Yesterday I went to 78 Records in the city and bought a few CDs instead of working hard on the magazine I’ve got to have finished sometime in the next five minutes. Hey! That’s procrastination for you. (Exhibit A: all my comments on this blog.)
This must be the best music store in Perth — if anyone knows of any other places that have a similarly decent selection, and are staffed by friendly music nerds who will always compliment me on my exceedingly good taste in music, let me know. The only thing I don’t like about 78 Records is the cavernous space above your head that opens up when you step in the door; CD shops need to be enclosed and a bit dreary, a refuge for those those with tousled hair and fashion sense frozen on the day they first heard Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ or, whatever one’s own personal music nerd muse moment might have been. NB, this is not my musical nerd muse moment, which I may reveal later if hassled.
I picked up Iron & Wine’s Woman King, Sleater Kinney’s The Woods and a little four-track CD from Brisbane band The Grates. All are very good, Iron & Wine’s ‘WomanKing’ track itself is particularly great in this weird hippie-sci-fi-apocalyptic way, it’s kind of 70s and all very singalongable. My partner did make the mistake of asking if it were the John Butler Trio’s new song, to which I replied, “pfffft, take your non-music nerdishness away from me, silly man, this is not didactic quasi-folk from that annoyingly earnest dread-locked hippy!”
Actually I am ashamed of myself that it has taken me this long to get into Iron & Wine, but now I have to share the love. And please don’t hate me for not being into John Butler. I’m sympathetic to his aims and all, but the dreadlocks squick me.
The Grates are best known for the ‘Trampoline’ song that accompanied that Just Jeans add. Ya know, it goes “Use your bed like a trampoline! Higher! Higher!” It’s cute and poppy and I like playing it in the car.
And, finally… Sleater Kinney ROCKS. Put away that piffling Donnas album, my little feminist rock chicks, and get yourself a big old dose of ROCK. Yeah! I feel better now. There’s these amazing guitar moments that are just so aggressively cool. Who says women don’t do rock music? No-one? Good!
I know I am tres uncool because I have not succumbed to the wonderfulness that is the iPod and I am actually suggesting that you go out and buy some CDs rather than downloading tracks, but there it is. I am a luddite, but I like buying objects and not files from the vast machine. I’m sure the iPod will insinuate itself into my life sooner or later, but for now I reject perfectly portable music for the clumsiness of the CD player.
Also, this is the funny.
I declare war.
The Donnas suck, The Grates are lame, Chicks on Speed are crap.
The Spazzys rock.
The departed Nitocris did the best version of ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ ever when they supported Midnight Oil a few years back.
You can own an iPod AND still buy CDs, you know. You can get full use out of your iPod and never download a song.
Amanda: Yes, I know… my main real reason for not having an iPod is, sadly, financial, as I am broke broke broke right now.
It wasn’t my intention to give the impression that it’s an either/or proposition, more to explain why I wasn’t doing the whole MP3 link thing that is popular in some parts.
I’m obviously wrong for this thread. I don’t know any of these people and have only the vaguest idea what an iPod is.
I know what MP3 is, though - the lowest-fidelity music playback format ever invented.
I’m listening to The Woods and it isn’t bad but finding it a little too angular for my liking (the vocals are great though). I will give it a few more listens.
As for The Donnas never shall I put away their records. The Donnas understand well the majesty of rock and the fantasy of roll. After the Dark Ages of the post-Nirvana, shoe gazing shuffling zombies of angst, The Donnas were one of the bands that reminded us it was okay to rock’n'roll all night after all. That living after midnight and rocking to the dawn is an acceptable lifestyle choice and nothing to be ashamed about.
Rifforama is back and long may it stay!
Spazzy’s and Mach Pelican - now there’s a double bill to die for.
I’m weighing up whether to buy The Woods. Have heard a few tracks and like them so far.
The Grates? Well, yes, the trampoline song fulfils their name. Not the music, but the fucking lyrics… oh my god, it makes me want to burst my own ear drums.
And I’m not particularly impressed by the Spazzys, either. I imagine they’re better live than on the radio, though.
Iron + Wine? If you can confuse them with John Butler, then I’ll continue not having heard them if at all possible.
I learnt all I ever needed to know about John Butler from the the Young Ones.
Liam,
See him live, dude!
Twelve string chords hitting you right in the kidneys: you can’t beat it!
There is a 78s in Perth. It’s been there for over 25 years and back in the early eighties I would have bought 700 to 800 records there. It was great for imports.
I was there in 2003, though, and it’s exactly as you say, a great cavernous thing that seems empty. Bugger all reacord, too. As you’d expect, I suppose.
There is a great record store in Perth, though. It has all new releases on vinyl, as well as a top second hand records section and a huge CD area. It’s in Pier Street and is called DaDa. Good shop, it is.
Sorry. I thought that was Mark talking about Brisbane.
I’ve seen him live, harry, a few times. He was pretty good a long time ago, when I had no idea who the fuck he was — he was just some guy on stage with a guitar, filling in time while the roadies got ready for the next real act. But he’s gone rapidly downhill (which is, I suppose, a feat, since all his songs sound the same).
(And Tony — this post is by Kate, who now lives in Perth.)
I saw Butler years ago - a lot of energy but not much to say. Still that “single” played a bit on ABC radio is ok.
So now Kate has been outed as just another WA commo bleeding heart lefty tree hugging PC wanker on the red rag.
Hang on Kate… ’squick’? Sounds like a word I’d like to use more often, like, say, putative, but what does it mean?
Dada and 78 are the nicest places to shop for music. Wesley gives a 12% discount for RAC members.
Hang on Kate… ‚Äôsquick‚Äô? Sounds like a word I‚Äôd like to use more often, like, say, putative, but what does it mean?
You don’t want to know.
Irant, are you suffering from Buffy nostalgia with the Donnas?
Given the forelock tugging by Australian conservatives I suppose it’s not a surprise that we now have to once again witness a parroting of imported American style language and attitudes into our cultural and social environment. Similar to our American cousins, noted prudes Trish Draper and Peter Lindsay would like television to meet so called higher standards of decency and morality and with greater public input, so, in the absence of a willing brain dead Australian, or another boatload of refugees, Big Brother will have to do.
Good connection Mark, but no. Though without Google if any can tell me the three songs I shamelessly stole lyrics from I’ll buy ‘em a beer.
So tired of playing with this bow and arrow,,, going to give it to the other girls to play…
My favourite 90s song is Portishead‚Äôs “Glory Box”.
“Give me a reason to love you…”
First heard it in Seattle, which somehow seems appropriate.
Kate, you should check out The Organ for Canadian rock chick goodness.
NB, this is not my musical nerd muse moment, which I may reveal later if hassled.
I’ve shown you mine, Kate, please show me yours.
Squick: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squick
It has rather sexual overtones, which kind of plumbs the depths of my skin-crawling aversion to dreadlocks. Urgh. Maybe not the best term, thinking about it. (Apologies to all people with dreadies, it’s not you, it’s your hair.)
Kim: I think it was probably Lamb’s ‘Gorecki’. I think I’m stuck in 1997.
Kate
For purchasing chit chat and nicely obscure odds and ends I’d recommend Jay’s Jukebox in Forrest Walk Subiaco, though the owner can have powers of making you come out with something you didn’t expect to buy (and where is that Japanese string-based trip hop album I bought?). Nice cafe nearby too - good things with French toast. JB Hi-fi, Scarborough Beach Rd is (I know I know) best for bargains and knowing exactly what you want and finding it although the staff are perfunctory, general powers of mammon may lead you astray, case in point, exchanging a CD and coming out with a telly.
Portishead.
Tortoisehead.
Is Rob unfamiliar with the music box?