I've recently finished reading the five Shane Maloney books based around the Murray Whelan character. Maloney's protagonist, Murray Whelan, is a Labor Party hack who has a knack for getting involved in crime solving. The crimes invariably centre on a murder that intersects with Whelan's work in State politics. What makes Moloney's books special is the way he writes the Whelan character, and situates the novels in the familiar surrounds of Melbourne and its political climate.

Whelan is far from the hard-boiled detective character of tradition crime fiction. Indeed, when he tries to be, it usually spells some misadventure. He's a politico, and while very competent at his job, he is somewhat bumbling in the rest of his pursuits. Whelan's ham-fisted attempts at anything covert provide for much entertaining slapstick. He invariably ends up a bedraggled mess, with injuries and torn clothing, and usually pissing himself or being pissed on.

The books are set in Melbourne, and the Maloney does good job of describing this town. Those familiar with Melbourne will enjoy the accounts of Melbourne town and suburbs. He also captures this towns political climate, with stories encompassing the Olympic bid, the arts world, various unions, and prominent business figures and politicians. His stories tend to involve a thread from a respectable but corrupt top end of town to the seedy criminal side of a suburban world. It's a nice mix.

Maloney's not a great writer; but he does enough. Somethimes I found his style a bit corny; but, this is crime fiction afterall. If anything, though, I found the writing style detracted from what are well thought-out stories. But that aside, I'd recommend these books.

I've bought a fair bit of music recently; here's some of it: Neil Perry Lineage discography, the three Earth CDs, No Neck Blues Band Letters To The Serth, Black Flag First Four Years and Damaged (don't know why I didn't have these already), William Parker Eloping WIth The Sun, Gene Clark Roadmaster, Gillian Welch Revival and Hell Among The Yearlings, From Ashes Rise Silence and Love Cry Want self-titled.

We stock a fair bit of stock by local bands who are doing it themselves or releases on small labels run by one or two people. If you're just starting out in a band and want to push some product, check out [indiecenter]. It's not the prettiest site, but it does contain a lot of info on going about releasing a record.

Some big recent music news is that both Warners and Universal were unsuccessful in overturning a High Court decison that they were guilty of contravening the trade practices act by threatening to refuse to supply Australian retailers who stocked parallel-imported CDs. Indeed, the Full Court increased the penalties, basically doubling the fines.

The judgement in the orginal case makes for an excellent description of the way the music industry works, if you can wade through the legalise. It stands as a confirmation of what we already know of the wheeling and dealing of the industry, the importance they place on the manufacturing of demand and controlling the market.

Parallel importing had been made illegal in Australia to prevent the local music market being flooded with cheaper imports and so protect the local industry. The effect was in fact to stifle the music industry at the retail level while protecting it at the wholesale level. For the consumer it meant prices were probably a bit higher than they should have been. However, the major disadvantage of the ban on parrallel importing was that if a record company listed a record as theirs, then another company could not import that album for distribution within Australia. This effectively meant that in theory you could not buy some release in this country.

Of course, outside the mainstream business has just continued as usual. And retail outlets like Missing Link have simply continued on without the bogus hype that goes with major-label bullshit artistry. We just like to let the music itself dictate terms.

It's been a while...

I had been planning to write a review of The Moodists' show a few months back, but it seems too well past now. I'll just say that the band sounded great. The Moodists have some great songs, and their awkward delivery produces a real propulsion to their music. Steve Miller must be one of the unsung great presences of the Australian rock stage, and Chris Walsh's bass playing was the strongest I've seen for a while. Made me all reminiscent for the early 80s even though I was too young to be into it then. Other things of note: Dave Graney looked so like a pimp; not surprisingly, the crowd was more elderly than usual, and there was a weird moustache thing going on among the men.

The 80s continue to come back in a big way. Sometimes they haunt us as in the 80s Here and Now Arena Tour featuring The Human League, Kim Wilde, Paul Young, Belinda Carlisle, Go West, and, heaven forbid, Australia's Mondo Rock and 1927. Actually, early on, The Human League made some quite good dark synth pop remarkably devoid of emotion, but that's not the music that bought them the big bucks. At other times, the 80s is proving a fine treasure trove. There is a lot of interest in New York's No Wave scene at the moment, with some fine comps. coming through. New York Noise is a good one on Soul Jazz. It's quite dance oriented, though—maybe it should have been called New York Dance. Edgar reckons he could produce a better comp., one that was indeed noisy—we should pressure him to do it. Rough Trade have taken a different approach with Rough Trade Shops: Post Punk 01 by mixing older tunes with numbers from newer bands influenced by the older music. While not strictly a no-wave comp., it does contain music from the time and place.

I must also tell of my shock the other day when unpacking an order from ex–Missing Linker Dave Lang's distro Fuse I found the Love Cry Want CD in it. I'd only ever read about this release and had never succeeded in finding it listed in catalogues to order it. Love Cry Want were a seminal jazz fusion band in the early 70s who pushed the envelope beyond both jazz and rock. Miles Davis' work is obviously an influence, which isn't surprsing since keyboardist Larry Young is a member of the band and had at the time of this recording just finished the Bitches Brew sessions. Love Cry Want's music is more dense, more intense, than Miles': electronics abound with some dude named just as Nicholas listed as playing "prototype guitar synthesizer, ring modulator, wind, rain, thunder, lightning, water, hi-tension wires and wailing dervish". It also has quite a 60s freak-out feel to it. I can see anyone into 60s jazz, any experimental music, and even 60s garage getting something out of this. And on Larry Young, let me just say that his Unity album on Blue Note is one of the greatest jazz album ever—I can't recommend it enough.

Finally, one of the best things I've come across recently is this recording (largish MP3 file, 6.4 MB) of a radio show from 1937 where fictional characters discuss leaving the "copyright lane" for the "public domain". It's outstanding and reveals insights into this debate over culture ownership that seem almost unfathomable today. I found this in Lawrence Lessig's blog, which contains lots of good info on the copyright debate and the defense of free culture.

It getting quite cold around these parts and I'm sitting here wearing fingerless gloves and a beanie to keep warm. Sipping on red wine helps too, I find.

I recommend checking out the CD from The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower, Dissertation, Honey. They take avant-garde jazz to hardcore to come up with some pretty exciting music. It sort of reminds me of Melbourne punk-jazzers Bucketrider, but with roots in a more youthful hardcore. Oh, and songs, of course!

On the local front, Melbourne bands Bird Blobs and Love Of Diagrams have produced very worthwhile releases.

• The Bird Blobs feature Tim Evans who used to play in Mouth and Sea Scouts. To my mind, Mouth are one of the most overlooked bands from Australia in the early 90s. Their CD Victim Chant is long since deleted, but if you ever see it, snap it up quickly because its grunge-rock noise feel remains surprisingly fresh and passionate. The Bird Blobs build on earlier influence in Captain Beefheart, and I hear a fair bit of The Scientists. It not that bluesy, but it does has that swamp rock feel.
• Love Of Diagrams do very good instrumental post-punk. I haven't caught them live yet, and all I know is that after I'd listen to their CD once, I immediately wanted to listen to it again. I'm looking forward to finding out more of this band.

Some recent purchases: The three Dropdead CD reissues, From Ashes Rise self-titled CD, Severed Head Of State Anathema Device, Joshua Fit For Battle Bring Out Your Dead, The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower Dissertation, Honey, Ornette Coleman At The Golden Circle, Stockholm, Vols. 1 and 2, the three Clikatat Ikatowi CDs on Gravity, No Neck Blues Band Re: "Mr A Fan..." LP and Ever Borneo! LP, and Townes Van Zandt Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas.

Terry Callier live at the Corner, 22 April 2003

I saw Terry Callier perform live here a few weeks ago; not many others did. First off: wow! what a voice. For a guy whose just a few days younger than my mother, his voice sounds as good as (indeed, better than) it does on his first sides in the sixties. Second: why so few people? I know a lot of talent came through Melbourne as a result of the East Coast Blues Festival, including Callier, and that would have stretched people's budgets, but I had thought that more would see him. Third: is the food at the dinner shows at the Corner always so bad? I had the single worst risotto of my life that night.

Callier's unique blend of folk, jazz and soul has proved difficult for labels to pidegeon-hole and so promote. I suspect his modesty also has had no small effect on his obscurity. His name is not the drawcard it so should be for one of the most talented singers around. For instance, I noted that Callier did not make it onto the East Coast Blues Festival posters. I find all this surprising because I am so pushed to think of singers on a par with Callier. His singing seems so effortless for the degree of expression it provides. His voice is so rich and soulful, so expressive and truly warming.

The show itself was magnificent. Callier was accompanied by a very talented persussionist and a overly talented electric-bass player. For the first two songs, I thought that I was going to have to mentally filter out those two; but, the bass player seemed to get it all out of his system during the second song, and by the third song the overall mix settled. Actually the percussionist's contribution was quite welcome, and I thought he did a good job of framing Callier's voice and songs without trying to turn numbers into rock songs, or jazz tunes for that matter. Callier was wearing a Coltrane t-shirt, and there were times when he is the vocal equivalent of Coltrane with his improvisation and a non-specific spirituality.

The show happened on the day Nina Simone died, and Callier was clearly quiet affected by her passing. Over the course of the night, he sung three songs Simone had performed, including Ellington's "Satin Doll", which even now lingers in my mind as a more-than-fitting tribute to the great singer. Callier shares something of Simone's difficulty to classify and relative lack of recognition. He certainly doesn't share her temperament.

As I already mentioned, there were not many in attendance; however, those that were there were clearly great fans. After the show, it seemed that nearly all had bought along their Terry Callier record collection to have the man sign each item, which he duly did. In fact, it was like that the whole audience formed a queue to shake his hand and say thank you. Even yours truly got to blather a thank you and some other gushiness.

The dinner-and-show setup that the Corner does for its "older person" shows is a good idea. Or at least it would be if they could get the dinner part right. The food was little short of appalling, the glasses had lip stick on them, and the rushed service made me feel like I was keeping the staff from knocking off early. The venue leaves little incentive to return for the dinner part of a show except for getting the best seats in the house. I'm not really that fussy a person, but if you're going to set out all those tables in white tableclothes, the expectation is for something a bit better.

Okay, I'll retract my claws now, since it'll take more than clag-like risotto to ruin a Callier performance. And, I urge people to check out some recordings by this great artist.

Late last year Yo La Tengo released a single ostensibly as a war protest. They covered the Sun Ra track "Nuclear War" with serveral different versions. A thing I really like about the single was that they captured Sun Ra's percussive tendencies. As one Sun Ra album states "As all Marines are riflemen, all members of the Arkestra are percussionists." The most interesting version is the one where Yo La Tengo are joined by a group of children who join in the chanting: "It's a motherfucker. Don't you know. When they push that button, your ass gotta go. It'll blast you so high in the sky. You can kiss your ass goodbye.", Please also check out the original Sun Ra album Nuclear War, which was reissued last year, and keep an eye out for a new Yo La Tengo album shortly.

Pretty much on Edgar's advice I bought Terry Gibbs' Plays Jewish Melodies In Jazztime. Terry Gibb's plays the most maligned of jazz instruments, the vibraphone. The album pretty much does what its title suggests, being a swanky blend of jazz and klezmer. This album is also noted for it being Alice Coltrane's (then Alice McLeod) recording debut; although her name is spelt as Alice Hagood in the credits and as Alice McCord in the liner notes. For a more radical project along this jazz meets folk/world, check out Chalie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra. The vibraphone is also not as daggy as its reputation has it. Listen to Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch for its use in a more avant-garde setting and on one of the greatest jazz album ever.

Some recent purchases: Yo La Tengo Nuclear War, John Fahey Red Cross, Cul de Sac Death of the Sun, Cult of Luna The Beyond, Bucket Full of Teeth I, II, III, James Chance Irresistible Impulse, John Coltrane Bye Bye Blackbird and The Paris Concert, Sonny Rollins Saxaphone Colossus, and Terry Gibbs Plays Jewish Melodies In Jazztime.

Looking forward to: Terry Callier live