Head Like a Kite

The Decemberists (Billboard, January 24th)

2010-01-25T14:31:00.002+11:00

It was a first time gig in Melbourne for the Decemberists, currently in Australia on their first tour here. There was a crowd of devoted fans who knew every lyric to every song and sang along loudly and passionately. From the band there was crazy Colin Meloy, lead singer, guitarist and someone who clearly loves playing gigs. The set was punctuated by some audience sing alongs of great enthusiasm. Their songs are full of interesting material- old folk tales, war, infanticide, being eaten by a whale...

The Decemberists are masters of the story telling song so it was fitting that they chose to open their set last night with The Tain, a fifteen minute-plus epic that traversed through heavy rock riffs, folky interludes and an array of instruments played by the members of the band. This was followed by the jaunty Sporting Life from Picaresque and another fast number, Billy Liar. A couple of songs from last year's story book album The Hazards of Love were also played, The Rake Song and Annan Water, good even out of the context of the album's story.

The Crane Wife's three parts were another set highlight, played this time in order, unlike on the album. Following this were O Valencia and 16 Military Wives, both obvious crowd favourites.
The encore included a deliberately chosen cover of Bye Bye Pride (originally a Go Betweens song) and Sons and Daughters which inspired another mass singalong of the closing refrain. After stomping, cheering and drowning out the background music that was supposed to signal the set's end, the band came back to play a hilarious rendition of The Mariner's Revenge Song. The whole audience was swaying in time with the fictional boat's motions, the band members played dead on the stage and the audience all had to scream upon being eaten by the whale.

A most enjoyable show from a very talented group of musicians and songwriters.

Top Gigs of 2009

2010-01-15T09:58:00.002+11:00

Seven Worlds Collide, Powerstation, Auckland
Some of the world's best artists playing a range of their songs, as well as songs written especially for the event. And it was all for charity. Anything involving members of the Finn family has to be good.

Ani DiFranco, Palais
My first chance to see her play live. A great set that showcased a wide range of her material and showed what an energetic and passionate performer she can be.

Ben Folds, Palais
No Army, but was otherwise a set containing songs from his solo albums and Ben Folds Five songs as well. The highlight of the show was the two new songs he performed from the forthcoming album written with Nick Hornby.

Tim Finn, The Athenaeum
A career-spanning retrospective featuring Eddie Raynor and a range of material from Split Enz, Crowded House, Finn Brothers music and his solo stuff as well.

Jen Cloher and the Endless Sea, Corner Hotel
One of Australia's best relatively unknown bands. Jen Cloher is a talented songwriter and the music has substance and beauty.

Top 10 Albums 2009, continued

2010-01-07T09:31:00.004+11:00

4. Wilco, Wilco (the album)
Highlights include the guitar work on Bull Black Nova, title track Wilco (the song), the duet You and I which features Leslie Feist and the rollicking You Never Know which also appears on The Sun Came Out.

5. Flight of the Conchords, I Told You I Was Freaky
A great follow up to their first album. This one centres more around r & b with Sugalumps and Too Many Dicks but strays into folk music and reggae. Best song is easily Carol Brown.

6. Regina Spektor, Far
The original and funny Dance Anthem of the 80s is an album highlight, as is the single Laughing With, opening track The Calculation and quirky Folding Chair.

7. Blitzen Trapper, Furr
Technically this was released in very late 2008 but who would have noticed? The title track is fantastic, as is the jazzy Saturday Nite. Explores a wide range of styles and contains some catchy songs.

8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, It's Blitz!
A departure from their previous more rock oriented style, this album contains the addictively catchy Zero, Heads Will Roll and the softer tones of Skeletons.

9. Andy Bull, We're Too Young
A late entry to this list, as I discovered this album in November. Piano in the style of Ben Folds, the excellent She's a Ghost, title track, Young Man and Do You Recall are the best tracks here.

10. Jordie Lane, Sleeping Patterns
A great folk/country/soul album with well written songs. Highlights include Walking That Way, The Publican's Daughter, War Rages On and I Could Die Looking At You.

Top Ten Albums 2009

2009-12-13T20:19:00.002+11:00

It's that time of year again where we start looking back on the year's highlights music-wise. Hottest 100 voting opens in just over a week, so let's start with my top ten albums for the year. I'm starting at number one and working up this time!

1. 7 Worlds Collide, The Sun Came Out
Too many great artists contributed to this album for it to be anything but number one. A great mixture of styles and paces. Highlights include Don McGlashan's Long Time Gone, Neil Finn's All Comedians Suffer, Phil Selway's The Ties That Bind Us and anything Wilco has been involved with.

2. Mumford and Sons, Sigh No More
A beautifully constructed folk-rock extravaganza which brings the banjo into the forefront of cutting edge music. Some heart felt tracks here including the excellent title track, The Cave, Winter Winds, Roll Away Your Stone and Little Lion Man. No bad songs to be found.

3. Jen Cloher and the Endless Sea, Hidden Hands
Some terrific music here- soul, rock, folk all rolled into one. The title track is great, along with Fear Is Like a Forest, Mother's Desk, I Am Going But I Am Not Gone, Eden With Eve... it's an album full of energy, a mixture of sweet folk driven songs and harder edged stuff too.

Wilco will love you, baby

2009-11-27T17:38:00.002+11:00

In fact they're loving us not just once but twice next May, playing gigs at the Forum on the 5th and 6th. The gigs were a surprise as nothing has been mentioned on Wilcoworld.net and nothing even in the EG's gig guide. Today an advertisement appeared and tickets were on sale Monday. Very exciting news!

Mumford and Sons

2009-11-15T12:00:00.003+11:00

Responsible for one of this year's best albums, this English band sounds very Irish, sings some beautiful harmonies and has brought the banjo back into fashion. Their recently released album Sigh No More has been at the top of the Australian albums chart for two weeks and is now still a respectable third place. They are a little like many artists with the rhythms of Wilco's Airline to Heaven, the voice of Jordie Lane, the Irishness of Flogging Molly, but are exactly like no one.

And this is only a good thing. Listening to their album you will be struck by the complexities in their songs, the slow starts that build up to frantic instrumental and vocal crescendos. There are soaring horns and violins that rise above the guitars. Opening track Sigh No More starts with only soft guitar, then the elements of the band all click into place one by one. Second track The Cave has one of the best choruses this year and Winter Winds is a beautiful sad tale. Most of the album consists of break up songs- perhaps this melancholy aura permeating the tracks is what makes it such a great recording.

Other highlights include Roll Away Your Stone, single Little Lion Man, and I Gave You All. If you are one of those people perturbed by hype, pretend you aren't and jump on the growing bandwagon which for once is entirely justified.

Tim Finn (The Athenaeum, 7th November)

2009-11-08T14:00:00.002+11:00

Tim Finn's current Anthology Tour is a retrospective exploring songs from his whole career. He appeared on stage singing the opening bars of Six Months In A Leaky Boat before being joined by Split Enz's Eddie Raynor and the rest of his current touring band. The show revealed the talents of one of the best songwriters around and managed to satisfy the die hard fans who were really only hanging out for more Split Enz songs.

As well as the opening track there was a jaunty My Mistake, Dirty Creature and the set closer I See Red. Each performance of these songs showed off the performance energy Tim has even now which doesn't seem to have waned at all. He also played some solo stuff including Fraction Too Much Friction, So Deep, Persuasion and the recently penned Light Years Away. From the recent Poor Boy 'musical' he also played (or forgot the lyrics to) Into the Water. Most songs were from the Anthology album, released to coincide with the tour, although a few others played are not on this compilation.

Tim indulged one audience member's request by performing an impromptu Hermit McDermitt, and indulged other fans by playing the first Split Enz single Maybe. There was also a strange Neil Finn-less Weather With You, but still beautiful and Luckiest Man Alive from the Finn Brothers' 2005 album Everyone Is Here. Every song was well constructed, performed with passion and was well received by the audience of fans.

There were also two great support acts. First up was Leena, a female singer-songwriter with a voice reminiscent of the lead singer of the Cardigans. Her brief yet impressive set was followed by Andy Bull. He sings like Antony from the Johnsons, he plays piano like Elton John and Ben Folds and he has the tongue in cheek lyrics of Tim Minchin. His cover of The Shins New Slang was a highlight of the set, along with Pretty Girls, a stinging critique of the female private school girls from Sydney. And he signed a copy of his CD for me.

I Told You I Was Freaky

2009-11-06T17:16:00.002+11:00

I've come to the conclusion that to properly appreciate Flight of the Conchords' music, you must be slightly silly. There's no other explanation for why their latest album has received one or two mediocre reviews in the past week when in many ways it is musically better than their previous effort. It doesn't have the same range as their first self titled album- many of the tracks rely on R&B for their sources of inspiration and many are about relationships- but there is still plenty to like here.

The opening track Hurt Feelings reminds us that Bret and Jemaine are indeed rappers, even if Bret was told to try on a ladies' wet suit and Jemaine's family didn't call on his birthday. Anyone who has ever been told that they looked like a llama will be able to sympathise with the boys who deal out their 'autobiographical raps'. This is followed by the hilarious Sugalumps, a song which must have been inspired by a particularly well known Black Eyed Peas track from a few years ago about certain parts of anatomy.

Other highlights include Too Many Dicks On the Dancefloor, which warns of the perils if you don't check the 'bro-ho ratio' before going down to your nearest club. This song is addictive and tends to stick in your head. Also there's I Told You I Was Freaky, which proves that Bret's habit of standing around with a cup on his head reveals his true personality of craziness. Or Jemaine might break into your house and have a seance. There's a tribute to eighties pop in Fashion is Danger, the cannibalistic tale of Petrov, Yelyena and Me and a plea to Jermaine to avoid prostitution in order to relieve his debts. There's also a Peter Sarstedt tribute in Wandering Through the Avenues of Time.

The highlight of the lot is the incredibly catchy, funny and well written Carol Brown which is one of the best songs of the year. It's proof that the boys have moved on from clever lyrics to writing great songs. There are one or two less exciting patches here and there, like Angels, Demon Woman and Friends, but these are still enjoyable enough in their own way. Maybe you just need to watch the TV series as well... the 'video clips' accompanying each song are also great.

Current Musical Annoyances

2009-10-25T09:51:00.002+11:00

Maybe I'm getting old. I think I'm already too old for Triple J, because I find Zan Rowe really annoying, but as long as Richard Kingsmill is still kicking along I suppose I can listen. Although I don't still listen. I now listen to 774, because for some reason I'd rather hear up to date Melbourne weather reports than music in the mornings now. Like I said, I'm getting old.

This week's little rant is overdue, because I've been busy doing non-musical things like marking exams and engaging in educational philosophical debates with various people and entities, but it was inspired by this morning's listen to the new Sufjan Stevens album. In typical Sufjan style, it's a tribute to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, perhaps after he realised making an album for every single US state was slightly overambitious. Instead he's moved onto notable roadways of the US. Now, Sufjan fans who got hooked on Illinoise have been waiting a fair while for this. When he toured at the beginning of last year, there was no promise of any album in the pipeline and we all wondered what the hell he'd been doing for almost three years besides touring.

The BQE as it is dubbed on its cover is not an album at all. It is an anti-album. Songs move seemlessly into each other, there are no lyrics (at least up until track 8, my current listening limit). The album is accompanied by a DVD like Beck's The Information, inspired by its subject matter, and a small 3D viewing disk that looks like it's meant for our old Viewmasters from the 1980s. There is also a thick booklet devoid of many words but containing images and flourescent coloured scribbles. Pretty cool.

I'm sure a number of people will love this album, will declare it cutting edge and postmodern for failing to conform to the norms of the music industry. Sufjan, I will point out, can get away with this because he publishes his stuff on Asthmatic Kitty Records, which I assume is his own label. But I don't want cutting edge. I want traditional. I want some songs with LYRICS, for goodness sake, which Sufjan is good at writing. And he has a great voice. I want some of those four minute symphonies he produced on Illinoise with multiple parts, songs with stories like Casimir Pulaski Day and John Wayne Gacy Jr. I'm not in the mood for self indulgent tributes to roads in foreign countries unless those tributary songs contain WORDS, as well as soaring orchestral arrangements played by people who are very talented.

On a similarly annoyed note, JB don't seem to have Flight of the Conchords new album I Told You I Was Freaky, at least in the case of two of their stores. Get some better suppliers! Borders has it, why can't JB get its act together? Mutha'uckas.

Questions In Song Titles

2009-10-12T19:23:00.000+11:00

Questions in song titles can be rhetorical, they can be pondered by the singer in the song's lyrics or they can merely be opening up a broader philosophical debate. Or they can be direct suggestions for action to be taken by the song's intended audience. The list below contains a few of these in my music collection.

Why Don't We Do It in the Road, The Beatles
Because 'no one will be watching us', apparently. A John Lennon song with bluesy guitar.

Where's Summer B?, Ben Folds Five
No one seems to know where Summer has been but much has gone on since his/her departure... Ross and Frank are still together and Joe Cavalo is hanging out with Darren's girlfriend. And they're all asking Ben where Summer is, but how should he know? One of their best from their first self titled album.

Are You Magnetic?, Faker
The stand out track and second single from Be the Twilight. Quite addictive and a little anthemic too. More questions raised here- do you collapse? Apparently not if you 'land in the right place'.

You And Whose Army?, Radiohead
With your cronies, you might manage to destroy the Roman Empire or at least drive Thom Yorke crazy.

What's Up?, 4 Non Blondes
What's going on anyway? Apparently the only way to work it out is to get up early and shout at people. It doesn't seem to work though because the lead singer still doesn't know what's going on.

Who Was I Kidding?, Martha Wainwright
Well, it obviously wasn't her father, judging from other material on this album. Maybe herself, but at least it wasn't about her songwriting abilities which are exceptional.

Jen Cloher and the Endless Sea, (Corner Hotel, 20th September)

2009-09-20T13:07:00.003+10:00

Jen Cloher is one of the best relatively unknown Australian artists around. She's a performer with a subtle yet assertive stage presence and writes great songs that have a complexity to them in their instrumentation and arrangement. After her first album Dead Wood Falls, this year she released Hidden Hands to much critical acclaim. The album launch at the Corner Hotel last night was an energetic showcase for Cloher's talents but also the talents of her band. From the sublime violin, viola and backing vocals to the lively drumming, the band serves her well. Jen Cloher herself has a rich, smooth voice that carries the lyrics across her carefully constructed tunes.

The gig opened with Spring from Dead Wood Falls, followed by new album highlight Fear is Like a Forest. This was followed by Fingersmith from the first album. Most of the new album was played including Mother's Day, Birdsong, Hidden Hands, It Must Come Through, Eden With Eve and Watch Me Disappear. We also heard plenty of songs from the first album including the single Rain. There were two covers, one of a Grant Lee Buffalo song and another of Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues.

And thankfully, the Corner Hotel's sound gremlins from the previous night had all but gone. It was a lot less crowded but still a receptive crowd. I'm looking forward to listening to the album more over the coming months.

Liam Finn, (Corner Hotel, 18th September)

2009-09-19T15:55:00.002+10:00

Attending this gig was a last minute thing, after receiving a ticket from a generous unwell friend. Liam is always good value and I've never seen him play a full set. Previously I have seen him being all the members of Led Zeppelin at once at Sound Relief and playing the guitar parts for absent Radiohead and Wilco members at 7 Worlds Collide. He was accompanied by the excellent Eliza Jane on various tuned and untuned percussion instruments. Too bad his set was wounded by the terrible sound problems at the Corner Hotel. I hope they fix the lead microphone cable in time for Jen Cloher tonight, and also the mysterious squawks that appeared whenever a high pitched guitar or vocal was performed. In Liam Finn's sets, that happens quite often and even he grumbled quietly (and politely) about the strange gremlins in the sound system.

Liam is great value mostly for his stage presence, perhaps Split Enz inspired. He dashes from guitar to drum kit and back to the guitar and propels himself across the stage like a man possessed by the music. His voice has a quality more similar to his uncle's than his father's and his repertoire is quite varied, from poppy rock to more soulful vocal harmonies.

The set contained a large chunk of material from I'll Be Lightning including Better to Be, Energy Spent, Remember When, Wise Man, This Place is Killing Me and the title track. He also played, after a request, Red Wine Bottle, the richly layered track from The Sun Came Out. He and EJ have a new EP out and they played a track (or possibly several) from that too. At the end of the set we saw Second Chance, a popular crowd favourite and Gather to the Chapel. Later on, Elroy Finn appeared to help out with I'm Only Sleeping and another song. You wonder if one day Elroy and Liam will mirror the efforts of their father and uncle with more collaborative musical efforts.

Too bad about the sound, but even that couldn't dampen the enthusiasm and energy of a talented musician.

The Sun Came Out

2009-09-07T19:57:00.002+10:00

There are certain people who can't write a bad song and Neil Finn is one of them. And neither, it seems, can his band of many musically talented friends who all got together in New Zealand early this year to record The Sun Came Out, a charity project to raise money for Oxfam. The album is a vehicle to show off the talents of the many participants and the songs are well constructed. Many are instant stand outs. The opener Too Blue, written by Johnny Marr and Neil Finn, is a collaborative effort featuring many of the artists. Neil Finn also shows off his song writing talent on Little By Little, the duet with his wife Sharon and the fantastic opener to Disc Two, All Comedians Suffer, a soaring track with a varied structure.

Liam Finn is becoming a great talent in his own right, evident in the soulful Red Wine Bottle, as well as his contribution to Learn to Crawl , performed with his father. As well as Jeff Tweedy's song writing in You Never Know (a richer version instrumentally than the one on Wilco's recent album) and the more brooding What Could Have Been , we also see efforts from Pat Sansone in the beautiful guitar-driven Don't Forget Me, and John Stirratt's cruisy Over and Done. Tim Finn contributes Riding the Wave, featuring emotive piano and a moving melody.

Bic Runga's country-esque A Change of Heart is another great addition to the album, as is the murder ballad Black Silk Ribbon, a duet with KT Tunstall. The rollocking Hazel Black, featuring a chorus written by a drunken Neil Finn, is another great band effort with KT singing vocals. We also see the talent of guitarists Johnny Marr and Ed O'Brien in a couple of other tracks, Bodhisattva Blues and Run in the Dust. Phil Selway's The Ties That Bind Us is a highlight with its haunting vocals and harmonies. There's another Selway song in The Witching Hour, a bit more of a sleeper.

Don McGlashan leads the way in Long Time Gone, an album highlight featuring many supporting musicians. He also sings the heartfelt Girl, Make Your Own Mind Up, another great contribution. Lisa Germano performs Reptile, a quirky, likeable track featuring theramin and many other instruments played by herself. And Sebastian Steinberg's The Water closes the album.

Overall it's great value for money, supports a worthy cause and contains the work of some of the best song writers around. What's not to like?

Ben Folds, (The Palais, 3rd September)

2009-09-04T17:15:00.002+10:00

After three years away, Ben Folds returned to Australia to play gigs that didn't really showcase Way to Normal, but did manage to reflect a range of material across his career. Maybe that's a slight generalisation but I was sure I'd get to hear a bit more of the new stuff, like Cologne, Errant Dog or Bitch Went Nuts. He opened with Free Coffee, a song that wouldn't immediately spring to mind as a likely candidate for a solo piano gig. But then he went back to Anne Waits from Rockin' the Suburbs, a crowd favourite where hand clapping from the audience was encouraged.

From the new album we also heard Doctor Yang, one of the most energetic performances of the set, showing that Ben's live energy can't always be captured on a studio recording. Missy Higgins appeared to perform guest vocals and drumming for You Don't Know Me, another set highlight. And we also heard Effington, a chance for Ben to show off his fast piano fingers. But that was it. Much of the newer material was left untouched in favour of classics.

There was some even newer material from the new album in the works which Nick Hornby is writing lyrics for. There was the beautifully poignant Picture Window and the hilarious story of Sarah Palin's daughter's boyfriend Levi's Blues, based apparently on the contents of his MySpace page. Both songs are great and the album promises to be some of his best work yet.

From Songs for Silverman, we got Gracie, Landed and Jesusland, from Rockin' the Suburbs there was the title track, Zak and Sara, Still Fighting It, Not the Same (complete with three part audience harmony) and The Ascent of Stan. We also heard classics The Last Polka, Best Imitation of Myself, Brick, Narcolepsy, Lullabye and Emaline. As usual, there was the good old Rock This Bitch, improvised specifically for a Melbourne audience and also part of Purple Haze and Bitches Ain't Shit.

The last two songs were The Luckiest, another audience favourite (although a song I've always thought slightly twee) and Such Great Heights, a cover of the Postal Service song played frequently not so long ago on Triple J.

It was a fairly comprehensive range, but there were a few missing favourites, most notably Army with its compulsory audience horn section singalong and One Angry Dwarf or something else similar from Whatever and Ever Amen. Ben's always a great performer and he can't please all of the people all the time. I just would have liked to sing along to the trumpet section of Army one more time...

B B B Benny Folds

2009-08-31T20:00:00.002+10:00

Thursday night is Ben Folds' gig at the Palais, a one-man-plus-piano extravaganza from a great live act. I can't wait and to celebrate, I'm devising my own ideal play list, in no particular order...

1. Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head) (Way to Normal)
2. The Frown Song (Way to Normal)
3. Bitch Went Nuts (Way to Normal)
4. Cologne (Way to Normal)
5. Landed (Songs for Silverman)
6. Not the Same (Rockin' the Suburbs)
7. Zak and Sara (Rockin' the Suburbs)
8. Protection (Speed Graphic EP)
9. Errant Dog (Way to Normal)
10. Army (Reinhold Messner)
11. One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces (Whatever and Ever Amen)
12. Battle of Who Could Care Less (Whatever and Ever Amen)
13. Song for the Dumped (Whatever and Ever Amen)
14. Emaline (Naked Baby Photos)
15. Underground (Ben Folds Five)
16. Where's Summer B? (Ben Folds Five)
17. Adelaide (Super D EP)

Carol Brown took a bus out of town...

2009-08-19T19:11:00.002+10:00

This season of Flight of the Conchords has just been released on DVD and its showing on SBS is drawing to a close too. Although no album has yet been released, there have been plenty of great songs in this season as well. One episode, where Jemaine attempts to pursue a relationship with an Australian girl, is particularly funny and features two of the best songs in the current series. Too Many Dicks on the Dance Floor is a cautionary tale about what can happen if you don't check the 'bro-ho ratio' before you go to a club. You might find 'Billy, Todd and Tommy... on leave from the army' when you're trying to meet chicks.

There's also one of the best Conchords songs later in the episode with Carol Brown, the history of Jemaine's love life. Every one of the fifty ways in which lovers have left him is relived, including 'Tiffany, you told me you had an epiphany' and 'Loretta, she broke my heart in a letter.' Carol Brown not only left on a bus, she organised a choir of the ex-girlfriends to taunt Jemaine about his failings, which include an ability to cook only cereal.

Apart from these gems, there's also Sugarlumps, a parody of the Black Eyed Peas song with a rhyming title. There's a hilarious dance scene featuring business men in a restaurant. Hurt Feelings shows that even rappers can get upset if people don't appreciate their casseroles. Murray's lament Rejected is belted out on the balcony of his new up-market record company office. In Stay Cool Bret, Bret and his gang, the Tough Brets, face off against enemy teenage delinquents and Australian diplomats who make rude jokes about Miss New Zealand.

I hope the album isn't too far off... at first you could get the songs on iTunes but now they're all gone.

Seven worlds will collide whenever I am by your side

2009-08-07T19:27:00.002+10:00

The most anticipated album of the year (at least by me) will be released shortly. The Sun Came Out, the new effort from Neil Finn's Seven World Collide project, is due at the end of August or start of September, although no confirmation of an Australian release date has yet been made. The album features the talents of Neil Finn, sons Liam and Elroy, brother Tim, Johnny Marr, Don McGlashan, Bic Runga, Ed O'Brien, Phil Selway, Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche, Pat Sansone, KT Tunstall, Lisa Germano and Sebastian Steinberg. It also apparently features various offspring of the above and Neil's wife Sharon.

The songs are set to be amazing with Phil Selway's The Ties That Bind Us one of the tracks I particularly can't wait to hear. Wilco is supposed to have You Never Know from their current eponymous album on this one as well, although it could be an alternative version of that song. There are some great collaborative efforts... Johnny Marr and Jeff Tweedy surely can only produce genius together. A couple of tracks from the gig haven't made the album, but plenty more has, as you can see at the link below.

Not only can you read more, you can listen here for a taste of what's to come.

Golden Age Part Two- Wilco (the album)

2009-07-24T19:19:00.002+10:00

After the release of Sky Blue Sky in 2007, The Age's Patrick Donovan, Wilco fan and generally good reviewer, said while he loved the album, he thought Wilco's best was yet to come. After the release of Wilco (the album), their best is still on the way. It's a good album, a consistent album and with Jeff Tweedy involved you couldn't really go wrong. All the songs are likeable, it's an easy listen and it's short (just over 40 minutes). But it's not better than their previous efforts. There's none of the collaborative guitar efforts that made Sky Blue Sky such a strong album, less of the energy of the band is showcased here.

Opening track Wilco (the song) has cheeky lyrics and is a nice little upbeat start. This is followed by two slower tracks Deeper Down and One Wing, the latter being one of the best tracks on the album. After this is Bull Black Nova, a Spiders-esque jaunt telling the story of a murderer driving away from the scene of his crime and one of the only opportunities for Nels Cline to show off his skills. A duet with Leslie Feist on You and I creates a pretty, simple ballad and another pleasant tune. This is followed by the enjoyable, rollocking You Never Know, a reminder of their strengths on Sky Blue Sky, where you can hear John Stirratt in the backing vocals to the chorus.

Two slower numbers follow with Country Disappeared and Solitaire, both more brooding and a little dark but still melodic. The lyrically catchy I'll Fight, then more upbeat pop on Sonny Feeling continue the album, which is concluded by Everlasting Everything, a suitable endpoint. Overall it's going to be somewhere high on my list of favourite for the year. But I'm still waiting for Wilco's best.

Hottest 100 Of All Time

2009-07-10T20:40:00.002+10:00

This week Triple J has been playing the Hottest 100 of all time as chosen by listeners this year. I was nervously anticipating Kings of Leon taking out the top spot, an abundance of hip hop and dance music and perhaps even the likes of Pez managing to make an appearance. But the music gods are watching over us, or perhaps, as some have asserted, Generation X has merely outvoted Generation Y. Or maybe Generation Y know that the best music doesn't all come from recent years and have been more broad minded with their voting.

There have been some surprises... Kings of Leon's Sex on Fire was at number 90, not top ten as predicted by some. Hunters and Collectors' Throw Your Arms Around Me has already appeared at number 23 when it was also thought to be a candidate for the top spot. The most pleasant surprise is the variety and the number of classic songs. There have been a couple of songs by the Beatles, a couple from the Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Michael Jackson, but it's not all a Triple M-listener voted list. There's grunge classics by Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins, recent stuff from Powderfinger, the Killers, Gotye and the Shins and predictable appearances from New Order and Crowded House. I was pleased to see Ben Folds Five make it, although Army was clearly not favoured over Brick as I'd hoped it might have been.

Before any further analysis can be carried out, the top twenty must be revealed. Will Kings of Leon score another song in the countdown? Will Nirvana take out number one, or will it be Joy Division... or something else?

Golden Age Part One: Regina Spektor's 'Far'

2009-07-02T10:22:00.002+10:00

Regina's album is big... lots of songs (fifteen, including the two bonus tracks), big production, beautiful instrumentals, clever lyrics and as usual, the whole thing is a showcase for her voice which is an instrument in itself in the kind of way Thom Yorke's is for Radiohead. Even after many listens this week there are still a few tracks that I haven't quite got my head around. There are favourites though and stand out tracks. It's on par with her previous efforts, although there's no obvious equivalent to Fidelity but maybe that's not such a bad thing.

Opening track The Calculation is a cheerful pop song with cheeky lyrics and a catchy chorus which will soon stick in your head. Second track Eet provides a perfect counterpoint- it's more thoughtful, slightly melancholic but has a lovely melody and shows off her voice well. Blue Lips features more of the same but with a slower chorus and faster verse. Folding Chair is another cheerful pop song with some great lyrics. Single Laughing With has a chorus sung quickly and a moving and witty set of lyrics.

Other notable tracks include the edgy Machine which is reminiscent of Apre Moi, Dance Anthem of the 80s, a complex mixture of pop with electronic twists and Human of the Year with its multiple components that fit together especially well. It's an album with plenty of depth with new elements to discover upon each listen.

It's a golden age coming 'round

2009-06-26T17:01:00.002+10:00

The year has started off slowly with a few notable new releases, but the next month or so is going to be a very exciting time. Today the new Regina Spektor album was released, which is on its way to me as I speak. I've heard four songs, all of which were great. The production on this album seems a little smoother but Regina's voice is still the most important instrument and her sense of humour is present, as ever, in the lyrics.

Next Tuesday Wilco fans who have pre-ordered the album can download it for free from their web site. I've heard the whole thing through once and I've heard the single a few times. Looking forward to getting to know the rest of the songs. Apparently they were inspired by their time in NZ recording with Neil Finn. Speaking of which...

On August the 7 Worlds Collide album is finally released. We get to hear what Neil Finn, Ed O'Brien, Phil Selway, Johnny Marr, Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche, Pat Sansone, Bic Runga, KT Tunstall and Don McGlashan have been up to during their time in NZ. The Phil Selway track Ties That Bind Us should be great, as should the rest of the double (!) album. Looking forward to the Johnny Marr/Wilco collaborative effort.

And then in September, Ben Folds arrives! Exciting times ahead.

The Rest of the Hottest 100

2009-06-12T10:19:00.002+10:00

More choices have been finalised...

6. No Aphrodisiac, The Whitlams
A Hottest 100 winner in 1997. Let's see if it has staying power.

7. Bloody Mother F*ing A*hole, Martha Wainwright
One of her best songs which shows off her vocal talents. Of all her songs it's most likely to poll.

8. Losing My Religion, R.E.M
Their best song, arguably. But will the Triple J audience think to vote for it?

9. Middle of the Hill, Josh Pyke
Of all the recent music I've liked, this song stood out. It made #19 in the 2005 poll so there's a vague chance.

10. Closer to Fine, Indigo Girls
I heard this song for the first time on the last ever Thursday Night J Files, when Triple J announcers picked their favourite songs.

Hottest 100 Time

2009-06-10T21:11:00.002+10:00

Triple J is running its Hottest 100 of all time this month and I've been contemplating where my votes will be cast. You can vote for ten songs from each email address. Here are my current certainties... I'm still choosing the rest.

1. Army, Ben Folds Five
I think Brick might make it onto the list as well, but this is their best song. Whoever thought Ben would be getting fans to sing along to the trombone and trumpet parts years later?

2. New Slang, The Shins
Not my favourite Shins song (pretty close though) but mostly likely to make the list. Not many of the songs from Wincing the Night Away made it in to the 2007 countdown. I'd pick Turn A Square if I thought it would get in.

3. Shot in the Arm, Wilco
This has no chance, but it's my favourite Wilco song so of course I'm voting for it.

4. Karma Police, Radiohead
Again not my favourite Radiohead song, but more likely than High and Dry to end up on the final list. I think Fake Plastic Trees will also be picked by many.

5. Weather With You, Crowded House
I hope it makes the list although Don't Dream It's Over and Private Universe might beat it.

Ben Folds and a Piano

2009-05-31T11:03:00.000+10:00

Last time I saw Ben Folds playing live it was with the MSO in September 2006. The time before that, it was in 2005 at the Forum accompanied by a bass player and drummer, just like back in the good old Ben Folds Five days. This time it's him and only a piano but as anyone who has heard his Ben Folds Live album would testify, this certainly isn't going to mean a less enjoyable or energetic show. Singing along to Army is always fun and the Palais is a great venue. I'm looking forward to hearing Errant Dog, Cologne and the other new material from Way to Normal played live.

With all the other musical events it promises to be a great few musical months. In June we see the release of Wilco- The Album and Regina Spektor's new album as well. Apparently a new Sigur Ros album is also on the way soon.

Wilco, the album

2009-05-20T19:23:00.000+10:00

I had the chance to listen to the new Wilco album streamed live over the net the other day and the first listen proved it will be another great one. Wilco produce the kind of albums you need to hear several times to appreciate properly, so I can't make any grand claims yet of the superiority of this album over any previous ones. It does stack up quite well against Sky Blue Sky on first listen, however. Stand out tracks include the title track Wilco the Song, third track titled One Wing and many of the songs towards the end of the album which I haven't yet distinguished from each other.

I also heard Regina Spektor's new song Laughing With from her forthcoming album, release date pending. It's a great track, with a little more instrumental depth than some of the sparser content on Begin to Hope, but the humour of Soviet Kitsch in its lyrics. Looking forward to the rest.

Eurovision 2009- The other awards

2009-05-18T19:08:00.005+10:00

The past three days have been a Euro-pop spectacular from Moscow, shown on SBS and hosted this year by the more-than-capable Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang. From their tiny commentary booth in the stands they brought us humour, trivia and appreciative applause for the myriad of talent on display.

Talent is of course a term applied loosely, especially when considering that the winner was an incredibly annoying catchy tune from Norway, a fiddler who kept breaking strings due to his enthusiasm. The inane story was quite sad... 'years ago when I was younger, I kind of liked a girl I knew'. But of course she turned out to be a fairy tale. Apart from the obvious most-votes winner, there are of course other places where recognition is deserved. Here are the alternative Eurovision prizes.

1. The Best Nod to Stalin's Industrial Revolution goes to... Ukraine!
Featuring a mad woman in red (Ukraine has a habit of finding these mad women somewhere), several silver Roman Centurians, some Cirque Du Soleil props and some pistons pumping on the big screen. The lyrics were plain pointless (be my Valentine? She made it out to be more of a threat than a promise), but very funny all the same.

2. The Best Non-Eurovisiony Song goes to... Portugal!
A great song with an enthusiastic ukelele player the only sign of Eurovision madness in this act. The lead singer was talented, not blonde and not wearing a skirt about two inches long. Plus the background screens were adorned with pink flowers on grass. Not really Eurovision, though.

3. The Sleaziest Gumby Award goes to... Albania!
Some mysterious members of the support cast dressed all in green. A ballerina singing. And it came in fifth. Eastern Bloc voting is alive and well, despite the jury system this year.

4. The Christina Aguilera Lyric Writing Award goes to... Romania!
The Balkan girls, they like to party, like to party, like nobody. Enough said.

5. The Disney Princess Look-alike Award goes to... Iceland!
The song wasn't bad but the blue dress looked like it belonged next to the Barbie dolls on the shelf in the toy shop.

6. The Inappropriate Role Model Award goes to... Czech Republic!
Gypsy superheroes don't win any hearts, especially when accompanied by crazy-costumed sidekicks with violins.

More fun in store next year I'm sure.

I would like to salute the ashes of American flags and all the fallen leaves filling up shopping bags

2009-05-02T13:27:00.002+10:00

Aside from a Wilco gig in the near future (not likely looking at their current tour schedule), watching them play live in America on DVD is the next best thing. Yesterday we bought Ashes of American Flags, recordings from a series of recent gigs in small towns across the US. Wilco is, as Jeff Tweedy tells us, a band who made their name on the road. We're treated to some insights about the band members... Pat Sansone's energy 'saved the band' through it's Yankee period of turmoil, but the band couldn't exist without John Stirratt. We also learn that Nels Cline periodically gives himself whiplash and Glenn Kotche puts his hands in ice after a particularly intense gig.

The set list is great, showcasing every album including AM and Being There. We are treated to a rare bonus John Stirratt vocal performance on It's Just That Simple and the rocking swagger of Monday and Kingpin. There's a poignant Ashes of American Flags recorded in a sound check in an empty wooden floored hall. From Yankee we also see War on War, always great live and Heavy Metal Drummer, the closest Wilco comes to pop. From Summerteeth there's Shot in the Arm and Via Chicago, two setlist staples. And from A Ghost is Born we see Wishful Thinking, Handshake Drugs and the feel-good tongue-in-cheek Late Greats (this time minus Neil Finn on piano!) There's a couple from their most recent album too, a beautiful You Are My Face and great guitar work on Impossible Germany.

The DVD also has plenty of bonus tracks including the John Stirratt song. But as far as I'm concerned, the best feature of the DVD is the fact that you can download all of the songs (including all of the bonus tracks) from the web for free! They're great live recordings, surpassing some of the versions that appear on Kicking Television.

This in itself would be enough to keep me happy, were it not for the imminent release of Wilco (the album) on June 20! They certainly keep their fans happy. Now for another Australian tour.

Wilco World of Excitement

2009-04-25T15:33:00.002+10:00

After their performance with the Seven Worlds Collide Project earlier this year, I thought that was all we'd see of Wilco for awhile. Surely recording some great tracks with the talented troupe assembled by Neil Finn would satisfy their song writing urges. When they announced the release of Ashes of American Flags, a concert DVD, I assumed I was correct. This DVD is due out in just over a week and features recordings from concerts they performed in a range of locations across the US.

But no, Jeff, John and co are never satisfied. They are also releasing a new album in less than two months! The as-yet untitled LP contains an opening track with the irresistible title Wilco the Song which leaves me wondering what such a song might be like. If they are trying to capture the style and mood of their music in just one song, this could be quite difficult.

And the Seven Worlds Collide release date hasn't even been announced. Lots to look forward to later this year.

Blitzen Trapper

2009-04-17T13:44:00.003+10:00

After seeing the clip for their single Furr on Rage several times, today I bought Blitzen Trapper's album of the same name. Like Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses and the Shins, they're another group signed to Sub-Pop which seems to have a talent for finding bands who make great albums. The range of Furr varies from Even or Beatles-like rock songs, Simon and Garfunkle folk, Elton John piano, twangy-voiced roots and the odd distortion-driven track. The singers in the band change around according to the musical style on offer.

After a listen and a half I can envisage it becoming a favourite. Highlights include the single Furr with its beautiful folk melody, God and Suicide which continues in a similar vein and rock tracks Fire and Fast Bullets and Gold For Bread. Saturday Nite is dominated by a piano riff, a catchy rhythm and some great guitar and album closer Lady on the Water is another song to drift into sixties folk. Highly recommended.

It's Blitz!

2009-04-13T10:34:00.002+10:00

Since last week I've had the Yeah Yeah Yeahs Zero permanently stuck in my head. It might also have something to do with its being played on Rage, but it is a really catchy song and is likely to appear in my top ten at the end of the year. They're a band who never seems to go stale. I was impressed by the rock in both the EP song Down Boy and Sealings from the Spiderman 3 soundtrack from 2007 but the new album is quite different from both of these recent recordings. Like Ladyhawke they've joined the eighties electronic revival but in their own guitar-edged way. The opening track Zero is addictive. There's more great stuff to follow in the second track Heads Will Roll, Soft Shock and the fantastic slow Skeletons with an edge of Celtic influence. The rest is yet to settle into separate songs in my head, but that will come soon I'm sure.

Poll Results

2009-04-03T17:10:00.003+11:00

Here are the results of the first three Hottest 100 Polls. Please add your vote to this week's new poll.

Q: In the original Hottest 100 of all time in 1989, Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart finished in number one position. Where will it poll this year?

A:
Top ten 8%
Top 30 25%
Top 50 50%
50-100 8%
Won't make it 8%

Q: Which of the following songs will appear in the countdown in the closest position to number one this year?

A:
Soft Cell, Tainted Love 42%
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Ship Song 14%
New Order, Blue Monday 14%
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Under the Bridge 28%
Tori Amos, Cornflake Girl 0%

Q: Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit won in 1998. Where will it appear in this year's poll?

A:
Same position 25%
Top ten 37%
Top thirty 37%

I'm turning myself into a demon

2009-04-03T16:59:00.004+11:00

In the busy last few weeks, it's been difficult to find the time to blog. I'm writing a long overdue entry today about some of the recent new music I've been playing.

Bec lent me Amanda Palmer's album Who Killed Amanda Palmer which I really enjoyed, more so than the Dresden Dolls stuff. There's some Ben Folds piano in there too, which is always good. I haven't heard it enough to name individual tracks yet but the first half was impressive, especially Runs in the Family.

Mark just bought the Decemberist's new album The Hazards of Love which is very different from their first album. It's an interesting orchestral 'story' of an album featuring the lead singer of Lavender Diamond and other guest artists. The tracks merge together to form an experimental soundscape.

We also just borrowed Liam Finn's I'll Be Lightning after being impressed with his Led Zeppelin-esque set at Sound Relief. I've seen him play Second Chance twice now and am finding it an addictive little track. Gather to the Chapel is also great.

I've also been playing the Fleet Foxes album today which has some well constructed, beautiful and multilayered songs. Worth seeking out as well.

The new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album is out this week and I have to get myself a copy after seeing the single on Rage. They've reinvented themselves with some eighties rock-driven electronica, like Ladyhawke's effort from last year.

Hottest 100 Poll of the Week

2009-03-20T20:09:00.003+11:00

Thanks to everyone who voted in last week's poll. I will leave it up for a little longer before collating the final results. For this week's question, see the poll on the left hand side of the page.

Hottest 100 Polls

2009-03-15T17:22:00.003+11:00

Every week until the Hottest 100 of all time is held in the coming months, I will select one song from the history of the competition and devise a poll question relating to it. I'd love it if all blog-readers could vote in the poll so we can get some decent statistics. Thanks.

Sound Relief, (March 14th, MCG)

2009-03-15T12:30:00.003+11:00

It rained and it poured and we arrived with our towel, our tarpaulin and our waterproof jackets. It was a horrible day for an outdoor concert but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, a chance to see some classic re-formed Australian and New Zealand acts on stage for possibly the last time ever. And the forecast made us optimistic. After the first heavy rainfalls in the morning, we hoped that it would clear to the odd shower. Apart from two heavy downpours and some irritating wind-propelled drizzle, this remained true for much of the day.

The acts themselves seemed to enjoy the responsive crowd. Being so far away from the stage took away some of the atmosphere, but the screens and sound were mostly effective. We arrived in time for Kings of Leon's set, brief but punchy. They opened with Crawl, followed by Notion, On Call and Use Somebody (surprisingly no Sex on Fire). They were followed by Paul Kelly whose low-key set of acoustic guitar pleased the crowd. He played To Her Door, Leaps and Bounds, How to Make Gravy and a couple of other songs.

The complexities of Augie March's instrumentals seemed to be lost in the enormous venue, especially with the sound problems that plagued their set. But their renditions of This Train Will Be Taking No Passengers and closer One Crowded Hour showed off their talents. As they played, dark clouds gathered above and Bliss N Eso arrived to pep up the soggy patrons.

Following that were Kasey Chambers, Shane Nicholson and Troy Cassar-Daly who showcased their vocal talents in a series of beautiful songs, even enjoyed by non-country fans. The first surprise of the day came with Liam Finn, who seemed to be acting as every member of Led Zeppelin at once in a set including Second Chance. He was joined by special friends Neil and Tim Finn, plus brother Elroy and Crowded House's Nick Seymour. They played Don't Dream It's Over, followed by Weather With You, after which the clouds seemed to clear. To finish, Neil sang Better Be Home Soon. If anyone can get 80 000 people to have an impromptu singalong, it's Neil Finn.

After Jack Johnson's set, Wolfmother performed an energetic series of songs, including Woman, Unicorn and The Joker and the Thief although not Mind's Eye. Throughout the day we saw songs broadcast from the Sydney show including a great set by Coldplay (highlights: the entire SCG singing Viva La Vida's vocal riff, You're the Voice sung by John Farnham and Chris Martin), Josh Pyke, Little Birdy beating Split Enz to the punch covering Six Months In a Leaky Boat and the Presets. But it was the rest of the evening that the crowd was really anticipating.

Hunters and Collectors arrived on stage to mass excitement. They played all the expected favourites including Do You See What I See, When the River Runs Dry, Holy Grail and Throw Your Arms Around Me with passion and energy that only a re-formed band can have when they realise how much they've missed performing together.

I was awaiting the arrival of Split Enz and my anticipation grew as one of Noel Crombie's custom designed backdrops graced the stage while we watched another Sydney set on the screens. Then we heard the musical introduction and Tim Finn, Neil Finn, Eddie Raynor and the rest of the band appeared in matching white suits to launch into Shark Attack. Tim had the performance presence to match his enthusiasm, undertaking several lively dance moves to propel himself across the stage. This was followed by Poor Boy and then I Got You, an obvious crowd favourite that prompted more singalongs. We heard another of Neil's songs with Message to My Girl, then Pioneer introduced Six Months In a Leaky Boat (why wasn't the whole crowd doing the hand claps?). Later was Dirty Creature, History Never Repeats and the set closed with the crowd on their feet singing along to I See Red. They left too soon and we wanted more. No I Hope I Never? Very strange.

The last act for the night was Midnight Oil, with the federal Minister for the Environment Peter Garrett fronting the band for probably the last time. Their set included Blue Sky Mine, Beds Are Burning, The Power and the Passion and King of the Mountain and lasted almost an hour. It was a fitting end to a great night and we were treated to an encore before they left the stage. It had been a long day but a great experience.

Best Ben Folds Five Quotes

2009-03-06T20:52:00.002+11:00

Continuing on from last week's theme, here are my top quotes from Ben Folds Five songs. I recently listened to all their albums again, after a couple of their video clips were on Rage. There's another one on this week too.

'And of sense of humour can there be any doubt, but natural selection just weeded it out,' Video from Ben Folds Five.

'How could she miss a man who drags a bag of trash down the road?' Julianne, from Ben Folds Five.

'The problem-with-you speech you gave me was fine, I liked the theories about my 'little stage'. And I swore I was listening but I started drifting around the part about me acting my age.' Best Imitation of Myself, from Ben Folds Five.

'Who's got the looks, who's got the brains, who's got everything? I got this pain in my heart, that's all,' Underground from Ben Folds Five.

'My my, the cruelest lies are told without a word. My my, the kindest truths are often spoken, never heard,' The Last Polka, from Ben Folds Five.

'I wish I hadn't bought you dinner right before you dumped me on your front porch,' Song for the Dumped, from Whatever and Ever Amen.

'I've got this great idea, why don't we pitch it to the Franklin fucking Mint? Fine pewter portraits of general apathy and major boredom singing 'whatever and ever amen',' Battle of Who Could Care Less, from Whatever and Ever Amen.

'You just smile like a bank teller blankly telling me have a nice life,' Selfless, Cold and Composed from Whatever and Ever Amen.

'Every couple nights or so you know you pop into my dreams, I just can't get rid of you like you got rid of me,' Fair, from Whatever and Ever Amen.

'In this time of introspection on the eve of my election, I say to my reflection, 'god please spare me more rejection',' Army, from The Unauthorised Biography of Reinhold Messner.

'You have made me smile again, in fact I might be sore from it. It's been awhile,' Don't Change Your Plans, from Unauthorised Biography.

'Please cook my steak again, je suis American,' Your Redneck Past, from Unauthorised Biography.

Top Ten Wilco Quotes

2009-02-25T20:18:00.003+11:00

From one of my favorite bands, Wilco, there are many memorable lyrics. They range from the straightforward to the surreal and obscure, but all albums have lines that resonate. Here are some of my favorites.

'You're gonna make me spill my beer if you don't learn how to steer,' Passenger Side, from AM.

'What you once were isn't what you want to be anymore,' Shot in the Arm, from Summerteeth.

'When the devil came he was not red. He was chrome and he said, 'come with me, you must go,' so I went,' Hell is Chrome, from A Ghost Is Born.

'It's all beginning to feel like it's ending,' Can't Stand It, from Summerteeth.

'I've turned to rust as we've discussed, but I must have let you down so many times in the dirt and the dust,' You Are My Face, from Sky Blue Sky.

'You were right about the stars, each one is a setting sun,' Jesus Etc, from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

'I guess all this history, it's just a mystery to me,' Hotel Arizona, from Being There.

'Ceiling fan is on, chopping up my dreams. What is left of them I take to sleep again,' Shake It Off, from Sky Blue Sky.

'His vocal chords are made of gold, he just looks a little too old,' The Late Greats, from A Ghost Is Born.

'I pick up the phone again, I call your mom. She says you're not there and I should take care,' Hate It Here, from Sky Blue Sky.

'Spiders are singing in the salty breeze, spiders are filling out tax returns. Spinning out webs of deductions and melodies, on a private beach in Michigan,' Spiders (Kidsmoke), from A Ghost Is Born.

History Never Repeats

2009-02-24T19:11:00.003+11:00

The bushfire appeal concert Sound Relief to be held at the MCG has a fantastic line-up. If you can tolerate bad sound, lack of atmosphere and short sets from the best acts, you can see Kings of Leon, Jet, Liam Finn, Augie March, Kasey Chambers and Troy Cassar-Daly, Paul Kelly, Wolfmother, Midnight Oil, Hunters and Collectors and Split Enz playing.

After recalling the Split Enz gig of 2006 at Rod Laver Arena I'd love to see them again, even for such a brief period. I wish they'd do a series of shows by themselves at a smaller venue- they'd sell out every night and I'd go twice if I could! I'm thinking it over... for $75 it's great value and for such a good cause, it's worth the money several times over.

I see a mansard roof through the trees

2009-02-13T21:16:00.002+11:00

One of the best albums out last year was by Vampire Weekend. If I could re-do my top ten albums, they'd nudge out Heretic Pride and wedge their way in at number five or six. The album is a great mix of different sounds and has the same addictive qualities as The Shins' Chutes Too Narrow. There's the Carribean influence on Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, the African beats on One (Blake's Got a New Face), the Scottish/Gaelic opening on Bryn, the stringed start to M79 and all sorts of other interesting instruments being used in an exciting and creative fashion. There's an organ-like sound on Mansard Roof and Oxford Comma.

The songs stick in your head, especially One which is fantastic. It's short, sharp and is the sort of album to lend itself to constant repeat listens and singalongs. I hope to see them live soon and to hear more of this stuff.

Top Five Gigs of 2008

2009-02-04T19:21:00.002+11:00

1. Wilco, the Palace, April
A show where the set list was dictated by fans, where we got to stand up the front and sing along to Passenger Side, Casino Queen, You Are My Face and everything else good. A satisfyingly long show with great performances by all band members and one of the best gigs of all time.

2. Crowded House, the Forum, December
An almost three hour set from one of the world's best bands. Neil Finn isn't capable of a bad gig. There was new material plus old favorites, audience participation and endless energy.

3. Sufjan Stevens, the Forum, January
A gig where the quiet, reverent audience enjoyed the inspiring and unique sounds of Sufjan and his mini orchestra. I'm hoping for a follow up album soon. Which US state will be featured this time?

4. Kings of Leon, Festival Hall, January
Despite the horrible venue, it was a great chance to see this band before everyone else jumped on the band wagon and they had to play at Rod Laver Arena. An enjoyable set- loud and lively.

5. Patti Smith, Hamer Hall, October
A brilliant show from a must-see performer. I wanted to be able to say I'd seen her once during my lifetime so it was great to see this show- I loved the cover of Within You, Without You and seeing the passion in her performance.

Ani DiFranco, (January 30th, Palais Theatre)

2009-01-31T11:46:00.002+11:00

Despite owning 16 of her recordings, I had never seen Ani DiFranco live before. I'd had a desire to for awhile, but my interest waned recently after her more muted recordings Red Letter Year and Educated Guess (and my lack of enthusiasm for the latter album meant I skipped Knuckledown and Reprieve). But Ani's an artist who best show cases her work in a live setting. Recording does no justice to seeing her jump around on a stage, playing her guitar like a percussion instrument and filling a 2000 seat venue with her big voice. So I was pleased to see her play and not at all disappointed with the musical offering she made.

The show opened with Shy, a crowd favourite where percussion drowned out the melody, making it a different song all together from the version on Living In Clip. Indeed, rhythm was the essential element underpinning the entire performance, due to Ani's playing and the selection of musicians supporting her. There were songs from the new album peppering the set, all of them made more interesting with the talent of the live musicians- her drummer, percussionist/vibes player and a cellist who seemed to be playing the bass lines. We heard Hurricane Katrina-themed Red Letter Year, Alla This, Emancipated Minor, Present/Infant and a song about labour titled Landing Gear. There were songs from earlier albums like Half Assed, a brilliant version of Dilate which stayed true to its original angsty unrequited mood, another personal favourite in Little Plastic Castle, the cruisy As Is, Two Little Girls and set closer Shameless which had the crowd on its feet. Just because Ani's apparently 'happy' with a husband and baby, as she pointed out in an aside about recent questions from journalists, doesn't mean she can't still rock out with angry and angsty songs from her earlier repertoire.

We also heard some new material- the song written for President Obama titled November 4, 2008, a song about 'balance', consumerism and the environment, plus the 'wedding present' she gave to her husband, all of which should form the basis of a new album since they were all great tracks. The encore was short but returned to her older music. First up was Evolve from the album of the same name, followed by a surprising yet pleasing choice of closer in Overlap from Out of Range .

The Palais was incredibly stuffy and I can't criticise Ani under the conditions for not playing a longer set. With such a huge back catalogue there are other songs of hers I'd love to hear live- stuff from Revelling/Reckoning, more from Evolve, Out of Range, Both Hands and Untouchable Face. But there's time for those at the next gig she plays here. Hopefully it won't be too far away.

Hottest 100

2009-01-28T17:29:00.003+11:00

For those of us who (now less frequently) listen to Triple J, Monday was not Australia Day but Hottest 100 Day. Sadly this year's affair was quite predictable- winning were Kings of Leon (Sex on Fire) with MGMT's Electric Feel second and Kings of Leon again in third place with Use Somebody. It was great to see the talented Vampire Weekend in the list four times and Flight of the Conchords made it three times as well. The higher end of the votes were dominated by hip hop and electronica, some good, some bad. We also saw bad novelty hip hop wedge its way into the top ten in the form of Pez, with a song about summer music festivals. (Where are the Hilltop Hoods when you need them?)

This is where my votes went, at least the ones that made it through to the count down.

16. You Don't Know Me, Ben Folds feat. Regina Spektor

18. Time to Pretend, MGMT

26. Paris is Burning, Ladyhawke

27. The Lighthouse Song, Josh Pyke

58. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, Vampire Weekend

My Morning Jacket, (January 27th, Billboard)

2009-01-28T17:01:00.002+11:00

My Morning Jacket seem to think they're a heavy metal band- they have the long hair, the pointy guitars, the long instrumental solos and the stage presence. The type of music they play is far from the expected stereotype for such a band, however. It is varied, executed with style and doesn't fit neatly into any genre. On some tracks there are forays into country, or even hints of the Caribbean a la Vampire Weekend. At times they sound like a combination of Fleet Foxes and Band of Horses.

It was a frustrating night in some ways. We waited outside in the warm air until a quarter to nine (after being told there were 'technical difficulties'), waited inside until a quarter to ten for the set to start and watched numerous roadies test out the guitars. Then finally the band emerged.

My Morning Jacket apparently play long sets quite often, both in terms of duration and the number of songs they include in their sets. Seated behind the mixing desk, we had an ideal view of the set list over the shoulder of the sound engineers. The set opened with Evil Urges, from their most recent album, followed by Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Pt 1. We were also treated to I'm Amazed, the well received recent single and then Off the Record with its swaggering chorus. Other highlights included Librarian, Thank You Too, Sec Walkin, Mahgeeta, Smokin From Shootin, Gideon, Golden, Lay Low, Dondante, Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Pt 2 and Run Thru. The set was peppered with extensive guitar solos, probably much appreciated by devoted fans in the audience but a little, well... boring. I was longing for a tightly executed three minute pop song.

Luckily the encore songs were all fairly short and also well performed. Highlights included Highly Suspicious from their most recent album and the closer One Big Holiday with its signature anthemic guitar riff. An enjoyable night from a band who know how to perform.

On a separate note, if you're too hot, go and see a gig at Billboard and sit at the stools above the mixing desk under the air conditioner...

Photos- 7 Worlds Collide

2009-01-18T13:11:00.001+11:00

A range of pictures taken from the gig are here, somewhat blurry but attempting to capture some of the magic of the night.

7 Worlds Colllide- Neil Finn and Friends (6th January, The Powerstation, Auckland)

2009-01-18T12:38:00.005+11:00

The expectations for this gig were very high. They had to be- we'd flown from Queenstown especially to see this gig, cancelled our night in Wanaka and booked into a hotel room in Auckland, a place we didn't really develop a fondness for during our brief stay. As soon as the parade of familiar faces appeared though, we knew it was worth the time, the money and the effort of organising this diversion during our New Zealand trip.

The line up was amazing- Neil Finn, son Liam, Johnny Marr, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway, previous 7 Worlds participants Sebastian Steinberg and Lisa Germano, Don McGlashon of the Muttonbirds, Bic Runga, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Pat Sansone and Glenn Kotche and KT Tunstall.

The night opened with Distant Sun, the Crowded House song from which the project's title has been derived. Each song featured a range of artists and each artist had a chance to showcase their talents. We heard a mix of songs from Crowded House (Distant Sun, Weather With You, Four Seasons In One Day, Throw Your Arms Around Me), Johnny Marr (There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Down on the Corner), Liam Finn (Gather to the Chapel and Second Chance), Bic Runga (Change of Heart), KT Tunstall (Suddenly I See) and of course Wilco (Reservations, War on War, The Late Greats, California Stars, Jesus Etc and I'm A Wheel). But the best part of the show was seeing the involvement of other artists. Pat Sansone played drums, guitar and keyboard, sang backing vocals and supported everyone. Don McGlashon played tuba and guitar. Liam Finn played guitar for almost everything and put in amazing performances all night.

There were many great moments throughout the night. Neil, Liam and Elroy Finn performed a heart felt song together. Bic Runga had John Stirratt from Wilco, one of her favourite bands, supporting her during a solo song. Neil Finn sang an ambitious (and successful) cover of Bodysnatchers. Jeff Tweedy sang I'm A Wheel acapella after waiting too long for his guitar. Then he realised the lyrics weren't worth the effort.

John Stirratt added new flavour to KT Tunstall by singing backing vocals on her song Suddenly I See. Bic and KT sang their murder ballad Black Ribbon, written together sitting in the basement after being engulfed by male egos. Neil Finn played the piano line in The Late Greats, receiving special commendations from Jeff Tweedy. Liam Finn's stage antics were appealing, as was the chorus Neil wrote while half drunk for KT Tunstall's new song Hazel Black. Neil and Johnny mercilessly teased one of the bouncers at the side of the stage. Jeff, John, Ed and Phil supported KT Tunstall covering Radiohead's Fake Plastic Trees (apparently sung the previous night by Jeff Tweedy instead).

One of the highlights of the night was Phil Selway's foray into playing guitar and singing on stage, self confessedly his second ever live attempt to do so. He played a brilliant song called Family Man (listed in the set list as The Ties That Bind Us) which is sure to be a highlight of the studio album as well. The new material is all fantastic, making the album much anticipated for this year.

It was a show the audience loved, and we had a feeling the artists really enjoyed themselves as well. It closed with Wilco covering Thunderclap Newman's Something in the Air and pretty much everyone on stage doing something. Definitely one of the best gigs of all time and something I want to remember closely for as long as possible.

7 Worlds Collide

2009-01-09T17:49:00.002+11:00

There is so much to say about this gig and not enough time here in Fox, so I will wait until returning to Melbourne to write a proper discussion of it. But it was a great show, one of the best gigs of all time. The studio album will be much anticipated and there is also going to be a live DVD, judging from the presence of the cameras at the gig. I have a photograph of the set lists and some photos from the gig as well, so I will put those up too at a later date.

Briefly, it was an amazing experience, worth the money and effort to get there and we weren't the craziest fans present. We met some guys from Melbourne who had travelled over to NZ for two days to see the show! It was so exciting to see Wilco on stage with Neil Finn, Liam Finn, Lisa Germano, Phil Selway and Ed O'Brien, plus Johnny Marr, Bic Runga, Don Mcglashon (from the Muttonbirds) and KT Tunstall (we could have done without her, but she was OK. Especially with John Stirrat from Wilco on backing vocals and with Jeff Tweedy providing support on her rendition of Fake Plastic Trees). But as I said, there is far too much to write to start now!

Top Five Albums of 2008

2008-12-27T22:15:00.001+11:00

5. Chimney's Afire, Josh Pyke
A more mature album than Memories and Dust, with a range of upbeat songs tempered by slower tracks. Highlights include single The Lighthouse Song, The Summer, Make You Happy, You Don't Scare Me and Candle In Your Window.

4. Curiouser, Kate Miller-Heidke
This album was actually a lot of fun to listen to, with songs like God's Gift to Women and Politics In Space to provide a cynical edge to her pop sensibilities. There were also the more heart-felt Last Day on Earth, Caught in the Crowd and The End of School. I even found myself liking One Thing I Know and Can't Shake It, the more commercial-radio friendly tracks.

3. I Know You're Married, But I've Got Feelings Too, Martha Wainwright
After seeing her live in November, her place in the top five albums of this year was cemented. It did admittedly take awhile to warm up to this after her previous fantastic self titled effort, but I love Bleeding All Over You, You Cheated Me, Hearts Club, Comin' Up and Jimi. There is plenty of depth rewarding repeated listens.

2. Flight of the Conchords, Flight of the Conchords
A novelty act comes in at number two??? This album is such a great piece of work musically that it simply had to be here. As well as witty parodies, cute one-liners and clever homages, there is also great singing by Bret and Jemaine. Seeing the TV show makes it all the more likable. And there's no limit to the number of times you can hear Inner City Pressure, Robots or Bowie. Just remember, there's people on the streets getting diseases from monkeys.

1. Way to Normal, Ben Folds
After hearing this album once, I knew it was going to be a favourite for this year. It is simply brilliant, mixing the soft and beautiful ballads like Cologne and Kylie From Connecticut with skillfully executed and energetic rock and pop. Other highlights include a return to BF5 form in Errant Dog, Bitch Went Nuts and the marvellous duet with Regina Spektor. Let's hope they collaborate more- they're both piano-pop genuises with plenty of talent.

Top Ten Albums of 2008, part 1

2008-12-18T17:59:00.000+11:00

Continuing on my recent ranking theme, the next few entries will discuss my favorite ten albums released this year.

10. Heretic Pride, The Mountain Goats
Their last couple of albums haven't been up there with The Sunset Tree, but there is plenty to enjoy among the upbeat, rockier songs. Opener Sax Rohmer 1# is fun, as is Heretic Pride. There are some great, more heartfelt tracks there too like Autoclave, San Bernandino and Michael Myers Resplendent.

9. Only By the Night, Kings of Leon
I can't believe the hype behind this album- it's number one in the Australian charts, it won the Triple J listeners album of the year poll last week, Sex on Fire is hot favorite to take out the Hottest 100 this year too. And for all that, it's nowhere near as good as Because of the Times. Don't dismiss it, though. There are great tracks like Crawl, Notion and those two overplayed singles are easily overshadowed by the edge of Closer and Manhattan.

8. Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends, Coldplay
Put aside the fact that this is a Coldplay album. It's a great album, far better than X and Y and more original than many other albums out this year. This is an album that fits together the way an album should. There's great instrumental moments- songs like Life in Technicolour, Yes and Death And All His Friends. There are some stunning vocals in the latter song too, and some epic 'three act' songs.

7. Ladyhawke, Ladyhawke
Take a trip back to the eighties. The cover even has Super Nintendo featured in the artwork. Songs like Magic and Better Than Sunday are electronic pop with an edge. The single Paris is Burning is catchy and the closing vocal riffs are addictive and memorable. Lots to like here.

6. The Night Is Ours, Youth Group
Earlier in the year, this album would have come in higher up the list. But it's been recently overtaken by albums with a little more depth to them. There are some great songs here- a short album, yet superior to Casino Twilight Dogs. Highlights include A Sign, Friedrichstrasse, In My Dreams, single Two Sides and All This Will Pass.

Top 10 of 2008

2008-12-18T17:47:00.003+11:00

And without further ado, here are my top ten songs for this year...

10. Magic, Ladyhawke
9. You Cheated Me, Martha Wainwright
8. Notion, Kings of Leon
7. Inner City Pressure, Flight of the Conchords
6. God's Gift to Women, Kate Miller-Heidke
5. Errant Dog, Ben Folds
4. The Lighthouse Song, Josh Pyke
3. Paris is Burning, Ladyhawke
2. Bleeding All Over You, Martha Wainwright
1. You Don't Know Me, Ben Folds featuring Regina Spektor

Top 50 2008, Part Two

2008-12-14T14:33:00.002+11:00

Here is the next part of my top 50 songs of this year.

30. Business Time, Flight of the Conchords (from Flight of the Conchords)
29. Make You Happy, Josh Pyke
28. Rebel In You, Supergrass (From Diamond Hoo-Ha)
27. Riverbed, Morcheeba
26. Better Than Sunday, Ladyhawke
25. Black Sand, Jenny Lewis
24. Robots, Flight of the Conchords
23. Politics in Space, Kate Miller-Heidke
22. Death And All His Friends, Coldplay
21. Boom, Flight of the Conchords
20. Lost!, Coldplay
19. I Am The Light, Even (from Even)
18. Heretic Pride, The Mountain Goats
17. A Sign, Youth Group
16. Bitch Went Nuts, Ben Folds
15. The Summer, Josh Pyke
14. Inner Mer Syugur Vitlaysingur, Sigur Ros
13. Comin' Up, Martha Wainwright
12. The Last Day On Earth, Kate Miller-Heidke
11. Cologne, Ben Folds

Seven worlds will collide whenever I am by your side

2008-12-14T14:24:00.002+11:00

Imagine Neil Finn, plus Bic Runga, two members of Radiohead, Anika Moa, Johnny Marr, Liam Finn and band members of Wilco all playing at a series of concerts in New Zealand early next year. Now imagine the reaction of certain people upon discovering this, when they also plan to be in New Zealand early next year.

So yes, we ARE flying out of Queenstown for one night to Auckland to see the new Seven Worlds Collide tour. There's going to be a studio album produced later, but this is a once in a lifetime kind of a gig. Call us crazy, but when else are we going to be in Neil Finn's home land seeing him play this kind of show?

The Mountain Goats (December 10th, Billboard)

2008-12-11T16:43:00.002+11:00

You don't realise this until you go to one of their gigs, but the Mountain Goats have some devoted fans. Fans who have been with them for years, who can shout out obscure requests during the set and know all the words. Avid, crazy however you want to describe them... if only they weren't so damn tall! Or if only I hadn't been standing behind the one that looked like Sideshow Bob, who was filming the show and writing down the set list. There should be a height restriction on the front ten metres of venues to below five foot eight.

The Mountain Goats seem like a band who always put on a great show. John Darnielle is charismatic, entertaining and manages to please the crowd while still playing the set HE wants to play. Last night was a chance to hear their new album Heretic Pride showcased, as well as some familiar classics from other albums. It was a lot rockier than their set last year at the Corner. Their new drummer has obviously inspired a slightly different approach.

They opened with Have to Explode from Tallahassee, followed by Heretic Pride. The set also contained Slow West Vultures, Sept 15 1983, Wizard Buys a Hat, Maybe Sprout Wings, New Zion, Autoclave, Lovecraft in Brooklyn, The Craters on the Moon and Color In Your Cheeks. The version of Game Shows Touch Our Lives was amazing and so different from the album version on Tallahassee. A true indication of their dynamic approach to music. The set closed with crowd pleaser This Year, the only song from The Sunset Tree to make it into the night's repertoire. A bit of a shame, as this is their best album.

The encore was great, as always. Hearing No Children live again was a definite highlight and getting to sing along to the fervent but disturbing lyrics was fun. I also loved singing along to Palmcorder Yanja as the closer to the night. It's good on the album and fantastic live. Wild Sage also rounded out the encore, along with House Guest.

Last night's show did have a few minor downfalls, however. It seemed to take awhile to get the sound mix right in a couple of songs. At the beginning of the set, the drum reverberation was a little discomforting. The technical hiccups were a pity, given the flawless night they had at the Corner Hotel last year. Also, with such a huge catalogue, there were inevitably going to be some songs I'd like to have heard. Alibi for one, seeing as it was especially written for Australia's Babylon Springs EP. Also, See America Right and Southwood Plantation Road, along with Letter from Belgium are personal favourites. But they'll be back. The fan base here guarantees that.

Top 50 of 2008

2008-12-05T16:30:00.002+11:00

As I did last year, I've put together a list of my top 50 songs for 2008. Although there wasn't the same depth this year, there are still some great tracks and it was difficult to make sure the selections were even from individual artists. Without further ado, here are the first twenty songs. The top ten albums will follow, with commentary.

50. Pretty Bird, Jenny Lewis (from Acid Tongue)
49. One For Another, Youth Group (from The Night Is Ours)
48. Gobbledigook, Sigur Ros (from With a Buzz In Our Ears, We Play Endlessly)
47. Jimi, Martha Wainwright (from I Know You're Married, But I've Got Feelings Too)
46. Yes, Coldplay (from Viva La Vida)
45. Free Coffee, Ben Folds (from Way to Normal)
44. Sift the Noise, Skipping Girl Vinegar (from Sift the Noise)
43. In My Dreams, Youth Group
42. Supergirl, Kate Miller-Heidke (from Curiouser)
41. Crawl, Kings of Leon (from Only By the Night)
40. Two Sides, Youth Group
39. Pennywhistle, Augie March (from Watch Me Disappear)
38. So Many Friends, Martha Wainwright
37. You Don't Scare Me, Josh Pyke (from Chimney's Afire)
36. Dusk Til Dawn, Ladyhawke (from Ladyhawke)
35. Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love, Coldplay
34. Manhattan, Kings of Leon
33. Sax Rohmer #1, Mountain Goats (from Heretic Pride)
32. Run Honey Run, Morcheeba (from Dive Deep)
31. Hearts Club Band, Martha Wainwright

I fell in love with the people in the front row

2008-12-05T16:21:00.003+11:00

After Tuesday night's concert, I thought I'd write a list of Top Five Moments of Audience Participation.

1. Ben Folds, The Forum (April 2005)/Hamer Hall (September 2006)
Singing along to Army is always fun. I've had a chance to sing both the trumpet and the trombone part, at two separate gigs.

2. Crowded House, Rod Laver Arena (November 2007)/The Forum (December 2008)
Singing the chorus of Weather With You is a great experience, surrounded by hundreds of other similarly obsessive fans.

3. Sigur Ros, Festival Hall (August 2008)
Clapping along to Gobbledigook was a fantastic way to end this set.

4. John Vanderslice, Corner Hotel (January 2006)
More clapping, this time to his song Pale Horse. The live version is so much better than the recorded one.

5. Support act to the Dresden Dolls, Corner Hotel (September 2006)
I don't remember who this band even were, but they got the whole crowd involved in a drinking song shortly before the main act came out on stage.

Crowded House (December 2nd, The Forum)

2008-12-03T16:59:00.003+11:00

After my recent list of great support acts, I have to add Anika Moa to the list. She was a fantastic warm up to Crowded House, despite confessing nerves at preceding such a group of legends. Her music was a little like the Indigo Girls- there were tinges of reggae, rock and country and her voice was beautiful. I was very impressed. Check her out here.

Likewise, I was impressed with Crowded House. Neil Finn never fails to please. He is an energetic performer who has obviously improved with experience. It's great hearing the banter between him and Nick Seymour (who threw in little asides about Melbourne icons and his childhood). The set list started with Locked Out and World Where You Live then skipped into the newer material, some of which is so recent it hasn't been recorded yet. Highlights from this included Lucky Lola, a beautiful track dedicated to one of the band member's newborn daughters. There were plenty of classics including Pineapple Head, Chocolate Cake, Love You Til the Day I Die, When You Come, It's Only Natural, Fall At Your Feet, Not the Girl You Think You Are, Whispers and Moans, Fingers of Love and Weather With You, a suitable closer to their second encore. There were songs from Time On Earth including People Are Like Suns, but I still don't know this material well enough to name any others.

There were many special moments that made me glad I withstood the pain of standing for an almost three hour set. The band not only appreciate audiences, they nurture them. They passed around a microphone during the set and allowed one fan the opportunity to sing Private Universe with members of his band on guitar, plus some random audience musicians. What an opportunity that would have been. Plus, Neil took the audience's suggestion to finish off with Better Be Home Soon. There was also plenty of audience participation in the predictable places, plus improvised additions to songs like the inclusion of the Kinks' Lola and the Beatles The End within other songs. They also covered Throw Your Arms Around Me, one they've almost made their own.

Crowded House are a great live band and judging from my two recent experiences, it is always worth seeing them perform live. There were some classics missing from their set list, but really, who could begrudge them leaving out Don't Dream It's Over? Next time though, they must play Mean To Me.

Thoughts on Hype

2008-11-28T17:27:00.003+11:00

Recently, Kings of Leon have been the latest 'big thing' in music to be discovered by Australian commercial radio. For those of us who have been aware of their existence for some time, this phenomenon of popularity they now enjoy is rather bemusing, if satisfying. We have, after all, known of their talents for some time.

It puzzles me, though, that it took their current album Only By the Night for them to break into the realm of the mainstream and out of the 'margins' who listen to Triple J. Their previous album, Because of the Times, is arguably their best, after all and featured some great songs like Fans, Black Thumbnail and Knocked Up. So why is it now that two of their singles appear second and third on the Australian singles charts, and their album still graces the top five several weeks after its entry? Why is it that now they can sell out Rod Laver Arena, as opposed to being relegated to Festival Hall earlier this year? Why is Sex on Fire the most played single on radio at the moment? All very odd.

Not being a cultural theorist, I can't make any claims at understanding this development. Perhaps the songs on their new album, although less exciting than the previous one, are a little more commercial-radio friendly. Perhaps it's the right time for that type of music. I can guess though that their success ensures them at least one top ten place in the Hottest 100 next year. Cross-over popularity ensures a spot in the higher numbered places. I'm pleased for them, if a little annoyed, like so many other Kings of Leon fans who wanted to keep a good secret to themselves. Let's just hope the Shins stay off Fox FM.

Support Acts

2008-11-23T10:47:00.002+11:00

Seeing Martha's gig last week reminded me of previous support acts. Mostly it was because Dan Wilson, the main support act (former lead singer of Semisonic) behaved in a manner suggesting he didn't realise he was a support act. Had he been more savvy, he'd have realised that there are certain things support acts should not assume they can do- encouraging participation and singing, clapping and talking too much. The support act should play quickly, preferably be complementary to the main act (as well as complimentary) and then leave. This is especially the case if the main act is running late and the support act is in fact present when you were expecting Martha herself.

Anyway, there are some bands suited to supporting others. This doesn't mean that they should be doomed to support slots forever, merely that they know how to play the game and they do a great job. I thought I'd list a few of the best I've seen.

1. Kate Miller-Heidke (supporting Evermore at the Palais, June 2007).
The only complaint I'd make is that her set was far too brief. I lined up and met her afterwards and got her to sign a poster and an EP, and she seemed like a lovely person. Highlights of her set included crowd favourite Australian Idol and her new (at the time) single Words which made me desperate to hear her album Little Eve.

2. Skipping Girl Vinegar (supporting Something for Kate at the Corner Hotel, May 2007)
A great, lively little band with cheerful pop as their primary output. Left us all wanting more so we signed up for their mailing list. Too bad that when they finally graduated to their own headline act, they played an hour and a half long set at the Toff in Town...

3. Josh Pyke (supporting Eskimo Joe at the Forum, August 2006)
This was long before everyone else jumped on the Josh Pyke bandwagon and before he headlined his own Forum show last October as well. It was a tight little set with songs like Goldmines, Beg Your Pardon and of course Middle of the Hill, as well as Memories and Dust.

Martha Wainwright (13th November, The Forum)

2008-11-14T16:39:00.002+11:00

Recording does more than reasonable justice to her versatile voice, but Martha Wainwright is an artist in her element on a stage. From the moment she began the unaccompanied I Wish I Was, the audience began to marvel at her talents. As a gifted songwriter, she showcased a range of songs from her two albums, although much of the material came from this year's I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too. We saw the passionate anger of Ball and Chain, the heartfelt and addictively rhythmic Bleeding All Over You, Comin' Up and its melancholy energy and the swaggering, accusatory You Cheated Me. The song that really impressed me was Hearts Club, moving yet with an edge of despair.

As a singer, she possesses an incredible energy, passion and skill. Her cover of Leonard Cohen's The Traitor showed off the range and depth she displays vocally. A later version of Stormy Weather (credited to her brother Rufus but sung by many others) was a soulful, deep interpretation with lashings of intensity. Also, the cover of See Emily Play from the most recent album is another song which received the unique Martha treatment.

The set list also featured Jesus and Mary, Jimi (a sleeper on the album but worth more attention), The George Song, So Many Friends, GPT, Tower Song and an older track from her 1999 EP. The highlight came from crowd favourites Factory and Bloody Mother F*ing Arsehole, both of which were well received. The only glaring omission was a personal favourite, When the Day is Short, but the rest of the set was satisfyingly substantial. After seeing the material performed live, her most recent album is even more appealing.

Run to Paradise

2008-11-09T11:30:00.002+11:00

The music played at weddings is important, because it's what the guests need as motivation to get up from their comfortable white fabric and satin-draped seats after a large meal and dance. After attending a wedding the other day, I realised that there are several key factors making certain songs ideal for playing at weddings. As well as a big enough dance floor, you need a mixture of music to appeal to all subsets of the guest list. It doesn't matter if it's a band or a DJ playing. They should be able to cater for any reasonable requests.

First of all, you need a selection of eighties pub rock. Most people who are old enough to go out hear this stuff on a regular basis played by covers bands or the pub DJ, so you need your set list to include Run to Paradise, You're the Voice, Summer of '69 and other such classics. You also need Love Shack, 500 Miles, the Grease mega mix (you can do without Abba though) and a few dance-related songs like the Timewarp and the Nutbush. The Macarena can be avoided, as it has aged considerably.

Complementing that, the rest of the set list can be more modern or even more classic. A bit of AC/DC or the Beatles can always get people on the floor, but at the same time, at least one of the nephews and nieces will request some recent crappy remix of a good song from a previous era. The key factor is variety and not to play all the good songs at the start. This is unfortunately what happened the other day. After dessert arrived, nobody wanted to go back up and dance again and it wasn't just the effects of the white wine wearing off or over-eating.

You're So Misunderstood

2008-10-31T16:55:00.003+11:00

After a recent revelation concerning a song on the new Ben Folds album, I decided to devote this entry to songs I've previously misunderstood. I'm not referring to lyrics here, but rather the song's meaning or significance.

Errant Dog, Ben Folds
A metaphor for a guy in a relationship, sung from the perspective of his female partner. At first I couldn't work out why Ben Folds would become a lesbian due to his pet's misbehaviour, but then a cross-reference in You Don't Know Me spelled it out with a bit more blatancy.

Cornflake Girl, Tori Amos
This song is apparently about female genital mutilation and when you know that and listen more carefully to the lyrics, you go 'ewwww...'

Ticket to Ride, The Beatles
She's going away, but not with a Metcard. This song is referring to prostitution.

There She Goes, The La's
It's about heroin addiction, like Doctor Robert and Got to Get You Into My Life from the previous artist.

Brimful of Asha, Cornershop
At first I thought this song was just plain weird, but in a cool way. It took a little longer to discover it was a tribute to Asha Bholse, the Bollywood star.

Could the real Kate Miller-Heidke please stand up?

2008-10-23T16:52:00.002+11:00

I almost think Kate Miller-Heidke is one of those artists at her best when in her edgier, more alternative phase. Like, perhaps, Alex Lloyd on Black the Sun or Powderfinger on Internationalist or any of the other recent cross overs into the commercial radio world. Saying that, however, there are plenty of aspects of her music that appeal more to demographics outside the mainstream. The crazy operatic twists in her songs, for example. The lyrics, which clearly place her in opposition to manufactured music. Take the song Australian Idol from the Comikaze EP as a case in point.

Despite the mediocre review in last week's EG, there are plenty of likeable moments on Curiouser. The hilarious God's Gift to Women, with its addictive beats and clever fast-sung chorus, the sweet sounds of Caught in the Crowd and The Last Day on Earth which you can't help but like. There are times when you can't help but wonder if some Sony producer is trying to wedge her into being more commercial radio friendly, perhaps sensing that The One Thing I Know or Can't Shake It might appeal to a certain type of person, or radio producer.

From hearing Curiouser and parts of Little Eve, I'm not sure who the real Kate Miller-Heidke actually is any more. I initially became hooked on songs like Monsters and Space They Cannot Touch, the funnier stuff on Comikaze, where the piano was prominent and her voice sold the songs. These days it seems as though you need a hundred electronic tricks to make the songs more appealing to some supposed potential audience.

I remember seeing her hilarious cover of Psycho Killer on Spicks and Specks, and at her live show earlier this year, there was an energy in her that was quite subversive. More subversive than her two full length albums suggest. So I'm not sure if this is her impression of how her music should be recorded, or someone else's. I'm not going to make assumptions. I just hope the subversiveness doesn't get lost for the sake of selling albums.

Curiouser and Curiouser

2008-10-19T15:26:00.003+11:00

The great album onslaught continues this month with new releases by Josh Pyke and Kate Miller-Heidke. Both artists had albums out last year but have since recorded new material which I've heard previewed at their respective gigs earlier this year and late last year. Josh Pyke has taken on a nautical theme, apparently inspired by an interest in maritime history. Highlights of Chimney's Afire include The Summer, Lighthouse and You Don't Scare Me, but I really need to listen to this album a few more times before I can comment further.

Kate Miller-Heidke's album Curiouser was released yesterday and despite a mediocre review in The Age's EG section, it's quite addictive. The best tracks are those she played at her gig in May at the East Brunswick Club: God's Gift to Women which is a lot like Words, the sweet intentioned ballad Caught in the Crowd and Politics in Space. Another notable track is The Last Day on Earth. It lacks the more original moments at the high points of Little Eve like Little Adam and Mama but it's still a great album.

Flight of the Conchords, Part Two

2008-10-15T19:20:00.003+11:00

Here is part two of the Flight of the Conchords album commentary from last week.

8. Leggy Blonde
A heartfelt lament from Murray, the manager of the Conchords, who misses the beautiful tech support woman from his office. He's not as good with lyrics as Bret and Jemaine, though: 'I had a budgie but it died... I like pie!'

9. Robots
A witty tale of the future where the humans have been killed by 'poisonous gases' (with traces of lead) and 'robotic beings rule the world'. It's apparently still good, although there are no more elephants and only two dances, the Robo Boogie and the Robot. Jemaine's robot voice is particularly well executed.

10. Boom
It's not Shaggy, it's Bret, singing about Coco, his sign-holding colleague who's so hot she's making him sexist. As you might guess, 'boom' becomes a euphemism for everything from Spring to drink to, well...

11. A Kiss Is Not a Contract
But it's very nice. Although it doesn't mean you're going to get everything you want. A witty track with some nice guitar playing and harmonies.

12. The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)
Or on the street, depending on the street, she could definitely be in the top three. Another of the witty tracks from the TV show that ties into a plot line about a party and someone Jemaine's interested in. She could even be the most beautiful girl he's ever seen with a kebab, which is really saying something.

13. Business Time
Another euphemistic title, although in Jemaine's imagined future it's a story of how dangerous routines can become. Jemaine does the sexy Isaac Hayes voice very well too.

14. Bowie
An attempt to bust some Bowie myths, and a homage to many of his songs. Does he have one sequinned space suit, or several ch-changes? Pretty freaky, but also very funny.

15. Au Revoir
A simple little closing track to finish off the album with both boys singing and more guitar.

Patti Smith (Hamer Hall, October 11)

2008-10-12T20:31:00.005+11:00

I went along to this concert not really knowing what to expect. I own one of Patti Smith's albums (Gone Again), have heard another (Horses) and have also heard the odd song here or there, but I wouldn't describe myself as a die hard fan by any means. I wanted to go so that one day I could say I had seen her. She's an important part of music history and someone who has inspired many others. As soon as she came out on stage and launched into Kimberly with her band, I knew it was going to be an enjoyable night.

Patti is a passionate performer and her band complemented her well. The bass player/keyboard player Tony Shanahan in particular was great, but all of the band members were fantastic. Her distinctive voice sounds even more amazing live, especially at Hamer Hall (it did take them awhile to get the sound mix right, though). My favourites were the covers- Are You Experienced, Smells Like Teen Spirit (up there with Tori Amos' cover) and Within You Without You which is one of the best Beatles covers ever. Up there with Regina's Real Love. There was also an affecting version of Beneath the Southern Cross that ran off into fantastic psychedelia for several minutes.

Every song was performed with passion and the crowd were appreciative. There was dancing in the aisles and people were on their feet through the encore of Horses and Gloria. There were a few 'wow' moments for me. I left feeling admiration for Patti and her talents and am glad I could see her play at least once in my lifetime.

There's a link here to a set list at Chris Boyd's blog (I don't know enough of the songs to write my own).

Flight of the Conchords

2008-10-07T20:04:00.002+11:00

For all those people who have been living under a rock this year, Flight of the Conchords are one of New Zealand's premier two-man novelty bands. Otherwise known as Bret Mckenzie and Jemaine Clement, the band have their own TV show which screened earlier this year. They also have a fantastic self titled album which I think is one of the best musical offerings of the year. Aside from being hilarious (take a look at the Bowie segment from the TV show, or the film clip to Inner City Pressure), the songs are also well written and extremely catchy. The album is definitely worth seeking out if you haven't heard it- within just a few days you'll be singing in French along to Foux Du Fafa or imitating Shaggy like Bret does in Boom.

The next two entries will be devoted to a track by track analysis of the album.

1. Foux Du Fafa
A funny song full of French, but it's all French any English speaking person might be able to bluff without really knowing the language. 'Soup de jour... camembert... Jacques Cousteau!' Accompanying the lyrics is a boppy little track featuring soft cheesy guitar and Jemaine does a deep voiced alluring vocal.

2. Inner City Pressure
The boys do a great homage to the Pet Shop Boys' West End Girls in this track, which has some of the best lyrics on the album. 'Counting coins at the counter of the 7-Eleven, from a quarter past six til a quarter to seven. The manager, Bevan, starts to abuse me. Hey man, I just want some muesli.' Lots of synthesisers here.

3. Hiphopopotamus vs Rhymenocerous
This track features the boys' hip hop names which they think make them cool, but of course Bret prefers to rap about reality- 'there ain't no party like my Nana's tea party'. A great send up of rap's common concerns.

4. Think About It
This social conscience driven song points out some of the pitfalls of modern life in a plaintive plea to action. Watch out for people wielding knives and forks calling each other names like dork, and for diseases from monkeys.

5. Ladies of the World
Here, the boys try their hand at a smooth voiced sexy song to tempt women. And they don't discriminate either. They'll happily have ladies from Namibia, the Carribbean, amphibian ladies and even Presbyterian ladies.

6. Mutha'uckas
More rap, this time in response to annoying situations in the lives of Bret and Jemaine. Like the guy who won't sell Bret any apples because he's from New Zealand.

7. The Prince of Parties
The drug-fuelled fantasies of Bret produce this song featuring a range of exotic instruments and lots of great alliteration. A song that stands out for its instrumentals as much as its lyrics which don't make a lot of sense really.

She stabbed my basketball, and the speakers to my stereo

2008-10-03T09:49:00.001+10:00

What a birthday present that would be, a tour by Ben Folds next February!

Have a look here for an article about Way to Normal from The Age.

Way to Normal

2008-10-01T10:41:00.002+10:00

Ben Folds' new album came out last week and since then I've had plenty of time to listen to it many times. I thought I'd write a track-by-track review with some commentary about the songs. There's a discussion of the album here at the Triple J web site between Richard Kingsmill and Ben Folds. This album is quite different to Songs For Silverman- it lacks the emphasis on ballads and slow emotional songs, but there are still some great tracks here.

1. Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head)
This track features crowd noise in the background and tells a self deprecating story of 'public failure'. It's about an actual event that happened to Ben in Japan at a gig, where he fell off the stage and hit his head and hurt his ankle. Apparently Ben finished the gig anyway. References Elton John too.

2. Dr Yang
Another energetic little opener to hook people in to the album. Not the best song, but not bad. Fast paced piano pop the way Ben Folds does it best.

3. The Frown Song
One of Ben's social commentary tracks (like All You Can Eat) about selfishness and consumerism, that has a habit of sticking in your head for a day following one listen early in the morning.

4. You Don't Know Me
Features Regina Spektor on backing vocals. A cute, boppy pop song with a distinctive rhythm that is one of the stand out tracks on the album. The upbeat aspects override the darker subject matter of the song (another 'break-up song' according to Ben. He does do many of these).

5. Before Cologne/ 6. Cologne
One of the few 'ballad' tracks on the album- beautiful piano and lyrics which seem to be about his recent divorce, but may not be according to Ben.

7. Errant Dog
One of the best tracks on the album- loud, with a heavy rhythm reminiscent of Song For the Dumped and also has the growly Ben Folds Five bass like Robert Sledge used to play. Probably the reason I like it so much.

8. Free Coffee
An understated song that's still well constructed and hangs around in your head for awhile. A bit of a 'sleeper' that hides between two loud songs but should not be ignored.

9. Bitch Went Nuts
A hilarious song, fast and funny lyrics, which is apparently about an ex roommate of Ben's who had a crazy ex-girlfriend who stabbed his volleyball (although Ben changed it to basketball here for the sake of the song).

10. Brainwascht
Another strong rhythm here with a catchy melody and energy. Not sure what it's about, though.

11. Effington
A great opening and a great concept- 'If there's a God he's laughing at us and our football team'. You have to say the word aloud to get it.

12. Kylie From Connecticut
Another ballad to close the album. It has a particularly good piano part towards the end, saving it from being too sentimental.

The Whitlams (September 26th, Hamer Hall)

2008-09-27T11:50:00.002+10:00

The Whitlams haven't learnt from Crowded House- when fans go to see you play a show two years after your last album came out, they don't want to hear a set dominated by songs from your last album. This comment applies even more so, given that they were playing with the MSO. They've already DONE two tours of album promotion. Get over it. I might be a bit of a biased fan, but I really don't like their last two albums. They aren't on par with Eternal Nightcap or Love This City. I was hoping to hear a set dominated by songs from these albums and I was quite disappointed.

That's not to say it wasn't a great show. Many of the Whitlams' songs are suited to orchestral arrangement and there were no occasions when the songs seemed overdone or the orchestra misplaced. And there were some classics among the songs in the set list- No Aphrodisiac, You Sound Like Louis Burdett, Buy Now Pay Later, Melbourne (which they didn't play last time I saw them at the Corner in 2006), Met My Match, Her Floor's My Ceiling (a beautiful song I was thrilled to hear with an orchestra behind it), Thank You (For Loving Me At My Worst), Made Me Hard and even Gough appeared in an encore. But the set was dominated extensively by their most recent album. The new songs were good (there were a couple of great ones), but didn't really show what Tim Freedman has stuffed up his sleeve- I would have loved to hear 1995, I Make Hamburgers, Band on Every Corner, Make the World Safe For You, You Gotta Love This City, 400 Miles From Darwin, Charlie No. 3/No. 1 and more.

So a bit of self indulgence sadly let them down. It seems to be the story these days for any disappointing show- you should enjoy yourself, but as a band you have to remember that you are only there because of the fans. New material has its place (and Crowded House worked out how to integrate it well and still respect their audience) and of course old sets need livening up. But no matter how sick of I Make Hamburgers the band might be, it's not the worst song in the world to be asked by a fan to play. Even with a symphony orchestra behind you.

The September Glut of 2008

2008-09-25T16:22:00.002+10:00

This year has been a bit light on in the Epic Albums department, compared to 2007 anyway. Who could forget the wonderful start with the release of the Shins Wincing the Night Away, followed rapidly by Kings of Leon's Because of the Times and Wilco's Sky Blue Sky? Other great bands followed: Radiohead, Jose Gonzalez and there were some great gigs by Regina Spektor, Gotye and the Mountain Goats in there too.

So far I've been excited about a couple of acts this year and their efforts (notably Flight of the Conchords, Martha Wainwright, the Mountain Goats and Youth Group) but by comparison, this year has been a disappointment.

It's taken until September for the music world to get its collective act together and here is a list of some of my current obsessions.

Ben Folds, Way to Normal
This album doesn't go on sale for two more days. So how do I own it, you may ask? No, I don't have contacts at Sony. Ben Folds has not relocated to Thornbury (although we nearly ended up living on the same street as someone from Dallas Crane, which is a whole other story) and I haven't been hearing secret jam sessions through his lounge room wall. JB Hi Fi just had it on sale today. Anyway, on second listen this album is quite different to Songs For Silverman, in a quirky pop sort of way. Quirky pop has always been my favourite, so this is great. I particularly like the duet with Regina Spektor You Don't Know Me and the rather odd (but cute) Errant Dog. Expect more commentary soon.

Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat
The lead singer of Rilo Kiley has a new album. This isn't it, but JB Bourke Street didn't have it (or perhaps it's not out here yet). Anyway, it's soulful and pretty and I haven't listened to it all yet, but give me time. I like her band and since they've broken up, I'll happily settle for this instead.

Kings of Leon, Only By the Night
After Because of the Times, how could they possibly outdo themselves? All the reviewers are claiming this to be their best yet. And it's good. It's actually very good, especially Crawl, Sex on Fire, Revelry, Use Somebody and Notion (which is the new Fans). It's very, very addictive, like their last album. Stay tuned for more later.

Ladyhawke, Ladyhawke
Another jump back to the eighties in the best possible way. I heard Paris is Burning during its frequent play on Triple J and decided it was a great song, but there are more great tracks on the album. The opener Magic is one example, as is Better than Sunday, Back of the Van... Lots to like.

Welcome Back

2008-09-25T16:18:00.002+10:00

Welcome back and hello to readers of my self indulgent music reviews and commentary. I have decided to start up again due to a desire to write something (anything!) and due to a glut of new music lately, I have plenty of new subject matter to contemplate. Plus, I am going to see the Whitlams and the MSO tomorrow night so what better way to kick this blog off again but with a review. I will aim for one entry a week but this may be optimistic. Anyway, we shall see.

Set List

2008-04-02T14:20:00.001+11:00

Here is a link to the set list from the Wilco show last week. Here's a link to a review from The Age.

News

2008-03-27T13:27:00.002+11:00

Some sad news... no Mountain Goats gig in April. The shows are canceled, due to health problems of John Darnielle. A pity, as I was really looking forward to it.

Haven't been updating due to lack of internet access, lack of motivation and lack of time but might try to post the odd entry now and then. I had to write about last night's amazing Wilco gig at the Metro (wow!) and make sure I got as much of the set list down as I could, albeit slightly inaccurately. Anyway, I'll make an effort to keep this updated when I can.

Wilco (The Metro/Palace, March 26th)

2008-03-27T12:57:00.002+11:00

I thought it would be difficult for Wilco to top their show from last year. I thought I'd hate seeing them play in a venue where I had to stand up. I thought I'd never hear Misunderstood or Passenger Side played live. And I was wrong on all counts.

The Metro, now known as the Palace but still really the Metro to everyone in Melbourne, was packed with rabid Wilco fans, all of whom had made requests for songs as allowable on the Wilco web site. (I was hoping to hear four songs and was pleased when all of them were played). This wasn't, as the t-shirts misleadingly suggested, a Sky Blue Sky tour. It was a chance for Australian fans to hear tracks from older Wilco albums, to hear old and new favourites and for two and a half hours of Jeff Tweedy magic.

We positioned ourselves eagerly in front of the stage and were thrilled when the opening bars of Misunderstood were the first to emerge from the band's instruments. I've been waiting to hear this song live since Kicking Television was released in 2006. The crowd cheered at the line 'you still love rock and roll' and repeated 'nothing' along with Jeff, just as they do on the album version. This was followed by Reservations, the closing track from Yankee and then Company In My Back, a great track from A Ghost is Born which sounds great live apart from the piano riff being drowned out by the guitars. After two of our four requests already played, we knew were in for a great night.

The band played for two and a half hours and the set list was peppered with songs from all of Wilco's six albums. We heard Should've Been In Love, Sunken Treasure, You Are My Face, Shot in the Arm, Impossible Germany, Handshake Drugs, Side With the Seeds, Pot Kettle Black, Jesus Etc, Summerteeth, She's a Jar (because Australia never got to hear much from Summerteeth), Via Chicago and Spiders all in the main set.

The encore opened with California Stars, followed by Walken, Passenger Side, I'm the Man Who Loves You (dedicated to Jeff's son who was offstage), I Got You (At the end of the century), Red Eyed and Blue, Hate It Here, Casino Queen, Outtasite (Outtamind), I'm A Wheel. And finally the band came out again for one more song, The Lonely 1.

It was a great show, with only a few favorite songs absent (and those were ones I'd heard before such as The Late Greats, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart and Poor Places). The whole band performs together really well and enjoys themselves. Great to be standing so close to them, so I could see John Stiratt and Nels Cline in action. A great pity they don't come to Australia more often... they are definitely my favorite band at the moment and have played the top two gigs of all time on my list.

Snobbery

2008-02-12T07:03:00.000+11:00

I am a music snob and I am the first person to admit this. I like the idea that my favourite bands are neglected not only by commercial radio but receive limited airplay anywhere. I complain when my chosen songs do not make it into the Hottest 100 but secretly think this is good. I like the idea of seeing bands perform live before the wave of bandwagon jumpers arrive, as soon as the bands become fashionable when they're featured in a film soundtrack or in The Sunday Age.

I was thinking about this the other day when contemplating the Shins album Chutes Too Narrow. It is an almost perfect musical construction but remains neglected by much of the population. And I kind of like this idea. The Shins are a great band, but would they still be a great band if they suddenly received the attention of commercial radio? Not to music snobs like me. We like the idea of being members of an exclusive club who (we think) have good taste. We like the idea of getting excited about seeing Wilco rather than Pink. Hopefully there is something intrinsic about The Shins meaning that commercial radio will never play Mine's Not a High Horse, Australia or the future equivalent of New Slang. That way we music snobs can remain self satisfied at our own brilliant and obscure taste for a bit longer.

On the morning when I woke up without you for the first time

2008-02-03T15:35:00.000+11:00

I read somewhere today that a new Mountain Goats album is due out very soon, on the 19th of February. This coincides wonderfully with when I will be living a hop, skip and jump away from the Heidelberg branch of JB HiFi (at least it's kind of on the way home from work) and is very good news. I've tried to weed through their web site for more details but found more of interest on the JB web site, including a link to John Darnielle's blog. It looks like a good place to hear about new music. I saw the comment about Kaki King on the front page and thought that this looks as though it will be quite an interesting read. Haven't had time to see much yet.

More on the Hottest 100

2008-01-28T10:40:00.000+11:00

Here's an article from The Age about the Hottest 100. Why though is Molly Meldrum considered the expert on Australian music? I'd think that The Age could call on its own writers such as Patrick Donovan to provide more insightful comments. And what about asking Richard Kingsmill for his view about it?

Hottest 100 2007

2008-01-28T10:23:00.000+11:00

As the action unfolded on Saturday, some Triple J listeners began to lose their faith in humanity, or at least its capacity for good taste. The top ten was somewhat surprising. Who would have thought that a short period of release and some cross-over appeal would get I'll Kill Her by Soko into the top ten? Straight Lines was a predictable runner up, but Muse managing to win with their one single released last year was almost flabbergasting. And the Kings of Leon's On Call coming in ahead of Fans? It's really not a brilliant song.

There were some disappointments. Wilco don't rate on Triple J, let alone in the Hottest 100 so the absence of any of their songs wasn't a shock. It would have been nice for the Shins to get some more recognition, although if they did receive more attention there's always a danger commercial radio would also jump on board. Thank god they haven't yet. Also, only one Radiohead song made it into the countdown, that being Jigsaw Falling Into Place, a far less interesting song than Bodysnatchers or 15 Step, the other two tracks which have received heavy play recently.

Anyway, the songs I voted for did get up there, at least some of them. See below for details.

88. The Cops, The Message

79. Josh Pyke, Lines on Palms

72. Jose Gonzalez, Down the Line

33. Kings of Leon, Fans

29. Regina Spektor, Real Love

Sufjan Stevens (The Forum, January 17th)

2008-01-17T23:25:00.000+11:00

This show was like nothing I've seen before. It almost belonged at Hamer Hall rather than the Forum (although the venue was still pretty good, other than the house lights being on during the encore), especially with the silent reverence the audience had for the performance. A great change, I must say, from the Jose Gonzalez gig where people talked carelessly with no regard for genuine fans. The music was complemented by amazing visuals- a bit like the Gotye gig last year, although better- video, animations, lights. Sufjan was supported by his orchestra who kicked in at all the appropriate moments. The saxophonist pulled off a great solo during one song in particular.

Sufjan opened with Seven Swans, a song from Michigan and then The Avalanche. It was difficult, for three albums full of long track titles and someone who doesn't know two of the albums terribly well, to pick out individual titles, but this didn't matter too much. Sufjan told us stories too about his childhood in Michigan and his fears (including woolly jumpers) which endeared him to the audience even further. He also wore wings and a funny hat for a reasonable chunk of the show.

The performance of the material from Illinois was particularly well received. Highlights included Concerning the UFO Sighting, The Black Hawk War and Come On, Feel the Illinoise! all played in sequence. Also, John Wayne Gacy Jr, The Tallest Man The Broadest Shoulders and The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us were performed beautifully. My favourite three songs were Casimir Pulaski Day, a song I've loved since I first heard it, Chicago and the closer Jacksonville which were all spirited and had an extra dimension in live performance.

I'm a little ashamed I don't know his other material well enough to name the songs, but some seemed familiar (I think the opener from Michigan was there). It was a gig set to be one of the year's highlights. Too bad there's no new album in sight anytime soon. Which state of the USA will be next?

New Music and Artists Newly Discovered

2008-01-13T18:12:00.000+11:00

During the past week I've been listening to the Lavender Diamond album Imagine Our Love which I bought with my Christmas present JB voucher. It's pretty good music for hot summer days. A bit repetitive lyrics-wise, but nice melodies. I also like 1234 by Feist at the moment and I just bought Kate Nash's album today, after becoming hooked on the song Foundations recently. After seeing The Darjeeling Limited, I had to download the Peter Sarstedt song Where Do You Go To My Lovely which is beautiful and addictive. Finally, I heard a great song on the radio last night by Kat Frankie (see her website here) and want to track down her album.

I found a couple of great Regina Spektor songs, the best one being Folding Chair. Also like the Wilco song The Thanks I Get which is a B-Side to What Light.

Hottest 100 Time

2008-01-13T18:07:00.000+11:00

It's every Triple J listener's favourite time of year, January, when voting opens for the Hottest 100. I voted on the first of the month but haven't yet listed my choices here. So here they are:

Sealings, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Turn On Me, The Shins
What Light, Wilco
House of Cards, Radiohead
Down the Line, Jose Gonzalez
Lines on Palms, Josh Pyke
Fans, Kings of Leon
Open Your Heart, Lavender Diamond
The Message, The Cops
Real Love, Regina Spektor

Although some of my favourite songs of 2007 were not on the list, I decided to choose those more likely to win rather than to add in Red Rabbits, You Are My Face and other songs. I also decided to vote for only one track per artist.

All things grow, all things grow

2008-01-09T15:02:00.000+11:00

Here's an article from Beat about Sufjan Stevens. The more I read, the more pleased I am to have secured myself tickets to the show. Apparently the Thursday gig isn't sold out yet, so if you can, try and get there.

Kings of Leon, (Festival Hall, January 8th)

2008-01-09T10:05:00.000+11:00

Festival Hall is an odd venue. Being on the wooden floor packed in among hundreds of other music fans feels a bit scary. It would be worse in the mosh pit, although it seemed under control. It's hot and stuffy and the floor is sticky, but there's a certain atmosphere you just don't get at other venues. Maybe it was the band itself, and the kind of music they play. It definitely inspired a fervent response from the devoted members of the crowd who sang along when inspired and even repeated the 'whoa-oa-oa-oa-oh!' from Knocked Up multiple times, in perfect timing and pitch.

The opening track Black Thumbnail was a great choice as it immediately captured the crowd's enthusiasm and energy. This was followed by Taper Jean Girl, King of the Rodeo, My Party, Milk, a few tracks from their first album Youth and Young Manhood and then more from Because of the Times- McFearless, Charmer, the popular Fans, Arizona and Camaro. After closing the set with a song I'd never heard (it seemed new, from the response of most of the crowd- sitting down!), they opened the encore with Knocked Up and then closed with Slow Night, So Long from Aha Shake Heartbreak.

A few tracks I'd like to have heard weren't played- Pistol of Fire, True Love Way and Day Old Blues, most notably. But on the whole it was a tight performance. The band seemed to enjoy themselves, the crowd was enthusiastic and it was a great evening. Very different to a night out seeing Jose, though.

I'm wicked and I'm lazy

2008-01-07T14:44:00.001+11:00

For the odd one or two of you who read this blog on a regular basis, rest assured that I do not intend to discontinue it or to give up due to lack of material. Rather, I've decided that with a new job starting at the end of the month and being on holiday at the moment, I'll blog once a week minimum with additional entries if the mood strikes.

Seeing the Kings of Leon tomorrow at Festival Hall (support act is Youth Group, kind of surprising but I've never seen them live so it should be good). Also seeing Sufjan Stevens next week. See the link for some interesting information about him, plus the show. It sounds a little like what Gotye did last year but on a grander scale. It's a busy month for music, with all these festivals in town. I watched the DVD of Jeff Tweedy live on the weekend, which put me in the mood for Wilco too.

Jose Gonzalez (The Forum, January 2nd)

2008-01-03T11:15:00.000+11:00

There were some strange occurrences at the Forum last night. The main one was the house lighting being on throughout both sets, but the appearance of Missy Higgins at the end of our row of seating was also a little unexpected. And why were the booths in the centre row all roped off? Was it for VIPs? Never mind, because Jose, as anticipated, pulled off a great show. It was a short set which wasn't surprising (the two albums released in Australia total just over an hour) but full of everything we wanted to see.

Highlights included the single Down the Line, Stay in the Shade, In Our Nature, Lovestain, How Low, Killing For Love and the set closer Cycling Trivialities which seemed to be a favourite with most of the crowd. By the end of the night the material on Veneer seemed all the more likable, even though In Our Nature is probably a stronger album. After the brief break, there were a few songs in the encore to satisfy us further including a cover of Hand on Your Heart by Kylie Minogue and the anticipated Teardrop. Not many artists improve a song upon covering it (hear Regina's version of Real Love if you haven't already).

But why were the house lights on? And why has The Age stopped printing comic strips at the moment? Who can solve these mysteries?

Top Gigs of 2007

2007-12-17T16:44:00.000+11:00

This entry will be the last for 2007. I am taking a break until the new year when I can write a review of the Jose Gonzalez gig at the Forum. Have a good Christmas.

1. Wilco, The Palais
One amazing gig with a fantastic set list, great performances, awesome venue... the only regret I have is not being able to attend the following night's show which was much more intimate. Next time I see them is in March. Bring it on!

2. Regina Spektor, Regent Theatre
A quiet person but what a performer... like Tori Amos but better. She's been one of my favourite acts this year after I bought both Begin to Hope and Soviet Kitsch. I wish JB would start stocking her older albums so I can buy them (they are on iTunes though).

3. The Mountain Goats, the Corner Hotel
A band that really puts together a great show. Simple instrumentation but clearly enunciated lyrics, crowd-pleasing songs and an infectious energy. Another act I'd love to see again.

4. Gotye, The Athenaeum Theatre
The performance of Learnalilgivinanlovin was one of the year's gig highlights. Plus the hilarious Thanks For Your Time, which was complemented by the animations in the background. I loved the keyboard samples, available at the touch of a button. (Oh-ooh!)

5. Crowded House, Rod Laver Arena
An act I never thought I'd get to see live. Not as good as Split Enz last year, but still great. They knew just how many old classics would pleased the crowd and didn't over indulge themselves by airing too much new material.

Top Ten Songs of 2007

2007-12-17T16:40:00.000+11:00

10. Teardrop, Jose Gonzalez

9. Phantom Limb, The Shins

8. Lines on Palms, Josh Pyke

7. Hate It Here, Wilco

6. Turn On Me, The Shins

5. Cycling Trivialities, Jose Gonzalez

4. House of Cards, Radiohead

3. Real Love, Regina Spektor

2. You Are My Face, Wilco

1. Red Rabbits, The Shins

Top Ten Albums... the final 2!

2007-12-16T18:37:00.000+11:00

2. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
It was a real toss up between these two albums for the top position on the list. While the Wilco album is full of great songs, the Shins album is just that little bit superior in the way it all hangs together. That said, there's a lot to like about Wilco, and a lot to become obsessive about. From the opening track Either Way through to Impossible Germany, the title track, Walken and my absolute favourite You Are My Face, the album is complex and interesting. There's a fair few tracks featuring collaborative efforts where the band just pulls together beautifully, such as on Hate It Here and Shake It Off. I can't wait to see the band play again next March to sing along to all the best tracks and to see them feeding off each other's energy in the way they do so well.

1. The Shins, Wincing the Night Away
From the first time I heard this album all the way through in January, I knew I'd like it as much as Chutes Too Narrow. At the end of the year it's at least on par with that album if not a little ahead. My favourite track is Red Rabbits for the low key little vocal riffs that pepper the song. This album is my favourite kind of alternative pop with a twist- intelligent lyrics, well constructed songs and cleverly executed musical experiments (like the cat piano and the hip hop aspect of Sealegs). I've played this album over and over again so that most of the tracks are now in my iTunes top twenty five most played, which in the end was the deciding point that made it the clear winner of 2007.

Songs 20-11 on the Top Fifty List

2007-12-13T16:57:00.000+11:00

The second last entry in this series (there are still two more albums to go, and ten more songs). I'm getting sick of commentary so I didn't bother. I've said it all already about these songs. Refer to previous entries.

20. Close Call, Rilo Kiley

19. Words, Kate Miller-Heidke

18. The Message, The Cops

17. Crocodile, Underworld

16. Australia, The Shins

15. Bodysnatchers, Radiohead

14. Impossible Germany, Wilco

13. Open Your Heart, Lavender Diamond

12. Down the Line, Jose Gonzalez

11. Fans, Kings of Leon

Top Ten Albums (continued)

2007-12-11T16:38:00.000+11:00

4. In Our Nature, Jose Gonzalez
A short album but beautifully constructed- slow and relaxing. I'd never though I could hear a cover of Massive Attack's Teardrop that I liked so much. Other highlights include the single Down the Line, Fold and the closing track Cycling Trivialities which is just wonderful. I'm really looking forward to seeing the live performance of this material early in the New Year.

3. In Rainbows, Radiohead
The long awaited follow up to Hail to the Thief, which picks up where OK Computer left off in many ways... the album everyone had been waiting for. While there was a lot to like about Kid A, Amnesiac and Hail, this album is classic Radiohead in many ways. There's lots of variety too, from the slower but complex tracks like House of Cards to the crazy Bodysnatchers and the opener 15 Step. Full of great songs and worth many repeated listens.

2007 Top Fifty, continued

2007-12-09T17:23:00.000+11:00

29. Easy, Tracey Thorn
Another highlight from Out of the Woods.

28. Down Boy, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
A song from an EP they released this year. Almost as good as their other notable single of 2007.

27. Little Adam, Kate Miller-Heidke
A strong track from Little Eve which showcases her vocal talents particularly well.

26. What Light, Wilco
The single from Sky Blue Sky.

25. Ring Road, Underworld
One of two standout tracks from Oblivion With Bells.

24. 15 Step, Radiohead
The opening track from In Rainbows.

23. Spilt Needles, The Shins
The B-Side from Phantom Limb and a very addictive track.

22. Hot Weapon, The Cops
A funny little track that's laden with euphemisms.

21. It's All True, Tracey Thorn
The single from Into the Woods.

Top Ten Albums, continued

2007-12-05T16:48:00.000+11:00

6. Rilo Kiley, Under the Blacklight
A complex album from a band who can't really be categorised. Mostly rock and pop with the occasional Latin influence. Highlights include the title track, Close Call, Silver Lining and Dejalo. The album is consistent, though and accessible. A rather obscure band but worth seeking out.

5. Kings of Leon, Because of the Times
I played this album many times during the Easter school holidays. Their most consistent effort so far and filled with great songs. The single On Call isn't the high point of the album... that comes through Fans, Arizona, True Love Way, Camaro, Knocked Up... There are some great rock tracks here and plenty to enjoy.

Top 50 of 2007 (part 2)

2007-12-03T19:07:00.000+11:00

40. True Love Way, Kings of Leon
It's so hard to pick the best songs from this album- it's so consistent, much more so than their previous efforts. It was a toss up between this track and about three others for a place on this list.

39. The Beast, Angus and Julia Stone
The single from their full length album which has indecipherable lyrics but a pretty cool tune nonetheless.

38. Silver Lining, Rilo Kiley
The opening track from Under the Blacklight which has a great chorus, showcasing the lead singer's voice exceptionally well.

37. Arizona, Kings of Leon
The final track from Because of the Times. A great note on which to end the album with a slow rock rhythm.

36. Forever Song, Josh Pyke
One of the highlights from Memories and Dust, and the second single. A sweet little pop track.

35. The Con, Tegan and Sara
The single from their album of the same name. A well constructed song with an intense chorus.

34. Shoebox, Kate Miller-Heidke
A fast-paced folk rock song which showcases her vocal talents very well. Very catchy.

33. Sealegs, The Shins
This song shows that The Shins can do pretty much anything well, including hip hop rhythms. A sign that they aren't going to go stale anytime soon.

32. Honey, The Commas
The lead singer of this band reminds me of Jeff Buckley but this band's music is decidedly different. Another song with a powerful chorus.

31. Out of the Fridge/Into the Fire, The Cops
This one definitely pays homage to When Doves Cry. The thunder noises in the background make this a great track to kick off their album.

Spicks and Speck-tacular (November 30th, Comedy Theatre)

2007-11-30T22:40:00.000+11:00

This doesn't really qualify as a gig, although there was a band and they did play a set of music before the show. The Spektors (the house band) consisted of Myf Warhurst's brother Kit and two other people and they also participated in the show itself in various ways.

The show was kicked off by some of Adam Hills' stand up when he proceeded to pick on various members of the audience in an endearing way. This took place for awhile before the contestants were selected. Rather than two teams, the contestants were each in it for themselves. Two dropped out after each of the rounds. Like the TV show there were old favourites like Know Your Product, Look What They've Done to My Song Ma, Mondegreens and then of course Substitute, Malvern Stars on 45 (complete with actual bicycle powered record player) and The Final Countdown. Alan and Myf participated by singing the songs for Substitute, assisting with contestant selection and performing a piano/contemporary dance duet while Adam took a short break.

The highlight of the night, however was the finale, the live re-enactment of the Thriller music video, with all the contestants being the zombie/vampire/undead people. It was a most enjoyable show.

Top Ten Albums (continued)

2007-11-28T18:31:00.000+11:00

8. Little Eve, Kate Miller-Heidke
I wish I'd had the chance this year to see her play more than just a support act for Evermore. She's one of those people whose music works best in front of a responsive audience. This album is still pretty good and it shows off her operatic talents, in songs like Little Adam, Mama and the amazing single Words. Also, there's softer and poppier stuff like Delay, Thanks For Today, Ducks Don't Need Satellites and I Got the Way. Then there's also Shoebox, a crazy mash of fast paced guitar and folk-rock.

7. Memories and Dust, Josh Pyke
It's really too bad that the best two songs from this album have already been released- the incredibly well constructed title track and Middle of the Hill, a Triple J Hottest 100 favourite from 2005. There are still some great tracks on this album though- Lines on Palms, Forever Song and Fed and Watered are all memorable. The Feeding the Wolves EP held such promise which didn't quite eventuate as I'd hoped. Still, it's a worthy place-getter on this list.

Counting Down to 2008

2007-11-26T16:39:00.000+11:00

On the same theme as my last post, I have also composed a list of my top 50 songs of 2007 (I actually have a top 54 so I could make three whole compilation CDs, but never mind that). The next series of posts will alternate between commenting upon the album and song lists.

Top 50 of 2007

50. Ruby, The Kaiser Chiefs
Would be higher up the list if it hadn't been so overplayed! I do still like this song, but having heard it about ten million times has lessened my appreciation for it. From Yours Truly Angry Mob.

49. She Dreams All Different Colours, My Friend the Chocolate Cake
A typical MFTCC mish mash of strings and rock and David Bridie, one of the highlights of the Home Improvements album.

48. Cool Bit of Something, The Commas
One of the memorable songs from their performance in June this year, plus one of the stand-outs on their self titled debut album.

47. Dejalo, Rilo Kiley
Addictive track from Under the Blacklight with hidden depths.

46. Get Around To It, Tracey Thorn
Overplaying spoils this song. It's a good one, but also a tad repetitive.

45. Home Improvements, My Friend the Chocolate Cake
Great opening track from the album of the same title.

44. Fed and Watered, Josh Pyke
A track I really liked on first listen from the album Memories and Dust but again has been slightly spoiled by too much radio play.

43. Hold Music, Architecture in Helsinki
A stand out track from Places Like This and also one of the singles.

42. People Are Like Suns, Crowded House
A great song from their new album Time On Earth which I only appreciated properly after hearing it performed live recently.

41. Mama, Kate Miller-Heidke
The best tracks on this album are the ones where she reverts to her old operatic twist on pop. The performance of Psycho Killer on Spicks and Specks is a case in point, but it's sadly not on the album.

Counting Down to Number One

2007-11-24T13:32:00.001+11:00

Over the next month and a bit, in the lead up to 2008, I will list my top ten albums of 2007. I have also worked out the top 50 songs, which will be commented upon separately. Today's entry kicks off the list with numbers 10 and 9 respectively.

10. Drop It In Their Laps, The Cops
It's too bad that Call Me Anytime is ineligible for the top songs list, as it was released last year, although there are plenty of other great tracks on this album too. An album that improves upon each listen. There are lots of nods to the eighties, right from the opening track Out of the Fridge/Into the Fire which kicks off like a Prince song. There's also the excellent and highly addictive single The Message and the hilarious Hot Weapon.

9. Tracey Thorn, Out of the Woods
An album that was instantly likable from the first playing it received. Reminiscent of the best of Everything But the Girl in songs like Get Around To It and Grand Canyon, but far more listener-friendly with shorter, tighter tracks. Other highlights include the single It's All True, Easy and Raise the Roof. Also has moments where the great instrumentation overrides the electronic aspect of the music such as By Piccadilly Circus I Sat Down and Wept and Here It Comes Again.

Maybe the sun will shine today

2007-11-21T14:12:00.000+11:00

On the weekend, I booked tickets for Wilco at the Metro next March. So far there's only one show on sale, although there are online rumours of a second show the following night. The show falls in the middle of the school holidays, guaranteeing my attendance. It's a little unfortunate that they're playing at the Metro (the Palais is a much better venue... I suspect it's being renovated around that time), but I really can't complain. Getting to see Wilco twice in less than a year is pretty special. They are definitely in my top three bands now (and occasionally even take top position). I'm hoping this time to hear songs from Sky Blue Sky like You Are My Face, Hate It Here, Shake It Off and Walken, but also to hear songs I didn't get to see the first time (like Misunderstood) that they played at the second Melbourne show this year. I'll stop complaining about having to stand up- I think seeing Wilco play would distract me sufficiently from having sore feet.

Hot Day Songs

2007-11-19T17:13:00.000+11:00

The first 'proper' summery day today (hot enough to justify turning on the air conditioning). Too bad I had to go to work though and suffer in non-air conditioned rooms. Good music for hot days...

1. Sigur Ros... slow and dreamy, perfect background music for reading quietly while sitting in the cool lounge room with a cold drink.

2. 78 Saab, Sunshine. The Triple J summer song in 1999. Suits the mood of hot, lazy days.

3. Cowboy Junkies, The Trinity Session. More quiet tracks with amazing instrumentation and beautiful singing to accompany them. A highlight is definitely Sweet Jane.

4. David Bridie, Act of Free Choice. A lot more low-key than My Friend the Chocolate Cake (and more electronicky). Lots of slow, floaty numbers.

5. Enya, Watermark. There's always a time and place for Enya and summer's pretty much ideal.

Underworld

2007-11-17T16:45:00.000+11:00

Today, after realising I hadn't been to JB in ages (at least to buy a CD), I bought the new Underworld album Oblivion With Bells. I'd heard it was a lot more consistent than their other recent efforts, and it is... very cruisy, but in a purposeful way. I haven't yet heard the whole album but so far I've enjoyed Crocodile, Boy Boy Boy, Ring Road and Burnout. I think it will make good listening on the train during the following weeks. The album also comes with a DVD, although I'm not entirely sure what that contains yet.

More Bits and Pieces

2007-11-14T17:10:00.000+11:00

Here's an article about Augie March from The Age web site. I've been trying to find the review of the Crowded House performance but for some reason it's not available on the web. This is greatly annoying but not a particularly severe problem. I'm listening to Time on Earth, which improves upon repeated hearings, plus the back catalogue of other Crowded House favourites.

Sufjan Stevens is playing a gig in Melbourne which goes on sale this Friday. I hope to secure tickets since he's playing at the Forum with a mini-orchestra (perhaps a bit of a Gotye-esque show?) and it should be a great night. Also continually on the look out for Wilco details but not much to hand yet.