Music / Premieres
So, what’s it to you?
w/ Jack Cherry
w/ Jack Cherry
A tongue-in-cheek attitude and a knowing humility seems contradictory in punk sometimes, but in towing that fervent line, Vintage Crop have come to position themselves as one of Melbourne’s most unique and exciting bands - both live and on record.
When he’s not leading Vintage Crop’s frenetic blitzes, Jack Cherry is also busy as the brains behind post-punk powerhouse Dragnet and running his own record label Weather Vane Records. We caught up with Jack to discuss about the records that have a place in his life.
When he’s not leading Vintage Crop’s frenetic blitzes, Jack Cherry is also busy as the brains behind post-punk powerhouse Dragnet and running his own record label Weather Vane Records. We caught up with Jack to discuss about the records that have a place in his life.
The record that made you realise there were more than three chords
The album that first really opened my eyes to the intricacies of songwriting was We’re Only In It For The Money by The Mothers of Invention. Really. This could be any Zappa album - but I chose this one because I listened to it again recently and I pulled so much from it again. His compositions are so dense and it’s just a whole new world when you put on a Zappa record. You can tell it’s his music straight away, there’s a distinct sound but the irony is that almost none of his albums are the same. His work is a genuine brain expander. His ideas are so playful and over the top but the music itself is 100% serious business - there’s a razor sharp focus to the details and you can’t help but admire it.
The album that first really opened my eyes to the intricacies of songwriting was We’re Only In It For The Money by The Mothers of Invention. Really. This could be any Zappa album - but I chose this one because I listened to it again recently and I pulled so much from it again. His compositions are so dense and it’s just a whole new world when you put on a Zappa record. You can tell it’s his music straight away, there’s a distinct sound but the irony is that almost none of his albums are the same. His work is a genuine brain expander. His ideas are so playful and over the top but the music itself is 100% serious business - there’s a razor sharp focus to the details and you can’t help but admire it.
The record that reminds you of your father
A record that reminds me of my dad is probably Cosmo's Factory by Creedence. Both this album and Sons of Beaches by Aussie Crawl have been stalwarts in Dad's CD collection for as long as I can remember. I remember hearing this album when I was 7 and thinking it was dorky, I can remember hearing it at 17 and thinking it was kinda cool. I wonder what I'll think about this album when I'm 27? Memories of Sunday afternoons rush to mind when I hear 'Lookin' Out My Backdoor' & it will forever remind me of Dad.
A record that reminds me of my dad is probably Cosmo's Factory by Creedence. Both this album and Sons of Beaches by Aussie Crawl have been stalwarts in Dad's CD collection for as long as I can remember. I remember hearing this album when I was 7 and thinking it was dorky, I can remember hearing it at 17 and thinking it was kinda cool. I wonder what I'll think about this album when I'm 27? Memories of Sunday afternoons rush to mind when I hear 'Lookin' Out My Backdoor' & it will forever remind me of Dad.
The record that surprised you
The record that surprised me would be probably To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar. I just didn't really expect to like it, I remember when it came out all of my high school friends who liked rap music really didn't like it. I was always a passing fan of rap music, I was just stumbling through the dregs of mainstream rap and finding the occasional song or album that would help expand my knowledge and taste. It was TPAB that really put me on the right path in terms of rap music. From there I connected George Clinton and delved into P-Funk, A Tribe Called Quest and the other roots of what Kendrick was doing on that album. Moving that slider forwards, I crossed paths with Madlib, MF Doom and so on. I can't believe my rap friends didn't like this record?
The record that surprised me would be probably To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar. I just didn't really expect to like it, I remember when it came out all of my high school friends who liked rap music really didn't like it. I was always a passing fan of rap music, I was just stumbling through the dregs of mainstream rap and finding the occasional song or album that would help expand my knowledge and taste. It was TPAB that really put me on the right path in terms of rap music. From there I connected George Clinton and delved into P-Funk, A Tribe Called Quest and the other roots of what Kendrick was doing on that album. Moving that slider forwards, I crossed paths with Madlib, MF Doom and so on. I can't believe my rap friends didn't like this record?
The record you’ve never shared with anyone
A record I've never shared with anyone would be The Pace Setters by Edikanfo. It's probably not new to some people, but they were a Ghanan band and this 1981 album was produced by Brian Eno. It's really good stuff, got some awesome rhythms and melodies. I saw it one day at my local record store and took a chance on it - absolutely don't regret it. Really nice music for a sunny day.
A record I've never shared with anyone would be The Pace Setters by Edikanfo. It's probably not new to some people, but they were a Ghanan band and this 1981 album was produced by Brian Eno. It's really good stuff, got some awesome rhythms and melodies. I saw it one day at my local record store and took a chance on it - absolutely don't regret it. Really nice music for a sunny day.
Your roundabout introduction to punk
My roundabout introduction to punk would be probably Damaged by Black Flag. I was never really into punk growing up - just rock. I really got into the whole indie surf-rock thing when I was 18, I used to think it was real punk. It wasn't until I saw bands like Cereal Killer, Ausmuteants, Wet Blankets around Geelong that I started to get a clue. I kinda traced their influences back and discovered all the good stuff I was missing out on when I was 18. It primed my taste buds for Black Flag. I loved the energy and I adored the attitude. It feels a little cliche now, but some of the tracks on the B side are so warped & abrasive still. Just totally opened my eyes and helped me to appreciate punk.
My roundabout introduction to punk would be probably Damaged by Black Flag. I was never really into punk growing up - just rock. I really got into the whole indie surf-rock thing when I was 18, I used to think it was real punk. It wasn't until I saw bands like Cereal Killer, Ausmuteants, Wet Blankets around Geelong that I started to get a clue. I kinda traced their influences back and discovered all the good stuff I was missing out on when I was 18. It primed my taste buds for Black Flag. I loved the energy and I adored the attitude. It feels a little cliche now, but some of the tracks on the B side are so warped & abrasive still. Just totally opened my eyes and helped me to appreciate punk.
The record that actually sucks
The record that actually sucks is Blur’s self-titled album. I just can’t see it - none of the songs really stand out for me and the whole thing kinda feels bloated. I feel like maybe all the Blur fans saw the success of 'Song 2' and then had to do the old “convince everybody (including themselves) that it’s actually the worst song on the album” trick, but in reality I think it might actually just be the best song on there? There’s some great moments on the album, but for me it’s just not as good as the rest of their catalogue.
The record that actually sucks is Blur’s self-titled album. I just can’t see it - none of the songs really stand out for me and the whole thing kinda feels bloated. I feel like maybe all the Blur fans saw the success of 'Song 2' and then had to do the old “convince everybody (including themselves) that it’s actually the worst song on the album” trick, but in reality I think it might actually just be the best song on there? There’s some great moments on the album, but for me it’s just not as good as the rest of their catalogue.
Vintage Crop's latest album Serve To Serve Again is out now, through Anti Fade Records.
Check out the previous instalment of James’ ‘So, what’s it to you?’ series with Jake Robertson here.
Check out the previous instalment of James’ ‘So, what’s it to you?’ series with Jake Robertson here.
