Jenny Lewis - "Happy"

With the arrival of Rilo Kiley's 'rkives' album, I've been enjoying the unreleased old stuff so much that I'm now going through all the Jenny Lewis solo material as well, from the rkives on my iPod.... again and again. For this blog though, I've found a fantastic live acoustic version of "Happy" from her debut solo album 'Rabbit Fur Coat'. She seems so relaxed that even the puppet doesn't faze her.



Some more happiness



Now we're all happy.

Erik Satie - "Gymnopédie No.1"

Could this be the earliest chill-out song ever written?

Toro Y Moi - "Never Matter"

Toro Y Moi is the stage name for American indie/chillwave musician Chaz Bundick. We probably play more of his remixes than actual Toro Y Moi songs on Bitter FM - but I'm sure that will change over time. The video for "Never Matter" is proof that a good idea can bring better results than a large budget.

Lest We Forget

Today is Anzac day. The day Australia and New Zealand commemorate their fallen soldiers. I am going to use this important date in our calendar to remember a couple of musicians lost to us very recently.... from both sides of the Tasman. Chrissy Amphlett of the Australian band Divinyls died a few days ago at her New York home after a battle with cancer. The Divinyls will always be remembered for "I Touch Myself" but we will always remember the contribution Chrissy Amphlett made to music. She brought 'sexy back' to music... well before what's-his-name claimed to.

Divinyls - "I Touch Myself"


We in New Zealand were shocked with the news of Dave McArtney's death just over a week ago. He was a founding member of Auckland band Hello Sailor and went on to form Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos. Neither of those bands had international success but were well respected in New Zealand. The first single from the self titled album by Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos was "Virginia" and of all their songs, it's the one I remember most fondly.

Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos - "Virginia"

Pale Fountains - "Jean's Not Happening"

This post is a bit self-indulgent of me (a bit like Bitter FM, I concede) but I needed to hear this song again... as it had slipped off the radar. I remember loving it so much at the time. Somehow it didn't make the transition from vinyl to CD and digital over that period of time. "Jean's Not Happening" was a single from the Pale Fountains second album '...From Across the Kitchen Table' released in 1985. They were a post-punk band who liked to bend the genres. They had a love for 'Love'... that's Arthur Lee's band 'Love', but here on "Jean's Not Happening" they sound more like a blend of post-punk and white soul a la Lloyd Cole. The guitarist/singer Michael Head later formed 'Shack' and he continued his relative obscurity, while being critically acclaimed.
I need to transfer this song to digital and get it on air... it's about time we made 'Jean Happening'.

Veronica Falls - "Bad Feeling"

London band Veronica Falls released their second album earlier this year. But we're going back to a song from their self titled debut from 2011. The single "Bad Feeling" still gets plenty of airplay on Bitter FM. Like many young indie bands at the moment, they are influenced by the sound of the 60's and 70's. If you told people that this song was by the actual grandchildren of 'The Mamas & The Papas', I'm sure most would believe you. No bad feeling here.

Jack White - Record store day 2013

It is Record Store Day today, which is a big day for music geeks and musicians. It does help to live in a big city though. I called in at the local CD shop, just in case they had some new vinyl for the occasion, but it wasn't to be. Okay, I didn't really expect them to, or even blame them for not getting involved.... in fact, Jason from the CD shop informed me that we are lucky to even have a CD shop, as some nearby towns i.e. Rotorua, no longer do. I wasn't going to let that stop me, it is Record Store Day after all, so I'm not going home without some vinyl, end of story. I only had one option, an option that wasn't anything new to me, I should add. Obviously it was going to be a tour of the Op Shops and I just happen to know them quite well. The only problem is the amount of James Last, Mantovani, Richard Clayderman and Roger Whittaker albums you have to sift through on your quest, which usually ends up fruitless... other than the knowledge that those artists must've sold truckloads of records that were (possibly) hardly played. It was the Hospice shop that paid dividends for me today. The price of $1 for 5 records has bargain written all over it. But (yes there is a but), it is actually hard to find 5 that you would want to take home, unless, of course, you are a fan of James Last and co. For anyone still reading this post - I will list my Record Store Day purchases below....
I haven't googled or wikipedia'd any of the records at this stage, so my knowledge of these records is exactly the same as when I bought them.
Record 1, 'From the Meticulous to the Sublime' by Blossom Dearie. Condition VG. I don't know anything about this artist whatsoever, which is exactly what I'm after with Op Shop purchases, other than the Beatles Butcher Cover or similar.
Record 2, 'The Best of' by Johnny Tillotson. Condition Excellent. As above... not familiar to me at all.
Record 3, 'No Regrets' by The Walker Brothers. Condition Excellent. It looks a bit dodgy going by the cover... like it is well after their peak. It also seems to be a covers record... but it is The Walker Brothers, so there is at least some credibility. Anyway, at 20 cents, no big deal if it stinks.
Record 4, 'Words & Music' by Jackie Trent & Tony Hatch. Condition VG. I've got a few Jackie Trent EP's so I'm familiar with the twee 60's sound. This was an obvious choice when it presented itself.
Record 5, 'The Best of' by Louis Armstrong. Condition VG. This is a double album in a sublime gatefold sleeve. And it features my favourite Louis Armstrong song "La Vie En Rose".... the gold nugget of my Record Store Day purchases.
Not quite living up to a visit to Real Groovy Records... but at least I can say I participated in Record Store Day.


The Record Store Day video below, featuring Jack White, is proof that he isn't just a brilliant musician... it is hilarious.

Charles Bradley - "You Put The Flame On It"

Charles Bradley had a career as a James Brown impersonator until he was discovered by Daptone Records owner, Gabriel Roth, in the early 2000's. He eventually released his debut album 'No Time For Dreaming' in 2011, at the tender age of 62. His new album 'Victim of Love' continues the 60's/70's soul/funk revival sound that the Daptone Records label specialises in.... and perfects. "You Put The Flame On It" from the 'Victim of Love' album, is classic Marvin Gaye soul. For all the undiscovered old-timers out there, never give up - Charles Bradley is your inspiration.... although, having a voice like his would help.

David O'Doherty - "Text Song"

David O'Doherty with a hilarious song about texting.

Flaming Lips - "Can't Get You Outta My Head"

When Flaming Lips covered Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Outta My Head" it changed something significant about the song. The ownership of the song changed.... it is now theirs. They own it! No need for lawyers. Case closed.

Apple iPie

I haven't got a song for you today because I've been busy. An apple pie was part of that. I've got a small apple tree and this year, due to our long hot summer, it has gone nuts... so it's apples with everything and apple pies are now as common as Toast and Vegemite or Bitter FM and Becks.

Apple iPie


Speaking of apple pies. There was a band called 'Mom's Apple Pie' and their debut album is now more famous for its cover artwork than the music itself. The self titled album was released in 1972 and banned shortly afterwards... before an alternative cover was issued. I will let you figure out the controversy yourself. I need to get to the shop for some cream.

El Perro del Mar - "Candy"

El Perro del Mar is the name Sarah Assbring has chosen for her musical project. The Swedish musician founded this project in 2003 and has released five albums to date. Her music could be described as melancholic pop combined with doo wop, however, definitely from an indie perspective. The opening track to her self titled second album is "Candy" and with a chorus line of "I'm going forth to buy me some candy" it must be an uplifting pop song, right? Of course it isn't.

Bill Hicks - "Gideons"

Ever wondered who the gideons actually are? Well, Bill Hicks did and he may have a tip for you......

Jed and Hera - "Issues"

We've already had Hera on this blog with her single "Feels So Good"... a song that still gets plenty of airplay on Bitter FM. Hera Hjartardóttir was born in Iceland and moved to New Zealand in her early teens. She returned to Iceland regularly in the early part of her career and also recorded some material there (in English and Icelandic). Her use of facial art, which she applies before performances, is inspired by the Maori moko and Celtic warrior paint. Jed and Hera is a collaboration with fellow Christchurch musician Jed Parsons. They have developed into a much-loved folk duo around Christchurch and the rest of us are catching on. "Issues" is their new single - a bittersweet folk song with plenty of harmonies and even more character.



Hera - an Icelandic star



Hera - "Makebelieve" from 2002

The Specials - "Ghost Town"

I was about to put together today's blog post, when I happened to notice the most viewed post today was Morrissey's "Margaret on the Guillotine"... it is, after all, the day of Margaret Thatcher's death. That song was posted on June 16, 2011. I personally don't want to turn this into some sort of anti Margaret Thatcher stand, particularly today. However, there were so many songs in the 80's that were inspired by Margaret Thatcher. To be fair, no Tory leader would ever please the left wing working/middle class. But her iron fist policies and reforms (what was known as Thatcherism), were way out of order for this group of people. It didn't take long before the musicians were expressing their anger through song... and there was no shortage of them throughout her reign. One was "Ghost Town" by The Specials, which was a lot more subtle than most of the others. Now a timeless classic, but it does portray the bleakness of Britain at the time.



Morrissey - "Margaret on the Guillotine"

It may not be the best time to re-post this. But just to verify the antagonism, here is the original blog post from 2011.....


One thing has to be said about great songwriters... and that is their ability to convey messages and subjects in a cryptic, ambiguous and subtle way. Often getting the message through to us eventually, sometimes with the help of a press release, and other times giving everyone a differing opinion. There have been books written about a single Bob Dylan song... let alone, hundreds of books pondering the lyrics provided by him and many other artists. Which proves that we like to have an opinion on, and discuss the meaning of, a lot of the great songs out there. Morrissey is a great example of a lyricist with so much respect... with tons of literary references throughout his songs. However, there is one such Morrissey song that he completely forgot about subtleties and he just went for the jugular. That song is "Margaret on the Guillotine" from his post Smiths debut solo album 'Viva Hate' (the album was originally released as 'Education in Reverse' in New Zealand) released in 1988. It was about the then Prime Minister of the UK, Margaret Thatcher. His tongue may have been in his cheek, but it made me a little uneasy the first time I heard it... partly because this time I didn't have to decipher the lyrics at all... my perspective would've been the same as everyone else's. A grand political protest statement? or just lyrically lazy? Either way, I forgave him.

The Kane Gang - "Respect Yourself"

The Kane Gang's 1985 cover of the Staple Singers' soul classic "Respect Yourself" came along at the time dance music was making inroads into the synth-pop market and soul music was having a resurgence. From my point of view, "Respect Yourself" by The Kane Gang was the missing link between the new wave and cult bands, the pop stars (Madonna, Prince etc.) and the new (formerly underground) dance scene. Nowhere near as essential as the original, but for me it was huge.

Chvrches - "Now is Not The Time"

Chvrches are a Scottish synth-pop band who are creating a bit of a buzz at the moment. With only an EP 'Recover' under their belt so far, the debut album is well anticipated. "Now is Not The Time" is from the EP and it is fvcking fantastic.

UNKLE - "Money And Run" (feat. Nick Cave)

I know fans of Nick Cave would be pleased with the recent release of the brilliant Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album 'Push the Sky Away' but there may be few who missed his guest appearance on the 'Unkle' album 'Where Did the Night Fall' album. It was actually part of the re-release version with the additional 'Another Night Out' disc. The song is "Money and Run"... think of it as a little gift from your favourite Unkle.

Wesley Wolfe - "Stranded With You"

Wesley Wolfe is a great musician/producer from a town called Carrboro, not far from Chapel Hill. He could be described as a bedroom producer, however, his output is not like your typical lo-fi folky, or even your typical computer electronica whizz-kid... much more pop sounding, but from an indie kid. "Stranded With You" is from his 2011 album 'Cynics Need Love Too' and it has a hypnotic beat and great vocals. His talent doesn't stop there though. He also lathe cuts all his releases (and others) on to vinyl, from his apartment. This process basically gives you a master copy when you buy it... instead of pressing copies from the master. Long live vinyl!



Here is a time lapse video of Wesley Wolfe lathe cutting a copy of his album

Natacha Atlas - "Eye Of The Duck"

Natacha Atlas is literally like an atlas when you look at her ancestry and influences. Belgian raised by her Moroccan/Egyptian/Palestinian father and British mother. She moved to England with her mother when her parents separated. She joined Transglobal Underground as the lead singer and belly dancer before launching her solo career. She is multilingual and has recorded songs in all of the languages she speaks, including Arabic, French, English, and Spanish. In fact, she is very popular in France due to her French language releases. She is now considered one of the greatest exponents of the East/West fusion... which started with Transglobal Underground. "Eye of the Duck" is a perfect example of East meets West and it has so many things going on.... Dancehall, RnB, Middle Eastern, Pop, Rap and Electronic... oh, and you can even hear some Auto-Tune vocals as well. She is supported by former band mate Tuup from Transglobal Underground and Rap artist Princess Julianna. I guarantee that this could get any party going and if there happen to be a couple of belly dancers in the room, even better.