So 2009 is on it's way out... another 365 days of Experiences, Memories, Failures have entered the zeitgeist making way for what will come in 2010.... and so i bring you the year that was in the form of 5 Top 5 Lists:
1. Top 5 Movies I Saw
5. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - This series can do no wrong for me, some people felt that this did not feel complete as a film, but thats fine with me because this film did what it was meant to do, got me excited for the final 2 movies!
4. Where the Wild things are - This did something that i did not expect it to, it scared me. Thats right the big headed fluffy monsters actually frightened me... not in the sence that they looked scary but in the amount of drama and emotion that they had was astounding. James Gandolfini was intence!
3 500 Days of Summer - I was a really big fan of the soundrtack to this film before i actually saw the film itself, i am pretty certain that no film can be bad if zooey deschanel is in it, The happening was not a bad movie, sure everything about it was bad except for some cool death scenes but the fact that zooey was in it for at least 40% of the film made it good. end of discussion. This film not only had zooey but was also well written and performed. Made me feel all sad :(
2. Up - Pixar can do no wrong, they know how to make you fall in love with animated charachters, something that seems to be lacking with other studios these days. In the sad scenes of this film i wont deny that i did shed a tear, not as much as some of the people who saw it with me mind you... this is a great film and more adult that most pixar films, which i think is a good direction to take.
1. Star Trek - This made my number one for two reasons....1. I am a closet Trekkie, my dad's a trekkie and so i grew up watching all the incarnations, 2. this movie was the bomb. Enough said, even if you are not a trekkie go check this out it is designed to be for everyone. I saw it 3 times, once on imax... this is my movie of 2009.
4. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures - I am usually in two moods about supergroups... on one hand i am excited, this is considering that the line up is to my liking (in the case of Josh Homme, Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones i was VERY Excited) but on the other hand i am cautious as supergroups seem to have a flaw in the fact that such heavyweights tend to try and outdo each other, and thus the bands usually sound like a mess. This band however did nothing of the sort. These guys deliver raw powerful songs and deliver them with style. Leaning towards the Queens of the Stone age meets Kashmir style Zepplin this album made me want to just mosh all day. Awesome!
3. Little Lion - Mumford and Son - Amazing tracks on this album, racing banjo sounds and that distincive vocal sound from Marcus Johnstone this is quite possible my favorite folk album of 2009... strongly contended by
2. The First Days of Spring - Noah and the Whale - After their previous release caught my attention i was really excited about the idea of them making an album with the inclusion of an orchestra and i wasn;t dissapointed. NATW have a wonderful ability to add an intense emotional feel to their music and this does more than that. Great album about what comes after a break up.
1. Head of the Hawk - Bluejuice - Bluejuice's first album didn't do much for me, it was a bit heavy on the hip hop sounds for my liking, the release this year however was nothing of the sort, a great party album with catchy tunes that you can sing/jump along to. The reason this album is in number one is for one reason, of all the list it is the album that affected me the most when i listened to it, it made me get up off my seat and dance, it may not be the pinnacle of technical music brilliance, it may not have poetic lyrics that inspire but it made me happy, it made me feel good... and isnt that what music should do?
5. Five Taco's and a Taco - Two guys from the states who compile a top five list each episode on some topic... previous topics have included "Top Five animals you could take in a fight" "Top 5 toilet ettiquite rules" and my favorite "Top five Cat movie titles" one of which was "Brokeback Meownton", a lot of inane chatter but you grow to like these guys and their quirks and their Choose your own adventure readings are top notch!
4. Coverville - This is a great music podcast, its basically as you have probably guessed from the title a cover song podcast, weekly the hose Biran Ibbott picks an artist/topic and presents a list of cover songs appropriatly. This is a great way to discover new music and hear versions of your fav songs in a different light. The choices are sometimes hit and miss but when you do hear one you like its really great.
3. Culture Club - This is a segment on Triple J that has been podcasted, its a really absurd look at music and where certain elements derive from.. these short episodes will teach you how ACDC is in a lot of ways closely related to nitche and how Richard Wagner was the original Emo... great well produced segments that give you a different perspective on what we hear.
2. Hamish and Andy - The great thing about podcasts is the ability to listen to the good bits of a radio show and cut out the bad music... this is the case with Hamish and Andy, they are really funny guys and know how to entertain, they may be playing an old formula, they may have sold out to commercialism, but they are funny, they entertain and they are free to listen to without the crap music.
1. You look nice today: a Journal of emotional hygene - This is quite possible the funnies load of dribble i have ever heard, its like sitting in a uni bar with 3 really odd nerds and talking crap. These guys make up some of the strangest garbage including ideas for a new education program for kids which involves someone coming into the school, drinking and then yelling at the kids for an hour... classic!
4. The White Album Concert - Sydney Opera House - This was a risky one, a recreation of the entire Beatles White Album, song for song or at least it would have been risky had it not been for some of Australias most taleted performers actually playing the tracks, Chris Cheney, Josh Pyke, Phil Jamison and Tim Rogers belted out the tunes in real style, adding a bit of themselves to the tracks. This was really spectacular and had me singing along and really getting into it. Chris Cheney owned the guitar parts, Tim Rogers delighted with bhis stage antics, Phil Jamison Surprised with his vocal abilities and Josh Pyke Rounded it off... Great stuff.
3. Dream Theatre/Pain of Salvation - Hordern Pavillion - The real sign of how great this concert was was displayed through my lack of hearing upon coming out. For me this was a new experience, not the deafness but the support act Pain of Salvation, they really knocked me down with their relentless power and talent and then Dreamtheatre came out and finished me off. Dream Theatre is the supergroup that never was... each member is top of their game and it shows. Even if you are not a fan of Metal go see them, they will amaze.
2. Ben Folds Request Show - Sydney Opera House - This was a last minute buy for me, i had previously seen his live show a few days before and suddenly went along to see his request show. At the beggining we were all asked to write down our requests... these went on stage into a way to small fishbowl, requests spilling onto the floor. This was going to be a strange night. Ben folds did his best to make sure as many requests were played as possible, even to the point of making up songs to the requests that weren't quite right. This was Ben at his best, unrehearsed, inscripted, pure talent.
1. Greenday - Acer Arena - I know i am going to get critisized for this, i know m,usic snobs out there with look down upon me and sigh... but i know even more so that i dont care. I grew up with green day, songs like Longview and Welcome to Paradise were my bread and butter in the punk scene and to hear these songs live was something i couldn't turn down for anything. But i expected to enjoy the music from the start,.... what i didnt expect was the show that they put on along side it. These guys know the formula to a great arena concert... make it big! Pyrotechnics, Amazing sets and most of all Audience participation, Billy joe Armstrong is a talented crowd pleaser, from the opening song he had the entire stadium standing up and singing along, he could gut us to do anything, clap, jump, scream and it felt awesome. He got audience members up on stage and got them to sing, the gave people the ability to stage dive and he made sure most of all that the crowd were just as much a part of the performance as the band itself. Say what you will about the music, Greenday know how to put on a show, they know how to rock and they know how to make sure you come out feeling like you have experienced something that you never will again... until they next perform that is.
5. Top 5 Fads of 2009
5. Lychees - Canned to be precise, for a while this year i had an obsession, it became ingrained in my schedule, a can a night, cold just out of the fridge.... this was soon stopped when i started number 4
4. Milkshake Diet - I am now on a diet replacement shake program... i drink a milkshake for lunch and Dinner, going ok so far, struggling on Weekends and with some flavours... i.e Bananna and Lemon and Lime... just drank the former and feel like i am going to throw up.
3. Emergency Deoderant - I seem to have a large collection of deoderant scattered around my life, two cans at work, two at home, one in my bag...etc. This is because i keep forgetting to have them when i need them. I'll be on the train into the city.... long day at work and i forgot to refresh.... convenience store emergency buy.... this repeats without a can getting empty.
2. Blogs - i have two... if you have not seem my other one its at dinnermusic375.blogspot.com
1. Tea - I have now taken up membership in the tea culture, very thursday i am to be having High Tea with certain distinguished friends... thats right... i'm classy 'n' shit...
So thats the year thats been... i am glad you have taken this ride with me... and will look forward to writing more in the new year.....!
5. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - This series can do no wrong for me, some people felt that this did not feel complete as a film, but thats fine with me because this film did what it was meant to do, got me excited for the final 2 movies!
4. Where the Wild things are - This did something that i did not expect it to, it scared me. Thats right the big headed fluffy monsters actually frightened me... not in the sence that they looked scary but in the amount of drama and emotion that they had was astounding. James Gandolfini was intence!
3 500 Days of Summer - I was a really big fan of the soundrtack to this film before i actually saw the film itself, i am pretty certain that no film can be bad if zooey deschanel is in it, The happening was not a bad movie, sure everything about it was bad except for some cool death scenes but the fact that zooey was in it for at least 40% of the film made it good. end of discussion. This film not only had zooey but was also well written and performed. Made me feel all sad :(
2. Up - Pixar can do no wrong, they know how to make you fall in love with animated charachters, something that seems to be lacking with other studios these days. In the sad scenes of this film i wont deny that i did shed a tear, not as much as some of the people who saw it with me mind you... this is a great film and more adult that most pixar films, which i think is a good direction to take.
1. Star Trek - This made my number one for two reasons....1. I am a closet Trekkie, my dad's a trekkie and so i grew up watching all the incarnations, 2. this movie was the bomb. Enough said, even if you are not a trekkie go check this out it is designed to be for everyone. I saw it 3 times, once on imax... this is my movie of 2009.
2. Top 5 Albums i Bought/Aquired:
5. Where the Wilds things are OST - Great loveable songs from Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeah's, cartchy tunes with a hint of that heavy punk sounds that we are used to from Karen O. "All is love" gives me goosebumps.4. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures - I am usually in two moods about supergroups... on one hand i am excited, this is considering that the line up is to my liking (in the case of Josh Homme, Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones i was VERY Excited) but on the other hand i am cautious as supergroups seem to have a flaw in the fact that such heavyweights tend to try and outdo each other, and thus the bands usually sound like a mess. This band however did nothing of the sort. These guys deliver raw powerful songs and deliver them with style. Leaning towards the Queens of the Stone age meets Kashmir style Zepplin this album made me want to just mosh all day. Awesome!
3. Little Lion - Mumford and Son - Amazing tracks on this album, racing banjo sounds and that distincive vocal sound from Marcus Johnstone this is quite possible my favorite folk album of 2009... strongly contended by
2. The First Days of Spring - Noah and the Whale - After their previous release caught my attention i was really excited about the idea of them making an album with the inclusion of an orchestra and i wasn;t dissapointed. NATW have a wonderful ability to add an intense emotional feel to their music and this does more than that. Great album about what comes after a break up.
1. Head of the Hawk - Bluejuice - Bluejuice's first album didn't do much for me, it was a bit heavy on the hip hop sounds for my liking, the release this year however was nothing of the sort, a great party album with catchy tunes that you can sing/jump along to. The reason this album is in number one is for one reason, of all the list it is the album that affected me the most when i listened to it, it made me get up off my seat and dance, it may not be the pinnacle of technical music brilliance, it may not have poetic lyrics that inspire but it made me happy, it made me feel good... and isnt that what music should do?
3. Top 5 Podcasts i subscribed to:
Before i go on i should say that podcasts to me are an escape, i listen to them mostly on train rides and i mostly listen to ones that involve a lot of inane chatter, this useless discussion seems to do wonders for travel time as if i were in a pointless pub chat with mates... if you choose to listen to any of these i suggest you do the same, they are no fun playing to others as i have tried as it will bore them quickly... podcasts are a personal thing.5. Five Taco's and a Taco - Two guys from the states who compile a top five list each episode on some topic... previous topics have included "Top Five animals you could take in a fight" "Top 5 toilet ettiquite rules" and my favorite "Top five Cat movie titles" one of which was "Brokeback Meownton", a lot of inane chatter but you grow to like these guys and their quirks and their Choose your own adventure readings are top notch!
4. Coverville - This is a great music podcast, its basically as you have probably guessed from the title a cover song podcast, weekly the hose Biran Ibbott picks an artist/topic and presents a list of cover songs appropriatly. This is a great way to discover new music and hear versions of your fav songs in a different light. The choices are sometimes hit and miss but when you do hear one you like its really great.
3. Culture Club - This is a segment on Triple J that has been podcasted, its a really absurd look at music and where certain elements derive from.. these short episodes will teach you how ACDC is in a lot of ways closely related to nitche and how Richard Wagner was the original Emo... great well produced segments that give you a different perspective on what we hear.
2. Hamish and Andy - The great thing about podcasts is the ability to listen to the good bits of a radio show and cut out the bad music... this is the case with Hamish and Andy, they are really funny guys and know how to entertain, they may be playing an old formula, they may have sold out to commercialism, but they are funny, they entertain and they are free to listen to without the crap music.
1. You look nice today: a Journal of emotional hygene - This is quite possible the funnies load of dribble i have ever heard, its like sitting in a uni bar with 3 really odd nerds and talking crap. These guys make up some of the strangest garbage including ideas for a new education program for kids which involves someone coming into the school, drinking and then yelling at the kids for an hour... classic!
4. Top 5 Concerts/Performances
5. Sound Relief - Sydney Football Stadium - This was more of a festival than a concert and so i am going to focus on one performance and that was Coldplay... this was the first full act of the day that i had been there for and it was amazing, from the giant yellow balloons that came down upon the audience to the spectacular run that Chris Martin made from the front of the stage through the crowd... this was to be remembered... oh and the duet with john Farnham was good too...4. The White Album Concert - Sydney Opera House - This was a risky one, a recreation of the entire Beatles White Album, song for song or at least it would have been risky had it not been for some of Australias most taleted performers actually playing the tracks, Chris Cheney, Josh Pyke, Phil Jamison and Tim Rogers belted out the tunes in real style, adding a bit of themselves to the tracks. This was really spectacular and had me singing along and really getting into it. Chris Cheney owned the guitar parts, Tim Rogers delighted with bhis stage antics, Phil Jamison Surprised with his vocal abilities and Josh Pyke Rounded it off... Great stuff.
3. Dream Theatre/Pain of Salvation - Hordern Pavillion - The real sign of how great this concert was was displayed through my lack of hearing upon coming out. For me this was a new experience, not the deafness but the support act Pain of Salvation, they really knocked me down with their relentless power and talent and then Dreamtheatre came out and finished me off. Dream Theatre is the supergroup that never was... each member is top of their game and it shows. Even if you are not a fan of Metal go see them, they will amaze.
2. Ben Folds Request Show - Sydney Opera House - This was a last minute buy for me, i had previously seen his live show a few days before and suddenly went along to see his request show. At the beggining we were all asked to write down our requests... these went on stage into a way to small fishbowl, requests spilling onto the floor. This was going to be a strange night. Ben folds did his best to make sure as many requests were played as possible, even to the point of making up songs to the requests that weren't quite right. This was Ben at his best, unrehearsed, inscripted, pure talent.
1. Greenday - Acer Arena - I know i am going to get critisized for this, i know m,usic snobs out there with look down upon me and sigh... but i know even more so that i dont care. I grew up with green day, songs like Longview and Welcome to Paradise were my bread and butter in the punk scene and to hear these songs live was something i couldn't turn down for anything. But i expected to enjoy the music from the start,.... what i didnt expect was the show that they put on along side it. These guys know the formula to a great arena concert... make it big! Pyrotechnics, Amazing sets and most of all Audience participation, Billy joe Armstrong is a talented crowd pleaser, from the opening song he had the entire stadium standing up and singing along, he could gut us to do anything, clap, jump, scream and it felt awesome. He got audience members up on stage and got them to sing, the gave people the ability to stage dive and he made sure most of all that the crowd were just as much a part of the performance as the band itself. Say what you will about the music, Greenday know how to put on a show, they know how to rock and they know how to make sure you come out feeling like you have experienced something that you never will again... until they next perform that is.
5. Top 5 Fads of 2009
5. Lychees - Canned to be precise, for a while this year i had an obsession, it became ingrained in my schedule, a can a night, cold just out of the fridge.... this was soon stopped when i started number 4
4. Milkshake Diet - I am now on a diet replacement shake program... i drink a milkshake for lunch and Dinner, going ok so far, struggling on Weekends and with some flavours... i.e Bananna and Lemon and Lime... just drank the former and feel like i am going to throw up.
3. Emergency Deoderant - I seem to have a large collection of deoderant scattered around my life, two cans at work, two at home, one in my bag...etc. This is because i keep forgetting to have them when i need them. I'll be on the train into the city.... long day at work and i forgot to refresh.... convenience store emergency buy.... this repeats without a can getting empty.
2. Blogs - i have two... if you have not seem my other one its at dinnermusic375.blogspot.com
1. Tea - I have now taken up membership in the tea culture, very thursday i am to be having High Tea with certain distinguished friends... thats right... i'm classy 'n' shit...
So thats the year thats been... i am glad you have taken this ride with me... and will look forward to writing more in the new year.....!
Greenday... no, Will, no.
ReplyDeleteI am quite the fan of lists. My favorite thing about your lists is how they are totally different to my top 5 lists. Its great. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeletecheers Nick!
ReplyDeleteLexie, Green Day rock... they wouldn't have been going for so long if they didn't.
you know who drank tea? HITLER!
ReplyDelete