I'd like to start this review, my first in a few months, with a heartfelt apology to all of you. firstly, to my contacts - I apologise deeply for my inability to blog for you in the last few months - Hell, I've had this CD here since March! University and life has been absolutely hectic, and I've just not had a chance, or the energy, to do anything! Sincere apologies. As for all of you, my dearest readers - My apologies also, I have missed you, and I URGE you to add me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter as a chance to stay in contact!
SO! Imma get my indie on and review the Triple J 2011 Hottest 100 CD today for you all - Well, highlights of it anyways. For those of you who don't know, around Australia Day every year, in January, Triple J - Australia's more 'underground' less commercial station, rather popular with youth, take votes and do a public countdown of the biggest 100 tracks in Australia. Now, the crowd on Triple J is usually a little more alternative/indie, and as much as I tried.....Kylie didn't get a shoe-in..Alas, these things happen. Tis true that this music is beyond my usual style, so bear with me, there are some strong numbers on here! This is the kind of stuff I'm pressured to like as a teenager in Australia guys, so have mercy! It's an interesting look into the mentality of Australia's youth - I'm hardly familiar with their music, but here you go.
No at a glance this time - cause I'm cherry-picking!
Let's start with Number 1 on the playlist - Angus & Julia Stone's Big Jet Plane. I can deal with this. It's a sweet, indie-pop delight, with, although less than amazing vocals for me, it's a pretty listen, with a great melody that does get stuck in your head! Disc 2 closes with an equally gorgeous Live Version. I feel I should enjoy 2nd place's Little Red's Rock It - with the gorgeous piano and bouncey pop vibe, but for me, it's just TOO indie, and makes me try too hard..I like my pop in my face thank you very much. Pleasant, but not my fave. Speaking 3rd place's - Ou Est Le Swimming Pool's Dance The Way I Feel is a gorgeous dance/pop hybrid with sparkling synths, a gorgeous bassline, fantastic vocal and amazing chorus....I do approve highly of this one! Cee-Lo Green's #6 F**k You? I like, but not enough to keep it this high, lets be honest. I've been shot down many times in the past for expressing my less-than-supportive opinion of Sia, I've never really been a fan and can't really see that changing. But, Clap Your Hands, coming in at #13, is quite an anthem, I will be honest. Amazing chorus. One of my faves from the disc. Birds Of Tokyo's Plans (#4), is actually a gorgeous number, with a great melody and pretty sound - They aren't my usual style, but I've got a soft spot in my heart for this song.
Boy & Bear's Fall At Your Feet (#5)? Instant Classic. An amazing cover of the Crowded House epic, they give it a fantastic bluesy/rootsy feel and it just works perfectly. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People (#32) is one of the bigger gems of the set. A pulsating mid-tempo rock/rootsy/pop hybrid, with an amazing Mika-esque chorus has a real pop vibe to it that I do quite enjoy..I highly recommend - Particularly to Paul if you're reading? It's definitely something different, and unexpected, but its a slow-burner, and grown on me a lot! I feel obliged to review #20 Washington's Sunday Best. She's the indie-pop darling in Australia at the moment, and I don't have a problem with that...Sunday Best is however the only track of her's I actually enjoy, with it's relentless pop sound and vibe...As for the rest of her work? I just can't quite enjoy it! Runaway by Kanye West Feat. Pusha T - #14 - as much as Kanye can be offensive and abrasive, and his music equally, I have a lot of personal connection - via friends - to the guy...and I do have various memories of late-night dancing to this track, so I do actually enjoy it...I must admit..a bit of a soft-spot. Barbra Striesand by Duck Sauce (#15). I must admit - I just don't get it. Nice enough dance beat, but it just goes nowhere, and isn't even, for me, that enjoyable. Glee tore it up, but Duck Sauce's aNYway? SO MUCH BETTER! Pendulum's Witchcraft (#48). Quite an epic. I must admit. Absolutely explosive hard electronica that just works rather well, and is effortlessly cool. Final part of disc 1 is Florence & The Machine Feat. Dizzee Rascal - You've Got The Dirtee Love (Live) #27. An amazing mix, great live cover, and Florence tears it up, but another one I don't quite 'get'. It's good, but just not my thing.
Moving on to disc 2? Yeasayer's O.N.E #30 takes a bit of getting used to, but it's island-tinged dance is rather charming. I adore the slow-burning dance/pop of Adrian Lux's Teenage Crime #6. Everything about the track is a perfect capture of an amazing moment, and just works SO well. It's a great beat, amazing sound, gorgeous vocal, and just fantastic stuff...Well done, and some of electro at its best. Sparkadia's Talking Like I'm Falling Down Stairs #24? Has something strangely gorgeously amazing and compelling about it, which I unexpectedly adore. A lot. It's a great number, I must admit. Some fantastic stuff here, which sounds like something I can't quite place. Then comes the Crystal Castles' EPIC, featuring Robert Smith - I'm Not In Love #26. Electropop reminiscent of the Killers' Day & Age which explodes into a cold, shimmery wall of synths that's exactly what I wanted from the Killers' work. An amazing track that just explodes. I really love it, it's romantic, beautiful and just fantastic stuff. Magic Fountain by Art Vs. Science #9? EPIC in every possible way, but not as amazing as Parlez Vous Francais. I think it's mostly the yelling, and the bassline, which make this great. Not my favourite by any standard, but not at all bad. I must admit, I have a soft spot for the lighter, summery-pop tinge of Darwin Deez' Radar Detector #28. It's light, relaxed, frothy fun pop. Gorgeous stuff which I adore!
Crave You - Flight Facilities Feat. Giselle #19. It's a slinky, smooth pop/dance number which I do rather enjoy. Giselle could, quite honestly, tear this up in any other situation, I'd like to hear a solo album. Punching In A Dream - The Naked & Famous #34. A gritty, bassy, electronic-rock number, with pop overlays? Works surprisingly well. Held together by a vocal reminiscent of 80s pop songstresses, a la Belinda Carlyle. Doncamatic - Gorillaz Feat. Daley #37. It's brilliant, but only held together and only works because of the absolutely MINDBLOWING vocal, which I just adore. Illy Feat. Owl Eyes - It Can Wait (#29). Takes a while to pick up (gloss over the rap, which just showcases the Australian accent at its most sexy, but least useful for rapping! :P) to get to the heavenly chorus of amazingness, absolute beautiful, and we're good! Bag Raiders are one of the most brilliant upcoming dance/pop acts to come from Australia - As Shooting Star attests. So why Way Back Home #46 is the track on here, surprised me. It's not bad by any standards - A deep bassline, electronic bleeps, beautiful chorus backed by a wall of synths and a mystical dark vocal - But it's nothing particularly groundbreaking, sounding Presets-lite, to me and just doesn't quite 'grab' me like their other anthem does! Gyroscope - Baby, I'm Getting Better #40. I've hated enough on this type of music with my friends to know this will come as a complete shock for them. I really enjoy this. It's a thumping, relentless rock number, but something about the vocal, and the pop hook and sensibility just makes this amazing. Some of the best rock I've heard in a while. Holidays - Miami Horror Feat. Alan Palomo (#54). One of the really indie bands which define the scene for me, pull out an amazing dance/pop number, with a gorgeous synth and bassline pair that's hard to beat. Fantastic stuff.
No at a glance this time - cause I'm cherry-picking!
Let's start with Number 1 on the playlist - Angus & Julia Stone's Big Jet Plane. I can deal with this. It's a sweet, indie-pop delight, with, although less than amazing vocals for me, it's a pretty listen, with a great melody that does get stuck in your head! Disc 2 closes with an equally gorgeous Live Version. I feel I should enjoy 2nd place's Little Red's Rock It - with the gorgeous piano and bouncey pop vibe, but for me, it's just TOO indie, and makes me try too hard..I like my pop in my face thank you very much. Pleasant, but not my fave. Speaking 3rd place's - Ou Est Le Swimming Pool's Dance The Way I Feel is a gorgeous dance/pop hybrid with sparkling synths, a gorgeous bassline, fantastic vocal and amazing chorus....I do approve highly of this one! Cee-Lo Green's #6 F**k You? I like, but not enough to keep it this high, lets be honest. I've been shot down many times in the past for expressing my less-than-supportive opinion of Sia, I've never really been a fan and can't really see that changing. But, Clap Your Hands, coming in at #13, is quite an anthem, I will be honest. Amazing chorus. One of my faves from the disc. Birds Of Tokyo's Plans (#4), is actually a gorgeous number, with a great melody and pretty sound - They aren't my usual style, but I've got a soft spot in my heart for this song.
Boy & Bear's Fall At Your Feet (#5)? Instant Classic. An amazing cover of the Crowded House epic, they give it a fantastic bluesy/rootsy feel and it just works perfectly. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People (#32) is one of the bigger gems of the set. A pulsating mid-tempo rock/rootsy/pop hybrid, with an amazing Mika-esque chorus has a real pop vibe to it that I do quite enjoy..I highly recommend - Particularly to Paul if you're reading? It's definitely something different, and unexpected, but its a slow-burner, and grown on me a lot! I feel obliged to review #20 Washington's Sunday Best. She's the indie-pop darling in Australia at the moment, and I don't have a problem with that...Sunday Best is however the only track of her's I actually enjoy, with it's relentless pop sound and vibe...As for the rest of her work? I just can't quite enjoy it! Runaway by Kanye West Feat. Pusha T - #14 - as much as Kanye can be offensive and abrasive, and his music equally, I have a lot of personal connection - via friends - to the guy...and I do have various memories of late-night dancing to this track, so I do actually enjoy it...I must admit..a bit of a soft-spot. Barbra Striesand by Duck Sauce (#15). I must admit - I just don't get it. Nice enough dance beat, but it just goes nowhere, and isn't even, for me, that enjoyable. Glee tore it up, but Duck Sauce's aNYway? SO MUCH BETTER! Pendulum's Witchcraft (#48). Quite an epic. I must admit. Absolutely explosive hard electronica that just works rather well, and is effortlessly cool. Final part of disc 1 is Florence & The Machine Feat. Dizzee Rascal - You've Got The Dirtee Love (Live) #27. An amazing mix, great live cover, and Florence tears it up, but another one I don't quite 'get'. It's good, but just not my thing.
Moving on to disc 2? Yeasayer's O.N.E #30 takes a bit of getting used to, but it's island-tinged dance is rather charming. I adore the slow-burning dance/pop of Adrian Lux's Teenage Crime #6. Everything about the track is a perfect capture of an amazing moment, and just works SO well. It's a great beat, amazing sound, gorgeous vocal, and just fantastic stuff...Well done, and some of electro at its best. Sparkadia's Talking Like I'm Falling Down Stairs #24? Has something strangely gorgeously amazing and compelling about it, which I unexpectedly adore. A lot. It's a great number, I must admit. Some fantastic stuff here, which sounds like something I can't quite place. Then comes the Crystal Castles' EPIC, featuring Robert Smith - I'm Not In Love #26. Electropop reminiscent of the Killers' Day & Age which explodes into a cold, shimmery wall of synths that's exactly what I wanted from the Killers' work. An amazing track that just explodes. I really love it, it's romantic, beautiful and just fantastic stuff. Magic Fountain by Art Vs. Science #9? EPIC in every possible way, but not as amazing as Parlez Vous Francais. I think it's mostly the yelling, and the bassline, which make this great. Not my favourite by any standard, but not at all bad. I must admit, I have a soft spot for the lighter, summery-pop tinge of Darwin Deez' Radar Detector #28. It's light, relaxed, frothy fun pop. Gorgeous stuff which I adore!
Crave You - Flight Facilities Feat. Giselle #19. It's a slinky, smooth pop/dance number which I do rather enjoy. Giselle could, quite honestly, tear this up in any other situation, I'd like to hear a solo album. Punching In A Dream - The Naked & Famous #34. A gritty, bassy, electronic-rock number, with pop overlays? Works surprisingly well. Held together by a vocal reminiscent of 80s pop songstresses, a la Belinda Carlyle. Doncamatic - Gorillaz Feat. Daley #37. It's brilliant, but only held together and only works because of the absolutely MINDBLOWING vocal, which I just adore. Illy Feat. Owl Eyes - It Can Wait (#29). Takes a while to pick up (gloss over the rap, which just showcases the Australian accent at its most sexy, but least useful for rapping! :P) to get to the heavenly chorus of amazingness, absolute beautiful, and we're good! Bag Raiders are one of the most brilliant upcoming dance/pop acts to come from Australia - As Shooting Star attests. So why Way Back Home #46 is the track on here, surprised me. It's not bad by any standards - A deep bassline, electronic bleeps, beautiful chorus backed by a wall of synths and a mystical dark vocal - But it's nothing particularly groundbreaking, sounding Presets-lite, to me and just doesn't quite 'grab' me like their other anthem does! Gyroscope - Baby, I'm Getting Better #40. I've hated enough on this type of music with my friends to know this will come as a complete shock for them. I really enjoy this. It's a thumping, relentless rock number, but something about the vocal, and the pop hook and sensibility just makes this amazing. Some of the best rock I've heard in a while. Holidays - Miami Horror Feat. Alan Palomo (#54). One of the really indie bands which define the scene for me, pull out an amazing dance/pop number, with a gorgeous synth and bassline pair that's hard to beat. Fantastic stuff.
it's been a very quiet blog world without you mister. don't stay away so long next time!!
ReplyDeletePaul: Thanks! I can't make any promises, and knowing my schedule until December - It's only going to get MORE hectic here, and thus will try and churn out enough posts during the Uni semester break to keep you all satisfied/clear the backlog of discs I have here....
ReplyDelete