Song of the Week

Yeah, yeah...very lax...

But this is a great Australian song.

Oh no, not you again
Australian Crawl



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Song of the Week

Been a while...

We Care A Lot
Faith No More

We care a lot
about disasters, fires, floods and killer bees
about the NASA shuttle falling in the sea
about starvation and the food that Live Aid bought
about disease, baby Rock, Hudson, rock, yeah!

Oh, its a dirty job but someones gotta do it
Oh, its a dirty job but someones gotta do it

We care a lot
about the gamblers and the pushers and the geeks
about the smack and crack and whack that hits the street
about the welfare of all the boys and girls
about you people cause we're out to save the world

Yeah!

Oh, its a dirty job but someones gotta do it
Said, its a dirty job but someones gotta do it

We care a lot
about the army, navy, air force and marines
about the NY, SF and LAPD
We care a lot
about you people
We care a lot
about your guns
We care a lot
about the wars you're fighting gee that looks like fun

We care a lot
about the Garbage Pail Kids, they never lie
about Transformers cause there's more than meets the eye
about the little things, the bigger things we top
about you people yeah you bet we care a lot

Yeah!

Said its a dirty job but someones gotta do it
Oh, its a dirty job but someones gotta do it
Said its a dirty job but someones gotta do it
Oh, its a dirty job but someones gotta do it

Oh, its a dirty job but someones gotta do it
Oh, its a dirty job but someones gotta do it

Oh, its a dirty song but someons gotta sing it now


Catch the live performance from the Hordern Pavillion in Sydney from 21 October, 1997. How can I be sure? I was there.

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Back at base, bugs in the software...

I've been noticing recycled music coming up again as I flick across my radio dial, generally on the more R'n'B and pop contemporary music stations.

By recycled, I mean songs that were written and released between 10 and 20 years ago being re-recorded by new artists and handed off as new music. Sometimes they even put new words into the old music, but this is more than just sampling.

I guess this has happened before. The Beatles first release wasn't one of their songs. Many jazz and soul singers had 'standards'. If you didn't do 'Summertime', you weren't in the game. Big Bands did too, often performing the same songs as the next band, but having to back it up with flair and showmanship instead of relying on the passing of time to release a new song.

But these are not standards.

Trouble is, nowadays, anyone with a decent voice (not a great voice, there's a difference) can sing a song, have it digitally revised to be in pitch with the music, and release it to wide sales.

It will be interesting to see what music from today people decide some minimal-talent vocalist can recycle in 10 years time.

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Bjork

I dont know what it is that intrigues me about this woman so much.

Whilst I find some of her songs annoying in the extreme, overall I find her work quite listenable. Maybe its her Icelandic appearance, and those cheekbones. She comes across as a bit of a scatterbrain in interviews, though maybe thats her english skills letting her down, because her singing is always clear.

I'd really like to meet her, maybe ask her a couple of questions. What they would be, I dont know. And I probably wouldn't know until I had the chance.

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I've said it before, and I'll say it again...

Dave Grohl is a legend. He is a rock musical genius.



This is the second track off the new Foo Fighters album, and it's probably the best track on the album. They're all great, but this one is the one I come back to. This one and 'Stranger things have happened' are my personal standouts.

The song starts out quite restrained, and builds over the first couple of minutes, until the middle of the song. It busts out with a brief blast, then comes back to the previous melody. You just know something is coming, but not when you expect it. Just as you think it might tail off, it busts out again in a fantastic guitar tone till the end of the song.

All songs should be this good.

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Song of the Week: Black Velvet Band

Black Velvet Band
words and music traditional

In a neat little town they call Belfast
Apprenticed in trade I was bound
And many's the hour of sweet happiness
I spent in that neat little town
Till bad misfortune befell me
That caused me to stray from the land
Far away from my friends and relations
To follow the black velvet band

Her eyes they shone like the diamond
You'd think she was queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band

As I was out strolling down broadway
Not intending to go very far
I met with a frolicksome damsel
Applying her trade in a bar
Well a watch she took from a customer
And she slipped it right into my hand
Then the Watch came and put me in prison
Bad luck to the black velvet band

Before judge and jury next morning
For our trial I had to appear
The judge, he said, "My young fellow,
The case against you is quite clear.
Well seven years is your sentence.
You're going to Van Diemen's Land.
Far away from your friends and relations
To follow the black velvet band."

So come all you jolly young fellows
I'd have you take warning by me
Whenever you're out on the liquor
Beware of the pretty colleen
For she'll fill you with whiskey and porter
Until you're not able to stand
And the very next thing that you notice
You've landed in Van Diemen's Land


The Dropkick Murphys version has a few changed lyrics that pull the song more into their Boston punk/rock lineage of traditional Irish cover versions:

DKM: Black Velvet Band

In a neat little town they call Brockton
Apprenticed in trade I was bound
And many an hour's sweet happiness
I spent in that neat little town
Then bad misfortune befell me
That caused me to stray from the land
Far away from my friends and companions
To follow the black velvet band

Well, I was out strolling one evening
Not intending to stay very long
When I met a frolicsome damsel
As she came t-ripping along
A watch she pulled out a'pocket
And slipped it right into my hand
On the very first night that I met her
Bad luck to the black velvet band

Her eyes they shone like the diamonds
You'd think she was queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulder
Tied up in a black velvet band

Before judge and jury next morning
Both of us did appear
A gentleman claimed his jewelry
And the case against us was clear
Now seven long years transportation
Right down to Van Diemen's land
Far away from my friends and companions
To follow the black velvet band

Her eyes they shone like the diamonds
You'd think she was queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band

So come all you jolly young fellows
I'd have you take warning by me
Whenever you're out on the liquor
Beware of the pretty colleen
She'll fill you with whiskey and porter
Until you're not able to stand
And the very next thing you'd know
You've landed in Van Diemen's Land

Her eyes they shone like the diamonds
You'd think she was queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band

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Best Song Ever

A while back I did a post on the Best Australian Song ever written.

Following a bit of listening to my past collection of music, I've decided to publish my opinion on the Best Song ever written, ever...ever...

Brace yourselves.

The award goes to...the Jimmy Webb penned, Glen Campbell vocalised "Wichita Lineman".

Lyrically perfect, musically sweet, mournful, sweeping, (insert next superlative), etc, etc.




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In praise of the female bass player

There is a fine tradition of rock and grunge bands in particular having female bass players.

It is nearly mandatory to mention above all for several reasons one Melissa auf Der Maur. Having played with bands such as Hole, and replacing D'Arcy in the Smashing Pumpkins, she's a great player, she's a redhead to boot, and (forgive me for being shallow here a minute) she's sexy while she does it.

The Forerunners

You cant even start this section without mentioning Suzi Quatro. Her career started in the 1970's and is still running. She is the archetypal female bass player. She rocks, and she loves doing it.

Of course, there are many other notables including, but not limited to:
Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads
Margot Olaverra and Kathy Valentine from The Go-Go's
Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth

From the 1970's to the early 1990's the female bass player started growing in stature (not literally, of course). And the Go-Go's are still playing to date as well.

The Second Batch

I've tried my best to arrange these in chronological order, so don't get stuck into me if I've duffed it. Some of these girls may have gotten into bands due to the names above, maybe not. Maybe they just decided that bass was what they wanted to do. Whichever, they do it well.

Michie Nakatani and Atsuko Yamano from Shonen Knife
Jo Bench from Bolt Thrower
Jennifer Finch, Gail Greenwood, and Janis Tanaka from L7
Michelle Leon and Maureen Herman from Babes in Toyland
Kim Deal from The Pixies
D'Arcy from The Smashing Pumpkins
Josephine Wiggs from The Breeders
Kira Roessler from Black Flag
Paz Lenchantin from A Perfect Circle
Nadja and Rayna from Coal Chamber
"Yoshie", Yoshiko Yamaguchi and Akiko Omo from The 5,6,7,8's

Many of these girls are still playing, and damn well. The latest couple that I've listened to and enjoyed their subtle work are:
Nikki Monninger from Silversun Pickups
Ginger Reyes from The Smashing Pumpkins

The Australian Connection

This is also a fine tradition in Australian bands, featuring forerunning all-girl bands of note, such as Nitocris and The Blitz Babiez. And it's some list:
Peggy Frew from Art of Fighting
Janet from Spiderbait
Kellie Lloyd from Screamfeeder
Patricia Young from The Clouds
Rayke Stapleton from Pollyanna
Vanessa Thornton from Jebediah
Stephanie Ashworth from Something For Kate
Irit from Cor'delle (shameless plug for my brothers band)

Of course, if you want a well put together, complete, comprehensive list, see BassGirls.com.

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Best Australian Song ever written

Just been thinking about this, listening to a few of late.

There's a lot of songs out there that any self-respecting Australian, regardless of where they are in the world, knows and inevitably hums or sings along with. Loads of AC/DC, the ones we claim as our own like Crowded House, Midnight Oil, silverchair, and doubltess many thousands more.

I have two votes for Best Australian Song ever written.

The first is "Harpoon", by Jebediah. Covered by one other band of note to date, I find it a remarkable song for its musical simplicity, lyrical meaning and tone. Even if not everyone likes Kevin Mitchell's voice.

The second is somewhat of unique in Australian music, as it is perhaps viewed as a song that is somewhat over-rated, yet recognised by many as an Australian song no matter where it is played. It is "Throw your arms around me", by Hunters and Collectors.

Covered by nearly everyone, including Pearl Jam, Crowded House and the Doug Anthony All Stars, this is one of those songs that, done well, I never get sick of hearing. Sometimes I dont even mind that Eddie Vedder totally butchers the lyrics.

On another note, its my dad's birthday today.

Happy Birthday, Dad.

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