Australia Day Melbourne Special

Total Control are a current Melbourne supergroup. You Know people from 'The Melbourne Bambino Music Mafia' This one is so much good, it was in my best choonz of 2014. Rock's not fully dead yet!

This tune was from Ooga Boogas excellent LP from 2013 Ooga Boogas. Guitarist Mikey Young is in the above Total Control rock group as well as the Eddy Current Suppression Ring rock band. Leon Stackpole singer, guitarist and keyboardist is an enigmatic man walking the earth and bringin back his casually odd tales for you to enjoy with an incredible backing band of course.

Now this is a Melbourne (Is there a Geelong connection? I don't know. Danno why don't you let us know?) smash from 1987. I think the members of God were all teens at the time of this recording. They did an LP too but nothing can compare to the teenage kicks of My Pal. I cannot believe how fucking good this song is to this day! That intro, that riff, that singing man, those words, this song. Similar themes to the previous Sunnyboys tune I posted but this friend doesn't even like him. Members went on to be in bands Hoss, Powder Monkeys, Tendrils, Philistines, Bored and more. My Pal would always be the best thing they would ever be involved with despite how talented they were/are or aren't. Two of the members of God have now passed away both, I think, of heroin overdoses in the early 2000s. The Melbourne rock scene loved their heroin, hello Birthday Party. RIP Tim Hemensley & Sean Greenway. 

The title tune from Dave Graney's awesome solo cd, Knock Yourself Out, from 2009 is so great. So Dave tells us how fucking great his songs are and how great he is in true boxing/hip-hop narcissistic boasting sylee and it's infectious as hell. Then there's that great bit where he sings in French, Belgian or Dutch I don't bloody know but i can't get enough of that bit. Knock Yourself Out makes you wanna get out all the great tunes of his that he mentions during the song like There He Goes With His Eye Out, Night Of The Wolverine, I Got Dimensions etc. The video kind of fades out though when there's still like 2 minutes of the track left which is a shame. You gotta see the film clip though coz it's so Melbourne hipster it's hilarious. Then there's Mr Graney the one and only charismatic star who, as the rap kids say now, 'is in his own lane'. What's this look he's got goin? Some kind of double leather or hang on is it triple because of the hat? Wait are his shoes leather too?, if so that'd be quadruple leather. That would be Avant-garde couture almost would it not? Jesus I was just getting used to double denim as a concept. It's a bit Melle Mel meets Lou Reed 70s heroin chic in a Belgian sailor's bar. The full version of this tune is below because it's such a great song. You should also check out the entire album as it's a peak in his incredible career. Possibly his finest.

Phew that's it for Australia Day now. Jesus there were some odd selections there, huh? Strange. Well what did you expect? Did I post any Church? I've been listening to them all day anyway........ so....oh well next time.

Oh...... here's the full version of the tune Knock Yourself Out. Dunno 'bout the video.

Australia Day Part 3

I wanted the original version of Rock n Roll Is Where I Hide from the Dave Graney & The Coral Snakes LP The Soft'n'Sexy Sound but it's not on the youtubes but this is a pretty bloody good version though. It's the title track of a 2011 cd Graney released of reworkings of classic Coral Snakes tunes but with a different band, I mean apart from his Mrs and himself that is. I also wanted to put up Morrison Floorshow from the same LP but that's not available either. Anyway enjoy this one. Dave's an Australian showbiz maverick. My mother in law once described him as a bit like George Melly. Compliment or put down? I've never heard Melly's music but I have his book Revolt Into Style and that's a brilliant pioneering work of music writing.



This is from Sunnyboys self-titled debut LP from 1981 that was in my best reissues of 2014. Sunnyboys was produced by the legendary Lobby Loyde of Coloured Balls fame. This tune, along with most of the others on the record, takes on a whole new significance when you've seen the documentary 'The Sunnyboy' about singer/songwriter and guitarist Jeremy Oxley and his mental health issues. He's a sweet guy though, when you get down to it.



I could post the whole album but this one is particularly fine. Sydney was such an exciting place in the late 70s and through the 80s for all sorts of music. Apparently there was music on every corner and in every pub and a lot of it was free or like a dollar, so I've been told. The Sunnyboys LP peaked 13 on the national charts and was the 67th biggest selling album in Australia in 1981. It came in just below The Beach Boys Greatest Hits which is rather fitting as Oxley and Wilson both had siblings in their bands, had troubles with life, were both recluses at certain stages and both were possibly geniuses.

Australia Day Part 2

My Wife's Experience Part 2

Who'd have thought I'd like a Silverchair song but me and the Mrs both loved this. This is 12 years after their breakthrough Tomorrow from the 95 debut LP FrogStomp. It's an inspiring song from I think their 4th album 2007's Young Modern which was mainly psychedelic and I didn't really dig but the Mrs loved it. I love the MBV-esque outro on Straight Lines. Singer Daniel Johns has starpower and seems like a really top bloke who's had some health issues. So this tune is him fighting back against arthritis and anorexia.

Australia Day/Invasion Day Part 1

MY WIFE'S EXPERIENCE

Australia Day is usually my excuse to post great Australian music usually rock from over 25 years ago but we'll get to that later........My Mrs who gets a bit of mention here & there on me blog immigrated to Australia in 1987 when she was 13. She was from a lil' ole town in North Wales called Colwyn Bay which according to my vintage poster is the gateway to the Welsh Rockies. I didn't know they had a 'Rockies', neither did Emma, but there you go. Anyway on the plane on the way over she first encountered Johnny Farnham (Above) on one of those headset channels. The LP Whispering Jack apparently had its own station. She played the album several times on the long flight. It was a pretty big foretaste of what was to come because he ruled the airwaves and charts for the rest of the 80s. Whispering Jack sold a lot of units it's probably the biggest selling Aussie LP of all time. I did work experience in a record shop in 1987 and it outsold everything 50 to 1 and I think it had already been out for a year. Anyway I think even Coldplay did a cover of You're The Voice. I've heard this song so many times I don't know if I like it or hate it.

This was her next experience of liking Australian rock. Crowded House were a Melbourne band believe it or not. They lived, formed and played in Melbourne. At the start they went by the name The Mullanes. Emma got really into their 2nd and best LP Temple Of Low Men. Her favorite tune was Into Temptation. Funnily enough it was mine too and on a good night I can do a great version (well back in my drinking days). Yeah sometimes I'm a dag!



Now one of my wife's faves is Kasey Chambers who's an accomplished and popular country/pop singer/songwriter in Australia. This song Guilty I believe is a cover though but I don't know who by. It reminds me a little of INXS at their most rockin. Kasey is at her best when the guitars are really heavy. I think it's her dad who plays the axe on this one and he is a hell of a guitarist. I like a lot.

Edgar Froese - Epsilon In Malaysian Pale

I've been listening to this today for obvious reasons. It's Froese at his most serene and beautiful which is all I can handle at the moment. This was the second LP in his classic Brain trilogy that began with Aqua in 1974 and ended with Macula Transfer in 1976. I think I love these three LPs more than anything he did with Tangerine Dream. These were released on Brain the German label but I think Virgin licensed Epsilon In Malaysian Pale in 1975 for the British market. Parallel to this Froese purple patch was another for Tangerine Dream. During this same time frame Tangerine Dream released 3 classics too. They released 3 of my 5* favourite TD records. In 74 it was Phaedra and then in 75 they released two masterworks Ricochet and Rubicon. That's a hell of a few years for Froese. What a synthesiser legend. He was also pretty handy on the ye olde guitar. Thank you for the magic you created with your synths.

*The other two Tangerine Dream classics in my book are Zeit from 1971 and Atem which was released in 1973. Hey some of his soundtrack work was good too, solo and with Tangerine Dream. Stuntman was a great solo one. Tangerine Dream had some bewdies Sorcerer, The Keep and Thief were outstanding. Apparently he did a soundtrack for one of the very recent Grand Theft Auto's which I've never heard. Froese had a couple of other good solo records too in particular Ages (1978) and Pinnacles (1983).

I really liked it a few years ago when it was like everyone was influenced by Froese and Tangerine Dream. It was like the future had finally arrived and it was as Froese and co had predicted with those records by Emeralds, Oneohtrix Point Never, Mark McGuire, Panabrite, Steve Hauschidt, Outer Space et al. It was all really cool music. That must have been flattering for Froese.

I'll leave you with a quote from the Kosmische musician himself:
"There is no death, there is just a change of our cosmic address."

John Carpenter - Lost Themes

WHAT THE FUCK???

What a nice surprise to brighten the gloom of my past week or perhaps add to the gloom but that will make me happy. Why didn't someone think of this earlier? Just get John Carpenter the music composer to do albums without the films. The films, have been nowhere near as brilliant and influential as his scores. I don't necessarily hate his movies but I think his scores are 20th century masterpieces. I dunno if I've heard anything by him from this millennium, though. Anyway lookout Zombi, Pye Corner Audio, Drokk and Umberto the real deal is here to give you a run for your money as just a recording artist. I'm a little excited by this prospect I must say. Halloween 1, 2 & 3, Escape From New York, Assault On Precinct 13, Christine, The Fog and Prince of Darkness are among my favourite pieces of music of all time! I'm not the only one who thinks this. Check out industrial music, 90s Memphis Rap, Techno, Doomcore et al. as well as 21st century genres like Deep-Tech and Ratchet. I was only saying the other day right here on this blog that John Carpenter might be the most influential musical artist of the 21st century. His music is universally adored and held in high esteem. Let's hope this record lives up to our expectations. If not, don't worry there will be another Umberto record around the corner (I hope) and whoever else Carpenter is currently influencing like Xander Harris, Gesaffelstein, Shay & Sinista etc.

This sounds very good indeed. It more than makes up for the lack of a new Umberto album last year.

Rap Mixtapes - Influx Inertia 2

Lovin the cover! Surely he'll get sued?

This (above) is coming soon, looking froward to that. Future's just put out another mixtape. I haven't had time to check out the last one properly yet or his LP of last year. In a minute he's putting out anotherbloody one with Young Scooter. The Rap Mixtape Inertia continues. Boogie have finally been been given a listen and their Thirst 48 sounds pretty good so it's missed mixtape purgatory as has Goldlink's The God Complex. I came across RJ & Choice's Rich Off Mackin which has Mustard on the beat throughout so that could be good? Or maybe not. Chief Keef's at it again but I've barely been able been able to give the last two mixtapes a go let alone his LP. Then we've got a Rome Fortune collaboration with OC Maco Yep and yep I'll listen to it one day this year possibly. Now I feel like I need to reassess OC Maco because one of my favourite rappers, Mr Fortune, thinks he's worthwhile collaborating with! Lil Wayne makes a return with Sorry for the Wait 2 which I just read on twitter has been downloaded a quarter of million times already on Datpiff after less than a day. Cheddar Da Connect's Catchin Playz 2 is currently getting a hearing here.???. Piling up are Young Scooter, Rae Sremmurd, Lil Herb, Juicy J, Mike 'Will Made It', Young L, Drake and all the blah blah mentioned in that previous post. The Zuse mixtape Illegal Immigrant is becoming a 2015 favourite. There has been like over 30 mixtapes alone released at LiveMixtapes this week so far. Then there's a whole bunch of artists who I've never heard of and perhaps it should stay that way. Someone needs to stop the clock and let the future shock dwindle a little. Imagine being a Gucci Mane fanatic? How exhausting would that be? All I want is Club God 4! Where is it?

To Download Or Not To Download?

******* STOP THE PRESS *******

The ClubGodzilla himself informs me on twitter that Club God 4 will be issued on February the 3rd. I'm guessing as a free mixtape, probably on i-tunes as well. I dunno? Wouldn't a physical LP be cool? We'll see, I mean I saw Kool John did a cd of his classic free mixtape $hmopcity.

Steve Gurley/Foul Play

This one's is from 93. An all time classic no doubt. 4 horsemen was a Foul Play pseudonym. There's an unmistakable 4 Hero sample in there from Mr Kirk's Nightmare. The flipside We Are The Future is just as stunning.

This one from 92 co written and produced by Gurley and 2 High. Actually the other version Dub In U might even be better than this, might dig that out to compare.

Steve Gurley had a lot to do with 'ardcore and Jungle before he went Garridge. I'm pretty sure this was just him on the remix of Omni Trio's Renegade Snares (Foul Play remix). God I love Omni Trio. I never tire of them. They are a gift. What was it Kodwo Eshun said about Omni Trio? Something about them 'being so kind'. He's right they have been kind to me for creating such great music and giving me so much pleasure through the years.

The Future Is Dark - Redlight

I was going to continue on with Steve Gurley's history and more Garridge (that'll have to wait) but I came across this. What a bewdy. Somehow this has passed me by for 18 years. I don't even recall it on any mixtapes/DJ sets or even mentioned anywhere ever. I guess it's a slight anomaly with it almost being a 93 Darkside throwback but that bass (which is soo good) puts it firmly in 1996, the era of Jump Up and Tech-Step. So this was just before Garridge took over and Drum'n'Bass dwindled away into inconsequence. Many of Drum'n'Bass's motifs however would continue to pop up in UK Garridge, Grime, Dubstep etc.

Who are Redlight?

Is there more pre Garrdge gold to be discovered? I really did think I'd excavated everything up to the point of the UK Garridge paradigm shift. But perhaps not.

UK Garridge 101

Another tune I only just discovered from 1998, well identified, as I'm pretty sure I've heard it before and maybe it's in a mix I've got. The vocal version is good too. So Grant Nelson is apparently like the godfather of UK Garridge and was doing it long before everyone else. I read somewhere that Nelson is still doing his thing in House related zones. He was also Bump & Flex so this is him remixing himself.

Turns out Steve Gurley did a remix of Things Are Never by Operator & Baffled. I can't work out if it was his dub version in that previous post or not. Anyway this is a tune from 2000 he did and it's a cracker. One wonders if there is an actual vocal version of Hotboys though, because I've not been able to find one. Bloody hell! Steve Gurley was in 4 Horseman Of The Apocalypse and Foul Play. Then he became a leading producer of UK Garridge and a remix extraordinaire. Legendary enough for ya? I'm expecting him to show up at some point in the Deep-Tech milieu, if he hasn't already that is.

Simon Reynolds adds the Gurley remix of 'things are never' is so much better than the original - which is good - but it's incredibly baleful and rolling. but it's not on YouTube, which is odd, i remember it getting played a lot on the pirates, so obviously well loved. i might try to dig it out and digitize it and put it up myself.