It’s our 600th post! I laugh in the face of Hugh, who thought he could snatch the mystical cup of victory from my grasp and partake in the sweet nectar within. But I foiled him, and now my I stand proudly over his carcass, my foot triumphantly placed on his head. But I’ll share the nectar with him, I GUESS.

Considering this monumental moment in either/or’s history, it’s only fitting that some equally monumental music accompany it. This piece featured in Darren Aronofsky’s critically divided film The Fountain. Personally, I liked it, but it’s not the kind of film you go and watch for cheery happy times: this piece will certainly demonstrate that. The film deals with death, loss, life and life beyond, and it’s all wonderfully encapsulated in this rather haunting piece.

Anyway, here’s to more either/or! See you at 700.

Ezra Furman is a fellow I would certainly never have listened to if my pal John didn’t go “hey, listen to Ezra Furman. He’s really good.” ‘ol John knows what’s up, as Ezra Furman can only be described as the cat’s meow! His songs are influenced by folk and classic rock, and his voice has a bit of the nasality that Bob Dylan’s famous for. This song in particular is one of the catchier tunes in his repertoire, but don’t let me pick for you. You can listen to the first half of his solo album, The Year Of No Returning, right here. So get to it, you scallywag.

Well folks, it’s Sunday night over in my neck of the woods, and it’s nearly sleepy times for me. So what better way to cap off the night than with some downtempo? Sure, this tune drags out a bit but man does it get super amazing when the strings kick in. As a friend said to me, it’s all about laying in the dark and stuff. I sure do need more of it!

I’m not entirely knowledgeable about (anything, zing) the work of Garbage, though they did do a pretty decent Bond theme. This song came up in presence lately, owing to its usage in the Metal Gear Solid V trailer. Someone just reminded me about it, so I thought “that’ll do”. We put a lot of effort in here, people!

The Metal Gear Solid series has always had its fair share of Bond-esque motifs and themes, and this song sounds vaguely like it could be a Bond tune, so I guess that’s why they used it? Either way, this is pretty nice and melancholy, and not at all like the other Garbage song I know, so perhaps its best if I increase my knowledge of their music beyond what is now three songs.

I always kind of summarised The Whitlams as the Australian version of R.E.M.. Though that’s possibly because I got the two confused when I was a wee lad. Having said that, they do share an affinity in branching out with the music they perform and record, so perhaps it’s not entirely a fabrication of the madness within my head! They haven’t had a heck of a lot of exposure in the international market though, so maybe this post will catapult them to previously unheard of levels of fame and fortune.

Anyway, this is one of their more famous tunes. Perhaps you can hear why that is, too: it’s entirely bitchin’, and yet another example of fine, Australian rock.

I watched a most charming film called Safety Not Guaranteed today. Just your average indie romance film. Plus time travel.

Anyway, this song was performed in the film, played acoustically by Duplass himself, while this alternate version featured in the end credits. It’s just a pile of sweetness for a fairly sweet film: it’ll bring out the ‘awww’ in anyone!

It seems that Hayao Miyazaki has been creating brilliant films for a dang long time now. This is the theme song for his directorial debut, The Castle of Cagliostro, an entry in the long running series about the master thief known as Lupin III. It came out in 1979, and has a charming, James Bond style aesthetic to it. I am quite the fan of the intro motif, which is repeated throughout. The film itself is supremely brilliant too: it was said that Spielberg was amazed by this car chase scene. And if its good enough for Spielberg, it should sure as hell be good enough for you!

In honour of Divinyls’ frontsperson, Chrissy Amphlett’s passing yesterday, here is the group’s most famous song (and video for that matter). Now, I was too much of a little tyke to be fully aware of the impact this song had in its time, but Amphlett was one of Australia’s foremost rock artists, one who clearly wasn’t afraid to buck conventions (if the video is any indication). Regardless, this is one of those songs that clonks you on the head by being entirely memorable, without you even realising it. Kudos, Divinyls, and rest in peace, Chrissy.

Despite the fact that most of the world seems to be salivating over whatever Daft Punk are doing, I will proceed forward with something entirely unrelated. Because seriously, screw the new Daft Punk song.

Here for your pleasure is some wonderful indie pop. I can certainly see this being used for some TV show or film, owing to its alluring sincerity with underpinning melancholy. Also, it’s pretty catchy, so bonus points!

Big, bold, classic style rock is not something we get much around these parts nowadays. Granted, there’s nothing wrong at all with the old stuff, so who needs new versions? Aina Haina thought otherwise though, as they’ve gone and made some suitably rocking tunes for your discerning ears.

While not quite as musically layered as their inspirations (Def Leppard, AC/DC and so on), it is still filled with rock and roll goodness, which is part of every healthy music diet. It’s true, ask any doctor!