It's Natural To Be Afraid: at Merri Creek

In the wee hours of the morning, last night. I was traveling on foot between a partay in Northcote and my joint in Brunswick

It was late and I was underdressed (flannel with t-shirt underneath, in case you were wondering) and it was freezing (6 degees, i looked at the temperature clock on the corner of Lygon and Blyth, in case you were wondering)...

I started jogging... (it was cold and it would have taken me about an hour to walk, i wanted some peppermint tea... STAT)

I'd prepared well for the journey home coz I bought my ipod with me...

So I was listening to this beautiful music...
There wasn't another person the street... Dew was on the ground, stars above, i was drunk and happy

I 'had a moment'

when I crossed the bridge over Merri Creek...

as this song hit a crescendo... layer and layer of guitars crashing, chaotic drums... and a silent pitch black water flowing below. Very beautiful... (Sigh)

It was a perfect soundtrack moment, the cinemetography of what I was seeing with the soundtrack provided by mass marketed hardware, digital files and a post rock band from texas.

a creek, but not merri

I often wish the people who write these music were able to see what I saw as I as listening to them. I'm pretty sure Explosions In The Sky write their music with exactly these moments in mind.

And good on em too! I think they tread a fine line between homage, influence and wholesale piracy of Mogwai but as far as slow-burning-no-words-post-rock for people-like-me-who-like-to-get-emotional-without-having-to-concentrate-on-lyrics goes. They're pretty great! Props to Explosions In The Sky...

This song is long... 13 minutes, sit through it if you have the patience... relax, chek your emails...

The other thing is that in 2005, Explosions In The Sky, spent 8 days writing recording one song from scratch a day. They released it as free EP called "The Rescue". You can download it legally by CLICKIN HERE

Music to Wake Up To

I get a childish delight from swearwords... still. F*ck, Sh*t, Cunce.
I don't know why I love them, but I do. It also extends to well drawn cock and balls.

So it stands to reason that I'd be pretty excited by the well documented trend of 'F*ck' bands
There's stax of them! Here' a small list... F*ck, The F*ck F*cks, Holy F*uck, F*cked Up, F*ck The Facts, Total F*ucking Destruction.

I haven't had time to check em all out yet though.

While I'm at it. There's American Grind/Noisecore band Anal C*nt... which has " earned the reputation for basically being anti-everything." - Thanks wikipedia. Wiki also tells us that "The band's very first performance was in 1988 at Putnam's (lead singer's) mother's house in front of some family members, namely his mother, his two little brothers and his grandmother, as well as some of his mother's friends"
I read more about that band. They actually make me feel a lil' sick.
Do you reckon Putnam's Granny would have liked Anal C*nt?

Sorry I'm getting sidetracked

This is a serious post.
Earlier this year one of the f*ck bands toured Australia. They got enough press to pique my interest so I bought their album.

The F*ck Buttons...
I'm not sure where to start. I'm kind of disappointed they are a f*ck band, because frankly the band is brilliant and i think the name detracts from their goodness.
Basically it's 2 dudes making some very harsh noise that is treated in a way that flows over you like warm water and is actually some of the most relaxing and mesmerizing music I've ever heard.

Sweet Love For Planet Earth - F*ck Buttons

I was almost in a trance listening to the album on the tram to work this morning.

Anyway, I've finally arrived at my point. I LOVE it when this song plays as my alarm on a weekend morning. For some reason, it nearly always puts me into that beautiful state of lucid dreaming. Where you can consciously control the outcome of an unconscious dream.

The music drains all muscle tension from my body. I can barely move. It's so relaxing. It's the best music in the world to wake up to (as long as you're not in a rush)...

Listen to the tinkling bells at the start, as it segues into distortion... then come 5 mins 40 seconds into the song the incomprehensible screaming starts and then the bells return without you even noticing. It takes almost 10 minutes...

Maybe I'm weird. Maybe this music isn't meant for beautiful zen like relaxation, or maybe The F*ck buttons are contradictory genius.

Does Sad Music Make You Sad?

I've been thinking recently about 'sad' music. Not the first time, I heard someone say recently that when they stopped listening to 'sad' music their worldview become more positive. They become happier people.

I've never really agreed with this. What is 'sad' music anyway?
I listen to some pretty dire music sometimes, and I've got a positive outlook on life. Last week, i was feeling a little down and walking to work. I was listening to some droning-distortion-filled-bleak-as-f*ck-music when I realised that it was bringing me down. I felt for the first time that I needed some positive music to feel better.

droning distortion filled bleak as f*ck music (just watch 20 seconds if ya want, you'll get the picture)



yeah, it aint exactly a laugh a minute is it?

I didn't want music that was ridiculously and overtly positive either... I wanted something a little more affirming. Something that could punch me in the chest and guts and say "buck up soldier!" So I switched this



Thanks Bronx!!! you always cheer me up!
I got the 7" vinyl of this song a couple of weeks ago. "young bloods" it's effing magificient.

Anyway I got online and searched what other people reckon about sad music. Seriously, there are some genius' out there.

"Trance music makes me think and in a way makes me feel kinda sad and happy?!? weird lol.
I guess its how your feeling at the time. i mean you could listen to a really sad song at a happy time in ur life and it wouldnt affect u but just break up with someone n it makes u wanna slit ur wrists lol! i couldnt live without music! lol."

Laugh Out Loud? What's the f*ck is funny about that?

There's a myriad of different statements on the matter but I think the most profound statement said:

"Do You Realise? - Flaming Lips"

This song is life affirming and tragic at the same time. It makes me happy, but reflective. It's brilliant. THE FLAMING LIPS ARE ABOUT TO TOUR AUSTRALIA Get tickets.
Theyll make you very very happy and only a little bit sad. But sad in a good way.

Check the key change and choir entry at 2:00. LOL

U.X.O.

About 14 months ago I got back from an overseas holiday.

I had an old fashioned ipod on the holiday and as we were travelling in old fashioned buses around Loas and Cambodia I could only listen to a limited number of songs. Like 4 gig worth.

When I was preparing to leave on this holiday, i spent more time sorting through MP3's for my trip than any other part of the preparation to go away. When you've got a limited amount of space then you have to be really selective about what you pack. So I packed boxer shorts, a sleeping bag, insect repelent, singlets, pants, toiletries and MP3's.

there's a few songs and albums that I got kind of obsessed with on that trip... i still associate them with that holiday. the ones that stick in my head were incredibly beautiful songs that were a perfect soundtrack to a beautiful but tragic lanscape rolling by. I went home and anylised the music (like i would do when I studied music at uni, chord progressions, orchestration, rhythmic intricasies etc. It was music nerd heaven...) I wanted to know why these songs stuck in my head so bad. Why they still make me gasp a little to this day?

I loved this one among many...



But 1 piece of musik reminds me of that Holiday more than anything else...

It reminds me of an area in Lao where you can't even walk out of a village without risking your life because you may just step on a bomb.

The USA dropped 3 million tonnes of bombs on Laos in order to stop the Vietcong using it as a safehaven. That's 1 tonne for every person currently living in Laos. Almost 2 thirds of it didn't explode when it hit the ground and has remained active and lethal ever since.

The people of Laos were inspiring and beautiful (one of the best holidays of my life, relaxing, beautiful, fun, educational, cultural and partiful). It was strange listening to songs off Yanqui UXO by Godspeed you! Black Emperor while traversing through the most heavily bombed country in the world... The album is about weapons. About unexploded ordinance. It felt so right while i was in that area of the world.

Check it out... It was inspiring... And Sad...



Visit! MAG - Mines Advisory Group