If my parents were musically challenged, my friends were worse. Nelson in the 90s, there was a lot of Aqua's Barbie Girl and Limp Bizkit. Not surprisingly, I pretty much avoided music until I was 16 when I got an iPod and discovered the classics. Before then I owned just three CDs: Now That's What I Call Music 1, Nesian Mystik's Polysaturated, and Michael Jackson's HIStory - again, we don't talk about that one anymore. It's kind of embarrassing that I used to sing "Nesian style is here, ladies beware" out loud, but I bloody loved it. Also "ladies beware" now sounds a bit wrong written down. Polysaturated is one of the best Kiwi albums ever, and I also loved the comedy tracks from the Naked Samoans.
3. THINK ABOUT IT - Flight of the Conchords (2008)
Flight of the Conchords are what makes me proudest to be a New Zealander. They're the best comedians of the 2000s and their 2005 HBO special is one of the best comedy specials ever. I first heard it at my first-year uni hostel talent show where two guys won with a Conchords song but didn't credit them. I was jealous because I thought these two uni bros were comedy geniuses without realising that they'd just copied a YouTube video. I love Think About It because it's not only hilarious, but it's actually a beautiful melody.
4. JESUS WALKS - Kanye West (2004)
Kanye is one of my all-time favourites and it's sad to see him falling apart in public now. I still think he's one of the best producers in 2019 but back in The College Dropout days, he was also a top MC. RIP to old Kanye.
5. HANDLE ME - Robyn (2005)
I moved to Auckland and started working at the C4 music TV station and immediately went from a guy who loved classic rock and a bit of modern hip-hop to full-on pop music immersion therapy. It was a traumatic time in my life, and I'm still haunted by the backup vocals on Britney Spears' Piece Of Me (they drop her voice and it's hard to hear - once you notice, it will drive you insane). Robyn was the angel that saved me from the darkness of my Bruno Mars jail.
6. CLOUSTON BRIDGE - Paul Williams (2018)
I love my brother's albums. Paul is also a comedian/musician and I'm not just trying to give him a plug - I honestly can't believe he's not signed to a label! His album last year, Surf Music, dominated my most-listened-to 2018 Spotify list and was the walkout song for my comedy shows. His beats and melodies are great, plus he makes a lot of subtle NBA references that I enjoy as we do an NBA podcast together.
7. BLUE - Joni Mitchell (1971)
I find this song romantic. Is that weird? Is it supposed to be sad? I don't have much time to read music journalism anymore, which is annoying. But the positive byproduct of this means that I make my own interpretations of songs and if that means I'm wrong about Blue from the album Blue, then so be it. This song represents the beautiful romance of when I met my partner, but don't tell her I said that. I find the way Mitchell sings "Acid, booze, and ass, needles, guns, and grass, lots of laughs" really affecting. I should stop talking now.
