Ramona was a waitress

I never used to be a fan of the Ausie band "Something for Kate" but now, years later, I can't seem to get enough of the lead singer Paul Dempsey's voice. He has gone out on his own and released a solo album. Here's one of the songs from the album:

Hottest 100 of all time

Triple J are running a poll for the hottest 100 songs of all time. I would really like to vote, if only for the chance to be in the winning for tickets to the Reading Festival in the UK. But I'm afraid I take these music polls way too seriously...

You can only vote for 10 songs. How is that possible? It would take me days to come up with all my favourite of favourites, let alone whittle it down to ten! But the other day I thought "just vote for any", I mean, what does it really matter. So I started a list of songs I would possibly vote for. I didn't get very far before I gave up completely.

So, here is a completely dodgy list that I may or may not use to vote for songs before the poll ends this weekend. I should note, that the list doesn't contain anything too recent, but it should, because songs like "Empire of the Sun's - Walking on a Dream" or "Little Birdie's - Brother", I think will definitely be on my list in years to come.

The Shins - New Slang or Gone for good
Prince - When doves cry or 7
INXS - Never Tear us apart
Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing
Sinead O'connor - The Emporer's new clothes
Tori Amos - Cornflake girl
Peter Gabriel - Solsbury hill
Elliot smith - Waltz #2
ABBA - Super Trouper
David Bowie/Queen - Under pressure (and cover two artists with one song)
Bob Dylan - Lay lady lay
Radiohead - High and dry or Fake plastic trees
The Verve - Bittersweet symphony
U2 - I still haven't found what I'm looking for
Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
Smashing Pumpkins - 1979
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Scar Tissue
Joni Mitchell - Both sides now
Ben Harper - Burn one down (or pick any random song from the Ben Harper collection)
Kate Bush - Running up that hill
Blondie - Atomic
Crowded House - Don't dream its over (or anything at all by Crowded House...)
Madonna - Like a prayer
Hoodoo Gurus - My girl
Hunters and Collectors - Throw your arms around me
Johnny Nash - I can see clearly now
Midnight Oil - Blue sky mine
Neil Diamond - Beautiful noise
Paul Kelly - To her door
Bee Gees - Spicks and specks
REM - What's the frequency, Kenneth? (or pick any random song from their collection)
Silverchair - Anthem for the year 2000
Violent Femmes - Blister in the sun
The Church - Under the milk way
The Waifs - London Still
The Beach Boys - God only knows
Kylie Minogue - Can't get you out of my head or Did it again
Wendy Matthews - Day you went away
George Michael - Freedom 90
Blur - Boys and girls
Chirs Isaak - Wicked game
Nirvana - Come as you are
Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
The Cranberries - Zombie
Fastball - The Way
Hole - Celebrity Skin
Alex Lloyd - Amazing
The Bangles - Walk like an Egyptian
Damien Rice - Blower's daughter
Eskimo Joe - From the sea
Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
The Pogues - Dirty old town
Gotye - Heart's a mess
Four Seasons - Oh what a night
Jebediah - Leaving Home
Bon Iver - Skinny Love
Jack Johnson - Flake

Yeah, I won't be going to the Reading Festival.

Gotye

This is the latest offering from Gotye, in the band 'The Basics' (Gotye is a pseudonym for Wally De Backer). Can't stop playing it. And can't wait for the album. (I feel like I've used these words before on this blog.)

It's all in the genes

The more I read about human behaviours and traits, the more I believe that it's all in the genes...

Recently I posted a music video by Luke Steele who had teamed up with Nick Littlemore from PNAU to form Empire of the Sun, and I raved about how much I loved the song. I first heard about Luke from his band the Sleepy Jacksons whose albums I have and love. Luke has a sister, Katy Steele, who is in another great Ausie band, "Little Birdy", whose albums I also own and love. Little Birdy has just realeased a new song (and will release a new album soon I presume) called 'Brother'. I can't tell you how much I adore this song, and it features the one and only Paul Kelly too.



This video was filmed on a DIY video camera one day in Katy's bedroom.

So much talent in one family - it's all in the genes I tell you!

Guitar Boat Hero

I have been too busy to post lately, and whilst I wanted to bake and post this long weekend, I needed to get some overdue spring cleaning done (really wished I had baked).

Today after doing the last of it (cleaning the bird shit off my deck) I settled in to listen to Triple J's hottest 100 songs of last year. I was so exhausted that I mostly did nothing and actually heard every single song (except I did make a trip to Bunnings but walked around with the iPod on).

Josh Pyke, one of Australia's best singer/song writers ended up with a couple of tunes in the top 50 I think, and he was also interviewed. He was talking about his song "Guitar Boat Hero" and he said that the guitar boat used in the video clip was specially made, so I thought I would check it out. It is a great little video clip and very apt to be posting on Australia Day. Cheers!

2008 Music - year in review

Forget about the Arias. Here is where you need to come to find out about the best music releases this year... well, out of what I've been listening to at least.

My top 10 albums of this year (in no particular order):

1. Empire of the Sun - Walking on a dream (This album saw the collaboration of Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore, and oh what a collaboration!)
2. Sia - Some people have real problems (Adelaide girl who went to the UK to be heard back in Adelaide. One of the best female artists to come out of Australia I reckon.)
3. Kings of Leon - Only by the night
4. Jackson Jackson - Tools for survival (Another Oz collaboration. Another success.)
5. Augie March - Watch me disappear (Like a good wine, these guys just get better with age.)
6. Bliss n Eso - Flying colours (Ausie hip hop, who'd have thought? Play it loud!)
7. Girl talk - Feed the animals (Mash it! Love it!)
8. Goldfrapp - Seventh tree
9. Laura Marling - Alas, I cannot swim (I have raved about this girl on this blog before...so young...so brilliant!)
10. As for number 10, I couldn't decide whether to leave off Gnarls Barkley's - The odd couple, or Josh Pyke's - Chimney's afire.

Dishonorable mention:
Coldplay - Viva la vida. This is weird. I really liked this album when I first bought it, but I don't think I have played it again after the first few times. I have decided they are boring (and it has nothing to do with the news that they are snubbing Adelaide in their Australian tour next year).

My top 10 single releases of this year (in no particular order):
1. Cass Mccombs - That's that
2. Moby - Disco lies
3. Empire of the sun - Walking on a dream
4. Kings of Leon - Sex on fire
5. Goldfrapp - A&E
6. Fleet Foxes - White winter hymnal
7. Rihanna - Please don't stop the music
8. Bon Iver - Skinny love
9. Lisa Mitchell - Neopolitan dreams (This is the Lisa Mitchell that was on a recent series of Australian Idol. She got voted off, I stopped watching. Cannot wait to hear her first full album release next year.)
10. I am pathetic. I couldn't decide whether to leave off Pnau & Lady Hawke's - Embrace, or MGMT's Time to pretend.

Notes:
I am very pleased that such a large number of Ausie artists make the album list.
I am fairly certain that sometime next year I will buy an album that was released this year, and I will mentally change the list.

Walking on a Dream

Relax Mark, this is not another post about my dreams!

For the past few weeks while I've been offline, I have been listening to the following songs over and over again:

Neopolitan dreams - Lisa Mitchell
You don't know me - Ben Folds feat. Regina Spektor
A&E - Goldfrapp (yes still)
Sex on fire - The Kings of Leon
Embrace - Pnau feat. Ladyhawke

But every morning and every night since I first heard this song, I have been listening to "Walking on a dream" by Empire of the Sun which sees the merge of Luke Steele from the brilliant Ausie band The Sleepy Jackson, and Nick Littlemore from Pnau. I don't think I will ever tire of it. I love, love, love it.



And because I love it so much, I am even posting the lyrics.

Walking on a dream
How can I explain
Talking to myself
Will I see again

We are always running for the thrill of it thrill of it
Always pushing up the hill searching for the thrill of it
On and on and on we are calling out and out again
Never looking down I’m just in awe of what’s in front of me

Is it real now
When two people become one
I can feel it
When two people become one

Thought I’d never see
The love you found in me
Now it’s changing all the time
Living in a rhythm where the minutes working overtime

Catch me I’m falling down
Catch me I’m falling down

Don’t stop just keep going on
I’m your shoulder lean upon
So come on deliver from inside
All we got is tonight that is right till first light

Goldfrapp

This week I am re-discovering Goldfrapp all over again, listening to their old stuff as well as their new. Here is my favourite song (A&E) from the new album.

My new favourite album

I had a couple of food posts planned, and then some shit happened and the posts didn't. Hopefully I will get back to them soon. In the meantime, I thought I would share with you my new favourite album.

Sia - Some people have real problems. This is the CD I picked up in Sydney four months before the Oz release. This girl is just awesome. In some ways Laura Marling reminds me a lot of her. To boot, she is an Adelaide girl! She moved to the UK at a very young age to kick-start her career.

I have also learnt how to embed a youtube video in my blog (it was so easy...der), so I am sharing with you favourite song on the album "Soon we'll be found".

Skinny Love

I was thinking about doing this post the other day and then decided that no-one really cared about my love of music, so I dismissed the idea. Today I was routinely checking one of my favourite Blogs, "Dooce" and lo and behold if the bitch didn't post my exact idea about the exact same artist.

I am at least consoled by the thought that she has similar music tastes to me.

So here is my latest discovery singing one of my new favourite songs. Bon Iver with 'Skinny Love'.



The same night I discovered Bon Iver, I also discovered Cloud Cult, and although I've only heard this one song, I am already enamoured by them (I will be seeking out more Cloud Cult stuff out when I get a spare moment). Not to mention that I read on Wikipedia that the couple lost their baby son in 2002, and so my heart bleeds for these complete strangers that make such beautiful music.



I no longer care if readers don't share my love of music. Music is my passion and I'll post if I want to.

Laura Marling ... discover her

Laura Marling, the next big thing in folk music....I hope. She is great, and just 18 years old. She has the voice of an angel, plays like a pro, and writes lyrics like a 30 year old.

I have had to order her CD online because a certain music store or two doesn't stock it - who selects their music for God's sake? So I am waiting (im)patiently for it to arrive.

Check her out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XonJJbV54BE