tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32705192011-09-17T22:03:23.917+10:00Musical Notes, Random Thoughts and Memory EnhancementPhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.comBlogger1621100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-31462395854996116002009-06-28T10:44:00.001+10:002009-06-28T10:46:11.689+10:00

Due to Bigpond's disdain for it's customers I've set up my NNS website athttp://www.nonightsweats.comPlease let anyone with any interest know that this has changed.

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-6563876378755452032009-01-03T09:01:00.003+11:002009-01-03T09:16:46.652+11:00

Most of my music listening this year has been via digital means - IPod, Itunes or WinAmp. I still play CDs and Vinyl sometimes but not enough to count. And, notwithstanding some issues with IPod scrobbling, all of these plays should have been collected by Last.FM. So here's my top listens in 2008:Artists:Steely Dan - i went though a very, very extensive re-appraisal of all this for some reasonA

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-39788422261927189432008-12-17T11:57:00.003+11:002008-12-21T08:19:28.413+11:00

I thought 2008 was a pretty good year for music releases overall. I actually found a couple of new albums that I enjoyed all the way through which makes a change: TV On The Radio and Ladyhawke amongst them. But the tendency seems to be towards tracks and I don't see that changing too much - back to the 60s and singles culture in many ways. Although my understanding is that you stil have to

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-69582883261342204082008-05-29T14:33:00.002+10:002008-05-29T14:35:50.619+10:00

For all the latest news about A Slow Rip go to:http://aslowrip.blogspot.com

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-40487833989652518242007-12-31T18:05:00.000+11:002007-12-31T18:09:45.544+11:00

My favourites for 2007:Itchy, Bitchy, Fit and Kitchy [Dance and Electro 2007]01. Laub - Analog (04:11)02. Britney Spears - Piece Of Me (03:30)03. Apparat - Hailin From The Edge (03:35)04. Caribou - After Hours (05:52)05. The Chemical Brothers - A Modern Midnight Conversation (05:45)06. Björk - Earth Intruders (04:21)07. Css - Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above (03:29)08. LCD

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-66923826323845132382007-09-02T08:06:00.000+10:002007-09-02T08:17:34.444+10:00

i've added the latest release from A Slow Rip up on our web site.

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-74354850498050819162007-05-05T07:43:00.000+10:002007-05-05T07:52:46.022+10:00

the second compilation of music made by people who inhabit the "i hate music" forum including a track by me.

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1170325159000974662007-02-01T21:16:00.000+11:002007-02-04T09:29:21.630+11:00

I've made all of the releases by A Slow Rip available via Rapidshare.If you want them in their entirety then grab them soonish: A Slow RipHey - I know you're grabbing them - how's about a comment or two?

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1168035962078070002007-01-06T09:07:00.000+11:002007-01-06T12:38:36.520+11:00

I've updated the Sydney Post-Punk MP3 web page after about 2 years of stasis. A good proportion of the tracks I'd made available have been released on comps / reissues since 2000. And a couple of them are about to be released this year on Chapter Music's 2nd issue of "Can't Stop It!" (they'll also be releasing "Primitive Calculators and Friends" and Feel Presents are supposedly releaseing a

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1167785041797952112007-01-03T11:41:00.000+11:002007-01-03T11:55:40.883+11:00

As requested by Willem I've uploaded my mix of slightly weird stuff from 2006 at:http://rapidshare.com/files/9968661/soap_ballads.rar.htmlall tracks are @128mps

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1165645881877093942006-12-09T16:40:00.000+11:002006-12-09T17:42:09.293+11:00

Cripes - 2006 is nearly up and I've barely participated in this blog that whole time. Maybe next year when things may become slightly calmer or maybe never again. It's not that I don't have the time, it's simply that I don't have the energy: my brain has plummeted into a thing reserved solely for work and worry.In any case, listed below are the tracklists from the end of year mixes I've compiled

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1151531419039743832006-06-29T07:32:00.000+10:002006-06-29T14:29:09.803+10:00

I've had very little to say in the past months and so have just shut right up. Other priorities, a smaller brain, work, family, sickness... it's all so numbing.No mp3s today, maybe later, but here's some questionable comments re recent stuff:This Heat - Out Of Cold Storage box : All great, almost all the time. The remastering is exquisite and H&E still stands as the best avant-rock track...

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1146713866101605132006-05-04T13:35:00.000+10:002006-05-04T13:37:46.203+10:00

My good friend Stephen lent me a copy of Lewis Taylor's 1st album a few years ago and I was immediately conflicted.On the one hand there was something completely awful about it. At first glance the vocals can sound just like that ever abominable Hucknall from Simply Red or one of the many 'good' singers from American / Australian Idol. At the very least it's too much of a homage to 60's R&B stars

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1145602803191704962006-04-21T16:57:00.000+10:002006-04-21T17:00:28.716+10:00

Another lovely thing from A Slow Rip, if I do say so myself :"fuse-release"

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1144743806529243092006-04-11T18:15:00.000+10:002006-04-12T19:14:03.306+10:00

I've listened to a lot of music recently. In fact, I've listened to far too much music. As always, I've been trying to rediscover that enormous teenage rush when something completely vibrant and exciting seemed to appear every other week. Ofcourse that's not going to happen again because(a) I'm substantially older than I was when I was a teen and(b) there's just so much music out there to explore

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1144054139834981182006-04-03T17:31:00.000+10:002006-04-03T19:40:15.286+10:00

Lisbon was one of my favourite cities all those years ago when I travelled (cripes, it's almost 20 years to the day). We arrived via train and got a tidy, shabby room near the terminus and spent days just wandering round - all that white stone blinding us; the natty trams up cobblestone streets; robust Fado singers and guitarrados (still reminding me of the theme from The Third Man). Nice people

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1142993030595110852006-03-22T12:44:00.000+11:002006-03-22T13:05:20.703+11:00

I'd listened to most of Roy Harper's albums throughout my later teens and early twenties but only really loved HQ because it was full of rock band instrumentation and left the simple guitar and voice on just a few tracks. Ya see, I really, really hated singer songwriters at that stage of my life, even one as out of place and individual as Harper.Then, just recently, I read a good review of the '

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1142630118031284572006-03-18T07:50:00.000+11:002006-03-18T08:15:18.090+11:00

I'm slowly but surely starting to record music again even if I've had some problems this past year with my spare-room studio and my inability to get a true handle on the technology. But the results are OK at least.mp3: Dusty 12 Drone (beware - 12mb)This is cracked drone, split chanell spittle, weird chord, 3 note bass and kick all done with slightly twinged presets on the Alesis Ion - a very nice

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1141418591119316202006-03-04T07:27:00.000+11:002006-03-04T07:43:11.196+11:00

Just a short note...Apparently synth-pop hasn't died just yet. And that's a good thing.Especially when the songs have memorable, hummable melodies; gorgeous chord changes; bleepy bloopy synths; rhythms that make me want to dance all robotic and lyrics I don't understand:mp3: Barbara Morgenstern - The OperatorThis is from her soon to be released album "The Grass Is Greener". I can say no more

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1141019970660468222006-02-27T16:30:00.000+11:002006-02-27T17:19:42.436+11:00

I've always liked prog-rock but I do know that a lot of it is charmless and irksome at best and excruciating at it's worst. However, I still can't understand the critical blank spot it creates for most "rock" reviewers. I've recently spent hours reading Toby Creswell's dull and predictable "1001 Songs" (1001 blog entries by any other name but it's supposedly more auspicious because it's been

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1138062022672662962006-02-02T08:45:00.000+11:002006-02-02T08:42:29.306+11:00

I've always loved the frission that synthesisers bring to rock music. In the right hands they can give a graininess to a song that nothing else matches - the sound of electricity in the air.These are some of the touchstones for me...mp3: Roxy Music - Remake / RemodelSo there's that driving Thompson beat; the hard, angular Manzanera guitar against a whomping bassline; Ferry's typically over

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1137641935319790912006-01-21T17:30:00.000+11:002006-01-22T07:51:51.646+11:00

I'm sorry but I just can't help enjoying this ancient stuff. So bear with me or go away. (It'll make little difference anyway, I suppose.)mp3: Aksak Maboul - Vapona, Not GlueThe 1st Aksak Maboul album ("11 dances...) is less full of guitars and drums than their 2nd but it still shows definite links back to Henry Cow and The Art Bears and, surprisingly for me, Matching Mole and Hatfield and the

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1136624987878747432006-01-08T12:20:00.000+11:002006-01-08T12:26:39.606+11:00

So I'm watching the Australian music quiz show "Rockwiz" last night and a woman named Mia something or other comes out to play and, like, she fuckin' rocks and everything: I actually enjoyed this straight out, four on the floor thing that she did - ya know, all bluesy and over-reaching vocals and scruchy guitar.Am I 12 again or something? 'Cause I'm enjoying the guitary music quite a bit.mp3: The

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1135807498442699432005-12-29T08:40:00.000+11:002005-12-29T09:04:58.493+11:00

Derek Bailey died on Christmas day so I thought I'd post some of his stuff:mp3: Praxismp3: The Lost ChordThese are both from the 1976 album "Guitar Solos 2" with Bailey, Fred Frith, GF Fitzgerald and Hans Reichel. DB has 3 tracks on it but I only posted 2 because... "Virginal" and "Praxis" sound like one big piece to me except for a small stop in between them. I put in "The Lost Chord" because

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1135229758400204512005-12-22T15:45:00.000+11:002005-12-23T11:50:39.736+11:00

So... 2005 has almost ended and I'm as glad as I've ever been to see 12 months go by.I shouldn't feel that way - my work has been great, satisfying, even; I'm making music again and, because of this, I've made some new friends (it's pretty good music too, btw) ; my health has been OK; I've lost some weight for the 1st time since it's inexorable upward trend started in 1986, etc, etc.But living in

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1134977883136227132005-12-19T18:07:00.000+11:002005-12-20T10:37:23.490+11:00

Peter Blegvad's career has been a continuing frustration to me and the few others who really love his work. He's witty, thoughtfull, erudite, tunefull and perversely left of centre yet his releases have become less and less popular over the years. Recently, it was rumoured, he had to sell one of his few guitars to feed the family, etc. A parlous state of affairs for anyone, let alone a good

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1134026226117551972005-12-08T17:26:00.000+11:002005-12-08T19:28:41.063+11:00

Chris Cutler was the drummer in Henry Cow and The Art Bears - 2 of my favourites from the 70s and 80s. But he played a minor role in my love for the music they made. I suppose this is how I feel about all drummers, really, no matter how stupid that is. There's no doubt he's a superb musician and I know that both bands would have been vastly different without his "tin cans down an alleyway" (

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1132963311635773962005-11-26T11:00:00.000+11:002005-11-26T11:08:16.040+11:00

There's been a bit of discussion on the Ion-Micron List about the lack of features in the Ion's arpeggio especially in comparison to it's cheaper Micron cousin. Indeed, you would expect that an update to the Ion software should be able to fix this pronto but there's little word from Alesis about it as yet.However, I've enjoyed every sound I get out of the thing! I suppose this is mostly due to

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1132091207173074442005-11-16T08:38:00.000+11:002005-11-16T08:46:47.240+11:00

A very welcome press release from the most fab ReR:===========================================================This is!A new label set up by Charles Hayward and Charles Bullen through Chris Cutler's ReR Megacorp to reissue in definitive form all of this heat's published CDs, unavailable since the death of Gareth Williams in 2001,and to prepare and release unheard material from their substantial

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1131310582694299982005-11-07T07:31:00.000+11:002005-11-08T14:02:42.290+11:00

A scant month ago I started a best of 2005 CD-R compilation for a friend's birthday but never finished it because i became disheartened at the lack of "good" tracks I'd saved away during the year. I tried it again this weekend and finished it quickly because... I absolutely loved quite a lot of the ones I chose. They were already sitting in the "\My Music\2005" sub-folders but, for whatever

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1130390533766565482005-10-27T15:02:00.000+10:002005-10-27T15:22:13.823+10:00

A Slow Rip got together this month for another quite wonderful session. Following our usual perusal of the raw recordings, we crowded round the PC this week to do some initial mixes before Rob went on a meditation retreat for 10 days! I certainly couldn't stand that long without some sort of entertainment apart from the little thoughts in my fat head. He's obviously a stronger man than me and...

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1129880427140423232005-10-21T17:30:00.000+10:002005-10-21T17:42:24.803+10:00

Hey, it's been a while - too much pleasure with my new synth (more A Slow Rip coming soon) and nothing incisive to say about music but...Along pops 3 whole cds of studio recordings by Laughing Clowns comprising all their records. Phew - that's possibly too much information.mp3: Eternally Yours (4.75mb)mp3: Ghost Of An Ideal Wife (4mb)mp3: When What You See (10mb)I only ever saw the Clowns twice.

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1127364811457370712005-09-22T14:12:00.000+10:002005-09-22T16:42:16.143+10:00

Amongst the bands I devoured with fan-boy intensity in my youth, none seemed so uncompromising as This Heat. (For comparison: Pere Ubu, Henry Cow and Faust were some of the others I'd include in that list - no slouches themselves in the "serious artist" stakes). I knew absolutely nothing about the band at the time except that their music was unlike anything else I'd ever heard. Ofcourse, there

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1125953188883001082005-09-06T06:37:00.000+10:002005-09-06T06:46:28.890+10:00

Well, my Alesis Ion finally arrived today! I took it out of it's cardboard case and marvelled at how lovely it looks. So shiny, so new, so... damned... white.I also got a new amp - the Behringer KX1200 - which was slightly bigger than I'd expected but lovely in any case.So I plugged it all in, turned it all on, pressed a couple of buttons and... what a noise it all makes! It's going to take me

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1125804171869871662005-09-04T12:42:00.000+10:002005-09-04T13:22:51.926+10:00

The Blog's been a little quiet of late - run out of words for the old stuff and nothing new has really compelled me (all the way through especially - what has happened to the releases where every track can make you excited like a kid all over again?)So instead I'll let the few of you know that the latest recordings by "A Slow Rip" - The Third Tier - have been added at this page. Maybe making

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1124012332520645372005-08-14T18:50:00.000+10:002005-08-14T20:48:17.356+10:00

One thing I can be sure of: I saw The Reels for the very first time at French's Wine bar in Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. Don't ask what year, or even think about anything more specific because I really have no idea after all this time. However, it was very soon after I'd seen Midnight Oil there too but this was well before the Oils became the most loved rock band in Australia and some parts of

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1123487182718199172005-08-08T17:39:00.000+10:002005-08-08T21:23:30.070+10:00

I saw "Get Carter" in the early 70s and loved it immediately. Michael Caine at his sarcastic best, the grimy streets, pubs and clubs of Newcastle, the sex, the tough guys and girls: it's easily one of the greatest crime film I've ever seen.mp3: The original Roy Budd themeThis track just sets it up perfectly with a propulsive R&B riff and a slightly off-key tune winding around. It's as deft as the

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1123127780558920442005-08-04T13:00:00.000+10:002005-08-14T18:49:41.630+10:00

To reminisce about The High Llamas, that is? I think not. They were basically dead in the water by the end of the 20th century with their halcyon days in the later half of the 90s and the critics "world as oyster" phrases lapsing 5 years before that.They were the first band I wanted to hear again and again after I rediscovered my love for music in 1995. The mix of electronics, Beach Boys / 60's

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1122329177827334042005-07-26T07:51:00.000+10:002005-08-04T13:56:55.830+10:00

Another month, another really good session for "A Slow Rip"Here's one hot off the presses:mp3: untitled (9.5Mb)

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1121673737056713302005-07-19T13:35:00.000+10:002005-08-04T13:57:29.633+10:00

Monika Enterprises has got to be one of the great modern indie labels. Go and pick up the Monika Force compilation and wonder at the breadth and variety of the synthetic pop on offer. I wasn't too keen on their latest release - "4 Women No Cry" - whose tunes all rely on the Juana Molina home recording schtick but with artists like Barbara Morgenstern, Michalea Melian and Chica and the Folder

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1121405841340554922005-07-15T15:05:00.000+10:002005-07-26T07:50:49.130+10:00

In another of those gob-smacking moments of musical rediscovery, I found out this week that I know every single note of Nils Lofgren's 1st album from 1975. The last time this happened to me was when I first heard Santana's "Caravanserai" after a 25 year 'break' or, to a lesser extent, all those Steely Dan records, but this one came as an absolute surprise. I just can't remember listening to it,

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1120820325471517202005-07-08T20:35:00.000+10:002005-07-20T18:12:10.886+10:00

I just got the next 4 Can remastered edition cds: "Future Days", "Soon Over Babaluma", Unlimited Edition" and "Landed". All sound as good as I'd hoped with the clarity, punchiness, balance and lack of hiss that the 1st 4 showed so easily. This time it's a little harder to see the differences but it's all in the details. So - good to great albums with another great makeover. Here's some

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1120783046100637132005-07-08T10:23:00.000+10:002005-07-15T14:46:18.333+10:00

Mott The Hoople were always a bit of a cartoon rock band, with ridiculous Spinal Tap undertones never that far from the surface: Ian Hunter's corkscrew hair and sub-Dylan stylings, the chunky-chunk guitar boogies, those many irksome ballads about the rock'n'roll lifestyle that ruined their albums, abominable lyrics about groupies, the kids on the street, etc and the glam period clothing and "rock

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1119745467575697922005-06-26T10:20:00.000+10:002005-07-08T10:22:35.013+10:00

April Fool's Day 2005 saw another meeting of the little electronic drone combo called A Slow Rip. We played for about 3 hours in total and, to be honest, our expectations were so high after our previous recording in September 2004 that we were always going to be a little dissapointed with the results. But there were some moments of clarity and beauty nonetheless.Things didn't sound much better

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1118476743602929582005-06-11T21:25:00.000+10:002005-06-26T09:54:32.603+10:00

The last 5 years have seen both Can and NEU! take on some sort of belated iconic status whilst Faust are often seen, ridiculously, as 2nd tier in comparison. The "Wumme Years" box set was released and, in the main, ignored by the mainstream and underground presses. In Q magazine it received only 2 measly stars from, if memory serves me correctly, Ian MacDonald, one of their main critical

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1117749227217570112005-06-03T17:30:00.000+10:002005-06-11T17:11:17.626+10:00

There is absolutely no doubt that Hanne Hukkelberg was once the naughty, younger sister of Madeleine Peyroux.I bet she hung around the back of the practise room whilst Maddy and the band were playing, listening in closely, with a little smile on her lips as she thought of all the great things she was going to do when she got around to making her own music.mp3: Do Not As I DoShe'd go back, home,

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1117669789245818442005-06-02T08:49:00.000+10:002005-06-11T16:32:23.500+10:00

The 1st box set I ever purchased was Pere Ubu's "Datapanik In The Year Zero". I bought it from a local record store in Wollongong because I wanted it in my hands as quickly as possible (and 1996 was well before I'd started to use the internet to order things online). It cost a complete fortune and, to top off the experience, took months to arrive! So thanks internet, you are so much cheaper and

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1117444252514149132005-05-30T17:54:00.000+10:002005-06-11T16:31:16.850+10:00

Late one Friday night, Annette and I were driving home from a splendid evening of eating and drinking and laughing with friends. I turned on the radio (we forgot to bring along some cds) and sat listening in slowly bewildered silence as this ridiculous, monotonous, electronic beat bore down on our good mood for 15 minutes and buried it under a pile of stinking mediocrity.As you can see, minimal

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1116491091859643682005-05-20T20:10:00.000+10:002005-06-02T09:51:01.276+10:00

"They're the mssing link between The B-52s and Stereolab!"! I blurted after my very 1st listen to Komeda's 2nd album. I haven't had another insightfull or constructive thought about them since. (And, let's face it, even that one isn't particularly startling.) The only other thing that comes to mind every time I hear their toe tapping sophistication is that I like them quite an awful lot.Although

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1116301475013978912005-05-17T13:45:00.000+10:002005-06-02T09:51:48.383+10:00

mp3: Can - ConnectionAs you can see above, Can's "Unlimited Edition" contains one of the worst cover images that has ever been created. Irmin Schmidt looks positively 'awesome' in that red leather overcoat but the rest of them aren't that far behind. It looks like they need a good sleep and just goes to show what happens when your singer leaves the band. (hey, this is turning out like Go Fug

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1115795817678917412005-05-11T17:15:00.000+10:002005-05-30T17:49:52.323+10:00

Even with a book as wide ranging as "Rip It Up and Start Again" there's always going to be some little known artist or other that he either missed or chose to ignore.And I've got a couple right here, right now:First off is the band that Tim Hodgkinson formed after Henry Cow ceased to exist:Mp3: The Work - Fingers and ToesThis one shows pretty much the whole style of the band - a brittle, jagged

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1114734229569116932005-04-29T10:22:00.000+10:002005-05-11T17:19:14.636+10:00

Well, that's torn it completely - I've started to enjoy Jazz records.And I don't mean the kind where Miles Davis blows cool in the 50s. And I don't mean the kind of Jazz that's been ripped apart by rock (Soft Machine) or drones (The Necks) or avant leanings (Carla Bley) or tampered with in any other way. I just mean the kind where talented, sometimes egotistical people take solos over beautifully

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1114658518403033802005-04-28T13:01:00.000+10:002005-05-11T17:19:45.070+10:00

I know next to nothing about Seefeel. They existed wholely within a timeframe when music was the farthest thing from my mind. But once I did discover them near the end of last century I was smitten (well, at least a tiny little bit).I'd read somewhere that they made electronic music without the use of synthesisers! I have no idea if this is true (all the time) but the results are certainly

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1114414498988375982005-04-25T17:27:00.000+10:002005-04-26T07:11:07.156+10:00

Simon Reynolds has just released "Rip It Up And Start Again", his history of Post-Punk 1978-1984.As I emailed to him:in the intro he pretty much pins down how i felt, at least, about the possibilites that seemed to be in the air, ready to be caught by anyone who wanted to make the effort. there are paragraphs on end where my youthfull feelings and attitudes flooded back.the writing's terrific -

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1113431863627051572005-04-14T08:04:00.000+10:002005-04-28T13:01:06.450+10:00

Yes, words have failed me in the past week or 2. And nothing much has changed - I just can't seem to string together a valid commentary in my head so it seemed entirely pointless to post something here. But I have heard a lot of good music which I wanted to share...mp3: Charming Hostess - Heaven Sitting Down - patchouli is rife in this band but, amazingly, this track is just so unlike hippy

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1112348831000359142005-04-01T19:43:00.000+10:002005-04-01T19:47:11.000+10:00

I've amended the web site and added all the mp3s to A Slow Rip

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1112056860449715762005-03-29T09:16:00.000+10:002005-03-29T11:22:30.770+10:00

The Loop Orchestra - Suspense : Their 1st release - LP only - with a lovely cover by Anthony Mannix overlayed with pressed metal 'goosebumps'. The 1st side is easily their most frightening / disturbing piece, and that's saying something!Martha Waingwright - s/t : purchased from Karmadownloads for $9US so there's no reason for you to not go and buy it, is there? She's a fairly standard singer/

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1111727458069517322005-03-25T15:39:00.000+11:002005-04-04T17:13:01.220+10:00

I can’t remember the exact moment when I first heard Slapp Happy, although I do know that it was during my last years of high school. That instant when ‘Casablanca Moon’ started up hasn’t burnt itself indelibly into my memory like the time I found Can’s “Ege Bamyasi” in the local record store (it’s incandescent still). But, if I close my eyes and start thinking of that lead-in violin phrase, the

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1111724598560810412005-03-25T14:58:00.000+11:002005-03-25T15:23:18.560+11:00

“So here it comes, that old ennui. I hope it won’t stay long”How true Bryan. How very true[…and thanks to Alex for spurring me on]

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1109840274055230412005-03-03T19:37:00.000+11:002005-03-25T14:58:14.196+11:00

I've given up on the "artist grand overview" style for the time being as it's boring me useless.So here's the best track from Eno's latest cd "Curiosities Volume II":mp3: Native TambourineThis is the 2nd compilation of discarded, unwanted or uncompleted tracks that his studio technician, Marlon Weyemeth, has put together. The inner text of this one lists approximately another 150 that could be

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1109566378254744042005-02-28T15:50:00.000+11:002005-02-28T15:52:58.256+11:00

You may like to try some of the synth-heavy, drone-laden, echo-ridden stuff I'm making at the moment with Ian and Rob at the band's miniscule, temporary website - A Slow Rip.

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1109123701004360192005-02-23T12:50:00.000+11:002005-03-03T20:26:58.753+11:00

When I did my recent, inconsequential piece on Mr Phil Manzanera I mentioned, in passing, one of the all time "guitar-gods": Carlos Santana (well, he played long solos at Woodstock so I suppose that description fits). In point of fact, the very first LP I ever owned was "Carlos Santana / Buddy Miles Live", of all things! Now, that is obviously a complete ruination of a record, even if my young

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1108707180772579072005-02-18T16:54:00.000+11:002005-02-18T17:17:03.260+11:00

antony and the johnsons - i am a bird : a few great tracks of soaring possibilities but the rest drop well below the mark that the great ones setbirchville cat motel - long vanished spirals : screeching, noise-based 'ambient', not for the faint of heart and, mostly, not for me - i can't imagine a time i'd ever want to put this onbloc party - silent alarm : so will someone please tell modern bands

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1108426244794466482005-02-15T11:06:00.000+11:002005-02-15T11:10:44.796+11:00

This Heat continue to make me weak at the knees. These Records have just re-jigged their web site and have posted a couple mp3s of a Resonance FM show about the late, great Gareth Williams which apparently includes previously unheard material. I'm downloading them now myself.

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1108196213637344752005-02-13T09:00:00.000+11:002005-02-23T12:50:23.260+11:00

I've never knelt at the altar of the rock guitarist (unlike many men of my age). Hendrix was histrionic, Clapton was laid back and bluesy (ugh) and Santana was just too spiritual for me to handle. (And, yes, I do know that these are exactly some of the things that draw people to them). I can listen to their music and enjoy quite a lot of it but the whole guitar hero thing has always struck me as

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1107806570253978222005-02-08T06:51:00.000+11:002005-02-08T09:13:47.846+11:00

They're repeating M*A*S*H - the TV series - for the umpteenth time at the moment. It's on a different channel to where it was last seen but, yes, they're still the same ancient episodes as far as I can ascertain. I glimpsed one this week where Loudon Wainwright, dressed up in battlefield surgical gear, sits apart from the action and gently interrupts the flow by singing a tune about going on

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1107399587936231962005-02-06T10:30:00.000+11:002005-02-13T07:37:28.950+11:00

Jane Siberry's PR face has always had this weird painted doll look, crossed with a touch of royal blankness. You'll see her staring fixedly out of the covers of her albums as if she's no more than a mannequin and, most often, her gaze is averted as if her she's worried about being the new Medusa (and looking at the hair in the picture above, maybe that's exactly what should concern her).All of

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1107422285354914482005-02-03T20:14:00.000+11:002005-02-03T20:18:05.353+11:00

Why is it that I've never before seen mentioned that Anthony Moore of Slapp Happy fame added 7 previously unreleased songs to the soundtrack of the 1980 German film "Jezt Und Alles"?? Acquiring this now with some anticipation - maybe they'll be as good as the best his best solo songs.

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1107206401162337872005-02-01T08:20:00.000+11:002005-02-06T10:31:15.273+11:00

As is so often the case, I must eat some of my hasty words. I enjoyed the Leonard Cohen evening so much that I went back to the cds to try and find the songs I'd particularly liked. I still can't get into those first 2 releases - all those slow, droopy songs fill me with a desire to break the cd player - but 1974's "New Skin For Old Ceremony" is rather good. There's still a few tracks where

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1107051713532996232005-01-30T14:12:00.000+11:002005-01-30T16:49:45.160+11:00

So it's Friday night and we head off to the Sydney Opera House for "Came So Far For Beauty - An Evening Of Leonard Cohen Songs". I've never even vaguely liked Cohen - the length and verbosity of his lyrics bores me and his spare, gloomy voice puts up the final roadblock to any sensual enjoyment. But I can appreciate the song-craft (sort of) and they seem perfect for re-interpretation. I

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1105139755375720302005-01-29T11:00:00.000+11:002005-02-01T08:21:01.106+11:00

Fantastic news - Green Gartside has finally OK'd the re-release of Scritti Politti's pre-"Songs To Remember" singles and EPs. The album is called "Early" and will be out in mid February in the UK so pre-order it here right away why don't you? He's consistently treaded water on a re-issue of this material throwing out words like 'embarrasment' and 'juvenile' to denote his displeasure at this

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1106599099532136352005-01-25T07:24:00.000+11:002005-01-25T07:38:19.533+11:00

So Thursday night and there's a massive electrical storm down my way. 2 huge lighning crashes no more than a block away - the closest I've ever been to them, really, and it was amazingly frightening. Luckily I'd turned off the PC, eh? Well, no, in fact it didn't make an iota of difference. Friday and first the phone line craps out, then the adsl modem goes (maybe) and now the PC hard disk is

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1106208966687403562005-01-20T20:45:00.000+11:002005-01-29T11:15:11.263+11:00

Somewhere in the past 20 years, the critical tide turned against the poor old B-52s. I suppose it was a buildup of frustration at their studied quirkiness, their reliance on kitsch and 'the space age', their continued use of lists, groups and countdowns and... Fred Scheider's awkward talky-singing. I can see that these may be taken as genuine concerns but, really, they're nothing in comparison

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1106033551322018092005-01-18T17:09:00.000+11:002005-01-29T11:16:08.170+11:00

The people at Stiff Records woke up one morning, hung over from another night of punky debauchery, tasted the thick London air and decided that Jane Aire should release a record. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, she seemed an unlikely choice for a small UK inependant. But I'm still really glad they did it: mp3: Yankee Wheels Piano driven at a time when guitars were king, slow and slightly

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1105654604320874652005-01-14T09:04:00.000+11:002005-01-20T09:40:26.523+11:00

So it's 1974 and I'm way past Glam (or at least I think I am until I hear it all again in the 1990's). So it's lucky that Virgin records are around to satisfy my cravings for something a little more esoteric. I think this is how it went: - bought Rock Bottom by Robert Wyatt and completely fell in love with it. - oh, he's on the 1st Rotter's Club album. So I got that as well and, wow, someone

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1105156490394500562005-01-08T13:26:00.000+11:002005-01-14T09:02:27.466+11:00

The Primitive Calculators made a baffling, strident, beat-driven noise, jerkily syncopated to the last drum machine pock. I was never a great fan, just an admirer, but when they got it absolutely right, like on "Do The Icepick" I wondered why I didn't like them more. And, ofcourse, they were the apex of the grungier, punkier part of the Melbourne experimental music scene spawing the "Little

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1104708994390196622005-01-03T16:00:00.000+11:002005-01-08T14:56:09.263+11:00

Unlike many of my peers (and a whole slew of critics over the years), I'd never loathed 60s loungey vocal groups and so on. They always sounded pretty and innocuous and vapid and quite, quite lovely on the radio. And they still do too, although on my big hi-fi speakers they sound even better with a clarity and lightness of production that you don't often find anymore. I've got nothing much to

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1104100246707107712004-12-27T09:23:00.000+11:002004-12-27T09:30:46.706+11:00

'Jimmy Little' has a wonderfull picture of Tactics at his blog Tight Sainthood. I think I remember this one from a mag or something in the late 70s but I could be easily mistaken this close to post-xmas. It's a pretty typical 70s Darlo back yard, cracked concrete, dilapidated brickwork and bits of metal propping up other bits of metal. One thing I must say - I never noticed at the time how

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1103963816810161282004-12-25T19:28:00.000+11:002004-12-27T09:36:33.423+11:00

Here's my list of favourite albums from 2004 (with an * near the ones I like best): Ambarchi, Oren - Grapes From The Estate Tori Amos - Tales Of A Librarian Animal Collective - Sung Tongs * Annie - Anniemal * Arm - Open Reminder * Devendra Banhart - Rejoicing The Hands Beta Band - Heroes To Zeros J.J. Cale - To Tulsa and Back * Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues / Lyre of Orpheus

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1103837861395873342004-12-24T14:00:00.000+11:002005-01-04T16:10:34.753+11:00

Without a doubt The Necks are my favourite non-mainstream band. I always find something very calming in their long, meditative pieces even though the emotional impact can vary from darkly oppressive to studiously serious. I think the comfort I get is linked back to the apparently simplistic repetition that is so basic to the best of their music. It's completely mesmerising. Late last year they

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1103672778679205132004-12-22T13:10:00.000+11:002005-01-03T09:42:09.286+11:00

If you've read a few of my posts you may have noticed that I adore the analogue synthesiser. As we all said in 1979 - "get rid of those guitars, boys and girls, they are just so yesterday". I remember fondly that the future would be full of knobs and dials and the warm buzz of a heavily filtered VCO. In 1980 or 81, a friend - David Ayers - (now sadly lost to us) went to see The Human League live

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1103279752229312872004-12-17T21:35:00.000+11:002004-12-24T13:17:53.153+11:00

For those that care, I'll post my top of 2004 list sometime in January but for now I'll just go through some songs that made me feel excited about listening to music all over again... Kings of Convenience : mp3 - Misread Are KoC a parody band? It seems unlikely as the evidence of interviws points to a real need to play this kind of music. I still can't work out if their slavish re-creations

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1102764115748942022004-12-13T07:50:00.000+11:002004-12-22T09:32:19.173+11:00

The magnificent musical filtering agents at Fluxblog recently introduced me to the wonders of Phoenix. They produce an almost perfect modern pop - high gloss and soulful, full of lovely vocals and topped off by impeccable production. Hints of all those terrific Euro-pop writers stick out a mile but it's still sounds like a band (even if those drums would be impossible to play so metronomically

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1102451321351666812004-12-08T06:48:00.000+11:002004-12-22T09:33:21.160+11:00

Of all the half-psychotic weirdos in 20th Century music, Harry Partch may be the most memorable. I wont even try to describe his life or the scope of his music or the singularity of his spirit or the fantastic instruments he designed and built. Instead you can spend 2 or 3 hours at Corporeal Meadows where all things Harry may be found. I've always found it difficult to really lose myself in

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1102283263672971022004-12-06T08:45:00.000+11:002004-12-22T09:34:04.863+11:00

1983 - I'm closing up shop, winding down the Sydney life and ramping up the financials as I prepare to travel overseas. I lend my slightly broken Arp Odyssey to Patrick (it's destined never to feel my loving touch again), sell off my adored collection of the complete Samuel Beckett to Ian and my trusty TEAC 4 track recorder to Dermott (this one is fated to break down a few months after I leave

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1102051214346192372004-12-03T16:01:00.000+11:002004-12-22T09:34:50.573+11:00

Dominic at Spoilt Victorian Child has posted a version of the old gospel tune "When Was Jesus Born". It's quite a raw and bluesy adaptation but I much prefer the song with a touch of that old Mills Bros style smoothness. So here is the version by the fabulous Golden Gate Quartet: mp3: GGQ-When Was Jesus Born In 1983 this track was somewhat on the mind of my musical partner Patrick Gibson and

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1101940543577888902004-12-02T09:25:00.000+11:002004-12-02T11:51:36.716+11:00

Can you tell the nationality of a person just by listening to the vocal sounds they make whilst singing? When a person talks it's much, much easier but singing seems to bring about an internationalision, a flattening. I suppose Henry Higgins would have something erudite to say about it all but I don't sing with an Australian accent. At least I think I don't. However, after hearing New Buffalo

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1101854449301577102004-12-01T09:30:00.000+11:002004-12-02T07:42:09.516+11:00

:-( My daily download limits have been reached quite quickly in the past couple of days. That God-damned Industrial music sure has a big following. Thanks to all for coming along. Please come back in a day or so if you can't get what you want. I'll be deleting the P16.D4. and RLW material after that. NB - have taken these down now... :-) I saw Brian Wilson performing "Smile" last night at the

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1101765435921404482004-11-30T10:30:00.000+11:002004-11-30T10:44:58.696+11:00

Subtitled : More Musique Concrete But This Time The Real Stuff Please read this enlightening interview with Ilhan Mimaraglu to get an idea of his misanthropic bitterness. I suppose he's justified in being so cantankerous. After creating some of the most compelling and lovingly crafted electronic music of the last 40 years to little or no real acclaim he saw lesser avant composers (like that

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1101760382786270912004-11-30T09:00:00.000+11:002004-11-30T10:39:03.703+11:00

NEU! = Motorik. OK! Chug chug chug chug. Metronomic but human. Possibly trance inducing but pump up the volume and you're on your feet. You can find it anywhere when you look hard enough. Obviously Stereolab have many Motorik moments and you can hear it sometimes in Wire even if the songs are too short. Even that grand old chestnut "What Goes On" by the Velvet Underground can rightly be

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1101336755096384832004-11-25T09:50:00.000+11:002004-12-02T07:41:09.680+11:00

NB - have taken these down now... Alex at Close Your Eyes has just chosen his favourite record of 1984 but, after a little extra searching myself, I was amazed at the paucity of albums released that year which I actually like. Most of my energy around that time was spent in finishing off my own No Night Sweats material and then travelling overseas and so I didn't really notice / couldn't

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1101186093013049282004-11-23T15:31:00.000+11:002004-11-23T16:57:11.393+11:00

Poor, young Rufus Wainwright; look how he broods. You'd think the weight of the world was on his shoulders. If he was an actor you'd think he was trying very, very hard to impress some hot-shot film producer to employ him in a massive epic - even though his darkened brow makes him look more like Joey from Friends than James Dean. But, as always, it's far simpler - it's just his heart on his

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1100926569675223712004-11-20T15:07:00.000+11:002004-11-20T15:57:51.446+11:00

I had no idea why many people seemed to think that the latest slew of garagey or post-punky rock bands are completely abysmal. I know we've probably heard it all before and we've surely heard it done better but there's still occassional songs that make my ears perk up and my toes start a-tappin'. But this week I got a little inkling of the reasons... The Kings of Leon have a new album out

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1100738521601885482004-11-18T11:24:00.000+11:002004-11-18T11:45:09.076+11:00

This is a fairly recent picture of Richard Thompson. He looks well, doesn't he? Trim, lithe, muscled up and ready to go. If I'm in anything near this condition when I reach his age, well... it'll be a complete miracle, actually. Unfortunately the cap appears to be a permanent feature on his noggin - not unlike Australia's own Mr 70's Rock - Ian "Molly" Meldrum (but that's another story). The

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1100166276371352402004-11-11T20:14:00.000+11:002004-11-12T19:29:15.616+11:00

I've always been ambivalent towards the Solex releases. I enjoy the dry, self depreciating humour but the music sometimes sounded forced and inorganic. Maybe that was the point but, for me, it grated. Luckily, the latest CD - "The Laughing Stock Of Indie Rock" (great title) - is almost flawless in it's combination of samples and lo-fi rock. For whatever reason there's less of the cut and paste

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1099740929486684822004-11-06T22:35:00.000+11:002004-11-06T22:35:29.486+11:00

You can tell 'em a mile off... the serious singer / songwriter with everything to say and, in the past... unfortunately... the means to communicate their attitudes to millions. You can blame Dylan all you want but, really, it's been around ever since a person plucked few chords and sang along to them. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young! Well, there's a quartet that easily make people sick half of

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1098956076478162802004-11-01T08:30:00.000+11:002004-11-01T12:27:19.163+11:00

It's 1978 and Henry Cow are splitting into 2 factions before breaking up completely. On one side, Tim Hodgkinson, Georgie Born and Linsday Cooper are still wanting to make difficult modern compositions with a Socialist sting. On the other are the rest of the band - Fred Frith, Chris Cutler and Dagmar Krause - who felt the need to make shorter, more emotional songs (even if they still loved the

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1099136797316244122004-10-30T21:15:00.000+10:002004-10-30T21:46:37.316+10:00

I have yet to hear a more beautifull, mesmerising, delicate piece of music than Steve Reich's "Music For 18 Musicians". For me it truely is the pinnacle of 'minimalism' - extremely complex but deeply emotional as well. On the train to work yesterday my brain was sparking weird flashes of light, my nose was deeply clogged and sleep was just a vague longing from hours before. So I started

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1098737536609291182004-10-26T06:49:00.000+10:002004-10-26T08:33:33.753+10:00

Well, I never. My 50mg daily download limit has been reached for the very first time. So that's why pics dissappear from blog entries. In the meantime you could help to write a Belle and Sebastian song.

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3270519.post-1098687650932676712004-10-25T17:00:00.000+10:002004-10-25T17:02:58.166+10:00

As I've posted hither and yon... Can have started to release newly remastered versions of their albums. The 1st 4 (Monster Movie, Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi and Soundtracks) are available now via Mute in the UK and elsewhere soon to follow. All previous releases / re-releases of these albums have used the original digital transfers from the time when they were first made available on cd... and

Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04754612571258515636noreply@blogger.com2