Mid Year Music Hit List
Yup, it’s that blessed, out-of-the-blue time of year again where I share a list of songs that have been burning a hole in my iPod lately from repeated plays………
1. The Eighth Sign of Ageing, Apparently
- Mi Par D’Udir Ancor performed by Enrico Caruso
- O Figli O Figli Miei performed by Enrico Caruso
- Una Furtiva Lagrima performed by Enrico Caruso
I recently admitted to a friend that my ideal weekend now would consist of curling up in bed with a cup of chai latte, listening to opera or watching it on SBS (Bless, your tiny budget, SBS). “OPERA?!!! OPERA??!! Dude, you are getting old,” was her response, “Funny, you of all people liking opera...” Why is that funny? Is it because I’ve shown such an affinity for trash culture? Well, opera’s kinda trashy to me, like glam rock – melodramatic, over the top, sorta wanky – what’s not to like?
2. Return of a Childhood Heroine (No, not She-Ra)
- Big Wheel by Tori Amos
- Teenage Hustling by Tori Amos
- You can bring Your Dog by Tori Amos
- Body and Soul by Tori Amos
- Code Red by Tori Amos
(all from her latest album, American Doll Posse)
I idolized this woman in my pre and early pubescent years although I have to admit, her last two studio albums prior to American Doll Posse, The Beekeeper & Scarlet’s Walk left me feeling like she had become a little pedestrian. But now she’s back in my (ears). Enjoyable songs aside, I’m really taken by the concept behind American Doll Posse. On it, Tori performs as five different female characters – all based on female characters from Greek mythology yet all essentially representing different aspects of her own personality. It’s a comment on how the world has a way of fragmenting and compartmentalizing women - from Greek Mythology to Sex and the City – you’re either a fighter or a lover; a virgin, a mother or a whore; Charlotte or Miranda; Paris or Hilary, hence you get dumbass articles like in the Gold Coast Bulletin (Feb 3-4 2007) asking young women whether they prefer to be Paris, who is meant to represent beauty or Hilary Clinton (brains). Oh and a note to Pussycat Dolls who call their brand of sexiness “female empowerment”, I’m sorry to tell you this, but that’s just skankiness – you could learn how to do it right from Tori. Still, several mainstream radio stations in the States refused to play Tori’s Big Wheel because of the lyrics “I am an M-I-L-F, don’t you forget.” Puritan cunts. No, hypocrites – they clearly have no problems playing Fergie rhyme about her lovely lady lumps and humps 178 times a day.
3. A Classic and A Persistent Issue
- A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke
The sheer brilliance of the King of Soul, Sam Cooke’s 1964 song on racism hasn’t faded over the years. Unfortunately, neither has the issue. We’re lucky(?) enough for it to be more covert these days but I wouldn’t say it has faded.
3A. My, my, how Clever
- Disco Sheets by Wolf Parade
I want to clarify that I have nothing against “indie” music (although some of it is full of bull); it’s mostly the “indie” scene these days that make me want to wrinkle my nose and stick a gun up yours. Full of people enamored with their own (perceived) cleverness and (perceived) individuality but how indie is “indie” when all the “cool kids” (I use this term not without irony) are doing it now? Of course, I myself am enamored with my own (perceived) cleverness but it doesn’t mean I’m fond of other people who are; it’s kind of like how your own stink never smells as bad to you as someone else’s. Anyhow, KJ has been rabidly promoting her music-man-love-of-her-life-Canuck-of-the-Year, Spencer Krug (Kere and I like to call him The Crud) and his bands, Wolf Parade & Sunset Rubdown to anyone that will listen for some time now and well, she finally got me with this song. I think it has something to do with the element of electronic wankery. I’m a sucker for these things. I like beeps. And no KJ, I’m not a sucker for disco, I’m not a disco fan, please don’t use the word disco unless you’re referring to Saturday Night Fever or Donna Summers. Actually, I quite like Donna Summers. What? It’s Hot Stuff.
5. More Cleverness!
- Hang Me Up to Dry by Cold War Kids
- Hospital Beds by Cold War Kids
- We Used to Vacation by Cold War Kids
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- a few new songs they played at their Brissie show (sorry, I didn’t catch the names)
More indie cleverness than you can shake a big clever stick at but these guys don’t seem so enamored with themselves and I think I might just be a fan. Went for their show at the Tivoli,
6.Enough with the Cleverness – Give me them 3-Chord Proto Punks Again!
- Down on the Street by Iggy & The Stooges
- No Fun by Iggy & The Stooges
No attempts at being clever, just raw and primal, all bullshit hence no bullshit. I think I’ve mentioned it on this blog before – I absolutely love Iggy & the Stooges, man. Every word that Iggy sings (at this phase in his career) speaks to me like nothing else can right now. Yes, “no fun to hang around, feeling that same old way, no fun to hang around, freaked out for another day” and “RRRRAWWWWRRRRRRR!!!!” pretty much sums up my life at the moment. Cheers!
7. For When It Rains
- Nickel Plated Man by Eleni Mandell
- My Twin by Eleni Mandell
- Pauline by Eleni Mandell
- Hearts a Mess by Gotye
- Seven Hours with a Backseat Driver by Gotye
- Thanks for Your Time by Gotye
I love Eleni Mandell’s sultry, alto voice. It works well with the slow-burn of Nickel Plated Man and the simple, steady (but driving?) bass of Pauline. It’s not music to shout about; it’s the kind of music that’s pleasant to listen to on a rainy Saturday afternoon, curled in an armchair, staring out the window with a hot drink in one hand, a cigarette in another and mull over whatever it is you need to mull over. Nels Cline (Wilco) and DJ Bonebrake joins in on the low-key New Orleans-style jazz of My Twin. The three songs by Gotye, from the album, Like Drawing Blood were recorded in a home studio. It’s essentially sample-based music/ audio collage – and I know what you’re thinking, sample based music + home studio usually ends up as flat as my chest not to mention repetitive and droning – kind of like hearing the sound your own head produces when you’re watching paint dry. These songs however, I’d be happy if my head produced it – songs for when a rainy Saturday afternoon transitions into a slightly chilly Saturday evening and you’re trying to slowly warm yourself up to the prospect of going out ………and then you realize you’d rather stay at home since all the clubs in the area play shit music.
8. Francophilia
- I’ll Kill Her by Soko
- Dame de Lotus by Emilie Simon
I’ll Kill Her sees Soko rallying against the chick her man dumps her for, is oddly cute despite the fact that she’s threatening homicide and oddly funny too – she sings in her cute, French accent, “All she’s got is blondeness….. She’s clever-less, she will dump your ass for a model called
9. It’s Only Glorified Karaoke, But I Like It (Francophilia 2)
- Moi Lolita performed by Julien Doré
An acquaintance once said that no self-respecting “real” music fan should be caught promoting contestants from a reality TV talent search/ glorified karaoke. Uh, if this is true then I guess I’m a self-disrespecting fake music fan since I’ve been caught (alive) promoting – Rock Star INXS’ JD, Rock Star Supernova’s Ryan Star & Josh Logan and Australian Idol’s Bobby Flynn. C'est pas ma faute; I was born that way. Now shut it you elitist tit and watch as I do it again:
Ladies & Gentlemen, all 3 of you, say hello to Julien Doré – contestant of the French version of Idol, Nouvelle Star
For lack of a more poignant phrase, I can only describe Julien’s version of Alizee’s Moi Lolita as fucking HOT, like, literally; my body temperature must have gone up by a Celsius or two which was surprising, considering the low opinion I had of the song previously. If you must know what the crappy Euro-pop original sounds like, you can go here. If you don’t, then you can hear me (well, read) rave a little bit more about Julien (not interested? I’m sure there’s a porn/Spencer Krug Appreciation Society/Supernatural site somewhere that needs visiting).. Btw, did you see the female judge giving Julien scary ‘come to mama, hubba-hubba, slurp, slurp’ looks? I don’t blame her. There’s something about a man with an actual MAN’s voice singing with feeling (one more time!) … I found myself doing the same thing during the performance…… until I realized I was essentially giving ‘come to mama’ looks to my laptop. Pfft. Man, is it just my own perception of things or are attractive guys from Continental Europe in their own category of attractive? This is not to say that they’re more attractive than other attractive dudes, they just seem to have their own idiosyncratic brand of it- the Sexxxay bitch brand of attractiveness and I mean sexy bitch with all respect. Hot is one thing, sexy bitch is another. Only sexy bitches can carry off wearing a hair barrette (oh, you heard right). Refer to Exhibit A below:
Did I mention that he can also play guitar, piano and…..the ukulele? Oh yeah, ukulele. That’s sexy. (Yah, yah, KJ, you’re going to mention Spencer and his accordion, I bet). Also, anything said in French is sexy, even if it’s “I have indigestion.”
10. Miscellaneous but Not Least (I’m Just Too Tired to Type Much More)
-Look at You by Screaming Trees
-House of the Rising Sun by the Animals
- Strange Fruit performed by Billie Holiday (and the Jeff Buckley version)
- Gotta Serve Somebody by Bob Dylan
- The Crystal Ship by The Doors
- I Put a Spell On You/ Feeling Good performed by Nina Simone
- Fight the Good Fight by Triumph (yes, one Double CheeseRock with pickles, please)
- Girl, You’ll be a Woman Soon performed by Urge Overkill
- Cowgirl in the Sand by Neil Young
- Rehab by Amy Winehouse
- Invincible by Ok Go
- What Goes Around Comes Around by Justin Timberlake (hahaha, yeah, yeah, despite the fact that I should hate the Mr.-Look-At-Me-I’m-So-Grown-Up-Now-I’m-A-Misogynist! on principle...well, I do hate him on principle but I like him on the fact that he uses a lot of beeps in his songs. I like beeps. You can go ahead and hit me over the head or you can just live with it. I have a soft spot for Britney too and I AM NOT ASHAMED)
