Nineties Revisited: The Private Psychedelic Reel

Original video located here. Accessed 25th September 2021

Song title: The Private Psychedelic Reel

Artist: The Chemical Brothers

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

This, dear reader, is my favorite song from 1993-2012.

So what makes this song special? Well, as indicated by previous posts, I like songs that are exciting. I like songs that i can hear over and over again and never tire of. I like instrumentals as they invite the listener to form their own reactions. And I like songs that demand full attention.

Needless to say, The Private Psychedelic Reel fulfills all criteria.

There is a lot going on in this song and it's never overwhelming. It is over nine minutes long and it is never boring. It is energetic but never tiring. Hey, even that clarinet solo fits in with ease.

So it is with confidence that I bestow The Private Psychedelic Reel with the title of the best song of 1993-2012.

Got it Covered: Merry Christmas Everybody

Original video located here. Accessed 22nd December 2018

Song title: Merry Christmas Everybody

Artist: Oasis

Originally Done By: Slade

Year: 2002

Why I like this song:

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

Nineties Revisited: Everyday Should be a Holiday

Original video located here. Accessed 19th December 2017

Song title: Everyday Should be a Holiday

Artist: Dandy Warhols

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Over the years, i have enjoyed this song as a summer anthem. Ad I look set to enjoy it for many more summers to come
Recommended serving: Having this blasting in the car stereo whilst roaring down some highway

Nineties Revisited: Ain't That Enough

Original video located here. Accessed 24th August 2021

Song title: Ain't That Enough

Artist: Teenage Fanclub

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

As I type this, it's a sunny morning. So here's something to fit the mood:
Props to those glorious harmonies

The Asian Connection: Run Rabbit Junk

Original video located here. Accessed 6th December 2017

Song title: Run Rabbit Junk

Artist: HIDE

Year: 2003

Why I like this song:

Its the first track on the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex soundtrack and a firm statement of intent. I recall back in 2003, a friend gifted me the soundtrack and I played it to death.
In fact, I found I could put this on in the company of friends and no one could tell the difference - proving that music can cross barriers in an effective manner.

Nineties Revisited: Brimful of Asha

Original video located here. Accessed 6th December 2017

Song title: Brimful of Asha

Artist: Cornershop

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Talk about an insistent guitar riff...
Also of note, is that this song name-drops Asha Bhosle - who I'd later notice, in 2002, as being present on the 1 Giant Leap album

Choon of the Month: Sure

Original video located here. Accessed 8th December 2017

Song title: Sure

Artist: Hatchie

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

I took one listen to this and I got that tingle of excitement one gets when they discover something new.

It sounds like this gal is keeping the dream pop flag flying. Which is fine by me. So my interest is piqued - which is hard to do seeing how much music I have absorbed over the years. 
So you got my attention Hatchie - your move.

Nineties Revisited: You're Not The Only One Who Feels This Way

Original video located here. Accessed 28th November 2017

Song title: You're Not The Only One Who Feels This Way

Artist: Ammonia

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

And now for something with some personal resonance.

This song came out during my last high year of high school and was subsequently adopted as my 'End of High School' theme. Now, a lot of people (particularly Millennials) point to that Vitamin C 'Friends Forever' song as their End of High School theme but I put this forward as a counter-point.

I will certainly not be the first to admit this but High School was not an easy time for me - and by the end of that four year journey i felt a) drained (in more ways than one), and b) uncertain towards what will happen next. And this song, for me, perfectly illustrates such a mindset. And is certainly far more true to life than that Friends Forever song.

Just listen to it.

Got it Covered: Love Rollercoaster

Original video located here. Accessed 21st November 2017

Song title: Love Rollercoaster

Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers

Originally Done By: Ohio Players

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Not sure what the RHCP fans make of this twenty years later. Me? I think it rocks! The video is a hoot and special mention must go to the kazoos XD

Obituary: Thunderstruck

Original video located here. Accessed 20th November 2017

Song title: Thunderstruck

Artist: AC/DC

Year: 1990

Why I like this song:

R.I.P Malcolm Young

Say hi to Bon for us

Obituary: The Crab Song

Original video located here. Accessed 19th November 2017

Song title: The Crab Song

Artist: Faith No More

Year: 1987

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Chuck Mosely

I think this is the best of that era of Faith No More. Clearly the direction that would lead to The Real Thing was already underway but Chuck was still giving his all. 
He may have been overshadowed by his successor but he was still part of the Faith No More story.

Nineties Revisited: Your Woman

Original video located here. Accessed 16th November 2017

Song title: Your Woman

Artist: White Town

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

A classic one hit wonder - only not really: the guy behind this song has actually had an active music career since. Some witty lyrics and the use of a sample that others can only dream of.

Nineties Revisited: Hitchin a Ride

Original video located here. Accessed 7th November 2017

Song title: Hitchin' A Ride

Artist: Green Day

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Including a Green Day song in this blog is something of a no-brainer to me. I listened to them a lot during my High School years and they were a constant presence in one form or another. Consider them my gateway drug to the world of Punk Rock XD
Funny how much a song can be defined by a descending bass line.

The Asian Connection: Kimi wo Nosete

Original video located here. Accessed 6th November 2017

Song title: Kimi wo Nosete / Carrying You

Artist: Azumi Inoue

Year: 1986

Why I like this song:

You always remember the first time you encounter something new. Whilst Castle in the Sky was not the first Ghibli movie I came across - that honour goes to Grave of the Fireflies - it was the first Ghibli movie directed by Miyazaki I came across and it has stayed with me ever since.

And this song really puts forth the notion of travelling far and wide in search of missing civilisations. If I need to go on a journey filled with adventure and tragedy then this is what I want playing in the background (although why anyone would actively go out and search of tragedy is beyond me....)

We Are Live: Forgotten Years

Original video located here. Accessed 3rd November 2017

Song title: Forgotten Years

Artist: Midnight Oil

Year: 1990

Why I like this song:

Recently I saw Midnight Oil live. 
Boy have I been waiting a long time for this. I grew up with Midnight who was a continuous presence in the 1980s and 90s. I knew they had last played in Tassie in 1990 but never again, Indeed, I recall, back in 2002, signing an online petition to bring them back. Of course it didn't work - the Oils would break up months later - but now, they've finally returned.

The support act was the Jezebels. They did all right but they did come across as somewhat stiff on stage. I guess being in a venue as big as the DEC means Hayley Mary was unable to do her lap-dance routine that she is apparently known for.

But the real treat is the Oils: And I tell you: The long wait was more than worth it. They burst out the gate, rocking hard for a bunch of guys in their sixties. I knew that Midnight Oil were renowned as a formidable live act but to see them in the flesh is indeed something else. In fact they rocked so hard that they could easy show up a lot of younger bands. But then again, Midnight have had plenty of time to perfectly hone their act.

Noteworthy moments are as follows: Playing Power and Passion and everyone getting up to dance. Peter Garret giving rants to the crowd, sharing experiences in Burnie (among other things). The final song being Forgotten Years (as above). Rob Hirst going like a machine. Jim and Martin going full-tilt. 

So does the wait guarantee a spot in the pantheon of greatest live bands I've seen?
Of course, Do you really need to ask?

Nineties Revisited: Can't You Trip Like I Do?

Original video located here. Accessed 2nd November 2017

Song title: (Can't You) Trip Like I Do?

Artist: Filter and the Crystal Method

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

I was going to post this on Halloween night but I haven't been in good health. Better late than never I suppose....
Anyway, this is from the soundtrack to the Spawn movie, which was made up of collaborations between metal and electronic. Sure it gave us some truly bizarre collaborations (Tom Morello and the Prodigy? Kirk Hammett and Orbital?) but here it works.
The Crystal Method's electronics provide the bed and Filter bring the guitars over it. I suppose this shouldn't come as a surprise given Filter's dalliance with industrial but it still rocks hard

Choon of the Month: Mabo Martin Mandela

Original video located here. Accessed 27th October 2017

Song title: Mabo Martin Mandela

Artist: KG with Philly

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

Its propulsive that's for sure. And that beat is incredible.
And it's pretty much unbeatable as a statement of intent. 

Nineties Revisited: Whoever's Been Using This Bed

Original video located here. Accessed 24th October 2017

Song title: Whoever's Been Using This Bed

Artist: Earthmen

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Behold: An Australian band having a crack at the Brtipop formula
Another forgotten classic - funny how so many winning songs tend to slip through the cracks....
No matter: i recall liking this song a lot back in 1997. And I recently heard it's parent album - which turned out to be pretty good

Obituary: Friday on My Mind

Original video located here. Accessed 23rd October 2017

Song title: Friday on My Mind

Artist: The Easybeats

Year: 1966

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. George Young

Rest easy knowing you helped create a true working class anthem

Nineties Revisited: Gorecki

Original video located here. Accessed 17th October 2017

Song title: Gorecki

Artist: Lamb

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

I'm somewhat surprised that this song didn't trigger a baby boom on par with Marvin Gaye and Barry White.
Or maybe it did? I don't know XD

But somehow, this strikes me as a nineties update on the 'make-out' music of the seventies. And boy does it do it's job so well.

Nineties Revisited: Down Again

Original video located here. Accessed 9th October 2017

Song title: Down Again

Artist: Superjesus

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

This song always fascinated me. It's a great depiction of disappointment, backed with a rockin' intro and outro. Props to Sarah McLeod who delivers one of the best vocal performances of her career

The Asian Connection: Houkiboshi

Original video located here. Accessed 6th October 2017

Song title: Houkiboshi

Artist: Younha

Year: 2005

Why I like this song:

Easily the best of the Bleach ending themes.
Its a fun song and Younha is certainly enthusiastic in both her singing  and piano playing

Obituary: Learning to Fly

Original video located here. Accessed 10th April 2017

Song title: Learning to Fly

Artist: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Year: 1991

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Tom Petty

Handy song to have around when you're facing troubled times. And it is reassuring to know that if Tom beat them then anyone can

Got it Covered: New York City

Original video located here. Accessed 2nd October 2017

Song title: New York City

Artist: They Might Be Giants

Originally Done By: CUB

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Recently I learned this song is actually a cover. Now I know how fans of Natalie Imbruglia feel....

Still, it's a snappy song and They Might Be Giants really latch onto the cheerfulness of it all. Annoying? Maybe. Dull? Certainly not.

Choon of the Month: Saturday Night

Original video located here. Accessed 25th September 2017

Song title: Saturday Night

Artist: Paradise Club

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

A snappy song with some great use of synths and guitar tones.

Nineties Revisited: Nightmare

Original video located here. Accessed 25th September 2017

Song title: Nightmare

Artist: Brainbug

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Some nightmare (ha ha) fuel for you all.
Its all in those strings....

Nineties Revisited: Spybreak!

Original video located here. Accessed 18th September 2017

Song title: Spybreak!

Artist: PropellerHeads

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

A little something that was released in 1997....that, two years later, featured in a key scene in The Matrix. 
Funny how this songs seems so emblematic for 1999.

Obituary: Don't Want to Know If you are Lonely

Original video located here. Accessed 15th September 2017

Song title: Don't Want to Know If you are Lonely

Artist: Husker Du

Year: 1986

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Grant Hart

This song still roars like a pioneer smashing down walls for alternative rock and still sounds like nothing else at the time.

Nineties Revisited: Do You Feel Loved?

Original video located here. Accessed 12th September 2017

Song title: Do You Feel Loved?

Artist: U2

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Pop may not have been U2's best album but I always thought this song was a diamond in the rough.
Indeed, a rather unexpected slice of nastiness from U2 but that's what makes it so compelling

Nineties Revisited: Casual Affair

Original video located here. Accessed 5th September 2017

Song title: Casual Affair

Artist: Tonic

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

A rockin' song that still sounds great twenty years on. Indeed, I will always associate those killer guitar riffs with heading down the hallways of high school as a Grade 10.
I could be a curmudgeon and say they don't make 'em like they used to but you know what? They don't.

The Asian Connection: Unjust Life

Original video located here. Accessed 4th September 2017

Song title: Unjust Life

Artist: Key Sound Label

Year: 2010

Why I like this song:

Simply put: A beautiful theme for a gut-punch of an anime (Angel Beats)

Nineties Revisited: Meet Her at the Love Parade

Original video located here. Accessed 29th August 2017

Song title: Meet Her at the Love Parade

Artist: Da Hool

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

I recall, back in the day, this being a snappy song. It was only years later that I learned that the Love Parade is/was a real thing,
It may be simple but it's another case of doing a lot with very little.

Choon of the Month: Sea Without Water

Original video located here. Accessed 7th March 2018

Song title: Sea Without Water

Artist: Soorkia

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

As I both get older and absorb new music, it is increasingly harder to find something that jumps out at you. Something that hits you that you immediately play it again. This was one such instance.

There is a lot going on this song: The use of harp. The slow beats. The words that are delivered with utmost conviction. Its unique certainly and that's what makes it special 
Okay sure it may an exercise in style of substance but it does it so damn well 

Nineties Revisited: Be Here Now

Original video located here. Accessed 24th August 2017

Song title: Be Here Now

Artist: Oasis

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

My favorite song on Be Here Now. Okay so maybe that album may have polarized opinions, but damn, you can't argue with this much swagger

Nineties Revisited: The Day Brings

Original video located here. Accessed 18th August 2017

Song title: The Day Brings

Artist: Brad

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Ever had one of those moments when, without any kind of provocation whatsoever, you are suddenly reminded of a song you haven't heard in twenty years and you realize that said song was really good?

It may be a throwback to seventies soft-rock - as opposed to Pearl Jam being a throwback seventies hard rock - but that shouldn't be a strike against this song. Its utterly brilliant

Nineties Revisited: Flowers in the Sky

Original video located here. Accessed 7th August 2017

Song title: Flowers in the Sky

Artist: Boo Boo and Mace

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

A forgotten gem (hence this series) of Australian electronica. 
So Aus electronic pioneers Itch-E and Scratch-E had to change their name but I don't think it worked out for them. Still, this is pretty good as a trance track.

The Asian Connection: My Will

Original video located here. Accessed 4th August 2017

Song title: My Will

Artist: Dream

Year: 2000

Why I like this song:

2002 was a key year in the evolution of my musical tastes. For it was that year my best friend at the time gave me an mp3 disc with contained a plethora of songs he liked. Obviously he was hoping I would find something on it to like.
And that I did. For on that disc was a bunch anime music. At the time I didn't think much of anime music/Asian pop but I gave it a listen and finding myself, much to my own surprise, enjoying it.
This was a major step for me: Previously I have talked about thinking outside the box and exploring untouched areas but this was a step in such an evolution. Perhaps there was something of note in an area I hadn't previously considered?
In any case, if anyone is wondering why there's a lot of Asian pop being discussed on this blog then that's the reason why.

So where does My Will fit into this? Well this was one that went overlooked for some time. It kept popping up in the playlist but I, for some reason or another, kept skipping it. But then one day, due to it's persistent nature, I decided it sit down and listen to it all the way through. And lo and behold, it won me over. Simply put: It's a great tune.
Damn, InuYasha had some great closing themes, eh?

Nineties Revisited: Titanic Days

Original video located here. Accessed 2nd August 2017

Song title: Titanic Days

Artist: Sidewinder

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Seeing as there's a new Planet of the Apes movie out at the moment, here's a song that references it ("Monkey! Monkey! Monkey! Monkey!).
Fitting as I think people know this song it was through the movie Black Rock. Still a pretty cool song though

Choon of the Month: The Man

Original video located here. Accessed 24th July 2024

Song title: The Man

Artist: Killers

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

Once upon a time, I heard, and enjoyed the Killers' "Smile Like You Mena It' as I found it a 'overcoming adversity' anthem. Turns out it wasn't.
I bring this up as they've done it again: What seems to be a 'pump-up' anthem is actually a lot of bragging from a shallow perspective. 

Still if someone with low self-esteem does gleam some confidence out of this song then that's all right then....

Nineties Revisited: IHop

Original video located here. Accessed 24th July 2017

Song title: IHop

Artist: Luna

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Bizarre, funny and engaging all at once. And still so two decades on.
"You ain't no Cary Grant
But then again who is?"

Obituary: Word Gets Around

Original video located here. Accessed 21st July 2017

Song title: Word Gets Around

Artist: Hummingbirds

Year: 1989

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Simon Holmes

Its doubtful that this band will ever get recognition they deserve: at a time when the walls between mainstream and alternative music were beginning to break down, these guys began drawing attention to the Australian alternative scene.
It is therefore unfortunate that they will most likely never be mentioned in the upper echelon of Australian bands. I mean, how can you refuse a pure pop gem such as this? 
So here's to you Simon. Rest assured that your song did reach an audience and will not be forgotten.

This Song Rocks: I Want

Original video located here. Accessed 21st July 2017

Song title: I Want

Artist: Ruby Fields

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

Well that's one way to announce yourself: Oozing confidence and fearlessness.
And maybe it's the anime nerd in me but I do like the line about starring in your own anime, 

Nineties Revisited: Abuse Me

Original video located here. Accessed 18th July 2017

Song title: Abuse Me

Artist: silverchair

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Its a bleak day outside, so here's something to fit the mood (must be that opening guitar rift).

Nineties Revisited: One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces

Original video located here. Accessed 11th July 2017

Song title: One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces

Artist: Ben Folds Five

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Well we have a new season of Game of Thrones bearing down upon us so here's something that i like to imagine gets played in Tyrion's head.

The Asian Connection: Lullaby

Original video located here. Accessed 7th April 2021

Song title: Lullaby

Artist: Reiko Yasuhara

Year: 1999

Why I like this song:

For such an intense anime, it' just as well that Now and Then, Here and There ends on such a solemn note. Most likely to give time for the audience to process what they just witnessed.

It's haunting and really sneaks up on the listener - especially, as stated above, what precedes it...

Nineties Revisited: I Want To Be There When You Come

Original video located here. Accessed 4th July 2017

Song title: I Want To Be There When You Come

Artist: Echo and the Bunnymen

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

I will concede that this sounds more like Oasis then it does Echo and the Bunnymen, but damn, what a great song!

This Song Rocks: Voices

Original video located here. Accessed 3rd July 2017

Song title: Voices

Artist: Sunscreen

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

Seems someone is intent on resurrecting eighties jangle pop. And that's fine by me.
Also props to this gal who clearly has quite a voice.

This Song Rocks: The Way You Used To Do

Original video located here. Accessed 29th November 2017

Song title: The Way You Used To Do

Artist: Queens of the Stone Age

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

Josh and his merry men have struck again. 
It certainly has a solid dance beat, however delivered through the QOTSA filter, and proves that the move of bringing in Mark Ronson as a producer was a gamble that can pay off.
Will be interesting to see where we go from here...

Nineties Revisited: Coma

Original video located here. Accessed 27th June 2017

Song title: Coma

Artist: Pendulum

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Before there was a Perth Drum and Bass act called Pendulum, there was a Melbourne House act called Pendulum. Took me a while before I realized they weren't one and the same XD
As for this song, try listening to it late at night: Nightmare fuel guaranteed >:)

Choon of the Month: Want You Back

Original video located here. Accessed 26th June 2017

Song title: Want You Back

Artist: Haim

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

The Este sisters do it again. 
Its a fun listen and the vocals are great. It also doesn't hurt that the video is entertaining. 

Nineties Revisited: History

Original video located here. Accessed 23rd June 2017

Song title: History

Artist: The Verve

Year: 1995

Why I like this song:

Lately I've been listening to the Verve's second album, A Northern Soul

One can only wonder how history will remember The Verve: On one hand is the band that the monumental hit with Bittersweet Symphony and it's parent album Urban Hymns. But on the other was this: the lesser known period before Urban Hymns that was less audience friendly but more highly regarded by some.

Certainly it is a shock hearing this having come from Urban Hymns but that's what makes it intriguing. A tough listen to be sure but a rewarding one. 

Nineties Revisited: The Perfect Drug

Original video located here. Accessed 20th June 2017

Song title: The Perfect Drug

Artist: Nine Inch Nails

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Yes there was a time when this song was awesome and not just the most difficult song to master on Expert Drums in the Rock Band franchise XD
Pretty much an effective way to show addiction, starting from infatuation and ending on dependency/withdrawal - and what a miserable journey it may be.

Nineties Revisited: Anybody Seen My Baby

Original video located here. Accessed 16th June 2017

Song title: Anybody Seen My Baby

Artist: Rolling Stones

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Apparently this song got the Stones into a lot of legal trouble as it sounded too similar to KD Lang's hit Constant Craving. So much so that it earned KD and her songwriting partner Ben Mink a credit as co-writers.
Having listened to both songs back to back, for comparison's sake, I can see a resemblance however vague.
Or maybe I just don't know any better XD
Still, it's a solid effort and shows there's still life in the old dogs yet.

This Song Rocks: Perfect Detonator

Original video located here. Accessed 9th June 2017

Song title: Perfect Detonator

Artist: sleepmakeswaves

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

Seems listening to sleepmakeswaves made an impression on me so I decided to seek out their debut album.
It certainly rocks hard and I will not turn up my nose to an instrumental, let alone an exclusively instrumental band. Certainly, the thrill of an instrumental is listening to it and drawing one's own conclusions and this band certainly is throwing down that particular gauntlet. 

Nineties Revisited: Isaac or Fuzz

Original video located here. Accessed 7th June 2017

Song title: Isaac or Fuzz

Artist: Machine Gun Fellatio

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Did he ever find out what that song was called? We may never know.

Its the first impression for this band and boy do they make their presence known.

The Asian Connection: Inner Universe

Original video located here. Accessed 23rd November 2019

Song title: Inner Universe

Artist: Origa

Year: 2002

Why I like this song:

Yoko Kanno tries her hand at industrial. Why not? She's tried many other genres.

This is the opening to the Ghost in the Shell TV series Stand Alone Complex. And whereas the movie opened with a hymn sung in Bulgarian, this does a similar trick with it being sung in Russian. 
Also helps that the hits like a truck with the synths and beats. Having a child soprano doesn't hurt either.

Keep in mind, it had been years since the movie and many people had been crying out for a follow up since. And when it did, it was after the cinematic landscape had been changed by The Matrix, one of Ghost in the Shell's disciples. Thus the use of industrial suggests some degree of cross-pollination. 
No matter, it still works a treat.

Nineties Revisited: The Last Australian Guitar Hero

Original video located here. Accessed 30th May 2017

Song title: The Last Australian Guitar Hero

Artist: TISM

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

If anyone's bothered by swearing then they are advised to skip this one.
But for the rest of you, may I present a lyrical masterpiece that was confined to a B-side. Still funny, and surprisingly relevant, twenty years on.
Gotta love the TISM monologues and this is one of their best.

Nineties Revisited: M.O.R.

Original video located here. Accessed 22nd May 2017

Song title: M.O.R.

Artist: Blur

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

I always thought this was a lot better than Song 2 but it would seem that i am in a minority of One.
Oh well *kicks back, puts feet up and opens a beer*

Still, it rocks hard and the video is neat too (spot the Sydney location!).

Nineties Revisited: Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

Original video located here. Accessed 20th May 2017

Song title: Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

Artist: Lee Perry and Quindon Tarver

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say when i first heard this i found it inspiring. And I think I also speak for a lot of people when I say that after hearing it countless times, it stopped being inspiring and came across as corny.
But given twenty years of distance from this song and two decades of accumulated wisdom and life experiences (not to mention a parody by John Safran), I once again find this song inspiring. Funny how some distance can do that.
And hey, there's some good advice here. I wear sunscreen. And I'm good to my siblings

Obituary: My Wave

Original video located here. Accessed 19th May 2017

Song title: My Wave

Artist: Soundgarden

Year: 1994

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Chris Cornell

This is perhaps my favourite song of theirs. And a stunning example of what Cornell could do with his voice.
No one sings like you any more indeed....

This Song Rocks: Tundra

Original video located here. Accessed 17th May 2017

Song title: Tundra

Artist: sleepmakeswaves

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

There are so many ways to pick up new music these ways that sometimes the simplest ways are often the most effective.
I heard this on the speaker at my local JBHifi and was impressed. So much so I got the album there and then.
I am a sucker for a good instrumental - moreso a strictly instrumental band - and this one does indeed deliver. 

Obituary: Children

Original video located here. Accessed 12th May 2017

Song title: Children

Artist: Robert Miles

Year: 1996

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Roberto Concina

Proof that Dream pop and House could make for a fruitful combination. For me it was a standout at the time when I was enjoying a lot of angry guitar music. And still works now.

Nineties Revisited: Ashes to Ashes

Original video located here. Accessed 10th May 2017

Song title: Ashes to Ashes

Artist: Faith No More

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Something with a bit of personal resonance. In 1997, i was in my final year of high school. At the time, my school had a fund-raiser going on with a lucky door prize going for the student who put in their money on that particular day. Lo and behold i won! I was offered a number of prizes and I selected a music voucher. Which i subsequently used to get Faith No More's Album of the Year.

And for the rest of the year, i would listen to a lot during schoolwork, play it a lot to my drama class and find it a way to bond with the guy I sat next to in IT class.

The Asian Connection: Beautiful World

Original video located here. Accessed 6th November 2020

Song title: Beautiful World

Artist: Utada Hikaru

Year: 2007

Why I like this song:

Funny thing about this one: I heard it and was taken in by it. It was only later that I found out that it's the end credits theme to the Evangelion rebuild movies. But it was easy to not realise this as I was not watching them (EDIT: But within time I eventually did).

But this is a indeed a gem and one I keep coming back to. It's just the thing to listen to while watching a sunset on a summer's night.
It's only love....

Nineties Revisited: You're Not Alone

Original video located here. Accessed 4th May 2017

Song title: You're Not Alone

Artist: Olive

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

I will admit this song made a sizable impression on fifteen-year-old me - hence me talking about it years later. That may seem something of a surprise seeing as I was listening to a lot of energetic stuff at the time. If anything, this was something of an oasis of calm in a desert. In fact that I remember it more than numerous other songs of 1997 speaks volumes of it's appeal.

Nineties Revisited: Temptation

Original video located here. Accessed 30th April 2017

Song title: Temptation

Artist: Tea Party

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

People might sneer at this band but it proved to be an important one during my college years as it a) proved to be a common interest with some people who became good friends and b) was the first live band i ever saw.
Never lets me down....

Choon of the Month: Cold Without You

Original video located here. Accessed 26th April 2017

Song title: Cold Without You

Artist: Graace

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

Simply stunning. Great use of synths and vocal delivery. 
It's the kind of music that seduces and that's fine by me.

Nineties Revisited: Richard III

Original video located here. Accessed 18th April 2017

Song title: Richard III

Artist: Supergrass

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

My time in high school ran from 1994 to 1997. That means I started High School when the Britpop movement was starting out and finished High School when Britpop collapsed in spectacular fashion.
During this time i was aware of both Blur and Oasis but I didn't swear allegiance to either of them. No, I was right behind these guys. And you know what? Twenty years on, the album that this is from, In It For the Money, still has plenty of bite

Back to the Eighties: Kill the Poor

Original video located here. Accessed 15th May 2021

Song title: Kill the Poor

Artist: Dead Kennedys

Year: 1980

Why I like this song:

Recently I've been listening to the Dead Kennedys.
I thought my experience with punk music would make me ready for this but apparently not: Sure the music may resemble punk rock but the intensity is harder, the sarcasm is stronger and there are even traces of surf rock. 
And it hasn't aged at all - which is both a good thing and a bad thing.

Nineties Revisited: What Do You Want From Me?

Original video located here. Accessed 15th June 2024

Song title: What do You Want From me?

Artist: Monaco

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

It's the best New Order song New Order never wrote.

There is a lot going on here: That bass line that starts things off; the shared vocals between Peter Hook and David Potts; the snappy production and the ominous lyrics.

It was very much a stand out track to me in Grade 10 and I can imagine that i will be still enjoying it in the future

This Song Rocks: Burn Baby Burn

Original video located here. Accessed 10th April 2017

Song title: Burn Baby Burn

Artist: Ash

Year: 2001

Why I like this song:

Lately I've been rediscovering Ash.
This was a key band in my teens, largely through they ability to talk about things that would appeal to teenagers, whether it be girls, kung-fu movies, Star Wars or the confusion of adolescence.
Listening to their stuff now, it strikes me just immediate these songs are. Granted that is expected of the punk genre but they certainly hold up well and quality of song-writing is rock solid - which is more than can be said of some of other bands of the era. 
Is it strange for a thirty-something to be hearing music for teens? Without a doubt but perhaps that's a testament for how good the songwriting is.

The Asian Connection: Groovy!

Original video located here. Accessed 11th July 2018

Song title: Groovy!

Artist: Kohmi Hirose

Year: 1998

Why I like this song:

No matter the passage of time, Card Captor Sakura will forever hold a place in my heart. And the producers of the anime couldn't have come up with a better closing.
It's snappy and very danceable - even if I will forever associate it with a super-deformed Kero-chan...

Nineties Revisited: I Go Off

Original video located here. Accessed 6th April 2017

Song title: I Go Off

Artist: Diana AhNaid

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Twenty years on and this still cracks me up. After all, you can't deny this woman's conviction.

Back to the Eighties: Speed Your Love to Me

Original video located here. Accessed 5th April 2017

Song title: Speed Your Love to Me

Artist: Simple Minds

Year: 1984

Why I like this song:

Recently I decided to take a chance on exploring the material of Simple Minds.

I don't think time has been kind to this band: It seems they have had a long career with a substantial catalogue but all of this has been overshadowed by the huge hit (Don't You) Forget About Me. With a title like that, one would think they won't be easily forgotten but what of the rest of the catalogue?
I mean the above song would sound familiar to anyone who grew up on rage so is there anything more to this band?

Upon listening to Simple Minds, two things stand out to me: 1) they are a quintessentially early eighties band, with their dynamics and use of synthesizers. And 2) they strike me as the Scottish answer to U2, what with Jim Kerr's delivery being passionate and angry in equal amounts. 

Still, they have had hits and the hits in question have struck gold. 
Seems there is indeed a lot more than the one hit.

Got it Covered: James Bond theme

Original video located here. Accessed 30th March 2017

Song title: James Bond Theme

Artist: Moby

Originally Done By: John Barry Orchestra

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Before Play came out in 1999, I was already aware of Moby - largely through this.
Years later, i have found this to be an awesome song to drive to;)

Choon of the Month: Green Light

Original video located here. Accessed 27th March 2017

Song title: Green Light

Artist: Lorde

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

I will admit that when Lorde arrived with Royals, I wasn't sure what to make of her. And I certainly didn't think much of the copy-cats she has inspired in her wake. But with this song, I take back every bad thing I may have said of Lorde. 
First I love how it shifts gears, going from 'bitching about my ex' to 'I'm going out and having fun'. I love the energy. I love the debt to nineties house/dance music. And you can't refuse that refrain:
"I waited for it! The green light! I want it!"

And honestly? I can't think of anything that can make one charge out of their seat and run out of the house. In which case, this song must be doing something right.
And hey, when everyone sounds like you, you may as well doing something different.

Nineties Revisited: Deadweight

Original video located here. Accessed 21st March 2017

Song title: Deadweight

Artist: Beck

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

I recall this song being released for the movie A Life Less Ordinary. Was it an outtake from Odelay? Maybe but it certainly wouldn't be out of place on it. Very strange and yet very breezy at the same time.

"Don't / Let / The / Sun catch you crying..."

Nineties Revisited: The Female of the Species

Original video located here. Accessed 13th March 2017

Song title: The Female of the Species

Artist: Space

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Oh yeah, it was International Women's Day last week.....
This is still a fun listen with it's witty lyrics and equally bizarre production.
Some might say that 'funny' songs can get annoying quickly but I have yet to tire of this one

Nineties Revisited: Sandman

Original video located here. Accessed 7th March 2017

Song title: Sandman

Artist: Blue Boy

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Summer may be over here in Australia (at time of writing) but it's still clear blue sky outside so here's something to go with it: Blue Boy's follow up to Remember Me!
Back in the day, Remember Me was a a significant hit for reasons that baffled me. Years later, it is still remembered (badumtish) which still baffles me - so you sampled Marlena Shaw? So what? But I personally thought that this, was the superior song.
Gotta love the summer vibe that comes from this. Or maybe that's just me. One More Time!

The Asian Connection: Red Fraction

Original video located here. Accessed 13th May 2023

Song title: Red Fraction

Artist: Mell

Year: 2006

Why I like this song:

It's the opening to Black Lagoon and it's as nasty & brutal as it's parent anime. 
Engrish ahoy

We Are Live: Touch the Fire

Original video located here. Accessed 10th August 2024

Song title: Touch the Fire

Artist: Icehouse

Year: 1988

Why I like this song:

Last year for Christmas my sister got me a ticket to see Icehouse perform live. As is often the case with the live acts I have seen, this has been a long time coming as this is one of many bands I was aware of when I was a kid (and I still stand by my notion that the 1980s was a golden age for Australian pop music). 

It was a very good show: Iva and his lads were all in top form. 
Unsurprisingly, the setlist had the biggest portion from the Man of Colours era with the Flowers era being a close second. Touch of Fire was interesting as it had Cameron take the lead vocals (doesn't Iva sing it any more?). They sneaked in T-Rex and David Bowie covers. Everyone went nuts for Great Southern Land. And all the hits were there and well very well received.

Truly a great show. And I bet six-year old me was delighted it happened,

Nineties Revisited: Pink Eye (On My Leg)

Original video located here. Accessed 28th February 2017

Song title: Pink Eye (On My Leg)

Artist: Ween

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Today is expected to be warm one at 28 degrees, so here's something for those who may be feeling somewhat lethargic:

Nineties Revisited: No Aphrodisiac

Original video located here. Accessed 20th February 2017

Song title: No Aphrodisiac

Artist: Whitlams

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

At time of typing, it's raining outside. So here's a classic to fit the mood.
The Whitlams would have to be the most oddest success story in Australian music history. Who would've guessed that a song borne of tragedy would be a major breakthrough hit? And would've guessed that the guys who write the snappy I Make Hamburgers could produce something of such emotional resonance? 

Nineties Revisited: Everytime I try

Original video located here. Accessed 14th February 2017

Song title: Everytime I Try

Artist: Spain

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Happy Valentine's Day

This is astonishing in just how haunting it is. Remarkable how this sounds better than the one that followed on Spain's album (She Haunts My Dreams). 

This Song Rocks: Run With the Wind

Original video located here. Accessed 8th February 2017

Song title: Run With the Wind

Artist: Dappled Cities

Year: 2012

Why I like this song:

I recently got a hold of the Dappled Cities album Lake Air.
I already knew of this band and I was intrigued but it is only now that I got off my slack arse and got one of their albums. 
Of course I knew what to expect: snappy riffs, good humour and some great songs. And this certainly delivers. And the rest of the album is superb too. Thing is, Lake Air is their fourth album so maybe there are some frontiers that are awaiting....

Nineties Revisited: Walkin on the Sun

Original video located here. Accessed 6th February 2017

Song title: Walkin' on the Sun

Artist: Smash Mouth

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Twenty years ago, this was something of a Summer anthem for me. Twenty summers later and it still hasn't lost any of it's potency

The Asian Connection: Scramble

Original video located here. Accessed 2nd August 2018

Song title: Scramble

Artist: Yui Horie and Unscandal

Year: 2004

Why I like this song:

Its the opening to School Rumble and perfectly states the intent of the series, with laughs and lunacy. 
It also helps that this song is great fun to listen to and guaranteed to put a smile on one's face.
But lets be honest: the trumpet is what seals the deal

Nineties Revisited: Into My Arms

Original video located here. Accessed 30th January 2017

Song title: Into My Arms

Artist: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

....Oh Lord...

Many of Nick Cave's material has become synonymous with fire, brimstone and inspiring would-be serial killers. But I will argue that his love songs tend to be nothing short of stunning. And this is the case here. Every time I hear this I am in awe of it - particularly how it has the power to command silence and attention (same goes for Nick's other masterwork The Ship Song). To hear this is, for me, like being in a cathedral - which is fitting considering the gospel overtones this song is built from.

Nineties Revisited: Alone

Original video located here. Accessed 27th January 2017

Song title: Alone

Artist: Bee Gees

Year: 1996

Why I like this song:

Back in the nineties, listening to the Bee Gees would've come across as daggy: From the outset, they looked like relics from the disco era, more associated with gaudy outfits and haircuts than the songs they could produce.
But what is remarkable is that Barry, Maurice and Robin could still churn a winner of a song, along with their vocal acrobatics, three decades in their career. 
So what makes this special? Maybe it's the sentiment: "I don't want to be alone". Maybe it reminds me of the time better than a lot of other songs from the same year. Maybe it's notion that if I question it, it may lose all menaing...

Nineties Revisited: Everlong

Original video located here. Accessed 25th January 2017

Song title: Everlong

Artist: Foo Fighters

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Time has certainly been kind to this song: I don't recall it being a big deal back in the day (maybe it was overshadowed by the other songs on The Colour and the Shape?) but it has since come to be viewed as a classic.
Fine by me: It rocks hard, has great guitar work and shows Dave Grohl flexing some songwriting muscle. 

Choon of the Month: Manifestation

Original video located here. Accessed 23rd January 2017

Song title: Manifestation

Artist: The Beautiful Monument

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

It rocks hard and striking in it's expression of anxieties. 
Sometimes you need songs to get one through the tough times and this is certainly one of them.

This Song Rocks: The Descent

Original video located here. Accessed 20th January 2017

Song title: The Descent

Artist: Bob Mould

Year: 2012

Why I like this song:

Back in 2012, I obtained a copy of Sugar's Copper Blue album from 1992. I listened to it many times and adored it so much that I feel it warranted some further investigation. So I looked into Bob Mould's discography.

This is from his 2012 album Silver Age and it rocks hard. Very much reminiscent of Sugar but that isn't a bad thing. It's fast, it's fantastic and it shows that sometimes you need an old dog to show the pups how it's done.

I just regret that I didn't come across it sooner...

This Song Rocks: Skeleton Tree

Original video located here. Accessed 16th January 2016

Song title: Skeleton Tree

Artist: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Year: 2016

Why I like this song:

I received the latest Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for Christmas.
And you can't get a more goth statement than that.

Given the background to this album it is hardly an easy listen but it is monumental in it's grieving. There are some gems on the album and this is the best. Minimalist and weighed down with the emotion it is the entire album in a nutshell. 

We Are Live: People Ain't No Good

Original video located here. Accessed 15th November 2023

Song title: People Ain't No Good

Artist: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

Recently I went to see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds live. This has been a long time coming and I went in with high expectations, having heard they are, on a live front, something special.

And that certainly was the case: Granted this is a different Bad Seeds, being without Mick Harvey and Blixa Bargeld, but it was a memorable show. Nick is a charismatic presence and all of the Bad Seeds prove they are a crack team. 
Naturally there were a lot of songs of Skeleton Tree but some of his best known songs were present (Mercy Seat, Weeping Song, Ship Song, Tupelo, Nobody's Baby Now, Stagger Lee, Red Right Hand). Although I must admit hearing Into My Arms is strange as it clearly not a song to be listened to in a group environment - and yet here I am surrounded by a mob slurring along the chorus.
Of course the show was plagued by a dodgy monitor, which Nick pointed out, but I suppose that what happens when you start your tour on Friday the 13th,,,,

Nineties Revisited: Bittersweet Symphony

Original video located here. Accessed 15th January 2017

Song title: Bittersweet Symphony

Artist: Verve

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

A song I will forever associate with my final year of high school. Kind of fitting in a way.....

Explorations: Irene

Original video located here. Accessed 11th January 2017

Song title: Irene

Artist: Beach House

Year: 2012

Why I like this song:

Lately I have been going back and being acquainted with albums I have previously overlooked the first time around. One such was Beach House's Bloom.
It's a pretty good one and a superb example of dream pop. And then we get to the end with this track.

It's like a flower blooming and facing towards the sun. And, for me, comes across as a combination of the aggressive and the delicate. A tricky act to pull off but here it works,

Nineties Revisited: Paranoid Android

Original video located here. Accessed 8th January 2017

Song title: Paranoid Android

Artist: Radiohead

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

I am of the opinion that the nineties ended on the year of 1997: It was the endpoint of the alternative rock that defined the decade, there were no more walls to smash down and we were left wondering what to do next.

Can the blame for this be aimed at OK Computer? Maybe but it's still a stunning album.

The Asian Connection: World Without Logos

Original video located here. Accessed 6th January 2017

Song title: World Without Logos

Artist: Yasushi Ishii

Year: 2002

Why I like this song:

I was never into Hellsing. When it dropped back in 2002, I was well aware that the anime fandom was going nuts for it. But upon watching it, it never clicked for me. Not sure why: Maybe I thought it too nihilistic for my tastes. 

But I won't say a bad thing about the opening theme. Bring on that thick bass and jazzy arrangement!