The Waifs - "London Still"

The Waifs are an Australian folk-pop band and their song "London Still" may be very 'Australian' when it comes to subject matter, but it resonates well with us Kiwis... regardless of the Australian accent. Any New Zealander that has been on an OE, and that is most of us, whether for a short time or years on end, have always made London the obvious base. We may be traditional rivals to Australians or the poor cousins from an Aussie point of view... but go to the other side of the world and we are best mates. "London still" is the phone call we have all made to our mate or family member... or it could possibly be a 'Dear John' phone call. Beautiful... fair dinkum!



"London Still" Lyrics

Wonder if you can pick up my accent on the phone
When I call across the country, when I call across the world
I see you in my kitchen, I can picture you now
As you toast to your small town when you drink the happy hour
I'm in London still
I'm in London still
I'm in London still

I took the tube over to Camden to wander around
I bought some funky records with that old Motown sound
And I miss you like my left arm that's been lost in a war
Today I dream of home and not of London anymore
But I'm in London still
I'm in London still
Yeah, I'm in London still

You know it's okay, I'm kinda happy here for now
I think I've finally grown up and got myself a lover now
If I ever come home, and I, I think I will
I hope you're gonna wanna hang at my place on Sunday still
Oh yeah I hope you will
'Cause I'm in London still

You know we got it sorted, yeah, we really got it down
To a fine art on Sunday in a sleepy Sunday town
I wonder what I'm missing, I think of songs I've never heard
I'm dreaming of your voices, oh and I'm dreaming of your herb
And I'm in London still
I'm in London still
I'm in London still

'Cause I'm in London still
La-la-la-la-la London still
I'm in London

Popstrangers - "What Else Could They Do"

Popstrangers are an Auckland band who have recently been signed to the resurrected Flying Nun label. Their latest single "What Else Could They Do" fits in with what a new Flying Nun band would expect to sound like. Noise/Pop similar to Bailter Space... but at the same time, they do sound very much like a current band.

Dum Dum Girls - "Coming Down"

This Los Angeles band named themselves after Talk Talk's "Dum Dum Girl" and possibly Iggy Pop's "Dum Dum Boys" track as well. In fact, whether it was Iggy Pop who started it or not, but Dum Dum is now common in musical culture... The Vaselines had an album 'Dum-Dum' which also may have played a part in the naming of this band. The Dum Dum Girls recently released album 'Only In Dreams' is a blend of 60's girl-group, garage rock, a little bit of shoegazer and some Mazzy Star added on the slower moment or two... "Coming Down" is an example of that. 'Only In Dreams' is a bit more polished than the debut album but with no compromises.
If you like indie pop and the 60's girl-group bands like The Shangri-Las... then this is for you.

Punches - "Hold Your Head"

The Arch Hill label's latest release is from Auckland duo Punches. The album 'Etheria' released last year features the swampy psych/rock single "Hold Your Head" that stays in your head after the first listen. The duo comprises of Kelly Sherrod (vocals/guitar) and James Duncan (guitar/vocals/bass)... both members of Dimmer and Pencils before that. They still managed to complete the album after Kelly Sherrod had relocated to Nashville. Click on the link below to listen and to download for free.

http://archhillrecordings.bandcamp.com/track/hold-your-head-free

Malty Media - "Bracken Bed"

Malty Media are a duo featuring Aquaboogie (Stuart McDonald) and Jet Jaguar (Michael Upton). They have released three EPs and they even had a regular show on Radio Active in Wellington. Their debut EP 'Bracken Bed' was an idea of bringing samples of their childhood memories into the songs they were creating. Bits from old TV shows and ads was the idea. They succeeded quite well, I think... especially on the title track which takes a Kiwi institution into the 21st century. They bravely take on the theme of 'Country Calendar'... a NZ television show that has been on air for more than 40 years. The original theme song is "Hillbilly Child" by the Alan Moorhouse Band... I bet you didn't know that?

Walk off the Earth - "Somebody That I Used to Know"

A lot of you may have seen this video or heard this cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" before but for those that haven't yet... you will be impressed. Much better than I was expecting. This is definitely not a pub band belting out a cover of a recent hit song.



The Original Gotye featuring Kimbra video

The Good Natured - "Be My Animal"

The Good Natured are an English synth/pop band led by Sarah McIntosh along with her brother Hamish and friend George Hinton. With only a few EPs and a couple of singles to their name they are in their infancy as a band. That said, the standard of the material released thus far is quite outstanding. The most recent single "Skeleton" is regularly seen on late night music channels here. Their first single "Be My Animal" has been played regularly in Bitter since it was released. Maybe 2012 could be the year for this band.

Cornershop - "Norwegian Wood"

Paul Ubana Jones played in Taupo tonight and one of the highlights was a highly-charged acoustic version of "Norwegian Wood" which lasted about 10 minutes. It was possibly the best version I have ever heard.... and there are many out there. Unfortunately I haven't found anything from him to add here. However, one such cover version that we do play on Bitter FM is from 'Cornershop' which is sung in the Punjabi language. It came as no surprise to find out that Cornershop had recorded a cover of "Norwegian Wood" because it was the first Beatles song featuring sitar, and possibly the first ever pop/rock song to feature the instrument. Cornershop have taken the sitar connection to the next level - and the result is exceptional.

The Smiths - "Well I Wonder"

This album track "Well I Wonder" from The Smiths' third album 'Meat is Murder' (yes, I acknowledge 'Hatful of Hollow' as their second album even though it includes out-takes etc. of previously released material) was a song that had strong performances from all four members. They were a tight and obviously talented four-piece but on "Well I Wonder" the bass from Andy Rourke is stunning, the drum sound from Mike Joyce is great considering this was the mid 80's and Morrissey's vocals were, well, as good as was to be expected from him. But the shining light here was Johnny Marr's acoustic guitar. Fucking brilliant.... sorry, but just brilliant doesn't do it justice. The Smiths were not around for long but they left a legacy that has not been repeated since. If you don't own a Smiths album and you are a little curious to start somewhere... I suggest you buy.... ALL OF THEM.

Henry Mancini - "The Pink Panther Theme" (Malibu Remix)

The usual story, I've been getting behind on these daily song blog posts and sometimes I don't have the time. I put at least a few minutes in with the previous 'Ryan Adams' post. But this one is going to be another "here's a video of a song I like." We all know the song and I hope you like this version of it as much as I do.

Ryan Adams - "Firecracker"

Ryan Adams' first three solo albums, after 'Whiskeytown' disbanded, were nothing short of genius. He had a few stumbles thereafter but I have to say that considering his output, sometimes two double albums in a year, his standard is definitely high. His second album 'Gold' was just about as brilliant as his debut 'Heartbreaker' but it's hard to better a masterpiece. I could have chosen one of many songs from 'Gold' for this post, in fact, "Nobody Girl" is something special but at nearly 10 minutes it doesn't work so well here. Although, I've got no problem playing it in full on Bitter FM because editing is what they do do in the studio... not at the radio station. I chose "Firecracker" because.... well, there are too many reasons. The harmonica is one, the acoustic guitar is another, the vocals... oh, shit... just take a listen. If you don't like it, hey that's fine, some of my best friends don't care too much about music. Some of them even play golf by choice.

Happy Mondays - "Loose Fit"

Happy Mondays released their third album 'Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches' in 1990 and it was full of clever samples, dance grooves, drug references and an indie rock attitude that practically started a genre or movement... the Madchester/Baggy movements were born. 'Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches' was produced by Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne, which would've been instrumental in stepping up their dance sound. This was, more or less, the peak of the ecstasy revolution in the UK and The Happy Mondays epitomised that whole scene and this album will be remembered as much about that scene as it will be remembered as a great album.

Straitjacket Fits - "If I Were You"

"If I Were You" from Straitjacket Fits' third album 'Blow' was the highlight, for me, from this their final studio album. Shayne Carter is at his ironic best here. The album had Andrew Brough's jangly pop replaced with Mark Peterson's more edgy guitar sound. That said, "If I Were You" has the band holding back a bit.... but without compromise, of course.



If I Were You (Carter/Collie/Fits)

If I were you my friend, I'd clear my head and start again
I'd try the new one on, admire the way it looks so good on
If I were you and yours was mine, I'd take like a dog to the water
All I could do with the brand new sway, oh
If I were you, I'd hold you and touch all the water
I wouldn't stay up too long
Maybe for just a while, long enough to feel the place where you live

If I were you my friend, I'd wear your dress and steal your friends
I'd watch the words I said and wash my mouth and start again
Unscrew the thread that changed your mind
and twist it the way that you would have
If I were you then you'd define
I'd do it the way that you should have
And if I were you, I wouldn't come down so soon
If I were you, put on like a coat in the winter
I wouldn't stay up so long
Maybe for just a while, pray on everything you think about, time I said
And I come, come too soon
Do, do do do, do do
Do, do, do do, ahh

If I were you, I wouldn't come down so soon
If I were you, give me something new to think about
If I were you, I wouldn't trade places, no
And if I were you, I'd be like a light switched on in your room

Love And Rockets- "So Alive"

'Love and Rockets' came from the ashes of 'Bauhaus.' They formed in 1985... a couple of years after Bauhaus disbanded. After a short stint as 'Tones on Tail' leader Daniel Ash and band mate Kevin Haskins formed 'Love and Rockets' and enlisted David J on bass. Their biggest selling single was "So Alive" from their self titled fourth album released in 1989. The song got to Number 3 in the USA and they toured endlessly thereafter. "So Alive" has all the hallmarks of a 'T Rex' classic and one that Marc Bolan would've been proud of.

Roma di Luna - "Starling"

'Roma di Luna' are (or, were) a band from Minneapolis featuring husband and wife Alexei and Channy Moon Casselle. Unfortunately, they have just recently separated which subsequently brought an end to the band. Channy is a classically trained violinist with a voice as sweet as Chan Marshall's (Cat Power).... even their names are similar. Alexei is also known as a rapper named Crescent Moon. As 'Roma di Luna' they started out as a folk duo and grew to a full band of up to seven members. "Starling" is from their final album 'Then the Morning Came' released in 2010. America's best kept secret may now stay a secret.

Mia Doi Todd - "Summer Lover"

Mia Doi Todd is a musician from Los Angeles. She released her ninth album 'Cosmic Ocean Ship' in 2011. "Summer Lover" was part of the album's theme... journeys, explorations and summer. It's like a musical journal of her more recent travels in Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, France and India. Perfect for our summer here, which has finally broken through the rain and more rain.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "O Children"

Nick Cave released his 2-separate album set (as a double) 'Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus' in July, 2004 and to a Nick Cave fan it was an early Christmas. Both albums were different but one thing they had in common was 'brilliance'... I would've been happy with just one of these albums, but two fucking excellent albums in a beautiful cloth CD cover package (pre-downloading, for me, and a perfect case for the CD over download argument) was gold. After many hours of listening, my favourite of the two was 'The Lyre of Orpheus.' (although, a mate of mine preferred ''Abattoir Blues') I was completely obsessed with the atmosphere he created, on this the quieter of the two albums, which at times included the 'London Community Gospel Choir' and on "O Children" you will hear what I am trying to explain. I honestly didn't think Nick Cave could release anything greater than 'The Boatman's Call' but I was wrong.

Little Dragon - "Ritual Union"

"Ritual Union" was one of the great songs of 2011. I will be doing a 2011 Top 25 show shortly on Bitter FM and "Ritual Union" will definitely be in the Top 10. It is the title track from the Swedish band's third album. They have always been capable of surprising the listener with whatever direction they go in. Here on "Ritual Union" the vocalist Yukimi Nagano displays her soulful side. While the message may be negative towards marriage, the union between the band members is very strong musically.

An Horse - "Dressed Sharply"

'An Horse' are an band to watch out for. An duo from Australia (okay, that's enough of the inappropriate 'An's) consisting of Kate Cooper and Damon Cox. "Dressed Sharply" is from their second album 'Walls' released in 2011. Yet another guitarist/vocalist and drummer duo but the songs are more indie pop than some of the work from their peers. Also, Kate Cooper's lyrics are more than interesting, regardless of whether they are ambiguous or personally upfront.



(Lyrics)

I have nothing new to tell you
Since the last time that I wrote,
But I know with certainty that
Your hands will get this note.

I don't need mirrors in the hallway
To remind me how I'm feeling today.
I don't want any lights in my house,
Turn them off put them down, throw them out.

I read, I read.
I read, I read.
A yellow shirt and a blue jacket.
(X 2)

I learned for the first time today
A red flag means that I'll be okay.
You get up when I go to sleep but
That's just me and geography.

I read, I read.
I read, I read.
A yellow shirt and a blue jacket.
(X 3)

Dressed so sharply,
You know I will read
Every word that you send me
(X 5)

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/a/an_horse/#share