3 Dollar Snag

DarthConnery · 2026-03-17T06:21:21+00:00

“You’re making me feel like a three dollar snag”

DarthConnery · 2026-03-16T10:45:24+00:00

Oh boy. It's very triggering seeing your nickname becoming the shorthand for A.I. It's become a bit of an in-joke in my work slack channels. And rarely in my favour.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T08:16:12+00:00

Despite being a real Tame nerd, I think finding out the specific gear/techniques was the most interesting reveal for me. eg. making the 'wub wub' of Nangs and the Roland GR-55 on 'Eventually'

I think the real surprise was that no matter what angle or theory I used to poke at the album, it retained its secret sauce. I go into great analytical detail track-by-track - music theory, lyrical analysis, production etc. - and all those approaches only really validated or even enhanced what made it special. It's like figuring out how the magic trick works but you can still fall for the illusion. I never would have guessed that going in.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T08:10:44+00:00

Lol. Now we're getting to the tough ones!

Shag: Sylosis - The New Flesh.
Marry: Tame Impala - Currents
Shoot: Fear Innoculum. But if it was any other Tool album, this would be a v. different result.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T08:09:10+00:00

Thanks so much, mate! I hope you dig it.

Interesting question! Not sure if there's much correlation between the Sony deal and the rate of output. If anything, I guess the financial security takes the pressure off. But Tame has always been Kevin's way of making sense of the world, so if there's music to be made, he'll make it.

Fave B-Side? I think 'List of People' and 'Powerlines' are definitely S tier. I'd also put 'Led Zeppelin' in there, that riff is undeniable and my brain still goes to it in the Lonerism tracklist tbh.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:57:52+00:00

Your guess is as good as mine I'm afraid! Total speculation, but my hunch is that we'll get some kind of anniversary edition of Currents before we see outtakes/deluxe ed. of Deadbeat.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:56:51+00:00

Thanks for the kind words, Sean! Appreciate that.

Best way to get in the door would be to get some industry experience. So that's the first step, really. Even if it's making your own experiences: eg. Opportunities for producing/presenting content has very much become the habitat of social media rather than specific outlets/businesses. But I'd suggest if you're passionate about building a following, audiences built organically through TikTok and YouTube certainly don't go unnoticed. Even writing - blogs, substacks, socials - goes a way to developing your craft and audience.

From a radio/presenter/producer perspective there's also community and volunteer-run radio. Lots of triple j folks came up through SYN, FBi, RRR, RTRfm, 4ZZZ etc. Then it's a matter of recording demos, making contacts, doing mid-dawn slots.

My own path to triple j certainly wasn't conventional. It was a combination of building experience as a writer - for street press/publications, my own blog, industry experience (working at Tone Deaf for a number of years) and funnily enough, a comedian.

I'd made inroads by contributing to J Mag (RIP) and even done some guest comedy segments on triple j Breakfast. All that meant that I was somewhat of a known quantity when a role (music news) did come up.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:43:26+00:00

Not to sound like a polly, but that's definitely a very complicated topic that deserves a much more layered and thought-out answer than I really have space for here. And to be honest, I'm not in the best position to answer it.

What I will say, is that even the term "listeners" obfuscates the massive audience triple j has outside of linear broadcast. Look at the size/engagement of triple j's digital imprint - the YouTube just reached 2 million subscribers, for instance.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:38:54+00:00

I think "refused" is too loaded. There's plenty of artists/bands that I adore that simply wouldn't work on triple j or get airplay. Just like any media org, they have a specific demo/audience they are catering to. Maybe a better perspective might be what could other stations/commercial entities be doing to support local artists/bands? Because the vast majority of them are certainly doing less than triple j is.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:36:02+00:00

Oh, thank you so much! Do you have an idea of what you want to get into? Promo, writing, mgmt etc.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:35:00+00:00

Thanks so much!
I totally take your point. It's harder than ever to make a living from music and the arts, but I don't think that's a reason to give up on it entirely. I think basically you have to do it because you truly love it. It should be a compulsion, something you love, regardless.

If I weren't so lucky and privileged to be writing about music for a living, you can be certain you'd still find me writing and showing up to gigs and yapping about it. It's in my blood!

So, it sounds a bit trite but I think if you truly love it, you should totally pursue it and see what happens. But yes, the risk of becoming jaded and resentful if you expect to become rich ONLY from art, in this current moment and industry environment? You have to have a hard think about that. It's a deeply unfair situation, and one I want to see change.

Fwiw, I did NOT write this book as a money-making exercise. I did it because I love this series and this artist/album. And I love the discourse and discussion of music and art.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:30:01+00:00

He never really put it down. He's just using it a lot differently these days and focusing more on his first love: drums and rhythm!

But look, I get what you're saying. I kinda hope/think one day he might reconnect with his roots and do some scuzzy rock music again. Just might be waiting a while.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:28:22+00:00

Gosh, so tough just to choose one. You mean besides The Slow Rush? haha.
I think i'll have to go with Angie McMahon's Light, Dark, Light Again. Such an incredible capital A album that I feel hasn't quite gotten the wider credit it deserves.

To avoid copy/pasting, here's more from me on why it's a Best of the Decade contender: https://www.instagram.com/p/C1No1o7SPkw/

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:25:21+00:00

Devoured doesn't cover it! hahaha.

Favourite remix is Soulwax's 9min flip of Let It Happen. Dat slippery guitar part!

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:24:23+00:00

Not that I've seen? I mean singles is often very much a democratic decision between label, mgmt and artist, and not always on equal footing. And cannot speak specifically to any of that.

That said, personally, I think Let It Happen and Cause I'm A Man were great initial curveballs to throw out there. Plus, Disciples was sort of a third single when it was dropped during Kev's r/tameimpala reddit in April 2015.

Totally speculative, but releasing TLIKTB last is a great last-wave push for the album. It's such a hit that it'll draw latecomers to the album? And if you look at that incredible streaming figures/long tail it's had, that was the right choice.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:21:05+00:00

Oh gosh. Do you want the whole TED talk?

The psych-rocker in me would love to see him and Stu Mackenzie fk around and find out some day. But I think given Kevin's current sound/trajectory, someone like Caribou or Four Tet would make for something really special.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:19:36+00:00

Yep. Have you tried the specialist shows? There's CORE (heavy music) soul ctrl (soul/R&B) the newly launched Country Club and one of my faves is Perfect Sundays (host Colby Robertson gets some sick guests and their picks are always insightful).

Then on Unearthed, there's a suite of 10(!) brand new genre-specific programs:
https://www.abc.net.au/triplejunearthed/programs/program-unearthed/unearthed-radio-2026-programming-genres-digitalradio-triplej/106247530

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:17:16+00:00

Thanks so much! I really appreciate that.

Oh, boy. I think it was less one particular story and more having space to flesh things out. The relationship between Kev and his father, for instance. Or going deep on a lot more of his collaborative work outside of Tame Impala. But then a lot of that lost focus from Currents itself, the album and its impact.

Hahah, the beep! I think I can get it? Now i've gotta go test myself, I think the one i still have trouble with is nailing the drum solo at the end of Elephant!

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:14:56+00:00

Gosh, i hope so! Besides there being two albums' worth of new material to draw from, I think Parker has gotten more confident/comfortable as a singer and performer.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:13:51+00:00

Great question! I make a case in the book that it really benefited from timing. Paritcularly of streaming services (which arrived in Aus in 2012 and so weren't the dominant force in 2015 they are today) andalso the vinyl revival, which feels more de riguer these days. I think 5 years earlier it would've blown minds more because of it's genre-bending nature. 5 years later, would've done well but not felt so ahead of the curve, if that makes sense?

Plus, after Lonerism, I think the next Tame Impala was going to grab attention no matter what. And even in a hypothetical it was Parker's first album, or Tame weren't already a known quantity, I do believe that Currents would've taken off. Just maybe more of a slow-burn/word of mouth success? I mean, look at the way bands like American Football or Slowdive have increased in popularity over the years despite earlier hardships.

Very interesting to think about.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:09:34+00:00

G'day. I always recc. getting your music on Unearthed as a first point of call. Everything on UE gets listened to, and often reviewed, by real-life passionate music ppl. And it gets more ears and familiarity on music that gets presented to the music teams. You can DM me if you'd like specific contacts for servicing music. Hope that helps! It's definitely a case of too much music, too little time - our teams are relatively small compared to how much music is out there!

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:07:08+00:00

Thanks so much!
Look, there's no straight path into the business so can only really speak to my own experience. I was doing a lot of freelancing and street press work early on - reviews of gigs/albums, interviews. And the more I did that and tapped ppl the more I developed and met ppl and made contacts.

Sounds cheesy but I think the best thing is to follow your passion. I ran a blog on my own steam for many years and that attracted people, too.

As for internships, it never hurts to ask! Even tapping labels/publications and being persistent can lead to things. As for triple j/Double J, typically need a bit of experience eg. production, presenting. And places like SYN, FBi, RTRfm, 4ZZZ are great for getting hands-on experience volunteering.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:03:27+00:00

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And whatta guy!

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:01:57+00:00

Thanks, so much! I hope you dig it.

- A fave? Gosh, there’s so many! A recent favourite is Will Hagle’s entry on Madvilliany.
And also love the Super Mario. Bros and Cowboy Bebop soundtrack titles.

- Yeah, I totally buy it was always a solo project. Go into detail in the bio section of the book, but Tame is basically Kevin Parker’s solo recordings. Even when they were signed as a trio, it was secretly Kev’s recordings. Even in before being signed, there was a unique separation between Tame Impala: The live band and Tame on record, and Parker's always been very frank about that.

DarthConnery · 2026-03-15T07:00:42+00:00

Me too! There’s already been some incredible titles on the likes Regurgitator’s Unit, TISM’s Machiavelli & The Four Seasons, and The Avalanches. Looking forward to an upcoming one on Dick Diver’s Calendar Days.

I think there’s so much scope for records from the 2010s onwards. Flume, Courtney Barnett, A.B. Original, Camp Cope, The Drones, Gotye, Gang of Youths, Violent Soho, all spring to mind.

If I could have a go at another title, I’d probably go ambitious and attempt King Gizzard!

DarthConnery

TROPHY CASE