Nineties Revisited: Let Me Sleep

Original video located here. Accessed 22nd December 2014

Song title: Let Me Sleep

Artist: Pearl Jam

Year: 1991

Why I like this song:

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Choon of the Month: Uptown Funk

Original video located here. Accessed 15th December 2014

Song title: Uptown Funk

Artist: Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

To be honest, I didn't think much of Mark Ronson's previous efforts under his own name but here? He blows them all out of the water. Bruno Mars sounds like he's having the time of his life, the funk is unstoppable and, no matter many times I've heard it, it has yet to get old.
Which in itself is a rare achievement in the world of pop music. 

Some say it may be derivative but who cares when it sounds so irresistable?

The Asian Connection: Bouken Desho Desho?

Original video located here. Accessed 3rd December 2014

Song title: Bouken Desho Desho?

Artist: Aya Hirano

Year: 2006

Why I like this song:

Everyone knows the ending theme - largely due to that dance - so lets shine a light on that opening.
Its a fun opening and has a sense of mischief about it - which is very fitting for it's parent anime.

Choon of the Month: Between Friends

Original video located here. Accessed 28th November 2014

Song title: Between Friends (Ft. Jesse Davidson)

Artist: Japanese Wallpaper

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

A beautiful use of synths. Gotta love songs that come across as so damn hypnotic....

This Song Rocks: Here Comes Yesterday

Original video located here. Accessed 26th November 2024

Song title: Here Comes Yesterday

Artist: Violet Swells

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

It's doubtful that this song would've existed without the success of Tame Impala. I guess it's a given that when one act becomes huge, a crop of soundalikes will follow. 

But imitation is the biggest form of flattery: And this song does work a treat with some crunching guitars and a striking organ. Hopefully, this act can go on to do something more....

This Song Rocks: I

Original video located here. Accessed 10th November 2014

Song title: I

Artist: Kendrick Lamar

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

I know the history of pop music is littered with songs built around self-loathing so to hear a song about self-respect is indeed a rarity.
You never hear the phrase 'I love myself' much in pop music and I believe we can thank the Divinyls for that....
Still, a rarity like this should be celebrated. And maybe this is something I could benefit from...

The Asian Connection: Sakura Kiss

Original video located here. Accessed 3rd November 2014

Song title: Sakura Kiss

Artist: Kristine Sa

Year: 2006

Why I like this song:

Saw the original anime, Ouran High Host Club, and loved every minute of it. This was helped by such a fun sounding opening theme. You just know this is the kind of opening theme that will present a show that will offer the audience the best damn time of their life.

Choon of the Month: Take Me Back

Original video located here. Accessed 27th October 2014

Song title: Take Me Back

Artist: GL

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

The Eighties synthesizers are strong with this one.
But it works! It's funky and the production is indeed impressive. Talk about going all out...

Got It Covered: Five String Serenade

Original video located here. Accessed 19th July 2017

Song title: Five String Serenade

Artist: Mazzy Star

Originally Done By: Arthur Lee

Year: 1993

Why I like this song:

Who is my favorite female singer? Hope Sandoval. No contest

She has a voice like no one before or since. It is engaging and hits you right between the eyes - in the feels. Seriously, I defy anyone to listen to this and not go weak at the knees.

The Asian Connection: Kiri

Original video located here. Accessed 3rd October 2014

Song title: Kiri

Artist: Monoral

Year: 2006

Why I like this song:

Haven't seen much of Ergo Proxy but boy did it have a killer opening. It rocks hard and I swear that singer is a dead ringer for Iva Davies of Icehouse.

This Song Rocks: Somebody's Talking

Original video located here. Accessed 29th September 2014

Song title: Somebody's Talking

Artist: Preatures

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

The promise of This is How You Feel is reached. It's energetic and I love those harmonies in the chorus.
Somehow, listening to this and a smile is guaranteed. Some songs just do that you know?

Choon of the Month: Perfect Picture

Original video located here. Accessed 5th September 2015

Song title: Perfect Picture

Artist: I Know Leopard

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

It's certainly is an exhilarating listen that's for sure. In fact one would think this was custom made for any summertime playlist. It certainly has that impression.
Also is that a violin in there?
*checks YouTube*
So it is! Well a summer song with a violin is certainly a unique one.

This Song Rocks: Horses

Original video located here. Accessed 22nd September 2014

Song title: Horses

Artist: Sam Wright

Year: 2015

Why I like this song:

Makes the grade purely because it has a really funny chorus:

"Why would I love you? / You're a girl who likes horses / And I don't like horses / I think no one should trust them..."

Nineties Revisited: Time Bomb

Original video located here. Accessed 20th September 2021

Song title: Time Bomb

Artist: Nick Barker

Year: 1994

Why I like this song:

This song was released in 1994. I discovered it in 1999.

Perhaps it was fitting that I come to this song in the final year of my teens, because this song did speak to me. It spoke of the anger, confusion and frustration that I was going through at the time. And at this particular point in time, I decided that if I do indeed give off a vibe of being unapproachable and stand-offish then i may as well embrace it.

But that was then. Now, however this song is a remnant from years spent wallowing in one's teen angst. Still, it is a handy song to have around as a 'don't mess with me' vibe.

This Song Rocks: Love Illumination

Original video located here. Accessed 15th September 2014

Song title: Love Illumination

Artist: Franz Ferdinand

Year: 2013

Why I like this song:

It's a typical pop song narrative: Everyone knows your first big hit but they struggle to remember what happened afterwards. 
Needless to say, I was quite surprised to find out that Franz Ferdinand were still going, even when it seemed that the rest of the world had given up on them
But what does it matter? This song was fantastic and easily among their best. So it looks like there may be still some gas in that tank....

Nineties Revisited: Fall

Original video located here. Accessed 11th September 2021

Song title: Fall

Artist: Single Gun Theory

Year: 1994

Why I like this song:

It's a given that the Internet has made it easy to identify any song you heard once but couldn't place. But before then, finding out what that one song you once heard was called presented a sizable challenge. Case in point: I heard this song in the mid-nineties and fell in love with it but I could never identify what it was called. That was until 1999 when I purchased the Triple J Hottest 100 vol. 2 compilation and I heard that unmistakable vocal sample ("Eeyore Eeyore!") that the I thought: 'That's the one'.

So what makes this song so special? I like the synths, i like the hypnotic nature of the song, i like the vocals and I like the clever use of samples. Most important of all though, is this seems completely unique. I will certainly admit my teens were a time of frustration and confusion so to hear this song was to arrive at an oasis of calm. And therefore proves the notion that sometimes the seductive approach can win anyone over.

The Asian Connection: Open Your Heart

Original video located here. Accessed 10th July 2020

Song title: Open Your Heart

Artist: Emily Bindiger / Bee Train

Year: 2002

Why I like this song:

This is further proof that the soundtrack to .hack//SIGN is in a class of it's own. If I could put the entire soundtrack on this blog I would. Probably.

But yeah, this is pure magic and just the thing to make other TV series jealous.

The Asian Connection: Dive in the Sky

Original video located here. Accessed 4th September 2022

Song title: Dive in the Sky

Artist: Mikio Sakai

Year: 2003

Why I like this song:

Planetes may not be well known but believe you me it is indeed a gem. No anime I ever seen can truly speak to the child in me who read any book on the exploration of outer space he could lay his hands on.

And much like the series, this song does speak to those thoughts of progress, the building of human history and leaving the cradle of Earth.

Nineties Revisited: Immortality

Original video located here. Accessed 1st September 2021

Song title: Immortality

Artist: Pearl Jam

Year: 1994

Why I like this song: 

It has been previously established that Pearl Jam, was a constant presence in my youth. I recall being nine years old, hearing 'Alive' for the first time and thinking it was a revelation.

This song is like Alive in that it represents a time and place - that being the bleak time that was High School. Okay sure that time is never easy for anyone but there is always a younger me sitting at his desk, listening to this song and looking out the window..

Nineties Revisited: I'll Remember

Original video located here. Accessed 28th August 2021

Song title: I'll Remember

Artist: Madonna

Year: 1994

Why I like this song:

Some songs remind you of a particular time and place and this is one of them.

Back in 2000, I was involved in a theatrical group and I will associate this song with a fond memory of said group:

It was the Sunday after the end of the last show. And on that day, I caught a bus up to town in the middle of a pouring rain. I was the only one on the bus but it was there that my ears managed to pick up the sound of Madonna’s I’ll Remember on the radio. It was one of those pivotal moments where all that was happening around me clicked into place. And then images of everyone involved come drifting and out of my mind, as I smiled and thought to myself that, despite of my frequent feelings of resentment, they weren’t such a bad group of people after all.

I can’t really explain in words the emotion I felt in that moment nor the timelessness, importance or reasons why I treasure that particular memory so tightly. But I can tell you that should someone ask me the quintessential moment in my time with the theatrical group, I will respond with that moment travelling on an empty bus on a rainy Sunday.

It is that moment that I shall always remember long after all the shows, encores, camps, hugs and post-show shenanigans have long since disappeared into the mists of time...."

Choon of the Month: Under the Pressue

Original video located here. Accessed 25th August 2014

Song title: Under the Pressure

Artist: War on Drugs

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

Being a younger brother it is a given that I will pick up new music from my older siblings. It is indeed expected when you're a kid but, believe it or not, it still applies when you're an adult. And as it happens, my brother was raving about this band and urged me to look into it.

So I did and what do you know? This song is absolutely stunning.
A masterclass in writing, performance, and production. There's not one note of place and it certainly sounds unique in this current musical landscape. 
Sure the outro is long-winded and pointless but everything is top-notch

Explorations: Is This Music?

Original video located here. Accessed 2nd August 2018

Song title: Is This Music?

Artist: Teenage Fanclub

Year: 1991

Why I like this song:

So I decided to explore some Teenage Fanclub.

I wonder how this band will be remembered: They may not have enjoyed major chart success but what they delivered did reach a decent audience and reaped critical acclaim. And listening to this album, Bandwagonesque, now, it certainly strikes me as being the epitome of early nineties guitar pop - the kind you would hear play in some teen movie. The guitar work is great all around and the harmonies work wonders. 

And, as is often the case, they leave the best moment for last: A glorious instrumental that, like any good instrumental, invites the listener to draw their own conclusions. Don't mind if I do.

Nineties Revisited: Last Stop This Town

Original video located here. Accessed 8th August 2014

Song title: Last Stop This Town

Artist: The Eels

Year: 1998

Why I like this song:

So I got a hold of the Eels album Electroshock Blues. 
This was an album I've been meaning to get for years but it is only now that I got off my slack arse and got it. 
I will say this: Electroshock Blues isn't an easy album to listen to as it deals with death and the grieving process - it certainly doesn't help considering what was happening with E prior to making the album.  
But I have always believed that the Eels are the type of band that merges depression and goofiness - indeed they wouldn't sound out of place in some Tim Burton nightmare - so this does sound exactly what they're capable of.

The Asian Connection: Through the Years and Far Away

Original video located here. Accessed 4th August 2020

Song title: Through the Years and Far Away

Artist: Low

Year: 2003

Why I like this song:

Wow, Hatsune Miku sounds really depressed.

Jokes aside, it may seem depressing or melodramatic, depending on who you ask, but it has its charms. Granted it may not be doing much on its own, without the anime behind it, but it has power in it's description of separation. 

This Song Rocks: Beggin For Thread

Original video located here. Accessed 4th August 2014

Song title: Beggin For Thread

Artist: BANKS

Year: 2019

Why I like this song:

When sex turns nasty.
This sogn has such a sinister vibe but, much like any seducation, I think I like it.

Nineties Revisited: Last Train to Trancentral

Original video located here. Accessed 3rd January 2021

Song title: Last Train to Trancentral

Artist: The KLF

Year: 1991

Why I like this song:

Recently I've been rediscovering the seminal KLF album The White Room.

I recall this act being a big deal in the early nineties: For many this was an indication that a new decade had arrived and this what it was going to sound like (that was until September of that year...). However the shine of the KLF wore off afterward given their odd publicity stunts - so much so one would forget this was an actual band. So how does the music hold up over two decades later?

It's loud, bombastic and could see where house music was heading: out of the clubs and into arenas. 
'All Aboard' indeed. 
And it's still a fun listen.

Choon of the Month: Paradise

Original video located here. Accessed 28th July 2014

Song title: Paradise

Artist: White Hex

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

It has enough synths to fill Sydney Harbour, all determined to bludgeon one with their bombast.
But damn, if it doesn't do it so well.

Nineties Revisited: One Word

Original video located here. Accessed 18th July 2014

Song title: One Word

Artist: Baby Animals

Year: 1991

Why I like this song:

So I got my hands on the Baby Animals debut album. 
Man, I recall this band: They seemed like an unstoppable force, propelled by this winner of a single. And at the time, I thought this was the ballsiest thing I had ever heard - perhaps more so considering what a force of personality Suzi DeMarchi possessed. 

It is indeed a shame they didn't go anywhere but the whole album was great, with crunchy riffs, snappy songwriting and Suzi overflowing with charisma. All the ingredients were there and it delivered.
Far less deserving acts have been better remembered...

This Song Rocks: Friends

Original video located here. Accessed 14th July 2014

Song title: Friends

Artist: Flight of the Conchords

Year: 2009

Why I like this song:

The argument could be made that the songs in the second season of Flight of the Conchoards weren't as good as those in the first season as Bret and Jermaine had less time to work on them. Still this was a delight, being both witty and somewhat truthful.

Obituary: Blitzkrieg Bop

Original video located here. Accessed 4th November 2019

Song title: Blitzkrieg Bop

Artist: The Ramones

Year: 1976

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Tommy Ramone
All four are gone now....

The Asian Connection: Always With Me

Original video located here. Accessed 18th July 2015

Song title: Always with me

Artist: Ayaka Hirahara

Year: 2001

Why I like this song:

So many people have seen Spirited Away, both inside and outside the anime/Ghibli fandom, so I believe it's fair to say that this should be immediately recognisable. 

Funny how such a visually creative/bizarre anime ends on such a simple note. But personally> The simplicity makes it all the more striking. 

Explorations: It's a Shame About Ray

Original video located here. Accessed 17th April 2022

Song title: It's a Shame About Ray

Artist: The Lemonheads

Year: 1992

Why I like this song:

Lately I have been listening to the Lemonheads. 

I do recall these guys being a big deal in the mid-nineties and even that was off the back of the winning single If I Could Talk. But for whatever reason I never investigated further. 
Recently however I have heard the above song for the first time and it did pique my interest. It may sound very much like a early nineties guitar pop band but it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to imagine many bands hearing this and think: 'Hey I can do that too'.

As for this songs parent album, of the same name, one gets the feeling that it defined guitar pop of the early nineties. In fact, it doesn't surprise me that the Lemonheads had close ties with the Australian band the Hummingbirds as they both sound like they were cut from the same cloth. 

Choon of the Month: The Runner

Original video located here. Accessed 27th June 2014

Song title: The Runner

Artist: Airling

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

When someone gets successful, it should come to no surprise that soundalikes will inevitably follow in their wake. Certainly you could make the argument that this song wouldn't have stood a chance without Lorde making it big, but this stands out for me for the ominous vibe it gives off. Throw in an off-kilter beat and a winning lyric ("And do you know what it's like to be sober?") and this is indeed a gem.

Obituary: Wars or Hands of Time

Original video located here. Accessed 13th June 2014

Song title: Wars or Hands of Time

Artist: Masters Apprentices

Year: 1967

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Jim Keays

Were the Masters Apprentices Australia's answer to the Rolling Stones? Well I'm calling it anyway.
This certainly does stand out, even when compared to the Masters' two watermarks (Turn up Your Radio and Because I Love You) and has a rawness that would make later efforts hard to match up to.

Nineties Revisited: M+Ms

Original video located here. Accessed 6th June 2014

Song title: M+Ms

Artist: blink-182

Year: 1994

Why I like this song:

I was never a fan of blink-182. It may be an unpopular opinion but I was less enthusiastic to their hits and more favourable towards their serious songs (I Miss You, Adam's Song, Stay Together for the Kids). 
Having said that however I still have soft spot for this: It was my first exposure to them and yes, it did speak to me as a teen. It was fun and kinda cute. 

The Asian Connection: Try to Wish

Original video located here. Accessed 2nd June 2014

Song title: Try to Wish / What You Need

Artist: Saori Mishihata

Year: 2000

Why I like this song:

The Ah My Goddess movie is indeed magnificent and this is how it sticks the landing: With a wonderful end credits theme.
Why do I love this? I love the melody, the chorus and how every jpop production trick is utilised. It does what it does and it does it so well. 
One gets the feeling that, seeing as the movie went through numerous delays, the people behind it wanted to bring the best job possible to the end result. Well, they succeeded with flying colours. 

Back to the Eighties: Rise

Original video located here. Accessed 26th May 2014

Song title: Rise

Artist: Public Image Ltd

Year: 1986

Why I like this song:

I've seen a lot anger at Tony Abbot here online and for some reason this came to mind.
Still a benchmark of righteous wrath ("Anger is an Energy!")

Choon of the Month: Ocean

Original video located here. Accessed 26th May 2014

Song title: Ocean

Artist: Owls

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

It has enough rock muscle to break any door down but then it goes into a different tempo. Certainly an odd move but that's what makes it so memorable. 

This Song Rocks: Beware the Dog

Original video located here. Accessed 16th May 2014

Song title: Beware the Dog

Artist: Griswolds

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

It's a fun listen and the singalong element in the chorus works a treat.

The Asian Connection: Royal Space Force Main Theme

Original video located here. Accessed 5th May 2019

Song title: Royal Space Force Main Theme

Artist: Ryuichi Sakamoto

Year: 1987

Why I like this song:

Calling it now: Royal Space Force (Wings of Honneamise) has one of the greatest soundtracks, anime or otherwise. And this is the best representation of it: Exotic, unfamiliar and yet still familiar, utilising a great leitmotif and evocative of building and progression. Simple but magnificent.

This Song Rocks: Through the Window

Original video located here. Accessed 28th April 2014

Song title: Through the Window

Artist: Brian Bromberg

Year: 2005

Why I like this song:

I chanced upon this and was astonished: For you see (hear?), all the guitar sounds are done on a bass. 
And they say the bass is a boring instrument.

Choon of the Month: Feels Like 37

Original video located here. Accessed 28th April 2014

Song title: DMA's

Artist: Feels Like 37

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

A burst of energy indeed

Nineties Revisited: Let Down

Original video located here. Accessed 20th December 2019

Song title: Let Down

Artist: Radiohead

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Simply put: Its the best song on OK Computer
"One day I am gonna grow wings,..."

The Asian Connection: Over the Sky

Original video located here. Accessed 2nd April 2014

Song title: Over the Sky

Artist: Hitomi

Year: 2002

Why I like this song:

This closing to the anime Last Exile may sure be strange and mysterious but beautiful in it's haunting nature.

This Song Rocks: Deadman's Hand

Original video located here. Accessed 4th December 2015

Song title: Deadman's Hand

Artist: The Church

Year: 2009

Why I like this song:

Recently I got a hold of the Church's 2009 album, Untitled #23.

It's got the same psychedelic and jangle rock as I have come to expect from this band but at the same time it seems more angrier. The guitars sound more ragged and Steve Kilbey sounds more bitter. 
It's certainly an unexpected change of pace but hey, when you've had a career that's long enough to eild twenty three albums one is more than welcome to shake things up.

Choon of the Month: Honey

Original video located here. Accessed 28th March 2014

Song title: Honey

Artist: Bonjah

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

Simply put: It had the power to knock one to the floor and gloat about it. How many other songs cna do that?

Explorations: Islands

Original video located here. Accessed 26th March 2014

Song title: Islands

Artist: The xx

Year: 2009

Why I like this song:

Recently I've been listening to the xx.
I knew of this band as their debut album made them darlings in amongst indie circles. So they should have something worthwhile to say, right?
Somehow this seems like the ideal song to laze around in bed on a rainy weekend....

Nineties Revisited: The Girlfriend Song

Original video located here. Accessed 16th December 2014

Song title: The Girlfriend Song

Artist: Tlot Tlot

Year: 1995

Why I like this song:

A song I enjoyed during High School. I've been looking for this years and I can't say how happy I am to finally find it (guess YouTube does indeed have everything)

This Song Rocks: Contact

Original video located here. Accessed 19th March 2014

Song title: Contact

Artist: Daft Punk

Year: 2013

Why I like this song:

Following on from last week, here's another album that I've been meaning to get around. And, like last week, it was a gem with the standout track coming at the end of the album. Unlike last week however, this left the opposite impression.
If I Appear Missing was about getting up and pushing forward, this is the sound of a rebirth: Triumphant, wonderous, heralding a new dawn, leaving the cradle of Earth and roaring off into space (particularly during the climax).

But really, this song is a case of being in the right place at the right time: I was going though a bad time prior to hearing this (if the last few posts are some indication) but when I did, I found it to the the pick me up I needed. And that's what music should do.
The phoenix has risen again....

This Song Rocks: Uprising

Original video located here. Accessed 15th March 2014

Song title: Uprising

Artist: Muse

Year: 2009

Why I like this song:

Driving to the voting booth and what's on my car stereo? This.
Read into that what you will

This Song Rocks: I Appear Missing

Original video located here. Accessed 12th March 2014

Song title: I Appear Missing

Artist: Queens of the Stone Age

Year: 2013

Why I like this song:

I got off my slack arse and sought out ...Like Clockwork. Better late than never: I found it much to my liking. 
But then there's this: The second last track and, in my mind, the best of the lot.
It spoke to me as it's the sound of getting up off the ground, having been beating down by adversity, and shuffling forward, bloodied but not beaten. 
I've previously said I'm a sucker for a pump-up anthem so perhaps this is the inverse: Moving forward - not because you want to but you have little other choice. 
Or at least that's how I saw (heard?) it.

Explorations: Xtal

Original video located here. Accessed 30th October 2014

Song title: Xtal

Artist: Aphex Twin

Year: 1992

Why I like this song:

Lately I've been listening to Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85-92.

Sometimes you surprise yourself and this is no exception: My introduction to Aphex Twin was the nightmarish Come to Daddy and it's equally freaky video. One wouldn't think it would be enough to warrant a further examination but I've heard good things about Richard James' first album so, for some reason I don't understand, I sought it out.

And I can't stop listening to it. 

Listening to this after Come to Daddy is a shock: Instead of the noisy abrasiveness, we have something more moody and expressive - indeed it should be noted that Richard James has since dismissed Come to Daddy and I can agree with him: This is loads better. 
And it certainly sounds worlds apart from the electronic music both at the time and since: No big beats just plenty of synths to create a thing of beauty. It may not have the propulsion that defines EDM but it still sounds a delight to hear. 

Nineties Revisited: La Di Doh

Original video located here. Accessed 12th August 2023

Song title: La Di Doh

Artist: Ed Kuepper

Year: 1994

Why I like this song:

In listening to Ed Kuepper, it is fascinating to see just how out of step his material is when compared to what else is going on at the time.
And that certainly is the case here: The choice of instruments is striking (harmonica, jaw harp and didgeridoo) and the whole thing is sparse, establishing a mood akin to heading out to the desert.
Through in some lyrics dealing with, what seems to be, distrust and mob rule and we have something that is different and all the better for it.

This Song Rocks: Reflektor

Original video located here. Accessed 5th March 2014

Song title: Reflektor

Artist: Arcade Fire

Year: 2013

Why I like this song:

I said I'll investigate Arcade Fire further and with fresh ears so here we are.
It's funky and is indeed a snappy tune. Sure the eccentrics Arcade Fire are known for but here it works in a, dare I say, palatable manner. But who cares? This song is great. If this song was made to generate new interest in the band then to succeeded better than anyone could've hoped - after all, there is me.  
And having David Bowie helping out on vocals doesn't hurt either

The Asian Connection: Trust

Original video located here. Accessed 3rd March 2014

Song title: Trust

Artist: Salia

Year: 2000

Why I like this song:

There was a period of time, early 2002, when I felt a bit lost. I had seen End of Evangelion the year before and it left a bad taste in the mouth. I needed something new. Something fun. 
Enter Vandread.

Needless to say, I have a permanent spot in my heart for this theme. It's fun, energetic and was exactly what I was looking for.
And from there, I was a fan. It led to me founding fansite The Vandread Library and was a way to build a budding relationship. 
So yeah, Trust represents a time and place, my twenties, like nothing else. Why wouldn't I adore it?

Got it Covered: Groovy Kind of Love

Original video located here. Accessed 28th February 2014

Song title: Groovy Kind of Love

Artist: Phil Collins

Originally Done By: Diane and Annita

Year: 1988

Why I like this song:

I have clear memories of hearing this song when I was a kid. Of course, at the time Phil was an unstoppable hit machine, pumping out one after the other. But this always stayed with me - perhaps due to it showing me how love songs work.

So this concludes this year's clutch of love songs. Will I do any more? Depends if I have any more to say about the topic....

Back to the Eighties: Blue Eyes

Original video located here. Accessed 24th February 2014

Song title: Blue Eyes

Artist: Elton John

Year: 1982

Why I like this song:

No matter his writing partner, Elton can still turn out some cracking love songs.
And this is my favourite of his. For, once again, the simplicity of it is the key to it's success.

Nineties Revisited: If You be Mine

Original video located here. Accessed 23rd July 2021

Song title: If You Be Mine

Artist: Babybird

Year: 1998

Why I like this song:

Babybird may had netted a huge hit with You're Gorgeous but I always though this, from the followup album, was the better song. 

The strings are the main selling point here along with the chorus and production. But the verses still perplex me as they seem at odds with the chorus. Still, as a lovestruck teenager back in 1998 this song did speak to me and, to that end, it still does.

This Song Rocks: All For Believing

Original video located here. Accessed 23rd July 2018

Song title: All For Believing

Artist: Missy Higgins

Year: 2001

Why I like this song:

Its the song that introduced Missy Higgins to the world.

I remember at the time thinking this was extraordinary with both it's simplicity and honesty. 
Years later, I still feel the same - although I prefer the original recording over the one that was done for her subsequent album The Sound of White. It has an ambience that somehow was lost in the professional setting...

Got it Covered: Stay With Me til Dawn

Original video located here. Accessed 17th February 2014

Song title: Stay With Me 'til Dawn

Artist: Wicked Beat Sound System

Originally Done By: Judie Tzuke

Year: 2000

Why I like this song:

The original certainly has a otherworldly feel to it and this cover replicates it with ease. 
Mysterious in nature and superb in its depiction of longing 

This Song Rocks: Everytime

Original video located here. Accessed 14th February 2014

Song title: Everytime

Artist: Britney Spears

Year: 2003

Why I like this song:

I was never a fan of Britney Spears during her heyday - mostly due to me being outside her target audience of teenage girls - but I will make an exception for this song.

Funny thing: Britney was made famous with the backing of producer Max Martin yet the one song that sounds the least like Martin's unstoppable force is Britney's best. And it works: Britney here sounds vulnerable and, dare I say, frightened. She is worlds apart from the persona that made her famous and is revealing what is truly under that mask. If this is Britney at her most honest then it is nothing less than astonishing. 

Personally, I find this handy to have around when you're missing someone.....

Nineties Revisited: I'll Stand By You

Original video located here. Accessed 12th February 2014

Song title: I'll Stand By You

Artist: The Pretenders

Year: 1994

Why I like this song:

A song that means a lot to me: It's helped me through difficult times and it is a firm reminder that I have family and friends who will never give up on me. And no matter how many times I mess up, I can still turn things around. 

I will say, this song goes through a real gauntlet of emotions: Empathy, compassion and loyalty. All of which are rarely addressed in the pop song spectrum (unless you're R.E.M.) which makes this song stand out even more.

Nineties Revisited: Iris

Original video located here. Accessed 10th February 2014

Song title: Iris

Artist: Goo Goo Dolls

Year: 1998

Why I like this song:

I remember this song but not for the right reasons: It was a huge hit when I was going through a less-than favourable point in my life. But the passage of time, and the distance from said period, has allowed me to reassess my relationship to this song.

And I like it. Maybe it's the autistic in me but I appreciate the sentiment of wanting to be understood even at great risk. So yeah, damn good song.

Back to the Eighties: Bachelor Kisses

Original video located here. Accessed 10th May 2018

Song title: Bachelor Kisses

Artist: The Go-Betweens

Year: 1984

Why I like this song:

Took me years to find this song but the romanticism in it is beyond compare.
And the mystery of why this band, along with the song they wrote, didn't take off like they should have endures.

This Song Rocks: Come What May

Original video located here. Accessed 5th February 2014

Song title: Come What May (Puretone mix)

Artist: Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman

Year: 2001

Why I like this song:

Never liked the movie Moulin Rouge but I will forever have a soft spot for this song.
That being said, I prefer the remix over the original. I guess it must be due to that piano used throughout - it gives off a sense of wonder that can never be found anywhere else.

The Asian Connection: Yakusoku wa Iranai

Original video located here. Accessed 3rd February 2014

Song title: Yakusoku wa Iranai

Artist: Maaya Sakamoto

Year: 1996

Why I like this song:

It's a no brainer to say that all of the soundtrack to Vision of Escaflowne is magnificent. And what better way to announce one's self than with this. 
Its big, it's grand, its sweeping and it's a statement of intent if ever there was one.

Classics: Just the Way You Are

Original video located here. Accessed 2nd April 2019

Song title: Just the Way You Are

Artist: Billy Joel

Year: 1977

Why I like this song:

Last year I spent the month of February talking about some love songs I liked. So why not do it again?

I love this song for it's simplicity and it's honesty. And that is more than enough 
Sure Billy has been a punchline for critics for years but in the end, you can't deny he can pump out a cracking song.

We Are Live: Corduroy

Original video located here. Accessed 10 November 2014

Song title: Corduroy

Artist: Pearl Jam

Year: 1994

Why I like this song:

Last weekend I had the pleasure of travelling to Melbourne to attend the Big Day Out. 
I expect anyone of my generation would've gone to a Big Day Out at least once in their life. And this is the second time for me having previously gone in 2002. So I knew what to expect. 
Of course in recent years there has been some debate as to whether or not the Big Day Out still have relevance the further it gets from the 1990s and whether it can keep with the times. After all, music festivals can't last forever right?

But no matter: here's what I took away from going to the 2014 Big Day Out:

• I went in expecting a swarm of people but that didn't seem to be the case. It was concerning...
• I did buy a BDO t-shirt just to declare that I went there. At the stand I noticed some Manic Street Preacher t-shirts - aren't they the same from 2002? (and from earlier in 1999?)
• Violent Soho were the first band I saw. They were great but my brother, who I went with, didn't seem too impressed
• Next up were the Jungle Giants. Not bad but, in a reverse from Violent Soho, my brother liked them better.
• Kingswood were an early highlight, rocking the stage like their lives depended on it. Of particular note, the singer mentioned they had come from Sydney on motorbikes with a bikie gang.  
• Loon Lake came next. Not a bad effort from them.
• Then came a move to the main stage to see Portugal. The Man on my brother's insistence. I never heard of them but they put up a decent show.   
• Then I made my way to the other main stage to see Primus - and in particular Les Claypool's virtuosity on the bass. They delivered a great show although I am disappointed they didn't play Wynona's Big Brown Beaver.
• Next up was Tame Impala. Psychedelic rock all around. Of note was hearing Feel Like We Only Go Backwards, Jay Watson (the other guy in Tame Impala who isn't Kevin Parker) having some banter with the crowd, and some really favourable reaction to the older stuff.
• I caught a portion of Algorithm's set. Bizarre but oddly compelling.
• I also managed to get to the boiler room to see Rufus. Pretty good they were too.
• I saw Beady Eye: Liam Gallagher's new band he formed with the remnants of Oasis. Funny thing: there were three songs I recognised - two were Oasis songs (Rock and Roll Star & Morning Glory) and one was a Rolling Stones cover (Gimme Shelter) - and it was these three that got the biggest cheers from the crowd.
• Arcade Fire was next. Now I have previously tried to get into Arcade Fire but to no success. However to see the crowd go crazy for these songs made me reconsider my previous stance and wonder if there may be something of value. And that's the purpose of a music festival: to become acquainted with music you wouldn't previously be aware of right?
  Other than that, Arcade Fire delivered a great show: coming out with imposters wearing fake heads and switching instruments to make for a fun game of Where's Wally.
• And finally there was the mighty Pearl Jam. Now THIS was what I wanted to see most of all. I have no doubt that, inside me, there was a ten-year old boy jumping for joy.
  So did Pearl Jam deliver? Did they ever: Rocking hard like true professionals and putting a lot of the younger acts to shame. They played a lot of their hits and got the crowd engaged from the word go. They truly were the big drawcard of the 2014 Big day Out and, it seemed, money well spent.

All in all, the Big Day Out 2014 was a solid effort. I have since heard rumours that this Big Day Out will be the last one But if that is the case, it certainly was a grand way to bow out.

Choon of the Month: Seasons

Original video located here. Accessed 27th January 2014

Song title: Seasons

Artist: Future Islands

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

Its a moody masterpiece with great use of the seasonal motif

This Song Rocks: If You Ever Need a Stranger

Original video located here. Accessed 22nd January 2014

Song title: If You Ever Need a Stranger

Artist: Jens Lekman

Year: 2004

Why I like this song:

I became aware of Jens through Your Arms Around Me so I decided to explore further. And this song stood out to me from his first album. 
You often hear songs that sound happy but have depressing lyrics but what of the other way around? Sure this is a downbeat song but there some witty lines here. And hey, it does on a hopeful note

The Asian Connection: Battlecry

Original video located here. Accessed 6th January 2014

Song title: Battlecry

Artist: nujabes

Year: 2004

Why I like this song:

And now, some Japanese hip-hop.

Its chilled, and the beat is great. Sure it may not be representative of the demented nature of the anime it opens (Samurai Champloo) but that's not bad thing.