RTRfm Stories

A Glimpse Over The Global Back Fence

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

When the 43 West Papuan asylum seekers made it to Australia in 2006, and were given protection visas by the Howard Government, it showed for the first time that Australia understood just how bad the situation was for some of our nearest neighbours, suffering since the 60’s under Indonesian military rule.

Despite our awareness at the time, journalists are not allowed into West Papua now and there is little information about or attention given to a situation that’s sometimes called ‘another East Timor’.

Even last week’s visit from the Indonesian President was not used as an opportunity to make progress.

Meri Fatin spoke to long-term activist for West Papuan independence Ned Byrne on Morning Magazine.

Keeping an Eye on the Neighbours

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Meri Fatin continues her investigation of West Papua – she spoke to Activist Ned Byrne on the current condition of the country.

At the University of Sydney Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, there is a West Papua Project.

Dr Jim Elmslie is the co-convenor of this project and author of a book on the subject. His work highlights the need for our attention.

Meri fatin spoke to Dr Jim Elmslie on Morning Magazine.

End of an Ancient System

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

The Australian Government has passed a bill ensuring the death penalty will never be reintroduced.

The Crimes Legislation Amendment (Torture Prohibition and Death Penalty Abolition) Bill 2009 was passed earlier this week.

And the legislation also criminalises acts of torture committed within or outside Australia.

The Australian Human Rights Commission says it’s an important step towards Australia meeting its human rights obligations.

And Meri Fatin spoke to Australian Human Rights Commission President Cathy Branson QC on Morning Magazine.

Lonelady - Nerve Up

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Any kind of rock music on Warp Records would have been seriously weird ten years ago, especially when you consider that the label is the home to history’s first IDM heavyweights (see Aphex Twin, Autechre, Boards of Canada) and the driving force behind the evolution of that sound. The expansion into hiphop was pretty intuitive and obvious, but what is ‘Warp Records-like’ about post-punk acts like Maximo Park, Born Ruffians, and their latest offering from Manchester’s LoneLady? The answer is that, just like the cerebral sophistication of Aphex Twin back when he destroyed and rebuilt techno, LoneLady’s music aims for the brain as much as the feet, and is so much the better for doing so.

LoneLady’s trick is to use aggressive post-punk musical forms as a vehicle for a rich personal narrative. Hyperactive guitar work and propulsive drumming sets off tracks like ‘Early the Haste Comes’ and teeth-gnashing ‘Army’. A highlight is the highwire title track, a great example of LoneLady’s perfectly measured energy. LoneLady also injects enough momentum into her melancholy tracks to get the pathos across without becoming boring- see ‘Marble’.

The best thing about Nerve Up is how DIY everything sounds. LoneLady uses a small palette of instruments to awesome effect, using a simple synth bass to add the necessary weight beneath her deft guitar work. Most interesting is the awesome drum machine, which especially on tracks like ‘Nerve Up’ provide this weird nonchalant swagger to the music which works uncannily well with LoneLady’s post-2000s post-punk schtick. In the end Nerve Up is a strong debut from a artist with truckloads of potential.

Deaths in Custody Concern Continues

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Deaths in Custody protestors will march outside Parliament House today.

Protestors want justice for Aboriginal elder, Mr Ward, who died while being transported in the back of a van, two years ago.

And it’s not an isolated case.

Last week a 33-year-old man died in police custody and yesterday prisoner James Yarren passed out in the back of a van much like the one Mr Ward in which Mr Ward was travelling.

The Deaths in Custody Watch Committee’s Mark Newhouse spoke to Travis Collins on Morning Magazine.

New Way to Battle Bullying

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Schoolyard bullying is a serious and escalating issue in Australian schools.

A national anti- Bullying Conference takes place next month which will focus on a new approach to bullying.

Research shows that engaging bullies with their victims, instead of traditional punishment, stops further bullying.

The method relies on the bullies becoming a part of the solution.

Professor Kenneth Rigby is heavily involved with the research and says it should be adopted by all Australian schools.

He spoke to Travis Collins on Morning Magazine.

Pixies Return!

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Everyone’s favourite Boston-based alternative rock outfit Pixies are coming back.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of their classic 1989 album, Doolittle, Black Francis, Kim Deal, Joey Santiago and David Lovering – have been travelling the globe on a very special tour – “The Doolittle Tour”.

RTR’s Dave Owen spoke to Pixies drummer Dave Lovering and asked him how the tours going…

Shock! Horror!

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

In a colourful career thousands of people across the globe have been delighted, amazed and even shrink-wrapped by the Tokyo Shock Boys.

The onion-crushing, milk snorting scorpion-taunting Japanese Jokers celebrate twenty years of shocking stunts with a return to Perth, and with a visit to Breakfast with Peter Barr.

Eddy Current Fires Up

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

After a slew of seven inch singles, heaps of EP’s, and two ripper records, Melbourne rockers Eddy Current Suppression Ring has released their latest collection of sound – now with ballads!

The quality quartet’s heading this way for a couple of gigs and front man Brendan Suppression swung by Breakfast with Peter Barr.

Shearwater - The Golden Archipelago

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Matador Records

Listening to Shearwater’s latest album is almost like getting lost in some slightly sinister dream world, filled with Minotaurs, secret islands and growing discord. It’s impressively cinematic in scope and demands to be taken seriously – perhaps a little too seriously.

The choir-like voice of songwriter Jonathan Meiburg (formerly of Okkervil River) is certainly beautiful, but you can’t imagine the guy ever cracking a smile. It’s like somebody suggested puppies should be ground up as pencil lead. Having said that, his wavering voice is oddly compelling; a study in both strength and fragility.

The music runs like the score for an intelligent film; one of those movies where there are lots of shots of the troubled protagonist staring out over a grey lake on a biting cold day. It’s pensive, dramatic and incredibly lush. So many studio musicians bolstered the core five members, they didn’t bother to include any liner notes– the credits are all on their website.

Rippling piano and crunchy electric guitar trade off each other in Black Eyes, although the chorus features a heavy 80s pop influence. After the insistent, meditative percussion of Landscape at Speed comes the snowy waltz of Hidden Lakes. Then the band step things up a notch with Corridors’ fast, robotic beat, indie rock distortion and energetic snare flourishes. An Insular Life even manages to successfully marry orchestral strings with a bossa rhythm.

If you’re after sunny, throwaway pop, this isn’t your record. But if you prefer a bit of a challenge, and want to retain the bells, whistles and shine of the genre, take a listen – you’ll be suitably rewarded. Just don’t expect it to lift the weight of a hard day off your shoulders. And leave those puppies alone.

The Leisure Society - The Sleeper

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Combining the pop-folk sensibilities of Belle and Sebastian with the delicate instrumentation and dynamic sensitivity of Fleet-Foxes, it is no surprise that Brian Eno declared The Leisure Society to be a band worthy of enthusiasm.

The Sleeper, the band’s debut album, cements itself firmly in the burgeoning genre of indie folk. But there’s no pretension here. In fact, the lack of self-consciousness harks back to a time when bands just played songs and you didn’t need to be able to dance to sell a record.

The strength of this album lies in the harmonious melodies that permeate each of the songs. On first impression they may seem a little too sappy, but the sincerity of the lyrics and thoughtful arrangements (featuring a range of traditional folk instruments as well as synth-driven soundscaping) elevate the overall effect from twee to just plain uplifting.

Many of the fingerpicked guitar parts and melodies on The Sleeper are redolent of English folk pioneer Nick Drake and yet there are progressions and sounds present on the album that could be compared with the shoegazer or psych-folk sounds of bands such as Grizzly Bear. The range of influences is probably equally as broad, resulting in a unique album of well constructed songs that transcend both their genre and sentiment.

Highlights of The Sleeper are too many to mention but include the wistful and lilting Last of the Melting Snow (the album’s first single), the Eleanor-Rigby-esque Are We Happy? and the catchy pop ditty A Matter of Time.

The Sleeper is a gentle afternoon stroll in the summer sun or a Sunday drive through the rambling English countryside. Just take the time to stick it on your iPod, and enjoy the change of pace.

Victims of Spin

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Just how much of what we read in the newspaper is driven by PR?

Online news site Crikey and the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism have spent six months trying to find out, and they reckon they have a good idea.

Morning Magazine’s Damian Smith spoke with Crikey editor Sophie Black to find out the magic number, and the worst offenders.

Back to Basics on Welfare

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

It’s a pretty rough feeling when you get to the supermarket checkout and realise you can’t afford your groceries.

According to the head of the nation’s peak welfare group, embarrassed shoppers on the Federal Government’s income management scheme are being forced to return goods to the shelves in the Northern Territory.

Australian Council on Social Service chief executive Clare Martin is worried a planned national rollout of the Basics Card will only result in further indignity.

She spoke with Damian Smith on Morning Magazine.

Remembering and Reconciling

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Art in all its forms can serve many functions – it can transform us to other worlds and open our eyes to other ways.

It can lift us up and expose us to the brutal truth. Art can heal us and help us.

Deckchair Theatre’s presenting a production that’s been described as ‘reconciliation theatre at its best’.

It’s ‘Bindjareb Pinjarra’ – a cross-cultural production that investigates our buried history, and examines contemporary race relations in WA.

And it’s funny, as performers Phil Thompson and Sam Longley explained to Peter Barr on Breakfast.

Jimmy Stewart Speaks and Sings

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Melbourne band Clinkerfield’s been forging their own indescribable path for many years, content to allow incessant live shows do the bulk of the talking.

Its front man, the self-described miserable little bastard Jimmy Stewart’s been in our town for a while and swung by Breakfast for a chat and to perform a live tune.

This Goes Out to You

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

This is the end my only friend….

RTRFM’s Soul Funk Brother, our Garage God, our Hip-Rock rebel, the Party-Starter, the Westside Warrior, the King of the Kids, our Friday Full Freaker Dan the Man mans the ones and twos and spins the discs on the wheels of steel for the final time today.

Why Dan Why?

The Boy Pugilist of Beats joined Peter Barr to remember the good times…

George the Goat Starer

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Patrick Pittman and Paul Grace are back to talk movies with Peter Barr dissecting ‘The Men Who Stare at Goats’ and ‘Green Zone’.
Oscar fever is gripping RTR and Movie Squad talks winners, losers and the stars who monopolized the red carpet.
A Corey Haim memorial edition of Movie Squad.

The Rise of the E-Book

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

With the rise of e-books and online newspaper, it wouldn’t be surprising to learn we’re buying less newspapers, books and magazines.

The ABC reported yesterday that over the last year spending on newspapers and books dropped by 13 percent, but we haven’t been able to confirm this with the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Publishers Association, MAREE McCASKILL joins me to look at the how we’re reading right now…

Bite the Pillowman

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

Martin Macdonagh – the Irish Playwright who brought you the ‘Lieutenant of Innishmore’ and ‘In Bruges’, is at it again.
His work ‘The Pillow Man’ has been brought to town by Playlovers – a theatre company based in Floreat.
Its a somewhat dark tale – a blackcomedy if you will – involving murder, mystery and little green pigs ?
To find out more Bren Mcgurk joined director Matt Lonergan and actor Rodney Worth for a chat.

Eaton Breakfast - Jimmy and the Lost Boy

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0800

It’s a sad day as we learn of the passing of 80’s Teen-Icon Corey Haim – the Lost Boy is gone forever and Jimmy James Eaton and Peter Barr took time to remember the fallen star…