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Thursday, 23 August 2012
Best of 2011
It's been 18 months since I've posted anything and I'm going to try and get back into it as there are some exciting gigs coming up in Melbourne over the next few months. Some gig reviews will be coming soon. Here is my Best of 2011 playlist from Spotify, enjoy.
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Best Gigs of 2010
1. Faith No More – Festival Hall
Faith No More are one my favourite bands from the 90’s and although this was my 3rd time seeing them, the anticipation was huge. After consuming several beers at a nearby pub, some like minded friends and I arrived in good spirits to see a great support slot from Eagles of Death Metal. Jessie Hughes was rocking the stage like he was the headliner and got the crowd pumped for the main event playing all their hits including “I Only Want You”, “Cherry Cola” , “Wannabe in LA” and my favourite “I Want You So Hard”. The same can’t be said by the 2nd support act in the form of “comedian” Neil Hamburger. He spent 20 minutes (felt like a lot longer) telling bad jokes and generally angering the crowd who were growing more impatient by the minute.
Luckily after he left the stage, the main attraction wasted little time getting on stage to a chorus of applause, opening with the instrumental "Midnight Cowboy". From there we were treated to a cavalcade of the best songs of the 90’s and you would never know they spent the last decade on hiatus. They sounded as good if not better than they did when I saw them last back in 1999. Highlights from the main set included “Midlife Crisis”, “Last Cup of Sorrow” and “Ricochet”, as well the covers ‘Easy” and “I Started a Joke”. Mike Patton provided plenty of on stage banter between songs and jumping around the stage frantically, even jumping into the crowd during “Just a Man” to finish the Main Set. The band came back for 2 encores, starting the encore with “Edge of the World” and finishing the concert with a great version of “Stripsearch”. Although this was the 2nd concert, it was the first on sale and was clearly full of massive FNM fans who sold the event out in about 10 mins. We were all treated to a gig full of hits and rarities and one that will not soon be forgotten.
Setlist: Midnight Cowboy / The Real Thing / Land of Sunshine / Caffeine / Evidence / The Gentle Art of Making Enemies / Last Cup of Sorrow / Ricochet / Easy / Midlife Crisis / Epic / I Started a Joke / A Small Victory / Surprise! You're Dead! / Ashes to Ashes / Just a Man
Encore: Edge of the World / Mark Bowen Encore 2: Switch (Cover) / Stripsearch
2. The Bon Scotts – Barwon Club, Geelong
The reasons this was my favourite local gig of the year was because it was unexpected, spur of the moment and reminded me why I love music. My original plan for this night in November was to check out Regurgitator at the Bended Elbow but due to the fact I couldn’t find the venue, I ended up at the Barwon Club. I knew the Seabellies were playing at the Barwon Club and since I was in the mood for some live music I decided to check it out, after recently hearing them on Triple J. After paying $8 to get in, I caught the end of the 2nd support band of Chris Pickering and Catherine Britt. They sounded great and I had already gotten over the fact that was missing the band I set out to see that night.
After a small interval the stage was filled with 6 musicians including a cello and a piano accordion player. I was instantly curious about what I was about to hear, having not heard even a song by the Bon Scotts before. In fact I wasn’t even sure who the band was before they introduced themselves. Being a massive Bon Scott fan, I had noticed the name from time to time but had never seen them play. After hearing a couple songs I was hooked by their funky and original sound, reminding me of Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse at times but still unlike anything I’d heard before. My favourites from the set were “The Kids are Coming”, “We Can Cause Such a Fuss” and what has become one of my favourite tracks of the year “We Like War”. I learnt the track names after buying the CD after the gig which has been on high rotation ever since. The Seabellies also played a good set after this, but the Bon Scotts were the clear stars of the night. As mentioned earlier in the review, this gig reminded me how much I love live music, especially when it’s an unknown band who wins you over. This was a perfect example of this and I have since seen them play another fantastic gig at the Builders Arms in Fitzroy during their December residency. I am looking forward to their afternoon set at The St Kilda Festival in February.
3. Queenscliff Music Festival
This was my first time at QMF but it will certainly not be the last. After scoring a last minute ticket from my friend Scanlan the night before, I scanned the schedule and got excited about some of the acts I’d be treated to. Little did I know, the acts I had not yet heard of would be providing some of the weekends highlights.
After arriving at Queenscliff at 11, we picked up a program and organised a rough timetable. First up was a great set by Gareth Liddiard from The Drones with a horrendous downpour of rain in the background. The rain was a constant throughout the festival but didn’t dampen the spirits of those that showed up, it may have deterred some from coming though as the numbers seemed a little low, especially on Saturday. Gareth Liddiard’s set was great, mixing some tracks from the recent solo album Strange Tourist including "Strange Tourist" and "Highplains Mailman" with various tracks from the Drones catalogue. I particularly enjoyed hearing the stripped back versions of “Shark Fin Blues”, “I Don’t Ever Want to Change” and “Jezabel”.
One of the artists who I managed to see play two great and different sets on Saturday was Mr Percival. I had not heard him before but was urged to go along by Scanlan and did not regret it. It’s hard to describe his style (see clip below) but he basically uses his voice via an octave loop pedal to create a wall of sound that gradually builds til it sounds like he has a full band behind him and then he sings over the top of it. He plays a combination of originals and covers including “Stand By Me”, “Lean On Me” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. During his evening set at the festival grounds he played a cover of “Down Under” right after Colin Hay’s set which was a ballsy move but it worked. The highlight of the evening set was an original called “That’s What Donny Said” during which he had the whole crowd singing the chorus. His cover of “Electric Avenue” had the crowd singing heartily and it was a sea of smiling faces. Although it’s hard to describe how and why Mr Percival is so good, I do strongly recommend seeing him live if you get the chance, I can guarantee it will be a feel-good experience.
Dan Kelly played a mid afternoon set that was enjoyed by a large crowd, focusing mostly on the his latest album Dan Kelly’s Dream. Highlights included “Hold On, I’m Coming”, “The Decommissioner”, “Bindi Irwin Apocalypse Jam” and a great cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U” played on the ukulele.
After catching the end of John Williamson, we headed to The Bedroom Philosopher for an enjoyable set of songs and stand up. Although the set was cut short due to John W running late, everyone there (myself included) laughed riotously, especially Triple J favourite “Northcote (So Hungover)”. Kaki King was next up on the main stage and showed off her virtuoso guitar playing in between incoherent stage banter. When she let the music do the talking though, using a unique finger tapping style of guitar playing, it worked well.
Colin Hay was the star of the festival, playing the Saturday night slot to a large but at times noisy crowd. Due to the noise, the usual story telling between songs is kept to a minimum for this set but luckily this was remedied on both of his sets on Sunday. All the classics were dusted off by this Australian legend (he’s Scottish and lives in America but we’ll claim him) but stripped down to the solo acoustic format, which is just how we like him. Newer tracks like “Are You Looking at me?” and “There’s Water Over You” sit nicely alongside the classics “Who Can It Be Now?”, “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You”, “Beautiful World”, “Down Under” (which invokes the greatest sing along of the day) and my favourite “Overkill”. It was a great set but I enjoyed the Sunday afternoon set more as he told a few stories alongside the songs which had the whole crowd laughing hysterically. I also attended his Sunday morning Songwriters Q & A which was great as he answered questions from the crowd in between playing some of his classics. Included in this set was another fave of mine “Waiting for my Real Life to Begin”. I even managed to shake his hand after the session and thank him for being so awesome.
Mark Seymour is another legend of the Australian music scene, although it was only during the Hunters and Collectors songs that my interest was held. It’s not easy to follow Colin Hay, but he did play quite a few songs that had the crowd singing along including “Holy Grail”, “True Tears of Joy” and the classic “Throw Your Arms Around Me”.
Claude Hay was up next and played the most enjoyable set of the day for me. Like Mr Percival, he was unknown to me before the festival and used looping pedals to give his sound a full band feel. His equipment included a double guitar (Bass and Electric), a sitar, a bass and snare drum and a large arrangement of pedals. It has to be seen to be believed and even his recorded material does not give justice to how good he is live. Watching the songs build from a simple bass line and add drums, guitar and then sing and play guitar over the top is exciting to watch and during his short set I become an instant fan. I couldn’t resist watching him twice again on the Sunday, including a great set on the Queenscliff Blues Train. After having some bad luck earlier in the day with rain damaging his equipment, he remains upbeat and his acknowledgment of the crowd’s appreciation only makes us love him more. The highlight of the set is a sped up, almost unrecognisable version of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”. Don’t miss a chance to see this up and coming blues man play a live gig.
On the Sunday I saw repeat performances of Colin Hay, (the 3pm set was the best of the festival) The Bedroom Philosopher and Claude Hay twice. Replacing Washington at the last minute was Clare Bowditch and the New Slang. I had just recently heard the latest album Modern Day Addiction, and the more upbeat sound makes it her finest album to date in my opinion. There was a full band on stage and it was an upbeat performance featuring a large slice of the new album and some classics. Highlights included “Start a War”, “I Thought You Were God” and “Running” which featured one the band running around the crowd for the entire song and back in time to finish it off. Another great performance.
After this I joined the queue for the ride on the Queenscliff Blues Train. The train consists of four carriages, each containing a band, that travels for 20 mins and then stops to allow the punters to switch carriages and see a different band if they choose. It’s a great idea and both Claude Hay and Catherine Britt with Chris Pickering played great sets. I recently seen Catherine Britt and Chris Pickering play a support show at the Barwon Club and was impressed with Chris Pickering’s voice and guitar playing. Luke Foran also features in the band on bass, who is a great solo artist in his own right.
After Colin Hay’s great set which I couldn’t bring myself to leave until it was finshed, I headed along to catch the end of The Meanies. Turns out to be the right decision as they played the songs I knew last and I got to hear all the classics including “Ton of Bricks”, Gargantuan” and the 90’s anthem “10% Weird which was great. To finish the festival off we checked out Mick Thomas & the Sure Thing. He was quite good as well, especially “Fathers Day” and “Mondays Experts”. So that was my QMF experience, a great weekend was had by all and l look forward to it again this year.
Faith No More are one my favourite bands from the 90’s and although this was my 3rd time seeing them, the anticipation was huge. After consuming several beers at a nearby pub, some like minded friends and I arrived in good spirits to see a great support slot from Eagles of Death Metal. Jessie Hughes was rocking the stage like he was the headliner and got the crowd pumped for the main event playing all their hits including “I Only Want You”, “Cherry Cola” , “Wannabe in LA” and my favourite “I Want You So Hard”. The same can’t be said by the 2nd support act in the form of “comedian” Neil Hamburger. He spent 20 minutes (felt like a lot longer) telling bad jokes and generally angering the crowd who were growing more impatient by the minute.
Luckily after he left the stage, the main attraction wasted little time getting on stage to a chorus of applause, opening with the instrumental "Midnight Cowboy". From there we were treated to a cavalcade of the best songs of the 90’s and you would never know they spent the last decade on hiatus. They sounded as good if not better than they did when I saw them last back in 1999. Highlights from the main set included “Midlife Crisis”, “Last Cup of Sorrow” and “Ricochet”, as well the covers ‘Easy” and “I Started a Joke”. Mike Patton provided plenty of on stage banter between songs and jumping around the stage frantically, even jumping into the crowd during “Just a Man” to finish the Main Set. The band came back for 2 encores, starting the encore with “Edge of the World” and finishing the concert with a great version of “Stripsearch”. Although this was the 2nd concert, it was the first on sale and was clearly full of massive FNM fans who sold the event out in about 10 mins. We were all treated to a gig full of hits and rarities and one that will not soon be forgotten.
Setlist: Midnight Cowboy / The Real Thing / Land of Sunshine / Caffeine / Evidence / The Gentle Art of Making Enemies / Last Cup of Sorrow / Ricochet / Easy / Midlife Crisis / Epic / I Started a Joke / A Small Victory / Surprise! You're Dead! / Ashes to Ashes / Just a Man
Encore: Edge of the World / Mark Bowen Encore 2: Switch (Cover) / Stripsearch
2. The Bon Scotts – Barwon Club, Geelong
The reasons this was my favourite local gig of the year was because it was unexpected, spur of the moment and reminded me why I love music. My original plan for this night in November was to check out Regurgitator at the Bended Elbow but due to the fact I couldn’t find the venue, I ended up at the Barwon Club. I knew the Seabellies were playing at the Barwon Club and since I was in the mood for some live music I decided to check it out, after recently hearing them on Triple J. After paying $8 to get in, I caught the end of the 2nd support band of Chris Pickering and Catherine Britt. They sounded great and I had already gotten over the fact that was missing the band I set out to see that night.
After a small interval the stage was filled with 6 musicians including a cello and a piano accordion player. I was instantly curious about what I was about to hear, having not heard even a song by the Bon Scotts before. In fact I wasn’t even sure who the band was before they introduced themselves. Being a massive Bon Scott fan, I had noticed the name from time to time but had never seen them play. After hearing a couple songs I was hooked by their funky and original sound, reminding me of Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse at times but still unlike anything I’d heard before. My favourites from the set were “The Kids are Coming”, “We Can Cause Such a Fuss” and what has become one of my favourite tracks of the year “We Like War”. I learnt the track names after buying the CD after the gig which has been on high rotation ever since. The Seabellies also played a good set after this, but the Bon Scotts were the clear stars of the night. As mentioned earlier in the review, this gig reminded me how much I love live music, especially when it’s an unknown band who wins you over. This was a perfect example of this and I have since seen them play another fantastic gig at the Builders Arms in Fitzroy during their December residency. I am looking forward to their afternoon set at The St Kilda Festival in February.
3. Queenscliff Music Festival
This was my first time at QMF but it will certainly not be the last. After scoring a last minute ticket from my friend Scanlan the night before, I scanned the schedule and got excited about some of the acts I’d be treated to. Little did I know, the acts I had not yet heard of would be providing some of the weekends highlights.
After arriving at Queenscliff at 11, we picked up a program and organised a rough timetable. First up was a great set by Gareth Liddiard from The Drones with a horrendous downpour of rain in the background. The rain was a constant throughout the festival but didn’t dampen the spirits of those that showed up, it may have deterred some from coming though as the numbers seemed a little low, especially on Saturday. Gareth Liddiard’s set was great, mixing some tracks from the recent solo album Strange Tourist including "Strange Tourist" and "Highplains Mailman" with various tracks from the Drones catalogue. I particularly enjoyed hearing the stripped back versions of “Shark Fin Blues”, “I Don’t Ever Want to Change” and “Jezabel”.
One of the artists who I managed to see play two great and different sets on Saturday was Mr Percival. I had not heard him before but was urged to go along by Scanlan and did not regret it. It’s hard to describe his style (see clip below) but he basically uses his voice via an octave loop pedal to create a wall of sound that gradually builds til it sounds like he has a full band behind him and then he sings over the top of it. He plays a combination of originals and covers including “Stand By Me”, “Lean On Me” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. During his evening set at the festival grounds he played a cover of “Down Under” right after Colin Hay’s set which was a ballsy move but it worked. The highlight of the evening set was an original called “That’s What Donny Said” during which he had the whole crowd singing the chorus. His cover of “Electric Avenue” had the crowd singing heartily and it was a sea of smiling faces. Although it’s hard to describe how and why Mr Percival is so good, I do strongly recommend seeing him live if you get the chance, I can guarantee it will be a feel-good experience.
Dan Kelly played a mid afternoon set that was enjoyed by a large crowd, focusing mostly on the his latest album Dan Kelly’s Dream. Highlights included “Hold On, I’m Coming”, “The Decommissioner”, “Bindi Irwin Apocalypse Jam” and a great cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U” played on the ukulele.
After catching the end of John Williamson, we headed to The Bedroom Philosopher for an enjoyable set of songs and stand up. Although the set was cut short due to John W running late, everyone there (myself included) laughed riotously, especially Triple J favourite “Northcote (So Hungover)”. Kaki King was next up on the main stage and showed off her virtuoso guitar playing in between incoherent stage banter. When she let the music do the talking though, using a unique finger tapping style of guitar playing, it worked well.
Colin Hay was the star of the festival, playing the Saturday night slot to a large but at times noisy crowd. Due to the noise, the usual story telling between songs is kept to a minimum for this set but luckily this was remedied on both of his sets on Sunday. All the classics were dusted off by this Australian legend (he’s Scottish and lives in America but we’ll claim him) but stripped down to the solo acoustic format, which is just how we like him. Newer tracks like “Are You Looking at me?” and “There’s Water Over You” sit nicely alongside the classics “Who Can It Be Now?”, “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You”, “Beautiful World”, “Down Under” (which invokes the greatest sing along of the day) and my favourite “Overkill”. It was a great set but I enjoyed the Sunday afternoon set more as he told a few stories alongside the songs which had the whole crowd laughing hysterically. I also attended his Sunday morning Songwriters Q & A which was great as he answered questions from the crowd in between playing some of his classics. Included in this set was another fave of mine “Waiting for my Real Life to Begin”. I even managed to shake his hand after the session and thank him for being so awesome.
Mark Seymour is another legend of the Australian music scene, although it was only during the Hunters and Collectors songs that my interest was held. It’s not easy to follow Colin Hay, but he did play quite a few songs that had the crowd singing along including “Holy Grail”, “True Tears of Joy” and the classic “Throw Your Arms Around Me”.
Claude Hay was up next and played the most enjoyable set of the day for me. Like Mr Percival, he was unknown to me before the festival and used looping pedals to give his sound a full band feel. His equipment included a double guitar (Bass and Electric), a sitar, a bass and snare drum and a large arrangement of pedals. It has to be seen to be believed and even his recorded material does not give justice to how good he is live. Watching the songs build from a simple bass line and add drums, guitar and then sing and play guitar over the top is exciting to watch and during his short set I become an instant fan. I couldn’t resist watching him twice again on the Sunday, including a great set on the Queenscliff Blues Train. After having some bad luck earlier in the day with rain damaging his equipment, he remains upbeat and his acknowledgment of the crowd’s appreciation only makes us love him more. The highlight of the set is a sped up, almost unrecognisable version of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”. Don’t miss a chance to see this up and coming blues man play a live gig.
On the Sunday I saw repeat performances of Colin Hay, (the 3pm set was the best of the festival) The Bedroom Philosopher and Claude Hay twice. Replacing Washington at the last minute was Clare Bowditch and the New Slang. I had just recently heard the latest album Modern Day Addiction, and the more upbeat sound makes it her finest album to date in my opinion. There was a full band on stage and it was an upbeat performance featuring a large slice of the new album and some classics. Highlights included “Start a War”, “I Thought You Were God” and “Running” which featured one the band running around the crowd for the entire song and back in time to finish it off. Another great performance.
After this I joined the queue for the ride on the Queenscliff Blues Train. The train consists of four carriages, each containing a band, that travels for 20 mins and then stops to allow the punters to switch carriages and see a different band if they choose. It’s a great idea and both Claude Hay and Catherine Britt with Chris Pickering played great sets. I recently seen Catherine Britt and Chris Pickering play a support show at the Barwon Club and was impressed with Chris Pickering’s voice and guitar playing. Luke Foran also features in the band on bass, who is a great solo artist in his own right.
After Colin Hay’s great set which I couldn’t bring myself to leave until it was finshed, I headed along to catch the end of The Meanies. Turns out to be the right decision as they played the songs I knew last and I got to hear all the classics including “Ton of Bricks”, Gargantuan” and the 90’s anthem “10% Weird which was great. To finish the festival off we checked out Mick Thomas & the Sure Thing. He was quite good as well, especially “Fathers Day” and “Mondays Experts”. So that was my QMF experience, a great weekend was had by all and l look forward to it again this year.
Sunday, 9 January 2011
2010 in Review
It's been a while, but here goes with my favourites of 2010.
Top Albums 2010
1. The Black Keys – Brothers
2. You Am I – You Am I
3. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
4. Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame
5. The National – High Violet
6. The Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt
7. Midlake – The Courage of Others
8. The Bon Scotts – Oddernity
9. Spoon – Transference
10. The Beautiful Girls - Spooks
11. Angus and Julia Stone – Down the Way
12. Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
13. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
14. Basement Birds – Basement Birds
15. Clare Bowditch – Modern Day Addiction
16. Dan Kelly – Dan Kelly’s Dream
17. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
18. Gareth Liddiard - Strange Tourist
19. Claude Hay – Deep Fried Satisfied
20. Stone Temple Pilots – Stone Temple Pilots
21. Washington – I Believe You, Liar
22. Matt Costa – Mobile Chateau
23. Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – Lonely Avenue
24. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
25. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
Top Tracks 2010
1. Tighten Up – The Black Keys
2. The Suburbs – Arcade Fire
3. Shadow People – Dr. Dog
4. Conversation 16 – The National
5. Trigger Finger – You Am I
6. Kids on the Run – Tallest Man on Earth
7. We Like War – The Bon Scotts
8. It’s All my Fault – Nicholas Roy
9. I Need a Dollar – Aloe Blacc
10. Written in Reverse - Spoon
11. Hold On, I’m Coming On – Dan Kelly
12. Bus Stop – Basement Birds
13. Heaven Can Wait – Charlotte Gainsbourg feat Beck.
14. Hurt Me – The Jezabels
15. Strange Tourist - Gareth Liddiard
16. Factory – Band of Horses
17. Undercover Martyn – Two Door Cinema Club
18. My Latest Mistake – The Beautiful Girls
19. Children of the Grounds – Midlake
20. On Melancholy Hill – Gorillaz
21. How Can You Live With Yourself – Claude Hay
22. Start a War – Clare Bowditch
23. This Too Shall Pass – OK GO
24. All These Things – Darren Hanlon
25. Big Jet Plane – Angus and Julia Stone
26. She Said – Plan B
27. Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool - Editors
28. The High Road – Broken Bells
29. Dance Yrself Clean – LCD Soundsystem
30. The Season – Matt Costa
31. Save Our Town – Philadelphia Grand Jury
32. Solitude is Bliss – Tame Impala
33. Killer – Whitley
34. O.N.E. – Yeasayer
35. Beat the Devils Tattoo - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
36. Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People
37. Black Sheep - Metric
38. Baby Lee – Teenage Fanclub
39. Rich Kids – Washington
40. Crave You - Flight Facilities
41. Eyes Wide Open - Gotye
42. Hickory Dichotomy – Stone Temple Pilots
43. Fathers Son – Fistful of Mercy.
44. Every Goliath Has It’s David – The Boy Least Likely To
45. Silverline – The Bees
46. The Sharpest Crown – Joe Pug
47. Fuck You – Cee-Lo
48. Overpass – The John Steel Singers
49. Fables – The Dodos
50. Time to Wander – Gypsy & the Cat
Best TV Seen in 2010.
1. Breaking Bad - Season 3
2. Boardwalk Empire - Season 1
3. The Walking Dead - Season 1
4. Dexter - Season 5
5. An Idiot Abroad - Season 1
6. Bored to Death - Season 2
7. Entourage - Season 7
8. The Ricky Gervais Show - Season 1
9. True Blood - Season 3
10. 30 Rock - Season 5
11. Spicks and Specks
12. Hung - Season 2
13. United States of Tara - Season 2
14. The Simpsons - Season 22
15. Weeds - Season 6
Best Movies of 2010.
1. Scott Pilgrim Vs the World
2. Kick Ass
3. Toy Story 3
4. The Social Network
5. Inception
6. Machete
7. Hot Tub Time Machine
8. Shrek Forever After
9. Shutter Island
10. Easy A
11. The A Team
12. She's Out of my League
13. The Lovely Bones
14. Dinner for Schmucks
15. The Expendables
Top Albums 2010
1. The Black Keys – Brothers
2. You Am I – You Am I
3. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
4. Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame
5. The National – High Violet
6. The Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt
7. Midlake – The Courage of Others
8. The Bon Scotts – Oddernity
9. Spoon – Transference
10. The Beautiful Girls - Spooks
11. Angus and Julia Stone – Down the Way
12. Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
13. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
14. Basement Birds – Basement Birds
15. Clare Bowditch – Modern Day Addiction
16. Dan Kelly – Dan Kelly’s Dream
17. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
18. Gareth Liddiard - Strange Tourist
19. Claude Hay – Deep Fried Satisfied
20. Stone Temple Pilots – Stone Temple Pilots
21. Washington – I Believe You, Liar
22. Matt Costa – Mobile Chateau
23. Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – Lonely Avenue
24. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
25. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
Top Tracks 2010
1. Tighten Up – The Black Keys
2. The Suburbs – Arcade Fire
3. Shadow People – Dr. Dog
4. Conversation 16 – The National
5. Trigger Finger – You Am I
6. Kids on the Run – Tallest Man on Earth
7. We Like War – The Bon Scotts
8. It’s All my Fault – Nicholas Roy
9. I Need a Dollar – Aloe Blacc
10. Written in Reverse - Spoon
11. Hold On, I’m Coming On – Dan Kelly
12. Bus Stop – Basement Birds
13. Heaven Can Wait – Charlotte Gainsbourg feat Beck.
14. Hurt Me – The Jezabels
15. Strange Tourist - Gareth Liddiard
16. Factory – Band of Horses
17. Undercover Martyn – Two Door Cinema Club
18. My Latest Mistake – The Beautiful Girls
19. Children of the Grounds – Midlake
20. On Melancholy Hill – Gorillaz
21. How Can You Live With Yourself – Claude Hay
22. Start a War – Clare Bowditch
23. This Too Shall Pass – OK GO
24. All These Things – Darren Hanlon
25. Big Jet Plane – Angus and Julia Stone
26. She Said – Plan B
27. Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool - Editors
28. The High Road – Broken Bells
29. Dance Yrself Clean – LCD Soundsystem
30. The Season – Matt Costa
31. Save Our Town – Philadelphia Grand Jury
32. Solitude is Bliss – Tame Impala
33. Killer – Whitley
34. O.N.E. – Yeasayer
35. Beat the Devils Tattoo - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
36. Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People
37. Black Sheep - Metric
38. Baby Lee – Teenage Fanclub
39. Rich Kids – Washington
40. Crave You - Flight Facilities
41. Eyes Wide Open - Gotye
42. Hickory Dichotomy – Stone Temple Pilots
43. Fathers Son – Fistful of Mercy.
44. Every Goliath Has It’s David – The Boy Least Likely To
45. Silverline – The Bees
46. The Sharpest Crown – Joe Pug
47. Fuck You – Cee-Lo
48. Overpass – The John Steel Singers
49. Fables – The Dodos
50. Time to Wander – Gypsy & the Cat
Best TV Seen in 2010.
1. Breaking Bad - Season 3
2. Boardwalk Empire - Season 1
3. The Walking Dead - Season 1
4. Dexter - Season 5
5. An Idiot Abroad - Season 1
6. Bored to Death - Season 2
7. Entourage - Season 7
8. The Ricky Gervais Show - Season 1
9. True Blood - Season 3
10. 30 Rock - Season 5
11. Spicks and Specks
12. Hung - Season 2
13. United States of Tara - Season 2
14. The Simpsons - Season 22
15. Weeds - Season 6
Best Movies of 2010.
1. Scott Pilgrim Vs the World
2. Kick Ass
3. Toy Story 3
4. The Social Network
5. Inception
6. Machete
7. Hot Tub Time Machine
8. Shrek Forever After
9. Shutter Island
10. Easy A
11. The A Team
12. She's Out of my League
13. The Lovely Bones
14. Dinner for Schmucks
15. The Expendables
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
2009 in Review
Here are some of favourites for the year 2009.
100 Best Songs of 2009
1. "Eid Ma Clack Shaw" - Bill Callahan
2. "The Fixer" - Pearl Jam
3. "Little Lion Man" - Mumford & Sons
4. "A Community Service Announcement" - Jonathon Boulet
5. "Ramona Was a Waitress" - Paul Dempsey
6. "Where Did All the Love Go?" - Kasabian
7. "Running to Stand Still" - Elbow
8. "Down to the Cemetery" - Kid Sam
9. "That Look You Give That Guy" - Eels
10. "Kingdom of Rust" - Doves
11. "Airstream Driver" - Gomez
12. "Cheap and Cheerful" The Kills
13. "Panic Switch" - Silversun Pickups
14. "Silk Suits" - Kram
15. "Blood" - The Middle East
16. "Two Weeks" - Grizzly Bear
17. "Zero" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
18. "Tightrope" - Yeasayer
19. "Lay it Down" - Peter, Bjorn & John
20. "Number With No Name" - Ben Harper & Relentless7
21. "Satellite Skin" - Modest Mouse
22. "Long Way to Go" - Liam Finn & Eliza Jane
23. "Black Wind Blowing" - Mason Jennings
24. "Say Please" - Monsters of Folk
25. "New Fang" - Them Crooked Vultures
26. "The Rakes Song" - The Decemberists
27. "Mexican Mavis" - Boy and Bear
28. "Don't Wait" - The Beautiful Girls
29. "In These Arms" - The Swell Season
30. "I Want Some More" - Dan Auerbach
31. "Bell" - The Mess Hall
32. "White Rose Parade" - Lady of the Sunshine
33. "Just Breathe" - Pearl Jam
34. "You and I" - Wilco (feat Feist)
35. "Percussion Gun" - White Rabbits
36. "I Woke Up Today" - Port O'Brien
37. "Ulysees" - Franz Ferdinand
38. "Thump" - Bertie Blackman
39. "Out the Airlock" - Paul Dempsey
40. "Since We've Been Wrong" - The Mars Volta
41. "No Turning Back" - Sarah Blasko
42. "Pale Horses" - Moby
43. "Crying Lightening" - Arctic Monkeys
44. "Goodtown" - Wagons
45. "Lisztomania" - Phoenix
46. "Set it Right" - Hungry Kids of Hungary
47. "Someone So Much" - Bob Evans
48. "Bloodlines" - Leader Cheetah
49. "Python for a Pillow" - The Fumes
50. "ATX" - Alberta Cross
51. "Fun That We Have" - Julian Plenti
52. "The Price" - Dappled Cities
53. "Foreign Land" - Eskimo Joe
54. "Static Information" - Love of Diagrams
55. "Fugitive" - David Gray
56. "Keep Me in the Dark" - The Fiery Furnaces
57. "I've Got Friends" - Manchester Orchestra"
58. "Lose You" - Peaches
59. "Treat Me Like Your Mother" - The Dead Weather
60. "Convinced Of The Hex" - The Flaming Lips
61. "Chaka Demus" - Jamie T
62. "Sucker" - Jez Mead
63. "One Way Road" - John Butler Trio
64. "For What it's Worth" - Placebo
65. "Sigh No More" - Mumford & Sons
66. "Laughing With" - Regina Spektor
67. "The Uprising" - Muse
68. "Fell Into Me" - Jordie Lane
69. "Brother" - Little Birdy (feat. Paul Kelly)
70. "Get You Back" - Oh Mercy
71. "Dirty Robot" - Lemonheads (feat Kate Moss)
72. "All of the Dreamers" - Powderfinger
73. "While We Wait for the Others" - Grizzly Bear
74. "Keep it Together" - Ben Harper & Relentless7
75. "Sort Of" - Silversun Pickups
76. "Fresh Blood" - Eels
77. "Natural Reaction" - Gomez
78. "Remember Me" - Tame Impala
79. "Compulsion" - Doves
80. "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" - Weezer
81. "My Girls" - Animal Collective
82. "With This Ship" - The Basics
83. "Heart Skipped a Beat" - The xx
84. "Lua" - Conor Oberst and Gillian Welch
85. "Underdog" - Kasabian
86. "Wilco (The Song)" - Wilco
87. "Low Rising" - The Swell Season
88. "Heads Will Roll" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
89. "We're Mostly Made of Water" - Kid Sam
90. "Ain't No Friend of Mine" - Mason Jennings
91. "Fast Friends" - Paul Dempsey
92. "Bracket WI" - Bon Iver
93. "Amongst the Waves" - Pearl Jam
94. "Little Girl" - Sparklehorse (feat Julian Casablancas)
95. "Man Named Truth" - Monsters of Folk
96. "Diamond and a Tether" - Death Cab for Cutie
97. "Lenin" - Arcade Fire
98. "Mountain Song" - Leeroy Lee
99. "No Kind Words" - The Maccabees
100. "Wheels" - Foo Fighters
Favourite Gigs of 2009 (International)
1. Pearl Jam/Ben Harper - Etihad Stadium
2. Gomez - Palais Theatre
3. Neil Young - Big Day Out
4. Elbow - V Festival
5. The Black Keys - Palais Theatre
6. My Morning Jacket - Big Day Out
7. Dr. Dog - Palais Theatre
8. The Kills - V Festival
9. G. Love & Special Sauce - Hi Fi Bar
10. Jack Johnson - Sound Relief
11. TV on the Radio - Big Day Out
12. Gomez (Bring it On 10th Anniversary Show) - The Espy
13. Kaiser Chiefs - V Festival
14. Ben Kweller - Chill City
15. Arctic Monkeys - Big Day Out
Favourite Gigs of 2009 (Australian)
1. Paul Dempsey - Hepburn Springs Palais
2. Midnight Oil - Sound Relief
3. Hunters and Collectors - Sound Relief
4. Paul Kelly - Chill City
5. Mat McHugh - Rubys Lounge
6. John Butler Trio - Chill City
7. The Beautiful Girls - The Espy
8. The Drones - Big Day Out
9. Paul Kelly - Sound Relief
10. Split Enz - Sound Relief
Best Films of 2009
1. Avatar
2. Inglorious Basterds
3. Zombieland!
4. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
5. Watchmen
6. The Hangover
7. Up
8. Star Trek
9. Gran Torino
10. (500) Days of Summer
11. Adventureland
12. District 9
13. The Boat that Rocked
14. Fanboys
15. The Brothers Bloom
Best TV Shows of 2009
1. Dexter
2. Weeds
3. Spicks and Specks
4. Entourage
5. Californication
6. 30 Rock
7. Curb Your Enthusiasm
8. South Park
9. Scrubs
10. The Simpsons
11. Nip/Tuck
12. Bored to Death
13. rage
14. My Name is Earl
15. United States of Tara
Favourite Books Read in 2009
1. A Nest of Occasionals - Tony Martin
2. The Slap - Christos Tsiolkas
3. Firestarter - Stephen King
4. The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
5. High Noon in Nimbin - Robert G. Barrett
6. Christine - Stephen King
7. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
8. The Dead Zone - Stephen King
9. And Then We Came to the End - Joshua Ferris
10. The Shining - Stephen King
100 Best Songs of 2009
1. "Eid Ma Clack Shaw" - Bill Callahan
2. "The Fixer" - Pearl Jam
3. "Little Lion Man" - Mumford & Sons
4. "A Community Service Announcement" - Jonathon Boulet
5. "Ramona Was a Waitress" - Paul Dempsey
6. "Where Did All the Love Go?" - Kasabian
7. "Running to Stand Still" - Elbow
8. "Down to the Cemetery" - Kid Sam
9. "That Look You Give That Guy" - Eels
10. "Kingdom of Rust" - Doves
11. "Airstream Driver" - Gomez
12. "Cheap and Cheerful" The Kills
13. "Panic Switch" - Silversun Pickups
14. "Silk Suits" - Kram
15. "Blood" - The Middle East
16. "Two Weeks" - Grizzly Bear
17. "Zero" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
18. "Tightrope" - Yeasayer
19. "Lay it Down" - Peter, Bjorn & John
20. "Number With No Name" - Ben Harper & Relentless7
21. "Satellite Skin" - Modest Mouse
22. "Long Way to Go" - Liam Finn & Eliza Jane
23. "Black Wind Blowing" - Mason Jennings
24. "Say Please" - Monsters of Folk
25. "New Fang" - Them Crooked Vultures
26. "The Rakes Song" - The Decemberists
27. "Mexican Mavis" - Boy and Bear
28. "Don't Wait" - The Beautiful Girls
29. "In These Arms" - The Swell Season
30. "I Want Some More" - Dan Auerbach
31. "Bell" - The Mess Hall
32. "White Rose Parade" - Lady of the Sunshine
33. "Just Breathe" - Pearl Jam
34. "You and I" - Wilco (feat Feist)
35. "Percussion Gun" - White Rabbits
36. "I Woke Up Today" - Port O'Brien
37. "Ulysees" - Franz Ferdinand
38. "Thump" - Bertie Blackman
39. "Out the Airlock" - Paul Dempsey
40. "Since We've Been Wrong" - The Mars Volta
41. "No Turning Back" - Sarah Blasko
42. "Pale Horses" - Moby
43. "Crying Lightening" - Arctic Monkeys
44. "Goodtown" - Wagons
45. "Lisztomania" - Phoenix
46. "Set it Right" - Hungry Kids of Hungary
47. "Someone So Much" - Bob Evans
48. "Bloodlines" - Leader Cheetah
49. "Python for a Pillow" - The Fumes
50. "ATX" - Alberta Cross
51. "Fun That We Have" - Julian Plenti
52. "The Price" - Dappled Cities
53. "Foreign Land" - Eskimo Joe
54. "Static Information" - Love of Diagrams
55. "Fugitive" - David Gray
56. "Keep Me in the Dark" - The Fiery Furnaces
57. "I've Got Friends" - Manchester Orchestra"
58. "Lose You" - Peaches
59. "Treat Me Like Your Mother" - The Dead Weather
60. "Convinced Of The Hex" - The Flaming Lips
61. "Chaka Demus" - Jamie T
62. "Sucker" - Jez Mead
63. "One Way Road" - John Butler Trio
64. "For What it's Worth" - Placebo
65. "Sigh No More" - Mumford & Sons
66. "Laughing With" - Regina Spektor
67. "The Uprising" - Muse
68. "Fell Into Me" - Jordie Lane
69. "Brother" - Little Birdy (feat. Paul Kelly)
70. "Get You Back" - Oh Mercy
71. "Dirty Robot" - Lemonheads (feat Kate Moss)
72. "All of the Dreamers" - Powderfinger
73. "While We Wait for the Others" - Grizzly Bear
74. "Keep it Together" - Ben Harper & Relentless7
75. "Sort Of" - Silversun Pickups
76. "Fresh Blood" - Eels
77. "Natural Reaction" - Gomez
78. "Remember Me" - Tame Impala
79. "Compulsion" - Doves
80. "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" - Weezer
81. "My Girls" - Animal Collective
82. "With This Ship" - The Basics
83. "Heart Skipped a Beat" - The xx
84. "Lua" - Conor Oberst and Gillian Welch
85. "Underdog" - Kasabian
86. "Wilco (The Song)" - Wilco
87. "Low Rising" - The Swell Season
88. "Heads Will Roll" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
89. "We're Mostly Made of Water" - Kid Sam
90. "Ain't No Friend of Mine" - Mason Jennings
91. "Fast Friends" - Paul Dempsey
92. "Bracket WI" - Bon Iver
93. "Amongst the Waves" - Pearl Jam
94. "Little Girl" - Sparklehorse (feat Julian Casablancas)
95. "Man Named Truth" - Monsters of Folk
96. "Diamond and a Tether" - Death Cab for Cutie
97. "Lenin" - Arcade Fire
98. "Mountain Song" - Leeroy Lee
99. "No Kind Words" - The Maccabees
100. "Wheels" - Foo Fighters
Favourite Gigs of 2009 (International)
1. Pearl Jam/Ben Harper - Etihad Stadium
2. Gomez - Palais Theatre
3. Neil Young - Big Day Out
4. Elbow - V Festival
5. The Black Keys - Palais Theatre
6. My Morning Jacket - Big Day Out
7. Dr. Dog - Palais Theatre
8. The Kills - V Festival
9. G. Love & Special Sauce - Hi Fi Bar
10. Jack Johnson - Sound Relief
11. TV on the Radio - Big Day Out
12. Gomez (Bring it On 10th Anniversary Show) - The Espy
13. Kaiser Chiefs - V Festival
14. Ben Kweller - Chill City
15. Arctic Monkeys - Big Day Out
Favourite Gigs of 2009 (Australian)
1. Paul Dempsey - Hepburn Springs Palais
2. Midnight Oil - Sound Relief
3. Hunters and Collectors - Sound Relief
4. Paul Kelly - Chill City
5. Mat McHugh - Rubys Lounge
6. John Butler Trio - Chill City
7. The Beautiful Girls - The Espy
8. The Drones - Big Day Out
9. Paul Kelly - Sound Relief
10. Split Enz - Sound Relief
Best Films of 2009
1. Avatar
2. Inglorious Basterds
3. Zombieland!
4. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
5. Watchmen
6. The Hangover
7. Up
8. Star Trek
9. Gran Torino
10. (500) Days of Summer
11. Adventureland
12. District 9
13. The Boat that Rocked
14. Fanboys
15. The Brothers Bloom
Best TV Shows of 2009
1. Dexter
2. Weeds
3. Spicks and Specks
4. Entourage
5. Californication
6. 30 Rock
7. Curb Your Enthusiasm
8. South Park
9. Scrubs
10. The Simpsons
11. Nip/Tuck
12. Bored to Death
13. rage
14. My Name is Earl
15. United States of Tara
Favourite Books Read in 2009
1. A Nest of Occasionals - Tony Martin
2. The Slap - Christos Tsiolkas
3. Firestarter - Stephen King
4. The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
5. High Noon in Nimbin - Robert G. Barrett
6. Christine - Stephen King
7. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
8. The Dead Zone - Stephen King
9. And Then We Came to the End - Joshua Ferris
10. The Shining - Stephen King
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
The Best Albums of 2009
Best Albums of 2009
1. Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Key Tracks: "The Fixer", "Just Breathe", "Amongst the Waves", "Gonna See My Friend"
2. Paul Dempsey - Everything is True
Key Tracks: "Out the Airlock", "Ramona Was a Waitress", "Fast Friends", "Bird in a Basement"
3. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Key Tracks: "Little Lion Man", "Sigh No More", "White Blank Page", "Awake My Soul"
4. Doves - Kingdom of Rust
Key Tracks: "Compulsion", "Kingdom of Rust", "Jetstream", "Winter Hill", "Spellbound".
5. Gomez - A New Tide
Key Tracks: "Airstream Driver", "Natural Reaction", "Little Pieces", "Lost Track", "Other Plans"
6. Eels - Hombre Lobo
Key Tracks: "Fresh Blood", "Tremendous Dynamite", "That Look You Give That Guy", "Prizefighter", "In My Dreams"
7. Kasabian - The West Rider Pauper Lunatic
Key Tracks: "Where Did All the Love Go", "Underdog", "Fast Fuse", "Vlad the Imapler", "Fire"
8. Monsters of Folk - Self Titled
Key Tracks: "Say Please", "Magic Marker", "Man Named Truth", "Goodway".
9. Mason Jennings - Blood of Man
Key Tracks: "Black Wind Blowing", "Ain't No Friend of Mine", "The Tourist", "The Field"
10. Kram - Mixtape
Key Tracks: "Silk Suits", "Ridin' High", "Satellite", "Burnin Sands"
11. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
Key Tracks: "Panic Switch", "There's No Secrets This Year", "Sort Of", "Surrounded"
12. Them Crooked Vultures - Self-Titled
Key Tracks: "New Fang", "Mind Eraser, No Chaser", "Scumbag Blues", "No-one Loves Me & Neither Do I".
13. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
Key Tracks: "The Rake's Song", "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid", "Annan Water", The Hazards of Love 1"
14. Ben Harper and Relentless7 - White Lies for Dark Times
Key Tracks: "Number With No Name", "Keep it Together", "Boots Like These", "Shimmer and Shine
15. The Swell Season - Strict Joy
Key Tracks: "Low Rising", "In These Arms", "Fantasy Man", "The Rain"
16. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Key Tracks: "Heads Will Roll", "Shame and Fortune", "Zero", "Soft Shock"
17. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Key Tracks: "Two Weeks", "Foreground", "While We Wait for the Others", "Southern Point"
18. Sarah Blasko - As Day Follows Night
Key Tracks: "No Turning Back", "We Won't Run", "All I Want", "Bird on a Wire"
19. Wilco - Wilco (the Album)
Key Tracks: "Wilco (The Song)", "One Wing", "You and I (feat Feist)", "I'll Fight"
20. The Mars Volta - Octahedron
Key Tracks: "Cotopaxi", "With Twilight As My Guide", "Teflon", "Halo Of Nembutals"
21. Bob Evans - Goodnight, Bull Creek!
Key Tracks: "Pasha Balker", "Someone So Much", Hand Me Downs", "Brother O Brother"
22. Jamie T - Kings & Queens
Key Tracks: "Chaka Demus", "Sticks N Stones", "Emily's Heart", "Spiders Web"
23. The Middle East - The Recordings of the Middle East
Key Tracks: "Blood", "The Darkest Side", "Lonely", "Fools Gold"
24. David Gray - Draw the Line
Key Tracks: "Fugitive", "Nemesis", "Draw the Line", "Full Steam"
25. Powderfinger - Golden Rule
Key Tracks: "Iberian Dream", "All of the Dreamers", "Burn Your Name", "Jewel"
26. Alberta Cross - Broken Side of Time
Key Tracks: "ATX", "Taking Control", "City Walls", "Song Three Blues"
27. Dan Auerbach - Keep it Hid
Key Tracks: "I Wan't Some More", Street Walkin'", "The Prowl", "Trouble Weighs a Ton
28. Lady of the Sunshine - Smoking Gun
Key Tracks: "White Rose Parade", "The Wolf", "Kings Black Magic", "Smoking Gun"
29. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight:
Key Tracks: "Ulysees", "Turn it On", "No You Girls", "Twilight Owens".
30. Peaches - I Feel Cream
Key Tracks: "Talk To Me", "Trick or Treat", "Serpentine", "I Feel Cream"
1. Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Key Tracks: "The Fixer", "Just Breathe", "Amongst the Waves", "Gonna See My Friend"
2. Paul Dempsey - Everything is True
Key Tracks: "Out the Airlock", "Ramona Was a Waitress", "Fast Friends", "Bird in a Basement"
3. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Key Tracks: "Little Lion Man", "Sigh No More", "White Blank Page", "Awake My Soul"
4. Doves - Kingdom of Rust
Key Tracks: "Compulsion", "Kingdom of Rust", "Jetstream", "Winter Hill", "Spellbound".
5. Gomez - A New Tide
Key Tracks: "Airstream Driver", "Natural Reaction", "Little Pieces", "Lost Track", "Other Plans"
6. Eels - Hombre Lobo
Key Tracks: "Fresh Blood", "Tremendous Dynamite", "That Look You Give That Guy", "Prizefighter", "In My Dreams"
7. Kasabian - The West Rider Pauper Lunatic
Key Tracks: "Where Did All the Love Go", "Underdog", "Fast Fuse", "Vlad the Imapler", "Fire"
8. Monsters of Folk - Self Titled
Key Tracks: "Say Please", "Magic Marker", "Man Named Truth", "Goodway".
9. Mason Jennings - Blood of Man
Key Tracks: "Black Wind Blowing", "Ain't No Friend of Mine", "The Tourist", "The Field"
10. Kram - Mixtape
Key Tracks: "Silk Suits", "Ridin' High", "Satellite", "Burnin Sands"
11. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
Key Tracks: "Panic Switch", "There's No Secrets This Year", "Sort Of", "Surrounded"
12. Them Crooked Vultures - Self-Titled
Key Tracks: "New Fang", "Mind Eraser, No Chaser", "Scumbag Blues", "No-one Loves Me & Neither Do I".
13. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
Key Tracks: "The Rake's Song", "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid", "Annan Water", The Hazards of Love 1"
14. Ben Harper and Relentless7 - White Lies for Dark Times
Key Tracks: "Number With No Name", "Keep it Together", "Boots Like These", "Shimmer and Shine
15. The Swell Season - Strict Joy
Key Tracks: "Low Rising", "In These Arms", "Fantasy Man", "The Rain"
16. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Key Tracks: "Heads Will Roll", "Shame and Fortune", "Zero", "Soft Shock"
17. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Key Tracks: "Two Weeks", "Foreground", "While We Wait for the Others", "Southern Point"
18. Sarah Blasko - As Day Follows Night
Key Tracks: "No Turning Back", "We Won't Run", "All I Want", "Bird on a Wire"
19. Wilco - Wilco (the Album)
Key Tracks: "Wilco (The Song)", "One Wing", "You and I (feat Feist)", "I'll Fight"
20. The Mars Volta - Octahedron
Key Tracks: "Cotopaxi", "With Twilight As My Guide", "Teflon", "Halo Of Nembutals"
21. Bob Evans - Goodnight, Bull Creek!
Key Tracks: "Pasha Balker", "Someone So Much", Hand Me Downs", "Brother O Brother"
22. Jamie T - Kings & Queens
Key Tracks: "Chaka Demus", "Sticks N Stones", "Emily's Heart", "Spiders Web"
23. The Middle East - The Recordings of the Middle East
Key Tracks: "Blood", "The Darkest Side", "Lonely", "Fools Gold"
24. David Gray - Draw the Line
Key Tracks: "Fugitive", "Nemesis", "Draw the Line", "Full Steam"
25. Powderfinger - Golden Rule
Key Tracks: "Iberian Dream", "All of the Dreamers", "Burn Your Name", "Jewel"
26. Alberta Cross - Broken Side of Time
Key Tracks: "ATX", "Taking Control", "City Walls", "Song Three Blues"
27. Dan Auerbach - Keep it Hid
Key Tracks: "I Wan't Some More", Street Walkin'", "The Prowl", "Trouble Weighs a Ton
28. Lady of the Sunshine - Smoking Gun
Key Tracks: "White Rose Parade", "The Wolf", "Kings Black Magic", "Smoking Gun"
29. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight:
Key Tracks: "Ulysees", "Turn it On", "No You Girls", "Twilight Owens".
30. Peaches - I Feel Cream
Key Tracks: "Talk To Me", "Trick or Treat", "Serpentine", "I Feel Cream"
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Pearl Jam - Gig Review - Etihad Stadium - Nov 20th 2009
The news that Pearl Jam and Ben Harper would be playing on the same bill was a source of great excitement to me which only grew after hearing Backspacer which is their best album since Vs in my opinion. My friends shared my sentiments and a posse of over 10 people was quickly formed as the countdown to the 20th November begun. After leaving work early at 4pm, we all congregated at a close-by pub to get a few beers into us before Ben Harper started. We timed it perfectly, arriving just as the great man got on stage to play the unreleased track "I Will Not be Broken". By the time we made it down to our spot in the Fixer field (Front GA) we were treated to the first of the nights countless highlights with the suprise inclusion of "Faded" which sounded just as good a did with his original band. "Number With No Name" was next which is one of my faves from the new album. Eddie Vedder was then invited on stage for an awesome duet with Harper on the Queen/Bowie classic "Under Pressure". They sounded great together and even inproved on the original with Harper hitting some awe inspiring notes and Vedder treating the crowd to an early taste of his distinctive vocals. Harper then treated the crowd to another of his classics with "Diamonds on the Inside" much to the delight of the many fans of Harper's earlier tunes, myself included. The band finsihed the set with some tracks from this years White Lies for Dark Times and another new track called "Rock N Roll is Free" which sounded quite good as well. The lineup for drinks was a pisstake and I missed more than I would have liked of the second half of Harper's set but could hear it pretty well.
Pearl Jam wasted no time when it came to playing the songs the crows wanted to hear opening with the laid back "Elderly Woman" from their best album Vs followed by the more energetic "Corduroy" and "Animal". By the time one-two combo of "Even Flow" and "Oceans" was played to an extremely appreciative crowd I was aware that I was witnessing something more than an average touring rock show, well aware that the set so far was quite different to the previous shows at Perth and Adelaide. It is rare for international artists or even locals for that metter to play a different set for each gig and is one of the many reasons that I rate this gig as my favourite of all time. They ticked every box required for the perfect performance as they played plenty of their hits, a few covers, some special guests, a few unexpected rarities and it went for 2 and a half hours. The group of friends I went with all shared the same opinion and the best was yet to come. Other highlights from the main set included "Given to Fly" (dedicated to my favourite footballer Richo), "The Fixer" and "Do the Evolution".
As good as the main set was, the two encores that followed were nothing short of perfect. Eddie Vedder came out by himself to rapturous applause armed only with his acoustic guitar to play a chilling version of Neil Young's "The Needle and the Damage Done" which is one of my favourite songs ever. This was followed by another acoustic track "Just Breathe" from the new album which sounded great. The first very special guest, Ben Harper, was then invited on stage for a couple tracks, first on slide guitar only on "Red Mosquito" and then shared the vocals on the highlight of the night "Indifference". It was the track I was most hoping to hear and was every bit as good as I'd hoped. I would have been quite happy for the gig to end there but there were 10 more classics yet to come. To finish the first encore we were treated to 4 in a row from the classic debut Ten, the highlight being "Jeremy" as the 50,000 strong crowd sang along.
The 2nd encore begun with a rousing version of one of Australia's greatest songs, "Throw Your Arms Around Me" joined by Liam Finn on vocals which envoked another heartfelt sing-along from the crowd. By the time "Black", "Spin the Black Circle" and "Alive" were played I was entirely exhausted and completely blown away by the calvacade of hits I had witnessed and I was not the Lone Ranger. The concert finished with a great version of The Who's classic "Baba O'Reilly" and popular B-side "Yellow Ledbetter" featuring some wicked AC/DC riffage. After 32 tracks and 2 and a half hours of madness I was spent and ready for home.
Best. Gig. Ever.
Set List: Elderly Woman, Corduroy, Animal, Got Some, Brother, Amongst The Waves, Even Flow, Oceans, Lukin, Green Disease, Force of Nature, Present Tense, Gonne See My Friend, Given To Fly, Daughter / Another Brick In The Wall Part 2-(Waters), Glorified G, The Fixer, Do the Evolution,
1st encore: The Needle And The Damage Done-(Young), Just Breathe, Red Mosquito w/ Ben Harper, Indifference w/ Ben Harper, Jeremy, Deep, Why Go, Porch
2nd encore: Throw Your Arms Around Me w/ Liam Finn-(Archer, Falconer, Howard, Miles, Seymour, Smith, Waters), Black, Spin The Black Circle, Alive, Baba O'Riley (Townshend), Yellow Ledbetter / AC/DC Medley-(Scott, Young, Young)
Pearl Jam wasted no time when it came to playing the songs the crows wanted to hear opening with the laid back "Elderly Woman" from their best album Vs followed by the more energetic "Corduroy" and "Animal". By the time one-two combo of "Even Flow" and "Oceans" was played to an extremely appreciative crowd I was aware that I was witnessing something more than an average touring rock show, well aware that the set so far was quite different to the previous shows at Perth and Adelaide. It is rare for international artists or even locals for that metter to play a different set for each gig and is one of the many reasons that I rate this gig as my favourite of all time. They ticked every box required for the perfect performance as they played plenty of their hits, a few covers, some special guests, a few unexpected rarities and it went for 2 and a half hours. The group of friends I went with all shared the same opinion and the best was yet to come. Other highlights from the main set included "Given to Fly" (dedicated to my favourite footballer Richo), "The Fixer" and "Do the Evolution".
As good as the main set was, the two encores that followed were nothing short of perfect. Eddie Vedder came out by himself to rapturous applause armed only with his acoustic guitar to play a chilling version of Neil Young's "The Needle and the Damage Done" which is one of my favourite songs ever. This was followed by another acoustic track "Just Breathe" from the new album which sounded great. The first very special guest, Ben Harper, was then invited on stage for a couple tracks, first on slide guitar only on "Red Mosquito" and then shared the vocals on the highlight of the night "Indifference". It was the track I was most hoping to hear and was every bit as good as I'd hoped. I would have been quite happy for the gig to end there but there were 10 more classics yet to come. To finish the first encore we were treated to 4 in a row from the classic debut Ten, the highlight being "Jeremy" as the 50,000 strong crowd sang along.
The 2nd encore begun with a rousing version of one of Australia's greatest songs, "Throw Your Arms Around Me" joined by Liam Finn on vocals which envoked another heartfelt sing-along from the crowd. By the time "Black", "Spin the Black Circle" and "Alive" were played I was entirely exhausted and completely blown away by the calvacade of hits I had witnessed and I was not the Lone Ranger. The concert finished with a great version of The Who's classic "Baba O'Reilly" and popular B-side "Yellow Ledbetter" featuring some wicked AC/DC riffage. After 32 tracks and 2 and a half hours of madness I was spent and ready for home.
Best. Gig. Ever.
Set List: Elderly Woman, Corduroy, Animal, Got Some, Brother, Amongst The Waves, Even Flow, Oceans, Lukin, Green Disease, Force of Nature, Present Tense, Gonne See My Friend, Given To Fly, Daughter / Another Brick In The Wall Part 2-(Waters), Glorified G, The Fixer, Do the Evolution,
1st encore: The Needle And The Damage Done-(Young), Just Breathe, Red Mosquito w/ Ben Harper, Indifference w/ Ben Harper, Jeremy, Deep, Why Go, Porch
2nd encore: Throw Your Arms Around Me w/ Liam Finn-(Archer, Falconer, Howard, Miles, Seymour, Smith, Waters), Black, Spin The Black Circle, Alive, Baba O'Riley (Townshend), Yellow Ledbetter / AC/DC Medley-(Scott, Young, Young)
Monday, 16 November 2009
Friday, 30 October 2009
Them Crooked Vultures - New Fang
Them Crooked Vultures have finally released the first taste from their upcoming and greatly anticipated debut album and it's a ripper. For those unaware of the supergroup, the band features Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) on guitar and lead vocal, Dave Grohl on drums on backing vocal and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) on bass. It features Homme's signature guitar sound and it's great to hear Grohl back behind the drums.
Australia will be the first country to get the album when it lands on our shores November 13th before the worldwide release on November 17th. Those wanting to see the rock gods in action will get the chance next year when they play 4 date tour around Australia in January. See the dates below.
Tue Jan 19 – Challenge Stadium, Perth
Fri Jan 22 – Festival Hall, Melbourne
Mon Jan 25 – Riverstage, Brisbane
Tue Jan 26 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Australia will be the first country to get the album when it lands on our shores November 13th before the worldwide release on November 17th. Those wanting to see the rock gods in action will get the chance next year when they play 4 date tour around Australia in January. See the dates below.
Tue Jan 19 – Challenge Stadium, Perth
Fri Jan 22 – Festival Hall, Melbourne
Mon Jan 25 – Riverstage, Brisbane
Tue Jan 26 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Monday, 31 August 2009
Paul Dempsey - Everything is True - Album Review
*****On his debut solo album, Paul Dempsey has kept everything that is great about Something for Kate and made a fresh and unique sound that I can't get enough of. I've been listening to this album on repeat for over 2 weeks now and have not come close to tiring of it yet. Even the latest single "Romona Was a Waitress" which is getting fairly heavy airplay still sounds fresh. The songwriting on Everything is True is Dempsey's strongest effort since SFK's Elsewhere for 8 Minutes and the simple yet catchy acoustic guitar is the perfect accompaniment to his clever and insightful lyrics. All the instruments on the album are played by Dempsey and he also wrote and co-produced the debut with Wayne Connolly, who has previously worked with The Fauves and Josh Pyke, proving that he is truly one of Australia's most talented artists. It's hard to pick highlights on such a strong album but I am really loving "Fast Friends", "Bird in a Basement" and current single "Romona Was a Waitress". The bonus disc features four covers played acoustically and is a nice addition, if only for the great MGMT cover of "Time to Pretend. You can find his cover version of classic 90's Teenage Fanclub track "Sparky's Dream" on iTunes as well which is probably my favourite of the cover versions. This fantasic debut is the current leader for Album of the Year at this stage and I am looking forward to seeing a full live show at the Palais in Hepburn Springs on the 11th Sept, having seen a sneak preview at RRR's Performance Space in July before hearing the album. I strongly receommend this album, even if for some stupid reason Something for Kate is not your cup of tea. 5 out of 5.
Everything is True
1. Bats
2. Fast Friends
3. Out The Airlock
4. Ramona Was A Waitress
5. Take Us To Your Leader
6. Bird In A Basement
7. Theme From Nice Guy
8. Have You Fallen Out Of Love?
9. The Great Optimist
10. Safety In Numbness
11. Man Of The Moment
Counterfeits and Forgeries
1. Time to Pretend (MGMT)
2. Heaven (Talking Heads)
3. So Like Candy (Elvis Costello)
4. Disappearer (Sonic Youth)
5. Sparky's Dream (Teenage Fanclub) iTunes Bonus Track
Here are the latest tour dates for Paul Dempsey
Thurs 10 September – Ruby’s Lounge
Fri 11 September – The Palais, Hepburn Springs
Sat 12 September – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Wed 16 September – Lizottes, Kincumber
Thurs 17 September – Wollongong University, Wollongong
Fri 18 September – Brewery, Newcastle
Sat 19 September – Manning Bar, Sydney
Fri 25 September – The Sound Lounge, Gold Coast
Sat 26 September – The Zoo, Brisbane
Thurs 1 October – The Gov, Adelaide
Fri 2 October – Rosemount Hotel, Perth
Sat 3 October – Fly By Night Club, Fremantle
Fri 9 October – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Sat 10 October – Westernport Hotel, San Remo
Thursday, 20 August 2009
David Gray - New Single and Album
1. Fugitive2. Draw The Line
3. Nemesis
4. Jackdaw
5. Kathleen
6. First Chance
7. Harder
8. Transformation
9. Stella The Artist
10. Breathe
11. Full Steam
David Gray has just released an excellent video for "Fugitive" which will be the first single from his forthcoming album Draw the Line due out on September 22. It's another great upbeat piano driven classic from the UK singer who hasn't released an album in 4 years. See below for the latest video for David Gray and a couple of classics.
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