A year of listening, watching, reading, living

by SUDHIR

1. 'What's going on' by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. A remake of the Marvin Gaye classic with all the angst anger and passion of some New Orleans locals post Hurricane Katrina driving it along. Real music. And funky. You've never heard a brass band like this before.

2. 'Modern Times' by Bob Dylan. As he gets older he gets better. What a band. What a grizzled voice. What a fine display of post beat poetica. Bravo!

3. The Dockers' run to the finals - in the light of how they played at the Gabba just weeks before - a miracle. Thanks dudes. Restored the faith.

4. Cat Empire live at the Tivoli. Talented musos having heaps of fun. And what a great venue.

5. Bruce Cockburn's new CD 'Life Short Call now'. You've got to admire a musician who goes to Baghdad so he can write a really good song about Baghdad. Canadian music meister.

6. Doch. If you haven't discovered this band yet, be sure that you do. East European dance music played on clarinets, banjo's trombones and fiddles. Inconceivable virtuosity. Mind-opening musical idiom. Heaps of fun.

7. 'Gormanghast'. I've been going to read this three volume gothic trilogy by Mervyn Peake for decades. Finally got there. Lord of the Rings in spooksville. Fabulous flight of fantasy.

8. 'The Inheritance of Loss' by Kiran Desai. Man Booker winner. Indian writers writing in English continue to re-invent and revitalise the language. Thank you.

9. Buck 65 'Secret Home Amongst the World' and others. Country and Western HIp Hop. Who said it can't be done? And he's done it in style. Another Canadian. What's in the water over there?

10. Anthony Koutoufides winning 'Dancing with the Stars'. A rather extraordinary journey of transformation. Brought tears to the eyes to see him loosen up and to see his happiness. Also means I've been watching way too much television.

11 December 2006

australianrules.com.au

dirty doz

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