Welcome to the land of iPod

I did it. Last Thursday I bit the bullet and went out and bought a new video iPod.

Yes, I love it. Yes, I want to have its babies...

It's soooooo nice and shiny. 80GB of pure iPod bliss. I've downloaded a handful of Music Videos from iTunes and tried them out... they look so awesome. I've also downloaded a stack of vodcasts from the Chaser's War on Everything, Ronny John's Half Hour, and Thank God You're Here. It is soooo fantastic...

It has even passed the first "drop-test" when I accidentally dropped it on some hard, kitchen tiles (whilst seeing my life flash before my eyes).... and it still works! Yay!

Yum. Yum. Yum.

Excuse me while I get a towel to clean up the drool....

Bread Shops

[Joe climbs up onto a small, wooden soap-box. The large audience hushes and listens carefully to what important news he has to say. He begins, with his strong and pompous British accent...]

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls. I am here today to make the case to you.... yes, YOU.... that the city of Brisbane, often referred to as 'Bris Vegas' should, indeed, have it's own Bread Shop. My case today is based on an emotional response to a very positive recent experience involving - yes, you guessed it - Bread Shops.

However, don't be fooled by the name. "Bread Shop?" I hear you say! Why, Brisbane has many hundred bakeries.... won't these suffice?!

But alas, my answer is, indeed, NO! No, they will quite simply not do, as these are not true Bread Shops... not the kind that we want.... the kind that we need... the kind that make the hair stand on the back of your neck!! Ahem... let me explain.

Upon a recent little wander down to the great Victorian city of Melbourne, I experienced one of these Bread Shops in all its wonderous glory. It wasn't a road-side stall or a (dare I say) 'Brumbies' as it commonplace nowadays.

Instead, this was a bread shop where you entered, took a tray and some metal tongs, and wandered around the shop choosing your own pastries, donuts, breads, slices and all things scrumdilliumptious. The smells are simply amazing.... everything looks so good.... so fresh.... so..... 'bready'.


Ladies and gentlemen, the only way for Brisbane to maintain its status as a vibrant, cosmopolitan metropolis is for it to invest in a number - yes, a number - of these eye-popping, nose-twitching, drool-inducing, tastebud-arousing Bread Wonderlands. Let us tear down the 7 Elevens and the newsagents and replace them with Bread Shops... obviously it's the only sensible thing to do.

Thank you for listening. I best be off...

[Joe climbs down from Soapbox. Runs to catch the next flight back to Melbourne...]

Ben Folds OMG

Rachel and I got back from Melbourne yesterday evening, after spending the last 4 days shopping, eating, shopping, catching buses and trams, shopping, seeing Ben Folds live, and finally.... some more shopping for good measure. It was the best weekend I've had in memory, and it think will take an awful lot to beat it...

I'll gradually post up some photos/experiences of our trip over the next few days, but for now, let me tell you about going to see Ben Folds.... and how we saw him..... TWICE!!!! Yes! Let me explain...

After we went to dinner on Friday night, Rach and I were strolling (um... stumbling? - the sparking wine was great!) back along the riverside boardwalk at Southbank. As we started walking along, I noticed these 3 guys walking directly in front of us.... one of which I thought looked a lot like Ben Folds. But it was when I heard them talking to each other that I noticed Ben's distinctive American accent... and I knew it was him!!!! Ben Folds!!!! Walking 2 metres in front of us!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All I can remember doing was staring at him and saying "Oh my God, oh my God" over and over again (there was a fair chance I was also foaming at the mouth, but this is yet unconfirmed).

Anyway, I must have been saying it pretty loudly, because he turned around and looked at me, noticed that I was refering to him, and just nodded and said "yeah" (as in "yeah, it's me, and thanks for listening"!).

Not wanting to get arrested for stalking, we decided we wouldn't follow him (and subsequently ask him to autograph particular sections of our bodies we don't regularly wash), but instead, watched from a distance as he got in this really shitty, old, 1987 Toyota Corolla and drove off!! We assumed that he must have just finished his Friday night show and was being driven somewhere by a mate.

Yeah, we were pretty amazed by the whole thing... and it was a great prelude before seeing him live on Sunday night. He was so awesome... and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was brilliant. I found it really hard to sit still in the chairs and just watch... I wanted to get up and rock out...! He was very funny and very entertaining.... worth every cent.

More Melbourne stories to come!

Cheers.

Music... again!

The Epicure latest album has been turning in my car CD-player non-stop for over a week now. I've also had it blaring from iTunes on my 'puter at every opportunity. It's fantastic. I can't get enough of it. So powerful... it just sounds soooo good. Goosebumps, people. Goosebumps!

I love finding new bands like this that I really like... especially when they come by surprise. The last band/singer I came across that was like this that I really liked was The Decemberists.... and before that was Damien Rice... and that was a while ago. But what a find! I loved every song on his album. They were all tops. Yay!

Anyway, I know it's not my birthday, but if anyone felt like buying me a present, Epicure's previous album The Goodbye Girl would go down really well right now! Wishful thinking...?

Anyway, a couple of messages...

Ben, as soon as I figure out how to get pictures from my phone to the computer I will post some piccies of you from Friday night! There's one of Jacqui massaging your head! LOL.

Andrew, nice Top music list there. Some very impressive choices. Eye of the Tiger almost made my short-list!! :) Oh - by the way... my Top 10 Movies of All Time is coming together nicely. I may need some time for careful consideration of my choices, however!

Finally, only 5 days until Melbourne!! Yippeeeeeeee!!

Cheers!

Music

For those who don't know, I love my music. I really do. I couldn't live without it. Most of the time, I would rather boot up iTunes and pick some favourites than turn on the television. Come to think of it... I watch very little TV nowadays. The only 'series' I watch is 24... but I didn't even watch the last season as I downloaded it 4 months prior from the US and watched it on my computer!

But anyway, back to music... it's funny - I was actually 'late' on the music scene in comparision to my friends. In High School, most of my mates were into Korn, Marilyn Manson, The Living End and stupid shit like that. To be honest, I really didn't 'get' most of that genre. Hearing Marilyn Manson sing (yell??) about his penis sure wasn't an emotional turn-on for me. Hence, most of my free time during school was spent playing video games.... I became quite an expert at Need for Speed, let me tell you!!

In year 12 my sister gave me a bunch of CDs to try to influence my musical taste. This bunch included the likes of The Whitlams, Powderfinger, Shihad, Polyanna and Travis. This "alternative, medium-rock with an Aussie twang" genre slowly began to grow on me. Listing to Triple J everyday while driving to and from Uni further influenced my evolving musical tastes.

But now, for me, the best type of music is the stuff that hits you here (Joe points to general area of heart). Have you ever cried listening to a song.... not for any other reason other than it is just simply beautiful? It's not sadness. Or happiness. It's just..... a type of perfection. A powerful perfection. That, for some reason, strikes an emotional chord.

There have been a couple of songs that have done this for me lately. The first is Washed out to Sea by Something for Kate (Desert Lights album). Another is Tightrope Walker by Epicure. Last week, I had Tightrope Walker playing on repeat in my car all week... no, not the album... the one single song!! I know this is the one sure way to ruin a good song, but I really couldn't help it.... it was just sooooo good.

Don't get me wrong, I still like poppy/rocky sort of stuff. I (and I'm sure I'm not alone here) will always enjoy belting out some Shannon Knoll - What About Me in my car while stopped at the traffic lights. 'Cause that's fun too. But it's not meaningful, and it won't stand the test of time. It's like a cheap thrill. A musical one-night-stand, if you will.

While in Morven, I actually spent about 3.5 hours one very lonely Saturday night coming up with a list of my top 10 favourite songs (c'mon... there wasn't anything else to do!!). This was actually very tough... but I managd to cut it down to 10 (from a list of about 60). These are songs that, for me, DO stand the test of time... that I know I can always listen to and never get tired of, and will always enjoy. I decided the songs in my list also had to be more than a year old... to ensure their place in my list was warranted.

So, here's the result of my toil. Presenting Joe's Top 10 Favourite Song of All Time...!

1. Brick - Ben Folds (simply amazing song, it's sad, even sadder if you know the story behind it)
2. Iris - Goo Goo Dolls (probably on most people's top 10, belty and powerful)
3. The Blower's Daughter - Damien Rice (subtle, but passionate)
4. They Weren't There - Missy Higgins (I'll never get tired of this song.... go Aussie!)
5. Indefinitely - Travis (so light, so delicate... you know those moments in your life that look back on.... those EXACT moments.... this is the soundtrack)
6. My Kind of Scene - Powderfinger (awesome harmony... so powerful)
7. Stuff and Nonsense - Missy Higgins (Missy, with a guitar... awesome, baby)
8. Breathing you in - The Whitlams (Ok, here's the picture: Sunday morning, a white bedroom, you're lying on a bed, with white sheets, with someone you love, while looking out the window at lush green trees in the backyard and a perfect day... wow, amazing)
9. Walk away - Ben Harper (lyrics, lyrics, lyrics... oh, and Ben Harper!)
10. Float On - Modest Mouse (whenever I hear this song I feel like getting up and dancing... great beat... everybody now!)

Close Calls:
Let it be - The Beatles (absolute classic.... maybe I was born 10 years too late?)
I Make Hamburgers - The Whitlams (this song is sooooo much fun, I sometimes wish I worked at Maccas flipping burgers just so I can sing this song and it would be true!)

Future Possibilities (have been released in the last year or so):
Fill you in – Josh Pyke
Keep the Light On – The Whitlams
The Curse Stops Here – The Whitlams
The Shake – Kisschasy
Washed out to sea - Something for Kate

I love music. It's great. Now all I need is an iPod..... hmmmmm....

Cheers.