Take 5

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Fred Armisen's punk life Aug 30, 2019

Show notes

If I told you to 'put a bird on it', you’d know immediately what I meant. This iconic sketch from Portlandia is the work of Fred Armisen. He’s a comedian who has filled our screens for almost 20 years; as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, alongside his best friend Carrie Brownstein co-creating Portlandia, and more recently on the mockumentary series Documentary Now. Music has been central to Fred’s comedy the whole way through, and that makes sense when you know that he started his creative life as a drummer. In fact it was during a visit to SXSW back in 1998, playing in a couple of bands, that he made his first mockumentary. It got people’s attention, and four years later, he was on SNL. Fred Armisen lives a punk life, creating and recreating his identity across every character he plays, and finding the connection in brilliant songs. Here are just five.

Bad Brains - ‘Big Take Over’

Meat Puppets - ‘Up On The Sun’

Jessica Pratt - ‘This Time Around’

The Damned - ‘Under The Floor Again’

Sleater-Kinney - ‘Start Together’

Waleed Aly's songs we should talk about Aug 23, 2019

Show notes

Waleed Aly is the smartest guy in the room. Whether hosting The Project, writing editorials for major newspapers, or completing his PhD, it feels there’s nothing he’s not good at, and the Australian public agrees; he won the Gold Logie in 2016. We’re used to seeing Waleed dissect and make sense of the news every day, but sometimes you get a glimpse into his musical heart and you can see that it beats so strong. When I finally got Waleed to Take 5 I gave him the theme “Songs We Should Talk About", a play on the title of his wonderful segment from The Project. Unsurprisingly, Waleed put a lot of thought into his songs… He sent me three separate lists of five songs (not to be changed in any way, but all telling a different story). The one we went with gifted such a rich conversation. Waleed is someone who can completely dissect a song cerebrally but also show how his connection to it changes given the emotion, and the time he’s hearing it. This conversation is something else. From Lily Allen to Public Enemy to Pink Floyd, this will make you believe in the broad and beautiful power of song.

Lily Allen - ‘Smile’

Public Enemy - ‘911 Is a Joke’

Queen - ‘The March of the Black Queen’

Billy Joel - ‘Allentown’

Pink Floyd - ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’

Andrew Stafford's songs to believe in Aug 16, 2019

Show notes

Back in 2004, Andrew Stafford published a book called Pig City. It captured the Brisbane music scene, the politics that fuelled this artistic reaction and so much more. From the Saints to Savage Garden, it became a bible in music history. Fifteen years passed, and Staffo finally returned with his follow up. This time a personal memoir, taking us through the life of a quiet fan who always felt on the outside, until he found music. Something to Believe In is it’s title, and when I heard it was being published, I knew I wanted Staffo to Take 5. His theme was simple. Songs to believe in; the music that had been a saviour in his life. From Ramones to Do Ré Mi, Jen Cloher to Television, this is a heartfelt walk through a true fan’s life.

Ramones - 'Something To Believe In'

Do Ré Mi - 'Man Overboard'

Jen Cloher - 'Hold My Hand'

Motörhead - '(We Are) The Road Crew'

Television - 'Marquee Moon'

Jessica Mauboy's songlines Aug 09, 2019

Show notes

Jessica Mauboy is a ray of light. We met her on a singing show more than a decade ago and since then she’s been flat out being a renaissance woman with a helluva big voice. I’ve wanted to do a Take 5 with Jess for years; she’s one of those people you just want to spend time with. Her beautiful energy sucks you in and charms the heck out of you. She’s also always struck me as incredibly grounded; through all of the twists and turns in her life as a pop star, Jess has kept her feet on the ground. That ground is often her home town of Darwin where, away from the cameras and stages, she can unwind with her sisters and parents. Just be Jess. Darwin is also the home of the National Indigenous Music Awards: an annual celebration of the best in First Nations music. Jess was due to headline the event, and the day before she joined me to Take 5 with her songlines. She came up with the theme; Jess wanted to talk about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island artists who had inspired her, and led a path for her own creative life. Across legends and new voices alike, the connection Jess has and the places she takes you on this Take 5 is something else. Head to the Top End with a legend.

Yothu Yindi - 'Djapana'

Christine Anu - 'Party'

Baker Boy - 'Marryuna (ft Yirrmal)'

Thelma Plum – 'Better in Blak'

Gurrumul – 'Bapa'

Peter Hook’s unknown pleasures Aug 02, 2019

Show notes

Peter Hook is an architect of modern music. As bass player and founding member of Joy Division and New Order, his melodic high playing style changed the game. Hooky’s bands influenced countless other artists from all across the musical map. From the branches of post punk and electronic music, these two groups changed the game for all of us. Plenty of bands lifted from that blueprint too: Radiohead, Interpol, Arcade Fire, the list goes on. But what are the songs that are unknown pleasures for Peter Hook? The sparks of inspiration that led him in new direction, the music he swooned to as a fan? From The Sex Pistols to Sigue Sigue Sputnik, The Temptations to The Velvets, Hooky wound back through an extraordinary life. And shared a hell of a lot of stories. Wind back to the root of a huge family tree, with this wonderful conversation about discovering your place.

Sex Pistols - 'Anarchy In The UK'

Lykke Li – 'I Follow Rivers'

The Temptations - 'Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)'

Sigue Sigue Sputnik - 'Love Missile F1-11'

The Velvet Underground - 'Venus In Furs'

Adrianne Lenker's songs that get under your skin Jul 26, 2019

Show notes

Adrianne Lenker feels things deeply. You hear it in every one of her songs; whether solo, or with her band Big Thief. Lucky for us, she shares it all. Over the past few years she's become one of the most promising and prolific songwriters around. Adrianne got her start early though, and it feels as though music has always helped her better understand the world. When she speaks about music everything slows down. She has a way of articulating what is often intangible, and she draws you into a beautiful meditative state with her voice and ideas. Whether you’re a superfan, or if Adrianne Lenker is a new name, this is a conversation that will speak to you. It’s about connection, about how melancholy can filter through joy, and how you can find space in the most intensely crowded sounds. It’s five songs that get under her skin, from an artist that will get under yours.

Sibylle Baier – 'Driving'

Bill Callahan – 'What Comes After Certainty'

Ithaca – 'Impulse Crush'

Sheer Mag – 'Point Breeze'

Life Without Buildings – 'Sorrow'

The Streets Take 5 with songs of then and now Jul 20, 2019

Show notes

In the early 00’s The Streets burst onto the scene. Original Pirate Material was like nothing else around. Combining garage beats with everyday stories from a geezer we could all relate to. Mike Skinner wanted to literally push things forward, taking the garage genre in a new direction and using his lyrics to talk about what was really going on inside the hearts and minds of people in the clubs. It struck a chord, and The Streets got a lot of attention. Over five albums Mike Skinner would tour Australia a whole lot, always playing festivals and always drawing a huge crowd. Then in 2011 he called it a day, releasing his final album and doing his final shows as The Streets. Music stayed in his life though. He threw himself into producing, directing, and most notably DJ-ing, behind the decks instead of out front on stage. Across his five songs choices we get a snapshot of a kid writing raps in his notebook in a hostel in Sydney. As well as the man today who is older, wiser, more grounded but with plenty of stories to tell. From Johnny Cash to Grim Sickers to Daft Punk, this is The Streets, Taking 5 with Zan Rowe and playing us his songs from then and now.

Johnny Cash – 'A Boy Named Sue'

Snoop Dogg – 'Serial Killa (ft. The D.O.C., Tha Dogg Pound and RBX)'

Grim Sickers – 'Open the Till (ft. Ghetts and Mike Skinner)'

Daniel Bedingfield – 'Gotta Get Through This'

Daft Punk – 'Human After All / Together / One More Time / Music Sounds Better With You' (from Alive 2007)

Mark Ronson's songs of pop perfection Jul 12, 2019

Show notes

Where do you begin with Mark Ronson? 7 Grammys, an Oscar, and so many hit records over 15 years of writing and producing music. He may not sing, but he’s topped the charts in every other way; crafting 'Uptown Funk', co-writing 'Shallow' with Lady Gaga, and collaborating with musicians from right across the genre map. Ever since that debut album back in 2003, I’ve been a fan. The way he scooped up hip-hop, soul, and funk into perfect pop packages grabbed my attention and kept it. Over the years Mark and I have crossed paths a few times but he’s never done a Take 5. And the opportunity to get inside the musical mind of Mark Ronson is something I’ve been hankering to do for a long time. From OutKast to The Smiths, King Princess to Kacey Musgraves to Prince, hear one of the world's great producers explore how their songs define pop perfection for him.

King Princess - ‘1950’

The Smiths - ‘Stop Me if You Think You’ve Heard This One Before’

Outkast - ‘Ms. Jackson’

Kacey Musgraves - ‘Slow Burn

Prince - ‘Pop Life’

Jen Cloher's musical navigators Jul 05, 2019

Show notes

Jen Cloher is a beacon in Australian music. She’s one of our best songwriters, and a great champion of her peers. Whether it's running management workshops, or co-founding Milk Records, her sage advice and keen ears propel others. But what about the artists who light a path for her? From Patti Smith to Gareth Liddiard, Camp Cope to PJ Harvey, this is a conversation about so much more than music.

Adalita - ‘Free Money {Live}’

The Drones - ‘Taman Shud’

Camp Cope ‘The Opener’

PJ Harvey - ‘The Words That Maketh Murder’

Evelyn Ida Morris - ‘The Body Appears’

Warren Ellis' songs in the key of Waz Jun 21, 2019

Show notes

Warren Ellis’ music has been the soundtrack to my adult life. I remember when I first heard Dirty Three, they were like nothing else around; an instrumental band with a violinist who played like Hendrix, and epic songs that tore at the very fibre of your being. I listened to their albums and like many others put my own meaning into those wordless songs. In the mid 90’s we started seeing him more in the Bad Seeds. He found a friend and collaborator in Nick Cave, they would form Grinderman together and compose beautiful soundtracks for film and television. Warren Ellis doesn’t sit still. He also rarely looks back.. for him, creative life is about propelling forward, solving the mystery of song that awaits in his next project. When Dirty Three announced they’d be performing their debut album in full, I knew I wanted Waz to Take 5. He’s always been the most entertaining part of Nick Cave doco’s, and his fiery spirit on stage is magnetic; I wanted to get close to that, see what made him tick. What I witnessed, was an entirely different Warren Ellis. In a pin drop quiet room, he took us from his childhood in Ballarat, to the streets of Europe, finding his voice in Melbourne and then leaving it all behind to become the man he is today. Songs in the key of Waz. From the maestro himself.

John Ellis - ‘Mis’ry is my Middle Name’

Johnny Cash - ‘Orange Blossom Special’

Beethoven - ‘Symphony 7 slow movement number 2 Allegretto’

Arleta - ‘Mia Fora Thymamai (I Remember a Time)’

Alice Coltrane / John Coltrane – ‘The Sun’

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