sounds so far

As my friend and colleague Zan Rowe reminded us all on Twitter this morning, it’s Mid Year Report time! The radio station I work for, triple j, will spend this week looking back over the musical gems and milestones of the first six months of 2015. I’ve definitely caught myself thinking about how awesome this year has been music-wise so I thought I’d join in and let you know what sounds I’ve been digging.

1. Let It Happen – Tame Impala

2. Short Movie – Laura Marling

3. No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross – Sufjan Stevens

4. Chateau Lobby #4 (In C for Two Virgins) – Father John Misty

5. Multi-Love – Unknown Mortal Orchestra

6. Aerial Love – Daniel Johns

7. Letting Go – Braids

8. Bad Blood (feat. Kendrick Lamar) – Taylor Swift

9. Bitch Better Have My Money – Rihanna (Link to a live version because the official video is too much for me.)

10. Do You Remember – Jarryd James

What about you?

sounds like 2014

Okay, wow, if this video doesn’t compel you to vote in triple j’s 2014 Hottest 100 then I don’t know what will. I haven’t laughed so hard in a very long time…check it! Here’s my top ten:

1. Murmurs – Hundred Waters (Sitting at my desk at work, brushing tears from my cheek when I heard this for the first time)

2. Hunger of the Pine – alt-J (On repeat during the bus/train/bus ride between San Francisco and Los Angeles)

3. Two Weeks – FKA twigs (Blushing while listening to this in an airport lounge on my way to New Zealand)

4. Overcome – Tora feat. Merryn Jeann (Feeling super proud hearing Small Town Girl Merryn – from Byron Bay, Australia – sing on this track and playing it to Small Town Girl Tara when I was staying with her in Winthrop, USA)

5. Heavenly Father – Bon Iver (No explanation needed, obvi. Oh and this magical cover of it by Highasakite!)

6. Since Last Wednesday – Highasakite (My friend Zan emailed me this song because she “thought I might enjoy it”. She was so right)

7. Got It – Banoffee (On repeat one rainy Sunday afternoon helping me get over the post US trip blues)

8. End of the Affair – Ben Howard (“What the hell, love?” Goosebumps upon goosebumps)

9. Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes – Sun Kil Moon (Harrowing and grim and compelling and unforgettable)

10. Habits (Stay High) – Hippie Sabotage Remix – Tove Lo (Driving Tara’s grandma’s car – on the WRONG side of the road – around the winding Winthrop back streets and hearing this on one of T’s mix CDs. Guilty pleasure song. Sorry not sorry)

i wish you

I read a Thought Catalog post (I know, I know) a while back and it talked about the way one new song can sustain you for the better part of a week. ‘I don’t need a flirty text message, a delicious meal, or an amazing night out. I’m pretty much set with my New Favorite Song.’ That has certainly been my experience over the last few days.

I’m still listening to Angus and Julia Stone’s self titled record plus Lana Del Rey’s sophomore, Ultraviolence. FKA twigs (I’m in awe…so intrigued ) joined the line up on Monday and Jason Feathers was Tuesday’s unexpected offering. Pitchfork describes De Oro as an album from a ‘mystery band’ but my pals at work tell me it’s actually Justin Vernon, his Bon Iver bandmate S. Carey and American MC Astronautalis. At first I found it quite disconcerting and abrasive but subsequent spins revealed moments of intense beauty. For example, the last three minutes of Sacred Math and all of Cyclone. Allow yourself to be drawn in. The album will be released on August 19 – my birthday. Gee thanks, Justin! 

Then there was Erlend Oye’s newie Garota which my friend Tom described as a ‘sultry trans-continental ill-fated attraction with a solid groove.’ Ha! It was a well-timed accompaniment to my moody Thursday evening. Watch/hear the bittersweet tale unfold here. 

And this afternoon at work I pressed play on a song Amelia recommended that I assumed would be background noise: Murmurs by Hundred Waters. Instead, everything around me fell away and fierce tears stung my eyes. I had it on repeat for hours and was only vaguely aware of anything else. Sometimes a song has the ability to take all of your conflicting emotions and half thoughts and if onlys and wishes and make perfect sense of them. Today, Murmurs was that song.

I wish you…I wish you would see what I see

Were you there? Were you there? Were you ever alive? 

I wish I would see what you see

Silly silly silly me
I used to…used to see
Now our only light
Is blowing out

Goodness, what a week. Has it taken a toll on you, too? I felt far too many feelings this week. One day it was as if I could drag a finger over my skin and physically trace the delicious bursts of dopamine coursing through my veins and the next I was drained of all motivation, inspiration and wonder. Amelia and I spoke about having the tendency to operate solely on an emotional level (Doesn’t everyone? Apparently not.) and I was reminded of this quote that Meg posted recently:

‘Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.’ – Rainer Maria Rilke

 

wildheart

Poor, poor lovesick child

There’s still fire in your belly

And your heart is still wild

– ‘Little Whiskey’ by Angus and Julia Stone.

Their new self titled album is a dream. It was produced by Rick Rubin and almost didn’t happen. I’m so glad it did. Pretty sure it’ll become the soundtrack to this week’s New Zealand trip.

got it bad

 

This cold, windy Saturday afternoon is all about laying low and staying warm. Now I just need to be back at this cabin in Winthrop, Washington wrapped in a blanket, reading by the light of the crackling fire while the river rushes by just outside the door. 

Banoffee is on repeat right now: 

Said you wanted to grow your hair long

Then you cut the sides off

I don’t think I know you at all

…

When I look at you I see this

Picture of how we could be 

‘Cause I know what you got 

I got I got I got it I got it

I know you know I got it

 

overgrown

It’s been out for more than a year but Overgrown by James Blake still slays me. Every time. And I haven’t tired of listening to it. All the time.  The moment’s other go-to artists include Sun Kil Moon, Asgeir, James Vincent McMorrow and Death Cab for Cutie. 

There are quite a few fun gigs coming up. If I didn’t have to get on a plane at 6:30am tomorrow I’d be at Oscar Key Sung and Banoffee at Good God tonight, fo’ sure. But next Monday I’m shooting the Jezabels at the Sydney Opera House and the week after that it’s the Arctic Monkeys and not long after that (drum roll) LAURYN HILL (!). I was going to Lorde’s Sydney show scheduled for next Friday but unfortunately it has been postponed until, like, November.

Book-wise, I’m reading Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver. To The Wedding by John Berger is next in line. I think I see a theme emerging…

Dan and I are working our way through Parks & Recreation with a little Community thrown in from time to time. I started watching Breaking Bad but it upset me and made me quite anxious so I quit. I know everyone raves about it but I really don’t think it’s for me. 

And finally, I’m devouring Matt Eich’s photography. The best stuff I’ve seen in a very long time. Intimate, poetic, fearless.

top ten (again)

A few weeks back I listed my favourite albums of 2013 and now here are my 10 favourite songs. I’ll be voting for ’em in the world’s largest music democracy, triple j’s Hottest 100. What were your faves? votevotevote!

1. Comrade – Volcano Choir

2. I Am Sold – James Blake

3. Royals – Lorde

4. Dojo Rising – Cloud Control

5. Do I Wanna Know? – Arctic Monkeys

6. Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2 – Drake feat. JAY Z

7. Luck Now – Big Scary

8. Will Calls – Grizzly Bear

9. Let Down – Bored Nothing

10. Baby I Am Nobody Now – Andy Bull

 

ten out of ten

It’s that time of year. List time. So here’s one of mine:

Top Ten Albums of 2013

1. Overgrown – James Blake

2. Once I Was an Eagle – Laura Marling

3. Repave – Volcano Choir

4. Pure Heroine – Lorde

5. Cold Spring Fault Less Youth – Mount Kimbie

6. Harlequin Dream – Boy & Bear

7. States – The Paper Kites

8. Wakin On a Pretty Daze – Kurt Vile

9. Dream Cave – Cloud Control

10. Temperate Touch, Tropical Tears – Stolen Violin

What were your favourites? Lemme know!

of space and time

one, nine, ten: Retro Wombat, Thirroul // two: bushfire sky // three: setting up my new room in a new house with a new flat mate, Rachel // four: horsies somewhere near Wellington, New South Wales // five: a peacock on a farm near Kyneton, Victoria // six: Tully Blue // seven: Nathan and Mossy // eight: Tully Blue boy and a tiny bit of Mossy’s face

Listening to: Kurt Vile (right now), the Paper Kites (still), Lorde, Volcano Choir, Boy & Bear, Stolen Violin, London Grammar

Reading: New York by Lily Brett, Night Games by Anna Krien and an interview with Jemima Kirke in Lula

It definitely doesn’t feel like the end of the year. Being overseas and missing the southern hemisphere’s winter has messed with my concept of time (not mad about it). Farewell 2013, I hardly knew you.

maybe

‘Maybe we were wrong to let it go. Maybe we were wrong to keep it so long’ – Malleable Beings by The Paper Kites.

I’ve been listening to ‘States’ pretty much nonstop.