From Little Things Big Things Grow (+ rant)

I did not know about this until today. It's really quite cool and features some fantastic artists all collaborating on a song that was previously just another Paul Kelly tune. (One of the many, cos dude has like 20 albums!) Now it's a reworked track that features snippets from PM Ruddy's "Sorry" speech and some awsome lyrics and voices that capture the heart of reconciliation. I wish I knew about this sooner but apparently it blew up all over Triple J last year when it was released..ha! Im so behind. Anyone else miss this?
Its got Urthboy, Ozi Batla, Missy Higgins and Jane Tyrell on it to name a few voices. Sick eh?

You get the song via the Get Up! web site which has a page just for this campaign/project. There's also high-res artwork and a video clip available for free download (my favourite type) but its a big file! (youtube it instead) When you're done have a look around the site and see what else is going on. Worth your 5 minutes i promise.

Or...just click on the pic for the mp3 if thats too much.

RANT WARNING:

This gets me thinking, why isnt there more? As in...why arnt there more collaborations, partnerships and artists out there joining forces to speak out...or speak up about something? Dont get me wrong i am stoked that this exists, im all for the 'apology' but why does it stop there? What about assylum seekers, boat people, migrants and refugee's? What about suicide, depression and self harm? Homelessness, substance abuse, gambling and family violence? There is a never ending list of issues that could really benefit from some of this treatment and ive noticed that the mainstream media is missing the point. Power is in the hands of the people, not the other way around. Change will occur from the ground up, not top down. Live Aid, Wave Aide, Earth Hour, Make Povery History...whilst all good idea's and effective mediums in communicating to a large audience at once have resulted in very little change to our culture and society. So, a concert is still just a concert and a song is still just a song. More songs will still only amount to that...more songs. More noise. But people with voices can do a lot. I like that Paul Kelly, Urthboy and all the rest are motivated like this...i just wish more people were.
End rant.

Lest we forget 11:11am, 11/11/09

I always choke up when i think about this day and what we as a nation remember on this day. I imagine myself boarding a ship and leaving my wife, my son and my friends and family, hobbies, job, comfortable way of life...then consider the liklihood that i would never see them again. Leave them behind to grieve, imagine the pain, imagine the loss and how much that would impact everyone left behind. Its terrible right?

Then multiply that scenario a few thousand times over, and that is exactly what occured in the lives of all the men and women over the years who stepped up and defended our country and our way of life, or more to the point, the freedom to chose how we live.

People + Sacrifice = Freedom

Here's a great song by Redgum called 'I was only 19', covered by the Herd. Its fitting for today. Just click on the pic and you will go to the host site where you can watch or download it in a variety of formats.

....off this album BTW.

R.I.P. The Tongue

Here's a brand new & FREE mixtape from Elephant Traks artist 'The Tongue'. Unreal stuff featuring heaps of other quality hip hop artists. It flows seemlessly from one track to another and has a great vibe to it. I really like it. I really really like it!! The theme of memorial/funeral for the dude is kinda weird but works in the context of the mix. Theres a few interesting interludes (see 'Terrorist Hotline'!!) and cool instrumentals but the gold is in the lyrics that challenge and confront, irritate and interest me to new levels. I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in skiphip or aussie music in general! I also like the tribue to De' La Soul wth the artwork image. I had that album, good times. Click on the picture to go to the site, download link at the bottom with the tracklisting.

Supplemental entry:

Unkle Ho released a mixtape of his own, the first in what will no doubt be many from this awsome instrumental/dj-producer/artist...whatever! It's really pretty good and would fit perfectly in the background of a cool cafe on a hot afternoon in a busy city somewhere with a cold brew in ya hand. Some of the music gets a little easy to ignore but then he pulls you back in with a guest vocalist or a sweet riff or sample. Either way its a great free soundtrack to wehatever you're doing right now.
Get it here:
http://soundcloud.com/urbanworld/unkle-ho-the-devils-mixtape

Hard, Hard, Soft, Soft

http://www.myspace.com/northlaneaus
Sydney metal-core band giving away a three track ep.
Can get the songs here:
http://www.triplejunearthed.com/Artists/View.aspx?artistid=30445
IMO: Pretty bloody heavy and quite good.

Techy-Metal-Core band from Sydney
New album out called Empires and Endings
Stream here: http://www.myspace.com/mazeau
Download a freebie from here: http://www.purevolume.com/lightwithoutheat80
That’s the last track on the CD, pretty epic closer too. (don’t stream it from PV, d’l quality is mmmuch better)

Sydney indie band 'Parades' are going to be buzz band in like…ten minutes.

The more people catch on to these sounds the better i say.
Stream tracks here: http://www.myspace.com/parades
Down two tracks for free here: http://www.triplejunearthed.com/artists/View.aspx?artistid=19421
*Invaders’ is off last years demo… *Dead Nationale is off their latest double AA side..(See picture) UNREAL drumming, soft and pretty vocals…what a mix!

Ice Pictures - aka Matt Blake. Sweet indie sounds, a little radiohead-ish, a little Gomez, a little Muse...a lot of goodness whichever comparison you draw from it.

Stream tracks here: http://www.myspace.com/icepictures

Or grab a bunch for free from here: http://www.triplejunearthed.com/Artists/View.aspx?artistid=23309 He's giving it away so if you want to have the lot...follow the links from his myspace page and you can grab the EP in mp3/aac format depending on your preference.

Ben Lee does free

I like Ben Lee. He's kinda funny, kinda quirky and sometimes very clever. He's also quite well known for being a widely disliked artist which is a unique reputation to have...not one i envy however. But love him or hate him, he doesnt stop because of it. And that in short is why i like him.

A while back he got my attention and some new found respect when he released his own cover album of 'Against Me! - New Wave'. This is a really bloody good album in itself, but Ben Lee took all that it was and re-made it in his own image. The result...in my opinion...is fantastic! (clicky the piccy to get the linky) Dont expect the same punk rock and power of Against Me' but rather a more stripped back lofi-indie approach which actually keeps the arrangements and melodies more or less untouched.

Curious? Yeh i was too. Go on, get it..its free.

Now back in the day, before we knew him, Ben played in a band called Noise Addict. Its widely thought that this was a good band and that his departure from the sound is a shame. He must've been listening because now 13 years later he has resurrected the moniker and reformed the band to release this new album for 'Noise Addict'. And he is putting it out for all the world to have for FREE! Get it from here

So thats free stuff for today, enjoy the tunes and share the links as you go!!!

Sean

Out there...way out there.

I spent a fair amount of time digesting and immersing myself in the epic music found on Perth's instrumental/prog/post rock act Sleepmakeswaves album 'in today already walks tomorrow'. Its like...epic, massive, heavy, intricate and yet...not metal or tech. Its 6 beautiful movements that kinda flow on from one to another and they released it to the world for free via the Lost Children net label. They are responsible for some incredible post rock/metal and instrumental bands all of which have released music for free. Click on the image to go to the bands download page and prepare yourself! If you enjoy stuff like 'Explosions in the Sky' but always wished it was a but heavier, then this is a dream come true..plus they're aussies!

And for something else a bit...out there: Ghoul.

These guys come from Sydney and play a style of indie music that's really hard to describe. Electrocoustic, lo-fi experimental indie-pop? Nah thats not right... :( Its just a bit weird and really cool. I dont expect everyone will dig it...but...ITS FREE! Thats gotta make taking a chance on an 'out there' kinda band more worth it!

'A Mouthful of Gold' is their debut EP and you can get it by clicking on the image or following the links from their myspace. Stream a track and see if you dig it. I do, otherwise i wouldnt be sharing it with you! Cheers!

Phat elephants make big impressions..?

I was trying to think of something clever to put as a title to the blog post, i guess thats the best i could come up with. I really like the roster of artists associated with the Elephant Tracks label. Seriously, what a powerhouse of talent! Since i dont JUST listen to heavy music i thought id feature some of my favourtie artists in the skip-hop scene and more specifically from this stable of aussie artists!

Horrorshow have a sweet new web site up and its a .com and everything! Thats a fair committment in this day and age of myspace pages and facebook groups! So their new album was just released called 'Inside Story' and its getting some huge cred!!
TripleJJJ is giving away the single 'Thoughtcrime (doing my think)' via the free music page. Thanks triple J...again.

<- they look kinda scared. I can relate when i catch trains at night, i get scared too. Why do people with backpacks and tracksuit pants look so intimidating at night? Why arnt we scared of suits and uniforms? Thats my thoughtcrime, im judging by appearances, they must be dangerous...they're wearing back packs and trackies! Eek*

'Combat Wombat' ..the name for me..conjours up images of this robust fighting comando wombat. That is not entirely the point but i've said it anyway. The album is caleld 'Unsound System' and you can hear a track 'Qwest' (click) which did really well on triple J's Net50 back in the day! It's not new as far as products go, but its fresh music and the project has meaning behind it. The members share their views on environment, war, politics and society trough the web site and the music. Finally, someone is singing about something worth thinking about!

Hermitude recently did a cover of Bjork's song Joga (yes thats right...Bjork) and put it up for free via his myspace. Worth the listen... click here and if you dig this stuff you really ought to check out the rest of Herimtude's work! Some people cant dig the uber-aussie accents, but i dont care! Im freeking aussie, thats what we sound like. Better than fake ass american gangster talk!

Ozi Batla

And finally... i have saved my aboslute favourite skip-hop track EVER for you.. from Ozi Batla i present: 'Starship Troppers'. This is a solo track...so its pretty much just a 'Herd/Ozi Batla' track. At the moment he performs with Astronomy Class whos second album is just rocking me at the moment. Serious awsome reggae/hip hop/dub groove rap stuff...whatever, its good. This song tho...its pretty confronting and makes you think about war and the young men and women who fight these things. Phenominal.

So that wraps up my skip hop section. Hope you all enjoy the free tunes and follow links onwards to see the artists and labels pages!