the tallest man on earth

Posted on by bekswhoknits

Every so often, an album comes along that sweeps you off your feet.

The last album to do that to me, was the Tallest Man on Earth – Shallow Grave.

Kristian Matsson’s voice immediately resonated, his gravely tones instantly soothing and reassuring.
The melodies are so simple and yet that have a rich complexity that allows them to change every time you listen to them.

There’s something so enchanting and so engaging about this album.

It’s one of those albums that I can listen to on repeat, but really shouldn’t because it only annoys my work mates…

albums of the year

Posted on by bekswhoknits

so, inspired by all the lists of the minute i’m putting together my top 10 albums list.
it’s limited to albums that i own, which is only 20.
the reason for this criteria is that i think in order for an album to be in my top 10 i should love it as an album – which i can only do if i can listen to it start to finish which usually involves me owning it.

so i’ve gone through the triple j album poll, made a shortlist of everything i bought this year (that was released this year) and here’s my top 10…
Continue reading albums of the year

summer playlist – a work in progress

Posted on by bekswhoknits

I’m having trouble coming up with my summer playlist this year…

Last year it was easy – I had bought a lot of EPs at gigs, was listening to a lot of community radio, going out a lot to ‘one-song’ bands (you know where you hear one song and want to check out what they have to say but they don’t have an album yet)…

This year I feel like ive been suckered into the commercial world – I’ve been to a lot more ‘big’ ($50+) gigs (them crooked vultures, brand new, dead weather, spoon, silversun pickups, new pornographers, ACDC) add in festivals (southbound, laneway, big day out, soundwave, futuremusic, on the bright side), a few small aussie acts (messhall, whitley, gyroscope, sugar army)… a lot of my CD money has been going on back-catalogueing and matching my digital library to my physical one… (my last 10 CD purchases – The Shins (Chutes Too Narrow) – The Rapture (Out of the Races) – Shortwave Set (Debt Collection) – Sparkleshorse (Vivadixiesubmarinetransmission) – Wavves (Wavves) – The Avalanches (Since I Left You) – The National (National) – Presidents of the United States of America (Presidents of the USA) – Tom Jones (What’s New Pussycat) – AFI (Sing the Sorrow)… there’s nothing there that was released this year… )

Ok so I spent a lot of money on music this year (should I try and remember which band shirts I bought this year?? Hmm… placebo, sspu, them crooked vultures, spoon, future of the left- and of course a stubbie holder from each festival I could) I still regret that they had sold out of Decemberist’s hoodies at BDO…

But I still feel like it was all pretty much commercial music – when I already have the EP, or even recognised the WAM Song of the Year winner, I knew that something had gone wrong this year…

So to get back on track I think it’s time to catalogue the southbound and laneway lineups… and I think from there I’ll get a pretty good summer playlist… also I might listen to the radio a bit more this week…
I think that’ll be a start…

if it turns out i’m not blogging into thin air – any summer playlist suggestions can go in the comments…

guitar highway rose

Posted on by bekswhoknits

“Some ideas are not born of logic and good sense. They are made of clouds and cobwebs. They sprout from nowhere and feed on excitement, sprinkled with adventure juice and the sweet flavor of the forbidden. The psyche moves from the realms of the ordinary and takes a delicate step towards the territory of the unknown. We know that we shouldn’t and that is exactly why we do.”

 so if i could pick one thing that influenced my writing style the most it would be guitar highway rose by brigid lowry…
actually i think it has probably influenced the narration of my life as well…

 i was asked to read it as a way to keep me busy during class when i had finished all my work and didn’t have anything to do… the fact that it was set in perth – was about a young girl who desperately wanted to get her nose pierced (which i did) who loved lists, doc martins, and lace just had me hooked.

and the narrative style was something that i copied time and time again in the stories that i wrote and the way i internally narrated my own life and experiences…

 i eventually did get my nose pierced – my doc martins were the first thing i bought with my first ever paycheck (well first two paychecks – they were an expensive item), i still never capitilise my i’s (word auto corrects me – my hand writing is never capitalised)… i still run away at every particular moment… it also got me into the doors in a big big way…

this book really shaped who i turned out to be in many ways…