A few months back I was listening to Triple J on a Friday morning and I heard this song on the way to the shops.  I feel in love with it, but as is sometimes want with radio stations I didn’t manage to get the name of the artist nor the song title.  Wah!

I tried in vain that Friday to find the song but alas the internet gods were not with me.  So imagine my happiness when I stumbled across this song while window shopping in iTunes.  Rock on!  And I could finally put a name to the song: Dan Sultan

I immediately purchased the album and have been grooving to it ever since.  Gotta love it when the internet brings you a little bit of joy!

Best thing ever is that he was in Canberra on Saturday night!  Tickets were so ridiculously cheap it would have been a crime to not to go and see him.  The concert was great.  He was so full of energy, which is so rare these days.  The sound was great and he didn’t disappoint.  I even managed to get off my butt and groove a little – which is a big sign of brilliance because I was feeling like poop on a stick.

In a completely rare turn of events his support acts were great too.  So good in fact that I ended up purchasing Gin Wigmore‘s album, ‘Holy Smoke’.   (In a strange turn of events her album cost more than the ticket to get into the concert…)

Anyways, I hope you enjoy today’s music.  If you really do, go and buy the album! Support Australian music, you won’t regret it!

Edit: I have spent all day today dancing at my desk to Gin Wigmore‘s album, ‘Holy Smoke’ so I thought I should share some with you. It’s a BRILLIANT album!!!

Easter Monday is here and what better way to remember the reason for the season than with this rendition of Amazing Grace.  Whatever your religious beliefs you can’t deny the power and beauty in this song.  Nor can you ignore the powerful voices of the Blind Boy of Alabama.

Today’s Music Monday is dedicated to Miss M who has so graciously lent me Ashes to Ashes.  I loved and devoured Life on Mars and have been wanting to see this series for a long time.  It hasn’t disappointed.  I managed to watch the first series on the weekend and I’m hoping to finish the second series this week.

In true BBC tradition it’s well written, superbly cast and totally addictive.  Oh, and the soundtrack is brilliant.

I know it’s not Monday, but I have to share this song. I can’t stop listening to it and go into full dashboard diva and “singing” it too loud while wearing headphones.  It’s driving HUBBY nuts.

So in the spirit of Valentine’s Day I’m sharing this with all of you so you can serenade your lovers.  And if they don’t appreciate it you can follow it up with…

If you haven’t guessed by now I’m girlie crushing on Florence. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Let me start by saying that I put my love of Britney Spears in the same closet as my love for the British Monarchy.  I don’t know why I love them so, but I can’t help it.  It’s fundamental to my existence.  Therefore it made perfect sense to go and see Britney when she toured Australia.

HUBBY and I attended the show on Wednesday 11 November at Rod Laver Arena.   A few days prior to the concert the papers were going nuts with opinions about her miming her show.  My personal belief, you charge for people to see you ‘live’ you sing live.  If you’re dance routines are going to be so hectic that you need to use backing tracks than I expect to see a damn good show and it would be expected that this information be put in the ticket details.

It’s hard to be objective about the show as I’d been fortunate enough to see Pink in concert a few months before hand.  For starters the ticket to Pink was a quarter of the price to see Britney and the seats were three times better.  Now, Pink and Britney are two completely different performing animals, but you can’t help but draw parallels between the shows.

Pink was engaging, full of energy, animated and physically dominate.  Britney seemed to be going through the motions.  She address the audience twice, both times the audio was hard to understand and it was short lived.  As a member of the audience I left the Pink concert feeling like I’d gotten a glimpse of Pink the person and the artist.  I left Britney’s show feeling like I’d just paid to see the Dolphin Show at Seaworld.

There were claims leaking from the Perth show that she spent a lot of time with her back to the audience.  Well, it’s true she did, but lets be fair the stage was large and they were trying to perform to every seat in the house.  The choreographers definitely tried to give all people a view of the show.  However this meant that there was a lot of time spent moving from one stage mark to another.

There were also claims that you didn’t see much of her on the big screen.  I don’t think this claim is founded in reality.  The use of the big screens was great.  A real mix of the live performance and pre-recorded videos.  It’s a shame that Britney’s performance on stage flagged in comparison between the pre-recorded moves and the live show.  The inclusion of Perez Hilton made me chuckle, and the use of the big countdown clock worked really well to get the audience excited.

The dance routines had moments of brilliance which were rewarded with much love from the audience.  I really enjoyed the routine for “Piece of Me” (which is included below).  However at times it felt like Britney was dancing around her handbag in a nightclub; just marking time before she moved on to the next set piece.  She seemed lost somehow. When you see some of the footage of the show from other concerts it may be easier to speculate that she was just having a bad night.  Obviously dealing with jet lag, her boys turning up, the bad press from Perth and life in general; and you can forgive someone a little for that.

There were sparks of Britney.  Sparks of the performer that you saw early on in her career and in the entertainment media.  When she’d smile her face was like  a beacon.  It was easy to understand why people feel so drawn to her.  But those moments were few and far between. I think I would have been more forgiving if she’d interacted with the audience more.  Showed some of the southern belle sweetness she’s known for.

The costuming at times left something to be desired.  If I was Britney I’d be asking questions of the designers – do they hate her?  They were not flattering to a body that’s had two children in quick succession and enjoyed it’s far share of Starbucks and Drive-Thru meals.  She’s skinny, but she’s not toned.  Pink was ripped.  When she did the belly moves nothing moved, it was tight.  Unfortunately there were times when Britney could have been mistaken for doing the truffle shuffle.  Costuming that made advantage of nude lycra and supportive construction would have made a world of difference.  Even something that was flattering to her body shape would have made a world of difference.  She’s not Beyonce so she’s not going to be able to pull off the current one piece fashion trend like Beyonce can.  Sometimes less really is more.

It’s hard to separate Britney the paparazzi version and the entertainment version.  I don’t know how she manages to get out of bed everyday in a world that is constantly hounding her.  How can she step back and prepare for her tours when she can’t get a moments peace.  As much as I love hearing about Britney, I think there should be legislation passed globally that puts restraints around what the paparazzi can and cannot do while stalking a star.  It’s mental and it’s a vicious circle.  Everyone’s looking to say how she’s failing at life, and I’ll admit that the perception of her show suffers for this.  However, I think for me it boils down to ticket price.  I don’t feel like I got value for money. (Especially when there was no encore… who doesn’t do an encore?  People expect an encore.  People don’t expect to have the house lights turned on and everything come to a holt!)

I can’t stress enough – I really wanted this show to rock.  I wanted to be Dazzled just like Edward did to Bella.  But I wasn’t.  I did find that I wanted to rush the stage and give her a big hug and tell her that everything will work out and not to listen to the critics.  I’ve got the pound puppy rescue mentality something shocking when it comes to Britney.  In my head she’s this sweet person that’s just trying to make it in a crazy world.  Even if a fifth of what you read or hear about her is true, no one should have to deal with that sort of scrutiny or invasion.  But no amount of personal wishing and hoping for her to have a better time of it makes up for the fact that I traveled interstate to  see an average show.

Britney would benefit from seeing Bette Middler in show.  I paid marginally more per ticket to see the Divine Miss M in concert a few years ago and I left that show feeling like I’d been dazzled.  She interacted with the audience.  She could belt out a tune.  The costuming and choreography was amazing.   The stage wasn’t massive for an arena show, but they made such good use of it.  Even the cheap seats (which weren’t that cheap!) felt like they got a diamond class performance.  That’s what my ticket price for Britney had me expecting and it fell short of that.

Don’t get me wrong, overall the show was good.  I always enjoy hearing her music and it was great to see her in the flesh.  The support performers were amazing and breath taking.  The sets had some interesting concepts for moving around, making the transition between themes and utilizing the space.  Would I rank it in my top ten concerts of all time?  Unfortunately not.  I can’t help but feel like I paid just to be able to say I saw Britney Spears, when I really wanted to be able to say I saw Britney Spears kick ass, take names and prove her critics wrong!

I thought I would share my Friday morning madness.  This is the song I have stuck on repeat in my head.  I find myself humming it and singing little pieces as I move around the house.  It’s driving me batty!

HUBBY and I went to see Pink on Sunday 16 August 2009 and she was PHENOMENAL!  Seriously, it was amazing.  I’ve been to some concerts in my time and this one is now among my top five.

From the moment she stepped on stage.  (And by stepped I mean came up out of the floor on a wire and was transported across the crowd to the stage.)  It started as it meant to continue.  The costuming and set design was sublime, and completely reflected the spirit of the event.  Her costumes took full advantage of the fact that she has a body made for sinning.  A few of her outfits left little to the imagination, which HUBBY loved.  (I took great delight in telling him it was all nude colored Lycra!)

She covered AC/DC (Highway to Hell), Divinyls (I Touch Myself), Led Zepplin, Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody) and Gnarls Barkley (Crazy).  She has such a great range in her voice.  HUBBY was really impressed that she did a cover of AC/DC.

She even played acoustic guitar, despite confessing that she was still learning.  She played the first verse of I Don’t Believe You and then stopped and apologized if she had just ruined your favorite song of hers.  She giggled and laughed a lot, which was awesome to see from an artist.  She had a great rapport with her band and dancers; lots of laughing, hugging and joking.

She spoke to the crowd like they were part of her circle of friends.  She even got down and dirty with the crowd by mixing with the front rows.  It’s the only time I’ve been jealous of the people in the front row!  She took gifts, thanked people and even signed a birthday card for someone’s friend.   She was totally giving of herself, which is such a rarity with celebrities these days.

I’m definitely pre-ordering her tour dvd!  It was brilliant!  If you get the chance – go see her!  If you don’t believe me (and my excessive use of exclamation marks hasn’t convinced you) check out this little clip from her European tour.

Pink wasn’t my first concert, but if she was I’d certainly be heading over to this new blog on the block and leaving a comment – go check it out -> clicky!

On Tuesday night Alivicwil, HUBBY and I headed out to the ANU Bar to see Hilltop Hoods perform.  I originally got the tickets as a pick-me-up present for HUBBY, but secretly they were as much for me as him.  I was rapt to be able to see the Hilltop Hoods perform.  It’s not everyday Australia produces such an outstanding Hip Hop ensemble, and then they come to your home town.

We had some pre-show entertainment in the form of Alivicwil scalping her ticket to an unsuspecting gentleman from the internet.  Let’s call him… Maldini.   Turns out he’d never met someone from the internet before.  Where as Alivicwil and I were old hands at it, having formed our hugely successful friendship from the kernel of a comment left on a graphics blog.   Poor bugger, I think we may have scared him for life!

There was supposed to be two support acts prior to the main act, however one of them didn’t turn up and there was some last minute replacement.  I’m not totally sure what happened, but there was a lot of background filling tracks played between the time we arrived and the time the Hoods arrived.  We filled in the time with much laughter and merriment.  Not to mention some violence, dancing like an eagle and a weird GIS related revelation.

The Hoods didn’t grace the audience with their presence until 11:00pm.  11-fricking-pm!!!  On a school night!  I’m too old for this shit!

Which is something I kept repeating all night!  That then gave rise to a discussion on what items would be on our respective Murtaugh List’s.  I’m ashamed to say that I think my list was the most extensive of the four of us.  One of the items that was on my list and no one elses: Moshing.  So while the young wild ones ran off to join the mass of sweaty, writhing, bodies I decided to take the more civilized option and spend some quality time in the great outdoors.

While communing with nature I was lucky enough to witness the after effects of a “dead cockroach” attack, a woman who’d had her heartbroken irrevocably by some “bastard” and the boring side of policing.  People; they’re funny creatures.

It was a little disappointing that the Hoods only played for around 90 minutes (including encore), especially after having to wait so bloody long for them to appear.   They didn’t play the one song I was hoping to hear, but you run that risk with any concert.   The company certainly made up for the lack of opening acts.  I’ve also come to the conclusion that gone are the days were I’m happy to “play” on a school night, it’s going on my Murtaugh List!

1. Hymn Book – Music is the new religion! You read it here first folks!  I love this ipod cover and it just so happens that I’m currently in the market to replace the ipod cover I just broke. (Yes it was on accident, I’m not that addicted to shopping that I have to break stuff to justify the spending!)  My only problem with this cover, I’m not sure it would protect my pride and joy if I dropped it… and I tend to drop it like it’s hot! (See above mention of broken case!)

2. Mix Tape USB – Anyone who’s seen High Fidelity or read the book by the same name understands the importance of the mix tape.  The hours you could spend scouring your albums to find the right songs for inclusion, making sure you got the playlist just right or worse waiting, till that song came on the radio and trying to hit record so you didn’t get the radio announcer but you got the beginning of the song.  Ah yes, life before internet piracy was quaint. Life has moved forward and it looked like the mixed tape would go the way of Betamax but some savvy thing has come up with the Mix Tape USB – pure genius!  It has all the traditional stylings of a mix tape but with the functionality of the 21st century.  I love it!  I’m rushing off to order twenty so I can romance HUBBY with my own musical creations.  I wonder where I can find a copy of Heart’s All I wanna do….

3. Penguin A6 Notebook -  Who hasn’t at one time in their lives dreamt of being a published author?  In some cases those dreams come true, for the rest of us we have to make do with stealing the covers of great works.  These awesome little notebooks from Penguin allow you to make you shopping list one of the best selling novels of all time.  As a person addicted to stationary items (and the answer is “No, you can never have too many pens!”) I’m adding these to my next shopping spree.  I’ll have one in every colour please!

4. Bird Measuring Spoons – I love items that combine functionality with whimsical, and these cute little bird measuring spoons do that well.  I adore them.  I would love to get a set for our kitchen, I just don’t know where I could display them to full effect.  Maybe it’s a set for our “weekender”, either way I love them!

5. Sunbaked Thong Necklace – I actually ordered some beads off Julie this week to complete my Pandora bracelet.  I was so impressed with Julie’s level of customer service and promptness.  After I found beads for my bracelet I figured I do some more window shopping and came across this necklace.  I love it!  I’ve added it to my favourites and when money permits I’ll be back to order myself one.  Just in time for summer!

You didn’t think I’d let you get away without giving you a little 90s music love did you…

Awhile ago I was reading An Open [sketch]Book and came across this post.  For a long time HUBBY and I have been giggling like little kids over the way that George likes to sleep with her legs splayed out.  It’s so cute.  So I thought I’d take a photo so we could spread the Beagle love all over the internet.

Funny thing, when I was thinking about getting this shot I couldn’t get the following song out of my head…

Beetlebum – Blur