Night Parrots

Dear Friends,
The new cds ‘Night Parrots’ have arrived; here is a link to the press release.  i ‘m trying to think of ways to publicise it without spending any money – impossible sadly: Ive already had to post about 20 out just to all the people who are on it.  Anyway it’s a good record so just buy it and if you are friendly with any music industry powerbrokers (particularly overseas) let us know because that’s about the extent of our cunning publicity strategy.

When we got together to record these songs we warmed up with a few numbers first – a couple of covers and an original. And while they didnt have a place on the new album we thought they were worth putting up as free downloads. Ill put this old favourite up first – Dan had been asking us to do a version of it for some time.

I Fought The Law MP3 Download

Best regards

KC

Band

I have one of those jobs that involves sitting alone in a room. The work is of a mathematical and technical nature, and consequently there’s always another part of the brain using this time to rummage continually through the past, unearthing moments long forgotten, or holding memories whose edges have been sanded smooth from constant handling. One of the memories that often springs unbidden is the time in the late ’90′s I received a postcard from Pikachu.

Many of you will not remember Pikachu. I suppose he was a sort of little yellow demon of largely benevolent mien. Some claimed he caused epilepsy (when upset he would discharge electricity from his cheeks). I was in no position to judge the veracity of these claims, as we had never met. One day I received a postcard. On the front was a picture of Pikachu. On the back it read:

“Dear Daniel,

I hear that I am your favourite Pokemon. This makes me very happy.

Love,

Pikachu”

This is a good memory. I often think of you, little Pikachu. In other news, DJ Mattydog has continued to finesse his exciting dance remixes of  King Curly tracks, which you may download here:

Falling Downstairs (Video Remix) 

I Am Coming Back (In a Revenge Song) Scythe Remix

I’m pleased to find that the King Curly tune, “I Am Coming Back (In A Revenge Song)” – has been reconfigured for the Dance Houses of the world (Mr Creighton is pleased too)

You can download it here as a free MP3. DJ Mattydogg tells me he came across King Curly playing live at a couple of recent festivals when he noticed a promising correlation between the music and physical movement. He is now working on a dance mix for a new tune on ‘Fall & Rise’ called ‘Falling Downstairs’.

KC

Download: (Right Click and “Save Link As…)

I Am Coming Back (In a Revenge Song) Scythe Mix MP3

I Am Coming Back (In a Revenge Song) Wasteland Mix MP3

To celebrate the release and tour of ‘The Fall & Rise Of King Curly’ it seems like a nice idea to make one of the tunes available as a free download – in the knowledge that fair minded punters who grow to love it will compensate the starving/misunderstood artists down the line – in some kind-hearted way (preferably monetary).

Best Regards to you all

K.C

THE BUMBLEBEE HAS NO HOME MP3 (from ‘Doomsday Piano’ 2006) (Right Click and “Save Link As”)

Words & music by Steve Appel/ Daniel Creighton

A lifelong love of Tiny Tim laid bare – along with a love of Hank Williams. I was hoping to write a song I could yodel in, when down the line came a strange little piece of prose from my friend Mr Dan Creighton holed up in an Edinburgh winter. It was from this long distance correspondence with Dan that the album ‘Doomsday Piano’ grew.

It may be of interest to fanatics to know that the ukulele used for this recording was a toy one – broken to the degree that it had to be held together with an industrial clamp while we played.

Musicians: Steve Appel /vocal, ukulele, organ, piano, screaming cats box viola; Zoe Hauptmann /electrical bass, b vocals; John Hibbard /b vocals; Elmo Reed /candolin, paling banjo guitar; James Hauptmann /tea chest percussion; Bruce Reid /lap steel

Dear Friends,

I have neglected my blog and am now being castigated for it (which is touching).

You see, Ive been busy during the Xmas season for a number of years now, in my other job as a face painting clown at large corporate functions – or even occasionally as Santa (which I avoid wherever possible).

But don’t feel sorry for me. I quite like the work even though I do it largely for the money. It suits me to be in the disguise of a costume and for those of you who might now seek me out, I’m generally a sullen pirate or a sort of faded French homosexual. Occasionally a nervous child will burst into tears at the mere sight of me and the moustache hasn’t helped that at all – but on the other hand I’ve noticed with satisfaction that my queue of children is often longer than that of my colleagues (though they would jealously say it’s because I’m slow)

As a Xmas gift, Mr Creighton and I decided this MP3 of an alternate version of the Doomsday Piano song ‘White Boys Of Rock n Roll’ might be of interest. It is also a gift to ponytailed music shop attendants everywhere for obvious reasons. God Bless us, every one, as Tiny Tim remarks to the reformed Ebenezer Scrooge.

Download “White Boys” alternate version MP3

In other news, we have been invited to perform at the National Folk Festival in Canberra 2008. The Fall & Rise of King Curly is to be released in March with the National tour following through May.

Best regards and Merry Xmas to everyone.

The first couple of shows are done. Sydney and Katoomba – home crowds (if anyone can call Sydney ‘home’) – and they went well enough. I’ve noticed a pleasing escalation of obsessive fan behaviour as well as folks travelling a fair distance in order to see a show. Keep up the good work.

Dare I imagine it might be a thing of interest to throw some light on my early virtually-unknown stuff from my first band, ‘One-Head-Jet’? Some of it is pretty good I reckon.

First taster is this one called ‘Black River’ which elder brother Greg and I recorded on our 4 track cassette tape machine at our home in Petersham, Sydney. My voice quivers a lot (It was during my more-than-usually-confused period). Greg and I played most things and James Cruikshank played the keys. The backing vocal part “how – wuuwa-wuwwa” was my youngest brother Dave. This song became part of mine and Gregs first One-Head-Jet release, a 6 track Cd called ‘Snickedy Palace’ out on Phantom Records. Damned if I know if there are any left but anyone who has one could be sitting on a gold mine.

DOWNLOAD “Black River”

Time to put a new tune up on the Myspace player thing – one of my MySpace Friends asked for ‘Orgy’ a while back so somewhat belatedly I honour that request. Click here and select “Orgy” on the player to listen. Incidentally, “Orgy” features on the forthcoming “Clubland” soundtrack.

So… this is a tune penned by brother Greg when we were in a band together called One-Head-Jet. I had always loved it and wanted to arrange it for a recording when I started King Curly. There are two critical hurdles for any musician/songwriter. Firstly to write a good song, and then to record it well enough to reveal the song in full glory. Frankly that is rarely achieved though we must often be satisfied to come close enough. For me, I’m happy if I can pull it off on at least one or two songs per album – but I’m pretty fussy.

‘Orgy’ is one which I thought did work. It was recorded around 2002 with Greg Walker in his shack by the sea – all just ProTools as I remember. Most notably, Greg played the excellent lead guitar work, Deb Hearn did the girl vocals and brother Dave Appel did the brass. The bass was just a slacked off E string on the elec guit but it’s still pretty fat.

Hope you enjoy it.

Here is a new years gift for you all.

Download “It’s Alright” MP3.

A jumping little exhortation to mayhem through song, currently unavailable on disc. It features Greg Walker on honkytonk piano and Elmo on electrical guitar. I particularly like Elmo and Greg’s backing vocal. We recorded this at Brendan Gallagher’s place actually – all very quickly done like many good things. It should also be noted that even though the song “It’s Alright” tells you to be unkind to your grandma, it is neither wise nor kind to act thusly in real life.

UPDATE odgy MP3 replaced with functioning one.
Well – this took about 2 hours to make into a fucking MP3. Anyway I’ll attach it here and have to think of something to say maybe….

Here’s a Xmas treat for King Curly afficionados…

Download “It Takes So Long” MP3

It’s a track I wrote with brother Greg and was recorded as part of the “Lullaby” sessions two years ago but wasn’t included in the album because a suitable place couldnt be found for it in the flow of the song order. I felt sad about that as I like the recording but sometimes another chance appears to release a song – and maybe this is it.

Featuring: a friend named Casey on trumpet, Elmo’s old pump-action organ and the Wilson St Gnostic choir.

Merry Christmas!

Technology allows us to see what search-terms people on the internet have entered to draw themselves into the powerful gravitational pull of the King Curly site – as well as their country of origin.

For instance we can see that the Germans and Japanese are at the cutting edge of fashion (as usual) and visit the site in vast numbers. Also, we can see that a disproportionate number arrive via the search terms “I wish I was a girl” – which is, of course, an early King Curly tune. I suspect that some of these are drifting in off the high plains of the sex chatroom world, or through a genuine and plaintive wish to actually be a girl….. but for their benefit it seems like a nice idea to offer them the song right here – to help lighten the load on their lonely wanderings…

Download “I Wish I Was a Girl” MP3.

Other search terms that have led travellers to the King include: “switchblade knife”, “chicken husbandry” “bon scott + backmasking”, “zoe shower head reviews” and “cane toads dressed as characters”.