Love That Album Podcast Episode 195 - Grayson Gilmour's "No Constellation" and Shake Yer Popboomerang 4
Love That AlbumShow Notes
I try to plan my podcasts in such a way that it looks like I know what I'm doing. This is one such episode that may give you pause for thought....
I'd made a list of albums I wanted to discuss this year. Since that list was written on a scrappy piece of paper and not in a spreadsheet saved on my laptop....well you can guess what happened to it. The I decided to just wing it with an episode of three short form ramblings about albums I wasn't sure I could spend a whole episode on. One recorded segment in, I decided on a new album I wanted to discuss with a partner and talk long form. So, common sense would say, do one or the other....I don't have common sense.
Welcome to episode 195 of Love That Album.
I devote the first part of the show to an incredible album I only discovered in January of this year. It's a 2011 release on the great New Zealand label, Flying Nun from a composer and musician new to me called Grayson Gilmour. The album is called No Constellation, and it's a revelation. Gilmour is not only a brilliant composer, but listening to this and subsequent albums, he's an incredible arranger. How do I describe this album in a few words? It's as if Brian Wilson circa Smile had written math rock. Makes sense? Of course not....but I do my best to put the music in context and convince you that you need this LP in your life.
In the second part of the show, I am joined once again by music journalist Jeff Jenkins to discuss the new compilation on the recently revived Popboomerang label, Shake Yer Popboomerang 4. The label was started a quarter of a century ago (!!!) by Melbourne pop obsessive Scott Thurling. He's been a champion of the local pop scene and has released over a hundred albums by great Australian pop bands. He's released many fine albums, but his compilations in particular are amazing. He's got a knack for convincing bands to provide him (mostly) with unreleased cuts. We're not talking bottom of the barrel – he always gets top notch songs – then he curates them into collections that flow really well, despite many of the acts being quite diverse. Scott doesn't always feel comfortable behind the mic (although I did coax him for an earlier episode of LTA), but Jeff being a fellow Popboomerang fan was very keen to join me in discussing this latest collection as well as a history of the label.
There is a common link between the two albums. I love 'em both, and they're both on important independent labels. Have at it.
The New Zealand music website I mention in the show and highly recommend is Audioculture.co.nz.
My huge thanks to JJ for his great conversation and enthusiasm. We'll hear from him again at the year end favourites episode.
You can find either of these great albums on Bandcamp.
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