MAG — Where Music Lives

If you’re looking to convince someone of Australian hip hop’s growing maturity, you probably shouldn’t appoint Funkoars as your example. Adelaide’s kings of debauchery don’t do lyrically progressive rap. Their third album’s huge rock and soul-smashed sound underscores a rather limited thematic directive. Think drunkenness, strippers, insolvency and what seems to be a kind of appendage worship on The Phallic Menace. But with or without the subject matter, the Oars’ beats and production kick it like few others. No doubt, The Hangover will get the party pumping, it just might not be the kind of party you want to attend.

Peepshow/Shogun

Dan Rule

Shane Nicholson – Familiar Ghosts

It’s less than a year since the release of Rattlin’ Bones, an album bundling Nicholson with wife Kasey Chambers to stunning effect. In whatever downtime he could find, Nicholson created an excellently rootsy new album. It serves notice that Nicholson is shaping up as a sometimes bristling, yet melancholic writer moving from his indie pop beginnings and heading for country. He plays most of the instruments, from rhythm to the harp and some slide and lap steel. It’s a damn fine piece from the quietly confident Nicholson, and indicative of a career direction that will be producing more four-square classics like this. LIBERATION

The Bronx – The Bronx (III)

Southern Californian punksters The Bronx are close to being the best punk band around. This corker – that initially appears to be a straight-ahead rock album – unravels as one diverse, head-cranking, slippery musical fish. Wild opener Knifeman is certain to be a live favourite. Settling into a more manageable but still limb-loosening triumph, Matt Caughthran’s throat tormenting vocals steamroll their way through the album, his writing evoking involuntary knowing nods. This is for late nights, crazy car trips, hungover Sundays, and the fun that comes when great music enters the bloodstream. Shock

Buena Vista Social CLub Live at Carnegie Hall

The Buena Vista Social Club was named after a members’ club in Havana, Cuba that held dances in the ‘40s, where musicians hung out and played. In 1997, a recording made by Ry Cooder with traditional Cuban musicians in their 70s and 80s (and 90s!) – some of whom had performed at the club in its heyday – became the biggest selling world music album ever. An accompanying documentary movie made stars of these veteran musicians who feature on this two-CD set of the 1998 one-night-only concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall. An indispensable release. Fuse

Menahan Street Band – Make the Road by Walking

The world’s finest soul players meet in Menahan Street, Brooklyn NYC. Recently, the apartment of multi-instrumentalist Thomas ‘TNT’ Brenneck (Dap Kings and The Budos Band) has been the key coordinate for members of Antibalas, El Michels Affair and The Budos Band. Orchestrated by Brenneck, Make The Road By Walking is drenched in the analogue warmth that typifies Daptone work. This would be the perfect soundtrack to your next island holiday, heist getaway, Sunday seduction, double-crossing or existential crisis. Take me to Menahan street! Dunham/Fuse