump soundtrack courtesy of my Aunt who gave me all her CDs. It's been a while, so Out of Time is here; and lastly, something new from Atoms For Peace.

Check it out:

• Tim Easton - Before the Revolution
• Eminem - Trailer Park Celebrity
• Dinosaur Jr - You're Living All Over Me
• Pat Benatar - The Very Best Of Pat Benatar
• The Cranberries - Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?
• Atoms For Peace - Amok
• R.E.M. - Out Of Time
• Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
  
• VA - Forrest Gump
• Jay-Z - Kingdom Come

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Hilltop Hoods
2. Eminem
3. Beach Fossils
4. Sonic Youth
5. The Whitlams

Song of the Week : The Blackbyrds - Happy Music

I'm horridly pushed for time at the moment. So I'm picking a rushed SOTW but still a good song. 

In early February, jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd died aged 83. Byrd (not that one) played with a bunch of greats like Hank Mobley, Art Blakey and even Coltrane. He was one of the pioneers of taking the jazz horn section and turning it into funk and soul.  

What I didn't know is that a bunch of the students he taught at Howard formed their own funk/fusion band The Blackbyrds in 1973. When I read that in an obit, I checked them out via a Best Of compilation.

I chose Happy Music from the best of, because of our talk last week about maudlin songs. It seems appropriate and it's a really kick-arse funky track for a Friday afternoon.

Arrivederci

Did I mention I think I saw Poh Ling Yeow down the shops? She's cute and affable, but I'm not enough of a fan to bother her for a photo. Was pretty cool to see her though. She's probably home now marveling at how she saw me and didn't want to bother me. Probably.

Peace out homes. Hasala malakim.

Blackbyrds Clash the Sky Road (February 18th - 22nd)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

Well the company website I designed and wrote has launched, so you'd think things would be slowing down for me. But no, now I have a newsletter to make and a conference greedy for collateral to plan.Good thing there's music to get me through the work-a-day grind - which is exactly why I started writing all these lists down.

This week I have quite a few brand new releases, from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Iceage and Beach Fossils. The ACBs who I'd never heard of, gave their Stona Rosa album away for free, so that is here. I just discovered a fantastic band that the recently deceased Donald Byrd had played in, The Blackbyrds. I also have The Hard Road, which I was certain had been on a hundred lists already, but no. There's J Mascis and early Margot & the Nuclear So and So's; as well as The Smiths and classic Ice-T. 

Check it out:

• The ACBs - Stona Rosa
• Beach Fossils - Clash The Truth
• The Blackbyrds - Happy Music: The Best Of the Blackbyrds
• Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away
• Ice-T - Power
• The Smiths - Strangeways Here We Come
• Margot & the Nuclear So and So's - The Dust Of Retreat
• J Mascis - Several Shades of Why
• Hilltop Hoods - The Hard Road
  
• Iceage - You're Nothing

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Gil Scott-Heron
2. The Weepies
3. Dinosaur Jr.
4. Wilco
5. Belly

Song of the Week : The Avett Brothers - Live And Die

Yesterday being Valentine's Day, I of course showered my lovely wife with gifts. One of those gifts was a mixtape I threw together on one single premise. We happened to catch a Mumford & Sons clip on Rage last Saturday morning and she mentioned she "liked their sound". So I grabbed a bunch of bands including Mumford and Iron & Wine, Bon Iver and The Avett Brothers and stuck them on a CD to show her there was in fact an actual sound like that going around. I called the mix Folky Hipsters.

Today's SOTW is the track I used to close out the mix. The Avett Brothers - Live and Die which appears on the soundtrack to the film This Is 40. The awfulness of that film being released the year I turned 40 was not lost on me.

The song is pretty upbeat and extra hoedowny with that banjo and the jangly percussion. I thought Mrs Corey J would like it because it is jaunty and she isn't often one for maudlin folk tunes - unlike yours truly.

Ciao for Niao

Thanks for stopping by. I think I'll be catching Django Unchained this weekend, so maybe look for a review soon on MFNM.

Until then, as always, hasala malakim.

Pink Moon Summerteeth Hideaway (February 11th - 15th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

It's a hot one this weekend in Perth. I'm enjoying the relatively mild 37 today before we hit 42 tomorrow apparently. I haven't cranked the airconditioner yet, but it is imminent. Right after I finish writing all this down.

This week I have a couple of selections inspired by some recent vinyl purchases - from Joni Mitchell and Television (Yes! they finally reissued Marquee Moon on vinyl and one of my long time white whales is GOT). There's the final disc of the Gil Scott-Heron compilation, as well as a Wilco favourite. A recent documentary viewing has inspired Wish You Were Here and I've slotted in Belly - Star for a hit of nostalgia. And speaking of nostalgia, there's Bat Out Of Hell II - don't you judge me! Finally, two bonafide classic albums from the greatest and probably the second or third greatest rapper ever - B.I.G. and Eminem.

Check it out:

• Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Begins (Disc 3)
• The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die
• The Weepies - Hideaway
• Television - Marquee Moon
• Meatloaf - Bat Out of Hell II
• Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
• Wilco - Summerteeth
• Belly - Star
• Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
  
• Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Gil Scott-Heron
2. Jurassic 5
3. Jesse Malin
4. José James
5. Veronica Falls

Song of the Week : Local Natives - Black Balloons

I don't know much about this band other than people have been raving about the album. So I decided to check it out and it is pretty good. 

The song I picked, Black Balloons is a bit much of a Bon Iver derivative, but Local Natives have infused that distinctive sound with a bit more rock by adding a bit of grunt on the drums. But the layered vocal harmonies and especially the main riff sound like a Bon Iver royalty cheque. Not everything on the album sounds that way though and it's a good listen if you haven't already. See what you think.

Toodles

There you have it. Thanks for stopping by. 

Enjoy your weekend people. Wherever you are, I hope the fun, the tunes and the laughs are free flowing. 

Hasala malakim.

Waiting for Hummingbird Power (February 4th - 8th)

Hello and welcome to Work Tunes.

I trust you had an unforgettable long weekend just gone if you're an Australian, or just an amazing regular length one if you're not. Last week at work was again flat stick. I don't think I paid my playlist selections the attention they deserved. I'll try to make up for that this week, even though I'm sure to be even busier again.

What I've got to listen to is disc 2 of Gil Scott-Heron and Freedom, Rhythm and Sound. I have a Dylan masterpiece and a Pearl Jam also-ran, because it's been ages since I heard either. There's new stuff from Jose James and Veronica Falls, as well as old favourites Jenny & Johnny. I've got the Local Natives album everyone's been raving about and up to bat for Hip Hop this week is a Jurassic 5 album and the hotly anticipated (by me) 2013 Golden Era Mixtape. 

Check it out:

• Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Begins (Disc 2)
• VA - Freedom Rhythm & Sound Revolutionary Jazz 1963-82 (Disc 2)
• Veronica Falls - Waiting For Something To Happen
• Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
• Local Natives - Hummingbird
• Jose James - No Beginning, No End
• Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now
• VA - Golden Era Mixtape 2013
• Jurassic 5 - Power In Numbers
• Pearl Jam - No Code

Top Five Artists Last Week

1. Tori Amos
2. Gil Scott-Heron
3. Q-Tip
4. Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs
5. California X

Song of the Week : Jesse Malin - Brooklyn

This SOTW is hard to choose because I’ve been so overwhelmed with work I have barely heard what I’ve been listening to. What I’ll do is select one of my favourite tracks from an album that just happened to be on my playlist this week; one I know I haven’t used before. 

Jesse Malin is a Ryan Adams produced act and you probably know that. I actually discovered Malin and Ryan about the same time through that Uncut compilation that introduced me to Come Pick me Up. This song was also on there – Brooklyn. It’s about the inner city living of a struggling artist and the tol the city took on his relationship, to the point where she moved from their Manhattan place to the relatively calmer burg of Brookyln.  

The bridge on this song is one of the best things about it. It’s such a stand in line for 20-something artistic/professional ennui 

“I sometimes lie awake until sunrise / Wondering have we become what we despise”

Au Revoir

I'm between outings at the moment, with a spot of shopping this morning and a jaunt to the West Coast Eagles Fan Day on the cards now. My brainwashing program for my daughters is almost complete mwoohahahaha! 

Have fun and stay safe people. Be excellent to each other, always.

Hasala malakim.