The best Twitter ever by The Drones also this blog is dead now

 

myspace is stupid, facebook is worse, but twitter is truly retarded....what next?
— The Drones (@thedrones) April 16, 2009

Well, that is Gareth Liddiard's middle finger maybe blogger should be added too. I'm going to stop this blog now, I feel like I've been talking to myself for a very long time. Anyway thanks for reading but bye-bye.




The Drones - Words From The Executioner To Alexander Pearce [Live] from Matthew Ellery on Vimeo.

A to Z: 100 Best Australian Albums... The Long List

Right, if anyone cares here is the full and or complete Aussie albums which are just my favorites of all-time and that is just an opinion too. It's been two months since posting anything and last time I just got a bit of over half but I really can't be fucked doing that or this anymore.

A is for...
The A to Z Recordings by Paul Kelly
Adalita by Adalita
All Times Though Paradise by The Saints
Australian Ghost Story by The Paradise Motel
The Axeman's Jazz by Beasts of Bourbon
B is for...
The Best of by Hard-Ons
Big Name, No Blankets by Warumpi Band
Blood Red River by The Scientists
Blue Trees by Mick Turner/Tren Brothers
Body Language by Kylie Minogue
C is for...
Cannot Buy My Soul by Kev Carmody/Various Artists
Cellulite Soul by Witch Hats
Charcoal Lane by Archie Roach
Circus Animals by Cold Chisel
Coal by Devastations
Crossing Off The Miles by Chad's Tree
Cruel, But Fair by Laughing Clowns
D is for...
Dead Wood Falls by Jen Cloher & The Endless Sea
The Definitive Collection by The Sports
Dirty Three by Dirty Three
Drunk On A Train by The Painkillers
E is for...
Eddy Current Suppression Ring by Eddy Current Suppression Ring
Everyday Lies by Hoss
F is for...
Far Be It From Me by Tex Perkins
The First Dance by Bridezilla
For The Birds by The Mess Hall
Free Dirt by Died Pretty
From One To Another by The Darling Downs
G is for...
Gala Mill by The Drones
Girl by Magic Dirt
GOD by GOD
Greasy Lens by Joel Silbersher
Gurrumul by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Gutterville Splendour Six by Gutterville Splendour Six
H is for...
Havilah by The Drones
Henry's Dream by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Here Come The Lies by The Drones
Hey Believer by Kim Salmon with STM
High Voltage by AC/DC
Hit Me With The Surreal Feel by Kim Salmon & The Surrealists
Honey Steel's Gold by Ed Kuepper
Hoodoo You Do by The Devil & Abbe May
Horse Stories by Dirty Three
The Horse, The Rat and The Swan by Snowman
Hourly, Daily by You Am I
I is for...
Ill At Ease by The Mark Of Cain
In The Pines by The Triffids
Inner City Sound by Various Artists
J is for...
James Reyne by James Reyne
Jean Lee & The Yellow Dog by Ed Kuepper
Jingles by Regurgitator
Jungle Blues by C.W. Stoneking
Junk by The Gin Club
K is for...
nothing
L is for...
Live by Venom P. Stinger
Lowercase by Bluetile Lounge
M is for...
Magic Box by The Loved Ones
Man, You Should Explode by The Kill Devil Hills
Marry Me Tonight by HTRK
The Meanie Of Life by The Meanies
Messenger by Jimmy Little
The Miller's Daughter by The Drones
N is for...
Nailed To The Cross by Sacred Cowboys
O is for...
O Soundtrack My Heart by Pivot
Oceans Apart by The Go-Betweens
Ode To Nothing by The Lighthouse Keepers
P is for...
Paddock Of Love by Lubricated Goat
Palimpsest by Essendon Airport
Paradise by My Disco
Pop Crimes by Rowland S. Howard
Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird by The Sleepy Jackson
Pilgrim's Progress by Harem Scarem
Pop Crimes by Rowland S. Howard
Prayers on Fire by The Birthday Party
Primitive Calculators (Black) by Primitive Calculators
Primitive Calculators and Friends (White) by Primitive Calculators/Various Artists
Q is for...
nothing
R is for...
Reelsville by Dave Mason
Reveal Yourself by The Blackeyed Susans
Ron Pisto's Real World by Fungus Brains
S is for...
The Shiralee by theredsunband
Sleeping Dogs Lie by The Victims
Soaking Red by Tendrils
The Soft 'N' Sexy Sound by Dave Graney 'N' The Coral Snakes
Space Coyote by The Tigers
Still Life by The Paradise Motel
Strange Bird by Augie March
Strange Tourist by Gareth Liddiard
Stoneage Romeos by Hoodoo Gurus
T is for...
The Tabloid Blues by Dan Kelly & The Alpha Males
Tales From The Australian Underground by Various Artists
Tales From the Australian Underground Volume 2 by Various Artists
Teenage Snuff Film by Rowland S. Howard
This Is Not The Way Home by The Cruel Sea
U is for...
nothing
V is for...
nothing
W is for...
Wait Long By The River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By by The Drones
The Waterfront Years by Tumbleweed
We're All Gunna Die by Don Walker
What Are Rockstars Doing Today by Magic Dirt
What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have by Sarah Blasko
Whatever You Love, You Are by Dirty Three
Where Joy Kills Sorrow by Various Artists
X is for...
X-Aspirations by X
Y is for...
Ya Gotta Let Me Do My Own Thing by Kim Salmon & The Surrealists
Z is for...
nothing

So that is it, any questions? What is your all-time favorite Aussie albums?

P.S. If you don't know that's Sir Les Patterson sitting on the crapper with the Aussie flag, photo by Polly Borland.

A to Z: 100 Best Australian Albums so "M" is for...

Right it's the thirty-first of May and I haven't posted anything in a month but I've been very sick and stuff anyway here's the letter "M" if you have been waiting, maybe or not. Above is the Australian Magpie by John Gould again. The magpie call has to be one of the greatest bird songs and it's totally common anywhere, just look out your window and you'll be looking at one right now... but maybe not. I'm going to cut things down a bit, the writing it's been getting longer and longer and I was looking at the early posts under this title and it was only one line. I was going to come back to write more later so I'll start doing that again now.

Magic Box by The Loved Ones
Sorry, to say this is the only album from the sixties, most of these albums here were made in my lifetime but what an album and it was the only studio album. They lasted only two years, plus this would have to be the most punk, garage sound from that time that I found.
Man, You Should Explode by The Kill Devil Hills
Yet another Perth band but I really don't care. This album is an epic masterpiece and has some of the most Aussie sounding songs on it. It really couldn't have been made anywhere else in the world plus I can't wait to see what they do next.
Marry Me Tonight by HTRK
Well this is now a total classic album and their new album from late last year is quickly becoming one too. With extra help of Rowland S. Howard on guitar and producer on this one. They were based overseas for years but now I hear they are back home plus I can't wait to see what they do next either.
The Meanie Of Life by The Meanies
One of the greatest band from the nineties with an album collecting all there early recordings, bits and pieces in true punk rock style before punk become pop or pop punk whatever the fucking hell that is and all that shit they call punk rock now but The Meanies never signed with a major label like most other so-called punks. Messenger by Jimmy Little
I have to say the late Jimmy Little now, passing away not that long ago at all. I couldn't believe this album missed out being included in that book or even the hottest list. Maybe I just thought it was way more popular than it was, or maybe if that radio station or writers were doing it now it would get in but you could say the same about me now but you would be wrong.

The Miller's Daughter by The Drones
Here comes The Drones again and this time with an album that is just out-takes from "Wait Long By The River..." and "Here Come The Lies" plus a few other things but it just proves just how great and amazing The Drones are full-stop.
Stay tuned for the letter "N" soon...

A to Z: 100 Best Australian Albums so "L" is for...

The Lorikeet, or should I say the Rainbow Lorikeet which is the full name, so it should be "R" really but anyway you'll maybe note that I've completely missed the last letter "K" out so you could say I don't know my alphabet but there are reasons. Well, one big fat reason really because when I made my list there are no albums under that letter. Maybe the closest would have to be the Chad's Tree album called Kerosene but it was included on a reissue with all their recordings called Crossing Off The Miles which is under "C" already. So for the letter "K" I was going pick the Kookaburra as the bird and pick out some YouTube clips or something but because this is taking forever, as I keep repeating in every post it will not matter missing one letter out, will it? I love Lorikeets because they're everywhere. Well, in Perth you can't go anywhere with out seeing and hearing them too, another very loud Aussie bird.

Only two albums for this post but these albums could be two of the most obscurer albums so far in my list, what do you think?

Live by Venom P. Stinger
This one was only ever put out on vinyl in a very small pressing but if you do get it, like myself you'll play it over and over and oh my god it looks so amazing spinning around on you record player, it's see-though green vinyl! The title Live is misleading too because it's not live in front of a crowd or live on stage at a gig but live recorded in a radio station which was live on the air at the time because there wasn't many recordings of them. It was such a great set they just released it. This band also contains two Dirty Three members and this was only a year or two away from them forming, Jim White on drums and Mick Turner on guitar and how much different they sounded in the early 90's.

Lowercase by Bluetile Lounge
This one is also long not available too or deleted CD but was distributed by Sub-Pop in the mid 90's and possibly more known in the U.S.A. than in the whole of Australia but in Perth at the time if you liked live indie music you will or should remember them. They built a small local following and now are a some what legendary cult band. I would not known where in hell you could get this album now but they did release a second after this debut album which I think is still around, somewhere maybe but in the late 90's they broke-up. This album is so great and would be in my top ten greatest albums of all-time, maybe even top five and that's in the world not just Aussie albums but I think there would be more Aussie stuff in my list anyway.     
Stay tuned for the letter "M" soon...

A to Z: 100 Best Australian Albums so "J" is for...

Jacana or it's full name Comb-crested Jacana, Wikipedia says that this bird is only in the northern and eastern states but I'm so sure I've seen it around here but I must be wrong and mistaking for something else. I have to figure it out and get back to you about it. Above is again another of John Gould's Birds of Australia.

Well these are five albums under the letter "J"so might has well get on with it.

James Reyne by James Reyne
His solo self titled debut album is the closest thing to John Farnham's Whispering Jack in my list here, released around the same time and in my opinion has better songs. James was always a better songwriter too, he was also with Australian Crawl who split up just before this record. It was another one of my earliest albums I got and if I remember right it was on vinyl. I still love it but I've got it on CD now. I don't know why they changed the the front cover photo, it's dated very well for a mid-80's album.

Jean Lee and the Yellow Dog by Ed Kuepper
The second solo Ed Kuepper album on my list and fourth time after The Saints and Laughing Clowns boxsets. This is his last album of new songs which came out five years ago now, mostly he's been releasing live recording in that time. He was very prolific after he went solo with almost an album every year from the mid-80's through the 90's and only slowing down in the 2000's. The songs were somewhat based around the story of the last female murderer Jean Lee to be executed in Australia in the 1950's.

Jingles by Regurgitator
This is Regurgitator's best of compilation album from the early 2000's so it's got all the 90's stuff you could possibly want all in the same place, including songs from the early singles, EPs and the first three albums. Which saying it like that sounds like not much but it's a packed, totally full at twenty-one tracks and all the best songs well, it's all the ones I remember. They are still going today but with a different drummer so it's really not the same band. If you've seen them live back in 90's this would be the making of their greatest setlist and man they were crazy live too.

Jungle Blues by C.W. Stoneking
He was born in Darwin, Northern Territory but this his second album was recorded in Melbourne. He's singing about Africa and America which is a really Aussie thing to do. Most people in this county think it's better somewhere in the world other than where they are right now, or are planning to travel oversea or just both and bitch about Australia in the meantime. True to form C.W. Stoneking jumped ship soon after this album and has been playing these songs everywhere else but here and we will have to wait to see what he does next. By the way, Jim White from the Dirty Three plays the drums on this album too.

Junk by The Gin Club
The double album is a rare thing but with eight members in The Gin Club and all are songwriters so it makes perfect senses here. Like most great double albums this one is totally epic, the way it should be but I guess I understand it's too much for most people to take in all in one go. I will say if this band was from America they would be huge. It's like most Aussie bands shouldn't think too big and in this case big in songwriting, do you know what I mean? Like say The Drones should be too. Hey, The Drones should do a double album next... I wish.


Stay tuned for the letter "K" soon...

A to Z: 100 Best Australian Albums so "I" is for...

The Ibis or the Straw-necked Ibis is another bird I can see flying around where I live all the time. They're an odd looking bird or not a pretty one but who cares about that really. All adults have distinctive straw-like feathers on their neck which how they get their name and no feathers on the top of their heads. Their wings look black in the above image but they're (or can be) all-sorts of shinny colors in the right light. Once again the above image is from John Gould's Birds of Australia.

So on with my next albums under the letter "I" which is another vowel and only three this time which is a good thing I was reading that you're suppose to keep your blog post short because people can't or wouldn't read long ones, is that true?

Ill At Ease by The Mark Of Cain
Adelaide's finest band with their break through album, their third album and with only another one album after this one you could say it's going to be their peak. Over the last couple of years they have been talking about a new album but it's been a long time coming, ten years plus now. Back to the mid-90's and Henry Rollins moved to Adelaide for a couple of months to be their producer because basically he wanted a new album by them, he is their biggest fan. I still remember seeing them at a small club and he was there hiding behind the amp tower doing the famous Henry Rollins dance, if you can call it that because imagine him on Dancing With The Stars doing that. Anyway it was hard picking which The Mark Of Cain album but it has to be this one. 


In The Pines by The Triffids
This would have been recorded around the time of my ten birthday and only an hour or two away from where I grew up but I didn't know anything about The Triffids back then. I love them now and this one has to be my favorite album by them. It's the only album to be recorded in Western Australia too and the reissue from a few years ago included everything recorded at the time. It's David McComb's songwriting at his best. Some of these songs were already going to be used for the next planned album so it was somewhat dismissed at the time because it is 8-track cheap recording, just something to do before going into the next real studio. Ravensthorpe is in the middle of nowhere and unless you've come to W.A. you don't know what that means, it's days and hours and hours of driving to get anywhere here and when you get somewhere out in the country it's usually got nothing anyway not even trees sometimes.


Inner City Sound by Various Artists
Based on Clinton Walker's book of the same name which is somewhat of a bible of early Aussie punk rock with this double CD featuring an endless amount of bands from the late 70's and early 80's. With 28 songs on disc one and 20 on disc two. So it features some of my favorite tracks by my all-time favorite bands like Primitive Calculators, Laughing Clowns, The Scientists, Sacred Cowboys, Essendon Airport, X, The Lighthouse Keepers, The Saints which have two tracks, the above band The Triffids plus a few big names you will know like The Go-Betweens, Hunters & Collectors, Severed Heads, The Boys Next Door and The Birthday Party but the biggest treat is Rowland S. Howard singing Shivers with his early band Young Charlatans, it's worth it just for that one song. Stay tuned for the letter "J" soon...

A to Z: 100 Best Australian Albums so "H" is for...

The Harrier, or it's the Swamp Harrier above and I'm back using John Gould's Birds of Australia again. Swamp Harrier is a bird that's in least concern in conservation status which is a great thing really but people do like to talk about about all the Endangered or even the Extinct species and I did last time with Gouldian Finch. I remember visiting the museum of W.A. and I loved going to the Bird gallery all the time. They have all the birds in Western Australian taxidermied but it seem only the tourists from somewhere else would look at these birds and local people looked at the extinct display in the corner and I would hear things like, "I want to see something I don't see everyday when I come to the museum" or "This is a boring room, let's see what's next" and after a while of hearing this I've stopped going because it was depressing listening to people talk like that, or just start wishing the human race was extincted.

Anyway back to the music and the letter "H" which seems like it's got the most amount of albums so far in my little count down, reaching double figures with ten so that's why its taken so long in between posts.

Havilah by The Drones
Well, here are The Drones again with their last album from 2008, a long time ago now and this time at their own home studio. Joining them as a full new member was Dan Luscombe with Mike Noga on his second album and of-course Fiona Kitschin and Gareth Liddiard have been here from the start.

Henry's Dream by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
With two more Aussie members joining the band Martyn P. Casey and Conway Savage make it the most ever but really can we call Cave an Aussie anymore? He's lived almost all of his adult life in England, and do you know how many albums he has done in Australia? I mean the full album? Well, only two albums Kicking Against the Pricks and Nocturama, which are not great records and that's pretty fucking lame for someone who calls himself an Aussie. Anyway this one was recorded in the U.S.A. but only mixed here. I've picked this because if I was to choose only one Bad Seeds album to listen to this would be it.   

Here Come The Lies by The Drones
Here's where it all started with the debut album from 2002, the band members at this point were Gareth, Fiona Kitschin, Rui Pereira and early drummer Christian Strybosch plus listed in the liner notes are Matt Heydon plays "Mr Whippy piano on New Kind of Kick" and Craig Williamson "his swollen eggs on The Cockeyed Lowlife of the Highlands" whatever that means.


Hey Believer by Kim Salmon with STM
The first of two albums in this post and he's already been here in my list four times, if you didn't know, with From One To Another by The Darling Downs, Dirty Three by Dirty Three, Blood Red River by The Scientists and The Axeman's Jazz by Beasts of Bourbon. This record from the mid-90' was at the time the closest he came to doing a solo album but six of these tracks included and band called STM who was the late Andrew Entsch on Doulbe Bass and Dirty Three's Jim White and Warren Ellis.

High Voltage by AC/DC
This debut album was like the blueprint without really even thinking about it, they were just another rock n roll band starting out, nothing more. I remember having the Aussie version on cassette tape with a different tracklisting, as one of my first albums I bought myself but you can't get that anymore, I wish you could. Most of Bon Scott's lyrics made more sense the older I got but they were never as good as this album. Of course they became one of the biggest heavy rock bands in the world with one of the highest selling albums of all-time but thier early stuff is always better, everytime.  

Hit Me With The Surreal Feel by Kim Salmon & the Surrealists
The debut album of The Surrealists and Kim Salmon. After The Scientists broke-up he formed a trio line-up with Brian Hooper on bass and Tony Pola on drums. Recorded with microphones randomly placed around the studio and recorded on just a four-track in his home town of Perth before packing up and heading east. Other than tours he's never come back finally setting up home in Melbourne a few years later. I like the fact I've sandwiched Kim Salmon's albums in between AC/DC and also The Drones in between Nick Cave but both I would argue are more Aussie than the bigger names and that's what my list is all about.

Honey Steel's Gold by Ed Kuepper
Ed Kuepper left The Saints after just three albums to form his new band, Laughing Clowns who broke-up. This is one of his solo albums after almost ten years playing under just his name. Original release in 1991 with a killer band line-up of Mark Dawson on Drums, Sir Alfonso on Bass and The Necks' Chris Abrahams on Piano and Organ, also the first he worked with his long time co-producer, Phil Punch. Can I call it one of the best break-up albums of all-time, it's like the Aussie's Blood on the Tracks.

Hoodoo You Do by The Devil & Abbe May
Right this is Abbe May's second album but the only one to be released under this name. It's her totally Blues album so off-course it's got the main star the Devil, himself which is more a heavy metal thing now. Most people compare her to an Female English songwriter but I would say she is more like the bloke who she broke's heart in the late 90's. Yes, I'm talking about Nick Cave again not PJ Harvey and I would argue she's the new Nick Cave. It's seems to me both are pretty much doing the same thing in the last couple of years but it's wicked coming from a young lady but just silly coming from an old man plus she would murder him in a guitar duel. Then again it's really very silly comparing artists and I'm just on a I hate Nick Cave rant tonight.

Horse Stories by Dirty Three
The second  Dirty Three album or is it the third if you count the demo tape that was turned into the album Sad & Dangerous but anyway it's the second on my list. On the DVD doco from 2007 Warren Ellis was saying it he didn't want to or/and could have not released it at the time, I can not think of that time in the mid 90's music landscape without this album. I wish they would stop being just a side project to all of Nick Cave's stuff too and it's so great to have them back with a new album. Ellis should file his divorce papers next and come back to his first love, Dirty Three and make it a full time band again. I'll never forgive Cave for fucking up one of the greatest bands of all-time but I also remember Ellis talking about working with Charlie Marshall in the mid-90's, how amazing it was and what an honor to work with such a great songwriter like him but who knows who he is now? my point is, it was inevitable if someone like Nick Cave came along.


Hourly, Daily by You Am I
This would have to be my favorite You Am I album and it's for the simple reason that it's their first album recorded in Australia. Tim Rogers, Andy Kent and Russell Hopkinson stopped going oversea to do their albums and this is the third album, the two album before were both done in the U.S.A. with Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo. Roger's songs also look closer to home e.g. daily life from waking up in the morning to saying goodnight. You really couldn't find a more Aussie looking album cover because when you look out a window or walk down the street that is what you would see. This albums got nothing to do with Nick Cave, thank fuck but from now on I promise to NOT say his name anymore on this blog, he just pisses me off now. I'll have to write about all these albums again without him so sorry about that.

Stay tuned for the letter "I" soon...

A to Z: 100 Best Australian Albums so "G" is for...

Gouldian Finch, maybe I should have posted this under "F" for Finch. It's named after Elizabeth Gould which is of-course John Gould wife but it seems the Gouldian Finch was never included in the Birds Of Australia books, or if it was I can't find it. Maybe it was a tribute to her after she died, her and John were working partners as well as married but only his name was on the books, this was back in 1830-40's. She passed away before finishing the Birds of Australia. I really can't find out the full story but I'd like to know more, maybe if someone knows and wanted to tell me below in the comments feel free to do so.

I was just reading the other day how they just found a new population in Dampier Peninsula in the western Kimberley so this is great because they're endangered. The top photo is credited to AAP/Macquarie University from the above story and if you want to check it out follow the link above to read more about it.

Anyway on with the next Aussie albums under the letter "G"...

Gala Mill by The Drones
Well, surprise it's The Drones again on my blog. It's the first album with Mike Noga on the drums and recorded in Noga's home state of Tasmania. It's also the last one with Rui Pereira on guitars but Dan Luscombe plays slide guitar. Fiona Kitschin sings Work For Me. Gareth Liddiard sings everything else but songwriting is credited to the band which never happened before or after. Did you know the cover image is by Spencer P. Jones?


Girl by Magic Dirt
I really have to include the last ever Magic Dirt album. It's so sad that this is the final album for such a classic Aussie rock n' roll band but it's even more sad because of the untimely death of Dean Turner at the young age of 37 years old of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, a rare form of tissue cancer. Girl is their sixth full length album and what a way to finish. I should say the band never said they're broken-up but they said they're on hiatus with no immediate plans to tour or record. Their singer Adalita of-course now has put out a solo album and their guitarist Raul Sanchez has a new band called River of Snakes.


GOD by GOD
Who other than a few cheeky teenagers would name themselves after God. Joel Silbersher, Tim Hemensley, Sean Greenway and Matthew Whittle were all only 15 or 16 when forming the band and were together for only four years from 1986 to 1989. This reissue from a couple of years ago is essential for anyone who's into Aussie punk rock. The self-titled double reissue has got everything recorded in that short time plus the recording of the last ever gig. Greenway and Hemensley both died in the early 2000's so there's never going to be a reunion.


Greasy Lens by Joel Silbersher
Well, this is the solo album by one of the members of the above band. He's gone on to form 90's band Hoss, also formed Tendrils with Charlie Owen and now a member of Tex Perkins' Dark Horses, But his 2002 debut solo is an underrated gem and has to be included here. Playing most the instruments himself with bits and pieces played by Murrary Paterson, Barry Stockley, Dean Muller, Sarah Carroll, Jessica Billey, Mick Turner which was released on his label and of-course Charlie Owen too.


Gurrumul by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Right, what can I possibly write about this unbelievably epic album that has not already been say before. Well, not much really, it deserves all the praise and acclaim it's got and I don't know what else to say other than if you haven't heard it yet, what have you been doing?


Gutterville Splendour Six by Gutterville Splendour Six
This was Gareth Liddiard before The Drones but also their original guitarist Rui Pereira plays bass here plus Warren Hall earliest Drones drummer too. Also two of the early The Drones members got together and later formed The Kill Devil Hills. Brendon Humphries played guitar on three songs and Steve Joines on four different songs. Plus James McCann also played guitar on yet another five more tracks. Gaz was really the only main guitar player, I remember the kind-off Q&A thing someone asked if he would do a reunion show he said the guitar player is a drunk and wouldn't work with him again, he was talking about himself. The lead singer-songwriter was Maurice Flavel and from 1995 to 2000 they giged around Perth and this is a reissued now only on vinyl.


Stay tuned for the letter "H" soon...

A to Z: 100 Best Australian Albums so "F" is for...

Falcon, or above John Gould's Peregrine Falcon which is pretty common but not everywhere in Australia. It can be found all around the world too but I love this bird of prey so I just have to include it here. Anyway on with five more albums from my 100 best aussie albums to be filed under the letter "F".

Far Be It From Me by Tex Perkins
After years and years fronting and singing in so many different bands with various success in the mid-90's Tex just went solo. Well, he did have to hand-pick all the musicians: Charlie Owen, Warren Ellis, Jim White, Ken Gormly, Jim Elliott, Penny Ikinger, Tony Cohen, Mick Harvey, Dave Graney and Joel Silbersher. So it was an all-star line-up and he had some of his best written lyrics to go with them which makes this my favorite of his.


The First Dance by Bridezilla
Their debut album came after a self titled EP, a split 7” single with Tren Brothers in late 2009 but so far nothing since. So once again here in my list most people have forgotten this band unfortunately. This Sydney band is four girls playing guitars, violin and saxophone and a male drummer with lead singer called Holiday Sidewinder which has to be the coolest name in the world so The First Dance has to be one of my favorite Aussie albums of all-time.


For The Birds by The Mess Hall
The last album released by The Mess Hall is the one I've picked because they just get better and better with each album. Maybe, a bit more mellow than their past work but to me it's their perfect album. Maybe, it's the kind-off theme in the title that is why I like it more than the old stuff but I really can't wait for the next thing Cec Condon and Jed Kurzel do and it's been a few years now so fingers-crossed for something soon.


Free Dirt by Died Pretty
Another debut album on my list but I really just had to pick something else other than Doughboy Hollow which is the one everyone says is their classic album but I really do like this one better and this band was more than just one album. I read an interview with Ron Peno a few months back were he says Triple J's Richard Kingsmill had to apologise to him because he was so embrassed Died Pretty didn't get into the Hottest 100 Aussie albums last year. I imagine it happing like this Kingsmill on his knees and crying and praying for forgiveness while Peno's standing about him with a samurai sword at his neck.

From One To Another by The Darling Downs
The second and most likely the final album from Ron Peno and Kim Salmon, this duo of Aussie legends has to be proof that you can teach old dogs new tricks. Both of them are from two of the greatest Aussie rock n' roll bands, Ron from the above band and Kim from... well to start with The Scientists but so much more. Both together here they're playing acoustic country folk, Salmon even plays a banjo and it's unbelievable. Again more people should listen to this and the debut album How Can I Forget This Heart Of Mine?

Stay tuned for the letter "G" soon...

2011: My music picks of the past year!!!

Well, it's almost the end of January so if I don't post this now it with be a bit pointless but it's here now dear reader, whoever you are.

My Artist of the year:
Adalita
Well, she was everywhere this year after fronting one of the best rock n' roll bands in Australia for 20 years she went solo. She payed tribute to Nick Cave and The Wiggles, covered Madonna for triple J, played for the Dalai Lama and won A.I.R. award (Australian Independent Record Labels Association) and if I had an award she would win four today. If I did have an award it would look like a duck swimming in a coffee cup - anyway if you read this first it gives the rest away, oh well.

My Song and 7" inch 45 vinyl of the year:
The Repairer by Adalita
Just like last year's song of the year it's a 7" inch 45 vinyl I bought. Plus, after a couple of days ago I totally disagee with Triple J's Hottest 100 again, so my theory now is the more votes you get the more shit they can get just like politicians, ha.

My E.P. of the year:
Bad Blood by River of Snakes
I picked Adalita's Hot Air last year and this year another Magic Dirt related release, so if you don't know it's thier guitarist Raul Sanchez who's now a singer as well for River of Snakes in this new three piece.

My D.V.D. and the double gatefold 33 1/3 vinyl of the year:
A Thousand Mistakes by The Drones
Well, surprise I got both the verisons released of The Drones this year, both are totally beautiful and beyond words.

My live gig of the year:
(Tie) Gareth Liddiard & Dan Kelly / The Drones & Adalita both @ The Bakery, Northbridge.
OK, Well I really can't pick just one so I've picked both because well they were the greatest gigs of the year, that's the whole show including the support acts too.





My Reissue of the year:
(Tie) Let Love In & No More Shall We Part by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
I wasn't going to buy any more of these reissues because I've already got them but somehow by the end of the year I've got two of them. The only thing dissapointing is reading the new liner notes about the demos he recorded with Rowland S. Howard (Let Love In) and Warren Ellis (No More Shall We Part) and the demo recordings are not on these reissues, why not?


My Albums of the year:
My #10: Feel The Pain by The Painkillers
The Painkillers new album is the first to be recorded in a real recording studio, unlike the debut album which was just made as a demo tape to get gigs but I still love them and it's a great way to start my top ten.

My #9: The Balladeer Hunter by Mike Noga
The Drones' drummer's second solo album is pretty damn good, it's a pity really he's in a band who's singer-songwriter I consider the best at the moment because he would be higher in this list. Still he's at number nine which is not a bad number really too.

My #8: Hurtsville by Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders
This is the third album by Jack Ladder and the one which finally got me. I never really got him before but also hopefully he will not sing any more Christmas unwear advertising again.


My #7: The Cat by Ben Salter
Ben Salter debut solo album is wicked after years playing with too many bands to name here is just all his songs by themselves, even though it's a big afair with an all-star line-up.


My #6: Precious Jules by Precious Jules
Or Kim Salmon and Michael Stranges' new band together, sometimes it's hard keeping up with all of Kim Salmon's projects/bands/works and this one is his most straight rock n' rock album in years.

My #5: Design Desire by Abbe May
Can you call this her first "solo" album after albums going under The Devil & Abbe May and Abbe May & The Rockin’ Pnuemonia she is finally just Abbe May, she really came into her own on this album.

My #4: I Still Hear Your Voice At Night by The Paradise Motel
Originally recorded in 2009 but finally out this year, it was shelved because of the death of drummer Damien Hill but it's great they released it now. After thier last album came in second in last years list, it's so amazing to have them back.

My #3: Absence by Snowman
The end of this band was recording this album unfortunately but what a way to go out and even so releasing it after the band has broken-up was the right thing to do. I will miss you Snowman.


My #2: Work (Work, Work) by HTRK
Well, just missing out on the number one spot. If I was to pick a band of the year it would be HTRK, there is now only two members left but it still counts as a band, just. Some say it was just more of the same but to me this so different to the early records, not just that Sean Stewart is missing but so is Rowland S. Howard who was like the fourth member really but now it's just Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang.

My #1: Adalita by Adalita
Well, really it's Adalita's year for me and winner of four places in my best picks of the year. What more can I say about her now. Well, if you don't know it was on this album she payed tribute to her fallen band member Dean Turner and it' s prefect too, go out and buy the album if you haven't got it yet.


P.S. This is the fifth time I've made this kind-off list on the internet. My albums of the year, so far are:
2007: Jean Lee and The Yellow dog by Ed Kuepper
2008: Havilah by The Drones
2009: As Day Follows Night by Sarah Blasko
2010: Strange Tourist by Gareth Liddiard
I'll get back to my 100 Aussie albums for the next post soon, thanks again for reading or just having a look.