bake me a mix cake

oh hi boxing day, i remember you! you're meant to be FREAKING A MILLION DEGREES AND SUNNY - WHAT HAPPENED?

i'm meant to be lying on the sand, under a beach umbrella (with tassles), on my new ginormous beach towel, in my new fandangly cossie, drinking icy cold beer and eating watermelon. that's my boxing day tradition, and you've bloody wrecked it.

whatev's, i'm making a new tradition involving rum soaked cherry cakes and mix tapes. also, did you know you can vote in the triple j hottest 100 right now? go here, do it! i've been listening to my top 10 for 2009 while measuring, sifting and baking all my delicious cake ingredients, and thought you might like to have a listen too.

and anyway, maybe my new boxing day tradition can also involve drinking french champagne, eating fresh out of the oven cherry cake, putting my feet up and getting started on the stack of excellent new books i got for christmas yesterday. okay rainy grey sky - perhaps you're not so bad after all.

ps. this is in no partics order and if you're a regular visitor to make me a mix tape, i'm sure you'll be familiar with a few of these tunes.

pps. you know how people say they remember exactly what they were doing when they heard the news that diana, m.j, heath etc. had died? i'm like that with songs i know are going to be favourites for a very long time. these were ten such songs for me this year. xx

little lion man - mumford & sons

sitting in my kitchen, drinking earl grey tea, running late, wrapped in a towel knowing i need to get dressed, but unable to move away from the radio until i'd heard the whole song.

and the boys - angus & julia stone

sitting at my desk, all alone in the office, and taking advantage of the stereo. sunlight flooding in our beautiful arch window and then julia starts singing about gold falling from the ceiling of the world. marvellous.

how to tame lions - washington

reviewing washington's EP for a music column i do, sitting cross-legged at my desk, in my pj's, on my old, pink wooden chair, drinking red wine. the next day i read an interview she'd done where she explained this particular track as a break-up song, and for some reason it made me love it even more.

heartbreak scorsese - snob scrilla

i'd borrowed mum's car, and was driving home on a sunday night along the wakehurst parkway. an odd choice because this isn't my favourite band or genre of music at all, and i don't even have a thing for scorsese. but i just couldn't get it out of my head.

bruises - chairlift

summer, way back at the beginning of 2009! it was literally this time last year, i was on holidays and stumbled across this gem on last fm. i'll admit i don't really love the album this comes off as a whole, but this has remained a favourite ALL year. and i think it's very romantic.

fader - the temper trap

drinking coffee and perusing the world wide web as i was getting ready for another workday. saw the new clip for fader, loved it, bought tickets to their january 2010 sydney show.

blood - the middle east

it was much earlier this year, i was at work and a friend of a colleague had sent an advance of this spine-tinglingly good EP. was in a skins phase at the time, and the two seemed to go hand in hand.

eet - regina spektor

in my bedroom, laying on my back with my feet up against the wall. it was cold and wintry outside, and i was warm and cosy inside. just listening. this track came on and i repeated it about 27 times.

home - edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros

plugged into the radio at work as i was doing something mega boring and brain-frying on the old dream-weaver and dreaming of impending christmas holidays. immediately started googling the band and also compiling a list of american states that are not said as they are spelled. arkansas, tucson etc.

dog days are over - florence & the machine

when macca still lived at casa de wilson, i heard this wonderful song coming out of her bedroom, which led to a new favourite band for katie dazzle and also one of our fabulous staircase chats.

christmas came early

i love christmas. i mean i really, really love it. i'm a tinsel slinging, carol singing, jingle bell ringing, ball of holiday energy. i love fairy lights and christmas trees. i love wreaths on doorways and mistletoe in hallways. i love setting the christmas pudding on fire and digging around for actual old-school sixpences, threepences and shillings that have been passed through the generations in my dad's fam. i love being on kid patrol with my mum's fam, even though i'm likely to be imbibing just as much as the parents on christmas day. i love that christmas turns me into a corny, sentimental twat. and i love making a mixtape of my favourite holiday inspired tunes. hope everyone has a dazzling festive experience!

ps. am 96% sure santa is real x

no christmas for me - zee avi

oddly, you'll notice that even though i'm mental for christmas, a lot of the songs have quite the melancholy vibe to them. i think this balances out my uber-excitement quite well, and prevents people from wanting to slap me in the face.

a christmas duel - the hives & cyndi lauper

rock n' roll. the hives and cyndi combine two of my favourite things, christmas and duets, what a fabulous present!

blue christmas - bright eyes

something about the way conor oberst croons away about a so-called blue christmas makes me feel distinctly warm inside. uncanny.

winter wonderland - phantom planet

it's a bit weird listening to all these songs about christmas that reference the snowy, wintry holidays that are happening in the northern hemisphere. and sure, i'd love to hear more songs about santa in thongs, drinking beer and getting dumped by gnarly barrels. but the tinkly bells and visions of snowflakes are just too contagious.

christmas cake - rilo kiley

i used to hate christmas cake, it's one of those holiday treats that i've definitely grown into. i don't know whether it's my increased love of rum and dark spirits or that it just tastes like a little bit of magic, but now christmas isn't christmas without one. see. i told you i was a corny twat.

all i want for christmas - yeah yeah yeahs

not the mariah or love actually version my friends. just karen o and her band being totally fucking awesome. as usual.

it's christmas so we'll stop - frightened rabbit

the only christmas i have not spent in the sunny climes of australia, i spent in a teeny, tiny town just out of glasgow, in scotland. it was ridiculously cold and grey, but i was in the cosiest house, with the loveliest people, at the bottom of a mountain that looked like it was out of a tolkein novel. and this song reminds me of just that.

baby it's cold outside - royal crown revue

what's christmas without a bit of brass and horn action? NOT christmas at all! exactly.

i wish it was christmas today - julian casablancas

the intro to this song is SO happy-making. my favourite one to decorate the christmas tree too this year.

carol of the bells - home alone soundtrack

home alone. essential christmas viewing. that is all.

why can't it be christmastime all year - rosie thomas

why can't it indeed rosie? but, to be perfectly honest, being a ball of holiday energy is pretty tiring. especially on my poor old liver. ho ho ho everyone!

celeb-ration

just because we live in day and age where stalking is now called facebook, i thought perhaps it might be nice to have an appropriate mixtape to listen to whilst polishing the smudge-marks off the binoculars, and developing those snaps in the darkroom. so creepy yet oh so normal. voyeurs say what now? x

i wish i knew natalie portman - k-os

ok, so this new k-os track is actually the catalyst behind the whole playlist. i do love me a kooky theme in a music video, plus the sampling in this track reminds me of the simple days, when i used to have a massive crush on seth cohen.

starlett johansson - the teenagers

i'm surprised there aren't more songs dedicated to ms. megababe johansson. i'm not surprised at how much i love hearing these frenchies pronounce the word 'monogamy'.

bette davis eyes - kim carnes

i don't know what bette davis eyes are, but after seeing this fierce blondie sing about them in a billowing, backlit, shadowy dream of a music video, i think i totally need to have them.

buddy holly - weezer

tee hee, such a cute clip! this song reminds me of melting mars bars in the microwave and skiing at thredbo when i was 15. loves a flashback moment.

clint eastwood - gorillaz

since seeing 'gran torino', i can't really even read clint eastwood's name without getting a bit teary and emotional. such a dude, as if you wouldn't write a song about him.

clark gable - the postal service

hmmm. i have an overwhelming desire to go and hire 'gone with the wind' right about now - will put it on the to-do list.

vincent - don mclean

so most of the famous peeps in this mixtape are of the acting persuasion, but i thought it might be nice to include a few arty/smarty (see below) types too. the vincent here of course being mr van gogh.

galileo - the indigo girls

and the galileo being none other than the italiano super astronomer and physicist. i think i might like to get a kitten and call it galileo. how cute would it look going up into space! kidding.

elvis - these new puritans

apparently these new puritans weren't talking about that king. but by saying they're not talking about him, well, actually they are. so there.

meeting paris hilton - CSS

paris hilton is a beach bitch. CSS are amazing.

glitter and lycra and neon, oh my!

new groove armada song 'i won't kneel' is making me feel dreamy, and perhaps like i could have come up with the best prom theme, had i attended degrassi junior high x

stockwinding

after listening to this approximately 48 times yesterday, i have decided it is probably in my best interests to go blonde, and date a man with heaps and heaps of hair. the chemistry in this is so electric, i can feel it in my eyelashes. loves it x

can't get you

out of my head. like it's trapped or something. l.o.v.e. loving the new temper trap clip for fader x

i listen to you

and my heart glows - care bear style. x

i.n.i.t.i.a.l

you know what i totally love? letters. and full stops. and putting letters with full stops to make tiny words that stand for something else. i really just love them. a lot. and abbreviating things. i totes love that too. and when i love something, you know what that means. mixtape time.

word. x

l.e.s artistes - santigold

i'm not even really sure what the l.e.s stands for in this song, but my ears get very happy whenever they listen to it.

vcr - the xx

hearting this band so much right now. can't wait to see them at laneway in jan. so lyrically succinct and they're barely twenty - j to the ealous.

paper planes - m.i.a.

bloody hell. m.i.a. is cooler than a cola sunny boy on a hot summer day. seriously thinking about changing my name to k.a.t.i.e.d.a.z.z.l.e.

all my friends - lcd soundsystem

i might like tiny words, but when songs are as good as this, they can be as long as they want.

ode to lrc - band of horses

if i could use the letters to write a song, i'd make an ode to tiny words too, band of horses.

can't believe a single word - vhs or beta

i love vhs's. and i still have a stellar collection consisting of the lion king, pulp fiction and empire records.

o.p.p. - naughty by nature

when i was making a mixtape this morn, bambi asked me what it was about. when i told her she said "oh kit, i bet there's some trashy hip hop/rap song you could use". ha.

here i am - ub40

what's with the bomber jacket? that is all.

o.a.v.i.p - the maccabees

outstandingly amazing very important person? or perhaps a secret message to someone.

crushed

like a pineapple and mint frappe. which is obviously seriously good. just listened to an album called resevoir by a US band called fanfarlo. i'm crushing on all 11 songs. check out their website. check out their myspace. buy their record. here's a tasty sample, acoustic flavour. x

just because

it's one of the loveliest things kicking around the world wide web x

a regular dozen

is twelve. twelve is an excellent number. there are twelve days of christmas, twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve hours in half of one day, twelve beers in my fridge, twelve cookies in my cookie jar and, of course, twelve months in one year.

all of a sudden i've found myself in a place where 'best of' lists are being drawn up all around me. all of a sudden i've realised it's november, soon to be december, soon to be santa, soon to be drinking way too much champagne, soon to be 2010.

and it's caused me some reflection. not in a wack corny way, more just like a gentle reminder to cast my mind back over the things i have (and haven't) done since the beginning of this year. and voila, i've made a mixtape of songs to go with said reflection that have something to do with each and every month of the year.

i feel like it was january and i blinked and now 09 is nearly gone. then again, that could have something to do with the fact that new years eve is not the only time of year i drink too much champagne. and i've had some pretty great blinks along the way. x

january rain - david gray

is the best sort of rain. there's nothing like cooling your hot and sticky limbs in a january afternoon downpour as you breathe in the smell of the wet stuff splashing down on blister-making hot roads.

one heavy february - architecture in helsinki

short and sweet, much like the second month of the year. in february i like to stay out way too late to make the most of daylight savings and the last promises of summer.

march of the meanies - the beatles

in march i like to use my artistic license to make a mix tape since there are nil songs i like about the month of march. plus this is super exciting, in a cinematic action movie kind of way.

april 8th - neutral milk hotel

an introspective tune, perfect to listen to when you're curled up on your couch in april looking through a rain-spattered window at the leaves turning all crunchy and brown.

maggie may - blur

in may i like to listen to bands playing covers whilst continuing to use artistic license when making mix tapes. i also like to daydream about escaping to summer in europe as the weather becomes chilly.

miss june '75 - the brian jonestown massacre

june is my favourite month of the year. it's roses, pearls, warm scarves, warmer snuggles and birthday cake.

july, july! - the decemberists

july. a month so great you have to say it two times in a row. with punctuation! in july i like to rug up and go for bike rides in the winter sunshine.

august moon - gregory & the hawk

cold, clear, dark, sharp nights make for chilly bones, but also the brightest, whitest moons of the year. bring your hip-flask of inside warming cognac.

pale september - fiona apple

perhaps one to listen to whilst you're in the northern hemisphere, for it to make literal sense. but a beautiful song to listen to anytime, anywhere in any other sense.

october, first account - be your own pet

in october i like to strip off the layers, stop bringing jackets to work and dream of impending summer plans as i turn the clock for daylight savings.

sweet november - sarah blasko

where i am right now. in november i like to remember how good it was to see sarah blasko live at the enmore in october.

will you still love me in december - julie doiron

the last on my list. in december i like to listen to this song as i run through the year in my mind and think of the dances i've done along the way.

inked

found this super pretty vid and song on the internet.com during my morning coffee and browsing travels. makes me wish i was going to art-class in 5 minutes.



xx

camps, apparently.

so last week i was feeling extremely treacherous. but don't be too alarmed! it was due to the fact that i spent three glorious days geting down and dirty with nature at camp treachery, which is this cute as a button campsite right near the beach about 4 hours north of sydney.

i camped lots when i was a little one, but haven't had so much outdoor adventure as an adult. ha, that's weird - i don't think i've ever typed myself as an adult before. anyway, i l.o.v.e loved it and am planning on loads more camping trips over the summer.

one thing i need to invest in though, is some great portable speakers of some description, because although i like the silence of the wild*, every camping adventure needs a mixtape. here's one to tide me over til next time. x

* this is a lie. the only time i'm capable of silence is when i'm sleeping. shooting stars are quite cool though.

freeway - aimee mann

the mixtape starts in the car of course, and this is the most excellent song to drive to. windows down, hair blowing in the wind, sunburn creeping up your right arm and all the promise of the weekend ahead of you. perfect.

no cars go - arcade fire

actually, i've just realised how vital cars are to camping, we had so much shit squashed into 3 vehicles there was barely room for the seven of us anyway. but i do like the thought that camping = a complete disconnect with the real world. no phones, no computers, no use of said cars til it's go time. and if you're katie dazzle no showers either. ew.

dirt on your new shoes - bishop allen

do not take your new shoes camping because the dirt is inevitable and everywhere. it's kinda nice having dusty, dirty limbs for a few days, and the shower you have when you get home will be the best one you have ever had.

gold in the air of summer - kings of convenience

the song i want to listen to when the sun is setting, the beers are cold, the fire is building and the company is outstanding.

chasing waterfalls - faux pas

there weren't any actual waterfalls at treachery, plenty of gnarly barrels though. and we saw dolphins, twice! i love the idea this song encapsulates - running around through dirt and forest and trees looking for the source.

running up that hill - placebo

treachery beach is awesome, quite dangerous as the name suggests, but offering up plenty of calm, blue moments as well. there just so happens to be an enormous hill separating you from the wet stuff, made entirely of sand. camp trudgery. my quads are looking good though.

society - eddie vedder

from the movie into the wild, this track is going along the same lines as the arcade fire one, and makes me realise just how important the world is, as in the earth, not the things that live on it. hello dj introspective.

the wolves (act i & ii) - bon iver

i did not encounter any wolves on this particular camping adventure. however, a dingo did steal my shirt and my sunglasses. for real. i got them both back in the end. thanks mike.

up late - custom kings

i love that when you're camping you think it's got to be midnight when it's only really 8pm. i also love late night renegade adventures to the beach and tents full of sand in the morning.

the moon - cat power

this is lying on picnic rugs in the dark, fire crackling, bellies full, staring up at the wide black expanse of sky dotted with stars bright like you've never seen them. one shoots, and everything feels like magical.

wake the sun - the matches

so joyous! a great one to pack everything up to, or run up that giant sand dune hill for one final dip in treacherous waters. get your camp on x

dazzle calling

holy crapola! has it really been a month since i made you a mix tape? bad kitty.

you know when they say say time flies when you're having fun? do they speak truth or lies? all i know is i have been trapped in a dark cave for approximately four weeks, just dying to get these tunes out to you.

so appropriately these next few songs are all about making contact or some sort of call. forgive me? pretty please? x

like a call - architecture in helsinki

the clip to this song is so darn cute, it makes me think of hot chocolate, rain spattered windows, knitted blankets, holding hands and breathing deeply.

collect call - metric

talking about so darn cute, may i please be emily haines when i grow up? i find this song beseeching. also i love it that every time haines refers to herself as a lazy dancer, i'm ever hopeful she'll one day drop a tiny dancer in there instead. no luck so far...

long distance call - phoenix

italian people answer the phone by saying "pronto!" which means "ready!". ha, that's funny. i wonder how frenchies answer their talky boxes?

new york telephone conversation - lou reed

who doesn't love a little bit of gossip? a song that makes me think that i'm not the only one who eavesdrops on other people's conversations, and reminds me to perhaps speak a little less loudly when conducting my own affairs in public.

call me - blondie

deb harry is one hot bitch in blue. she would look good in a plastic freaking bag. maybe i should go rock-star platinum and disguise my rang.

call it off - tegan and sara

maybe i would have been something you'd be good at. i love this line. and i love this version i found too - demo-style, thanks little canadian trinkets.

angel, won't you call me - the decemberists

i hate waiting for people to call me. in fact i hate waiting for anything, patient i am not! i do love to leave a good voicemail though - i think my record is around 2 minutes and 17 seconds. even when i found out that 99% of my buddies don't even listen to my messages anymore, i still leave them.

spiderwebs - no doubt

i was reminded at my weekly trivia tournament on tuesday just how much i loved tragic kingdom when it came out, and even though it wasn't the biggest hit, spiderwebs was always my favourite track. note to self - another hot blondie - the peroxide really is beckoning today.

telephone line - elo

this sure is a heart-string tugger, and while i think the song is epic, i have never been able to actually take it seriously. i do however love the synth and the doo-wah factor.

dinosaurs are cute

so this post is dedicated as both a birthday and thank you present to my friend gerrysaurus. also i like to call her milkshake. she very much likes dinosuars and even sometimes makes dioaramas out of them. i hope you like gerrysaurus. love cupcake x

brontosaurus - the move

this is so appropriate because gerrysaurus is of the herbviore kind of dino lover. and she has a lovely and graceful neck, just like those tall, leafy tree chompers.

in our talons - bowerbirds

this is just a super pretty song and video clip in general. i heart animations. and i don't know if dinosaurs are more claw-like than talonesque, but i'm pulling some artistic license out of my back pocket here.

crooked teeth - death cab for cutie

dinosuars definitely have sharp teeth but would we call them crooked? well, i don't believe there were many dentists living in the jurassic age, so they most certainly could have been.

time of the season - the zombies

how many artistic license cards does one get per post i wonder? you may be wondering what loose connection katie dazzle is going to make here, but do you remember that wonderful movie the land before time? all about dino's. and a flick i could happily watch in any season.

don't be mean - the raincoats

ok so this has one hundred percent nothing to do with those wonderfully leathery reptillians that milkshake likes so much, BUT, i do know that gerrysaurus likes this band very much. and the track is freaking killer - just like dinosaurs.

wild thing - jimi hendrix

a crazy cat singing about all things wild and dangerous, just like dinosaurs are. and way cooler than if i'd posted dorothy the dinosaur in its place.

vanilla - british india

rather than being anything to do with dinosaurs, this track is more in reference to gerry-'milkshake'-o-saurus. vanilla is my favourite flavour. malt is essential.

children of the revolution - t.rex

imagine being in a band called t.rex? so awesome and powerful. and gerrysaurus is most definitely a candidate for being a revolutionary child. happy hippy hoppy birthday and thankyou times one million x

buon viaggio!

everyone in my life seems to be going on holidays at the moment. that is 100% exaggerated for artistic purposes, but there is definitely a significant amount of people in my life going on holidays at the moment.

the type of big, glorious overseas adventures that are sure to be eye-opening and spectacular. i am supremely jealous of course, but i've had my time in the sun, wind and rains of other countries, so i also know exactly how thrilling it feels to be going away to far off lands.

one of my loveliest friends in the world, anchovy, is leaving for europe today! she is scared and excited and i know she's going to have the most marvelous time. so with her in mind, here's a mixtape of a few songs that spring up when i think about packing a suitcase and jumping on the next available plane out of here. the only place i'm going right now is to the backyard to plant a money tree - then i can start dreaming about my own next great adventure. x

vacationing people - foreign born

foreign born's entire album, person to person, reminds me of holidays, particularly of the summer variety. this super mellow, acoustic version inspires long and lazy daydreams about holiday-making and holiday-taking.

everyday should be a holiday - the dandy warhols

wouldn't that be nice? well maybe not, maybe you only appreciate holidays because you don't get to have them everyday. maybe i should test the hypothesis and get back to you...

holiday - madonna

this is the perfect song for the holiday you take when you don't actually go anywhere. where you get to spend a week beautifying and organising your life in the comfort of your own home. where you spend a few hours every morning dancing around in your knickers to madonna's immaculate collection. other people do that, right?

leaving on a jet plane - john denver

i've been on a quite a few jet planes now, but i still get ridiculously excited each and everytime i board a flight. i think it's because 1) i have little legs so leg room is never an issue, and 2) i have a penchant for free alcohol and tiny packets of m.s.g. sprinkled peanuts.

brothers on a hotel bed - death cab for cutie

i love the imagery this song title conjures up in my head. i think this could refer to any travelling companion, brother from another mother an all that. or sister even. if you can travel in (mostly) harmony with someone, i think that makes them your friend for life.

across the universe - fiona apple

the coolest track to listen to when you've boarded the jet plane, scored yourself a window seat, and you're looking at all the tiny, changing land and sea below. and drinking free alcohol and eating free peanuts.

travel is dangerous - mogwai

only kidding! it's really not, and hairy, scary stories make for the best laughs when you're reunited with your loved ones upon your return. the most dangerous thing of all is staying in the same place all the time.

life is a highway - tom cochrane

potentially one of those songs where this blog's theme has all been a ruse in order for it to be included. in all it's tom cochrane goodness.

let's get out of this country - camera obscura

like i said, i'm planting my money/holiday fund tree asap. destination anywhere and everywhere. have a great adventure anchovy!

snapshot

as a blogger, you have a certain amount of anonymity - however much you choose to have i guess. it's a scary thought for me to give too much info away online in this hazy, dazy voyeuristic land we live in. i should know, i could potentially be the kitty that gets killed by her curiosity.

but on the flipside, if i want you guys to keep coming back time and time again for your musical enrichment, i think it's fair that i share some snippets of dazzle with you. so in a round-a-bout way that's what i'm going to do today.

here goes snippet one. i live in sharehouse with three super fun and excellent buddies i shall call n-dog, bambi and stinks. these are not their real names, but i wouldn't mind if they were. last night we had a delicious family dinner. i cooked cannelloni. snippet two - cannelloni is my thing.

anyway, i was cooking and the gang was on music patrol. secretly, i made mental notes of all their musical choices, the winners of which are going to make up today's mixtape. because, snippet three, i think the musical tastes of your nearest and dearest can also be quite revealing about you too. take a peek through the window before i close it again. x

sgt. pepper's lonely hearts club band - the beatles

this was chosen by bambi. bambi met sir paul mccartney when she was little and he called her a lushling. i'm so jealous.

romeo & juliet - dire straits

n-dog put dire straits on first, but i think this was stinks choice. don't worry, stinks doesn't actually smell bad at all and she enjoys purchasing fresh flowers at the markets.

dress sexy at my funeral - smog

a joint choice from stinks and n-dog, which i was very happy to learn came from an album i had lent them both only a week earlier, dongs of sevotion. weirdest album name to type ever.

i can't stay - the killers

this was definitely n-dog's choice. n-dog likes to rock out to this at approximately 2.30pm on weekdays. n-dog is from new zealand and he calls me katie dizzle.

in the air tonight - phil collins

if i'd had my choice last night, we would have been listening to all phil collins all night long, i had to make do with just this one. for now.

dice - finley quaye & beth orton

bambi came into the music choosing shenanigans a little later than stinks and n-dog. when she did come in though, she came armed with some sort of secret magic that suddenly saw her hacking into the playlist and knocking out everyone else's picks with her own. crazy kid.

heartbeats - the knife

n-dog strikes again with some sweet swedish styling. as well as calling me katie dizzle he also calls a frisbee a chuck disc.

graceland - paul simon

from the album that reminds her of her childhood, next up we have stinks with some classic paul simon. stinks also enjoys wearing black, but every now and then will surprise you with a bright splash of colour.

feel good inc. - the gorillaz

bambi's choice. i have to say, i think bambi and i have probably the least similar musical tastes out of my housemates, but she has the BEST musical knowledge and is an excellent addition to any trivia team. maybe sir paul mac blessed her when they met all those years ago...

abracadabra - steve miller band

i'm so glad this got a look in, possibly my fave from the whole night. it's an excellent track to roll cannelloni too, and it was courtesy of n-dog.

fu-gee-la - the fugees

a surprise choice from stinks, breaking it down ghetto style. stinks has a bike called bobby and likes lacquered wicker baskets.

cortez the killer - neil young & crazy horse

n-dog has two bikes, a pushie and a motorised one. despite all my best efforts, neither of them have names. as yet. also n-dog is good at fixing bikes. stella is as quiet as a mouse today!

every little thing she does is magic - the police

bambi also has an un-named bike that currently has a lovely blanket of spidey webs adorning it. n-dog needs to work some magic on that. thanks for unknowingly making up my mixtape today kids x

for dorothy

goodbye. i love you x

pick me!

ok, so totally amazing weekend weather right my darlings!? i went for a deep sea actual ocean dive yesterday. freakin' freezing. like neck aching, heart-stopping, take my breath away, fanny freezing cold. so worth it though. i felt like i was wearing a veritable armour suit of invincibility once i exited the icy blue depths. like the swedish say, very invigorating.

anywho, blue sunny skies such are just absolutely begging for picnics in the park with friends, food, bebitas, wayward frisbees and footballs, and warm breezes licking at bare ankles. and sunday is the perfect friend for said scenario. all that's needed now is a mix-tape of picnic blanket perfect songs. what's that? your wish is katie dazzle's demand. picnic basket out x

park benches - belles will ring

personally, i'm a fan of getting down and dirty on the picnic rug cladded ground when i go for afternoon delights with friends. park benches are what we gaze up at from our grassy knolls. and we're all the better for it. likes this track though.

the park - feist

someone inferred to me today that feist features too often in my mixtapes. whatev's. my girl crush knows no limits. this one is pretty lingering, lanuid, and dare i say melancholy. gotta get one in there.

the coast is always changing - maximo park

a band named after park time goodness, this is mega upbeat and full of writhing around on a picnic blanket rhythm and melody. slap some chicken on a buttered bread roll and slather me some mayo. delightful.

take on me - a.c. newman

when i was originally working on this playlist, i had a different a.c. newman track up my springtime, hayfever sneezing, tissue lodged sleeve - 35 in the shade. because it almost was today. however, in my travels i came upon this glorious pride of place cover instead. enjoy.

summerbreeze - emiliana torrini

ok i lied before, another 'tears forming at the corner of my eyes' song sneaks in this mix. but emiliana speaks the truest truths. summerbreeze's are well on their way, and let's not look the reminding gifthorse in the mouth.

strawberry wine - john steel singers

just because picnics remind me of champagne drunk out of plastic cups with chunky strawberries swimming in their bubbly and effervescent goodness.

forks and knives (la fete) - beirut

again, i'm reminded of plastic-ware. this time round it's a hot pink, 36 piece fork/knife/spoon cyclindrical set you can use picnic and picnic time again. go franklins.

this wind - the tallest man on earth

something about the wind spoke to me today, possibly from a tall man on earth up high position. it was slow and it was weighty, and it spelled out all the promises of summer 2009/2010. needless to say i'm pretty excited.

lisztomania- phoenix

when you organise a picnic, it's prudent to make lists. there are so many things you need from so many different places, it would just be silly not to. the end result can be lista-mania, best countered (i find) by a hefty dose of lisztomania. nice.

folding chair - regina spektor

as much as i love the earthy, grounded picnic blanket, sometimes all you want to do is sit in a snap-happy, pouch for my bevvie holding, folding chair. listening to the new album from ms. regina while doing so is icing on the delicious picnic cake.

bless you!

don't worry kidlets, i haven't gone all god-botherer on you. but something is bothering my sinuses right now, and i believe it may be those little mites that go by the name dust and pollen.

hayfever is bizarre - i never used to get it when i was little. oh no, i'm one of those lucky one's that has grown in to the itchy eyes, scratchy throat, endless sneezing and dripping nasal passages. yay me.

you know what all that means though? spring has sprung my pretties. it's magical how it happens, almost overnight, and it's like something in the air actually lifts, and we get those the distinct sense that lightness and brightness is on its way. people start revealing their stark white limbs, choosing white wine over red and dipping their toes into the sparkly blue ocean (still freezing ps.)

to continue the mood into the weekend, here's a mixtape of all my favourite songs about blooming, blossoming, bountiful, beautiful springtime. happy days x

spring 2008 - architecture in helsinki

this song is tip-toeing through freshly mown grass, barefoot, nimbly trying to avoid the bindis. i haven't had a bindi in years, i need to get around without shoes more often.

crush in the ghetto - jolie holland

where's the spring reference i hear you cry immediately!? that would be within holland's album springtime can kill you, on which this glorious number appears. found a lazy live version for your listening pleasure, bonus.

rise in the springtime - lavender diamond

this song is so spring. there's something about the violins that reminds me of vivaldi's four seasons actually! it's so grand and lovely, big sweeping piano chords, sweetly rounded vocals, thoughts of purple stems and a sprinkling of sparkles. perfect.

it's spring - swoop swoop

do magpies start their scary head pecking attacks in springtime? because you know that magpies swoop right? how's the synchronicity - this perth artist is one clever cookie.

come here - the concretes

i haven't popped a cover into the mix in ages, hello old friend! again, you might have trouble grasping the immediate springtime reference here. the original version of this song was performed by one kath bloom. as in flowers bloom. in spring. naff.

cherry blossom girl - air

have you seen the cherry blossom at the moment? it's a-brown-sticky-pink-flowery-mazing. branches of pure spring time beauty, i likes them a lot. and air is definitely floating in a cloud of

cherry blossom goodness.

blue flower - mazzy star

swells of fuzzy electric guitar, the beat of a tambourine against one palm, and flowers being crushed in the other. mazzy star is like a cruel spring day, snapping back to winter weather just when you thought it was safe to leave the house without a cardigan.

dancing in the dark - bruce springsteen

hey boss man. not only do you have the word spring contained within you ALL year round, i'm sure you've encouraged much dancing in the dark on balmy september, october and november nights. bring your own bonfire.

light & day - the polyphonic spree

this clip is a little bit wacky, but it's most definitely a springtime offering, in a most colourful, disney, animated sense of the word. i'm not sure what the white gospel style smocks are all about, but i do like the trilling flutes.

spring rain - the go-betweens

i feel like i should be much better buddies with the music of the go-betweens, so no time like the present to strengthen our friendship. the chorus in this is killer, the way they were meant to be written and the way i wish they still were.

sweet treats

so, you know how i tell you just over there to the right of my page that you can call me katie dazzle? i actually have another decidedly sugary nickname - katie cupcake. i adopted this alias when i was working at the jam factory, and luckily for all concerned, i'm actually not too shabby when it comes to baking these delicious mini sweet treats myself.

in fact, i made the best cupcakes just the other day, jam doughnut cupcakes. seriosuly, have you ever seen three consecutive words that looked so good together? while i was whipping up these flavour bombs, i made myself a mixtape of the sweetest songs i could think of, and in an equally sweet gesture i'm going to let these tracks tantalise your eardrums as well. don't forget to brush your teeth x

life is (super) sweet - cara beth satalino

sweet song name, sweet artist name, sweet voice, sweet lyrics, sweet melody. cara beth is just all sorts of licking your lips after eating a cinnamon doughnut sugary goodness.

spoonful of sugar - of montreal

not your mary poppins type of spoonful, but a healthy measure nonetheless of sweet indie-pop courtesy of kevin barnes et al. funnily enough i find the album title this "songle" comes from, horse & elephant eatery (no elephants allowed), kind of crass, weird.

honey honey - feist

listen to the opening strains of feist uh-ahhing in this song, and it's like viscous, golden honey slowly dripping out of your speakers and into your ears. watching the video clip is a slightly different experience - fish bones and gnarled gnome-like elders anyone? but i think it's actually quite beautiful.

sweet dreams, sweet cheeks - los campesinos!

how sweet can a song really be when the lyrics contain the words f**ked and sh*t in the first verse, and said lyrics are sung with an undeniably welsh twang? the violins are pretty cute though. plus i actually use this phrase in real life.

blood sugar love - the real tuesday weld

stephen coates likes to refer to his particular brand of electro-pop as antique beat. cute. in this song he sings about how life is good when you're filled with blood. especially if your blood-sugar levels are quite high i'd imagine. and again with the violins, i'm digging them this week!

syrup & honey - duffy

dudes - this girl is amazing. the sweetest, most soulful voice i've heard in such a long time, especially for a welsh whitey.

it could be sweet - portishead

portishead sing some of the saddest songs i know, but beth gibbons voice is like a lovely, silken ribbon wrapping it's sweet self around and around me everytime i have the pleasure of listening to it.

sugar - wooden birds

the wooden birds are a recent discovery - one of those gems you stumble upon and you don't quite know how or where or why, but what you do know is that the entire album glows from start to finish. get your ears around their debut magnolia as soon you can - super sweet, toothache not included.

sweet november - sarah blasko

what's not sweet about sarah blasko, i mean really? i haven't seen her perform live, but apparently she gets about like a cute little puppet on marionette strings. i wish it was november already.

sweet disposition - the temper trap

the official vid clip to this one is awesome, and you should check it out here. however, the link i've given you above has an extra power punch of sugar crystals set against stills from the upcoming and much hyped flick 500 days of summer. apparently it doesn't turn out as sweetly as you might expect.

hots for scots

so the other day i heard my hands down favourite song of the entire month. it happens to be by a scottish band, big country, and i love it so much, i'm kind of feeling sad for the twenty six years that i have been alive and not been listening to it, since it was released the same year i was born.

then i started going through my music collection, and i realised i've actually got a bit of a thing for scottish bands. then i started feeling guilty as i realised i've been the worst blogger ever and i've not tantalised your ears with mix for approximately a fortnight. now i give you a mixtape of ridiculously good songs by scots.

big country - a big country

i honestly can't believe i've never heard this song before, it's truly epic to my ears. anthemic and uplifting with just the right amount of electro-bagpipe.

life without buildings - the leanover

this song is very much one of those time and place tracks for me. once upon a time i lived in a tall concrete building in florence and one of my flatmates was scottish. she introduced me to the now defunct band life without buildings. actually we used to dj in a bar called pop cafe, and this song reminds me of mojito fuelled nights filled with music and misfits.

arab strap - the shy retirer

aidan moffat and malcolm middleton doing their sweet scottish thing together. i just love the name of the album this comes from, their 2003 offering, monday at the hug and pint. win.

belle and sebastian - step into my office baby

this song was the first belle and seb track i ever heard, and i immediately loved their eccentric and melodious way of telling stories. this song also has a wack film clip full of weird phallic references, and the most unlikely couple to ever do it in the office.

franz ferdinand - wine in the afternoon

firstly, i love the idea of wine in the afternoon. any afternoon. all afternoon. secondly... oh. i forget what my next point was going to be. where's my wine?

mogwai - stanley kubrik

mid mixtape wind down as i get all instrumental on you. this is an amazing track from mogwai, very internal organ grabbing and heartbeat quickening. one of those songs you don't want to end because you just love being wrapped up in it. like a blanket.

frightened rabbit - keep yourself warm

i saw these dudes at peat's ridge festival over new year's 09. i was so excited about seeing them, but a crazy leprechaun slipped me some fairy dust before i got there and all i really remember are lots of bright, streaky lights. according to my happy snaps though, i had a great time.

aberfeldy - summer's gone

maybe for you northern hemispherions, but our summer is just around the corner. have you been experiencing the amazing sydney weather lately? if i stick my tongue out far enough, i can practically lick summer on the face. it tastes good.

dogs die in hot cars - apples & oranges

for some reason when i think of this band, i can't help but chant "who let the dogs out...who who" in my head. which is weird, right? these scots are nothing like that song. they are my favourite brand of good time happy pop. bloody word association.

lord cut glass - look after your wife

this is a new gem i've just stumbled upon. the clip is super cute and lord cut glass is the new project from alun woodward, who you may know as a member of the delgados. i love how when alun sings, there is zero percent doubt of his nationality. that is what i'm talking about when i refer to hot scots.

wet wet wet - love is all around

and wrapping up the show today, i'm getting wet wet and wetter. i haven't heard this corny sparkler for ages. i had to get one syrupy effort in here, and i think i've already used up the proclaimers in a previous post. i'll be back sooner rather than later next time lads and lassies. stay scottish x

with a name like katie dazzle, i assume it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine i'm a quite a fan of all things sparkly. my friend bambi sent me a link to the website of this cute as a button designer victoria mason. this necklace of a pencil sharpening is my favourite for sure. and it got me thinking about writing, of the non electronic persuasion.

i used to live in overseas, and one of my most favourite things to do while i was away was write and receive handwritten letters. there's nothing quite like cracking open a lovingly sealed envelope and reading the freshly inked sentences of loved ones to give you a sense of connection that would never come from clicking open an email in hotmail.

it's just all too easy to send a text or shoot off an email these days. don't get me wrong, i appreciate the electronic medium as much as the next amateur blogger, but it's nice to remember that sometimes the simpler things in life can be way more rewarding. so today's mix, as you may or may not have already guessed, has everything to do with letters. and if there's someone you haven't said hello to for a while, pen + paper + envelope = all you need. x

envelope - the colorful quiet

this song is made up of 2 sentences that are only sung once, but it is a perfectly pensive tune for penning a letter to the one that you're missing.

blue letter - fleetwood mac

funnily enough, this song doesn't make me feel blue in the slightest. if i was writing a letter while listening to this track, it would probably be written with a novelty pen that had some sort of tassle attached to the end of it.

postcards from italy - beirut

i've sent a lot of postcards from italy in my time. postcards are just as awesome as letters. you can get them free from heaps of places, and you don't even need an envelope! go and send one to someone right now.

a pencil full of lead - paolo nutini

a surprise nugget from one hot scot. paolo nutini's last offering was pure pop - this is some old school sounding jazzy be-bop goodness. swoon.

please mr postman - the marvelettes

speaking of old-school. i was in a high school musical based on sister act one AND two. yes, it was amazing. i danced to this song in spangly blue bike pants. i wonder if my post man is nice, i'm always at work when he's delivering the letters.

stan - eminem

don't worry guys. i always answer my fanmail.

letter from an occupant - the new pornographers

i can't believe i sometimes forget how much i bloody love neko case. despite it's uptempo beat and general loudness, i reckon this song is even sadder than slim shady's contribution to the mix. i guess not all letters can be good.

the district sleeps alone tonight - the postal service

not techincally a song about letters, but these guys are the musical epitomy of snail mail and doing things organically.

a postcard to nina - jens lekman

when you write a postcard, how do you sign off? yours truly is quite formal. best is a bit weird and brief. cheers is a too matey. i like hugs and kisses xo

five letters - jeff lang

langers is a way under-rated australian musician. this track is from the album half seas over and it's really rather good. i reckon i could write a pretty intoxicating love letter while listening to this one.

the days are getting longer...

but it is still one hundred percent winter time my southern hemisphere pretties. if you are longing for hammocks, thong marks and mojitos full of ice cubes, this is a bit of a bummer. but, if you are going skiing anytime soon this is good news. hmmm, i'm off to falls creek on saturday. coincidence.

i haven't been skiing for approixmately 10 years. i remember being quite good. i also remember some dude with a distinct lack of respect for my personal space getting his ski's all up in mine. one tumble down a steep slope later, i have a broken thumb and thus ends the skiing adventures of katie dazzle for the next decade.

but all that aside, i am totally snow ready. i've got apres ski boots and everything. here is a magical winter mixtape to get you in the mood. snowflake out x

the winter song - au revoir simone

if ever you were going to go riding on a horsedrawn carriage through the snow, this would be the song to do it to.

snow - emiliana torrini

this is a staring out the window at the falling snow kinda song. i love you emiliana.

coming in from the cold - the delgados

if you don't want your feet to become iceblocks, don't forget to put on your slippers.

hazy shade of winter - simon and garfunkel

mittens and beanies and scarves, oh my! how hazy has your winter been?

wind and snow - grouper

i am a little bit on love with grouper at the moment. how does one tiny little girl pack so much emotion into sparse atmospherics?

the fox in the snow - belle & sebastian

i don't know if it's the scottish accents, but this song is definitely winter in the city, despite the mention of forest like foxes.

winterland - jj symon

do you know jj symon yet? he is from melbourne and his debut album new river has been rocking my world. i'll walk hand in hand underneath the moon with you jj.

silver stallion - cat power

a glorious cat doing an even more glorious cover. the original version is so un-winter wonderland, but this version is wild horses running through snow capped mountains for sure. horses can climb mountains, right?

five feet of snow - the dirty secrets

get your winter dance pants on - it's party time on the snowfields. glow sticks for all.

winter - tori amos

the first song that came to mind when this mix manifested. and a cool live version that shows the flame haired one in action.

blue light - bloc party

not about winter per se, but this song is hands in my pockets, wind whipping my cheeks, sleet falling on my eyelashes and hearts breaking like icicles.

heavy snow - julie doiron

i love the video clip that goes with this song. it's like wintertime in spring.

white winter hymnal - fleet foxes

why are tambourines and choir like harmonies so winter making i wonder?

snowy atlas mountains - fionn regan

trees without leaves but sunshine that still sparkles + harmonica = swoon.

i want to ride my bicycle...

i want to ride it now. especially if i got my bicycle from the humble vintage in melbourne. for just $20 a day, or $60 for an entire week of old-school cycle fun, you can hire lovingly restored bikes from this cute joint based in melbourne. they will even chuck in a bike lock, helmet, basket and road map. bargain central. what better way to explore a city that i believe to be quite flat. good for your butt cheeks, good for the enviro, looks amazing - what more could you ask for? what's that? a few cheeky bike songs to listen to while you roam the streets? done. and thanks team breakfast for all your input. x

tv on the radio - bicycles are red hot

you bet your sweet ride they are! alternatively they can also be pink malvern stars called stella.

pink floyd - bike song

how cute is this song? any song that starts with a bike bell ring is pretty much perfect winner goodness in katie dazzle's book.

mazzy star - ride it on

is this song necessarily about bikes? nope, but it could be. and it's beautiful.

cary brothers - ride

again, i'm not sure about the bike factor, especially considering the naff film clip. close your eyes and imagine your feet on pedals.

queen - bicycle race

explanation necessary? i thought not

flobots - handlebars

umm, not only is this song about riding a bike with no handlebars, it mentions the dosie doe. i'm sold.

tom waits - broken bicycles

so raspy, just like my poor rusting stella. tom waits makes me feel zero % guilty for neglecting my bike.

domestic blitz

there seems to be a lot of transitioning on the homefront going in in my life at the moment. and those of people around me. whether they are moving in, moving out, moving overseas, moving home, coming, going, staying, leaving - there is a definite state of flux happening and it seems poignant to capture it with a domestic mix.

here's a selection of songs that are about yearning and returning. don't worry, not all of them are sad sack katie dazzle specials. being homesick is one of the hardest things ever. i did it for 8 long months once and i think anyone who gives it a crack is amazing.

there's that funny old saying that i'm pinching from the castle, "it's not a house it's a home". you'll notice that none of these song titles contain the word 'house' in them. so go give all your homies a hug, wherever you happen to be and whoever they are. x

the teenagers - homecoming

we'll start off with something a bit vibrant. and profain. those frenchies somehow make 'see you next tuesday' sound so cute. clever.

adele - hometown glory

if you haven't heard this voice yet and you have a thing for british chanteuses ala kate, lily, duffy, amy etc, give her a spin for sure. especially if you're planning on an emotional return trip to the place where you grew up that possibly left some internal scarring.

julie doiron - nice to come home

so short, so sweet, so introspective, so simple. just like a cup of tea really. and what's more homely than that?

kings of convenience - homesick

well this is a bit of a jump from homely but when i'm feeling homesick i rely on music a lot. and for some reason i find this particular track really comforting.

catherine feeny - i come home

this track definitely isn't. comforting i mean. it positively oozes loneliness and teardrops and sore hearts. and it also proves you can be home, but you can still be lost.

camera obscura - let me go home

we should thank the scots for letting us leave the dramatics behind for a second. and by us i mean me. because sometimes actually all you want to go home from is the party.

mike viola - a way to say goodbye

i found this cute live version. i love that you can hear cups and plates being scraped around and i love that the girl sounds like brunette dolly parton. i hate saying goodbye but i hate not saying goodbye even more.

hayden - home by saturday

you can leave, and it can be sad. but you can always come back again too.

the panics - get us home

sorry about the weird pics in the clip. when people you love go away, you should definitely write them letters. real letters on real paper sent to real letterboxes, it's the best feeling in the world to get them.

the decemberists - yankee bayonet (i will be home then)

if i'm away, and you miss me - look for me somewhere else, as hard as you can. i'm probably just over there. i can be anywhere. that's what this song makes me think. hopeful right!? this may be my least depressing mix to date.