The Music Show

From the rattling charge of The Lone Ranger to the slick, warbling vocals of White Lotus, music for television has been beckoning us to the couch for the best part of a century.In Music for Prime Time: A History of American Television Themes and Scoring, Jon Burlingame has charted the history of music for telly in the form of an elegiac sort of look back at the medium as streaming overtook network TV and the 2007 writers’ strike looked to have changed the medium forever. Now a new edition, released in the context of a new and bitterly long writers’ and actors’ strike, may serve as an elegy for the streaming age too.Jon joins Andy from Los Angeles to fire up the cathode ray and listen to the music of the medium, with plenty of memorable tunes in the mix.Featuring themes and music from:The Lone RangerRawhideThe Twilight Zone (Bernard Herrmann)The Twilight Zone (Marius Constant)Peter GunnHawaii Five-0The Man from U.N.C.L.EMission, ImpossibleGet SmartThe JetsonsThe FlintstonesGilligan’s IslandAll In The FamilyCheersHill Street BluesThe West WingPride & PrejudiceJeeves & WoosterDeadwoodThe SopranosGame of ThronesSuccessionWhite LotusThe West Wing (closing credits)The Music Show is made on Gadigal and Gundungurra CountryTechnical production by Russell Stapleton on Gadigal Country

Peter Garrett has still got a fire in his belly at 70. The True North, his new solo album, tackles similar ground to an Oils record—the climate crisis, politics and addiction to technology, but it's his own songwriting voice out front. The songs contain messages of hope and anger in equal measure. The music is provided by The Alter Egos (which includes Midnight Oil alumnus Martin Rotsey and The Jezabels' Heather Shannon) as well as his daughters Grace and May on backing vocals.Opera Australia is a beast of a company, most famously nestled beneath the sails of the Sydney Opera House but also in Melbourne, and across the East Coast. Programming for multiple cities, venues, audiences and tastes is a massive undertaking that British director Jo Davies took on when she was announced as the new Artistic Director of the company last year. Now with her feet firmly under the table and her inaugural season hitting the stage, she talks with Andy about her programming choices, which see a significant Australian and new opera presence, collaborations with other smaller opera companies, as well as smatterings of musical theatre and a production of Tosca staged at Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena.Music in Peter GarrettTitles: Innocence Parts 1 & 2, Meltdown, Human Playground, Permaglow, EverybodyComposer: Peter Garrett (except Human Playground which was written by Ainslie Wills)Artist: Peter GarrettAlbum: The True NorthLabel: Sony Music 19658844501Music in Jo DaviesTitle: Overture, from Così fan tutteComposer: MozartArtist: La Petite Bande, conduted byt Sigiswald KuijkenAlbum: Mozart: Così fan tutteLabel: Brilliant Classics 99555Title: Breaking The Waves (excerpt)Composer: Missy Mazzoli, libretto Royce VavrekArtist: Opera Philadelphia Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Steven Osgood with soprano Kiera DuffyThe Music Show is made on Gadigal and Gundungurra CountryTechnical production by Russell Stapleton on Gadigal Country

It was hard to miss Corinne Bailey Rae’s ubiquitous track from 2006 'Put Your Records On'. And it’s still heard in coffee shops the world over. The English singer songwriter released her fourth studio album late last year and it represented a complete left turn in both sound and subject. Black Rainbows is her first album not on a major label and spans genres like rock, jazz and punk. It's a celebration of Black history and resilience, with each track inspired by books, photographs and objects that Corinne encountered at the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago.Ju Ben is a Fijian hip hop artist who won ABC’s Pacific Break competition, and a slot on stage at WOMADelaide. Producer Ce Benedict caught up with him backstage to talk about the song 'Sema Mai' and the messages behind his music.Angélique Kidjo shares the story behind her 2018 album Remain In Light, a track-for-track re-imagining of the Talking Heads’ classic, highlighting the African influences across the record.Music in Corinne Bailey Rae:Title: Peach Velvet SkyComposer: Corinne Bailey Rae, Stephen James BrownArtist: Corinne Bailey RaeAlbum: Black RainbowsLabel: Thirty TigersTitle: ErasureComposer: Corinne Bailey RaeArtist: Corinne Bailey RaeAlbum: Black RainbowsLabel: Thirty TigersTitle: Before The Throne Of The Invisible GodComposer: Corinne Bailey RaeArtist: Corinne Bailey RaeAlbum: Black RainbowsLabel: Thirty TigersMusic in Ju Ben:Title: Sema MaiComposer: Peni Tupou Roqara (Ju Ben)Artist: JU BENAlbum: Tauyavu EPLabel: VTBOP Music/PreciseMusic in Angelique Kidjo:Title: Once In A LifetimeComposer: Brian Eno, Christopher Frantz, David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Tina WeymouthArtist: Talking HeadsAlbum: Remain In LightLabel: Sire SRK 6095Title: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)Composer: Brian Eno, Christopher Frantz, David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Tina WeymouthArtist: Talking HeadsAlbum: Remain In LightLabel: Sire SRK 6095Title: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)Composer: Brian Eno, Christopher Frantz, David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Tina WeymouthArtist: Angélique KidjoAlbum: Remain In LightLabel: KravenworksTechnical production by Simon Branthwaite, Nathan Turnbull and Harvey O'SullivanThe Music Show was produced this week on Gadigal, Gundungurra and Kaurna Country

Simone Young, who has just renewed her contract with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for another two years, talks about conducting Gurrelieder for the first time. Schoenberg's late-Romantic extravagance is one of the most sumptuous works of the twentieth century, and one of the biggest - such a concert hall rarity that Simone herself has never heard it live. We also talk about her forthcoming cycles of Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung at the theatre Wagner himself built in Bayreuth, Germany.Eleanor McEvoy is one of Ireland’s foremost singer songwriters, and we pick up the conversation where we left it last time—in the midst of an ill-fated tour in March 2020. After nearly two years without touring or playing a single gig, Eleanor released her 16th album, Gimme Some Wine, a lush and introspective record with instrumentation inspired by listening to a wide range of music. She plays two songs from it live in our studio.Eleanor's tour dates:Friday 15 March Blue Mountains Festival, Katoomba, NSWSaturday 16 March Blue Mountains Festival, Katoomba, NSWSunday 17 March Blue Mountains Festival , Katoomba, NSWWednesday 20 March Jack Duggans Irish Pub, Bathurst, NSWThursday 21 March Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham, NSWFriday 22 March Illawarra Folk Club, Wollongong, NSWSaturday 23 March Troubadour Folk, Woy Woy, NSWSunday 24 March , New Lambton Community Centre , NSWWednesday 27 March Merry Muse, Irish Club, CanberraTuesday 2 April Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne, VICWednesday 3 April The Gaelic Club, Sydney, NSW ClubMusic in the show:Extracts from Arnold Schoenberg's Gurrelieder from the following recordings:Artists: Stig Andersen, Soile Isokoski, Monica Groop, Ralf Lukas, Andreas Conrad, Barbara Sukowa, City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus, Philharmonia Voices, and Philharmonia OrchestraConductor: Esa-Pekka SalonenLabel: Signum Classics SIGCD173Artists: Marita Napier, Yvonne Minton, Jess Thomas, Siegmund Nimsgern, Kenneth Bowen and Gunter Reich (narrator), BBC Symphony Orchestra & ChorusConductor: Pierre BoulezLabel: Sony Music SM2K 48 459Eleanor McEvoy performs live in The Music Show studio two songs from her album Gimme Some Wine:South Anne StreetThe Spanish Word for LoveAt the end of the show:Title: Carbon FootprintArtist: Veronique Serret feat. William BartonIndependent single releaseTechnical production by Simon Branthwaite, Nathan Turnbull and Harvey O'SullivanThe Music Show was produced this week on Gadigal, Gundungurra and Kaurna Country

An hour with two Irish living legends, singer songwriter Lisa O’Neill and concertina master Cormac Begley. Both stalwarts of the Irish traditional music scene, they united for an intense, wailing version of All the Tired Horses which was used in the final moment of Peaky Blinders.They play live and talk to Andy about what tradition means, how new writing can sing alongside the old songs, and the highs (piccolo) and lows (bass) of having a concertina collection.Including live performances of:All the Tired HorsesThe Green Groves of ErinTo WarOld NoteWhen Cash Was KingO’Neill’s March/Croppy CroppyTechnical production by Tom Henry, Tim Symonds, Olivia Aquilina and Ann-Marie DebettencorWOMADelaide technical crew Alex Mollison, Jess Wolfendale, Jamie Mensforth, Cambell Lawrence, Alex Hadden, Jared Jackson, Greg Pickle, Ryan O'DeaWith special thanks to Tiki Menegola and Tayla CarlawThe Music Show was produced this week on Gadigal and Kaurna Country

The Music Show is back on Kaurna Land at Adelaide's Botanic Park for WOMADelaide 2024, a festival celebrating music from all over the world.Marta Pereira da Costa was the first woman to make a career as a Fado guitarist. From Lisbon, Portugal, she gave up a career as a civil engineer to pursue the music full time and keep Portugal’s major musical tradition alive.The Good Ones formed in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda as a way of processing, healing and finding hope. There is a universality to their sound—fingerpicked acoustic guitar, simple percussion and haunting harmonies, which is deeply affecting even if we don't speak Kinyarwanda.Katanga Junior grew up in Tanzania's mountainous region of Arusha, but he now calls Mparntwe/Alice Springs home. His style ranges from acoustic folk to hip hop to reggae, and he brings a unique sound and perspective to the vibrant music scene of Central Australia. Performed live by Marta Pereira da CostaTerraDia de FeiraPerformed live by The Good OnesThe FarmerMon CheriPerformed live by Katanga JuniorKwenye MaishaMapenzi BusinessTechnical production by Tom Henry, Tim Symonds, Olivia Aquilina and Ann-Marie DebettencorWOMADelaide technical crew Alex Mollison, Jess Wolfendale, Jamie Mensforth, Cambell Lawrence, Alex Hadden, Jared Jackson, Greg Pickle, Ryan O'DeaWith special thanks to Tiki Menegola and Tayla CarlawThe Music Show was produced this week on Gadigal and Kaurna Country

Windborne are a vocal quartet from New England in the US. Their tagline is 'old songs, bold harmonies' and their varied repertoire puts Corsican polyphony next to 17th Century English protest songs. They’ve found a huge following online in recent years, thanks in part to a performance outside of Trump Tower. They’re in the country for a string of local shows and festival appearances and they perform live in our music studio.Yorta Yorta musician and storyteller Allara is also in our studio this week. Allara brings her poetry to life armed with a double bass, looping pedal and electronics. She chats to Andy about learning her Yorta Yorta Language and the enduring legacy of her old bandmate Archie Roach (she’s performing on the Archie Roach Foundation stage at this year’s Port Fairy Folk Festival). Windborne live in The Music Show studio (ABC: Ellie Parnell)

With sixteen albums and five Grammys under her belt, Angélique Kidjo doesn’t need much of an introduction. She’s back in Australia to perform songs from her 2021 album Mother Nature as well as gems from her catalogue that highlight her infectious energy, dazzling array of influences and multi-language pop music. Supporting most of her tour is Maatakitj (the stage name of Noongar song-maker, composer, and academic Clint Bracknell). In this special double-header interview Angélique and Clint reflect on performing in languages most of their audience don’t understand, whether music can be an ambassador, and why it’s more important than ever for us to dance. Mezzo-soprano Anna Dowsley makes her home in Germany’s opera houses these days, but she’s back on her home soil for a run of concerts with the pianist Michael Curtain, tackling a body of work called Cabaret Songs by American composer William Bolcom and the late “theatre poet” Arnold Weinstein. Even though they were written in the 70s and 80s, these songs have something distinctly 1930s about them, but also a sharp contemporary wit. Anna and Michael join Andy in studio to play selections from Cabaret Songs live and delve into this eccentric collection. 

The Music Show is about the creation and enjoyment of music.

Joseph Keckler creates operatic monologues that cover subjects such as psychedelic mushroom trips, haunted houses, and buying a jacket. He also does Schubert lieder. He’s about to tour to Australia with no-wave legend Lydia Lunch and joins Andy to unpack his unique sound and influences.Mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis makes her Australian debut with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jaime Martín for Mahler’s 3rd Symphony. She’s a booked and busy opera performer too, with repertoire as varied as classics like Verdi’s Aida to contemporary remounts like X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X and world premieres like 10 Days in a Madhouse.