CW Stoneking


CW Stoneking reminds me more of Beck (when he was doing all the ol’ timey blues stuff characterised best by his album One Foot In The Grave) than of anyone else.
Nor do I think Stoneking sounds ‘black’ – he sounds like one of those good ole boys from somewhere in the south. It’s something in his timing or his phrasing… something in the way he treats timing. I keep thinking of that line I read somewhere, that music reflects the vocal or linguistic structures of the people who create it. Singing ‘black’ is more than adding in an accent. It’s about intonation and a subtler sense of pitch – more than just going ‘up’ and the end a sentence to make something sound Australian.
Anyways, I scored both his CDs for christmas from The Squeeze and I like them both a lot.

i need that little nibble more

We are sitting on the malodorous settee listening to CW Stoneking (pwning present, Squeeze!) and playing on our laptops. I have just finished all the cashews. I have also eaten the last gingerbread tree biscuit. The Squeeze has eaten the last mince tart. Neither of us can bare another piece of turkey, though we are thinking about having meat cake* and tomato soup for dinner.
The Squeeze has been making his way through some chocolate hearts (the 2nd mother apparently has a standing order with her chocalatier). I thought I might fancy a nibble of milky chocolate.
“Can I have a lick of that chocolate?”
I look up to see him carefully transporting it from his mouth to the wrapper. It is largely intact and has only a thin layer of kiss. I decide I need that little nibble more than we need to adhere to The Rules.
*aka stuffing that has not been stuffed into anything.

mid-christmas time-wasting

The turkey is in the oven (since 11, eta 1.30), the custard is made (using, once again, Delia‘s recipe), prawn recipe is floating somewhere in my near-conscious mind. Not at the front, though. That’s occupied with:
– cherries (eating)
– ‘I like pie, I like cake’ (courtesy of the Goofus 5) is my christmas theme song (finally, I succumb and am playing it over and over so I can finally exorcise it)
– possible timing for roast potatoes
– phoning parents (who’re in Brisvegas for christmas with the brother before they fly out to Hong Kong for awesome new year action)
– emusic (goddamn it… I just can’t stay away. Now it’s Ruth Brown with this awesomely-80s-covered album)
There’s more family on the way for lunch, and we have now called the international family, so that’s all done. For the hour before lunch, this lot (the Squeeze’s mum etc) have all disbanded to various spots around the house and garden for reading books, playing ipod games and fiddling about on the internet.
There’s no trifle this year (though I have hope for later in January), but food-wise, it’s not too shabby. In the spirit of christmas awesomeness, here’s Delia and Snoop Dog makin’ wid de potato magic.

be good tanyas

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Emusic is doing more than just bringing me good jazz, blues and soul. It’s also reminding me of my passion for bluegrass and ‘American traditionals’. I bought the Be Good Tanyas’ first album when I first moved to Melbourne. I think I lasered the grooves out of it.
I’m afraid to look at Amanda‘s list. I know I’ll only add a zillion albums to my Want list.
That 250gb of birthday computer space isn’t going to last too long at this rate.