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

a little mixtape vol. 10 (summer edition)

hello, here is a selection of a few wonderful songs to really make your summer that much better.

Picture courtesy of Tchmo on society6

1. Fitz & the Tantrums - MoneyGrabber

2. Real Estate - It's Real

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

4. Band of Horses - Dilly

5. The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby

6. Cut Copy - A Dream

7. Deerhunter - Don't Cry

8. M83 - Steve McQueen

9. Poolside - Do You Believe?

10. Grouplove - Tongue Tied

11. Kisses - People Can Do The Most Amazing Things

12. Neon Indian - Polish Girl

13. Animal Collective - Bluish

14. Florence & the Machine - Dog Days are Over 

15. Pinback - Non Photo-Blue

16. Wild Nothing - Summer Holiday

17. Foster the People - I Would Do Anything for You 

18. Seabellies - Armour

19. Boy & Bear - Golden Jubilee 

20. The Middle East - Blood 

Everything is available on iTunes. Farväl. 

Bon Iver - Bon Iver (video form)

Here is Bon Iver - Bon Iver in deluxe video form. Enjoy. 

1. Perth 

2. Minnesota, WI 

3. Holocene

4. Towers

5. Michicant

6. Hinnom, Tx

7. Wash. 

8. Calgary

9. Lisbon, OH

10. Beth/Rest 

triple j hottest 100 2011 - my vote

This year was hard because the songs that I originally wanted to include by some certain artists (Washed Out, Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver) weren't available to vote for and I figured that the ones that WERE available had a better chance of a spot in the top 100 so I went for them. Overall, I think I have a pretty great list, I'm looking forward to the countdown on Australia Day!

my top 10 albums of 2011.

my what a year it has been for music! It was so hard to choose my final 10 favourite releases of the year but I think my choices are pretty great. There should be no surprise as to who I chose for the number 1 position...


10. The Middle East - I Want That You Are Always Happy

I Want That You Are Always Happy was a brilliant first and last album for The Middle East. It really upsets me to know that such a wonderful band had such creative differences and that we'll never hear the beautiful "Blood" from their EP played live again. That said, I'm so glad that they released this, absolutely lovely.  Listen to "Jesus Came To My Birthday Party"


9. Real Estate - Days

Days is such a chilled out album, it has a beach-y, summery vibe that you can dance to. The tracks are lovely and include a handful of instrumentals, my favourites from the album include "Easy", "It's Real" and "Kinder Blumen". 


8. Foster the People - Torches

I was so keen on Foster The People when I first heard Pumped Up Kicks in the hottest 100 countdown in January. Ever since then I have been smitten and have seen them at the Metro; they are a fun, infectious band with their instantly likeable tunes and surprisingly deep lyrics at times. An absolute must in your record collection, we should expect big things from this bunch of boys! My favourite tracks are "I Would Do Anything For You", "Houdini" and "Pumped Up Kicks" 


7. Portugal. The Man - In the Mountain in the Cloud

I think I first heard of Portugal. The Man when I was procrastinating whilst studying for uni exams. I wish I had have heard of them earlier but I have since made up for the lack of them in my life and own all of their albums. This particular album, their 7th album is wonderful and the band have already forged a pretty little career for themselves and their artwork (done by lead singer John Gourley) is always wonderful.  My favourite tracks are "Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now)", "So American", and "You Carried Us (Share With Me The Sun)"


6. Boy & Bear - Moonfire 

The long awaited album debut from Boy & Bear won 5 arias and it's no surprise - this album is wonderful and deserved all the awards they received. Boy & Bear have a kinda country-esque, folky vibe that is great to have a dance to or have playing in the background or wherever. The only way is up for these boys, for those of you lucky enough to have seen them play live - they're something special right? Tracks you need to hear are "Feeding Line", "Golden Jubilee" and "Milk and Sticks". 


5. Gotye - Making Mirrors 





The long awaited follow-up to the beautiful "Like Drawing Blood" finally came to fruition this year. Upon my first listen at the Sydney Opera House of all places where Wally played two sold out shows, it was clear that this album was definitely going to appear high on my list. How 'bout that popular single huh?! If "Somebody That I Used To Know" isn't number 1 in Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2011, I'll eat my hat. Tracks you need in your ears are "Eyes Wide Open", "State of the Art", and "I Feel Better". 


4. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming 

Let's just take a minute to discuss how immense this epic 1 hour, 22 minute double album is. From the first track, Intro (ft. Zola Jesus), to the 22nd track, Outro, this album is incredible. 


Notable tracks include "Steve McQueen" (my personal favourite), "Splendor" (sic), "Midnight City" and "Reunion". Such a stellar release by Anthony Gonzalez - you need to check it out if you haven't already. 


3. Washed Out - Within and Without

I say it a lot but I love chill-wave music, there's something dreamy about it and I picture myself in the summertime lying on the beach or diving under waves. Enough of that reverie, this album, Within and Without, the debut LP from Washed Out's mastermind, Ernest Greene is my number 3 because it is everything that you would want from a chill-wave album and more. Listen to "Olivia", "Eyes Be Closed" and "Far Away" 


2. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

I love Fleet Foxes. If I were a fox, I would listen to Fleet Foxes. You should listen to Fleet Foxes as well. Robin Pecknold and his band of lovely rugged men are incredible. Helplessness Blues is the second delivery by the boys and it sees them go from strength to strength with Pecknold clearly growing as a singer/songwriter. Each song is impeccably finished from the first track, "Montezuma" to the closing track, "Grown Ocean" everything sort of clicks. This album is in need of a spot in your record collection - go and get it. Listen to "The Shrine/An Argument", "Battery Kinzie" and "Helplessness Blues". 


1. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

There should be NO surprise that I chose this album as my number 1 of 2011, in fact I think it may even be one of my favourite albums of all time. What I love about this album is that it is so rich in its melodies and feeling that you kind of get lost in it and can turn this experience in to whatever you want for yourself. Cosmic? Don't care - it's brilliant. My favourites? "Calgary" and "Beth/Rest" 

a little mixtape vol. 9

here are some great tunes I'm listening to at the moment. 


on a side note, how awesome is the new M83 album!?!? 

1. Neon Indian - Mind, Drips

2. WONDERFUL - Rainbow Color 

3. The Rapture - Whoo! Alright - Yeah...Uh Huh

4. Black Kids - Hurricane Jane

5. Washed Out - Amor Fati

6. Architecture in Helsinki - Escapee

7. The Avalanches - Hearts in 3/4 Time

8. M83 - Reunion

9. Jens Lekman - The Opposite of Hallelujah

10. The Seabellies - Armour

11. The Jungle Giants - Mr Polite

12. Beirut - Vagabond

13. Papa vs Pretty - Sleep (Again) 

14. Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

15. Guineafowl - In Our Circles

16. Born Ruffians - Badonkadonkey

17.  Oh Mercy - Lay Everything On Me

18. Papercuts - White are the Waves

19. Fleet Foxes - The Shrine/An Argument

20. Bon Iver - Beth/Rest 

Enjoy.  farväl.

2012 + Laneway Line-up

Hello there. 


It seems that the first few months of 2012 are shaping up to be a very exciting time for music indeed!


Last week we had the momentous 9:00am rush for Bon Iver tickets (thank god I got some - phew) for his shows at the Opera House and tomorrow we have Fleet Foxes tickets being released (I hope the rush isn't as soul destroying as it was for Bon Iver). 


Later on in the month they release the Sydney Festival schedule which is also very exciting! 


Today we had the release of the Laneway line-up and I always get a little too excited about it... this year is no different folks because we have a pretty stellar line-up! Laneway is of course my favourite Summer festival! 

isn't it beautiful? I am keen to see Washed Out, M83, The Panics, Toro y Moi and Portugal. The Man... Ahhh how exciting!

What are your thoughts? 

farväl

a little mixtape vol. 8

1. Kisses - Kisses

2. YesYou - Half of It 

3. Portugal. The Man - You Carried Us (Share With Me The Sun)

4. Liam Finn - Cold Feet

5. Metronomy - The Look

6. Beirut - Santa Fe

7. Surfer Blood - Catholic Pagans

8. Gotye - Eyes Wide Open

9. The Shins - Turn On Me

10. Boy & Bear - Milk & Sticks

11. The Panics - Majesty

12. The Thrills - The Midnight Choir

13. Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed

14 .The Vaccines - Wetsuit

15. Metronomy - Everything Goes My Way

16. Neon Indian - Terminally Chill

17. Pinback - Syracuse

18. Your Nature - Forward Motion

19. Kimbra - Cameo Lover

20. M83 - Midnight City 

All songs are available for purchase on iTunes. Enjoy! Farväl