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.
I took the last couple of months off from Roxy talks Music to recharge my batteries, binge on Netflix and try to make sense of this crazy thing called life. But now I'm back with a fresh new playlist for the holiday season. Of course it includes Run DMC's 'Christmas in Hollis' because, well duh.
On the subject of 'the holiday season', it can be a complicated time. Sometimes sad, sometimes joyous, sometimes riddled with anxiety. I'm getting some freaking awesome Lego this year, so colour me excited! Also, I suspect there may be a record or two waiting for me under the tree. Fingers crossed one of them is Juliana Hatfield's 1995 album 'Only Everything' recently repressed and released on coloured vinyl by Run Out Groove. During my break from Roxy talks Music, I managed to catch the Mystery Lights at one of my locals. That's amazing for three reasons; one: I already knew and loved the Mystery Lights, two: they are a freaking fantastic garage rock band all the way from New York (which is worlds away from my regional Victorian city), and three: it only cost me ten bucks to see them live. Wow did they rock! They were super high-energy with a somewhat 1960's psychedelic, Westcoast sound. They sounded great, the crowd was pumped and it felt very much like an intimate jam session at times.
On a more sombre note, legendary Buzzcocks frontman Pete Shelley passed away this month. The Buzzcocks were hugely influential pioneers of pop punk. In Shelley's honour, I've included everybody's favourite Buzzcocks song 'Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)' on the Roxy talks Music - December Playlist. I hope you enjoy it.
I've been feeling sentimental of late. I think I'm a sentimental person generally, but lately almost everything makes me emotional. Emotions! Gah!! Who needs them, amiright? I think that's why quite a few of the songs on this month's playlist are sentimental. Some just in general, some specifically for me. It wasn't intentional, that's just the way the cards have fallen. Again, not much new music here, but I plan to rectify that in the coming months. That said, I did discover Meg Myers, who's second full length album 'Take me to the Disco' was released in July this year. Stephen Kallao wrote a profile on Myers for NPR's World Cafe: essential and emerging artists, describing her sound as 'a bit like Nine Inch Nails got into a fight with the Pixies'. THAT got my attention. 'Numb' the second track on the album, is very Pixiesish - with the loud/quiet shifts and the long, wistful guitar licks.
Look, The Roxy talks Music - September Playlist may be sentimental, but it's not all melancholia. There's a light at the end of the long, wintry tunnel. Spring has sprung! And I'm about ready to kick up my heels and go out for a dance.
So, put it on and play it loud, my people! And maybe I'll catch you out there on the dance floor.
I've been listening to a lot of new (and new to me) stuff lately and this month's playlist definitely reflects that. At the moment I can't get enough of the new album Blue Poles by Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders. Jack Ladder is a singer/songwriter/guitarist from Sydney with a very new wave, Bryan Ferry sound (his real name is actually Tim Rogers, but there's already a Tim Rogers and, like the Highlander, there can only be one).
When I'm not listening to Jack Ladder, it's got to be the glam/southern rock stylings of Kyle Craft, the post post punk rockers Parquet Courts or New Yorker, Shilpa Ray who blends punk rock with a 1960's pop sound similar to the The Shangri-Las or The Ronettes, but with a razor sharp edge. And as the weather gets steadily colder, I'm embracing my fast approaching middle age by enjoying a glass of sherry in the evenings before bed. And with my glass of sherry, the smooth soulful sounds of Donny Hathway, or the great lady, Dusty Springfield. So pour yourself a glass of sherry, get comfortable, and tune into the Roxy talks Music - May Playlist...
I was super excited when I found out The Mavis's, a beloved band from my adolescence, are doing a 20th anniversary tour for their album Pink Pills. It's been twenty years already?? Bloody hell!! I remember the first time I heard The Mavis's. A high school friend made me a mix tape with the song 'Moon Drone Gold' on it, from their 1996 debut album Venus Returning. I loved it so hard, I went and laid down thirty of my hard earned bucks for the CD (remember when CD's cost $30?) While I was revisting the most excellent music of the Mavis's, I started thinking about all the other Aussie bands I was getting into back in the days when I was just discovering that for me, life without music is really no life at all. And that's what inspired the Roxy talks Music April playlist. These are the bands I went to see play at festivals and all ages gigs at mechanics halls. These are the bands I moshed and crowd surfed to. These are the songs of my youth. *It's worth noting that Headless Chickens are actually a New Zealand band, but as they are the first band I ever saw live (they opened for Arrested Development at Festival Hall, Melbourne in 1992) I decided to include them. Also, they were really cool.
Recently I was lucky enough to visit the Land of the Rising Sun. I had an amazing time taking in all the sights and sounds of Tokyo, touring Nagano Prefecture, and making the treacherous, snow covered climb to Jigokudani Monkey Park to see the snow monkeys in the hot springs.
Aaaaaaand….. I went record shopping!!!!!! It was so much fun digging through records I had no idea about (aside from the fact they were helpfully organised by genre in English). I was a little hesitant at first, but my husband convinced me that buying a bunch of Japanese records without any prior knowledge would be a wild and funky ride when we finally got home and listened to them.
As it turns out, he was right! Not one of the records we took a punt on was a dud. And some of them rocked my world. So I’ve made a list of my favourites.
‘Jump Up’ and ‘Futurama’ were the last (and most expensive) records we bought on our trip. They were also the only ones that weren’t second hand. We bought them from a Disk Union store in Ochanomizu, Tokyo. Disk Union is kind of like JB HI-FI with stores in multiple locations, except they sell second hand records as well as new ones, and there are specialist Disk Union stores, like the Shinjuku Soul/Blues Hall and the Ochanomizu Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Building.
Supercar were a Japanese rock band, active from 1995 to 2005, and their first three albums had recently been issued on vinyl for the first time. The covers are very bright and caught my eye. I’ll admit I cheated a little here. I didn’t want to spend up big on a couple of fancy looking records and take them home only to find out that they weren’t my bag. Disk Union had a bunch of copies of both albums, so that night back at the hotel, I looked them up on YouTube and listened to a few of their songs. I’m so glad I did! They made awesome 90’s shoegazing, electro, indie rock that blew me away. I’m a fan of Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, so Supercar are totally my thing. The next day we headed back to Disk Union, and it’s lucky we did because we picked up the last two copies that were left. Phew!
I picked up ‘Tiny Bubbles’ in a Cash Converters type store in Ueno, Tokyo for 300 JPY (roughly $3 AUD). ‘What the hell,’ I figured, ‘ there’s a cat on the cover and if it turns out to be crappy, it was only three bucks.’ Later on we saw the same record hanging on the wall at Disk Union. ‘That’s got to be a sign,’ said my husband. ‘It’s either really good, or really cheesy.’ We found out afterwards from a Japanese friend of ours that Southern All Stars were huge in Japan. They formed in 1974 and were active through to 2008. They have since reformed in 2013. ‘Tiny Bubbles’ is a fantastic funky, jazz rock album with a 1970’s sound that made me think of Supertramp. It was definitely a $3 gamble that paid off big time.
‘Electric Moon’ was a recommendation from the super helpful guy working at Good Times , a record shop in Nagano. I was buying a Pet Shop Boys record (I know, I know… I didn’t just buy Japanese records!) and asked for suggestions of Japanese bands that were similar. His English wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad and was much better than my Japanese, and between the two of us and my husband, we managed to come up with some options for 1980’s Japanese indie rock and 1990’s Japanese punk. The 80’s stuff was cheaper, so we settled on a couple of those. One had a 1980’s hair band sound with a cool frontwoman (awesome!) and the other was Der Zibet’s ‘Electric Moon,’ which is classic, 80’s electro, new romantic, like Spandau Ballet or Adam and the Ants.
Hajime Tachibana was the guitarist in the short-lived but highly regarded Japanese new wave band The Plastics in the late 1970s - early 1980s. After the band broke up, he released several solo albums. ‘Low Powers’ was the only album he released with the band, Low Powers. The album, ‘Low Powers’ is mellow, lo-fi, 90’s indie rock and has a great version of the Beatles’ ‘Eight Days a Week’. I found this gem while flicking through the Japanese 90s indie rock section at Coconuts Disk in Ekoda, Tokyo.
Okay, so this is not a record or even an album… it’s a CD single. I’m including it though, because every record and music store we went to, we were specifically looking for anything by Yura Yura Teikoku and this was the ONLY THING WE COULD FIND!!! Yura Yura Teikoku is a Japanese psychedelic rock band that was active from 1989 - 2010 and fronted by Shintaro Sakamoto. My husband and I first heard about them after buying Shintaro Sakamoto’sdebut solo album ‘How To Live With A Phantom,’ which is now one of the most played records in our house. It’s like the best, most interesting lounge music I have ever heard! We wouldn’t normally buy a CD single, but made an exception in this case because we were so excited to find it. And to be fair, it has two songs that are both over 7 and 9 minutes long respectively. Also, it’s pretty freaking cool.
I want to give a special mention to Blankey Jet City. Sadly, I discovered them too late to buy any of their music, but they are the Japan’s answer to The Strokes… except they formed eleven years before The Strokes were even a band. So, I guess The Strokes is North America’s answer to Blankey Jet City. You totally rock, Japan!
2017 16 songs Length: 39:31 Available to buy on CD or vinyl or as a digital download from Bandcamp The Ghost Wolves are a two-piece garage, punk rock band from
Austin, Texas. Comprising Jonny Wolf on drums, synthesiser and vocals, and Carley
Wolf on vocals and guitar; the band’s name was inspired by Carley’s upbringing
among hybrid wolves on her family’s Texas ranch.The duo merge a variety of
musical styles like blues, rock and roll, punk rock, roots and swamp rock to
create their own style, which they’ve dubbed ‘stomp 'n roll.’
The Ghost Wolves formed in 2010 and released their debut EP ‘In
Ya Neck’ in 2011, followed by the seven inch ‘Getchya Hip Thrust.’ The band
released their first full length album ‘Man, Woman, Beast’ in 2014 through the Nashville
label, Plowboy Records. ‘Texa$ Platinum’ is the second full length album from
The Ghost Wolves.
‘Texa$ Platinum’ has a raw sound that blends the genres of
punk rock and blues masterfully. Searing, dirty guitars and untamed, pounding
drums characterise the album, while the tracks are all really short and sharp.
The opening track ‘Attitude Problem’ is distinctly punk, with high energy, distorted
guitar riffs and Carly’s jarring vocals preaching rebellion and non-conformance.
Other markedly punk tracks are ‘Journey On’ with it’s up tempo, simple and repetitive
guitar riff, and ‘Whettin’ My Knife,’ which incorporates the band’s signature dirty
guitars and Carly’s defiant vocals with some simple piano and synth that sounds like
laser guns from a low-budget, 1960's science fiction film. Incidentally, outer space
inspired synth springs up on various tracks throughout the album.
Most of the tracks on ‘Texa$ Platinum’ are blues heavy
though. ‘Strychnine in My Lemonade,’ combines a bluesy bassline and up-tempo
boogie style drumming with some crunchy guitar work for a blues rock feel. ‘Bunny
Run,’ is tinged with bluegrass and ‘Triple Full Moon,’ is punk rock infused hillbilly
blues. Blues rock is The Ghost Wolves bread and butter and they know how to
serve it up every which way. The band has a sense of fun too, and their jovial
style and blues country twang remind me of another American rock band, Southern
Culture on the Skids.
Carley’s southern drawl and ‘heavy on the twang’, crunchy
guitar riff coupled with Jonny’s easy going, pounding blues drumming make ‘Shouldn’t
Have Lied’ the stand out track on the album. They could be channelling The
White Stripes here, and they do it superbly. It’s a dramatic, impossibly cool
number on which Jonny’s drumming shines.
The Ghost Wolves are an awesome punk rock band
with a knack for a multitude of blues styles. With ‘Texa$ Platinum’ they have
fused them all together to make one fine psychobilly album. It’s fun and it
freaking rocks! ‘Texa$ Platinum’ will be on high rotation at my house for some
time to come.
2017 12 songs Length: 37:08 Available to buy from Bandcamp
Aye Nako are a four-piece pop-punk rock band from Brooklyn, New York. Self-described as a ‘queer punk band,’ Aye Nako write sad punk songs about being queer, trans and black. Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Mars Dixon, bassist Joe McCann, guitarist Jade Payne, and drummer Sheena McGrath, the band formed in 2008 and self-released their first album, ‘Unleash Yourself’ in 2013. They followed up with the EP, ‘The Blackest Eye,’ in 2015, released through Don Giovanni Records. Their new album, ‘Silver Haze,’ is a fuzzed-out, melodic expression of what it’s like to be queer, black and American.
Aye Nako’s identity as a trans band of colour is central to their art. Payne and Dixon identify as people of colour, while Dixon and McCann identify as trans or multi-gender. Their songs are political, exploring the experiences of LGBTQ people in the punk/indie rock scene; a scene that is predominantly male, white and cisgender.
Opening track ‘Sissy’ begins with the screech of dissonant guitars and a classic punk sound. Dixon’s vocal style is reminiscent of Mac McCaughan from Superchunk, desperately emotive. ‘Tell me what I need to stay safe on the streets,’ he sings, ‘spit in my face.’ These words evoke experiences of public displays of vitriol that must be far too common in Dixon’s world. Dixon’s anguish is laid bare, ‘I want to see you suffer like me,’ he wails on ‘Spare Me’.
Swirling, fuzzy guitars and a solid rhythm of bass and drums are a constant throughout the album. Dixon and Payne are a vocal tag team, a first for Aye Nako, as Dixon was previously the sole songwriter and lead vocalist. Although the themes are no less melancholy, Payne’s songs have a softer edge brought about by her more melodious voice. It works gorgeously with the crunching guitars and twanging bassline on ‘Particle Mace,’ and similarly on ‘Arrow Island.’
A lament about a broken, toxic relationship; ‘Half Dome’ begins in a similar way to ‘Sissy,’ with abrasive guitars that then give way to an up-tempo, 1990’s indie rock infused riff and the melodic voice of Payne. Sonic Youth’s ‘Daydream Nation’ also springs to mind here. ‘Nightcrawler’ could be a Speedy Ortiz song, although this is not surprising given the bands’ ongoing association with each other.
On a typical freezing cold night in Ballarat (although it probably shouldn’t be typical for May), I threw on my coat and scarf and headed down to Karova Lounge; ‘The Rat’s’ most notable, long running venue for live music. Ali Barter was playing in support of her recently released, debut album ‘A Suitable Girl’.
It was a large crowd, the majority of which were young women, some proudly donning their newly purchased Ali Barter t-shirts. Says Barter of making the album, ‘I was writing all these songs and realising all these songs were kind of about me finding my place, learning acceptance, being angry, being a girl, and being OK with that. All the stuff that is growing up’ (Triple J).It goes without saying that Barter’s fan base would largely consist of young women. They chatted excitedly and took selfies in front of the stage as they waited for Barter and her band to complete their sound check. They seemed genuinely excited and their adoration of Barter was apparent.
Barter took the stage with her guitar and her band; a guitarist, bassist and drummer. They began reserved, but loosened up after the first few songs. Barter was composed and played well. She has a 1990’s indie rock sound with a girlish voice, reminiscent of bands like Veruca Salt and The Juliana Hatfield Three. The band played well together and seemed to genuinely enjoy playing with each other. They connected well, exchanging knowing glances, raised eyebrows, silly faces and wide smiles throughout the gig. They seemed to feed off the energy of the crowd, and became more playful as the gig went on and the crowd expressed their enjoyment. There wasn’t a great deal of chatter from Barter. The band for the most part belted out song after song, although Barter started to get a little more talkative, cheeky too, as the night went on.
Barter was backed by tight drumming, swirling guitars and strong bass lines. There was some real rock and roll guitar playing with some fancy licks from her guitarist, especially towards the end when the band started to really get into it. Barter’s voice was strong and accomplished. She seemed to really enjoy playing for the crowd, but also for herself and with the band, and really connected with her songs. There was a lot of loud chitchat from the crowd at the front, but Barter didn’t seem to notice. If she did, she didn’t care.
Photo by Tara Driscoll
The band left the stage at one point and Barter played a few songs on her own. Stripped back, slow, melancholy numbers that really showcased the beauty of Barter’s voice and her control over it. These songs reminded me of the Adalita gig I had attended here, at Karova Lounge, in 2011. She took the opportunity to bond with the crowd by telling a personal story about her professional journey, which endeared her to them even more. The band rejoined Barter on stage for the remainder of the gig, rocking out harder than before. They played the album’s catchy and explosive single ‘Cigarette’ and the crowd enthusiastically began shouting along, which spurred Barter and the band on even further. They performed a well-executed version of the Weezer classic, ‘Say it Ain’t So,’ before ending with Barter’s 2016 hit single ‘Girlie Bits’, to which she encouraged the crowd to sing along and forgot the words herself. It didn’t matter though; Barter and the band were having fun and the crowd were loving it.
Ali Barter and her band played a solid gig. They had notable onstage chemistry and the band’s admiration for Barter was glaringly obvious. It’s unsurprising really, given how talented and likeable Barter is. ‘I’m hanging around for a drink,’ she said before leaving the stage. ‘Come and say hi.’ As I was leaving, I saw Barter surrounded by excited young girls and I thought that was nice. I’m glad I braved the cold to catch Ali Barter’s gig. I felt a little less cold on the trip home.
2017 6 songs Length: 19:44 Available to buy from Bandcamp The Gray Vines are a two-piece alternative rock band based in New Jersey. With Jake Hoffman on guitar and lead vocals, and Jill Deegan on bass; the duo boast a post-grunge sound that incorporates elements of power pop, post-punk and glam rock, while tipping their hat to their musical influences.
Their debut self-titled debut EP is explosive, energetic and raw with an overarching power pop sound. Produced by Marc Swersky, a two time Grammy winner who has previously worked with such artists as Joe Cocker and Roger Daltry; it was recorded at Shorefire Recording Studios in Long Branch, New Jersey over five days.
‘Walkin’ On’ combines a power pop chorus with post-punk swagger. Hoffman exudes self-assurance, both with his guitar playing and vocally, spitting out lyrics with Iggy Pop attitude. Deegan adds a robust, fuzzy bassline to the mix.
‘Dear Friend’ is unadulterated power pop a la The Posies. With its strong melody, striking guitar riffs and uplifting vocal harmonies, it is perfectly executed.
‘Just to You,’ is the EP’s catchy debut single (you can check out the video below). It kicks off with a dirty bassline and Hoffman’s compelling vocals, before the interjection of crisp guitar chords and then a catchy power pop chorus. Deegan’s backing vocals harmonise nicely with Hoffman’s and the heavy guitar; particularly throughout the bridge, which again is another exquisite example of power pop at its finest.
‘Do You,’ is a catchy, pop rock number with dirty guitars that hints at psychedelic, space rock. Personally, I would love to see The Gray Vines explore the space rock sound further.
The band wear their influences on their sleeve at times. Steeped in glam rock charm, ‘Silver Moon’ encompasses an elongated, wistful, wah guitar sound that is unmistakably 1970’s Bowie. ‘Turn Around’ could be a Queens of the Stone Age song. The power chord progressions, crunchy guitars, booming percussion; Hoffman even sings like Josh Homme.
The Gray Vines is a strong debut from an accomplished band. Both Deegan and Hoffman are clearly very talented musicians with a grasp on a variety of rock music genres. The band nail every style they try their hand at on this EP. As they continue to make music and evolve their sound, I think we can expect some very exciting things to come from The Gray Vines.
