Monday, December 30, 2024

Choon of the Month: Ocean


Original video located here. Accessed 30th December 2024

Song title: Ocean

Artist: Fisher and AR/CO

Year: 2024

Why I like this song:

I didn't thing much of Fisher's song Losing It - too much bleeping for my liking. But that song became a big hit so that shows how much I know

This however is an improvement. Sure the bleeping is still present but the energy is hard to resist

Monday, December 23, 2024

Classics: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas


Original video located here. Accessed 23rd December 2024

Song title: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Artist: Frank Sinatra

Year: 1957

Why I like this song:

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Sunday, December 1, 2024

We Are Live: Under the Milky Way Tonight


Original video located here. Accessed 1st December 2024

Song title: Under the Milky Way Tonight

Artist: The Church

Year: 1988

Why I like this song:

Last night I went and saw the Church live.
I have some things to say about this gig so allow me to resort to dot points:

  • I saw some goths in the line to go in. I never regarded The Church as a goth band but they seem to be well regarded among the goths. Can someone confirm this?
  • Fitting I see the Saints and the Church in the same week
  • Speaking of the Saints, if one could make the argument that the Saints are currently their own tribute act, it does raise the question if the same could be said about the Church: Mainstays Peter Koppes and Marty Wilson-Piper are both gone and in their place is one third of Even and one fifth of Powderfinger. 
  • The final song was Under the Milky Way Tonight although it is doubtful the audience would've let them leave without playing it. What is surprising is that it was the only song off the Starfish album
  • Conversely there were seven songs from the Blurred Crusade album. Does Steve Kilbey think more highly of that one?

Still it was a great show and one that I am glad to have seen. Even if this was a different band than it does in the eighties, all on stage delivered. Also I have never so much elation for The Unguarded Moment. 

Thursday, November 28, 2024

We Are Live: Erotic Neurotic


Original video located here. Accessed 28th November 2024

Song title: Erotic Neurotic

Artist: The Saints

Year: 1977

Why I like this song:

Last night I went and saw the Saints live.

Seeing this band live is such an odd experience: Firstly, it's founding members Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay along with Mick Harvey (of the Bad Seeds fame), Peter Oxley (of the Sunnyboys fame) and Mark Arm (of Mudhoney fame). Secondly, this band is a product of the first wave of punk - hardly a movement that had any longevity let alone being the type being played by guys in various points of their sixties. 

And yet, they still delivered live: This was a lot of fun to watch and there was a real sense of energy coming off of them - which is what punk is supposed to do. The audience were indeed welcoming to this songs being played and the use of horns worked well. Of course, when they played the best known Saints songs, I'm Stranded and Know You Product, the audience when completely nuts. 
All in all, this was another indication that veteran acts have years of experience to rely upon and their can deliver with enough flair to put younger acts to shame. Top stuff.

Saturday, November 16, 2024

We Are Live: Alone


Original video located here. Accessed 16th November 2024

Song title: Alone

Artist: Custard

Year: 1994

Why I like this song:

Last night I went and saw Custard. These guys were something of a legendary act during my teen years so naturally I went to see them, playing at the Republic Bar in North Hobart. 

First up though were a pair of support acts. The first of which was a Queensland band named Stress of Leisure. Not bad but certainly of an esoteric nature.

The second support act was the Fauves. Now these guys I was very much familiar with having them seeing live twice before. They were delightfully raucous, delivering a loud show. Their onstage banter was hilarious - with remarks how the Wrest Point casino revolving restaurant was stuck in the seventies - and they rocked hard even when contending with guitar problems onstage. Of particular note was when they played Dogs Are the Best People and the audience went nuts. 

And then there was Custard.
Now that I think about it, when Custard were popular in the mid-to-late nineties, they seemed to be the Australian answer to the so-called 'geek rock'. Yes, the same genre that gave us Weezer, They Might Be Giants and the Presidents of the USA (both the latter and Custard were even touring mates at one stage).
It's an unlikely call but not impossible. 
But I digress: Custard were brilliant. They rocked hard and played all their best known songs. Pack Yr Suitcases and Alone went over well. Lucky Star went hard on stage and Apartment made the audience go ballistic. In fact there. was no weak song in amongst the setlist and the audience hung onto ever moment. In addition, Dave McCormack was a charismatic presence, cracking jokes and his audience interaction. At one point I did shout out 'Bandit!' but I don't think he noticed - either that or he has been growing accustomed to Bluey gags.

All in all, a great night out and proof that some veteran acts can still cut it. 

Friday, November 15, 2024

Nineties Revisited: Home Again


Original video located here. Accessed 13th November 2024

Song title: Home Again

Artist: Shihad

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

So New Zealand rock heroes Shihad are calling it a day.

I got into Shihad through their landmark album The General Electric. It rocked hard, showing some muscle that could challenge the major heavy acts from overseas. I also had the pleasure of seeing them twice: First at a 2000 day event in Hobart called RAW and second at the 2002 Big Day Out. Both occasions they delivered a fiery show that showed up a lot of the other acts on the day. 

So here's to Shihad. 

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Back to the Eighties: Subways of Your Mind


Original video located here. Accessed 5th November 2024

Song title: Subways of Your Mind

Artist: FEX

Year: 1983

Why I like this song:

It's happened: The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet has now been identified. After so many years of searching, a song title has been determined and an artist named.

I have been following this search for a while and was astonished that it finally bore fruit. Given that FEX will reunite and re-record the song, I look forward to see what comes of it.

And lets not forget: This song still rocks hard.

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Choon of the Month: Alone


Original video located here. Accessed 28th September 2024

Song title: Alone

Artist: The Cure

Year: 2024

Why I like this song:

Well here we are: After sixteen years of silence, the Cure have a new song. And as a lifelong fan of the Cure this shouldn't be a surprise that I would talk about it.

It's certainly big on sound and monolithic in it's nature. And it comes across as being the demented cousin of Disintegration. Getting nasty again eh? Well it works for me.

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Obituary: Sorry


Original video located here. Accessed 25th September 2024

Song title: Sorry

Artist: Easybeats

Year: 1966

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Dick Diamonde

This band was Australia's Beatles. And they were made up of immigrants from the UK and Holland
Still its a damn catchy song...

Geez, this blog is turning into the book of the dead...

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Obituary: Can You Feel It


Original video located here. Accessed 18th September 2024

Song title: Can You Feel It

Artist: The Jacksons

Year: 1980

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Tito Jackson
Be with your brother :(

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

This Song Rocks: Don't Ever


Original video located here. Accessed 10th September 2024

Song title: Don't Ever

Artist: Missy Higgins

Year: 2004

Why I like this song:

So Missy Higgins will be this year's inductee to the ARIA Hall of Fame? Well good for her.
Like a lot of other people, I did buy her debut album, The Sound of White, and I did enjoy it to a point here I can associate this song with twenty-two year old me.

Thing is, that I am only finding this out now shows I don't think much of the ARIAs. Sure the Hall of Fame has an induction criteria but I'm not convinced it works. What I am convinced is the following scenario:

ARIA: So who shall we induct into the Hall of Fame this year?

Go-Betweens: We are one of the most respected bands here and overseas!
Ratcat: We are trailblazers for alternative music and had the most successful Australian single in 1991!
silverchair: We are one of the most popular Australian bands and we have 21 ARIAs to our name!
You am I: We are one of the most successful Australian bands and have inspired many other bands!
Powderfinger: We are have a long and successful career and won Album of the Year three times!
Daryl Braithwaite: I covered a woman's song
ARIA: Come on in Daz! Glad to have you!!

 

Monday, September 9, 2024

Obituary: Westway


Original video located here. Accessed 9th September 2024

Song title: Westway

Artist: Sky

Year: 1979

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Herbie Flowers

Somehow, this song would be a lot different without his bass line

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Nineties Revisited: Wonderwall


Original video located here. Accessed 27th August 2024

Song title: Wonderwall

Artist: Oasis

Year: 1995

Why I like this song:

Huh? Oasis are reforming? Apparently so

From here, the obvious remark is how long Noel and Liam will last until they, once again, can't stand the sight of each other. And the real surprise will be if Noel and Liam actually get along.
But then again, this reunion shouldn't come as a surprise seeing as Definitely Maybe is thirty years old and (What's the Story) Morning Glory is approaching the same milestone.

So what of Wonderwall? Well, for me its a song of early mornings and taking on the responsibilities that come with being in a relationship.

Monday, August 12, 2024

SA: Glockenpop


Original video located here. Accessed 8th August 2024

Song title: Glockenpop

Artist: Spiderbait

Year: 1999

Why I like this song:

It's a cute song with some surprisingly biting lyrics about the vapidity of pop music. 

Recently Triple J put an online survey, no doubt to engage the audience and try to garner some market research. What it involved was presenting the participant with samples of songs and asking for a rating.

I did the survey last night and it was quite the challenge: here were seven sections, each having 105 song samples. So that's 735 songs to get through!
Granted I have long ceased being a teenager so that places me well outside Triple J's demographic and granted I have subsequently not heard Triple J in years but I still did it because I will not refuse an opportunity to say what I think. 

Listening to the songs I found the following of note:

  • There's a lot of pop
  • There's a lot of electro stuff that I couldn't tell the difference between The Weeknd and his soundalikes
  • I realised there's a lot of production heavy songs coming out the last coupla years
  • Surprisingly, there were a handful of 1990s songs, the oldest being Radiohead's Creep and Rage Against the Machine's Killing in the Name of (like the latter will ever get old)

I lament the day that Triple J went pop, thereby making it indistinguishable from the other radio stations and it abandoned the alternative roots that made it interesting, Yes it is futile to complain about such a change since one can't stop the march of time, but I would welcome the day that a change comes around that alters the trajectory and the current model is looking old news.

It's well documented that Nirvana's simplicity destroyed a lot of careers of production heavy acts. You wouldn't think that now seeing the pendulum has swung back but there's nothing keeping the pendulum there....

Friday, August 2, 2024

SA: Know Your Product


Original video located here. Accessed 2nd August 2024

Song title: Know Your Product

Artist: Saints

Year: 1978

Why I like this song:

This song may roar like no other (moreso in the decades since) but it also encapsulates my suspicions towards trends in modern music.

Earlier this week, YouTube music critic Todd in the Shadows posted a video assessing the Kendrick Lamar hit Not like Us. I can't say that I'm a fan of the song but it is the middle section (starting 13:00) that is of interest to me.

So: Poptimism, A reaction against Rockism and it's gatekeeping. Where those who once weren't taken seriously as artists now had a new sense of credibility. 
I however challenge that narrative.

I was a teenager in the nineties - an era known as the apex of alternative rock. So what does that mean to me? Well it showed me that there was a world beyond what was being played on the pop radio at the time. A world that had slipped under the radar of pop radio and now looked far more appealing. So whilst the pop radio looked vapid, dull and cheesy, the brave new world of alternative rock looked fun, real, varied and with far more teeth. 
And in the wake of Nirvana's success, alternative rock, once overlooked by the mainstream, had a new found sense of credibility. 

But as is often the case, the pendulum can always swing back. 

And that's what Poptimism is for me: Pop music coming roaring back to life. Pop is a dominate force again. Song that did successful on the charts only to be dismissed as nonsense is now reassessed as classics. And the underground is now being forced back to where they were.
But to me it's not so much a reaction of the success of alternative rock but regaining the ground lost. Its the sound of a schoolyard bully punching back at the nerds who dared stand up for themselves. Does some higher up in the music industry actually resent the revolution Nirvana (however unwittingly) brought about?

Disagree?
Very well then: Tell me, without looking it up, who was the highest ranking Australian artist on the ARIA singles End of Year chart in 1991.
I'll give you a hint: It wasn't Daryl Braithwaite.

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Obituary: Stuck in the Middle With You


Original video located here. Accessed 10th July 2024

Song title: Stuck in the Middle With You

Artist: Stealers Wheel

Year: 1973

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Joe Egan

This song may be set to be forever linked with Reservoir Dogs (regardless of whether it wants to or not) but it is still capable of standing on it's own two feet. 

Certainly it isn't a stretch to imagine this song going through the mind of an introvert in a middle of a busy social environment. Still, it does what it does and it does it well.

Thursday, June 27, 2024

We Are Live: Everything's (not too good at the moment)


Original video located here. Accessed 27th June 2024

Song title: Everything's Fucked

Artist: Dirty Three

Year: 1994

Why I like this song:

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing the Dirty Three.
This has been a long time coming and was a welcome birthday present from my wife. I knew the Dirty Three had a fearsome reputation as a live act so it was an opportunity to put such a reputation to the test. I mean, I had seen Warren on stage before as part of the Bad Seeds so I should know what to expect, right?

Turns out I was wrong. Seeing the Dirty Three was truly something else: Songs that were stretched out for an astonishing length that - remarkably - never got dull. Warren proving to be a charismatic presence, complete with fascinating dialogues and gyrating. Some truly frenzied playing from all involved. A freakish mental connection between all three players. And all keeping the audience spellbound, often in complete silence.
Truly a remarkable experience. 

Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Back to the Eighties: Breaking the Law


Original video located here. Accessed 18th June 2024

Song title: Breaking the Law

Artist: Judas Priest

Year: 1980

Why I like this song:

Well seeing it's Pride Month.... ;)

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Obituary: Peeled Apples


Original video located here. Accessed 25th May 2024

Song title: Peeled Apples

Artist: Manic Street Preachers

Year: 2009

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Steve Albini

I imagine the music world will be talking up his production skills, particularly with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and the Dirty Three. I however wish to call attention to his production on the Manic Street Preachers album Journal For Plague Lovers.
It certainly gave the Manics the bite that had been lacking since The Holy Bible and, given this was effectively a eulogy for Richey, was the Manics going all out. 
And boy did it deliver. 

Friday, April 26, 2024

Obituary: The Sunset


Original video located here. Accessed 26th April 2024

Song title: The Sunset

Artist: The Moody Blues

Year: 1967

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Mike Pinder

Lots of great songs on Days of Future Passed but this one always stood out for me for both its minimalistic approach and the use of percussion. Perfect for watching the sun go down on a hill somewhere...

Friday, April 19, 2024

Obituary: In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed


Original video located here. Accessed 19th April 2024

Song title: In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed

Artist: The Allman Brothers Band

Year: 1970

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Dickey Betts

Say hi to Duane, Berry, Butch and Gregg for us.

Saturday, March 30, 2024

Classics: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker


Original video located here. Accessed 30th March 2024

Song title: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker

Artist: The Ramones

Year: 1976

Why I like this song:

Fifty years to the day

Monday, March 18, 2024

Obituary: Steve Harley


Original video located here. Accessed 18th March 2024

Song title: Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)

Artist: Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel

Year: 1975

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Steve Harley

A snappy pop song that certainly sounds distinctive from the other pop songs of the era. Even now.
Actually I agree with Jeremy Clarkson: Don't trust anyone who doesn't like this song,

Monday, February 26, 2024

Choon of the Month: iluv


Original video located here. Accessed 26th February 2024

Song title: iluv

Artist: Effy and Mall Grab

Year: 2024

Why I like this song:

Clearly the spirit of nineties house music lives on.
But, as the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And this is indeed a gem.