G’day.
Thank Sheila it’s Friday.
For this week’s music competition, we’re going Down Under. I want to know: what’s your favourite song by an artist from Australia or New Zealand?
Here’s mine.
Reply below to be in with a chance of winning a fair dinkum €25 Golden Discs voucher.
The winner will be chosen by my cousin Bruce.
Please include video links if possible.
Lines MUST close at Saturday 11am.
Nick says: Good luck, cobbers!
Last week’s winner here
Sponsored Link
The brilliant and Beautiful Miss Bic Runga with Sway, I could have picked loads of her music, but this is a standout track!
https://youtu.be/8H7a3ipUaS8
Enjoy!
I love her music so much. Cracking choice as always Andy.
Thank you Millie,
Hope your all doing well!!
Same to you Andy! :)
One of my favourite songs is The Be All and End All. The lyrics are so beautiful and dreamy.
You like a funeral, me like a fair, nobody cares for the show.
https://youtu.be/XhSUKH9GlDM
I was fortunate enough too meet her and do sound for her many years ago in a record store in Rathmines (Dublin), ended up going to Slattery‘s for a few pints with her and the band!!
Amazing person, so nice and genuine!
I’m extremely jealous! She’s a wonderful singer and songwriter. I adored her music when I was younger, and I still do.
Embarrassed to say I have never heard of her, but enjoyed that. Will investigate further, thanks Andy.
One of my all time favourite artists and an absolutely amazing song.
Seems quite an appropriate track at this time of year.
Crowded House – Better Be Home Soon.
https://youtu.be/AQOlwMKpmvQ
Happy Friday, time too throw some shrimps on the bar-b
Pond – Tasmania.
I like how I can hear the Aussiee accent
https://youtu.be/SHwrBqWumCo
Does Peter Garrett count?
The ultimate protest band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejorQVy3m8E
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
‘Into My Arms’
Because it’s just beautiful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnHoqHscTKE
it is
Nick Cave performed it at Michael Hutchence’s funeral.
Indeed.
He asked for the cameras to be turned off apparently.
Class act is Nick
Has to be Fat Freddy’s Drop, Wandering eye !
Pretty much sums up my stay there , Kia Ora hotties ! That place was a balm to my soul, running backdrops to die for, friendly peoplerest food. I left a note on the kitchen table and flew out of a bad marriage as far as I could go, twas just what the doctor ordered.
https://youtu.be/eCJg63SziL4
friendly people, great food *
fresh snapper !
traditional samoan pork !
crisp white wine !
I loved it there.
I could list a plethora of Crowded House hits but I’m going to indulge in a couple of album tracks from Woodface
She goes on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tWbjGCZVp8
and Italian Plastic which is always a live favouite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp1J2V7FaZo
(expects 2 links naughty step pause)
A two-for-one, Kylie and Nick Cave, Where the Wild Roses Grow
https://m.youtube.com/watch?index=383&list=LLcKRZSW18K8U_JHSyNT9J9g&v=cv7NEbacamQ
Ha, I see they have a couple of entries already, but the first song that entered my head was Fall at Your Feet – Crowded House
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ROiU9kOHeE
That was going to be my choice too yupyup; anything from Woodface really.
For the craic, here’s Nick Cave taking things a little less seriously
Grinderman – Heathen Child
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKznZUtKntg
The Saints – This Perfect Day (1977)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bJdXDXUF-E
Highly influential Australian punk band – although they had developed their sound before the term “punk music” had been coined and they predate the Sex Pistols, having formed in 1973.
Was only very recently reminded of this album. Here’s the Avalanches with the charming ‘Since I Left You’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpqm-05R2Jk
The Go-Betweens – The Wrong Road (1986).
This song contains the most beautiful lyric delivered in a lovely flat voice. It is probably Grant Hart’s finest song, which is really saying something.
Bouquets of flowers
Lesson’s over
When the rain hit the roof
With the sound of a finished kiss
Like when a lip lifts from a lip
I took the Wrong Road round
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qijs_0IQ-DM
Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
Perfect tune
https://youtu.be/jxKjOOR9sPU
Lotus -Lotus 1 (I’ll Be Gone)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZGjiQsiTTs
Great lesser-known Ozzy hard rock from 1971!
1980s aussie-tastic
Mental as Anything – Live it Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ4EWEBibyQ
(I think someone else posted this not too long ago for another competition)
Twas I was gonna post it again but ya beat me to it. Cracking tune
Roland S Howard with Shivers
https://youtu.be/e1ASWiDhYxg
Midnight Oil – Beds are Burning
Brilliant song from a brilliant album
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUTQTVtezhk
https://youtu.be/vnB9zltNuNY
Aldous Harding Weight of the Planets.
https://youtu.be/AqZcYPEszN8
Flight of the Conchords. Business Time.
fair play seamus, i was about to post this..
Love it. Love them. Got to see them live a couple of times – most recently when they played the Point. Such a fun night out.
That said I think my favourite is Foux du Fafa. The line ‘Et maintenant le voyage à la supermarché’ cracks me up every time…
I also have a soft spot for Rhys Darby’s Leggy Blond.
Those lads are genius.
Thank god someone posted it. I’d have been very disappointed if no one had mentioned the incomparable duo.
My current favourite is Inner City Pressures.
Love the way they play with different inspirations and muses. Bowie’s in Space is one amazing tribute and Inner City Pressure is all Pet Shop Boys… love it.
+1 on Foux de Fafa and Leggy Blonde.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBJLoYd8xak
easybeats – friday on my mind
so good that david bowie covered it (and didn’t do it as well)
Interesting fact!
Rhythm guitarist of The Easybests, George Young was the brother of Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC and passed on his guitars too the two brothers!!
For the pure craic of it here is Big Balls by ACDC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPlqLHcphyw&ab_channel=AC%2FDC-Topic
https://youtu.be/oW9uN-wOYJA
The Chills. Doledrums.
Here is a favourite from Aussie band Tame Impala – The less I know the better
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SUwOgmvzK4&ab_channel=tameimpalaVEVO
Am I the first to say Men At Work – Down Under
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfR9iY5y94s
Kinda obvious
Love them and love that song. More recently Colin’s Hay recorded a solo album and performed some of those songs acoustically. He played Dublin a few times too in recent years and is wonderful live.
OMC – How Bizzare
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2cMG33mWVY
Interesting facts
OMC is an acronym for Otara Millionaires Club, Otara being the Foxrock/Dalkey/Killiney of Auckland.
Lead singer Pauly Fuemana sadly passed away at the age of 40, having battled ill health for most of his adult life. RIP.
Australia – The Lucksmiths “Young and Dumb”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70dXe9smsnA&list=OLAK5uy_nYonWCHc0awNXLFmxa8ApAwO9oHRPyUlU&index=9&t=0s
New Zealand – The Chills “Pink Frost”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjW3MT8D9RY
Frontier Psychiatrist is an absolute belter…
A bird? YEEEAH…
https://youtu.be/qLrnkK2YEcE
Video is great too.
I forgot about the Avalanches. What a great album!
I won the voucher a while back with that very video. It’s bananas. And a brilliant tune too….
That song was my choice too but ended up in A&E with the young lad so missed the deadline!! All’s well so I’m gonna blast Frontier Psychiatrist and educate the neighbours. Hope you win the voucher.
I can think of a heap of Crowded House songs, and one or two from Neil/Tim Solo but here’s what’s best today.
Split Enz – Message to My Girl. It’s just *lovely*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6YD4rjVIO8
A trippy video for a trippy tune. New Zealands finest Connan Moccasin.
10 minutes I usually too long for a song, but not for this opus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7CaTJ2SvG8
The Ship Song
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
This song evokes so many memories.
https://youtu.be/q4VWKbZkIcM
The Easybeats – Wedding Ring (1965)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTKbTDDyuF4
Courtney Barnett – Need a little time-
Deadpan singing style and witty, rambling lyrics, the grunge revivalist hailing from Melbourne is floating in and out of mellow pop music and bold indie-rock on this track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TISIPNpRuoY
She’s a crackin’ lyricist, and kick ass rocker live!
I do love her sound :) Great choice!
Another discovery, thanks Nicorigo.
I’m listening to a fella called Chet Faker (Nicholas James Murphy) these days and he’s got a new song out that I like very much (Low).
However, for this one I’ll go with the slightly bonkers but utterly addictive riffing of Aussie hard rockers Wolfmother and their classic The Joker and the Thief.
First up here’s the track itself – https://youtu.be/ySjXFjLTagQ
And this piece of ridiculous mayhem is kinda what rocking out is all about – https://youtu.be/3afXXsJwYZo
Finally, I like this version and the keyboardist reminds me a bit of Jon Lord from Deep Purple – https://youtu.be/x-Jxw26dnEc
I’ll say one thing for it, its not subtle….. But I love this track all the same….
My 6 year old goes mental if we put Joker and the thief on in the car.
One of her favourite songs
Great choice.
The most australianey song ever, inxs – this time, from the hugely under rated ‘listen like thieves’ album. pure pop gold, doing 80s U2 better than U2 did.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4frCw_hTUo
Divinyls – I Touch Myself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv-34w8kGPM&ob=av2e
You know which contributor this is dedicated to, don’t you?
Angry Anderson – Suddenly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgpJJ7yYKWU
No Charlene! Don’t marry Scott, it’ll end in tears!
The Wiggles – Fruit Salad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRu1Yp2br00
For every harassed parent who ever had to sit through this, sometimes dozens of times a day.
Speaking of Neighbours,
Mona (I Need You Baby) – Craig McLachlan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yLA6OWMeeo
So much talent from such a great show ;-) (Kylie excepted)
Especially for You – Jason & Kylie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGuNsiSZ9RI
You might as well stop the competition now, this is the winner!
there is a stunning arts center in Watermill-Hamptons-founded by Robert Wilson,its called the WaterMill Center.
every summer they put on a series on very small intimate and exclusive concerts/shows for patrons.
a few summers back it was Rufus Wainwright and Kylie Minogue,plus his aunts Anna and Jane McGarrigle.
in memory of a wonderful evening with a very beautiful date here is Kylie live with Rufus from the Last Song of Summer Concert.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT0x6KNjAXA
This song has stayed with me since I first heard it at my best friends funeral, she was only young and everyone was devastated!
On hearing the song in the church there was not a dry eye in the house.
The lyrics too this day still make me emotional.
https://youtu.be/3Pvi4uKuawk
beautiful Andy
Written on a guitar borrowed from Nick Cave, so the story goes. Grant McLellan told Cave “Every instrument has one good song inside and that was it.”
Songs of adolescent yearning don’t come much better.
The Go Betweens – Cattle and Cane
https://youtu.be/ZCbyByY-A6w
Just the thing for a road trip along the Coolgardie–Esperance Highway.
The Triffids – Wide Open Road
https://youtu.be/7N5akOOlGTI
Friday On My Mind by the Easybeats featuring George Young, Angus’s (from AC/DC) older brother. First hit this side of the world by an Aussie group (1966). Perfect for anyone looking forward to the weekend (remember them).
https://youtu.be/rBJLoYd8xak
Dead Can Dance – In Power We Entrust The Love Advocated
https://youtu.be/paj15uphVwo
awesome. love that band.
Holly Throsby – What I Thought of You
https://youtu.be/ezOvbCPS2EM
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ soundtrack work is superb.
Song for Bob (from the Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)
https://youtu.be/vz0FSG9h-GI
I have one tune for northt island and one for south
for the norh
Fat Freddys drop – roady
https://youtu.be/29MgzHUhHws
Feels so Good.
for the south
Crowded House
Always take the weather
https://youtu.be/NZ3Ck43m_ZY
Julius ceasar and the roman armies couldn’t conquer te blue sky
spent a couple of months hitch hiking + camping down there, great spot, great people, good times
only got marooned once, outside a place called cromwell, the irony not lost on us of this green isle.
next day got a drive to within a block of where we needed to be. Just around the corner from mount pleasant street – I kid you not.
happy Friday
The Church – Under the Milky Way
https://youtu.be/pWxJEIz7sSA
The Broadsheet Christmas Single
https://youtu.be/M-RkC6MYT2E
Jimmy and Paddy are already in rehearsals
But this is my favourite Seekers track
https://youtu.be/Kb5V7MHFJXI
Although I won’t be having an actual funeral ceremony
The Carnival is Over
Is my last request, at whatever send off I get
Kimbra -two way street
https://youtu.be/2bF6QipA3iQ
The greatest rock and roll band in the world AC/DC ” Let there be Rock”
The intro guitar riff worms inside your head The exquisite lyrics tell about the birth of Rock N’ Roll. And is sung in the form of a sermon in a church. “In The Beginning, back in 1955…” just when you think the song is over, its not. Trust me, you wont want this to end. Praise The Lord!
https://youtu.be/3f2g4RMfhS0
I can’t win (as I can’t blow my cover..!!!) But just brilliant and authentic: https://youtu.be/BgESWOwJo08 Yothu Yindi. Also, https://youtu.be/Jf-jHCdafZY Treaty… and to finish off, at the other end of the human experience, the biggest band from down under and something we should all be doing on a Friday night: https://youtu.be/_JoZS6LgqYI
The Church – Reptile (1988)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Mx5xKOMAk
Crowded House (Don’t Dream It’s Over)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9gKyRmic20
No Saturday hovering could be done without this absolute banger!
The gorgeous Miss Olivia Newton-John — Xanadu
https://youtu.be/cLi8fTlDEag
Good night, and may your gods bless you!!
Simply has to be the most underrated band and song from “dahn unda” still on my bucket list of places to go.
But i digress, on with the coolness !
Daddy Cool, eagle rock > https://youtu.be/oQfAZVsz6KM
I’m going with three because why not.
Slim Dusty – The band played Waltzing Matilda
https://youtu.be/MGlpxviu8PY
Cold Chisel – Khe Sanh – https://youtu.be/dTjvG4WJD_A
The Whitlams- No Aphrodisiac – https://youtu.be/8qi7SlM1eDk
For me it has to be…. Men At Work – Overkill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY7S6EgSlCI&ab_channel=MenAtWorkVEVO
When Colin Hay sang it on Scrubs TV show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrGmcuj44DQ&ab_channel=HugeScrubsFan
And with Choir Choir……
https://youtu.be/kCZKAxDoUwE?t=66
Courtney Barnett – Pedestrian At Best
Saw her at Longitude before it went to s***. She’s a cool gal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-nr1nNC3ds
Actually, just thought of this, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faVWQlA-KP0
The Presets – Steamworks
No lyrics but a real earworm that is great for working out… or for a certain type of party.
I’d like to nominate this brilliant number from New Zealand band The Adults.
I know little to nothing about this band other than the members individually are well known in New Zealand for other bands, and that this was some collaborative project.
This track has an immediately catchy brooding bass, accompanied by great drumming that builds with the vocal, and a crackin’ soulful vocal it is :)
From 2011 ‘Nothing To Lose’ is, as best I can tell, a song about break ups, and moving on… None of this sitting around feeling sorry for yourself here. This is about moving on, and doing so with stride in your step as does the song put in yours in the latter half with some great guitar work.
Enjoy! :)
The Adults ‘Nothing To Lose’
Lyrics from second half of track…
“I’m a little wiser
Time has been kind
Tryin’ to get the memory of you out of my mind
And I don’t need you
Anymore
But I can hear you knock, knock, knocking at my door
At my door
Falling, breaking up is what I do
And if you didn’t know that you never had a clue
And I can see you talking, talking not the truth
Don’t waste your lies on me
‘Cos I got nothing to lose
Said I got nothing to lose”
https://youtu.be/fx6G0NGZJxU
Oh, and a great video to boot :)
Here’s another of theirs I just came by, from 8 months ago, has a Ben Folds Five buzz to it…
https://youtu.be/zVd11j1rBug
Titled… ‘The World Is A Terrible Place And I Am Piss-My-Pants Afraid To Die’ live session
It’s more enjoyable than the title suggests :) Again, a bit like BFF’s Song for the Dumped :)
Perfect Day by The Saints.
https://youtu.be/fiVZ1NF-H1g
‘Don’t need no one to tell me what I don’t already know.
Stick it up your bottom region.
Deadly :)
It HAS to be the Extreme Metal band Portal with their track Glumurphonel. It’s like being attacked by a million bees inside a jet engine while someone screams at you non stop. Awesome. I was traumatised after their last gig in Dublin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emrBZZtGFgI&ab_channel=PORTALOFFICIAL
The Kiwi songstress Aldous Harding with her idiosyncratic yet disarming ditty The Barrel. She’s harder to pin down than Jonah Lomu and looks like she wouldn’t have survived the Spanish Inquisition never the Salem witch trials. But she adds her NZ dollar to the nature versus nature argument cautioning “When you have a child, so begins the braiding and in that braid you stay.”. Pure post- Covid lockdown goth-folk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyZeJr5ppm8