Electioneering

In Australia, on Saturday 7th of September, some big events are happening. We are entering into the finals series of the football, my youngest son has a birthday, and we have a federal election.

It's only been a short election campaign period, but it has been extremely painful. The lies and rhetoric on both sides of the debate has been deplorable. The mainstream media have also been beating things up, whipping up hysteria through misinformation, perpetuating falsehoods and just outright slandering entire political parties and various minority people groups. It's politics at its lowest and most base.

This blog is not a political forum, nor was it ever designed to be. I support neither political party, because as it currently stands I have no faith in anybody who aligns themselves with a political party, one way or the other. I just feel powerless knowing that neither party, whoever gets in to form government, will actually do anything positive for this country. All they care about is power, and preserving their jobs. The people who vote for them are pawns in the tawdry little self-centred games.

In light of this, here are three songs that express (some of) my feelings towards this facile and demeaning campaign (demeaning to anyone with an IQ over 60, that is).

Billy Bragg sums up the Westminster style of government beautifully in "Ideology":

"...while we expect democracy, they're laughing in our face".




Ironically, the leader of Midnight Oil is seeing out his last days in federal parliament as I write this. He also wrote this great piece of music detailing the government lies, "Knife's Edge":

"...on a knife's edge razor day, if you listen long enough they've got nothing to say..."




And the worst part of this stage of the election, which is hanging on a knife's edge as far as I can tell, is told here by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers:

"...the waiting is the hardest part."

April 2013 Playlist

"Don't ask me why, but time has passed me by...
Someone else moved in from far away..."

Apologies to all the Bee Gees fans out there, but I can't stand their song "First of May" (from which the quote above comes). Nevertheless, the day that provides the namesake title is here and that means it's time to share the monthly playlist with you all.

What you get this month is another 225 tracks of eclectic goodness. Featuring:

• Highlights from new releases by Eric Clapton, Karl Hyde, The Nature Strip, Sons of Rico, The Vaccines, Suede, Vydamo, The Band Perry, Mudhoney and more...
• Classics from La Femme, Bernard Cribbins, Underworld, Neil Young, Joe Jackson, NotSensibles, Family, Stiff Little Fingers, Black Sabbath and more...
• Hidden jewels in the rough by Autograph, Chevy, The Milkshakes, Blow Up Hollywood, Todd Rundgren, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Jimmy Eat World and more...
• Australian classics with Leonardo's Bride, Men At Work, British India, Bodyjar, Redgum, Bob Evans, Dig, GANGgajang, The Drones, The Sports and more...
• Esoterica with Gene Krupa, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Jack Dejohnette, Arnold Scoenberg, Derek Bailey and more.

So sit back, set the playlist to Shuffle, kick back and

ENJOY!!!

Thatcherism...

...from the point of view of the British working class.

God bless Billy Bragg. He really deserves a knighthood. I offer no judgement or view on the passing of former British prime minister, the late Baroness Margaret Thatcher. It is neither my place nor am I qualified by virtue of my age to comment. If nothing else however, she inspired some of contemporary music's best to write some poignant music, of which this is one example.



Enjoy!