I started writing a list of my five favourite songs of the moment about a fortnight ago, but only got as far as three tracks. Then the “five songs” meme arrived, and Kathy tagged me, so here we go, I’m jumping on the bandwagon. List five songs that you are currently digging – it doesn’t ... [More]
When I was about 8, I got into the Beatles in a big way, after staying at a house in Dromana that had a copy of Abbey Road on LP, and listening to it every day for a week. Of course they’d been broken up for 8 years then, but I started collecting all the ... [More]
I was having a chat to my friend Stewart. He and his mate Joe have just launched a web site to go with their band, Joey Stew. They’ve got some downloadable samples of their songs on the site, so check it out, it’s funny stuff. But one lesson I’ve learnt over the years is to ... [More]
A couple of weeks ago we were having dinner on a Saturday night in Bourke Street. Something was wrong, and we remarked as such: it was about 7pm and Gaslight Music wasn’t open. For years, Gaslight has been a haven in the eastern end of the city, particularly when waiting to meet someone on a ... [More]
After living for some time with my iPod only holding a dozen or so of my favourite CDs (plus that great Billy Bragg paid concert download), I’ve finally embarked on loading everything up, in alphabetical order. So far I’m up to B. Thus my iPod currently has an inordinate amount of Area 7, Bragg and ... [More]
(via Doug)
I could tell you about how I got halfway to work yesterday and decided I didn’t feel well and I was going home to spend a lazy day resting. But I won’t. Instead I will present you with a hypothesis: That listening to the iPod makes doing the dishes go faster. I also spent a ... [More]
As I’ve started ripping my CDs onto the iPod, I’ve been viewing and playing more of my CD collection than I have in quite some time. Here are some of my favourite obscure CDs: Doug Anthony Allstars – Icon — the DAAS at their irreverent and musical best, with a lot of tracks being studio ... [More]
Around this time last week, I checked the Apple web site for the status of my iPod repair. It proclaimed that they’d sent it back to me, and had a link to a rather nifty Australia Post parcel-tracking web site. Which didn’t work. But no matter, once Easter was out of the way, I got ... [More]
Vale Paul Hester. Pic: Ren Jonas / www.finnatics.de/Crowded_House/ Update 8:30pm. I first read about this in the paper this morning. It didn’t quite sink in until later. It’s one thing when a musician much older than you passes away… it’s another matter when it’s one who is almost your own generation, and at only 46. ... [More]
Is it just my imagination, or are an increasing number of concerts for established acts in the big cities taking place on weeknights – “school” nights to be precise, Sunday to Thursday? It’s like the promoters know they can fill a venue in Melbourne, any day of the week, so they go for the weeknights. ... [More]
I finally succumbed to that iPod I’ve been covetting. Bye bye $449, hello 40Gb and my entire CD collection on a single tiny electronic gizmo. Uhh, that is, it’s a portable storage device… it’s a work tool, don’tcha know. For moving big files around. And for drowning out the ambient noise when I’m trying to ... [More]
Choose a band and answer only in song titles by that band: Paul Kelly (okay he’s a singer, but he’s had bands…) Are you male or female? Most wanted man in the world Describe yourself: I am what I am How do some people feel about you? King of fools How do you feel about ... [More]
I just did a load of washing, including a doona cover. Every single other item ended up inside the doona cover. How is this possible? Number of people observed at the mobile blood bank last week who were reading The Da Vinci Code: 2. It’s hot again today. Trying to take cover, keep the house ... [More]
A busker with extraordinarily big reflective sunglasses and reminding me a little bit of Tim Rogers was on the train the other morning, singing Folsom Prison Blues. Ah, love a bit of Johnny Cash in the morning, even if he couldn’t quite do the deep notes. I’m not sure what the next song was, but ... [More]
(Note: exaggerated whinging) A gaggle of teenage girls on the train yesterday morning, joyfully debating the benefits of getting off at Malvern or Flinders Street. (huh? They’re miles apart). It eventually became clear that they were heading to St Kilda. (Why not any of the myriad of other stations then?) But then they started on ... [More]