Whats Not On Our Ipod - Floating Me - Self Titled

YOURZ

I used to get real excited about new music. I would browse record shops (remember those?) for hours, looking for something new and/or different. Once I had a selection of never-heard-befores, I'd spend the time, in the shop, listening to them to ensure it was worthy enough to be added to my collection.

I'd like to say I lost my excitement because modern technology meant I didn't have to go out and rub shoulders with others like me.  Instead, I can simply download anything that takes my fancy.  Or maybe, just maybe I'm getting old and cynical, something I have vowed I wouldn't let happen.

Thankfully, bands like Floating Me come along and restore my faith, renew my vigor and rock my little corner of the world.  Funnily enough, I happened to find this at one of the few local music stores near where I work.

Comprised of members of influential hard rock Australian bands Cog, Scary Mother and Karnivool, this was never going to be a soft project. There are hints of all three aforementioned bands in their sound - you can't listen to Andrew Gillespie sing and not be reminded of Scary Mother at times - but Floating Me have built something they can rightly call their own.

Along with Gillespie, Floating Me are Lucius Borich of Cog on drums, Jon Stockman of Karnivool on bass and ex Mothers Antony Brown on guitar and Tobias Messiter on keys.  Atmospheric and textured as well as filled with some huge rock riffs, Floating Me may well have produced the Aussie rock album of the year.

Don't believe me, then check this out.  And while it might not be on our Ipod at the moment, this is about to change.

VERDICT: VITAL

Visual Aspects - M. Ward & Holly Throsby - Enmore Theatre - 20 February l 2011

YOURZ

Essence is defined simply as the fundamental nature of a thing.  In music, this is often mistaken as a derivation of influences, which leads lazy reviewers to comparing new with old, often ignoring the essence of the individual artist.  But while modern pop charts continue to descend into the auto-tuned pits of hell (for the most part), there are thankfully new artists making their mark, songwriters who don't subscribe to the moors of modern music, who divorce themselves from the musician-as-a-brand ideology and who actively seek to remain outside the superficial glare of  the celebrity spotlight.

One such artist is M. Ward, whose indisputable talent is of the sort reviewers will be using as a reference point in years to come.  And it his essence - the broke-down fragility of his voice, the passion and depth of his songwriting and his confident brilliance as a musician - will like ensure this is the case.

If such lofty praise makes me sound like a wanker, then so be it. But there are a few times in a music-lover's life when they come an artist who truly touches them and of whom they never tire of hearing.  Mine is a mixed bag: Elvis Costello, Paul Kelly, The Clash, Queens Of The Stoneage, Gorillaz, Deftones and Gomez, to name a few.  M. Ward is now also on that list, particularly after seeing him live recently.

I was really pleased we made it in time to see his support, local singer/songwriter Holly Throsby. Accompanied by her band, The Hello Tigers, made up of two incredibly talented multi-instrumentalists, her set of lush indie pop and folk was truly a delight. Featuring tracks from her latest album Team, her set was an almost perfect accompaniment to what was to follow. YourZenMine highly recommend her - here is a taste.

With a stripped bare stage, featuring a microphone, a piano and a guitar on a stand, there was no doubting what M. Ward's performance was going to be about - the songs.  When you take away all the normal frippery associated with a modern band, I don't think there would be more than a handful of artists who could perform with as much confidence and consummate ability.

Opening with the instrumental Duet For Guitars #3 before jumping into Lullaby & Exile and Poison Cup before saying a single word to the audience, something I was particularly pleased about.  Far too many musicians these days forget that most of us want to hear the songs, not them prattle on about some anecdote or another.  My respect levels for Ward went up a couple of more notches.

Moving from the guitar to the piano and back, he enthralled the packed house with tracks like Hold Time, Chinese Translations, Never Had Nobody Like You and a personal favourite, Fuel For Fire, as well as a cover of the David Bowie track, Let's Dance, retold as an alt-country gem.  Sung with Ward's gravel-laced voice, it gave the track a dark menace not apparent in the original.  He truly is a modern legend in the making and if you get the chance to see him live, I have no doubt you will agree.  This is an early contender for gig of the year.

VERDICT: VITAL

Visual Aspects - Daybreakers

YOURZ

This year, we intend to randomly select movies from our DVD collection to review, kind of similar to the blindfold method we employed last year for our CD collection.  This is the first DVD off the rack, a fairly recent Australian-made movie called Daybreakers (2009).

Written and directed by the Spierig Brothers and starring Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neil and Claudia Karvan, this is yet another vampire-related movie, albeit with a sci-fi bent.  Despite being a hackneyed theme now, Daybreakers is actually a slighty refreshing take on the whole vampire shtick and thankfully, there is nary an angst-ridden teen in sight.

The story takes place in the near future when vampires have become the dominant species.  Blood supplies are very low and human beings are being hunted and milked into extinction.  The directors did a good job in giving a decent enough back story to hang the movie off, but it did leave me wondering why the vamps didn't start some sort of captive breeding program to ensure their food source didn't run out.  But hey, this wouldn't make much of a story, would it?

Ethan Hawkes' character is a vampire haematologist with a conscience who happens to work for the largest supplier of blood to the population (kind of like a vegetarian hippy working for McDonalds, I guess).  Without giving too much away, he meets a group of humans, led by Dafoe's character who tell him they have a cure to 'the vampire plague'.  He sets about helping them develop it.

The cast work well together, although the script gets a bit ponderous at points.  The combination of sci-fi and horror works well enough, although initially I thought there was a good chance for this to be more innovative and without the usual cliches.  But the high action end, complete with gory set pieces, is a bit of let down.  Its almost as though brothers Spierig ran out of creative juice and fell back on the same sort of devices I've seen time and again.  Even so, while it certainly isn't vital, I wouldn't call it a complete waste of time.

VERDICT: Hmmm...

It's alive, I tell you, alive!

Heya friends and fans,

This is a quick note to let you all know we're still alive and kicking. Unfortunately, though, Mine has lost her blogging mojo and doesn't know where to find it.  It looks kinda like a cute, fuzzy orange kitten except with larger teeth.  And while it won't bite, it reacts better if you feed it non-gluten, sugar-free cookies of the dark chocolate variety.  But don't corner it, whatever you do.  Hopefully, it will come home soon and Mine will be a blogging babe again.

In the meantime, I will be trying to post a few regular articles of my own, with blanket approval from Mine. I made the suggestion that I could write her parts as I believe everybody is entitled to my opinion and I have enough for both of us.  For some reason, however, she vehemently vetoed the idea. I was only trying to be helpful.

Look out for a few posts in the near future.

YourZ

Visual Aspects - Battlestar Galactica

MINE

YourZ and I have been in love with this series for ever.  I'm sure his love is largely borne from a certain red dress worn by a certain Cylon, but I can forgive him that.  Can't you?  Go on, Google "Caprica Six" and forgive him here and now.  Remember to come back!

I had an interesting conversation with my brother-in-law about the merits of BSG versus The Wire, which of course we also love.  He is of the opinion that it's "cheating" for BSG to tackle difficult issues, because it's science fiction and therefore the writers can make any situation fit; whereas in The Wire they're restricted to real life situations.  Of course, I think that's a load of hooey.  Both of these series are fabulous, in different ways.  It's just BSG has the most fabulous CGI to go along with the amazing acting and top-notch scripts.  Shiny! Oh, wait, that's another TV series, I'm getting ahead of myself here.  We recently watched BSG end-to-end, because last year we finally bought a flat-screen TV - so we wanted to watch all our great visual-effects movies and series over again, with the oh-wow picture.

OK, so BSG takes places in a universe where there are 12 colonies of humans on 12 planets which are kind of named after signs of the Zodiac and they worship multiple gods and they've formed a truce with the Cylons which are robots that became self-aware and then rebelled years ago and now the Cylons are back and some of them look like humans and they're still pissed off so they nuke all the human's planets and only about 40-thousand people get away on a bunch on spaceships including... Battlestar Galactica.

After that it gets complicated.

My favourite part?  The way the series examined summary executions and imprisonment - from both sides of the human/Cylon debate.  I loved how this series put the issues being tested in Iraq and at Guantanamo on to prime-time US screens, right then and there.  And vote-rigging!

My favourite character?  Gaius Baltar.  Selfish, self-serving, cowardly, tricksy and an unwitting traitor, he manages to survive through the basest of human emotions. Yet toward the end, he seems to redeem himself - by supposedly laying bare his soul in a tell-all autobiography.  Whoever thought him up deserves all the writing accolades there are.

My favourite squeeze?  Chief Galen Tyrol.  I don't know why, there are some much more conventionally handsome men featured - Anders and Helo spring to mind - but I love the Chief.  He's huggable.

And while she's frustrating and impenetrable and likeable as well as facepalm idiotic from time to time: I love Starbuck.

We haven't seen the BSG spin-off Caprica, and it can't have been that good if it got canned after one series, but I guess we will when it's released here on DVD.  Completists that we are.  Hey, that reminds me - we haven't re-watched The Plan yet!

VERDICT: Vital

YOURZ

Initially, my review was going to be very simple:

"Watch it if only for the bodacious, deadly Clyon babe in the painted-on red dress."

But on careful deliberation, I decided this would make me appear extremely shallow.  I'm now gonna go for some depth:

Watch it if only for the magnificent cast, the effects, the story, the drama, the intrigue, the pointy-headed robots from hell and cool spaceships.  And, if this isn't enough, watch it for the bodacious, deadly Clyon babe in the painted-on red dress.

I think you can guess who my favourite character is, can't you?

VERDICT: Vital

Visual Aspects - Walking in the Royal National Park

YOURZ

You know, sometimes I need to be reminded how bloody lucky I am to live where I do.  Our recent trip to Royal National Park was one such time.

At Mine's behest, I went to a great website called Wildwalks and printed out a handy guide to what's known as the Bundeena To Marley walk.  According to the guide, the walk is about 9.5 km and would take us about 3 1/2 hours and rated 'hard' but we were up for a physical challenge.  It also meant I could cross it off my list as I'd always wanted to go.

The park is about 30 km south of Sydney CBD.  It was first established as a park in 1879 and is the second oldest national park  In 2006, it was added to the Australian National Heritage list.  It is mainly coastal heath with belts of littoral rainforest where shallow valleys dip the walker down to the coast.  We followed easy instructions that led us to a dirt car park on a stretch of the Bundeena road.  

The track starts out on opposite side of the road.  Ducking under the natural gates of She-Oak, the path starts out very easily and leads the walker gently down to the first ridge.  Here, I indulged my love of panorama photography.

Royal National Park panorama

We heard rather than saw a few of the local birds but spotted a New Holland Honeyeater as it made its rounds of the Banksia and various heath flowers.  But apart from the occasional skink, the heat of the day was obviously keeping the local fauna under cover. Along the track, we saw some beautiful banksias, red gums, and numerous unknown flowers like these:

  

                                         

The next stop was Deer Pond, so named because at one time, Royal National Park had quite a few deer in it and this was one of their favourite drinking holes.  The cooling fresh water and lovely shady strip of sand made it a welcome stop for us too. 

Deer Pond

After a refreshing dip and a quick snack, it was onwards to the beach.

This part of the track was probably the hardest going.  We're reasonably fit but while we didn't struggle, we didn't talk much either.  The track led out on to a much larger fire break that switch backs down to the coast line.  It was more exposed and we really felt the heat but could also hear the ocean pounding in the distance.  The payoff came after some good hard slogging, with the heath opening up to views like this one.

Looking down to the coast

Not too long after, we dropped down the final part of the track, one way leading to Marley Beach, the other to Little Marley.  We went north to the big one, hoping to find some shade and a spot for a picnic.  Marley Beach, however, is quite exposed and the surf was huge and angry.  We headed back south to Little Marley.  Almost conversely, it has a nice overhanging low cliff at one end, which offered up a great shady spot to stop and have a break.  The sheltered little beach provided a picturesque backdrop too.

Little Marley Beach

After a bit of relaxing, it was time to get going back up although this was a little tougher, 'up' being the operative word and all.  We stopped again at what I've renamed the 'Yes, Dear' Pond, in tribute to Mine as its one of her favourite expressions.  After another cooling dip, we hit the final stretch back to the car park.  

I think we worked out the whole round trip took us 4 1/2 hours, but given we'd stopped along the way, this is hardly surprising.  What is surprising, however, is how beautiful the area is and how close it is to the city.  It is truly one of Sydney's hidden jewels and well worth a day out.  Next time, we'll do the overnight coast walk, okay Mine?  Mine?  Hello...

VERDICT: VITAL

MINE

For one reason and another, YourZ and I have decided this year to scrap our pricey gym membership and take more time exercising au natural. (No, you Philistines, not in the nude, in the open air!)  Thus, the desire to tramp around large parts of parkland.  It's also part of our desire to take in as much of  what Sydney has to offer as possible, as we've decided it's not going to be our forever-home.  When we have a free weekend (and with other commitments plus my moving shift schedule, these are rare) we plan to see what the many national Parks in our area have to offer.

I must admit, I didn't look too closely at this walk before YourZ suggested it, and if I'd noticed it was rated "hard" I might have protested.  But even though it tested us (I had sore calves and glutes for a couple of days) it was so worth it.  The scenery!  The wildlife! The beaches!  And all less than an hour from our front door!

I guess the main thing I found from this - apart from the fact that I want to do more, please - is that I've often driven past Royal National Park without actually seeing quite how big and wild and varied it is.  And while I'm sure the next walk will be somewhere else - Ku-Ring-Gai Chase or Lane Cove perhaps - I do hope we go back to it.  It's spectacular.

VERDICT: Vital

Because We Don't Do Everything Together - Primal Scream

MINE

I'd ummed and aaahed about going to this gig for a while - chiefly because all the tickets sold out and were being hawked on eBay for ridiculous sums.  But then!  They moved the venue to a larger one, issued more tickets, and finally I got to go and see one of The Albums That Changed My Life being performed in its entirety.

Screamadelica has been reviewed in these pages before, when I wished for a fairy godmother to grant me a trip to see just this show.  You know how I feel about it, so I won't be telling you about the songs.  What I will tell you is that Bobby Gillespie is still as skinny as a streak of pelican shit, has his own hair and a well-developed dress sense, and the band... the band can play their bloody socks off!

Although it was in a way quite fabulous to see them at Selina's, a venue I used to frequent a lot in my youth - it's just down the road from a few places I've lived in over the years - in many other ways it was awful.  There are much better venues in Sydney these days, and just because you can fit more people in to see a band, doesn't mean you should.  Also, this was the first time I'd been screened by the Coogee Bay Hotel's new identification system - which scanned my fingerprint!  How high-tech and deeply Big-Brotherish. 

But although I'd timed my arrival so I'd miss the support act (sorry about that, but going to a band on my own means they get the heave-ho) the distinct lack of bar facilities per head of punter meant I saw the first two songs off the album while waiting in line for a drink.  I'd had the foresight to stand in the line closest to the stage, so managed to shake my tailfeather while waiting - that is until some gurning twat proceeded to pant and sweat all over me while - get this - trying to pick me up!  Truly, it was hard to resist the temptation to point out I was old enough to be his mother's younger sister (ahem), but I must admit thinking to myself "That Revlon Photo Finishing Powder was well worth the cash" - well, it was either that or his drug-addled eyesight.

After grabbing two vodka-and-somethings I found a place to stand at the side of the stage where there was just barely enough room to breathe.  Fortunately Screamadelica  has some nice quiet songs in the middle section.  Unfortunately the Essex Girl in front of me was using them to discuss something (her truly appalling haircut?) with her boyfriend.  In fact, the whole place appeared to be backpacker central, and it reminded me just exactly why I've enjoyed our move one suburb down the coast - less Likely Lads and Lasses throwing up on the footpath every weekend.

After the album was through, the lads came back on stage for a bunch of great songs from other albums - Country Girl, Jailbird, Suicide Bomb and Rocks - after which I quickly ducked outside and into the first cab I could find, before that crowd came boiling out on to the pavement.  I wouldn't have missed it for the world, even though I had seen them before ('95 Big Day Out).  These guys can play.  That gig was stifling hot and they rocked its collective socks off.

VERDICT: Vital!

Sorry there's no pics - I am truly useless with a camera phone, and most cameras generally.

Because We Don't Do Everything Together - Deftones, UNSW Roundhouse - Sydney - 28 January 2011

I'm not a huge metal fan but there are a few acts that really rock my world.  And of these, my favourite is, without a doubt, Deftones.  I've been a fan of theirs since I first heard Around The Fur.  But listening to them is not anything like seeing them live.  Thanks to a Christmas present from Mine, this is exactly what I was going to be doing.

Their only side-show in Sydney while touring with the Big Day Out, Deftones made it an all-ages to accommodate their younger fans.  As a consequence, I barely had time to look at the merch stand (disappointing) before Deftones started their set.  I raced up stairs to the balcony level and was surprised by how good a view I was able to get.  Even so, the few photos I took with my phone don't really do the position justice.  And of course, being the sort of gig it is, the constant jostling made it even more difficult.  See what I mean: 

Looking down on the thrashing sea (well, large pond) of punters, I was glad to be standing in the relative calm on the balcony.  Stand-in bass player, Sergio, looked to be at home with the rest of the band, working seamlessly with Abe Cunningham's percussion and darting between his mic and the front of the stage, while Stephen Carter's hulking presence is personified by his massive guitar riffs layering over Frank Delgado's keys and soundscapes.  

But if the night belongs to anyone, it is to Chino Moreno, who not only held the audience in the palm of his hands but whose vocals were every bit as powerful as they are on record. Standing on a platform over the top of the fold-back speakers, it wasn't hard to imagine it as an altar, with Chino sacrificing his voice over and over, much to the delight of the sweaty throng.  

The set, a massive 23 songs, included material from all their releases.  I loved hearing older tracks like Minerva, Nosebleed, My Own Summer (Shove It) and personal favourite Around The Fur.  I was a little disappointed they didn't play Back To School but with six albums of material, its not hard to understand why it didn't make it.  There is no denying the power of the new tracks included in the the set however.  Diamond Eyes was made to be performed live while Sextape provides a welcome change of pace between Royal and big crowd favourite, Rocket Skates.  Check out the full set list here.

I'm sure Deftones have no problems playing the big stages, but there is nothing like seeing a band such as this in a small venue.  And while it's still early in the year and I may end up eating these words; could this be a contender for gig of 2011?  Only time will tell, I guess.

VERDICT: Vital!

Forays Into Forgotten Vinyl - Vinyl Tidings

YOURZ

Mine and YourZ truly were weaned on a diet of flat black plastic growing up.  As we moved from teen petulance to young adult… well, erm, petulance, our vinyl collections were suddenly usurped by digital interlopers called CDs.  Because we (and yes, I have the courage, in this instance, to speak for both of us) are attracted by bright shiny things, our poor vinyl collections were superseded.  

Also out were the good old reliable turntables, replaced first by CD players then by DVD players.  We loved the new technology because we could pogo, mosh and/or bump'n'grind in front of the stereo without any fear of a causing a skip, jump or scratch.

Unlike most, however, we couldn’t let go of our albums.  When we combined households years ago, we both dragged two crates of records into the mix as well.  We used the full as speaker stands but found the more we looked at them, the more we longed for a record player.

Then late last year, Mine purchased, for a modest price, a Technics SL-D2 direct drive turntable (which apparently was considered quite good in its day).  Soon after, she also got a great preamp as a Christmas present. And this is where the music part of this post starts.

Christmas Day, instead of traditional carols, we played every single Midnight Oil album and the one single we owned.  It was like listening to a time machine, a powerful reminder of days gone by.  We listened to lots of other music too - The Flowers, Divinyls, John Kennedy, Paul Kelly, The Hollowmen and INXS, to name just the Australian acts (or at least those we could remember - we had a very jolly Christmas).  But it was Midnight Oil who ruled the day.  

We started with Place Without A Postcard, followed by Head Injuries, then 10, 9, 8..., Red Sails In The Sunset and the Power And The Passion single with a dub version on the B side - not necessarily in the right chronological order, but close.  As I listened, I felt connected with a time when life was stretched way out in front of me, brimming with all sorts of possibilities.  It teased me with the exuberance of youth I no longer have while reminding me of how good I have it now.  It was also the perfect way to spend a Christmas Day with the one I love.

VERDICT: Vital

MINE

While many of my friends and acquaintances have chosen to throw away their vinyl collection, I've never been able to my records go.  While more and more old music is re-released on CD and for download, many of the albums I loved in my youth miss out.  So for some time now, I've trawled the pages of eBay looking for my holy grail - a Direct Drive turntable in good condition at a reasonable price.

I have to confess that I bought this particular model because it was one I'd used before.  In fact, when my first husband bought it sometime in the late 70s it was very expensive and state-of-the-art.  I love the fact that it has a series of black lines on the side of the platen - so you can adjust the speed for pin-point 33 and 45 rpm speeds.

When I first bought it, we went in search of a phono preamp and picked one up for a very small sum.  Be warned, cheap preamps aren't worth the cash, and we abandoned our first vinyl session pretty quickly after finding a bass hum - probably because it wasn't earthed.  But Christmas Day dawned and the first crisp, clear notes rang out.  As did the hisses and crackles from long-ago times, and the odd jump as we re-learned to tip-toe past the turntable. (Do you have the same song in your head that I do?)

What I thought was remarkable about the rest of that day wasn't that we chose to play all our Midnight Oil (come on, Peter Garrett is our federal MP!) but that there were very few arguments about what we were going to play.  We pulled out lots of albums, scattered them all around the room and had a hoot of a time.  We danced (well, I danced), sang and generally carried on as if we were 20 years younger.

More please.

VERDICT: Vital

The Comeback

Yes, we can hear you.  We know we've been a bit slack but as you can see, we put our designers to work while we swanned about enjoying time with family and friends - indulging ourselves copiously and often.  Twas the season to be jolly and all...

We talked a lot about where we might take the whole 'YourZenMine' thing once we'd finished our initial challenge.  All the hours spend at endless meetings, the arguments and debates can be condensed to the following five categories:

1. What Isn't On Our Ipod
2. Forays Into Forgotten Vinyl
3. Visual Aspects
4. Because We Don't Do Everything Together
5. A Way With Words

The meanings of each of these is either evident or will become so as we continue.  

The astute among you will also notice the ratings have changed to suit our broader interests.  Feel free to make use of these any time you fancy.

And off we go...

The Final Wrapup

YOURZ

It's the Final Wrapup... (to the tune of Final Countdown by Europe)

First of all, apologies for putting that dreadful song in your head but I really couldn't help it...

So, we made it.  All the way to the end.  Three hundred and sixty five days of music reviews.  Sure, there were a few moments when we thought we might not get here but thankfully, we stuck to our guns and kept on truckin'.  And I'm glad we did.  The feeling of achievement is undeniable.  In fact, aside from a couple of reviews being a little late on the day, we've not missed one single deadline.  For a world champion procrastinator like me, this is huge.

There have been some absolutely wonderful albums we've reviewed over the year, so much so, it's hard for me to pick a favourite.  The variety has been quite astounding.  I'm also pleased to say I think there was a great balance between new and old music.  Some of the ones that come to mind include The Dead Weather, The Beatles, Paul Kelly, The Clash, Gorillaz, Sleepy Jackson, QOTSA, Florence & The Machine, Washington and Them Crooked Vultures, to name a very few.  Somewhat surprisingly, instead of reducing our collection to a more manageable number as we thought this might do, our collection has actually grown.  And we couldn't be happier.

One of the best things about starting this is meeting some great, like-minded people from around the world.  It is a constant source of delight to me to get a comment from someone living on the other side of the planet who, through no particular fault of their own, shares similar views.  That sense of being part of a community is wonderful.

With this in mind, our final give-away will be going to the one of the people who have offered us great advice, comments and friendship over the year.  This is not to say you all don't deserve something, because you do.  But we're not Oprah (thankfully), so we've had to make a hard decision about who its going to be.  Our friend Martin, at Music Obsessive, has provided some great comments, food for thought and support over the  year and we are very grateful for it.  There is a special padded bag of goodness on its way to him, along with our heartfelt thanks.

A big thanks to Mine; my lovely wife, best friend and the smartest, prettiest sparring partner I could have ever hoped for - thanks for putting up with my raving, ranting and general palaver.  You continue to rock my world!

So, where to now.  One thing we know is we'll be taking a bit of a break for the first couple of weeks of the year to collect ourselves and get some idea of what we'll be doing.  Rest assured, we'll be back, but just not every day.  And we've already decided to expand our reviews to include all the different interests we have, both together and separately.  And we look forward to sharing these with you.  Thanks for sticking with us so far.

Happy New Year!


MINE


Let him get in the first word and he never shuts up... that's something I've come to love about YourZ.  Of course, I have a tendency to babble too, so often the volume of stream-of-consciousness at or house reaches death metal levels.

I'll admit that when we were coming up the final days, all I wanted to do was stop.  It's been a bit of a stretch for me, just because writing is what I do for a living and this has on occasion felt like a second, part-time job.  Some days it's hard to get enthusiastic about a review when I've had eight hours of intensive reading, writing and editing under my belt already.  But that's not to say that I haven't also managed to write a lot of this in my downtime from said day job.

I guess it's the enthusiasm that YourZ has managed to hold for this project through thick and thin that's kept me tagging along; sometimes willingly, sometimes with that sulky teenage whine and sometimes kicking my heels in an all-out childish tantrum.  So I guess I have to thank him, too for getting us through it.  And for enthusing me enough to consider keeping this going next year.  Expanding our horizons with more things to review.  But always with our two points of view.

We've made some great friends along the way, and I hope you'll hang in there while we take a breath and regroup.  New horizons in the New Year.  Hope you all have a fabulous time.  As a good friend of mine said to me in high school - "Have fun, rave lots, don't O.D."  Wise words that I've managed to stick by for some thirty-odd years.

Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R

YOURZ

Here is a recap for you: we started this project not because we love writing (which we do) or because we love music (which we do) but because we basically wanted a novel way of going through our collection and moving them to our newly-acquired (at the time) Ipod.  So it is rather telling that Queens Of The Stone Age are one of the very few bands whose every CD we own have been all put to the digital library.

I think everyone who is a fan has a favourite QOTSA album.  Every album is a winner in my world but Rated R is the biggest winner of them all.  Maybe its because around the time it was released, I saw them tour for Big Day Out.  Or maybe because it's just a beer-swilling, drug-enhancing, kick-arse and take numbers rock album that does surprisingly well with the ladies too.

Yes, this does have their anthemic Feel Good Hit Of The Summer, but it also has the best recording of Monsters In The Parasol, a fantastic piece of rock nonsense and the way-cool wig out that is Better Living Through Chemistry.  It also has the crazy shit provided by Nick Oliveri, whose live appearance did not include anything done in the nude, thankfully.  And seeing them perform Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret was a  highlight I still remember.

I don't think we could end this project on a better note.  I'm sure Mine would probably disagree but then, isn't this what this project has been all about?

VERDICT: TURN IT UP


MINE

Feel Good Hit of the Summer.  Ain't nothing better.  Frankly, I don't really care about the rest of the album, all I want to do is turn this up L-O-U-D and dance.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (wait, didn't I already say that?)


For more information: http://www.qotsa.com/

Massive Attack - Blue Lines

MINE

Not only do I own and love Blue Lines, and I think everything else Massive Attack have done, but I'm still holding on to a video of theirs for Be Thankful (even though we don't even own a video player any more) because it's my favourite video ever.  Of all time.  But now, I guess it's available on YouTube or MySpace or something - see?  Um, that's emphatically not G-rated!

I love that song so much I own the Paul Oakenfold remix single and consider it every bit as essential as the album.  But I still haven't seen them live.  Funny, each time they've toured, I've either missed out on hearing the announcement or I've been too poor to afford tickets.

However, this is one album that gets its time on the home dancefloor.  Over and over again.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP 

YOURZ

What to say about Blue Lines other than it is another absolutely essential piece of music.  I still find it hard to believe this was the début for Massive Attack, but there you go.  

One thing I didn't reveal when we reviewed Mezzanine is that I've never actually owned a single Massive Attack record because every one else I knew owned them and played them all the time.  I have to thank Mine for adding this and their other albums to our collection.  It would have been lacking without them.  And thanks for picking this one out too.

The video accompanying Safe From Harm is still one of my favourites too.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information go to http://www.massiveattack.com/

Beck - Odelay

YOURZ

This diminutive Scientologist, born and bred in LA, has had a huge amount of influence on me as a songwriter and producer.  I've been a big fan ever since his first major label release, Mellow Gold, and his independent releases but if there is one album that defines him, then it is Odelay, winning numerous awards when it was released in 1996, including a Grammy.  It has since consistently appeared on best-of lists right around the world.

Like a lot of music I love, Beck bravely explores the boundaries between genres, breaking through the confining walls of folk, pop, punk, hip hop, country and whatever the heck else to create something brilliantly idiosyncratic, amazing and absolutely essential.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

OK, this is better Beck.  Confirmed readers will know I wasn't impressed with the album the pointy stick selected of the (seemingly hundreds) of Beck albums YourZ owns.  This one is much, much better.  I like it.  Um.

OK, so I don't have much more to say about it.  Which seems a bit silly, given that I've had to wait about 24 hours to do this review, because I wasn't feeling very well.  But after about 12 hours' sleep, I'm still no closer to imparting any words of wisdom.

Guess I'll just have to say sorry for the delay on Odelay.  Thank you, thank you.  I'll be here all week.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information go to http://www.beck.com/

Turin Brakes - The Optimist LP

MINE

Sometimes my husband and I differ on things.  No, really!  And one of these things is kind of good for me, but it also annoys me.  You see, while to most people my music collection (before YourZ) seemed wide and varied, his was and is truly huge.  A large part of that is because... how do I put this nicely... he sometimes has a bit of a short attention span.

Which means sometimes he doesn't want to play the old faithful numbers.  There's this new band or artist he's bought, and he knows I'll really love it, and the annoying thing is he's usually right, but then sometimes I think he just doesn't get the fact that some days I want to listen to the album I know I'm going to love.

Which is The Optimist.  Top to tail, beginning to end, beautiful, layered, brilliantly produced, those edgy yet sweet voices, this album is one our collection will never be without.  It's the album I want to play on this first night we move into our new home, up on a hill in a tropical town in Queensland, looking out over the dark and lush vegetation with the lights twinkling in the distance.  It's yet another album I have to thank YourZ for... and for that reason I can never be too annoyed with him when he wants me to listen to something new.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

YOURZ

This is one of Mine's choices but if she hadn't chosen it, I would have (in fact, I deliberately left it from my five because I knew she would end up picking it).  (Mine says: well aren't you the clever clogs then!)  I don't have any fancy story about how I came to hear Turin Brakes.  But every so often, a piece of music comes into your life that is so clearly meant for you, it is a wonder it isn't simply gift-wrapped with your name on it.  Turin Brakes, for me, is one such band.

Some years ago now, musical friends and I would regularly gather in the back room of a house I shared with an ex-girlfriend (hi Maz).  This room was off the kitchen, so close to all the things a bunch of musicians would need: a kettle, coffee and tea fixings and a fridge for alcohol.  We'd start with rounds of coffee and cigarettes, warming up our fingers on tunes we all knew.  I'd set up a few microphones and maybe get the recording equipment ready to make a rough of the proceedings.  We'd move on to beer or vodka as the day wore one, getting looser and louder and having a ball.   

Lots of music inspired us then.  Some of the names you'd recognise (David Bowie, Beck, Jeff Buckley, Led Zeppelin) and some were new to most of us.  Turin Brakes, and The Optimist LP particularly, were one such band.  Their acoustic-driven, harmony-laden tracks had us singing along at the tops of our voices, long after we'd put down our instruments and started on the second case of beer.  And while we never went much further than that room, we were the best band in the world for a little while there.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For further information go to http://www.turinbrakes.com/

The Clash - London Calling

YOURZ

I never got the opportunity to see The Clash live.  But in the last couple of weeks, I was able to see two of the original members performing together live when we saw Gorillaz live.  Sure, both Mick Jones and Paul Simonon aren't the young men they were when they made London Calling, but it didn't matter to me.  Seeing them on stage with Damon Albarn was something I'll never forget. 

As I stated in the review we did of their greatest hits earlier this year, if we lost our collection tomorrow, London Calling would be the first album I'd replace.  It is absolutely indespensible, a stunning album that expands itself well beyond its limited 'punk' label. 

I can't name a single track as a favourite.  I find it impossible.  How can I pick Rudi Can't Fail over Hateful or Train In Vain (Stand By Me) over Clampdown?  See my dilemma.  The Mick sung tracks over the Joe sung tracks.  It aint gonna happen, not ever. 

VERDICT: TURN IT UP - what are we gonna do now?

MINE

I can't imagine ever being without this album.  It's been with me since the moment it came out, when I'd sit on the floor of my best friend's living room, playing her brother's copy and listening to every note, singing along with the songs from the the lyrics on the inner sleeves.  I've had it on vinyl and now we have this brilliant Deluxe Edition.  Which reminds me, we've got so many of these editions and we never take out the DVDs and watch them.  Aha!  A mission for the Christmas break!

In my youth, before I owned the album myself, I recorded my best friend's brother's copy on cassette.  On a 90 minute cassette, so the double album could fit on both sides.  Anybody remember those?  The C90s that left a tiny bit of room on the end, so you'd search around for another song or two to fit?

Re-listening to London Calling today, I've been stunned by how fresh and sharp it still sounds.  From the distinctive twangs of the opening number, it puts you on notice that this is music to be listened to.  My favourite? Lost in the Supermarket.  Yours?

VERDICT: TURN IT UP guaranteed personality

For more information: http://www.theclash.com/

Kirsty MacColl - What Do Pretty Girls Do?

MINE

So I didn't pick Kite, my favourite Kirsty album.  And I didn't pick one of the more "complete" best-of's that I've got.  But I picked this one, because it's a compilation of some live sessions she did for the BBC.  Now if you know Kirsty (like I know Kirsty) you know she didn't really enjoy performing in front of people (until later in her life).  So getting a live recording is a bit of a bonus.

Here she shows a lot of her country stylings, and particularly my favourite song, Don't Come The Cowboy With Me Sonny Jim.  A hymn for any girl who's been treated like dirt after giving her all, this version is kind of close to the original.  But the standout version is her voice-and-guitar stying of He's On the Beach, which was originally production-packed. (And for all of you northern hemisphere types, on the beach is exactly where YourZ and I hope to be today.)

The album also features a duet with Billy Bragg of A New England.  Made me wonder if he misses her.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP and he says it's brilliant there

YOURZ

I could have guessed Mine would pick a Kirsty MacColl CD of some sort.  Predictable much? 

When we reviewed her earlier this year (see it here) I said while I appreciated her talent, I found it all a bit too nice for my liking.  While there are some pretty cool tracks on What Do Pretty Girls Do, a lot of this is just a bit too country for me. 

However, there are two versions of A New England on here and I could listen to both over and again without any effort.  The duo with Billy Bragg is just about perfect.  And the guitar groove of My Affair coupled with that wondeful voice was a very pleasant surprise indeed.  And Bad is anything but.  Still, its not enough for me to say anything but...

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

For more information: http://www.kirstymaccoll.com/

Christmas Cocktails

YOURZ

Feliz Navidad, Happy Hanukkah, Joyeux Noel, Shub Naya Baras or Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan, depending on where you are.

Well, here it is, the last compilation.  Throughout the year, we've had many discussions about the compilations we reviewed.  But for this one, I didn't have a choice.  Mine insisted it had to be this one and when she insists, its pointless arguing.  I was hoping I might find a CD called something like A Very Rock Christmas or Indie Xmas Tunes.  I would have even settled on Metal Yuletide (I can even see the cover of this one - a black christmas tree with razor wire tinsel and grenade-like baubles).  Alas, for all the looking I did, I couldn't find anything.

But this compilation isn't too bad, I suppose.  At the very least, it doesn't make me gag, which is  a good thing.  There are even a few songs on here I actually don't mind.  Lou Rawl's Christmas Is turns up the heat as only he can do while Ray Anthony doing Christmas Kisses gets the toes tapping.  But the one track that does it for me every time would have to be The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole, even though the imagery is completely wrong for us living in the Southern Hemisphere.

I hope you all have a wonderful, relaxed and happy holiday season.  Merry Christmas to all!

VERDICT: TURN IT UP and pass the gravy

MINE

Merry Christmas to all... and here's hoping you'll be having as happy a time as YourZ and I will be enjoying. Among the other traditions we enjoy there'll be a screening of Monty Python's Life of Brian, and the consumption of entirely too much alcohol. But also, I'll be playing this CD. In fact, having to preview it for this review has moved me from "bah-humbug" mode to being positively... things ending in "olly" (Thank you T Pratchett)

I love this collection for its funk, swing and cha-cha. And especially for Kaye Starr's version of  (Everybody's Waiting For) the Man With the Bag, which I've promised myself I'll remember all the words to by, um, today.

But maybe we'll also celebrate the iPod by putting together a list of kind-of Christmas songs. Any suggestions?

VERDICT: TURN IT UP ho, ho, ho

For more information: http://www.ultralounge.com/

Regurgitator - Tu-Plang

MINE

Sometimes frenzied and always entertaining, Regurgitator are one of those bands who hovered just outside my orbit.  Oh sure, I'd turn them up when they came on the radio, but they didn't quite make it into my hot little hand when I ventured into a music shop.

And that doesn't really surprise me when I listen to this album.  For me, it has its moments... but that's where I stop.  The change of pace and style throughout the album feels to me like a lack of cohesiveness.  And I don't really know enough about the band to comment about why  that might be.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

YOURZ

Coming out in 1996, Tu Plang was a breath of fresh air to an industry overwhelmed by post-grunge bands, wanna be indie popsters and *shudder* Savage Garden.  Their magpie-like eclecticism was brave, daring and a little bit naughty too.

Opening with a sharp, self-deprecating dig at the music industry in the form of I Sucked A Lot Of Cock To Get Where I Am (and the laugh but gag but laugh line of I keep on rinsing again and again), the 'Gurge swing between indie-pop gems, frenetic electronica, savvy hip hop and even a stab at surf music instrumentals with 348 Hz, all with equal aplomb.  Fittingly, it won both Alternative Album of the Year and Best Debut at the Australian Recording Industry Awards (ARIA) that year.

Importantly, it showed a fickle industry that there was plenty of room for bands to explore the boundaries of contemporary music and gain a strong fan base at the same time.  And while record companies struggled then (even as they do now) to try and pigeon-hole music for the sake of demographics, bands like this consistently prove them wrong by saying fuck categorisation and fuck demographics.

For all the years Regurgitator has been around, all the hits they've had and all the albums they've released, this remains my favourite by far.  In my mind, not only was it one of the best releases of the 90s but one of the best Australian releases ever.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://regurgitator.net/

Garbage - Version 2.0

YOURZ

My exposure to Garbage has been through women in my life.  In fact, I remember getting a phone call from Mine just before she and I started dating, asking if I'd like to go to a Garbage concert as she had a last minute spare ticket after the friend she was going with (g'day Dom) fell off his motor bike.  I had to decline but not long after, returned the gesture.  The rest, as they say in the classics, is history.

We've waxed about Garbage before but this album is probably the quintessential one for many of the fans.  It certainly contains some of their biggest hits in When I Grow Up and I Think I'm Paranoid along with their almost trademarked hybrid sound.  And while Version 2.0 is polished to a sheen, thankfully none of the magic has been rubbed off.  

And damn it, when Shirley sings "Darling, how would it feel if we sleep together?" I want to jump on the next plane to where ever she is and show her.  But I think I'd be last in a very, very long line.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

Killer, killer, killer album.  The band at their balls-to-the-wall best.  That hot, hot blending of rock, pop and dance that made this album the best thing they've ever done.

My personal favourite is the song that's kept me going through many a hard time, The Trick Is To Keep Breathing.  Although the album is chock full of hits, it's this song that I return to over and over again.  Because it's me.  It's how I am.  It's the point I got to after a lot of ups and downs in my life, and it's sung to me by one of my favourite voices.  How good does that get?

Ah, but they're recording, and releasing a new album and TOURING to support it next year.  Be still my beating heart.  Will it be possible that I'll be in the same room as Shirley Manson once again?  Oh Father Christmas, if you love me at all, I don't want a big red india-rubber ball like King John did (AA Milne) but please, please will you make sure Garbage come here?  I promise I'll be good(ish)!

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information go to: http://www.garbage.com/