Use your power wisely … Treat them to an anchovy.
It is funny thinking back to the nineties in Croydon. Although not one of those students asking Mr Cowell if he was on the drug that killed River Phoenix, I will not forget his last lesson before leaving teaching when he brought in a video recording of TISM on Rage. By the time he had wheeled in the TV, we managed to catch a lengthy rambling between he and Ron ‘Hitler’ Barassi about nothing much, before announcing three tracks from the Ted Mulry Gang. The mask was definitely off.
A reflection on the music that represented my soundtrack for 2019.
I enjoy the exercise of looking back at the music that stood out to me across the year. Here then are my thoughts on 2019.
Better in Blak (Thelma Plum)
Produced by Alex Burnett and David Kahne, Better in Blak has the pop hooks and melodies to quickly drag you in. However, once there Plum users this platform to challenges the listener. In songs such as Better in Blak, Homecoming Queen and Woke Blokes, she opens up about race, gender and identity. Although she tells many stories of injustice and heartbreak, the album always manages to remains positive. As Caitlin Walsh explains,
Additionally, Cyclone Wehner captures Plumâs style suggesting that,
For me, Better in Blak is an example of what Damian Cowell describes as treating the listener to an anchovy. Maybe this is why she abandoned her original album? There were quite a few albums of this ilk that caught my attention in 2019. That is, they hooked in the listener, while also serving up some deep questions.They included Monaigneâs Complex, King Princessâ Cheap Queen and Banksâ III.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExMjEwymQ3A%5D
Lost Girls (Bat for Lashes)
Lost Girls is a soundtrack that stemmed from a script that Natasha Khan was/is writing telling the story of a vampire girl-gang chasing a mortal protagonist in Los Angeles. It is loosely based on the 80âs film, Lost Boys. Andrew Trendell explained that,
With these cultural references, the albumâs palette of rich synth sounds is also deeply based upon the past. This can be interpreted as a case of using the past and nostalgia to make comment on the present. As Ryan Leas suggests
I think that Joe Goggins summarises the album best when he describes it as, âdoomy disco for dark times.â
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm3Xg289qTM%5D
About Us (G Flip)
I remember first hearing (and seeing) G Flip (or Geor Flipiano) as a part of the the ABCâs âThe Night is Yours Concertâ. She played with so much energy, I was hooked. I was also intrigued when her EP came out a few months later. Although the drums were present, the power and punch was made way for the emotion of the songs. The album continues with this balance. She could easily have gone overboard with the production, but instead holds back, providing what feels like enough of everything. Overall, it carries a certain pop subtlety. As Simone Ziaziaris describes:
Similar to how Lordeâs Melodrama captures a particular period of her life, many of the songs document a time in Flipianoâs life when she was falling in and out of love with her girl friend. She also received help from some big names, including Ariel Rechtshaid (âI Am Not Afraidâ), Justin Tranter (âStupidâ) and Scott Hoffman (âTwo Millionâ). This reminds me of Missy Higgins talking about her experience of working with different writers on the Inspired podcast. I am going to assume that is how the music industry works?
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CD0DggtZVk%5D
Norman Fucking Rockwell (Lana Del Rey)
Rather than hooking the listener in with sweet choruses and succinct pop songs, Norman Fucking Rockwell is an album which washes over like waves lapping on a beach. Before long, you are lost within a world. I think Sam Sodomsky sums it up best, saying,
In an interview with Joe Coscarelli, Del Rey provides some insights into the choice of Jack Antonoff as producer and why it is time for protest songs. There is something ironic about Antonoffâs inclusion. Some may call out another failure to present anything original, yet Del Reyâs attempt at raw honesty seems prime for collaboration with the âsuperproducerâ (what is a superproducer?) As Antonoff once stated in an interview with Zane Lowe:
Although Ann Powers questions her reference to noir and where Del Rey sits within the panteon of other female artists, such as Joni Mitchell, Fiona Apple and Tori Amos, I think the success of the way in which is drags you into a world. As Powersâ describes,
Coming back to Antonoff, it is also interesting to consider that this album was released a week after his other significant production effort for 2019, Taylor Swiftâs âevolutionary rather than revolutionaryâ Lover.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soRjcajliHE%5D
Late Night Feelings (Mark Ronson)
Mark Ronsonâs Late Night Feelings has the usual polished rhythm and feel that you would expect from Ronson, however gone is the sense of fun present in past tracks such as Bike Song and Uptown Funk. Instead we are left with a collection of âsad bangersâ. As he explained in an interview with Jordan Bassett,
For Ronson, the contrast of the upbeat nature of the music with the melancholy of the lyrics is something that harks back to the blues.
Peyton Thomas also places it within the tradition of âSad Girlâ genre, where the portrayal of female sadness is actually a strength to be recognised.
Some critics have questioned the seemingly hit and miss nature of the album, however I feel it is one of those albums where the whole is greater than the parts. It can be easy to get confused at supposed fillers like Knock Knock Knock, but like Fitter Happier on Radioheadâs OK Computer, such tracks serve a wider purpose in creating a particular world.
I think this also touches on the reality that Ronson is first and fore-mostly a DJ. When discussing the making of Covers, Ronson once stated that his intent was to make music to DJ to. This album is a continuation of that. In some ways it can be heard as a set in its own right. Although it isnât as blended as something like Madonnaâs Confessions on a Dancefloor, moments like the bridge in Late Night Feeling or the constant of the bass throughout give it that feel.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5mlu5GPqyA%5D
I have completed this activity for a few years now. What is interesting is that a theme always seems to present itself. 2017 was Jack Antonoff, 2018 was musical reimaginings. This year it was about the female voice. Each of the albumâs was driven by a strong female presence. What is intriguing though is when you dig into each of the albumâs, there are still a plethora of men producing? Alex Burnett, Charles Scott IV, Jack Antonoff and Mark Ronson. Other than those who self produce, where are the female producers?
So these are my highlights for 2019, what about you? What were the albums that stuck with you? As always, comments welcome.
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Music of 2019 in Review, or The Year Girls Ran the World by Aaron Davis is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Also on:
In his spiel for the Pozible Campaign, Only the Shit You Love is describes as:
However, he also stated in an interview around the time the Pozible campaign was announced that:
Like a novel which pronounces the death of the protagonist on the first page to flag that worrying about such trivialities is not what matters, Cowell started his first podcast by outlining some of the themes:
While in the episode of Tony Martinâs Sizzletown at the end of the album track I Wanna Be The Shit You Love, a caller is used to provide the following summary:
This narrative is carried through the web series. Although the text of the lyrics are often included within the clips, these videos are more than just lyrical videos. They each carry the narrative in their own manner. The style seems to be borrow from a number of places. There is a hat tip to shows like The Archies and Josie and the Pussycats), but it is way more than that. Although the representations are sometimes crude and slightly ridiculous â Cartoon descriptions? How else to describe a cartoon world? â they are always pertinent. (I will never see Osher GĂŒnsberg the same way again.) In addition to the storyline running throughout, Cowell always keeps things real by providing his own critique of his work with a running commentary in the margins.
In regards to the album, Only the Shit You Love contains Cowellâs usual witty observations on the world.
In relation to the concept, Cowell explained in a conversation with Anthea Cohen, that the songs came first and the album can be listened separately to the series. However, he also explained that as ideas came together, changes were made to fit the songs together.
One change to the first two Disco Machine albums was exploration of different dynamics and tempos. The usual upbeat tracks are still present, such as Here Comes the Disco Machine and Whatever Happened To Jessieâs Girl, however they are also contrasted by slower numbers, such as Old Sneakers and I Wanna Be The Shit You Love. Although I am not sure how some of these slower tracks would fit with the high octane live show, this works within the contrasts of the double album to aid in helping it ebb and flow. It never really feels like a double album.
Associated with this change in dynamics, was the blend between electronic and acoustic instruments. For example, a track like The Plot Thins begins with a pulsing synth line to then progressively build as the song unfolds, before the guitars and drums come in at the end.
Connected with each of the episodes of the web series was a podcast. This is not some Glenn. A Baker of Cowellâs time in TISM, something he has always said that he would not do. Instead it provides a means for reframing our connection with him. Although there is an intent to provide some commentary to each episode, more often than not, the podcast is really a dive into the esoteric parts of Cowellâs existence and interests. As he explains in an interview for Rolling Stone:
The indulgence of so many episodes with nobody else to interrupt allows Cowell to elaborate on his recipe for music in detail. In his discussion a few years ago with Zan Rowe on the Take 5 podcast, Cowell spoke about the importance of music challenging the listener.
Throughout the episodes, he elaborates what such music might sound like, whether it be melodic bass, accountable guitar, unconventional beats, rich harmonies and a general disdain for categories. To contextualise all this, he provided a wide range of examples. By the end of the series, the playlist I collated of all the tracks referenced stretched to 7 hours.
In the end, I was not sure what I was in for when I threw my support behind Damian Cowellâs latest Pozible campaign. All I can say is that I was not disappointed. It was all something of a slow burn. In modern world of binghing, it was strangely refreshing to have something to look forward to, especially during lockdown. It has also led to a number of new discoveries, such as reading Marcel Proust for the first time. It has been interesting to read some of commentary on Proust as a lens for better appreciating Cowellâs work and Only the Shit You Love.
Also on:
Are You Haunted? is something of a haunting experience in itself. On the surface, it is an infectious album with beautiful production and rich hooks. However, the more you listen, the more the deeper messages within come out. There are plenty of anchovies to be had.
The references to memories and ghosts reminded me of The Avalancesâ We Will Always Love You. I am left wondering if one of the general consequences of the pandemic will be a dive into memories and the haunting past seemingly taken from us?
I also enjoyed the love performance of the album shared on Youtube.
Place between Talking Heads and Beach House.
Marginalia
There have been many side-effects associated with the pandemic. One has been to jump into untouched classic literature, like Proust. Alternatively, some, such as Kevin Smokler, have suggested returning to a favourite artist, while others, like Colin Marshall, have discussed the process of choosing one artist and listening to each album, once a day for a week. I tried Proust in regards to literature, but like so many before me, waved the white flag after the first two books. Moving on, I decided to dive into an artist I thought I knew, but knew that I had never listened to deeply. The artist I chose was The Go-Betweens.
I am not exactly sure why I chose The Go-Betweens as my deep dive. I had always known The Go-Betweens, but was not sure I really knew The Go-Betweens. One thought was maybe Kriv Stendersâ documentary, Right Here. I initially watched this on ABC iView. I think that I was captured by the discussion of the myth that surrounds the band. Another thought was listening to Missy Higginsâ cover of Was There Anything I Could Do on her album of Australian covers, Oz. Lastly, I was left thinking about Damian Cowellâs comment on the Take 5 podcast:
Although Cowell was speaking about Custard, I could not help but think about The Go-Betweens.
The first question that needs addressing is who were or are The Go-Betweens? First, there is the name. David Nicholsâ captures some of origins in his book on the band. The obvious reference is to L.P. Hartleyâs novel The Go-Between, a story about Leo Coulston who is somewhat unknowingly entangled within an affair which leaves his life forever corrupted. However, some of the other ideas were that the music was a go-between ânight and dayâ:
Or between different styles of music:
Interestingly, coming back to Hartleyâs novel, Ali Smith describes it as a book about books:
Replacing the word âbooksâ with âmusicâ, maybe the The Go-Betweens are music or a band that go-betweens, across places familiar and foreign. In the end, the name seems to act as a catchall for whatever meaning listeners are willing to apply.
Going beyond the name, the narrative of the band seems just as disputed. The easy answer is to focus on myth surrounding the two songwriters, Grant McLennan and Robert Forster. They met while studying at University of Queensland, before deciding to form a band on Forsterâs behest. Interestingly, Foster was interested in creating a band as an idea:
Although many compare the partnership between Foster and McLennen as some sort of Australian Lennon and McCartney, there inspiration was as much groups like The Monkees and the âband as a flagshipâ:
However, The Go-Betweens story is far more complicated than a story about two songwriters.
In My Rock n Roll Friend, Tracey Thorn makes the case that The Go-Betweens are really a classic trio whose true story starts and finishes with Lindy Morrison.
Morrison was the drummer for much of the eighties, before McLennan and Forster dramatically pulled the pin on the band. She defied the âfantasies of a chic little French girlâ that Foster and McLennan may have intially had. Instead, she provided a particular edge and perspective.
In addition to Morrison, there are others, such as Amanda Brown, Robert Vickers and John Wilsteed, whose legacies served in making the band more than just a duo. Let alone the later additions of Adele Pickvance and Glenn Thompson when the band reformed in the late 90âs.
Although I listened to all the albums in order, I feel they can be organised into two groups. The original line-up featuring Morrison on drums ending with 16 Lovers Lane and the reformed line-up.
The Original Line-Up
Send Me a LullabyBefore HollywoodSpring Hill FairLiberty Belle and the Black Diamond ExpressTallulah16 Lovers Lane
Reformed Line-Up
The Friends of Rachel WorthBright Yellow Bright OrangeOceans Apart
I am not sure if it was because, out of all their albums, I had listened to 16 Lovers Lane the most, but listening to the early albums in more depth and detail felt a little like one of those word puzzles where you change one letter each step until the whole word has changed.
Send Me a Lullaby is an albums that feels like it is trying to find itself.
Beyond Hollywood adds hooks and texture to develop a more complete sound.
With Spring Hill Fair, gone is the contrast between fast and slow of their early albums. This is replaced with the attempt at a slicker pop sound.
Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express parks the technological experimentation, instead going for a more organic approach.
Tallulah is an experimentation in sound and texture. For me, it sounds like a search for the right formula, something of a âwhat ifâ album.
16 Lovers Lane trades in the funk grooves and distortion of Tallulah, instead replacing this with a bed of acoustic guitars. Although it is heavily produced, leading to some songs being difficult to reproduce live, it still feels subtle and subdued.
I find listening to the reformed albums, The Friends of Rachel Worth, Bright Yellow Bright Orange and Oceans Apart, interesting. There are the usual hooks and melodies, but no matter how much I listen, they do not gel like the early albums.
I wonder if they miss the âGo-Betweens dramaâ as Amanda Brown has put it or if a part of this disappointment is my own listening experience? I was left wondering whether maybe they missed the flourishes from the likes of Willsteed and Brown? I also wonder if there is something about getting six, seven and eight records in? This also left me thinking about the challenges in listening back through a whole catalogue? When asked about album reviews and music criticism, Caroline Polachek suggested that:
Maybe it just is not possible to listen to their later albums without comparing or even placing them within the context of their time.
One of the things that I found interesting about doing this deep dive is that growing up with the singles, it can be hard to appreciate evolution that I imagine most bands go through it. In addition to this, it provided a deeper appreciation of the music. Bopping along with the jangly guitar of their âstriped sunlight soundâ, with mentions of love and emotions, it is easy to be lulled into their music. However, to come back to Cowellâs point about anchovies, I found that digging into The Go-Betweens more akin to zucchini chocolate cake. When you move beyond the surface, there are often ingredients that surprise you. Maybe this is what made them what they were, while at the same time prevented them from ever quite making it into the mainstream.
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The Go-Betweens and the Case for Listening to a Complete Discography by Aaron Davis is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Twinkle Digitz I told my daughter I was going to see Twinkle Digitz. She asked me who the heck that was. After seeing Twinkle Digitz…
I wonder how many people came to Wisenheimer, Custardâs third album, after hearing the opening single, Apartment, and were somewhat disappointed? This is the feeling that I get from Lachlan Jâs review:
Source: Wisenheimer â Custard by Lachlan J
This is something that the bandâs manager, Dave Brown, touches on in Andrew Staffordâs Pig City, arguing that Apartment was released too early:
Source: Pig City by Andrew Stafford
Comparing the album with Wahooti Fandango, I kept on thinking that having one producer for the whole album, Eric Drew Feldman, made it more consistent, but I feel that is possibly in the ear of the beholder. Maybe, Wisenheimer is less contrasting than Wahooti Fandango, but each track still jumps around between genres, whether it be the angular rock guitar one minute with GooFinder, to leaning back into the country origins with Leisuremaster. There are also strange interludes and extras, such as the saxophone led jam of Cut Lunch or the the excerpt about gold at the end of I Love Television that reminded me of Jim Careyâs monologues on The Weekndâs Dawn FM.
With the length of tracks, I feel that you never really get to settle as a listener. Even the slower tracks fly on by. Or maybe like a box of Roses chocolates, this is an album for those who just like eating chocolates, no matter the flavour, but would possibly frustrate those who just like this flavour or that. I wonder this maybe what Damian Cowell was touching upon when he spoke about Custard and anchovies. All in all, it was one of those albums that really benefited from multiple plays.
On a side note, the one thing that I am left intrigued by is how they presented this tapestry of sounds live? The sound often contrasts between a wall of sound and more subtle sounds. When I saw McCormick live playing acoustically, it felt like the tracks were chosen because they fitted the bill, with the only track that felt like it did not fit was Girls, but nobody cared. However, thinking about it now, I wonder if McCormick / Custard could in fact play a number of different sets that would cater for different audiences? I have searched YouTube in the vain hope of finding an old concert, but all I can find is them performing Apartment.
After doing a deep dive into The Go-Betweens, I was looking for a new artist to delve into their discography, so I decided to dive…
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