I have to say, I have had it with this post rock nonsense. That post rock tag really frustrates me. Dirty Three dont call their music post rock, no mention of this in band statements or by promoters, labels, etc..many people dont use it. Yet it is the predominant tag for their music.
I dont think they should be compartmentalised with these so called post rock bands; by labeling them as post rock this is what has happened, even though it is simply not the style of music that they play. Listen to it and think - are they actually like these other post rock bands?....No. The notion that they are post rock is an oversimplification, an inappropriate label - a misnomer. People just dont seem to want to call it anything other than post rock..despite the classical music (of course) rock, folk, world music styles evident in their music: greek (rebetiko): I Remember A Time When Once You Used To Love Me, irish, scottish: Red, Irish Red (kinda sounds like something irish, played at a furious pace), jazz + americana (blues/bluegrass/country), eastern european folk - gypsy, balkan, etc..: The Zither Player, dance styles - bolero, waltz: Some Summers They Drop Like Flys, Amy, Indian Love Song (could dance to this) and you could slow dance to this: Michéle...anyway, that's just a few I can think of, also punk and pub rock: Better Go Home Now. So some of their songs you could dance to - are post rock songs danceable?..dont think so. So, in conclusion, does that make their music post rock?..I don't think so, as most post rock is not primarily folk based, and is not danceable.
The reissuing of now all their albums - "Sad & Dangerous", "Dirty Three", "Horse Stories", "Ocean Songs", "Whatever You Love, You Are", "She Has No Strings Apollo", "Cinder", and "Live! at Meredith" (which in small quantities has been dropped off at record stores around Melbourne by Mick himself I believe), as well as the release of The Dirty Three Documentary and ATP film, and a few years ago, "Sticky Carpet" - means that, depending where you are in the world, most of their discography and live performances are available to you; as for the bonus discs and editions of albums with extra tracks, the EP's and other discontinued, rarer stuff - "Lowlands", "Ufkuko", "Sharks EP", "Strange Holiday", "Obvious is Obvious/ No Need" - they are graciously shared by those small few who have them. Below are some of these recordings, some posted on websites, from these limited editions.
Dirty Three (1995):
Seen this one in record stores, dont think there is a vinyl edition of it, though.
1. Indian Love Song
2. Better Go Home Now
3. Odd Couple
4. Kim's Dirt
5. Everything's Fucked
6. The Last Night
7. Dirty Equation
Sad & Dangerous (1995):
Their first album, recorded "with a mic from Tandy's".
Haven't seen this one in record stores, certainly not the vinyl edition.
This will probably be reissued one day.
Ufkuko (1998)
No longer available, maybe this will be reissued too, someday.
Live set in 1998 at ABC TV studios Melbourne, included with a limited edition of Ocean Songs..
(right click: save as - if you want the audio)
Dirty Three – Last Horse on the Sand (Live on ABC TV)
This is the monologue (I guess that's the word for it)(...it's great, and funny):
"This is a song, ladies and gentlemen, from the bedroom, put into your lounge room, because we love you that much. This is a love song, for anyone in love; grab their hand and squeeze it tight, cos tomorrow they might not be there. This is called..'I've been walkin around a long time, and my shoes are worn out, and my pants have fallen down, and I've got holes in my britches..but you are the last horse on..my..sand'"
Also a live recording at ABC TV studios, released on compilation, Recovery: Ready For Transmission..
Dirty Three – Sirena (Live on ABC TV)
Live set at Café de la Danse, Paris, 2003..
Sister Let Them Try And Follow (Live at Cafe De La Danse)
Live set at Melbourne Big Day Out, 1996..
Dirty Three – I Remember A Time When Once You Used To Love Me (Live at Big Day Out)
Dirty Three – To Aster! (Live at Big Day Out)
Dirty Three – Mick's Love Song (Live at Big Day Out)
Nick Cave & the Dirty Three – Tupelo (Live at Big Day Out)
Nick Cave & the Dirty Three – Shivers (Live at Big Day Out)
A Leonard Cohen song, performed live numerous times..
(will upload later along with other stuff)
Dirty Three – Suzanne
A Rowland S. Howard song, performed live with Nick Cave numerous times..
Nick Cave & the Dirty Three – Shivers
A Kim Salmon song from Sharks EP, and also Obvious Is Obvious / No Need split single with Low..
Dirty Three – Obvious Is Obvious
Live set in 2004 at PBS studios - a Melbourne radio station..
Dirty Three – Intro (Live on PBS)
Dirty Three – 1000 Miles (Live on PBS)
Dirty Three – Hope (Live on PBS)
Dirty Three – She Has No Strings (Live on PBS)
Dirty Three – The Zither Player (Live on PBS)
Dirty Three – Jaguar (Live on PBS)
Live set at RRR studios - another Melbourne radio station..
Horse Stories (1996):
1000 Miles
Sue's Last Ride
Hope
I Remember a Time When Once You Used to Love Me - (an adaptation of a song, Μια φορά θυμάμαι/Mia Fora Thimame by Αρλέτα/Arleta)
At the Bar
Red
Warren's Lament
Horse (vocals by Andria Degens - Pantaleimon)
I Knew It Would Come To This
From the iTunes edition..
Crazybirds
Whatever You Love, You Are (2000):
1. Some Summers They Drop Like Flies
2. I Really Should've Gone Out Last Night
3. I Offered It Up to the Stars & the Night Sky
4. Some Things I Just Don't Want to Know
5. Stellar
6. Lullabye for Christie
She Has No Strings Apollo (2003)
From the Japan edition..
All Downhill From Here
She Apollo
iTunes edition..
Greyhound
Rocket
Dirty Stranger
A tribute to the late Alice Coltrane, I believe, who was to play at ATP curated by the Dirty Three, recorded at Meredith in 2004..
Dirty Three – Alice Wading (Live at Meredith)
She Has No Strings:
From the Japan edition of She Has No Strings..
Dirty Three – All Downhill From Here
Dirty Three – She Apollo
Live set in 2002 in Paris..
Dirty Three – 1000 Miles (Live at Instants Chavirés)
A set in Melbourne..
Dirty Three – Red (Live at Prince Bandroom)
Live set in 1994 at Triple J studios - an Australian radio station..
Better Go Home Now (Live from Triple J live)
Cinder:
Ever Since
Amy
She Passed Through
Sad Jexy
Cinders
Doris
Flutter
The Zither Player - (an adaptation of a song by Lajkó Félix, whose music is an influence on Warren, particularly Lajkó Félix és zenekara)
Great Waves
It Happened
Dream Evie
Too Soon, Too Late
This Night
Rain On
Ember
Michèle
Feral
Last Dance
In Fall
from the Japan edition..
Dirty Three – June's a Calling
Fly By Night Club, Fremantle, Western Australia, 2006..
Dirty Three – Maggie May (Live at Fly By Night Club)
ABC Radio National - The Deep End, 2006...
1. Dirty Three – Ever Since (Live on ABC Radio National - The Deep End)
2. Dirty Three – Amy (Live on ABC Radio National - The Deep End)
3. Dirty Three – Flutter (Live on ABC Radio National - The Deep End)
4. Dirty Three – Everything's Fucked (Live on ABC Radio National - The Deep End)
So, I've heard just about everything recorded by the Dirty Three that is available, except the cassette..I'd love to hear it and the performance with Nick Cave to the Carl Dreyer silent film "The Passion of Joan of Arc", if they are out there.
November is almost over so I better do this or I'll never do it. Here in Australia on Triple J radio is Ausmusic month and ABCTV show Rage has joined in this year too. In Jmag The Drones won the top spot in their "Greatest Aussie Song Ever" Top 30 as voted by Aussie muso's. Winning with Shark Fin Blues, which got the most votes and so should they, check it all out here: http://blogs.abc.net.au/triplej/2009/10/greatest-aussie-songs-ever.html
Plus the other night The Drones won two A.I.R. Awards for "Independent Artist Of The Year" and "Best Independent Album" for Havilah and so should they too, check it out here: http://www.airawards.com.au/ (also they should win every A.R.I.A. award at the end of this week but will miss out more than likely because well, it's the crappy arias). Anyway I'm going to re-post Gareth Liddiard from The Drones top five votes for Jmag's greatest Aussie songs, which are: AC/DC - Jailbreak Dirty Three - Hope Kim Salmon - Obvious Is Obvious Laughing Clowns - Collapse Board X - Revolution
Cool, eh? Plus now triple J’s "Like A Version Vol. 5" album is coming out at the end of this month with The Drones doing Suicide is Painless cover on it, yipee!
OK, that is it. I think I've picked a bit of everything but maybe more obscure than your normal top 100 Aussie chart. If you don't know something which sounds good to you please let me know and I'll do my best in letting you know where or how you can find it. I was going to write a line or two on each song but it really would take forever to do that so it's just a big long list again. There was reasons why for all of them and where they ended up in the chart but you can tell what I like and what I don't and a lot of bands or artists have been left out but I don't like them as much as the songs above. These I would listen to forever and if I could take over Triple J this is what I would play for you. What do you think???
Recently the band Laughing Clowns reformed after two decades to a handful of shows over in the Eastern States. After reissuing the complete recordings in a three CD box-set called Cruel But Fair 2005 the time is right for them to be reappraised.
Laughing Clowns formed in 1979 after Ed Kuepper walked away from The Saints, arguably the first punk band ever. Jeffrey Wegener joined Kuepper on drums who has been called “the Aussie Keith Moon” (The Who's drummer). Kuepper wrote all the songs, sung them and played guitar but he focused the music he wrote on drums and saxophone rather than the guitar he played. Louise Elliot was ,and is, now back to play the saxophone in Laughing Clowns. At different stages in their brief six years that they were together they, had more than one saxophone player, but Elliot was the main one really.
The rhythm section is joined by the bass player Les Millar. He played on the reunion shows with his electric upright double bass guitar. A new member Alistar Spence joined on keyboards, an instrument which only appeared in the final stages just before they broke up in 1985. Jeffrey Wegener left to join Kuepper's old band (The Saints) without him. Ed went solo and made many albums himself. The bad blood about braking up is now long gone. They have become, in the last 20 years, underground legends and the time is now right for them. There are many fans who regret not seeing them the first time and many more new fans who have never had a chance in seeing them live.
The Eternally Yours single was the closest the band ever got to a hit single but only on the U.K. Indy charts. This track highlights Louise Elliot's beautiful and extraordinary playing. Music critics in England in the early 80's were puzzled by them and dubbed Laughing Clowns, “Jazz-Punk”. The“Jazz-Punk” label is because it emphasized on instruments which are mainly “Jazz” like drums and saxophone. The “Punk” is mainly because the music critics knew Ed Kuepper from his past in his first band The Saints. Jeffrey Wagener now says the “Jazz-Punk” tag was slightly silly name to call Laughing Clowns but at the time there was no other category really.
Even now when Mojo Magazine reviewed Cruel But Fair box-set they said “It's virtually impossible to categorize the incredible mix of rock, soul, punk, new wave and jazz elements that Laughing Clowns fused together.” It just shows how much an unique sound and unsual style they had. Mojo went on to say “Sounding startlingly contemporary” too. Even Ed Kuepper talking on ABC TV show Live at the Basement called them “Mistfits”, In the contexts of “Laughing Clowns are a bunch of mistfits as ever there was in the history of Australian music.”
So are Laughing Clowns just so far a head of their time? Could they be an under-rated band and remain obscure forever? But if you know them then you are lucky but of course they may not be for every one too. Their web page is promising something special for 2010. Whatever they are planning I hope it includes Perth because I would love to see them live and I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one.
I wrote the above bit first (a few weeks ago) but because it's been tricky lately I haven't posted it. Now just a couple of extra things: Laughing Clowns Live is Volume 7 in the Prince Melon Bootleg Series which was recorded at the the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane at the beginning of this year in January. With seven tracks which are:
I would rate this album four and half out of five and only losing a half because of a couple of fade outs so maybe a song or two is missing but what is here is brilliant. If you went to the show let me know what is missing on the Album. The songs that are here are amazing and could be new songs because of the re-arrangement. Collapse Board and Eternally Yours are totally epic in this new live form. Everything is not the fault of minorities seems to be a new song and is a kind-off free-form instrumental which is so wicked. All these songs are so great played live here and I love it that it was recorded. If you would like to get it: http://www.myspace.com/laughingclowns or download on emusic here: http://www.emusic.com/album/Laughing-Clowns-Laughing-Clowns-Live-MP3-Download/11495230.html
I'm still hoping for a Perth show. Sydney is getting another show next year with Dirty Three which looks great double bill but what has also has been announced "The cancellation of all Ed Kuepper performances in November. Ed has recently suffered injuries to both hands resulting in his not being able to play guitar. Rather than suffer any long term damage, Ed has decided to cancel any shows for the moment." I don't know what has happened but you can read it here: http://www.feelpresents.com/news/768/index1.html
Wishing Ed to get better soon. If anyone knows how or why or what please do tell, it sound so odd.
I have quite a large collection now, because I have started buying vinyl rather than CD. I just like them better. Yeah, so I have become one of those guys - fossicking through stacks and shelves.
This is my collection of vinyl, all of which I recommend:
Some of this stuff I inherited, some of it I found. I don't really listen these ones often but they're interesting. I'll probably trade them, some maybe..might keep a few...
Over at my blog, Bear Among Bees, I like to feature a tune (or a few) each Tuesday. I decided to start posting links here in my last.fm journal because this is a music place after all.
I don't much like the last.fm journal format, thats why I don't just post the journals here in the first place. So that's the story and here are all the October links, I might try doing this once a month.
I love hearing from people so feel free to comment here or over at my blog. Cheers!
The reissuing of now all their albums - "Sad & Dangerous", "Dirty Three", "Horse Stories", "Ocean Songs", "Whatever You Love, You Are", "She Has No Strings Apollo", "Cinder", and "Live! at Meredith" (which in small quantities has been dropped off at record stores around Melbourne by Mick himself I believe), as well as the release of The Dirty Three Documentary and ATP film, and a few years ago, "Sticky Carpet" - means that, depending where you are in the world, most of their discography and live performances are available to you; as for the bonus discs and editions of albums with extra tracks, the EP's and other discontinued, rarer stuff - "Lowlands", "Ufkuko", "Sharks EP", "Strange Holiday", "Obvious is Obvious/ No Need" - they are graciously shared by those small few who have them. Below are some of these recordings, some posted on websites, from these limited editions.
Dirty Three (1995):
Seen this one in record stores, but not the vinyl edition.
1. Indian Love Song
2. Better Go Home Now
3. Odd Couple
4. Kim's Dirt
5. Everything's Fucked
6. The Last Night
7. Dirty Equation
Sad & Dangerous (1995):
Their first album, recorded "with a mic from Tandy's".
Haven't seen this one in record stores, certainly not the vinyl edition.
Live set in 1998 at ABC TV studios Melbourne, included with a limited edition of Ocean Songs ..
Ufkuko (1998)
Dirty Three – Last Horse on the Sand (Live on ABC TV)
This is the monologue (I guess that's the word for it)(...it's great, and funny):
"This is a song, ladies and gentlemen, from the bedroom, put into your lounge room, because we love you that much. This is a love song, for anyone in love; grab their hand and squeeze it tight, cos tomorrow they might not be there. This is called..'I've been walkin around a long time, and my shoes are worn out, and my pants have fallen down, and I've got holes in my britches..but you are the last horse on..my..sand'"
Also a live recording at ABC TV studios, released on compilation, Recovery: Ready For Transmission..
Dirty Three – Sirena (Live on ABC TV)
Live set at Café de la Danse, Paris, 2003..
Sister Let Them Try And Follow (Live at Cafe De La Danse)
Live set at Melbourne Big Day Out, 1996..
Dirty Three – I Remember A Time When Once You Used To Love Me (Live at Big Day Out)
Dirty Three – To Aster! (Live at Big Day Out)
Dirty Three – Mick's Love Song (Live at Big Day Out)
Nick Cave & the Dirty Three – Tupelo (Live at Big Day Out)
Nick Cave & the Dirty Three – Shivers (Live at Big Day Out)
A Leonard Cohen song, performed live numerous times..
(will upload later along with other stuff)
Dirty Three – Suzanne
A Rowland S. Howard song, performed live with Nick Cave numerous times..
Nick Cave & the Dirty Three – Shivers
A Kim Salmon song from Sharks EP, and also Obvious Is Obvious / No Need split single with Low..
Dirty Three – Obvious Is Obvious
Live set in 2004 at PBS studios - a Melbourne radio station..
Dirty Three – Intro (Live on PBS)
Dirty Three – 1000 Miles (Live on PBS)
Dirty Three – Hope (Live on PBS)
Dirty Three – She Has No Strings (Live on PBS)
Dirty Three – The Zither Player (Live on PBS)
Dirty Three – Jaguar (Live on PBS)
Live set at RRR studios - another Melbourne radio station..
Horse Stories (1996):
1000 Miles
Sue's Last Ride
Hope
I Remember a Time When Once You Used to Love Me - (an adaptation of a song, Μια φορά θυμάμαι/Mia Fora Thimame by Αρλέτα/Arleta)
At the Bar
Red
Warren's Lament
Horse (vocals by Andria Degens - Pantaleimon)
I Knew It Would Come To This
Whatever You Love, You Are (2000):
1. Some Summers They Drop Like Flies
2. I Really Should've Gone Out Last Night
3. I Offered It Up to the Stars & the Night Sky
4. Some Things I Just Don't Want to Know
5. Stellar
6. Lullabye for Christie
A tribute to the late Alice Coltrane, I believe, who was to play at ATP curated by the Dirty Three, recorded at Meredith in 2004..
Dirty Three – Alice Wading (Live at Meredith)
She Has No Strings:
From the Japan edition of She Has No Strings..
Dirty Three – All Downhill From Here
Dirty Three – She Apollo
Live set in 2002 in Paris..
Dirty Three – 1000 Miles (Live at Instants Chavirés)
A set in Melbourne..
Dirty Three – Red (Live at Prince Bandroom)
Live set in 1994 at Triple J studios - an Australian radio station..
Better Go Home Now (Live from Triple J live)
Cinder:
Ever Since
Amy
She Passed Through
Sad Jexy
Cinders
Doris
Flutter
The Zither Player - (an adaptation of a song by Lajkó Félix, whose music is an influence on Warren, particularly Lajkó Félix és zenekara)
Great Waves
It Happened
Dream Evie
Too Soon, Too Late
This Night
Rain On
Ember
Michèle
Feral
Last Dance
In Fall
from the Japan edition..
Dirty Three – June's a Calling
Fly By Night Club, Fremantle, Western Australia, 2006..
Dirty Three – Maggie May (Live at Fly By Night Club)
ABC Radio National - The Deep End, 2006...
1. Dirty Three – Ever Since (Live on ABC Radio National - The Deep End)
2. Dirty Three – Amy (Live on ABC Radio National - The Deep End)
3. Dirty Three – Flutter (Live on ABC Radio National - The Deep End)
4. Dirty Three – Everything's Fucked (Live on ABC Radio National - The Deep End)
So, I've heard just about everything recorded by the Dirty Three that is available, except the cassette..I'd love to hear it, it is one of those recordings that eludes me...I know it's out there..and maybe the performance with Nick Cave to the Carl Dreyer silent film "The Passion of Joan of Arc"...
Right, to start with I've written about Warren Ellis before but in other artists journals, not really just about him. This is going to be more about Nick Cave & Warren Ellis' White Lunar in the first bit and not at all about that audiobook thingy the other guy wrote. Also this is going to be a bit of a database of all Warren Ellis' recordings ever and also includes his favorites film soundtracks.
The Proposition is my all-time favorite soundtrack. I think it's one of the best things both Warren Ellis and or Nick Cave have ever done. White Lunar is kind-off a "Best of" feature films (the first, white disc) and documentaries (the second, black disc). The Proposition film and The English Surgeon doco have the most tracks on this compilation album. Nothing here is better than The Proposition tracks, maybe The English Surgeon comes close, so that is a good decision to have the most songs here. I would get the full album soundtrack if it was released, it is so much better than Music From The Motion Picture The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, to me that was a bit too like a big Hollywood soundtrack (which it is so it's just OK really).
The new tracks from the film The Road is cool, to finally hear them. Also the new tracks for the doco for The Girls Of Phnom are here and are cool to hear. But the tracks from The Vaults are the other tracks that are most interesting and I would love to hear more. One more thing is most of thess tracks are so short that I would think you could really put more songs on the CD's. I have not added up all the track time to see how long it is but there is that old trick of the hidden track here too. I think I would have included something from the scores for theater. Woyzeck and Metamorphosis both from 2006 have never seen the light of day and only place you can hear them is at the plays when performed.
I would rate White Lunar 3 and 1/2 out of 5 stars because it could have been better really. Anyway I have just read a very small interview with Ellis and without Cave which seem like they are a double act now, or joined at the hip, or something like that. Ellis was saying the songs for the soundtracks are recorded before seeing any films. So both are playing and recording all these tracks all the time and when a movie comes along to score they match up what is all there to the moving image. Which sounds great but there must have been a re-recording and or overdubbing for something like The Assassination which I think is a bit too over-produced. Warren is saying it's very "In the moment" creative process and I would love to read more but I think this interview is edited so much. You could possibly draw comparisons to Dirty Three more than Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds but Ellis says it's nothing like them and is more about the "direction is out of your hands, you're in the image." But it's interesting that the last Dirty Three album Cinder came out in 2005 and the first soundtrack The Proposition was out the same year too. Nick Cave has said his favorite Dirty Three album is Ocean Songs and that is the one which, with Cave joining on piano, they have been playing as the classic album at ATP festival's Don't Look Back series. Grinderman started a couple of years later too.
Anyway the interview I was reading has Warren Ellis' film soundtrack favorites, which are:
> Anything composed by Bernard Herrmann or Ennio Morricone
> John Scott's score for Wake In Fright
>Elliot Goldenthal's score for Heat
>John Barry's score for Walkabout
>Brian May's score for Mad Max (By the way this is not the Queen guitar player which is the only artist under this name on last.fm).