David Kilgour: Slippery Slide

This post is inspired by a photo taken by Australian photographer Leanne Cole, who writes one of my favorite blogs.

The That Wānaka Tree is a willow tree that grows in Lake Wanaka, Otaga, New Zealand. It is surprising to see a tree in the middle of a lake, but the tree’s beauty is enhanced by its isolation. I did not know about this tree until I read Cole’s post, but now I feel like I will never forget it. On the positive side, the beauty and perseverance of the tree is extremely poignant, which is an important aspect of something that can be called unforgettable. On the negative side, the tree has become a symbol of the stupidity, ignorance, selfishness, and all-around assholery of humankind in the Social Media world, especially in this post-2020 world. Images of the tree have made it one of the most popular tourist attractions in Otaga, but over the last few years its exploitation for Instagram posts has caused it to be damaged multiple times. I honestly doubt that this tree has many years left before some shithead destroys it for selfish, trivial reasons. I must admit that I didn’t start writing this post expecting to end up in such a negative space, but this is becoming a theme of some of my most recent posts, most likely because of the recent political changes in the U.S. and the continuing move toward conservative, fascist, and ethnocentric politics around the world. We are unfortunately becoming a globally narcissistic world.

But, this is a music blog, so I’ve selected a song inspired by Cole’s wonderful photo. The That Wānaka Tree is located in the Otaga region of New Zealand, which is also the region that contains the city of Dunedin. And Dunedin is the city that produced one of my favorite independent record labels of all time – Flying Nun Records. I’ve written before about how the artists on this label reimagined the music of bands like The Byrds and invented jangle pop at the same time bands such as R.E.M. were doing the same thing halfway around the globe. I’ve selected a song by David Kilgour, founding member of The Clean (one of the primary creators of the Dunedin Sound in the early 1980s). Kilgour has enjoyed a decades-long career as a solo artist, and my favorite of his albums is A Feather In The Engine from 2002.

To listen to all of the songs of the day, check out the Radio Faux Show Song of the Day playlist.

• Song of the Day (2025)