original image from here

yes, camera obscura’s first australian tour started right here in brisbane last night.
master carmen was reviewing the show, and kindly offered me her +1 ticket - you’re my hero - so, luckily, getting in to this sold-out show was a breeze. cross-leggedness appeared to be the theme of the night throughout shiver like timber and institut polaire until the break before the band of “the (well, my and many others’) great expectations,” at which point people all stood up and it became quite unwise to walk around through the dense crowd.

even considering my potentially biased feelings - liked them for a while now and had been waiting for this gig for over two months - it was a blissful performance. thoroughly enjoyable. fun all the way. every band member had unique air around them, which was great, and of course, the lead vocal traceyanne campbell was magnificant: absolutly gorgeous, multi-talented, and sings like no one else. gold. who could resist having a bit of crush on someone like her. i have a crush on her, yes. i find the members very charming and talented, but i can’t get over her placidity. and, yes, you saw it coming, her hair! she’s irresistable.

here are two clips from their “let’s get out of this country” album:

“if looks could kill” with bits of their live performance footage

and

well-known “lloyd, i’m ready to be heartbroken”

2007 tour dates - australia
02.22.2007 - Troubadour Brisbane, Northern Territory
02.23.2007 - Laneway Festival Melbourne, Victoria
02.23.2007 - Northcote Social Club Melbourne, Western Australia
02.24.2007 - Laneway Festival Melbourne
03.02.2007 - Perth International Arts Centre Perth, Western Australia
03.03.2007 - Laneway Festival Brisbane
03.04.2007 - Laneway Festival Sydney
03.05.2007 - Annandale Hotel Sydney, New South Wales

recently got a hold of beth orton’s latest album “comfort of strangers.”

i enjoy listening to music a lot, be it classical, jazz, triphop, rock, or unclassifiable.

oh, talking about genres reminds me of what one of my students said last semester when we were talking about genres of writing. half expecting some funny and not-so-polite responses, i asked, “so, what genre does avril lavigne’s music fall into?” one of the students immediately yelled out “shame.” ok. now i’ve written it here, it doesn’t sound too funny, but when it happened, it was very funny. i’ve got nothing against avril lavigne personally.

there are two songs that i really enjoy in “comfort of strangers.” here are the lyrics:

Worms

Worms don’t dance they haven’t got the balls
No matter how do you do
It’s just you do that’s all
You got what it takes to knock at my door
You wanna get all excited
Never been here before

And now I’m your apple eating heathen
The original sin
Well you ain’t got my faith
So best keep your belief
I had waited forever to love someone
I swear I heard you thank your god that time
For having me come along

Chickens don’t fly but they have got the wings
No matter how hard they try
They bump into things
They’re all running around
Knock their heads on the ground
They got a wish bone where their backbone should’ve grown

And now I’m your apple eating heathen
Any old rib stealing eve
Well you don’t have my faith
So best keep your belief
I had waited forever to love someone
I swear I heard you thank your god that time
For having me come along

Intimacy reduced to cruelty
Had you believe like this was meant to be
And I look for the magic
But you got away with it
That’s all

Comfort of Strangers

I know the stars that shine on me
Are brighter than you and I may ever be
I know there’s an answer to your question
But I don’t know that I could word it right

Say what you mean don’t tell it like it could be
I’m not sure, should I just say it out loud?
Say what you mean don’t tell it like it could be
Alright this time I’m gonna keep that in mind

One love is better than not enough
I’d rather have no love
Than messing with the wrong stuff
It’s just the comfort of strangers
Always the comfort of strangers…

I know the sun that shines on me
On better terms than you and I may ever be
I know there’s an answer to the question
But I’m not sure that I should word it right

Say what you mean don’t tell it like it could be
Everytime you’re gonna set me free
Say what you mean don’t tell it like it could be
Alright this time let’s take it right home to see

One love is better than not enough
I’d rather have no love
Than messing with the wrong stuff
It’s just the comfort of strangers
Always the comfort of strangers

Well some of those are like best friends
Best friends…
Ones that keep you coming round again

I usually don’t listen to country music at all. I avoid the genre as much as I can. Although some of the songs in this album do go beyond the “folk boundaries” (well, the boundaries are set according to my highly personal classification rules anyway) sound too country-ish for my liking. But I really do enjoy listening to this album, and I particulary enjoy the lyrics. They’re fantastic. If you have a chance, do listen to it :)

While listening to this album and other great music, I’m patiently waiting for the release of Ego-Wrappin’s new album On the Rocks!.

Very excited. Very.