Just Released - 2013 [Ep.36]

“Do you realize,

 That everyone you know, someday, will die…”

                  “Do You Realize??” [The Flaming Lips 2002]

Sure, it’s a stark lyric. But it’s true. And it’s from an anthem which celebrates the wonder of life, and the obligation to truly live it. Wayne Coyne wrote that song more than a decade ago and this year, he joins his friend Moby on a song that can be seen in the same context. From Moby’s new album, ‘Innocents’, “The Perfect Life” is another celebratory anthem, with its uplifting Gospel style chorus chiming: “The perfect life is all we need”. Its one of several highlights you’ll hear in this edition of JR.

Before 'Electronica' was even known by that name, the likes of Gary Numan and (former Ultravox founder) John Foxx were early pioneers. In mid-October, Gary Numan will release his 20^th album, while John Foxx has just released a new EP made in collaboration with fellow musicians, Jim Jupp and Jon Brooks (aka The Belbury Circle).

Also making a welcome return and releasing a new album as an extensive national tour gets underway is Regurgitator. The Aussie band celebrates its 20^th anniversary this year and plans an extended period of hibernation when the tour wraps up in late October.

Pearl Jam is another band with a new album. Their 10^th long-player, titled “Lightning Bolt’ arrives in a couple of weeks and according to the band, “there’s a Pink Floyd vibe to some of it (and) a Punk Rock edge to other stuff”. Meanwhile, the second single preceding the album's release sits somewhere comfortably in the middle.

From the more youthful end of town, we have new releases in this edition from Jake Bugg (19), Birdy (17) and Lorde (16). Jake's been working with notable American producer Rick Rubin and the first song from his forthcoming 2^nd album is the raucous statement of a brash young Englishman intent on having the world sit up and take notice. The 2^nd album from Birdy shows the young singer now maturing as a lyricist and easing into a blossoming career. And in a year when the same well-worn term is used to describe almost every new release, we can say that the debut album by New Zealand's Lorde actually Is "highly-anticipated".

Coming in on the JR Radar this week are new releases from former Beta Band vocalist, Steve Mason, New York Pop duo, Cults and Adelaide singer/songwriter, Myles Mayo.

  

Jake Bugg: “What Doesn’t Kill You” (preview from the album, ‘Shangri La’)

Steve Mason: “Fire!” (from the album, ‘Monkey Minds In The Devil’s Time’)

Cults: “High Road" (preview from the album, ‘Static’)

Moby featuring Wayne Coyne: “The Perfect Life” (from the album, ‘Innocents’)

Regurgitator: “Mountains” (from the album, ‘Dirty Pop Fantasy’)

Myles Mayo & The Modern Heart: “Heading Home” (preview from the album, ‘Myles Mayo & The Modern Heart’)

Birdy: “Words As Weapons” (from the album, ‘Fire Within’)

John Foxx & The Belbury Circle: “Almost There” (from the EP, ‘Empty Avenues’)

Gary Numan: “Splinter” (from the album, ‘Splinter: Songs From A Broken Mind’)

Lorde: "400 Lux" (from the album 'Pure Heroine')

Pearl Jam: “Sirens” (preview from the album, ‘Lightning Bolt’)

Just Released is heard Saturdays at 12pm and Sundays at 4pm (AEDT or AEST) on ABC Digital Radio in Brisbane, Sydney,Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and via the streams of our metropolitan stations on the Gold Coast, in Newcastle, Hobartand Darwin.  

You can also listen to JR during the week on ABC Dig Music Mondays @ 2pm, Wednesdays @ 8pm & Thursdays @ 11am (AEDT or AEST) and on Radio Australia throughout Asia & the Pacific.

To stream Just Released on demand, simply connect to our web pages via the hot links above. …(or even the shiny beast below): 

                            Find 'Just Released' here. 

              ♫

    ♫   {](-_-)[}   ♫         Thanks for listening.

  

Just Released - 2013 [Ep.35]

“Tear out the flesh, tear out the bone,

 Of anyone who tells you the known is unknown…”

                                  “Ride My Arrow” [Bill Callahan 2013]

In this edition of JR we check out the newest long-player from American singer/songwriter, Bill Callahan. A consummate wordsmith with a rich baritone voice and a 15 album career now behind him, Callahan has been captivating fans for more than two decades, mostly behind the band persona of Smog.  His just released 'Dream River' continues along a now well established path that is not quite Folk, not quite Country but consistently rewarding. Think of it as introverted Roots music - with a twist.

And we return to the Roots, both figuratively (with Ry Cooder’s new album) and literally (with the Hip-Hop band known by that name). On his first Live album release since 1977’s ‘Show Time’, Ry Cooder is noticeably having fun, revisiting songs from his deep catalogue in an exceptionally well recorded Live setting.

The music of Philadelphia band The Roots and Elvis Costello may appear to be at odds but in truth, neither can be easily pigeonholed into a specific style. Costello, for example, has recorded a litany of non-representative albums in his career encompassing Punk, R&B, Country, New Orleans Jazz and modern Classical so this year’s model, recorded in collaboration with The Roots, is neither surprising nor inconsistent. Testing his musical boundaries (along with the patience of his fans) is what Elvis Costello does best and in this edition of JR we litmus test the latest installment: ‘Wise Up Ghost & Other Songs’.

We also check the pulse of Electronic Dance Music with the debut album by Swedish DJ/musician, Avicii. Although just released the album has already sparked controversy through its innovative fusion of traditional House music styles with Rock, Soul and Country elements. The album features collaborations with artists as diverse as R&B singer Aloe Blacc, Country singer Mac Davis and Bluegrass musician Dan Tyminski. Helping weave the patchwork of styles together is Avicii’s co-producer, Nile Rodgers, fresh from his recent collaboration with Daft Punk.        

Far from being a complete clash of styles, we also return to more familiar territory with a new single from Bernard Fanning’s recent ‘Departures’ album ahead of a national 'On The Green' tour. And proving her internationally acclaimed song “Royals” was no mere fluke, New Zealand’s Lorde, whose latest release "Team" (another preview from her forthcoming debut album, ‘Pure Heroine’) is similarly inventive.

Meanwhile, stirring up dust on the Comeback Trail this week were American Rock band Kings of Leon and piano man Elton John. Both have adopted a back-to-basics approach with albums which play to their respective strengths. Elton, for example, has described ‘The Diving Board’ as the most “piano-oriented” album of his career.

  

      

Kings Of Leon: “Wait For Me” (from the album, ‘Mechanical Bull’)

Avicii: “Addicted To You”/”Shame On Me” (from the album, ‘True’)

Ry Cooder: “Crazy ‘Bout An Automobile" (from the album, ‘Live In San Francisco’)

Bernard Fanning: “Grow Around You” (from the album, ‘Departures’)

Elvis Costello & The Roots: “Wake Me Up” (from the album, ‘Wise Up Ghost’)

Lorde: “Team” (preview from the album, ‘Pure Heroine’)

Bill Callahan: “Ride My Arrow”/“Spring” (from the album, ‘Dream River’)

Elton John: “The Diving Board” (from the album, ‘The Diving Board’)

Just Released is heard Saturdays at 12pm and Sundays at 4pm (AEDT or AEST) on ABC Digital Radio in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and via the streams of our metropolitan stations on the Gold Coast, in Newcastle, Hobart and Darwin.  

You can also listen to JR during the week on ABC Dig Music Mondays @ 2pm, Wednesdays @ 8pm & Thursdays @ 11am (AEDT or AEST) and on Radio Australia throughout Asia & the Pacific.

To stream Just Released on demand, simply connect to our web pages via the hot links above. …(or even the shiny beast below): 

                                                           Find 'Just Released' here. 

              ♫

    ♫   {](-_-)[}   ♫         Thanks for listening.

Just Released - 2013 [Ep.34]

“Surfbeat, Backbeat, frontbeat, backseat,

 There’s a bunch of players and they’re really letting go!

 We got, Brit-Pop, Hip-Hop, Rockabilly, Lindy Hop,

 Gaelic Heavy Metal fans fighting in the road …”

                     “Bhindi Bhagee” [Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros 2001]

Arriving at the start of the '70s British Punk era that spat out groups like The Damned, The Sex Pistols and countless pretenders all eager to ape the music’s DIY ethic, The Clash played directly to the disaffected youth of Thatcher’s England. But counter to The Pistols’ catchcry of “No future”, The Clash rallied for youth's political awakening. The music was volatile, confrontational and unrelenting. In this edition of JR, we welcome the release both of the double album, ‘The Clash Hits Back’ (a greatest hits package based on the sequence of a live show from 1982) and the comprehensive 12-disc box set, ‘Sound System’.

Another significant collection just released is ‘Higher!’ an album compiling some of the greatest songs from Sly And The Family Stone. That band’s fusion of Funk and Psychedelic Soul in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s was nothing short of revolutionary. Apart from the fractured genius of bandleader Sly Stone, the group also featured Larry Graham, inventor of the slap bass style, later adopted and championed by a multitude of players including Bootsy Collins, Les Claypool (Primus) and Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers).  

Also bringing the funk to this edition is Janelle Monáe, whose second album (‘The Electric Lady’) features guest appearances from Prince and Erykah Badu.

And there’s some fine Roots music with that laid-back swamp boogie that Tony Joe White has been identified with for the past 45 years. His latest album, ‘Hoodoo’ shows the philosophy remains unchanged: "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it."

Another singer/songwriter known for keeping it gritty ‘n’ real is Karma County frontman Brendan Gallagher. His 3^rd solo release (‘Wine Island’) is an impressive double album of songs and stories that easily ranks with some of the most poetic work of his lengthy career. An extensive national tour is soon to commence taking Brendan and his band through cities, towns and wine growing districts alike.  

As well, we savour the highly acclaimed fifth album by English Rock band Arctic Monkeys, revisit the newly released album, ‘Tales Of Us’ from the Electronica duo Goldfrapp, preview the forthcoming long player from American band, Arcade Fire and unveil a new song from Coldplay, to be featured in the forthcoming sequel to the popular science fiction film, The Hunger Games.

  

      

The Clash: “London Calling” (from the album, ‘The Clash Hits Back’ and box set ’Sound System’)

Arcade Fire: “Reflektor” (preview from the album, ‘Reflektor’)

Goldfrapp: “Drew" (from the album, ‘Tales Of Us’)

Brendan Gallagher: “It’s A Mug’s Game”/”The Good Baker’s Dream” (from the album, ‘Wine Island’)

Arctic Monkeys: “Arabella”/”I Wanna Be Yours” (from the album, ‘AM’)

Tony Joe White: “The Gift” (from the album, ‘Hoodoo’)

Sly And The Family Stone: “Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” (from the album, ‘Higher!’)

Janelle Monáe: “Good Morning Midnight”/”Q.U.E.E.N.(featuring Erykah Badu)” (from the album, ‘The Electric Lady’)

Coldplay: “Atlas” (preview from the soundtrack album, ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’)

Just Released is heard Saturdays at 12pm and Sundays at 4pm (AEDT or AEST) on ABC Digital Radio in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and via the streams of our metropolitan stations on the Gold Coast, in Newcastle, Hobart and Darwin.  

You can also listen to JR during the week on ABC Dig Music Mondays @ 2pm, Wednesdays @ 8pm & Thursdays @ 11am (AEDT or AEST) and on Radio Australia throughout Asia & the Pacific.

To stream Just Released on demand, simply connect to our web pages via the hot links above.        …(or even the shiny beast below): 

                                                           Find 'Just Released' here. 

               ♫

    ♫   {](-_-)[}   ♫         Thanks for listening.

Just Released - 2013 [Ep.33]

“Someone’s got it in for me,

 They’re planting stories in the press,

 Whoever it is, I wish they’d cut it out quick,

 But when they will, I can only guess …”

                                “Idiot Wind” [Bob Dylan 1975]

Poor Bob. They stoned him when he was trying to be so good - and they stoned him, just like they said they would. Dylan’s influence on popular music is, by now, immeasurable. That it kick-started the electrified Folk-Rock boom in the ‘60s and the development of Country-Rock in the ‘70s as well as prompting John Lennon toward writing songs as introspective as “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” is now well beyond argument. Dylan’s career has quite literally changed the world of music. And still, they stoned him. In this edition of JR we check out the 10^th volume in Dylan’s ever-expanding Bootleg Series, to revisit the infamous stoning that welcomed the release of his ‘Self Portrait’ album in 1970. Titled ‘Another Self Portrait’, the new album presents a wealth of alternate versions, demos and previously unreleased songs recorded between 1969 and 1971.

Fans of the TV series “Boardwalk Empire’ are certainly familiar with the show’s production values in lavishly recreating the Jazz Age of the 1920s in Atlantic City, during the midst of the (doomed-to-fail) Prohibition era. Great attention has also been given to recreating the music of the time and in this edition we dip into the 2^nd volume of music made for the show’s soundtrack featuring the voices of contemporary singers including David Johansen, Patti Smith, Elvis Costello and Neko Case.

And speaking of Neko Case, the flame-haired American singer/songwriter is celebrating her 43^rd birthday with her own new album, which we check out in this edition along with new releases for singer/songwriters Jack Johnson and Amos Lee. And there’s more Folk/Rock with 7^th album releases from the Portland, Oregon band, Blitzen Trapper and Austin, Texas group, Okkerville River.

It seems like ages since we previewed the debut song by English Pop trio, London Grammar. It was 7 months ago to be exact and with their first album now just released, we can see the irony in its title of ‘If You Wait’.

Meanwhile, the JR Radar this week picked up on the debut single by Austrian Electro-Pop duo, Klangkarussell. In English, their name translates to Sound Carousel, while their song (a digital-only single) called “Sonnentanz” means, “Sun Don’t Shine”.  

     

  

  

Neko Case: “Man”/”Calling Cards” (from the album, ‘The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You’)

Amos Lee: “The Man Who Wants You” (preview from the album, ‘Mountains Of Sorrow Rivers Of Song’)

Jack Johnson: “Radiate" (preview from the album, ‘From Here To Now To You’)

David Johanssen: “Strut Miss Lizzie” (from the Soundtrack album, ‘Boardwalk Empire Volume 2’)

Bob Dylan: “Pretty Saro”/”Wigwam (without overdubs)” (from the album, ‘Another Self Portrait’)

London Grammar: “Strong” (from the album, ‘If You Wait’)

Klangkarussell: “Sonnentanz” (digital single)

Okkerville River: “It Was My Season” (from the album, ‘The Silver Gymnasium’)

Blitzen Trapper: “Ever Loved Once” (preview from the album, ‘Vll’)

Bob Dylan: “I Threw It All Away (alternate)” (from the album, ‘Another Self Portrait’)

Bob Dylan: “Wigwam (original)” (from the album, ‘Another Self Portrait’ Deluxe Edition)

Just Released is heard Saturdays at 12pm and Sundays at 4pm (AEDT or AEST) on ABC Digital Radio in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and via the streams of our metropolitan stations on the Gold Coast, in Newcastle,Hobart and Darwin.  

Hear JR during the week on ABC Dig Music Mondays @ 2pm, Wednesdays @ 8pm & Thursdays @ 11am (AEDT or AEST) and on Radio Australia throughout Asia & the Pacific.

To stream Just Released on demand connect to our web pages via the hot links above. 

…(or even the shiny beast below): 

                                     Find 'Just Released' here. 

               ♫

    ♫   {](-_-)[}   ♫         Thanks for listening.