Sunday, January 13, 2008

Hottest 100

'Tis voting time in the Hottest 100 for Australian ' yoof' radio station, triplej....

I like to take the chance to support Australian acts, but couldn't help picking some faves from the wider world too...perhaps partly due to my distance from Aus the past year?
While I don't usually listen to the station (given the general brilliance of public radio in Melbourne), the chance to win a double pass to every event supported by the j's for a year is hard to pass up - it would certainly ease the return to Aus....
Anyway, here be my votes whittled down from the large shortlist and I'm sure there some I've forgotten....
Art Of Fighting - Free You
Biffy Clyro - Saturday Superhouse
Clare Bowditch & The Feeding Set - You Looked So Good
CSS - Let's Make Love & Listen To Death From Above
Love Of Diagrams - Form & Function
Regina Spektor - Better
White Stripes - Icky Thump
Yelle - A Cause Des Garcons
Young And Restless - Police Police
Queens Of The Stone Age - 3's & 7's
What did/will/would you vote for?

8 comments:

jt said...

Here's my selections:

Clare Bowditch & The Feeding Set - You Looked So Good
CSS - Let's Make Love & Listen To Death From Above
Feist - 1234
Katalyst - All You've Got
Nine Inch Nails - Survivalism
Operator Please - Get What You Want
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
Tokyo Police Club - Nature Of The Experiment
Urthboy - The Signal
Yelle - A Cause Des Garcons
Young & Restless - Police Police

Yes I know the Operator Please and Feist songs have been played to death but quite frankly they're awesome tracks. CSS & Yelle were easy inclusions too; great, fun music.

Aussie hip hop has really matured lately and I was impressed with both the Urthboy and Katalyst releases. Katalyst's album was, quite frankly, one of the top five releases of last year.

I only heard it once on the radio last year but I had to pick Tokyo Police Club. I mean, I put it on the Cargo Cult compilation almost two years ago. I was ahead of the musical curve for once! A good song then and a good song now.

My other choices were pretty easy to make. NIN was an obvious choice as was Sharon Jones. And not only is Clare musically talented, she's hot, so any opportunity for more exposure is always welcome. ;-)

Gervy said...

Well, this is a turnaround for the books. I had to drag you along to see Red Raku and you didn't think Clare had any talent! Guess I should have my own radio show...

N-Lo said...

Gervy, I'm not sure I would have gone so far as to say Clare had no talent...I liked Red Raku - we even had them play on the show... but perhaps I was playing down my appreciation for your sake?
Her work since Red Raku has certainly been an improvement though, but I thank you for introducing me to them all the same!
Hey, wanna host a radio show together when I come back?

Gervy said...

Ahh. Didn't think of that. I take it all back...

YEAH, let me co-host a radio show with you. Can do the proper talking and I will say BAM! I lot in the background.

Gervy said...

jt, shut up about Clare being hot.

Dave said...

Right then, now that you've reminded me to vote I've come up with the following (I almost struggled to get to ten, given how little new music I've heard this year)

- Okkervil River: Unless it's kicks
From my favourite album of the moment. Absolutely can't wait to see these guys at the Corner in a few weeks.

- Akron/Family: I've got some friends
This is more a vote for the album, Love is Simple. There's at least five songs on the album better than this one. It's a cracker!

- Arcade Fire: Keep the car running
I don't rate the album as highly as most (judging from some end-of-year top ten lists), but a fine song.

- Battles: Atlas

- Grinderman: No Pussy Blues

- Iron & WIne: Pagan ANgel and a Borrowed Car

- Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings: 100 Days 100 Nights

- Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings: Tell Me
This album is gonna get a flogging at our wedding!

- The Shins: Australia

- Wilco: What Light
Again, this is more a vote for the album than this particular song.

I'd normally vote for more local stuff, there's a stack of bands I used to listen to who have tracks listed but I simply haven't heard them.

N-Lo said...

Nice one jt and Dave!
Some of your picks were on my shortlist and some should have been on the final selection too - how could I have missed Grinderman?! That was a revelation when I heard it, so dirty.
I'm with you on the Arcade Fire album not inspiring me, Dave. When I heard it I wondered what the fuss was about BUT then I saw them live at Rock-en-Seine festival and they were amazing. Such a big, emotional sound and a huge band with infectious energy - I quickly developed a crush on the girl (Regine I think?), multi-instrumentalist, great voice, wonderful stage presence and very cute (go curly hair!).

N-Lo said...

Well, it seems were are not quite on the wavelength of the majority of triple j listeners/voters... though that is almost something to be proud of perhaps?
I think the ones near the top tend to have some sort of crazed fan multiple voting thing happening (vote early and often?!).

Anyway, the highest match (act and song) we managed between us was for the White Stripes - Icky Thump at No 23, followed by Feist - 1234 at No. 34 and then 2 more matches at 64 (The Shins - Australia) and No 77 (Operator Please - Get What You Want). So we can each take a bow and know we helped make it happen. Doesn't it just make your day? No?

We had several other acts in the list with different songs, namely: Regina Spektor at 29 + 95, Clare Bowditch at 90, Urthboy at 25, QOTSA at 89, Arcade Fire at 81 and a second Operator Please tract at 27. Good on us.... though our votes counted for nothing towards these... eh