Relient K and Paramore

Heyy there. 

So its been a long time. 5 whole months, but never mind that. 

I dont think i I have found much new music – well none comes to mind, oh wait! No! I mean, YES! 

 My taste has broadened a tad, and I really really love-

Paramore – the best song of theirs ever is Hallelujah. And even if their music wasnt awesome the girls hair is pretty sick =)

Paramore is pretty famous these days. Especially due to Twilight – Decode is somewhere in that movie. They used to be  a pretty indie band I hear. 

Relient K are the other people I am here to mention. 
A few awesome points about them-

They are the best Christian band I know of (up until now I hadnt found a Christian band i really liked)

They are Christian

They have somehow managed to be part of the secular scene even though they are a Christian band

so yeah. I personally really love  Deathbed, but Be My Escape is a more popular and equally as awesome song =)

Oh, and speaking of Christian music. Check out Morrow. They are fully my brother and sister in law! I feel all famous now because we sing some of their songs at church and yesterday they performed at Equip – a Christians women convention.

Hottest 100!

Yay. Today’s 2009’s very own Hottest 100. And what a day of mixed emotions it’s been . We’re only up to #2 atm, and I’m still betting on Sex is On Fire. Which is sad, but true. I didn’t vote for it though – just putting it out there.

I’m impressed with Flight of the Conchords! I didn’t even think that they would be in the Hottest 100, til Business Time came on (at 27?), then apparently that was their 3rd song! Which is great. I suppose they ARE New Zealands 4th most popular parody (?) band…..

YES!!! Now mum owes me $10 bucks, Kings of Leon – Sex is on Fire it is! I knew it… hence the $10 bucks

So there you go.

Didg, Drum, and da Jazz

Wowsies!

Today I have discovered a few people. People number one are Wild Marmelade. A didgeridoo and drum combo. It is truly golden! Their Myspace is here. Techno Head is my favourite song, so far . It is truly amazing to listen to, and I imagine it would be just mindblowing live – well, if Xavier Rudd is anything to compare it to, it would be!

I also discovered Tina Harrod, who one the AIR Award for bes jazz album. Which is something, so I went and checked out her Myspace. Good stuff, I love jazz!

Then there is Mr Percival. He brings it down with A’Cappella, but he has more of a soul approach to the A’cappella thing. It’s truly groovematic! All the People is a fave already, mind you, I’m only half way through listening to his myspace, so there could be others.

And last of all, Mr Sister. Amazing string stuff on here, I guess if you look at their influences, it’s not surprising, but I love it all the same. I don’t really know how to describe them. I would say almost Corrs-y. Lots of strings, as I mentioned, and Mel and Steve on vocals……. yeah just check them out, I would advise.

Well have fun with that lot. I did!

Angus & Julia – again, and Seagull

Well, Angus & Julia Stone are going to release the Hollywood EP, which I’ve heard various track listings for, but I believe it will have Angus’s version of Wasted on it, which I reckon, if you’re in the right mood, is a 20 times better than the original – it’s got a more lively feel….  Almost reggae-y. You can actually download it at the moment from here. – It’ll probably only be there for a week or something, cos it’s already been there for a week and a bit.

Also there is Muph and Plutonic’s Don’t Worry About Nothing at that site. It’s great, featuring an amazing vocalist it’s got the main jazzy thing, then a rap thing in the background – it’s just as gold as All the Colours, but in a different way.

Then there is Seagull. They’re just a nice sing-a-long if you know it kind of band. You’ll find their stuff on Unearthed.com – they’re being featured this week.

Xavier Rudd, Hey Big Aki, Dallas Frasca, Damien Rice

hiya all.

So most moving stuff is over, the internet is back on, and I’ve been to a concert!

I went to Xavier Rudd’s Dark Shades of Blue album release worldwide tour thing last night. It was amazing!

His support act was Dallas Frasca, who is a fairly hardcore, but totally cool girl. With pink/red dreads. My favourite song of hers is Got Me Goin’. Which is just totally.. cool. Words can’t describe really. You should check out her myspace.

So then comes on Xavier. With his song Dark Shades of Blue (I love the lyrics. They’re… poetic or something) and some songs from White Moth, then one of my faves off his new album – Edge of the Moon. It’s a totally like, sway your arms along, get totally rapt by the lyrics, and scream along with the chorus song. Well, that’s what happened anyways.

Oh. If you don’t know Xavier Rudd’s stuff, it’s like, aboriginal meets dance and rock – He plays didgeridoo, guitar, and stompbox and other various percussion things, and sings all inthe one song, while his drummer goes nuts with solos.

So I really love Xavier’s new album, it’s more rocky, but has a few quieter songs, and even a femail vocalist or two! (I’m not sure which song that is, but it’s another favourite.)

My favourite Xavier album (of the ones I’ve heard) is Solace. It has some amazing songs like Let Me Be, Green Spandex, and a personal fave (I even learnt it!) – Partnerships.

Onto Hey Big Aki.
I recently discovered them – I think due to a Vitamin Records newsletter or maybe it was unearthed. But it was a big day of discoveringness.

Hey Big Aki are a chilled out, guitar/ukulele band, they sound a bit like Sigur Ros/Elliot Smith. They’re nice to sit down and have a cold drink in the sun to Smith is the best song of theirs that I’ve heard – on my like-o-meter anyway.

Another person I’m RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREALLY really into atm is Damien Rice.
He’s Irish. He’s amazing. He’s more amazing.
He has a more quiet/slow/sad style, with um predominant vocals. There’s lots of cello, and girl vox too.
9 Crimes, of his latest album 9 is pretty popular – it was in Shrek the 3rd, but his stuff is in the soundtracks for a few other movies like Dear Frankie (what a good movie!) - It was topped off with Damien’s Delicate, a rather well known song off O,  and Closer features a song or two and there are other things I can’t be bothered to name. My point is, there is a great possibility you’ve heard him somewhere or another.
If I had to say which songs I’d listen to, it’d probably be 9 Crimes, the Blowers Daughter, and Elephant. Or his myspace

His album 9 has a bit more hardcoreness though – like, Rootless Tree gets rocky… but I don’t know that album very well, so I can’t say what else.

Well that wraps it up from me.
have a nice day full of musical wonders   ah well. Catchya.

Stuff n Nonesense

Yeah, so I’m going away for the weekend, then I’m moving,AND when I move there wont be any STEWPID internet for a while, so who knows. It could be days, weeks, months! Before I post again.

Check out Modest Mouse. Don’t LOVE em (too hardcore, growly for me) myself, but I don’t mind Dashboard, which made it onto the Hottest 100 (cd!) this year…. In fact, I’m giving away a free cd. I don’t like it that much! It’s called Good News for People that Love Bad News. Send me an email about it. Pretty much the first person to do it will get it. I’ll remove this bit when I post it
But requirements are a) you live in Australia b) you pay for postage ($3?) c) that’s it!

Cheers

Gomez! And Angus & Julia Stone – again!

Okay, so I went away for the weekend, and got reintroduced to Gomez (my heart!)!!!
I totally adore that guy’s(s) voice, and the mixture of guitar and backing vocals and the electronic stuff, and the mixing… put it together, and it’s utterly amazing! Pity he’s not so hot

I only have Bring It On (apparently it’s the best one) but I’ve heard random stuff from other albums and it’s all totally diggable… savvy?

So, the full list of Gomez CDerama is like, miles and miles long, but the main ones I’ve heard of are: How We Operate, In Our Gun, and, of course, Bring It On. There are heaps more though, so yeah….

The first song I really knew was Whipping Piccadilly, and my friend made me watch the vid clip, which I did, on numerous occasions. It’s so cool

And I’m pretty sure this a famouserer song, and I love Gomez SO much that I’ll post two songs – how ’bout that! – there’s dedication for ya:D

So I’ve got to say my favourite songs (that I know anyway) are Get Miles (the lyrics are so great eg. ‘I love the silence, but the silence is killing me’. Ahh, the talent!), Whippin Piccadilly, and Tijuana Lady.

And I know I keep going on and on about them, but Angus and Julia Stone man. You can’t go past them. I’m pretty sure they’re my fave band of all time, like I love other stuff, and I have fads and all that, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never skipped an Angus & Jules song (except maybe The Beast, but it then, it goes on you know..).

I’m pretty sure I have all their cds, singles/EPs included. (But the Wedding Song? where is that from?) And my first and favourite song (prob cos I heard it first and it was on a Coastal Chill) is Paper Aeroplanes -

I love pretty much all their songs, but Bella, Horse and Cart, Mango Tree, Heart Full of Wine, All of Me, and A Book Like Thise are probably my favourite songs. Wasted is the most famous, but I have heard it sooooo many times, it’s got the point where I need a break from it. I guess cos it was in the Hottest 100, and had all that air leading up to it, and then when everyone was listening to the Hottest 100…..
Anyway, I could name like, most of their songs, and they would be faves

I so can’t wait ’til they release a new album – better be soon, but they’re doing so much touring it would be hard… well, let’s hope they’re amazing freaks who record albums while on tour

The best movie I have EVER seen!

So, pretty much all of the movie-watching world raves on either negatively, or positively about this movie.

I love it. Really love it. I love it!

Ellen Page is an absolutely amazing actress, so is Michael Cera…. and Jason Bateman, and like, all the cast

The soundtrack is a whopper too, with Kimya Dawson, Belle and Sebastian, and other cool peoples.

AND it’s so absolutely quotable. I really can’t say anything here, cos you’ve got to get it slash it’ll ruin the movie, but man! What a movie. Kudos to *Diablo Cody/Jason Reitman!

*Diablo Cody is/was a blogger and she wrote the story and screenplay, and Jason Reitman directed it, and they both did a marvelous job!

Just watch the movie…. A few times!

a classic twist (haha)

Okay, so that was a lame joke, but hey! That’s me.

Since music exams are looming and all, I thought I’d share some of the amazing pieces I’m learning!
Beehoven Op. 7, 3rd movement

Okay, so I can’t quite play it like that. Yet.

And then there’s my showcase, showoff, fun-to-play-but-I-still-can’t-really-do-it piece (ps. My piano sounds better!)

And my favourite, besides a la Beethoven, is (dadadadum!) Romance Without Words – Faure. I can play this better than him though, even without the baby noises, would you believe it!? :P

Enjoy! Orrr not, depends.

And to top it all off, my drummer boy!

Music

Hey.

I know nothing about these bands, except for the fact that they’re AWESOME! Awesome you hear me?

Lucie Thorne – http://www.myspace.com/luciethornemusic  
Nice and quiet, chilled, kind of Elliot Smith and Bjorke-y. Well, that’s what SHE says

Percussion Junction -  http://www.myspace.com/percussionjunctionmusic – groovy. Dance-alongy. Dub. Drums. Need I say more? Probably, but I wont.

Now as I was down the street with a friend, getting some flowers, I saw a REALLY interesting flower arrangement, and there and then, I decided, along with full-time musicality, and whatever else, I am gonna arrange flowers I just put this picture in, because, well, I love calla lilies? Amongst other things.

A random video which I liked and THE Tracks

This video made me laugh, and it is set up so well.

It’s not in Youtube, but if you follow this link you should find it. Otherwise, just Google the Font Conference.

I wonder how accurate those words in Windings are….?

Song of the day: I’ve Got Soul – The Tracks. Okay, that song isn’t there, but True Romance is just as good.
They’re a really bop-along/sing at the top of your voice band, but still they have banjo? and other quite things going just chilling in the background. Not that that really means a lot, but I like it.

The guy has an interesting, kind of Gomez-y rough, growly voice, which I rate.

My trusty Jmag said, “Can you imagine Tom Waits doing Cat Empire? Take a look at the top roots sprowting The Tracks!”. So that’s proof enough for you already!

Music that’ll make your day #2

Here’s my 10 top albums and 10 tops songs now that it’s 6 months later (is it?). They’re not really in favourite order, but it’s the general idea.

10 top albums

1. Corner of an Endless Road – Lior

2. Narrow Stairs – Death Cab for Cutie

3. Absolution – Muse

4. Apocalypso- the Presets

5. Ziggurats – The Beautiful Girls

6. Like Drawing Blood – Gotye

7. Heart Full of Wine/Chocolates & Cigarettes – Angus & Julia Stone

8.  Between Last Night and Us – The Audreys

9. Wincing the Night Away – the Shins

10. Begin to Hope – Regina Spektor

There! That was a task and a half.

Now for the favourite songs. I can’t really order these, they’re all favourites.

Jerusalem – Lior
Sing for Absolution – Muse
Space Dementia – Muse
I Will Possess Your Heart – Death Cab…
The Call – Regina Spektor
Love Sunshine and Happiness – Salmonella Dub
Play the Drum – Zeph and Azeem
Highlights fromt the Phantom of the Opera (Original London Cast or no, I love em)
Just For Me – Bec Watts
Better – the Basics

There we go. Have fun listening if you can be bothered!

Video Clip(s) of the week

For the rest of the year, I have decided to post video clips that I like as well as everything else. So, may I present to you Gotye’s Heart’s a Mess

I think I mostly like the creatures in this, cos they’re so random and unreal but still resemble real insects and the likes… if that makes sense.

I was looking at the videos, and I can’t help myself, I’ve got to share this one too!

I am a total sucker for hand shadows, and people who can do them like this are amazing!
I remember the first time I actually saw a proper person do this kind of thing was on Spicks & Specks, and the guy was doing it to What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong

Rachel Brady, Ben Folds

Rachel Brady is an unearthed girl, I’ll put it to you bluntly, who’s song Prodigal Daughter was in the Uneathed podcast (lazy, no need to think it!) I really like it, it’s just… nice.

Ben Folds. Rather famous, among my people at least.
In the early ’80’s, Ben joined the group Majosha, which released several locally produced records.
About 10 years after gettin together, Majosha broke up, in the early 90s then Ben started Pots and Pans which lasted about a month – record!

In 1995, so that’s 13 years ago! He and his band (the Ben Folds Five) released their self titled debut album. 2 years later came Whatever and Ever Amen, which I reckon is probably one of the best Ben Folds Five albums, featuring Brick, Kate, Evaporated, and Song for the Dumped.
After that came Naked Baby Photos, which I know very little about, and a few other albums.

Next one that I know anything about is Songs for Silverman, which features lots of beautiful songs and piano accompaniment. Jesusland, Bastard and Gracie are probably the most widely known songs, and I love ‘em all.

Lior and Kahn Brothers rock my boat!

Okay, so he’s my absolute hero at the moment

He started out in my ‘I don’t mind em’ list, but has totally inspired me recently!

I went to see him a couple of weeks ago, in Bellingen, NSW, and was absolutely amazed at his incredible voice and guitaring skills!

He is an Israeli-Austalian, and only his debut Autum Flow was released in 2005, and followed up this year with Corner of an Endless Road.

Grey Ocean got onto the 07 Coastal Chill, but other than that he’s not really  totally famous.

He uses a range of different instruments including the main guitars and piano and drum, but random things like the clavinet, the oud, organs (of various natures), santur, and such likes.
I really respect people that use  different instruments because I think it really adds to the vibe of the song

I personally just love Lior’s voice, I find it totally amazing, especially in Bedouin Song, April Bloom, and Jerusalem. It’s totally amazing really. Sorry, I’m overusing the word ‘amazing’.
And his guitaring is really good too. Not that I’m a great judge, failing at playing guitar myself. But he’s in the top 1000 guitarists in the world if you ask me.

Supporting Lior were Kahn Brothers, another band who I didn’t love on first impression (Myspace), but they have a lot of Beatlesy harmonies, and are good chill music, but their songs do get stuck in your head very easily.

Only Love is Real is a favourite from their debut album Love Melts Fear though not on myspace.

The Kahn brothers also make up the core of Aussie band Gelbison who have released 2 records, and I have to say, I’m not very familiar with.

Gelbison are a more toned down version of the Kahn Brothers, who also feature some different instruments.

Darren Hanlon, The Lucksmiths, Corduroy

In 2007 Fingertips and Mountaintops was released, featuring Elbows By Darren Hanlon, that was my favourite song that I actually didn’t know for a while, but now that I know it better, I love it more :)

Darren, currently living in Sydney first started performing solo in 1999. Since then he has released 3 albums (Hello Stranger, Little Chills, Fingertips and Mountaintops), 2 EPs, and four singles with Candle Records. 

His genre is described as folk-pop, folk-rock, and folk-punk. One gets the impression he has a folk base.
Darren plays guitar, banjo, and I think a few other instruments as well as singing beautifully
I would have to say that Wish That I Was Beautiful For You, Elbows, and Punk’s Not Dead are my favourite songs so far.

Before going solo, Darren was in the Simpetons*, and also played keys for The Lucksmiths, which I’ll get to later.

His lyrics are described as intelligent and witty, and he likes to do ‘intimate’ shows, which means he goes to the small towns, and just plays in the local pub. Twice he has played in my very own tiny hometown, the first time I had never heard of him, and therefore didn’t know about it, and the second time I was going to another concert the next day, and I wasn’t allowed to

But if I’m still around when he gets back from touring the UK, and he happens to be playing near me, WATCH OUT, I’ll be first to get tickets, maybe.

The Lucksmiths are also with Candle Records, and equally as great in my opinion. Now, I actually don’t have much to say on them, not owning any records, having only head their stuff while on roadtrips with friends, all I can say is go to their Myspace, and decide for yourself!

Branching into another world really, I am going to talk about Corduroy, an acid-jazz outfit, based in London, who it’s great to have a little wiggle to
Just so you know, I know next to nothing about acid jazz, except for the fact that it’s great music! Corduroy have released 5 albums, and unfortunately, their Myspace only has one song – boohoo.

Well, I officially have a stupid (no, dumb) cold, so I shall try to blog more often… if you can relate those to phrases, please tell me what the link is!

Ciao!

First in, best dressed

I was reading my monthly jmag, and it said there was like, 5,000,000 artists or something amazing like that on Unearthed.com, and I realised how it’s like, WOW! But, it hasn’t daunted me in the slightest, for it was only the other day that I went (thanks to jmag) and found another 3-4 bands on there that I really like – Pear, The Tiger & Me, and Lei Mai* Swan – and there was more, but I’m lazy

*Mei Lai Swan – could I even get her name right????????? She is totally amazing though!

Unfortunately I am not going to do all the hard work for you today, as the internet has been going SUPER slow, and only going to some pages – Unearthed isn’t one of them, so I am actually unable to make it easy for you. BUT! IF YOU FOLLOW this LINK, you should get to Uneathed.com! Hopefully the fact that I can’t access it should mean nothing!

Okay – review time.

Pear (A.K.A Steph Lees) is from Brisbane, and plays everything from guitar, to piano, to accordion, (sounds a bit like me) and I LOVE her voice!  Really rootsy etc.
She is also in the band Maudlin, Moot and Badger – which I also cannot find anywhere – anywho. Steph’s blog is here, and I found it interesting to spend 10 mins reading the list of bands that she likes….

Next up-The Tiger &  Me.

Beautiful. That’s what I say. They have the whole girl/guy harmony thing going, so there is a hint of Angus & Julia, but Alleyway is more pianno-y/jazzy, but the ‘chorus’ is so sad, and pretty. Just listen. I think you may understand me then, maybe.

Murder In Uniform is really good also, but as with That Ghost – Brendan Welch  (that song isnt’ there, but it aint anywhere else!) I find the lyrics a bit creepy.

The Forsaken Few is yet ANOTHER great song from these guys – they must be good, I like ALL THREE of their songs! This one has a more Laura Marling style, but Jane and Ade switch around with the vocals, which I like, cos it adds a lot more variety…

Mei Lai Swan is great! So great that I actually went and bought her cd!
She has a nice, deepish voice, and beautiful cello playing done by herself.

I’m Always Doing Good is a darker piece with (for lack of better description) a swaying feel. It’s pretty much just about how great she is, doing good stuff, but should she think she’s so great?

Come as You Are is has a lot more of layered strings and harmonies etc. It also doesn’t have as much of a firm beat. Not my favourite, but still good.

Whereas ‘Remember The Circus’ is again a laidback jazzy piece. In this, as all jazzyish voices do, I am reminded of the Waifs’ Sundirtwater. With the cello doing all sorts of cool jazzy basslines (actually, maybe it’s not a cello… it sounds a bit deep to me. Well, I can’t tell you. Sorry) it even has a horn and saxophone section – yum.

And my equal but different fave of her songs is Lullaby for a Winters Night. It is beautiful, with the cello doing amazing phrasing and arpeggioletic things underneath. I think I must be a sucker for strings or something, but it’s just sensational! Her voice is so adapt, like, in this song its husky and quiet and beautiful and sad, and in others its hard and jazzy etc.etc. and I really admire that.

Well, I hope you have a great time listening, it’s good stuff! I spose I should probably do more on the weekend eh? My list of bands to blog about is about 15 long, and growing. Sigh.

Taataa

Camille the French rock queen and an Unearthed.com special delivery!

I have been VERY busy digging up songs from Unearthed.com lately – the podcast has helped a great deal, but a lot of it I’ve done on my own. It is one of the best feelings to listen to all this crap music, then one random person you click on has a great voice, and good instruments. Example: Melbourne’s Becc Watts! She has an amazing voice – one I would compare with the Waifs’ lead singer   -Vikki Simpson - the Waifs are another great band I suggest you check out – Sundirtwater is a GREAT song!!!!

Back to Becc… I find the whole sparce piano, light drum beat GREAT! One of my favourite songs at the moment is Just For Me – which is the only one she has on Unearthed.

Now to Camille! She was born and raised in Paris, trained as a ballet dancer during her childhood and she was intrigued by the whole American ‘musical’ (play) thing. Camille released her debut album Las Sac Des Filles as recently as 2004. She has only released 1 other album (Les Fil)  but her next album Music Hole is being released on April 7 (hey, that’s only one week away!) 
Camille has a really avant-garde sound, with most of the percussion and backing vocals consisting of er, interesting sounds from the mouth. Which I find quite cool.

Making the Triple J’s Hottest 100 last year with Ta Douleur is how I really discovered her. It went from the whole ’she’s a bit weird, so I’ll just not listen to it at the moment’ to ‘yeah, I really like the avant-garde sounds, and the french bits!’ Which has pretty much been my attitude to any music not completely normal – which is most of the music I like nowadays…. anyway!

Something More Than Ordinary is a band I discovered partly via Unearthed, and partly via Myspace. I love the keys in it, although I personally think the vocals could maybe do with a better voice (just my opinion, don’t harrass me about it!)
Probably my favourite song of theirs is Something More Than Ordinary.

Boogie Warehouse is an unsigned band, also from Unearthed – oh the joys of it! A dance/pop 5-piece from Sydney who I just like to groove to, despite the fact that  I only discovered them on Saturday!

Oh, and keep a lookout for me under the alias ‘Lamplit Shadows’! After much thought and desperation I have come across that name and intend to start my booming musical career using the name! Just you watch out, I’ll be the next big thing – not! (It’s not even my goal)

I leave you with this picture from Bibomedia:

I

Laura Marling

My new favourite artist at the moment is Laura Marling.

I discovered her thanks to the ever influencial Triple J! Yay for nationwide radio!

Laura is from Eversly, in the UK, only 18, and her her debut LP was released only like, a month ago, but she has  2 EPs, which were released in 2007, I think.

A reason which I think draws me to her music is that it is really quite sparce, frequently it is just the vocals and guitar or piano, but it also (if I remember correctly) builds up with strings etc. She only has 2 songs on her myspace, which, with the amount most artists have nowadays is very little.

Anyway… now lets see if I can conjure up an Unearthed person… I’m sure there was one, I wrote it down the other day…. erm…. Okay, so this isn’t the one I’m thinking of (I wrote that one down on my schoolwork or something, so I haven’t the foggiest idea where the name is), but I quite like Illzilla. They’re hiphop, and Live Enough is my favourite song of theirs – I love the keys on that, just the syncopation/beats and all. The Score is also quite a good song!

Thankfully though, when it was featured on Triple J a few weeks ago, I got to hear the WHOLE album (Alas I Cannot Swim).

Once…

…Upon a time is NOT the theme of this movie. My sister introduced me to it, and I really, really love it!

The basic storyline is guy, girl, he busks, she meets him, they end up playing music together, they get a band, record an album, and then all go their seperate ways. Kind of thing.

One thing I really liked about it was that it had the Napoleon Dynamite style hand-held cameras, and the fact that the only music was played by the actors, and most of the time it showed you them playing it.

If you are into that kind of thing, and even if you are not, I highly recommend it as a great, quiet watch…. although, not really ‘quiet’ quiet with the way the guy sings.

Some other really cool things which I liked about the movie were that neither of the main two actors had acted before, the guy (Glen Hansard) is from The Frames, and he wrote all the music himself… I don’t know if she (Marketa Irglova) helped. AND another randomly weird thing about the movie is that they never say anyone’s name!!!! Not once does it let you know their names….. Only I have a slight inkling that her name was Sarah. But I’m pretty sure I made that up

The amphibious whale

If you actually do check out the Discards’ blog you may notice that they have a competition for drawing a cd design. This is my lovely work. Which under NO circumstances will I be showing them…. unless they land here of course.

Albums… Artists… Me.

I was reading the Discards blog and saw that they had their ten favourite albums. So I thought I’d be a dag, and copy. Their goal is to right reviews on them, but I think I have already done that. Instead, I will, I dunno, link to the reviewing blog/add things. I might make it up as I go too.

Top Ten AlbumsBegin To Hope – Regina Spektor
Book Like This – Angus & Julia
Stand Up – Blue King Brown
Bring It On – Gomez
Like Drawing Blood – Gotye
Stand Out/Fit In – The Basics
Fire Is On The Bird - Jackson Jackson
Because of the Times – Kings Of Leon
White Moth – Xavier Rudd
If The Ocean Gets Rough – Willy Mason

This is only a present list – what I mean is that in 6 months it is likely that none of those albums’ll be on the list cos I’ll  have discovered a HEAP of more stuff. Yeah. And spent a heap of money on it too! An unearthed person which I discovered while I was getting around to listening to the Unearthed podcast from some months ago was Jennifer Boyce. I REALLY like her style. Nice and Ben Folds-y…. has a bit of bounce to it.

Artwork #2

The Discards

They are ‘unearthed’ (as such = not signed), but I believe they are working on releasing their debut album. They’re actually some of my ‘friends’ which means I hang around with them (for two reasons – reason a: they have the same friends I do reason b: they’re cool)

My absolute favourite song of theirs is WAY up in my favourites it’s called Girl In The Yellow Dress. Following that Coldest Day (not technically the Discards, but their part of Something Not Taken, and Something Not Taken is non-existent now, as far as I know), then The Waiting, then You Know Why I Came.

I understand that one of the singers has… an interesting, untrained voice, but they’ve got some great music ideas, so I listen to it anyway. I’m kinda of used to it so, yeah.

New Subject:

Have you ever heard of Like A Version?

Well, it’s basically triple j recording people doing covers. Two of my favourites are Regina Spektor – Real Love (it made it into the Hottest 100 this year) and Ben Folds – Such Great Heights. I only have the Like A Version 3 CD. But there are three, and I suggest buying all of them, because I am fairly confident that you will find at least one song that you like on it.

Arrrrtworrrrrk. I like it

This beautiful artwork was done by my 12 year old sister, who is a great artist. And I was thinking ‘this blog needs a bit of a spruce up. More pictures too.’ So here is the first of, hopefully, many pictures to come.  A round of applause please for Susannah Sylvester!

Helloooooooooo World 2

Well, I was just looking back at the past few months, and what I’ve said and stuff. And my thoughts about this blog have totally changed. Strange. It’s a good thing though, cos it is meaning that I am learning a whole heap of stuff that I might never have learnt about bands, and people, so that is cool. Also, I am telling people about bands practically no one has heard of, and having fun raving about more popular bands that I love. I think that is a truly good blog purpose.

I am still, although almost not, thirteen, am still playing the piano. But the chances of me actually recording any tracks, and then putting up here… Not gonna happen. Anyway, I thought I’d just update you on the ‘purpose’ of this blog.

Thankyou for actually reading it, that bits great, to know that people actually spend time clicking on my blog, or reading it. That is gold.

Yeah, I’m not actually  the type for self promotion or ‘thanking people with tears in my eyes…’, so I’ll shutup RIGHT NOW!

Cheers

Samsara

Samsara. GOOD BAND. I really like them. Possibly has something to do with the fact that I’m going through an african/reggae stage at the moment, but I like them. That’s the main thing. I found them on Myspace the other day, when they sent me a note saying ‘check us out, tell us if you like the music’. So I did that. And now I’m going to share it with you!

They remind me a bit of Bob Marley. Which is as good, only, I reckon they have a bit more variation than Bob Marley does (hate to say it, but I can’t listen to more than a few Bob songs at a time).

Samsara are not exactly an unearthed band, seeing as they recently (? I don’t know when… they’re not in Wikipedia)  released their debut album -Full Circle. Which I like what I’ve heard of.

Samsara are from Brighton, UK.  and, sadly, that is all I’ve heard about them.  But, hopefully, when you listen to them yourself, that will be enough.

Music that’ll just MAKE YOUR DAY! #1

I REALLY love this song, it’s called Like An Arrow ( The Red Sun Band),

also Bella – Angus & Julia Stone (sorry, no link),

 and Piccadilloes (Clare Bowditch).

Some of my other favourite songs are:

 Not Really Love (Abbey Skye),  

Real Love – Regina Spektor,  

Where I Stood (Missy Higgins),

Smoke (Ben Folds Five) – also no link,

 International Society of Bad Dancers (Jackson Jackson), 

Superstar (Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos), 

This is one to sing your heart out to, as well as having a full on rock out! – Gone (the Butterfly Effect),

Okay, I know this is kinda unfair, but I LURVE ALL THESE SONGS!!!!! Get Aquainted (Gotye/Faux Pas), The Only Way (Gotye/Karnivool), Learnalittlegivinganloving (Gotye),

But I’m going to be just as generous with the Basics (I know, that’s kinda Gotye too… sad, I know.) I suggest you listen to ALL their songs on their myspace page – Just Hold On, Hey There, Rattle My Chain, Looking Over My Shoulder, and then go buy a cd, and listen to it like, at least once a week for… a month?

Man. There are just SO many awesome songs… I guess that means this will end up with a sequel

Clare Bowditch (and the Feeding Set)

Clare Bowditch is definitely one of my favourite singers at the moment. And even though I don’t have a CD (soon in the coming), I have spent a LOT of time on her Myspace page, listening

I love her amazing voice, the harmonies the Feeding Set do, and Clare’s interesting/sweet lyrics. Actually, if I wrap it up, I just love her.

One noticable feature about Clare is her hair. It’s like a mixture between carrot, and red, I personally think it is very cool.

Her latest CD – the Moon Looked On, is, in my opinion, (from the songs I’ve heard on her site) very good. The Moon Looked On has quite a range of heavier, smooth, or tear worthy songs.

Clare has been singing for ages. She formed her first band in 1998, with John Hedigan – Red Raku, which disbanded sometime before 2004, Clare Bowditch was given her first recording grant, then the Feeding Set AKA: Marty Brown (Clare’s husband/drummer), Libby Chow (vocals/french horn), Warren Bloomer (bass), Tim Harvey (guitar), and Clare Bowditch recorded and released Autumn Bone.

October 2005 showed their second album What Was Left, later, as in October 2007, The Moon Looked On was released.

I think I first heard about Clare Bowditch on Coastal Chill 07, even though she was in the 05 Hottest 100 twice (I wasn’t quite old enough to be listening to it in those long ago days) – I heard Which Way to Go, and at first, as I usually did, I didn’t put it onto my MP3 player, because I didn’t actually like it, as I did with many other favourites.

All in all, I think she’s a great singer, they’re a great band, and more people should know, and love them.

The Panics

They are a very good band!

I think they’re from Melbourne, or somewhere down around there, but they are largely based in the UK. Their first EP was signed with a major UKain record label (LittleBIGMANrecords). They have 3 cds out, I think, one of which – their latest Cruel Guard won the 2007 J award.

Band members include: Jae Laffer, Drew and Miles Wootton, Paul Ottway, and Julian Douglas.

I love, like LOVE the sound of the singer’s voice (Jae?). I really only know two of their songs – Don’t Fight It, and Get Us Home.

Don’t Fight It was the first song of theirs that I heard, and due to a massive amount of playing on Triple J, I was able to hear it QUITE a bit, and now absolutely love it. Get Us Home is the new song that Triple J play, and it’s getting quite a bit of airing, so I am slowly getting to learn the words and stuff – of course I like it.

Now, even though The Panics’s CD is some way down on my list of cds that I urgently want to buy, I can’t wait till it is number one.