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.

More Gaz: A Painting, 3 Albums, 5 Songs & New Video

Well, it's another post about Gareth Liddiard (surprise, surprise) so I'm just going to title them all More Gaz from now on and hopefully write about something else too but this post is just nicking stuff from other websites really which I hope is OK. I've read these the other day but just lost them and just going to re-post here to go with all the other Gaz posts as some kind of collection.

First up is Gareth Liddiard top three Aussie albums which I have to ask why only three? five or ten would be better even twenty maybe thirty, fuck-it if Liddiard wrote a book called 100 greatest Aussie albums I would buy it and read it over and over. I love it when he name-drops stuff because he always comes up with wicked music and I've never been disappointed with it because most of it I have and if not I can go out and find it. It's a bit of a history lesson in Aussie music, stuff that is less known but should be listened to more than it is. This is from the great people at FasterLouder and like someone said in the comments "He sure has a way with words" so I've cut and pasted it into my blog sorry if I'm breaking some copyright law but it's too good to edit or anything.

1. Kim Salmon & STM – Hey Believer

"When I was a young snapper I did all sorts of work at and for Kim Salmon shows. I was too young to drive a hire car but I had to drive the Surrealists around ‘cause they were too drunk and their promoter hated that about them. No one told me about Tarago handbrakes so the van always stunk of fishy hot brake pads and I was henceforth mocked. The Surrealists were amazing but STM was another story all together. The band was made up of Kim, Warren [Ellis] and Jim [White] from the Dirty Three and a double bass player called Andrew [Entsch] who died a long time ago. They only did one tour and made one album. One of the best bands I’ve ever seen live. And in true Australian fashion, no one gave a fuck because they weren’t from some other country run by white people."

2. AC/DC – Let There Be Rock

"As far as guitar sounds go, you can’t really beat this recording. It’s intense. And interesting considering that everywhere except Australia they’re known as the biggest rock band ever. Bigger even than the Beatles and Pink Floyd. They didn’t do a lot of compromising considering. But they didn’t come from somewhere else that’s run by whites or something so forget that. And Rupert Murdoch and Julian Assange don’t run the planet right now either. And Peter Singer isn’t usually right about everything and Les Murray isn’t one of the greatest three or four living poets right now. Elsewhere in the west is always best, remember that. Pretend you’re them."

3. Rowland S. Howard – Teenage Snuff Film

"This is Rowland’s masterpiece. He was the greatest, most original guitarist Australia has ever had. On the break up of the band that brought him fame he went on to record 10 or so records solo and with various bands that were mostly overlooked. Probably because his original singer appealed more to record companies that needed to make a buck, though Rowland was always, at least, equally as good. You never see him on those “greatest Australian album” lists which is nuts. He’s not alone though, Rowland and Spencer P. Jones are the most underrated songwriters on the planet. Everything on this record is perfecto, the tunes, guitar playing, production, Mick [Harvey], Brian [Hooper] and Rowland’s voice which was as jocular as it was jaundiced."

Next up is something called Take Five from Triple J radio. The five songs for each capital city in Australia because well he's on tour again, I guess. You can re-play it as much as you like too on the player links at the bottom of the page. Most of the songs are at the tail ends of the albums they're from and none are the singles or the more poplar tracks from them. I wish Liddiard would be a DJ after this because he would play the best songs and I could listen to his talk forever, even if it's his jokes and him laughing. Anyway I've cut and paste one paragraph and the playlist from their website too, oops I did it again.

He dropped by the triple j studios just before the start of his national tour with Dan Kelly to play five songs that remind him of different places - and not surprising he picked five fantastic Aussie tunes. He talked about how he visited Sydney just to buy a copy of X's Aspirations, why Kim Salmon & The Surrealists blew his mind and his love for the Dirty Three.

Here's what he played:

1. Kim Salmon & The Surrealists - Redemption For Sale (Perth)
2. Laughing Clowns - Song Of Joy (Brisbane)
3. X - Good On Ya Baby (Sydney)
4. Dirty Three - Red (Melbourne)
5. The Mark Of Cain - Summertime (Adelaide)

Gareth Liddiard - Strange Tourist from Two Fish Out Of Water on Vimeo.

So above is his new video for Strange Tourist which was re-recorded for this in his home in the Victorian mountains. The video directed by Jasmin Tarasin who is the same person who did the one for the Blondin Makes An Omelette video last year. I'm still slowly writing that big post but not finish yet. I've been sick this week but I did get to see him last weekend and it was a great live show too. The top image is a new painting for the Archibald Prize 2011. It’s not all Henry bloody Lawson is the title and it's painted by Jason Benjamin.

Stay tuned for more soon...

Photos: Gareth Liddiard & Dan Kelly in Aussie Rolling Stone Magazine

Well, I'm surprised by finding these two, Gareth Liddiard & Dan Kelly in the Aussie version of Rolling Stone magazine. I wish it was a couple pages longer, it's only a one and half page interview, it's cool, just short and two photos but the photos are great. I found the out-takes at the photographers own website plus a little writing about how and where they did the photos. I hope he doesn't mind me re-posting them here because they're great snaps, to go with my ever growing Gaz file here. Dan Boud is the name of the photographer and make sure you check out his website, it's wicked. One little thing I'd like to mention, Gaz which I don't know if you can tell by these photos but if you look at the magazine you see he's is wearing a "Operation Desert Storm, Made in the U.S.A., Tested in Iraq" T-shirt, he-ha.




On the cover is Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu who is quote "Australia's most important voice" which could be very true. I'm surprised too by him making it on the cover because most of the covers are things like Short Stack and other stuff, I wouldn't even consider them even music. I even don't think of Rolling Stone magazine as a music magazine really it's like a little better than gossip and tabloid magazines. The other features are recycled from the yank magazine which is always disappointing so I'm not going buy it again. This one would be the first since Nick Cave made it on the cover a few years ago.


Extra, Extra: Gareth Liddiard's first band Gutterville Splendour Six is reissuing their complete recording on double vinyl from the wicked Spanish label Bang Records. This band is like a some kind-off Perth supergroup or that is what they would be called now if they formed but this is before they did any other bands or any music at all. As well as Gaz it has Rui Pereira, The Drones original lead guitar, plus a few members of what would become The Kill Devil Hills and local legend Maurice Flavel who's just opened his own record store called Noise Pollution in Northbridge which I have to check out and would have to be the place to buy my copy of this.


P.S. I'm yet to finish off my really big post I said I was doing in the last post so maybe next time again, just this quick one in the meantime.

Video Tape: Gareth Liddiard @ The Lower Town Hall, The Sydney Festival 2011

Well, after last week writing hopefully we'll see some video recording of this gig here is two songs from the wonderful Mess+Noise, already. "Blondin Makes An Omelette" and "Strange Tourist", fingers crossed the rest of the show is on the way too but even if not these two are totally wicked. It does look like a bit of an odd gig to play watching these videos but it's way better that someone recording him on their mobile phone. I'm really liking this Vimeo as well, so much better than youtube. Plus since last time he's announced another national tour also singer-songwriter Dan Kelly will be the special guest on this tour, if you haven't seen the dates I've included them at the bottom of this page. We do have to wait until March or April to see Gareth Liddiard so if you haven't seen him yet, get a ticket and go and see him and Dan together, it will be great.

Gareth Liddiard - Strange Tourist from Mess+Noise on Vimeo.

Gareth Liddiard - Blondin Makes An Omelette from Mess+Noise on Vimeo.

The Tour Dates:
Friday 18 March - Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
Saturday 19 March - Mossvale Festival, Mossvale
Wednesday 23 March - The Maram, Canberra
Thursday 24 March - The Factory Theatre, Sydney
Friday 25 March - Lizotte’s, Newcastle
Saturday 26 March - The Zoo, Brisbane
Sunday 27 March - The Clarendon Guesthouse, Katoomba
Friday 1 April – Jive, Adelaide
Saturday 2 April - The Bakery, Perth
Thursday 7 and Friday 8 April - East Brunswick, Melbourne
Saturday 9 April - The National Hotel, Geelong

Top photo by Daniel Boud again, one I didn't include in the last post but from the same set of-course.

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.

Photos: Gareth Liddiard & Dan Kelly @ The EG Awards, 2010

Well, here's an quick post of a couple funny photos of Gareth Liddiard and Dan Kelly messin' about at The Age newspaper EG Awards 2010 with Paul Kelly's new book (above). If you didn't know Paul Kelly is now a member of their Hall of Fame. Gareth Liddiard later played two songs. The first a Paul Kelly cover "The Executioner" (below) with Dan Kelly. Then he played his own song "Stange Tourist" solo but he didn't win any awards but who gives a shit about that.

These four photos are by Robert Carbone which can be found at Photos: EG Awards 2010 : Mess+Noise. Sorry, I couldn't help reposting them here so hopefully no one minds too much.