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THE WRITE STUFF
Jason Walker's new album, Ceiling Sun Letters (out now on
Laughing Outlaw), is one of our 2010 favourites. Unlike
Howzat!, Jason is a music journalist who's musically talented.
Asked to provide the Jason Walker story in 30 words or less,
he replies: "Kid with ambition lacking in musical ability
leaves NZ. Comes to Australia, addresses shortcomings, becomes
known as guitarist/pedal steel player, then as solo artist.
Also writes books in his downtime." Last year, Jason - who's
playing at the Empress on Friday - released a biography,
Billy Thorpe's Time On Earth ($35, Allen & Unwin), and he's
also done a Gram Parsons' bio, God's Own Singer. What's
more creatively fulfilling - writing a book or doing an
album? "Both are pretty satisfying activities for me," Jason
says. "They're very similar in that they're not so much
a career path as a journey - there's not a lot of money
in it unless you're appealing to lots of people, and I wouldn't
put shit on people whose art is more appealing to the masses.
Writers have it a bit easier I think, because it's just
you there sitting at your desk, tapping away. But they are
both incredibly fulfilling creatively. The one process kind
of kicks the other along, too. Once you've been writing
for a few hours, other little ideas and phrases start jumping
around in your head and then you have the beginnings of
a song." Did Jason learn anything from documenting Thorpie's
life that he could apply to his own life? "Plenty of things.
I admire his total commitment to his own career, his vision
and his ability to achieve many of the things he aimed for.
I've never experienced a festival of 40,000 people singing
along to one of my songs - not that that's the be-all and
end-all of anyone's career - but it would be fun. I'd love
to be able to sing like that."
Who's Jason's favourite music journalist turned artist?
"That guy from the Pet Shop Boys is one, isn't he? Although
he's not really a favourite per se. That bloke from Gay
Dad? Nah, Jake Stone from Bluejuice, for sure." Has being
a critic helped Jason as a songwriter? "Only when it comes
to being able to pigeonhole myself accurately. I practically
invented the alt.shu-gaze category." Does Jason get excited
when he gets a good review and pissed off when he gets a
bad review? "I don't read my reviews," he says, laughing.
"Any artist who trots that line out is a fucking liar. I
love reading the reviews of the new album - it's a symbolic
thing for me to have an acknowledgment of something I've
done, and whether someone thinks it's good or bad doesn't
upset me too much, unless it gets personal. I'm also aware
that I've written bad reviews and am in no position to throw
stones at anyone else if they don't like or understand what
I do." So what line on the new album is Jason most proud
of? "In general, I'm a bit embarrassed about my lyrics.
I really aim for profundity, but generally I miss. But I
do like the line about 'I just had a lonely moment for a
while/dancing to records I scratched when I was a child'.
That one just popped into my head one night at the dinner
table."
TURN ON THE LIGHTS
And way up on high, the clock on the silo says 11 degrees
…
Leaps And Bounds is an Aussie classic. Paul Kelly always
sneaks a peek at the Nylex clock when he's driving down
Punt Road. "And I always get a little buzz when it's 11
degrees," he admits. Only problem is the clock has been
switched off for many months. Howzat! is launching a campaign
to get the Nylex Clock switched back on. It should be an
election issue!
THE LIVING DEAD
The Dead Salesmen return for one show only, at the East
Brunswick Club on Saturday, with a bill that also features
Augie March's Glenn Richards. "We had many late nights together
in the late-90s at the Arthouse and the Public Bar," Deads
singer Happy Hayward explains. "Augie March supported us
I think. Then we were supporting them. They were good drinkers
and could stand their ground with any of our hi-jinks. Glenn
can write beautiful songs and also take the piss. I remember
laughing with him a lot at three in the morning on quite
a few occasions."
RADIO WAVES
Howzat! has long argued that local radio should play more
Australian music, so we're disappointed that local quotas
won't apply to digital-only stations for at least the next
three years. As AIR chief Nick O'Byrne told The Music Network:
"We know there is a direct link between sales and exposure
from commercial broadcast, and this ruling has the potential
to damage the financial viability of the Australian music
industry."
CHART WATCH
Just one Aussie act in the national Top 20.
We No Speak Americano YOLANDA BE COOL (number nine)
Lying AMY MEREDITH (28)
All The Lovers KYLIE MINOGUE (30)
iYiYi CODY SIMPSON (33)
Mousetrap Heart THIRSTY MERC (37)
Unbroken STAN WALKER (38)
Big Jet Plane ANGUS & JULIA STONE (40)
Big debuts for Parkway Drive and The Cat Empire.
Deep Blue PARKWAY DRIVE (number two, debut)
Cinema THE CAT EMPIRE (three, debut)
We Are Born SIA (eight)
Down The Way ANGUS & JULIA STONE (12)
Iron Man 2 AC/DC (21)
Mousetrap Heart THIRSTY MERC (23)
Immersion PENDULUM (24)
Intriguer CROWDED HOUSE (25)
April Uprising THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO (35)
Youngbloods THE AMITY AFFLICTION (40)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Everybody's In Debt JASON WALKER
Tentative THE DEAD SALESMEN
Audacious UNDERMINERS
Easy Targets LAZY SUSAN
Always Coming Down CORDRAZINE
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