Triple J Hottest 100, 2012

It was hard to choose my ultimate favourite songs of 2012 but I managed to compile it down to a list of 10...

1. Freelance Whales - Follow Through
2. The Shins - Simple Song
3. Flume - Sleepless (Ft. Jezzabell Doran)
4. Beach House - Wild
5. Grizzly Bear - Yet Again
6. Passion Pit - Carried Away
7. The Lumineers - Ho Hey
8. Grizzly Bear - Speak In Rounds
9. Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks  
10. Chairlift - I Belong In Your Arms 

Honourable mentions go to:

• Freelance Whales - Splitting
• Cub Scouts - Do You Hear + Told You So
• Last Dinosaurs - Andy 
• Passion Pit - It's Not My Fault, I'm Happy + Take a Walk 
• Beach House - Troublemaker + Other People 
• Jonathan Boulet - This Is A Song Called Ragged
• Flume - Insane (Ft. Moon Holiday) 

a little mixtape for October...

1. Mmoths - <3
2. Noah Lennox - Last Night at the Jetty
3. Surfer Blood - Take it Easy
4. Passion Pit - Sleepyhead
5. Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill
6. Beach House - Darling
7. Craft Spells - Scandinavian Crush
8. Cut Off Your Hands - Oh Girl
9. The Drums - Forever and Ever Amen
10. Passion Pit - Better Things
11. Grizzly Bear - Speak in Rounds
12. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle
13. Freelance Whales - Follow Through
14. Born Ruffians - Badonkadonkey
15. Chairlift - I Belong in Your Arms
16. Florence + the Machine - Only if for a Night
17. Grizzly Bear - Yet Again
18. Cub Scouts - Told You So

All songs are available for purchase on iTunes. 

Alternatively, you can listen to the mix on my 8 Tracks here 

A mixtape for September

Hello folks,

This mixtape has been a long time in the making. To start off, I'm not in Australia anymore! I'm in the USA! Woo hoo!

Here are some tunes for September. I also have a link to my 8tracks so you can listen to the full mixtape there!

1. The Lumineers - Ho Hey
2. Beach House - Troublemaker
3. Tennis - Petition
4. Thieves Like Us - Shyness
5. Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks
6. Canyons - When I See You Again
7. Wye Oak - Civilian
8. Family of the Year - St. Croix
9. Jens Lekman - The End Of The World Is Bigger Than Love
10. Passion Pit - Cry Like A Ghost
11. The Lumineers - Big Parade
12. Oh Mercy - Lay Everything On Me
13. The Panics - This Day Last Year
14. Phoenix - Too Young
15. Portugal. The Man - So American
16. The Turtles - Elenore
17. Wild Beasts - All The King's Men
18. Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
19. Grouplove - Tongue Tied
20. Jonathan Boulet - You're A Animal


All songs are available to listen to on iTunes or you can listen here

a mixtape for August

A little mixtape for August

1. The Shins - New Slang
2. Feldberg - Dreamin'
3. Passion Pit - It's Not My Fault, I'm Happy
4. The Shins - Caring is Creepy
5. Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
6. The Decemberists - O Valencia!
7. Lovin' Spoonful - Do You Believe in Magic?
8. Team Me - Me And The Mountain
9. M83 - We Own The Sky
10. The Postal Service - Such Great Heights
11. The Presets - Girl And The Sea
12. Memory Tapes - Today Is Our Life
13. The Strokes - 12:51
14. Ernest Ellis - Want For Anything
15. TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me
16. Passion Pit - Carried Away
17. Architecture in Helsinki - Contact High
18. Cloud Control - There's Nothing In The Water We Can't Fight
19. Band of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You
20. Boy & Bear - Blood to Gold

Passion Pit - Gossamer

Ahhhhh, new Passion Pit - what a delight!

The first I ever heard of Passion Pit was when my friend Caity was djing at Purple Sneakers (for those of you too young to know about it or those of you who aren't from Sydney, Purple Sneakers was an indie rock nightspot that was held at the Abercrombie hotel on Broadway and closed its doors in 2010).

They were so new back then (2008) and had only just released their Chunk of Change EP (a late valentines gift to Michael Angelakos' girlfriend and a record that wasn't supposed to go anywhere) and I instantly fell in love with "Sleepyhead", "Better Things" and the fun and lively melodies that the record unabashedly shared with us, not to mention the lyrics, for example:

you were one inch from the edge of this bed

I dragged you back

a sleepyhead... 

After a wait of what seemed to be an eternity, the band released their debut LP, Manners (2010). Manners did not disappoint - 11 tracks long, Angelakos' falsetto-prone voice and juicy experimental melodies, tracks like "The Reeling" and "Little Secrets" helped propel the band into stardom and of course a huge following.

This brings us to the brand spanking new 2012 release, Gossamer. Gossamer has had a lot to live up to after such a crisp and exciting offer that was Manners but I can safely say that, upon multiple listens, they have again struck gold!

Track listing:

1. Take A Walk

2. I'll Be Alright

3. Carried Away

4. Constant Conversations

5. Mirrored Sea

6. Cry Like A Ghost

7. On My Way

8. Hideaway

9. Two Veils To Hide My Face

10. Love Is Greed

11. It's Not My Fault, I'm Happy

12. Where We Belong 

I can definitely see similarities between the Chunk of Change EP and Gossamer, especially between my favourite track, "Carried Away" and "Better Things" from the EP, but it takes off where Manners left off. Gossamer is a fresh and aurally pleasing offering from Passion Pit, one that should definitely feature in your record collection. 


Listen to "Carried Away", "On My Way", and "Cry Like a Ghost" 

I get carried away

carried away from you

and I'm hoping and I'm praying

'cause I'm sorry/sorry about that

sorry about the things that I said

always let it get to my head

Gossamer is available from all good record stores and on iTunes now!

Enjoy! 

A mixtape for July!

It's been a while, what with uni exams (I did really well, yay!) and preparation for the USA I have barely had time to get anything onto this blog... Here is a mixtape for July!

Image source: MWM Graphics

1. The Decemberists - July, July!
2. The Radio Dept. - The Worst Taste In Music
3. Devendra Banhart - Lover
4. Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (after all, it is freezing in Sydney)
5. Freelance Whales - Generator ^ First Floor (because I am OBSESSED with this song)
6. The Radio Dept. - Never Follow Suit
7. Bubble Club - The Goddess
8. Grizzly Bear - Southern Point
9. Husky - History's Door
10. Jezabels - Hurt Me
11. Jonathan Boulet - This Song Is Called Ragged
12. Late of the Pier - Random Firl
13. Wild at Heart - Get Related
14. Local Natives - Airplanes
15. Beach House - Troublemaker
16. Mmoths - <3 (hearts)
17. Neon Indian - Fallout
18. Washed Out - New Theory
19. The Thrills - Big Sur
20. The Isley Brothers - This Old Heart of Mine

a new mixtape

1. Beach House - Wild

2. The Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You

3. The Radio Dept. - The One

4. Yeasayer - Madder Red

5. Wild Nothing - Vultures Like Lovers

6. Big Scary - Mix Tape

7. Last Dinosaurs - Andy

8. Beach House - Other People

9. Goldspot - Float On (Modest Mouse Cover)

10. The Vaccines - If You Wanna

11. Bluejuice - On My Own

12. Cub Scouts - Do You Hear

13.  Passion Pit - Take A Walk 

14. Starky - Hey Bang, Bang

15. The 88 - How Good It Can Be

16. Big Scary - Falling Away

17. Freelance Whales - Generator ^ First Floor

18. The Shins - A Call To Apathy (Gone for Good)

19. Windsor for the Derby - Melody of a Fallen Tree

20. The Cure - Plainsong

Enjoy. 

Beach House - Bloom

I remember when I happened upon Beach House for the first time... I was completely smitten.

Beach House were also one of the first bands I talked about on this blog and now I'm going to talk about them again because they just released their 4th album, Bloom.

I was worried as to whether I'd like the new album because I loved Teen Dream so much - how could anything ever top that? Bloom takes a few listens to get used to but thankfully it's a winner! It pretty much follows their regular formula of chill, dream-pop infused tunes but it's more than that. You need to listen for yourself.

Lyrics are still lovely and Victoria Legrand's voice is still incredible.

"So you thought it would happen 

Good luck goodbye

I know when no one can reach you 

No I don’t mind

It’s your word why would you fake it

These days go by

As you turn around-ow-ow-ow

Other people want to keep in touch

Something happens and its not enough

Never thought that it would mean so much

Other people want to keep in touch"

(Other People)

Tunes to listen to include "Other People", "Wild", and "Myth".

Bloom, Teen Dream, Devotion and Beach House are all available for purchase on iTunes. If these albums aren't already in your possession, rectify the situation. Now.

life lately according to my iphone pictures...

23. 

Millie and Lucy

Sydney from the hospital and my nursing uniform 

Art Gallery of NSW - Brett Whiteley's Matchsticks. 

Waiting for Bon Iver

Very early morning train rides to the city

Home sweet home. 

Alan Palomo, Neon Indian

Australia Square

Kookaburra at Taronga Zoo

what I'm listening to ( a mixtape - vol. 11).

Image taken at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. 

1. Cub Scouts - Evie

2. The Shins - Simple Song

3. Bon Iver - Calgary (Azeda Remix)

4. Broken Bells - The High Road

5. Lana Del Rey - Born to Die

6. Neon Indian - Polish Girl

7. Washed Out - You and I

8. M83 - Reunion

9. Moths - <3

10. The Radio Dept. - The One

11. Jack Peñate - Pull My Heart Away

12. Cloud Control - This Is What I Said

13. Givers - Ceiling of Plankton

14. Patrick Wolf - The City

15 The Sleepy Jackson - Don't You Know

16. Jonathan Boulet - A Community Service Announcement

17. Real Estate - Kinder Blumen

18. Ducktails ft. Panda Bear - Killin' the Vibe  

Back to blogging.

It's about time I sat down and wrote some decent posts.

What with being back at uni as a second year nursing student and working two days a week for Dad, I am finding it hard to juggle everything in my life. Not to worry, I have some good ideas for posts in my head which will hopefully come to fruition in the next couple of weeks.

I recently saw Neon Indian, Washed Out, and Portugal. The Man in concert and I thought I would write a bit about that, also I will write about the impending Bon Iver concert in the "Bon Iver week" as I have coined it.

That said, I am sitting here with a gigantic nursing textbook on my lap, a big nursing drug guide to my right and fretting about my impending clinical placement in Darlinghurst starting on the Monday of my birthday week... it's all systems go around here and I think if I stop I'll probably freak out. Anyway, enough of the personal stuff, stay tuned for when I get down to business!

In the mean time, here is a chilled out Koala to keep you amused.

a chillwave mixtape

I love chillwave music. Here are some of my favourite laid back tracks compiled into one neat package... 

1. Memory Tapes - Today Is Our Life

2. Deerhunter - Helicopter

3. Washed Out - Feel It All Around

4. Neon Indian - Mind, Drips

5. Kisses - People Can Do The Most Amazing Things

6. Toro y Moi - Still Sound

7. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round and Round

8. Washed Out - You and I

9. Blood Orange - Sutphin Boulevard 

10. Hypnolove - Holiday Reverie

11. Neon Indian - Halogen (I Could Be A Shadow)

12. Simone Fedi - Bitter Devotion

13. Matt Van Schie - Journey

14. Active Child - Hangin' On 

15. Beach House - Silver Soul

16. Snakadatal - Air

17. Kisses - Bermuda 

18. Your Nature - Forward Motion

all songs are available on iTunes. Enjoy! 

a very belated happy 2012 + Fleet Foxes & Beirut!

Happy (very belated) 2012!

My what a year 2011 was! so many awesome albums and so many gigs were seen, I finished my first year of university complete with my first clinical placement and did extremely well! I hope 2012 is just as good for music AND university - fingers crossed I get a spot on the exchange to Georgetown University in Washington D.C.


All this news aside, let's get down to business. As I was saying, 2011 was an incredible year for music and I was lucky enough to catch the following artists in concert last year:

• Beach House (x2)
• Yeasayer
• Local Natives (x2)
• Decoder Ring
• Ernest Ellis & the Panamas
• The Drums (x2) 
• Foster the People
• Gypsy & the Cat
• Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
• Two Door Cinema Club
• Jonathan Boulet
• The Wombats
• Noah & the Whale
• Gotye (x3)
• Stornoway 
• The Holidays (x2) 

(those are the ones I remember!) 

Now to 2012! 


In the 25 short days that has been 2012, I have seen both Beirut and Fleet Foxes at the Sydney Opera House - how lucky am I! 


Funny story. As I was settling down for a night of tv after a day spent at the beach I thought I better go and check that my Fleet Foxes tickets were in fact for Tuesday the 3rd of January. INCORRECT. They were for Monday the 2nd and I realised this at 7:45pm and the gig started at 8pm sharp. Cue my frantic rushing and my Mum driving like a rally driver to get us to the concert at 10 past 8. What a legend! It was completely worth it, Fleet Foxes are incredible - they have a really fun stage presence as well which was refreshing and there were lots of laughs in between songs not to mention their amazing graphics they have going on in the background that were done by Sean Pecknold (Robin's brother - the one Blue Ridge Mountains was written about!). 


I managed to get a few shots of Fleet Foxes. Excuse the quality - they were taken up high in the auditorium and on my iPhone. 

And here's a gratuitous shot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge!

stay tuned for more music news!


farväl