Soul Revival

I have just heard some of the best soul that I have ever heard - up there with the greats anyway - and its modern, its happening now and you need to know about two fantastic bands. The first is Lee Fields and the Expressions. From what I have heard, and I know this could be fairly wrong but the general jist of goes like this:- a group of young classically trained muso's discovered this guy called Lee Fields singing around the place who was apparently a big deal about 30 years or more ago and had basically given up on his career, these guys found him and built a band around him and the results are staggering, like a second chance at life this guy grabbed it and here is some of the results:



The album is called MY WORLD.

The other album on high rotation for me is called The Defamation of Strikland Banks by a guy called PLAN B. Check him out:-

Nothing Like a Roots

How I Got Over. THE ROOTS

These guys get better and better and better, they are so far ahead of the game that they define their own game. There is nobody near them, nothing like them and no chance that anyone will come close. Real artists, real magic, real chemistry, real power. I can't give this band a better wrap, if you have not hear of these guys check this album out then go back and check everything before. Hip hop for those who like it smooth, musical and honest.

Back from Dead

Yikes it has been so long I barely remember how to type. I have not been listening to much lately that has really inspired me but I can always put you in touch with some of the best stuff ....

Take My Stuff

Kicking off 2010 by fulfilling some ambitions, starting with giving away some of the things that I have loved the most, I am trying to wittle away all the "stuff" that you accumulate through life which ends up attaching you to "things" rather than to things that matter so I am starting with my entire CD collection.

I have around 1000 CD's and as they are almost all now in my iTunes I figure whats the point of having them lying around taking up space just looking impressive in my office. So as a reward to all my millions of blog readers I offer them to you for FREE. If you want a few of my most beloved CD's email me with what style of music your after (I have everything reviewed on this blog if you want one of them in particular) and I will select a few for you and post them to you, all I ask is you cover the postage cost and they're yours forever. Email me if your interested in boosting your collection or drop me a comment on this posting.

stephen@stephenburton.com.au

Suicidal Gig

The Suicidal Tendencies gig was a massive success. Here is the order of events:

-pound some beers walk to gig
-find my mate Shane
-pound more beers
-band comes on and starts with You Can't Bring me Down. Crowd goes mad, huge mosh pit forms
-gig so loud can't even distinguish the tunes, loudest gig i have ever been too, lucky I brought my grandpa earplugs, finally learnt something after 33 years
-idiots everywhere pushing, throwing beer around the room etc. I haven't been to a gig like this in 10 years or more, must have forgotten how terribly people behave at these things
-room is about 47 degrees sweat dripping off the ceiling
-stand at back of the room away from the mosh pit aka hepatitis spreading facility
-some idiot blows beer out of his mouth all over the place including on me then throws his beer glass over his shoulder and all over me
-feeling pretty pissed off I tell idiot to get fucked
-idiot tries to spook me out by making crazy faces about 2 inches away from mine
-realise said idiot is truly an idiot
-stare at idiot with earplugs in as he craps on about what a hard-arse he is, I cant hear a word of it so just stare at his mouth flapping around like a fish on the beach, I guess that worked as idiot walks away eventually, narrowly averting full scale fight with idiot thanks to grandpa earplugs, not to self - 99c earplugs best investment ever
-idiot almost wrecks my night but "you can't bring me down"
-hit a few more beers to calm myself down
-gig ends, walk home with mate Shane
-have a brew on the deck, now well and truly arseholed
-go to bed after brushing teeth with moisturiser cream (I thought that shit tasted bad)
-Shane snores the house down, sister and her partner get out of bed at 2m unable to sleep and umable to wake Shane, apparently wake me up after bashing me with pillow for 3 minutes (have no recollection) and they drive home to their house in pyjamas, get pulled over by the cops looking totally suspicious
-wake up with crushing headache, sun blasting into my face on couch, grandpa earplugs still in (hence sleeping through the snoring, earplugs win again) and hit the beach for an anti-hangover swim which almost works.
All in all a pretty good night. Long live the earplugs. I think I still have one of them.

Summer Tunes

Certain seasons bring on different types of tunes, Jimi Hendrix in the summertime with cold pale ales, Coltrane in the winter with a glass of shiraz, Miles Davis Quintet in the autumn with a glass of pinot noir. The pleasure is undeniable, the kind of thing that makes life worth living. Like the duck at the Golden BBQ or a bodysurfing on clear day with a good sand break out the back. So what's on for this summer? Well so far its been this album leading the ride into party-season.

Bob Evans. GOODNIGHT BULL CREEK.

Bob Evans is fast becoming one of Australia's great songwriters. This album is a polished, mature and reflective piece of work from a guy with a big future ahead of him. Self deprecating, good humoured and talented Bob Evans and his band is well worth getting to know. Not all of these tunes are on the money but most of them are. Give him just a few years and he'll be at the same level as Paul Kelly, Neil Finn, Grant McLennan and Colin Hay. Arguably he is not far off now. Certainly he's on the way there and now is the time to tune into Bob Evans to get to know his stuff on the way up. I saw him play a few months ago and it was every bit as good as I had imagined. If you like this album check out his earlier release called Suburban Kid. The development between the 2 albums is obvious and he's on track for serious recognition if his next release keeps progressing like these albums have.

"Sometimes it's dark and lonely, livin' with all your if-only's but the hardest part of it all ain't the pictures hung in the hall but the silent street in the night turning out my broken light.."

Best Ever Hip Hip

For a long while I have been stalling on getting some hip hop up on this blog, why I have no idea but tonight I have cracked the egg and started off with the very best. Here are the FIVE GREATEST hip hop songs ever recorded, in order. If you read this blog leave a comment somewhere tell me if you agree with this list or if I have missed anything...













Stay tuned for some album reviews on other great hip hop including some more modern stuff. Although it must be said, this stuff above has not yet been overtaken by anything since. Talk about influential. Another track I wanted to add here was Watcha Want by Beastie Boys but I couldn't embed the video, I would think it would rank as number 6, or certainly one of their other tunes might be in 6th spot, but as for 7 to 10 well it's wide open so any comments readers? Whatcha want in 6 - 10 spot??

Been Awhile

Well its been a long time between posts, been busy with my PhD and other shit so here are a few to make up for lost time.

Mastadon. CRACK THE SKYE

OK if your not into WAY HEAVY tunes then forget about this. If you like Slayer, Metallica, Pantera and other more recent bands of a similar ilk (most of whom in my view are shite) this is an album you will learn to love. Not all tracks are winners but most of them are. These guys are worth knowing about. Smart, talented and well produced. No rubbish here this stuff is a job for these guys and you can tell they love it.

Air. LOVE 2

Don't judge a book by its cover. What were these guys thinking with this cover shot? Abba? Yikes. Not to worry because inside is one of the better albums I have heard in a long while. I read a review that said Air were establishing themselves as the modern equivalent of early Pink Floyd with this release. I think that's a bit ambitious but this album is certainly very good. Their last release was interesting but suffered from being overly atmospheric. This album is way more punchy and catchy and quite different from most of the sharp edged electro going around at the moment.

Aussie Rockin'

The Temper Trap. CONDITIONS.

Its true, there are great bands both from and in Australia. Its a redundant debate so just take a listen to this album if you still need convincing. Its like early 90's brit pop (think Fine Young Cannibals falsetto harmonies and those other skinny gay guys with the short crew cuts who had that film clip about some bad 80's dance party getting broken up by the moral police) mixed with electronic-feel highly repetitive guitars and straight up and down beats. Very catchy, bordering on pop but um you won't find any pop here on Hand Jive. I would have to think these guys would put on a very fun live show, lots of dancing and mahem.

Wheel Chair Rockin'

Pearl Jam. BACKSPACER.

Ok Ok it too hard to say that Pearl Jam are really wheel chair rockers, after all they probably aren't that much older than yours truly and none of them look like Keith Richards but they just seem to have been around forever, since I started first noticing real music anyway. Elsewhere on this Blog I refer to their album Ten as being therir best and of course we all know that's true, this album however is quite good and if you like Peal Jam you should give this a good listen. The problem I find with P.Jam is that everything they do gets compared to Ten and that's a shame because in their own right, a few of their post-Ten albums are really good and this one is no exception. Getting older has only made their work wiser and they don't have anything to prove and on this album you can hear them sending out a few of life's messages to the young-in's and also reminding us you don't need ink and black hair to rock. P.Jam are finding themselves at an interesting place, almost like the custodians of a great musical tradition of which they helped spawn in the early 90's but have been talented enough to keep re-inventing and changing. Its a testament to them as people and artists. Great stuff.

Neil Young

Neil Young.

Recently my Dad asked me to burn him off some Neil Young, it was only then that I realised my commitment to Neil was lacking, I was missing a lot of his work and in particular I was missing a lot of his stuff with Crazy Horse. After sorting that issue out and starting to re-acquaint myself with Neil (after whom my folks named my middle name, well they say Neil Armstrong but I say Neil Young) For whatever reason I had not listened to him for ages. Not every Neil Young song will be your favourite but if your into the dreamy ballads or the totally rocking out screeching guitars and smashing drums Neil Young is your man. Personally I love his stuff with Crazy Horse. Check out Weld by Neil Young and Crazy Horse 2 Disc Set and Rust Never Sleeps (absolute classic) and also check out his sound track to Dead Man. AWESOME. Prepare to enter another dimension when you put this on.

Too Apathetic To Care

Its true, I am too apathetic to care anymore what people think of my taste in music, and given I am not even sure if anyone actually reads this blog I thought I would drop my pants and expose some of my more 'uncool' musical tastes. So if your as uncool as I am you might also like some of this obvious stuff.

The Doors. THE VERY BEST OF.

Yeah its true, I like a small dose of the Doors. I don't think Jim was a God on earth or particularly interesting beyond his music but the Doors did know how to play, how to write and how to perform. A lot of this album is kinda tedious but a lot of it is just great bluesy rock and I am yet to hear a band that sound anything like the Doors. I thought the Doors were mainly for the girls at high school that loved to be romanced by the thought that within their music was some poetry, some escape and some sense of wonder. Then I realised, a decade and half later they were right, that's exactly what the Doors are.

I reckon I will delete this post in a week or so, especially if I go too far and put Beyonce on this list. I would have to be pretty pissed and given I am currently trying to de-tox I don't reckon I will but you never know. I'll see what other obvious commercial shit I can think to add here....

Newbies

Here are a few new releases that are worth having in your collection - if you like this kind of thing of course.

Wilco. WILCO THE ALBUM.

Wilco fans won't be disappointed by this latest release from the mighty song-machine that is Wilco. Catchy, easy to listen to and even....happy, yes Wilco seem happy on this release and its music for a ray of light through the gloom and doom. If you liked Summerteeth or any of their up tempo foot tapping head nodding releases you'll be happy too.

Sonic Youth. ETERNAL.

It seems that the theme in this posting is great bands doing more of the good stuff that made them great in the first place. Like Wilco, Sonic Youth return with their characteristic thick muddy guitars, interesting lyrics, catchy riffs - everything that made me a Sonic Youth fan in the first place. I think this is one of their strongest releases in so far as its not too abstract or anti-melodic as some of their work has been. This is just good solid song writing and production. Despite not being spring chickens anymore they have absolutely not lost their edge as this album will attest.

Duffy. Rockferry

OK this is about a year old but its still worth including. Duffy is a whitey from UK but she sounds like a 50's soul diva from West Coast USA. Not all of this double album is great but a lot of it is. It sounds like a soundtrack to a James Bond film - grand scores, big orchestral arrangements, high vocal range singing, its both dramatic and soulful and is a big nod to Shirley Bassey. If your into that kind of thing you will love this album

Back to Bass-ics

Yes its true, I have got myself a bass guitar again and am intent on getting back into a band. I haven't played for 16 years but its like riding a bike but without the prospect of gravel rash. Here are a few inspiring bass albums.

Charles Mingus. MINGUS AH UM.

Charles Mingus was one of the great bass players, composers and Jazz legends. His music was known for crazy rhythms, off tempo break-out vocals, people yelling in the background, even plates smashing in between drum rolls. It sounds totally weird but a lot of his stuff is simply beautiful, smooth and to be admired. This album has a bit of all that and is a good starting point for those interested in Mingus. Mingus made bass super
cool.

John Coltrane. BALLADS.

Coltrane is probably my all time favourite musician. He is an inspirational figure and a true genius of his art. Coltrane took jazz into realms unimaginable and produced some of the world's great music along the way. This is one of his most beautiful recordings. I love the bass playing by his long time collaborator Jimmy Garrison.


Primus. SAILING THE SEAS OF CHEESE.

Les Claypool of Primus has amazing bass playing abillity coupled with a keen sense of irony and imagination. His playing and lyrics make you laugh out loud. He was one of the great slap style players along with Flea of the Chilli Peppers and others. Primus is a bit of an off-beat band, not a lot of people seem to know about them for some reason and maybe you can't listen to them all day long but this is some seriously cool bass playing and one of the great underground albums of the 90's. I recall being given it on an orange TDK cassette tape and never giving it back, then it got stolen out of my 1984 Commodore cassette deck. Whoever ended up with it, I hope they loved it as much as me - more Bass to Ya.

It seems Jazz is the home of bass and it probably is. I wish I could think of more rock with good bass but I just was never into the 70's fusion stuff (Chick Corea, Stanley Clark) or the 90's stuff like Fishbone but if you have any bands to add leave a comment for me....

What's on Hand Jive High Rotation?

This is what's on high rotation in my car, iTunes, imagination, iPod or whatever.

Against Me. NEW WAVE.

This is a fantastic album. Amazing production, tight playing, about as close to being a perfect combination of everything as you can get for a band that might be best described as punk/hardcore; although the more I hear it the more I think its closer to just great hard rock. Categories aside this album is brilliant, the culmination of years of real hard-yards by their singer songwriter who writes really clever lyrics and actually has a lot to say. About 3 forgettable tracks on the album, otherwise a brilliant release.

Les Savy Fav. LET'S STAY FRIENDS.

This album takes a big cue from a lot of bands in my Early Hardcore list. In fact, a lot of these guys' tunes remind me of a more chilled out Minor Threat - but I am sure others would disagree. They have the raw energy that drew me to hardcore in the first place but they have the melodic component that keeps you singing along and going back for another listen. This is one album that when I heard I said out loud "holy fuck these guys have an edge" and they really do, and that's rare these days. This shot of them playing it live tells more than 500 rambling words from me! It totally speaks for itself. Check their singer out, nut-strangler underpants and all! Now that's a dude.




Jawbreaker. 24 HR REVENGE THERAPY.

My cousin Big El is the Jawbreaker expert, I am but a novice but this album got me into them. It has a real live feel to it - or recorded in a short time on an even shorter budget. It has everything about punk that I like, that fuck you attitude, that just in time playing, its a real art form that simply does not give two shits. I love that about it, the fact that bands like this just keep putting it out there and let the laws of attraction do the rest.

Easy All Stars. LONELY HEARTS DUB BAND.

I missed these guys play live by a month mainly due to my bordering-on-spastic ability to read dates. Anyway. They made a name for themselves doing cover albums in dub reggae style of 3 great albums; Dark Side of the Moon, OK Computer and now Sgt.Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. There are some cracking tunes on here and if you like a bit of dub, or are even interested in just checking it out as a style then you should really get this album or any of their other two. Beautifully produced but not overdone, not too heavy on the dub and just fat enough to take you away. Really cool stuff. Really. Lennon would approve.

One for the Diggers: ANZAC Tunes

ANZAC Day is our national day of rememberance, so I got to thinking, what if I got drafted and had to go to some God awful place and either kill or be killed - I would need a few select albums to get me through the awfulness.

Slayer. REIN IN BLOOD.

This would be the album you would crank as you descended into some hell hole in a chopper knowing that you were minutes away from being shot to pieces. This is the ultimate psych-up album and by far Slayer's best.


Jose Gonzales. VENEER.

After you have blasted your way out of a village of innocents and been set upon by lunatics with AK's you might want to chill out and pretend its all not happening. This would be the pick, just to drift away and slip into another place for a while.

Metallica. RIDE THE LIGHTNING.

This album would fire you up but might just make you think long enough to realise that your doomed and should probably shoot yourself in the leg and get the hell out of there, after all this album was a pretty strong comment on the futility of war, incarceration and the death penalty. Its true, Metallica always had a lot to say about politics, just check out their 1988 release
And Justice For All for a musical version of Animal Farm.

Happy Easter Listening: Bunnies and Beers

What could be better than discovering some new tunes over Easter, pounding a few brews and sleeping in? Now that's what I call a religious holiday. Check these out....

Parliament. MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION

If you have time to just chill out and check out something akin to a concept album that is seriously weird but also has good tunes then check this album out. If you have ever heard Dr Dre The Chronic you will see immediately that The Chronic is a modern re-interpretation of this classic funk album. Classic funk album, need I say more?

Roni Size Reprazent. NEW FORMS

If robots in space wanted to have a party then this would be the album they would play. It sounds like it was created in the year 2097. Beats over sounds that resemble instruments you have heard before but these guys wanted to create a REAL NEW sound and they almost did it. I challenge you to not be up out of your seat and hopping around to this album. Lyrics are great, smart and beautifully interwoven with the drum 'n bass beats. The first few tracks on the first disc are the best and worth getting this album for.

The Beatles. REVOLVER

The very mention of the Beatles makes most people cringe. I understand. BUT check this album out it is their best in my opinion. A lot of the Beatles does suck but if you still don't think the Beatles are pretty amazing by the end of this album then you have missed the point, the Beatles did this stuff way before anybody even thought to loop 2 guitar tracks together and play one backwards (for example) and it still rocked and this album STILL sounds like it was recorded last year. Timeless is the sign of genius in art - you can quote me on that. Check out the final track on the disc and see if you recognise the sample that The Chemical Brothers took from this tune to make one of their biggest hits - if its good enough for them....

How Good?

The How Good? list will appear from time to time as I spontaneously hear something that I love so simply must share. Surely that is what its all about, sharing what we love, not to politicise my blog or anything. This list is not necessarily going to feature new albums, just albums that pop up into my consciousness for discovery or re-discovery as the case may be.

Land of Talk. APPLAUSE CHEER BOO HISS.

There are not a lot of good bands around with female vocalists which is a shame because I find their contribution to rock style bands particularly interesting. This album reminds me a fair bit Sonic Youth. The female vocalist in Land of Talk is one amazing talent and the band give her the room to really explore. This is a really indy sounding release and there's something about the songwriting that makes this a really compelling and fairly hard rocking album.


Counting Crows. AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER.

This one popped back up for re-discovery after not hearing it for years. This is such a great CD that in my opinion they never matched it. Great bands often start so well that the rest of their career seems a downward spiral and I think that applies to these guys of course many would disagree. This CD has some of the most heart-felt lyrics I have heard, some beautiful songwriting, ranges from totally sad stories walking in the rain down dark empty streets with a heart full of pain and a head full of mixed up mess to uplifting 'everything is going to be alight' tunes - the world's really an amazing place after all. Such a great disc.
.
Clem Snide. HUNGRY BIRD.

This is a really tasteful album, kind of reminds me of early Counting Crows, maybe a bit of REM too, perhaps a little Wilco. Mellow, meandering, slow to mid tempo in most parts, keeps your head nodding slowly like you've had too many scotches. Alternative country might describe it but don't let that scare you off, this is one of the nicest albums I have heard in a long long while.


Black Mountain. IN THE FUTURE

Black Mountain remind me a fair bit of Black Sabbath except they have two vocalists one who is a female, and are way more atmospheric. This is my current favourite CD, its probably space rock, kind of like Monster Magnet was in the 90's but way way better. I think they are Canadian too and lots of great bands come from Canada so it is generally worth hearing Canadian indy artists. This is music for tripping out to, rocking out to and doing burn outs to, mind you, now that I am pushing the big 33 I don't seem to do much of any of those things these days. So I'm happy to sit in my office downstairs cranking albums with balls like this one while knocking back a few of Australia's finest and coldest. Really refreshing album that shows us that you don't need to reinvent music itself to make damn fine, fat and rocking tunes!

Artist Special #1: The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady have just toured in Australia as one of the headliners for the Laneway Festival. Most people here haven't heard much of them but now that Triple J is giving them some airplay in 12 months they will be the next big thing, remember you heard it here first!

I was lucky enough to see them in Brisbane a few weeks back - the gig was on a small stage to a small crowd but they still ripped the place apart. In my opinion they are one of the best bands in the world right now and a great musical journey to embark upon. Straight rock, done brilliantly with superb lyrics mainly all about kids growing up in the mid-west US with too much time and not enough to do. If you grew up in a small town you will feel every story these guys relay. Superb.


The Hold Steady. BOYS AND GIRLS IN AMERICA

This album is classic rock and roll but it has a lighter side with some nice ballads & great story telling, it winds you into meeting the boys and girls they sing about - awkwardly growing up, discovering love, booze, drugs, cars and the law. The great thing about this band is hearing stories about the same kids across their different albums - its like your growing up with them and experiencing what they experience. This is a great album to start with as it has everything on it that they do so well. Check out the track "Chips Ahoy" about a girl who bets on the horses and then her and her guy 'spend the whole next week gettin high' all over a punchy rock riff.. great stuff.

The Hold Steady. ALMOST KILLED ME

Party, party, pass out, probably on top of someone, regret it. Get over it. Party more. Fight a bit, get some drugs. A soundtrack to debauchery.

Their debut album.



The Hold Steady. SEPARATION SUNDAY

More stories of the same characters that your already by now intimately familiar with. Has a slower feel overall but still rocking, and a few more ballads. More focus on stories here



Also see their latest album STAY POSITIVE which is just as good as any of the above. A tight suite of music to own.

Great Reggae for Whitey

Reggae is a niche musical taste, I know very few people who are into it but I can't understand why more people don't like it. Its such an authentic genre of music that to a large part has stayed out of the mainstream and that alone has to be reason enough to check it out...

Yabby You. JESUS DREAD 1972 - 77

This is a major down tempo fat bass line fest. Some reggae can put you into a coma but this makes you want to sing along and dance, its not fast, but its catchy and despite being recorded over 30 years ago it sounds fantastic. Ever wondered where Massive Attack got their sound and lyrics from? Check these albums out and any album by another reggae legend Horace Andy.

Burning Spear. MARCUS GARVEY.

Burning Spear have some great vocals and most of their songs are songs of praise done beautifully with driving bass lines and floating vocals. This is the album to buy if you want to try getting into real reggae and I know its around as I bought it in Melbourne 3 years ago. One the thing most people don't know about reggae is that most of it is actually gospel music sung by those who believe in a god called Jah (a once ruler of Ethopia) and who therefore belong to a group known as rastafari. This is their religious music and the real stuff, like the guys on this list are great artists and have made some fantastic records. If you can get any of these on vinyl its well worth it, the analogue recordings from the 70's reproduce on vinyl superbly...music for serious listeners!

Linval Thompson. RIDE ON DREADLOCKS 1975 - 77

Linval Thompson is my favourite reggae man. This album is not too dub-heavy meaning you won't get 21 versions of the same song played in every which way possible without vocals, that can be a downfall of reggae as it becomes tedious and boring very fast. Linval is very down tempo, laid back and heavy with thick bass lines - a real slow-your-heartbeat album.