mountain masala

"Departures" - Bernard Fanning

Darren Percival sings Ray Charles

The other night we shared a wedding anniversary present - an excellent meal at The Apothecary 1878 in Hindley Street. Lovely old venue, excellent food and wine. Great staff.

Darren Percival was the runner-up on The Voice last year. We didn't really watch the show, but managed to catch a couple of Darren's performances and were very impressed. He's been touring with a Ray Charles tribute on the back of an album. This was the last night of a six month tour. It was a fantastic evening. Great songs, great band. Darren invests his songs with his being in a way that I've rarely seen, transparently joyous and melancholic, effervescent and infectious. You can't help but delight in seeing someone so happy in sharing their gift. [BTW he also does amazing stuff with loop pedals...] Here's a taste of the show...

new music

a friend was recently surprised to discover that I like Led Zeppelin. he thought I was a folky kind of guy. little did he know that I grew up with Deep Purple, Slade, Jethro Tull, The Who, Uriah Heep, Buffalo and even Black Sabbath... but i digress. here's what's new on my playlist...

Ray Charles - really! a bunch of his old stuff. loved the movie.

Dr John - as above. a man and a pianoand a whole lot of attitude.

"Behind the Parade" - Tommy Keene - jangly 8o's guitar stuff. think Matthew Sweet or the Jayhawks. saw him live in Raleigh NC once...

"Swarthmoor" - Pete Morton - UK folkie. think Mick Thomas

"Lady" - Lady - modern take on classic soul music

"Down the River of Golden Dreams" - Okkervil River - gnarly but sweet, folky-country Texans... click the link for some free music too!

"Alice's Restaurant" - Arlo Guthrie - yep, the album with that very long song...

"The Execution of All Things" - Rilo Kiley - Jenny Lewis and friends' play poppy-countryish-folk

"You Are Everything" - Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy - a cracker new album of mystery and intimacy

"Screws" - Nils Frahm - ambient piano - FREE

"The Invisible Way" - Low - stunning new stripped-back album from the dour Minnesotans...

And from NoiseTrade... pay what you want... some stunning music below.

- Limited Fanfare Records Spring/Summer Sampler 2013

- ATO Records Spring Sampler 2013 and 2012 Sampler

- Songs for West

- Bonnaroo NoiseTrade Sampler

new music

yes, it's that time again, when I fearlessly go into the uncharted waters of music both new and old....

on CD

Mumford & Sons - "Babel" - love it. just as good as the first album.

Bruce Springsteen - "Wrecking Ball" - I have to admit that I was feeling a bit 'over' Bruce, but this album is sensational!

David Bowie - "The Next Day" - some excellent stuff and the rest may grow on me...

 

from emusic.com

Arlo Guthrie - "Arlo Guthrie", "Hobo's Lullaby", "Washington County" - having just seen the man in concert I'm going for his back catalogue... such a great songwriter.

Josh Ritter - "The Beast In Its Tracks" - another great singer/songwriter. The post-divorce album...

Billy Bragg - "Tooth & Nail" - they just keep coming...

Kate Nash - "Girl Talk" - poppy, rocky

Bonobo - "Animal Magic", "One Offs Remixes and B Sides" - back catalogue eletronica

Efterklang - "Tripper" - more electronic and acoustic/orchestral stuff... thanks to jonny for his new music post

Phosphorescent - "Here's To Taking It Easy" - as catchy as Bright Eyes or Ryan Adams

Samantha Crain - "Kid Face" - both original and familiar, lovely reflective folky stuff

Seth Lakeman - "Tales From The Barrel House" - I got this to make up for missing his tour. lively, spirited folk from western England

Lau - "Race The Loser" - I got this to make up for missing them as well! fabulous Scottish folk trio

 

from NoiseTrade - the following free till the end of March

The Autumn Film - "Tha Ship and The Sea", "The Grey EP", "8 Track Tape". Free sample here. Think "Sixpence None The Richer."

Page CXVI - "Hymns i - IV" (4 albums), "B Sides/C Sides", "Lullabies", "Re:Hymns"

and free on NoiseTrade anytime...

Samantha Crain - "An Introduction to Samantha Crain"

Paul Kelly and Neil Finn - Live!

Last night we went to the free Paul Kelly and Neil Finn concert that kicked off the 2013 Adelaide Festival. We weren't going to go, because Yvonne finished work so late that we knew that by the time we got there we wouldn't be able to see anything. Then Sean, with whom I play Paul Kelly and Crowded House songs in a band, offered to keep us some space. So there we were right in front of the sound desk!

What can I say. Sublime songs, excellent band, great sound, and lovely interpretations of their material. A fantastic evening when both sides of the Tasman joined in harmony... Too many great versions to mention, but Kelly's version of "Into Temptation" was stunning. Third time I've seen Kelly live and first time I've seen Neil Finn live. Here's my IPhone panorama. Click on the link to see it full size. Now I'm off to play some guitar.

 View this photo

new music

yes indeeed, it's that time when I'm glad to have an emusic subscription...

"Fin" - John Talabot - Spanish DJ and electronic musisican

"The Clearing" - Bowerbirds - lush mix of folk and gentle pop - go to the website and get some free music

"Live in Studio: Acoustic Trio" - Katie Herzig - infectious folk from Butterfly Boucher's friend

"Big Love Hymnal" - David Byrne - lush orchestral TV soundtrack

"The Boy With No Name" - Travis - yeah, I actually like their stuff...

"For Octavio Paz" - Six Organs of Admittance - lovely acoustic guitar-based instrumental with some vocal

"Walking on the Wild Side" - Lou Reed live... I'm waiting for the man...

"A Winter Project" - A. Pärt - Estonian classical composer recommended by Warren Ellis...

"Love A Kind of Hate Story" - Tim Rose - late US rocker who did well in the UK. raw and rootsy. Thinik Harry Chapin crossed with Joe Cocker.

"Pieces of the Past" - John Wesley Harding - free on NoiseTrade - quiet folky stuff from an excellent accomplished songwriter. Think Elvis Costello with a nylon guitar.

"The Ones Who Wait" - Denison Whitmer - more gentle folky stuff, reedy voice

"Young Man in America" - Anais Mitchell - arty writer with a quirky voice. dense language, but a lightness to the complex songs

"Push the Sky Away" - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - no more need be said...

"Seeker Lover Keeper" - Seeker Lover Keeper - lovely folky stuff from Holly Throsby, Sara Blasko and Sally Seltmann. Yes I bought an actual CD...

"Ox4 The Best of Ride" - Ride - great 90's shoegaze band... love their stuff

"The Weight is a Gift" - Nada Surf - American alt-rock, a bit rough at the edges

 "Homeland" - Myles O'Mainnian -  cinematic Scandinavian stuff. quite lovely  - free on NoiseTrade

"Lonerism" - Tame Impala - wanting to see what all the fuss is about! On iTunes

Psalm 27

Here's the final lyric. Now trying to write a tune.

Psalm 27

Be the light that shrouds the twilight
Be the might that holds our fears
Be the home that yearns our dwelling
Be the stone that takes our tears 

Christ, be our light
Whom shall we fear?
Deep in the night
Spirit, draw near

Be the cry that whispers mercy
Be the seeker when we hide
Be the taker and the giver
Be the pathway and the guide

Christ, be our light
Whom shall we fear?
Deep in the night
Spirit, draw near

Be the sacrifice that breaks us
Be the shelter in the flood
Be the promise that remakes us
Be the parent who is good

Christ, be our light
Whom shall we fear?
Deep in the night
Spirit, draw near

Forty Days of Blues

You have to imagine Bob Dylan 'singing' to a Muddy Waters-style "Mannish Boy" riff... It's a work in progress, and like Bob himself, you can add and change verses. I have several more in my head... We played it after to worship on Sunday - thanks Titus, Duncan and David for indulging me.

Forty days of purpose
Forty days of pain
Forty days of wandering
in a desert with no name

Forty days of hunger
Forty days of thirst
Forty days of struggle
Wondering who is coming first?

Forty days of questions
Forty days to choose
Forty days of suffering
Forty days of blues

He got the blues
He got the blues
He got the post-baptismal, messianic, wilderness blues

Forty days of wrestling
with the devils in my head
Forty days not knowing
whether I'm alive or dead

Forty days of doubting
Forty days of truth
Forty days of wishing
that I could relive my youth

I got the blues
I got the blues
I got the post-baptismal, postmodern wilderness blues

Bridge:

Running of the parliament's a capital offence
Bishops and monsignors got a ministry of defence
Lady mining magnate's got the Treasury by the tail
Seekers of asylum - they'd be better off in gaol

We got the blues
We got the blues
We got the pre-election, greenhouse, royal commission wilderness blues

Songwrite and travelling

An enjoyable though busy weekend in Canberra at SongWrite. Here I am recording a song by Julie from Adelaide (off screen) who played flute, Sharon (Toowoomba) on keys, Ann (Sydney) on electric upright bass, Scott (Townsville) on guitar and vocals, and Maria (Melbourne) in Djembe. My gear all worked fine and we recorded some great songs.

I also wrote (but did not record) the Muddy Waters-Bob Dylan inspired "Post-baptismal, Messianic, Wilderness Blues".... which starts with the lyrics "Forty days of purpose, forty days of pain"...

On Sunday night some of us gathered at Lin and Steve's place, where I made a simplified version of my Mexican chicken bake, plus this salad, plus nachos.

Titus and I then drove via Albury and Rutherglen to Boort to stay with relatives, and stopped in at Campbells and Warrabilla on the way...

Then a drive home across the Mallee yesterday where we saw these spectacular clouds... In theory that was the start of my annual leave, but in reality I have a few more days of work on my research report to finish this week. Still, it was great to get out and see the country and meet up with friends and family and make some new friends.

Psalm 27

I've driven to Canberra with my friend Titus for the Uniting Church's first songwriting gathering. Here's Andrew Dutney singing songs and talking about songwriting. Robin Mann has done the same. Wonderful. About 20 songwriters and about 10 helpers are present. I fit into both categories as I'm here to write songs and I've set up a recording studio for people to write their songs tomorrow, plus I'm happy to tell people that their lyrics are crap (just kidding, I'll be an encourager). You can bet that the recording gear won't work smoothly...

Mandolin and Uke right of picture. There are a varied bunch of people here from all over the country, including the amazing Fay White, David MacGregor (who is co-hosting it). Looking forward to meeting them all!

So tonight I looked ahead in the Lectionary and decided to work on a version of Psalm 27. Here's my work in progress - no tune yet. Anything might change....

Psalm 27

Be the light that shrouds the twilight
Be the might that holds our fears
Be the home that yearns our dwelling
Be the stone that takes our tears 

Christ, be our light
Whom shall we fear?
Deep in the night
Spirit, draw near

Be the cry that whispers mercy
Be the seeker when we hide
Be the taker and the giver
Be the pathway and the guide

Christ, be our light
Whom shall we fear?
Deep in the night
Spirit, draw near

Be the promise that restores us
Be the parent who is good
Be the sacrifice that breaks us
Be the shelter in the flood

Christ, be our light
Whom shall we fear?
Deep in the night
Spirit, draw near

(I had somemore edgy lyrics that I took out - like "Be the enemy who breaks us" and "Be the promise that unmakes us". What do you reckon?)