So i came up with this idea a few years back and have yet to act upon it. At first like most of my idea's, just a brief wave threw my mind really, like the light goes on that reads "you should do something with that idea kitchen". Most thoughts wave right on threw me. If i were on a surfboard i woulda shit the bed on catching many waves. But sometimes i spend a bit more time in development of that intial thought and then from there who the hell knows, thats another blog entirely. But ive let this thought develop a little more to pretty much this finished product in your hands/ears. So the content of this mixx cd, what it represents, and then how it not just gets in your hands, but how you then got to this blog, reading about its content. So it has a few different levels of thought development you see.

So what im gonna do hear, is give my personal input on each track of the cd in its listed order. Some having just musical comments, some having personal moments ive had with the music or the arists that perform it. Im just gonna let myself go with it and i think its gonna probably take you on a bit of a journey. Wanna come along ?

So getting to it i suppose..the following cd mix your listening to is composed of tracks from a variety of different artists from 4 different corners of the world. It is one of what id be willing to bet you've not heard too many of the tracks before. No dissrespect intended, this just being a respectfull piece of some either relatively unknown artists, depending on where you are, as well as some rareities for sure. Im kinda testing a few theories i have really. It consists mostly - to use one of our fave abbrv. these dayz. "indie" music . If your reading this i would think most of you would be very familier what indie stands for. Yet threw my journy's the past few years ive truly been learning what it truly means in many different levels of definition. But i think i might be giving this cd to many who essentialy dont know the full level of comitment of truly indie music, so no dissrespect again - actually - im gonna stop saying that, its just the polite words ive allready said, so anything from here on if i offend or missundertsood - reference the first 2 times ive said it !
So "indie" music,,,ok - the web defines it justly as..
In the context of popular music, the term indie (from "independent") is often used to refer to a number of genres, scenes, subcultures and stylistic and cultural attributes, characterised by (real or perceived) independence from commercial pop music and mainstream culture and an autonomous, do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indie_music

Pretty complicated first couple of reads, i have problems with it still. I could break down the word indie into its own blog, but lets just get to this cd again..
Its compromised primarily of indie artists. Several now have deals with major labels, and have plenty of material to there credit, i think there's two artists that would be considered out of the indie class, but nothing like a deal you might be thinking of, i assure you.
Another motive of the mix, is its international touch. Of the 17 tracks, half of them are from Australian artists, 9 exactly. Nine of whom id be impressed with, if your failiar with any more than 3 of the 9. In fact myself id never heard of 8 of these 9 artists until just this year. This point im making is how this isnt a mix cd of favouite top hits your gonna know and maybe love or not, or that you know the artists that sing them. I love how i find much motivation in my travels of how i continue to stumble across incredible music all over the world, and how so much of it never finds its way out of its own back yard.

The other international half are compromised of artists from the uk, canada, jamaica, and usa.
Ive travelled pretty extensively this year specifically for live music.
February into March was west coast canada.
April threw into June i exprienced a great opprotunity of travelling to Australia for 3 months.
Two of those months on a Tour as the Tour Manager of the truly Indie act of Nine Mile. With the 3rd month travelling upon an solo adventure in a camper van into Northern Australia into The Territory of Norther Queensland. Much inspiration throught this trip is why half of this cd is from OZ.
Ive been creting this one a long time and just recently found its last puzzle piece to where i truly believe i have one of my most favourite mix's ive ever made. One with that not only im gonna be listening to as my favourite highlight year/years music, but one with purpose for others.

If your reading this - your are an important subject yourself. It has been sent to not just you but a limited # of copies have been sent to people in ...
Due to doing this project out of my own pocket and well if ya know indie then you know my pockets are pretty fuckn empty. Postage alone, never mind materials was a heavy burdon.
So whats my objective you ask ? Ive been asking myself that since the begining. I have problems i think with spending my energies on things that dont neccesarily get me ahead of any race. I suppose its my way of feeling good about sharing. I suppose i also have aspirations of somehow tracking if this cd's result will make it into others hands..will you share it with others - please do.., will you or others purchase materials or go see any of the artists as a result of this cd ive sent out..? Many questions of its possibilities..But ultimately the product is in your hands - results will either show themselves or they wont. Regardless of all that, and above all - enjoy
in its entireity andi thank you for coming along for the ride !

So anywayz that was a big ass introduction, so now = lets just get to the hot shit ok ! ..

1.) Hotel California - The Cat Empire: http://www.thecatempire.com
My ears came across Auzzie band TCE a couple years ago, and never looked back. If un-familiar - this 6 piece act has a big range of eclectic sounds. Chances are you've heard of them, as they had a big year. Opened up the Commonwealth games this past year. Lots of awsome horns, keyboards, percussion, accordian you name it, there hitting on it. I doubt you have seen this covered eagles classic done like this. And ya its french lyrics, from a bunch of mates from oz, i thought it just made for a purrrrfect opener for my Internationally indie mix of 2006. But these guyz - I wont miss a show if i can help it. Ive been fortunate to meet and hang a couple times. Nine Mile opened up for them when they were in Toronto at one of the best shows of the year many say ! The entire venue of the Mod Club was jumping - and i mean jumping ! I gotta say you need to see these cool kats live ! Expect to dance your ass off ! Its such a high energy show ! You wont be dissapointed !
Check out there site if your surfin around someday, its got there signature fun frog you can jump him about with sweet instrumental jazz beats while you surf the site. I kinda found it amusingly fresh. Its a good one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2mR6eLznrI&mode=related&search


2.) When Doves Cry - Damien Rice:
I dig this solo kat. This irish dude kinda has been hiding down in james blunts shadow i think. Im pretty done & over blunt man arnt you ? But not critizing really - just that this Rice guy has a sweet voice with a real nice guitar/piano, among others. This tune is also a cover - dont worry - no cover-tune cheezy mixx theme going here- it just filled a great two spot with such a differently perspectived voice of art tune. He not only plays the shit out of an accousitc ghuitar on this gem, he pounds out vocals that should give the simplest of men the shivers ! This tune should make you women out there imagine a few nice things this guy would do to/for you. hahaa ok maybe a lil much there - but seriously i think a great job on this cover of another tune i doubt you have ever come across.
http://www.damienrice.com/index.html



3.) Jack(live) - Xavier Rudd: Now most of you i think have heard of this artist. Most of you also probably now that this guy is my most passionate at this point in my travels. I think this dude is the biggest man & spirit making music in the scene today. So sorry of my biased review maybe hear..hahaa But seriously XR is a special artist everyone familiar would agree, of his talent & belieavable passion for what he does and the life he lives with it. The tune is a rare-live version

4.) Further Down The Road - Bernard Fanning:

5.) The Atumn Leaves - NQ Arbuckle:

6.) Kingswood - The Vesco Era (uk):

7.) Pape Aeroplane - Angus & Julia Stone (oz):

8.) Walk Together - Iaasac Paddon & the Tides (oz):

9.) Black Fingernails, Red Wine - Eskimoe Joe (oz):

10.) Love is My Religion(accosutic) - Ziggy Marley (jam):

11.) Meds - Placebo(uk): I needed somethin to speed me up a litle bit on this mixx somewhere around this half way mark. Cause god knows i love to crank it up sometimes ! I mean i play a mean fuckin air guitar i gotta tell ya !! This tunes comes from certainly not a new act. Placebo has been around for years. In fact just celebrated there 10th anniversary. But they've kept it kinda indie and done a nice job at surviving the tides i think. With tunes you surley have heard think "pure morning" ohh ya that one rocked back in the day ! But this tune off there latest album stays true to placebo's roots. It was another tune playing heavy on Trible J when i was in OZ and i just got hooked in ! It makes my head jerk back&forth with violent but controlled bursts of agreement & enjoyment ! Now i dont have a lot of there stuff - dont even own an album, so maybe im cheating a lil bit on this tune. But i cant handle too much of this stuff in one sitting..sign of my aging ears perhaps ? :(
check out the video for pure morning - that shit was way ahead of its time !
http://www.placeboworld.co.uk/
http://www.myspace.com/placebo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQQmAP9Poo4

12.) In The Waiting Line - Zero 7(uk):

13.) Toots & The Maytals & Ben Harper (jam&usa):

14.) Unnecesarily Blue - TZU (ox):

15.) Outside the Stars - NQ Arbuckle (can):

16:) Jimi/For What its Worth meddley - Nine Mile/Matt York/Melissa Larkin(can):

17:) Stay Young - Donovan Frankenreiter (usa): Dono has been around awhile. You've heard him im quite sure. If ya dont have any, you've been at a party im sure where Jack Johnson has been playing. He's one of those usa surf-rockers that Jack's old surfer connections is kinda how he came up. Several duets and tours with Jack and then he broke out pretty much doin his own thing. Well with a kick ass band too. Ive been a fan since back in the day of this guy right out of a 60's surfer movie but wil cool and phunk flowin threw him. I got re-energized back early last year on tour with him. His album Move By Yourself is just ree-dick-u-lously good - go get it ! you wont be dissapointed. There's a couple songs i wanted to drop on here, but my new excitement for the guy, made me find this kick-ass version of one of his too be classics - no doubt ! and ya ya - ok maybe i like to reflect personally a lil on this one. That fuckin peter pan again man !!

http://www.donavonf.com/
http://www.myspace.com/donavonfrankenreiter

Chinese Translation - M.Ward (usa): This guy got put on to me from a musician friend of mine just recently ! Like a month ag0 & yet this Portland, Oregon dude came out with his first stuff way back in 98. His latest realease made a lot of respectable mags/critic's top album of the year lists. and i aint never heard of him til just recently. Geeze i dig that shit of how discovery inspires & motivates. Anywayz..So M.Ward..I dont know shit about him really other than the general stuff on his site, and that i dig this tune hard and many others, but this one was the first to get multiple plays - so it gets put on here. Seems to have made a connection with Norah Jones and is since opening up her shows on her new 25-35 show tour in april/may of 07. Most indie's get there break obviously by opening up for the right peeps. Again im sadly reminded that a lot of times - t just aint about what ya know - its who ! But atleast in music there's still some purity in it as you do gotta have the "what ya know" to stand the test of time !
Anyway not sure what the first Intial M. is about, but the songwriting, the voice, he's a phee-nom-inal guitar/musician by the sounds of it..i cant believe i dont know about this guy - but im listening now ! thats fo-sure.
http://www.mwardmusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/mward


Brett Dennen Im hearing a lot of similar sounds with M.Ward & this guy Brett Dennen. Two west coasters, obviously chill kinda musicians that dig good songwriting & guitar playing with just suttle percussion. I stumbled across this kat opening up for Xavier in Seattle & Portland in December 06 and i havent looked back yet - he's in my ears steady right now. He's just a word of mouth indie success out of California thats on a pretty big discovery tour right now. He seemes to be an elcetic kinda odd-fellow that has his own thing going on. He's a picker of teh accoustic thats for certain. He's got some help from many talents also, like Keb Moe which aint no slouch. There's a long bio on his site, that kinda lost me to be honest..i think its the format, but if your interested in this kind of music. Im not all the way in with this guy yet ! But he's off to a pretty good start with me..I'll be watchin/listenin carefully for this guy. I swear ive heard this tune on a commercial somewhere, but i havent found evidence online to substantiate !


http://www.brettdennen.com/
http://www.myspace.com/brettdennen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sop1WRILcxk


Jesus - you wouldnt believe what i had to cut outta this list ! i should do a b-sides !
Anywayz..hope this mixx finds you with peace and love and wanting more ! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIMVxQy0mCU&mode=related&search=