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Annual hottest 100 post... even if it is really really late...

• Bob Evans - Don't You Think It's Time - 37
  
• Butterfly Effect - A Slow Descent - 39
  
• Grates - 19-20-20 - 10
  
• Hilltop Hoods - The Hard Road - 3
  
• Karnivool - Roquefort - 45
  
• Placebo - Infra-Red - 78
  
• Tapes 'N Tapes - Insistor - DNF
  
• Tool - Jambi - DNF
  
• Tool - Vicarious - 22
  
• You Am I - It Ain't Funny How We Don't Talk Anymore - DNF
  

Okay... so I am not going to mention the fact that Jambi did not place... C'MON AUSTRALIA, IT'S TOOL FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY, EVERY SONG NOMINATED SHOULD HAVE MADE IT!

Okay, now that I have that off my chest...

This was a pretty good year for my voting... only 3 DNF's.. thats not bad, especially since, as much as it pains me to say, I did not expect You Am I to place (even though I love that song to death).

Augie March, Eski Lid Joe & the Hilltops in the top 5! Hell yes, Australian music represent. It seems that every year the number and quality of Australian entries goes up and up.

Only issues I have with the list, My Chemical Romance, Panic at the Disco & AFI. Damn, this is the type of crap that gets air play on US stations, I thought the Australian audience was smarter than that.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Australia day, and you let the world know how happy and proud we are of the wonderful country we come from.

Okay, so I am a bit late with this. Better late then never, I guess.

• Favourite Movie : The Departed.
  
  
• Favourite Book : Scartissue.
  
  
• Favourite Albumn : Tool - 10,000 Days.
  Honorable Mention: The Butterfly Effect - Imago, Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit.
  
  
• Favourite Live Show : Tool at the Gorge.
  Honorable Mention: Dresden Dolls, Flogging Molly.
  
  

I hope 2007 is just as good.

[ Jebediah - It's Over ]

This time last year I was hanging out in Vancouver with Dan & Estelle, having a fantastic time. This year I am having dinner in a crappy resturant in Mandurah with my folks (seriously what sort of resturant does not serve Vodka on NYE). Wow this trip was a mistake, and not one I will be repeating anytime soon.

Hope everyone else had a good new years. Some sort of 2006 wrapup may be posted tomorrow, if my mood improves.

So, I've been really slack about posting recently. Sorry, I'm actually taking the time at the moment to live my life, rather than figuring out how to write about it.

NYC was fun. I got to see a lot of cool things, like the Met, Guggenheim, Chelsea Hotel, 5th Ave, Rockerfeller Center, Times Square, Broadway and all of the other touristy type stuff. Photo's can be seen in my Flickr Feed

The other thing that I wanted to do, which I did, was to try living like a local, see what life was like living in a city like that. The conclusion that I came to after my time there, was while the city was very cool, and there is always something happening and something new to see. I realise now I could not live like that. I like to be able to have a quiet life sometimes, I like some wilderness around me (while central park is cool, it's not the same). I guess I am just a small town person at heart.


Last weekend, I went snowboarding for the first time. A bunch of us from work headed out to Crystal Mountain (photo's available here, taken by Derrick Tan). My first time on a snowboard (only been in snow a couple of times). I didn't do as badly as I expected, I could stand up, and even managed to make it down a blue run from the top of the mountain. The view from the top of the mountain over to Mt Ranier was spectacular. This is something I can see myself doing more of (I would go again this weekend, but I really should organise for my trip).

Speaking of my trip... the time is fast approaching... Saturday 12/16 I leave Seattle. I arrive in sydney sunday night, I'll be there until Wedensday morning, when I leave for Perth. I'll stay in Perth until 01/13. If I know you, or I have ever known you (i.e. I once said g'day to you when you served me at Macca's), lemme know and we'll have a beer while I'm in town.
Also planned for my trip is a bunch of time allocated as 'beach time'... I am also considering bringing my gear and trying to get some climbing in down on the southwest coast... that sounds like a lot of organisation though, so I might let that slide and just hit some of the gyms in Perth.

So I am in NYC this weekend.

I don't really know how to describe this city. It has a population that rivals australia, in an area smaller than perth. Everything is completely overblown. No matter where your going, or when your going there is always people around.

This is kinda cool, when you want to eat late at night, or something like that, but I don't know if I could live with it all the time.

Anyway, hope everyone is having a great thanksgiving, and more info when I get back.

As much as this pains me to say, Tool is no longer the greatest concert experience of the year for me. Last night, I saw the Dresden Dolls play at the Showbox.

This show was so amazing, it wasn't just a band on stage, it was a full artistic experience. There was caberat dancers on stage, there was artists on stage during the support acts painting canvases and people, there was an MC who was an acomplished musician in his own right. In addition to this explosion of creativity there were also these two amazing musicians (Amanda & Brian) pouring all of this emotion and energy into thier music.

The support act were a group called The Red Paintings from Queensland Australia. It was good to hear some real accents (these were the second australian band I have seen this week :-) ). These guys were really interesting, they projected some visceral movies against the wall while they played, and the music was very raw and abrupt. Picked up thier first EP at the show, need to listen to it some more, but I am really enjoying it so far.

Over the last week, I have also seen Muse, Architecture in Helsinki and Clap Your Hand, Say Yeah.

So far the most expensive show was Muse, which cost me $50. The rest have been about $20. I am also seeing Placebo next week, which is also $20. Back in perth, Muse + Placebo would have been ~$80, and the other three would have been at least $60. Why such a difference, even allowing for currency conversion, the tickets in Australia are much more expensive. I would assume it's the cost of getting to Australia, but the prices would hold true for Australian bands touring inside of Australia.