whiteboydancefloor

So Long And Thanks For All The Fish

2011-09-29T19:20:00.001+10:00

After much thought, Whiteboydancefloor is no more. Follow us on our new blog:

Destroy, White Boy - www.destroywhiteboy.com

So long and thanks for all the fish.

Late? What Ever Do You Mean?

2011-09-25T20:21:00.003+10:00

I have come to the realisation lately that anyone who I've had regular dealings with tends to end up referring to me as 'slow' and 'late for everything!'
It's very bemusing and it's the same script every time I talk to someone.
"Alright I'll pick you up at 5", I say. "Cool. I'll see you after 6 then", my 'friend' replies smugly, like the prick he/she is. I don't really think I'm late that much to warrant a reoccurring scripted dialogue.

I just don't get it and quite frankly, it hurts my feelings.

But anyway, as you may know Javid and I went to Splendour in the Grass in Woodford QLD at the end of July. And so coming into October it only seems appropriate to release a short trailer of our Whiteboydancefloor Splendour Bender adventure. And just in time too.
Yes, just a trailer. The video is coming shortly. Smart making at uni takes time too you know.

The brand new editing software actually works and I am busy whipping up videos. I blame the length of time it took on Sony Vegas and it's inability to render footage, and nothing to do with my inability to do things so called 'quickly'.

Enjoy the WBDF Splendour preview...

An Open Letter to JB Hi-Fi

2011-09-20T10:19:00.002+10:00

Originally posted by Javid - @jvanderp - on 'Thinking Out Loud', Monday September 19

Okay. Part of the reason I started to write was because I'm generally an angry person, but not angry in the way that makes you fear for your life. Angry in the way that many other people find amusing unless you're the one receiving my ire. Its been a while since I've felt the need to directly vent my spleen at anyone but given the last few days I think its time, and today's victim - JB Hi-Fi.

always cheapest, but at what cost?

Now, let me first quantify a few things. In my many years in the hospitality industry I've realised the value of good customer service. Not just for pilfering tips off soft targets but being polite, because 9 times out of 10 sincere politeness and manners is a significant part of what makes someone have a good dining experience. You are the face. If the chef fucks the steak you're still the one that the customer is looking at, and venting at. This may even be a case of that, but thats another entry for another time. I also need to quantify that I live in Western Sydney. Don't use that as a basis for judging me but moreso the type of people I'm dealing with. I also need to quantify with the fact that I have WORKED at JB Hi-Fi. I know what the job takes and its not fucking rocket science. If anything retail is the retarded cousin of hospitality. Anyway, time to begin.

The new Primus album 'Green Naugahyde' was, according to the JB Hi-Fi website, supposed to come out last Friday. Filled with excitement and vigor the first thing I did on Friday was head down to Mt. Druitt (I know, I know) to get my hands on a copy. There are normally a minimum of 2 people per section (CD's/DVD's, etc) and one was out on the floor helping a customer. I couldn't find the Primus album myself so I waited for the girl to finish talking to whoever she was talking to and thought she'd be able to help. Immediately after serving the customer, and KNOWING I was waiting to talk to her, she turned on her heels, said nothing to me, and sped out the back to the 'staff only' area. Annoying. At the time I thought 'she's probably gone out the back to get something and will be with me in a moment'. I walked past the door and could count at least 3 people sitting back there. With no clear visible evidence to suggest that any of them were doing anything. One was sitting on a table ffs.

5 minutes passed...

10 minutes passed...

Not a SINGLE PERSON came out onto the floor. Not a single person. YOU'RE A GLORIFIED FUCKING LIBRARIAN YOU PIECE OF SHIT. Anyway, I went up to the front counter, where there were 2 more girls both dealing with customers. Like I say, I've worked at JB and I've got a rough idea of what needs to be done, and most things were not being done. After 5 minutes of waiting in line and suppressing the urge to start breaking shit like a 4 year old I walked out, irate, using my eyes to DARE the fucking security guard to think I'd stolen anything, and went to my car to stew in my own anger.

ironically looking for "I still haven't found what I'm looking for"

Not knowing whether the CD was actually in stock after all that I decided to CALL the Penrith store (about 15-20 minutes away but hey, I wasn't driving there for nothing). I was immediately directed to and helped by Robert (I'm pretty sure I actually used to work with him) and he told me that, alas, MGM had not delivered the albums. He was also nice enough to inform me that Mt Druitt and Penrith were on the same delivery line so one wouldn't get it without the other. He even defended MGM! Saying that they were doing the best they could. He also put my mind at ease by saying he hoped they would have it by Monday at the latest. After the fiasco that was Mt Druitt it was nice to know there was still someone out there who could uphold the morals of customer service.

The weekend came and went, I worked and slept and other stuff, but didn't particularly worry about the CD. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have arrived over the course of the weekend anyway. That brings me to this morning. I woke up after a considerable and well-deserved sleep in and decided that, instead of wasting my time entering junkie town for perhaps nothing, I should call them. So I did. I got the cheerful response from the front counter girl straight away and asked to be directed to CDs. I was put on hold... for over 2 minutes. This seemed strange to me given Fridays experience. You seriously expect me to believe they were all busy for that long? There? On a MONDAY? Most of the junkie population in Mt Druitt (which is most of them) wouldn't have even been up and functioning yet, still scattered from the night before. Anyway I was eventually taken off hold and this is the conversation that ensued. FF = fuck face, ME = well, me.

FF: Software, this is fuckface (or whatever his name was)
Me: Sorry, did you say software?
FF: Yep
Me: Oh OK, I actually asked for CD's...
FF: Yeah we take care of both (its hard to convey how condescending the guy was)
Me: Fair enough, anyway I was just wondering if you guys had received the new Primus album yet as it was...
FF: Nuh. MGM still haven't sent it
Me: Oh...(leave a pause for him to say something about maybe WHEN they'll get it, if he knows what the go is, etc.)
FF: ...
Me: Fair enough then...
FF: ....................
Me: *click*

OK. Let me say a few things about this because like I said, it's hard to convey how it all went down. This guy sounded like, wherever he was, he did not want to be there. He sounded like my phonecall had created a massive inconvenience when it came to him sitting on his fucking ass doing nothing. Secondly I asked for CDs, so they would have paged CDs. The uniting of CDs and software is obviously a recent development but how was I to know? If he knew I had a CD inquiry why did he have to be a smart-ass and try to make me feel stupid for not knowing? If he DIDN'T know it still doesn't justify him being a sarcastic prick. The audible annoyance in his voice when I asked about the CD was also incredibly agitating - once again, how was I supposed to know? And then the complete lack of any helpful suggestion or any feeling other than 'leave me alone' at the end of the conversation made me want to reach down the phone and beat the shit out of him with his own ass.

Another bad experience. And I can promise you that, at least until my anger subsides and I get lazy, I will never be setting foot in Mt Druitt JB Hi-Fi again. BUT WAIT, THERES MORE!

After that horrendous experience, and still knowing that they were on the same distribution line, I tried Penrith again. Greeted immediately on the phone, asked for CD's. Instead of waiting for 2 minutes I had a different, almost comical experience where first someone from Car Audio answered within 30 seconds, apologised, then someone from DVD's answered within another 30 seconds and apologised for picking up again before someone from CD's finally answered. I asked my question and was caught entirely off guard when the girl told me that YES! The album had in fact arrived this morning "better late than never". I thanked her for the good news and will be going down tomorrow to pick it up. But then, still bitter about my previous experience, I started to think.

I don't know for certain but I would have to assume that MGM deliver from the city (if you know, please correct me). From the City to Penrith is a long drive, but on the way is Mt Druitt. On the way to or from Penrith, the next nearest store for delivery would undoubtedly be Mt Druitt! Its an inescapable fact. So while I may well be wrong, my anger is compounded by the fact that there is at least a 75% chance that Mt Druitt HAD in fact received their MGM order and this guy was just too lethargic to check or too high to remember. I wish I could remember the guys name so I could post this profanity-laden rant on a JB message board or something.

What do I want after all this? Some good customer service, some honesty, some friendliness. One of the big things that shits me about JB, even when I was working there, is that half the staff take the dog tag they wear as a fucking status symbol. It does not mean you know shit, it doesn't mean you're cooler than everyone, it means you work at JB, in retail, in a job that is (much like I said before) that of a GLORIFIED FUCKING LIBRARIAN. Except you don't even need to know how to read. Which works out well for this next generation of fucking idiots.

I should have expected what I got from Mt Druitt. I know nice people that live there but the place really is a scumbucket. I live 10 minutes down the road so I may well be scum too, but MT DRUITT is the scum THIS piece of scum wipes off the bottom of his shoe. So to any of the JB Hi-Fi staff with superiority complexes - GET THE FUCK OVER YOURSELF. And to the people of JB Hi-Fi, what the fuck is your hiring policy? Maybe you need to retrain your staff on the BASICS like CUSTOMER FUCKING SERVICE. I may be an angry douche alot of the time but when you put me to work in hospitality I treat every fucking customer with a level of friendliess, courtesy, and god forbid - PROFESSIONALISM. You may be able to offer great prices but your staff don't offer any fucking soul. Not the ones in Mt Druitt anyway. Sort it out or burn it to the ground. We all hate our jobs on different days, but its their job nonetheless. If you don't like it go and get on welfare, smoke crack and loiter around carparks and methodone clinics like the rest of your junkie neighbours. Bottom line is that if you live in Western Sydney, and if Mt Druitt is one of your two closest JB Hi-Fi's, go to the other one. You'll save yourself anger, frustration, and the possible contraction of an STI.

JB Mt Druitt employee of the year 2011

So what was the point of this? To get it out and feel better of course, and I surprisingly do. And of course to make you laugh, or get angry, or relate in some way or another thanks to ridiculous customer service at some point. You may also just think I'm petty, in which case you're missing the point. Until next time.

Better With Age?

2011-09-16T14:25:00.004+10:00

If you're around my age (mid 20's) then, like myself, you'll notice a few of those bands that were active back in our time (read: the 90's) but now lay dormant are preparing themselves to take on the world again. So heres a bit of a look at some of the new music. Is it better? Perhaps, ultimately the best judge is you.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are back for the first time since the release of the (if you're asking me) extremely middle of the road and disappointing Stadium Arcadium. The problem with that album was that, by putting 30-odd songs across two CDs instead of picking the best 10-14 you were met with an incredibly underwhelming feeling at the end of it all. Its like they were going for the SOAD style Hypnotize/Mesmerize thing and it just didn't work. I'm sure most of you will agree with me there. Anyway, the Chilis are back with a brand new album called 'I'm With You' - although the you is definitely not John Frusciante, who left the band back in 2009.

Hopefully I'm not the only one that listens to the first single and thinks 'well this is just a continuation of mediocrity'. I mean, its not a bad song, the opening riff is kind of badass but the new guitarist couldn't be any more pedestrian. Buying the album (thats right, I bought it) I can focus on a few good points - 1. Fleas bass is well mixed and pretty much the driving force behind the band... and thats about it. The sad thing is that the above single, despite its lack of impression-ness, is still one of the best songs on the CD. There are some good ones on there but definitely not enough to call the album recommendable. And as far as I'm concerned these guys have been around long enough to know whats expected. This is the epitome of the gradual slide that has happened to RHCP since 'By The Way' (arguably their last enjoyable album). It won't be featuring in the much-anticipated Javids Top 10 at the end of the year thats for sure.

Another band you'll remember, particularly for 90's based success is none other than Oasis. They made themselves known and either loved/loathed with catchy brit-rock reminiscent of the Beatles and of course for fucking Wonderwall and media coverage of sibling-spats. I love Oasis, I was lucky enough to see them three times before they parted ways, with the highlight being front and centre on the fence at Livid in 2002, the day before my HSC was to begin and when I really should have been studying. Anyway they split last year after Noel had finally had enough, and disappointingly too as it seemed they were still writing good stuff. Since then Liam Gallagher has gone off with a few of the other bandmembers and formed Beady Eye which ends up sounding remarkably as you'd expect - like Oasis, without the absolute genius of Noel Gallagher. Its not appalling, but it plods along and doesn't particularly break any boundaries.

Noel on the other hand has been quiet for a while now, doing acoustic shows here and there and whatnot. But the man is about to return with his own project Noel Gallaghers High-Flying Birds, the album is due out in about a months time and I'll be getting my hands on it as soon as I possibly can. The first single, The Death of You and Me came out a couple of weeks back and I've had it on pretty high rotation. Vocally it seems Noel is continuing the feel he was going for on the last Oasis album with a bit of high-range stuff but this truly demonstrates to me that Noel IS, and always was, the talented portion of Oasis. I'll still hold my breath for a reunion one day but if this is what I have to listen to while waiting its certainly enjoyable.

Primus always illicit a mixed response out of people. For those who've ever watched South Park or Robot Chicken, who've ever played Tony Hawk etc they no doubt provide awesome, perhaps stoned memories. For anyone thats ever learnt to play the bass guitar I can relate in the many hours of frustration that stem from trying to accomplish those basslines up to a Claypool-approved standard. They are truly brilliant but not everyones cup of tea. The last album Primus released was in 1999 (apart from one EP) - so they havent even released a studio album THIS CENTURY! When they got back together and played Soundwave and various other global festivals at the start of this year I was just happy to get a chance to see them. Then when they started playing new songs and speaking of a new album I almost creamed my pants... oh who am I kidding I DID cream my pants. Its the ORIGINAL line up (pre Frizzle Fry so you can't get more original than that) and from what has been heard the songs are typical Primus. If the objective is to keep the old fans happy and win some new ones I don't see them disappointing. The whole album has been available for streaming from the South Park Facebook page for the last week and a bit so I recommend going over and checking it out, even if the single is the ONLY song on the album that sounds like territory they've slightly covered before...

The album itself - Green Naugahyde - apparently came out today in Australia. I went to get myself a copy to find out my nearest JB HiFi didn't have it. So I called up my second-nearest one before driving there and you know what? They didn't have it either. I was told that its the fault of MGM distribution, so all I have to say to you guys is - GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.

So there you go, a brief look at what a few people who defined my adolescence are doing these days. As critical as I may be of RHCP I can guarantee you that live these guys are another cup of tea and absolutely fantastic. That being said if they play a whole bunch of new album stuff I'd still be disappointed. Best bet though is to go out there and make your own mind up.

You might be thinking 'fuck the old shit, lets stay with the future of music, give the next generation a chance'' - as far as I'm concerned we DID give the next generation a chance and look what it gave us.. Bieber, Gaga, the Veronicas, fucking Short Stack, Reality TV contestants and Rebecca Black. The next generation doesnt DESERVE a chance. The next generation deserve a genocide, and if you disagree perhaps you and people like you do too. If you're 17 and listening to Bieber, shoot yourself. Or at least get the fuck away from this blog and NEVER come back.

I'm sorry, I'm not entirely sure where that came from.. needed to be said I guess. Welcome back to the dancefloor.

2011-09-12T20:00:00.004+10:00

Move over Van She these Melbourne lads who go by the name Strange Talk have got your number.

Check out the music clip below for the track Climbing Walls it's catchy as hell and why do I all of a sudden have an urge to buy some new threads from General Pants strange!

You can check them out at the upcoming Parklife festival in your local town.

Tour Dates.
Tickets on sale Tuesday 13 September 2011. Brisbane show on sale Friday 16 September 2011.

Thursday 10 November - Karova Lounge - Ballarat. Tickets on the door only.
Saturday 12 November - Corner Hotel - Melbourne.Tickets from www.cornerhotel.com / 03 9427 9198.
Friday November 18 - Elsewhere Bar - Gold Coast.Tickets from www.moshtix.com.au / 1300 Get Tix (438 849).
Saturday November 19 - Bowler Bar - Brisbane.Tickets from www.moshtix.com.au / 1300 Get Tix (438 849).
Friday November 25 - Oxford Art Factory - Sydney.Tickets from www.moshtix.com.au / 1300 Get Tix (438 849).

Dance Me to the End of Love

2011-09-05T22:05:00.005+10:00

Just a quick one from me today. Here are a few of versions of one of my favourite songs - "Dance Me to the End of Love" by Leonard Cohen. I had the great privilege of seeing him perform this song live late last year when the great man was in town and it was an incredibly moving experience. These versions I think capture the essence of this beautiful song wonderfully. Enjoy.

The Civil Wars - a really great boy/girl duo doing the rounds at the moment do a beautifully stripped back version of this song.

Madeleine Peyroux gives this song a deliciously jazzy twist.

The man himself - live at the O2 arena in London on his last world tour (which I was lucky enough to see in Sydney).

Australia Does Got Talent! And It's All In The Hair

2011-08-19T18:39:00.004+10:00

So as I sit here contemplating in thinly veiled fury whether or not to slam my laptop against the wall because the alleged video editing program, Sony Vegas, has again frozen my computer, further derailing my Splendour Video posts, I thought I'd check out some Murdoch Press for some well researched, balanced news to ease my throbbing cartoid artery.

And what do I find?
Well I'll tell you right now.

Jack Vigden has finally released his debut album! And who is Jack Vigden, you ask? Shame on you! He's only the biggest thing since Wes Carr. You know. That guy. The one with the hair. Looks like Jesus, but sings unholy, god awful songs, usually on the Manly Ferry route.
If you still haven't worked it out yet, Jack Vigden is the 14 year old winner of Channel 7's Australia's Got Talent, a title that's about as ironic as Donald Trump's hairpiece.

As News.com.au (another piece of irony) was offering an "exclusive first listen" to his album, I simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to read all about his rise from zero to shopping centre hero.

The twist is that Australia's most talentless morons host the show

It's been only two weeks since he tore down the competition and reined supreme on Australia's Got Talent, but he is now ready to unleash this amazing new album on the world. Wow, he really is talented. But what new music will we be hearing on Vigden's album? Well, if by new I mean the same mindless, factory produced, pop garbage, that sounds exactly the same as the last seven seasons of Australian Idol (and I think I do), then it's going to be some very new material indeed.

But naturally when you record an album in only 3 days, you can't expect to have all your originals on there. Vigden's gone for only two originals, and I use the term 'original' loosely. Maybe his original's are just that good that Sony wants to save all the best ones for his follow up album.

So instead we'll be listening to, as Vigden describes so eloquently, a "journey of songs I've grown up loving and singing." So a bit of Nirvana in there? Perhaps some Faith No More or Smashing Pumpkins? Hell, maybe even some Jamiroqui or Foo Fighters just for shits n giggles? Will I stop asking myself questions and then answering them? Shit no!
How about some of the greatest artists of all time! Great artists like Celline Dion and Mariah Carey.
Oh yeah, this album is gonna be huge.

Madame Tussauds has already completed it's wax replica for it's Sydney opening.
Wait.. Oh my God it's REAL!

But just before Vigden commences his world arena tour he'll be playing a few smaller shows. For the fans of course. Oh, and Sony naturally as they now own him.
First stop: Warringah Mall. And who knows, if that goes well he might even make it to the new Westfield Shopping Centre in the city.
But of course he'll do well, I mean, as we all know, every winner of commercial television's 'talent' contests are born to perform. I'm sure Casey Donovan is doing... Something.

And is Vigden worried about being a victim of the '15 minutes of fame' sydrome? Hell no he's not! “It’s probably going to die down a bit, but that's fine. I just want to keep making great music and hopefully people will keep enjoying it."
You trooper. I'll enjoy it Jacky. Even if the great music you keep making is actually someone elses 'great' music, I'll be there, front of stage, Warringah Mall.

Don't let the haters get you down. They just don't understand. You're original. I mean, Justin Bieber's hair is brown for a start.

Beauty Rich and Splendid

2011-08-16T13:18:00.010+10:00

First of all I'd just like to say - Homebake tickets went on sale yesterday - did you get one? If not, they're STILL ON SALE so go and get one by clicking here.

Anyway where was I? Oh thats right. You're probably all starting to wonder about the absence of Splendour coverage (from a visual aspect) and I'm here to tell you that the vlog will be here... eventually. The last I saw of Dean, our video producer, he was sitting in a dark corner of his room on top of a pile of smashed up laptops wearing a pasta strainer on his head and muttering something about a spaghetti-monster from Zion. So yeah... it'll be with us whenever it's done, or whenever Dean is finally released from the penal system. In the meantime I'll probably write something here or there just to help sate your appetites, you hungry dogs.

Splendour brought a hell of a lot of acts out for 3 days of debauchery and it's hard to find an artist that didnt perform or at least deliver to expectation. The thing of note for me, however, and part of why I'm on this massive 'Homebake' kick, is because of the performance of our countrymen and women, the Australian acts on the bill. Some of you might slap me around the head and go 'duh, Aussie music rocks'. For the most part I agree but I don't share your overstated and physically painful enthusiasm. Australian music walks the line, as does the rest of it, but expecting me to take some sense of national pride in a band just because they come from the same place as me has never been my philosophy. Not only that, but we really have released some shit over the years.

"THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!"

The even better thing is that every single one of them, except for maybe one or two, has a new album coming either recently or soon and the chance to hear new music is always exciting. First of all must come a mention for the man that most of the country seems to be raising a glass to at the moment - Gotye. Playing in the McLellan, and on the back of 'Somebody that I used to know' (can someone just award him #1 in the hottest 100 NOW?) the place was packed. Wally deals affably with the crowd. Kimbra came out and sang the single, which was almost worth admission alone, so haunting. The new songs sound absolutely smashing, complementing the old stuff well and flowing seamlessly. One of the most brilliant performances of the festival, spine tingling, intense, enjoyable and emotional at the same time. Its taken a long time to follow up 'Like Drawing Blood' but it seems that it's been worth it.

Earlier that day we'd had the pleasure of witnessing Melbourne-based World's End Press opening up the Mix-Up tent. Really its an unenviable position, one you have to work for. You'll either help people keep walking to the further amenities or another stage, or you'll suck them in to starting their day earlier than anticipated and these guys have no problem embracing the second notion. In a tough slot on a beautiful first day it was going to be hard to keep people but they did, and they were a truly awesome outfit to start the fest with. Third time I've seen them and they just get better and better. If you EVER get the chance, go and see these guys. Festival or venue, you can be guaranteed an excellent show.

Bluejuice were another of those festival favourites that really turned it on for Splendour. Ive seen them so many times I can't recall but by the same token, no two shows I've seen have been even remotely the same. The songs might be from time to time but they're always bringing a new visual element, or a new element of crazy to their shows. At the Big Day Out it was the jumpsuits that were slowly removed amongst the giant animals on stage. At Splendour it was visually spectacular with suits made of glowsticks, instruments lit up, new members to the live ensemble and that typical, relentless Bluejuice crazy that always keeps them in the back of your mind as the festival closes. A band that I've never really seen miss live. They've turned it into an art form.

When you hear 'live music' and 'art form' another Aussie band that is never too far from anyones mind is The Living End - and they were up to their usual tricks at Splendour. There may have been no guitar solo with a VB bottle this time (and if you've seen them even ONCE you know what I'm talking about) but the setlist was picked for old and new fans alike. The new stuff sounds good but didn't leave as much of an impression as how old Chris Cheyney is getting. And in that moment where I realise that I also have to stop and acknowledge that I am ALSO getting quite old. Still, if you don't know what to expect from a Living End show, you've never seen them live, and that really needs to be rectified. Energy, showmanship and an all-round good time constantly ensue. I've never seen the Living End and felt worse for the experience. Neither will you. Unless you ingest a massive amount of Heroin before or something.

Muscles is finally back and god I've missed that guy. The fun and hilarity are enough to enjoy on their own before you include the dense synth. The set was well picked and the Koalas coming out from time to time certainly added to the enjoyment. The man himself seemed a little nervous initially but got better the more comfortable he got. Playing a guitar and such shows that diversity is on his agenda for the follow up to the first album. He pisses off pretty much everyone else that writes for this blog but I dig the guy immensely. When you've got Kanye pulling off autotune solos in the main arena its nice to hear someone comfortable with their own voice, even if he can't sing that well. I saw him in the gold bar bathroom on Sunday and wanted to thank him for the show but I was well wasted and also hadn't washed my hands yet. And I think he knew that...

One of the major surprises/discoveries/whatever for me was Children Collide. Some of you may wonder how that can happen given the hype and exposure. I guess I just dont listen to the radio that much. They were a band I thought I'd know a song or two for, and ended up knowing about half the bloody set. It was quite evident that the frontman was wasted but their energy and surprising tightness really caught me off guard. A band I'll be taking every chance I can to see live in future.

While not exactly Australian in terms of residence, Architecture In Helsinki are another band I was incredibly keen to see. I'm a massive fan of 'Places Like These' and 'Moment Bends' is really growing on me too. The set seemed to pretty much be drawn from the two albums and the crowd was huge. Last time I saw them the sound was disappointing but on the night it was perfect. Finally getting to hear 'Like It Or Not' live means thats another song off the bucket list.

The Grates delivered in spades to a large crowd. Patience was up to her usual high-energy antics and the contrast between old and new stuff was once again played well. I still haven't heard the new album but I look forward to doing so given the impression some of the new songs made. The new band members are pretty superfluous however. They could almost do what Tool do and stand behind a curtain with about the same impact. That being said though I'm sure thats a matter of the live ensemble finding its feet in terms of performance because they can undeniably play as a band. The songs themselves sounded great and its another new album to look forward to.

I don't know why, but I always seem to wrap up these reviews with PNAU. They didn't even play on the last night so I don't know why but oh well. My thoughts on PNAU's new ensemble and material were covered pretty extensively in the Big Day Out review back in January, but I feel a little more needs to be said. At the BDO they were uninteresting, poorly mixed and in general unimpressive (once again, given how many times I've seen these guys and how truly awesome they can be). At Splendour it was a bit of a different story. Perhaps having a cover over the top of them helps the sound, perhaps playing around for 7 months has helped them work the crud out of the new songs, because its all sounding a hell of a lot better. I still don't see myself as the biggest fan of the new stuff, as I was with the previous album, but it makes for a nice contrast and a certain amount of diversity live.

Before you start harrassing me with 'what about this aussie band? Or this one?' - I am but one human. I can't divide myself into copies to go out and catch every artist on the bill, as much fun as it would be to have clones for drinking with and eventual regrettable sex. There were acts I missed, sure, but I also caught a hell of a lot. These are just the Australian ones I caught.

So overall? Australian music is in good hands if bands like these are out there representing us. I'm sure some of you hate these bands, Im sure I hate some bands you love, but we're all in this together. With HOMEBAKE coming up you're getting the chance to see so many of these acts and more in a specifically Australian setting. I used to be like you, the one sitting at your computer now scoffing and thinking 'Australian music... pssht'. But consider myself a ghost from the future, telling you not to write it off. Because theres gold out there, underneath the Veronicas. And isn't that where we all want to be?

STAY TUNED! MORE SPLENDOUR STUFF COMING YOUR WAY.... EVENTUALLY!

Getting Baked

2011-08-11T14:03:00.006+10:00

When it was discovered that Homebake wouldn't be on in Sydney in 2010 the disappointment was palpable, as was the fear that Sydney had lost another one of its festivals. Not only that, but one of its best. Whether you like the idea of a music festival that plays exclusively Australian music, its a great day out in wonderful surrounds while at the same time being in the heart of Sydney. With no Homebake last year I had to take all my festival drugs at Carols in the Domain instead. It really wasn't the same. When you're tripping balls and the Wiggles and Santa come out on stage its freaking terrifying.

Anyway if you're not aware, though most of you undoubtedly are, HOMEBAKE is BACK ON for 2011!

Thats right, same time of year, same place, with a killer lineup to boot. Presales have already come and gone to the best of my knowledge but tickets go on sale to the general public on MONDAY! Not only are they on sale soon but they're going for the absolutely ridiculous festival price of $95 plus booking fee! If that doesn't make you feel like you're back in 2001... perhaps you need to shave off your pubes.

With more announcements to come the lineup so far stands as such:
GRINDERMAN//LADYHAWKE//PNAU//GOTYE//GURRUMUL YUNUPINGU//ROCKWIZ LIVE//CUT COPY//ICEHOUSE PLAYS FLOWERS//DANIEL MERRIWEATHER//ESKIMO JOE//DRAPHT//THE TRIFFIDS//ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI//THE VINES//THE CHURCH//THE JEZABELS//KIMBRA//C.W. STONEKING//HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY//ILLY//AVALANCHE CITY//UNKNOWN MORAL ORCHESTRA//PAPA VS. PRETTY//KILLAQUEENZ//KIDS OF 88//PASSENGER//NOAH TAYLOR & THE SLOPPY BOYS//VENTS

First of all you'll notice Gotye and Kimbra BOTH on the bill. This means you can be guaranteed a live version of the amazing song 'Somebody That I Used To Know'. I can tell you from getting treated to it at Splendour that this one song will almost pay for the ticket itself. Recorded its nice, live its another level.

And on top of that there are still a plethora of acts to be announced. Splendour this year showed just how good Australian bands are managing to become, and you can be guaranteed a good day. As long as theres no Wiggles or Santa I should hopefully be fine and I'll be seeing you there. Even if you live interstate, this is a festival worth going to. I don't write for tourism NSW but I can highly recommend it. Come on, we went to Queensland for Splendour. The trip makes it all the more enjoyable. You know you want to.

Homebake Website - Official

Get Tickets

It Takes Two To Get One In Trouble

2011-08-07T08:34:00.002+10:00

Keren Ann is exactly like your little sister who gets everything she wants despite the evil intentions it seems only you notice. “My Name Is Trouble” sees Keren Ann perfecting the balancing act between good and evil, as she delivers a honey-sweet vocal she’s actually warning you of her manic fragility that will surely end in your destruction.

Like a modern day Medusa, she draws you in further with every carefully executed stare and shoulder roll. And by the 2:14 mark, she’s well and truly got you in her grasp. The clip features some charming dance moves that you would be best served to learn for your next weekend outing. Success with the opposite (or same) sex is guaranteed.

Her latest release 101 is out now through EMI.

Splendid fun in the Sun. The SUN!

2011-08-05T20:02:00.000+10:00

Patience has some 'words' with a punter

That’s right we’re back from another delicious year of Splendour in the Grass. My awesome red pants are now a lovely shade of brown, and when I do up my shoe laces great plumes of dust erupt into the air. Memories of another awesomely dirty and sweaty festival. Sweaty because the sun was out! For the whole freaking festival! Something that's almost unheard of at Splendour. No mud, just shitloads of dust.

Was the cost of the ticket worth the three days of festivities, mid strength alcohol and exorbitant food prices? I didn’t pay for my ticket, so I’d say absolutely! I also had access to full strength alcohol for almost the same price as mid strength, so I was pretty happy with the outcome. However, I still ended up spending the same amount I would have spent on a ticket, on food, alcohol and other random junk (like the organic donuts. They are the most orgasmic pieces of organic deliciousness that could enter your mouth, and I would kill for another one. Kill. Blackberry Jam donut. Wow. It’s like there’s a party in my mouth... and everyone’s eating donuts).

Not the same store, but definitely the same delicious donuts

Even without forking out for the ticket, Splendour is a massive drain on the finances. With all the camping gear you need to get, plus food and drinks for the weekend, the little ‘extras’ such as merchandise, you can quickly burn through that cash in the pocket. Alcohol can’t be brought in either, so if you want to drink you’re at the mercy of the festival prices which, as you can imagine, are fair and equitable. Of course, you could just forego the purchase of alcoholic beverages for the weekend and save yourself a bucket load of money, but that would just be weird.

In the end though, with all the bands you see and the quality of music that was played, the cost is quickly forgotten. As soon as you enter the festival grounds and are hit by those persistent beats following you throughout the festival grounds, money is quickly forgotten and the excitement of the day quickly kicks in. Consumerism at its best.

No alcohol for this guy. Just lots and lots of drugs ( just to specify, the one on the right.)

There were some grumbles from people about a relatively weak line-up following the announcements, but I found myself a few previously unheard of musical gems through my wanderings that I never would have considered checking out from just looking at the list.

So, some highlights for me? Well Javid has pretty much spelled out my feelings on the Kanye show as well, so there’s no need to go any further on that. But there were quite a few standout moments for me over the weekend. There’ll be some videos up shortly of our Splendour experience, but there were two rocking bands that you must check out now. Right now.

Javid and I stumbled across US blues band, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears while we were waiting for Gotye to start at the G W McClennan tent on Friday evening.

This is pure blues music, almost unheard of in this age of pop music and ghetto blasters.

They caught the crowd by surprise with their high octane, gritty blues tunes. It had all the right ingredients: fantastic solos, dirty guitar, trumpets and tenor saxophones, and a singer who evidently has a love of the early blues pioneers such as Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. For the last quarter of their show, Joe Lewis introduced The Relatives onto the stage, a quintet of funky gospel singers from Texas all dressed in bright blue suits and yellow shirts. My God, these guys can sing. The crowd was already bouncing, but when these 5 men came onto stage and started singing their angelic harmonies to some beautifully gritty blues music, well that was enough to send everyone over the edge. By far this was one of the most surprising and entertaining acts of the festival, mainly because the energy and excitement was so high for the whole act. And the guy on sax was bouncing around on stage like Tigger on cocaine. It was quite a sight to watch. The fact he managed to keep it up for the duration of the set was quite a feat.

The other piece of musical deliciousness I stumbled across while walking past the Mix Up Tent was Fitz and the Tantrums, a six piece soul indie pop band also from the US. Their demands that people enjoy themselves were not particularly hard to accomplish considering how much fun the crowd was already having. With no guitar, a black guy on the tenor sax and 2 singers, one being singer/songwriter Noelle Scaggs, the soul just pours from the stage. Having never heard any of their studio produced material, I can still safely say this is a band you must see live. I’m sure their music would be outrageously funky on the CD, but to get amongst the sound and bounce around with hundreds of other excitable punters is where it’s at. They have a similar idea to Jack White and The Saboteurs by taking the fundamentals of blues and soul music, and adding modern pop techniques to create some 3 or 4 minute catchy little diddy’s. But naturally, without a guitar, and the addition of the sax, there's a whole new area of the music explored, and my God do they do it well.

There’ll be plenty more video reviews coming over the next week or so on all the bands we checked out over Splendour. Naturally all our favourites were fantastic. Patience from The Grates went absolutely crazy on stage, bouncing even more than usual and bantering quite a bit with individual members of the crowd before jumping in and crowd surfing for a few minutes. I’m sure there would have been a significant amount of ass and boob grabbing.

Pnau packed out the Mix Up tent and played a huge mix of old and new. While I still don't understand the point of the accoustic guitar, because you cannot hear it at all, they still put on an amazing show in typical Pnau style.

The Living End, as always, played a blistering show with all the biggest hits in there. There was plenty of stuff from the first album to keep the fans happy. And no beer swigging, VB, guitar sliding this time. Just Owen presenting his Double bass so Cheney could run up and bust out a solo from the top of it. I enjoyed it.

So to sum up, there’s not much that can be said against Splendour. The sound everywhere (minus Kanye with his music so loud it could almost induce brain haemorrhaging) was perfect and all the bands extremely tight. Sure the prices are exorbitant and the initial ticket price was massive, but these are things generally to be expected. It’s a massive weekend and requires a fair amount of saving up if you really want to get loose and spend without a care in the world. I have no idea how much it costs to run a festival so I don’t really want to comment on the cost of everything. No doubt the prices are a bit over the top, but as to how over the top they are in order to make a profit and run a festival with as much success as Splendour, requires a bit of investigation.

One certainty though is that Splendour is by far one of the best Australian festivals to attend. The flag waving red neck wankers are few and far between, and you are blessed by an absolute lack of talentless brain dead musicians, which are common place at other festivals like Future and Parklife.

Kanye wasn't really that popular anyway...

So you know now that next year’s Splendour will most likely be significant in cost. Prepare for it. Start saving soon. It’s a festival well worth attending… if you can afford it.

Imma Let You Finish, but...

2011-08-04T14:50:00.006+10:00

WE'RE BACK! Thats right, Dean and Javid return from the depths of Woodford, covered in dust, moistness and fond memories to boot. Three days of absolute brilliance, with wonderful music, people and times. I'll go on in later entries. I literally just got home half an hour ago. Over the next few days and weeks we'll be hitting you with random reviews and opinions in both written and visual form but before it gets old (and it may well already have), we all need to sit down and have a good chat about Kanye.

I'll leave most of the nitty-gritty to the video stuff but some things need to be said. His production was spectacular, quite easily on a par with the likes of Rammstein (and I NEVER say that lightly). The dancers were haunting and breathtaking (for the most part. Assembling them the week before showed.. a little bit), the setlist was pretty much a winner from start to finish, and being the most packed I think that amphitheater has ever been, the atmosphere was truly incredible. I can put on 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' now and get chills, its freaking awesome and ultimately, the show was amazing. There were certainly alot of talking points but no one can really deny that the man did put on a great show, a show that could easily sell out a national tour........... BUT

There were three things about the show that kind of annoyed me. I will detail them for you shortly but first, to understand my point, you MUST watch this footage I took, regardless of video quality, and LISTEN to the VOCALS. Thats all you need to do. You can even close your eyes if you want, I was pretty far away.

OK so here we go.
1. THE AUTOTUNE - if you really DID watch the video you'll already get the gist of what I'm saying. When he opened with 'Dark Fantasy' he sang as badly as he does on the record - and I honestly didnt care. I think most people were too busy being stunned by the immaculate stage, the dancers, and the fact that Kanye came up on a tower in the middle of the fucking crowd. By the time he played 'Monster' he was doing autotune vocal solos. That clip there of 'Lost In The World' is not even a QUARTER of the solo that he went on. It was confusing for a number of reasons - if he had the autotune why wasnt he using it from the start? if he cut out the wanky vocal solos would he really need it given that he cant sing anyway? was anyone really there to hear a vocal solo from a rapper? Its a very strange situation and was definitely the biggest talking point back at the campsite. Did it diminish the performance? Not very much, no. But to be honest I wouldve been quite happy to put up with bad singing as well, at least then its sincere and raw. If I wanted to hear someone sound like a computer I'd go listen to a Stephen Hawking audiobook.
2. THE VOLUME - if you've had the pleasure of going to Splendour at the Woodfordia site, you'll be aware of the vast chasm that is the Amphitheater. It holds thousands upon thousands of people and you can see from anywhere. When it was packed that night it was truly an insane feeling. The mix however was inconsistent and, for the most part, absolutely brutal to the ears. There were moments where it suddenly seemed to be alright ('Golddigger went OFF and I think alot of that had to do with the fact you could hear it clearly) and it was never that you couldnt hear what was going on so much as it was your ears were fucking bleeding. Our neighbours in the campsite said they stood right at the back (which is a LONG way) and they were deaf. Being toward the back for Kanye was like being up the front at a metal gig. A little less volume would have been fine. If anything Kanye had the worst sound of the festival. It was still audible, but painful.
3. THE 'FLOW' - Kanyes set was divided into three 'acts' - why? What story did each act tell? What did it mean? I've got no freaking idea. If you ask me the set could have been better off without it as it added absolutely nothing to it. Oh, except at the start of act 2 he stood on a box for a while. The other problem I had with the flow was that, when many of the songs ended, you'd get a second of the next track before it was cut, giving away what song it was but then spoiling the momentum. That was probably the most unprofessional aspect of the show and quite annoying. Makes you wonder if all they really needed was the autotune guy and someone to press stop and play.

So there we go. I'm not a hater. I was wonderfully impressed by the production and it'll stay with me for a long time. I was there, and theres a good chance that you weren't. This is how it went down. The rest of the festival was great too, but we'll get to that later.

3 MC's & 1 amazing director.

2011-08-03T18:31:00.006+10:00

By now you've probably seen the Spike Jonze X Beastie Boys vid, which combines two of my favourite things together in one amazing clip. If you haven't, well feast your eyes on this. It's not as amazing as the 'Fight For Your Right Revisited' clip but Spike Jonze could direct me vomiting after a big night and it'd still be a beautiful thing.

Well now for a measly $750 you can get your hands on the Bathing Ape X Beastie Boys collectors edition figurines. Yeah, pretty cheap huh. So cheap you should just pick me up some too. Or pay my rent for the month plus some.

via Acclaim Magazine

Pictures & Memories

2011-07-31T22:11:00.001+10:00

Cameras are exciting and from Sydney. I know those two descriptors even make me nervous after the let downs Van She and friends became. But fear not, we've grown apart from the world of Modular. "I Know" is a broody teenager who refuses to make up their mind about what they want to be.

Driven by the darkened echo of a piano, it reminds me of my Grandma's piano which sounded like the only remotely kid-friendly thing to amuse myself with in a house that was never home to toys, just old tallboys filled with pictures and memories no one care much for anymore.

<p>&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://cameras.bandcamp.com/track/i-know"&amp;amp;gt;I Know by CAMERAS&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;</p>

I know nothing else of Cameras than this one song and with the way it draws you in, you like me are compelled to find out more.

Do so on these dates at these venues...

Sydney: Sat 6th Aug @ FBI Social, Kings Cross Hotel

Sydney: Wed 24th Aug @ Beach Road Hotel, Bondi (w/ Owl Eyes)

Central Coast: Wed 7th Sept @ The Entrance Leagues Club (w/ Sparkadia)

Melbourne: Sat 17th Sept @ The Evelyn

They have a full-length which is due out later this year.

R.I.P

2011-07-28T02:48:00.002+10:00

Amy Winehouse - 14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011

"Now Amy Winehouse is dead, like many others whose unnecessary deaths have been retrospectively romanticised, at 27 years old. Whether this tragedy was preventable or not is now irrelevant. It is not preventable today. We have lost a beautiful and talented woman to this disease. Not all addicts have Amy’s incredible talent. Or Kurt’s or Jimi’s or Janis’s, some people just get the affliction. All we can do is adapt the way we view this condition, not as a crime or a romantic affectation but as a disease that will kill. We need to review the way society treats addicts, not as criminals but as sick people in need of care. We need to look at the way our government funds rehabilitation. It is cheaper to rehabilitate an addict than to send them to prison, so criminalisation doesn’t even make economic sense. Not all of us know someone with the incredible talent that Amy had but we all know drunks and junkies and they all need help and the help is out there. All they have to do is pick up the phone and make the call. Or not. Either way, there will be a phone call." - Extract from Russell Brand's statement taken from his website.

Splendour Selection #9 - Gotye

2011-07-22T14:56:00.001+10:00

If there is one person that I must check out at Splendour this year, and therefore you should too, it's Gotye. I was a late comer to his music, only really getting into the album, Like Drawing Blood earlier this year. But I cannot express just how much I have attached myself to his music. Actually, I can. A lot.

As Pix said in his recent post on Gotye's new single which you can read about (and watch the clip for) here, I found it hard to detatch myself from what I heard on Triple J and really find Gotye on my own terms.
Until of course I happened upon his first album while in a friends car. There followed a moment of extreme sentimentality and suddenly it was as though all his songs were detailing the same turmoil that was going on inside my head. The songs just spoke to me. Yes, that's right. I'd somehow reverted into an angst ridden, suicidal teenager who'd had an epiphany and suddenly discovered that Adam's Song by Blink 182 was in fact their own personal obituary. Written by some 28 year old retards who still hadn't quite worked out they were no longer teenagers.

Fortunately for Gotye (and me) though, his music has slightly more depth to it. Many of his songs take you on a journey of reflection if you immerse yourself in them enough, which can get a little depressing. But the songs are so lovingly crafted that at times you can't help but get lost amongst the layers of many horns and strings.

While Gotye does have a distinct sound, it would be hard to pigeon hole him into a specific genre. His styles range from the soulful jazz ballads to orchestral style masterpieces, with spatters of blues and rock throughout.
Every style he attempts, he pulls it off flawlessly.

Having now seen Gotye live yet, I am very excited to check him out at Splendour. I have only read rave reviews about his performances and friends assure me he is amazing live.

He takes to the stage at 8:30 PM on Friday at Splendour, so be sure to check out what's bound to be an amazing performance.
If you're unfortunate enough to be missing Splendour, then he'll be playing at the Sydney Opera House on the 20th August and tickets are relatively cheap.

Exclusivity In The Grass

2011-07-18T13:25:00.004+10:00

Splendour is less than 2 weeks away. I'm excited! The constant drudgery of my shit job is slowly meaning less and less as the thing I've been looking forward to this year approaches. Everyone needs a light at the end of the tunnel, perhaps you do too - and you can still get yourself one because tickets are STILL ON SALE! Despite my predictions (I guess seeing into the future IS a load of horseshit). With the lineup that was announced, and the amount of hipsters that have jumped on the Splendour bandwagon I am really, truly surprised that it has still not managed to sell out. In a way it excites me, the last festival I went to that didn't sell out was the second Sydney BDO this year and it was great. But it raises one question in particular for me...

Both Kanye West and Coldplay (like them or not, they have something to do with my point) are playing Splendour as their ONLY Australian show. I'm also pretty certain that Regina Spektor is also playing her only show of the year there. It makes me wonder why.. at who's behest were these exclusive deals negotiated? Artists like Kanye and Coldplay could easily sell out national tours, multiple nights in the major cities and yet all they're doing is playing an hour or two up in Queensland before buggering off again? When you sit back and look at it, the most logical explanation to me is that the Splendour organisers arranged this themselves (and if you ask me that must have taken some SPECIAL incentive). They were no doubt of the mindset that people would be less inclined to go to Splendour if they could see these acts somewhere else, and an exclusivity deal is undoubtedly the best way to get sales. But you must then look at the target demographic of these artists - and while there are credible people in there, there are also a significant amount of solely pop-listening and underage people who can't really justify paying a considerable sum for a ticket to a festival to see one act.

we just raped and robbed the wiggles.. take that Australia.. see you next weekend!

The website crash also undoubtedly affected sales. But when it comes to these things festival organisers have to retain a certain amount of accountability for the options presented to consumers, system failures SHOULD be anticipated. High volumes of online traffic should also be anticipated. When you crash and are unable to provide the consumer with what they want straight away, resentment starts to build on their behalf, but also thought and consideration take over from impulse and they start to wonder how they're going to justify spending alot of money. Perhaps releasing timetables early and selling tickets per day is an option to assess, because lets face it, the ticket price this year, on top of transport, accom, festival food & drink, etc is alot of money for the average punter. Worth it? I'm almost certain it will be, but uncertain economic times scare people too.

So what am I doing here, having a dig at Splendour? No. I can see why they went with the exclusivity and it makes sense. I suppose I'm just thinking out loud, as confused as anyone as to why this festival hasn't sold out. I've been told that the new site is great but perhaps moving an hour north of Brisbane, adding another few hours onto everyones trip is another factor too. Who knows. If you've made a specific decision to not attend Splendour this year I'd love to know why, so please shed some light. And if you're NOT attending Splendour but really, really want to, you mustn't know that tickets are STILL on sale! So go and get one! I will be there, not that thats any particular incentive.

Splendour In The Grass

Splendour Selection #8 - The Living End

2011-07-17T12:18:00.000+10:00

So The Living End are back for Splendour 2011. I know what you're thinking. "God damn it Chris Cheney, just get a new party trick for your stage show. Awesome, so you can play guitar with a VB stubbie. I've seen it 4 times now! It's no longer impressive."

I was thinking exactly the same thing.

The Living End have changed about as much as Grinspoon over the past decade. The only difference is, The Living End actually know how to play their instruments. And music. And I have some respect for the band members.

But lets face it, since their debut album, they've never really been able to capture that same unrelenting, mischievous, don't-give-a-fuck, rockabilly sound they bombarded the music charts and Triple J's Hottest 100 with back in 1998. They just didn't explore any more musical ideas or genres and seemed to stagnate on the same sound, album after album. Cheney then got all 'deep' and tried writing lyrics about meaningful social issues, but just ended up sounding like a superficial prat. The mischief was gone.

Having said all that, no one can deny the energy these guys produce on stage. I'll be watching them at Splendour before cutting it short to head to Regina Spektor. But if you have not yet witnessed The Living End in a live setting, then I highly recommend you make your way to the Amphitheatre stage at 9:15 on Saturday night to see them play. The beer bottle trick will be entertaining. If you've only seen it once, it's still rather good at that stage, and Cheney will most definitely throw his guitar high into the air (that's impressive to me, because his Gretsch costs about $8000, is one amazing guitar and he throws that thing fucking high.)

The live stage is also where this band belong and no CD can ever really do them justice. They are all fantastically talented musicians who know how to work up an audience. For that alone, they're worth a look.

They have a new album coming out too, which means new songs throughout the set will no doubt be significant. A new single has also been released, which you can check out here.

It does start with a bit of a different flavour before moving back to familiar territory. Will this be the album that brings back the 'classic' Living End? Probably not. But they're cool nonetheless and down to earth. And unlike Andrew Stockdale, Australia's second biggest douche after Kyle Sandilands, they're not full of themselves either.

So go see them. Support some Or-Stray-Ans. Just don't bring a flag. Please.

Forget About Harry

2011-07-13T13:13:00.000+10:00

As a boy I spent all my afternoons watching Tin Tin, life was never better. When I got a dog, I named her Snowy however I never befriended a wily old sea captain... where I'm from that's probably for the best too.

Steven Speilberg has put his name to this one and the cast that's been assembled is equally exciting. I don't think I could think of a better combination for Thompson and Thomson than Nick Frost & Simon Pegg.

So forget about Harry and all that shit, the only saving grace of the movie was Emma Watson but she better knock off those cutesy art-deco pixie haircuts. I only bothered with parts of the first movie six months ago and it didn't surprise me that the mediocre masses, dying for something to cling to between Twilights would love it.

I can only hope the movie lives up to the trailer and we have a franchise worth getting excited about.

Splendour Pick #7 - Love Muscles

2011-07-11T12:46:00.003+10:00

Muscles has been known to the whiteboydancefloor community for a while. Apparently he made some scathing comments on one of the other guys posts back in the foundation years but hey, I wasn't there and instead choose to regale you with my own personal experiences with this man.

When Guns, Babes, Lemonade was released in 2007, Triple J were absolutely HAMMERING 'Sweaty' (as well as 'Ice Cream' and 'One Inch Badge Pin', but it was Sweaty they seemed to have the addiction to). Anyway, the first time I heard this song, and this is the honest truth, I switched to AM radio. I must have been in an electro-phoic phase at the time and the multiple, absurd vocal tracks were intense and spontaneous, another quality I don't really associate with electro either. Given that my old car only had a tape player it was with the radio I stuck and over the next few months I was slowly able to wean myself into the track, with the bassline and the unbridled fun of it all eventually taking precedent. Coming back from overseas later in the year I got a casual job at JB Hi-Fi and it was the first CD I bought with my delicious staff discount. So essentially, in the space of a few months, I went from HATING it with a passion to loving it and not knowing why exactly. The album itself if brilliant, surprisingly diverse, well told lyrically and just a whole bunch of fun. Next on the cards was to see the man live, which led to two great and different experiences.

While I caught him at Splendour in... 2007(?) and liked the set, we were WELL up the back and the atmosphere was a little bit lacking. It was a cautionary viewing and I liked what I saw. The next opportunity to watch him presented itself later in the year at Homebake. Attending with two good friends, one in particular who had become a fan like me, we got ridiculously munted on narcotic substances (ahh how I miss the good ole' days) and basically assimilated ourselves to the atmosphere. It was an hour of amazing fun which ended with a collective and completely unhomosexual removal of clothing to 'dance with our shirts off'. While that may lead many of you to go 'so? I take my shirt off at festivals all the time', and that says alot about you, due to my slight manboobage and general hairiness I try not to do such things in public. Undressing because you're caught in the music is definitely a FTW moment. Would I have done such without drugs? Yes.

That experience sold me on the man and his music, and the next opportunity I had to catch him was supporting Daft Punk as they came out on the Alive 2007 tour, supported by a bucketload of Australian acts like Van She, Cut Copy and, performing stuff from their upcoming album Apocalypso, The Presets. A tough bill to stand out on, and the shit weather really didn't help. Muscles came out onto the stage at the start of his set proclaiming 'Hi, my names Muscles and when I play the sun comes out'. It didn't, initially. The set was still great and all but then, upon closing with 'Hey Muscles, I love you', true to his word the Sun made its first appearance of the entire day, he pointed to the sky as it crept from behind the clouds and the crowd went absolutely bananas. It was truly one of the most memorable, magical moments of live music I've ever had the pleasure of witnessing. Given that Muscles doesn't have access to HAARP it may well have been entirely coincidental but its moments like that which will stay with me forever. And I've seen Rammstein from the front. AND I wasn't even on drugs, which I liked to do alot back then. A truly magical moment.

So why am I regaling you with all these stories about one guy? Am I a closet homosexual? Am I stalking him? The answer to those last two questions is NO. The answer to the first one is because Muscles is playing SPLENDOUR! Which means I get to see him for the first time in a loooong time. He's releasing new stuff and headed around the country again.

Muscles - Koala (2011) by musclesmusic

I've spent today regaling you with my awesome memories . My recommendation is that you go and see the man live and make some of your own.

Tickets for Splendour are STILL AVAILABLE. Get them HERE
You can also get your filthy mits on Muscles new 'Koala/I'll Follow You' DOUBLE A-SIDE single by following the link to his site - Muscles Music

A Tale Of Modern Heartbreak

2011-07-09T11:34:00.000+10:00

Goyte has always had an eloquent way with his words. Arguably he's fallen short of world domination because of people like me who don't have the self control to properly peel away what they've heard or what Triple J has told them and discover Goyte on their own terms.

"Somebody That I Used To Know" is a slow burning tale of modern day heartbreak. The narrative weighs on you so heavily it's taxing to immerse yourself in it. Goyte has that knack of taking the most simple of the English language and turning it into poetry. Even as a jaded lover, Kimbra is angelic and her interjections turns this from something very nice into the rope stuck around your leg ready to drag you down and drown you in the depths of your oldest sorrows.

I can't sing the praises of "Somebody That I Used To Know" highly enough but I can thrust my flag into the earth and proclaim to finally being in tune with his genius. Rather I must thank joining the world of twitter and getting the hot tip from @Wil_Anderson.

Whiteboys at Little Red

2011-07-07T00:26:00.002+10:00

So Javid and I - with I being me and me being Dean - went to see Little Red at the Metro a couple of weeks ago. But rather than just writing about it, we decided to film it.

I'm sure some forethought into what we were actually going to do would have been quite to our benefit. In fact, I'm certain of it. Nevertheless we managed to scramble together some bits of garbled, rambling information, a naked shower scene and some band footage to bring you our first video log in all its beta glory.

Unfortunately Little Red aren't attending Splendour this year so I can't place them as one of my Splendour Selections, but they'd definitely make the cut.

It was a much mellower set this time with many of their slower, harmonic songs taking precedence. Though this seemed to appease the hoards of screaming 14 year old girls, so perhaps this was the plan. But naturally they played a fun set, influenced heavily by their drummer's relentless intoxicating jubilation.

Worlds End Press are also a band to look out for if you want a healthy dose of disco funk. Finally a band that has a synth but doesn't use it to saturate their music in order to hide the truth, that is their own mediocrity. Naked and Famous? No?

Their bass driven grooves pound out just enough bop to satisfy even the whitest 1950's white middle class male stereotype and their sweet jazz licks on the guitar gives the music that extra polish.

The way these guys dance on stage would be absolutely ridiculous if they didn't play such cool music.

And with only weeks to go now until Splendour, we'll be getting cracking with some more Splendour Selections, plus a couple more videos coming soon. Preparation might even be done! It's an exciting prospect.

Let's Battle!

2011-07-04T20:23:00.008+10:00

Battles have once again proven how cool it is to be weird. Their new album, Gloss Drop, is the perfect cure for a bout of conventional. Fantastic collaborations dot the album (Matias Aguayo and Gary Numan most notably) which, although more digestible than Mirrored, lacks none of its shrieking pandemonium. It is such an enjoyable listen. Glass Drop gives you the impression that you have stumbled upon a band locked in a secret jam session, where all they are doing is fucking around with noise by throwing bits and pieces of sound against the wall to see what sticks. Virtually 100% of time, it sticks.

If you love your ears, but are showing them just the opposite by constantly beating them into submission with the latest Boy & Bear album (seriously, why even bother when you can listen to Fleet Foxes?), give them a little reprieve and listen to some Battles.

PS - In case you haven't seen it yet, the video for "Ice Cream" is very cool. It looks just like they sound - weird.

How The Mighty Have Fallen

2011-06-28T10:47:00.003+10:00

If you're from anywhere else in the world apart from Australia, thinking of the word Sydney will probably conjour up images like the one above - the Opera House and Harbour Bridge making the place look nice, our NYE parties (that seriously do shit all over the rest of the country), and what is essentially Australias biggest city. The one that all the yanks mistake for the capital because no ones heard of fucking Canberra.

While I DON'T live, let alone work in the CBD, I've lived in the Sydney surrounds my whole life. I've also been a musician playing venues across the city, from East to West, for nearly a decade too and from the situation I have seen evolve over the years, Sydney is no longer what it once was. Whose fault is that? I'm not entirely sure, but let me regale you with a few stories.

Sydney and Melbourne have always hated each other. Melbourne hated us because we were awesome, and we hated Melbourne because... well.. we just thought we were awesome. And it rained there alot. Hell, the whole reason Canberra is where it is today (somewhere right between the two cities) is because the Free Traders and Protectionists from each city didn't want to let the others have the satisfaction of winning. Now we have a capital city in the middle of fucking nowhere. We had the Olympics (yes I know Melbourne did too but back in 1956 no one gave as much of a shit), we had the aforementioned Bridge and Opera House, Bondi, and a whole bunch of other stuff while Melbourne had... Frankston (and yes, that IS a dig).

Before you Mexican Latte-Sippers all get on your vespas and angrily proclaim 'to Daves house!' with your handbags in tow (another dig) calm down. Sydney is no longer the king, that seat quite safely belongs to Melbourne, and given that you've got nothing down there apart from ridiculous architecture, graffiti and places to eat its more a sad indictment on Sydney if you ask me. The gradual collapse of our state government and a complete lack of development with infrastructure as well as tourism incentives, despite Oprah coming here and all, has seen the last 5-7 years of Sydney's existence become a misery. Melbourne may be pretentious and annoying but it is an efficient and effective city. If you're from Sydney and you think we're still #1, sadly you are kidding yourself.

You're undoubtedly starting to think 'OK, this is all well and good but where is it going? this is a music blog you idiot' - and you have a point. Unfortunately the whole issue of 'status' is only one part of Sydneys demise.

traffic, capitalism and prostitutes - welcome to Sydney

I have been to a shitload of gigs in this city, from East to West. I used to be in a band that could have been considered relatively successful when we were teenagers. Every week we could play in a local venue and bring a well-sized crowd of people who were enthusiastic to support local music and enjoy a night out with their friends. I now play in another band, and while we're not gigging at the moment, we'd go through phases of doing multiple gigs in short bursts at various points throughout the city or west, and much of the game has changed. The responsiveness of the people there is generally commendable but its the number of people that has begun to dwindle. You could blame it on a variety of factors;

Poker Machines - When I obtained my RCG certificate I was hit with the alarming fact that, at the time (2004 or so), New South Wales had the second highest amount of Poker machines per capita in the world, second only to LAS VEGAS. I have worked in RSLs and been exposed to the horrors of gambling. Trying to sleep at night with the music still going in my head. More and more amazing venues in Sydney are having space sacrificed for the building of pokies, while more and more people would rather sit in front of it and waste their paycheck as opposed to watching a band.

Cost of living - Reports and studies, like THIS ONE from Charles Sturt University, have all concluded that Sydney is an expensive place in which to live. Comparatively speaking Melbourne is heavenly. Everything from the necessities to recreational means are more expensive in Sydney, another factor making it difficult for bands up here. Venues are reluctant to put on a show unless its going to be financially viable. At least with a Poker machine the profitability sells itself. You may notice on that fact sheet that the only thing cheaper is Beer. Why? If you've studied politics and society you'll know that this is just the age old tactic of keeping alcohol prices low to help keep the 'proles' quiet and ignorant of the fact that their lives suck.
Venues Closing - From the Kelts bar up in Blaxland in the early 00's to the impending sale of the Annandale, many of Sydneys primary venues are either closing, or being readjusted to something that doesnt cater so much for live music and moreso for pokies and a DJ. The battle is seemingly lost as more venues shut. I understand the fact that a business needs to make money and the sale, especially of the Annandale, poses the idea that maybe gigs just aren't viable in this town anymore. In the city that holds the Enmore (the best live venue in Aus as far as I'm concerned) that's so freaking depressing.

So what am I saying here? That its impossible for a band of any stature that isn't huge to play a successful gig here? No, not so much. I know people in bands that are doing alright, I know some that are doing well, I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that this isn't what most would consider a 'nurturing' environment anymore. I only started thinking of the whole idea, and wondering why, this year. When the BDO, and also Soundwave came out, the hesitance of certain bands to put on a sideshow in Sydney was noticeable, and some of the bigger ones just didn't put on a Sydney sideshow at all, while still playing in Brisbane and Melbourne. Lately I've had to witness all-ages shows, something I never really had to do before, so that bands could sell out venues. Meanwhile those same bands play in Melbourne and can afford to put two shows on, for both groups, and still sell out. Is it because of the factors above? Or just general apathy from the people of Sydney? I'm sure its a mix of both. The fact that the Sydney Big Day Out manages to sell out so quick all the time doesn't counter this argument when you look at the people who attend. To a majority of these people a Big Day Out is about seeing how many beers you can drink, pills you can swallow and people you can start a fight with, not about seeing great bands and enjoying a communal atmosphere with your fellow festival goers.

Our venues are being sold, the people are generally depressed, poor and retarded, and development is going nowhere fast - Sydney is really in a tight spot. While you Melbournians can sit there reading this, nodding your head approvingly and laughing quietly to yourselves, just remember that everything in life is cyclic. We will be back, or we will be destroyed, and the same will happen to you. Meanwhile I'll be over in Berlin, thankful of the fact I got out of here when I could.

So if you still want to be able to see a band play live in Sydney in 5 years without it being at an arena and $100 a ticket, if you still want to be able to go to the pub and enjoy seeing (or heckling, who cares, you're THERE) a band then stop going to these stupid fucking clubs every Friday and Saturday where its all about pretense and how you dress while paying shitloads for cocktails, and head to a bar or pub or one of the few venues we have left! See a band! Spend $10 on a ticket instead of throwing it into a Poker Machine. And drink some Beer knowing its the only thing cheaper here than in Melbourne. Your city, and your cities bands, need you.

Sydney Live Guide
Wots On
Metro Theatre
Enmore Theatre

Splendour Pick #6 - PNAU

2011-06-27T12:31:00.002+10:00

PNAU have held a special place for me for a good few years now. When their LAST album came out (the insane, self titled one with the likes of 'Wild Strawberries' and 'Embrace') I had the pleasure of listening to many of the songs on Triple J as it was featured, despite still not being too keen personally on the whole 'electronic music' thing, let alone 'AUSTRALIAN electronic music'. The tracks from this album spoke to me and perhaps played a significant part in my foray into a wider spectrum of music. Subsequently seeing them live multiple times at various festivals around the land, and quite often on a significant amount of narcotics, I was blown away by the energy that these two guys could bring, as well as the various visuals and costumes they would make other people wear covering the array of interesting art and images from the album sleeve. Not only that, I ended up giving the self-titled album the PRESTIGIOUS honour of Javids 'Album of the Year' in whatever year it came out.. 2007 or something.. it seems so long ago..

Then Empire of the Sun happened, and PNAU was left on the backburner of Australian music while Littlemore toured with world with Luke Steele and they made an absolute motza on an admittedly spiffing, if repetitive effort. Nick left, seemingly to come back and work on the new PNAU album, while Steele kept on touring and wearing that freaking hat we all secretly know would look better on Jamiroquai.

After a long time between albums PNAU are back. My levels of excitement were palpable as I stood amongst thousands of people at this years BDO waiting for them to come out. When they did it was not the PNAU I remember. Two guitarists came out on stage with the band and played for every song, old or new. If you're asking me the old songs did not sound as good as they could have, and the new songs made no distinct impression. It seems the line between kooky rave-stuff and mainstream soft-electro has been blurred. By the end of their set much of the magic was gone and I wanted to go home. That being said I'd just had Rammstein blow myself and everyone away, perhaps I wasnt ready for the timidity of this adult-contemporary stuff...

At the end of this clip I'm pretty sure he's not even playing the guitar.

But anyway, I'm all for bands going down different avenues and I'm willing to give the album a chance when it comes out. There's a possibility that half the reason I didn't enjoy them at the BDO was because they're still working out all the music as an ensemble. Perhaps it was because that was the first time I'd seen them without the influence of the types of substances that make you do silly things and make music speak to you on a whole different level. For those reasons and more I'll be going to see them at Splendour, to give them another chance. If they don't do it for me, we'll always have 2007 I guess.

They'll be playing some shows up and down the coast if you'd like to go and judge for yourself:
26/07 - Billboard The Venue, Melbourne
27/07 - Enmore Theater, Sydney
29/07 - Splendour In The Grass

Thats right, contrary to my opinion of about a month ago, Splendour is STILL not sold out - go and get a ticket HERE - the time is PNAU...

Perfect Darkness

2011-06-26T12:40:00.000+10:00

Before I say anything else, I have to acknowledge that Fink is an absolutely phenomenal artist. For some time I have had my musical equals proclaiming the quality of Fink however I’d never sought out his music with enough vigour to have an opinion either way.

Upon listening to Perfect Darkness, I was left impressed possibly even dazzled. There are great riches in the deep bubbling of his vocal that accompanies the harmonic laden guitar pieces so perfectly. The album title and opening track seemed very fitting.

I reported back to known Fink fans with great excitement, I finally got it. But their lack of enthusiasm over the new album tempered my excitement somewhat. In their eyes, Perfect Darkness was pretty nice but in light of his previous releases, this was just more of the same. As a teacher, you constantly want your students to improve and grow. If a student comes to you getting 98%, it’s your job not to except the 97%ers when you know their capable of even more.

What I learned was every time you encounter music from Fink, the building tension he generates with his vocals and the synergy with his guitar is assured. The difference between Fink’s best and everything else is his ability to completely move you, change your mood and leave you speechless.

What I didn’t realise then that I do now is that what I was feeling before was moderate appreciation and what Fink is truly capable of can be captivating and definitive.

Sometimes, What Goes In The Bin Should Stay In The Bin

2011-06-24T00:49:00.004+10:00

I had my headphones in as I got into bed, listening to the closing moments of Gotye's Coming Back. Song ends. Silence as I switch the light off and lay my head down on the pillow. Then alarms. A cacophony of them all screeching in my ears. I knew it wasn't my iPod. Even with the 2000 or so songs on there, I was 100 percent certain that I didn't own any music from bands in the alarm bell genre.

But then it hit me, like taunts to a fat kid. Several hours earlier I'd 'synced' three albums, that I'd plucked out of the 'freebies' bin at Fbi Radio, to my iPod and was planning to actually listen to at some point.
It had to be one of those albums!
At this point, it occurred to me that perhaps I could obtain all the information I desired by simply checking the details on the little screen in my hand.

Sure enough the details were there, and I was right. It most definitely was an album I'd pulled out of freebies and I'm sorry to say, well actually, I'm not really sorry at all. I mean who gets all of life's most annoying sounds, like whistles, bells and piercing fax-like noises, mashes them together and calls it music? Klive, that's who. And I'm figuratively sorry to say that 'Klive' was quickly removed from the iPod.

I did play most of the tracks from the album Sweaty Psalms, though not all in their entirety. It was far too 'abstract' and 'surreal' for me. I'm a big fan of free form jazz, but this is just ridiculous. The tracks generally start with some kind of harsh irritating noise that's on a loop and layered with other irritating noises on loops, to form a kind of repetitive 'melody' (I use that word very loosely). Then the drums join the mix, in some vain hope that this monstrous mess of noise will gain some resemblance of a song simply by having a beat put too it.
Suddenly half way through, there's a moment of clarity as some, dare I say, soulful, ambient and even delicate sounds drift from the speakers, in the Deep Forest vein. This is not to last though as we dive back into obscurity and irritability. And that, to me, can only mean one thing. This guy loves his acid.

No one in their 'right mind' would wear that jumper in public!

It's the perfect music for any tripper to be totally blown away by. I only know this because it's otherwise annoying as all hell, and seems to follow the journey from chaos to moments of extreme clarity, that only a person tripping balls would really understand.

I thought I better do a bit of research on Klive (by research I mean checked Wiki. But it's alright cause I'm Gen Y) and I discovered he's an Northern European musician, so he's most definitely on acid.
The Icelandic album called Sweaty Psalms received rave reviews in Europe and took two years to make. Two years! To record a bunch of faxes, telephones and some alarm clocks. This is why drugs are bad mkay.

It actually reminds me of a slightly happier version of the ultra depressing Norwegian band, Ulver. Also tripped out. Also terrible.

So if you like being depressed or are considering taking acid sometime in the near future and want to have a really bad experience, I recommend you get Klive's album Sweaty Psalms.

Who knows, maybe I just didn't get into the 'groove' enough or his live performances are actually really awesome. But something, I'm not sure what exactly - maybe the slightly deflated enthusiasm for living I now have or the ringing in my ear from shrill noises - makes me believe that, like Old Yella, he's done his best but someone just needs to put him down.

Here's one of his softer ones. It's all I could really find on Youtube. Enjoy. I guess.

Mixtape

2011-06-21T04:01:00.005+10:00

While it's not summer over here in Australia, it is where my lovely friend Eddie (Just Norman) is in the States. Put this on and pretend you're not sitting in front of a heater while it pours outside and gale winds hit your house, like I'm currently doing.

Check out his mixtape entitled 'Summer Summer: The Warm Weather Mixtape' - here and the blog post is - here

and to quote Eddie....SWAG

The Youth Are Starting To Change

2011-06-17T23:53:00.005+10:00

I know I'm getting old. It comes with the territory but I've really been noticing it lately. No longer can I be such an impetuous youth, brimming with energy and a yearning for mischief. Not all the time anyway. Not much of the time at all really.

If you work in a customer-based industry you can see that the youth of today are certainly not like we mid-to-late-20's people were back then. I was brought up with manners, I was taught to speak English properly, sure I listened to loud music, had my rebellious phase, whatever. Is it a sign that I'm getting old that I look at (most of) the teenagers of today and want to punch them in the face? Perhaps.

Thanks to the horrid decline of the Sydney scene over the last decade (which I'll cover some other time) I've recently had the experience of going to gigs I would normally go to, except now having to attend them as 'ALL AGES' shows (like I say, I'll get to why and how some other time). As such, I have had to share some of Sydneys live venues with the aforementioned youth who make me want to throw shit. As in all cases of this nature it is not ALL of them, just a noticeable few.

I never really had a specific objection to all ages shows originally. If anything, I like the fact that the kids of today can share their musical passions with an older generation under the same roof. This optimistic philosophy, however, has been ruined. So, if you're a teen and you're headed to an all-ages show, and there are no over-18's shows announced, heres a few tips to make sure that you walk out with your integrity still in tact.

1. Dress Appropriately

This one doesn't specifically have to apply to under-18's, Ive seen some people at festivals dressed like idiots, and calling themselves Funboys. But there is absolutely no need to dress like you're going to a rave, especially when you're not. I don't really think Little Red or Hungry Kids of Hungary (two recent AA shows) are music that requires the wearing of a singlet and sunglasses inside (as well as the fact its WINTER). If you're a girl, there's no need to dress like you're going clubbing. I understand your compulsive desire to look 'nice' but you can do that without making yourself look 'easy'. Once again this is a point that can be applied to everyone, but if you're a teen, you should learn it now and save yourself my contempt.

2. If you're only going for two songs, STAY AT HOME!!

At a festival it doesn't matter how many songs you know from a band. If you only know two songs, chances are they'll be played last and these things are considered when planning which stages to run between (and if not, take THAT as a tip as well kiddies). If you're going to go absolutely apeshit for your favourite song, thats perfectly justifiable too. A sideshow, or a tour show, is a longer haul with alot more material, some of which you may not know. Instead of tuning out, browsing the internet on your iphone, taking facebook photos of yourself and your friends on your iphone, or just generally being distracting and apathetic towards the things you don't care about, like a band slogging its guts out playing a song you dont know and/or care about, do your parents a favour and dont spend their $40. If you're only there for 2 songs and a social night out go to a karaoke bar. Oh wait, you can't, you're not even 18 yet. HA!

and if you pull out something to read i'll KILL YOU from behind..

3. STFU!!

Stemming from the seed planted above; if you're at a gig, if you're standing in front of a band while they play, don't do them the disservice of standing there and having a conversation while they do. Its perfectly fine to acknowledge other people, enjoy the times you share together. But you're at a concert. If you want to talk, particularly about something that has nothing to do with the gig, GET THE FUCK OUT! So many of these kids will stand there and, much for the previous reason, not give a shit about whats going on in front of them. Only waiting for the 2 songs they want to hear and thats it. And when theres a floor full of them, fuck its annoying. Until their song comes on and then it's all screams... which I still prefer to incessant talking.

4. Get Off Shoulders

This is not a permanent rule. Certainly the scrutiny of it can be varied depending on the venue and I suppose this is a more specific thing. If you're at a huge venue I suppose there's less chance of it being a problem but still. And I know some of you are thinking 'wtf Dave, I'm 32 and 5 feet tall so I've got no other option' - well maybe evolution is telling you gigs aren't for you. Im just kidding, but buy seats or some shit. Generally, if you're too short to see, get there early and get up the front, or find a place to strategically insert yourself so you can see. Don't get up on someones shoulders when you're only 7 rows from the front at a narrow venue you c*#t. Especially at venues like the Metro, where the standing is tiered so you can basically see from anywhere if you're too short for the floor. If you're in front of me, you can expect whatever I'm holding to hit you in the back of the head. Save it for festivals, where its your god-given right to get on someones shoulders. I'll still throw things at you, but thats just because I'm a douche.

5. Watch the Gig

And I suppose what I mean here is watch it with your eyes, not your iPhone. Once again you can come at me with the whole 'but Dave you've got like 70 videos on your YouTube account of gigs you've been to and filmed'. This is true, and yes I'll often spend some time with the camera out, taking photos or filming, but I'm not going to watch the whole gig, let alone a whole song, through my fucking camera, plus I write for a blog and have to review shit, and visual media helps. So shut up... But its contagious too. When you hold your iphone up and start filming, the people behind you start watching the gig through your little screen too instead of seeing whats going on before their very eyes. Watch it, its quite amusing. But yes, I can appreciate the fact that someone wants to take home a memory from the gig. Granted. But its so fucking annoying when 400 iPhones go up at once for the entire duration of.. you guessed it.. the only two songs you fucks were there to see in the first place.

You can call my arguments pointless, flawed, whatever the hell you want. Thats perfectly fine with me. You can say I'm a cynical bastard too, I'm fine with that as well. You may have stopped reading by now - in that case fuck you (because you're not reading this). My only hope is that some of you teens out there might see a trait in yourself that has been identified here, and the next time you go to conduct some of this tomfoolery at your next concert, you think twice, and have some consideration for the old bastards like me you have to share the venue with. Then we won't have to have this conversation again. Now go clean your room, I'm done with you.

Parklife & Bon Iver

2011-06-16T19:37:00.002+10:00

Really I've never had any respect for the Future Music, We Loves and Parklifes of this world. Average line ups, top dollar tickets and a dangerously inviting offer for smackies.

But hats off Parklife, it seems you have just slightly clawed some credibility back with your selections. Parklife 2011 will see Death From Above 1979 is the most exciting addition but there's also Santigold, Mylo, Clint's mate Wolfgang Gartner, and my personal guilty pleasure The Streets.

So the rest of the line up is to be expected but hey, you have to give credit when it's warranted.

Here is 'the rest': Gossip, Lykke Li, Duck Sauce, Katy B, The Naked & Famous, Crystal Fighters, Example, Digitalism, Adrian Lux, Simian Mobile Disco, Magnetic Man, Nero, SebastiAn, Diplo, Mstrkrft, Sebastien Tellier, Little Dragon, Gold Fields, Joker & MC Nomad, Feed Me, Tensnake, Kimbra, The Aston Shuffle, Flux Pavilion, Yacht Club DJs & Harvard Bass.

Here are the dates, it goes to WA & SA but no one cares.

Sat 24 Sep | Sidney Myer Music Bowl and Kings Domain, Melbourne, VIC
Sat 1 Oct | Riverstage and City Botanic Gardens, Brisbane, QLD
Sun 2 Oct | Kippax Lake, Moore Park, Sydney, NSW

Tickets on sale Midday Thursday June 30.

Video: Bon Iver - Calgary

Lately I've really been digging James Blake and Bon Iver. I appreciate the two have significant differences but they both sit well with me when I'm in a particular mood (tired on the way to work). "Calgary" is the first single off Bon Iver's Self Titled which will be released in Australia tomorrow through Jagjaguwar/Inertia and here is the clip. Of course it's very indie and I'm sure intended to have a really powerful message but for me I couldn't get past the clashing of textures and themes throughout the clip. The smooth pure whites tainted by the rough array of browns I found just lovely. It doesn't move me at all but the imagery delights my eyes.

Splendour Selection #5 - Hungry Kids of Hungary

2011-06-15T16:38:00.004+10:00

Well the first semester is over. I'd forgotten about the whole reading and writing aspect of uni, so my time was spread a bit thin over the past few weeks. But that didn't stop the procrastination and I managed to get down to the Metro several times to see some fantastic Aussie bands.

I've already recently spoken about these guys just prior to their national tour, but as I saw them a couple of weekends again on said tour with fellow Whiteboy Javid, I thought I'd put the Hungry Kids of Hungary down as Splendour Selection #5.

First thing's first though. If you're a headline band, don't tour with a support act that sounds better than you. If The Chemist were attending Splendour they would most definitely be my ultimate Splendour pick and Hungry Kids would be quite a few rungs down the ladder. Though I can partly attribute this to the fact that The Chemist didn't have hoards of screaming teenagers hurting my delicate ears, which meant I could actually hear what I came to hear: the music.

And I'm not saying the Hungry Kids are in any way bad. They pack a very fun show with clearly some strong influences from the likes of The Beach Boys and The Beatles.

Their music full of catchy riffs, some fantastic jazz and blues stylings, and the type of sweet harmonies that you start singing, slack-jawed to yourself in a supermarket several days later until you realised you'd forgotten to use your inner monologue and people have started staring.

But there's something about their tendency to veer too much into that familiar, easy listening pop territory that turns me off slightly. So many songs with lyrics about girls. Yeah I get it. I mean in the last 6 months I could have written five albums full of sentimental claptrap about women, the toils of relationships and a broken heart (which is actually just a broken ego, so man the fuck up!) but I didn't. I controlled myself and ended up with only an album's worth of womanly bollocks (and probably only because uni is a bitch for time).
But there is more to life than women, and it's refreshing when bands actually sing about some of these other things in life.

All the screaming teens probably didn't do much for my thoughts on the gig either. There was enough estrogen in that room to satisfy a Bieber arena show. And, my God, WHY do they have to hurt my ears with their incessant shrill screaming. God I hope I wasn't like that as a teenager.. I think I could have been.. Terrible. And now I'm just sounding old and bitter.

But after all the shit I've just sprouted about Hungry Kids, they most definitely are a band worth seeing and, if you're going to Splendour, it would be a good idea to check them out. They are one of my Splendour Selections after all. They are very new on the scene with only one album out so far. Clearly they have some serious talent and a whole wad of potential. I just hope they bring more of that out as they go along.

They obviously have a lot of fun on stage, which transfers straight to the crowd. Both times I've seen them now they have also ended up getting members from the support bands onto stage to play in some of their songs, culminating in a mass on stage performance towards the end.

Just be prepared to have some serious tinnitus afterwards. Not from the band, just from the screaming girls.

On another note, I went to see Cat Empire at the Metro the weekend before Hungry Kids as part of their 10 year anniversary tour. By far the best gig I have ever seen them play. I wish I'd got to more of them. If you not a fan of Cat Empire, I won't go as far as to say there's something wrong with you personally. I'm sure you're really nice. But you must be one miserable soul if you can't find something good in the band.

Public Holiday Goodies

2011-06-13T11:26:00.003+10:00

So I burn CDs for people like it's going out of fashion. It probably has nothing to do with having good taste but friends figure a burnt CD from Pix beats spending $20 bucks and a car trip. I'm a poor man's HMV. I would of said JB Hifi but I'm not even a poor man's JB Hifi free car parking spot.

This is what I've been listening to and really enjoying.

Vimeo: Dead Letter Chorus - Yellow House

I've always enjoyed Dead Letter Chorus but nothing about them inspired me to ramble on this little blog about it until now. "Yellow House" is just gorgeous, it's like a perfectly chilly winters day but you've positioned yourself in the warm, glowing delight of the sun and you feel the warmth over run you. This is romance in it's finest form, I just love it!

Dead Letter Chorus - Yellow House from DeadLetterChorus on Vimeo.

Buy YELLOW HOUSE on iTunes - itunes.apple.com/au/album/yellow-house-single/id432032430

Mp3: The Faults - Lucy

It's a great track you can pick up for free off their Bandcamp. It makes me think of the days where I just wanted to rock out listening to Dallas Crane, Mojo Bluesmen and The Black Keys. Plenty of tempo changes and filthy, filthy bass. Great hook, great track and they met working in a pizza shop. As someone who met some of his best mates gratin' cheese, that made me love it even more.

Mp3: Winter Street - There We Stand

I won't say too much as I have a more comprehensive review coming on Far From The Mocking World but this is one of the finest tracks I've heard from any Aussie band all year. Really accomplished and well constructed music from chaps who've enjoyed the magical powers of drinking the water in Melbourne.

Mp3: Bon Iver - Calgary

If you're not excited about the new Bon Iver album coming out then I'm not sure what is wrong with you. "Calgary" represents a massive progression from "Skinny Love". The notion of these guys getting any better is frightening.

Youtube: Guineafowl - Little Fingers

I dig this song massively. Heard em on New Years Eve and was so drunk I thought The Paper Scissors had added a female to their band. Buying the Hello Anxiety EP was one of my finer moments to result from that night. The clip is very clever also.

Mp3: Icehouse - Can't Help Myself Rare 10" Mix

I wouldn't dare question whether you remember Icehouse. If you don't just stop reading now, go to a CD store and buy something from them. Or shoot yourself in the groin. Icehouse are one of the few popular Aussie bands from yesteryear that you can proudly show to someone from overseas and be proud to say these guys were ours. Unlike Cold Chisel... dirty gronks.

They're re-releasing their self titled album and so they've offered up this track as a little treat for the uneducated that need reminding of the tour-de-force that was / is Iva Davies... oww I mean, Icehouse.

Mp3: Captain Kickarse & The Awesomes - Doubletank

Ok they're instrumental and I normally hate that but the music is really enjoyable. I've heard a lot of great accolades about their live shows and it transfers quite nicely into recorded jams. Be interesting to know if they play the songs the same way twice.

Tipi Forest Opens Early

2011-06-09T22:36:00.000+10:00

So this year the Tipi Forest will be opening earlier than previous years. Last year I rocked in on the Wednesday and I will admit that while Wednesday was all about getting settled and Thursday was a gentle introduction to the SITG World, it was all too cushy and perfectly to my liking.

In 2011, the real festival bandits Javid & Dean will arrive and get straight into it on the Thursday. No gentle introductions or polite dates, it's straight down to the dirty dirty business of Splendour!

So basically you won't have to wait until Saturday for some tripped out bitch to shit in one of the Tipis.

ALICE SPACE DOLL, BLUNT INSTRUMENT, CAPTAIN KAINE, CRETEN, CUTLOOSE, DANIEL WEBBER, DANNY T, DAKINI, DEE DEE, DEEGS, GOOSEBUMPZ, LANDSOAKEN, MOISTA CLOISTA, MSG, N-ZED, OPERON, SI CLONE, SLINKY, SOUNDWAVE, SUN IN AQUARIUS, UBERHAMMER, ZENNA

Website: Splendour In The Grass

Cute explosion

2011-06-08T17:32:00.002+10:00

Friends of wbdf, Asian Girls Luv It! have a new little video. It's a little montage of their lives. They're so adorable it makes me quite angry.

You can find a Q&A they did with us all the way back in January, right HERE

Yet another self indulgent blog post...

2011-06-07T21:17:00.006+10:00

It's been a while...here is what I have been listening to in exile. You may hate these songs. Frankly I don't care.

An absolute goddess. I love you Kate Bush. Lady Gaga wishes she was 1/10000th as interesting and as alluring as Kate Bush.

ABBA are responsible for the best pop music ever made, full stop. Every lyric a hook...every hook perfection. Don't deny it. Your boyfriend doesn't.

Breathtaking, camp, moving, kitsch...all in one. Phantom of the Opera stays with you once you have seen it, whether live or on film.

Utterly sublime Roxy Music-esque circa Flesh and Blood pop from Dan Bejar. Kaputt is almost an album of the year certainty. This could have been terribly gimmicky, but all it is just wonderfully interesting music delivered without a hint of irony.

I picked up Simon & Garfunkel's The Concert in Central Park on vinyl from Glebe Markets on Saturday. Best $9 I have probably ever spent. People who don't like these guys generally have no souls.

Finally, proof that Susan Sarandon is still smoking hot and Justin Timberlake was actually a better person than you this whole time.

Splendour Pick #4 - World's End Press

2011-06-04T11:25:00.003+10:00

Splendour in the Grass is certainly a completely different proposition to the Metro in half-mode (something I had never seen before - same venue, half the size), which was the last place I saw World's End Press as they helped WBDF favourites !!! (Chk Chk Chk) around the country when they were touring for laneway. When they came out on stage, given I'd never heard of them, I honestly did not expect much. This was definitely one of the nights to have low expectations.

With on-stage clothing that made me think I was at a retro party, the guys came out to a room of seriously no more than about 20 people (when they started), but you wouldnt have been able to tell by the relentless energy these guys brought to the stage. Infectious smiles all round, fantastic grooves and fun the likes of which I hadn't seen since I saw a band called Little Red for the first time a few years back. The music itself is funky, groovy and entirely danceable and, after having a bit of a chat with them at the end of the aforementioned Metro show they seem like some top guys too. What more could you ask for? (please, thats a rhetorical question..)

They've been on Triple J and are obviously gaining themselves a bit of notoriety with supports and of course being put on Splendour. No matter what time they'll be on (unless they get clashed with Kanye [I feel sorry for the poor bands that do]) I'll be checking them out and wiggling my ass like I've got tapeworm.

Luckily, for those who aren't going to Splendour, the guys are currently touring the land with Little Red as part of the 'All Mine' tour. I'll be at the Metro this Friday, I recommend everyone getting a ticket. Two great Australian bands on one night? You might wanna bring some spare undies...

WORLD'S END PRESS supporting LITTLE RED
10/6 - Metro, Sydney
16/6 - The Gov, Adelaide
17/6 - The Capitol, Perth
18/6 - Hi-Fi, Brisbane
23/6 - Waratah Hotel, Hobart
24/6 - The Palace, Melbourne
26/6 - Hi-Fi Bar, Melbourne (AA)
30/6 - The Northern, Byron Bay
01/7 - Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast

So go and get tickets!
Or tickets to Splendour!!

Worlds End Press Myspace

Splendour Pick #3 - Kaiser Chiefs

2011-05-27T14:12:00.006+10:00

The first time I ever caught the Kaiser Chiefs live was at Splendour in the Grass as they toured for the album 'Yours Truly, Angry Mob' and I was caught by their contagious hooks and well-constructed festival set containing the songs you knew plus the ones you didn't, but which still made you dance. Since then I've been a continuous fan, buying the releases as they come out, the last one being 'Off With Their Heads'. Since then the band has been quiet on the recording front as we all await something new like the rabid dogs we are.

Well the band are finally about to return to the arena, with an album due out midway through this year and a whole bunch of festival dates announced overseas and here, at our very own Splendour In The Grass 2011 and I'm pretty damn excited. While the last album provided a significant contrast to the one before it, it'll be interesting to hear where the band have decided to go from the slightly more electro-pop-punk of the last effort. Either way, I'll be there to hear it and i'll let you know how it all goes. When the inevitable sideshows are announced and come around I'd say get yourself a ticket and make your own mind up. One of the more underrated bands on the lineup, but they will not disappoint.

Tickets are still available for Splendour. Get your filthy mits on one now!

In Akuila We Trust

2011-05-26T20:53:00.002+10:00

Showed more fire and fight than most of the actual New South Welshmen.

Ow and Jason King, not even Ryan Tandy could fix your game. I hate you more than Queensland. More than Phil Gould's pre-game speech. More than Michael Hancock.

Splendour Selection #2 Your Old New Favourite Band

2011-05-23T18:53:00.000+10:00

I know many of the Tame Impala / Wolfmother loving crowd would have scoffed at the inclusion of The Hives on the SITG '11 line up.

I can only imagine the endless legions of poo-pooing going on across irrelevant forums, moderated by overweight Halo gamers.

"What have they done lately?" / "Veni Vidi Vicious" was over a decade ago" / "I gave Tyrannosaurus Hives to my little brother years ago".

Now I had similar reservations about Scissor Sisters when they were on last years line up. As a young man I grooved to their self titled album in my bedroom. But of course I'd grown up, no way was I watching this poofo band with their shirtless gay singer.

I watched that poofo band and despite their music being undoubtedly rooted to the confines of the early naughties, I along with thousands of other Passion Pit loving Aussies, loved every minute of it. Especially the stripping...

There could be a more powerful message in there about my sexuality but the message I want you to get from it is that The Hives may not still be on the cusp of new music, don't forget everything you love / loved about them.

They've got a swag-full of cracking hits to purr through like "Hate To Say I Told You So", "Two Timing Touch & Broken Bones", "Well All Right", "Main Offender", "Tick Tick Boom", "Here We Go Again", "A Little More For Little You", "Abra Cadaver" and "Walk Idiot Walk" (below).

Not only a great selection of music to perform but the Southern-preacher-esque manner that Howlin' Pelle delivers their live set with is a treat in itself. A chance to be born again is not something you should pass up, I don't care if it clashes with fucking Bluejuice.

So if that isn't enough to pull you away from your Neon Indian album even if just for a few moments then go play in busy traffic.

Catch Me Wearing Fake Gold

2011-05-16T20:17:00.000+10:00

Tigercity bring back fond memories of my early days pretending to know something noteworthy about music. Their track "Are You Sensation" was and in some ways still is one of my all time favourite tracks, even if they did do a shitty more breathy re-do of it when they released "Pretend Not To Love".

At the time they fell somewhere in the Ok Go category and allowing for additional funk sensitivities I'd say that's fairly accurate.

On my traipsing across the internet I thought I'd check in with Tigercity to see what's happening... if their myspace is anything to go by, not much. But I did spy a film clip from 2010 which I hadn't heard and thought it was good fun.

If you, like me, need a break from having your mind blown by Destoyer, Fleet Foxes and Pains of Being Pure At Heart then check this out, it's nice.

Fake Gold

Tigercity | Myspace Music Videos

Spendour Pick #1: Oh Mercy

2011-05-08T21:55:00.005+10:00

When I encountered Oh Mercy at SITG 2010, they were playing a few tracks that would feature on the now released Great Barrier Grief (2011). At Splendour I could recall hearing a fantastic track which featured a gorgeous piano twinkle and the unforgettable line “I’m a single man, don’t fuck up my plans” which I now know is the swaying romantically unromantic “Let Me Go”.

Unsurprisingly when I had Great Barrier Grief in my hot little hands I had to get listening immediately. To be perfectly honest, my initial enthusiasm was tempered slightly on my first listen. What I then labeled as disappointment was more accurately my short comings as a music listener. First time round I missed gems like the standout chorus in “On The Run”, the subtle preaching turned friendly advice of “Mercy Valley”, the Aussie classic living within “Hold Out Your Hand” and the perfection in the lullaby come down of “Doldrums”.

Gow’s music is much the same as his on-stage demeanour; initially strange to encounter, delightfully unassuming of its own greatness and evermore endearing as time passes.

From all corners, the Paul Kelly comparisons are inevitable as there are few artists who are such engaging story tellers and equally so richly Australian. I’ve only been to Melbourne once but listening to Gow makes it clear he has the place running through his veins, in fact I’d go so far as to say this type of album could only be made by someone influenced and enchanted by the unique pulsating magic of Melbourne.

“Stay Please Stay” is the opening track and while perhaps its toe-tapping quality overshadows the songs sweeter take on heartbreak, it typifies Gow’s ability to express and amaze.

Great Barrier Grief is not an album as much as it is a relationship narrative that Gow doesn’t want us to enter into at 1000 miles, it’s a commitment that needs careful consideration.

Great Barrier Reef is out now through EMI.

The White Boys will be attending SITG 2011 as will the delightful sounds of Oh Mercy. We'll be giving you all the low down on the best cuts in the lead up to SITG 2011 as well as covering the event itself!

Website: Splendour In The Grass.

Also: Good friend and amazing blogger Kaisha did a fantastic review of Boy & Bear on her blog, Far From This Mocking World last year. If you want to know what to expect from them live @ SITG 2011. Click To Read.

Harden the F$%K Up

2011-05-06T13:16:00.004+10:00

Last night, whilst stuck in typically horrendous Sydney traffic, I was listening to triple J's 'Hack' program. I enjoy listening to Hack, its certainly left-wing alot of the time but they cover socially relevant issues, as well as some obscure ones that are often very interesting. Last night was interesting, but for another reason I suppose.

Splendour in the Grass tickets went on sale yesterday - YAY! Its a great lineup, great festival and a great time. The greatest time is not always had when involved in the frantic scurry to get your hands on some tickets when they go on sale though. Basically a significant part of the Hack program was dedicated to covering peoples grievances with the Splendour/Moshtix site, interviewing the people from these two organisations and explaining what was going on. This was of course interspersed with clips of calls the station had been receiving all day about the situation, all the whinging, all the crying, all the 'its not fair'. So for all you people out there having a cry about missing out on Splendour tickets, this is for you;

I've been to 3 Splendours - 06, 07 and 08. Dont forget, 08 was now 3 years ago. In 2006 I had absolutely no trouble getting tickets. I went on the site two days after they'd gone on sale and breezed through, getting what I needed.

2007 was another story completely. This is the year that Splendour exploded for the masses. The site crashed half an hour before tickets were supposed to go on sale. Shit happens. Luckily for me (and other concert goers) they were providing sales over the phone that year. I sat in the exact spot I'm sitting in now, at this computer, refreshing the site every 20 seconds whilst holding the phone between my neck and ear, and frantically dialing and redialing with my feet. I eventually got through, on the phone, but I was one of you. I agreed the whole process was fucked, and hoped for better preparation for the next year.

2008 was not to be any better. If anything it was worse. After having got through initially, straight away, the site crashed as my (and thousands of other peoples) transaction was being processed. I was already satisfied that I'd got tickets, but this was not to be the case. Because of the site going down, everyone who had gotten to the processing stage of their transaction had to wait hours, days, before finding out if the transaction had been successful or not. It was an absolute bitch, and very annoying. But did I waste my time bitching? No. I got my ticket, I was prepared for the coming shitstorm and hey, it could have been worse.

So there you go. If you think 'oh you havent waited there for hours/havent had the site crash on you when you're at the front of the 'queue'/haven't had your transaction half processed' you can just fuck off. Ive been there and seen them all, not just with Splendour either. The Big Day Out is a shitfight, any high-interest gigs are. What I hate is these people that think they've been robbed, and that they should badmouth what is easily one of the best festivals in this country solely because thousands upon thousands of other people were all reaching for the same ticket. Are you stupid?

There was a guy on the radio yesterday who had a whinge about waiting 45 minutes. Had a whinge because he'd already spent money (over $1000 apparently) on flights and accomodation. Heres two words for you sonny - DUMB FUCK. This shows that not only do you have more dollars than sense, it also shows you have NEVER been to Splendour before, this was your first time EVER trying to get tickets for something and now you're fucked. Go ahead, blame Splendour, blame Moshtix, you're still not going.. cunt.

And ANOTHER THING - Westpacs online servers completely shat themselves in an 'unprecedented' incident 2 hours before tickets went on sale. A high percentage of Australians do their banking through Westpac or subsidiary servers, even Moshtix did, so they had to work out a way to sort everything out with the banks, not just with the thousands of whinging fucks that wanted tickets. Surely thats grounds enough for most people to go 'wow, thats a bad fucking coincidence, but such is life, I'll try again tomorrow' - NO! Lets tear these companies a new asshole because they had to deal with it AND deal with your crap at the same time!

I feel I'm rambling now so I should probably wrap it up.

1. Seriously, if you're having a sook because you missed out on tickets, thats understandable. People are going to be having a blast while you stay home and pull your Pud. I'd be mad too. But don't blame Splendour, don't blame the internet, you can maybe (a little bit) blame your bank but ultimately - blame yourself. And please, for the love of god, get the fuck over it.

2. Calling up Triple J because the site has gone down? What are they going to do, seriously? Send the Doctor out to personally deliver a sympathy ticket to your house? Get on a hotline to Splendour and hook you up directly? Call for someones head on national radio? No. Shut up.

3. Tickets went back on sale today anyway, although chances are if you're reading this and haven't got one, you probably missed out.

4. Prepare for next year! I dont mean buy a tent, upgrade your internet connection, change banks or ANY of that shit. What I mean is prepare yourself PSYCHOLOGICALLY! Understand that its freaking stressful, understand that you're getting the exact same service (or lack thereof) as EVERYONE ELSE and maybe have a plan B. I hear Adelaide is nice about the same time of year, go for a freaking roadtrip. (actually I don't hear much about Adelaide at all)

And on a more serious note, as a suggestion for next year - not just to the guys from Splendour but BDO and most other festivals - how about instead of just using the internet for ticket sales, which we see failing miserably every year, you share the load around? Keep the full camping/event tickets as online only but when it comes to event tickets whats wrong with setting up a telephone transaction system? Or God forbid going with the option of outlet sales? Both phone and outlet sales might be considered 'prehistoric' but they are BOTH successful, physical means of obtaining a ticket. Just a suggestion.

I hope you've enjoyed this rant. Leave our festivals alone and harden the fuck up.

Website: Splendour In The Grass

Not Finnished

2011-05-04T14:14:00.003+10:00

I came to discover and really appreciate Architecture in Helsinki with the release of their last album, Places Like These. A rollicking good ride full of giddy fun that makes you think you're back in high school on a summers day running amok and failing the education system. Songs like 'Hold Music' and 'Heart It Races' made it undoubtedly one of the better Australian albums of the year in 2007. Working at a certain mass retail media outlet helped my exposure to it, but it certainly made the working hours more enjoyable. I fell in love with a lot of albums at that place... but anyway, I digress.

It turns out, due to my unenlightened viewpoint and from doing some research, that Places Like These was actually quite a divisive album amongst pre-existing fans of the band. Does that mean I lack too much knowledge and perspective to continue? Probably, but its never stopped me before.

So the AIH (wow, thats easier) guys are back with the next step along in their musical path, Moment Bends, and its certainly an interesting effort. Whilst you may have had 'That Beep' drilled into your head given its early release last year, it's certainly not a track that sums the album up, good though it may be. The excessive percussion and spontaneous guitars have taken a back seat for a much warmer, rounded, and emphatically electronic sound. While I want to be excited about it, it doesnt seem to possess the carefree wonder that made the previous effort so enjoyable on a personal level. That being said its definitely growing on me. I suppose the best way to think about it is that if Places Like These reminds you of jumping around a jungle gym, acting like a Muppet and enjoying life, Moment Bends is equivalent to getting older, slightly more mature. You still enjoy the fun but you have to be all 'adult' and shit, and its time to start seducing and subsequent procreation. Enjoy this, the new clip for the new single - Contact High

Watch out at 1:20, I shat.

Anyway AIH are touring at the moment in Aus, before heading to the USA and the rest of the world after that. I recommend going to see them, but if you get to before I do - let me know how the new stuff translates. I think mixed together with previous material it will create a nice contrast in the construct of a live set. And I'm (normally) right about these kind of things.

Turn Me On With The Grates

2011-05-03T12:34:00.002+10:00

I can safely say that my birthday in August 2008 was by far the most exciting. Not only was I celebrating it at Splendour in the Grass, but I got The Grates brand new album, Teeth Lost, Hearts Won for free and a massive birthday hug from Patience. What more could a young guy ask for? Ok, so there are probably a few more things a young guy would be hoping for, you dirty minded people, but for me a hug from Patience was more than enough to keep me satisfied for the weekend. I was going to post the photo I got with her, but because I organise things about as well as a chimp on acid, I couldn't find it amongst the 15 thousand randomly assorted photos on my computer. So you'll just have to believe me.

It's now been almost three years since their last album, but it appears the wait for some more... great music is almost over! The Grates, now a duo after their drummer Alana Skyring left to pursue a career in culinary arts, have just released a single from their upcoming album called Turn Me On, and first impressions are good.

The new song is a bit grittier than what you may have previously come to expect of The Grates and they have clearly added a few more influences to their repertoire. Some heavy synth has also been busted out, which gives a nice contrast to Patience's buoyant vocals. Overall, it's a much heavier feel, with a bit less of that all out happy go lucky fun.

If this is a reflection of their new album then it appears The Grates have perhaps grown up slightly since their last album, Teeth Lost, Hearts Won.

Maybe it was a combination of recording in Brooklyn during winter, Alana leaving and a whole lot of collaboration with numerous other artists. But either way, I'm extremely excited to hear what they have in store for us on June 17 with the release of Secret Rituals.

In the lead up to Splendour In The Grass they're touring Australia throughout June so head to thegrates.com for all the details.

Here's a very short teaser of the Secret Rituals recording sessions and, below that, their new single, which can also be checked out on their Facebook page.

Any thoughts on the new single? Let me know. I'd like to hear.

The New Zombie Nation

2011-05-02T22:27:00.000+10:00

The clientele that frequents the local haunts of Penrith are if nothing else a unique bunch. I'm not going to sit here and talk down on Penrith or it's people. I live much closer to Mt Druitt and I think the key difference between the two is that people in areas like Mt Druitt know they live in Western Sydney where as Penrith people equate themselves with the more cultured folk who enjoy deep dish pies in the Blue Mountains after a mid morning bush walk.

One thing I know for sure is that Penrith shares special relationships with certain songs. Certain songs that establish themselves as anthems of Phriction, Embassy, Panthers, any RSL game enough to sort out the fights that will result from hosting a disco night.

Many will scoff at the notion of "Zombie Nation" being a Penrith anthem but I've been sober and seen the way it throws Penrith crowds into a frenzy. Equally I've been drunk and struggled against the hypnosis.

So what's the latest track that sends the Penrith faithful into raptures of awkward, Xtra Dry spilling, uncontrollable foot movements....

All I'll say is... "Everyday I'm shuffling"

If you can think of any other Penrith anthems, don't be shy to share em'.

A Not So Royal Escapade

2011-04-30T15:49:00.003+10:00

Well the Royal wedding is over. But that still hasn't stopped every news agency in Australia from flogging it for everything it's got. From the romance time-line of Will and Kate (I shit you not), to the Royal position they'll be adopting to consummate their marriage; if you want to know about it, hell even if you don't, they've probably already published a story about it.
You want other news? There is no other news you communist! The world must stop doing things and follow the celebrations in awe. Suggesting anything else will be considered treason.

That's right! If the iPhone by itself wasn't already enough, your wankerishness will now be complete everywhere you go, with the new Kate and Wills iPhone cover.

Fortunately though, I can leave the post-wedding coverage to the hordes of journalists who are, right now, putting their professional skills to the test to confirm for you exactly who wore the worst outfit on the day. It won't be a man either because everyone knows that only women are fair game when it comes to fashion.

But enough of this rant because, believe it or not, there are actually some much more exciting things coming up in May.
In the lead up to Splendour in the Grass (or SITG for those of you who need to acronym-ize everything to make it cooler) I thought I should let you know about a little band that you can see in your own town (unless they don't go there) before they head to Splendour in July.

The Hungry Kids of Hungary have just kicked off their national tour to promote their latest album, Escapades. Throughout May they'll be weaving their way around the country and, I must say, with the support acts they've amassed you'd be quite the fool to miss it. Perth band The Chemist are also coming along for the ride with Andy Bull, and Daniel Lee Kendall opening the east coast shows.

I was lucky enough to catch The Kids playing at the Factory Theatre last November. I had no idea who they were but my interest was already tweaked when I noticed the lead singer used the same guitar as me. Their eclectic taste in music was quite obvious from the start, with influences ranging from the 60's pop rock and blues era to the more contemporary indie rock sounds. The delicious harmonies they employed and energetic stage presence is enough to get anyone off their seat.

At first listen you may get the impression that they are just another indie band straight off the conveyor belt. But it doesn't take long to realise that these guys have developed a style that can't really pigeon holed with any one particular sound. It really gives them the edge over many other bands who employ a similar style but who have failed to move away from that standard formulaic indie song.

I am also extremely excited by the fact that The Chemist are coming on tour too. After witnessing them at the Annandale last year I can safely say that these guys are amazing. The dirty grooves from the bass and drums provide the perfect backdrop for the haunting melodies of front man Ben Witt. While you could say that The Chemist have a slightly more sombre nature to them, as opposed to the all out fun that Hungry Kids employ on stage, their songs will no doubt leave an imprint on your brain as you find yourself humming their tunes days later.

So don't delay and get down to see The Final Escapades Tour playing throughout May.
For all you Sydney punters the details are below

SATURDAY, MAY 21 | METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY (All ages) (NSW)

Tickets available from www.metrotheatre.com.au or the Metro Theatre Box Office – 02.9550 3666

*Opener: Daniel Lee Kendall

Otherwise, click here to see where else they're playing and to purchase tickets to any of their other shows.

Rise And Fall

2011-04-28T22:58:00.000+10:00

Fleet Foxes second album Helplessness Blues (2011) is a warning to the White Winter Hymnal brigade that if you’re not comfortable with having your love tested before it returns with a renewed resilience then perhaps it’s safer if you give up on music right now.

From the lush beginnings of Helplessness Blues (2011) it’s clear that chief fox Robin Pecknold is more dominant than the sum of his band’s parts. As that first gentle guitar strum that lifts “Montezuma” my mind can escape to the mountains, a place I’ve not been enchanted with since John Denver’s “Calypso”.

The glorious harmonies and rich olden time choruses are still everywhere but nothing you hear has made the arrangement without Pecknold’s seal. Even in the most simple arrangements ("The Shrine / An Argument") the light twang of the sub-continent is overwhelmed when Pecknold stretches his vocal chords, irrespective if only slightly.

By the time the title track “Helplessness Blues”, I determined to be a part of the ever more mysterious and at times magical world Pecknold creates for the album to live within.

It seems as if Pecknold's rise is beginning and will be at the expense of the collective as his strength highlights the relative weaknesses of his contemporaries both within and outside of his band.

One thing is for sure, Pecknold’s escaping… with or without you or any of the foxes for that matter.

Snowing In The Desert

2011-04-18T13:36:00.007+10:00

So I'm back... after months... and months..

While its hard to doubt that most people with an internet connection and a set of ears have heard the Arctic Monkeys, their progression since the release of the first album way back in 2006 has seen their fanbase diverge on two different paths.

Theres no doubting that the contrast between the initial 'Whatever People Say I Am, Thats What Im Not' and the previous 'Humbug' is stark. Not just in terms of the music but the stature of the band as well. When the debut broke, they were the hottest new thing making indie kids salivate with catchy anthems. These days they're... not. Its been somewhat of a natural progression when you listen to the discography, and the influence of Josh Homme is worn significantly. You might think that the stoner desert sound of Homme's influence would be hard to translate to a band from a country without a desert in sight, but they've taken it up with aplomb.

Unfortunately for those who want every album to have a 'I'll Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor' you can sense the communal disappointment. The British cheek has been subdued for something much more grandiose and, well, heavy. The album itself won't be out till June but I'm already finding myself excited. Its multi purpose music that can not only provide the soundtrack for an epic roadtrip but for the alcohol-induced hotel messiness that accompanies your journey.

I leave you with a case in point by comparing these guys to Metallica. If you got 'WPSIATWIN' and played it next to 'Humbug' you would have a diverse range of styles and noise, well written fun to seedy-grit. And you'd enjoy it all, for the most part. If you got Metallicas 'Master of Puppets' and played it next to say... 'St. Anger', you'd be left feeling awfully confused. From the insanity of awesomeness to the... well.. insanity of shite-ness. The point I'm trying to make here is that yes, the Arctic Monkeys are mixing it up, not playing the same stuff over and over, and they are STILL making good music. There are fewer and fewer bands out there that you can say that about.

Suck It and See comes out June 6th

New Music: Santigold + Karen O

2011-04-15T10:37:00.001+10:00

Santigold has a new track out with Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs called "Go". Add Nick Zinner on guitar and you'd think there wouldn't be a way to make it any better. What should be life changing is probably just nice and a bit different. It didn't change my world, in fact I found the artwork more compelling. Let me know if it changes yours.

Stream: Santigold + Karen O - "Go"

Such A Crime

2011-04-14T01:06:00.001+10:00

Friends of wbdf, The Belligerents, have a music clip for their song Such a Crime which you should lay your eyes on.

Check out the Q&A they did with us also - here.

If you're not excited by this then I don't want to know you

2011-04-13T16:28:00.003+10:00

MOTHER FUCKING BEASTIE BOYS!

Also check out their new single Make Some Noise available for download on iTunes now.

Oh and Ad-Rock, if you ever read this. I totally rock out your tshirt and large gold chain at work. You should definitely make proposals of marriage to me now (even if I do like an extra in a bad Asian hip hop video).

Splendour 2011

2011-04-13T10:38:00.001+10:00

After much speculation and a pathetic attempt at bodging a fake line up, Splendour In The Grass 2011 have announced the official line up. Splendour In The Grass 2011 will return to the glorious site at Woodfordia and be held from Friday 29th July through til Sunday 31st July.

Of course the addition of Coldplay as a headliner would lead to protests in the street if it were not for Kanye West restoring balance to the world. But I won't whinge too much, one man's dream line up is another man's nightmare so it's all swings and round-a-bouts.

Fingers crossed some of the White boys will be heading to Splendour to cover everything and we will be featuring some of our choice picks in the lead up to Australia's premiere musical event. For now I'll leave my favourite choices in bold colour.

If you're feeling dirty and violated after making the mistake of attending Big Day Out, buying a ticket to Splendour In The Grass 2011 is the perfect confessional.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. - James 5:16

COLDPLAY (only Australian show) * KANYE WEST (only Australian show) * JANE’S ADDICTION * THE HIVES * PULP * THE LIVING END * THE MARS VOLTA * REGINA SPEKTOR (only 2011 show…anywhere) * BLISS N ESO * PNAU * MOGWAI (only Australian show) * DJ SHADOW * GLASVEGAS * THE GRATES * DEVENDRA BANHART AND THE GROGS* MODEST MOUSE * THE MIDDLE EAST * KAISER CHIEFS * JAMES BLAKE * KELE * THE VINES * ELBOW * ESKIMO JOE * NOAH AND THE WHALE * CHILDREN COLLIDE * THIEVERY CORPORATION * CUT COPY * ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN * BLUEJUICE * THE KILLS * BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS (featuring THE RELATIVES) * ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI * FOSTER THE PEOPLE * THE PANICS * FRIENDLY FIRES * JEBEDIAH * THE VACCINES * GOMEZ * BOY AND BEAR * GOTYE * DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH? * CLOUD CONTROL * MONA * SPARKADIA * WARPAINT * MUSCLES (Live) * FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS * THE JEZABELS * DRAPHT * BRITISH SEA POWER * TIM & JEAN * LEADER CHEETAH * GROUPLOVE * SEEKER LOVER KEEPER * YELLE * KIMBRA * PHRASE * OH MERCY * DANANANANAYKROYD * THE BLACK SEEDS * MARQUES TOLIVER * THE HOLIDAYS * GHOUL * LIAM FINN * THE HERD * YOUNG THE GIANT * GUINEAFOWL * HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY * JINJA SAFARI * WILD BEASTS * ILLY * CUT OFF YOUR HANDS * GARETH LIDDIARD * ALPINE * WORLD’S END PRESS * MOSMAN ALDER * LANIE LANE

TICKETS

Event/camping tickets will cost $390 (inc gst) Event + $120 (inc gst) Camping + booking fees, which gains entry to the festival for 3 days, from Friday 29 July to Sunday 31 July. The campgrounds will be open from 7am Wednesday 27 July until 5pm Monday 1 August.

TICKETS ON SALE

9am sharp AEST on Thursday 5 May through Moshtix moshtix.com.au or phone 1300 GET TIX (438 849).

For more details check out the Splendour In The Grass 2011 Website.

New Music: Lowtide

2011-04-12T20:20:00.000+10:00

"Dreams are free therapy. Consult your inner Freud." ~ Grey Livingston

That beautifully enchanted musical landscape that lies between shoegaze and dream pop is a world that makes me nervous, excited, hopeful and sadly at times, underwhelmed. The delicate balance between majesty and monstrosity is rarely achieved. This is dangerous territory for any blogger and if you’re not careful, can result in elongated babble that sounds more like a horoscope reading than a review.

With that in mind I’ll do my best to avoid describing Melbourne based band, Lowtide (formerly Three Month Sunset) as dreamy, lush or atmospheric.

Lowtide’s new track “Underneath Tonight” is dreamy, lush and atmospheric. Damn, I tried.

“Underneath Tonight” takes you on a soaring journey across every changing landscapes. As I close my eyes and listen, I’m struck with the imagery of flying through the wilderness at break-neck speed, dipping and weaving through cliffs and valleys. The perfection is in the way that the vocal melts into the song to the point of being undistinguishable from everything else.

Truly, I’m not even trying to take the piss! This is yet another example of what’s great yet under rated about Australian music.

Underneath Tonight - Lowtide by showoffservices

Myspace: Lowtide

Fri 29th April - Petersham Bowls Club - Sydney
Sat 30th April - Blackwire Records - Sydney
Sat 7th May - The Hangar - Brisbane
Sun 8th May - NSC - Melbourne - matinee show with Baptism of Uzi

False Gods

2011-04-11T23:25:00.002+10:00

Forget about every rock star you have ever known in your entire life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_U996f25fU

Nice & Aussie

2011-04-04T20:15:00.000+10:00

When I first heard of Angelas Dish I think I would have been about in Year 12. I wouldn't say they were ground breaking then but I enjoyed it and while I wouldn't say they're ground breaking now, the progression they've made over those seven years are far more spectacular than my own.

It'll sit nicely with Gyroscope fans, probably even a step up in the taste apart for that class of music listener.

Where it gets me is that at the very core of "Crash" is that unknown quantity which triggers memories of being optimistic and less cynical about every emotion known to man. Shit back when Angelas Dish came on the scene, I had feelings man, shit meant something.

They're doing a few shows. Be good to check it out and relive a little.

April 7th Rock Lily, Star City Casino, Sydney
April 23rd The Empress, Melbourne
April 28th Gee Wizz, Gosford
April 30th Great Northern, Byron Bay

Delete a few friends, You might live longer.

2011-04-01T21:32:00.002+11:00

Everywhere you look there’s someone banging on about how there aren’t enough hours in the day or they are offering you a revolutionary way to do things faster, makes things simpler and have more you time.
You often hear sporting clubs talking about being a business that has to make business decisions. What I’m suggesting is that each one of us is a business, a business that needs to be efficient, effective, dynamic and profitable

The reality is that 24 hours in a day is more than enough to get everything done, providing you don’t waste your time with superfluous endeavours. And yes, that does include people who you need to identify that are surplus to requirements.

Increasingly I find that peoples actual lives are mirroring their facebook lives more and more. Uninteresting, stagnant, grosely over exaggerated and over run by uninteresting dramas and opinions of people unworthy of oxygen.

Here’s four easy ways to cull a few friends in real life by assessing their psychological health through their facebook. Remember these are only handy suggestions and you may have very worthwhile friends who could fit into one of these categories, then again, you may not.

1.    Anyone who makes too many facebook status updates. Delete there updates from your facebook as a gentle starter. Then see whether you even remember to contact them in any way let alone remember their name after you’ve done this.

2.    Anyone who uses and abuses Facebook places or posts vague statuses to inspire comment. Be wary of key fishing statements like “so over this”, “can’t sleep” or “so tired”. Be especially careful of anyone who auctions off the chance to hang out with them on facebook. Think about the hundreds of friends you have and think of some of the disasters you could get yourself into when you say “Whose up for coming to the beach with me?” and the now psychotic girl you sat next to in year 10 who at one stage had a hitlist but wasn’t only half serious about it decides to say “yeah sure, I’m in… just text me your address, I’ll come around and shoot pick you up”. People who are desperate enough to open up that bag of worms are the kind of people who marry prisoners.

3.    Anyone that recieves birthday comments, sits on facebook for the majority of the day because they have an office job and then proclaims “Thank you for all my birthday wishes, sorry I couldn’t reply to them all.”. Yes you could have, all it would mean is that you miss the first 5 minutes of Packed To The Rafters or your boss might get the lunch that he sends you to get every day until a touch later.

4.    Anyone who posts status updates in real time about how much of a great time they’re currently having. It’s not a great time if you have a chance to get your iPhone out and post on Facebook. You wouldn’t have pockets to put your phone in because you aren’t wearing pants if your nights out were really that interesting. Don’t fucking post to tell me it’s raining unless you’re on the other side of the world. I’m all for others getting on the real time bandwagon but let’s face it, the truly cool kids are tweeting, using near to proper spelling and grammar. Oh and they’re making it sound intelligent and tweet worthy.

So… Complaining because you need more time in your life? It’s simple. People nowadays put enough personal information on Facebook that there’s enough information to psychoanalyse anybody, if you’re analytical enough in your saner moments to realise that you yourself are slightly unhinged, you could even do a self assessment.

If you’ve ever seen those status updates which go something like “Just did a massive clean out of my friend list. If you can read this, you made the cut.” then you know what I’m referring to. If this were to mirror the real world, friends who are to become former friends wouldn’t even realise much the same as a status update because they’d just be deleted, removed for ‘business reasons’.

It's, Like, So Totally Friday!!

2011-03-21T00:49:00.004+11:00

Ok so there's already been a lot written about her in the blogosphere over the past 5 days and I really don't want to encourage her further. But with her infamy now at an all time high, I feel I can't just sit this one out.

I'm talking, of course, about Rebecca Black; the 13 year old "singer" from America. If you haven't seen her single 'Friday', it's most definitely for the best and I can't really bring myself to post it here. So if you must see this horrendous clip just check out the biggest thing on You Tube at the moment.

Now clearly this is the worst video ever, just like everyone is saying. The auto tune is so thick it makes her sound like she's singing without a nose. And basically Rebecca starts the songs by recounting her morning in excruciating detail ('7am waking up in the morning, gotta get fresh, gotta go downstairs. Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal.' Yes. Intense stuff. It doesn't get better.), before walking to the bus stop and getting confused about which seat to sit in.
I mean, the lyrics are beyond bad. If these are as deep as the thought processes of a 13 year old girl get, I now understand why Bieber is so freaking popular.

But I'm not going to keep banging on about how terrible she is. That is self evident. What I do find ironic though, is the fact she has been so stingingly panned by everyone it seems, including the mainstream media, yet Ke$ha, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga have been releasing the same inane crap for years and they're winning Grammy's!

They may be the most stupidly obvious lyrics ever to be written written, but she didn't even need any double entendres, innuendo or dry humping to get over 25 million hits on You Tube.
She simply needed to tell us what she did on Friday in all it's glorious detail.

How long she'll be remembered for once the novelty wears off though is yet to be seen. And clearly, with the way things are going, something even more mind numbingly terrifying will soon eclipse poor little Rebecca Black.
Maybe the random token rapper that suddenly busts out a (abysmally bad) rhyme towards the end will bring out a solo tune. I pray this doesn't happen.

But for now i'm just excited to hear what stories from the next day Rebecca can enlighten us with.

I'm not putting her clip up here, so instead I'll leave you with a cover of Friday, performed by an Asian guy with a stupid hat. He sounds much better.

Q&A with The Belligerents

2011-03-20T17:49:00.005+11:00

I get sent quite a few free CD's and to be honest, I don't really get around to listening to them. They usually have wanky bios and as a former promotions manager who wrote wanky bios and press releases, I can tell you that they are BAD. To be fair they aren't as bad as mine though.

So it was a great surprise that a CD I was sent actually pleased my ears, I even listened to it multiple times through. Disappointed they're from Brisbane though, I hate that joint. What's up with all the walking/talking slowly, liking rugby and those bars with reject strippers walking around topless selling raffle tickets? I don't get it!? Yep I'm a true Melbourne snob.

Anyways, read on for the Q&A with links/tour dates/free download.

My name is: Andy

I play in: The super badass band called The Belligerents

We sound like: Eggs Benedict with salmon and that delicious hollandaise sauce and asparagus mmmm

Inspired by: Slip and slides

We reside in: Brisbane
*thank you for not calling it Bris-Vegas - Nancy

Our local music scene is: Big and passionate, flooded with talent, heaps of hipsters and lots of kebabs shops (and recently some great mexican) to cater for us

The most annoying thing about our scene is: that there are so many great bands to see, local and touring, and you just can't see them all!

Our best gig to date was: Here I'd usually note some awesome support gig we played, but instead, the most fun has to be our second gig at the Hangar in Brisbane when we covered Toxic by Britney Spears for a pop night

The song that gets me dancing is: Something about us by Daft Punk

First album I bought: Dookie by Green Day

My musical youth involved: Lots of piano lessons, very little piano practice, school jazz bands and cute girls on bandcamp

Pop music is: almost fitting in any situation

If I could have written any song it would have to be: Lady (Hear Me Tonight) - Modjo

Do you play Fifa? Nope, but I'll beat you in indoor soccer

Favourite Restaurant: A place called Little Greek Taverna in West End.. delish and fresh and cheap, I'll take you there.
*yes please - Nancy

The thing I hate most about bloggers is: when they say, "I'm gonna blog about this"

My Musical Guilty Pleasure is: rehearsing the best of 90s dance hits for an ultimate gig one day

The sporting team I follow is: Liverpool

If I weren't a musician I would be: Sailing / Pirate

The Belligerents Official
The Belligerents Myspace
The Belligerents Twitter
The Belligerents EP CD Purchase
D/L: Such A Crime
Tour Dates

Truckumentary.

2011-03-17T15:35:00.003+11:00

Here's an interesting concept for a documentary; Melbourne band 'The Statics', go around to record labels, mangers, booking agents and radio stations to and try and get some industry attention. First up on the agenda is Australia's largest independent record label, Shock Records.

I'll post further installments as they come.

The Statics Facebook

A Little Bit Fancy.

2011-03-16T23:14:00.002+11:00

Let me start with a disclaimer: I fucking cannot stand Aussie Hip Hop. I despise it as a genre, a sub culture, a listening experience. Ok so yeah I bought The Calling and I yeah I thought "Nosebleed Section" was revolutionary. But if American politicians can go to church camps to stop having homosexual urges, I can similarly turn my back on my former gay self.

As I quickly Youtube "Testimonial Year" one last time, I must be strong, I mustn't let the infectious jazzy undertones over take reality. Aussie Hip Hop is evil. All this doesn't bode well for my listening experience of Emcee D'Opus & Roshambo's latest release Past Time.

So it turns out I genuinely like Past Time. Admittedly that's largely thanks to my fondness of Roshambo and the significant enhancement in the musical arrangements lift this album far above both the pack and their previous efforts. If anything calling it Aussie Hip Hop is either a marker for progression in the genre (I doubt it) or the fact that they've grossly undersold themselves.

Undoubtedly "Come Find Out" is the stand out for my tastes. The addition of former idol (I bet she hates that) Chanel Cole really deliver an added level of class and sophistication to the track. Putting my blue hat on, I can see that ambitious tracks like "Action Montage" will be extremely well received and demonstrate a massive progression from the mediocre "Million Dollar Bill", the themes of "pick you self up boi" will connect with the audience to perfection and the track "Addictive" typifies everything that is laughable about Aussie Hip Hop.

Any discernible fans would be best served to get into Past Time in place of anything from the Hilltop Hoods should they seek to be a fan of Aussie Hip Hop and maintain any shred of credibility.

Past Time will be released 1st April on Mercury Switch Lab via Inertia.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/dopusroshambo

Frown - The Giveaways

2011-03-13T23:07:00.004+11:00

Here's a vid from our friends The Giveaways who did our very first Q&A last year (which you can read here). While slightly disturbing, I've had my share of May/December romances so no judgement.

Q&A with The Ovals

2011-03-10T14:55:00.004+11:00

*Nancy - Doesn't this photo remind you of that line from The Bedroom Philospher "gonna go down to Pony, pretend I'm in Kings of Leon"? No, just me? Ok then, continue.

My name is: David, Tadhg's, Duane & Danny

I play in: The Ovals

We sound like: PINK FLOYD meets CAN and TOOL and a touch of the ol' forest beaming with stone age minds and space age music.

Inspired by: An open attitude to reality, philosophy, literature, poetry and a vast quantity of great music

We reside in: Melbourne and the Peninsula shire

Our local music scene is: Full of depraved and unstable minds bursting with enough creativity to knock out a small herd of elephants. We surround ourselves amongst friends, mainly in the darkly fitzroy areas and brunswick were time can eat you up and before you know it, that bastard of a sun has popped its ugly head up to ruin the good tidings. Thats when the banknotes get put away.

The most annoying thing about our scene is: ............Parking.....and the sun.

Our best gig to date was: The Brunswick Hotel, with a dazzling full light/projection show and awesome bands. Our Gonzo-esque manager was running around like a madman tweaking lights and staring at people in a real odd fashion.

The song that gets me dancing is: 'I don't really mind' by Tame Impala/ Halleluwah by Can.

First album I bought: Aenima by Tool, which is funny because I still think its amazing after 16 years, unlike a lot of other stuff which has come and gone.

My musical youth involved: Sporting fields, quarries, synagogues, the little desert, and opening the doors of perception. Also an array of hilariously mannered pets such as Swags and Toby. RIP

Pop music is: Mostly, people persuing something shallow. Music can be so much more. But it depends what your calling pop. Lollipops are real swell.

If I could have written any song it would have to be: Beethoven's Ninth, Fourth Movement/Beethovens Emperor, the Second Movement.

Do you play Fifa? Our drummer used to play with Manchester United in England, but couldn't handle his shit, tabloids made a mess of him. Sad really

Favourite Restaurant: Mum's kitchen. Champion cooks.

The thing I hate most about bloggers is: When they pretend to be independent and are not.

My Musical Guilty Pleasure is: Bee Gees (this is Davids choice and does not at all represent anyone else in the band).

The sporting team I follow is: South Melbourne (Ex) Football Club, Carlton FC, Collingwood FC (but only when theyre winning, typical of your Collingwood folk).

*Nancy - Collingwood FC are the absolute pits. Go Hawks!

If I weren't a musician I would be: Brahman, garbo, lady of the night and a narc.

The Ovals Official
The Ovals Myspace
The Ovals Facebook
D/L: Refugee

In defence of Snooki

2011-03-07T19:32:00.015+11:00

So Snooki; the little orange one in leopard print on the Jersey Shore, is featured on the latest issue of The Rolling Stone. Apparently this is controversial, so in the same vain as Chris’ post entitled In defence of Mr West, it’s now my turn to stick up for a rich celebrity.

I keep coming across articles on the net complaining about how this is the “end of days” and people outraged that you used to have to be a musician to get on the front cover of the mag.

“Oh dude, Rolling Stone was totally all about the music man, you had to really achieve something to get on the cover” – Rolling Stone reader, which I may have completely fabricated.

There were amazing covers such as these ones...

But really? In 2011 you’re getting all your music news and trends from Rolling Stone, possibly the most inane piece of pop culture slop going around?

Sure it used to be pretty awesome, and I still don’t mind some of the feature articles that sneak in that aren’t about music but other than that it’s turned into a tabloid piece of shit that might as well be Hello! Magazine. What’s that? Pink had a birthday party and she’s blowing out some candles while making the sign of the horns? And an article about how Lady Gaga is being completely unique and not ripping of Madonna, Grace Jones or every single Eurovision contest? Aweeesoommee!

While I understand the decline in sales within print media and how they probably feel to move units they have to go with what it is popular, the downfall of this is it’s basically turned into a trend and chart based bullshit which now features artists like this:

With these shithouse bands and reality stars on the front cover, no one can complain about the calibre or lack thereof, just start buying better magazines and shut your face holes. Snooki is more entertaining than 90% of those people.

Say what you will, I like Jersey Shore and Snooki, and watch it without any irony. I probably watch it for the same reason I like watching UFC. I like seeing oiled up beefcakes fighting.

In related news; I’d totally bone hipster Vinny.

DTF baby.

Q&A with Kindread

2011-03-03T14:22:00.006+11:00

My name is: Rhys aka The n00bie

I play in: Kindread

We sound like: there's a party in your pants and everyone's dancing to reggaey/rocky/funky/dubby tunes.

Inspired by: good times, good friends, a bottle of red, some 'ealthy 'erb, good vibes.

We reside in: God's Waiting Room, aka The Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Our local music scene is: strangely, on the rebound

The most annoying thing about our scene is: that venues start, then are shut down by the whinging baby-boomers who's idea of a good time is uninterrupted viewing of CSI

Our best gig to date was: everyone of them... good or bad.

The song that gets me dancing is: EMF's 'Unbelievable'

First album I bought: Big Audio Dynamite II

My musical youth involved: long hair, cut-off camos, The Doors and Pantera, and weed.

Pop music is: a necessary evil.

If I could have written any song it would have to be: Happy Birthday.. the royalties alone would be killer.

Do you play Fifa? What's a Fifa? Does it come between a Forfa and a sixa?

Favourite Restaurant: You do realise these answers come from a musician? Restaurant? Like, as in Maccas or Subway?

The thing I hate most about bloggers is: Nothing.. they're all bloody brilliant

My Musical Guilty Pleasure is: my business and no-one else's

The sporting team I follow is: AFL - would have to be the Lions, NRL - would have to be the Dragons, Ping Pong - would have to be the Chinese National Team.. those guys are crazy.

If I weren't a musician I would be: downright boring.

Kindread Official
Kindread Facebook
Kindread Twitter
Free DL: Free Love

Playgrounder Part One

2011-02-28T20:22:00.001+11:00

If you're not a fan of reading long, drawn out reviews I'll keep it simple for you so you can tune out. Playground Weekender remains the pinnacle of Sydney's festival calendar. While I'm sure your facebook like mine has been bombarded by pointless status updates and forced awkward lean festival photos telling you how amazing Soundwave was but do your best to ignore it. No one day festival hosted in a sterile concrete jungle will ever compare to the serene beauty of Wisemen's Ferry.

Before I go into my own festival experience, let me just reiterate that what Playground Weekender nails is that the music is just one component to a truly multi-faceted experience. Elements like food, shade, crowd flow and the band they chose all contribute to attracting the best festival crowd in Australia.

Moving on... I'll be doing this review as a joint one with Mel who got there earlier and was able to stay later than us so she saw a lot more music. Thanks to working full time I don't arrive on site at Wisemen's Ferry until around 7pm and shortly after I meet Chris in the car park. Unsurprisingly being 7pm on the Friday night with everyone finishing work for the week, the line for the ferry over to the festival site is massive. We clearly over packed and paid the price of lugging way too much equipment on the ferry. Take it from me guys, pay the extra and take on the tent hotel, tipi package or cabins. If not, pack very very minimal!

With security checking bags excessively and in an effort to cure our boredom in the queue we resorted to pumping Girl Talk from the iPhone and drinking our contraband straight, leaving some in our party of 4 a little worse for wear. Tired, hungry and drunk, I decide to leave my wallet in the car and only realised this when we have made it through the first checkpoint. By this time Cut Copy was well and truly over but Mel who covered Playgrounder for us last year had arrived on Thursday and saw some of the acts.

In Mel's words Friday night went as follows:

"Unfortunately Cut Copy didn’t quite live up to all the hype so luckily for us the River Stage was right next door and we were able to dance the night away to the Hungry Kids, breaking out all there good songs including Scattered Diamonds, Let You Down and Wristwatch. Then it was all happening at the Shack with the Gay Bash DJs rocking it out, playing song after song that the crowd could get there party on to. Once all the music was over and you finally think it’s time to head back to your tent to get some sleep for the big day tomorrow Playgrounder throws another surprise at you with the 24 hour party tent!... Finally all the Playgrounders were able to forget that long 5 hour wait and the fact they had lost 6 bottles of vodka and were able to enjoy what playground weekender is all about."

However I must say I think I would have been far more enthused by Cut Copy's mature white boy styling.

Meanwhile we arrived and set up our tents, finally finishing a botched job with no airbed pump or hammer at 2:30am in the morning. I couldn't work out what I needed more, sleep or a shower.

As we woke to the sweltering heat of Saturday, I walked past the morning yoga and thought to myself "this place really is awesome". It typified the quality of human being who attended this festival. I couldn't wait to start sampling some of the food outlets. Anyone who read my Splendour review knew that food is always high on my priority list. For brekky it was real fruit smoothies all round which left Clare less than impressed by my delicious banana, mango and orange selection. Not to worry, Slushie stall opens in an hour. On Saturday there weren't any bands playing until 3pm which I thought was perfect as it allowed everyone a chance to explore the grounds, relax, eat and have a few in preparation for the Saturday Night dress up! For the record anyone who ripped out their outfits before the 3:30pm-4pm mark (AT THE EARLIEST) were definitely seen as Playgrounder rookies. While Mel's friend Sian (pictured below) was upholding the honour of noble seamen, I felt there was a distinct lake of sailors at a festival which had nautical relevance.

With Playgrounder entering it's fifth year (I think) the Fancy Dress efforts were immensely impressive. Anyone caught in the token "tennis guy with a mo" or "bumble-bee" outfits were incredibly lame. Admittedly I wasn't much better in the token Mexican sombrero combination however Chris looked fantastic in his Rumba man tribute to the Boy from Oz.

And yes he is available for Lipton Ice Tea ads.

While we were still getting acquainted on site, Mel went and saw The Man Choir and Giselle.

"Last year Man Choir was one of my top acts of the festival and this year they didn’t disappoint. They started by thanking the owners of the land, the “Del Rio people” before singing a great harmony to the Australia Nation Anthem aka the theme song to Home and Away. Their mix of choir and comedy had the crowd pleased enough to take part in the Mexican Makeout Wave, everybody getting their pash on for the hell of it!"

Thanks to festival goers exhausting the water capacity of the showers it was time for a bit of bathing in the Hawkesbury river with luffa and soap in tow. Our initial groans at the lack of a decent shower turned into a classic festival moment that we all shared in collectively.

As night drew closer and the outfits started to come out on mass, you could feel the atmosphere of the festival going up by 1000. It was the best atmosphere I've ever experienced at any music festival, it could only be compared to say the feeling of togetherness and collective enjoyment you get from sitting with a group of like minded supporters cheering on your favourite sporting team. Everyone was united and it was great.

To be continued.... pictures coming whenever Chris has a chance... they're worth the wait. Cheers to Mel for chipping in with the review and I stole some of her pictures without asking to give this post some life.

Live at the Annandale - A Couple of Weeks Ago

2011-02-23T12:22:00.006+11:00

It's been a hell of a delay, but I've finally gotten around to writing my review from the Old Man River gig at the Annandale on Friday, 12 Feb. It's been a busy couple of weeks and now with Uni starting again next week it's bound to be even busier. But gigs I will attend! And hopefully I'll review them a lot sooner than 2 weeks after the event has occurred.

Now, Passenger and Old Man River are not generally bands that I’d go and see on a Friday night when I’m in the mood for a party. Particularly after seeing the awesome disco funk of Chk Chk Chk on the Wednesday before at the Metro. (This review coming next, so stay tuned.)

I think I was still on a high from the Chk Chk Chk gig because I just didn't have the same enthusiasm I need when watching extremely talented individuals on stage. Personally I'm always amazed at people who can get up on stage with just their voice and an instrument, and generate melodies from the soul. The lyrics actually need substance. That's exactly what Mike Rosenberg, the man behind Passenger, did.

"I know it's a Friday night and usually when you'd like to party. So I'm sorry that I'll be singing all these depressing songs to you," he said before launching into his first tune.
While he was pretty correct; I really wasn't in the mood for depressing music; I couldn't deny the talent this man displayed. The whole room was completely packed out yet utterly silent during every song. The man's passion for his songs is laid bare for all to enjoy.

His voice has an extremely unique quality about it. It's so delicate and full of emotion you can't help but be drawn to the stage. Yet when he finishes a song it's quickly contrasted by his witty anecdotes and constant apologies for depressing everyone so much on a Friday night. Though, his passion for his music is profound and this went a long way in keeping the crowd completely mesmerised.

The same couldn't be said for Old Man River though. It was clear that the main attraction of the night was Passenger. At least 1/3 of the crowd had left when Old Man River came on and there was constant chatter throughout his entire performance.

The people at the very front of the crowd were clearly big fans; singing along with the songs and responding to his little anecdotes. The rest of the crowd, however seemed pretty uninterested.

I think it had a slight effect on Mr Old Man River at one point, when he started a very mellow song about his partner. Most of the audience wasn't listening and the noise from the chatter was clearly distracting for the mood he was trying to achieve. The front of the crowd, obviously annoyed by this, expelled a collective shhh! that seemed to quieten the crowd only for about 30 seconds.

From my point of view, it was clear that the songs of Old Man River just couldn't keep up with the raw emotion and sincerity of Passenger. That's not to say that Old Man River isn't talented. Like I said, I'm amazed at solo artists who can emerge on their own feet with just a guitar and voice. If anything, Old Man River has a more diverse range of songs, and quite a few that are fairly chirpy and catchy.

But it was Passenger's complete immersion into each of his songs that had a strong effect on the punters. Plus he is a very witty man, and his little quips and light-hearted self deprecation was a nice break from the severely depressing music that definitely wasn't my flavour for a Friday night.

Overall, it was a good night. The final song of Old Man River had Passenger and David Lee Kendall (who's performance I missed) join him on stage to play Elton John's tiny dancer.
They were clearly having a lot of fun and the crowd, who had already started leaving, stopped in their tracks to enjoy the surprising final song.

It was clear from their performances on stage that these men have a passion for their music and simply want to share their stories with the world. They don't do it for money or glory; Mike Rosenberg raised the funds for his latest album purely by busking around Australia. The audience embraced this passion, for the most part, and it's a comforting fact to know that there is still an audience out there for musicians with stories of substance to tell and nothing more than a guitar to play with.

Q&A with The Long Summer

2011-02-20T21:14:00.006+11:00

My name is: Nicko

I play in: The Long Summer

We sound like: classical musicians aping their pop music heroes with results ranging from middling to spectacular...

Inspired by: J-Dilla, Motown, Slash, Warp Records, Trent Reznor, Goldfrapp and the view from Hugh's parents back room over the golf course towards the city which is quite pretty.

We reside in: Melbourne

Our local music scene is: Being taken for granted by Liberal state government. If Labor had won the election then they would have invested $25 Million dollars in our local scene. Libs didn't even have an arts policy!!! That's fucked! Go build another football stadium. Go invest $3 Billion in a failed attempt to win the FIFA world cup. Or subsidise a new Rugby Union team. (that's my favourite thing to rant about)

The most annoying thing about our scene is: Mess and Noise forums

Our best gig to date was: We've never played one... one day we will play one and you'll be on the door list.

The song that gets me dancing is: The Seed (2.0) by The Roots and Cody Chestnutt (or anything by Cody Chestnutt) or this song which is fucking awesome -

First album I bought: She by Harry Connick Jnr.

My musical youth involved: Biggie Smalls' California or Coolio Gangtas Paradise playing over the loudspeakers at for 5 minutes before the end of recess.
oh, and thinking that the Batman Forever Soundtrack (U2's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" and Seal's "Kiss From A Rose") was the greatest album ever.
and piano lessons...

Pop music is: indescribably awesome or excruciatingly shithouse, depending on what mood i'm in.

If I could have written any song it would have to be: All I Need by Radiohead or White Christmas by Bing Crosby (coz of the royalties)
Do you play Fifa? No. But I watch Premier League at the pub sometimes.

Favourite Restaurant: Any place that sells tapas dishes which involve anchovies or sardines.

The thing I hate most about bloggers is: Everett True http://www.collapseboard.com/

My Musical Guilty Pleasure is: The whole of Powderfinger's Internationalist album, Bluegrass and Everett True's blog.

The sporting team I follow is: Melbourne Demons in AFL

If I weren't a musician I would be: Fitter

The Long Summer Official
The Long Summer Twitter
Free DL: Boys and Girls
DL: The Long Summer Soundcloud

Don't Ever Say It, Stay As Long As You Can

2011-02-07T22:40:00.000+11:00

Going against my hermit crab lifestyle I spent New Years Eve at the Gaelic Club, Surry Hills. I was hugely excited that Paper Scissors were headlining, especially since by the time I finished work and got to the City it would be going on for 11pm. I foolishly assumed that Paper Scissors would ring in 2011 on stage however it turned out that Guineafowl were afforded the honour. I must admit I was more inclined to give Guineafowl a try after I saw Imi Harper the keyboard player and she provided the perfect balance between hearing great music and having something better than a sausage fest to look at.

To my surprise (and delight) they rang in the new year with the disgusting Aussie hip hop sounds of Hilltop Hoods "Nosebleed Section", it was so ironic and perfect it gave Guineafowl the ultimate tick of legitimacy in my mind.

My only previous experience with Guineafowl was "Botanist" and after seeing them live it only reinforced the notion of not judging a band based on one song. Strangely "Botanist" was the song they've been preaching to all the press outlets for a while now and I think it's the least representative of their infectiously fun, light hearted bop. After hearing their Hello Anxiety EP I'd put them more in the John Steel Singers book of fun than the oh so serious Ernest Ellis diaries.

Hello Anxiety is an incredibly solid, well selected ensemble for a band looking to crack new audiences. Too often you hear a band where if you've heard one song, you've heard em all. I think Guineafowl have really played their cards well with Hello Anxiety. When you hearing the roaring rap verses and insane keyboard hooks on "Little Fingers" and the 50's diner rock of "My Lonely Arms" you see a totally different side. And even when they get slightly more serious on the cult brainwashing bliss of "In Our Circles" or the jaunty slow burner of "Mothr" it really has "Botanist" coming up looking nice but quite dull.

I really tried to avoid saying don't judge a book by it's cover, because the over use of the phrase warrants a glassing but perhaps if you initially overlooked Guineafowl like myself, give them another go, you'll be delighted!

Myspace: Guineafowl

Riverside Motherfucker

2011-02-05T16:03:00.000+11:00

Amazing scenery like this is fast becoming the preferred setting for experiencing the most amazing summer festivals. The heavenly shores of Del Rio Resort in Wisemans Ferry will play host to Playground Weekender, a must-be-seen-at event for all Sydney's finest residents. Sydneysiders, this is your chance to mix with other members of the taste-maker elite, free from the filth that made you swear you'd never attend another Big Day Out.

To make things even more exciting, Cut Copy have joined the Playgrounder line up. With Zonoscope only days away from release, the news couldn't be more exciting. Bright Like Neon Love made my brain explode and the releases which followed were equally competent. I caught them live at the Manning Bar and I was surprised this laid back electro could translate to such a wildly good time.

I make no bones about the fact I don't like large groups of people and I'm not wild about most live music festivals because they don't cater to the music lover not wild about sunstroke and Muse. But for someone as bitterly selfish and unhappy with the shared reality of life, to discover moments where the joys of coming together for a common experience leads to an increase in my enjoyment levels.

Until you've experienced it, there really is nothing like watching your favourite bands with the backdrop of the surrounding mountains swallowing you whole. Unlike other festivals, You will remember and look forward to Playground Weekender not for the plastic cups of beer, sunburn and Australia Day ~~patriots~~ dickheads, you'll remember it not just for music but for the camping, the wine and cocktails, the sublime breeze off the Hawkesbury, the parties at the teepee village, the fancy dress party and of course the refined company.

Fingers crossed I'll see Jaydos doubling the fuckin' drop.

Website: Playground Weekender

Daves Double Decker Big Day Out Bonanza

2011-02-02T13:12:00.011+11:00

Its been a while since I've scribbled in here. Given that I was supposed to be up on the North (NSW) coast this week it should have been even longer. Unfortunately a serious car accident means I am transportless but thankfully alive. I was reconstructed using bits from old wheelie bins and shoelaces but I'm here nonetheless.

Prior to all this, and thanks to the whole 'bring your friend for free' second day, I was able to attend not just one, but TWO Sydney Big Day Outs, back to back this year. Was it a marathon? Hell yes. Did I get to the halfway point thinking 'fuck going tomorrow that'll kill me'? - was it freaking hot? The answer to all these questions is yes but ultimately while it nearly killed me (so did the accident) I'm a better man for it. I was thinking about going through a two-day story but I figure if I make it sound like one day it'll look like I saw heaps of bands.

Make no mistake both days were absolutely sweltering, and given the weeks of rain and inconsistency Sydney had experienced prior to it, the audience was divided between people embracing summer and those hating it. Being one of the first bands on Little Red were certainly embracing the season, decked out in Hawaiian shirts, Lei's and a generally summer-friendly vibe. This was unfortunately my first chance to catch them live since the release of Midnight Remember last year and the set construction was well done. Easing us in with some new ones while chucking in the old favourite here and there - Jackie Cooper is such a festival song.
Moving to the side stages it was time to experience Washington and see if the hype matched the live performance. Seeing Little Red beforehand, who are brilliant live, was a good comparison. The crowd was huge and the heat was hitting its peak but she soldiered on with one of the best mixes of the day and an honest charisma thats hard to hate. I can see how she rubs some people the wrong way but if you don't like it, it's generally advised that you leave. Overall though definitely an impressive performance. I don't know if the conversational swearing will do too many favours for her primary demographics but still, shes fun.

Airbourne take live music to the extreme, as I found out in 2007 and 4 years and another album later not much has changed. The riffs are still ACDC on speed, the walls of Marshall amps are rock'n'roll at its finest. Joel O'Keefe scales the frame of the stage with guitar in tow, wraps his legs around some poles and then starts soloing from dizzying heights. Its true showmanship without regard for personal safety, and an Airbourne concert should be no other way. Easily another of the most entertaining live bands in the country.

If theres any act that can match Airbourne for sheer energy, despite maybe being without the life-threatening acrobatics, its Andrew WK. I've been a fan for years but he's always struck me as a novelty. Party music is his forte and when he and his 4-guitar wielding band came out and opened with 'Its Time To Party' you had a rough idea of what to expect. What you don't expect from someone with such pounding, chunky music is his attitude. The guy could seriously be a life coach ala Tony Robbins, and he'd probably be more fun. His constant screams of how good it is to be alive, how thankful we should be, how much we should love life, it was contagious. There wasn't a person watching him that didn't, at some stage shake their head at the ridiculous awesome-ness of it all with a big smile on their face. One of the standouts.

Back in the main arena Lupe Fiasco was playing a show I certainly didnt expect. Ive been familiar with his stuff for a while now but it looks like he's trying to match Kanye in terms of live performance. He had a band, and a high intensity show but on the first day alot of it was lost on a crowd just getting sick of standing in the sun I think. And by the first few songs in he was feeling it too. The show was high on energy but lacked proper substance and construction. Lots of half songs straight into others annoys me. Apparently his sideshows were fantastic though so I just dont know. Gyroscope were dull. Im sorry but they're not my cup of tea. They were nothing more than a soundtrack of mediocre music whilst I stood in the shade and drank beers. Did I stick around for Angus and Julia Stone? Not really. Their crowd was huge and their music, while nice and luscious on a CD, isn't something I wanna stand shoulder to shoulder in smashing heat to, surrounded by fellow sweaty punters.

Die Antwoord were in the Boiler Room, which made a nice change from being outside. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the live show, wondering how it would translate from the obscurity of the CD but I tell you what they were highly entertaining. The sound was good, the crowd was responsive (if alot bigger the first day) and the set was well constructed too. Ninja was going bananas jumping in and out of the crowd, not missing a beat. There were lessons on South African culture and language, Yolandi getting her tits out and rubbing her ass and crotch all over the place. They killed it. And with a follow up album on the horizon I can see them coming back in the near future.

As bored as I may have been by Gyroscope nothing could top (almost) the inane boredom suffered during the set of Birds Of Tokyo. I tell you, when you've got a fistful of entertaining Aussie bands on in the first few hours, to have to stand in the heat listening to these guys is enough to make my want to rip out my own eyeballs and hair and then consume them in a disgusting stew. One of the most annoying bands in the country. Karnivool are better, but not by much. Birds of Tokyo can fuck off... please.

In a saving grace to Australian music the appalling Birds of Tokyo were followed by the John Buter Trio. Yes the last album is probably his least amazing but still, anyone who has seen him live knows that its his strength. Of course he had to start off with his acknowledgement to the 'native owners of the land' and shit. I know he's got his agenda but its the same every show. It gets a bit old. Regardless of MY political opinion. Anyway the set was good, crowd interaction was fun and the jams were, as usual, amazing. The lineup he's got now is probably one of the most cohesive I've seen him play with.

Both Birds and JBT I caught primarily because I am the biggest Rammstein fan I know. You can dare challenge me if you want but you'll probably lose. Hell the only reason I went both days in the first place was for the 'Stein (as I like to call them). Waiting in the D (at the front first day, and at the back the second) you end up having to endure the acts before, whether you like them or not. Ive read a few reviews of the Big Day Out so far and I honestly cannot understand the plaudits of those people who caught Iggy and the Stooges. Was it an intentional choice by the BDO to put him on before Rammstein just to make them look better? Perhaps. The man is decrepit, he talks like Liam Gallagher and whoever the fuck was doing sound for him BOTH nights needs to be shot in the face. The sound was disgusting, the man is disgusting to look at, his band are as old and decrepit as he is. Anyone who thinks the man is a sex symbol is seriously fucked up. He was marginally better on the second day than the first, but if you times a hundred bazillion times zero you still get.... zero. Sorry Mr Pop, I know you've got history and all but I think its time for you to fade into the distance. It was my choice to watch you, yes. I could have left and some people did but you think Im gunna miss out on Rammstein just because you suck? And by the way if you want to comment rage about how much you LOVE Iggy and how I don't know what I'm talking about PLEASE don't waste your time.
Aaaanyway after that it was time for the main event (because lets face it, Tool weren't). A massive curtain draped the stage so as to not spoil the surprise. As it dropped it was followed by a massive German flag that covered the stage. Ironic on Australia day? Or just fucking awesome? What can I say about Rammstein that hasn't already been said by everyone who has witnessed them? They were truly brilliant and made the arena their own. A fantastic setlist and various shenanigans from fireworks, flames shooting out of everywhere in the stage, elephant guns, crossbows, flaming face masks, a petrol bowser turned into a flamethrower and the coup-de-grace, a massive cock shaped cannon that doused the crowd in foam as it was ridden from one side of the stage to the other by the massive Till Lindemann. There was no real pretense, this was just a band seeking to come out and try their hardest to win over a pretty new audience. Judging by the reaction they got, and the fact that you could tell they were having fun, it won't be long before they're back out, and if they DO come again, you'd be an absolute fool to miss them.

After Rammstein were finished playing a headline-worthy slot Tool were just fucking boring. Danny Carey carries the band almost by himself and Maynard is the laziest, creepiest frontman in metal music. He stands at the back next to the drums, in the shadows for the most part. Visually the show was spectacular, lasers and screens and stuff but the difference is Rammstein used their on stage equipment to enhance the songs and keep you focussed. Tools lasers and awesome visuals were nothing more than a distraction when you got fucking bored. They could have played an instrumental set and I would have enjoyed it more. Song selection was poor. They probably shouldnt have played after Rammstein and there would have been more to take from it.

Whilst Tool were trying their hardest not to impress, Pnau were on the sidestages unfortunately doing about the same. The crowd was informed at the start that there would be some new material played, and thats fine. But no one was told that we'd have two afro'd people playing absolutely redundant guitar parts and bouncing all over the stage. 'Wild Strawberries' sound shit with a guitar as opposed to electronic. Why they weren't in the boiler room who knows. The crowd didnt seem to care either but personally I found the new 'band' thing a bad idea and the sound, for the most part, was absolutely shite. 'Silence is Violence' to close the set was good but no doubt enhanced by the fact the song has an actual guitar part in it anyway.

My biggest regret of the whole two-day saga? I didnt get to see Grinderman. I left on the first day thinking I'd just see them the day after, and the second day I could not stand anymore due to the intense back pain and fatigue experienced from doing two huge days on an accumulated 4 hours sleep and standing up for pretty much all of it. I regret it but overall it was still great. I could spew about missing MIA but I dont really dig her anyway.
Final thoughts: It was a good BDO this year. Well organised, everything ran quite smoothly, even the whole '2 for 1' thing on the second Sydney day. The beer was always expensive but cutting down to mid-strength in the afternoon, while tasting disgusting, probably solved alot of potential violence issues, especially on Australia Day. If anything I highly doubt there will be a second Sydney show next year. They still sold alot of tickets but having being there both days you could just see and feel how empty the festival was as a whole. Not that this bothered me at all, more room to breathe and less dickheads. Best band of the festival? Fucking Rammstein of course. These were my 10th and 11th BDO's respectively. Will they be the last? Time will tell, but either way, 2011 certainly delivered.

Owen Pallett at Speigeltent

2011-01-29T00:38:00.000+11:00

As always, 'tis the season for captivating music and the Sydney Festival really has pulled out some gems this year. I was rather looking forward to checking out as many of the acts as possible. But instead of spending my early January wandering the streets of Sydney in a euphoric musical haze, I spent most of it indoors moping.
Until last Friday afternoon when I was offered a free ticket to see Owen Pallett at the Spiegeltent in Hyde Park that evening.
All I'd heard about him up to that point, was that he played Violin and did cool things with it. Sounded impressive enough to me, so I went along.

The Spiegeltent has a very distinct personality. They were originally built as traveling entertainment venues and cabaret salons in early 20th Century Europe. As you enter the round wooden structure with its mirrored columns, velvet canopy and stained glass windows outlining the intimate booths, you get the sense that something captivating, and possibly even a little cheeky, will be taking place. The trapeze hanging from its centre (but tied up for this performance) reinforces that feeling.

This evening however, it's a one man show. But one of the most captivating I have ever seen. Armed with only a violin, a keyboard and some loop pedals Canadian musician, Owen Pallett puts on a performance that rivals any major band. It's an experience that you simply cannot get from just listening to the CD.

Pallett has a very quiet confidence to him as he takes to the stage and starts his first song. This confidence is firmly assured with the awed hush that descends on the instantly hypnotized seated audience.

After finishing the song he quickly explains that he's playing a lot of new stuff tonight and some songs he hasn't played for a long time, "so hopefully I can get through this without a lot of mistakes. But if it sounds like I'm just going on and improvising; I probably am." If he did at any point during that night, it most definitely went unnoticed.

While his music would fall into the 'softer' indie category, his ability to capture an audience with such ease is quite amazing.

Pallett utilizes poly-rhythms and loops track over track to build the layers of the song. What makes it so fascinating is that he uses his violin in whatever fashion he can to achieve the sound he wants. Plucking, tapping, strumming and even using it as a kick and snare drum. The layers of sound constantly intertwine, steadily building to a crescendo. Pallett's choir-boy voice simply adds those flowery touches to a style that would still be amazing as an instrumental.

At one point during a particularly intense part of a song, where Pallett is deeply immersed in his vocals, the music suddenly stops dead. "Oh sorry, that wasn't supposed to happen. The buttons are too close together," he explains, "I wrote all the software for my loop pedals but I don't know how to actually.. de-bug it, if that's what it's called. Let's just try that one again."
He starts straight back into the song with the same intensity as if nothing had happened.

The confidence and energy he exudes for just one person is astounding. The entire audience was visibly captivated for the entire duration of his set, leaving him with a standing ovation at the end.

Pallet's music most definitely has an indie feel to it, with some of his songs possibly even falling into the indie pop category. It's surprising to me that he hasn't received more commercial play in Australia.

But it's the little intricacies that add so much to his sound. It is clear from the complex layers he create in the music that his theoretical knowledge is quite vast, and this comes through on the CD. But nothing compares to watching him do this all live, by himself, and with such a minimalist set.

If you get the chance to, see Owen Pallett live and rediscover what it means to watch music created of the absolute highest quality. It really was a moving experience, exemplified only by the beautiful setting of the Spiegeltent.

Unfortunately Owen Pallett played his last show at the Opera House last night, so if you happen to be in The Netherlands in February or France in March, go and check out his tour there.

If anything, this was enough to satisfy me for all the other Sydney Festival events I missed out on. So do yourself a favour and see Owen Pallett when you get the chance.

Kennigo FTW

2011-01-28T15:36:00.000+11:00

KENNIGO | Down the Doorway from jadink on Vimeo.

Kennigo are from Brisbane which probably explains why the name sounds like the slang term for their local pub or a new side joining the Queensland cup to take on Souths Logan Magpies and North Devils. None the less Kennigo are none of these things and the clip for their track "Down The Doorway" quickly eradicates any notions of some yobbo shouting "Queenslander" in a tunnel.

The longer I go without a holiday and weekends free the more I think I'm enchanted by anything that evokes beautiful imagery of the sea. Sometimes I even get all warm and fuzzy over the Fox8 ad with Alex Perry road tripping with his fag hag down to an unnamed bay to watch super imposed fireworks. Hey sometimes even pretending to watch fireworks is a better alternative.

Anyways the clip uses some spectacular kaleidoscope cinematography of the ocean and sees the trio playing to the seas with intense fervor and purpose. The track itself rests heavily on the driving guitar line and the vocal sits somewhere nicely under that. As if they are the mysterious grown up kids of Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception, the clip ends with one brief shot of their faces.

Myspace - Twitter

One Day I'll Live In An Apartment

2011-01-27T11:43:00.003+11:00

The work of Jan Skácelík linked from Bye Bye Birdie

Move past the fact that at times most middle of the row guitar music sounds like B-sides from a Strokes album and you're well onto your way to enjoying "Apartment" by Young The Giant. Musically there is little to make this remarkable aside from some appropriately timed tambourine work. The breath and easy vocal of frontman Sameer Gadhia sits nicely amongst more sedate surroundings but cannot help but stand out and shine over else.

You'll need to wait til May 6th for the Self Titled Debut

Myspace - Twitter

Last time I saw Last Dinosaurs was at Splendour. I was underwhelmed by their anecdotal fakery between songs. It wasn't cute even if you've got a poncho. My initial enjoyment that they were sporting Japanese Football jerseys quickly turned and all I could think about was taking them on in a game of six on six to show them how we play the beautiful game Western Sydney style.

Anyways moving on, they've released a new song "Time & Place" and if you're a fan of what Last Dinosaurs do, this is right up your alley. The song is about Nikola Tesla and conceptually explores the interesting jeckle and hyde world of Tesla. However I think most Last Dinosaurs fans are the same ones who put their best chav accent on to proclaim how they "predict a riot" they most probably won't appreciate the cleverness of the subject matter. Think of it as an energetic continuation of where they left off on Back From The Dead EP.

Mp3: Last Dinosaurs - Time & Place

Catch them at Enmore Theatre, Feb 9th w/Foals

Myspace - Twitter

It's Almost Over Now

2011-01-25T00:16:00.004+11:00

In more recent times, record labels have been guilty of over using the 'Best Of' as a convenient cash cow for a band past their prime but with a commendable enough back catalogue for it to sell. Take Grinspoon or Incubus for example, both still active in one form or another but perfect candidates for the 'Best of' treatment. Effectively 'Best Ofs' have warped into postcards from better times.

Similarly with the release of the N*E*R*D Best Of, the timing is perfect. I've never been one to gush over N*E*R*D but I've equally never questioned their impressive song writing ability but in 2011 as Pharrell drags the N*E*R*D brand through the mud thanks to his horrendous musical interjections, the used by date on the N*E*R*D was out of code before we even entered 2010. But that's the nature of the game isn't it, one minute you've got gold records and you're teaming up with Timberlake and Snoop Dogg and the next you're dying for three lines in a Madonna song.

Now not to trash on N*E*R*D completely because this 'Best Of' is immensely enjoyable and a highly worthwhile purchase, it provides glittering snapshots of a band forging the musical direction of their time. As soon as you put it in your CD player you're taken back to 2002 and confronted with the divine "Rock Star" which sounds just as good now as it did when I was in Year 10. Sadly I'd nearly forgotten just how good these guys ~~are~~ were.

I've no doubts Chris will testify to touching himself to pop delight of "She Wants To Move" but personally Pharrell went down a treat on the simplicity of "Maybe" which almost sounds like Pharrell showing every soft rock Maroon 5 loving, American Idol watching, aspiring B Grade British piano player that it really isn't that hard to write a good punchy summer classic.

As far as 'Best Ofs' go, this is a sensationally enjoyable listen for the first 14 songs and the only point where it really dips is the obligatory remix additions from Justice and Sander Kleinenberg. Unsurprisingly nothing features off Seeing Sounds (2008) and the most appropriate name for what N*E*R*D delivered on their most recent installment Nothing (2010) due to the two latest releases coming out on Interscope however I think Virgin showed plenty of business savvy to get out when they did. Ironically the Justice remix is the only track featured released after 2004 and it sounds the most pedestrian and dated of anything on the album.

This album is perfect because it allows you to live in the bubble where N*E*R*D are still songwriters and before they proved their acronym wrong, some people or in this case artists really do die.

Q&A with Hanna Silver/Inverto

2011-01-17T04:24:00.005+11:00

I admit Twitter can be pretty annoying at times and I'm positive that I only add to that annoyingness on a daily occurrence (@nancy_magoo), but sometimes you get to network with some ace people. Here is one of them, Hanna Silver. Both she and the band she is in should be bringing out EP's next month but in the meantime her next gig is at Know Your Product, Jan 25th at 9.30om and then St Kilda Festival on the New Music stage, Feb 13th at 12.50pm.

My name is: Hanna (Giselle Ida) Silver

I play in: solo as Hanna Silver, and in the band Inverto

We sound like: when I play solo I use a loop pedal, vintage synths and my voice. it sounds like slow disco and electro. Inverto is Italo disco, cosmic and house.

Inspired by: italo disco and boogie artists, Fela Kuti and Ben Folds Five

We reside in: Melbourne, Straya

Our local music scene is: in abundance of talent and also people who wanna give this music thing a go. There's always a gig on, every night of the week.

The most annoying thing about our scene is: like other scenes where there is an abundance of musicians, venues are generally very tight with their money (picture the Espy offering $400 for 3 bands AND a sound guy to play on a Thursday night in the basement). This makes it really difficult to be an artist. When I've been teaching piano all day so I can pay the rent, I rarely feel inspired when I come home from work (I used to practise piano for 5 hours a day. Maybe now I do half an hour some days). But now that it's holidays and I'm not teaching, I'm finishing a solo EP! Set for release Feb 2011.

Our best gig to date was: playing as guest synthesist in Ponzu Island at the Forum a few months ago, as part of the Beck's Bar series in the Melbourne International Arts Festival. And being guest harmonium player with Harry Angus at his solo gig in the Melbourne International Jazz Festival a couple years ago. And playing with Inverto is always fun, partly because I get to dress up as a nurse and partly because I get to fuck out on synth.

The song that gets me dancing is: This is a strange question, when there are potentially thousands of songs... nay, MILLIONS of danceable songs. Um, the other night I danced to Kylie; this was a new low for me. Plus I was quite drunk, so it marked my official crossing over into Fucking Dickhead-dom. But otherwise, I will dance to anything good with a beat from 80 - 120bpm.

First album I bought: Mariah Carey - Music Box

My musical youth involved: Learning classical piano since I was 3, violin since I was 8; from ages 15-18 I also learnt cello, drums, electric bass, double bass and trumpet. I started writing piano pieces when I was about 8 and pop songs when I was 14. When I was 17 I was anaemic without knowing it; consequently I wrote several songs about feeling really tired. In year 12 I was a house chorals leader, which involved arranging songs like Bohemian Rhapsody for orchestra and choir, and conducting. It's funny because at the time we thought we did an incredible job, but watching the video a couple years later we realised it was PRETTY SHIT.

Pop music is: usually FUCKING SHIT. Basically because for the last 30 years it has been ONLY about making money. Now that pop music stylistically MUST involve auto-tune, it's gone even fucking further down the drain. Now we are starting to see a new generation of singers who have grown up listening to auto-tuned voices - there is a new vocal style being born and it's pretty fucking horrible. We should just cut to the chase and get robots to write our music for us.

If I could have written any song it would have to be: What a Fool Believes - Doobie Brothers

Do you play Fifa? nup.

Favourite Restaurant: The restaurant tram (srsly it's awesome)
The thing I hate most about bloggers is: the self-congratulatory tone in their writing (N.B. I am a blogger, in the middle of answering questions about myself...I HOPE you get the irony here)

My Musical Guilty Pleasure is: 80s pop like Kids In America by Kim Wilde and 90s boy bands

The sporting team I follow is: Richmond Tigers, AFL

If I weren't a musician I would be: fuck knows. A psychiatrist, if I had the stamina to study medicine.

Inverto Myspace
Hanna Silver Myspace
Hanna Silver Twitter
Hanna Silver Facebook
DL: Hanna Silver Soundcloud

Playground Bound

2011-01-15T15:40:00.003+11:00

If you need much more convincing to attend Playground Weekender in Feb, you're not much of a human being if it's line up that you're whinging about. Anyways, I'm going to humour you a little because I'm that excited. Here are the new additions to the already jam packed bill. This really is one of the best festivals in Australia, I liken it to Splendour's cuter, less psychotic little sister.

I've kept the descriptions of each band provided to me because even if you haven't heard of some of these band names, when you see some of the members are from other well known acts, it might tickle your fancy. Clearly I haven't heard of all these acts but it is the new discoveries that make any festival memorable. My personal "Can't Wait To Sees" are in colour.

Betty Airs (Darren Cross ex Gerling) 50’s grunge 3 piece
Magnetic Heads – Tambourine smashing 5 piece likened to new age Morrissey
Medicated Youth (Simon Day ex Ratcat) Flamboyant pop rock group
The Cracks (Hamish Rosser – The Vines) – Pure rock ‘n’ roll
Matt Van Schie – Late night electro
Inland Sea – 10 piece Brisbane based Triple J Unearthed winners
King Kssr (Kiss ex The Scare) – Solo project with a pop twist
Slow Down Honey – Terrigal 4 piece likened to Elvis Costello, Wilco & The Cars
Fait Accompli – A mash of indie soul punk and rock ‘n’ roll
Dark Bells (Ex Mercy Arms & Lost Valentinos) Psychedelic sounds
Daniel Lee Kendall – Triple J Next Crop Artist - Folk
Jack Carty – Top Ten iTunes singer songwriter
Lanie Lane – Sprit of Muddy Waters inhabiting Doris Day
GRAZ – Musical acrobat GRAZ always plays a unique set of deep and wondrous dance music
Andrew Morris (The Wilson Pickers) - solo folk rock
Jez Mead – Whiskey fueled blues
Mojo Juju – Eccentric blues
Mylee Grace – Gypsy rock ‘n’ roll
The Money Smokers – Moody blues
Kristina Miltiadou – New wave folk singer
Cats Are Black – Blues and country rock
Gay Bash DJ’s – Party classics from the club night with the cult following
The Flinders Hotel DJ’s – Eclectic mix of jukebox classics, 50’s to 90’s rock from Sydney’s premier dive bar
Teenage Kicks DJ’s – Indie Pop DJ’s
Bad Wives – Sweet retro and new wave tracks
Urby – Swing, rockabilly and vintage records
Dusty Duets – Knee slapping toe-tapping country

Head to PlaygroundWeekender.com.au for more details!

The New Handshake For Hipsters

2011-01-15T15:29:00.001+11:00

I have a huge amount of respect for The Death Set. However as far as supporting my love on whiteboydancefloor, I've been the slackest admirer you could get. I'm going some ways to making amends now.

The new track is called "Slap, Slap, Slap, Pound, Up, Down, Snap" and it's off the new LP Michel Poiccard. At the very beginning you can catch the cool handshake itself. Or check a tutorial video from ~~Kip Dynamite~~ Bruce Sword here.

Q&A with Asian Girls Luv It!

2011-01-05T18:07:00.004+11:00

Here are some of my favourite Americans, Joellen and Chris from Asian Girls Luv It! It also happens they make music I love to listen to especially before I head for a night of liver abuse. Make sure you check out their stuff and stalk them on one of their many interwebz channels.

Our names are: Chris & Joellen

We play in: Asian Girls Luv It!

We sound like: James Franco being raped by Optimist Prime

Inspired by: black metal and 1970s anarcho punk

We reside in: Los Angeles, CA

Our local music scene is: huge over here, I wouldn't even call it local anymore because it's spread out exponentially.

The most annoying thing about our scene is: Underage kids who come to gigs dressed like it's a rave. SMH.

Our best gig to date was: The first time we played at DANCE in Hollywood.

The song that gets us dancing is: Raining Blood by Slayer

*oh shit, I've been listening to this all morning - Nancy

First album I bought: Joellen's was Saves the Day's Through Being Cool, and Chris' was the soundtrack of "Space Jam"

If I could have written any song it would have to be: "I Want To Hold Your Hand," so we could be fucking rich.

Do you play Fifa?: Nope

Favourite Restaurant: The Loving Hut, one of the best vegan restaurants I've been to, and have withdrawals if deprived for a week. Chris' favorite is The Pizza Hut.

The thing I hate most about bloggers is: The fact that (music) bloggers are so quick to say something negative, but only when and because they're hidden behind their internet persona.

Our Musical Guilty Pleasure is: US mainstream hip-hop like Lil Wayne and Drake (best I evah had)

The sporting team I follow is: If we had to pick, then the Lakers.

If we weren't musicians we would be: porn stars.

AGLI Myspace
AGLI Blog
AGLI Twitter
AGLI Downloads

"Best"

2010-12-30T13:12:00.016+11:00

Year end "best of" lists are always an interesting way to chronicle the musical happenings in a given year. They can be a quick and easy way to get a handle on the musical zeitgeist. They can be a self serving device for the author to show how the world how interesting and frankly superior their tastes are to the tastes of others (according to them). They can also be the ultimate form of musical generosity, a gift of the music that has made one feel certain positive feelings in order for you to experience these feelings also.

I think however, these lists generally are a combination of the first two points: they reflect someones objective view on whether a song or an album is "best of" worthy. By objectively I mean an album that "ticks the boxes"; is deemed to be "good" based on a set of objective measures generally set by critics, other artists and music aficionados (whoever they are).

What is challenging though, is defining what these boxes are. They vary from genre to genre, year to year, era to era, and are principle driven signals of how a piece of music can be deemed "good" or the "best". This objective view is still undoubtedly clouded by ones musical preference (which assists in determining which objective test to apply to the music in question). But this line can be crossed into a region where someones raw musical loves are revealed, showing someones "best" that is free of the constraints of objective standards of what is considered to be the "best".

This subjective preference is generally not measured against any framework (however intangible and ultimately questionable this objective framework). It is based on the love you have for an album that defies any objective test of quality, merit, or significance. It is generally something you can't put your finger on. You love it, it is on your best of list, just because. Because you like it. It makes you feel good. Too bad if the lyrics hackneyed, the music unadventurous, the overall feel of the music dated. You play it over and over again. It makes you sing along. It makes you happy. Why it makes you feel this way is not important. If this is the way it makes you feel, how can it not be "good", or be considered your personal "best of"?

On that note, below are my two favourite albums of 2010 (difficult, given how amazing 2010 was musically in my opinion). One my "objective" favourite, the other my "subjective" favourite.

Unsurprisingly, Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is my "objective" favourite of the year, and the following paragraph is my best attempt at telling you why it is so. Musically it is interesting, lyrically it is confronting, and thematically it is bold and cohesive . It steps outside conventional norms of hip-hop and pop music whilst simultaneously embracing its badges to be an album that challenges and ultimately destroys the accepted confines of each genre. It is the sound of a man of supreme talent, executing this talent with such ease and breathtaking (yet totally justifiable) arrogance. Listening to this album, it's not hard to appreciate the incredible skill of the man behind the mic, the pen and the desk. For more Kanye love, read Pix's recent review. I agree with all of it.

The New Pornographers' latest album Together, on the other hand, is my "subjective" favourite of the year. It is my subjective favourite just because I really enjoy listening to it. I feel good when I hear this album. I enjoy the hooks. I enjoy how big and theatrical everything sounds. This album makes me want to sing along to each track. I love the way the album ebbs and flows from each Carl Newman track to the next Dan Bejar track, keeping me on my toes with each of the band's 4 songwriters showing a different interpretation on what this band should sound like. Critically, this was only warmly received but that doesn't bother me at all. Personally, this album made me (finally) fall in love with this band.

I hope based on my above mini-reviews you understand what I am on about. And I hope if you do put together your own best of 2010 list, make it a mix of what you subjectively enjoy and objectively appreciate. Together I believe these factors are what makes a "best of" list truly a "best of". Music that is still viewed under a harsh, critical microscope, yet is not void of those all important feelings that you feel when you listen to music you love.

Happy new year.