Postcards From The Counter Culture

I'm one of the many pieces fallen on the ground

2012-02-01T23:14:00.000+11:00

As a counter punch to my previous post, if the Counting Crows never release another album, I will be happy in the knowledge that this is the final song in their catalogue.

Step out the front door like a ghost...

2012-01-16T20:01:00.001+11:00

Start, a photo by jakeandlindsay on Flickr.

Openings are a special thing. A great opening will stick with you forever, especially when the end product is not quite the masterpiece that its beginnings suggest.

Though it lasted just a season, the opening scene from Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip re-affirmed my love for Aaron Sorkin's writing, even if he didn't hit it out of the park every episode. It was as if Sorkin set the bar so high for himself it was impossible to better. Though the Christmas Episode was something special.

The dry wit of Garrison Keillor is not for everyone but he nails the opening line of Pontoon his novel about the fictional town of Lake Wobegon:

"Evelyn was an insomniac so when they say she died in her sleep, you have to question that."

The rest of the book is fine without being brilliant. If anything, the above line proves that Keillor's tales of Lake Wobegon are better heard than read via his radio show A Prairie Home Companion. If you are after something funny and light for 15 minutes a week then I suggest you subscribe to the 'News From Lake Wobegon' podcast.

As far as opening salvos go, my favourite belongs on the first album I ever fell in love with. To the casual observer, August & Everything After will forever be remembered for bringing radio staple 'Mr Jones' to the world. To those of us who stuck with Counting Crows, the opening track 'Round Here' is year zero.

Adam Duritz has often been labelled a mopey, petulant rock star and whilst someone like Morrissey wears it like a badge of honour, Duritz wears it like a millstone. But everyone gets a free pass on their debut and this song about growing up allows Duritz to let it all out emotionally.

Here I present to you a cathartic live version from only a few years ago.

A mix tape for a new year

2011-12-19T23:56:00.000+11:00

As part of a get fit regime, I took up running earlier this year. For me to be motivated to run I have to listen to music. Thankfully it doesn't mean I have to listen to David Guetta-ish beats just to keep going - it can be absolutely anything. And because I ran a lot this year, I can attest to the following artists and songs. These songs helped me and inspired me through a period of transition. A change of job and a change of city. 10 songs to keep with me on the journey.

Ryan Adams - Do I Wait (taken from Ashes and Fire)

City & Colour - Little Hell (taken from Little Hell)

The Decemberists - June Hymn (taken from The King Is Dead)

Fitz & The Tantrums - Moneygrabber (taken from Pickin' Up The Pieces)

Noel Gallagher - If I Had A Gun... (taken from High Flying Birds)

Gotye - In Your Light (taken from Making Mirrors)

Mayer Hawthorne - No Strings (taken from How Do You Do?)

Husky - History's Door (taken from Forever So)

Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin' (taken from Stone Rollin')

Teddy Thompson - Gotta Have Someone (taken from Bella)

Lenny = White, Carl = Black

2011-09-04T21:14:00.000+10:00

I have been listening and thinking a lot about hip-hop of late. Also talking about it. Arjunan is a good friend at work. He is known as Arj only to his friends. Because he is the nicest man on earth, everyone calls him Arj.

An unassuming soul, it was a delight to discover that he was also partial to the art of spoken rhyme. Like myself, Arj wades in the conscious end of the hip-hop pool but also has well articulated views on 90s West Coast rap that belies his character. He is kinda like Charles Grodin in 'Midnight Run' come to think of it.

So as a result we have been swapping discs (remember them?) and chatting further about why we like certain artists and albums. The thing that resonates most of all with hip-hop for me is 'the swagger'. From the time they drop their first single, rap artists are full of confidence which most other genres don't seem to naturally have. The term 'earnest' is virtually unknown in hip-hop circles.

Which inexplicably brings me to Kanye West.

Casual listeners to Yeezy will be forgiven for thinking that Mr West is simply a mouthpiece for boasting and for broadsides at anyone who wins an award he was nominated for. But dig deeper and Kanye is one of the very few of his peers that is willing to bare his soul. This was most evident on his debut album The College Dropout. Sure there was bravado up the wazoo but there were some moments where he dropped his guard a little. Often on the same track.

'All Falls Down' was my entry point to this album and seven years on I still have it on high rotation. The last line in particular spoke to me as a slightly directionless twentysomething:

"We all self conscious I'm just the first to admit it."

As I have mentioned previously, one of the aims of my current writing project is to steer away from the thick slabs of earnestness that weighed down my earlier attempts at fiction. But as Kanye has demonstrated, a little openness on the odd occasion has the ability to keep things grounded.

Write with confidence but with an awareness of what is going on around you.

That's not a bad thing to aim for.

I am a man, a simple man...

2011-08-16T21:34:00.015+10:00

One of the aims for this writing project (see: Didn't you used to be Eddie Valiant?)was to avoid where possible any musical references in the story, especially when it came to our protagonist.

Considering the story involves a lot of working stiffs in a law firm (apologies to all working stiffs out there), I am able to drastically limit any opportunity to crowbar in a reference to a song or artist. Mind you I have lined up at least one recurring gag involving Hall & Oates as well as a very obscure nod to David Bryan.

Don't know who he is? Mission accomplished.

The one overt allowance is the classic 1987 album 'Man Of Colours' by legendary Australian outfit Icehouse. Without going into too much detail as to how it makes an appearance (it involves a cassette version of the album) or shape the story (it doesn't) I have instead revisited the album to get a sense as to how it affects our hero (he reluctantly loves it).

And that has been my take on it over the years. You see the Summer of 1987/88 was soundtracked by two albums, the aforementioned 'Man Of Colours' and John Mellencamp's 'The Lonesome Jubilee'. I am fairly sure that these were the only two albums my parents played over the 3 months. This is obviously incorrect as there are other songs from that time that I recall. But what sticks out was the incessant repeating of Man of Fucking Colours and Mellencamp's "every guy" rock.

The image of my parents dancing (over and over again) to 'Cherry Bomb' will be with me fondly forever.

So what has Iva Davies left me with?

It's interesting. Is it the best Aussie release of the 80s? According to the recent Triple J poll, there are 11 other albums from that decade that make an appearance. 'Man Of Colours' doesn't even rate a mention. But I can tell you now that I would play this before busting out 'Whispering Jack' any day of the week.

The reason for this rests with the overall sound of the album which still impresses me. When you consider that there are only a few songs in the set that scream 1987 (mainly resigned to the final few numbers) it is an album I can come back to at any time.

Obviously the copy my parents wore out that Summer didn't wear me out.

Didn't you used to be Eddie Valiant?

2011-07-20T22:07:00.004+10:00

I'll admit it has been some time between drinks. To be honest though life has been going great these past couple of hockey seasons that I have had few chances to tap this part of the brain.

However a month or so ago I stumbled across what I thought would be a great idea for a story. Now normally my flights of fictional fancy have been so darn earnest and full of hand wringing that really don't represent me, or at least not a me that has left his twenties behind him.

Instead this kernel comes from a place that has been me all along:
Dark, dry and a little bit (nay a whole lot) silly.

So as I start to construct this loose thread of ideas into something legible, I will aim to use this space to bounce ideas around and to post things that inspire me on this adventure. It will hopefully keep me creatively wired and (most importantly) moving forward.

For now though I offer you a mock-up blurb of the story, like something you would find on the back of a novel. This isn't intended to give you the full picture but to set the tone and give you a glimpse as to where I am coming from and aiming for.

I hope you like it.

Ryan always wanted to be an architect, but sometimes dreams get traded. Instead he is a journalist and not a very successful one. In order to supplement his income, Ryan has taken a role as a lackey at a prestigious law firm, one that is making good coin in such a terrible economic climate.

Ryan’s curiosity (and naïveté) finally gets the better of him and he discovers the firm’s shocking secret to its success. Worse still is the revelation of who is actually behind the cunning scheme.

Suddenly, Ryan is faced with some tough questions:

Does he tell the Uncle who hired him about what is transpiring?

Will he leverage his somewhat questionable membership of The Fourth Estate to write the story of the year?

And perhaps most importantly…

…how does one get blood out of a credenza anyhow?

Radio Gaga Free: My 5 favourite albums for 2010

2010-12-11T19:55:00.006+11:00

With apologies to the left-handed motherfucking genius who just missed out, here are the albums that I kept returning to over and over again this year (in no particular order):

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

16 track albums should not work in this attention deficit world but Arcade Fire are not a band prone to doing things half arsed. Watch this get snubbed at The Grammy Awards.

Broken Bells - Broken Bells

It is only after listening to their self titled debut that you realise that James Mercer and Danger Mouse have created the most natural sounding ego-free collaboration in a long time. Check out 'The High Road'

Fyfe Dangerfield - Fly Yellow Moon

I have already talked a fair bit about Mr Dangerfield's solo project over on The Music Blogs. I just wish more people knew about his great album.

The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

The shadow of Springsteen looms large over many of the new indie bands these days. The difference between The Gaslight Anthem and the rest of them is that The Gaslight Anthem couldn't give a shit if you think they are cool or not.

Plan B - The Defamation Of Strickland Banks

A rapper who doesn't need guest vocalists for the hooks (and vice-versa), Plan B knocked it out of the park with his sophomore release. And yes, a concept album that actually works from start to finish.

Me: When I'm Not Here...

2010-03-08T21:50:00.003+11:00

...or at the place that actually pays me for that matter. Every so often I will write for the good people at The Music Blogs. My latest post is on Ben Drew aka Plan B.

Head there when you get sick of my posts with endless references to Londonbeat. But before you do, check out my favourite new song:

Take care all.

Songs that never get old #4577

2010-02-16T20:42:00.002+11:00

A love tune from the perspective of a dying man allows for great lines such as:

"These things I might have said
only wish I could
Now I'm leaking life faster
than I'm leaking blood."

Proof that David Gray wasn't creatively bankrupt after White Ladder.

All I want is something I can write about

2010-01-20T20:06:00.002+11:00

Little Kielbasa
Image courtesy of acoustitch

I received a mention on Twitter yesterday from a complete stranger (say hello Daniel) saying what a great blog I had. Kind words indeed but the random kudos did spark a reminder that I have not really updated this space in a while.

Sure, you've all taken delight in my past tales of Fantasy Football and over indulgence in the Robert Palmer songbook but what have I done for you lately? Bubkis that's what!

Truthfully though, my happiness has become my weakness: I am now in a relationship.

Last time I was with someone, I recall that it was difficult to put head to pen to paper. This was in the days before blogging became something non-nerds did so I have nothing by way of example to show for any past lulls in my output.

Perhaps being in a relationship puts things into perspective? Perhaps this wonderful thing I am in means that defending girl groups becomes somehow irrelevant? Perhaps the trivial things don't mean as much now?

I don't think that's necessarily the case (though sticking up for Girls Aloud shall be put down to sleep deprivation on a Trans-Atlantic flight). My current belief (and I hope to be proven wrong) is that the energy and excitement I used to express myself when I was single is now directed towards my relationship leaving me without a desire to write.

What I do hope is that my relationship inspires me to write about new and interesting topics with renewed vigour. Perhaps all I need is a little time for those effects to rub off.

So to my small band of followers, I apologise if I'm not around here as often.

To the girl who has my heart: I'll see you on Friday for a pizza and a Gig.

Ladies and gentlemen; here in my right hand I have a copy of...

2009-12-09T19:42:00.012+11:00

...my ten favourite albums of 2009.

It is funny because this list came fairly quickly to me. There was no internal debating or wrangling on what deserved to be included and what didn't just a clear decision on what stood out in my mind this year. Now this isn't the best albums to have been released, (I will leave that to the hipsters and those that apparently know better), they are simply my favourites.

Presented here (in no real order) are those ten:

Jen Cloher & The Endless Sea- Hidden Hands

A beautiful sophomore release from the Melbourne songstress and her brilliant music collective.

Jamie Cullum - The Pursuit

The pint sized Jazz pianist/vocalist is still putting a new spin on old standards but it's his original songs that make him one of my favourite musicians.

Doves - Kingdom Of Rust

British trio's most complete work yet. In a perfect world, 'Winter Hill' would be a number one smash.

Swell Season - Strict Joy

It is one thing to break up in the public eye. It is another thing entirely to record an album about it when you are in the same band. Glenn Hansard & Marketa Irglova do both and pull it off with dignity (and another great album to boot).

Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers

A leftover scrapbook full of lyrics from the missing Richey Edwards is the source for The Manics most abrasive album since The Holy Bible. Also one of their best.

Pearl Jam - Backspacer

Seattle journeymen finally have a bit of fun. This should have happened years ago.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Everything great about Phoenix can be found right here.

Pete Yorn - Back & Forth

After two disjointed albums, New Jersey native Yorn finds the right balance of forlorn ('Don't Wanna Cry') and bittersweet ('Last Summer) tunes.

7 Worlds Collide - The Sun Came Out

This will more than tide me over until the new Crowded House album. Neil Finn and Friends once again check their egos at the door for a good cause, in the process releasing some of the years best music.

Parallel Lions - Holding Patterns

If I had to choose just one album from this list it would probably be this. A new venture from Art Of Fighting's Ollie Browne, Holding Patterns is an embarrassment of riches: Grand sonic landscapes, brilliant drumming and Browne's golden voice. Oh, and the tune 'Separated' - the best five minutes committed to disc this year.

Salus populi suprema lex esto: An extract from Exit

2009-10-28T18:58:00.004+11:00

“John Mellencamp is not from Missouri dickhead!”

“What are you talking about?” exclaimed Rod.

“Yeah, what are you talking about?” added Scott who was trying to focus on his driving.

“What do you mean What am I talking about? He’s not from Missouri.”

“Are you sure? I’m quite certain he’s from Missouri.”

Matt shakes his head.

“And I’m quite certain you haven’t the faintest fucking clue as to the birth place of John Mellencamp.”

Hand To Hold On To was playing on the radio and Rod thought it was fortuitous considering the van they were in was currently stretching across the Missouri blacktops.

“But Matt, wasn’t Scarecrow all about Missouri?”

They had been in this van for a few weeks now and they assumed that eventually the cramped conditions were going to take its toll. No one expected it would be this soon or about something as ridiculous as the home state of an 80s pop star.

“Rod, Scarecrow is about Middle America, not just Missouri.”

Davey, who until this point was quietly ignoring the inane conversation, chimed in.

“Uhh…I think Rod is right on this Matt.”

“And I think the pair of you are fucking idiots!”

“Hey!” yelled Cam, putting down his writing pad and sort of half standing/half crouching from his seat in the back of van.

“What?” cried Matt incredulously.

“Is this really something to get worked up over? John friggin’ Mellencamp? Jesus, at least argue about something decent.”

He turned to the other three.

“Guys, he was born in Indiana. Argument over.”

Cam then sat down and continued writing.

“I bet you didn’t know that Matt.”

This was Rod.

“Of course I did, and I’m not going to sit here and be lectured by a guy who thought that Levi Strauss was the lead singer of The Four Tops.”

“Are you sure he is from Indiana?” Davey asked Cam.

Cam was getting pretty pissed at this point. He had this great stream of lyrics going on and the last thing he needed was an impromptu version of Never Mind The Buzzcocks going on around him.

“Why would I lie to you Davey?”

Davey could detect the strain in Cam’s voice so he went back to reading Rum Diary. It was weird the different relationships in the band. Davey the keyboardist and the bassist Cam were close friends before the band began so they understood and appreciated each other’s limits. Their vocalist Matt and guitarist Rod on the other hand would take any opportunity to piss each other off. Scott, as the drummer, or the current drummer anyway kept to himself. They held a mutual respect for one another but every once and awhile their ego’s dictated the state of play. It was then up to the rest of the band to intervene.

Silence enveloped the van. Someone had had the good sense to turn the music off amidst the argument (no doubt it was Scott) and all of a sudden it was just five lonely Aussie souls travelling through the land of hope and dreams.

“Cam, what are we doing here, really?”

It was Matt, speaking softly which was something new for him. He had quietly made his way to the back of the van and joined Cam who was feverishly writing away until he was interrupted.

Cam was thrown by the question. He wondered if Matt was asking about Missouri specifically? Matt pre-empted the notion.

“I mean this tour in general,” he said, leaning in a little closer to try and create a little privacy in the already snug conditions.

“We’re all unhappy to be here and the crowds are less than enthusiastic. Mate, what’s the point of it all?”

Cam couldn’t help but smirk at the situation, in particular Matt’s line of questioning, as it was the singer himself that had wished long ago to break North America.

“It’s called character building Matty, nothing more. We knew this was going to be a rough ride. Not everyone in Lincoln, Nebraska reads the NME or cares what Jo Whiley has to say about anything. And let’s not kid ourselves, we’re not exactly Radiohead ourselves mate.”

“Matt you watch, by the time we are back in London we will be better for the experience. It is shit like this tour that will keep us grounded.”

Matt nodded in agreement. He not only knew that Cam was right but that he was also the only one that could bring him around.

“In the meantime, don’t rag on Rod and the others over the little things. I don’t want us to be known as the band that broke up because we couldn’t agree on where the guy who wrote ‘Jack and fucking Diane’ was born!”

Matt laughed at the triviality of the whole thing.

“You’re right Cam. I apologise.”

Cam shook his head.

“Don’t apologise to me, I’m not the one you called a ‘fucking idiot’.”

Matt looked back towards the others. Scott had turned the radio back on an Mister Mister’s ‘Broken Wings’ was playing. The other three were singing along, having already forgotten the altercation a few minutes ago.

“Yeah I know.”

Matt turned his attention to Cameron’s note pad.

“So what do have going on here?” he gestured at Cam’s writing.

“Well I thought you would never ask. Go and fetch me Rod’s acoustic and come back here. I think I’m on to a winner.”

As Matt made for the guitar, Cam took in the open fields whipping by. He conceded the crowds were poor and it was a tough slog but he was enjoying the challenge. Besides, it allowed him to see parts of America he may otherwise have missed if he was simply vacationing. As a child, he and his brother were used to moving from town to town because of his father’s job so the transient nature of being on tour was oddly comforting for Cameron.

“Allrighty, let’s hear what you’ve got,” requested Matt, handing over Rod’s Maton to Cam in the process.

“Well the lyrics are by no means finished. I need a third verse and the bridge could do with a rewrite but it could be something to go with that sweet little riff Rod had going the other day.”

“Nice.”

When Rod had played it to them back in St Louis they all loved it. The only problem was that it reminded them of a Robbie King number. Robbie had obviously been on their minds during the past week and a half so it was not surprising that he had been influential on their current creative process. At the time, Rod had prefaced this before playing them the riff.

“Hey guys,” Rod said that morning over coffee in a near empty diner.

“You know how we’ve been wanting to play a King song as a tribute? Well I woke up this morning with what I thought was a tune of his. Yet buggered if I know which one it is!”

Rod assumed if anyone would know it would be either Cam or Davey as they were by far the biggest Robbie King fans in the band. So Rod played them the riff a few times over. Cam and Davey exchanged glances, both searching deep within their musical memory bank for a match.

Neither of them could pick it.

Davey sucked some air through his teeth and looked crestfallen as he shot a glance across at Cam.

“Between us we have everything King ever did. What you played isn’t one of his, but damned if it doesn’t sound like it.”

Cam concurred.

“Davey’s right. It is everything a King tune would be but it doesn’t exist.”

“Not even a B-side?” ventured Scott.

Cam and Davey shook their heads in unison.

“If he was here, Dan would back us up on this. It’s not a Robbie King tune.”

Matt then chimed in.

“I’ll take both your words for it, including Dan’s, but if this riff turns into something we use then we’ll run it past the lawyers.”

“Just to be safe is all,” he assured them.

“So Rod, do you have any words to go with it?”

Rod laughed at the idea.

“Fuck Matt! The music only came to me a few hours ago. Besides, the lyrics aren’t my department. Do you have any?”

And it was that challenge that brought Matt and Cam to huddle around an acoustic and a notebook in the back of a van as it coasted through the farming states.

In Case Some Of You Are Wondering Who The Best Is

2009-09-13T20:30:00.003+10:00

In an effort to stop the senseless violence and destruction of our planet, Jeebus has bestowed upon me the brave task of working out once and for all what the 10 best songs of all time are*. It is hoped that with the unveiling of this list all war will cease, the global economy can recover and teenagers can be a happy lot once more.

Have you noticed them lately? They seem to be a sad bunch what with their 'woe is me' music and their moody vampire novels. Anyway, it will all be a thing of the past once they take a butchers at these classic tunes. The fact they are all from the 80s is pure coincidence and proof that music peaked two decades ago:

(In chronological order)

1. Somebody's Baby - Jackson Browne
2. Wouldn't It Be Good - Nik Kershaw
3. Out Of Touch - Hall & Oates
4. I Can Dream About You - Dan Hartman
5. Invisible Touch - Genesis
6. Stuck With You - Huey Lewis & The News
7. Higher Love - Steve Winwood
8. Live It Up - Mental As Anything
9. Love Changes (Everything) - Climie Fisher
10. King Of Wishful Thinking - Go West

*Apologies to Starship

Three songs beat as one: Exhibit A

2009-09-05T17:03:00.005+10:00

1978:

1988:

2009:

Postcards From The Southern Culture

2009-08-09T07:33:00.005+10:00

If New York was 5th gear heading into overdrive then I experienced significant whiplash when I landed in Little Rock, Arkansas.

I couldn't think of a better way to end my trip than to spend a week in the South, taking in the endless fields of green, good food, great beers and a healthy dose of music.

The first few days were spent at Robyn and Dan's lake house in Hot Springs Village and it gave me a chance to unwind, eat a home cooked meal (Robyn cooked me Maltese food!) and catch up with some life long friends.

Between boat rides on the lake and catfishin' we visited the quaint town of Hot Springs (home of the Gangster Museum and erm Hot Springs) and Little Rock where we checked out the Clinton Presidential Library. Because Dan has a passing resemblance for Bubba, there were a few double takes at the Library which was a bit of fun.

We then loaded up for the RV trip to Memphis and Nashville across the state lines in Tennessee. The journey itself is great fun with Mel the Labrador jockying for a good spot in the RV and the three of us playing 'Pick the Artist' as we flicked through the radio stations.

Let me say off the bat I did not visit Graceland. While that will shock and disgust some of you I am not disappointed in giving it a pass. There is more than enough to do in Memphis that doesn't involve seeing the home of Elvis.

Besides if I wanted to see a monument to garish opulence belonging to a king then I could have visited one of the many churches that litter the bible belt.

Memphis is a fun town, especially Beale Street and its cool bars full of live Blues and Soul music. BBQ meats are a tradition and a trip to Memphis isn't complete without a plate of ribs and hot wings with a cold beer.

Sun Studios was a blast and I was just as excited to see the place where Elvis and Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee got their start as I was to see the tiny studio where U2 recorded Angel of Harlem.

Also a must is the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. Because the exterior looks pretty much like it did in the late 60s then we were prepared for a fairly simple tribute to the great man.

Looks can be deceiving and we were treated to a stunning historical journey of the civil rights movement from the time the slaves arrived to King's death and beyond. Well laid out and presented, it probably stole the show on this little trip.

Presented with a timing issue we had to make a decision whether to visit the Smithsonian Rock and Soul Museum or the Stax Museum. As much as I adore the music from the Stax Label, the Rock and Soul Museum would give us a more complete look at the sounds of Memphis so we went with that.

Nashville was our second stop (another 3 hours East) where I was to get more than my fill of country music. Like Beale Street in Memphis, Nashville has Broadway which is wall to wall Honky Tonk Bars where the people that play on stage also work behind the bar and they work solely on tips. It is here that the bright young things try and get there start and to one day play on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.

They have a tradition in Nashville called the 'Holler n Swaller' which was mandatory participation. If you were ever involved in the 'drink for drinkies' club back home on the Gold Coast you would get the concept.

We were fortunate that their were no acts performing at the grand Ryman Auditorium that night so we were able to take a back stage tour.

The Ryman was the original home of the Grand Ole Opry until 1974 where it lay abandoned for two decades before being restored and open to music of all genres (Counting Crows and Michael Franti were playing there in a few days time). You get the feeling you are in a church and that is because that is what it was at the end of the 19th Century.

Speaking of churches, there was a Pentecostal Convention in town and you could tell by what people were wearing who was going to the convention and who wanted to hear some down and dirty country music.

The country music hall of fame was an essential stop on the trip but the additional RCA Studio B tour was the highlight. The home of a 1000 top ten hits by the Everly Brothers, Elvis, Roy and Dolly etc. Studio B gave a great insight into the pioneering of the Nashville Sound where they transformed country to appeal to a pop audience.

The final night of trip was a visit to the Grand Ole Opry itself. A twice weekly radio show that has been broadcasting since the 1920s, the Opry is a country music institution and a heck of a lot of fun. Though you know in advance who is performing, they will often have a superstar drop by to sing a song or two.

Our only shock of the night was that legend Charley Pride had hit the bottle before going on stage. Or at least that is what it looked like. Mr Pride, if you weren't drunk then I sincerely apologise.

So I am in the RV heading west for a good sleep and a trip to the airport and finally home. I have one last stop in LA for a few hours where I will catch up with my friend Rachael (Roach if you are reading this then put the beers on ice!) then it is back to Melbourne and reality.

This past week has been a blast (thanks so much Dan & Robyn) and the whole month away has been unbelievable. I go home with a backpack full of life long memories and a recharge of the batteries.

Exactly what a holiday should be.

Reasons why I am a cynic #12

2009-08-05T08:24:00.002+10:00

#12

Never trust a company that produces a Universal RV Flag Kit with only one type of flag on offer. It's not really universal is it?

Reasons why I am a cynic #48

2009-08-04T08:29:00.004+10:00

#48
Never dine in a restaurant that calls itself Snacky's. I don't care if they are in Little Italy or not.

Reasons why I am a cynic #274

2009-08-04T08:15:00.009+10:00

#274

I do not trust any company that makes life preservers when that company is based in a land locked state.

6 days in the city of blinding lights: Day 6

2009-08-04T07:25:00.003+10:00

Day 6 -

Aside from my failed return trip to Harlem (see Day 5), I have two things to accomplish today.

The main one being to tackle Central Park. Now I say tackle but you could spend a few days alone in this place and still leave wanting more.

Knowing this from the outset I decide to at least walk its length (59th St to 110th St) and see what I see along the way taking different paths as the mood took me.

It truly is a class leveller and the best gift a city can ever give to its citizens. The place is just as busy as midtown but in place of skyscrapers are endless trees and old bridges.

There are bridle trails, designated running and cycle tracks and numerous baseball fields dotted about the thick foliage and waterways.

In the middle is the great lawn that has seen memorable concerts. On this stunning Saturday all that can be seen are New Yorkers sunbathing and shonky ice cream vendors making a small fortune.

Nearby are a set of Basketball courts where you can witness grown men acting like petulant children as they argue the toss over a foul. They had me entertained for a fair while with their bravado and their ability to 'draw a foul' from seemingly nowhere.

Having completed the length of the park, I treat myself to a short subway trip back to 81st St and visit the American Museum of Natural History. I knew this was a doomed visit when the queue to get in took forever.

I never cared a great deal for Science and Natural History in High School and I could see why. I was bored after an hour and was now questioning my decision to come here in the first place. It was either this or the Metropolitan Museum of Art and I could see those smug bastards across the park on the Upper East Side telling me I told you so.

Early evening I finally take the Staten Island Ferry (something I was going to do on my first day but I ran out of time) and am glad to see a borough other than Manhattan.

Staten Island seems a little more relaxed, given its seaside nature. I find a nice down home bar that has a half open aired section that reminds me of a Mexican Cantina. The Pale Ale goes down a treat as the sun sets on the day and my New York trip.

Next stop will be the Johnson Lakehouse Resort in Arkansas and my week in the South. Blues, Country, Elvis and cookouts.

Bring it on!

6 days in the city of blinding lights: Day 5

2009-08-02T12:20:00.001+10:00

Day 5 -

So I accomplish a few things today but I will only focus on my trip to Harlem. This tale is about how a white guy who is clearly out of his depth can miss a tour of the Apollo Theatre (a tour he has already paid for mind) because he decides to alter with his own schedule. Please note that no one should take pity on the subject in question. It is his own fault.

So my aim is to make the 1pm tour of the historic Apollo Theatre. It is one of my must do sites on my trip and I am busting to check out the place where every great Soul artist worth a damn has plied their trade.

It is currently a little after midday and I am still in Midtown and busting to take a leak. I am also a little peckish but this is my secondary concern. I decide to try the old 'kill 2 birds' routine by going into a diner, order lunch and use the restroom.

The diner I pick isn't the cheapest (you win some, you blah blah some) but it does have a restroom and my bladder is thanking me, especially after ordering the Pepsi and the waiter offering to bring me tap water as well.

Ordered and relieved, I wait the longest time humanly possible to receive my Chunky Chicken Salad Sandwich. My 1pm tour is starting to look a little pear-shaped as the chefs in the back work their magic on the Chunky Chicken behemoth.

Smart move McPhee, real slick.

No matter as there is a 3pm tour as well. The sandwich finally arrives (I foolishly expect its entrance to be accompanied by the heralding of trumpets) and it is so huge I half expect that it needs its own building permit.

Lunch done with, I faff about for a bit and get in to Harlem at about 2:15. I hop off at 125th street and take in the surrounds of Harlem. It is everything I expected and nothing that I was hoping for. The island certainly changes North of Central Park that you assume you have landed in another city.

I walk the streets looking as conspicuous as a man on Viagra in a nudist colony. Considering every two bit street hustler is selling 'Genuine' Michael Jackson merchandise (who was whiter than my pale ass) this is the text book definition of absurdity.

I locate the Apollo and purchase my ticket for the 3pm tour. The lady behind the counter tells me to sing my lungs out when I go on stage. I am about to tell her of my drunken night when I ruined the Billy Joel songbook in a Karaoke Bar in Melbourne but think better of it.

With just over 40 minutes to kill and a face that hasn't met a razor in well over a week I decide to head to a Barbershop to get cleaned up. I spot one that looks exactly like a textbook Harlem Barbershop and I enter.

Imagine the deathly silence you hear in Westerns when the stranger enters the Saloon. That is me walking into the Barbershop.

Now there are about ten people in this narrow shop, a shop whose Air Conditioner is leaking from the inside and has lawsuit written all over its slip and slide linoleum. Now there are 2 barbers and 2 people sitting in the chairs (though there is an empty third chair and barber) so it has got me stumped what the other people are there for. Other customers perhaps? Half of them were a few weeks away from a cut and the rest were bald and clean shaven that their appearance in a Barbershop was suspect at best.

One guy in particular (I made him for a shifty Uncle) was in an all grey track gear outfit and taking generous pulls of his Malt Liquor bottle which for some reason was covered up in a plastic bag (as if anyone would mistake it for a Gatorade bottle).

I'm sitting on the bench awaiting my turn but the barbers seem to be in no such hurry, nor their customers for that matter (bar Opie over here). I wonder if they are in cahoots with the diner downtown but the delay here in Harlem is due to endless cell phone calls and a parade of characters walking in off the street to chat and then depart. I want to point out that this is a work day and why aren't these people at their place of employment but my travel insurance isn't fully comprehensive and I am still a season away from finding out what happens on 'Lost' so I let that one go.

Instead I wait patiently as once more the minutes tick away. At 2:45 and no end in sight I go to make my excuses and leave, promising that I will come back after the tour of the Apollo.

As I get up, one of the barbers points to me and says that I am up next. I want to tell him I no longer have the time but his demeanor suggests that I sit in the chair quick smart.

I am in no position to make any other suggestions.

I meekly sit down while my cut man appraises my scruffy condition. He asks if I would like to shape it into a goatee.

I am in no position to make any other suggestions.

The guy works meticulously, doing a helluva job. But he is going past 3 o'clock and it looks like I will miss the start of the tour. I want to tell him I am on a time limit but he is too busy either chatting/performing secret handshakes to new customers/drop-ins or talking on the phone to someone named Patrice who is looking for J.J. (the missing third barber).

Finally done and dusted by 3:10, I hightail it to the Apollo to try and catch up to the tour guide but alas when I get there the doors are shut.

I start cursing but frankly I look like an idiot. Defeated yet goateed I skulk my way back to the hotel hoping that I can exchange my ticket for a new one tomorrow.

Postscript: I return the next day getting a feeling of de ja vu as the doors to the Apollo are closed once more. How can this be? I am a quarter of an hour early for the 11am tour so I ask the security guard what gives. He tells me there is no 11am tour on a Saturday. I somewhat foolishly ask about the 1pm tour. It is at this juncture that he informs me there are no tours on a Saturday. I begin to point out that my Lonely Planet guide begs to differ however...

...I am in no position to make any other suggestions.

6 days in the city of blinding lights: Day 3 & 4

2009-08-01T22:43:00.004+10:00

Day 3 -

There are a few places every person should visit, only if to watch the colourful cast of characters walk by. The steps of Flinders Street Station is one and Picadilly Circus is another. Add to that Times Square. Come to think of it, the Irish chavs in the Temple Bar district in Dublin are worth a few minutes of your time as well.

Times Square can fascinate one for hours without having to spend a dime. Flashing billboards and giant candy stores makes this an ADHD kids dream. After wandering around for a bit with my head aimed at the sky I head on up to the Ed Sullivan Theatre to try and get tickets to Letterman. It is booked out a few months in advance but they hold aside a small number of tickets to give away in a lottery system. I put myself down for tonight and tomorrow bur sadly I won't be one of the lucky recipients.

I go for a late morning coffee in Bryant Park and come across a free ping pong tournament. The line is long, full of men in business suits waiting to live out their boyhood dreams. Instead I watch, trying to finish this book I have been reading since the start ofthe trip.

Side note: most of you will know I usually go through books like Pamela Anderson goes through husbands but with this author it is best to take your time. Michael Chabon is a brilliant writer and his books are so descriptive that it is a shame to speed through them.

I am to take 2 trips to the top of buildings on this leg of my trip, the Empire State Building and right now here at the Top Of The Rock at the Rockefeller Centre. There is so much radio and television history in this building where NBC has called its home for decades. The view is spectacular, particularly North across the vista that is Central Park.

Next stop is the International Centre of Photography where I was hoping to see work of the world's best photographers. What I wasn't prepared for was the entire centre taken up by an exhibition of fashion photography. No matter as the exhibition had some great layouts from Paris in the 1950s and 60s for magazines like Harpers Bazzar.

What was disappointing was the Museum Of Modern Art (MoMa). To be kind I was comparing it to the Tate Modern in London which is one of a kind. The good news was that they offered wifi audio tours which meant I could use my iPhone and not have to carry around a bulky audio guide. Sadly the wifi dropped out afterthe fourth floor. By which time my interest had waned considerably anyway.

Nearby was the NBA flagship store which was an event in itself. The store is massive and has nearly everything one could want in the world of Basketball merchandise. I say nearly as quite a lot of stuff they only stock the big 8 or so teams which means mugs like me who follow teams in far flung places like Utah have a limited choice. Undeterred, I picked up a T-shirt for me (go Jazz!) and a Kobe Bryant shirt for my brother.

Just for kicks I strolled down 9th Ave (Hell's Kitchen) during rush hour to see the chaos on the roads. I wasn't disappointed. I finished my day off by double backing through Times Square and on to Grand Central Station to watch the world go by and have a meal in a Mexican Joint in the dining concourse.

Day 4 -

Today was all about walking. I walked until the blisters got unbearable (stopped into a Duane Reade to get some band aids for a quick running repair) then walked some more.

Knowing I only had a short amount of time here I wanted to ensure I saw as much of this city as possible. As it is I will miss out on some things on my list like Brooklyn and the Bronx Zoo but that's the way it goes.

I had a rough idea on my route and places to visit but I went mainly on instinct, trying not to use the map like I was sitting an open book exam.

I kicked things off in Greenwich Village, making a bee line for the musty record stores (I am a creature of habit) before venturing due East towards Washington Square. The park (like most parks here on Manhattan) are a hive of activity ensuring that after more than 200 years, little has changed. In one corner of the park are old gents setting up chess pieces ready to hustle the locals or the naive tourist.

It has been far too long since I played chess and I am annoyed with myself that I never continued learning. My chess set is one of the few things I still own from my childhood, unlike my karate uniform or my guitar which now reside in my cupboard of no return.

Crossing Broadway I make my way to the Chinatown and Little Italy district looking for the tiny museum of Cartoon and Comic Book art. I fail to read the fine print of my Lonely Planet guide and the place is closed on Thursdays (I am a man after all). I end up going the next day and I wish my good mate Chad Bosworth and another friend David Affran were here enjoying it as much as me.

It surprises me how much Chinatown has overtaken the area once known as Little Italy. It isn't a racist thing I understand these things happen over time. Chinatown is a hive of activity and the smell of Green Grocers whilst Little Italy (reduced to Mulbery Street only for the most part) is a little more contemplative and resigned to it's end days. Despite this I stop here for lunch, a nice Calzone that can only bring back memories of Costanza and Steinbrenner.

A brief respite in my journey, I hop on a train uptown (a few stops) to Union Square on 14th St to recommence my sojourn. The rest of my walk would see me go from 14th St to 53rd St, taking in the kids puppet show in Union Square, a peek inside the private Gramercy Park, the iconic Flatiron Building, young tykes being taught Chess by the elderly in Madison Square Park, the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building.

My journey ended at the Museum of Radio and Television which is more like a big lounge room. By that stage I was in need of a rest and to put my feet up. The have a number of Theatres showing rare television events that change daily. I saw a collection of the best Superbowl Ads in one and caught a bit of the 11 hour all star 'Conspiracy of Hope' concert that hadn't been aired since it first ran back in the late 80s. Peter Gabriel, U2 and co being as earnest as all get out.

There is also a section where you can choose 2 programs from a vast library for you to watch in your own viewing booth. The search engine is in need of updating but I found an episode of a short loved program in the late 90s starring Jeremy Piven that has never made it to DVD which was great.

A good nights sleep tonight to rest my weary bones before I venture north of 110th St tomorrow.

6 days in the city of blinding lights: Day 1 & 2

2009-07-30T23:26:00.004+10:00

There has been a great amount already written about New York by the world's great poets, writers, lyricists and screenwriters that a mere Aussie who likes to prattle on can barely add anything new or worthwile. The only thing I will say is that what these great artists have said before is all true. New York is a Bruce Springsteen and a Bob Dylan tune. It is an F Scott Fitzgerald novel and a Woody Allen film. It is West Side Story minus the spontaneous bursting out in song (the weirdos that hang around the Port Authority Bus Terminal are the exception).

Day 1 -
I decide to take the train down from Boston because the approach into NYC would give me more of a view of the city than a plane. Besides I would be leaving by air so this way I would get the best of both.

I arrive at Penn Station and wonder where the hell Amtrak have dumped me. The place is teeming with life and noise that I can see how this city can overwhelm you. I get some sense of my bearings in this subterranean metropolis and head for the number 1 train uptown towards my hotel on Broadway and West 77th St on the Upper West Side (because that's how I roll).

Checked in (and upgraded) I head off in the late afternoon swelter to scope out the local 'hood. I make it to the fringe of Central Park when a summer storm hits hard. Wearing my havianas I run and squelch my way back to the hotel to dry off and grab a meal at a local Italian restaurant.

After dinner I spot a cafe nearby that has free wifi (not as common as I assumed) so that immediately becomes my morning and evening coffee joint.

Note: Although Americans and Canadians love their java, they don't produce great coffee. The best I have had so far (by a country mile) is Balzac's in Toronto.

Day 2 -
My plan is to break up my days here into geographical sections. That way I'm not travelling back and forth between different landmarks all the time. Do I have to see Central Park on my first full day? It isn't going anywhere, it can keep.

I head right to the bottom of the island and grab the ferry to Ellis Island. It stops off at Liberty Island first but as I can't go inside Lady Liberty (add low brow gag here) I skip it and get a decent photo from the ferry. Ellis Island was the point of call from the late 1800s to 1954 for immigrants who came to America looking for a better place to live.

After it closed it was left to decay until they began restoring it in the 1980s. A brilliantly laid out museum, Ellis Island is a visual document of immigration policy and the multicultural society of early 20th Century America.

Back on the Island I walk towards Wall Street and the Financial District hoping to stop off at the National Sports Museum along the way. However there is a sign on the door saying it closed down back in February. I read it only opened last September. The recession has hit this country hard.

Bad news turns to good as I walk past the defunct museum and discover the Fraunces Tavern. It is here that General Washington gave his farewell to his officers following the end of the American Revolution. It seems rude if I don't go in for a pint.

My next major stop is the WTC memorial museum, but along the way is the heavily guarded Stock Exchange (the latter is the result of the events of the former) and the grand Federal Hall where Washington was sworn in a President.

I didn't think that the memorial to the 9/11 attacks would affect me the way it would but by the end of it I found myself weeping. I had just viewed remnants of the towers and personal possessions found among the rubble and it became too much. I looked around and found to my comfort that I wasn't the only one in tears.

That night I went down to the East Village to see singer-songwriter Pete Yorn perform. Pete and band sounded great in the intimate Webster Hall playing songs culled mostly from his debut album (still his best).

My first full day in NYC and I think I packed a fair bit in.

...with Peter O'Brien as Sam Patterson

2009-07-28T10:38:00.009+10:00

Dublin, Ireland
Sunday July 26 2009
0100 hours

We were deeply entrenched in our infinite game of spot the celebrity lookalike and points were crucial. Keep in mind points count towards a scoreline that is never maintained and will never bear witness to a final result.

It is both meaningless (in the grand scheme of things) and utterly essential (for one's pride) this game we have but whenever we resurrect it, it is battle stations. Friendship is thrown out the window and any trace of kindness in a weak suggestion is erased.

I had just spotted Eric Bana's doppelgänger in a pub in the Temple Bar district and Gillespie didn't agree.

And I was outraged.

The celebrity spotting game was introduced to us by our mutual friend and my former housemate Ian. The game was simple but came with a few caveats. For example, just because a man was of Asian descent didn't make him Jet Li. We had similar rules: entitled the Sam Jackson Protocol and the Rosie O'Donnell Method. I guess you can see where I am going with this.

I had reignited our floating game by spotting a Bono lookalike (circa Pop era) at Croke Park before the U2 concert on the Friday night.

Clearly the guy was a frontman for a tribute band (there were plenty of them playing in town this weekend) but the point counted regardless (or did it? My memory of the weekend is blurred somewhat due to the dazzling effects of the contents of my pint glass).

A little aside on the concert itself (seems that was the reason we were in Dublin in the first place). Quite frankly it was brilliant with the whole band sounding great. Bono's voice sounded a little high (even nasally) to begin with but it was unclear on whether that was the fault of the sound mix or not. It got clearer and stronger not long after and we were treated to some awesome performances. My top three were 'One' (with the bonus "Do you here us coming Lord?" coda), 'Ultraviolet (Light My Way)' and the showstopping 'Bad' - the performance of which you can see here:

Seeing U2 in their hometown was something else and a concert I will never forget.

After the concert the game continued well into the next day and night. We had a hilarious debate over a gentleman in a restaurant at dinner on Saturday. Gillespie thought he looked like Billy Bob Thornton but I said only in the mouth and chin region. Desperation is a stinky cologne and Gillespie countered with another selection on the same person, this time Gary Busey. I once again denied him his pick but it did conjure up the rare double spot possibilities afforded to anyone resembling Gary Busey because they also look like Nick Nolte by default.

In a cruel act I took a stab at the gentleman in question and came up with perennial 4th billed (and usual villain) Bruce Greenwood. My pick was denied both on the basis that Bruce Greenwood wasn't known to the majority of our dinner companions and that I was more than likely wrong.

I agree.

So here we were in the wee hours of Sunday morning at a bar that either started with an O' or a Mac and I thought I had spotted our very own Eric Bana. Now let me qualify by saying he had more of a mullet than what the real Eric would sport nowadays but if anything it was a throwback to his time on 'Full Frontal'.

So with Gillespie giving me a clear no, I boldly approached the guy that looked like the guy that played "Uncle Chop Chop" and asked if anyone had mistaken him for Eric Bana before.

I quickly discovered that he and his friends were from Holland. Shite, this was going to make things difficult to explain. They didn't know who Eric Bana was and at that moment my brain locked up on all the American movies he had been in. His most recent movie was Star Trek I told them but they responded by asking if he played Darth Vader.

I let that one go.

Knowing that Chopper was a cult hit overseas I gave that a long shot. They muttered that they were aware of the movie but as Bana was unrecognisable under the tattoos and sliced ears it was of no use. I gave up on my quest and skulked back to our table resigned to the fact I was not going to get the point.

A half a pint and a shot of sambucca later, our new Dutch friends attracted our attention from their spot across the room. This is it I thought. They have cleverly worked out who I was talking about, perhaps remembering his wooden performance in 'The Hulk' or his commanding role in 'Munich'. This was to be the comeback that people (and by people I mean no one) would be talking about for years to come. Lazarus had nothing on me.

And that is when they yelled out: "Eric Bana! From Flying Doctors!"

Double shite.

I didn't get the point bur points for trying to our brethren from The Netherlands.

They also won the award for the most random thing ever yelled out in a Dublin Pub.

This will result in hate mail: The case for Girls Aloud

2009-07-24T15:53:00.000+10:00

A break in my trip to discuss the merits of this under appreciated pop group.

Let me say off the bat that I am not gay. I can however, as a lover of all music, be comfortable with my sexuality whilst listening to 'Freedom' by Wham (the original titled song NOT the solo hit by George Michael in 1990).

Because of this I can safely say that I like the music of British pop quintet Girls Aloud. This isn't an ironic statement, I genuinely believe they are at the pinnacle of Pop Music circa now.

I am currently flying over the Atlantic Ocean and enjoying the in flight entertainment. In between so-so romantic comedies and classic episodes of 'Father Ted' I am flicking over to the music video channel. On this particular flight they have a bounty (or should that be booty?) of Girls Aloud clips. In fact the first time I ever saw or heard this group was my last trip to Europe when I was blown away by the song and video to 'Biology'. I wondered then why they weren't popular back home in Australia.

Now our UK cousins have been buying their singles for years now, probably to the point of saturation. I'm sure they are ever so slightly sick of seeing Cheryl Cole (who I can only assume is the group's leader) on the front of tabloids but publicity, good or bad, is paramount to any pop group's longevity.

Cynics amongst you are wanting to call me out on the fact they are all stunningly good looking. That genetic certainty cannot be denied but the quality of the music they release is light years better than most of the stuff in the Top 40 back home (read: American R&B).

The writing, in the music especially, reminds me a lot of the Motown era - and let's not get precious about that comparison as Motown had teams of writers for The Supremes and The Temptations as well.

I will admit that The Spice Girls paved the way for the likes of Girls Aloud and The Sugababes ('Push The Button' should be taught in pop music classes it is so perfect) but Ginger and Co sound like talentless also rans in comparison. Probably because they are.

Anywhoo I have to go. My body says it is 9pm, my watch informs me it is the wee hours of the morning in Dublin and tonight I am watching U2 perform in their hometown with my best mate and his good friend. I need some shut eye.

Not before I fire up 'Can't Speak' one more time.

I said: "Say Chowda!"

2009-07-22T08:17:00.012+10:00

I love Boston, I mean srsly love Boston.

If it wasn't for the whole Green Card issue and the fact that the only experience I have (apart from 2 years in a Trustee Company) is telling people to steer clear of the new Eminem album, then I'm sure I could get a job in this town. It would probably in a bar or a pizza joint beacause as you know life is (always) like a sitcom.

Beantown is full of obsessed sports fans and by that I mean fans obsessed with teams from Boston. Because it is summer it is the Redsox everywhere (and I mean everywhere) but, come the winter, everyone will be rocking the Celtics and Bruins gear. I just got back from Fenway Park (home of the Redsox and the Green Monstah) and I felt a pang of loss of the suburban Australian Football ground. Hate on Victoria Park and my beloved Windy Hill all you want but there is history in them thar fields and it is a pity they are relics of their former selves.

Boston: if you do nothing else, keep playing at Fenway Park.

Not quite true as Boston has more going for it than just sitting in the right field bleachers eating a Fenway Frank. My favourite part of time is the North End and the Italian Community that inhabit it. As you walk around the narrow streets of this little nook of Boston you gain a sense of the old school neighbourhood still in action. Posters on upcoming feasts adorn the shop windows along with Italian flags and 'Re-elect Menino' stickers. Thomas Menino is Boston's first Italian-American Mayor and in September's upcoming election his main opponent is Michael Flaherty. The Italians duking it out with the Irish once more it seems.

This time with a little less bloodshed one hopes.

Speaking of potential bloodshed I decided to have my travellers scruff shaved off cut throat style by one of the Italian Barbers in the North End. You are not a man until you sit in a chair with your life in the hands of a man that looks like your great Uncle Pauly.

Other random observations about this city:

- Most young men who work in an office seem to wear a blue open necked shirt with a white T-shirt underneath. There must be a special going on at J C Penny.

- The Samuel Adams Summer Ale in a pint is near perfection. One question though: was Sam Adams a brewer before or after he was involved in the American Revolution?

- The best remark I heard came courtesy of the hokey (yet necessary) tour bus conductor: "Coming up shortly we will be passing the studios of our local Fox News affiliate. Please note the bus slightly dips to the right when we go by" Zing!

- As I walked back from Fenway Park on this warm Boston evening I suddenly heard the classic sounds of "Summertime" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. I assumed it was originating from a sweet ride cruising down Beacon Street bit sadly it came from a boombox strapped to the back of a low ride bike being riddin by a wannabe wigga. At least I can take comfort in knowing their is one in every town.

Time to head across the Atlantic to Dublin for a few days and watch these guys from the North Side play a few songs in a football stadium. You may have heard of them.

Shi Pow Pow aka Catholicism Wow!

2009-07-20T01:47:00.007+10:00

Note to self: Learn at least some French before arriving in Montreal.

I am trying to think back to my French classes in High School but all that I remember is the vision of the shapely Miss Wilkins who taught it. Damn you adolescence!

Anyway, it has been an interesting experience navigating my way through all the Rues and Sorties and what not. I can still check in to a hotel, go to a bar and order a beer and a meal without too much trouble. Important to note: Mayonnaise is underrated as a condiment. Fact.

Being a Sunday, not only did I pass the cafes with the waiters out the front tempting famished passers by but one Church in particular (see pic) also looked like it was hustling for patrons. The Padre out the front came up with an interesting way to spruik his service: set up speakers in front of the Church and play pop music to tempt the citizens and visitors of Montreal. Now I am unsure if the speakers were linked to the street markets out the front but I would like to think St Mary's were using the divine spirit of Londonbeat to beef up the congregation's numbers. Cardinal Glick must have had a hand in that savvy idea.

Speaking of said street market (or Marché en plein air for those of you playing the French version) I came across a great young Blues band a few blocks down and captured a bit of it on video. Enjoy:

Onwards to Boston tomorrow. Go Redsox!

HOPE(less)

2009-07-18T09:56:00.006+10:00

Caught this brilliant piece of political graffiti down near the harbour in Toronto (automatically making it the best thing about the Toronto Waterside).

I wonder if this is the reason why Palin quit? Dead or not, Tricky Dicky is still a formidable opponent for the current batch of Republicans in the 2012 primaries.

Weekend At Bernies 3: The Campaign.

Someone get me Andrew McCarthy's agent.

It's Her Royal Highness' Matched Luggage

2009-07-16T02:51:00.005+10:00

Dear fellow passengers/travellers:

I cannot begin to list the number of things I would rather be doing than standing in the check-in queue as you rifle through you luggage to decide what you now need to jettison because you have gone over you weight limit restrictions.

I am reminded of the drink driving safety message: If you think you're over the limit then you probably are.

I am also reminded of the stern announcement from that famous hero of the silver screen, Lonestar: Take only what you need to survive.

Therefore I propose the installation of 2 queues, one for morons with calculation difficulties and one for me.

In lighter news I am currently in transit at LAX awaiting my connecting flight to Toronto. The Qantas A380 is the smoothest flight going around. Sitting here with a coffee in hand and the latest issue of Esquire to read - fresh off the news stand. I love L.A.!

Till next time...

When you go will you send back a letter from America?

2009-07-12T20:21:00.005+10:00

On Wednesday I set off for North America, my first lengthy period away from work since 2006. My original plan for the trip (concocted late last year) was audacious to say the least, involving hiring a car for the bulk of it and a week in the Cuban summer drinking Papa Dobles like Hemingway.

Things have changed considerably since then and whilst I have sadly cast aside my Havana nights and cities like Philly and Chi-Town the trip is still as exciting as ever. One that, predictably, has more of a music focus.

I have the great fortune of seeing Pete Yorn in New York City and U2 in Dublin. The side trip to Dublin alone WILL be a tale to tell. I am also looking forward to checking out a local blues band in Memphis and a bit of country whilst in Nashville - perhaps even visit the Grand Ole Opry itself.

Of course my holiday wouldn't be complete without hearing what catchy new tunes Mr Gillespie has cookin'.

I'll try to keep you all updated on my travels as I traverse the highways of the New World. Until then, here's something that will get the Scottish blood pumping:

See you on the other side.

When it's cold outside, i've got the month of May

2009-06-27T15:00:00.007+10:00

The fifth in my monthly review of musical purchases and downloads for 2009. My look at April can be found here.

The start of May began with a trip back home and a visit to my old record store. More on my former life can be read in my post at The Music Blogs. Returning to Atlantis Music makes me hark back to the halcyon days of being absorbed in music for 8 hours a day. I do miss it but I know that life moves on and you must depart when it makes the most sense. I still remember getting that giddy sensation Friday mornings when the new release stock would arrive. There was nothing better.

Albums

Bob Evans - Goodnight, Bull Creek!

Much like Canadian Dallas Green, Bob Evans (real name Kevin Mitchell) has a continuous knack of releasing albums that are worlds apart from what he became famous for. His band Jebediah were snotty pop punks (good ones at that) however his Bob Evans persona reveals melodic delights and a songwriting craft that guys like Brian Wilson and Neil Finn have made careers out of. 'Your Love' is what a perfect pop song should sound like. A seriously underrated talent.

Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers

The catharsis for The Manics and their fans over the disappearance of lyricist Richey Edwards came with 1996s Everything Must Go. But it is only now we can finally have closure. Interpreting the last writings of Richey and forming them into listenable songs is a monumental achievement given the subject matter but the trio have recorded an album that avoids sounding like a nostalgia piece.. Journal is less a sequel to The Holy Bible and more of a companion piece - less caustic and doomed.

Eskimo Joe - Inshalla

With every album they release, Western Australian natives Eskimo Joe continue to distance themselves from their days as goofy popsters. The first couple of tracks on their fourth album Inshalla sound like they are wading into The Tea Party territory but that is a red herring. It is a good album but it will still see them up against it in terms of cracking the overseas market. Best track on it is 'Losing My Mind', the one song missing from the latest U2 album. Bono should call the authorities.

Singles/EP's

Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson - Relator

From the "This shouldn't work but somehow does" department. Actress Johansson's voice is limited at best but makes for a nice foil when she duets with Pete Yorn on this great country number. The forthcoming joint album 'Break Up' (his second for the year) could be worth a listen.

Take me where the April sun gonna treat me so right

2009-05-26T18:01:00.006+10:00

The fourth in my monthly review of musical purchases and downloads for 2009. My look at March can be found here.

Two things I have noticed thus far about this exercise. I have been purchasing less than I normally would but as explained, this will ramp up in the next few months. The other (and more important) result in all this is that I am really taking the time to enjoy the albums. Revisiting them a lot more than what I was doing over the last two years. This is what happens when you go from listening to music all day at work down to listening only on your way to and from work.

On to April:

Albums

The Doves - Kingdom Of Rust

This trio of lads from up North took their sweet time following up the excellent Some Cities album but the payoff makes up for their absence. Working with a sonic palette that puts them on the same grandiose scale as U2 and Coldplay (without the bombast) The Doves deliver the a rich sounding album that builds upon each listen. Sadly without a soppy ballad to plug on Grey's Anatomy they won't break big time but those that care little about McDreamy will find more than enough rewards in the title track and the stunning 'Winter Hill'.

My favourite album this year thus far.

Singles/EP's

Missy Higgins - More Than This (EP)

While Melissa Higgins continues to work over the U.S. audience with her second album On A Clear Night the Aussie singer/songwriter releases an iTunes EP of various covers she has recorded of late. The Roxy Music title track is fine but the best versions are her takes on Patty Griffin's 'Moses' and the standard 'I'm In Love Again'. The less said about her rendition of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' 'Breakdown' the better.

Eskimo Joe - Foreign Land

I love how they try and up the ante on every album they release. First salvo from the West Australian rock outfit. The best (and by default) only song about the late great Heath Ledger:

May our thoughts be with you

2009-04-23T20:33:00.006+10:00

For Australia and New Zealand, April 25th 1915 is a day we are immensely proud of. Proud of the soldiers (most of them just kids) who went to a foreign land to defend us and the Mother Country from the enemy.

Sadly we lost 8,000 young men and our Nation's innocence in the Gallipoli Campaign. We commemorate ANZAC Day not only for the soldiers who lost their lives on the shores of Turkey in World War I but to take the opportunity to thank all the men and women who have spent a lifetime defending Australia so we are free.

I also like to reflect and think of family members who served other countries over the years as well. My Great Grandfather on my Father's side apparently worked closely with the Tartan Pimpernel which, even if it isn't true (it's all classified), is a great tale nevertheless. My Mother's family came from Malta and if any Nation knows about bravery it is them.

Now I usually waffle on about music so let's get on to that. There are numerous songs about war both for and against. But to recognise the sombre occasion I present to you one of my favourites. It isn't about the ANZAC's which may ruffle feathers but the theme is universal.

It is also both profoundly sad and beautiful at the same time.

Houses On The Hill - Whiskeytown

Well I found a bunch of letters that were written for the fella who broke your momma's heart
And the envelope folds, smelled of her ancient perfume
I'll bet she didn't know how to respond before the blankets of snow
Caught him out wandering alone with no place to go

There were stars in the sky
There were houses on the hill
And there were bottles of pills that were easy to buy
To keep her warm from the oncoming storm

Well I found them in the northwest corner of the attic in a box labeled "tinsel and lights"
Didn't know what I was I looking for maybe just a blanket or artifacts
Eisenhower sent him to war, he kept her picture in his pocket that was closest to his heart
And when he hit shore, must have been a target for the gunmen

There were stars in the sky
There were bunkers on the hill
And there were caskets to fill where he would lie
Shrouded in the red white and blue with the stripes

There were stars in the sky
There were houses on the hill
And there were bottles of pills that were easy to buy
To keep her warm from the oncoming storm

And we'll both be safe 'til St. Patrick's Day

2009-04-13T18:59:00.011+10:00

The third in my monthly review of musical purchases and downloads for 2009. My look at February can be found here.

As if in response to my slow start (musically) for 2009, I am now receiving emails from long forgotten mailing lists touting the return of bands who have remained on my radar. It seems the next few months will see me parting my hard earned for new material by the Dave Matthews Band, Manic Street Preachers, Jen Cloher and so on.

Before that, here is what March threw up.

Albums

Robert Palmer - At His Very Best

Whilst I didn't acquire his entire back catalogue as I threatened last month, I did wisely pick up the best of the smooth Mr Palmer. I was never one for the 'Addicted To Love' and 'Simply Irresistible' side though. For the gold stuff, crank up 'Johnny & Mary' or 'Looking For Clues'.

Mary Gauthier - Mercy Now / Between Daylight And Dark

Being on the Lost Highway label (Ryan Adams, Donavon Frankenreiter) I should have picked up on Mary Gauthier much earlier than this. Her songwriting is her greatest asset (though she is no slouch on vocals) as she relays tales of woe that come from a troubled life she has already lived through. Martha Wainwright could learn a lot from her.

Grifters Inc. - A Creature Of The Night

Aussie Hip-Hop is an acquired taste, especially for those who don't reside on the Island. These days I much prefer to hear my fellow countrymen rap than Lil' fucking Wayne. Grifters Inc. may be indie but the production and rhyming on 'A Creature Of The Night' is just as good as their bigger label brethren.

Keep an eye on these lads.

Singles/EP's

The Strokes - Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)

After hearing once again Robert Palmer's version of the Marvin Gaye classic, I decided to search out other renditions and came across this one from a few years ago. Eddie Vedder turns in a great guest performance as well.

The Lemonheads - Luka

I must have been on a cover versions trip because I also dug out this great take of the Suzanne Vega hit. Mind you, Evan Dando could sing the 'terms and conditions' section on an entry form and I would still rate it as brilliant.

So You Know It's Got Soul

2009-04-05T20:25:00.003+10:00

Because Van Morrison is a cantankerous (yet brilliant) old bastard who refuses to release any of his visual performances on the interweb without a Van Halenesque watermark smeared over the screen, I give you the following.

Let me state for the record, the definitive version of 'Caravan' can be found on the concert film 'The Last Waltz', but kudos to this band who I discovered by chance. To say it is an admirable version is understating it just a little.

Bravo to The Quiet:

Baby, Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough

2009-03-30T20:16:00.011+11:00

Outside of music, my biggest passion is football and in particular the Essendon Football Club. This explains why I am still sans girlfriend.

All my friends know where I stand with my loyalty to the club - unflinching and unwavering support through the good times and...well...the present. It is true, the red and the black aren't doing too well at the minute. We (it is always we, never they) have a young list and a coach still finding his feet but I believe we have a strong foundation and a massive amount of pride that will ensure that we will be back on top a lot sooner than our detractors think.

So for someone who has been spoilt by success for so long, how does one attempt to maintain that winning feeling?

That's correct: Fantasy Football

This solves a few things (and further compounds the girlfriend problem). I can passionately follow opposition players in the league without becoming a turncoat of my beloved Bombers. By keeping up with said players I become more interested in games that don't involve Essendon. This is a scenario that I never warmed to in the past but seeing any team at the top of their game is a stark reminder of what your own club can achieve (given better draft selections and another summer of skills training).

My involvement thus far with fantasy football (called Super Coach in my case) has been obsessive to say the least (just as one would expect). I have spent an inordinate amount of time on opposition websites gaining an understanding for upcoming team selections and training reports from similar one-eyed fanatics. Is 'so and so' going to get up for Round One? How's his pre-season form been? Is he over priced?

Has it helped at all?

Well to roll out some tired football cliches: I'm better for the run and at this stage I'm just taking it one week at a time.

Let's keep things in perspective shall we. This is my first year in charge so I will be prone to rookie mistakes at the selection table. This is to be expected from an amateur.

Until of course my fictitious Club President tells me I have the full backing and support of the board. Then I know I'm fucked.

No correspondence will be entered into #2

2009-03-09T21:08:00.007+11:00

An instruction in swordplay
Originally uploaded by Myrrien

An ongoing series of lists where my word is final. The first list can be found here.

We mere men have a competitive streak that is both our strength and our undoing. Far too many times we let the mutual attraction of the opposite sex get in the way of long lasting friendships. Other times we are simply competing with random strangers in a bar for your attention.

To illustrate some examples of our foolishness, I present to you my top 5 songs that deal with this very problem (in chronological order).

5. The Girl Is Mine - Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney

Fromage of the highest order and you wonder how this managed to be the first single from Thriller. Still, it is the most obvious song on the topic. Sung here in a slightly different context by Stephen Colbert & John Legend:

4. Mr Jones - Counting Crows

Whilst the breakout hit by the Counting Crows is about wanting to be a big star, its backdrop is a bar where two friends disagree on who exactly the beautiful women there have eyes for. Which leads us into...

3. Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First) - John Mellencamp

"I saw you first
I'm the first one tonight
Yes, I saw you first
Don't that give me the right
To move around in your heart
Everyone was looking
But I saw you first"

2. Everybody Here Wants You - Jeff Buckley

White hot funk that was light years away from his debut album, 'Everybody Here Wants You' only hints at what Buckley would have been capable of had he survived his swim in the Wolf River.

1. She Says - Howie Day

Debate still exists whether this song is about an ex-boyfriend talking to her new boyfriend, a male friend (who wants to be her boyfriend) talking to her latest beau or a variant of. Regardless, it contains the sobering line: "And when she says she wants somebody else, I hope you know she doesn't mean you."

February stars, floating in the dark. Temporary stars, February stars

2009-03-04T21:35:00.010+11:00

The second of my monthly review of musical purchases and downloads for 2009. My look at January can be found here.

February was not a big month for me in terms of new music. I guess my self imposed control on spending to save for my impending trip overseas had something to do with it. Mind you I can see that ban being lifted very soon, around the time I decide that acquiring the entire Robert Palmer catalogue is somehow necessary (and urgent).

It is.

Albums

Eli "The Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves - Roll with Me

Many thanks to my good friend Scott Drummond for putting me on to this sensation. The world can have Miss Winehouse and Miss Stone, I'll keep Mr Reed and his band. It is like a long lost 60s soul album (the production has that warm Stax sound) except they are all new songs and the singer is a white kid in his 20s. Not a dud amongst the eleven tracks and I can't remember the last time I could say that about an album.

U2 - No Line On The Horizon

A 5 line critique on the biggest band in the world and their new album will get lost amongst the masses so let's stick to what you need to know:

- It is their most complete album since Achtung Baby
- Don't mistake it for being a classic like Achtung Baby, let's say it is very good
- It does not have the immediacy of All That You Can't Leave Behind (their last good album) but will eventually be seen as a superior effort
- The only low point of the album is the trio of songs in the middle and one of those is the first single 'Get On Your Boots'
- The rest is brilliant

Singles/EP's

Bob Dylan - Visions Of Johanna

This really is a story for another time and place. The only thing I will say on the matter is that I'm a man that makes mistakes but I'm a man with good intentions.

On a completely separate note, here is a cover of the tune by BRMC.

Too soon?

2009-02-25T22:16:00.005+11:00

Can we all agree that 8 years down the track, the most outrageous piece of overreacting from what occurred on September 11 didn't come from the Bush administration? Rather the humour lies in the list compiled by Clear Channel of songs deemed as 'lyrically questionable' to be played on their radio network in light of the tragedy of 9/11.

Here is the list for those of you that want to stroll down memory lane and have a good chuckle.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, puts Benatar in the corner.

Here's my selected highlight from the list. Peter Gabriel you are a genius:

I've found grace inside a sound. I've found grace, it's all that i've found

2009-02-24T18:13:00.002+11:00

For those of you who haven't committed copyright infringement and shied away from acquiring No Line On The Horizon I give you the following:

But she's got the wheel and I've got nothing except what I have on

2009-02-11T21:15:00.002+11:00

"It's hard to say you love someone, and it's hard to say you don't" - My favourite line in popular music.

I had to say goodbye to Miss January, she had a hold on my mind for so long

2009-02-08T12:28:00.020+11:00

In an attempt to keep on top of my musical purchases/downloads throughout 2009 (and not suffer the same fate as last year) I have decided to maintain a monthly review so that I can better appreciate the new arrivals to my already bloated iPod. That way I can avoid scrolling through my collection with a bemused look on my face, wondering where the devil that came from?*

Albums

Q-Tip - The Renaissance

Q-Tip came from a hot tip courtesy of my main man David Affran. A cool breezy hip-hop record that sits well with the summer here in Oz. His drawl is not for everyone but it gels with the jazzy production and is a nice foil to guests like Raphael Saddiq and Norah Jones. The most satisfying release from the rap genre since Lupe Fiasco's The Cool.

The Clash - London Calling

Let's get one thing clear: I didn't just discover The Clash. After years of working in a record store and listening to albums for free, there are many things that I am only getting around to purchasing now. Nothing more needs to be said about London Calling but I must give props to The Marquis Of Lorne who were playing it one Saturday night, reminding me that it was absent from my collection.

Minty Fresh Beats - Jaydiohead

I'll admit I haven't given this its due attention, I downloaded it off the back of the great Coldplay/Jay-Z mixtape last year. I shall endeavour to give you an update next month.

Otis Redding - Definitive Soul Collection

Another one missing from the collection though I had a handful of Otis tracks already. Soul is my weakness and if I was ever narrow-minded enough to stick to the one genre then this would be it. Currently I can't stop playing 'That's How Strong My Love Is'.

Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream

No one gets a free pass, not even my hero The Boss. A frustrating album that shows flashes of greatness (the bonus track 'The Wrestler') but ultimately suffers from clunky lyrics and production (please cut ties with Brendan O'Brien). Opener 'Outlaw Pete' is musically solid but ultimately sounds like The Killers attempting to do Springsteen. And is it just me or can you imagine 'Queen Of The Supermarket' appearing in a forthcoming Flight Of The Conchords episode?

Company Of Strangers - Company Of Strangers

Acquired through nefarious means, this is simply early 90s Oz nostalgia. The singles from this one off project were gold. In particular 'Motor City (I Get Lost)' where Daryl Braithwaite steals the song from James Reyne by simply belting out the refrain "Oh lay some Aretha on me!"

Singles/EP's

Bic Runga - Winning Arrow

A gorgeous track from a few years ago that I have only now got around to purchasing.

Coldplay - Viva La Vida (Thin White Duke Mix)

A free download from their website. Nice, without ever usurping the original. Waiting for the Thin White Duke treatment on Joe Satriani's 'If I Could Fly'.

Del Shannon - Callin' Out My Name

From his posthumous 1991 album Rock On! released a year after he took his own life. His voice was still as strong as it was back in 1961.

Huey Lewis & The News - Walking On A Thin Line

I awoke one morning to this stuck in my head. I had to purchase, I just had to.

U2 - Get On Your Boots

The first salvo from No Line On The Horizon. This is fun without trying ever trying to be profound. It amazes me how they can remain relevant.

*Best purchase from iTunes whilst under the influence ever!

I haven't really absorbed that one yet: Why 2008 was the musical year of meh

2009-01-18T15:02:00.005+11:00

DVDs and CDs
Originally uploaded by Canton Public Library (MI)

Someone or something was to blame for my lack of enthusiasm for music in 2008 but I am reluctant to point the finger.

The easy thing would be to blame the iPod because it is a defenseless object that can't fire back at me. Unless Steve Jobs knows something I don't.

Last year I bought 24 new release albums. Adding in singles, EPs, albums I didn't pay for and the now popular 'Exclusive Track Not On The Album' (for artists that no longer have singles to facilitate B-Sides) and I had somewhere in the vicinity of 400 new songs on my iPod for the year.

Considering I no longer work in music, that isn't too shabby an effort (a new album every fortnight on average). Keep in mind this doesn't count some excellent back catalogue pickups that I either bought (You don't own Van Morrison's double live set 'It's Too Late To Stop Now'? What are you doing here?) or were kindly loaned to me (Gracias to Senor Gillespie for Springsteen's Tracks).

My problem, as shallow as it is, was that I never gave myself the time to listen to it all and I fear that some great music was missed or at least not appreciated enough.

Due to the ease of switching to different tracks on the iPod, I often fell into periods of listening to old favourites that I had owned for years. As such, the new albums that I should have been thrashing were being neglected as I loaded up Whiskeytown's Pneumonia for like the millionth time.

I'll admit some purchases were duds (a solo Jakob Dylan album is as dull as you would imagine it to be) but on a whole I picked up albums that I knew I would like...eventually.

Here then are a few albums I really need to give a second chance:

Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings:

I'm a Crows fan for life so my opinion will be subjective. I enjoyed the album but not to the scale of Hard Candy or Recovering The Satellites. Was it that the songs weren't as immediate? I remember my fading interest on side 2 of 1999s This Desert Life but that was pre-iPod so I would listen to the album from start to finish no matter what. Something I may need to do again with this album.

Bloc Party - Intimacy:

I have already spoken about this album elsewhere but now, post-purchase, I am at a loss to know what to make of it. It feels disjointed at times and brilliant at others ('Talons' is a great song). To me it feels like a reactionary move to criticism leveled at them after A Weekend In The City, an album I quite enjoyed. I think the band has immense talent but they need to go to ground for a while and think about what type of band they want to be. Not what everyone else wants them to be.

Michael Franti & Spearhead - All Rebel Rockers:

I am not a fan of reggae. This is something my friends are very much aware of and it is a subject I will explore much further at a later date. Franti's albums all have some level of reggae/dancehall in them but this one has by far the most. Yet that isn't what has stopped me from enjoying it. I think Franti is best enjoyed in warmer climates and this was his first album released since I moved to chilly Melbourne. Now it is summer I think it is time to give All Rebel Rockers its due.

Martha Wainwright - I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too:

This album suffered from the old chestnut 'great first single that artificially increases expectations' syndrome. 'Comin' Tonight' set the scene for a brilliant set of songs that delicately straddled critical and commercial success. Sadly that was not the case. Maybe in a renewed light I can appreciate the album without comparing it to its shining opening salvo. Does win the award for best album title though.

We liked the same music - we liked the same bands

2008-12-15T20:00:00.002+11:00

When a 12 track album contains no less than 7 Top 10 U.S. singles, you know the album tracks are going to be quality.

The song 'Bobby Jean' from Born In The U.S.A. wasn't a single but the tune probably means more to a fan of The Boss than any of the others on that monster album. The casual listener assumes it is another tale of a girl leaving a boy but it is actually about Springsteen dealing with the departure of his right hand man, his 'Blood Brother', Little Stevie from the band.

Yesterday I said goodbye to my good friend David who starts the next journey of his life in Toronto. David is an immensely talented musician and his heartfelt songs on love and life should sit comfortably with a North American audience in front of him.

So to my own 'Blood Brother' - Good luck and goodbye. This one's for you Mr Gillespie:

Canada: Rest assured, you're adored

2008-11-28T23:07:00.005+11:00

A couple of months back I let fly with a barrage of insults towards the great nation of Canada.

I apologise. It was inconsiderate and ill-advised and I can only hope you will forgive me. If not, at least make sure my good friend David is treated kindly when he moves to your fine country in a month from now.

Where was I again? Oh yes, The Tea Party:

Answer me this - How is it that Nickelback infect our nation's airwaves and sell obscene amounts of records whilst fellow Canadians The Tea Party are forever judged as the Terry Malloy of the music industry?

First convincing answer wins a prize.

A call to anyone half smart in the music industry

2008-11-24T21:00:00.004+11:00

I was watching (once again) a great little indie flick from 1990 called 'Cadence' starring Charlie Sheen, Laurence Fishburne and former President Bartlet.

One of the highlights of the film is the appearance of a Mr Harry Stewart who plays the role of Harry 'Sweetbread' Crane. Now 'Sweetbread' doesn't talk in the film but boy can he sing.

Here is a snippet from the film:

Now I'm not a religious man (Jeebus can back me up on that) but you must be dead not to feel the emotion in that song. A song mind you that Harry Stewart wrote himself.

With a song and a voice like that, he should have made it big in at least the Christian Music charts let alone the secular. Because Harry Stewart dropped off the face of the planet not long after 'Cadence' was released, the interweb is full of conjecture of his whereabouts but the most consistent story is that he lives in a shelter and not doing too well.

What an absolute shame that a talent like that is wasted to the world. If anyone out there has any sort of clout - find Harry Stewart.

We would all be grateful.

No correspondence will be entered into

2008-11-02T18:47:00.003+11:00

Rock On
Originally uploaded by violent visions of setting sail

I'm not a hair metal expert (thank Christ) so perhaps I am not qualified to talk on the subject of power ballads. However they were created so that coked-out bands could get a hit on radio and as we all know, radio is the realm of pop music - a topic of which I can hold my own in.

Therefore I give you the 5 best power ballad songs from the years 1988 to 1992:

5. When I See You Smile - Bad English

4. The Flame - Cheap Trick

3. Wind Of Change - Scorpions

2. More Than Words - Extreme

1. To Be With You - Mr Big

Ryan Fucking Adams

2008-10-30T18:27:00.004+11:00

I'm currently 0-2 with seeing Mr Adams live in concert. That's the nature of the beast when it comes to Ryan (sometimes he is on fire, other times you wish you were elsewhere) but somehow he never fails to deliver when he is on Letterman.

He marks his umpteenth appearance on the The Late Show with a cracking version of 'Fix It' from the new album Cardinology:

She'll make her way...

2008-10-18T14:31:00.006+11:00

Besides being a kick-arse tune, 'Wonder' by Natalie Merchant immediately reminds me of Saturday Night Live in the mid 90s: Will Ferrell and Tim Meadows especially. The reason being, I taped the episode she appeared in as a musical guest (David Schwimmer was the host) and watched it to death thanks to her performance of 'Wonder' and 'Carnival'. The VHS tape is long gone but thanks to some searching I bring you October 21 (hey my birthday!), 1995 all over again.

By the way, the guitarist in her band Jennifer Turner is an absolute talent and it is a shame she never hit the big time. Like Kanye said: A&R's lookin' like "pssh we messed up":

click here to see more videos like this

My Curtains Are Not Fading (A Sun Dance)

2008-10-08T21:05:00.002+11:00

The decision to bring forward the start of Daylight Savings in my part of the world is perplexing. We are barely 6 weeks into Spring, what's the hurry? Besides, the first couple of days with an extra hour of light have been so gloomy we haven't had a chance to enjoy it yet.

Well you can't fight city hall that's for damn sure. So in order to help bring a little sunshine into the world and remove the dark skies I offer the following.

Hopefully it will do the trick (it worked for the Summer of '99):

25,000 words and a title

2008-10-06T19:15:00.007+11:00

Please exit in single file off the roof
Originally uploaded by NathanaelB

Some of you may know that I have been writing fiction on and off for a number of years now. Some of it has been in my former guise as a journalist (I'm half kidding of course) but the bulk has been exposed to only myself and Microsoft Word.

Last Sunday I hit a milestone of 25,000 words, that's about a third of a novel done and dusted. My thinking is, if I get to roughly 70,000 words and send it out to publishers (who will be courteous and tell me to continue whatever it is I do when I'm not wasting their time) then that is the very definition of giving it a shot.

I am spurred on by the words of a much more talented gentleman than I could ever be. Jackson Pollock once said:

"The pictures I contemplate painting would constitute a halfway state and an attempt to point out the direction of the future - without arriving there completely."

Contemplate being the key word.

The title will be called 'Exit' and I hope that one day you can read it.

The Peak Of Billy Ocean

2008-09-24T21:15:00.004+10:00

For mine, the brilliant music career of Billy Ocean started at the top and went down from there. I'll grant you that songs like 'Caribbean Queen', 'When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going' & 'Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car' are pretty good tunes, but to paraphrase Sick Boy: "They are merely blips on an otherwise downward trajectory".

To fully appreciate the genius of Billy Ocean, you can look no further than his debut single from 1976. Everything else that followed was shite in comparison.

Recognise fools:

A Retraction of Soundtracktion

2008-09-21T20:37:00.005+10:00

In the interests of full and frank disclosure, my iPod has brought it to my attention that I do own more than one soundtrack album, something I vehemently denied a few days ago.

Not soon after watching the film Once at the cinemas last year I went out and purchased its brilliant soundtrack.

I humbly apologise for misleading you in my previous (and rather rash) post.

As a peace offering, I give you the following:

Friends again?

I don't get no respect! Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk

2008-09-19T19:22:00.009+10:00

Take That, Shaggy, Deep Blue Something? Sorry but if someone says 'name your favourite pop songs of 1995' I go straight for these 2 gems. Say what you will about my choices but I will take them over 'Boombastic' and 'Breakfast at Fucking Tiffanys' any day of the week. Both songs received only scant play on radio but I enjoyed what little attention they did receive. The two bands had already had their big moments in the sun back in the late 80s/early 90s so to score big again after such a long time away was asking for far too much.

Still...

'Over My Shoulder' by Mike & The Mechanics

and 'Come Back' by Londonbeat

The best U2 song you haven't heard/Soundtracktion

2008-09-16T20:35:00.007+10:00

First and foremost, the above song 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet' is the fookin' bollocks (why do I always take on the persona of Noel Gallagher when I write?). Mercifully tacked on to the end of All That You Can't Leave Behind it was originally from the soundtrack to the heavily criticised film The Million Dollar Hotel. Despite being a big fan of U2, I am yet to see the film nor do I own its soundtrack, but I have already spoken at length elsewhere in cyberspace about the commitment of being a fan so let's move on to the real reason for this post.

When's the last time you bought a soundtrack album? I thought so.

I currently own one album of songs from or inspired by a film. Just the one. That honour goes to the music from Into The Wild, a film I am also yet to see (due to laziness on my behalf) and was only bought without first listening to it because I thought it would be great to hear an Eddie Vedder solo album.

It wasn't.

The two best songs on the album are covers versions ('Hard Sun' and 'Society') while the rest feel like half finished works. Perhaps I might gain a better appreciation of the music once I get around to watching the film but for now let me use it as solid evidence to prove my point: I care little for soundtracks.

Before my rash decision to purchase Into The Wild, I had already discarded the two other soundtracks I had ever owned: Empire Records and Space Jam. Empire Records I admit I still miss because it had that great song by Gin Blossoms, but Space Jam is unforgivable and my only defence is that it was purchased during those heady couple of months when the Quad City DJ's were cool.

These days music for films (Tarantino's works aside) have become particularly uninspiring, whether they be songs created especially for the movie or older songs compiled by some bright spark at the studio (Every 10th romantic comedy must include 'Someone Like You'). In fact it has been television shows like The Sopranos and Life On Mars (UK Version) that have led the way with their impressive song selection more so than their Silver Screen cousins.

So is there hope for me buying a soundtrack in the future? Better selection of music would be a big first step but I doubt it would sway my opinion. I guess it comes down to enjoying the particular songs with the visual.

Perfect example: 'Free Falling', to me, will always be associated with the following:

Tom Cruise opinions aside, that song loses its lustre when heard on a soundtrack with other songs that aren't sung by Tom Petty.

For me it is the complete package or nothing at all.

The Greatest Song Of All Time - Official

2008-09-06T20:30:00.002+10:00

After months of deliberations by a panel of experts, it has been declared that the following is officially the greatest song in the history of recorded music:

This author can confirm that, despite its title, the song is not about him.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise

2008-09-03T18:55:00.010+10:00

Recent events have made me think about High School. Not in a nostalgic, Big Chill, kind of a way (God forbid) but more of a jeez I'm acting like I would if I was in High School kind of a way. Now being 27 years of age, that would be fine if I was starring in a teen drama. But seems I missed out on a role in the relaunched 90210, then that shit ain't cool.

Now I was an awkward kid growing up (sources close to me will argue that little has changed) but I can look back on my silly antics with some sense of humour because really it is what makes me the person I am today (for better or worse).

Only I could think that slow dancing to 'Please Forgive Me' by Bryan Adams with my girlfriend would be the height of romanticism, despite the fact that it was at a school run disco...in the middle of the day...in the multi-purpose shelter. Throw in the fact she soon ditched me because she had eyes for my good friend (or so I was told) and it really is a memory one would rather forget.

Keep in mind it was 1993 and I had just become a teen so you can cut me a little slack.

The same can't be said for the time that I thought the best way into a girl's heart was to buy her a thoughtful present for her 16th Birthday. Unfortunately that thoughtful gift was Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill - the most man hating album of the 90s. Suffice to say the girl did not become mine.

Perhaps I'm not to blame. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that both Bryan and Alanis are Canadian. It is their Canadianess that has made these moments turn into a junior version of Curb Your Enthusiasm, not my lack of suaveness.

I knew there was a reason I fucking hated Tal Bachman.

From now on I am done with the Canadians. I am deleting my Martha Wainwright albums from my iPod and am never watching my DVD of The Last Waltz by The Band ever again. Except for the Van Morrison chapter when they perform 'Caravan'. That's the bomb.

My collection of records by The Tea Party? Gone. That one semi-popular album by The Watchmen? Farewell. Arcade Fire? As much as it pains me.

Time to get this bilingual speaking monkey off my back once and for all.

Now I'm acting my age.

Suicide Is Not Painless

2008-08-29T13:23:00.003+10:00

The sudden death of Actor Mark Priestly this week once again brought to the fore the terrible affliction of depression.

I consider myself very lucky that I have never been in such a dark situation as experienced by Mark. If anything, his death is yet another tragic reminder that if I needed it, there is someone there to talk to.

I am a big supporter of organisations like Beyond Blue and make every effort to support their cause - even if it makes me look like a seedy Mexican Pimp. But my hope is that, if I was ever in such a space in my life, that I could call upon my close family and friends to talk about things that were bringing me down.

I know that is easy to say with foresight, but when I see the consequences of such terrible actions, I believe the pain of discussing your demons is much more tolerable than the pain of leaving behind loved ones trying to make sense of it all.

In closing: Talk to one another more.

Why I continue to dig slacker rock

2008-08-17T16:40:00.006+10:00

I was explaining to someone the other day why my Father refers to me as Garfield. During the mid-90s I spent far too much time on the couch on weekends watching Television when I should have been outside exercising. Luckily I am not obese these days (thanks to a gradual decline of decent programming) but the sort of songs and bands that epitomised that laziness I still hold close to my musical heart.

Nearing the top of that list is The Lemonheads. The song 'If I Could Talk I'd Tell You' from 1996 was their last big hit and is a great advertisement as to why crack is bad.

Top tune though...

Big Block Of Cheese Day Part 2

2008-08-13T21:05:00.000+10:00

Over 2 years ago I wrote a blog called 'Big Block Of Cheese Day'. Inspired by the semi-regular event on The West Wing, the idea of the blog was to let out any inane and trivial thoughts previously lodged in my brain. Focused primarily on music, I made bold claims about not owning any Beatles albums (no change) and (very) loose connections between ABBA and Autism.

This time around I will touch on other areas of Pop Culture so that you may gain a further understanding of what goes on in that melon of mine. Or perhaps you couldn't care less.

I'm guessing the latter.

- More songs I can do without ever hearing again: 'Don't Dream It's Over' Crowded House, 'My Happiness' Powderfinger, 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' Anyone

- My favourite opening line of any novel: Evelyn was an insomniac so when they say she died in her sleep, you have to question that. Pontoon by Garrison Keillor

- Based purely on how many times I watched it at the movies (5), Heat is my all time favourite film. That's about 15 hours folks. I'm neither proud or ashamed at that.

- Why is it that more people would rather a new Lauryn Hill album than Guns N Roses' 'Chinese Democracy' yet the latter is more likely to happen?

- I take comfort in the fact that 'Chinese Democracy' can be nothing but a spectacular failure.

- As long as Danny Wallace and Dave Gorman keep writing about 'silly boy projects', I'll continue feeling comfortable about my lack of maturity.

- Midnight Run is a shining example of Robert De Niro at his comedic best, though he is clearly overshadowed by the delightful Charles Grodin.

- Essential live versions: 'Clarity' John Mayer (from As/Is), 'Round Here' Counting Crows (from Across A Wire: Live In New York City - 2nd disc), 'Bring It On Home To Me' Sam Cooke (from One Night Stand: Live At the Harlem Square Club)

- The Sopranos: Not one wasted word. Perfectly scripted right up to its thrilling end.

- Memo to the Dave Matthews Band: Stop entertaining stoned American college kids in never ending summer tours and record a new album. A new studio album.

- Diminishing returns: Chuck Palahniuk's novels

- Dramatically diminishing returns: Cameron Crowe's filmography

- Never ending returns: Bruce Springsteen's deep back catalogue

- If American sitcoms only lasted 2 seasons with 6 episodes per season like British sitcoms, do you think they would be held in higher esteem? Think about that one.

- Favourite songs that happen to cover the delicate issue of abortion: 'Brick' Ben Folds Five, 'Driving With The Brakes On' Del Amitri, 'Choir Girl' Cold Chisel.

- Once now occupies equal top ranking as my music film of choice. The other is The Commitments which also happens to feature Glen Hansard.

- Vampire Weekend? New York can keep them.