It's All Coming Back To Me Now - The Best and Worst of the ARIA Awards

The Best and Worst of the ARIA Awards

by Jo Michelmore

So, the ARIA’s. (For those readers outside Australia, they’re the Australian Recording Industry Association Awards.) They’re on tonight, you know? Did you know? You do now. Whether you watch or not is totally up to you. I suggest finding a tasty beverage and a good book; you’ll at least be using some portion of your beautiful brain if you spend your evening that way. Maybe you should download an Australian album and have a dance around your lounge room. That would be productive as it would support the Australian music industry in some small way. Even better, if you’re feeling a little adventurous, find a little bar and a local band and actually go and watch some live music. You might discover something amazing. For goodness sake, even going to a dubious pub and watching someone sing INXS numbers at some dodgy karaoke event would be more exciting than the actual award ceremony.


If you do happen to watch the ARIA’s, you’re going to witness all sorts of under-dressed musicians (probably intoxicated) and a lot of awkward speeches, international ‘celebrities’ that have nothing to do with the Australian music industry and a bunch of old people that you won’t know, clapping for artists they’ve never heard of. I know this first hand. Yes it’s true, I myself have attended an awards ceremony, the ARIA’s poor cousin, the Australian Music Awards (no longer in existence), when I was a wee child, many years ago, a lot shorter and somewhat less fashionable than I am now (thank you to my parents for being so cool and taking me to a music awards show. Yep, it’s true, my parents rule.) I don’t actually remember a lot, except that it was full of annoying pauses, being told when to applaud and a lot of boredom. I don’t suppose the ARIA’s are much different.


It kind of upsets me that the ARIA’s are a bit of a joke. I mean, they’re Australia’s music industry night of nights, but they just end up being an embarrassment; to everyone. On the bright side, they were responsible for one of my favourite live TV moments ever, that infamous moment when Jessica Mauboy presented an award to Tame Impala for their ‘dee-but’ album in 2010. Then she said it twice. Brilliant. (It’s ok Jessica; I still like you, probably more after that.) One day I shall attend an ARIA ceremony and I shall be better dressed than the majority of those that liked to be called ‘celebrities’ and I shall also probably be more deserving of an award than most of the people who win. I shall drink some colourful beverages and I shall find Tim Rogers (who will be attending because he will still be as self-important as ever, years from now) and I shall slap him. It will be a good day. Until then, let’s look at when the ARIA awards have got it so right and then sometimes, so wrong….

Kylie Minogue

Let’s start with one of the most well-known and probably one of the best. Kylie. What is there to say about her that hasn’t already been said? This year marks her 25th year in the music industry and in that 25 years she’s managed to win three Brit awards, a Grammy, a whole bunch of MTV awards, she even won a couple of Logies and of course, sixteen ARIA’s so far, as well as being inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame, whatever that means. OK, I’ll admit it; every now and then the ARIA’s get it right.

Dannii Minogue

Yes, well, Kylie has this sister you see. She’s won some awards too. Like, the Glamour Award in 2007 (what?), a Smash Hits Award in 1991 (Smash who?) and the Number One Celeb Of The Year Award in 2008 (who votes and presents this award remains a mystery. Dannii herself, perhaps?) Dannii hasn’t even won a Logie, let alone an ARIA and rightly so. Congratulations ARIA’s, another time where you got it right. After all, there’s a reason Dannii is our ‘one head’ for some of our reviews. Among other atrocities, she was responsible for ‘This Is Shit It’ in 1993.

Top 111 Songs of 2011, #100 - 91



Everyone sounds better with Sia...


We are back with the next instalment of the top songs of 2011! As of now, the list is;


111. Clare Maguire - Ain't Nobody
110. Ball Park Music - It's Nice To Be Alive
109. The Strokes - Under Cover of Darkness
108. Coldplay ft. Rihanna - Princess of China
107. Coldplay - Paradise
106. Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull - On The Floor
105. Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
104. Professor Green ft. Emeli Sande - Read All About It
103. Cage the Elephant - Around My Head
102. Warpaint - Warpaint
101. Adele - Rumour Has It


Some big hits have already found a place on the countdown and there is, of course, plenty more to come. Here are the next ten amazing tracks that we loved this year!

#100 - East Harlem

by Beirut

Another rose wilts in East Harlem,

And uptown downtown, a thousand miles between us.

Beirut's third LP, The Rip Tide, was chock full of deliciousness. 'East Harlem,' released as the album's first single, showed us that Zach Condon and his indie-loving friends hadn't lost a step and laid to rest all fears about whether or not the band could release something as good as The Flying Club Cup. They could, they did... that is all. 

#99 - Cherry Red

by Ida Maria

I've been such a good girl living in a bad world,

Feels like I could use a gun.

New Music - Get Used To It

Ben Lee - Get Used To It

Album: Deeper Into Dream (2011)


Breathing Tornados-era Ben Lee was a pretty big deal. With his third album he had the music world talking (and a lot of industry peeps hating him) with incredible songs like 'Cigarettes Will Kill You.' I loved his debut and, to me, it remains one of the best Australian albums. Then there was a 'meh' inducing sophomore LP, I never quite caught his disease with Awake Is the New Sleep and Ripe seemed to pass by with barely anyone noticing. Does anyone even know he released The Rebirth of Venus? Anyway, he may get some attention from new single 'Get Used To It.' My initial reaction is that it's quite good and may grow on me substantially with subsequent listens. But we'll see. For now... it's pretty good, yeah?

Rating: 3.5/5

Top 200 Songs of the 1990s, #40 - 31

Wa-hey... only four to go. We've come a long, long way together... through the hard times and the good. So let's celebrate and praise the 90s a little bit more. Just like we should. Six artists are making their grand debuts on the countdown today and only one of them will be seen again. Try to guess who it's going to be. It's top 40 time kids. Let's get to it!

#40 - One (1992)

by U2

Legendary. Epic. Perfect. Single words, not the same. Accurate descriptions of U2's greatest contribution to music in the 1990s. I loved Mary J Blige belting the shizzle out of this, but U2 manage to create something magical with the original version. Rolling Stone placed 'One' at #36 on the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time chart. That's a huge achievement.

#39 - Unfinished Sympathy (1991)

by Massive Attack

When you think that we're likely to never hear dance music as deep as this ever again it's easy to feel a little depressed. 'Unfinished Sympathy' is regarded as one of the most important pieces in the development of trip-hop as a serious genre (as it should be). As insanely amazing as it is, Massive Attack would manage one song that's even better...

#38 - Cigarettes Will Kill You (1998)

by Ben Lee

I still can't believe Claire Danes dated Mr Lee. That has nothing to do with anything though. Sorry. Debuting with 'Cigarettes Will Kill You' was the perfect move. It was embraced by alternative radio throughout the world. Shame that Ben had nothing good to follow it up with. What can I say, I'm really not a fan of his later works. 'Gamble Everything For Love' excluded.

#37 - Nothing Else Matters (1992)

by Metallica

Guitar intro. It gets me every time. Sets the tone for the brilliance that is to come. Oh yes, it's quite the brilliant. You can't really call 'Nothing Else Matters' heavy metal, but it's my favourite song by a heavy metal band.

#36 - Colourblind (1999)

by Counting Crows

Um... Cruel Intentions soundtrack. How amazing do you want to be? This would have to be one of the saddest songs in ever, but somehow the movie managed to make it something beautiful rather than bawl your eyes out-ish. Not that there's anything wrong with a bawl your eyes out-ish song every now and then. Gosh, I'm ever so manly.

#35 - Rearview Mirror (1993)

by Pearl Jam

'Rearview Mirror' topped the It's My Kind of Scene Pearl Jam countdown earlier this year. But it's not the top Pearl Jam song in this one. My logic doesn't resemble your earth logic, so just go with it. If you want a quick rundown of 'Rearview Mirror' go look at the Pearl Jam countdown. Pimping my other articles... priceless.

#34 - Groove Is In The Heart (1990)

by Deee-Lite

Does this bring a huge smile to your face? It does whenever I hear it. 100% pure unadulterated fun. How hard is it to believe that this was released 20 years ago? Try to imagine something as retro-cool as this being released today and actually working.

#33 - Fun For Me (1995)

by Moloko

"I dreamt that the boogie man went down on Mr Spock." I challenge you to find better lyrics.

#32 - Push It (1998)

by Garbage

Garbage set the bar pretty high for themselves with their debut, self-titled album in 1995. With the release of 'Push It,' the first single from their sophomore set Version 2.0, they managed to set it even higher. Manson's delivery of, "P-p-p-push it," is essentially the coolest line in any song. This would definitely be the most sexual song on today's ten if it wasn't for...

#31 - Closer (1994)

by Nine Inch Nails

Opening a song with the lyrics, "you let me violate you. You let me desecrate you. You let me penetrate you," is kind of a no-no. Unless you're going to follow it up soon after with a choice chorus that contains the line, "I want to f**k you like an animal." 'Closer' is the song that would make trashy pop stars blush. You should feel a little dirty each and every time you hear this... in a good way.