Listomania

I like lists. I mean i really like lists A LOT. In recent years it has gotten to the point that it could be described as more of a fetish then a like. Compiling, sorting, and ranking said lists are like a drug. 

The only thing I like to do more then make a list of music, is burning mixes for cute girls, it normally goes something like this, "you haven't heard of the new romantic period? I'll burn you a mix if you like?", "umm……sure." Incredible self indulgent, and doesn't work. Turns out its not sweet. But that's a whole other blog right there.

Back to the task at hand though, lists. Oh how i love lists. And no list make me more happy then the one I get to put together at the end of each year for the Triple J Hottest 100 count down. 

Picking my favourite songs for the year just past, takes weeks to finishes, and only minutes to listen to the two songs i voted for that make it into the entirety of the 100. I crave this. I lust after it. I pray for more oppitunities to tell myself how fly I am, especially in winter when the number of girls willing to accept my pretentious and wankful compact discs seems to dwindle. Turns out the big fella up there has a soft spot for me. My prays have been answered and a countdown is amongst us. Only this time it is to be our favourite Australia albums of all time we vote for. 

To be perfectly honest the idea of a Hottest 100 for Australian albums didn't strike me at first. Apart from the whole ranking stuff part, that i was all down for. But, Australian albums? Have i even liked 10 Australian albums over the years enough to put them in such holy a list? A list sent by God? Simple put, Yes.  

After actually sitting down amongst my cd and record collections it became apparent that this was going to become a much harder list to cut down to a mere 10. I spent the first few hours writing a list of albums i thought meant the most to Australian music industry and public two albums made me realise the list needed to be torn up and a new one written that was a lot more personal. The first being Machine Gun Fellatio's second album Paging Mr. Strike and the other Braxton Hicks by Jebidiah. Neither album changed the face of australian music, or were probably regarded as even being more then average albums by the general public. But at a time when i was still discovering that the music world hard more to offer then Fred Durst and the word fuck. Both these albums, in my opinion were a pretty good step in the right direction, and being able to see these bands on a semi regular basis just did all the more to confirm this. 

What could have been another chance make myself feel above it all has actually turned into a list of nostalgia.

10. The Grates - Gravity Won't Get You High

9. Ground Components - An Eye For A Brow. A Tooth For A Pick

8. Frenzal Rhomb - Sans Souci

7. Jebidiah - Braxton Hicks

6. Ragurgitator - Unit

5. Ben Lee - Ripe

4. Pnau - Pnau

3. Machine Gun Fellatio - Paging Mr. Strike 

2. Grinderman - Grinderman 

1. Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Primary Colours 

The number one spot would have been held by British India's Counter Culture however it was refused entry due to the fact it is an EP. 

FARRALL

This list took so much effort that I feel a few honourable mentions are in order. 

The Mess Hall - For The Birds

The Saints - I'm Strandard

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Henry's Dream

Radio Birdman - Radios Appear

The Presets - Beams

British India - Guillotine

Xavier Rudd - To Let

Stroke Me Gently.

It seems Bands and Recording Artists are pumping out albums quicker and quicker. But why?


Through fear of growing old and being forgotten?

or is it just simply they have so much music talent jammed into their skulls, that they have to purge as often as they can?

Or maybe I'm just too slow to keep up?

The Strokes having only released an album in March this year are back into the studio, hopefully not rushing it, to pump out an album, as bassist Nikolai Fraiture put it, "As soon as possible".

Julian Casablancas and The Strokes since 2001, have published 4 albums and all having huge success.

Not saying that Julian and the band don't know how to take a break, it took 6 whole years for them to release "Angles" in 2011.



Check out the vid for more on The Strokes' next album.




Another slightly more local band renowned for pumping out albums and said to be "The hardest working band in Australia" Nathan Farrall 2009.

British India.

It seems that once every six months this band are touring Australia and smashing a "new wave pub rock" into our faces.

Declan Melia and the band produced a nerve shattering debut album titled "Guillotine" in 2007, "Thieves" a year later and "Avalanche" in 2010.

My first experience with Guillotine was a song named, "Black & White Radio", listened to in Nathan Farrall's living room. It's the kind of song that that punches you in the Ear pipe then caresses audio seduction. I'd even say its the same for the entire album.

This may not convince you but it'll give you a fair idea.

"Thieves" in my opinion led the band to produce a more "mainstream", yet still ear shattering sound.
Songs like "God is Dead. (Now Meet the Kids)" had an enticing sound from a more experienced collaboration. I felt like it was more of a second listen album but definitely still had the British India sound.

This one's "I Said I'm Sorry"

"Avalanche" is the half-breed of both  previous albums, the "mainstream" sounds getting more "mainstream",
not that its a bad thing, bands need to work all possible angles to crack the market with diversity.
That said there are way more darker in all up in yo' shit songs than ever before.
"Beneath the Satellites" was the tune to crack the market for British India, gaining the band airplay on most commercial radio stations around Australia.

And for the "Hardcore" fans there's tracks like "Messiah" and "Safari".

Here's "Safari".

With this all said I've ranted too far.

Perf.

I must be dreaming, please stop screaming

'Here I go again up and down alone all my friends went home years ago

All my toys are broken and so am I inside mum the carnival has closed years ago'

     -Alice Cooper, 1975

For a lot of people it might be a hard ask for them to name the very first LP they ever listened to on vinyl, but when the album in question is one that has had such an effect it brought with it nightmares and caused this listener to develop an unhealthy fear of spiders the answer never takes long to surface. 

Sounds ridiculous, right? I mean it's just music, how scary can it be? Two words. Alice. Cooper.

Christmas 2002, and a 14 year old Farrall receives his first record player. After a quick search through the olds record collection the discovery of the 1975 Alice Cooper solo debut "Welcome to my Nightmare" was well underway. One listen and to my own despair I was hooked. What at first sounded like you standard 70's art rock soon took a darker turn, with themes of murder, spousal abuse, necrophilia, and schizophrenia. With an already over active imagination that still haunts me today, it wasn't such a great idea to listen to the album alone in the dark of night, but that is exactly what made it so much fun.

After splitting with his band Cooper planned to write a concept album that brought the theatrics of his famous live shows into the studio. Shows which consisted an electric chair, hangings, masses of blood and at times a boa constrictor. The result was "Welcome to my Nightmare", which tells the story of Steven, a child/man stuck inside his own nightmares, eventual waking to find he has become a killer. Cooper used Lou Reeds backing band to write and record the music along with the legendary Bob Ezrin to produce. The king of late night horror, Vincent Price, was also brought in to do spoken word monologues, and would go on to appear in the TV special that followed. 

The music alone makes this one of the more memorable album of the 70's, but it is the story telling that really brings it to the forefront of 70's rock. The album starts off pretty light hearted, upbeat and at time humorous, with "Welcome to my Nightmare", the cabaret-esque "Some Folks", and "Black Widow"(which was the sole cause of the aforementioned fear of spiders), all stand outs, but the personal favourite off the first half of the album would have to be "Cold Ethyl", which tells the story of a man who has a relationship with a girl he keeps in his freezer.

'Ethyl's frigid as an Eskimo pie.
She's cool in bed,
She's gotta be 'cuz Ethyl's dead.'

Its not until towards the end of the record that it turns truly dark, with the trilogy of "Years Ago", "Steven", and "The Awakening". These three songs dive into in mind space of the protagonist and the results are twisted. Cooper uses his incredible writing to show the internal struggle of Steven being a child stuck inside a mans body, and the act of murder that follows. The music used during the three songs is equally as haunting, using strings, pianos and horns to create an atmosphere that will send shivers up you spine.

   

The album then ends with "Escape", and as the title suggest Steven evades capture, and leaves Stevens future up for debate. 

And with that Alice Cooper became the original 'Shock Rocker".

"Welcome to my Nightmare" made it as high as number 5 in the American billboard charts, but has developed a huge following since and is credited for being an influence on many of the future rock stars that grace our stages today, namely Marilyn Manson who it would be fair to say would not exist in the public eye if it had not been for Alice Cooper. 

Now here is the exciting part. As much as it pains me to do, I have come to the realisation that for From Camden To Compton to become successful in retail we a going to eventual need to offer something for sale, and here it is, an original print VG+ of "Welcome to my Nightmare", and all for the ridiculously low price of $55 AUD. If you find yourself interested you can contact us at fromcamdentocompton@yahoo.com  

FARRALL