Melanie Oxley and Chris Abrahams - Blood Oranges

The 5th and most wonderful studio album from 2 of
Australians most consistently hard working, solid
musician/vocalists. What a combination, you can
read a review from the age here

Blood Oranges is the fifth release for the luminous
partnership of Melanie Oxley & Chris Abrahams.
Offering a distinct change in direction, especially
from their acoustic studio album Jerusalem Bay
released four years ago. Blood Oranges is more in
the melodic pop vein of their earlier records such
as Welcome to Violet & Resisting Calm.
Blood Oranges is possibly the most studio savvy
album the pair has produced and from the filter
swept, reggae tinged opener "Get Me So Far" to the
last track, the ominous "Time Empty Away,"
the production is inventive. Melanie's smoky vocals
together with Chris's distinctive keyboard etchings
create the sparse yet brutally intense music that is so
unique to this partnership. Coloured by a strange,
at times dark playfulness, Blood Oranges is dotted
throughout with classic sounding songs drawn from
a number of pop influences. The twelve new songs are
lyrically thoughtful, deceptively simple and gently twist
their way through the melodic and the irrational.

Track List
01 Get Me So Far
02 What's This Daylight
03 She's Got The Right To Remain Silent
04 Troublemaker
05 Cruel To You
06 Ladder
07 Blood Oranges
08 Animals
09 A Better Tomorrow
10 If I Let It Go
11 Salt Finger
12 Time Empty Away

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The Necks - ATP Brisbane15-01-09

We are getting toward the end of the 6 Volume set of the
Brisbane 2009 All Tomorrows Parties.
This time we have a sublime performance from the necks.
I am very happy to hear this since I missed the first 2 acts.
One of my bands to see is the necks, they are unparalleled
anywhere in the world and as so are at the forefront of
Australian innovative music. A single meandering track
highlighting Chris Abrahams genius and indeed the entire
band, this is my kind of music, pure improvisation.
Of course this is a wonderful recording, the crowd are not
at their later raucous levels or numbers and its easy to listen
to this and be transported back to the bright summers
afternoon when it was played.
Kind of an odd band perhaps for a bright sunny day but I'm
sure they pulled it off. Many thanks again to Brisbane greatest
audio historian Chuck.
Now off to bed for me for tomorrow night I see Leonard Cohen.

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The Necks - Chemist

The Necks,
Chris Abrahams(piano), Tony Buck(drums)and Lloyd Swanton (bass)
have released some 13 albums of what is often described as experimental jazz.
They defy traditional description's however and define themselves as follows

Not entirely avant-garde, nor minimalist, nor ambient, nor jazz the music of
The Necks is possibly unique in the world today.
Their albums feature lengthy improvisational pieces that slowly unravel in
the most intoxicating fashion, frequently underpinned by an insistent deep groove.

These three musicians are among the most respected and in-demand in Australia,
working in every field from pop to avant-garde. Over 200 albums feature their
presence individually or together, but the music of The Necks stands apart from
everything else they have done.

This 2006 album "The Chemist" is a masterpiece, split in 3, 20min
pieces instead of their more usual hour long single track albums,
it is a mesmerizing, sometimes discordant, sometimes minimalist,
unpredictable journey. Stan in Canberra, who requested the last post,
is hoping to see these guys play tomorrow night, I'm sure it will
be a wonderful experience.
This fits in well with yesterdays post as a follow on and I have
many more Chris Abrahams related posts planned for the future.

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Laughing Clowns - Law of Nature

The clowns started around 1979 and ended round 1985
with the release of "Ghosts of an ideal wife"
"Law of Nature" was released the year before
and is argumentably their greatest Lp.
Originally released as a 9-track LP in 1984.
That edition was quickly withdrawn and replaced by the 10-track
version with the same catalogue number. I have the 9 track record,
it was re-released in 1991 on Cd, which this rip comes from.
The Clowns were at this stage area formidable band,
with Jeffery Wegener on drums and Peter Milton Walsh on bass
we have an amazing percussion section, add to that the legend
Chris Abrahams on piano and Ed on Guitar/vocals,
you know its going to be something special.
This album contains many long and intriguing tracks,
but the standout is the incredible "Eternally Yours"

Eternally Yours - Ed Kuepper

I see the light that shines on you
I see the legend you see it too
I see the reasons why you hold your point of view
And with your split personality
I'd thought you'd show independence there
But not quite so when there was room for everyone
You see the knife you feel the pain
I've heard it time and time again
These must be times
Not hit but missed an empty kiss
I've seen the leisure that suits you
I know your reason your point of view
There must be more
That you could do
When your loves in vain

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Ambience - Various artists

This 1987 release was a project of the ambience radio show on JJJ, which
was on sunday nights. I never heard the show but liked the look of this
compilation which quickly became one of my favorites.
When the program was conceived in late 84 such music by Australian artists
was rare, a situation changed in part by artists on this Cd.
There are the artists that you'll be familiar with, such as Not Drowning Waving,
Steve Kilbey, Chris Abrahams and the wonderful Gondwanaland.
I plan to cover all these artists, however this really special Cd will serve as an
introduction.
If your wondering what this is like its very beautiful instrumental music, its
also very intelligent and very relaxing, I remember many years ago camped
at the Lamington national park camp site, playing this round sunset and
people coming up and asking what it was, being quite blowen away by this
music.
If anyone knows more about the artists, or the radio program please tell us
via the comments.

Track list
01 - Movement One (Beginnings) - Andrew Wilson.
02 - Ephemeral Lakes - Gondwanaland
03 - Orpheus - The Umbrellas
04 - Water drops - Not Drowning, Waving
05 - The Cheshire Cat - Not Drowning, Waving
06 - Bin Dancing - John Elder
07 - Twirly- Bird - Michael Atherton
08 - CFD - Chris Abrahams
09 - A sad Little Piano Piece - Steve Kilbey
10 - Napoleon's Army, Christmas Eve, Outside Moscow - Steve Kilbey

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