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Tripple J Vault to go!

September 30th 2008 13:53
REVIEW |

Live at the Wireless | from the vaults |
VOLUME 2




As a community radio broadcaster, and the music library coordinator for the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) for five years I never imagined Silverchair and The Herd would be likely to end up on the same compilation CD, and yet here they are.


I'm not a big fan of the Silverchair lads, I like the music but I think the band are a bunch of arseholes (because) I appeared as an actor in their film clip for Emotion Sickness a few years back, and got fully ripped off, they never paid me, they didn't even provide me with a copy of the finished video which was a promise that they'd made... so I consider them quite cheap nasty abusive users.

I do like The Herd a great deal, and would happily appear in a video for them and I wouldn't care if I were paid or not because, that's how much I enjoy what they've brought to the table as far as new Australian music is concerned.

I have decided it's the mark of a good compilation album to have tracks that I wouldn't usually listen to getting played as I figure out what I'm going to say about it. This Tripple J compilation is the follow up to Volume One... and it's a good overview of the sort of music Tripple J does best; live recordings of in-house broadcasts or special concert gigs set up by the national youth broadcaster.


The range of material on this album is fun to listen to without seeming it's a paint by numbers glimpse of recent Aussie music; in fact it's not all Aussie music, which is also pretty cool and some of it is not so recent. The Ramones (from the 1980's), Iggy and the Stooges (2006), Xavier Rudd (2004) all have a moment on the album, and there is some doubling up on the special DVD that's part of the pack. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings is an inspired inclusion and brings the decidedly harsher energy of the opening tracks down enough to be ready for Josh Pyke directly after her.

Obviously the production values are tops on this compilation, after all these are recordings in a radio station studio or by hot producers who work in the same, and there's a strong feeling of it being live, which I love. It's something to do with the way the sound is resonating, the artists are breathing, the words are rich with vibrant now-ness...

Until the aforementioned Josh Pyke more or less makes a bit of a dick out of the situation by announcing that it's "Tripple J's Live on the Wireless", d'oh.. yeah.. right?

I like Josh Pyke, but only when he sings, so again it's kind of amusing to have to think twice for a moment.. like, I'm listening to a CD eh? NOT the wireless... but again, he sings so well I'll forgive his mild outburst of stating the bleeding obvious because Memories and Dust is one of my favorite songs out of the Pyke songbook, and Josh himself is not responsible for leaving the random announcement on the CD.

1981 at the Governors Pleasure, and The Sunnyboys start to lick their steel electrics and shine up the twangy sounds that kept them buoyant for the best part of that decade. I love the way some of these tracks separated by a couple of decades vibrate out of the speakers and seem like it's all the same big, amazing gig. The Kaiser Chiefs get the crowds roaring live at The Forum, then there's N.E.R.D. at The Enmore being fabulous and letting the crowd ply the lyrics just as sharply as themselves. That's the really comfy element to the album, the audience are on the ball, be it 2000, 1981 or 2007 the lovers of great music over the decades here have maintained a pretty down with it attitude and they don't go to a concert for a dull time.

Consequently the album rocks with the best of them and really satisfies. I just wanted to mosh around the room saying Hell Yeah! which is fun if you have the right soundtrack, otherwise you may as well be sitting watching sing-a-long-Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and feeling like a dork.

I think this is a truly entertaining album, good for a house party, great for background music and quite fine for turning right up and just chilling out to.

Did I mention there's a DVD included? It is great. Better than great. It's something that is only going to get better as time goes on because eventually it will be what you listened to 'in the day' and it will connect you no matter how old you may be, with the spirit of the happy live presentation of groovy music.

It's a neat little package and I highly recommend you give it a spin.

David Jobling
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REVIEW | Risky Lunar Love

September 22nd 2008 04:19
Luke Milton’s
Risky Lunar Love

Directed by John Sheedy

Reviewed by Peter McGill



RISKY LUNAR LOVE
CarriageWorks’
Bay 20 theatre
limited season.

Risky Lunar Love is written by Luke Milton and made its' first appearance in 2002 as a university project in Perth. The concept is a musical theatre sci-fi extravaganza which involves a sex goddess from outer space who has a whole planet of Venus babes that need seeding. The goddess manipulates two rival earthbound sci-fi writers into being her donors but before she commits to either one she has to be sure that they are up to the task.

The show is risqué, with an 18 rating, funky, retro, sci-fi, and contemporary. While Milton’s script is pure unashamedly 50’s sci-fi B-grade movie the production design by Gypsy Taylor, who has worked on Moulin Rouge, is a blast fusion of 50’s retro kitsch with a neon contemporary vogue. It has twists and turns, astounding characters, and Rabelais-esque debauchery all over the place, all driven by the magical powers of a Tiki.

There is a potent sense of familiarity with the Rocky Horror Picture Show in the storyline as well as the stylized movement and choreography by John O’Connell who has also worked on Rocky Horror and Moulin Rouge.

A highlight of the production is the live original music. Brent Hill wrote the basis of the score then collaborated with Ross Johnston, from Machine Gun Fellatio. Together they worked on seventeen of the eighteen musical numbers. The band and the music are a dynamic powerhouse of auditory sensation. The musical virtuosity carries the action and adds to the funky flavour.

Director John Sheedy has melded these elements and realized a wacky, out-there, sexy, sci-fi romp which is trying hard to push the boundaries of musical theatre. The performers work well as an ensemble.

Risky Lunar Love is an exciting new Australian adult musical.

Peter McGill.


Risky Lunar Love
Writer Luke Milton
Director John Sheedy
Producer Oliver Wenn
Original Music Brent Hill
Musical Director Ross Johnson
Choreographer John O’Connell
Designer Gypsy Taylor
Cast
: Eliza Anderson, Don Christopher, Shannon Dooley, Ryan Gibson, Sheridan Harbridge,
David Hynes, Julia Ohannissian, Mark Pound, Emma Palmer, Nick Simpson Deeks, Lauren Rutherford, Melle Stewart, Lucy Taylor, Amy Usherwood, Sophie Webb.

Carriageworks Bay 20 Theatre

From Monday 15 September
15 September- 4 October
Media night Thursday 18 September
Tue - Fri & Sun 8pm, Sat 5pm & 9pm.
Preview Monday 15 September $29.00(Unreserved)
Function Nights 1 & 2- $35 Stalls & $45 Table (Unreserved)
A Reserve $45.00
B Reserve $30.00
Premium Reserve $55.00
Tables including food and wine service
Table $95 per head (min two persons)
Group of 4 $365
Group of 8 $720.00
Menu options available when booking
Bookings: ticketmaster.com.au or 1300 723 038



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REVIEW: The DC Vault

September 3rd 2008 13:32

The DC Vault
by Martin Pasko




Everywhere you look, on every surface imaginable one way or another there is an image from the world of DC Comics and that’s just the way they like it over at DC. This new book The DC Vault is a complete beauty as far as the art work and treasures it holds goes.

I’m a little skeptical about the ring-binder style of publication, it’s practical to a point but a little frustrating because you have to be quite careful with it; not as tear-proof as Superman’s cape. I guess that contributes to the sense of ownership and its special status as an interactive object. Obviously a book is an interactive object, but this one more so than the average because it contains a variety of awesome little treasures inside plastic slips; so in the act of reading the book, or even simply looking through it, one is tempted consistently to pull out each of the treasures and have a look. It’s something you unfold and avoid damaging. Speaking of the treasures I have to say I was a bit flabbergasted with delight.

Excellent objects such as: The No.1 Action Comics cover; great artwork. Spicy Detective cover, Passion Killer (1922); what a rare little hoot this is. Face down but searching up with her eyes, a woman bound at the wrists on a red rug with a dead match on the wooden floor. No wonder there was such a close watch on comics from the moral majority. Double Action Comics #2, Ashcan (January 1940) a great reproduction. A Batman Mask reproduction from 1943; cute as. Wonder Woman Button (May 1942) reproduced as a sticker, so you’ll have to decide yourself if you want to peel and stick it or not.

This is a collectors dream. A reproduction of original artwork by Joe Kubert (1976) with a deliciously devilish story referenced. A Wonder Woman Bookmark (1987); I love that the princess is saying reading is strength, and DC Moving Notice (1980) another fabulous plaything, wonderful artwork. Shazam Cellophane Button (1972) reproduced as a sticker; Shazam is Coming. It’s magnificent stuff with the freshest from the vault feeling you could hope for.

There’s a great insight into the whole DC Comics universe which means television and animation production as much as publishing comics. What a remarkable thing was The New Adventures of Wonder Woman in the 1970’s. Lynda Carter cut a fine figure, but possibly not as fine as Jenette Kahn the incoming manager in 1976 who led a shift in the entire comic industry between 1976 and 2004.

How much do people love the comic world of DC Comics? Plenty; for example when the publishers decided to create a story called Crisis where various planet Earths in the Multiverse are crashed together, and a range of super heroes are brought together onto one planet Earth it created a bridge for readers into the stories of characters they’d never considered to read. Some readers were annoyed by it, but others responded by publishing an index in two volumes of the whole thing. That’s love, dedication and wonder.

If you know little or nothing of this vast world, here in the Vault is the best place to start; highly informative and containing a beautiful reproduction of the History of the DC Universe Poster (1987) with everybody’s favourites all in one big group. For a considerable period of time there was censorship in cartoons in the form of the Comics Code and you had to publish outside the seal of the code if you wanted to publish horror or crime titles. Once the Time Warner merge happened in the late 1980’s DC Comics promised to pour many fine stories into the Hollywood machine…

The Batman Movie changed a great deal for Warner and DC as well as Michael Keaton who rode a few good lead roles on the dramatic trail after his moody portrayal. I personally will always love Jack as The Joker; a Joker for the time. Just as Karen Berger was clearly the woman to step up on the helm of new imprint Vertigo in 1993. Over the years from the start until now there have been some fine items left in the DC Vault, something to continue to treasure for every comic lover who will want this very much.


David Jobling

The DC Vault, published by Running Press, distributed by Bookwise International RRP$65.00 Available now in good bookstores.

dccomics.com
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LEONARD COHEN: I’M YOUR MAN

August 29th 2008 05:47
LEONARD COHEN: I’M YOUR MAN” is the motion picture soundtrack of a documentary and concert which was partly filmed in The Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House; the concert was part of Brett Sheey’s 2005 Sydney Festival, and it was called “Came So Far For Beauty”.




The performers included a diverse range of international artists including; Nick Cave, Martha Wainwright, The McGarrigle Sisters, Jarvis Cocker, Perla Batalla, the Handsome Family and Rufus Wainwright to name a few. The purpose of the concert and ultimately the documentary was to celebrate the work of singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen.

Hearing a variety of singers bring these poetically heart-stirring songs to life reminds us of the great abilities Leonard Cohen has expressed through his long career. The breadth and depth of the emotion is often carried along by a sweet combination of down beat rhythm and blues with the occasional relaxed departure into sweeping lounge tinted tango or moody country styled balladry.

Cohen himself sings with U2 on the final track of the album “Tower of song” and it lifts the spirit to hear this remarkable poet in his 70’s rock along with the best of them sounding more polished and confidant than ever.

It’s truly wonderful to revisit this cannon of work, and to be reminded of how stirring and inspirational words and music sometimes are; and perhaps most importantly how timeless a good song can be.

The CD doesn’t include every song that was featured in the original concert – nor every song that appeared in the movie, but that’s understandable given that the concert was three hours long – and it would be contentious to say these are the best moments of the program because everyone responds so differently to these songs; however it’s a musically tight act and you can feel the swells of emotion from the audience as they cheer and clap.

I love to hear a great live concert captured for posterity on a CD, and this is one definitely worth listening to again and again, even if you’ve never heard of Leonard Cohen or half of the singers on this album, you’re likely to feel quite passionate about “LEONARD COHEN: I’M YOUR MAN” it’s a cracker and a very welcome Release.

David Jobling
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Québec Review

July 23rd 2008 23:41
Putumayo presents Québec
Québec

The sheer enjoyment of listening to this sort of music can be a little infectious and you may find yourself seeking out some more material from the artists represented on the album. Putumayo have a vast catalogue of World Music releases; this album was created to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Québec, the only Canadian province whose official language is French. Québec’s local music scene is widely diverse and most definitely essential to the culture. Celebrated music festivals of the province include Montreal Jazz Festival, Les FrancoFolies and the Festival d’eté de Québec. The album has a predominantly acoustic sound and would suit easy listeners as much as French speakers. This is a compilation of polished performers such as two percussionist-singers DobaCaracol and laid back beautiful women, Marie-Annick Lépine, Myreille Bédard among others.



It’s the sort of thing you’d line up for during ant music festival (and be really pleased you did). The freshness and variety of the compilation is consistently relaxing and enjoyable to listen to. I’m not a great speaker of French so I’m oblivious to the content of the lyrics, although I find myself smiling quite a lot listening to the airy jolly sound of La Bottine Souriante a traditional Québécois band – wonderful music. It’s a re playable mini-festival with the tiniest touches here and there that suggest you may be sitting in a cosy Montreal club having a fabulously warm time.

David Jobling


48
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Cassingle is the new CD!

July 16th 2008 06:12
David McCormack


Cassingle
is the new CD release from David McCormack. It is something to nibble on whilst you are having a pre-dinner drink. Expect a full album later in 2008. And DON’T PANIC if you have NO IDEA how to create your own cassette from this CD, Jewel Case and (He)artwork – David has kindly supplied all the necessary instructions in the 10 How To Tips supplied. You might need to look up a dictionary under “cassette”. Others will fondly recall their first time recording a record to cassette many years ago.

The Cassingle is essentially a 6 track EP. And whilst McCormack has produced each track you will also hear that Wayne Conolly and “Master” Magoo have lent a hand here and there, as, well now old mates and cohorts to love to work together, even on the smaller projects. They too cannot help themselves but have something to nibble whilst having a pre dinner drink! New name to some, Wes Chew makes an appearance in the recording process.

First cab off the rank is the gorgeous I Don’t Even Know Where To Start With This Kind Of Music, an instant McCormack classic along the lines of Beck’s Sea Change. It is a hazy meditation on loneliness, music and the passing of time. Backed on this track by his long suffering backing group, The Polaroids and mixed by Magoo, McCormack’s rarely sounded better.

Next up we have two tracks recorded in one evening with a pick up band in Kings Cross. The song writing and the playing is wild and free, just the way we like it. Text Book and A.V.O. have to be heard to be believed. Track 4, Hey Lord sees McCormack entering into some quasi-religious material. Think Tom Waits catching a bus with the Flaming Lips and you’ll be about half way there. At last, the truth about fame and fortune, track 5 Rockstar.

We wrap the whole thing up with I Won’t Let You Down, a beautiful string soaked ballad that let’s us all know McCormack is still out there, singing the blues the way only a Brisbane boy can.

Watch out for the David McCormack Retrospective featuring songs from 1990 to 2008 including songs from the Cassingle in October.

Friday July 18th - The Brass Monkey, Cronulla

Tickets from the venue 02 9544 3844


Sunday July 20th - The Heritage Hotel, Wollongong

Tickets from the venue 02 4284 5884



Friday July 25th The Troubadour, Brisbane

Tickets from Oztix or 1300 762 545



Saturday July 26th - Joe's Waterhole, Eumundi
Tickets from the venue 07 5442 814 and Backbeat 07 5479 5115
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Tamam Shud

July 16th 2008 05:37
Tamam Shud



Goolutionites and the Real People

The words tamam shud are taken from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam and they mean: the very end. The band Tamam Shud were gigging around the East coast of Australia in the 1960’s and their music was heavily supported by film maker Paul Witzig who used much of their work in his ground breaking surf movie Evolution and others.



Newly released on CD for the first time Goolutionites and the Real People includes eight bonus tracks including tracks from the surf movie Morning of the Earth and a selection of live recordings from a gig at the Regent Theatre, South Yarra 1971.

The album is fresh and funky in so many ways. The line up over their relatively short life was: Lindsay Bjerre [gtr,vcls] 1967-72, Peter Barron [bs] 1967-72, Dannie Davidson [dr] 1967-70, Larry Duryea (aka Larry Taylor) [congas], Tim Gaze [gtr, vcls] 1970-2, Bobby Gebert [kbds] 1971, Richard Lockwood [sax, flute, clarinet] 1972, Nigel Macara [dr] 1970-72, Kevin Sinnott [dr] 1970, Kevin Stevenson [reeds] 1970, Alex 'Zac' Zytnic [gtr] 1967-70.

The band has obviously been influenced by 60’s musicians Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Doors and the whole San Francisco movement that discovered and popularized LSD, and their cover notes to this brilliant album aren’t afraid of saying so. Just one 76 minute session listening to Goolutionites and the Real People is likely to make you feel like you’re there, off your face and ready to hit the Uni Bar. It’s down right excellent!

Young cynics may hear it as music to destroy the planet by, but that’s not really the case. Australian youngsters in the 60’s and 70’s were just starting to protest against a lot of the darker things becoming obvious, including war, old growth forests, over population, the slaughter of whales and the mining of uranium… there were plenty of issues to protest against and a great willingness to create Australian experiences that were just as real and valid to the individual as the American or UK experience – thus – music that is honestly Australian but sounds like so many bands from far away in space and time. The lyrics are just as cutting now as they may have been back in the day – possibly more so because in so many ways this is a time capsule for Australian kids particularly to get a grip on what has come before them.



With so much diversity on the Australian music front these days, and the enormous influence of our multicultural society has had on the breaking out of new sounds it’s great to go back and hear something like this.

I highly recommend it to anyone who likes funky acid-rock with an authentic retro feel to it. One of the slickest and entertaining albums to come out for some time, Goolutionites and the Real People is a cracker!
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Sex and the City: The Movie
by Amy Sohn


Publisher: Headline
RRP: AUD $52.00


You didn't really think it would be just a movie did you? The glossy hard-back book of the film is a fun addition to anyones collection. It's a stylish picture version of the film with commentary from the various folk responsible for putting it all up on the big screen, so it will appeal to Sex and the City fans who want something more than just a singular trip out to see the movie. It also holds a reasonable amount of interest for writers of tele-plays or screenplays with its blow by blow description of what happens not only through the big screen film, but what preceded it in the series.

Thankfully the producers and marketers haven't gone the way of Aussie 'horn bags' Kath & Kim creating everything from oven mitts to tea towels... yet; one wonders if the SATC Movie sequel will appear in 2027 when the girls can be sexy at sixty... but that's another story and bottle of Vodka.

The book is as reasonably classy as the characters in the story - so some portions of it tend to look like an Ikea catalogue although I think this gives mere mortals an opportunity to cost out the lifestyle they'd love to have before laying their credit card on the table.

TV Series Producer HBO has an official website that will get you up to speed on where the main characters were at as the final televised program aired, and there's seemingly no end to the variety of sites on the web that offer opinion on the series; but If you'd rather curl up with a good book than stare at a screen, this is a must have. You can get the address of all your favorite locations (such as the Brooklyn Bridge or Starbucks) and scan a brief history of Carrie's hair!

Like any such dedicated tome, to some it will seem a complete waste of paper, time and money, to others it will be a proud addition to a large collection of DVD's, girls nights out and empty chocolate boxes. Be warned though, it does tell the story of the film so it contains 'spoilers', but then, everyone's seen the movie by now haven't they?

David Jobling
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Mamma Mia!


Review - Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack

Produced by Benny Andersson this is likely to give the movie soundtrack of Grease a run for it’s money in the popularity stakes. The lyrics may have changed here and there, however the drama and human verve of these songs is brought to life in a completely refreshing way with the likes of Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried and Meryl Streep belting out some of these brilliantly penned numbers.

Streep’s musical abilities have long impressed, indeed ever since her 'God Bless America' in The Deer Hunter and favorable performances in Ironweed with Jack Nicholson (the great depression in America and Streep sings magnificently) she's sung in Stuck on you and of course Postcards from the Edge where one of her songs was nominated for an Academy Award; needless to say hearing her giving the pop of ABBA some strength in this revitalized context is a welcomely sumptuous delight.

Meryl’s not alone either! I haven’t seen the movie as yet, but listening to the soundtrack certainly sets the mood. I missed Mamma Mia! On the stage so far as well, although the appeal of the musical has always been there I’ve simply never caught up with it. Now I’m enthused; particularly to hear these great tracks given some new life and depth.

In so many ways ABBA and Australia have had an on going love affair with songs hitting number one in Australia again and again. It’s a tribute to these songs that they have bore deep grooves in the culture of the country. So here they are again but with a fresh sound – the voices of actors telling the story of them. Good work. The whole album is outstanding with highlights: Mamma Mia, Our Last Summer (with Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, Amanda Seyfried & Streep). Check it out for yourself. You’ll find your own favorite I’m sure.

David Jobling
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Label in the Petri dish

July 9th 2008 00:19
Low Transit Industries
Distributed and manufactured by Inertia


Over all there’s an enjoyably gritty quality to plenty of this. It’s material from the darker side as much as the everyman position. Where it’s a fresh blossoming party sound full of fun and pretty colors it bounces along as well as anyone could on a flipsy dance floor of adventure.

Thalia Zedek's Adelaide show was picked as The Wire magazine’s top 60 Greatest Shows Ever! Talia has also played with with the likes of THE DEVASTATIONS, DINOSAUR JR. & MICK HARVEY. What more needs to be said?

Both Okkervil River and Sharko are acquired tastes, both compelling bands that will draw you in, be warned, this is like adopting a puppy. You’ll feel responsible for going out and keeping an eye if not only an ear on these two bands.

Goldrush is my personal favorite. I think I've enjoyed The Heart Is The Place more for it's fabulous arrangements and optimistic sheen; oh and the lyrics of the songs make me feel very well indeed.





Fonda 500 are a very up beat band giving the pulsing masses what they want in Europe and evidently cutting their teeth on 2 UK stadium tours as a support act; good work, good clean pop sound, energetic and party fun feeling.

Trans Am are a curiously hard sounding outfit shrouded in mystery, not the least due to the title of their Australian Only output Sex Change. Look out for Trans Am on tour. They’re bound to trail the country.

The Mendoza Line is a ten album strong, far reaching work out. New album 30 Year Low is also their last album and marks the end of band-mates Tim Bracy and Shannon McArdle’s marriage and artistic collaboration in the band. It’s a sweet sweet sound that puts me hovering somewhere over the wide plains where the musical accompaniment is excellent, as it is here.

Subaudible Hum have some great albums out; their rising harmonic sound combines some remarkable sound with dramatic classical moments feeling something like being swept away on a grand narrative of the airwaves.



New Pants, the biggest pop export to come out of China for ever is worth having a listen to. Low Transit Industries have been around for a few years and they've a brilliant track record of delivering excellent music from all over the world. Stuff that adds things like pep and zip and wow back into a life led surrounded by rather droll musak a lot of the time.

David Jobling
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