c.

do you know what my favourite letter of the alphabet is? c. i should mention, this is particularly in relation to food and drinks. if i was only allowed to eat food that started with one letter of the alphabet for the rest of my life, it would be c. i don't know why this would ever happen, but i like to have survival strategies in place for all situations.

where do i even start? coffee, cheese, chips, champagne, chilli, chocolate, cherries, croissants, corn, custard - do you see what i mean? in my imaginary world of c-foods, you are also allowed to think laterally, so things like curry, cabernet sauvignon, creamy tasmanian butter and chinese-style dumplings are also allowable.

i seem to enjoy food and music in equal amounts, so i thought, why not apply the 'c principle' to songs as well? this is, hands down, the easiest mixtape i've ever made for you - just like food there are SO many good tracks that start with the letter c. here's a selection that tantalised my ears the most this past week. xx

cosmic love - florence & the machine

oh my. this is my fave florence song from lungs, and they never make my fave songs into singles! until now. i now even more can't wait for you to come to sydney flowelch.

california waiting - kings of leon

this is K.O.L at their dreamiest, the perfect tune to counteract wild winter weather.

challengers - the new pornographers

i like their old stuff better than their new stuff, from the album of the same name. also the video clip to this is cute and colourful as.

careless - paul kelly

what more is there to say except, paul kelly - you are a dreamboat. and actually, a few weeks ago i had the pleasure of meeting his very tall son!

cover my eyes - la roux

how cool is carriageworks, and their winter wonderland extravanganza they're putting on for sydney this month? pretty much cool as ice ice baby. i can't wait to get my skate on this weekend, and i would like to skate to this song in particular.

court and spark - joni mitchell

man, all this c-work has me craving some delicious c-food. time to go whip up some chicken enchiladas - ole!

cherish - madonna

i once had to do a dance audition to this song in primary school. needless to say, i totally got picked for the 'A' group. thanks madonna.

cheap clothes - whitley

this song makes me dream of being a vagabond and journeying off into far away places. which is exactly what my gorgeous pal sophie is doing. you should check out her blog, it's ace.

cast a hook in me - laura veirs

this girl is so freakin' pretty-making, why oh why isn't she a superstar yet?

calendar girl - stars

have you head the new stars album? i haven't, but i'm dying to wrap my ears around it - if i love it as much as set yourself on fire, this could be my album of the year. stay tuned.

would you like me to state the obvious?

it's farking cold. 2 weeks into winter and i'm already feeling the icy bite on my fingers as i struggle to make my knuckles and fingertips and wrists work in harmony.

also speaking of slack fingers, did you miss me while i was gone? i went to paris. it was beautiful. too beautiful. why aren't i still there? oh! because i wanted to make you a mix-tape of all the songs that are currently warming up my chilly limbs now that i'm back in the real world. one day i am going to be rich enough to afford really, really warm gloves. xx

on fire - sebadoh

you know how when you're absolutely bursting to go to the bathroom, people tell you to envision yourself trapped in a hot burning desert, with not a drop of water in your body to spare? they are way nicer than the people who make references to falling rain and gushing waterfalls.

burning - whitest boy alive

whitest boy alive base themselves out of berlin. do you know what's happening in berlin right now? summer. clever devils.

keep me warm - ida maria

you know i really shouldn't complain SO much about winter, because the best part about being cold is finding a way to warm up, and this usually involves snuggling. or whisky.

(love is like a) heat wave - the supremes

ahh, this brings back wonderfully warming memories of performing musical theatre in high school. do you know once we actually did a combo of sister act 1 & 2? righteous on brother.

drop it like it's hot - snoop dogg feat. pharrell williams

this song is great for distracting yourself against the cold while you try and get pharrell's tongue clicking down pat. i might think about trading the sparkly gems for a cardigan though.

bonfire blondes - beck

bonfires are pretty much made for crystal clear, inky black, winter night skies. just make sure you've got a sleeping bag, body heat, a hip flask and an unobstructed view of the stars.

eternal flame - joan as policewoman

the video clip to this song is really adorable, and just think, once winter is over we can do rhythmic gymnastics on the beach too!

keep yourself warm - frightened rabbit

when you don't have someone else to keep you warm, best to invest in one of nanna's knitted blankets, a flannelette nightie and some football socks. and you wonder why you've got no-one around to do the warming for you...

set yourself on fire - stars

i think i might be starting to take this whole using my mind's energy to warm up a bit too seriously. i've burnt myself three times in the past week. this best was this morning, i burnt my index finger on a crumpet.

fever - neko case

if any of you lovely ones feel like you're coming down with a cold, i've got a hot (ha) tip. have a shower with the water as hot as you can possibly stand it, then once you're all wrinkly, wrap yourself in a terry towelling robe. you'll probs start sweating, but that's the whole point, to get rid of the nasties. also hot toddies work a treat xx

money makes the world go...

i like money, i hate money, i make money, i take money, i spend money, i save money, i crave money, i don't care that much for money.

you can get silver money, gold money, paper money, plastic money, fake money, monopoly money, money made out of stuff that you are not allowed to put in christmas puddings anymore, because it's not safe.

i put money in banks, i put money in tins, i put money in jars, i put money in cars. actually that's not true. i don't have a car and i never give anyone petrol money. how awful is that? sorry darling pals with wheels.

there sure are a lot of cliches to do with money. i don't really feel like telling you any of them right now. i think as long as i have enough money to by my pals tequila shots every now and again, i'll be a happy gal. let's all drink tequila right now and listen to my new mixtape! adios babes x

coin laundry - lisa mitchell

my washing machine is currently broken. i wonder if i could go to a coin laundry and fall in true love, that would be like a jackpot laundry!

20 dollar - m.i.a

if you had 20 dollars, 1 store and 5 minutes, where would you be and what would you buy?

who makes your money - spoon

me, that would be me! i don't make a lot but it's ALL mine, and i'm really just so good at spending every little cent that i make, yay for me!

material girl - madonna

i'm not partics a material girl, but this does happen to be one of my fave madonna songs of all time, hmm...

2.99 cent blues - regina spektor

holy smokes, is that regina spektor singing a totally classic blues tune? you bet your bottom 3 dollars it is!

cash cow - we are scientists

i must confess i'm not really sure what a cash cow is. 99% sure it's a bovine type creature that eats greenbacks and fertilises money trees.

money (that's what i want) - the flying lizards

the best things in life are free? yeah, i don't think so lizard ladies. a dinner box costs $19.95, and that's just the most basic one.

gold digger - kanye west

do you know any real live gold diggers? i panned for gold once, when i was in primary school, on excursion. those teensy, tiny, shiny flecks are about as close as i ever got.

how i made my millions - radiohead

you made your millions thom yorke, because you have some of the most genius songwriting capabilities in existence. i'd totally give you a dollar if you were busking on my street.

cash - patti smith

patti smith, what a cool lady. cool as cold, hard cash. is cash that cool, temperature wise i mean? maybe if you keep it in the fridge.

tick tock

hook. one of my favourite movies EVS. dustin, fairies, robin, maggie, exploding paint balls, marbles, lost boys. it's all just bangarang to me. ticks and tocks and clocks and crocs (reptilian-like creatures, not clunky plastic footwear) feature heavily in this dreamboat of a film.

also i decided to fall in true love with we are scientist's 'after hours' this week.

what do you get when you mix these two seemingly unrelated things together in a dazzle sized mixing bowl? a temporal themed mixtape, that's what. it's freshly baked, enjoy little buddies x

after hours - we are scientists

the catalyst that started me on my musical musings this week. the subtitles and cardigans featured in this film clip are magnificent. it's definitely true love.

too much time - john vanderslice

i love this song, but can't say i necessarily agree with johnny v at the moment. i've had to start doing my washing at 1am in the morn in order to have a semblance of clean clothes.

mowgli's rd - marina and the diamonds

ha, this one is a bit sneaky. marina gets to feature in this week's mixtape purely for her 'cuckoo' abilities, which i heard around the traps were a crazy one-off muck around anyway.

this years love - david gray

oh, time for a heartbreaker i see. except if you listen to the words, it's actually quite hopeful and optimistic. oh love, so intrinsically linked with time. and cholera, if you're gabriel garcía márquez.

lost in time - whitley

did you know whitley is hanging up his guitar strings for good soon? this is sad news. i sure hope we get to see lawrence in another band incarnation in the future.

spending my time - roxette

while i'm a big fan of roxette, i'm not such a fan of spending my time staring at walls. i prefer to daydream while i'm driving, which is both cathartic and risky.

sentimental heart - she & him

vom, it's the whole time, love, link thing again isn't it? but truly, how can you not like how darn cute this song is, in it's hark back to yesteryear. get me a pastel shift dress and some frosted pink lipstick already.

once in a lifetime - talking heads

i don't know what a shotgun shack is, but i sure could use a spell living in one. does it have a fireplace and a balcony and a pot-bellied stove i wonder?

night time - the xx

i used to be an insomniac, yes i did. but now i sleep like the log lady's favourite possession. my friend zoe gave me a sleeping pill to "practice" with for an upcoming euro flight. but i've so far been too tired to open the millions of layers of cling wrap she wrapped it in. hmmm, is it really a restavit zoe?

time means nothing at all - lisa mitchell

it means nothing, it means everything, it hurts, it heals, there's too much, there's not enough. tick tock. tick tock. cuckoo. til next TIME pals! x

here kitty kitty

cats are so neat. i really love them a lot. i've never been a dog person and have really just adored kitties my whole life. this is a bit wack when you consider the fact that dogs trip over their little paws with affection for me, while cats, well they mostly act like they couldn't give a bloody stuff.

but me, i'm a lazy bugger. so i like the fact that cats look after themselves, groom themselves, entertain themselves, do not need constant attention, you never have to take them for walks and they never roll in their own shit.

plus, no matter how many times they might parade away from me with aloof and haughty pads of their paws, they always seem to know when you really need them to settle in for a long-haul cuddle. so for that, here's a mixtape dedicated to my most favourite of the domestic pets. meow x

the lovecats - the cure

oh, hi memory lane. do you remember that show 'vidiot' on abc hosted by eden gaha? i saw this clip for the very first time on that show way back when i was a little latch key kid. i probably watched degrassi junior high straight afterwards too.

alley cats - hot chip

when i see the words 'alley cats' i straight away think of murakami novels, then i think about talking in the third person, then i think about eating eel. what a cycle.

belfast (penguins and cats) - katie melua

i don't know about you, but even though i have already stated my love above for the felines, i think if i had to choose between penguins and cats, i'd go for the tuxedo birds... they're even 3 times cuter!

cat claw - the kills

you know how you can get those sugary buns from bakeries called 'bear claws'? well can you get cat claws? and if you can, what do they taste like i wonder?

nashville cats - the lovin' spoonful

i would really adore to go to nashville one day quite soon. especially if i get to meet some nashville cats, they sound so lovely and fun!

purr - sonic youth

i love how rhythmic a cat's purr is. it has this amazing ability to calm even the most manic of panicky heartbeats. plus they make excellent hot water bottles. furry cover already included.

milk - garbage

mum says chocolate isn't good for dogs and milk isn't good for cats, but binge-drinking isn't good for grownups and i didn't see me saying no to another tequila shot on the weekend, did i? so maybe it's ok for them to have a little lap of full cream, every now and again.

whiskers - the boy least likely to

i find a cat's whiskers one of the prettiest and most elegant things about them, the way they are so spindly and fine, but also super strong. plus, i'm sure they have some whizzbang practical function, other than just being aesthetically pleasing.

black cats - bertie blackman

are not bad luck, they are my favourite. out of the seven cats i have had in my life, two have been black as the midnight sky on a moonless night. they have also, coincidentally, had the loveliest natures out of them all too. ps. i may or may not have blatantly stolen a quote from twin peaks in this paragraph.

what's new pussycat - tom jones

this clip makes me just laugh and laugh right down deep in my belly. tom jones, so daggy he's a bloody legend. catch you later cool cats. x

rainbow bright

hi tiny dancers! how cool was rainbow bright? definitely one of my top 3 favourite childhood character pals, along with strawberry shortcake and, of course, punky brewster. talk about sassy, those little minxes ruled.

however, i digress. this mixtape has nothing to do with childhood nostalgia, and everything to do with the rainbow of colours that seem to shimmer and shine with the last intensity of summer and the new sharpness of autumn.

it's such a beautiful time of the year and one of my most favourites. the leaves are already turning, but you can see a rainbow of colours in just one day, and the sunrises (or sunsets if you're not excellent at the early morning rising) are moments of time-standing still magic. it's the kind of weekend where you can spend all morning at the beach, all evening wrapped in a cardigan, and you can actually go for a walk in the afternoon without becoming a melted puddle of perspiration.

i also think it's so beautiful because it's so quick, which give these days a rare and fleeting feeling. make sure you take some time to look outside at the colours, because blink, and the branches will be bare.

red right hand - nick cave & the bad seeds

i've been listening to this track so much lately. it makes me feel super strong and powerful. just like punky b. i wonder what nicky c was like as a bambino?

little yellow spider - devendra banhart

cutesticks. i love love love this film clip. it is actually one of my life long dreams to have someone send me a (non-ransom) note in cut out newspaper letters. my address is.... ha, hang on, katie dazzle isn't that daft.

pink light - laura veirs

gorgeous to the max. laura veirs has had many a spin on my stereo lately. or, if we're being perfectly honest, many a shuffle on my iPod. plus, this clip i found is adorbs. now, where's that hula hoop i bought in byron bay last year...?

green gloves - the national

"i glide and swan cause i'm the best slow dancer". AGH, SWOONING IN A FIELD OF EMERALD GREEN LEAVES. this band has stolen my heart a total of 458 times and counting.

black and blue - miike snow

from one of my new favourite bands at the momento, featuring the cutest bearded old fellow i've seen in quite some time. beer belly and all.

bowl of oranges - bright eyes

this song makes me want to tickle tummies, tell jokes and juggle the bowl of oranges before a benevolent crowd. and then squeeze the juice from the oranges and skip down the street.

gold day - sparklehorse

excuse me, but have you seen the sunsets over the city lately? they are totally magnificent, like gold and pink and purple dust settling all over sydney and putting it to sleep. open your eyes before daylight savings ends. which is in 3 nights time. quick!

silver lining - rilo kiley

continuing on with the colours of precious metals, comes a totally pretty tune by a girl with one of the most awkward names to pronounce. maybe it's just me, but also i have difficulty with the spelling. the silver lining is, i don't think i have dyslexia.

scarlet - brooke fraser

this nz gal has one of the most beautiful voices and some of the most powerful lyrics i've ever heard, but i don't think more than a slight fuss has ever been made about her here in oz. an excellent song to break up to. love maudlin maude.

golden brown - the stranglers

have i mixtaped this song before? it's a perennial favourite because it was "my song" when growing up, given to me by my ma and pa. they also loved eric clapton, madonna and the mcgarrigle sisters, and for that i will love them forever. even though i love them forever anyway. naff. awkward. laters! xxx

feeling sinful?

i'm not! i had a spectacularly low-key weekend that involved not many drinks, lots of beach time, lots of cooking delicious things, lovely friends and doing good deeds for the family.

karma got her awesome on, and rewarded me with the discovery of my old, still working, casio CA-100 tone bank keyboard, with possibly the best demo track my ears have ever heard.

however, this morning i have woken up with what feels like 56 teeny, tiny razor blades stuck in my throat, which after a relatively booze/party free week and weekend, strikes me as ironic.

what does not strike me as ironic is the fact i made the conscious decision to be kind to katie dazzle last week, in order to attempt to rewind party season, and four months where i was the poster girl for debauchery.

here's a mixtape themed around the seven deadlies, and it's dedicated to everyone who's lived their summer to excess. x

jealous guy - bryan ferry & roxy music

a.k.a. envy. monday mornings are just the hardest, espesh on days when it should be illegal to be stuck inside non-airconditioned offices. bryan ferry, with his super, smooth skin and perfect, white teeth makes them heaps more bearable. and don't even get me started on his outfit - i want that tie.

insatiable one - and you will know us by the trail of the dead

a.k.a. greed. you know what i'm talking about sinners. those kind of marvellous hangovers where your stomach is so bottomless you can eat breakfast, lunch, two dinners and a whole packet of potato gems without feeling sick. til monday rolls around at least. ps. in the spirit of greed, here is insatiable two.

lazy confessions - the moldy peaches

a.k.a. sloth. this cute city little ditty is all about being horizontal, dreaming of doing things, but actually not getting up for the entire day. oh well, as long as you've got someone to bring you the potato gems...

l'excessive - carla bruni

a.k.a. gluttony. a.k.a. bring me a wheel of brie and a karafe of red wine, and i'll smash it right before your eyes.

narcissist - the libertines

a.k.a. pride. oh to have been a dragonfly on the wall, buzzing around the lake that narcissist fell into while he was perving on his own face. is that how the myth goes? i was too busy staring into my compact at uni to take notes.

little fury bugs - death cab for cutie

a.k.a. wrath. ha, this song title actually conjures up imagery that has very little to do with extreme anger. but if the bugs are inchmen, then they are crazy mad, because those big, fat cousins of ants bite HARD.

lust - the raveonettes

a.k.a. lust. a song called lust. from the album lust lust lust. did you get that this song pertains to lust yet? no? probably cos you're too busy being a lusty wench. you lust bucket. the end. ps. this song is actually super sexy.

the most important meal of the day

recently i moved house, from sydders inner west to east. it's been an amazingly smooth transition, and so far i'm loving everything about the change of scenery; house to apartment, four to two, goths to botox, so to speak.

but during my 2.5 years in newtown, i must have eaten over 1000 delicious breakfasts in and around the streets of king. yep, do the maths my pretties, sometimes a girl needs to eat more than one breakfast a day.

as i cycle new paths and find new places of delicious morning foods to haunt in my eastern digs, i would like to pay tribute to ten favourite breakfast places i have left behind, but will surely return to often. as long as they do all day breakfasts.

my tribute is in the form of gratuitous cafe plugs and a mixtape of breakfast tunes. thanks inner west. you were rad. x

milk n' cereal - g.love & special sauce

number one totally has to be satellite in newtown. from al and the gang coming to wilson st parties, renee's crush on zoe, kate bush on the stereo, eddie's takeover, dan the scooter riding waiter in amazing leggings, and the best breakfast roll in existence, my heart and breakfast stomach will always belong to you.

tom's diner - susanne vega

i have a dream to eat my way across america's finest highway diners. deus ex machina on parramatta rd has delicious coffee, bellyriffic food and amazing wooden tables that bear no resemblance whatsoever to said diners. but, you can look at pretty things with wheels afterwards. probably you can do that on american highways too?

english tea - paul mccartney

sometimes i can't face coffee in the mornings. usually this is after a night partying with certain peeps, the kind of peeps who also favour cafe martini on king st for breakfast in the a.m. amazing tea and toast though, and martin is so crazy and wacky, he can cure hangovers just by opening his mouth.

heartstopper - emiliana torrini

for the mornings where you can face coffee, do yourself a favour and hop, skip and jump your way down to baffi & mo's at redfern. it is uber delicious, and that's not even the half of it. i can sum up their food menu in two words - hash cakes.

another breakfast with you - ladytron

you know where you don't have just another breakfast? that would be at clipper cafe in glebe. you can get eggs with dukkah for crying out loud, and their sweet treat cabinet? out of this world amazing. just don't leave the door open if it's cold or they will YELL at you.

cigarettes & chocolate milk - rufus wainwright

buzz bar on king st is an excellent breakfast choice for those of a slightly more debaucherous persuasion - the bloody marys at this place are top notch and scarily addictive. watch out, because not only will you stumble out into the daylight drunk, you'll also be poor.

one more cup of coffee - the white stripes

sometimes, all you want for breakfast is a coffee and pain au chocolate. look no further than the recently opened luxe bakery in newtown. the staff here have heaps of character, superbly evident when they got raided a few weeks ago, for selling black market bonsoy.

eggs and their shells - cocteau twins

heading to erko for a minute now, and first up is the gloriously casual cafe sofia. like sister cafes ella and giulia, the menu is yumbo, the atmosphere is relaxed and the juices are fresh. plus, if you're still hungry afterwards (you won't be), you can nip next door for fish and chips!

pancakes for one - of montreal

wander a little further down swanson st towards erskineville oval, and you'll find yourself at bitton cafe. so nice to score a table outside and people watch the villagers walking past. the staff here are super attentive, the menu slightly european and wholly delish. and you're so close to mitchell road, what better way to digest brekkie than by trawling through antiques at the auction house.

breakfast in bed - dusty springfield

beautiful song dusty, but really, who wants crumbs between their sheets? saturday mornings are perfect for strolling down wilson st to the eveleigh farmer's markets (aka outside at carriageworks). there is a place down one end that sells crazy delicious smoked trout and egg and dill mayo on brioche, right next to the yum colombian coffee people. after filling my belly i wander down to buy fresh flowers from the other end, and saturday = perfect.

chinese whispers...

i like to know everything. all the time. surprises are not my friend and secrets can f**k off and die sideways. for the past few months however, secrets and whispers and dancing in the dark have been pervading my all-knowing walls and causing me the kind of discomfort normally associated with heartburn and indigestion.

these haven't been my secrets. oh no. dictionary definition of katie dazzle = open book, and don't worry if you can't read because she can quite happily recite aloud.

but the secrets of others? with their closed lips, closed hearts and closed minds, i'm surprised they haven't turned inside out with the effort it takes to stay shut up so tightly. plus talk about dj paranoia - it's truly unbecoming to think everything is about you. all the time. it's not.

while my cure lies in the form of chalky white antacid tabs, i highly recommend you secret keepers chow down on a dose of mixtape. and open the freaking doors. xx

there's no secrets this year - silversun pickups

that's what i'm rooting for silversun pickups. ps. i think your voice sounds like a cherry flavoured robot.

hide and seek - imogen heap

i heard a horrid remix of this in a supermarket the other day. i wasn't even in a good isle, like the laundry/fabric softener one. luckily i still love the original.

little secrets - passion pit

no, cheeky and shiny little passion pit song. no matter how much you tingle at me, i will never love secrets. not even little ones.

i'm not calling you a liar - florence and the machine

i'm a terrible liar. don't get me wrong, i've told my fair share of porkies and little white ones too. but any time i do it eats me from the inside out and i always confess. because i know how disappointing it is when people you thought you could trust forever let you down.

liar - the cranberries

ok, ok katie dazzle, we get it, you don't like liars! it's just that all the secrets do tend to breed all the lies. vicious nasty trapping lies. agh, does that mean the the truth really does set you free? shitballs, i'm a cliche!

secret meeting - the national

well, where else do you think the secret keepers are hanging out? i bet they're wearing inspector gadget-esque trench coats as well.

a place to hide - white lies

ooh, this song is doubly deserving - track and band name style. you know where i like to hide? nowhere, cos i am always the finder. actually, i am really good at finding lost items, especially shiny things. probably i will open a detective agency soon too.

stop whispering - radiohead

seriously. especially the chinese style whispers. it's just chicken chow mean.

my secret - anna ternheim

hairspray works a treat on getting ink stains out of your favourite dress. ha, not a secret anymore, take that!

everybody's got something to hide except to hide except me and my monkey - the beatles

does that make me the monkey? i always imagained myself as more of a chimpanzee...

sail away...

happy new year happy little campers! hope you all had a marvellous time ringing it in and shaking it out as we said goodbye to 2009.

i think i'll start off 2010 by telling you about my friend lady ship. as her name might suggest, she is one elegant gal. lady ship also happens to make the most amazing silver lovely things, which i would highly recommend you take the time to have a bit of a looksie at.

and hey, while you're at it, perhaps you might like to listen to my mixtape of sailing, sea and salt inspired songs. because whether you're back at work or still on holidays, dreaming of a summer boat-style getaway is a wonderful way to while away a lazy hour or two. ahoy! and don't forget the kwells xx

song to the siren - this mortal coil

super gorgeous and sad song originally by one, mr tim buckley. many a cover has been done - this is my top pick, as well as a super rare and hard to find extended version by the national. too super hard for katie dazzle to find today unfortunately!

ship inside a bottle - kylie auldist

kylie's new album 'made of stone' has a rip-snorter of a summer vibe, and this is my top pick from the soulful lady's latest offering. don't forget, kylie is performing in sydney at days like this! festival this sunday 10th jan - there may just be a few tickets left if you hurry hurry!

saltwater - beach house

i love this song for it's ability to conjure up images of salt encrusted eyelashes, sand encrusted limbs, and a big, fat summer smile in amongst it all.

ship to shore - theme song

the tv show ruled. this theme song rules. that is all.

i'm sailin' - mazzy star

perfect to listen to on your portable speakers while on the boat. the sun is setting, you're anchored in for the evening, and tiny little baby waves are gently lapping the side of your vessel. sigh...

girl sailor - the shins

contrary to popular opinion, when steering a sailboat, do you know it is actually your upper thigh muscles that get the workout, rather than your arms? cos of the grip factor, as all girl sailors will know.

turn this boat around - matt & kim

today is my first day back at work for 2010. i totally wish my boat was pointing back towards to the infinite and far, far away horizon.

islands - the xx

castaways! what three things would you take with you to a deserted island? paw paw ointment, cherries and beer for me.

down river - the temper trap

one of the only things getting me through today is the fact that my favourite aussie band of 2009 are playing at the enmore theatre this friday 8th jan 2010. huzzah!

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