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Triple J Hottest 100 – 2010

// January 16th, 2011 // No Comments » // music

Its that time of year again. Picking ten tracks is not easy, so I have a complex system of three lists. A Hit List of my top ten tracks, a Short List of tracks that make me reach for the volume to turn it up, and finally a Long List of tracks I have thrashed through the year. Australia Day is my favourite public holiday of the year, and our ritual is to chill in the sun, drinking beer and listening to the radio. So without further adieu:

Hit List

Little Red – Rock It
We saw these guys at the HiFi Bar in West End in October, and although I was a bit trashed at their show, this track is one of the most-played ones in my iTunes for the past year.
Washington – Sunday Best
We saw Washington play The Zoo in September, and it was an amazing show, she has such amazing energy, and perfect hair (she is a Brisbane girl and gets her do done at the same hairdresser as me). Rage played this a lot on their Saturday morning show and it always put me in a great mood for the rest of the day.
Boy & Bear – Fall At Your Feet
The harmonics on this track are fantastic, and it is an ode to one of NZ’s best bands- Crowded House.
Goldfrapp – Rocket
We saw Goldfrapp play The Tivoli in July and it went off! The Tiv is my favourite Brisbane venue, and Goldfrapp sung every single one of my favourite tracks. Rocket also has a great video with a guy being sent to space attached to a phallic pink rocket.
Robyn – Dancing On My Own
A late entrant, but this track and Robyn’s album Body Talk have been on high rotation on my iPod. I also love the track Don’t Fucking Tell Me What to Do.
Vampire Weekend – Horchata
Vampire weekend had a few awesome tracks on the album Contra. This one probably won’t make the hottest 100, but its my favorite, and I was thrashing it while we were in holiday in Chicago, so hearing it reminds me of that awesome trip.
Lykke Li – Get Some
I saw Lykke Li play Southbound in 2009 (and took this amazing pic of her). This track has been playing a lot on Triple J and I always turn it right up.
Art Vs. Science – Magic Fountain
I wasn’t sure how to take this track at first. I remember first hearing it on my way to work after grabbing a coffee and Brown Dog. Mark was also driving to work at the same time, and heard it too. We both started to thrash it, I think it reminds us of our old party days.
Scott Spark – The Truth
I interviewed Scott for Same Same earlier this year (Link) and saw his show at The Zoo in September, he is an amazing guy and I really hope he makes it big. Its great to see a local brisbane gayboy out there.
Sia – Bring the Night
I have not seen Sia live this year, but did photograph her for Same Same in September 2009 (Link). Bring the night is an awesome track. (more…)

Massive Attack

// March 27th, 2010 // No Comments » // music

This week I photographed Massive Attack when they played Brisbane’s River Stage for Same Same. For me, Massive Attack CD’s were on high rotation in the 90′s. I even had the Blue Lines and Mezzanine albums on tape that I thrashed in my car while hooning around the eastern suburbs of Auckland. The River Stage in Brisbane is a fantastic venue, set in the botanical gardens the stage overlooks a natural grassed amphitheatre, and the sound an visual set-up was perfect.
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Triple J Hottest 100, 2009

// January 17th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // music

What a big year for music, the year before was a bit flat, but this year both Mark and I have found whittling our long lists down to short lists very difficult, and picking ten from the shortlist was very difficult. Australia Day is my favourite public holiday, and it involves relaxing in the sun with some beers and listening to the live countdown, and this year is going to be huge. The three lists below are in alphabetical order, and the Hit and Short lists have links to Myspace to listen to the playlists. All the photos in this post were taken by yours truly.
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Triple J Hottest 100, 2008

// January 17th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // music

I have not listened to enough music this year. When we lived in Brisbane, I had a 20 minute drive to work, and listening to Triple J was part of my daily routine. Now in Perth my work is 6 minutes from home and I use my scooter, which does not have a radio. I do still listen to a lot of Triple J, and my iPod at home and at work though. Even in China, I connect my iPod to the work WiFi and listen to Triple J streaming, and coming home Qantas has an Australian music station DJ’d by Robbie Buck, it is fantastic, after being away for a month to settle into a plane, have a glass of wine and listen to some good music. I have also not seen enough live music in the past year, but Southbound made up for that. As per usual I look down the list and see a very eclectic mix, it is only 1 week till Australia Day and the big countdown, last year I picked most of the top ten but this year I think it will be different. Mark and I are going to put some batteries in a portable radio and head to the beach to listen to the countdown this year, what a great day to spend Australia Day!

So, here is my top 10 (in no particular order)

Verve, The – Love Is Noise [iTunes]
Ting Tings – That’s Not My Name [iTunes]
Roisin Murphy – Overpowered [iTunes]
Presets, The – This Boy’s In Love [iTunes]
Kanye West – Love Lockdown [iTunes]
Goldfrapp – Happiness [iTunes]
Architecture In Helsinki – That Beep [iTunes]
Bon Iver – Skinny Love [iTunes]
MGMT - Electric Feel [iTunes]
Ladyhawke – Paris Is Burning [iTunes]

And the shortlisted tracks that I also love:

Ting Tings – Shut Up And Let Me Go
Coldplay – 42
Drapht - Jimmy Recard
Jens Lekman – The Opposite Of Hallelujah
Lyrics Born – I Like It, I Love It
CSS – Rat Is Dead
Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream
Cut Copy – Lights and Music
Santogold – L.E.S Artistes
Hercules and Love Affair – Blind
Herd, The – Zug Zug
Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor
Kings Of Leon – Sex On Fire
Pnau – Baby
Portishead – Machine Gun
Salmonella Dub – Lightning
Soko – I Will Never Love You More
Birds of Tokyo – Silhoettic
Buraka Som Sistema – Kalemba (Wegue – Wegue)

Hottest 100, 2008

Southbound Heats up Busselton

// January 5th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // music

Faker

Blue King Brown

he Kooks

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

Tegan & Sara

Gomez

Lykke Li

Santogold

Tame Impala

Soko

The hives

The Hives

Architecture in Helsinki

Over the past few days the temperatures have been in the very high 30’s, and thanks to this and Southbound the South-West of WA was really hot. Mark and I had a few probs getting the 300km to Busselton which caused a f**k*d up clutch- Our Saab “Ula” has done nearly half a million kilometres and has a hissy at the idea of a road trip, poor old showgirl. Anyway after hiring a car we made it to the festival in six cylinder air-conditioned and not open-air-saab-convertible comfort.

Southbound is a music, camping and arts festival, and the available tickets sold out in record time this year thanks to the fantastic headline acts including Franz Ferdinand, Architecture in Helsinki, Santogold, Faker, Tegan & Sara, The Cat Emprire, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, a band I have followed for many years called Gomez, and many more. I was photographing the event for samesame.com.au.

Soko [iTunes] delivered beautiful set. The petite French songbird insisted on lighting incense before her act and had a kooky little kitsch lamp that looked like a kitten with a ball of wool sitting atop her keyboard. Architecture in Helsinki [iTunes] had the crowd bopping to their new single “That Beep” [iTunes], and The Kooks [iTunes] brought us fantastic energy and very tight jeans (see pics). Every Faker [iTunes] fan in WA was present for their performance and The Cat Empire [iTunes] whipped the crowd into a frenzy with their crazy tunes. For me, Santogold [iTunes]was the highlight of the festival, closely followed by Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings [iTunes], however the teens who threw their bra at The Kooks with their mobile number scribbled on it may disagree. In the closing hours A-Track, the DJ of choice for Kanye West pulled of a flashy set- with a climax of MGMT’s “Electric Feel” [iTunes]

Although the temperatures were high, Southbound organisers are committed to the environment with a tree per ticket policy, expanded Recycling Stations, purchasing carbon credits to offset their carbon footprint and offering solar powered mobile phone recharge stations. The 2008 International Greener Festival Award was awarded to Southbound for their environmental initiatives and ensuring the festival is completely carbon-neutral.

Southbound runs over two nights, and the best way to experience the festival is by camping onsite. I must admit, camping has never been my favourite sport, so take a tip from me for next year: Use the Pampered camper option. Pampered Campers have their tent with inflatable mattresses already set-up on arrival, and do you do not need to break a fingernail dismounting and lugging your swag gear back to your car. Plus you also get priority parking.

I wish we were going back next year- but our plans are to be in the -20°C city of Chicago this time 2010.

Genius

// October 24th, 2008 // No Comments » // music, Work

I am not a musical person, don’t get me wrong- I love music, but it is something I have never really understood. I know what I like, and my taste is very eclectic, and changes all the time.

What I want to listen to also depends on my mood. At the moment I am working on a very tedious project and have spent the past 3 days inspecting every inch of the Brisbane river and coastline from Wellington Point in the south to Donnybrook in the north looking for Sea Walls, Jetties, Boat Ramps, and Wharves. Looking at aerial photography like this calls for some good music on my iPod. Now I would usually find an album I like, or just shuffle all my tracks, and when an track that I am not in the mood for comes up I would skip it. Genius on my iPhone avoids me listening to tracks that do not fit in with my mood or the previous track. For example, I selected the track Hapuku Rain from the Album Heal Me by Salmonella Dub [iTunes Link].

Genius thought this would go well with:

I Thought About You by the Beautiful Girls [iTunes Link]
Straight Lines by Silverchair [iTunes Link]
Nude by Radiohead [iTunes Link]
Green Eyes by Coldplay [iTunes Link]
Taylor by Jack Johnson [iTunes Link]
Girl by Beck [iTunes Link]
New Day Come by Shapeshifter [iTunes Link]
Love Sunshine and Happiness by Salmonella Dub [iTunes Link]
Just a Boy by Angus and Julia Stone [iTunes Link]
On Call by Kings of Leon [iTunes Link]
Paris is Burning by Ladyhawke [iTunes Link]
Come and Check your Head by Blue King Brown [iTunes Link]
Don’t Panic by Coldplay [iTunes Link]
19-20-20 by The Grates [iTunes Link]
Gabrielle by Ween [iTunes Link]
Nothing is Free by Salmonella Dub [iTunes Link]
Chelsea Dagger by the Fratellis [iTunes Link]
Lines on Palms by Josh Pike [iTunes Link]
Happiness by Goldfrapp [iTunes Link]
Back in your head by Tegan and Sara [iTunes Link]

What a great playlist! Perfect for listening to while looking the stunning coastal photography of Brisbane, dreaming of fishing off the jetties or Kayaking in the warm waters like the pic below, taken under the old cruise terminal on the Brisbane River.

Old Cruise Terminal by Henmac

Goldfrapp – Happiness

// April 9th, 2008 // No Comments » // music

Happiness video, Goldfrapp, directed by Dougal Wilson, production company: Colonel Blimp

Via: swissmiss

Salmonella Dub – Heal Me

// September 7th, 2007 // No Comments » // music

Heal me

I just bought this album on iTunes, after reading about it in today’s NZ Herald, and it rocks! The track Hapuku Rain with the sound of rain, with the occasional tui call made me so homesick it sent chills down my spine. The album was recorded at the groups custom built studio in Kaikoura, where they recorded their sixth album overlooking the sea and surrounded by kowhai trees.

Get your copy on iTunes here

Pepe Deluxé – Go for Blue

// August 17th, 2007 // No Comments » // music

I love colours, and my favourite colour is blue, hence the name of this site- pantone801. To celebrate this awesome colour, Pepe Deluxé has written a song about it titled ‘Go for Blue’. It’s an educational tale about how ‘all the colours go for blue’

Pepe Deluxé [wiki] is a Finnish electronic music oriented band which was created by two DJ friends, DJ Slow aka Vellu Maurola and JA-Jazz aka Tomi Paajanen in the mid 90s in Helsinki, Finland.

Get their latest album on iTunes here.

It is fantastic that we are getting such great music from these nordic countires sich as Finland, and Sweden!