Friday Music: Fickle Rock

One of the good things about seeing Courtney Barnett playing Laneway this week (see Jackson's Capture post for great photos – and various reviews in the comments) was hearing songs from her forthcoming album (see the Rolling Stone story here). And lo, we haven't had to wait long for a more enduring taste, with the release of the video for the first single, 'Pedestrian at Best', a song about the fleeting nature of critical fame.

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I tweeted this last week, but it's worth highlighting here too: Simon Grigg's Trawling through the crates – the lost record stores of inner Auckland for Audioculture is a great, and nicely illustrated, tour of places that used to be.

See also John Dix's Strangers on the Shore, a look at musical immigrants, from jazzman Bob Gilett to madman Jaz Coleman.

And separately, a profile of Thai-born Simon Kong, a largely unheralded player n New Zealand's dance culture.

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This is very cool. Auckland vinyl collector Kris Holmes has posted a mix compiled from his collection of gospel 7" singles. It's a lovely listen:

I Won't Have To Cry - A Deep Gospel 45s Mix by Kris_Holmes on Mixcloud

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Another week, another impressive young woman from Christchurch representing on TheAudience. This time it's 17 year-old Maya Payne and this is quite a track.

Also, in "can't post this right now" news, Anthonie Tonnon has a nice new tune coming. 'Water Underground' is the fruit of his relationship with the Pittsburgh label Wild Kindness, which is premiering the track overnight. I'll add the embed when it goes public this weekend.

Finally, I've been asked to DJ in the dance tent next Sunday, the 8th, at the 2015 Big Gay Out and I am delighted both to be part of an event that always makes me proud to be a Point Chevalian, and at the prospect of busting out some Big Gay Tunes. Not sure exactly what time I'm on yet, but I'll let you know next week.

It's highly likely that this will get a spin ...

And just to celebrate, I've put that up as a big-ass WAV download (90MB!) for today only (I should really ask Bobby, but it's just a few hours and hopefully he'll approve of the purpose). Right-click here, save-as and dance like a whole tent full of people are watching and you just don't care.

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Ken Double, 12:45 Jan 30, 2015

Looks like Ms Barnett has worked out that irony doesn't have to mean detachment. She sounds almost pissed off. And her band sounds pissed off too. Cool!

Wellington • Since Dec 2012 • 119 posts Report

Russell Brown, in reply to Ken Double, 12:47 Jan 30, 2015

Looks like Ms Barnett has worked out that irony doesn’t have to mean detachment. She sounds almost pissed off. And her band sounds pissed off too. Cool!

She sounded really pissed off when they played that one at Laneway.

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

Dave Patrick, 13:32 Jan 30, 2015

I can attest to Robin Lambert's skill as a salesman in Sounds Unlimited - I would walk in, he'd recognise me, suggest 2 or 3 new arrivals to listen to, and I would inevitably leave with what I'd been intending to buy AND the 2 or 3 he'd played for me. I was only ever a weekly visitor, but he still knew who I was when I went in there - it was almost like having your own personal record buyer.

Rangiora, Te Wai Pounamu • Since Nov 2006 • 261 posts Report

Alan Perrott, 15:24 Jan 30, 2015

nice link to Kris - he does the Lord's work, no pun etc.

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report

kiwicmc, 20:24 Jan 30, 2015

I'd like to give a shout out for Colin at Revival Records in Victoria Street. Passed many an hour there after uni in the '80s before getting a bus back to the cultural wasteland of the North Shore. A lovely bloke who kept a small selection of rarities under the counter for the regulars...

Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2008 • 88 posts Report

kiwicmc, in reply to kiwicmc, 20:40 Jan 30, 2015

The article says late 80's but it must have been open in 1980 as I was living at home in first year of uni.

Ian Dalziel, 07:09 Jan 31, 2015

the Vinyl Countdown...

Auckland Record Shops

I can remember trundling round many of these on a monthly basis dropping off Rip It Ups - after spending the preceding week chasing some of them for ad copy, Robin Lambert was usually last and usually complicated with dense type, then I'd to finally have to go through and cross out the full price on all the import bargains with letraset lines - fiddly and irksome late at night - but now I can look back and laugh - ha ha ha... oh the Eighties.... - I still miss that battered tofu dish from Dominos, though - I've never found its equal again...

Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

Russell Brown, 11:29 Jan 31, 2015

I noticed this a bit late for the blog, but this story of the pursuit of Billie Holiday, adapted from Johann Hari’s book Chasing The Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs , is a shocking and still relevant read. I will have to find this book.

andin, 12:41 Jan 31, 2015

" mongrel music made up of European, Caribbean and African echoes, all mating on American shores."
Sounds like musical heaven to me, but Gunslinger sez it was "musical anarchy and evidence of a recurrence of the primitive impulses"
Looks like a good read, if depressing in a wider sense.
How much longer will the suited lunatics run the asylum. Until its a burned out shell? and a wealthy few sit in gated comfort.
Won't matter then will it!

raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report

Mike O'Connell, in reply to Russell Brown, 13:31 Jan 31, 2015

Should be easy enough to track down. I had a quick check and Chc Library has 4 copies - all being read btw.

Shocking stuff and I was reminded of Strange Fruit and dug around a little and found some articles. This one Strange Fruit is still a song for today references of course the poem (by Abel Meeropol) turned into the famous song. Here's an extract from that:

The horrible truth is that in parts of the south in the early 20th century, the hanging of black people in public was a family occasion; lynching was part of the social fabric.

Family occasion!? Not too dissimilar really from the 'thrill' the public attending public executions which are taking place, both illegally (ie lynching) and state-sanctioned, in certain parts of the world currently. And in similar vein, there's this extract in Strange Fruit: the first great protest song from Dorian Lynskey, his book 33 Revolutions Per Minute, his history of protest songs,

...she begins her final number.
"Southern trees bear a strange fruit." This, you think, isn't your usual lovey-dovey stuff. "Blood on the leaves and blood at the root." What is this? "Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze." Lynching? It's a song about lynching? The chatter from the tables dries up. Every eye in the room is on the singer, every ear on the song. After the last word – a long, abruptly severed cry of "crop" – the whole room snaps to black. When the house lights go up, she's gone.

Another book I must seek out.

Here's a live b/w recording of Strange Fruit

Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 385 posts Report

Russell Brown, in reply to Mike O'Connell, 15:41 Jan 31, 2015

Should be easy enough to track down. I had a quick check and Chc Library has 4 copies – all being read btw

Reading it on my iPad already :-)

TracyMac, 16:11 Jan 31, 2015

Love the Aretha. One of my favourite tracks of hers, and that's a great remix.

Canberra, West Island • Since Nov 2006 • 701 posts Report

Ian Dalziel, 16:33 Jan 31, 2015

Press One for Accounts...

If you're thinking of using Neil Finn's music as your company's hold tune, think again.
The Kiwi recording artist this morning tweeted his disdain for such use of his songs: "I'm ready to fight against the use of my songs for customer service hold music."

I'm guessing Neil Finn phoned vodafone,
I wonder if Bic Runga has lately?

I often wonder who compiles the sounds for the Stanmore Rd New World in Chchch it doesn't sound like a muzak package, more like an ipod playlist...

Ian Dalziel, 16:41 Jan 31, 2015

Searching for the god particle...
...while you are in Stanmore Road there is a neat exhibition at the Linwood Community Arts Centre's Eastside Gallery (cnr Worcester St).
works by Michael Springer
...some pieces are painted on slate from St Lukes church roof
i got triggers of messrs H. Bosch and H.P. Lovecraft,
frissons even...

Ben Austin, in reply to Russell Brown, 23:28 Feb 2, 2015

Hari was just interviewed on John Safran’s first 2015 Sunday night show on Triple J, on his new book.

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/safran/

London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report

Hard News by Russell Brown

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