quiet paws.

After watching the guest program on Rage last weekend (for those overseas readers, Rage is an Australian music video program) and enjoying the really eclectic selection of videos, I got to thinking about what I would program on my list of music videos to share with the televisual world. Of course the list starts out with an obvious blend of a whole range of tracks from artists that you feel should be represented – musicians such as David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Doors, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Iggy Pop, and so on. However rather than end up with a list of what could be described as ‘really important songs’ from ‘really important artists’, I wanted to filter my song choices in some way. What better way to filter than to apply some random rules to the process?

So the two rules I applied to my guest programming selection are that:

(1) My list could only include a total of 30 songs; and
(2) I had to actually own the song which I was selecting.

Suddenly my list changed dramatically from what it was originally. And then began the extremely difficult task of narrowing my selection to only 30 tracks. So without further delay, I hereby deliver for your viewing (or listening) pleasure, the 30 songs which I would guest program on Rage (with no preferential ordering):

1. Radiohead: Paranoid Android (OK Computer)…Radiohead as always are fascinating and thoughtful.
2. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds: The Mercy Seat (Live Seeds)…Nick and the boys totally rock it live, and the crazy energy of this song deserves to be appreciated loud and raw.
3. Beck: Scarecrow (Guero)…a difficult song to categorise, but displays a seriously unique style and thumping beat.
4. Eels: Mr E’s Beautiful Blues (Daises of the Galaxy)…The Eels are just so cool and this video is fun and happy (just like the song).
5. Mirah: The Garden (Advisory Committee)…the beat on this song kills me…it’s irresistible!
6. Cat Power: Sea of Love (The Covers Record)…delicate, respectful cover of a most beautiful, fragile song.
7. Beck: Everbody’s Gotta Learn Sometimes (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Soundtrack)…Beck’s voice is incredibly powerful and soulful as he communicates longing, sadness and acceptance.
8. Radiohead: Creep (My Iron Lung)…I have a rather major band crush on Radiohead. This song is beautiful, angry and is the perfect blend of emotional and musical contrasts.
9. Jeff Buckley: Hallelujah (Grace)…intense, sorrowful, sweet and captivating.
10. The White Stripes: I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself (Elephant)…Kate Moss is gorgeous beyond belief in this video directed by Sofia Coppola.
11. The Stranglers: Golden Brown (He Died With a Felafel in his Hand Soundtrack)…I’m not sure why, but I’ve always loved this song and the exotic luxury of this video just feels so right.
12. Smog: Our Anniversary (Supper)…not sure if there’s an official video to go with this track, but the song just had to be included as it is intimate, warm and ‘real’ beyond belief.
13. Lykke Li: Little Bit (Youth Novels)…interesting, dreamy video. I love the sense of movement throughout (also check out the beautiful B&W video for her other song, ‘Tonight’).
14. M.I.A: Paper Planes (Kala)…addictive song and compelling ‘raw’ video which avoids complicated styling. M.I.A is mesmerising.
15. Damien Rice: The Blower’s Daughter (O)…beautifully conveys the right balance of pain and aching sadness. The video features scenes from Closer (such a cast…the chemistry between Julia Roberts, Clive Owen and Natalie Portman is amazing! … I have issues with Jude Law so he doesn’t count).
16. Beastie Boys: Ch-Check It Out (To the 5 Boroughs)…these crazy kids always have fun, and this video is no exception. Street rage, heaps of costume changes, and a final fatal explosion…what more could you want?
17. Hawksley Workman: Ice Age (Treeful of Starling)…just a stunningly beautiful, romantic song (in fact, the entire album is the same).
18. Johnny Cash: Hurt (American IV: The Man Comes Around)…wonderful cover by an absolute music master, the video is perfect in visuals and pace…and oh so sad…gets me every time…
19. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (featuring PJ Harvey): Henry Lee (The Best of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds)…gets my vote for the sexiest music video ever. Seriously. You must watch it!
20. Pop Levi: Pick-Me-Up Uppercut (The Return to Form Black Magick Party)…he’s just so crazy, I love it! This song always makes me smile.
21. Bjork: It’s Oh So Quiet (Post)…wonderful Spike Jonze directed video with fantastic ‘popping’ colours, cleverly mixed-up pacing and great use of choreographed dancers.
22. Gary Jules: Mad World (Donnie Darko Soundtrack)…fantastic visuals in the video directed by Michel Gondry are the perfect accompaniment to this beautifully measured and sad song.
23. Basement Jaxx: Romeo (The Chillout Sessions 3 – Ministry of Sound)…hello Bollywood!
24. Elvis Costello: I Want You (The Very Best of Elvis Costello)…love the beat and range of emotions in this song (see if you can track down the Fiona Apple cover…it’s awesome as well).
25. Kings of Leon: On Call (Because of the Times)…love the boots and the subdued opening before the song suddenly bursts to life.
26. The Beatles: Let It Be (The Beatles Anthology 3)…simplicity in delivery and style at its very best.
27. Blur: Tender (13)…a big beast of a song that begs to be sung along with. The B&W totally works for me.
28. Jem: Come on Closer (Finally Woken)…this song just sounds so ‘naughty’ (in a very, very good way).
29. John Lennon: Imagine (Lennon Legend)…I love the dreamy opening as John and Yoko walk towards their home, the white shutters which are opened to let in the bright sunshine, and the shared look of love.
30. Seu Jorge: Life On Mars? (The Life Aquatic Soundtrack)…great Bowie song + great cover = awesome video. Steve Zissou rocks!

So that’s my list (at least at this particular moment in time) – please share your thoughts. What would you include on your own personal music video list? …(feel free to apply my rules, adapt your own limitations, or choose to give yourself no boundaries at all…).

Are you among those guilty of ignoring classical music and classical instruments in an effort to avoid snooze inducing pretentious music? Well it’s time to refresh that viewpoint as amazingly original compositions and covers of artists such as The Beastie Boys and Metallica are given the string treatment.

Welcome to the world of FourPlay where preconceived notions of how a string quartet should sound need to undergo serious revision. Band members Lara Goodridge, Tim Hollo, Shenton Gregory (Shenzo) and Peter Hollo between them have a wealth of individual musical experience, which combine to create an exciting musical blend.

The transition from classical string quartet to electric string quartet may seem like a significant jump. However speaking to Peter Hollo, cellist and vocalist with FourPlay, it seems that the transition was more of a natural progression. ‘There was nothing to it, really. We were all Uni students who were into indie, rock, pop and what have you, and felt the strong desire to play that kind of music. We discovered that you could do pickups on string instruments, and as the four original members were all friends playing together anyway, we just decided we’d all get them and do some rock covers. Then the UNSW Band Comp came round at the start of 1995 and we thought we’d sign up, literally as a joke, but a serious enough one for us to put together a short set and go crazy. We did go crazy, and so did the audiences, and after being snapped up almost immediately for a support slot with Max Sharam at the Metro, would you believe, the rest is history!’

Known for their stunning original arrangements, FourPlay have also built a reputation for their interpretations of a diverse range of covers such as Jeff Buckley’s ‘Grace’, Radiohead’s ‘2+2=5’, and Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’. The mix between original and cover tracks continues to inspire and challenge the band. ‘The initial impetus for the band was covers, although almost from the start we’ve been doing originals too (and these days we play a greater proportion of originals than covers in most sets). We’ve certainly grown more insanely diverse as we’ve gone on. I particularly love the Radiohead cover ‘2+2=5’, which realises a long-term goal of ours to cover that band. And I enjoy playing the Mingus cover, which Shenzo introduced to us, because it lets me go a bit crazy with block jazz chords in the middle, and Shenzo’s soloing never ceases to amaze. I also love our take on the Velvet Underground’s ‘Femme Fatale’, which doesn’t get pulled out at gigs quite as much any more but is still there in our repertoire. We recently did a Sufjan Stevens cover, which was harder work than you might imagine! That man does some complex arrangements!’

Given the wide pool of songs to choose from FourPlay tend to trust in their instincts to make the right cover song selections. ‘Generally we cover a tune because we love it, or at least, one or two of us do. That said, not everything’s going to work, and we’ve developed a fairly good instinct for what will go well (for instance, driving riffs and in general a good rhythmic drive is something we can latch onto with our playing). But we also surprise each other and ourselves quite often. Sometimes we will hear something on the radio that we think will go down really well, and we will give it a go because we think it’ll attract a particular audience. But even then, we’ve got to all like the song, no kind of cynical cover choices really work for us.’

Aside from the musical tastes of current band members, line up changes over the years have also impacted on the musical styles explored by FourPlay. ‘Veren, who was in Shenzo’s role before him, was a great gypsy violin player and improviser, and added those styles and that passion to the band, while still rocking out. Shenzo is a brilliant swing jazz player and improviser, as well as having an abiding (and scary) love for cock rock. He can do the gypsy thing too, but under his influence we’ve brought more jazz and blues into the band too, as well as more experimentation with loops and effects. So our upcoming shows will feature some pretty electronic and post-rock-sounding stuff too!’

The lives of musicians are often a delicate balance between competing priorities like writing, performing, promoting and recording. So does FourPlay find the balance difficult to maintain? ‘It’s a huge challenge. And we do have other commitments, whether it’s other aspects of our lives, our families or whatever. So it’s a continual juggling act. Because we don’t all live in the same city at the moment, we have to deliberately make time for developing new material. At The Studio at The Opera House we’ll have the privilege of being able to combine performing and recording, with all three shows being recorded to multi-track and the best tracks being released as a digital EP, initially exclusively (and free) to everyone who comes along to the gigs. The future is here!’

Speaking of the future what does it hold for FourPlay? Well a series of live dates are scheduled over the coming months, including a performance at the St Kilda Festival where the atmosphere is bound to be energetic. ‘Live music is ALWAYS more exciting, for the listener as well as the musician. I listen to recorded music non-stop, and love it, and when a recording goes well (such as our latest, Now To The Future), it can pretty much capture the perfect sound, but still there’s nothing like playing to an audience that’s right there with you. Strings are pretty emotive, and the audience tends to get pulled along, and pull us along. In the studio you can tweak this here, add this bit there, and if you’re lucky you’ll end up with just what you always wanted from a song. But then you’ll get on the road, and play in a venue with great sound to a bunch of people who are there just to see you, and that’s what it’s all about.’

FourPlay brings a unique perspective and captivating intensity to the crafting of their music, thereby challenging listeners to abandon their preconceived ideas about musical styles and boundaries. With them nothing is off limits and all forms of music are given the respect and attention they deserve.

I originally wrote this article for ‘The Dwarf‘.