STACK Feb Issue 124

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Marilyn Manson The Pale Emperor
Can we seriously take Marilyn Manson, seriously? He was an affable chap back in the late ’90s;
all prosthetic angst delivered with a fetishistic love of raw sex. Then he lost the mojo. A burlesque
wife and an irritating art-wank-celeb circuit were the spoils. He got fat, literally. The last two offerings
are best described as a fan soundtrack to a secondhand Batman game. But here, something’s truly
reawakened the beast; stimulated that mischievously sharp demon we all know is still under that
entire burden. As an album, this is the logical successor to Mechanical Animals, but taken into a new
and wondrous territory. Killing Strangers is a riff on the I Put a Spell on You-style menace he already
knows all too well (Manson recorded a violently tight cover in ’95, used to unforgettable effect in
Lynch’s Lost Highway); Deep Six is something else entirely – an anthem that is so tight, fun and
sweaty old-school-right-now-rock, it’s uncanny. Manson’s proving his juice is restored further by diving
into uncharted waters over the next few tracks to inspiring result; Third Day of a Seven Day Binge,
The Mephistopheles of Los Angeles and Warship My Wreck is a quietly menacing triple-play to plant
smiles on the faithful and warm the gothic heart. Give him another chance, you’ll be glad you did.
Cooking Vinyl/Caroline/Universal
Thee Satisfaction Earthee
Hip-hop is such a broad term these days. Take these ladies; Tricky
meets Morcheeba with a definitive hat-tip towards solid backbeat and
bravado… all the while at beautiful odds with Catherine Harris-White’s
silky vocals. Fetch/Catch is the prime example of these two genres
(smooth/rap) combining to magnificent effect as Stasia Irons sails across
the seductive R&B groove with defiant rhyme and reason. Post Black, Anyway, is where
things get truly interesting; a hypnotic wash of sound with a tribal undercurrent that is as
haunting as it is seductive and moorish. Check ‘em, particularly if you’re into expanding
your repertoire. Subpop/Inertia
Sleater Kinney
No Cities to Love
As fresh as they sounded in ’94, one of the mascots of the original ‘Riot
Grrrl’ movement are back with an album that is equal amounts punkish
middle-finger-defiance and sheer adrenalin-fuelled sweat. Clean guitar,
infectious hooks and confident sexiness abounds on this collection of tunes (recorded in
secret, apparently??); Fangless could easily be imagined blaring throughout a NYC loft party
curated by The Rapture. The energy is enviable and somewhat unbelievable, yet it’s the
integrity and consistency that truly excites as these ladies make most younger outfits look
like stone statues. You need this. Supb Pop /Inertia
Inherent Vice OST
Akin to Cassavetes meeting The Cohens, PT Anderson’s cinematic output demands
sonic accompaniment to challenge the emotional flow. Frequent collaborator
Johnny Greenwood (Radiohead’s Eno) understands this to no end, here delivering
poignant noir sprinkled amongst such artists as Can (the amazing and chaotic
Vitamin C), ’60s oddballs surferatti, The Marketts and even Neil Young. But Spooks is the narrative
gem you’ll hear plenty about: a Radiohead outtake performed by members of Supergrass, yes, you read
that correctly. An uneasy-listening experience that forces the mind to wander awkwardly towards an
uncertain reality. Much like the film, this is a soundtrack to inspire the off-kilter in us all. Warner
Sarah Bethe Nelson Fast Moving Clouds
It’s so easy to enjoy this debut; melodic and catchy while also ‘cool’
enough to imagine cruising nightlife, solo, with the confidence of a vixen.
Having pop-killer Kelley Stoltz at the control panel as producer makes for
an eclectic groove through sunset shades, not surprising since she lent
vocals to his own incredulous To Dreamers (2010). A floaty high exudes escape on Snake
Shake, while Black Telephone seduces with exotica and sting, see-sawing the listener
through memory and flashes of esoterica. Infectious and alluring, hers is a voice that wraps
its legs around your waist when you least expect. Red Eye/MGM
Jeff Jenkins is a poor player but a great listener.
O’ Shea The Famine and the Feast
“So many skeletons left to discover …” And O’Shea is quite a story.
Mark O’Shea was the next big thing in Australian country music in the
mid-’90s, before going down the pop path with his brother John, in the
band Zinc. He then returned to country after marrying Jay Smith, who later discovered that
her real dad was Rob Hirst. The Midnight Oil drummer duets with his daughter on O’Shea’s
third album, which mines similar territory to Keith Urban – big hooks with a pop sheen.
“Family roots run deep,” they sing, declaring that “family is everything”. Sony
The Robertson Brothers
Celebrating the Hits of The Everly Brothers
Geoff and Ben Robertson have had a varied career, singing the Home
and Away theme, as well as doing song parodies (who can forget
The Vaughans’ Curry In a Hurry andWho Farted? ). But they play it
straight on their new album, paying tribute to the incomparable Everly Brothers, with faithful
renditions of classics such as Wake Up Little Susie, Cathy’s Clown, When Will I Be Loved,
Bye Bye Love, (Till) I Kissed You and Love Hurts. These are short, sharp songs with delicious
harmonies. Sadly, Phil Everly died last year, but these songs will live forever. Sony
Chris Murray loves pop culture and loves to share.
Perry Keyes Sunnyholt
I’m alive tonight!” So starts the fourth album by Perry Keyes, the best songwriter you’ve
never heard. It’s an optimistic opening, but don’t expect a fun ride. Sunnyholtrefers to the road
running through Sydney’s outer-western suburbs, where many inner-city residents relocated
in the ’60s and ’70s. All messed up with nowhere to go, this record documents the downside
of the Great Australian Dream. It’s bleak, but Keyes’ writing is so wonderfully evocative – just
check out the marvellously titled Mario Milano’s Monaro, which starts: “My cousin Doreen
drives a taxi, she likes girls and one day cricket.” These are heartbreaking tales of wasted
lives, where “a lonely girl knows how it feels to have the beautiful things ignore her”, and “I’d
trade all the lights on Sydney Harbour to feel my father’s arms again”. Bek-Jean Stewart’s
sublime vocals sweeten Raymond John Denning and Shitville, but there are no happy endings
in Keyes’ songs, unless they’re “in $59 rooms selling stoned rub and tugs”. You’ll hear
snatches of Lou Reed, Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen, but Perry Keyes is telling his own
story. And there is no better Australian songwriter. Laughing Outlaw/Inertia
Sam Shinazzi Forever & For Now
Sydney’s Sam Shinazzi is in a reflective mood on his fifth album. And
he’s got a restless heart. Forever & For Now documents a relationship
where two people are moving in different directions. The result? “Now
we’re both grieving.” Shinazzi namechecks Springsteen in The Day
We Met: “You called me from Philly while The Boss was on stage, I held my fist in the
air.” But these aren’t stadium songs. Instead, they float by, and the singer has no easy
answers. “Sometimes things just happen,” he concludes, “and you don’t know why.”
File next to Ben Lee. Laughing Outlaw/Inertia
Reigan All of the Pieces
Perth’s Reigan Derry has had a few shots at stardom, finishing 11th
on Australian Idol in 2006, releasing three singles as part of the duo
Scarlett Belle, and then coming fourth in last year’s X Factor. This
EP shows she’s got the goods to be a solo star, with the title track
showcasing a singer with power and personality. Unfortunately, the rest of the EP relies
on covers of Reigan’s X Factor songs, including Sam Smith’s Stay with Me and Rihanna’s
Only Girl (In the World). They work well. But did we really need another version of
Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah ? Sony
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