As a young teenager with an interest in interesting things, I will admit my friends and I may have spent some time gathered in darkened rooms in old(ish) houses telling spooky stories and making someone lie down so we could all touch fingertips and say (in hindsight not very spooky) things in the hope the sucker who was lying on the floor would levitate, even if only a centimetre, or two. No one ever did. If Running Touch had existed when I was a young teenager, perhaps we would have all been pulled off the floor by the incredibly anxious need to surround ourselves with people and flashing lights and dance as soon as we hit play on his track 'Levitate (It's All Too Perfect)'. The track is apparently more about obsession than it is about teenage ghost stories, but either way, the only important thing is that this mystery producer, multi-instrumentalist and artist from Melbourne is touring the east coast soon (facebook can give you all the details) and while I can't promise he'll be doing any spooky levitating tricks at his shows, I can say he'd be well worth catching with beats like this to make you move.
Jo Michelmore gives 'Levitate (It's All Too Perfect)' three and a broken heart girl couples out of five....
Remember when I used to post a 10 and 1 every week? No... neither do I. But hey, here we are with the first one since August 2015 so... yeah. Hey. What you do wit' your bad self? Anyway, I found my collection of old CD's that I burned with music I liked back in the day and tried to play some of them to see if they still worked. A lot of them didn't. One of them did though and here we are, me with some inspiration to write something and you with some... time... to waste or something? Anyway, as always, thanks for spending it with me for as long as it takes your purty fingers to scroll on down. "What was this CD you were talking about?" you say, as you try to burn the memory of the words 'purty fingers' from your mind. It's made up of eleven songs, ranked from #1 to #11, of 12 year old me's favourite songs. How do I know this? The simple title on the CD... 'Best Songs of All Time, 2000'. That kid was great, thinking he could have a favourite song. Never putting on weight. Looking tanned all the time. What? We were talking about how these days it's not even possible to think of a list of the best songs of all time. That's just crazy talk. But Matt Bond, age 12? He knew what was what. So, come with me music fans and discover what I used to think were the greatest songs to ever be delivered unto us. Ten of them hold up quite well. One, not so much. So there's your 10 and 1 scenario. Let's get to it...
BEST SONGS OF ALL TIME
(according to 12 year old me):
THE TEN:
KILLING ME SOFTLY
by The Fugees
MASCARA
by Killing Heidi
BRICK
by Ben Folds Five
MISS YOU LOVE
by Silverchair
SLIDE
by Goo Goo Dolls
SHIMMER
by Fuel
DEEPER WATER
by Deadstar
ADDICTED TO BASS
by Josh Abrahams and Amiel
SANTA MONICA
by Everclear
MISSING
by Everything But The Girl
THE ONE:
NOBODY KNOWS
by The Tony Rich Project
Why? What were you thinking, me? Nobody knows it but me but I don't know what was going on here. Did I fall for the silky smooth vocals? For the most part, I seemed to fall into a commercial adult alternative sound way back when, but here we are with Tony Rich and what ever happened to Tony Rich and his project? So many questions for which we might never have answers. I suppose we could just Google those last ones, but meh. Those vocals are smooth though, right? Maybe 12 year old me wasn't so crazy after all...
1. Montaigne - Because I Love You (#1 for 3 weeks!)
2. Ngaiire - House On A Rock
3. Emma Louise - West End Kids (NEW)
4. MKO Sun - Boom Pow
5. Emily Wurramara - Black Smoke (NEW)
Matt's Pick of the Week: Emily Wurramara will be hitting the road from June 30, taking her Black Smoke EP on tour. And just before that kicks off, she's released a video for the gorgeous EP title track. 'Black Smoke' It's a beautiful showcase for Emily's songwriting talents and voice, that also works as an awesome celebration of indigenous culture by integrating traditional instruments to the folky guitar and strings. Anyway, I haven't been able to get enough of Wurramara's sound since seeing her live a couple of months ago now. Give the Black Smoke EP a listen and head along to one of her upcoming shows. You'll love it. Love, love, love it! (Matt Bond)
6. Aphex Twin - CIRKLON3 [ Колхозная mix ] (NEW)
Jo's Pick of the Week: Oh how Aphex Twin and I have had some good times. Oh gosh the good times. I can't actually recall many of the good times, because, good times, but they were good times. I think. I'm sure. The reality is probably that I can't recall the good times because they were so long ago, with this, Cirkulon3 (Колхозная mix) being his first clip in 17 years. Whenever he releases something new, which has been sporadic since his climb to the heights of commercial success at the end of the 90s, I remember how good the times have been, how very good he is and how much I like an artist that I still can't work out at all. Is he a creative genius or is he taking the piss? A little from column A, a little from column B? After seeing the clip for Cirkulon3 (Колхозная mix) which was made by a 12 year old Irish kid Mr Twin found via his youtube channel, I love it, but I think a little more from column B. Then I listen to the beeps and twangs of arcade games of the past, beats that demand my attention and sounds that seem somehow joyously and subtly guilt free, and I think the genius in column A plays much more part than the jokester from column B. Either way, all the sounds have me reminiscing of the good times we've had and make me long for the times I had enough time to listen to an eight minute song on repeat. Good times. (Jo Michelmore)
7. Bec Sandridge - You're A Fucking Joke
8. Lanks - Bitter Leaf (NEW)
9. Wild Honey - Pull It Together
10. Alex Lahey - Let's Go Out
11. Bad Pony - Sideways (NEW)
12. Ta-Ku and Wafia - Meet In The Middle (NEW)
13. Allistere ft. Sabrina Michelle - Hesitated Sparks
14. What So Not x George Maple ft. Rome Fortune - Buried (NEW)
15. Nyne - Bad Trip
16. Gang of Youths - Strange Diseases
17. Burn Antares - Young Gun (NEW)
18. The Medicine Hat - New Survival
19. Martin Solveig ft. Tkay Maidza - Do It Right
20. Chris Watts ft. Amy Sheppard - Wrong or Right (NEW)
Jo's Pick of the Week: I heard this track on JJJ’s 2016 last week and I was really happy. I missed who it was by and I was really angry. I googled and found out it was a band named Wild Honey and I was really happy. I googled said Wild Honey but I couldn’t remember the name of the song and therefore couldn’t find it and I was really annoyed. Then I realised I’d been thinking about honey for so long I got really hungry so I made myself a crumpet and I was really happy. Then I forgot about said Wild Honey and spent the week unaware of the amazing song I’d heard the week before and I was really boring. Then I remembered said song and googled again and found ‘Pull It Together’ and I was really happy. And then I played said song about a hundred times over and the people I live with were really exasperated but I said to them to pull it together, this is the greatest retro summer sometimes 60s but almost 90s groove I’ve heard all winter and I was really happy. Then I realised I’d used the word groove and I was really horrified. Then I pressed play again and didn’t care, because goddamnit there is something ‘groove’ about those harmonies and they make me happy, so happy is where I’m staying. (Jo Michelmore)
5. Alex Lahey - Let's Go Out
6. MKO Sun - Boom Pow! (NEW)
Matt's Pick of the Week: A recurring message from us is that each time MKO Sun release a new track, we declare it their best ever. Do you think we're breaking from this tradition today? Well you are wrong! Because 'Boom Pow' is as infectious as it is energetic, guaranteed to get your body moving aaaaand... the best track that MKO Sun has released so far. The Brisbane-based trio have always delivered the goods, but they're stepping it up to another level once again with 'Boom Pow'. Taking a turn to a more dangerous and tribal electronic sound is a fascinating move that pays off with a song you won't be able to get out of your head. You'll be shouting out, "I don't stop, because I'm on top!" in no time. I don't know if this is the first track from a new EP or LP or something else... but I hope this means we'll be hearing a whole lot more from MKO Sun soon. (Matt Bond)
7. Nyne - Bad Trip
8. Martin Solveig ft. Tkay Maidza - Do It Right
9. Sleigh Bells - Rule Number One (NEW)
10. Thandi Phoenix - Tell Me Where The Lovers Have Gone (NEW)
11. Gang of Youths - Strange Diseases
12. Yeo - Got No Game
13. Passerine - Synthetic Heart
14. Big Scary - Over Matter
15. Miami - Happier
16. Saatsuma - Floating (NEW)
17. Cub Sport - Come On Mess Me Up
18. Beck - WOW
19. Allistere ft. Sabrina Michelle - Hesitated Sparks (NEW)
Matt's Pick of the Week: With each release, Montaigne shows a new side of her already perfect sound and with 'Because I Love You', she might have released her most immediately infectious number yet. One listen and you'll be hooked, guaranteed. With the commercial success of Montaigne's recent feature with the Hilltop Hoods (it climbed all the way to #2 on the ARIA Singles Chart), I'm hoping radio is going to embrace the goodness that is this song because, seriously, this is one of the best pop releases you're going to hear in 2016. Montaigne continues to shoot for the stars with these fun, unique and layered tracks and we couldn't be loving it more. Her upcoming debut album is going to be ridiculously amazing. (Matt Bond)
2. Ngaiire - House On A Rock
3. Bec Sandridge - You're A Fucking Joke
4. Nyne - Bad Trip (NEW)
Jo's Pick of the Week: If all of her songs sound anything like this, then you’re probably not going to need this information because soon it will just become part of your consciousness. Like, how you know how to spell Kardashian now, but fifteen years ago you had no idea whether it started with a K or a C or a silent Z, and if we’re lucky fifteen years from now we won’t remember again. I digress. Soon enough you will know that Nyne, who I have dubbed Nyne-spelt-with-a-Y, is spelt with a Y and not an I. You won’t have to spend twenty minutes searching n-I-ne on the googles because n-Y-ne will be suggested by whoever the googles gods are and you will be purchasing and/or streaming her third, fourth, fifth album, which will be full of tracks that subtly get themselves stuck in that spot in your head that all the best do. You know, that place where the understated darkness of songs like ‘Bad Trip’ go. The seemingly effortless words of Nyne are matched perfectly by the seemingly uncomplicated beats and the elusive feeling of R’n’B make ‘Bad Trip’ exactly the opposite of its title. You know those lists people make of people to watch? Nyne-spelt-with-a-Y will be all over them soon and well on her way to google suggestions, sooner than you can say "Nyne-spelt-with-a…." (Jo Michelmore)
Can you believe it's June already? Where does the time go? I'll tell you where it goes... lots of research into Game of Thrones theories, cat videos, seeing if there's new Snap Chat selfie filters and complaining that it's too hot/too cold in Australia. Mostly that it's too hot. We do however try to make as much time as we can to listen to the best new music going around. We think we do a pretty good job and so, as we do each June, we let you know what our 25 favourite songs of the year have been so far. 2016 has already been an incredible year for acts both established and emerging, from Australia and abroad and across all genres. Yes, especially gospel hard rap. It's a thing, look it up. While you might call us biased, we've got to say that the world's best music is coming out of Australia this year. In fact, Australian artists make up 21 of the 25 songs listed below. And what are these songs? Why waste your time with more small talk? Let's get to the music!
TOP 25 SONGS OF 2016 (SO FAR)
10 FEET TALL
by OKENYO
She swore she'd never play that hand,
But she's stuck.
A LOVE SONG
by Ladyhawke
It all began innocent as love could be,
In every word you gave it all to me.
BURN THE WITCH
by Radiohead
This is a round up,
This is a low flying panic attack.
DIGGIN
by Ngaiire
But here you found me with a shovel in my hand
Faking innocence.
DON'T LOOK
by Machine Age
But I'm afraid of losing all that I've got,
It's clear to me that I don't think we'd get far.
END OF TIME
by Ecca Vandal
You're testing my faith, feel I should run but I'll,
Stay 'til the end, 'til the end times out...
FADING
by Two People
Throw things around 'til the walls fall down,
And I fall out, and I fall out.
FEEL MY LOVE
by Phebe Starr
Please be kind, you know I love you,
But my heart is blind.
FOR GOOD
by Remi ft. Sampa The Great
Where's your self esteem, gorgeous?
Did it go when I told you that I was a cheat, gorgeous?
FORMATION
by Beyonce
Earned all this money but they never take the country out me,
I got hot sauce in my bag, swag.
HAPPIER
by Miami
It's too hard to know what you're thinking,
And I'm only thinking of you.
HONEST
by Little Earthquake
Why can't you be honest?
Why can't you be honest with me?
HOUSE ON A ROCK
by Ngaiire
Living on I love you's and recycled prayers.
LOST
by Ariela Jacobs
Everywhere I go, it's hurting me to know, It's not the right thing to do.
IN THE DARK
by Montaigne
I do not love, anyone anymore, You taught me how, to be numb to the core.
MONKEY MIND
by Ella Hooper
And if I know I can't make you love me, Is it wrong to hold on, child?
NEVER BE LIKE YOU
by Flume ft. Kai
I'm only human can't you see, I made, I made a mistake...
NIGHTMARE OF 1984
by SS Sebastian
I can barely breathe anymore, Like my hand is holding my own head under water.
NOT MY FRIENDS
by Tired Lion
Look at the people just lying around, To get you back up they just pull you back down.
SMOKE SIGNALS
by Olympia
The world keep turning, safe place to fall, Hugging your shadows, up on the wall.
STRANGE DISEASES
by Gang of Youths
All the neighbours think we're strange, But they don't feel the strains, of living with our strange diseases.
THE WHEEL
by PJ Harvey
Hey little children don't disappear (I heard it was 28 000).
VICEROY
by Violent Soho
Killjoy, you're like a rhinestone pick up line, My drunk guitar's more fun than you'll ever be.
YOU DON'T THINK YOU LIKE PEOPLE LIKE ME
by Alex Lahey
All I want is to have cleanskin wine and watch Mulholland Drive with you...
YOU'RE A FUCKING JOKE
by Bec Sandridge
Baby, you're a fucking joke, I think it's funny, you feel a little cold, You've got a hunger, you can't control, And now I'm leaving, you're saying oooh don't you go.
