Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters - 'Chameleon'

Guest post by Colin Ho

I discovered the jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock four years ago as a fresh-faced teenager in highschool. When I heard the track 'Chameleon', off Hancock's Columbia Records retrospective, I was hooked. After devouring the double album, I trawled CD stores until I came across a copy of Headhunters for the princely sum of $6.99. I remember putting it into my dad's micro hi-fi in the lounge room and sitting transfixed for the next hour, just soaking in the sounds made by Herbie and co.

From Bennie Maupin's taut saxophone playing, Harvey Mason's drumming, Paul Jackson's gloopy, deep basslines, Herbie Hancock's keyboard work to the sprinklings of percussionist Bill Summers... Headhunters is a jazz funk masterpiece. It takes you on a throbbing, grooving ride. The tracks are essentially extended jams (with this track, 'Chameleon', clocking over 16 minutes). Realistically, the album more akin to some epic funk feast, and you're so hungry that you gorge and gorge and gorge because you've never tasted anything like it. So much so that the title of this post should be album of the day, because you should listen to the whole thing. However, if I was to pick a track, it'd be 'Chameleon'.

Yes, I know 'Sly' is mind blowing, and yes, 'Vein Melter' is true to its namesake, and I know the version of 'Watermelon Man' recorded for the album is THE definitive version of the tune, but in terms of cultural impact, 'Chameleon' is hard to surpass.

Undeniably, it is the flagship track on Headhunters.

Why?

Containing an absolutely insidious, slinky funk bass-synth groove which was slathered over an ultra-tight, neck-snapping beat, 'Chameleon' was unlike anything I (or anyone, really) had ever heard. It was FUNK incarnate, guaranteed to induce foot tapping, head nodding and booty twitching. It's simultaneously space-age and primordial, drawing deep within the very basest human instincts of hunger, sex and sweat. The protracted and lengthy solos are taken over shifting, ethereal soundscapes whilst the rhythm section of wah-clav, wah-bass and the incessant synth riff anchor the groove firmly on planet earth. Click that mp3, and you'll hear the first notes of a riff that most of you will be familiar with. It's the reason why porn music sounds the way it does. Really, everyone in the skin-flick-soundtrack industry is just ripping off the 'Chameleon' riff... and you can't really blame them.

Anyway, I implore you, get a copy of this album (if you haven't already). Seriously. I don't care if you buy it off iTunes or purchase the original vinyl or whatever, but do it soon because there's a house party out there that needs laid-back grooves and a deep well in your soul that can only be filled with the delicious, sticky funk of Herbie Hancock and his Headhunters.

But for now, here's a slice.

Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters - 'Chameleon' (1973)


ED: Nearly a half-century after he joined Miles Davis' 'Second Great Quintet', Herbie Hancock is still kicking out the jams. Get Herbie-fiedhere.

Official Gleekdom

The last time I wrote about this show, it was in reference to the cast's cover of Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin', which I had seen on a music channel before even watching the show. Back then (like, all of two months ago), I said "My first impression was that this looked like Highschool Musical without the wankers." How very right I was. I should probably set up a stall at the weekend markets, next to all those fashionistas hocking their excess threads, and start predicting the future for a fee. Because Glee has turned into the best show I have watched on television since I left high school, even though it's almost entirely about high school. The show is sharp, dark and so entirely different to any other teen drama around - plus it comes with some amazing new voices. My new equation is American Idol - bullshit + scripts - boring contestants = Glee. I don't know another TV show on Earth that has two soundtracks out before the first season has even ended. This thing is a phenomenon. And with damn good reason.

There's no point sitting here and telling you how incredibly awesome Glee the television program is; if you haven't gotten into it by now, you're the kind of person who really enjoys sniffling over the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy while that guy from The Fray wails about something inconsequential in the background. Put simply, Glee is a teenage drama with balls and falsetto. It's about a group of unpopular (and popular) kids who band together to sing, dance and bust moves, spurred on by their dynamic teacher/leader, Will Schuester. Suddenly, a capella is awesome again. This is mainly because the show's creators realise that tunes and TV are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Volume 1 boasted some amazing renditions of pop tracks, including teacher Will's funky-ass take on a Young MC classic:

Glee Cast - Bust A Move'


The tremendous pipes of Amber Riley (this girl got rejected from American Idol. Clearly they should stop listening to Paula Abdul's opinion) feature heavily on both albums. The piece that I find especially fantastic is Riley's cover of Jill Scott's 'Hate On Me', which deserves mention for being even more fiery than the original:

Glee Cast (Amber Riley) - Hate On Me'



So now we're reaching the end of the first season, and it seems the producers are writing songs faster than the kids can actually sing them. Vol 2, which I admit, I asked Sony Music to rush to my mailbox, features some great moments from the high-intensity episodes that pepper the end of the series. Bill Withers' 'Lean On Me' has been covered about twenty bajillion times, but when it's brought out in reference to the struggling, soon-to-be teenage parents Finn and Quinn, it has increasing resonance. Plus, it features the two best voices on the show; the aforementioned Riley and wheelchair-bound Kevin McHale (Artie). I love the horn blasts around the 1'45" mark:

Glee Cast - Lean On Me'


Of course, the best marks still go to the teacher. Will (Mathew Morrison to his mother)'s hilarious attempt to stop his overzealous student crushing on him is easily one of the funniest and theatrical moments of the series. His ballad, a mash-up of the Police's schoolgirl ode 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' and Gary Puckett & The Union Gap's late 60s hit 'Young Girl' is not only hilarious, but also really, really good:

Glee Cast (Mathew Morrison) - Don't Stand So Close To Me/Young Girl'


Any TV show which advertises its stars by putting giant 'L' (loser) signs over their head wins triple points with me. This isn't paint-by-numbers karaoke fare, while the show is highly stylised, these voices are the real deal. Get into Glee and the music, it's going to be around for a very, very long time...

Glee yourself here. You won't regret it.
NB: That is not a money-back guarantee, I'm a soothsayer, not a department store, people.

Neon Indian - 'Deadbeat Summer'

Guest post by Jodi Smith

You know how it is; you’re driving home after a full-on day, the traffic is heavy, and if you’re like me you’ve probably already spilled two soy lattes on your white shirt. Since the caffeine hasn’t gone down your throat nor has it been absorbed through the skin on your chest, you’re in deficit and desperate. You flick between radio stations... Triple J is so desperately un-funny you almost wish you could fall asleep at the wheel, the monotone drawl of FBi with the repetitive ‘ah’s and ‘eh’s and loud breathing into the microphone is a lullaby more acoustically harmful than those your Russian grandmother sang to you when you were three. But at least this time you’re in control- you dare to flick the dial in the hope of a golden oldie to sing along to, but alas, infomercials once more.

And so, almost lost, you flick one more back to FBi, and a new, sweet, unrecognisable tune fills your ears. It engulfs your car and begs you to take the long-route home, or perhaps drive around the block once more, just so you can appreciate the melodic goodness.

This scene may be repeated daily for those of you with a 9-5 (not me, haha suckers), but the musical gift is a chance occurrence. I rarely get excited by new tunes these days, and so it was much to my delight that when cruising back to the ‘burbs last week, this pleasant scene unfolded and I was the un-caffeinated protagonist.
Whole, circular sounds emanated from my sub-par car speaker system. I felt like I had been wrapped up in bubble-wrap, and every time I moved there was a perfect, satisfying ‘pop’. I bobbed my head, bhangra style, perplexing surrounding drivers. Yet what I didn’t realise then was the appropriateness of my moves, for the band was named Neon Indian, and besides, since I was driving it was pretty impossible for me to pull out a culturally appropriate Jai-ho or belly roll.

At once, I was awake, and determined to track down this new sound, the first impressive electro-pop since Hot Chip (classic), Passion Pit (current) and MGMT (dated). Frantically I steered along the freeway, writing the lyrics as I recalled them into my phone, in the hope of locating the song online later. Despite my reputation for car-accidents (go figure why), this was my first real-time achievement of the day, as the song ‘Deadbeat Summer’ returned an album by the name of Psychic Chasms. It was to be full of psychedelic electro-pop and songs that transport you to a colourful wonderland, all without acid! Again the band references this with a track entitled ‘Should’ve taken acid with you’; perhaps with songs as uplifting as these, it was the comedown that inspired the album name. 3 minute highs might not be enough; thankfully the album totals about 30 minutes.

The band name itself might conjure images of Delhi lights, but these beats are clean and controlled. The track ‘Deadbeat Summer’ almost seems to have a 60’s Beach Boys influence, modernised for a noughties summer vibe. The four piece Neon Indian hail from Austin, Texas, and ‘Deadbeat Summer’ is actually from their third album. Although they have been around since early ‘08, they have been sucked into musical cyberspace after posting their most recent work online. Watch out for these guys, they’re going to prove through their beats and popularity that everything truly is bigger in Texas.

Neon Indian - 'Deadbeat Summer'


Take your own Neon Indian 'road trip' here.

On a somewhat related note, FBi is using the cover image 'FBI Does Drugs' this week to help promote a new safe/sensible drugs initiative, Betweenthelines. We'll be counting down our Top 5 Drug songs for these guys in the coming weeks - stay tuned.

Brother D's Birthday Bonanza

Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire! Little Brother (that's right, he might be taller but he's actually younger) D turns the big Two-Oh today, and what better place to celebrate than in the annals of cyberspace? Being a whole two years older, I'm now at the point where making a birthday card seems totally superfluous, seeing as I can't hyperlink and free associate like this. As such, brethren and founder gets his own space in the vast emptiness of the Internet, I save on buying a card and everybody wins. Man, I should totally be running for President...

Most people don't realise the kind of bizarre undertakings that go on behind the facade of this here blog thing-a-magig. At least twice a day, I will walk out of my abode, only to have D assail me with the request, nay, order that I "have to watch this video" or "have to listen to this song." It is of little relevance in this situation whether I have a splitting headache, am one foot out the door (and already late) or simply not interested; come hell or high water, D is going to sit me down in front of a screen and show me something awesome. And while I could probably live without being bossed around by an overgrown, (now non-)teenager, reflecting on this process has made me realise how dedicated Brother D, the only member of our family who is not actually a musician, is to music.

When we started this blog, almost two years ago now, D's tune diet consisted of 90% Kanye West and 10% O.C Mixes. It's amazing to see how he's turned into a true aficionado of the highest order in such a short time; the guy now tells me that Chris Keating from 'Audacity Of Huge' is the singer from Yeasayer, that Mr Hudson is Kanye's chief collaborator and that Miami Horror is hip with the cool kids - and I'm meant to be the music journalist. Regular followers of One A Day will know that D is completely unpredictable when it comes to song choices; he's been known to post classical music, random one hit wonders from the 70s and anything that tweaks in the magnanimous ears of his.

Put simply, Brother D is not a follower, he is a trend-setter. This blog would not be the same without him (want proof? he's going to New York for three weeks and I have to man the whole thing while he's gone) and he's a pretty cool guy to have in your family. Well, not your family. Your family couldn't handle him. But then, your family couldn't handle me either. Fuck, why are even talking about you anyway? All this breaking the fourth wall shit is starting to get a bit too Larry David for me.

So gather round the screen and blow out the virtual candles.

"You know what this is...it's a celebration, bitches!"

Kanye West - Celebration (that's vintage shit right there...)


PS: If all things go to plan, we are moving off the lousy blogspot address. Part of my present to D (and myself, really), I've just bought us a full domain and DNS hosting [www.1songday.com - you will be redirected] until 2012. Because, if John Cusack is to believed, that's all we really have time for...

Miami Horror - Sometimes

I know, I'm late. Who hasn't heard this song? Who hasn't seen it's cool Beach-esque video telling a tale of romantic escapism? Who hasn't indulged in the disco-throwback sounds of Melbourne electronic duo Miami Horror over the last couple of months? People living under bad-music rocks, that's who. Should those hermits eventually emerge from the dark depths of dreadfulness, this track would surely be one of the first they'd want to get their dirty little hands on. Whimsical but not MGMT-irritating, LSD-consumption-evoking but not MGMT irritating and with an instantly memorable synth line - sort of like MGMT - this is definitely one of the finest cuts to come out of the burgeoning Aussie electro scene.

Moreover, after a spectacularly impressive Homebake yesterday, it is a statement of intent for the Australian music biz at large. No longer do we merely produce cock-rock for the masses (although we still do a bit of that in Jet, Wolfmother) but we have evolved from a tiny nation of convict-lads with the same musical knowledge as the sheep they farmed to a proud nation boasting a variegated and intensely professional line-up of inspiring artists. Miami Horror, in all of this, falls in alongside The Presets, Cut Copy and Bumblebeez (whose set yesterday was possibly more shock then awe) on the dance side of things. They weren't represented at yesterday's festival (the psychedelic sounds wouldn't have gelled well with a predominantly bogan/drunk crowd) but I have seen them (of all places, at the local bar down the road The Sheaf) and as a live band, they do certainly show some promise.

So why am I dredging this track up now, amidst the post-Homebake wash-up at which they weren't even present? Basically because it best represents the kind of day I had today and the kind of mindset that seems to prevail around early December here in Sin City (aka Sydney - thanks Phrase). The track revels in the same kind of abandonment that brought the aforementioned irritating MGMT their fame (for, we can assure you, it wasn't their live-music aptitude) but somehow (in a particularly Australian fashion) seems never to take itself too seriously, subscribing to a sort of languid existentialism that definitely resonates after an afternoon of pizza and snorkling on the harbour. It's not cutting-edge like I think Infusion is and it doesn't quite make me want to jump up and down on the spot like Hudson Mohawke does but it is a success as a solid dance track. Onwards and upwards!

Miami Horror - Sometimes


Horror! Miami! MySpace!

EXCLUSIVE: John Butler Trio - 'One Way Road'

Brother D said it best when he heard this track for the first time: "It sounds very nineties." That statement is partly true, if only because the relentlessly hard-working, trio-hiring John Butler has stumbled upon a chord progression that sounds like it cane straight out of an American Pie soundtrack. It's the kind of fun-loving, pop-punk cycle that made bands like Blink-182 hugely famous. It's also, funnily enough, the sound of summer. When I hear these four chords, I think of skating, surfing and spending far too long on the beach. Butler, whose history of involvement with our fair nation's music stretches back to his busking days in the Western states, can barely put a foot wrong these days, even if he tried. His voice, signature finger-picking and slide-guitar playing and off-beat approach to music have cemented him as one of this country's finest artists.

I still get pissed off when I hear the band's breakout hit, 'Betterman', played on the radio, because these days they're liable to cut the nearly ten-minute, bitter lovesong down to an FM-ready three and a half. It was on these early tunes that Butler demonstrated a proficiency for making the guitar an emotional instrument; his solos screamed as much as his pipes did, and jaded teenagers everywhere heard the call and flocked to his concerts in droves. Butler is renowned for taking the best and only the best when it comes to his backing band. He's gone through some of the best session players in the buisiness, many of whom have come to define the particular sound of each JBT record. As a rule, the most thrilling addition is always the drummer, and John's latest choice, the fantastic Nicky Bomba, is no exception. This track is designed for radio, so you won't hear any out-of-this-world breaks and shakedowns here. But with a stable this hot (he's also snared phenomenal Ray Man Three bassist, Byron Luiters), you can be rest assured that the new album will be full of (kick out the) jams.

Back to the '90s: they were a good time for music, if you ignore the boybands. That's mainly because the tunes were simple enough for anyone with rudimentary guitar skills to learn and play at parties, but full of the kind of youthful optimism most of us lost when Facebook came around. Hopefully, this will open John Butler up to a whole new generation of disaffected kids. Because really, he's a playful kid at heart, forever brimming with ideas and willing to push the envelope. He may have lost the dreadlocks, but he's still got that earthy spirit that keeps us all feeling good long after the CD stops spinning. And really, who can't dig that?

John Butler Trio - 'One Way Road'


Find all things JBT here.

Ryan Meeking & the Few - 'Bricks And Mortar'

Holy shit this guy is good. He's so good that even the PR girls in his company want to do him. Mark my words, people, Ryan Meeking is going to be massive, because a voice like this doesn't stay underground for long. I had the luxury of drinking Peroni and listening to Ryan and his few (there's literally, 3 other guys, I think that constitutes a 'few', no?) play some semi-acoustic renditions at a rooftop party today and I was blown away. Personally, I hate saying 'blown away' because I figure if that happened to people more than once in a lifetime, there'd be a lot of disfigured, zombie-looking burns victims rocking up to concerts. But Mr Meeking has the goods. And the goods are ready to be sold to the highest bidder, by yours truly.

Ryan and co. come from Melbourne, but at times it sounds like they've stepped out of a world free of all the bullshit that consumes the rest of our lives. I say this only because after listening to this here track, hearing the kind of inflection and dynamics Meeking puts into his vocal lines and marvelling in the beautiful patience of it all, you'd think he spends all day sitting on a stoop in a country down, musing over lost love. In fact, that's what he told us he does most of the time anyway, and after dedicating another track (as yet unreleased), 'Subliminal' to thinking conceptually about things other than women, by thinking about sex, this guy was always going to impress. His band, in stripped back mode today, sound like real players, not just back-ups for hire. You can tell that many of the songs are actually written together, rather than the 'frontman brings and band dilligently follows' style that Australia has become accustomed to of late.

Moreover, coming out of a break-up, Ryan's songs probably spoke to me more than many of the other people in the audience. What hurts (and what makes him such a rare find) is that his lyrics are bang on the money. They don't purport to solve the problem, but they take a really good stab at them. Sometimes with all these beats and DJ mash-ups, it's important to be able to wind down. Ryan Meeking shows us how to do it in style, and I'm excited to see what's next.

This post is dedicated to Sandra and Alissa. I miss you already.

Ryan Meeking & the Few - 'Bricks And Mortar'


The meek inherit the Earth here.