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Journalist
Jeff Jenkins' weekly column featuring Australian music news,
interviews, a look at the charts and more. Updated every
Tuesday night around 10pm. Click
here for the archive page.
Jeff
is a semi-regular guest on
The Australian Mood with Neil Rogers, 8-10pm Thursdays
on 3RRR in Melbourne
and Evenings
with Lindy Burns 7-10pm weeknights on ABC 774 Melbourne
Contacting
Jeff: If you need to contact Jeff Jenkins you can email
me (Lee-Roy) at and I'll forward the
email onto Jeff
September 20th 2017
GHOST STORIES
Dan Flynn's new album, Ghost Melodies, is aptly titled because
these melodies will haunt you. Howzat! had Dan pegged as
an earnest folkie, but this record is an enthralling electro
excursion. "I guess after eight folk albums I was ready
to try something new," says Dan, who started his solo recording
career under the name Major Chord. "The acoustic guitar
can sometimes feel like just a piece of wood with six strings
when you're feeling uninspired, and trying a new instrument
can really open things up and get you excited about songwriting
again." Dan, a fan of The Cure, Pink Floyd and Radiohead,
says he's always loved synthesizers. "I love the fact that
you can fiddle with machines that look like they belong
in Star Trek and make strange and beautiful sounds." Dan
bunkered down in his home studio, making Ghost Melodies
alone, at night. It's a true solo album, with Dan playing
everything on the record, which he says is "the sound of
the inside of my mind". Is there a danger of going a little
crazy when you make music on your own? "I always go a little
crazy when making an album, whether it's by myself or with
other people. I think it's kind of necessary to do so in
order to reach into the ether and draw out the songs. Songwriting
is a very mysterious pursuit, it involves real magic and
you just can't find it unless you're willing to part with
some reality." Does Dan have a sounding board, a trusted
listener who can comment honestly on his songs? "My wife
is chief among them. Literally nothing gets past unless
it gets her approval! When you're making music all alone
you can certainly lose perspective, but I often think of
what Elliott Smith once said: 'If you like it, there's a
good chance that others will too.'" Dan is not planning
any album gigs - "the songs just exist as they are". Don't
miss it.
THE FUTURE IS NOW
There aren't many great bands around these days. British
India are a great band. They're shooting for their fifth
Top 10 album in a row with their sixth album, Forgetting
The Future, which is out on Friday.
HIP HIP
Nick Cave turns 60 on 22 Sep.
HOT LINE
"I know I couldn't need you more than now" - British India,
Take Me With You.
CHART WATCH
Lay It On Me - Vance Joy's latest hit cracks the Top 20,
in its ninth week on the charts. It's one of only two homegrown
hits in the ARIA Top 40.
Lay It On Me VANCE JOY (number 18)
Fallin' JESSICA MAUBOY (38)
Anthony Callea scores his third number one album.
ARIA Number 1 Hits In Symphony ANTHONY CALLEA (number one,
debut)
Life Is Fine PAUL KELLY (five)
Go Farther In Lightness GANG OF YOUTHS (10)
Happy Hour CATSPLAY (16, debut)
Dream Your Life Away VANCE JOY (17)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Everything He Does DAN FLYNN
Ghost BENNY WALKER
Live Like You Mean It! RIFF RAIDERS
Take Me With You BRITISH INDIA
In The Grand Scheme Of Things (None Of This Really Matters)
CUSTARD
Contacting
Jeff: If you need to contact Jeff Jenkins you can email
me (Lee-Roy) at and I'll forward the
email onto Jeff
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