I'm Back Baby!

I know most of you thought I was dead, but no, actually what happened was I got really, really quiet. For almost five years. And I know that's a long time between blog posts, but what is it they say? If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?

It's not really fair to say nothing nice has happened in music in the last five years. We've seen the runaway success of Amyl and the Sniffers and the debut of Silk Sonic. We heard the true story of Wham! resulting in vindication for Andrew Ridgeley (I freaking love that guy). And St. Vincent, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Janelle Monae, Public Image Ltd. and Blur all released new albums.

Post COVID, it seems every band and artist is touring, and even though I don't know anyone personally who was able to get tickets for Taylor Swift's upcoming Melbourne show, somebody somewhere must have snagged one. And the nicest thing of all? Guitar Wolf played at my local. Guitar Wolf!! At my local!!!

While it's true I have not blogged for many years, I have not given up making stellar playlists. You could even say it's a hobby of mine. I love to think about the way songs fit together thematically to tell a story, or express a mood or feeling. 

This playlist pulls togther a collection of tunes that span decades and musical styles; ranging from The Zombies' 1960's psychedelic rock and the lovely Yé-yé sounds of Françoise Hardy, to the smooth soul of Erykah Badu, the hard rocking Rollins Band and the drum n' bass stylings of Josh Abrahams. You know, to remind us all that it's complicated.

January 2019 Playlist

It's taken almost all month, but here it is; my first post for 2019. Happy new year to you all, by the way. 

I feel good about the year to come. The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades. The shades also stop the scorching, Australian sun from burning my eyes out. Seriously, it has been so freaking hot. Temperatures of the likes we've never seen before. No such thing as climate change, my arse!

So, the Roxy talks Music January Playlist has a very positive vibe. It wasn't intentional, it just turned out that way. But it's definitely reflective of my current outlook. It's crazy that it's taken me so long to put some Roxy Music on a playlist, but I really have been listening to them a lot lately, and I have to say, there's no better way to start the year. Aaaaand.... Weezer's version of TLC's 'No Scrubs' from their recently released Teal album of covers makes me laugh. 

Roxy talks Music - Father's Day

Today is my husband's 10th Father's Day. It's also the second since my dad passed away. For these reasons and a few others, I felt inspired to make a special Father's Day playlist.

These are all 'dad' songs to me because they have some kind of connection in my mind to a dad in my life; whether it be my own dad, or my husband or my father-in-law, or all three simultaneously (hello, Billy Joel!) My dad was a big lover of music and passed that love on to me. My husband and I share a love of music also, and it is a huge part of our family life. Because of this, our daughter is developing her own passion for music. She's into J-Pop and K-Pop at the moment, which isn't really my thing, but love what you love, I always say!

So to all the dads out there, and everyone who has a dad, or is thinking of a dad... this playlist is for you. 

August Playlist

It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, who sadly passed away this month. My first experience of Frankiln was in the 1980's with Eurythmics song 'Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves'. Being a young girl under 10 years old, and a Eurythmics fan to boot, I remember thinking she must have been someone pretty special to be singing a duet with Annie Lennox. How right I was! Growing up when and where I did, I'd have to be living in a vacuum not to know who Aretha Franklin was. She was hugely influential on most of the artists I was listening to and in addition to the impressive number of iconic hits she had throughout the 1960's and 70's, she sang duets with huge stars like George Michael and Whitney Houston. After I saw Franklin in the 'Blues Brothers' for the first time in my teens, I knew she was legendary.

We also lost another music great this month, with the passing of rock guitarist and songwriter Spencer P Jones. Jones has played in a hell of a lot of bands since the 1970's, but my absolute favourite is Beasts of Bourbon (I freaking love that band!). He was a fantastic guitarist and he will be missed.

The Roxy talks Music - August Playlist is a bit of a mixed bag. Both Franklin and Jones are represented, as is the always controversial Madonna, who celebrated her 60th birthday this month. Happy 60th Madonna! Keep expressing your bad self!

July Playlist - For Cahl

Last night, one of my dearest, most treasured friends passed away. It still doesn't seem quite real. It's hard to imagine a world without him in it. 

He was a special sort of person. So incredibly talented and good at everything he tried his hand at. I was jealous of that. He had a tough as nails exterior and got a kick out of pushing people's buttons. He loved to shock. But underneath all of that, he was a big softy. A hopeless romantic with a heart as big as the moon. As a friend he was all in, always had your back, never let you down. And he gave very sage and very blunt advice. He never judged me, even when I acted like a butt-head, and was always there for me through thick and thin. I never doubted that for a second.

This month's playlist is for you, my friend. To Strudel Head from Parmesan Dwarf. I'll always love you and never forget you.

March Playlist

We're only halfway through March and already there has been so much fantastic new music released since I last blogged. A couple of brilliant tracks from Janelle Monae's forthcoming album Dirty Computer, a rocking new album from Albert Hammond, Jr., new music from The Kills and a mind-blowing new album of previously unreleased recordings by Jimi Hendrix.

But as much as I've been listening to new music, I've always got time to revisit the classics and uncover old gems that I've previously overlooked. Aside from the 1980's revival I've been enjoying this month, I also discovered Otis Junior and Dr. Dundiff's incredibly cool, smooth hip hop album from 2017, Hemispheres, which I can't get enough of and thoroughly recommend. Check it out if you're not already familiar.

And now, without further ado, here's a sample of my March sounds for your listening pleasure....

February Playlist

As much as I love writing about music, I love making playlists. Finding just the right combination of songs that sound awesome together to convey a particular mood or message. And it's another great way to share the music I love with the world.

So, I'm trying something new: Roxy talks Music monthly playlists. Once a month I'll post a collection of songs that mean something to me. Whether it's new music I've been listening to lately, old favourites I listen to all the time, or something that is particularly significant to me this day for whatever reason.

So I hope you enjoy the very first Roxy talks Music playlist, specially designed for the month of February. Happy listening!

Beloved Covers

Recently I caught Polish Club live at The Forum in Melbourne. They played an energetic set, chock full of their best songs and my personal favourites (which made me soooo happy). They also did a really fun cover of Lesley Gore's 1963 hit 'You Don't Own Me.' I was belting out the words at the top of my lungs, trying to anticipate all of Novak's inflections and having the time of my life. Afterwards I remember thinking that there's something uniquely satisfying about a great cover of a fantastic song. When you hear it, you're hearing that song you know and love so well again for the first time.Then if you're lucky, you get to fall in love with it all over again.

There are so many amazing covers out there in the world. Here I share with you a small sample of my favourite covers of much loved songs.

Pet Shop Boys ‘Always On My Mind’ (1987)

'Always On My Mind,' was a country music song originally recorded by Gwen McCrae in 1972. It was also famously covered by Elvis Presley in 1972 and Willie Nelson in 1982, for which he won a Grammy award. Pet Shop Boys released their version in 1987 after first performing it on a television special commemorating the tenth anniversary of Presley's death. Oh, how I love Pet Shop Boys! The English synthpop duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe introduced me to dance music back in the 1980's and they will always hold a special place in my heart. Pet Shop Boys took a country music song and made it one of the biggest dance hits of the 1980's. It's a beautiful song and the Pet Shop Boys' version loses nothing in translation. It's also one of my favourite Pet Shop Boys songs.

David Bowie ‘Cactus’ (2002)

David Bowie recorded a version of The Pixies song, 'Cactus,' for his 2002 album Heathen. The song first appeared on The Pixies 1988 album Surfer Rosa. Bowie's cover is a faithful homage to the original, although heavier, with the main difference being in the distinctive voices of both Frank Black and Bowie. Also, on the original version, the band can be heard spelling out 'Pixies' in the break, while Bowie's version spells out D-A-V-I-D. I love this song, but personally I prefer Bowie's version as I find it more interesting musically. Appropriately, The Pixies performed the song at a Bowie tribute concert in 2016, as a Bowie cover. Perhaps they preferred Bowie's version as well.

Cyndi Lauper ‘When You Were Mine’ (1983)

'When You Were Mine,' was written and recorded by Prince and first released on his 1980 album Dirty Mind. Cyndi Lauper's version of the song appeared on her hugely successful 1983 debut album She's So Unusual. Both versions are perfect synthpop, but Lauper's omits Prince's signature funk in favour of a slower tempo and heavier keyboards. I love both versions of this song. Both Prince and Lauper bring their own distinct sound to the song, which work equally well.

Tori Amos ‘Enjoy The Silence’ (2001)

Tori Amos' stirring rendition of Depeche Mode's electro hit from their 1990 Violater album 'Enjoy The Silence' is achingly beautiful. It was difficult to pick just one of the songs from Amos' 2001 album of covers Strange Little Girls as there are so many gems, but 'Enjoy The Silence' is one of my favourite Depeche Mode songs. I was so moved by Amos' version, it ultimately won out. Depeche Mode succeeded in crafting a haunting electro ballad and Amos' stripped back piano version only serves to heighten the emotion of the original.

The White Stripes ‘Jolene’ (2000)

I freaking love The White Stripes version of Dolly Parton's 'Jolene.' Parton first released 'Jolene' in 1973 as a country pop song and it's probably one of the few country songs that I like. It's a flawless vehicle for Parton's honeyed voice. However, Jack White's pleading, wailing vocals and lamenting guitar, coupled with Meg White's mostly understated drumming errupting into a crashing chorus is absolute perfection.

Cake ‘I Will Survive’ (1996)

Cake covered Gloria Gaynor's 1978 mega disco hit 'I Will Survive' for their 1996 album Fashion Nugget. The original became a top selling song for Gaynor, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the UK Singles Chart. It also won a Grammy award for 'Best Disco Recording' in 1980. Cake's funkified version is resplendant with horns and a laid back bassline. I couldn't love it any more than I already do, even if I tried really, really hard.

Albums To Get You Through A Sick Day

The last couple of days have been miserable. I’ve been holed up in my cosy living room with a serious case of the sniffles and a healthy dose of self pity. Thankfully, I have music to get me through these tough (and snotty) times, and so I’m sharing with you my sick day soundtrack.

Betty Davis 'The Columbia Years 1968-1969'

Nothing lifts my spirits like some classic funk and this album fits the bill perfectly. Released in 2016, this is mostly previously unreleased material that sees Davis working with the likes of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, members of Jimi Hendrix’s band and others. Davis is considered to be one of the most influential funk artists well ahead of her time. Just be careful this one doesn’t get you moving so much, you end up in a coughing fit.

Monster Magnet 'Dopes To Infinity'

Often when I find myself less than effervescent, I turn to the tried and true psychedelic, space rock overlords, Monster Magnet. ‘Dopes to Infinity’ was their 1995 breakthrough album with their first hit single ‘Negasonic Teenage Warhead.’ I remember watching the video clip on Rage when I was fifteen and thinking it was freaking cool. I don’t know what it is exactly about Monster Magnet that makes me feel so good, but I figure it’s best not to dwell on it.

Queen 'A Kind Of Magic'

Okay, this one is a no-brainer. If listening to Queen doesn’t make you feel better, I’m afraid nothing can. Queen are so epic and uplifting. Freddie Mercury, with his mind blowing voice, plucks at my heartstrings just like an angel on a harp (rest in peace, dear Freddie). There are so many good songs on this album, but ‘Friends Will Be Friends’ is one of my favourites.

Madonna 'The Immaculate Collection'

All of my favourite Madonna songs on one album? Yes please! I love this album, it makes me so happy, I almost forget I can’t breathe through my nose. From ‘Holiday’ to ‘Into The Groove,’ ‘Open Your Heart’ and ‘Express Yourself,’ this album encompasses all of the feels of my childhood. I was a hardcore Madonna fan before I hit my teens. Now, excuse me while I vogue.

Classic Album Review: Purple Rain

Check out my review for the classic Prince and the Revolution album 'Purple Rain'.' You can read it here BOOP!