A-Z '13 - Zanzibar

During April a bunch of bloggers have been participating in the A-to-Z blogging challenge of 2013. My theme this year has been an A-to-Z list of classic Aussie tunes - either classic or just plain songs I like. Today we are up to the VERY LAST LETTER of the alphabet (PHEW!), "Z", and the song I have chosen is:

Zanzibar - Hoodoo Gurus

Hoodoo Gurus are a great Aussie band whose heyday was probably in the 80s, though they've remained popular ever since and continue to tour (yep, they still exist). I saw them in April last year when they went on their DIG IT UP! tour in celebration of 30 years of music releases for the band. It was a great show made even better by support from Redd Kross, but anyway, moving on! "Zanzibar" is a track from the Gurus' fabulous 1984 album Stoneage Romeos, which they played in its entirely at last year's show, along with a selection of other tunes. Some of their better known songs are "Tojo", "My Girl" (such a cute video), "What's My Scene" and "Bittersweet".

Honourable mentions:

• Z-Man by Ammonia
• Zebra by John Butler Trio
• Ziah by the Red Tree

---

Right, folks, that's it for now! But I will see you on or around May 3 for the A-Z Reflection of 2013. Until then, I think I'm gonna fall in a heap of not-posting-anything-at-all-no-way-no-how and enjoy a brief respite from the mad pace I've been keeping up in April. How 'bout you? :)

A-Z '13 - Young & You Got Nothing I Want

During April a bunch of bloggers are participating in the A-to-Z blogging challenge of 2013. My theme this year is an A-to-Z list of classic Aussie tunes - either classic or just plain songs I like. Today's letter is the second-last for 2013, "Y", and the songs I've chosen to feature are:

Young - Primary


You Got Nothing I Want - Cold Chisel


Primary have been defunct band since, hmm, maybe 2002. I only have one of their two albums, This Is the Sound, and it's a favourite. This song, "Young", isn't one I'd have chosen if I had any letter of the alphabet to work with, but it gives you a taste of what this band is about. Still, my fave songs from the album are "Tearing Me Up" and "Like Others Do", which sadly I have no links for. Now, moving on. Cold Chisel are possibly one of the most legendary "underground" Aussie bands out there. They got really popular as a pub band and were best known for Jimmy Barnes's rather characteristic voice. You can read more about the band's history here. Once more, this isn't my favourite song by them, but they sure have a long list I could have chosen with the right letter to play with. It's tough trying to fit all the great Aussie bands you know into one single A to Z, I'll say that! Anyway, Cold Chisel are still going strong today, though my mates most recently saw Jimmy Barnes on his own tour (he's had a very successful solo career).

Honourable mentions:

• You're the Voice by John Farnham
• You Must Be Dead by the Fuzz
• You're Not the Only One Who Feels This Way by Ammonia
• You Don't Know by Killing Heidi
• Young Man, Old Man by the Dissociatives
• You Are Not My Friend by Frenzal Rhomb
• You And Me Amplified & Your Baby, My Blood by Love Outside Andromeda
• Young Boys Are My Weakness by Kate Ceberano (only just realised that this song is a bit creepy - but I loved it as a little girl)
• You Died... Losing 16 Experience Points by the Decline
• You Gonna Get It  by Abbe May
• You Have Been Loved by Sia
• You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC
• You Should Have Told Me You Were Gonna Change by Sneaky Sound System
• You Sound Like Louis Burdett by the Whitlams
• You're Not Gonna Hurt Us Again by Intercooler
• Your Voice by Effigy

A-Z '13 - Xanadu

During April a bunch of bloggers are participating in the A-to-Z blogging challenge of 2013. My theme this year is an A-to-Z list of classic Aussie tunes - either classic or just plain songs I like. Today's letter is "X", and it was a really easy choice this time, because I only had one song to choose from! ;)

Xanadu - Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John is best known for her role as Sandy in Grease, and I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell you guys much more about her. If you say you don't know her, I'll be extremely surprised. I will say that I first saw the movie Xanadu when I was visting an American friend of mine in Atlanta - she's a mad fan of that movie. It was a fun experience, and one I won't soon forget. haha. Also, this live video performance from Countdown is from back in 1980, the awesome year in which I was born. Happy birth(year) to me! :)

Honourable mentions:

Seriously, I've got nothing. Except my own song. And because that's all I have, I'll just link you guys to a free stream/download and be done with it. ;)

• Xerxes by Woody's A Girl

A-Z '13 - Weir & Whatever You Want

During April a bunch of bloggers are participating in the A-to-Z blogging challenge of 2013. My theme this year is an A-to-Z list of classic Aussie tunes - either classic or just plain songs I like. Today's letter is "W", and for W I had the opposite problem to yesterday - craploads of great songs to choose from and a big struggle narrowing the list down. Throughout this challenge I've tried to pick a new artist every day, and so far I've managed. But today it was too hard to choose, so I've also decided to briefly feature two bonus tracks (very tiny vid size so as not to make the post too long ;)) by artists I've previously featured - two songs that are amongst my all-time faves. So here are all my W picks:

Weir - Killing Heidi


Whatever You Want - Something For Kate


Killing Heidi were another Aussie band who started out pretty young - they were discovered in Triple J's Unearthed contest when Ella Hooper was just thirteen. They were quite successful but it kind of died off with their third album. They've been on hiatus since 2006, with Ella and Jesse (brother and sister) doing their own side-project nowadays. To finish, here's a great live acoustic version of "Weir". Something For Kate are a great band who I think are a bit more underground than they potentially could be. But I'm a little ashamed to admit I still only own one of their albums. I was astonished to learn recently that Paul Dempsey has been criticised for his voice, and got really discouraged because of it - seems bizarre 'cause I think he's brilliant. Also, Stephanie Ashworth once got asked to play bass for Courtney Love in Hole. :) What I always think of when I think of this band, though, is how my mum and I were talking about what I was getting a friend for her birthday. I said, "I got her Something For Kate", and Mum said, "Who's Kate?"

My extra features today are the following two songs, one by Silverchair (definitely amongst my favourite songs of all time, from their second-last album Diorama) and what has surely gotta be the best live version of AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie" ever:

 


Honourable mentions:

• World Upon Your Shoulders by Silverchair
• White Boy, Worry & Watch Out Boys by Magic Dirt
• Where Eagles Have Been, White Unicorn, Witchcraft & Woman (all from the same album! That's a lotta Ws) by Wolfmother
• White by Something For Kate
• Walking on a Dream by Empire of the Sun
• Wanted by Razorlily
• When the War is Over by Cold Chisel
• We're Going Out Tonight by Frenzal Rhomb
• What a Beautiful Day by My Name Is John
• What Does It Matter by Primary
• What If by COG
• What She Said by Laura Imbruglia
• Where It Fits by Tracy Redhead
• Wide Open Road by the Triffids
• www.writersblock.com by Lo-Tel