Remake/Remodel #4 - Paul Dempsey's Shotgun Karaoke

Those who have heard Melbourne band Something For Kate know what a talented guitarist and songwriter frontman Paul Dempsey is.

Not that we need any more evidence of his greatness around here, in his recent web series "Shotgun Karaoke", he has again proven to be a spellbindingly great musician, able to turn his hand and unique guitar talents to a number of different songs by many artists that are somewhat jarring. For example, how many musos do you know who can cover Iron Maiden, Sheryl Crow, Husker Du and Queen? And then do it well?

The fly-on-the-wall video series has been immensely popular, with songs being recorded in backstage areas, toilets, kitchens and more while on the band's recent tour. We've discussed the Iron Maiden cover here on the blog before. There are many other gems in the series, which has now concluded. These 18 songs are quite beautifully interpreted. Paul has just announced a followup solo tour based on this concept, playing many of these songs as well as songs form his solo album.

Here for your viewing pleasure is a YouTube playlist of the entire series, but a Spotify playlist of all the original versions of these great songs.

Enjoy!

Shotgun Karaoke


And the original versions can be found here:

Sunday Sessions: Outline and Concrete Blonde

Thanks to my old mate Kirsty at My Home Truths I've decided to do the Sunday Sessions linkup. I mean, why not? It could be fun!

Outline - "The Cicada that ate Five Dock"

This is a hilarious, although fictional, story about a lazy Sunday in the inner west suburbs of Sydney, but the serenity is broken when, quite simply, all hell breaks loose.

This one is quite the rarity. Outline released this as a single in 1981 and then one LP called "Maybe It's A Game" shortly after. They were a kind of Frank Zappa and the Mothers-esque band with a similar warped sense of humour. Copies of Outline's original records just do not turn up for sale anywhere, and nor are there videos common on the web. Enjoy this one, have a laugh, and hope for a reissue of their back catalogue.



Concrete Blonde - "Heal it up"

I'm not old enough to be a "senior", but I had a seniors moment of sorts the other day when I thought of this song being a modest hit in 1993, and thus it's 10 years old this year. Then it dawned on me that it is actually 2013 now and therefore it's 20 years old. Where did the time go? Psychological evaluation must be waiting for me around the corner...

Anyway, Concrete Blonde were a three-piece with a sensational bass-playing lead singer named Johnette Napolitano. In this track she starts off singing in a really low register in the verses, before rising slightly in the pre-chorus and then erupts in a high pitched wail that is purely goose-bump inducing.

Be ready for your hair to stand on end, people. This is pure gold.



Enjoy, and I'll see you next time.