i found five fossils in your fingernails

I did actually make a resolution this year. Yeah, a proper one, not that cop-out "sit up straight" resolution I've used every year for the past however many years (which is forever ongoing and never gets any easier).

I resolved to have more live music in my life.

Is this not a good thing? It is. It really is.

I took care of January with Jose Gonzalez, who quite shocked me. I'd assumed his studio albums were multiple tracks of guitar layering, but no! Every single track is just him, doing amazingly graceful and complicated things on his guitar. It was amazing, and I have to say his cover of Massive Attack's Teardrop just. goes. off.

Supporting him was Emily Barker, who I'd never heard of and pretty much fell head over heels for. Her songs contain both England and Australia, and I can hear that in her music. Bought the album right there and then. Unfortunately, the best song, Orlando isn't up on that myspace page, which doesn't excuse you from having a listen.

The following night The Go! Team played at the Hi-Fi Bar, which is sort of fucking great, as it is quite literally a minute from my front door. They were a totally different thing all together, and I had a brilliant time dancing about like an idiot. Those guys go off, fucking OFF.

In February, I was introduced to TinPan Orange, a local jazz-but-darting-through-other-styles group, and because I'm an absolute hussy when it comes to good music, I bought both their albums. Gorgeous, gorgeous stuff. You like your low-key mellow slowly uncurling music, you like your stamping your feet swinging your hips music, you like your sullen sultry sexy music = you like this band. And her voice, oh my! Seeing them again in March.

And of course there was Rufus Wainwright, who is brilliant and varied and complex and intelligent and surprisingly hilarious. We're ever so pleased we saw him, oh yes. Saw his belly button even.

For the rest of February, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is giving four free concerts at the music bowl, at least one of which I'll be hitting up, with my old beach towel and a sandwich.

At this point, March will be fixed up with Iron & Wine and another session of TinPan Orange, and in April Porcupine Tree are touring, as well as the DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist gig - are the tickets for that even on sale yet? I saw posters going up today, but the internet is failing me right now.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is point out any touring bands you think I might like/should be aware of/are just so unbelievably awesome on stage that it doesn't matter if they're not to my immediate taste I'll have a good time anyway. Discovering new genius fantastic wonder music is just as good as seeing my favourites play right in front of me.

(Price is a factor.)

(I'm probably not going to attend any thrash metal gigs.)

(And I'm not going to see Celine Dion.)