The Flaming Lips - She Don't Use Jelly

The Flaming Lips have been making quirky indie music for years. They have released some challenging music in their time but nothing ordinary... there is always something interesting happening. They even released an album containing 4 CD's to be played on different CD players simultaneously... I not sure if many critics heard it the way it was supposed to be heard and I guess it wasn't a big seller. But that is what they are about. However, they perfected their sound and eventually crossed over to a larger audience with the 1999 album "The Soft Bulletin" and they've never looked back. "She Don't Use Jelly" was a college radio/indie hit and came out in 1993, a lot earlier than the breakthrough album.... but they were not able to cash in on it, other than critical acclaim for the follow-up album a couple of years later. Check out Wayne Coyne with orange hair in the video below.

Sarah Blasko - "All I Want"

Australian singer songwriter Sarah Blasko has been an artist I have known about for quite some time, but I never stopped and listened. In fact, I wasn't even aware that her second album was recorded in Auckland at Neil Finn's Roundhead Studio.... until now. My sudden interest in her was after I heard a 'Presets' remix of "Hold On My Heart" and couldn't stop playing it. I love her sweet vocals that enhance this spaghetti western styled song beautifully. I'm glad I stopped and listened this time.

Johnny Cash - "Hurt"

I don't really need to write much about this because it has all been said before. It is consistently on the top of "The Best Cover Versions" lists and I can't disagree at all. You would have thought this 'Nine Inch Nails' song was written for Johnny Cash and he does make it his own. The video is as haunting as it is sad. You can feel the pain....

K'naan - "Take a Minute"

Somalian rap artist K'naan released his third album "Troubadour" last year and this is where I jumped on board the K'naan fan bus. The first time I heard "Take a Minute" I was hooked. It has some great lyrics including the following lines..
"How did Mandela get the will to surpass the everyday
When injustice had him caged and trapped in every way?
How did Gandhi ever withstand the hunger strikes and all?
Didn't do it to gain power or money if I recall"

Enjoy it now before the masses catch on....

This Mortal Coil - "Song to the Siren"

This Tim Buckley cover by 'This Mortal Coil' was released in 1983 and brought a renewed interest in Tim Buckley nearly 10 years after his death. I was one of the many that had discovered Tim Buckley for the first time, after the release of this song. I have to admit I never really became a huge fan but I appreciated his unique style of singing. However, I did love the similar, if a bit more refined, vocal style of his son Jeff Buckley. This version of "Song To The Siren" doesn't try to re-invent it at all. It is as sparse as the original and I'm thankful they didn't over produce it like just about everything from the 80's. The vocal performance from Elizabeth Fraser of the 'Cocteau Twins' is exactly what we would have expected from her.... second to none. Better than the original, in my opinion.

House Of Love -"Beatles And The Stones"

It isn't that common to hear about the Beatles and the Stones with the same passion. It seems that in the 60's the music loving people were split into two camps.... the Beatles camp and the Stones camp. However, in reality I'm sure there was a large number on both sides, along with Guy Chadwick of 'House of Love'. It's hard to believe anyone would be so picky when you have the riches of these two bands at their peak. "Beatles and the Stones" is as simple as it sounds... reminiscing about being young and listening to your favourite bands. "The Beatles and the Stones, made it good to be alone".... says it all really.

Gram Parsons - "Brass Buttons"

I was talking to a friend recently about the re-release of the Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street" album. He is a big Stones fan and was a bit disappointed with the unreleased songs and in his opinion, they haven't really got much in the way of unfinished or unreleased material left in the vaults. The interesting fact that came out of the conversation was that Gram Parsons was one of the many people who passed through the house they were renting and recording the album at. So instead of having a Stones song, which I had in mind when I started this blog, I have now decided on a Gram Parsons song instead. I first heard "Brass Buttons" on a Lemonheads album and at the time I didn't realise it was a cover. I soon found out about the original artist and enjoyed discovering more of the Gram Parsons catalogue. His story is a tragic one, like many of that era, in that he died much too soon.... that was in 1973 and he has been very influential to many artists, to this day. He was also an early member of the Byrds, as well as a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers before going solo. This song is from his 'Grievous Angel' album and it is probably the best place to start.

Grandaddy - "Now It's On"

This was the first song officially played on Bitter FM... for the obvious reason of the title but also because it is such a great song by a great band. By the way, the second song played on Bitter FM was "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by Iggy Pop and the reason was nothing to do with the title. Grandaddy formed in 1992 and are from Modesto in California. They look like your typical bearded band but are not folky like a lot of the bearded bands of today. This song is as quirky as most of their material but very accessible and I've always wondered why they never found a larger audience. "Now It's On" is from their fourth album 'Sumday'.

Calexico - "The Ballad of Cable Hogue"

'Calexico' started as a side project for 'Giant Sand' members Joey Burns and John Convertino and probably became bigger than the original band. They have a spaghetti western sound that Ennio Morricone would be proud of. "The Ballad of Cable Hogue" is their masterpiece and also features Marianne Dissard on vocals (in French) just to add to its charm.

The Electric Confectionaires - "Piece Of My Heart"

The Electric Confectionaires are another band from Devonport on the North Shore of Auckland. They have been gaining a following and are definitely exceeding their expectations after winning the Smokefree Rockquest in 2005. "Piece of my heart" is a great slice of rock with a vintage sound, while sounding refreshingly modern at the same time..... doesn't make any sense at all, I know.. so take a listen and decide for yourself. One thing is for sure... we'll all agree that it is a great song,

Woolshed Sessions - "Stringing Me Along"

We were lucky enough to have Jess Chambers play in Taupo tonight and she was absolutely fantastic. It was an acoustic set accompanied by fellow Woolshed Session member Peter Hill on guitar and mandolin. I have never managed to see the Woolshed Sessions live so this concert was never going to be missed. The self titled album by the Woolshed Sessions was a highlight of 2008 and I have to admit that the 2 songs I loved the most were both Jess Chambers' songs... particularly this one. "Stringing Me Along" is such a beautiful song. The theme is actually quite sad, with the protagonist happy to be treated badly and strung along, rather than having no attention at all... but it is such a catchy and beautifully sung song that the sadness of the situation is easily forgotten. Sad and beautiful at the same time.

One eskimO - "Astronauts"

I don't know too much about One EskimO at all... except that they are from London and they play the sort of music to wind down to after a hard days work. They definitely aren't a party band.... more for the chill out session at 3am. They could probably fit in with the Snow Patrol type of crowd but they wont be heard at a BBQ you attend next summer. "Astronauts" is a perfect piano based ballad that you have to hear and luckily didn't slip under the Bitter FM radar.

The Love Me Nots - "Move In Tight"

Phoenix band 'The Love Me Nots' play a brand of surf rock or also described as 60's garage rock. "Move In Tight" is from their debut album 'In Black and White' which was recorded in Detroit by Jim Diamond, who has recorded Detroit superstars 'The White Stripes' amongst others. This song is a farfisa driven, reverb heavy, sonic blast with more fuzz than Scotland Yard. And, oh so sexy to (go-go) boot!

Sonic Youth - "Superstar"

The Greatest 'Carpenters' cover ever! It was not a surprise at all when 'Sonic Youth' came up with the highlight of the Carpenters tribute album "If I were a Carpenter" back in 1994 because it was well known that they were fans..... due to the song "Tunic (Song For Karen)" which was about Karen Carpenter, from their 1990 album "Goo".
"Superstar" is miles away from the original. It is a haunting version and has a real Sparklehorse-like atmosphere about it. I hardly played the other songs on the tribute album and I can't even remember most of the artists involved... but this song has stayed with me ever since.

Karen Elson - "The Ghost Who Walks" (Live Acoustic)

I've got a question for you... Should actors and supermodels stick with acting and modeling and leave the music to the musicians? Well, my answer would be Yes and No respectively. "Yes" because every actor seems to be a wannabe singer but not too many of them are memorable at all. I suppose you could argue that Bonnie Prince Billy and Jenny Lewis are two examples of actors that are now very good and well respected singer/songwriters and I cannot disagree there. However, how serious were they about acting anyway. As far as I know they haven't ventured back into it. On a lesser note, you could also argue that Scarlett Johansson, Juliette Lewis and Zooey Deschanel (She & Him) have some credibility and there may be something there.... But I'm still not completely convinced. I'm not too sure about Juliette Lewis, but in the cases of Scarlett and Zooey, their musical projects have been in collaboration with well respected musicians... so they haven't been true solo projects, in that respect. Now for my No answer. "No" because when it comes to supermodels, I only know of two of them that sing... and they are both great. Karen Elson and Carla Bruni are the supermodels I am talking about. Carla has released about three albums now. She is a true singer/songwriter with fans that didn't even know about her former life... until later on. Karen Elson is similar to Carla, except she is only just releasing her debut album. I do know she is good though, from the few recordings I have heard of hers. She also wrote all but one of the songs on the forthcoming album. The song that this blog was to be about is called "Coming Down" and was released on a compilation album put together by Michael Stipe of REM. It is fantastic and is played quite a lot on Bitter FM. Unfortunately I couldn't find a link to add it here and it isn't even on iTunes (NZ). Because she is consistently good, the song I have posted is excellent as well. It is the title track from her forthcoming debut album.
Updated. I've decided to add a comment here about the fact that she is Jack White's wife. I left that out of the blog because I didn't think it was relevant... but it could be seen as a similar reason to write her off, as I did with the actresses in the blog. However, I still maintain the view that she was a singer/songwriter before they met and she writes her own material. I welcome any comments though.

Plan B - "Mama"

Plan B has had a bit of an about -turn in his musical style, with the release of his new album 'The Defamation of Strickland Banks', where this time he sings with a little bit of rapping, where-as the previous album, he rapped with a little bit of singing. "Mama (Loves a Crackhead)" is from the previous album 'Who Needs Actions When You Got Words' and it created a lot of interest at the time. His style is a bit different to most rap artists by way of rapping with acoustic guitar. "Mama" borrows "I can't go for that" by Hall and Oates for its chorus. The version below (Jools Holland, yet again) is different to the studio version we play on air, but it shows us why he is now more of a singer. Going by this performance the change in style was inevitable.

Death In Vegas - "Dirge" (Later with Jools Holland)

Death In Vegas released "Dirge" as a single from The Contino Sessions album in 1999. I love this song for its simplicity and how they just build on a layered guitar riff to a mesmerizing climax. The lyrics consist of nothing but "La La La" over and over but it works so well. The vocalist is Dot Allison and she is superb in the live video of this song below... more so for her emotionless but captivating performance.

The Phoenix Foundation - "Buffalo"

"Buffalo" by Wellington band The Phoenix Foundation is the title track and first single from their new album. "Buffalo" has everything you expect from a Phoenix Foundation song.... great harmonies and slight changes of direction, from the slow intro to the atmospheric build up of the harmonies at the end. I haven't even mentioned the lyrics yet... it is about a Buffalo that roams on the Pacific Ocean floor. This is up there with the singles from the previous album, and probably their best so far 'Happy Ending'.

Mazzy Star - "Fade Into You"

Mazzy Star are a band from Santa Monica and consist of vocalist Hope Sandoval and some guy. They formed in the late 80's and only released 3 albums. "Fade Into You" is their greatest moment and they had a lot of great moments. It is from their second album 'So Tonight That I Might See' released in 1993. The album was a favourite of mine at the time and I could feel a Velvet Underground vibe all the way through it. "Fade Into You" is a country/folk/psychedelic/indie slow dreamy ballad that could easily be the soundtrack to a scene in a David Lynch movie... maybe somewhere in a vast desert. Oh, the guy's name is David Roback if you really need to know.

The Big Pink - "Dominos"

London band The Big Pink burst onto the scene last year with their stunning debut album 'A Brief History of Love'. It was on many "best of 2009" lists. They released quite a few singles from it but "Dominos" is the one I kept going back to and has been played the most on air, at this stage anyway. Dominos is a catchy synth-rock song with a chorus you can't shake.... It's the perfect combination of guitars and synths with a powerful industrial rhythm section. "These girls fall like dominos".... Fantastic!

Jan Hellriegel - "Under The Stars"

Late last year Jan Hellriegel released her new album 'All Grown Up'. It's been a long time between albums for Jan Hellriegel (about 14 years) and by the sounds of it, this one has been worth the wait. It explores quite a lot of subjects like getting older and broken relationships. Under the Stars is a great pop song and has her pouring her heart out... she isn't hiding any of her pain and longing here. As with a lot of break-up albums, she is sounding better than she ever has and it is great to get another album after all these years. I still have a cassette of one of her earlier bands 'Cassandra's Ears'. I couldn't part with it when I threw all my cassettes out and I haven't even got any way of playing it anymore. Hopefully it will be re-released again in a decent format... I will never think back fondly of cassettes... except that of the mixtape.

Fly My Pretties - "Singing In My Soul"

With the Erupt festival now on in Taupo and the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra playing again this year.... it seemed appropriate to have 'Singing in my Soul' on todays blog. The reason is that Age Prior, the singer and songwriter of this song, played as part of 'Fly My Pretties' is also a member of the Wellington Int Ukulele Orchestra. 'Singing in my Soul' is a beautiful acoustic song that I first heard on the first Fly My Pretties album 'Live at Bats' and is one of the highlights of the album, which also features members of the Black Seeds and the Phoenix Foundation, along with Hollie Smith and plenty of other guests. The original release of the album featured a DVD of the concert and is worth tracking down. It was originally on his debut album 'Homerecordings' released a few years before this version. He has released two more solo albums since. He is also a member of 'Woolshed Sessions' and they released their self titled debut album in 2008.

Home Brew - "Benefit"

Home Brew are a Kiwi Hip Hop Hop crew and have already released 3 EP's... but it was this song that brought them to my attention. It would have to be the funniest song I have heard since Flight of the Conchords released their 'The Distant Future' EP a couple of years ago. Benefit is a classic slice of Kiwiana that wouldn't travel overseas as well as the Conchords material has.... mainly due to the Kiwi references like the DPB and WINZ. The rhymes are clever and quickly delivered and at times sound a bit like Eminem with a Kiwi accent.

Tears For Fears - "Pale Shelter"

Today we have another 80's song but this time from a band that had a hell of a lot more commercial success than the Flying Nun bands from the previous blogs. I wouldn't say we play a lot of Tears For Fears on Bitter Fm..... however, this is one song of theirs that does get some airplay. It is from their debut album 'The Hurting' and is an acoustic driven gem of a pop song that still sounds great, except for the 80's reverb drum sound, which is a bit annoying. Although this was a bit of a hit at the time, it seems to be overlooked by commercial radio now and has become a bit of a lost classic.

Verlaines - "Death & the Maiden"

I've decided to stay with the Flying Nun theme today and this song is the quintessential Flying Nun Single... well, along with Pink Frost and Tally Ho, to name just a couple. The Verlaines formed in Dunedin in 1981 and they released "Death and the Maiden" in 1983. It has one of the best opening lines I've ever heard, which is.... " You're just too obscure for me" and they even released a 'best of' album with that as the title. They get their name from the French Poet Paul Verlaine and he is referenced in the chorus of this song.
Graeme Downes from the Verlaines is also a lecturer at Otago University. If Otago University ever needed to advertise for students (which is probably unlikely) this would be the perfect soundtrack for the advert... but then again, I don't think Graeme Downes would ever sell out... even to his employer.

Sneaky Feelings - "Husband House"

The Flying Nun label during the 80's and 90's changed the New Zealand musical landscape and introduced the so-called Dunedin sound to the world. It wasn't a huge worldwide audience, due to the largely primitive (or 4-track bedroom) recordings but it was a passionate one and very influential. In 1990 it was partly sold to Festival and through merges and take-overs it was fully owned by Warners at the time of its recent sale. That sale was to Roger Shepherd, the founder of the label. It has been left a little too idle over the years and I expect some respect will be brought back with Roger now running it again.... particularly the back catalogue.
Husband House by Sneaky Feelings came out in 1985 on Flying Nun and I clearly remember the first time I heard it. I was at my girlfriend's flat in Avondale. It was a Sunday evening and we were just on the couch chatting and then this song came on the radio (probably Radio Hauraki, which was unusual for them to be playing this but being a Sunday night could've been the reason) and for the next 4 minutes I didn't hear a word she said and I probably just nodded my head at the appropriate times, while I was taking this song in. I know it's not an interesting story but it was one of those moments when a song just made the surroundings disappear around me. I think I had the 12" Single/EP by the end of the week. It is still fantastic now and certainly has that Dunedin sound to it. Although, Sneaky Feelings were regarded by some, as Flying Nun outcasts.... not quite fitting in. Which was something, band member Matthew Bannister touched on in his book 'Positively George Street' which was published in 1999 and is probably at a library near you.

The Saints - "(I'm) Stranded"

Brisbane band 'The Saints' probably pre-dated most punk bands with this single from 1976 and although the band have basically existed ever since, mainly as Chris Bailey's vehicle after Ed Kuepper left in 1979, they will always be remembered for this song. (I'm) Stranded seemed to have as much in common with The Ramones as it did with the UK punk bands of the era. It was also very influential in the growing punk/new wave circles and they moved to the UK not long after its release. It still sounds raw now and I don't think I'll ever tire of it... considering it still gets played regularly on Bitter FM.

Serge Gainsbourg & Anna Karina - "Ne dis rien"

On the blog yesterday I mentioned that I was a Francophile, and any Bitter FM listener would definitely know that, and I have to thank them for putting up with my self indulgence there.... So the song today has to be a French song. I've decided on a classic. Most people would know of Serge Gainsbourg, I expect, or at least know the big hit he had in the 60's "Je t'aime.. moi non plus" which was banned or censored in several countries because of it's sexual nature... by way of simulated orgasm sounds from Jane Birkin, who later became his wife. The song I have chosen is another duet but this time with Anna Karina. Yet another beautiful actress that Serge sang with at that period of his career, Brigitte Bardot being another. "Ne dis rien" is from the "Anna" soundtrack album and has all the hallmarks of a Serge Gainsbourg classic. I believe the video below is from a TV special.




Someone on Youtube kindly translated the lyrics. So I've pasted them below.

Do not say anything, especially not say nothing I am
Say nothing, have no fear, no fear of me
Follow me to the end of the night
Until the end of my madness
Let the time, forget tomorrow
Forget all think about anything
Do not say anything, especially not say nothing I am
Say nothing, have no fear, no fear of me
Follow me to the end of the night
Until the end of my madness
Let the time, forget tomorrow
Forget all think about anything

The Postmarks - "No one said this would be easy" (2009)

This song was my first introduction to The Postmarks and I was sure they were another French band singing in English. I'm very much a Francophile when it comes to music and The Postmarks fulfill my needs with their grand cinematic arrangements along with the whisper vocals of singer Tim Yehezkely. They are actually from Florida and just like another American artist,' April March' it is hard to believe they are not from Europe. 'No one said this would be easy' starts with a sweeping orchestral intro that could be from a 60's spy movie.... and then there is the voice. Enough said, I think.... have a listen for yourself.

Darcy Clay - "Jesus I was Evil"

Continuing on with the NZ Music Month theme, today's song is 'Jesus I was Evil' by Darcy Clay. This song came out in 1997 and was a big hit with the b-net university radio stations and later crossed over to a slightly bigger audience. It was from an EP of the same name , which he recorded himself on a 4-track recorder at home. It has one of the greatest lines in a rock song.... "I never shook babies, I never beat no ladies, but Jesus I was evil"
It was such a loss of a talented musician so early in his career, when he took his own life a year later. We do have this song to remember him by, so let's enjoy it again and again and try not to think about what could have been.

Lawrence Arabia "Apple Pie Bed"

It's the first day of New Zealand Music Month... so it is probably best to celebrate that with a kiwi artist that is creating a bit of interest at the moment here and elsewhere. Lawrence Arabia aka James Milne was part of the Reduction Agents, which have had a couple of songs played regularly on Bitter FM and has released two albums under the Lawrence Arabia banner. The latest one 'Chant Darling' just recently won the inaugural Taite Music prize (which is probably the NZ version of the Mercury Music Prize in the UK and is named after the late Dylan Taite, who was a well respected music journalist here in NZ). The first single, which is the song this blog is about 'Apple Pie Bed' also won the APRA Silver Scroll Award, an annual award for songwriting achievement. The song itself is the type of song you can't get out of your head. It's a classic pop song with a quirkiness that keeps the commercial radio programmers away but music lovers interested.