War of Confusion - Pass it on

Damn, it feels good to be angry again.

I just watched Virtual DJ's War of Confusion clip and I needed to share it with you all. It's too easy to become complacent. It's good to get a metaphoric (and sometimes literal) smack in the face to wake you up, every now and then.

And it's too easy to dismiss mash-up artists' work as novelty tunes, but Virtual DJ reminds us that music and subsequently, the subversion of music can be an incredibly powerful tool.



Thanks for watching, spread the good word and keep fighting the good fight.

-Ringo

ReeeeeeeeeMIX! And Cadavers The Blue Mask.

(Me & Captain Howdy love a remix)

Just when I thought my remix challenge had prematurely done its dash, I received another submission! This one is from Frankie Teardrop, and it's a sweet club anthem, maybe something for the recovery lounge...

Dead Bodies On The Dancefloor (Frankie Teardrop Mix) - Frankie Teardrop

'Frankie' is also known as Wolfgang, and is also known as Danny, aka Daniel, who also fronts the band who were The Blue Mask, then Trade Your Heroes For Ghosts and finally settled on Cadavers. Which is a name they better keep now, 'cos I'm not changing the file names again!!

(EDIT: One minute. ONE MINUTE after I clicked 'Publish', Danny informed me they are back to The Blue Mask. *sigh* That's okay... I like that name best anyway.)

Cadavers
The Blue Mask take me back to the Proscenium, the only Goth club in Adelaide, way back in the days of yore. It closed down years ago, but it left one hell of an imprint on the psyches of many of us. Be it a story of filthy deeds in the alleyway, the bathrooms or on the dancefloor, pole dancing, the Gothic Two-Step, Enzo, those horrible "Fashion Shows", or that shitty shitty watered-down rust piss they called beer, we all have a story to tell about the Proscenium.

I first met Danny there, a long, long time ago.
Cadavers
The Blue Mask are based in Sydney now but I know the germ of
Cadavers
The Blue Mask came from the filth-ridden carpet of the Proscenium.

Cadavers
The Blue Mask - Rains Again

Cadavers
The Blue Mask - Like Flies

Cadavers
The Blue Mask - She's Left Behind

I got these from the band's Myspace, and there are several more there too.

- Ringo Stalin

SA Great - The Long-Awaited Second Part

You know the great thing about this blog? I have absolutely no responsibility to update on a regular basis and no deadlines. That's so cool.

So here's the second part of my SA Great series.

In an earlier draft of this post, I went on a bit of rant about the current state of music, not just in Adelaide, but on a global scale. Rather than posting that and adding one more voice to the spleen-vent that is Teh Internets, I thought it best to add to the small percentage of what's good on said tubes.

So here are some past and present bands that have made South Australia great:

(click pics for pages, where possible)

MEGAFAUNA

Mostly slow, stoner rock, with simple melodies. Contains members of Hit The Jackpot, Lindsey Low Hand, Sweet Raxxx, Trip Up From Mission Viejo, Hardy Coxon... The list goes on.

Megafauna - Starling

MATT'S LITTLE BROTHER

That's Steve on the right, shaking hands with Australian children's music icon, Peter Combe. I haven't seen much of Matt's Little Brother, aka Stevie B, in a while, as he's been focusing on a film project entitled, aptly enough, "Adelaide". I really hope he gets back into music soon, as he's damn talented. The following is an old track from 2001.

Matt's Little Brother - Away

SWEET RAXXX

Many things can and have been said about Sweet Raxxx. Some of those things were complimentary. Some weren't. But there is one thing that could be said that cannot be denied: they always put on an amazing show. This is their Toto Coelo cover:

Sweet Raxxx - I Eat Cannibals

AVANT GARDENERS

Avant Gardeners are a gigantic collective of musicians, ruled by the gentle iron fist of Sandy, a former member of The Moonies. Past and present members include people from: Roo Shooter, Hit The Jackpot (again!!!), The Moonies, Les Goolies, No Through Road and many more. AG perform every year, at an event called 'Really Good In Theory', which is a celebration of all things local, with stalls set up during the day, selling homemade food, zines, 2nd hand goods, and basically hawking their wares. In the evening, a long list of bands play until the wee hours and a good time is had by all.

Avant Gardeners - Really Good In Theory

BATERZ

Baterz passed away in 2002, aged 33. I don't really feel I have the chops to discuss Baterz' life, as I only met him once and it was a very brief encounter, but his music and legacy definitely deserves to be recognised. Baterz had caustic wit, absurdist humour and heartwrenching balladeering down pat, sometimes even in the one song.

Baterz - Goth
Baters - Fifteen (Live)

FIVE! NOW YOU'RE TALKING

(I couldn't find a picture of them online, but this came up when I image-searched 5nytk)
Five! Now You're Talking, aka 5!NYTK, made a name for themselves as being the most irritating band in Adelaide for the short duration of their existence. Personally, I think we're all better for it. And if you recognise the vocals in this track, it's because one of the singers in 5!NYTK was a pre-No Through Road Matt Banham.

5!NYTK - Digital Love

THE ANGELS

Oz rock legends The Angels started out as The Moonshine Jug and String Band in 1970 until they picked up electric instruments and became The Keystone Angels in 1974. In 1976, now using the name 'The Angels', they released the Oz rock FM radio classic 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?', to which every true Aussie knows the reply: "No way, get fucked, fuck off!". We're a classy bunch.

As an interesting sidenote, my late father used to be friends with singer Doc Neeson, back in the Moonshine Jug days. Unfortunately, I was never able to substantiate the claim, but it doesn't seem like the sort of thing Dad would've lied about. Additionally, Doc's mother was my mother's midwife, present at mine and my brother's birth (3 years apart, for those keeping count). Aaaaaand, Jimmy Barnes' mum was a nurse who used to work with Doc's mother. Adelaide is a small town.

The Angels - No Secrets

AC/DC

Yeah, Bon Scott was born in Western Australia, but we all know they came from the northern suburbs of Adelaide. The story goes that Angus & Malcolm Young, and Phil Rudd met Bon at the Old Lion after he left Fraternity. They then went on to have their first jam session at the Bridgeway Hotel in Pooraka. Hits you right there, doesn't it?

Rather than post an AC/DC track (let's face it, they're not hard to find), here's ECC's infamous 'Rocked By Rape', which samples US anchorman Dan Rather, and does interesting things to AC/DC's 'Back In Black'.

Evolution Control Committee - Rocked By Rape

Random Tracks, Kittens & Queen's Birthday Special

As I sit here, I have a gorgeous kitten curled up in my lap (Fantoma, the tortoiseshell, FYI). Probably not the most ergonomic situation, but them's the breaks when you adopt cats.

Today, I'm posting some random tracks that have been getting a little bit more attention than others on my various listening devices. I've got a few ideas for some future posts, including another SA Great Special Edition, so come back soon.

This first one is dedicated to Moss, and all the nice pieces of ass in Boy's Club:

Ween - Boy's Club (Mollusk outtake)

While we're on the topic:

The Frogs - Sailors Board Me Now

I still pronounce 'Roky' phonetically. I can't help it.

Roky Erickson - I Have Always Been Here Before (from 'Gremlins Have Pictures') (which I got from the DigitalMeltd0wn blog, to whom I give huge thanks)

And yet I pronounce Brujeria beautifully, if I do say so myself. Brujeria have a wikipedia entry, which I recommend reading if you are unaware of them.

Brujeria - Castigo Del Brujo

Guido and Maurizio de Angelis are freaking amazing. I've been listening to a few of their Spaghetti Western scores, via From the Negative Zone, an excellent source for scores. I want to cover this song so bad.

G. & M. de Angelis - Keoma

My belief is that Aphex Twin's 'Alberto Balsam' is made up of samples taken from a hair salon. I've got absolutely nothing to back that up, but the hi-hat sounds like a pair of scissors, and there's a great noise that sounds like a wooden chair being pushed back along a wooden floor (which is reminiscent of StrongBad's Geddup Noise). And there's the fact it's named after a particular hair care brand...

Aphex Twin - Alberto Balsam

It's the Queen's Birthday public holiday here in Adelaide. So here's some Queen. This is a brilliant album track from 'The Works'.

Queen - Machines (or Back to Humans)

I've fallen in love with Matt Berry, aka Dixon Bainbridge in the 'Mighty Boosh' first season or Dr Lucien Sanchez/Todd Rivers in 'Garth Marenghi's Darkplace'. I just started watching 'Snuff Box', after finding bits n' pieces on youtube and declare it to be true comedy genius. And there's one particular 'woo-aahh-oh' in this track that just makes me swoon.

Matt Berry & Rich Fulcher - Takin' Control of Her Body

And here's 'One Track Lover', from 'Darkplace'.


And, to finish up, a brilliant DJ STV SLV, from The Hood Internet, mash:

DJ STV SLV - Girls Just Wanna Fix Up (Cyndi Lauper & Dizzee Rascal)

Happy birthday, Liz!

SA Great - Special Edition

I'm a very lazy man. I was meant to post a second part to the first 'SA Great' entry ages ago. That's still coming... eventually... at some point...

In the meantime, I'm dedicating this post to one Adelaide band in particular, Hit The Jackpot, who I mentioned in the original 'SA Great' post.

Hit The Jackpot have just released "Soul Money Gang Vibe" and it's already at No 1. of my Top Ten albums of 2008 list. I don't actually compile annual lists because I rarely get to listen to albums in the year they get released, but rest assured, this is definitely at No 1.

The most obvious thing for me to write about would be the most obvious comparison I could make to HTJ's sound. Well, far be it from me to defy convention: Sonic Youth. But I'm not a big Sonic Youth fan, and all I really know is the "Dirty" album, which is, y'know, okay. I'm not going to go out of my way to listen to "Dirty", but I've ripped "Soul Money Gang Vibe" onto my hard drive, put on my portable music thingy, listened to it on the way to work, and then dumped it onto my hard drive at work, and made other people listen to it too. And to look at the awesome cover:

There's an evocation of The Go-Betweens, too, particularly in Kynan's vocals, which are sung in an unassuming Australian lilt.

It'd be foolish of me to try and remain objective when discussing this album. Hell, I'm on the front and back cover!

(that's me, the smiley chap in the gray shirt, holding up one corner of the pyramid)

The day those photos were taken was perfect: a gorgeous summer's day (and I usually loathe the summer), a few beers, interstate buddies visiting, a night-time BBQ and a fuckload of face-masks. Hell yeah, that's living!

Hit The Jackpot - Eye (my personal favourite from the album, and a great song to hear performed live)


Hit The Jackpot - Jig

Cheers, Jess, Kynan, Seb and Scott. You're a lovely bunch.

- Ringo Stalin

Find out more about Hit The Jackpot, via this link.

There Was No Moon But The Stars Were Bright

This entry is primarily for the benefit of a chap named Nick who tends bar at one of my favourite drinking holes, Supermild*. I was there the other evening, and Nick was putting on some great tracks for the early crowd, like Squirrel Nut Zippers and Tom Waits and there was some Elvis in there too. I generally don't request songs very often, because most of the time I when I ask, I get a blank stare in return. Also, I know how irritating it can be: I used to "DJ"** at a nightclub many moons ago, and also hosted my own radio show for a time, and people would request the strangest things that were never in the same vein as what I was playing.

But I digress. I requested 'Crawfish', by Elvis Presley, which is such a damn fine song, and it actually changed my mind about Mr Presley. I'd initially dismissed a lot of his work, as most people do, without really hearing anything other than Viva Las Vegas or Suspicious Minds or Hound Dog.

I'd done the same with his film work, too, until my significant other bought King Creole and told me I should watch it. The fact that Carolyn Jones, aka Morticia Addams, is in it helped, too.

I've digressed again. Anyway, the point is: Nick didn't have it. I said I'd help him out. So here it is.

Crawfish - Elvis Presley

And this version rules too:

Crawfish - Patti Palladin & Johnny Thunders

- Ringo

*If you're in Supermild, and you're just not feeling 100%, may I recommend the Cucumber Sandwich cocktail? Sour Apple Schnapps, Pimms (I love Pimms) and ginger ale. It's like an olde timey revitalising tonic! That stuff is amazing!

** And when I say "DJ", I mean I simply put CDs in the player and played the songs. No beat-mixing or fancy business.

Second Submission!!!

The second remix has come in!

Actually, it arrived in my inbox shortly after the first one, but I'm just really lazy.

The Pitchfork Council - Dead Bodies on the Dancefloor (Rigor Mortis Mix)

The Pitchfork Council is a producer/artist from Adelaide. You can find his myspace page here.

He's got a hell of a lot of albums available for download, too. I think he's pretty nifty.

Surrogate Flesh Engine

Wicked Dreams Of Fire

Scarred

Death Carols

Twenty Roses

Ropes Of Honey

(in case you were wondering, Cobra Kai have nothing to do with this post, I just love how happy Johnny looks.)
(and that guy, second from right, oooh, I hate him so much! "Get him a bodybag, Johnny!" grr! I hate that guy!!!)

- Ringo.