We’re giving away a $250 co-op bookshop voucher this Sunday morning on my radio show, Canvas, on FBI 94.5.

Along with a bunch of other prizes (here) and the warm fuzzy feeling you get from keeping this great radio station on the air, at the end of the show, someone’s gotta get the dollar-packed book voucher.

This weekend, we’ve got Simon Rann, actor, dancer and puppeteer, on his role in Philippe Genty’s Lands End. Plus Max Rapley and Steph Iredale stop by for a lowdown on Sydney Uni’s Verge Arts Festival. We’ll also be talking to Greg Shapely, curator of the Sound of Failure festival, and hearing the sounds of Marley Dawson and Chris Hanrahan’s dirt bike extravaganza ECR.

That’s 10am ’til noon, 94.5 or fbiradio.com, call on 8 33 22 945.

Things are busy. Brief update from radio on the weekend. The lovely Bernadette Walong, dancer and choreographer responsible for groundup! at Performance Space, was in. As were skateboard gallerists Nathan Ho and RJ Williams – hosts of the Sidewayz show at MTV Gallery.

Here’s the playlist.

Never No Dollars – Black Devil Social Club
She’s Got Me (Calculators remix) – Daniel Merriweather
The Spectral Company – Nobody Presents Blank Blue
Little Acorns – Leila
Night In Motion – Cubic 22
Sinful Cowboy – Rocket Science
Sex On Fire – Kings of Leon
Aht Uh Mi Head – Shuggie Otis
24-Hour Store – The Handsome Family
Shadow Artisans – Lakonic
We Stole The Thunder – The Bungalows
Your Love Cannot Move Me – Milkrun
Anima – Milton Nascimento
The Escapist – The Streets
Blackbird (all that is new again) – The Rectifiers
Little Flame – Elle S’appelle
Keep On Moving (feat Peach) – Mailer Daemon
Council Estate (South Rakkas Crew remix) – Tricky
Indian Vibes (Ballistics In Traffic mix) – Mathar
Bleep Biopsy – Neil Landstrumm
Common Errors – Traps
User To A Carrier – By A Sister – Clue To Kalo
I Just Get Caught Out (early version) – The Go Betweens

Illegal Gunshot – Ragga Twins
Like An Arrow – Baobinga & ID
Ti Tree Bush Mix – Big Low
Sandshoe – Peret Mako
Wayfaring Stranger – Jamie Woon
The Escape – Early Day Miners
Out the Window With the Window – Tunng
Remember Love – Noze
The Devil’s Crayon – Wild Beasts
The Bizness – Killaqueenz
Requiem In A-Flat Reprise – Dead Leaf
Winter Coat – Hit The Jackpot
Russian Websites – The Tongue
Kiss With a Fist – Florence and the Machine
Gang Sound – Lindstrom
Met Suf I Eyrum – Sigur Ros
Bright Tomorrow – Fuck Buttons
Introduction – Natural Causes
Black Members – Deadbeat Club
Heavy Gum – Vincent Over the Sink

I’m off for a USA road trip tomorrow. Danny Jumpertz – Feral Media boss, Cyclic Defrost contributor and once upon a time presenter of The Album Show on FBI – will cover Canvas for the next month while I’m away. That’s Sunday mornings 10-12 on FBI 94.5.

I can’t imagine there are too many theatre companies that revel in walkouts. Syd Brisbane, an actor with 25 years experience who’s worked with the Sydney Theatre Company and the Australian Shakespeare Company, founded The Rabble with designer Kate Davis and lighting/production expert Emma Valente.

Their latest – a version of the Biblical tale of Herod’s step-daughter Salome (first told for stage by Oscar Wilde), radically reinterpreted for the cavernous Bay 17 stage at Carriageworks – is short on words, big on physical drama. Apparently it’s inspired a few walkouts too. I’m looking forward to seeing it this week, but this morning Syd was our guest on Canvas.

(Me and Syd in the studio)

Here’s what we played.

Neu – DJ DSL
Percy On The One – Clutchy Hopkins
These Boots Are Made For Walking – The Boys Next Door
The Book I Write – Spoon
Come Around (Lovestoned Remix) – Urthboy
How Much I’ve Lied – Jason Walker
Time of Songs – Tapes ‘n Tapes
About to Walk – Throw Me The Statue
Shadowland – Youth Group
Are Ya – Mensy
Hold Me Down (Shoes remix) – Primary 1
No Tomorrow (prod Kirk Degiorgio) – Robert Owens
Wanderlust (Ratatat remix)- Bjork
So Low – The Mime Set
Aileen – Lindsay Phillips
Like Air From Your Lungs – Karoshi
Hands On Us – The Notwist
Bright Tomorrow – Fuck Buttons
Heart It Races – Architecture In Helsinki
Blue Planet (Abacus mix) – Chaser
Crying In Her Room – Silver City Highway

Jeff Burch was our guest on Canvas this morning.

(Jeff Burch and I in the FBI studio)

Born in New Zealand but living in Sydney, he’s released LPs (NY’s Magic Markers and his own band Songs‘ pop debut EP) and books by Max Doyle and others on indie publisher/label The Spring Press.

(Magic Markers – ST LP)

He works with fashion designer Therese Rawsthorne, he designs websites and record covers, writes interviews, makes films. Basically Jeff Burch is prolific.

Here’s a record Jeff originally released on the now defunct Brothers label:

Jeff Burch – As I remember, if I remember correctly, I arrived sweetly (51.8MB)

Jeff’s band Songs played at the Hopetoun last night – intriguing, that’s for sure – and they’ve got a few more shows this coming week in Sydney (more details here).

(Songs, live at the Hopetoun, May 3, 2008)

No Evil – Luciano
Not Fair – Skullsquadron
The Length of Your Breath – Matt McBeath
Hesitation Nation – David McCormack
August (Aeriae remix) – Catcall
Rise to Glory – Earth
Time to Pretend – MGMT
Totally Debase (feat Babymachine) – Suckafish P. Jones
Pumpkin – Tricky
Communication Pact – Traps
Relax In a Panic Free Atmosphere – Magic Markers
Keeping It Clean – Songs
Sunday Morning – The Velvet Underground
A Parade in Littleton – Tom Verlaine
Open – Kahn Brothers
Rockist Part 1 – School of Language
One Blood One Source (feat Rudey Lee) – Pinch
Beautiful Gloom – Padded Cell
Skinny Love – Bon Iver
Warm Rising Sun – Radar Bros
I’m Now – Mudhoney
Re-arrange Us – Mates of State

ICE director Lena Nahlous came in to FBI this morning to talk about last weekend’s 2020 Summit. She took part in the summit’s creative strand, and was one of a small number interested in (and demonstrably capable of) talking about digital media, creativity (as distinct from The Arts), and the audience out there for art drawn from outside the big institutions; art and stories from migrants, young people and women.

A Victim – Omar S
Around the World – The Death Set
Track 6 – Fabulous Diamonds
My Life (feat. Newham Generals)- Dizzee Rascal
You Are a Runner and I Am My Father’s Son – Wolf Parade
Water Curses – Animal Collective
Dancing On Our Graves – The Cave Singers
Footwork – Guilty Simpson
Shall We Take a Trip – Northside
Shut Up and Be Young – Parades
Magic Doors – Portishead
Goodbye Goodbye – The Lost Mariachi
I Feel It All (Escort remix – Feist
Marwurrumburr – Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Weapons – Son Lux
Counterpoint – Cleptoclectics
Eraser – No Age
Great Escape – No Kids
Arrabida – Portable
Slow Motion World – The Longest Day
Ethiopio – Noze

Northern Territory readers take note. I’m taking a virtual trip north today covering for the music guy on ABC Darwin‘s Mornings show.
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And… several hours later, I’ve chewed the fat with Mornings presenter Leon Compton, made my first ever appearance on the national broadcaster, and here’s what I played.

1. Institut Polaire – ‘Kentucky Society Drought’ from The Flora and The Fauna (Popfrenzy, 2008)
2. Dan Sultan – ‘Your Love Is Like a Song’ from Homemade Biscuits (self-released, 2008)
3. Ross McLennan – ‘I’m Heavy As I’ve Ever Been’ from Sympathy for the New World (Mistletone, 2008)

Show number three. Sydney artist Peter Newman came in to talk about his video, sound and paint show at ICAN (the acronym seems more appropriate to the small space than the high falutin’ ‘Institute for Contemporary Art Newtown’) – it’s an immersive show that’s material and real and flickeringly indistinct at the same time.

(Canvas producer Jesse Cox with Peter Newman in the FBI studio)

(Peter Newman’s Swarm Transfer at ICAN)

Percussionist extraordinaire Bree van Reyk arrived in the studio a little later to talk about this week’s Synergy Percussion show (at Carriageworks) featuring a series of Reich and Xenakis works. It’s on from Wednesday this week, and I am excited.

Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind – Vashti Bunyan
Dragonfly – Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
Your Love Is Like A Son – Dan Sultan
Danse Avec Moi – Noze
Little Bit – Lykke Li
City Walking (feat Abdominal)- Ghislain Poirier
LGOMWOCT – Alps of New South Wales
Gentle Elf – Kes Band
Fine Friend – Pale Saints
Right Here – Sun
Beat You Back – Dom
Same Suburb Different Park – Firekites
Quandary – Peter Newman
Headin’ Inside – Surf City
Roscoe (Beyond the Wizard’s Sleeve Mix)- Midlake
The King Is Dead – The Herd
Barnacle Goose – Born Ruffians
Drumming Part 1 – Synergy Percussion
3 – Pikelet

Join The Dots finished several weeks ago. And as someone who’s always liked bars called Phoenix (in Canberra and Sydney) I’ve found another spot on the FBI program to call home. Sunday mornings from 10 until noon with a show called Canvas.

First week up, Sydney Writers Festival director and CEO Wendy Were came in to discuss this year’s program. Last week, UWS grad Graham Skimin came in to talk about his show at Mori Gallery, and former Clan Analogue/Zonar musician and artist John Aslanidis was in to talk about his show at Gallery 9.

(John with Canvas producer Jesse Cox)

Which Way to Go – Eddy Current Suppression Ring
On the Roof of the World – Purdy
Twee Twee Dee – Adam Green
Keeping It Clean – Songs
Black Eyes – Amy Meredith
Double Dealings – Radioactive Man
A Punk – Vampire Weekend
Enchanted – Patrick Wolf
Dead Roads – Derwent River Star
Don’t Call the Bird You Used to Go Around With – Zxspecky
The King is Dead – The Herd
Quiet Before the Storm (Quarion remix)- Foster
Magnum on Crack – Braintax
Gujo Ondo – Setsubun Bean Unit
Gangstaz – Pinch
Can You Blame the Sky? – Alela Diane
Inner City Pressure – Flight of the Conchords
Help – The Apartments

This Sunday, Peter Newman’s in to talk about his paint, video and sound show at Institute of Contemporary Art Newtown. My other guest’s Bree van Reyk, who’s been has been (seriously under-) described as a crossover percussionist, she plays with Charge Group, Holly Throsby, Darren Hanlon, Rand + Holland, Coda, the Rebel Astronauts and Josh Pyke, as well as Synergy Percussion, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra.