It has been a while, but this blog isn't going to be a consistently frequent thing, and things feel right for a quick stock-take.
Since the couple of surprising PB's I achieved in August, my focus has shifted a bit, become a bit broader, but hopefully not to the point of losing focus on my goal. Writing this post up is partly me trying to restate that goal to myself. So that's the goal - 3:10:00 at the Gold Coast 2019. 614 days to go.
I've been doing PT sessions at a local gym for over a year now, and it's been great to have some external support for stating and achieving goals. The gym runs occasional 10 week challenges, with a body composition scan at the start and finish, and ongoing encouragement to use a food diary. The food diary has been my main motivator for joining in, as my past experience tells me that bad habits slip back in very easily, and it's very easy to just not notice.
I did pretty well with the 10 week challenge this run through (I did it at the start of the year as well), losing about 4.5kg, and dropping by body fat from 15.8kg to 12.6kg. My body fat percentage is just over 15%, so that's heading in the right direction.
I have also managed, for the first time in my adult life, to be neither overweight nor obese.
One funny thing I've found is the feeling of being a bit fat, of taking up just a bit too much space, hasn't really gone away yet. I still don't immediately recognise myself in the mirror.
It's nice to have met a goal, but things have gone a bit off track since the challenge finished, with the inevitable "off-the-leash" weekend, some widespread rain keeping me off the bike and a few worrying niggles resurfacing.
Still haven't committed to another interim goal yet, and I need to, or things will start to drift again.
I've found myself heading along to group bike rides more often, as the social aspect of cycling is far more rewarding than running the same old routes by myself. The lack of a social running group in my area has been a bit of a barrier, so I will be trying to seek that out in the future.
So I guess that's the interim goal - find a goal that gets me part of the way there. That's good enough for now.
Slightly crazy idea that a mid-low level plodder might achieve a BQ if he put his mind to it. I might talk about music, motorbikes or cycling if the mood takes me as well.
Current PBs
5km - 21:10.5 (23/07/17) (prev 22:43, 2013)
10km - 46:35 (2017) (prev 46:43, 2011)
14km - 67:30 (07/05/2017)
21.1km - 1:46:04 (02/07/2017) (prev 1:51, 2011)
42.2km - 4:11:14 (2011)
Monday, October 30, 2017
Monday, August 07, 2017
Personal bests
I absolutely smashed my 5km pb two weeks back, taking it from 22:43 down to 21:10.5. While it wasn't the sub-20 I was challenged to do, it shows a couple of things :-
BRRC 5km
I did not recover very well from this run. My legs were sacks of wet sand for about a week, and I've been struggling with niggles and losing consistency since. I really felt fatigued afterward, which I guess shows how much I pushed myself. Nevertheless, I'm happy with the result, and look forward to bettering (but maybe not for a few months). I'll be resetting my usual 5k expectations to sub 23:00 though. That seems reasonable now.
Anyway, after a few weeks of struggling to get out and do as much stuff as I've wanted, and an extremely hectic working environment, I lined up at the Brisbane Marathon 10km yesterday morning. I hadn't really been looking forward to the run, but luckily my sister-in-law was running as well, and her enthusiasm got me to the race precinct, where the atmosphere of the start line got me pretty pumped.
I'd started to settle back into an sub 50:00 run in my head, and lined up with the 50 minute pacer... who I stuck with for the first km, and then left behind. The Brisbane Marathon 10km course is a winding, twisty affair, with a couple of short but rather steep climbs. There are a few hills through the city that are allegedly quite high, but must be relatively gradual as they are *relatively* manageable.
It's the climb up from the river to the Storey Bridge that's the killer. It's not long but it hurts. Then there's a long long long down hill section from the bridge back to the other side of the river. It's a tough course. Looking at the Strava activity, the elevation data is all sorts of messed up.
Brisbane Marathon Festival 10km
I had another great run, a 15 second PB. But the difference in the courses was enormous - I have no idea if this is a valid comparison, but using the "Grade Adjusted Pace" times from Strava would make it a 44:35 run, which would have been a huge PB, of over 2 minutes.
Well, it's been a big few weeks of resetting expectations for me. I am pretty certain I will attempt the 2018 Canberra Marathon, so it's back to building a base up until Christmas, when the training will start in earnest.
- that goal is within reach
- I'm probably capable of more than I allow myself to believe
BRRC 5km
I did not recover very well from this run. My legs were sacks of wet sand for about a week, and I've been struggling with niggles and losing consistency since. I really felt fatigued afterward, which I guess shows how much I pushed myself. Nevertheless, I'm happy with the result, and look forward to bettering (but maybe not for a few months). I'll be resetting my usual 5k expectations to sub 23:00 though. That seems reasonable now.
Anyway, after a few weeks of struggling to get out and do as much stuff as I've wanted, and an extremely hectic working environment, I lined up at the Brisbane Marathon 10km yesterday morning. I hadn't really been looking forward to the run, but luckily my sister-in-law was running as well, and her enthusiasm got me to the race precinct, where the atmosphere of the start line got me pretty pumped.
I'd started to settle back into an sub 50:00 run in my head, and lined up with the 50 minute pacer... who I stuck with for the first km, and then left behind. The Brisbane Marathon 10km course is a winding, twisty affair, with a couple of short but rather steep climbs. There are a few hills through the city that are allegedly quite high, but must be relatively gradual as they are *relatively* manageable.
It's the climb up from the river to the Storey Bridge that's the killer. It's not long but it hurts. Then there's a long long long down hill section from the bridge back to the other side of the river. It's a tough course. Looking at the Strava activity, the elevation data is all sorts of messed up.
Brisbane Marathon Festival 10km
I had another great run, a 15 second PB. But the difference in the courses was enormous - I have no idea if this is a valid comparison, but using the "Grade Adjusted Pace" times from Strava would make it a 44:35 run, which would have been a huge PB, of over 2 minutes.
Well, it's been a big few weeks of resetting expectations for me. I am pretty certain I will attempt the 2018 Canberra Marathon, so it's back to building a base up until Christmas, when the training will start in earnest.
Saturday, July 22, 2017
The Plan, or at least, the planning for the Plan
There's just under 24 months until the Gold Coast Marathon 2019, so that's just under 23 months to get my marathon time down to 3:10.
That's equivalent to the half marathon in 1:30, 10km in 40 minutes and a 0:19:31 5km
So, 24 months to get my 16 minutes off my half marathon PB, 6 minutes off my 10km PB and a pretty huge 3 minutes off my 5km PB.
My 5km PB is almost 3 and half years old though, and my 10km PB is even older, so I'll be having a crack at both over the next few weeks.
Tomorrow I'll have a crack at a quick 5km. I've been challenged to attempt a 20 minute, but I'm not sure that's possible or smart, so I'll probably aim for 22 minutes and see how I go.
I've entered a 10km in a few weeks, so it'd be good to get under 45 minutes for that.
Anyway, the schedule for the next few years looks a bit like:
April 2018 - Canberra Marathon
May 2018 - City 2 South
July 2018 - Gold Coast Half
August 2018 - City 2 Surf (?)
October 2018 - Melbourne Marathon
March 2019 - Twilight Half
July 2019 - Gold Coast Marathon
Parkruns will be scattered in there, and I'm aiming to spend from now until Christmas 2017 building a bit of a base. Consistently getting in 20km a week of running and around 80km of cycling would be good.
But hey, best laid plans and all that.
That's equivalent to the half marathon in 1:30, 10km in 40 minutes and a 0:19:31 5km
So, 24 months to get my 16 minutes off my half marathon PB, 6 minutes off my 10km PB and a pretty huge 3 minutes off my 5km PB.
My 5km PB is almost 3 and half years old though, and my 10km PB is even older, so I'll be having a crack at both over the next few weeks.
Tomorrow I'll have a crack at a quick 5km. I've been challenged to attempt a 20 minute, but I'm not sure that's possible or smart, so I'll probably aim for 22 minutes and see how I go.
I've entered a 10km in a few weeks, so it'd be good to get under 45 minutes for that.
Anyway, the schedule for the next few years looks a bit like:
April 2018 - Canberra Marathon
May 2018 - City 2 South
July 2018 - Gold Coast Half
August 2018 - City 2 Surf (?)
October 2018 - Melbourne Marathon
March 2019 - Twilight Half
July 2019 - Gold Coast Marathon
Parkruns will be scattered in there, and I'm aiming to spend from now until Christmas 2017 building a bit of a base. Consistently getting in 20km a week of running and around 80km of cycling would be good.
But hey, best laid plans and all that.
Sunday, July 09, 2017
The Goal
So, what now.
While training for the 2017 Gold Coast Half Marathon, I kept seeing the fanciful times that the Race Predictor on my Garmin was displaying and scoffing - "A 1:31:35 half? Poppycock! A 42:50 10k? As if!" Despite allegedly being backed by well founded research, I just couldn't relate those times to how I was feeling in my running.
Well, a few weeks ago I found myself tearing up as I watched Eliud Kipchoge fall short of a sub-2 hour marathon by less than 30 seconds. Despite the artificiality of the setup, the effort was painfully real and it was still a truly incredible thing to see. It made me re-consider my attitude somewhat and despite my better judgement, I got inspired.
If the expected race time for someone with my VO2 max and lactate threshold was as stated, why shouldn't I commit to actually doing it? And if, at that point, I was allegedly fit enough for a 3:18 marathon, with the training I would be doing, that time would only decrease. So, why not go for a Boston Qualifier (BQ) and be done with it.
I've learnt that I need to take things like this slowly, so allowing 2 years or so seems prudent. Righto, that means aiming for a BQ at the 2019 Gold Coast Marathon, when I'll be 41.
The BQ time for a 41 year old is 3:15:00, but if the field is over-subscribed, only the fastest get in, so let's make it 3:10:00 to be safe.
So, the goal: 2019 Gold Coast Marathon, sub 3:10 or 4:30/km
And I need to figure out how to get there, from here.
While training for the 2017 Gold Coast Half Marathon, I kept seeing the fanciful times that the Race Predictor on my Garmin was displaying and scoffing - "A 1:31:35 half? Poppycock! A 42:50 10k? As if!" Despite allegedly being backed by well founded research, I just couldn't relate those times to how I was feeling in my running.
Well, a few weeks ago I found myself tearing up as I watched Eliud Kipchoge fall short of a sub-2 hour marathon by less than 30 seconds. Despite the artificiality of the setup, the effort was painfully real and it was still a truly incredible thing to see. It made me re-consider my attitude somewhat and despite my better judgement, I got inspired.
If the expected race time for someone with my VO2 max and lactate threshold was as stated, why shouldn't I commit to actually doing it? And if, at that point, I was allegedly fit enough for a 3:18 marathon, with the training I would be doing, that time would only decrease. So, why not go for a Boston Qualifier (BQ) and be done with it.
I've learnt that I need to take things like this slowly, so allowing 2 years or so seems prudent. Righto, that means aiming for a BQ at the 2019 Gold Coast Marathon, when I'll be 41.
The BQ time for a 41 year old is 3:15:00, but if the field is over-subscribed, only the fastest get in, so let's make it 3:10:00 to be safe.
So, the goal: 2019 Gold Coast Marathon, sub 3:10 or 4:30/km
And I need to figure out how to get there, from here.
Thursday, July 06, 2017
Gosh it's been a long time
I forgot all about this, but it was hardly a thing really. Might try something different with it, for a bit anyway.
My last post to this was in 2007, and since then, well music is still important to me, but also now is running. and motorbikes. Both relatively unexpected developments to be honest.
Anyway, I decided to get fit at the start of 2008, did my first half marathon that year (Mount Isa Mine to Mine, 1:55:30 or something) , a second half marathon a year later (Gold Coast Half Marathon, 1:57:09). Then in 2010 after a third half marathon (NQ Games Half Marathon, 1:59:06) I tackled the big one at the Gold Coast, finishing in 4:24:34. And with that I was done for. I got more involved in a local running club, discovered the joys of trail running, and well and truly overdid it.
2011 included the:
My last post to this was in 2007, and since then, well music is still important to me, but also now is running. and motorbikes. Both relatively unexpected developments to be honest.
Anyway, I decided to get fit at the start of 2008, did my first half marathon that year (Mount Isa Mine to Mine, 1:55:30 or something) , a second half marathon a year later (Gold Coast Half Marathon, 1:57:09). Then in 2010 after a third half marathon (NQ Games Half Marathon, 1:59:06) I tackled the big one at the Gold Coast, finishing in 4:24:34. And with that I was done for. I got more involved in a local running club, discovered the joys of trail running, and well and truly overdid it.
2011 included the:
- 34km Black Snake Trail Race, with >900m of elevation, along with the recce run a few weeks previous which I started intending to do only 20km, with no water and no food, and got a bit lost for a while. The recce took 6 hours. The race was way better at 4 and a half.
- 45km Mt Haig Trail Marathon, with 1200m of elevation gain (yet somehow easier than the Black Snake)
- 2011 Gold Coast Marathon, in 4:11:34. I wanted sub 4 but over-reached, so this run featured my fastest half-marathon so far at 1:50:30, and my slowest at 2:11:04.
- 64km Kuranda to Port Douglas, in about 8:55. My garmin ran out of battery at 61.5km and 8:44.
Awesome right, except it was way too much way too soon, and when I moved to Brisbane later that year, I soon discovered after a bout of sciatica (I hope never again), that lower back pain would be my good mate for a while to come.
Fast forward through 6 years of physio, chiro, pilates, the gain and loss of 15kg, and multiple false starts, I made it to the finish line of the 2017 Gold Coast Half Marathon in the unexpectedly good time of 1:46:04, and it's time to reflect, and decide on the future.
Coz I'm back, baby.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Low - Drums and Guns
man this is a dark album. Low's melodies and harmonies are as crystalline and luminous as ever, but they've been turned to some of their blackest ends ever. It's a rough juxtaposition. The songs are very very bare of instrumentation. "Dragonfly" is just voice, some backwards masked guitar and an echoing, stuttering drumbeat that sounds like a gunshot reflecting off a hillside.
good album though, but very unsettling.
man this is a dark album. Low's melodies and harmonies are as crystalline and luminous as ever, but they've been turned to some of their blackest ends ever. It's a rough juxtaposition. The songs are very very bare of instrumentation. "Dragonfly" is just voice, some backwards masked guitar and an echoing, stuttering drumbeat that sounds like a gunshot reflecting off a hillside.
good album though, but very unsettling.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time
damn this album has grown on me. first time I heard it, I was a bit m'eh about it. The reverby sound and high voiced singer seemed too derivative of My Morning Jacket and the Flaming Lips.
but as time went by, I started to get songs like The Funeral and Great Salt Lake (maybe not lyrically, but the music started to gel for me).
6 or 7 months on and I love near the whole damn thing. the closer "St Augustine" is, for me, one of the more memorable tracks. and I just can't articulate why I like it so much now. Maybe because it's sound is a good mix of upbeat and melancholy, even within the same song.
At least, it's meshing with my mood very well today.
damn this album has grown on me. first time I heard it, I was a bit m'eh about it. The reverby sound and high voiced singer seemed too derivative of My Morning Jacket and the Flaming Lips.
but as time went by, I started to get songs like The Funeral and Great Salt Lake (maybe not lyrically, but the music started to gel for me).
6 or 7 months on and I love near the whole damn thing. the closer "St Augustine" is, for me, one of the more memorable tracks. and I just can't articulate why I like it so much now. Maybe because it's sound is a good mix of upbeat and melancholy, even within the same song.
At least, it's meshing with my mood very well today.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Dazza
This post is about Darren Hanlon. I should note I'm drunk.
Essentially, he's awesome, and he's been awesome for a good 6 or 7 years. And speaking of Dazza,I can't beleive Candle Records is closing shop this week. The fact that Candle Records is closing is gonna mean a real change for how singers like Dazza ply their trade. How will the community that's built up around The Simpletons, Anthony Atkinson and Darren Hanlon survive without the label to support it?
you know what, I reckon they'll thrive despite- based on his Brisbane show just before Christmas, Darren Hanlon (at least) has a passionate audience just waiting for the next song. At least the Lucksmiths have the same. At least they did 3 years ago, the last time I saw them, and where the Simpletons or Dazza go there's a strong audience ready to follow.
I can't wait - bring on the next Simpletons or Darren Hanlon or Anthony Atkinson or Girls From the Clouds. It's going to be interesting (from this non-Melbournite's view) how things pan out for the Candle bands. I wish Chris Crouch all the best - all the best from someone from Casino, 2470.
About Dazza - I saw his Christmas show in Brisbane complete with barbershop quartet. The quartet was awesome. Dazza's show was awesome, full of the human touches that make each Dazza show so unique. Manilla NSW solo was great, considering the complexity in the song, as was A to Z and hearing Record Store live and solo was something I won't soon forget. The Globe is an excellent venue - good sound and punter friendly. On top of that, it was just great to hear a tops songwriter sing his tops songs to an entirely sympathetic crowd.
anyway - what's been good.
Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
It's what Akron/Family should have been, but better.
Subtle - For Fool:For Hero
Just amazing.
Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love
Awesomeness for the 1980's. I'm not kidding. This is amazing stuff.
This post is about Darren Hanlon. I should note I'm drunk.
Essentially, he's awesome, and he's been awesome for a good 6 or 7 years. And speaking of Dazza,I can't beleive Candle Records is closing shop this week. The fact that Candle Records is closing is gonna mean a real change for how singers like Dazza ply their trade. How will the community that's built up around The Simpletons, Anthony Atkinson and Darren Hanlon survive without the label to support it?
you know what, I reckon they'll thrive despite- based on his Brisbane show just before Christmas, Darren Hanlon (at least) has a passionate audience just waiting for the next song. At least the Lucksmiths have the same. At least they did 3 years ago, the last time I saw them, and where the Simpletons or Dazza go there's a strong audience ready to follow.
I can't wait - bring on the next Simpletons or Darren Hanlon or Anthony Atkinson or Girls From the Clouds. It's going to be interesting (from this non-Melbournite's view) how things pan out for the Candle bands. I wish Chris Crouch all the best - all the best from someone from Casino, 2470.
About Dazza - I saw his Christmas show in Brisbane complete with barbershop quartet. The quartet was awesome. Dazza's show was awesome, full of the human touches that make each Dazza show so unique. Manilla NSW solo was great, considering the complexity in the song, as was A to Z and hearing Record Store live and solo was something I won't soon forget. The Globe is an excellent venue - good sound and punter friendly. On top of that, it was just great to hear a tops songwriter sing his tops songs to an entirely sympathetic crowd.
anyway - what's been good.
Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
It's what Akron/Family should have been, but better.
Subtle - For Fool:For Hero
Just amazing.
Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love
Awesomeness for the 1980's. I'm not kidding. This is amazing stuff.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
1.Lambchop - Damaged
This is a stately, considered album that merely presents itself to you. You have to come to it. Otherwise it just kind of floats there, pretty enough but not really engaging. But once you dig into the skin, or let it get it's teeth in, it's a finely observed masterwork. It's full of character studies that the band fully inhabit. It's got moments of absolute splendour (the horn breakdown in "Beers Before the Barbican") amongst sections that evoke abject fear without declaring specifics (unsurprisingly, the song "Fear"). Kurt Wagner's thick delivery struggles against the backing music, but it's an effective and emotive instrument despite its small range and unclear diction.
The album also ends on an awesomely cantankerous rant against the indie-rock coolocracy. It doesn't fit the rest of the album, but it is nice to revel in a good tirade once in a while.
This is a stately, considered album that merely presents itself to you. You have to come to it. Otherwise it just kind of floats there, pretty enough but not really engaging. But once you dig into the skin, or let it get it's teeth in, it's a finely observed masterwork. It's full of character studies that the band fully inhabit. It's got moments of absolute splendour (the horn breakdown in "Beers Before the Barbican") amongst sections that evoke abject fear without declaring specifics (unsurprisingly, the song "Fear"). Kurt Wagner's thick delivery struggles against the backing music, but it's an effective and emotive instrument despite its small range and unclear diction.
The album also ends on an awesomely cantankerous rant against the indie-rock coolocracy. It doesn't fit the rest of the album, but it is nice to revel in a good tirade once in a while.
2.Y’s - Joanna Newsom
I don't think I've ever heard such an ambitious album come off so effortlessly. The songs are wonders in themselves, but the way the accompaniment sweeps and shudders underneath, full of filigrees and curlicues, is audacious and bloody amazing really. Nothing is simple, in fact it's almost like it wants to be more complicated. "Sawdust and Diamonds", the sole exception is all the more special for it's simplicity. There's such an amazing amount to be unpacked from this album, it's easy to forget that it's also so moving and human.
I don't think I've ever heard such an ambitious album come off so effortlessly. The songs are wonders in themselves, but the way the accompaniment sweeps and shudders underneath, full of filigrees and curlicues, is audacious and bloody amazing really. Nothing is simple, in fact it's almost like it wants to be more complicated. "Sawdust and Diamonds", the sole exception is all the more special for it's simplicity. There's such an amazing amount to be unpacked from this album, it's easy to forget that it's also so moving and human.
3.Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
It's up here for a few reasons. I love her voice. I think the songs are excellent, and I think the arrangements are top notch as well.
It keeps me interested, and it engages my emotions. Also, it seems to be fairly deep conceptually. It's some sort of concept album about innocence and experience or something.
It's up here for a few reasons. I love her voice. I think the songs are excellent, and I think the arrangements are top notch as well.
It keeps me interested, and it engages my emotions. Also, it seems to be fairly deep conceptually. It's some sort of concept album about innocence and experience or something.
5.Holly Throsby - Under The Town
So, she's won my heart again, with an album of obviously personal lyrics, somewhat awkwardly sung over some quite surprisingly arranged tunes. The spritely ramshackle nature of "Making a Fire" sits very comfortably with the solo piano confessional of "On Longing".
Her manner is intimate and open, and the effect is just stunning, full of a gentle melancholy that is manages subtle and surprising humour sometimes too. This is quite private music, both for the artist and the listener, but I want all of you to know about her too. I think she's pretty special.
This is all my fault
I have many things done wrong
I've been longing for a dove
or an olive in a cup
and I'm so sorry sorry love
I want us to make up
(from "On Longing")
So, she's won my heart again, with an album of obviously personal lyrics, somewhat awkwardly sung over some quite surprisingly arranged tunes. The spritely ramshackle nature of "Making a Fire" sits very comfortably with the solo piano confessional of "On Longing".
Her manner is intimate and open, and the effect is just stunning, full of a gentle melancholy that is manages subtle and surprising humour sometimes too. This is quite private music, both for the artist and the listener, but I want all of you to know about her too. I think she's pretty special.
This is all my fault
I have many things done wrong
I've been longing for a dove
or an olive in a cup
and I'm so sorry sorry love
I want us to make up
(from "On Longing")
7.Bluebottle Kiss - Doubt Seeds
We're getting to the truly exceptional end of the list here. This album is a monster, calling on 50 years of popular music while maintaining a truly identifiable sound. Never mind that there are some amazing songs on here too. Over the 9 months or so this album has been out, I've noticed Miles Davis, Spiritualized, The Stooges and Harvest era Neil Young all fighting to be heard over Jamie Hutchings own talents, both music and lyrical.
Individual songs worth mentioning are "The Judas Hands", "Little Disappearer", "Silent. Golden.", "Your Mirror is a Vulture" and "Harold Holt". There are at least 3 or 4 others. That this is a double album is less important than the fact it is an economical double album, just a shade over 80 minutes in total, and only a minute or two wasted.
It's bold and challenging and it deserves to be heard by many many people.
We're getting to the truly exceptional end of the list here. This album is a monster, calling on 50 years of popular music while maintaining a truly identifiable sound. Never mind that there are some amazing songs on here too. Over the 9 months or so this album has been out, I've noticed Miles Davis, Spiritualized, The Stooges and Harvest era Neil Young all fighting to be heard over Jamie Hutchings own talents, both music and lyrical.
Individual songs worth mentioning are "The Judas Hands", "Little Disappearer", "Silent. Golden.", "Your Mirror is a Vulture" and "Harold Holt". There are at least 3 or 4 others. That this is a double album is less important than the fact it is an economical double album, just a shade over 80 minutes in total, and only a minute or two wasted.
It's bold and challenging and it deserves to be heard by many many people.
8.Asobi Seksu - Citrus
Not just the years best shoegazer record, but probably the decades best shoegazer record. It's full of catchy tunes, bright melodies and chirpy vocals. I like it, a lot. It just goes to show that no genre is ever really played out; there's always room for good songwriting and honest performances.
Not just the years best shoegazer record, but probably the decades best shoegazer record. It's full of catchy tunes, bright melodies and chirpy vocals. I like it, a lot. It just goes to show that no genre is ever really played out; there's always room for good songwriting and honest performances.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
13. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
Good old predictable YLT. Although, they're predictably unpredictable . Predictably, this album sags a bit in the middle, but starting with the 10 minute drone machine of "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind" is excitingly unpredictable.
This is better than "Summer Sun" and "I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One", but not as good as "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out".
12. Isis - In The Absence of Truth
As so aptly put on Allmusic, this is music that seeks the white heart of nothingness that beats in most music; that centre of the song that tunes out everything else. In the right frame of mind this album approaches that intensity and weight. It's incredibly heavy, yet it moves and mutates with a grace and litheness that's occasionally breathtaking. I'm only just starting to unearth this properly.
11. You Am I - Convicts
Attitude is sometimes all you need. If it gets you back up on your feet, dukes in the air, swinging at shadows at least you're back. This was such a surprising and energetic return from You Am I. Maybe I should rephrase - sometimes attitude and a break are what you need to relight the fires. You Am I are back and burning bright, and I don't think they're burning up.
10. The Knife - Silent Shout
Such a cold and calculated album, full of strange sounds, but it's metallic heart beats like any other. It's got a streak of otherness running through it - it's undenaibly and absorbingly weird.
9. The Drones - Gala Mill
This feels like an important album - it's one of the few albums around that deals honestly with the horrors in Australia's past in an unapologetic and disarmingly straightforward way. But it doesn't rest with tales of Australia's convict nightmare - the state of the world gets a thorough damning in opening track "Jezebel". It's a mean, ragged and nasty song, just like it's subject matter.
Good old predictable YLT. Although, they're predictably unpredictable . Predictably, this album sags a bit in the middle, but starting with the 10 minute drone machine of "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind" is excitingly unpredictable.
This is better than "Summer Sun" and "I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One", but not as good as "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out".
12. Isis - In The Absence of Truth
As so aptly put on Allmusic, this is music that seeks the white heart of nothingness that beats in most music; that centre of the song that tunes out everything else. In the right frame of mind this album approaches that intensity and weight. It's incredibly heavy, yet it moves and mutates with a grace and litheness that's occasionally breathtaking. I'm only just starting to unearth this properly.
11. You Am I - Convicts
Attitude is sometimes all you need. If it gets you back up on your feet, dukes in the air, swinging at shadows at least you're back. This was such a surprising and energetic return from You Am I. Maybe I should rephrase - sometimes attitude and a break are what you need to relight the fires. You Am I are back and burning bright, and I don't think they're burning up.
10. The Knife - Silent Shout
Such a cold and calculated album, full of strange sounds, but it's metallic heart beats like any other. It's got a streak of otherness running through it - it's undenaibly and absorbingly weird.
9. The Drones - Gala Mill
This feels like an important album - it's one of the few albums around that deals honestly with the horrors in Australia's past in an unapologetic and disarmingly straightforward way. But it doesn't rest with tales of Australia's convict nightmare - the state of the world gets a thorough damning in opening track "Jezebel". It's a mean, ragged and nasty song, just like it's subject matter.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
big post of the top 25 today - I'm going away for a few days to Adelaide for a wedding. Should be tops.
But to business...
15. Bonnie Prince Billy - The Letting Go
Another top notch album from BPB. I like the backing vocals - they sound alarming and jarring at first, but they eventually sound absolutely perfect, which kinda sums up the whole Will Oldham oovra.
16. Laura Imbruglia - Laura Imbruglia
Yes, it's Natalie's sister, and this couldn't be more different. There's quite a few missteps on this album. "Lettuce and Anarchists" is the kind of half smart character study that Darren Hanlon does a billion times better and with a million times more empathy. But the crazy, she'll-try-anything vibe that infects the rest of the album more than makes up for the flaws. "Tearducts" is a catchy pop song with pedal steel guitar, "My Dream of a Magical Washing Machine" is as fun as it is odd (it doubled as a jukebox). You can tell she's having a great time just trying out what ever takes her fancy, and that makes it fun to listen to.
17. Band of Horses - Everything All The Time
This was a real grower, a REAL grower. I think I hated it the first time I heard it, now, I'd say I enjoy every minute of it. My highlight is "St. Augustine".
18. Mogwai - Mr. Beast
A definite improvement over Rock Action and Happy Songs..., it still suffers from a sense of familiarity and complacency on a few tracks. The highlights, like "Glasgow Megasnake", "We're No Here" and "Folk Death 95", are astonishing despite the more mundane sections.
19. Sarah Blasko - What The Sea Wants The Sea Will Have
Probably more beautiful than he last album, but a lot less immediate. I think this is gonna take time, but it's not compelling enough for me to want to put in the effort. I think this'll click in 6 months or not at all.
20. M. Ward - Post-War
I like M. Ward a lot, but his music is settling into a very narrow vein. It's all still very good, but this slips into the background way too easily.
But to business...
15. Bonnie Prince Billy - The Letting Go
Another top notch album from BPB. I like the backing vocals - they sound alarming and jarring at first, but they eventually sound absolutely perfect, which kinda sums up the whole Will Oldham oovra.
16. Laura Imbruglia - Laura Imbruglia
Yes, it's Natalie's sister, and this couldn't be more different. There's quite a few missteps on this album. "Lettuce and Anarchists" is the kind of half smart character study that Darren Hanlon does a billion times better and with a million times more empathy. But the crazy, she'll-try-anything vibe that infects the rest of the album more than makes up for the flaws. "Tearducts" is a catchy pop song with pedal steel guitar, "My Dream of a Magical Washing Machine" is as fun as it is odd (it doubled as a jukebox). You can tell she's having a great time just trying out what ever takes her fancy, and that makes it fun to listen to.
17. Band of Horses - Everything All The Time
This was a real grower, a REAL grower. I think I hated it the first time I heard it, now, I'd say I enjoy every minute of it. My highlight is "St. Augustine".
18. Mogwai - Mr. Beast
A definite improvement over Rock Action and Happy Songs..., it still suffers from a sense of familiarity and complacency on a few tracks. The highlights, like "Glasgow Megasnake", "We're No Here" and "Folk Death 95", are astonishing despite the more mundane sections.
19. Sarah Blasko - What The Sea Wants The Sea Will Have
Probably more beautiful than he last album, but a lot less immediate. I think this is gonna take time, but it's not compelling enough for me to want to put in the effort. I think this'll click in 6 months or not at all.
20. M. Ward - Post-War
I like M. Ward a lot, but his music is settling into a very narrow vein. It's all still very good, but this slips into the background way too easily.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Top 25 of 2006 - Beginning
21. Cat Power - The Greatest
"The Greatest" and "Lived In Bars" are two of my favourite songs of the year, and the rest isn't too shabby either. I get a bit bored in the middle, so it loses places there.
22. Augie March - Moo, You Bloody Choir
Oh, how the mighty have blanded. Actually, I think the songs are still there, but all the interesting (and fun!) sharp edges have been worn off, leaving the whole thing sounding all very nice and worthy and literary, and well, just a bit dull.
I haven't heard this stuff live though, and I think it could really take off, especially "Just Passing Through".
23. Deloris - Ten Lives
In which Deloris discover brevity, spark up a bit and put out 10 pretty good tunes, one nice intro, and one confounding cover of "She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain".
que? I mean it's a nice enough song, but still.
That said, the rest of the album has the stuff I like about Deloris. Plaintive melodies, great lyrics, and some tops drone thrown in there as well. It's a lot more immediate than "Fake Our Deaths", but will it be as long lasting? I don't know.
24. Built To Spill - You in Reverse
It a good good album, and it's here mainly for two reasons. Firstly, "Going Against Your Mind" is one of the best drawn out rock songs I've heard in years. It swoops and climbs and just plain rocks, and never gets boring.
Secondly, their previous album put me to sleep within half a song (a record!). That this album kept me interested means that Built To Spill aren't boring anymore, and that is reason to be happy.
25. Red Sparowes - Every Red Heart Shines Toward The Red Sun
An instrumental post-rock/metal album about the Great Leap Forward, the man-made locust plague that caused a famine, and the dangers of blind idolatry.
"Annhilate the sparrow, that stealer of seed, and our harvets will abound; we will watch our wealth flood in".
The music does a very good job of alluding to the events described in the song titles. The song titles are very long.
21. Cat Power - The Greatest
"The Greatest" and "Lived In Bars" are two of my favourite songs of the year, and the rest isn't too shabby either. I get a bit bored in the middle, so it loses places there.
22. Augie March - Moo, You Bloody Choir
Oh, how the mighty have blanded. Actually, I think the songs are still there, but all the interesting (and fun!) sharp edges have been worn off, leaving the whole thing sounding all very nice and worthy and literary, and well, just a bit dull.
I haven't heard this stuff live though, and I think it could really take off, especially "Just Passing Through".
23. Deloris - Ten Lives
In which Deloris discover brevity, spark up a bit and put out 10 pretty good tunes, one nice intro, and one confounding cover of "She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain".
que? I mean it's a nice enough song, but still.
That said, the rest of the album has the stuff I like about Deloris. Plaintive melodies, great lyrics, and some tops drone thrown in there as well. It's a lot more immediate than "Fake Our Deaths", but will it be as long lasting? I don't know.
24. Built To Spill - You in Reverse
It a good good album, and it's here mainly for two reasons. Firstly, "Going Against Your Mind" is one of the best drawn out rock songs I've heard in years. It swoops and climbs and just plain rocks, and never gets boring.
Secondly, their previous album put me to sleep within half a song (a record!). That this album kept me interested means that Built To Spill aren't boring anymore, and that is reason to be happy.
25. Red Sparowes - Every Red Heart Shines Toward The Red Sun
An instrumental post-rock/metal album about the Great Leap Forward, the man-made locust plague that caused a famine, and the dangers of blind idolatry.
"Annhilate the sparrow, that stealer of seed, and our harvets will abound; we will watch our wealth flood in".
The music does a very good job of alluding to the events described in the song titles. The song titles are very long.