Australian rockers Powderfinger’s new album Golden Rule was again recorded with Nick DiDia, who was responsible for their massively successful Internationalist, Odyssey Number Five, and Vulture Street albums. The band are the headliners for the Big Day Out and Homebake, and are also curating a festival in Brisbane.
Rolling Stones / Gimme Shelter From the guitar intro solo genius and riffing, through Mick’s insightful lyric, to when Mary Clayton’s spine chilling vocals break at the peak of the song, it is a benchmark for me as to how a song can have restraint and be heavy at the same time. It wreaks of a band in fine form. I’m also a sucker for a dirty harmonica. Give me dirty harmonica!
Possessing a commanding voice, a distinctive melodic sensibility and an uncanny knack for nailing complex emotions in song, Amy Speace makes music that’s effortlessly accessible. Her forthcoming release, The Killer In Me, follows her 2006 breakthrough Songs for Bright Street. While Songs won her a loyal international fan base, The Killer In Me finds the New York-based artist forging into deeper, darker lyrical and musical terrain, delivering an album of intimacy and resonance.
The Beatles / The Long and Winding Road Hands down, my favorite Paul McCartney song. Also, a great great song that even though it has been totally overplayed in my youth, still just stands up. I could hear this song a thousand times (and have) and never get tired of it.
An influential force in the international funk and breaks scene, Fort Knox Five are already responsible for an arsenal of crowd bouncing singles and remixes, including monster mixes for A. Skillz and Krafty Kuts, Ursula 1000, Dynamo Productions, and Mo Horizons, as well as remixes for the legendary Tito Puente, Louis Armstrong, and Bob Marley. Showcasing their indie rock roots with a healthy dose of funk and soul, the group deliver party starting beats, yet remain ever conscious of the current social and geo-political environment in their lyrics that capture the diversity of Washington DC with wit and style. With the much awaited release of Radio Free DC, Fort Knox Five have proved that they have the Midas touch for producing heavy hitting records. This album is, in the words of Fort Knox Five, ‘music with a meaning, party with a purpose’.
Massive Attack vs Mad Professor / No Protection One of the best re-interpretations ever. This album goes so deep you’d swear the dubs were bouncing off the inside of your skull. It should actually come with a sticker, ‘Warning: May Blow Ya Mind’.
Former Split Enz frontman and Crowded House band member Tim Finn has delivered his most intimate album to date with his latest release, The Conversation. Recorded at Roundhead studios in Auckland and featuring just vocals, guitar, piano and violin, the record was co-produced by former Split Enz member Eddie Rayner.
The Kinks / Waterloo Sunset A perfectly formed melody with lyrics that contain just the right amount of yearning and apprehension. I read an interview with Ray Davies where he talked of how he was ill as a boy in hospital near Waterloo bridge. The nurse used to wheel him out on to the balcony to watch the sunset. The musical arrangement and production details provide a sublime context for the half-recommended, half imagined narrative. Probably my favourite song.
My Secret Playlist is a music discovery website and weekly email publication. We invite our favourite bands and musicians to give us the rundown on their eight favourite songs right now. These are their words on the music that inspires them.
