My 2012 Triple J Hottest 100 Votes

So if you've followed my blog at all in the past year, you know how excited I get for the Triple J Hottest 100 Countdown. It's happening NOW!
If this is your first time reading my blog, and you're all "Triple wha?" here's the lowdown:
It's one of the world's largest public music polls started in 1989. Each person is limited to 10 votes & on Australia Day, they spend the whole day counting down the top 100 songs as voted by the people. Most of the top 10 songs on the poll subsequently become huge in the US the next year. I'm sure you've heard of a little known track called Somebody That I Used To Know by this guy Gotye? Yeah, #1 in the 2011 Hottest 100 (you can see my recap of that here).

Votes are also determined by songs that have come out in Australia, so a song I might LOVE just might not be eligible. Like the Husky song History's Door took so long to cross the oceans between Australia and the US, that even though I just discovered it, it actually came out there last year. Or one of my favorite bands Ramona Falls isn't well enough known in Australia to get on the voting list.

You can listen to the eligible songs here through spotify (might take a few days, but oh! what days they'll be)

Once you've heard enough, you can submit your own vote here

But HURRY, voting closes in 12 DAYS!

If you need some help on where to start to find some good artists or songs, here are my votes

(the graphic is giving me trouble but you can listen to my 10 songs here)

My 10 Votes:

Voting factors I took into account was wanting exposure for particularly lesser-known artists and recognition for plain old good tracks regardless of artist infamy, I also wanted my vote to make a difference so rather than write-in a few favorites I stuck with songs I thought had a chance to get at least at the top 100.

• 
  alt-J

  Taro
• 
  Angus Stone

  Monsters
• 
  Gossling

  Wild Love
• 
  Grimes

  Genesis
• 
  Japandroids

  The House That Heaven Built
• 
  Julia Stone

  Let's Forget All The Things That We Say
• 
  Kimbra

  Warrior {ft. Mark Foster & A-Trak}
• 
  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

  Can't Hold Us {ft. Ray Dalton}
• 
  Matt Corby

  Lonely Boy {Like A Version}
• 
  Miike Snow

  Devil's Work

  
  

Alt-J: Taro

My favorite song of theirs, although it really was hard to single it out over the rest, something about this one just gets me, i think it's the Bollywood beat that drops with each chorus. It's also really epic if you open two windows on YouTube to the same songs of their and start it 5 seconds apart. Done right, it will blow your mind.

Angus Stone: Monsters

The banjo and trumpet inevitably won this song a spot in my top 10. If you doubt my love of banjos, just go here, I judge people based on their banjo appreciation level. PLus the wonderful imagery of the lyrics gets me: "In the dark, there's monsters that cry alone"

Gossling: Wild Love

A track I think is US-Radio friendly that evokes frontiers and wide-open spaces with a unique voice that balances out what could be just another country/pop song. Hopefully I'll hear it on the US-airwaves soon!

Grimes: Genesis

Between her lisp, whispy-high voice, and atmospheric vocal loops, Grimes is the Canadian poptastic alternative punky girl version of Bon Iver. It was really tough choosing between Oblivion and Genesis but in the end the vocal layering and range of the smooth Genesis won out over the more danceable Oblivion (and Oblivion was the first of her songs I heard but that was back in 2011, so it's more fitting to vote for the song I first heard in 2012)

Japandroids: The House That Heaven Built

Oh.oh.oh.Oh.oh.oh.oh.oh.... 'Nuff Said

Julia Stone: Let's Forget All The Things That We Say

The Stone Siblings are one of my most favorite duos in current music, alas they spent 2011 nad 2012 pursuing solo-projects. Julia pursued a more ballady-pop sound while Angus stayed with his guitar-strumming indie sound. While the Frenglish version is my favorite, this original deserves recognition

Kimbra feat. Mark Foster and A-Trak: Warrior

A gross oversight in my top songs of 2012, this track is FANTASTIC and helped me with Bar prep this summer (I've blocked so much of the summer out no wonder I couldn't remember it.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: Can't Hold Us

As much as I think Thrift Shop will beat this one out in just about any music poll, THIS is my favorite Macklemore & Ryan Lewis song. I spent 2 weeks driving to and from work learning this whole rap. It helped get me through my last semester of law school.

Matt Corby: Lonely Boy (Like A Version)

Such a different, deeper, heart-wrenching version compared with the original. I don't think I'll ever get over this song.

Miike Snow: Devil's Work

This one snuck in just over Sigur Ros and Metric, really just because I heard it a lot sooner and it had enough time to really get stuck in my brain. Plus Miike Snow is always fantastic.

Honorable Mentions: 

Icona Pop: I Love It

Metric: Breathing Underwater

Mumford And Sons: Below My Feet

Sigur Ros: Varou

I REALLY hope these songs make the Top 100, and if I had 14 votes, they'd for sure be included. Alas I had to pick only 10 or none at all. It was a tough decision

Musical Monday: Trailblazers

Embrace the awkwardness of being yourself! Strike your own path! Don't let labels define you! Dance the way you feel! This week's theme is blazing your own trail, being an individual, doing "you" & here are some songs that can help you:

Kimbra -- Posse

The song that inspired today's theme. I love how Kimbra champions being her own person, I'm sure she penned this one while in LA.  Here she declines to get "all caught up in [the] social scene" making the rest of us think it's cool not only to stay in school but to "like Shakespeare" and be "down with monogamy." It's a fantastic theme song for choosing to be different and like yourself for it!

Fleetwood Mac -- Go Your Own Way

Now looking at the lyrics I realize the singer isn't actually wanting someone to "go your own way" but this song will always take me back to a moment in grade school where I decided to be an individual rather than follow the crowd and this chorus was playing in a loop in my head.  Yes, it was tough to feel like I was missing out, but what I got from doing my own thing was priceless

Noah and the Whale -- L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.

"You got more than money and sense my friend, you got heart, and you're going your own way" <3

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool -- Dance the Way I Feel

"I just dance the way I feel" and so should you! It's very liberating to just let the music move you and not worry about what anyone else is thinking. Of course, when I dance the way I feel I'm typically in my bedroom with no one watching, but every now and then I'll bust out some music-led-movement in public...

What songs inspire you to go your own way?

Musical Monday (On Tuesday) Take 2!

So yet again my "Musical Monday" post is a day late, whoops.  Although I had grandparents in town all yesterday so didn't really want to abandon them to blog.

Anyway here's some music I've been listening to and want to share with you this week, the theme: JUMP AROUND AND CELEBRATE (CAUSE NO MORE LAW SCHOOL)

Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend

I may be late to the Robyn train but I LOVE the idea of her dancing alone in a giant warehouse until it becomes her own private club, and I love how you can just tell she lets the music move her, I definitely might've done the same thing after turning in my last exam!

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Can't Hold Us

NOT the way I expected these guys to look after hearing the song for the first time but I love this live performance cause you can see their enthusiasm and passion.  The violin and brass section are great. I just jump around the room to this one "Mack-le-mo-o-o-o-o-ore"

Kimbra - Cameo Lover

This video for this song just emphasizes its awesomeness! I always have a dance party (sometimes just an imagined one in my head) when listening to this!


Now, just in case you're not in a celebretory mood like me, here's a particular genre I refer to as Angry Yell Dance Music, like when you're upset and you just have to keep moving or yelling but you don't want to actually damage any relationship/hurt yourself, just some time to wallow and take your emotions out by pretending you're dance/yelling the song at a person or sometimes just the universe... this is a good one

Pnau - The Truth

(Video is REAL weird and trippy, if you want to seem normal, or are at work skip this one and just listen to the one here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WObL9pj0j54)

That's all I have for now.  What do you think about these songs, they get you pumped? What do you like to listen to for celebration music? I'd love to know so please share!

"State of the Art" is an Understatement: GOTYE & KIMBRA IN CONCERT!

 

Kimbra joining Gotye for "Somebody That I Used to Know"

"Come into My Head" and "Save Me" cause I might need to "Settle Down" after seeing this "State of the Art" concert with my "Eyes Wide Open", my "Heart's a Mess" with joy and there's no "Easy Way Out"! Gotye and Kimbra, "Thanks for Your Time"! We arrived full of "Good Intent,"  to bask "In Your Light" for just awhile, and we got something way more exciting than a "Bronte" novel.  You see, between us "Love is a Two Way Street" all the way from Kimbra's shimmy-shaking "Limbo" moves and "Cameo Lover" appearance on "Somebody That I Used to Know" to Gotye imploring us to "Learnalilgivinanlovin." "The Only Way" it could have been better was if you had come out to meet us fans after the show (or if you played "The Only Thing I Know," or just more songs)!

Me and my two AWESOME sisters before the concert. 

So I have been looking forward to this concert since an e-mail conversation July 7-10, 2011 WITH GOTYE HIMSELF!  I had just discovered "Somebody That I Used To Know," and bought a copy ASAP from the website.  Unfortunately since I use my older laptop for all my music (this new one is strictly Law School and Photos, I want as little chance of a crash as possible, so far so good), I had issues downloading the song and just so I could stop streaming it online on REPEAT(REPEATREPEAT!) I e-mailed the person in charge of orders. Got a great and quick response, (considering this person was halfway around the world), and after figuring out the issue, this person went out of their way and made sure I got the song, problem solved.

Then I realized that I had no idea how to buy the CD when it would be released August 19, 2011 in Australia so I sent another email a couple days later.  Imagine my shock and complete freeze-up/freak-out when I received this response:

Hi Julia

Thought I'd just answer myself, you can get the my direct experience :)

...

Thanks very much for your support and interest. Where in the States do you live? I hope I'll see you there sometime soon
Looking like I'll be doing some small shows in LA and NY around October

Cheerio

Wally 

I composed myself the best I could and sent out some semi-coherent string of words basically trying to convey how AWESOMELY STAR-STRUCK I WAS without seeming star-struck and being really gracious and praising while staying cool about it (I think it took a good hour before I hit send).  His response the fact I lived in Virginia, and asked him to come to DC was as follows:

Cheers Julia *(I seriously think I swooned at this)

Hope to see Virginia sometime, maybe 2012 is the year! But yes, keep your eye out for NY date and perhaps see you there first

Thanks again for your interest
Wally 

I spent the next few months listening to Making Mirrors, developing my Rock-Opera using the tracks from Like Drawing Blood, following @Gotye, @Kimbramusic, and @timshiel (Gotye's band member) on Twitter and SoundCloud, hyping "Somebody That I Used to Know" on Facebook, and trolling his website for show announcements (Not a creeper, just a super-fan).  Indeed 2012 was the year and as soon as tickets opened mid-December for this date, I dropped everything, got my sisters on board and bought the tickets!  And then couldn't stop smiling FOREVER!

Through this time, I also became a big fan of Kimbra and her music, the way that girl just feels the music and just let's her emotion and spill out her whole body while belting those lyrics is inspirational.  When she announced she would be joining the tour in DC, I probably got another cramp in my jaw from smiling too much.

So my sisters agreed they liked the music and were pumped to go.  I drove up from Richmond and we headed into DC for the concert.  They were awesome-sauce and promised to wait up to 90 minutes after the show so I could try to get an autograph (even though I already had the signed version of the album).  So now here's what you really came for, the concert recap:

Kimbra was a bubbly, bellowing, ball of FANTASTIC frenetic energy!  Not to forget, that girl can SING!  She played her better-known songs as well as 2 I hadn't heard before, never stopping her swirly, spastic, animated dancing.

Kimbra takes the stage to sing "Cameo Lover", her band was TIGHT! Also, check out the drummer's hair, early-90s-SWAGtastic! 

She moves like nothing else, drastically-spastically-WONDERFUL! 

Kimbra and I are BEST FRIENDS, see she took a picture with me! 

I think she might've bruised her arm with how hard she was shaking that tambourine!

Gotye takes the stage to "Eyes Wide Open"

Playing that synthesizer-sampler-button-thing, whatever it's called

Easy Way Out

Let's just pretend that microphone is my face? K, thanks (just kidding (not really!))

Wally got some dance moves too!

Jammin' to "Save Me" He actually got the audience to help sing the "yeah-ee-yeah-ehhhs," and it sounded pretty awesome.  You can catch my amateur tribute to it here

No, really, Thanks for Your Time!

 "Now and then I think of" how GREAT THIS WAS!

Unfortunately, even after skillfully and somewhat forcefully worded request that the audience quiet down for the sad, slow, soft "Bronte"; there were enough people there who seemed to only care to see the song that is an internet sensation, and not at all for enjoying the music (I'm talking to you, stupid drunk girls behind us).  Rather abruptly, Gotye bid us "Cheers" and adieu and left... 

Luckily he came back for a three-song encore!

Sing it, bruthah!

Too excited to even care that I look like a cheezing dweeb, but seriously though it was awesome!

Learnalilgivinanlovin!!!!!!

Look it's Michele and P-Dunc...  we met up after the show and briefly thought of trying to pass him off as Gotye's cousin to get on the bus (apparently he caused a few double-takes before Gotye went onstage)...

This is Ben, he plays the guitar, the electric mandolin, and the "steel-stringed-lap-guitar," I saw him outside the bus and decided we would be friends.  We bonded over a mutual love of mandolins, Appalachia, and the fact that I caught him searching his suitcase for clean undies...

Unfortunately, we also learned from Ben, after waiting with my sharpie and poster and two very tired sisters who had to work the next day and were troopers about my obsession  love for this Belgian-Aussie's music, that Wally took a nap after the show, and had yet to awaken.  It was the only disappointment of an otherwise perfect day! 

Musical Endorsements

FYI: most of this was previously published as a guest post on another (semi-anonymous?) blog. you can check it out here:

http://pinkypersistence.blogspot.com/2011/11/guest-post-babyspice.html

So the big dilemma I have every time I sit to type a blog post…what to write about?  I never can quite commit to just one topic so I end up with multiple half composed blog posts in my head that never make it to the blogosphere (a big reason that I average only 1 post per month). But since I'm already about half-way through this post I might as well just use this as my own personal soapbox to talk about some awesome music that's out there.

I don't know if she's done it on this medium yet but Pinky likes to give me a hard time about my alternative taste in music… and then one to three years later come back and say, "Wow, you were right.  This band is pretty good."  But to her credit, I give her a hard time about listening to Britney Spears but then dance along to it when it comes on in a club.  

Anyway, the musical artist I've become obsessed with since I discovered him around March of this year is an Australian act Gotye (pronounced, oddly enough: "Gore-ti-yeh").  He recently (as in last week) won 6 ARIAS (like an Aussie Grammy) his single "Somebody That I Used to Know" which has gone viral on YouTube and features an amazing artist from New Zealand Kimbra.  While this album actually isn't available in the States yet (unless you buy it from his website and pay to have it shipped) you can buy his earlier album Like Drawing Blood which is fantastic as well (highlight "Your Heart's A Mess").  He also recently announced a show in NY in february (YAY) but tickets sold out so fast today I missed out on getting a ticket (SOOOOOOOOOOOO BUMMED, YOU have NO IDEA!) 

There's the AMAZING Somebody That I Used to Know video:

And the two of them performing the song live at the ARIAS:

Before this becomes a full-fledged advertisement I'll suggest a couple other acts/songs which deserve a look on YouTube or vimeo and can help broaden your musical horizons (if nothing else, checking them out will give you a little break to your work/studying):

Kimbra - Two Way Street (super-talented vocalist, I also recommend the videos for Settle Down and Cameo Lover)

Dawes - When My Time Comes (out of CA, toured with Mumford and Sons, similar sound)

Apparat Organ Quartet - 1,2,3,Forever (Icelandic group of four organists and a drummer, fun claymation video)

Oh Land - White Nights (Swedish former ballerina who looks like the younger sister of Heidi Klum, Molly Simms, and Gwenyth Paltrow)

The Love Language -  Heart to Tell (throwback 60s vibe of the music as well as the stomping)

Angus & Julia Stone - And the Boys (Aussie, brother and sister duo off their latest album Down the Way)

Sia - Clap Your Hands (another Aussie, used to sing with Zero 7, has collaborated with Xtina, a fun an crazy video for a song that's easy to jump around to)