Recently, Somewhere on the Stereo

I recall residing within the Loki Hostel, La Paz, Bolivia around March last year, quietly having a local beer and chilling out after a walk round the rather lively pseudo-capital of Bolivia. While at the bar, the bar volunteer was playing some music by what sounded like a very interesting band, I asked him what it was and he told me, intending to try have a listen to some when I got back to western civilisation. I promptly forgot and later tried to recall the name while writing down notes in my travel diary, I could only remember the first syllable….'Deer' something or other.

Months later, I casually searched in vain for ‘deer' related bands ("The Dears","Deerhoof", and so forth). I knew it wasn't long defunct Australian folk-indie band "The Dearhunters" (who had a great little single called "Mr Katherine" off their album "Red, Wine & Blue", but I knew it wasn't them.

To cut a long story short, I stumbled upon the correct band several days ago. The band is Deerhunter and I've been constantly listening to their incredible 2008 release "Microcastle". I'm not going to go into huge detail, but I have to say that it's an accomplished piece of work and had I heard of it earlier, it would have definitely put it on my ‘best of 2008' list. That's what happens when you forgo popular radio for the greater part of a year. Great songs include: ‘Agoraphobia', ‘Never Stops', ‘Little Kids' and ‘Nothing Ever Happened'. I seriously recommend it.

Another album that has grown on me, as I've mentioned previously, is ‘Nouns' by Los Angeles's "No Age". I don't think its as good as Pitch-arse make it out to be, but there are some cool tracks on it, particularly the final episode, "Brain Burner". Worth a look, it has certainly has some energy.

Songs I Love: Game of Pricks - Guided by Voices.

Two posts in one day, who would have thought?

When I first started this blog a few weeks back, I warned everyone that I could talk endlessly of my love for Guided by Voices (indeed, if you were not aware, the title of the blog is a GbV lyric). Well, this is my first Guided by Voices post well, post-warning.

You see, I am absolutely I'm obsessed with the Guided By Voices masterpeice "Game of Pricks" off the 'Alien Lanes' LP. Prior to hearing this, I never had a strong contender for my favourite song ever, but I think this one is as close as it gets.

It epitomises everything I look for in a song. Its short, jangly, instantly accessible, with clever and poetic lyrics. Furthermore, it doesn't dabble in musical wankering (also, I love songs written in major keys, they're just so happy! Yeah, thats right, fuck the minor keys)

I'll touch on the lyrics. To me, they seem to document, like all good pop songs should, male-female romantic relationships. I get the undercurrent of infidelity particularly around the last part of the chorus.

'And, I never asked for the truth, but you owe that too me'

The Game of Pricks could mean a lot of things. I believe Pollard aludes to the open romantic market, what happens to someone when they come out of a extended romantic relationship.

The song could have a lot of differing meaning for a lot of differing people. For the individual, it might mean something on one day, then take on a differeing intepretation the next. The song is fluid and dynamic.

Hrm, thats a bit of stating the obvious there, as this is not something rare in music or poetry or any other creative genre. But I guess this is the essence of loving music, isn't it?

If you haven't heard the song, check out this live performance from a few years back.

Guilty Pleasures

C'mon. I know y'all like to boast about your incredible musicology and how much you adore the latest release by Radiohead or how you have every single Belle and Sebastian single on vinyl, kept in an air tight container under your house to be preserved for all time, but every single person has an artist or a particular tune that could be considered a guilty pleasure. Y'know those songs that make you sound like a complete phoney, something you may (though possibly not) be ashamed to put on the ol' record player unless you've drank three litres of vodka.

I know I have mine. I've grown to accept that. But have you?

My flatmates in particular know about my slightly disturbing Phil Collins obsession (both solo and Genesis). Many a night after a drunken session at a local pub, many nocturnal Londoners are surprised to hear and my pal Ang doing a capella versions of Collins's "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven". We get mostly bemused reception.

The character of Patrick Bateman of American Pyscho fame has a killer quote regarding Mr. Collins and his work.

"Do you like Phil Collins? I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group's undisputed masterpiece. It's an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums."

Truer words have never been uttered.

Lately, I have been indulging with Electric Light Orchestra's greatest hits collection, with 'Sweet Talkin Woman" on a medium to high rotation. 'Lovefool' by the Cardingans is my karaoke faux pas, along with some mandatory Spin Doctors 'Two Princes'. Actually, come to think about it, the Cardigans and Spin Doctors are not really 'uncool' bands, I just wanted to mention my two favourite karaoke songs! But I guess there is a point there somewhere, you wouldn't rip out Radiohead at a karaoke bar would you? Imagine doing 'Everything in Its Right Place', you'd be booed off the stage.

More guilty pleasures? Well, Icehouse ("Electric Blue"), Philip Oakley and Giorgio Moroder ("Together in Electric Dreams"), and Squeeze ("Up the Junction"). What are some of yours?

A Personal Music Crisis?

This is a bit of a thought piece, but I’ve stumbled upon a personal musical crisis. I’ve been away from Australia for over 10 months now and thus away from the Australian music scene for the same amount of time. When it comes to think about it, other than local Brisbane acts, I have been generally out of touch with Australian music for about two years now. I generally used to listen to the radio in the car, but then I invested in an mp3 car stereo and thus ended my usual exposure to new music died. Triple J dominated my radio and then suddenly I had alternatives.

The defining moment of my alienation from Australian musical tastes became readily apparent when I read the Triple J album of the year awards along with the picks from the Triple J staff. Generally, Kings of Leon, The Presets and MGMT dominated the lists, groups which I’m not particularly fond of. What does that mean? Ten years ago I would have sworn that I’d never get sick of Triple J and the music they chose to play. I would never think to doubt the word of Richard “The King” Kingsmill? But now, I do. Does it mean that everyone has poor taste, or my taste has dramatically changed?

In the case of Kings ofLeon and MGMT, these albums are generally acknowledged by the industry throughout the world that these are great albums. That’s fair enough, however I don’t like them. Does that mean I’m fundamentally out of touch with popular music? From a certain point of view it is quite depressing that I’d prefer listening to the greatest hits of Electric Light Orchestra than putting the ‘Sex on Fire’ single anywhere near my compact disc player.

It is somewhat funny. You grow up thinking your parents tastes in music is fundamentally terrible and that you will never become out of touch with the popular pulse, but already I find it happening. At a mere twenty seven years, I already feel middle aged.

I Almost Forgot About Caribou

Welcome to 2009. As you may have already read, many lauded music publications have done their predictable end of 2008 best of lists. Pitchfork have written theirs rightfully putting Fleet Foxes debut as their number one pick. Many publications have followed suit.

I was going to write a long list of great live shows that I had managed to catch throughout the year, but then came the unfortunate realisation that I haven’t seen all that many artists. I managed to get to Glastonbury, but I often find that festival sets and festival crowds are not truly representative of the power that a live show can, or should, produce. You know what I mean?

Instead, I would like to focus on an artist who has provided me with much joy over the past 12 months which I had forgotten to point out in my previous ‘best of’ list that I wrote a few days back on this blog. And that artist is Daniel Snaith who goes by the alias ‘Caribou’. He used to be ‘Manitoba’ but had to change it due to avoid a potential legal wrangle with some aging American punk rocker from the ‘70s. Furthermore, Caribou provided me with the most impressive set (funnily enough, it was at Glastonbury. I believe that I just contradicted myself!).

Caribou released Andorra to much acclaim in 2007 and it is indeed a great album, with ‘She’s the One’ being my pick of the record. I've managed to check out his other work, “Up in Flames” and “The Milk of Human Kindness” that also contain some great little songs such as the DJ Shadow-esque ‘Lord Leopard’ to the indie cuteness of ‘Crayon’. Caribou uses a variety of cut and paste recording techniques (software like Acid Pro), but records all the instruments and noises himself.

The best thing about Caribou is definitely the live experience. I have seen Snaith and co twice now – once at the GOMA in Brisbane, Australia, and then again at the aforementioned Glastonbury 2008 festival. The setup is generally along the following lines. Dual drummers dominate the forecourt of the stage, Snaith himself switching between guitar, sampler, xylophone and drums (he is a an accomplished drummer). An extra guitarist and bassist mellow out behind the drum kits, providing their necessary parts, while Snaith and the other drummer face off in frequent drumming duals of titanic proportions. This really works well and reminds me of how a band would be set up in practise room.

Unfortunately, Caribou has wrapped up the Andorra tour and is working on new material; this means a long wait for seeing the band live again. In the meantime, for a very interesting look into the production of ‘Andorra’ check out the following BBC documentary courtesy of Youtube.

The Art of the Cover Song

One of the trials of living in the UK is the huge public interest in ‘talent shows’ such as the X-Factor. Ok, I do admit that I have had a passing interest in this years series due to the fact that this show is such a water cooler subject around my office. In its more innocent moments, the show had lulled me into a false sense of security, and articles such as this one by Steve Wells of the Guardian had caused me to re-examine my own musical prejudices and leave myself a slight more open to the oft criticised world of manufactured pop.

Not for long however. Cue the dire cover version of the already covered-to-death Cohen classic ‘Hallelujah’ by X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke. I’m not going to go into why I severely dislike this version of the song (for the record, this tune is having the soul slowly ripped out of it with every new version, ironic in a fashion considering the definition of the songs title), it has inspired me to write about some cover songs that I truly think are quite accomplished, clever, or beat new life into dead horses. Finally, I get to the point of this exposition.

Let me wax lyrical with a few cover songs that I think are quite well done.

NoFx’s cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Go Your Own Way’ is a typical example of something I think freshens up the song. It sure is cheeky! Fat Mike is no stranger to the art of the cover, being an intrinsic part of seminal punk cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.



Two other great cover songs come immediately come to mind. Cake’s version of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” is another absolute gem while Of Montreal’s cover of the great Shins song ‘Know Your Onion’ from is something unexpected. Speaking of The Shins, they too are also not adverse to cracking out the odd cover, hitting strides with a cover of ‘Strange Powers’ by originally done by the Magnetic Fields, which you can find on their “Sea Legs” single.

Dinosaur Jr's cover of the Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” deserves a mention. The live version of the song is particularly notable for J Mascis’s crazy-arse soloing at the beginning of the song and off kilter vocal delivery (I say off kilter, I probably mean ‘out of tune’ – Mascis can’t sing, but we won’t let that stand in the way of a great cover, eh?).



Irish rockers The Frames have been known to throw in a cover or two, typically melding their own songs with cover songs with similar chords/structures. They do a smashing version of Pixies “Where is My Mind” utilising the fiddle to good effect. On the subject of mashups, I recall years ago back in my dark days of liking Tool and other Maynard James Keehnan side projects witnessing A Perfect Circle performing a mashup cover utilising the verses and music from Ozzy Osbourne’s “Diary of a madmen” with the chorus of the Cure’s Lovesong (this cover song seems extremely hard to find on the webernet). Rest assured, I actually think it was pretty well done.
On many occasions, the cover version can outshine the original. Ryan Adam’s version of Wonderwall is certainly one of the more well known covers. I have to admit I prefer it to the original, but that is not saying much considering how much I dislike the original. I think the same for Jimi Hendrix’s version of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”.

Of course, there are some seminally bad cover versions. I’m thinking any number of song covered by Britney Spears. The worst one I can think of is definitely Celine Dion and Anastacia doing AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long”. See it here in all its unholy glory.



Truly awful.

Of course, there are thousands of good, and bad, covers songs out there. Feel free to suggest some!