Oh-O: She's in Love!

So the last time I heard something and it was instant LOVE and the entire album was THAT GOOD was THE NATIONAL...I've been sampling the new album Night falls over Kortedala from Jens Lekman after reading about him on Oz's blog(this guy has good taste in music!), and IT IS A REALLY REALLY EXCELLENT ALBUM! damn I think I need to go out and get it now...(all the money I have and don't yet have goes into...CDS *sigh* what's new? - yeah I am one of those sad sad people who will take from their weekly food budget rather than not have that CD^^

Anyway the guy sounds a bit like a more contemporary form of Morrissey...he is definitely a crooner...check out the beautiful song "Your arms around me" (Live in Bloomington) below...haha I love how he says "avocado"!!!

Sinead O'Connor/Nothing Compares To You

Sinead is coming over in March! It's been a while, but I'm pretty sure being in the presence of her performing this song LIVE would be amazing! This is definitely one of THE BEST songs of all time...her delivery- (even in the clip) is like nothing else...not only that voice, but her face is strangely engaging, mesmerising, captivating and makes for compelling viewing...something few singers can manage even in real life!

Frente! - Ordinary Angels

If every person had their own "theme song", this is definitely mine :-D!

Keane/Walnut tree

This would have to be my favourite KEANE song... I think it really resonates due to that bittersweet feeling of growing up... isn't it interesting how often music takes you back to a certain moment in time...I can pinpoint this song to an exact moment in time...a memory.

Paul Grabowsky: Contemporary Jazz

It's such a shame I can't find any online soundbytes for him but you can read about him here....his 1992 album TEE VEE is awesome...a little hard to obtain but still sold in places like Amazon.com and good music stores can order it in. This is one of my favourite albums of all time, especially after a hot, fussy and stressful day!

Inti-Illimani / Medianoche

So I feel my love of world music has not been adequately represented on this blog to date so I'm seeking to redress the matter...the biggest problem is that being such a "specific" interest, there are not many youtube videos available...

anyway here is one which I, fellow learning Spanish enthusiasts, and Old Fogeys alike enjoy...these Chilean legends have been making music since 1967!!!

KD Lang - Constant Craving

one of the best songs of all time...weird this song used to give me the shits when I was younger but now I really love it, as well as KD Lang...I think it's like when you start liking jazz...it means you're getting old! Eeek....j.k!

The Beach Boys - God Only Knows

Probably my favourite Beach Boys song...I'm not sure why but I always think of the tv show THE WONDER YEARS when I heard this song, and of its protagonist Kevin Arnold ie the actor Fred Savage...haha he was my hugest crush growing up!! LOL

The Triffids:Wide Open Road

Continuing with classic Australian songs of the 80s, this is one of only two "hits" this band had - the other being Bury me deep in love. This song is dedicated to my beautiful town ;) and also as a prelude to...I'm getting excited...cos I've got tix for the THE TRIFFIDS: a tribute to David McComb gig as part of the Sydney Festival!! I can't wait for January!!!

Bill Evans - Waltz For Debby

Love love love! Nothing beats pure, unadulterated JAZZ...I especially love the double bass bits....have always loved that instrument :)

Morrissey - Suedehead

Ok, so some people may bag me out as "daggy" but I'm a sucker for the 80s crooner known as Morrissey, perhaps better known as the lead singer of that awesome band THE SMITHS!

Mum: They made frogs smoke til they exploded...

HAHA! love the animation...so appeals to my sadistic streak hehe ;)

Coldplay - See You Soon

This is the best COLDPLAY song...the acoustic stripped back sound is AMAZING!!! I can't believe how many *really good* covers you can find of this on Youtube!! So many talented people out there: Well done!!

Mika-Happy Ending

So this would have to be one of the most surprising fav albums of the year..."disco bubble gum pop" isn't usually my thing but it's actually a pretty good album!

No favourite song I just picked this one cos hopefully that is how I am hoping my exam tomorrow will go ;) LOL...of course I could have posted that song "Relax(Take it Easy)...but if anything I think I have been waaaay too relaxed in my preparation for this exam :P

Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy

A little dated esp in terms of sound quality but definitely in my top few BEST MASSIVE songs ever...apparently the clip is directed by David Lynch...

The Church - Under the milky way

If you're not familiar with Aussie music(and this is a CLASSIC song), you might recognise this song from the movie "Donnie Darko", at least.

Thom Yorke - The Eraser

I'm patiently waiting for the day I get sick of this song...too bad I can't say the same for the clip :P

San Pascualito Rey - Hoy No Es Mi Dia

Hi to Dexty if you're reading...I had forgotten how much I enjoy animation cos it's been yeaeeears since I dabbled in that stuff...anyway here is another cute one...amusing because it's JUST SO MEXICAN!!! enjoy : )

Keren Ann - Lay your head down

I really love her voice...and the tremendous sense of freedom and lack of constraint this clip evokes...

Hunters and Collectors - Holy Grail

one step closer to the Holy Grail... :D

Machine Translations - Amnesia

Okay, so I'm a sucker for the animated doll girl more than the music...she's so cute!! Any case...discovering more and more great artists from indie music scene...thanks to a sampler CD from Spunk Records http://www.spunk.com.au...some really good music there to be explored!!!

The animation by the way can be credited to Jonathan nix of http://studionix.com/

Feist - 1 2 3 4

Wow!!...Turns out this huge hit(Ipod Nano Song) on Feist's new album "The Reminder" is written by non other than Melbourne local, Sally Seltmann of New Buffalo(the one with the sweet voice)!!

I saw Sally play earlier this year at The Factory and I don't know if the crowd was really offputting or what but her performance was the most UNCOMFORTABLE I have ever seen...like she just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her...

When I first found out about her (courtesy of JB Hi-Fi mag) and heard her awesome and unique voice I knew she was something special...and promptly went out and bought the 2 albums of hers that were in stock...if she were an extrovert and bothered to really market herself she'd be a lot more well known by now!!

Sigur Ros: Hoppipolla

Soundtrack to accompany my "Phoenix Rising" phase...

Unknown gem: John Columbus

And here's a promising little local folky band I discovered by chance...I love their "sound"...the vocals and instrumentals...look forward to seeing them live some time...

Madonna: Drowned World/Substitute for Love

One of my fav songs on repeat at the moment....hehe I do believe in some way this song is a dedication to TCM^^...=PP

Although I don't find this clip particularly compelling (as opposed to ones of a live performance) I really love this album version on 'Ray of Light' (collaboration with William Orbit)...this guy is a legend...if I was a musician I would have to work with him...

In any case, out of all female musicians I admire, Madonna would have to be my No1 since childhood...it's amazing how she has been able to adapt and evolve over the years and last the distance...not only is she an awesome singer and performer(seeing her live is still on my "must do list"), but she is also this amazingly smart and sassy business woman & entrepreneur...yeah I'm a FAN : )

Cocteau Twins - Alice

Elizabeth Fraser's voice is sublime...

Ride - Vapour Trail

Circa 1990...I never understood why this band didn't become as big as OASIS :P...(from Wikipedia)
"Ride were a British shoegazing band. The band formed in 1988 in Oxford, England, and officially broke up in 1996. During that time they received much critical acclaim, and although this never translated into the chart and financial success that they aimed for, for a short while it seemed that the band could prove themselves as defying the fate that befell lesser 'shoegazer' bands. Since then, the band members have gone on to other projects, most notably Andy Bell who became the bass player for Oasis."

Phil Oakley - Together In Electric Dreams

Sorry, I can't help it...I'm sentimental about the 80s...remember this film??!!

Icehouse - Electric Blue

Gosh I love the 80s!!

Jorge Drexler - Milonga del moro judío

And let's hope "Google Language Tools" work ;)...while all my Spanish texts remain in boxes...

Tuve olvidado cuán bello sea el Español es el idioma ...

hehe "karaoke" en Español...una buena manera de refrescar los conocimientos de idiomas : )

Joy Division - Atmosphere

WoW! I know these days this band belongs exclusively to the Goths but...Great song esp the mesmerising low-tech clip!

For at least an ENTIRE YEAR of my childhood, I was subjected to listening to "Love will tear us apart" EVERY SINGLE DAY...which is probably I never bothered giving any of their other songs a listen...I love this one!!

Chemical Brothers - Out Of Control

Cheers to youth ;)

The Cure-Friday I'm In Love

Feeling really drained...I always find this song a bit of a pick me up!! How old is this song...actually I saw them live in '99 and it was just as good!!

Decoder Ring - Somersault

Relatively unknown band but I like their music style...and I love the landscape shots- spitting image of my town!!!still have to see the film...

Les Nubians - Makeda

Just for something not in English for a change...J'adore cette chanson! :D

Ben Lee - Begin

What a shame it got cut off...great sound quality to this live recording...my fav song off "Awake is the new sleep"...

Protection - Massive Attack Ft Tracey Thorn

Couldn't decide whether I felt like posting an ETBG song or a Massive Attack one so went for the collaboration...Love Tracey Thorn's vocals!

Sufjan Stevens - Chicago

Wow! Interesting version but I like it!!!

This is the the song (albeit the album version)that when I heard it, I HAD TO HAVE SUFJAN in my collection...

Radiohead Knives Out Live

an oldie but a goodie but wow...have you ever seen such a "bobblehead"?!

Sarah Blasko - 'Planet New Year'

Lol...I think this must be the first clip where the protagonist marries a piano! In any case my fav song off "What the sea wants the sea will have"...she's playing Saturday night! Damn, that's when having a partner comes in handy the most...cos you can drag them along to these kinds of things that noone else will come to without feeling too guilty if they don't enjoy it!!

Blonde Redhead - Dr. Stangeluv (Live)

This is probably my favourite song from Blonde Redhead...Live @ Osheaga Music Festival 2007...this was the only reasonable/close to album version I could find on Youtube. I didn't realise they're still a relatively unknown band...

New Order - Temptation '98

One of the best songs of the 80s and the song I played at the only party I ever crashed someone's laundry!

The National:Val Jester

Everytime I hear this song on "Alligator" with its beautiful, melancholy strings, I can't help but think of my ex when it says...

"You should have looked after her...better. You should have looked after her more."

Sad reality though...that wouldn't have been enough anyway...

Really gorgeous cinematography by the way...the 21 yr old who made this vid has talent!

The Sugarcubes - Birthday (Live)

Best song by Bjork EVER!! Interesting live version... she has a truly great presence live...love her AMaZinG Vocals, her Q(uirk) Factor, her originality, her passion, her beauty. The woman is TRUE GENIUS and SO Refreshing. LOVE.

The Go-Betweens - Streets of your town

One of the most influential songs of my childhood from my favourite, favourite band EVER...circa 1988...still awesome :)

The National - Slow Show

The National would be my favourite band discovery of 2007...this is one of their finest songs with clip containing edited visuals from Godard's Masculine-Feminine, highly engaging...

BTW, how Gorgeous is Matt Berninger's baritone? Along with Thom Yorke, Robert Forster, Grant McLennan and Morrissey...with voices like these I'm instantly transformed into the snake enchanted by the Indian piper...yes Master, anything you please ;)

Sufjan Stevens: For The Widows In Paradise...