New Year

2011 was an eventful year for moi, i finally bit the bullet and purchased a flat, i started this blog and I became obsessed with Twitter ( i now have 90 something followers - not sure how that happened). 2012 for me will be about my Europe trip in April/May and my 40th birthday and all my friends who will be joining the 4 Oh club. Not sure why i am advertising it here as i will be in a state of psychosis no doubt come 19 May 2011. I hope to hear new music from the Madonna and the Pet Shop Boys and am looking forward to hearing long players from new aussie bands Alpine and Strange Talk (my 2 hot faves from 2011)! So from vinylluver have a fab 2012 and thanks for visiting my little blog. Heres a song by the Sugababes singing their 2000 song NEW YEAR on UK tv show Top of the Pops. 

Album of the Year - 21 by Adele

This album was on repeat all year! The talent of this woman is BEYOND. This album will go down as one of the greats of all time. Adele we salute you! This is my album of the year!

M83

Sometimes i feel like I miss so much. Have really gotten into M83 of late. Rage kept playing MIDNIGHT CITY on Saturday mornings and i thought there is definitely something going on. I bought their latest album which is a double 'Hurry Up We're Dreaming' last week and love it. A quick google search reveals they have been around since 2001 (not sure how i missed this great band) or what the hell i have been doing in the last 10 years that i missed them? They are also touring Australia in 2012 and i think i may just have to go!

Records i bought on my Christmas holidays

I always seem to buy records when i'm on holidays. Here's what i purchased on my recent week long trip to Adelaide:

Japan - I Second that Emotion - 7inch
Jenny Morris - You're gonna get hurt - 7inch
Sam Brown - Stop - 7inch
Tears for Fears - Everybody wants to Run the World - 12inch
Man 2 Man Meet Man Parrish - Male Stripper - 12inch
Koo de Tah - Too Young for Promises - 12inch
The Cars - Greatest Hits - Album
Icehouse - Sidewalk - Album
Laura Branigan - Branigan 2 - Album

Back Back Back!

VinylLuver has been on Christmas holidays to Adelaide for a week. But I am now Back, Back, Back to use a well known Smash Hits phrase. I ate, i drank, i saw friends and family, i read the Smash Hits book, i saw The Iron Lady and i bought some vinyl too! Watch this space!

Is this the face of 2012?

Lana Del Ray releases her debut album 'Born to Die' on 3 February and will tour Australia in February/March 2012.

UK Christmas Number Ones

Christmas Number Ones are a BIG DEAL in the UK. In Australia its not the same. If all reports are true (and i mean the Daily Mirror website) then the Military Wives Choir will get the UK Number One this year with their song Wherever You Are. The only other contender was X Factor winner Little Mix, so lets be honest here, i know who i'm rooting for. The UK Christmas Number One is announced on Christmas Day.

Complete list of UK Christmas Number Ones
Complete list of Australian Christmas Number Ones(does not exist EPIC FAIL)

How will Amy Sedaris celebrate Christmas this year?

Amy Sedaris is like the funniest woman on this planet. YouTube her interviews with David Letterman and you will LAUGH OUT LOUD! She has published 2 books which i highly recommend.This is how Amy Sedaris will celebrate Christmas this year.

Girl Panic is video of the year!

My video of 2011 is 'Girl Panic' by Duran Duran. It brought back the supermodel glamour of the 90's back into the noughties. It was a return to form for Duran in my mind. Just sit back and enjoy 9 and a half minutes of pure glamour!

Triple J Hottest 100 and Rage 50 - VOTE NOW!

Vote now for your favourite video in the Rage 50 videos
Vote now for your favourite song in the Triple J Hottest 100

Where are you Roisin?

Roisin Murphy made one of the best albums of recent years 'Overpowered' in 2007 and has pretty much vanished from the musical landscape since then. Where are you Roisin? We need you! I can only hope she does return soon with some new tunes and frocks. There is a great blog devoted to all things Roisin here but in the meantime check out one of the best videos ever made!

I like Alpine

Alpine is a new Australian band with a very lovely name. I like them alot. Check out their new song 'Hands'. On tour in January 2012.

Top 10 songs of 2011

Every year, I compile my top 10 songs of the year. I have done this since 2007. Its just about all i can manage at this time of year in the way of lists, what with the Christmas shopping and the card writing and the ginger bread making. I really enjoy contemplating the music which i have listened to and reminiscing about the year that has been. I don't usually list songs in order but this year there has been a standout track which is my Number 1. All other songs are in random order.

1. Adele - Someone Like You. Song of the Year, Artist of the Year/Decade, Album of the Year, Lyric of the year. I mean it was all about Adele in 2011. This song features my best lyric of the year 'Only yesterday, was the time of our lives, we were born and raised in a summer haze. Bound by the surprise of our glory days." This was song was on REPEAT all year!

2. Duran Duran - The Man who Stole the Leopard. This was my favourite track on All You Need is Now. I think the reason i love this song is that it seemed to be the sequel to The Chauffeur (another of my fave Duran songs) from the Rio album. EPIC

3. Nicola Roberts - Lucky Day. I am a man who loves POP and for me this is like TRIPLE XXX POP PORN! The most underrated song in 2011. Not even on the radar in Australia unfortunately. I also have a spare copy of this on 7inch. If anyone wants it let me know.

4. Beth Ditto - Open Heart Surgery. I bought Beth's ep not thinking anything amazing would be on it and this track is just ACE! 

5. Strange Talk - Climbing Walls. First Australian act and a new band who i hope will be releasing their debut album in 2012. I discovered this watching Rage one Saturday morning (the last bastion of Saturday music television) and just love the 80's pop feel of this song.

6. Gotye (featuring Kimbra) - Somebody that I used to know. This was song of the year in Australia. Local act does good and sells truckloads and stays at number 1 for weeks on end!

7. The Saturdays - All Fired Up. This is my dance song of the year. I heard this via youtube as the band are like non-existent in Australia. Its a great club song. If only i had the opportunity to dance to it! 

8. Metronomy - The Bay. Have you seen the video to this song? Stop reading this and google it now! A great summer track even though i heard it in winter.

9.Nicki Minaj - Super Bass. The best chorus and because i danced to this song about 5 times at the party of the year (Ellis Parrinder's 40th birthday)! 

10. Lana Del Ray - Video Games. Late entrant for me. Amazing song from the amazing Lana!

There were many other artists who came close to making the top 10. The runners-up were Lykke Li, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Washington, Beyonce, Dolly Parton, Friendly Fires and Oh Mercy. 

More songs of 2011

'The Bay' by UK band Metronomy is another definite in my top ten of 2011. Not very well known in Australia and recommended by my friend Peter Dixon. I was amazed at this video when i first saw it in June. The choreography and imagery is beyond as they say!

Merry Christmas from the Pet Shop Boys

I Love Julia Gillard!

Julia Gillard @JuliaGillard is now following you (@PhillipRaponi).

JuliaGillard Julia Gillard  Official Twitter account of the Prime Minister of Australia. Tweets by the PM are signed JG. Canberra, Australia

575 Tweets 98,825 Following 154,680 Followers

Do you remember when Magazines were $1

I was tweeting about Smash Hits magazine the other day when i received a tweet about a new book being published about the history of Smash Hits Australia magazine. What are the chances? It was all a bit serendipitous really. The new book Pop Life! Inside Smash Hits Australia 1984-2007 published by Affirm Press tells the story of Smash Hits Australia which was published from 1984 to 2007 (it lasted 1 year longer than Smash Hits UK)!

Essential Summer Reading!!!!!!!!!

I clearly remember the first issue with Wham on the cover and when i saw it at my local shop in November 1984, i was beyond excited. It was a little bit of England in Australia (well Edwardstown, Adelaide actually - ie boring suburbia)! It was only $1.00 and I think even then that was cheap. It was a fortnightly ritual buying a copy and reading about your favourite (mostly British) pop stars. This was when POP WAS BIG! We are talking major! The other great thing was the humour and wit that was used in the magazine. I still use some of the lines today like 'down the dumper'.  I actually stopped buying the magazine in the early 90's when TV stars started appearing in the magazine. Who really cares what Bruce Samazan has for breakfast! For the pop purist it just wasn't working anymore. I think i moved onto Juice magazine (that didn't last long) and was in my early 20's at that stage.Words can't describe the impact this magazine has had on me. It definitely started my obsession with magazines and contributed to my desire for pop stars to be witty, funny and not boring. You can visit the facebook page for more information about the book. 

Duran Duran bring All You Need is Now Down Under

I am very excited that Duran Duran will be touring the All You Need is Now album down under in 2012. I have been a fan of the band since 1984 and this has been the best Duran album for me since 1993's The Wedding Album. Producer Mark Ronson has the magic touch and I think he managed to really capture the creativity and essence of Duran Duran in this album.My favourite tracks from the album are 'The man who stole a Leopard', 'Girl Panic', 'Mediterranea', 'Being Followed', 'Safe' and 'Before the Rain'. Of course the video for Girl Panic is my video of the year! I hope to be going to the Hunter Valley show on 31 March 2012. There will be many more posts about Duran in the lead up to the gig next year. Stay tuned for more details. See all the dates here.

This is the first magazine i ever bought

There is only one Sade

A dream came true last night. I saw Sade live in concert. I have LOVED LOVED LOVED Sade ever since hearing Smooth Operator in 1984. She opened the show with Soldier of Love and then sang for 2+ hours including all the songs we wanted to hear. The wait was worth it and she delivered! The standout tracks for me were Jezebel, Is it a Crime and Pearls (there is a woman in Somalia opening lyric).These are my favourite Sade songs for their powerful lyrics. The lyric "my love is wider than Victoria Lake, taller than the Empire State" - simply epic! She also sang Your Love is King, Kiss of Life, Sweetest Taboo, Paradise, and a number of other tracks from Soldier of Love. The encore was No Ordinary Love and By Your Side which i thought was a surprising choice to close the show. The amazing visuals were done by Sade's good friend and video maker Sophie Muller.All I can say there is only one Sade!

Songs of 2011

With Christmas approaching and another year coming to an end, I like to think about my favourite tracks of the year. I usually compile a list of my fave songs each year. Nicola Roberts, (one-fifth of Girls Aloud) made one of the most amazing pop (underrated tracks) of 2011. It made no.40 on the UK charts! I bought the 7inch direct from Nicola's website such a fan of the song I was. I mean just look at that dress!

The vinyl collection

Here is a photo of part my vinyl collection (circa 2007). It is large but by no means complete!  I love my Madonna Immaculate Collection Royal Box!

Hello Vinyl Luvers!

My name is Phillip, I live in Sydney Australia and this is my first blog. I love music and i love vinyl. This blog will mostly be about my love of music with no doubt a few random posts from time to time. The name of the blog comes from my preferred music format (vinyl) with a word I call a very good friend (Peter Dixon) in London (luver).