Say Something...

This year I decided to vote in Triple J's Hottest 100 poll and see how alternatively conformist my musical tastes are. Here are my choices, please don't hate me too much if you disagree with my final ten. Just remember that democracy doesn't always work when it comes to pop culture or the past eight years of American politics.



I chose to go for my favourite songs from the available list, which of course doesn't necessarily turn out to be the best or most popular, but I feel like I can justify most of my selections.

N/A - Eagles of Death Metal - Anything 'Cept The Truth
N/A - End Of Fashion - Fussy
#29 - Josh Pyke - Make You Happy
N/A - Kate Nash - Mouthwash
#24 - Kings Of Leon - Closer
N/A - The Living End - How Do We Know
#02 - MGMT - Electric Feel
#35 - Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
#75 - Tame Impala - Half Full Glass Of Wine
#78 - Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go

(N/A - Did Not Chart)

Six out of ten isn't too bad I guess, for a list that only had one Kings of Leon and MGMT track. Electric Feel was a virtual given, while Closer was more of an outsider's choice. I still feel that track was better overall compared to Sex on Fire though, it had more of a slow burning feel to it... just not the same kind of burning in Sex on Fire. Nothing that some medication can't fix, I'm sure.

I was surprised by the placings of Josh Pyke and The Ting Tings; I was expecting them to be at the opposite ends of the chart actually. Apparently the guitar boat in Pyke's music video is soon to be auctioned on eBay... a part of me really wants that boat. The Tame Impala and Nick Cave songs were in around where I expected, it was just nice to see them chart really. I confess I haven't heard all that much of Cave's back catalogue, that's something I plan on fixing in future.

As for the ones that failed to chart, the Eagles and TLE tracks were the ones I was hoping would do well. Perhaps the Josh Homme effect only applies to Queens of the Stone Age and outside that reaches only as far as this household. As a side project to QotSA the Eagles manages to produce music that doesn't take itself too seriously while retaining a quality missing in several comparable acts. This particular song is far superior to the lead single off the album in my honest opinion but that's just me. I had a similar feeling towards How Do We Know, it being a more rock worthy song than White Noise which feels like a lead single by-the-numbers. I chose the End of Fashion song simply because it has mariachi trumpeting in it, and the Kate Nash song for its honest songwriting and pop piano. Plus she is kinda cute. All that aside it's not hard to dismiss her as a Lilly Allen clone, but her debut record in spit of its uneven finish does hint at some potential to differentiate herself from that perception, only time will tell.

Funny thing is that the Bond theme song actually did make it onto the list at number 87. It's not a bad song, such an odd combination seems to work quite well. To a degree it reflects the changes occurring within the rest of the Bond franchise, with the majority of its components being rearranged or swapped out for something new. Having said that, if you hear the Bourne theme in the next Bond film you know it'll be all over.