Song of the Week #184

Rain, rain, rain and more rain has been to order of the day (and night) in the nation’s capital. What a mess. I think the dog is swimming in the backyard. And the cat is a soggy orange mess. If it doesn’t clear up soon I’ll begin to think we’ve all moved to New Zealand.

Last week after publishing the week’s ramblings and congratulating myself on such an awesome job of work I remembered that I had been going to play some Howard Jones. Why? Something twigged in my mind about music when I was in my final year of high school – and a couple of friends were right into that stuff. It wasn’t really my scene but on looking back it’s not all that bad. I consulted the oracle of all things Howard (thanks Doc) and here we go.

Howard Jones – No One Is To Blame

DJ Cushy probably thought he was being amusing when he told me he was listening to a whole lot of Mushroom Records artists and that wasn’t much help for me this week. But he was wrong. Mushroom Records feature heavily in my collection of 45s. So, let’s drag out a few. It’s an iconic Australian label and we let some New Zealanders on there too.

Chain were a great bluesy rock band. This footage is from the Myer Music Bowl in 1982. In the background is a poster for radio 3XY. That’s one of the stations we couldn’t receive in the country when I was a kid and I was gutted as it was THE station to listen to prior to FM radio.

Chain – I Remember When I Was Young

Chain are also on the soundtrack for the great Aussie movie “Dirty Deeds” – you need to watch it – a great gangster movie set Down Under.

This next song is a stone cold classic. It’s got everything; great beat, massive horn section and zebra skin print drums! Seriously though – it was always a favourite at any school disco!

Models – Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight

I bought Deborah Conway’s “String of Pearls” album on the strength of this next tune. The chords in the verse are a real treat to play – they ring out beautifully. It’s definitely a song I’d like to try with a band.

Deborah Conway – Release Me

And finally, Choirboys. A pub rock band that really made it big on the back of one song. But if you take the time to delve into their albums the songwriting is great and their singer has a great set of pipes. I saw them once live at the Queanbeyan Leagues Club on a Sunday night. I think there were 10 others in the audience. The band were great and played a fantastic show. Almost like the time Alison and I saw Dragon at the Yass Soldiers Club and there were more people in the band than in the crowd!

Choirboys - Empire

So there you go, a quick introduction to Mushroom Records. Kylie’s on Mushroom too, a definite bonus!

I wasn’t going to talk politics but I can’t help myself. The PM has announced that Bob Carr is the new Foreign Minister. Really? He’s not even in the Parliament yet and he gets a top spot. Ok, so he was the Premier of NSW but he’s hardly proven in federal politics. Gareth Evans is spinning in his grave and he isn’t dead yet. It’s looking more and more like we’ll say goodbye to the Australian Labor Party being in power when the next election comes along.

Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

In 1990 Midnight Oil played a live show in front of the Exxon Building in New York. I remember recording the concert from the radio on a 120 minute tape – I was worried I might miss some of it! I discovered that cassette last night and I better get it onto CD soon. Those C120s really don’t last. Of course there are classic Oils tracks in the gig but this cover is my favourite. It gives a Lennon classic an extra bit of oomph…

Midnight Oil – Instant Karma (live)

I’ve started watching The Wire on TV. I’m only 4 episodes into season 1 but I like it a lot. Gritty police drama with good character development. The theme song is great too – it’s how I got into the show along with a recommendation from DJ Patriot. Every season someone else sings it. And given that they’ve had Tom Waits AND Steve Earle it must be good. Let’s finish with Tom doing his thang.

Tom Waits – Way Down In The Hole

That’s all folks. I guess it will rain all weekend and that means no cycling. I can’t bring myself to ride on the home trainer yet – I’ll do something else instead!

DJ Rob

Song of the Week #183

Hi everyone,

 

Finally at nearly 10:30 on Friday night I've got time to get some thoughts down this week. This is in stark contrast to last week's episode which was written over the whole 7 days!

 

Back to last Sunday...I raced the Long Course Triathlon at Huskisson on the NSW South Coast – it's a great spot. The race went pretty well for me. The 2km swim and the 83km bike ride both went past without incident and in good time. Even the first 10km of the 20km run was good. But at about the 13km mark my ITB started to play up – something that hasn't been an issue for two years really. To cut a long story short, I swore, I stretched, I walked and I jogged all the way to the end. My run time was pretty average but I was still 18 minutes under my target of 6hrs for the whole day. I'm taking an extended break from longer triathlons now – after a half-Ironman, a full Ironman and this I think I've proved to myself that I can do it. I enjoy the longer training sessions though so I'll train long and race short(er).

 

Iron Maiden – The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

 

After last week's episode, MC Doc contacted me to complain that with all that talk of KISS he was disappointed that the band themselves weren't featured. Well fair enough, I can't disappoint loyal listeners and I always consider requests. But here's a twist for y'all. The best tribute album ever in my opinion is called "KISS my ass". And this is my favourite track from it.

 

Garth Brooks (with KISS) – Hard Luck Woman

 

Only KISS could get away with playing on their own tribute album.

 

Along with a lot of other people I've watched on in disbelief as the Australian Labor Party has imploded over the last few days. After that performance they don't deserve to be in power. I am amazed that any of our politicians could possibly think that their very public infighting and mud slinging could endear them to the voting public. As Billy Connolly would say, "it's a good kick in the arse they're needing!"

 

Midnight Oil – Short Memory

 

I've always thought that our system of compulsory voting was a good thing. And from my first experience of voting at 18 I've been a supporter of the slightly more left side of Australian politics. Now for the first time in my life I can't see any of those idiots in the major parties looking like they're worth my scrawl on the ballot paper.

 

Ages ago I mentioned the Human Time Project to you dear reader. The idea was that if you bought a watch from them they also donated one to medical teams in Africa so that people didn't die from getting their medication at the wrong time and things like that. Well...I ordered in October. And I waited. And I waited some more. And then some more again. Then I emailed. Then I ranted on their Facebook page. And the watch arrived today. It is very cool. It's a great idea but their communication with me left a lot to be desired.

 

There's a few pivotal songs that have influenced my musical tastes and also the sounds I search for on my guitars. This is one of them and I'll admit that I'm never really sure whether to play it or not. Or I was until I found this version. Classic!

 

Cottontown Chorus – Fat Bottomed Girls (Queen cover)

 

I really, really like Queen when they are in full flight. This is their best song in my opinion. I clearly remember learning the guitar riffs for this one. They are an excellent alternative to Stairway to Heaven in any guitar shop. Everyone knows what you're playing and just smiles.

 

Queen – Tie Your Mother Down

 

I've had the album that this next song is on playing on the record player this week. It seems like a good one to share – I think my family has had enough of it for a while though!

 

Neil Young – Don't Let It Bring You Down

 

Last week I mentioned Ice-T. You all know him from Law and Order but to me he was one of the few rap artists I could ever be bothered listening to. His lyrics and vocal delivery just always sounded and felt very authentic to me. Disturbing too.

 

Ice-T – Gotta Lotta Love

 

With Alison away for a few days I've cranked up the stereo and put on some hard rock and metal albums that I haven't listened to for a while. It isn't that she objects to the music but maybe to the piles of old cassettes in the lounge room! Some of these older albums are so good that I better get a list together and get them on CD. Or vinyl maybe. There are some seriously worn out cassettes in the pile!

 

Sometimes the cheesiest bands surprise me when I go back and recognise that despite all the hairspray and makeup they really could play.

 

Skid Row – 18 and life

 

The last band this week is one I was introduced to by the lead guitarist in the first band I ever played in. He thought was was Stevie Ray Vaughan reincarnated and he wasn't far wrong at times. I learned a lot from him and the rest of the band about how to play in a group. Of course I got my first taste of band politics as well when they dropped me and the singer so that they could form a blues trio! The Black Crowes were the band he turned me onto. They were pretty new at the time and their cover of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle" was in the charts. We played it and I loved it. I still do. You can groove on the B chord for the whole verse just adding little bits here and there. And Jason could play the scorching guitar solo as well. I'll finish with two tracks from the Black Crowes, the Otis cover and then my favourite song of theirs – it's a quiet one.

 

The Black Crowes – Hard to Handle

 

The Black Crowes – She Talks To Angels

 

Shhhhhh...it's late and even the dog is snoring. Goodnight.

 

DH Rob

Song of the Week #182

I've set myself a challenge this week; and that's to have a good look through my CD collection for songs and bands that aren't regular listens for me but that deserve an airing. Hopefully you'll hear something you like that you haven't heard before. Let me know if anything in particular tickles your fancy as I'm always interested to hear why people do and don't like particular tunes.

But before I begin a quick gig review. Should I be reviewing a show I played in? Why not? "H" recorded the gig on his iPhone and was kind enough to give me a CD to listen to. Firstly, can I say two thumbs up to Apple - as the voice memo function and microphone on the iPhone do a pretty damned good job. There's a much wider frequency range on the recording than I expected and nothing sounds brittle or harsh.

I'm sure that it won't be long until some clever spark builds a multi-track recorder app for the iPhone - in fact it's probably already done! An adaptor for maybe 4 microphones and some faders would just rock!

The show was particularly well attended with the crowd spilling out of the cafe and into the attached book shop. I didn't realise this until about 5 songs in when I began to relax. It was my first gig in about 5 years and I was pretty nervous to start with.

Playing the old Eko acoustic through my 1 watt valve amp plugged into the 2x12" Marshall speaker box was a great sound. Big, full and bright without being overpowering. I can't rave enough about how awesome the 1 watt Blackstar amplifier is. Even on its own through its little 8" speaker it packs a punch. Amplifying an acoustic guitar and having it not sound tinny is a challenge even for pro musicians (and something that Bon Jovi can't seem to get right) and I think I've hit on a pretty good combination. My few solo notes at the end of "Thunder Road “pleased me no end. (After we were done with the Nebraska album we played Thunder Road, Wreck on the Highway and Ramrod).

I enjoyed the show and the audience reaction was very positive - and given the fairly dark nature of the album we were covering that was pretty pleasing.

"H" and "Chief" are just excellent to play with. They coped admirably with my few bum notes and constant worry about what key each song was in. I DID have it written down but I'm a worrier and I can't transpose in my head on the fly! I should point out that "Chief" had taught himself the harmonica from scratch in about 2 weeks for this show awesome effort. I'm off to see them with their full "E-Street" band playing a big Springsteen show here in Canberra. If you like good music then this gig on 3/3 won't disappoint. I'm hoping that the seat I got is in a good location so that I can try recording a track or two on my iPhone!

Before I get into the tracks you may not have heard I'll play one last Springsteen track. I really didn't like this one after listening to it on the CD but our version is a bit more upbeat. Blind faith isn’t always the answer.

Bruce Springsteen - Reason to Believe

OK then. Here we go.

First up is a feel good track that is really VERY derivative but maddeningly catchy. I'm not sure that the band has had any other success but I remember Alison and I getting the album years ago on the strength of the single. I couldn't even name another track from the CD! But this one is fun and the intro clearly identifies the band as KISS fans - don't let that put you off if you aren't a card carrying member of the KISS Army!

Sloan - If It Feels Good (Do It)

Rhino Bucket are a band that sound so much like AC/DC that sometimes you'd swear they were a tribute band. Last year I happened across some acoustic versions of their songs and I was surprised at how well they managed to carry it off. Instead of being a full ahead rocker the blues influence comes out in this track.

Rhino Bucket - I Was Told

Funk isn't really a musical genre that I delve into that often. I do, however, have Sly & The Family Stone on vinyl which is a real treat. Last year I bought a James Brown live CD from iTunes but the production values totally sucked and when our laptop was stolen I lost those tracks. One day I'll do some research and find a live slab from the Godfather of Soul that doesn't sound like it was recorded inside a shortbread tin lined with tin foil! But with the Grammys being on this week I heard of a guy called Syl Johnson (via www.NPR.org/music ) and checked out some tracks. They were pretty good but the search led me to this next artist. Again, a new discovery for me and I can guarantee I'll be looking for some CDs to purchase. Wow!!

Fred Wesley - Blow Your Head

The 90s were a pretty good time for guitar music, especially when you consider some of the worst that the 80s had to offer! A band that I really got into was Soul Asylum. Their combination of gritty guitar, solid melody and interesting lyrics had me hooked for a while. And there's just something about a Telecaster that screams credibility if you're a singer. Maybe it's all because of Joe Strummer. Anyway, this isn't their big hit (Runaway Train) which everyone has probably heard but a better song. I’ve only got this album on cassette so I better hit eBay later on!

Soul Asylum - Black Gold

Let's go back to worship at the altar of KISS for a minute and throw in a heavy Beatles influence. Does that sound weird? Well then, if it sounds OK then dropping the needle on a platter from this next band might just be worth your time. I bought their EP back in 1994 one week with my last few dollars when I was living in Melbourne doing a computer course with the Army. I also bought Ice-T's "Gotta Lotta Love" single that day but the radio or album version wasn't on it and it turned out to be a disappointment. I love the hairstyles and moves in this clip...

Red Kross - Lady in the Front Row

Can I stay with the Beatles just for a minute? This next band take everything good that the Fab Four did and mix it up with classic Metallica tunes, lyrics and sounds.

I really didn't think it would work but if you are a fan of both bands then it'll give you a laugh. There are obviously serious musicians in this group with a great sense of humour. And as most of the comments on YouTube say, the singer sounds more like Metallica's James Hetfield than he does himself these days.

Beatallica – Hey Dude

When it comes to interesting band names, Toad the Wet Sprocket almost takes the cake. They are a band I only know from their appearance on a tribute album and I played that track somewhere in the first 10 installments of Song of the Week. Somehow I doubt anyone will remember it since we're nearly at episode 200! Try this track on for size - if you like your music with a strong melody and not too loud then this is for you...

Toad the Wet Sprocket – Walk On The Ocean

And yes, I know that the band name is a Monty Python reference but that really doesn’t impress me.

How are you travelling? I hope that some readers make it this far as there are only three tracks left and I promise that they are all killer, no filler! I might just duck off to make a coffee so listen to this…

Black Flag – Black Coffee

In the 90's I was fortunate enough to make friends with DJ Sutto. He shared my passion for the heavier side of music and unlike a lot of metal fans he had more than a few brain cells to rub together! He got me into Queensryche in a big way and that's music I'm still listening to. In a roundabout way he got me into the next band as we crashed at the house of one of the members in Sydney after seeing Motorhead. It wasn't a band that lasted all that long but their show and CD were bloody good. I don't know why they broke up in 1999 but it's a shame.

Christ Art Museum – Old Meat

And now, dear friends, we're at the end. When I played the guitar for The Dark Violence of Beauty this next band got a very regular airing from some of the boys in the group. I liked quite a few songs but the live and bootleg recordings I heard were dreadful. These are two of my favourite songs and I'm glad that someone found quality live versions to share. I was unsure which track to play so you can have both. If you like covers, Dolly Parton and wearing black then the first one is for you. If you prefer Lewis Carol, spidery guitar lines and wearing black then perhaps the second one!

The Sisters Of Mercy – Jolene

The Sisters Of Mercy – Alice

In the words of Austin Powers, "...and I'm spent...!"

See you next week for the Huski Long Course Tri race report and more tunes!

DJ Rob

(to unsubscribe just email me with details of what KISS' Gene Simmons studied at University)

Song of the Week #181

Well the first teaching week of the year is almost over. I’ve been pretty lucky with my group of students it seems. They are pretty chatty but they are getting through the coursework at an amazing rate of knots! And that’s cool.

 

Of course my kids have started back as well. Funny to think that my little girl is in her final year of High School – and she’s pretty bloody pleased at being one of the “big kids”. Angus is taking Outdoor Ed as one of his subjects. It sounds like they get to do team building, mountain biking, hiking, camping, snorkeling and caving all in a semester – wow! Why didn’t I train to teach all that!

 

Congratulations this week to DJ AB who got himself on the podium riding crits. Not a bad turn of speed for a guy training for an Ironman. And good luck to MC Dongles who is off to Geelong to race.

 

I guess the big news in triathlon this week is that Lance Armstrong has finally announced a swag of half-ironman and ironman races that he is going to compete in. It will be very interesting to see how he goes. He does have a background in triathlon as a junior to draw on as well as some very solid training partners and mentors. And we all know he doesn’t like to lose! I’ll go out on a limb and bet that he goes top 10 at Kona. Yep, I’m a fan. An integral part of his campaign is to raise $1m for cancer research.

 

I put new strings on my oldest guitar the other night – the guitar that’s older than me that has been handed down from my Dad. DJ E17 remarked that with the guitar being so heavy that I was relaxing and weightlifting all at once! But the new strings sound a treat – bright and bold. It’s looking good for the Nebraska shows.

 

DJ E17 gets two mentions this week as he sent ma a double DVD which is pretty much everything Joan Jett has done including some interview footage. I’d forgotten this track even though I have it on a cassingle somewhere. It’s not too bad…

 

Joan Jett – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

 

This next song is one that’s been on rotation during some of my long run recently. It’s a band that some of my school friends were into. I’ve got one or two albums and while it isn’t a band I’d listen to very regularly they had their moments.

 

Petra – Beat The System

 

Personally, if I’m looking for motivation, encouragement or just a good kick in the pants then I’ll go for this next track every time:

 

Rollins Band - Shine

 

After a quick conversation about punk, MC McG arrived at my desk with two slabs of vinyl. One is an early compilation and the other a blue vinyl LP of UK Subs greatest hits. Foolishly I always thought UK Subs was something to do with being underwater while it turns out that they were originally called UK Subversives. Here’s a song from the compilation that made me laugh. Don’t take life too seriously folks, it’ll grind you down.

 

The Business – Harry May

 

I think I shocked H this week when I revealed my love of almost all things Kylie. Seriously, for a girl who really couldn’t sing she’s done OK. Kylie understands the need to put on a good live show.

 

Kylie – Some Kind Of Bliss

 

So, with Huski Long Course Triathlon just over a week away I’ve got an easier week coming up. I’ll get a  longish ride in tomorrow and maybe a swim. Add to that a run on Sunday and then I’ll be taking the week relatively easy ahead of my anticipated approximately 6 hours of racing. Racing really is the wrong word…as long as I’m moving forward it’ll be all good!

 

Right then, I’m off to get ready for tonight’s show…it’ll take me ages to do my hair!

 

Stevie Wright – Evie

 

Bye,

 

DJ Rob

(to unsubscribe just email me back with just one good reason why Star Wars should come out in 3D)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Song of the Week #180

Anyone who thinks that Australia is a sunburnt country obviously hasn’t been to Canberra this Summer. Really, it has been very, very average. The garden likes it but running this morning at 6am in cold and rain was far from pleasant. Any more of this and I’ll be looking at getting a treadmill!

I haven’t listened to too much new music this week as I’m concentrating on the Springsteen songs. The show is coming together pretty well. Remember 4pm, 12 Feb at Beyond Q in Curtin. It’s free but the venue isn’t massive.

But I did manage to tear myself away from my 47^th listening of Nebraska to check out just a few tunes for your listening pleasure.

Rage Against The Machine were a rather loud politically charged band. I wasn’t a huge fan but they had a few good tracks. RATM guitarist Tom Morello went out on his own with an interesting mix  of folk and rock. He calls himself The Nightwatchman and the tracks I’ve heard certainly rate further investigation. This one stands out, not necessarily as a result of the lyrics but because of the staccato nature of the way Tom spits out the chorus – it just sounds great.

The Nightwatchman – Black Spartacus Heart Attack Machine

Vincent Furnier has a new album and I’m excited. He just keeps on truckin’ and his live show is a real treat. The album is a follow up to his big seller Welcome To My Nightmare from 1975. The new stuff is cool but this must be the definitive version of the title track of the first album in 1975…

Alice Cooper – Welcome To My Nightmare (on the Muppet Show)

I’m particularly excited that the Super Rugby season starts in about 3 weeks. After a rather average summer of cricket I’m hoping for some good games. We’ve stumped up the cash to be Brumbies members so they’d better deliver!

In the last week of the holidays I bought a music magazine with the obligatory free sampler CD. This disc has turned out to be quite a hoot. Apart from having The Damned on it as well as Joe Strummer there are a whole lot of bands that are new to me. The song selection is great but sometimes the band name means that you know you just have to listen to their track. This is one of those. Very, very funny. The song I wanted to play I cannot find but this will give you a good idea of what they are like. Probably for fans of Stray Cats, Living End, Peaches, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, White Stripes or Petula Clark.

Pussycat & The Dirty Johnsons – Trouble With The Devil

Yesterday I had to take the scooter in for a service. They loaned me a new one to get to work on. It was the most dreadful shade of light pastel blue and hopefully no-one recognized me riding it! But on the way down the road a car passed me and this song was blaring out of the window. It stuck in my head and I reckon it should stick in your too.

Roger Hodgson – Had A Dream

So cheesy, so good!

Later y’all, I’ve got a bus to catch. I wonder if Elvis will be on it like he was earlier in the week?

DJ Rob

Song of the Week #179

Hi there everyone, thanks for tuning in and I hope you enjoy the tunes.

 

Even though I went to work for a few hours on Tuesday and Wednesday this has really been the last week of school break for me. Monday will roll around soon and I'll have to wear work clothes and be serious every now and then. Time for a quick message from the Uncanny X-Men...classic!

 

Uncanny X-Men – Everybody Wants To Work

 

I saw Brian Mannix from the X-Men singing live on TV recently and his voice still stands up. Great song.

 

This next tune has been mixed up and ruined recently – I heard it at the supermarket. But the original is magic and I love the clothes!

 

Adam Ant – Ant Music

 

Today I had my first rehearsal for the Springsteen gigs that are coming up. Heaps of fun and it is always great to play with musicians who are heaps better than me – it makes me try harder and continue to improve my playing. We're doing the whole Nebraska album cover to cover and then some extra treats. What's funny is that with the Nebraska album being pretty much a demo, some of Bruce's timing is a bit everywhere – I said to H today that it was almost channelling John Lee Hooker – a man who plays a different number of measures in every 12 bar blues he performs on!

 

John Lee Hooker – One Bourbon, One Scotch & One Beer (live)

 

Some songs seem tailor made for my running playlist on the iPod. This one came on during a longer effort during the week. The sun was beating down and I needed some encouragement – this song did the trick. This isn't the greatest quality but you can't deny the energy...

 

Def FX – Surfers Of The Mind

 

Apart from listening almost exclusively to the Nebraska CD this week I've been spinning some cheesy metal tunes. This one has it all. Great guitars, great melody, great vocals and to top it off a guitar shaped like a skull. Where can I get one of those?

 

Dokken - Burning Like A Flame

 

I can't remember if I've played this next track before but it is pretty funny and Angus plays it quite a bit so it bubbles along in my sub-conscious! Laugh along.

 

Evil Eddie – Queensland

 

Yesterday was Australia Day/ I've written before about how lucky this country is as well as some of the problems we have. If you're overseas reading this then I hope you saw more on the TV than the disgrace that was the "riot" here in Canberra. Seriously, that's not what we're about.

 

I'll finish this shortish episode with a great Aussie song as it seems like the right thing to do. Here's the national anthem...

 

Cold Chisel – Khe Sanh

 

That's it. Cheers.

 

DJ Rob

Song of the Week #178

I'm a bit wiped out. I've trained hard this week – the Huski long course triathlon isn't that far off. But Zoë has gone off to camp for a few days and Angus is heading to the coast with friends so I'll have a little time to myself. Oh, what, it's time to go back to work – that's just not fair!

 

My Dad's been here for a few days and that's been awesome. I got to run a couple of times with him as well as just catching up. We all had some pretty fab Ethiopian food on Thursday night. As I've said in the past he's responsible for a lot of my musical influences. Here's a song that I picked up in NZ on a 45 that we chatted about. Somehow it just sounds better on vinyl. Hopefully none of the Methodists out there will be offended!

 

Johnny Cash – The One On The Right Is On The Left

 

It's OK though. Before I head back to work next week for a couple of days I've got a few things to be getting on with. Firstly I'm off with DJ AB to see Canberra United play in the W-League semi-finals. It's awesome to see a Canberra team doing well on the national stage and ABC televises the W-League so kudos to them. I think I'll take Alison to the movies as well – maybe The Muppets. The kids saw it in NZ and it sounds like a lot of fun. We've got dinner with the birthday boy DJ CoJ on Monday and that promises to be a good night. Add to that a couple of albums I want to immerse myself in and the continuing search for good coffee and I'm a busy boy!

 

Big and very exciting news is that I'll be performing very soon in public. H and Chief have been brave enough to invite me a long to play guitar with them in a gig that is a tribute to the Bruce Springsteen album, "Nebraska". It almost feels like coming out of retirement! It's a great album with a couple of my favourite tracks on it. It isn't a loud album so don't be scared off. We're on at Beyond Q Bookshop & Cafe in Curtin on Sunday 12 February at 4pm. Mega thanks to the boys for taking a chance on me and my guitar!

 

Bruce Springsteen – Used Cars

 

Cycling fever has hit Australia with the Tour Down Under currently taking place in and around Adelaide. But the TV rights were sold to Channel 9 and even at my most generous they are useless. One hour of highlights at about midnight?? What's that about. I've written to a number of the major sponsors imploring them to do something about this for next year.

 

A band that continues to grown on me is Chickenfoot. Their tunes are catchy and upbeat, the guitar work is great and they can sing too. Definitely a favourite when I'm out running.

 

Chickenfoot – Dubai Blues

 

My mate DJ E17 is currently in a phone and internet queue trying to get tickets to see Tom Petty in London. I've got my fingers AND toes crossed for him. Tom Petty is way cool – I wish I had hair like that! This is my favourite Tom song. I'm not sure why but the live DVD I have has it as the opening tune and it just blows me away.

 

Tom Petty – Jammin' Me

 

When I was dropping Zoë and her friend off to the bus to head to camp they were talking about music that would shock their parents. I suggested that even the most open minded parents might raise an eyebrow at Slayer – and it was playing in the car at the time. Funnily enough they thought that Nightwish would do the job. Really? Nightwish? They're great but hardly worthy of the Parental Advisory sticker. So, here's three tracks that are. You've been warned! They're all worth a listen – and might just make you think should your mind be open. There's language warnings for the first two. How the last one got on the radio we'll never know!

 

Suicidal Tendencies – Institutionalized

 

Steve Earle – F the CC

 

Little Richard – Good Golly Miss Molly

 

Let me know which music made your parents raise their eyebrows!

 

DJ Rob