Sunday, December 31, 2006

The 006 List

It was a year, it was a year, it was a very good year. And here's some stuff we noticed. No particular order, unless we could arrive at a consensus, by some miracle.

Favourite International Live Performance



Broken Social Scene

All together ATR attended four shows from Broken Social Scene this year, and each one was a unique, intense, melodic, experience. Highlights from the Corner shows include the blistering yet beautiful four pronged guitar attack, the amazing finale of "It's all Gonna Break", the surprise appearance of Spiral Stairs, and the cutesy hipness of Feist fill-in Lisa Lobsinger. If only all gigs were like this.

We also really enjoyed:

Animal Collective @ Roskilde/The Corner
The Hold Steady @ Laneway Festival
Low @ The East Brunswick Club
Midlake @ The Corner
Sleater-Kinney @ Big Day Out

Most Disappointing

Modest Mouse @ The Palace
Pretty Girls Make Graves @ Laneway

Favourite Aussie Live Performance



Augie March

It was with slight trepidation that I attended Augie March's first headline show at the Hi-Fi Bar back in May. Although I really enjoyed their music I had seen them stuff up live on more than one occasion, the last being at the Laneway show in Feb. But Glenn and Co did not disappoint at all, delivering a masterful performance in front of a attentive full house. All the favourites were played, but in a demonstration of how many great tracks they actually have, "One Crowded Hour" wasn't even played until the encore. And they were good at the Prince of Wales earlier in the year and at Meredith.

We also really enjoyed:

Clinkerfield @ The Old Bar
Dallas Crane @ Meredith
Sodastream @ Northcote Social Club, The Corner
The Drones @ Spanish Club
The Lucksmiths @ The Corner (Candle Records Show)

Favourite Support Acts



Anthony Atkinson at Candle Records show
Art of Fighting before Midlake
Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males before Augie March
My Disco before Deerhoof, before The Drones, before Mogwai
Spencer P Jones and the Escape Committe before The Drones

Most Disappointing

Crayon Fields before The New Pornographers
Jack Ladder before Okkervil River
Kes before Art of Fighting

Favourite International Release



Blood Mountain - Mastodon
Boys and Girls in America - The Hold Steady
Fishscale - Ghostface Killah
Post-War - M Ward
Rabbit Fur Coat - Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
Rather Ripped - Sonic Youth
The Letting Go - Bonnie "Prince" Billy
The Life Pursuit - Belle and Sebastian
The Trials of Van Occupanther - Midlake
Wolves - My Latest Novel
Ys - Joanna Newsom

Most Disappointing

At War With the Mystics - The Flaming Lips

It hurts so much because I loved them once. I can't help but think maybe I'll go back to it and it'll be more than mediocre. But it's no Clouds Taste Metallic or Soft Bulletin, of that I'm sure. We know they can make great albums, and on AWWTM they've even produced some great songs, but the album as a whole is just not up to par.

Favourite Aussie Release



Accipio - Mountains in the Sky
Drowning in the Fountain of Youth - Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males
Entropy Begins at Home - Faux Pas
Factory Girls - Dallas Crane
Khancoban - Khancoban
Moo, You Bloody Choir - Augie March
Reservations - Sodastream

Most Disappointing

Cancer - My Disco

They're energetic, driving, incendiary live. And I hoped the album had captured that. But every time I put it on it sounds flat, dull and lifeless. And that's a shame, because they could change the world.

Favourite International Song



Crazy - Gnarls Barkley

Look, it ruled the world this year. Like it or not. And it is, actually, a good song. I can think of worse things to hear over tinny supermarket speakers, and see ad nauseum on Video Hits. The Pussycat Dolls, for starters.

Alibi - The Mountain Goats
Citrus - The Hold Steady
Fee Fie - The Hidden Cameras
Head Home - Midlake
Incinerate - Sonic Youth
Long Distance Call - Phoenix
Love to a Monster - Okkervil River
Postcards from Italy - Beirut
Roscoe - Midlake
Sister Sneaker Sister Soul - My Latest Novel
Sukie in the Graveyard - Belle and Sebastian
The Greatest - Cat Power
Whip You With a Strap - Ghostface Killah
Wolf Like Me - TV on the Radio
Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John

Favourite Aussie Song



Drunk on Election Night - Dan Kelly & the Alpha Males
Eastbound - Art of Fighting
It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) - Ground Components
Marsanne (Love Can Wait) - Dallas Crane
Mother Greer - Augie March
One Crowded Hour - Augie March
Pissin' Down in Colbo - Clinkerfield
Fire - Gersey

Memorable Moments



  • Meredith

  • Hugs from BSS

  • Sodastream and band playing Cutting Crew at NSC - "(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight"

  • The bass line during "Pissing" by Low at the East Brunswick Club

  • "It's All Gonna Break" from BSS

  • Second encore performance from Augie March with all of Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males on stage at HiFi Bar

  • Miles Browne on theremin during Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males' support for Augie March at HiFi Bar

  • Van Halen's "Jump" by Belle and Sebastian, with Stuart up in the roof of the Forum

  • The anecdote by Pete from Sodastream about getting a hamburger (with chips!) in Wollongong

  • John So at the Big Day Out

  • Neko Case falling in love with Nick

  • The foundation of Across the Rooftops

2 Comments:

Blogger Osmond said:

Sadly I missed Broken Social Scene's sideshow in Sydney because Popfrenzy had their boat show with Les Savy Fav, Jens Lekman, TAN!, Pretty Girls and the Gossip. Everyone tells me what a great show it was.

Surprised about the Crayon Fields. They did a good show at the Hopetoun not too long ago.

6:04 pm  
Blogger Nick said:

I have no doubt that the Crayon Fields are capable of playing some really good shows. However, when supporting the New Pornographers they were a bit insipid.

A gig supporting the pop stylings of someone of the calibre of Neko and crew seemed as though it should've been cause for some joy. As Gerard (gerardvsbear.blogspot.com) would probably put it: "Smile indie-kid. FUUUCK!"

1:13 pm  

Post a Comment

<< Home

Contact

Out There

Bloggin' Melbourne

Melbourne Radio

Melbourne Venues

Other Stuff in Melbs

Local Labels

Local Record Shops

Local Tours

Bloggin' Oz

Sites Oz

Bloggin' the Globe

Sites Worldly

Previously

Across the Rooftops 2006