NZ Music Month

A little bit late to the party, but May was New Zealand music month. I thought that I'd take some time and write a little bit about my favourite NZ musicians. (Some of these, now live - and are claimed as Australians by Australia ;)) The first few probably don't need much of an introduction, as you've either heard them (or heard about them from me).

Brooke Ligertwood (Fraser) 
The first Brooke Fraser song I heard was 'Lifeline'. Brooke has such a distinctive voice, and there is a beautiful depth to her songs. I am also really like the songs she has written (or performed) with Hillsong.

I'll always have a soft spot for Brooke seeing she grew up in the same part of NZ as me & went to the same primary school as me (albeit a few years after me), and F& I had her song 'Arithmetic' played during the signing of the register at our wedding.

Hayley Westenra
Came to fame as a 'classical-crossover' singer & was part of the Irish group Celtic Women for a time, before continuing her solo career. Hayley worked with Ennio Morricone for her album Paradiso, one song is put to the music of 'Gabriel's Oboe'.  My favourite is the version of 'Pokerekere Ana' - a traditional Maori song - she sang with Russell Watson (video below), also below is the version of Viva Per Lei she sang with Andrea Bocelli - beautifully matched voices (and some great Ice-skating).

Neil & Tim Finn (covering ...  Split Enz & Crowded House)
No introduction needed. The Finn's are arguably one of the best songwriting pairs since Lennon-McCartney - and have a similar way of creating magical phrases 'things aren't cooking in my kitchen'. I remember singing 'Better Be Home Soon' during primary school in NZ.

Bonus - I love the version Neil Finn (& Friends) did of The Smiths's song 'There's a light that never goes out'.

Lizzie Marvelly
Lizzie (Elizabeth) Marvelly started off performing classical & kiwi standards. Her second album 'Home' is one of my all-time favourite albums, because it brings my time growing up in NZ back to my mind.  This year Lizzie made a change and is singing/writing more pop songs. I respect her for being true to herself and where she is at as an artist; and am looking forward to her EP (Collisions) which will come out next month. One of the songs that captivated me, from Home, is her cover of Dave Dobbyn's Welcome Home. (Here's the original).

Broods
Don't know how I found out about Broods. Broods are a brother sister duo, and their first album came out this year. Have a hauntingly beautiful sound.

Evermore
Another band of brothers which has come out of NZ, though I they are now based in Australia.  Dreams is my favourite album and one you need to listen to from start to finish.

Bic Runga
Haunting voice - my favourite song is 'Sway'.

Dave Dobbyn
If you're trying to think of iconic NZ artists - it is hard to go past Dave Dobbyn - the two the come to my mind are 'Welcome Home' & 'Slice of Heaven'. Below is the film clip of 'Slice of Heaven' (ft. the cast of Footrot Flats).

Lydia Cole
Think I've posting on Lydia before, but a great sounding singer-songwriter. Her song 'Drawbridge' captures my mood from time to time. 'I wish there was a drawbridge and the Tasman was a moat; And I wish I could be with you less aeroplane or boat'

+ + +

The Voice - Battle Rounds #4 (Final)

Was disappointed in last night's episode - two performances were 'edited' from the show - only a glimpse of the battles between Emily Rex & Chita (Team Will) & Laura-Leigh Smith & Elise Baker (Team Joel) were shown. Wondering what the rationale for that was.

Onto the music...
Brittanie & Megan gave me chills with their performance of I Know Him So Well. 'Wasn't it madness' only one went through ;-)  Both of them belong on Broadway, and can't wait to see them there. :)

So winners in the other battles  - Jacob (Kylie saved Jhonna) Matt (& Joel used his last save for Soli);  Isaac, Rosie, Blake, Matthew.

The Showdowns (new for this season) begin on Sunday night - when three singers from each team compete with the coaches sending one to the Live shows, one going home and the remaining singer going through to a 'sing-off'.

A few random observations -
Kylie's match ups were my favourites - Candice (& Thando), Megan (& Brittanie), Robbie (& Jackson); Rosie (with Reece & Tico); and Kat (& Hayley).
Ricky has most of his singers through (only Mia, Pete, Scotty eliminated; Carly, Gabriel & Cecilia, Jess and Lionel were saved).
Will and Kylie had two singers saved each - Jhonna, Soli (Will) and Thando & Jackson saved (Kylie).
None of Joel's singers were saved.
There's something kind of funny in Joel begging Will to turn for Soli - and then Will begging Joel to save Soli.

Ricky (and Will) probably have the strongest teams - though given the last week I am sure there are a few more twists & turns, before there is a clear favourite.

The Voice Battle Rounds #3

Just finished watching the performances from last night.The real standout performance was from Lionel Cole & Sabrina Batshon  (who sang Beauty & the Beast).  Was awesome watching the chemistry between Lionel & Sabrina - he seemed to be so supportive of her. Just loved the ending of the song. I was stoked to see all three coaches save Lionel (he chose to go with Kylie). Looking forward to hearing more from Sabrina, (on the show & beyond), she has a beautiful, rich voice with so much control and Lionel just had so much range in his voice.

The other performances which I enjoyed were Kat (and Hayley's) performance of 'Roar' and Harry and Frank's take on the Red Hot Chilli Peppers 'Under the Bridge'.  Am sad to see Harry eliminated.

Also going through from last night's show: C-Major, John, ZK were the remaining winners (with Tom and Tasha eliminated). Will I Am saved Carly.

Of the singers left to perform in the battle-rounds, I'm most looking forward to hearing - Emily (and Jhonna from Team Will); Brittanie, Rosie, Megan (from Team Kylie), Elise, Blake (Team Joel), and the remaining battle from Team Ricky is Peter & Matthew.

On the saves, Ricky & Will have used both - Ricky saved Thando & Jackson. Will saved Gabrielle & Cecilia and Carly. Kylie & Joel have one left - Kylie saved Lionel, and Joel saved Jess.

The episode made me miss Keith Urban :)

Footy recap

NRL

• I'll begin with the State of Origin - The Blues were impressive - and Queensland kept coming. NSW now have two chances to win the series. Will be interesting to see the changes to both teams, given the injuries. 
• Hard to read much into this round - given the players rested. The most impressive performance over the weekend was Brisbane's big win over Manly.

AFL

•  This piece looks at the average margins since the addition of GWS & the Suns. Interesting to see the must common margin being 5 points. 
• Was not surprised Sydney won on Thursday... but stunned by the margin (Geelong's biggest loss for 24 years). Looking forward to seeing Port Adelaide-Sydney game in a few weeks.
• Not a fan of Thursday (or Monday) Football...  like the games spread over the weekend, though given the ratings (and crowd figure, it might stick around)
• Impressed with Melbourne & GWS they pushed Port Adelaide and Hawthorn all the way.
• Wasn't expecting to see Brisbane beat Carlton. Carlton & Richmond are probably the two biggest disappointments of the season. 
• Making history as a woman in football, Peta Searle has been recruited by St Kilda as a development coach. (Read Samantha Lane's article in The Age)

Super XV

• The loss to the Blues today, has almost knocked the Hurricanes out of the play-offs, especially considering they play the Crusaders & Chiefs in the next two weeks.

French Open

• Haven't been following enough for a read on who will play in the finals yet. One the Women's side - Serena Williams along with the winners of the Australia Open singles titles - Li Na & Stan Wawrinka are eliminated.
• Cue articles about Federer being finished - his earliest departure from the French Open since 1994.  
• Stosur did well, lost in the fourth round (to Sharapova, in three sets)

World Cup 

• Almost here - two weeks to go before Brazil play Croatia in the first game. The big news is the murmurings about the 2022 Tournament being removed from Qatar. Can't see it happening... but would Australia bid again if it did. 

UPDATE - I omitted the results from the Men's & Women's World Cup in Hockey which started Friday. The Kookaburra's had a 4-0 win against Malaysia & the Hockeyroos won 3-2 against Korea. NZ's Men's team beat Korea 2-1 and the Women's team - Belgium 4-3.

The Voice - Battle Rounds #2

We saw seven battles last night, and two (sad it wasn't three though) singers saved. The battles were between Anja & Sarah, Jayde & Louise (Team Will), Dallas & Doug, Annabelle Eve & Taila Gouge (Team Joel), Josh McDonald & Scott Gelzinnis;  Brandon Duff & Gabriel/Cecilia (Team Ricky); Candice Skjonnemand & Thando Sikwila (Team Kylie).

A few of my highlights from last night.  I loved Doug took Dallas under his wing, and would love to hear them sing together again. Gabriel and Cecilia are the first duo to go through (after being saved by Will I Am). They have a really great connection, and I'm going to be intrigued what songs Will I Am gives them.

But the two best battles of the night were Annabelle Eve & Taila Gouge & Candice Skjonnemand & Thando Sikwila. During both of these performances I got chills.  Candice & Thando's performance was probably the best from the three seasons (to date), I got chills & tears - and no surprise that Thando was saved by Ricky (who has now used both saves).

The battle between Jayde & Lousie was over-hyped during the show. I was also surprised that Louise was the winner of the battle. Louise has a powerful voice, and will be interested in seeing how she goes, but I felt Jayde was more even. Impressed with the grace she showed on the stage as the decision was made. I am looking forward to hearing more from Jayde.

The Voice: Battle Rounds #1

The Battle Rounds are now my favourite part of The Voice - two (sometimes very different) singers going head to head singing the same song. Universal will make money selling the combined performance tracks. Especially seeing as a lot of them sound like duets. It is sad that Universal are only selling the performances from the Live Rounds on.

Last night set the bar pretty high for the rest of the week.  We saw six performances from Fely & Mia; Elly & Jess (Team Ricky);  Johnny & Maybelle; Jackson & Robbie (Team Kylie); Courtney & Holly (Team Joel) and Krishool & Julian (Team Will).

Not surprised by any of the coaches decisions - the winners were Fely, Elly, (Jess was saved Joel), Johnny, Robbie (Jackson was saved by Ricky) Holly and Julian. Was glad to see Joel take Holly through, impressed with her performance holding her own ground against Courtney.

 I liked Mia's performance last night more than her blind audition. Elly & Jess kind of met my expectations - great performance too.

The highlights for me from the night were Fely & Mia singing Young & Beautiful; Robbie & Jackson singing Strong. I'm looking forward to Elly and Jess singing songs a little more out of their comfort zone.

Weekend sport...

The Matilda's

• The Australian's Women Football team played Japan in the Asian Cup Final, and lost 0-1. Great effort from the team through the tournament. Really excited for the World Cup next year.  Surprised this isn't the leading sports story today.

NRL

• This quote from the Guardian sums it up: 'And ... five games in a player-depleted and split National Rugby League Round 11, and one thinks, yet again, surely there is another way. ' I like the idea of suspending the comp for the origin series, playing over three weekends (or two Wednesday's & a Sunday afternoon).  But I don't think TV will like that idea much. 
• So the Warriors beat the Titans on the Gold Coast (though it sounded like they were playing in Auckland). Hoping that during the rep season the Warriors can build some momentum.
• On the State of Origin - Queensland have to be the favourites.  But you never know, don't forget the Queensland team of 1995, who won the series 3-0 after being completely written off.

AFL

• Not a fan of the split round here either. The Swan's had a bye this week. Which I guess is good. They have another big test Thursday night hosting Geelong and the SCG.
• After wins over Fremantle, Geelong and now Hawthorn, Port Adelaide are the clear favourites for the competition now.  Impressed by the the Suns, now sitting in third place, reckon they will drop a little and remain in the eight at the end of the season. June-July will be a big test for them as they will play Sydney, Hawthorn, Geelong & Collingwood. An Ablett suspension will hurt them.
• After a pretty ordinary week, Jack Riewoldt  kicks 11.0 to 3QT to lead the Tigers to a big win over the Giants. Was expecting a Richmond win, but thought the Giants would give a better account of themselves.

Super Rugby

• Don't look now, but the Waratahs are on the top of Australian Conference. Great performance by the Hurricanes to beat the defending Champions (The Chiefs) 45-8. Seems Barrett must be favourite to be the starting no 10. for the All Blacks if Carter is unfit.

French Open

• French Open started overnight.  Hoping to see Tomic & Hewitt play each other..  At the moment, at least in the Men's Tournament I'd be surprised if Nadal or Djokovic wasn't the Champion.  I'm most intrigued about how Wawrinka backs up after winning the Australian Open.  The Women's side is a little more interesting as it is hard to pick a winner. I'm always interested in how the Bryan brothers go in the Men's Doubles

World Cup 

• The Socceroos play Sth Africa tonight as their farewell match before heading to Brazil.  Given that it sounds like they're playing an essential 'B' team, you wonder what the value is. 

The Voice - Wk 3

The Blind Auditions have now finished. Tuesday night's show was a reminder that the contestants are not simply judged on their own voice, but the other voices within each team and the coaches strategy. I felt sorry for those who auditioned in the last shows, but kudos to Will I Am & Ricky Martin for offering to work with Sarsha Simone.

My favourites are:

Team Will:  Emily Rex; ZK, and Jayde Grey.
Team Kylie: Rosie Henshaw, Brittanie Shipway, Megan Longhurst
Team Joel: Harry Healy, Doug Williams, (can't decided between Annabelle Lee & Elise Baker)
Team Ricky: Matthew Garland, Carly Yelayotis, Josh McDonald

For the Battle rounds I'm thinking that Jess Berney and Elly Oh would be a good pairing. Josh McDonald & Brandon Duff; Candice & Brittanie are great pairings too. There will be some epic battles, and some great singers will be eliminated early this season. The coaches will have tough decisions on who to save - this season each coach has two saves to use.

Weekend footy

AFL

• Great to see the Demons win. Paul Roos is doing a great job with the team, and would be great to see them competing for the finals in the near future. They put a lot of pressure on the Tigers with the tackling, and are looking better defensively. The Dees now have three wins for the season.
• Lowlight of the weekend, was hearing some of the crowd boo the umpire as he was taken from the field injured, during the Bombers-Swans game. Inexcusable.
• Swans were impressive. I'm hoping the bye doesn't stifle their momentum. They are currently on a five game winning streak.
• Fremantle were pretty impressive against Geelong.
• Sunday was a test for the Gold Coast to show they are actually genuine finals contenders, and with Ablett in the touch he is in, they passed it with flying colours. I think that is their fourth win in a row.
• Am looking forward for the next full round...  

NRL

• Great performances by Melbourne on Friday, closer to what we have been used to..
• St George may need more than Marshall to change their fortunes.
• Not surprised that the Roosters lost to Cowboys, but am surprised by the margin.
• Yes, they didn't win, but there was a lot to like about the Warriors effort against the Bulldogs. Can someone tell me why the Bulldogs are playing a home game in Hamilton NZ.

FA Cup

• Was delighted to see Arsenal win the FA Cup. I turned on the tv after eight minutes, and saw Gibbs clear a header off the line and the Gunners behind 0-2. Just on 100 minutes later Ramsay scored the winner. Suspect Wenger will stay, but also would like to see a few signings in the off season, and a little more consistency in their performances next year.

Super XV

• Hurricanes continue their win-loss sequence with a loss against the Highlanders. Outside the top 6 now. The NZ Conference is the most evenly poised, with every team still a chance to make the finals.

Football

• The Matilda's have played 3 games in their Asian Cup defense with a 2-2 draw against Japan; a 3-1 win against Jordan and a 2-0 win against Vietnam. Which means they qualify for the World Cup next year.
• The West Sydney Wanderers bounced back from losing the Grand Final, and reached the Quarter-final stage of the Asian Champions League. The next tie will be played in August.

The Voice ... wk 2

Week two now gone..  Will I Am now has 12 on his team, Ricky and Kylie 11 each, and Joel trailing behind with 10.

Monday night's show was the best of the season so far - with half a dozen performances which really connected with me - Sabrina's 'Power of Love' Doug's 'Love the one you're with', Rosie's 'Sing it Back', Jayde Grey's 'Free-falling', ZK 'As Long as You Love Me'.

I was also impressed with Beth Anderson's performance of "Times Like These". None of the chairs turned but her performance powerfully communicated her story. It was interesting to read her take on her experience here.

At this stage, unlike last season I don't feel there is a clear front-runner.  About this time last year - you kind of knew that Celia Pavey & Harrison Craig would be there at the end, even Season One - Karise Eden was a touch above the rest.

Tuesday night's episode was quite disappointing. I wasn't really taken by any of the contestants who got through. I did like the Blind-Blind thing. It gave a taste of the coaches experience. Hoping for more tomorrow night.

I'm pretty intrigued to see the Battle-Round pairings - and given the talent seems more even this year, we may see some surprise eliminations.

Weekend football ....

Super XV

• The Hurricanes restart their loss-win sequence, with an impressive win over the Melbourne Rebels in Melbourne. 

AFL

• Not really a fan of the split rounds in the AFL season..  especially when it feels the season has no momentum already.
• Great win by the Swans. To be honest, even with the Hawks having a few players out, I didn't think they'd win, and perhaps the result could have been a lot more comfortable than it was. Yes Franklin was inaccurate (he kicked 2.7), but probably his best performance for Sydney so far. Tippett, Jetta, Hannebery and Kennedy were also standouts.  
• A first for the AFL - the Goal Umpires at both ends of the Demons v Bulldogs game are women.  Worth reading this piece by one of the umpires, Chelsea Roffey.
• Impressive wins by Port Adelaide and West Coast. 
• There's a game tomorrow night too - St Kilda play Carlton, should be a fun game :)

NRL

• After last weekends' break, the NRL is back this weekend.  The Roosters look like they are back now with an impressive win against the Tigers (who were travelling alright). 
• Great to see Benji Marshall back, and hope he produces the football he is capable of at the Dragons, and judging from the Dragon's performance today, they need him.
• For a neutral, the Manly - Melbourne game from Saturday night was the match of the round.
• Really tight competition this year, with the 12th placed Dragon's 2 points behind the fourth place Roosters. Though, the top eight is starting to look a little bit more like how it will finish at the end of the year. Will be interesting to see the havoc the State of Origin will cause.

Football:

• Final round of matches held tonight ... Manchester City are almost certain to win the title unless they lose to West Ham & Liverpool beat Newcastle.  The FA Cup will be played next weekend, and the UEFA Champions League (Real Madrid v Atlético de Madrid) and Europa League (Seville v Benfica) finals follow before next month's World Cup. 

The Voice - week one

The third season of The Voice began on Channel Nine this week.  The best part of the show for me is the first two rounds. The blind auditions are great as the contestants are judged on their voice (though it's also about how they fit into the the coaches team...); then the battle-rounds have two artists sing the same song - the best of these sound like duets - (listen to Celia Pavey & Anna Weatherup; Mitchell Anderson & Steve Clisby (from season 2) and Kelsie Rimmer & Brittany Cairns (season 1))

Joel Madden is now the only coach remaining from the original season. He's joined by Ricky Martin (who was on last year); Kylie Minogue and Will I Am (both first-timers).  Some minor tweaks from last year, each coach can now save the losing singer from two battle-rounds.

The first week now gone, I think more jumped at out me last year.  But the ones which really stood out to me were, Harry Healy (Romeo & Juliet, beautifully sung & played), Brittanie Shipway (On My Own, easily one of the best versions of the song, I've heard); and Emily Rex (Pure Imagination, like Will I Am, one of my fav. songs).

Couple of other observations the dynamic between the coaches this year is so fun (and playful). I don't know a whole lot about Will I Am, but he's been a great addition. Loved watching him during Emily's performance, he looked like a kid in a candy store (after all, she was singing his favourite song).

Looking forward to seeing what this weeks blind auditions will bring.

From the weekend's sport.

General

• Rohan Connolly makes an interesting comment on changing the points awarded in AFL matches.  I reckon it is an interesting idea.  As I wrote earlier in the year, would be good to see the NRL change their points system too. My three changes would be to: 
• award teams who lose in Golden Point extra time 1 point, 
• award teams who lose by less than 6 - 1 point, and
• award teams who score 4 or more tries 1 point

Cricket:

• Great news about the establishment of a Women's T20 tournament. The 2015-2016 Season will also see the launch of the Women's Big Bash League in Australia.

Netball

• Liz Ellis article in Thursday's paper about adding a 2pt range to Netball. Will be interesting to see if there's any more takers. 

NRL

• I guess on one level the Kiwi's 18-30 loss, was closer than I expected the final score to be, but its clear there is a gap between the two teams. 
• Rather than the City v Country clash, I'd like to see the NRL take a round of matches NRL Premiership matches to the country. 

SuperXV

• Went and saw the Hurricanes on Saturday night. Enjoyed the style of rugby played by both the Waratahs and Hurricanes. The Waratahs were a touch more desperate than the Hurricanes in the end.  It may be harsh but can't see either of them winning the competition. Was a touch disappointed in the atmosphere, sure 17,000 people were there, but it didn't sound like that. Always find it funny when the announcer needs to lead a chant for the home team.
• The plans for expansions are interesting. I'd love to see the 18th team based in the South Pacific; maybe they can work this into the next TV deal. The team could play out of Auckland. Though the most likely location for the team is probably Japan. Read SMH's rugby correspondent Georgina Robinson's thoughts here).

AFL

• Collingwood were awesome for three quarters (they lost the final by 22pts - 51-29). 
• Couple of "upsets" this weekend - Gold Coast beat North Melbourne; and the Melbourne Demons beat the Crows (in Adelaide). Though something tells me Gold Coast's win was not really an upset. Gold Coast are now 5-2, and have a great platform to building their season on. 
• Really happy for Melbourne. Hoping Paul Roos can work more of his magic at the club.
• Next week Sydney plays Hawthorn, and it will be a good test for the Swans. The Swan's will possible have both Tippett and Frankiln available, so will be interesting to see how their game plan will evolve. 

A-League

• Feel for the Wanderers - losing the Grand Final (their second straight) to the Brisbane Roar 1-2.

ANZAC Day 2014

Over the weekend, I went to our Council's ANZAC Day Ceremony. I think the biggest surprise for me was the number of people who turned out. It wasn't the best morning, but the local plaza was full. Full of people coming from a broad range of ages and it was great to see families with young kids there. One of the highlights for me was the 13 year old Girl Guide member, who talked about how her understanding of Gallipoli had changed, how she had learned more about her family preparing for the speech. It was great to see the Scouts & Guides involved in the ceremony, along with the political representatives (one of the local members, the Mayor) and the local RSL.

I was impressed with the local Anglican minister who conducted the ceremony - his faithful words and prayers. Corp Ben Roberts-Smith, reminded us of the

"profoundly sad reality that our wounded tend to be forgotten, though they have always vastly outnumbered our dead. There were over 155,000 wounded in the First World War alone. 

The war in Afghanistan may be coming to an end, but for those who were wounded there, it will never end. The physical scars inflicted will remain their curse and inspiration for life; the other, deeper, more complex, more insidious scars to hearts and minds will wreak havoc and pain over lifetimes." 

 ANZAC Day, is not a day that glorifies war, but reminds us of its' cost.

The lasting memory I have from ANZAC Day this year, was the silence I experienced during the service I attended, and the communal silence I witnessed from the MCG - over 90,000 people standing silently remembering the cost of war (and the price of peace).

Weekend sport recap.

AFL

• ANZAC Day, the observance before the Collingwood - Essendon game is an amazing spectacle. 90,000 people, standing in silence, remembering those who have served us in the Armed forces, and you can hear a pin drop. The game would have to be Collingwood's best game for the year, after quarter time, Essendon kicked something like 3 goals to Collingwood's 12.
• Swans had an ugly win against Melbourne, But hey, I'll take and ugly win over a pretty loss.  Great to see Goodes back on the ground too. 
• Port showed why they might be the real deal - very impressive win over Geelong yesterday. 
• What can you say about Carlton. Kicking 5 goals in less ten minutes to get back in front (with an amazing smother in the mix too), but definitely helped by West Coast's  1.8 last quarter.
• Gary Ablett Jnr's goal against the Giants was probably the moment of the round

NRL

• Somewhat impressive win by the the Warriors too..  
• There's a break next week for the Australia - New Zealand test.  Hoping for an upset, but suspect it will be a comfortable win to the Australians. 
• The table seems to be shaking out a little.  Bulldog's are deservedly on top at the moment, grinding out wins, rather than blowing teams of the park (their last four wins were by a total of seven points).  The Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs and Roosters are climbing the table, getting closer to where they will probably finish.
• Aside from the Warriors win. Greg Inglis' try was the highlight of the round. 

Super XV Rugby

• Good home win for the Hurricanes too; and given a few other results they are now sitting on top of the NZ Conference table. Great to see the Blues win too. Fair to say the Waratahs did help them out a touch too. The Hurricanes are in Sydney next weekend to play the Waratahs. Hope they can continue to run of wins. 

Football

• Great to see the Western Sydney Wanderers, making their second final. They play Brisbane (in Brisbane) for the title. 
• The EPL will go down to the wire - with Manchester City back in the drivers seat.
• Can't believe it's almost May, which means its Finals time (Champions League, FA Cup, Europa League) and then June is the World Cup. Can't wait...

Easter weekend sport recap..

AFL

• Pleasantly surprised by the Swan's performance on the weekend. They're now 2-3 and tackle Melbourne next. The first time the Swan's will play a side coached by Paul Roos. Hopefully Tippett will be back in the side. 
• Was a great effort by the Saints performance on Saturday. Essendon never really looked into the game. 
• Port Adelaide had a great win over West Coast in Perth and are now second. 
• Geelong are now the only undefeated team. After beating Hawthorn for the twelfth time in thirteen matches
• Good Friday - looks likely there will be football on Good Friday next year. I have no problem whether they decide to play or not, and reckon there maybe something in the idea of taking the game somewhere else - maybe a double-header in the bush (or at the MCG)

NRL

• Not much to say re the Warriors. 
• The Bulldogs won by a single point for the third time in a row, and are now on top of the ladder. 

Super15

• The Hurricane's won again.  Pretty good performance against the Blues. Now 1 point out of the Wild-Card race. 
• The South Africa Sharks still sit at the to of the table - with the Brumbies and Chiefs at the top of the Australian and New Zealand conferences respectively. 

EPL

• Who'd be a Premier League coach -  Manchester United have missed Champions League and possibly Europa League Qualification - currently sitting seventh.  It is looking likely that their manager David Moyes will be sacked.

Weekend sport recap (13 April)

AFL

• I didn't see the Swan's game on Sunday. But doesn't look like there was any positives to come out of it.  North Melbourne lost about 10 games by less than a goal last year, and it seems they are reversing that this year and closing out games well too.
• Good on Melbourne too, good to see them win.
• Sydney host Fremantle and given their performances to date it is a game they must win.
• Next week sees the current top four all play against each other - West Coast v Port Adelaide, and the match of the round between Geelong & Hawthorn. 

NRL

• Warriors did better than I was hoping for this week (yes it was a one-point loss..). Was a good start under their new (or caretaker) coach. Will be an interesting season following them...  
• Impressed with the Titans early season form. 
• Parramatta are another big surprise this year, a good win against the Roosters (especially given the round 2 result). 

Football

• The Matilda's drew their two test series against Brazil, 1-1. This is a great result.
• The English Premier League season is nearing the end, and looks most likely that either Liverpool or Manchester City will win this year. Given City's loss this morning they trail by 7 points,  but with 2 games extra to play. Chelsea are an outside chance, they've played 34 games too, and are 2pts behind.
• Arsenal at least have a chance to win the FA Cup now - they will play Hull City in the final. Mind you given their recent performances, Hull winning wouldn't be a complete surprise (Arsenal, you think, need a miracle to finish fourth...)

The weekend recap (April 5)

AFL

• The Swans are on the board - 1-2. Much better performance this weekend. 
• Hawthorn were really impressive on Friday. I wasn't completely surprised by the result - a little by the margin.
• Yes, I know its round three, but who'd have picked the Suns & Giants to be in the top eight. The Suns may well stay there, will be interesting to see how the Giants go.
• Rumours of Geelong's demise seem to be premature.
• West Coast have their first real test next weekend (v Geelong), but great start for them.

NRL

• The Warriors have won the two games I thought they'd lose (North Queensland - away & West Tigers ''home"), and lost the three I thought they would win (Parramatta, St George and now Cronulla).  Breaking news this morning suggests that the Warriors are the first to sack a coach this year.
• Sunday Afternoon at Liechhardt Oval is what Rugby League is all about. Shame about the weather, not so much about the result :)
• Again, it's only round five, but who had the Titans at the top of the table.  Seriously though, I've been most impressed by the Bulldogs.

World T-20

• Australia claimed their third straight World T-20 Cup overnight beating England in the Final.  Great effort by the team. The Men's followed and was won by Sri-Lanka.

Super 15

• Hurricanes won again. They won't make the finals, but still two in a row. Now sitting second in the NZ Conference.   

Borgen - Season Two

Some thoughts on season two.

The second season, reveals more about Kasper's history, and goes to explaining his character. The scene when Katrine founds out Kasper's secret is powerful & moving.

Other political issues dealt included Nyborg brokering a peace deal with the leaders of North & South Sudan, and what it might look like when a party changes a leader, early retirement, and lowering the age of criminal responsibility.

What I found the most gripping and distressing was the interplay between media and politicians. What level of scrutiny do they sign up for when they seek office, and how is what's in the public interest determined. In the show the PM's daughter is diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and the press stake out the home in which she stays, making a huge impact on the home. Another story was around the Minister for Justice, being set up to be exposed as a gay man. The final example was when the TV station had a great story about the North Sudan leader cheating the Southern leader out of money, which given the delicate state of the peace negotiations, if made public would completely derail the process.

The scene that hit me the hardest was in the hospital when the television program was discussing the Sudanese Peace Agreement, while Philip and Brigitte were dealing with their daughter's second anxiety attack. The cost of public life was so clearly portrayed.

I am looking forward to the final season.

T-20 Worldcup

Overnight both the BlackCaps and WhiteFerns lost, meaning that both miss the semi finals, the Women were "unlucky" given they finished level of points with both Australia & South Africa, but their inferior net-run-rate cost them. I'm proud of their efforts throughout the tournament, and looking forward to their next games.

Great win by the Netherlands overnight too.  Given there performances against South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland and England, it was sad to read that the Netherlands' future in Cricket is unclear: they didn't qualify for next years' One Day World Cup, their one day status has been removed and their financials are it quite a state (apparently).

Back on the field, the women's semi finals are most likely, Australia v England and West Indies v South Africa, and the men's India v South Africa & Sri Lanka v (the winner of tonight's Pakistan v West Indies).

Blackfish...

I've been doing a little more searching - and here's an excerpt from Blackfish's response to Seaworld.

An Apt Metaphor – SeaWorld is still not addressing the elephant in the room. Is captivity suitable for orcas?

In the wild, orcas live in appropriate climates for their species and are subject to the boundless environmental stimuli that only the ocean can provide. Each group speaks in a unique dialect, swims up to 100 miles a day, and stays with family members for life.

In the wild, there is not a single report of a person being killed by a killer whale.

In confinement, orcas are often prescribed daily medications to treat chronic symptoms brought on by captivity. Every year, they die at almost three times the rate they die in the wild, leading to shorter life spans, and are airlifted around the world as commodities. They have damaged teeth, collapsed dorsal fins, they show frustration, grief, and exhibit unnatural aggression toward one another and toward people. More orcas have died under SeaWorld’s care than are currently in its collection today.

We ask, is this the business model of the future or is there a better way?

We challenge SeaWorld to debate these issues with our teams in a public forum, which we will be happy to arrange. Throughout the production and theatrical release of Blackfish, SeaWorld has refused to directly engage with the film or its points in any public way, despite repeated invitations. Instead of releasing more PR spin, written statements and online critiques (which often allow no comments), we encourage SeaWorld’s leaders to step forward and address these issues openly and honestly in public debate. Let the public hear both sides of the argument (as we have always desired) and draw their own conclusions.

Will be keeping an eye on the court's ruling. There is something wrong about these amazing & beautiful animals being held in captivity.

Sport recap.

This snippet from The Guardian says it all really:

"We fans, media all-sorts, and the round’s winners and losers — from the shell-shocked Rabbitohs to the galloping Broncos — only had to cast our collective gaze to Newcastle’s Hunter Stadium on Sunday afternoon to remind ourselves that for all of the game of rugby league’s significance in our lives, it is ultimately just that: a game. With Alex McKinnon still in a coma after his serious neck injury last week, the Newcastle Knights began their match against Cronulla in a huddle, their poignant embrace — applauded by both the home fans and visiting Sharks supporters — a reminder to McKinnon and his loved ones that they are not negotiating these emotional times on their own." 

AFL

• Essendon & Carlton made Hawthorn and Richmond work really hard for their wins. Both looked like stealing the win, but the better teams won.
• On the Swans; it's a long season, and the last time they were 0-2 they won the flag ;) They have some improving to do before you'd give them that chance, but I'm not willing to write them off completely yet.  Franklin was better last night. We'll see what the trip to Adelaide brings. 
• Looking forward to the Grand Final rematch (and possibly preview), between the Dockers and Hawks at the MGG next week.

T-20 World Cups

• Meg Lanning ...126 v Ireland. Top score in Women's T20.  While the Aussie men are going home, the Women aren't joining them just yet.
• The WhiteFerns have topped their group which I think means they play England in the Semi-Finals. 
• Nice to see an Aussie sledge backfire. Faulkner says he doesn't like the Windies. The Windies would be happy that two sixes in his final over sealed the win.
• The Netherlands, hard to believe, but they really should have beaten South Africa (eventually losing by 6 runs). I guess this is the best thing about T20 Cricket.  It is in this form of the game, you are most likely to have the big upsets. Given it's the form of the game were one player has the potential to change the course of the game.
• The BlackCaps beat The Netherlands over the weekend. So a win against Sri Lanka takes them to the Semi Finals.

NRL

• Manly v Roosters.  I'm not a Manly (or Roosters) fan, but I wouldn't call beating the Roosters in Round 4 revenge.  Sure it is a good result, but I'd swap it for a Grand Final win any day.
• Great win by the Warriors, who are now 2-2, and hopefully back on track for the year. 
• I am surprised by how the Rabbitohs are travelling, after a great win in round one, they have now lost three on the trot.

Super 15

• I don't get to say this very often, but a great win by the Hurricanes.  Generally whether they win or lose, it isn't by many, at least it is in the W column this week.  

Sport recap...

In short:

• Good teams find ways to win games -  two perfect examples were the Roosters on Friday; Manly on Sunday. 
• Didn't expect the Dragons to be 3-0, but they are doing well so far. 
• Great win by the Warriors on Saturday night - didn't expect them to beat North Queensland in Townsville, hopefully the season is back on track now. 
• Geelong have the list to do well this year. Very impressive against Adelaide
• Hawthorn as expected, without Buddy, they're going to do very well this year. Maybe even back to back - but we'll see what the Dockers and (Swans ;)) have to say about that.
• Sadly the St Kilda v Melbourne game suggests one of these two will finish with the wooden spoon. 
• Essendon have a great football team - and hopefully there's more written about this than Hird, etc. 
• Arsenal - um, you'd think for Wenger's 1000th game they'd manage better than 0-6. 
• BlackCaps and WhiteFerns both won at the Twenty 20 World Cups (v England and Australia respectively).  Awesome performance from The Netherlands; running down 193 in under 14 overs. Will be interesting to see how they go against Sri Lanka tonight. 
• The Australian men were let down by their fielding against Pakistan. Maxwell & Finch almost rescued the situation, but the tail had too much to do. 
• Baseball at the SCG - brilliant, hope they come back soon.  

Borgen - Review

If you are missing The West Wing, or you are  a fan of House of Cards and looking for a new TV show to watch I recommend that you give the Danish TV Series “Borgen” a go.

Borgen translates to "Castle" and the show centres on Birgitte Nyborg, who becomes Denmark’s first female Prime Minister, her minority government, and the impact her political life has on her family life.

The most striking thing in the first season was how the show highlighted the personal cost of power. During the course of season one the relationship with her husband and children spirals downwards. One of her Minsters makes the point of how many marriages of MPs fail and while they are experts at negotiating with the crossbenches to ensure the survival of their government, they are unable to utilise the same communication skills and negotiate with their partners. The show highlights this as Nyborg loses the art of intimate conversation with her husband.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the issues the Danish parliament is dealing with, are not too dissimilar to ours – immigration, the relationship with the US, quotas, surveillance, cynicism & idealism. I found the episode touching on Greenland to be particularly sad.

Equally interesting is how the show portrays differing perspectives on breaking and reporting stories in in a television station.  I am intrigued to see how this is developed through the second season.

Further reading; here's a piece from The Guardian talking about the show & Australia's former PM Gillard.

Cassie - Old Light

What I love about Cassie, an indie band from Finland, is their beaut sound combining her voice and an awesome soundscape which takes you somewhere else.  The only problem for me is after these three tracks and 19 minutes, I want more. You will too.

Here's a link to 'Old Light' from their new EP - 'Old Light'

Blackfish - Review

The only encounters I have had with Orcas (Killer Whales) have been through popular culture. I recall a few stunning scenes from David Attenborough documentaries, Free Willy (just the first one), and Happy Feet. From just these clips it is clear they are amazing, intelligent animals.

I recently watched the documentary Blackfish which looks at Orcas in captivity (centered on Tilikum, and the circumstances surrounding the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau at Sea World in 2010, and other incidents with him). The article which prompted Gabrielle Cowperthwaite to make the film is here. 

The letter Sea World penned in response to the film makes interesting (if not unsurprising) reading suggesting the film was sliced together to emotionally manipulate the audience to share its conclusion; and using footage which does not actually depict the events as they transpired. Sea World has also claimed that their training programs and their care of the whales is misrepresented. So far as I can tell the only public response to Sea World is this letter by Open Society). The film sadly mentions that Sea World declined requests to be interviewed during the making of the film. 

There are issues with animals in captivity. No enclosure, especially a tank, can replicate the habitat of the animal in the wild. It seems to be clear that some Orcas are not appropriately cared for in Aquariums (see this site for some examples). Highlighted in the book Death at Sea World. It is clear that while a bond of sorts is created with their trainers, at the core of it they are wild animals

One Californian Senator, Richard Bloom, is proposing to end animal captivity for the purposes of entertainment (read more). Some would like to see the older-captive animals released to fenced sea pens, which perhaps is the least-bad option, while trying to return the younger whales back to the Ocean.

I have a love-hate relationship with animal parks. They are great places to see animals I would not otherwise, and both Taronga Zoo and Sea World (US) play a role in animal conservation, rehabilitation, public education and research. Sea Wolrd (US) have published a range of papers about the animal). But you do wonder about the impact of captivity on the animals health and behaviour. Blackfish paints a concerning picture.

The Sea World letter finishes with a quote from naturalist Baba Dioum “In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we have been taught.” An encounter with any animal remains with us, perhaps prompting us to love and fight for the preservation of these animals. Even the footage I've seen in nature documentaries about Orcas and Great White Sharks have caused me to feel the need to fight for their preservation. I'd rather encounter one of these animals in the wild than an ocean park.

Weekend football recap.

Seeing the Suns & Giants win is great for the game. I'm not surprised to see the Giants get the better of the Swans.  Factor "little brother", "round one" and first week at "Fort Giant", it was the perfect setting for the upset.  Give Franklin a chance too, he might need a few more games to gel into the Swans.

Fremantle, last year it was their attack that gave their coach a headache, 11 goal kickers & 19 goals on Friday, and its easier to imagine the Dockers going one better this year. Time will tell whether the actual story should be about Collingwood's decline.

It has the feel of being a more even season than last year.  Would not be surprised if the Sun's made the eight, giving the lists the Giants and Suns now have, I suspect we'll see them climb the table.

I'm still backing the Swans to make the top 4, and I think the Giants won't win the wooden spoon. In terms of premiers - my heart says Sydney, but I suspect Fremantle will.

On the NRL - sadly - Warriors are now 0-2.  Not the start I was hoping for, but they are such an unpredictable side, and still hoping they come good.

At least the Hurricane's won :)

Footy's back ...

What I learned from Round 1 of the NRL.

(1) What was with the round 1 scheduling ie, why did Souths & Roosters play on Thursday at White Elephant Stadium? The crowd numbers would have to be concerning.

(2) Why was Souths beating the Roosters an upset. Yes, yes, the Roosters are the Premiers, but there was not that much between them last year.

(3)  I suspect the Warriors will be consistently inconsistent this year - was disappointed with their game last night, but hoping for more next weekend.

(4) Not a fan of the rule changes; though maybe a zero tackle for restarts when the ball was kicked dead from outside the 20m line would be better.

(5) More of a general comment - I'd like to see 1pt awarded to both teams after a draw at 80mins, and another point for the team that wins in golden point (or no golden pt), and maybe points awarded as per the Super15 (1 bonus pt for four tries, and 1 bonus pt for a loss by 7 or less).

Can't wait for the AFL season to start next weekend, and less than 100 days til the next Football World Cup.

Five of my favourite singers (Part Two: Male)

Here's the second half of my post, and this one's my favourite male singers. The honorable mentions, Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Jonsi (Sigur Ros & solo) and Dan Haseltine (Jars of Clay).

Matthew Perryman Jones
Song: Canción de la Noche (from Land of the living)
I discovered MPJ through Noisetrade and Land of the Living would be one of my top 5 albums of all time.  MPJ has an powerful & emotive voice.

Ryan O'Neal (Sleeping at Last)
Song: In the embers (from Atlas - Light EP)
If you are a fan of the Twilight Series or Greys' Anatomy you would have heard his music, as its often featured.  I enjoy listening to his music through headphones.  Really love this lyric of this song..

Like fireworks
We pull apart the dark
Compete against the stars
With all of our hearts
Till our temporary brilliance turns to ash
We pull apart the darkness while we can

The Edge (U2)
Song: Sunday Bloody Sunday - (Live from Santiago during 1998)
Was touch & go whether to include Bono or The Edge. For some reason its Edge's backing vocals which often grab me.  During the 1997/8 PopMart tour The Edge had a solo spot, and on the final few legs of the tour The Edge played and sang Sunday Bloody Sunday on his own, which as you can see transforms the song.

Glen Hansard (The Frames, The Swell Season & solo)
Song: Say it to me now (solo version, the song is also on The Frames' 1995 album Fitzcarraldo)
Glen's voice has always grabbed me because its so varied, and carries so much emotion.

Josh Ritter
Song: Change of Time (from Live at Iveagh Gardens)
Ritter is a masterful storyteller with both his music & words.

Five of my favourite singers (Part One: Female)

Been thinking of writing this post for a while. No, the order doesn't really mean anything. A couple of honorable mentions too:  Jana Horn (The Reservations), Elizabeth Marvelly and Sarah Howells (Paper Aeroplanes).

Kyler England (also in a band The Rescues - worth checking out Crazy Ever After)
Song: We Rise Like Smoke (acoustic)
I love the harmonies Kyler has with the other singers in The Rescues, but also love some of her solo songs - exhibit A).

Gemma Hayes
Song: Waiting for You (from Janie Jones Original Soundtrack)
Gemma has a rich voice bringing light & dark, joy and sadness to her songs.

Brooke Fraser
Song: Arithmetic (from What to do with daylight)
When I hear Brooke sing, I often can't seperate her words from her voice, and sometimes feels like she's singing to you. Brooke's a favourite too, she went to the same primary school as I did, grew up in the same suburb as I did, and like me - moved to Sydney. We never actually met though, until a gig in the Basement.

Sally Ellyson (HEM)
Song: Seven Angels (from Departure & Farewell)
Sally's voice has a dreamy quality about it. With the music, she grabs you, and you feel like you're floating along with her.

Amy Speace, 
Song: The Sea & The Shore (from How to sleep in a stormy boat)
Beautifully expresses each phrase, rising and falling as the tide.

I'll write another post on my favourite male voices later.

Some gems from R.E.M.

Saw a great article earlier this week listing the author's 10 favourite R.E.M. songs. So thought that I'd post a list of my own. I realise I've got 12, it was so hard to stop at 10.

Find the River (Automatic for the People) This song highlights what I love about R.E.M. beautiful harmonies and in this song sparse instrumentation. Find the River is a beautiful song, perhaps on the journey of life.

Nightswimming (Automatic for the People) 
Love the combination of the keys and Stipe's voice. Rosen's book on the story of their songs, says that this songs harks back the to the band's days in Athens, Georgia before they were famous, and the song does have a reminiscing feel about it.

Final Straw (Around the Sun) 
I am one a few people it seems who really liked this album. The album was released in 2004, and it clearly brings the years 2001-2004 back to mind. Final Straw is one of two protest songs written about the US-led invasion of Iraq.

Maps and Legends (Fables of the Reconstruction) 
A classic REM track with the shimmery guitars, and indecipherable lyrics. I've always thought of the "maps and legends" as people Stipe knew around Athens.

World Leader Pretend (Green) 
One song from R.E.M in which you don't need to decipher Stipe's vocals, as the CD has the lyrics printed inside. Perhaps one of the more political songs Stipe's written.

"This is my world And I am the world leader pretend This is my life And this is my time I have been given the freedom To do as I see fit." 

'Untitled' (Green) 
I guess one of the first 'bonus' tracks on a CD. The band actually switch instruments on the song. The song highlights the beautiful harmonies of Mills & Stipe. What a lovely innocent lyric:

"This world is big and so awake/ I stayed up late to hear your voice/ This light is here to keep you warm/ This song is here to keep you strong." 

Cuyahoga (Life's Rich Pageant) 
The song brings to my mind the early history of Australia, though it is written about a dying river in Ohio.

This is where they walked, swam, Hunted, danced and sang / Rewrite the book and rule the pages / Saving face, secured in faith / Bury, burn the waste behind you, / Take a picture here Take a souvenir / Cuyahoga Cuyahoga, gone 

The opening line - "Let's put our heads together and start a new country up", does give a glimmer of hope.

Country Feedback (Out of Time) 
Michael Stipe often mentions before playing this one live, that it is his favourite R.E.M. song. I love the stream of consciousness approach to the lyrics. It's one of those songs which takes on a new life when played live, with Buck extending the solo at the end.

Here's a link to R.E.M. playing the song with Neil Young.

Half a World Away (Out of Time) 
One of the saddest lyrics Stipe has written & possibly my favourite song on Out of Time (1991). Just beautiful harmonies between Mills & Stipe. 

Leave (New Adventures in Hi Fi) 
Beautiful intro, and haunting lyrics. 'New Adventures..' is one of my favourite R.E.M. albums as this is one of the standout tracks (and probably R.E.M's longest one too).

At My Most Beautiful (Up) 
One of the most romantic songs Stipe has written. Some lovely images and a beautiful music arrangement.

"at my most beautiful I count your eyelashes secretly. with every one, whisper I love you. I let you sleep. I know your closed eye watching me, listening. I thought I saw a smile. 

Perfect Circle (Murmur)
Another beautiful track .. and typical for Stipe, the lyric is vague, alluding to friendship and romance.

--

Sporting Memories

Was listening to Grandstand on ABC Radio today they were talking about the moments in sport we remember. The spark for the conversation being McCullum's historic 302 earlier this week. So with that in mind, I thought I'd think about some of the sporting memories which have stayed with me. I've limited it to 10.

(1) I remember Martin Crowe and Andrew Jones 467 run partnership in 1991 (which was the highest for any wicket in Test Cricket until 1997). Crowe was out for 299, which until Tuesday was the highest score by a New Zealander in Test Cricket.

(2) Sir Richard Hadlee's 400th Test Wicket, the first bowler to that mark.

(3) Nick Davis' fourth quarter in the 2005 Qualifying final against Geelong. The only one I was at the ground to see. I still can't believe Sydney won that game.

(4) That penalty in 2005 taking Australia to the 2006 Football World Cup.

(5) Manchester United's two goals in stoppage time to win the Champion's League Final in their treble season of 1998/99

(6) Arsenal's undefeated season in the Premier League (2003/2004)

(7) The All Black's winning the World Cup in 2011.

(8) The Wollongong Wolves coming back from 0-3 down to win their first Australian Soccer Title

(9) South Africa chasing down 438 to win a One Day Match.

(10) The NZ Breakers winning the NBL title in 2011, 2012 and 2013.  They are the only NZ team to win an Australian Competition.

Never tear us apart - part two.

Three things from the second half of the documentary which screened last night.

:: The worst thing about the movie is Bono.  If you know U2, you know that Bono and Michael did get on. But it just wasn't done well -they could have made so much more of it.

:: Chris Murphy, is perhaps the best thing in the movie, the passion he has for music & the band. Really intrigued to read his book.

:: Perhaps the most striking thing about the film was how it highlighted the difficult relationship Australian bands have with the Australian media, and the tensions from being in a band.

It was so much harder to watch than the first half, seeing Michael's collapse.

Finishing the post where I've started here's U2 singing 'One' in Mexico City (in December 1997).

Drive All Night - Glen Hansard

Hansard's new EP was released on the Australian i-tunes store this week (I guess in parallel to the concerts he is playing with Eddie Vedder - was such a shame to miss them).

Drive All Night is a four song EP featuring a cover of Bruce Springsteen's song 'Drive All Night' preformed with Vedder and Jake Clemens, and three of his songs. Pennies in the fountain is my faavourite. Something magical in his vocals.

What's always struck me about Hansard is that when you hear him play, its almost like you're on the street with him, and he is busking.  He's not too proud to keep the stage for himself, and knows his place in history. I saw him play in 2010, and he brought up LJ Hill onto stage to sing one of his songs.; when his band played in 2008, he sang New Partner with Holly Throsby. He is an absolutely great story-teller, both on & off the stage. During his interview with Richard Glover this week he recounted the story that during his concert in Sydney last year - he became the Pied Piper and led people out of the Opera House.

He's had an amazing career from his time in The Frames (a band who's music deserves to be heard by more people), to the Swell Season, and solo career. When you hear time talk, you know how he has struggled with how fame 'found him'.

Can't recommend the EP (and his other music) highly enough, and I think there's still tickets to see him at the Opera House on St Patrick's Day....

Generation Young - Lizzie Marvelly

No secret I'm a fan of the Kiwi singer Lizzie Marvelly. Lizzie has moved from a classical style to pop and also writing her own songs. Last Tuesday she released her video for 'Generation Young' - which is quite a catchy tune, encouraging the younger generation to be the change & create the world in which they want to live.  The video is quite a moving addition to the song.

And as a bonus she's recorded a cover of 'I See Fire', Ed Sheeran's song from the second installment of The Hobbit.

So Close - the bravest, craziest, unluckiest defeats in Aussie sport

You probably remember these.  

• Albert's try against Manly, in the 1997 Grand Final,  (and perhaps too many others by Queenslanders in the 78, 79 or 80th minute)
• that soccer match at the MCG against Iran.

What they all have in common is that they are some of the memorable moments in Australian sport. The book by Mangan highlights, some of the bravest, craziest, unluckiest defeats in Aussie sport. He argues that in fact sometimes its the defeats that leave the lasting impression in our memory.  Especially seeing as you probably aren't going to see your team win many premierships in your lifetime, its the near misses (and catastrophes which are stay in your mind. I feel very lucky with the Sydney Swans - four GF's in my lifetime for 2 wins and 2 losses.

But think Thomson & Border, Lee & Kasprowicz, Haddin & Pattinson. (Whitney & McDermott, for other reasons).  All of those Cricket Tests are memorable, for the tightness of the result, and the fight & courage showm, by both sides.

The book is a great trip down memory lane (pain street?).

A couple of others - on a global scale which I won't forget are Manchester's win against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League Final, Liverpool's win against AC Milan in 2005, and Oracle's comeback win in the America's Cup last year. 

Never tear us apart

One of TV shows I had been anticipating this year, was the mini-series about one of Australia's great rock bands INXS.  The first part which screen last night took us from the formation of the band through to "when Michael met Kylie".  The show reminded you of how brilliant & erratic Michael was. Michael and the band are amazing songwriters and performers (that he wrote the words for Need You Tonight in 15mins is just one example). It was weird watching the band write and people hear the songs for the first time. Slightly humorous seeing their first manager say they weren't going to be anything.

Hard to believe that it is about 16 years ago, when I heard good friends of INXS, pay tribute to Hutch. In their PopMart concert at the Sydney Football Stadium, U2, finished with Bono dedicating One to Michael (and as they did in many of their concerts during late 1997 and 1998).

It was one of the things that highlights Bono's ability to create a moment...  there was an storm during the show, and Bono had all of the lights turned off, and the band played "One" illuminated only by the flashes of lightening, then the crowd left, singing "Never Tear Us Apart', such a moving moment.  After watching the show, the storm seems fitting for Hutchence too.

Given that the ending is known, next week's episode will be harder to watch. In the linear notes to their collection "The Years" released in 2002, Andrew Farris writes: "perhaps the people to watch out for the most, are the ones who tell you they're okay", something to be mindful of I guess.

Hutch is one of the great singers (at least of my lifetime), and last night reminded me how much poorer we are without him.

So long, 2013

A few highlights from 2013..

Sport.
Cricket - The Ashes stand at 4-3 ;) (and the urn has been returned). We farewelled some of the giants of the game with the retirements of Michael Hussey, Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis.The BlackCaps have had a few good moments this year (a little too few though).
Golf - Adam Scott (first Australian to win the Masters at Augusta National)
Yatching - Oracle comes from four races behind to win the America's Cup and defeat Team NZ.
Rugby League - NZ wins the race for second place at the World Cup. (oh and in case you missed it QLD won the state of origin, and the Roosters won the comp).
Rugby Union - All Blacks complete season undefeated and the Lion's win in Australia.
AFL - Swans lose prelim final to Fremantle who were then beaten by Hawthorn in the Grand Final. Will be very intrigueing to see how the Swans go next year

Looking forward to World Cup - inspite of the All Whites failure to qualify. The Socceroo's will have a challenge gtting out of their group.

Music: 
Listened to a bunch of good music, and its been tough picking the top five. And as usual, I've left off live albums, eps and collections. In terms of the EPs, the series Atlas by Sleeping at Last is really amazing, and worth getting into, Sarah Masen released an EP of new music too, so I'm hoping an album is on the cards. Sarah is one of the more thoughtful Christian singer-songwriters going around.
 
The two live albums which have been on heavy rotation are the ones by All Sons and Daughters and the recording of Neil Finn and Paul Kelly's concert from earlier this year, just a great collection of songs from both of their careers.

In terms of albums for the year my favourites for the year (and probably in his order) are:

1. Jars of Clay - Inland
2. Holly Williams - The Highway
3. Amy Speace - How to sleep in a story boat
4. Sandra McCracken - Desire like dynamite
5. Hem - Departure and farewell

What ties these albums together is the song-writing. Each are filled wth songs I could relate too, telling moving stories about our shared human experience.

The honourable mentions are Paper Aeroplanes - Little letters; The Paper Kites - States; Noah & the Whale - The Heart of Nowhere;

For 2014 - I'm hoping (again) for a new U2 album (though with Ordinary Love out, it appears more likely this time), lookng forward to hearing Elizabeth Marvelly's new album, hopefully more from Brooke Fraser and as always new and unexpected discoveries.

New music and books for the season...

A few new CDs have been on heavy rotation recently.  I recently heard an Irish band the Halves. From the first few listens, they definitely bring to mind both Sigur Ros, and Radiohead. Definitely worth a listen.

This week also saw the release of Sleeping at Last's second EP in the Atlas series, Light. It doesn't disappoint. I'm looking forward to the next release in this series. My favourite line is this one below.

"...with every heartbeat that I have left, I'll defend your every breath" (Light) 

If you haven't heard Sleeping at Last, you're definitely missing out.

Finally the other album which I've been listening to quite a bit is The Heart of Nowhere by the British folk rook band Noah & the Whale.

I've also being doing a bit more reading recently. I really enjoyed Tara Moss' book Assassin, which was just a great read..  beautifully paced, and quite liked how real the characters and action appeared. (I am hopeful to see them turned into a movie soon). Next up are a couple of books on Australian politics by Maxine McKew, James Button and Lindsay Tanner. 

Back on the Voice...  seems to be really tough this year.. with a couple of the favourites eliminated - Catarina Torres, Michael Paynter, and a few of my favourites (Jac Stone, Nicholas Roy, and Tim Morrison).  One thing is for sure though, we will hear more from a lot of these singers. What seems clear now, is that its taste not talent which is driving the choices & popular vote.

The Voice Season Two

My love of music has been recently pushed in another direction, and I have to admit, that a guilty pleasure of mine is The Voice. The format is what made me give the show a chance, the idea of the 'blind auditions'; that is the singers sing to the backs of four chairs with the aim of turning (at least) one of them. Stage two was the battle rounds where two singers from the same team sing the same song with one going through. (In a twist for Season Two, the singer who loses the battle can be saved by another coach).

For me, the battle rounds was one of the highlights of the show - this year, everyone is talking about the Steve Clisby battle with Mitchell Anderson (singing - Walking in Memphis), and last year it was (for me) the battle between Kelsie Rimmer & Brittany Cairns (singing - Turning Tables). What I loved about both of those, is that the really sounded more like duets and two singers competing.

Season Two is also going be remember for Abby Dobson (lead singer of Leonardo's Bride & a member of Baby et Lulu). You can read her take on the experience her facebook page. It's worth reading. As is Harry Connick Jnr's take on American Idol contestants singing the 'Great American Songbook'

My other favourites so far, not surprisingly a number of them sang songs I love, Tim Morrison (Sunday Bloody Sunday U2, which I reckon would be a risk, because its a big song, by a popular artist); Nicholas Roy (Falling Slowly, Glen Hansard), Imogen Brough (Never Let Me Go, Florence & the Machine) and  Jac Stone (Watch over Me, Bernard Fanning).

A few others to watch: Emma Pask, Luke Kennedy, Harrison Craig. (Was also sad to see Sophie Phillis go..

Anyway, the hope I have, is that many of these artists who are eliminated, will keep making music, and follow their dreams.

Review: Live - All Sons & Daughters

All Sons & Daughters are now one of my favourite bands. I guess what the bring to their music is the impression that they are making music with their souls, and I think that's something which is hard to find. The album is well put together, beginning with the plea for our brokenness to be made beautiful, and ending with lines from 'Nothing but the blood of Jesus'.  

The album includes songs from their three EPs, and a few new ones. The i-tunes version comes with a number of videos and also some of the chord charts, which definitely adds value.

In sum, its an album which will make your soul sing, beautifully expressing the wonder of the Gospel.

Hem - Departure and Farewell

Like many of the bands I listen to, I found Hem when they were a "New and Notable" artist on the Noisetrade website, offering the album Funnelcloud for download, with a number of tracks from the forthcoming 'Departure and Farewell'.

The first thing I noticed listening to Funnelcloud and Departure & Farewell was Sally Ellyson's voice. She has an amazingly expressive voice, which when paired with the music transports you to another world.

It's one of my favourite albums of the year; and I've been enjoying exploring their back-catalogue - which includes great covers of REM's So Central Rain and Johnny Cash's Jackson, along with a soundtrack for Twelfth Night as well.

You can watch a video Seven Angels here, and NPR has a video of Tourniquet. If you haven't heard them, they are definitely a band to check out.

Amid the Flood - The Outliers

I have always been a fan of hymns. I remember when growing up loving to sing 'To God Be the Glory' and 'How Great Thou Art'.  If you wanted to clear expression of our faith, the hymns are a great place to start. I recall a tweet highlighting the fact we will remember more of what we sing at church  than what we hear from the pulpit. The best way to bring a heresy into the church would be to put it to a catchy tune and sing every it week.

One band that I have been listening to a bit of lately is 'The Outliers', made up of brother and sister - Luke and Myla Smith.  Amid the flood contains a number of hymns which powerfully testify that God has rescued us. It is quite a great collection containing the recent favourite 'Come Thou Font', 'My Hope is Built' and some, sadly, that I was not so familiar with like Martin Luther's 'A Mighty Fortress' and 'I am Thine O Lord'.

It is well worth a listen, such a refreshing reminder of God's grace to us.

On music

As is becoming apparent, in recent times, my blog has turned into a music review site. So given that I thought that I would take the time to write a post on the music I love.

There's always been music in the house. As I grew up, it was classical music, opera, musical theatre to start with, then Neil Diamond, ABBA, Simon & Garfunkel and the Carpenters. While I didn't like of this at once, and definitely not at the time, I've grown to like some of these.

The first CD I owned was a recording of U2's 1993 concert in Dublin during their ZooTV tour. U2 was probably the first band I loved growing up. I have vague memories of hearing 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' in New Zealand, but strong memories of hearing Rattle and Hum during a trip with church. It is still one of my favourite CDs. The first CD I bought was Bon Jovi's Keep the Faith (with a CD of Live tracks). I still wait and buy albums which come with bonus tracks, whether I buy from i-tunes or the regular shop. As I mentioned in another post, I'm wondering where they will go with the additional content on albums from i-tunes.

As I've alluded to above, while I was at school, it was U2 and not much else. The only thing that's changed is that now I'm inclined to say that U2 is one of the best bands I've heard in my life-time. They are one band which has provided a soundtrack to my life, but there other bands that I've come to love/

After I left school, I encountered Contemporary Christian Music for the first time. I discovered most of these bands through Karen Beilharz. I still have the tapes she did for me. One of the artists on this tape was Rebecca St. James, and after hearing her music I joined her forum. The members of the forum were great, they introduced me to other artists. I will be forever grateful for the person who introduced me to The Normals (and Nichole Nordman).

For a period here, I listened to 'Christian Music' exclusively. (I think at this time, I also took a break from listening to U2 too).

As an aside, I find it hard to listen to Christian radio stations, as I am not convinced they do as good a job playing Christian music as they can and I also don't buy the argument that the music that's good isn't christian, and the music that christian isn't good. Aside 2: There's a lot to discuss about the label CCM and Christian music but that's another post).

Not sure what it was that made me listen to U2 again, I think it was the release of How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, but when I did I also sought to be introduced to other bands - The Frames, Wilco, Interpol, The Arcade Fire - to name a few. I also rediscovered Radiohead and Sigur Ros at this time.

The latest stage of my musical journey (for lack of a better phrase), is through the websites - Noisetrade, Daytrotter, NPR and most recently Spotify. I'm now getting most of my new music from there. NPR & Spotify are great to be able to listen to new music or new artists before buying them. I'm not sure how I first found Noisetrade, but it has been great to get new music at a small charge (ie: a tip, tweet, facebook post and your email address). Daytrotter is slightly different - for a small fee $2 a month, you can download studio sessions from a wide variety of artists.  Will be interested to see what's next.

What hasn't changed about the  music I love is that I am a words person. There are a few exceptions - bands where the voice is a another instrument, Sigur Ros is perhaps the clearest example. I'm thinking broadly speaking my favourite type of music is folk. (If that label means anything anymore. That's where the images and words match up beautifully.

I thought that I'd finish this post with the desert island game - put simply these are the five albums you would take with you if you were going to be stranded on an island. The five I'd pick are:

1. Home - Elizabeth Marvelly 
2. Pop - U2
3. The Swell Season  - The Swell Season
4. Coming to Life - The Normals
5. Land of the Living - Matthew Perryman Jones

It's quite challenging but these are the five albums I keep coming back to.  I've picked Home because as I've send before, this album is the one which reminds me of my childhood, songs I loved growing up, songs I sang at school.  The album is a little bit of NZ.

I could have picked a few albums by U2, and in the end, I chose Pop because it contains some of Bono's best lyrics ...  Please is one of my favourite songs.

The Swell Season is a beautiful balanced album, and just about perfect. MPJ is a beautiful lyricist, and even though his album came out last year, its one which a loved on first listen, and loved more on each subsequent listen.

I always post a disclaimer with a list - saying this is accurate at 10:16pm March 3, 2013.