Tears of pleasure, tears of pain They trickle down your face the same
Well, the year is essentially done. Silly season will be in full swing soon. Work will wrap, parties will be had, skin will brown, and life will be good. Getting through the next six weeks will be a real challenge but the prospect of five weeks off during summer is getting me through. I need to be in the ocean, not rendering ocean.
So here’s twelve punchy songs to end the year, ending with this year’s Christmas tune courtesy of Khruangbin (who I’ll be seeing next week). I’ll have my 2022 playlist up at the end of the year, but the monthly music will be back in February after an incredible, no Niña, no flood, no fire summer.
One more thing – enjoy your nightmares after watching this… Disturbingly amazing.
We’re on the downward slide now for 2022, with a BANGIN’ month of tunes, and winter (all too) slowly coming to an end. First off, that Jockstrap album is absolutely incredible, and may be my favourite of the year when everything is said and done (with Big Thief a close second). It just takes left turns all over the place but all gels together. Whether it be the Fiery Furnaces-esque Angst, the chaotic Concrete Over Water, the middle-eastern flavoured Debra, the haunting Lancaster Court, or the depth of Glasgow and What’s It All About.
And the video below for ME vs ME is fantastic (AI artwork by Sefa Kocakalay). It’s hard to find many music videos anymore which grab my attention. In the age of streaming it’s become a bit of a lost artform, so it’s always a delight when one shows up. Almost makes me want to make one of my own, but alas, I spend too much time on a computer as it is and I’d rather be outside.
Ain’t no change in the weather Ain’t no change in me
Two years ago today I arrived back in Australia. In the dark of night, tired and relieved like never before I touched down in Perth on a plane with only 18 other passengers. I’m still supremely grateful to be back. The months which immediately preceded it were immensely stressful, and the months before that were incredibly bleak. Isolation in a hotel room for two weeks came as such a relief. And the weeks which followed, out on the open roads of Western Australia were so good it felt like a dream.
If this were a CG render someone would request that the highlight on the water be removed.
Spring has sprung, but Sydney is still too goddamn cold. I’m well and truly over it. Bring on the oven roasting temperatures so I can leap out of bed full of beans. I want to (metaphorically) leave the isolation hotel room again. Summer days aren’t just longer because of the Earth’s tilt. They’re longer cause you don’t spend four times as long doing everything. Shorts, shirt, thongs – BAM! You’re good to roll.
But while I wait, I’ll get sunshine in my ears with these tunes.
Dude, I’m so over this The ups and downs, strikes and gutters Let’s just go bowling I’m out of my element
DOMi & JD BECK
If you’d asked me in January 2020 whether I wanted to go to a music festival, I’d have probably said no. But in the midst of my first lockdown Splendour in the Grass 2020 was cancelled – and suddenly it seemed a great idea to snap up a ticket to the postponed event in July 2021. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that right?
July 2021 was cancelled, and became November 2021, which in turn was cancelled and became July 2022.
So after two years of pandemic cancellations it finally arrived, but with a day to go, 2022’s other villain (rain) tapped into the ring ready to put plans in a headlock. We rolled into Byron on Thursday thinking gumboots and a raincoat would suffice. It did not. Friday was cancelled and we descended into town to sink some consolation beers at the pub. Try as we might, we couldn’t lift the mood. As the sun set, news came through that Sofi Tukker were going to make an appearance at the establishment in which we were planted. They managed to lift the mood, but we still started day two struggling to feel any buzz of excitement.
Saturday was a mess. The festival went ahead, so that was a win – but it took so long to get in there that we were only getting our bearings at 4:30 in the afternoon (whilst still dealing with dark clouds and light rain). We lined up for a long time to be met with mid-strength Captain Morgan with watermelon and coconut. Watermelon and coconut? Oh, sorry, did you want flavour? At Drink Mixer High School these two flavours played chess with each other at lunch time. These drinks were clearly made to discourage drinking. It was impossible to get a buzz, and the lines for food were even worse. Then, Violent Soho took to the stage and it seemed the day could turn around. But by the time The Strokes came on, you could feel the crowd were tired – and sober. And the three hour ordeal getting back to Byron from midnight capped it off.
Sunday lived up to its name and brought the sunshine. With the sun out, trudging around in mud was a novelty rather than a pain. Sunday made the whole experience worth it. We found a place serving normal drinks, mingled with crowds who were equally buzzed and excited, saw some great music and experienced the feeling we’d been craving for over two years. The only catch – thanks to the bus ordeal on Saturday we left early and missed Tyler. It was a shame, but preferable to spending another three hours trying to get out of there.
And I managed to catch Gorillaz at their Sydney gig to make up for Friday – who were fantastic as always. They were so good that I was left with a sense of melancholy that they hadn’t been able to take to the stage at Splendour. They would have commanded that enormous space.
And I still haven’t had covid.
Random other thoughts:
The Strokes were solid as ever. I felt bad for them that the crowd were tired and grouchy (understandably). I suspect they cut their set short as a result. They brought their A-game regardless.
Glass Animals (aka Milhouse and friends) have such a great body of songs. Every song is catchy as hell. But they really didn’t fit on that stage. When Dave Bayley said that it was the biggest crowd they’d ever played to, I was not surprised. The stage presence and sound was small. Seriously, Tokyo Drifting is a thumping track which should have ripped a layer of skin from everyone on the hill – and it had all the presence of a dude on the train playing music from his phone.
Pond are really underrated and really helped in turning the mood around on Sunday.
Grinspoon were a real surprise. I’d long dismissed them as daggy Gen-X dudes that my brother was into. They were tight as hell, and with some distance it was possible to assess their body of songs with perspective. Fantastic stuff.
Duke Dumont was a real surprise too. I had little idea what to expect. To be honest I was only really familiar with Red Light Green Light but I loved every moment. Very much in the vein of The Chemical Brothers. Lasers, lights, thumping beats and repeated phrases – very easy to fall into a trance.
If you’re waiting for a hug you might want to pack a lunch
Robert FIelding
This month is all about Neighbours – the one next door you love bumping into for a chat, the one above that wakes you in the night screaming for help (all worked out well), and the desk neighbour in the office who lingers around seemingly unable to take a hint.
The last month has been a bit of a struggle finding new music to grab my attention, but there’s still plenty in here I am vibing with. P.E. remind me a lot of YACHT. The rest of the album is worth a spin. As is the album Excess from Automatic. Tobacco‘s take on Hungry Eyes has been a favourite for some time. It really brings out the creepier nature of the original’s lyrics.
July brings the return of international live music in its biggest way since 2020. The last gig I attended was The Strokes bringing in that fateful year during New Years Eve in Brooklyn. It’s only fitting that I see them again as one of my first concerts after all this mess.
That old election thing is finally over and suddenly the future seems brighter. Easily the most satisfying and pleasing result I have witnessed in my life. It felt like the power was finally shifting generations. The schadenfreude of watching grubby seat-warmers fall one by one. The fremdschämen of watching legacy media collectively lose their minds, unable to comprehend what was happening (obvious to anyone who had paid attention).
Anyway, here’s the music! A couple of old classics – opening with the rising sun and closing with it fading into winter. Kikagaku Moyo has been such a delightfully bizarre find. Their album Kumoyo Island is well worth a listen. Chem Bath is a bit of Unknown Mortal Orchestra-meets-MGMT, and I love it. Egyptian Cadilliac will stick in your head, as will the relentless drums in Welcome To Hell. Crank it up loud, Australia.
The drive into Green Mountains was incredible. Winding dirt road encroached by rainforest.
An unexpected week off work emerged on my calendar with just two weeks of notice right before Easter. I scanned the map for somewhere to go – my one goal to find somewhere where the sun was shining and not a drop of rain was forecast. Melbourne was sunny, but it was Melbourne. Cairns was borderline, but required a flight and I didn’t want to deal with airports (turned out this was even wiser than I’d anticipated). I was keen to hit the open road, and take my Blue wheels for a decent spin.
Two possibilities emerged – western NSW, out to Mungo and back; or south eastern Queensland. Both are places I’ve wanted to explore. I chose to head north, given I was more in the mood for rainforest than desert, and that accommodation at short notice was a lot easier to find along the coast than out west.
I started the journey with only a loose plan to see Lamington National Park and Glass House Mountains, deciding my journey at the start of each day. So, with the first night booked for Bellingen and nothing more, I set off.
Dorrigo national park
I wanted to get to Queensland as fast as possible, but I try not to drive more than six hours in one day – especially since we’re well into Autumn and the sun is setting sooner. Heading off at midday, I powered my way to Bellingen, arriving shortly after sunset. The recent rains were evident in the quality of the road surfaces. Dodging potholes was tricky business in the darkness of the final twenty minutes.
The next day I whipped up the road to Dorrigo where I hiked down into the depths of the rainforest and found myself surrounded by spooky mist and lush green vines, palms, figs and more.
Given the park sits on a stretch of road named Waterfall Way, it’s no surprise that there’s an abundance of waterfalls of all shapes and sizes. I only had time for a couple, but Dangar Falls was the most impressive. I even encountered a Red-Belly Black Snake along the way, and took far too many photos of Booyong trees.
Byron Bay
Byron was a sleep stop and little more. I didn’t have the energy (or time) for another six hour drive so I stopped half way. I had never been to Byron Bay before, and it was about what I expected. I arrived just before sunset and so had only enough time to dart to the beach, and then do a short loop around the town. I simultaneously understood why it was so popular, and why it was so loathed.
It’s pretty, for sure – but there are thousands of equally stunning spots up and down the coast. It’s really a moot point when weighed against the cons. There was an energy in the town, but it really did seem to be teeming with douchey and phoney types. The kind who post gym selfies or have yacht parties where everyone has to dress in white for some reason. I guess stereotypes exist for a reason. The natural beauty is offset by the hollow people.
I checked out the lighthouse the next morning in the fresh morning light, which was the highlight of the stopover. Onward to Queensland!
Lamington National Park
Right on top of a waterfall
I crossed the border and took a sharp left turn to avoid Gold Coast as much as possible. The destination was Lamington National park, which is split into two main areas – Binna Burra to the East, and Green Mountains to the West. I spent a day in each, and it was not long enough for either.
Impressive waterfalls and trails kept me busy, and an abundance of bird life kept me company. The journey into O’Reilly on the Green Mountains side was incredible. Winding dirt roads put the Jimny to work, surrounded by a tunnel of rainforest. I wish I could have stayed longer, but was glad I didn’t since that would have meant I’d miss out on my next destination – Glass House Mountains.
Sunset at O’Reilly’s
Glass House Mountains National Park
If you want to see lumpy rocks in the middle of nowhere, Australia truly is the place for you. But their abundance doesn’t make them any less unique. I thought Glass House Mountains might be similar to the Warrumbungles in NSW, which I saw last year. I was wrong. Yet again, I was wishing I had more time.
The Glass Houses have their own character and the entire area is just made for driving. I got lost in the best possible way zooming up and down roads aimlessly, just trying to see each of the mountains from a different angle and vantage point. I even got to go off-road and put my four wheel driving skills to the test (as more gung-ho motorists zoomed past in convoy).
More than once I came upon pineapples lined across the road, every time followed by giggling children hiding behind a nearby tree or fence. Must be a local prank. It only made the place more endearing.
Sunset from Wild Horse Mountain was the perfect bookend to a spectacular week on the road.
But we held on for the dream Through lonely times indeed We’re not the only ones Gazing towards the horizon The look in your eyes Says the best is to come
“There’s nothing we could have done to prevent these bad things happening to the economy! Only we can be trusted to prevent bad things like this happening to the economy!”
Australians generally disengage themselves from politics for the most part. Even myself – despite it being something I do pay attention to – I really don’t think it makes for good conversation (even with people who agree with me). So I happen to be fond of the levelling effect of this disengagement, and the default position being to despise all politicians. It can be frustrating at times when people are unaware, but it is far more preferable than the hyper-engagement of the US where society divides itself into teams not too dissimilar to blind religious devoition.
But it’s been very telling how on-the-nose this lot are by the amount of people openly talking about how much they loathe them.
So putting that aside, I’ve never been as keen to see the back of a government as now. Two more weeks and we will finally be rid of that lazy, slimy, smirking, cosplaying, carnival-barking prick.
The Government is in its death spiral now. Prime Minister and sentient turd Scott Morrison is circling the porcelain bowl as Australians prepare to flush his incompetent, corrupt and useless government from office. A cavalcade of incoherent alcoholics, grubby sex pests and religious nutjobs are now on the cusp of irrelevance.
Unfortunately we won’t be rid of the infantile Australian media which seems to be stacked with the same kind of upward-failures as the government – a bunch of children seemingly having won their jobs from a coupon at the bottom of a cereal box, regurgitating government bullshit without scrutiny, and acting like they’re still trying to win the debating competition in the snooty private school at which their lives peaked. I only hope that broader society is seeing through the self-indulgent narcissism of these journos and understands that their true motivations are far from pure. It appears to me that some simply ended up in their current job as a consolation prize for missing out on a spot on Married at First Sight.
Pro tip: If you already know the answer to a question prior to asking, then it’s not a question worth asking.
Anyway, music! There’s some crackers in this month. That new King Gizz album is the soundtrack to my regular lunch bike rides around Centennial Park this month (love that cover artwork too); Concrete Over Water is just incredible; loving that subtle slide guitar in Scared of Heights; I’ve thrown in a couple of classics dedicated to Scotty; and even though I’m largely long over Flume now, I couldn’t pass on the combination with birdsong and Albarn.
Christ, this rain. What a hectic month of work and rain and rain and work. But as of this moment, both have eased. There wasn’t much time for tunes in past month, but somehow I’ve managed to cobble something decent together. There’s a bit of an international flavour to this one.
Severance This is just awesome. Every element of this show has been carefully crafted down to the last detail. The cast are fantastic, the set pieces and cinematography terrific, and the tone is perfectly creepy and mysterious.
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (Season 15) It is unbelievable how a show fifteen seasons deep can be this good. The break certainly did a lot of good. The last four or five seasons, while still enjoyable, saw the gang become caricatures of themselves. This season not only fixed that, but added whole new layers of social commentary delivered with such subtlety that it wasn’t until the closing credits of the final episode that I realised the entirety of what they were getting at. No other show can be this hilariously dumb and intelligent simultaneously, and the cast are better than ever. I can not wait for more.
Kaitlin Olson is Always Sunny’s MVP
How To With John Wilson (Season 2) HTWJW is brilliant. You have never seen anything like it before. Season one was fantastic, and the second run doesn’t let up. I want more. The less you know about it going in, the better.
Ozark (Season 4 Part 1) This show has been quite the adventure. The first season was great, but felt a lot like “what if Breaking Bad, but in Missouri”, and when that season ended with its cliff-hanger my eyes rolled back like the cherries on an Ozark poker machine. But I pressed on, and it soon became more than that and carved out a place of its own. Solidly engaging and shocking (Wyatt!).
On Cinema Oscer Special 2022 Somehow, Tim and Gregg continue to lift these specials to even greater heights of absurdity. This year’s instalment might be in my top three (Gregg’s carbon monoxide Joker finale is still top of the pile).
Euphoria (Season 2) Season one of this had me hooked. The cinematography was phenomenal, and the plotlines shocking, but used in service of the plot. Season two just went right off the rails. There was no cohesive story, plenty of dead end plot lines and no clear season arc. The whole thing was a mess. Lexi’s play was hilarious in it’s ridiculousness (also, she’s the only likeable character in the entire show so it was good to see more of her), but otherwise the season was pretty empty. Not sure I’ll press on from this point.
The Book of Boba Fett Four really bad episodes of a Boba Fett show, two great Mandalorian episodes, and one final episode blending a bunch of fan service together like a Star Wars smoothie. Temuera is stiff, the story is all over the place, the new characters don’t seem to fit (spy kids?). Mando was the best thing to come from the Star Wars brand in a very long time. This was a reminder that most of the time, it’s rubbish.
MacGruber (Series) Loved it. Puerile and dumb, just as expected. Forte, Wiig and Phillippe are fantastic as ever. And Laurence Fishburne turned down another Matrix for this – proving that he’s far smarter than the rest of the Matrix cast.
Yellowjackets File this one under “shows I wouldn’t have watched if Omicron hadn’t kept me inside”. That said, it was an enjoyable surprise carried mostly by the cast and a nineties soundtrack rather than the story. Christina Ricci is great.
Murderville Simple concept, executed successfully for the most part. A couple of guests don’t hit the mark but the rest brought back memories of the brilliant Thank God You’re Here.
The Afterparty Clever idea from Lord and Miller. Essentially, an evening’s events are recounted by a different character each episode in an attempt to solve a murder. In a similar vein, the visual style changes – which is really clever – but also got frustrating at times as it meant the tone of the show was also all over the place.
Absolutely brilliant
Movies
The Humans Unsettling, creepy, great cast. A little arty. The less you know going in, the better.
Don’t Look Up Ugh. If you’re after a movie that thinks it’s far smarter than it actually is, this one’s for you. There is absolutely no subtlety to any of it and so the gags just don’t land. It’s as though the cast are constantly winking at camera saying “GET IT? GET IT?” and it’s incredibly tiresome, and the ending is obvious before the first act is over. The all-star cast only make things worse. Leo and J Law are poorly cast. They only demonstrate that their acting chops fall apart when a comedic performance is required and their presence feeds into the condescending, holier-than-thou tone of the entire movie. Blanchett (being unrecognisable) and Jonah Hill (a comedic performer) are the exceptions, and deliver the most memorable moments. It’s unfortunate, because the underlying message is important and the skeleton of the concept is clever. There’s just no meat on the bones. Satire is best when the point is realised in the viewers’ head, not yelled at them through a megaphone. Don’t Look Up? More like Don’t Bother. Watch Idiocracy again instead.
Spider-Man: No Way Home A big fun spectacle. If someone had pitched this idea six years ago they’d have been ridiculed, but somehow it works. Mind you, I think it’s the kind of thing which can only work once. Spider-Man is possibly the only Marvel fare I have time and patience for, given the tone is right (light, breezy, a bit silly but not overly so). But I’m not sure I have reason to continue beyond this. It wrapped up twenty years of the franchise all too well.
Finch A pleasant surprise. Hanks is Hanks. The robot’s character is surprisingly well written. Some really nice visuals. Just pleasant.
The Power of the Dog A well-paced western with an ending that hits you out of nowhere. This looked fantastic, and Cumberbatch didn’t piss me off – which is quite an achievement.
No Time to Die I’m not much a fan of Bond. I find them incredibly dated and corny. That said, Spectre was a fantastic movie (mostly because it was the least Bond-like instalment I’ve seen). I gave up on the penultimate instalment after twenty minutes, but decided to watch NTTD given it was Craig’s last performance in the role. The ending was great, the action sequences were clever and tight. Ana de Armas was a great addition, but featured way too briefly. But in true Bond style, the bad guys were cartoonish and a lot of dialogue was corny. Rami Malek is poorly cast. For the big bad dude of the movie, he had absolutely zero presence.
The Matrix Resurrections Holy shit. I thought the second and third instalments were bad, but this lured me in with rumours that they’d gone all meta with the plot. I was intrigued, but unfortunately it was done so poorly that it took me five sessions to get through. Terrible. Just terrible.
A Quiet Place Part II Solid sequel. Nothing to get excited over but some decent thrills.
