2007 top 10

by DAVID BRIDIE

THESE are my top 10 albums (can't do songs... never remember the titles). In no particular order cos it's like comparing apples with oranges mostly...

BOXER by The National from Brooklyn. Kind of Comsat Angels meets Echo and the Bunneymen and whilst locked up in a hotel in Adelaide it made the perfect soundtrack

TUWHARE by various New Zealand artists. Renound Maori poet Hone Tuwhare's poetry set to music featuring artists such as Don McGlashan, Dallas Tamaira from Fat Freddy's Drop, Goldenhorse, Strawpeople featuring Fiona McDonald. A beautiful record and wonderful words.

CANNOT BUY MY SOUL by various aust artists and Kev Carmody. Artists such as The Pigrams, John Butler, Bernard Fanning do covers of Kev's great songs plus a disk of Kev's originals which was always going to be the better disk but the cover versions are pretty interesting too

ORPHANS: BRAWLERS, BAWLERS AND BASTARDS by Tom Waits. I know this was a 2006 release but I didn't cotton on to it til this year. Normally triple albums can be reduced to one decent album but I love all of this... he rocks better than most, and the kids' bedtime story is priceless

PAST PRESENT FUTURE by Tiki Taane. Ex member of Salmonella Dub discovers his Maori roots and comes up with a wonderful sub groove record.

ESCAPE FROM DENGUE FEVER by Dengue Fever. Traditional Cambodian diva songs meets the Cramps. Sounds odd but it really works

LONG TAEM BIFO by Kaja Riddim Klan. From Vanuatu this is a beautifully melancholic CD of homeland songs.

GURUMUL by Geoffrey Gurumul Yunupingu. This CD hasn't been released yet (go to the skinnyfish website) but this will be a major Indigenous Australian release from this Yolngu singer songwriter. He has a beautiful voice. It is shameful that it has been such a long time since an Indigenous Australian artist has had any recognition and I think Gurumul is the CD to do that.

TRAFFIC AND WEATHER Fountains of Wayne. Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger are a potent combination. From the guys who did Stacey's mum, all their lyrics are intelligent piss-takes and their music is all pastiche and clever at that.

YELEMA by Mamani Keita and Nicolas Repac. She is a songstress from Mali, he a guitarist from France. Her voice is incredible and the arrangements sublime..

NEON BIBLE by Arcade Fire. My daughter gave me this CD...I love it when there's no generation gap. Great record.

IN RAINBOWS by Radiohead. Can handle pretty much anything this band does...though I preferred Thom Yorke's solo record.

Bonus offering...

MATOGO by The Moab Stringband featuring George Telek. Whilst this was released on my label, PNG stringband music is a wonderful thing and I urge everybody to at least experience it once in your life, especially since we in Australia live so close to that wonderful country.

BEST FILMS ETC

Deadwood... best thing ever on television admittedly cable HBO and probably last year..but...

Death at a Funeral

Control...

Noise

Romulus My Father

2 January 2008

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