• Do you make lists?
• Do you plan your day?
• Do you doodle
• Do you like red?
• Do you have a Moleskine?

A couple of days back I was shopping in Parramatta for christmas gifts and came across exactly what I was looking for, a daily planner. General Pants had them displayed on a table as you entered. I let out a gasp and picked it up ooooing and arrrrring over it’s awesomeness and saying to myself I need this I NEED THIS. I put it down and moved on arnt I good!!!!!!!! I drove home thinking about it telling myself you don’t need it. I couldn’t sleep that night, why didn’t I just get it?????? because I’ve been extremely tight with money thats why, and besides that shopping trip wasn’t about me it was about christmas. A couple of days past and the feeling of not having it hadn’t passed, abit like my first ipod I bought, so I purchased the Moleskin to make life easier for myself. She arrived the other day and I’m so glad I bought it. I will now be  more organised, my day will be planned precisely making me happier because I’ve done everything on my list……..production plus!!!! yay. I’m thinking of taking a weekly iphoto of myself and sticking it in the Moleskine so I can watch myself age gracefully as I flick past the year that was hoping it doesn’t end with a tear drenched final page but a happy “I’m doing ok” page all of course written with a yummy black Fountain Pentel . I’m looking forward to the 1st of January, my first list and of course the brilliant (organised) year to come.

check out other peeps moleskines on flickr

Ahhhhh the year is almost away, so I’m putting my own top 10 albums of 2008 up. This year was an awesome year for music and below is what rocked my stereo on high rotation. I can’t wait for what’s in store for next year. I purchased a lot of electronica this year which is a surprise to myself I usually fall on the heavier side of music. Cut Copy’s- In Ghost Colours , The Presets- Apocalypso and Crystal Castles-Crystal Castles didn’t make it in my top 10 but I thoroughly enjoyed listening to them when in the right mood.

It was dead hard to figure out what album I would place at number 1. I could easily have three albums for my number one spot but hey lets stick to the rules here. Here goes………….

1.

Late of the Pier-Fantasy Black Channel.

This album takes my number one spot and sums up 2008 for me. In my opinion it represented 2008 and what I think the year looked like fashion wise and music wise. Late of the Pier are my heavy MGMT. throughout this whole album you can here elements of the 80′s mixed with todays techno stylings. Think Muse, Gary Numan ,Bowie and Talking Heads. This album is also a killer to jog too, a treadmill must. I think these boys were dragged up listening to some cool LP’s from their parents personal catalogues.

2.

Words do not describe my love for Mr Cave. Dig Lazarus Dig dug deep with me, I lost sleep thinking about listening to it before I heard it and when I bought it it was everything I anticipated. Every Bad Seeds album creates a different atmosphere for me Dig Lazarus Dig definitely has the dirty tacky taste of Grinderman (one of this years favourite live shows). The only difference between the two is Mick Harvey and religion. I dug this album big time.

3.

If you haven’t heard this you have been living under a rock, it’s all over the radio like a Foo Fighters song. They have played the shit out of Sex on Fire so much so that I flip forward to the next song. What an absolute corka my second fav to date. ‘Use Somebody’ makes me cry It’s such an emotionally driven song it hits me right in the jugular. So glad they weren’t a one hit wonder. All hale the Kings.

4.

Allison Mosshart and Jamie Hince make up one of my all time fav dirty ass rock bands of today. They hit the nail on the head with every album and Midnight Boom is as dirty as No Wow, but not as stripped down as Keep on your Mean side. They’re awesome at what they do they keep it raw and real. If Andy Warhol was around today these cool cats would be immortalised on one of his screen prints and hung on the silver walls of the Factory. They are so Velvet Underground-esque they have that whole smacked out feel about there music it’s raw as F#%k all KILLer no filler.

5.

I loved loved this album TNPS ‘Beat Pyramid” the bands debut with their strong London accents, repetitive drum and vocal loops you’re up dancing in no time. They repeat nearly every lyric at least twice just so you don’t forget the words, trust me it works…. we were right, we were right,we were right, we were…. right got it yet? Electro punk awesomeness at it’s best.

6.

Jessie theDevil Hughes and Joshua Baby Duck Hommes my two favourite ginger Elvis Presley’s have given us another awesomely cool slice of dirty rock, it screams BITCH in a southern accent, tight pants, aviators, slicked back hair and garage guitar riffage all done with a wicked sense of humor a must for air guitar. Damn, the cover art sucks so bad. It’s so corny, maybe thats the point!

7.

Huge NIN fan, love everything Trent Reznor does and this album is no exception. You can only listen to NIN loud they don’t come any other way. Reznor puts up a wall of dark riffage with layers and layers of sounds stacked on top you wouldn’t want it any other way it’s their signature sound. There is something sexy about this band. oh!!!! of courrrrrrse……..Trent *slaps forehead* dahhhh

8.

When I picked this one up I really wasn’t sure what to expect, after a few listens in the car on my own I was a fan, they are reminiscent of Birthday Party and early early Public Image Limited. They have gone out and released this album with that ‘fuck you’ attitude, if you don’t like it don’t listen to it, that doesn’t happen anymore it’s all about the money, money money money .  This review sums them up in one. Snowman – “The Horse, The Rat and The Swan”  only for the patient, think Dogs in Space sound track but darker.

9.

I remember reading an article on Duffy in Vogue or one of those glossy magazines, and thought, I got to here this. I went on You Tube first and watched the original video for Mercy and was hooked, what an amazing voice and the video!!! with the rude boys dancing about had England slapped all over it, I love anything British and yeah yeah I know there was a sudden increase in Amy Winehouse wanna be’s but Duffy holds her own. Ah-ma-zing.

10.

Ladyhawke aka Pip Brown,  a little New Zealander gal who set me on fire with Paris is Burning a song she wrote with Soko partying in Paris. This album is sooooo 1980′s and it’s done soooo damn well. Back of the van reminds me of Stevie Nicks. Give it a spin it’s uplifting and will remind you of  the 80′s especially if you’re a 30 something girl/guy. The artwork on this album is brilliant check her out Ladyhawke even gives us a cool 80′s inspired video game to play. Just dont shoot the puddy cats.

So thats it for my top 10. I bet I’ve left something momentous out I have that somatic sensation.

Live show of the year goes hands down to Bjork at the Opera House how awesome was that Ally? everytime I put Volta on and Earth Intruders comes on I get a overwhelming feeling and a lump forms in my throat. The atmosphere of that night can never be mimicked it was perfect.

So how about you? what was on high rotation on your  stereo this year? who rocked your musical world?