Wednesday, July 29, 2009

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


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


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


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?


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?

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.


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.


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?


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


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


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.


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


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


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

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

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

you bet your sweet ride they are! alternatively they can also be pink malvern stars called stella.
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.
is this song necessarily about bikes? nope, but it could be. and it's beautiful.
again, i'm not sure about the bike factor, especially considering the naff film clip. close your eyes and imagine your feet on pedals.
explanation necessary? i thought not
umm, not only is this song about riding a bike with no handlebars, it mentions the dosie doe. i'm sold.
so raspy, just like my poor rusting stella. tom waits makes me feel zero % guilty for neglecting my bike.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

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.

Monday, July 20, 2009

feeling shady...


shady lane that is. a cute electro-pop four piece from my backyard in sydney, and they've been tugging at my heartstrings all day with their brand new debut album, here we go down the black hole.

as the title would suggest, the lyrics to these 12 songs do not tread a light path - they question life, religion, science, and are all wrapped up in a pre-occupation with death, dying, futility and existentialism.

but rather than being preachy or depressing, the warm electro fuzz and melody contained within each song allows for a kind of hopeful contemplation. i haven't seen these guys live but apparently shady lane perform on stage, not with a whiz-bang mac book, but rather an old school clumsy looking desktop. i like this. apparently you can buy them for $15 from some magical computer emporium. my flatmate and his girlfriend want to start making fishtanks out of them. i'm suitably nonplussed.

the music of shady lane is shoe-gazy enough to make me lie on my bed with my feet up the wall, electro enough to make me start tapping them about, and poppy enough to make me commando roll myself onto my feet and turn the volume up a little louder. definitely check out galileo and this is death. sweet in one ear and subdued out the other. x

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

if you like pina coladas...



my multi-blog owning best friend told me that the most awesome blogs are those that are updated daily. shit. it's been a busy week, i'm tired, blah, blah, shut up. who wants to hear whingey, whiney excuses? and as if everyone isn't busy - like this little lass for example.

soph is a super talented photographer and swimming cossie designer and her label sol bellow is like a handful of sparkling jewels that manage to convince us the days are getting longer and that summer will be here before we know it. the new collection is online now, so if you haven't clicked on the links, stop jiggling your wobbly bits and do it immediately!




Link
and while you're browsing, why not get your tropical on with my fruity delight mixtape of the best bikini songs around. x

blondie - the tide is high

imagine looking as bitchin' as deb harry, but in a tropical bikini. awesome.

mates of state - now

there's nothing about this song that screams tropical, but it makes me happy. get here now summer!

islands - rough rem

island + hammock + cocktails + shirtless cocktail waiters = fruity summer love.

foreign born - early warnings

are those marraccas i hear? i'm on fire.

the lovin' spoonful - summer in the city

this is a good one for when you remember you don't live near the beach anymore and will have to make do with a spray from the hose in your teeny, tiny inner city back "yard".

belinda carlisle - summer rain

i've been wanting an excuse to blog about B.C or roxette for AGES. this was all just a ruse to allow me to do so.

joni mitchell - big yellow taxi

find your best bandana, leather plaiting and paisley print bikini for this one.

el guincho - palmitos park

this guy is super cute. i like his crooked smile.

beach house - master of none

this one is for night time beach activities, if you get my drift. watch out for the sand.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

hatrick



i'm not the sportiest ball in the net, and this blog does not have anything to do with cricket. but the ashes did start last night and it would appear that i am getting really good at terrible wordplay in my blog titles.

so, my hatrick has nothing to do with the australian cricket team, but 3 super talented artists who will knock you out for 6 once you give them a listen. i wanted all of them to be australian to really make my pun pack a punch, but grouper is from oregon. oh well. my top picks from each artist are, surprise surprise, quite introspective, but perfect for today's rainy skies. x

kinematic - pinpoints

kinematic is a band from melbourne, and by the looks of both their myspace and official websites, they have been pretty busy kids over the past few years. i have used my magical powers for good to give you an amazing track from their forthcoming album - which on the down-low, i believe will be called kites. hence the cute cartoon above. like pinpoints, this song will prick you and then stay under your skin from the first tinkle, i'm looking forward to more from these guys this year - shows in melbourne in august, get down there 4 seasoners!

grouper - heavy water/i'd rather be sleeping


liz harris has a dreamy, breathy voice and as the guitar strums open up this song, it feels ethereal. which is good, because sometimes i get stuck on the point that grouper's are big, ugly fish. for just one little lady, grouper has a big sound, but there's nothing ugly about it - this is from the album dragging a dead deer up a hill, and you can listen to all of it to your heart's content right here.

kid sam - the sunday bus

melbourne keeps coming up with the goods, these guys are from there also. 2 cousins, kieran and kishore are the most excellent boys who make up kid sam. they released their self-titled debut a couple of months ago and it's really lovely to listen to when it's rainy. lucky for these boys, it's been wet wet wet lately. although, i would actually listen to kid sam in any climate - i couldn't even pick just one track - here's another one for you. sneaky. kid sam are also doing shows in various places around australia right now - go and see them.

Monday, July 6, 2009

rouge...




i really love music. and i really love things that are red. so when i spied this delicious cherry crosley in a record store in surry hills i got red hot excited, red hot fast. i want one real bad, and i bet you do too - no worries as long as you've got a spare four hundred bad boys hanging out of your back pocket.

anyway, putting my coveting tendencies aside for a few minutes, i've compiled a little mix for you that is about all things red. also i am a really good busker, so if you see someone hula hooping for loose change, help a girl out? x

have you seen that semi cool/crap brit drama series that is set in manchester and all about hairdressers called cutting it? yeah, me neither. if i had, they may have used this song in an episode that saw ally's adopted upon birth but recently reunited daughter ruby, marrying her ex-husband gavin, even though ally and gav were still one hundred percent in love. or something.

this song reminds me of epic parties at bob and alice's castle in annandale. also my friend alice is one of my most favourite redheads ever.

i love dj bodes, she is one feisty and talented flame haired lass. also, i had a friend called nic, he didn't have red hair but he was certainly made up of coloured bits.

dark ladders, red rabbits, sunburned eyes, lots of little sprites - shins i love you for making drug free hallucination both fun and possible.

drums and tambourines and cherries and bombs. best sundae ever.

songs about red lights = songs about traffic rules and regulations if you're peter coombe. you know in random questionnaire's people are always asked who they'd invite to their ultimate dinner party? well i would totally invite roxanne.

pluck those bass lines. key those synth chords. get your sweet red eighties on.

a beautiful cover, this song is heartbreaking. if you haven't seen little fish please go and watch it now. you will never believe cate b has been anything but a drug addict.

speaking of flames, i could easily have gone with the twin named bangles ballad
here - you're way lucky you're getting J.A.P instead.

Friday, July 3, 2009

here comes the bride


my step sister is getting married today, so i find myself not at work, which is excellent. instead, i'm sitting on the balcony and drinking coffee in the sunshine at my ma's house on the northern beaches. tough life.

once again i find myself writing in the daylight, and since today is going to be all about the lover dovers, and i'm feeling all sunshiny and warm, and my radio dial accidentally got stuck on mix 106.5's love song dedications last night, today's blog is going to be a little mixtape of love songs. but as i have said before, sad songs make me happy, so my version of a love song might be a little different from richard mercer's.


if someone built me a home i would love them a lot. especially if there was more than one bathroom.


the bowerbirds new album upper air is just about to be released. i like words, so song titles are important to me. i like it even more when the promise of a song title is fulfilled, this song is gently awesome.


it's not lost on me that my mix already has a decidedly dark tone. i did warn you. and the make up is in the break up.


i love that this song could easily be about two lovers or two besties, or both. also really cute vid clip.


i don't know if this song is necessarily about love, but i think it's super beautiful and the instruments certainly sound in love with each other, so it stays.


get your scot on. i dig scottish accents so much, that they could be singing about garbage disposal units and i'd probably still categorise it as a love song.


i saw this performed at a wedding years and years ago, with a beautiful vocalist and a big fat cello. amazing.


it's the drums in this song that i find the most lovely, which is strange, i'm not normally one for noticing drums before other elements of a song.


i seem to get into endless scrapes and tumbles, so i think it would be very romantic if my boyfriend iced my bruising knees with frozen strawberries. cute-city.


seductive from the first click. and i've totally been digging cognac lately.

this isn't a top ten or anything stressful like that. just a mix. now get back to work! i gotta get me to a wedding x

Thursday, July 2, 2009

the eyes have it...


blogging in daylight hours, this is a new and different experience for katie dazzle! this is going to be a quickie - i just wanted to tell you about this lovely new self-titled debut album from christina courtin. the colour of it makes me wish i was on a beach in mexico. i'm not.

speaking of foreign countries though, i'm cheap segue-ing you into visiting here. c.c is a cute little new yorker girl and she sings even cuter songs with a couple of crackingly raw and electric turns in some of the later songs on the album. check out 'laconia' for example, she's positively growling at the end of the song, i've never heard someone sound so desperate yet tuneful at the same time.

so a la my crap wordplay attempt above, 'foreign country' is my fave pick on the album, and i think you should listen to it immediately. with adorably twee lyrics like "if i was a foreign country would you vacation up in my big city?" and swinging guitars backing c.c up, it's a lovely love song for lovers.

and this girl can perform! i did some world wide web stalking and found the following live version of 'foreign country' - nuts! in the best sense of the word. over and out party people x