The Music Show

Hilary Geddes is a guitarist of understated virtuosity, and a composer of music that takes jazz into a rolling, lush, environmental register. Her latest album Redleaf, with the Hilary Geddes Quartet, is a record of the sounds she's heard, the music she's created, and the relationship between the players over the past four years.
Kae Tempest returns to The Music Show ahead of his appearance at Vivid Sydney. His latest album Self Titled is his most personal, threading the needle between fury and optimism with the wordy humanity he's known for. He talks to Ce about how the Self in Self Titled has evolved. 
Tour dates for Hilary Geddes here
Kae Tempest’s national tour which includes dates in Perth, Melbourne (Rising) Brisbane (Open Season) and Sydney (Vivid) starts June 4
Music heard in this program:
Title: HyperdistillationArtist: Kae TempestComposer: Kae TempestAlbum: Self TitledLabel: Island Records
Title: First (solo version)Artist: Hilary Geddes Composer: Hilary GeddesAlbum: Live performance
Title: First Artist: Hilary Geddes QuartetComposer: Hilary GeddesAlbum: RedleafLabel: Earshift Music
Title: Three Five TenArtist: Hilary Geddes QuartetComposer: Hilary GeddesAlbum: RedleafLabel: Earshift Music
Title: Prayers To WhisperArtist: Kae TempestComposer: Kae TempestAlbum: Self TitledLabel: Island Records
Title: BreatheArtist: Kae TempestComposer: Kae TempestAlbum: Self TitledLabel: Island Records
Title: Sunshine On CatfordArtist: Kae TempestComposer: Kae TempestAlbum: Self TitledLabel: Island Records
Title: I Stand On The LineArtist: Kae TempestComposer: Kae TempestAlbum: Self TitledLabel: Island Records
Title: Blue In GreenArtist: Miles DavisComposer: Miles DavisAlbum: Kind of BlueLabel: Island Records
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country Country
Technical production by Isabella Tropiano and Timothy Jenkins

Barry Conyngham’s piece Ice Carving isn’t performed very often, and almost never in its intended configuration - a solo violinist surrounded by an audience, who are then surrounded by 4 string orchestras. It’s finally getting its proper form at The Ian Potter Centre in Melbourne and Barry takes us back to the inspiration, at The Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
It's been 30 years since Mogwai released their debut single, Tuner/Lower, and the band have gone from one of the young teams of rock to one of post-rock's longest running groups. Stuart Braithwaite, the band's guitarist and occasional singer, looks back on the band's three decades.
Tortoise, another central figure in post-rock, are also celebrating 30 years since one of their biggest albums, Millions Now Living Will Never Die. John McEntire explains how the band decides which drummer will play on a given track, why they're drawn to unusual time-signatures, and why it took 10 years for them to complete their latest record.  
Ice Carving has three shows on May 29. Details here
Tour dates for Mogwai, beginning on May 23 at Vivid in Sydney, are available here
Tour dates for Tortoise, beginning May 27 in Sydney, are available here
Music heard in this program:
Title: Mogwai Fear SatanArtist: MogwaiComposer: MogwaiAlbum: Young TeamLabel: Spunk
Title: Ice CarvingArtist: Sydney Symphony Orchestra & Wilfred LehmannComposer: Barry ConynghamAlbum: Live performanceLabel: ABC Music
Title: What Kind of Mix Is ThisArtist: MogwaiComposer: MogwaiAlbum: The Bad FireLabel: Rock Action Records
Title: Yes! I Am A Long Way From HomeArtist: MogwaiComposer: MogwaiAlbum: Young TeamLabel: Spunk
Title: OganessonArtist: TortoiseComposer: TortoiseAlbum: TouchLabel: International Anthem Recording Company
Title: Glass MuseumArtist: TortoiseComposer: TortoiseAlbum: Millions Now Living Will Never DieLabel: Thrill Jockey
Title: After RainArtist: Hilary Geddes QuartetComposer: Hilary GeddesAlbum: RedleafLabel: Earshift Music
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country Country
Technical production by Isabella Tropiano

Judy Small is a fixture of the Australian folk scene, a writer and performer of songs about politics and people. She joins Andy to recap the thirty-ish years since she was last on the show, including a career in family law and as a federal judge, and the process she's been undertaking of recording some of her last songs (Swansongs) and appearing at the 60th National Folk Festival.
And Ce Benedict reports from the festival itself, where transcontinental dulcimer jams, children busking, and bardic reinterpretations of Smashmouth all contribute to one of Australia's most distinctive festival experiences. 
Music heard in the show: 
Title: Home HomeArtist: ApollineComposer: Hickey, LuisaAlbum: Home HomeLabel: Independent Release
Title: Stand Or Fall, Within These Walls (Yad Vashem)Artist: Judy SmallComposer: Small, JudyAlbum: SwansongsLabel: Independent Release
Title: The White Bay Paper SellerArtist: Judy SmallComposer: Small, JudyAlbum: Mothers, Daughters, Wives / Ladies and GemsLabel: Independent Release
Title: You Don't Speak For MeArtist: Judy SmallComposer: Small, JudyAlbum: Judy Small - Best of the 80sLabel: Independent Release
Title: EncantoArtist: Maryam RahmaniComposer: Rahmani, MaryamAlbum: KamandLabel: Independent Release
Label: Independent ReleaseTitle: Home HomeArtist: ApollineComposer: Hickey, LuisaAlbum: Home Home
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country Country
Technical production by Emrys Cronin and Timothy Jenkins

Xiu Xiu has been a leading figure in American avant-pop for more than two decades: combining abrasive noise and extremely dark subject matter with a catchy pop sensibility. It’s perhaps no surprise then that they’ve been drawn to the work of David Lynch, releasing their version of the music of Twin Peaks, and now, appearing at Dark Mofo in Tasmania to present their take on Eraserhead. Jamie Stewart talks passion, performance, and Dolly Parton.
 in 1707 Alessandro Scarlatti wrote an oratorio called il primo omicidio - The First Murder. It features Cain, Abel, their parents Adam and Eve, and (naturally) God and Satan providing a bit of sung commentary too. Ashlyn Tymms, Madison Nonoa, and Erin Helyard share Pinchgut Opera's approach, which uses a distinctly Australian setting.
Pinchgut Opera are performing The First Murder at Roslyn Packer Theatre from May 23
Music heard in this program:
Title: JoleneArtist: Xiu XiuComposer: Dolly PartonAlbum: Xiu MF'n XiuLabel: Polyvinyl Record Company 
Title: Common LoonArtist: Xiu XiuComposer: Xiu XIuAlbum: 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto With Bison Horn GripsLabel: Polyvinyl Record Company 
Title: Il primo omicidio, Parte prima; 'La fraterna amica pace'Artist: Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin and René JacobsComposer: Alessandro Scarlatti Album: Scarlatti: Il primo omicidioLabel: Harmonia Mundi
Title: La Fraterna amica paceArtist: Erin Helyard, Ashlyn Tymms, Madison NonoaComposer: Alessandro Scarlatti Album: Live Performance
Title: The White Bay paper sellerArtist: Judy SmallComposer: Judy SmallAlbum: Ladies & GemsLabel: Crafty Maid
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country Country
Technical production by Emrys Cronin and Timothy Jenkins

American Singer-songwriter Connie Converse would be hard enough to pigeonhole had she not disappeared without a trace in 1974. She wrote folk songs, and art songs, and the story of her life and disappearance is a fascinating one. It's the subject of a biography called To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse by Howard Fishman, who joins Andy to tell the tale and listen to her wonderful and wonderfully strange songs. 
Gia Margaret's new album is called Singing, fitting for her first return to vocal music after eight years of having lost her voice. As she tells Andy, adversity led her to finding creativity in instrumental writing, which she's now brought back to the voice for her latest release. 
And we hear new music by tar virtuoso Hamed Sadeghi from his new album, Convergence. 
Join us for The Music Show at Sydney Writers' Festival on 21 May with Ziggy Ramo, Leah Senior and Kate Fagan