BMA Magazine 488 - 14 December 2016

COVER LINE INSIDE: INFO

YOU ARE HERE

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ART NOT APART

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CANBERRA COMEDY FESTIVAL

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CANBERRA COMEDY FESTIVAL

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AINSLIEAINSLIE + GORMAN + GORMAN ARTS CENTRES

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MUSIC FOR CANBERRA

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GROOVE WAREHOUSE

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MARVIN GAYE EXPERIENCE

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THE DICKSON TRADIES NEW YEARS EVE

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THE GREEN SHED

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SOUND OFF FOR SOUNDOUT TOGETHER FROM THE START, IT’S ART, NOT APART

Merry Christmas ya filthy animals #488Dec/Jan Fax: (02) 6257 4361 Mail: PO Box 713 Civic Square, ACT 2608 Publisher Allan Sko General Manager Allan Sko T: (02) 6257 4360 E: advertising@bmamag.com

Editor Andrew Nardi T: (02) 6257 4456 E: editorial@bmamag.com

Accounts Manager Ashish Doshi T: (02) 6247 4816 E: accounts@bmamag.com

Sub-Editor Sarah Naughton Graphic Design Andrew Nardi Film Editor Emma Robinson

Art, Not Apart returns on Saturday March 18 for a huge day celebrating local art. The festival will host site-specific projects in unique indoor and outdoor spaces across NewActon, the West Basin, the National Film and Sound Archives and parts of the Australian National University and National Museum of Australia.

The festival gathers a diverse group who make music, installations, performance art, dance, represent a collective, are site-responsive, show skill in applied arts or design adventurously. What’s more, at least $50,000 is available in total to support the development and/or presentation of artistic projects at Art, Not Apart 2017.

Applicants will need to express their vision, how it relates to the festival and what they need to make it great. Art, Not Apart are currently on the hunt for projects that shake it up.

The works could be anything positive, new, profound, moving or mindful of how to reshuffle part of the world today for a better tomorrow.

You’ve got until midnight on Monday January 9 to submit your project to Art, Not Apart.

Head to their website at artnotapart.com to apply and find out more.

As you may or may not know, the innovative and ever exploratory SoundOut Music Festival is again running a crowdfunding campaign to raise the much needed monies to be able to go ahead with the festival in February 2017.

They need to raise $15,000 realistically, and have raised $1,340 so far, with $13,660 to go. Please think about giving generously to this local music festival in this age of drastic funding cuts to the arts – everyone needs all the help they can get.

The SoundOut 2017 line up includes extraordinary artists from France, New Zealand, Austria, Norway and Brazil.

Locally, the festival welcomes musicians from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, including Jess Green, Alexander Hunter, Chloe Hobbs, the Psithurism trio (John Porter, Rhys Butler and Richard Johnson) and brilliant young composer/improviser Benjamin Drury on double bass. There will also be many more surprise artists.

You can donate or select a reward at gofundme.com/ soundout-festival-2017.

More details are available at soundout2017.blogspot. com.au.

RUTH OSBORNE THE RECIPIENT OF A CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIP AWARD QL2 Artistic Director Ruth Osborne has been awarded a Churchill Fellowship. Ruth will research overseas youth dance

programs focused on career pathways, mentorship and creative collaborations.

Awarded by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, the Churchill Fellowship offers an opportunity for Australians to travel overseas to conduct research in their chosen field that is not readily available in Australia. It also aims to reward proven achievement of talented and deserving Australians with further opportunity in their pursuit of excellence for the enrichment of Australian society.

From everyone at Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres, we would like to wish Ruth hearty congratulations!

HOUSEKEEPING AND GENERAL FUCK UPS I would like to extend a hand of thanks to the following photographers, who submitted gig photos over the course of 2016, and whose work we featured on this issue’s cover: Martin Ollman, Megan Leahy, Gabby Marshall, Mark Turner, Swift Taylor, Dale Wowk, StellaRae Zelnik, Sharona Lin, Nathan J Lester, Lachie Townsend, Adam Thomas, Cody Atkinson, Sam Ingham and Kelsey Drabsch.

On behalf of Glitoris, I would also like to print a correction on a photo credit from our last issue, #487. On page 29, we printed a photo of Glitoris and accredited it to Adam Thomas.

In fact this photo was the work of Martin Ollman. We apologise for any misunderstandings this may have caused.

Entertainment Guide Nicola Sheville NEXT ISSUE 489 OUT January 18 EDITORIAL DEADLINE January 6 ADVERTISING DEADLINE January 12 Published by Radar Media Pty Ltd ABN 76 097 301 730 BMA Magazine is independently owned and published. Opinions expressed in BMA Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor, publisher or staff.

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Apply to Art, Not Apart by midnight on January 9. Photo by Martin Ollman.

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FROM THE BOSSMAN All Our Christmases at Once Despite a twang in my accent that suggests I am a cheeky cockney street urchin, I am in fact a proud second generation Canberran. I spent eight years in England between 1992 and 2000 (from age ten to 18) and as such I have experienced both English and Australian Christmases.

An English Christmas is something quite special. The weather is so utterly ghastly that Christmas serves as a bonding distraction from the elements. Christmas lights look particularly dazzling in the crisp, cold darkness of 4pm (when the sun goes down).

The double issue copy of the Radio Times (which is, somewhat confusingly, a comprehensive TV Guide) was like a Bible for the altar that was English Christmas Television where all of your favourite shows would put on a festive special. Yearly treats like eggnog and brandy butter on pudding would taste particularly warming as the sleet and snow would whip and bluster outside.

A roaring fireplace inside a pub was like a hug from the world.

And, most pointedly to this column, all those bloody Christmas carols actually make sense. ‘Let It Snow’. ‘Winter Wonderland’. ‘I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas’. On it goes.

As Australians we’ve been conditioned – thanks largely to a litany of American and English films and TV series – to accept that Christmas is cold, it often snows and we’re a bit weird for being in the southern hemisphere where it’s hot and sunny.

When I first returned to Canberra after my long absence – feeling discombobulated and more than a tad listless – during a typically hot Aussie December I wandered lonely as a cloud into the Tuggeranong Hyperdome circa 2000 and the scene nearly blew my tiny mind. ‘Winter Wonderland’ was pumping from the speakers and a wintry visage was laid out complete with cotton laid everywhere to represent snow. I was so happy to be back in Australia, in Canberra my ancestral home, but as beads of sweat formed on my pinkened forehead this strange scene had me desperately longing for Christmas back in England. And whereas in England, where everyone would band together and feverishly focus on Christmas because the weather was so shite, in Australia is was more of an afterthought as the weather was so bloody lovely.

YOU PISSED ME OFF! Care to immortalise your hatred in print? Send an email to editorial@bmamag.com and see your malicious bile circulated to thousands. [All entries contain original spellings.]

The biggest, most overpoweringly painful issue with an otherwise stupendous mag.

Local bands/artists searching for:...

I sing, I belt out my lungs and love a little limelight, but I when I reach for my fav mag each month I find nothing (at least nothing even semi-obvious which says ‘heya, looking for a singer to join a 4 piece band’ or ‘singer looking for an opportunity to jam’.

For a mag that is all about music here in the ACT, the lack of featured advertising of local artists hopeing to join with others is seriously lacking. How else would have Hands Like Houses, Safia or Coda Conduct have found members or collaborators? Surely the only music dedicated mag in ACT would advertise for, print and pack up a stand-put spread of musicians looking to make something magical?

Editor’s Note: Your wish is my command! Go ahead and check page 83.

It was like this for some years - every year the site of fake snow and frostbitten carols jabbing at my soul and confusing me – until, finally, we seemed to wisen up. A penny dropped and suddenly, one glorious year, we didn’t need to try and have a northern hemisphere Christmas. We emerged from the shadow of the British Empire and could celebrate Christmas on our own terms. Because as much as there’s a certain Dickensian charm to a cold Christmas, and as much as it sucks in Australia having three months of cold in the middle of the year with nothing to distract us, it’s pretty awesome having summer AND Christmas.

A beach Christmas was a good thing to do. Seafood began to be marketed as an alternative to roasts.

You could say we had all our Christmases at once.

2016 has been a tumultuous old beast. Look after each other, spread the love, and let’s make 2017 the year we make it all better in the end.

ALLAN SKO - allan@bmamag.com

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WHO: CELL BLOCK 69 WHAT: GIG WHEN: FRI DEC 16 WHERE: THE BASEMENT

Everyone around town knows Cell Block 69 as Canberra’s hottest band in ‘80s style rock and synth pop. They really are the full ‘80s experience too, with sequins and bandanas to boot. And how is it that every member of this band is named Corey? That’s the radical power of the ‘80s. Canberrans will have the opportunity to see what Cell Block 69 look like when they appear onstage in Canberra’s northwest, at The Basement Bar and Arena! Support from Wesley And The Crushers. Starts at 8pm. Tickets are $25 + bf via Moshtix.

WHO: DARREN HANLON WHAT: CHRISTMAS TOUR WHEN: FRI DEC 16 WHERE: WESLEY UNITING CHURCH HALL

It’s that time again. You know the one. Eleven years ago, Darren Hanlon capped off his year with a low-key show in Sydney.

Since then, Hanlon’s Christmas shows have become something of a tradition, as many of his fans come along to catch ol’ mate Santa Darren ring in the Christmas spirit with a bit of Australian indie. This year, he’ll be supported by New Zealand’s Nadia Reid. Tickets are $27 + bf through darrenhanlon.com. Children under 10 can come in for free. Kicks off at 7pm.

WHO: PAPER THIN & SELF TALK WHAT: TOUR WHEN: SAT DEC 17 WHERE: THE PHOENIX

Melbourne’s Self Talk and Newcastle’s Paper Thin are teaming up for a tour, giving fans of both bands a taste of their respective debut EPs. Self Talk released their debut EP Seeing What I Want To See in June, flaunting their unique brand of punchy pop-rock. Despite only forming in April this year, Paper Thin have already gained a following with their honest and endearing songs. Along with these two killer bands, this line-up also features the likes of Rachel Maria & The Cox, Moaning Lisa, Capes and Helena Pop. It’s $10 on the door.

Doors are at 8pm.

WHO: CANBERRA BLUES SOCIETY WHAT: CHRISTMAS PARTY BLUES JAM WHEN: SUN DEC 18 WHERE: HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Canberra Blues Society are rounding out 2016 with a Christmas Party to sing the blues. This blues jam will be hosted by Key Grip, a Canberra band led by Leo Joseph, known for exploring the many shades of blues to give you up-tempo and slower tunes, tunes with tasty, interesting progressions, great lyrics and well, tunes. There will also be a Christmas hamper raffle, a members’ lucky door prize and a vinyl record and CD sale. Entry is $3 for members, $5 for general and free for children under 12. Starts at 2pm.

WHO: LOTOWN WHAT: LOTOWN’S FAMILY REUNION WHEN: FRI DEC 23 WHERE: DIGRESS LOUNGE & BAR

Finding the right BPM to get your dance on can be tricky. Frankly, it’s a universal struggle. But Lotown is back on the town to help us out.

Lotown is a Canberra-based collective that aims to provide you with quality house and techno music. Two nights before Christmas, the Lotown crew will be reppin’ Doppel, Logan Zingus, T:mo, Brenton K, Peach and special guest Gate Five at Digress. Join them for this family reunion where you can marvel at the dizzying lights, swing to the salty beats and consume sweet nectar. It’s a bargain $10 early. Starts at 9pm.

WHO: JACK COLWELL WHAT: TOUR WHEN: SAT JAN 28 WHERE: GORMAN ARTS CENTRE

Fresh from his October tour and a sold-out performance at the Sydney Opera House Studio, outsider extraordinaire Jack Colwell returns to Canberra for an intimate solo performance at Gorman Arts Centre in celebration of his new single ‘Seek The Wild’. Expect to hear fan favourites, brand-new material from his upcoming album and a surprise or two. Exclusively in Canberra, Jack will be joined by local feminist garage blues act Oranges and indie/folk songwriter Julia Johnson, who attracted praise for her band Julia and the Deep Sea Sirens. Starts at 7pm. Tickets are $15 + bf via Eventbrite.

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JACK COLWELL

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BMA MAGAZINE’S TOP FIVE ALBUMS OF 2016 ANDREW NARDI: EDITOR 5. BOYS NOIZE – MAYDAY [POD / INERTIA] A selection of Mayday’s tracks featured in this year’s Edward Snowden biopic, directed by Oliver Stone. It’s this anxiety about living in a mass surveillance society that underpins Boys Noize’s fourth and arguably best record. As well as the title track, ‘Overthrow’ and ‘Revolt’ revel in an idealistic sense of anarchy, one that revolutionaries like Snowden have stirred against their unforthcoming security agencies. Boys Noize may come across as a run-of-the-mill ‘EDM’ artist, but Mayday (and its hellish analogue production) proves that the German techno producer would rather go against the wave.

4. KANYE WEST – THE LIFE OF PABLO [GETTING OUT OUR DREAMS II] For all its masterful production and songwriting, the thing I find most fascinating about The Life Of Pablo is that it’s an expedition into West’s disintegrating mental state, crumbling under the immense pressure he forces onto himself and the stress of being the most prominent personality in the industry. Figuratively, this album reads like a supervillain’s origin story. Subjectively, it’s a painful insight into the world’s most egotistical man, and the number of beatings his confidence can suffer before it finally breaks. “Name one genius that ain’t crazy.” Indeed.

3. THE AVALANCHES – WILDFLOWER [MODULAR] Wildflower is the best sequel to Since I Left You we could have asked for, partly because it developed the idea of what exactly an Avalanches album is. On the surface, it’s an amalgamation of samples conjuring unspecific cultural references from the last few decades. The effect of those vague call-backs is that Wildflower inspires nostalgia for a past that may never have even existed – pulled entirely from old, forgotten art – but one that feels familiar nonetheless. That melancholic nostalgia is imbued throughout this record, leaving behind a comforting memory that starts to sting the longer you hold on to it.

2. JUSTICE – WOMAN [ED BANGER RECORDS / BECAUSE MUSIC] Continuing their obsession with mythology and symbolism, everybody’s second favourite French electro duo have given us Woman. Oh so French, Woman’s romantic narrative is a celebration of femininity dedicated to lovers, mothers, sisters and friends. And yet the third album from Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Augé is also tinged with a medieval darkness, a power and mystique brought upon by their fascination with gothic and baroque art. This record exhibits the musical maturity of Justice as they delve further into their signature sound, a platter of ‘70s inspired prog rock, disco and French house. Magnifique.

1. CAMP COPE – CAMP COPE [POISON CITY RECORDS] The recent trend of young Australians exploring through music what it means to grow up in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, the middle of nowhere, or nowhere at all, has led us to the debut of Camp Cope. Giving a voice to the wave of feminism that’s sweeping the Australian music industry at the moment, Camp Cope sing the pangs of gender discrimination, sexual abuse, the imbalance of power throughout wider society and the grim sense of uncertainty attached to that. Camp Cope’s debut very honestly and unpretentiously captures the fear of growing up as a millennial within an oppressive social sphere and during a confusing political climate. More importantly however, this album is a warm, necessary comfort for the downtrodden, and an empowering war cry to stand up again and keep fighting for what you believe in.

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ALLAN SKO: THE BOSSMAN/PUBLISHER I did my Top 5 Tracks instead, because I am a deeply annoying person.

5. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE – ‘CAN’T STOP THE FEELING’ Yeah, that’s right. I’m putting in an unashamedly pop music movie tie-in that does it’s best to match the success of Pharrell Williams’ commercial collar of ‘Happy’, right down to the video. Well fuck you if you don’t like this track. Try putting a bit of joy back into your day. This is one of the best pop songs in years. Timberlake is Life - he exudes a cheeky energy and joy in everything he does; from his alien-like dancing, emotionally charged falsetto, and ability to make a song alive by his very presence. Should I pick something with more cred for my Top 5? Maybe. But I can’t stop the feeling. Nor should I, and nor should you.

4. SNAKEHIPS – ‘ALL MY FRIENDS’ (FEAT. TINASHE & CHANCE THE RAPPER) Giving us possibly THE most sing-along chorus of 2016, Snakehips decide to cast aside their usual arsenal of soul samples and cascading 8-bit synths and instead delight us with stirring gospel organ chords, a street-swagger beat, and a blistering showcase of Tinashe and Chance The Rapper’s amazing ability to evoke emotion and story respectively.

3. BAD COMPANY UK - ‘EQUILIBRIUM’ Words cannot begin to capture the joy on discovering that Bad Company UK have reformed. A drum ‘n’ bass supergroup of sorts - comprising DJ Fresh, D-Bridge, Maldini and Vegas – when news emerged of their reforming late last year, the D&B community could scarcely believe it. And even so, we know how the story goes; an exciting artist, or artists, come back after years of absence, but it’s never quite the same. Surely nothing could match the genius of forever-classic ‘The Nine’ or ‘The Pulse’. And so ‘Equilibrium’ emerged, carrying with it the trademark pulse-pounding, deftly layered and composed energetic drum ‘n’ bass, all lovingly produced through the filter of modern techniques. The first few minutes made me smile so broadly. And then the 3.01 minute mark hit, and I just about shit blood. Welcome back lads. We didn’t realise exactly how badly we missed you.

2. NOISIA – ‘COLLIDER’ Noisia deliver us one of the most compelling, hard-hitting, four minutes of electronic music in years. Pure energy, switching up throughout whilst staying true to the core of the tune, it is a brilliant example of how exciting, surprising and broad the world of production can be.

1. ODD NOSDAM – ‘SISTERS’ (BOARDS OF CANADA REMIX) Haunting. Mesmeric. Trance-like. I put this track on and forget the world exists for a few minutes, before shaking my head like a dog drying itself after its finished. The main synth line that drives the track is so beautifully simple, and yet somehow carries with it nostalgia, happymelancholy and the memory of a time never to be repeated again. A magical piece of music.

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★★★★★ RORY MCCARTNEY: CONTRIBUTOR 5. POCKET FOX – THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] Notable Canberra releases in 2016 included Foreign Kings, Sally Chicane and Loud So Clear. However, a local record that stood out for its sheer charm was by Pocket Fox. The retro fashion conscious, 11-piece folk-pop band encompasses a breadth of talent and instruments (including bold brass, seductive woodwind and the mechanical chimes of the marimba), which provide extra depth to its music. Complex vocal overlaps, spring loaded rhythms in free flowing compositions, finely nuanced arrangements and sometimes quirky lyrics all add up to an album with a fresh, unusual character.

4. PHILLIP HENRY & HANNAH MARTIN – WATERSHED [DRAGONFLY ROOTS] UK duo Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin are not your average folk outfit; their themes are drawn from the ancient core of Britain, but their music draws on the wider world. Martin’s crystal voice carves a pure path, merging Celtic vibes of moss encrusted crosses with a hint of Eastern guitar from Henry. ‘Stones’ sees a weaving of Americana fascination into the guitar/mandolin, while in ‘Tonight’ Martin’s haunting singing is underscored by Henry’s sea shanty harmonica. Fiddle and mandolin play snakes and ladders in the instrumental ‘December’.

3. FUTURE OF THE LEFT – THE PEACE & TRUCE OF FUTURE OF THE LEFT [REMOTE CONTROL / INERTIA] Welsh post-hardcore trio Future of the Left leaves no stone unturned in expressing their contempt for the values and obsessions of middle-to-upper-class society. The album includes a harsh landscape of piano wire taut guitars, doom laden drums, nihilistic dogma and barrow loads of black, negative energy. Part brat’s rant, part political manifesto, there’s a disregard for conventional songwriting patterns in a release that combines insanely wild, ragged edged music and messages, whose starkness is softened by humour that at times encroaches on Monty Python territory.

2. RED SEA – BATTLESCAR [GUITAR BABY] Prog rockers Red Sea combine Titanic scale guitars with the full throttle vocals of frontwoman Erica Bowron. It’s a scene where the vocals – scaling astral heights and sounding positively operatic at times – take on the formidable guitar-drum combos, and sometimes win. Bowron’s singing comes from a position of power, always steely and rising to a scream for effect as required. It’s in the longer track ‘Lose Your Head’ that the band validates its prog rock credentials.

Demonstrating a strong melodic presence, with room for growth, big things may lie ahead.

1. TINPAN ORANGE – LOVE IS A DOG [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] There’s a definite beauty in darkness, and fans of folk trio Tinpan Orange may find this LP a tad darker than usual. The recording quality and production provide crystal clarity, with each note and every nuance of vocalist Emily Lubitz shining through. Lubitz sounds better than ever, having expanded her vocal range into the falsetto. Autumnal tones are expressed in the captivating arrangement of strings, guitar patterns and piano chords. ‘Cities of Gold’ stands out with soaring vocals offset by sturdy percussion hooks, while ‘Lucky One’ charms with lush, rolling choruses, moody bass licks, a sharp tambourine rattle and trilling fiddle. An elegant addition to the classy Tinpan Orange catalogue.

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CAT WOODS: CONTRIBUTOR 5. KANYE WEST – THE LIFE OF PABLO [GETTING OUT OUR DREAMS II] Look, whatever the current situation with Ye, the dude is a master when it comes to smart rhymes, provocative posts and paving a pathway to good sounds. He doesn’t always nail it, in my opinion, but when he does it’s so good you forgive the rest. He’s no longer making whole albums that are radio and single-friendly, and he’s duly shed the followers who want him to make ‘Touch The Sky’ over and over again.

Rather, he’s emitting high quality vibrations in the pleading ‘No More Parties in LA’ and calling out the fakers on ‘Real Friends’.

4. VARIOUS ARTISTS – SO FRENCHY SO CHIC 2017 [CARTEL MUSIC] When French new-wave crooners Nouvelle Vague do a sexy, soulful, vaguely cabaret rendition of punk classics, something in your little non-French heart goes as mushy as a croissant covered in chocolate. This whole album is the epitome of the festival that annually celebrates French music, culture and joyful approach to life, style and good food. Clea Vincent is a new voice not to overlook and Tame Impala drummer Julien Barbagello brings the psychedelic cosmic wonderful to ‘Grand Chien’. There are 2 CDs full of eclectic beats, voices and genres. Put it on in the car, the office, the loungeroom and be transported a la Francais.

3. WARPAINT – HEADS UP [ROUGH TRADE] Heads Up is radio friendly, intelligent, sensitive and addictive listening. It is going to attract new fans who had no prior experience of the band. It’s also fair to say that Warpaint are pretty easy on the eye. My prediction? You will be listening to Heads Up on repeat (‘So Good’ really is SO good). Jenny Lee Lindberg, Emily Kokal, Stella Mozgawa and Theresa Wayman have done what so many artists are failing to do in the era of single song obsessions and pay-per-download. They have made a consistently, listen-the-whole-way-through, all killer, no filler album. No surprise they have made the choice to release on vinyl also.

2. SKEPTA – KONNICHIWA [BOY BETTER KNOW] This grime guru is an absolute must-listen for music lovers, culture connoisseurs and street scene watchers. Skepta won a major prize in the Mercury Prize, voted on by the music industry professionals who know their business. As I said in my original review, “This is classic UK grime, in the spirit of Wiley and Dizzee Rascal.

Personal, political and cultural affairs are all mined for killer lines. A truly skilled poet and wordsmith, Skepta rose on the UK grime scene – a potent mix of jungle, rap, dubstep and drum ‘n’ bass – via pirate radio stations.”

1. BEYONCÉ – LEMONADE [PARKWOOD] Despite all the media appearances, live performances and magazine covers, there is still something untouchable about Queen Bey. She never gives away more than she wants to. All the speculation around her marriage and her rumoured pregnancy, cheating scandals and such didn’t shake her. I know I’m probably the only one who DIDN’T die for ‘Hold Up’, but I was totally won over by ‘Freedom’ and the heartbreaking ‘Sandcastles’. ‘All Night’ is a slow burn R&B classic that recalls the best of Janet Jackson’s ‘90s sexiness. The Weeknd rocked his guest appearance on ‘6 Inch’, shining his unique light on Bey’s very signature style. ‘Don’t Hurt Yourself’ was echoey, pleading, soulful and full of rich emotion with a catchy beat to get you tapping your fingers for hours afterwards. What’s she gonna do next? “Winners don’t quit,” after all.

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BMA MAGAZINE’S TOP FIVE ALBUMS OF 2016 NONI DOLL: LOCALITY COLUMNIST 5. PAUL KELLY – SEVEN SONNETS & A SONG [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] Kelly is one of Australia’s great poets, but he also has a knack for taking the words of others and creating something new.

The Bible is where he usually finds his inspiration, but Shakespeare and his contemporaries are the focus of this mini-album. Turns out the Bard wrote some sweet lounge jazz lyrics in ‘Sonnet 138’, while “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day” is a folky love song. Add a guest spot from Vika Bull and you’ve got eight beautiful tracks perfect for a lazy afternoon with your lover.

4. JORDIE LANE & THE SLEEPERS – GLASSELLLAND [BLOOD THINNER RECORDS] This album was always going to be a hit with me, if only because it features ‘Black Diamond’, a crowd favourite that Lane’s been playing live for a few years now. There’s more to this release than just one song though, and each track carries the kind of spooky country sound that harks back to some of Johnny Cash’s darker tunes, but with an airy modern feel brought about by lots of reverb, layered vocals and some curious synth effects. Haunting and sorrowful tunes are Lane’s specialty, and they shine here.

3. BRENDAN MACLEAN – FUNBANG1 [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] I’ve loved Maclean’s work for a long time, and like so many brilliant artists, watching him evolve his sound over the last few years has been both a joy and privilege. His vocals are smooth as Belgian chocolate, and his songs are the best kind of pop, striking an impressive balance between brutal honesty and sheer danceability.

With guidance from Paul Mac and collaboration from Amanda Palmer, it’s equal parts fun, sorrow and sex, packed with acid wit. Don’t miss the accompanying videos; they’re real treats for your eyeballs.

2. MOOCHERS INC – THIS IS WHAT WE SOUNDED LIKE [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] It’s always hard to farewell a local band, but saying goodbye to my favourite Canberra band? Goddamn, that’s hard. I have been desperately clinging to their posthumous release ever since it came out, allowing the jaunty tongue-in-cheek dixieland jazz tunes to fill part of the deep wound left by the departure of frontman Rafe Morris, and the forthcoming disappearing of other frontman Cam Smith. Sure, it hurts, but an album this fun makes it a little bit easier to take.

1. BEYONCÉ – LEMONADE [PARKLAND] I never really understood the appeal of Beyoncé beyond the superficial pop fun, but this album is brutal.

It really is best absorbed with its visual element, full of vivid, inevitably iconic imagery that brings out the elements of the music better than the audio can alone.

Its autobiographical nature is made clear by the sheer power of her vocal performances, and the collaborations are simply brilliant, serving to emphasise her performance rather than take away from it. The run through of genres from R&B, rock, country and spoken word could leave you with whiplash, but it all just works. I’m sorry I ever doubted her. I get it now.

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BRADY MCMULLEN: THE REALNESS COLUMNIST 5. DJ SHADOW – THIS MOUNTAIN WILL FALL [MASS APPEAL] 2016’s This Mountain Will Fall by DJ Shadow marked a considerable break in Shadow’s aesthetic. Moving away from the vinyl vibes of earlier releases, with this release Shadow positioned himself as something a little more akin to the archetypal modern hip-hop producer. While this has meant a shift in his sound, he’s still managed to bring the level of finesse everyone expects from a Shadow release.

The Run The Jewels featuring ‘Don’t Speak’ was one of this year’s most braggadocios singles.

4. SLEEP D – LIVE AT THE FAIRFIELD AMPHITHEATRE [ANALOGUE ATTIC] Throughout this year I’ve started embracing a whole heap of music ex-hip-hop. Being introduced to this Melbourne DJ and producer duo after seeing them getting down with locals FB Perimeter and Brim Town at one of the notorious Pickle parties, Sleep D became one of my 2016 highlights. I’ve been absolutely smashing this live recording, which was put together during a gig at Melbourne’s Fairfield Amphitheatre.

Characterised by its ambient, slow burners, this one is the perfect antidote following a huge night out or just a lazy arvo in the sun.

3. SANGO – FLOWRILÈGE [BLACKORÉOLE] Sango, a regular on online station Soulection, broke the mould with 2016’s Flowrilège. Known for his Latin/funk/trap instrumental efforts like the Da Rochina series, Flowrilège marks a bit of a shift for the producer to a classic rap-inspired album, albeit in lyrics I can’t understand. Not sure if understanding the lyrics would make it better or worse … I guess ignorance is bliss. At any rate, it hasn’t stopped me digging nearly every track on the album and it being a mainstay for me throughout the year.

2. KAYTRANADA – 99.9% [XL RECORDINGS] Springing to fame in 2011 following the release of his remix of Janet Jackson’s ‘If’ and Teedra Moses’s ‘Be Your Girl’, 2016 was the year Kaytranada finally went from being a remix producer to something in his own right. 99.9% is the perfect showcase for what hard work looks like. Taking time off for the past year and a half, Kaytra seamlessly integrates colabs with artists like Anderson .Paak, Craig David and AlunaGeorge with a range of hip-hop instrumentals ranging from sparse trap-y numbers to Electric Boogaloo-esque ‘80s break numbers.

1. CHANCE THE RAPPER – COLOURING BOOK [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] Though not technically an album, Chance’s third mixtape Colouring Book has been one of the most consistent entries in my ‘recently played’ on Spotify. While it isn’t anywhere near as down to party as Acid Rap, Colouring Book charts the trials, tribulations and celebrations that come with Chance’s growing maturity. This is reflected across a number of fronts throughout the album, both in terms of his status in the game, his status in Chicago and his personal relationships with his young family. Featuring Kanye, 2 Chainz, Weezy, Jeremih, D.R.A.M. and Future, you’d be expecting the calibre of production to match the level of features and, if anything, it exceeds it.

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★★★★★ JOSH NIXON: METALISE COLUMNIST

CODY ATKINSON: QUESTIONING COLUMNIST

5. THE LEVITATION HEX – COHESION [HIGH ROLLER RECORDS]

There were a bunch of albums that failed to make the cut here, so here goes. Tangents’ Stateless was a fantastic journey, as was Chris Abrhams’ Fluid To The Influence. Car Seat Headrest shapes as an indie rock voice for the future, and Teens Of Denial nearly nailed that promise. The Preoccupations (nee Viet Cong) self-titled album was also a refinement of their work – great post-punk areas. And the California Girls and Wives releases were maybe the cream of the crop locally (and in Australia).

This was a really hard list to whittle down this year. I wouldn’t be doing my job though if I didn’t include the year’s most appropriately titled record. For as my review inferred, the first record from these guys was still a meeting of some very established songwriters and a bit stilted as a result. Their second effort really bought it together for the 50% ACT, 50% Victorian blend, with top draw songwriting, catchy choruses and a production that sounded a lot more expensive than the albums’ Farrer origins.

4. ELEPHANT TREE – ELEPHANT TREE [MAGNETIC EYE RECORDS] English doom that has more going on melodically than many of their contemporaries. The first song on this didn’t immediately get me excited, but shortly into the second song, there was some obvious differentiation from the contemporaries in many of the lazier parts of the genre, who don’t like to write melodies or express more than one or two emotional ideas. That these guys are so young and this is their first real work is fantastic. A big upside to these guys, check ‘em out.

3. HOLY SERPENT – TEMPLES [RIDING EASY RECORDS] Holy Serpent are a young band of Victorians that don’t mind doing it right. Melbourne is awash in heavy doom bands at the moment, but I feel that Holy Serpent stand above them all in terms of the scope of their vision and artistry. The album that they produced is utterly world class, filled with interesting epic tomes and searing guitars. On Riding Easy Records with bands like Electric Citizen, Salems Pot and Monolord, I think they’ve risen to the top of the roster on the strength of this album.

2. THE RUINER – THE RUINER [GOATSOUND RECORDS] You will read of this band in reference to their past resumes, but this is a beast all of its own and really not #2 on my list, but #1a. Entirely less subtle than #1, but undeniable in its bruising songcraft, heavy arse grooves and the best vocal performance Jason V has put down since his hey day in the early ‘90s. ‘Hubble’ kicks things into gear with clever structures and big swing grooves, ‘10 Paces’ brings the stoner back just right and ‘Fleshlight’ is a curmudgeon. Terrific.

1. LOOKING GLASS – IV [GOATSOUND RECORDS] I heard this unmixed/unmastered last year and I was convinced it was something special. Post production left no doubt in my mind that, as good as III was (album of the year a few years ago), this surpassed it and everything else in a genre of heavy metal that had a VERY strong 2016. The songwriting, the complimentary performances, the individual maestro moments, the interludes, the dynamic light and shade, all of that stuff is here. Essentially, it’s the sound of a band well over a decade into their existence that are more assured, confident and fearless in exploration than ever before and it is local to boot.

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5. LOST ANIMAL – YOU YANG [DOT DASH] Later in the issue I write a page about You Yang, so I’ll keep it brief: dark pop brilliance from a unique voice in the scene.

4. KA – HONOR KILLED THE SAMURAI [IRON WORKS RECORDS] A lot of music gets released that slips through the net, and up until a couple of weeks ago I had no idea who Ka was. Ka produces, writes and raps on every inch of this record; deep, dark and brooding, discussing the duality of man. Honor Killed The Samurai works in two phases; confession and redemption, accounting for past mistakes.

This was a rich year for hip-hop, with a bunch of big names dropping great albums and tracks, but it was a rough diamond that shined the brightest for mine.

3. JENNY HVAL – BLOOD BITCH [SACRED BONES] Jenny Hval’s sixth solo album shares hallmarks of her earlier avant-pop work, but perhaps even more confrontational than before. Blood Bitch, as the track ‘Period Pain’ articulates, is about vampires and menstruation. With a more reckless touch (or worse production), the subject matter could end up either tacky or overwrought, but Hval handles it just right. If music is about the expression of ideas in different manners, then Blood Bitch hits the mark perfectly. It’s what pop should be in the not-too-distant future.

2. IGGY POP – POST POP DEPRESSION [IGHO] Most had written off Iggy Pop in the last few years, but his combination with Josh Homme has resulted in one of the best US albums of the year. As he has aged, his voice has grown weary at times, but Iggy can still belt one out when required here. Pop has always shined when matched with diverse creative partners, and Homme shows the skills he developed in his years doing the Desert Sessions. Post Pop Depression is catchy, thought-provoking and most importantly, a damn good rock and roll record.

1. THE DRONES – FEELIN KINDA FREE [TROPICAL FUCK STORM RECORDS] Yeah, I know, another music critic tapping The Drones for having the album of the year. Could it be any more passé for an Australian music critic? The issue is that Feelin Kinda Free might be their most complete album to date. On this, their seventh album, The Drones shed some of their rock ferocity and temper it with more eclectic elements, a risk for such an established band. The major constant with their previous work is Liddiard’s lyricism and ability to twist a tale, but even still, he hands the vocal duties off at times. The best example of this is ‘To Think That I Once Loved You’, a piece of music of immaculate beauty. A great album from a band seemingly entering their prime.

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BMA MAGAZINE’S TOP FIVE ALBUMS OF 2016 DAN BIGNA: PLANET OF SOUND COLUMNIST MEGAN LEAHY: CONTRIBUTOR 5. VARIOUS ARTISTS – EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! (MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE) [WARNER BROS.] This evocative collection of late ‘70s new wave, disco, embryonic hip-hop and power pop makes for a supercool mixtape to what has to be the most underrated movie of 2016. Director Richard Linklater set about crafting a film that expertly captures the freedom and weirdness of the undergraduate uni experience, and any collection of music that has incendiary Irish punk rockers Stiff Little Fingers placed between Pat Benatar and disco fiends Hot Chocolate should be snapped up without hesitation. Full marks are given for the inclusion of hot dancefloor workout ‘Take Your Time (Do It Right)’ from wild disco funksters SOS Band.

4. THE SCIENTISTS – A PLACE CALLED BAD [NUMERO GROUP] The Numero Group label has established a reputation for beautifully crafted packaging and this collection of all known recordings from seminal post-punk Australian band The Scientists is no exception. In a short space of time the band mastered trashy garage punk peppered with intense swamp blues that could send a shiver down your spine. It’s little wonder every Seattle grunge band worth its salt turned to The Scientists for inspiration whenever a scuzzy power chord was needed to provide that extra bit of magic.

3. HERON OBLIVION – HERON OBLIVION [SUB POP] What makes this psychedelic supergroup stand out is a collective disdain for convention through blending sounds that might otherwise seem incompatible. In Heron Oblivion’s world, this involves a singular take on electrified ‘60s folk music mixing with brown acid guitar workouts. This debut album from the group achieves lift-off with gorgeous vocals from Meg Baird shot through with flashes of elegant guitar skronk. The Sub Pop label must have known it was on to a good thing when it snapped up this band, so here’s hoping there is more juice in reserve for further lysergic drenched delights.

2. VARIOUS ARTISTS – PUNK 45: CHAOS IN THE CITY OF ANGELS AND DEVILS – PUNK IN LOS ANGELES 1977-81 [SOUL JAZZ] This ongoing series on the consistently excellent Soul Jazz label turns its attention to punk and hardcore from the flashpoint city of Los Angeles. The New York punk bands that gathered at infamous Bowery venue CBGB mostly set about making heightened artistic statements but the Los Angeles groups were more about piling on the noise, politics and attitude. The music reflects lives on the edge with no trace of fakery, and this collection of hyper energised DIY art makes for a potent antidote to mainstream mediocrity.

1. BLACK MOUNTAIN – IV [JAGJAGUWAR] Black Mountain’s fourth album openly flaunts retro influences, which is fine because they happen to be fantastic. The vibe is enhanced with vintage ‘70s keyboards, super heavy riffs and dramatic, earthy vocals from Amber Webber. Touchstones include the spacey keyboard effects on Black Sabbath albums Sabotage and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Pink Floyd both in their late ‘60s cosmic phase, and the full-scale melodramatic flights conjured on later epics Animals and The Wall. This album is an outstanding example of proto-punk psychedelia designed for the new millennium that slots comfortably into both the music underground and the hit parade. The many supercool reference points make for a wild ride.

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5. CALIFORNIA GIRLS – DESIRE [MOONTOWN RECORDS] California Girls’ debut LP, Desire, was a highlight amongst a series of fantastic local releases and this spot could have easily gone to a number of other Canberra artists. Cali Girls has created his own trademark sound of dark new wave/electronic, with a touch of noise. Each track is played with raw energy and emotion, and lush ‘80s synths laden with hooks that last for days. Other notable releases this year include Wives with their debut album, Devoted To You, a cutting post-punk trip through religion and sexuality. Ex-Canberrans, the Hoodlum Shouts also released their post-apocalyptic garage punk rock album, Heat Island.

4. IGGY POP – POST POP DEPRESSION [IGHO] On Post Pop Depression, Iggy Pop forewarns, “I’m gonna break into your heart, I’m gonna crawl under your skin”, and he’s right – this album keeps growing with each listen. A collaborative project with Josh Homme, Post Pop Depression plays like one of Homme’s The Desert Sessions of the 2000s, with characteristic Queens Of The Stone Age-esque guitars combined with Pop’s signature croon. Pop has still got it, and his lyrics and sharp and sardonic as ever. As Pop growls, “I’ve nothing but my name”, it is ironically reflective and perhaps a recognition of Pop’s own mortality.

3. THE OCEAN PARTY – RESTLESS [SPUNK RECORDS] The Ocean Party are one of Australia’s best young bands that are making very mature music right now. Reminiscent of bands such as The Triffids or The Go-Betweens, The Ocean Party have always flirted with soft-pop. Restless is their most consistent album to date, its melancholy vibe underlying an understated optimism. Restless could also be their most ‘easy-listening’ album yet; the instrumentation featuring piano, sax and acoustic guitars. But reassuringly, they do not fall into the genre stereotypes, instead delivering an album that is honest, dark and distinctly Australian.

2. SAVAGES – ADORE LIFE [MATADOR RECORDS] Adore Life is a collection of songs that are raw and angsty, and present a more vulnerable side to Savages. The inclusion of more ballads actually intensifies the remaining tracks, but Savages’ softer side is anything but. The album includes touches of pummelling metal and industrial electronic, while remaining true to their jagged post-punk style. Adore Life is the promotion of just that – an unashamed proclamation on the tangle of love and sex and fury, justifying that it is “human to adore life”.

1. THE PEEP TEMPEL – JOY [WING SING RECORDS] Joy is a wry yet provocative album, varied from slowburning stories to caustic blistering rock. The Peep Tempel paint a picture of contemporary small-town Australia, and not always favourably – ‘Kalgoorlie’ is bleak and ‘Rayguns’ unrelenting. The characters that singer Blake Scott brings to life get under your skin, and the guitar licks are positively face melting. Not that it’s all aggression; there are moments of “joy”, such as the krautrock driven ‘Neuroplasticity’. Joy is not always the easiest listen, but it has something to say and does so with such passion that it is a rewarding experience.

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★★★★★ JESSICA CONWAY: CONTRIBUTOR 5. CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN – THE RIDE [ISLAND RECORDS] The Ride is my feel good, head-bopping, steering-wheeltapping album. I love the upbeat, pub/festival vibe of this British rock band. Themes rotate around gigs, girls and going out – all good fun in my book! Snappy, buoyant production see the lads’ second album edge into my top five. I’ll also be in the crowd for their set at this year’s Falls Festival, and reckon this album is made for live crowds – #pumped.

4. BON IVER – 22, A MILLION [JAGJAGUWAR] I had the privilege of seeing this man with a heavenly voice in Sydney’s Opera House earlier this year and it remains the most entrancing performance I’ve witnessed. Whilst 22, A Million makes a departure from his original acoustic sound towards more synths, loops, samples and auto-tuned vocals, it is still very much Bon Iver.

Justin Vernon’s high, brittle falsetto and overall sound is unrivalled, and I don’t think it’s from a lack of trying from other musicians – I just don’t think anyone can match the man.

3. FLUME – SKIN [FUTURE CLASSIC] Look, I just cannot get enough of Flume’s super catchy, electronic vibes and genius collaborations! The man behind the music, Harley Streten expertly brings out the best in his musically minded peers, creating a diverse array of bangers. ‘Never Be Like You’ still resonates, those pleading lyrics reminding us of our humanity and ability to fuck it all up. Other highlights include ‘Say It’, ‘When Everything Was New’ and ‘Smoke & Retribution’. Flume is a suave electronic mastermind; builds, drops, stalls and melodies aplenty across pop, indie, EDM, rap and R&B influences. Fucking A. 2. BROODS – CONSCIOUS [DRYDEN STREET] I feel I’ve fallen into a bit of an indie/electro-pop soundtrack for my 2016, but the hell with it – this is another great album that I imagine I’ll keep on rotation for years. The brother and sister duo from New Zealand continue to deliver with this album: arresting vocals, strong lyrics and captivating melodies. Pianos, percussion and synths mix merrily as a raft of stories are told on their second album, Conscious. If you want some light, bright and breezy tunes to wash over you, then this is a great pre-weekend pick. On the other hand, if you want to give the lyrics a listen, you’re set to find something darker disguised.

1. TOVE LO – LADY WOOD [UNIVERSAL] Ever since I heard the original version of ‘Stay High’, I have been in love with this Swede and her bare-knuckled tunes about bleary drug-fuelled nights, blurry memories and the emotional train wrecks that follow. Whilst not a radical change in sound or theme from her first album Queen of the Clouds, Lady Wood remains ear candy for me. The electropop album is split into two chapters, ‘Fairy Dust’ celebrating the highs of it all and ‘Fire Fade’ confronting the inevitable lows. Perhaps the album can best be summed up by her lyrics: “Give zero fucks about it / I know I’m gonna get hurt.” Thanks for giving me Lady Wood, Tove ;).

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GLEN MARTIN: CONTRIBUTOR With apologies to Lambchop, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Tangents, Julia Jacklin, Camp Cope, Michael Kiwunaka, Radiohead & PJ Harvey, who all released excellent LPs this year.

5. NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS – SKELETON TREE [BAD SEED] This is probably the “best” record of the year – the most significant artistic achievement of 2016. But the grief that Cave channels into these wrenching songs also makes it one of the year’s hardest listens, and this is about your correspondent’s “favourite” albums.

It’s a key distinction. Skeleton Tree is to be admired, raved over, respected, held in awe. To get the feeling of such immense, catastrophic loss into something vaguely tangible is an astonishing feat. But it’s not an album I rush to put back on the turntable.

4. TEENAGE FANCLUB – HERE [PEMA] Here is the opposite of Skeleton Tree in some ways, earning a place on the list thanks to its listenability, its relatability, and a different kind of creative tightrope the Glaswegian veterans have somehow negotiated – how to age well in rock and roll. Nothing on the Fannies tenth record will take your breath away, but this is a record that wraps itself around the listener in an entirely satisfying way. They’ve become astute chroniclers of growing up, not reaching for their youth, but boldly suggesting that the best days are ahead. Lovely.

3. HAMILTON LEITHAUSER + ROSTAM – I HAD A DREAM THAT YOU WERE MINE [GLASSNOTE] Leithauser was one of rock’s almost men, singer in the criminally undervalued Walkmen, whose debut solo album was a good-not-great set of torch songs. Then he got together with the recently departed Vampire Weekend talisman Rostam, and freak me if he hasn’t made the record of his life. From the opening bars of the best song of the year (‘1000 Times’), Leithauser and Rostam conjure a pass at the American songbook that is utterly exhilarating, frequently shocking the ear with new takes on old styles.

2. CAR SEAT HEADREST – TEENS OF DENIAL [MATADOR] We love a young rock savant, a boy genius who somehow arrives fully formed at an age where most of us can barely tie our shoes. And this year’s model is 23-year-old Will Toledo, who just may have the chops to prosper beyond the first flush of recognition.

Toledo has been making smart, hooky, punky power pop since his teens – this record is his 12th, but it’s the first with a full band on a real label, and it’s a magnificent introduction. It’s probably too long, and maybe it won’t age super well. But the rush of this record is real, as is the complex assuredness of Toledo’s authorial voice.

1. ANGEL OLSEN – MY WOMAN [JAGJAGUWAR] Angel Olsen’s last record, 2013’s Burn Your Fire For No Witness, was seriously good. This record is seriously great. It’s the moment in a career where an artist finds some extra juice to transport themselves to the top tier.

The songs sway across styles but are always anchored by a writer in complete control, who has a voice that can melt polar ice caps faster than a Trump presidency. And it feels timely – a woman singing about gender in a way that is smart, sassy, nuanced and equal parts strong and vulnerable. It begs to be listened to over and over again, and continues to reward with each spin. Favourite album of the year by some distance.

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BMA MAGAZINE’S TOP FIVE ALBUMS OF 2016 ANGELA CHRISTIAN-WILKES: CONTRIBUTOR 5. URTHBOY – THE PAST BEATS INSIDE ME LIKE A SECOND HEARTBEAT [ELEFANT TRAKS] Congrats, mate – you’re the token man. This wouldn’t have happened without my best friend Imogen. Do you remember when you met her after your show at Howler? Lucky man. You should feel honoured. Every day, I swear, she would ask, “have you listened to Urthboy’s album yet?” Eventually I broke and I’m glad I did. I can’t quote this word for word, or rattle off the song names. But when I think of it, I feel warmth. I think of the powerful voices, the stories you tell, and the solid craftsmanship underlying one of the year’s best.

4. DAUGHTER – NOT TO DISAPPEAR [4AD] Not To Disappear follows Daughter’s trend of making beautiful, sad music, and yet is more convincing and more accomplished than previous works. They have expanded on their cathartic indie folk by blurring the edges, densifying their rhythm section and layering the elements. It isn’t as fragile as their debut If You Leave. The feeling remains bleak but there is new depth to the pain. Anger and confusion drill holes into new situations. As someone whose brain sometimes makes them unwell, the corners of this record help that.

3. JULIA JACKLIN – DON’T LET THE KIDS WIN [LIBERATION] Julia Jacklin really knocked the socks off everyone with this record, especially given the absence of recent EPs. This is the sort of record you could buy your lover, your mum and your friends as a way of sharing a piece of yourself. Perfectly balancing simple but effective instrumentation and Jacklin’s silken voice, Don’t Let The Kids Win floats around you, drawing out emotion before soothing it. One of the most persuasive and beautiful records of 2016.

2. CARLY RAE JEPSEN – E•MO•TION: SIDE B [SCHOOL BOY / INTERSCOPE] To think that Emotion: Side B are the tracks that didn’t make 2015’s Emotion blows my mind. This is one spectacular collection of songs – slickly produced and wonderfully written. This technicolour picture traces all the subcategories of love – bouncy, babyfaced dreams on ‘First Time’, sultry tales of unrequited love on ‘The One’, grandiose heartache on ‘Fever’, the humorous leaving song ‘Store’, confused flirtations on ‘Body Language’ … I could go on. This is pure killer, no filler.

1. KATE TEMPEST – LET THEM EAT CHAOS [KATE CALVERT] On her second record Let Them Eat Chaos, Kate Tempest individually explores the stories of people living in dark London. She brings these creations to life with a combination of soft narration and enthralling monologues, set against a backdrop of minimal, compelling production.

Her mimicry is so eerily accurate, it moves beyond theatre into something nearing a documentary. Whilst these are not real people, this sprawling tapestry is bound together with a very real feeling. Tempest feasts on it.

She brings the undercurrent to the surface so it cannot be ignored, so that it demands attention. Let Them Eat Chaos is both a display of Tempest’s incredible craft, and a terrifying commentary on our current world.

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HAYDEN FRITZLAFF: CONTRIBUTOR 5. THE 1975 – I LOVE IT WHEN YOU SLEEP FOR YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL YET SO UNAWARE OF IT [DIRTY HIT] Yes, the video for ‘Love Me’ is an unwatchable hash of pop excess. Yes, Matt Healy’s odious lyrics about Instagram make me want to puke. And yes, everything about The 1975 from their name to their light show is pretentious. But when the five hit the intro to ‘UGH!’, it’s all Billie Jean bass and cocaine-fuelled pop goodness. “The kick won’t last for long,” sings Healy on ‘UGH!’. “But the song only lasts three minutes.” It’s time to stop worrying and love this darkly twee band.

4. ESPERANZA SPALDING – EMILY’S D+EVOLUTION [CONCORD] Rarely is genre a convincing way to describe music. Defining Emily’s D+Evolution would require an especially convoluted chain of hyphenated terms. It feels immediately like a challenge from Spalding to those trying to classify her as ‘jazz’ or ‘pop’, moving fluidly through unconventional rhythms, extended harmony and sweet breakbeat soul. Spalding isn’t the first artist to adopt a persona to express their more mainstream sensibilities, but in a post-Prince world where reinvention is so often greeted with cynicism, Esperanza’s virtuosity and willingness to challenge limitations is exactly what we need.

3. RADIOHEAD – A MOON SHAPED POOL [XL RECORDINGS] That Radiohead waited over twenty years to officially release album closer ‘True Love Waits’ says a lot about their obsession with time and place. A Moon Shaped Pool is filled with preexisting songs that required exactly the right atmosphere to truly feel at home. Lead singles ‘Burn the Witch’ and ‘Daydreaming’ feature extended string techniques and polyrhythmic minimalism; nods to unconventional 20th Century composition styles. It’s all in keeping with one of 2016’s themes, that big name releases can’t just be good, they have to cover new ground.

2. BON IVER – 22, A MILLION [JAGJAGUWAR] Bon Iver fans live in constant heart-in-your-mouth fear that Justin Vernon will turn around and say “that’s it, that’s the last Bon Iver record”. It speaks to the emotional toll that making such torturously sincere music has on a man best remembered for retreating to a cabin in the woods with an acoustic guitar to mend his broken heart. 22, A Million marries Vernon’s signature cryptic lyrics with abstract numerology and machine-like noise that fuels the chicken and egg debate about Yeezus’ production style.

1. CAR SEAT HEADREST – TEENS OF DENIAL [MATADOR RECORDS] “Last Friday I took acid and mushrooms,” sings lo-fi hero Will Toledo on Teens of Denial. “I did not transcend, I felt like a walking piece of shit.” It’s an album that sees him repeatedly denouncing the expectations put on a deeply dissatisfied modern youth, trading in spiritual insight for pragmatic coping mechanisms and talking (often yelling) about mental illness, dealing with people and getting kicked out of school for using drugs. It all comes together under the hefty punch of indie rock sing-alongs, the snide and vulnerable “Tell my mother I’m going home / I’ve been destroyed by hippy powers” chief among them.

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★★★★★ GISELLE BUETI: CONTRIBUTOR 5. NGAIIRE – BLASTOMA [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] Blastoma cemented Sydney singer Ngaiire as a force to be reckoned with in the Australian music landscape. Her electric flair shines through each track, with powerful vocals and cosmic vibes. The experimental tones used throughout the album create a rollercoaster of sounds that could have had listeners lost, but are stitched together so stunningly that it works. Blastoma perfectly showcases the commanding charm of Ngaiire’s voice, as she effortlessly flips between reckless and tender, and further establishes her unique talent of empowering her listeners.

4. JULIA JACKLIN – DON’T LET THE KIDS WIN [LIBERATION] Don’t Let the Kids Win is the debut album from Blue Mountains local Julia Jacklin, and as first albums go, it’s pretty freaking sweet! The record is a brutally honest reflection of that limbo period between being a teenager and becoming an adult. The raw emotion that she injects into her lyrics, the placement of words, the enchanting melodies; it all just pulls you in. The album is haunting in a way (with several tracks that will make you cry), but it’s gracefulness makes for easy listening.

3. BIG SCARY – ANIMAL [PIEATER] Animal is the third record from Melbourne duo Big Scary and from start to finish, it captivates. Designed as a four-part concept album, it is divided into four sections titled ‘Haunting’, ‘Lurking’, ‘Resting’ and ‘Waking’. Each chapter is a representation of the animalistic instincts that drive human nature. Using a fusion of indie synth pop and ethereal cries, the duo creates an ambitious, sometimes confusing sound that successfully encapsulates each of these themes. Their early single, ‘The Opposite of Us’, remains the highlight, but the other tracks are just as compelling.

2. CAMP COPE – CAMP COPE [POISON CITY RECORDS] Camp Cope’s self-titled debut album explores some heavy issues. It takes themes like misogyny and self-doubt, puts them under the microscope and tears them apart. Lead singer Georgia Maq steers the ship with hoarse vocals. The weariness and cracks in her voice add an extra element to the lyrics, making them flow like soliloquies. The album offers relentless listening, and is the type of record that every time you listen to it, you feel something new. It’s a seamless introduction to a band we will definitely be seeing more of.

1. TASH SULTANA – NOTION [LONELY LANDS RECORDS] OK, so I’m cheating with this one. Notion is the debut EP from Melbourne artist Tash Sultana, and whilst it’s not an album, it’s still my number one of the year because it is magical! Tash puts everything into her music. Her energy bursts through like a cannon, landing lucidly over its audience, engulfing them in this raw, passion filled trance. The EP is filled with layered instrumentals that psychedelically loop into each other, coupled with vocals that range from drifting caresses to rash cries. From busking on the streets of Melbourne to playing sold-out shows, she’s come a long way and I can’t wait to see what she does next!

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THOMAS SPILLANE: CONTRIBUTOR 5. RADIOHEAD – A MOON SHAPED POOL [XL RECORDINGS] Radiohead recorded A Moon Shaped Pool in the wake of vocalist Thom Yorke’s divorce from his wife of 23 years. It is easy to see how Yorke has channelled his sorrow into the band’s ninth effort. Still complying with their distinct brand of alternative electronica, Radiohead’s latest effort contains more organic elements than its predecessor. Songs such as ‘Desert Island Disk’ and ‘Identikit’ contain more guitar than much of the band’s recent work and strings become a big focus on tracks such as ‘Burn The Witch’ and ‘Decks Dark’.

4. THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS – EVERYTHING YOU’VE COME TO EXPECT [DOMINO] Everything You’ve Come To Expect launched The Last Shadow Puppets this year from Arctic Monkeys’ side-project to internationally recognised band in their own right. The album sees Turner taking his desert crooner persona to the next level. Influenced by the likes of Isaac Hayes and The Style Council, the album contains lush strings that complement reverb drenched guitar lines and witty lyrics. Songs like ‘Aviation’ and ‘Used To Be My Girl’ soar with a myst of mystique. This is Alex Turner at his most self-indulgent, albeit his best.

3. CHARLES BRADLEY – CHANGES [DAPTONE RECORDS] This year saw many artists channelling a newfound influence from funk and soul music. Changes is the third album from a man who lived through the ‘70s, only becoming famous in his sixties. James Brown impersonator turned soul revivalist, Charles Bradley provides his best work yet on this album. Surprise title track, a cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘Changes’, is where Bradley really shines. Filled with his trademark soulful scream, warm organ and funky horns, Bradley masters the pain-tinged brand of soul he helped revive with his career.

2. NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS – SKELETON TREE [BAD SEED] Skeleton Tree may be Nick Cave’s most heart-wrenching effort to date. His fifteen-year-old son passed away halfway through recording the album, and his devastation can be heard throughout the whole record. Dark, rumbling bass lines and synthesiser chords give most of the tracks a base where piano lines and acoustic guitar strums serve to nuance Cave’s broken voice. Despite the album being mostly filled with sorrow, the last two tracks, ‘Distant Sky’ and ‘Skeleton Tree’ begin to lift the mood. Skeleton Tree is Cave exploring his grief 1. TWIN PEAKS – DOWN IN HEAVEN [GRAND JURY] Chicago garage-rockers Twin Peaks released their best album to date this year. Their third effort, Twin Peaks fall somewhere between Mac Demarco and Fat White Family, raw when warranted but always infectiously melodic. Tracks such as ‘Wanted You’ and ‘Heavenly Showers’ tell the story of debauchery following lost love over The Rolling Stones inspired country-blues guitar. Songs such as ‘Keep It Together’ and ‘Butterfly’ are full of fuzzed-out guitars and The Kinks-style melodies. Twin Peaks wear these influences on their sleeve and it makes for an amazingly retro sounding record. Transparent and honest, Twin Peaks are just here to have a good time.

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BMA MAGAZINE’S TOP FIVE ALBUMS OF 2016 JARROD MCGRATH: CONTRIBUTOR A great album should be all killer and no filler, like a mix tape you made yourself. I struggled to find these in 2016. There was great new music and new artists, but their albums didn’t meet this status. My list is made up of four-star albums and has some bias towards my favourite artists, who have to try hard to do wrong by me. Honourable mentions: Grouplove – Big Mess, Sticky Fingers – Westway (The Glitter & The Slums), Weezer – White Album.

5. BRIAN FALLON – PAINKILLERS [ISLAND RECORDS] In his first solo release, The Gaslight Anthem’s singer delivered a piece of work that sits well within his extensive repertoire.

Whilst being overall similar to his work with side project The Horrible Crowes, Painkillers has a few heavier, fast paced songs reminiscent of the power punk Gaslight is famous for. What remains prominent on this album is that constant bordering on hope and heartache, both lyrically and melodically. Standout tracks include ‘A Wonderful Life’, ‘Smoke’ and ‘Honey Magnolia’.

4. CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN – THE RIDE [ISLAND RECORDS] The Ride is a damn fine follow up to the outstanding debut The Balcony. Sophomore albums can prove tricky, especially when your debut was praised and you received several ‘breakthrough’ artist awards. Van McCann (singer and main songwriter) and his crew did not let us down at all, with an album that continued to demonstrate why they are one of the biggest British bands around currently. Their punchy rock and drinking and smoking themes continue in standout tracks ‘Soundcheck’ and ‘7’, but they slow things down a bit more compared to their debut on tracks ‘Glasgow’ and ‘Heathrow’.

3. THE DELTA RIGGS – ACTIVE GALACTIC [RAH RAH RADIO] The Riggs unashamedly wear their influences on their sleeves.

This makes for awesome, unpretentious, soul-bearing rock ‘n’ roll music via a whole bunch of subgenres and comparisons.

Their latest is by far their funkiest/danciest yet, and whilst it may not pass the ‘whistle test’ melodically – compared to some songs on Dipz Zebazios – it still showcases great songwriting. Besides about three fillers, the rest are all equal standout tracks.

2. DMA’S – HILLS END [I OH YOU] The only debut album on my list. I have to admit there is something I can’t quite put my finger on about this band. Are they just an Oasis rip-off? Is their sound overall happy or sad, fast, medium or slow? What I do know is that their songs get stuck in your head, and (after seeing them live) I learnt that they make an impressive guitar wall of sound for a ‘pop’ band. Standout tracks include ‘Too Soon’, ‘Lay Down’ and ‘Delete’.

1. VIOLENT SOHO – WACO [I OH YOU] With ‘Like Soda’ severely whetting our appetite in late 2015, Waco was eagerly anticipated. The Mansfield boys met expectations with an album that continued to mesh melodies of grunge with the energy of punk rock. I’m not one for new musical labels, but this ‘post-modern punk grunge’ makes a ‘90s teenager feel at home in the musical landscape of the new millennium. Can’t wait to mosh to ‘Viceroy’ and ‘No Shade’ when they bring their show to town for Spilt Milk.

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ALEX MORRIS: CONTRIBUTOR 5. THE DRONES – FEELIN KINDA FREE [TROPICAL FUCK STORM RECORDS] After reaching the zenith of their apocalyptic, doom-laden blues with 2013’s I See Seaweed, The Drones retired to their newly constructed home studio ‘Tropical Fuck Storm Studios’, and reinvented themselves. Incorporating drum machines and noisy synths for the first time in their nearly 15-year career, The Drones are the freshest, most political and alive they’ve ever been, which is saying something for Australia’s best live band. The searing political tirades of ‘Private Execution’ and ‘Taman Shud’ contrast with the sweeping heartbreak of songs like ‘To Think That I Once Loved You’, to culminate in another perfect album from The Drones.

4. D.D DUMBO – UTOPIA DEFEATED [LIBERATION] Utopia Defeated sounds like nothing else in pop songwriting.

The closest comparison I can make is that it’s somewhere between Paul Simon, Gotye and tUnE-yArDs, plus every wide-ranging influence of theirs. D.D Dumbo sounds like pop music from an alternate future where everything is totally different but instantly accessible. One-man band Oliver Perry’s mix of looped drums and heavily processed 12-string guitar conjures some of the freshest sounding music of 2016, with lead single ‘Satan’ an absolute standout in every way and perhaps the best song of the year.

3. POLIÇA – UNITED CRUSHERS [POD / INTERTIA] United Crushers is Poliça’s most cohesive and honest album to date. The heavily layered vocals and their previous albums give way to unfiltered vocals and some of the tightest songwriting of their career, exemplified in standouts like ‘Someway’ and ‘Lime Habit’.

Reflecting on the birth of her son and her marriage to Poliça producer Ryan Olson, singer Channy Leaneagh has said, “I saw this record as my last chance, I wanted it to have a ‘final paper’ feel.” And if it is indeed the last Poliça record, it’s the best possible end.

2. VARIOUS ARTISTS – DAY OF THE DEAD [THE RED HOT ORGANIZATION] The Grateful Dead was one of the world’s most popular and influential bands. Despite their ‘60s counterculture roots, they were arguably at the height of their popularity at the time of leader Jerry Garcia’s death in the mid-90s. This immense, five-hour compilation curated by The National, of covers and tributes to The Dead from artists spanning from Courtney Barnett to ambient drone artist Tim Hecker, is a phenomenal album on its own and serves as the best possible introduction to The Dead for a whole new generation.

1. KANYE WEST – THE LIFE OF PABLO [GETTING OUT OUR DREAMS II] The title of The Life Of Pablo, Kanye West’s 2016 masterwork allegedly refers to Pablo Escobar, Pablo Picasso, and possibly even a third Pablo we don’t even know about and this sort of bizarre, all-encompassing sentiment flows through the entire album. Grabbing from all over the sonic map, from Chance The Rapper’s gospel on ‘Ultralight Beams’, Pultizer Prize winning composer Carolyn Shaw’s vocoder on ‘Pt. 2’ and Kanye at the most emotionally honest he’s ever been on the Weeknd featuring ‘FML’. Kanye has reinvented himself again and The Life Of Pablo is a personal reflection on faith, fame and family, and arguably his best work yet amongst an already incredible discography.

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★★★★★ LISA SAMPSON: CONTRIBUTOR 5. URTHBOY – THE PAST BEATS INSIDE ME LIKE A SECOND HEARTBEAT [ELEFANT TRAKS] I’m a sucker for a good old-fashioned Australian story and Urthboy delivers, in part due to his residency down the road at the National Film and Sound Archive, but also his honest experience of family. He tells us about a criminal in love (‘Long Loud Hours’), a missing person (‘Hey Juanita’), his daughter (‘Little Girl’s Dad’) and his mum (‘Daughter of the Light’). His selection of guest vocalists including Montaigne, Bertie Blackman and Sampa the Great, is perfection. Think Aussie hip-hop is cringeworthy? Challenge your assumptions with this album.

4. PAINT ON PAINT – NIGHT RISES [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] Local darlings, Hannah Beasley and Chris Endrey made a cracker of an album in Night Rises. It’s all kinds of dreamy, and wins my best album art of 2016 too. I could listen to the guitar in ‘Silence’ quite happily for the rest of my days, and Hannah’s vocals have me coining a new genre: lullabies for grown-ups (genuine compliment).

While not involved in the album’s production, drummer Clarke Finn’s addition to Paint On Paint’s live shows added something special. I look forward to hearing where the Endrey/Finn musical bromance goes next.

3. NGAIIRE – BLASTOMA [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] Whoa, Ngaiire came out of nowhere for me in 2016. I’d heard her backing vocals for other acts over the years and shamefully assumed a solo effort wouldn’t stand up. Wrong!

Once helped me get over a crush that didn’t go my way, ‘I Wear Black’ is my new feminist anthem. ‘Fall Into My Arms’ hits me right in the gospel feels.

Other highlights include ‘Diggin’ and ‘I Can’t Hear God Anymore’, because they show how easily Ngaiire straddles dance and soul, whilst weaving in some serious truth telling.

2. PAUL DEMPSEY – STRANGE LOOP [EMI] So my bias is upfront – I’ve been a Something Gor Kate fan for about 17 years. In full band and solo mode, Paul Dempsey just keeps getting better. It’s easy to see why – he’s made music a viable career, and he damn well revels in that. This, his second solo album bucks some traditions. It opens with a seven-and-a-half-minute song (‘The True Sea’), without seeming indulgent. He plays almost every instrument himself, yet the sound is cohesive. Also, ‘Idiot Oracle’ is the best damn song about dreams/silent movies ever.

1. CAMP COPE – CAMP COPE [POISON CITY RECORDS] I have listened to this album on an almost daily basis for about six months straight, and I won’t be stopping anytime soon. Camp Cope suits any mood I’m in – happy, sad, angry, energetic, introspective. At just eight tracks and a smidge over half an hour, it’s an empathetic firecracker. ‘Jet Fuel Can’t Melt Steel Beams’ is a hard lesson we haven’t seemed to have learned yet, and opener ‘Done’ has this wall of sound that knocks me over every time. Camp Cope were my top gig of 2016 too, with Cayetana and Moaning Lisa at Transit Bar. Get on board if you haven’t already – this band is the shit.

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KAROLINA FIRMAN: CONTRIBUTOR 5. ARIANA GRANDE – DANGEROUS WOMAN [REPUBLIC RECORDS] I appreciate Ariana Grande, partially because she’s a dynamic and engaging performer, and partially because she’s doing her bit to save us from the travesty that is Iggy Azalea – by completely overshadowing her. Her latest album, Dangerous Woman, is awesome. I really like ‘Side to Side’ – anyone who knows me has been subjected to my off-key singing of the chorus for weeks. The title track, ‘Dangerous Woman’ is powerful and surprisingly deep. Would recommend, just because.

4. BTS – WINGS [SORIBABA] BTS are a South Korean boy band also known as Bangtan Boys.

They have been described (by a friend of mine), as sounding like the Korean version of the Backstreet Boys. I am newly into this band, as I was referred one of their songs, ‘21st Women’. Since then I have listened to the rest of the album Wings. The songs are fast (which if you can’t tell, is my jive); it’s also weirdly nice not knowing what the singers are saying – particularly when you learn later they they are actually quite feminist in some cases. Would recommend for those wanting to expand their music tastes.

3. LUKAS GRAHAM – LUKAS GRAHAM [WARNER BROS.] Lukas Graham is a Danish soul and pop band that is some of the calmer music that I like to listen to. Apparently Denmark and the rest of the world would agree as they have been very successful so far. Their self-titled album has two of my favourite songs at the moment, ‘Mama Said’ and ‘Strip No More’. These songs have a great balance of humour, emotion and rhythm. Their songs make me sad, in a good way, and I appreciate that.

2. BILLY TALENT – AFRAID OF HEIGHTS [WARNER MUSIC CANADA] Billy Talent are a great Canadian rock band that has the kind of music that you listen to as an angsty teen, which I did. Luckily their music continues to be great as an adult. They have loud, powerful bass lines with equally powerful and opinionated lyrics. The best songs on their latest album are ‘Louder Than The DJ’, ‘Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rats’ and ‘Big Red Gun’. Very good music to clean or run to. Would recommend when feeling happy, or sad. It’s an album for all occasions … most occasions … some occasions.

1. GALANTIS – PHARMACY [ATLANTIS] I unapologetically love dance and electronica music.

I like that it almost has a geography, you can feel when the music goes up and down. It feels like you’re travelling even when you’re staying in the same place.

That said, it has to be the right kind of electronica and Galantis is perfect. They are a breakthrough Swedish band and their first album Pharmacy has been intensely popular. I was hooked first on ‘No Money’, segued into ‘Peanut Butter Jelly’, and am in the middle of listening to ‘Call If You Need Me’. The songs are fun, fast and the lyrics make no sense whatsoever. So, basically perfect.

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and catch them before they head off to the Woodford Folk Festival over the New Year break.

LOCALITY

While the peaks of spring and early summer have been an absolute boon for local music in Canberra, as we shift into the Christmas/New Year period, it’s time to get ready for a bit of a lull. That said, there’s plenty to get out and see before then!

When it comes to curious tour destinations, the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan are right up there, but that’s where Guyy and The Fox have just come back from. They’ll be playing their first gig back on Wednesday December 17 at Smith’s Alternative from 7pm. They’ll be joined by Sara Flint, and promise an evening of soaring original music reaching across folk and beyond. Entry is $15,

In my opinion, one of the greatest losses of 2016 was Moochers Inc. I still miss them a lot, but a couple of them have banded together to ease the sorrow of their fans by coming together as a new Dixieland and blues group, Low Society. They’ll be playing the Harmonie German Club on Friday December 16 from 8pm, and entry is free.

Grab your dancing shoes for this one. It’s going to be a hoot.

If you’re feeling the need for some African beats, Zambezi Sounds return to Smith’s Alternative with their colourful show on Sunday December 18 from 7pm. Entry is $15, and I promise you that you’ll have a wonderful time, full of storytelling, joy and dancing. The tables will be well and truly pushed back for this one.

For the last few years, Lavers have been putting on a Christmas shindig at The Phoenix, with the tradition continuing in 2016. Head along to catch them on Thursday December 22 from 8pm, as well as some special guests yet to be revealed. $10 will get you in the door.

On Monday December 19, the Bootleg Sessions are back at The Phoenix, with sets from rockabilly champs The King Hits, rock champions Betty Alto and folk/ country stars Tom Woodward and Evan Buckley. As always, entry is free but donations are highly encouraged. Get there at 8pm to make sure you don’t miss a thing.

There’s an eclectic all-female lineup at The Phoenix on Wednesday December 21 from 8pm, with $15 getting you in for spooky live looping from Happy Axe and killer rock from Moaning Lisa, both repping the capital before Ireland’s Wallis Bird takes the stage. Both the aforementioned are local acts, so this is a great opportunity to get on board with their tunes before the year is out.

Finally, a reminder: if you’re a local Canberra artist, feel free to get in touch with your gigs in the New Year. To guarantee a place in the column, get in touch six weeks ahead of the date, and don’t forget to include all the relevant details! You can drop me a line at nonijdoll@gmail.com or find me on Twitter.

Until next time, have yourself a wonderful time with whatever holidays you’re celebrating, and here’s to a 2017 full of new gigs, new tunes, new artists and hopefully even some new venues.

NONI DOLL NONIJDOLL@GMAIL.COM @NONIDOLL

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NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL

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CANBERRA ARTISTS TO WATCH IN 2017

Photo by Adam Thomas

CAPES

APHIR

Somehow the Capeyboys have become the most ubiquitous yet underrated band in town. Maybe it’s because Capes gigs tend to feel like family outings crashed by someone’s garage rock band. They hide it behind Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater punk rock and an ungoogleable band name but there’s a composure and maturity in their songwriting that makes you instantly connect. Their 2015 EP Be Rad shows off the range in their style, with the frantic 32-second jam ‘Haircuts’, the slowburning ‘Apnea’ and the endearing bookend piano interludes suggest that Capes are ready to take on a long form release. Save #capesdays to your clipboard. You’re going to need it.

Aphir is the solo project of singer/songwriter/producer Becki Whitton. Triple J Unearthed likened her to Flume but her production style sits closer to the avant-pop and experimental work of Arca.

Utilising warped samples and manipulated vocals, Aphir’s voice swings between bare and choral, building and collapsing over the top of glitchy R&B-inspired beats. The trance-like production and haunting vocals on tracks like ‘No Muse’, from Aphir’s forthcoming LP, lend themselves so naturally to visual art and live performance that even in isolation they illicit a strong, tangible presence. Now based out of Melbourne, Aphir’s set at Weird Frontier and her residency as part of Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres’ Vinegar Tom in early December, proved how much Canberra needs this otherworldly voice.

Sounds like: Every great rock band from the ‘90s and 2000’s before they sold out, bought synthesisers or tried to escape the shadow of their early career megahit.

For fans of: Green Day, Arctic Monkeys, Modern Baseball

THE LOWLANDS

Photo by Alex Selby

The Lowlands are the musical equivalent of a hug. Singer and guitarist Ella Hunt’s folk songs are the star here, with themes of compassion, coping and confronting one’s demons. Blues, jazz and calypso influences also come to the fore with Joel Davy (cello) and Sammy O’Brien (drums) giving each song a textural home to occupy.

The arrangement never gets in the way of the song, supporting it just enough to let it shine. ‘Leila’, the opening track from The Lowlands’ debut EP, is a goosebump-inducing folk song suited equally well to your sharehouse living room as a cavernous theatre. Either way, you can’t help but feel like you’re on the side of a mountain somewhere, trying to keep it together.

Sounds like: Sounding the depths of your soul with Jack Kerouac and a bottle of red wine.

For fans of: Laura Marling, Joni Mitchell, Angus & Julia Stone

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Sounds like: If Labyrinth was made in the 21st Century and starred Billie Holiday.

For fans of: Björk, FKA Twigs, Aphex Twin

ORANGES “I sure wish I could make you a man,” sings Emma McManus on ‘Like A Woman’, “at least then one of us can be free”. It’s a song originally released under the Darling Mermaid Darlings moniker, but McManus alongside guitarist Luciana Harrison carry that wry sense of humour over into their latest project, Oranges. Together they mix crunching guitars with deceptively sweet vocal harmonies that often play against the lyrical themes. The self-described “self-effacing feminist post-punk” outfit also draw on blues and lo-fi influences. Now with the support of local label Cinnamon Records (who work with other excellent underground Canberra artists like Melt, Dog Name and Wives), Oranges are set to release new single ‘Crackenback’, hopefully in time for their January show with Jack Coldwell.

Sounds like: What would happen if Savages calmed down a bit and started telling jokes.

For fans of: Waxahatchee, Joanna Newsom, Father John Misty

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BY HAYDEN FRITZLAFF

MOANING LISA

Photo by Amy Baker

Canberra would be a very different place had these grunge rock beacons of hope not come on the scene in early 2016. After taking out the National Campus Band Competition, being nominated for a National Live Music Award and addressing harassment at gigs by devising a safe signal for punters, Moaning Lisa’s résumé is already becoming ridiculous. They take cues from iconic ’90s bands as well as revivalists like Best Coast and Wolf Alice, but where Nirvana pointedly lacked technical mastery, Moaning Lisa seem intent on becoming the tightest live unit possible. The quartet lend a modern sophistication to the restraint and release hallmark of the genre. It all means that when the lid does come off, Moaning Lisa are equal parts life-affirming and unstoppable.

Sounds like: Meeting your demons head on with fuzz pedals and a Daria box set.

GENESIS OWUSU

Photo by Victor Tawagi

If you’re a hip-hop fan in the capital, then chances are this guy is already well and truly on your radar. Since emerging out of Triple J’s Unearthed High competition in 2015, Genesis Owusu (a.k.a. Kofi Ansah) has been at the forefront of a movement of rappers who don’t identify with the version of Australian hip-hop that is too often taken for gospel. Genesis Owusu ditches overproduced tracks and rhymes about hoverboards for expressive verses and beats built on smooth, dark jazz and soul samples. But it’s almost unfair to describe Genesis as bucking the trend, because it’s by staying true to hip-hop’s core of expression that he’s become one of the most exciting rappers in the country.

Sounds like: If King Krule rapped and jumped around a lot more.

For fans of: Earl Sweatshirt, King Krule, Kendrick Lamar

For fans of: Sleater-Kinney, Wolf Alice, The Pixies

parks

benjamindrury and b p h k t.

Venues like La De Da, Lobrow and Digress have been actively fostering the beats community in Canberra over the past few years and p a r k s are perhaps the most intriguing act to emerge from that scene. The duo shares a love of future-thinking production that pushes back the boundaries between techno, hip-hop and experimentalism; think noisy, industrial hip-hop beats interspersed with ambience and left of field samples. 2016 saw big name releases drawing just as much from underground and experimental music as mainstream influences. With support slots for the likes of Shigeto and a Southeast Asian tour already under their belts, 2017 might be the year p a r k s step out of the shadows.

Two distinct artists, two distinct projects, many similarities. Both benjamindrury (a.k.a. Ben Drury) and b p h k t. (a.k.a. Brendan KellerTuberg) are bassists/producers/composers who’ve come out of the ANU Experimental Music Studio over the past two years, and both utilise found sound and homemade samples to make their own version of whacked out cinematic hip-hop. benjamindrury’s debut album Sentence Fragment Consider Revising, due early 2017, gives an insight into Canberra’s shifting music scene, featuring field recordings and unexpected verses from local heroes. The debut EP from b p h k t. sports digitally manipulated windchimes and samples from Lost In Translation. The choice is yours. I’d choose both.

Sounds like: The soundtrack to the as yet unannounced sequel to Forsaken, the claustrophobic Nintendo 64 space shooter.

Sounds like: Literally pushing the envelope then using Ableton to sample it and turn it into an instrumental hip-hop jam.

For fans of: Thom Yorke, Gonjasufi, Mark Pritchard

For fans of: Bon Iver, Oneohtrix Point Never, J Dilla

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BREAKIN’ OUTTA ‘NATS

FILL UP THE MERC

THOMAS SPILLANE

NONI DOLL

An integral part of January in Canberra every year is SUMMERNATS. Beginning in 1987, the Summernats car festival is entering its 30th year of hot rods, burnouts and music. Spanning four days, from the 5th to the 8th of January, Summernats brings rev-heads from all across Australia to present up to 1,800 street machines at Exhibition Park in the nation’s capital.

When THIRSTY MERC’s Rai Thistlethwayte calls in for our interview from a studio in LA, things are a little crazy. During the course of the conversation, his landlord pops in for a visit. “He’s a legend. He’s a fellow songwriter,” Thistlethwayte said. “He’s got a studio here a bit north-east of Hollywood, but he’s also got one in Hollywood … They’re kind of like small spaces … like a bedroom size with a little extra room for vocals in a glassed off area.”

The festival contains many events over its four days, including burnout competitions, Miss Summernats, Horsepower Heroes and tattoo competitions. To accompany these events each year Summernats also books some homegrown music talent to keep spirits high.

Previous years have seen some legendary Australian bands headline the festival, most notably: The Living End, The Screaming Jets and Rose Tattoo.

This year, headlining Summernats, is Australia rock ‘n’ rollers AIRBOURNE. Returning to their home country after a massive tour of Europe, the high-octane band are excited to play to home crowds once again.

“We love playing to Australian crowds,” says bass guitarist, Justin Street, “they are some of the biggest piss drinking and craziest of the whole world, and we still call Australia home.”

Hailing from Warrnambool in Victoria, Airbourne have just released their fourth album, Breakin’ Outta Hell. Packed to the brim with ballsto-the-wall rock ‘n’ roll, Airbourne recorded their latest effort with the same producer as their first album, Bob Marlette, who has also produced the likes of Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne.

“It was the best studio experience we’ve ever had,” Street says, “he shook things up with some good ideas and his general pleasant and wise vibe.”

Breakin’ Outta Hell, as do all of Airbourne’s efforts, sees the band unashamedly wearing their influences on their sleeves. The band is never short of an AC/DC comparison, but this doesn’t bother them.

“We are always trying things we hadn’t before, but we have a very firm idea of how Airbourne should sound,” Street continues, “but I think we are evolving with every record.”

Airbourne’s music has always very clearly been an homage to their hard rock heroes, with singer Joel O’Keefe even stating that Breakin’ Outta Hell closer ‘It’s All For Rock N Roll’ is a tribute to late Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister. The legendary hard rock icon met the band when they opened for Motörhead in Australia and struck up a friendship, featuring in the music video for their single ‘Runnin’ Wild’.

“It was awesome meeting Lemmy,” Street reminisces, “we toured with [Motörhead] again in Europe … he had his drink and his slot machine and loved the shit out of ZZ Top.”

My band is named after a gas guzzling Mercedes, so that’s not a bad pairing

While he’s been spending a lot of time stateside over the last couple of years, Thirsty Merc have still been clocking up the miles right around the country, including a few stops in the capital in 2016. “We played at Skyfire, and we played at the Southern Cross Club. So yeah, we’ve done two in 2016, three in the last twelve months,” Thistlethwayte reflects, before going on to compliment Canberra’s audiences. “[Skyfire] was great because it was so well attended, it was amazing. Yeah, we had a ball. It was great fun. Southern Cross Club was good too, because that was actually the first show of our whole tour in April, so it was sort of like a special gig in a lot of ways, to kick off the tour in Canberra.”

However, 2017 will be the first time Thistlethwayte has been to Summernats. He says that he and the Merc boys are pretty keen to see it for themselves. “I remember seeing media for it when I was a lot younger and I never really knew what it was, but I knew it was obviously automotive … It was probably the first event where I realised that there was a combination of your V8s, your promo girls, your crossover between that sort of world,” he says. “It sounds like awesome fun, to be honest. It’s going to be nice to actually play a gig there … I’ve never actually seen Airbourne play,” he says, noting a fellow act on the bill, “but I’ve heard the name and I think it’s an appropriate pairing. I think it’ll be nice.”

Adding Thirsty Merc to the Summernats bill seems pretty obvious.

Their last album was called Shifting Gears, they have a hit called ‘In The Summertime’ … And then there’s their moniker. “I just thought: actually, my band is named after a gas guzzling Mercedes, so that’s not a bad pairing as well, having ol’ Thirsty Merc on the bill for the event,” Thistlethwayte acknowledges, before reiterating just how excited he and his bandmates are to be playing such a massive event.

“I think it’s a real honour to be asked to play and it’ll be good. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Thirsty Merc will be playing at Summernats on Saturday January 7 at 5pm. Day tickets are $79 for adults, $29 for youths and $187 for families and can be found at summernats.com.au.

Airbourne will be playing at Summernats on Saturday January 7. Day tickets are $79 for adults, $29 for youths and $187 for families and can be found at summernats.com.au.

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SUMMERNATS

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SHE HOLDS MY MIRROR RORY MCCARTNEY After eleven years and five studio albums, Ireland’s WALLIS BIRD is finally visiting Australia on her longest tour to date. BMA called her in Berlin to talk about her music and new LP, Home.

Bird’s themes are very personal; she doesn’t believe in hiding much about herself. “I sing about how I am in this world and how the world is in my eyes.” Not keen on metaphors, she’s a straight shooter in her lyrics. “There’s a lot that my parents would prefer I keep to myself, but I can’t help it.” Bird gets much inspiration from her partner, whom she speaks of in glowing terms. “When you meet someone who puts a mirror up to your face and shows you that you should not fear, as everything will be OK … when, no matter what, you have someone you can turn to, it makes you want to be When you have someone a better person you can turn to, it makes and search deeper you want to be a inside yourself.” son

better per

Bird also speaks enthusiastically about Berlin: a cosmopolitan, liberated, sleepless place, driven by transparency and passion for art. “It’s so wild, and that helps artists get along as you can call into a bar and get breakfast at six in the morning, which really appeals to the way I and many of my friends’ work. We’re not morning people I guess.”

Moving on to her new LP, there’s an incredible diversity in song styles.

“It just turned out that way. The main element is that I’m crazy about sound and the mechanics of instruments, and how you can manipulate that and play around with sound. I enjoy experimenting, so I don’t have one sound that suits me. I don’t know what I’m going to like from one moment to the next, as I’m searching for a positivity, a passion and a realness.” While the record was partly self-produced, an aspect Bird loves, she had help from producer Marcus West. “We’ve been working together for 12 years, so everything I’ve learned on my recording side is all thanks to that guy.”

There was a big difference between the recording processes on her last two LPs. Architect was a very rushed affair. “I was crazy in love and also going through a breakup, so my head and heart were in a huge whirlwind.” She was going out partying, and her music was a low priority. While there was a lot of depth to that LP, Bird believes that her tumultuous creative process is evident on the record. “With Home, I worked at my own pace, putting extreme time and effort into it over two years. This is the best work I’ve done, as it’s the first time that I’ve said, this is my entire life and all I’m doing for the next two years.”

Wallis Bird, with Moaning Lisa and Happy Axe in support, play The Phoenix on Wednesday December 21. Watch facebook.com/thephoenixcanberra/events/ for details and ticketing info.

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JACK COLWELL

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BMA SESSIONS

DANCE THE DROP

It always feels a bit cheesy to do an end of year wrap-up and say ‘what an incredible year in music it was!’, especially in the age of fake news, rising temperatures and sea levels, and the election of an obnoxious billionaire to the most powerful job in the world. Still, I like to think that dance music is for hedonistic escapism and the creation of community around a shared love of electronic beats, so in some ways, we need it more than ever right now.

2016 saw some really interesting trends happen, and it’s sometimes hard to see where it’s all going – but it’s definitely an exciting time.

Bombastic cookie-cutter EDM finally feels like it’s well and truly over, with new not-quite-underground, but not-quite-commercial sounds of house and techno filling the clubs. Massive one-day festivals have given way to niche, single stage events, or multi-day ‘boutique’ festivals. The bush-doof scene continues to become more and more popular, bringing fresh sounds and people, but also an increasing commercialisation – even Timmy Trumpet had his ‘psy or die’ hit (which no, is not psytrance). Warehouse parties are popping up everywhere as kids move away from the restrictions (and focus on alcohol) of the clubs, while the queer dance scene feels like it’s the strongest it’s been in years. The big labels and brands have way less influence, as smaller scenes fragment and create their own identities. An increasingly international flavour is driving music, with artists and DJs looking past the UK, Germany or the US to places in Eastern Europe, Africa and South America … exciting times!

DEPARTMENT OF LATE NIGHTS

The lead up to Christmas is always packed with gigs, so here’s a few you might be interested in. Friday December 16 is a super busy one, with electro-house rockers Bag Raiders playing a DJ set at Mr Wolf, while Melbourne bounce and minimal favourites Slice ‘n’ Dice will be at Academy. If you wanted to stay away from the clubs, techno crew Department of Late Nights have teamed up with Chameleon Recordings to bring Steve Ward, Jamie Stevens and Mayah up from Melbourne to play a special warehouse party. This follows a production master class the night before at Lobrow, so if you’re a techno-head, you better buy a ticket (online at Resident Advisor).

Saturday night sees Gay Cliché return to Transit Bar, while Sunday has cosmic-disco wizard Tornado Wallace playing a rare set at Bar Rochford.

Friday December 23 has Roland Tings play a set of house and techno at Mr Wolf, while Aussie exports the Stafford Brothers will bring some upfront club tunes to Academy.

Thursday December 29 has a very special gig at Transit Bar, where none other than UK drum and bass legend Aphrodite will make an appearance – worth checking out!

Thursday January 5 brings London progressive electronic producer Dusky to Mr Wolf – definitely one to catch if you’re free. The next night, Hard Envy returns to Cube with Aussie hardstyle master Outbreak, while Saturday January 7 has two busy nights – Artificial Intelligence at The Basement for some drum and bass with Sydney’s Ncrypt, while Connekt presents Beat Repeat at La De Da for the first of their new techno night stacked full of local talent.

All these gigs are online; check out Facebook for details and information on local and support acts. In the meantime, enjoy your Christmas – hopefully Santa will bring you some decent music, and not just compilation albums of the same recycled trance anthems…

PETER ‘KAZUKI’ O’ROURKE contact@kazuki.com.au

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KAZUKI’S TOP FIVE DANCE MOMENTS OF 2016

PETER ‘KAZUKI’ O’ROURKE

Traditionally at the end of the year I would write a review of my top albums, yet increasingly (and I’m sure like many people in the age of the internet) I don’t listen to many albums anymore. So instead, here are my favourite dance music moments from 2016, experienced front and centre on the dancefloor.

5. Vengaboys @ Big Top (Sydney) Super cheesy and super camp, the Vengaboys’ concert extravaganza was everything you hoped for and more. Cameo sets by Sonique (whose voice was as magnificent as ever), Crystal Waters and Tina Cousins built throughout the evening, with intermission DJ sets of ‘90s pop and dance classics tying it all together. It only took 17 years for the Vengabus to arrive for me – the wait was worth it.

4. Joseph Capriati @ Carl Cox’s Pure Festival (Sydney) For more than 20 years, Carl Cox was the king of Ibiza, but he’s recently moved to Australia permanently for semi-retirement.

If retirement involves putting on an annual techno festival – Carl Cox’s Pure – sign me up! Italian techno master Joseph Capriati was the standout for me, with a sweet set of reverbed percussion and menacing warehouse basslines. Impeccable production and crystal clear sound rounded off this warehouse style party very nicely.

3. Digweed @ Rainbow Serpent Festival (Victoria) UK progressive house legend Digweed is often known as the ‘DJ’s DJ’. The amount of skill this guy has in creating atmosphere with his extremely smooth and subtle mixes is unsurpassed, and his Sunday night set on the market stage at Rainbow Serpent Festival did not disappoint, with movements through deep techno, acid house and progressive sounds. The festival itself was fantastic as well, with a festive, colourful crowd and heaps of good music – other notable acts included headline sets from Ace Ventura, Jamie Stevens, and Hernan Cattaneo closing the main stage (ending with Bowie’s ‘Loving the Alien’).

2. Boris Brejcha/Ann Clue @ Warehouse (Canberra) Dave Caffery and his Escape Ferocity crew know how to put on a top notch party, and their warehouse rave featuring German techno don Boris Brejcha and his partner in crime Ann Clue, was a definite dance music highlight of 2016. Two amazing sets, along with some choice locals and an up-for-a-serious-party crowd, left this event a favourite for many a Canberra techno fan.

1. Eat Static @ Eclipse Festival (Indonesia) This was probably up there with one of the most amazing experiences of my life, let alone dance music. Vintage psychedelic trance act Eat Static played to a crowd of 2,000 travellers with a special sunrise set of live music, right before a total solar eclipse on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia.

Wearing his signature alien mask, the UK veteran created some downright mind-bending sonic wizardry of arpeggiated grooves and strange samples as the moon slowly blocked out the sun.

Finishing off his set with a “now let’s watch this fucking eclipse!”, the crowd put on their special eclipse viewing glasses and we sat back to watch one of the most awe-inspiring cosmological events you’ll ever witness. Bring on 2017.

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LANDING EVERY PUNCH ANDREW NARDI Sydney-based producers BAG RAIDERS (a.k.a. Jack Glass and Chris Stracey) have been playing this scene since the days of The Presets and Cut Copy, pushing back close to ten years ago. A select few will remember their debut electro single ‘Fun Punch’; a good deal of us have fond memories of dancing to ‘Shooting Stars’ in 2009 before their huge debut album dropped in 2010. Since then, the duo has been drip feeding us singles and EPs and touring the world relentlessly, while ensuring to stopover in Canberra every odd Christmas and New Year.

Only with an album can you tell a story, take people on a trip

Glass and Stracey are back this time with a new single under the belt, ‘Beat Me To The Punch’, featuring the illustrious neo soul icon, Mayer Hawthorne. “He’s the don. Absolutely smashed it. Was such a pleasure having him involved.”

They’re not wrong about that either; ‘Beat Me To The Punch’ is a fresh, feel-good hit of the summer, carried along by Hawthorne’s suave vocals, a slow kick and some disco synths thrown in for good measure.

I make an observation that ‘Beat Me To The Punch’ sounds like a very modern take on the classic French touch sound of Daft Punk and Cassius, but they’re not so hot on that description. “That’s interesting you think that. I suppose because it sounds more sample-based, it has that kind of French touch vibe? But to me, it has more of a California feeling. Top-down on the freeway kinda steez.”

Actually, that makes more sense. It’s a track destined not only for Aussie clubs, but for private hotel pool parties while the sun sets on downtown LA. It gets me thinking, do they notice a clear difference with what crowds are vibing on in different parts of the world?

“Actually, I think the world is more homogenised than ever. I suppose that makes sense given the way people now consume music.

The internet dictates everything; local radio and scenes are less important.”

The internet has also changed the way a lot of producers go about releasing music, favouring EPs and singles over long players. Do they miss the album format? “Yes! We still hope to release an album early next year. To me the album will always be the pinnacle. Only with an album can you tell a story, take people on a trip. I still listen to albums all the time. But it’s true, it seems like the format is disappearing.

Especially in dance music.”

Finally, I have to thank them for all the times they’ve stopped by Canberra in the last few years. “We always have a great time in the ‘berra! We’ve been coming for years, back in the days of Lot 33, where we lost a lot of memories. Now the last few times we’ve been at Mr Wolf, which is a dope new spot. Always an excellent vibe. Looking forward to it!”

Bag Raiders come to Mr Wolf on Friday December 16 at 10pm. Support from Skinny, Me Again and MIA.

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METALISE OK, so this year was fricken nigh on impossible to shortlist. I want to take a big slab of this column to thank the following artists for their musical output in 2016, and maybe suggest a couple of stocking stuffers for you guys if you missed them earlier. King – Reclaim The Darkness – killer, blackened melodic death metal from Melbourne, from a true super group of Aussie legends. Nails – You Will Never Be One of Us – proper angry, proper aggression and a tasty Ballou production to boot. Nasty. Destroyer 666 – Wildfire – Aussie’s kicking blackened thrash ass and taking names worldwide.

Kvelertak – Nattesferd – Thin Lizzy goes to Norway and forms a black metal band for the third time and what a treat it is. Conan – Revengeance – the band that caused Matt Pike to near shit himself.

Nuff said.

Sinister Haze – Laid Low In The Dust Of Death – like a heavy, modern take on Captain Beyond or Mountain, groovy baby.

Witchcraft – Nucleus – I didn’t love their previous album with the reverence of their first album or mint Firewood album; this was a real return to form. Egypt – Endless Flight – it came out in December of last year so I missed it then, but I really liked listening to this in 2016. VoiVod – Post Society – post-Piggy (RIP), they still manage to take his laptop of genius and honour his memory with great music. Discharge – End of Days – a new vocalist put some fuel back into tank and this is d-beat great. Ghoul – Dungeon Bastards – it’s a Ghoul record, you know it’s gonna be a good time.

Carnifex – Slow Death – tune it to the depths, a bit more modern, “shiny production” sounding than most of my picks, but I did enjoy this. Inverloch – Distance Collapsed (In Rubble) – Melbourne’s dISEMBOWELMENT continues to bring epic death doom back in style. The Bird Cage – 1000% Live – not at all metal played by very metal Melbournites doing surf rock and I had a good time with this one. Wadge – The End of Ethnology – one of my best mates Lee Ablett put me onto this band with their last record and told me they were the best new grind band and he’s still right. Thanks mate.

Graves At Sea – The Curse That Is – hard yet rewarding work from these long-time doom stalwarts.

Three records I was REALLY late to the party on but am loving a lot thanks to discussing my shortlist with a good crew last week are; Blood Incantation – Starspawn – reminds me of the classics of the ‘90s (see Immolation, prime-Morbid Angel) with a production that is suitably a bit grubby, and riffs that are just rippers. Chthe’ilist – Le Dernier Crepuscule – a bit chunkier and atmospheric but also heavy as buggery, this is some good death metal. Lastly, Germany’s Vektor – Terminal Redux – combine a love of VoiVod and dense technical thrash metal into another wonderful record if you want something a bit pacier than my usual lot and most of the top 5. Not tonnes of metal shows coming up in the summer, but you know The Basement will keep the heavy going throughout. Thanks heaps for reading, bring on 2017!

JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com

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NO TIME FOR NUMB NUTS CARRIE GIBSON

Ryan from BLACK RHENO and I chewed the fat one random Wednesday, a rather laidback conversation about how much dust they have been kicking up of late. Now the modest yet tenacious Sydney band has had a stellar 2016, to which they attribute to “a healthy work ethic”. It is undeniable that Black Rheno were determined from the get go – all members are seasoned musicians, all have been in bands prior to Black Rheno – so there was no disillusion as to how cutthroat this industry is and what it takes to succeed. “Most definitely,” Ryan exclaims, “we’ve all played in bands, have toured and we know how much time and effort it takes. Touring particularly, as a band just starting out – the current tour took months to organise – booking the bands, the venues; it’s full on. We’re aware of what goes into it, though we made the decision from the start that we wanted to be in a band, to play music and tour as far and as wide as we can.”

Maybe we can combine both metal and cheese into … Metal Cheese

The music of Black Rheno draws on a lot of styles; there’s stoner, sludge, punk, grind … and aside from wanting to confuse the fuck out of us journalists who will no doubt be reviewing the work of Black Rheno – hopefully for years to come – how did you arrive at this fusion and was it difficult to unify all the elements involved? “It has been really organic,” Ryan admits, “we all have similar tastes and all grew up on multiple flavours of music. I grew up on punk, Nano [guitarist] sways towards the stoner side and Doug [drummer] is more the death metal – this is what we are spawned from.” When Black Rheno began to jam, it was so natural, Ryan states, “we would just have these 20 minute voyages of various styles of metal. There was no prep prior to jamming, it just all came together when we jammed.”

For the recording of the band’s debut EP – was the same approach taken? The simple process of jamming out the riffs as you go? “Yeah, we recorded it ourselves and it literally was just a bunch of songs and we picked six of the best. The chosen songs made a good flowing EP and it was a good representation of the things that we do. It wasn’t overly premeditated – we didn’t go in with the ideology of ‘oh let’s create this sound’ or ‘I want to fuse this style with this style’.”

November was the release of their debut Let’s Start A Cult, which has been backed up by a national tour, hitting Canberra of course.

So why do we want to come see a Black Rheno show, Ryan? “Let’s hope they like heavy music [laughs]. We get pretty crazy, it’s a lot of fun, we get quite interactive with the crowd. It’s a great metal party with a great vibe.” If you were to start a cult, what would you fervently (and obviously) worship? “Heavy metal!” I admitted to Ryan that I will always be torn between heavy metal and French cheese … “Maybe we can combine both metal and cheese into … Metal Cheese. It could be a new thing,” he adds dubiously.

Black Rheno play at The Basement on Thursday December 16 at 7pm. $15 on the door. Support from Na Maza, Imperilment and Kitten Hurricane. They’ll return on Wednesday February 15 for the Thrash, Blast and Grind Festival Tour.

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G W I T C H I N

H O U R

JOSH NIXON enthusiasm saw the album secure worldwide release through In the summer of 2015, WITCHSKULL were mulling over recording California label Ripple Music, and a painfully gorgeous vinyl series an EP for their first batch of songs up in Sydney over a weekend. from boutique vinyl label STB Records in North America. The vinyl The three-piece had formed about a year prior when drummer release in particular, with its multiple coloured vinyl finishes Joel Green moved back to Canberra from Adelaide with his family. and lovingly prepared 180gm wax, was a real boost to the Green had reanimated up a dormant musical relationship with band’s confidence. local guitar maestro Marcus De Pasquale of Looking Glass, with whom he had played with at Campbell High School in the mid More importantly, and getting back to Green’s reference to ‘80s. The pair were joined by good friend and New York ex-pat pressure earlier, it saw the band on an altogether grander path to Tony McMahon on bass. The fledgling band started rehearsals a second album; from recording a demo in Reservoir, Melbourne to out at Redsun in Fyshwick, and soon found the songs were recording their follow up in Brooklyn, New York at Studio G with coming thick and fast. “Looking back now, I kind of miss those producer titan Billy Anderson (Sleep, Cathedral, Pallbearer), Jason old days of rehearsing and writing and everything being fresh Fuller and a documentary team in tow. “Writing the second album and having no pressure on what we were doing,” Green told me in once we committed to recording in New York made writing more our conversation about this period. The challenging this time around. Having context of that statement will make sense old Billy Anderson to produce, and the se tho s mis of d kin I a little later. logistics of the trip to organise on

days of rehearsing and

top of writing the music was a lot “We were initially just looking to record an writing and everything to deal with. That said, we had the EP in Sydney and I can’t remember, but the being fresh whole year to write and came up cost was going to be around 500 bucks a with a set of songs that we were all day or something like that. We talked to happy with to take to New York.” Prior to leaving, they were all a friend of ours who suggested: for a little cheaper studio fees, very excited about the prospects of the process, even if they were but a longer drive, we might want to consider going to Melbourne a little apprehensive of Anderson’s reputation in the studio. On and recording with Jason Fuller at Goatsound studios. We got their return De Pasquale said of recording with Anderson, “Billy there and the tracks came together very quickly. We recorded felt like a member of the family straight away, like my brother or about 12 songs all up in just two days, with the intention of having something. But he was also very intense and demanding, he scared choice for the EP. By the time Fuller mixed it and we heard the me a few times!” result, we realised we had something more than an EP!” That is an understatement. Eight songs from that session of 12 ended up forming The Vast Electric Dark, the band’s first album. They produced a heady mix of ‘70s rock and heavy metal with doomy edges played by a searing power trio. The music accentuated deep, gnostic occult themed lyrics delivered by De Pasquale, with a desperate delivery that tied the atmosphere together just right.

Good friend Lisa Engeman put together a fittingly dark piece of album work, and The Vast Electric Dark came out at the end of 2015 to widespread acclaim.

What followed was a national and international response of almost uniformly positive reviews of the album; right through from BMA’s album of the issue to topping the Doom Charts at the end of last year. For those uninitiated with the doom genre website, the Doom Charts are based on a measurement of critical acclaim from an international cohort of music writers far harsher than any sales driven benchmark. The guys knocked off some titans of the style like Windhand and With The Dead in the process. This critical

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For McMahon, going back to New York to record also worked out well for the band’s headlining spot at the St Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, a venue fast gaining a reputation as the home of heavy music in the big apple. McMahon’s family and friends made for a ready and rowdy crowd for their show with King Dead, Last Hours and Hammer of Justice. Canberra audiences will be able to sample some more new material at a just announced show at the Transit Bar on January 27, with Australian doom band Holy Serpent, who also recently topped the Doom Charts with their new album Temples. Live is where the band really excels, with an extensive Australian tour planned for the second album’s launch. The album will be mixed in January and ready for an expectant public in winter 2017.

Witchskull play Transit Bar on Friday January 27. Support from Holy Serpent. Stay tuned for more details.

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PUNK WAS MADE FOR WOMEN For my final column of the year, I wanted to do something different.

I’m new to this job, and as such have been dutifully reporting on as many upcoming gigs as I can, shouting out local musicians, and generally being … forgettable. Now, I’m going to speak my mind. This week, I had coffee with one of my favourite local bands, Moaning Lisa. As young women in an up-and-coming band in the broader punk scene, there was something I wanted to discuss with them: the ever-changing role of women in punk.

As I’m sure a lot of you know, Charlie and Hayley made a video recently about ‘buffoonery’ at one of their gigs. Violent, drunken behaviour has become part of our music culture. What’s more infuriating, the girls have said that their female friends have been forced to leave their shows early, or not attend at all, for fear of being victimised. Not only is this shit for the obvious reason of women being discouraged from immersing themselves in this genre, but because punk – at its core – is made for women.

When I think of punk, I think of 1977. I think of X-Ray Spex, one of the original punk bands, fronted by a brace-face teenage girl screaming about bondage. Punk is anti-establishment. It’s a big ‘fuck you’ to the status quo. Punk was an artistic haven for women – angry, talented women with something to say, who nourished and raised this genre with their words, instruments and clothes. But the figures we remember aren’t women like Poly Styrene, they’re men like Johnny Rotten – a white man who, quite frankly, had little to rebel against.

When I explained my idea for this column to Moaning Lisa, they had a lot to say.

Hayley wondered whether people go to gigs for music anymore, or if they go to pick fights. Charlie recalled an incident when a sound guy would only take direction from their drummer – the only man in the band – despite the fact that Charlie, Hayley and Ellen were the ones with the electrics. As for Ellen, at one gig, she came back to her pedal board to find that some pair of twats with no fucking business being there had been playing with it, fucking with all her settings.

And we all agreed that for any “token chick” in a band, her musical prowess has to surpass her band mates’ before she can be considered worthy of being there. From condescending advice from men who can’t hold a candle to these women musically, to the added pressures of being a woman onstage (are they dressed too sexy, not sexy enough, too modest, too outspoken); punk has strayed far from its roots.

Charlie, Hayley and Ellen – all female musicians – are judged before they even begin their set. They can’t do their job because they’re scanning the room for gronk cunts preying on the women in their audience, desperately trying to keep their gigs safe. This problem didn’t end with Bikini Kill. If men can’t respect punk, its musicians and its followers, then there is no fucking place for them anymore.

ELEANOR HORN e.trs.horn@gmail.com

CATCH ME WHEN I FALL THOMAS SPILLANE Despite having just played 27 shows in 30 days across Europe, DALLAS FRASCA is extremely relaxed to talk to. Spending a few days to chill out after her massive tour, the eponymous lead singer of the band is more than happy to talk about the massive year she has just had. From touring with classic ‘90s hard rock band Ugly Kid Joe, to releasing a new EP on their own Spank Betty Records, Dallas Frasca’s tenth year together has been one of their biggest. “The whole tour was amazing,” Frasca says of her time in Europe with Ugly Kid Joe, “there was an amazing camaraderie between everybody … it’s not often you can have that many people in a small environment for such a long time … and have everyone get along like a house on fire.”

Singer from Ugly Kid Joe, Whitfield Crane, came across one of Dallas Frasca’s shows when his band were touring Australia with Skid Row. The next day he tracked down Frasca’s phone number and asked if the band wanted to record some songs with him. After recording three songs together, Crane asked Dallas Frasca if they wanted to tour Europe with him. “There was no hesitation in saying yes,” Frasca says of the tour with Ugly Kid Joe, “we’ve become really good friends; [Crane] is an amazing, amazing human.”

We wrote the whole thing in a week and a half

As well as embarking on this massive tour with Ugly Kid Joe, Dallas Frasca also released a new EP this year named Dirt Buzz. The latest effort from the band boasts a raw sound, more akin to their first album Sound Painter (2012), than their second effort Love Army (2015). “I don’t think it was a decision, more of a lightning bolt moment,” Frasca says of Dirt Buzz’s rawer tone, “you can sit there and write songs, or you can actually have moments of being inspired or channelled, and that was it for us. We wrote the whole thing in a week and a half.”

Dirt Buzz was also inspired by a near-death experience Frasca had last New Year’s Day. While spending some time and playing shows in Arnhem Land, Frasca fell backwards two metres off of a cliff, hurting herself quite badly. Frasca says this moment forced her to re-evaluate her direction. “In situations like that, you work out that life is super fragile,” Frasca says, “… it was also a big message from the universe, metaphorically, of things I wasn’t paying attention to.”

In wake of this accident the band made a number of changes, for the better, including starting their own record label, Spank Betty.

Although she cannot talk about it, Frasca confirms there are big things planned for the label.

Dallas Frasca will be tearing it up at Transit Bar on Friday December 16 at 8pm. Tickets available at Moshtix for $17 + bf.

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THE WHITLAMS

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PLANET OF SOUND Planet of Sound is our column celebrating the wide history of music, our favourite musicians, genres, movements, bands and artists, and how they have impacted our lives. In this month’s entry, resident BMA writer Dan Bigna explores the history of Australian punk rock.

The recent ARIA awards trotted out the usual mix of ultramainstream superstars like John Farnham playing their noxious brand of Adult Oriented Rock alongside middle-of-the-road contemporary acts like Ball Park Music and Violent Soho with such terms as ‘alternative’ rendered meaningless, although I would like to think there remains a thriving Australian music underground somewhere out there.

One bizarrely conceived award went to psych rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard for the best hard/rock heavy metal album which clearly demonstrates that, for the ARIA voters, anything not John Farnham or AOR peers Crowded House is hard rock or heavy metal – a strange view I am quite happy not to share. Punk rock was once again whitewashed from history at the ARIAs, which is business as usual because the mainstream industry has always been frightened of it apart from friendly cartoon versions like The Living End. Yet it was punk that spawned alternative music in this country and the many outstanding recordings and performances that followed shook up the entire music industry. To put it another way, it was because of the likes of John Farnham that punk rock had to happen and there is little doubt that my obnoxious view is well justified.

locally released compilations that document earlier stirrings of musical difference. In recent years, the Festival label has released a number of significant collections such as Down Under Nuggets, which features a bunch of snotty ‘60s garage bands who laid the groundwork for the punk renaissance to come. Festival has more recently put out a comp of Australian surf music from the 1960s and ‘70s titled A Life in the Sun that, in the non-hippy parts, explores an edgier alternative to the oversupply of clean-cut pop crooners. There were also a bunch of comps released last decade exploring Australian punk/post-punk and indie rock including the two-volume Tales from the Australian Underground – utterly fantastic.

But in terms of providing an accurate historical timeline in an international context, the integrity of the Soul Jazz Punk 45 series can only be enhanced with a forthcoming collection that reveals how Australian punk stomped over prog-rock noodling and brought raw, youthful expression back into rock ‘n’ roll. The opening selections on such a gem would have to be from The Saints and Radio Birdman, but lesser known acts with little hope of commercial success such as The Thought Criminals and Canberra punk exponents Young Docteurs who, with a bunch of amped up chords, managed to kill the notion that the nation’s capital was an artificially constructed public service wasteland long before Braddon became the hip capital of the universe, would also deserve inclusion. Another essential addition would be Perth/ Sydney band The Scientists whose guitarist/vocalist Kim Salmon apparently coined the term ‘grunge’ well before Seattle made it an international signifier of alternative hipness.

Punk bands here excelled in originality, energy and attitude

Year zero for alternative music in Australia was 1976 when Brisbane band The Saints released the incendiary single ‘(I’m) Stranded’, a song bursting with raw energy and teen angst that still blows my mind every time I hear it. Early Australian punk bands such as The Saints, Radio Birdman and The Victims released some of the most scorching rock ‘n’ roll ever recorded and the Australian punk scene compared favourably to similar explosive movements happening in New York, California, London and Manchester.

Thoughts turned once again to homegrown punk after one of my habitual trips to Landspeed Records when I happened to notice on the new release shelf the latest instalment in the uniformly excellent Soul Jazz label series, Punk 45. So far, these compilations have captured many outstanding examples of firstrate punk rock from the UK and US, including a regional focus on places like Cleveland and Ohio where intensely strange sounds from weird, experimental bands such as Pere Ubu, Devo and Mirrors found an audience. The most recent Punk 45 collection titled Les Punks: The French Connection explores punk rock in France and although the sounds featured therein are probably great, I’m thinking the compilers could have turned to Australia as the next port of call, given that punk bands here excelled in originality, energy and attitude.

The Punk 45 Australian comp could then be rounded out with vital post-punk explorers such as The Birthday Party and Laughing Clowns – two bands that pushed musical boundaries because they could. Whenever the authorities mention exporting Australian culture (of the white variety) to the rest of the world, the first thing I think of is The Saints and all the fantastic punk rock that followed. In the past, “exporting the culture” meant kangaroos, vegemite and Olivia Newton John but punk rock ignored all the clichés by starting off an artistic community of equals who set about breaking down ‘rock star’ barriers between performers and audiences. Australian punk rock shoved a middle finger squarely in the face of the mainstream entertainment industry and said, “fuck you, time for a dose of reality”. With that in mind I look forward to seeing the next Punk 45 volume on the new release section in Landspeed.

However, it should be noted that homegrown music of the nonmainstream variety has been well recorded on some outstanding

DAN BIGNA

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the legend himself. “The memories of that show and his performance stayed with me for 30 years, and now I’m bringing him back.” Leaving that show in 1984, Mike knew he had witnessed something special.

But only a few weeks later, Marvin was shot and killed by his father.

So is the focus of the event better described as being about Gaye’s life, or his music? “We would like to think that we focus on both.

Although Marvin had a very interesting life – some experiences good, some not so good – our focus is mostly on the music. There’s so many great songs, and there’s no time for us to do a lot of talking during the show, but we do give details about his life throughout!”

LET’S GET IT ON

The Marvin Gaye Experience takes place on Friday December 16 at The Playhouse in Canberra Theatre Centre. Tickets are available via canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

KAROLINA FIRMAN Marvin Gaye was and remains a popular and dynamic artist, with such hits as ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, ‘Sexual Healing’, ‘Let’s Get It On’, ‘What’s Going On’ and ‘Heard It Through The Grapevine’, to name a few. He has played a pivotal role in the creation and evolution of the Motown genre, before his untimely death in 1984. Since then, he has been awarded numerous posthumous awards such as the Grammy Lifetime Award, as well as being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

THE MARVIN GAYE EXPERIENCE is a celebration of the artist’s work and life. Running for two hours, it features a 15-piece performance from a variety of American and Australian performers.

This tribute show is the dream project of creative producer Mike Scott, who has held onto the idea for 30 years. “This is a two-hour musical journey, taking you back to the sound of real soul music. Be ready to sing, dance and enjoy yourself, the music will take control and your feet won’t stop moving.”

It’s about singing along with others, to some of the best songs ever recorded Scott says the tribute is all about being entertained by great vocalists and the all-star band. “It’s about singing along with others, to some of the best songs ever recorded. The Marvin Gaye Experience is about having a good time with good friends and family, or meeting new friends.”

Scott’s personal motivation behind producing this tribute goes back to his own experience seeing Gaye many years ago. It was in March 1984 when he snuck into a concert and came eye to eye with

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★ A YEAR IN REVIEW ★ L O C A L T H E AT R E H I G H L I G H T S O F 2 0 1 6 ZOE PLEASANTS Increasingly we are seeing more TV shows and movies set in Canberra.

This year there was the second series of ABC’s The Code, Foxtel’s The Secret City, the post-apocalyptic movie Blue World Order, and Joe Cinque’s Consolation. With the exception of the disturbing story of Cinque’s murder, it is still rare to see Canberra’s own stories on screen.

For those stories you need to go to the theatre, and 2016 threw up a number of really interesting locally made productions. This is what I saw.

The Last Time. Photo by Reid Workman.

In January, the musical, THE LAST TIME: A STORY OF LOVE, LUST AND DESPERATION was on at the Belconnen Arts Centre. Written and directed by Lucy Matthews, this show is set in Canberra’s nightclubs, bus shelters and share houses. It tells the universal story of being a 20-something with first world problems and searching for love. It is an ambitious show tackling issues such as drugs, date rape, incest and domestic violence. It could have collapsed under its own weight, but it didn’t because of the strength of Matthews’s writing and the compelling performances of both the actors and musicians. I was particularly impressed by Matthews’s exploration of the murky territory between friendship and relationship.

Drive and the Gungahlin Drive Extension, and Missy is spooked by something living in the paddock outside her house. Hobba’s inspiration for this play came when he was driving around Gungahlin and considered how recently the suburb had transformed from a paddock. This play is full of ideas, probably too many, which meant that I didn’t come away with a clear idea of what the central theme was. But it had moments of great humour, particularly in the first half, and it showcased the depth of talent in Canberra theatre. From the quality of the production, the incredible performances, and the ambition in its storytelling: there was much to like.

One problem encountered by local productions is having enough time to rehearse. Both The Slip Lane and Pigman’s Lament had about three weeks of rehearsals and both showed the strain of not having had more time to transform their ideas from the page to the stage. This was less of a problem for The Street Theatre’s September production, THE FAITHFUL SERVANT, which was the most polished play I saw this year. Written by local playwright Tom Davis – his fifth play – it traverses time and place, spanning 60 years and is set in destinations as diverse as Mozambique, a refugee camp in Zimbabwe and Calvary Hospital, Canberra. It tells the story of a group of characters associated with a medical NGO operating in Africa, and explores what it means for affluent people to be ‘good’ in the face of global poverty.

This play is well written, and was astutely directed by Caroline Stacey, and adeptly performed by the cast. Young Melbourne actor, Tariro Mavondo’s performance as Caroline was particularly impressive.

The Faithful Servant. Photo by Shelly Higgs.

Pigman’s Lament. Photo by Shelly Higgs.

In June, Raul Craemer performed his own solo play, PIGMAN’S LAMENT, at The Street Theatre. Inspired by events from Craemer’s own life, this play explores the struggle between two men from two generations with different attitudes and world views. Cramer played a playwright who is writing a play about his German fascist grandfather. There is a confrontation when Craemer’s grandfather visits Cramer in his Canberra apartment and finds him doing such un-manly things as sorting socks, cooking meals and driving his kids to their soccer games. The content of this play is dense and it is deliberately ambiguous about what is real and what is imagined. At times this, and the choice to execute this play with only one actor, made it hard to follow.

In July, The Street Theatre hosted THE SLIP LANE, a play written and directed by Julian Hobba, who is also the Artistic Director of local theatre company, Aspen Island. The Slip Lane is set in Gungahlin and tells the story of Matthew and Missy who each have a battle to fight.

Matthew starts a campaign to upgrade the intersection of Gundaroo

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Every year Canberra’s youth contemporary dance company, QL2, develops a program of original work for its Playhouse season, which is always worth seeing. The theme of this year’s program was CONNECTED and it featured the work of choreographers Sara Black, Kristina Chan, Alison Plevey and Adam Deusien. It is contemporary dance at its best – innovative, engaging and full of energy. In their piece, Plevey and Deusien introduced the dancers to a technique called verbatim theatre. They interviewed the dancers and used what the dancers said to both shape the piece and as part of the audit track. It was very effective; I still remember one of the dancers calling out the line, “inner strength leads to physical strength”.

This year has finished strongly with Gorman Arts Centre featuring three experimental, cross-disciplinary shows in their Ralph Indie season. The first of these shows was THE WIGGLE ROOM, which featured the work of Alison Plevey again. This show explored space and movement through power poses, tight jeans, too many people sleeping in a bed, and creating a space for everyone. It was beautifully accompanied by the haunting vocals of Ruth O’Brien. The second show in this season was Zsuzsi Soboslay’s ANTHEMS AND ANGELS: THE COMPASSION PLAYS. Another engaging and innovate show highlighting the plight of refugees and reminding us of the similarity between the stories of refugees that arrived here after World War II to help us populate and not perish, and those that are seeking refuge today. It was a well realised production – I particularly enjoyed the use of space, live music and film.

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AUSTRALIAN DANCE PARTY PRESENTS NERVOUS Stromlo Observatory Thu–Sat December 1–3 Driving up the winding road to Mount Stromlo Observatory, I am unsure what to expect. The email says to bring a torch and comfortable warm clothing. Will we be hiking? Will this be one of those interactive shows?

The lights strung in trees at the top of the hill indicate the venue.

Once out of the car, we are greeted by local musical theatre starlet Michelle Norris, who checks the ticket and shows the way to the bar.

Production Manager David Caffery warmly greets us and advises that the doors to the Yale Columbia Dome will open in 20 minutes. I peek through the glassless windows and spot four dancers standing poised inside and fidgeting slightly. I make my way to the bar manned by the dapper Michael Liu – it’s backdropped by rolling hills and a vast clouddappled sky. What a beautiful setting.

Chairs line the edges of the dome and electronic music producer Ben Worth stands atop a scaffolded tower, casting a keen eye over the performers below as he mixes beats. Ben is an expert in experimental sound scape and it is a joy to observe him as he mixes the vibrancy of a nervous mind. Will there be a dance party after?

Welcome to Nervous, the second work by new local company, Australian Dance Party (ADP). Party Leader Alison Plevey, says in her programme notes that, “Nervous is inspired by both the location and an interest in the unfathomable complexity of the human brain and cosmos.” To create this work, Plevey undertook research through conversations with ANU Neuroscientist Professor Greg Stuart exploring what it is to be nervous. Such undertaking is what new art must explore if it is to be relevant to a constantly changing audience.

What connects all of us? Certainly nerves are as good a place as any to begin.

Plevey could not have chosen a better venue; indeed, it is the fifth dancer in this unique production. The consideration of the timing of the sunset and the light, shadows, darkness created in the space from it, is exquisite – truly it seems like an indoor production with perfect ambient lighting. Only of course, it isn’t. These performers face the elements and must be prepared for a different experience each night, depending on how it flails. I would have enjoyed seeing it a few times for this reason. Robbie Gordon’s lighting design highlights the natural

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Photo by Lorna Sim

light respectfully, and comes in to its own dynamism once darkness hits. (Throughout the show, I am actually struck by the portrait visions of Norris framed in one doorway, and Caffery and Liu in the other – watching the show and unaware that their presence is part of the theatricality.)

So, we are ready for the show. The four dancers stand, walk and run through space. At first they seem composed and beautiful, dressed in colours of cream and white reflective of the peeling paint inside the dome. On closer inspection, we see that their eyes bulge a little, mouths and fingers twitch a little. We see the unmistakable signs of nervousness. The pre-show movement shifts suddenly to flawlessly synchronised choreography.

I’ve seen most of these dancers before and they are truly a pleasure to watch, especially when their motivation comes from the inquisitive and passionate mind of Plevey. Each one of them has a moment on their own. Olivia Fyfe accurately describes the inner monologue of calming down – breathe, body scan, count to ten, have a glass of water. And Plevey consistently stands out with her natural dynamism.

Highlights for me though were Janine Proost’s charming, repeated attempts to begin a conversation despite her nerves; and Gabriel Comerford’s choice to use loud grunts and groans over words, as he shares his experience of nervousness while pummelling and thrashing his way through space.

This is not just a skills display, but a work of true relevance that explores the current human condition. Every movement and sequence is so breathtaking that I want to know it’s origin. But that isn’t the way of dance. And that is what I love about physically driven performance – I am allowed to let it wash over me, just absorb its beauty, and let emotions and bodily sensations move and melt as they will.

At the end of the show, the dancers remain in the space and chat with the audience. We filter out the doorless doorways, the view now replaced by a fairyland of white party lights and lasers shooting up though the open ceiling to the dappled clouds. The bar is open, the air is warm and we are left with the joyful resonance of having been inside the mind of the Australian Dance Party.

If you missed this one, be sure to catch the next.

CHENOEH MILLER

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coming back to me, because they’re so evocative of the man and his environment, but also, a process. The process of walking with a dog.

Sometimes the dog sticks close and sometimes it goes off. Here Ken is very introspective, the dog gets absorbed into Ken’s mood.

Then, there’s Spotty trodding off again, and who knows what he is doing – it’s all such a superb mystery. And then, man and dog merge,” Sarah explains.

HOW TO BRUSH YOUR DOG KEREN NICHOLSON

Chris with dogs and birds, 2016 by Lucy Culliton

Curated by Sarah Engledow, THE POPULAR PET SHOW is a rare and endearing exhibition now showing at the National Portrait Gallery, paying homage to centuries of animal domestication and the binding relationships between man and creature. While many Australian artists feature animals and have relationships with animals in their work, the fifteen artists represented in the exhibition have captured the bonds of love and care that they have observed in their subjects. Many have created work especially for the show, including Ken Done and Nicholas Harding.

Upon entering the exhibition, you are met by four new works by Ken Done. “They really set the tone for the show, because they are indubitably portraits, but they are of animals,” curator Sarah Engledow says. “They’re the major dogs in Ken’s life looking back.

For Ken, dogs are very much a part of his family.”

Turn, and we see Spotty and I walking around the rocks I–IV (1992)

by Done, which were formative inclusions in the show. “These four works were really the genesis of the show. They were simmering on the back-burner of my curatorial brain. These just kept on

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Further though the space, Robyn Sweaney paints her environment and the expression of its inhabitants – a quintessential Australian neighbourhood. In The Popular Pet Show, Robyn’s inclusions challenge the notion of a portrait with her Walking the dog series (2005). “Robyn said it was interesting to her that she painted all of these dogs and legs,” says Sarah, “but everyone in the town knew who everyone was. Just from the legs. Just from the dogs. There is a little story attached to every single one of those.” Sarah speaks of each artist as a friend, as someone who is now bound through the show, through their stories.

Noel McKenna’s contribution to the show is entertaining and it’s hard to suppress the desire to take Dog at a dinner table (2015) from the wall and go home with it. “So eccentric and so evocative of a past Australia,” Sarah says of McKenna’s work. “But they’re very groovy and very modern.”

The Popular Pet Show opens the gallery doors to animal lovers who may not necessarily have an interest in art. The stories along the walls are easily identifiable to those who have experienced the unconditional love offered by a dog, cat, horse, chicken or even an emu. But it is still art. The exhibition demonstrates how artists of high regard tackle the serious subject of animals and people.

Warmth erupts when viewing this show, and you walk away elated knowing you have shared in these relationships.

The Popular Pet Show is showing at the National Portrait Gallery until Monday March 13, 2017.

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A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E

IN REVIEW

Circus 1903: The Golden Age of Circus Canberra Theatre Centre Thu–Sat December 1–10

Photo by Mark Turner

Elephants in the circus.

That’s what Circus 1903 promises, and it’s a hook if ever I heard one.

But before you get concerned about animal rights, not to mention the safety and logistics of having a three tonne animal on the stage of the Canberra Theatre Centre, don’t be: the elephants – a mother and calf – are life-sized puppets, produced by the puppeteering geniuses behind War Horse.

100 years ago, circuses were expected to have animals – the more exotic, the better – and Circus 1903 hearkens back to that era cleverly with these puppets. Add to that the jovial, dynamic Ringmaster Willy Whipsnade (David Williams) and a slew of talented performers from around the globe, and you have one impressive show.

The show distinguishes itself from other, similar circus shows with a strong narrative – the story of a circus in 1903 unfolding over the course of the evening. This makes Circus 1903 more than just a succession of dazzling performances, instead actively engaging the audience and drawing them in.

The first act kicks off with the arrival and set up of the ‘circus’, communicated through the ringmaster’s narration and a fun group number. The first act culminates in the opening of the circus within the circus, and the second act then takes place inside the nowopen circus. Performances are framed within the context of the story: contortionist Senayet Assefa Amara is part of a sideshow; the elephants (Queenie and Peanut) are the stars of a charming vignette in which baby Peanut is taught to stand on a platform and mother Queenie helps to raise the circus tent; and the ringmaster is sometimes a narrator, sometimes a (comically inept) magician, sometimes a grumpy boss.

Circus 1903 is a delight to watch, with the focus on talented people performing traditional circus acts: for example, a contortionist, highwire walkers, and aerial hoop gymnastics. The performers are the best of their professions, from Mexico, Ukraine, Finland and elsewhere.

But perhaps the best of Circus 1903 is how it resonates with the audience. There are several moments in the show where audience volunteers are asked for – and unlike most shows, people are eager to get involved. The moment that I, and no doubt many of my fellow audience members, will remember best is a four-year-old girl, Joss, who stole the show when she participated in an (amusingly bungled) magic trick with three other children and the ringmaster.

That genuine joy and wonder she conveyed is the best of circus, and Circus 1903 made it happen.

SHARONA LIN

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IN REVIEW

Queensland Ballet presents The Nutcracker Canberra Theatre Centre Wed–Sun November 23–27

The Nutcracker is a celebration of our collective child spirit. It is magical, beautiful and full of sweetness. In this production by Queensland Ballet, Tchaikovsky’s monument to the imagination is brought to life by the masterful hands of Ben Stevenson OBE. In timely fashion, The Nutcracker is set at a family Christmas party.

The hosting family welcomes many guests in to their glittering home, and gifts are exchanged between parents and children (not so sure about all the toy guns being given out!). Amidst a stage full of dancing dolls and magic tricks, a special gift is given to the host’s daughter Clara, much to the envy of the other children. The party ends and Clara takes her prized Nutcracker to bed and falls asleep as he comes to life.

Clara awakens in the night to vicious, giant mice attacking her, which the nutcracker man defeats. He then turns into a prince and they embark on a journey together through magical lands of snow queens, a lemonade sea, and a land of sweets, where Clara meets the sugar plum fairy and is presented with dances from all over the world.

The adventure dims and Clara drifts off to sleep.

At the beginning of the show, I find myself wondering briefly why work like this is still being made, without political or emotive agenda. But once I relax into its beauty, I enjoy the fantasy for what it is. How lovely to be invited into a moment of pure magic. The dancers consistently display extraordinary synchronicity and grace.

And the confluence of aesthetics is so beautiful that it gives you goosebumps.

This production is exactly what you expect from a good ballet – beautiful music, flawless choreography and a magical, detailed set and design. The costumes are divine with their floor trailing pleats, sparkling bodices and dapper suits. The music is wonderful. To see this piece with an orchestra and choir would be out of this world.

Despite its era, the men seem a bit wishy-washy in character. I find this common in ballet. Far from domineering male roles, the guys seem kinda bland compared to the exquisite animation of the women. (Clara’s face is so tremendously expressive I have no doubt one could see it from the back row.) This is nothing to do with the performers – each of them gives a crisp performance. Is it the way of ballet for male characters to exist to highlight the beauty of the women? I certainly don’t know enough about ballet to answer.

Overall however, Queensland Ballet offers a magical night at the theatre, and will send you home with the promise of sweet dreams.

CHENOEH MILLER

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E X H I B I T I O N I S T ARTS | ACT College Express 8 is presented by Belconnen Arts Centre and celebrates the work of almost 100 students from the North Canberra region. Young artists in Year 11 and 12 explore the world around them through photography, painting, drawing, ceramics, textiles and design technology. It’s showing until Sunday January 15.

ARTISTPROFILE:

ARTISTPROFILE:

What do you do? I have just completed year 12 at Dickson College, concurrently with an ASBA in Hospitality. During this time, I worked on a range of t-shirts.

RAINA THOMSON (RADFORD COLLEGE) What do you do? At the moment I’m not really “doing” anything, just chilling, finding new things that interest me, but in the long run I would like to be an artist.

When, how and why did you get into it? At age six I loved the Barbie Rapunzel movie, the disc came with bonus features which featured the artist Amanda Dunbar who talked about her studio and painting practice. From that moment I wanted to be like her. I drifted away from that dream for a while but by year 12, I realised that making art was all I wanted to do. Like it was the best part of school, and I felt like I knew nothing else. I knew nothing could stop me and here I am.

Who/what influences you as an artist? Definitely [Jean-Michel] Basquiat – definition of iconic. The colour combinations and the concepts behind his style and compositions are amazing. And a quick shout-out to my great teacher and guru, MS JACKLYN PETERS. But yeah I don’t know, I feel like everyone and everything has influenced me as an artist. Whether that is a singer’s lyrics or the texture of a piece of fruit. As an artist, I’m constantly inspired by my surroundings so it’s hard to pinpoint something specific.

Of what are you proudest so far? I reckon getting into Art School was pretty exciting and just seeing my art develop over the years.

It’s kinda weird, like I look back at it and I’m like, “wow you did that, nice work dude”.

Rain Thomson, ‘Turns of Irony’, 2016

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BARRY WANG (DICKSON COLLEGE) When, how and why did you get into it? I have always been interested in fashion. I started designing some prints for t-shirts at the beginning of the year in my Textiles and Fashion class at Dickson College with my class mates Henry Strand and Ryan Marchant.

During this time, we also had the opportunity to participate in RAW at Belconnen Arts Centre and the Dickson College Fashion Parade.

Who/what influences you as an artist? Bones and Xavier Wulf, who are rappers from America. Die Antwoord, a rap-rave group from South Africa. Mozart, William Blake, the poet and painter. I also like the clothes designed by Paul Smith and Raf Simmons.

Of what are you proudest so far? Opportunity to showcase our t-shirts and the beginnings of our cut and sew products.

What are your plans for the future? Hopefully study Textiles and Fashion at Canberra Institute of Technology as well as continue the label ‘Crystal Dream’ with Henry and Ryan, with a range of t-shirts and men’s street wear.

What makes you laugh? My friends and a good night out.

What pisses you off? Seeing people not being able to express how they feel.

What about the local scene would you change? Maybe more people being interested in knowing where their clothing comes from, like sustainability and buying more Australian made products.

What are your upcoming performances/exhibitions? Next year we aim to put together a men’s range for selling at markets and online.

Contact info: facebook.com/CRYSTAL.DREAM.CLOTHING

Printed tees by Crystral Dream Clothing.

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WHEN IN DOUBT, MAKE IT UP KAROLINA FIRMAN

Photo by Mark Turner

LIGHTBULB IMPROV are a Canberra-based improvisation group founded by Amy Crawford, Lou Maconachie and Merriden Varrall.

They’ve been performing since early May and their most recent performance series, titled SWITCHED ON, is already selling out seats. If you’re unfamiliar with improv performances, it works like this: the players suggest a topic (say, jobs that you wanted as a child), the audience provide responses, and then the actors perform said responses, often with hilarious results.

To end the rehearsal, they tasked themselves with communicating complex stories while silent, then again while one of the members was privy to the scenario, whilst another was unaware. There was a definite joy to their practice; when they were divided into groups of “three or four”, the group of four immediately began chanting, “four is best, four is best”. Most pleasing about the performers is that they had no shame or embarrassment – they were practicing, but on a fundamental level they were also having fun with their friends.

The group now features 13 players: Amy Crawford, Benjamin Crowley, Catherine Crowley, Da-vid Woodgate, Ewan Lawrie, Emil Tow, Helen Way, Jeremy Strasser, Joshua Bell, Laura Griffin, Lou Maconachie, Merriden Varrall and Michael Carter. They perform every second Friday of the month at Smith’s Alternative Bookshop.

The performers all really enjoyed what they were doing, and the fact that they were also genuinely entertaining was a great bonus. I had to ask what was the best and worst experiences they have had while performing: apparently every time they perform and ask for a suggestion, someone says ‘dil-do’. I was reliably informed that when they say ‘dildo’, they mean penis. They’re just trying to be coy.

According to Maconachie, the troupe aims for each performance to “offer Canberra more art and humour. Improvisation gives us a chance to create stories and moments that will delight the audi-ence and connect us all in laughter or recognition.”

Lightbulb Improv have already held a number of performances in the Switched On series, the first of which was simply about ‘Firsts’, with later performances about ‘Changes’, among others. In the lead up to this performance, I had the opportunity to head out to where the troupe rehearse in Ainslie and find out exactly how one practices for an improvised performance. It speaks quite well for their performance abilities that I was laughing just from seeing them practice.

Each week, a different member of the group takes a turn leading them in themed practice – this week it was about looking and listening. The players had to create multiple secret handshakes in 30 seconds; these handshakes were numbered according to the person they invented it with. As they walked around in a circle, the leader of the training would call out a numbered handshake to be rec-reated. Later they had to march and clap in a circle at the same time, which they managed more times than not.

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According to the performers, the best responses came from the audience when they were asked to think more deeply about what they are being asked about. For instance, when they asked for peo-ple’s favourite song lyrics, they received some funny and some genuinely touching responses. Sometimes they also get some stranger responses however, like when they asked for a big change and a man spoke about when he had to change his pants, after he had soiled himself. Technically a change, I guess…

Other prompts include such topics as, what were you afraid of as a child, which inspired some, in hindsight, cute and creepy responses.

Improvisation is becoming more popular, both in live performance with companies like Improv Australia, as well as with online podcasts with groups such as the very popular Illusionoid. It’s both heartwarming and exciting to see it springing up in a small bookshop in the capital, and at such great quality too.

If you need a change or some improvisation in your life, Lightbulb Improv perform every second Friday of every month at Smith’s Alternative Bookshop. Tickets are $15 or $10 for concession at the door. Starts at 7pm.

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A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E

IN REVIEW

Bill Bailey: Larks In Transit National Convention Centre Thursday December 8

CANBERRA REP

Photo by Jim Yorkston (Photographed elsewhere)

Although many would say that BMA’s Carrie Gibson is in unchartered waters with the job of reviewing a comedy night with the legendary Bill Bailey – in my defence though, ‘laughing’ is my number one favourite thing to do, so deciding I am more than qualified for the job the only thing left to say is “Send me in coach!”.

Bill leisurely coaxed the Canberra crowd in to his web of hilarity; the relatively large crowd that gathered at the National Convention Centre on December 8, 2016. The escapee from Brexit Island had landed in Canberra to jovially examine the state of the world we currently live in. Bailey has been touring the country for twenty years now and as of his last performance it was clear that he has perfected his approach to the Australian punters and tailor made a unique night of comedy for the Canberra crowds in particular.

It wasn’t long before the snot bubbles started to form as Bill entertained us with the usual formalities, opening with Trump, Brexit and all the ‘wtf’ moments of 2016 that we are all still trying to swallow. Affectionately referring to the American President elect as “the angry apricot”, his descriptions of politicians were on the money, “though apricots have far thicker skin and probably a better grasp on foreign policy”. Charming, charismatic and a little oddly faced, the crowds were eating out of the palm of his hand with his very expressive nature and perfect delivery.

Extremely well researched, Bailey managed to express everything we were thinking. Politics, religion, music and sociology; no topic was safe from the jesting wrath that is Bill Bailey … “Is anyone into heavy metal?” he randomly asks. It dawned on us, that perhaps we should reply – so with some bashful ‘cooos’ from myself and friends, Bailey began to dispense some heavy metal education to the crowds. And we all agreed, metal can in fact improve pop songs.

With a demonic scream, Bailey gave us his rendition of ‘Dancing Queen’ in the realm of death metal … I have to say, I rather enjoyed hearing ABBA in such a torturous chord.

NATIONAL FILM AND SOUND ARCHIVE

The theme of the night was hilarity and Bill Bailey was the master of the evening. With our faces literally aching from laughter – the charm of this man will not ware off for a long time to come…

CARRIE GIBSON

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WARNING: THIS CO LU CONTAINS GRAP MN CONTENT OF A SEXUHIC EXPLICIT NATURE. ALLY RE DISCRETION IS AD ADER VISED. AIRBDSM Until recently, I had never experienced the glorified squatting phenomenon known as Airbnb. Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with bending the elements as I had first theorised. After a little more research, it immediately mocked up images of that Simpsons episode where Homer invites those nesting carnies to stay with him after they become redundant. Only it’s my eyeballs peeping through the letter slot in the door, lying in wait for my host with the most to challenge me to a game of chimney ring toss for the legit ownership of his apartment.

Instead of renting out an entire domain, I opted for the private room option because my frugality knows no bounds. When I first turned up to the complex at an undisclosed coastal suburb, I was blown away by the sheer beauty and sophistication of my surroundings. It was like I had entered Build Mode on The Sims and all the interior decorating and appliances had been customised by the hand of God pointing down leisurely through the clouds. Just like in The Creation of Adam, I did not exist on “the same level” as the beachfront elite.

Only when Michelangelo painted my nude bodice, he included some strategic pixilation.

I am a self-professed and unapologetic busy body with an intense sense of curiosity. As a result of this, on the evening of my arrival I accidentally went through the bedside drawers in Raphael’s* sleeping quarters. Yes, it was a massive violation of trust and invasion of privacy but I will gladly prance around in the tropical climate of Dante’s Inferno for all of eternity. What I discovered in those drawers gave me minor heart palpitations. To the right, I uncovered an extensive length of rope you could envision knotted in a noose fashion swinging from the gallows – or tied intricately around the pallid flesh of a bondage bandit like a sexy Christmas ham. That’s not all, folks. Beyoncé herself would’ve jumped back in shock because in a box to the left lived a rat king of harness restraints. Tottering around in a stranger’s home with these items conjured Fritzlesque scenes.

knock on the front door. A third lass arrived and vapid conversations took place regarding the awe inspiring benefits of sunscreen.

However, my reddened ears piqued up when I heard a casual mention of threesomes. Liberating ourselves from confinement like Andy Dufresne and Red, we bid adieu to the warden but not before he invited us to the jamboree he would be throwing later on. A fourhour time card was then inserted into the sequence, reminiscent of SpongeBob SquarePants with the inclusion of accented nasal commentary and we found ourselves back on the doorstep.

In comparison to everyone else at this social gathering, we resembled interdimensional time-travellers. At first, people regarded us with caution because we were so clearly not members of a defined clique but after some liquid courage and possibly even a powdery variant they started to warm up considerably. I bonded with Raphael through the social lubricant of alcohol. He introduced me to a mix of Grey Goose vodka and coconut water. He explained the dehydration was cancelled out by the electrolytes. It was at that point that he said something that I will remember vividly until my expiration date. “It’s the perfect balance! I can do my yoga in the morning and my cocaine at night.” This guy wasn’t a real person; he was a caricature. It was at that point that we started to realise this was more of a swinger party than a low-key family orientated Sunday session with the neigbourinos.

They were serving pieces of watermelon and almonds as nibblies.

I’m frankly surprised there wasn’t a swan carved from ice rapidly melting in the corner. As reverent followers of Dionysus, we bought a casket of goon to the shindiggery. You could tell a lot of the women there had cosmetic surgery done to their faces and to feed the Hollywood delusion, there was an exact replica of Fran Drescher present with the emotional capacity of a teaspoon. One fellow looked quite familiar and so I introduced myself by approaching him with a Google Images tab open featuring various photos of Bradley Cooper. It was uncanny. I was half tempted to slap him in the face for the pig’s abortion that was The Hangover Part III.

Not only was Raphael a king of kink, he was also a divorced DILF

As it turns out, Raphael was not an Austrian monstrosity after all. He stumbled through the door at an ungodly hour with a leggy blonde at his flank as I was rolling around on the bovine pelt rug with my own male company. They were both garbed from head to toe in white flowing garments, like a couple of tanned deities. You could bet that all four of us were on some kind of substances and slurred words of introduction and greeting were exchanged. They retired to his BDSM den and soon after that we heard him preparing to breach her entrance with his battering ram like it was the siege of Contstantinople all over again. It was an unnecessary tactic because her gates were already spread and flooding. That apartment had the acoustics of an ancient Roman amphitheatre.

After the seven course meal of debauchery that was that evening, sunlight flooded the villa revealing a battlefield of terminally hungover soldiers. Being the urban explorer that I am, I opened the in-built wardrobes in my assigned room thinking there would be hanging space for my belongings. I made an assumption out of myself. The shelves were brimming with childish games and outfits meant to cater for miniature humans. Not only was Raphael a king of kink, he was also a divorced DILF with a heart wrenching backstory.

Eventually there was some stirring and the pitter-patter of feet in the hallway outside our room. Raphael and his platonic lady friend emerged from the inner sanctum of slumber and stationed themselves in the common area. A short time later, there was a

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We became acquainted with a childless woman in her thirties who was in the process of becoming separated from her partner.

Courtney* displayed a keen interest in our unique appearances and claimed we were the most genuine people there from our brief interactions. After getting high on the atmosphere, events began to escalate. Raphael was launched into an unnecessary brawl with a juiced up teenager over a parking space and he ended up receiving five stitches in his forehead. Before going to the hospital, he shambled around the floor with a bloody gash on his face and shirtless, chiselled body on display like a bronze figurine of Adonis.

The police were called in and loitered in the hallway taking witness statements.

After all this chaotic build-up and the sexually charged atmosphere of the hedonistic jubilee, I proposed a three-person game of human Tetris with Courtney. It was well received by the panel and the plan was seamlessly actioned. The arms of Vishnu lashed out over warm bodies and when the quest had been sufficiently completed, we parted ways to the casino. Here lies my first and likely most turbulent Airbnb experience that I will ever have. Although we’ll never truly know if we were “the other woman”. I haven’t gotten around to reading Raphael’s review of me as a hostee yet but I’m sure it’s more explosive than a suicide bomber. * Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

LOUANNE DANK

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E X H I B I T I O N I S T | C O M E DY

IN REVIEW

Doug Anthony All Stars – Near Death Experience Canberra Theatre Centre Thu–Sat November 10–12

throughout the crowd were a sign of things to come. Taking place in the wake of Donald Trump’s election win, McDermott took the stage soon after and, while being short on actual words to describe how he felt, his exasperated swearing was welcome, almost cathartic relief amidst the doom-and-gloom.

With the frenetic pace of McDermott’s delivery and the eccentric stylings of Ferguson, the show barrelled along with song after gag after song. The musical highlight was their song about porn, lovingly given an innocuous title although I came to remember it as ‘Bikini Clad Shemale Dwarves On Crack’. The show covered a range of topics and emotions. Much light was shed on Tim Ferguson’s wheelchair bound stature to the point where there were many times I found myself laughing when I knew I shouldn’t be. After speaking with Ferguson in an interview last month, it was clear that his unusual onstage persona was only mildly exaggerated.

Photo by Mark Turner (photographed elsewhere)

It’s difficult to review, or even sum up, the newest offering from the Doug Anthony All Stars. Their eclectic blend of social commentary, music, on-stage banter and pee jokes left me feeling completely drained of laughter by the end of the show. The performance, titled Near Death Experience, was a jubilant celebration of death, decay, love, life and the whole she-bang.

The group, currently comprised of Paul McDermott, Tim Ferguson and Paul ‘Flacco’ Livingston (referred to solely by the name of ‘The Guitarist’ all night), was in fine form for their return to Canberra, the place where it all began.

Flacco took the stage first, providing a small warm up routine before the main act. Dolling out bad pun after bad pun, the giggles

COMEDY ACT

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After over an hour of non-stop music and gags, the show took a short, sombre turn. Both McDermott and Ferguson had some very poignant things to say about life, seizing your dreams and death.

Faced with a wheelchair-bound Ferguson, it was hard not to pay close attention to his words and understand where this wisdom came from.

The penultimate scene of the show was incredible. Calling back to an earlier ditty Tim Ferguson had sung regarding drinking your own pee, we were treated to a silhouette of Paul McDermott backstage, attempting to pee in his own mouth and making an ungodly mess.

Revolting? Yes. Hilarious? You better bloody believe it.

Near Death Experience is a triumph of the insane, macabre, eclectic and silly. If you ever get the chance to see the Doug Anthony All Stars in action, do not pass it up.

SCOTT BATUM

THE YAK BOOKSHOP

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LITERATURE IN REVIEW

Melbourne Precincts Dale Campisi [Hardie Grant; 2016]

Jack White: How He Built An Empire From The Blues Nick Hasted [Omnibus Press; 2016]

Just in time for Christmas gifting, Dale Campisi has written his guide to the must-see shops, cafes, hangouts and bars that are worthy of your time and curiosity.

Musician, producer, seventh son … upholsterer. With his bluesy take on garage rock and Tim Burton-character-turned-real-boy aesthetic, Jack White (nee Gillis) seems made for rock and roll mythology.

This hardback edition features a sharp, geometric and colour-block design that echoes the angular silhouettes of Federation Square in central Melbourne. As a coffee-table feature alone, it already earns points as a discussion starter. It’s bound to be plonked on the share table around local cafes for the next year at least.

The White Stripes were joyously out of step with both indie and mainstream rock scenes that commentators of the early 2000s thought were limping to a close. It’s tempting to view White as some sort of alien-muse who arrived on a voodoo star beam, but author and journalist Nick Hasted embeds the fledgling band firmly in the late ‘90s Detroit rock scene. Hasted paints a vivid picture of a bastion of rock in semi-derelict suburbs, and explores White’s influences from the obvious Zeppelin to the obscure Flat Duo Jets.

The Detroit scene is small and incestuous though, and interviewed peers of White tend to get a bit luvvy in places. Rambling descriptions of who was playing what with who in a jockstrap will probably be fascinating or skimmable depending on your nerd level.

Campisi’s Melbourne guide comes on top of several beautiful and useful books that act as guides to particular Melbourne places.

There is the café guide that specifically highlights new and longtime cafés in the hidden depths of the city, surrounding suburbs and regions with glossy pictures and prices also. Then there’s the wellness guide with yoga studios, pilates and Barre Studios, naturopaths and spas listed by area and specialty.

As a Melbourne born and bred local, I find myself flicking through Melbourne Precincts to get ideas on where to go in my surrounding suburbs, but if I know I have an appointment across town and some spare time afterwards, I like to look up that local area and get a recommendation on cafés, bookstores, design and homewares places worth checking in on.

I was disappointed that Campisi’s guide featured many iconic and much-featured places. The kind that would be the first to pop up in Google if you searched “Eat” or “Shop” and “Melbourne”. This isn’t a book full of revelations and small, indie or alleyway finds. This is definitely a book more appropriate to a tourist or a visiting family member or friend who is happy to take a train or an Uber into the various Melbourne precincts to seek out a second-hand book, a highly recommended kransky and borsch, or a mid-century designer wonderland.

The ‘Meet The Melburnian’ features dotted throughout are a highlight. These one-page profiles give an insight into the owner and founder of particular venues in Melbourne. The tips from local purveyors of great coffee, design or vodka are worth following whether they are listed in the book’s destinations or not.

Check out Tokyo Bike in Collingwood, which is described as “a commuter cyclist’s paradise”. Visitors can hire a bike here for $20 a day, including lock and helmet, and on Saturdays there is a special rate of $40 allowing the bike to be returned the following Wednesday.

Brady Michaels has taken some divine photographs of stores, Melbourne locals and streets. Well edited and a worthy addition to the bookshelves of locals and tourists. It’s also heartening that in the age of e-books and downloadable maps and guides, a beautiful hardback guide is invested in by publishers and businesses.

Hasted gets mythology, and this biography is peppered with details that make for alluring rock lore. White’s rise to fame has all the hallmarks of a rags-to-riches story. The trajectory Hasted charts is familiar – obscurity, hard work, the heady rush of not entirely expected success, and then with stardom it all suddenly goes a bit wobbly.

But it’s Jack White. So even the familiar is happily weird. Obscurity, for example, sees White trying to pay the mortgage with his upholstery business, decking his shop out yellow and black (right down to the clipboards) with the same enthusiasm he would later bring to the White Stripes red/white colour theme; and hiding fragments of his poetry in the furniture he upholstered, “imagining an ancient guild of honourable upholsterers passing secreted messages.”

Hasted stops short of romanticism though, letting White’s early naïve comments about the desirability of being an African-American man in the 1930s stand in their own awkwardness. White’s much later assault of Von Bondies lead singer Jason Stollsteimer gets a similar treatment.

It’s a thorough and intelligent piece of music journalism, that delivers everything you’d want from a Jack White biography. Meg White, the Sphinx-like drummer of the White Stripes and ex-wife who’s surname White took, also gets some welldeserved attention.

It’s Christmas, people.

Get yourself a present.

You know everyone else is giving you socks.

CARA LENNON

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A R T | C O M E DY | D A N C E | L I T E R AT U R E | T H E AT R E

LITERATURE IN REVIEW

LITERATURE IN REVIEW

Time Capsule David Ireland [Hardie Grant Books; 2016]

Aim True Kathryn Budig [Harper Collins; 2016]

If you don’t like poetry, jog on. Time Capsule may be billed as a merely ‘poetry-like’ prose novel, but those who find poetry’s contrived structure and fetish for navel-gazing off-putting won’t be fooled. Difficult to classify is a speciality of David Ireland. Winner of three Miles Franklin awards, he’s been lauded as a kind of blue-collar philosopher. His previous novels (The Glass Canoe, The Unknown Industrial Prisoner) are a combination of canny fantasy and roughedged masculinity.

Kathryn Budig is a yoga celebrity who isn’t all just flashy lycra and superficial spirituality. She has built a dedicated international fan base with her genuinely engaging and informative workshops, classes, online videos and publications. A regular writer and contributor to Yoga Journal, she provides insight into yoga sequences, poses, the spiritual and moral codes (yamas and niyamas) and her own personal experience developing and struggling with her practice and her life. It is her “realness” and ability to share these without self-indulgence or quick-cures that attracts so many to her online identity and to her international classes and workshops.

If you do like poetry, Time Capsule may be one for when you have time to sit and think. Aliens rescue a time capsule from earth. In it is a collection of poetry from St Andrew’s Anglican Church, and the aliens decide to hold a reading. Thus ends the plot part of the novel, four pages in. The subsequent 240 pages contain verse contemplations from housewives, nurses, teachers, accountants.

Its … odd. Ireland’s voice is so unwaveringly uniform, the poems so identical in style and similar in content, that it’s hard to understand what attributing them to a range of fictional people is supposed to achieve.

Ireland writes from the perspective of an 89-year-old Australian male. Which is fine, as far as it goes, but pretending his introspections are the views of people of varied age, gender and cultural background results in some real clangers. Like one 17-year-old referring to his peers as “young folk”, or an 11-year-old boy supposedly writing the line, “my prejudice favours the snake”.

Seriously, what?

Time Capsule gets a lot more palatable if you let go of the idea that you’re hearing from a ‘wide range of locals’ and just embrace that you’re pottering around in Ireland’s head. If you’re a fan of Ireland’s style, there’s plenty of it. His language is to the point, unpretentious and he takes on big subjects. Religion, sciences, democracy, class, memory, legacy and the environment are the big recurring issues.

There’s a certain amount of world-weariness in the way they are tackled, but it’s broken up with snippets of low-key whimsy.

In the end though, the samey-ness, the undertone of disillusionment, and repetitiveness of the verses make for a gruelling experience.

Which is a shame, because there are some thought-provoking and insightful moments, but they get lost in the sheer volume of material.

“EACH STEP INTO THE PAST Each trip through the minds of other creators Can open new landscapes of the mind Illuminating new patterns of the future In the clarity and sunlight of understanding.

V.H. Retired teacher.”

CARA LENNON

Aim True is her latest release and it is less a guide to yoga and poses, and rather an insight into the daily and lifelong challenges women face to align their choices with their own knowledge, integrity and intuition when there is so much conflict in media messaging, family and community influences, and limited time and space to make decisions around how to live.

Kathryn has been frank and open about her start in Hollywood. She began as an actress where her very lean body was still deemed too fleshy to be worthy of star roles. Rather, she was told she’d be the “best friend” until she drastically lost weight and considered breast augmentation. Thrown into battle with her own body and questioning her desire to be part of the LA entertainment industry that churns and burns relentlessly, for her own good and that of many yogis around the world, Kath discovered yoga and developed, over time and with persistence, a peace and embrace of her body, her relationships, her approach to work and to living.

Aim True is essentially her guide to, and recollection of, how to live yoga beyond the hour per day class on the mat. While not a spiritual guidebook in the style of Patanjali or Iyengar, this is the ideal book to introduce the casual yoga attendee into practices that will enhance their understanding of how yoga applies to daily life. It includes Kathryn’s guide to meditation, holistic and natural beauty ideas and principles, and most importantly, fabulous recipes and ideas for yoga sequences to meet varied purposes.

The book is gorgeous to look at, as is Kathryn herself. It is full of whimsical, gelato coloured illustrations and photos. Easily divided into chapters, this is a book that could be delved into for a specific purpose (i.e. finding a recipe or looking up a pose) or perused at length over a long rainy afternoon.

Coming up to the craziness of Christmas and the New Year, this is an ideal time to be considering choices around how we live and what our intentions and goals are. If this book isn’t immediately appealing to you, it will make the perfect gift for a friend or family member who can tell you what a Downward Facing Dog is.

CAT WOODS

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bit PARTS QL2 DANCE PRESENTS ON COURSE WHAT: Dance production WHEN: Fri–Sat Dec 16–17 WHERE: QL2 Theatre, Gorman Arts Centre Dance students from universities around Australia are coming to Canberra to create and present new short contemporary dance works.

They’ll be gathering at QL2 for two shows only, in a production titled On Course. It’s a glimpse into the next generation of contemporary dance and physical theatre in Australia, featuring works by Alana Stenning, Luke Fryer, Maddy Towler Lovell, Nasim Patel, Oonagh Slater, Patrick Keogh Walker, Rachael Wisby, Ryan Stone and Samuel Hammat. It starts at 7pm and runs for approximately 80 minutes. There’ll be an optional Q&A with the choreographers and dancers afterwards. Tickets are $16 at TryBooking, or at the door 30 minutes before the show.

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS WHAT: Theatre production WHEN: Mon–Fri Dec 19–23 WHERE: Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre C.S. Lewis’ wildly comic yet deadly serious masterpiece, The Screwtape Letters, is coming to the stage. One of the most popular works of C.S. Lewis, this brilliantly funny literary masterpiece – in a special new adaptation for the stage – provides a humorously accurate insight into the frailties of human nature. The Screwtape Letters follows the correspondence between a senior demon, Screwtape, and his nephew, a junior tempter named Wormwood, whose task it is to secure the damnation of a young man known as “The Patient”. Tickets are $45 for adults and $40 for concession, and can be purchased via canberratheatrecentre.com.au. Starts at 7:30pm.

FREDERICK KNOTT’S WAIT UNTIL DARK WHAT: Theatre production WHEN: Thu Feb 23–Sat Mar 11 WHERE: Canberra REP, Theatre 3 How would you like to do something difficult and terribly dangerous?

Something valuable is hidden in Suzy’s house. Harry Roat wants it, and he’s enlisted two desperate men to help him. Suzy’s alone and blind.

But she’s not completely defenceless … Canberra REP finishes off the season and opens 2017 with Frederick Knott’s Wait Until Dark. It’s a play about a recently blinded housewife, thieves, a doll and a battle of wits. The show runs from Wednesdays to Saturdays at 8pm. There are matinees on Saturday March 4, 5 and 11 at 2pm. Canberra REP is at 3 Repertory Lane, behind Llewellyn Hall and the ANU School of Art. JEFF GREEN WHAT: Comedy WHEN: Sat Mar 25 WHERE: Uni Pub

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Award-winning British comedian Jeff Green will bring his new show Honestly! to the 2017 Canberra Comedy Festival, his first show in Canberra since 2015. Older, hairier and funnier than ever, festival favourite Jeff will return to the ACT in March, delving into his life as an expat, husband, and father-of-two to unleash a trademark belly-laugh filled show. Jeff has become a well known figure in Australian media since arriving for his first performance here in 1996 at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. To purchase tickets to his stand-up show, head to canberracomedyfestival.com.au. Tickets are $32. The show starts at 7pm.

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THE BUNKER COMEDY

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the word

on albums

The album largely shares a similar sonic identity to Ex Tropical; the slow, woozy sound, often separated by so much space between everything. Quarrell described the first album as a bunch of sad songs that you can dance to, and things are largely the same on the surface here. But You Yang plays around the edges a bit more, and it’s less “tropical”; less fun. The momentum and moods at work here look even further down, but that’s not a bad thing at all.

This ain’t exactly Australian Gothic, but it’s not another jangle pop album either.

album of the issue LOST ANIMAL YOU YANG [DOT DASH] Jarrod Quarrell, the creative force behind Lost Animal, recently wrote on social media that reviews should be renamed ‘comparisons’. When listening to the new Lost Animal record (their second), however, comparisons to others fall from the mind. Sure, you could compare You Yang to a bunch of things, but mostly it’s Quarrell’s previous work.

Quarell’s previous two albums were debuts (with St Helens and Lost Animal respectively) – relatively unknown quantities breaking through the general malaise of the Melbourne scene. You Yang comes more known, yet it’s no less new. Five years tends to do that to an audience.

Allusions to what happened in the intervening half-decade float in and out of occasional articles, obscure forum posts and out-of-the-way YouTube videos – all adding colour to a rich tapestry but meaningless for the punter once the album is chucked on. Speculation can only get you so far without listening to anything.

You Yang is a collection of pop songs written by a guy who has seemingly felt some real shit. Whether or not that is the case is aside from the point – the darkness pervades throughout. The previous Lost Animal album, Ex Tropical, touched on the more emotionally weighty subjects but You Yang is drowning in it.

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The contribution of Shags Chamberlain and his rolling basslines provide the heartbeat of the album, bringing life to the underlying productions. Both Ex Tropical and Heavy Profession sat between traditional genres, and You Yang does the same. Each one of Quarrell’s lyrics slices through separately from the last, his nasal delivery continuing the story with yet another knife cut. The vocals are occasionally obfuscated but are always central to everything else around it.

The most maximal moment on You Yang, ‘Do The Jerk’, is also perhaps its highlight, a song that you can listen to on repeat and keep discovering layers of. It’s also representative of the album – seemingly straightforward at first, but in reality not close to that. Even ‘Message For The Future’, perhaps the most pop moment on the album, drives the pace of the album forward like a Bowie offcut from the late ‘90s but to a place that has yet to be determined.

The changes of pace on the album that work particularly well as well: the lost acoustic strum of ‘New Year’s Day’ and the sloganistic pop of ‘Too Late To Die Young’.

Even the seeming missteps on You Yang work when you step back and take the album as a whole. There are some elements that don’t quite work on their own, and some melodies that seem a little broken. But that best sums up You Yang; it’s perfectly broken. There’s moments on it that won’t be touched by any other album this year, and there are bits that are totally fucked. But what a combination, and what a rollercoaster of emotions.

CODY ATKINSON

KEATON HENSON KINDLY NOW [PLAY IT AGAIN SAM] Keaton Henson’s latest release, Kindly Now, is something a listener would play alone in the car as rain falls. This album builds on Henson’s original roots; lyrically and musically, it seems to be a continuation of Dear (2010) and Birthdays (2013). Kindly Now differs by not limiting itself to a specific style. It is layered with texture, from familiar acoustic tracks to more ambient and instrumental sounds, such as the lyricless ‘Gabe’.

Henson remains devoted to his selfdeprecating, anguished lyrics. His vocals are, as always, pure and quivering with emotion.

In ‘Alright’, a raw and gentle confession written to his younger self, or to a former lover, he sings, “Always been a coward, you can ask my friends, I hide inside for hours.”

There are a handful of standout tracks; the triumphant opening, ‘March’, is a swell of hopeful sound, with soaring strings that mirror his 2014 instrumental album Romantic Works. ‘Old Lovers In Dressing Rooms’ is the most poetic track, steeped in a nostalgic recollection of love lost.

‘The Pugilist’, an amalgamation of all of Henson’s fears and desires, is his finest recording, with lyrics like “And I’m sick of the silence … after all I’m an artist, and I’ve still got songs in me yet.” This track is rich, with electric guitar, and vocal intricacies that build in an almost Jeff Buckley manner.

Possibly the biggest letdown with Kindly Now is the atmospheric similarity between too many lyrics: Henson is unable to challenge his listeners with new insights in many numbers. Despite this, Kindly Now is a strong piece – a talented, reserved figure, Henson’s work speaks to the introvert in us all. Kindly Now expresses intimacies about its writer that a listener almost feels guilty about intruding upon.

KASHMIRA MOHAMED ZAGOR

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OSAKA MANOEUVRES [INDEPENDENT RELEASE] Young Melbourne three-piece band Osaka has launched its debut EP. The outfit has adopted an indie sound in the Ball Park Music vein, but with a stronger electronica vibe courtesy of the generous application of synths. This nod to small ‘d’ dance music helps make their signature sound a little different from a raft of other indie bands, while still stopping well short of the ‘80s fondness for keyboard overload. Osaka gives ample respect to the guitar thrusts that form a core indie identity.

There’s an enthusiastic LED brightness to the melodies. The lyrics sound hot, as though they contain some incisive revelation, but their meaning remains elusive, like a partly covered answer on a page. Opener ‘Tease’ tempts with smooth beckoning synths, forming more complex grids as they progress, until the guitar strikes leap boldly in at the chorus. There’s a strong danceable tune to move to, too.

The CD segues seamlessly into the super bouncy, pneumatically suspended ‘Weights’, its vocals shadowed with echoed lyrics, delivered with a harsher tone and providing a contrast of textures. There’s no room to draw breath before the band leaps into the denser surface of ‘Vessel’, with its more complex arrangements that fight each other for attention. ‘Indian Summer’ is a layered Tiramisu fantasy of flickering synths, with a real Snakadaktal sound. Closer ‘Clarity’ starts all fuzzy and squeaky, before throwing in a keyboard riff that would fit right into a Megan Washington song, then racing off into a meteor shower of guitars and synths. The band shows promise with its ability to generate appealing melodies and its skill in getting the instrumental balance just right.

RORY MCCARTNEY

A TRIBE CALLED QUEST WE GOT IT FROM HERE… THANK YOU 4 YOUR SERVICE [EPIC RECORDS] Very few artists are able to return from a hiatus after 18 years and still feel relevant or worth paying attention to. On their sixth and purportedly final album, hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest buck that trend with an album that is pertinent and always engaging.

Several themes loom over We Got It… without ever suffocating the album. One is the death of founding member Phife Dawg earlier this year. Phife is still a presence on this album, with verses featuring his biting and uncompromising delivery balancing well with those of his comparatively relaxed (but no less passionate) partner, Q-Tip. On ‘Lost Somebody’, Q-Tip memorialises Phife alongside collaborators Consequence and returning Tribe member Jarobi White. He admits to the turbulence in the relationship between the two, but makes it clear that their bond is forever.

Donald Trump and the current political climate are given their due on this album, and Tribe makes no attempt at painting a rosy picture. ‘We The People…’ demonstrates what Q-Tip and Phife Dawg believe to be the not-so-hidden sentiments of the “Make American Great Again” crowd.

On ‘The Killing Season’, Consequence, Jarobi White, Talib Kweli and Kanye West address racism, from police brutality to treatment from the staff at Denny’s.

So if this is goodbye to A Tribe Called Quest (and with Phife Dawg gone, how could it not be?) then this is as strong a sendoff as you’ll ever see. On ‘Dis Generation’, Q-Tip pays homage to new stars in hip-hop: Joey Bada$$, Earl Sweatshirt, Kendrick Lamar (who also appears on this album), and J. Cole, calling them “gatekeepers of flow” and “extensions of instinctual soul”. He’s telling us we’ll be all right, and it’s impossible not to trust him.

JAMES MESSER

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DIE! DIE! DIE! WHAT DID YOU EXPECT [BAD HEALTH] Kiwi punkers Die! Die! Die! coagulated together in Dunedin in 2003, and quickly impressed with a prolific output of five EPs and five long players. I don’t know where their most recent offering, launched in late 2015, has been hiding in the BMA vault.

However, it deserves attention.

Die! Die! Die! has the knack of camouflaging catchy rhythms under an enveloping screen of scratchy sound. There is a well-practiced recklessness in the early tracks, with strong shoegaze overtones. ‘I Love Space Travel’ leaps in with a storm of prickly guitars, accompanied by frantic lyrics from Andrew Wilson, singing like an angry Muppet as he fights his way through the unforgiving hail of music. The drumming of Michael Prain rises in tempo and impact as the song careers to its inevitably apocalyptic end.

The brief ‘Dark Arrow’ raises the intensity even more as repetitive lyrics ram its core message home. The disk exhibits a more melodic line with ‘(I Love How You) Listen to the Radio’, softened by backing vocals from Annabel Liddell. The title track introduces more indie-pop sensibilities, with a sweeter sound decorated with echo glazed guitar strikes. Employing less fuzz in the mix, the resulting increased clarity allows a better appreciation of the lyrics and the shifts in texture as it morphs gracefully. Closer ‘Is What It Is’ shifts to a more choppy delivery, being the most musically adventurous track with the words coming in pulses.

Overall. There is a more rushed vibe to this release which, notwithstanding that one is an EP and the other a more expansive album, shows less of the variety and sheer musical inventiveness that made the 2012 release Harmony so appealing.

RORY MCCARTNEY

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album in focus

BOB DYLAN THE REAL ROYAL ALBERT HALL 1966 CONCERT [SONY] The 1966 Bob Dylan tour with supporting bands The Hawks is a landmark event that opened up a new road for rock ‘n’ roll no one until then had the audacity and nerve to travel down. But this is only understood in hindsight because at the time Dylan was routinely condemned for daring to bring electric instruments into folk’s hallowed acoustic realm.

Even worse, he had the gall to write surreal, impressionistic lyrics that were increasingly in tune with the attuned sensory flights of the first generation Beat writers.

This was happening at the expense of socially motivated class commentary that had been accepted as the preserve of folk poetry for generations. Those who admired the politically conscious wordsmith performing ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ and ‘Masters of War’ armed only with a battered acoustic guitar and harmonica seemed to have conveniently forgotten that Dylan had started out as a rock ‘n’ roll fan who looked to the powerful rockabilly of Johnny Cash for inspiration. The Beats had turned inwards to articulate a heightened self-awareness and this appealed to Dylan, who began to do the same on such acoustic albums as Another Side of Bob Dylan.

By the time of the 1966 tour, Dylan’s transformation into a Beat rock ‘n’ roller was well underway and the music captured on the Royal Albert Hall concert

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in London is some of the most exciting and imaginative ever made. This two-disc release is the one standalone offering from the comprehensive 36-disc box set, The 1966 Live Recordings, and captures Dylan at the peak of his creativity. The Manchester concert from this tour, comprising volume four of the official bootleg series, was released in 1998 and made sense of a bootleg doing the rounds for years that purported to be from the Royal Albert Hall but was in fact recorded in Manchester.

The set-list here is identical to the Manchester gig and is just as exciting to listen to with the concert divided into acoustic and electric sets that draw from the albums Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and the Nobel prize winner’s magnum opus Blonde On Blonde, and capture a peak moment in Dylan’s ‘electric period.’

He closes the acoustic set with ‘Mr Tambourine Man’, which attracts a solid round of applause with the audience seemingly unaware of the electrified musical firestorm to follow.

On the first set, the listener is drawn to the beautiful flow of words worthy of Proust. The second set is something else altogether. Dylan straps on an electric guitar and is joined by The Hawks, who would later morph into roots rock group The Band. The assembled musicians then launch into a blistering version of ‘Tell Me, Momma’.

A seemingly effortless transformation takes place and this is why folk purists in the audience got so worked up – the troubadour who at first had the decency to not assault the ears by playing an acoustic guitar now does the complete opposite, and the lucky audience is treated to some of the most scorching rock ‘n’ roll ever committed to tape. The obvious contrast is what makes this recording so valuable. Some undefined chemical reaction turns the sensitive street poet with the harmonica into a raging rock ‘n’ roll star in the blink of an eye.

DAN BIGNA

METALLICA HARDWIRED… TO SELF-DESTRUCT [BLACKENED] If 2008’s Death Magnetic was Metallica’s return to form, Hardwired… To SelfDestruct is them once again mastering that form. In the eight years between the two albums, Metallica have kept busy with a lot of other ventures, including a concert movie (Through The Never), an album with Lou Reed (Lulu) and starting their own music festival (Orion). Their latest effort shows them getting back to what they do best: playing hard and fast.

Immediately hitting with textbook thrash track ‘Hardwired’, the eleven ensuing songs employ every trick in Metallica’s book.

Juxtaposing breakneck speeds and sludgy guitars, Metallica weave intricate riffs in and out of each other, bringing back fiery licks when you least expect it. Tracks such as ‘Am I Savage?’ and ‘Confusion’ lead the listener into a maze of ruthless riffs, where ‘Dream No More’ chugs along at a horrifying pace. Each song is carefully constructed and complex, reminiscent of 1988’s …And Justice For All. Singer/rhythm-guitarist James Hetfield’s riffs and Lars Ulrich’s drums really are the crowning achievement of this album. The urge to head-bang or groove is irresistible as Hetfield’s guitar swaggers across each track, and Ulrich pounds the skins harder and faster than he has in years (‘Spit Out The Bone’). Hetfield’s lyrics, although catchy at times, aren’t the best we have seen from him in Metallica’s long career, but that’s okay as they serve their purpose well. There is a sense the band are having fun again.

Hardwired… To Self-Destruct is Metallica no longer experimenting, but reminding the world why they are so legendary.

THOMAS SPILLANE

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PINK FLOYD CRE/ATION: THE EARLY YEARS 1965–1972 [PINK FLOYD MUSIC] If there is one word to describe Cre/ation, it would be long. However, this is the abridged version at 112 min and two CDs – it pales in comparison to the full seven-volume epic that is The Early Years 1965–1972, which runs to a full 25 hours of music! I would imagine that most bands would struggle to make that much music in a lifetime, let alone seven years! Keep in mind that this compilation stops the year that one of the bands most popular albums was released, The Dark Side of the Moon, with another eight albums to follow!

Cre/ation is very much one for the Pink Floyd fanatics out there; it contains a mix of singles, unreleased studio and live recordings and remixes. It is fair to say that there are more than a few unpolished pieces, but it gives you a good feel for the growth and development of the band.

The early tracks have a feel much like The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album, with fairly simple musicianship, but a psychedelic array of sound effects and quirky vocal lines.

For fans of prog rock, Cre/ation shows how Pink Floyd took guitars, drums, bass, keyboard and vocals and turned it into the standard instrumental formula for most of the prog bands that followed. The early work is very experimental, but by 1972 they had crafted it into the sound that all others were to emulate for the next 40+ years. It is no wonder that the next album was one of their greatest.

3.5 out of 5 bricks in the wall.

TIM BUTLER

BON JOVI THIS HOUSE IS NOT FOR SALE [UNIVERSAL] If you don’t know this band; where have you been for the past thirty years? Bon Jovi have recorded and released their thirteenth album, This House Is Not For Sale. This isn’t quite the classic Bon Jovi that might be expected, and definitely not the hair metal sound they had in the eighties.

If you were looking to listen to something that could easily be recognised as a Bon Jovi track, you could be disappointed. In saying that, the band have taken on an edgy new country rock sound, compromising country motivated chords with electrifying rock riffs to secure a solid new path for the band.

Upon listening to the album, the first thing that comes to mind is the strong Southern influence that sets the pace for the rest of the tracks.

A stand out for this album is the track ‘We Don’t Run’. Whilst it still entails the country vibes that run through this album, it cleverly uses heavy electric guitar riffs and power chords to pull it into the rock realm. The streamlined tones of bass guitar juxtaposed with the rock and roll attitude of this song complements the rest of the album nicely, as this is possibly the heaviest song on the album.

This House Is Not For Sale could go either way. Half of the tracks are rock pop and the other half are country rock. Whilst Bon Jovi are ultimately a rock band, this particular album is definitely headed in a new direction. If you are a fan of country music, this one is for you.

MORGAN HAIN

VARIOUS ARTISTS BACK IN BLUE: A BLUES TRIBUTE TO AC/DC [ONLY BLUES MUSIC] Back in Black, the first AC/DC album following the death of Bon Scott, marked a watershed in the band’s development, with Brian Johnson seizing the vocal reigns and a big rise in the band’s popularity. 36 years later, the album has been re-recorded by notable Australian blues artists. Apart for rejigging songs with a blues approach, the record was laid down in the Blue Mountains and profits from sales going to Beyondblue.

The original black cover, adopted to mark the death of AC/DC’s frontman, has turned a deep blue and the album opens with a scratchy radio recording, announcing the death of Scott. ‘Hells Bells’ rolls out in a cut down arrangement, the full-on album version reduced to simple chords and a little restrained drumming, accompanied by the soaring vocals of Jane Michele. The clean-cut presentation, without the overawing effect of the full bore rock delivery, highlights just how good the lyrics are, and they sound so much sexier from a woman.

Full of gnarly blues guitar, Jan Rynsaardt’s version of ‘Shoot to Thrill’ is very laid back.

Purists may find that this understated treatment loses the intensity of the original, as super-fast rock gives way to bucking bronco blues, but it does bring out a different sort of passion, that runs so cool, rather than with a blow torch burn. There’s a touch of ZZ Top in the sound of ‘Giving the Dog a Bone’, a real strutting song with some rapping at the end. ‘Shook Me All Night Long’ slows down in a real hip grinder, while in ‘Shake a Leg’, hot saxophone and sizzling harmonica outdo the guitars. A worthy adjunct to the collection of avid AC/DC devotees.

RORY MCCARTNEY

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THE BLACK SORROWS FAITHFUL SATELLITE [HEAD RECORDS]

PIXIES HEAD CARRIER [PLAY IT AGAIN SAM]

THE TAMBOURINE GIRLS THE TAMBOURINE GIRLS [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]

Now in their 23rd year as a unit, The Black Sorrows blues rock band have released their 20th long player under the leadership of Joe Camilleri, who first came to fame with Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons in 1975.

As a Pixies fan, hearing that there is a new release from the veteran band brings mixed feelings. For a band with such an illustrious career as the Pixies, it’s hard not to compare the current band to that of their heyday. So it was with some trepidation that I hit play on Head Carrier, the Pixies sixth release in their 30-year career as a band.

The self-titled album is the first full length debut by Sydney-based indie band The Tambourine Girls. Whilst the band have been making music for almost three years, they are headed towards the future, with a new sound influenced by ‘60s and ‘70s style pop and alternative rock.

The latest release amply demonstrates that the band’s skills extend far beyond blues.

The core band gains from an expansive brass section and female backing vocals add cachet, from the gospel cries of Vika and Linda Bull to the seductive siren wail of Sandii Keenen. Almost every track resides in a separate genre, a result that came not from any deliberate design, but from the quirk that they were the tracks the band liked the best from the 30 songs recorded as album candidates.

Themes from the pen of lyricist Nick Smith err on the dark side of humanity, including jail time, voodoo and the temptations of Beelzebub. There are a few songs about women too, from puppy love infatuation to unrequited love. However, the music of Camilleri softens the blows with light and beauty, and abundant bursts of energy.

The brass delivers a speakeasy feel to opener ‘I Love You Anyhow’, while there’s a real revival meeting vigour in the call and response makeup of ‘Raise Your Hands’. The atmospheric ‘It Ain’t Ever Gonna Happen’ bears a film noir vibe (think detectives and hoodlums), while the ‘Cold Grey Moon’ (from which the disk’s title is drawn), rides elegantly in on a string quartet. Of them all, ‘Land of the Dead’ struck me the most, with the relentless melody surging through its alt-rock façade. With other tracks bearing bluegrass, folk, reggae and Mariachi colours, this is an impressive, expansive body of work.

RORY MCCARTNEY

Head Carrier sounds distinctly like the Pixies. Their trademark song structure is still here, complete with intricate guitar riffs, plodding bass and drum combos that drive the songs, all giving the album a sense of familiarity. This album is perhaps most like a Frank Black/Black Francis solo release, and would tie in easily with his recent catalogue.

The new lineup of the Pixies has been rebooted, with Kim Deal now officially replaced by experienced musician and ex-A Perfect Circle member Paz Lenchantin. The new Pixies work well together, tempering any of Black’s eccentricities to create a solid album, although it seems to lack the high points some listeners would expect.

The Pixies may be their best when they write about characters. ‘Talent’ is an energetic jam about “a really cool dude … named Talent”, which references actor Jack Palance. It recalls previous Pixies tracks like ‘Allison’ and is one of the highlights of the album.

For new listeners to the Pixies, Head Carrier would serve as a good introduction to their sound, but past fans may not find a lot to sink their teeth into. Ultimately, Head Carrier shouldn’t really be compared to past Pixies albums, as the modern Pixies have since evolved from the band that released Doolittle almost 30 years ago.

This band is a breath of fresh air, full of fun riffs and funky drum beats that drive home a great record. Many of the songs contain some type of heavy guitar riff, however it is mixed so well that it adds attitude and character to the album instead of driving it over the edge. The simplistic amalgamation of dreamy echoes and wah-wah effects creates an imaginative easy listening record, whilst the ongoing rock drum patterns keep the tracks moving forward.

Each track has its own original sound, connecting back to the overall theme of alternative rock.

The album has some folky, country elements in it, which can truly be heard on the track ‘Song For Gerard’. It uses country licks and riffs that are reminiscent of the ‘70s, juxtaposed with a well-known modern day indie rock sound that takes you away to a futuristic land. ‘Watching The World’ stands out from the rest of the album, as an obvious British rock influence washes over the track. Whilst it is only a short song, it impacts and makes a difference to the flow of the album.

The uniqueness of the range of sounds and rhythms used on this album make it one to look out for, with smooth sounding vocals with melodies to match. It is most definitely loaded with calming and relaxing tunes.

MORGAN HAIN

MEGAN LEAHY

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JANE’S ADDICTION STERLING SPOON [RHINO RECORDS]

CHOOK RACE AROUND THE HOUSE [TENTH COURT]

THE PRETTY RECKLESS WHO YOU SELLING FOR? [GOIN’ DOWN]

In celebration of the anniversary of their classic album Ritual de lo habitual and alternative music festival Lollapalooza, Jane’s Addiction have a released a six-LP box set that includes their first two influential albums, Nothing’s Shocking and Ritual de lo habitual, as well as a disc of rarities and demos and a live recording of their 1990 performance at the Hollywood Palladium.

You might not have noticed it, but there’s a rich vein of Australian lyrical jangle pop/ rock. Between Dick Diver, Twerps, The Stevens, Bitch Prefect, The Ocean Party and others, there seems to be a never-ending list of Australian bands cranking out overly earnest yet amazingly endearing tunes. And after the release of Around The House, it’s best to add Chook Race to that list.

Confession; the only reason I knew The Pretty Reckless were even a band was because my favourite love-to-hate Gossip Girl head case, Jenny Humphrey (a.k.a. Taylor Momsen), decided to ditch the show and front a rock band … Huh? But my initial scepticism was misplaced, Momsen with her fiery swagger proving a legit musical talent. Since 2010, the group has achieved three number one rock hits in the US – last achieved by a female fronted band (The Pretenders) almost 25-years-ago.

Listening to both studio albums again, it becomes obviously clear how much influence the alternative rock band actually had. In a melting pot of funk and jazz grooves (‘…Ted, Just Admit It’), Led Zeppelin inspired riffs and solos (‘Mountain Song’) and psychedelic tones (‘Three Days’), Jane’s Addiction were at the cutting edge of alternative rock music at the end of the ‘80s.

Some anniversary releases fall flat with bland demo versions that become uninteresting. Jane’s Addiction avoid this problem with all of the demo versions containing a raw urgency, with some, such as ‘Been Caught Stealing’ and ‘Ocean Song’, arguably better than the final versions.

Although Jane’s Addiction did gain popularity through their studio album releases, their reputation also grew as their live shows became known as wild. The live recording of their performance at the Hollywood Palladium perfectly catches this wild essence to their shows. With many songs launching into extended jams and improvised solos. Sterling Spoon perfectly showcases why Jane’s Addiction are such an influential band, with the Hollywood Palladium performance the obvious highlight of the vinyl box set. Not essential for somebody just getting into the band, but a fitting celebration for their true fans.

THOMAS SPILLANE

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Chook Race, who the form guide tells me is a three-piece out of Melbourne, have moved from surf rock to the edges of dolewave, and Around The House might be one of the better examples of the genre. Ultra-realistic in spots, the vividness of the stories on show shine through the bright guitars, like a Jeffrey Smart painting set to music.

The vocals take a second to get used to, and aren’t always perfectly polished throughout.

But after a while you start to realise that it adds character to the inherently Australian experiences of the album, and everything would be lost without that twang. The male/ female soft harmonies work particularly well, especially on poppy opener ‘Hard To Clean’. The sinewy guitar lines on ‘Eggshells’ provides a contrast for the first couple of tracks, but it’s the minimalism of ‘Lost The Ghost’ that provides a real highlight for the album.

Around The House is at its best when everything is a little more blurred, and when the pace is pushed just a little. A bit casual, and a lot of fun, Around The House is one of the more immediately approachable albums to come out of southern climes this year.

CODY ATKINSON

Who You Selling For sees the now 23-yearold Momsen’s smoky and charismatic vocals mature. This 12-track-album showcases the band’s scope and depth, with traditional hard-rock tracks alongside more downtempo numbers and even a couple of acoustic ballads for good measure.

Emotionally, we’re taken on a journey ranging from confusion and frustration to depression and despair.

Across the dozen tracks, we’re treated to echoes of the musical legends who first inspired lyricists Momsen and guitarist Ben Phillips. Sounds of The Beatles feature alongside flavours of Alice In Chains, Motörhead, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and The Smashing Pumpkins.

Personal standouts include the album’s newly released single ‘Oh My God’ and ‘The Devil’s Back’ – both lyrically desolate but sonically, polar opposite. ‘Oh My God’ is angry, fast-paced, head-banging, Momsen hurling the lyrics at you, while ‘The Devil’s Back’ sees Momsen’s sound mournful, surrendering to depression and anxiety in a softly sung note-to-self.

Ultimately, Momsen is an undeniable badass and this well-rounded album is worth a considered listen.

JESSICA CONWAY

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v

LOC MUS AL IC

singles in focus WITH CODY ATKINSON THESE NEW SOUTH WHALES ‘MEAT HOOK’

SALLY CHICANE CONSUMPTION [INDEPENDENT RELEASE]

SHONEN KNIFE ADVENTURE [VALVE/MGM]

Local four-piece Sally Chicane has adopted the great Aussie garage band tradition in the spirit of Divinyls, but thrown in a lot more influences to give itself a less easily pigeonholed sound. Laid down at Infidel Studios in Queanbeyan, the debut EP was brought into captivity in just two days, a timeline enforced by personal dramas.

While Kristy Anderson takes the lead on vocals, the more burred-edged singing of Michael Tozer on backing vocals adds depth to selected tracks.

There’s always been something a little different about Japanese bands, including outfits such as Zoo Bombs and Both Cheese, which have passed through our city. Pop punkers from Osaka, Shonen Knife have made a bigger splash than most, with an international fan base garnered over a career lasting decades. The band is releasing its 21st LP, in a 35-year journey of wacky songs that have generated a cult following. Their line-up is now closer than ever to the original membership, with the return of Atsuko Yamano, this time on bass.

Opener ‘The Audition’ may start with a classical-like plucked pattern, but this is quickly overcome by chugging, dog-fighting guitars. Anderson’s voice brings to mind the strong tones of Liz Stringer. Keeping true to the garage tradition, there’s an emphasis on gusto rather than finesse. Its drifting rhythm is a positive foot tapper and the injection of a galloping tempo amps up the energy. The recording mix has made the vocals hard to unravel in places, but there’s no mistaking the attraction of gutsy, fuzzed-up guitars. A sharper quality is displayed in ‘TTFU’, with clearer vocals making statements about technological disengagement with “text messages have no feelings”. There are tom tom drum beats and chunky guitars aplenty in ‘My Time Now’, which hammers home its message in the chorus. Its tune rises and falls steeply in places and it delivers some of the fanciest licks in the record. The bouncy vibe of the title track is matched by elastic lyrics before its surprise, dead stop ending. Sally Chicane’s biggest bombshell however, where they shout out that they’re not your average garage band, comes in the closer: a folky track with a fiddle swirling like a discontented wily willy, and a real ‘Wild Colonial Boy’ feel.

RORY MCCARTNEY

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Unlike their very polished compatriots Babymetal, who wowed earlier this year with ‘Karate’, there’s a charming innocence about the quirky songs of Shonen Knife.

The lyrics are strictly pop simple, but fuzzy edged guitars provide a grungy quality with punk overtones. There’s a common trend with long-lived bands, as they often lose their intensity over time. However, the ability to pen silly lyrics is more enduring, and Adventure contains some real pearlers.

Themes about food dominate, including “Hot, hot wasabi, why is it so hot?”, “Tiny green tangerines, happy food for you” and a mysterious one about the power of the Calabash (a gourd). Highlights include ‘Rock n’ Roll T-Shirt’ (about buying them at gigs) and ‘Tasmanian Devil’, which offers up the best licks on the long player. It’s all very bright and happy, with the cute vocal delivery of Naoko (Atsuko’s sister).

However, that doesn’t stop the band rocking out in the very punk ‘ImI’. If you loved their old stuff such as the 1986 classic ‘I Wanna Eat Chocobars’, you will love this. If you didn’t, it may drive you gaga!

RORY MCCARTNEY

This is a big step forward for These New South Whales, a four-piece rock band with punk leanings originally out of Newy. Loud but pretty minimal in sound, ‘Meat Hook’ gets in and out within about two minutes, a couple of verses and a chorus and it’s done.

Nice little track, and solid name too.

BURIAL ‘NIGHTMARKET’ Burial takes ‘Nightmarket’ in search of a multitude of sonic textures, from granular ambient sounds to more conventional dance.

Maybe not one strictly for breaking out a sweat on the dancefloor, but there’s a certain appeal to the slightly disjointed vocals on show.

‘Nightmarket’ feels like something you’ve heard before, just in a completely different manner.

NUN ‘CAN’T CHAIN’ Nun have floated in and around for a few years now, but still lack the profile that they deserve. ‘Can’t Chain’ is an absolute corker of a track, four minutes of pumping synths and drums that sounds a bit like a punk band doing a dance track. Trust me, that’s a good thing. Jenny Branagan’s vocals cut clear through the noise beneath, providing the perfect counterbalance on this one.

ZARA LARSSON ‘I WOULD LIKE’ The word “na” is used in this song 54 times.

For the second half of this song they seemingly ran out of words, so they just kept repeating the same ones over. Mostly “na”, but also “sexy” and “body”. And that odd robotic voice saying “under your sexy body” might very well be the creepiest thing I’ve heard this year, if not this decade.

@bmamag

★★★★★

BMA MAGAZINE’S BEST SINGLES OF 2016

★★★★★

Cody Atkinson We did this gimmick last year, and why not bring it back one more time. In overblown awards show manner.

With fake nominees and all. A small panel was consulted, and their opinions were incorporated into the piece.

This list isn’t exhaustive, nor is it definitive. It is quite possible, and indeed likely, that I’ve left some absolute classics off this list.

BEST CANBERRA SONG OF THE YEAR WIVES – ‘SET SAIL’ Unlucky: Thunderbolt City – ‘Teenage Waste Dump’, Rueben Ingall – ‘Woke Up Tomorrow’, D’Opus & Roshambo – ‘Mayday’

Again, I hate to keep repeating this, but it was a good year for Canberra music in 2016. In the last twelve months Wives have not only released a killer little album but also this little gem, which I’ve struggled to get out of my head for most of the year. A little sparse and a touch alienating, Set Sail does something that every song tries to achieve – evoke emotions in the listener.

BEST INTERNATIONAL TRACK THAT DOESN’T FIT ANYWHERE ELSE BELOW ANGEL OLSEN – ‘SHUT UP KISS ME’ Unlucky: Kim Gordon – ‘Murdered Out’, Savages – ‘Adore’, The Julie Ruin – ‘I’m Done’

With My Woman, Angel Olsen really came into her own as a songwriting force, and by a fair stretch ‘Shut Up Kiss Me’ is the finest moment on that album. An amalgam of a bunch of different genres, there’s a little country, a bit of folk, some indie rock and even a touch of garage in this one. At it’s heart, ‘Shut Up Kiss Me’ apes a sugary ‘50s pop song, but it has so much more depth behind it.

THE DEATH TO THE APPLE GIRLS CUP FOR BEST UNAPPRECIATED AUSTRALIAN SONG THE GOON SAX – ‘UP TO ANYTHING’ Unlucky: Mere Women – ‘Numb’, Summer Flake – ‘Shoot and Score’, The Peep Tempel – ‘Rayguns’

The Goon Sax burst onto the scene in the last year or so with a fair pedigree and, more importantly, a bunch of top notch indie pop songs. A little languid in approach, ‘Up To Anything’ deftly blends subtle lyricism with some pretty chunky, jangle-pop riffs. For a bunch of teenagers, its more than a fair first impression.

THE APHEX TWIN PSEUDONYM FOR BEST ELECTRONIC TRACK MASSIVE ATTACK FEAT. YOUNG FATHERS – ‘VOODOO IN MY BLOOD’ Unlucky: Autechre – ‘c16 deep tread’, Marie Davison – ‘Naive To The Bone’, Tim Hecker – ‘Castrati Stack’

Massive Attack have had a very up and down last ten years, but this sees them back to their best, if not in a slightly different form. The addition of rising Scottish group Young Fathers makes this one a bit livelier than most would think of Massive Attack, but the darkness still rides heavy. ‘Voodoo In My Blood’ sounds big and sinister, hitting hard where it needs to.

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THE DON’S SMALLGOODS BATTERED SAV FOR BANGERRR OF THE YEAR RAINBOW CHAN – ‘WORK’ Unlucky: Kristin Kontrol – ‘X-Communicate’, Donny Benet – ‘Working Out’, School of Seven Bells – ‘On My Heart’

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG GGGGGGEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRR! If you haven’t hopped on this on

by Rainbow Chan yet, don’t even finish reading this. Just go listen to it. Everything about this one is on fire. The beat, the hook, the whole damn thing.

THE MCA MEMORIAL FOR BEST HIP-HOP TRACK A TRIBE CALLED QUEST – ‘WE THE PEOPLE’ Unlucky: DJ Shadow feat. Run The Jewels – ‘Nobody Speak’, A.B. Original – ‘January 26’, Noname – ‘Diddy Bop’

The comeback of A Tribe Called Quest was highly improbable, let alone after the unfortunate passing of Phife Dog this year. ‘We The People…’, like the the album as a whole, is a triumphant return from a group that was the best in the game at it’s prime. Q-Tip and Phife’s strident lyricism shines through the tight as hell beat, with one of the best tracks of their too-short career.

THE SPIDERBAIT PONY FOR BEST SONG UNDER TWO MINUTES G.L.O.S.S. – ‘GIVE VIOLENCE A CHANCE’ Unlucky: Chook Race – ‘Pictures of You’, Ciggie Witch – ‘Scooter Pants’, Miss Destiny – ‘The Girls’

I don’t normally dive into hardcore, but this little bit of thrash from now-defunct US band G.L.O.S.S. is pretty damn good. This is packed to the brim with intensity and fury, walls of guitars cut by some seething vocals. When you can do this inside two minutes, why would you bother with adding anything else?

THE IT TAKES SOME TIME HOURGLASS FOR BEST SONG OVER 10 MINUTES CAR SEAT HEADREST – ‘BALLAD OF THE COSTA CONCORDIA’ Unlucky: Tangents – ‘Oberon’, Arabrot – ‘Feastus’, Preoccupations – ‘Memory’

If you don’t want to listen to Teens Of Denial in whole, ‘The Ballad of Costa Concordia’ is a good summary of the album as a whole.

Starting out as a patient ballad, passing through arena rock and landing on agile indie, the track is perhaps the best allegory about a $2 billion shipping disaster I’ve heard this year. Will Toledo uses the disaster as an analogy about the mistakes he’s made in his life, and does so surprisingly well.

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the word

on films

WITH EMMA ROBINSON

As we are all no doubt aware, 2016 has been a festering pile of turds. The hits keep coming with the recent death of Leonard Cohen (as if the election wasn’t bad enough) and global morale is at an all time low. What better time to immerse yourself in the Oscar season, a.k.a. the best time to see movies. My tendency to engage in politics has left me somewhat catatonic so I’ll be engaging in some good old escapism this Christmas period. Something to look forward to? I think the new Star Wars won’t suck! Yay…

quote of the issue

“I wish I was a wizard.” Dan Folger (Jacob Kowalski), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM The nice thing about J. K. Rowling is that, unlike George Lucas, when she adds to a beloved universe that she created, she does not trample all over what made the franchise so appealing in the first place. This latest addition to the world of Harry Potter does not include any rewrites of the original story nor does it rely solely on special effects to create a cohesive plot.

As with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, moviegoers of this film are treated to a thoughtful fleshing out of an already good story.

Hufflepuff alumni Newt Scamander (see, it’s not just a house for duffers and the occasional Cedric Diggory) goes to New York (also known as the land of archaic laws on muggle relations) after completing a globe trot to seek out and document any and all magical creatures. A chance encounter with a muggle (or no-maj) leads to the escape of some very resourceful but dangerous creatures and Newt finds himself at the centre of a political game that will lay the foundation for the pureblood prejudice that divides the wizarding world for decades to come.

One criticism of this film is that while the title would have you believe the plot would be driven by fantastic beasts, this is not the case. This is not a film about magical beasts – this is a film about pureblood mania and prejudice. Nevertheless, the niffler is cute.

EMMA ROBINSON

ARRIVAL

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS

Our understanding of reality is closely and subtly moulded by the language we use. The way we order our sentences, place emphasis on the speaker, on nouns or verbs, can result in the formation of vastly different neural pathways.

This is a massive factor in the differentiation of cultures around the world, and is called the principle of linguistic relativity.

Try as one might, traumas of the past will burrow their way into the psyche like the little ticks they are, and can resurface anytime.

As this year progressed, I found myself struggling to understand the actions of others in my own country and around the world.

One Nation, Brexit, Trump; the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando; results of actions undertaken by people with vastly different viewpoints from mine.

Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival is a timely and smart sci-fi film centred around the absolute importance of communication and language in understanding each other and the world around us. 12 extra-terrestrial spacecrafts land around the world with no apparent intent; and linguist, Dr Louise Banks (Amy Adams in the best performance of her career thus far) is called in to interpret the language of the aliens. Boasting a suitably eerie score and a smart and sensitive screenplay, Villeneuve weaves these all together with his own astringent knack for storytelling, producing one of the best sci-fi films of the last decade; all the while, letting us ponder our own perspectives with the film’s deeply felt message: if you can change the way you see the world, you can change the world.

PAT JOHNSON

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Susan Morrow’s (Amy Adams) life on the surface ticks all the boxes – she’s professionally successful, has plenty of money, and is married to a dashing man. In her own words, she has no business being miserable.

Enter a chilling backstory in the form of a manuscript penned by her ex-husband Tony Hastings (Jake Gyllenhaal), inspired by the less than rosy parts of their marriage. It is difficult at times to tell which events are fictional and ‘real’ – what is certain is that Tony is grieving a marriage that ended twenty years prior with scarily articulate anger manifesting in a story based around sexual degradation and masculine inadequacy.

While the Lynch-esque opening sequence is somewhat jarring, this is nevertheless a taught, psychological thriller. What makes this film especially compelling viewing is the ability of the director Tom Ford (who has come a long way since 2009’s A Single Man) to tell a dual narrative – one fictional, one real – and make the audience care equally about both. As both stories unfold, the audience senses the growing queasiness in Susan – being the inspiration for such a brutal story unapologetically brings home how creative and insidious people are when seeking revenge.

Apparently, everyone has the potential to be a bit of a psychopath.

EMMA ROBINSON

@bmamag

THE FOUNDER

TROLLS

The shine on the famous Golden Arches quickly wears off in John Lee Hancock’s The Founder, based on the true story behind the acquisition of the modern fast food empire that is McDonald’s.

Since the initial success of the Transformers films and the critical acclaim received by The Lego Movie, toy manufacturers have been hard at work crudely hammering their respective franchises into something resembling a colourful hourand-a-half film to increase brand visibility and benefit, and shift units around the world.

The film centres on Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton): a frustrated and bitter travelling milkshake-maker salesman. In his infuriatingly unsuccessful travels, he stumbles across a small-town restaurant where ach delicious burger is created via a precise and carefully choreographed dance and delivered to the customer in under thirty seconds. The restaurant is owned by brothers ‘Mac’ and ‘Dick’ McDonald (John Carroll Lynch and Parks and Recreation’s Nick Offerman): think the ‘Winklevii’ from The Social Network, but actually nice. Kroc is instantly captivated by the success and popularity of this establishment, that he convinces the McDonald brothers to sign a business deal with him.

We soon discover there’s manipulation and plagiarism on Kroc’s agenda. Values espoused by the McDonald brothers like ‘wholesome’, ‘family’ and ‘genuine’ are suddenly metaphorically thrown in the deep fryer by Kroc, as he schemes his way to control the franchise.

Like Hancock’s other cinematic outings, The Founder is competently made, but is often distractingly heavy-handed in delivering those critical poignant beats. Nevertheless, you’re left with the emotional equivalent of the physical after-effects of bingeing on fast food.

MAJELLA CARMODY

Troll dolls are toys that have largely fallen out of popularity since about the late 1980s; the public has become suspicious of overly saccharine toys for children. The reason other children’s films have been successful is due to their broad appeal – people watch Pixar films for their honesty and artfulness, and the success of films like Shrek, with their knowing winks to the parents in the audience, came down to acknowledging the fatigue audiences felt from watching ‘safe’ movies for children.

No one at Dreamworks gave a shit about any of that when starting work on Trolls. There’s auto-tuned singing, there’s lots of fuzzy textures, character designs blatantly ripped off from Aardman studios, and the odd joke (!), but it fails to entertain or engage. This is a mind-numbing, loveless, shameless cash grab with a lazy air of condescension made off the backs of Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick (and others, but who cares?). If you truly don’t care what your kids watch, take them to see Trolls™. Don’t forget to pick up a Dreamworks/NBC™ Troll Doll™ on your way home!

MERRY CHRISTMAS™.

PAT JOHNSON

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★★★★★

THE TOP TEN FILMS OF 2016

★★★★★

HELL OR HIGHWATER

SHERPA: TROUBLE ON EVEREST

Director David McKenzie knocks it out of the park with his post-GFC modern Western, Hell or High Water. With the banks threatening to foreclose on their family land, Toby (Chris Pine) and his reckless exconvict brother Tanner (Ben Foster) undertake to rob a series of small bank branches. Texas Rangers Marcus (Jeff Bridges) and his partner pursue them. Apart from containing two sets of the most appealing ‘bromances’ to hit our screens, HOHW expertly synthesises old and new, light and dark, and will likely give you more post-2016 US election shivers. (MAJELLA CARMODY)

Directed by Canberran filmmaker Jennifer Peedom, Sherpa provides a profound and utterly compelling insight into the political, commercial, cultural and moral complexities associated with reaching the world’s highest mountain peak. The documentary explores the consequences of one of the blackest days on Everest, in April 2014, when a devastating avalanche killed 16 Sherpa. The film presents a cinematographically striking, fascinating study of the consequences of commercialising Everest, the disproportionate risks taken by the Sherpa, and the stark differences in the motivations for, and approach to, summiting Everest. (MAJELLA CARMODY)

HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE

EYE IN THE SKY

Kiwi director Taika Waititi has created a stylistically unique buddy-film that contains bucket-loads of humour, charm, warmth, fun and pure heart. Hunt for the Wilderpeople centres on troubled Maori foster kid (and gangster wannabe) Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) and his relationship with his new gruff foster father, Hector Faulkner (Sam Neill), as they navigate their way through the New Zealand bush to avoid the clutches of Child Services. Never has a film captured the sheer power and comfort factor of the humble hot water bottle. An exceptionally enchanting film. (MAJELLA CARMODY)

Do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few? This is a question our fearless leaders of powerful nation states often ask themselves in lieu of an enforceable doctrine that governs international politics. However, whoever has the bigger guns often has the most morally righteous agenda (huh, funny that). Regardless of how uncomfortable you might feel during this film, it provides a satisfying answer to that question – there is no easy answer. Plus, Alan Rickman and Helen Mirren. What more could you want? (EMMA ROBINSON)

ARRIVAL

GOLDSTONE

Renowned linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is enlisted to communicate with aliens who have inexplicably landed in twelve different geographical locations across the Earth. Based on a short story by Ted Chiang and directed by Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Prisoners), Arrival is one of the most intelligent and thought-provoking sciencefiction films in recent years. Part of the film’s appeal is its minimalism: the production design is faultless, disposing of the usual distracting jargon and unnecessary explosions and light beams. If you like old-school, moral-dilemma sci-fi – don’t miss this one.

(MAJELLA CARMODY)

The sequel to 2013’s Mystery Road is no disappointment. Choking on corruption on all levels of authority, this film weaves several stories from people of a myriad of racial and sexual backgrounds struggling to know what to do with the varying amounts of power they have. Presenting a dark crosssection of Australia, the audience sees a troubled multicultural community bucking fruitlessly at each other. In a cinematic landscape dominated by one, maybe two, types of stories, it is refreshing to see a film that better represents the face of Australia, which is not uniformly white. (EMMA ROBINSON)

LA LA LAND The second feature film from director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash) presents a gloriously romantic, kaleidoscopic homage to Old Hollywood musicals, with a distinctly modern twist. Aspiring actress and writer Mia (Emma Stone) and committed, traditionalist, down-on-his-luck jazz musician Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) meet and fall in love in the city Los Angeles. The Stone/Gosling combo is absolute dynamite, and the simple, yet soaring score

by Justin Hurwitz will overwhelm you with ‘all the feels’. Be prepared to have a very sore face from smiling too much – this film is a complete joy.

(MAJELLA CARMODY)

SUNSET SONG Acclaimed auteur Terence Davies’ adaptation of the classic Scottish novel by Lewis Grassic Gibbon is certainly not for the faint-hearted. Prepare to become a complete emotional wreck, as you experience the harrowing story of young turn-of-the-century heroine Chris Guthrie (a perfectly cast Agyness Deyn), who must navigate harsh and isolated farm life, a tyrannical father, social expectations and conventions, domestic violence and the effects of war. You will become a puddle: emotionally and psychologically shattering, this film stays with you long after you’ve left the cinema. (MAJELLA CARMODY)

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THE QUEEN OF IRELAND Imagine having to go door-to-door to negotiate, plead, cajole, and even beg for rights that most people take for granted? This is precisely what Rory O’Neill (or, more accurately) Panti, relentlessly sassy and inspiring drag queen did, the hero of the marriage equality movement in Ireland. Much like 2015’s Pride, this is a film that demonstrates the ugly, insidious nature of bigotry – it can even infect those opposed to it. However, it also demonstrates that progress will always win – marriage equality is taking the world by storm. Just hang in there everyone, we will have it soon too. (EMMA ROBINSON)

ELLE Paul Verhoeven has taken his audiences on an epic journey throughout several genres since the 1980s.

There was 1990’s mind-bending Total Recall, 1992’s Basic Instinct and let’s not forget 1997’s Starship Troopers. Michelle (Isabelle Huppert), the CEO of a prolific video game company in France is being stalked and raped by a masked man. Michelle tried to uncover the identity of this man however, instead of feeling panicked and violated, she is reflective and considered. It’s almost as though she is dispassionately observing a horrifying incident happening to someone else and is unable to feel any empathy. A compelling study of power and degredation. (EMMA ROBINSON)

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PALACE ELECTRIC FESTIVAL

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?

Questioning 2016

Another year is over already? Jeez, I could have sworn it was only August. I mean what happened to spring, the sort of warm days before it got scalding hot … never mind.

Anyway, Cody Atkinson looks in the rear-view mirror of 2016.

CODY ATKINSON So, if you had to sum up 2016 in one word, what would it be?

Death. There’s a fair claim that death will underscore the narrative of 2016 (especially with respect to music) in the history books. At the start of the year the world mourned the loss of David Bowie, who released his last album just three days prior. Bowie was eventually followed by such luminaries as Prince, Leonard Cohen, Alan Vega, Phife Dawg, Bernie Worrell, Leon Russell, Sharon Jones, Maurice White, Glenn Frey, Mose Allison and Fergus Miller of Bored Nothing.

Has this turned into one of those award show montages with a tearjerker playing in the background and clips of the aforementioned? It seems so. NOSTALGIA OVERLOAD. In reality the same number of musicians probably died as per in previous years, they just happened to be more prominent than usual. The perceived personal relationships forged with some of these artists over years and decades from a distance often creates a real sense of loss; a loss of identity for people. m8, that’s a bit deep. What else happened in 2016? Surprise albums became a thing in 2016, which … yeah. It turns out that every major label and a bunch of successful recording artists have worked out that you can get more press by not dropping endless promos and instead just releasing the thing. The press loves the whole, “OHMYGOD I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU JUST DID THAT” part of what most people would consider, “just doing their jobs”. But one album stands alone as the big surprise of 2016.

That is? The Avalanches’ Wildflower, naturally. Not so much in that it was a surprise album, but more so in that it was actually released, and an album (not a bi-monthy curated box of snacks). It might not be quite as good as Since I Left You, but the past and sixteen years of expectation is often quite hard to live up to.

decent human beings. You know, treating people how you’d want to be treated. With respect to live entertainment, there’s a real push to restrict the operating conditions of venues in Canberra, including introducing lockouts. If you keep acting like deadshits, pubs and clubs will be forced to close earlier, and it will be your fault. If the appeal to common decency doesn’t work for you, think about all the great nights that you won’t be able to have anymore. But fuck, just be a decent person and don’t make anyone feel like shit when at the pub. And I hope that no one reading BMA would act like that at all.

You lot are good people (I think).

Man I hate it when you get preachy… Yeah, so do I. So what were some of your favourite things in 2016? Ah, OK, I can get behind this. This is a long list, so maybe get a cuppa so you can do the occasional spit take: Gooch Palms live, Fighting League’s return, people staying to the end of shows, Girls Rock! Canberra, the Raiders making the top four. Tonnes of small CBR labels dropping stuff. Glitoris challenging the status quo. 2XX keeping kicking on, SAFIA and Peking Duk taking on the world (even if I don’t love their music, CBR represent). Canberra being kept open. Briggs destroying dickheads on social media, so many dickheads. Almost all of the three hundred-odd sets I saw this year. Donny Benet. You Are Here and Noted. The joy of seeing a band and getting a sneaky pint with mates. The further joy of getting a couple of loud pints as the night goes on. Douchebags at shows getting called out. Every brilliant sunset over LBG. Lacklustre, Crossroads, Playful Sound, Boxcutter and a cast of thousands putting on rad shows in different spaces.

Every musician, comedian and artist that had a crack at doing something original this year – even if I didn’t love your stuff, at least you had a go (and my taste is shit anyway). And everyone who read this column, or said hi at a show during the year. Cheers.

And the worst things? People punching on in Civic, people trying to ruin gigs, people trying to keep Canberra closed.

The warehouse fire in Oakland sucked, and the shooting in Orlando sucked as well. Both hurt diverse scenes. The potential closure of ANU Bar looms, at a time where large-ish bands need a space to play stand up shows. Martin Shkreli. Ever worsening hangovers on Sunday mornings. Not having enough time in the day to listen to all the good records released this year, or enough money to afford them. Racist politicians of various party persuasions.

Bon Jovi’s This House Is Not For Sale. People who say that there’s nothing to do in Canberra. The ongoing tide of gentrification near the middle of town. Most bands’ old stuff being better than their new stuff. The fact that I’ll be able to own a house about five minutes before I die. The hipster memedom of Shannon Noll. Martin Shkreli again. Those two Friday nights without good gigs. Tradies doing work at 8am right outside your window the morning after a gig. That there’s only a month of the year left.

We need to stop being shit people

OK, let’s shift even more local. What’s the best/worst thing that happened in Canberra this year? It was a pretty solid year overall for local music. A bunch of great albums/tapes/EPs/ SoundCloud tracks were released, and some are listed in the pages before this one. Moaning Lisa, a relatively new Canberra quartet, managed to snag the National Campus Band Competition. And I’d be remiss to forget to mention that two of the biggest pop acts in the country (Peking Duk and SAFIA) hail from the fine shores of Lake Burley Griffin. Even the small things, like that the scene lost no major venues, and gained a couple of festivals, were good happenings this year. I mean, it was a pretty good damn year locally…

But? We need to stop being shit people at gigs and events. I’ll say it clearly first and elaborate later: There is no reason to be sexist, homophobic, violent or xenophobic anywhere in 2016. Even if it doesn’t happen all the time, or even every week, there’s no excuse for it to happen at all. More importantly, there’s no reason to be any of those things listed at gigs and shows, pubs and clubs, fuck it, let’s say anywhere. It’s not about “safe spaces” or “SJWs”, it’s about being

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So was 2016 as bad as everyone said it was? Nah, it was kinda just another year. It’s all going to happen again next year anyway.

Great.

@bmamag

the word

Boy and Bear, All Our Exes Live In Texas ANU Bar Thursday December 8

on gigs

The four-part female folk band, All Our Exes Live In Texas, led the night with a strong, encouraging opening. The women were charismatic and charming, each unique in their sound and stage presence. The chemistry between these bandmates was palpable; evidently, they are used to playing in more intimate environments.

Their debut album, When We Fall, is to be released in 2017.

Boy and Bear arrived with their opening number, ‘Limit Of Love’, framed within orange and yellow lights. They said nothing to the crowd until their third number, bleeding through a series of songs smoothly. Lead singer Dave Hosking informed the audience that this was the band’s fifth time playing at ANU, a fact apparent in their performance; there was a sense of ease in the space that could almost be taken as indifference.

PHOTO BY DALE WOWK

Despite the rock undertone, a definite folk vibe prevailed, perhaps due to the stage and space more than anything. Each band member was strong in their area, but the electric guitarist Killian Gavin held the performance together, allowing for just enough tonal variety for a less familiar audience member to differentiate between songs.

Overwhelmingly however, there was a sense of stagnancy from the band –interaction with the crowd was infrequent and the energy had a tendency to waver – a performance clearly from the end of a tour, rather than the beginning. Their final three songs allowed a sense of redemption; finally, the band opened their eyes and connected with their crowd, and as they shared glances with one another, the accomplishment was evident.

KASHMIRA MOHAMED ZAGOR

Jimmy Barnes The Playhouse Tuesday December 6

the word

This unique, emotional and memorable music experience is difficult to succinctly sum up. In bringing his already superb memoir to life via music, film, photos, props and spoken word, Jimmy Barnes proves to be a quintessential artist of our time. Every detail of the night was well thought out and executed in such fine style that one could think it had been produced by a Broadway team. Yet its actual production maintained a minimalist approach that allowed the audience to intimately experience Jimmy’s story, emotions and passion for music.

on gigs

The stage contained a ‘60s style Laminex dining setting, red vinyl bar stool, upright piano adjoining a tiny drum kit, amplifier and two more seats. When Jimmy entered he explained that the playlist we had been hearing was “not an act of random music vandalism” but another purposeful part of the evening. He immediately expressed his nerves about performing in this style and this was visible in the way he hung over his mic stand, (in other circumstances this could be considered a sign of intoxication, except on the night we only saw him take swigs from tea cups). Before singing any songs we had a live bagpipe performance and Jimmy advised, “that’s fighting music where I come from” and launched into stories of his childhood in Glasgow.

PHOTO BY JACK BROOKES (Photographed elsewhere.)

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From there the night flowed with a mix of songs that reminded him of the stories he told, along with related visuals on the back screen.

His three-piece band included two of his children, which further enhanced the unique intimacy of the show. Musical highlights included Mahlia Jackson’s ‘In The Upper Room’ and his pre-encore finisher, Cold Chisel’s ‘Flame Trees’. If he repeats the concept after his second memoir, be sure not to miss the experience.

JARROD MCGRATH

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the word

on gigs

PHOTOS BY MARTIN OLLMAN PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY

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@bmamag

Spilt Milk Commonwealth Park Saturday December 3 I’ve always thought that Canberra can feel kind of like an abandoned Soviet era city. I think it’s all the huge concrete buildings around Lake Burley Griffin, like monuments to the past, giving off this eerie feeling that time is passing the city by. So when Vince Staples ripped through his set on the panoramic Basquiat Stage in front of a few thousand very happy people, the sun setting over the Carillion, the High Court and Parliament House in the background, there was a daring, surreal sense that our city was making a statement.

So, they did it. Right? It took a few years after the demise of Foreshore but finally someone found a model for a summer music festival that works in Canberra – 20,000+ punters and a line-up of high-profile acts, all within walking distance of the city. This was exactly what Canberra has been waiting for. So why did Spilt Milk feel like a missed opportunity?

Let’s start by pointing out the things this festival got right.

Commonwealth Park is perhaps the most underutilised part of the city, sitting idle for large chunks of the year in the lead up to Floriade. Spilt Milk made great use of the space, with Stage 88 acting as the main stage, and a secondary stage for electronic artists and rappers set up on the lawns by the lake. The sun setting through the trees in between the two made for some of Spilt Milk’s most photogenic moments.

For the most part, the drawcard acts came through with the goods. Client Liaison were crowd favourites and battled technical difficulties to deliver a sweaty, high-energy set of ‘90s-worshipping, office-themed synth pop, playing tracks from their new album, Diplomatic Immunity. Halfway through the set, bassist Tom Tilley emerged on stage with a case of Foster’s, proceeding to hand out tinnies to the front row.

Anyone sticking around for Gang Of Youths straight after had to wait 20 minutes past their start time while the crew worked through more technical difficulties. The wait paid off though, with the band dropping a brand new song right off the bat during what was their first set back on home soil in a few months. David Le’aupepe’s larger than life presence out front made him feel like indie rock’s answer to James Brown. Set closer ‘Magnolia’ was an emotional rollercoaster of early Strokes swagger that we don’t see enough of these days.

Later on Sticky Fingers came through with a greatest hits set spanning their three-album career. They didn’t have the same kind of intensity that they did at Transit Bar on the Land of Pleasure tour two years ago, but there was still little indication that they would be announcing their indefinite hiatus the very next day.

Festival staples DMA’S and Violent Soho pulled strong crowds, and Peking Duk delivered the triumphant homecoming set we expected, flamethrowers and all. Locals Coda Conduct and Young Monks took set times that fell precariously close to the gates opening but still impressed, representing the bright future of music in the capital.

The Boxcutter Stage was a highlight, nestled welcomingly in a grove of trees between the two main stages and sticking to a mantra of seriously fresh beats at all times. It was good to see Kicks engaging with the local label, and early sets from locals Honeysuckle and Kangaroo Life Saver showed off some of Canberra’s emerging DJs. Later, artists from further afield like Magda Bytnerowicz (who spun Björk vinyl into the night) kept the stage an inviting place for those wanting to take time out from the packed main stages. It was also the ideal locale to enjoy craft beer from a fantastic range of local breweries, proving that Spilt Milk did have a mind to bring some Canberra flavour to the fore.

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Genesis Owusu’s set over on the Boxcutter Stage was inundated after the end of Flume’s set, capping off the festival in chaotic, celebratory style.

For everything it did well, Spilt Milk missed the mark in some major areas. Kicks have been under fire since their very first line-up announcement over the lack of female representation on the bill.

Aside from the fact that Kicks booked only one female artist on that initial line up, it was disappointing to see that the acts they were so excited to announce the second time around were given such early timeslots. Olympia’s set, featuring some of 2016’s biggest riffs and boldest dance moves (not to mention Spilt Milk’s best jumpsuit) played out to an underwhelming early afternoon crowd.

The mesmerising Vera Blue played straight after and her song ‘Hold’ felt as anthemic as ‘Delete’ by DMA’S for those who turned up early.

Both artists would have slayed in later timeslots.

Neither of the main stages featured any female artists after Vera Blue’s set finished at around 3pm. To be fair, Megan Bones was a hit, holding down the decks between acts from behind the scenes on the Angove Stage, and Flume brought out Kučka along with Vince Staples for ‘Smoke & Retribution’ during his massive headline slot, but the fact remains that both main stages had only male artists billed into the night. The message from the organisers seemed pretty clear – they support female artists, they’re just not prepared to eat into the time allocated to their male peers. It felt like Kicks was out of touch with what’s actually happening in the music industry in 2016.

There were some glaring functional problems too. By evening the main stage was running almost half an hour late due to technical mishaps. There was a fortuitously long break between Sticky Fingers and Flume though, as if they expected this to happen.

Luckily Violent Soho had a problem-free set but they were so quiet it hardly mattered to those stuck at the back of the crowd.

All of this speaks to the real problem I had with Spilt Milk, the real reason I left feeling underwhelmed despite catching some of the most exciting acts in the country. The best music festivals stand for something. Laneway is a forward-thinking crystal ball into what you’ll be listening to for the next twelve months and Falls and Splendour in the Grass play out like yearbooks, annually cataloguing the best and brightest in music. Even Groovin the Moo (Spilt Milk is always going to draw comparisons to Groovin if for no other reason than their shared preoccupation with dairy) is on a mission to bring high-calibre acts to regional centres.

Spilt Milk felt like a market grab, like it only exists to fill a gap left in the festival calendar. I can’t tell you what its mission statement was beyond, “put on a party for people in Canberra”. And maybe that’s all it should have to be. After all, the sold out sticker on the bottom of the poster doesn’t lie. However, the line-up catered so directly to the Triple J listenership that I can’t help but flag Spilt Milk for it’s lack on innovation. Even stunning visual art installations from the likes of Beast, PAW and many others stood somewhat awkwardly in the middle of the field, no one quite sure how to interact with them. Spilt Milk didn’t bring anything new to the tried and tested Australian festival formula and unless they find some more intriguing ways to engage the community and start looking overseas for headliners, it’s hard to see it being as successful in 2017.

These might just be growing pains for a festival that looks set to become an annual tradition, but for the moment they feel symptomatic of Canberra as a whole – not quite as bold as it thinks it is, a little more conservative than it would like to admit.

HAYDEN FRITZLAFF

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the word

Holy Holy, I Know Leopard, Alex L’Estrange The Basement Wednesday November 30

on gigs

Alex L’Estrange (a.k.a. Australia’s answer to Darwin Deez), offered up some welcome indie pop gems in the opening slot, sitting comfortably somewhere between DMA’S and Ali Barter. The Sunday Basement crowd seemed tentative about main support I Know Leopard. It was a shame, because as well as a few noisy electronic jams and some excellent tambourine playing, their songs were skilfully crafted and eminently likeable. Singles ‘Rather Be Lonely’ and ‘Perfect Picture’ were standouts. Frontman Luke O’Loughlin has been to Canberra several times recently – a couple of people in the crowd remembered the infamous cashew throwing incident at Transit Bar when he toured with his previous band New Navy.

PHOTO BY ROSS McGIBBON (Photographed elsewhere.)

Punters came out of the woodwork when Holy Holy finally took the stage. I was told that they would be an imposing, life-changing live force, and as soon as the first tune started I understood why. Oscar Dawson, a nominee for live guitarist of the year at this years NLMA’s, completely restored my faith in guitar music. Where some guitarists see their instrument as bigger than themselves, Dawson’s virtuosity doesn’t get the better of him. He sits perfectly within the song, using repetition and originality instead of flagrant shredding. It’s all about taste. Also, watching him dial in the tone on his pedalboard before a solo was like watching the ignition sequence of a rocket on a launchpad. The other band members were in no way outshone by Dawson either, all exhibiting the tightness and energy they’ve honed from years on the European and North American touring circuit.

Look for new song ‘Two Lovers’ to be a smash hit if it ends up on their upcoming LP. HAYDEN FRITZLAFF

the word

The Monkeywrench, Grinding Eyes, The Dunhill Blues The Basement Thursday November 24

on gigs

The night somewhat reminded me of the 1995 Pearl Jam gig at the Exhibition Park. Openers, The Dunny Blues had a Cosmic Psychos feel about them as they belted out solid garage rock with good humoured Aussie banter between songs. Sydney-siders Grinding Eyes brought the fuzz in a succinct set list (they did not say a word all set, except to thank us at the end), but this is where the comparisons to their 1995 counter-band The Meanies ends. I spent a lot of this set trying to work out who they sounded like and admiring the tight unique mix of melody and distortion they were making (after brainstorming several acts, the closest I can compare them to would be Black Rebel Motorcycle Club).

(Photographed elsewhere.)

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Both support acts were great choices for the night as their strengths were in their live shows and display of raw rock talent.

This continued when The Monkeywrench hit the stage. Their sound was so tight it was clearer than their recordings, so full props to the mixing. Mark Arm miraculously looks younger now than his early Mudhoney days and he had the energy to match. ‘Great Down Here’ mid-set was a highlight and one of their heavier moments.

Otherwise they lean towards a bluesy grunge sound and in songs like ‘Bottle Up and Go’, I imagined them fitting in well on a Bluesfest line-up. Their dedication to rock was evident when their guitarist asked us, “how many of you out there are in bands? Why not?” and they launched into a top cover of ‘Levitation’ by Austin’s 13th Floor Elevators. A great gig for doing what ‘90s grunge did best; reminding us that it’s the music that matters the most.

JARROD MCGRATH

@bmamag

the word

Weird Frontier Ainslie Arts Centre Saturday November 12

on gigs

Strolling into the Ainslie Arts Centre, I begin to contemplate the bad decisions of the previous week; which is why my head is throbbing so much. A beer starts to ease the pain, as does Aphir, who was up second for the day. Aphir is no stranger to Canberra, and on the tip of her second album being released, she had never sounded better.

With a WaveSynth attached to her hand, Aphir played a bunch of stuff off her new album, her voice soaring ahead of the music around her.

The festival was by no means packed, but familiar faces started to surround. Small talk is exchanged; the social process continues.

People loiter around the familiar places, like the bar and lounge chairs, and the less so, like the zine stalls and record crates.

No Sister hit the stage and for about forty minutes almost everything fades into obscurity. People beforehand were talking about how good they might be, but no amount of hype could adequately build for this set. The four-piece, from Brisbane via Melbourne, both figuratively and literally smashed their songs into submission, with drum sticks bashing against guitars and vocals coming from all directions. A bit of no-wave Sonic Youth mixed in with straight up indie, No Sister’s set was probably my highlight of the month.

Wives are perhaps the most continually underrated band in town; at least from a live perspective. Over their lifespan, they’ve moved from a four to a three-piece, and have become more measured with their post-punk approach. ‘Set Sail’ is one of my fave local tracks of the year, and it shines here as well.

Sitting outside, I read some freshly purchased zines, watching the sun go down as Shoeb and Kangaroo Life Saver throw on some tunes on the back stage. I could get used to this fresh air and natural light thing, as long as I can still read like a nerd.

Utilising the piano centrepiece in the middle of the hall, Monica Brookes provided the transition for the night with a set of transfixing piano compositions. I know, I just said “transfixing” and “piano compositions” in the same review, but trust me here; Brookes is onto a good thing. You won’t hear many play like she does; and by the looks of the audience, they hadn’t either.

Elizabeth Dixon started up on the main stage, whirring into some droney techno areas with constant beats underwriting it all. Dixon is just starting to get a bit of a name for herself, and on the night’s set, its totally justified. Kane Ikin picked up where Dixon left off with another set of moody, atmospheric techno. With his head hunched over his table, Ikin hits a beat and barely lets up for an hour, grinding and grinding away. Ikin provided a masterpiece in mood and finding space in sound where there shouldn’t be any.

Closing the night, Beatrice hopped on stage and tried to bump up the energy as the hours dragged on. I gotta admit, by that point the day had taken its toll and made me an outside observer. Although not at all familiar with her work, Beatrice put on a good set of dance music in front of a slowly dwindling crowd.

PHOTOS BY CODY ATKINSON PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY

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Weird Frontier might be a little off-centre, but at its heart it was a bunch of up-and-coming acts all together in one afternoon. It’s the sort of little event that makes Canberra great, and something that adds to the cultural cache of the capital.

CODY ATKINSON

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the word

Lift Off Band Comp Woden Youth Centre Friday November 11, 18, 25

on gigs

Hosted by the Woden Youth Centre, the 2016 Lift Off Band Comp was held over three nights with 21 bands competing and performing original songs, the winner being crowned on the final night. Night one at the Woden Youth Centre opened with No Patience setting the bar high with a sound beyond their years. Next up was Ash Hamilton, the first solo performer for the evening – Ash’s singing paired perfectly with his guitar playing. Breeding Audacity played third; switching instruments and songs, they gave listeners the rock sound they were looking for. Isaac Pau’s voice was mesmerizing, he composed the most beautiful love songs that barely left a dry eye in the house. Bleach It Clean, a strong female fronted grunge threepiece, changed things up for the night and showed the variety that Lift Off has to offer.

Triumvirate was the best-dressed band of the evening, dressed in a decade they weren’t even alive to see, but their sound had the crowd on their feet grooving. Sophie Edwards, the girl who knows how to use a looper better than Ed Sheeran, has one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard. Closing the first heat was one of Canberra’s up and coming hardcore bands, Lions Of The Underground, who tore up the stage and brought in the biggest crowd of the evening.

The judges deliberated and stated that in previous years, all bands that played that night would’ve gone to the finals, but they could only take three, in order of performance: Bleach It Clean, Sophie Edwards and Lions Of The Underground.

The following Friday, the second heat kicked off with The Wumpaz.

The two frontmen bounced off each other perfectly and the band got in a great groove. The first DJ of the competition, DJ Tulaberry again demonstrated what a diverse competition this really is and transported the audience to a nightclub rave. Solo performer GhostNoises made the transition between the guitar and keyboard seamless, Claire Paton’s angelic voice proving that there’s just something magical about one woman and a guitar. My personal favourite of the whole completion, Cannonfodder were next. This band took things way back to the days of Elvis and the whole room was dancing; you just couldn’t keep still.

Rapper Cappo was up next and knows he’s going places. Heavy metal band Kitten Hurricane tore the roof down with their performance, the crowd thrashing around showing their love for the Canberra favourite. Changing things up again was Davey Smiles, whose husky voice paired perfectly with his guitar. Finishing the music for the night was Coleby McCarthy, who showcased his unique composing ability and paired his lyrics with his guitar flawlessly. After another difficult deliberation, it was announced that The Wumpaz, Claire Paton and Davey Smiles had made it through.

The finals were held in the Woden Town Centre and a wild card slot was awarded to Kitten Hurricane. Each band played a set that was vastly different to the previous, but showed that there is a lot of talent in the Canberra community. At the end of the night, the judges deliberated and the results were in. In third place, grunge band Bleach It Clean. In second place, the wonderful Sophie Edwards. In first place, and the winner of Lift Off for 2016, was crowd favourite Lions Of The Underground.

PHOTOS BY GABBY MARSHALL PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY

This competition showcased the talent that the youth in Canberra have. The music that these people had to offer is phenomenal, and evidence of the many great acts that will come out of Canberra, from all styles of music.

GABBY MARSHALL

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@bmamag

the word

Majors Creek Festival Majors Creek Fri–Sun November 11–13

on gigs

Since its reincarnation two years ago (the original festival started back in 1993), Majors Creek Festival has attracted excellent line-ups of folk, country, Americana, indie, blues, bluegrass and jazz bands, artists and dance groups. The 2016 edition featured a program headlined by the legendary Neil Murray, alt-country enthusiasts Raised By Eagles from Melbourne, entrancing troubadour Lucie Thorne, indie folk marvel Harry Hookey, warm, heartfelt Andrea Kirwin and The Timbers.

First impressions as you enter the festival are the central open space, the relaxed, happy vibe and the abundance of children in attendance. Families are welcome at the event and a kids tent kept small humans busy with activities like drum-making, cupcakedecorating and origami. This tent, in fact, had one of the most entertaining acts at the festival, Canberra’s own Mr Tim and the Fuzzy Elbows. The rest of the line-up performed across the two main stages, on either side of the rec ground, and cosier stages/ venues including the hall, the local church across the road and the Majors Creek pub.

In one of the larger venues, Pete’s Lounge, Matt Brooker’s fingers danced over the guitar, showcasing his extraordinary flamenco skills. After finishing an epic number, the ‘Jimi Hendrix of Spanish Guitar’ asked, “How long do I have to go? I lose track sometimes…”

Over at the main tent, The Black Horses delivered a dose of Americana with an Aussie twang. Weaving tales of heartbreak, dusty roads and lonely days, the voices of Jenny Spear and Andre Camilleri melt to give you some serious bittersweet feels. In a later set, they were joined by the flamboyantly dressed Mexican dancers.

Heading across the road to the Church, Michael Waugh sang honest, whimsical and tender stories from the heart in a quaint acoustic venue. Back at Pete’s Lounge, named after Festival founder Peter Gillespie, The Timbers entertained a packed tent. They also closed the show on Saturday night in one of their best gigs yet, according to one of the band members. With special appearances from Neil Murray, Harry Hookey, a horn section and burlesque dancers, the Adelaide trio definitely knew how to get the room jumping with their pounding rhythms and rousing harmonies. It’s little wonder these well-dressed fellas are so popular on the festival scene.

The Italian/Australian songstress Bity Booker delighted with her quirky and clever tunes. Her ditties are mostly about animals and her song, ‘Mr Sparrow’ even features perfectly timed chirping. It’s hard not to smile at Booker’s eccentric voice and kooky character on stage. Notable among the smaller acts was the smooth backbeat groove of the Four Scoops and the fun New Orleans’ sounds of the Low Down Riders. Some of the headliners and other artists also gave a series of workshops. Andrew Kirwin took punters on a journey of traditional Fijian songs and stories, giving a small window into Kirwin’s own fascinating past. Similarly, Neil Murray spoke on ‘Songs of Place’ – a session covering the Indigenous lands he’s visited, their stories and how he has reconnected with the land.

PHOTO BY MEGAN LEAHY

On Sunday, the female festival artists gathered for a special concert to celebrate women in the music industry. They each performed a song about their mothers, sisters, themselves, or birds, in the case of Bity. On stage was also the winner of the festival’s inaugural Ros Hales Award for Young Women in Music, Deer Prudence, two young folk lasses from country Victoria. The diverse artists, family-friendly vibe, actually good food and the all-important latrine situation definitely helped make the Majors Creek Festival a thoroughly pleasant weekend in this historic NSW town.

MICK RADOJKOVIC

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77

the word

on gigs

Abbe May, Julia Johnson Transit Bar Friday November 18 It was good to see support act Julia Johnson (ex-Deep Sea Sirens) back in town. The ex-Evatt, now Sydney-based singer with the high, sometimes floating vocals still has her unusual style of playing the guitar. She cast up a beguiling plucked pattern in ‘Little Surprises’ and her songs had a local flavour, including the one about running off to Lake George for a quickie.

Abbe May left her band behind in Sydney for the Canberra leg of the tour, taking the stage by herself. All the backing sounds came encapsulated in a clever Roland box of tricks, however. During sound check, it was a lot like listening to the actual recorded songs. This was no karaoke, however. May is one hot guitar player, with a great blues style. When she leans back and lets the fingers fly, the music has real fangs. The set included a good mix of old material and some very new songs that are due to find their way onto her next LP Bitchcraft.

PHOTO BY DAVE MCCARTHY

Some of the newer songs were lighter on the blues influence, with tour title ‘Doomsday Clock’ more indie-pop in makeup. Storylines ran from the seductive ‘Are We Flirting’, to the raunchy cover of Ginuwine’s ‘Pony’, to the strong environmental message of ‘Doomsday Clock’. Sometimes, she let the music machine do all the work, letting the guitar swing loosely from its strap as she flung her arms wide to emphasise the emotion in what was a powerful, intense performance. Towards the end, May demonstrated her signature guitar move (as seen on her T-shirts), adopting a machine gun pose and spraying the audience with a burst of wild notes.

RORY MCCARTNEY

the word

on gigs

Bayside, Young Lions, Far Away Stables, Autumn The Basement Wednesday November 9 I arrived late, catching the tail end of local band Autumn’s set. It was clear the less than lofty numbers at the show had dragged some spirits down, but the band played on. Far Away Stables took the stage after a quick changeover, and even though it seemed like the already anaemic crowd had diminished, the vibe shifted immediately. Soaring Ollie Sykes-esque vocals accompanied tight guitar-riffs through a set of all-new music from the Sydney quintet.

Young Lions were up next. The Brisbane band had asked local lad Matt Santos (of the Young Monks) to stand in for their missing vocalist. Clearly shaky on most of the lyrics (Santos had been practicing in his car right up to show time), the band soldiered on and played an extremely tight musical set. Towards the end, members of Far Away Stables took the stage to give the Young Lions a hand. A train wreck? Maybe, but it was an entertaining one at that.

PHOTO BY GABBY MARSHALL

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Bayside are the definition of a cult band and, unfortunately, the cult is small in Canberra. Not deterred by the small crowd, the East Coast punk-rockers ripped through a tight and loud set, wavering from their ‘New Found Glory’ roots to funky jams like ‘Dead All Day’. It’s always a worry when international acts take the stage in Canberra (especially an act like Bayside, who have been touring for 10+ years). It would be easy to get discouraged by the generally small crowds and shabby venues. But if Bayside were discouraged at all, it didn’t show. A genuine enthusiasm shone through the band, especially during their awesome cover of ‘Mr Brightside’. I love the idea of bands like Bayside making it to Canberra on their Australian tours. However, as is often the case, lack of ticket sales will likely discourage bands from continuing down this path in the future.

Curse you, Canberrans! You fickle creatures, you!

SCOTT BATUM

@bmamag

the word

The Dandy Warhols, Morning Harvey ANU Bar Thursday November 3

on gigs

This wasn’t the first time I’d seen The Dandy Warhols perform in Canberra. Their 2008 show at Stonefest was electrifying, with a dizzying set to an ecstatic crowd. Eight years later at the ANU, it wasn’t quite the same experience. The Dandy’s began their set slowly, with a hazy wash of fuzzy guitars and relaxed, swirling music, ringing crisp and clear through the venue. Moving through some newer material, the audience seemed a little lacklustre, just nodding their heads politely – this would continue throughout the gig.

The band soon ploughed through their hits quickly, including the electro-pop tinged ‘Used To Be Friends’ and ‘Last High’, with lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor’s voice holding much more of a gravel overtone to the fifteen-plus-year-old recordings. At one point, the band stopped their performance to get the audience to join in a sing-a-long to ‘Happy Birthday’ for their bandmate Peter Holstrom – in my opinion, this was the most animated the crowd would get. The band’s breakthrough classic, ‘Bohemian Like You’ was an obvious crowd favourite, and the highlight of the performance.

PHOTO BY MATT SANDFORD

But in the end I left feeling a little unsatisfied. It wasn’t the band’s fault, their music was note perfect and incredibly tight. I really think it was just the general vibe of the crowd, with no one really dancing.

Sure, some of the Dandy’s music suits an early ‘90s shoegaze shuffle, but it didn’t seem like anyone could be bothered with even a half-hearted attempt at that. A live show should be an experience in itself, and no matter how competent the band, they need some energy from an audience to reflect back to the crowd. Their music was five stars, but the performance and the experience of the evening only managed to be half of that.

PETER O’ROURKE

the word

Kim Wilde, Howard Jones Canberra Theatre Centre Wednesday November 2

on gigs

Welcome to the ‘80s! There were synths a plenty but not a conventional guitar in sight, as the beats built up for Howard Jones’ stage entrance. He used a keytar in addition to the usual keyboard, letting him move freely around the stage. Keys growled, purred and rippled and some extra grunt got the front seats shaking. Jones’ high, floating vocals were occasionally morphed into cyber man tones. The crowd appreciated his hits like ‘No One Is To Blame’ and ‘What Is Love’ (which got the best sing-along), but there was new material too, including ‘Eagle Will Fly Again’, which he wrote for the recent film Eddie the Eagle.

PHOTO BY MARK TURNER

Keys gave way to guitars for Kim Wilde’s pop-rock show. Besides her own songs, the set list was peppered with a few covers from the ‘80s, including ‘Forever Young’ which pretty much summed up the spirit of the audience on the night. She was happy to crouch down, still singing, for young fans to take selfies with her and she scored a toy koala from the crowd on the first night of her Australian tour.

While security had discouraged people from nearing the stage, there was a general rush of keen dancers after Wilde invited them to come on down. Channeling Alice Cooper/Slash in a topper and skull coat, Wilde returned for the encore with a spirited delivery of ‘Kids In America’ (her voice as strong as ever), followed by a cover of Dead or Alive’s ‘You Spin Me Round’, which was a nice touch observing that singer Pete Burns fell off the perch very recently. A surprise finish came from Wilde and Jones doing a duet of The Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows’.

RORY MCCARTNEY

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE December 14 – December 19 Listings are a free community service. Email editorial@bmamag.com to have your events appear each issue.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 14 ART EXHIBITIONS Polka Luka

Until 22 Dec.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Iconic Australian Houses

The exhibition continues until 13 Mar. NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

College Create

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free.

8 Dec – 28 Jan. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

M16 Artspace Drawing Prize 2016 Until 18 Dec.

M16 ARTSPACE

Digital Portrait Award 2016

Until Apr 9. An annual event to extend traditional notions of portraiture and foster emerging artists.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Wrap Up

Wrap up is an exhibition by M16’s Studio Artists consisting of intricate, small and affordable works.

Natalie Gauci

8pm. Info at nataliegauciofficial.com.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Chicago Charles

ART EXHIBITIONS

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Polka Luka

9pm. Free.

Black Rheno

Let’s Start a Cult Tour. Equal parts stoner, sludge, grind, punk and doom.

Crazy Ass Games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Vault Thursdays

Top 40 Party Tracks + Student prices.

Free Entry from 9pm.

UNI PUB

WORKSHOPS Production Masterclass

With Steve Ward & Jamie Stevens.

6pm. $20/$30.

LOBROW GALLERY & BAR

FRIDAY DECEMBER 16 ART EXHIBITIONS From A to B and Back Again

Thomas Foundation Artists in Residence CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

FILM

Versailles: Treasures from the Palace

9 Dec – 17 Apr. Extravagant treasures from the Palace of Versailles are coming to Australia.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann

Director: John Schlesinger. Conductor: Evelino Pidò.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

FILM

LIVE MUSIC

Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro

Finn

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free.

8 Dec – 28 Jan. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

M16 Artspace Drawing Prize 2016 Until 18 Dec.

M16 ARTSPACE

Digital Portrait Award 2016

Until Apr 9. An annual event to extend traditional notions of portraiture and foster emerging artists.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Wrap Up

12.30pm. Free.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

SOMETHING DIFFERENT The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s-1990s A blast from advertising’s past. 10am daily. Free. 23 Nov-25 Apr.

Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann

Director: John Schlesinger. Conductor: Evelino Pidò.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

A performance in sonic art and perfumery. 8pm. $10.

THE DICKSON TRADIES

Visit thetradies.com.au to find out who’s playing every Thurs-Sat.

Dallas Frasca

THE DICKSON TRADIES

TRANSIT BAR

Give fans of both bands a taste of their respective debut EPs.

Paper Thin & Self Talk

Live acoustic musicians from 5pm for after work drinks. Free Entry from 5pm.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Moondog

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

10pm. Free.

Joseph Banks 6pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Cell Block 69

Tickets at moshtix.com.au. With Slow Turismo.

THE BASEMENT

Evensong

LIVE MUSIC

ON THE TOWN

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Live at the Tradies

Fridays From Five

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

THURSDAY DECEMBER 15

Visit thetradies.com.au to find out who’s playing every Thurs-Sat. THE DICKSON TRADIES

Tickets at moshtix.com.au.

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

BirthWriteBeats Season 2 Final Monthly producer battle. $10. 8pm.

2pm. $5/$3.

3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials.

Special K / Code Red

11.30am. $2 per child.

Canberra Blues Society Jam

FILM

Visit thetradies.com.au to find out who’s playing every Thurs-Sat.

5pm/10pm. Free.

Free outdoor show. 1pm-5pm. goolabri. com for info.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

4th Degree

Christmas Storytime

LIVE MUSIC

NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA

7pm. Free.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Director: John Schlesinger. Conductor: Evelino Pidò.

IRON BAR

9 Dec-17 Apr. Extravagant treasures from the Palace of Versailles are coming to Australia.

Live at the Tradies

UNI PUB

FILM

Versailles: Treasures from the Palace

Live at the Tradies

Uni Pub After Work Wind Down

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Kirsty Lee Akers & Hayley Jensen

LOBROW GALLERY & BAR

Tickets at dallasfrasca.com.

Dr Fox and the Stickman

3.30pm.

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

LIVE MUSIC

Christmas Concert

NONE

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

14 Dec – 23 Dec. 10am. Free. Local potters & ceramicists. Selected artworks, sculptural and functional items.

Sonic Alchemy

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

SUNDAY DECEMBER 18

Annual Christmas Fair

M16 ARTSPACE

LOBROW GALLERY & BAR

8pm.

BELCONNEN ARTS CENTRE

Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann

Birth Write Beats

Pepper Jane

A Dance Program for People with Hearing Impairment. 8pm. Info at belconnenartscentre.com.au.

Wrap up is an exhibition by M16’s Studio Artists consisting of intricate, small and affordable works.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

Season 2 Showcase Special. 8pm. $10.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

Feel the Music

LIVE MUSIC

CHISHOLM TAVERN

A blast from advertising’s past. 10am daily. Free. 23 Nov – 25 Apr.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

8.30pm. Free entry.

Captured live from Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Oct 26, 2016.

The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s-1990s

WORKSHOPS

College Create

The Thursday Games

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Iconic Australian Houses

ON THE TOWN

A collaboration between three wellknown artists. Opens 16 Dec 6.30pm until 13 Jan. Free.

Amy Schleif. Joanna Bone and Aaron Micallef: Until 14 Dec.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

The exhibition continues until 13 Mar.

Annual Christmas Fair

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

Until 22 Dec.

THE BASEMENT

M16 ARTSPACE

14 Dec – 23 Dec. 10am. Free. Local potters & ceramicists. Selected artworks, sculptural and functional items.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 17

Cell Block 69

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Choral music. 4pm. Free.

Aviary Live Sessions

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

My Dad and I

Free entry. 5-7pm.

A BITE TO EAT CAFE

Irish Jam Session

Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Christmas Party Blues Jam 2pm. Hosted by Key Grip. $3/$5.

HARMONIE GERMAN CLUB

Evensong

Choral music. 4pm. Free.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

MONDAY DECEMBER 19 COMEDY The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis’ wildly comic yet deadly serious masterpiece. 7.30pm. canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

FILM Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann

Director: John Schlesinger. Conductor: Evelino Pidò.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

ON THE TOWN

KARAOKE

Vault High Flyers

#KaraokeLove

Canberra’s best DJs every Saturday.

Free Entry from 10pm.

UNI PUB

9pm. Free entry.

TRANSIT BAR

LOBROW GALLERY & BAR

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE December 19 – December 30 MONDAY DECEMBER 19 TRIVIA

FILM

Lowtown’s Family Reunion

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann

DIGRESS COCKTAIL BAR

Drawn In

Treehouse Trivia Night

Director: John Schlesinger. Conductor: Evelino Pidò.

TREEHOUSE BAR

LIVE MUSIC

Winners receive $100 bar tab and a keg of beer or cider.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 20 COMEDY The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis’ wildly comic yet deadly serious masterpiece. 7.30pm. canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

FILM Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann

Director: John Schlesinger. Conductor: Evelino Pidò.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

THEATRE Early Grave, Fashionably Late

One-man show of physical finesse and verbal virtuosity by Canberra-based performer, Christopher Samuel Carroll.

SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 21 ART EXHIBITIONS Polka Luka

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

Wallis Bird Home tour.

THE PHOENIX BAR

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free.

8 Dec – 28 Jan. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Digital Portrait Award 2016

Until Apr 9. An annual event to extend traditional notions of portraiture and foster emerging artists.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Annual Christmas Fair

14 Dec – 23 Dec. 10am. Free. Local potters & ceramicists. Selected artworks, sculptural and functional items.

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

Versailles: Treasures from the Palace 9 Dec-17 Apr. Extravagant treasures from the Palace of Versailles are coming to Australia.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA

From A to B and Back Again

A collaboration between three wellknown artists. Opens 16 Dec 6.30pm until 13 Jan. Free.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

COMEDY The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis’ wildly comic yet deadly serious masterpiece. 7.30pm. canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

A blast from advertising’s past. 10am daily. Free. 23 Nov – 25 Apr. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

THURSDAY DECEMBER 22

Live acoustic musicians from 5pm for after work drinks. Free Entry from 5pm.

UNI PUB

Bill Olsen/ Heuristic 5pm/ 10pm. Free.

Fridays From Five

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

SATURDAY DECEMBER 24

NONE

ART EXHIBITIONS

Dalmacia

From A to B and Back Again

7:30pm. $10.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

COMEDY The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis’ wildly comic yet deadly serious masterpiece. 7.30pm. canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

LIVE MUSIC Live at the Tradies THE DICKSON TRADIES

9pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

ON THE TOWN Vault Thursdays

Top 40 Party Tracks + Student prices.

Free Entry from 9pm.

UNI PUB

The Thursday Games

Crazy Ass Games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

FRIDAY DECEMBER 23 ART EXHIBITIONS Annual Christmas Fair

14 Dec – 23 Dec. 10am. Free. Local potters & ceramicists. Selected artworks, sculptural and functional items.

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

COMEDY The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis’ wildly comic yet deadly serious masterpiece. 7.30pm. canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

A collaboration between three wellknown artists. Opens 16 Dec 6.30pm until 13 Jan. Free.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Iconic Australian Houses

The exhibition continues until 13 Mar. NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

College Create

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free.

8 Dec – 28 Jan. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Versailles: Treasures from the Palace 9 Dec-17 Apr. Extravagant treasures from the Palace of Versailles are coming to Australia.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA

LIVE MUSIC Live at the Tradies

Visit thetradies.com.au to find out who’s playing every Thurs-Sat. THE DICKSON TRADIES

ON THE TOWN Chicago Charles & Danger Dave

TRANSIT BAR

ART EXHIBITIONS From A to B and Back Again

A collaboration between three wellknown artists. Opens 16 Dec 6.30pm until 13 Jan. Free.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

College Create

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free.

8 Dec – 28 Jan. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Iconic Australian Houses

The exhibition continues until 13 Mar. NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

Digital Portrait Award 2016

Until Apr 9. An annual event to extend traditional notions of portraiture and foster emerging artists.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Versailles: Treasures from the Palace 9 Dec-17 Apr. Extravagant treasures from the Palace of Versailles are coming to Australia.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA

SOMETHING DIFFERENT The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s-1990s A blast from advertising’s past. 10am daily. Free. 23 Nov-25 Apr. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

THURSDAY DECEMBER 29 LIVE MUSIC Live at the Tradies

Visit thetradies.com.au to find out who’s playing every Thurs-Sat. THE DICKSON TRADIES

ON THE TOWN

UNI PUB

Canberra’s best DJs every Saturday.

Free Entry from 10pm.

UNI PUB

SOMETHING DIFFERENT The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s-1990s A blast from advertising’s past. 10am daily. Free. 23 Nov-25 Apr. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

MONDAY DECEMBER 26

Top 40 Party Tracks + Student prices.

Free Entry from 9pm.

The Thursday Games

Crazy Ass Games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

FRIDAY DECEMBER 30 LIVE MUSIC Live at the Tradies

Visit thetradies.com.au to find out who’s playing every Thurs-Sat.

LIVE MUSIC

THE DICKSON TRADIES

Aviary Live Sessions

Live acoustic musicians from 5pm for after work drinks. Free Entry from 5pm.

Rosalie Blum

With Capes, Top Lip & The Last Exposure. 8pm. $10.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 28

Vault High Flyers

Live at the Tradies

Moaning Lisa

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Vault Thursdays

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

LIVE MUSIC

THE DICKSON TRADIES

Draw while listening to different music each month. 1pm. Free.

9pm. Free.

3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials.

THE COURTYARD STUDIO

Visit thetradies.com.au to find out who’s playing every Thurs-Sat.

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Uni Pub After Work Wind Down

ON THE TOWN

Adam & Ash

College Create

THE BASEMENT

The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s-1990s

Iconic Australian Houses

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

With Taliesin and Genetics. Tix at hemina.bigcartel.com.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Visit thetradies.com.au to find out who’s playing every Thurs-Sat.

The exhibition continues until 13 Mar.

Hemina

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Until 22 Dec.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

9pm. $10.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

The best-attended film in Alliance Francaise French Film Festival history.

PALACE ELECTRIC CINEMA

Uni Pub After Work Wind Down UNI PUB

Special K

10pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

ON THE TOWN Fridays From Five

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

@bmamag

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE December 31 – January 8 SATURDAY DECEMBER 31 ART EXHIBITIONS College Create

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free.

8 Dec – 28 Jan. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Digital Portrait Award 2016

Until Apr 9. An annual event to extend traditional notions of portraiture and foster emerging artists.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Versailles: Treasures from the Palace 9 Dec-17 Apr. Extravagant treasures from the Palace of Versailles are coming to Australia.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA

LIVE MUSIC

Versailles: Treasures from the Palace 9 Dec-17 Apr. Extravagant treasures from the Palace of Versailles are coming to Australia.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA

From A to B and Back Again

A collaboration between three wellknown artists. Opens 16 Dec 6.30pm until 13 Jan. Free.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

THURSDAY JANUARY 5 LIVE MUSIC Dos Enos

8pm.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Rock Or Be Rocked

The Thursday Games

8pm. Free.

THE BURNS CLUB

New Years Eve 80’s night

Featuring the Cherry Pickers Band.

Tickets $20. 8pm.

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

ON THE TOWN Vault High Flyers

Canberra’s best DJs every Saturday.

Free Entry from 10pm.

UNI PUB

New Years Eve 2016

The Canberra Wine House at the Tradies. 8pm. $50pp. Tickets at thetradies.com.au.

THE DICKSON TRADIES

DJ Nino Brown

Australia’s #1 RNB/Hip Hop DJ. TREEHOUSE BAR

SUNDAY JANUARY 1 LIVE MUSIC Aviary Live Sessions

3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

MONDAY JANUARY 2 TRIVIA Treehouse Trivia Night

Winners receive $100 bar tab and a keg of beer or cider.

TREEHOUSE BAR

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 4 ART EXHIBITIONS Iconic Australian Houses

The exhibition continues until 13 Mar. NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

College Create

Crazy Ass Games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free.

Until Apr 9. An annual event to extend traditional notions of portraiture and foster emerging artists.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

LIVE MUSIC

ON THE TOWN Summernats 2016

With Drapht, Airbourne, Spit Syndicate & Thirsty Merc. Tickets at summernats.com.au.

EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA (EPIC)

Vault High Flyers

Canberra’s best DJs every Saturday.

Free Entry from 10pm.

UNI PUB

SUNDAY JANUARY 8

Woodface

10.30pm. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Live at the Tradies

Visit thetradies.com.au to find out who’s playing every Thurs-Sat. THE DICKSON TRADIES

LIVE MUSIC Aviary Live Sessions

3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

BMA MAGAZINE BAND CLASSIFIEDS

Looking to join a band? Looking for likeminded musicians to collaborate with? Email your ad to editorial@bmamag.com.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Summernats 2016

With Drapht, Airbourne, Spit Syndicate & Thirsty Merc. Tickets at summernats.com.au.

EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA (EPIC)

FRIDAY JANUARY 6 LIVE MUSIC Uni Pub After Work Wind Down

Thin Ice Genre: Rock, metal, alternative, punk Youth band of 12 – 15 y.o. Must be prepared to rehearse on regular basis (probably on a Sat or Sun....TBD) and working with qualified band coach and guest coaches (cost $30- 40 p.w.). Gigs will be organised by coaches and parents.

Looking for: Bass player

Live acoustic musicians from 5pm for after work drinks. Free Entry from 5pm.

Contact: Parents to contact Geoff on 0409849196

Special K

Canberra Brass Inc.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

Genre: Brass band / community band

UNI PUB

10pm. Free.

ON THE TOWN Fridays From Five

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Summernats 2016

With Drapht, Airbourne, Spit Syndicate & Thirsty Merc. Tickets at summernats.com.au.

EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA (EPIC)

TRIVIA Trivia with Omar and Iain 7.30pm.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

SATURDAY JANUARY 7 ART EXHIBITIONS Versailles: Treasures from the Palace 9 Dec-17 Apr. Extravagant treasures from the Palace of Versailles are coming to Australia.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA

From A to B and Back Again

Digital Portrait Award 2016

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Until Apr 9. An annual event to extend traditional notions of portraiture and foster emerging artists.

Digital Portrait Award 2016

UNI PUB

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free.

8 Dec – 28 Jan. TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Vault Thursdays

Top 40 Party Tracks + Student prices.

Free Entry from 9pm.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free.

8 Dec – 28 Jan.

ON THE TOWN

10.30pm. Free.

Oscar

College Create

Canberra Brass Inc. is the capital’s only community brass band organisation - we are always looking for new players for one of our three ensembles.

Looking for: Brass players and percussionists of all levels and ages Contact: canberrabrass.secretary@gmail.com or www.canberrabrass.org.au Frank n Simon (currently) Genre: Originals in the styles of Simon (Guitar/vocals) and Frank (keyboard/vocals) starting to play small gigs around town playing largely originals hoping to morph into a band early next year with the right people.

Looking for: Passionate female singer(s) – experience not necessary Contact: Simon at simonandanna1@iinet.net.au Wil Allen / ‘Legless Armchair’

A collaboration between three wellknown artists. Opens 16 Dec 6.30pm until 13 Jan. Free.

Ex-band member male 40+ now going solo doing covers but finding it boring.

Iconic Australian Houses

Looking for: Like minded guitarist back up singer to co-write originals and play the odd cover. Prefer Belco area.

The exhibition continues until 13 Mar. NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

facebook.com/bmamagazine

Contact: wilz1967@yahoo.com.au.

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE January 8 – January 21 SUNDAY JANUARY 8

THURSDAY JANUARY 12

LIVE MUSIC

LIVE MUSIC

Irish Jam Session

Ziggy Alberts

Traditional Irish musicians in the pub from late afternoon. Free.

KING O’MALLEY’S IRISH PUB

ON THE TOWN Summernats 2016

With Drapht, Airbourne, Spit Syndicate & Thirsty Merc. Tickets at summernats.com.au.

EXHIBITION PARK IN CANBERRA (EPIC)

SOMETHING DIFFERENT Drawn In

8pm.

MONDAY JANUARY 9 TRIVIA Treehouse Trivia Night

Winners receive $100 bar tab and a keg of beer or cider.

TREEHOUSE BAR

TUESDAY JANUARY 10 WORKSHOPS School Holiday Ceramic Puppetry Class

9 am – 1 pm. $250.

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11 ART EXHIBITIONS Versailles: Treasures from the Palace 9 Dec-17 Apr. Extravagant treasures from the Palace of Versailles are coming to Australia.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA

UNI PUB

3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials.

The Thursday Games

Crazy Ass Games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free.

FRIDAY JANUARY 13 LIVE MUSIC Skeggs

WORKSHOPS School Holiday Program for kids

Jan 9-25. From $96- $250. Info at canberrapotters.com.au.

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

Treehouse Trivia Night

Winners receive $100 bar tab and a keg of beer or cider.

WORKSHOPS

Live acoustic musicians from 5pm for after work drinks. Free Entry from 5pm.

UNI PUB

ON THE TOWN DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

SATURDAY JANUARY 14 ART EXHIBITIONS Versailles: Treasures from the Palace 9 Dec-17 Apr. Extravagant treasures from the Palace of Versailles are coming to Australia.

School Holiday Program for kids

Jan 9-25. From $96- $250. Info at canberrapotters.com.au.

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

THURSDAY JANUARY 19 ON THE TOWN Vault Thursdays

Top 40 Party Tracks + Student prices.

Free Entry from 9pm.

UNI PUB

The Thursday Games

Crazy Ass Games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

WORKSHOPS Mr. Tim’s Mini Musical Holiday Program 9.30am-4pm. $125 per student.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

FRIDAY JANUARY 20

Mr. Tim’s Mini Musical Holiday Program

LIVE MUSIC

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Info at transitbar.com.au.

9.30am-4pm. $125 per student.

TUESDAY JANUARY 17

Fridays From Five

Bootleg Rascal

TRANSIT BAR

The Swamp Stompers

Info at thebasement.com.au.

LIVE MUSIC

THE BASEMENT

Faraway Towns

Live acoustic musicians from 5pm for after work drinks. Free Entry from 5pm.

8pm.

Uni Pub After Work Wind Down

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

UNI PUB

WORKSHOPS

8pm.

Mr. Tim’s Mini Musical Holiday Program 9.30am-4pm. $125 per student.

James Bennett THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

ON THE TOWN

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Fridays From Five

Iconic Australian Houses

School Holiday Ceramic Puppetry Class

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

WORKSHOPS

NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA

The exhibition continues until 13 Mar.

Digital Portrait Award 2016

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

TRIVIA

Uni Pub After Work Wind Down

TRANSIT BAR

Iconic Australian Houses

Until Apr 9. An annual event to extend traditional notions of portraiture and foster emerging artists.

MONDAY JANUARY 16

TREEHOUSE BAR

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Digital Portrait Award 2016

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Spring Has Sprung tour.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Aviary Live Sessions

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free.

8 Dec – 28 Jan.

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free.

8 Dec – 28 Jan.

SUNDAY JANUARY 15 LIVE MUSIC

Top 40 Party Tracks + Student prices.

Free Entry from 9pm.

A collaboration between three wellknown artists. Opens 16 Dec 6.30pm until 13 Jan. Free.

College Create

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

Vault Thursdays

College Create

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

Jan 9-25. From $96- $250. Info at canberrapotters.com.au.

ON THE TOWN

From A to B and Back Again

The exhibition continues until 13 Mar.

School Holiday Program for kids

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Draw while listening to different music each month. 1pm. Free.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

WORKSHOPS

Until Apr 9. An annual event to extend traditional notions of portraiture and foster emerging artists.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

LIVE MUSIC Live at the Tradies

Visit thetradies.com.au to find out who’s playing every Thurs-Sat. THE DICKSON TRADIES

Zeahorse

Info at lovethephoenix.com.

9 am – 1 pm. $250.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 18 ART EXHIBITIONS Versailles: Treasures from the Palace

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

SATURDAY JANUARY 21 ART EXHIBITIONS

Iconic Australian Houses

19 Jan-5 Feb.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF AUSTRALIA

The exhibition continues until 13 Mar. NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

College Create

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free.

8 Dec – 28 Jan.

THE PHOENIX BAR

Kim Churchill

TALKS

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

The Sell – A Curator’s View

ON THE TOWN

9.30am-4pm. $125 per student.

9 Dec-17 Apr. Extravagant treasures from the Palace of Versailles are coming to Australia.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

8pm.

Mr. Tim’s Mini Musical Holiday Program

12.30pm. Free.

The Earth Element

M16 ARTSPACE

Intersections 19 Jan-5 Feb.

M16 ARTSPACE

Iconic Australian Houses

The exhibition continues until 13 Mar. NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA

College Create

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free. 8 Dec- 28 Jan.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

Vault High Flyers

WORKSHOPS

19 Jan-5 Feb.

UNI PUB

Mr. Tim’s Mini Musical Holiday Program

DANCE

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

The Nutcracker

Canberra’s best DJs every Saturday.

Free Entry from 10pm.

9.30am-4pm. $125 per student.

Aether

M16 ARTSPACE

Tickets at australianballet.com.au.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

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ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE January 21 – January 29 SATURDAY JANUARY 21 LIVE MUSIC Deadspace

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

LIVE MUSIC

Hip Hop Holiday

Ty Dolla $ign

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

Info at tuggeranongarts.com.

WORKSHOPS

WORKSHOPS

Live at the Tradies

Introductory Intensive Course 9.30am-4pm. $320.

Introductory Intensive Course

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

Visit thetradies.com.au to find out who’s playing every Thurs-Sat. THE DICKSON TRADIES

Winter Wilson

TUESDAY JANUARY 24

With Lowlands. 7pm. $22.

CANBERRA IRISH CLUB

DANCE

Tommy Castles

The Nutcracker

8pm.

THE FRONT GALLERY AND CAFÉ

Tickets at australianballet.com.au.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

ON THE TOWN

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Vault High Flyers

Hip Hop Holiday

Canberra’s best DJs every Saturday.

Free Entry from 10pm.

UNI PUB

WORKSHOPS School Holiday Program for kids

Jan 9-25. From $96- $250. Info at canberrapotters.com.au.

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

SUNDAY JANUARY 22 DANCE The Nutcracker

Tickets at australianballet.com.au.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

LIVE MUSIC

Info at tuggeranongarts.com.

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

TALKS From Raskols to We Cut Heads Stephen Dupont’s Artists Books. 6pm.

Free.

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA

WORKSHOPS Introductory Intensive Course 9.30am-4pm. $320.

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

School Holiday Ceramic Puppetry Class 9 am – 1 pm. $250.

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25

26 Jan - 26 Mar. Guest Curator: Aimee Frodsham. Artists: Matthew Curtis and Harriet Schwarzrock.

More info at dollasignworld.com.

An ambient depressive black metal five piece.

THE BASEMENT

Defining Moments

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

Aether

19 Jan-5 Feb.

M16 ARTSPACE

9.30am-4pm. $320.

SATURDAY JANUARY 28

(r)evolve

Ausglass Conference Professional Workshops. Info at canberraglassworks. com. 27 Jan – 5 Feb. CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

School Holiday Program for kids

LIVE MUSIC Jack Colwell

With special guests. 7pm. $15 via eventbrite or $20 at door.

GORMAN HOUSE ARTS CENTRE

The Amity Affliction

Jan 9-25. From $96- $250. Info at canberrapotters.com.au.

With Hellions and Ocean Grove.

ANU BAR AND REFECTORY

WATSON ARTS CENTRE

Live at the Tradies

Visit thetradies.com.au to find out who’s playing every Thurs-Sat.

THURSDAY JANUARY 26

THE DICKSON TRADIES

LIVE MUSIC

ON THE TOWN

The Front Bottoms

Tickets at oztix.com.au.

Vault High Flyers

ON THE TOWN

UNI PUB

THE BASEMENT

Canberra’s best DJs every Saturday.

Free Entry from 10pm.

The Thursday Games

WORKSHOPS

Crazy Ass Games including tournaments and prizes, and all things Sangria & FUN. 5pm. Free.

(r)evolve

Ausglass Conference Professional Workshops. Info at canberraglassworks. com. 27 Jan-5 Feb.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS

FRIDAY JANUARY 27

SUNDAY JANUARY 29

LIVE MUSIC Uni Pub After Work Wind Down

LIVE MUSIC

UNI PUB

Live acoustic musicians from 5pm for after work drinks. Free Entry from 5pm.

Aviary Live Sessions

Stick To Your Guns

ART EXHIBITIONS

THE BASEMENT

The Earth Element

ON THE TOWN

3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials.

Aviary Live Sessions

M16 ARTSPACE

Fridays From Five

Like Royals

With Knocked Loose, Relentless & Reactions.

3pm. Free. Local musicians step in to entertain us for a Sunday Session. Beer & Cider specials.

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

MONDAY JANUARY 23

19 Jan-5 Feb.

Intersections 19 Jan-5 Feb.

M16 ARTSPACE

College Create

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

A curated exhibiton of stand-out works

by Canberran college students. Free.

8 Dec – 28 Jan.

ART EXHIBITIONS

Aether

M16 ARTSPACE

M16 ARTSPACE

19 Jan-5 Feb.

DANCE

TUGGERANONG ARTS CENTRE

The Nutcracker

19 Jan-5 Feb.

Tickets at australianballet.com.au.

DJs spinning Old Skool, Hip Hop, R&B. Free from 5pm.

CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

AVIARY ROOFTOP BAR

Info at thebasement.com.au.

THE BASEMENT

The Earth Element 19 Jan-5 Feb.

Intersections M16 ARTSPACE

OUT

JAN 18 ... YOU’RE STILL HERE? IT’S OVER! ... GO HOME.

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SIDE A: BMA BAND PROFILE

FIRST CONTACT Aaron Peacey 0410381306 band.afternoon.shift@ gmail.com.au Adam Hole 0421023226 Afternoon Shift 0402055314

Kayo Marbilus facebook.com/kayomarbilus1

Amphibian Sound PA Clare 0410308288

Kurt’s Metalworx (PA) 0417025792

Annie & The Armadillos Annie (02) 61611078/ 0422076313

THE STICKY BANDITS Band Members: Jesse Robinson (drums), Tim Robinson (bass), Daniel Robinson (guitar), Slabby (vocals).

Where did your band name come from? From the movie Home Alone, big fans of the movie, thought it was a cool name. We loved the movie as kids. In the first movie they are the Wet Bandits and in the second one they go to New York and are even more pathetic as The Sticky Bandits (LOL).

Describe your sound. We are a cross between blues, rock, reggae, soul, funk, indie and pop (I know, it is a mouthful). The diversity allows for experimentation to create the unique sound of the Bandits.

Who are your influences, musical or otherwise? Love the classic stuff like Beach Boys, Hendrix, Janis, Marley, right through to the modern stuff like Chili Peppers, Winehouse, Blink-182, but tastes can change and evolve. Also a fan of anyone who put a hundred percent into anything they feel passionate about.

What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had whilst performing? Going on tour, Blue Mountains to Goulburn, and places in between. When people started singing along and engaging in our original stuff. Means a lot to us!

Of what are you the proudest so far? Working hard on the second album, Little Heart Break, which is ready to be released shortly. Our single ‘Dust Of The Vinyl’ was released on November 19 to iTunes and all other digital outlets, and our full album coming in late December!

What are your plans for the future? #1 more gigs, write more music, record and release. #2 more and more and more!

Aria Stone sax/flute/lute/ harmonica, singer-songwriter Aria 0411803343 Australian Songwriters Association Keiran (02) 62310433 Back to the Eighties Ty Emerson 0418 544 014 Backbeat Drivers Steve 0422733974 backbeatdrivers.com Birds Love Fighting Gangbusters/DIY shows-bookings@ birdslovefighting.com Black Label Photography Kingsley 0438351007 blacklabelphotography.net Bridge Between, The Cam 0431550005 Chris Harland Blues Band, The Chris 0418 490 649 chrisharlandbluesband @gmail.com Cole Bennetts Photography 0415982662 Danny V Danny 0413502428 Dawn Theory Nathan 0402845132 Danny 0413502428 Dorothy Jane Band, The Dorothy Jane 0411065189 dorothy-jane@dorothyjane.com Drumassault Dan 0406 375 997 Feldons, The 0407 213 701

What makes you laugh? A good meme! Ben Stiller…!

Classic comedies and anyone willing to take themselves not too seriously. OH and when a singer says they will help in a load in. LOL.

Fire on the Hill Aaron 0410381306 Lachlan 0400038388

What pisses you off? Finishing your beer mid-set and having no one get you a refill … FAKE PEOPLE (people who are too afraid to be themselves).

Gareth Dailey DJ/Electronica Gareth 0414215885

What about the local scene would you change? The Canberra scene could have more venues supporting original music, the networks we have are great but more is always better. It would be great to see more support for local, upcoming, original artists.

What are your upcoming gigs? Currently you can catch us around Canberra jamming in all the cool venues that support original music. And in areas around NSW, but definitely check out Facebook and other Bandit sites for future gigs and releases.

Contact details: Jesse Robinson, jesse.robinson45@gmail.com, 0400 343 346

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Johnny Roadkill Paulie 0408287672 paulie_mcmillan@live.com.au

Fourth Degree Vic 0408477020

Groovalicious Corporate/ weddings/private functions 0448995158 Guy The Sound Guy Live & Studio Sound Engineer 0400585369 guy@guythesoundguy.com

Los Chavos Latin/ska/reggae Rafa 0406647296 Andy 0401572150 Merloc - Recording Studio, Watson. Sam King: 0430484363. sam@ merlocrecords.com Missing Zero Hadrian 0424721907 hadrian.brand@live.com.au Morning After, The Covers band Anthony 0402500843 Mornings Jordan 0439907853 Obsessions 0450 960 750 obsessions@grapevine.com.au Painted Hearts, The Peter (02) 62486027 Polka Pigs Ian (02) 62315974 Rafe Morris 0416322763 Redletter Ben 0421414472 Redsun Rehearsal Studio Ralph 0404178996/ (02) 61621527 Rug, The Jol 0417273041 Sewer Sideshow Huck 0419630721 Simone & The Soothsayers Singing teacher Simone 62304828 Sorgonian Twins, The Mark 0428650549 Soundcity Rehearsal Studio Andrew 0401588884 STonKA Jamie 0422764482 stonka2615@gmail.com Strange Hour Events Dan 0411112075 Super Best Friends Greg greg@gunfever.com.au System Addict Jamie 0418398556

Haunted Attics band@hauntedatticsmusic.com

Tegan Northwood (Singing Teacher) 0410 769 144

In The Flesh Scott 0410475703

Top Shelf Colin 0408631514

Itchy Triggers Alex 0414838480

Undersided, The Baz 0408468041

Jenn Pacor Singer-songwriter avail. for originals/covers 0405618630

Zoopagoo zoopagoo@gmail.com

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NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL

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FRINGE FESTIVAL

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