Alex Lloyd - Live / Area-7 + Whitlams

Today’s tape is another excursion outside the box and is actually the second tape that Kathy sent to me. As I recall she sent this at the same time as Songs from Down Under, so the summer of 2001. It’s a bit of a mish-mash featuring an Alex Lloyd radio set, some early Whitlams tracks, a selection of tracks from Area-7’s latest album and various other tracks she thought I might enjoy.
 
Artist: Various
Album: Alex Lloyd – Live / Area-7 + Whitlams
UK Record Label: None
UK Release Date: 2001
UK Single Releases from Album: None
 
Alex Lloyd – Melting, Desert, Black the Sun, What a Year, Lucky Star and Snow: Six tracks recorded for Triple J’s Live at the Wireless programme sometime in 1999. I first heard Alex Lloyd in the year 2000 when ‘Black the Sun’ was Mark & Lard’s record of the week, and liked what I heard enough to mention him to Kathy not long after we started e-mailing. She was also a fan, and so made sure to include this set when she sent me some tapes for the first time. I haven’t listened to Alex Lloyd in ages actually, but I’m really enjoying this. Opener ‘Melting’ is a strong song, but the highlight for me is probably ‘Black the Sun’, which is also the title track of his debut album. I didn’t actually pick up that debut until maybe ten years later, but when I did, the version I bought actually included this Live at the Wireless set on a bonus disc, definitely a nice extra. ‘What a Year’ is another one I like a lot, it’s immediately catchy, one that you end up humming along with after only having heard it once. I think the real strength of the tracks in this set, and the debut album in general – the studio versions of all six feature on it – is Alex’s ear for melody. ‘Lucky Star’ was the following up single to ‘Black the Sun’ in the UK, and I think in Australia was actually the bigger hit, and it’s another favourite of mine. The set closes with ‘Snow’ which is another fine track. A few months after I received this tape, Alex Lloyd released his second album Watching Angels Mend, which Kathy very kindly bought me as a gift (it wasn’t released until much later in the UK). For me it’s as strong as his debut. I did hear a couple of tracks from his third album, which I have to admit to being a bit disappointed by, they just didn’t quite hit in the same way that the stuff from the first two albums did. I must admit I’ve not kept up with anything from him since then, maybe I’ll have to have a listen to some of it, see if I’ve missed anything of note.

Links:
Discogs
 
Machine Gun Fellatio – Unsent Letter, Summer and Not Afraid of Romance: A band I became aware of through their links to the Whitlams (Pinky Beecroft and Chit Chat von Loopin Stab co-wrote the Whits’ best known song ‘No Aphrodisiac’ with their frontman Tim Freedman). I saw MGF live once, and they were great. I vividly remember Chit Chat appeared naked save for a teddy bear gaffer taped to his groin, and then proceeded to climb atop the stack of amps! Don’t let the crazy antics fool you though, they were a really talented band. Pinky and Chit Chat are excellent songwriters, as is evidenced by all three songs here. A biting sense of humour, under cuts these songs about relationships, life and love. Their first two albums Bring It On! and Paging Mr. Strike (tracks from both were edited into one album for release in the UK – also entitled Paging Mr. Strike) are well worth a listen.

Links:
Discogs
 
The Whitlams – Happy Days, I’m Different and The Ballad of Lester Walker: The Whitlams were originally a trio of current frontman Tim Freedman, along with Stevie Plunder and Andy Lewis. Stevie and Andy were both an integral part of the band’s sound on their first two albums (Stevie even  hared lead vocals), and as I had at that point only heard stuff from their third album onwards, Kathy made sure to include some tracks from those early albums here. And they’re three great tracks, 'Happy Days' in particular is one of my favourites by them. Tragically both Stevie and Andy both died far too young, and whilst I’ve obviously enjoyed the stuff Tim has done since, there was something very special about those early days as a trio, that is still a joy to listen to now.

Links:
Discogs
 
Area-7 - Second Class Citizen, Start Making Sense, Himbo, Dodgy Mate and Let Me Down: Area-7 are/were (they’re still officially together but haven’t released anything since 2005) a good time ska punk band. Not a genre I listen to a huge amount, but there’s something I really like about this band. What we have here is five songs from their second album (and the first to be a hit) Bitter & Twisted. The highlight for me is probably ‘Second Class Citizen’, however I do also really like ‘Himbo’ and ‘Dodgy Mate’. Singer Stevo’s lyrics provide a social commentary on contemporary Australia, all set to an insanely catchy ska beat. Their third album Say It To My Face is also worth a listen, if just to hear my favourite Area-7 song ‘Nobody Likes a Bogan’.

Links:
Discogs
 
Antiskeptic – 60% Intentional: I don’t know a huge amount about Antiskeptic, and I haven’t heard this song in a long time. It’s an enjoyable catchy rock number though, and was the lead track on their debut EP.

Links:
Discogs
 
Motor Ace – Death Defy: This song is great! It was used as the opening theme to the Secret Life of Us, which had debuted on Channel 4 a few days before this tape arrived. I remember really liking it when I watched that first episode, so was surprised but delighted when I popped the tape into the player only to hear it again. Top marks for an unexpected bagpipe appearance too.

Links:
Discogs
 
Jebediah – Feet Touch the Ground and Animal: Kevin Mitchell has two parallel careers, one as melodic singer songwriter Bob Evans, and one as frontman of alternative rockers Jebediah. I think I actually prefer the Bob Evans stuff (check out the wonderful ‘Darlin’, Won’t You Come?’), but these are both fine songs too, nothing ground breaking but perfectly pleasant listening, ‘Animal’ is my favourite of the two.

Links:
Discogs
 
You Am I – Damage and She Don’t Need the Morning: We finish with two tracks from a fairly big-name band in Oz. You Am I were formed by singer Tim Rogers in 1989 and had a slew of number one albums in the 90s. The first track we have is ‘Damage’ a recent at the time single from their then current album Dress Me Slowly. It’s a wonderfully epic, incessantly catchy number. That’s followed by one of its b-sides ‘She Don’t Need the Morning’ which is an equally strong track, it’s easily good enough to have been a single in its own right, and is a fine way for us to finish the tape.

Links:

I've created a Spotify playlist of the non-Alex Lloyd tracks that you can listen to here. Alex's Live at the Wireless set doesn't appear to be online in full anywhere, however you can listen to the versions of 'Black the Sun' and 'Lucky Star' here and here.

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