The four albums I’ve been listening to the most in the last week, all by talented women with one word names:
Both excellent dance pop albums. Both with very dramatic poses, and very metallic breastplates. But remember, hands on the hips is darker and more serious than hands in the air.
Both quirky pop songstresses. Both blonde. Both naked. Both decorated with strange colourful objects. But only one is a gay lady.
All the above are most excellent by the way, and highly recommended by ME!
Very sad today to hear of the death of Kate McGarrigle. I have been a fan of the McGarrigles since the late 80′s when I discovered them while working at Radio Active. Truly great musicians and of course Kate’s wonderful genes also gave us Rufus and Martha Wainwright.
Here’s a clip of Kate, Rufus & Martha all performing together 6 weeks ago in London. I cried most of the way through it for some reason!
RIP Kate.
The Phoenix Foundation, one of NZ’s most popular bands and featuring my very own little bro Samuel, have just released a new ep “Merry Kriskmass” available for download and as usual it is effing awesome!
Here’s what the band had to say:
‘’I feel no pain, feel no fear, for the Krisk is a white reindeer” …. yes, a small stuffed white man and a reindeer have somehow managed to inspire our brand new little EP called Merry Kriskmass.
This fun, slightly odd 6-track EP managed to enter our lives during the time we were supposed to be recording our new album, providing much needed distraction from the often-gruelling album recording process. So much so, that we decided to share it with you in the hope that perhaps it brings some extra Christmas cheer.
We hope you enjoy. New album coming next year, and MEEEEERRY KRISKMASS.
It’s 8 years to the day since Kirsty MacColl was killed by a power boat at the age of 41. I still miss her – she had released a brilliant album just before she died and had so much more to give. Here’s one of her biggest hits, her cover of Billy Bragg’s “A New England”.
Still, no one has been held accountable for Kirsty’s death – see www.justiceforkirsty.org/
My bro Sam’s latest video clip is a masterpiece!
I was amazed to see the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald today which features Snoop Dogg in a Holden, surrounded by a mob, in Redfern, right outside the house that we lived in for six years in Hugo Street. It’s almost enough to make you wish you’d never sold the house! Wow.
Here’s the story: Rudd gives $20m to black scholarship fund.
Check out Britter’s new video, it is totally hot! Ah, I still love her…
Have horrible 5 hour lab skills test tomorrow so better get back to the books after this pleasant interlude…
I can hardly contain myself with the breaking news that Britney & Kevin are no more! Yes, it’s true, Britters has finally filed for divorce from the Love Rat:
What a blessing for us all! Now roll on the new album Britney! We still love you!!
Archie is absolutely obsessed with the Samuel Flynn Scott track, War Over Water. It all started when I posted the video to this blog a couple of weeks ago and Archie wanted to watch it every night before he went to bed. So then I played it to him on the stereo and now we have to listen to it roughly 50 times a day. Unfortunately as soon as it goes into the next track, he makes us skip back to War Over Water again. It says something for the brilliance of the track that I can still enjoy it!!
You want proof? Check out this clip… (sorry about the quality)
Right, back to the usual frivolity, and the exciting news that I got THREE great albums yesterday!
Firstly, of course, the new Kate Bush album, Aerial. I was greatly anticipating this as I’ve mentioned before, and it does not disappoint! Once again Kate has proven her utter originality and timeless musical brilliance. Favourite tracks so far are “Pi”, “Mrs Bartolozzi” (the infamous “washing machine” song and “Bertie” which is about her son and makes me cry! (Having sons of my own)
One of my naughty pleasures is the Russian “lesbian schoolgirl” band t.A.T.u. Their new album has been universally panned. But I love it. Something about their high pitched voices, intriguing Russian accents and frenzied techno pop just works for me. Plus they’re now doing a tortured bisexual angle on songs like “Loves Me Not”.
Finally I got an excellent Dolly Parton compilation, Mission Chapel Memories. It only covers Dolly tracks from 1971 to 1975, and includes classics like Jolene, as well as a host of brilliant obscure songs that really prove Dolly’s worth as a songwriter (again).