My Hottest Australian Album Short-list

Here’s the ‘Short’-list

How am I supposed to break this down to just 10?

12th Man, The – Wired World of Sports
AC/DC – Back in Black
Cog – The New Normal
Crowded House – Woodface
Cruel Sea, The – The Honeymoon Is Over
Grinspoon – Guide to Better Living
Herd, The – An Elefant Never Forgets
Hoodoo Gurus – Kinky
Icehouse – Man of Colours
Josh Pyke – Memories & Dust
Living End, The – The Living End
Midnight Oil – 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
Midnight Oil – Diesel and Dust
Powderfinger – Double Allergic
Presets, The – Apocalypso
Ratcat – Blind Love
Regurgitator – Tu-Plang
Regurgitator – Unit
Screaming Jets, The – Tear of Thought
Skunkhour – Feed
Whitlams, The – Eternal Nightcap
Wolfmother – Wolfmother
You Am I – Hourly, Daily

The 2010 Music Round-Up

Hi kiddies!

It’s that time of the year again. Time to round up the last 12 months of music and collate some sort of obligatory list that gives you all my musical impressions.

It’ll either make me come off as a music-snob, a music-nerd or a music-wannabe-nerd-snob. Take your pick 🙂

As any avid reader of my blog would know (Hi LaLa), I delight in making the end of year Top 10 Album list. I also delight in ranting about the music that I love. Note that the music I love generally gets played on the one and only Triple J and usually blasted through my car radio (thanks LaLa) or through my speakers at work.

I also like to play whole albums when I can, either at work, at home on the weekends or in the car on the way to Sydney.

Although playing whole albums gets to be a harder and harder task nowadays. Firstly. They’re too freaking long! Who has 45+ minutes to listen to an album from start to finish. Who listens to an album from Song 1 to song 10 in one sitting?

We all know that if you like the first 4 or 5 songs on the album you’re going to play them at a ratio of 4:1 over the rest of the album.

Regurgitator have taken the right approach. Screw ‘The Album’. There is no place for 10 track albums in todays society. Flick out a few songs as you write them here and there and let the public digest them regularly rather than waiting 3 years for 3 great songs, 3 decent ones, 2 ok ones and 3 fillers.

Having said all that, I love albums. Actually, let me rephrase that… I love GOOD albums. The albums that you CAN listen to from start to finish and not want to change to some schlock 90’s grunge. That is the all important criteria here (thanks to Triple J’s Zan for the inspiration).

So here we go. The List, in no particular order because it changes in my head every 15 minutes.

Children Collide – The Theory of Everything

This 3 piece Melbournian band takes me back. Yes, all the way back to 1991, reminding me of a little band known as Nirvana. The talented blonde erratic guitarist lead singer. The long haired tall bassist with strange moves. The hard-hitting drummer. It’s all there and these guys aren’t a one album wonder. Their sophmore album is every bit as good as their debut, if not better. They play a mean live set and they consume everyone in their path. These guys should be huge, but ironically their path to hugedom entails appealing to the commercialist public which probably means losing their edge. I’m happy for them to stay on the edge. It’s where they sound best

Tame Impala – Innerspeaker

What can be said about this band that hasn’t been said by everyone else that has picked them in their Top 10 list? Tame Impala have taken a direct path to stardom.

Sign an international deal with Modular before you even release anything. Check.
Release a debut self-titled EP to critical acclaim. Check.
Cover a corny 90’s pop song (Remember Me) and land in the Hottest 100. Check.
Support the hottest new US act’s tour around America (MGMT). Check.
Release debut album and win The J Award. Check.

This year has been their year with a psychodelic, 70’s-esque wah-fest album that somehow feels right at home in 2010. I love the way this album feels when I listen to it. It surrounds you with warm colourful sounds that make you wish you were old enough to appreciate the first time this sort of music came out. Listen if you haven’t..

Angus & Julia Stone – Down The Way

This one is too easy to pick. Yet another Australian band that is making it massive overseas and at the same time making us proud to own them. Haunting alternate vocals from the sibling duo give this album a dual layer of listenability with each one’s vocals adding something different to their song.

The words, the melodies and those damn fine voices make this an unforgettable album which somehow eclipsed their debut. Getting to see them live at a festival in London was also pretty damn special.

Sia – We Are Born

Oh Sia, your album title is poignant as it is like you have been born again. Your time with Zero 7 and your more soulful jazzy days have passed and you are re-born as a pop queen with amazingly catchy melodies, pulsing beats and very cutesy video clips. You’ve reshaped yourself and I defy anyone to be upset by that. I admire your will to turn against your record company and make the album you wanted. Surely they would be regretting their decisions now.

I love the fact that Sia does what she wants, says what she wants but still comes out smelling like roses.  Highlights of this album have to be ‘Bring  Night’ and ‘Clap Your Hands’ (both favourites for my kids), but the whole album has a happy feel to it.

Yeasayer – Odd Blood

This band came out of nowhere for me. I heard snippets of  ‘Ambling Alp’ near the start of the year and thought it sounded cool. Sort of an MGMT-esque, electronic/rocky pop sound. And then ONE came out and we all blew our collective loads. 4 months later I would be front row at the Latitude festival in London watching their amazing set. One of the real highlights of the year for me and a fantastic album to boot with enough good vibey catchy tunes to keep you coming back

Mark Ronson & the Business International
– Record Collection

I was a minor fan of Mark Ronson from his previous album but I was never convinced that he could pull off an album of music that I would listen to. I was wrong!

This album pulls amazing melodies, marching band drums and smooth lyrics together to make a completely addictive album. ‘Bang Bang Bang’ and  ‘Lose It (In the End) are standouts on this album that makes you feel good when you listen to it. He collaborates with some random artists on this album as well.  Ghostface Killa, Simon Le Bon, The Drums, Boy George. He doesn’t hold back. Somehow this mish-mash of songs just works.

Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Rush to Relax

I discovered this band about a century after everyone else. A small stage at Homebake in 2009 whilst Powderfinger drew the majority of the audience in the main arena.  There we were, my mate and I, about 3 rows back watching a front man(with a glove) singing in fits and starts while jumping about the stage in some sort of spasmodic fashion. A guitarist with an intense love of speed riffs and a non-plussed bassist banging out fast rocky punkish 3 minute songs.

I was blown away! 2010 saw a new album from this Melbourne 3 piece and it picks up from their previous work. Edgy, raw and ready rock that has to be seen to be believed. Anxiety ranks as one of my favs of the year, but you can listen to this whole album again and again and feel like you are there…without the glove.

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Now, I know that’s only 7 albums, but I have a confession to make. I didn’t listen to a whole lot of albums that blew me away this year. I listen to the radio predominantly. If I hear a couple of songs from the same artist that I like, I source the album. These are the 7 that I really enjoyed from this year.

I also enjoyed Koolism, Two Door Cinema Club, Surfer Blood, Little Red, LCD Soundsystem, Illy, Gorillaz and Vampire Weekend, but couldn’t say that I listened to their albums enough ALL THE WAY THROUGH to include them in the list.

So should I be making more of an effort to listen to full albums, or should I just keep listening to Triple J, letting them create a compilation album for my listening pleasure?

A lot of Top 10 Album lists have included albums from The National, Arcade Fire, Kanye, Deerhunter, Sleigh Bells and Parades to name a few, but a lot of it just isn’t my bag…. ESPECIALLY Arcade Fire, which was ironically selected as the No. 1 album by Triple J listeners.

I just don’t get them at all. I sat through their set whilst waiting for RATM at the 2008 Big Day Out and I was less than inspired. Is something wrong with me or do others share in my ‘meh’ feeling for them?

Almost time to think about my voting for the Hottest 100 as well. I think that will be an easier list to collate….

Music conquers all

One of the main reasons I want to get this blog going again is to bang on about my love of music, concerts and Triple J.

If you know me, you know that I am a vocal supporter of music I love and I try to get to as many concerts as I can.

Having said that, the first half of this year was quite slack for concerts.

The second half of this year includes: Metallica, Regurgitator, The Tongue, Powderfinger, Metallica (again), Muse, U2.

Another reason I wanted to post is because the ARIA Award Nominations are up again.

I have enjoyed commenting on previous awards and nominations as you can tell…

So, it’s time to comment on this years nominations, and I must say I am pleasantly surprised.

Gone are the days that new Australian music was dominated by Neighbours stars, dodgy guitar bands or Farnsy coming back (oh wait, he’s got a new album. WTF!?)

It seems that new music is being dictated by hard working indie (sometimes) bands and artists rather than the major label pushed carbon copies that we’ve seen in the past. This is great news for artists like Angus & Julia Stone, Tame Impala, Washington and Lisa Mitchell.

Just check out the noms for Best Album!

Album of the Year

Angus & Julia Stone – Down The Way – These guys have been so damn impressive since I first heard their EP about 4 years ago. I finally saw them live on a big stage at a festival in England and they were one of the highlights of the whole 3 days. Not just for me, but many others. Beautiful voices and very VERY talented.

Birds of Tokyo – Birds Of Tokyo – I have been torn on these guys. Their first album came out when I was in the US, so I didn’t hear it till the hype and died down and I thought they were just a little bit commericial and had that dreaded ‘Pop Rock’ vibe. A’la Nickelback, Creed etc.. Then I find out that the lead singer is Ian Kenny, of Karnivool fame. What the hell is he doing fronting this ‘soft’ rock band? This made me listen to them a little more, but still, I find it hard to get into them. They sound like a mix of Silverchair and INXS. Obviously the commercial tilt of their music helps get gigs on Sunrise and The Footy Show, so I can’t begrudge them the success, but still, not really my cup of tea.

Sia – We Are Born – What can be said about this woman. She’s done a lap of the world and now comes back to Australia to conquer with this amazing new sound. This album almost never happened as her record company wanted her to continue to release the slow, croony atmospheric music that she’s been known for. Instead she gets out of her contract, releases her poppiest album ever and blows us all away. Love the new stuff. Love the old stuff. Love Sia.

Tame Impala – Innerspeaker – If you are happy to be transported to the decade of the 1970’s, the era of wah-wah guitars, bong smoke and reverberating vocals, then you will love Tame Impala. They have been a slow burner with me. I heard their early stuff and was only slightly impressed, but after witnessing them on-stage at this years Big Day Out and then hearing their new album my eyes have opened wider to them. Not only for their new take on an old genre, but the epicness of their sound. I am happy to see them nommed here. They could have very easily been wisped away in clouds of hemp…

Washington – I Believe You Liar – Anyone that saw Megan Washington on Spicks and Specks earlier in the year would have immediately understood that this woman is going to go far. She has the charisma, personality but most importantly THE VOICE to take the world by storm. For a band to come from being unearthed by Triple J in November 2008 to being nommed for Best Album within 2 years is impressive to say the least! Admittedly I haven’t listened to this album enough to really appreciate it, but great to see them nominated.

I wonder if there are people out there that have not heard of any of these artists. I could understand if Tame Impala and Washington may not be widely played on commercial radio across the country, but I would be very disappointed if people had not heard of Sia, Birds of Tokyo and the Stone siblings.

The fact that all 5 bands are heavily rotated on Triple J is not a fluke. They are the biggets supporters of Australian music in the country. It’s almost become a machine in itself, the Triple J unearthed machine. It’s so massive that I guess you can never give exposure to every talented artist in the country, but at least, bit by bit, they get airplay, exposure and the chance to show their stuff.

The rest of the noms: (my tip to win has a ✓)

Single of the Year

Angus & Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane (Original Matters/EMI)

Birds of Tokyo – Plans (EMI)

Sia – Clap Your Hands (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)

The Temper Trap – Love Lost (Liberation Music)

✓ Washington – How To Tame Lions (Mercury/UMA)

So hard to pick a winner in this category. They are seriously all excellent songs. I went for Washington simply because I think it’s a little bit above Big Jet Plane and Clap Your Hands in my mind. Would really be happy for any of them to win though..

Best Female Artist

Clare Bowditch – Modern Day Addiction (Island/UMA)

Kylie Minogue – Aphrodite (Mushroom Records/Warner Music)

Lisa Mitchell – Oh! Hark! (Warner Music Australia)

✓ Sia – We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)

Washington – I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)

Have we had a stronger bunch of women nominees in recent history? I don’t think so! Great to see Clare Bowditch get a nom, as well as Kylie even. I would love and am going for Sia to claim this award, but I reckon Washington will get it.

Best Male Artist

Dan Kelly – Dan Kelly’s Dream (Shock)

✓ Dan Sultan – Get Out While You Can (MGM)

Guy Sebastian – Like It Like That (Sony Music)

John Butler – April Uprising (Jarrah Records/MGM)

Paul Dempsey – Fast Friends (EMI)

Have you heard of Dan Sultan? He sounds like Frank Sinatra Elvis Presley (oops) and looks like Adonis. Seriously, he’s got ALL that. The moves, the voice, the poses and the charisma. A deadset legend and I hope he gets this award although If Paul Dempsey got it, I would not be disappointed.

Best Group

Angus & Julia Stone – Down The Way (Original Matters/EMI)

Birds of Tokyo – Birds Of Tokyo (EMI)

Powderfinger – Golden Rule (UMA)

Tame Impala – Innerspeaker (Modular Recordings)

✓ The Temper Trap – Love Lost (Liberation Music)

Again, I would not be upset if any of these bands won, even Powderfinger, even though their last album doesn’t cut the mustard, would be worthy winners of their 16th ARIA (thanks LaLa). I am picking Temper Trap to take this one though because they have really taken the world by storm in the last year or so and it would be worthy recognition for all their hard-work. I would love Angus & Julia Stone to get it as well, but they will get their chance..

Best Independent Release

✓ Art vs Science – Magic Fountain (Green/MGM)

Dan Sultan – Get Out While You Can (MGM)

Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Rush to Relax (Suppression Records/Shock)

John Butler Trio – April Uprising (Jarrah Records/MGM)

Sia – We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)

Eddy Cuz get a nomination for their kick-arse album. I would love to see them get up, but I think Art vs Science will get it for their seriously awesome song, Magic Fountain. Listen to it once and it’ll be stuck in your head all day…

Best Adult Alternative Album

Angus & Julia Stone – Down The Way (Original Matters/EMI)

Basement Birds – Basement Birds (Basement Birds)

✓ Clare Bowditch – Modern Day Addiction (Island/UMA)

The Cat Empire – Cinema (EMI)

Washington – I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)

Whitley – Go Forth, Find Mammoth (Dew Process/Universal Music)

Adult Alternative? What the hell is that? Is that for all us oldies that remember when Alternative music was Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam? In any case, I hope  Clare Bowditch picks this up. Not only is it a great album, but she’s a great bird and I believe in sharing the awards around 🙂

Best Dance Release

Art vs Science – Magic Fountain (Green/MGM)

✓ Miami Horror Sometimes (EMI)

Midnight Juggernauts – The Crystal Axis (Siberia/Inertia)

Pendulum – Immersion (Warner Bros UK)

Yolanda Be Cool and Dcup – We No Speak Americano (Sweat it Out/Central Station Records)

Miami Horror should win this hands-down. They’ve had a massive year and have really exploded onto the local and international scene with this album. If Pendulum or Art vs Science win, I’d accept it..

Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album

Airbourne – No Guts, No Glory (EMI)

✓ Dead Letter Circus – This is the Warning (Warner Music Australia)

Parkway Drive – Deep Blue (Resist Records/Shock)

The Amity Affliction – Youngbloods (Boomtown/Shock)

Violent Soho – Violent Soho (Liberation Music)

Airbourne? I haven’t ever heard these guys. Are they any good? What do they play? I didn’t even realise they were Australian. Some solid competition in this category. Parkway Drive could win for pure Metal brilliance, but I would love to see Dead Letter Circus win to recognise their tireless touring and quality album.

Best Pop Release

✓ Bluejuice – Head of the Hawk (Dew Process/Universal Music)

Empire of the Sun – Half Mast (EMI)

Guy Sebastian – Like It Like That (Sony Music)

Kylie Minogue – Aphrodite (Warner Music Australia)

Sia – We Are Born (Monkey Puzzle/Inertia)

Bluejuice, muthafuckas! So awesome that they have a nomination for their fantastic Head of the Hawk. I hope they win just for the simple fact that their acceptance speech will be awesome.

Best Rock Album

Birds of Tokyo – Birds Of Tokyo (EMI)

Cloud Control – Bliss Release (Ivy League Records/Universal)

Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Rush to Relax (Suppression Records/Shock)

Powderfinger – Golden Rule (UMA)

✓ Tame Impala – Innerspeaker (Modular Recordings)

At least they’ve separated Rock and Hard Rock now. Not sure how Cloud Control are Rock though. Throw this in the air and see who wants it the most. If it knocks out Bernard Fanning, he’s too old and then hand it to Tame Impala.

Best Urban Album

Bliss N Eso – Running on Air (Illusive Sounds)

Lowrider – Round the World (Illusive Sounds)

M-Phazes – Good Gracious (Obese Records)

Space Invadas – Soul-Fi (Invada/Inertia)

✓ Urthboy – Spitshine (Elefant Traks/Inertia)

My man Urthboy HAS to get this award or I will track down the voters and slap them. Legend album and legend dude.

Breakthrough Artist

Amy Meredith – Restless (Sony Music)

Cloud Control – Bliss Release (Ivy League Records/Universal)

✓ Philadelphia Grand Jury – Hope is for Hopers (Normal People Making Music/Boomtown/Shock)

Tame Impala – Innerspeaker (Modular Recordings)

Washington – I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)

Hey, how did the Philly Jays get in here? I thought they’d been forgotten! I think they deserve to pick up this award. Sure, Washington will probably get it for their breakthrough stuff, but the Philly Jays have had a massive year and deserve some recognition.

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There we go. My yearly wrap-up of the nominees. If you made it to the end, I commend you!

Give me your take on the nominees and who you think should win. After-all I am just speaking out of my butt most of the time..

Hottest 100 – My 2009 Votes

It’s that time of year again!

Triple J throws all of the songs from 2009 into the air and then plays them back wherever they land.

As we know, it’s the largst music poll in the WORLD. Yes. Yes it is.

So, it’s been a strange year of music. I don’t think there were any real massive standouts for me. Lots of good songs mind you, but hard to find anything that just stood out and went BAM, I AM THE BEST SONG MOFO!

Having said that, the musical highlights for 2009?

• Seeing Lily Allen live in an intimate acoustic performance at Triple J Studios. You can see my shoulder in the video. (and LaLa’s knee)
• Seeing Eddy Current Suppression Ring live for the first time at Homebake. My eyes (and ears) were wide open in awe. Just amazing.
• Muse‘s new album. Along with 5 pumping rock anthems, there’s also a 3 part symphonic composition. Wanky? No. It’s Muse! It’s awesome.
• Discovering bands like Grizzly Bear, Future of the Left, Whitest Boy Alive, Passion Pit, Mumford & Sons, Temper Trap, Yuksek and Numbers Radio.
• Sweet Disposition by the Temper Trap would definitely have been in my list, but it was released in 2008 😦 (doesn’t stop it from being in the Aria charts in 2010 though!)
• Hearing Eskimo Joe change from a cool, interesting indie Aussie band into a cliched, boring imitation of old Aussie rock bands. Sad. Maybe a lowlight actually.
• Them Crooked Vultures. Best Supergroup since Audioslave. (probably better actually)
• This:

Onto the votes!

In no particular order

Bluejuice – Broken Leg – The catchiest song of the year. Funniest film clip too.
Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Anxiety – A frantic frenzy of distortion, riffs and yelling. Perfect.
Flight Of The Conchords – Carol Brown – Best of their disappointing second season album. Especially the “I thought I told you to shut up..” line. Love the home made ‘key-tars’ in the video too.
Gossip, The – Heavy Cross – Such a great rocky song with powerful pumping vocals. Surprise highlight!
Lily Allen – Back To The Start – It’s a great album, and this song shows how Lily has evolved. I just hope she decides to record more..
Muse – Uprising – Powerful opening to an epic album. Can’t wait to see them live in 2 weeks!
Phoenix – Lisztomania – My musical highlight of the year. Great song. Fun lyrics and goes well with the Breakfast Club dancing!
Silversun Pickups – It’s Nice To Know You Work Alone – Only just discovered these guys this year and although they sound a lot like The Smashing Pumpkins circa Siamese Dream, they have a cleaner wall of sound and catchy lyrics.
Them Crooked Vultures – Elephants – Hard to pick just one of this amazing debut from Homme, Grohl and JPJ, but this songs start is enough to give it the win. Have a listen. You won’t regret it. (plus you get to see Grohl rock the fuck out)
Whitest Boy Alive , The – 1517 – This song will take your mood to ‘chillaxed’ within the first 10 seconds. A great relaxing album with cool vocals and groove.

My plan for 2010? As soon as I hear a song that I like I am going to write it down. Either on here, or on a spreadsheet or something. That way I won’t forget those songs that I like. I always struggle to remember the songs that are a little more obscure and happened at the beginning of the year.

What are your votes?

The Hottest 80 So Far, and what’s next?

I have been LOVING the Hottest 100 this week.

Everyday at 10am and 4pm we get drip-fed 10 songs at a time from 100 to 21.

Best week of radio. EVER.

Here is the list so far:

100 Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
99 TV On The Radio – Wolf Like Me
98 Led Zeppelin – Kashmir
97 Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning
96 Daft Punk – One More Time
95 Stevie Wonder – Superstition
94 Modest Mouse – Float On
93 Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy
92 Bon Iver – Skinny Love
91 AC/DC – Back in Black
90 Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire
89 Rage Against The Machine – Bulls on Parade
88 The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter
87 Coldplay – Yellow
86 The Beatles – Come Together
85 The Dandy Warhols – Bohemian Like You
84 Bob Marley and The Wailers – No Woman, No Cry
83 Placebo – Every You, Every Me
82 System of a Down – Chop Suey
81 Pulp – Common People
80 The Rolling Stones – Paint It, Black
79 David Bowie – Life on Mars?
78 Smashing Pumpkins – Today
77 Gotye – Heart’s A Mess
76 Stone Roses – Fools Gold
75 Green Day – Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
74 Nirvana – Lithium
73 The Clash – London Calling
72 The Shins – New Slang
71 The Smiths – How Soon is Now?
70 The Prodigy – Breathe
69 Jeff Buckley – Grace
68 Blink 182 – Dammit
67 Ben Folds Five – Brick
66 Elton John – Tiny Dancer
65 Underworld – Born Slippy
64 Violent Femmes – Blister in the Sun
63 AC/DC – Thunderstruck
62 Nine Inch Nails – Closer
61 Blur – Song 2
60 Johnny Cash – Hurt
59 Augie March – One Crowded Hour
58 Daft Punk – Around The World
57 Tool – Forty Six & 2
56 Jeff Buckley – Lover, You Should Have Come Over
55 Bob Dylan – Like a Rolling Stone
54 The Cure – Close To Me
53 Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb
52 You Am I – Berlin Chair
51 Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings
50 Crowded House – Don’t Dream It’s Over
49 Guns n’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine
48 Beastie Boys – Sabotage
47 John Butler Trio – Betterman
46 Faith No More – Epic
45 Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows
44 The Beatles – Hey Jude
43 The Beach Boys – God Only Knows
42 Bloc Party – Banquet
41 Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
40 Nirvana – Come As You Are
39 Pearl Jam – Better Man
38 The Killers – Mr Brightside
37 Tool – Stinkfist
36 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Into My Arms
35 Smashing Pumpkins – 1979
34 Living End – Prisoner Of Society
33 Silverchair – Tomorrow
32 New Order – Blue Monday
31 Metallica – Enter Sandman
30 Jimi Hendrix – All Along The Watchtower
29 Pixies – Where is My Mind?
28 Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees
27 Powderfinger – My Happiness
26 Michael Jackson – Thriller
25 Pearl Jam – Alive
24 The Beatles – A Day in the Life
23 Hunters & Collectors – Throw Your Arms Around Me
22 Massive Attack – Teardrop
21 Powderfinger – These Days

My obervations?

Well, there are a couple of very interesting things that have happened this year. For the first time ever, a number of BIG artists that usually don’t make the non-mainstream Hottest 100 have made it in. Artists like AC/DC, Elton John, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder have made their way in for the first time.

The second thing. Some of the biggest names have come sliding down the list from previous countdowns. We’ve seen the runner up from 1989, 1990 and 1998, Hunters & Collectors only make it in at #23. Blue Monday from New Order, which previously was a consistant Top 10 entry, only made #32 this time around.

So what’s going to replace these former Top 10 stalwarts?

That’s the exciting part. We don’t get to hear the Top 20 until late on Sunday afternoon, but it gives us all a chance to guess what the Top 20 might be.

Lawrie Zion, the originator of the Hottest 100 back in 1989 has had a crack at the Top 20.

Apparently the breakdown of the Top 20 through the decades will be:

We had advance info regarding the spread of decades and now know the remaining 20 are distributed thus.

2000s-3
1990s-11
1980s-2
1970s-4
1960s-0

So, it’s my turn.

70’s:

Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven – 1971
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody – 1975
Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart – 1979
The Cure – Boys Don’t Cry – 1979

80’s:

Metallica – One – 1988
The Cure – Just Like Heaven – 1987

90’s:

Radiohead – Paranoid Android – 1997
Radiohead – Creep – 1992
Radiohead – Karma Police – 1997
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under the Bridge – 1992
Jeff Buckley – Last Goodbye – 1994
U2 – One – 1991
Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony – 1997
Rage Against The Machine – Killing in the Name – 1992
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit – 1991
Oasis – Wonderwall – 1995
Foo Fighters – Everlong – 1997

00’s:

Muse – Knights of Cydonia – 2006
White Stripes – Seven Nation Army – 2003
Muse – Stockholm Syndrome – 2003

That would be 20, but some roughies are:

Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah – 1994
John Lennon – Imagine – 1971
Pearl Jam – Black – 1991
Wolfmother – Mind’s Eye – 2005
Muse – Super Massive Black Hole – 2006
Weezer – Buddy Holly – 1993
MGMT – Electric Feel – 2008
The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary – 1985
Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun – 1994
The Presets – My People – 2008

Here is my guess at how the Top 20 will shape up.

20 U2 – One – 1991
19 The Cure – Boys Don’t Cry – 1980
18 Foo Fighters – Everlong – 1997
17 Muse – Knights of Cydonia – 2006
16 The Cure – Just Like Heaven – 1987
15 Oasis – Wonderwall – 1995
14 Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven – 1971
13 Metallica – One – 1988
12 White Stripes – Seven Nation Army – 2003
11 Rage Against The Machine – Killing in the Name – 1992
10 Muse – Stockholm Syndrome – 2003
9 Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody – 1975
8 Radiohead – Creep – 1992
7 Radiohead – Karma Police – 1997
6 Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony – 1997
5 Radiohead – Paranoid Android – 1997
4 Jeff Buckley – Last Goodbye – 1994
3 Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under the Bridge – 1992
2 Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart – 1980
1 Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit – 1991

A total guess, but I would be very surprised if any other songs made it that I haven’t mentioned here.

Any more guesses out there?

The Hottest 100 Votes I didn’t get to…

Ok, so, I didn’t quite get to finishing my 10 votes for the Hottest 100, and then Michael Jackson died and then I went to Melbourne and then everything is about to change…but I will get to that.

Where did I get up to?

Oh yes, I have 3 more songs to reveal, which if you’d seen my facebook you’ve already found out.

Song 8 – Lovesong – The Cure

Out of all the dozens of Cure songs it is hard to pick a favourite. I love the ‘Wish’ album, but of course ‘Disintegration’ is amazing, which is where this song comes from.

It has achingly beautiful lyrics, a mad bass line and a soulful melody. Just the perfect Cure song.

Whenever I’m alone with you
You make me feel like I am home again
You make me feel like I am whole again
You make me feel like I am young again
You make me feel like I am fun again

However far away
However long I stay
Whatever words I say
I will always love you

Whenever I’m alone with you
You make me feel like I am free again
You make me feel like I am clean again

I will always love you

Song 9 – One – Metallica

Metallica are a band that I didn’t quite ‘get’ until the ‘Black ‘ album in 1991. You could call me one of those ‘mainstream’ fans that only jumped onto the bandwagon once they became popular. The only thing is that instead of following Metallica forwards, I went backwards. I listened to ‘…and Justice For All’, ‘Master of Puppets’, right back to ‘Kill ’em All’ and loved them all.

Then they went and brought out ‘Load’, ‘Reload’ and they turned to shit. I’m sorry, but the 3 albums after the ‘Black’ album were pretty much crap. Last years ‘Death Magnetic’ was a slight return to form but honestly nothing beats the ‘Master of Puppets’ album for pure Metallica gold.

Ironically this song doesn’t come off my favourite album, but instead off the epic ‘…and Justice For All’ album.

This song is like a novel. It starts out slowly, introducing the guitar and lyrics, slowly building up to a slowish drum beat. Then it starts to get heavy. The whaling guitar of Kirk Hammett together with Lars’ pelting drum beat build up to the blazing triplet beat of double-kick and guitars.

Hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please god,wake me
Now the world is gone Im just one
Oh god,help me hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please God help me

The finishing guitar solo with the underlying rhythms of Jason and Lars are just amazing to hear. Seriously, this song is like an aural orgasm to me. My heart races. I get sweaty. It just DOES it for me.

Now, combine the amazing song with the scary, yet captivating film clip and you have the complete package.

Listen to the song, but then watch the video clip. You will learn to love it. Trust me

Just the song

The Video Clip.

Song 10 – Wicked Game – Chris Isaak

Now to something completely different. You can’t change styles much more than from Metallica to Chris Isaak, but I think that this proves that I enjoy a wide range of musical genres.

This song is almost a gimme. I mean, who doesn’t love the deep, sexy melancholy of Isaak’s voice along with the sexiness of how he looks. I mean seriously, he was damn hot back in the day.

Throw a topless Helena Christensen into the film clip and you have a complete song that just screams SEX.

I have loudly sung along to this song many many times in the car (or at karaoke!) and I just the pitch change in the chorus. “No…I…iiiiiiii….don’t wanna fall in love”.

Watch and try not to squirm….

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So that’s it. My Top 10 songs that I voted for in the Hottest 100 Of All Time

It was not easy, and it seriously took me a month to work out.

So many good songs missed out, but I feel pretty confident that I have picked a great representation of my favourite songs.

Songs that nearly made it:

AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long
Air – All I Need
Alice in Chains – Rooster
Arrested Development – Mr. Wendal
Audioslave – Cochise
Beastie Boys – Sabotage
Ben Harper – Faded
Billy Idol – Hot In The City
Bob Marley – No Woman No Cry
Bomb The Bass – Bug Powder Dust
Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine
Crowded House – Don’t Dream It’s Over
The Doors – Light My Fire
Faith No More – Epic
Foo Fighters – Monkey Wrench
Green Day – Welcome To Paradise
Guns n’ Roses – November Rain
Hoodoo Gurus – Thousand Miles Away
Icehouse – Man of Colours
Jamiroquai – When You Gonna Learn
John Butler Trio – Betterman
John Denver – Take Me Home, Country Road
Josh Pyke – Lines on Palms
Lenny Kravitz – Always On The Run
Living Colour – Cult of Personality
Midnight Oil – Power & The Passion
Muse – Stockholm Syndrome
New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle
Nick Cave & Bad Seeds – Ship Song
Nirvana – Lounge Act
Outkast – Hey Ya!
PJ Harvey – This Mess We’re In
Placebo – Special K
The Police – Message In A Bottle
Prince – Sign O’ The Times
R.E.M. – Drive
Ratcat – Don’t Go Now
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Suck My Kiss
Redgum – I Was Only 19
The Screaming Jets – Better
The Shins – New Slang
Skunkhour – Sunstone
Smashing Pumpkins – Soma
Soundgarden – Jesus Christ Pose
Stevie Ray Vaughn – Little Wing
Stevie Wonder – Superstition
Sting – Fields of Gold
Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song
System Of A Down – BYOB
They Might Be Giants – Birdhouse In Your Soul
Tool – 46 and 2
Tricky – Black Steel
U2 – Pride (in the Name of Love)
Urge Overkill  – Sister Havana
Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby (really!)
Violent Femmes – Blister In The Sun
Wolfmother – Joker and the Thief
Young MC – Bust a Move

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The countdown starts tomorrow!

From 10am tomorrow and then at 4pm all weekend songs from 100 to 21 will be counted down.

Then on Saturday 100 – 51 from midday and then 50 – 1 on Sunday from midday.

I can’t wait to find out who makes it and intend to have the radio blasting all weekend!

My tips?

Smells Like Teen Spirit will win.

Love Will Tear Us Apart will be up there, along with Boys Don’t Cry and Throw Your Arms Around Me.

Alive, One and Stairway to Heaven will probably make it. I think a roughie might be Muse or Kings of Leon.

Love Rears Your Songs. (Part 6 & 7)

When asked who my favourite band is, I am pretty quick to answer.

Although I have dozens of ‘favourites’, when it comes down to it, there are 2 bands that have always  had a massive effect on me.

Back in high school, I joined the school band. Sure, I was playing the dorky trumpet, and then tuba, but the point was that music was a constant in my life. Even way back to primary school when my mum encouraged us (me and my sister)to play piano, music has always been around me. And although those piano lessons didn’t get me much further than the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, it did teach me to read music and appreciate that music comes in many forms.

In the school band I was surrounded by young, but talented musicians. Through them I discovered music that I probably would not have otherwise. One album that fell into my lap in 1989 was from a relatively unknown band called Living Colour. The first song on that album was a little gem called ‘Cult of Personality’. What stood out for me initially was the musicianship in this song. You see, I don’t hear lyrics generally, I hear the music behind them. If someone asked me to recite the lyrics to a song I’d heard a dozen times I’d probably struggle, but get me to hum a few bars and I’d be fine.

Vernon Reid on Guitar, Will Calhoun on Drums, Muzz Skillings on Bass and the enigmatic Corey Glover on vocals. They are all massively talented, including Doug Wimbish, who replaced Skillings from the Stain album. Each album they’ve released has progressed on from what they were on the previous. I love listening to soulful songs on their first album, Vivid, and then banging the head to ‘Go Away’ on Stain. They are anything but predictable.

It’s one of their more chilled and probably most popular songs from their 2nd album, Time’s Up, that always does it for me. Love Rears Its Ugly Head ranks as one of my favourite songs, from my favourite band of all time. Now, please don’t confuse the original version of this song with the ‘Soul Power Remix’. I actually dislike the remix version. It does not do the song justice at all.

If you haven’t heard it, do yourself a favour right now.

Check out the original film clip (can’t embed) or the live version below.

The 2nd part of the answer to my favourite band, is this band. My favourite Australian band. Regurgitator.

Again, it may be an unusual choice, but bear with me. I have a lot of bands I enjoy listening to, but it’s those bands that continue to re-invent, evolve and release material that isn’t necessarily in your Top 40 that really leave their mark with me. Regurgitator have evolved from being a thrashy rock outfit from Brisbane to a newage/electro/funk/rock/pop band. How did that happen? And which category do they fit in?

Me & Quan from The Gurge

The biggest thing to happen to Regurgitator was the making of their 2nd album, Unit. This album should be remembered as one of the best Aussie albums of all time. Not only did it define the direction that Regurgitator were going, it went on to show what was possible for Aussie bands in using a mixture of electronics, rock and funk. And it’s so goddamn fun.

I really don’t know how to describe my love for Regurgitator, but it grew even more after their ‘Band in a Bubble‘ concept which saw them locked inside a glass house in the middle of Melbourne for 3 weeks. I addictively watched that shit on Channel 802 of Fox as much as I could. Quan, Ben and Pete are just so damn real. Not rock star, not ego-maniacs and not fussed at their own fame, or lack of. They just do what they do and they love it.

So, which song of theirs did I pick? It was not an easy job.  I was going to go for the first big hit, Blubber Boy, I was thinking about Everyday Formula. Even their thrasy Track 1 was a contender for pure bouncing rocky goodness.

But, no I went with a song that really has no name other than ! or The Song Formally Known As. It’s the song that epitomises Regurgitator. Quan’s quirky lyrics. Modded Bass Lines from Ben. Synthesised Poppy Rocky Perfection.

So, that’s 7 down. Only 3 to go, and only a few days to vote.

I think I’m gonna make it!

I Spoke in Class Today. Time to VOTE! (Part 5)

Ok, I’ve gotta hurry this up.

Voting for the Hottest 100 of All Time finishes on Sunday, which means I have 7 days to reveal my last 6 songs.

I still haven’t actually finalised the list and in fact I’ve been doubting my last pick. Was I too hasty to pick that one? I think I prefer ‘Beat It’ or maybe even ‘Smooth Criminal’.

But there’ll be time to debate Wacko Jacko later.

It’s time to get back to grunge.

Yes, back to my roots. Back to the music that shaped my musical tastes forever.

This song had a couple of big impacts on me. For one, it was the anthem of my 10th grade at school. You know how school years have songs that seem to represent their class? You get ‘Time of Your Life’ or ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ or ‘Beautiful Day’ or something. Our grade at Ginninderra High was suitably represented by the bleak grungey outlook that this song portrays.

The song is ‘Jeremy’ by Pearl Jam. And you can’t tell me that most people who love Pearl Jam can’t say this isn’t one of their best ever songs. Sure; it’s not as rocking as ‘Even Flow’, as popular as ‘Alive’ or as driving as ‘Corduroy’ or ‘rearviewmirror’, but for pure grungey 1991 goodness, you can’t go past this downbeat sad song.

This song, and video clip, were so damn powerful and was met with so much controversy that Pearl Jam decided not to record another video clip for any of their songs for 10 years.

It may surprise you to know however, that the Pearl Jam clip we know and love was not the original clip. A little known director funded and filmed his own clip first, which can be seen here. It was ultimately rejected by the record label.

The ironic thing is that I love this song for the song, but I also love the clip. However, once Pearl Jam decided to boycott videos and effectively boycott MTV, I took on a similar view. I made a conscious effort for a long time to either not watch video clips, and not be influenced into liking or disliking a song because of the clip. I think that there was a time where so much effort went into making a fancy, over the top clip that the actual music became secondary and this, whilst healthy for the mainstream TV watching public, was to the detriment of music lovers everywhere.

That’s not to say that I don’t love a good video clip, or that a video clip can’t enhance a song. I am just against a song becoming famous because of its video clip.

Case in point; OK Go’s ‘Here it Goes Again’. Yeah, ingenius and original film clip, but the song is not really anything to write home about.

Ok, I am warbling on a lot here. I don’t mean for each of these votes to be such a marathon effort, but once I get going on something I am passionate about, I find it hard to stop (Just ask LaLa :))

The bottom line is. It’s a top song. It’s in my Top 10. So there.

Go check out the video clip again. Just look at how intense Eddie Vedder is in the clip. I can’t find the unedited version anywhere and I can’t embed it, but you get the idea.

I’m only halfway there, but I haven’t picked Rick Astley yet….guess I’ve only got 4 left..