Inpress Issue 1255 by TheMusic.com.au

BORED NOTHING

THE DATSUNS

HOT CHIP

FIRST AID KIT

SHARON VAN ETTEN MARK RONSON WILLIS EARL BEAL JONNY TELAFONE

N O W AVA I L A B L E O N I PA D • W E D N E S D AY 19 D E C E M B E R 2 012 • I S S U E 12 5 5 • F R E E

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THE JUNGLE GIANTS

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NEW ALBUM BEACON OUT NOW. FEATURES THE SINGLES SLEEP ALONE AND SUN.

THE SP RTING CLUB THURSDAY

Greens Dairy Ensemble Free in the Front Bar 6pm FRIDAY

Alexis Nicole & The Missing Pieces Free in the Front Bar 6pm Lewis 9pm Free in the Front Bar SATURDAY

Tim Guy 6pm Free in the Front Bar SUNDAY

Dan Watkins & Paddy Montgomery 6pm

27 WESTON ST, BRUNSWICK Tues - Fri 4pm till Late Sat & Sun 12pm till Late

WEDNESDAY 19

LAURA NICHOLS QUINTET + HANNAH CAMERON + OFFICER PARROT

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THURSDAY 20

MOMENTS NOTICE

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FRIDAY 21

PROJETO INESEPERADO

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SATURDAY 22

BEST EVER XMAS FUNDRAISER FEAT: ANGIE HART + SWEET JEAN + BLOOD RED BIRD + MORE 3PM $20 PROCEEDS FO TO CANCER COUNCIL

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SUNDAY 23 6.30PM

TUESDAY 25

CLOSED. MERRY XMAS CLOSED

WEDNESDAY 26 THURSDAY 27

GABRIEL LYNCH

6PM

FRIDAY 28

PROJETO INESEPERADO

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SUNDAY 29

MOMENTS NOTICE CLOSED

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MONDAY 30 TUESDAY 31

CLOSED. HAPPY NEW YEAR! WEDNESDAY 2

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ISSUE 1255

W E D N E S D AY 1 9 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2

Wed 19 & Thu 20 8pm - Notsorbad Notsorbad Comedy are serving up a tasty buffet of Christmas treats Fri 21 10pm - No Fixed Shape Deep liquid DnB from Johnny Hooves Kodiak Kid, TEECEE, FLIP3K, J-Slyde & James Brooke VISUALS: Manoeuvre.tv

MARK RONSON

Sat 22. 10pm - Lacewing Portrait a unique affair of electronic dance music, live conga’s & stunning visuals - Booshank, Panai Bernadette He, Michelle Valenti & vdmo Kstati Sat 29. 10pm - Unstable Sounds Femme Fatale edition of insatiable techno, psychedelica & deep-house - Anri, Jen Tutty, Amy Matilda, Nikki Sig, Nikki Zibell & Freya Visuals by Henk.D New Years Eve. 9pm - Equal Dose MarkJ, Adelle, J-Slyde, Xitation, Andy Tron, Sebastian Wild, Xtrasolar vs Rips 3D visuals by Aday - Lighting by Tron Audio

INPRESS 24 Foreword Line brings you all the latest tour announcements 26 The year that was in Industry News 28 Beach House are all about the music 30 Bored Nothing gets out a lot more than he used to 32 Mark Ronson has gone to the dogs 33 First Aid Kit don’t want to be part of a tradition 34 The Cribs look to the US rather than the UK 36 You just can’t keep The Datsuns down 38 Sharon Van Etten is enjoying her individual journey 67 Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs cares for no opinion but his own 68 Bombay Bicycle Club are still making headlines 69 The hotter than ever Hot Chip 70 Aiming for the stars with Space Dimension Controller 70 Mathew Jonson still thinks Berlin is the best city in the world 70 Blood Red Shoes are loving their newfound honesty 70 The years have been kind to The Ears 72 65daysofstatic have a ferocious work ethic 72 Being in Lost Angels is a no-brainer 72 Willis Earl Beal wishes he did things differently 72 Jonny Telafone has some serious shit planned 74 On The Record rates releases from Scott Walker and The UV Race

FRONT ROW 77 Check out what’s happening This Week In Arts 77 Mark Magidson tells us about Samsara, five years in the making

BRUNSWICK

SATURDAY 22 DECEMBER

The Cartridge Family Playing yeharin’ tunes from their album The Original Cartridge Family, they are Suzannah Espie, Sarah Carroll, Rusty Berther and Greg Field. 5pm

SATURDAY 22 DECEMBER

Chris Wilson & Band Expect astoundingly good harmonica, blues guitar, banter extraordinaire and that big band sound as Wilson cuts loose. 9pm

SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER

A Very Union Christmas Roll out the Christmas barrels as an all-star cast of musos take to the stage for an arvo of Christmasinspired mayhem and music to raise funds for the Melbourne City Mission. On the bill: Spoonful, Jon Von Goes, The Prayerbabies, The Shivering Timbers, Tess McKenna & Shapiros, the Native Plants, Telecastro, Texas Tom and more! For a sneak preview, listen to RRR from 2pm

THE UNION HOTEL

BRUNSWICK 109 UNION ST, BRUNSWICK 9388 2235

22 • To check out the mags online go to themusic.com.au/mags

77 Director Ben Wheatley chats about his new black comedy, Sightseers 78 Reviews of SuBurbia, The Temptation Of St Antony, Les Miserables and JB Smoove 78 We spend five minutes with Sugar Mountain artist Hamishi and Lucha VaVOOM’s Rita D’Albert 80 Trailer Trash gets into the films of 2012 that got a bad rap 80 Cultural Cringe focuses on outdoor arts events 80 Comedian Tommy Little levels with us 80 We chat to Wreck-It Ralph animation man Rich Moore

BACK TO INPRESS 83 Gig Of The Week parties with Cobra Snake Necktie Records 83 Live:Reviews takes part in a Living End marathon 86 Sarah Petchell will Wake The Dead with her punk and hardcore talk 86 Dan Condon blues and roots in Roots Down 86 Heavy shit with Adamantium Wolf 86 Other music from the other side with Fragmented Frequencies 87 The freshest in urban news with OG Flavas 87 New currents with Dance Moves 87 Pop culture therapy with The Breakdown 87 Hip hop with Intelligible Flow 88 The best Live gigs of the week 92 If you haven’t appeared in Fred Negro’s Pub, your mother probably still speaks to you 92 Jeff Jenkins gets down and local in Howzat! 94 Our Gig Guide fills your diary for the weekend 101 Find your new band and just about everything else in our classy Classifieds

GIVEAWAYS GALORE! Head to the Inpress Facebook page where we’ve got a bumper Hives pack up for grabs. It contains a copy of Lex Hives on vinyl and CD, the Go Right Ahead 7”, a T-shirt and a double pass to their show at the Forum on 6 January.

CREDITS EDITORIAL Group Managing Editor Andrew Mast Editor Shane O’Donohue music@inpress.com.au Assistant Editor Bryget Chrisfield Editorial Assistant Samson McDougall Arts Coordinator Cassandra Fumi frontrow@inpress.com.au Staff Writer Michael Smith

ADVERTISING sales@inpress.com.au National Sales & Marketing Director Leigh Treweek National Sales Manager – Print Nick Lynagh Account Manager Anna Moull Account Manager Okan Husnu

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CONTRIBUTORS Senior Contributors Jeff Jenkins Overseas Contributors Tom Hawking (US), James McGalliard (UK), Sasha Perera (UK). Writers Nick Argyriou, The Boomeister, Aleksia Barron, Atticus Bastow, Steve Bell, Sarah Braybrooke, Luke Carter, Anthony Carew, Rebecca Cook, Adam Curley, Cyclone, Guy Davis, Liza Dezfouli, Dan Condon, Simon Eales, Guido Farnell, Sam Fell, Bob Baker Fish, Warwick Goodman, Cameron Grace, Chris Hayden, Andrew Haug, Brendan Hitchens, Kate Kingsmill, Michael Magnusson, Baz McAlister, Samson McDougall,

Tony McMahon, , Luke Monks, Fred Negro, Mark Neilsen, Danielle O’Donohue, Matt O’Neill, James Parker, Josh Ramselaar, Paul Ransom, Antonios Sarhanis, Dylan Stewart, Izzy Tolhurst, Nic Toupee, Rob Townsend, Dominique Wall, Doug Wallen.

PHOTOGRAPHERS Senior Contributor Kane Hibberd Jesse Booher, Andrew Briscoe, Chrissie Francis, Jay Hynes, Lou Lou Nutt, Heidi Takla, Elaine Reyes.

INTERNS Jan Wisniewski

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FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

INPRESS PRESENTS

BORED NOTHING SUPPORTS Bored Nothing have announced a handful of very special guests for their upcoming album launches, with Mining Boom and Milkshake to perform at the Gasometer on Saturday 5 January. Mining Boom are a Perth quartet now landed in East Brunswick, who recently released their debut EP, Dining Room. Noise rockers Milkshake will kick off the evening.

IN BLOOM Luka Bloom has enjoyed 22 years of success worldwide. Since the release of one of the alltime Irish classics, Riverside, in 1990, people from all corners of the globe have embraced his abilities. Bloom returns in March 2013 for his 11th Australian tour to celebrate his career. He will play the National Theatre on Saturday 23 March.

WEDNESDAY 19 DECEMBER

RESIDENCY

THE PRIMARY ANTARCTICA RETURN TO YOUTH TANGRAMS TITLE DJS

ENTRY $2, 8PM $12 JUGS IN THE BANDROOM!

THURSDAY 20 DECEMBER

RESIDENCY – FINAL NIGHT

THE BOMBAY ROYALE DJ MANCHILD

THEY KEEP ON COMING Bluesfest Byron Bay at Easter weekend (28 March to 1 April) has added more superb artists to its bill. Headlining this announcement is Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Jason Mraz (he will also play the inaugural Deni Blues Festival in late March). Also added to the bill are Manu Chao La Ventura, Mark Seymour & The Undertow, Chris Smither, Current Swell, Matt Andersen, Go Jane Go (feat Kieran Kane, David Francey and Lucas Kane) and The McMenamins. Tickets are selling fast. For full festival line-up, tickets and the latest playing schedule go to bluesfest.com.au.

ENTRY $12 DOOR, $10 THRU MOSHTIX, 9PM $2.50 POTS, $5 VODKAS!

SHAW THING

FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER

“NO THOUGHT CONTROL 2012”

It’s been a wild ride for young English guitar sensation Joanne Shaw Taylor. From her discovery at age 16 by Dave Stewart of the Eurhythmics, to her recent appearance with Annie Lennox at The Queen’s Jubilee concert, in that time she’s won Best Female Vocalist at the British Blues Awards twice, toured the globe with the likes of BB King and Joe Bonamassa and released three critically acclaimed albums including this year’s Almost Always Never. She’s headed our way and will play Friday 15 February at Ruby’s Lounge (Belgrave), Saturday 16 at the Bruthen Blues & Arts Festival and Sunday 17 at Northcote Social Club.

CHARLIE OFFICER THE SUNSLEEPERS PHOEBE’S DREAM KINGS AND THIEVES DJ DAJARA

ENTRY $10 FULL FARE, $7 CONCESSION, $7 ONLINE, 7.30PM

SATURDAY 22 DECEMBER

ROOFTOP SHOW

OTOUTO SMILE BANOFFEE

ENTRY $10 DOOR, 3PM

INTO THE FALL

BANDROOM

Emilie Autumn is bringing her burlesque circus of mayhem back to Australia. With Fight Like A Girl, the highly anticipated, recently released sequel to the impressive Opheliac, Autumn will wow audiences

THE ZANES JULY DAYS HANDS LIKE OURS ENTRY $6, 9PM

SOLVING CRIME

SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER

With their origins spanning back to 1977, while based in Sydney, Simon Bonney has led the now legendary group Crime & The City Solution through countless lineup changes, in many cities, across multiple countries. Through all of this their reputation as an international musical force as has proceeded them, but it’s only now that time has finally caught up with the band and made both them, and their vast back catalogue, more relevant than ever. In February Crime & The City Solution will be presenting three select headline shows in Australia and will play Monday 18 February at the Hi-Fi.

SOUNDINGS #4 HOLY SOUND UNDERGROUND

GREAT EARTHQUAKE AUTOPORTRAITS BRDM BRDM (BORED NOTHING) PSALM BEACH + 6 MORE ACTS

$12 DOOR, $8 CONCESSION, 3PM

WEDNESDAY 26 DECEMBER

RESIDENCY – FINAL NIGHT

THE PRIMARY ENTRY $2, 8PM

WED 19 DEC

EVELYN END OF YEAR SHINDIG (DEC 28) SYDONIA (29 DEC) EL MOTH (TUESDAYS IN JANUARY_ MOTION PICTURES (WEDNESDAYS IN JANUARY) THE VAUDEVILLE SMASH (MONDAYS IN JANUARY) WAKEFIELD – EP LAUNCH (JAN 3) TRANSIENCE – SINGLE LAUNCH (JAN 4) SIMON WRIGHT – EP LAUNCH (JAN 10) RAINBIRD (JAN 19) CHILLY WACK LABEL LAUNCH (JAN 27) OH, SLEEPER (FEB 7)

COURTNEY BARNETT

NEW ESTATE TWO CARTOONS (NZ) THU 20 DEC

LEROY LEE

(SYD) TEXTURE LIKE SUN AL PARKINSON FRI 21 DEC

MINIBIKES PONY FACE HEAVY BEACH

SAT 22 DEC ‘WHO THE HELL – XMAS FUNRAYS / RELAUNCH PARTY’ FEAT. THEM SWOOPS HARTS HOUSE OF LAURENCE SUN 23 DEC (MATINEE SHOW)

BABERAHAM LINCOLN BELLA JABARA & THE MELLOWS

24 • For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news

FRI 28 DEC

MORE TUDE DUDES

Six-time Grammy Award-nominated wunderkinds Fun will play two exclusive sideshow dates whilst on tour in Australia for Future Music Festival in March. Their Melbourne show falls on Tuesday 5 March at the Palace Theatre.

Hermitude’s Corner Hotel show on Friday 1 February is set to quickly follow Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory and sell out. Due to popular demand, Hermitude have added extra shows in both cities. They’ll perform a second Melbourne show on Tuesday 5 February at the Corner.

TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM

THEWORKERSCLUB.COM.AU TUESDAYS IN JANUARY

FARROW (TUE 8) MON 31 DEC (NEW YEAR’S EVE) FRI 11 JAN ‘PBS PRESENTS’ SOUL A GO THE CACTUS GO NYE BASH – SELLING CHANNEL FAST! FEAT. MISS GOLDIE, MANCHILD, THE SEVEN UPS RICHIE 1250 PLUS MORE SAT 12 JAN WED IN JANUARY RESIDENCY

SAT 19 JAN

BAND OF FREQUENCIES

(ALBUM LAUNCH) EL MOTH SUN 20 JAN (MATINEE SHOW) ‘TIMBER & STEEL PRESENTS’

GRIZZLY JIM LAWRIE

SUN 13 JAN

(SINGLE LAUNCH) STREET FANGS CLOWNS

HEY DENISE (EP LAUNCH) PORTRAITS OF AUGUST

THE EVENING CAST

FRI 18 JAN

SUN 27 JAN (MATINEE SHOW) ‘TIMBER & STEEL PRESENTS’

MANOR

THE ANIMATORS FRI 25 JAN TONE DEAF PRESENT (EP LAUNCH)

JAY HOAD

(VIDEO LAUNCH) LAUREN GLEZER

TUE 5 FEB

HOLY OTHER

(UK – LANEWAY SIDESHOW)

THU 31 JAN

THU 7 FEB

(EP LAUNCH)

(ALBUM TOUR)

BUSY KINGDOM

(EP LAUNCH) DAVE LARKIN (SOLO)

FRI 4 JAN

REMI WINDSOR THIEVES

JACKIE ONASSIS

(VIDEO LAUNCH) SQUAREHEAD

ARAKATAKA (2 JAN) LAMINE SONKO & THE AFRICAN INTELLEGENCE

DUNE

ALLDAY

SAT 2 FEB

CHRIS DUKE & THE ROYALS UP & ATOM ONSLOW

SUN 27 JAN (AUSTRALIA DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY EVE)

THU 24 JAN

MADRE MONTE

POLO CLUB

The Presets have announced additional dates to their upcoming Australian tour, with new shows announced for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The first Melbourne date has now completely sold out but the new show will take place on Thursday 7 February at the Palace Theatre.

FUN FUN FUN

SIDESHOW)

SAT 5 JAN

PUSHING THE RIGHT BUTTONS

Known for his ability to grab his audiences by the heart, Dave Gunning has made it his business to tell stories through beautifully composed music and extraordinary lyric writing. The Canadian wordsmith is heading for Australian shores from the end of December to mark the release of his new album No More Pennies, kicking off with a stint at Woodford Folk Festival, the first time Australian audiences will have the chance to experience his magic. While here, he’ll also play Friday 11 January at Caravan Music Club.

THE TROUBLE WITH RESIDENCY NEIGHBOURHOOD TEMPLETON (BRIS – FALLS FESTIVAL YOUTH

EBOLAGOLDFISH

Blackchords’ debut self-titled album was released in 2009 and garnered much respect from fans who then went on to fund the band’s second album through a fan-funded campaign. The band spent the beginning of 2012 in the studio with renowned Grammy Award-winning producer David Odlum (The Frames, Gemma Hayes, Josh Ritter, Luka Bloom), and are now set to release their second studio album, A Thin Line, in April. They’ll launch new single, Oh No, on Friday 15 February at Ding Dong Lounge.

GUNNING IT

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ESC SPERMAIDS YOU PEOPLE LUDWIG VAN DJS

COMING UP TIX AVAILABLE THRU MOSHTIX:

STRIKING CHORDS

MR CASSIDY

SUN 3 FEB (MATINÉE SHOW)

CHASE THE SUN CLAUDE HAY

MON 4 FEB ‘MISTLETONE & LA NIGHTS’ PRESENT

NITE JEWEL

(USA – LANEWAY FESTIVAL SIDESHOW)

DAN WEBB FRI 8 FEB STRANGERS (ALBUM LAUNCH) SAT 9 FEB RUBY BOOTS (SINGLE LAUNCH) TUESDAYS IN FEB RESIDENCY DANCO SUN 17 FEB (MATINEE SHOW) ‘TIMBER & STEEL PRESENTS’ JUNGAL (LIVE CD LAUNCH) FRI 22 FEB DIALECTRIX (EP LAUNCH) SUN 24 FEB (MATINEE SHOW) ULTRAVIBRALUX (ALBUM LAUNCH) THU 28 FEB TIMOTHY COGHILL PRESENTS ‘CINEMATIC’

FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

BOYS OF SUMMER SUPPORTS The Boys Of Summer Tour features the notorious Deez Nuts, Canadian hardcore outfit Comeback Kid, Michigan’s For The Fallen Dreams and Sydney’s own Hand Of Mercy. They have added Free World to their Friday 18 January show at Central Ringwood Community Centre and Trainwreck will join the bill on Saturday 19 at the Corner Hotel.

The Amity Affliction pic by Kane Hibberd

JANUARY Coachella dominated industry talk when its line-up featured the reformations of At The Drive-In and Refused. Inertia’s Inertia Access platform was launched, allowing artists a wide range of control over their material and use of the company’s services. Gotye signed to Albert’s Publishing, while the cash-strapped Tasmanian leg of Falls Festival struggled for funding. Melbourne’s East Brunswick Club announced their last live show, Boy & Bear signed a new management deal with Wonderlick Entertainment management roster and triple j kicked off the year with Nick Findlay filling in as music director while Richard Kingsmill took a few months off.

FEBRUARY The Rainbow Serpent festival faced tragedy after a man was found dead at the event. Locals rallied around the festival, saying its cancellation would cripple local business. Byron Bay locals came out against the proposed Splendour In The Grass festival site development at Yelgun. Dew Process and Secret Service launched new imprint Create/Control. A US company apologised to John Butler Trio for using a song extremely similar to Zebra for a yoghurt commercial during the Superbowl. Whitney Houston died at the age of 48. Live Nation joined with Creativeman to expand their operations to Japan, while Universal Music Group’s acquisition of EMI awaited approval by EU regulators. Clive Shakespeare, guitarist and co-founder of Sherbet, died from cancer at age 62. Drummer Ryan Caesar left Children Collide, and the streaming war kicked off with launches from Rdio and Rara.com.

Missy Higgins

Coheed & Cambria continue to remain a unique beast, impossible to classify. Following five groundbreaking albums, the New York foursome are back and in no less dramatic fashion than is to be expected. The Afterman: Ascension and The Afterman: Descension is an ambitious double concept album that is being unleashed in two separate full-length volumes. With guests Circa Survive they’ll play Sunday 21 April at the Palace.

MILLER CLUB NIGHTS

MARCH Melbourne importer and reissue specialist Aztec Music was forced into receivership, and the PPCA’s challenge against the one per cent broadcasting cap was knocked back by the High Court. The Generate program awarded $30,000 to 15 entrepreneurs in the music industry, while the ARIA Chart website announced redesign plans and a new mobile app thanks to a new partnership with MCM Media. Micheal Chugg called for enforceable anti-scalping legislation but Live Performance Australia maintained scalping legislation is not the answer. The Jezebels’ Prisoner won the $30,000 Australian Music Prize (The AMP) as judges questioned the decision process. Sydney’s The Hi-Fi was launched. NSW’s Playground Weekender festival was washed out and tried desperately to host shows in the city. Reclink Community Cup had its first ever game in Sydney, while Street Press Australia’s Three Magazine was named in the 20 Best iPad magazine apps worldwide by iMonitor.

APRIL Legendary Indigenous musician Jimmy Little died aged 75; Men At Work’s Greg Ham died at 58. Pop-rockers Short Stack split up, while Live Nation Entertainment bought concert promoter Michael Coppel Presents. Redevelopment of the Sydney Entertainment Centre was announced and the economic climate led to the postponement of the Inside Film Awards. Leaked memos said Sony/ATV planned to cut 60 per cent of EMI’s publishing arm staff following their purchase. Web provider iiNet beat film and TV companies who claimed internet service providers are liable for online piracy, in a High Court ruling. Three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot were denied bail after being arrested for performing in a Moscow church. Gotye and Kimbra cracked the all-time top-five weekly download sales in the US with Somebody That I Used To Know, and Inertia and Hub Artist Services formed HUB The Label. The North Byron Parklands became the new Splendour In The Grass site after drawn out deliberations and Roadrunner Records announced massive lay-offs.

BEYOND THE BONG Throughout a career that has spanned over two decades, Cypress Hill have sold more than18 million albums and have a seemingly neverending list of cult hits. The iconic West Coast hip hop group will perform two headline shows whilst they are in Australia for the sold-out Soundwave Festival. They’ll play Thursday 28 February at the Forum.

TALL TIMBER I Am Giant are returning to Australia in February for their first dates since their support slot with Slash this September. I Am Giant have amassed a worldwide following with four number one rock singles and a platinum album in New Zealand as well as music videos featuring skate and surfing icons Tony Hawk and Kelly Slater. They hit town on Thursday 14 February at Ding Dong Lounge.

PRESENTED BY

Miller Genuine Draft have announced the names of the final seven international DJs from the world’s nightclubs who will be coming to Australia as part of Miller City Sessions. MYNC, Pete Griffiths, Mark Storie, Scotty Boy, Jason Lema, Warren Peace and DJ Gusto will be joining Gina Turner and Pete Gooding to provide partygoers with an authentic experience of four key cities famed for their vibrant nightlife culture: New York, Ibiza, Las Vegas and London. Coming up, Pete Gooding performs on Friday 22 December at Trak Showroom and DJ Gusto plays Saturday 12 January at the Whalers Hotel (Warrnambool). There are piles of events, so check the Miller Facebook page for all the info.

BARNETT JOINS BEAL Joining the mesmerising Willis Earl Beal on his debut Australian tour will be Melbourne singersongwriter Courtney Barnett. It’s been an impressive year for Barnett, with her fan base growing rapidly around the country and her songs becoming triple j and community radio staples. Her band put on an enthralling live show, with sprawling sets of ballads, country, folk, garage pop and rock. They play on Wednesday 2 January at Northcote Social Club.

After a huge debut year this year, SLAM Day is back. Registrations are now open for 2013. On Saturday 23 February musicians and music lovers will come together in the largest simultaneous celebration of live music and small gigs that’s ever been held in Australia, for the second annual SLAM Day. Support a SLAM Day gig in your town – any style, any genre. Small gigs can happen in your backyard, in a venue, in your community hall, in a cafe, on the street or in the park. It’s easy to get involved and free to register, just head to slamrally.org.

INPRESS PRESENTS

The Melbourne Zoo Twilights series is back again and the program offers an abundance of artists performing in the most magical setting. Starting off the 2013 Twilights Series will be none other than ARIA Awardwinner Missy Higgins with Hayden Calnin on Friday 25 January. Other artists across the first couple of weeks are Justice Crew with Kate Alexa, Kate Miller-Heidke with Kim Churchill, Clare Bowditch with Royal Jelly Dixieland Band and Lisa Mitchell with Georgia Fair. There are packs of other awesome shows, so head to zoo.org.au/twilights for tickets and all the info. Missy Higgins photo by Kane Hibberd.

MASSIVE MURRAY TOUR Blue Sky Blue The Byron Sessions features songs from an album that Pete Murray loves, infused with the friendships he’s made in his adopted hometown of Byron Bay. Many musicians lend their talents to Murray’s songs, creating a sound that is familiar yet refreshing. He’s launching an extensive regional tour in January which includes a Melbourne show on Friday 15 March at the Corner Hotel. There are too many regional dates to list here, so for all the details head to petemurray.com.

PSYCHEDELIC DEMONS The Demon Parade have firmly cemented their place at the forefront of Australia’s psychedelic rock explosion. The band, who recently released their Chameleon EP, will take to the road in 2013 for an East Coast tour and beyond. Channeling the likes of The Stone Roses, The Church and The Small Faces, while also taking cues from Spiritualized and the Dandy Warhols, The Demon Parade have taken a giant leap musically with the EP. They’ll play Friday 11 January at the Torquay Hotel, Saturday 12 at Barwon Club, Geelong and Saturday 3 March at the Workers Club.

SOLAR POWER Darlings of the rockier end of the blues scene, threepiece shredders Chase The Sun will embark on an East Coast tour this February. Once known as a touring machine, Chase The Sun have been laying low of late, writing songs, growing families and travelling beyond their Sydney base only for festival appearances. This run of dates sees them back to their former road-warrior form with a swag of fresh material and some new tricks up their sleeve. They’ll hit town on Sunday 3 February at the Workers Club.

SLAMMIN’ IT HOME

MAY Agency Artist Voice launched Artist Voice Electronic. Michael Chugg was honoured with the International Music Person Of The Year at MUSEXPO 2012. The NSW Government secured hosting rights to the ARIA Awards for three years, while Kate Miller-Hiedke branded Anthony Callea a “fuckwit” following his scathing comments on her Q&A appearance. The government failed to renew funding for The Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP), and Universal Music Group faced a US Senate panel discussing their $1.9 billion EMI purchase. Late hip hop icon Hunter, WAM CEO Paul Bodlovich and Tim Minchin were announced as WAM Hall Of Fame inductees. Gyroscope guitarist Zoran Trivic broke both of his legs in a motorcycle accident, and Spotify launched in Aus’ and New Zealand. After a long battle with cancer, Bee Gees founding member Robin Gibb died at age 62. Paul Dainty led a consortium of strategic investors to save Aztec Music, and the Tasmanian leg of Falls was saved by philanthropist Graeme Wood.

YOU CAN COME TOO

ASCENSION/DESCENSION

HUXLEY’S HOUSE ODDFELLOWS Tomahawk are Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard, Unsemble), Mike Patton (Faith No More, Fantômas) and John Stanier (Helmet, Battles), and this time around they’ll be joined by Trevor “field mouse” Dunn (Mr Bungle, Fantômas). They recently found time to create the new tunes that make up their new record Oddfellows, which will be released in January on Ipecac Recordings. They’re heading out for Soundwave and will also play Wednesday 27 February at Billboard.

Hard-earned respect from your peers is a rare commodity but Huxley, aka Michael Dodman, has it in spades. Since his late teens he’s been producing, seeing initial underground success as a garage producer before he mutated towards a deeper, more housebased sound in the past few years. Collaborations with old mate Ethyl for the then hot-as-hell Cecille imprint in 2009 showed a producer receiving massive support for what instantly seemed like a fully developed sound. You can see for yourself when he plays Friday 22 February at the Prince Bandroom.

INPRESS PRESENTS

SHE CAN DJ TOUR

HOWARD’S END Ben Howard has had a whirlwind introduction to the world off the back of his Mercury Prize-nominated, platinum-selling debut album Every Kingdom. Off the back of a gruelling worldwide tour schedule, it’s no surprise that he notched up over a half a million record sales to his name worldwide. Whilst in the country for Bluesfest, Howard will take to the stage for his first three Australian headline performances. He plays Saturday 6 April at the Corner Hotel.

26 • For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news

She Can DJ and EMI Music have announced a run of tour dates for the upcoming She Can DJ Remixed Tour. The national tour will feature DJs from the top ten finalists of 2011 and 2012. The tour will be led by Winners Minx and Leah Mencel and features NatNoiz, Cassette, DJ Femme, Fingertips, Dusk, Girl Audio, Hannah Parker and Juliet Fox along with top DJ club residents in every city. Catch it on Saturday 22 December at Room, Hawthorn, Thursday 17 January at Seven, Friday 15 February at Baroq and Saturday 16 Home House, Geelong.

DEFTONES DOUBLE The Melbourne leg of the Deftones tour sold out in 42 minutes. The army has spoken, so a second and definitely final show has been added on Saturday 18 May at the Palace. Tickets are on sale now so don’t fuck around. There won’t be another chance.

Seth Lakeman

MORE FAIRY FOLK More great artists have joined the line-up for the 37th Port Fairy Folk Festival over the weekend of 8 to 11 March. Newly announced acts include James Keelaghan & David Woodhead, Seth Lakeman, The Ugly Uncles, Chris Wilson & The Pirates Of Beer, Jay Hoad, Shane Howard and Nicky Bomba’s Bustamento with plenty more to come. Head to portfairyfolkfestival.com for tickets, info and full line-up.

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

FOREWORD LINE

COLLISION COURSE The McClymonts have come a long way over the last few years. They have now released three albums, with their newest offering, Two Worlds Collide, taking out the ARIA Award for Best Country Album in 2012, just as its predecessor, Wrapped Up Good, did in 2010. For a limited season they will present a one-off series of very special intimate shows: The Acoustic Harmony Tour 2013. They play Friday 12 April at Matthew Flinders Hotel (Chadstone), Saturday 13 at York On Lilydale (Mount Evelyn), Thursday 18 at Hallam Hotel, Friday 19 at Shoppingtown Hotel (Doncaster) and Saturday 20 at Gateway Hotel (Corio).

TICKING THEM OFF With tickets to the first Melbourne show being snapped up, Deer Tick and Two Gallants have announced a second show at the Northcote Social Club. The second show happens Sunday 10 February and tickets to their show the previous night are selling fast.

INDUSTRY NEWS WITH SCOTT FITZSIMONS frontline@streetpress.com.au

JUNE FIRING UP If you were a kid in the ‘90s The Offspring were one of those groups that made you scream at life. Their groundbreaking album, Ignition, was that breath of fresh air that a generation needed. To co-incide with their 20th anniversary, and during their Soundwave tour, The Offspring will be playing the album in its entirety along with a set full of new songs and classics. They play Wednesday 6 March at the Palace.

WALKER TOUR

TEN YEAR DISCO At the beginning of February 2003, My Disco performed two all-ages shows at Good Morning Captain in Melbourne to launch a demo cassette recorded a month earlier. What was initially to be a shortlived project has now seen Ben and Liam Andrews and Rohan Rebeiro perform in almost 30 countries worldwide. To celebrate their tenth anniversary, My Disco will perform at the Corner Hotel on Friday 8 February alongside New War, Standish/Carlyon, Max Crumbs, Absolute Boys and Brain Children.

On sophomore album Sinners & Saints, Benny Walker’s intimate, eloquent songwriting is complemented by a rich, soulful voice speaking of the trouble, strife and the wonder of everyday life. He’s announced a bunch of tour dates and plays Saturday 12 January at Northcote Social Club, Wednesday 16 at Wine & Pizza Club (Kyneton), Saturday 19 at the Western Hotel (Ballarat), Saturday 20 at Old Hepburn Hotel, Friday 25 at the Newmarket Hotel (Bendigo), Saturday 26 at Monash City Council (Glen Waverley), Saturday 26 at Belgrave Survival Day Australia Day Festival In The Park, Sunday 27 at the Loft (Warrnambool), Sunday 24 February at Moonee Valley Festival, Saturday 9 March at Moomba Festival and Saturday 16 March Mordialloc By The Bay.

INPRESS PRESENTS

A FRIEND YOU NEVER MET Strangers will deliver their fresh take on Aussie rock to the masses this summer on an extensive ninedate album tour. New album title Persona Non Grata may roughly translate to ‘an unwelcome stranger’, but everyone will be welcome at their shows. They’ll play Friday 8 February at the Workers Club.

WHO’S THE BOSS? Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band have announced additional concerts in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Hanging Rock. Demand in the pre-sale has been unprecedented with tens of thousands of fans trying to snap up tickets when they went on pre-sale at noon on Wednesday. The new Melbourne shows are on Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 March at Rod Laver Arena and Sunday 31 at Hanging Rock. They’ll be joined by the legendary Jimmy Barnes and musical wunderkinds The Rubens at their Hanging Rock shows.

WHEN IT’S REYNE... GEEZ LOUISE Fresh off the back of a three-month international writing stay in New York and a national tour with Missy Higgins and Gurrumul, Brisbane songstress Emma Louise is delivering an exclusive sneak peek of her debut album with a run of intimate shows in January. Playing with a full band, this will be Louise’s first major headline tour since July and also the first to preview material that is currently being captured in the studio. She hits town on Thursday 24 January at the Toff In Town.

With his prolific songwriting and unique vocal style, James Reyne led Australian Crawl to the top of the Australian music scene, achieving a success that assured them a place in Australian music history. The band’s popularity skyrocketed with all of their albums achieving top-five status and winning numerous awards. Catch James Reyne, The Dale Ryder Band, Nudist Funk Orchestra, Bad Boys Batucada and Ms Butt on Sunday 30 December in the Espy Front Bar from 5.30pm.

Michael Gudinski was named the most powerful person in the Australian music industry by the inaugural Power 50, published by the Australasian Music Industry, causing much discussion and debate in the industry. Sydney’s iconic Sandringham Hotel entered receivership, sparking months of local protests. Bluesfest organisers claimed victory over a controversial Byron Shire Council “major events” clause that would restrict events. Splendour In The Grass set the bar for festivals moving forward, even with hail and “disappointed” police. Wonderlick continued its expansion by launching a label with Sony, Meg Williams became the executive director of the Associations Of Artist Managers, Daniel Johns wrote a Qantas jingle and Pandora soft-launched in Australia after a five-year absence. Zoot frontman Darryl Cotton died, aged 62, after a battle with cancer. Little Red formally – and finally – announced their split, The Rubens got new management from Umbrella, Tasmanian singer Asta won triple j Unearthed High. The ACT’s peak music body, MusicACT, announced the territory’s first music awards, to take place later in the year. News broke that musical instrument retailer Allans Billy Hyde was in receivership, with the future of staff uncertain. The Living End were selling tickets to their huge ‘residency tour’ around the country quicker than they could print them. The Australian Music Prize announced that long-time affiliates Coopers had signed on as a naming sponsor for what was now The Coopers AMP. South By Southwest director Brent Grulke died suddenly, sending shockwaves through the industry.

SEPTEMBER

Brisbane conference and showcase BIGSOUND was again a success and AIR’s Nick O’Byrne was named the next executive programmer. Splendour In The Grass’ Paul Piticco and Jessica Ducrou joined the management team of Falls Music & Arts Festival. EMI and Future Entertainment launched a label, local indie labels attacked the ACCC’s decision to not oppose Universal’s purchase of EMI Music’s recorded music division, though it mattered little as the historic deal was finally cleared by the European Commission and US Federal Trade Commission.

OCTOBER

Warner’s new owner Len Blavatnik pumped $130 million into music streaming service Deezer. Tame Impala’s Lonerism was released. Local promoters the Dainty Group partnered with Richard Branson’s Virgin Group to launch Virgin Live, a new global touring venture that kicked off with The Rolling Stones shows. Southern Cross Austereo bought into Digital Music Distribution, a company with interests with both Sony and Universal, that is looking to launch a subscription music service. The Jägermeister Independent Music Awards took place in Melbourne, with wins for 360 and The Jezabels.

NOVEMBER

Neil Finn saw Oscar hopes for his theme to The Hobbit, while AMCOS’s annual report showed strong growth. Kobalt’s label services division launched in Australia and Chugg Entertainment announced the Deni Blues & Roots festival in Deniliquin. Lisa Gerrard and Lior won Screen Music Awards, Tame Impala topped NME’s Album Of The Year list and the ARIA Awards’ inaugural ARIA Week was a success while the Awards themselves ran smoothly, even if ratings did fall from last year.

DRAGGING YOU IN Coerce have a new 10” record out, called Genome, and they’ll launch the sucker at the Gasometer on Friday 11 January with awesome guests White Walls and Hoodlum Shouts. They’ve also announced they will go into hiatus soon after, so make sure you get a dose.

‘TIS SPIEGELTENT SEASON Fourteen new shows have been announced for 2013’s Famous Spiegeltent season and are on sale now. A Hawaiian-themed macaron-and-music extravaganza, a hip hop-meets-TV game show, a whimsical look at the time Ava Gardner came to Melbourne, indie rock darling Sally Seltmann and songwriter Ross McClennan, jazz veteran Julie O’Hara, award-winning transgender performer Justin Vivian Bond and antipodean success story EastEnd Cabaret are among the new shows confirmed for the Famous Spiegeltent season taking place at Arts Centre Melbourne Forecourt from Tuesday 5 February to Sunday 21. For all the details head to artscentremelbourne.com.au.

JULY

AUGUST

IRISH EYES In 2010 Damien Dempsey and fellow Irishman Glen Hansard recorded and performed The Auld Triangle which raised much needed funds for the Society Of Saint Vincent de Paul’s Keep The Lights On Campaign and in 2011 he made his acting debut in the Irish feature film Between The Canals. Dempsey’s latest effort, Almighty Love, was produced by long-term collaborator John Reynolds and includes performances from Sinéad O’Connor and emerging London artist Kate Tempest. Dempsey’s heading out for his first tour of Australia and is set to perform Saturday 16 March at the Hi-Fi.

Shock launched punk/hardcore imprint Halfcut Records, while The Amity Affliction caused a stir with their confronting album artwork and the social media discussion that followed. Management company Wonderlick inked a publishing deal with EMI Publishing, copyright monitors MIPI rebranded as the friendlier-looking Music Rights Australia. In Melbourne Ding Dong Lounge announced re-opening details while Sydney’s The Basement was put up for sale. Long-running Brisbane street press Rave ceased operations. Australian jazz legend Graeme Bell died aged 97. In the ongoing EMI saga, Sony/ATV got the all clear for their acquisition of EMI’s publishing arm as New Zealand regulations gave the green light to Universal’s purchase of EMI’s recorded music.

Rita Ora

GOOD LIFE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCE Without a doubt the country’s premier under-18s music festival, the phenomenon that is Good Life has become an institution amongst Australia’s youth. The next instalment has been rolled out and will feature Psy, Rita Ora, Rudimental, Dizze Rascal, Steve Aoki, Hardwell, Like Mike & Dimirti Vegas, Madeon, DJ Fresh, Zeds Dead, Kill The Noise and more. It happens at Flemington Racecourse on Friday 8 March. Keep your eyes on goodlifefest.com.au for all the details.

DECEMBER

The Sapphires dominated the AACTAs nominations, while ARIA launched its Streaming Tracks Chart with data from Spotify, JB Hi-Fi Now and Samsung Music. The Australia Council announced a grant for small labels, Dew Process Publishing signed a global deal with Kobalt. Inpress editor Shane O’Donohue announced he would move to Mushroom, with Bryget Chrisfield replacing him.

PRESENTED BY For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news • 27

Synth dreamers Beach House continue to flesh out their own world on fourth long-player, Bloom. Alex Scally explains to Brendan Telford why you won’t see the band spruiking their wares via social media.

CREATE CONTROL t’s hard to grasp the phenomenon that surrounds Beach House, aka duo Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand. Conceived in the hotbed of Baltimore’s overtly creative scene that has spawned the likes of Deerhoof, Animal Collective and Lower Dens, Beach House crafted two meticulous albums, Beach House and Devotion, that opened up a dreamscape filled with lush atmospherics and glacial sensuality, highlighted by Legrand’s luscious voice. They played constantly, and while their fanbase grew, it was at an incremental pace. Then in 2009 they moved to Sub Pop to release Teen Dream at the dawn of 2010, and the landscape changed. Their third album exploded, meeting with much acclaim and reaching the zenith of many best-of lists, and the duo were suddenly playing packed auditoriums and festival stages. Scally admits that from the outside the shift in popularity may seem incongruous, but from the band’s viewpoint it was a long time coming.

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“It didn’t feel like a blink of an eye for us, because we had been doing the whole band thing for five years before Teen Dream happened,” Scally states. “But it was strange, because even what happened with Teen Dream didn’t feel that fast either. We found ourselves having to figure out how to play bigger rooms, we had to figure out what we wanted our live show to sound like, even what to look like. But we have had to try to deal with overexposure, which is people liking you or crowds liking you for the wrong reasons. So we’ve tried to not do things that’ll sell tickets, but to stick to things that we really care about. That includes what press we do, what opportunities we take. In some ways we weren’t ready for it, in some ways we were – all we can really do is try to control things, to make it about the music and not anything else.” The balance that Scally and Legrand strike between damage control and compromise is integral to keeping the fragile bubble of their musical aesthetic intact, unaltered by outside forces. Scally intimates that while having a fervent fanbase is important, it doesn’t impact on the songwriting process one iota. “It kinda sounds bad, but we don’t cater to our fans. We do what we want. We don’t prance around

or get involved with crowd participation or clapping. We don’t encourage people who don’t really care; we want to bring people into our world, not become part of theirs. If we make things the way we want and people don’t like it, then that’s good. It means they go away and they’re not a real fan. We aren’t a pop thing.” Such an adamant standpoint helps Beach House to keep separate from another vice of the post-millennial artist – overfamiliarity. With barriers cut down to the point that social media is seen as a viable source of daily contact, interaction and inspiration, Beach House stand tall as a band inherently on their own plane, off the grid, not afraid to avoid filtering their visions regardless of the cost – it is up to the listener to find their way in, not the other way around. “We have worked extremely hard this time around to not have any social content,” Scally affirms. “There are bands that have twenty-five versions of a song – ‘Oh look, here we are

playing our song in an elevator!’ Another one that happens is the remix. We had some videos we were going to release; it was this big project that we were working really hard on, and we are only interested in releasing something that is special to us. I think all bands should be trying to do that, because if every band released four things over the course of a record and they really cared about those four things, the internet wouldn’t be clogged with this meaningless crap, where it’s just something to try so you can have another ‘thing’. We want every single thing that we put our name to to mean something; we don’t want something to exist just so our name pops up somewhere.”

writing was done in the cold harsh light of touring, where isolation is almost non-existent. To have the focus and foresight to envisage how songs will coalesce into such a template while also providing shows that fans could interact with seems odd, yet Scally espouses that writing on the road is the only way to stay connected to that insular creative environment so as to not lose sight of their vision.

This ideology extends to Beach House’s latest album, Bloom. The intent was for the follow-up to Teen Dream to be an album’s album; no tracks were designed to stand alone or fit the archetypal pop single format. Bloom is an immersive experience, an experiment in aural isolation. Surprisingly though, most of the

“We wanted to do what we had done three times before, which was make this album to the point where we loved it, then release it, then tour – it’s that simple,” Scally laughs. “We really love doing this, so there’s no reason to craft something, make something that isn’t already there in front of us. We want to keep playing, and playing to people, and to continue to push ourselves, sure. It’s a huge thing to put out a record; it’s very emotional and personal. It’s a time in your life, it’s a reflection of the world around you – a record is many things. But there’s never a ‘what next?’ moment. We don’t try to stymie ourselves intellectually, to think too much into things. Music is all wrapped up in feelings, and you are trying to bring it into a physical reality. Music is spiritual – it’s a very intense thing.”

“Writing on the road is really easy – well the genesis of ideas – because you’re stuck playing the same fifteen to twenty songs every night, and I think all musicians subconsciously think that whilst backstage, or doing soundcheck or you’re waiting to set up, they can be creating something fresh and new, something that staves off the boredom of going through the motions. I think it’s amazing how much comes out randomly at those moments, when you pick up an instrument and let things pour out in that way. It’s your version of personal time, and a lot of things happen or begin to form. So these will build and build, and then it might take us six months to a year of sitting in one place with all of these ideas before anything takes form.” The natural progression of the Beach House sound has been one of increments, the duo steadfastly eschewing any notion of tangential shifts in genre or tempo to instead expand upon their own sound, offering nuance and texture to provide something unique. Bloom then came together, not as a direct statement of intent, but another layer or dimension to their world that is very much a part of who they are.

Scally has always been passionate about asserting that music is not a hobby, pastime or attraction for Beach House – it is an embodiment of who they are as people. The marriage of creating music and delivering it to others can however be one of diminishing returns, regardless of the intention. “We have created visuals that we feel will connect with the audience, that will help bring those emotions on stage with us every night,” Scally says of those intentions. “We work really close with our lighting crew, who we’ve had with us for over a year, and we try to treat each song, we try to bring each song to life. Not just in hue but in colours and shapes – it’s a very intricate process. It took us the first ten or fifteen shows of the year just to get what we have now. And it’s really fun; it’s a whole other thing. You’re thinking, ‘How do you make a song come to life every night, let alone all of them?’ It’s a real challenge, and sometimes we fail. And it changes again when you have a different album, a different base of emotions. “No one can compare writing songs and touring them – they are completely separate. I love touring; there is the constant interaction with people and the inspiration you get from going to those places and meeting those people. Then there is the solitude, the wonderful feeling that is making a record. It’s your own world and you don’t have to share it with anyone. It can be traumatising sometimes, and really joyous in others. I think it’s amazing that there are these two entirely different musical experiences that surround the same thing, and I get to be a part of that. And it’s the same for listeners too; the separate worlds of listening to a record and going to live shows. I get to do it all. I go to a lot of shows and listen to a lot of records, and they aren’t even remotely the same thing; the group experience as opposed to the individual.”

AURAL DISQUIET Beach House’s Alex Scally has strong opinions when it comes to the reasons why people make certain types of music, yet it also corresponds with how people listen to music. He has stated on a number of occasions how he’s disappointed that a lot of discerning listeners deconstruct tones and atmospheres that are created within a given composition rather than focusing upon the song as a whole – that listeners are failing to uphold integrity. “I should clarify that I’m not saying that the creation of tone-based music isn’t interesting as well, more so that I’m commenting on a societal trend, the ADD-ing of the world,” Scally stresses. “It seems that everything is getting faster and more superficial as far as I can tell. Everyone seems more concerned about consuming songs; faster, faster, skip to the next track to see if it’s faster. It feels like there is a trend, or more of a growing disorder, where people don’t want to repeat anything. It’s all about the song, what can I get for three-and-ahalf minutes that I can then rehash ad nauseum. I’m worried that people aren’t getting anything from music anymore; that it’s become this bite-sized sugar rush where a person will go, ‘La la la la la’ and everyone responds, ‘That’s awesome, it’s party time!’ Then a week later it’s something else entirely. People clicking on songs that fit into their jogging schedule or something. There is no investment in that; it’s an instant fix that becomes disposable, and therefore redundant. I just worry that this bleeds into the world of the artist too. Bands have said before that they are only going to put singles out, or that albums are dead. You need to challenge people; you need to expand their attention spans.”

WHO: Beach House WHAT: Bloom (Mistletone/Inertia) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 28 December to Tuesday 1 January, Falls Festival, Lorne; Wednesday 9, Forum Theatre

XFACTOR ARE YOU NEXT? MELBOURNE AUDITIONS SATURday 12 January TO MONDAY 14 JANUARY 2013

CAULFIELD RACECOURSE - CAULFIELD NORTH Registration 9am - 3.30pm 29

OVER HIS DEAD BODY Ex-bedroom project Bored Nothing’s Fergus Miller is getting out a lot more than he used to. He talks Samson McDougall through what it is to be an accidental musician that “can’t really play any instrument” and the seemingly obvious influences that don’t even exist.

ergus Miller had no intention of becoming a serious musician. “I really didn’t mean anything to happen with it, I was just making stuff for friends,” he says of his project Bored Nothing. A year on Miller, as Bored Nothing, has signed to Spunk and they’re releasing an ‘album’ of his work. The collection of songs charts the progression of his music through this time, with five new tracks and a smattering of tunes from each of the four tapes he’d self-produced. More mixtape than actual album, the thing drifts along in an awkward kind of dream. It’s pop music that’s destined to be unpopular – the best kind.

“I started leaving little recordings everywhere,” Miller says of the early cuts that now make up parts of the self-titled (as in Bored Nothing) Spunk release. “I’d make little CD-Rs of my recordings and just leave them in record stores and in train carriages and in pubs and stuff.” The things were only intended for unsuspecting members of the public and friends, but it quickly blew up. “I had a Bandcamp page with the recordings on it, so when people found my little CD-Rs they’d send through emails and stuff and I started getting heaps and heaps of booking offers. I was just turning everyone down ‘cause I didn’t have a band. After about six months of turning people down I thought it would be worth putting together a band, so I set a date to have a band by and begged my friends to learn instruments and we just started playing all of these amazing support slots. It’s been the same kind of feel with industry folks. I just got bombarded every day from fucking labels and management and shit.” For the recordings, Miller played every instrument. It sounds like he knows what he’s doing; the songs sound completely formed, even well produced; it sounds like practiced professional musicians, but it’s not. “I’m terrible,” Miller says of his musical abilities. “I’ve always had lots and lots of instruments. I can’t play them... I have a saxophone and a violin and all this odd stuff and lots of keyboards, and I’m fucking terrible at keyboards, but if I can figure out how to play something then I can look like I know how to play it.”

Velcro, some very good friends of mine, and I met like four bands that night and I didn’t know who any of them were. By sheer coincidence I happened to have shows booked with them in the future. From then it’s hard to not go to every fucking show that I see is going to happen. There’s so much exciting stuff going on at the moment, especially in Melbourne.” The Bored Nothing tunes feel musically well informed – a bit surprising given Miller’s in his early-20s. It feels like the result of a lifetime spent exploring music, deconstructing and absorbing constituent parts. It’s washy guitar sounds and you think you hear elements of bands like Deerhunter, The Bats, Ween and a whole heap of Chapter-ish stuff like New Estate. You think it but you’re wrong. “It’s sheer coincidence,” he says of the suggested influences. “I don’t listen to new music at all, but I wouldn’t say I exclusively listen to old stuff or anything... I have a group of friends and we all go through these phases of listening to one band and last summer when I started making this stuff I was pretty much listening to like Sonic Youth and that’s it. “It’s weird now that I’m kind of out in the world a lot more and seeing local bands and stuff and people start showing me things like the Flying Nun stuff, which is really, really great. It’s funny, I see all these references that I never knew I had.” When suggested the widening of his musical interests may affect the more naive elements of the Bored Nothing output, Miller’s not convinced it could have any negative effect. “I am a perpetual dork when it comes to making music, I think. I’m pretty daggy so I don’t really think stuff’s gonna effect me in that way. I really think it’s a good thing because if anything it gets me excited and gives me drive to do more.” From the early EPs Miller left the Spunk people with the task of compiling the track list for the album. It was a trusting move and, as it turns out, they did a great job of it. “I really like the way that it plays, but you have to think of it in context because it really is just a mixtape,” he says. “I like it. It’s very dynamic, especially the vinyl. I think the two sides work really well on their own and together.

Regardless, Miller’s brought together a bunch of equally (at least in his mind) musically inept friends to bring the recorded material to live reality. “I flirted with the idea for a while,” he says of the possibility of realising Bored Nothing live and solo, “but I guess the fact that I’m actually recording proper band instruments, it necessitated a band. I’ve done like looping and stuff in the past but I just find it a bit boring and nerdy.

“I kind of gave Spunk the benefit of the doubt and let them give me a list and then said, ‘Yeah, sure’. None of these songs we’re really designed to be heard by more than three people, so it’s weird these songs would end up on a proper release... It’s weird, especially the buying thing ‘cause the whole idea of it was to give it away for free, as well... I am a vinyl fiend, so that’s always worth exchanging tender for.”

“It’s pretty funny really ‘cause I can’t really play any instrument. I don’t know what chords are or anything like that. I have to listen to my own recordings ‘cause then I’ll know what I’ve played, then literally make people watch me while I play them to figure them out because I don’t know how to describe stuff. Luckily none of my friends know how to play instruments either, so we’re just all figuring it out together. It works pretty well.”

There are still a couple of unreleased EPs under Miller’s bed and he’s constantly writing. Looking ahead he’s hoping to spend time sculpting “something purposefully all to go together instead of a mixtape” for the next release. In case you were wondering, there’s no desire to re-release the existing tapes. “You know,” he says, “maybe in the future when I’m found pink and bloated, dead on the toilet, someone will want to put the tapes out.”

They’re playing pretty regularly now and have, among their own gigs and album launch shows, Best Coast and Jeff The Brotherhood support slots in January. This all means that Miller’s getting out a lot. But it wasn’t always the case. “I was pretty much housebound for a couple of years and just bored,” he continues. “Leading up to playing shows I went to a house party in a backyard to see a band called

30 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews

WHO: Bored Nothing WHAT: Bored Nothing (Spunk) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 2 January, The Hi-Fi; Saturday 5, The Gasometer

For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews â&#x20AC;˘ 31

BUSINESS TIME Bryget Chrisfield finds Mark Ronson in bed and somnambulant. After feeding his dog, he promises “something fucking interesting” by way of light show or stage set for his upcoming DJ sets, adding, “I just have no desire to put a giant mouse on my head”. e’s “in bed” ‘cause “it’s quite early” and we wanna know if Mark Ronson, DJ/producer/style icon, is wearing silk pyjamas. “Ah, if you wanna write that you can, sure,” he deadpans, giving us nothin’.

he allows. “I mean, you only get to work with people so often that have the voice and the songs and the whole package and, as a producer, to get to work on really non-traditional, complex, awesome, challenging songs as well, you know? So it was difficult, but it was something I’m grateful I got to work on.”

Ronson has continued to rack up the production credits since the release of his last studio album, Record Collection, and this year worked with Rufus Wainwright on his latest offering, Out Of The Game. When Wainwright performed at Hamer Hall a couple of months back, he described Ronson as a “dreamboat”, lamenting he’s, “So goddamn hot and so goddamn straight”. “Oh right, yeah,” Ronson responds when this information is relayed. Sounds like the pair formed a mutual admiration society. “Yeah, definitely,”

Our very own Daniel Merriweather’s stunning debut album Love & War was also produced by Ronson, who took an active interest in the soul singer from the get-go. “I just heard his demo, like, ten years ago and I’d never been to Australia, I didn’t know anyone who lived in Australia,” he tells of how the pair came to work together. “I was working with Nikka Costa at the time and her husband Justin Stanley, who was in Noiseworks and The Electric Hippies, he just played the demo of this Australian kid and I was like, ‘Fuck! This 17-year-old kid sounds like Stevie Wonder,’ who’s one of my favourite singers. And I called him up kind of outta nowhere, and I think that he was about to sign a record deal the next day for something he’d been working up to his whole life and [he’d been] negotiating this particular deal for three years or something crazy like that. And I was like, ‘You don’t know me from a hole in the wall,’ but was just like, ‘Don’t sign to England and America, do the rest of the world,’ and he kinda trusted me and we started working back and forward. I’m sure there came a time when he was like, ‘Why the fuck do I trust this guy?’ ‘cause we were working for three or four years before we were able to get him a deal over here ‘cause, you know, we thought my first album Here Comes The Fuzz would blow up and that would lead to him getting a deal. And my album didn’t blow up at all, it imploded, and then it took a good three or four years of just, like, Dan coming back once or twice a year and hustling and going around to a lot of record companies and peddling his demo and the whole thing.”

Secret Sounds Presents

After some discussion about Merriweather’s career trajectory, Ronson proffers, “I’m sure it’ll happen for him”. “[For] some people it’s not supposed to happen all at the same time. I think everyone has their own arc. It took me ‘til I was 31, 32 to have my first success as a producer and I’ve been making records probably since I was 16. I mean, I kinda resigned myself, at 30, to thinking it was never gonna happen, ‘cause I came up around these guys, like, I watched Kanye, I even watched Chad [Hugo] and Pharrell [Williams] from The Neptunes. Dangermouse was kind of like the last straw, ‘cause he was one I met when he kinda wasn’t big and then [he] just blew up and I remember thinking to myself, ‘Maybe I’m not supposed to be doing this?’ In a very realistic way, like, ‘How long are you gonna fucking keep going to these labels?’ And I had beat tapes to try and get on all these projects, and this thing and that thing, and I was thinking to myself, ‘I should maybe think about another career option,’ and then I think within a year I was lucky enough to meet Lily [Allen], and I was working on Version and Zane Lowe and Gilles Peterson started to play some of the stuff off of that on the radio – it was like a bootleg cover of Radiohead Just that I made so, yeah! It just happens when it happens.” On trusting your time will come when you’re adequately prepared to deal with the attention success can bring, Ronson considers, “Yeah, I’m probably lucky that it didn’t happen when I was 21 or whatever. I think Adele seems pretty mature, but I was a fucking idiot at 21. I wouldn’t say that I was an idiot,” he backpeddles, “You know, my mother she raised us fairly well and she was strict and stuff but, yeah, I mean, I wouldn’t have been probably that great at handling some of the other shit going on in the world and whatever else.” Sudden, cacophonous sounds interrupt our chat. “Sorry, I’m just feeding my dog.” Once Maude, Ronson’s “border collie, black lab mix”, which he adopted from an animal shelter when he lived in New York, is sorted, it’s time to discuss his upcoming DJ sets. Ronson promises to bring along a guest who featured on his latest Record Collection set (“If I have any money left after I build my giant spaceship that shoots lasers on the stage”). “The thing is that everybody wants to come to Australia,” he shares, “‘cause it’s a great time, it’s summer, the crowds are so good – so it’s almost like a holiday where you spend an hour and a half playing your music onstage, um, which definitely doesn’t feel like work, so it won’t be hard to get somebody to come along.” (It’s since been established Miike Snow frontman Andrew Wyatt, who sings Somebody To Love Me alongside Boy George, will board the flight with Ronson.) But Ronson’s “giant spaceship” is unlikely to materialise. “I think that it’s gotten so out of hand and super-tech that it’s almost like an arms race between DJs and how to put on these aweinspiring light shows and all these kinds of things that go on,” he opines. “It’s basically like Independence Day, like a Jerry Bruckheimer movie – it just becomes a mass of explosions and kind of like induced emotions, where I’d rather sit it out.

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“Daft Punk raised the game, obviously, and people like The Chemical Brothers have always had amazing light shows and things like that. That’s just not the world that I really came from. I spent 12 years in New York. You just go up to a club – it could be a fucking hole in the wall or it could be some super-club – but you just go up onto your turntables and you play records. It’s kinda still my favourite thing to do, but I understand why at a festival – and, you know, we’ll have something fucking interesting, for sure, but I just have no desire to put a giant mouse on my head.” WHO: Mark Ronson WHEN & WHERE: Tuesday 1 January, Summadayze, Sidney Myer Music Bowl

MUSIC FIRST On the eve of their Falls/Southbound appearances and sideshows, Klara Söderberg tells Anthony Carew that First Aid Kit aren’t trying to be part of any traditions, they just want to make good music. irst Aid Kit were one of the biggest breakout bands of 2012. With the release of their second LP, The Lion’s Roar, in January, the Swedish sister-act have spent the year playing the big-ticket summer festivals and late-night talkshow slots that come with upward indie mobility, while their album has cracked the top 40 in Australia and the UK, the top 75 in the USA, and in Sweden it’s hit number one.

“We’re still at the stage where we’re shocked and happy, wherever we go, to see so many people at our shows,” says Klara Söderberg, the 19-year-old younger half – and guitarist/vocalist – of the group. “When fans support us in any way, it’s amazing; it kinda blows our mind a little bit that anyone at all would want to come and see us.” So much of that undeniable “positive response” has been, Söderberg thinks, from people who see them as embodying noble notions of the folk music tradition; the acoustic songs and sweet sibling harmonies (which Klara shares with 22-year-old vocalist/ keyboardist Johanna). Yet, Söderberg isn’t necessarily sure she agrees with the assessment. “You can never say that about yourself, that you’re part of a tradition,” she considers. “And as much as we’re interested in folk music, we’re not [interested] in trying to keep with tradition, or being part of a tradition. We’re just trying to make the best music we can make, right now; music that represents how we’re feeling, and what we’re capable of doing at this point in time, the most honest way we can. We only ever write songs that mean something to us, that are about things that are interesting to us. We’re not trying to write songs for other people. But, at the same time, it’s up to other people to tell us what those songs are worth; and to tell us whether they see us fitting in to this folk music tradition, and whether they like us or not.”

we played in Australia, we played two sold-out shows in Melbourne, and that felt really wonderful,” Söderberg recollects. “To be able to travel to the other side of the planet and receive such a warm welcome… was amazing. We’ve loved coming to Australia each time, and I’m excited again this time. I’m going to spend my 20th birthday in Perth. Last time we were in Perth, we went to a koala sanctuary, and I kinda fell in love with the kangaroos. Hopefully I get to hang out with them again for my birthday.” WHO: First Aid Kit WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 30 December, Falls Festival, Marion Bay; Monday 31, Falls Festival, Lorne; Wednesday 2 January, the Forum

Though Söderberg sees First Aid Kit’s folkie music as being authored to please its songwriters, she also knows that it’s not just for themselves. “If I really think about what we want, it’s that connection with other people,” she says, after some prodding. “I know I said we’re surprised that anyone else cares about what we’re doing, but you really do hope, deep down, that that is what’s going to happen – that other people will hear [your music], will connect with it, that it will mean something to them. That it will make them feel less lonely. That’s the big hope.” First Aid Kit forged that connection, at first, as veritable viral video stars; their live-in-the-woods cover of Fleet Foxes’ Tiger Mountain Peasant Song earning thousands upon thousands of views before they’d ever officially released anything. Eventually, the sisters signed with The Knife’s Rabid Records imprint in Sweden, and Wichita worldwide; releasing their first EP, 2008’s Drunken Trees, and their debut album, 2010’s The Big Black & The Blue, when they were both still teenagers. “It is really special that we have this really clear document of our early songwriting,” says Söderberg. “Y’know, the first EP we wrote when I was 14. To have that, and be able to listen to it, now, is pretty special.” While their age brought with it a novelty, it was as much a burden as a liberation; First Aid Kit constantly condescended to, in their early days, by a music-industry establishment still functioning as a patriarchy. “There were definitely people who told us that we were too young to be doing what we were doing,” Söderberg recounts. “Of course, we were 14 and 16, so I totally understand that this was unusual, and that at the very least a lot of people found it strange. But it was definitely a battle to be young girls in a business dominated by old men. Everywhere we’d go to play shows, there were always men working behind the scenes, and you could definitely feel sometimes that they thought we didn’t know what we were doing. It was really condescending, and really annoying. “That’s definitely changed, now. We don’t really see that a lot. We don’t really get asked about it anymore by journalists, which is so nice. It’s really hard to come up with something interesting to say when people just say ‘you’re really young’, and don’t actually really have a question to ask. Now we can feel that people aren’t focused on how young we are, and that we’re women, and that means that we can just focus on doing what we want to do, and talking about our music, not our age, and our gender.” Musically and emotionally speaking, The Lion’s Roar marks the maturation of the due. Forced, by their youth, to be storytellers on The Big Black & The Blue (“we were so young we didn’t have a life to write about”), the follow-up record is both more personal and more universal; the sisters writing about themselves, and the hook-laden songs being recorded by Bright Eyes’ associate and Monsters Of Folk member Mike Mogis in big, bright tone. “It wasn’t a difficult second-album feeling at all,” Söderberg says, of the recordings. “We weren’t dreading trying to follow up our first one, it was the opposite. We weren’t entirely happy with [The Big Black & The Blue], from the moment we left the studio we felt we had a better album to make. And that really inspired us. When you’re working on something new, you should really be hoping to make something better, not just trying to make something maybe just as good.” Now, First Aid Kit are about to turn to making their next album; which the band hope to have finished by the end of 2013. “We’re constantly thinking about it, but we don’t actually know what it is yet,” says Söderberg. “As soon as you finish one record you start thinking about the next one, but early on its mostly just daydreams. We haven’t even really talked much about it together. It’s possible that the way Johanna feels about it is different to the way I feel about it. I don’t know, we’ve still got a long time to work it out. We try to write the songs first, then see how these ideas might start to take form once we’ve got a few songs. Then it becomes clear where you’re going. At the moment, we’re still just feeling things out, we’re certainly not discussing the themes of the record just yet.” Before they set out making their new record, First Aid Kit will be returning to Australia for their third tour here. “I remember the first time

For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews • 33

CRIBBED IDEAS The Cribs have been one of the most celebrated UK rock outfits of the past decade. As they prepare to return to Australia, frontman Ryan Jarman speaks to Matt O’Neill about the band’s surprising inscrutability. yan Jarman’s voice is like his guitar tone. A gnarled, angular gnashing of harsh textures and rhythms that nevertheless feels somehow convivial and welcoming. It’s a dichotomy that seems to stretch from Jarman’s conversational disposition, through his band’s music, to his band’s profile and reputation to date. Since inception, The Cribs have proven mysteriously – almost inexplicably – endearing.

Theirs has never been a sound that one would immediately tip for global acclaim (though many claimed to). A weird, unpredictable blend of American post-punk and British pop-rock, The Cribs‘ output has always seemed too bracing for mass consumption. Yet, even their most brutally

lo-fi and abrasive albums have managed to streak themselves with just enough populist songwriting to be embraced by audiences around the world. “I don’t think we ever were shooting for that sort of thing,” Jarman says of the band’s beginnings. “We weren’t really conscious of it, you know? If anything, I think we were kind of fighting against it. When we first started listening to music, everything was Britpop – and that wasn’t what we were about at all. We were much more into what was happening in America around Seattle. We kind of fought against what was going on in the UK.” The band began as an experiment with independent recording for Jarman and his sibling bandmates (bassist twin Gary and younger brother drummer Ross). Punkish defiance and independence has always played a crucial role in their music. Even when The Cribs were eventually signed to Wichita Recordings on the back of their demo experiments, their eponymous 2004 debut album was self-produced and recorded to eight-track. Yet, by their second album, the band’s stripped-back approach was paying surprising dividends. 2005’s The New Fellas would deliver The Cribs a UK top-40 single (Hey Scenesters) and international tours alongside Franz Ferdinand, Death Cab For Cutie and Stephen Malkmus. In 2009, Q Magazine would list The New Fellas as one of their albums of the century. By the release of their fourth album, Ignore The Ignorant, in 2009, The Cribs had signed to a major label (Warner Bros), collaborated with Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, appeared on Conan O’Brien and David Letterman and been invited to open for The Sex Pistols. Such was their success, Smiths‘ guitarist and general music legend Johnny Marr had even joined the band as a permanent member. “You try not to get too invested in that stuff,” Jarman reflects. “You know, it’s so fleeting and subjective. The same people who are telling us we’ve written the best album of all time today are probably the same ones who’ll be calling us washedup tomorrow. The Johnny thing is a great example. When he joined, journalists invented this line about him elevating our band to international status – and that was never true... You know, I think we’d definitely broke through and kind of made our mark before Johnny joined the band. He just became this story about us, though. Even when he left, journalists were making up these stories about how we hated each other and kicked him out – but that didn’t happen either. We’d already started writing the next album as a three-piece when Johnny decided he would leave. “What I’m proud of is our fans, really,” the guitarist muses. “We’ve developed a very dedicated group of fans over the years – people who trust us from album to album – who are really, truly dedicated to our band, not just our songs or style or records. It can be a bit overwhelming at times, yeah, but I like to think it’s a testament to the amount of work our band’s put in that those fans even exist.” Five albums in, it’s still difficult to make sense of the band’s career. Released to considerable critical acclaim earlier this year, The Cribs‘ fifth album, In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull, has been touted by commentators as potentially constituting the band’s definitive album – delivered by the original threepiece line-up and produced by noise-rock royalty (Steve Albini, Dave Fridmann). Still, the band remain hard to pin down. “There is something special about this album, I feel,” Jarman reflects. “It feels like a return or coming home or something like that. I mean, it obviously was in the sense of it being our first album back as a threepiece after Johnny left. You know, I think we all realised on our last album that The Cribs are meant to be a three-piece. It’s always meant to just be us three brothers in the band. I love our last record, but it helped us realise that... It’s more than just that, though. It’s weird. It feels like our first album. It has that same spirit to it, I think. When we first started out, we didn’t have any ambitions or ideas of what we wanted to do. We just wanted to make a record. That was the same feeling we had around this time. The last one was really quite polished. You know, we recorded with Nick Launay. It was very pop.” “This one – most people didn’t even know we were doing it. We didn’t even know we were doing it. We were supposed to be having a break last year but, just for fun, we got together and started jamming on ideas and we just really loved the way it sounded. Just jamming around ideas – it felt like our first album. I think, after our first album, we got a little distracted by what other people thought of us. With this one, I think we’re back on track.” It isn’t hard to see why. The Cribs really don’t engage with the world of the industry. For an act that have such a celebrity presence in their native Britain, they’ve remained quite an insular act over the years. When they were called lo-fi, they went pop. When Johnny Marr brought in melody, they embraced noise. “I don’t feel like there are really any bands out there that we feel a sense of kinship with, to be honest,” Jarman says bluntly. “When we first started, everyone told us we were lo-fi and that we were a lo-fi act. When bands like Bloc Party and The Libertines started popping up, we were all of a sudden being called Britpop and lad-rock. “I don’t feel like we’re a part of any scene or community, though,” the guitarist concludes. “I don’t feel like anyone understands us. I don’t think that’s the point of rock music, though. Personally, I kind of wish people [would] stop trying. Really, I think we’re just trying to outlast all that junk, to be honest.” WHO: The Cribs WHAT: In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull (Liberator) WHEN & WHERE: Monday 31 December, Pyramid Rock Festival

34 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews

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GOING COMMANDO There’s no keeping The Datsuns down. Dolf de Borst explains to Brendan Telford that longevity is a balance between naivety and knowledge – and not hating your bandmates. here was a time in the early-2000s when many people thought guitar music was dead. A stupid idea to be sure, but it was out there. Then came along the boom of the New York scene spearheaded by the likes of The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and those same pundits boasted about a New Age of rock. Again, a silly concept, but it helped to bring light to a bunch of bands that were doing their thing surreptitiously and spewed them forth on the global stage. New Zealand rockers The Datsuns were at the forefront of this “movement”, with that obligatory Next Big Thing label stamped across their denim jackets. As with all sudden flares in fashionable interests, the love died away as the focus went on the next new thing, and many bands moved with

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the times or dwindled away. Ten years later though, the quartet are launching their fifth record, Death Rattle Boogie, and despite being scattered all over the world – whilst Phil Somervell and Ben Cole remain in New Zealand, Dolf de Borst resides in Sweden and Christian Livingstone is based in London – it’s business as usual. “It’s kinda nuts actually, trying to keep it all together,” de Borst concedes. “The time we do have together we have to really get a lot of work done. If we’re in New Zealand for a couple of weeks for a tour, we spend as much of our time writing songs or rehearsing. We don’t have a permanent rehearsal space so it’s always kinda makeshift, with whatever gear is lying around, but it adds a sense of urgency. It also allows time to sit on things, working out how to do this, or we can do this, then go in and work it out pretty fast, which is pretty good.” With the advent of technology making accessibility an instant commodity, bands can put ideas together over great distances – if that’s how they roll. “You’d think it probably would [make things easier], and we’ve tried that at times; everybody has Garageband so that everyone has different files or you can add this or this, but we’ve found it so tedious,” de Borst admits. “The back and forth process doesn’t work for us; we seem to get more done when in the same room, we can write something concrete. In the time it takes to play something as opposed to the months of back and forth adding tracks, we’re just not that type of band. We’re much better at being immediate.” Four years since last LP Head Stunts, Death Rattle Boogie may have taken a while to come together, but de Borst believes the separation has allowed them to focus their energy more wholeheartedly. “We’ve lived in each other’s pockets for a long time, eight years or so, and everybody has their own space now. We were touring for six years, we lived in London together, we lived in Germany for a time recording, and we were always in each other’s face. We always lived together too, so it could be a bit much! I love those guys and I miss them, but I think it’s great we have our own space. We really love rehearsing and playing more than ever before, because there is this sense of hanging out, it’s like a family thing. Ben and Phil are playing in other bands, I’m playing bass in a band here in Sweden; it’s these other projects that makes us enjoy The Datsuns all the more when we’re back together.” Death Rattle Boogie doesn’t delve too far from its predecessors, but that has been The Datsuns’ strength. “On paper it probably sounds like our last record, or any of ours actually, but there’s so much on there that we just couldn’t have done ten years ago,” de Borst asserts. “When you see a band and they’re young and ignorant of the whole ‘rules’ of how to play music, I really like that; when a band steps up and can’t play their guitars properly, but their ideas are good, it’s really exciting. You can’t unlearn things though; when you’ve been on the road for so long, you want to do things a different way. I’d say our influences from the first record to now are exactly the same. Nevertheless, I didn’t see the point of doing something exactly the same a second time. Each album is a capsule; we were different people then, we’re different people now. A little more competent too, I hope.”

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De de Borst muses that despite the brouhaha that surrounded them at the outset of their career, when critics plastered such erroneous labels as “saviours of rock” on their young shoulders, they didn’t let it go to their heads.

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“To a large extent we were super naive,” he concedes. “We were some dudes from a small town in New Zealand playing music that we really liked; I’d never even read NME before they were putting us on covers. There’s this whole game being played where people into fashions are turned on to some genre of music; we didn’t even know we were part of the game, and I quite like that naivety. But once we were in the middle of it, we got super-cynical about the whole thing, and we hated that; we always hated the musicians five or so years older than us, seething about their situation, angry and bitter about everything. We always found that so boring and clichéd, so when we found ourselves walking that path, so we made things simple – ‘Do we like playing? Let’s make records. Let’s tour.’ It became all about us, not anyone else, and that’s why we’re still here. That’s how we came up with the name Death Rattle Boogie – we were living in London in 2005, where we’d been part of this thing and were no longer part of this thing, and Phil found the name in an old Commando comic, and it made us laugh. It was the best way to deal with it all. “We also made sure we didn’t hate each other,” de Borst laughs. “But we still love The Datsuns. When I make music alone it sounds nothing like The Datsuns, and that goes for everyone else. We’ve never been like, ‘Oh I really like this record, we should make one like this’, we just go with what happens when we get into a room together. We put ourselves into a box, but we tend to push against the sides a little, branch out some more each record. There are elements from the first record in this album, but there are always two or so tracks on each album where I think, ‘Wow, where did that come from?’ which I really like. We have never had a plan as such; it’s always instinctive, it’s just the shit we do when it’s the four of us bashing things out.” WHO: The Datsuns WHAT: Death Rattle Boogie (Hellsquad/MGM) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 19 December, Karova Lounge, Ballarat; Thursday 20 and Friday 21, The Espy

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TRAMPING OVER THE WORLD Sharon Van Etten is enjoying her individual journey - from New York to the world - and is becoming more assured and confident with every new adventure, as she informs Kristy Wandmaker. ou know that friend of a friend who writes, plays and sings those awesome songs with that unique voice? That’s Sharon Van Etten. The New Yorker whose mates, Aaron Dessner (The National) and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) you might know. Her ‘big break’ came about from their cover of her track, Love More, and after rubbing shoulders with Neil Young, John Cale and scoffing some of Patti Smith’s birthday cake, she’s bringing her third studio album, Tramp, to Australia.

he’s been so supportive of that. He is coming to meet in Sydney and then we’re going to Byron Bay for a few days after that.”

The latest adventure on a whirlwind of crazy happenings, she is desperately looking forward to the Australian leg of her world tour, if only for some time alone with her man. “It’ll mark the end of all this crazy touring, because at that point it would have been a year straight and

“It was actually really comforting because we only started becoming friends because I wrote to him about that song and we became closer over time. Working with someone I knew was a fan of my music and just wanted the best for me kind of helped me let my guard down more than if I had just picked a producer randomly. I was still touring on the album, Epic, when I was recording this record. It’s really hard to pay New York rent and have a band and tour all the time. I wasn’t living out of my car or anything like that – I don’t want anyone to think that I was down and out. It was a choice to put all my belongings in storage and stay at friends’ houses and only every now and then subletting an apartment if I was really going crazy and needed a place to myself to work on stuff for a while. For the most part I was just floating couch to couch, relying on the kindness of my friends.”

A year’s straight touring of Tramp, an album of growth and development for Van Etten, both musically and in life. She was homeless while recording it, and for the first time brought on an outside producer in the way of the aforementioned Dessner. “Aaron pushed me a lot more than I have been before,” she explains. “The first two records were me leading everything. This is the first time I really took direction from someone else. It took me a little getting used to because I’m used to working alone. Every time I tried or did something he suggested it ended up working really well. Turns out he does know what he’s doing.

From couch surfing to meeting a personal hero while performing on the UK show Later... with Jools Holland, opening herself to Dessner’s direction certainly seems to have paid off. Yet Van Etten remains as ingenuous as ever, fawning over her idols and appreciating the path she’s now on. “It was pretty crazy. I got to meet [John Cale], and he talked to me and he thanked me for the cover, and the dedication on the album. I had a friend that was helping with the show and she was like ‘You haven’t met him yet?’ and I was like ‘No’ and she dragged me down the stairs to meet him. I was like ‘Do you know him?’ she was like ‘No’. She just knocked on his door! I was like ‘How are you just knocking on John Cale’s door, how do you do that?!’ I just felt like, ‘What am I going to tell him that he hasn’t heard millions of times from other people?’ He’s John Fucking Cale, pardon my mouth. “I think if I would ever get to meet PJ Harvey I would probably be the same way. Patti Smith, I was in the same room as her and I had a piece of her birthday cake, like two years ago, because a friend of a friend plays guitar for her. I went to her birthday celebration at the Bowery and I was literally a room away from meeting Patti Smith but I couldn’t do it. I was freaked out enough that I was eating her birthday cake!” While being the awkward fan-girl is something that Van Etten thinks is sweet, she has an even harder time knowing how to react when it happens to her. “After the show if my throat isn’t hurting I’ll go out to the merch table and meet people. That’s one thing that still blows my mind is that people react that way to me. But I’m nobody.” A nobody with a hell of a talent. After suffering depression and using songwriting as a cathartic process, her latest album has moved away ever so slightly from introspection, while her current writing is exploring more than just depression, buoyed by a new confidence in herself and her life. “I hope that it’s a reflection that I’m growing up a little bit, that I’m getting over myself a little bit. When I first started writing it was because I was broken and living with my parents and really depressed. Over the course of six years I’ve moved to New York, I’ve started a career, and thanks to my depression and my outlet I have a career. Now I’m more confident in who I am. I am not depressed as I was back then. I believe in what I do and I’m allowing myself to show other emotions than just sadness, acknowledge anger, letting myself be happy, being a more rounded human being. I hope that shows. I am writing now and they’re still love songs. I’m in a stable relationship; maybe that will bore people on the next record, but I hope not. They’re all love songs though, they’re all pretty happy even when they’re a little dark – they’re still happier than they used to be. “ As we talk Van Etten forms a picture of an artist on the cusp of greatness; still entirely starry-eyed, deeply grateful and a little in disbelief that she is where she is having achieved so much so quickly. Yet she’s slowly becoming comfortable with her talent, with people wanting to hear her stories and with the fact that she belongs with the PJ Harveys and Laura Marlings of this world. “I think it’s a really special time because I think for the first time since, I would say the ‘90s, just because I was inspired by a lot of female musicians then like Liz Phair and Juliana Hatfield and PJ Harvey and the Murmurs and Frente, and all that stuff. I think that for the first time in a long time women are letting their own voices be heard. They’re letting their idiosyncrasies shine instead of trying to sound like Cat Power or something. They’re finally finding themselves and it’s important to have their individuality again, which is really nice. As opposed to being somebody they’re just part of something. I think it’s really special. For a long time I felt like female artists were all grouped together and now they’re their own women.“ WHO: Sharon Van Etten WHAT: Tramp (Jagjaguwar) WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 30 December, The Corner Hotel; Friday 28 December – Tuesday 1 January, Falls Festival, Lorne

38 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews

album ofthe year TAME IMPALA LONERISM

It’s December once more and we’re left scratching our heads as to where the flip the year went. But although many of the memories may be foggy, the recollections vague, it’s because of music, movies and the media that we’ll always be able to remember 2012. Reminiscing isn’t a solo game, though – everyone knows that! Which is why the writers of Street Press Australia have banded together to spin the highlight reel with you and look back at another stellar year of screen and song. So crack a cold one and get comfortable – shit is going to get deep. White could put no foot wrong, a point he all but proved with his first solo offering, Blunderbuss. The record was written from scratch by the Detroit blues maestro and is the music of a singular mind; his heart and soul found across every inch of the LP. The attitude that emanates through the music never comes across as cocky, while soulful female back-ups on certain cuts splash added sex appeal across the canvas, as if there wasn’t enough.

Shields GRIZZLY BEAR Recorded up in Cape Cod, to the north-east of their Brooklyn home, Grizzly Bear put together their long-awaited fourth record, Shields. A follow-up to their indie masterpiece of 2009, Veckatimest, the record reveals the sound of a quartet locking in more tightly and as one, a reflection of a creative process that saw them working in a more collaborative manner than ever before.

writers’ poll 2012 Album Of The Year Lonerism TAME IMPALA A whole world of music and we have the best of it in our own backyard. Led by that “Elephant shaking his big grey trunk for the hell of it”, psych rock world-beaters Tame Impala stomped back on the scene with plenty of hullabaloo, their presence felt around the world off the back of their second record, Lonerism. Succeeding where so many acts have failed before them, the Perth gang not only maintained the quality of their celebrated 2010 debut, Innerspeaker, they usurped the release completely, showing a maturity in their songwriting and deftness in their delivery that far exceeds their years.

The results are an album that removes any sort of standard route from a stock genre, instead replacing it with fresh bends at every tune. It’s music that cares about you as well as itself. And sure, the melancholy melodies still remain, but there’s hope in them voices, the band sounding content with their current stock and comfortable in their own skin. At a point where the romance could have begun to fade out for Grizzly Bear, they’ve simply gone on to solidifying global adoration even further.

Let loose in early October, Lonerism was immediately met with worldwide critical acclaim and found its way onto charts across the planet. The 12-track LP was put together over two “agonising” years, as main man Kevin Parker has called them – one in Paris and one in Perth – but if this was the album that nearly broke the 26-year-old, then the brink of insanity has never sounded so inviting. It holds an undeniable zing – a blanket euphoria if you will – that has the ability to cover any situation for every generation, the album awash with drifting melodies and technicolour guitar tones ready to paint the sky. On the album’s lead track, Be Above It, Parker crows, “I know I’ve got to be above it now”; and judging by the results, comparatively speaking to where the rest of the musical world is heading, there’s no doubt that the bare foot Western Australians are. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN Drawn in by his old soul voice and his neo school style, plenty of people were switching over to Frank Ocean’s channel in 2012. Although the 25-year-old made plenty of headlines for life elements away from his music, when the needle dropped on this record the focus was on nothing more than Ocean’s ultra smooth delivery, his formidable range and the lush production and live instrumentation, which created a dream-like world for the vocalist to work within. Lyrically, the Californian is a two-way street – at times he’s undeniably direct with his content; others he’s vague, distant and surreal, but using brief interludes throughout, the album ties together seamlessly as a cohesive body of work. He might have started his career as a pop ghost writer and part of OFWGKTA collective, but with channel ORANGE there’s no denying that now, Ocean is a legitimate star in his own right. An Awesome Wave ALT-J Considering their name is built from a keyboard shortcut on an Apple OS X, it’s ironic that Alt-J are impossible to put a finger on. Their debut record, An Awesome Wave, is a melting pot of everything great about British indie music – complicated rhythms, brooding bass lines, sharp guitars, folksy gentleness – all housed in a dank climate where the main colour is injected through the awkwardly magnificent vocals of Joe Newman. Meticulously put together in London with unheralded producer Charlie Andrew, the album is bellied by technological ideals; however, what you’re left with is earthy and most of all human, the sound an unbridled celebration of life. One of the shortest priced Mercury Music Prize favourites in recent memory, Alt-J managed to outRadiohead Radiohead in a year where that band was everywhere on the touring calendar, no mean feat for a few blokes from Leeds.

good kid, m.A.A.d city KENDRICK LAMAR No artist blurred the lines between storyline and song better this year than Kendrick Lamar. At a time when hip hop seemed to be further turning its back on its formula and roots, Lamar returned focus to the single element that makes the craft so inviting in the first place – the lyrics. That’s not to say that the production of the tracks is stock – far from it – however, the 25-yearold comes at his verses with such articulation and colour that it’s hard to deny its place front and centre. good kid m.A.A.d city is Kendrick’s tale of Compton streets and his journey navigating them. He feels love, he finds trouble but he comes out at the end of the tunnel with a clear vision and a new appreciation for the life he was ready to abandon. With a few bold and instantaneous singles scattered across the LP for good measure, this was the year’s defining rhyme moment.

Then of course, there’s that guitar playing. Unhinged and honky, White makes his axe moan and wail – every other instrument is merely cleaning up after it. Without abandoning who he was within the ranks of The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, White has managed to give himself a rebirth, Blunderbuss adding to his lofty legacy further. Coexist THE XX Their debut record seemed like one of those ‘right time, right place’ releases, the perfect music for that point, but no one told The xx that. Coexist marks a new chapter for the band as a three-piece, and under increased spotlight and pressure the Brits managed to craft a record even more delicate and pure than their self-titled LP of 2009.

There was always sort of a general consensus that Jack

Going against the grain of current albums by clocking in at a whopping two hours, Swans’ twelfth record is oblique and dense. However, because of this, the two-disc set offers up a plethora of stimulants from which to ride high. More than music, it’s as if the tracks are eerily breathing warm air on the back of your neck, and although there are arguably more riddles in this collection than there are answers, it’s a fact that only adds to the aural seduction.

writers’ poll 2012 Using bass and guitar as mere accompaniments to their duelling vocals, Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim still communicate like lovers on a reflective bend. With their lyrics, the pair let us in a little closer on Coexist; however, the record really shows progress as a whole thanks to the production work of sound manipulator behind the scenes, Jamie xx. He allows the tracks to veer away from their established foundation with subtle flourishes of triggered instrumentation, creating tension and joy. Personal and provoking, The xx opened up and we jumped right in. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR With no studio album to their name in a decade, Godspeed’s 2012 record was always going to be met with rapture from their legions of fans; lucky for them the release continued to build on a legend that has been growing for almost 20 years. Not so much a collection of songs as a flowing body of work, the four-track 53-minute epic takes listeners on a fluid and pulsing journey, with continued ebbs and flows leaving one practically drained following the experience. The incredible thing with Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! is that for such a sonic sprawl, not once does the momentum diminish. And with all emotions created from instruments, the volatility makes it feel like something amazing could happen at any time, and it does. Age certainly did not weary these Canadians in 2012; a welcomed return and their position at the top of the post-rock food chain almost certainly assured. Visions GRIMES The sound of K-pop for the Western world, made from the cuttings of electro and injected with child-like wonderment thanks to the upper pitch delivery of Claire Boucher, Visions was a game changer upon its release at the beginning of the year. In the time that’s passed since then, the album has lost none of its charm, the crosspollination of ethereal sounds sounding equally as exotic and foreign as it did when it dropped in January. Upon first listen, the album doesn’t really seem to fit into any particular box. But with just the right amount of energy and fragility, the release struck a chord with hipsters and tastemakers across every continent. Recorded entirely on Apple’s GarageBand over three weeks in Boucher’s Montreal apartment, there is perhaps no better snapshot of where pop music is and where it excitedly could be heading than Visions. The Seer SWANS

Blunderbuss JACK WHITE

apparent that the New Yorker and his band mates were committed to giving every idea its opportunity to shine.

Rounding out the ten is American post-rock stalwarts Swans, who are enjoying quite the renaissance after being inactive for more than a decade. The Seer has been described by frontman and producer Michael Gira as a record three decades in the making, and it’s

Misc Album Of The Year CELEBRATION DAY LED ZEPPELIN Who were our writers to go past a recording featuring one of the greatest rock bands in history, captured from what could be their last ever live performance. Named after the third track from their 1970 record III, Celebration Day is three members and a spawn of Zeppelin on stage together for a special performance to honour the life of Ahmet Ertegun, the late founder and long-standing president of Atlantic Records. With the highest demand for tickets ever seen (20 million requests were made online), to say this concert was anticipated is to say that Zeppelin wrote a riff or two. But if there was expectation then you can’t hear it in the recording. The band sound electrifying, ripping through what could be seen as the blueprint for all heavy music since: Black Dog, Kashmir, Rock & Roll, Whole Lotta Love… Four decades on and it just goes to show that the classics never die. Honourable mentions: There wasn’t much new to speak of in the way of compilations; the Blur 21 box set celebrated their Britpop career by bringing all their studio albums together, while many returned to The Velvet Underground’s seminal debut to remember what was so great about Heroin in the first place. Rounding out the popular picks were the past and the present of trip hop, down tempo soul, with Massive Attack’s reworked Blue Lines record just pipping this generation’s late night mood music maker The Weeknd, who got plenty of people hot and bothered with his three-disc work, Trilogy. Previous Winners: Nevermind (20th anniversary) NIRVANA (2011)

Three have still managed to remain etched in the minds of our writers right through ‘til December. No Aussie musicians gave more on stage this year than Warren Ellis, Mick Turner and Jim White, and plugging latest album, Toward The Low Sun, their first record in seven years, the trio were unstoppable, their wild improvisational jazz rock continuing to sound as vital as ever. Having Ellis, the bearded mentalist, flailing about the front of stage cracking high kicks could never hurt the chances of a performance either. Their intense slot at this year’s Splendour In The Grass Festival only added further to the band’s massive year on home soil. Always welcome, forever inspired; this Aussie institution is the benchmark for punch drunk instrumental sounds and made the stage their own in 2012.

Radiohead

Tame Impala

Song Of The Year ELEPHANT TAME IMPALA

International Artist Performance Of The Year RADIOHEAD

It’s two from two for Tame Impala, the lads walking away with Album and now Song Of The Year for Elephant, the first single lifted from Lonerism. As an indication of the record, it’s not much of one, with the track probably the most digestible rock nugget found on the release. But as a tune, it’s mega, with that relentless bass line bounce built to make babies. It’s hypnotic, it swings and it’s an incredibly solid place for Kev Parker and the boys to build up from until they have a fuzz so thick it makes Commandant Lassard look like a genius. The whole idea of this Elephant stumbling about to the beat of the track

Was there any doubt? When it was announced in February that Radiohead would be returning to our country following an eightyear sabbatical, the blogosphere went into meltdown, with tickets snapped up a short while later at warp speed. But did the shows live up to levels of

Honourable mentions: Meredith meltdown aside, Melbourne’s Twerps dazzled onstage with their unmistakable brand of Oz jangle rock and former category winners Tame Impala once again put in a strong live year introducing audiences to Lonerism. Bearded beatnik Chet Faker took future sounds of the stereo and seamlessly translated them to the live arena; Brisbane’s drunken engine that could, DZ Deathrays, carried on their messy ascent towards global domination with a break-out year domestically and abroad, while Royal Headache turned their back on arenas and continued to amaze with their unpredictable brand of punk. Previous Winners: Grinderman (2011), Tame Impala (2010), Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (2009)

Online Destination Of The Year TWITTER

Don’t tell Zuckerburg! (Although considering he has access to most everyone’s information he’s probably already found out.) Twitter has knocked off the place that helps you connect and share with the people in your life. But it seems that we don’t want to show off photos and pass on invites to our mate’s killer album launch party anymore; all we need now is 140 characters to share our insightful thoughts on music,

writers’ poll 2012 only further adds to its attraction and charm. Lonerism has gone on to be a far greater whole than the sum of its songs, but the hype switch wasn’t set to overdrive until this tune dropped in July. Honourable mentions: Our writers love that delicious nostalgic goodness it seems with Alabama Shakes’ Hold On coming in a few votes back in polling, but they’re not averse to a big ol’ slice of pop cheese either, with Carly Rae Jepson’s Call Me Maybe keeping plenty on the line, for irony, bubblegum value or otherwise. After that it’s a bit of a mix – everyone’s neo-soul champion Frank Ocean threw our punk compass aside with Bad Religion, Abbe May blew a big plume of smoke in our face with her seductive Karmageddon, while Breezeblocks by Brit’s Alt-J got our writers all sentimental for nothing in particular. Previous Winners: Somebody That I Used To Know GOTYE FEAT. KIMBRA (2011), Fuck You CEE LO GREEN (2010), Sweet Disposition THE TEMPER TRAP (2009)

Tame Impala

Frank Ocean

Artist Of The Year

anticipation? You must believe it be true. Ol’ Tommy Yorke and the boys revelled in their own skin, releasing themselves onstage with gleeful abandon and delivering a two-hour, three-encore set that presented every single facet of the band’s sound, from Lotus Flower to Myxomatosis, Paranoid Android to Idioteque. The lightshow was simply jaw dropping, while the band incorporated an assembly of large dropdown screens to allow even the nosebleed seats to feel close to the action, creating a genuine intimacy in some of the country’s biggest venues. For a bunch of supposed miserable English bastards, their entire tour couldn’t have been more joyous. Honourable mentions: November was a good month if you like your music completely left of centre it seems, with the dynamic grandeur of Harvest headliners Sigur Rós also leaving a lasting impression on many. Those of us that got to his arena shows, his nowlegendary after parties, or both, showered the purple rain down on Prince while The Pogues once again made drunkenness seem utterly mesmerising. We couldn’t forget the oncein-a-lifetime run of dates that Refused delivered either, and Bon Iver’s huge live show made many smile all stupid-like.

Honourable mentions: Since the beginning of the year, the hype surrounding Grimes has remained a constant, while Gotye, armed with a new bunch of pointy ARIA things, follows up his firstplacing of 2011 with a very credible fourth. Embarking on the most anticipated Australian tour of 2012 meant that Radiohead were in everyone’s hearts and heads, while likely heirs to the throne Alt-J landed just behind them, with young dance prodigy Flume rounding out the top contenders behind his self-titled debut.

Movie Of The Year THE DARK KNIGHT RISES politics and other stuff that’s really grinding our gears. But Twitter is more than a simple place to offload – it’s a place to learn about the world, and the best thing is you can create the world you want to hear about. Its simplified use also means that its creators can’t fuck with it every other month until it’s so damn convoluted that you can’t even find your events tab. Not that it bothers us or anything… Honourable mentions: It seems our writers couldn’t resist a cheeky little plug for the ever sexy theMusic.com.au website (and who can blame them really?), while Facebook continues to hold strong among the ranks. But hey, man, the writers at Street Press Australia are consummate professionals... hence why SoundCloud and Wikipedia both got a look in, for research purposes, not procrastination. However, they also love viewing parody clips and cat montages, which is why YouTube snuck in towards the top of our polls. Previous Winners: Facebook (2011), Facebook (2010), Facebook (2009)

Previous Winners: Gotye (2011), The National (2010), Lady Gaga (2009)

Dirty Three Breaking Bad

Australian Artist TV Show Of The Year Performance BREAKING BAD can we say? The drug business is bloody entertaining. Breaking Bad Of The Year What finds itself in a familiar position again after topping our poll last year, with It just goes to show how revelatory their nationwide tour was back in March that the performances from ol’ boys Dirty

Previous Winners: Breaking Bad (2011), True Blood (2010)

The Dark Knight Rises

Previous Winners: Portishead (2011), Metallica (2010), Neil Young (2009)

DIRTY THREE

Honourable mentions: Medieval fantasy hit Game Of Thrones was way back in second place, while Girls was the only lolworthy show to make the upper echelons of the voting results (music journalism – sad face, eh). And what would life be like without some post-apocalyptic zombie drama, right? Right! That’s why we loved the guts out of The Walking Dead. Rounding it out, human pug dog Steve Buscemi and the Boardwalk Empire crew landed a whisker ahead of Homeland, a show that was no doubt affected in polls by Claire Danes’ inability to cry like a normal person.

writers’ poll 2012

FRANK OCEAN/TAME IMPALA

It was a dead heat here in polling, but no one stands straight… So, which way do you lean? Although Frank Ocean probably gets a little more props as the solo runner out of our winning pair, Tame Impala are our homegrown product and kicking some seriously big goals right around the world. Ugh, it’s too much to take – you’re both winners in our eyes gentlemen. Although, channel ORANGE is on the speakers as this is being written and Ocean just ran out of Trojans, so maybe he’s getting enough love? Anyway, behind these two no one was really in reach, with the peloton closely bunched back at roughly half the votes of our duel victors. But considering these were the absolute one and two in the Album Of The Year voting and we are music writers, this result probably goes a long way to understanding our train of thought – it’s all about the jams people.

setting of Albuquerque only helps to underpin the series further, enhancing the idea of desolation through methamphetamine. How they also manage to crack genuine moments of humour within such a hardnose script is a credit to the writers and actors. With the concluding half of the series pencilled in for release midnext year, winter 2013 is shaping up to be surly and couch-centric.

the first half of the latest (and final) season offering up enough plot twists and character turns to make the New Mexico cooking business look like a tasty one. In 2012, with the finger-lickin’ drug kingpin Gus out of the way, we found Walt (continually played the hell out of by Bryan Cranston) and Jesse (Aaron Paul) back cooking again; selling, killing and taking control of the town, all the while losing control of their own lives. The bleak desert

When George Clooney was fighting crime in Gotham City and Arnold Schwarzenegger was laying on the freeze puns thick and fast, no one could honestly say that they expected the Batman franchise to rebuild itself to not only be the most successful comic-driven movie series on the big screen, but also the most critically acclaimed of all time. Christopher Nolan’s trilogy has breathed life into what was once a stale character; his storylines captivating, his villains downright venomous and his lead man, played to perfection by Christian Bale, a genuine hero that is impossible not to get behind. The Dark Knight Rises finishes off what Batman Begins started seven years ago, and once again leaves you emotionally invested in the happenings of the Caped Crusader, a rarity for someone born from a sketch. And even though we didn’t grab every word that Bane was saying, we still wouldn’t want to get on his bad side – geez. This also makes two out of three for Nolan when it comes to SPA polls; lucky he’s having next year off. Honourable mentions: One of the most iconic filmmakers of our time, Wes Anderson struck a chord once again with his story of summer camp romance, Moonrise Kingdom. Daniel Craig, meanwhile, continued to assert himself as one of the finest Bonds of all time with the spy institution’s latest triumph, Skyfall. Ben Affleck shocked everyone with his engrossing script, airtight direction (and acting chops) in the Canadian Caper tale of 1980, Argo, while The Avengers and Looper gave us two vastly different sides of imagination with their respective plots. Previous Winners: Drive (2011), Inception (2010)

BEST WEBSITE 1. Twitter 2. Facebook 3. TheMusic 4. YouTube 5. Pitchfork

The Drum Media Sydney 2012 Wrap Up

PREVIOUS WINNERS: YouTube (2011), Facebook/Twitter (2010), Twitter/YouTube (2009)

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

lthough there was plenty of great music coming out of our city in 2012, with game-changing local releases from the likes of Flume, Urthboy, The Presets and The Rubens, it was the events happening behind the tunes that dominating the headlines this year.

The constant merry-go-round of venues opening and closing, hosting live music then pulling the plug continued, with the two major happenings for the year centred around The Sandringham Hotel and The Annandale Hotel. In July, The Sando went into receivership, owing millions of dollars to creditors. Punters weren’t going to let more than 150 years of history get laid to waste without a fight though and took to the streets to show their support at a rally the following month. In the end the venue got sold, and although still standing, live music stopped. The hope is a revamped venue will emerge again soon. Things worked out well for The Annandale. In financial strife for many years, cash problems looked like they were finally going to consume the iconic venue. Cue the Buy A Brick Scheme, where you could literally buy a part of the institution, and people jumped on the initiative, moving enough for the owners to start work on refurbishments that will hopefully bring the place back to its former glories. How good is punter power?

1. Radiohead 2. Refused 3. Sigur Rós 4. Mumford & Sons =5. At The Gates =5. Prince PREVIOUS WINNERS: The National (2011), Metallica (2010), The Bronx (2009)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN =2. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR =2. Plains THE LAURELS 4. Coexist THE XX 5. good kid, m.A.A.d city KENDRICK LAMAR 6. The Rubens THE RUBENS 7. The Haunted Man BAT FOR LASHES

writers’ poll 2012 It was also announced that the Sydney Entertainment Centre would meet its maker in 2015. This news came after AEG Ogden won their bid to redevelop the Darling Harbour precinct of the city, with the venue management firm focused on the exciting construction of the International Convention Centre Sydney [ICC]. This new development will include a 8,000 capacity theatre for ‘red carpet’ events, while a Grand Ballroom, holding 2,000 punters, has the potential to house some great things in the future.

Refused

writers’ poll 2012 BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

8. Koi No Yokan DEFTONES 9. I Awake SARAH BLASKO 10. An Awesome Wave ALT-J PREVIOUS WINNERS: Bon Iver BON IVER (2011), High Violet THE NATIONAL (2010), Conditions THE TEMPER TRAP (2009)

1. Dirty Three 2. Flume 3. The Rubens 4. Steve Smyth 5. Tim Rogers

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Celebration Day LED ZEPPELIN 2. Original Motion Picture Soundtrack THE SAPPHIRES =3. Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness (reissue) SMASHING PUMPKINS =3. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (soundtrack) TRENT REZNOR AND ATTICUS ROSS PREVIOUS WINNERS: Nevermind (20th Anniversary) NIRVANA (2011)

Flume

PREVIOUS WINNERS: Grinderman (2011), Cloud Control (2010), Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (2009)

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Bad Religion FRANK OCEAN 2. Laura BAT FOR LASHES 3. Madness MUSE =4. Call Me Maybe CARLY RAE JEPSEN =4. Holdin On FLUME PREVIOUS WINNERS: Somebody That I Used To Know GOTYE (2011), Fuck You CEE LO GREEN/Fool’s Day BLUR (2010), Sweet Disposition THE TEMPER TRAP (2009) Girls

The Presets pic by Angela Padovan

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. Girls 3. The Walking Dead 4. Game Of Thrones 5. Doctor Who

The 26th annual ARIA Awards changed its format once again to mixed reviews, with the event held in arena seating at the Entertainment Centre. A few of our local brethren to nab awards included The Jezabels, Matt Corby and everyone’s favourite skivvy-wearing gents, The Wiggles; however, it was in the live component that the evening really came to life, with cracking performances from a bunch of the nominees on the night, culminating in an utterly moving take on Treaty from Hall Of Fame inductees Yothu Yindi. Meanwhile, the APRA Awards took place at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre with Boy & Bear, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Sydney Chamber Choir all walking away with some of the top gongs. Festival-wise, Field Day was another perfect way to compound a hangover, while Peats Ridge created the ultimate environment to count in the year with Gotye. The Playground Weekender was unfortunately the victim of mass saturation while Mumford & Sons choosing Dungog in the Hunter Valley for the Australian leg of their Gentlemen Of The Road stopovers made a lot of folk fans very happy indeed. Another success once again this year was Vivid LIVE. Festival director Fergus Linehan took on curator duties and proceeded to bring a glut of varied international artists to our city for a bunch of intimate and amazing shows, with highlights including Florence + The Machine, the joining of the New York forces that are Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens and the new first lady of R&B and soul, Janelle Monae with The Archandroid Orchestra. Well Sydneysiders, it’s been an absolute gas sharing all these musical moments with you all, but with Sydney Festival, Big Day Out and loads of sideshows already filling up January, the cycle is scheduled to start right back up again and the show must go on. Bring the noise! The Drum Media Sydney Team

PREVIOUS WINNERS: Boardwalk Empire (2011), Mad Men (2010)

BEST MOVIE 1. The Dark Knight Rises 2. Argo 3. Moonrise Kingdom 4. Skyfall 5. The Avengers PREVIOUS WINNERS: Drive (2011), Inception (2010)

The Smith Street Band pic by Angela Padovan

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Tame Impala 2. Frank Ocean 3. The xx =4. Gotye =4. The Smith Street Band PREVIOUS WINNERS: Gotye (2011), The National (2010), Alice In Chains (2009)

Argo

BEST WEBSITE 1. Twitter 2. SoundCloud 3. Facebook 4. TheMusic =5. Pitchfork =5. Tumblr PREVIOUS WINNERS: SoundCloud (2011), Facebook (2010), Facebook (2009)

Inpress 2012 Wrap Up huge year in Melbourne, but really, as the cultural capital of the country, when is it not? And remember people, it’s not gloating if you’re telling the truth. With shows from Grimes, Kanye West and even two from Refused, we had our calendar fully marked from January through to December; not even the non-event that was Prince’s after party could take away from the gleam of an absolutely bumper year. Locally, Melbourne acts of all substance took it to the masses: Chet Faker moved feet with his electronic jams, Alpine brought the harmonious love behind songs from their cracker debut and 360 won the adulation of every cap-wearing kid in our city and practically any other, or so it seemed.

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Radiohead 2. Prince 3. Kanye West 4. Spiritualized =5. Grimes =5. Grizzly Bear PREVIOUS WINNERS: Gang Of Four (2011), Pavement (2010), The Flaming Lips (2009)

Even against the conditions, outdoor music sounded just as good as the indoor guff. In searing heat we all made the annual pilgrimage out to Meredith Music Festival once again to sway deliriously at the Natural Amphitheatre to the likes of Spiritualized, Primal Scream, Turbonegro and Twerps, while roughly a month before CherryFest took over Cherry Bar and ACDC Lane, putting together a super varied line-up of loud that attracted respected internationals such as Omar Rodriquez-Lopez and Eyehategod, the event even pulling together local stoner rockers Dern Rutlidge for another crack of the whip. Harvest (thankfully) happened without

Beach House - Bloom

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 2. Visions GRIMES =3. An Awesome Wave ALT-J =3. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 5. Shrines PURITY RING 6. Bloom BEACH HOUSE 7. Coexist THE XX

Prince

writers’ poll 2012 8. The Haunted Man BAT FOR LASHES 9. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 10. Spring And Fall PAUL KELLY PREVIOUS WINNERS: Let England Shake PJ HARVEY (2011), Innerspeaker TAME IMPALA (2010), Merriweather Post Pavilion ANIMAL COLLECTIVE (2009)

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Nuggets: Antipodean Interpolations Of The First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968 VARIOUS 2. Trilogy THE WEEKND =3. The Velvet Underground & Nico (45th Anniversary) THE VELVET UNDERGROUND =3. The Soul Of Melbourne VARIOUS

Chet Faker

writers’ poll 2012 BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

a hitch this year and there were all the festival expected standards earlier in the year that went off famously.

1. Twerps 2. Chet Faker 3. Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes 4. Pond 5. Tame Impala

Venue-wise we lost a couple of the good ones this year. There will be no more Pony 2am sets, at least in the near future, as one of our most esteemed live venues sadly shut its doors a few weeks ago after over a decade of good, honest hedonistic fun. There’s been talk of a new lease and further good times following renovations though, so we cross our fingers to hang onto the nag. Brunswick’s Phoenix Public House was another room closing up for its last time, with property leasing once again a contentious issue. After fighting so hard for live music in our city it’s always a body blow when a few venues are culled; this makes it even more imperative to get out and see some bands in 2013!

PREVIOUS WINNERS: Grinderman (2011), Eddie Current Suppression Ring (2010), Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (2009)

PREVIOUS WINNER: 12 Days To Paris (reissue) HUXTON CREEPERS (2011)

SONG OF THE YEAR

Plan B - iLL Manors

1. Elephant TAME IMPALA 2. Feels Like We Only Go Backwards TAME IMPALA 3. iLL Manors PLAN B 4. Breezeblocks ALT-J =5. Ruin CAT POWER =5. Pyramids FRANK OCEAN

PREVIOUS WINNERS: Somebody That I Used To Know GOTYE (2011), Tightrope JANELLE MONÁE (2010), Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) BEYONCE (2009) Twerps

Mad Men

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. Mad Men 3. Girls 4. Homeland 5. Boardwalk Empire PREVIOUS WINNERS: Breaking Bad (2011), Mad Men (2010)

BEST MOVIE 1. Skyfall 2. Moonrise Kingdom 3. The Dark Knight Rises 4. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower 5. The Avengers PREVIOUS WINNERS: The Tree Of Life (2011), Inception (2010)

We probably can’t have a wrap-up either without giving mention to our everyman pop hero Gotye. His success of last year subsequently rolled over into 2012, where his inescapable Kimbra duet, Somebody That I Used To Know, found its way to the top of the charts in the US, the UK and enough other countries to keep his passport continually stamped for the year’s duration. He also managed to snag three Grammy nominations for his troubles, including a nod in the much sought after category, Record Of The Year. The aforementioned single has now shifted a lazy ten million units, while his record, Making Mirrors, has gone through two million checkouts. Not bad for a bloke who really just likes tinkering with sounds at home. And following that horrible fall at his home late last year, local larrikin and music industry legend Molly Meldrum made a full recovery, even seeing the funny side of the whole incident by doing a live cross at the ARIAs from atop a ladder while simultaneously putting Guy Sebastian’s sexuality into question – what a man!

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Beautiful rock pigs and club gurners of Melbourne, we salute you for sharing this fun and vibrant ride with us throughout 2012. But stay strapped in, ‘cause we want to take this ride all over again. Have a good holidays and we’ll be back here writing for you first thing next year.

1. Frank Ocean 2. Grimes 3. Tame Impala 4. Twerps 5. Radiohead PREVIOUS WINNERS: PJ Harvey (2011), Kanye West (2010), Lady Gaga (2009)

Primal Scream pic by Leah Robertson

Skyfall

The Inpress Team

BEST WEBSITE

Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan

1. Twitter 2. Facebook 3. Wikipedia 4. TheMusic =5. Cracked =5. YouTube

Time Off 2012 Wrap Up

PREVIOUS WINNERS: Twitter (2011), Facebook (2010), Facebook (2009)

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Radiohead 2. The Pogues 3. Refused 4. Amon Tobin =5. Beck =5. Dan Deacon Ensemble

hings got off to massively better start in 2012 than last year with no natural disasters or widespread devastation to speak of – a win in everyone’s books. And although a new government has tried to smother the creative heart of the state, these past 12 months have proven huge in the south east Queensland corner and northern New South Wales, with loads of bands smashing up stages domestically and abroad, while cracking local releases seemed to become almost a given every single week.

On the festival calendar there was the usual plethora of poison to choose from, no matter if you like you music loud, soft, bass heavy, simple, cute or just fucking strange. Bluesfest, Soundwave and Future were big time large as always, Splendour In The Grass returning to Byron Bay ensured the event was a barnstorming (and muddy) sell out, while the recent Harvest festival manage to still remain an utter triumph despite a mass evacuation that had to take place on sunset as a unforgiving hail storm rolled into town. (Credit to the organisers, they handled the situation impeccably and with a minimum amount of fuss. Also, big ups to QUT for having loads of stairwells to take cover in.)

PREVIOUS WINNERS: Kanye West (2011), Muse (2010), The Hold Steady (2009)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Swing Lo Magellan DIRTY PROJECTORS 2. The World Warriors VELOCIRAPTOR 3. The Seer SWANS 4. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR =5. Big Time BITCH PREFECT =5. Flume FLUME 7. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN

writers’ poll 2012 We welcomed a bunch of new venues onto the local scene throughout the year, with The End, The Hideaway, Wasteland, Southside Tea Room, Crowbar all opening their doors to some divine live music, while Woodland got a facelift to morph into the ever fun Coniston Lane, keeping the messy nights alive behind Mustang Bar. The Waiting Room has also established itself as a big supporter of the local product and, as expected, all the usual established players continued to house dominant performance after dominant performance.

Dan Deacon Ensemble

writers’ poll 2012 BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

8. Handwritten THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM 9. Pacifica THE PRESETS 10. Atlas PARKWAY DRIVE

1. Velociraptor 2. Royal Headache 3. The Necks 4. Dick Nasty 5. DZ Deathrays

PREVIOUS WINNERS: Royal Headache ROYAL HEADACHE (2011), The Suburbs ARCADE FIRE (2010), Veckatimest GRIZZLY BEAR (2009)

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Blue Lines: 2012 Remix/ Remaster MASSIVE ATTACK =2. 1991 AZEALIA BANKS =2. Parklive BLUR

Velociraptor

PREVIOUS WINNERS: Ball Park Music (2011), Tame Impala (2010), The Drones (2009)

PREVIOUS WINNERS: Nevermind (20th anniversary) NIRVANA (2011)

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. He’s In Stock TWERPS 2. Lost FRANK OCEAN 3. Yet Again GRIZZLY BEAR 4. Darlin’ JEREMY NEALE 5. Blue And The Grey PARKWAY DRIVE

Grizzly Bear - Yet Again

PREVIOUS WINNERS: Somebody That I Used To Know GOTYE (2011), Runaway KANYE WEST (2010), Sweet Disposition THE TEMPER TRAP (2009)

Flight Of The Conchords pic by Stephen Booth Homeland And what a large 12 months it was for touring, with massive international acts making Brisbane their own. Our city scribes, much like the rest of the country, were left mouth agape after Radiohead apologised for eight years away in spectacular style; Sweden political punks Refused celebrated their party program with a room full of rowdy punters at Eatons Hill, while other highlights included Flight Of The Conchords, Regina Spektor, Thurston Moore and Bon Iver. However, no one told the local scene that they are any smaller than these overseas names, with artists like Bleeding Knees Club, Parkway Drive, The Medics, Emma Louise, The Amity Affliction, Ball Park Music, Velociraptor and more all dropping killer tracks, celebrated albums and putting on some world class performances in all corners of the globe. Hell, DZ Deathrays even managed to win an ARIA for their relentless debut, Bloodstreams. Indeed, our streets are alive. And all this – the bands, songs, venues – was celebrated with style at the annual BIGSOUND, which seems to bloody get larger and more memorable with every year. In its eleventh year, the event has become the biggest music industry showcase in the Southern Hemisphere and in 2012 we were treated to two nights of righteous tunes and three quality days of (hungover) panels with some of the most important names in the business. With theMusic.com.au offering unprecedented coverage of the event, we were able to check out a legitimate boatload of bands throughout some of the Valley’s finest venues, with home grown talent like Gung Ho, Hungry Kids Of Hungary, Kingfisha, Violent Soho and The Good Ship all making a big impact. And, as for that final night party at Birdee’s, well, cider fuelled mayhem seemed to be the only order for proceedings. But that’s enough looking back – there’s so much more to keep looking forward to. Have a fantastic Christmas, a lively New Year and we’ll see you all on the barrier to do it over again. The Time Off Team

BEST TV SHOW 1. The Walking Dead 2. Breaking Bad 3. Games Of Thrones 4. Girls 5. Homeland PREVIOUS WINNERS: Breaking Bad (2011), South Park/Eastbound And Down (2010)

BEST MOVIE 1. The Dark Knight Rises 2. The Avengers 3. Moonrise Kingdom 4. Looper 5. Beasts Of The Southern Wild PREVIOUS WINNERS: Drive (2011), Inception/The Social Network (2010)

The Weeknd

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Tame Impala 2. Sigur Rós 3. Radiohead 4. The Weeknd 5. Frank Ocean PREVIOUS WINNERS: Royal Headache (2011), Kanye West (2010), KiD CuDi (2009)

Looper

BEST WEBSITE 1. TheMusic 2. Facebook 3. Twitter 4. Spotify =5. SoundCloud =5. YouTube PREVIOUS WINNERS: Facebook (2011), Pitchfork (2010), Facebook (2009)

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Radiohead 2. Sigur Rós 3. Bon Iver 4. The Pogues 5. M83

f not already, the sleepy streets of Perth are truly a thing of the past, a plethora of new small bars, loud shows, late nights and early mornings becoming a part of west coast living as we know it. Twenty-twelve saw one of our own, Tame Impala, once again make waves all around the world, only this year they’re reaching tsunami-size levels. If the lads weren’t taking out almost every top category of the Street Press Australia polls, they were selling out Brixton Academy, shooting up the Billboard charts and being awarded triple j and NME’s Album Of The Year for their second release, Lonerism.

PREVIOUS WINNERS: Portishead (2011), Gorillaz (2010), The Rapture (2009)

The local scene was really hammering down this year and was once again showcased and celebrated at the midyear WAMi Awards. The two big winners on that night were local pop kids San Cisco, their sunny pop given nods in a bunch of categories, while local songstress Abbe May also walked away with multiple awards, backing it up late this year with new single, Karmageddon, one of the year’s best. Tame offshoot Pond continues to grow and grow, Emperors brought ‘90s rock’n’roll back to the fore, Ruby Boots likewise in country-folk, plus local up-and-comers Rainy Day Women and

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 2. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 3. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 4. good kid, m.A.A.d city KENDRICK LAMAR 5. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN =6. Celebration Rock JAPANDROIDS =6. MMXII KILLING JOKE

Sigur Ros

writers’ poll 2012 =6. Valtari SIGUR RÓS =9. Until The Quiet Comes FLYING LOTUS =9. fIN JOHN TALABOT PREVIOUS WINNERS: Bon Iver BON IVER (2011), Innerspeaker TAME IMPALA (2010), Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix PHOENIX (2009)

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Black Sands Remixed BONOBO 2. The Velvet Underground & Nico (45th Anniversary) THE VELVET UNDERGROUND =3. Blur 21 (box set) BLUR =3. Celebration Day LED ZEPPLIN

Sugar Army

The Drum Media Perth 2012 Wrap Up

writers’ poll 2012 BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

Stillwater Giants look like they’ll be forces to reckon with in 2013, while beatmaster Ta-ku may finally take the spotlight.

1. Sugar Army 2. Tomás Ford 3. Ball Park Music 4. Paul Kelly 5. The Medics PREVIOUS WINNERS: Grinderman (2011), PVT (2010), Sarah Blasko (2009)

As Australia’s longest-running cultural festival, the Perth International Arts Festival once again delivered on the live music side of things, with an irrepressible ten-piece Bon Iver closing proceedings, their ‘intimate’ sold-out gig at Red Hill Auditorium wowing all and sundry. And judging by their high ranking in the International Artist Performance Of The Year category, the cave-like stage show that they provided was by far one of the most captivating of the year. Another big name that got amongst it in our festival scene was The Black Keys, with the Akron, Ohio two-piece taking us to blues school as the huge headliner for Rock-It Festival, joined by a bunch of locals including John Butler Trio and Birds Of Tokyo.

PREVIOUS WINNERS: Inni SIGUR RÓS (2011)

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Karmageddon ABBE MAY 2. Latch Feat. Sam Smith DISCLOSURE 3. Tessellate ALT-J 4. Default ATOMS FOR PEACE 5. Genesis GRIMES PREVIOUS WINNERS: Holocene BON IVER (2011), Fuck You CEE LO GREEN (2010), My Girls ANIMAL COLLECTIVE (2009) 30 Rock

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. Game Of Thrones 3. Dexter 4. 30 Rock =5. Boardwalk Empire =5. Superjail! PREVIOUS WINNERS: Breaking Bad (2011), True Blood (2010)

BEST MOVIE 1. Moonrise Kingdom 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. Argo 4. Skyfall 5. Holy Motors PREVIOUS WINNERS: Drive (2011), The Social Network (2010)

But here in WA, it’s not just about rock’n’roll – we love big beats as well, with more and more big name acts making the trek west. Skrillex’ Future sideshow at Villa showed sardines jammed in a can still know how to rave out, while breakbeat and drum’n’bass still proved the beats of choice thanks to the hardworking Boomtick and Inhibit crews. Shockone continues to dominate overseas, his album next year destined to be massive, and the Breakfest and Origin festivals will surely be the ultimate culmination to an awesome year of bass life and club culture. And very much the biggest and boldest thing to happen regarding local venues was the opening of Perth Arena, the monster of a room constructed down Wellington Street near the old Entertainment Centre. Able to house up to 15,500 punters, PA has a retractable roof and has been designed with big touring acts in mind, even allowing production trucks to drive directly onto the venue’s floor. Much derided in its birthing stages, the architecture has created an epic focal point for our city and hopefully will encourage even more large acts (C’mon, Bruce Springsteen, you know you want to...) out west. Did we also mention that the acoustics are incredible? No? Well, they are, especially when you consider the size of the place.

Tomas Ford

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Frank Ocean 2. Alt-J 3. Kendrick Lamar 4. Radiohead 5. Tomás Ford PREVIOUS WINNERS: Gotye (2011), Flying Lotus (2010), Sarah Blasko (2009)

The Black Keys pic by Graham Clark

We are stoked you have shared the journey with us throughout the past year. We reckon it’s been a triumphant one for Perth, Fremantle and all the dots on the map in between, and we can’t wait to keep on dancing over the next 12 months and beyond. Moonrise Kingdom

The Drum Media Perth Team

theMusic 2012 Wrap Up

Battles

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Sigur Rós 2. Transistors 3. Battles

hat a year it’s been for everyone here at theMusic. com.au. 2012 marked Street Press Australia’s genuine jump from print to online; no more individual web pages for each state, no more sporadic coverage. Since our launch in early April it’s been one address, one banner and one dedicated team bringing you all the action as it comes to hand. You have to agree that it makes sense.

But as we change so too does the industry. However, one thing that hasn’t is the only part that really counts – the music. With more events on the calendar, hungry crowds and the genuine consensus among OS touring acts that our country is ‘heaps sweet’, more international bands are making the pilgrimage down our way. But what’s really exciting is the exports. Loads of Aussie musicians are now taking the plunge, throwing themselves in foreign waters and are not just staying afloat, but swimming onwards. Every major festival on the planet has a little taster from Down Under these days and the amount of our bands getting the green light for conferences like SXSW and The Great Escape shows just how healthy the domestic scene is. Remember – if we continue to give back to these artists that give so much to us, then things will be peachy fuckin’ creamy.

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Urthboy 2. Dirty Three 3. Hermitude

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 2. Babel MUMFORD & SONS 3. Blunderbuss JACK WHITE

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Isles Of Wonder: Music For The Opening Ceremony Of The London 2012 Olympic Games VARIOUS

writers’ poll 2012

Hermitude

writers’ poll 2012

=2. Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions BILLY BRAGG & WILCO =2. The Procession: 10 Years Of Dew Process VARIOUS

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. And I Will Kiss UNDERWORLD FEAT. DAME EVELYN GLENNIE 2. Hold On ALABAMA SHAKES 3. Call Me Maybe CARLY RAE JEPSEN

Game Of Thrones

BEST TV SHOW 1. Game Of Thrones 2. WWE SmackDown 3. ABC News

Kimbra @ SXSW

BEST MOVIE We will admit... the deadlines have been stressful and caffeine has remained a faithful co-pilot, but every bit of pressure we’ve felt has all been worth it. We’ve loved our exclusive sessions at theMusic HQ, been thrilled by interviews with acts we admire and respect and have remained in raptures by the amount of class albums that have landed on our desks throughout the course of the year. With writers situated in every capital city around the country, we are your eyes and ears on the ground every time your favourite band plugs in and we can’t begin to tell you how happy we are to continue bringing you the most wide-reaching music coverage in Australia. The Music Team

International Polls PITCHFORK

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 2. The Seer SWANS 3. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City KENDRICK LAMAR 4. The Idler Wheel... FIONA APPLE 5. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 6. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 7. The Money Store DEATH GRIPS 8. Until The Quiet Comes FLYING LOTUS 9. Luxury Problems ANDY STOTT 10. Who’s Feeling Young Now? PUNCH BROTHERS

MOJO ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Blunderbuss JACK WHITE 2. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 3. Life Is People BILL FAY 4. Old Ideas LEONARD COHEN 5. One Day I’m Going To Soar DEXYS 6. El Camino BLACK KEYS 7. Django Django DJANGO DJANGO 8. Locked Down DR JOHN 9. Ekstasis JULIA HOLTER 10. Tempest BOB DYLAN

STEREOGUM ALBUM OF THE YEAR: The Idler Wheel... FIONA APPLE 2. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 3. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City KENDRICK LAMAR 4. The Seer SWANS 5. Devotion JESSIE WARE

Gotye

1. The Cabin In The Woods 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. Moonrise Kingdom

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Gotye 2. Frank Ocean 3. Tame Impala

BEST WEBSITE 1. TheMusic 2. Twitter 3. Facebook

6. Attack On Memory CLOUD NOTHINGS 7. Celebration Rock JAPANDROIDS 8. Heaven THE WALKMEN 9. Something CHAIRLIFT 10. Swing Lo Magellan DIRTY PROJECTORS

NME ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Lonerism TAME IMPALA 2. Visions GRIMES 3. (III) CRYSTAL CASTLES 4. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 5. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 6. Given To The Wild THE MACCABEES 7. Beard, Wives, Denim POND 8. In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull THE CRIBS 9. Jake Bugg JAKE BUGG 10. Blunderbuss JACK WHITE

GORILLA VS BEAR ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Visions GRIMES 2. Kill For Love CHROMATICS 3. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City KENDRICK LAMAR 4. Burial KINDRED EP 5. Devotion JESSIE WARE 6. Habits & Contradictions SCHOOLBOY Q 7. Bloom BEACH HOUSE 8. Tender Opposites TOPS 9. Kaleidoscope Dream MIGUEL 10. Something CHAIRLIFT

THE GUARDIAN ALBUM OF THE YEAR: channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 2. Visions GRIMES

Cabin In The Woods

3. Devotion JESSIE WARE 4. Swing Lo Magellan DIRTY PROJECTORS 5. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City KENDRICK LAMAR 6. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 7. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 8. Coexist THE XX 9. In Our Heads HOT CHIP 10. The Bravest Man In The Universe BOBBY WOMACK

MAGNET ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Reloaded ROC MARCIANO 2. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 3. Kaleidoscope Dream MIGUEL 4. I Bet On Sky DINOSAUR JR 5. Yellow And Green BARONESS 6. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 7. Swing Lo Magellan DIRTY PROJECTORS 8. Celebration Rock JAPANDROIDS 9. R.A.P. Music KILLER MIKE 10. Master Of My Make-Believe SANTIGOLD

UNCUT ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Old Ideas LEONARD COHEN 2. Tempest BOB DYLAN 3. Blunderbuss JACK WHITE 4. Locked Down DR JOHN 5. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 6. Life Is People BILL FAY 7. Hair TY SEGALL & WHITE FENCE 8. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 9. Psychedelic Pill NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE 10. Wrecking Ball BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground (reissue) THE WHITE STRIPES

1. Joe McKee 2. Dirty Three 3. The Necks 4. Ed Kuepper 5. Royal Headache

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Sick Of You BLACK LIPS 2. Love Life GIRLS 3. Outlands DEEP SEA ARCADE 4. Just A Couple Of Drinks SPOD 5. Yet Again GRIZZLY BEAR

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Purity Ring

1. Thee Oh Sees 2. Black Lips 3. Grizzly Bear 4. Spiritualized 5. Purity Ring

Adam Wilding ALBUM OF THE YEAR

BEST WEBSITE

1. Putrifiers II THEE OH SEES 2. Plains THE LAURELS 3. Bloom BEACH HOUSE 4. Eating For Two SARAH MARY CHADWICK 5. Sweet Heart Sweet Light SPIRITUALIZED 6. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 7. Twins TY SEGAL 8. Shrines PURITY RING 9. Burning Boy JOE MCKEE 10. Lake Air DAPPLED CITIES

1. abc.net.au/news 2. google.com.au 3. swellnet.com.au 4. wikipedia.org.au 5. abc.net.au/iview

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Beck 2. Henry Rollins 3. Spiritualized 4. Deerhoof 5. tUnE-yArDs

Antipodean Interpolations of the First Psychedelic Era 19651968 VARIOUS ARTISTS 3. Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions BILLY BRAGG & WILCIO

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. History Eraser COURTNEY BARNETT 2. The Party Is You TEETH & TONGUE 3. Tinderbox VIOLENT SOHO 4. Nothin But Time CAT POWER 5. Warburton PER PURPOSE

BEST TV SHOW 1. Q&A 2. QI 3. At The Movies 4. Lowdown 5. Good Game

BEST MOVIE 1. Moonrise Kingdom 2. The Avengers 3. The Hobbit 4. Django Unchained 5. The Dark Knight Rises

2012 HIGHLIGHT Heading to the Halifax Pop Explosion in Halifax, Nova Scotia and sharing a lift and choice conversation with Jared Swilley of the Black Lips.

2013 PREDICTION Speaking of my crystal ball, I reckon 2013 will be the year I finally do something about that rash.

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE Redd Kross

Shane O’Donohue ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Rock And Roll Night Club MAC DE MARCO 2. 2 MAC DE MARCO 3. Lucifer PEAKING LIGHTS 4. Plagued Are All My Thoughts, Like White Ants In The Fence LOVE MIGRATE

writers’ poll 2012 Brendan Crabb ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. L’Enfant Sauvage GOJIRA 2. Koi No Yokan DEFTONES 3. The Inherited Repression PSYCROPTIC 4. De Vermis Mysteriis HIGH ON FIRE 5. Songs Of The Third And Fifth THE MARK OF CAIN 6. Yellow & Green BARONESS 7. Dark Roots Of Earth TESTAMENT 8. Koloss MESHUGGAH 9. Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue DANKO JONES 10. Weather Systems ANATHEMA

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The Art of Self Defense HIGH ON FIRE 2. Machine Fucking Head Live MACHINE HEAD 3. The Meanest Hits SHIHAD

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Explosia GOJIRA 2. When Steel And Bone Meet GOATWHORE

3. Drag Ropes STORM CORROSION 4. Save Our Now THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT 5. Career Suicide (Is Not Real Suicide) WOODS OF YPRES

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. John Baizley 2. Matt Pike 3. Steven Wilson 4. Devin Townsend 5. Jeff Martin

BEST WEBSITE 1. metalsucks.net 2. leaguehq.com.au 3. loudmag.com.au 4. filmink.com.au 5. blabbermouth.net

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Mastodon 2. Gojira 3. High on Fire 4. Sick Of It All 5. The Tea Party

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Psycroptic 2. Mindsnare

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Soundtrack TRENT REZNOR AND ATTICUS ROSS 2. Celebration Day LED ZEPPELIN 3. Turn On The Bright Lights 10th Anniversary Reissue INTERPOL

SONG OF THE YEAR

Converge

Sarah Petchell ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. All We Love We Leave Behind CONVERGE 2. Koi No Yokan DEFTONES 3. Free To Rot, Free Of Sin THE BRODERICK 4. Young Man, Old Man HOODLUM SHOUTS 5. Skelethon AESOP ROCK 6. Grey Matter/White Matter SXWZD 7. Book Burner PIG DESTROYER 8. Sol Obscura IN TRENCHES 9. Get What You Give THE GHOST INSIDE 10. White Walls WHITE WALLS

1. All We Love We Leave Behind CONVERGE 2. Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space EVERY TIME I DIE 3. Engine 45 THE GHOST INSIDE 4. Flowermouth (The Leech) CODE ORANGE KIDS 5. We Take Care Of Our Own BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Converge 2. Hoodlum Shouts 3. The Smith Street Band 4. Refused 5. letlive

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Scott & Charlene’s Wedding/ Peak Twins SCOTT & CHARLENE’S WEDDING/PEAK TWINS 2. Nuggets – Nuggets:

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The Soul Of Melbourne VARIOUS 2. Nuggets: Australian Interpolations Of The First Psychedelic Era VARIOUS 3. Trevor Jackson Presents Metal Dance VARIOUS

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. 30 Rock 3. Dexter 4. Game of Thrones 5. Community

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST MOVIE

2012 HIGHLIGHT Numerous Aussie heavy acts really stepping up their game: Beyond Terror Beyond Grace, Thy Art Is Murder, Be’lakor and Twelve Foot Ninja among them.

2013 PREDICTION Australia regaining the Ashes and Manly winning another premiership. And people getting far too worked up about the metal/hard rock category at the ARIAs again.

Father John Misty

Andrew Mast ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Be Strong THE 2 BEARS 2. Saint Etienne Presents Words And Music SAINT ETIENNE 3. Beard Wives Denim POND 4. Sonik Kicks PAUL WELLER 5. You Me Bullets Love THE BOMBAY ROYALE 6. One Day I’m Going To Soar DEXYS 7. Monument CHILDREN COLLIDE 8. Fear Fun FATHER JOHN MISTY 9. New War NEW WAR 10. One Second Of Love NITE JEWEL

1. Radiohead 2. Refused 3. letlive 4. At The Gates 5. Soundgarden

BEST TV SHOW 1. The Newsroom 2. Sons Of Anarchy 3. Treme 4. Man Vs Food 5. True Blood

BEST MOVIE 1. Skyfall 3. Looper 4. Brave 5. The Avengers

BEST WEBSITE

2012 HIGHLIGHT

1. noheroesmag.com 2. twitter.com 3. boston.redsox.mlb.com 4. maximumrocknroll.com 5. questionablecontent.net

Seeing two bands I never, ever thought I would see in my lifetime live – Refused and Soundgarden.

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

Continuation of the trend of bands breaking up and getting back together six months later.

2013 PREDICTION

1. History Eraser COURTNEY BARNETT 2. The Bravest Man In The Universe BOBBY WOMACK 3. March On N’FA JONES 4. I Fink U Freeky DIE ANTWOORD 5. Wild ‘N’ Ready CONGO TARDIS

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Kevin Parker 2. Damon Albarn 3. Joshua Tillman 4. The 2 Bears 5. Simon Dine

BEST WEBSITE

1. Violent Soho 2. Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes 3. Money For Rope 4. The Bombay Royale 5. Gooch Palms

Chris Familton ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Night Larks SUZY CONNOLLY 2. Fear Fun FATHER JOHN MISTY 3. Hard Rubbish LOWER PLENTY 4. Psychedelic Pill NEIL YOUNG 5. Mr. M LAMBCHOP 6. The Sparrow LAWRENCE ARABIA 7. Between The Times And The Tides LEE RANALDO 8. I Bet On Sky DINOSAUR JR. 9. Outlands DEEP SEA ARCADE 10. I Hope I’m Not A Monster CHARLIE HORSE

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Violent Soho 2. Straight Arrows 3. Mia Dyson 4. Standish/Carlyon 5. Ana Nicole

BEST TV SHOW 1. Enlightened 2. Black Mirror 3. Tangle 4. Girls 5. The Fades

BEST MOVIE 1. The Cabin In The Woods 2. Moonrise Kingdom 3. Safety Not Guaranteed 4. Magic Mike 5. Headhunters

2012 HIGHLIGHT

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

2013 PREDICTION

Getting to witness both Marc Almond and Julian Cope playing live in the UK.

1. Father John Misty

That I will finally accept the fact that Tom Waits will never tour Australia.

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

4. Kurt Wagner 5. The Horrors

SONG OF THE YEAR Neil Young

2. The Raveonettes 3. Psychic TV 4. Transistors 5. Thee Oh Sees

1. dangerousminds.net 2. twitter.com 3. abc.net.au/iview 4. rdio.com 5. discogs.com

1. XX RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE 2. Country Funk 1969-1975 VARIOUS 3. A Victim of Stars: 19822012 DAVID SYLVIAN

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Hoodlum Shouts 2. Break Even 3. The Smith Street Band 4. Coerce 5. Totally Unicorn

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

writers’ poll 2012

3. Parkway Drive 4. Frenzal Rhomb 5. LORD

1. Skyfall 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo 4. The Descendants 5. The Bourne Legacy

5. Bored Nothing BORED NOTHING 6. Sun CAT POWER 7. Hard Rubbish LOWER PLENTY 8. Twins TY SEGALL 9. Bend Beyond WOODS 10. All Hell DAUGHN GIBSON

1. Eilen Jewell 2. Santigold 3. The Specials 4. Redd Kross 5. The Pogues

1. Slume REGULAR JOHN 2. Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings FATHER JOHN MISTY 3. Walk Like A Giant NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE 4. Nice Without Mercy LAMBCHOP 5. Dead Roses CHARLIE HORSE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Neil Young 2. Lee Ranaldo 3. J Mascis 4. Ty Segall 5. Lambchop

BEST WEBSITE 1. facebook.com 2. pitchfork.com 3. thequietus.com 4. themusic.com.au 5. fasterlouder.com.au

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Afghan Whigs 2. Shihad 3. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Dirty Three 2. Regular John 3. The Mess Hall 4. The City Lights 5. Charlie Horse

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. Justified 3. The Walking Dead 4. Treme 5. Mad Men

BEST MOVIE 1. Shihad: Beautiful Machine 2. Better Than Something: Jay Reatard 3. The Dark Knight Rises 4. Marley 5. Moonrise Kingdom

2012 HIGHLIGHT Neil Young releasing two albums, a memoir, an Australian tour announcement and a new highend digital music format.

2013 PREDICTION A battle for market share between the music streaming platforms.

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. FACT Mix VARIOUS/ JOHN TALABOT 2. Radio 1 Essential Mix VARIOUS/ THE GASLAMP KILLER 3. XLR8R Podcast VARIOUS/ DISCLOSURE

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Genesis GRIMES 2. Why Do U Feel MOODYMANN 3. Karmageddon ABBE MAY 4. The Keepers SANTIGOLD 5. Wild Things SAN CISCO

Grimes

Aarom Wilson

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 2. Until The Quiet Comes FLYING LOTUS 3. Nina Kraviz NINA KRAVIZ 4. Babes, Water, Waves PERTH 5. R.I.P. ACTRESS 6. Melt YOUNG MAGIC 7. Oshin DIIV 8. Iradelphic CLARK 9. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 10. Attack On Memory CLOUD NOTHINGS

1. Tame Impala 2. Frank Ocean 3. Thom Yorke/Radiohead 4. Grimes 5. Nina Kraviz

BEST WEBSITE 1. themusic.com.au 2. pedestrian.tv 3. factmag.com 4. xlr8r.com 5. instagram.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Radiohead 2. Ennio Morricone 3. Amon Tobin

4. M83 5. Sigur Rós

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. The Jezabels 2. Thrashing Without Looking 3. The Growl 4. Split Seconds 5. San Cisco

BEST TV SHOW 1. Rake 2. Game Of Thrones 3. Boardwalk Empire 4. Breaking Bad 5. The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson

BEST MOVIE 1. Holy Motors 2. The Sapphires 3. The Dark Knight Rises 4. Beasts Of The Southern Wild 5. Finding Nemo 3D

2012 HIGHLIGHT Finally seeing Thom Yorke dance live, and right the way through two hours of pure aural brilliance.

2013 PREDICTION I will make a full recovery from six years straight of weekly streetpress deadlines.

Brad Armstrong ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Sweet Heart Sweet Light SPIRITUALIZED 2. The Seer SWANS 3. Big Time BITCH PREFECT 4. Swing Lo Magellan DIRTY PROJECTORS 5. Toward The Low Sun DIRTY THREE 6. Heartbreaking Bravery MOONFACE WITH SINAI 7. Allejuah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 8. Sun DREAMTIME 9. Valtari SIGUR ROS 10. Commercial Music FABULOUS DIAMONDS

ALT-J

Cam Findlay ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 2. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 3. Jiaolong DAPHNI 4. Centipede Hz ANIMAL COLLECTIVE 5. Neck Of The Woods SILVERSUN PICKUPS 6. Ultraista ULTRAISTA 7. Toward The Low Sun DIRTY THREE 8. King Animal SOUNDGARDEN 9. Piramida EFTERKLANG 10. Fear Fun FATHER JOHN MISTY

1. Spiritualized 2. Yo La Tengo 3. The Drones 4. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy 5. Bitch Prefect

BEST WEBSITE 1. google.com.au 2. wikipedia.org 3. youtube.com 4. soundcloud.com 5. 4zzzfm.org.au

1. Late Night Tales: Belle and Sebastian, Vol 2 VARIOUS 2. Loveless (reissue) MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3. Tago Mago (40th Anniversary Edition) CAN

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Roky Erickson 2. Dan Deacon Ensemble 3. The Pogues

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

3. The Mountain Goats 4. The Smashing Pumpkins

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Trilogy THE WEEKND 2. Forever Young: The Ska Collection MADNESS 3. +Dome Deluxe Edition SEEKAE

5. Silversun Pickups

SONG OF THE YEAR

1. sleepmakeswaves 2. Sugar Army 3. Something For Kate 4. Paul Kelly 5. Split Seconds

1. Cruel Summer KANYE WEST PRESENTS: VARIOUS 2. The Man With The Iron Fists OST VARIOUS 3. Chapter Music 20 Big Ones VARIOUS

1. Tesselate ALT-J 2. Today’s Supernatural ANIMAL COLLECTIVE 3. Song For No One MIIKE SNOW 4. We Drift Like Worried Fire GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 5. Lost FRANK OCEAN

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Alt-J 2. Frank Ocean 3. Tame Impala 4. Gotye 5. Paul Dempsey

BEST WEBSITE

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

BEST MOVIE 1. The Avengers 2. Cloud Atlas 3. The Cabin In The Woods 4. Searching For Sugar Man 5. Moonrise Kingdom

1. themusic.com.au 2. vice.com 3. last.fm 4. everythingisterrible.com 5. cracked.com

2012 HIGHLIGHT

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

2013 PREDICTION

1. Sigur Ros 2. Fu Manchu

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW 1. Check It Out! With Dr Steve Brule 2. Superjail! 3. Children’s Hospital 4. Hoarders 5. Swamp People

Being able to throw myself into music and the arts, and pretending it’s work. Well, I was wrong about the armageddon, so you’re better off asking someone else.

Frank Ocean

Chris Yates ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 2. Racism THE UV RACE 3. Split LP SCOTT & CHARLENE’S WEDDING/PEAK TWINS 4. Big Time BITCH PREFECT 5. It’s You HOLY BALM 6. Class Clown Spots A UFO GUIDED BY VOICES 7. Die Young COLLARBONES 8. good kid m.A.A.d city KENDRICK LAMAAR 9. Survey #2 A Thousand Dreams I Never Had HEINZ RIEGLER 10. Double Natural BOOMGATES

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 2. iLL Manors PLAN B 3. Born To Die LANA DEL REY 4. Life Is Good NAS 5. My Head Is An Animal OF MONSTERS AND MEN 6. The Bravest Man In The Universe BOBBY WOMACK 7. Devotion JESSIE WARE 8. (III) CRYSTAL CASTLES 9. Visions GRIMES 10. Give You The Ghost POLIÇA

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Trilogy THEWEEKND 2. DJ-Kicks MAYA JANE COLES 3. In The House KEVIN SAUNDERSON

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. iLL Manors PLAN B

2. Ride LANA DEL REY 3. Diamonds RIHANNA 4. Heart Attack TREY SONGZ 5. I Never Feat. Daniel Merriweather THE BAMBOOS

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Frank Ocean 2. Plan B 3. Lana Del Rey 4. Of Monsters And Men 5. Jessie Ware

BEST WEBSITE 1. themusic.com.au 2. twitter.com 3. guardian.co.uk 4. imdb.com 5. nme.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Anna Calvi 2. Of Monsters And Men 3. Lana Del Rey 4. Adam Ant 5. PJ Harvey

BEST MOVIE 1. Cosmopolis 2. Coriolanus 3. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 4. Snow White And The Huntsman 5. On The Road

2012 HIGHLIGHT Rediscovering the municipal library – support them before they disappear!

2013 PREDICTION There will be more peculiar hybrids. Maybe some avant urban classical mash-ups (English Renaissance dance music, Wagner, Holst, etc).

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Frank Ocean 2. Kanye West 3. Royal Headache 4. Twerps 5. The UV Race

BEST WEBSITE

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Dirty Three 2. The Drones 3. Total Control 4. Dreamtime 5. Scattered Order

BEST TV SHOW 1. Boardwalk Empire 2. The Walking Dead 3. Louis Theroux 4. Louis 5. Intervention

BEST MOVIE 1. Looper 2. End of Watch 3. J. Edgar 4. 50/50

2012 HIGHLIGHT Always has, always will be Golden Plains... Maybe the 2013 ATP announcement?

2013 PREDICTION Hopefully less alcohol so I can finish the 2013 end of year list much quicker.

Steve Smyth

Robert Townsend ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Visions GRIMES 2. The Haunted Man BAT FOR LASHES 3. I Awake SARAH BLASKO 4. Two Seas SUI ZHEN 5. Release STEVE SMYTH 6. Something CHAIRLIFT 7. Bloom BEACH HOUSE 8. Language ZULU WINTER 9. The Money Store DEATH GRIPS 10. Give Up The Ghost POLIÇA

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. 30 Something CARTER THE UNSTOPPABLE SEX MACHINE 2. 1992: The Love Album

2. Amon Tobin 3. Afghan Whigs 4. KRS One 5. Black Lips

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Royal Headache 2. Dick Nasty 3. Violent Soho 4. Matt Banham 5. Scott & Charlene’s Wedding

BEST TV SHOW 1. Bob’s Burgers 2. Parks and Recreation 3. Archer 4. Louis 5. Peep Show

BEST MOVIE 1. Tabu 2. Ted 3. Beasts Of The Southern Wild 4. The Sapphires 5. Dark Shadows

1. thepiratebay.se 2. twitter.com 3. bandcamp.com 4. soundcloud.com 5. reddit.com

2012 HIGHLIGHT

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

Kanye West’s Cruel Winter will reign supreme, Royal Headache will break up, Twerps will play Letterman.

1. Nile Rogers & Chic

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW 1. Redfern Now 2. True Blood 3. Birdsong 4. Rake 5. The Vampire Diaries

1. New God Flow KANYE WEST, PUSHA T, GHOSTFACE KILLAH 2. Clique KANYE WEST, BIG SEAN, JAY-Z 3. Nullarbor LOWER PLENTY 4. Fuck It DUNE RATS 5. Wicked Games THE WEEKND

CARTER THE UNSTOPPABLE SEX MACHINE 3. A Collection Of Rarities And Previously Unreleased Material JOHN MAUS

1. Sam Sparro 2. Sneaky Sound System 3. The Bamboos 4. Daniel Merriweather 5. Alpine

Plan B

4. Xiu Xiu 5. Radiohead

writers’ poll 2012

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

Cyclone Wehner

1. So Long You Pretty Thing SPIRITUALIZED 2. Cunt Life PRIMITIVE CALCULATORS 3. Bad Decisions BITCH PREFECT 4. I Love The Living You (live Roky Erickson cover) JEFF MANGUM 5. Scene From a Marriage TOTAL CONTROL

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

writers’ poll 2012

SONG OF THE YEAR

1. I Belong In Your Arms CHAIRLIFT 2. Barbiturate Cowboy And His Dark Horses STEVE SMYTH 3. Breaking SYRON 4. Skyfall ADELE 5. Take A Card THE PREATURES

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Grimes 2. Lana Del Ray 3. Steve Smyth 4. Sui Zhen 5. Syron

BEST WEBSITE 1. browncardigan.com 2. twitter.com 3. guardian.co.uk 4. rdio.com 5. bbc.co.uk

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Laura Marling 2. Chairlift 3. Mystery Jets 4. Nick Zinner 5. Karen O

Frank Ocean

2013 PREDICTION

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Steve Smyth 2. Sui Zhen 3. New Brutalists 4. Fanny Lumsden & The Thrillseekers 5. Jack Colwell & The Owls

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. 24 Hours In A&E 3. Girls 4. Peep Show 5. The Walking Dead

BEST MOVIE 1. The Dark Knight Rises 2. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower 3. Argo 4. Where Do We Go Now? 5. Martha Marcy May Marlene

2012 HIGHLIGHT I flew 10,000 miles to England to surprise my friend at his buck’s party and, while back in the UK, I had a drunken night out with Kitty, Daisy & Lewis.

2013 PREDICTION Even more of those incredibly irritating and entirely non-legally-binding cut-and-paste Facebook status updates about privacy settings.

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Sam Amidon 2. Grimes 3. d’Eon 4. Prince Rama 5. Julianna Barwick

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Grand Salvo 2. Terrible Truths 3. The Icypoles 4. Twerps/Chapter 20 5. Collarbones

How To Dress Well

Anthony Carew

SONG OF THE YEAR

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Visions GRIMES 2. Shrines PURITY RING 3. Total Loss HOW TO DRESS WELL 4. Swing Lo Magellan DIRTY PROJECTORS 5. Ekstasis JULIA HOLTER 6. To The Soul FRIDA HYVÖNEN 7. Into The Waves SOPHIA KNAPP 8. Tender Opposites TOPS 9. LP D’EON 10. Both Lights AU

1. Psychic Returns PARADISE 2. Chained Together MOZART’S SISTER 3. Fresh Eyes NAUTIC 4. The Mother We Share CHVRCHES 5. Bless This Mess LISA MITCHELL

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Grimes 2. Paradise 3. How To Dress Well 4. d’Eon 5. Maria Minerva

BEST TV SHOW 1. Black Mirror 2. Mad Men 3. Enlightened 4. Girls

BEST MOVIE 1. Moonrise Kingdom 2. Holy Motors 3. The Loneliest Planet 4. Neighbouring Sounds 5. Modest Reception

2012 HIGHLIGHT Not dying.

2013 PREDICTION Humanity fiddles, world burns.

Pedro Manoy ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Unlock Your Mind SOUL REBELS 2. Unleashed CHRIS ARDOIN 3. Boys & Girls ALABAMA SHAKES 4. The Protagonist THE MODERN CONGRESS 5. The Champ Is Here LEON CHAVIS & THE ZYDECO FLAMES 6. Carry Me Back OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW 7. Juke Joint Music BIG ROBB 8. Gemini MATT MORRISON 9. Texas Towns & Tex Mex Sounds LOS TEXMANIACS 10. Danaides THE ALCOHOTLICKS

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Black Sands Remixed BONOBO 2. Woody At 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection WOODY GUTHRIE 3. Trilogy THE WEEKND

SONG OF THE YEAR

Sigur Ros pic by Angela Padovan

Rick Bryant ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. On The Water FUTURE ISLANDS 2. The Keychain Collection GANG COLOURS 3. Faithful Man LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS 4. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 5. Flume FLUME 6. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City KENDRICK LAMAR 7. Bloom BEACH HOUSE 8. Lonely At The Top LUKID 9. Oshin DIIV 10. Spring And Fall PAUL KELLY

1. Her Woes DAM MANTLE 2. 40 Mark Strasse THE SHINS 3. Ruin CAT POWER 4. Laura BAT FOR LASHES 5. Claire De Lune FLIGHT FACILITIES

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Radiohead 2. Neil Young 3. Tame Impala 4. Paul Kelly 5. Flume

BEST WEBSITE 1. studioworkshops.com 2. bom.gov.au/wa 3. feedingthechooks.com 4. tameimpala.tumblr.com 5. guardian.co.uk

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Radiohead

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Parklive BLUR 2. Trilogy THE WEEKND 3. Shame Original Motion Picture Soundtrack VARIOUS ARTISTS

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Under The Westway BLUR 2. Enemy THE WEEKND 3. Laura BAT FOR LASHES 4. Inhaler FOALS 5. Losing You SOLANGE The Stone Roses

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Sevana Ohandjanian

1. Blur 2. The Stone Roses 3. Refused 4. Frank Ocean 5. Godspeed You! Black Emperor

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

BEST WEBSITE

1. Plains THE LAURELS 2. Moms MENOMENA 3. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 4. Attack On Memory CLOUD NOTHINGS 5. >> BEAK> 6. Celebration Rock JAPANDROIDS 7. Sweet Heart Sweet Light SPIRITUALIZED 8. Confess TWIN SHADOW 9. Put Your Back N 2 It PERFUME GENIUS 10. In Our Heads HOT CHIP

1. songkick.com 2. uberlin.co.uk 3. sugarhigh.de 4. guardian.co.uk 5. catsthatlooklikeronswanson. tumblr.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Refused 2. Radiohead 3. The Horrors 4. John Maus

1. When Your Give A Damn Just Don’t Give A Damn Anymore MISS JODY 2. Going C Chris CHRIS ARDOIN 3. Hold On ALABAMA SHAKES 4. Look The Other Way JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE 5. Gangnam Style PSY

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Chris Ardoin 2. Bruno Mars 3. Perry Keyes 4. Bud Petal 5. Continental Blues Party

BEST WEBSITE 1. piccolobar.com.au 2. mumeson.org 3. altmedia.net.au 4. eastsidefm.org 5. antifacebookmovement.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Old Timey Gospel VARIOUS ARTISTS 2. Nobody Wins – Stax Southern Soul 1968-1975 VARIOUS ARTISTS 3. The Complete Jackie Day JACKIE DAY

writers’ poll 2012 MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

SONG OF THE YEAR

1. Eugene Hideaway Bridges 2. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble 3. Lil’ Band O’ Gold 4. Rosie Ledet 5. Maceo Parker

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Perry Keyes 2. Continental Robert Susz 3. Lily Dior 4. Matt Morrison 5. Clayton Doley

BEST TV SHOW 1. Call Of The Wildman 2. Dateline 3. Foreign Correspondent 4. Prohibition 5. Four Corners

BEST MOVIE 1. God Bless America 2. The Three Stooges 3. On The Road 4. The Dictator 5. The Diplomat

2012 HIGHLIGHT The reopening of the Piccolo Bar in Roslyn Street, Kings Cross, preserved as the last surviving link to a bygone bohemian era.

2013 PREDICTION Nick Cave exhausts world supplies of black hair dye; Facebook hacked and destroyed by aliens; Annandale Hotel buys own brickworks.

writers’ poll 2012

2. Sigur Ros 3. Girls 4. My Morning Jacket 5. Bonnie Prince Billy

5. Second Day Uptown WORLD’S END PRESS

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Adam Yauch 2. Donna Summer 3. Etta James 4. Robin Gibb 5. Larry Hagman

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

1. The Necks 2. Paul Kelly 3. Goodnight Tiger 4. Mei Saraswati 5. The Panics

BEST WEBSITE 1. pinterest.com 2. soundcloud.com 3. thesaurus.com 4. reddit.com 5. katekingsmill.com

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. Bored To Death 3. Boardwalk Empire 4. Champions League Final 5. Mad Men

BEST MOVIE 1. Argo 2. Wish You Were Here 3. Moonrise Kingdom 4. Holy Motors 5. Savages

2012 HIGHLIGHT The pool at the house in L’Isle sur la Sorgue.

2013 PREDICTION Surely not Abbott as PM. Surely.

Mikelangelo

Kate Kingsmill ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. A&E GRAHAM COXON 2. Funky Was The State Of Affairs FERGUS & GERONIMO 3. Django Django DJANGO DJANGO 4. Quakers QUAKERS 5. Blunderbuss JACK WHITE 6. >> BEAK> 7. Love This Giant DAVID BYRNE & ST VINCENT 8. Release STEVE SMYTH

9. Rooms Filled With Light FANFARLO 10. Come Of Age THE VACCINES

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Brownswood Bubblers 8 VARIOUS 2. The Soul Of Melbourne VARIOUS

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Default DJANGO DJANGO 2. Who DAVID BYRNE & ST VINCENT 3. 1960 What? GREGORY PORTER 4. Funky Was The State Of Affairs FERGUS & GERONIMO

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

BEST TV SHOW 1. Doctor Who 2. Breaking Bad 3. New Girl 4. Fresh Meat 5. Parks And Recreation

BEST MOVIE 1. Shame 2. The Libertines: There Are No Innocent Bystanders 3. Martha Marcy May Marlene 4. Cosmopolis 5. Perks Of Being A Wallflower

2012 HIGHLIGHT Blur closing the London Olympics in epic fashion; Refused and The Weeknd in the early morning hours at Primavera.

2013 PREDICTION Cyborgs. That is all.

1. Red Bull Beat Suite 2. Mantra & Massive Hip Hop Choir 3. Electric Empire 4. Tijuana Cartel 5. Mikelangelo

BEST MOVIE 1. This Ain’t California 2. The House I Live In 3. Something From Nothing: The Art Of Rap 4. The Intouchables 5. The Loneliest Planet

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

5. Blood Orange

1. Justice Yeldham 2. Pimmon 3. Scattered Order 4. Intentions 5. F’Tang

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Collarbones 2. I’lls 3. Butterfly Boucher 4. Last Dinosaurs 5. Absolute Boys

BEST TV SHOW

Bon Iver

Stephanie Liew ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 2. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City KENDRICK LAMAR 3. Nocturnes WILD NOTHING 4. Shrines PURITY RING 5. The Haunted Man BAT FOR LASHES 6. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 7. Die Young COLLARBONES 8. Born To Die LANA DEL REY 9. Total Loss HOW TO DRESS WELL 10. Melt YOUNG MAGIC

4. Pyramids FRANK OCEAN 5. Losing You SOLANGE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Frank Ocean 2. Fiona Apple 3. Purity Ring 4. Solange 5. Bat For Lashes

BEST WEBSITE 1. twitter.com 2. tumblr.com 3. letterboxd.com 4. last.fm 5. klout.com

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. The Socialites DIRTY PROJECTORS 2. Hot Knife FIONA APPLE 3. Swimming Pools (Drank) KENDRICK LAMAR

1. Bon Iver 2. Kanye West 3. Active Child 4. Girls 5. Slow Club

1. Parks And Recreation 2. Breaking Bad 3. Doctor Who 4. Dexter 5. Fringe

BEST MOVIE 1. A Letter To Momo 2. Brave 3. The Dark Knight Rises 4. Moonrise Kingdom 5. Skyfall

2012 HIGHLIGHT So many brilliant albums released one after the other. I also think Meredith Music Festival (my first time going!) will definitely be a highlight.

2013 PREDICTION We will be hearing a lot about more about Blue Ivy Carter and prominent female entertainers will stop saying they’re not feminists (here’s hoping, anyway).

BEST WEBSITE

10. Boys & Girls ALABAMA SHAKES

1. thequietus.com 2. flavorwire.com 3. dangerousminds.net 4. grantland.com 5. guardian.co.uk

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Hope (It Ain’t Hopeless) T.J. O’DONOVAN 2. Reignition HOOKS4HANDS 3. Ocean Blues THE CORKS

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE Liars

Tom Hawking ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The Seer SWANS 2. Loyal HEATHERED PEARLS 3. WIXIW LIARS 4. Bish Bosch SCOTT WALKER 5. White Mountain ULFUR 6. Free Reign CLINIC 7. Team HOLLY THROSBY 8. Motion Sickness Of Time Travel MOTION SICKNESS OF TIME TRAVEL 9. Nootropic LOWER DENS 10. Music For Keyboards Vol 1 D’EON

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Personal Space: Electronic Soul 1974-1984 VARIOUS 2. 1966 KAREN DALTON 3. Eraserhead OST DAVID LYNCH

1. Savages 2. Death Grips 3. Spiritualized 4. Godspeed You! Black Emperor 5. Grimes

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Scott And Charlene’s Wedding 2. Slug Guts 3. Twerps

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW

1. Amrika AZAR SWAN 2. Club KREATIV IN DEN BODEN 3. Fang ERAAS 4. The Party Is You TEETH AND TONGUE 5. Hand Over Fire HOLY BALM

1. Sons Of Anarchy 2. Breaking Bad 3. Futurama re-runs 4. The basketball 5. The cricket

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Grimes 2. Swans 3. Liars 4. ERAAS 5. Savages

2012 HIGHLIGHT Getting paid to mooch round Africa. Living in Greece for a month. 2012 has been crazy.

2013 PREDICTION Serenity.

SONG OF THE YEAR Graveyard Train

Tom O’Donovan ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Hollow GRAVEYARD TRAIN 2. Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE 3. You Should Consider Having Sex With A Bearded Man THE BEARDS 4. Expecting Company? HENRY WAGONS & THE UNWELCOME COMPANY 5. Outlaws THE TOOT TOOT TOOTS 6. You’ll Turn Into Me SPLIT SECONDS 7. Babel MUMFORD & SONS 8. Deadbeat THE FLOORS 9. Rize Of The Fenix TENACIOUS D

writers’ poll 2012 7. Stereotype STRONG ARM STEADY & STATIK SELEKTAH 8. Sleepin Giantz SLEEPIN GIANTZ 9. Kaleidoscope Dream MIGUEL 10. Quakers QUAKERS

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Shangaan Shake VARIOUS 2. Re-Twerk TA-KU 3. 122BPM VARIOUS

SONG OF THE YEAR Four Tet

Huwston AraniegoEllis ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Time’s All Gone NICK WATERHOUSE 2. Look Around The Corner QUANTIC & ALICE RUSSELL 3. good kid m.A.A.d city KENDRICK LAMAR 4. Black Radio ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT 5. Pink FOUR TET 6. Tenement Yard III ALTERED NATIVES

1. Phoneline FUNKINEVEN & FATIMA 2. Sleepin Giantz AND THE TING WENT 3. Money Trees KENDRICK LAMAR 4. Love Is Going To Lift You Up BOBBY WOMACK 5. Say Arr Ee BULLION

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Kendrick Lamar 2. Nick Waterhouse 3. Mark Pritchard 4. Flying Lotus 5. FaltyDL

BEST WEBSITE 1. bandcamp.com 2. twitter.com 3. bbc.co.uk/news 4. gillespetersonworldwide.com 5. residentadvisor.net 2. Stigmatas In The Flesh RINGWORM 3. Fit For Fight WITCH CROSS

SONG OF THE YEAR

Propagandhi

Mark Hebblewhite ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Failed States PROPAGANDHI 2. Into The Lair Of The Sun God DAWNBRINGER 3. Sunshine And Technology THE SMITH STREET BAND 4. Utilitarian NAPALM DEATH 5. Legend WITCHCRAFT 6. Yellow And Green BARONESS 7. De Vermis Mysteris HIGH ON FIRE 8. Damned WOLFBRIGADE 9. All Or Nothing PENNYWISE 10. Darker Days Ahead TRAGEDY

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Celebration Day LED ZEPPELIN

1. National Anthem GASLIGHT ANTHEM 2. Daughters NAS 3. Young Drunk THE SMITH STREET BAND 4. I’ve Got One Jealous Again, Again NOFX 5. Fuck You BAD RELIGION

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Black Sabbath 2. Propagandhi 3. Dawnbringer 4. Motorhead 5. High On Fire

BEST WEBSITE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Graveyard Train 2. Justin Townes Earle 3. The Beards 4. Henry Wagons & The Unwelcome Company 5. The Toot Toot Toots

BEST WEBSITE 1. facebook.com 2. soundcloud.com/tjodonovan 3. westcoasteagles.com.au 4. themusic.com.au 5. mobro.co/denisodonovan

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Prince 2. Erykah Badu 3. Robert Glasper Experiment 4. J Rocc 5. Floating Points

1. The Story So Far... JACK HOWARD 2. Quiet Heart THE GO-BETWEENS 3. Wonderful Things UNDERGROUND LOVERS

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

SONG OF THE YEAR

1. Hiatus Kaiyote 2. Snowdroppers 3. Thundamentals 4. Saskwatch 5. The Bamboos

BEST TV SHOW 1. Boardwalk Empire 2. Breaking Bad 3. Mad Men 4. Homeland

BEST MOVIE 1. Argo 2. Prometheus 3. The Dark Knight Rises 4. Seven Psychopaths 5. Cabin In The Woods

2012 HIGHLIGHT Getting married to the hottest chick in the game.

2013 PREDICTION Maybe Jay Electronica will release an album, maybe?

Blondie pic by Josh Groom

Jeff Jenkins ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Dirty, Dirty JIM KEAYS 2. The Moment MIA DYSON 3. Thirteen JAMES REYNE 4. Warm In The Darkness LIZ STRINGER 5. The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle MISSY HIGGINS 6. Before The Dust Settles LAUREN BRUCE 7. The Fugitive Assembly ANDREW MCDONALD 8. For Woods Or Trail MINIBIKES 9. Oh Hawke DAN LETHBRIDGE 10. Hello SARAH HUMPHREYS

4. Iced Earth 5. Eyehategod

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Breaking Bad 2. Sons Of Anarchy 3. Boardwalk Empire 4. Weeds 5. Once Upon A Time

BEST MOVIE 1. Skyfall 2. Bones Brigade: An Autobiography 3. The Avengers 4. To Rome With Love 5. Lincoln

2012 HIGHLIGHT

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

Tony Abbott’s approval rating dropping so low that Malcolm Turnbull comes to lead the Tories. Also Black Sabbath’s comeback album is released, and it’s awesome.

Obama defeating Romney and his magic underpants....

2013 PREDICTION

1. Set Me On Fire MISSY HIGGINS 2. When The Moment Comes MIA DYSON 3. Glutton LIZ STRINGER 4. Warning Bell BUTTERFLY BOUCHER 5. I Understand SOPHIE KOH

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Jim Keays 2. Missy Higgins 3. Henry Wagons 4. Dave Graney 5. The Fauves

BEST WEBSITE 1. wikipedia.com 2. livinginthelandofoz.com 3. essendonfc.com.au 4. melbournestorm.com.au 5. noise11.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. The Toot Toot Toots 2. Graveyard Train 3. The Beards 4. The Floors 5. Split Seconds

BEST TV SHOW 1. ABC News Breakfast 2. AFL on Seven 3. Neighbours 4. Britain’s Fattest Man 5. Beauty & The Geek

2012 HIGHLIGHT The birth of my little cherub Rory and live gigging as T.J. O’Donovan: facebook.com/tjodonovan.

2013 PREDICTION Elizabeth Quay to take shape, the Perth Arena to host rockin’ gigs and R.E.M. to reform and tour the world.

Benny Doyle ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Atlas PARKWAY DRIVE 2. Handwritten THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM 3. Trouble TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS 4. Gallows GALLOWS 5. Four BLOC PARTY 6. Attack On Memory CLOUD NOTHINGS 7. A Flash Flood Of Colour ENTER SHIKARI 8. Ex Lives EVERY TIME I DIE 9. Foundations THE MEDICS 10. Everything You Ever Loved MAKE DO AND MEND

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Charles Jenkins & The Zhivagos 2. Henry Wagons 3. The Fauves 4. Georgia Fields 5. Nick Barker and The Reptiles

BEST TV SHOW 1. Episodes 2. The Hamster Wheel 3. A Moody Christmas 4. Neighbours 5. Footy Classified

BEST MOVIE 1. Joe Camilleri: Australia’s Maltese Falcon 2. Ben Lee: Catch My Disease 3. Paul Kelly: Stories Of Me 4. Searching For Sugar Man 5. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

2012 HIGHLIGHT Jim Keays lives! A dirty, dirty triumph!

2013 PREDICTION Melbourne Storm win their fifth premiership.

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

3. Royksopp 4. Radiohead 5. Robyn

SONG OF THE YEAR Parkway Drive

3. Emmylou Harris 4. Blondie 5. Coldplay

1. Dave Dobbyn 2. Lucinda Williams

1. XX RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE 2. Celebration Day LED ZEPPELIN 3. The Melancholy Connection MILLENCOLIN

1. Mindsnare 2. Toe To Toe 3. The Smith Street Band 4. I Exist 5. Arrowhead

BEST TV SHOW

1. The Pogues 2. Justin Townes Earle 3. Blitzen Trapper 4. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros 5. Mumford & Sons

writers’ poll 2012

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. mediaite.com 2. dailykos.com 3. metalsucks.com 4. nytimes.com 5. politico.com

1. Cathedral 2. High On Fire 3. Refused

1. The Doomsday Cult Blues GRAVEYARD TRAIN 2. I Still Can’t Find Her HENRY WAGONS & THE UNWELCOME COMPANY 3. Let Lead Rip THE TOOT TOOT TOOTS 4. Mary Melody GRAVEYARD TRAIN 5. She Makes Her Own Clothes SPLIT SECONDS

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Blue And The Grey PARKWAY DRIVE 2. Latch feat. Sam Smith DISCLOSURE 3. Laura BAT FOR LASHES 4. Entombed DEFTONES 5. Look At Where We Are HOT CHIP

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Parkway Drive 2. Refused 3. At The Drive-In 4. Flume 5. Thursday

BEST WEBSITE

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Bodyjar 2. Pendulum 3. The Medics 4. Something For Kate 5. King Cannons

BEST TV SHOW 1. Homeland 2. Louis Theroux 3. Parks & Recreation 4. Mad Men 5. Problems

BEST MOVIE 1. Argo 2. The Descendants 3. Moonrise Kingdom 4. Looper 5. The Campaign

1. themusic.com,au 2. nba.com 3. youtube.com 4. memegenerator.net 5. twitter.com/SergeantBrody

2012 HIGHLIGHT

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

2013 PREDICTION

1. Refused 2. System Of A Down

Ditching the suit to become a full-time music scribe. Cycling like an absolute beast. A shinier scalp, a sausage dog and a complete meltdown when I see Clippers vs Pacers at Staples Centre.

10. Toward The Low Sun DIRTY THREE

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Mariachi El Bronx 2. Sigur Ros 3. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds 4. Soundgarden 5. The Bronx

1. Celebration Day LED ZEPPELIN 2. Cut The World ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS 3. Dross Glop BATTLES

1. Essential Oils MIDNIGHT OIL 2. Souvenir: The Singles 2004 – 2012 KAISER CHIEFS 3. We All Raise Our Voices To The Air (Live Songs 04.11–08.11) THE DECEMBERISTS

Of Monsters And Men

SONG OF THE YEAR

Mark Neilsen ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. My Head Is An Animal OF MONSTERS & MEN 2. Strange Dreams GOOD HEAVENS 3. Plains THE LAURELS 4. The Temper Trap THE TEMPER TRAP 5. Bloodstreams DZ DEATHRAYS 6. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 7. Leave Your Soul To Science SOMETHING FOR KATE 8. Valtari SIGUR ROS 9. In A Million Years LAST DINOSAURS

1. Knock Knock BAND OF HORSES 2. Mountain Sound OF MONSTERS & MEN 3. Comeback Kid SLEIGH BELLS 4. Cops Capacity DZ DEATHRAYS 5. Samsara HIGH ON FIRE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. DZ Deathrays 2. Godspeed You! Black Emperor 3. The Rubens 4. Tame Impala 5. 360

BEST WEBSITE 1. themusic.com.au 2. bom.gov.au 3. espn.cricinfo.com 4. 131500.com.au 5. gmail.com

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Dirty Three 2. Something For Kate 3. Regurgitator 4. The Jezabels 5. Royal Headache

BEST TV SHOW 1. The Walking Dead 2. Game Of Thrones 3. The Amazing Race – Australia 4. The Amazing Race 5. Dexter

BEST MOVIE 1. The Avengers 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter 4. The Amazing Spider-Man 5. Prometheus

2012 HIGHLIGHT Gus.

2013 PREDICTION The Mayans will still be wrong.

Christopher H James ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The Seer SWANS 2. Ekstasis JULIA HOLTER 3. Until the Quiet Comes FLYING LOTUS 4. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPORER 5. Channel Orange FRANK OCEAN 6. All That We Love We Leave Behind CONVERGE 7. The Money Store DEATH GRIPS 8. Sentenced to Life BLACK BREATH 9. In Our Heads HOT CHIP 10. Terrane GILDED

writers’ poll 2012 MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The Disintegration Loops WILLIAM BALINSKI 2. Blue Lines: 2012 Mix/ Master MASSIVE ATTACK 3. Give Me My Flowers While I Can Smell Them BLU & EXILE

SONG OF THE YEAR Karnivool pic by Maclay Heriot

Alex Wilson ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. All We Love We Leave Behind CONVERGE 2. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 3. Koi No Yokan DEFTONES 4. Book Burner PIG DESTROYER 5. No Love Deep Web DEATH GRIPS 6. Valtari SIGUR RÓS 7. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 8. Fade CLOUDKICKER 9. Sorrow and Extinction PALLBEARER

1. Hold On ALABAMBA SHAKES 2. Super Rich Kids FRANK OCEAN 3. Fitta Happier (feat. Guilty Simpson & M.E.D.) QUAKERS 4. Sleepless (feat. Jezzabell Doran) FLUME 5. Breezeblocks ALT-J

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Frank Ocean 2. Converge 3. Alt-J 4. Death Grips 5. Pig Destroyer

BEST WEBSITE 1. youtube.com 2. iwastesomuchtime.com 3. gmail.com 4. themusic.com.au 5. metalsucks.net

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

Pinback

Mitch Knox ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Information Retrieved PINBACK 2. The Sleep Of Reason BATS 3. The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind BEN FOLDS FIVE 4. Always XIU XIU 5. Family THE CAST OF CHEERS 6. The Samuel Jackson Five THE SAMUEL JACKSON FIVE 7. Koi No Yokan DEFTONES 8. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 9. I Am Gemini CURSIVE 10. Valtari SIGUR ROS

1. The King Of Devil’s Island 2. Beasts Of The Southern Wild 3. Undefeated 4. Bernie 5. Jiro Dreams Of Sushi

2012 HIGHLIGHT Playing SXSW and touring Europe with my band. Which is probably why I haven’t listened to enough new music in 2012.

2013 PREDICTION

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Pinback 2. Bats 3. Ben Folds Five 4. The Samuel Jackson Five 5. The Cast Of Cheers

BEST WEBSITE 1. tumblr.com 2. imgur.com 3. twitter.com 4. cracked.com 5. youtube.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Explosions In The Sky 2. Tortoise 3. Battles 4. The Cast Of Cheers 5. At The Drive-In

Kimbra pic by Callan Gibson

Callum Twigger ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. good kid, m.A.A.d city KENDRICK LAMAR 2. Visions GRIMES 3. ƒIN JOHN TALABOT 4. Flora MOULLINEX 5. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 6. Cancer 4 Cure EL-P 7. Devotion JESSIE WARE 8. The Seer SWANS 9. Kill For Love CHROMATICS 10. Confess TWIN SHADOW

1. The Avengers 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. Argo 4. 21 Jump Street 5. Wreck-It Ralph (it’s out later in December but I am 100% certain it is going to be tremendous, so...)

2012 HIGHLIGHT Sydney/Melbourne tour and opening for Tortoise with amigos in Mr Maps; buying a waffle iron literally today.

2013 PREDICTION So many motherfucking waffles.

1. Drowning Horse 2. Tomas Ford 3. Injured Ninja 4. Tangled Thoughts of Leaving 5. The Bank Holidays

BEST MOVIE 1. The Sessions 2. Moonrise Kingdom 3. Cabin in the Woods 4. The Artist 5. The Avengers

1. thequietus.com 2. drownedinsound.com 3. en.wikipedia.org

Gilded, Drowning Horse and Tomas Ford to conquer the east coast.

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

4. Rustie & Hudson Mohawke 5. Roger Waters

1. Hotline Miami Soundtrack VARIOUS 2. The Odd Future Tape Vol. 2 OFWGKTA 3. Vows: Deluxe Edition KIMBRA

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Oblivion GRIMES 2. The Art of Peer Pressure KENDRICK LAMAR 3. Five Seconds TWIN SHADOW 4. H.O.R.S.E JOHN TALABOT 5. Tear Club MOULLINEX

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Kendrick Lamar 2. Grimes 3. Frank Ocean 4. Tame Impala 5. Moullinex

BEST WEBSITE 1. tumblr.com 2. twitter.com 3. spotify.com 4. vice.com/en_au 5. asos.com/au/Men

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Toro Y Moi 2. Kimbra 3. Prince Rama

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Coldplay Live 2012 COLDPLAY 2. A Symphony Of British Music VARIOUS 3. Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness SMASHING PUMPKINS

BEST TV SHOW

BEST MOVIE

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

2013 PREDICTION

& THE RED VANS 10. A Is For Alpine ALPINE

1. Seekae 2. sleepmakeswaves 3. Architecture In Helsinki 4. Chet Faker 5. Lanie Lane

1. The Walking Dead 2. Game Of Thrones 3. Doctor Who 4. Psych 5. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia

1. Sigur Ros 2. Boris 3. Fleet Foxes 4. Tenniscoats 5. Dresden Dolls

BEST WEBSITE

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW

BEST MOVIE

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

writers’ poll 2012

1. Karnivool 2. Tangled Thoughts of Leaving 3. Royal Headache 4. Redcoats 5. Mojo Juju

More of the same. I’m OK with this.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

1. Swans 2. Sigur Ros 3. Julia Holter 4. Flying Lotus 5. Godspeed You! Black Emporer

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. ABC News 2. Hardcore Pawn 3. Newsroom 4. Metal Evolution 5. Homeland

1. The Seer SWANS 2. Hacker DEATH GRIPS 3. Marienbad JULIA HOLTER 4. Loner BURIAL 5. Sentenced to Life BLACK BREATH

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

2. Sigur Rós 3. Tortoise 4. Russian Circles 5. The Black Angels

1. Battles

1. Proceed To Memory PINBACK 2. Animals THE CAST OF CHEERS 3. Do It Anyway BEN FOLDS FIVE 4. Leathers DEFTONES 5. Ekki Múkk SIGUR ROS

SONG OF THE YEAR

Led Zeppelin

4. metalbastard. blogspot.com.au 5. rottentomatoes.com

SONG OF THE YEAR Billy Bragg pic by Lou Lou Nutt

Paul Smith ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The 2nd Law MUSE 2. Release STEVE SMYTH 3. So Runs The World Away JOSH RITTER 4. Words And Music By Saint Etienne SAINT ETIENNE 5. Rhythm And Repose GLEN HANSARD 6. In Our Heads HOT CHIP 7. Standing At The Sky’s Edge RICHARD HAWLEY 8. I Hope I Am Not A Monster CHARLIE HORSE 9. Cheap Romance SABRINA

1. Madness MUSE 2. Princess Of China COLDPLAY FEAT RIHANNA 3. Survival MUSE 4. Laura BAT FOR LASHES 5. Elephant TAME IMPALA

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Muse 2. Steve Smyth 3. Julia Stone 4. Gotye 5. Bat For Lashes

BEST WEBSITE 1. twitter.com 2. youtube.com 3. smh.com.au 4. bbc.com/sport 5. facebook.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Ryan Adams

1. Tame Impala 2. Leure 3. Anton Franc 4. Usurpers of Modern Medicine 5. Our Man in Berlin

BEST TV SHOW 1. Superjail! 2. Adventure Time 3. The Daily Show 4. Modern Family 5. Boardwalk Empire

BEST MOVIE 1. Looper 2. Beasts Of The Southern Wild 3. Holy Motors 4. The Master 5. Cabin In The Woods

2012 HIGHLIGHT Tumblr, for making it possible to read science fiction, listen to Lil B and watch porn simultaneously through a social network.

2013 PREDICTION Heaps of people on Twitter being sued for their dumbass tweets. 2. Billy Bragg 3. Josh Ritter 4. Prince 5. Coldplay

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Steve Smyth 2. The Temper Trap 3. Julia Stone 4. Angus Stone 5. Children Collide

BEST TV SHOW 1. Doctor Who 2. Redfern Now 3. At The Movies 4. Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell 5. Stella

BEST MOVIE 1. Skyfall 2. Beasts Of The Southern Wild 3. The Dark Knight Rises 4. Taken 2 5. Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows

2012 HIGHLIGHT The return of Muse.

2013 PREDICTION A huge array of overseas acts heading our way – just look at March!

8. King Of The Sun JAMIE HAY 9. Heaven WALKMEN 10. Songs Of The Third And Fifth THE MARK OF CAIN

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The Pogues In Paris 30th Anniversary Concert THE POGUES 2. Graceland 25th Anniversary Reissue PAUL SIMON 3. Last Minutes And Lost Evenings FRANK TURNER

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Oh Marcello REGINA SPEKTOR 2. Sunshine & Technology THE SMITH STREET BAND 3. Rude DINOSAUR JR 4. Good Things THE MENZINGERS 5. We Can’t Be Beat WALKMEN

Frank Turner

Dan Johnson

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Handwritten THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM 2. Self-Entitled NOFX 3. Sunshine & Technology THE SMITH STREET BAND 4. On The Impossible Past THE MENZINGERS 5. What We Saw From The Cheap Seats REGINA SPEKTOR 6. Heaven’s Filling Up DICK NASTY 7. Rize Of The Fenix TENACIOUS D

1. Frank Turner 2. The Pogues 3. Regina Spektor 4. The Smith Street Band 5. An Horse

BEST WEBSITE 1. themusic.com.au 2. duderocket.com.au 3. killyourstereo.com.au 4. fasterlouder.com.au 5. news.com.au

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. The Pogues 2. Frank Turner 3. Regina Spektor 4. Bad Religion 5. Lagwagon

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. An Horse 2. The Smith Street Band 3. Dick Nasty 4. The Quickening 5. Army Of Champions

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. Homeland 3. The Walking Dead 4. True Blood 5. Louis Theroux

BEST MOVIE 1. The Dark Knight Rises 2. Ted 3. The Avengers 4. Safety Not Guaranteed 5. The Cabin In The Woods

2012 HIGHLIGHT The Pogues at Hordern Pavilion.

2013 PREDICTION More redundancies.

4. Shapeshifter 5. Douglas Quin

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE The Presets

Matt O’Neill ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. MMXII KILLING JOKE 2. Be Strong THE 2 BEARS 3. Pacifica THE PRESETS 4. Cancer For Cure EL-P 5. Life Is Good NAS 6. Sunshine State EDWARD GUGLIELMINO & THE SHOW 7. Stunt Rhythms TWO FINGERS 8. Evolve Or Be Extinct WILEY 9. Museum BALL PARK MUSIC 10. HyperParadise HERMITUDE

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Blue Lines: 2012 Mix/ Master MASSIVE ATTACK 2. It’s All Fun & Games, Vol. 1 WILEY 3. XLR8R Podcast Mix DEADBEAT

writers’ poll 2012 MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Dopesmoker SLEEP 2. Dopes To Infinity MONSTER MAGNET 3. Lawless OST VARIOUS

SONG OF THE YEAR

Eyehategod

Tom Hersey ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Book Burner PIG DESTROYER 2. So, You Are A Magician? BLACKLISTED 3. Freak Puke THE MELVINS 4. Grey Matter White Matter SEX WIZARD 5. Dusk...Subside INVERLOCH 6. Utilitarian NAPALM DEATH 7. Blues Funeral MARK LANEGAN BAND 8. De Vermis Mysteriis HIGH ON FIRE 9. Blood For The Master GOATWHORE 10. Silencing Machine NACHTMYSTIUM

1. Houdini Blues BLACKLISTED 2. Burning Palm PIG DESTROYER 3. Year Of The Tiger FUCKED UP 4. Watch The Corners DINOSAUR JR. 5. Harborview Hospital MARK LANEGAN BAND

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Pig Destroyer 2. Boris 3. Earth 4. Nachtmystium 5. Eyehategod

BEST WEBSITE 1. wikipedia.org 2. avclub.com 3. eztv.it 4. decibelmagazine.com/blog/ 5. facebook.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Earth 2. Boris 3. Raised Fist

Travis Collins ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. II BERSARIN QUARTETT 2. Iradelphic CLARK 3. Transverse CARTER TUTTI VOID 4. Voices From The Lake VOICES FROM THE LAKE (DONATO DOZZY & NEEL) 5. Lune Eclaire CARLOS NILMMNS 6. Fachwerk 25 MIKE DEHNERT 7. Ufabulum SQUAREPUSHER 8. They!Live BENJAMIN DAMAGE & DOC DANEEKA 9. The Messenger JEFF MILLS 10. Leitmotiv PURESQUE

1. Stories For Boys MINUIT 2. My Kind Of Love EMELI SANDE 3. Heatwave WILEY 4. Tinderbox VIOLENT SOHO 5. Diamond Trade SHAPESHIFTER

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Minuit 2. Wiley 3. Blunt Instrument 4. The Presets 5. Garbage

BEST WEBSITE

1. Community 2. Girls 3. Happy Endings 4. The Newsroom 5. Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23

BEST MOVIE 1. The Comedy 2. The Master 3. From Rome with Love 4. Lola Versus 5. Moonrise Kingdom

2012 HIGHLIGHT The mainstream resurgence of vinyl: major labels reissuing a bunch of cool albums that were never initially released on LP.

2013 PREDICTION Another insanely good Fucked Up album.

1. Aphex Twin 2. Dan Deacon 3. Sven Vath

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

The Smith Street Band

Brendan Hitchens ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Sunshine And Technology THE SMITH STREET BAND 2. Classics Of Love CLASSICS OF LOVE 3. Mutt CORY BRANAN 4. Awkward Breeds THE SIDEKICKS 5. On The Impossible Past THE MENZINGERS 6. Resonation LINCOLN LE FEVRE 7. Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired JOYCE MANOR 8. Failed States PROPAGANDHI 9. Exister HOT WATER MUSIC 10. Comet BOUNCING SOULS

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Provincial JOHN K SAMSON 2. A Tribute To Blueline Medic SHUFFLE AND SCRAPE 3. Thicker Than Water (reissue) H2O

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Sunshine And Technology THE SMITH STREET BAND 2. Everyone’s Waiting MISSY HIGGINS 3. Keepsake THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM 4. Drag My Body HOT WATER MUSIC 5. Bang JIMMY CLIFF

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. The Smith Street Band 2. Boomgates 3. Royal Headache 4. Lincoln Le Fevre 5. Propagandhi

BEST WEBSITE 1. bombshellzine.com 2. punknews.org 3. bandcamp.com 4. messandnoise.com 5. twitter.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Restorations

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Future Classic Compilation FUTURE CLASSIC DJS 2. Triple J House Party NINA LAS VEGAS 3. Compilation 14 KITSUNE MAISON

1. Bersarin Quartett 2. Radiohead 3. Carlos Nilmmns 4. Ancient Methods 5. John Heckle

BEST WEBSITE 1. juno.co.uk 2. Residentadvisor.net 3. soundcloud.com 4. exberliner.com 5. groove.de

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Radiohead 2. Bonobo 3. Matthew Dear

1. Rudy 2. Paul Payne 3. Callum Hawke vs William Bixler 4. Matthew Collins 5. Craig Hollywood

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW

BEST MOVIE 1. Paris/Berlin: 20 Years Of Underground Techno 2. Ted 3. Skyfall 4. Weekend 5. Moonrise Kingdom

2012 HIGHLIGHT Moving to Berlin has been a life changer, but it’s impossible to find good food or coffee here!

2013 PREDICTION Less conservative politics and more environmental policies.

The death of street press. Subsequent influx of music journo zombies. Onlookers die in hipstapocalypse.

2. Hot Snakes 3. The Menzingers 4. Frank Turner 5. Turbonegro

1. Black Sands Remixes BONOBO 2. Tourism LEFTFIELD 3. Olgamikks ROBAG WRUHME

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Chilling naked at ABC studios with Spencer Howson and/ or falling in love. Close call.

writers’ poll 2012

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. SBS World News 2. The World Game 3. Euro 2012 4. Global Village 5. Tour De France

1. Moonrise Kingdom 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. The Avengers 4. Argo 5. Skyfall

2013 PREDICTION

4. Derrick May 5. Stacey Pullen

1. Radar (Michael Mayer Remix) HAUSCHKA 2. New For U ANDRÉS 3. The Pining Pt 1 CLARK 4. Last Train Disco Hell (Kristofferson Hellsinki Edit) RISING SUN & KRISTOFFERSON 5. Soils COMMODITY PLACE

BEST MOVIE

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

BEST TV SHOW

1. Sherlock 2. The Good Wife 3. Castle 4. Dr Who 5. Damages

2012 HIGHLIGHT

4. Cathedral 5. Eyehategod

1. Blood Duster 2. I Exist 3. Sex Wizard 4. Psycroptic 5. Frenzal Rhomb

BEST TV SHOW

1. cracked.com 2. facebook.com 3. twitter.com 4. wikipedia.org 5. thequietus.com

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

SONG OF THE YEAR

Radiohead pic by Jay Hynes

SONG OF THE YEAR

1. The Necks 2. Topology 3. Lawrence English 4. Mr Maps 5. Ball Park Music

Flume

Troy Mutton ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 2. fIN JOHN TALABOT 3. Flume FLUME 4. (III) CRYSTAL CASTLES 5. The Haunted Man BAT FOR LASHES 6. Babes, Water, Waves PERTH 7. Trouble TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS 8. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 9. Visions GRIMES 10. The Rubens THE RUBENS

1. Hyperparadise (Flume Remix) HERMITUDE 2. Karmageddon ABBE MAY 3. Latch feat. Sam Smith DISCLOSURE 4. Get Free feat. Amber (Dirty Projectors) MAJOR LAZER 5. Something Good ALT-J

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Flume 2. Tame Impala 3. Chet Faker 4. Alt-J 5. Disclosure

BEST WEBSITE 1. themusic.com.au 2. facebook.com 3. badassdigest.com 4. soundcloud.com 5. afl.com.au

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. The Smith Street Band 2. Luca Brasi 3. Extortion 4. I Exist 5. Jen Buxton

BEST TV SHOW 1. Marngrook Footy Show 2. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia 3. Rockwiz 4. Law & Order SVU 5. A Moody Christmas

BEST MOVIE 1. Ted 2. The Sapphires 3. Man On A Ledge 4. 21 Jump Street 5. Pitch Perfect

2012 HIGHLIGHT Watching The Smith Street Band go from Melbourne’s little secret to taking over China and the USA.

2013 PREDICTION More international bands do lowkey punk tours of Australia, while Australian bands explore Asia. 1. M83 2. Bon Iver 3. Crystal Castles 4. SBTRKT 5. Skrillex

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Flume 2. Rufus 3. The Medics 4. Gypsy & The Cat 5. The Presets

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. Game Of Thrones 3. Girls 4. The Walking Dead 5. South Park

BEST MOVIE 1. Shame 2. Beasts Of The Southern Wild 3. Cabin In The Woods 4. Holy Motors 5. The Raid: Redemption

2012 HIGHLIGHT Perth slowly waking up to itself and its potential.

2013 PREDICTION Politicians not acting like children... Gotta have dreams, right?

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Tijuana Cartel 2. Jinja Safari 3. The Rubens 4. Tame Impala 5. Lanie Lane

1. Triple J’s Like A Version Anthology VARIOUS 2. By My Side BEN HARPER 3. Frankenweenie Unleashed VARIOUS

BEST TV SHOW

The Black Keys pic by Kane Hibberd

Alex Hardy ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Django Django DJANGO DJANGO 2. Born to Die LANA DEL REY 3. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 4. Medicine Man THE BAMBOOS 5. Happy To You MIIKE SNOW 6. The Rubens THE RUBENS 7. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 8. Flume FLUME 9. Fear Fun FATHER JOHN MISTY 10. What We Saw from the Cheap Seats REGINA SPEKTOR

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Get Free MAJOR LAZOR 2. Firewater DJANGO DJANGO 3. Boy EMMA LOUISE 4. Little Talks OF MONSTERS AND MEN 5. Silk GISELLE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Django Django 2. Kimbra 3. Father John Misty 4. Fat Freddy’s Drop 5. Of Monsters and Men

BEST WEBSITE 1. prettymuchamazing.com 2. en.wikipedia.org 3. smh.com.au 4. abc.net.au/triplej 5. facebook.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Erykka Badu 2. Radiohead 3. The Black Keys 4. The Whitest Boy Alive 5. Regina Spektor

SONG OF THE YEAR

1. Girls 2. Game Of Thrones 3. Underbelly Razor 4. Homeland 5. Redfern Now

Carley Hall

BEST MOVIE

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Skyfall 2. The Dark Night Rises 3. Argo 4. Moonrise Kingdom 5. The Hobbit

1. Pacifica THE PRESETS 2. I Awake SARAH BLASKO 3. A Is For Alpine ALPINE 4. The World Warriors VELOCIRAPTOR 5. Flume FLUME 6. The Brightest Light KING CANNONS 7. Strange Flowers REGULAR JOHN 8. In Hindsight HUNTING GROUNDS 9. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 10. Cassowary THE STRESS OF LEISURE

2012 HIGHLIGHT Erykah Badu. She made me want to sing soul and it is the first time I have ever seen her live in the 15 years I have been listening to her music.

2013 PREDICTION The rest of the world finally realising that Australia has an awesome bloody music scene!

Sarah Blasko

writers’ poll 2012 MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Follow Your Bliss: The Best Of Senses Fail SENSES FAIL 2. triple j’s Like A Version Volume 8 VARIOUS ARTISTS 3. Punk Goes Pop 5 VARIOUS ARTISTS

SONG OF THE YEAR

Parkway Drive

Eli Gould ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Every Day I Tell Myself I’m Going To Be A Better Person MISSER 2. Smokey’s Haunt URTHBOY 3. The View From Cypress Lane E FOR EXPLOSION 4. Atlas PARKWAY DRIVE 5. Get What You Give THE GHOST INSIDE 6. Handwritten THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM 7. Floral Green TITLE FIGHT 8. Sea Of Bright Lights CITY RIOTS 9. Divination IN HEARTS WAKE 10. Chasing Ghosts THE AMITY AFFLICTION

Scott Aitken ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Fear Fun FATHER JOHN MISTY 2. Museum BALL PARK MUSIC 3. Channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 4. Both Lights AU 5. A Sleep & A Forgetting ISLANDS 6. Attack On Memory CLOUD NOTHINGS 7. Out Of The Game RUFUS WAINWRIGHT 8. Shifty Adventures In Nookie Wood JOHN CALE 9. Trouble TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS 10. Bloom BEACH HOUSE

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Blur 21 Box Set BLUR 2. The Velvet Underground & Nico 45th Anniversary [Super Deluxe] THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NIKO 3. Kinks In Mono Box Set THE KINKS

1. The Big Sleep feat. Alex Burnett URTHBOY 2. Bad News MISSER 3. The River PARKWAY DRIVE 4. Knee Length Socks URTHBOY 5. Miles Away BURIED IN VERONA

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Urthboy 2. Parkway Drive 3. Misser 4. The Amity Affliction 5. Transit

BEST WEBSITE 1. karmaloop.com 2. themusic.com.au 3. facebook.com 4. killyourstereo.com 5. perthnow.com.au

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Transit 2. A Day To Remember

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Tapes & Money TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS 2. Solid Gold AU 3. This Is Not A Song ISLANDS 4. Barbara RUFUS WAINWRIGHT 5. What’s On Your Mind BALL PARK MUSIC

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Tame Impala 2. The Love Junkies 3. Rufus Wainwright 4. Frank Ocean 5. Ball Park Music

BEST WEBSITE 1. pitchfork.com 2. rcrdlbl.com 3. themusicnetwork.com 4. rollingstone.com 5. fasterlouder.com.au

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Rufus Wainwright 2. Radiohead 3. The Black Keys 4. The Beach Boys 5. Damo Suzuki

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Kimbra 2. DZ Deathrays 3. The Beards 4. Urthboy 5. Gung Ho

BEST WEBSITE 1. abc.net.au/triplej 2. facebook.com 3. twitter.com 4. bandcamp.com 5. triplejunearthed.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. The Mars Volta

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness THE SMASHING PUMPKINS 2. Loveless MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3. Trilogy THE WEEKND

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Buried In Verona 2. The Amity Affliction 3. Miles Away 4. Break Even 5. House Vs Hurricane

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW

BEST MOVIE 1. 21 Jump Street 2. Ted 3. Goon 4. The Campaign 5. Safe House

2012 HIGHLIGHT Getting a position within Drum Perth/Street Press Australia!

2013 PREDICTION More great music, travels and finals glory for the Ross Lyonled Fremantle Dockers.

Chromatics

Matt MacMaster ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 2. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 3. Kill For Love THE CHROMATICS 4. Devotion JESSIE WARE 5. Lux BRIAN ENO 6. Awe Naturale THEESATISFACTION 7. Break It Yourself ANDREW BIRD 8. Fin JOHN TALABOT 9. There’s No Leaving Now THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH 10. Celebration Rock JAPANDROIDS

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Moonrise Kingdom 2. Looper 3. Bernie 4. The Dark Knight Rises 5. The Avengers

2012 HIGHLIGHT Watching Rufus Wainwright perform at the Perth Convention Centre.

2013 PREDICTION The Love Junkies finally release an album and it wins ALL the awards.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Frank Ocean 2. Grizzly Bear 3. Bat For Lashes 4. Beach House 5. Chromatics

BEST WEBSITE 1. pitchfork.com 2. badassdigest.com 3. drownedinsound.com 4. allmusic.com 5. aintitcool.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Kimbra 2. Velociraptor 3. Hunting Grounds 4. DZ Deathrays 5. The Good Ship

BEST TV SHOW 1. Rage 2. Australian Story 3. Modern Family 4. The Project 5. The Strange Calls

BEST MOVIE 1. The Dark Knight Rises 2. Kingdom Hearts 3. Lawless 4. Hysteria 5. Frankenweenie

2012 HIGHLIGHT Royal Headache – 2013 will be their year.

2013 PREDICTION Hopefully some tour announcements from former grunge stalwarts!

Tony McMahon

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Tame Impala 2. Oh Mercy 3. Loon Lake 4. The Presets 5. Oliver Tank

BEST TV SHOW 1. The Walking Dead 2. Rage 3. Rake 4. Redfern Now 5. Modern Family

BEST MOVIE 1. Prometheus 2. The Cabin In The Woods 3. Goon 4. Argo 5. Paranorman

2012 HIGHLIGHT R&B continuing to be a strong genre with huge talent.

2013 PREDICTION Festivals will see a resurgence as they re-calibrate their format.

ALL INDIA RADIO

1. Boubacar Traore 2. Johnny Clegg 3. Billy Talent 4. Flight Of The Concords 5. Animal Collective

SONG OF THE YEAR Jane Dust & The Giant Hoopoes

3. Radiohead 4. Active Child 5. The War On Drugs

1. M83 2. Fleet Foxes

1. Just Music VARIOUS 2. Aches & Skakes: A Decade Of Popboomerang VARIOUS 3. 101 Sporting Anthems VARIOUS

BEST TV SHOW

BEST MOVIE

1. Bad Religion FRANK OCEAN 2. Laura BAT FOR LASHES 3. Wind And Walls THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH 4. Myth BEACH HOUSE 5. Sleeping Ute GRIZZLY BEAR

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. The Love Junkies 2. Ball Park Music 3. Alpine 4. Pond 5. Deep Sea Arcade

1. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia 2. 30 Rock 3. Parks & Recreation 4. Peep Show 5. The Walking Dead

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

writers’ poll 2012

3. Defeater 4. The Ghost Inside 5. Dashboard Confessional

1. Sons Of Anarchy 2. Breaking Bad 3. Workaholics 4. Californication 5. Revenge

1. Yet Again GRIZZLY BEAR 2. Going Overseas MILLIONS 3. With My Hands KIMBRA 4. Clouds and Cream STICKY FINGERS 5. She’s My Baby KINGSWOOD

2. Radiohead 3. Soundgarden 4. The Black Keys 5. The Tea Party

1. The 26th WHITEHOUSE 2. Oscar’s Song HAUNTING AUGUST 3. Satelite HOPE ADDICTS 4. Playing With Fire GOREFIELD 5. Whole Other Kind DEAR STALKER

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

1. Space Odyssey Part 1 JANE DUST & THE GIANT HOOPOES 2. A Funky Intervention WHITEHOUSE 3. Hope Addicts HOPE ADDICTS 4. Let Go REVOLVER 5. The Romance of Communication STEVE LANE & THE AUTOCRATS 6. Requiem THE GETAWAY PLAN 7. Thank You For Giving Me The Blues SHAUN KIRK 8. Bye Bye Manchester MELANIE PAIN 9. Money For Rope MONEY FOR ROPE 10. Red Shadow Landing

1. Whitehouse 2. Jane Dust & The Giant Hoopoes 3. Hope Addicts 4. Melanie Pain 5. Revolver

BEST WEBSITE 1. kat.ph 2. lwbooks.co.uk/journals/ anarchiststudies 3. thehowlingfantods.com 4. distinctlyfemale.blogspot.com 5. melbournecinematheque.org

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Hope Addicts 2. Primitive Calculators 3. Whitehouse 4. Yung Warriors 5. Sons Of The Sun

BEST TV SHOW 1. Treme 2. The Newsroom 3. Mad Men 4. Breaking Bad 5. The Walking Dead

BEST MOVIE 1. Argo 2. On the Road 3. Bait 4. Skyfall 5. Moonrise Kingdom

2012 HIGHLIGHT The unparalleled quirkiness of Space Odyssey Part 1.

2013 PREDICTION A breakout year for Australian Indigenous hip hop.

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

4. Givers 5. Washed Out

1. Straight to You: Triple J Tribute To Nick Cave VARIOUS 2. The Sapphires OST VARIOUS 3. Breaking Dawn Part 2 OST VARIOUS

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

SONG OF THE YEAR Bat For Lashes

Caitlin Summers ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Shrines PURITY RING 2. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 3. The Lion’s Roar FIRST AID KIT 4. The Haunted Man BAT FOR LASHES 5. The Heist MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS 6. Flume FLUME 7. A is for Alpine ALPINE 8. Nocturnal WILD NOTHING 9. The Rubens THE RUBENS 10. This Was Tomorrow SETH SENTRY

1. Fineshrines PURITY RING 2. Thrift Shop MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS 3. Holdin On FLUME 4. My Gun THE RUBENS 5. Not Giving In RUDIMENTAL

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Purity Ring 2. First Aid Kit 3. Gotye 4. Ball Park Music 5. The Rubens

BEST WEBSITE 1. grumpycats.com 2. buzzfeed.com 3. tumblr.com 4. etsy.com 5. thisiswhyimbroke.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. First Aid Kit 2. Mumford & Sons 3. Austra

10. Dark Black KRISTINA TRAIN

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Merrily We Roll Along CAST RECORDING 2. The Sapphires OST VARIOUS 3. Bring It On CAST RECORDING

1. The Rubens 2. Alpine 3. Oliver Tank 4. Flume 5. Sticky Fingers

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW 1. Parks and Recreation 2. Apartment 23 3. Modern Family 4. New Girl 5. 30 Rock

BEST MOVIE 1. Skyfall 2. We Bought a Zoo 3. Argo 4. Two Little Boys 5. Pitch Perfect

2012 HIGHLIGHT Local electronic music.

2013 PREDICTION Everyone loving local electronic music and hashtagging the hell out of bands via Instagram.

Dirty Three

Danielle O’Donohue ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Toward The Low Sun DIRTY THREE 2. Coexist THE XX 3. The Seventh Passenger SIETTA 4. The Winter I Chose Happiness CLARE BOWDITCH 5. Double Natural BOOMGATES 6. Little Broken Hearts NORAH JONES 7. Handwritten GASLIGHT ANTHEM 8. Zoo CEREMONY 9. Algiers CALEXICO

writers’ poll 2012 MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Isles Of Wonder VARIOUS ARTISTS 2. Hunger Games OST VARIOUS 3. Last Minutes & Lost Evenings FRANK TURNER

SONG OF THE YEAR

Gotye

Scott Fitzsimons ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Wreck & Ruin KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON 2. Smokey’s Haunt URTHBOY 3. Paper Spine BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP 4. Atlas PARKWAY DRIVE 5. Spring & Fall PAUL KELLY 6. Always Never Enough CATHERINE BRITT 7. Harmony DIE! DIE! DIE! 8. Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE 9. Algiers CALEXICO 10. Ten$ion DIE ANTWOORD

Tomás Ford ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Electric Love DONNY BENÉT 2. In Decay COM TRUISE 3. Unpatterns SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO 4. Burning Boy JOE MCKEE 5. Theatre Is Evil AMANDA PALMER 6. You’ve Been In My Mind DAVE GRANEY & THE MISTLY 7. American Hentai NOEMOTION X AOI 8. Tighten That Muscle Ring HIRSUTE PURSUIT 9. The Shape Of Things JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS 10. L-Burn ILLuminati X-Mas Tape L-BURN ILLUMINATI

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Dave DAVID BOWIE & SOULWAX 2. WITCH LESLIE WINER 3. The Velvet Underground & Nico THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO

1. Safe & Sound TAYLOR SWIFT 2. And I Will Kiss UNDERWORLD 3. Adam & Eve KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON 4. Six Months In A Cast THE TROUBLE WITH TEMPLETON 5. The Big Sleep URTHBOY

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Gotye 2. Sia 3. 360 4. The Amity Affliction 5. The Low Anthem

BEST WEBSITE

BEST TV SHOW 1. Fox & Friends 2. Lowdown 3. Sons Of Anarchy 4. Life’s Too Short 5. Louie

BEST MOVIE 1. Truth In 24 II 2. Turn 10 3. Killing Them Softly 4. Brave 5. The Hunger Games

2013 PREDICTION

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Amanda Palmer 2. Donny Benét 3. Abbe May 4. Death Grips 5. Rachael Dease

BEST WEBSITE 1. spotify.com 2. thequietus.com 3. themusic.com.au 4. chinamusicradar.com 5. sadyoutube.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Carnival Of Souls 2. Bob Log III 3. Scissor Sisters 4. Ennio Morricone 5. Elton John

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Rachael Dease 2. Keith! Party 3. Simo Soo

BEST WEBSITE

The HH0509 cask bottling of Sullivan’s Cove’s French Oak matured single malt The best field the Bathurst 12 Hours has seen yet, Audi to be really challenged at Le Mans.

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Dirty Three 2. Elefant Traks vs Dr Seuss 3. Cold Chisel 4. Trial Kennedy 5. Boomgates

BEST TV SHOW 1. Games Of Thrones 2. Justified 3. Downton Abbey 4. Redfern Now 5. Revenge

BEST MOVIE 1. Looper 2. Beasts Of The Southern Wild 3. The Avengers 4. Brave 5. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

1. grantland.com 2. elefanttraks.com/drseuss 3. everydaysexism.com 4. vulture.com 5. televisionwithoutpity.com

2012 HIGHLIGHT

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

2013 PREDICTION

1. The Pogues 2. Emmylou Harris

Julia Gillard’s misogyny speech and Jon Stewart’s Chaos On Bullshit Mountain monologue. In 2013, 20,000 Sydneysiders will have a great day at the second annual Community Cup.

writers’ poll 2012 BEST WEBSITE 1. ilxor.com 2. soundcloud.com 3. slate.com/blogs/moneybox.html 4. jezebel.com 5. crikey.com.au/firstdog

1. Urthboy 2. Catherine Britt 3. Closure In Moscow 4. sleepmakeswaves 5. The Trouble With Templeton

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Karmageddon ABBE MAY 2. Ima Read ZEBRA KATZ 3. Nightfall PVT 4. Tasty DRAPHT & TA-KU 5. WIIW KIRIN J CALLINAN

1. Dirty Three 2. Clare Bowditch 3. Jessica Mauboy 4. Royal Headache 5. Thursday

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

2012 HIGHLIGHT

SONG OF THE YEAR

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

3. Josh Ritter 4. Jim Ward 5. Frank Turner

1. thewhiskyexchange.com 2. radiolemans.com 3. netbank.com.au 4. thesun.co.uk 5. theMusic.com..au

1. Transistors 2. America

1. You Make Me Happy CLARE BOWDITCH 2. Battle Scars GUY SEBASTIAN 3. Ill Manors PLAN B 4. Hold On ALABAMA SHAKES 5. Dark Black KRISTINA TRAIN

3. Janelle Monae 4. Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen 5. Kurt Wagner

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Steve Earle 2. Grimes 3. John Talabot

Grimes pic by Jay Hynes

Tim Finney ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Armor On DAWN RICHARD 2. Visions GRIMES 3. Red TAYLOR SWIFT 4. Blondes BLONDES 5. Kaleidoscope Dream MIGUEL 6. Reservation ANGEL HAZE 7. Pluto FUTURE 8. Bogota Rich: the Prequel GUNPLAY 9. fIN JOHN TALABOT 10. good kid, m.A.A.d city KENDRICK LAMAR

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The Ultimate Azonto Mix CD DJ NEPTIZZLE

2. Dubstep Allstars Vol. 9 SILKIE & QUEST 3. Complete Singles Collection A. R. KANE

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Call Me Maybe CARLY RAE JEPSEN 2. Lapaz Toyota GURU 3. You Want Me NICK HANNAM & TOM GARNETT FT. TOM ZANETTI 4. Matte Black Truck KALENNA 5. Control DISCLOSURE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Funkystepz 2. Dawn Richard 3. DJ Q 4. Ball J 5. Lorenzo

BEST TV SHOW 1. Girls 2. Homeland 3. Insiders 4. Mad Men 5. Breaking Bad

BEST MOVIE 1. Shame 2. Moonrise Kingdom 3. Beasts of the Southern Wild 4. How To Survive A Plague 5. Young Adult

2012 HIGHLIGHT Jackin’ and Azonto aka music keeps throwing me curveballs.

2013 PREDICTION Everyone else keeps jumping on BS.

4. Dave Graney & The MistLY 5. Ten Thousand Free Men And Their Families

3. Chairlift 4. Beck 5. Beirut

BEST TV SHOW

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Problems 2. RuPaul’s Drag Race 3. The Walking Dead 4. Media Watch 5. Adventure Time

BEST MOVIE 1. Arrietty 2. Skyfall 3. A Separation 4. Moonrise Kingdom 5. Come As You Are

2012 HIGHLIGHT Finally releasing my second album, buying my house and getting my electronic cabaret show to the Edinburgh Fringe, where it kicked all kinds of arse.

2013 PREDICTION Streaming music will continue to become more popular, while musicians discover that panhandling is a more lucrative source of income than recording.

1. Chet Faker 2. Twerps 3. Wintercoats 4. Bitter Sweet Kicks 5. Lowlakes

Chet Faker

Warwick Goodman ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. I Know What Love Isn’t JENS LEKMAN 2. Something CHAIRLIFT 3. Girls & Boys ALABAMA SHAKES 4. There’s No Leaving Now TALLEST MAN ON EARTH 5. Thinking In Textures CHET FAKER 6. Fraser A. Gorman FRASER A. GORMAN 7. Tempest BOB DYLAN 8. Bloom BEACH HOUSE 9. Sun CAT POWER 10. A Wasteland Companion M. WARD

JENS LEKMAN 3. The First Time I Ran Away M. WARD 4. Nothin But Time CAT POWER 5. I Belong In Your Arms CHAIRLIFT

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Radiohead 2. Chet Faker 3. Alabama Shakes 4. Jens Lekman 5. Chairlift

BEST WEBSITE 1. ducksarethebest.com 2. abc.net.au/iview 3. wikipedia.org 4. thesaurus.com 5. theatlantic.com

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Hold On ALABAMA SHAKES 2. The World Moves On

1. Radiohead 2. Grizzly Bear

BEST TV SHOW 1. Homeland 2. The Walking Dead 3. Parks and Recreation 4. QI 5. Beauty and the Geek

BEST MOVIE 1. Argo 2. Looper 3. The Avengers 4. The Hunger Games 5. Back To Stay

2012 HIGHLIGHT Finally seeing Radiohead live.

2013 PREDICTION Australian electronic scene going big-time global, everyone gets Facebook fatigue and starts sending postcards instead.

9. Tough Love PULLED APART BY HORSES 10. My Head Is An Animal OF MONSTERS AND MEN

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The Dark Knight Rises: OST HANS ZIMMER 2. Blue Lines (reissue) MASSIVE ATTACK 3. Triple J Hottest 100 Vol. 19 VARIOUS

SONG OF THE YEAR

Mutemath pic by Josh Groom

1. Ekki Múkk SIGUR RÓS 2. Varðeldur SIGUR RÓS 3. 42 BAD BOOKS 4. I’m Not Me WHITE RABBITS 5. Karmageddon ABBE MAY

Andy Snelling ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Valtari SIGUR RÓS 2. II BAD BOOKS 3. Milk Famous WHITE RABBITS 4. Port Of Morrow THE SHINS 5. The Plot Against Common Sense FUTURE OF THE LEFT 6. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 7. Die Young COLLARBONES 8. The Lumineers THE LUMINEERS

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Sigur Rós 2. Radiohead 3. Bon Iver 4. La Dispute 5. Mutemath

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. DZ Deathrays 2. Regurgitator 3. The Panics 4. Bandito Folk

BEST TV SHOW 1. Archer 2. Game Of Thrones 3. The Newsroom 4. Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy 5. Rage

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

BEST MOVIE

1. Sigur Rós 2. Radiohead 3. Bad Books 4. White Rabbits 5. Future Of The Left

1. The Intouchables 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. Skyfall 4. Men In Black III 5. Looper

BEST WEBSITE 1. themusic.com.au 2. bedwettingcosmonaut.com 3. rtrfm.com.au 4. spaceshipnews.com 5. wordpress.com

2012 HIGHLIGHT Seeing Sigur Rós and Radiohead within four days of each other.

2013 PREDICTION A further resurgence of ‘90sinspired guitar bands.

Bob Baker Fish ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Thunder May Have Ruined The Moment VIEO ABIUNGO & PETE MONRO 2. Psychedelic Pill NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE 3. Errors Of The Human Body OST ANTHONY PATERAS 4. Your Life Is On Fire BATTLESNAKE 5. Presents Hollie Cook In Dub PRINCE FATTY 6. The Life And Times Of… HOT 8 BRASS BAND 7. You Me Bullets Love THE BOMBAY ROYALE 8. Twin Korg: Winter Drip Code SHANE FAHEY 9. Maidenhair MAX CRUMBS 10. Illumination KEVIN PURDY

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Song Of The Second Moon TOM DISSEVELT/KID BALTAN 2. Funky Highlife CK MANN & HIS CAROUSEL 7

writers’ poll 2012 Mat Lee ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The Temper Trap THE TEMPER TRAP 2. Babel MUMFORD & SONS 3. Port Of Morrow THE SHINS 4. Fear Fun FATHER JOHN MISTY 5. Blunderbuss JACK WHITE 6. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 7. Rhythm And Repose GLEN HANSARD 8. Here EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS 9. The Heist MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS 10. Adventures In Your Own Backyard PATRICK WATSON

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The Procession: 10 Years Of Dew Process DEW PROCESS 2. triple j – Like A Version, Vol. 8 VARIOUS ARTISTS 3. Fifty Big Ones – Greatest Hits THE BEACH BOYS

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Simple Song THE SHINS

2. Trembling Hands THE TEMPER TRAP 3. Lover Of The Light MUMFORD & SONS 4. Need Your Love THE TEMPER TRAP 5. Only Son Of A Ladies’ Man FATHER JOHN MISTY

1. The Temper Trap 2. Gypsy & The Cat 3. Katie Noonan & Karin Schaupp 4. Sarah Blasko 5. The Preatures

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

1. New Girl 2. WWE Raw 3. WWE Smackdown 4. The Slap 5. The Voice

1. Radiohead 2. The Temper Trap 3. Mumford & Sons 4. The Shins 5. Coldplay

BEST WEBSITE 1. facebook.com 2. instagram.com 3. triplejunearthed.com 4. tumblr.com 5. indieshuffle.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Coldplay 2. Radiohead 3. Bon Iver 4. The Beach Boys 5. Sigur Ros

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Fabric Live 66 BEN KLOCK 2. Watergate X VARIOUS 3. Balance 21 NIC FANCIULLI

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Feel the Love RUDIMENTAL 2. Holdin On FLUME 3. Madness MUSE 4. We Are Young FUN 5. Channel 42 DEADMAU5 + WOLFGANG GARTNER Kendrick Lamar

Stuart Evans ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. good kid, m.A.A.d city KENDRICK LAMAR 2. Out Of The Black BOYS NOIZE 3. Luxury Problems ANDY SCOTT 4. Wonky ORBITAL 5. 1991 AZEALIA BANKS 6. Violent Waves CIRCA SURVIVE 7. Galaxy Garden LONE 8. Bodyparts DRAGONETTE 9. R.I.P ACTRESS

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Flume 2. Seekae 3. Gotye 4. The Presets 5. San Cisco

BEST WEBSITE 1. boriswatch.com 2. thesouptv.com 3. thechive.com 4. uncrate.com 5. youtube.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. New Order 2. Avicii 3. Orbital 4. The Wombats 5. Gareth Emery

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Seven Psychopaths 2. My Week With Marilyn 3. Argo 4. The Dark Knight Rises 5. The Artist

2012 HIGHLIGHT A tie: Coachella weekend one and Coldplay’s stunningly extravagant rendition of Fix You at Allianz Stadium.

2013 PREDICTION Radiohead will release a phenomenal and groundbreaking new record towards the end of 2013 – we can all dream.

Refused pic by Angela Padovan

Dave Drayton ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Charge Group CHARGE GROUP 2. Broad Shoulders DIKEMBE 3. Sunshine & Technology THE SMITH STREET BAND 4. Resonation LINCOLN LE FEVRE 5. The Quietest Place On Earth WE LOST THE SEA 6. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 7. Bless This Mess LISA MITCHELL 8. Leave Your Soul To Science SOMETHING FOR KATE 9. Now Here Nowhere HIRA HIRA 10. Secular QUIET STEPS

I predict a riot as electro finally fucks off. Deadmau5 will say something interesting, or perhaps not.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Neil Young 2. Omar Souleyman 3. Seun Kuti 4. The Abyssinians 5. John Zorn

BEST WEBSITE 1. cyclicdefrost.com 2. harmony-korine.com 3. sinatrajr.8m.com 4. americasfunnyman.com 5. nme.com/list/50-worst-musicvideos-ever/253198/page/1

1. Battlesnake 2. Cumbia Cosmanauts 3. The Overtone Ensemble 4. The Bombay Royale 5. Hessian Jailer

BEST TV SHOW 1. The Killing 2. The Bridge 3. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 4. Treme 5. Game Of Thrones

BEST MOVIE 1. The Human Centipede 2 2. Bellflower 3. The Skin I Live In 4. Amour 5. A Separation

2012 HIGHLIGHT

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

The return of Julia Gillard.

1. Seun Kuti 2. Goblin perform Suspiria

The Apple Corporation enslaves us all.

1. Call Me Maybe CARLY RAE JEPSEN 2. My Dad The Manatee WAVELETS 3. Miracle Cure SOMETHING FOR KATE 4. Seems Your Buddies Are Dead LIFE & LIMB 5. Gasoline ALPINE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. The Smith Street Band 2. Lemuria 3. Charge Group 4. Totally Unicorn 5. Ceremony

BEST WEBSITE 1. reddit.com 2. bandcamp.com 3. youtube.com 4. twitter.com 5. facebook.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 5. Swing Lo Magellan DIRTY PROJECTORS 6. Ten Stories MEWITHOUTYOU 7. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 8. Centipede Hz ANIMAL COLLECTIVE 9. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City KENDRICK LAMAR 10. Channel Orange FRANK OCEAN

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Silver & Gold SUFJAN STEVENS 2. The Master JOHNNY GREENWOOD 3. Anthology THRICE

BEST MOVIE

2013 PREDICTION

1. She’s Always Dancing NEIL YOUNG 2. Bust Body Move NO ZU 3. Euphoria LOVE CONNECTION 4. Addis OM 5. Can’t Hide From The Truth HOT 8 BRASS BAND

SONG OF THE YEAR

1. The Walking Dead 2. Breaking Bad 3. The Bridge 4. Mad Men 5. Homeland

Personal highlight was surviving a motorbike accident; musical highlight was seeing New Order and listening to Flume.

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Shuffle And Scrape: A Tribute To Blueline Medic VARIOUS 2. The Good Fight For Harmony ELEVENTH HE REACHES LONDON 3. Molecular Genetics From The Gold Standard Labs THE LOCUST

BEST TV SHOW

2012 HIGHLIGHT

SONG OF THE YEAR

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. San Cisco 2. Flume 3. The Temper Trap 4. Seekae 5. Cut Copy

1. Argo 2. This Is Not a Flim 3. Killing Them Softly 4. Looper 5. The Dark Knight Rises

3. Narasirato 4. Tinariwen 5. Omar Souleyman

2013 PREDICTION

writers’ poll 2012

BEST TV SHOW

BEST MOVIE

3. Strong Love: Songs Of Gay Liberation 1972-1981 VARIOUS ARTISTS

Something For Kate

Sam Hobson ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Trilogy THE WEEKND 2. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 3. The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever D FIONA APPLE 4. Leave Your Soul to Science SOMETHING FOR KATE

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Twenty Eight THE WEEKND 2. Matilda ALT-J 3. Christmas In The Room SUFJAN STEVENS 4. Aimless Arrow CONVERGE 5. Fineshrine PURITY RING

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. The Weeknd 2. Something For Kate 3. Fiona Apple 4. Frank Ocean 5. Tame Impala

1. Restorations 2. Refused 3. Ceremony 4. At The Drive-In 5. Portugal. The Man

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Australian Chamber Orchestra 2. The Smith Street Band 3. Life & Limb 4. Stockades 5. Ted Danson With Wolves

BEST TV SHOW 1. The Simpsons 2. QI 3. The Young Ones 4. Redfern Now 5. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia

BEST MOVIE 1. Moonrise Kingdom 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. Celeste And Jesse Forever 4. Life Of Pi 5. Knuckleball

2012 HIGHLIGHT The brief week when there were sour cherry Slurpees at 7-Eleven.

2013 PREDICTION More concrete examples of global warming. 3. hitfix.com 4. twitter.com 5. themusic.com.au

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. The Preatures 2. Josh Pyke 3. Greenthief

BEST TV SHOW 1. Luck 2. Mad Men 3. Girls 4. Justified 5. Game Of Thrones

BEST MOVIE 1. Beasts Of The Southern Wild 2. Margaret 3. Killing Them Softly 4. Holy Motors 5. Rust & Bone

2012 HIGHLIGHT The fake Michael Haneke Twitter account sending a gloating tweet to Brett Ratner about his lack of “Parms Dorz”.

BEST WEBSITE

2013 PREDICTION

1. badassdigest.com 2. chud.com

The agonising and protracted death of ‘Community.’

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Parklive BLUR 2. Essential Oils MIDNIGHT OIL 3. Grrr! THE ROLLING STONES

1. Daniel Merriweather 2. Tame Impala 3. DZ Deathrays 4. Jack Ladder 5. Kirin J Callinan

1. The Key Of Sea VARIOUS 2. The Soul Of Melbourne VARIOUS 3. 20 Big Ones VARIOUS

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Elephant TAME IMPALA 2. ill Manors PLAN B 3. What It’ll Take GRAHAM COXON 4. March On N’FA JONES 5. Night & Day HOT CHIP

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Motley Crue

Bryget Chrisfield

1. Mötley Crüe 2. Blur 3. Tame Impala 4. DZ Deathrays 5. Icehouse

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

BEST WEBSITE

1. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 2. Blunderbuss JACK WHITE 3. This Is PiL PIL 4. Lex Hives THE HIVES 5. Bloodstreams DZ DEATHRAYS 6. The Invitation To The Voyage EUGENE MCGUINNESS 7. Beard, Wives, Denim POND 8. Pacifica THE PRESETS 9. Happy To You MIIKE SNOW 10. In Hindsight HUNTING GROUNDS

1. rcdlbl.com 2. google.com.au 3. soundcloud.com 4. guardian.co.uk 5. facebook.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Prince 2. Radiohead 3. Jack White 4. Kasabian 5. The Horrors

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW 1. Sons Of Anarchy 2. Mad Men 3. Puberty Blues 4. Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy 5. Breaking Bad

BEST MOVIE 1. Moonrise Kingdom 2. Magic Mike 3. Not Suitable For Children 4. Rock Of Ages 5. The Sapphires

2012 HIGHLIGHT Travelling to Vegas to see Mötley Crüe at Hard Rock three nights in a row and catching Nikki Sixx’s plectrum.

2013 PREDICTION Blur Down Under tour. New Justin Timberlake album (enough already with the mediocre acting, you’re a WAY better pop star!).

Celline Narinli

1. Bad Religion FRANK OCEAN 2. Wasted Days CLOUD NOTHINGS 3. Taro ALT-J 4. Yet Again GRIZZLY BEAR 5. Varud SIGUR ROS

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

1. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 2. Attack On Memory CLOUD NOTHINGS 3. The Clearing BOWERBIRDS 4. Give You The Ghost POLICA 5. Valtari SIGUR ROS 6. Bored Nothing BORED NOTHING 7. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 8. Channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 9. good kid, m.A.A.d city KENDRICK LAMAR 10. Piramida EFTERKLANG

1. Alt-J 2. Tame Impala 3. Fishing 4. Chet Faker 5. Purity Ring

Polica

writers’ poll 2012 9. I Sleep.At Waking MEMOTONE 10. Mesmer KAREEM

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Two Different Ways (Remixes) FACTORY FLOOR 2. Tamer Animals (Atoms For Peace Remix)/Other Side (Remix) ATOMS FOR PEACE/OTHER LIVES 3. Negative Fascination (Extended 12inch Mixes) SILENT SERVANT Silent Servant

Craig Hollywood ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Negative Fascination SILENT SERVANT 2. Motormouth Variations RROSE X BOB OSTERTAG 3. Stoic WIFE 4. LP CONTAINER 5. Crossed Paths SHIFTED 6. Perceiver PETER VAN HOESEN 7. Alfur OLD APPARATUS 8. Music For Reliquary House/In 1980 I Was A Blue Square ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER/RENE HELL

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Two Different Ways (Perc Remix) FACTORY FLOOR 2. 111 SLAVES 3. Rano Pano (Time Hecker Remix) MOGWAI 4. Waterfall RROSE 5. Default ATOMS FOR PEACE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Silent Servant 2. Rrose 3. Memotone 4. Kareem 5. Wife

BEST WEBSITE 1. rtrfm.com.au 2. hardwax.com 3. boilerroom.tv 4. rotation-records.de 5. celticfc.net

Nic Owen ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. HyperParadise HERMITUDE 2. The Gruesome Features JAM BAXTER 3. Flume FLUME 4. RE ϟ TWERK TA-KU 5. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 6. Look Around The Corner QUANTIC & ALICE RUSSEL 7. The Heist MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS 8. Disk.151 YLEM 9. Mourning In America & Dreaming In Colour BROTHER ALI 10. Beard, Wives, Denim POND

1. whothehell.net 2. triplejunearthed.com 3. allidoislisten.com 4. messandnoise.com 5. pedestrian.tv

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Sigur Ros

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Radiohead 2. Sigur Ros 3. Amon Tobin 4. Matthew Dear 5. Octave One

1. Nuggets: Antipodean Interpolations of the First Psychedelic Era VARIOUS 2. Rumours Revisted VARIOUS 3. Adult Swim Singles Program VARIOUS

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

BEST TV SHOW 1. The Limmy Show 2. Great British Menu 3. The Scheme 4. Pawn Stars 5. Deadliest Catch

BEST MOVIE 1. Jiro Dreams Of Sushi 2. Brooklyn Castle 3. The Imposter 4. Safety Not Guaranteed 5. Indie Game – The Movie

2012 HIGHLIGHT Losing my marbles in Berghain, Berlin.

2013 PREDICTION Doing the SPA Writers Poll 2013?

1. Dirty Three 2. Fishing 3. Hermitude 4. Collarbones 5. Flume

BEST TV SHOW 1. Girls 2. Downton Abbey 3. Parks and Recreation 4. Community 5. Gossip Girl

BEST MOVIE 1. Moonrise Kingdom 2. The Master 3. Perks Of Being A Wallflower 4. Chicken With Plums 5. Monsieur Lazhar

2012 HIGHLIGHT Grumpy Cat.

2013 PREDICTION More boutique festivals and gigs in odd places.

writers’ poll 2012

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Sugar Army 2. Russian Winters 3. Sons Of Rico 4. Bears Bears Bears 5. Sea Of Tunes

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

SONG OF THE YEAR Violent Soho pic by Sky Kirkham

Madeleine Laing ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The World Warriors VELOCIRAPTOR 2. Swing Lo Magellan DIRTY PROJECTORS 3. Tramp SHARON VAN ETTEN 4. Sad Summer Hits TEXAS TEA 5. Celebration Rock JAPANDROIDS 6. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 7. Bored Nothing BORED NOTHING 8. Total Loss HOW TO DRESS WELL 9. Midnight Mirage DO THE ROBOT 10. Bloodstreams DZ DEATHRAYS

1. Darlin JEREMY NEALE 2. Gun Has No Trigger DIRTY PROJECTORS 3. Alice DICK DIVER 4. I Don’t Write No Sad Songs TEXAS TEA 5. The Walk On By VELOCIRAPTOR

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Jeremy Neale 2. Fergus Miller 3. Fiona Apple 4. James X. Boyd 5. Alexander Gow

BEST WEBSITE 1. pedestrian.tv/jobs 2. twitter.com 3. soundcloud.com 4. thevine.com.au 5. whothehell.net

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

2. Stephen Malkmus 3. St Vincent 4. Thurston Moore 5. Grizzly Bear

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Velociraptor 2. Twerps 3. Straight Arrows 4. Violent Soho 5. Texas Tea

BEST TV SHOW 1. The Walking Dead 2. Game Of Thrones 3. Problems 4. The Hamster Wheel 5. Laid

BEST MOVIE 1. Looper 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. The Avengers 4. Cabin In The Woods 5. Skyfall

2012 HIGHLIGHT Finally being in the same room as Stephen Malkmus.

2013 PREDICTION

1. Beck

Jeremy Neale is releasing and album and it’s going to be a pure pop delight.

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

4. Beck 5. Rufus Wainwright

1. In Motion #1 THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA PRESENTS 2. Blue Lines: Remastered Box Set MASSIVE ATTACK 3. triple j’s House Party NINA LAS VEGAS

1. Radiohead 2. Mutemath 3. Shapeshifter 4. Foster The People 5. SBTRKT

1. Lioness: Hidden Treasures AMY WINEHOUSE 2. The Complete Studio Recordings 1972-1982 ROXY MUSIC 3. I Get Wet ANDREW WK

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

SONG OF THE YEAR

The Medics

BEST WEBSITE

2. Bon Iver 3. Efterklang 4. M83 5. Youth Lagoon

1. Latch DISCLOSURE FEAT, SAM SMITH 2. Thrift Shop MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS FEAT. WANZ 3. Frivolous Life YESYOU FEAT. MARCUS AZON 4. Ghosts (Hermitude Trapped In Heaven Remix) THE PRESETS 5. My Gun (pre-album version) THE RUBENS

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Mutemath 2. Sola Rosa 3. Arrested Development 4. Tomás Ford 5. The Medics

1. The Medics 2. New Navy 3. Bluejuice 4. Jinja Safari 5. Kimbra

BEST TV SHOW

Grizzly Bear pic by Andrew Briscoe

1. Dexter 2. Breaking Bad 3. South Park 4. Game of Thrones 5. Skins

Sean Pollard

BEST MOVIE

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Seven Psycopaths 2. Argo 3. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 4. Skyfall 5. Looper

1. Spring And Fall PAUL KELLY 2. Heaven THE WALKMEN 3. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 4. Fear Fun FATHER JOHN MISTY 5. Burning Boy JOE MCKEE 6. The Haunted Man BAT FOR LASHES 7. Outlands DEEP SEA ARCADE 8. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 9. Deep Heat OH MERCY 10. Lake Air DAPPLED CITIES

BEST WEBSITE

2012 HIGHLIGHT

1. youtube.com 2. facebook.com 3. soundcloud.com 4. triplejunearthed.com 5. bandcamp.com

Every moment spent with the band I play in, The Brow Horn Orchestra

2013 PREDICTION The revolution will not be televised!

1. Pyramids FRANK OCEAN 2. Elephant TAME IMPALA 3. Would That Not Be Nice DIVINE FITS 4. Under The Westway BLUR 5. My Man OH MERCY

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Paul Kelly 2. Tame Impala 3. Joe McKee 4. Frank Ocean 5. Sarah Blasko

BEST WEBSITE 1. twitter.com.au 2. cricinfo.com 3. wearehunted.com 4. pitchfork.com 5. dreamteam.afl.com.au

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Grizzly Bear 2. Radiohead 3. Coldplay

1. Something For Kate 2. Clairy Brown & The Bangin’ Rackettes 3. Ned Collette 4. Dan Kelly 5. Deep Sea Arcade

BEST TV SHOW 1. Boardwalk Empire 2. The League 3. Grand Designs 4. Tony Robinson’s Time Walks 5. Storage Wars

BEST MOVIE 1. Skyfall 2. Paul Kelly – Stories Of Me 3. The Dark Knight Rises 4. Moonrise Kingdom 5. Jeff Who Lives At Home

2012 HIGHLIGHT The Chris Judd chicken wing saga.

2013 PREDICTION Kurt Tippet and Izzy Folau both wind up clubless and selling footy records outside Skoda Stadium.

3. Sigur Ros 4. Miike Snow 5. Bon Iver

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

Dylan Stewart

Built JAPANDROIDS 3. Get Free MAJOR LAZER 4. Elephant TAME IMPALA 5. Open RHYE

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

1. Celebration Rock JAPANDROIDS 2. Coexist THE XX 3. Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE 4. Reign Of Terror SLEIGH BELLS 5. Leave Your Soul To Science SOMETHING FOR KATE 6. Tramp SHARON VAN ETTEN 7. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 8. Sweet Sour BAND OF SKULLS 9. ill Manors PLAN B 10. Tough Love PULLED APART BY HORSES

1. Japandroids 2. Alt-J 3. Frank Ocean 4. Rhye 5. The Smith Street Band

BEST WEBSITE 1. facebook.com 2. twitter.com 3. brooklynvegan.com 4. theage.com.au 5. spinner.ca

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Angels THE XX 2. The House That Heaven

1. Major Lazer 2. Kanye West

BEST MOVIE 1. The Dark Knight Rises 2. American Reunion 3. Project X

2012 HIGHLIGHT Venues come and venues go. The Aussie live music scene lives on.

2013 PREDICTION Punters getting sick of festivals not allowing headline bands to do sideshows. Looking at you, Laneway!

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Antipodean Interpolations Of The First Psychedelic Era VARIOUS 2. The Velvet Underground & Nico Re-issue THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO 3. Trilogy THE WEEKND

1. Prince 2. Yuck 3. The Pogues 4. Jack White 5. Youth Lagoon

SONG OF THE YEAR

Tame Impala pic by Elaine Reyes

Jan Wisniewski ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 2. Spooky Action At A Distance LOTUS PLAZA 3. Bloom BEACH HOUSE 4. Open Your Heart THE MEN 5. Life Is People BILL FAY 6. The Idler Wheel... FIONA APPLE 7. Oshin DIIV 8. 2 MAC DEMARCO 9. Hard Rubbish LOWER PLENTY 10. Outlands DEAP SEA ARCADE

The Rubens pic by Callan Gibson

Lucia OsborneCrowley ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 2. Babel MUMFORD & SONS 3. Coexist THE XX 4. Port Of Morrow THE SHINS 5. Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color BROTHER ALI 6. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City KENDRICK LAMAR 7. Valtari SIGUR ROS 8. Life Is Good NAS 9. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 10. The Rubens THE RUBENS

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Feels Like We Only Go Backwards TAME IMPALA 2. Monoliths LOTUS PLAZA 3. Candy THE MEN 4. Rest Your Head THE DANDY WARHOLS 5. Bad Decisions BITCH PREFECT

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Tame Impala 2. Frank Ocean 3. Lower Plenty 4. Fiona Apple 5. Pond

BEST WEBSITE

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Tame Impala 2. Lisa Mitchell 3. Pond 4. Weddings, Parties, Anything 5. The Twerps

BEST TV SHOW 1. Girls 2. Mad Men 3. The Newsroom 4. Fresh Meat 5. Game Of Thrones

BEST MOVIE 1. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower 2. Skyfall 3. Moonrise Kingdom 4. The Sapphires 5. The Dark Knight Rises

1. anydecentmusic.com 2. drownedinsound.com 3. theconversation.edu.au 4. devour.com 5. whatshouldwecallme. tumblr.com

2012 HIGHLIGHT

1. By My Side BEN HARPER 2. Ministry of Sound Anthems Hip Hop Volume 2 VARIOUS 3. Triple J Hottest 100 Volume 19 VARIOUS

5. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

SONG OF THE YEAR

1. The Rubens 2. Gotye 3. Ball Park Music 4. Flume 5. Kimbra

1. Think Bout You FRANK OCEAN 2. Wicked Games THE WEEKND 3. Chained THE XX 4. Whispers In The Dark MUMFORD & SONS 5. Poetic Justice KENDRICK LAMAR FEAT. DRAKE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Frank Ocean 2. Mumford & Sons 3. The Tallest Man On Earth 4. The xx 5. The Shins

BEST WEBSITE 1. 8tracks.com 2. twitter.com 3. reddit.com 4. abc.net.au/triplej/ 5. facebook.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Atmosphere 2. Mumford & Sons 3. The Shins 4. Swedish House Mafia

A lovely birthday picnic in the Botanical Gardens.

2013 PREDICTION An un-hung parliament.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Bluejuice pic by Josh Groom

Helen Lear ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The Rubens THE RUBENS 2. Coexist THE XX 3. Ceremonials FLORENCE + THE MACHINE 4. Catcall THE WARMEST PLACE 5. Fragrant World YEASAYER 6. Pacifica THE PRESETS 7. A Joyful Noise GOSSIP 8. The National Health MAXIMO PARK 9. The Haunted Man BAT FOR LASHES

Kris Swales ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. HyperParadise HERMITUDE 2. Fabric 64 GUY GERBER 3. ‘Alleluhah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 4. Sweet Heart Sweet Light SPIRITUALIZED 5. Galaxy Garden LONE 6. Wonky ORBITAL 7. Bitrok BITROK 8. In A Million Years LAST DINOSAURS 9. Master Of My Make Believe SANTIGOLD 10. We Keep The Beat Found The Sound Feed The Need Start The Heart JONATHAN BOULET

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Isles Of Wonder – Music For The Opening Ceremony Of The London 2012 Olympic Games VARIOUS 2. Eric Prydz Presents Pryda PRYDA 3. Blood Bros III: Back To America BLOOD BROS

1. Moonrise Kingdom 2. The Master 3. The Intouchables 4. Ted 5. Looper

2012 HIGHLIGHT Definitely Mitt Romney not becoming the next president of the United States.

2013 PREDICTION With a bit of luck, Gangnam Style will get slightly less radio play and I will spend slightly less time lurking people I don’t really know on Instagram.

BEST WEBSITE 1. themusic.com.au 2. twitter.com 3. facebook.com 4. lostateminor.com 5. broadsheet.com.au

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. St Vincent 2. Arrested Development 3. The xx

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. And I Will Kiss UNDERWORLD 2. Mladic GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 3. Mainline TENSNAKE FEAT SYRON 4. Trololo DOCTOR WEREWOLF 5. Feel The Love RUDIMENTAL

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Underworld & High Contrast (Olympic champions!) 2. Hermitude 3. Disclosure 4. Flume 5. Cooper Cronk

BEST WEBSITE 1. inthemix.com.au 2. themusic.com.au 3. theroar.com.au 4. facebook.com 5. soundcloud.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. MeLo-X 2. The Stepkids 3. Roger Waters 4. Shapeshifter 5. Spiritualized

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Strong Love: Songs Of Gay Liberation 1972)1981 VARIOUS 2. Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions BILLY BRAGG 3. Electrospective VARIOUS

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW

BEST MOVIE

1. The xx 2. The Presets 3. Maximo Park 4. The Temper Trap 5. Bat For Lashes

1. The Beards 2. Bluejuice 3. The Temper Trap 4. The Presets 5. Boy & Bear

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. Puberty Blues 3. Redfern Now 4. Game Of Thrones 5. Homeland

BEST MOVIE 1. The Sapphires 2. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 3. Safety Not Guaranteed 4. Moonrise Kingdom 5. The Dark Knight Rises

2012 HIGHLIGHT The Presets secret gig at The Hi-Fi, Sydney

2013 PREDICTION Hopefully more great music and the death of dubstep!

writers’ poll 2012

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Girls 2. The Walking Dead 3. Masterchef 4. The Newsroom 5. Friday Night Lights

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Heaven EMELIE SANDE 2. Henrietta YEASAYER 3. London’s Burning TEMPER TRAP 4. Hips & Lips MAXIMO PARK 5. All Your Gold BAT FOR LASHES

writers’ poll 2012 MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. Parks & Recreation 3. Dexter 4. Homeland 5. A Moody Christmas

4. The Maccabees 5. Bat For lashes

1. MTV Unplugged FLORENCE + THE MACHINE 2. Triple J Hottest 100 VARIOUS 3. Blue Lines MASSIVE ATTACK

1. Seekae 2. Kingswood 3. Naysayer & Gilsun 4. Money For Rope 5. Sheriff

Seekae pic by Angela Padovan

10. The Temper Trap THE TEMPER TRAP

Tomas Ford

Mac McNaughton ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Human Woman HUMAN WOMAN 2. Fool KASPER BJØRKE 3. Wonky ORBITAL 4. Django Django DJANGO DJANGO 5. Ei8ht NIK KERSHAW 6. MMXII KILLING JOKE 7. Elysium PET SHOP BOYS 8. Light Years KORA 9. An Audience With... TOMÁS FORD 10. The 2nd Law MUSE

1. Where Is It Going? ORBITAL 2. Madness MUSE 3. Ride LANA DEL REY 4. Love Games HUMAN WOMAN 5. I Can Make You Love Me BRITISH INDIA

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Tomás Ford 2. Underworld 3. Death Grips 4. Nick Cave 5. Blur

BEST WEBSITE 1. themusic.com.au 2. tvtonight.com.au 3. thespace.org/content/ 4. pitchfork.com 5. facebook.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Roger Waters 2. New Order 3. Orbital

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Hermitude 2. Alex Dyson (Community Cup) 3. Urthboy 4. Cliques 5. Tired Lion

BEST TV SHOW 1. Go Back To Where You Came From 2. State Of Origin Game Three 3. Treme 4. Mad Men 5. Redfern Now

BEST MOVIE 1. Samsara 2. The Avengers 3. Cabin In The Woods 4. The Sapphires 5. Katy Perry: Part Of Me

2012 HIGHLIGHT Making music again. Taking five marks on the hallowed turf of Newtown’s Henson Park for Community Cup. Surviving it.

2013 PREDICTION I’ll find it even harder to come up with a Top Five Gigs of the year. 4. The Tea Party 5. Howard Jones

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Tomás Ford 2. Sam Perry 3. The Raging Lincolns 4. Sexy Robot 5. Mulder

BEST TV SHOW 1. The Newsroom 2. Big Bang Theory 3. The Amazing Race Australia 4. Dexter 5. Good Game

BEST MOVIE 1. The Dark Knight Rises 2. The Avengers 3. Skyfall 4. The Iron Lady 5. Shut Up & Play The Hits

2012 HIGHLIGHT Meeting/seeing several personal heroes courtesy of writing for Drum. Street Press Australia is alive and well!

2013 PREDICTION RIP Nintendo; One Direction sex scandal; Kate Middleton’s ‘Childbirth Screams’ goes number one.

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Tim Rogers 2. The Jezabels 3. The Church 4. Mike Noga 5. Henry Wagons

1. Hot Snakes 2. Radiohead 3. Wild Flag 4. Charles Bradley 5. Big Jay McNeely

BEST TV SHOW

2. Document Reissue R.E.M. 3. So (25th Anniversary Reissue) PETER GABRIEL

1. Sherlock 2. The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson 3. Rake 4. Southland 5. Doctor Who

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

BEST MOVIE

Tim Rogers pic by Linda Heller-Salvador

Ross Clelland ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Blunderbuss JACK WHITE 2. The Carpenter THE AVETT BROTHERS 3. Silver Age BOB MOULD 4. Love Your Crooked Neighbour With Your Crooked Heart CHARLES JENKINS & THE ZHIVAGOS 5. Mirage Rock BAND OF HORSES 6. Spring And Fall PAUL KELLY 7. Channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 8. Algiers CALEXICO 9. I Awake SARAH BLASKO 10. Burning Boy JOE MCKEE

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Quiet Heart THE GO-BETWEENS

1. Jack White 2. Bruce Springsteen 3. Gotye 4. The Rolling Stones 5. Bob Mould

BEST WEBSITE 1. globalmail.org 2. facebook.com 3. themusic.com.au 4. snopes.com 5. google.com.au

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. PJ Harvey 2. Jack White 3. Dexys

1. Lawless 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. Shut Up And Play The Hits 4. Skyfall 5. Lincoln

2012 HIGHLIGHT Not sure if it’s a highlight, but both sides of politics hacking at one another, while running the country seemed secondary, seemed a recurring theme.

2013 PREDICTION Hopefully, a decline of hipsters wearing woollen flat caps: It’s Newtown. It’s 30 degrees. You do not work at mill in Edwardian Lancashire.

Royal Headache

Samson McDougall ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Hard Rubbish LOWER PLENTY 2. Cut Sleeves BITS OF SHIT 3. Sun CAT POWER 4. Playin’ In Time With The Deadbeat SLUG GUTS 5. Royal Headache ROYAL HEADACHE 6. The Spinning Rooms THE SPINNING ROOMS 7. Post Ending//Pre Completion USELESS CHILDREN 8. New War NEW WAR 9. Putrifiers II THEE OH SEES

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Blur 21 Box Set BLUR 2. The Velvet Underground & Nico 45th Anniversary [Super Deluxe] THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NIKO 3. Kinks In Mono Box Set THE KINKS

1. Nuggets: Antipodean Interpolations Of The First Psychedelic Era VARIOUS

SONG OF THE YEAR Rufus Wainwright pic by Lou Lou Nutt

1. Tapes & Money TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS 2. Solid Gold AU 3. This Is Not A Song ISLANDS 4. Barbara RUFUS WAINWRIGHT 5. What’s On Your Mind BALL PARK MUSIC

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Tame Impala 2. The Love Junkies 3. Rufus Wainwright 4. Frank Ocean 5. Ball Park Music

BEST WEBSITE 1. pitchfork.com 2. rcrdlbl.com 3. themusicnetwork.com 4. rollingstone.com 5. fasterlouder.com.au

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Rufus Wainwright

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Lucky Animals DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT 2. Take My Bones Away BARONESS 3. Rise Up TESTAMENT 4. Recharger FEAR FACTORY 5. Starlight GOTTHARD Devin Townsend Project

Chris Maric ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Epicloud DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT 2. Dark Roots Of The Earth TESTAMENT 3. The Industrialist FEAR FACTORY 4. Bring Heavy Rock To The Land JORN 5. Yellow And Green BARONESS 6. L’Enfant Sauvage GOJIRA 7. The Hunt GRAND MAGUS 8. Awakened AS I LAY DYING 9. Where The Corpses Stink Forever CARACH ANGREN 10. Sentenced To Life BLACK BREATH

1. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia 2. 30 Rock 3. Parks & Recreation 4. Peep Show 5. The Walking Dead

BEST MOVIE 1. Moonrise Kingdom 2. Looper 3. Bernie 4. The Dark Knight Rises 5. The Avengers

2012 HIGHLIGHT Watching Rufus Wainwright perform at the Perth Convention Centre.

2013 PREDICTION

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Sons Of Anarchy 2. Game Of Thrones 3. Masterchef 4. Caprica 5. Breaking Bad

1. At The Gates 2. Fear Factory 3. Watain

1. Channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 2. Smokey’s Haunt URTHBOY 3. I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead EL-P 4. Forever Sky’High SKY’HIGH 5. Skelethon AESOP ROCK 6. Cruel Summer VARIOUS G.O.O.D. MUSIC ARTISTS 7. Breakfast CHIDDY BANG 8. Future Shade THE HERD 9. Key to the Kuffs JJ DOOM

Steve Bell

1. Kvelertak 2. Baroness 3. Fear Factory 4. 4Arm 5. Your fave X Factor hopeful

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

4. Goatwhore 5. Meshuggah

BEST TV SHOW

1. paleomg.com 2. facebook.com 3. smh.com.au 4. kmdi.com.au 5. failblog.org

James d’Apice

The Love Junkies finally release an album and it wins ALL the awards.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

BEST WEBSITE

Urthboy

1. Untitled EP HODGY BEATS 2. The Lost Tape 50 CENT 3. Seven KAY COLA

1. sleepmakeswaves 2. Michele Madden 3. Darkc3ll 4. 4ARM 5. Shinobi

BEST MOVIE 1. Argo 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. The Grey 4. Bourne Legacy 5. Coriolanus

2012 HIGHLIGHT Reaching 95% of the goals I set out to achieve this year.

2013 PREDICTION The curse of Jethro Tull making another appearance at the Arias.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Iggy Pop 2. Courtney Barnett 3. Jimi Kritzler 4. Charlyn Marshall 5. Mikey Young

BEST WEBSITE

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

BEST TV SHOW

1. Stranglin’ You Too SLUG GUTS 2. Open Your Heart THE MEN 3. No Moon RULE OF THIRDS 4. White Walls LOWER PLENTY 5. Green Box DEEP HEAT

1. Royal Headache 2. Deep Heat 3. Boomgates 4. Bits Of Shit 5. Tyrannamen

BEST TV SHOW 1. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 2. Boardwalk Empire 3. Game Of Thrones 4. Sherlock 5. The Cricket

BEST MOVIE 1. The Cabin In The Woods 2. Under African Skies 3. Bad Brains: A Band In DC

2012 HIGHLIGHT The big news!

2013 PREDICTION New socks.

writers’ poll 2012

2. Radiohead 3. The Black Keys 4. The Beach Boys 5. Damo Suzuki

1. The Love Junkies 2. Ball Park Music 3. Alpine 4. Pond 5. Deep Sea Arcade

SONG OF THE YEAR

1. flannelette.blogspot.com.au 2. facebook.com/pages/ Badly-Stuffed-Animals 3. nrl.com 4. swellnet.com.au 5. bom.gov.au

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

writers’ poll 2012

2. Graceland 25th Anniversary PAUL SIMON 3. Nihilistic Orbs Sampler VARIOUS

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. The World Warriors VELOCIRAPTOR 2. Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE 3. Spring And Fall PAUL KELLY 4. Class Clown Spots A UFO GUIDED BY VOICES 5. Double Natural BOOMGATES 6. The Plot Against Common Sense FUTURE OF THE LEFT 7. Heat Lightning Rumbles In The Distance PATTERSON HOOD 8. Big Time BITCH PREFECT 9. Sad Summer Hits TEXAS TEA 10. Clear Heart Full Eyes CRAIG FINN

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Quiet Heart THE GO-BETWEENS 2. Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions BILLY BRAGG & WILCO 3. Early Times SILVER JEWS

1. Zero Dark Thirty AESOP ROCK 2. Stories URTHBOY 3. New God Flow KANYE WEST, PUSHA T AND GHOSTFACE KILLAH 4. Red Queen Theory THE HERD 5. Full Retard EL-P

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Urthboy 2. Fame 3. Jimmy Nice aka James Flames aka Just Enuf 4. Sky’high 5. El-P

BEST WEBSITE 1. twitter.com 2. cricinfo.com 3. prosple.com.au 4. pitchfork.com 5. ozhiphop.com/forum

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Pez 2. Royal Headache 3. Hermitude 4. Urthboy 5. Spit Syndicate

BEST TV SHOW 1. Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals 2. Bob’s Burgers 3. The Simpsons 4. Breaking Bad 5. Parks and Recreation

BEST MOVIE 1. The Dark Knight Rises 2. The Cabin In The Woods 3. Looper 4. Safety Not Guaranteed 5. Magic Mike

2012 HIGHLIGHT Pez’s surprising star turn at the ARIA Showcase at OAF. Nothing in his pedestrian back catalogue prepared us for that charisma or that smile.

1. Danny Brown 2. SBTRKT 3. Kanye West 4. Major Lazer 5. Nicki Minaj

2013 PREDICTION

SONG OF THE YEAR

1. Royal Headache 2. Sunnyboys 3. Velociraptor 4. Hoodoo Gurus 5. Twerps

1. He’s In Stock TWERPS 2. I Need A Million HITS 3. Persian Fairy Floss PAGEANTS 4. Life Is Elsewhere GRAVEYARD TRAIN 5. Young Drunk THE SMITH STREET BAND

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Weezer 2. Sunnyboys 3. Twerps 4. Velociraptor 5. Paul Kelly

BEST WEBSITE 1. saintsational.net 2. themusic.com.au 3. cricinfo.com 4. cracked.com 5. avclub.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Weezer 2. Afghan Whigs 3. The Pogues 4. Billy Bragg 5. Endless Boogie

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

An Ashes loss, a disappointing G.O.O.D. Music release, and (finally!) the invention of magic.

BEST TV SHOW 1. South Park 2. The Mentalist 3. The Simpsons 4. Archer 5. Tosh 2.0

BEST MOVIE 1. Paul Kelly: Stories Of Me 2. On The Road 3. Lawless 4. Searching For Sugar Man 5. Safety Not Guaranteed

2012 HIGHLIGHT Weezer cruise. Dig It Up! in Sydney. Royal Headache in a Brisbane boxing ring. Good music and good times!

2013 PREDICTION St Kilda to win the flag. Archers Of Loaf to tour Australia (somebody please help!).

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. The Soul Of Melbourne VARIOUS LOCAL ARTISTS 2. Flavours Of The Luna MR MOONSHINE 3. Searching For Sugarman (soundtrack) RODRIGUEZ

SONG OF THE YEAR Kylie Auldist

Eric Ryan ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Still Life KYLIE AULDIST 2. The Heist MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS 3. Leave It All Behind SASKWATCH 4. Medicine Man THE BAMBOOS 5. Channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 6. Uhuru Peak MOUNTAIN MOCHA KILIMANJARO 7. Haptics THE CACTUS CHANNEL 8. Infinity CHANCE WATERS 9. Prince Fatty Versus The Drunken Gambler PRINCE FATTY 10. Flume FLUME

1. Thrift Shop MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS 2. Where Does The Time Go? THE BAMBOOS FEAT ALOE BLACC 3. Your Love SASKWATCH 4. Super Rich Kids FRANK OCEAN 5. Holdin On FLUME

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Kylie Auldist 2. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 3. Flume 4. Saskwatch 5. Frank Ocean

BEST WEBSITE 1. blackcaesarevents.com 2. juno.co.uk 3. soundwayrecords.com 4. soundcloud.com 5. facebook.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Prince

2. Gregory Porter 3. Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane 4. Omar 5. Gotye

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Kylie Auldist 2. Saskwatch 3. The Cactus Channel 4. Psyde Projects 5. Electric Empire

BEST MOVIE 1. Ted 2. Project X 3. Frankenweenie 4. Chronicle 5. The Avengers

2012 HIGHLIGHT Seeing the Melbourne funk and soul scene continue to expand. In case you haven’t caught on, Melbourne owns it!!!

2013 PREDICTION Black Caesar breakin’ out, yo!

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Izzy Tolhurst

1. Twerps 2. Ainslie Wills 3. Michael Kiwanuka 4. No Zu (Nicholaas Oogjes) 5. Courtney Barnett

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 2. Fear Fun FATHER JOHN MISTY 3. Visions GRIMES 4. Flume FLUME 5. A Is For Alpine ALPINE 6. Django Django DJANGO DJANGO 7. Like A Thief ART OF SLEEPING 8. A Different Ship HERE WE GO MAGIC 9. Carry On WILLY MASON

BEST TV SHOW

1. Darkness LEONARD COHEN 2. Ride LANA DEL REY 3. All Day GIRL TALK 4. Mangle Trang JONATHAN BOULET 5. Eject PLUTO JONZE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Amon Tobin 2. Swans 3. Neurosis 4. Dead Can Dance 5. Azealia Banks

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Amon Tobin 2. Radiohead 3. Sigur Ros 4. Prince 5. Spiritualized

1. Louie 2. Game Of Thrones 3. Sherlock 4. Doctor Who 5. The Office (US)

BEST MOVIE 1. Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present 2. Café de Flore 3. Beasts Of The Southern Wild 4. The Skin I Live In 5. The Master

2012 HIGHLIGHT Riverfire erupting over Nero’s set at Parklife.

2013 PREDICTION Azealia Banks and The A-Team both take over the world.

SONG OF THE YEAR

Johnathan Boulet

Jessie Hunt ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. We Keep The Beat Found The Sound See The Need Start The Heart JONATHAN BOULET 2. Ill Manor PLAN B 3. Manifest! FRIENDS 4. Sweet Sour BAND OF SKULLS 5. The May King & His Paper Crown DRAWN FROM BEES 6. Hunter Gathered KIKUYU 7. Up All Night FRENCH HORN REBELLION 8. Hillin’ LOVEPARK 9. Ubey Seksista PUSSY RIOT 10. Blunderbuss JACK WHITE

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Apocalypse Dreams TAME IMPALA 2. Fade HOLLY HERNDON 3. Bad Girls MIA 4. Liquorice AZEALIA BANKS 5. Dollar Chillz DZ DEATHRAYS

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Tame Impala 2. Azealia Banks 3. Diplo 4. Grimes 5. Lana Del Rey

BEST WEBSITE 1. pitchfork.com 2. thefourohfive.com 3. tonedeaf.com.au 4. bandcamp.com 5. soundcloud.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Radiohead

BEST TV SHOW 1. Louie 2. Workaholics 3. 30 Rock 4. Wilfred 5. The Daily Show

BEST MOVIE 1. The Dark Knight Rises 2. Skyfall 3. The Avengers 4. Savages 5. The Master

2012 HIGHLIGHT Tame Impala taking over the world with Lonerism.

2013 PREDICTION Not sure. The future is cloudy.

1. Leonard Cohen 2. Death Cab For Cutie 3. Jonathan Boulet 4. Plan B 5. MIA

BEST WEBSITE 1. vice.com 2. history-is-made-at-night. blogspot.com.au 3. illegal-art.net/home 4. hipsterrunoff.com 5. aljazeera.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Lana Del Rey 2. Death Cab For Cutie 3. Jack White

1. Triple J: Like A Version Volume 8 VARIOUS 2. Bon Iver: Stems Project BON IVER 3. Live At The Bowl ‘68 THE DOORS

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes 2. The Exploders 3. Pond 4. The Growl 5. Nadeah

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

2. Erykah Badu 3. Lady Gaga 4. Shellac 5. Santigold

Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes

1. Twerps 2. Alpine 3. Chet Faker 4. Ainslie Wills 5. Vance Joy

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. Boardwalk Empire 3. Girls 4. The Killing (Danish edition) 5. Go Back to Where You Came From

BEST MOVIE 1. Moonrise Kingdom 2. The Descendants 3. We Need To Talk About Kevin 4. The Dark Knight Rises 5. Shame

2012 HIGHLIGHT Emergence of a truly, but understated sound of Melbourne.

2013 PREDICTION The valiant and overdue return of soul!

writers’ poll 2012 1. The Velvet Underground & Nico THE VELVET UNDERGROUND 2. Bikini Kill EP BIKINI KILL 3. Re-issues NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS

1. wikipedia.org 2. frieze.com 3. neurotrecordings.com 4. thepiratebay.se 5. youtube.com

1. Bad Girls – The Remixes MIA 2. Road Kill Vol 2 HIT + RUN 3. Western Schism NEW WEIRD AUSTRALIA

1. Chic 2. Alt-J

1. The Necks 2. Lawrence Enlgish & Scott Morrison 3. The Presets 4. Decibel & Joel Stern 5. Gypsy & The Cat

BEST WEBSITE

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. 1991 AZEALIA BANKS 2. Blue Lines MASSIVE ATTACK 3. Distortions EKTOISE

1. The Seer SWANS 2. Honor Found In Decay NEUROSIS 3. Anastasis DEAD CAN DANCE 4. Valtari SIGUR ROS 5. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 6. Storm Corrosion STORM CORROSION 7. Stunt Rhythms TWO FINGERS 8. Coexist THE XX 9. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 10. Koloss MESHUGGAH

1. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 2. Totem RYAT 3. Gem US GIRLS 4. Strange Mercy ST VINCENT 5. Movement HOLLY HERNDON 6. Visions GRIMES 7. Put Your Back N2 It PERFUME GENIUS 8. Melody’s Echo Chamber MELODY’S ECHO CHAMBER 9. Endless Flowers CROCODILES 10. Reign Of Terror SLEIGH BELLS

1. stereogum.com 2. mmf.com.au 3. thevine.com.au 4. pedestrian.tv 5. facebook.com

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

BEST WEBSITE

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. My Heart for Deliverance NEUROSIS 2. 212 AZEALIA BANKS 3. Default ATOMS FOR PEACE 4. Disparate Youth SANTIGOLD 5. Straight Sun ORBITAL

Kosta Lucas

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

SONG OF THE YEAR

Jake Sun

1. The Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack HANS ZIMMER 2. Seven Psychopaths (soundtrack) VARIOUS 3. Nuggets: Antipodean Interpolations…VARIOUS 1. Breezeblocks ALT-J 2. Oblivion GRIMES 3. Sleepless feat Jezzabell Doran FLUME 4. The Keepers SANTIGOLD

Alt J pic by Tori Pepper

writers’ poll 2012

Gypsy And The Cat pic by Mat Lee

3. No Zu 4. Electric Guest

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. American Dad 3. Big Bang Theory 4. Family Guy 5. Entourage

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

SONG OF THE YEAR

British India pic by Mat Lee

Madeleine O’Gorman ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 2. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 3. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 4. Hollow GRAVEYARD TRAIN 5. ƒIN JOHN TALABOT 6. Coexist THE XX 7. Until The Quiet Comes FLYING LOTUS 8. Celebration Rock JAPANDROIDS 9. Sunshine & Technology THE SMITH STREET BAND 10. Homewrecker LITTLE HURRICANE

1. Feels Like We Only Go Backwards TAME IMPALA 2. Gold On The Ceiling THE BLACK KEYS 3. Breezeblocks ALT-J 4. One Foot In The Grave GRAVEYARD TRAIN 5. Yet Again GRIZZLY BEAR

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Gotye 2. Radiohead 3. Tame Impala 4. Mumford & Sons 5. Twerps

BEST WEBSITE 1. spotify.com 2. youtube.com 3. twitter.com 4. facebook.com 5. themusic.com.au

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Radiohead 2. Tame Impala

4. Jape 5. Friends

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Jonathan Boulet 2. Pluto Jonze 3. Baba Ghanouj 4. Deer Republic 5. Step-Panther

BEST TV SHOW 1. Girls 2. The Simpsons 3. Foreign Correspondent 4. Wife Swap USA 5. Modern Family

BEST MOVIE 1. The Invisible War 2. The House I Live In 4. Violeta Went To Heaven 5. Argo

2012 HIGHLIGHT #slutwave 4eva – how awesome is it to, lyk, have the freedom to exploit yourself.

2013 PREDICTION Julian Assange and Pussy Riot will collaborate on a track called A Prison That I Used To Know; Obama will produce their album, to mild commercial success. 3. Jungle Giants 4. British India 5. Mumford & Sons

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Gotye 2. Chet Faker 3. DZ Deathrays 4. Twerps 5. Tame Impala

BEST TV SHOW 1. Rage 2. The 7pm Project 3. Offspring 4. Australian Story 5. Puberty Blues

BEST MOVIE 1. Searching For Sugar Man 2. Looper 3. The Dark Knight Rises 4. The Hunger Games 5. Moonrise Kingdom

2012 HIGHLIGHT Watching Thom Yorke dance to Idioteque during the Melbourne Radiohead show. Legend!

2013 PREDICTION I see more Aussie acts leaving a massive footprint overseas. Oh, and I wouldn’t mind dusting off the old keyboard too.

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Royalty CHILDISH GAMBINO 2. In My Element P-LINK 3. Ghost In The Machine Mixtape GREY GHOST

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Rattling The Keys To The Kingdom HILLTOP HOODS 2. The Evolution Machine DEF WISH CAST 3. Don Dada SKY’HIGH 4. Where Was You (When The Dead Come Walkin’)? SETH SENTRY 5. Cold Front URTHBOY

Hilltop Hoods pic by Josh Groom

Aleksia Barron

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Smokey’s Haunt URTHBOY 2. Drinking From The Sun HILLTOP HOODS 3. Life Is Good NAS 4. HyperParadise HERMITUDE 5. The Evolution Machine DEF WISH CAST 6. Forever Sky’High SKY’HIGH 7. good kid, m.A.A.d city KENDRICK LAMAR 8. The Haunted Man BAT FOR LASHES 9. This Was Tomorrow SETH SENTRY 10. Concrete Slang TORNTS

1. Urthboy 2. Kendrick Lamar 3. Hermitude 4. Hilltop Hoods 5. Maundz

BEST WEBSITE

1. Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions BILLY BRAGG & WILCO 2. Quiet Heart: The Best Of The Go-Betweens THE GO-BETWEENS 3. A Different Kind of Blues VARIOUS

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Hilltop Hoods 2. Thundamentals 3. Rainman 4. The Herd 5. Grey Ghost

BEST TV SHOW 1. Community 2. Mad Men 3. Homeland 4. Game Of Thrones 5. Breaking Bad

BEST MOVIE 1. The Muppets 2. The Avengers 3. The Dark Knight Rises 4. Looper 5. Cabin In The Woods

1. twitter.com 2. vulture.com 3. facebook.com 4. xojane.com 5. soundcloud.com

2012 HIGHLIGHT

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

2013 PREDICTION

1. Kanye West 2. Flight Of The Conchords

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

3. Radiohead 4. Metric 5. David Dallas

Melbourne theatre. Movies schmovies – the stage is where it’s at. The Fremantle Dockers will win their first premiership! Man, I’m gonna regret writing that, huh?

SONG OF THE YEAR

Dan Condon

1. abc.net.au/news/thedrum 2. dailykos.com 3. crikey.com.au 4. xlr8r.com 5. boomkat.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE The Mountain Goats

Sky Kirkham ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Trilogy THE WEEKND 2. Silfra HILARY HAHN & HAUSCHKA 3. Total Loss HOW TO DRESS WELL 4. Digressions GREG HAINES 5. Shrines PURITY RING 6. Patience (After Sebald) THE CARETAKER 7. Vacation SHLOHMO 8. Held HOLY OTHER 9. For My Parents MONO 10. Tramp SHARON VAN ETTEN

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. We Were Exploding Anyway 65DAYSOFSTATIC 2. Transcendentalism EP DUSTIN O’HALLORAN, HAUSCHKA & JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON 3. Black Sands Remixed BONOBO

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Pyramids FRANK OCEAN 2. Belispeak PURITY RING 3. Cold Nites HOW TO DRESS WELL 4. Crew Love (Shlohmo Remix) DRAKE 5. Give Out SHARON VAN ETTEN

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. The Weeknd 2. Shlohmo 3. How To Dress Well 4. Hauschka 5. Sigur Ros

1. Locked Down DR JOHN 2. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 3. Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE 4. OFF! OFF! 5. The World Warriors VELOCIRAPTOR 6. Americana NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE 7. Old Ideas LEONARD COHEN 8. The Tempest BOB DYLAN 9. Open Your Heart THE MEN 10. Plays Fats LIL BAND O’ GOLD

Tom Birts ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Cancer 4 Cure EL-P 2. Celebration Rock JAPANDROIDS 3. Skelethon AESOP ROCK 4. Good Kid M.A.A.D City KENDRICK LAMAR 5. Dillatroit J DILLA 6. Ill Manors PLAN B 7. Diver LEMONADE 8. Stay Frosty EMPERORS 9. The Man With The Iron Fists OST VARIOUS ARTISTS 10. Key To The Kuffs JJ DOOM

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Robin Fox 2. Heirs 3. Hazards of Swimming Naked 4. Ghost Notes 5. Laura

BEST MOVIE 1. Martha Marcy May Marlene 2. The Master 3. The Raid 4. Once Upon A Time in Anatolia 5. Moonrise Kingdom

2012 HIGHLIGHT Interviewing Richard Holloway.

2013 PREDICTION More and increasingly ridiculous genre titles.

1. Prince 2. Azealia Banks 3. Jeremy Neale 4. Neil Young & Crazy Horse 5. DZ Deathrays

BEST WEBSITE 1. themusic.com.au 2. twitter.com 3. bonappetit.com 4. theroar.com.au 5. slate.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

Andy Hazel ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Europe ALLO DARLIN 2. Bish Bosch SCOTT WALKER 3. Love Is The Plan, The Plan Is Death JAMES BLACKSHAW 4. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 5. Double Natural BOOMGATES 6. Instrumental Mixtape 2 CLAMS CASINO 7. Sweet Heart Sweet Light SPIRITUALIZED 8. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 9. I Know What Love Isn’t JENS LEKMAN 10. Palace Laundry RYAN STERLING

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Pasted Youth CLAG 2. Dreamin’ Wild DONNIE AND JOE EMERSON 3. Bastards BJÖRK

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Kindred BURIAL 2. The Kids Were Wrong MEMORYHOUSE 3. Europe ALLO DARLIN 4. D-Minus STEP-PANTHER 5. I’m The Worst CATSUIT

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Twerps 2. Tully On Tully 3. Alpine 4. Boomgates 5. The Spinning Rooms

BEST WEBSITE 1. app.search.lib.unimelb.edu.au 2. messandnoise.com 3. soundcloud.com 4. icheckmovies.com 5. guardian.co.uk

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Prince 2. Los Campesinos! 3. Taylor Swift 4. Aphex Twin 5. Charles Bradley

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Lowtide 2. Twerps

4. Flight Of The Conchords 5. Efren Ramirez

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Graceland (Re-Issue) PAUL SIMON 2. Liquid Swords (Re-Issue) GZA 3. I Wish My Brother George Was Here (Re-Issue) DEL THA FUNKEE HOMOSAPIEN

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Parklive BLUR 2. Dexter Season Six Soundtrack VARIOUS 3. Summer Heights High Official Soundtrack: The Collectors Edition VARIOUS

1. The Full Retard EL-P 2. Cycles To Gehenna AESOP ROCK 3. Teeth BANG ON! 4. Younger Us JAPANDROIDS 5. Eye Drops LEMONADE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. El-P 2. Emperors 3. Kendrick Lamar 4. RZA 5. Danny Brown

BEST WEBSITE 1. themusic.com.au 2. twitter.com 3. youtube.com 4. dailymash.co.uk 5. thepoke.co.uk

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Mumford & Sons 2. The Pharcyde 3. Atmosphere

1. The Beautiful Girls 2. Voltaire Twins 3. Adam Crook 4. Rob Shaker 5. Emperors

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW 1. Game Of Thrones 2. Breaking Bad 3. Louis Theroux 4. Dexter 5. The Thick Of It

BEST MOVIE 1. Prometheus 2. Marley 3. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close 4. The Hunter 5. Bully

2012 HIGHLIGHT New music from incredible artists who have been around for 15-20 years – DOOM, Aesop Rock, El-P.

2013 PREDICTION Hip Hop Renaissance – Danny Bown, Kendrick Lamar et al.

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Dirty Three 2. Icehouse 3. Regurgitator 4. DZ Deathrays 5. Cold Chisel

BEST TV SHOW 1. Louis 2. Parks And Recreation 3. The Office 4. Cash Cowboys 5. Fox Sports News

BEST MOVIE 1. Searching For Sugar Man 2. Stories Of Me 3. Katy Perry: Part Of Me 4. Tower Heist 5. I only saw four films this year. Two sucked.

2012 HIGHLIGHT Prince performing a blistering after-show set at The Hi-Fi after his first Brisbane show.

2013 PREDICTION I will start a new dance craze that sweeps the nation.

writers’ poll 2012

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

SONG OF THE YEAR

Mumford & Sons pic by Heidi Takla

1. Sigur Ros 2. Xiu Xiu 3. The Mountain Goats 4. oOoOO 5. Mount Kimbie

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

writers’ poll 2012 BEST WEBSITE

1. Call Me Maybe CARLY RAE JEPSEN 2. Tinderbox VIOLENT SOHO 3. Comeback Kid SLEIGH BELLS 4. Participant No. 91 THE GOOCH PALMS 5. Six Directions Of Boxing WU-TANG CLAN

DZ Deathrays pic by Graham Clark

1. Prince 2. The Pogues 3. Chic 4. Endless Boogie 5. Refused

Ball Park Music

Tyler McLoughlan ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Sun CAT POWER 2. The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy NADA SURF 3. Koi No Yokan DEFTONES 4. II BAD BOOKS 5. The Lion’s Roar FIRST AID KIT 6. Swing Lo Magellan DIRTY PROJECTORS 7. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 8. Museum BALL PARK MUSIC 9. Attack On Memory CLOUD NOTHINGS 10. Bloodstreams DZ DEATHRAYS

1. Lost FRANK OCEAN 2. Clair De Lune FLIGHT FACILITIES 3. Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings FATHER JOHN MISTY 4. Dance Bear SNAKADAKTAL 5. Genesis GRIMES

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Nada Surf 2. Ball Park Music 3. DZ Deathrays 4. Kimbra 5. Grimes

BEST WEBSITE 1. 9gag.com 2. rdio.com 3. evernote.com 4. rcrdlbl.com 5. artfacts.australiacouncil.gov.au

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Nada Surf 2. The Afghan Whigs

3. Lost Animal 4. Kinch Kinski 5. Brous

BEST TV SHOW 1. Sherlock 2. Media Watch 3. Game of Thrones 4. The Adventures Of Gumball 5. Suits

BEST MOVIE 1. The Perks of Being A Wallflower 2. A Separation 3. A Royal Affair 4. Seven Psychopaths 5. Skyfall

2012 HIGHLIGHT Too many highlights to name, but Chapter Music’s 20th Birthday festival was an encapsulation of most of the musical ones.

2013 PREDICTION More brilliant local music and more Australians to be totally ignorant of how privileged we are and how good it is. 3. Manchester Orchestra 4. dEUS 5. First Aid Kit

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Ball Park Music 2. The Fauves 3. Adalita 4. DZ Deathrays 5. Velociraptor

BEST TV SHOW 1. Girls 2. Problems 3. Dexter 4. Breaking Bad 5. Homeland

BEST MOVIE 1. Weekend 2. Lore 3. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 4. Ted 5. The Hunger Games

2012 HIGHLIGHT Nada Surf’s Spiegeltent performance and frontman Matthew Caws’ mindblowing acoustic requestsesh afterwards.

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Cut The World ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS 2. Lost Tapes Box Set CAN 3. Shuffle & Scrape: A Tribute To Blueline Medic VARIOUS

1. Bored Nothing 2. Gooch Palms 3. The Peep Tempel 4. Sarah Mary Chadwick 5. Nikko

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Bad Religion FRANK OCEAN 2. I Knew You Were Trouble TAYLOR SWIFT 3. WIIW KIRIN J CALLINAN 4. On My Own CATCALL 5. Backseat Freestyle KENDRICK LAMAR

Bored Nothing

Adam Curley

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Low Lights DEEP HEAT 2. Eating For Two SARAH MARY CHADWICK 3. Bored Nothing BORED NOTHING 4. The Peep Tempel THE PEEP TEMPEL 5. Burning Boy JOE MCKEE 6. Gold & Red NIKKO 7. New War NEW WAR 8. Life NO ZU 9. channel ORANGE FRANK OCEAN 10. Sounds Of Our City EMMA RUSSACK

1. Frank Ocean 2. NO ZU 3. Grimes 4. Forces 5. The Peep Tempel

BEST WEBSITE 1. sethbogartisnaked.tumblr.com 2. bedroomsuckrecords.com 3. newyorker.com 4. nopantsnopants.com 5. collapseboard.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Antony & The Johnsons

BEST TV SHOW 1. Homeland 2. Girls 3. The Great Food Truck Race 4. 30 Rock 5. 1000 Ways To Die

BEST MOVIE 1. Beasts Of The Southern Wild 2. On The Road 3. Shame 4. Martha Marcy May Marlene 5. Wish You Were Here

2012 HIGHLIGHT Sincerity and camp making sweet love.

2013 PREDICTION More midlevel indie labels giving us psudo-feminist sexy times and claiming they don’t know what they’re doing.

Guido Farnell ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Bloom BEACH HOUSE 2. Shrines PURITY RING 3. World Music GOAT 4. Kill For Love CHROMATICS 5. Ekstasis JULIA HOLTER 6. One Second Of Love NITE JEWEL 7. The Return Of Love WOOLFY VS PROJECTIONS 8. Circles MOON DUO 9. Heavy Electrics EAT LIGHTS BECOME LIGHTS 10. Endless Flowers CROCODILES

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. EPs & Rarities 1988 - 1991 MY BLOODY VALENTINE 2. The Velvet Underground & Nico THE VELVET UNDERGROUND 3. We Rose From Your Bed With The Sun In Our Head SWANS

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Little Girl SPIRITUALIZED

writers’ poll 2012

Jason Kenny

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Blunderbuss JACK WHITE 2. Melody’s Echo Chamber MELODY’S ECHO CHAMBER 3. Tempest BOB DYLAN 4. Sun CAT POWER 5. Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 6. Tramp SHARON VAN ETTEN 7. Close As A Slow Dance WASP SUMMER 8. Roman Roads IV-XI LAND OBSERVATIONS 9. Burning Boy JOE MCKEE 10. Out Of The Game RUFUS WAINWRIGHT

1. Beach House 2. Grimes 3. Purity Ring 4. Julia Holter 5. Bat For Lashes

BEST WEBSITE 1. themusic.com.au 2. freepussyriot.org 3. vice.com 4. iwastesomuchtime.com 5. yyyyyyy.info

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Mark Lanegan 2. Antony & The Johnsons 3. Erykah Badu 4. The Specials 5. Goblin

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Live After Deaf RYAN ADAMS 2. Live In New York Gaslight Cafe 1961 BOB DYLAN 3. Celebration Day LED ZEPPELIN

1. Joe McKee 2. Saskia Sansom 3. Wasp Summer 4. Tammy Ingram 5. Dorothy Of The Day

1. The Sapphires Original Motion Picture Soundtrack VARIOUS 2. Rock Of Ages Original Motion Picture Soundtrack VARIOUS 3. Covered MACY GRAY

1. Hell Broke Luce TOM WAITS 2. Default ATOMS OF PEACE 3. I’m Shakin’ JACK WHITE 4. Karmageddon ABBE MAY 5. Bad Religion FRANK OCEAN

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Jack White 2. Thom Yorke 3. Sharon van Etten 4. St. Vincent 5. Kevin Parker

BEST WEBSITE 1. freemusicarchive.org 2. archive.org 3. facebook.com 4. imdb.com 5. reddit.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Bob Dylan 2. Sharon van Etten 3. Soley 4. Candice Gordon 5. Liars

BEST MOVIE 1. Lincoln 2. Argo 3. To Rome With Love 4. Moonrise Kingdom 5. Big Easy Express

2012 HIGHLIGHT Finally releasing my own record, and playing European shows.

2013 PREDICTION New records from Thom Yorke, Nick Cave and The Strokes will bring joy to the people, and inspire goodwill everywhere.

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

4. Nasum 5. The Ghost Inside

1. Transitions DAIGHILA 2. Zero Distance DARK TRANQUILLITY 3. Split COILGUNS/NVRVD

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

Lochlan Watt

1. Forced Gender Reassignment CATTLE DECAPITATION 2. Reign Of Darkness THY ART IS MURDER 3. Rebel Without A Cause PALM 4. Fuck Today ENABLER 5. For Everyone THE SHANTOSO

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

1. Death Is The Only Mortal THE ACACIA STRAIN 2. Hate THY ART IS MURDER 3. IIII: The Alpha The Omega THE TONY DANZA TAPDANCE EXTRAVAGANZA 4. All Hail The Void ENABLER 5. Atlas PARKWAY DRIVE 6. You, Me & The Violence BIRDS IN ROW 7. My Darkest Friends PALM 8. The Inherited Repression PSYCROPTIC 9. Get What You Give THE GHOST INSIDE 10. Monolith of Inhumanity CATTLE DECAPITATION

1. Night Hag 2. Palm 3. Daighila 4. City Of Ships 5. Psycroptic

BEST WEBSITE 1. jetstar.com 2. facebook.com 3. bandcamp.com 4. noistheory.org 5. wordpress.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Refused 2. At The Gates 3. Rosetta

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW 1. 30 Rock 2. The Daily Show 3. Colbert Report 4. Futurama 5. Breaking Bad

Elton John pic by Jay Hynes

Liz Giuffre ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Out Of The Game RUFUS WAINWRIGHT 2. Love Songs KRYSTLE WARREN 3. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 4. I Awake SARAH BLASKO 5. The Winter I Chose Happiness CLARE BOWDITCH 6. Rogers sings Rogerstein TIM ROGERS 7. The Rubens THE RUBENS 8. Pacifica THE PRESETS 9. Deep Heat OH MERCY 10. Kiss CARLY RAE JEPSEN

1. Parkway Drive - Home Is For The Heartless

2012 HIGHLIGHT Touring Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan with my band, Nuclear Summer. Also, obtaining my dream job with triple j.

2013 PREDICTION At The Gates will finally release a brand new album, Scott Vogel will demand more stage dives, and metal fans will continue to argue about sub-genres.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Tame Impala 2. Rufus Wainwright 3. Kystle Warren 4. Radiohead 5. Beck

BEST WEBSITE 1. google.com 2. youtube.com 3. facebook.com 4. twitter.com 5. abc.net.au/iview

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Rufus Wainwright 2. Radiohead

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST TV SHOW

BEST MOVIE

1. Gangnam Style PSY 2. Elephant TAME IMPALA 3. She Wolf (Falling to Pieces) DAVID GUETTA FEAT. SIA 4. Call Me Maybe CARLY RAE JEPSEN 5. Hold On ALABAMA SHAKES

1. The Velvet Underground & Nico: 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition THE VELVET UNDERGROUND 2. Triple J Like A Version Volume 8 VARIOUS 3. Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness SMASHING PUMPKINS

1. We Lost The Sea 2. King Parrot 3. Totally Unicorn 4. Waiting Room 5. Aversions Crown

1. South Park 2. Breaking Bad 3. Sunrise 4. A Current Affair 5. Today Tonight

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Pond 2. The Bombay Royale 3. The Bamboos 4. Dirty Three 5. Ned Collette

BEST TV SHOW 1. My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding 2. I Will Survive 3. Brynne 4. Hoarders 5. Undercover Princes

BEST MOVIE 1. No 2. The Master 3. Reality 4. Elefante Blanco 5. 7 Days In Havana

2012 HIGHLIGHT Whether it was chilling at Golden Plains or getting blind at The Pogues gig, all the great music that 2012 brought was the highlight of this year.

2013 PREDICTION Kate Middleton will have a baby and it seems that there will be a Federal election too.

writers’ poll 2012

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

SONG OF THE YEAR Psycroptic

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

SONG OF THE YEAR Melody’s Echo Chamber

2. Crossing (Andrew Weatherall Remix) WOODEN SHJIPS 3. Cochon Ville (Dimitri From Paris Erodiscomix) SEBASTIEN TELLIER 4. Party Pill In India (Psychemagik Remix) THE TIME & SPACE MACHINE 5. Kindred BURIAL

Boy & Bear pic by Elle Borgward

Marcia Czerniak ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Coexist THE XX 2. Valtari SIGUR ROS 3. An Awesome Wave ALT-J 4. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 5. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 6. Port of Morrow THE SHINS 7. Celebration Rock JAPANDROIDS 8. My Head Is An Animal OF MONSTERS AND MEN 9. Museum BALL PARK MUSIC 10. The Rubens THE RUBENS

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

1. Angels THE XX 2. Breezeblocks ALT-J 3. Yet Again GRIZZLY BEAR 4. Hold On ALABAMA SHAKES 5. Little Talks OF MONSTERS AND MEN

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. The xx 2. Alt-J 3. Tame Impala 4. The Rubens 5. The Shins

BEST WEBSITE 1. facebook.com 2. etsy.com 3. google.com.au 4. spotify.com 5. themusic.com.au

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Bon Iver 2. Sigur Ros

3. Elton John 4. Macy Grey 5. Rick Astley

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Tim Rogers 2. Pajama Club 3. Tex Perkins & The Dark Horses 4. Kylie Minogue 5. The Rubens

BEST TV SHOW 1. 30 Rock 2. Community 3. Doctor Who 4. The Soup 5. Chatty Man with Alan Carr

BEST MOVIE 1. The Sapphires 2. Brave 3. The Avengers 4. Rock Of Ages 5. Friends With Kids

2012 HIGHLIGHT Julia Gillard smacking Tony Abbott down in parliament.

2013 PREDICTION Following the end of the world my crystal ball’s a little foggy and hard to read. 3. Fleet Foxes 4. Cults 5. Laura Marling

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Boy & Bear 2. The Grates 3. The Rubens 4. Ball Park Music 5. Split Seconds

BEST TV SHOW 1. Game Of Thrones 2. Dexter 3. Gossip Girl 4. Boardwalk Empire 5. Masterchef

BEST MOVIE 1. The First Grader 2. Seven Psychopaths 3. A Separation 4. The Sapphires 5. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

2012 HIGHLIGHT Seeing Bon Iver at Red Hill… Words can not really explain how good this show was.

2013 PREDICTION The world is going to go royal baby crazy… God help us all.

Dominique Wall ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Immigrant Union IMMIGRANT UNION 2. In Hindsight HUNTING GROUNDS 3. This Machine THE DANDY WARHOLS 4. By The Horns JULIA STONE 5. Between The Times And The Tides LEE RANALDO 6. Coexist THE XX 7. The Haunted Man BAT FOR LASHES 8. Standing At The Sky’s Edge RICHARD HAWLEY 9. Cutthroats And Conjurers SONS OF LEE MARVIN 10. To The Dollhouse MELODIE NELSON

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR

& Nico THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO

4. The Dandy Warhols 5. Kaiser Chiefs

SONG OF THE YEAR

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. R U Mine ARCTIC MONKEYS 2. Mexico THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS 3. Martha MELODIE NELSON 4. Bottom Of The Barrel THE RECHORDS 5. Let’s Forget All The Things That We Say JULIA STONE

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. Immigrant Union 2. The ReChords 3. Mikelangelo & The Tin Star 4. Arctic Monkeys 5. Husky

BEST WEBSITE

BEST TV SHOW 1. Horrible Histories 2. Archer 3. Bob’s Burgers 4. Supernatural 5. Adventure Time

BEST MOVIE 1. Skyfall 2. Sightseers 3. Frankenweenie

1. tumblr.com 2. facebook.com 3. etsy.com 4. twitter.com 5. youtube.com

2012 HIGHLIGHT

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

1. Loveless MY BLOODY VALENTINE 2. Going Blank Again RIDE 3. The Velvet Underground

1. Immigrant Union 2. The ReChords 3. Mikelangelo & The Tin Star 4. Julia Stone 5. Angus Stone

1. Nekromantix 2. Arctic Monkeys 3. Lee Ranaldo

The Immigrant Union and Zia McCabe gig at The Tote. Simply awesome.

2013 PREDICTION Another brilliant album from Immigrant Union.

2. Mumford & Sons 3. Sigur Ros 4. Dandy Warhols 5. Ben Folds Five

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE Cake pic by Angela Padovan

Katherine Edmonds ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Blunderbuss JACK WHITE 2. Lonerism TAME IMPALA 3. Babel MUMFORD & SONS 4. Bless This Mess LISA MITCHELL 5. Shields GRIZZLY BEAR 6. Broken Brights ANGUS STONE 7. Foundations THE MEDICS 8. Tempest BOB DYLAN 9. The Idler Wheel... FIONA APPLE 10. Lex Hives THE HIVES

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Celebration Day LED ZEPPELIN 2. Live At River Plate AC/DC 3. The Hellcat Years JOE STRUMMER & THE MESCALEROS

writers’ poll 2012 Nic Toupee ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Weltraum COSMIC HOFFMANN 2. Quarter Turns Over A Living Line RAIME 3. Permission To Speak, Sir REGIS 4. Worship A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS 5. Zeros THE SOFT MOON 6. Transverse CARTER TUTTI VOID 7. Labour Division FORWARD STRATEGY GROUP

8. Music For The Quiet Hour SHACKLETON 9. The Shape of Things JOHN FOXX AND THE MATHS 10. Negative Fascination SILENT SERVANT

MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1. Surgeon Live At Berghain 2012 VARIOUS 2. Distant Noises VARIOUS 3. Death Disco 2 VARIOUS

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Black Mamba CUT HANDS

2. Node 3 THE EXALTICS 3. No Comment 005 DER ZYKLUS 4. Gangnam Style PSY 5. Preretinal RROSE

SONG OF THE YEAR 1. Elephant TAME IMPALA 2. Babel MUMFORD & SONS 3. Sixteen Saltines JACK WHITE 4. Hold On ALABAMA SHAKES 5. Spiritus LISA MITCHELL

ARTIST OF THE YEAR 1. The Medics 2. Gotye 3. Jack White 4. Tame Impala 5. Mumford & Sons

BEST WEBSITE 1. imgur.com 2. reddit.com 3. pedestrian.tv 4. fellt.com 5. themusic.com.au

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE 1. Cake

3. beanhunter.com 4. theelectricityclub.com 5. thequietus.com

3. Panoptique Electrical 4. Dirty Three 5. The Church

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PERFORMANCE

BEST TV SHOW

1. Amon Tobin 2. Devo 3. Cannibal Corpse 4. Adam & The Ants 5. Simple Minds

BEST WEBSITE

BEST AUSTRALIAN ARTIST PERFORMANCE

BEST MOVIE

1. hardwax.com 2. discogs.com

1. Laura 2. Clan Analogue Live

1. Surgeon 2. Silent Servant 3. Shackleton 4. Savages 5. Raime

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. American Horror Story 3. Louie 4. Offspring 5. Mad Men

BEST MOVIE 1. The Dark Knight Rises 2. The Sapphires 3. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 4. Moonrise Kingdom 5. The Avengers

2012 HIGHLIGHT Ben Folds Five performing Brick live at Sydney Harvest.

2013 PREDICTION Some really amazing live performances (Iggy Pop and Nick Cave, in particular).

writers’ poll 2012 1. Secrets Of Ancient Rome 2. History Of The World 3. The Vikings 4. Sherlock 5. The Killing 3

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

1. The Medics 2. Juke Baritone 3. Ball Park Music 4. Bleeding Knees Club 5. Graveyard Train

1. This Is Not A Film 2. Holy Motors

3. Iron Sky 4. Skyfall 5. The Hobbit

2012 HIGHLIGHT Simple Minds 5x5 show, Manchester. The Soft Moon, Stockholm, Alien Sex Fiend, Whitby

2013 PREDICTION Amazing bands making no money. The death of beard culture. More tweed.

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N I W

R A E G H C E T I G O L ! F S T O E H K C C I N T U L B A FESTIVA AND

Every year the Street Press Australia editors and journalists have their say on the year past – this year we want you to do the same in our annual readers’ poll. We’re calling on you to vote for your favourite albums, shows and artists of 2012. And, as if you needed any more reason to talk about your opinions on music, you can win a logitech pack just for submitting your entry! As well as that, we’ve got a bunch of festival tickets to giveaway.

THE READERS’ POLL CLOSES SUNDAY 13 JANUARY

headtothemusic.com.au/readerspoll2012 toenter

BEST COMEDIAN

2012: The Year To Delve his year in arts there were earth-shattering highs (Moonrise Kingdom) and devastating lows (Moonshadow, the Cat Stevens musical disaster). It turns out the moon does have two faces. Okay, so maybe that’s a bit dramatic but this is arts. Bring on the drama.

This year’s annual Front Row Writers’ Poll saw Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom take out Best Film by a landslide of votes; it seems the left-of-centre young lovers warmed our hearts and, in turn, even sparked a Halloween costume trend of Sam and Suzy attire. The Cabin In The Woods also ranked highly; Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s film almost never got a release here but when it did was a massive, gory, hilarious hit. The Dark Knight Rises ended Christopher Nolan’s darker Batman trilogy and rounds off our top three. If you haven’t heard, comedians are the new rocks stars. This year we had some serious international tours hit our shores – from Tim & Eric and Jay & Silent Bob to Sarah Silverman and Aziz Ansari. But it was Englishman Tim FitzHigham’s show The Gambler that was preferred by Front Row contributors. This year in the TV domain, we did more than just watch the US Election speech. The second season of Game Of Thrones dominated as the top television show in the polls. Groups would congregate on Monday nights to watch/stream new episodes. Like The Sopranos but set in the middle-ages, GOT S2 had even more tits‘n’arse this time around and the heroes actually die. The final season of the Breaking Bad series

(part one) also ranked highly as did Lena Dunham’s breakout show Girls (produced by Judd Apatow) and the latest, everimproving season of Mad Men. The theatre world suffered a massive lose with the closing of Alison Croggon’s Theatre Notes, with theatre folk around town tweeting, status updating and meeting to commiserate this pillar of Australian theatre criticism. On stage, it was all about new Australian works and robot actors this year. Our writers’ favourites were spread across the country: He’s Seeing Other People Now was a clear favourite, just ahead of fellow popular Queensland productions Kelly and Tender Napalm. Also popular were Art Vs Robot (Melbourne), Blackbird (Perth) and the all-male production of Pirates Of Penzance (Sydney). Despite Australia losing another Banksy this year, there was lots of other art to be appreciated in its place – our contributors preferring Sydney’s Art & About festival along with MCA’s 24-hour installation The Clock. Cassandra Fumi

1. Daniel Kitson 2. Mark Watson 3. Sarah Silverman

BEST ARTS FESTIVAL Graphic Festival. I got to see Pixar footage not normally shown to members of the public, and a Dr Seuss exhibition.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN ARTS Seeing Geoffrey Rush performing Stephen Sondheim live.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum

Danielle O’Donohue BEST FILM 1. Looper 2. Beasts Of The Southern Wild 3. The Avengers 4. Brave 5. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

4. Redfern Now 5. Revenge

BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION 1. A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum 2. Mary Poppins 3. Private Lives 4. Sunday In The Park With George 5. Pirates Of Penzance

BEST ART EXHIBITION 1. Grace Kelly: Style Icon 2. Sculpture By The Sea 3. Dr Seuss at Graphic Festival 4. Shaun Gladwell at Broken Dance 5. The Clock at MCA

BEST TV SHOW 1. Game Of Thrones 2. Justified 3. Downton Abbey

writers’ poll 2012

QUOTE OF THE YEAR “Computer words are funny, like ‘Google’. What the fuck is a google? Just get a regular word.” Rapper DMX interviewed on US radio station Power 105.1.

MOST ANTICIPATED ARTS EVENT OF 2013 Sydney Theatre Company’s Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead.

HOW THE ARTS CAN BE IMPROVED IN 2013 Bring musical The Book Of Mormon to Australia.

writers’ poll 2012

BEST ARTS FESTIVAL Midsumma 2012 was pretty kickass – some of the finest, most progressive theatre and cabaret I’ve ever had the good fortune to see.

FAVOURITE ARTS PODCAST OR RADIO SHOW Not applicable. The best arts conversations happen in person, with wine.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN ARTS The Queen Lear backlash.

QUOTE OF THE YEAR

The Wild Duck

Aleksia Barron BEST FILM 1. The Muppets 2. The Avengers 3. The Dark Knight Rises 4. Looper 5. The Cabin In The Woods

BEST TV SHOW 1. Community 2. Mad Men 3. Homeland

4. Game Of Thrones 5. Breaking Bad

BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION 1. The Wild Duck 2. Red 3. Britney Spears: The Cabaret 4. Robot Vs Art 5. Everynight, Everynight

Criss: “Liz, it’s okay to be a human woman!” Liz Lemon: “No, it’s not! It’s the worst, because of society!”

MOST ANTICIPATED ARTS EVENT OF 2013 Toby Schmitz and Tim Minchin in STC’s production of Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead.

BEST COMEDIAN

HOW THE ARTS CAN BE IMPROVED IN 2013

1. Michael Workman 2. This Is Siberian Husky 3. Glenn Wool 4. The Blanks 5. John Robertson

More touring! Belvoir’s The Wild Duck and Death Of A Salesman were highlights, and it’d be great to see more productions coming to a wider audience.

Rhys Nicholson

Kate Kingsmill BEST FILM 1. Something From Nothing: The Art Of Rap 2. This Ain’t California 3. The House I Live In 4. Broken 5. The Intouchables

2. Pompeii, LA

BEST ART EXHIBITION 1. New12 2. Egg launch show 3. Illustre 4. Vienna: Art & Design

BEST COMEDIAN 1. Rhys Nicholson 2. Tommy Little 3. Tom Gleeson

BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION

BEST ARTS FESTIVAL

1. Midsummer

Sydney Biennale, not just

because of the art, but the location is superb.

FAVOURITE ARTS PODCAST OR RADIO SHOW SmartArts.

QUOTE OF THE YEAR “The high priest asked me what my name was, and I said, ‘Snoop Dogg.’ And he looked me in my eyes and said, ‘No more. You are the light; you are the lion.’” – Snoop Lion

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN ARTS The news of Disney buying Lucasfilm and announcing a further three Star Wars movies. Epoch-making news. I can’t wait to watch this unfold.

QUOTE OF THE YEAR A Trial Of Sorts

Baz McAlister BEST FILM Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Guy Davis BEST FILM 1. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 2. Killing Them Softly 3. Magic Mike 4. Hugo 5. John Carter

BEST TV SHOW 1. Breaking Bad 2. Workaholics

3. Sherlock 4. Game Of Thrones 5. Homeland

“Now fucking pay me” – Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt), Killing Them Softly.

FAVOURITE ARTS PODCAST OR RADIO SHOW

MOST ANTICIPATED ARTS EVENT OF 2013

The Hell Is For Hyphenates podcast.

The new Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN ARTS Hulk bodyslamming “puny god” Loki.

HOW THE ARTS CAN BE IMPROVED IN 2013

QUOTE OF THE YEAR

Greater discernment all ‘round, people.

1. The Grey 2. The Cabin In The Woods 3. Killing Them Softly 4. Safety Not Guaranteed 5. Ted

BEST TV SHOW 1. Game Of Thrones 2. Breaking Bad 3. The Walking Dead 4. Homeland 5. Revolution

3. As You Like It 4. Tender Napalm 5. He’s Seeing Other People Now

BEST COMEDIAN 1. Daniel Kitson 2. Tim Key 3. Tim FitzHigham 4. Mark Thomas 5. Hannibal Buress

BEST ARTS FESTIVAL Melbourne International Comedy Festival. I did 23 shows in five days. It was amazing. Aiming to make it a yearly pilgrimage and top that record in 2013.

BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION

FAVOURITE ARTS PODCAST OR RADIO SHOW

1. A Tribute Of Sorts 2. Kelly

Adam & Joe (now Adam & Edith) on BBC6 Music.

Liam Neeson as Ottway in The Grey, to the heavens: “Do something! Do something! You phony prick fraudulent motherfucker! Do something! Come on! Prove it! Fuck faith! Earn it! Show me something real! I need it now, not later. Now! Show me and I’ll believe in you until the day I die. I swear. I’m calling on you. I’m calling on you! … Fuck it. I’ll do it myself.”

MOST ANTICIPATED ARTS EVENT OF 2013 Assuming we survive this December, I’m assuming Roland Emmerich will have no choice but to issue an apology for his rubbish Mayan calendar apocalypse movie 2012 in the new year.

HOW THE ARTS CAN BE IMPROVED IN 2013 Giving more original stories a voice, not just an endless cavalcade of tie-ins, adaptations, remakes and sequels.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN ARTS

3. Dave Williams 4. Anthony Salame 5. Genevieve Fricker

Swanlights – Antony

BEST ARTS FESTIVAL

QUOTE OF THE YEAR

The Cabin In The Woods

Cassandra Fumi BEST FILM

1. The Cabin In The Woods 2. Moonrise Kingdom 3. God Bless America 4. Magic Mike 5. The Hunger Games

5. Doku Rai

BEST ART EXHIBITION 1. In A Lonely Place – Gregory Crewdson 2. Fall From Grace – Rone 3. Gertrude Street Projection Festival 4. Paradise – Antony

BEST COMEDIAN 1. Dr Brown 2. Felicity Ward 3. Aziz Ansari 4. Vachel Spirason 5. Tessa Waters

BEST TV SHOW 1. Girls 2. Louis Theroux: Twilight Of The Porn Stars 3. 56 Up 4. True Blood 5. Revenge

BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION 1. The Wild Duck 2. Robot Vs Art 3. The Love Birds 4. The Unspoken Word Is ‘Joe’

The 18th Biennale Of Sydney on Cockatoo Island – an amazing venue.

“There’s no one at the wheel, Noel, there’s no one at the wheel!” – Noel Fielding to our writer Anthony Carew.

FAVOURITE ARTS PODCAST OR RADIO SHOW 1. SmartArts 2. This American Life

BEST ARTS FESTIVAL

FAVOURITE ARTS PODCAST OR RADIO SHOW

MOST ANTICIPATED ARTS EVENT OF 2013 Theatre: Murder, Laser Beak Man, Belvoir’s twopart Angels In America. Visual Art: Song Dong: Waste Not, Jim Campbell: Scattered Light and Yoko Ono at MCA. Film: The Hunger Games sequel and The Great Gatsby. TV: Girls Season Two.

HOW THE ARTS CAN BE IMPROVED IN 2013 With the closure of Alison Croggon’s Theatre Notes it’s important that we continue to have serious theatre criticism.

Next Wave.

Radio National Music Show.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN ARTS

Argo

Belvoir St Theatre’s production of Death Of A Salesman.

Jamelle Wells BEST FILM 1. Argo 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. The Sapphires 4. Zero Dark Thirty 5. Mental

QUOTE OF THE YEAR

1. Death Of A Salesman 2. Don’t Take Your Love To Town 3. Under Milk Wood 4. Never Did Me Any Harm 5. The Histrionic

From Gina Rinehart’s mining video: “Africans want to work and its workers are willing to work for less than $2 per day.”

BEST ART EXHIBITION 1. The 18th Biennale Of Sydney 2. Francis Bacon 3. Pablo Picasso 4. Archibald Prize 5. Art And About

BEST TV SHOW 1. The Bridge 2. Boardwalk Empire 3. Boss 4. Rake 5. House Husbands

writers’ poll 2012

BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION

BEST COMEDIAN 1. Tim Minchin 2. Tom Ballard

All The Best.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN ARTS

Despite it occurring at the start of the year, Belvoir’s production of Thyestes. It’s still affecting 12 months on.

Wading through wheat kernels during Oraculos was pretty darn memorable.

Marcia Czerniak

2. Dexter 3. Gossip Girl 4. Boardwalk Empire 5. Breaking Bad

BEST FILM

BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION

1. The First Grader 2. The Sapphires 3. Seven Psychopaths 4. A Separation 5. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

1. Oraculos 2. Raoul 3. It’s Dark Outside 4. Jack Charles V The Crown 5. Blackbird

BEST TV SHOW 1. Game Of Thrones

BEST COMEDIAN 1. Stephen K Amos 2. Josh Earl Vs The Australian

MOST ANTICIPATED ARTS EVENT OF 2013 Perth Festival 2013.

HOW THE ARTS CAN BE IMPROVED IN 2013 The gardens for Fringe Festival and Perth Festival stay open all year long and it somehow never rains over these areas.

QUOTE OF THE YEAR Moonrise Kingdom

Dave Drayton

2. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 3. The Simpsons 4. My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding 5. Community

BEST FILM

BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION

1. Moonrise Kingdom 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. Celeste And Jesse Forever 4. Bully 5. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

1. Thyestes 2. Babyteeth 3. Face To Face 4. Between Two Waves 5. Whelping Box

BEST TV SHOW

BEST ARTS FESTIVAL

1. Redfern Now

False Freedoms at Soldiers Rd.

BEST ARTS FESTIVAL

The New Yorker: Fiction.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN ARTS Regretfully, the success of 50 Shades Of Grey. It was everywhere.

QUOTE OF THE YEAR

Mandy McAlister BEST FILM 1. The Avengers 2. Argo 3. The Grey 4. Moonrise Kingdom 5. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

BEST TV SHOW 1. Game Of Thrones 2. The Walking Dead 3. Rake

BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION 1. A Tribute Of Sorts 2. As You Like It 3. Tender Napalm 4. He’s Seeing Other People Now 5. Kelly

BEST COMEDIAN 1. Mark Thomas 2. Tim Key 3. Daniel Kitson 4. Tim FitzHigham 5. Hannah Gadsby

“I’m living in America, and in America you’re on your own. America’s not a country. It’s just a business. Now fuckin’ pay me.” – Brad Pitt’s Jackie Cogan in Killing Them Softly.

MOST ANTICIPATED ARTS EVENT OF 2013 The release of Django Unchained by Quentin Tarantino.

HOW THE ARTS CAN BE IMPROVED IN 2013 More support for Australian filmmakers, such as funding with fewer strings attached.

MOST ANTICIPATED ARTS EVENT OF 2013 Philip Glass announcing extended dates that include Australia for his world tour.

HOW THE ARTS CAN BE IMPROVED IN 2013 Taking the booking of arts for music-and-arts festivals more seriously.

Definitive moments are for Oscar montages, any year is like a million of them; a constant string of instances that stick in your mind. But if this question is searching for some artistic ‘thing’ that seemed particularly vital this year, man, the sudden awesomeness of Greek cinema is quite the story. It used to be one of the very worst national cinemas in the world, but the Greek weird wave has changed all that in like three years. It gives hope that, one day, perhaps before we all die, Australian cinema could actually be awesome. Couldn’t it?

FAVOURITE ARTS PODCAST OR RADIO SHOW

4. The Office 5. Dr Who

“The most enthusiastically affirmative was Perec’s ‘Fuck yeah!’” – Daniel Levin Becker

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN ARTS

The Melbourne Comedy Festival. Twenty-three shows in five days with not a dud among them.

The Avengers

More funding for independent theatre. A ban on musicals. We’ve had enough.

FAVOURITE ARTS PODCAST OR RADIO SHOW

Perth Festival – everything about the 2012 program was, quite simply, spectacular.

“Death is so boring, especially now with so much excitement in the world” – Tyrion, Game Of Thrones.

HOW THE ARTS CAN BE IMPROVED IN 2013

Ears is the most exciting artist in Sydney at the moment.

BEST ARTS FESTIVAL

Game Of Thrones

National Theatre Of Great Britain’s production of War Horse at Lyric Theatre in March.

writers’ poll 2012

Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book 3. The Pajama Men 4. Sammy J & Randy 5. Rottofest comedians

QUOTE OF THE YEAR

MOST ANTICIPATED ARTS EVENT OF 2013

QUOTE OF THE YEAR

Holy Motors

Anthony Carew BEST FILM

1. Moonrise Kingdom 2. Holy Motors 3. The Loneliest Planet 4. Neighbouring Sounds 5. Modest Reception

BEST TV SHOW 1. Black Mirror 2. Mad Men 3. Enlightened 4. Girls

BEST ARTS FESTIVAL As always, MIFF’s monstrous shrine to motion pictures stoked the fires of my nerdery the most.

“I’m not trying 2 be cute, I have a fucking speech impediment” -- Grimes.

MOST ANTICIPATED ARTS EVENT OF 2013 The Golden Suicides. Or maybe that’s for 2014.

HOW THE ARTS CAN BE IMPROVED IN 2013 Less crowdpleasin’.

! K C A B S I N O I T I T E MP O C T R A Y A D G I B L OUR ANNUA

TOTAL TROUBLE After a last minute tour cancellation the previous summer, Orlando Higginbottom, AKA Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs is coming back for those same festivals. Troy Mutton basks with him in his post-album glow. eople have been really forthcoming with their praise,” begins Orlando Higginbottom on the resoundingly positive feedback his debut album under the Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaur moniker has been receiving since release earlier this year. “And what I didn’t realise when I was writing it, was I kind of insulate myself quite a lot, and I think that was the right thing. The only opinion I cared about when I was writing the album was my own. I wanted it to sound good to me and not to anyone else and I was kind of still in that mindset when it came out.”

“P

Still, it’s always nice when people actually dig what you’re doing. “And so when people started Tweeting me and on Facebook and saying that they liked it, I didn’t really realise how much I needed to hear that, and it was so good to hear. It was so nice for people to take the time to tell me they liked the record and so yeah, it was really special actually and it still is. I don’t feel like it’s very much the nature of today’s world for people to take the time to compliment others so I’m always very honoured.”

moment. “I feel like maybe there might be a case for pulling together a band. I don’t see that many dance acts that I like that pull off a live band. There’s a few that really fucking smash it but I think that definitely getting a few more musicians and singers and performers on stage is definitely an option but we’ll just see how it goes.” Meanwhile, Higginbottom really has one eye on record number two.” WHO: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs WHAT: Trouble (Polydor/Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 28 December, Falls Festival, Lorne; Saturday 29, Falls Festival, Marion Bay

Indeed Trouble is as refreshing a dance music as we’ve heard for some time. Where many get lost in too much filler and not enough killer, Higginbottom’s energetic take on electro is littered with plenty of known bangers (Household Goods, Tapes & Money), tied together with hidden gems like Your Love and Closer. While some of the tracks were previously released in EP form, Higginbottom still had to tie them altogether to form a cohesive collection. “I was thinking of that track listing the whole time I was writing. I knew which tracks from my old EPs would be on there as well and as I was building the album I was kind of playing around a lot with how those tracks would go. “And you know, in the last two months, I wrote three new tracks to almost try and fit in with that vibe of the album, almost things that I needed the album to have and I took out a few other ones that won’t come out now just because they didn’t sit quite right on the record. So there was a bit of thought about how they were sitting on the record as a whole.” The producer was also very conscious of the fact that in today’s digital music world, a lot of people aren’t going to buy a whole album. “But I kind of recognised that a lot of people won’t ever listen to it in one sitting; it’s not really the way that people listen to music now, let alone an album that’s nearly an hour long. It wasn’t the most important thing to me.” And it’s here you begin to see that not only is Higginbottom an incredibly talented producer, he’s also got a pretty smart head on his – usually weird costume-adorned – shoulders. “I understand why people, especially in dance and increasingly pop music, are happier with EPs and singles. You can just focus on one track and the more focus you put on one track the more people are going to hear it, love it and buy it. And with an album you have a real challenge to make people interested in an hour worth of music. But I think that challenge is really important, that challenge pushes you forward and makes you think about what you are writing and why you are writing it. I would recommend it really.” While the album does feature a bunch of high-energy, fun and raveworthy numbers, the lyrical content quite often takes the opposite route, having a darker, often at times sad, quality. It’s a dichotomy that Higginbottom enjoys. “I think that is something that runs strongly in dance music; in fact I think it runs strongly in all pop music. It’s very hard to write a piece of music that has melody and harmony and is only positive. I think you’ll find that – not positive but happy is the word – most melodic music has a kind of sadness to it. I know that’s broad and a very big statement to make but within the last eight years, even the most joyful disco has had this tinge of melancholy to it. And I really like that, I think that’s really beautiful. So I guess I accidentally focused in on the sadder part, whilst keeping the energy up. But it was just something that happened and I’m fine with it.” To go along with the bombastic name Higginbottom has given himself comes the crazy outfits, headdresses and live show featuring dancing girls, dinosaur outfits and more crazy headgear. Likewise with the method of release, the Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs live experience is one that’s very considered. The producer has no plans on a Guetta-esque show, although given the opportunity he’s always thinking about expansion. “Honestly, every day I think of something I would really like to do for the live show and it’s just some weird idea. I’m not going to say it because I want to keep them and use them. They would cost me so much money each night to do but I hope that one day I can have at least one big show where I can put some of these into effect and really have fun because calling it Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and dressing up wasn’t the only weird thing I wanted to do. “There are so many weird ideas I wanted to put into effect but we’ll see, we’ll see.” In the meantime it’s about finding that balance between the spectacle and the music, and it’s a fine line he’s all too aware of. “I’ve always avoided having big LCD screens and I’ve never wanted to have that. I’ve found the DJing disappears, and I’m not strictly DJing at all, I’m singing and playing and performing, but I want the audience to feel like I’m there and I’m with them and yeah, I find it strange. But I do understand why people are going mad for it. “It’s basically in America where kids are going crazy for a DJ with a big production and it’s really frightening, I’ve seen footage of Skrillex’s show and it seems like it’s fucking crazy but whatever you think about his music, that looks fun. If you were an eighteen year old kid that looks like the shit! I understand it, I just don’t want to do it like that.” And when it comes to expanding into a more live band type feel, it’s something he’s not overly concerned with at the

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For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews • 67

NOT THE NINE O’CLOCK NEWS British indie troubadours Bombay Bicycle Club have made headlines worldwide over the past few years. Over some shrimp, Stuart Evans chats to frontman Jack Steadman about their journey to this point. f you fancy taking a ride with the BBC, read on. The BBC is, of course, from London and is a musical hub of diversity, surprise and intrigue. Most are probably aware of its pedigree. But there is another BBC who is irking a pedigree of its own. The other BBC, the oddly named Bombay Bicycle Club, is also from London, and like its namesake is also full of surprises and diversity. But that is where the wobbly and shaky comparisons stop.

The English indie lads hail from Crouch End, in London’s north, and include frontman Jack Steadman (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Ed Nash (bass), Jamie MacColl (guitar), and Suren de Saram (drums). Their rise started in 2006 when they won The Road To V, a TV reality competition that was broadcast via

the UK’s Channel 4, and gave fledging bands a chance to shine and perform at the V Music Festival, held the same year. Jack Steadman is happy with the band’s progression. “I’m happy because we haven’t rushed it and we’ve taken our time. We haven’t taken things at an unhealthy speed,” he confirms. They may have taken things at a modest pace, but that hasn’t hindered the band’s advancement over the past few years. In 2007 they released two EPs and a debut album, I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose. That they were still at school says much about their headway and determination. In some circles they’re still regarded as newbies, yet Steadman refutes such a tag. “Everyone else may think we’re still newcomers, but we certainly don’t,” he argues. “We’ve been doing this for the past seven years or so, and aren’t newcomers anymore.” He’s right – they’re not newcomers, officially anyway. Burgeoning young stars, however, they are. In 2008 the band officially finished high school, which gave them the additional benefit of freeing up time to allow them to commit to music around the clock. Steadman admits they are young in years and have much to learn. Not that they haven’t taken on a few lessons on their journey thus far. “We’ve learnt a few important things while being on tour,” he says, concurrently explaining that he’s in New Orleans, Louisiana, chomping on a shrimp. “Everything gets done for you whilst on tour. You get told what to do and where to be. It’s easy to become a baby as everything is put out on a plate for you. It’s important that we continue to do things for ourselves.” Steadman is a quick learner. He has taken note of the pitfalls from the ‘spit ‘em up, chew ‘em out’ attitude of talent shows and the industry in general. “It’s a gossip industry,” he says of the music biz. “If you’re a dick and say the wrong thing, it travels far.” One conduit for spreading rumours or gossip is, naturally, the media. In mid-2007, influential music mag NME published an article that named Bombay Bicycle Club one of the hottest bands to come from North London for quite some time. Steadman admits that initially the interest of music rags was a good thing – a positive to be taken and used as an endorsement. But times have changed. “In the beginning (the publicity) was very helpful, but as the band got bigger all they wanted to do was put out a headline and blow everything out of proportion. In my opinion, NME in particular is more like a tabloid.” Perhaps Steadman is bitter at a bad interview or a quotation gone astray. Regardless, he pauses before answering questions and doesn’t ramble. He is thoughtful, considered and measured. In 2009, instead of reflecting on just how far they’d come, the boys decided to record another album. The result was a surprise, not just for the output but for the tightness, semblance and professionalism of the result. Initially their record label was concerned by a band releasing an album so soon after their debut. However, the folkinspired Flaws, which was released in 2010, proved a turning point in their career. The album steered away from their conventional indie rock/pop sound as they went in a different direction – acoustic. “We wanted to do something different and that’s what we’re into at the time. We wanted to show people what we could do with little resources,” he tells. He’s not kidding either. Steadman explains that the album was recorded in a bedroom with short amounts of money, few resources and barely any assistance. The acoustic and stripped-bare Flaws debuted on the UK albums chart at number 8, smashing the previous peak of 46 that they notched for their debut. Another year then passed and another album arrived. This time it was the 2011 effort, A Different Kind of Fix, and yet again it was with a new approach and style. A Different Kind of Fix was in part inspired by J Dilla’s instrumental hip hop and other sources of electronica. Gone were the bare acoustic and folksy vibes; replacing it were a majority of electronic instruments. “When I was around 14 I got into Aphex Twin and others, and had been working on a few electronic music things in private over the years,” he reveals. So it was electric guitars, mashed piano samples, compressed beats and ‘bugger the acoustic’ as Steadman’s private electronic workings were transposed into public. For A Different Kind of Fix the band reconnected with producer Jim Abbiss, who worked on their debut record, and the original loops and samples were developed into indie/pop songs. The album quickly spawned a bunch of hits, including How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep? which appeared in demo form on the Twilight: Eclipse soundtrack. The media-savvy Steadman is elusive about the inspiration behind the songs. “When I write, I just want a clear head and to not think about how big the song could be. That is for the record label to ponder,” he says. He is more candid about the influence that good ol’ London has on his persona and his writing. “Lyrically, coming from a city like London has helped me. Without sounding too clichéd, for people moving from the country to a city like London or any big city, I think there is a little naivety. In the city, everything happens in fast-forward. The experiences and living in London has certainly helped me mature,” he tells. As Steadman and gang head to Australia, he’s already focused on the forthcoming gigs and their next album. “You know, our shows are probably a bit boring,“ he laughs. “Our gigs are no-frills; not fancy, but are very energetic. We’re very approachable and look like regular guys. We could be one of your friends.” As for the forth album, well, keep a lookout. “Australia is our final tour before we head back to the UK and start writing again. At this stage, we’re hoping to get an album out there by Spring 2013, but nothing has been planned.” WHO: Bombay Bicycle Club WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 29 December, Falls Festival, Lorne; Wednesday 2 January 2013, Festival Hall

68 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews

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Closing the lid on another killer 12 months, British electronic gods Hot Chip are hotter than ever. Ben Preece catches producer, beatmaker and all round legend Joe Goddard on a rare moment of downtime.

n 2012, it perhaps seems like genuine, remarkable talent is difficult to come by. Even with this gift, dragging it to the next level, onto the world stage while simultaneously gaining success and popularity – not to mention credibility – it seems like longevity becomes pretty hard to come by. It’s perhaps hard to believe that London’s Hot Chip are 12 years old, have recently released their fifth (and arguably finest) album In Our Heads and notched up what seems like a plethora of banging hit singles, walking that fine line between commercialpopular and indie-credible, topping critics’ best of lists and generally making the crossover.

Joe Goddard and vocalist Alexis Taylor feel something akin to the modern day Morrissey/Marr or a Tennant/ Lowe and have created a legacy so strong that it appears to only be getting bigger with every release. Of course, talent is not something the five Londoners that make up Hot Chip are short of – just take a look at the numerous solo outings that have been spawned from each and every one. The incredibly prolific Joe Goddard alone, has released a handful of EPs and an album with collaborator Raf Rundell with The 2 Bears as well as dropping hits like last year’s Gabriel under his own name. With his little girl playfully rustling in the background, Goddard is sounding remarkably relaxed despite his hectic schedule. In fact, he calls this “a rare moment of downtime” despite the fact he’s currently giving interviews for Hot Chip’s impending tour Down Under. “It’s very hard finding that downtime” he laughs casually. “But I really love everything that I am doing so, if I am honest, I don’t find it too bad at all. I guess I should really try and work a lot less, but it’s tough when you really like doing it, you know? Currently, I am just getting back together with Raf to work on some 2 Bears music so that will happen all next week – we’re aiming to get a bunch done in the next few months and maybe put another record out at the end of next year. We have a few remixes pending at the moment, I just finished one from Dirty Projectors that I’m really happy with, plus I’d like to release some music under my own name again for maybe early next year.” He confesses that juggling three successful projects isn’t quite as difficult as some might perceive, and that the songs eventually unravel themselves and reveal just what project will end up claiming them as their own. “Some of it is just simple, practical things, like if I start a track with Raf then obviously that’s a 2 Bears thing. But, generally, if it starts to sound like more of a pop song, then I’ll fling that to Alexis and see if he wants to work on that with me. If it’s more of an esoteric club track or it’s an unusual thing then I might put it under my own name. I try not to think about it too much; obviously, if I’m working on a track I just focus on getting it as fully realised as I possibly can but it does occasionally cross my mind. But I do find I can’t think about that too much, [however], it’s generally not that difficult.” Released in March, In Our Heads is being touted as one of Hot Chip’s finest albums to date. Preceded by the thumping club single Night And Day, the album shines in every way possible – the production has

stepped up and the songwriting by Taylor and Goddard is sharpening further with every new release. “Quite a lot of people have said they like it the most,” Goddard laughs. “I think it’s a strong record yeah, I made it and I still like listening to it. In terms of purely a production level and sonically, I think it’s really good and clear and sounds really nice. I am super proud of the clarity and the general engineering of it – it sounds really nicely made. I was looking for the kind of sound that you get on a Chic record, you know, very tight and really funky and, well, kind of hi-fi but also quite disco-y and I think we’ve got that. It’s a well written record.

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“It didn’t feel daunting to produce it ourselves, to me anyway. It felt pretty natural at the time we were making it because we had a lot of the songs kind of half finished. There were a bunch of songs – a couple of which we wrote right after the previous record and a few new ones came together quite naturally and quickly – and I guess when we were making demos of the songs, we were always thinking about how they were going to be produced and the sound of the track when it was finished. Getting into the production and finishing the record doesn’t feel like that big a step as it’s half done already. When we come to actually finishing it off, it’s about making it that little bit nicer, better engineered and better played really.” Rightfully so or not, there are some songwriting comparisons being thrown around that are incredibly complimentary to say the least. Goddard reveals that he doesn’t really aspire to any of the great British songwriting duos often name-dropped, in fact, he doesn’t really consider himself a “writer” as such at all. “I consider myself more of a beatmaker, producer kind of character. I think Alexis is the writer – when he writes he sits down at a piano or with a guitar and writes the song to the finish. When I make things, I use loops and rhythms so I don’t see myself as the writer as such. I am really proud of the relationship with Alexis and we’ve written some pretty good tunes over the years, but when I read things that talk about great songwriters that we’re aspiring to be, in truth, I haven’t really considered that.” Hot Chip aren’t strangers to an amazing live set either. They’re on their way back to Australia for the New Year period, playing the festival run as well as a few headline dates of their own. “We’re planning to do for the show on New Year’s Eve – it’s a bit of a secret but it’s a few bits and pieces with the songs that we’ve never done before,” Goddard says, biting his tongue. “Like we do, we take the new material and play it yes, but work it into the set weaving songs into each other, referencing a DJ I guess and trying hard to make it exciting. We’ve been touring this for a long time now so we’ll be nice and tight when we get to you.” WHO: Hot Chip WHAT: In Our Heads (Domino/EMI) WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 30 December, Falls Festival, Lorne; Wednesday 31, Falls Festival, Marion Bay; Wednesday 9 January, Palace

For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews • 69

NEW DIMENSIONS

MINING THE PAST

Exciting young producer Space Dimension Controller, aka Jack Hamill, tells Cyclone his days as SDC are numbered, with a new focus on soundtracks and film. here’s a long tradition of electronic artists obscuring their identities – from The KLF to Drexciya through to Daft Punk and Fake Blood. Gauging by Space Dimension Controller’s bio and its science fiction mythos about a techno progenitor from a distant galaxy, this is something Jack Hamill enjoys too. ”I’m not really trying to create any sort of mystique – I just enjoy trying to create a character,” Hamill insists, SDC in fact named after some old Technics gear.

DJ Mathew Jonson doesn’t buy in to the notion of Berlin being a city overrun by hipsters. Instead, he tells Cyclone the scene there “is the best in the world”.

The future houser hails from gritty Belfast, where he was into heavy metal prior to discovering dance through Stuart Price’s Les Rythmes Digitales. “Yea, well, I was in a band when I was younger as the lead guitarist,” Hamill admits laconically. “I think that could be one of the sources of my noodly solo ways in the SDC stuff. Electronically, in Belfast, I started off going to hard techno and breakcore sort of nights – pretty much the ideal type of music for repelling women. I sometimes wish I was into shite house around the 2007 period when I was just starting to go out, because I think I’d actually be able to make a tune that makes people dance!” Having moved on to Aphex Twin (and Brian Eno), Hamill began producing ambient music. SDC’s sound, introduced via 2009’s cult single, The Love Quadrant, on Boxcutter’s Kinnego Records, was, by contrast, groovier. Hamill attended the 2010 Red Bull Music Academy in London. “It was great,” he recalls. “I turned 20 when I was there. They threw me a surprise party – it was funny. The thing I took away from it the most was really just networking. I’m not very good at working with other people and that was kind of encouraged in the studios there. I ended up just getting really drunk for the whole time there and finishing anything I’d been making on the last night.” Hamill has described SDC in an online interview as “a sort of electro, funk, housey techno thing”. How is he developing that? “I don’t know – I don’t really listen to much music at all. I have to kind of listen to tunes if I’m getting things together for DJing, but I only really do that once every four months or so. Even then, it’s me in my DJ mind frame, not [me] actually listening to the tracks

musically and taking on an influence for the studio. The music on my iPod literally hasn’t changed in about three years. I still have the same ambient playlist that I always listen to and the same albums that I keep going back to.” However, he admits to checking out Eno’s newest, Lux. Hamill, ironically not into bass music, has even been tagged ‘post-dubstep’, together with Blawan, Pariah and Untold – techno warriors. He’s not fussed. “I don’t know or care where I belong. I just like it when I can DJ in a venue and get away with whatever I want to play.” Hamill, who has his own fledgling label, Basic Rhythm, will present a much-anticipated album (possibly titled Welcome To Mikrosector-50) on R&S in the European spring, following two EPs. The LP has been touted as conceptual, song-oriented and soundtracky. And beyond that? “The SDC saga is going to be a trilogy. Then I’m going to stop existing as SDC. I’d like to get into soundtracks and game music as a long-term thing. Since I was a kid the main thing I wanted to do when I grew up was become a film director. I got into making music because I can do that all by myself – making films is a bit harder. I thought, if I did good enough with the music and got into making soundtracks, I might actually be able to branch off into directing.” But first Hamill, here earlier in the year, is back for some shows over the New Year period, performing his galactic funk live. “The live show is pretty outthere in terms of dialogue. It’s a bit improvised, a bit planned. I don’t know – you might like it.” WHO: Space Dimension Controller WHEN & WHERE: Tuesday 1 January, Let Them Eat Cake, Werribee Park

BLOOD IN THE TRACKS England’s Blood Red Shoes recorded their new EP so fast they can’t even remember making it, but it’s their newfound honesty that’s had the biggest impact on shaping their sound. Steven Ansell chats with Michael Smith. ome bands just can’t get creative when they’re on tour, but not Brighton-based duo Blood Red Shoes. In fact, it seems the songs fairly pour out of the pair – guitarist Laura-Mary Carter and drummer Steven Ansell – as they finish the year off with the release of a new EP, Water. It comes just nine months after the release of their third album, In Time To Voices (their fourth if you include a singles compilation album, I’ll Be Your Eyes, released when they signed to V2 Records in 2008). “We had an itch that we needed to scratch, I guess,” Ansell says of the new EP, fielding questions on the line from backstage after a Black Keys concert in London. “We were jamming stuff in soundchecks and when we hit festival seaso we had a few spare days here and there, and just [put together] some songs that we thought fitted together quite well for an EP. Getting together in late 2004 after their respective bands had broken up, Carter and Ansell released their first single, Victory For The Magpie, the following July, ostensibly plying a punk vein, though there were all manner of other indie/alternative rock influences at work. Further singles followed before Blood Red Shoes signed to V2 Records, having chalked up some 300 gigs around the UK alone. The international touring soon kicked in and by the time their debut, Box Of Secrets, came out in 2008 – they’d become one of the most-travelled bands in the world. And while that didn’t exactly translate to massive sales, it did give the pair the confidence to tackle their third album, In Time To Voices, in a very different way. “I think it opened a lot of doors to us,” Ansell admits. “There were a lot of things about it that we did in a different way and it helped us figure shit out and actually it’s made it a lot easier to write since. I think it’s actually just being more honest with each other – we’re secure enough that I can say, ‘You know what? I don’t like that fucking riff,’ and Laura’s like, ‘Alright cool, fuck it – let’s do something else.’ No one’s ego gets bruised and no one gets weird and, like, bashful about that shit, so we can actually move faster than we used to because we don’t have to be polite and tiptoe around. We can just really get down to work.”

70 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews

anada’s Mathew Jonson, a hallowed figure in minimal techno and house circles, has tapped into the past in order to progress. His highlight of 2012 was joining Movement: Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival. “It gave me a new insight into electronic music,” Jonson says. The irony? “It was guys like Kevin Saunderson and Jeff Mills who were ahead of the pack, leaving all the younger generation in the dust once again.” The Vancouver native studied several instruments, including piano and drums, in childhood, but he inherited his father’s interest in electronica and was soon dabbling with production. Nevertheless, Jonson would explore electronic jazz fusion with his band projects Modern Deep Left Quartet and Cobblestone Jazz. The (former drum‘n’bass!) DJ aired music under his own name, starting with 2001’s New Identity, and Cobblestone Jazz on Itiswhatitis Recordings, launched by friend Spencer Drennan. Jonson subsequently collaborated with Luciano as well as released music on Richie Hawtin’s M_nus. He also co-founded the respected Wagon Repair. Jonson, who today splits his time between Berlin and Goa when not touring, recently bought the rights to Itiswhatitis and is in the throes of reactivating it. Much of IIWII’s back catalogue will now be available digitally for the first time. (Jonson holds that 2002’s Freedom Engine is “probably” his “best” work, and not those later club classics Marionette or Symphony For The Apocalypse.) Meanwhile, he’s preparing the follow-up to 2010’s solo album, Agents Of Time. There will likewise be another Cobblestone Jazz album in 2013. “We just spent three days in the studio and I’m very happy with the results,” Jonson reveals. The enigmatic muso continues to challenge himself. “I’ve been studying piano again and practising lots, so that’s the main challenge. Ever since I got this beautiful old Yamaha organ from the ‘70s, I play about an hour a day – between that and the Rhodes.” Nostalgia is antithetical to techno’s futuristic pull, yet many pine for the vintage Detroit music, even as a new wave of post-dubsteppers are reinventing it. “It never left,”

Jonson maintains. “People get caught up with current trends but, in a lot of ways, the best music is still the stuff that was made since the beginning of synthesisers. Berlin, long a favourite city of experimental musicians, is increasingly being overrun by hipsters. Yet Jonson has no plans to abandon his primary base. “I’m building a new studio right now so, yes, I’ll be there for a while. I don’t think it’s overrun by hipsters at all. The scene is the best in the world and the door policies at the clubs keep it this way – even though they can be a real downer if you happen to be the one denied at the door.” Jonson is less optimistic in offering predictions for electronic music, underground or not. “Unfortunately, I see a lot of the music sounding more and more sharp, overly bright and digital, with most producers using preset sounds on the plug-ins and samples. On the other end of that, I see others getting better musically and spending the time and effort they should on making their music. I guess with electronic music seeping its way into the pop world, and vice versa, it just depends on if you want to play the musician or the super-cool DJ who pretends to be a producer just to get gigs.” Jonson may have remixed Nelly Furtado, but he doesn’t follow fresh Canadian electro-pop talent like Grimes – or The Weeknd. This hardware diehard – and regular Australian visitor – will keep it real when he brings his live show to Let Them Eat Cake. “Eighty per cent of the material you will have never heard. I’ve been working a lot over the last year and decided ‘til the coming spring not to release much. The set-up is fairly similar to usual – [with] lots of effects, drum machines and synths... I’m really looking forwards to coming back!” WHO: Mathew Jonson WHEN & WHERE: Tuesday 1 January, Let Them Eat Cake, Werribee Park

HEARING THINGS Tony McMahon gets the skinny on The Ears’ new mini album, Deja Moo, from frontman Sam Sejavka, whom apparently never learned to crawl on the ceiling.

Recording In Time To Voices, Blood Red Shoes once again turned to co-producer Mike Crossey, whose CV includes working with Arctic Monkeys and Foals among others. “I think a really big difference for this record is that we’ve learnt how to make records, whereas before [Crossey] really steered the ship… You know, we really didn’t know our way around a studio a great deal, a proper studio. In writing the third record, we spent so much time demoing it with gear we’d built up over the previous four or five years buying recording gear that we’d actually learnt all the technical stuff, so we could explore sounds that we never had before.” And having done that, when the pair returned to the studio to record the Water EP, they went the complete opposite way. “I don’t even remember recording the EP,” Ansell admits with a laugh. “It was so fast. [But] we completely wanted to record something that was totally spontaneous. We wanted it to sound like a band had just finished writing it and just played it, you know? “So we didn’t think about the songs too much, we didn’t think about the lyrics and didn’t put too many layers on it, we kept it, you know, just like a burst of energy – just make a decision and go with it, record it, done. Again, it was an experiment, a risk actually, just to see what comes out. “And the other thing we wanted to do with it, we had a vision for the guitar sounds that we felt like we were trying to get on In Time To Voices but we didn’t get it. We wanted it to be really fucking nasty, you know, like guitars that sound almost like something broken. I wanted people to listen to it and go, ‘I think their speakers have gone wrong; the guitar sound,’ kind of thing. And not a lot of producers want to do that!” WHO: Blood Red Shoes WHAT: In Time To Voices (V2/Cooperative) WHEN & WHERE: Monday 31 December, Pyramid Rock, Phillip Island; Thursday 3 January, The Hi-Fi

n many ways, the years have been kind to The Ears. Flaring up briefly in Melbourne’s legendary post-punk scene of the late ‘70s and early-’80s, they played little and recorded less. But starring roles in Richard Lowenstein’s definitive document of the era, Dogs In Space, saw them attain a cult status that has impelled them forward in recent times, the result being the reformation of one of this city’s more worthwhile acts. This year, we are privileged to see a mini album from the group, Deja Moo, an eight-track wonder that, while it may be overdue, music fans should simply be thankful to own. Frontman Sam Sejavka – an important cultural figure in his own right, whether as renowned playwright or frontman for Beergarden – talks about the thinking behind the release, indicating he didn’t want the band resting on any laurels.

“We wanted to concentrate almost wholly on fresh material,” he says. “We chose only new songs which had been blooded live, plus one from ages past, The Perennial Boogie. Looking forward, we have a treasure trove of new songs, demoed either by Mick Lewis or me, but working them up with the band can be a challenging process. Putting aside the fact we’re physically incapable of remembering anything for more than two weeks, organising a rehearsal is like herding crabs. Members have jobs with weird hours, demanding families and Phaedra (our new cello/keyboard player) lives in the country. The next release might be a double album. It will be called Phosphorescent Toad Hole. Either that or The Haunted Bong.” When we ask Sejavka about the differences between an Ears show circa 1979 and now, his answer reveals some interesting insights into the nature of the rock‘n’roll beast, not the least of which is that, according to him, his onstage persona is, well, pretty mental. “The gravitational centre of the band now is getting the most spirit out of the music and its performance,” he continues. “We still go whole hog, like we used to, but gone is a lot of the affectation, the fears, the deadly seriousness and all the self-importance of

youth – all those things that seem so unbearable in hindsight. I guess the whole thing’s more ironic now, in some ways. It has to be, given our ages. One big difference is that we’re about six zillion times tighter and don’t struggle quite so much to play our instruments. Despite this, I don’t know if there’s all that much of a difference – in style and content – from back then. The quirkiness remains. The madness remains. The disease remains. I know my mental state while performing is always scarily similar – I think while I’m up there I’m technically insane. I doubt younger types, who know us from Dogs In Space, will have trouble recognising the band, even if some of the material is different.” Interesting that Sejavka should mention age because, as with a lot of us decrepit old punks, the end is never far from our thoughts, even when we’re planning record launches. “It’s liberating when you don’t have anxieties about performing,” he says. “All you’re left with is giddy anticipation. Because nothing matters in the end, we’re far more unconstrained. There is the dignity of age to be maintained, of course, but because we don’t have any, the issue is moot. My only slight worry is death. If I collapse with a myocardial infarction, any member of the audience is invited to perform CPR. If not, I’m happy to die on stage. What better place? Though, I’m reasonably confident I won’t die. I actually work on my fitness a bit before this type of event… If you’re interested in seeing me die, there’s still a chance – I do push myself to ridiculous limits – though I can’t crawl across the ceiling like the guy from the Vice Grip Pussies. Don’t know if I ever could.” WHO: The Ears WHAT: Deja Moo (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 22 December, Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine; Friday 28, The Tote

22 Piece Live Extravaganza

9TH MARCH 2013

BILLBOARD THE VENUE www.billboardthevenue.com.au

www.liveindustry.net

SURVIVING THE STATIC More than ten years into their career, Sheffield post-rock heroes 65daysofstatic continue to redefine their sound. Kitt Di Camillo speaks with guitarist Paul Wolinski ahead of their first ever trip to Australia. ver his 37 years as radio presenter on BBC Radio 1, the late John Peel became renowned for his ability to recognize up-and-coming bands. The legendary DJ’s stamp of approval was a badge of honour for young acts, a critical launching pad that would help define many British musicians. Having experienced Peel’s endorsement firsthand with one of their earliest recordings, Sheffield’s 65daysofstatic have felt the full force of the man’s legacy. Peel’s influence in the UK is unmatched, and the moment still remains dear to the band themselves.

Forget new material – hard rock all-stars Lost Angels are simply revelling in jamming on their favourite songs. Brendan Crabb gets hammered with vocalist/ guitarist and former Mötley Crüe/ Ratt member John Corabi.

“I remember when it happened,” recalls founding member Paul Wolinski. “He opened one of his shows with one of our demoes called Play.Nice.Kids, which was just about the most exciting thing that had ever happened to us, and it’s still up there as just one of the highlights of the band. We did a John Peel session, but it was after he died suddenly. They already had us booked several months in advance, and then when he died they honoured the rest of the ones that he booked, of which we were one of them. I think there was us on and other DJs broadcasting, that was all part of it; part of a tribute to him. We never met him, but the gap that he left in the English music world, especially radio, was huge.” In the almost ten years since, the post-rock heroes have released four studio albums and a series of EPs to ever increasing critical acclaim. The four-piece of Wolinski, Joe Shrewsbury, Rob Jones and Simon Wright specialize in instrumental soundscapes, and have taken their cinematic tendencies to their most logical extension with 2011’s Silent Running, an alternate soundtrack to the 1972 cult sci-fi film of the same name. “We wanted to try it for a long time,” admits Wolinski. “And we got fed up with waiting for a film maker to come along and ask us to write a soundtrack, so we did it for an old film for this film festival. “That was a really good way to learn a new discipline I suppose, because when we’re writing our music it’s quite an intangible thing,” he continues. “It’s just the four of us in a room, and we come out writing all sorts

of stuff that we can’t really articulate to each other. But when we were soundtracking and there was a movie being projected onto the wall and that’s what we were writing about it was such a refreshing thing that there was something tangible that we could put a song to rather than just this weird floating noise.” The band’s enduring success is at odds with their experimental outlook and decidedly un-commercial offerings. The group’s intricate and innovative approach has garnered almost as strong a fanbase here as they have in their native UK, making their upcoming Australian tour a very anticipated event. “We’re still not comfortable in a financial sense… or in any way,” laughs Wolinski. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we can’t maintain it forever, because people are buying less and less music. That’s something I’m not going to spend too much time worrying about, ‘cause it’s gonna happen, no point pretending that it’s not. But we’re very lucky in the loyal following that we’ve built up, and if we were a bit more savvy about things like that we could probably push that to make it work a bit better for us. But we’re not! “We just wanna keep making music. It’s good to be able to pay the bills, pay the rent, but it’d be pointless for us to compromise what we’ve managed to build by trying to find a way to make more money. That would just undo the whole point of the band, you know? So we’ll just keep going until either we feel haven’t got anything new to offer or it’s just physically impossible for the four of us to survive. That one’s probably gonna come first!” WHO: 65daysofstatic WHEN: Friday 4 January, The Corner

At the beginning of this year Chicago-based artist Willis Earl Beal was the talk of the indie underground. Now, he tells Dan Condon that he wishes he did things differently.

“I’m coming to Australia with some nervousness,” he continues, “because I don’t really feel like I deserve it right now.” He also feels at odds with the way he has been promoted in the media. While promoting himself throughout Chicago’s streets as a singer you could call for a song and an artist to whom you could write for a picture was an effort to gain popularity, Beal is worried that the novelty has perhaps clouded the true essence of his art. “I feel like the way I came onto the scene was not the way I would have done it if it was just by myself,” Beal considers. “I felt like my back story was promoted entirely too much and I don’t feel like people have a clear idea of what my aesthetic is and what I can do musically and artistically. “I think people have their ideas all based on what they read on the internet. You’re always going to be your own biggest critic, but I just feel like I haven’t done what I really wanted to do. I have enjoyed myself a lot at the same time – I’ve travelled a lot – but I’m still kind of in this state of self-doubt and I’m trying to get out of that dark tunnel and it’s hard when you’re exposed to

72 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews

Corabi, who fronted Mötley Crüe on their ill-fated, albeit under-rated 1994 self-titled album before being unceremoniously ousted and whose other musical ventures include Ratt, The Scream, ESP, Union and his solo band will bring Lost Angels to Australia for the first time. The band features a star-studded list of seasoned hard rockers; guitarist/vocalist Eric Dover (Slash’s Snakepit, Alice Cooper), drummer Troy Patrick Farrell (White Lion, Pretty Boy Floyd, Gilby Clarke) and bassist Eric Brittingham (Cinderella). “I can’t explain it any other way,” Corabi continues. “It’s just a no-brainer, no pressure gig; we’re just going out to have some fun. Once you start recording records, then you’re worried about writing songs, what the artwork looks like on the album, how many records did we sell this week and I’ve got interviews to do for this or that. There’s just so much more involved in doing an original project; so these things, it’s just fun to do. We’ll probably do a few things from Dover’s catalogue [during their Australian tour]; a couple of Cinderella songs, couple of mine, some stuff from White Lion and then some classic covers that we all get off on hearing and playing. We don’t take ourselves that serious and we’re all in other bands and other projects. This is just a way for us to get out and have some fun, kick up our heels and have a couple of drinks with the audience.”

Corabi’s schedule is far too jam-packed for Lost Angels to morph into anything other than its current form anyway. He has a laundry list of projects on his résumé, including a new solo acoustic album. Aside from a new solo electric record, what else is in the pipeline? “I’m hoping I can maybe take my medicine for my ADD and actually finish this book that I’ve been talking about since the beginning of time,” he laughs. “It’s not like a tell-all Mötley book. It’s an autobiography from the very beginning. It encompasses my time with The Scream, Mötley, ex-wives, just all the different crap throughout my life. I’ve written it like three times, but I kinda co-wrote it with someone else. All three times, I co-wrote it with somebody else and I just kinda got frustrated. So I thought, ‘You know what? Nobody can actually tell my story better than me’. So I’m just gonna write it, have somebody go through the grammar and make sure it’s all proper. So I’m rewriting it on my own right now.” Corabi’s tenure with the Crüe was detailed in the notorious, highly successful and wildly entertaining Neil Strauss co-authored autobiography on the band, The Dirt. The question is posed as to whether the axeman feels he was inaccurately portrayed in said work and was therefore compelled to tell his story. “I thought The Dirt was a really well-written book, but I can honestly say some of my parts were, they were a little coloured,” he says. “They were maybe enhanced a bit. But I guess that’s just the business, you know what I mean?” WHO: Lost Angels WHEN & WHERE: Friday 21 December, The Hi-Fi Bar

NO HI-FI HANG-UPS Delving into the mystery and masturbation that surrounds Jonny Telafone, Anthony Carew discovers a guy defined, but in no way held back by, his own limitations.

But now, as he’s about to make his first ever trip to Australia, Beal’s true feelings about his debut album and the way his past has been perceived are starting to bug him. “I have extreme trepidation about it,” he says of his first Australian visit, before admitting it might be different if he was proud of more of his recent achievements this year. “with the exception of maybe the music video for Evening’s Kiss and the [Principles Of A Protagonist] EP,” he admits candidly.

t’s like going back and being in a pub band again,” vocalist/guitarist John Corabi explains of new covers project, Lost Angels. “It’s a no-brainer; you’re not sitting worrying about ticket sales, T-Shirt sales and all this other stuff. I live in Nashville right now and it’s hilarious. There’s all these little places around here where these just, insane musicians, they jam in this little pub, if it holds 80 people, that would be extremely crowded. They just go in there on Tuesday nights, all these cats… Robert Plant will show up. They just belly up to a bar, you sit there and you drink Guinness all night and just jam.”

“I

NEW PRINCIPLES uts of Willis Earl Beal’s outsider soul, folk and blues, recorded live in his bedroom, were released as his debut LP Acousmatic Sourcery through the taste making XL Recordings early this year. Fascinating tales from his past surfaced in the music media; he had been homeless, in the army and he’d sing to anyone who called him and draw pictures to anyone who’d write.

FLYING IN FOR THE FUN OF IT

onny Telafone is a 26-year-old who grew up by Lake Macquarie in Newcastle, spent a stint living in a garage in Canberra (“It got pretty cold in there, as you can imagine, and there were possums living in the roller door of the garage,” he recalls, “it was unpleasant, to say the least”), and now dwells in Melbourne. But that’s about all the hard biography you’re getting out of him, Telafone declining to discuss his day job, why he was in Frankston when he answered the telephone, or his actual real name.

a bunch of strangers and they tell you whether you’re valid or whether you’re not valid – it’s frustrating.” He doesn’t blame his record label for the path he has gone down since signing with them, he just wishes that he had have taken more time to plot the best way to reveal himself to the public. “With respect to the people at XL Records whom I really love and who’ve been really integral in helping me to grow as a person and as an artist, especially since I just finished recording my new record, I wish that I had taken a step up and taken a bit more time before I released anything to the public – I wish I hadn’t released my home recordings. “I really love those songs and I feel that releasing them to the public… I don’t feel like it’s a smart move to release outsider music to a commercial audience but at the same time, like my agent always tells me, it’s an unorthodox risky thing in today’s industry so it’s been working out surprisingly well. Which is largely why he has re-recorded a number of his songs for the Principles Of A Protagonist EP; the new renditions slicker and showcasing Beal’s gorgeously soulful voice with more clarity. “I want people to watch the YouTube videos and come to the live show and download the EP for free, because the EP has my full voice on it and it’s got a better quality of recording than my first record. And wait for my new CD Nobody Knows.” WHO: Willis Earl Beal WHEN & WHERE: Monday 31 December, Falls Festival, Lorne; Wednesday 2 January, Northcote Social Club

“I can’t tell you that, it’s a secret,” says the artist-onlyknown-as-Telafone. “Because some of the things I say and do, I don’t want it to come back and get me. I don’t want people to say, ‘There’s that creepy guy’. Especially some of the shit I got planned. There’s no way I’d want to put my real name to that, things could get a bit hairy.” And, if you’re going by the figure he cuts on his selftitled debut album, Jonny Telafone is a pretty creepy guy. Initially intended just as a 7” single for release on local 20-somethin’ institution Chapter Music (featuring the toe-tapper Make Your Pussy Cum), the collaboration between Telafone and the Melbourne label grew, Chapter assembling a 20-track collection filled with recordings drawn from his entire output thus far. “It’s me, but it’s not me as well,” Telafone says, of his performative guise. “It’s a brave character standing up for all the lonely masturbators out there, trying to get a break in life, dealing with all the heartache. It’s getting more and more out-of-hand, and people are starting to get the wrong idea about me. That I’m some kind of pervert, that I’m a creepy stalker. That’s the thing that seems to have stuck with people, because people love that sort of stuff.” As Telafone croons things like “I gotta get with you tonight,” the album shuffles through a range of lo-fi styles, from doom-laden, gothy synth-pop, to spare acoustic ache, to bedroom isolationism. Telafone grew up as a home-recorder, beginning when he was a 15-year-old Novacastrian (“it was just something to do in your room, apart from other things…” Telafone says, trailing into double-entendre). He’d been making his primitive recordings for six years before he ever played live. “It wasn’t until I

played a show that anyone cared at all,” he recounts. Telafone played his first-ever show in Canberra, and fell in with Dream Damage, the capital city’s way-underground blog/label/promoter hub that also works with lo-fi types Assassins 88, TV Colours and Danger Beach. As he moved from Newcastle to Canberra, then Melbourne, Telafone kept rolling tape, and his self-titled Chapter LP finds recordings spanning from 2006-2012, recorded in low-rent bedrooms across all three cities. Of course, Telafone is wary of the word ‘bedroom’ being used to describe his music. “When people record in studios, no one calls them ‘studio artist’ blah blah blah, so being called a ‘bedroom artist’ is weird to me,” he says. “I don’t aspire to be some lo-fi guy, I’m all up for making as hi-fi music as I possibly can.” Befitting its pieced-together nature, the album feels more like a cobbled-together collection than a singularsounding suite; this only amplified that Telafone doesn’t feel beholden to any musical mode. “There’s lots of different styles of music on there,” he says. “I’d love to make some cool, of-the-moment sounding music, but it never turns out that way. Because I’m a pretty inept musician, it just comes out all wobbly and wrong. I guess it’s a good thing to be defined by your own limitations. I’ve never been able to hear a song in my head and just put it down; the process always gets in the way and it becomes something else. I try to make a Bob Dylan song, and it comes out like Don McLean.” WHO: Jonny Telafone WHAT: Jonny Telafone (Chapter) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 21 December, Gasometer Hotel

CHRISTMAS IN YARRA 2012

BUSKING

COMPETITION From 13 to 24 December musicians & entertainers will take to the streets as part of Yarraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Busking Competition. favourite busker to win awesome prizes! $1400 Summer Lovinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Yarra Experience $500 voucher to spend at your favourite Yarra retailer Private walk to art tour for two people including wine & cheese

www.buskinginyarra2012.com.au

SINGLED OUT WITH BRYGET CHRISFIELD

ON THE RECORD

DROPKICK MURPHYS The Season’s Upon Us Dew Process

I Think You Might Like It Universal It’s pretty hard to locate this much-discussed official music video on YouTube given there are now so many parodies and ‘reviews’ up online, but thank Saint Nick I did. First of all, what’s with John Travolta’s spray-on hair? And secondly, if someone suggested to his wife, Kelly Preston (who appears in the clip together with a couple of their kids), I Think You Might Like It, specifically relating to the lyrics her husband sings alongside Olivia Newton-John in the chorus, “And then we’re gonna hide away/Makin’ love all night”, she would probably beg to differ. Some unofficial lyric sites suggest an alternative (“Making ‘up’ all night”) but these ears don’t lie. The moving image equivalent of awkwardfamilyportraits. com. And a shite ditty to boot.

LIVE

Young Hunger

FULL TOTE ODDS Place Your Bets

GREEN DAY ¡Tre!

Loose Lips/Cooperative

Obese

Warner

Love for this album will likely be divided into two camps, answerable by a single question: Do you miss the ‘80s? As the recording name for Hugo Manuel, Chad Valley’s first full-length, following the well received 2011 EP, Equatorial Ultravox, bursts into being with pounding artificial drum beats and proudly cheesy synthesiser tones amped way up into the red. The lush, loud, sugary pop is pure 1986 excess. The character of the album is established early on, and there’s little room for it to move.

The debut from Adelaide Hills hip hop foursome Full Tote Odds not only lands them squarely among the soulful samples and catchy beats of the refreshing urban sound of 2012, Place Your Bets ushers the veteran collective straight through the door to front up as serious contenders alongside fellow southerly brethren Hilltop Hoods and Funkoars. Made up of members from Train Of Thought and metal band Headbore as well as industry stalwart Ross Read, FTO have placed themselves in prime position for punters to take note of the new kids on the block.

The final instalment in Green Day’s trilogy of albums released over a three-month period caps off what has been a bold move for the band. With frontman Billie Joe Armstrong in rehab and not able to promote the albums or potentially explain the band’s motivations for the ambitious releases, the 37 songs that are spread across the three would have made for one good, not great, Green Day release. The band described each album as sounding sonically different, with ¡Dos! meaning to be garage rock, whilst ¡Uno! more of a power pop release. ¡Tre! sounds like its predecessors mulched together.

A couple of singles are already in the bag, the most played being Southern Wind featuring young chanteuse Taylor Jones and What’s Going Down with Jack Radford’s Motown-like vocals. The former’s atmospheric and manipulated voice is thoughtfully stretched over dynamic synths and the boys’ structured deliveries. The latter is fresh and funky despite practically being etched into consciousness, Radford’s sassy drawl interrupting ballpark keys and clever rhyming. There’s clearly an influence from the Hilltop boys skewing things pretty strongly on opener Ain’t Coming Down, with the main vocal drenched in that natural evenness and direct delivery, but it’s always nice to hear that Aussie twang, ever present in the very Aussie sentiment of Sick Day.

But Green Day are always going to sound like Green Day; the production qualities are the same, the songwriting isn’t as diverse as promised, but with that in mind, there are some good tracks here. 8th Avenue Serenade shows signs of blissful decadence, whilst X-Kid sees a reasonable attempt at trying to move away from that ‘Green Day’ sound. Dirty Rotten Bastards elicits the kind of behaviour that might see Armstrong back in rehab – a brash ‘fuck you’ punk number. The album’s opener, Brutal Love, focuses on a classic ‘60s ice cream change chord progression complete with layered harmonies for effect.

OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN & JOHN TRAVOLTA

CHAD VALLEY

If only someone would release a compilation of these kinds of Christmas songs (another contender is The Hives and Cyndi Lauper’s matchless festive jingle, A Christmas Duel – Google it!) we (almost) wouldn’t mind listening to ‘carols’ 24/7 from late-November. The focus here, as you’d expect from Dropkick Murphys, is on getting pissed (“brandy and eggnog”) and the lyrics get wilder with each passing verse: “My nephew’s a horrible, wise little twit/He once gave me a nice giftwrapped box full of [blank]… I’d like to take ‘im out back and deck more than the halls.” It’s a right old knees-up that’s guaranteed to make you feel better about the in- and outlaws you have to pretend to like once a year.

Essential, seductive single, Fall 4 U, features protokraut rock backing beats reminiscent of an early Can or Kraftwerk track – they’re just hidden in saccharine electronica synth-shimmering and Hammond organsounding keyboard solos. Again, it must be stressed, this is an album for the ‘80s synth pop lovers. The admittedly delightful overblown music manages to largely mask Manuel’s occasional shortcoming as a singer, as does the odd bit of modern auto-tune here and there. The album is pleasant enough a debut, and could signify a really interesting future for Chad Valley, though the record’s vibe of ‘80s as idea over reality (really – how many horn-sounding keyboard solos do you want?) does begin to wear thin after a while.

Musically, there’s a healthy dose of diversity with soulful vocalists, flamenco guitars and horn flourishes alongside DJ scratches in the upbeat single-worthy Feeling Alright. Where FTO get it most right is in continuing to experiment, thereby making the album as a whole interesting and worthy of a holistic listen rather than for simply its very likeable single releases. Definitely ones to watch.

With this release it’s hard to imagine what the band could dream up next to give them another shift in the public’s conscience: concept albums? tick; trilogy of albums? tick; rock opera? tick. How can a band that hasn’t challenged their audience since American Idiot stay relevant? Stay tuned, as I’m sure the marketing machine will churn out some new absurd way to capitalise on the band’s enormous fanbase. By the way, ¡Tre! is an album for Green Day die hards. The songs are good, but have all been heard before.

Carley Hall

James Dawson

SCOTT WALKER

THE UV RACE

BETTYE LAVETTE

LADY ANTEBELLUM

4AD/Remote Control

In The Red

Anti-/Warner

On This Winter’s Night

“If you’re listening to this you must have survived,” moans Scott Walker towards the end of Bish Bosch, his first vocal album since 2006’s The Drift. It’s something of a tongue in cheek acknowledgement that the album has covered some pretty difficult terrain, and the danger of listening to a Scott Walker album is that once you’re in you might not make it out. Walker, the former pop icon from 1960s group The Walker Brothers, has increasingly moved into darker, more avant-garde territory as the decades have progressed. He is one of the most distinctive and unusual artists around. Each record feels like an event, the concert hall colliding with the gutter, sonic experiments in a quasi-operatic netherworld.

The UV Race never really fit into the new Melbourne garage rock scene where they were frequently heralded as forerunners. They’re messy, use terrible sounding instruments and play sloppily like the others, but they always have had qualities that make them unique in a sea of bands all trying to sound like each other.

There’s been a darkness running through the records of US soul songstress Bettye LaVette since she finally broke through from obscurity with 2005’s I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise, 43-years since she cut her first single. Her voice lends itself to a grittier brand of soul, her interpretations of other peoples’ songs giving them a dark and dirty overhaul and, while it hasn’t always been infallible, its power is almost constantly unmistakable. Thankful N’ Thoughtful is a loosely themed collection; songs of alienation and despair, emotionally bleak but well-loved pieces of music from throughout the modern age. It’s a good fit for the way LaVette and her band approach their interpretations.

CEELO GREEN

This album, with its uniform emotional impact, lovelorn and new romantic, is more 1980s than the 1980s, a near pure idea of a lost time the artist wasn’t born to see, yet romanticises with all he has. You probably won’t buy into the idea as deeply as he does, but it’s hard not to smile at nostalgia for an imagined age. Andrew McDonald

Mary, Did You Know? Warner Thought I could rely on CeeLo to bring some mirth to the Christmas carol, but this is more serious than Ave Maria, and the old ‘Mary’ in ‘The Bible Clip’ that accompanies the song kinda looks like Steven Tyler. That voice though, that’s a gift from God right there so no wonder he buys into the whole religious thing. The next video down on the website, Merry Christmas, Baby (feat. Rod Stewart) has a much more uplifting vibe and their two voices mesh together remarkably well. If the thought of making your Old Cheese moist on Christmas Day doesn’t freak you out too much, bung CeeLo’s Magic Moment (CeeLo’s complete Christmas album) in her stocking.

Capitol This one has a melancholy undertone, like being away from your loved ones in a different hemisphere at Christmas time. The lyrics are about remembering, there’s a children’s choir and a bizarre electric guitar solo... come on, guys, it’s impossible to record an edgy Christmas carol and the sleighbells and pianodriven melody work much better without the shredding. What the hell, the blonde guy looks exactly like Lance Bass from that boy band. What were they called again? *’N Sync?

MICHAEL BUBLÉ Christmas Warner I had intended to review a song from this one, but someone stole it from my desk. Seriously. Don’t worry – I’ll get to the bottom of it. It seems ‘The Boob’ is more popular than ever around Christmas time. It’s a re-release of his 2011 Christmas album rolled out for the second time anyway. What’s that, Skip? One of our directors had a Christmas party on Sunday and decided Bublé would be just the ticket? Track 16 is the best. Coming in at 0.05 seconds, it simply goes: “This is Michael Bublé wishing you a very Merry Christmas.” Imagine the fun you could have with that: Pranking those who worship The Boob by playing it down the phoneline!

74 • For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews

Bish Bosch

His voice is remarkable, an emotionally wounded baritone. It quivers, overwrought with emotion, yet he’s singing, “If shit were music, la la la la la la, you’d be a brass band,” on Zercon, A Flagpole Sitter. Somehow the glib one-liners fall flat, only adding to the feeling of alienation. The music in the main is sparse, a kind of deconstructed version of rock music. It rises and falls in behind his poetic vocals, often into blank nothingness. He uses machetes on the track, Tar, fart sounds on Corps De Blah, revelling in the musical slapstick. Yet the way he uses conventional instrumentation is even more terrifying. Sparse, austere and almost clinical, the influences come from new classical and the avantgarde. Yet there are also moments of doomy guitar riffage here, even percussion, sleigh bells and piercing keys. Brimming with obscure references and a dark abstract absurdism, this is music for the foreground. It asks a lot of questions but answers few. Music this complex and this immersive is rare. Pray you survive. Bob Baker Fish

Racism

While the band are full of awesome bohemian weirdos, frontman Marcus Rechsteiner no doubt shapes the sound and feeling of the band the most. His lyrics are almost baffling in their obviousness, and this naïvety and upfront honesty becomes profound and even visionary. Now, this might be a bit a hard to swallow if you take shit out of context and focus on, let’s say track two, I’m A Pig, where the chorus is a choir of the band oinking. Even still, there’s probably something deeper going on under the surface. Life Park sees the band pull out some really interesting chord progression and the lyrics about working just to survive illustrate the beautiful simple genius of the songwriting. An over the top synth riff cranks up the silliness in case you thought it was getting a bit serious. Sophie Says has a spoken word intro that is sincere and sets up the sadness of the song, which even the happy sounding instruments can’t detract from. The band sound amazing with all their elements like the thumping floor toms, jarring keyboards and plinky guitars perfectly slotting into place. Alongside the soundtrack to their film Autonomy And Deliberation (which is much better than it should be) Racism makes The UV Race’s contributions to 2012 invaluable. Chris Yates

Thankful N’ Thoughtful

Her weathered voice takes Bob Dylan’s Everything Is Broken to an even more desolate place than it has been before and a slinky rendition of The Black Keys’ I’m Not The One gives it more class than the Akron duo could ever wish for. Kim McLean’s The More I Search (The More I Die) gets a pastoral touch up with banjo and sparse slide guitar showing, much like her 2007 Drive-By Truckers collaboration Scene Of The Crime, that LaVette is able to stamp her powerful impressions on country music as well. Beth Neilsen-Chapman’s Fair Enough and Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy are crushingly forlorn, but Savoy Brown’s I’m Tired, Neil Young’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and Patty Griffin’s Time Will Do The Talking are bizarrely pleasant, while still keeping with the theme. The ebb and flow of mood, the diversity of source material and the overall quality of the performances here make this one of LaVette’s finest pieces. Dan Condon

WILLY MASON

WOOLLEN KITS

PAUL KALKBRENNER

THE D.O.T.

Universal

RIP Society

Paul Kalkbrenner Musik

Shock

For a relatively young chap, singer-songwriter Willy Mason has already experienced an extremely interesting career arc. The 28-year-old Martha’s Vineyard-based musician is up to his third album with Carry On, but it’s his first in five years after taking a break from his craft to immerse himself in ‘real life’ (as distinct to a touring musician’s bubble) and get some much-needed perspective. Which isn’t to say that he wasn’t kicking goals prior to his hiatus; his debut album, 2004’s Where The Humans Eat, was particularly well-received, he’d already shrugged off the dreaded ‘new Dylan’ tag and readers may remember him acquitting himself well on the main stage of Splendour In The Grass back in 2005.

It’s been a fantastic year for fans of jangly garage rock and all things similar. While it may seem like every decent band in Australia has put out stunning records, Melbourne’s Woollen Kits have upped the ante by releasing two fantastic albums. They haven’t rushed this one out; if anything it’s even more consistent than their self-titled debut.

Four years from his star-making turn as both a musician and a thespian in Berlin Calling, Paul Kalkbrenner is far better known by reputation than his recent musical output. Acolytes hang off his every note, but returns since his breakout hit, Sky And Sand have been mixed – if anything, 2011 long-player, Icke Wieder, was most remembered for its absence of much in the way of memorable tunes.

Mike Skinner only ended The Streets last year, but it’s been eight years since A Grand Don’t Come For Free, and Rob Harvey’s The Music’s 2011 break-up went largely unnoticed; so how does this union stand up compared to Skinner’s past and The Music’s 2002 flash in the pan?

The record opens with Back To You, which has a great descending bass line that follows the vocals, echoing the very subtle hook. Cheryl is the first of the Four Girls referenced in the title, and it’s hard to get past this as a standout, or even get past it at all without skipping back to hear it 50 times. “When you look good, you know you feel good, and when you feel good, you get shit done” is just such a fantastic, life-affirming pre-chorus and it’s given even more weight because it’s just been thrown out with such reckless abandon. Second girl, Sandra, is a rougher distortion mess with mumbled lyrics and the first to break away from the basic pop patterns of the rest of the album. Susannah bounces around with a faster tempo and the vocals are much smoother, but the feel of the track remains loose and they jump in with a chorus out of nowhere that just smashes it into your memory instantly.

Whether recognising this or just in the midst of a purple patch, Kalkbrenner is back less than 18 months later with Guten Tag, his sixth longplayer. Perhaps as a way of circumventing the feeling that Icke Wieder was just a series of dancefloor tracks laid end-to-end rather than an album proper, Guten Tag’s 17 tracks for the most part alternate between long-form techno excursions and quirky interludes. So you get eased in with the atmospheric Schnurbi, welcomed to the floor by the techno bounce of Der Stabsvörnern, led on a detour down sideshow alley with Kernspalte, pummelled by the bassline dirge of Spitz-Auge, and so on. You can’t help but think Kalkbrenner is hedging his bets with the shorter tracks, when Guten Tag may have been better served by exploring these ideas more deeply – the piano refrain of Fochleise-Kassette, for example, feels like an anthem looking for a song to call home. If it’s a weekend weapon that people are looking for, though, the melodic chord stabs of Das Gezabel is where they’ll find it.

Carry On

So is the return worth it? Very much so. As with his early recordings, on first listen it’s the deep, rich timbre of his expressive voice which is the most noticeable aspect of this solid batch of songs, but before long the deft nature of his songwriting rises to the fore as well. Musically, the touch is very light, mainly just rootsy guitars – abetted by some softly ambient production courtesy of Dan Carey (MIA, Hot Chip, Kylie) – meaning that many of the tracks rely on strong lyrics and vocal hooks to grab attention, but luckily those are delivered in spades on songs such as opener What It Is, the mournful Show Me The Way To Go Home and the laidback Into Tomorrow. It seems a deeply personal tract of lyrics, but in the manner of an introspective quest rather than a display of self-obsession. A solid return, and hopefully the beginning of a career reborn. Welcome back Willy, carry on indeed. Dylan Roberton

Four Girls

The ‘60s jangle is turned all the way up for last girl, Shelley, where the coolest part is what sounds like a dropped beat that could have been a mistake first time round but they keep it up throughout the duration of the track. Chris Yates

Guten Tag

And That

The album’s music is unquestionably more popdriven than we’ve heard from Skinner in the past. The beats, most reminiscent of 2011’s Computers & Blues, shuffle and keep a constant and modern hip hop pace. It’s very easy to see how interested in production Skinner has gotten since he started his career ten years ago. He takes a vocal backseat on this record, but his voice is all over it. Rob Harvey sings lead on the lion’s share of the album, but Skinner’s production is so tight, groovy and glowing, Harvey can’t help but sound like a guest on his own record.

Guten Tag sees Paul Kalkbrenner sounding a little undercooked; polished and technically perfect, but stuck in a holding pattern; not quite accessible enough to convert non-believers, and perhaps not stretching quite far enough to please the old ones.

The album is largely a straight-up electro pop/rock outing, with highlights like Goes Off and Weapon Of Choice treading familiar Streets’ territory of lost nights and broken hearts. Harvey belts it like he’s always been able to, yelling: “Fuck me like you used to”, on Like You Used To – it’s the kind of melancholic and ‘too honest’-sounding lyric we accept, and revel in, from Skinner. Though it’s unfortunately a statement we might direct at Skinner himself – And That is a fine record, enjoyable and well produced by two people whose camaraderie shines through the beats. Though knowing what Skinner is capable of, even as recently as last year, it can’t help but be a minor letdown.

Kris Swales

Andrew McDonald

For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews • 75

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THIS WEEK IN

ARTS

THE CIRCLE IS NOW COMPLETE Joel Zika and Simon Pericich: December Rain (End Of The World Party)

WEDNESDAY 19 End of the World Party – an exhibition presented as part of Blindside Galleries Curtain Call curated event series. This collection of works has been inspired by the end of the world from artists Patrick Rees, Kirsty Audrey Hulm, Drew Pettifer and Joel Zika. Get ready for alien broadcast and end of days voodoo. Blindside Gallery, The Nicholas Building, 6pm to Saturday 22 December.

THURSDAY 20 Silent Partner – a play by Daniel Keene about two down on their luck blokes who have good fortune fall into their laps when the chance to train a greyhound is offered to them. Directed and designed by Matthew Adey, with John Brumpton and Damian Hill. The Owl And The Pussycat, 8.30pm to Sunday 23 December. The Mama Alto Christmas Special – jazz singer and cabaret artist Mama Alto (aka Benny Dimas) teams up with pianist Tiffanni Walton for a special Christmas performance. The Butterfly Club, 7pm to Sunday 23 December. The Intouchables – a French film directed and written by Oliver Nakache and Eric Toledano. About an aristocrat who becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident and hires a young man from the projects to be his caretaker because he won’t pity him. Moonlight Cinemas, 8.30pm.

FRIDAY 21 Noa – a new theatre work from a collaboration between director

Samara Hersch and performers Joshua Ferenbach and Karen Sibbing, dramaturgy by David Woods. La Mama Theatre, 7.30pm. Seventh Super Sell-Out Sale – are you keen on buying art? Well, here you’ll find bargain art pieces from $40. Also, get all festive with the gallery’s artists. Seventh Gallery, 6pm.

SATURDAY 22 Will Ferrell: Old School – it’s funny man Will Ferrell’s week at rooftop. Tonight see a screening of classic Old School, also starring Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn, about a posse of old college friends still trying to live the dream. Rooftop Cinema, 9.30pm.

UPCOMING IN ARTS New Years Eve: Prom Night – get out your favourite dress and try and get the curling technique down on your straighter and head to Burly bar for the prom. With performances by Wes Snelling, Lyra LaBelle, Strawberry Siren, Becky Lou and Poppy Cherry. At midnight as 2013 rolls in the prom King and Queen will also be crowned. Burlesque Bar, 7pm. Gasworks Backyard Cinema – this beachside open air cinema is back on Friday 18 January, screening a collection of films every Friday until 1 March. Program highlights include Up, Best In Show and Hugo. For more info head to gasworks.org.au. The Life Of Pi – the film adaption of Yann Martel’s novel about a young man who survives a disaster at sea and embarks on a fantastical journey, directed by Ang Lee. In cinemas from Tuesday 1 January.

Twenty years after the classic dialogue-free spiritual travelogue of Baraka, producer/co-editor/co-writer Mark Magidson and the team have returned with the powerful sequel, Samsara. Just don’t hold your breath for a follow-up, as Kris Swales discovers. It was two decades ago that cineastes and stoners alike were first mesmerised by the non-verbal spiritual journey across the globe known as Baraka. That film was a direct descendent of Godfrey Reggio’s 1982 cult head trip Koyaanisqatsi, both sharing the same cinematographer in Ron Fricke. Industrial designer and inventor Mark Magidson was drawn into Fricke’s circle between the two, having served as co-producer on the former and its predecessor, the IMAX release Chronos. These so-called “guided meditations”

would’ve been more than enough for fans to spend a lifetime mulling over, but you can now add Samsara to the equation as well. A new opus of 70mm filmmaking, the Samsara shoot took Magidson, director/cinematographer Fricke and their multitasking skeleton crew of “only four or five people” to 25 countries over nearly five years of production, shooting locations and people uncovered by their research of the title concept – “A Tibetan Sanskrit word that means ‘birth, death and rebirth’,” says Magidson, “or another word would be ‘impermanence’.”

to make sure that it’s all designed, eventually, to come to a laugh.”

MURDER IN SIGHT Three films in and Ben Wheatley’s presided over quite nt. Anthony Carew adds it all up with a body count. the director on the eve of his latest, Sightseers.

The Life of Pi

In Baraka, the camera felt like an independent observer. Samsara, by contrast, makes you feel more involved in the action – whether that be at a funeral involving a gunshaped “fantasy coffin” in Ghana or on the cutting room floor of various meat production facilities. “I don’t know about when you say ‘more involved’,” counters Magidson, though he concedes that even with their philosophy of letting audiences take their own meaning out of their films, the imagery in Samsara is more confronting than Baraka. “But we don’t want to make a statement about good or bad, or right or wrong,” Magidson explains, “because we don’t want to bring the film into a place where the flow of the imagery is interrupted by a point of view that’s a political point of view. “Even though you could say that there is some political… how would

Even as director Ben Wheatley turns from low-rent crime-movie (2009’s Down Terrace) and horror (2011’s Kill List) to comedy, the kills keep coming: Sightseers finding comics Steve Oram and Alice Lowe playing a pair of polar fleece-

clad dimwits whose ‘romantic’ caravanning holiday gets a little murdery. “Just because you’re making a comedy doesn’t mean you can’t have drama, and pathos, and darkness,” says the 40-year-old English filmmaker. “You just have

Wheatley had wanted to make a comedy when coming off Kill List, an artful study of wild cult ritual clearly influenced by the original The Wicker Man. Though genre nerds reacted to it gleefully, Wheatley enjoyed assembling it far less. “Kill List ended up being quite a depressing, difficult film to make,” he says. “The shoot was fun, but the editing of it turned out to be quite traumatising. I hadn’t really thought what it would be like to patiently sit down and make something so horrible, a film that is explicitly designed to terrify people. I ended up, as I was watching it day after day in the edit suite, feeling quite guilty ab about it all. When you could mak make any kind of film, it feels like qu quite a strange thing to make a film that is going to make people upse upset. So, this time, I wanted to ma make something that could make peop people happy.” And, so, Sightseers ttrails Oram and Lowe, listening in i on their comic riffs, which co come delivered in a droll Midlands de deadpan. “It’s about how relationsh relationships work in terms of dynamics; hhow people negotiate being together, how the balance of power works, and how sometimes that power goes back and forward,” Wheatley says; these power games leading to numerous scenes in which their casual murdering comes as the result of emotional blackmail. The bloodied trail they leave – and the sense

yo say it,” he pauses, in search you of the right word, “content that is brought along with the image and br the choice of image that we’re th making, we’re not trying to take m it too far. We’re really trying to provide an experience that allows pr people to feel a connection [of] pe the life experience to their own th humanity – we’re all related hu and connected to each other. an If you have that experience, regardless of how, that’s a positive outcome for us as filmmakers.” Scored by Baraka’s Michael Stearns and Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance), these inner journeys for the viewer of Samsara have taken Magidson on a literal journey to 57 countries over the course of three films. Magidson helped Fricke (“one of the best cinematographers in the world, I think”) develop the motion control time-lapse technology that has been such a striking feature of all three films, and though the director has stated elsewhere that he’s ready to pack the flight cases and do it all again, Magidson is not so sure. “I’m not unenthusiastic, I’m just not enthusiastic. And you have to be really enthusiastic to want to take that kind of time and effort. Four-and-a-half years on a film and you watch it in one-hundred minutes and sometimes you question – ‘what are you doing?’ “But, you know, I’m very proud of the film and really happy with the end result.” WHAT: Samsara WHEN & WHERE: In cinemas Wednesday 26 December that these characters are out to kill anyone who could be perceived as their rivals – is, for Wheatley, a commentary on the ancient urges still bubbling in modern man. “The characters aren’t travelling across the landscape so much as they’re travelling back through time,” Wheatley offers. “The places they visit are out-of-the-way, often industrial places; and there’s this sense that they’re moving further away from modern life, deeper into the past, until they’re just a couple of people on the side of a mountain. They’re almost like cavemen by the end of it. They’re in touch with their more primal, more violent, side and they also create their own moral universe. “Even though I wanted to make something different, there are ideas that are there in Down Terrace, Kill List and Sightseers. People are modern people, but they’re ancient people as well. As you get older, you see the history around you and you realise that you’re not in this completely unique moment. We’re sold this reassuring idea that as you move into the future, things are getting better, but everything’s just repeating. A lot of people have died for humanity to get to the point where you stand now, Twittering away. Wherever you are in England, you’re never too far away from somewhere that a lot of blood has been spilt.” WHAT: Sightseers WHEN & WHERE: In cinemas December 26

To check out the mags online go to themusic.com.au/mags • 77

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REVIEWS

ART S TA R T E R

SUBURBIA THEATRE Exhibit A’s SubUrbia is raw, refreshing and relevant. Matt Furlani’s portrayal of Holden Caulfield-esque protagonist Jeff is understated. The story follows a group of 20-somethings hanging outside 7-Eleven, awaiting the arrival of their rock star friend, Pony (Benjamin Rigby). The convo veers towards existentialist world views thanks to Jeff. But unlike Godot, Pony actually rocks up. The chemistry between Furlani and his wayward girlfriend Sooze (Belinda Misevski) is complex and very believable. Adam Spellicy’s filmic style of direction is highly considered and suits perfectly as SubUrbia is an adaption of Richard Linklater’s 1996 film. Due to the outdoor venue the lighting

THE TEMPTATION OF ST ANTONY THEATRE Four Larks have a reputation for elaborate design, unique performance locations and live music, The Temptation Of St Antony satisfies expectations. We’re given a map to the secret location (which delights the inner child) to see a re-imagining of Gustave Flaubert’s 1874 text. Once the space is found with ease, we immediately enter the world of the play. St Antony (Tim Wotherspoon) sits alone in a clutter of books, rapt in his typewriter, as a narrator voices his inner thoughts. This is his remote cavern, where he’s slipping into a madness prompted by doubt. Temptations and variations of his idea of God slowly present themselves to him, created by an

The Abbotsford Convent

Five minutes with

HAMISHI

What do you love about illustration as a medium? Not that much right now, having said that I’m quite jaded and am moving away from it. Lately it seems kind of arbitrary. If anything it’s nice to think of it as a “gateway medium”. Maybe that answer is a cop out, I like illustration’s poignancy when there isn’t too much “glitter”. Who is your favourite artist? People from the future, that answer probably makes me seem like a jerk but I will bet you my hands that the future is going to make all of the best art. If you could live in an art decade in history when would it be? Right now, the Internet era is the greatest period mankind has encountered. Plus people seemed to not take artists with multi-coloured skin seriously until like last week. What’s exciting about being involved in Sugar Mountain? The Forum is such a beautiful venue, it’s an honour to have my work there. Also everyone involved is amazing, they all have this dire “lets make it happen” mentality that I really value. It lets you step outside of the conventional gallery goer/exhibition relationship and challenges you to make something special for the festival environment.

What’s challenging about collaborating with a musician for SM? Henry rules, but collaborating is hard with anyone, just responding to text messages and staying on the same page can be pretty difficult sometimes. Especially since I don’t really leave my neighbourhood. I’m not a musician so it’s hard to be really explicit about sounds when I don’t really understand how they work. If you weren’t an artist what would you be doing? Playing basketball, hanging out with dogs, maybe I’d have a veggie patch and more time for my friends. I did some stand-up comedy, that was fun. Maybe I’d release a rap record about not being an artist and how galleries and contemporary art is alienating. WHAT: Sugar Mountain WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 19 January, Forum Theatre

ART S TA R T E R

Cassandra Fumi

A big-screen version of Les Miserables was never going to be an easy task. The outsized emotionality and play-to-the-back-row bombast of the show, an adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic, sprawling tale of revolution and redemption in 17th century France, would seem better suited to the theatre than the cinema. But that hasn’t stopped Oscarwinning King’s Speech director Tom Hooper and a game, passionate cast headed by Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe from giving it a red-hot go. There’s commitment and conviction to spare in the work of everyone involved but nuance and subtlety appear to have been secondary concerns. Isn’t that always the way with musicals of this nature, though? Therefore adjust your expectations

The queue down High Street before this venue’s advertised opening time suggests JB Smoove fans wanna get up close and personal, if not “get in that ass”. David Quirk is on support duties and, kicking off his set around the 5.45pm mark acknowledges, “It’s too early for this kind of shit, isn’t it?” His comedy often ventures into Wrongtown, but the “I would swim open-mouthed through a river of shit…” routine that earns him the biggest chortle is actually a well-worn phrase. This is the first of two JB Smoove shows at this venue tonight due to high demand and his hilarious Meredith Gift commentary last weekend can’t have hurt ticket sales. We watch a collage of Smoove’s Curb Your Enthusiasm character Leon

Cassandra Fumi

ensemble of performers. At first they seem like a Greek chorus but quickly surpass the chorus’ dramatic function by portraying individuals: from a soprano-singing Queen Of Sheba (Esther Hannaford) to a hip hop-inspired Apollo (Terry Yeboah) with an all-powerful luminous brow. Staying true to the junkyard style of theatre, said light is a bike light on a headband. Ellen Warkentine and Mat Sweeney’s score runs throughout and is played live by an eight-piece band. The musos reveal is very impressive and their costumes mirror the performers. In this piece no one stands out, not even St Antony, despite being the protagonist. Everyone in the space is committed to the world of this ambitious work. It’s very impressive and reinforces Four Larks as our mystic theatre darlings.

LES MISÉRABLES FILM

JB SMOOVE COMEDY

intensifies as night falls and the subject matter gets darker; being outside also means unplanned moments are inevitable. This enhances the naturalism and injects an element of uncertainty and authenticity to the front of a servo, a transient space really (like your 20s). A cat runs across the stage, a plastic bag dances in the wind (very American Beauty) and in the climax (ideal timing) it starts to rain, (“Awesome special effects” mutters a damp viewer). The cast have an inviting energy and seem to have a ball – as they bow between raindrops. Exhibit A should be applauded for staging SubUrbia, as film-to-theatre adaptations are never an easy feat and this is a very polished and extremely professional piece of independent theatre.

accordingly and there’s every chance you’ll be swept away by the saga of Jackman’s Jean Valjean, imprisoned nearly 20 years, and his attempts to begin anew despite the doggedness of Crowe’s grudge-carrying lawman Javert. (For the record: Jackman’s musical-theatre background and natural air of sincerity and decency give the film a rock-solid foundation, while Crowe’s singing is capable but his brawny, intimidating presence works a treat.)Of course, there’s also heartbreak (personified by Anne Hathaway’s performance as the tragic Fantine, which left me impressed but not especially moved), comedy in the scummy Thenardiers, love between fresh-faced couple Cosette and Marius and courage (noble masses versus snooty one-percenters!). Something for everybody, really. Guy Davis In cinemas Wednesday 26 December

Black’s finest scenes and then out bounds the hyperactive comic. His elastic face (bumbling old timer), local observations (a kangaroo is a handicapped animal since it can’t walk without the use of its tail, he claims), sound effects (intensifying skits about how the “late model, blackass van” with sliding side door is a “kidnapper special”) and physical comedy (when he brings the ruckus to the ladies, his ejaculate projectile is represented by the mic cord) leave us wondering whether it’s possible to suffocate through uninterrupted laughter. Much like the show that made him famous, JB Smoove’s stand-up is a mustsee. Trying to describe what he looks like miming an attempted quick getaway on a penny-farthing could never live up to the visual. Bryget Chrisfield Thornbury Theatre

78 • For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews

JB Smoove Presenting the Meredith Gift. Pic by Leah Roberston

Five minutes with

RITA D’ALBERT How did the concept for Lucha VaVOOM evolve? My partner, Liz Fairbairn, is a mastercostumer. She was hired to work on a film in Mexico about mutant alien apes from outer space or something like that. Anyway, the actors playing the primates were luchadores, and they invited Liz to see them wrestle on their days off. Why do the wrestlers wear masks? I’m glad you ask. I’ve read a lot of lucha libre histories and stories can vary: from parts unknown and all. My understanding is that it started in Mexico City in 1942 with El Santo. He made his debut as a masked character and the crowds really took to the mystique; it’s like a cartoon character come to life! It caught on like crazy, and now it’s second only to football (aka soccer, depending on where you live) in Mexico as the national pastime. It’s such a beautiful tradition and we just love it. There is so much that goes into creating a character, and so much honour associated with the mask. If a wrestler gets unmasked in the ring, he can never wear that mask again! Luchadores spend their entire career never being seen. Imagine if Toby Maguire debuted as Spiderman and

that was it for the rest of his career – a real life superhero, performing at wrestling shows, opening ceremonies, doing magic shows, etc… Never seeing his face, just knowing this living, breathing real-life superhero. What’s exciting about playing a festival such as Big Day Out? Lucha VaVOOM has a really rock’n’roll energy, and we’ve always wanted to do shows with bands, but it’s never come together. So to be able to do this for the first time with such a prestigious festival as Big Day Out is a giant deal to us. None of us can sleep. Seriously. I talk to the performers and Liz every day, and it’s all we can think about! I’ve been totally behind on thinking about the Christmas holidays because I just want them to be over and for us to be travelling with BDO in Australia, doing what we love, and conquering an entire continent! Have you been to Australia before? Thankfully, yes! I actually toured Australia with Andy Prieboy in 1996 and 1998, accompanying him on flute, guitar, bass and backup vocals. I absolutely loved it! I’m excited to visit the same cities with my favorite people this time. WHAT: Lucha VaVOOM WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 26 January, Big Day Out, Flemington

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He’s young, good looking, very funny and a hit with the ladies. Suffice to say, Tommy Little has got it going on, writes Kate Kingsmill.

Tommy Little is everything I normally dislike in a comedian,” says Adam “Andd yett Ad Hills. Hill “A I like him as well.” It seems Tommy Little’s status as a triple threat – youthful, handsome and hilarious – is

enough to intimidate even the most successful of Australian comedians. We catch up with Little in the middle of a writing session (“It involves a lot of staring at a computer and asking yourself, which word is funnier, arse or bum?”) who sets the story straight. “Here’s the secret – I just slipped him twenty bucks,” Little says. Who knew Hills came so cheap! “Yeah, his career is really on the rocks,” he adds with a sly chuckle. “Sure, he’s got TV shows and international success, but woah, behind the curtains, he needs money.” So does Tommy Little have plans up his sleeve to take over Adam Hills’ position in the world as the most likeable and popular comic in Australia? “I would love that, he’s having an amazing career. I think any comedian in the country would anything close to love to have anyth Hillsy’s had. the success that H crossed, if I can keep So fingers crossed bribing people, all the way.“

ambiguous, that’s what I’m going for. No, I mean, I think, like a lot of things, the fun is in the middle area with everything. Like right is always pretty boring and wrong is always pretty boring. But a little bit of right and wrong, that crawl space in the middle, is very funny.” Suggest to Little that from his material it seems as though he spends a lot of his time drunk, he pisses himself laughing. “I love that that is the initial perception! And you know what, it’s probably fair. I think it’s towing that fine line of, sure, drinking hacks into your working week, but it also provides a lot of funny stories. I don’t know if you’d call it a fine balance. I think you’d call it just a seesaw gone wrong.”

doesn’t have to Truth is, Little does Because Little is bribe anyone. Bec He’s also just really, really funny. fu self-deprecation. “I’m a master of self-de because I suck only in comedy be at everything else. If I could do would do it. The anything else I wo working conditions and the pay that if this is your are so horrible tha insane.” So is he choice, you’re insa a bit insane? “Uh… no…” he sighs, and then, ppissing himself adds, “What a laughing again add reassuring tone!” Do his friends think he’s insane? “My friends are ffunny. I’I’m lucky l k ddoing comedy that a lot of people that are funnier aren’t doing comedy.”

And since he’s currently writing material, alone at his computer, asking himself life’s big questions, how does he know what’s funny? “I find out that night at the gig when instead of laughter, the room is filled with silence and someone winding up their arm to throw a bottle at me! That’s generally a fair indicator.” He prepares a lot of his material but really enjoys audience interaction. “I sincerely find people very interesting, so actually a lot of my material will originate from chatting with the crowd that then turns into bigger chunks of material down the track. I always know where I’m going to start and where I’m going to finish and the stuff in the middle is kind of up to the gods – the comedy gods – that sometimes decide to shit all over me and give me nothing.“

Little finds ambiguity interesting. “Ethnically and sexually

WHAT: Tommy Little’s A Fistful Of Apologies (Madman)

MR FIX IT Ever feel like no matter how much you try and fix things they just get worse? This is one of the premises behind new Disney feature Wreck-It Ralph. Guy Davis checks in with animation man Rich Moore. Rich Moore is no slouch in the world of animation – after all, he did direct Jurassic Bark, the classic Futurama episode scientifically proven to be the saddest half-hour of television ever made, not to mention many episodes of The Simpsons. One can’t help but think that among modern animators working in Hollywood, there’s a goal to which they all aspire: working for Disney, especially now that the venerable studio has merged with the seemingly unsinkable Pixar. Citing It’s A Wonderful Life, Moore says he always had “these George Bailey-like reasons not to leave Bedford Falls” when offers came from Pixar, where friends and colleagues who’d founded the studio presented him with a standing offer to come and work there anytime. But when a call came from Disney via Pixar head honcho John Lasseter to talk about developing a few big-screen projects, Moore decided it might be time to try his hand in the big league.

“The timing of this call from Disney and John was just so perfect, and the fact that it was at Disney after Disney and Pixar had merged – it struck me that I would be coming into a place that would be very, very interesting,” says Moore. “A studio that after some years of trying to redefine itself in this new age of animation felt scrappy and hungry to show the world what it could do. This wasn’t Disney resting on its laurels; this was a Disney that wanted to shine again. And that made it a wonderful environment for an artist to come into.” For between 15 and 20 years, Disney’s animation department had been batting around the idea of a video-game movie. And this was a notion that appealed to Moore. But he decided to ignore the previous incarnations of the idea and instead focus on, “What it was like to be a character in a video game. What is their life like? What is it like behind the scenes in one of these games or many of these games? That was

80 • For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews

the genesis – going inside this world we only know from the outside.” The result is Wreck-It Ralph, an ingenious, imaginative, moving and just plain fun romp through the video game universe as seen through the eyes of Ralph (voiced by John C Reilly), the destructive ‘bad guy’ of old-school game Fix-It Felix Jr. Eager to move beyond his one-note role in life, Ralph leaves his own game behind and embarks on a voyage of discovery and adventure throughout a variety of other games in the arcade. It’s great fun for kids but surprisingly resonant for grown-ups, who may see themselves in Ralph’s desire to break free from his humdrum existence and be recognised for something more. It’s certainly something Moore can relate to, although he was careful to ensure that Wreck-It Ralph said just as much to its younger viewers. “I had moments in my professional life when I felt, ‘Well, I worked on

The Simpsons, on Futurama, two great shows that come along maybe once in a lifetime... What now?’” he recalls. “The world was feeling small for me at that point. It seemed like it was all it was going to be. I liked the notion that just when you think the world is one size, something cracks a wall open and you discover that it’s four times bigger than you ever thought. Adults can definitely relate to that. It’s kids who may find it hard to relate on that level but they see Ralph as someone who’s always breaking things, and that’s how I felt as a kid. I’d invariably rush around and break things, and people would be all ‘You’re so destructive!’ And I think kids get that aspect of Ralph, this guy who means well and wants the best but is labelled this one thing, this one type of person. I remember feeling that way, and I think it’s a foothold kids can dig into when it comes to this story.” WHAT: Wreck-It Ralph WHEN & WHERE: In cinemas Wednesday 26 December

C U LT U R A L

CRINGE

WITH REBECCA COOK Now if you’re like me and would rather be run over by a tram and empty your purse into the gutter on Smith St than go within cooee of a shopping centre (and if like me, you haven’t been a smart arse and already purchased your presents online from an anti-Gerry-Harvey-global-GST-free store) then read carefully because I’ve done this before. And I guarantee you’ll look better than using the drive-through bottle shop on the way to lunch as your Christmas shopping – those sparkly bags are fooling no one. For the cashed-up last-minute shopper, subscriptions are an absolute winner, as there’s such variety your gift can look truly well-thought-out. Most major to medium-sized artistic companies offer them, from the MSO and Victorian Opera to the Mand Malthouse Theatre through to your Red Stitch. For those on a tighter budget, tickets to one of the many outdoor cinemas or perhaps the stalwart Shakespeare Under The Stars in the Botanical Gardens (this year it’s particularly romantic – Romeo & Juliet) could get you out of a tight spot. Or if being outdoors is tantamount to being eaten alive one tiny bite at a time, and upping your recipient’s quinine to blood alcohol ratio isn’t on the cards, then how about an old-fashioned indoor movie. Argo, Life Of Pi, Zero Dark Thirty,

TRAILER

Lincoln and Django Unchained have all just been announced as Golden Globe-nominees for best film. Scored a music aficionado in the family KK and want to mix it up a bit? Try Perfect Tripod, where Eddie Perfect and Tripod join forces to re-imagine iconic Australian hits. The promo materials tell us to expect “the Crawl, the Chisel, the Budgie and the Voice. Perfect Tripod found its genesis in the smoke and feathers of the Famous Spiegeltent, where Eddie and Tripod first performed Paul Kelly’s Meet Me In The Middle Of The Air to a rapt cabaret audience for a one-off show. They’ve now expanded their repertoire and added three nights at the Arts Centre in mid-January. For those on a shoestring budget, for just $3.50 you can purchase the debut novel of local Aboriginal author CJ Duggan. The Boys Of Summer. For those who have everything, how about adopting a writer for Christmas. It’s not as weird as it sounds. You don’t have to have a Betty Page lookalike clutching an iPad sitting next to grandma at the dinner table. Instead you can become a Pen Pal of the Emerging Writers Festival and sponsor the appearance fee of one writer at the 2013 Fest. Unfortunately they don’t have them all lined with photos and bios like an orang-utan, but I guess that gives the spokenword artists more chance of finding a place under the Christmas tree this year. On that note, Merry Christmas!

TRASH

WITH GUY DAVIS It’s the time of year when people start making lists and checking them twice, selecting the movies they consider the finest and the most foul. Now, I’m not one to suggest a certain amount of groupthink occurs among the critical community – I’m sure the people who select films like Argo, The Master, A Separation, Beasts Of The Southern Wild or Holy Motors for their ten-best lists legitimately appreciated and admired them – but I will say that it can get a little wearying seeing the same titles again and again. For the record, I too dug most of the movies listed above... I haven’t seen Holy Motors yet but I intend to catch it before the end of the year. Here at Trailer Trash, though, we do things slightly differently. We dabble in the disreputable. And so as 2012 draws to a close I’ve taken it upon myself to spring to the defence of a handful of titles that may have received, well, a bad rap. Maybe expectations were too high. Maybe expectations were rock-bottom to begin with. Maybe they were never given a chance to connect with a wider audience for whatever reason. But I’ll tell you something: I found them worthwhile. Maybe not from beginning to end or top to bottom; maybe there were only a few sparkling diamond-inthe-rough moments that, however briefly, glittered so brightly that the whole enterprise went up a notch or two. So maybe reapproach the following films with an open mind. Or call me a philistine with dubious taste and stunted development. Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance: The only way was up after Mark Steven Johnson botched the fuck out of the flame-skulled, chopper-riding Marvel Comics anti-hero with that made-in-Melbourne mediocrity that was inadvertently responsible for unleashing Rebel Wilson onto the world stage (remember she was in it?). Its lack of quality aside, it made enough bank to ensure a sequel... but everyone behind the scenes realised they never again wanted to be associated with something so lacklustre. So they rebooted, keeping only Nicolas Cage as the titular demon but adding some much-needed spice behind the camera in the form of Crank

crazies Neveldine/Taylor. The result? A tricked-out, hotted-up B-movie full of groovy visuals, self-aware humour and awesome scenery chewers, with Cage leading the parade. Seriously, it was worth the price of admission to see him freak out a bad guy by screeching that his evil alter ego was “SCRAPIN’ AT THE DOOOOOR! SCRAPIN’ AT THE DOOOOOR!” Safe: Everyone’s favourite soccer hooligan, Jason Statham, had a great moment in the generally lacking Expendables 2 when his wicked grin sold the shit out of, “I now pronounce you... man and knife.” (He then, you know, knifed a man.) But for pure, uncut Statham, may I recommend the marvellously pulpy Safe, in which he played the baddest motherfucker alive. Of course, he displayed his softer side by coming to the rescue of a little girl in possession of info that could take down crooked cops, corrupt politicians and at least two crime syndicates. But he also kicked the shit out of a lot of people in the process. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: At first glance, this appeared to take itself too seriously for a movie with such a title and concept. But on second viewing I realised that was its masterstroke. This movie is utterly absurd – I mean utterly – but it plays it all so straight that it achieves a kind of deadpan-comedy genius. (I was reminded of Highlander, another movie that deftly combined nuttiness with sincerity.) Of course, I was super-stoned at the time, so you may wish to take this opinion with a grain of salt or a gram of marijuana. Get The Gringo: Mel Gibson is a troubled, troubling individual, and it seems as if all the poison inside him is starting to manifest itself externally. Or that could just be the natural toll of time. I’m not a scientist, but the ravages of age have also transformed him from awfully handsome to craggily interesting, and to his credit he’s embracing that. In the sweaty, grimy B-movie Get The Gringo – which energetically plays like the bottom half of a drive-in double feature circa 1976 – he has the rough-edged appeal of a latter-day Robert Mitchum. And for better or worse, Gibson doesn’t give a fuck about being in anyone’s good books anymore. He may be a mess in all kinds of ways but he’s beholden to no one. It’s as fascinating as only the finest trainwrecks can be.

37.5pt Univers 57 Condensed

Drawing

GIG OF THE WEEK

Saint Jude

STATE OF THE UNION THURSDAY, TOTE

The Living End pic by Jay Hynes

THE LIVING END RETROSPECTIVE TOUR CORNER HOTEL: 11/12/12–16/12/12

Tuesday: The Living End walk on stage to a news montage of events from 1997 including the death of Princess Diana, the Thredbo landslide and also, fittingly, the release of their breakthrough EP Second Solution/Prisoner Of Society. The precursor to their self-titled album to be released a year later, it seems half a lifetime ago. For many in attendance, it is. Tonight is the band’s first of 11 shows at the Richmond venue they cut their teeth at and part of an ambitious 39-show retrospective national tour. Renowned as a live band, the tour is not just an opportunity for the trio to revel, but a thank you to a generation of fans. The record they are playing in its entirety, much like The Clash’s eponymous debut, explores British punk, ska and rockabilly elements with as much vitality as their idols displayed 21 years earlier. It’s their most successful commercial album and seemingly a hit parade, which spawned single after single. As per tracklisting, they begin with Prisoner Of Society, a song often reserved for encores. Like a watered-down version of Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name, the rhetoric is youthfully vague, nonetheless appropriated by the crowd as, fists in the air, they shout the refrain, “We don’t need no one to tell us what to do.” Sure, the context of the lyrics for both band and crowd has changed, Chris Cheney now resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children, but it’s delivered with the same punk-rock disobedience that Cheney (who wrote the song aged 22) would have belted it out back in the day. It’s the song that broke the band and fitting that it’s the first song they perform on this run of dates. Soon followed by Second Solution, which Cheney introduces as “our first real single”, he incites the crowd, telling an anecdote of how the song’s clip was shot at the same venue in 1997, adding that the underage crowd back then were more energetic. Naturally it provokes a frenzy of movement, which doesn’t stop for the remainder of the night. The themes of tonight’s songs – the Dunblane school massacre of Monday or the industrial development of the Kennett government in All Torn Down – seem distant, but it’s not so much about the meaning of the songs, more the memories associated with hearing them. Many of the songs that bookend the album haven’t been performed live in years, if ever. Tonight they are reinvigorated, most notably Trapped featuring the makeshift Area 7 horn section. Despite the guests, there’s no sign, nor acknowledgment of original drummer Travis Dempsey, slightly tainting the legitimacy of the album he helped create. “We’re just a rockabilly band from Wheelers Hill,” says Cheney. A retrospective show with integrity, they race through the album with little sign of selfimportance. It’s a typical punk show of yesteryear: fast, furious and for the fans. With ten more shows to go, it will be hard to top tonight. Wednesday: Where The Living End initially looked to the UK for inspiration, White Noise is unashamedly Australian. Steeped in the country’s long-running pubrock tradition, the record centres on big riffs and even bigger choruses, just like heroes AC/DC, Rose Tattoo and Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, whose Most People I Know they briefly cover tonight. It’s a record that seems at home when played at a pub rather than the festivals or stadiums they have become accustomed to, so the Corner makes an ideal setting. White Noise

was the band’s first release on an independent label since the ‘90s and it shows. The radio singles are there, in fact they cram into the first third of the album, but once out of the way it’s Chris Cheney left to his own devices as he lets his guitar do much of the talking. Performing the album, and many of the tracks, live for the first time in years, Cheney embellishes each song with extended solos (aided by the addition of an extra guitarist), evidence he is more comfortable as a lead guitarist than a lead singer. The record that, supposedly, refuelled his passion for music, it seems onstage and in full flight he couldn’t be happier. As an album, and indeed a setlist, White Noise is disjointed. The title track, the band’s most successful radio single, is a clear crowd favourite as the back-and-forth chorus is chanted at full volume. The album’s boldest statement perhaps comes in the Calypso-inspired Sum Of Us that closes tonight’s performance, Cheney channelling Bob Marley as he sings, “God help those who don’t help the others/ Some of us have more rights than the others”. Though White Noise is far from The Living End’s strongest album, they deliver it with such passion and verve that it’s hard not to get caught up in the moment. Thursday: A temporary redemption after Modern ARTillery, State Of Emergency, released in 2006, is the fourth album from The Living End and the third they perform in a run of dates at the Corner Hotel. According to the video that plays before they walk on stage, it’s the record that won back wavering fans and earned them a legion of new ones. Regardless, like most shows on the tour, attendance is at capacity. Rarely deviating from their trademark sound, only adjusting intensity, State Of Emergency is a superbly produced record, but in a live context that counts for nothing. What separates tonight from normal shows is the fact that they perform a full album from start to finish for the first and only time. It’s the sense of witnessing something rare that validates the concept. State Of Emergency is vintage The Living End, full of punk-inspired rock’n’roll and Chris Cheney’s distinguishable lyrics. Wake Up is a contemporary take on Pink Floyd’s Another Brick In The Wall, as Cheney sings, “Wake up to the situation/ Suicidal education.” It’s full of gloom and cynicism, until a stirring chorus kicks in; tonight the role of youth choir is played by the front five rows of the audience. The record’s first single What’s On Your Radio? is surely tongue in cheek. Coming in at under three minutes, it seems written for the airways with its repetitious verse/ chorus structure that sees Cheney drop the word “radio” 27 times. Like so many of the band’s songs, it was warmly embraced by national radio, making Cheney’s line “Do you trust what’s on your radio?” seem daft. At 51:45 it’s their longest album and, to accommodate, the banter is kept to a minimum tonight. Although this means proceedings are wrapped up by 11pm, you lose the connection to the band and, to the detriment of the concept, feel like you’re just listening to the record from start to finish. “Playing a record eliminates the surprise option,” smirks Cheney, as a fan shouts out a request, offering a rare insight into his personality, but also highlighting why such shows are hit and miss. Friday: At the time of release, The Living End’s Modern ARTillery was met with a lukewarm response. Rolling Stone gave it a safe three-stars, it entered the charts lower than their previous albums, and many fans and media alike slept on the record. It came after Chris Cheney’s life-threatening car accident, was their first with a new line-up and, as the years passed by, got lost amongst their six-album deep discography. But with time comes clarity and benefiting from its start to finish performance tonight, Modern ARTillery, to this day, stands as the band’s strongest release. At just under 90 seconds, What Would You Do? begins the album and set, one of the rare tracks written by double bass player Scott Owen. Subtly wearing a Mr Cassidy shirt, his Byron Bay-based bluegrass project, it’s surprising he doesn’t have more writing credits to

his name. Followed by Tabloid Magazine, a song, in the wake of recent News Of The World and 2Day FM scandals, that seems as relevant today as the day it was written. Who’s Gonna Save Us? follows, the first single from the album and showcasing Chris Cheney at his questioning socio-political best. A song that infiltrated the US charts and was used in Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 documentary, it’s punchy and to the point. Tonight Cheney is in fine form. He dedicates End Of The World to the Mayan calendar, there’s a brief cover of U2’s Sunday Bloody Sunday and the greatest glimpse into the writing process of the album and events leading up to its release is provided when he introduces Rising Up From The Ashes as a song about “bouncing back after a tough, tough time”. Cheney, and the entire band for that matter, are forever grateful to the fans. “The previous record of the Corner was five shows,” he gleams. The Living End haven’t just eclipsed the record, jointly held by Megan Washington and Matt Corby in 2010 and 2012 respectively, they’ve smashed it. Saturday: The lights dim and a documentary-like montage plays, before The Living End walk on stage one by one. It’s a daily charade, and for the fifth night in a row, goes to script. The band’s sixth and most recent record, The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating, is less than 17 months old. It is also their most disappointing. The singles seem forced and the lyrics clumsy, as they loosely appropriate rockabilly sounds with influences of U2, Midnight Oil and The Police. They play to their strengths, Chris Cheney’s guitar work, but those moments are few are far between, on a record that’s slow and restrictive. Tonight, a reprised version of E-Boogie and a semi-ironic cover of The Wiggles’ Hot Potato, both of which don’t appear on the album, are highlights, as too the title track that closes the album. “We’re at the tail end of the tour, enthusiasm can wane, but it’s not going to. We thank you for that,” says a mortal Cheney mid-set, as he looks to the crowd for inspiration, 33 shows into a tour and with six more to go. “Everything goes away but comes back some day/ The ending is just the beginning repeating,” Cheney sings to close the album, with a sense that this might be more of a farewell tour than retrospective. If these lyrics ring true, it will be sombre not only to see such a band call it quits, but also for The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating to be their final legacy. Sunday: It’s testament to The Living End that they’re still playing, let alone returning to the Richmond venue that helped forge their career. Tonight sees them perform their 2000 album Roll On. Where their debut, two years prior, was on their own terms, Roll On had the fingerprints of EMI. Ultimately it sounded like a major-label record – polished and elaborate. When performed live tonight the sheen is gone, the band thrashing out the songs with a refreshing rawness. Opener Roll On is a declaration, as much about the band saying “we’re back” as the industrial wharf dispute it was commentating on. Beginning with a riff that sounds suspiciously like Pretty Vacant by The Sex Pistols, it builds on the momentum of their debut and is the perfect start to any setlist. Pictures In The Mirror follows and it’s one of their finest works in an extensive catalogue. The album is a fan favourite, evident by the show’s early sold-out status and the need for an extra date to be added. Chief songwriter Chris Cheney admits to listening to Midnight Oil, The Angels and AC/DC at the time of writing and it shows. But, again, there’s elements of ska (Blood On Your Hands), pop (Revolution Regained) and also barroom sing-alongs (Uncle Harry). Tonight, at just over an hour, is their most entertaining set of the week. Covers of Eddie Cochran’s Summertime Blues, The Stray Cat’s Rock This Town and Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love enhance the atmosphere and offer a snapshot of the artists that inspired the album. There’s no doubt The Living End are superb live, but it’s the songs they will be remembered for and Roll On is full of those.

Some would argue that with all of the international hoo haa over the next couple of weeks, a little old Tote show shouldn’t register on the gig-of-theweek radar but this is a ripper. The inaugural Cobra Snake Necktie Records and Love & Theft Xmas Party is taking place this Thursday at the Tote, and there are few places better to be the night before the last day of work. The show features a working-class rabble of local favourites including Saint Jude (as a ten-piece with horns and back-up singers), The Bowers, Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk and Wrong Turn. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s bloody honest, bloody solid, bloody good local music at a venue bloody special to us all. Embrace the spirit of the season and get down.

FRONTLASH POLITICAL PARTY

We’re looking forward to Marty Scorsese’s upcoming Bill Clinton flick, but think it’s a missed opportunity he’s only making it a doco – the casting opportunities are endless! Our choices: Richard Gere as the ex-Prez (Meryl Streep if he’s unavailable), Kate Winslet as Monica Lewinsky, with Martin Short as the cigar.

ROLLING IN IT Nice work if you can get it: the most expensive tickets for The Strolling Bones’ current run of stadium shows will set you back 950 quid. We hope for that price you actually get you up on stage to sing with Mick, Keef and co (surely the only explanation for Lady Gaga’s appearance with the band last week).

GONE FISHIN’ Have a top Christmas/New Year/ blah blah blah – we’ll see you back on Wednesday 9 January. Whatever you get up to, do it safely – we want you along for the ride in 2013. Over and out.

BACKLASH POLL POSITION

It’s time for Michelle Grattan and The Age to come clean on the columnist’s vendetta against our PM, the paper forced to draft in another journo to report on the most recent positive poll results as they obviously didn’t sit with Grattan’s position.

PUSSY RIOT A sanitary pad commercial featuring the word ‘vagina’ was TV’s most complained-about ad this year, with some claiming it objectified women and others that it vilified on the basis of gender. Umm, WTF? The concept of this hurts our brain. Where do we go to complain about the people who complained about this?

THE LATE WINEHOUSE Is another autopsy into Amy Winehouse’s death really necessary? Our medical qualifications are scratchy at best, but we’re gonna chalk this one down to some poor lifestyle choices.

Brendan Hitchens

For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews • 83

GRIMES, GEOFFREY O’CONNOR

SPIRITUALIZED, LOST ANIMAL

CORNER HOTEL: 05/12/12

HI-FI: 06/12/12 )

I think that’s Grimes. No, wait, that could be Grimes. Hang on, is that Grimes?

When the plus one says, “Is that Lost Animal?” we hurry down the stairs and into a mostly empty Hi-Fi Bar to catch his set. Mr Animal, Jarrod Quarrell, is in a foul mood and bemoans every glitch, foldback monitor, and lighting or smoke effect. It’s a shame because there’s a fair amount of suspension of disbelief involved in experiencing Lost Animal live – much of the instrumentation is via backing track – so even though his music is fucking incredible, a cranky Quarrell almost makes you wonder why you bothered turning up. Shags Chamberlain and Luke Horton plus some bloke on drums bring some life to the thing but it’s far from Lost Animal’s finest set.

There are a few Claire Boucher look-alikes wandering around the Corner even as Geoffrey O’Connor and his local all-star band get into their set. O’Connor has pumped up the saccharine synths of his debut solo album with synthetic Caribbean percussion, making his crooner-pop now a real dancefloor contender. Flanked by Jessica Venables (Jessica Says) and Ben ‘Bjenny’ Montero (Montero), O’Connor is all hips and dad jokes, dedicating Giving It Away to the bar staff. One point to you, sir. The strength of Grimes has thus far lay in Boucher’s ability to be a half-step ahead of the zeitgeist. Boucher moves quickly, jumping from proto witch-house on 2010’s Halfaxa to tripped-up, waterlogged R&B on this year’s Visions. As soon as she arrives onstage with face-hugging dark hair and beanie, looking little like her sequinned fans, and full of nervous energy, tweaking knobs on her sampler and getting the lights dimmed, it’s easy to see she’s not aiming for a picture-perfect stage aesthetic. This isn’t the Grimes of Boucher’s videos; she isn’t stuck to those fashions nor is she a woman stuck in time, mysterious in slow motion. But the question remains: nearly a year on from Visions’ release and still touring those songs to hungry audiences, how will she play a relevant set when the zeitgeist has again shifted?

Nicki Minaj pic by Kane Hibberd

NICKI MINAJ ROD LAVER ARENA: 05/12/12 Nicki Minaj is many things to many people: to the hordes of pre-teen girls in tonight’s audience she’s a cartoonish girly girl with fun songs; to the older crowd she’s a foul-mouthed rapper with, well, fun songs. It’s the latter side of Minaj that comes straight out of the gates, with the menacing Come On A Cone – a remarkable spitfire missive of insults delivered with the necessary dose of braggadocio. Before long Minaj the candy-cane pop star is in full flight with the electro dance of Va Va Voom. Giant digital screens beam intricate sets behind her while hyper-enthused backup dancers perform their hip hop gymnastics about the stage. Minaj raps over the verses – breathily and without force while executing choreography, and thrillingly on point when stationary – and half-sings the pre-recorded choruses. Hits like Moment 4 Life and Super Bass are never actually carried through to completion, segueing into each other or into big electro breakdowns while the performers disappear for costume changes (Minaj sports six different outfits and accompanying wigs throughout the show). It’s fun, it’s dumb and the audience laps it up in a minor frenzy. The show sags most through a medley of torch ballads: Fly, Right Thru Me and Fire Burns. Underscored by the fact that while Minaj coasts through as a dexterous rapper, she is a surprisingly weak singer. Two gospel singers are at the ready to do the vocal heavy lifting during these songs. Minaj is more comfortable while delivering the huge Euro pop of Pound The Alarm and Starships. There’s liberal use of air horn, plenty of rave breakdowns and walls of bass. While it’s perhaps a tall order to ask for authenticity during songs like these, you can’t help but feel that the real Minaj is somewhat absent from the show. Starships, for instance, is a song about fiscal irresponsibility, promiscuity and partying hard, yet the rapper and her dancers do a smiley performance that veers dangerously close to a Hi-5 routine. She seems keenly aware of catering to young fans: “Don’t give your cookies away to every Tom, Dick and Harry,” she says by way of advice after asking who in the audience is still at school. It’s a shame that Minaj can’t successfully balance her gritty rap side with her pop persona, as at her best tonight – such as during the fearsome rendition of her verse from Kanye West’s Monster – she’s an arresting and imposing presence. Instead this is a stadium show by numbers – all the more underwhelming because Minaj is capable of something far weirder and more interesting. Adrian Potts

TAME IMPALA, THE GROWL FORUM: 05/12/12 Europe’s The Final Countdown is being played on trumpet somewhere. Turning toward the source of the brass blasts, we discover the culprit – it’s Santa!

84 • For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews

Hanging out the passenger window of a white van sharing good tidings. Ho-ho-ho. Fellow West Australian band The Growl make sure everything’s working well on Tame Impala’s stage and Cleaver Lever bucks and gnaws like Jackson Firebird duelling with The Bad Seeds. It’s cacophonous and inspiring, but the band comes across as a little too green tonight. Leave the banter until you’ve built the audience perhaps. There’s Tame Impala flip-flops for sale at the merch, which is an apt inclusion that sums up the personal style of these psych heroes. Kevin Parker is a boy genius, there’s no doubting that. The five-piece belong in this venue and you’d swear the Romanesque statues were grinning in appreciation. The old-school, two-tone visuals could be doodled live, straight on transparencies under a projector lens – as retro as slinkies. What does this band’s music sound like? A massage for your soul. Parker’s forlorn vocals throughout It Is Not Meant To Be make you wanna rush up and give him a reassuring cuddle. His is such a casual, economical guitar-playing style he’s like a musical ventriloquist, leaving us wondering where the superlative riffs emanate from. Jay Watson’s extended psychedelic key freak-outs make you wanna change into a paisley muumuu immediately. Where’s Nick Allbrook? He really is the band’s invisible mascot, disappearing behind amps and lighting towers up there. And then that marauding Elephant storms through the set, “Shaking its big grey trunk for the hell of it”. Of course there are puffs of smoke wafting up from the centre of the stalls!

Boucher’s answer is to keep things loose. Her set is less performance, more singing-DJ mix. Warming up with the light Symphonia IX (My Wait Is U), she is soon backed by two female dancers who could easily be her friends. There’s no choreography and really no sign they’re professionals. They just dance. So does Boucher, pulling all kinds of shapes through Oblivion, Be A Body, Vowels = Space And Time and most recent single Genesis. The songs are broad cut-and-paste, Boucher triggering samples, the higher vocal notes coming from her gear while she puts heavier accents on the lower melodies through the mic. The beats, too, feel heavier, more cluttered, more in line with what’s happening elsewhere in the world of crossover club acts. She tells us she won’t do the standard staged encore she’s required to perform in the States. Boucher is going for something here – she’s bucking against the accepted venue-gig ritual, particularly for other women in her position. She’s telling us we can’t and won’t be able to pick her out in a crowd and she’s giving herself creative space to move forward. The only problem is that we, as an audience, are at a gig. It’s hard to know what to do with ourselves. Do we try to act like it’s a party, dance and talk? Do we watch what’s happening onstage, as relaxed as it is? Everyone chooses for themselves. It’s a mixed response. Only Genesis, with a melody that transcends music itself, really brings everything together and realises the banging community gathering Boucher is aiming for. The Meredithians no doubt found an easier way. Adam Curley

Parker tells us Tame Impala’s Facebook band page calculates the city where they’ve got the most fans in the world and guess what? It’s Melbourne Rock City. Yeah-yah! A couple of M-Cat casualties collapse in one of the side aisles while attempting to exit the venue and security choose to merely observe as the squatting couple pray for a trapdoor to swallow them up. Tame Impala are a totally different experience live, inserting jazzy experimental jams within songs and then cranking back into the main melody as if conducted by a lightning bolt. An example of this is Desire Be Desire Go, which has a totally different musical wedge spliced in the middle – show-offs. A simple, “This is our last song” is mumbled before we’re flung headfirst into Apocalypse Dreams. All are swaying in blissful states: “Am I getting closer?/Will I ever get there?/Does it really matter?” Oh, you took us there all right, dudes. They’re not the encore fake-out types, so we rack off to the foyer to snap up a copy of Tame Impala’s latest Lonerism album on vinyl (each) before they sell out. But then the band starts up again! A mega extended mix of Half Full Glass Of Wine makes us drunk with delight. Tame Impala: they’ll make you swell with national pride – extracting the best aspects from your vintage faves and propelling these shards of wonderment squarely (or through a fractal) into the future. Bryget Chrisfield

Spiritualized spark off in fairly understated fashion via the nonetheless striking Here It Comes. J Spaceman (who also answers to Jason Pierce) is seated onstage with a couple of backing singers behind him and the rest of the band diagonally opposite. The backing singers are straight into action, but the gradual nature of the song drags the opening down ever so slightly. From here we descend and it’s not until 15 minutes have past that it’s apparent we’re in the guts of Hey Jane (only the second ‘song’ in) and things are getting intense.

Spiritualized pic by Elaine Reyes

The visuals tell a huge part of the story here and, through the elongated psychedelic passages between songs, the room is drenched in a blood red with apocalyptic loops playing across a screen. For effect, we’re bathed in blue and white light through the ‘lighter’ passages in what feels like an arm wrestle for the souls of the room. You get the impression the sunglasses and seated Mr Spaceman (and the impersonator behind us who’s maintaining nobody will block his view despite his position at the back) is pulling the strings – playing god. The band exit the stage after what feels like only three or four songs due to a technical glitch and all momentum (and there is a lot of it) is lost. After the break, Freedom is a weak restart and it takes a good 20 minutes to rebuild what the exodus has destroyed. Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space is gigantic but all too bright. Two songs later, the thing gets its groove back and the room bathes in blood again. The thrust is lost once more through Christian (sounding) love song Perfect Miracle but they power through to the death of the main set with some driving psych.

Grimes pic by Jay Hynes

The encore brings a couple of Spacemen 3 covers, which do little to drag the room into the slimy hell they had threatened to earlier create, and though Smiles brings glimpses of the apocalypse we’d been waiting for, it’s just not there. Spiritualized tragics will defy every word written here, but J Spaceman treads a delicate line where the illusion he creates could well become delusion. There’s no doubt this is a fine performance but it’s what he and his disciples believe it all means that’s frightening. Samson McDougall

themselves hoarse as the music ends and the stage is overtaken by a howling wall of feedback, looped percussion and those blinding lights. Gillespie standing mid-stage batting the air, entranced by the sound, ending in a state of sonic overload. Andy Hazel

GOTYE, BERTIE BLACKMAN, PVT SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL: 08/12/12 Three Grammy nominations, four ARIAs, 350 million YouTube views and a huge crowd more interested in the coffee stand than the bar – this certainly is one hell of a homecoming for Gotye (aka Wally De Backer). He couldn’t possibly be any humbler about it though, especially as he takes the time to thank stellar supports PVT (who justify a bourgeoning reputation for forward-thinking industrial pop) and Bertie Blackman (resplendent in purple pants and armed with hooks galore). Gotye opens tonight with a spot-on version The Only Way from Like Drawing Blood – a winding, Eastern-influenced tune that shows off his nine-piece backing band toting horns, woodwind, all sorts of sampling paraphernalia and, in one case, a fairly suss rats tail. The track ends, like many of tonight’s numbers, with De Backer pounding the living shit out a drum kit placed at the back of the stage.

Primal Scream pic by Lou Lou Nutt

PRIMAL SCREAM, SAND PEBBLES PALACE: 07/12/12 Much of this evening’s crowd in the Palace is dressed in black, coupled-up and aged 30-plus. This is an audience willing to pay $90 a ticket to let their arms and mouths do the appreciating and, while at some shows this can translate to a lack of energy, tonight it’s no bad thing. Six-piece, psych combo Sand Pebbles do chugging rock better than most and the slowly gathering crowd clearly like what they’ve got. Their three guitars are put to use cranking out sprawling metronomic propulsions replete with vocal harmonies, tight drumming and crunchy bass. Occasionally busting out furious psych rock on songs such as Wild Season, the fact that they don’t lose the textures and space that make slower tracks like Future Proofed so great is testament to the careful thought they put into these songs, something lacking from a lot of musicians who dabble in psych rock. Before a row of Marshall amps, a drum skin sporting the Screamadelica cover and a selection of large, blinding white lights comes Bobby Gillespie. Sure, Primal Scream include a fantastic backing band who resemble the last five people found at 9am at Pony (and feature longtime members Andrew Innes, Martin Duffy and Mani-replacement Simone Butler on bass), but it’s the rake-thin Gillespie we’re here to see. And for one man beating a black tambourine, wearing a cowboy shirt and what looks like XS-size black jeans, he gives us a lot to look at. Smiling

widely, Gillespie leads us through 2012, past a deafeningly adoring crowd response to the intro of Swastika Eyes and into the euphoria of Movin’ On Up. It’s a perfectly chosen setlist. The muscle put into the older, more danceable songs pulls them up to date and lets them sit comfortably beside the more intense material off Vanishing Point and Xterminator. The sly lope of Slip Inside This House eases into the blinding seizure-suggesting lightshow accompanying the intense Accelerator, a Rowland S Howard-dedicated Damaged and the first of two new songs, Relativity. “This next one is much more accessible,” mumbles Gillespie in a rare moment of intelligible banter before introducing the most radiofriendly song he’s written in decades. According to their setlist, this song’s title is It’s Alright, It’s OK. Seemingly immune from the aging process or vagaries of fashion trends, Gillespie never stops moving, both musically and physically. It’s hard to take your eyes off him. At home as a psych-house group, their transformation into a white-hot southern rock combo for the encore still leaves them unable to sound like anyone else. Set highlight Shoot Speed passes like an out-of-control freight train and jars beautifully when up against the gospel sing-along of Come Together and set-closer Country Girl. Returning to the stage for I’m Losing More Than I’ll Ever Have, which segues into Loaded, it’s like they can’t lose. Guitarist Barrie Cadogan (he of Little Barrie fame) seems like a smaller version of Gillespie, and the two frequently engage in some shoulder bumping and back-slapping in a way that is reminiscent in dynamic of The Faces or The Stones. The band finish with their most rock-ready hits, Jailbird and Rocks, and the crowd shout

For all the down to earthiness, there’s also a bit of push and pull going on here. For the most part Gotye seems happy to take in the adulation of the massive crowd, but there are times, such as during a hushed middle section featuring stunning Making Mirrors closer Bronte, that he must long for the lost days of an attentive, sold-out Corner Hotel. The frustration is writ large as he actually goes so far as to politely chastise us for chatting in the quieter moments, preaching gig etiquette to an ironically huge cheer – the sound of thousands of people hand-balling the blame to the bloke next to them. This leads directly into an oddly reserved version of Somebody That I Used To Know – an unprepared Blackman leading the predictably ecstatic sing-along. A great song it may be, but when stacked up against the sheer imagination and musical virtuosity displayed on tracks such as Hearts A Mess (goosebumps all ‘round), it actually feels like a bit of a dud. All is forgiven though, when an expedited encore heralds two joyous Motown moments in I Feel Better and Learnalilgivinanlovin. All that coffee seems to be kicking in as the crowd spills into the aisles and pounds the grass, De Backer haring about the stage with trusty drumsticks, seemingly hitting things at random and producing perfectly placed instrumental blasts. His voice, so often the jewel in his varied crowd, shifts into overdrive and cranks up as he again pummels his poor kit into submission. Before you know it, he’s humbly bowing to the crowd who beam wildly back at him, safe in the knowledge that our musical export industry is in the capable hands of this quirky, peerless wizard. Chris Hayden

JOHN REILLY & FRIENDS, STEVE SMYTH NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB: 06/12/12 It’s a thoroughly packed Northcote Social Club tonight, full of genuine bluegrass aficionados

and curious camera phone-wielding John C. Reilly fans (he later tells from the stage that Disney forbids the use of the ‘C.’ for promotional purposes). Keeping an audience silent throughout his arresting set is Steve Smyth, a performer whose confidence and conviction is matched by the size of his voluminous beard. Often singing off-mic (most notably for the chain-gang stomp of Sylvie), and occasionally strumming a cheap acoustic guitar, Smyth lurches from quiet croon to Waitesian bellow as the mood takes him, and it takes him all over the NSC stage and into physical contortions that would be rendered ridiculous were it not for his power. If a concept of musical ‘integrity’ can be found by stripping a song away to its barest form, then Smyth is about as naked as a performer can be. Though the final song Cocaine Mountain features the lyrics, “I’ve touched the face of witches/Held the hand of the devil’s apprentice,” which rings hollow for a 20-something guy from Sydney with the voice of an aging African American, he is a striking performer and wins many new fans. Before the applause dies, and with Smyth only off the stage for seconds, John Reilly and his Friends (singer Becky Stark and guitarist-singer Tom Brousseau) stride on stage, and burst into Good Morning Captain. “Feel like yodeling?” Reilly asks with a wry smile. We don’t, it seems, because this is the inner north of Melbourne and most of us are here to see a famous actor in the flesh, but that doesn’t stop him from letting loose. Dressed in a white shirt, waistcoat, fedora and sporting a temperamental old Gibson guitar named Charlie, Reilly is so incredibly at ease that it’s impossible to dislike him, and thereby the music he’s here to play, which is simple, beautiful and powerful. Interspersing stories and jokes while politely dismissing requests to songs from his films (Boats N Hoes, etc.), Reilly focuses on the songs he’s here to get through, though a surprising amount of hilarity comes from Stark and Brousseau, both of whom have fantastic floating voices. The songs themselves begin as bluegrass classics and move into a more country style (Stanley Brothers’ Start Over New, The Carter Family’s A Winding Stream and Claude Ely’s Ain’t No Grave), the trio’s keening harmonies silencing the room. After a hilarious story about filming The Thin Red Line in Queensland (complete with a wayward Aussie accent) Reilly quips, “We’ll give you a laugh now then play a song that’s absolutely devastating,” before heading into Johnny Cash’s harrowing Dark As A Dungeon and a jauntier Maybe Tomorrow by The Everley Brothers. “Hey, I’m not Slash up here,” he deadpans when going for a guitar solo. With a rumour of a cameo from Sarah Silverman, also in town to promote Wreck-It Ralph, we instead get special guest Lanie Lane. Her and Reilly tackle the country standard Jackson (that Lane promptly forgets the words to), though Reilly’s charismatic claim that, “You can get a polished act any day of the week” softens the mess it becomes. An encore of a very Elvis-y Blue Christmas, then a lullaby in the pitch darkness, is a treat. Finally a singalong of Goodnight Irene seals the whole show as one in which the musicians are there for the love of the music and its performance alone, without having anything to prove or sell. Andy Hazel

Victorian Skills Gateway

Find training that ﬁts

There’s more funding than ever for apprenticeships and training in skills shortage areas. Find out about this, and much more on the Victorian Skills Gateway – the new website for information about vocational training.

www.education.vic.gov.au/victorianskillsgateway For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews • 85

ROOTS DOWN

ADAMANTIUM WOLF

WAKE THE DEAD

BLUES ‘N’ ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON ROOTS@INPRESS.COM.AU

THE HEAVY SHIT WITH LOCHLAN WATT

HARDCORE AND PUNK WITH SARAH PETCHELL

while. A statement from the group reads: “We have tirelessly and expensively been running Coerce for the past five years, we will continue to make music together but this will be it for some time.” You can catch them on Friday 11 January at the Gasometer with Hoodlum Shouts and White Walls. Brisbane tech metal heads The Schoenberg Automaton have announced the release date for their debut album Vela – it’s due out via UK label Myriad Records on Monday 21 January. For now, a 30-second sample can be viewed on YouTube.

Chris Smither The final Bluesfest announcement for 2012 (yes, more to come next year) saw big names like Manu Chao and Jason Mraz added to the bill, but a little further down the list is some seriously great blues and roots stuff that I’m real excited about seeing. One of the great finger-style blues guitarists and songwriters currently on the circuit, Chris Smither is one of those artists that you probably have had a connection with in the past without knowing it. The artist has been playing music for decades and has written some seriously great tunes, Love Me Like A Man, made famous by fellow Bluesfester Bonnie Raitt, one of the more popular. Smither released his first record in 1970, but thanks largely to a bit of a struggle with the bottle it wasn’t until 1997 that he started releasing records with any regularity. His last Bluesfest performance back in 2007 was memorable and he returns to the event as part of his sixth tour of the country next year. I will be honest; I don’t know much about Go Jane Go, because they haven’t really been around all that long. I can tell you that they are the new band for one of Americana’s godfathers Kieran Kane and sees him joining forces with his good friend David Francey and his son Lucas Kane. Three-part harmonies and great Americana tunes are sure to ensue; it is mighty exciting to see what else they have to offer on their first Australian tour. A bit of a scout around online showed up a couple of songs Francey and Kane have done together in the past and I think that these guys could be very good indeed. Sadly Madness have had to pull out of the festival due to a conflict with their international touring schedule. While it’s undoubtedly a bit of a blow, the line-up is so massive that it kinda doesn’t feel like much has been taken away from us.

Coerce Adamanitum Wolf wishes you all the best for this gluttonous holiday season. Please consider your consumption – chances are, you already have much more than you need. There are millions of others less fortunate in the world than even the most poor Australians, and the ultimate in goodwill comes in self-sacrifice. You don’t need more corporation-fuelling plastic bullshit – buy a third world village some food or medicine instead. A website such as givewell.org can help point your donations in the right direction. Slayer sidewave: Monday 25 February at Luna Park in Sydney, 18+. Tickets go on sale today. What more needs to be said? Sydney post-metal group Lo! have unveiled their first run of European shows. The band will tour in support of Cult Of Luna and The Ocean from mid-April to mid-May, which includes an appearance at the sold-out Roadburn and Pelagic festivals. Excelsior! In other Australian Metal Bands Making It Overseas news, Sydney’s As Silence Breaks and Melbourne’s Create|Destroy will make it to Japan in June. They’ll support Sweden’s The Crown, French group Gorod, Hypocras from Switzerland and Japan’s Gotsu-Totsu-Kotsu. Huge! The ARIA-nominated Melbourne ‘steed metal’ powerhouse that are Coerce have announced a launch show for their new 10” record Genome – and unfortunately it’s going to be their last for a

I’m not into Christmas music, but each year this dude in the States called Andy Cirzan puts together a mixtape of the weirdest and most awesome Christmas music he can find. He spends all year tracking down weird Christmas songs and makes up a wild mixtape each year, initially just for friends but now it ends up online thanks to American public radio network PRX. This year’s theme is soul music, so if you like the idea of sinking your teeth into some far more bearable Christmas music than you’re likely to hear anywhere else, head to soundopinions. org where you can download the 2012 tape.

86 • For more opinion go to themusic.com.au/blog

Sydney groups Battle Pope and Jesus Christ Posse have released a 19-track split record which can be streamed, downloaded or pre-ordered on 12” vinyl from artascatharsis.bandcamp.com. According to the press release, Battle Pope are “a most holy quartet of sexual juggernauts armed with plentiful, potent Papal fluid”, while Jesus Christ Posse are pimped as “the saviours of Sydney city hardcore” who “leave a trail of bloodied heathens in their wake, reppin’ Christian punk worldwide from Bondi to Bethlehem”. Local post-black metal group Encircling Sea have announced their third release – the four-track A Forgotten Land. It will soon be available on a limited run of CDs through guitarist/vocalist Robert Allan’s new label, Natural World Records, and a double LP in early 2013 through Sick Man Getting Sick Records (Germany) and Replenish Records (USA). A streaming song and pre-orders are available through encirclingsea.bandcamp.com. The band will play their first show in eight months this Saturday at the Gasometer alongside The Boy Who Spoke Clouds, Bonnie Mercer and Soil & Ash.

FRAGMENTED FREQUENCIES WITH BOB BAKER FISH

The full announcement featured Jason Mraz, Manu Chao La Ventura, Mark Seymour & The Undertow, Chris Smither, Current Swell, Matt Andersen, Go Jane Go (feat Kieran Kane, David Francey and Lucas Kane) and The McMenamins. Generally speaking, this is such a terrible time of year for new releases. Unless you’re a pop star looking at taking one last run at getting a stack of Christmas cash, there’s a fair chance your label is not going to be too interested in putting your record out any time in the next couple of months, so that means us punters are left wanting for a while. There was one exception last week with Mr Buddy Guy releasing a brand new collection of live and previously unreleased material that looks very exciting, titled Live At Legends. The record pulls together a bunch of live tracks recorded at his Legends club in Chicago with a couple of outtakes from his Living Proof LP tacked on the end. Given Guy’s back to his best as a performer this has got to be worth a listen. In other Buddy Guy news, he has been selected as one of the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, which happens on Boxing Day. Guy will be joined by David Letterman, Led Zeppelin, Dustin Hoffman and Natalia Makarova. No doubt there’ll be a pretty tasty musical component to the ceremony as well.

Melbourne black thrash group Nocturnal Graves will soon begin recording their second album, due for release in early 2013 through Hell’s Headbangers. The band have expanded their line-up with members of Destroyer 666 and Denouncement Pyre joining. The band are expected to head to Europe in May next year for shows across the land and an appearance at Germany’s Deathkult Open Air festival.

David Byrne The best book Fragmented Frequencies read this year was How Music Works (Canongate/Allen & Unwin) by Talking Heads’ David Byrne. A broad, somewhat bold title, yet entirely accurate, it’s a wide-ranging – at times tangential – work about how art is created via changing technology, why specific musical traditions developed in specific spaces and not others, how the business side of music works and how economics, technology, creativity, culture and the individual all combine together to create art. There are frequent penny-dropping moments here. He goes into detail about standard record company deals, in plain speak, and then provides examples from his own discography, offering pie charts detailing his expenses recording 2004’s Grown Backwards album, as well as the revenue he earned. He comes to the realisation that for one year’s work he earned about $58,000, pretty much what an elementary school teacher makes in New Jersey. This kind of financial honesty is rare in a musician of Byrne’s stature, yet he’s also remarkably candid about his creative decisions. He devotes a section to stage fashion, and the evolution of the Talking Heads stage show. He also discusses his methods for writing lyrics – melodies made from “nonsense syllables, but with weirdly inappropriate passion”. Later he’ll attempt to work out what the nonsense guy was actually saying and transcribe actual words. If that’s not enough for you he then goes into intricate detail about how he approaches ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’. He’s very clear this isn’t an autobiographical work, yet he frequently draws upon his own experience to illustrate a point, and this is where it becomes the

most compelling. It really doesn’t matter whether you like his music or not. Whether it’s discussing the early days hanging out at CBGB’s on the Bowery in New York in the chapter where he lists the seven essential ingredients in creating a scene, or the background to creating his seminal 1981 collaboration with Brian Eno, My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, or even their more recent album in 2008 where they didn’t actually meet, it’s like being given an unrestricted window into David Byrne’s world. The fact that he’s such a reflective thoughtful bloke is just a bonus. If you’ve read Greg Milner’s excellent Perfecting Sound Forever or Mark Katz’s Capturing Sound: How Technology Has Changed Music, you’ll notice some crossover at times; in fact, Byrne explicitly cites both authors. Yet How Music Works deserves to stand alongside these books, as Byrne’s life experience makes him uniquely placed to discuss these issues. Who else would suggest that an essential ingredient in creating a music scene is to have a space where you can ignore the band? Why? Because if you’re standing front and centre all your critical defences are up and your senses are magnified intently studying every little thing. If you’re instead playing pool, the band don’t feel so scrutinised so creativity can develop, and the listener may very well be more open to coming along for the ride. Byrne’s arguments and examples also span nonWestern examples, everything from Soviet statesponsored music to eccentric Brazilian composer Tom Zé. He cites Marshall McLuhan, Pythagoras, neurologists, philosophers, critics, you name it. He discusses Madonna’s record contract, David Geffen’s philanthropy and how the Talking Heads track Psycho Killer was originally meant to be a ballad. Unlike Neil Young he doesn’t mourn the changes in technology, cheerfully acknowledging that most of his listening these days is via MP3. In fact, he views the advances to technology as a method of giving power back to the artist. It’s thoughtful, self-effacing and conversational, with Byrne coming across as a big brother figure. If you’ve ever wanted to get under the hood of the music business, there’s no better way.

Alexisonfire To start off with, one thing that missed out on my favourite acts to see live this year happened only last week and after the poll results went it. I’m of course talking about the Alexisonfire farewell shows. I caught it in Melbourne and it was an emotional and fantastically fun night. When they toured the last time I was a bit disappointed as it felt forced and like there was no real joy in it. Of course (as we all found out later) that was around the time that Dallas Green announced he would be leaving the band to devote himself to City & Colour. This time around, it was free, joyous and it felt like there was an entirely different band on the stage. It was great to hear almost the whole of Crisis and a hell of a lot of stuff of my favourite album, Watch Out! Early on in the night, vocalist George Petit said, “This is not a funeral, this is a wake. This is a celebration of ten years of Alexisonfire.” That was precisely the vibe the rest of the almost two-hour set had, with points where the band were drowned out by the 5,500 crowd singing along. Was it as spectacular as Radiohead? No. Was it as completely mind-blowing like Refused? No. But for me, it was the chance to say goodbye to one of my favourites. In 2012 I have enjoyed watching the emergence and growth of a number of local labels that are doing good things by representing and distributing the music of new and established Australian bands. Broken Hive Records (based in Sydney), Life.Lair. Regret Records (based in Melbourne), Midnight Funeral Records and the newly established Rest Assured Records (also based in Sydney) are labels that have hit my radar this year with fantastic new releases, and they’re well worth keeping an eye on into the new year. This year also saw a number of bands self-releasing their own records, including Melbourne’s Outright releasing their Dedication 7” through their own Reason & Rage Records. To me this signifies a return to the DIY ethic that has long been an underpinning (and sometimes forgotten) tenet of our scene, and it excites me. Let’s bring more of this into 2013. On the topic of DIY labels, both Rest Assured and Midnight Funeral have announced new releases for the new year. Rest Assured are releasing their second ever release, the debut 7”, Lap Year, from Byron Bay act Postblue. The sound harks back to the glory years of mid-’90s emo, in a sound equal parts Texas Is The Reason and By A Thread, with some more modern stylings of Basement or Title Fight thrown in for good measure. The band will be touring in January with new hardcore band Distance from Newcastle, who are also releasing their own debut 7”, Half Of What You See. Catch them Saturday 12 January at the Gasometer Hotel with Outsiders Code and Outlines, or on Sunday 13 at The Place for an all ages show with Apart From This and Cavalcade. As for Midnight Funeral, the announcement of their newest release last week was a doozy! You may remember one heck of a hardcore band from Queensland called Against. Well, in 2013 they’re returning with a new album and new touring plans for April. The record is called Bring The End and Midnight Funeral will be handling the vinyl release of the record. I don’t think many people saw it coming, so it was a surprise for everyone, which makes the release all the more exciting. There hasn’t been an announcement of when pre-orders for the record will be available, but there is a new track streaming on the Midnight Funeral Bandcamp (it’s called First To Fall). Check it out and stay tuned for more details on the release as they emerge. One last thing for the year, and of course it’s a No Heroes related thing. Issue 19 is online now at noheroesmag.com and in this issue you can catch interviews with Parkway Drive, Jamie Hay, Architects, Make Do And Mend, Endless Heights, and heaps, heaps more. Also, don’t forget that voting in our 50 Greatest Heavy Australian Albums Of All Time closes on Sunday 6 January, so don’t forget to email through your top five’s to info@noheroesmag.com and stay tuned for the results in issue 20, mid-January.

DANCE MOVES

OG FLAVAS

INTELLIGIBLE FLOW

NEW CURRENTS WITH TIM FINNEY

URBAN AND R&B NEWS BY CYCLONE

HIP HOP NEWS & COMMENTARY WITH ALEKSIA BARRON

Plan B

Nicki Minaj So much dancing, so little time… DJ Q leading the charge for 2-step Garage revivalism and associated vibes, flowering so briefly and brilliantly before retreating in the face of Jackin’s onslaught: Q’s own Brandy & Coke, Royal-T’s remixes of Cheryl Cole’s Call My Name and Zinc’s Goin’ In, Sunship’s remix of Alyssa Reid’s Alone Again, Mike Delinquent Project’s Step In The Dance and Party’s Over Here, Joe Goddard/2 Bears remixes of Nneka’s Shining Star, Rita Ora’s Shine Your Light and Jessie Ware’s Night Light, Preditah’s remix of Tanya Lacey’s Greatness, Disclosure’s remix of Jessie’s Runnin’ and their own world-conquering Control. Speaking of onslaught, the pure, unadulterated gulliness of Jackin’: Nick Hannam and Tom Garnett’s You Want Me, Donkie Punch & Lorenzo’s Snapbacks N Tattoos, Linkoban’s Like This (Tom Shorterz Remix), Ill Phil & MC Sim’s Away We Go, Scotty Boy & Lorenzo’s No Diggity, Majestic’s Let’s Go Back (Cause & Affect Mix). Off in their own soundworld, Funkystepz being the best act on the planet: XTC, Star 9 and Warrior, astonishing remixes of Rihanna and 2 Chainz. Ill Blu still banging out stunners with their remix of Cahill’s Take It Back and Sneakbo’s Zim Zimma. The insane alien party offered by Azonto: Guru’s Lapaz Toyota, Edem’s Over Again, D’Banj’s Oliver Twist, E.L.’s Obuu Mo, Nadjat’s Gbaa Alert, T Blaze’s Wasei Bebiaa, and not forgetting the seductive sounds of Naija which I didn’t investigate nearly enough – but check Davido’s Dami Duro. The typically intoxicating parade of dancehall anthems: Vybz Kartel’s Lip Gloss, Popcaan’s Coolie Gal, Konshen’s Bun Satan, Tifa’s Ex-Man, Beenie Man’s Jamaican Celebration. The dead-eyed straight thuggin’ offered by Kendrick Lamar (Good Kid, m.A.A.d City), Gunplay (Bogota Rich: the Prequel), Future (Pluto), Chief Keef (I Don’t Like), Lil Reese (L’s Anthem), Meek Mill (Amen) and Juicy J (Bands A Make Her Dance), and a welcome back to Mystikal with Hit Me. A special shout-out to my rap ladies who were killing it this year: first and foremost Angel Haze with Werkin’ Girls but also Brianna’s Marilyn Monroe, Sasha Go Hard’s Why They Mad and of course Nicki Minaj, still grotesquely compelling in both high street and mean streets guises. R&B still being the best music ever every single time: forget The Weeknd and put down your copy of channel ORANGE for a second (though okay yeah I admit it’s pretty good), this year was about Dawn Richard (Armor On), Miguel (Kaleidoscope Dream), Kalenna (Matte Black Truck), Usher (Climax and a good half of his album), Trey Songz (2 Reasons) and Melanie Fiona (The MF Life). The reliably enthralling good and bad vibes offered by house music: Julio Bashmore’s Au Seve, Eats Everything’s Jagged Edge and Slink, Infinity Ink’s House of Infinity, Hot Since 82’s Knee Deep in Louise, Jaymo & Andy George’s How It Goes. Euro(ish) tech-house will never die: Blondes’ selftitled album, John Talabot’s fin, Donato Dozzy and Neal’s Voices from the Lake, live sets from Ame & Dixon and Move D. Slo-mo house and disco still soundtracking all my BBQs: Lindstrom, Todd Terje, Matthew Kyle and local hero Late Nite Tuff Guy. Post-dubstep/post-funky/post-whatever melange interzone producing better music now that people have stopped paying attention: Cooly G’s Playin’ Me, Mala’s Mala in Cuba, Silkie and Quest’s Dubstep Allstars Vol. 9. And, last but not least, pop still bringing the realness: Carly Rae Jepsen’s unfortunately slept-on album of stunners, Taylor Swift going pseudo-dubstep on I Knew You Were Trouble and just generally being awesome, The Wanted’s I Found You ruling gay clubs everywhere and Saint Etienne reminding us they’re still old masters (Words & Music). Plus a late entry for tune of the year from Katy B and Jessie Ware with their astonishing, bewitching duet, Aaliyah.

Urban music – R&B and hip hop – experienced an identity crisis in 2012, but there were still great artists and records. Today’s mainstream R&B especially is virtually indistinguishable from EDM, yet this year disenchanted listeners embraced a new alternative led by Odd Future soulman Frank Ocean. His avant-garde channel ORANGE even overshadowed Purple Naked Ladies, an experimental foray into neo-soul from The Internet – Syd Tha Kyd’s baby. Ocean’s illwave manoeuvres both validated Miguel’s artistic progress on Kaleidoscope Dream and influenced Trey Songz, who boldly set up Chapter V with the sublime beat ballad Heart Attack. (Usher who?) Together with The Weeknd and Jamie “xx” Smith, Ocean has inspired a surging R&B subculture in indie (cue the auto-tuned Poliça). Lana Del Rey, that “gangsta Nancy Sinatra”, teamed with beatmakers Emile Haynie, Jeff Bhasker and Al Shux (of Empire State Of Mind fame) to develop “Hollywood sadcore” – arty hip hop soul – on Born To Die. Meanwhile, Beyoncé Knowles’ sis Solange finally won praise with the Dev Hynes-helmed Losing You. Another urban countertrend gained momentum – retro ‘90s. Nas tapped into that nostalgia with his excellent Life Is Good, Amy Winehouse a posthumous guest. Travelling back further was London’s Michael Kiwanuka, his soul-folk Home Again evoking Otis Redding, Bill Withers and Terry Callier. He was a deserving winner of the BBC’s Sound Of 2012 poll. Bobby Womack, his If You Think You’re Lonely Now covered by K-Ci Hailey in the ‘90s, refused to be defined temporally. He collaborated with Damon Albarn and Richard Russell on the electro-soul The Bravest Man In The Universe. Womack actually dueted with Del Rey on the pianoled Dayglo Reflection. Eternally cool. However, ‘the Reinvention of the Year’ award has gotta go to ‘90s super-producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, who cut killer electro’n’b for Justin Bieber (the dubstep As Long As You Love Me), Nelly Furtado (drum‘n’bass Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)) and Alicia Keys.

In recent times hip hop has been about da party but, with Nas ruminating on Life..., it was UK MC/singer/actor/ director Plan B who challenged the status quo with his political – nay, Shakespearean – iLL Manors, the bass-heavy title track his response to 2011’s riots. B kept it real, and British, recruiting producer Al Shux. ILL Manors is protest rap worthy of Public Enemy’s descendants. Kanye West, who headlined the 20th Big Day Out, dated Kim Kardashian and offered the streetwise GOOD Music showcase, Cruel Summer, encapsulating Cold (AKA Theraflu). But Compton’s Kendrick Lamar was 2012’s coldest MC, Dr Dre his mentor. Much has been written about the female takeover of pop – and, in 2012, urban, too, had its stars, many British. Scottish soulstress Emeli Sandé delivered a commendable, if conservative, debut in Our Version Of Events, topping the UK charts. The former med student was also a highlight at the London Olympics ceremonies. And she co-wrote songs on Ms Keys’ Girl On Fire. Rita Ora, signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, was this year’s Jessie J – and another UK Rihanna. Most original was Jessie Ware, a post-dubstep Sade, with her album, Devotion. Darwin’s Jessica Mauboy wowed cinema-goers from here to Cannes with her role in The Sapphires, about a ‘60s Aboriginal girl group. Watch out Beyoncé. Then that R&B rebel RiRi finally presented a worthwhile album again in Unapologetic, with the spectacular single, Diamonds. Still, everyone was speculating about her reunion with Chris Brown. Thug lovin’? In 2012 Nicki Minaj morphed into a brand, like Barbie. Starships aside, her music is yet to live up to the hype, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded a scrappy compilation. When Madonna calls (the femcee joined MIA on Gimme All Your Luvin), worry. Azealia Banks threatened to become Nicki’s cooler nemesis. The New Yorker dropped her Fantasea mixtape, but has she missed the window for that album? Lastly, there are 2012’s lost ones. We farewelled Whitney Houston, the first pop soul diva, responsible for classics like I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me). Also gone is the Beastie Boys’ punk rappercum-humanitarian MCA (AKA Adam Yauch). And Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco, has entered that nightclub in the sky. Will any get holograms like Tupac Shakur?

THE BREAKDOWN POP CULTURE THERAPY WITH ADAM CURLEY

Lena Dunham Of the online promotional devices used by HBO and Lena Dunham to promote the second season of Girls, the recently announced soundtrack is the most curious. Memes using quotes from the show and hashtags to encourage retweets (and generally to speak the language of the show’s target audience) works within Dunham’s perceived creative vision. The quotes are only in part meant as slices of advice for young women. The meme featuring Dunham’s character Hannah Horvath reads: “I resolve to not let guys treat my heart like monkey meat. #resolutionsGIRLSbreak.” The meme featuring the Sex And The City-obsessed character Shoshanna Shapiro reads: “I resolve to meet a young financial planner.” Like the show, the intention of the memes seems to be to represent and perhaps open a wider conversation about the lives and choices of a certain demographic of young women while plugging the brand. The line between inspirational statement and artistic statement is blurred, but Dunham does have something to say about the characters she has created, even her own. Hannah Horvath is not always likeable; the privileges of the characters don’t always work in their favour. It’s a dimension of the show for which Dunham isn’t often credited. News of the soundtrack generated reports in all corners, which wasn’t surprising. Anything even vaguely related to Dunham is current cause for a headline and a round of applause. The content of the news also made a lot of sense. The physical copy of the soundtrack features 14 tracks, the digital 18. This might be due to licensing deals, but it also suits the show to keep interactions with it and talk of it online, where the brand can make more impression on an individual and therefore increase promotion and audience loyalty via emotional

connections. Girls – Volume 1, will be released Tuesday 8 January through Fueled By Ramen, giving it a greater chance to sit high on charts at a time most labels aren’t releasing albums, and tapping into the label’s ability to sell to a media-smart young market. More interesting though is the mere fact of the soundtrack and its tracklisting, in essence the artistic statement itself. The CD is filled with the kind of midlevel indie dance, hip hop and rock the characters listen to on the show or, Dunham has suggested, would like. In a statement, Dunham said: “I make playlists to write by and listen to as I head to set in the morning, and I experiment in editing with songs that the characters would love and that accurately reflect their struggles.” She also said she and Girls music supervisor Manish Raval were “crazy about everything from the pop that teen girls devour to the niche indie rock from days of yore.” It’s a message-heavy playlist, including Robyn’s Dancing On My Own, The Echo-Friendly’s Same Mistakes, Icona Pop’s I Love It and Grouplove’s Everyone’s Gonna Get High. Like the memes, they reflect the experiences of the characters. Unlike the memes, however, the soundtrack as a product takes back Dunham’s commentary on the lives of her characters. The show’s audience is invited to purchase the songs enjoyed by Hannah Horvath and her imperfect, generally good-intentioned, upper-middle-class, notparticularly-musically-switched-on crew because we, too, love this music. As a statement it doesn’t invite us to participate in the discussion of the characters and themes of the show but to slot into the same demographic as the characters, or worse, to worship them. I know it might seem like a bit of a beat-up to criticise the release of a soundtrack. Soundtracks are fairly mundane occurrences and not many are very good, bought by people who do want to worship at the altar of a favourite show or film, or don’t have access to a broader knowledge of music. TIn the case of Girls, however, it feels a disappointing oversight in Dunham’s creative planning. Perhaps it’s because it’s so difficult for a young – and female – writer to be taken seriously, or perhaps because the conversations Dunham has helped to start are so interesting and of only our time. Maybe it’s just Icona Pop.

Hermitude Well, gang, here it is: the final Intelligible Flow for 2012. As I type this up, I can’t help but wonder if anyone will be reading it – partly because the world is going to end, and partly because you’re probably all too hungover from the silly season. Like the other Inpress writers, I had to type up my end-of-year top ten lists and whatnot for the annual writers’ poll. This experience unfailingly gives me a panic attack every year, not least because there are always Australian hip hop artists that I want to acknowledge for certain things, but have no easy category in which to mention them. What I do have, though, is this column, and I would like to use it to give a few shout outs for some of the great work released in the last 12 months. So here, in no particular order, are the Informal Intelligible Flow Awards for 2012… Best Video Clip (Category: Harrowing): Tornts, Traumatic Cinema. I’ve been watching this thing since February and I still can’t get over it. The visuals match the lyrics perfectly – blow for blow, brutality for brutality. The acting (which so often lets these ambitious projects down) is superb (keep an eye out for P-Link in the second verse), and the track is killer to boot. Kudos once again to Heata, Discourse, Josh Davis and, of course, Tornts for crafting such a superb clip. Best Video Clip (Category: Inspiring): Hilltop Hoods, Rattling The Keys To The Kingdom. They came and they conquered! The best track off Drinking From The Sun was fittingly accompanied by one of the best videos in Australian hip hop history – in fact, it’s a piece of Australian hip hop history in and of itself. Artists from all over the country appeared in this clip, from veterans such as Def Wish Cast to more recent starters such as Sky’High. What a classic. Selina Miles, ADFU of Unity Sound & Visual and the Hoods, please take a bow. Best Live Gig Despite Smallest Crowd: Def Wish Cast at the Laundry Bar. Seriously, where was everyone that night? I know the weather was a bit crappy, but this is Melbourne – the weather is always a bit crappy. Well, despite the less than stellar turnout, Def Wish Cast turned it up to 11 that night. Their set was worthy of a festival main stage – high energy, flawless delivery and obvious passion for their craft. Best Opening Set: Rainman, opening for Urthboy at the Evelyn. Opening a show can be an awkward, thankless task. Hardly anyone is in the room, and those that are aren’t quite drunk or pumped enough to start actually moving around. However, when Rainman opened Urthboy’s gig on the Naïve Bravado tour, he had the growing crowd bouncing after just a few songs, and best of all, he did it without mugging. There were no demands on the audience – Rainman just has a lovely stage presence, and he won everyone over with slick tracks and a few laughs. Brilliant stuff. Best Track That Should Have Been Used For An Olympics TV Promo (Category: Missed Opportunity): Hermitude, Get In My Life. Can’t you just imagine an Olympics TV spot to this, cut so that you see shots of athletes pounding around the 400m bend just as you hear “Run the traaaaaaack!”? It would have been awesome. Best Weekend (despite the hangovers): The Robert Hunter Cup. Finally, congratulations to the many amazing hip hop artists who put in the hard yards this year (and I know, all too well, just how many of you are out there). This year has been brilliant – there have been loads of great releases, some amazing gigs and some exciting ideas from artists about how to engage their fans. I’ve had a great time writing about it and I look forward to seeing plenty more in 2013. Good night, and good luck.

For more opinion go to themusic.com.au/blog • 87

OLD TIME JUKE JOINT PBS 106.7 FM’s Juke Joint will be teaming up with a gang of rogues at the Old Bar to recreate the feel of a genuine Southern juke joint straight outta Clarkesdale on Saturday 29 December. Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk, Rattlin’ Bones Blackwood, Catfish Voodoo, Coral Lee & The Silver Scream and Guy Kable will all appear plus Juke Joint’s own Matt Frederick spinning tunes between the bands. Doors open at 6pm.

HAVE YOU HEARD?

WEDNESDAY WALTERS Catch Matt Walters tonight (Wednesday) at this one-off show at the Toff In Town before he embarks on his first European tour in early 2013. Guests are Georgia Fields and Woody Pitney. Doors open at 8pm, entry is $12.

FRONT ROES The proud possessor of six albums, numerous world tours, various award nominations and a soundproofed basement in his Amsterdam apartment, Irish tunesmith Roesy has achieved much in his time. Currently residing in our fair city, Roesy brings a little of the sound of Irish songwriting to the Drunken Poet this Thursday 20 December.

LIVE AT THE BRIDGE HOTEL This Sunday Sean McMahon’s Western Union will be playing songs off Live At The Last Hotel at the Bridge Hotel in Castlemaine. This latest album is a journey through heartfelt alt.country soul that beautifully conveys the story of this exceptional singer-songwriter’s love affair with the American songbook and a 1930s Kay guitar. Doors open at 4pm with free entry.

CELTIC CLAY After a huge year for the international Celtic rock sensations, Claymore will be finishing of the year with a show at the Flying Saucer Club this Friday. With a huge array of instruments and self-penned and traditional songs, it’s bound to be a huge event.

SINGLE FOCUS

JAZMARIS PLAY AS PART OF REMASTERED MYTHS AT HAMER HALL’S ST KILDA ROAD TERRACE THIS FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER. How did you get together? Daniel Seifu Atlaw, piano: JAzmaris used to play together in another band called Afro Habesha. The collaboration we are doing as part of ReMastered Myths on 21 December, with Chinese musicians Wang Zheng-Ting, was put together through Multicultural Arts Victoria. Have you recorded anything or do you prefer to tool around in your bedroom? We have recorded a couple of tracks at the Aviary in Abbotsford. But right now I am tooling around in my bedroom listening to so many jazz tunes! Can you sum up your band’s sound in four words? Keeping Ethio-jazz real! If you could support any band in the world, who would it be and why? Hugh Ramopolo Masekela – he is a great Afro-jazz legend. If a higher power smites your house and you can only save one record from the fire, what would it be? Mahmoud Ahmed’s album The Best Of… Tizita Vol 1. Do you have a lucky item of clothing you wear for gigs and what is it? No, I don’t have a lucky item. My luck is god and I will take him in my heart for every gig! If you invited someone awesome round for dinner what would you cook? Shurro – it is an Ethiopian traditional food where seasoned milled chick peas are simmered with unique, hot and spicy berbere sauce. What’s your favorite place to drink in Melbourne? Bar Open.

Blood Duster

WHITE WASH Blasting out of the suburbs as if it was the early ‘90s, White Walls conjure up a ferocious and melodic slab of sound. They have been recently likened to early Dinosaur Jr, My Bloody Valentine and Milk Music. Recorded and mixed by Andrew ‘Idge’ Hehir at Soundpark Studios, White Walls will be launching their devastating debut full length this Saturday at the Tote with good buddies Deep Heat and Useless Children. The doors open at 8.30pm with $10 entry.

GO YOU GOOD THING Favourite Thing #3 is a day-long mini-festival featuring nine Santa-slaying bands showcasing some of the East Coast’s most exciting up-and-coming garage, indie and punk rock talent. The line-up, hitting Yah Yah’s on Saturday 22 December, features The Treatment, Rayon Moon, Bang Bang Rock’n’Roll, Crash The Curb, Heavy Beach, The Summervilles, Pioneers Of Good Science, Messed Up and BJ Morriszonkle.

A LITTLE HELP FROM HAYDEN Following on from rave reviews for his recent BIGSOUND showcase in Brisbane and a sold-out EP launch show in Melbourne, Hayden Calnin will be headlining the Toff for his last show of 2012. He is joined by Texture Like Sun this Saturday. The doors open at 7.30pm.

MEMORY LANE Davey Lane is playing two sets on Sunday 23 December at Yah Yah’s. Lane has emerged from the recording studio (aka his bedroom) to perform songs from his brand new and much anticipated debut album, The Good Borne Of Bad Tymes, early next year. Entry is free, doors open at 5pm, music starts at 8pm. The second set will be a bunch of covers including a tribute to Nick Lowe.

BARN STORMER The Mayan calendar ends on Friday, so Courtney Barnett has put together a Christmas hamper for you to take to eternity. Catch her at the Workers Club tonight (Wednesday). Support comes from Two Cartoons and New Estate. Cash Savage

ABBE MAY – KARMAGEDDON What’s the song about? A whale, a tequila bottle and an ocean of heartbreak. Is this track from a forthcoming/existing release? Kiss My Apocalypse – LP due out May 2013. How long did it take to write/record? We are still writing and recording it. So far it has been a year… It will be finished in late January. What was inspiring you during the song’s writing and recording? Sam Ford (producer) and I had started listening to a lot of hip hop and I have always loved good pop: Kanye, Portishead, Frank Ocean, Caribou, Beyonce, a lot of other-side-of-the-world-type stuff. I think we just became a bit tired of rock’n’roll after playing it for so long. No point churning out the same old shit if it doesn’t inspire you. We’ll like this song if we like… Dirty jokes. Do you play it differently live? It’s a little different but not much… Will you be launching it? Thursday 20 December at the Toff In Town with special guests Shy Panther.

ART OF SLEEPING Dew Process/Universal

Hugo Race returns from an extensive concert tour of Europe with his Italian-based Fatalists project to play the Post Office Hotel in Coburg on Sunday 23 December.

Spencer P Jones & The Nothing Butts are a group made in rock’n’roll heaven. They feature Spencer P Jones of The Beasts Of Bourbon. James Baker of The Scientists and Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin of The Drones. The band play at the Thornbury Theatre this Friday with Harry Howard & The NDE and Bitter Sweet Kicks.

WITH STEPHANIE LIEW

Like A Thief

RACE FOR THE PRIZE

NOTHING BUT AWESOME

SORTED FOR EPS On opener Empty Hands, falsetto “oohs” give way to the punch of Caleb Hodges’ soulful, slightly gruff vocals: “Your love is for a beggar/And empty hands is all I ever had”. Drums roll like waves under oceanic guitar riffs, the solo soaring above. Bass slides from low to high on Shoulders, as guitars work furious harmonics. An acoustic guitar and the line “Morning creeps in and you swear that you loved me, once,” hangs heavy in Above The Water. The bass, a driving force on the EP, is melodic amid crashing cymbals and glassy piano. Adventurous drums on One Hundred Thousand are jarring – a saunter one moment and a gallop the next – but manage to find theit footing towards the end of the slow, atmospheric rock closer.

FOX + SUI Taboo

Two Bright Lakes Self-described “garage exotica,” but possibly falling under the experimental lounge nu-folk/pop soft-psych umbrella(s), the Sui Zhen/Andras Fox dream-team Fox + Sui make music that is like looking through purple-coloured lenses – but for your ears not your eyes, obviously. Summer Storm sounds like it samples water drops for percussion, and wind chimes and wooden blocks tiptoe around vocalist Becky Freeman’s sweet crooning. A persistent scratchy, grainy undertone, like the crinkling of paper, adds to the dream-like quality of the EP. Freeman sings around herself like a onewoman a capella group in Taboo, where samples and sounds are cut and pasted together into a seamless collage. Wobbly, wonky old synths and frog noises combine in Grass In Flight. The EP is an electronic tribute to the music found in nature, and Freeman’s curious inflections suit perfectly.

THE PRETTY LITTLES

I Am Not From A Small Town Independent Apparently about “a fella having a hard time being one of the lucky ones,” I Am Not From A Small Town certainly encompasses the angst of youths making mistakes and feeling sorry for themselves, and wishing they had real problems to complain about. Hectic Psychotic starts with a scream from the gut, and the frantically descending chord pattern hooks you in immediately. The sweaty, shouty, guitars-through-the-tumble-dryer theme continues on New Year’s Resolution, and the anxious Bring On The Bad Times brings it down a notch; it’s an anthem for 20-something existentialism. Guitars tear through gang wails and the pleading, remorseful refrain, “Well mumma I should have listened/I’m not meant to be in prison,” on Mumma. Small Towns closes the EP kicking and screaming, a cacophony of noise. You can’t tell whether it’s the vocals or guitar that’s screeching. The Pretty Littles make excellent bluesy garage rock with nothing pretty or little about it.

MATMOS

The Ganzfeld EP

IF YOU WANT BLOOD…

Thrill Jockey

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with Blood Duster at the Tote in their second annual Destroy New Year’s! event. This night will also be used to celebrate the launch of their new unplayable album KVLT. Joining them in this celebration will be the tri-state grinders Captain Cleanoff, the ruckus of Bat Piss and the old school thrash attack of Sewercide. There will also be lots of quality food served up by the bands for the punters. If you were there last year you are probably still buzzing from it.

STAX ON The much loved and anticipated annual soul fest, The Stax On Soul Xmas Show, comes to the Flying Saucer this Saturday. The Stax On Soul Revue Band will be joined by an array of special guest vocalists including Kylie Auldist, Suzannah Espie, Ian Collard, Wayne Jury, Tracey Miller, Chris Altmann and Peter Punk. The doors open at 6.30pm for dinner or 8pm for the show only. Tickets are available through the Flying Saucer website.

88 • For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news

BAD SANTAS Santa Claus has been busy making a list (and checking it twice) of the naughtiest bands from this year. So you’d better watch out, ‘cause it’s your shout and they’re all coming to town. Featuring Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, Cherrywood, Heel Toe Express and Eaten By Dogs, it’s gonna be a toe-tapping, whiskey-swillin’ Christmas party for all you naughty girls and boys out there. It all goes down Saturday 22 December at the brand new Spotted Mallard in Brunswick.

There’s a very cultish vibe on The Ganzfeld EP. Low vocals introduce us to Very Large Green Triangles, building into an almost-chant, and from there it escalates quickly. It’s like a rave in a church: dramatic strings among the pulsing electronic beat and bubbling bass synths… and then a raucous choir. Put bluntly, it’s unsettling yet intriguing. Creepy whispers and snips and cuts needling their way through a repetitive dull throb on You provide some relief, but Just Waves brings the cult vibe right back. It’s one monotonal voice singing poetry over another; is this what it’s like to hear voices? Words jump out but nothing is really distinguishable until you force yourself to hone in on any one voice and concentrate hard on really hearing. You’re uncomfortable but you can’t stop listening. It becomes an indistinct crowd murmur towards the end, less discordant and more melodic but still lacking rhythm or structure. After 12 minutes and 44 seconds you’re relieved it’s over and contemplate listening to it over and over again.

TINY BIKERS

BOLLYWOOD ROYALTY

EDUCATION MATTERS

This Friday, Melbourne’s own Minibikes head to the Workers Club. The pop rockers will hit the stage at 11pm. In support are up-and-comers Pony Face and hard-hitting alternative exponents Heavy Beach.

The Bombay Royale fuse vintage Bollywood, Tarantinoesque surf, wild disco, flamboyant theatrics, outrageous costumes and utterly irresistible dance moves. They are playing this Thursday at the Workers Club. DJ Manchild will also join fun on the night. Entry is $10 online or $12 at the door with doors opening at 8pm.

This Friday the Evelyn Hotel plays host to No Thought Control 2012. An array of fine indie acts and a DJ will join forces to celebrate public education and to give their support to the I Give A Gonski Campaign. Featured on the night will be Kings And Thieves, Phoebe’s Dream, The Sunsleepers, Charlie Officer and DJ Dajarra. The doors open at 7.30pm with entry $10 on the door.

SOUNDINGS OF THE UNDERGOUND The fourth instalment of SOUNDINGS pieces together a bunch of bands from Melbourne’s musical underground making a goddamn glorious racket with guitars and drums and beatific bass. Great Earthquake, Autoportraits, Grand Prismatic, Sarah Mary Chadwick, Little Killing, The Fuses, Psalm Beach, Tender Bones, BRDM BDRM and Winternationale will all play the Evelyn this Sunday.

TOOTS, SWEET The final day of the Mayan calendar is approaching! The sky’s set to fall, the earth’s gonna split and Satan’s mighty claws are gonna haul The Toot Toot Toots down into the fiery depths of hell. Join them on their downward spiral as they bring their spaghetti-western rock freak-out to the coastal leg of their Pre-Apocalypse Tour. Catch them at Geelong’s Barwon Club on Friday 21 December for what’s shaping up to be an amazing line-up, with support from Immigrant Union and Atolls. Then see them Saturday 22 at the Loft in Warnambool for a country hoedown with support from twangers Alamo. A mighty bunch of bands for a hellish tour.

LETHAL LEROY Singer-songwriter Leroy Lee has come all the way from Sydney for a date at the Workers Club this Thursday. His set will kick off at 10pm but beforehand he will be supported by Texture Like Sun and Al Parkinson.

THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT Midnight Woolf playing Yah yah’s on New Year’s Eve eve. The show was originally scheduled for New Year’s Eve but due to the venue not being able to stay open past 1am into 2013, Yah Yah’s decided to have their knees-up a day early so they can play a little later. Also playing on Sunday 30 December are The Yard Apes and Humbug. Entry is $10 but every payer gets a free glass of sparkling wine.

SCRATCH THAT ITCH

With their unique brand of dreamy/gritty noise rock, The Primary have taken up residence in the Evelyn Hotel every Wednesday in December. Entry is $2 with an 8.30pm start.

TOUTED

MOIST PALMS On the first three sweaty Wednesdays nights in December, the Tote welcomes Palm Springs. This new endeavour is a collaboration between Erica Dunn (Harmony) and Raquel Solier (Fatti Frances) and takes inspiration from minimal blues/folk in the vein of Jessie Mae Hemphill, Karen Dalton and Scout Niblett. Tonight’s supports are Legendary Hearts and A Dead Forest Index. Entry is $6 from 8pm.

WORKING FOR THE KIDS

EARLY SCHOOLING

Over 18 years Lloyd Spiegel has come to be regarded amongst the finest blues guitarists in the nation and has played bills with up-and-comers such as Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Buddy Guy. Get down to the Drunken Poet on Sunday 30 December at 4pm for a lesson in the blues.

Melbourne wonk/pop band Otouto are returning to the stage after a year of silence this Sunday on the Evelyn rooftop. With some new sounds to add to their set the trio are excited to relaunch for the summer. Supporting them are Smile and Martha Brown’s pop/R&B solo project Banoffee. They are also joined by Oscar + Martin DJs. The doors open at 3pm.

After recording mid-year with acclaimed producer Andy Mak (Silverchair, Boy & Bear), Melbourne funk/ rock outfit Flounder are set to release their debut EP, Scratch. The young five-piece will cap off a year of hard work by launching their EP at the Grace Darling Hotel on Friday 28 December. Scratch is bustling with tight grooves, singable melodies and strong musicianship. Support comes from newcomer groove outfit Crooks & Queens and rockers Chop Squad.

Who The Hell present a fundraising show this Saturday at the Workers Club for The Song Room, a program which introduces music and arts to disadvantaged kids in selected schools. House Of Laurence will kick things off at 9pm followed by Harts. Them Swoops will headline the night at 11pm with Two Bright Lakes DJs also spinning.

YOUNG MAN’S BLUES

WELL WEARNE Nigel Wearne is an alt.country singer-songwriter whose music has an intimate and poignant narrative. Equipped with personally handcrafted Wearne guitars, his music melds finger-style guitar, slide dobro, country twang and honest storytelling. Wearne kicks off the musical day at the Retreat Hotel this Saturday at 4pm in the front bar.

SNAKE SMUGGLERS The inaugural Cobra Snake Necktie Records and Love & Theft Xmas party is happening this Thursday at the Tote. Saint Jude (as a one-off ten-piece!), The Bowers, Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk and Wrong Turn are all appearing. There will be a barbecue to be treated to and prizes to be won. The doors open at 6pm.

For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news • 89

TROD IN THE DUST

BACKYARD PRIMATES

In support of their second studio effort Blood In The Dust, Melbourne five-piece rockers Tread are set to launch their second film clip this Friday at Revolver. In support are Lung, Glass Empire and Dialysis. The doors open at 8pm with $15 entry.

The Yard Apes formed in 2009 in Ballarat. They play primitive garage rock‘n’roll with a touch of country and surf. The subject matter of the songs is often dark and narrative-based but for the most part has its roots in the true spirit of rock’n’roll – trusting the wrong people, losing your mind and getting loose with the devil. They play this Saturday at the Retreat Hotel with SWhaT in support from 10pm.

SOUTHSIDE CHRISTMAS NUMBERS COME UP Much-loved Melbourne band P76 will reform for one Melbourne show at Yah Yah’s on Friday 21 December, to celebrate the digital release of their back catalogue. The respected indie pop outfit, led by local singer-songwriter Danny McDonald, enjoyed strong success in the late ‘90s and early 2000s with their Dom Mariani-produced album Into The Sun and a series of EPs. Having recently expanded to a four-piece line-up with the inclusion of McDonald’s long-time friend Jeff Baker (ex-The Rainyard/DM3) on guitar, P76 are preparing to deliver a memorable show with their trademark guitar jangle and special guests joining them onstage throughout the night. Entry is free, with support spots from legendary Melbourne mod poppers The Little Murders and new indie pop outfit Singing For Humans.

FULL PINTS AVAILABLE The Tote hosts a massive line-up this Friday just in time for the end of the world. Muscle Mary, Liquor Snatch, Dixon Cider, The Fix, Muscle Car and The Scabs will all appear. The smashed punk party band The Half Pints will headline. The doors open at 8pm.

FREAKY WORLD Celebrate the first day of the new year with an afternoon of signature cocktails, fantastic drink specials and Lui Bar snacks. Mondo Freaks will be playing three sets of tracks from Rick James, Cameo to Aretha Franklin and back to Prince and everything in between. Also appearing at the Lui Bar is Mike Gamwell, better known as Knightlife, who is a mysterious beat-maker hailing from Melbourne. The doors open at 2pm with tickets $35+BF.

BRODIE AIN’T SHADOW With the Grieving Widows on ice for the summer, Dan Brodie returns from a European tour to launch his brand new single (We Gotta) Deep Deep Love at the Old Bar this Friday. Joining him on stage will be the sweet harmonies of the Fibbins Sisters (Sideshow Brides) on backing vocals, Dean Schultz (Fingerbone Bill) on double bass and Chris Brodie (Grieving Widows) on guitar. Entry is $10 on the door.

Melbourne Fresh presents the annual rock’n’ roll Christmas shindig at Revolver featuring a standout band for 2012, Centre And The South. After a massive year, Centre And The South are returning to Revolver to kick off the launch of their latest single Lay Low. With supports Madison Jayne, Sunday Chairs and Seattle Fix, this promises to be a huge night.

DESK JOB After a successful hit-out during Melbourne Music Week, Ding Dong’s daytime party, Ditch The Desk Disco, is set to become a monthly event. What makes DTDD unique is all the action goes down during the day, on your lunchbreak. Hits from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s pump out from 12.30pm to 2.30pm, with entry $5. The next instalment takes place today, Wednesday 19 December.

OF MOOSE AND MEN Moosejaw Rifle Club are a three-piece folk/country/ bluegrass band from Melbourne. The band have been honing their chops for a few years now and look forward to hitting the stage tonight at the Retreat as part of their Wednesday residency. The doors open at 8.30pm.

MIND MELTERS With history on their side, youth in their hearts and an intriguing approach to music that sucks you into a vortex of Celtic tunes, western swing, jazz, bluegrass, pop, blues and perhaps a little Carlos Santana thrown in for good measure, Not The Wolf are in the business of blowing socks off and melting minds. Catch them Saturday 22 December at the Drunken Poet.

SCROOGE Humbug are a hillbilly jungle punk rock’n’roll band from exotic Daylesford in the Central Highlands of Victoria. Forged in 2012, they play a cocktail of high octane and chantable jangly foot in mouth rock‘n’roll with lickings of heart-on-the-sleeve folk soul. They are playing this Friday at the Retreat with Sans Gras supporting at 9.30pm and DJ Shaky Memorial continuing the party later on.

Melbourne Fresh have saved the best unsigned acts until last in back-to-back nights of Awards Events at Revolver Upstairs. Tonight (Wednesday) is the second night of festivities. Performing are Full Code, Nate Reimers, Oceans To Athena, Luke Gray, Kill The Darling, Sofa King, Break The Wall, Hugh Kirne, Famous Will, To The Rescue and Turtle And Fox. The doors open at 6pm with entry $22 on the door.

LEFT WITH A SKA The Bennies, Kujo Kings and Phat Meegz have set about on a skafari around Australia. Catch them at Revolver this Thursday from 7.30pm with special guests Loonee Tunes and King Cups. Entry is $12 on the door.

INCORRECT MEASUREMENTS The Longyard Band are steeped in the old-style rockin’ boogie blues and roots tradition. They strive to fly the flag of gritty electric beat blues to an audience all too well brainwashed by artists whose cultural ancestors graciously bestowed upon us the real deep roots boogie and rhythm’n’blues. They play at 7.30pm in the front bar of the Retreat Hotel this Saturday.

GO-GO INTO 2013 Exit 2012 with a bang by getting down to Soul-AGo-Go at the Workers Club this New Year’s Eve for Melbourne’s biggest soul and funk party. PBS luminaries Miss Goldie, Manchild, Richie 1250, Pierre Baroni, Zack Rampage and Vince Peach will be dishing up the best floor-thumpin’ 45s from 8pm til 3am. Advance tix are available from theworkersclub.com. au or from the Corner Hotel Box Office. It’s $30+BF for PBS members and $35+BF for future members.

RETREAT INTO THE BEER GARDEN Teresa Dixon is one-third of Melbourne country-folk trio The Little Sisters. Dixon produces performances that are equal parts warming, daring and danceable. She plays in the Retreat Hotel Beer Garden this Sunday from 6pm. Before her is Jack Carty continuing his beer garden residency from 4pm. Carty is playing songs from his most ambitious, eloquent, moving and accomplished release to date, One Thousand Origami Birds.

SUZANNAH SOLO Suzannah Espie sings her songs honestly, with art but no artifice, and her voice is so rich and satisfying, so musical, that little else is needed. Espie headlines the Retreat Hotel this Sunday with the gravel and soul of Sweat Jean opening proceedings at 7.30 and Sean McMahon And The Western Union playing at 8.30pm.

TIME OF DYING Four local thrash metal acts that play around town are getting together to send the year off with a great night of metal that will break your neck at the Gasometer this Saturday. Maniaxe are pure black thrash, Blackened are death thrash straight out of 1992, Sewercide bring there death thrash blend of hell and Counter Attack is worse of all.

BEST WHEN FRESH

HAVE A VERY GASO CHRISTMAS PAINT THE TOWN RED The infamous Painters & Dockers play a rare show (in trio mode) this Thursday 20 December at tago Mago. Comprising Paulie Stewart, Dave Pace and Colin Badger – two voices, one guitar, one trumpet – the group will run through all the classics.

90 • For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news

SINGLE FOCUS

Join the Gasometer crew for some Yuletide punkatude down on Smith Street Christmas Eve when some of Melbourne’s best bands blow apart the band room in a huge Christmas benefit show. Bands include thrash punks Cut Sick, True Radical Miracle, Spite House, Gold Tango, Simon J Karis, Comfort Zones and River Of Heaven. All door money will be donated to WISHIN (Women’s Information Support And Housing In The North). The Gaso will be holding a toy drive for the organisation until 24 December. Drop in some toys to the bar!

THEM SWOOPS – WORK AROUND IT What’s the song about? Dave McGann, singer/guitar: It’s about realising that you’re at the end of a relationship, putting on a brave face and pretending you’ll be okay with it. Is this track from a forthcoming/existing release? It’s been released as a single and will be included on a forthcoming EP slated for March 2013. How long did it take to write/record? I wrote the music for it really quickly over a few hours and all the chords and structure of the song are basically identical to when I wrote it. But the verses had a different feel, different lyrics and vocal melodies in the first version of the song. The verses were messy and unmemorable and I wanted it to be more direct and lively. So I re-wrote the bass line to be more bouncy and simplified what the vocals were doing. I demoed it at home until all the other parts were right and we recorded it in a day. Mixing and mastering took longer as we were making a lot of revisions back and forth. It went through seven or eight revisions until we were all happy with it. What was inspiring you during the song’s writing and recording? It’s strange that for such a sunny sounding song, I wrote it in winter and it rained the whole time we were in the studio recording it. So not the weather. If there was inspiration, it’s all subconscious – I just get on with it. We’ll like this song if we like… I was listening to It’s Never Been Like That by Phoenix a lot when I wrote it so it takes its cues from that sound a little bit. Do you play it differently live? No, we play it pretty much the same way as recorded. Will you be launching it? We’ll launch the EP for sure! March/April 2013, venues to be confirmed. In the meantime we play the Who The Hell – Xmas Funrays/ Relaunch Party this Saturday 22 December. For more info see: themswoops.com

STATE OF THE UNION

BATTLE OF THE BANDS

Roll out the Christmas barrels this Sunday 23 as an all-star cast of musos take to the Union stage for an arvo of Christmas-inspired mayhem and music to raise funds for the Melbourne City Mission. The line-up includes Spoonful, Jon Von Goes, Tess McKenna & Shapiros, (some of) The Prayerbabies, The Shivering Timbers and more.

With Melbourne’s soul scene in rude health, two of the heavyweights – Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes and Saskwatch – are releasing a split 7” and going head to head at a show next week. We ask Browne and Saskwatch’s Liam McGorry: who will be the soul survivor?

CHARITY AT CHERRY HOT, HOT CHRISTMAS

Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes Sum up your 2012 in 15 words or less. CB: Kaleidoscope of cities, borders, tour buses, studios, confetti, dirty dancing and soul. LM: Busy, amazing, fun. Our soul scene is extremely healthy – which acts should we be keeping an eye out for? CB: Obviously Saskwatch, who we will be teaming up with at the Hi-Fi. Mojo Juju, The Putbacks, Hiatus Kaiyote, Tracey Miller, Stella Angelico, Flo Escano, The Bamboos, Kira Puru & The Bruise – not all soul, but all soulful. LM: The Harpoons, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, The Bluebottles, The Messengers, Fraser A Gorman, The Cactus Channel, Money For Rope, The Frowning Clouds. This show is billed as the soul showdown of the year – what special moves do you have to guarantee victory? CB: For starters I got three more tough chicas and it’s all about bangers. All my moves are special. LM: We’ve got some new songs, but no ‘special’ moves as such!

Saskwatch Which band is more likely to fight dirty? CB: My middle name is Dirty. Bring it. LM: Definitely the Bangin’ Rackettes, those girls are pretty tough. Tell us about your song on the split 7”. CB: It’s about that walk of shame you do in the morning after a blissful night of loving. We’ve all been there. It’s a new year’s special. LM: Second Best is a bit of a funky New Orleansstyle song. It features our piano player Olaf and a great vocal from Nkechi. It’s a bit of a banger live. What have you got planned for 2013? CB: We are getting ready for a new release, playing many shows and casual world domination. LM: We’re heading back into the studio, which I’m really excited about, to record all of the new songs. We’re also heading back overseas. Exciting. The Soul Showdown takes place at the Hi-Fi on Saturday 29 December.

Fireballs have been touring overseas since their last Christmas show – we have missed rocking around the Christmas tree for our hometown psychos. So you all better get yourselves ready to come have a smashing time with Melbourne’s bad boys of psychobilly The Fireballs for the Xmas Psycho Spectacular. They are playing this Friday at the Prince Of Wales with support from The Working Horse Irons, Green Machine and Death Valley.

Three of Melbourne’s hottest bands will do it in a dress at the infamous Cherry Bar to raise money for the girls of Sierra Leone! Join Children Overboard, The Velvets and The Naysayers as they shake their frocked-up groove things all over one of Melbourne’s most notorious stages in the name of charity. The bands are donating all money that they make from the night (thanks to the amazing Cherry Bar!), and urge you to get along and show your support.

WE ARE GOING… News Year’s Eve is a night of inevitable disappointment and failure. New Year’s Day on the other hand is much more manageable, no expectations, just a sore head to deal with and the realisation that there is a full year in which to recover. Streams Of Whiskey will be bringing all this and their arsenal of Pogues tunes and various other Celtic classics to the stage of the Drunken Poet to punch the New Year square in the jaw. The fun begins at 6pm on News Year’s Day.

SUMMER SAFARI This Sunday 23 December, prepare for a summer holiday with a musical safari with the country-blues rockin’ Danny Walsh Banned and local folk icon Ramblin’ Van Walker on board. Grumpy’s Green has two levels for dancing, dreaming, sipping cocktails and contemplating Coughlin’s laws. The musical mojito will be mighty strong with Walker releasing five acclaimed albums in two years and Walsh’s debut album to be released early next year. Music starts 7pm sharp at Grumpy’s Green.

BIG HEAVY STUFF Wednesdays at the Liberty Social finishes with a bang after six weeks of stimulating bands and epic DJs. Three-piece psych rockers Heavy Beach headline after dropping their EP last month, Grand Prismatic follow with their jangly garage rock, while Duck Duck Chop open up the night.

140 Sydney Rd

BRUNSWICKHOTEL.NET

9387 6637

NO COVER CHARGE

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THURSDAY THE 20TH OF DECEMBER - 8PM TILL 1AM

$3 SCHOONERS OF CARLTON DRAUGHT - $5 BASIC SPIRITS

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FORMOSA

WITH GUESTS YOUR TICKET HOME, ONE DAY MAYBE, LLAMA WITH BEANNI

FRIDAY THE 21ST OF DECEMBER - 7PM

ADMIRAL ACKBAR’S DISHONOURABLE DISCHARGE

WITH GUESTS STRAWBERRY FIST CAKE, THE SHADOW LEAGUE, K-MART WARRIORS, THE MURDERBALLS, LORD JUSTIN AND HIS ONE MAN BAND

SATURDAY THE 22ND OF DECEMBER - 5PM

ROCK N ROWDY XMAS PARTY!

FEATURING: BANDS INSIDE: CUT, ROYAL PARADE, THE ROMEO KNIGHTS, THE ARCADES, 23 ANGLES OF ATTACK, TRIALS OF RESONANCE DJ’S OUTSIDE: FLIP3K, JIMMY LE MAC, KABLAM, DSTRACT, TEEDUBYA, MONKEY, VESPA

SUNDAY THE 23RD OF DECEMBER - 8PM

PADAVONA

FEATURING SUDDEN STATE, ABLAZE

MONDAY THE 24TH OF DECEMBER - 8PM

“LET’S GET FUNNY AT THE BRUNNY”

XMAS SPECTACULAR WITH COMEDIC PERFORMANCES BY ASHLEY FILS-AIME, BRAD OAKES AND FRIENDS $10 JUGS OF CARLTON DRAUGHT

TUESDAY THE 25TH OF DECEMBER

BRUNSWICK HOTEL IS CLOSED MERRY CHRISTMAS For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news • 91

HOWZAT! LOCAL MUSIC NEWS BY JEFF JENKINS know it listening to his latest album, Dirty, Dirty. Never has a record screamed “I’m still alive!” as emphatically or as triumphantly. This is glorious garage rock. He’s alive and he’s kicking. Jim Keays is Howzat!’s Artist Of The Year.

GIG OF THE YEAR

Jim Keays

2012: WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT? Gotye conquered the world. At home, it was all about The Voice, until that ‘reality’ show finished and The X Factor came along. Cold Chisel returned with their first album in 14 years. Paul Kelly finally got to sing at the Grand Final, but you might not have known if you were watching Channel Seven. Commercial radio continued to be more about scandals than songs. So many great records were released. Too many great people died. Yep, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR Reports of his death were greatly exaggerated. Not that he isn’t dealing with a serious medical condition – though you wouldn’t

92 • For more opinion go to themusic.com.au/blog

It was a festival of festivals. Everywhere you looked, a new festival was springing up. But the best gigs still happen in dark rooms on sticky carpets. And Howzat!’s Gig Of The Year again happened at the Northcote Social Club, this time on a Sunday afternoon. During 2012, Australian Guitar magazine listed the 50 greatest Australian guitarists. Inexplicably, they failed to feature Davey Lane. At the Northcote gig, Davey launched into a breathtaking solo that transported Howzat! to another place. “Is it just me, or is this something remarkable?” we thought, as Davey wailed away, making his guitar sing. It wasn’t just me – the packed crowd broke into spontaneous applause when the solo concluded. Davey’s solo, during Accustomed To The Dark, was unforgettable, as was the entire gig. At one point, Charles Jenkins remarked, “You’re a great crowd – I can hear the air conditioning!” Charles Jenkins & The Zhivagos is Howzat!’s Gig Of The Year.

LABEL OF THE YEAR As someone remarked to Howzat! recently, it’s never been easier to make a record, it’s never be harder to sell one. Now, more than ever, little labels and passionate people are the lifeblood

of the music industry. In 2012, Guy Blackman’s Chapter Music turned 20. John Needham’s Citadel turned 30. And Mushroom Records was 40. Howzat! wrote the liner notes for Aches And Shakes, a new compilation celebrating ten years of Popboomerang Records. As Sydney Morning Herald critic Bernard Zuel said, Popboomerang is “a brand you can trust”. In the liner notes, we recounted a conversation with a friend, who was impressed when she met label boss Scotty ‘Pop’ Thurling at a gig. Later, she asked: “How many people does Scott have working for him?” “None,” I replied. He’s the ultimate one-man band, a music obsessive who puts his money where his mouth is. Long may Scotty Pop, and others like him, continue to believe. Popboomerang is Howzat!’s Label Of The Year.

REFORMATION NATION “You crave the future,” Dan Lethbridge sang on Oh Hawke, one of Howzat!’s favourite 2012 albums, “a future filled with things of the past, ’cause those things last.” Nick Barker & The Reptiles were back in 2012 with a blistering new single. Weddings, Parties, Anything reformed to be inducted into the EG Hall Of Fame and then broke up again. Sunnyboys were back for Meredith. Cold Chisel did another tour. The Seekers launched another comeback, to celebrate their 50th birthday. Icehouse were back on the road. Pseudo Echo turned 30. And not one, but two new versions of The Angels emerged.

READ ABOUT IT Not a lot of local music books were released in 2012. The highlight was John Bois’ The Dingoes’ Lament, documenting their ill-fated American assault in the ’70s. Elegiac and enlightening, it’s a great read. Shannon Noll told his story in So

Far… And Howzat! did a book with a mate, Luke Wallis, on the Australian record producer Mark Opitz. Sophisto-punk tells the story of Mark’s life and the albums he’s made with The Angels, Cold Chisel, INXS, Divinyls, Models, Richard Clapton, The Reels, Australian Crawl, Hoodoo Gurus, Jimmy Barnes and Roxus. Hey ARIA, why isn’t Mark (and other Australian record producers) in the Hall Of Fame?

ROCK IN PEACE It was a tragic year. The Australian music industry is mourning the passing of legends and friends. We said goodbye to Jimmy Little, Robin Gibb, Men At Work’s Greg Ham, Zoot’s Darryl Cotton, Sherbet’s Clive Shakespeare, Valentines singer and Divinyls manager Vince Lovegrove, The Sports’ Jimmy Niven, The Pelaco Brothers’ Peter Lillie, The Purple Hearts’ Mick Hadley, Peter Jones (Crowded House, Harem Scarem, Deadstar), Edith Bliss, and Australia’s ‘father of jazz’, Graeme Bell. The RRR community was rocked by the death of announcer Genny B, and cancer also claimed the life of rock writer Andrew McMillan and the courageous Kate Bentley, who was a friend to so many people in the music industry. And Howzat!’s good buddy Zoran Romic from Chocolate Starfish died of cancer just as the band planned to return to the road. He is much missed. Also in 2012, we said goodbye to the East Brunswick Club, Pony and the Phoenix Public House; Jet and Little Red called it quits, The Wiggles were re-jigged, and INXS claimed they’d played their final show. Thanks for reading Howzat! See you in 2013.

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PRESENTS

CORDRAZINE: Thursday 20 December, Northcote Social Club

EVAN DANDO & JULIANA HATFIELD: December 19 Corner Hotel KINGSWOOD: December 21 Cherry Bar; 31 Espy TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB: December 29 Festival Hall BALL PARK MUSIC: December 29 Ding Dong Lounge (U18) BORED NOTHING: January 5 Gasometer THE HIVES: January 6 Forum BEACH HOUSE: January 9 Forum HALF MOON RUN: January 10 Spirit Bar & Lounge (Traralgon); 11 Ding Dong Lounge; 12 Karova Lounge (Ballarat)

THIS WEEK INTERNATIONAL EVAN DAND0, JULIANA HATFIELD: December 19 Corner Hotel MORRISSEY: December 19 Festival Hall THE DATSUNS: December 20, 21 The Espy LOST ANGELS: December 21 Hi-Fi KENDRICK LAMAR: December 21 Palace Theatre THOMAS GOLD: December 22 Alumbra DJ HELL: December 22 Survivor

NATIONAL THE BENNIES: December 20 Revolver THE LIVING END: December 20, 21, 22 Corner Hotel ABBE MAY: December 20 Toff In Town CORDRAZINE: December 20 Northcote Social Club RAT & CO: December 20 Toff THE DEMON PARADE: December 21 Can’t Say DARREN HANLON: December 21 Northcote Social Club JONNY TELAFONE: December 21 Gasometer KINGSWOOD: December 21 Cherry Bar SPENCER P JONES & THE NOTHING BUTTS: December 21 Thornbury Theatre PARKWAY DRIVE: December 22 Festival Hall SHE CAN DJ TOUR: December 22 Room (Hawthorn) THE TOOT TOOT TOOTS: December 22 the Loft (Warrnambool) HEADSPACE XMAS PARTY: December 22 Espy EVEN: December 22 Hi-Fi BUCHANAN: December 22 Workers Club HUMAN NATURE: December 22, 23 Hamer Hall MISTLETONE MANATEE MATINEE XMAS: December 23 Northcote Social Club

UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS: December 29 Corner COSMO JARVIS: December 29 Bridge Hotel (Castlemaine); January 3 Corner DJ NU-MARK: December 29 Espy TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB: December 29 Festival Hall SHARON VAN ETTEN: December 30 Corner BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB: January 1 Regal Ballroom SBTRKT: January 2 Billboard BEST COAST: January 2 Hi-Fi WILLIS EARL BEAL: January 2 Northcote Social Club MAXIMO PARK: January 2 Corner FIRST AID KIT: January 2 Forum BLOOD RED SHOES: January 3 Hi-Fi DE LA SOUL: January 3 Espy 65DAYSOFSTATIC: January 4 Corner Hotel CHAPELIER FOU: January 5 Toff In Town MARIAH CAREY: January 5 Etihad Stadium THE HIVES: January 6 Forum SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS: January 6 Summer Of Soul Festival; 8 Corner Hotel LOS CORONAS: January 8 & Toff In Town; 10 Westernport Hotel BEACH HOUSE: January 9 Forum HOT CHIP: Janurary 9 Palace VENGABOYS: January 10 Espy SHARON SHANNON: January 10 Caravan Music Club (Oakleigh); 11 & 12 Spotted Mallard BEN SOLLEE: January 10 Northcote Social Club; 11 Meeniyan Town Hall; 12 Theatre Royal (Castlemaine) PETER MURPHY: January 11 Corner DAVE GUNNING: January 11 Caravan Music Club

BASEMENT JAXX: January 11 MCG TIM CHAISSON: January 11 Caravan Music Club MARDUK: January 11 Hi-Fi DJANGO DJANGO: January 12 Hi-Fi GARY JULES: January 12 Corner; 13 Trak Lounge SABATON: January 13 Corner DOS HERMANOS: January 13 Retreat Hotel; 16 Cherry Bar; 17 Old Bar; 18 Bridge Hotel (Castlemaine); 19 Northcote Social Club DRAGON: January 13 Mildura Waterfront Soundshell; February 2 Kryal Castle (Ballarat); 3 Victory Park Soundshell (Traralgon); March 30 Warrnambool Racecourse; 31 Mansfield Showgrounds; May 11 Palms At Crown NIGHTWISH: January 14 Palace DAVID BYRNE & ST VINCENT: January 14, 15 Hamer Hall WEEZER: January 16 Sidney Myer Music Bowl; 17 Palais ALESTORM: January 18 Hi-Fi WOODS: January 18 National Hotel (Geelong); 27 the Tote YANNI: January 19 Palais MAHMOUD AHMED: January 20 Arts Centre Playhouse HUNX & HIS PUNX: January 20 Tote A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS: January 20 Corner Hotel GARY CLARK JR: January 22 Corner Hotel THE KILLERS: January 22 Palace DEATH GRIPS: January 22 Ding Dong AGAINST ME!: January 22 Hi-Fi CRYSTAL CASTLES: January 22 Billboard BAND OF HORSES: January 23 Palais OFF!: January 23 Corner Hotel SLEIGH BELLS: January 23 Billboard CHILDISH GAMBINO: January 23 Hi-Fi JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD: January 23 Bridge Hotel (Castlemaine); 24 Corner Hotel ANIMAL COLLECTIVE: January 23 Palace THE NEW MENDICANTS: January 22, 23 Northcote Social Club BLOODY BEETROOTS: January 24 Palace ALABAMA SHAKES: January 24 Forum DJ PAULY D: January 25 Festival Hall DIRTYBIRD: January 25 Brown Alley OSAKA MONAURAIL: January 25 Espy ELVIS COSTELLO: January 26 Rochford Wines MOUNT EERIE: January 26 Toff In Town THEE OH SEES: January 28 Schoolhouse Studios; 31 Hi-Fi; February 6 Barwon Club (Geelong) RICHARD HAWLEY: January 29 Forum JESSIE WARE: January 30 Prince Bandroom THE WATERBOYS: January 30 Hamer Hall HIGH HIGHS: January 30 Toff In Town PERFUME GENIUS: January 30 Northcote Social Club OF MONSTERS & MEN: January 31 Palace Theatre SLEEP ∞ OVER: February 1 Liberty Social ELIZABETH COOK: February 1 Northcote Social Club SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA: February 1 Sidney Myer Music Bowl EXPIRE: February 1 Bendigo Hotel; 3 Phoenix Youth Centre ABOVE & BEYOND: February 2 Hisense Arena JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE: February 2 Theatre Royal (Castlemaine); 3 Corner Hotel FROM THE JAM: February 2 Hi-Fi EARTH CRISIS: February 2 Corner NITE JEWEL: February 4 Workers Club DIVINE FITS: February 4 Northcote Social Club POLICA: February 4 Corner Hotel CLOUD NOTHINGS: February 5 Ding Dong KINGS OF CONVENIENCE: February 5 Hamer Hall BAT FOR LASHES: February 5 Palais Theatre

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YEASAYER: February 6 Hi-Fi MS MR: February 7 Northcote Social Club STRANGERS: February 8, Workers Club GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR: February 15 Forum FATHER JOHN MISTY: Februray 17 Hi-Fi PAUL KELLY & NEIL FINN: February 16, 18, 19, 20, March 4, 5 Palais; March 2 A Day On The Green, All Saints Winery (Rutherglen) EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN, MICK HARVEY: February 19 Palace SOJA: April 6 Prince Bandroom CAT POWER: March 7 Forum DINOSAUR JR: March 7 Corner Hotel THE STONE ROSES: March 7 Festival Hall PORT FAIRY FOLK FESTIVAL (featuring Arlo Guthrie, Gurrumul, Glen Hansard): March 8-11 Port Fairy TORO Y MOI: March 9 Corner Hotel FUTURE MUSIC FESTIVAL: (featuring The Stone Roses, The Prodigy, Steve Aoki): March 10 Flemington Racecourse JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION: March 15 Espy; 16 Corner Hotel GRINSPOON: March 22 Hi-Fi; April 24 Bended Elbow (Geelong); 25 Pier Live (Frankston); 26 Inferno (Traralgon); 27 Ferntree Gully Hotel ROBERT CRAY, TAJ MAHAL, SHUGGIE OTIS: March 24 Hamer Hall BONNIE RAITT, MAVIS STAPLES: March 27 State Theatre IGGY & THE STOOGES, BEASTS OF BOURBON: March 27 Festival Hall BLUESFEST: (featuring Ben Harper, Iggy & The Stooges, Wilco): March 28-April 1 Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm (Byron Bay)

Laura Nichols Quintet, Hannah Cameron, Ofﬁcer Parrot Wesley Anne. Band Room Matt Bailey, Chairman Meow, Lady Noir The Gasometer Hotel Matt Walters, Georgia Fields, Woody Pitney The Toff In Town Max Crumbs, Hyperborea, Rohan (Kangaroo Skull) The Gasometer (Upstairs) Moose Jaw Riﬂe Club Retreat Hotel Nai Palm, Hailey Cramer, May Johnston Lounge Bar Open Mic, Brodie Brunswick Hotel Open Stage The Bridge Hotel Palm Springs, A Dead Forest Index, Legendary Hearts The Tote Tash Sultana, Jenny Biddle The Drunken Poet The Primary, Antarctica, Return To Youth, Tangrams, + More The Evelyn

THU 20 8 Foot Felix, + Special Guests Lomond Hotel Abbe May, Shy Panther The Toff In Town Anne Of The Wolves, The Gypsy Curse Retreat Hotel Bad Ladies Burlesque The LuWow Forbidden Temple Berlin Postmark, + Guests The Bridge Hotel Brightly The Empress Ceres, Marc Baker Grace Darling Cellar Bar Cordrazine, The Bon Scotts, Daytime Frequency Northcote Social Club Davey Lane Pure Pop Records Feenixpawl Seven Nightclub Formosa, + Guests Brunswick Hotel

Painters & Dockers Trio Tago Mago Papa Maul, Two Cartoons, Hayden McGregor Yah Yah’s Prequel, Edd Fisher, Principal Blackman The Toff In Town (Carriage Room) Rat & Co, Oscar Key Sung, Tonto, + More Ding Dong Lounge Roesy The Drunken Poet Ruby Page The Commune Saint Jude, The Bowers, Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk, Wrong Turn The Tote Sally Baulch, Alie Pikin Bar Oussou, Brunswick Scott Edgar & The Universe Northcote Town Hall Sleeping Bag 303 South City Sushi Cop, Lower Spectrum, Kokatsuna Onani The Gasometer Hotel Stephanie Monk Dizzy’s Jazz Club The Asmatics, Dead Albatross, Chambers Reverence Hotel, Footscray The Bennies, The Kujo Kings, Phat Meegz, Loonee Tunes, Kings Cup Revolver Upstairs The Bombay Royale, DJ Manchild The Evelyn The Call Up, Rosencrantz, Rayon Moon, Agility The Old Bar The Datsuns, Redcoats, King of the North, The Deep End The Espy, Lounge Bar The Living End, Ivy and the Big Apples, DJ Cosmic Dolphin Corner Hotel The Revomatix, Vince Peach, Pierre Baroni Cherry Bar

EVEN: Saturday 22 December, Hi-Fi

ROGER HODGSON: March 28 Palais BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA: April 3 Hamer Hall BEN HOWARD: April 6, Corner Hotel

WED 19 Alicia Atkins Bar Oussou, Brunswick Ben Carr Trio, Lo-Res, Paul Carey 303 Blackchords Duo The Standard Hotel BRDM BDRM, Mercians, + Guests Grace Darling Hotel Courtney Barnett, New Estate, Two Cartoons The Workers Club Ditch The Desk Disco Ding Dong Lounge (afternoon) Dizzy’s Big Band, Peter Hearne Dizzy’s Jazz Club EVAN DANDO (USA) with JULIANA HATFIELD (USA), Bambino Koresh Corner Hotel Flowers, + Guests The Old Bar

Full Code, Nate Reimers, Oceans To Athena, Luke Gray, Kill The Darling, + More Revolver Upstairs Heavy Beach, Grand Prismatic, Duck Duck Chop The Liberty Social House of Laurence, Mushroom Giant, July Days The Espy, Lounge Bar Human Face, Huw Murdoch, The Imprints The Empress Ishu, Diger Rokwell, Able 8, Ghost Soul, Shikung Bar Open Jackson Firebird, Tyson Hodges Trio Cherry Bar Joe Camilleri & The Black Sorrows Stones of the Yarra Valley Joel Havea, My Private Dinosaur, Bradlee Jay Northcote Social Club

Grand Rapids, The Quivers, The Citradels, Trappist Afterland Band Bar Open Guy Kable, Joshua Seymour Spotted Mallard - Brunswick iamloveproof, House of Laurence, La Rosa Marchita Grace Darling Hotel Leez Lido, Lopan, Sean, Grandmaster Vicious Rochester Castle Hotel Leroy Lee, Texture Like Sun, Al Parkinson The Workers Club Love Story The Toff In Town (Late) Meriki Hood, Gekkz Laundry Bar (Upstairs) Moments Notice Wesley Anne

The Space Keys, The Electric Sun Kings, The Dave Seedman Band Idgaff Bar and Venue The Weekend People, Tom Dickens Great Britain Hotel Tin Lion The Liberty Social Wet Lips, Psycho Daisies, Sweet Something Lounge Bar

FRI 21 Admiral Ackbars Dishonourable Discharge, Strawberry Fist Cake, The Shadow League, K-Mart Warriors, + More Brunswick Hotel

Animaux, The Mcqueens, Skyways & Highways Grace Darling Hotel B-Boogie, Vamp, 5FT2, + More Co. & Fusion Nightclub at Crown Billy Miller Pure Pop Records Charlie Officer, The Sunsleepers, Phoebe’s Dream, Kings and Theives The Evelyn Chris Altmann Cherry Bar, Arvo Show Claymore, Marty Kelly Flying Saucer Club Dan Bourke & Friends The Drunken Poet Dan Brodie & The Sideshow Brides, Matt Bailey, Alysia Manceau The Old Bar Darren Hanlon, + Special Guests Northcote Social Club DJ Shaky Memorial Retreat Hotel (late) Dr Phil Smith The Toff In Town Ghost Orkid, El Moth Baha Tacos Humbug, Sans Gras Retreat Hotel Jape Squad, Old Flame, Butterloaf, The Exit Keys Victoria Hotel Jaspora The LuWow Forbidden Temple Joe Camilleri & The Black Sorrows Caravan Music Club Jonny Telafone, Montero, Repairs, Zone Out The Gasometer Hotel Kingswood, My Dynamite, Lucy Arundel Cherry Bar Lost Angels The Hi-Fi Luca Brasi, Fear Like Us, Linc Le Fevre, Infinate Void, + More Reverence Hotel, Footscray Luke Legs Elsternwick Hotel Mezzanine Abode Mini Bikes, Pony Face, Heavy Beach The Workers Club Mistress Mondays, Chilliad, The Sinking Teeth, Bella Jabara The Espy, Basement Mohair Slim Yah Yah’s (Late) New Dub City Sound, Lotek, Quashani Bahd, + More Horse Bazaar Niko Niko, Faspeedelay, Map Ends Tago Mago Old Gold Christmas Party OneSixOne Open Mic Night St Andrew’s Hotel P76, Little Murders, Singing Is For Humans Yah Yah’s Projeto Inesperado Wesley Anne, Front Bar Rebecca Barnard, + Guests The Bridge Hotel Seedy Jeezus, Mother Slug, The Superguns The Gasometer (Upstairs) The Australian Bon Jovi Show, Basket Case, Pantallica The Espy, Gershwin Room The Datsuns, Redcoats, The Treatment, King of the North, The Deep End The Espy, Lounge Bar The Dub Captains Bar Open

The Fireballs Prince Bandroom The Half Pints, The Scabs, Muscle Car, The Fix, Dixon Cider, + More The Tote The Living End, Ivy and the Big Apples, DJ Cosmic Dolphin Corner Hotel The Skampz Packenham Hotel The Universal, We The People, + More The Bended Elbow Tim Pledger Product, Tom Noonan Band, Robert Simone Band, Trio Agogo 303 Tread, Lungs, Glass Empire, Involume, Dialysis Revolver Upstairs Warner Bros Lomond Hotel Zeebz Vs Miss Vitula The Palais, Hepburn Springs

Marie Wilson The Empress Moonee Valley Drifters Lomond Hotel My Left Boot, King of the North, Sheriff Cherry Bar My Secret Circus, Melody Black, Jaspers Dilemma, The Art of Later The Espy, Lounge Bar

Twenty Seven Winters, Link McLennan’s Amazing Jukebox Grumpys Green White Walls, Deep Heat, Useless Children The Tote

SUN 23

Nervo Seven Nightclub

Andyblack, Haggis The Toff in Town, Afternoon session

Nigel Wearne Retreat Hotel, Afternoon Show

Archer & Bow Great Britain Hotel

THE TROUBLE WITH TEMPLETON: Friday 28 December, Workers Club

SAT 22 Andee Frost The Toff In Town (Late) Bonnie Anderson, Salt Lake City, + Guests Bar Oussou, Brunswick Busy Kingdom, Homebound, Papa Maul Victoria Hotel Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, Cherrywood, Heel Toe Express, Eaten By Dogs Spotted Mallard - Brunswick Centre & The South, Madison Jayne, Sunday Chairs, + More Revolver Upstairs Courtney Barnett Pure Pop Records Cut, Royal Parade, The Romeo Knights, + More Brunswick Hotel Dave The Scott Retreat Hotel (late) Dialect & Despair, Social Change, Fluent Form Laundry Bar (Upstairs) Encircling Sea, The Boy Who Spoke Clouds, Bonnie Mercer, Soil & Ash The Gasometer (Upstairs) Even, Charles Jenkins & The Zhivagos, The Bedroom Philosopher The Hi-Fi Fanta Pants Yah Yah’s (Late) Finlo White, Joe Sofo, Tate Strauss, + More Co. & Fusion Nightclub at Crown Freddy Fuddpucker, Spermaids, Del Lago, DJ Whiskey Cream The Old Bar Hayden Calnin, Texture Like Sun The Toff In Town Headspace, Tania Doko, + Special Guests The Espy, Gershwin Room Human Nature Hamer Hall Joe Camilleri & The Black Sorrows Caravan Music Club Kooyeh, Quashani Bahd 303 Luke Legs & the Midnight Specials, Joel Havea Baha Tacos Maniaxe, Counter Attack, Blackened, Sewercide The Gasometer Hotel

Not The Wolf The Drunken Poet Ol Timey Bluegrass Band Victoria Hotel (afternoon) Pugsley Buzzard The Palais, Hepburn Springs Quince, Ghetto Ghetto The Tote, Front Bar Riff Fist, Sun Shephard, Olmeg, Master Beta Bendigo Hotel Royston Vasie, Immigrant Union, Mesa Cosa, Willow Darling Ding Dong Lounge Ships Piano, Howard Great Britain Hotel Ska Vendors The LuWow Forbidden Temple Smitten The Empress (afternoon) Stax On Soul Revue Flying Saucer Club The Afrobiotics Bar Open The Ears The Bridge Hotel the F100’s On Top Bar - Ormond The Good Morrows, Iowa, Atolls Grace Darling Hotel The High Society Rainbow Hotel The Living End, Ivy and the Big Apples, DJ Cosmic Dolphin Corner Hotel The Living End, Ivy and the Big Apples, DJ Cosmic Dolphin Corner Hotel, Arvo Show The Longyard Band Retreat Hotel Front Bar The Oubliette Abode The Pardoners Elsternwick Hotel The Swamplands, Blown Cones, Mad Hatters Tago Mago The Treatment, Rayon Moon, Heavy Beach, Bang Bang Rock n Roll, + More Yah Yah’s The Yard Apes, SWhAT Retreat Hotel Them Swoops, Harts, House of Laurence, Two Bright Lakes DJ The Workers Club Thugonaut, Bury the Fallen, Nihl, Treason The Espy, Basement

Baberaham Lincoln, Bella Jabara & The Mellows The Workers Club (afternoon) Bitter Sweet Kicks, Vice Grip Pussies, Dead City Ruins Cherry Bar Broni, Nigel Wearne Rainbow Hotel, Arvo Show Brother Johnstone 303 Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk, Dean Muller, Mr Sippy, Max Crawdaddy Cherry Bar, Arvo Show Coloured Clocks, Dinosaurs Exist, + Guests The Tote Damien Howard Band, Ken Maher & Tony Lomond Hotel (afternoon) Dan & Al Corner Hotel Davey Lane & Friends Yah Yah’s Divide and Dissolve, + Friends Bar Open Dusky OneSixOne Great Earthquake, Autoportraits, Grand Prismatic, Sarah Mary Chadwick, + More The Evelyn Grizzly Jim Lawrie Reverence Hotel (afternoon), Footscray Hargreaves Lomond Hotel Hugo Race Post Office Hotel Human Nature Hamer Hall Jack Carty Retreat Hotel, Afternoon Show Jordie Lane Pure Pop Records Laura Jones Revolver Upstairs Lindsay Field, Brett Garsed, Angus Burchall, Stuart Fraser Carringbush Hotel Michael Crowe, The Killjoys The Drunken Poet Mick Thomas & The Roving Commission, Carus Thompson, Jess Ribiero Northcote Social Club Nick Larkins The Empress Nudist Funk Orchestra, Dale Ryder Band, Bad Boys Batacuda, Ms Butt The Espy, Lounge Bar

TOUR GUIDE NATIONAL CHRIS WILSON, GEOFF ACHISON: December 26 Corner MASTERS OF CEREMONY SHOWCASE: December 26 Prince SOMERSET BARNARD: December 27 Retreat Hotel; 29 Dandenong Market; 30 Armageddon Cake (Geelong) THE PRETTY LITTLES: December 27 Revolver Upstairs; January 3 Retreat Hotel; 11 Loft (Warrnambool) CHILDREN COLLIDE: December 28 Espy EGO: December 28 Can’t Say THE TROUBLE WITH TEMPLETON: December 28 Workers Club SUB ATARI KNIVES: December 28 Pelly Bar (Frankston); 29 Saloon Bar (Traralgon) THE PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA: December 28 Espy Front Bar CLAIRY BROWNE & THE BANGIN’ RACKETTES, SASKWATCH: December 29 Hi-Fi BALL PARK MUSIC: December 29 Ding Dong (U18) JAMES REYNE: December 30 Espy SPIDERBAIT, SOMETHING FOR KATE: December 31 Espy YACHT CLUB DJS: December 31 Ding Dong KINGSWOOD: December 31 Espy BLOOD DUSTER: December 31 the Tote MADRE MONTE: January 2, 9, 16, 23 Workers Club EBOLAGOLDFISH: January 4 Revolver BONJAH: January 4 Torquay Hotel; 6 Baha Tacos (Rye); 18, 19 Espy Gershwin Room BORED NOTHING: January 5 Gasometer KID MAC: January 5 Espy KIM CHURCHILL: January 5 Thornbury Theatre; 6 Beav’s Bar (Geelong); February 1 Melbourne Zoo; 2 Theatre Royal (Castlemaine) HALF MOON RUN: January 10 Spirit Bar & Lounge (Traralgon); 11 Ding Dong; 12 Karova Lounge (Ballarat) KSSR: January 11 Liberty Social NEW GODS: January 11 Northcote Social Club THE DEMON PARADE: January 11 Torquay Hotel; 12 Barwon Club (Geelong); March 3 Workers Club ASH GRUNWALD: January 11 Espy COERCE: January 11 Gasometer THE X FACTOR LIVE TOUR: January 11 Festival Hall BENNY WALKER: January 12 Northcote Social Club; 16 Wine & Pizza Club (Kyneton); 19 Western Hotel (Ballarat); 20 Old Hepburn Hotel; 25 Newmarket Hotel (Bendigo); 26 Monash City Council (Glen Waverley) and Belgrave Survival Day Australia Day Festival In The Park; 27 the Loft (Warrnambool); February 24 Moonee Valley Festival; March 9 Moomba Festival; 16 Mordialloc By The Bay ONE SIXTH: January 12 Espy ICEHOUSE: January 13 Geelong Performng Arts; 15, 16 Palms At The Crown JIMMY BARNES: January 17 Trak Bar SHE CAN DJ TOUR: January 17 Seven; February 15 Baroq; 16 Home House (Geelong) TWELVE FOOT NINJA: January 18 Corner Hotel; 19 Ferntree Gully Hotel NORTHLANE: January 18 Neil Wilson Pavilion (Wodonga); 19 Mechanics Institute (Ballarat) DEEZ NUTS: January 18 Central Ringwood Community Centre; 19 Corner Hotel KIKUYU: January 19 Bridge Hotel (Castlemaine) PUTA MADRE BROS: January 19 Northcote Social Club SHAUN DIVINEY: January 19 Ding Dong DZ DEATHRAYS: January 23 Billboard DEMI SORONO: January 23–27 Hamer Hall EMMA LOUISE: January 24 Toff In Town MISSY HIGGINS, HAYDEN CALNIN: January 25 Melbourne Zoo SUN CITY: January 25 Can’t Say DUB FX: January 25 Hi-Fi Bar REECE MASTIN: January 26 Geelong Arena JUSTICE CREW WITH KATE ALEXA: January 26 Melbourne Zoo HEADACHES, NUCLEAR SUMMER et al: January 26 Reverence Hotel HERMITUDE: February 1, 5 Corner KATE MILLER–HEIDKE, KIM CHURCHILL: February 1 Melbourne Zoo TOKYO DENMARK SWEDEN: February 1 Espy THE FIRETREE: February 1 the Loft (Warrnambool); 2 Great Australian Beer Festival (Geelong); 3 Retreat Hotel; 5 the Vineyard KEITH URBAN: February 2 Rod Laver Arena CLARE BOWDITCH, ROYAL JELLY DIXIELAND BAND: February 2 Melbourne Zoo

EVAN DANDO & JULIANA HATFIELD: Tonight (Wednesday), Corner Hotel

CHASE THE SUN: February 3 Workers Club LITTLE BASTARD: February 3, 10, 17, 24 Labour In Vain DEAD CAN DANCE: February 6 Palais Theatre THE PRESETS: February 6, 7 Palace CLUBFEET: February 8 Star Bar (Bendigo); 9 Ding Dong Lounge LISA MITCHELL, GEORGIA FAIR: February 8 Melbourne Zoo MY DISCO: February 8 Corner Hotel BARRY MORGAN: February 8 Spiegeltent STRANGERS: February 8 Workers Club MILES & SIMONE: February 9 Spiegeltent KERSER: February 9 Hi-Fi (2 shows) BABBA: February 9 Melbourne Zoo SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM: February 10 MCG TINA ARENA: February 12, 13 Hamer Hall COLIN HAY: February 12 Performing Arts Centre (Hamilton); 13 Light House Theatre (Warrnambool); 15 Frankston Arts Centre; 16 Athenaeum Theatre; 19 Capital Theatre (Bendigo); 20 River Links Performing Arts (Shepparton) SARAH BLASKO: February 14 Hamer Hall PETE MURRAY: February 14 Spirit Bar & Lounge (Traralgon); 15 Forge Theatre (Bairnsdale); 16 Wool Exchange (Geelong); 17 Riverboats Music Festival (Echuca); March 7 Commercial Hotel (South Morang); 8 Theatre Royal (Castlemaine); 9 Ferntree Gully Hotel; 10 Pier Hotel (Frankston); 14 Regent Multiplex (Ballarat); 15 Corner Hotel BLACKCHORDS: February 15 Ding Dong MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA, MIGHTY DUKE & THE LORDS: February 15 Melbourne Zoo NEIL FINN & PAUL KELLY: February 16, 18, 19, 20, March 4, 5 Palais Theatre; 2 March All Saints Winery ABBY DOBSON AND LARA GOODRIDGE: February 16 Spiegeltent CRIME & THE CITY SOLUTION: February 18 Hi-Fi AT LAST – THE ETTA JAMES STORY: February 19 – March 3 Athenaeum Theatre TREVOR ASHLEY: February 19 Spiegeltent JULIA STONE: February 20 St Michael’s Church SALLY WHITWELL: February 20 Spiegeltent STONEFIELD, OWL EYES: February 22 Melbourne Zoo THE TOOT TOOT TOOTS: February 22 Spiegeltent THE SMITH STREET BAND: February 23 Reverence Hotel; 28 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); March 2 the Loft (Warrnambool) ROSS MCLENNAN: February 23 Spiegeltent BIRDS OF TOKYO: February 27 University Of Ballarat; 28 Pier Live (Frankston); March 1 Kay St (Traralgon); 2 Forum Theatre TEX PERKINS & THE DARK HORSES: February 26, 27 Spiegeltent MERLYN QUAIFE: February 27 Spiegeltent TIM ROGERS, THE BAMBOOS: March 1 Melbourne Zoo LOON LAKE: March 1 Corner THE BAMBOOS, TIM ROGERS, ELECTRIC EMPIRE: March 1 Melbourne Zoo LIOR, GIAN SLATER & INVENIO: March 1 Spiegeltent URTHBOY: March 2 Corner RENÉE GEYER: March 2 Spiegeltent NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS: March 2 Sidney Meyer Music Bowl JOSEPH TAWADROS: March 6 Spiegeltent CHRISTA HUGHES: March 7 Spiegeltent HUSKY, DIE ROTEN PUNKTE: March 8 Melbourne Zoo TIMOMATIC, BONNIE ANDERSON: March 9 Melbourne Zoo THE PIGS: March 9 Spiegeltent THE ANGELS 100%: March 9 Palms NINE SONS OF DAN: March 9 Phoenix Youth Centre THE SYNCOPATORS: March 10 Spiegeltent THE CORRESPONDENTS: March 13 Spiegeltent

To check out the mags online go to themusic.com.au/mags • 95

Padavona, Sudden State, Ablaze Brunswick Hotel Phia, Mez Medallion, Brightly Grace Darling Hotel Phil Para The Bay Hotel, Mornington Sammy Owen Blues Band, + Guests Bar Oussou, Brunswick Sean McMahon’s Western Union The Bridge Hotel (afternoon) Spectrasoul, + Guests Brown Alley Summer Sprints, Lindsay Bush Victoria Hotel (afternoon) Sunlark Wesley Anne, Front Bar Suzannah Espie, Sean McMahon’s Western Union, Sweet Jean Retreat Hotel Teresa Dixon Retreat Hotel, Beergarden The Death Rattles, Nathan Hollywood, Junk Horses, DJ Crispi The Old Bar The Detonators Davey’s Hotel The Drunken Poachers Victoria Hotel The Straight Eights Micawber Tavern Waz E James Band The Standard Hotel

MON 24 Ashley Fils-Aime, Brad Oakes, + Friends Brunswick Hotel Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk Retreat Hotel Cut Sick, True Radical Miracle, Spite House, Gold Tango, + More The Gasometer Hotel Dan Bourke, Cyril Moran Band The Drunken Poet DJ Shaky Memorial Retreat Hotel (late) Josh Owen Band The Espy, Lounge Bar Lamine Sonko, The African Intelligence Bar Open Made For Chickens By Robots, Heel Toe Express, BJ Morriszonkle, Seedy Reed, DJ Kezbot The Old Bar

Mick Thomas & The Roving Commission, Carus Thompson, The Spoils Northcote Social Club The Baha Band Baha Tacos The Go Set, My Echo, Mimi Velevska, + More Ding Dong Lounge

TUE 25 Karate Boogaloo, Chris Gill, Manchild, Zack, + More The Espy, Lounge Bar

WED 26

FRI 28 A Date With Effie Caravan Music Club B-Boogie, Phil Ross, Chris Mac, + More Co. & Fusion Nightclub at Crown Cash Savage & The Last Drinks Baha Tacos Dan Bourke & Friends The Drunken Poet Dizzy’s Big Band, Peter Hearne Dizzy’s Jazz Club Ego Can’t Say Flounder, Crooks & Queens, Chop Squad Grace Darling Hotel

303 Big Band, Ben Carr, + Friends 303

By A Thread, Moments Apart, Jekhyl, Midnight Alibi, DJ Evil Maiden Revolver Upstairs Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Rackettes, Saskwatch The Hi-Fi Cosmo Jarvis, + Guests The Bridge Hotel Disparo Reverence Hotel, Footscray Fred Negro Pure Pop Records Gallie, Shannon Bourne The Drunken Poet Geoff Achison & The Souldiggers Elsternwick Hotel Kieran, Pinball, + More Ding Dong Lounge (Late)

KINGSWOOD: Friday 21 December, Cherry Bar

Delta, Tuka, The Tongue, Maundz, + More Prince Bandroom Geoff Achison, Chris Wilson Corner Hotel Massive, Citrus Jam, The High Suburban, The Lonely Cowboy Revolver Upstairs New Dub City Sound, Sista Itations, Zulu Flow Zion, SK Simeon Bar Open Tenzin, Feenixpawl, Seany B, + More Level 3, Crown Casino Complex The Ears, Gold Tango, Bronwyn Bonney (Crime & The Crime Solution) The Tote The Primary, ESC, Spermaids, You People, + More The Evelyn

THU 27 23 Angles of Attack, Wolf vs Fire, The High Drifters, The Smoking Aces The Tote Fierce Mild, Fifth Friend, Proletarian Riot, The Whorls Brunswick Hotel Gabriel Lynch Wesley Anne, Front Bar Jake Savona 303 Max Savage & The False Idols Baha Tacos Salt Lake City Bar Open The Pretty Littles, Round The Corner, Knitting For Gran Revolver Upstairs Van Walker Pure Pop Records

Hello Mother Leopard, Lost Weekends, + More The Bended Elbow Into The Mystic: The Songs of Van Morrison Flying Saucer Club Luke Slater, + Guests Brown Alley Projeto Inesperado Wesley Anne, Front Bar Purple Tusks, Kujo Kings Bar Open Queen & Convict The Standard Hotel The Harlots Elsternwick Hotel The Hazleman Bros Pure Pop Records The Trouble With Templeton, Dirt Farmer, Ali Barter The Workers Club The Trouble With Templeton Workers Club The Unmistakable Brunswick Hotel Trio Agogo 303

SAT 29 Ball Park Music, Loon Lake Ding Dong Lounge Better Than Wizards Rainbow Hotel

96 • To check out the mags online go to themusic.com.au/mags

Level One Abode Motherslug, Our Best Laid Plans, Hopes Abandoned, + More Brunswick Hotel Quince, Honey Badgers The Tote Romy, Roland Tings, Zanzibar Chanel, Two Bright Lakes DJ The Toff In Town RPG Radio 303 Sarah Ross, Tate Strauss, Phil Ross, + More Co. & Fusion Nightclub at Crown Sydonia, Decimatus, Dive Into Ruin, Devoid Of All The Evelyn The Afrobiotics Bar Open The Dingoes Caravan Music Club Tiger & Me Baha Tacos Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, City Calm Down Corner Hotel Two Door Cinema Club, The Vaccines, The Jungle Giants Festival Hall

SUN 30 Andy Kentler, + Friends Pure Pop Records Burn In Hell Reverence Hotel (afternoon), Footscray Chris Altmann The Standard Hotel Ildiko, The Whorls, Orwell The Evelyn James Reyne, Dale Ryder Band, Nudist Funk Orchestra, Bad Boys Batacuda, Ms Butt The Espy Front Bar Jimi Hocking The Bay Hotel, Mornington Lloyd Spiegel The Drunken Poet, Arvo Show Melbourne Ukelele Kollective, + Special Guests 303 Midnight Woolf, Humbug Yah Yah’s Moments Notice Wesley Anne, Front Bar Old Flame, Butterloaf, Jape Squad, The Exit Keys Victoria Hotel Sean McMahon’s Western Union The Bridge (afternoon) Sex St, + More Brunswick Hotel Sharon Van Etten, Eirwin Skye Corner Hotel The Bona Fide Travellers The Drunken Poet The Dingoes Caravan Music Club The Nudgels Rainbow Hotel, Arvo Show

MON 31 Billy Miller, The Love Brothers, The Substitutes Flying Saucer Club Bloodduster, Captain Cleanoff, Batpiss, Broozer, Sewercide The Tote Blueline Medic, The Smith Street Band, The Bennies, Initials Reverence Hotel, Footscray Brow Horn Orchestra, Funk Soul Brother Baha Tacos Busy Kingdom, Papa Maul, Gossamer Pride Victoria Hotel Chris Wilson Caravan Music Club

Chunky Jam, DJ Wasabi, Wicked Force Breakers, + More Federation Square El Moth Bar Open J’Nett, Jimmy James, Andee Frost The Toff In Town Joe Camilleri & The Black Sorrows Portsea Hotel (Afternoon) Miss Goldie, Manchild, Richie 1250, Pierre Baroni, Zack Rampage, + More The Workers Club New Years Eve Masquerade Ball The Palais, Hepburn Springs Orale! Party Lounge Bar The Prayer Babies Rainbow Hotel Tribe Abode Yacht Club DJs, + More Ding Dong Lounge

TUE 01 Dimitri Prince Bandroom Funkoars, Pegz, Reason, + More The Espy, Gershwin Room Gator Queen, J Goody Goodman, Rattlin’ Bones Blackwood Bar Open Krafty Kuts, A Skillz, + More Brown Alley Lovebirds, Oliver Koletzki, + More OneSixOne Mondo Freaks, Knightlife The Lui Bar Streams of Whiskey The Drunken Poet

WED 02 Anna Struth, Freya Hanly The Drunken Poet Best Coast, Bleeding Knees Club, Bored Nothing The Hi-Fi First Aid Kit, Fraser A Gorman, Big Harvest Forum Theatre Luau Cowboys Victoria Hotel Madre Monte, Arakataka The Workers Club Maximo Park Corner Hotel Open Mic, Brodie Brunswick Hotel

Poison Fish, Master Beta, Plastic Spaceman, Two Headed Dog Bar Open Saskwatch Torquay Hotel

SAT 05 Chapelier Fou, + Special Guests The Toff In Town

SBTRKT Billboard

Dub The Magic Dragon Bar Open

Willis Earl Beal, + Special Guests Northcote Social Club

Floyd Thursby The Drunken Poet

THU 03 Blood Red Shoes The Hi-Fi De La Soul The Espy, Gershwin Room Joe Black Trio Odyssey Tavern - Torquay Josh Fontaine Pure Pop Records Matt Gresham, Sons of May The Toff In Town Open Mic The Drunken Poet Saskwatch The Loft, Warrnambool The Drooling Mouths of Memphis Bar Open The Swell, Aircrafte, The Rant Revolver Upstairs

FRI 04 65daysofstatic, Sleepmakeswaves, The Townhouses Corner Hotel Austin Lucas, PJ Bond, Jamie Hay Reverence Hotel, Footscray Black Cab Pure Pop Records Dan Bourke & Friends The Drunken Poet Ebolagoldfish, Clowns, Street Fangs, Chainsaw Hookers The Workers Club Espionage Brown Alley Hawksley Workman, + Special Guests Northcote Social Club Joe Black Trio Cuda Bar - Lorne Mike Rudd Vesbar Wine Lounge - Somerville

Joe Black Trio Harvester Moon - Bellarine King Parrot, Mammoth Mammoth, Chainsaw Hookers, Wicked City, BMX Rays, + More The Tote Polo Club, Remi, Windsor Thieves The Workers Club Pony Face Pure Pop Records Ross Wilson Flying Saucer Club Saskwatch Baha Tacos The Knives Of Neptune, Alkan Zeybek & the Lessermen, On Sierra Grace Darling Hotel

SUN 06 Aircrafte, Pigs Porken, Hollow Everdaze The Toff In Town Gallie Pure Pop Records Kyle Taylor, Davy Simony, Joe Forrester, Jakksen Fish, + More Reverence Hotel, Footscray Liz Stringer The Drunken Poet The Bakersfield Glee Club Union Hotel Brunswick The Hives Forum Theatre

TUE 08 Jail Bird Jokers, + Special Guests Revolver Upstairs

Saskwatch Baha Tacos

Los Coronas, The Bluebottles The Toff In Town

Sons of Abraham, Moroccan Kings, Lungs The Evelyn

Neighbourhood Youth, Farrow The Workers Club

The Cuban Brothers The Espy Front Bar

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, + Special Guests Corner Hotel

Unified Gecko Bar Open

317 BRUNSWICK ST. FITZROY 03 9415 9601 BAROPEN.COM.AU

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WED 19 DEC

SAT 29 DEC

UNCOMFORT- ABLE BEATS:

AFROBIOTICS

ISHU DIGER ROKWELL (WA) ABLE8, GHOSTSOUL SHIKUNG 8PM / FREE

THU 20 DEC

GRAND RAPIDS

THE QUIVERS THE CITRADELS TRAPPIST AFTERLAND BAND 8.30PM / FREE

FRI 21 DEC

THE DUB CAPTAINS 10PM / FREE

SAT 22 DEC

AFROBIOTICS 10PM / FREE

SUN 23 DEC

DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE & FRIENDS 7.30PM

MON 24 DEC

LAMINE SONKO & THE AFRICAN INTELLIGENCE 9PM / FREE

WED 26 DEC

RASPECT RECORDS BOXING DAY BASH FEAT.

NEW DUB CITY SISTA ITATIONS ZULU FLOW ZION SK SIMEON 10PM / FREE

THU 27 DEC

SALT LAKE CITY 9PM / FREE

FRI 28 DEC

PURPLE TUSKS KUJO KINGS 10PM / FREE

10PM / FREE

THU 20 DEC

PAPA MAUL

MON 31 DEC

TWO CARTOONS (NZ), BUSY KINGDOM

NEW YEARS EVE EL MOTH

9pm / FREE ENTRY

FEAT.

P76

TUE 1 JAN

GATOR QUEEN & J GOODY GOODMAN (NEW ORLEANS, USA)

RATTLIN’ BONES BLACKWOOD 8PM / FREE

WED 2 JAN

POISON FISH MASTER_BETA PLASTIC SPACEMAN TWO HEADED DOG 8PM / FREE

THU 3 JAN

THE DROOLING MOUTHS OF MEMPHIS 9PM / FREE

(REFORMATION GIG)

LITTLE MURDERS SINGING FOR HUMANS

“FAVOURITE THING” #3

DOORS 5.00pm / TIX AT THE DOOR / LATE TUNES by FANTA PANTS

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DAVEY LANE (2 SETS)

UNIFIED GECKO

THU DEC 27

TWO HEADED DOG THE DEAD HEIR FRI DEC 28

DUB THE MAGIC DRAGON

DIRTY YORK (2 SETS) SAT DEC 29

10PM / FREE

THU 10 JAN

SEEDY JEEZUS SON OF SET SOOKY LA LA HONEYBONE 9PM / FREE

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COOKIN’ ON 3 BURNERS KYLIE AULDIST FEAT.

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THE TREATMENT RAYON MOON, HEAVY BEACH

NO ESCAPE FOR THE KING SLACQUER MON DEC 31 (NYE) CLOSED THU JAN 3 & 10

BEATEN BODIES (SOUL TROUPE / SYD)

FRI JAN 4

FREUDIAN SLIT MILDLIFE SMILE

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WILL & THE INDIANS

JONESEZ, JODY FRI JAN 11

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PAUL KIDNEY EXPERIENCE

WITH MANI NEUMEIER ON DRUMS (GURU GURU / ACID MOTHER’S TEMPLE)

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BUDD

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MIDNIGHT WOOLF THE YARD APES, HUMBUG 8pm / OPEN ‘TIL VERY LATE!

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A DEAD FOREST INDEX LEGENDARY HEARTS

FRI 21 DEC

9PM / FREE

WED 19 DEC RESIDENCY

SAINT JUDE THE BOWERS CHRIS RUSSELL’S CHICKEN WALK WRONG TURN FRI 21 DEC

THE HALF PINTS THE SCABS MUSCLE CAR THE FIX DIXON CIDER LIQUOR SNATCH MUSCLE MARY SAT 22 DEC FRONT BAR

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WHITE WALLS

DEAF WISH USELESS CHILDREN SUN 23 DEC

COLOURED CLOCKS

DINOSAURS EXIST FIERCE MILD XMAS DAY CLOSED BOXING DAY CLOSED THU 27 DEC

23 ANGLES OF ATTACK

WOLF VS FIRE THE HIGH DRIFTERS THE SMOKING ACES FRI 28 DEC COBRA:

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WED 2 JAN FRONT BAR

DAN TROLLEY RESIDENCY BILLY LONGFACE THU 3 JAN

SYSTEM OF VENUS 4TRESS RETURN TO YOUTH ALANA PORTER FRI 4 JAN

LOWTIDE

PARADING, FULL UGLY SAT 5 JAN DEVIL’S KITCHEN!

KING PARROT

MAMMOTH MAMMOTH CHAINSAW HOOKERS WICKED CITY KIDS OF ZOO, CLAGG RIVER OF SNAKES MY LEFT BOOT THE SUREFIRE MIDNIGHTS, BODIES DON FERNANDO AGONHYMN BMX-RAY WINTERRUN WE ARE GAMMA SUN 6 JAN

DEVIL’S KITCHEN RECOVERY SHOW

AGONHYMN

MY LEFT BOOT CHAINSAW HOOKERS SONS OF THE IONIAN SEA

TIX ON SALE NOW FROM OZTIX.COM.AU: DEVIL’S KITCHEN SAT 5 JAN CBT (GER) FRI 11 JAN STOMPY & THE HEAT SAT 12 JAN HUNX AND HIS PUNX SUN 20 JAN MARK PATTON (Q&A) TUE 22 JAN

WOODS (USA) SUN 27 JAN WARPED (21st BIRTHDAY) FRI 8 & SAT 9 FEB DIRTY BEACHES (CAN) SUN 10 FEB WILD NOTHING (USA) MON 11 MAR

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WWW.THETOTEHOTEL.COM 97

VENUE GUIDE BAHA TACOS

BILLBOARD

Friday Ghost Orkid, El Moth Saturday Luke Legs & the Midnight Specials, Joel Havea Monday The Baha Band Thursday Max Savage & The False Idols Friday Cash Savage & The Last Drinks Saturday Tiger & Me Monday Brow Horn Orchestra, Funk Soul Brother Friday Saskwatch Saturday Saskwatch

Wednesday SBTRKT

BAR OPEN Wednesday Ishu, Diger Rokwell, Able 8, Ghost Soul, Shikung Thursday Grand Rapids, The Quivers, The Citradels, Trappist Afterland Band Friday The Dub Captains Saturday The Afrobiotics Sunday Divide and Dissolve, + Friends Monday Lamine Sonko, The African Intelligence Wednesday New Dub City Sound, Sista Itations, Zulu Flow Zion, SK Simeon Thursday Salt Lake City Friday Purple Tusks, Kujo Kings Saturday The Afrobiotics Monday El Moth Tuesday Gator Queen, J Goody Goodman, Rattlin’ Bones Blackwood Wednesday Poison Fish, Master Beta, Plastic Spaceman, Two Headed Dog Thursday The Drooling Mouths of Memphis Friday Unified Gecko Saturday Dub The Magic Dragon

BRUNSWICK HOTEL Wednesday Open Mic, Brodie Thursday Formosa, + Guests Friday Admiral Ackbars Dishonourable Discharge, Strawberry Fist Cake, The Shadow League, K-Mart Warriors, + More Saturday Cut, Royal Parade, The Romeo Knights, + More Sunday Padavona, Sudden State, Ablaze Monday Ashley Fils-Aime, Brad Oakes, + Friends Thursday Fierce Mild, Fifth Friend, Proletarian Riot, The Whorls Friday The Unmistakable Saturday Motherslug, Our Best Laid Plans, Hopes Abandoned, + More Sunday Sex St, + More Wednesday Open Mic, Brodie

CORNER HOTEL Wednesday EVAN DANDO (USA) with JULIANA HATFIELD (USA), Bambino Koresh Thursday The Living End, Ivy and the Big Apples, DJ Cosmic Dolphin Friday The Living End, Ivy and the Big Apples, DJ Cosmic Dolphin Saturday The Living End, Ivy and the Big Apples, DJ Cosmic Dolphin Sunday Dan & Al Wednesday Geoff Achison, Chris Wilson Saturday Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, City Calm Down Sunday Sharon Van Etten, Eirwin Skye

Wednesday Maximo Park Friday 65daysofstatic, Sleepmakeswaves, The Townhouses Tuesday Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, + Special Guests

CORNER HOTEL, ARVO SHOW Saturday The Living End, Ivy and the Big Apples, DJ Cosmic Dolphin

GRACE DARLING HOTEL Wednesday BRDM BDRM, Mercians, + Guests Thursday iamloveproof, House of Laurence, La Rosa Marchita Friday Animaux, The Mcqueens, Skyways & Highways Saturday The Good Morrows, Iowa, Atolls Sunday Phia, Mez Medallion, Brightly Friday Flounder, Crooks & Queens, Chop Squad Saturday The Knives Of Neptune, Alkan Zeybek & the Lessermen, On Sierra

LOUNGE BAR Wednesday Nai Palm, Hailey Cramer, May Johnston Thursday Wet Lips, Psycho Daisies, Sweet Something Monday Orale! Party

NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB Wednesday Joel Havea, My Private Dinosaur, Bradlee Jay Thursday Cordrazine, The Bon Scotts, Daytime Frequency Friday Darren Hanlon, + Special Guests Sunday Mick Thomas & The Roving Commission, Carus Thompson, Jess Ribiero

Monday Mick Thomas & The Roving Commission, Carus Thompson, The Spoils Wednesday Willis Earl Beal, + Special Guests Friday Hawksley Workman, + Special Guests

PRINCE BANDROOM Friday The Fireballs Wednesday Delta, Tuka, The Tongue, Maundz, + More Tuesday Dimitri

Thursday The Pretty Littles, Round The Corner, Knitting For Gran Saturday By A Thread, Moments Apart, Jekhyl, Midnight Alibi, DJ Evil Maiden Thursday The Swell, Aircrafte, The Rant Tuesday Jail Bird Jokers, + Special Guests

ROCHESTER CASTLE HOTEL Thursday Leez Lido, Lopan, Sean, Grandmaster Vicious

REVERENCE HOTEL, FOOTSCRAY

THE BRIDGE (AFTERNOON) Sunday Sean McMahon’s Western Union

Thursday The Asmatics, Dead Albatross, Chambers Friday Luca Brasi, Fear Like Us, Linc Le Fevre, Infinate Void, + More Saturday Disparo Monday Blueline Medic, The Smith Street Band, The Bennies, Initials Friday Austin Lucas, PJ Bond, Jamie Hay Sunday Kyle Taylor, Davy Simony, Joe Forrester, Jakksen Fish, + More

THE BRIDGE HOTEL (AFTERNOON) Sunday Sean McMahon’s Western Union Sunday Sean McMahon’s Western Union

THE DRUNKEN POET

REVOLVER UPSTAIRS Wednesday Full Code, Nate Reimers, Oceans To Athena, Luke Gray, Kill The Darling, + More Thursday The Bennies, The Kujo Kings, Phat Meegz, Loonee Tunes, Kings Cup Friday Tread, Lungs, Glass Empire, Involume, Dialysis Saturday Centre & The South, Madison Jayne, Sunday Chairs, + More Sunday Laura Jones Wednesday Massive, Citrus Jam, The High Suburban, The Lonely Cowboy

Wednesday Tash Sultana, Jenny Biddle Thursday Roesy Friday Dan Bourke & Friends Saturday Not The Wolf Sunday Michael Crowe, The Killjoys Monday Dan Bourke, Cyril Moran Band Friday Dan Bourke & Friends Saturday Gallie, Shannon Bourne Sunday The Bona Fide Travellers Tuesday Streams of Whiskey Wednesday Anna Struth, Freya Hanly Thursday Open Mic Friday Dan Bourke & Friends

AUSTRALIA’S NO.1 STREET PRESS

Saturday Floyd Thursby Sunday Liz Stringer

THE DRUNKEN POET, ARVO SHOW Sunday Lloyd Spiegel

THE EVELYN Wednesday The Primary, Antarctica, Return To Youth, Tangrams, + More Thursday The Bombay Royale, DJ Manchild Friday Charlie Officer, The Sunsleepers, Phoebe’s Dream, Kings and Theives Sunday Great Earthquake, Autoportraits, Grand Prismatic, Sarah Mary Chadwick, + More Wednesday The Primary, ESC, Spermaids, You People, + More Saturday Sydonia, Decimatus, Dive Into Ruin, Devoid Of All Sunday Ildiko, The Whorls, Orwell Friday Sons of Abraham, Moroccan Kings, Lungs

THE HI-FI Friday Lost Angels Saturday Even, Charles Jenkins & The Zhivagos, The Bedroom Philosopher Saturday Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Rackettes, Saskwatch Wednesday Best Coast, Bleeding Knees Club, Bored Nothing Thursday Blood Red Shoes

THE OLD BAR Wednesday Flowers, + Guests Thursday The Call Up, Rosencrantz, Rayon Moon, Agility Friday Dan Brodie & The Sideshow Brides, Matt Bailey, Alysia Manceau

NOW AVAILABLE FREE AT THE TAP OF A SCREEN

t LISTEN TO TRACKS t WATCH INTERVIEWS t BUY TICKETS t INTERACTIVE STORIES t LIVE CONTENT UPDATES www.themusic.com.au Apple and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

98 • To check out the mags online go to themusic.com.au/mags

Saturday Freddy Fuddpucker, Spermaids, Del Lago, DJ Whiskey Cream Sunday The Death Rattles, Nathan Hollywood, Junk Horses, DJ Crispi Monday Made For Chickens By Robots, Heel Toe Express, BJ Morriszonkle, Seedy Reed, DJ Kezbot

THE STANDARD HOTEL Wednesday Blackchords Duo Sunday Waz E James Band Friday Queen & Convict Sunday Chris Altmann

THE TOFF IN TOWN Wednesday Matt Walters, Georgia Fields, Woody Pitney Thursday Abbe May, Shy Panther Friday Dr Phil Smith Saturday Hayden Calnin, Texture Like Sun Saturday Romy, Roland Tings, Zanzibar Chanel, Two Bright Lakes DJ Monday J’Nett, Jimmy James, Andee Frost Thursday Matt Gresham, Sons of May Saturday Chapelier Fou, + Special Guests Sunday Aircrafte, Pigs Porken, Hollow Everdaze Tuesday Los Coronas, The Bluebottles

THE TOTE Wednesday Palm Springs, A Dead Forest Index, Legendary Hearts Thursday Saint Jude, The Bowers, Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk, Wrong Turn Friday The Half Pints, The Scabs, Muscle Car, The Fix, Dixon Cider, + More

Saturday White Walls, Deep Heat, Useless Children Sunday Coloured Clocks, Dinosaurs Exist, + Guests Wednesday The Ears, Gold Tango, Bronwyn Bonney (Crime & The Crime Solution) Thursday 23 Angles of Attack, Wolf vs Fire, The High Drifters, The Smoking Aces Saturday Quince, Honey Badgers Monday Bloodduster, Captain Cleanoff, Batpiss, Broozer, Sewercide Saturday King Parrot, Mammoth Mammoth, Chainsaw Hookers, Wicked City, BMX Rays, + More

THE WORKERS CLUB (AFTERNOON) Sunday Baberaham Lincoln, Bella Jabara & The Mellows

UNION HOTEL BRUNSWICK Sunday The Bakersfield Glee Club

WESLEY ANNE Thursday Moments Notice

WORKERS CLUB Friday The Trouble With Templeton

YAH YAH’S Thursday Papa Maul, Two Cartoons, Hayden McGregor Friday P76, Little Murders, Singing Is For Humans Saturday The Treatment, Rayon Moon, Heavy Beach, Bang Bang Rock n Roll, + More Sunday*Davey Lane & Friends Sunday*Midnight Woolf, Humbug

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100

EMPLOYMENT ADMINISTRATION

PRODUCTION

Experienced Manager required for established Brisbane based artist. Must have industry contacts, previous and current experience and be ruthless.

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FOR SALE CD / DVD Attention Musicians, Record Collectors, Universities, Libraries - new Book (print/cdROM/ direct download) compiling 100 years of popular music. GO TO www.plattersaurus. com web-site on how to buy. Enquiries: (02) 9807-3137 eMail: nadipa1@yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 13287 Radiohead Fully Illustrated Book & Interview CD. Sealed. Brand New. $10 Ph: 0449 713 338 iFlogID: 20481

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DRUMS

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RETAIL NEWS LEARN AT GUITARS PLUS Sandringham-based retailer Guitars Plus offers excellent tuition in all forms of fretted instruments including guitar, bass, mandolin, banjo and slide guitar. The staff at 5 Melrose Street are delighted to offer lessons by one of Australia’s finest guitarists, Simon Croft. In between touring internationally with the Queen musical We Will Rock You, Croft will impart his considerable guitar knowledge at very affordable rates.

MAIN STREET MUSIC REOPENS The Main Street Music name is returning to 135 Main Street, Greensborough. Main Street has always been an essential port of call for musicians around the northeast of Melbourne, offering professional service and a great range of quality gear. For a while it became part of the Allans+ Billy Hydes chain, but now it returns as a family run, independent business. Visit mainstreetmusic.com.au or phone 03 9434 7767.

WIN STERLING MUSIC MAN RAY35 BASSES Dream Music in Canterbury Rd Belmore, Sydney is one of many stores Australia wide stocking the great new Sterling Music Man Ray35 basses. Valued at $1,395, Muso readers have the chance to win one. The body is contoured for playing comfort with maple neck attached via a solid six-bolt neck joint. All you need to do is email your contact details and the codeword ‘Muso’ to info@cmcmusic.com.au.

FULL THROTTLE PROVIDER OF FUNKTION ONE In last week’s Muso we introduced a new section dedicated to the world of the DJ and their tools of trade. In the new section, we spoke to Adam Ward, director of Full Throttle Entertainment, a company that operates one of the largest Funktion One systems in Australia. In the article we incorrectly stated that Full Throttle was the Australian distributor of Funktion One, which they are not. Funktion One is distributed by Funktion One Australia. Full Throttle Entertainment is a provider of Funktion One – for design, production, install, maintenance and rental. Muso apologises for the error. Adam Ward has unique experience with the Funktion One line, both internationally and in Australia. Currently, Full Throttle works closely with the Australian distributor of Funktion One sound systems, which Ward believes are the best in the world. “There are a lot of clubs in Ibiza using Funktion One, which is the club Mecca. There are a lot of clubs in Vegas, New York and Miami that are sporting Funktion One. They are the epitome nightclub systems,” Ward told Muso. “Funktion One really owns the electronic music market. Beatport just did a vote of the ten best sound systems in America and I think five out of the ten have Funktion One systems.” Visit fullthrottleentertainment.com.au to learn more about Full Throttle, who specialise in turnkey technical services, nightclub design, event production and tour management, and house a line of Funktion One sound systems.

TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE Nigel Godrich, best known as Radiohead’s producer, now has an album of his own. Australian producer Magoo wants to know all about it. adiohead’s producer Nigel Godrich is plugging his own album, a new musical project called Ultraista which he recorded with Beck, REM drummer Joey Waronker and vocalist Laura Bettinson. Much to his annoyance, he knows that in any discussion he has with the music media, they’re going to mention the ‘R’ word. To a much lesser degree, ARIA Award-winning Australian producer, Magoo is in a similar position and will forever be associated with another ‘R’ band, Regurgitator. When Magoo spoke to Godrich over the phone exclusively for Muso, he was sympathetic to Nigel’s plight and kept away from tales of Yorke, preferring to get inside the head of one of the world’s most successful producers.

Magoo: I am curious about how the project came together before you met Laura, when it was just you and Joey. Were you just hanging out between schedules when you were in the same town? Nigel: Exactly. He and I and another friend named Guss. So many times we just got together and we would be recording or jamming. Most of it we did in London but we are working all over the place. Guss and Joey both have little studios and I have a big studio. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, we just made a concerted effort to get a bunch of backing tracks together. We spoke about a certain aesthetic about electronics and a repetitive rhythm which is played. Obviously electronic music that is repeated is exactly the same. You get a human being in and they can repeat but it will sound different every time. Afrobeat was the reference point. So that’s how it started and then we had an intense three-day session, like a right ol’ recording party and ended up with bits of music that we would then... essentially what I did was took all the music off and kept the rhythm and started again. That’s the basis of the record. M: How much of this stuff did you have together before you thought you had to find yourself a singer? N: Quite a lot actually because we’d done tiny snippets which might have been a minute long or three minutes or whatever. It would be a feeling, a little movement and we would leave it at that and move on to the next one. After a while we would go back and look at things and see how they could build and be structured. M: I read about how you put up posters at an art college. You were trying to find someone who was not even necessarily a musician to sing. Did you actually audition anyone from that process? N: We actually got replies with music that they had made. We were trying to find someone who was an interesting character, who could sing but maybe hadn’t thought about taking it seriously. The last thing we wanted to do was have a singer-songwriter with their chops together who had their version of what they wanted to do already sorted out. What we did end up finding in Laura was someone who did have their own thing going, but it was very compatible and didn’t work against what we trying to do. M: Do you ever have free time, Nigel? N: Oh I do. I have an awful lot of time to stare at the wall and think about what I am doing. I have a

very unstructured life. It’s a blessing and a curse because it can actually drive me crazy but it allows me to drop anything and do something on a whim. M: You don’t seem like the kind of guy that is going to have a holiday sitting on a beach? N: I really wish I did. I think I really give myself a hard time with time. I have read about so many incredible people, incredibly productive people who describe themselves as lazy... and I think that I am lazy. One of my best friends, Nicholas Godin from Air, who is full of wisdom... says lazy people are the smartest because they always try to get the most using the least effort. I think I am one of those. I’m not like idiots who just work for nothing. There has to be a good economy of your effort. It is very important to being creative. You can’t waste your energy on something that is not really going to contribute to the end result. That goes for anything. If you are a recording engineer and producer, then you know what I am talking about. If something sounds finished or good, you don’t need to take it apart and put it back together again. M: I always find that I have my best ideas on the toilet. You have that break and have that golden moment, pardon the pun. N: It’s like when people started using Pro Tools, they’d say I miss pushing rewind. When you used to rewind you had this moment to think about things. You don’t get that space any more. I think that I work better at night when everybody else is asleep. The world is quiet, there are no distractions. I am terrible in the mornings as a human being. I am just not a good morning guy. Nothing really good happens until after dinner. That’s fine when it is just me. When I am working with other people, it’s hard because people don’t all keep the same schedule. M: I hear quite a bit of Brian Eno in his David Byrnetype phase in your work. Is he a bit of an influence? N: I guess so. I am a big fan of that era Talking Heads. M: The Remain In Light period? N: Yeah, that was huge to me. It was an incredible piece of work but I’m not a fan of Heroes, for instance. There are things I am a fan of and things I am not. Obviously there is an idea behind Music For Airports, the

ambient moments which I totally understand and love. I have an enormous amount of respect for the guy but I don’t try to emulate anything he has done and never would. Whereas I would try and emulate Trevor Horn. This is a good example of how things happen actualIy. I try to do Trevor Horn and it sounds like Brian Eno. I understand why you say that. He thinks outside the box. He is not hemmed in by a set of rules he thinks he has to follow. At times he has done things in his career that changed the way that everybody does things. M: Have you met Brian Eno? N: I have met him a few times. He is very gracious, a very nice man. The thing that I like about Trevor Horn is... even if it is too pop for me, like Frankie Goes To Hollywood or something, even within this mainstream pop thing, he is incredibly obtuse and bold… That’s the thing I really do try to emulate as an idea, rather than a sonic pallete. With Brian Eno… I like the sound of space, the ambience and echo and reverb. I like to see big spaces when I listen to things because I see things when I hear things. M: Getting back to the Ultraista album... without getting too technical... is that just the way Joey plays, or is there a bit of manipulation going on or a bit of both? To me it sounds like there are a few layers of drums in the way that dance music has multiple loops or some sort of loop and a bit of programming underneath. It feels like you’ve gone for that aesthetic but done it live. N: That’s exactly right. Basically there are electronics going on that he is playing to which is woven into his sound. Sometimes the drums are being processed through a piece of electronics that is making a rhythm that he is playing to. It’s like they’re rubbing against each other. M: I just wanted to ask how you go being on the other side of the glass so to speak, promoting an album? N: It’s fine. It feels a little bit, like, uncomfortable but I think that is good. It’s a nice change and it is important to make yourself vulnerable. It’s important not to be afraid of things… and it’s important to just do… stuff! ultraista.co.uk

au.yamaha.com

102 • To check out the mags online go to themusic.com.au/mags

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