Photo by Tajette O'Halloran
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Sweet Jean's Favourite ThingsMelbourne duo Sweet Jean are Sime Nugent and Alice Keath. Since forming in 2010, they've become known for their stunning intertwining harmonies and poignant songs. They released their debut album Dear Departure in 2013, which spawned lead single "Shiver and Shake" and included other radio favourites "Parachutes" and "Annabelle". In 2014 Sweet Jean released their follow up mini-album Greetings from Goodbye. They recently shared their favourite music-related things with us.
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Sime & Alice's Favourite Gig of 2014: St Vincent at Howler
We’re lucky to have a new music venue just around the corner from our house, and we’ve seen a lot of great music there this year. The standout gig for both of us was St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark), who played at Howler (aka Hipster Stadium) in March. St Vincent completely melted our brains with her angular guitar playing, flawless vocals, compelling stage presence, and killer songs.
St. Vincent image courtesy of cleatusblog.wordpress.com
Image courtesy of emertainmentmonthly.com
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Chris Bell - I Am The Cosmos
SIME'S TOP FIVE ALBUMS TO DO THE VACUUMING TO.
If I were to play all these albums back to back the playlist would come in at a little under five hours.
I'm probably not going to vacuum for that long. However, with these album's on my side I might even knock on the neighbours' door and offer to vacuum their joint.
So in no particular order here are my top five albums to turn up loud and do the vacuuming to:
If I were to play all these albums back to back the playlist would come in at a little under five hours.
I'm probably not going to vacuum for that long. However, with these album's on my side I might even knock on the neighbours' door and offer to vacuum their joint.
So in no particular order here are my top five albums to turn up loud and do the vacuuming to:
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Howie Gelb - Sno Angel
Moving on from Giant Sand, Howie Gelb sings and plays with a small gospel choir on Sno Angel. Typically Howie sounds like he is barely trying but I love this loose and rambling album. It sounds more like a get together than a recording session. Once I bailed Howie up outside his show at the Northcote Social Club and asked him to let me in for free as I was broke. He snarled at me... then he said yes. Beck - Midnight Vultures Alleged belief in Chocolate Spaghetti Gods aside, the first five songs on this album are a near perfect blast direct from Beck's vision of 1999. "Extremely good music to vacuum to" may not sound like a compliment... but it is. Chris Bell - I Am The Cosmos Speaking of visionaries, Chris Bell made I Am The Cosmos in the 70's and it didn't get released till the early 90's. Chris was also in Big Star. I think this record holds the clues to a lot of what was to follow in music some time later. I love how urgent Chris sounds to share it. The irony is that it took nearly two decades to see the light of day. It's beautiful. |
Silverchair - Diorama
Don't judge me. Silverchair teams up with Pet Sounds (Beach Boys) string arranger, Van Dyke Parks to make Diorama. The colossal angst that ensues over this collection of torch songs is a delight. It's like someone gave the teenagers the keys to the city for a night. We met Van Dyke Parks at his Melbourne show. His business card reads - "Van Dyke Parks would like to apologise for his behaviour on the night of..... (insert date)". He wrote us a short poem about jeans. What a cat.
Don't judge me. Silverchair teams up with Pet Sounds (Beach Boys) string arranger, Van Dyke Parks to make Diorama. The colossal angst that ensues over this collection of torch songs is a delight. It's like someone gave the teenagers the keys to the city for a night. We met Van Dyke Parks at his Melbourne show. His business card reads - "Van Dyke Parks would like to apologise for his behaviour on the night of..... (insert date)". He wrote us a short poem about jeans. What a cat.
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Eagle and the Worm - Good times
Jarrad Brown leads the Melbourne collective Eagle and the Worm through this utterly infectious bunch of songs from 2011. If you missed it the first time around I recommend it. If you lost it in the white noise of of 2012 I recommend you double back and have another listen. This is currently my Saturday morning go to album. 
Eagle and the Worm image courtesy of tonedeaf.com.au
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Alice's Top 5 Treadmill Songs:
I was always that kid in school who forgot my sports clothes, and subsequently had to do laps around the oval in my woollen jumper and gumboots. I was also frequently the last kid picked for the soccer team, but that never stopped me launching into every game with full, flailing enthusiasm. |
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I don’t play team sports anymore, but I haven’t completely escaped the humiliations of physical activity. I am that person at the gym who run-punches the air, and is constantly tripping over the treadmill conveyer belt or a stray shoelace.
I am usually also out-of-tune humming along to the following songs: 1. Grimes - Oblivion
2. The Knife – Heartbeats 3. Beyoncé – Crazy in Love 4. Missy Elliott – Get Ur Freak On 5. The Smiths – Bigmouth Strikes Again |
Missy Elliott
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SIME:
Little Jimmy Scott was a singer's singer.
He started singing in the 1940s. Due to a rare genetic condition he had a contralto voice throughout his career.
Ray Charles, Billy Holiday and many others revered Little Jimmy Scott for his deeply romantic expression and his alchemic phrasing.
I first came across Jimmy in David Lynch's film, Fire Walk With Me in which he sang a song composed by Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti.
Little Jimmy Scott was a singer's singer.
He started singing in the 1940s. Due to a rare genetic condition he had a contralto voice throughout his career.
Ray Charles, Billy Holiday and many others revered Little Jimmy Scott for his deeply romantic expression and his alchemic phrasing.
I first came across Jimmy in David Lynch's film, Fire Walk With Me in which he sang a song composed by Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti.
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The song is called "Under the Sycamore Tree" and I covered it during a long Thursday night residency with 90s band Sedan at the Corner Hotel front bar here in Melbourne.
In 2003 I was in London and had the immense good fortune to see Little Jimmy Scott play live with his trio. He melted my brain. Here he is live in Lynch's red room. The mind boggles about new Twin Peaks episodes. Sadly Jimmy won't be around to take part. He passed away in June this year. |
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ALICE:
Laurie Anderson's album Big Science is the same age as me, and after more than 30 years it's still arresting, relevant and way cooler than I'll ever be. I love Laurie Anderson's deadpan delivery, her wry and sometimes acerbic wit, and the way she uses all the trappings of the 80s to build songs that don't really sound like they belong in any particular time or place. The big surprise hit from this album was "O Superman", but the song that I usually end up playing on repeat is the opening track, "From the Air". |