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My response to being mildly canned in Wireless Bollinger review Written on March 5, 2009, by admin.

 Ouch, Tom Bradbury at Wireless Bollinger has given me a drubbing. Still I stick to my belief that a bad review is second in the hierarchy of good review, bad review, no review.  There are some funny bits in it though. Like his issue with the line ‘I’m an Aboriginal’ where he says “If Peter Joseph Head has indigenous blood, then it is merely a statement of fact, and if he doesn’t, it’s some kind of borderline offensive spiritual identification.” Actually, that line is a metaphor for being totally adapted to an environment, in this case a work environment. I hesitated for a moment when using that line because I thought some people, as Tom did, might find it “borderline offensive”, especially if they missed the metaphor and took a literal reading. But in the end that made me all the more inclined to leave it in, because you know political correctness has reached an unhealthy extreme when you feel like you are doing the wrong thing by so much as using a certain word in a metaphorical sense.  Especially when, in the case of the word aboriginal, it has an original meaning of nativity that is far wider than just a single continent or ethnicity. To quibble about indigenous blood is to miss the point.

I was also mildly amused by Tom’s assertion that “It is a mystery to me why so many Australian singer/songwriters are insistent on singing with a sort of ridiculously caricatured, Steve Irwin style voice, out of some sort of misplaced jingoism.” It seems the cultural cringe is alive and well amongst some in the indie rock world. I would have thought that at the end of the first decade of the 21st century we had moved beyond arguing about whether it is appropriate for an Australian to sing in an Australian accent. And though I think comparing my vocal style to Missy Higgins or Sarah Blasko is about as appropriate as comparing that of, I dunno, Thom Yorke to Robbie Williams, I do think it is unfair to suggest that they are somehow “affecting” their own Australianness or being “jingoistic” by daring to sing how they speak. If anything, I would have thought the more salient discussion would be about singers that switch from sounding like they are from North Fitzroy when they talk between songs to like they are from Los Angeles by the time they have finished counting in the 1-2-3-4 of the next tune. Same goes for American bands that sing with UK accents. Or, say, Swedish and Japanese bands that sing exclusively in English. Why? Because it’s symptomatic of a cliched, fake and, yes, affected way of singing and songwriting. If you’re shtick is all about creating this “other worldly” persona or dealing with some kind of a fantastic approach or vibe in your music then maybe it’s justified. But otherwise not. This stretches to expression and subject matter too I think. How many songs talk about someone or something being a hundred or a thousand miles away when we haven’t used miles as a unit of measurement for over half a century? And yet there would be plenty of people that would cringe, yep there’s that word, if you sang about 100s or 1000s of kilometres or ks. There are also those that are made to feel deeply uncomfortable or indignant by someone talking about their pet dog or their bowl of serial or their flat tyre in a song. The truth is that the everyday, the specific and the familiar is confronting when used in art. But it is ironically the everyday, the specific and the familiar which is the most universal, and ultimately goes to make up what we call culture. Which is why Tom’s review made me cringe.

For a somewhat more positive introduction to Normal Ours try the JJJ Home and Hosed blog entry

No.28: God is my DJ-My Fortuitous MP3 Player Mix and 2 songs from “Normal Ours” Written on February 6, 2009, by admin.

 

 Standard Podcast [41:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

I have an el cheapo mp3 player I brought on the internet for $20. It’s great but a little quirky. If you don’t put songs in a folder before transferring them from your computer they seem to go on in a seemingly random order. Or, as I am coming to believe, in a cosmically aligned ideal mix of logically totally incongruous but inexplicably complimentary tracks to create a listening experience that can only be accounted for by divine intervention. Yes, God is my DJ. Halleleua!

All of the songs are from deep within the murky bowels of the State Library of Victoria.

My new album Normal Ours is available here for the physical version or the mp3 download version is here.

If you’re in Melbourne come to the album launch at The Tote on Feb. 14.

Tracks played:

You’re the bait by Peter Joseph Head
Low Tide Waiting by Peter Joseph Head
I’m Through Being Born by Duncan Graham
Twentieth Century Blues by Jack Payne and his BBC band
Sussex Mummer’s Christmas Carroll by Percy Grainger
Fire by Noel Gay and Richard Whiting, Earl Oliver’s Jazz Babies, Vocal Chorus by Tom Stacks, from “Edison Recordings 1918-1929″
A day in the Life by Portsmouth Symphonia

Podcast 27: Japanese bands Written on January 16, 2009, by admin.

This week some Japanese music!

 

 Standard Podcast [48:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Tracks played:

Tenniscoats: One plain rain drop
Puffy: 渚にまつわるエトセトラ
Fuchigami & Funato: 僕に宛てて
Anyurizumu: 全ての、大切なこと
Yumbo: 小さな穴
4 bonjours parties: Amalthea
Lullatone: The Bathtime Beat
Rovo: Reom

For those that are in Melbourne, I am doing a launch for my new album “Normal Ours” on the 14th Feb. at the Tote!

Peter

No. 26: Alexis Part 2 Written on January 4, 2009, by admin.

Direktlink zum Video auf Youtube

Part two of chat with Alexis Hall and Tom Mendelovits. This time a general rambling discussion of musical values. Alexis sings the praises of brevity. Tom and Alexis site a couple of examples of classically concise song writing. We do some unseemly slagging of bands. We also discuss The Age newspaper review of Qua. Like I said, rambling.
Tracks:
Del Shannon: Runaway
Primal Scream: Velocity Girl
Seagull: Spear

I’ve also made a new video clip for my song “Our Turn”, made on the little pocket camera I’ve been carrying round for the past six months or so. Have a look at the youtube link above…

No.25: Alexis Hall from the Motifs part 1 - Casiotone masterclass Written on December 13, 2008, by admin.

I went round to Alexis Hall from The Motifs’ pleasantly breezy house the other day and got her to tell me about her impressive collection of casio keyboards. Tom Mendelovits from Milk Teddy also came from his cover band gig, where he said he had had the opportunity to drink and play for the first time in a while, to share his own considerable knowledge of the 80’s keyboard. We ended up hanging out for the afternoon and talking about all sorts of stuff. I think I ended up with about 3 hours audio on my computer. So I might have to put some of the other stuff into another podcast or two. So for now, in part one, here is the casiotone stuff. If you are not interested in keyboards it may be boring. Or life changing. Or any combination of those.
Tracks Played:

The Motifs: Pine Cones
Trio: Da Da Da
The Motifs: Backwards
Peter Joseph Head: How To Rest
The Motifs: Cross Paths
The Motifs: 3 for a clear day
The Motifs: Just an echo
The Motifs: Memory’s Gone
The Motifs: Take Mine
The Motifs: The Old Faces

No.24: Khankoban Written on November 20, 2008, by admin.

Andre from Khancoban took a moment out from moving house to come by the terrace. Sounded like he was in the midst of a move back to the city from the idyllic but isolating Dandenongs. So much for the utopian tree change dream…

Funnily enough, phrases such as “idyllic but isolating”, and imagery of broken forest utopias go some of the way to describing the musical world that Khancoban inhabit. The title of their new album is “limbs may fall”. Which strikes me as perhaps dangerous and pastoral at the same time.

Andre and I played through the title track from the album together and the recorded a version, which is in the middle of the podcast. Then we had a talk about his band and songwriting and whatever else came up. I’ve put in some tracks by bands that were mentioned (We Grow Up, Grand Salvo, Sodastream) too.

Khancoban are playing at the Empress on the 29th of November supported by We Grow Up and me.

Hope you enjoy the cast. If you have any feedback for Khancoban or me or the world at large, leave a comment.

Oh and I just came across another podcast that Andre did for 5 foot high and rising so have a listen to that too.

Playlist

Peter Joseph Head: Before Too Long

Khancoban: Limbs May Fall

Khancoban: Comedy Night

We Grow Up: Wrote It All Down In My Diary

Grand Salvo: Shaelem Relagh

Sodastream: Wedding Day

Nick Huggins: Doorframe to Bedhead

No.23: Periodic Collective Written on November 5, 2008, by admin.

 

 Periodic Collective Interview [27:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Tom from label Periodic Collective and I are playing a gig together at Melbourne’s Old Bar on Monday 10 Nov. Ahead of that, I thought it would be fun to get Tom for a chat over tea and cake.  We discuss his band, Woollen Kits’, music and have a knatter about several of the bands on his label…

Tracks played:

Woollen Kits: Cupcake Kiss
Woollen Kits: I Wonder
Dachen: Boy and His Family
Wonderful Fellowship: Save the Kids
Yama Boy: Backward Cap
Timothy & Wilderness: Rivers & Stones

No: 22 Interview with Irit Rozenfeld from Oblako Lodka and Cordelle Written on October 24, 2008, by admin.

 

 Standard Podcast [32:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Irit stopped by for a chat and a cup of tea at the house this week to talk about what her bands Oblako Lodka and Cordelle have been up to.

Tracks played…

Peter Joseph Head: Take On Me

Oblako Lodka: NYE ideas

Oblako Lodka: This road is not for sitting

Oblako Lodka: Wet Red

Sparrow Hill: The Ploughman

The Motifs: Tell me more

This gig coming up:

No.21: Interview with Michael Zulicki from Albert’s Basement Written on October 20, 2008, by admin.

This time a chat with the man behind “Albert’s Basement”, a Melbourne group that has hosted a couple of gigs a month for the last couple of years and has released a vinyl record recording of a gig with 15 bands in a bedroom, among other strange and wonderful activities…

Music by The Frightening Lights, Owl + Moth, Team Red, Oliver Mann.

Make sure you subscribe if you  haven’t already to get future podcasts automatically. Put your email in the box on the side of the page.

20: New Podcast Format Written on October 13, 2008, by admin.

I’m trying a new format for my podcast today, calling it my Terrace House Podcast. In this episode I play you my latest creation, “Our Turn”, as well as “place” related songs by some of my favourite Melbourne musicians including Evan Meagher, Milk Teddy, Extreme Wheeze, Sleepy Township and Guy Blackman. And also a Bing Crosby Blooper. Hope you like.
I am also doing a mini competition ; write a review of the podcast in the itunes podcast directory and copy it into the comments field on the blog and I’ll pick one or two people to send a pack of 4 CD’s from my back catalogue…

tracks:

Peter Joseph Head: Our Turn
Evan Meagher: Alma
Milk Teddy: Going to Sri Lanka
Extreme Wheeze: TV Theme
Bing Crosby: Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
Sleepy Township: Sleepy Township Song
Guy Blackman: Carlton North

 

 Standard Podcast [39:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

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