Well the year is almost over again and everyone is making lists of albums of 2009 so I'm going to too. This year I'm going do a top ten of My Albums which are the ones which I've went out and bought the real thing that you can hold in your hands. No downloads here if I couldn't be bother to find the CD it's not really here in front of me now so call me old fashioned. Also I'm going to do My Wishlist of this year which is CD's I haven't got but if someone needs a Christmas present or ten. Plus a few other things which I think I'll start with now.
TRACK OF THE YEAR: The Drones Suicide is Painless
I've been waiting for this for a long time now. I don't know how many times I've watched the video for this song on JTV, it's a Triple J radio's Like A Version cover song. Volume five has just come out and I went out and got the CD just for this track, is that mad? It's got some of the most bleak and depressing lyrics ever written but The Drones members are laughing at them throughout the song which kind-off juxtaposed it. I've written a whole journal about this track earlier so have a look in my older posts if you want to know more.
EP OF THE YEAR: Magic Dirt White Boy EP
This EP was released after the passing away of Dean Turner which is the saddest news of the year because he was so young still, only 37. Dean was a founding member, bass player and their producer. Recording these last tracks which ended up being his last before he passed away Friday August 21st, 2009 and a statement from band said: "For nine years, Dean battled an extremely rare form of soft tissue cancer called dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP)... Being a very private man, Dean chose to fight the cancer in a quiet and dignified manner. He displayed great courage and incredible stoicism. And above all else he had an unshakeable positive attitude throughout his long ordeal.White Boy is from their last album. Two duets: Summer High (featuring Rowland S. Howard) and Love Is The Armour (featuring Gareth Liddiard), deep in a net of red, valley of the rose plus the epic ten minute last song Future Fuck.
REISSUE OF THE YEAR: Beasts of Bourbon Box Set with the first three albums: The Axemans Jazz, Sour Mash and Black Milk
Finally you can get these albums on CD, they were deleted forever and these three albums are their best by far. The original line-up of Kim Salmon and Spencer P. Jones on guitars, James Baker on drums, Boris Sujdovic on bass and Tex Perkins on vocals. The little booklet that comes with the box is very cool too with a lot old photos which I haven't seen before and liner notes by all the band members, not some music critics talking wank.
DVD OF THE YEAR: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Your Funeral... My Trial (2009 Digital Remaster)Do You Love Me Like I Love You (Part 4) by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard
I really hate music documentary DVDs most of the time and just can't sit through them most of the time. But these talking heads and how it's filmed and edited together is really, really, really cool. Warren Ellis also says this is his favourite Bad Seeds album and I have to agree with him. To have a new copy of it is great is wicked too because my old one is totally falling apart so beaten up.
LIVE ACT OF THE YEAR: The Drones
Seeing them twice this year as a full band and then seeing Gareth Liddiard and Dan Luscombe playing acoustic too. These where unbelievable shows and I can't wait for the next time they come to town. Havilah winning my 2008 album of the year and now if you buy it you get a bonus disc of Live At The Hi-Fi which I downloaded because I wasn't going to buy the same CD twice but it a great live album so I do wish I had the real thing. The Drones are already starting to working on a new album.
MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR: David McComb & The Triffids Edited by Chris Coughran & Niall Lucy
A truly great book about one of the best Australian singer-songwriters and rock groups with all sorts of different writing styles, old color and black & white photos, drawings by Martyn P. Casey, and more all on beautiful gloss paper. This would have to be by far the best music book of the year. Nothing would be close to this and could be one of the best music books ever really. Check it out here: http://www.fremantlepress.com.au/books/currentaffairs_culture_social_history/1104
RE-RECORDING OF THE YEAR: Warren Fahey Australia Folk Songs and Bush Verse: Bushrangers, Bolters and Other Wild Colonials
Well I think I have to explain this one a bit. This is new recording of very, very old traditional Aussie tracks. There are more themed discs in this series, or you can get two box sets of all of them but this is the only one I got, if you want more info have a look here: http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=304626&SearchID=2382722&SearchRefineID=4902015 I think re-recording is the best thing to call this album plus he hasn't gone too far from the old arangements of how these songs would have been played two or one hundred years ago.
WISHLIST OF THE YEAR: TEN Warren Fahey
Australia Folk Songs and Bush Verse: Rare Convict Ballads and Broadsides
The other album I would like from the above series. NINE The Blackeyed Susans Reveal Yourself
Three CDs and DVD box set from a great but mostly forgotten Aussie band. EIGHT Rihanna Rated R
The best pop album of the year. SEVEN Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion
The best album cover of the year and the music is pretty wicked too. SIX Kasabian West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
The best British rock group of the year. FIVE The Flaming Lips Embryonic
The best American rock group of the year. FOUR Tinariwen Imidiwan
The best African rock group or World music of the year. THREE Beak> Beak>
The best side project band comes from Geoff Barrow of the legendary Portishead. TWO Fever Ray Fever Ray
The best electronic artist of the year. The best Nick Cave cover with Stranger Than Kindness which is on the updated version of the album from early this year but I have yet to see it. ONE Rowland S. Howard Pop Crimes
Rowland S. Howard first album in ten years so I really should have this already. Early this month, Howard admitted that he has had liver cancer for awhile and is now awaiting a transplant so wishing you to get well soon Rowland.
VIDEO CLIP OF THE YEAR: Bob Dylan Must Be Santa
It's the week of Christmas but this is so funny, Bob in silly hats and a wig, dancing a polka, standing next to Santa Claus at the end and he re-names the reindeers after Presidents of the United States if you listen carefully. This is the best track on the album, maybe The Christmas Blues is the other cool one or should I say the song I like best. It's directed by an Aussie guy called Nash Edgerton.
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR: TEN Bob Dylan Together Through Life
Coming at the tail end of my top ten this is the other Dylan album and not his Christmas one. Really not as good as his three previous ones but those are some of his best ever albums so it would be hard follow them. Most of it was written with Robert Hunter. The best track is This Dream of You is Bob's only "solo" song on this album but the whole thing is not bad for a 68 year old. NINE Marianne Faithfull Easy Come Easy Go
I love a good cover songs album. Who else but Marianne Faithfull could get Cat Power, Nick Cave, Rufus Wainwright and Keith Richards to sing backing vocals. She sings two real duets with Antony on Ooh Baby Baby and Somewhere with Jarvis Cocker. My favourite track is the classic Neko Case song Hold On Hold On but this cover has Warren Ellis playing an epic electric violin solo at the end. EIGHT Various Artists The Rockwiz Duets Volume 3
Another great cover album full of duets this time from the Aussie TV show. With tracks like Adalita & Gareth Liddiard doing The Saints' Messin' With The Kid, Amanda Brown & Glenn Richards doing Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood's Some Velvet Morning, Patience Hodgson & Broderick Smith doing MGMT's Time To Pretend, Eve Von Bibra & Jed Kurzel doing The Bee Gees' To Love Somebody, Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson doing Kylie Minogue's Can't Get You Out of My Head, Sophie Koh & Steve Kilbey doing The Go-Betweens' Streets Of Your Town and so many more. SEVEN Nick Cave & Warren Ellis White Lunar
I love Nick Cave & Warren Ellis but one disc of new stuff, another disc of tracks I've already got. And now The Road soundtrack which is coming soon or you can download now. They are really pushing it at the moment and Cave publishing his very silly dirty jokes book this year too. Dirty Three are touring soon and still hoping for a new Dirty Three album but it sounds like it's going to be a new Grinderman one. All the bitching to one side the second disc is some of the best music they have both done and by far the best thing Cave has done this year. SIX Titus Andronicus The Airing Of Grievances
The best newcomer of the year goes to these guys and this is the best debut album in a long time. This was recorded in 2008 but not released here in Australia until the beginning of year. With The Monitor, the band's follow-up to The Airing of Grievances, will be out on March 9 which I hope that is here too and I don't have wait a year or something. According to singer Patrick Stickles in a press release, the LP is "sort of" a concept album about the Civil War: "It doesn't take place in olden times, nor does it necessarily feature any characters that participated in that conflict. Really, it is a record about how the conflicts that led our nation into that great calamity remain unresolved, and the effect that this ongoing division has on our personal relationships and our behavior and how they're all out to get us (or maybe not?) and yadda yadda yadda." FIVE Laughing Clowns Laughing Clowns Live
I love a great live album and this is the second one here, the first was the Rockwiz album. This is the seventh volume in the new prince melon bootleg series. If you didn't know Prince Melon is a nickname Ken West gave Laughing Clowns back in the late 70's and early 80's when they were around the first time, this is a reunion tour album. Ken West is now one of the men who runs something called The Big Day Out tour but his first job in the music business was manager, door man, lighting guy and all rounder for Laughing Clowns. It's a pity they're not on this years line-up and it's more of a pity that they're not coming over to Perth, but the best reunion band of the year is Laughing Clowns. FOUR The Mess Hall For The Birds
This band has always been in the shadow of The White Stripes like the Aussie version but with this album and latter turning into a very pricey DVD side project and one of the many novelty for Jack White. After The Mess Hall winning a lot of award money from their last album Devils Elbow which payed for time and space to do this one which is even better and by far the best thing they have done and taking the two piece band format above and beyond anything that has been done before and others will now have to keep up with these guys, the best band of the year. THREE Bill Callahan Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Bill Callahan was called Smog for years and years but went "solo" a couple of years ago and now has painted his masterpiece on his 13th album. From the beginning to the end this is one of the most beautiful and wonderful albums. Him adding the strings is a great addition, so my male artist of 2009 is Bill Callahan. TWO Sarah Blasko As Day Follows Night
What can I possibly say about Sarah Blasko's As Day Follows Night album that has not been said before now. More perfect that her last and grows more and more with each listen. She has painted her masterpiece on this only her 3rd album. From the beginning to the end is totally breathless record, so my female artist of 2009 is Sarah Blasko. ONE Tom Waits Glitter And Doom Live
I don't know if anyone else would name a live album as their album of the year but it's Tom Waits. Maybe he wins by default because this is the last album I bought. Anyway the reason is I would love to see him live and I have no hope of him coming here. This is brilliant and wicked so it would be unbelievable to see him live and this is most likely the closest I'll ever get. Better that his two other live albums 1988's Big Time and 1975's Nighthawks at the Diner and with Tom Tales a 1/2 an hour long track as a bonus disc which is classic in it's own right, he could be the best stand-up of the year. So my album of the year is Tom Waits' Glitter And Doom Live.
P.S. I don't know if you heard this but someone called Michael Jackson died this year too.
November is almost over so I better do this or I'll never do it. Here in Australia on Triple J radio is Ausmusic month and ABCTV show Rage has joined in this year too. In Jmag The Drones won the top spot in their "Greatest Aussie Song Ever" Top 30 as voted by Aussie muso's. Winning with Shark Fin Blues, which got the most votes and so should they, check it all out here: http://blogs.abc.net.au/triplej/2009/10/greatest-aussie-songs-ever.html
Plus the other night The Drones won two A.I.R. Awards for "Independent Artist Of The Year" and "Best Independent Album" for Havilah and so should they too, check it out here: http://www.airawards.com.au/ (also they should win every A.R.I.A. award at the end of this week but will miss out more than likely because well, it's the crappy arias). Anyway I'm going to re-post Gareth Liddiard from The Drones top five votes for Jmag's greatest Aussie songs, which are: AC/DC - Jailbreak Dirty Three - Hope Kim Salmon - Obvious Is Obvious Laughing Clowns - Collapse Board X - Revolution
Cool, eh? Plus now triple J’s "Like A Version Vol. 5" album is coming out at the end of this month with The Drones doing Suicide is Painless cover on it, yipee!
OK, that is it. I think I've picked a bit of everything but maybe more obscure than your normal top 100 Aussie chart. If you don't know something which sounds good to you please let me know and I'll do my best in letting you know where or how you can find it. I was going to write a line or two on each song but it really would take forever to do that so it's just a big long list again. There was reasons why for all of them and where they ended up in the chart but you can tell what I like and what I don't and a lot of bands or artists have been left out but I don't like them as much as the songs above. These I would listen to forever and if I could take over Triple J this is what I would play for you. What do you think???
This from the HOTTEST FEMALE SONGS!!! Kind-off like Triple J's Hottest 100 of All-time early in the year but only female artists because there was very few women in Triple J's countdown. It's run by a new beer called Hummingbird and some pay TV channel (I don't know which one because I don't watch it). It's a cool idea and I found it so hard to cut it down just to ten in the end so I just made my own 100 tracks from my favourite female artists.
This was very, very, very, very hard (have I made it clear how hard this was?) But I picked songs which I could listen to on repeat which I have done in the past (not here on last.fm yet). Most tracks are from the 90's too (I grew-up in that decade, if you haven't all ready guessed). It seems like last.fm's journals are made up of long lists of songs so I've joined in again with my very, very long short list of songs that didn't make it into the top ten. These songs can be any thing that I love really It's from A to Z (well it's Y really, then V). It's selected from the list of tracks which are on their website but I've added a few of my own ones at the end. If you have no idea what I'm talking about go here and read all about it (there's only 4 days left to vote so hop too it). http://www.hummingbird100.com/home
So that is it. It wasn't so hard really (but cutting it down to ten was). I've most likely missed something which I'll remember later and be kicking myself about but I'm pretty happy with this mix. It seems my favorite female singer songwriter is Beth Gibbons with my number 1 track in my top ten. Plus two more Portishead songs and one from Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man project album. If you don't know she wrote My Secret for Jane Birkin a few years ago too. That adds up to five tracks out of one hundred which is not many but more that anyone else.
Anyway what do you think??? I liked writing these journal entries but I do like reading you comments and It's also the only way I can tell if anyone has been reading or looking at them. Thanks and bye for now.
The centrepiece of our Aus Music Month celebrations this year will be Before Too Long triple js tribute to Paul Kelly.
In recent years triple j has organised tributes to You Am I, AC/DC and The Go-Betweens. Our upcoming tribute to Paul Kelly will follow on from those successful events and be the biggest one yet.
Over two nights at The Forum Theatre in Melbourne we have invited some of todays best artists to interpret the songs of Paul Kelly. The lineup will star Missy Higgins, John Butler, Paul Dempsey, Katy Steele, Bob Evans, Ozi Batla, Dan Kelly, Clare Bowditch, Jae Laffer, Adalita, Dan Sultan, Megan Washington plus members of Augie March as the backing band and Ashley Naylor from Even as Musical Director.
This year marks Paul Kellys 30th anniversary as a solo recording artist (his debut single "Recognition" was released in 1979). This is the perfect moment for triple j to acknowledge and highlight his enormous contribution to Australian music. Kelly has crafted a heartfelt catalogue of songs that speak to successive generations. Many of his songs have captured the essence of what it is to be Australian. His strength as a songwriter and storyteller has inspired a whole raft of musicians working today.
Richard Kingsmill (triple j Music Director): "There is a huge amount of respect and admiration within the Australian music industry - not to mention the public as well - to Paul and all that he's achieved. He has been so consistent over the years and has a huge body of work behind him. I can't think of many other artists that could match it for diversity and strength. And it's a body of work that continues to grow, he's not slowing down at all. The level of enthusiasm that the performers have shown towards this event was uniformly high. It made it clear to us that a tribute to the man was long overdue. He is one of our songwriting greats and worthy of celebrating."
Missy Higgins I love They Thought I Was Asleep. All Pauls stories take you on a ride somewhere that feels, somehow, like one of your own memories.
Paul Dempsey The first time I heard Dumb Things, it completely blew me away. So much energy and melody. It just picks you up and tosses you around.
Bob Evans The opening strains of From St Kilda to Kings Cross began to play. It was beautiful so melancholy and full of nostalgia for places that I had just begun to travel to myself.
BEFORE TOO LONG: triple js tribute to Paul Kelly
November 13th & 14th
The Forum Theatre, Melbourne
Well, to start with on Saturday night (3rd of October) the new season which is the seventh season of RockWiz starts. The first episode begins with Andrew Stockdale (Wolfmother) & Holiday Sidewinder (Bridezilla) which could be hit or miss which is what happens with this show. If you don't know it, RockWiz is an Aussie TV show on SBS channel. You can find it online and here is all the past guests you can click on names or numbers to see all the clips go here: http://www.sbs.com.au/rockwiz/browse/artist
What I mean by hit or miss is how and who are on together. What happens is two "Singers" who are from mainly Aussie bands are matched up against each other with two crowd members each who are quizzed with music related questions. The show is filmed in a pub in Melbourne and sometimes the guests are a bit drunk too. At the end of the show both sing a duet together which can be train wrecks or masterpieces. I've picked out my personal favorites but only five songs from six previous seasons. All these clips below are on youtube but some others I love are not there. Check out Neko Case & Josh Pyke, Jen Cloher & Ron Peno, Taasha Coates & Gareth Liddiard to start with if you go to the RockWiz website, I would recommend them to you.
#1.Glenn Richards & Amanda Brown's Some Velvet Morning is the most ambitious duet ever on the show. To me it's unbelievable and I would say it's better than any of the other Some Velvet Morning covers, maybe even the original by Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood. There are a lot of covers but it always seems like it doesn't work and just a bit pointless because the song is already so great that it never comes out right until this one below, did I already say it's unbelievable?
#2.Clare Bowditch & Ed Kuepper's Summer Wine is such a beautiful version of another Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood song Summer Wine. This I think is also better than the original, and a close second but the Some Velvet Morning arrangement is just insane. It seems Summer Wine is Nancy & Lee's top track on last.fm too.
#3.Sarah Blasko & Mick Harvey's Sundown, Sundown is a beautiful version of yet again another Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood's Sundown, Sundown. Maybe I just like all the Nancy & Lee covers on this show. I don't know these three are the only ones but they are all great songs and these are very beautiful duet covers but this one has to be under the first two.
#5.Adalita & Gareth Liddiard's Messin' With The Kid is written by Ed Kuepper and Chris Bailey, from The Saints album (I'm) Stranded album from 1976. Its youtube clip has the last round of questions so the song starts at about 3:30 mark but you'll get the idea of the show from this anyway if you've never seen it before but the duet cover is amazing so wait for it.
"The Beat Goes On: Duets Volume 3" album is due out in November. I hope my favorites make it on the album. Two past volumes of duets are available too.
Have you got a favorite for RockWiz duet??? Who should be on RockWiz in the new season??? Or just what do you think about the show??? Or have you even heard about it before???
1. How did you get into 29? Eighteen Visions
I hadn't really heard much of their music and I borrowed a cd from yilujayss and started listening to them more.
2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22? The Living End
Wow, that was a fair while ago ... No idea really..
3. What’s your favourite lyric by 33? Magic Dirt Locket
Fuck it, I locked it
I lost it again
fuck it I locked it
I lost it again
maybe you'll save it
for your rainy day
or maybe you'll change it
with nothing to say
Once again we fell (willing) victim to the Seven Stars Beer Trap tonight hahaha. Still, when you know a place where you have access to a good range of constantly changing real ales it would rude not to indulge in one or two...or maybe three. Even four... but I digress.
So it's the Fleece for Fliss & Co tonight, but not before Morph had filled our ears with some crunching riffage form the stygian darkness of the venue. If it wasn't for the siren lure of Coastal Breweries beers then we would have been in there with them instead of enjoying the evening sun outside!
Given that I only found out about this show via a few lucky clicks, it's not surprising that it's not much more than a good practice session for both bands tonight but that's not to say there was any corner cutting going on.
Nothing like it and despite the modest crowd Illicit Eve rock like their lives depend on it. Ably backed up by Jarrad, Hamish & Jess on drums/keys/guitar respectively Emily & Fliss tear through a great set of hard-edged rock with just enough of a delicious twist that keeps it fresh and vital - frock'n'roll, heh : )
This is much more Veruca Salt than The Veronicas and while there is a little bit of Magic Dirt there is more than enough individuality in the songwriting to ensure the music stands comfortably on its own two feet, flipping the bird at normal convention. Hey, we even get a cover of Rebel Yell which is more true to the spirit of the original than any other version i've heard.
Great bunch of people as well - they are having an adventure and they are going to enjoy this, whatever happens. Given what i've seen and heard i'm staggered they don't have more listeners on here so do yourself a favour and if you're reading this, go to their artist page and give 'em a twirl.
So that's The Andy's Top Tip for Summer '09. Get your ears around Element Eleven and Into The Woods. Good things need to be shared...
Magic Dirt
