Classics: The Christmas Song

Original video located here. Accessed 22nd December 2021

Song title: The Christmas Song

Artist: Nat King Cole

Year: 1961

Why I like this song:

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

Nineties Revisited: Apartment

Original video located here. Accessed 8th December 2021

Song title: Apartment

Artist: Custard

Year: 1995

Why I like this song:

I recently moved house. And whenever I do so, I like to play this song.

Obituary: Nights in White Satin

Original video located here. Accessed 12th November 2021

Song title: Nights in White Satin

Artist: The Moody Blues

Year: 1967

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Graeme Edge

I will credit The Moody Blues album Days of Future Passed as being the first album I listened to all the way through. And I have to thank my father for that.
As such, I will forever have a soft spot for the Moody Blues and the way they opened up the horizons of my musical tastes. 
So here's to you Graeme (both of them),

This Song Rocks: Spirit Never Dies

Original video located here. Accessed 23rd September 2021

Song title: Spirit Never Dies

Artist: Masterplan

Year: 2003

Why I like this song:

I said I was a sucker for motivational anthems - so here we have the motivational anthem to end all motivational anthems.

This song has been a very important for me over the years: I have played when i have been feeling down. i have played it when I am facing a difficult task. I have played whenever I have considered giving up on whatever i was doing. I have played whenever I felt I have lost my way. And how can I not? This song has a rousing chorus, empowering lyrics and a guaranteed depression killer. Indeed, I feel you can't sing/shout along to this without uttering every word like you mean it. And there are very songs that can pull off such a trick.

Sure some people may think this cheesy but damn, that singer is doing his job with so much conviction that it is difficult to resist.

Whether it has been facing a challenge or conquering those inner demons this song has been there. And I am glad I never gave up (and I can imagine a lot of other people feel the same).

This Song Rocks: The Cedar Room

Original video located here. Accessed 22nd September 2021

Song title: The Cedar Room

Artist: Doves

Year: 2000

Why I like this song:

As has often been the case in this list, this is a matter of the right song coming along at the right time.

For me, this song will forever define the year 2000. For me it was a pivotal year: I was entering adulthood, I was off to University and a new millennium had arrived. A time for a fresh start if ever there was one.

I will concede this may be a break up song, but I will always associate with rebirth. If I left the nineties feeling like I needed a fresh start then this is the answer I found. I've heard people associate this song - and it's parent album - with midnight and hangovers but I felt it is best suited as a morning album.

And it indeed fitting that a song I associated with rebirth was done by a band who rose like phoenix after the studio they were working in burned down.

This Song Rocks: Beautiful Day

Original video located here. Accessed 19th September 2021

Song title: Beautiful Day

Artist: U2

Year: 2000

Why I like this song:

It's well documented that this song was a helpful thing to have around when i was going through my first break up. So can i say anything more about it?

I was interested in U2 during the late eighties and through the nineties so it was indeed a delight to hear them during my first year of adulthood and find they could still whip out a winner of a hit

Also, it is fitting that this song should be released in late 2000 when Australia was fast approaching the summer. As such, I have heard this every summer since and I can imagine i will continue to do so for many more summers to come.

Got it Covered: I Remember a Time When Once You Used to Love Me

Original video located here. Accessed 18th September 2021

Song title: I Remember a Time When Once You Used to Love Me

Artist: Dirty Three

Originally Done By: Arleta

Year: 1996

Why I like this song:

Oh boy, where do i start with this one?

First, I like instrumentals. Somehow, the act of silencing your lead singer has two effects: It prompts your audience to focus on the music & draw their own conclusions. And it also inspires the other people in the band to lift their game and deliver.

With that in mind, perhaps it is inevitable i come to the Dirty Three, a band who is known for playing like their lives depended on it.

Second, this is quite a challenging listen, running through a full gauntlet of emotions, from dispair to rage and back again. Which is quite a feat considering this is an instrumental.

Third, this song is genuinely frightening. It may be easy to imagine the violinist, Warren Ellis, having a mental breakdown as he is playing but the effect is nothing short of terrifying. In fact, whereas countless metal bands are trying to out do each other with freaking people out, I personally fell they are shown up with this.

Oh and did I mention it's a cover?

This Song Rocks: I Like You Such Better When You're Naked

Original video located here. Accessed 10th September 2021

Song title: I Like You Such Better When You're Naked

Artist: Ida Maria

Year: 2008

Why I like this song:

It's proof that enthusiasm can sell anything

Got it Covered: Hurt

Original video located here. Accessed 9th September 2021

Song title: Hurt

Artist: Johnny Cash

Originally Done By: Nine Inch Nails

Year: 2002

Why I like this song:

From one tear-jerker to another...

The best kind of cover is one that completely transforms the original and this song is a textbook example of it. Johnny Cash covering Nine Inch Nails may sound like a bizarre idea on paper but here it works better than anyone could've hoped.

It's not everyday you hear a song, and see a video, about a life lived....

This Song Rocks: Someone Like You

Original video located here. Accessed 8th September 2021

Song title: Someone Like You

Artist: Adele

Year: 2011

Why I like this song:

I could say that i was taken in by this song due to it's honesty, simplicity, it's relatability and the emotional rollercoaster it sends the listener but that's the same story for countless other people.

So what i will say is that a decade on, this song does indeed occupy a unique place in the pop canon. As long as pop music exists there will be people lashing out at ex-lovers but I doubt anyone will have the gall to write a song of the "You moved on, I haven't and now I'm the bad guy" variety.

In fact can I imagine those female pop stars who have made careers of attacking ex-boyfriends (ie Beyonce, Olivia Rodrigo) viewing this song with an eye of resentment? Yes I can. XD

Nineties Revisited: Come Undone

Original video located here. Accessed 6th September 2021

Song title: Come Undone

Artist: Duran Duran

Year: 1993

Why I like this song:

So I've been listening to some Duran Duran lately.

Upon listening to Duran Duran, I reached an interesting conclusion: Sure their pop hits are well and good but their post-success/experimental phase is quite fascinating.
Yes it may not have the immediacy of their big hits but I would argue it has aged better and has more substance. And certainly proves that Duran Duran were far from has-beens in a decade that should've made them so. 

This Song Rocks: Magic

Original video located here. Accessed 2nd September 2021

Song title: Magic

Artist: Ladyhawke

Year: 2008

Why I like this song:

This song was written and performed by a fellow Aspergian. Do I need any more reason?

Okay, so Pip Brown certainly has skill in pop craftsmanship. And I like the eighties vibe this song has with the synths and the bombastic production. And as a result I continue to have keen interest on what Pip does. After all, we are indeed part of a crazy world

Got it Covered: Down in the Park

Original video located here. Accessed 29th August 2021

Song title: Down in the Park

Artist: Foo Fighters

Originally Done By: Gary Numan

Year: 1996

Why I like this song:

I have enjoyed some of the songs the Foo Fighters have done over the years (ie Big Me, Best of You, Learn to Fly) but here I have opted for a cover.

I have heard and liked the Gary Numan original - largely for it's eeriness - but this cover is interesting because it sounds more menacing. It must be in the guitars. Also the build-up through the song is pretty sweet.

In any case, whenever I play X-COM, i imagine this playing when my soldiers enter the battlefield...

This Song Rocks: How to Disappear Completely

Original video located here. Accessed 26th August 2021

Song title: How to Disappear Completely

Artist: Radiohead

Year: 2000

Why I like this song:

I've always felt that Radiohead are a band best enjoyed by one's self - I've seen footage of them playing live on YouTube and it's weird to see the audience sing along to lines like 'You don't remember! You don't remember! Why don't you remember my name?!'

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And that theory is best exemplified with this song. It's haunting in it's execution and has been something of a go-to song for me when things have been looking bleak.

It has been theorized that we need sad songs for low moments and to that end this song does just that. And it does so admirably.

This Song Rocks: Its Been a While

Original video located here. Accessed 6th August 2021

Song title: Its Been a While

Artist: Autumn Isles

Year: 2008

Why I like this song:

2008 was the year I relocated to Melbourne and this song will forever remind me of how exciting such a prospect was.

Obituary: Honky Tonk Woman

Original video located here. Accessed 10th September 2023

Song title: Honky Tonk Woman

Artist: The Rolling Stones

Year: 1969

Why I like this song:

R.I.P Charlie Watts

It took me a while to arrive to the Rolling Stones but it was worth it. And Charlie was indeed integral to them.
Abd in this case, it's the cowbell that seals the deal

This Song Rocks: Wayside

Original video located here. Accessed 24h August 2021

Song title: Wayside

Artist: Canvas Kites

Year: 2009

Why I like this song:

Another song that will remind me of 2009, the year spent living in Clifton Hill

This Song Rocks: Bad Day

Original video located here. Accessed 23rd August 2021

Song title: Bad Day

Artist: R.E.M.

Year: 2003

Why I like this song:

This may seem an odd choice. Because when you have a band with such longevity as R.E.M. (formed 1980, disbanded 2011), there will be people that will divide their career into eras and then choose to focus on a select few. As such, this is in the middle of the post_Berry era which a lot of R.E.M. fans dislike. And I know some of said fans dislike this song citing it being a first draft of It's the End of the World As We Know It.

Still, this song is clearly designed to cheer up people after a bad day and I have had plenty of them. Meaning this song has done it's job and done it well

This Song Rocks: Better Living Through Chemistry

Original video located here. Accessed 22nd August 2021

Song title: Better Living Through Chemistry

Artist: Queens of the Stone Age

Year: 2000

Why I like this song:

No One Knows and it's parent album Songs For the Deaf may have been huge but I doubtful that would have occurred without it's predecessor Rated R.

And it was through Rated R that I discovered this band. And I can't emphasize enough how much of a breath of fresh air this was when Nu-Metal was a big deal. At the time, i was looking for something more tougher than what i was listening to and QOTSA delivered with creativity, chunky riffs and mood - all encapsulated in this song - to leave the likes of Limp Bizkit looking....well... rather limp.

This Song Rocks: Starlight

Original video located here. Accessed 21st August 2021

Song title: Starlight

Artist: Muse

Year: 2006

Why I like this song:

That piano figure. Bugger the rest of the song, i could listen to that piano figure all day and never tire of it.

This Song Rocks: The Sound

Original video located here. Accessed 20th August 2021

Song title: The Sound

Artist: Rumanastone

Year: 2000

Why I like this song:

I recall this song making quite an impression on me back in 2000. But unfortunately for me, it didn't go anywhere and is pretty much forgotten now. Still, as this blog proves, i will champion lesser known acts ahead of more well-known ones (provided the songs they have are of interest).

As for the song itself, I will forever associate it with the sensation of first love. It has been previously established i had my first girlfriend back in 2000 and this song, for me, represented all the excitement, and confusion, that comes with it

This Song Rocks: Hotel Radio

Original video located here. Accessed 16th August 2021

Song title: Hotel Radio

Artist: David Bridie

Year: 2003

Why I like this song:

It was during my university years that i discovered the music of David Bridie. And it would define much of that period. His first solo album Act of Free Choice was released in my first year and his second Hotel Radio was released on my last.

Interesting story how I came by the latter: I read a music press at the time and i would do the crossword. One week, I actually won! And for a prize i was offered an album from that edition's review column. I selected Hotel Radio.

As for the title song itself, it will forever remind me of the rainy days at the Sandy Bay campus

This Song Rocks: Shining Star

Original video located here. Accessed 24th August 2021

Song title: Shining Star

Artist: Even

Year: 2001

Why I like this song:

I guess I am a romantic at heart so of course I would be attracted to this song: The acoustic guitar at the intro grabs the ears. The lyrics address the idea of a rebirth. but the real MVP are both the strings and the flute. So all in all, there's a lot of things at work here and they succeed

This Song Rocks: One More Time

Original video located here. Accessed 12th August 2021

Song title: One More Time

Artist: Daft Punk

Year: 2001

Why I like this song:

My first introduction to Daft Punk was their 1997 debut, Homework. But, for the life of me, i couldn't get into it. And I still haven't been able to since - even when it has been hailed as a major work in electronic/dance music.

But then, four years later, i heard this and it won me over. It was loud, bombastic and damn, it was funky. And having an anime music video didn't hurt either.

This Song Rocks: The Kids Don't Stand a Chance

Original video located here. Accessed 11th August 2021

Song title: The Kids Don't Stand a Chance

Artist: Vampire Weekend

Year: 2008

Why I like this song:

I loved this album when it came out and this, it's final song, was the best on the whole thing.

It must be the strings.....

This Song Rocks: Shadows Evolve

Original video located here. Accessed 8th August 2021

Song title: Shadows Evolve

Artist: Morning After Girls

Year: 2005

Why I like this song:

I loved this song back in the day but it never took off as a hit. Not sure why, it had everything: Some mantra-like lyrics, great guitar work and a real cool breakdown that ends the song.

But then again, I've had a bad history of condemning songs that ended up successful and championing songs that end up going anywhere so I am hardly the best authority on predicting hits. Still i know what I like and this is sure better than a lot of the other stuff that was coming to prominence in 2005.

This Song Rocks: Smile Like You Mean It

Original video located here. Accessed 5th August 2021

Song title: Smile Like You Mean It

Artist: The Killers

Year: 2004

Why I like this song:

I was initially drawn to this song for two reasons: The synths and it's chorus. Maybe it was my perception, but it came across as triumphant. That was until a now former girlfriend informed me that the song wasn't anywhere near as triumphant as I thought it was.

Damn.

Still, perhaps it was fitting that this song be released when i was in my early twenties because this does say a lot about the anxieties of young adulthood. So this song still earns a place on this list.

Nineties Revisited: Nothing Lasts Forever

Original video located here. Accessed 4th August 2021

Song title: Nothing Lasts Forever

Artist: Echo and the Bunnymen

Year: 1997

Why I like this song:

It was fitting that this song be released during my final year of high school. But this song would take personal resonance thirteen years later, when I left Melbourne and returned to Tassie, bringing a fifteen month period to and end

This Song Rocks: Finding You

Original video located here. Accessed 3rd August 2021

Song title: Finding You

Artist: The Go-Betweens

Year: 2005

Why I like this song:

Oh the Go-Betweens. One of the greatest 'should've beens' in the history of popular music. If they were a TV show, they'd be Firefly. And yet they remain eternally on the fringes of mainstream success whilst less-deserving acts get in the ARIA Hall of Fame (yes Daryl Braithwaite, I am looking at you)

Having got that out of my system, this does indeed play to the strengths of the Go-Betweens: Jangly guitars, great vocals and lyrics that are nigh-impossible to find some form of universality. It's the last gesture of a band from what would become their final album. And, seeing as I've heard many bands end on a sour note, that is a very rare thing.

This Song Rocks: Push on Through

Original video located here. Accessed 2nd August 2021

Song title: Push on Through

Artist: Salmonella Dub

Year: 2001

Why I like this song:

For years, these guys have been my go-to band for chilling out.

Some songs require a particular mood to work and this is certainly one of them. To me, this song is best enjoyed on a summer's evening as the sun is setting and you're walking on a beach.

I know I've done such a thing many times and I can see myself doing it many more times in the future.

This Song Rocks: Don't Falter

Original video located here. Accessed 1st August 2021

Song title: Don't Falter

Artist: Mint Royale

Year: 2000

Why I like this song:

I will forever associate this song with the year 2000: A year defined by University, first love and Card Captor Sakura.

Actually now that I think about it, this wouldn't be out of place on the Card Captor Sakura soundtrack.

This Song Rocks: Open Your Eyes

Original video located here. Accessed 31st July 2021

Song title: Open Your Eyes

Artist: Snow Patrol

Year: 2006

Why I like this song:

Chasing Cars may have been a big hit but I always thought this was better. And that's it for My Unpopular and Controversial Opinions. Tune in next week when we discuss the superiority of Smash Mouth's Walking on the Sun over All Star.

Seriously though, I said I have a liking for songs that just build and this one has it in spades. Indeed, that climax is a thing of beauty.

This Song Rocks: Heart Failed in the Back of a Taxi

Original video located here. Accessed 30th July 2021

Song title: Heart Failed in the Back of a Taxi

Artist: Saint Etienne

Year: 2000

Why I like this song:

Some songs remind you of a particular time and place and this is one of them. In this case, it reminds me of my first year of University and numerous sunny mornings at the Sandy Bay campus

This Song Rocks: Boom!

Original video located here. Accessed 27th July 2021

Song title: Boom!

Artist: System of a Down

Year: 2002

Why I like this song:

System of a Down has always been a puzzlement to me. Twenty years ago, when Chop Suey! descended from up on high, i could not, for the life of me, understand why people where losing their minds over it. Mind you, I'm the guy who couldn't understand why people were losing their minds of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit (and still don't) so what would I know?

Still, I do single this song out as my favorite from System of Down. It's angry, it's a rant and half and, as an anti-war song, it's damn effective.

Having said that though, i am well aware I championing System of a Down's most direct lyrical statement. In which case, the point isn't lost on me.

This Song Rocks: Sleep

Original video located here. Accessed 25th July 2023

Song title: Sleep

Artist: The Dandy Warhols

Year: 2000

Why I like this song:

The Dandy Warhols are an oddity to me. At their best, they can churn out great pop songs with plenty of hooks and tons of snark. At their worst, they produce songs that come across as either meandering or not being fully realised beyond the first draft.

But, as this song demonstrates, they can do atmospheric really well. It is indeed a simple song but the effects and the hypnotic nature utilized here works wonders. It's dreamy and haunting both at the same time which is not an easy trick to pull off in a pop song

Nineties Revisited: In the Meantime

Original video located here. Accessed 24th July 2021

Song title: In the Meantime

Artist: Spacehog

Year: 1996

Why I like this song:

Another entrant in the clutch of brand new material i discovered in my fourteenth year.

It can't be underestimated just how much of a lightning bolt this was. Somehow, the rubbish i had previously listened to (read: had forced upon me) on commercial radio seemed very old news.

I loved the bass line. I loved the guitars. I loved the strange pitches in the singer's voice.

That this song got an unearthing for Rock Band 3 makes me even more happy

This Song Rocks: Amaranth

Original video located here. Accessed 23rd July 2021

Song title: Amaranth

Artist: Nightwish

Year: 2007

Why I like this song:

In 2009, i was involved in working on Amaranth: a ball that was tied to the anime convention Manifest (RIP). And at one point, it was asked, in regards to the music selection, whether this song will be included (thereby maintaining an Amaranth tradition).

Not knowing the song, I managed to track it down and, for a time, i couldn't stop playing it

Nineties Revisited: Santa Monica

Original video located here. Accessed 22nd July 2021

Song title: Santa Monica

Artist: Everclear

Year: 1996

Why I like this song:

As previously established in this series, 1996 was the year that I stepped out of the bubble and made the effort to be acquainted music that I was previously unaware of. And this song was prominent amongst this new frontier.

As such, i still love this song: Snappy riffs, a great build up, a summer vibe and great for a good shout-along.

Furthermore, as I have gotten older and my tastes in music have grown in sophistication, there is still some satisfaction that there is still a part of me that is fourteen years old and is still dreaming of your.....FACE!!!!

This Song Rocks: Hearts A Mess

Original video located here. Accessed 21st July 2021

Song title: Heart's a Mess

Artist: Gotye

Year: 2006

Why I like this song:

Somebody I Used to Know may have given Gotye a worldwide hit but I always thought this earlier effort was the better of the two.

This works for me as being a case of: Right Place, Right Time. For much of 2006, I was in a bad way mentally. And this song is indeed emblematic of that time: That string sample, the ghoulish mocking keyboard noise and a chorus that contains the line: "You can't live like this!!!"

Still, if this song is about facing your problems and addressing them, then the good news is that i did just that. And it was indeed a turning point in the decade that was my twenties

This Song Rocks: Dry Your Eyes

Original video located here. Accessed 20th July 2021

Song title: Dry Your Eyes

Artist: The Streets

Year: 2004

Why I like this song:

It's the precursor to the Dean Lewis' Be Alright.

Seriously though, as long as popular music continue to exists, there will be break up songs. And break up songs come in two flavors: Sad or spiteful. And whilst this may be well and truly in the former category, it still has a degree of relatability that few break songs can match. I mean can anyone make the oft-use phrase 'there's plenty more fish in the sea' weighed down with both resignation and sadness?

Personally, i have been through a few break ups in my lifetime so this song has been helpful during such instances.

This Song Rocks: Getting Away With It

Original video located here. Accessed 19th July 2021

Song title: Getting Away With It

Artist: James

Year: 2001

Why I like this song:

As established previously, i really like songs that build up. And this is one of them. But what particularly strikes me is just how desperate this song comes across. I have never heard a song that evokes such a desperate situation and that's what makes it so compelling

A lot songs in the history of popular music tend to play up the whole image of 'unrepentant outlaw' (see: AC/DC's 'Highway to Hell') but this song, i feel, presents an antithesis to such an image.

This Song Rocks: Must be Dreaming

Original video located here. Accessed 18th July 2021

Song title: Must Be Dreaming

Artist: Frou Frou

Year: 2002

Why I like this song:

Again, this is an oddity: The music is all over the place and the lyrics are both nonsensical and contradictory. Still, there are nuggets of interest: I like the harp sample throughout the chorus, the "don't stop" before the second chorus, and how the lyrics seems to illustrate conflicting emotions.

So yes, in the end, this song does it's job and it does it well.

This Song Rocks: Armies Against Me

Original video located here. Accessed 17th July 2021

Song title: Armies Against Me

Artist: Epicure

Year: 2003

Why I like this song:

If yesterday's song represented me at the end of my last year at Uni, then this song is me at the beginning of my last year at Uni.

So whenever I hear this song, I reminded of twenty-year old me, who had his back against the wall, who had taken a few hits and was determined to give his all to complete his bachelor. It's the sound to rising to a challenge and taking it head on.

That and the slide guitar is pretty sweet.

This Song Rocks: Timothy

Original video located here. Accessed 6th July 2024

Song title: Timothy

Artist: Jet

Year: 2003

Why I like this song:

An unusual choice as it would appear that history has not been kind to this band. What was once a big deal now has words attached like 'derivative' and 'annoying'. Thus it seems that, much like many times before, the rose-tinted glasses have been replaced with Geez-what-was-I-thinking-tinted glasses.

But I included this song in this series in that it came out in 2003 - the same year I did my last year of University. And this it has resonance as my 'End of Uni' theme. The four year journey had now ended and now the question arises: Where do we go from here?

This Song Rocks: Your Arms Around Me

Original video located here. Accessed 15th July 2021

Song title: Your Arms Around Me

Artist: Jens Lekman

Year: 2006

Why I like this song:

This is indeed a bizarre song: The only instrument is a ukulele. It is delivered in a deadpan tone. And the lyrics spin a narrative that starts off romantic but then takes a sudden turn for the humorous. Naturally, such a combination would make an immediate appeal to my sense of humour.

It should be noted that this particular recording is an early version of the song. The following year, Jens released an album with a different version of this song where he changed the best line (an act I have never really forgiven him for)

Nineties Revisited: Political Prisoners

Original video located here. Accessed 5th July 2024

Song title: Political Prisoners

Artist: iNsuRge

Year: 1995

Why I like this song:

They say that your tastes in music will forever be defined by what you listened to at age 14. And I certainly agree with that notion. And thus, we have a song from that period of time, me at age 13-14, when i realised there was indeed a world outside the bubble that was commercial radio.

At the time, there were two things that struck me about this song. Firstly it was proof that heavy guitars and electronics can indeed work together. And secondly, just how angry the song is.

In fact I wonder how this song will fare if it was released today. I mean rallying against corporate greed is a surefire way to guarantee an immediate audience, right?

The Asian Connection: Jane Doe

Original video located here. Accessed 9th July 2021

Song title: Misako Aoki and Merry Merly

Artist: Jane Doe

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

Given that this is a meeting of lolita minds, this is truly elegant.
It must be that piano.

This Song Rocks: Pursuit of Happiness

Original video located here. Accessed 8th July 2021

Song title: Pursuit of Happiness

Artist: Kid Cudi with Ratatat and MGMT

Year: 2009

Why I like this song:

This is a strange song: Taken on a surface level, it talks up doing what you want with no regrets and knowing it will eventually turn out to be the right decision - which was appeal enough for me.

But on closer examination, this outlook is being applied by a protagonist in an unhappy situation. And that's what makes it even better.

A pro-hedonistic song with depth? Who would've thunk it?

This Song Rocks: Park Benches

Original video located here. Accessed 7th July 2021

Song title: Park Benches

Artist: Belles Will Ring

Year: 2007

Why I like this song:

Well someone's been listening to their Go-Betweens records.

But that's not a bad thing: After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Or something. I love the opening chords, the harmonica solo and the vibe this song gives off. It's kind of like the thing one would listening to when going around Battery Point.

Plus the line "Judi Dench is on the phone and she wants to talk to you" never fails to get a smile out of me.

This Song Rocks: Hotel Yorba

Original video located here. Accessed 5th July 2021

Song title: Hotel Yorba

Artist: The White Stripes

Year: 2001

Why I like this song:

Seven Nation Army may have been the bigger hit but I doubt it would've got noticed if this song blazed the trial.

For me there are two points of interest here: Firstly how this song finds glory in it's own amateurishness.

And secondly, how the whole thing comes across like being from the soundtrack to an unmade Tim Burton/Addams Family movie.

This Song Rocks: Cataract

Original video located here. Accessed 4th June 2021

Song title: Cataract

Artist: Elephant Gun

Year: 2000

Why I like this song:

Call this a no-hit wonder. It went overlooked in it's day and is pretty much forgotten now - but I haven't. I thought it was awesome back in the day, what with the arresting guitar riff and the somewhat bitter lyrics.

It may be easy to write these guys off as a Powderfinger wannabe (perhaps to this singer sounding similar to Bernard Fanning) but that doesn't take way from the fact that this song does indeed rock hard

This Song Rocks: The Good News

Original video located here. Accessed 3rd July 2021

Song title: The Good News

Artist: Philadelphia Grand Jury

Year: 2009

Why I like this song:

Some songs remind you of a particular time and place. In this case, it was 2009, where I had left home and was living in a flat in Clifton Hill, Melbourne,

This Song Rocks: No Cars Go

Original video located here. Accessed 30th June 2021

Song title: No Cars Go

Artist: Arcade Fire

Year: 2007

Why I like this song:

More adventures with Arcade Fire.
I think this was my first exposure to Arcade Fire and it won me over. And yet it is only now that I finally caught up....

Still this is a great driving song and a firm reminder why this band is beloved.
Suddenly the enthusiastic reaction of the crowd when I saw this band at the Big Day Out suddenly makes sense.....

This Song Rocks: Hide and Seek

Original video located here. Accessed 28th June 2021

Song title: Hide and Seek

Artist: Imogen Heap

Year: 2005

Why I like this song:

Sometimes you just need to forget the sampling, the covers, the memes and the O.C. connection and remind yourself that the song behind it all is actually a really good one.

Again this is a triumph of doing a lot with very little. The vocoder may be derided as a musical gadget but here it works wonders.

This Song Rocks: Any Day Now

Original video located here. Accessed 27th June 2021

Song title: Any Day Now

Artist: Elbow

Year: 2001

Why I like this song:

When i first heard this song I didn't know what to make of it but it eventually grew on me.

It may be easy to imagine these guys looking over Radiohead's shoulder and taking notes but for me this song works by doing a lot with not much. The drum pattern is immediately striking but also of note is the organ and that mantra of a chorus (maybe that's how this song won me over)

This Song Rocks: An Honest Mistake

Original video located here. Accessed 26th June 2021

Song title: An Honest Mistake

Artist: The Bravery

Year: 2005

Why I like this song:

In the 2000s it was somewhat inevitable that we would get an eighties revival (as they tend to happen in chunks of twenty years). And you can get more eighties than this: the synths, the drums, the bass and guitars all scream eighties. And that's what makes it so cool

This Song Rocks: Ruby

Original video located here. Accessed 25th June 2021

Song title: Ruby

Artist: Kaiser Chiefs

Year: 2007

Why I like this song:

A cynic would say that this is just a big dumb song, tailor-made to be an audience participation number at live shows.

That may be the case but there's nothing wrong with being dumb. And I certainly did shout along to that chorus when i saw the Kaiser Chief live.

So clearly this song did something right

This Song Rocks: Take Me Out

Original video located here. Accessed 23rd June 2021

Song title: Take Me Out

Artist: Franz Ferdinand

Year: 2004

Why I like this song:

One of the many songs that represent a time and place. 
For me, this song, and it's parent album, was a constant companion in the year of 2004 and firm reminder of both taking one's steps out into the real world and the tedium of unemployment. 

This Song Rocks: Hey Man

Original video located here. Accessed 21st June 2021

Song title: Hey Man

Artist: Simon Kelly

Year: 2009

Why I like this song:

I recall this song making an impression on me back in 2009. Somehow the fuzz guitar and the accusatory lyrics struck a chord in the rebel in me. However, twelve years on, it would appear this is one that song that slipped through the cracks - Those twelve YouTube viewings (at time of writing) are indeed telling.

Here's s a thought: Would this have fared better if it was released a decade later? Somehow, i can imagine those accusatory lyrics being embraced by the 'silence is violence' crowd but who can tell....

This Song Rocks: I'm With You

Original video located here. Accessed 19th June 2021

Song title: I'm With You

Artist: Avril Lavigne

Year: 2002

Why I like this song:

One of the most effective songs written about teen romance.

Granted it came out I was already an adult but still....

This Song Rocks: Technology

Original video located here. Accessed 18th June 2018

Song title: Stuck in the Middle With You

Artist: Stealers Wheel

Year: 1973

Why I like this song:

Some songs work as they remind you of a particular time and place and this is the case here. So 2007: I got my driver's license and I was making new friends

Back to the Eighties: Rio

Original video located here. Accessed 16th June 2021

Song title: Come Undone

Artist: Duran Duran

Year: 1993

Why I like this song:

Lately I have been listening to some Duran Duran

This may be eighties pop at it's most cliche - which may atribute to why the backlash to them hit so hard - but let's be honest here: It's a pop song of the highest order

The Asian Connection: Bar Bar Bar

Original video located here. Accessed 7th June 2021

Song title: Bar Bar Bar

Artist: Crayon Pop

Year: 2013

Why I like this song:

Kiera got me into this one. Seems hanging around her has made me acquainted with forms of music I previously wouldn't have considered. Jpop? Well I like my anime so there's not much of a stretch. So what of Kpop? 

As is often the case, I come across something well after the party. Apparently this was a big hit. And these girls have attained some success off of it. And the way they were treated have since has come to light. And I slept through the entire thing. 

However listening to it now, boy is this a ear-worm and a half. Its one of those catchy songs that will never the mind once entered - that it, a Kpop tune, climbed no position no.14 on the ARIA chart has to count for something.
But listening to it, damn is it irresistible. 

This Song Rocks: Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

Original video located here. Accessed 7th May 2021

Song title: Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

Artist: Arcade Fire

Year: 2024

Why I like this song:

I said I will investigate further into the catalogue of Arcade Fire so here we are. 
This isn't the first time I've heard the Funeral album but this time I have experience on my side. And would you believe it: It turned out to be a solid one. The music is good, the production choices work and definitely stands out when compared to the other music of the era. 
I assume there's more, right?

The Asian Connection: Gimme Chocolate!!

Original video located here. Accessed 7th May 2021

Song title: Gimme Chocolate!!

Artist: Babymetal

Year: 2014

Why I like this song:

Kiera got me into this band. The combination of metal and Lolitas? Works for me,
Its fun to listen to and its interesting to note that whereas metal is a dour genre, the Asian approach, such as this one, makes for a more brighter take. 

Obituary: Stranger Than Kindness

Original video located here. Accessed 28th November 2023

Song title: Stranger Than Kindness

Artist: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Year: 1984

Why I like this song:

R.I.P. Anita Lane.

Nick may not have had a hand in writing this one it remains one of the most atmospheric, and best, of the Mr Cave and Bad Seeds' output.

The Asian Connection: Gohan wa Okazu

Original video located here. Accessed 5th April 2021

Song title: Gohan wa Okazu

Artist: Houkago Tea Time

Year: 2011

Why I like this song:

I do not consider myself a fan of K-On (I am of the unpopular opinion that Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad was better) but I do have a soft spot of this. I think it has a lot to do with the energy (abundant) and the chorus (catchy).

The Asian Connection: Fantastic Baby

Original video located here. Accessed 5th May 2021

Song title: Fantastic Baby

Artist: BIGBANG

Year: 2012

Why I like this song:

So what happens when you hang around a bunch of Lolitas? Their tastes and interests begin to rub off on you. 
I have to admit: This song has a lot of bombast and a lot of Engrish and that's what makes it so appealing.
I don't know what teenage me would make of adult me listening to some boy band but here we are.

Nineties Revisited: Lucky Star

Original video located here. Accessed 24th February 2021

Song title: Lucky Star

Artist: Custard

Year: 1995

Why I like this song:

Apparently my nieces and nephew are all into Bluey.
I look forward to the day when i can introduce them to this band

This Song Rocks: Gadigal Land

Original video located here. Accessed 10th February 2021

Song title: Gadigal Land

Artist: Midnight Oil with Dan Sultan, Joel Davison, Kaleena Briggs and Bunna Lawrie

Year: 2020

Why I like this song:

And so Midnight Oil come roaring back to life: Still angry and passionate as before - but then that only represents the lack of change in the years since.

I have been listening to The Makarrata Project mini-album and, much like a lot of other people, it strikes me how the Oils are working with First Nations peoples so the latter can have their say. Certainly it is unusual to hear the Oils take a back seat on their own recording but's precisely the point.

The Asian Connection: Antique

 

Original video located here. Accessed 5th February 2021

Song title: Misako Aoki and Merry Merly

Artist: Antique

Year: 2017

Why I like this song:

Kiera got me into this: A lolita band joining forces with the president of the Japan Lolita Association for lolita fashion.
So what is it about this that I find intriguing? Its the hypnotic nature, the rapping and it's quirkiness - kind of like the demented cousin of Gorillaz.
Its certainly different but that's what makes it fascinating.