You might have heard that living legends Cyndi Lauper and Debbie Harry (with her band Blondie) are hitting Australian shores in a few short months for A Day On The Green, where they’ll perform with homegrown hard-hitters The Clouds, Montaigne, and Alex Lahey. In a climate where festival lineups are all-too-often found lacking in terms of representation from women – and more specifically, queer women – this lineup feels like a pointed, intentional statement. Boasting arguably two of the most important women in musical history (one a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, the other an avid supporter), a couple of incredibly laudable up-and-coming femme talents in Australian music in Lahey and Jess Cerro (Montaigne) and late 80s/early 90s Sydney legends The Clouds (co-fronted by Jodi Phillis and Trish Young), this celebration of women’s contribution to the greater musical landscape is as impressive and timely as they come.
We don’t need to say it, because it’s been said ten million times before: music was, and remains to be, a difficult industry to manouevre for anyone who isn’t a straight white dude. There’s no doubt that it’s better today than it was, say, forty years ago – but there are still challenges. Women still get assaulted while performing. Women’s creative visions are doubted. Their agency is called into question. They’re glorified as figureheads and sex symbols, their music falling firmly into second, third, fourth or fifth place behind other attributes such as physical appearance, dress, how much she smiles, how “nice” she seems, or the way she moves onstage. Sexuality has always been a minefield for femmes to navigate – and while there’s a long way to go before that statement seems outdated and irrelevant, it’s thanks to the unapologetic brash sexuality and outspokenness of artists like Harry and Lauper that women in music today are able to navigate that minefield with aplomb. We eagerly anticipate the day where an all-femme lineup with myriad queer representation is common enough to not be remarkable – and to the credit of the organisers of A Day On The Green, this event is not marketed in a tokenistic or pandering manner. But until that day comes, events like this, and the organisations and musicians involved with them, deserve praise.
For Harry’s part, her incredible musicianship, commanding stage presence and unrelenting sexual agency propelled her to the forefront of punk in the mid 70s to early 80s, when Blondie gained commercial success after cutting their teeth as regulars at New York’s now-closed iconic CBGB venue. Harry herself is bisexual – and her refusal to allow anyone to turn her into a sex symbol without her permission helped pave the way for women in and out of the music industry to gain control over their own sexual identity/ies. She understood and lamented the way that patriarchy prioritised (er, prioritises) a woman’s appearance first and foremost, but she used it to her advantage even while lamenting the reality that “Regardless of what I say about trying to be better at what I do, I rely on looks a lot. Women’s calling cards, unfortunately, are based on their looks.” There was never any doubt about her philosophical leanings, though – she firmly and outspokenly believed in herself as an artist, and once stated she simply didn’t understand how “one could be a woman and not be a feminist”. And, “sick” of the way many women sung about being victimised by love, she set out to create music that traversed genres, diffusing pop snobbery while being inherently feminist. In doing so, she helped set off a ripple effect that has echoed through the industry ever since. Artists like Garbage’s Shirley Manson, Madonna, Talking Head’s David Byrne, REM’s Michael Stipe, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O, Lady Gaga, HAIM, and Cyndi Lauper herself all cite Harry as having inspired or had a creative influence on them.
It’s fair to say, without hyperbole, that Cyndi Lauper has long been one of the most prominent supporters of the LGBTQ+ community in music, working tirelessly as an activist to promote the safety, visibility and agency of queer and trans people inside and outside of her art. The way she presents herself to the public – all outlandish bright makeup, layered clashing prints, and punk rock hair – was boundary-pushing and fuelled by a refusal to be sexualised without her permission, or to subscribe to gender norms that dictated how a woman “should” dress.
She rose to prominence in the early 80s, when her debut solo effort She’s So Unusual made history by being the first debut female album to chart four top-five hits in the Billboard Hot 100. One of those hits was, of course, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, a song exalted for its liberating attitude – but there’s more to the track than meets the eye. Originally penned by Robert Hazard as a song about how girls really do want it no matter what they might say or do (yep – DISGUSTING), Lauper originally turned the song down, saying she didn’t think it was “good for women” – it hit especially close to home as she and her sister had spent their childhoods “dodging pedophiles”, including their stepfather. Then she had a change of heart. She reworked the lyrics and used her voice to turn the questionable track into a feminist anthem. “All of the sudden, the straight guy was the odd guy out, just for a minute — and that, to me, was justice,” Lauper has asserted. An early advocate for intersectionality, she made it her mission to create an anthem “for women around the world – and I mean all women. I wanted a sustaining message that we are powerful human beings. I made sure that when a woman saw the video, she would see herself represented, whether she was thin or heavy, glamorous or not, and whatever race she was”.
It doesn’t need to be said just how important Lauper’s True Colours was (and continues to be) as a touchstone for LGBTQ+ people – though it must be said that her allyship is much more far-reaching than simply, as she put it, “being a famous person singing about things”. She opened New York’s first permanent housing facility for LGBTQ+ youth in 2011, started the educational Give A Damn Campaign (the website currently houses a very enlightening privilege-checking quiz tool), and has continually, vocally pushed for legislation that will afford the community more rights. A survivor of sexual assault who has at times been displaced without a permanent place to live after leaving her parent’s home at seventeen, Lauper’s tireless advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community is fuelled by compassion and empathy. “…I’m not gonna stand by one of my best friends and watch them be discriminated against and have all their civil liberties stripped down — or my sister or my cousin or whoever — and just stand there and shut up. Up to 40% of the kids on the street are gay or transgender and they’re only on the street because they’re gay or transgender. We figured that is fixable. We could fix that. We could get that better.”
Catch Blondie, Cyndi Lauper, The Clouds, Montaigne and Alex Lahey at A Day On The Green this April
Bimbadgen, Hunter Valley, NSW | Saturday, April 1, 2017
Sirromet Wines, Mt Cotton, QLD | Sunday, April 2, 2017
ICC Sydney Theatre, ICC Sydney Theatre, NSW | Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VIC | Thursday, April 6, 2017
Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley, VIC | Saturday, April 8, 2017
Leconfield Wines, Corner Main & Johnston Road, McLaren Vale SA | Sunday, April 9, 2017
Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth, WA | Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Image: Rebrn/Dr Phillips Centre For The Performing Arts
Welcome to The Soundtrack, a column where we plumb the depths of our musical knowledge to bring you the best* (subjective) music to listen to for very specific life situations. This week we encourage you to spend some time looking after yourself and provide you some tuuuunes for doin’ just that.
It’s been a long year. The environment is a mess. World and national politics would be laughable if they weren’t so scary. David Bowie is dead. I wouldn’t want to assume, but I’d be willing to bet that you probably had your fair share of personal challenges, no? We live in a culture that glorifies stress and glamorises problems/drama. It’s considered desirable to be run off your feet constantly because that means you’re #killingit. Not to say anyone shouldn’t be endlessly proud of their achievements and hard work, but it can be all too easy to get caught up in a stress-head cycle that seems impossible to escape from. Pretty soon you’ll even be fooling yourself that you’re okay, you’re not that tired, you’re not overworked, you’re fine. And that’s a biiiiig problem, because you can only trick your body and mind into a state of anxious energy that actually allows you to function properly for so long. And when it all catches up with you? That could have some serious repercussions for your physical and mental health, long and short term. My advice is to turn off your phone if you can and make it your weekly (at least) mission to practice some radical self-care. My personal fave way to do this is to fill the tub, drop a bath bomb in, pour myself a glass of wine and read a good book while listening to some nice music – but you don’t even need to be that extravagant. Self-care can be as simple as drinking herbal tea and doing breathing exercises before bed. It can be driving out to a secluded rural place and sketching the trees. Whatever makes you feel calm and at peace with yourself. If music features in your perfect self-care vision, here are my suggestions.
Best Coast – Feeling Ok
Leave it to music’s queen of Feelings to get you in the right headspace to be nice as fuck to yourself. Sure, many of her tunes are so depressing that they’re probably a valid excuse to call in sick to work (Sorry boss, can’t come in, Bethany Cosentino spoke the truths of my soul and I wept) – but this isn’t one of them. Feeling Ok is not outwardly, transparently uplifting. But it is honest, and that’s better. If you’ve been neglecting yourself emotionally, a trite Walking On Sunshine-esque effervescent tune might just kinda feel like being beaten over the head with a fish. Gee thanks, undisclosed artist, you might think to yourself. You’ve really driven home just how displaced and adrift I feel. Not so with this. It sees your dark times, validates your feelings, and encourages you to achieve “ok” status and feel proud of it, even if it doesn’t seem like much. “But I’ll keep trying to stay this way/I know it’s love that’s got me feeling ok”. BTW for the purposes of this playlist, I am ruling that the “love” BC talks about is “self-love” not romantic love in this case so don’t even start.
Totally Mild – When I’m Tired
I had a good day, todayyyyyyyy. Sometimes hearing someone say the words can help make them true, or maybe they can be aspirational. There’s nothing in-your-face or obnoxious about the statement, either. Elizabeth Mitchell’s dreamy vocals pair with beautiful lilting guitar work and the rest is woozy bliss. This is the one to chuck on just as you submerge yourself in the tub with Lush bath bomb remnants fizzing away at the bottom (or you know, whatever your fave self care activity is). Lyrically, When I’m Tired could even be seen as a bit of a Super Polite Fuck You (TM) to the things/people/thoughts/feelings that have been messing with your vibe lately.
Le Pie – Better The Devil You Know (Kylie Minogue cover)
Before I begin here I want to emphasize how Important it is for Le Pie to release more music soon, thank you for your time. I realise the irony of saying that and including a cover rather than an original in this playlist, but holy smokes it’s such a bloody lovely cover. This might be one to skip if you’re down in the dumps about a specific on-off toxic relationship thingy, but otherwise you can just tune into the blissful nostalgia and keep your distance from the literal meaning. Le Pie’s doo-wop sensibilities shine through and you’re going to be physically unable to restrain yourself from a lil sing-a-long. Which is perfect – singing releases endorphins and you deserve to feel nice. If you haven’t really got on board with Le Pie before I’d recommend checking her out – start with Mio‘s Neverland (on which she features) and her own bangers Secrets and Up All Night. This cover isn’t on Spotify, so you can stream below.
Mallrat – For Real
This one comes with a little content warning for suicidal thoughts, but – stay with me here – the context is largely positive (You didn’t even wanna die once this week/And when you’re around I feel less of a freak). The Hannah Montana of the rap game herself once said she’s not sure if this song is happy or sad, and that she’d like to leave it open to individual interpretation. To me, this is a perfect self-care song. It appears to address the messy, wonderful bond of female friendship, but could just as easily be a love letter to oneself. If you can talk to yourself through this song, there’s a pretty sizeable chance you’re going to feel very warm and fuzzy afterwards. How could you not, with all them relentlessly uplifting synths? Giving me major early nineties movie female empowerment montage vibes.
LAZERTITS – Boss Bitch
Time to shake things up right at the end here (sadly also not on Spotify). Floaty, dreamy tunes are all well and good, but sometimes you need brash punky attitudes and crass language to remind ya just how capable you are. LAZERTITS, who are relentlessly excellent, smash through patriarchal structures and attitudes all while reminding you that you’re a fucking boss. This can be tough to swallow when you’re feeling anything but, which is why this song is sitting where it is, a bold cherry on top after strategically-placed layers of gently encouraging icecream. Yes, that analogy is weak as piss (especially because most people would eat icecream from the top downwards). No, I’m not apologising for it. I’m a boss. And so are you.
Image: Purple Clover/Pretty Woman
This infectious, Popcorn-esque little slice of house comes from Martin King, latest signing of the always wonderful Good Manners label. Don’t let the genre fool you into thinking that Pepsi is a strictly a four to the floor club banger, though – its syncopation and playful repetitiveness make for a track that’ll delight whether you’re raving or brewing coffee on a Saturday morning (trust me, I tried). King has a rich musical background – he’s worked with Banoffee, supported Four Tet, Metrononmy & Caribou, and played festivals such as Sugar Mountain, Falls and Meredith. The dude is definitely One To Watch in 2017.
Thanks to some very fun quasi-retro vibes, this one will make you regress into “carefree teen at a house party” mode if you’re not careful. The Posse are a somewhat enigmatic new five-piece comprised of various music veterans, and this is their very first official release, out through Plastic World (who by this stage we can basically bank on churning out the goods). Happy Accidents contains absolutely no samples, and is a taster for The Posse’s upcoming debut EP Our Thing which will feature contributions from Andrew Elston (Physique/Toni Toni Lee/Catcall), Ross Ferraro & Jarrol Renaud (The Goods), Michael Di Francesco (Touch Sensitive/Van She) and NZ jazz keys prodigy Andrew Bruce.
Wailing vocals, rock-n-soul guitar, super warm 70s production – yeah, this is impossible not to like. And who doesn’t love a good call-and-response chorus hook? Sun Sap are relative newcomers, but they’re already kicking ass and taking names, with support slots for Guantanamo Baywatch, Australia (the band) and The Pretty Littles already under their belt and a show with Polish Club and Food Court still to come before the years’ out. Their debut LP is dropping in 2017, so get in on the ground floor now.
Green Buzzard are one of those bands that seem to have been on the cusp of something huge for AGES but for whatever reason that massive break hasn’t happened yet. This is entirely unfair because their music has always been top notch, but Do You Ever Glow is another step up again. Washed out and psych-spun, with some serious The Cure vibes, there’s a pop infectiousness to the track that we haven’t yet seen from GB – and it’s more than welcome.
Moving past the obvious weirdness of releasing a song called Spring Has Sprung on the literal last day of Spring, this is a #tune. Coupling the trademark Skegss down-to-earth ratbag lyricism with woozy, balmy guitars and a gratifying vocal hook, this is definitely one to blast as you sink tinnies with your housemates at the park. The dudes have also just announced a mammoth summer tour – grab your tickets here.
Alright, this one technically came out last Friday, so we’re kind of cheating but it’s worth it. Dune Rats are a god damned national treasure and their music is always a timely reminder to relax, stop stressing, have fun, unwind, and find out who’s Scott Green. Fun fact: I know someone who heard this song, didn’t get it after multiple listens, and thought Dunies had “changed, man”. Apparently the guys came up with the idea for the track (recorded in the US with FIDLAR’s Zac Carper) after literally spending all day asking strangers at Walmart if they knew Scott Green – because of course they did.
It has been just under eleven months since David Bowie departed Earth. The loss left a chasm in the music industry and the hearts of fans the world over, with tributes on tiny and grandiose scales pouring in from every corner of the globe. Recently, it was announced that a bevy of musicians who have worked with the Starman over the course of his unparalleled career would visit select cities that had a special significance to Bowie, touring a celebratory tribute showcase of his music. Initially, London and Tokyo were the only two cities announced – now the remaining dates have been revealed, and the show, named Celebrating David Bowie, is coming to the Sydney Opera House on January 29 2017.
The concert will feature over 22 musicians who will perform tunes from the Thin White Duke’s entire catalogue, including Bowie band alumni Mike Garson, Earl Slick, Adrian Belew, Mark Plati, bassist Gail Ann Dorsey, Sterling Campbell, and Holly Palmer plus Angelo Moore from Fishbone, Bernard Fowler from The Rolling Stones, Latin Grammy Award Winner Gaby Moreno, Joe Sumner from Fiction Plane, and Scrote. Queensland’s finest, Bernard Fanning, will also perform, along with two more national treasures, Paul Dempsey and Sarah Blasko (who HAS to do her Like A Version – right?).
In the ensemble for the night, musicians who have played with Tom Waits, Sting, Seal, Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck, Talking Heads, De La Soul, Brian Eno, Iggy Pop, The Rolling Stones, Nine Inch Nails, Frank Zappa, Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Dylan, Duran Duran, Dr. Dre, Burt Bacharach, David Byrne, Lenny Kravitz, King Crimson, and countless others will bring Bowie’s songs to life in what is sure to be a world class poignant tribute.
It’s fitting that the tour will make a stop in Sydney – Bowie adored the harbour city, and lived there whilst recording his Tin Machine album, only leaving to marry his wife Iman in 1992. Two of his music videos (China Girl and Let’s Dance) were filmed during this time.
For many younger fans of Bowie who cruelly never got to see the man himself play live (yours truly included), this is arguably the next best thing. Tickets go on sale December 12 at 9am AEDT – they’re likely to sell out extremely quickly, so set an early alarm if you’re keen to head along.
Read more: David Bowie’s 70th Birthday To Be Celebrated With World Tour
Image: Sydney Opera House/David Bowie
Welcome to The Soundtrack, a column where we plumb the depths of our musical knowledge to bring you the best* (subjective) music to listen to for very specific life situations. This week, we tackle a loaded situation: introducing your partner to your family on Christmas.
It is Christmas, my dudes. Well, not quite, but it’s only a couple paychecks away (so if you haven’t shelled out for presents yet you better get cracking). For many of us, Christmas is less of a religious holiday and more of a chance to visit your family and eat ridiculous amounts of fresh fruit and ham on the bone. It’s the only day of the year where it’s socially acceptable to regress deep into the safe memories and rituals of your childhood while simultaneously getting completely sloshed before lunch. Of course, there are pratfalls to watch out for – racist grandparents, the unbearable sticky heat, and most notably, the dreaded litany of “soooooo how’s your love life?” enquiries. Let’s be honest here, that question isn’t really a comfortable one to chat to your Aunt Rachel about even if yours happens to be going well. But maybe you’ve decided to grit your teeth and jump right into the deep end – by introducing your paramour to your clan. On Christmas Day. Sure, love makes you do crazy things but this is downright tumultuous. The mood has to be just right – comforting for all parties, interesting enough to be a point of conversation if all else fails, showcasing your partner’s ultra-cool tastes but still something your ‘rents are going to dig. We gotchu!
Summer Flake – Son Of A Gun
Summer Flake, aka Stephanie Crase, makes wonderful washed-out music that is both 1) very cool and 2) beloved by Double J listeners, so this one is neatly appropriate for all involved. You want to be able to set a tone that’s breezy and unchallenging for your parents, but still something you and your babe would listen to, allowing a comfortable first introduction for everyone. Son Of A Gun is sonically quite timid, so it won’t encroach on your space while you’re making all the rounds upon arrival. Crase’s lofty vocals, a floaty guitar – it’s all extraordinarily lovely despite its quite emotional lyrics. It’s like taking a nap in the sun, which is, as we all know, what you’ll be doing once you’ve all sufficiently stuffed yourselves with mum’s patented potato salad. If you’re feeling a little uncomfortable or have some trepidation about this introduction, you can hold onto the chorus hook like a handy little mantra: Don’t turn on me, members of my family who have been known to say exactly the most inappropriate things at precisely the absolute worst time. Hum it under your breath while praying nobody brings up anything untoward, like your wild younger years or that time you peed your pants way past the age that’s actually ok.
BadBadNotGood – Time Moves Slow
If you’re like me, maybe you shamefully grew up thinking that jazz was weird and boring and liking it made you Lisa Simpson. By now, you should realise that jazz is weird and AMAZING, and that being Lisa Simpson is an actual #lifegoal anyway. If you haven’t arrived at this true conclusion yet then BadBadNotGood will take you there. Subdued and ambling, Time Moves Slow isn’t unlike something the older members of your family would have listened to on the radio way back when. Its unmistakeable modernity reveals itself a little more as the track progresses, but things never get too out-there, making it a great salve – a marriage of two worlds. Plus, Samuel T. Herring’s voice is as entrancingly silky as they come. By this point, it’ll likely be lyrically appropriate as well: time certainly does tend to move slow when you’re anxiously watching everyone’s body language and internally begging with some universal force that this is going well.
The Goon Sax – Anyone Else
This one might skate right on the edge of what your family would be into, but just preface it by saying the frontman is Robert Forster from The Go-Betweens‘ son and they’ll be chill about it. There’s something to be said about the perfect amount of jangle in a song, especially if you’re going to play it in a romantic or romance-adjacent situation. It lends a Wes Anderson-esque touch that’ll help you gloss over any foibles that occur with a deadpan blank stare and a long sip of your drink. Bonus points if you’re wearing bright yellow or heavy eyeliner. See, it’s not so bad that someone just asked a super awkward question. It’s quirky! Your life is full of misadventures and idiosyncracies! In all seriousness though, The Goon Sax are a national treasure and have so much crossover appeal when it comes to different ages that you’re actually being musically irresponsible if you don’t play them for your family.
Crowded House – Weather With You
This is what I call an intergenerational banger. I’d like to say something to the effect of “if you don’t know the words you’re unaustralian”, but as Flight Of The Conchords pointed out at the ARIAs, us Aussies have a very annoying habit of claiming successful NZ musicians as our own, so I won’t. I’ll just say that if you don’t know the words you probably suck as a person. There. Much less inflammatory. Anyway, your parents probably gave Into Temptation and have their buzz on a little by this point and so do you, so now is the time for a nice, bonding sing-along, creating your own little Private Universe. Something So Strong like music really works as a social unifier, and the older people at the table will just adore that “the youths” are still fangin’ Crowded – although, let’s be real, It’s Only Natural. As you sit there on the porch under the sweltering yet Distant Sun, eyes twinkling with the effects of too much bubbly and paper hats lopsided, you’ll relax, knowing this day can only improve because your grandma totally brought her famous Chocolate Cake.
Wham! – Last Christmas
If you try to make a Christmas playlist without either this or Mariah Carey in it, Santa gives you coal in your stocking, and I’d much prefer normal things like sunscreen, socks and a new toothbrush. I guess you could sub in Mariah for this if you wanted to, but I guarantee you that more of your family will appreciate Wham!, unless you have some homophobic relatives. I’ll let you be the judge on this one. Honestly though, for this Very Specific Situation, the whimsical drama of this one works better than the grandiose begging of All I Want For Christmas. But hey, I don’t know your life.
Image: Universal
It’s difficult to recall an album that can rival the debut effort of Briggs & Trial‘s project A.B. Original, Reclaim Australia, for cultural importance and significance. In press materials for the album, Ryan Griffen (conceiver of incredible, groundbreaking ABC show Cleverman) acknowledges that “many people aren’t ready for this”, and he’s right – most probably only need to scroll through their newsfeeds a few times to find examples of ugly, unrepentant racism. There’s no question that some people are not open to listening to a Yorta Yorta man and a Ngarrindjeri man spit, with straight-backed conviction, about racism in Australia. And that alone proves that this album is absolutely essential.
There is no hand-holding on Reclaim Australia. The title alone, blatantly mocking the name of a particularly racist group, should tell you that. This is not a gentle reminder about how Racism Is Bad. This is righteous anger that presents the facts of lived experiences, and in case there was any doubt, A.B. Original do not give a fuck if that makes you uncomfortable. It should. It should make you think, question, act. In the album’s Intro, the legendary Archie Roach asserts that in order to make these realities heard, you have to “get in their faces”. So that’s exactly what Briggs & Trials do.
A.B. Original’s debut track 2 Black 2 Strong, which came out in March this year, is a celebration of bravado and strength, positioning the duo as one that doesn’t hesitate to deride those who contribute to a system that devalues them. This song was my introduction and I was instantly hooked. That filthy brassy motif, squelching so satisfyingly alongside lines like “I hit you with that Andrew Bolt of lightning”, and all the while dismantling pressure for First Nation’s people to be placid or peaceful in the face of their ongoing systemic degradation? These are the voices that Australian music needs more of. On Reclaim Australia, the voices that have been consistently muffled and ignored are seizing the spotlight that was always rightfully theirs.
Call Em Out, featuring Guilty Simpson rails viciously against the idea that call-out culture is toxic or unhelpful. To hammer the point home, the track is peppered with atrociously racist and unfortunately all-too-real voice clips with media personalities and politicians suggesting that those with mixed heritages are somehow dangerous, or that white nationalist eugenics are an option, or many other disgusting things. It’s abhorrent, and these are things that people have really said. People continue to say and do similarly disgusting things, and the crux of a culture that glosses over that sort of behaviour is police murdering unarmed First Nation’s people and get away on a manslaughter charge or less.
That is the reality of Australia in 2016, and A.B. Original are determined that everyone get the message. It’s not the only track on the album about police violence: this is a theme that’s revisited several times. From Caiti Baker‘s feature on Dead In A Minute, unpacking what it is to live constantly looking over your shoulder, fearing you’ll become a target if you aren’t one already, to REPORT TO THE MIST, an unrelenting diatribe against the police. MIST affirms how completely unnecessary and unhelpful it is to defend the profession as a whole, when the culture permeating relentlessly through is violent and deadly for First Nation’s people. Quasi-literally fighting fire with fire, A.B. Original respond to the atrocities that continue to be committed with righteous antagonism.
January 26 is a masterclass in how to perform a perfect 10/10 fuck you to people who are racist and/or wilfully obtuse about the debate surrounding #ChangeTheDate. It’s a much bigger debate than simply changing the date of triple j’s Hottest 100, and a much more significant one, historically speaking. Featuring Dan Sultan, January 26 ferociously pokes gigantic, gaping holes in the shaky logical fallacies that advocates of leaving “Australia Day” as is often spurt. Unfortunately (but sadly not unanticipated), certain shit-stains have decided that this song is “racist against white people” and have been whinging about it all over their chosen false kingdoms, the comment sections. The more moderate shit-stains – more like skid marks – have simply turned to tone policing, wringing their hands in a disingenuous “why can’t we all just get along?” rhetoric. But A.B. Original have no time for coddling those who choose not to educate themselves and nor should they. I turn the other cheek, I get a knife in my back/And I tell ’em it hurts, they say I overreact/So fuck that (fuck that!)
There’s definitely no shortage of star appearances here, lending their voices to hammer these messages well and truly home. Firing Squad, with its swung drum machine and washed-out synth lines features Hau, and ICU features Thelma Plum, who by the way needs to release new music because I love her deeply. On the track, she sings an insightful chorus hook – You’re too busy watching me when you need to watch yourself – encouraging people not to pass judgements that fail to take into account personal histories along with a larger social context. Compton MC King T comes to the table for The Feast, lampooning attitudes that feed directly into a system that is run by and for white people at the direct expense and oppression of First Nation’s people. Reclaim Australia wraps on Gurrumul-featuring track Take Me Home, which you may recognise as being used on Cleverman, which also features Briggs. Through the anger felt over 200 years, there’s a sense of wistful, almost mournful longing for freedom and peace in their home – a place that has been ripped from First Nation’s people and ruled as an invading police state since the first fleet of European settlers arrived.
This album is, unequivocally, a landmark album that will continue to push boundaries of people’s perception, their preconceived notions of race and justice, and set a new standard for constructive dialogue and the valuing of the voices of First Nation’s people for decades to come. Its importance cannot be overstated – it could inspire and motivate a generation. It deserves, without a doubt, to be crowned the best Australian release of the year. If Reclaim Australia offends you, then I’d recommend listening to it on a loop until you wake up from your fragile grip on reality.
Read more: Briggs Appears On The Weekly To Sort Out The ‘Invasion’ Discussion
Image: A.B. Original
Welcome to The Soundtrack, a column where we plumb the depths of our musical knowledge to bring you the best* (subjective) music to listen to for very specific life situations. This week, we’re gonna help ya stay cool with tunes for when it’s actually way too hot to do anything.
As a (basically) lifelong resident of Brisbane, trust me when I say I know what it is to endure a hot day. There are no words that can accurately, succinctly describe the absolutely disgusting feeling of being completely immersed in a hot bathtub with no escape or reprieve. It’s horrifying, and if recent weather is anything to go by, it’s about to be that time again. We can spend aaaall year pretending like Summer (the season, not the Ricky and Morty character) is some incredible, carefree time of year where every song that’s released is a banger, beach trips are fun and whimsical instead of guarantees of loud children and sand in your everywhere, and the heat isn’t really THAT bad, but we are wrong.
It’s a hellscape of fire and brimstone proportions, so horrific that you literally go to your local shopping centre on purpose for no reason other than to escape the cruelty of the Outside World. And when it gets too blistering for you to even fathom leaving your house, these tunes can be your saviour. I know, because I turned my air conditioner off while putting this together so I could truly write from the heart. That’s dedication.
Django Django – Storm
This has just the right lazy-but-intricate vibes to help you feel like you’re actually kinda doing something when actually you’re just stuck to your shitty polymer second hand couch with a frozen facewasher on your head. It has a pleasant, loping pace that won’t exhaust you or overwork your poor overheated brain, and the canonic chorus is pure expectation fulfillment bliss. Normally I’m not a huge fan of songs where you can predict what’s about to come next, but seeing as you literally haven’t moved since you got up to get a cup of ice three hours ago, maybe relative simplicity is what you need. Besides, this song isn’t even really that predictable, but it is relatively tame by Django Django’s usual (delightfully) batshit standards.
Purity Ring – stillness in woe
Huge if true: Purity Ring can save us all from the impending Aussie summer. I’ll up and admit to never having been a gigantic fan right here and now. I never disliked them, just didn’t quite get the hype – but I get it now. Thirty minutes into my self-induced heatwave torpor, suddenly all I wanted to hear was the shiny, crystalline, icy vocals of Megan James. Synths gently distort and blow around like winter breezes over the frozen tundra on stillness in woe, and I swear my core temperature dropped by a couple of degrees. The lyrics, like all Purity Ring lyrics, are Wacky And Largely Impenetrable (though it’s definitely not a happy song), but despite their complete sonic clarity due to James’ impeccable diction, they really do take a backseat to all those wintry elements. You’re welcome.
Cloud Control – Ice Age Heatwave
Fact: when you call your song something that directly relates to a The Soundtrack topic, I am bound by law to include it. Not really, but it would be rude of me not to. You may think this week’s topic actually arose from me listening to this song, but this is untrue. What is true is that this is a seriously great song and I would have included it even if it was called something else. Cloud Control are another band that deal in zany lyrics and atmospheric synths (on their last album, anyway) and I unreservedly love them for it. Like, I went insane on the pavement/Married a pyramid crime wave? What the heck does it mean??? Does it matter? (Not for our purposes, it doesn’t.) When you chuck this on, imagine yourself going for a nice stroll in Antarctica and riding a (willing, friendly) polar bear for maximum cooling affect. Also, @CloudControl, if you’re reading this pls release another album soon ok thank u.
HABITS – Ether
Ooooooh yeah. Smooth as butter (not the butter you left on the kitchen bench this morning, that is melted/congealed now) and super immersive, this cut from Melbourne’s HABITS is guaranteed to soothe you as you come to grips with the fact that you just accidentally drunk some sweat that dripped down your nose. Let’s face it, you weren’t going to do anything productive in this stank-heat, so you might as well lean on into maximus relaximus mode. Since you’re basically couchbound, you might as well take this opportunity to do some introspection, no? It’s a fitting backdrop for quiet self-reflection, but it’s also layered and labyrinthine enough to distract you from doing just that if you’re the type who’d raaaaather not be alone with their thoughts.
Hush Moss – Slowly Disappear
By this point you probably wish you could disappear, albeit not that slowly, to anywhere even sort of cooler than where you are. Or maybe you’re thinking you would murder everyone on your street for a simple light breeze to blow your way. The long and short of it is, you’re probably feeling relatively agitated and sorry for yourself. Well guess what? It’s time to get over it, and Hush Moss is gonna point you in the right direction. Bubbling reverb, smooth brass, sweet oooohs, twinkling chimes – this delightfully carefree jam has all the right stuff to put a grin back onto your sweaty, disgusting face. Maybe it’ll even motivate you to get up. Not dance of course, that sort of heightened, frenzied movement is absolutely and completely out of the question. But it could prompt you to sway along a little, and that’s a huge accomplishment in and of itself.
Image: Marcus’s Lil Projects
Welcome to The Soundtrack, a column where we plumb the depths of our musical knowledge to bring you the best* (subjective) music to listen to for very specific life situations. This week, we help you walk home alone at night with a touch more confidence.
There’s really nothing quite like a solo stroll. Calming, good for the environment and introspective – even cathartic – we wholeheartedly endorse walking as a mode of personal transportation. However, walking alone at night can bring its own set of issues. Of course, violence can occur at any time of day, and let’s dispel the myth of “a stranger hiding in the bushes” being the primary cause of it right off the bat. But that doesn’t mean that most of us don’t feel a little uneasy when trotting home under cover of darkness by ourselves. That goes double for those who identify as women/non-binary/LGBTQ. I’m not saying we’re fragile lil kittens who need constant reassurance we’re going to be okay (altho that does sound pretty nice tbh), but the reality is that these groups are by and large the most targeted by this particular brand of assailant. Of course, listening to music isn’t going to assure physical safety, but what it can do is provide a much needed confidence boost when you’re thinking about recent incidents in your area and flinching at every shadow or cicada noise. We gotchu.
friendships – When I Feel Like Killing, I Murder
I’ve always felt unreservedly intrigued by friendships. The Melbourne duo are more of an art project than a band, pairing Nic’s audio with Mischa’s visual to hypnotic effect. This cut, driven by dark, skittering synths and a monster-esque pitched-down vocal, is positively horror movie worthy. BUT you’re the one listening to it, so guess who the big bad wolf is that everyone within five suburbs should be terrified of? You. You’re a force to be reckoned with, and friendships are gonna make sure you don’t forget it. Ignore every passerby with a steely glare. They scatter to the sides of the pathway as you cleave through the streets to your dwelling with only one thing on your mind: that really great book you’ve been reading and a cup of herbal tea.
Sleigh Bells – Rule Number One
Pretty much any song in Sleigh Bells’ discography would be right at home on this week’s The Soundtrack. But this track – which I’ve already sung the praises of – honestly takes the cake. Pop rocks and coke make your head explode, according to Alexis Krauss, but we beg to differ. It’s this song that really puts you in danger of cranial combustion. And we mean that in the best way possible. Rule Number One marks the part of your journey were you really start to get your strut on; the strut of a person who could burn their enemies to the ground with a snap of their fingers. Nobody is a match for you and your immense power. May god have mercy on the souls of all who’ve wronged you, because you won’t. You’ll just unhinge your jaw, eat their souls, and launch them into the sun.
Grimes – Kill V. Maim [Little Jimmy Urine remix]
One of our favourite things about the endlessly talented producer is that she flat-out refuses to write about romantic relationships, preferring to mine more unorthodox premises for her art. According to the almighty Grimes herself, this track is basically about The Godfather if all of the mobsters were vampires. How fantastically batshit is that? Anyone familiar with this song will know it’s already as ferocious as a rabid jaguar, the sort of song that threatens to throw the earth off its axis. Maybe invest in some anti-gravity boots to wear on your walk, or something, because this remix takes it to a level we didn’t actually know existed. Personally, when I’m feeling a little anxious walking home alone, I like to take one earbud out for maximum awareness of my surroundings, but like I’m not rly sure that’d even make much of a difference with this one cos it’s so ~hectic~.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll [A-Trak remix]
Ahhhh what a classic – except – different? If you saw that (imho) very dumb movie Project X a couple years back you’ll recognise this from the soundtrack of that. Erase that memory and from this day forward, only recognise it as being from The Soundtrack Of This. This is equal parts threatening and bouncy, so you can kind of get your walk-dance on while you give the mental middle finger to the world for being so awful that the simple act of walking home is troubling. There’s enough of a blatant party vibe here to get lost in that hopefully you won’t have the energy to freak yourself out over whether that white car is the same as the other white car that passed you ten minutes ago. That is *not* to say don’t be alert and safe. It’s just to say, take care of yourself, babe.
Sampa the Great – F E M A L E
This is definitely the most chill track on this playlist, sonically speaking. How many tracks in your collection boast a bloody upright bass? Hell yessss, that is cool as heck, and that’s to say nothing of Sampa The Great and what she unpacks on this track. Sampa is a certified badass and she’s all about shouting out to empower others. This song will help you focus on all the things that make you such an untouchable boss. The adversity you’ve overcome (and keep overcoming every day)? I can’t speak for everyone, but that shit feels like water off a duck’s back while I’m mouthing along with Sampa: F E M A L E, F E M A L EEEE. Would recommend screaming the same at anyone who ever gives you grief over the course of your life, honestly.
Image: The Mary Sue/A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Welcome to The Soundtrack, a column where we plumb the depths of our musical knowledge to bring you the best* (subjective) music to listen to for very specific life situations. This week is a special late edition – because we thought you might need something to help you slow your heart rate back to normal after a gruelling US election cycle.
When it comes to US elections, a lot of people used to say things like “who cares? We’re in Australia, not the US” but I think we’ve all woken up to ourselves now. The US is a world power – the world power, depending on who you ask – and hoo boy does Australia in particular love sucking up to it or what. We basically do whatever the flip they tell us to, which hasn’t always worked out awesome in the past.
This election has literally been absolutely batshit crazy. Serious scandals at every turn, a mouldy cheeto with hair running for President, a Very Cool Grandpa Who We Miss Very Much… whatever the result ends up being of this election, we’re all going to need a tallie and a chance to put our feet up because it’s over. I mean, it’s not actually over because the world feels very much like it’s on a tipping point, and whoever becomes President is going to have some tough choices to make, but hey! At least the circus is done for now. Democracy will have done its job again. Maybe. Again – depends on who you ask. At the time of publishing, Trump is leading, and that is 100% horrifying. One thing that appears certain is that most people are feeling pretty on edge about the state of global affairs. Hopefully, this playlist will help.
The Smith Street Band – Death To The Lads
The US Election really brought some horrifying rhetoric to the global discourse, the height of which culminated in Trump’s disgusting “grab her” comments and the widespread justifications of his remarks as just being what men do. To that we say a big, fat, resounding “nah”. Men are not rabid sex-driven animals incapable of empathy and respect. They’re complex human beings like anyone else, although they often unfortunately grow up in a culture that validates a “boys will be boys” philosophy, absolving them of accountability to their actions. That needs challenging, and for that to happen, more people need to speak up. Smithies have always been great at doing this. In a time where very stupid terrible people seem to be everywhere, it’s a comfort to be reminded that there are still people who are willing and able to call out shitty behaviour and attitudes where they exist.
Alabama Shakes – Hold On
Much and all as this song is about a personal struggle, the pervading sense of pulling through troubling times with a hardened resolve is pretty universal. And endlessly relevant to how we’ve all (mostly) felt over the past nigh-on-two years; just keep your head down and wait for this sh*tfight to be over. And bless your heart, bless your soul – now it is. This track is your private, if slightly grim, celebration of all things fatalistic and inevitable. Take stock of what’s past and prepare for a hell of a lot more holding on in the years to come, because this ride is about to get real bumpy. Thankfully, shouting along with Brittany Howard is a tried-and-true method of expelling demons from your soul, and you’re going to feel muuuuuch better about how this all played out after you do. Probably. For at least like, a couple seconds before reality sets back in.
Brian Eno – 1/1
This song, off Eno’s gorgeous, understated Music For Airports release, is literally just twenty minutes of pure, escapist bliss. It’s like a portal to another world, a peaceful, serene place where nothing bad ever happens and rich people don’t rule the world because nothing matters except lovely sounds. It’s extremely minimalist – consisting mainly of a recurring piano motif that evolves slowly, adorned by soothing embellishments – but that’s the beauty of it. The use of space encourages a safe, quieted mind, which is something we all need from time to time. Best enjoyed alone, with your eyes closed.
Kendrick Lamar – Alright
Before I go any further here, let me clarify that I’m not implying that whoever wins the election doesn’t have the capacity to do the people of America – specifically African Americans – great harm. And I’m also not implying that I, a white girl from Australia, am qualified to say who would be “better” for those people, either. Although I personally abhor Trump and know that by and large he doesn’t have vast amounts of African American supporters, Clinton has done and said awful things to/about African Americans in the past, so I get why mistrust may exist there. But I think I would be remiss to not include this song, which I know is not “for” me, but carries a very important sentiment and lord f*cking knows the visibility of struggles unique to PoC is completely essential to change.
Cloud Nothings – I’m Not Part Of Me
If you don’t agree with the outcome of the election, feel that the choice was between two people you actively mistrust, or even if you’re just feeling defiant about Australia’s role in the US’s military actions around the world, you’re probably feeling a bit “stop the world, I want to get off”. But you’re not alone in that – not even slightly. Cloud Nothings might look like they don’t care, with their flannos and minimal audience eye contact at gigs, but they sure know how to make an outsider feel comforted, like they’re not alone. You don’t have to be a part of what you disagree with. You can rail against it. You can push forward with a strong sense of self and stand up for what you believe is right.
Image: Deez Nuts For President
Trailblazing young Groote Eylandt artist, Greenpeace ambassador and all-round total queen Emily Wurramara has just dropped her new single Ementha-Papaguneray (Turtle Song), which has been used in support of Greenpeace’s Save The Reef initiative.
You’ve probably heard Wurramara’s name around the traps, because holy shit has this ever been a gigantic year for her. Her debut track Ngerraberrakernama was added to rotation on ABC Local Radio, climbed to #1 in the AMRAP metro charts, and amassed airplay in every state and territory including on triple j. Her follow-up was Black Smoke, a mature, affecting debut EP that was PBS’s feature record and RRR’s Soundscape feature, along with its titular single track that gained full rotation on the j’s. She was a 2x finalist in the Indigenous category and performer at the Queensland Music Awards in March, a New Talent finalist at the National Indigenous Music Awards in August, triple j feature artist at BIGSOUND, and guest speaker on the BIGSOUND panel for AMRAP’S ‘The Future of Your Music’ conference. In short: girl has been killing it.
Her newest offering is sung in her native language of Anindilyakwa (annen-dilly-yark-wah), and is the third single pulled from Black Smoke. It’s a charmingly jangly, optimistic track that, fittingly enough, evokes a sense of childlike wonder – the song is acutally a combination of two traditional childrens songs, Ementha (turtle) Papaguneray (swim or fun and play) that Wurramara has then made her own. It’s being used as part of Greenpeace’s Save The Reef campaign – aiming to communicate the beauty, splendour and essential nature of our reef. “This song is a reminder of my childhood and the beauty, peace and carefree nature of living on the Island,” Wurramara said of the track. “As a salt water woman myself, to be able to lend this song to the Greenpeace campaign to raise awareness for the reef is such an honour. It is our individual and collective responsibility as custodians of the earth to protect it.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9-jsMcGEzQ]
In an often bleak and depressing world, Emily Wurramara’s relentlessly strong sense of identity and commitment to activism is a beacon of hope and light. We don’t think we’re alone in saying we are all about this. Wurramara’s art is important, and we can’t wait to see what she does next. You should definitely catch her at one of her upcoming tour dates, below.
Friday Nov 4th
Brisbane @ Milk Factory
Tickets $10 At Door
RSVP Here
Saturday Nov 5th
Geelong @ Narana Festival
Tickets Here
Friday Nov 18th
Melbourne @ Commonground Festival
SOLD OUT
Join Waitlist Here
Saturday Nov 19th
Melbourne @ Wesley Anne
Tickets $10 At Door
RSVP Here
Saturday Nov 26th
Adelaide @ Tandanya Arts Cafe – Spirit Festival
Tickets At Door
More Details Here
Tuesday Dec 27th – Saturday Dec 31st
Woodford Folk Festival
Tickets Here
Image: Dane Beesley