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.

Cover Version: 4 triple J's Like a Version with The Drones, Sarah Blasko, Adalita and Glenn Richards

So with the series titled, Cover Version I'm sooner or later going to write about Triple J's Like a Version. With Like a Version Volume Seven coming out soon if not all ready, plus this month being Triple J's Ausmusic month I've picked out my four cover versions, which are all Aussie artists anyway. Two are on the new CD but the last one is unfortunately not. The Drones were on an older volume which is my favorite of all the volumes, of course. I've tried to embed these before on my blog and I don't know what I did wrong but had another go at these code things again and it seemed to have worked today, must be getting better at this or something.

Well, I just wouldn't be right to not include The Drones in a blog post or at least every second post or so. This is from Like a Version: Volume Five (the front cover is the above image) and would have to be one of my all-time favorite covers ever. Suicide Is Painless is an old 70's song the oldest song here which was originally the theme song for M*A*S*H


This is one song which is on the new volume which Sarah Blasko's cover of the 90's rappers OutKast biggest hit Hey Ya! and one reason to get this new CD. It's an unbelievable cover because I totally hated and loathed this song when it came out but now because of this I love it.


Another song on the new volume, this time it's Magic Dirt's Adalita covering one of the most famous singers of all-time or well of the 80's at least, Madonna. Her second single ever with Burning Up but this is so far removed from it's pop roots. I love this so much more than the original too, it even makes Madonna sound cool, so its got to be great.


This song is NOT on the new CD which a real pity because this is another unbelievable cover and it's Glenn Richards from Augie March with a classic Aussie 80's song by The Reels called Quasimodo's Dream. This is the least crazy selection of the four covers I've picked because the other three above in some way or other are kind off bizarre songs to cover but all work perfect too. I really wish this one below was on the new volume but it's unfortunately not, bugger you Triple J. I would have got it if this was on it, but I still might, maybe...


I'll get back to my favorite Aussie albums next with the letter "F".

Video Tape: The Drones @ The Metro Theatre, Sydney, 2011 (the last gig for the year)

OK, I really have to post this because someone sent me the link to the full gig filmed at the Metro in Sydney which is the last gig of the tour that finished last week so this is the last gig from The Drones for this year. I will not type very much because as you will see this is a very, very long video or it's a playlist but I'm going to just embed it in full just as you would be watching them live but off course it's not the same thing well, it's close enough. So thanks to Prettycrap for filming it all, cheers mate.



The setlist:
The Best You Can Believe In
I’m Here Now
The Minotaur
Jezebel
Cold And Sober
Luck In Odd Numbers
River Of Tears
Sitting On The Edge Of The Bed Cryin’
I Don’t Ever Want To Change
Sixteen Straws
Oh, Sister (Bob Dylan cover)

More Gaz: He does root The Drones, the DVD and the Gigs

The photo above is really very silly but does look like Gaz is rooting the rest of the band, I've written a post called The Roots of Gareth Liddiard and The Drones so maybe I should have used this photo but it's very new. I found it on the latest mess+noise interview with him but god knows who took the photo.

OK, it's been a long wait for this DVD. It would have been at least early last year when I first heard about it and the filming for Melbourne's East Brunswick Club on February 20, 2010. Gaz has said it takes a long time in DVD land so I guess he's right but he's also done the reissue of Gutterville Splendour Six on vinyl and recorded/produced Ben Salter's debut solo album this year, plus of course his own solo album was released last year too. Mike Noga also put out his own solo album early this year too. Mike Noga and Dan Luscombe both joined Augie March's Glenn Richards for his debut solo album. Fiona Kitschin has been managing her boyfriend's solo career too, do you know who that is? If not just have guess, a clue his name is in the title of this post. So everyone has been busy, I guess but not the busy I would like. No really I have loved all the above projects but maybe I just missed The Drones.

This has been a long week too because I kept checking for the DVD since last Friday, 7th October which was the second release date which had changed from 16th September. I didn't get it until this Friday, 14th October. I always get this with anything on the Shock Records distribution, you could really place bets on how late they are. It's all great being independent and all but I wish it meant stuff arrived on the due date or why have one, fuck knows should be the release date but I do live on the arse end of this country, Perth.

So, now I have it I've watched it twice already even though I've worked a six day week at work, filling in for my boss who's gone on school holidays down south with his kids. The Fairfied Warehouse sessions are the quieter and in all color to the East Brunswick club session louder and in Black and White and is the first disc - both are from 2010. Then the second disc is 2005 to 2008 which is a lot of stuff recorded but never seen before or maybe just on youtube but you can now have it all in the one place which is so cool, I don't have to download it all the time now. I have read people saying four and a half hours is too long for any band but The Drones some songs are about ten minutes long and in the end it really is not too long. If anything, I wouldn't have minded another disc but maybe that is just me. I totally love this band, they're the greatest band in the world and this DVD has made them even more so.

In some interviews Liddiard has talked about a big box of live recording of mainly audio so I would love to hear them now too but this is mainly all the video recordings here. Of course a few years back they released their first DVD called Live In Madrid which is Spain plus extras, like videoclips of Shark Fin Blues and Jezebel so this one maybe should have had The Minotaur videoclip but that is really no great loss. That old DVD was really Rui Pereira time period on film and this new one is Dan Luscombe but The Tote footage on the second disc has Rui Pereira back on guitar. France and Germany is covered here, plus the last two shows are from Sydney shows but no England at all, which is a bit funny because their record label is English but who really cares about them anyway. What else can I tell you about it? Well, I spotted two Vincent van Gogh reproductions behind Mike Noga's shoulder. On his right is a very small Starry Night and Pink Peach Tree in Blossom on his left. Behind Fiona Kitschin is The Cricketers by Russell Drysdale. The tracklisting is here if you want to see what songs were played and on the DVD.

In the interviews over the last couple of weeks for this DVD and tour Liddiard has talked about how he's not really listening to any rock n roll anymore and how he's really gotten into all this African music which has got nothing to do with rock 'n' roll and the whole of English and American music at all. Plus it is somehow is going to influence new The Drones songs, he's going to write over this summer. He also says The Drones can do anything now on more than one occasion in these interviews. In one interview he said "he's broke-up The Drones and is now forming a new band which is going to be called The Drones" or something along those lines. The only thing I wished one of these journos would ask Liddiard was to put together a list of the best and/or his favorite albums from Africa.

The few below photos are from the first of three gigs at Melbourne's The Corner Hotel on Wednesday night. The first three photos are from tonedeaf and were taken by Andrew Briscoe and then the bottom five are from fasterlouder by katie_fairservice. So as a celebration that I finally got my hands on The Drones' A Thousand Mistakes DVD I'd like to throw them into this latest post. I can't complain now because I don't think I'll stop watching it now, I'm fuckin' lovein' it. I think I would rate it ten out of ten or hundred out of hundred or just million out of million, go and get it yourself.

OK, I went to see both gigs in W.A. at Mojo's in Freo and The Bakery in Northbridge last week because it's been so long since seeing them live and it was a treat. Adalita was a great opening act, she was joined by Raúl Sánchez so it was kind-of half a Magic Dirt reunion but playing songs from her solo album, plus the b-sides from the Hot Air EP, just different ones on both nights.

The setlist was the same on both nights to start with but maybe mixed up later but I love pretty much all The Drones songs so they could play any of their songs and I would love it. They played Stop Dreaming both nights which according to an interview with Gaz I read last week they never play or not for a longtime, or never since Mike Noga and Dan Luscombe have join the band - who asked where did that song come from?

Some highlights were: Starting the night off with The Best You Can Believe In and Locust and then later Sitting On The Edge Of The Bed Cryin’ but no Sharkfin Blues from Wait Long By The River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By album but then again I've seen that one heaps of times before. Luck In Odd Numbers, The Drifting Housewife and of course The Minotaur from Havilah album. Jezebel, I’m Here Now and of course I Don’t Ever Want To Change from Gala Mill. River Of Tears too so pretty much the whole night was full of highlights. Then at Mojo's they did a wicked version of The Miller’s Daughter and at The Bakery they did Sixteen Straws. But then Adalita came back on stage to sing with Gaz: Oh Sister, a Bob Dylan cover from his Desire album which was unbelievable, they really should record it together. As far as I know this is the only time The Drones have ever done a Bob Dylan cover, I know they name dropped Dylan a lot before but never a cover but then again I might be wrong. I still wish they would record that one, it was classic. It seems they did it in Melbourne the week before and in Adelaide the next night too. It was two awesome nights so if you have never seen The Drones yet before they finish their run of shows or just go buy the DVD.

To finish this post I'll post the one and only video you can find on the official Drones youtube channel which can been found on the new DVD "A Thousand Mistakes". It's The Drones performing Kev Carmody's River Of Tears at the Cannot Buy My Soul concert at The State Theatre in January 2008. It's an unbelievable version, even the songwriter was blown away by this cover version.

Plus here is another very new videoclip just on youtube for the song Did She Scare All Of Your Friends Away from his great solo album Strange Tourist filmed by something called Sideshow Alley which was only uploaded a few days ago.

Right I better stop or I'll never finish this post, I've been writing all month, adding and adding to it. Maybe I should have broken it up but it's too late now. Stay tuned for the letter "E" very soon from my favorite 100 Aussie albums, I promise.

Video Tape: Fiona Kitschin's Work For Me, Adalita's Perfection & Ben Salter's The Coward + The Drones tour

So just to break-up my 100 greatest Aussie albums posts, here is three new videos I've been watching a lot. The first from The Drones' new DVD A Thousand Mistakes with Fiona Kitschin's Work For Me

Well, Adalita is supporting The Drones on their 2011 tour. Here is a great new video, Perfection from her debut self titled solo album. Which I think is pretty much my album of the year, so far.

Ben Salter has also released his debut solo album out now too. It is co-produced by Gareth Liddiard so this is kind-off like join the dots. Anyway, his album is called The Cat and this song is called The Coward.

So there you go, my three favorite videos at this moment in time so I hope you enjoy them, it's really just for me so I can find these things easy by looking here, ha.

+ The Drones tour dates for October 2011:
Friday 7 October — ANU Bar, Canberra
Saturday 8 October — Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Friday 14 October — Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Friday 21 October — The Bakery, Perth
Saturday 22 October — The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide
Friday 28 October – Hi-Fi Bar, Brisbane
Saturday 29 October – Metro, Sydney
All the tickets you can get at their new website.

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

The Albatross or the Shy Albatross above. OK I've edited these posts because this is taking way too long doing it like I have been so I'm just going to pick out an Australian bird for the picture at the top of the post, from John Gould's The Birds of Australia which was originally published from 1840 to 1848 in seven huge volumes.

Straight on with my favorite 100 Aussie albums now. So it seems everyone has rules for these kinds of lists but mine are going to be just anything you can lay your hands on, physically so CDs, vinyls, box sets, reissued albums are fine plus I'm including also a few compilation albums too.

As for who's included here you will not find Powderfinger or Silverchair or The Living End or INXS or even Midnight Oil for the simple reason that everyone always has them in these kind-of list so I'm not and you can just go to Triple J if you want a mainstream list of Aussie albums. This Hottest 100 Aussie Albums is a worse list than I was thinking it would be and just proves Triple J is completely useless in teaching listeners any kind-of history of the Aussie music scene.

I'll write just a few of lines on each album, I could go on forever but I'll try not too. This blog is basically to keep my writing going and just maybe I'm getting in a bit over my head with 100 albums but anyway here goes...

A is for...
The A to Z Recordings by Paul Kelly
Well, this is the reason I'm doing my list like this and it's much better than rating them in a count down which can be a bit silly really. I'm reading his book so I had to get this eight CD set. Paul Kelly's songs don't need anything more that him on stage with a guitar.


Absence by Snowman
Well, one of two albums released this year but both have been in the pipeline for a long time. This one was worked on in London for at least the last few years and is the final album because band now is broken-up. Snowman will always be remembered as one of the greatest Perth bands.


Adalita by Adalita
Here's the second album of 2011, Magic Dirt's front woman solo album was released at the start of the year. I think it's been worked on for a long time but finally saw the light of day now. We might not ever have another Magic Dirt album but if this is what she going to do as a solo artist it should have been out years ago.


All Times Though Paradise by The Saints
The second box set already but if your going to listen to The Saints you really only need the first three albums and this is where you can find them plus live recording and a shit load of bonus tracks from around the same time, 1976-1979.



Australian Ghost Story by The Paradise Motel
This album was released on 11 June 2010, the 30th anniversary of Azaria Chamberlain's birth. Which I should have wrote about at the top of this post under "A" but if you don't know anything about who she is, you should. This is The Paradise Motel's comeback album after ten years silence.


The Axeman's Jazz by Beasts of Bourbon
If this band formed today it would be labelled a supergroup but back in 1984 they were all nobodys. These guys just wanted to get drunk and play music and that is what happens here so this debut album by Beasts of Bourbon was recorded in an afternoon session of their live set list at the time before going off to the gig.


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

Video Tape: Gareth Liddiard & Adalita on RockWiz

Well, if you missed it and this was a repeat too, Gareth Liddiard and Adalita were on the TV show RockWiz last night. I found the whole thing on youtube to watch again and again and again and again if you don't have a TV, like myself or maybe you just live overseas, somewhere.






I hope you enjoyed that because I did, it's hilarious from beginning to the end and the songs are wicked too. If you don't know the songs are: Gaz does Oh My from The Drones' album Havilah, Adalita does Dirty Jeans from Magic Dirt's album What Are Rockstars Doing Today and the duet as the credits roll is a cover of an old Ed Kuepper and Chris Bailey classic track Messin' With The Kid by The Saints, unbelievable version eh?

2010: My Top Ten Albums of the year plus some more

My Song of the year
Rowland S. Howard's Golden Age Of Bloodshed



Rowland S. Howard - 'Golden Age Of Bloodshed' from Ghost Pictures Pty Ltd on Vimeo.

My E.P. of the year
Adalita's Hot Air


Adalita - Hot Air from Adam Harding on Vimeo.

My Reissue of the year
The Triffids' Wide Open Road: Best of...



My Compilation of the year
Various Artists and Maurice Frawley's Long Gone Whistle: The Songs of...


http://vimeo.com/14273007 from Carbie Warbie on Vimeo.

My Soundtrack/Film Score of the year
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis' The Road



My DVD of the year
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' Henry's Dream (Collectors Edition)



The Best Music Writing of the Year
My Book:
Craig Mathieson's Playlisted: Everything You Need to Know About Australian Music Right Now


My Magazine:
Tom Waits' edited Mojo Magazine 200th issue


My Online:
Andrew Ramadge's The World According To Gaz


My Live Act of the Year
Dirty Three performing Ocean Songs in its entirety as part of a Don't Look Back concert event @ Beck's Music Box on The Esplanade, Perth (11 February 2010)

DIRTY THREE - Ocean songs (complete 'Recovery' ABC TV performance) from Paralysed mind on Vimeo.

The Top Ten Albums of the Year
My #10
My Disco - Little Joy


My #9
The Gin Club - Deathwish



My #8
Stephen Cummings' Good Bones


http://vimeo.com/13512082 from Carbie Warbie on Vimeo.

My #7
Glenn Richards' Glimjack


Glenn Richards - 'Torpor and Spleen' (Official Video) from Glenn Richards on Vimeo.

My #6
Kim Salmon & the Surrealists' Grand Unifying Theory


http://vimeo.com/16824515 from Carbie Warbie on Vimeo.

My #5
PVT's Church With No Magic


"Window" PVT from London Sessions Productions on Vimeo.

My #4
Eddy Current Suppression Ring's Rush To Relax


Eddy Current Suppression Ring RUSH TO RELAX from Johann Rashid on Vimeo.

My #3
Dan Kelly's Dream


DAN KELLY Hold On, Im Coming On from Johann Rashid on Vimeo.

My #2
The Paradise Motel's Australian Ghost Story



My #1
Gareth Liddiard's Strange Tourist



The End.