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I N P R E S S I S S U E # 1 2 8 4 W E D N E S D AY 2 4 J U LY 2 0 1 3
“Because they’d been living under a military regime all their lives, they had a psychological imperative not to tell the truth, b ecause it gets them in trouble.”
LUCKY THURSDAYS THU 25 JUL
Juliet Lamont, director of MISS NIKKI & THE TIGER GIRLS (P24)
Wed 24. 8.30pm - Virtual Proximity Electric Universe Collective present a night of
BILLBOARD SATURDAYS SAT 27 JUL
electronics, improvisation, beats and visuals.
P20
Thurs 25. 8pm - Sound Scapes Each month sound artists respond to a
FEATURE
different theme. Sound design with an ambient bass twist. This months theme – Dissent.
MASIF HARD DANCE ICONS FRI 2 AUG
Fri 26. 10 pm - Skip & Swing SK b2b TITUS12 with MC Myla | PODS1 TYRRHENA (WA) | J-SLYDE | AARON STATIC Visuals by Alt Esc Del
UMMET OZCAN FRI 9 AUG
Sat 27. 10pm - Unstable Sounds A world of dark, twisted, psychedelic
Tues 30. 7.30pm - LoopDeLoop FRI 16 AUG
LoopdeLoop is a monthly animation challenge.
Natasha Lee reviews WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS
“An alcohol-fuelled moment has him pounding a beer on his own head until it combusts, his ode to VB not falling upon deaf ears.” Glen Waller reviews AIRBOURNE (P32)
ALL TIME LOW
“Labelling your music as industrial jungle pussy punk comes with its own weight outside of musical connotations.” Andrew McDonald reviews MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE’S HOW I LEARNED TO STOP GIVING A SHIT... (P30)
TONIGHT ALIVE
FRI 4 OCT
CREDITS EDITORIAL
AMORPHIS FRI 14 OCT
PORTER ROBINSON AND THE M MACHINE LIVE SUN 20 OCT
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6 • To check out the mags online go to themusic.com.au/mags
FEATURE
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Mark Neilsen, Matt O’Neill, Paul Ransom, Dylan Stewart, Izzy Tolhurst, Nic Toupee, Dominique Wall, Josh Ramselaar, Matthew Ziccone.
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STRATOVARIUS
P41 Kurt Medenbach on SUSTAINABLE FOOD pics by Holly Engelhardt
FRI 13 SEP
SOILWORK
Dylan Stewart reviews RUDIMENTAL’S HOME (P30)
“Gibney has major beef with the silver-haired hacker.“
SAT 31 AUG
FINAL SHOW MON 2 SEP
“For every moment of brilliance displayed on the album there seems to be an exact counterpoint.”
Presenting looping animations from all over the world.
ALL TIME LOW
SHELLEY SEGAL
Guy Davis in TRAILER TRASH (P37)
madness. Genre tech-house, techno, progressive & psy-trance
SHAPESHIFTER
It just really felt like friends together spending time making music.”
“The hype surrounding this one is that it takes the usual superhero tropes, throws ‘em down, flips ‘em and reverses them.”
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TWISTING THE KNIFE
FAVOURITE ALBUM JONATHAN HIGGS FROM EVERYTHING EVERYTHING
Muse
Radiohead Kid A. I know it’s a bit of a cheat, but it was so bold. You’ve got to have OK Computer in there as well I guess to understand. But with Kid A, Radiohead made the boldest move by a successful British band in the last 20 years. They had something good going and then they decided to go and do something completely different.
GRAND AMBITION
HOWL AT THE MOON
When you’re thinking off arena rock, it doesn’t get more bombastic and futuristic than Muse. The British band have turned out some of the biggest riffs of the post-millennium era and anyone who saw their jawdropping arena dates of 2010 will attest their live shows are less of a concert and more of an event, with blinding lighting rigs, moving platforms, giant eyeballs and face-melting speaker stacks de rigueur. Indeed, they’ve come a hell of a long way since their inauspicious debut Australian tour, where they played at a pub and an RSL along the east coast. Adding to the massive evening will be local lads Birds Of Tokyo, who will open all dates with their melodic brand of anthemic rock. Having scored their first ARIA number one record earlier this year with March Fires, this will cap off a memorable year for the Perth five-piece in pretty dramatic style. Catch the two bands perform at the following dates: Saturday 30 November, Perth Arena; Friday 6 December, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne; Tuesday 10, Brisbane Entertainment Centre; and Friday 13, Allphones Arena, Sydney. Tickets for these all ages shows are available from Monday.
Montreal-born, Californian-bred, Australian-based Wolf Mail has made the six-string his own, carving out a formidable reputation as one of the world’s great bluesmen. Even though he’s been living in our parts since 2006, he spends most of the time sharing his skills with the greater globe around us, however, he’s set to treat fans right across the country to his earthy sounds later this year. Wolf Mail plays Tuesday 3 September, The Perth Blues Club, The Charles Hotel; Friday 13, The Old Manly Boatshed, Sydney; Thursday 26, The Joynt, Brisbane; Friday 27, Bangalow Bowling Club; Saturday 28, Joe’s Waterhole, Eumundi; Sunday 29, Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna; Friday 4 October, Lizotte’s, Dee Why; Saturday 5, Great Southern Blues Festival, Narooma; Thursday 10, Northcote Social Club, Melbourne; Friday 11, The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine; Saturday 12, The Music Man Megastore, Bendigo; Thursday 17, Lizotte’s, Newcastle; Friday 18, The Basement, Sydney; Saturday 19, Clarendon Guesthouse, Katoomba; Sunday 20, Beaches Hotel, Thirroul.
NEALE’N FEELINGS
Everything Everything are touring. Check The Guide for dates.
THIS WEEK’S RELEASES Tonight Alive
ALUNAGEORGE Body Music Island/Universal
MISERY SIGNALS Absent Light UNFD
THE DARLING DOWNS In The Days When The World Was Wide Fuse
FUCK BUTTONS Slow Focus ATP/Fuse
TRENDING ON 1 NEWS 2 ALBUM REVIEWS 3 INTERVIEWS 4 LIVE REVIEWS 5 BLOG
Amanda Palmer gets naked in response to Daily Mail ‘nipple’ story Karnivool Asymmetry
Paul Dempsey from Something For Kate Dick Diver
The TV Set – Sandra Sully upstaged on Wanted
Sydney rockers The Snowdroppers have been getting the rub from their fervent fanbase and will be releasing popular ditty So Much Better as the third single from their full-length of earlier this year, Moving Out Of Eden. To mark the occasion – and also to sign off the record’s touring cycle before they return to work on album number three – The Snowdroppers will do what they do best: burn up the stage with sexy, sexy swagger. After the guys play support to Grinspoon for a few dates in August, they’ll embark on their Moving Out National Tour, playing the following east coast shows with their kindred spirits in rock’n’roll filth, Gay Paris: Friday 6 September, Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane; (Black) Friday 13, John Curtin Band Room, Melbourne; Friday 20 and Saturday 21, Annandale Hotel, Sydney (Gay Paris not appearing on the Saturday).
YOUNG AND RESTLESS They’ve only just been announced as part of Vans Warped Tour 2013, but that wasn’t enough for Sydney pop-punk sensations Tonight Alive – they want to do some headline shows of their own as well. With a second album set to drop in the none too distant future, these dates will prove an opportunity for fans to dig their teeth into the latest and greatest. Along with special guests Hands Like Houses and D At Sea, Tonight Alive will perform at the following venues: The Hi-Fi, Sydney, Thursday 5 September (licensed/all ages); Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane, Saturday 7 (under-18 matinee) and The Zoo, Brisbane (18+); The Hi-Fi, Melbourne, Wednesday 11 (under-18); Billboard, Melbourne, Friday 13; and Astor Theatre, Perth, Saturday 14 (licensed/ all ages). Tickets for all dates go on sale Friday.
SHAKEN OR STIRRED Your mum loves him, your mum’s mum loves him and even if you don’t you’ve probably got a soft spot for Canadian crooner Michael Buble. Channelling the sharp-suited lounge that made legends out of men like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, the three-time Grammy winner has developed a firm fanbase in Australia and, with five number one albums in addition to record sales of more two million, it’s clear that we can’t get enough of Buble’s smooth, smooth stuff. The 37-year-old will return Down Under in 2014, playing the following dates: Saturday 26 April, Perth Arena; Wednesday 30 and Thursday 1 May, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne; Friday 9 and Saturday 10, Allphones Arena, Sydney; and Monday 12, Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Tickets go on sale Monday 5 August.
Get ready to shake your thing to the guitar pop double bill of the year when Jeremy Neale and Feelings partner up for dates along the east coast. As part of Velociraptor and with his own summertime pop melodies, Neale has emerged as one of this country’s most unique and inspired young songwriters, while Feelings stands as the new project for former Philly J’s frontman Berkfinger, a sharp tongued six-string auteur who is stepping out from his Berlin studio to present songs from a long awaited debut. The One More Time With Feelings tour takes in the following dates: Thursday 22 August, Solbar, Maroochydore; Friday 23, Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane; Saturday 24 August, The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba; Thursday 29, Transit Bar, Canberra; Friday 30, Goodgod Small Club, Sydney; Saturday 31, Yours And Owls, Wollongong; and Friday 6 September, Workers Club, Melbourne.
MARS DATES PUSHED BACK All you Jared Leto lovers out there are going to have to wait a little longer for your fix, with his arena rocking band Thirty Seconds To Mars regretfully announcing the postponement of their scheduled August tour. The band have released this statement: “It is with a heavy heart and deep regret that we must reschedule the four shows in Australia. A member of the band will be undergoing a medical procedure and the time will be used to address this. Please know we are absolutely devastated and hope for your understanding and patience. Our sincerest and deepest apologies.” The new all ages dates are Tuesday 25 March, Challenge Stadium, Perth; Friday 28, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne; Saturday 29, Sydney Entertainment Centre; and Sunday 30, Brisbane Riverstage. All purchased tickets are valid for these new dates, however, if you can’t get to the 2014 shows please seek a refund from point of purchase by Friday 3 August.
The Preatures
COVER YOUR EARS Featuring members of NOFX, Lagwagon and Foo Fighters, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes are no slouches when it comes to musical chops – they just simply want to have fun. The ultimate punk rock covers supergroup, the five-piece have just put together the Sing In Japanese EP, a record that gives you exactly what it says on the box. Now, they’ll confuse and amuse in equal measures when they arrive for their first tour in three years. Enjoy some laughs, sing some guilty favourites and get pitted Wednesday 2 October at Manning Bar, Sydney; Thursday 3, Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle; Friday 4, The Hi-Fi, Brisbane; Saturday 5 and Sunday 6, Corner Hotel, Melbourne; Wednesday 9, Barwon Club, Geelong; Friday 11, Amplifier, Perth; and Saturday 12, Prince of Wales, Bunbury. Get your tickets this Friday.
8 • For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news
FEELING DAMN GOOD With their latest single Is This How You Feel? getting showered with praise since its release a few months ago, The Preatures are positioned to take over the airways and our hearts with a new five-track EP of the same name. The Sydney soul rockers will launch the new release with a string of shows around the country before they bunk off to Europe and America to spread the love far and wide. Catch them Friday 6 September, Oxford Art Factory, Sydney; Friday 13, Northcote Social Club, Melbourne; Saturday 14, Karova Lounge, Ballarat; Friday 20, Flyrite, Perth; Saturday 21, Mojo’s, Fremantle; Thursday 26, Transit Bar, Canberra; and Friday 27, Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.
PARTNERS IN GOOD TIMES It might seem like a random match, but according to the players involved it makes perfect sense. Later this year, colourful indie pop upstarts The Griswolds will join forces with grounded hip hop MC Chance Waters, announcing the More Than Just Friends tour. Having been working together in the studio recently for a track on Waters’ forthcoming album, the two acts will extend their chemistry out onto the stage, playing Thursday 19 September, Northcote Social Club, Melbourne; Friday 21, Oxford Art Factory, Sydney; and Friday 4 October, Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane.
City & Colour
QUENCH OUR THIRST After giving us a brief bit of his magic with a couple of small shows over the weekend, Dallas Green has announced he’ll be returning as City and Colour later this year, touring those incredible pipes around the country with a full live band featuring the likes of Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather) and Doug McGregor (The Constantines). Playing his biggest Australian shows ever along with some small and intimate gigs thrown in, Green will bring City and Colour’s rich back catalogue to life live on stage, playing Sunday 24 and Monday 25 November, State Theatre, Sydney; Thursday 28, Civic Theatre, Newcastle; Saturday 30, Brisbane Riverstage; Monday 2 December, Royal Theatre, Canberra; Saturday 7, Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth; and Saturday 14, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne. Every gig is all ages except for Perth where 18+ restrictions will be in place, however, under-18s can attend with a parent or guardian. Husky are set to support across the three-week stretch.
DARK AND STORMY Polish death metal titans Behemoth are set to stomp into our land, pillage our souls and obliterate some capital city venues in the process later this year. Consistent visitors in our parts since first presenting themselves during the mid-noughties, the four-piece continue to push the envelope with their blackened symphonies to the devil. In addition, the Hour Of Penance will also strike down upon us, with their maniacal shreds of metal. These morbid evenings of madness take place Thursday 24 October, Capitol, Perth; Friday 25, The Espy, Melbourne; Saturday 26, Manning Bar, Sydney; and Sunday 27, The Hi-Fi, Brisbane.
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WEDNESDAY 24 JULY
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THE PROTOMEN (USA) MC FRONTALOT (USA) TOEHIDER
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$!.#).' (%!,3 !,"5- ,!5.#( BRAVE FACE DAN & AMY
RESIDENCY – FINAL NIGHT
ANIMAUX ECHO DRAMA BROTHERFUNK $2.50 POTS, $5 VODKAS!
FRIDAY 26 JULY
SOUNDBYTES 14
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!,3/ /. 4(% #!,%.$!2 SAT 24 AUG ALL THE COLOURS (SINGLE LAUNCH) SUN 25 AUG MATINÉE KATE RAE SUN 25 AUG INDIAN RED (EP LAUNCH) THU 29 AUG THE ADELAIDE CROWS (EP LAUNCH) FRI 30 AUG BLOODS (SYD – SINGLE LAUNCH) SAT 31 AUG BEING AS AN OCEAN (USA) SUN 1 SEP (MATINÉE SHOW) ‘TIMBER & STEEL PRESENTS’ ASHLEIGH MANNIX (EP LAUNCH) SUN 1 SEP JESSICA PAIGE (ALBUM LAUNCH) FRI 6 SEPT FEELINGS + JEREMY NEALE FRI 13 SEP THE LIVING EYES SAT 14 SEP KIERAN RYAN SUN 15 SEP MARK MOLDRE (SYD)
SATURDAY 27 JULY
THE CAPITAL OFFENSIVE TOUR
THE GOOD SHIP THE GOOD CHINA THE STIFFYS TOM WEST TEAK (DUO)
SUNDAY 28 JULY
NIKO NIKO KAALAM THE BROWN SOUND
MONDAY 29 JULY
THREE’S A CROWD
DEAD
DUCK DUCK CHOP MANDEK PENHA
TUESDAY 30 JULY
PURPLE TUSKS CROOKS & QUEENS RIV
COMING UP
TIX AVAILABLE THRU MOSHTIX: THREE’S A CROWD (MONDAYS IN JULY + AUGUST) CASSIUS CLAY (WEDNESDAYS IN JULY) ANIMAUX (THURSDAYS IN JULY) THE PROTOMEN – USA (JUL 23 + 24) KING OF THE NORTH – VIDEO SHOOT (AUG 2) POUR L’AMOUR DU NIGER (AUG 3) ALESANA – USA (AUG 9) OVENS ST WAREHOUSE FUNDRAISER (AUG 10) MASON – ALBUM LAUNCH (AUG 16) GUTTERMOUTH – FINAL AUS TOUR (AUG 17) THE RED LIGHTS – EP LAUNCH (AUG 24) THE ALLIANCE TOUR FT. MAUNDZ, 4 AACES & MORE (SEPT 6)
9
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ON THE PHONE
INDUSTRY
To celebrate their first Northern Hemisphere tour, a prize slot at Glastonbury festival and a year of good work, The Bombay Royale are releasing Phone Baje Na, a bass-heavy, head-nodding Bollywood hypnohop remix EP. Welcome the band back to home soil when they hit Howler on Saturday 31 August.
GOLD FEET The Amity Affliction Joel Birch, frontman of Aussie post-hardcore band The Amity Affliction spent the night in a Pittsburgh hospital last week. Travelling the US as part of the Vans Warped Tour, the band pulled out of their Pittsburgh show, while Architects’ Sam Carter and letlive.’s Jason Aalon Butler filled in for Cleveland. Birch is believed to be back to performing. Babyshambles have cancelled their headline shows around Australia after advice was sought by the promoters’ immigration solicitor. The band still intends to fulfil their slot at the Splendour In The Grass festival and hope to reschedule the other shows in the future. Universal Music Group’s parent company Vivendi knocked back an $8.5 billion bid from Japanese group SoftBank three months ago, according to the Financial Times. The company declined the bid because they see Universal Music as a key company in their future plans. Modular have launched a new booking and talent agency The Musique Agency which will replace the existing Modular Agency and incorporate Magic Cactus’ roster which includes the likes of The Laurels, Holy Balm, Straight Arrows and Super Wild Horses. Shock Records has named its new-look staff roster for the independent label, which has undergone a complete overhaul in 2013. The full staff list includes Craig May – General Manager, Maya Janeska – Label Manager, Jacqui Wilson – Label Manager, Belinda Fitzsimmons – Head Of Promotions, Helise Andreoli – Promotions Manager, Robyn Fawcett – Digital Marketing Manager, Karen Edwards – Digital and Licensing Manager and Mick Tarbuk – Marketing Co-ordinator. Dance festival Stereosonic has issued a warning to punters over fake tickets which have appeared on online auction and trading post websites – before tickets have even gone on sale. General tickets will be on sale 9am local time Thursday 1 August, with a Ticketmaster members pre-sale from 9am Monday 29 July. Melbourne singer-songwriter Vance Joy has landed a prominent placement for an American TV advertisement for GoPro as his stocks continue to rise in the US. Archie Roach, Gurrumul, Thelma Plum and Flume are amongst the finalists for this year’s National Indigenous Music Awards. The nominees for this year’s Deadly Awards have been announced, with some massive names scoring nominations in the areas of sport, music, entertainment and community areas, including Troy Cassar-Daley and Jessica Mauboy up for Male and Female Artist of the Year respectively. Melbourne’s indie electro pop artist Adrian Trajstman, who goes by the alias Talkshow Boy has set his sights on the seat of Wills in the upcoming Federal Election as a candidate for the Sex Party. Trajstman says he will still be involved in the music scene in the future. Former Australian Idol winner Damien Leith has left Sony Music and is set to release his next album through independent Sydney label Social Family Records. Melbourne indie punk outfit King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have signed a new record deal with Dot Dash/Remote Control. Online music streaming service Spotify has traded verbal punches with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and collaborator Nigel Godrich over Yorke and Godrich’s streaming stance. The artists took their albums off the service to protest musicians’ rights. Music management and publicity company Reckoning Entertainment has rebranded as Shake Appeal. As part of the re-launch the company will introduce multimedia, creative writing and social networking arms in addition to its existing artists and event management, publicity, marketing and consulting services. Controversial Norwegian black metal musician Varg Vikernes, best known for his genre-defining work in the ‘90s with Burzum and his neo-Nazi sympathising, has been arrested and subsequently released in France on suspicion of plotting a massacre.
Pangaea
SUPERCONTINENT UK’s Pangaea, aka Kevin McAuley, is one of the key producers and DJs in forward-thinking dance music. While house and techno influences are apparent, his music is firmly rooted in the traditions of UK bass music past and present. One of techno’s true underground heroes, Function (Dave Sumner) has been DJing and making music for over 15 years. In March this year he released his debut album Incubation – a modern sound journey heavy on imagery. See them both do their thing at Brown Alley on Friday 9 August.
WORM YOUR WAY IN Melbourne eight-piece Eagle & The Worm will be playing a good old four week residency at The Workers Club, commencing Tuesday 6 August. Support for the first residency show will be Flyying Colours.
GIVE ‘EM THE BOOT
LIKE A HAWKE
Six months ago, Bootleg Rascal started out as a two piece and now, as two have become four, they’re releasing their first single, Psychotica, and heading out on tour. Catch them at The Workers Club on Friday 9 August and Baha Tacos, Rye on Saturday 10.
LA-based five-piece Youngblood Hawke bring their new brand of uplifting, powerful electro-pop to The Toff In Town on Saturday 24 August, as part of their We Come Running Tour. These headline shows come while the band are touring Australia as special guests on Pink’s massive The Truth About Love Tour.
DIRTY SAGA Demarco
DUSTIN’ IT OFF Boy & Bear welcome two of Australia’s hottest up-andcomers, Battleships and Dustin Tebbutt, to their Spring tour. Aussies are clearly keen to witness Boy & Bear’s new wares, with the Forum Theatre show on Saturday 2 November now sold out. To keep up with the demand, Boy & Bear have added a second show at the Forum Theatre, on Sunday 3. There are still tickets available for the Geelong show at the Wool Exchange on Friday 1.
DANCE TO DEMARCO Jamaican dancehall reggae artist Demarco performs live at The Espy on Saturday 7 September. He represents the refined cream of a modern crop of Jamaica’s most talented music practitioners, intertwining songwriting with music production, engineering and performing, and using these skills seamlessly between dancehall, roots reggae, hip hop and R&B.
BOB’S YOUR UNCLE Bob Evans will follow up the recent release of his fourth album Familiar Stranger with the intimate Welcome Stranger Tour. See him perform at Karova Lounge, Ballarat on Thursday 22 August; Torquay Hotel on Friday 23; The Westernport Hotel, San Remo on Saturday 24; Beav’s Bar, Geelong on Thursday 26 September; and The Loft, Warrnambool on Friday 27. HTRK
HOWL FOR HATE HTRK will be playing their only Melbourne headline show for 2013 at Howler on Friday 2 August. Their forthcoming album (due for release in 2014), is the band’s first album in four years and their first as a duo. Supporting HTRK at Howler will be Lowtide and Rat & Co, with New War DJs spinning tracks between sets.
PLENTY OF FUEL IN THE INJECTOR To introduce his new album Let It Fly, Mark ‘Diesel’ Lizott has announced some Fans First events, consisting of a solo performance and Q&A session, with punters getting an autographed copy of the LP, too. Catch the solo show on Thursday 8 August at the Spotted Mallard, plus a full band show on Saturday 2 November at The Palms at Crown.
DJ BLAKE James Blake will perform an exclusive DJ set at Howler after his sold-out Melbourne show at the Palais Theatre on Wednesday 31 July. Best known for his delicate vocals and soaring electronic tracks, James Blake is also an acclaimed DJ and producer. Supporting James Blake will be fellow producer, band mate and Pitchfork-lauded sound warper Rob McAndrews aka Airhead, plus Spoonbill and A13.
IT’S ELECTRIFYING One of the biggest Aussie music line-ups in history is set to rock Werribee Park on Sunday 24 November for the inaugural One Electric Day. Jimmy Barnes, The Angels, James Reyne, The Black Sorrows, Ross Wilson and Boom Crash Opera will share the same stage in this massive afternoon event. This is a rare opportunity to see some of the country’s most respected live performers doing what they do best.
BACK IN THE GAME The Game is one of the big names in American West Coast rap. He is heading back to our shores and will be stopping by The Espy on Thursday 22 August. His 2005 debut studio album, The Documentary, propelled his initial rise to fame. His latest, fifth studio release Jesus Piece has features from Lil Wayne, Big Sean, J Cole, Jamie Foxx, Wiz Khalifa and Tyga among others. See him performing his tunes live.
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Hot off the success of sold-out album shows, Gold Fields and Clubfeet come together to announce a double headline bill at The Prince bandroom, Friday 23 August. See Gold Field perform songs from their debut album, Black Sun, and Clubfeet transforming their second album, Heirs & Graces, into a live setting.
GET BLOODY Sydney garage-punk kids Bloods are back with a brand new single, Into My Arms, another choice cut off the band’s upcoming debut EP Golden Fang, out Friday 9 August. Into My Arms is one minute and 49 seconds of dance-around-in-your-underpants fun. Check Bloods out at The Workers Club on Friday 30 August with Major Leagues (who will also be playing at The Espy that night).
WHAT’S ON, WATSON? Dale Watson & His Lonestars will be touring Australia this November. Anything but understated, their live shows are full-on honky-tonk with a driving rhythm section, tight electric guitar solos and the lonesome twang of pedal steel. They perform at the Caravan Music Club on Saturday 30 November and the Northcote Social Club on Sunday 1 December.
MORE TRAVELLED
The Regurgitator saga cotinues, as album number eight will be ready-made for reality on Wednesday 11 September. They will soon embark on the Dirty Pop tour, stopping by Theatre Royal, Castlemaine on Friday 27 September and The Hi-Fi on Friday 28.
LOOK AT THAT VUE A talented sextet of horns, strings and drums, The Woohoo Revue have forged their reputation throughout Australia with their adrenalin-fuelled celebration fit for dancing, drinking and ignoring tomorrow. Head to Northcote Social Club on Friday 30 August or The Loft, Warrnambool on Saturday 28 September to see ‘em live.
REQUEST TO ED Having recently returned to Australia from touring Europe and the US with The Bad Seeds, Ed Kuepper comes to town to play special Solo And By Request shows. Catch him at the Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick on Friday 23 August and Theatre Royal, Castlemaine on Saturday 24.
TO MORROW The devastating news of Newcastle’s iconic Morrow Park Bowling Club burning to the ground in May of this year rattled the local music community considerably. So in the name of gathering funds to rebuild the Morrow, performing at Mozfest at the Corner Hotel on Sunday 4 August from 4pm will be: Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders, Mesa Cosa, Made For Chickens By Robots, The Book Of Ships, Mangelwurzel, Boatfriends and iOnic (in a once-off reformation) plus DJs including DJ Joan Kirner (Marieke Hardy).
ROPING IT IN Off the back of a stellar debut LP and a suitably impressive list of festival appearances and supports, exhilarating Melbourne-based six-piece Money For Rope play a couple of shows at Cherry Bar on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 August with Drunk Mums and Bec & Ben.
I, A Man take elements of droning folk, krautrock, dream pop and all the woolly ideas in between and present them with an understated yet hypnotic and textured dialogue. With the release of the single Less Travelled, off their debut album, they hit The Tote on Friday 16 August with Sincerely, Grizzly and Love Migrate.
BEYTHRICE Due to overwhelming demand, three more shows for Beyonce’s Mrs Carter World Tour have been announced, including another at Rod Laver Arena on Friday 25 October, on top of the Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 dates. Tickets to all shows are on sale now.
LONG-NECKING Giraffage offers a fresh, sample-rich sound of dreamy pop beats, sensual synths and lush experimental electronica. The creation of 23-year-old Charlie Yin of San Francisco, Giraffage takes to the stage at The Liberty Social on Saturday 10 August.
IN THE MIDDLE Jack Middle Of The Broken Heart is the new single from Melbourne shape-shifters The Tiger & Me, which is taken off the band’s second full length album, The Drifter’s Dawn. To celebrate it, The Tiger & Me perform at The Toff In Town on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 August with The Nymphs.
Pikelet
PIKELET MIXTURE Melbourne exploratory synth-pop adventurers Pikelet announce launch dates for third album Calluses, due for release on Chapter Music on Friday 16 August. The follow-up to 2010’s Australian Music Prizeshortlisted Stem, Calluses is a darker, denser beast than its predecessors. Pikelet brings the new tunes to The Curtin bandroom on Saturday 5 October.
PROG MY WORLD Headlining this year’s Progfest on Saturday 24 August at The Espy will be instrumental post rockers Sleepmakewaves and progressive metalheads Voyager. Other acts on the bill include: Caligula’s Horse, Glass Empire, A Lonely Crowd, Toehider, Alithia, Rise Of Avernus, Bear The Mammoth, Rainbird, Full Code, Orsome Welles, Phil Para Band and more to be announced.
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WEDNESDAY 24
SUNDAY 28
Nite Art 2013 – a first time event, around the streets of Melbourne’s CBD, Melburnians can experience simultaneous gallery openings and art walks across 20 well-known galleries and artist-run spaces in the CBD and North Melbourne, with over 30 exhibitions in one night. And a panel discussion about the topic ‘Is The Gallery Space Dead?’. West Space, 6pm.
Stories We Tell – a film directed by Sarah Polley who turns her hand to non-fiction filmmaking. Made up of first-person interviews with Polley’s siblings, her mother’s circle of friends and ex-lovers to tell the story of her mother, Diane. Part of MIFF, Greater Union Cinemas, 3.45pm.
THURSDAY 25 I’m So Excited – this film directed by Pedro Almodovar will open MIFF 2013. This is a biting satire on contemporary Spanish politics set ten thousand feet in the air. Part of MIFF, Arts Centre, Hamer Hall, 7pm. The Collector – a play adapted from John Fowles’ novel of the same name by the Artisan Collective. This is a psychological thriller, directed by Ben Pfeiffer with sound design by Russell Goldsmith. Performed by Kristina Brew and Tristan Meecham. Collingwood Underground Arts Park, 7.30, to Saturday 3 August.
FRIDAY 26 The Woolgatherer
BRRR, IT’S COLD IN HERE La Mama Theatre has launched its new winter season with 16 new shows and events. Some of the highlights include: Wake Up Hate – a one-man show performed and directed by Paulo Castro – and It’s Alright, Sid It’s Alright, a dark humoured and sometimes melancholic drama directed by Robert Reid. Some of La Mama’s Melbourne Fringe shows are: How It Is Or As You Like It, a reinterpretation of As You Like It by Malthouse literary manager Van Badham and directed by Daniel Lammin; as well as The Woolgatherer written by William Mastrosimone and directed by Kerry Armstrong. This piece will be performed by Laura Wheelwright and Lee Buckhurst. Two Mortals will be devised and performed by Rachael Dyson-McGregor and Mike McEvoy. On Saturday 27 July at 2pm, La Mama will remember founder and mentor of the theatre Betty Burstall who passed away in June this year. For more info head to lamama.com.au.
Mood Indigo – this film directed by Michel Gondry, with Audrey Tautou and Romain Duris is a quirky Parisian love story. Watch out for Gondry playing Doctor Mangemanche. Part of MIFF, Greater Union Cinemas, 6.30pm. Cosmic Psychos: Blokes You Can Trust – commercial and music video director (and musician himself) Matt Weston branches out with his first feature, documenting our most unlikely stars, Cosmic Psychos. Part of MIFF, Greater Union Cinemas, 9pm.
The Act Of Killing – a film directed by Joshua Oppenheimer about mass murderers who are celebrated on TV talk shows as heroes. It sounds like a fiction but it’s not: the film’s subjects are small-time gangsters who became death-squad leaders during the antiCommunist purges following the 1965 Indonesian military coup. Part of MIFF, Greater Union Cinemas, 6pm.
Cosmic Psychos: Blokes You Can Trust Fruitvale Station – first-time writer and director Ryan Coogler was inspired by Oscar Grant’s senseless police shooting in Oakland. Grant’s death was immortalised on camera, another casualty of urban unrest, this is his story. Part of MIFF, Greater Union Cinemas, 6.30pm.
MONDAY 29 Good Vibrations – a film directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn about Ireland’s Godfather of Punk, Terri Hooley his record store, label and life. Part of MIFF, Greater Union Cinemas, 9pm.
ACCA Art Bar – you gotta love lookin’ at art with a drink. Check out a current exhibition by Daria Martin and Mikala Dwyer. There’s also music by Melbourne’s Galapagoose and Two Bright Lakes. 6pm.
TUESDAY 30
SATURDAY 27 99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film – a documentary that illustrates the motives and consequences of Occupy Wall Street while situating it within the context of resistance movements challenging top-down corporate governmental hierarchies worldwide. Part of MIFF, Greater Union Cinemas, 4pm. In Bob We Trust – a behind the scenes documentary about Father Bob Maguire, which looks at his everyday trials during one of the most turbulent times. Part of MIFF Premiere Fund Films, Greater Union Cinemas, 4pm.
Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer – a doco about Pussy Riot and their punk prayer. They’re the balaclava wearing women who rushed the altar of Moscow’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral armed with microphones. Part of MIFF, Greater Union Cinemas, 6.30pm. In Guns We Trust – a film directed by Nicolas Levesque, set in Kennesaw, Virginia, where gun ownership is mandatory by law: every household must own a minimum of one working gun, with ammunition. Part of MIFF, ACMI, 9pm.
Patrick – a film directed by Mark Hartley about Patrick, a young coma patient who has been lying in a hospital bed for years, unable to communicate with anyone. Until a beautiful nurse catches his eye. Part of MIFF Premiere Fund Films, Greater Union Cinemas, 6.30pm. The Congress – Ari Folman’s follow-up film to Waltz With Bashir. Robin Wright plays Robin Wright, an actress with diminishing options in a savage and surreal movie business. Part of MIFF, ACMI Cinemas, 9pm.
Stories We Tell
V/H/S/ 2 – this horror film ups the ante as a whole new set of horror wunderkinds follow in the grisly footsteps of last year’s VHS. Part of MIFF, Greater Union Cinemas, 11.30pm.
T H E
Patrick
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DOCK’N’ ROLL GANG
SPACE CADETS Pond’s Hobo Rocket album hasn’t yet launched, but its follow-up (titled Man, It Feels Like Space Again) is already written. “It’s the album that was meant to be the one before this one. It ended up getting swapped around in our brains for some reason,” band leader Nick Allbrook explains to Brendan Hitchens about his prolific outfit that shares members with Tame Impala. obo Rocket, the fifth album from Western Australian band Pond, was recorded in July of 2012. Fresh from tour dates in the US, UK and Europe, the album came little more than a year after their previous fulllength Beard, Wives, Denim was released. At the time, the Pond line-up featured three members of Tame Impala, a band with a profile that was exploding across the world, and Beard, Wives, Denim was laid down during their limited downtime in Australia. “It’s not really too hard, it’s just really when Tama Impala gets off tour and if everyone’s not too tired,” says Pond singer/former Tame Impala bassist Nick Allbrook of finding time to record. “It’s neither a chore nor a necessity, it’s just what happens. I don’t know. I think that’s hopefully what making the songs is like, it just happens on its own whether you’re touring or not. Touring sure does make it harder but you still write songs; you have a bit of energy and want to chuck them out.”
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The album was recorded by Clint Oliver of The Growl and mixed by
former Pond drummer Kevin Parker, now widely known as Tame Impala’s frontman. Since the band’s 2008 inception, it’s always been a revolving collaboration of members and, more importantly, friends. “It’s not really a Perth community,” says Allbrook, who was also involved with Mink Mussel Creek and makes music as one half of Allbrook/Avery, before adding, “Well actually, I suppose it is. It’s not just, ‘Come all Western Australians,’ but there’s a very tight-knit family of our gang I suppose.” Together with WAMi Award-winning engineer Dave Parkin (who has previously worked with Western Australian acts Jebediah, Draft and Karnivool), who played saxophone on the album, Hobo Rocket features another Western Australian icon. At the end of the album’s title track, an unusual voice murmurs, “We’re not rehearsing. It only happens once.” It’s the sound of Cowboy John, a close friend of the band and the man they refer to in the
14 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews
liner notes as a “mystic wanderer”. The Perth local is an artist in his own right and has released his own psychedelic album titled Secrets Of The Universe. “Cowboy John is just an eccentric horseman who roams around Perth and pops up whenever he wants to,” says Allbrook. “He’s made an album and he also draws things.” While the majority of the song’s lyrics are printed in the liner notes, not all of Cowboy’s cosmic tirade was transcribable, instead parts simply read “indecipherable rapping” and “maniacal laughter”. “I thought it was all off the top of his head but I think most of it is just lyrics to his songs that he’s scrambled together because they’re the first things he could think of,” he laughs, “which is cool with me.” Spontaneity has become Pond’s trademark, particularly in the live setting, and something their record label doesn’t shy away from by referring to Hobo Rocket as messy, imperfect, jagged and real in the press release. “I remember talking with Jay [Watson] about how it would be nice to have something a bit more rambunctious, but I don’t think it was the first thing on our minds,” reveals Allbrook on the album’s laidback recording process. “We did it quickly. If we did a take that was not perfect then we wouldn’t give a shit and just used it anyway, instead of being a lot more finicky. We wanted it to sound pretty ball-busting at the end of the whole affair.” And ball-busting it is. It’s the combination of the psychedelic like Giant Tortoise, Whatever Happened When The Million Heads Collide and Xanman, Allbrook’s obscure lyrical themes are central to the band’s uniqueness. “Anything internal or external in this whole world, if you see it on TV, if you imagine it or if it’s real or if it’s fantastical – anything that is inspiring enough can be an influence for lyrics,” he says. Still in his mid-20s, Allbrook’s musical influences belie his years. “You can never get enough of Chrome,” he says, on the artists that inspired Hobo Rocket. “Comets On Fire are pretty good. And Sabbath, just heaps and heaps of Sabbath: It’s just too perfect sometimes. Man, so much shit. It’s hard to say. It’s just a great big mash of everything we’ve ever listened to.”
Riding their own wave of success, Pond have managed to sit one step ahead of the hype that invariably follows them. Last year NME branded them the hottest new band in the world at a time when they had already released four full-length albums. “We were pretty much new,” says Allbrook, happy to wear the title. “All the albums we had released up until that point were ridiculous in their own way, it was kind of like we had re-formed every time. There was no particular consistency from the beginning and that was the first time we’d gone overseas and the first time we’d been a particularly good live band, I suppose. So I guess we were pretty much new.” When pressed on exactly what turned the band from their humble, selfdescribed “psychedelic idiocy” to a functional and serious act, Allbrook is unsure. “I suppose there must be some kind of pressure from people watching you and people accepting something and that is some kind of inspiration
to get better. It’s not the most pure inspiration, but it’s probably real, undeniable.” Hobo Rocket’s follow-up has already been written. Titled Man, It Feels Like Space Again, Allbrook says it’s just a matter of time until it gets released. “It’s the album that was meant to be the one before this one. It ended up getting swapped around in our brains for some reason. It’s been written but it hasn’t been recorded. We’re going to do it pretty soon, when the lads get back,” he says referring to Watson and Cam Avery, who are both overseas touring with Tame Impala. Understandably, the Pond connection to Tame Impala is extremely close. Along with Watson and Avery, who play in both bands just as Allbrook did up until earlier this year, Hobo Rocket sees Tame Impala leader Kevin Parker turn from former drummer to producer. Despite the massive 2012 that saw Tame Impala’s Lonerism voted NME’s album of the year and locally take out triple j’s J award, you won’t see Pond riding on this band’s, or even Parker’s, coat tails. “We’re just going with it, there’s no intention either way,” says Allbrook nonchalantly. “Kevin’s just our friend; he’s just our buddy, Kevin. It would be weird for us and him if we were to suddenly start using it as a crutch or a lever to higher our popularity, which it definitely already is whether we like it or not. I don’t think anyone really gets the thought to do that and if we did it would be shot down quickly.” Allbrook, who famously, and to the outside world, abruptly left Tame Impala announcing that he needed to “try and screw his head back on, and make an attempt to assimilate back into society”, also grew tired of nonstop touring and missing his friends back home. When quizzed of Pond’s touring plans, he’s uncertain. “I’m pretty sure we’ll end up doing some shows in Australia. I wouldn’t mind keeping it a bit more low-key, I suppose; it’d be a bit more fun.” WHO: Pond WHAT: Hobo Rocket (Modular)
Footy is in Nick Allbrook from Pond’s blood. Brendan Hitchens gets the stats. In April of this year, a mysterious song appeared on the SoundCloud page of Wesley Goldtouch, an alias for Pond/ Tame Impala multiinstrumentalist Jay Watson. Titled Fremantle Dockers Theme Song (Pond cover), Watson shared the song through his Facebook page with a tag that simply read, “Future Premiers”. Like much of what Pond does best, it was unplanned and of the moment. “I love to watch the footy,” says Allbrook, who now bases himself in Melbourne. “Jay just put it down at home and then released it on the internet. It’s just him, and I did some vocoder,” he tells of the impromptu recording session. Having now amassed in excess of 9,000 plays, the response from the football club was significantly underwhelming. “We didn’t get any response,” Allbrook laughs, with a sarcastic sense of dissatisfaction. Ironically, the official version of the theme song, Freo Heave Ho, which was written in the mid-‘90s by Ken Withers, was slated to be scrapped by the football club. In 2011, it was put to a members vote where they were given a list of three alternatives, including an arrangement by fellow Western Australian band, Eskimo Joe. After some 8,700 votes were counted and preferences allocated, the original was tweaked and reinstated. Further to the irony, Allbrook’s father Malcolm is also a diehard Dockers fan and writes for online portal The Footy Almanac. In 2010 he described the anthem as “so lyrically moronic and unmelodious that, rather than signifying the gusto of victory, it implies failure and unfulfilled potential on the rare occasions it is heard.”
MUSIC
[FEATURES FEATURES]
ENTITLED TO A VIEW When MS MR toured Australia for the first time in early-2013, it put a personal face on the duo; humanising a project who had, almost up until that point, been anonymous. Now, as Max Hershenow and Lizzy Plapinger tell Anthony Carew, they’re comfortable revealing all.
ate in 2012, before their Laneway Festival visit at the start of this year, MS MR issued their first EP, Candy Bar Creep Show track-by-track, week-by-week on their Tumblr, a choice equal parts online mythmaking and sly marketing. For the band – Lizzy Plapinger and Max Hershenow – it was less about setting up some elaborate Iamamiwhoami-styled ruse, but just for the simple goal of getting the music our their first, with no bio to colour expectations.
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“When you’re making pop music, it often gets distorted by celebrity, and ego, and image, and those aren’t things that interest us,” says Hershenow. “It was really important for us to put the music out without having our faces or who we were associated with it. But, even though our faces weren’t on it, we were making this music that was really personal. Because we were doing it just for ourselves, we could create music that was really true to us. We didn’t have any external forces giving us advice or critique; we didn’t even play music for our friends and have them give us feedback. Even doing that can change the way you make music.”
engineering and presenting music,” offers Plapinger. “We’ll always be interested in the blending of worlds, because I think more and more they’re not so separate and unique from one another. In this day and age, you really have the opportunity to play with those expectations more, of what a pop record can be.” WHO: MS MR WHAT: Secondhand Rapture (Sony) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 27, Splendour In The Grass, North Byron Parklands; Monday 29, The Hi-Fi
Part of that desire for anonymity came out of Plapinger’s own shyness at making music, which came from existing at the centre of a music scene in New York City, running the record-label Neon Gold and being friends almost entirely with people populating a musical community. But she’d never made music before, and was even “embarrassed” to admit to Hershenow that she wanted to, and was hoping to collaborate with him. “So,” Plapinger says, “we started out recording in total isolation, and told no one that we were doing it. And everything came from there.” The first song the band wrote was Bones, a dark, dramatic synth-pop song that proved important “because we realised we were on the same page,” says Hershenow. “Once we started collecting a body of songs, that idea grew into us starting to think of what we were doing more as a band than a project; like, we weren’t just gathering these things together, we were this entity that had an identity.” And part of that identity came when they settled on their handle. “It’s such a weird thing trying to chose a band name, because it has to be your everything and your nothing,” offers Plapinger. “We liked the fact that it was so formal yet so utterly mundane at the same time; we liked the idea that these titles were anonymous of themselves, yet they clearly alluded to the members of the band, and that this was a boy/girl duo. For us, it’s not that clear-cut, though; we like to embrace either side of that duality. It feels like Max can be the MS and I can be the MR.” MS MR, as a name, feels as much like a visual presentation as something to be said aloud, and from their anonymous Tumblr beginnings the duo were fastidious about the imagery – be it static or video – that would go with the music. Their long gestation was, obviously, hugely influential on the music – “working in isolation, if we finished a song and we really loved it, that was good enough for us,” Plapinger adds – but it also meant that by the time the world knew who they were, they were a finished package. “We didn’t play our songs for anyone until we had this really solid body-of-work, and really had spent the time to develop a visual and a musical aesthetic that felt really true to us,” Hershenow explains. “And that has, in turn, allowed us a lot of control over every element of the project. It gave us a lot of confidence in who we were, so by the time that we signed to a label and started making videos and touring, we could be really assertive about what we wanted, because we had that core identity fully fleshed out.” MS MR ended up signing with Columbia, whom Plapinger had a relationship with from Neon Gold, and would thus become a pop band recording for Sony Music. But, their assertiveness led them coming through the major-label-artist process essentially unscathed; their debut LP, Secondhand Rapture, feeling like the extension of their debut EP. “For a band in our genre, we’ve been given more control than I think I’ve ever seen anyone of our stature been given, it’s really wild,” says Plapinger. That wildness comes from the fact that the duo see Secondhand Rapture as being, essentially, a personal project. Given much of the music was written and record when they were still in their anonymous gestation period, MS MR see their LP as something they made solely for themselves, not shareholders. “It’s such an accurate reflection of who we are at this point in time. It’s empowering to feel like you’ve made something that’s an accurate representation of self,” says Hershenow. How accurate? How much ‘self’ is there on Secondhand Rapture? “As with any person, there’s always more than meets the eye, something beyond what you initially think you know about them at that first instant,” Plapinger replies. “So, whether you just listen to the music or you hear us in person, there’s always something beyond whatever you think you know about us. But that doesn’t mean the record isn’t reflective of who we are. Like, to me, what’s interesting is that both Max and I in person are quite bubbly, normal, practical. But the music is this very sincere, darker side to us that I never bring to the surface with other people, and for some reason we brought that out in each other. So, in some ways, the music is the most intimate reading of ourselves that we could provide. Not in being this candid kind of disclosure, but in a much more abstract, emotional, unspoken way.” In an era of constant disclosure and overshare, MS MR’s anonymous beginnings meant they’ve well and truly subverted the normal tropes of pop-music debuts; which are big on selling the artists’ faces, their stories, their image. Instead, they exist at that interesting intersection between indie sensibility and upward mobility; an idea that the duo are keen on exploring further. “For us, it’s going to always be about toeing the line between the DIY ethos of what we do, and more conventional ways of making and
For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews • 15
MUSIC
[FEATURES FEATURES] WIN
HEAR THEM ROAR They’re the biggest thing to come out of Iceland since Björk. Cyclone Wehner chats with Of Monsters And Mens’ Ragnar Pórhallsson about the highs and lows that come with rapid stardom, and why home is the hardest word to say.
ustralia is becoming a home away from home for Iceland’s mythic indie-folk outfit Of Monsters & Men. They’ll hit our shores for the third time this winter, headlining their second Splendour In The Grass. Already the band, last here for Laneway, have been selling out side-shows. “It is crazy, absolutely,” extols Ragnar ‘Raggi’ Pórhallsson, who sings lead vocals with OM&M’s founder Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, both also playing acoustic guitar.
A To enter this and check out heaps more head to the Inpress Facebook page.
ON THE INPRESS STEREO KARNIVOOL Asymmetry Cymatic/Sony
PALMS Palms Ipecac Recordings
JAY-Z Magna Carta… Holy Grail Universal
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The group, touring across North America, are in Seattle – the birthplace of Jimi Hendrix, grunge, and the altrock Sub Pop Records that has neo-folkies Fleet Foxes on its roster. “It is a great city – I really like it,” says Pórhallsson. Seattle’s college radio station KEXP did much to expose OM&M internationally when it uploaded a live ‘living room’ performance of the stirring Little Talks (in fact, a song about “loneliness and insanity”). OM&M’s formation was the initiative of Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, the band’s sole chick. Though she had developed a solo vehicle, Songbird, Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir sought other musicians for gigs. She’d connect with Pórhallsson, the pair enjoying harmonising together, guitarist Brynjar Leifsson and drummer/percussionist Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson. On winning Iceland’s Músíktilraunir band competition in 2010, and recognising their viability as a collective, they brought in bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson and keyboardist/accordionist Árni Gudjónsson. The following year OM&M debuted with the charmingly eccentric – and notably selfproduced – My Head Is An Animal (its title is a lyric from the introductory Dirty Paws) on Iceland’s indie Record Records. With US radio, and blogdom, picking up on Little Talks, OM&M signed to Universal. Today in both Australia and the US OM&M, not Björk, is the highest-ever charting Icelandic act. Here, Little Talks is now multi-platinum – and it placed at No. 2 in triple j’s 2012 Hottest 100. After over 20 weeks in the charts, My Head... went to No. 1 in February – and, again, is platinum. OM&M have lately released an anthemic fourth single, King And Lionheart. The lives of the OM&M members have changed overwhelmingly in three years. They’ve barely seen their Reykjavík base. Not that Pórhallsson is complaining. “I think we’re doing good,” he says of the adjustment. “We kind of have to just deal with it, but it’s more fun than it is hard – so it’s very easy to deal with, I would say.” Noah And The Whale’s Charlie Fink felt compelled to write the nostalgic Heart Of Nowhere on realising that he’d lost contact with old friends while travelling. “You miss out on a lotta things,” Pórhallsson concedes. “I haven’t been home for almost a-year-and-half – just little stops here and there – but I try to keep in touch with family and friends over Facebook and Skype and stuff, so that makes it a bit easier.” Bands had a tougher time pre-Internet, he adds. Nevertheless, it was because of
MUSIC
We have five double passes to see Finucane & Smith’s latest incarnation of Glory Box: Paradise on Friday 26 July at fortyfivedownstairs. The guest artist for this Friday night show will be Rhonda Burchmore.
that upheaval that Gudjónsson discreetly parted OM&M in 2012. “I think he just found that it wasn’t really his deal. He didn’t really enjoy the environment – and the whole travelling around... he really likes being his own boss, in a way. He just really wanted to go back to school and get his Masters in Musical Arrangements or whatever it’s called in English. But he just wanted to focus on that. We supported him in that – and we’re all still very good friends.” Presumably, then, Gudjónsson will help OM&M with arrangements in the future. “Yeah, I’m counting on him!,” Pórhallsson agrees. A bigger problem? OM&M’s popularity on the live circuit has meant that they’ve put off beginning their second album. Pórhallsson admits it’s a challenge. “It is kinda [hard] because this is all so new to us,” he says. “We look at it as, we’re doing this now and we’re touring – [but] it’s hard to find time to do the other thing, which is writing. But just with time we’ve found a way to write more on the road. We have some good ideas, as we’re making new songs. When we get home from touring, I think that’s where the real stuff will happen. Right now we’re just throwing ideas around and stuff like that.” Pórhallsson is unsure about the direction of their next album. “I just wanna try to make good songs. I think where it will go, how it’ll sound, depends on what the five of us do together when we get home. We definitely will do something that will sound different.” OM&M harbour an ambition to contribute music to soundtracks – something like The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Has anything come up? “Nothing at the moment,” Pórhallsson says coyly, “but there are some maybe in the works.” Audiences haven’t tired of Little Talks, which has attracted over 60 million YouTube views. OM&M are keeping it fresh for themselves. “Just last night we did an alternative version of Little Talks, so we’re trying to change it up and do different things.” At any rate, there’s always the electro remix of Little Talks by fellow Splendour drawcards Passion Pit that Pórhallsson considers “cool” – even if OM&M can be relied upon to avoid EDM. OM&M have had the most success in Australia and the US, the UK slow to embrace them – although they were booked for Glastonbury this year. “I never understand how these things work – but the markets are a very complicated thing,” Pórhallsson says. “How music comes on the radio and how it all works is a
very complicated business... But we’re very happy with just being successful in these places.” While OM&M’s breakthrough has coincided with a folk-pop resurgence, led by Mumford & Sons, they’ve actually been likened to Grammy-approved baroque rockers Arcade Fire. (In the past Pórhallsson has played down OM&M’s folkiness, instead deeming them “a very big rock band”.) “People always have to compare you to something,” Pórhallsson says, unfazed. He reckons the main reason the bands are bracketed together is because both have a multitude of musos on stage, OM&M sometimes accompanied by a trumpeter. “That’s enough for people to compare us,” he quips. Pórhallsson laughs, too, at the suggestion that journos often compare acts to demonstrate their musical knowledge. “I would be a horrible journalist because I don’t know any names – I’m horrible with names!” This accounts for why media types drop references so obscure that the bands themselves have never heard of them. “But it’s good,” Pórhallsson counters. “I can maybe discover new music by reading my own interviews then!” However, Pórhallsson readily lists his current favourite acts. He’s listening to Half Moon Run, the Canadian band supporting OM&M in North America. And he digs at least one vintage Australian group. “One of my all-time favourite bands growing up was Silverchair – though it was mainly [2002’s fourth album] Diorama,” Pórhallsson reminiscences. “That’s been one of my favourites for many years.” It’s an ironic choice given that he’s in Seattle and, early on, Silverchair, then impressionable teens, were accused of being Nirvana wannabes. “I hate grunge,” Pórhallsson confesses, “but I really like Diorama by Silverchair, because it’s not that grunge.” Why the antipathy to the Seattle sound – doesn’t every ‘90s indie kid love it? “It’s just something about the melodies – they don’t catch my attention,” Pórhallsson responds. “I don’t know why!” Not even Nirvana’s? “Well, of course, there are a lot of songs that are classics and [that] I like, but nothing that I can really get into.” OM&M are truly unique. WHO: Of Monsters & Men WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 28 July, Splendour In The Grass, North Byron Parklands; Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 August, Palais
FLYING HIGH With a mix of brutal chops and larrikin humor King Parrot could be Australian metal’s Next Big Thing. Or they could be the most metal spokespeople for a beverage ever. Vocalist Matt ‘Youngy’ Young talks about where the band’s heading with Tom Hersey.
It’s a Funk Volume extravanganza this Friday as two of the label’s biggest stars land at The Prince Bandroom. Dizzy Wright is putting LA back on the musical map, building a huge fanbase and possessing hip hop smarts well beyond his 22 years. Jarren Benton is the label’s latest signing, but comes with plenty of wild shows and underground hits in his past. Both are racking up massive numbers on YouTube, and with DJ Hoppa in tow it will be a big night of beats and rhymes. We’ve got five double passes to give away. To enter this and check out heaps more head to the Inpress Facebook page.
16 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews
hen Melbourne five-piece King Parrot put together their video for Shit On The Liver, they had no idea that their passing reference to beef-extract drink Bonox would prove popular.
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“We still get people bringing jars of Bonox to gigs and we have to sign them, all that sort of shit. I think the joke will go on for quite some time, and that’s totally cool with us,” King Parrot’s vocalist Matt ‘Youngy’ Young reckons. According to Youngy though, all the band’s done for Bonox has fallen upon deaf corporate ears. “Fuckin’ arseholes. They dissed us,” the vocalist laughs. “I wrote a letter to Kraft and said, ‘Check the video out, we’re definitely helping increase Bonox sales here, we should come up with something’ and they flat out ignored me. So there’s been no love from the people who make Bonox, but I think we’ll get over it…. I mean, hey, if trucks of money were to pull up outside the practice space, we’d let them in. But otherwise we’re happy to just play heaps of shows, sell heaps of merch, just keep doing our thing. We won’t be taking any shortcuts, and we don’t need any favors from Kraft, I don’t think.”
The band’s run of success following debut album Bite Your Head Off is proof of their ability to do it all by themselves. “I think it certainly exceeded our expectations in terms of the response the album’s gotten in Australia as well as in America and Europe. We still consider ourselves a new band, it’s probably only been a couple of years of touring. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that we were paying a fortune to try and play interstate, and playing to no one. We expected that, as you do as a new band. But then we didn’t expect this really rapid rise; we put in a lot of hard work, but we’re stoked that it’s taking off.” With this success King Parrot have spent the last nine months cementing themselves in the upper echelons of the Australian underground with constant touring. “We basically stick to the same formula for every show; just to put on the most intense, energetic and full-on show. We always try and pump as much energy into it while keeping it fun, just amusing and entertaining. That’s a big thing about the band; that we can have this full-on energy and play
brutal music, but then we can also take it to this other place where it’s funny and entertaining.” Youngy admits that they’re looking to push their tunes overseas and they’re testing the international water with the Shit On The Liver video. “It’s really been invaluable to us, and I think it will continue to be. People are still seeing it for the first time now. And it’s being launched overseas at the moment, it’s getting pushed out around the place and we’re getting some good feedback. So it’s good to see that the Australian sense of humour can branch out to other cultures.” WHO: King Parrot WHAT: Bite Your Head Off (Impedance) WHEN & WHERE: WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 25 July, Karova Lounge, Ballarat; Friday 26, Barwon Club, South Geelong; Saturday 27, Northcote Social Club; Sunday 28, Music Land, Fawkner
MUSIC
[FEATURES FEATURES]
DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY The infectious pop melodies of Sydney’s Vydamo might only be a few short streets away from that of Art Vs Science, main man Jim Finn’s other project, but, as he tells Ben Preece, the mission statement couldn’t be further away.
ALTERNATIVE CAREER
JUSTIN STREET FROM AIRBOURNE
hen Jim Finn of Art Vs Science first heard the news that he needed a kidney transplant, he simply didn’t flounder. With nothing but time on his hands, he saw it as a rare opportunity to knuckle down and finish off a bunch of ideas he had lying around, ideas that would lay the foundation for a solo venture called Vydamo.
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For such a short lifespan, the Vydamo journey has had many celebrated stops already: the incredibly hookladen debut single Gonna Make It quickly received downloads in the tens of thousands and was one of the most played tracks on triple j. The very cruisey and equally likeable follow-up Hurricane did much the same and quickly built anticipation for Finn’s debut album release, Becoming Human. Finn’s upbeat nature obviously hasn’t been tarnished by his six weeks hooked to a dialysis machine as demonstrated by the 13 new songs on this debut album. “It’s a very exciting journey and I hope it keeps going this way,” Finn exudes. “The whole notion of something like that happening to me reaffirms my belief of staying positive no matter what the situation – if worrying about the situation can’t change the situation, then there’s no point worrying. That connection and love you feel for your family and friends during a time like this – I think I felt it really strongly, so I think that really seeped into the album, too.
“I was very aware that there were a lot of Beach Boys’ and Beatles’ harmonies coming through on the record so I think I didn’t want to push it too far. Even though [they’re great influences], I didn’t want to embrace it too much,” he laughs. “I think it’s better to at least try and be a bit more global with where you take your music from rather than focus specifically on one thing. I think keeping an open mind and open ears is a good thing, too.”
“In Art Vs Science, we have that overlap of where we all have our passions of music coming together and, liking different things, we all embrace the subject matter that can relate to all of us,” he continues. “But with Vydamo, it’s very much a personal thing and my own view of things – the world – and that might not be the same as the other guys in Art Vs Science. So this is quite a step away from working with others and really looking – instead of outwardly for those influences, looking inwardly and working out what you want and embracing yourself. I’d definitely love to keep doing Vydamo, but Art Vs Science is my main project and I really enjoy that side of it. But at the same time… they’re both really exciting, fun approaches to music and they’re both so different that it’s really good to have those two approaches as it keeps you really interested and entertained for your own sanity.”
Carefully explaining that he didn’t want to fully cross the pop line, Finn continues: “The melodies and the chord progressions and song structures very much lend themselves to that ‘pop’ aspect. I made sure on the production side that it wasn’t too pop and that I was getting cool, roomy drum sounds and different effects. Tim knew exactly what I was going for, I like keeping that ‘70s edge to it while still doing a pop record, having a few psychedelic elements in there still. I think I have a pretty short attention span and I love those pop elements of it, so the whole notion of getting to the next section and getting to the bit people want to hear is pretty true to me.”
MUSIC
Finn grew up in an idyllic household as one of six kids and admits the songs he was writing had influences rooted in his first memories of music. But when it came to actually recording the album with producer Tim Carr, Finn displayed incredible restraint in steering the sound and even holding back some of those moments that could’ve easily turned into layered harmonies akin to The Beach Boys.
Those approaching Becoming Human looking for a record full of party anthems like Gonna Make It might be surprised. Tracks instead range from the mid-tempo (Every Now And Then, Bare Feet) to surprisingly confessional ballads (Becoming Human, Little Monster) and also, naturally, the more left of centre (Living In The Sunshine, Long Long Day). “The general vibe was to capture the honesty I felt in writing the songs,” Finn confesses. “I have fairly broad taste in music. That I think you can tell by going from a song like Long Long Day to Little Monster, which is [more] like a piano-ballad than a big, rollicking guitar riff. As
long as I was honest with myself putting across my personality, then I thought it would work putting those extreme elements together. I wanted to capture that while maintaining my original view of the songs. “Becoming Human refers to that notion of: we’re all on the path to becoming better as people,” Finn summarises, explaining the album title without an ounce of pretension. “Little things like treating those around [you] better and spreading positivity rather than embracing negative emotions, and being more considerate of your environment and all living things. And spreading positivity and love rather than spreading jealousy, greed and power and those sort of things, and connect back to more what tribal communities used to embrace thousands of years ago. They had a much better understanding of their environment and how they connected to it, whereas now we seem to have become a bit more removed from it.” Vydamo tours as a five-piece live outfit and have already traversed the country a couple of times on the strength of the singles. Finn explains that because the album was conceived with family love firmly in sight, that it was equally important to grasp that love when selecting band members. “The most important thing was not to have the best musicians in the world, but to have people who are close friends of mine. The album is about connection to those around you so, to go on tour, I wanted that on stage also – I thought it was really important in helping the audience connect, too.”
Standish is talking about Wham! because his latest band, Standish/Carlyon, are a duo, and he’s all too aware of operating within the history of partnerships. Though their name is a little more Hall & Oates than Lightning Bolt, Standish/Carlyon hew to the darker side of musicological dyads: “Suicide are number one,” Standish states, with surety. Standish/Carlyon finds him reuniting with Tom Carlyon; the pair long-time collaborateurs, previously, in Devastations – an expat art-rock trio who divided their time between Berlin and London, releasing three LPs. Standish/Carlyon maintains that sense of mystery, but trade in layers of echo, swanning ’80s synths and dub production. “It’s referencing certain kinds of pop ideals, in a Brian Ferry kind of way; this cartoony kind of referencing of pop modernity, with plenty of absurdity,” says Standish of the project, who’ve
Growing up in suburban Melbourne, Standish looked on with envy at mail-carriers and their motorcycles – admittedly harbouring bigger postman dreams than rock’n’roll ones. “My first band was thrust upon me,” he recalls. “When I was 17 I used to hang out with, well, a bunch of arseholes. We used to take a lot of drugs, hang out and listen to records all day every day. They had a band, and one day they fired their bass player, and informed me that I was the bass player.” Years on and Standish is no longer navigating the rock band format, Standish/Carlyon’s co-billed partnership feeling more like a relationship. “It was always handy when we were fighting, to have that other person to step in and diffuse the situation,” he says. “The group dynamic is a real thing, and
That decision sucked ass #bullshit Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) Damn right it did. RIP #Ashes
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just released their debut LP, Deleted Scenes. “It’s body music, but there are surreal aspects to it, and enough detail to keep the mind interested.” The pair have now returned to Melbourne, and they’re settling in. When Standish offers Inpress that “big fucking scoop”, he’s doing so on the night before starting a new job as a postman. “I’m nervous, really,” he confesses. “I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into.”
Airbourne are touring. Check The Guide for dates.
WHAT: Becoming Human (Sony)
Conrad Standish, one half of Standish/Carlyon, is settling back into Melbourne life by fulfilling his childhood dream of being a postman. He gives Anthony Carew a big scoop or two.
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Making movies and drawing/painting.
WHO: Vydamo
SPECIAL DELIVERY
ham! was the first-ever band I saw live,” admits Conrad Standish. “In 1985, at Festival Hall. I went with my dad. I left halfway through because – get this – I thought it was too loud. There’s a scoop for you, Inpress. A big fucking scoop.”
IF YOU WEREN’T DOING MUSIC, WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU BE DOING?
sometimes it can make your life so much easier.” Initially, the pair had “never any thought [they] were going to do a new thing after Devastations”, but slowly they began swapping musical ideas and ended up recording Deleted Scenes before they’d committed to being an actual band. Then another Australian art-rock expat came calling. “Liars were curating [Sonic City] festival in Belgium, and I had sent Angus [Andrew] a couple of our songs, because we’re old friends,” says Standish. “And he asked us if that would be our first show. We hadn’t really thought whether this would be a live thing at all. But playing this festival was too hard to pass up, especially because it gave us a deadline to get our shit together.”
What it does: We’re consumers. Don’t deny it. All those jokes about people bragging on their new Nikes, or Tigers or Converse… that’s us. Swaag (the extra ‘a’ is for, ‘I have no idea’) lets you show off your personal style without the shame of having to show your face. Wanna show off your new Ray Bans? Snap. Upload. Fancy-filter the shit of out it and then choose what swag bucket they fall into (clothing, accessories, etc). Why it’s essential: It’s like Instagram for your clothes and shit. Plus, you can get exclusive offers from streetwear brands by joining. Platform: iOS 5.0
WHO: Standish/Carlyon WHAT: Deleted Scenes (Chapter Music) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 27 July, Shebeen Bar
For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews • 17
FILM
[FEATURES FEATURES]
ENHANCING THE RIDE It’s all about life balance, so when Pharrell Williams dances with naked women in a film clip, he’s going to counter that with an animation film soundtrack. Guy Davis talks with the multi-faceted artist about his work on Despicable Me 2.
ESSENTIAL TOUR ITEM
ERIN HARRINGTON FROM MISS ELM
harrell Williams is one of those prodigiously talented, extremely prolific and remarkably accomplished people who tend to make the rest of us wonder just what the hell we’re doing with our lives. There is, of course, his brilliant career as a producer, both on his own and as one half of The Neptunes – he’s worked with everyone from Jay-Z and Beyonce to Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. As a musician, he’s released solo projects and recorded with his band N*E*R*D. He’s been nominated for 19 Grammy Awards; he’s taken home four of them.
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Nintendo DS and my poncho Miss Elm is touring. Check The Guide for dates
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HUMAN HURRICANE We have two DVD copies of music doco Last Days Here up for grabs. The film tells the story of Bobby Liebling, lead singer of ‘70s metal band Pentagram, and his struggles with drug addiction and abusive behaviours that led the band’s demise. With the band having a modern day cult following, Pentagram fan Sean Pelletier attempts to clean Bobby up so that he can take to the stage again. The DVD hits Australian shelves on Wednesday 24 July. To enter this and check out heaps more head to the Drum Facebook page.
STUDIO BAR
JESS FINLAYSON FROM THE MIS-MADE
So we’ve established that Pharrell Williams is kind of omnipresent. But he seems to be even more so lately. Two of the most popular singles of recent times, Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines and Daft Punk’s Get Lucky both benefit from the Williams touch. Those pounding drums on Hans Zimmer’s Man Of Steel soundtrack? Williams. And who’s that providing the score to one of the most popular movies of the year, the animated hit Despicable Me 2? You get one guess. The first Despicable Me, which saw Steve Carell voicing Gru, a super-villain unexpectedly humanised when he becomes a father figure to a trio of adorable orphans, was Williams’ first outing as a soundtrack composer, and his input was regarded as a pivotal part of the movie’s massive appeal. “The music for the first film was distinctive and defined the character of the movie,” said Chris Meledandri of Illumination Entertainment, the production company behind the film. “It was borne out of collaboration between Pharrell and Heitor [Pereira, co-composer]. It was clear that was a relationship that we wanted to continue for the second film.” For his part, Williams needed little enticement. “I really wanted to do it,” he says. ”It’s animation! And animation was a huge part of my childhood, my formative years. When it comes to my creativity, I attribute it to skateboarding, I attribute it to music and I attribute it to animation. Cartoons raised me. From Looney Tunes to Justice League... I love everything that is on [animation TV station] Boomerang right now. I’m 40 and I watch SpongeBob all the time.”
MUSIC
WHAT ITEM MUST TRAVEL WITH YOU ON TOUR?
Then there are the sidelines. Williams has co-founded a couple of clothing lines: Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Footwear. He’s designed jewellery and furniture. He’s created sculpture. He’s a creative director for online broadcaster KarmaloopTV. And he’s building an after-school centre for kids in his hometown of Virginia Beach. He only sleeps 30 minutes a night. No, that’s not true at all... but you thought it could be for a moment, didn’t you?
But enthusiasm isn’t always enough, and Williams is smart enough to recognise that he’s still in the early stages of his learning curve when it comes to soundtrack composition. “Filmmaking and scoring are really comprehensive jobs that take a lot of years and experience to get to an expertise level,” he says. “Part of it is just reaching into oblivion for things that don’t exist. You don’t necessarily know where what you get comes from but you know it feels good. Then your job is to continue to chase that. It’s like you’ve got a rock and you chip away at it until you find the sculpture you’re looking for.” He admits, however, that working with filmmakers to provide them with the sonic component of the big picture has similarities to his other collaborative endeavours. “I found myself really aiming to be harmonious with the intentions of the writers and the director,” says Williams. “Aside from the directives they give you, there’s the images, the dialogue, the physical movement of the characters. You have to make sure what you’re giving the film contours and parallels what the filmmakers want. Because even if you think something is great, if it doesn’t fit it can become a distraction. A film is like a rollercoaster ride; it goes the way the designers of the track intend it to go. And one person riding a rollercoaster can’t go in another direction – it’s not built that way. What I have to do is make sure I’m maintaining that direction. Because I’m there to enhance the ride, not distract from it in any way.” With Despicable Me 2, Williams says that his discussions with Meledandri and co-directors Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin resulted in a search for “a more soulful sound – something that was right in the world of the late-‘60s/early-
‘70s”. And he found the process of working with the filmmakers an especially agreeable one. “My job is to interpret what they want and articulate it through music,” he says. “You either feel that or you don’t, and I always felt like I knew where they were coming from. What they do is so vivid and striking it’s hard not to be inspired by not only what they give you but also the intentions behind it. And that’s good because it means you can approach it from any different direction.” The main intention when it came to Despicable Me 2, which has Gru putting aside his super-villainous ways, devoting himself to fatherhood and falling for a fetching crime-fighter voiced by Bridesmaids’ Kristen Wiig, was conveying a sense of happiness. As well as reprising songs and themes from the original movie, Williams came up three new numbers in this upbeat vein, Fun Fun Fun, the aptly-titled Happy and Just A Cloud Away, the one with which he’s most... well, happy. “I’m very proud of Just a Cloud Away,” he said. “It’s meant to be a Hallmark card for people who are going through a tough time. You can never get tired of new iterations of ‘It’s going to be okay’. I’m happy that in Despicable Me, of all films, we get to make music and give and offer people happiness. The filmmakers chose a happier through-line for the story, and that was perfect for me because that’s where I felt the music needed to go anyway, a happier place, where people could be excited and be festive and smile without feeling funny about it.” WHAT: Despicable Me 2 In cinemas now
ANOTHER ROUND “Drinking around town offers some weird opportunities,” Cash Savage tells Annie Brown. But when it comes to making music to perform with her band The Last Drinks the motivation is “to keep it as real as possible”.
fter spending the last six months constantly listening to her band’s new album The Hypnotiser, Cash Savage can’t wait to take her band The Last Drinks out on tour and play the album tracks in front of an audience. “A few of the songs have guest singers,” she points out, “but we already have seven people in the band so we can’t take guests on tour just for one song. [Our] Melbourne show will actually be the closest to the album, so I’m really looking forward to that.”
A WHAT WOULD WE FIND IN THE STUDIO FRIDGE WHEN YOU’RE RECORDING? Beer, vodka, tequila and stacks of yummy food. The Mis-Made’s EP House Of Cards is out now.
Lyrically, The Hypnotiser is very raw with its heartaching country strings and dark, honest vocals from Savage. It’s mostly inspired by personal stories, although Savage tells that a few tales have also been borrowed from friends. “The big thing for me with this band is that it’s got to be real,” she explains. “Because you do a lot of shows and when it’s not real you can get sort of sick of it, but when it’s real it keeps me driven. So it is raw, but it’s just how I like to write these days: to keep it as real as possible. I like a lot of different music and I guess it’s just who I am. I feel like anyone who knows me would say that the songs are true to me.” Cash Savage & The Last Drinks have evolved into a seven-piece band over the years and Savage recalls:
18 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews
“We’ve all sort of found each other just from playing gigs… I remember our first double bass player came up me to after a show once and told me that he wanted to play with us, so I said ‘yep’ and put his number in my phone. A few months later I found this number in my phone that just said ‘Graham Bass’, so I called him up and he came and played with us.” Not just a magical one-trick pony, Savage is also coach for Old Bar’s pub footy team, The Unicorns. “I actually retired at the start of this year, but they pulled me back in. I really love the pub footy, I think it’s great and I really like the spirit the Old Bar takes. We’ll have a really good time, and I guess some teams take it a bit more seriously than us, but I personally think it’s important for pub footy to have a team like The Unicorns in there because we don’t take it very seriously. But drinking around town offers some weird opportunities, and one of them was to coach the Old Bar Unicorns and why would you say no?” Although Cash is well known around Melbourne town, her roots come from Port Albert, a small coastal town in Gippsland. A shot of Port Albert’s back beach is immortalised on The Hypnotiser’s cover art and this idea made sense to Savage because she refers to the beach
in songs including Howling For Me, which is about her dog. “I didn’t know what to put on the cover, with a name like The Hypnotiser,” Savage confesses. “But, with ‘keeping it real’: I love that place, in my hometown – nobody goes there. It’s essentially this mudflat-type beach and none of the locals go there, so when you’re there it feels like you’re the only person in the world. “We go out there every now and then, and we light a massive fire, as big as we want, but eventually the tide will kick you off the beach. The last time we were there [was] just before New Year’s, we had 20 people down there and we carried this huge piece of driftwood to use as a chair. And when we went down to take the photo, we noticed that it was still there, and you can see it on the front cover.” WHO: Cash Savage & The Last Drinks WHAT: The Hypnotiser (MGM/Heapsaflash) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 26 July, The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine; Saturday 27, The Curtin
MUSIC
[FEATURES FEATURES]
FOREVER A FAN After avoiding their own war of attrition, Transplants are back swinging with a soundtrack for the battlefield of life. Taking interviews from Epitaph HQ in LA, ‘Skinhead’ Rob Aston and Benny Doyle talk breaks, bonds and Barker.
t’s been eight years since we’ve heard from snarling punk rockers Transplants, and even though ‘Skinhead’ Rob Aston hates the fact they’ve been away for so long, the polite and affable frontman admits that as soon as the group stepped back in the studio to record their third record, In A Warzone, that period of inactivity ceased to hold any importance or relevance.
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“I don’t think any of us really knew what to expect going into it because it had been so long [since] the three of us had been in one room together, let alone working and writing and recording music,” Aston admits. “But fuck, man, we got in there and we just got to work. I think that first day we did two or three songs from scratch – written and recorded – and it was nice; there was no weird tension with anyone or anything, there [were] no egos. It was just nice. “We’ve always had a good chemistry with our band where if someone is not feeling someone’s idea then we just say it. Plenty of times I’ve had ideas that get shot down or someone else has an idea that I shoot down; it’s not a thing of... it’s not a competition. It’s not, ‘Oh, well you don’t like my idea so I’m not going to like yours’. Whatever is best for the song, what’s best for the record, what’s best for the band. Not every idea works, not every song works, but when you’re in a band and you’re creating music with three or two other people, you have to be open and receptive to other people’s ideas and suggestions, ‘cause if not you’re just some fucking dipshit control freak who no one wants to work with – who wants to be in a band with that guy?” he queries with a light chuckle.
There’s always going to be a couple of dipshits, like, ‘Oh, just get over it and get on a plane, or get on a boat’. Well, arsehole, the boat is about 31 days each way, and it only goes fucking one time a year! So I don’t think me and Trav are going to be spending the other 11 months just hanging out in Australia. As awesome as that would be and as fun as that would be, I’d get to see awesome bands like Kromosom and stuff play, but hey, nothing’s ruled out and hopefully one day we can get down there.” WHO: Transplants WHAT: In A Warzone (Epitaph)
A supergroup of sorts, with Aston’s bandmates including Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and Rancid guitarist/vocalist Tim Armstrong, Transplants fell off the scene in 2005 due to Armstrong needing his own time and space for various reasons. His bandmates afforded him this – though it was longer than expected – and now with the current line-up solidified following the 2011 addition of bassist Kevin Bivona, all four men are on the same page with the music they’re making and the goals they’re trying to achieve. And for Aston – a former Rancid roadie pulled into the frontline by Armstrong – the excitement of the position he finds himself in hasn’t wavered. “I’ll catch myself looking over my shoulder because, like when we’re playing live I’ll just stop and trip out with what Travis is playing because fuck, I’m in a band with Travis Barker and Tim Armstrong – they’re pretty fucking good at what they do,” he laughs. “Literally, sometimes we’ll be playing live and I’m supposed to be fucking singing and I’m staring at the cymbals that Trav’s beating the shit out of because fuck, I’m a fan, besides being in a band and friends and family with these dudes, I still admire what they do. I still love being in a band with these guys and creating music.” Before this, Skinhead never held such aspirations. He hadn’t written lyrics or penned a poem. He hadn’t even sung a song. “But [Tim] saw something in me so I was like, ‘Fuck, I gotta give this a shot. Here’s Tim Armstong, who you’ve been listening to since you were a little kid, since Operation Ivy, and Rancid obviously, and here he is hitting you up to write fucking songs, you fucking do it, y’know’. “[But] once I started writing songs and writing lyrics, I discovered it was a wonderful outlet, a wonderful release of energy, anger, pent up hostility or whatever, because you’ve got to get that shit out somehow, whether you’re going to fight or you’re going to fuck or you’re going to fucking scream, you gotta get that shit out somehow. And music to me is a wonderful release and almost a type of therapy, y’know, especially punk rock. You fucking scream...” he drives homes. “To me, punk rock is the most genuine form of music; this is me, this is how I feel, fuck you if you don’t like it, fuck you if you do like it, y’know. And that’s what punk has always been to me, it’s about saying what you feel, and everyone might not agree with it, but fuck ‘em, y’know.” The Warzone that Aston references throughout this latest record is one that everyone deals with, be it mentally, spiritually, geographically or religiously. All around the world things are happening and the vocalist recognises this, from Turkey and Afghanistan to his home of Los Angeles. Underneath this thematic banner lies a maturity in lyrical content, while the overall musical assuredness is palpable, with the quartet using anything from electronic loops, spaghetti surf guitar, hip hop verses and funk rhythms to help deliver a record that’s constantly moving. Unfortunately, due to the post-traumatic stress Travis Barker suffers from following a horrific plane crash in 2008, Transplants won’t be visiting our country anytime soon – it’s a fact accepted by the band. But if things change for the drummer, Aston will have his bags packed fast. He finishes by painting an honest picture of the situation, for the lovers and the haters. “Try and put [yourself] in his shoes, because no one [can],” he challenges, “nobody has gone through what he’s been through, ‘cause he’s the only survivor from that plane crash. And he didn’t walk away from it unscathed – he has fucking skin grafts and burns all over his body, so I don’t think anyone who’s gone through what he’s been through would be too quick to jump back onto a flight. But I never rule anything out when it comes to Travis or when it comes to Transplants because you never know. Travis continues to surprise me and inspire me daily, and like I said he might call me and say, ‘Let’s go to Australia’. Then fuck, I’m right there with him. But if he never decides to then I’m with him there, too. I respect whatever he does. “And for the most part the feedback from everyone down in Australia and elsewhere has been pretty positive and they get it.
For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews • 19
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THE POWER AND THE PASSION Passion Pit are one of the lucky ones. After riding and surviving 2012’s electro-pop tidal wave, they’re heading our way with a stack of new material and, as frontman Michael Angelakos tells Natasha Lee, some treasured memories of a beloved festival.
FIVE MINUTES WITH ANTHONY CHEN (FILMMAKER)
n the beginning, Passion Pit – the band – came as even a surprise to frontman Michael Angelakos. See, Angelakos never meant to make an album or an EP, it just kinda happened. The genesis of the group’s material was born when Angelakos recorded a bunch of songs as a belated Valentine’s Day gift for his girlfriend back in 2008, while he was undertaking a media studies course at Emerson College, Massachusetts. The songs quickly made their way around campus and, upon realising how popular they’d become, Angelakos and a few university buddies decided to form Passion Pit and release those early songs on an EP, Chunk Of Change.
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What was the most challenging thing about making Ilo Ilo? Casting the child lead. We saw over 8000 children over a ten month period in 21 primary schools, auditioned 2000 of them, shortlisted 150 in which I conducted over 100 hours of workshops over six months before I was sure who would be the one.
What was it like working with child actor Koh Jia Ler? It was fun but difficult, as with all shoots with children. I have had experience working with kids on previous shorts, so I knew I was asking for it having written a child lead for my first feature. There were like two kids on set, one in front of the camera and one behind the camera. He was very stubborn, so was I. And we all wanted our way and didn’t want to give in. So it was a love-hate relationship. But I adore him a lot. It’s startling how much taller he grew now compared to a year ago when we were filming. Did you always want to be a filmmaker? When I was much younger, I wanted to be an actor. In fact I was involved in children’s theatre and musicals from a young age. I might actually attempt acting again. I think it helps with understand actors’ motivations and makes you a better director. But I have to say I’m quite bad with long lines. So maybe that’s just a passing thought. What’s it like returning to MIFF with a feature film screening? It’s great to be back in Melbourne. It’s a city I really like and I love the atmosphere of the festival. I was so busy with the Accelerator program the last time I was here, so I really hope I get to see more of what Melbourne has to offer this time round. WHAT: MIFF: Ilo Ilo WHEN & WHERE: Monday 5 August, ACMI and Thursday 8 August, Greater Union
20 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews
“We’re one of those bands that got a tonne of press too early,” surmises Angelakos, on the phone from his home in Boston. “I feel…,” he begins before pausing, “I feel like a lot of artists have a hard time with it [quick fame]. America, you know, is like the new UK. But, we just keep on doing what we do. We haven’t tried to be anything that people have asked us to be. And I feel now… we’re ready now to be put on that pedestal. It’s just we needed that time and how that we’ve had that time we’re really ready.” Album number two, Gossamer, hasn’t enjoyed the same kind of neurotic airplay, but Angelakos doesn’t seem at all bothered, explaining that the album as a whole is more musically impressive than Manners. “ I think,” begins Angelakos, “What we decided on was this was a record that we were a lot more interested in laying closer to the record, because Manners was a very in studio album, it was hard to replicate live and, unlike ninety per-cent of other bands, we perform every backing track.” The lesson to “lay it live” came after the success of Manners saw the band embark on a two year tour that would take them halfway around the world and back again. “We did two years on Manners, exploratory touring, you know… no money at all,” says Angelakos. “But it burned us out. Don’t get me wrong, I mean the markets were great, but there were issues… like, a lot of medical issues.”
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What did you get out of the MIFF Accelerator program? It was an interesting experience because it was the first time there were international filmmakers invited to Accelerator from outside Australia/New Zealand. There was me and another filmmaker from Ireland. So I had a real perspective from the local filmmakers on the filmmaking situation in the area. Also, it opened me for the first time to the concept of script development (we had professional script doctors and script editors come speak to us). It was quite an eye opener for a filmmaker who had only done shorts at that time.
Fast-forward to 2009, which saw the release of their debut Manners and, just like Emerson College, it didn’t take long for the rest of the world to catch on to their fuzz-infected brand of synth-pop. This was of course helped along by the slew of shows – including Gossip Girl and HBO’s Big Love – which featured the tracks. Probably the most recognisable being the dreamy Moth’s Wings and Little Secrets, the latter used on just about every summer-centric ad that year.
The “issues” Angelakos is referring to included his Bipolar Disorder, which he was diagnosed with at 17 and since then has been receiving ongoing treatment. The illness ended up forcing the group to cancel a string of tour dates in 2012, with the frontman posting on the band’s website to say that the dates would be suspended while he undergoes treatment for his illness.
Angelakos adds that this time he is focusing his energies on synth development to ensure that “what we record will make a good sounding live show. We’re pretty proud of how we feel as a live band.”
“We’re a very lucky band,” sighs Angelakos, adding that “we have a lot of great people behind us and it’s great that people have that kind of faith in us.”
Oddly enough, all the additional inspiration for the album came from a rather unlikely source – show tunes. Yes, show tunes. “The whole record seems to hint at things that I was really obsessed with at the time,” muses Angelakos. “Like Rodgers and Hart, you know, show tunes like Cole Porter and stuff. You know… early musicals and a tonne of drums.”
Angelakos, however, makes little mention of his illness as the conversation turns to his upcoming Australian tour. “Ahh, Splendour,” he drawls. “You know, I think Splendour is one of our favourite festivals. We have great memories of playing it [in 2010].”
Although originally tentative to pick his favourite track on Gossamer, a little probing sees Angelakos eventually concedes that “I’ll Be Alright, is one of the best songs in terms of structure and melody, that and Carried Away. I also like the production on It’s Not My Fault, I’m Happy.”
Their live shows see a preppy Angelakos embody every inch of the charismatic frontman, swaying from here to there, with his eyes fixated on the sea of waving hands laid out before him. “Our first Splendour was a really momentous occasion,” says Angelakos. “We were opening for Mumford & Sons [who, oddly enough, are also on the bill for this year’s festival] right as they were breaking. The crowd was amazing.”
As for what Australian audiences can expect from the maxi-electro-pop quintet, Angelakos assures that he is preparing to bring his “A-Game”. “Well, I’m hoping to,” he laughs. “We’re right at that point in the album [Gossamer] where we’ve been doing it [touring] for a year and bands tend to get into cruise control ‘cause everything is so obvious, every day is another day. But we don’t want to do that. The Aussie market is an important place for us. I mean, we got our first gold record in Australia, you know. People in Australia get us and they get what we’re trying to do.”
Despite their solid live performances while touring for Manners, Angelakos says he felt that any new material the band were to release needed to be honed and written with that live vibe in mind. “Yeah, the whole laying it closer to live thing, that’s what I meant,” he explains. “When I went into record Gossamer, I went into there with all this touring [experience] in the background. It’s fun not to replicate that experience so much, but rather to learn from it.”
WHO: Passion Pit WHAT: Gossamer (Sony) WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 28 July, Splendour In The Grass, North Byron Parklands; Tuesday 30, Palace Theatre
BELIEVE IT A mutual love of music and atheism brought Melbourne singersongwriter Shelley Segal and American jazz guitarist Adam Levy together, and we’re the beneficiaries, as Michael Smith discovers.
t was really a series of lucky events,” chuckles the bubbly Shelley Segal, who’s only just recovered mobile service after a falling tree knocked lines out. She’s six or seven weeks home in Melbourne from a three-month tour of the US, and if the writing and recording of her latest release, Little March – a collaboration with American jazz guitarist Adam Levy (whose CV includes stints with Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman and Ani DiFranco among others) – is a series of lucky events, so to is her whole career.
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Back in 2011 Segal moved to London, ostensibly to do some backing vocals for a project her dad was working on – he plays in a Jewish wedding band – and met producer Tom Nichols, who offered her a production deal which resulted in her debut, An Atheist Album. That album then, as she describes it, “gave me traction in the US, because there’s a really big secular movement at the moment and that’s the first record, a very accessible record, stylistically – it’s mostly pop and folk – and that movement felt it was fairly representative. So I’ve been invited to do a lot of speaking engagements where I go through the album and talk about my experience of changing my worldview from a believer to a non-believer. That in particular has been very popular in the US.”
That album’s producer knew Adam Levy from an earlier project that they’d worked on together, and thought he and Segal would get along and so he put them in touch. “I was in New York,” she explains, “and Adam was living there at the time, so we spent a week together writing songs and getting to know each other, and we loved the songs that we made. But we didn’t plan to record them – we just wrote them and played them in our own sets. “Then, just before we recorded the album, in December last year, and just before that I was thinking I love these songs, I love them being part of my set and it would be so nice to have a copy of them. So we found a time in both of our schedules and Adam had a good friend in LA who has a studio and so we arranged to do the record with him. His name is Husky and worked on one of my favourite albums ever, Knuckle Down, by Ani DiFranco – when I saw that in his discography I was screaming!” she laughs. “It was beautiful. We just spent a week together in LA – we’d put down the songs during the day and then we’d go and get coffees and hot chocolates and it just really felt like friends together spending time making music, and I think that really comes across on the record as well. The first day I met Adam we started writing together
and I was, as you can imagine, very nervous – I’m here with the best guitarist in the world! And he was just so warm and made me feel very comfortable and at ease straight away. It made it really easy to write together. “I remember when we wrote [opening track] Glad You Asked, we were having a discussion about the difference it can make in a person’s day by somebody just kind of doing small acts of kindness. A lot of these songs stemmed from discussions about life and people and friendship and relationships.” Segal heads off to the US for another tour at the end of August, hopefully with a few new songs written with Levy on this lightning launch tour. WHO: Shelley Segal & Adam Levy WHAT: Little March (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 26 July and Tuesday 6 August, Bennetts Lane
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IT’S NOT OVER YET Even though they were right in the midst of rave music’s second coming in Britain, Klaxons are only now embracing the bangers. Jamie Reynolds shares his excitement with Benny Doyle.
RIDER MUST HAVE CLARE BOWDITCH
’m staring out to my garden wishing the sun was out. It’s all good. It’s quite nice actually, I have the afternoon off, so I might get into the garden, it needs some weeding – do something normal, y’know.” Unwinding at home after a couple of recent festival dates in Italy and Switzerland, Jamie Reynolds, bass player and vocalist for East London Day-Glo saviours Klaxons, is ready to get hedonistic once more.
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WHAT’S THE FIRST ITEM ON YOUR RIDER FOR THIS TOUR? A private movie theatre (only happened once, in Perth). Clare Bowditch touring nationally. Check The Guide for dates.
WARM UP FOOD
JOEL QUARTERMAIN FROM ESKIMO JOE
WHAT DO YOU USUALLY EAT BEFORE A GIG? Something light, like sushi, is good. Never eat steak or curry, because with steak you can’t get moving and with curry you may not make it through the show.
A new album awaits, scheduled to land in our parts just as spring crackles into our lives, and the guys have been using their recent sporadic performances to introduce some of these fresh tracks. “There have been five [new songs] of the minute, which seems a bit heavy – it’s a bit of a half and half – but we’re in this in-between period where we’re [in the middle] of what we’ve done in the past and what we’re going to do in the future so we just thought, ‘Let’s chuck it all in there’. And it’s going pretty well,” a chipper Reynolds informs. The saccharine-voiced Englishman has been loving the reactions of fans thus far, surprised at the instant appeal the new music holds. “It’s even a bit weird because it’s going down a bit better than some of the older songs,” he proclaims, “and people don’t even know them yet. It’s surprising but it’s going really well. I think that we’ve basically made a leap into doing what we’ve always said we were going to do and we’ve made a dance record,” he continues, “and that makes it a lot easier for people to tap their feet and go mental and jump up and down. We’re giving people dance music this time around and they’re definitely more than ready for that.” It almost seems like a strange statement: “we’ve made a dance record”, coming from a member of Klaxons. After all, this was the band proclaimed as the leaders of the ‘new rave’ movement in 2007. And considering they’ve worked with James Ford (Simian Mobile Disco) and been remixed by everyone from Justice and Erol Alkan and even our own Van She, it’s assumed they’ve always had a foot in club culture. “Yeah, it’s always been there, y’know, in the distance,” Reynolds concurs, “and it’s always been like our [underage] little brother, and now we’re just [connecting with] him, y’know, by taking him out on the town. [In the past] I think we were in denial about what we really
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Eskimo Joe’s new album due for release later this year.
The band have been off the radar for roughly two years since the touring cycle for sophomore album Surfing The Void wrapped up, and although the time has taken most of the band from their 20s to their 30s, and even netted one member a Hollywood wife (keyboardist/ vocalist James Righton married Keira Knightley earlier this year), they are not prepared to put an end to the good times and start getting all introspective on us.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK MOBY FT COLD SPECKS A CASE FOR SHAME
Eerily hypnotic.
And embracing it they are, stepping up by bringing in one of dance music’s biggest names for their forthcoming first single, a past collaborator and somewhat oracle when it comes to block rocking beats. “I don’t think it will be out... Actually, it might just be out the same time we get down there – it probably will be,” Reynolds begins with trepidation. “[But] being so close and us having not made an announcement yet I’ll keep it quiet, but it’s a track that we’ve made with Tom [Rowlands] from The Chemical Brothers, and it’s a bit of a dancefloor banger and contains what I’d go as to say is the most euphoric moment I think I’ve heard in music.” Indeed, the Brothers Chem have done a couple of bangers in their time, and Reynolds can relate. In fact, he cackles at the sarcastic sentiment: “Yeah, absolutely! And getting Tom on board, he’s like my childhood hero, I grew up absolutely loving that guy and now we make records together, it’s absolutely brilliant. We loved working with each other so much [on All Rights Reversed from The Chemical Brothers’ 2007 LP We Are The Night], he’s good fun and [that was] like a dream, [so] we just thought: ‘Who do we want to work with on this record?’, and we reached out to him and it came back all positive, so it’s been incredible.” When their third full-length lands later in 2013, it will be three years since Surfing The Void first appeared, and pushing on seven since the release of era-defining debut Myths Of The Near Future. On paper, it looks like the quartet are running their own race, changing directions rather than going with the current. It’s an assumption Reynolds agrees with. “Definitely, I think we’ve probably turned our backs on things that are hot in the past. Last night we listened to a couple of remixes that we had made by people that we
didn’t put out at the time because like the genre felt like it was new, and there was a dubstep remix that came out, like really early days, and we kind of turned our back on it like, ‘Nah, nah, not having this’,” he reveals. “We’ve been notorious for not having what’s going on at the moment, it’s pretty silly really. We’re just kinda like in our own bubble just writing music constantly, and that’s what our existences are, and having a look at the outside world doesn’t really affect how we get our [ideas], we just crack on in our own funny little world.” Luckily for fans Down Under, they have never turned their backs on our country. The band return this July as part of the massive Splendour In The Grass festival, making amends for their cancellation in 2007 – mere weeks out from the event – after Reynolds fractured his ankle during a gig in France. (“We’ve all had a few beers in our time,” he admits somewhat sheepishly.) And Klaxons are committed to coming full circle, with this show (and a special DJ set as headliners of FBi Radio’s tenth birthday party) signalling the start of progress for the future. “I hope that we’ll be back at the level we were at with regards to festival play, like we were headlining festival stages across Europe wherever we’d go and doing big performances, and I hope that’s where we are come this time next year,” concludes Reynolds. “We’re back doing club shows, we’re back doing smaller shows, we’re getting the feeling back. It’s not back to square one but it’s really establishing ourselves [again] with where we are, and it’s perfect. We’ll hopefully get to see it all grow over the next year.” WHO: Klaxons WHEN & WHERE: Friday 26 July, Splendour In The Grass, North Byron Parklands
FUCK THIS The Stiffys’ Jason Leigh tells Samson McDougall that their erection rock is no gimmick and that really they’re all heart.
ock rockers The Stiffys have their angle sewn up. Their mission statement: “The Stiffys are a two-piece rock’n’roll band that dress up like sailors and sing about erections. There is no deeper meaning to our songs and if the topic isn’t stiffies then we will not sing about it.” Their ambition: “To be Melbourne’s number one erection-based rock band...”
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The sailor suits are about getting noticed, standing out from the humdrum. “The thing about the music business is that it’s an image-based business, you’ve gotta look snappy at all times,” says Stiffys bass-playing mouthpiece Jason Leigh, who, incidentally, does not have a stiffy during the interview. “You’ve gotta look your best. We like to dress up a little bit, we like to look sharp. We’re very popular with the ladies and we just wanna do whatever it takes to impress the ladies.” Their shtick has already granted them major support slots, national tours and spots on festival stages and they’ll now tour their latest single, Champagne. “It’s about something that’s really important to us,” says Leigh of the song. “We didn’t want to be one of those bands that just sings about anything, we really just wanted to open our hearts and sing about our favourite thing, which is champagne.”
22 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews
are, but now we’re fully embracing it. And that’s come out really well – it’s cool man, we’re over the moon.”
Themed rock a new concept. The Beards are kicking international goals right now with nothing more than songs about facial hair; The Zimmers took the pensioner market by storm with their reinvention of punk tunes; there’s a band of spontaneous performing cyclists, The Cycologists, in Melbourne; there’s The Burqa Band, an all-female, indie-rock band from Kabul, Afghanistan; there’s even Mini KISS, a KISS tribute band made up entirely of midgets. “The thing about The Stiffys is that we’re not just some novelty band, we’re pouring our hearts out and just trying to express ourselves with our unique brand of rock’n’roll. I’d definitely be open [to a tour] if Mini KISS could commit to giving 110%.” Leigh and his buddy Adam Stagg have copped mixed receptions on tour. “Due to the nature of our unique brand of rock’n’roll, I think that some rooms can pose different challenges,” Leigh laughs. “Some of the more rural locations have taken a bit longer to become part of The Stiffys.” And they’re not exactly popular in your everyday establishments. “Due to the changing nature of society... We find that sometimes it’s hard for The Stiffys ‘cause we get turned away from a lot of restaurants and stores due to the nature of our unique brand of rock’n’roll and our drinking habits.
We find that hanging out in Red Rooster stores is the best way to relax, have a nice time, have a couple of drinks in the bathrooms, eat rooster rolls, eat big macs, do kickflips, meet girls – things of that nature.” Leigh is not averse to the concept of adding, ahem, members to the band, it’s just a matter of logistics. “We’ve got about four girls that play horns with us and one that plays percussion with us whenever we can. The thing is with The Stiffys, because we’re so focused at all times on having such a nice time, it can be hard to lock down a rehearsal time with all of us. “There’s 24 hours in the day... Sometimes I just need time for me; sometimes Adam and I just need to focus on our music – it can’t just be about ladies 24 hours a day. It’s like, ‘C’mon, guys, let’s think about it for one second. We’ve gotta play rock’n’roll, we can’t just kiss girls all day. It’s not just some kind of kissing booth, we’re not Ian Thorpe.” WHO: The Stiffys WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 29 August, Beav’s Bar, Geelong; Friday 30, Musicman Megastore, Bendigo; Saturday 31, Grace Darling Hotel
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SPEAKING OUT black, I’m Asian, I’m gay, I’m lesbian, I’m questioning. And it’s so good for these kids to see that some adults get it. These kids aren’t getting validation from the adults in their lives and I wanted them to know they are out there and they understand.”
It isn’t long ‘til Fifth Floor takes over a warehouse and fills it to the brim with the best of Melbourne psychedelia. The Murlocs will be there, as will Flyying Colours, Strangers From Now On, The Octopus Ride, Dan Trolley and Premium Fantasy. While the music dazzles your ears, things may get a little overwhelming as Astral Projection, Zonkvision, Rarakin Collektive and 12 Sandwiches cover the place in light-based imagery. When is it? Saturday 3 August. Where is it? Well, that’s all a bit hush hush. We’ve got two double passes to give away.
even months after Larry King’s murder, Marta Cunningham sat down with the some children from his school. Media at the time spoke of King as a predator, responsible for his own death through antagonistic actions he had been committing against the people in his school. But to the majority of his class, Cunningham was seeing a completely different picture. “These kids get it! The majority of them completely understood Larry. They maybe gave him a hard time but the girls thought he kind of looked good, some of them jealous of what he could pull off. This is not how these kids are being portrayed at all. What’s so sad is that these kids were full of regret and they hadn’t done anything. The kids never got a chance to tell him how fantastic he was.” The HBO documentary film, Valentine Road, is the story around Larry King’s murder: a transgendered 15-year-old, murdered by another student, Brandon McInerney. Director Marta Cunningham didn’t question following the story. “It was these kids that [were] my focus – making sure they have a voice and they are represented. As we are travelling with this film we are having these amazing experiences at the youth screenings. I’m
The national divide that came about from this act of violence brought questions of hate crime and youth’s understanding of sexuality to the forefront of major chat shows and media, two sides making themselves
The murder of a transgendered 15-year-old boy by his fellow student is a tough topic to tackle. Matt Ziccone talks to Valentine Road director Marta Cunningham about why she chose to make a documentary about it.
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GIG ETIQUETTE
SAM FRYER FROM PALMA VIOLETS
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Palma Violets are touring. Check The Guide for dates.
WHAT: MIFF Next Gen – Valentine Road WHEN & WHERE: Friday 2 August, ACMI Cinemas and Sunday 4, Greater Union
Filmmaker Juliet Lamont reveals to Anthony Carew the secrets behind her covert operation to make her music documentary behind Myanmar’s iron curtain.
t all started with a Facebook update,” laughs Juliet Lamont, of the beginnings of her film Miss Nikki & The Tiger Girls. “Nikki’s an old friend of mine from the VCA in Melbourne, and I hadn’t seen her for years, and she had a status that said ‘I just started Myanmar’s first girl band’. For me, as a documentary-maker, just that one line had all the dramatic stakes and conflict you could hope for.” At the time, it was 2010, and Myanmar was still suffering under a military dictatorship. So, when Lamont chose to travel behind the regime’s iron curtain to make a film about Nikki May’s attempts to assemble a manufactured girl-group amidst a climate of repression and censorship, the undertaking was fraught with challenges and dangers. “When we went there in 2010, it was just before the first elections in 20 years, so there was a complete ban on any foreign media, particularly anyone with a camera,” Lamont recalls. “We had to pretend we were tourists going on a meditation retreat, that’s how we got our tourist visas, and even then you can’t stay in the country for too long. We kept filming under-the-radar on a tiny camera that looked like a still camera, then we’d have to leave and come back again. We went six times for about two weeks at a time.”
THEATRE
THE INPRESS CREW ARE...
The story of Larry King’s death needs to be told with his life. Cunningham believes that these are the stories that adults and children need to communicate about. “Here’s a child that overcame all these amazing obstacles and he was very clear in defining gender expression about himself. It is beyond tragic to me that it was taken away.”
INTO THE JUNGLE
“I
About three years ago, we were the kids going to gigs and just wanted to throw ourselves around, get on stage and crowd surf and cause havoc, so we’re totally for that.
She really insisted on showing all sides, resulting in a film where you are never sure how you feel about the perpetrator. “I know that he is a child, but five years in juvenile isn’t fair either. I’m African-American and he just told his mother he is a neo-Nazi. Obviously one could very simplistically look and say, ‘Now he is 19 and a Nazi’. But you can’t in this instance look at one thing and say who this person is. It was so heinous what he did, but he was just a child. The Californian prison system is divided by race so was it safer for him to become a white supremacist? I still don’t know how I feel about it. I just wanted to keep asking questions about Brandon, never have any answers.”
apparent: those that couldn’t believe the kind of crime this was and those who saw McInerney as just a troubled kid. In such a landmark decade of gay rights, there is still a lack of understanding about how to teach youth to understand. The two weeks prior to his death, King was pushing the social boundaries and nobody knew what to do. As Cunningham explored the lives of those involved, “It felt like everything in the school was swept under the rug. It was a ticking time bomb and nobody wanted to talk about it,” she says.
Putting on her “biggest tourist hat” and “biggest, brightest smile”, Lamont made the film covertly, under some duress. “It was a really challenging, often difficult film to make. Each time we left, we never knew if we’d be let back in. And there was always the feeling that we were going to get our footage taken away.” That sustained ruse strangely mirrored the lives of the film’s local subjects: the five girls that May had recruited to be part of the Tiger Girls. Each wears their own biggest, brightest smile, masking the duress of their daily lives. “They couldn’t really speak to us for fear of jail,” says Lamont. “I was really naïve, I thought they’d be able to speak to us really openly and directly about their experiences living in a country like that. But because they’d been living under a military regime all their lives, they had a psychological imperative not to tell the truth, because it gets them in trouble.” Eventually, Lamont decided: “you can sing, why don’t you sing the story?” And, thus, instead of to-camera confessionals, Miss Nikki & The Tiger Girls has its girl-group subjects singing out their troubles in song form, expressing the feelings with a truthfulness they can’t quite speak. Of course, even the fact that the Tiger Girls were writing their own songs was itself a form of sedition. “They started to do original
material really early on, and that was a real cultural no-no. The whole music industry is pretty much just rip-offs of Western hits that they put their own Burmese lyrics to... Towards the end of the film they wrote a song calling all the exiles to come home and rebuild their country. If they’d written that song in 2010, they would’ve been jailed.” Miss Nikki & The Tiger Girls became innately political by dint of being filmed in Myanmar, and by chronicling the culture clash between the budding band and their free-spirited mentor. “Nikki really thought she was empowering them by taking them to a sex shop, exposing them to all this Western music, encouraging them to being really out there. It almost became this cautionary tale, on forcing other people into doing something, and the loss of innocence that comes with.” WHAT: MIFF – Miss Nikki & The Tiger Girls WHEN & WHERE: Monday 5 August, Greater Union and Wednesday 7 August, ACMI Cinemas Juliet Lamont is a guest of MIFF 2013
THE WORLD’S A STAGE News travels around the world fast, but is that a good or a bad thing? In a new interdisciplinary work, Prompter, co-writer and director Sam Fox explores how information can morph as it spreads, as he explains to Oliver Coleman.
BigFuckingRobots
LISTENING TO The Community Chest - Top Of The Hour
GOING TO Splendour
CHECKING OUT Factory Launch Party with BigFuckingRobots @ Noise Bar
WATCHING Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight
READING MIFF Program
EATING Gnocchi
DRINKING Green Tea
24 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews
he ubiquity of recording devices and internet access combined with the 24-hour news cycle has made the instantaneous reporting of significant events common practice. Just think of September 11, recent events in Egypt or watching an Australian Prime Minister being deposed live on air. In their new work, Prompter, Perth-based company Hydra Poesis investigate the conflicts that arise from these developments in the media. Co-writer and director Sam Fox says, “There’s a really interesting point where people are just speculating and we look at what that can lead to in terms of getting the story wrong and how our mass gaze can be appropriated for means that were perhaps not intended.”
T
Prompter is an interdisciplinary work that utilises elements of broadcasting and theatre, with performers present onstage as well as around Australia and the world, broadcasting themselves live into the space. Indeed, Fox is yet to meet a number of the performers in the flesh. The online performers witness fictionalised events occurring onstage. “They begin by bearing witness to it – recording themselves watching it and streaming that. It gradually gets more and more compulsive and elaborate and
performative. We’ve exaggerated YouTube phenomena as a political movement and an ethical compulsion, and we take it to pretty extreme ends,” says Fox. Four years in the making, Prompter is a technologically complex show and involves many new collaborations for the company. A great deal of time was spent engaging directly with people working in the media. Co-writer Patrick Pittman works as a journalist and consulted heavily with foreign correspondents, and also those in the live forum TV that Prompter investigates. Fox refers to Prompter as a work of “magic-politicalrealism”. He explains, “We are interested in real politics and critical performance but we’re not interested in it being a very dry documentary style. We are interested in imagining what our lives can be, playing on the conflicts that are happening for the subjects in our work and taking them into imaginative and/or magic-realist territory.” Hydra Poesis has a history of making work with a political edge. Fox points out that all of Australia, can be a “capitalist refuge” and that there’s a great deal of room for those who believe in progressive politics
to put those politics into practice. Theatre is part of that practice, he says: “There is that argument about preaching to the choir, which is not what our show does, but you have to go to choir practice otherwise you’re not in the choir. Theatre is part of choir practice.” Regardless of mainstream Australia’s political conservativeness, Fox thinks that everyday audiences are looking to be challenged by the form and content of theatre. “I suppose my wager with live performance is that people do not want to come out for conservative performance. They can sit at home and watch high end television or crap television. I think the reason people go to live performance is to experience something different. I think we have fulfilled that with this show.” WHAT: Prompter WHEN & WHERE: Friday 9 to Sunday 18 August, Meat Market, Arts House
29
SINGLED OUT SINGLE OF THE WEEK
WITH STEPHANIE LIEW
BLOODS Into My Arms Independent The best and most fun garage-punk songs don’t last for more than two minutes, and Into My Arms is no exception. It takes two main chord progressions and a killer line/hook sung by dual female vocalists (slightly staccato-style, like they’re spitting or stuttering, “How long do I have to wait for you to come back home?”) and adds a little extra here and there, but not a lot, because that’s all it needs to be golden. Brilliant.
ALEX LLOYD Better The Less You Know Independent There’s only so much of “dang-adingadong-dangadinga-dong-dang-adingdong” (you might as well be slapping spoons on your knee, Lloyd) one can take before they break. Like, one whole chorus of it and the damage is done. As a result, Better The Less You Know is an earworm of the unwanted variety. We’ll pass on the daggy, country-pop nursery rhyme, thanks.
THE WEEKND Belong To The World XO/Republic/Universal The Weeknd serves up another aching, permeating ode apparently about some manic pixie dream girl who has “taught [him] how to feel when nobody ever would”. This time, he’s got bigger beats firing fast – like a machine gun, with matching, buzzing synths – and everything’s abound with sweeping echoes and The Weeknd’s trademark harmonies. And when those chorus strings come in, we are grateful for The Weeknd’s propensity for being a sensitive, brooding soul, because it means we get jewels like this.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
[REVIEWS REVIEWS] a l b u m
MAYER HAWTHORNE Where Does This Door Go Caroline/Universal The legend of soul singer-by-accident Mayer Hawthorne grows and grows. Over the course of his first two albums, A Strange Arrangement and How Do You Do, the Californian nailed the white boy-does-Motown-and-a-little-Stax sound, living out his frustrated soulman fantasies to the fullest. Now the novelty has worn off somewhat he spreads his wings on this new set, Where Does This Door Go, and is all the better for it. Previous work with the legendary Daryl Hall has obviously rubbed off, the opening Back Seat Lover a throwback to the early-’80s blue-eyed pop-soul sound Hall & Oates made their own. Continually mixing it up, Allie Jones employs a heavy reggae skank while The Only One vibes over a hard East Coast hip hop beat that screams DJ Premier, yet is more likely the work of sometime-collaborator Jake One. Crime is a cool-out summertime anthem with the help of Kendrick Lamar while the awesomely funky Her Favourite Song benefits from the hand of Pharrell and some vintage A Tribe Called Quest drums. Expediting Hawthorne’s rise from the underground, Pharrell puts his fingerprints all over several tracks including the irresistible Reach Out Richard and ridiculously poppy funk fun of The Stars Are Ours. Closing the set with rare restraint, All Better comes off like McCartney meets REO Speedwagon. While sticking to his common theme of women and their various states of confidence, innocence, brokenness and conceitedness, Mayer has added a huge amount of variation to his delivery, resulting in his finest album to date. Darren Collins
MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE
FUTURE BIBLE HEROES
How I Learned To Stop Giving A Shit And Love Mindless Self Indulgence
Merge
Uppity Cracker/3Wise On first impression, the fifth full-length from New York synth-punk nutbars Mindless Self Indulgence seems to be all balls and no teeth. Both opener Witness and follow-up Fuck Machine have all the grunt and aggression that we’ve come to expect from MSI, but feel like the safe road in terms of accessibility, with none of the schizophrenic instrumentation and programming that’s so long been their aural hallmark. Thankfully, by the lyrically depressing-as-hell third cut, It Gets Worse, it’s like they suddenly remember what they’re supposed to be doing, and James “Little Jimmy Urine” Euringer’s trademark vocals make a welcome, if belated, entry to proceedings alongside frantic stopstart arrangements and jagged, crunching guitar lines. Euringer has lost none of his talent for tongue-in-cheek, puerile, borderline insane wordsmithery, with particular glee to be taken from his lamentations on ageing (Hey Tomorrow Fuck You And Your Friend Yesterday), internet hacking collectives (Anonymous) and the declining quality of rap music (Kill You All In A Hip Hop Rage). To make this LP, the band crowdsourced the funds through Kickstarter, which is fair enough – MSI was never a project that was going to make a lot of money. But curiously, left to their own devices, the album offers two of the least challenging songs they’ve ever written followed by another 11 that, while enjoyable, really amount to much of the same thing they’ve always done. Still, any album that concludes with a cheery British woman signing off, “Well, that’s all for now – goodnight, stupid children,” is at least worth a spin.
Partygoing It’s pretty safe to say that no matter how many records you listen to this year, you’ll struggle to find one that resembles anything like Partygoing, Future Bible Heroes’ third LP. The Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt and Claudia Gonson comprise two-thirds of the group, but rather than simply reproduce their more well-known band’s sound, Future Bible Heroes (whose line-up is completed by Merritt’s long-time friend Christopher Ewen) pair the dark ‘80s sounds of Depeche Mode with a modern electro-pop gloss. Highlight Let’s Go To Sleep (And Never Come Back), with Gonson on vocals, is the perfect example of the combination of the two sounds, and recalls the halcyon mid-‘00s days of Modular. Across the album, though, one of the most appealing elements is the contrasting styles of Merritt’s baritone and Gonson’s sweet alto. Rarely do they appear on the same track, but unlike many other dual-singer bands, there’s no awkwardness, with vocal duties shared. The album is distinctly varied, and requires the listener’s full attention. To offer it anything less would do it an injustice. Given the attention it deserves though, Partygoing is an intriguing prospect. Cheeky humour sneaks through at times (“Drink nothing but champagne/And you’ll never say no to love!” – Drink Nothing But Champagne), and the instrumental arrangements support the lyrics well. Enticing cover art and deft production add to the album, but it’s certainly not a release for everyone. The lack of any definitively catchy tune makes for a tough time getting stuck in your head, but for those willing to take the time to search out a left-of-centre addition to their 2013 listening, Partygoing is worth a look. Dylan Stewart
Mitch Knox
THE KHANZ Roll Around Independent It’s always risky name-dropping another band name into your band’s description, because it sets up the listener’s expectations, which then need to be met. You could dig yourself into a hole even before any music is heard. The Khanz’s one-liner reads: “kinda like Vampire Weekend, if you shoved a kettle cord up their ass, plugged it into the wall and threw the power switch”. Suffice to say, this is completely inaccurate: the drums are slightly tribal, but that’s about it. It’s generic, triple j dance rock with croaky vocals.
JESSICA MAUBOY To The End Of The Earth Sony Despite a run-of-the-mill sound, Mauboy’s robust vocals (she could sing the dictionary and it’d move you) plus spectacular production from LA composers/ producers Captain Cuts give To The End Of The Earth an injection of character and credibility – plus some pumped-up house beats and a joyous chorus. Though she does The Sapphires soul vibe and big diva ballads best, Mauboy proves her versatility with this dance banger. It’s always great to see stars who began on reality TV branching out and coming into their own.
LOUIS LONDON This Night Time Independent The ‘indie rock’ contributions to Aussie music have gotten stale of late. It’s not that they’re particularly sub-par, but rather that so much of it sounds so similar. S’pose that’s how trends work: you latch onto what’s successful or popular and try to emulate it while tweaking it enough to claim it as your own. Sydney band Louis London can be lumped into this expanding group, with the most memorable element of This Night Time being the showy drum rolls throughout the chorus, to the song’s detriment.
30 • For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews
RUDIMENTAL
SURFER BLOOD
PORTUGAL. THE MAN
Home
Pythons
Evil Friends
Black Butter/Warner
Sire/Warner
Atlantic
If there’s been a better mainstream dancefloor filler released in the past 12 months than Feel The Love by Rudimental, it’s hard to find. Frenetic beats, the soulful voice of John Newman, and a trumpet solo that makes Midnight City’s saxophone sound like a kazoo all combine to create an undeniable anthem.
It might seem a criticism to say that a band has missed a golden opportunity to cement their place in the musical landscape, but in this case, it’s a statement that should be taken with a grain of salt. There is a lot to love about Pythons, the second album from Florida’s Surfer Blood. From the jangly, surf guitar riffs to the pulsing rhythm section that propels the band like a good wave carries a surfer, Pythons is certainly an enjoyable listen.
Portugal. The Man’s latest offering Evil Friends is a charming little slice of pop pie that trades on vocal melodies that hook hard, yet doesn’t become tasteless with repeated listens, despite the initial giddy sugar rush.
The challenge for the quartet was always going to be translating the single’s success into a debut album. And in Home, they’ve done an okay job. Feel The Love is still the standout, but the rest of the album’s highlights are actually slower jams, drawing on a dub vibe rather than the frantic speed Rudimental have previously been known for. Hell Could Freeze is the perfect example of the two directions on the one track, guest Angel Haze’s raps juxtaposing her bluesy chorus. Spoons is uninspiring and muddled, lacking everything that Not Giving In has, the latter once again featuring Newman and a juicy horn section. Hide and closer Free are chilled out numbers that prove Rudimental have a solid base to build from, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a future album veer down this more relaxed, xx-inspired path. From what they show on Home, there’s definitely potential for it to be a successful avenue. Overall, though, Home is just too hit-and-miss. For every moment of brilliance displayed on the album there seems to be an exact counterpoint. The liner notes are a bit iffy, too; quality photos of the band are pitted against cheesy thank you lines like “everyone with a positive outlook on life”. The potential is there, it’s just not delivered well enough, often enough. Dylan Stewart
It’s just, well, it’s just over too damn quickly. Coming in at just over half-an-hour, by the time you get your ears stuck into it, it’s pulled away like a rug in winter to leave you naked, alone, crying (or is that just me?). Anyway, you’d have to have been living under a rock for the past decade to realise that albums have been somewhat out of favour, and perhaps that’s why Surfer Blood have kept Pythons short and sweet. There’s an argument for them; it’s better to release ten really good songs than 14 tracks of which four are a bit dull. But with pop gems like Squeezing Blood and Say Yes To Me demonstrating Surfer Blood have some serious songwriting chops, it’s hard to believe that there weren’t another few songs left on the Pythons cutting room floor. What it does mean is that if/when a B-sides or rarities album drops one day, there should be plenty of gold to choose from. For now though, enjoy Pythons while it lasts. Or maybe just throw it on repeat, learn the words, and wait for the next album to arrive. Dylan Stewart
After the slow plod of opener Plastic Soldiers runs through its three progressive acts, second track Creep In A T-Shirt sets the standard for the rest of the album to follow: goofy drumbeat, simple keys and the distinct vocal styling of John Baldwin Gourley combining to sculpt seemingly effortless pop. It would be easy to dismiss the melodies as throwaway ditties, but this would be a disservice to the quiet confidence of a band that clearly takes pride in song structure and writing melodies that stick in one’s head. Compared with the band’s earlier work this release is cohesive and considered, and as an album it flows seamlessly, no track begging to be played more than another, each possessing individual musical merit. This may be in part due to the enlisted services of Danger Mouse, whose production credits list Beck and The Black Keys among a host of others. There are plenty of woos and hoos, not to mention a preponderance of group chorus chants, but these never become tiresome, as the songs would be lesser for their absence. Sea Of Air builds and builds, from a simple acoustic chord progression accompanying Gourley’s voice, ending with a circular guitar lick skirting about the vocal melody as it fades to nought. Skipping through the album rapidly, it’s hard not to get sucked into listening to whole tracks upon landing on a chorus that tugs at the ear, and there’s a lot of that action to be had on this wee pearler. Glenn Waller
a l b u m [REVIEWS REVIEWS]
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THE BELLRAYS
AUSTRA
KIMENCE
Black Lightning
Olympia
One View
JANE’S ADDICTION
Sultan Sounds/MGM
Domino/EMI
Obese Records/Butterthief
Live In NYC
The BellRays are quite the anomaly, musically speaking. Not quite a garage band, not quite punk, not quite soul – not quite like anything, really. Blending said styles and pulling it off is no mean feat, and with Black Lightning the band continue to do what they do best, creating a sonic cocktail of high octane, rockin’ and soulful tunes that were made to be listened to at full blast with a frosty pint in hand. Title track and album opener Black Lightning sets the album’s tone beautifully, Lisa Kekaula’s bellowing vocals taking the listener’s ears for ransom at gun point. The gritty guitar line courtesy of Bob Vennum has all the attitude of a Ron Asheton riff, albeit a more up-tempo version. The intensity continues with Hell On Earth, which, at under two minutes is a short, swift slap that showcases drummer Stefan Litrownik’s penchant for precise fills that are pounded out with thunder. Initially sounding like incidental music from a ‘70s cop show, third track Sun Comes Down is effective in its simplicity, taking a surprise turn to include falsetto backing vocals before rounding a tasteful corner onto soul street.
Since 2011, Toronto’s Austra have evolved into a sixpiece band. The darkly glittering, electro-goth vibes of their first album have expanded into atmospheric synth pop that juggles between personal lyrical observation and thumping beats. Glistening harps, arpeggiated wind chimes and glassy synth tones intertwine with Katie Stelmanis’ dramatic vocals. The results feel dreamy with a wistful, melancholy edge, but underscoring this is the irresistible bump of rubbery house beats.
Finally, a female Aussie hip hop artist making a name for herself and trailing the footsteps of the men we so love. While the Adelaide lady may have a large local following, her debut album One View is sure to encourage national exposure.
Universal
More rock’n’roll hijinks continue with ball-tearer On Top, before power ballad Anymore eases back on the throttle. The about turn of the heavily Ramones inspired Power To Burn invokes the spirit of Jonny Ramone; thankfully Vennum’s short yet sweet guitar solo doesn’t outstay its welcome. The album’s dynamic continues on this bent, with ballsy numbers continuing until The Way presents itself as another soulful cherry on an otherwise rock cake. You Took Me By Surprise sounds surprisingly tacked on, but apart from this, the album flows nicely.
This album feels like a comedown after a big night out when chilled vibes and mind-numbing beats feel good. Surprisingly, Stelmanis doesn’t opt for the operatic histrionics for which she is known to indulge. This time around her vocals are tremulous and vulnerable, dealing in intimate lyrics on tunes such as Home, during which she pines for an absent partner, or You Changed My Life, the title of which really speaks for itself. At their most joyous, Austra take Stelmanis’ vocals and multi-track them into gloriously dense harmonies that become a thick immersive melodic sound on songs such as Fire and the expansive Reconcile. Raising a couple of fingers at the world, Austra deal I Don’t Care (I’m A Man) which, for one short minute, speaks of violent domestics. Without seeking to shock, the song just feels like an indignant observation of daily life. The stately Hurt Me Now comes to us with a grinding organ hook as Stelmanis’ vocals circle above our heads in spectacular fashion. Olympia finds Austra sounding more like a band. It’s a challenge to which Stelmanis as the outfit’s vocalist and songwriter has embraced, allowing it to take her to places previously unimagined.
Glenn Waller
Guido Farnell
Kimence uses One View to take the listener on a journey, from an introduction to the promise of more to come. Struggle and success are the main themes in this album and the somewhat disjointed flow of her rapping reflects enthusiasm and passion. This is especially evident in the opening track, Let Me Introduce – her first verse is a little hard to understand given there’s a strange tone to her voice. Luckily she finds her flow and we hear a more natural sound come across throughout the rest of the album. There’s narrative in her rhymes, which allow the listener to relate to what Kimence is bringing and take the journey of introspection alongside her. The inclusion of lesser-known MCs gives One View a really localised vibe and showcases the strength of our local talent. The only thing with having artists such as Raph AL and K21 on some tracks is that their inclusion actually trumps Kimence on the rapping front and listening to them becomes temporarily preferable. With cool beats and a catchy chorus, We Major (featuring Raph AL) is the record’s highlight. One View (featuring Alerts and Simplex) and How The Hell (featuring MNOPS) follow closely in equal runner-up position.
“This release is really a document for the fans, but if anyone asks if Jane’s Addiction are a great live band this will provide the answer.” Chris Familton
ZOMBY With Love 4AD/Remote Control “Solidifies his position as UK’s finest in garage dub.” Andrew McDonald
TUSK TUSK Ease Up A Little Illegitimate Children “It evokes a perfectly acceptable sadness and reflection that needs a few listens through to sink in.” Lorin Reid
Passion is what Kimence puts across and you can’t fault her for it. With an obvious love of hip hop and poetry in her lyrics, Kimence could be the female artist we’ve all been waiting for. Ashleigh Lucas
For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews • 31
[REVIEWS REVIEWS] l i v e AIRBOURNE, PALACE OF THE KING, CHINATOWN ANGELS
who are out on a Saturday night, calm a person in a more humble setting or be aired as background music and appreciated nonchalantly. The wonder of artistic support and camaraderie is on display tonight with the supreme talent of our local musicians reaffirmed. There’s also a sense that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Yes Please have gathered a very special group into their collective.
CORNER HOTEL: 20/07/13 There’s not a hipster in sight tonight at Corner Hotel and all of the beards on display are firmly attached to men with the ability to fix a leaky pipe and perform an oil change on a car (at the very least). Everyone at this sold-out show is here to see Airbourne, yet all stand rigidly, respectfully, with beers in hand to watch opener Chinatown Angels ham it up on the small stage.
Izzy Tolhurst
CLAIRY BROWNE & THE BANGIN’ RACKETTES, DUNE, FOREST OF EYES
Hints of classic, early-‘80s metal – Ozzy Osbourne and Judas Priest – colour the band’s sound, with the odd synchronised guitar move adding some sizzle to the visuals. Singer Jason Maher loves the spotlight – big hair and eyes scanning the crowd, he knuckles down and gets his job done confidently. It’s only just after 9pm and two audience members are already hammered and thrashing about stage right – a portent of what is to come, perhaps? Second out of the gates and this time on the main stage, Palace Of The King continue to keep the audience’s testosterone levels on the parboil with their bluesy, guitardriven rock. There are some tidy licks getting thrown about by these boys and the slide work opening The Devil Made Me Do It adds a southern feel to the band’s sound. It’s a shame the keys aren’t more prominent in the mix, however, as the animated Sean Johnston is unyielding in the ferocity of his attack on the keyboard. Some quality harmonica playing keeps things from getting stale and by set’s end a large portion of the crowd is well sauced and in no state to operate heavy machinery. The theme music for James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day comes over the PA and, as the penny drops among the crowd, the contrast between this and the explosion of the band’s arrival is as subtle as a slap in the face with a wet fish. Lit up like AC/ DC’s Thunderstruck film clip, the band are here with lead singer Joel O’Keeffe shirtless and looking like he’s already run 10kms in the rain with his white Gibson Explorer. All three band members in front of drummer Ryan O’Keeffe parade the stage in the manner of a band accustomed to playing much larger venues, adding polish to the hi-octane generator that they truly are. Ready To Rock lets the crowd know who’s boss and Diamond In The Rough plays early, not that anybody cares. Fists pump the air as bodies fly and, mid-concert, Joel O’Keeffe navigates through the crowd astride heavyset shoulders as he plays his guitar, camera phones lighting up to capture the scene. An alcohol-fuelled moment has him pounding a beer on his own head until it combusts, his ode to VB not falling upon deaf ears. A stage diver who’s made it past security, launches into the crowd during Airbourne’s Stand Up For Rock ’N’ Roll encore. By show’s close, none are disappointed since Airbourne’s performance cannot be faulted. They prove that (all AC/DC comparisons aside) a band that destroys live is a band that destroys, period. Glenn Waller
OLIVER TANK, HAYDEN CALNIN THE TOFF IN TOWN: 17/07/13 You know you are doing something right when you manage to sell out two weeknight shows with no recent releases to promote. The demand to hear Oliver Tank’s lush arrangements live is such that more than a few frustrated posts appear on Facebook lamenting the unavailability of tickets. Sorry folks; you snooze, you lose. When Hayden Calnin takes to the stage it’s at once evident why he was chosen to support Matt Corby on his previous tour. Calnin’s rough, husky vocals contrast amazingly with his quiet, lovely high notes and he captivates this steadily growing crowd with a strong performance that is not unlike what Corby brings. Playing with “half of the band”, Calnin, his percussionist and keyboardist play songs off the City EP, alongside some new tracks from his forthcoming EP, set for release later this year. By the time Oliver Tank steps on stage, The Toff is completely packed out with an eager audience ready to be captivated by his unique sound. Releasing his debut EP Dreams, which received rave reviews and created intense internet buzz, in late 2011, Tank has since supported other dream/glitch pop acts such as Active Child, Youth Lagoon and Bonobo in venues all around the globe. His music is spellbinding when listened to while at home in bed with headphones on, so just how it will measure up live remains to be seen. As Tank starts to play however, it’s evident that his tunes sound just as amazing live as they do on record. He puts on a mesmerising and atmospheric show, which captures the attention of the entire crowd. His songs are lengthy, most running between five and ten minutes and, while a lesser act may struggle to keep a crowd interested, we’re fascinated. The tone and mood of this gig is serious and most remain quiet in between tracks as one song rolls into the next. There isn’t much audible excitement from the crowd, except following Last Night I Heard Everything In Slow Motion – arguably the pinnacle of the night. Layer after lush layer of arrangement comes crashing down like heatwaves.
32 • For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews
CORNER HOTEL: 19/07/13
Airbourne Pic by Kane Hibberd While this is not a gig to get up and dance to, Tank manages to coax some movement from us with his final song of the night Drop It Like It’s Beautiful, the fantastic mash-up of Snoop Dogg (ft Pharrell)’s Beautiful and Drop It Like It’s Hot over the top of Tank’s gorgeous haze of sound. This gig reminds us why this guy had such a quick rise to prominence. And now we’re impatient for Tank’s upcoming Slow Motion Music EP, due for release later in the year. Nathanael Rice
SEX ON TOAST, THE DO YO THANGS, KUMAR SHOME & THE PUNKAWALLAHS NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB: 19/07/13 Kicking off with more fluid noodling than Chinatown is guitarist Kumar Shome and his Punkawallahs. With sources of inspiration including his cat (El Gato) and familial incontinence (Desperation Dance) Shome can basically write about anything he chooses, and you can be guaranteed he’ll express it via about 40,000 notes played in around five minutes. Bouncing off the rhythmic prowess of The Bamboos’ bassist Yuri Pavlinov and drummer Graeme Pogson, Shome’s tone is warm and drips with sustain, while his solos take flight with John Scofield-like levity and move with ease between any definable genres. Between-band entertainment consists of DJ Lovely Clear Water, who is actually none of these things but is incredibly entertaining and wears a backwards wig and plastic sunnies. Hi-NRG techno and death-metal vocals meet in karaoke takes on the Power Rangers theme, Toto and Lionel Richie. The crowd stare agape at this spectacle. Boasting a sweet line in elegant funk plus formidable vocal powerhouse Audrey Boyle, The Do Yo Thangs are a revelation. Songwriter/drummer Hugh Rabinovici leaves the fun to Boyle and co-vocalists Nkechi Koo and Georgie Darvidis, whose harmonies drive the sunshine-y funk. The Do Yo Thangs are like a summer festival in a band, Rabinovici’s songs have a fresh Lauren Hill/early Lenny Kravitz feel to them and the band’s glorious balance of songwriting skills, musicianship and passion really comes to life in their finest tracks: Indecisive, Make It Real and I Would Follow You. Boyle’s trumpet playing is another weapon in their funky arsenal. Highly recommended. One of the city’s most hyped ‘new’ Sex On Toast launch their new Takin’ Over single tonight and start by screening the accompanying film-clip. The room is packed solid and, while the nine-strong ‘80s funk rocket take off onstage, people chat happily throughout the set. Who knew there were this many ways to be simultaneously dapper and sexual? Singer Angus Leslie’s falsetto, Louis King’s slinky guitar, Gareth Thomson and Marty Holoubek’s seductive rhythms, and James Bower’s strangely sensual AutoTuned backing vocals are just the first wave of this charm offensive. With the collective confidence of a frat house, and a similar agenda, Sex On Toast take The Cat Empire’s conservatorium proficiency and party vibe but wind up somewhere between Prince and DiG. So insane and unpredictable are Leslie and co’s antics that by the time the cross-dressers on rollerskates arrive it just seems like the continuation of a theme. The band’s tight and funky songs – or, rather, party jams – such as Potential Sexy, a storming cover of Michael Jackson’s Remember The Time and blinding new single leave no doubt that Sex On Toast’s time has arrived. Andy Hazel
I’LLS, FISHING, GUERRE THE WORKERS CLUB: 18/07/13 Second birthday parties don’t usually gather hundreds and play host to a pool of ambient, electronic pop music. And if they are? Well, we’re hanging around with the wrong toddlers. Tonight The Workers Club put on one hell of a bash to celebrate Sydney-based record label Yes Please’s second birthday, which also acts as Melbourne boys I’lls’ A Warm Reception EP launch. Similar celebrations were held in Sydney and supported by FBi Radio last week, but Melbourne’s instalment is endorsed by local youth network SYN. Yes Please is a record label that started with a selfproclaimed “focus on emerging Australian artists”, and it’s a slogan that definitely rings true, for the label looks after artists such as The Townhouses, Wintercoats, Guerre, and Fishing, all of whom perform and contribute to this evening’s festivities. While the standard and pace hardly waver throughout the night, Lavurn Lee, who takes to the stage simply as Guerre, is extraordinary, and stands out from the already rich list of support acts. He casts out a set riddled with tightly executed tension and release, unpredictable but deeply satisfying highs and lows, and an overall addictive quality. At times the set is reminiscent of electronic masters such as Four Tet or Burial, and approval is abundant as the crowd distends with every track. It is not uncommon to hear comments such as, “This sounds good, who is it?” in the venue’s carpeted thoroughfare, followed by determined strides into the bandroom in search of an answer. Next up is Sydney duo Fishing, aka Russell Fitzgibbon and Doug Wright, who could also be recognised as a hearty 66.6% of electronic group We Say Bamboulee. Having toured extensively both locally and abroad – as well as supporting the likes of SBTRKT and Snakadaktal – the boys own the stage during their brief set, and declare 2014 “the year of the turt” before performing the appropriately titled Do The Turt. During this track, punters are encouraged to retract their necks into their shirts to mimic the shelled reptile whose name they’ve abbreviated for the song’s title. The bandroom is heaving, its occupants most enthusiastic when the hotly anticipated I’lls take to the small stage. As the group play through A Warm Reception, there are flashes of Radiohead’s brilliance and delicacy, as well as a quality borne by few; that is, to produce music appropriate for all occasions. Their EP is one that could easily rouse a group of revellers
Cold, wet punters make a quick dash inside Corner Hotel to get away from the tempest-tossed weather and head to the bar for a comforting drink. Forest Of Eyes warm the crowd with instrumental rock’n’roll which, in tonight’s context, has the bright and sunny feel of surf rock that eventually spaces out into experimental abstraction. Underneath the band’s tunes there is a massively insistent beat, which isn’t quite funky enough to be Afrobeat or metronomic enough to be kosmische. Nonetheless, it dominates the mix and asks punters to get down. Reportedly the brainchild of Tommy Spender, that band remind the audience that they have no Facebook or Twitter accounts and no merch to flog. There may not be much to interact with for now, but this is definitely a space to watch. If you have been wondering what ever happened to Jade MacRae, then tonight Dune provide all the answers. MacRae has teamed with Gypsy & The Cat’s drummer and bass player to form a funky, three-piece outfit that is headed up by MacRae (on vox and synths). Leaving behind the urban music she released previously, MacRae has reinvented herself as an ‘80s disco diva. Dune have distilled everything that went pop in the ‘80s and captured the essence of this era via irresistibly catchy tunes that reference everything from Bowie circa Let’s Dance to Icehouse and Kim Wilde. Even MacRae’s hair has a Crimes Of Passion look about it and she definitely brings Pat Benatar to mind when she stalks the stage with aggressive moves in an off-the-shoulder top and jeans so tight that you’d swear she were sewn into them. Totally lost in the moment when singing, MacRae builds up quite a sweat. When her pipes open up and she hits those big notes, to spellbinding effect, the crowd simply go crazy. It’s not hard to imagine that these tunes will soon be bouncing up and down the charts. Clairy Browne’s reportedly been suffering from vocal strain recently, but thankfully she has fully recovered and is ready to growl for us tonight. In such an impossibly short period of time, Clairy Browne and her totally Bangin’ Rackettes have won many hearts and tonight sell out Corner Hotel with ease. Browne is aided by her five-piece band and three sassy backing singers, and they deliver an amazing rock and soul revue that shifts from R&B numbers that have plenty of bounce through to soulful torch songs that showcase the depth and power of Browne’s voice. Browne takes plenty of inspiration from the ‘60s – and divas such as Tina Turner, Etta James and Betty Harris – to take her place among the latest crop of neo-soul artists. Replacing the innocence of yesteryear is a tough and gritty attitude that allows Browne to sing about picking your underwear up off the floor after a one-night stand to take the Walk Of Shame. The tightly choreographed show is a blur of tassels and sequins that finds Browne striking some classic diva-esque poses. A jazzy version of Salt ‘N’ Pepa’s Whatta Man bumps and grinds to crowd-pleasing effect until Darcy McNulty deals an epic baritone sax solo that blows everyone’s mind. The new single Good Problems simply drills itself into your head and ensures that you will be humming it to yourself for days. Browne and company have turned a dreary, cold Friday evening into a sizzling hot and sweaty one. The crowd disappear into the night with smiles on faces, feeling energised. Guido Farnell
Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes Pic by Holly Engelhardt
live Greenwood never seemed to find stage banter particularly easy in his pre-‘retirement’ career, and it’s a skill that still eludes him. He chatters with his band members without speaking into the microphone, leaving the audience with little to do during these extended conversations apart from twiddle their thumbs. Of course, Greenwood is under no obligation to perform stand-up between his tracks, but some of the gaps between songs simply become too long. Still, when he sings Greenwood has a talent for ethereal, heartstring-tugging indie folk, and his musical performances are lovely. Recent release My Heart Is Not A Machine is a clear standout, as is the impossibly gorgeous More Than Life. Although Greenwood isn’t yet an entirely captivating performer onstage, it is nice to see him happy again. “You’re a great crowd,” he tells the audience, his gratitude showing in his voice, “I really appreciate it.” As a treat, he gives the punters a rather unexpected encore – an indie-folk rendition of ABBA’s Dancing Queen. “It just feels good to sing,” he says, a little sheepishly. Fair enough. He’s a lot more fun when he feels good. Whitley Pic by Laura Anderson
WHITLEY THE HI-FI: 19/07/13 It’s strange to see Lawrence Greenwood back on a stage. Three years ago, he was playing what were claimed to be his last shows under the Whitley moniker, having announced his retirement from the act. Despite the critical success of his 2009 sophomore album Go Forth, Find Mammoth, Greenwood appeared weary of living and playing music in Australia. A performance in Perth was positively rank with tired bitterness. There’s none of that onstage at The Hi-Fi tonight. Greenwood has brought the Whitley name out of retirement and actually appears happy to have done so. As well as beloved older tracks, his set is peppered with new material from his latest release Even The Stars Are A Mess. The crowd are, quite simply, thrilled to have him back. They sing along gently to tracks such as Roadside and Bright White Lights, saving their cheers for the appropriate intervals between songs.
Aleksia Barron
KINGSWOOD, BERTIE BLACKMAN, LURCH & CHIEF CORNER HOTEL: 18/07/13 Upon walking into the bandroom, ultra-trendy opening act Lurch & Chief are onstage and we instantly feel daggy. Although a relatively young band, they achieve a surprisingly smooth set with some promising moments. The band finish with We Are The Same, a brilliant forum for singer (of which there are two) Hayden Somerville to show off his gritty vocals. Bertie Blackman is up next and, with the room nearly full, it’s clear many people have arrived early tonight especially to see this mysteriously underrated performer in her element. Blackman achieves the perfect combination of authenticity and sheer entertainment in live performance and as she presents songs from her 2012 album Pope Innocent X, we mentally berate ourselves for not having seen her perform live before. Kingswood arrive on stage to huge cheers from the sold-out crowd. It’s not long before we hear our first piece of banter from the band, with guitarist Alex
Laska attempting to flatter the audience, likening us to a “real girlfriend” as opposed to the “mistress” figure of the previous night’s crowd. Hopefully this cringe-worthy analogy isn’t a sign of things to come. It’s a struggle to really get into this set, with the band stopping at regular intervals to repeatedly: a) discuss the fact that they’ve managed to realise a dream and sell out Corner Hotel; b) assess which of the band members is getting more cheers; or c) attempt some witty repartee. There are moments when it becomes obvious why Kingswood have begun to attract a lot of fans: it’s a privilege to experience singer Fergus Linacre’s voice live and Laska’s guitar work is effortlessly brilliant. Highlights come in the form of Yeah Go Die, She’s My Baby, Medusa and a cover of First Aid Kit’s Wolf. The last song of the night is Ohio, one of the catchiest rock songs in recent times, and what will surely be the biggest moment of Kingswood’s set. About halfway into the song, Linacre has an idea: He wants the entire audience to squat down (which for my plus one is a horrific prospect due to a dodgy knee). Delivered more as an order than a request, we do as we’re told. At what seems like an appropriate time to resume a standing position, we all attempt to get up, at which point we’re instructed by Linacre to remain squatting until drummer Justin Debrincat plays the cymbal. Although irritated by this interruption of our favourite song so that Linacre can act out some kind of boyhood rockstar fantasy, we cooperate and the song eventually resumes. With a plethora of talent and energy, Kingswood have huge things ahead of them, including many brilliant live performances. But next time, here’s hoping for a little less conversation. Jacqueline Flynn
GOBLIN, MILES BROWN BILLBOARD THE VENUE: 14/07/13 One of Melbourne’s few thereminists, Miles Brown certainly captures the crowd’s imagination as he claws at thin air and what appears to be an invisible instrument to produce a wild electronic sound. A member of Melbourne’s The Night Terrors, Brown may not come to us with the dignified poise of Clara Rockmore but he certainly knows how to weave an eerie otherworldly groove on one of electronic music’s more fascinating instruments. Brown
[REVIEWS REVIEWS]
does a commendable job warming up the crowd ahead of the gothic horror fantasy of Goblin. It’s perhaps a good thing that Dario Argento failed to secure the services of Pink Floyd to soundtrack his lurid blood-stained horror films. It presented Goblin with a golden opportunity to become his house band, soundtracking many classic Argento films. Deploying sound effects they unleash the bats and women shriek on a backing track. There is an awkward pause before they start playing selections from the soundtrack to Argento’s supernatural murder mystery Deep Red. Produced in the ‘70s, the soundtrack effortlessly brings together a plethora of references to back-in-the-day influences. They move from a lowslung, heavily grinding, subdued funk to glam before retreating to balls-out, heavy, prog rock freak-outs to create a sinister fusion of styles that all fit together perfectly. As their tunes crescendo, it is not hard to imagine yourself running away from the evil that lurks in shadows. “It took us 40 years to get here and somehow we have managed to play Melbourne twice in less than a year,” says keyboard player Maurizio Guarini with a laugh. In between songs Goblin present as a relaxed, good-natured bunch that, after all these years, still enjoy just rocking out. In between dispensing some killer licks on his Minimoog, Claudio Simonetti keeps busy taking lots of photos of the audience. Later he quips that guitarist Massimo Morante can’t stay to play a long encore as he soon has to keep an appointment with a girlfriend. After Goblin have more or less played the entire soundtrack of Deep Red they start dealing in greatest hits, beginning with music from Zombi, which was Argento’s re-edit of George Romero’s classic Dawn Of The Dead. It’s not long before Morante straps on an electric bouzouki and we are singing along with the “la-la-la”s of their bewitching theme to Suspiria. Simonetti applies a vocoder effect to his voice and invites us to dance to Tenebrae, which starts off sounding like electro rock‘n’roll in the vein of Telex before creeping into more psychedelic territory. While bands of this vintage sometimes exhibit a certain sloppiness, Goblin seem to have become even better with time and they move through complex arrangements with precision and ease. This evening’s gig delivers on all levels and provides us with a rare opportunity to see a truly seminal band from the ‘70s perform some of their greatest hits. Guido Farnell
For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews • 33
[REVIEWS REVIEWS] a r t s
Pic by Sarah Walker
NEON 2013 FESTIVAL WRAP UP MTC has always felt like a distant family friend who holds opposing political views to you. But now with the first ever Neon Festival, walking into the MTC Southbank feels like rocking up at a friend’s place, heading straight in and helping yourself to the contents of their fridge. With the Neon Festival, Brett Sheehy in his first year as MTC’s Artistic Director has made one of the best programming choices of 2013. Not only did it dramatically increase the proportion of new MTC ticket buyers but it re-excited so many about the possibilities of MTC. The five companies of Neon are at the forefront of Melbourne’s independent theatre scene. Daniel Schlusser Ensemble presented Menagerie; Fraught Outfit, On The Bodily Education Of Young Girls; The Hayloft Project, By Their Own Hands; The Rabble, Story Of O; and Sisters Grimm, The Sovereign Wife – a piece of epic proportions about ‘Straya. When we spoke to The Rabble’s Kate Davis and Emma Valente pre-Story Of O, they said, “It’s a real testament to the Australian stage that a company like the MTC is showcasing independent theatre and that we’re in such good company. What’s been exciting is working with these five amazing companies – we’re all so different and distinct. It’s been said a lot but it’s true – there’s been a real renaissance in independent theatre, which we think enlivens the whole industry.” Neon wasn’t just about the shows. Neon Extra, curated by Martina Murray, included Neon Conversations: a series of free public talks that covered topics like innovation and interdependence; whether independent theatre and mainstage shows were friends or foes; and The Art Of Adaptation which was a lively debate on a topic that’s oh so relevent to our stages at the moment. There were also workshops held – from Insights For Independents, Writers’ Workshops, and The Directing Masterclass run by Sam Strong and Leticia Caceres. The Directing Masterclass was inspiring and left one feeling invigorated. Getting let into MTC HQ and learning from its key creatives was a rare opportunity. Not only does MTC care about independent artists – it cares about nurturing and supporting them. Neon 2014 is happening! It will be announced with the rest of MTC’s 2014 season. Be sure to get in early for the workshops, talks and plays. The Neon Festival was the sparkle of MTC’s Season Of Light; a massive success with sell-out shows, new audiences and new works that will not soon be forgotten. Cassandra Fumi
The Sovereign Wife Pic by Theresa Harrison
34 • For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews
Behind The Candelabra
Foxfinder
BEHIND THE CANDELABRA FILM
UBU ROI THEATRE
FOXFINDER THEATRE
Michael Douglas is magnificent as flamboyant entertainer Liberace, with Matt Damon embracing the role of his younger lover, rugged animal wrangler Scott Thorson. Liberace and Thorson meet briefly in the late 1970s, and under the guise of driver and bodyguard, Thorson soon becomes Liberace’s permanent live-in companion. Portrayed through bold love scenes, the two develop a convincing and highly dysfunctional co-dependent relationship. Liberace physically moulds Thorson into a younger version of himself, simultaneously projecting his yearnings for a son, lover, confidante and guardian. Thorson eventually develops a drug habit care of the ‘California diet’, a destructive concoction of prescribed barbiturates provided by Dr Startz. Performed by a fantastic Rob Lowe, Startz is an opportunistic and grotesque caricature deformed by a severe amount of plastic surgery and selfmedication, while Dan Ackroyd and Debbie Reynolds play almost unrecognisable supporting roles in the film. Filled with extravagant emotional excesses of love and jealousies that rival the grandeur of their palatial kitsch mansion, the combination of too much leaves Liberace and Thorson feeling unbearably lonely, which eventually consumes their relationship. In what Steven Soderbergh has discussed as his final work for the foreseeable future, HBO produced this cine-biopic due to criticism of it being ‘too gay’.
People gravitate to the back row of The Owl and The Pussycat for 5pound Theatre’s intimate performance of French absurdist theatre piece Ubu Roi. It’s not terribly surprising, considering that the set is more or less a cubic metre of mud: partly a metaphor for the dirtiness of greed and power (each characters’ white clothes get muddier as the evening progresses), and partly an excuse for the actors to have mud fights. This set is disconcertingly close to the audience, which makes the play’s very fragile fourth wall all the more interesting – mud fights are cordoned off with plastic curtains and a cheeky aside to the audience, while some audience members are directly spoken to by characters. In a show full of powerhouse performances, perhaps the most enjoyable being Colin Craig, whose knowing digressions directed towards the audience were impeccably timed. Ubu Roi is a mish-mash of Shakespearean stories, scatological references and satirical spins of religion, royalty and greed. Papa Ubu is convinced by Mama Ubu to murder and replace King Wenceslas of Poland, only for their rule to degenerate into mayhem. A simple enough plot, but Alfred Jarry’s writing has ensured that it is still relevant – and humorous – over 100 years later. Schoolboy vulgarity, arse jokes and uncomfortably sexual moments are to be expected. Sharona Lin
Melbourne theatre seems to be obsessed with two things: adaptations of texts that try to force squareshaped issues into cylindrical holes, and inverting the gender of pretty much any play, ever. And it’s so in vogue at the moment (and as a result, overdone and tired) that audiences are starting to crave a return to good old text-based narrative theatre. As a company, Red Stitch consistently produce high quality work from some of the country’s best directors with an incredibly talented ensemble of actors, and Foxfinder is a prime example of traditional theatre where everything works perfectly. Absolutely gorgeous set design by Peter Mumford is the first of many highlights, alongside Kat Henry’s impeccable staging and ensemble direction, as well as exceptionally strong performances from the entire cast. Henry and her team have brought to life this tale of a dystopian future without hitting us over the head with dense issue-based theatre. Foxfinder is a wonderfully immersive story with a focus on character, tension and narrative development that most contemporary theatre seems to have forgotten about. It’s a refreshing change to actually care about the characters on stage and their individual journeys! Red Stitch have proved themselves masters of their trade, and it’s highly encourage you buy a ticket to this amazing show before the season sells out.
The Owl and The Pussycat to Saturday 27 July
James Daniel
THE MAN IN BLACK THEATRE
Red Stitch Actors Theatre to Saturday 17 August
Bethany Cannan In cinemas Thursday 25 July
CHET BAKER: LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE THEATRE The show begins with Chet Baker’s death in 1988, where he fell from an open window in Amsterdam. We also learn that Baker had to learn to play his ‘horn’ with dentures after being assaulted in the early 1970s. So, from the outset, the audience knows exactly where all the self-destructive, unsustainable behaviour will inevitably lead, which makes the tone of the show all the more tragic. There are times where you wish you could have seen other people, most notably Charlie Parker, come to life on-stage; however, that’s inevitable in any one-man performance. What the one-man format does achieve is to emphasise just how trapped Baker feels in his own head, from which only drugs provide any respite. The music is the production’s greatest drawcard and David Goldthorpe (writer and performer) does a wonderful job of showcasing it. The second half of the show takes the form of a gig (in an imagined smoky Parisian jazz club) and Goldthorpe and his band guide the audience through some of their favourite Chet Baker tunes.
Johnny Cash is cool. Even when his songs are performed by a tribute band to an audience of predominantly middle-aged party-goers clapping out of time to the intro of every song at the gloriously foppish Athenaeum Theatre, Johnny Cash is still very, very cool. Tex Perkins at the Athenaeum is a world away from Folsom Prison, but the deep-voiced stalwart of Aussie music along with the Tennessee Four use their considerable musical skills to really do justice to some of the greatest songs of all time. As just a cover band it would be a perfect experience, but the attempt to merge storytelling with music falls flat due to the lack of experience that Perkins and co-singer Rachel Tidd have with this form of performance. The duo don’t have that dynamic energy that similar story/concert blends do, and Perkins’ pantomime over-acting alongside Tidd’s droning newsreader storytelling style distract from what should have been an intriguing journey through a great man’s life. Love the concept, and when it’s down, well, it’s fucking amazing (if the producer and artists would check out similar gigs such as HMAS Vendetta or the Toot Toot Toots’ Outlaws set it would do this project a world of good), but at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter... Johnny Cash is cool no matter what.
Tim Robertson
James Daniel
Gasworks (finished)
Athenaeum Theatre (finished)
Ubu Roi
m u s i c [COLUMNS COLUMNS]
THE BREAKDOWN
OG FLAVAS
WAKE THE DEAD
POP CULTURE THERAPY WITH ADAM CURLEY
URBAN AND R&B NEWS BY CYCLONE
HARDCORE AND PUNK WITH SARAH PETCHELL
The Gifted is a solidly intelligent effort from Akintimehin, even if any eccentricity is limited to the artwork, a bizarre mash-up of sand and tattoo art, or Black Heroes/ Outro About Nothing – which catches the dude bantering in the studio with his comic idol Jerry Seinfeld about a long-canvassed collaborative album (yes, really). Only it’s not so funny: Akintimehin is merely showing off. Wale
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Williams is on a branding mission. Aside from his existential legal dispute with will.i.am over the establishment of Williams’ I Am Other company (or “cultural movement” as the confusing company’s promo copy states), his publicist has been hard at work securing column inches about his pop legacy. The timing is right. Williams turned 40 this year and has in recent months secured two Billboard chart-toppers alongside Daft Punk and Robin Thicke. He’s also smartly involved himself in the marketing mega-push of Jay-Z’s Magna Carta… Holy Grail. Billboard’s industry-targeted rag has been the most vocal about Williams’ ‘comeback’ and career highlights, last week going so far as to publish a CV of his successes. But there’s something being overlooked in the mass celebration of the former N*E*R*D member’s gifts to popular culture: his shining representation of women. Beautiful/Drop It Like It’s Hot/Let’s Get Blown, Snoop Dogg (2003/04) It would perhaps be too obvious to begin with Williams’ guest appearances on Mystikal’s Shake Ya Ass in 2000 or his penning of Britney Spears’ Boys (“sometimes a girl just needs one”) single of 2002, or even N*E*R*D’s own 2001 single Lapdance. The Pharrell name really swept the charts on the coattails of Snoop Lion (nee Dogg). Together they upped the ratio of bikini-clad bottoms to rappers like no one before. “I don’t know which one I want, dog,” the Dogg said. Williams replied he need not worry: “Eligible bachelor/Million dollar boat/ That’s whiter than what’s spilling down your throat.” Can I Have It Like That, Pharrell (2005) Williams’ own solo single engaged Gwen Stefani in a heated discussion of sexual politics. “Can I have it like that?” Stefani offered in the chorus. “You got it like that,” Williams countered. But how does one get it? “Drop your purse and grab your hips/And act like you’re tryin’ to get this money right quick.”
Kanye West offered a punk prayer to himself in Yeezus and Jay-Z is mounting a corporate takeover of hip hop (or a presidential bid) with Magna Carta... Holy Grail. But these hip hop ‘event’ albums have overshadowed traditionalist releases from J Cole and now Wale (aka Olubowale Akintimehin). The Gifted, Akintimehin’s third album, entered at number one in the US charts, suggesting that the post-backpack MC has finally fulfilled his ambition – which (happily for him) makes its opener The Curse Of The Gifted somewhat redundant. Akintimehin, born to Nigerian immigrants, initially created a noise in his hometown of Washington DC with go-go-influenced tracks like Dig Dug (Shake It). From the outset, he also circulated cred mixtapes. Akintimehin was then ‘discovered’ by DJ/producer Mark Ronson, who signed him to his (now defunct) Allido Records. Here he joined Chicago’s Rhymefest, who co-wrote West’s Jesus Walks, plus Australian neo-soulster Daniel Merriweather. Akintimehin rapped on Merriweather’s hit Change. The MC – like Ye, a college drop-out – premiered with 2009’s Attention Deficit, his steez soulful ol’ skool hip hop. Ronson produced a few cuts – and, coincidentally, Cole was a guest. More astonishingly, Lady GaGa let rip on Akintimehin’s Australian Top 30 single Chillin, which flipped the enduring Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye, a hit for Bananarama in the ‘80s, but originally recorded by the ‘60s rock outfit Steam. Interscope, which distributed Attention Deficit, purportedly bungled the release, not shipping sufficient units Stateside and so it failed to crack the Top 20. The underdog Akintimehin subsequently switched to Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group, his current home, for Ambition, which generated his first big crossover single, Lotus Flower Bomb, featuring Miguel. Ambition reached number two.
Work That!, Teriyaki Boyz (2009) Granted, Williams looked pretty confused as to why he was in the clip for this piece of shit, but that didn’t stop him approving five minutes of headless women on a backdrop to five douchebags yelling, “Work that!” Hypnotize U, N*E*R*D (2010) “Just close your eyes and let me hypnotise you,” Williams began fairly benignly on this track from N*E*R*D’s Nothing album. “If I’m not beside you, I’m behind you,” he went on, and then, “You feel the breeze because your clothes off.” It’s the repetition of these lines that makes the song creepy. Oh, and the chorus: “Touch it girl/Touch it girl/Touch it girl/Ahh!/ Touch it girl/I’m behind you.” Where’s that whistle? Get Lucky, Daft Punk (2013) Press for the track had Williams suggesting his lyrics were about “finding chemistry with someone”, but the lyrics themselves told a slightly more onesided story. “She’s up all night to the sun/I’m up all night to get some/She’s up all night for good fun/I’m up all night to get lucky.” Ahh, science. Blurred Lines, Robin Thicke (2013) In case you didn’t hear the man, ladies, Robin Thicke is here to “liberate ya”. With a clip that features Thicke repeatedly pulling a woman by her hair like a leash, a woman on all fours acting like a ramp for a toy car, numerous undressed women amongst a group of fully clothed men, and Thicke blowing smoke in a woman’s face, all Williams really needs to do here is stalk around the set watching it unfold. But, bless the little scamp, he can’t help himself and has a go at pulling some hair, too. It’s really a wonder where Thicke got these ideas.
Akintimehin has again secured elite guests – his labelmate (and Nas fave) Meek Mill shines on the conscious ‘90s rap Heaven’s Afternoon, and Cee Lo Green elevates the (deceptively) breezy retro funk Gullible (also graced by The Dap-Kings’ Horns). The Gifted has already spawned a hit in the alt-R&B Bad, featuring new arrival Tiara Thomas – thought to be down with Akintimehin’s own imprint The Board Administration until she contentiously jumped ship to Rico Love’s Division 1. Ironically, it’s a ‘bonus’ here. The main album version is a remix with the more famous Rihanna on the hook – and no acoustic guitar. In fact, Bad (Remix) isn’t unlike RiRi’s Lana Del Reybiting Stay. While some trancey riffs infiltrate Cardiak’s Bricks, Ye’s studio protégé Travi$ Scott brings more experimental beats with the Drakey yet ultimately monotonous Rotation, Akintimehin accompanied by Wiz Khalifa and 2 Chainz. Vanity samples Mad World – alas, not Tears For Fears’ haunting New Wave record, but a counterfeit. However, the album’s obvious smash has gotta be the most mindless joint – Clappers, about big booty. American Idol judge Nicki Minaj forgets throwing shade at Mariah Carey and hits the strip club with Akintimehin and Three 6 Mafia’s Juicy J. Clappers mines Akintimehin’s beloved DC go-go, but is still essentially pop – and hella fun.
ADAMANTIUM WOLF METAL, HARDCORE AND PUNK WITH LOCHLAN WATT fifth full-length. It will be the band’s first effort without founding guitarist Mark Lennard, who was replaced by Wayne Batters after the release of their 2011 album Worship The Bled. Entitled The Saviours Slain, it is set to be mixed and mastered in the USA by Mark Lewis (The Black Dahlia Murder, Arsis, Whitechapel), with a late 2013 release through Truth Inc being eyed.
That Girl, Pharrell (2006) The clip to the song began with a girl scrolling through the many beautiful faces in the contacts list of Williams’ well-placed Nokia. “You should start by deleting some of these,” she told him. “Amber, Akira, Ashley, Autumn… I’m not even done with the As yet,” she said, listing off the products in alphabetical order. Money Maker, Ludacris (2006) What? Williams suggesting a woman give it up for money? Need we revisit the lyrics to Can I Have It Like That?
Akintimehin’s producers have crafted an album that owes much to the ‘90s epic hip hop, Jay-Z’s The Blueprint the template with its soulfully funky vibe. There are samples and live instruments. Curiously, one of the names in the production credits is that of Stokley Williams, frontman of the ‘90s R&B band Mint Condition – straight outta Minneapolis. He’s involved in the album’s suitably bittersweet LoveHate Thing with Sam Dew. It’s in the same vein as the Marvin Gayelaced Music from EPMD’s Erick Sermon. Just Blaze, who worked on The Blueprint alongside West (and will DJ at the Listen Out festival!), chips in with the grand 88.
Behemoth Behemoth have confirmed their return to Australia this October. The Polish masters of death metal will be bringing Italian group Hour Of Penance along for the ride. Since frontman Nergal’s recent recovery from leukemia, the band has been hard at work on their tenth studio effort, which will be titled The Satanist and is due out before the end of the year. Tickets are on sale now, and if you purchase through soundworkstouring. com or primecuts.com.au, you’ll be sent a free Behemoth sticker. Catch them at The Espy on Friday 25 October. sleepmakeswaves and Voyager will headline this year’s Progfest, which will take place at The Espy on Saturday 24 August. With more to be announced, the rest of the line-up includes Mushroom Giant, Glass Empire, Caligula’s Horse, A Lonely Crowd, Toehider, Altihia, Acrasia, Rise Of Avernus, The Black Galaxy Experience, Troldhaugen, Bear The Mammoth, Anarion, Rainbird, Kalacoma, Motionless Me, On Sierra, Full Code, Orsome Wells, The Nest Itself, The Spheres, Nihl, Cat Or Pillar, Citrus Jam, The Soulenikoes, Lopaka, and Phil Para Band. Tickets are available now via OzTix and all associated outlets. Bardo Pond might not be an immediately recognizable name, but the American psychedelic noise rock band has been jamming it for the last 22 years. Thanks to Heathen Skulls, they’ll now be visiting Australia for the first time next month. With eight albums full of LSD references under their belt, the most recent being 2010’s self-titled effort, you can catch them on Saturday 3 August at the Corner Hotel. Truth Corroded, Adelaide’s longest running thrash/ groove metal outfit, recently began recording their
Lord have announced a new 12” release that expands upon this year’s Digital Lies album. The Sydney band has confirmed that the release will feature an extended version of the album’s title track on side A, as well as the album version and a remix on side B. Limited to 250 copies, the release of triumphant power metal will be available on August 26 via lord.net.au. Desecrator will release a new 10” record in September. Entitled Down To Hell, the release will be limited to 250 copies, and follows up on the local thrash metal band’s 2011 live album Live Til Death. Head to desecrator.com.au for more information and a link to a sample of the tracks. Bleeding Through (USA) will play their final ever Melbourne shows this weekend. With Perth’s Make Them Suffer and locals Boris The Blade in support nationally, catch them on Friday 26 July at the Ferntree Gully Hotel with Driven To The Verge and Hollow World, and Saturday 27 July at The Hi-Fi with Emerson and Refractions. Psycroptic and King Parrot kick off their national tour together this weekend – check them on Thursday 25 July at the Karova Lounge in Ballarat with Whoretopsy and The Hazard Circular, Friday 26 July at the Barwon Club in Geelong with Damnations Day and A Million Dead Birds Laughing, Saturday 27 July at The Northcote Social Club with A Million Dead Birds Laughing and MetalStorm, and Sunday 28 July for an all ages at Musicland Melbourne with Orpheus Omega and Internal Nightmare. Innumerable Forms (USA) and Mammoth Grinder (USA) hit Melbourne for the first time this weekend. Catch them for a night of death metal, grind and hardcore goodness on Friday 26 July at The Tote with Inverloch, The Kill, and Doubled Over. You can catch the touring bands again on Sunday 28 July at The Gasometer Hotel with Extortion, Straight Jacket Nation, Internal Rot, Sewercide, Headless Death and Bloodrule.
Against Me Dallas Green was just in the country promoting his new City & Colour album The Hurry And The Harm with some special, intimate acoustic shows. So it seemed like the perfect opportunity to announce that Green and his band will be returning this November and December for a much more extensive national tour. Announced early last week, the tour will see City & Colour play a massive show at Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday 14 December, which will fortunately be all ages. Tickets go on sale this Wednesday 24 July. Get in quick, because if past shows are anything to go by, these will not last long! I’ve talked a bit over the weeks about the return of hardcore band Modern Life Is War. After much teasing and tantalising by all parties involved, last week the band and label Deathwish Inc announced the finalised details for their new album, their first since coming back from a hiatus announced back in 2007. This is a band that is responsible for influencing a new wave of melodic hardcore and album number four is set to continue that trend. Called Fever Hunting, the record returns with the original line-up, telling the story of their collective coming of age – an open diary of the last five years of the members’ lives. The record will be available as of Tuesday 3 September. Melbourne’s favourite punk band, The Smith Street Band, are getting set to release their newest five-track EP, Don’t Fuck With Our Dreams, in just a couple of weeks (Friday 9 August). Aside from their appearance at Poison City Weekender (in case you missed the memo, it’s completely sold out) and a national tour with Cheap Girls and Joyce Manor, the band have also announced that they will be playing two launch shows at Old Bar with a bunch of their friends. The first show is on Friday 9 August (record launch day) and will see TSSB join forces with long-time friends The Bennies, Foxtrot and World Cup. The second show on Saturday 10 sees more support from The Bennies with added goodness from El Alamein (playing their last Victorian show) as well as Stockades, the excellent Apart From This and Lee Hartney Sex Drive. With the announcement that their long-awaited album Transgender Dysphoria Blues is completed and on its way, Against Me! have released a two-song, acoustic EP to tease and tantalise fans before the album’s final release. The EP is available as a free download through the band’s website for a very limited time and features two new songs. The two tracks give an inkling of what fans can expect from the new record – one song is titled FuckMyLife666 and the other True Trans Soul Rebel. After announcing last week that US hardcore stalwarts H2O would be heading to Australia this December as a part of Vans Warped Tour’s return, it appears that they have vanished from amended posters leading to speculation that the band have pulled out of the event. A few days later, organiser AJ Maddah confirmed through a typical Twitter post that the band were looking positive to join the line-up, so were included on the original draft artwork that was sent out by mistake. Fans (including myself) will be disappointed, however there is a second line-up announcement supposedly set to drop soon. Fingers crossed someone equally as awesome will be included. Byron Bay supergroup, Rain Dogs, have released their first demo track online. Fronted by Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall, the band also features Kevin Call (ex-Comeback Kid) and Riley McEvoy of Postblue/ Dead Ends as members. The track is called Caffeine and is streaming through the band’s Bandcamp page. Lastly, a story sitting slightly on the quirky side. Apparently, according to an interview in Rolling Stone with Pete Wentz, Fall Out Boy are back in the studio working on new material. The quirky part kicks in when he stated that they were working with alt. country rebel Ryan Adams. The band worked with Adams recording eight or nine songs over two nights that were “punk rock – the stuff that makes you want to kick the shit out of your bedroom at your parents’ house.” No release is planned, but Wentz did also say in the interview: “I would hope that somewhere in some universe you could put out a 7-inch and kids still care.” I’m guessing Wentz is talking about the mainstream universe, because I can’t imagine he has occupied the real punk-rock universe in quite a while.
For more opinion go to themusic.com.au/blog • 35
[COLUMNS COLUMNS] m u s i c THE GET DOWN
INTELLIGIBLE FLOW
BUSINESS MUSIC
FUNKY SHIT WITH OBLIVEUS
HIP HOP NEWS & COMMENTARY WITH ALEKSIA BARRON
WHEN YOUR CLUB NEEDS A BOSS BY PAZ
Mr Grevis
Akil The MC So I’ve returned to Australia for all of six days and I get the email requesting an extraordinary column to enlighten the Inpress masses. Being a sucker for extra work, I couldn’t help but say yes, but aside from that, I also have so much new music on my person at the moment, that a few well chosen words to point you in the right direction is just what I had in mind right now. So first up we have the amazing Australian producer of the phattest beats on the planet, the one called Omegaman. Sounding right at home with the entire nu funk stable, but with a much groovier, organic vibe than I hear on a lot of the genre’s releases, this Sydneysider is really starting to turn heads. With heaps of remixes and original tracks having dropped in the past few years on primo labels like Super Hi-Fi, Good Groove and Jalapeno, he’s absolutely owning the sound at the moment. I personally love what he does with the Latin beat, as his jam El O’Man Boogaloo on Fort Knox Recordings takes me back to my San Jose roots, with plenty of horn section, pinche de lo a chinga strut and a phat beat to finish. This will own dancefloors in no time and is easily purchased by way of all the usual outlets, so you have no excuse to not own this. He also plies his trade perfectly over the reggae beat on another of his originals, Skankin Riddim, which I strongly recommend to anyone with even a slight love Jamaican culture. While we’re on the topic of Omegaman, a little birdy told me he’s on his way to Melbourne for a few club sets and general mayhem, so I suggest a night out that will not let you down. Onto another Australian of the highest reputation, and someone I haven’t hyped in far too long, is the latest offering from Agent 86. Chopshop Music have celebrated their 30th release with a free EP titled Celebrating Music and it’s exactly what you would expect from this Melbourne producer and DJ. The obvious big club tune is the disco-inspired Saturday Vibrations, which pulls no punches and also chimes in with some fairly dope rhymes for hype purposes. My pick of the lot is the hip hop heavyweight mashup, Get Ripped. This one will own my sets for the next year and has all of the makings of a future summer mix inclusion. Find the EP for free download on Soundcloud pronto. Onto something a bit more analogue, the Wah Wah label has just dropped the new Gene Dudley Group album, Saturday Shifting, and for any lovers of instrumental soul and funk, you need this! With plenty of Afro beat and dub influences, this one is a bit of a different vibe than I’ve heard from previous offerings from this one-man supergroup, but it’s great nonetheless. Honestly, this will make your summer come that much quicker, so I suggest you buy it and impress all of your mates with your impeccable tastes in quality music. But if my words don’t convince you, just try listening to Minnie without entering into some serious body gyration and head bobbing. This one is a no-brainer, so find him now! While I’m on my way out, much love to the Ghetto Funk label for pulling Akil The MC (of Jurassic 5 fame) in for some mic duties on the mega-cool release from Second Hand Audio, Set It Off. This one is fatter than a 200kg trailer trash homebody at the bus stop on the way to a Centrelink visit and it wobbles in all of the right places. If big basslines are your cup of tea, I suggest you find this and with that, I’m outta here.
36 • For more opinion go to themusic.com.au/blog
Perth’s Mr Grevis has dropped the first taste of his sophomore album in the form of So Beautiful, his brand new single. The up-and-coming MC started making a name for himself nationally a couple of years ago and dropped his debut album The Sampler in 2012. Since then, he’s been working hard on album number two and making an effort to tour interstate at every available opportunity. Oh, and he’s been formally inducted into WA’s infamous Syllabolix crew to boot. With So Beautiful, Mr Grevis is officially making a tilt at radio-friendly success – the single is crisp, fresh and fun, and is infused with a refreshing positive attitude. While a lot of hip hop is (understandably!) rooted in the expression of the negative, it’s great to see an artist champion a happier message from time to time. The inimitable Dazastah has handled production, while the chorus features the pipes of Sydney crooner Joyride and WA singer Ness. So Beautiful is well worth checking out, so give it a listen and check out the video clip at youtube.com/OfficialMrGrevis. Kudos to Seth Sentry, whose Vacation tour is kicking off in the next couple of weeks. Rather than hitting up the usual venues in the usual cities, Sentry is taking his show on the road
less travelled and will be hitting up a number of regional centres August through to October. This is a really impressive move, and one that’s likely to cement him a stack of new fans. True, having a high enough profile in order to be able to tour regionally is a privilege in and of itself, but at the same time, not nearly enough artists show country Australia much love these days (after all, you can make a lot more money from 500 people in a city centre than from 100 in a country pub). Plus, I don’t think I’ve seen a tour announced on Facebook that isn’t immediately followed by a stack of posts from people living in regional areas, pleading for their town to be added. Supports Mantra and Grey Ghost will be along for the ride to boot, so these will be some killer shows. If you’re living in regional Victoria (or are keen on a road trip), you’ll be able to catch the following shows: Black Swan Hotel in Bendigo on Friday 30 August, Karova Lounge in Ballarat on Saturday 31 August, The Westernport Hotel in San Remo on Friday 6 September and Wool Exchange in Geelong on Saturday 7 September. Tickets are available from tour.sethsentry.com, so get amongst it. Also, congratulations to the five exceptional artists nominated for Hip Hop Artists of the Year in the 2013 Deadly Awards, all of whom are some of the most deserving cats in the game. Recent Elefant Traks nominee and fast-rising star Jimblah has scored a nomination, as have his exceptional labelmates The Last Kinection. Indigenous powerhouse Yung Warriors have been fittingly recognised following a year of extensive touring, and emerging WA MC Bryte has also picked up a nomination after beginning to break out into the national radio soundscape. Rounding out the list is relative newcomer Caper from South Australia. All five nominees have been giving us some excellent music over the last year, but there can only be one winner – and you can help choose who it will be. Voting is open to the public, so head over to deadlys.com.au/vote and show your support for your favourite Indigenous hip hop artists (plus any of the other categories, if you so choose). Just make sure to get your votes in before Sunday 18 August, because after then, voting will be closed.
FRAGMENTED FREQUENCIES OTHER MUSIC FROM THE OTHER SIDE WITH BOB BAKER FISH they stood. Of course Bono would say he stands for peace, and the futility of war, but subsequent appeasement of warmongers and his repeated desire to use his proximity to the struggle to underline his authority on whatever topic is at hand, tends to dilute the argument somewhat. Browne paints Bono as a fence sitter on the difficult issues, only making opportunist statements once populist support is assured, and then pretending he’d been fighting the good fight all along.
Bono Do you need another reason to dislike Bono, aside from his dire musical output and carefully constructed, watered-down Jim Morrison stage persona? Well probably not, but there’s something about his righteousness, the presumptuous belief that his consistently inane music somehow qualifies him to traverse the world stage hobnobbing with world leaders in his self-styled role as ‘the’ quintessential celebrity do-gooder. Have you ever wondered exactly what he’s doing out there? He appears to be trying to improve things, to use his celebrity to further unsexy issues such as HIV and global poverty. But his activities, like his music, are a vague blur of anthemic popularist statements fashioned to give the appearance of meaning, without necessarily standing for anything. Of course if his music were any more pedestrian it would be in a wheelchair, though his actions may be a little more insidious. Irish journalist Harry Browne has, for the large part, ignored the music and honed in on Bono the celebrity campaigner and his access to the corridors of power. The Frontman: Bono (In The Name of Power) (Counterblasts/ Palgrave Macmillan) is a nasty little examination beneath the self-constructed myths, examining the numerous inconsistencies that pepper his career. He argues that ‘Bozo’, as Sinead O’Connor refers to him, is a man “who has turned his attention to a world of savage injustice, inequality and exploitation – and helped make it worse.” Browne paints a picture, looking at Bono and U2’s origins in Ireland, where they were less freedom fighters than middle-class prayer group participants. In particular he examines the purposely vague Sunday Bloody Sunday and asks where exactly
It’s hardly balanced: there’s too much joy in his failures. He recounts a tale from a concert where Bono started clapping his hands. “Every time I clap my hands a child in Africa dies,” he proclaimed earnestly. “Well, stop fucking clapping then,” came a reply from the audience. Browne notes with bemusement the movement of U2’s financial activities to Amsterdam to avoid Irish taxes, a strange move for such a proudly Irish group. He also notes how wounded Bono felt with the public uproar. The book really becomes troubling when it delves into Live Aid and beyond, when Bono truly went global. Bono’s view of global poverty is colonial cliché, Africa as the helpless victim with the West their benevolent saviour. His solutions are neoliberal, couched in corporate development and imperial exploitation. Solutions by middle-aged white billionaires, with nary an African in sight. It’s here that the book’s title becomes clear: Bono isn’t just the frontman for U2, he’s the frontman for the status quo. Bono’s reputation as the rockstar who cares has been cheerfully exploited by leaders the world over. It’s credibility by association and it works both ways. Mates like George Bush, Bill Clinton and Paul Wolfowitz (former World Bank president), once in the Bono glow, not only look to be serious about addressing poverty, but are also dusted with that rockstar sheen – even if little changes on the ground. Bono too has his status reinforced. Browne suggests that though Bono may view himself as representing the 99%, his wealth, business interests and friendships place him firmly within the select club of the 1%. It’s a nasty and frequently hilarious book, though it’s also the first comprehensive study of Bono’s business and campaigning activities. It’s horribly skewed, yet Bono’s earnestness coupled with an ego that so clearly outweighs his talents, results in one important thing: You want to believe.
AUSTRALIAN ROYALTY APRA (Australian Performing Rights Association) is a friend to the DJ/producer/songwriter and somewhat of a foe to the nightclub/events producers of Australia. In brief, APRA are the independent body in charge of administering a per-play/per-patron fee. This is then distributed to artists/producers/songwriters whose body of work has been “performed”. The APRA board last week held meetings in Sydney and Melbourne specifically targeted towards DJs as “performers”, as they introduce MRT (Music Recognition Technology) to Australian nightclubs. This is an ambitious and progressive blueprint for royalty distribution and most at the meeting were pleased to welcome the new technology (including event promoters). It’s like having Shazam or Soundhound: data is collated on the actual music played and forwarded on to APRA for royalty distribution. Although an amazing way to search for actual playlist data, its rollout seems to have a number of flaws (mainly because of the cost of funding the technology). Here are a few: – In the last year of trials, MRTs have only been allocated in eight licensed venues. (It is looking to roll out up to 100 venues in the next few years). There are 754 licensed venues that contribute to APRA. This is an extreme disparity of the industry’s “playlist” as a whole. – Venues that currently hold MRTs are large beer barns and clubs (mainly because they pay the highest APRA license fees). Assume that large = commercial playlisting (eventually corruptible, just look at the ARIA charts). – A majority of clubs are afraid the technology will force the PPCA to raise their annual fees. There has been talk of subsidies, but raising license fees seems inevitable, which means actual wages will remain stagnant or even drop in the next few years. – Charting any data takes up to a month to process. Currently the ARIA charts are the only place that data is used to manufacture what is popular on radio and in clubs. Any number of DJs, event managers and patrons will tell you this is a complete farce. Turning over the MRT data weekly surely would transform the industry, resulting in a far more open and honest reward for talent and influence. – There has been no development in LPR (Live Performance Returns) uploading facilities. This is staggering considering we are in an age where Rekordbox (Pioneer), Serato Scratch and Traktor all make data available for uploading playlists. This would greatly expand the amount of distribution. A quick survey among colleagues showed that most only LPR their own music because the process is overly laborious. That ultimately means around two to three hours of music per gig, per performer is being overlooked for royalty distribution and will remain so until MRTs are in each venue. A target has not been set for rolling out MRTs overall to licensed premises. – MRTs are still not used to calibrate broadcast playlists. Some stations still use data submitted during APRA “week”. – The meetings were only conducted in Sydney and Melbourne, yet the distribution is meant to represent writers and performers Australia-wide. – Amplified, non-dance music somehow has been lost in the whole ideal of music performance. Amplified music is used as entertainment in many bars and eating halls Australia-wide. – ARIA charts are still used as part of royalty recognition. I only know of two DJs in the past 20 years of DJing that have contributed to ARIA charting. The benefits of MRTs will have zero impact on anyone who does not already have their opinions in the ARIA charts or major broadcasting networks, now known as the “Australian Royalty Royals”. Without a plan to introduce the scheme in ALL venues and to all radio broadcasters, consider the operation open for corrupting by major labels, tobacco tycoons and mobile phone providers. Most importantly, an actual independent chart of weekly playlists will be far more relevant to the industry and public, more so than the actual royalty payment itself.
arts
[COLUMNS COLUMNS]
TRAILER TRASH
CULTURAL CRINGE
DIVES INTO YOUR SCREENS AND IDIOT BOXES WITH GUY DAVIS
ARTS NEWS WITH REBECCA COOK
quite the frisson through the fanboy masses when she revealed her shaved head) and Gunn’s lucky charm Michael Rooker (who makes everything he’s in approximately 47% better). The hype surrounding this one is that it takes the usual superhero tropes, throws ‘em down, flips ‘em and reverses them, and even if that turns out to be nothing but the usual hit-air PR, I’m still interested enough in what the goofy Gunn and that ace array of actors bring to the table to have semi-great expectations.
Sharknado It’s gonna be tough for us to stop talking about Sharknado for a moment, I know, but there are other things happening in the pop-culture universe apart from the greatest motion picture ever made, so let’s try to focus our attention on things other than Ian Ziering slicing his way out of a shark’s belly with a chainsaw – way to rip off your betters, Pacific Rim! – and someone actually hiring Tara Reid for an acting gig and cast our gaze over what else is transpiring. Seriously, though, sharks and tornadoes in the same movie? Let’s just stop making films now, okay, because the bar has obviously been set at a level that shall never be cleared. That’s not gonna happen, though, is it? Not when the fanfolk out there are clamouring for further big-screen exploits of their favourite comic book characters – not to mention comic book characters with which they may have only a slight familiarity. Because based on the buzz emanating from the recent San Diego Comic Con, the most intriguing comic book movie set to hit our screens in the near future is Guardians Of The Galaxy, a sci-fi adventure described by one pundit as “Star Wars meets The A-Team” (and if that doesn’t push your buttons, well, you probably don’t have any buttons). James Gunn of Slither and Super fame is at the helm of this one, and he’s assembled quite the eclectic cast, including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, John C Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio del Toro, Lee Pace, Doctor Who’s Karen Gillan (who apparently sent
Guardians Of The Galaxy is from the fine folks at Marvel, and you certainly can’t accuse the company of lacking the ability to play its audience like a fiddle. From all reports, footage of the upcoming Captain America and Thor sequels went over very well indeed, with the talented Anthony Mackie’s appearance as high-flying hero The Falcon alongside Chris Evans’ Cap proving quite the highlight. Not only that, but Joss Whedon made it official that an Avengers sequel was on the way, and the entire ensemble of Bryan Singer’s return to the X-Men franchise hit the stage to hype next year’s Days Of Future Past release. (The high point of that panel: vintage Magneto Ian McKellen flirting with younger Magneto Michael Fassbender.) So what could the competition, in the form of DC Comics and its moviemaking division, offer in return? Oh, only Superman versus Batman. Now, under different circumstances, that’d be the kind of thing to get more than a few people making that ‘squeeee’ sound, me among them. But the potential awesomeness of this news is dampened somewhat by the fact that the Caped Crusader will be showing up in a sequel to one of this year’s biggest disappointments, Zack Snyder’s Man Of Steel. And that Snyder will once again be at the helm when Superman takes to the skies. Sure, Man Of Steel has made some decent bank worldwide, and it certainly has its share of admirers, but the tone and structure of that film simply struck me as all wrong. And even introducing Batman – who probably won’t be played by Christian Bale – as an adversary doesn’t seem like a solution.
Lisa Dempster You’ve got to feel for today’s aspiring writers. Not for their clichéd struggles with writer’s block or their heart-wrenching battles with WordPress plug-ins, no – today’s writers have a much bigger problem. They need to acquire themselves a second highly acclaimed profession, such as ‘esteemed brain surgeon/writer’ or ‘former SAS soldier/writer’. Unfortunately ‘part-time receptionist/writer’ isn’t going to cut it anymore. A case in point is the list of guests at this year’s Melbourne Writers Festival, the program for which was launched in front of a 300-strong crowd on Thursday night at Beer de Luxe in Fed Square. This year’s program includes Boris Johnson (mayor of London/writer), Satyajit Das (economic thought-leader/writer), Bob Brown (activist/ former Greens leader/writer) and Shereen El Feki (immunologist/former vice-chair of the UN’s Global Commission on HIV and the Law/writer). Festival Director Lisa Dempster doesn’t think it’s time for the writer/writer to despair. “Being a writer is a tough gig – it is becoming more of a challenge to make a living, but on the other hand it has never been easier to write with self-publishing, digital technology, even tweeting is writing. I think we’re becoming more creative as a nation.” Perhaps the rise of the professional/writer comes down to people whose life-long dream was to be a writer now having the tools to fulfil it. Dempster agrees this might have something to do with it. “When I was [with] the Emerging Writers Festival (of which she was the director between 2010 and 2012) that was a question we dealt with often: ‘When is the right time to go full time as a writer?’.” Speaking of Emerging Writers Fest (EWF), how is it wrangling writers as opposed to emerging ones? Dempster acknowledges it has been a
shift, particularly from local to a global stage. “At EWF I knew a lot of the people involved. When you’re dealing with international writers there’s a lot of liaising with various different people as opposed to a quick email.” For her first year in the job, Dempster certainly must have done an awful lot of liaising; the guest list is stellar and expansive, exemplified by Johnson, as keynote speaker for Opening Night. Boris might seem an unusual choice on the surface, but the white-headed Englishman is well qualified to keynote a literature festival. Johnson has written more than ten non-fiction books, is a former journalist and has written a TV series on Roman history. “He has a long-term passion for words. He’s a great speechwriter, he writes all of his own speeches. For the opening night I wanted a spellbinding speech,” explains Dempster. He’s also a keen commuter cyclist who ran a campaign to ‘de-lycra’ cycling in London by improving bike paths and facilities. Best of all, (according to Wikipedia) he was once riding around and spied a mugging, [so] he threw down his bike and intervened. Mayor/writer/superhero. This year’s festival also includes a myriad of events that are broader than a fireside chat with an author. There are literary walks, a bike ride (wonder if Boris will join in?), Wendy Harmer hosting a Friday Night Live Letterman-esque talk show, songwriting sessions and theatrical performances. With all the other festivals also branching out into other mediums – just about every fest has comedian-hosted panels, musical and live art streams these days – will it be hard to tell the various fests apart? “Perhaps we’ll go back to one big festival – the Spoleto Festival is where most of these started,” jokes Dempster. “No, I doubt it. Literature has traditionally been seen as elitist. I am [all] for making it more democratic. Good writing should be accessible to everyone,” she says in explaining the breadth of the festival’s offerings this year. In brief: are you a woman who sings? Are you in a choir? Do you have dreams of musical stardom? Then here is your first step. A new local production, Things That Fall Over, is looking for singers to perform later on this year under the direction of Tracy Bourne. Rehearsals will be held in Footscray. To find out more email martini@netspace.net.au.
For more opinion go to themusic.com.au/blog • 37
[THE GUID IDE] ELVIS BACK IN RAPID CITY A Tribute To Elvis In Concert is a theatrical presentation of one of the King’s last concerts in Rapid City, 1977, presented by Bluestone Productions from Friday 23 August for only eight shows at Dallas Brooks Hall. Tony Franks, Melbourne musician and producer, has brilliantly re-created the finest details of the performance from one of the world’s greatest entertainers in this full scale theatrical event.
CLOSED EYES To celebrate the release their new single Dark Eyes, Fraser A Gorman is playing an intimate solo residency on Wednesdays throughout July at the Spotted Mallard. The single is Gorman’s most refined example classic folk-rock song writing yet with its slow swelling build, tasty licks, honeyed harmonies and eventual horns. Tonight (Wednesday) he’ll be playing with Tim Neilson (The Death Rattles).
GIG OF THE WEEK
HOUSEBOAT PARTY Hot on the heels of their critically acclaimed fourth album Recovery on Chapter Music, Melbourne’s scruff pop wonders New Estate are celebrating their tenth year of existence with a residency at the Grace Darling. They’ll be joined by a host of carefully chosen special guests each week. This Sunday it’ll be Stephen Cummings and Ocean Party.
DEAP VALLY Saturday, The Tote Two of the finest LA women are back in Australia as Deap Vally make their Splendour debut. Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards might’ve bonded over the art of crochet but they soon swapped the knitting needles for distortion and ragged drum fills. With a debut album just released, a Glasto appearance and support slots for Muse and The Vaccines, Deap Vally’s classic rock sound has them taking on the world. They’ll swing past Melbourne to fully embrace the sleazy surrounds of The Tote.
SWEET MUSIC
FRONTLASH COLLECTOR’S CORNER A limited, 120-copy run of Cut Copy’s new single Let Me Show You (a take on the classic K-Klass house track: ”YOU’VE gotta live right now”) were up for grabs at the CHIRP Record Fair (part of Pitchfork Music Festival) over the weekend. A booth was set up to lathe-cut one-sided 12” liquorice pies, each engraved with the proud new owner’s name, on the spot. Want!
LIFE ON MARS
CHICKS OUTLIVING
The greatest thing to come out of Comic-Con on the weekend? The Veronica Mars movie trailer. A VM reunion plus Martin Starr and Krysten Ritter. Nerd boi heads could be heard exploding from Venus.
Simon Meli and his band The Widowbirds are taking their rootsy rock show around Australia this month. Having earned his musical stripes over many years both here and overseas, Meli is excited to get back on the road again, bringing his unique and original sound and his powerful rock’n’roll swagger to the stage. They’ll be playing at the Northcote Social Club this Sunday afternoon.
SWOOPIN’ IN
The Gosling
BACKLASH FORGIVE ME NOT Only God Forgives, during which the Gosling’s character is interchangeable with the emotionless psycho he played in Drive.
BLUE MEANIE Dear inconsiderate, tall tool who attended Ballet Revolución’s opening night last Wednesday at the State Theatre and felt the need to tease his blue hair up to Marge Simpson proportions: are you fucking serious???
UNFAIR HAIR Soapie/sitcom characters who sport hairstyles that are unattainable without the aid of a personal hairdresser for scenes where they just woke up/are knocking about at home.
Since 2011, Darwin alt.rock band Green Stone Garden have been wooing audiences with their finely-crafted live shows, lyrical songwriting and lush, layered sound – located somewhere between indie rock and indie folk, land and sea, intimacy and isolation. This week they’ll be heading to Melbourne to launch their debut EP North at the Edinburgh Castle Hotel this Friday and at Wesley Anne this Saturday.
REMOVABLE DENTURES
Who knew Inpress’ own Jan Wisniewski was a gun footy player? His tackling skills earned him Man Of The Match at the weekend’s Hemensley Cup when The Ratbags challenged The Rockdogs at Victoria Park. No one cares who won. Oh, and Powder Monkeys as half-time entertainment kicked goals also.
BEST ON GROUND
Them Swoops have recently come off an impressive sold-out launch show, promoting their debut EP Glimmers where they had a packed out audience soaking up their catchy and contagious beats, so it’s no surprise that the duo has snagged a residency at Northcote Social Club, playing every Tuesday from September 10 through until October 1.
BUZZING BELIEFS Up-and-coming local indie artist Bee is launching her self-titled EP in the Gershwin Room at The Espy. Taking influence from blues, folk and jazz artists, Bee has an empowering and enchanting stage presence with a unique and captivating acoustic sound, demonstrating her original and powerful take on music. Catch Bee and guests Bnash, Mantic Notion, Tash Sultana, Ross Evans and Rob & Andy this Friday.
BREAK AND SHAKE Get toasty by the fireplace at The Espy this Monday to catch The Pierce Brothers with their captivating fusion of roots and foot-stomping indie folk, smashing together high-energy performances. Born in small bars and on the streets of Georgia and Tennessee with a donated guitar, a plywood board, and two milk crates, Rattlin’ Bones Blackwood, join the line-up, as well as Adam Hynes.
38 • For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news
It’s no secret that Animaux knows how to put on a party. This year alone, the seven-piece pop-funk machine smashed sets at St Kilda Festival, The Hills Are Alive and Warrandyte Festival, annihilated a weekly Evelyn residency and have pulled capacity crowds at every headline show since. They’re currently undertaking another Evelyn residency, including a show this Thursday with Echo Drama and Brotherfunk.
GREENER UP NORTH
Hailing from the Mornington Peninsula, The Warrains have recently released their third album, The Art Of Listening. They’re bringing their electric, urban, new age, country, folk, rock to town, low down and dirty Tex Mex, Afro blues riff fest to The Bendigo (Collingwood) this Sunday afternoon for the album launch with support from Naomi & Narelle Pimlott with Mich Dean and Suga Tree.
Landing somewhere in-between Japandroids and Refused, The Sinking Teeth are a tough band to pigeonhole. Over the last 18 months the three-piece have established themselves as a welcomed and exciting approach to punk rock. Last month they released their single Temporary Living at The Workers Club. They’ll be playing the Old Bar this Saturday with Have/Hold, Ceres and Stray Melodics.
DRAMATIC CATS
HOME IS PRICELESS Tom Tuena
FOR EDUCATION Three quality songwriters come together for a cause on Saturday 3 August at the Evelyn Hotel. Tom Tuena, with his energetic acoustic tunes yet soothing melodies, will captivate you with his startling stage presence. The contrastingly beautiful colours of Iris’ songwriting will whet your appetite in laid-back acoustic duo arrangement. And strap yourself in as the mesmerising voice of Moon Republic kicks off the night. All proceeds go to education fees for students in Niger, West Africa.
BE. THERE This Sunday, Be. celebrates its third anniversary at Co. Nightclub with some fine R&B, house and old school club tunes. Apart from the music, there will be giveaways through the night and everyone in attendance will receive a free Co. membership. So get on down to the Crown to hear Damion De Silver, Jay J, Ken Walker and Lightning Barry White spins some discs and get you dancing.
Australian singer-songwriter Rick Price released his latest album The Water’s Edge last year. The album showcases new influences and a broader style with its country rhythm and blues feel, melded beautifully with folk sounds. Ahead of working on his new album, Price heads to the Flying Saucer Club (Elsternwick) this Thursday to launch his new single I’m Coming Home.
VACATION RETURN Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Ben Salter returns with a freshly inked deal with ABC Music and his new European Vacation EP just released. The EP flits between genres as steadily as Salter moved from country to country on his travels over five months in Europe. Salter has embarked on a national tour, including a show at The Workers Club this Thursday with Junk Horses and Wayward Breed.
HAPPENING FAST Recently granted Melbournite citizenship, Split Seconds continue their Eastern renaissance by hitting The Gasometer Hotel every Wednesday in July. They’ll be wheeling out recent triple j staples like Top Floor as well as choice covers and various shenanigans. Tonight they are joined by indie pop practitioners We The People.
CHINESE WHISPERS This Friday night at First Floor comes Word Of Mouth 9. DJ Simon Technique will be on the decks dropping urban tunes and club anthems all night. Word Of Mouth vets hip hop crew XV Sdars will be launching their new LP Who We Are to mark the occasion, so make sure not to miss what will be another ripper of a night.
GARDEN OF EDEN The Friday Nights at Monet’s Garden series presents a stellar line-up of some of Australia’s most acknowledged musicians to perform Friday evenings at the NGV. They’ll be mixing it up with the crowds for the Monet’s Garden exhibition. This Friday it’ll be Good Heavens performing, a three-piece from Sydney who play heavy, psychedelic rock married with spectral Mazzy Star-esque vocals.
25 AND ROCKING ON The Fauves mark their 25th anniversary at the Corner Hotel on Saturday 31 August with a multimedia exploration of their two-and-a-half-decades as a band. Playing material from all 11 of their albums as well as several EPs, the band will intersperse the music with PowerPoint discussions of their history and the music industry in general, based on their extensive collection of memorabilia. The night will be kicked off with a set from Doctor’s Orders.
VIOLENT SHRIEKS Lester The Fierce is pleased to announce her first single Howl from her self-titled forthcoming EP. Howl offers a different angle on Lester’s past folk-steeped sound. Ahead of the official launch at The Toff In Town next month, she’ll be playing an intimate show in the Wesley Anne band room this Thursday night.
indie news
SORTED FOR EPS
ALBUM FOCUS
EP OF THE WEEK
WITH JAN WISNIEWSKI
BAD//DREEMS Badlands Mirador Spanning the pleasant jangle of debut single Chills to their latest effort, the blood-rush romance rocker Caroline, Badlands shows how the band’s sound has evolved in a short time. But what these tracks have in common is a sense of darkness, seemingly stemming from the band’s discontent and disengagement with their existence in Adelaide. Ben Marwe delivers his lyrics with hints of desperation, while the band knock out a solid base of supple basslines, heavy-hitting percussion and a mix of distortion and crystalline guitar. They play this Friday at The Gasometer Hotel.
BEN SALTER European Vacation Universal With seven tracks and a 28-minute run time, European Vacation covers more ground than most EPs, but Salter doesn’t squander this opportunity as he explores various sounds through different collaborations. The tracks are tied together through Salter’s musical sensibilities with thoughtful lyricism and charming melodies a common thread. Surprisingly though it is the two instrumental tracks, All The Things and Lecce, that stand out. Both are simple and beautiful patches of music that perhaps best reflect Salter’s aim to adapt his songs to the musicality of the region. Salter launches the EP at The Workers Club this Thursday.
AS A RIVAL Concerning Trends Independent Impressively, despite what seems like too much guitar playing all over these tracks, the melodies on Concerning Trends shine through, giving them a somewhat unique sound that pulls away from easy Foo Fighters comparisons. This chaotic feel is also heightened by the focus on purpose over precision, but this really only works in the band’s favour as the loose feel further distances them from slick commercial rock. The band aren’t afraid to embrace heaviness either with the back half of closing track Monolith a prime example. As A Rival go hard this Friday at Reverence Hotel.
Only Human Independent The Battery Kids, have struck a balance of maturity and rock’n’roll-style darkness on Only Human. With the production favouring a full sound, the multitracked vocals and accentuated guitar really give the songs some big moments to remember them by. The band also benefit from the variety they bring to the table, with the more theatrical numbers like Boney Hands sitting easily alongside the slow, sparseness of Hangover Blues and the well-suited cover of Tom Waits’ God’s Away On Business. Elsewhere there are some missed opportunities as the band concentrate too much on form over content, but overall a strong step forward.
GREEN STONE GARDEN North Independent North begins very well with latest single The Island, the band establishing an individual yet very listenable feel that gives them an excellent starting point to their career and this release. Mike Meston possesses an undeniable vocal gift, his verses are as melodically strong as each chorus. The band ensure this isn’t wasted and North is wonderful example of quality Australian pop music. The only misstep comes with the slightly melodramatic closer Back To The Doves. Green Stone Garden play this Friday at the Edinburgh Castle and Saturday at Wesley Anne.
This Sunday, Timber & Steel presents Sam Buckingham for a matinee show at The Workers Club. Sam Buckingham has created a remarkable collection of sweet pop musings and troubadour tales in her latest independent offering I’m A Bird. She’ll be supported by Whitaker and Tom Kline.
Hayley Couper and Ali E are embarking on a minitour together including a show this Friday at the Grace Darling. Couper will have a swag of new songs and Ali E will have her band in tow. Supports come from Alex & The Shy Lashlies and Cabin Inn.
Album title: Dark Valley
SAILING VESSELS
Where did the title of your new album come from? From the title track, about a guy having an argument with a dead man. That’s where they are, in the Dark Valley, and the guy wants to continue up the road but the corpse disagrees.
Join Hoy for Thursdays in July at the Spotted Mallard for a full band residency to warm the wintry nights. Hoy will be performing songs from their upcoming album Aquaslum with a six piece band. This Thursday it’ll be Jealous Husband warming up the stage.
How many releases do you have now? This is my first solo album.
PUSHING PANCAKES
How long did it take to write/record? Written and recorded over a period of a year and a half, mostly in my living room. Got David Nicholas of INXS fame to mix it, and Don Bartley of AC/DC fame to master it. Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? Yep. I bought a boxed set of The Carter Family, and it was full of songs about dead people. I started killing off characters in my own songs almost immediately – at least eight so far! What’s your favourite song on it? Varies week to week, but the title track is always worth checking out. Video turned out good too. Will you do anything differently next time? Kill more people. When and where is your launch/next gig? Album launch is on Saturday 27 July at Cherry Bar. Special guests are Kerri Simpson, Raised By Eagles and The Patron Saints. Website link for more info? darkvalley.tv
ALBUM FOCUS
With the release of To Send Our Love, the first single from their forthcoming debut LP, World’s End Press have announced their own national headline tour including a show at Ding Dong Lounge this Friday with Pikelet and Andras Fox. The lead single is a darkly melodic beast of a track with surging synths built upon a rock solid pulsing bassline and propulsive drums.
DEAR ALE Album title: Somewhere To Be Where did the title of your new album come from? It’s a line from our first track Left At Albuquerque and seemed to sum up the collection of tracks quite well. How many releases do you have now? This is our second album. We released our debut in 2011, it’s available for a free download at Bandcamp. How long did it take to write/record? It was about two years from writing to mastering. We were doing it cheap and only recorded part-time, but it gave the tracks time to cook and we’re all happy with the end result. Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? We were more inspired by what we weren’t seeing bands doing anymore – writing riffs and concentrating more on grooves and interesting changes, also having the freedom to be as diverse as possible. What’s your favourite song on it? We had Sam Boon from Saskwatch play sax on Under My Pillow, and he wailed all over it. Fun! Will you do anything differently next time? The first two albums took two years to get out, so we’re going to do the third album in three weeks at the end of this year. Everything in threes. When and where is your launch/next gig? We have a residency at the John Curtin Hotel, every Sunday in August. Every show starts at 5.30pm and is just ten bucks! Website link for more info? dearale.bandcamp.com
RIDER MUST HAVE CLARE BOWDITCH
WHAT’S THE FIRST ITEM ON YOUR RIDER FOR THIS TOUR? A private movie theatre (only happened once, in Perth). Clare Bowditch touring nationally. Check The Guide for dates.
TEXTURED EARTH Mysterious, alluring and hypnotic, The Ambients’ music exudes spaciousness. The unhurried evolution of their debut double album is as sure and timeless as water working on rock, sea meeting shore, desert winds forming dunes from grains of sand. They play The Toff In Town this Sunday to launch Into The Red Dust, joined by Conolan and Taylor Band.
WARM UP FOOD
WINDSTRUMENT
JOEL QUARTERMAIN FROM ESKIMO JOE
International flute player and composer Howlin’ Wind is one of Australia’s most innovative and expressive exponents of the flute. Howlin’s music combines sophisticated classical traditions with earthy folk roots and an implicit understanding of Australia’s Indigenous song lines. He’ll be playing at The Courthouse Theatre (Geelong) this Saturday.
VAUDREY TATOU Somewhere in the realm of Arthur Russell, James Blake and the folk songs of old, Vaudrey is intangibly placed; his post-chestral, bedroom dub folk pop is the revival of real musicianship, studied then unthought. In anticipation of his debut release in 2014, Vaudrey presents a showcase at The Toff In Town this Tuesday with special guests Boyeur and Mary & The Banks.
BOMBS AWAY Answered by: Arlo Cook
THE BATTERY KIDS
WHITE PALACE
NOT WALL FLOWERS
ANDY SZIKLA
[THE GUID IDE]
Sexy Melbourne four-piece The Love Bombs are finally exploding on stage with their signature rockin’ howls and cruising rock. Their long-awaited debut performance will be upstairs at The Tote this Saturday.
WHAT DO YOU USUALLY EAT BEFORE A GIG? Something light, like sushi, is good. Never eat steak or curry, because with steak you can’t get moving and with curry you may not make it through the show. Eskimo Joe’s new album due for release later this year.
UNI YEAR BOOK College Fall are celebrating the simple awesomeness of evening Sunday sessions this weekend down at the Edinburgh Castle (Brunswick). Glenn Musto will first be opening the night to continue his solo Scrapbook tour of the country before being joined by his bandmates onstage for one heaven of an ethereal indie pop extravaganza as College Fall.
WHITE WATER BIRDS
VIDEO OF THE WEEK MOBY FT COLD SPECKS A CASE FOR SHAME
Headlining Black Night Crash at the Rochester Castle this Saturday are The Grand Rapids, a psychedelic five-piece who punch out some dangerously rowdy tunes which will get your heart racing in seconds. Support comes from The Fuzzbirds.
GINGERBREAD HOUSE Alternate rockers The Sweets release their long awaited debut EP Temples. They serve up a big bowl of punchy, reverb soaked rock that’s just like Nonna used to make when they launch it at the Grace Darling Hotel this Saturday. Along for the family dinner are their supports, long-time friends Agility and Papa Maul.
Eerily hypnotic.
DOUBLE DUCKS DEAD The Evelyn would like to present you their new baby – Three’s A Crowd! A residency which stretches through July and August, this night is made up of two piece acts with the occasional soloist. This week the night will feature Dead, Duck Duck Chop and Mandek Penha.
For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news • 39
[THE GUID IDE] i n d i e
news
DISASTER READY
SHEEPY BRANDO
Featuring members of Bad Aches and Chook Race, Pronto deliver that vintage ’77 era punk sound with powerpop nous. Tonight (Wednesday) they’ll be joined by Ritchie 1250 & The Brides Of Christ and the excellent duo Ross De Chene Hurricanes as part of their Tote residency.
New-Zealand born Marlon Williams’ blends the mystical lyricism of writers like Townes Van Zandt and Gene Clark with an inborn flair for melody and harmony. He is also due to release his debut solo EP in November. He’ll be playing at the Retreat Hotel (Brunswick) this Tuesday.
ALICE IN UNDERLAND Melbourne based five-piece Underlander are an acoustic convict-folk outfit who play historically based original ballads and re-imagined traditionals, dealing with themes and narratives of Australia’s dark history. They’ll be playing with the drunkest, bootlegging-est bandits around, Cabbages & Kings this Friday at the Victoria Hotel (Brunswick).
SHEP IN THE CITY Inedia bring their Shepparton sound to Bar Open this Thursday. Joining them will be Lucid Sun, Claws & Organs and Worm Crown. From 8pm there will be nothing to learn but good times and great classic hits. It’ll be thumpingly loud, but feel free to sway, rock, nod, jump – whatever takes your fancy.
FRUIT HARVEST With their Pozible campaign a huge success, Dandelion Wine are set to fly to Europe early August to play at summer festivals – but not without a splendid send off show first at the Reverence Hotel this Thursday. Celebrating with them are Trappist Afterland and Plum Green.
YOUNG PAINTER Neighbourhood Youth’s hook-laden songs offer an inimitable dynamism and cohesiveness, showcasing oft-bruised, ever-soaring vocals. Check them out at The Prince Public Bar this Friday with guests Raffaellas.
WE’RE AT WAR Noûs exercise sludgy, psychedelic, filthy metal. Roundtable play instrumental progressive stoner metal with medieval and folk themes. Warpigs are a meandering dissonance machine. See all three acts this Sunday at a heavy show at The Curtin.
HITTING PUBERTY Californian metal-core giants Bleeding Through have announced their final Australian tour. In their last Melbourne show at The Hi-Fi this Saturday the band will play all the classics from an extensive discography. They’ll be joined by Make Them Suffer, Boris The Blade and Emerson & Refraction.
NO CHARGE After a three week national tour supporting The Nerve, The Charge return to The Espy this Saturday with OverReactor playing the front bar. Their sound incorporates heavy metal and straight grunge – as if Black Sabbath and Nirvana made an album together. High Side Driver and InVolume round out the line-up for the night.
EXTRACTED WITH FORCE Hip hop artist Leva (aka Furious) released his debut mix tape The Shakedown in 2012, which made big noise throughout Melbourne and displayed his undeniable ability to rap at a world class level. He’s set to take The Prince stage this Saturday with Solex and more.
RED-LACED GLOBE One of Australian indie rock’s true songwriting heroes, Ross McLennan brings his ensemble to the Spotted Mallard this Saturday, accompanied by his ensemble of strings, woodwind and a choir and joined by The Orbweavers and Cameron Ross.
SHUTUP AND LISTEN Stockman Records will be stopping by at Bar Open tonight (Wednesday) for a night of mayhem. Shutup Jackson, Big Volcano and Sean Peters & The Motherfucking Boogaloo Allstars will be fronting up for some no-holds-barred, balls to the wall action.
CROWN OF THORNS
RULE OF SEVENS Kicking things off this Saturday at Bar Open will be purveyors of genuine ‘70s reggae, dancehall, roots and lover’s rock, Judge Pino & The Ruling Motions. The Seven Ups will bring the funk to any souls left standing.
CUP OF TEAGUE Channeling some of the more inspired moments in the annals of folk, country, blues, psych-rock and pop, James Teague has forged a sound that is remarkably distinctive. Teague will be performing at Brunswick’s Trash for Cash Flea Market at Noise Bar this Sunday arvo, alongside Elephant, Sophie Trelour and Clancy.
UNHOLY NOISE Jakksen Fish fronts The Unholy Racket, who will take you on an emotive story-telling journey involving love, sin and reflection. The Unholy Racket play the Empress Hotel tonight (Wednesday) with Joe Forrester, Melissa Main and Kate Walker.
Starting off the evening this Thursday at the Empress Hotel will be Ivy Lucille who will captivate you with her whirl of emotions and wild theatrics. Next up are the sounds of Emma Wall & The Urban Folk, and to end the night will be the ancient callings of Kaisha.
ARMY DAZE
Acclaimed Elvis tribute artist Silas Lulic had the honour of winning the title of Elvis Idol two years running. He pays homage to Elvis in the most memorable moments of the King’s career. He’ll be at the Thornbury Theatre this Friday for Extremely Elvis – Blue Velvet.
HOW UNFORTUNATE
THE GROVE TRAIN
The Baudelaires have crafted their sound from influences of ‘60s psych bands such as The 13th Floor Elevators and The Velvet Underground, blending them with more modern tones of overdriven shoe-gaze guitars, a slap of country rhythm and the mysticism of soft tenor blues vocals. They will be launching their single Broke Down Blues/Samariterstrasse at Bar Open this Sunday with Willow Darling and Harmony Byrne.
Melbourne blues-rockers The Groves are launching their single Down With The Ship and its film clip at the Grace Darling Hotel on Saturday 10 August. The Groves’ signature garage blues has been refined on their latest offering, resulting in a tight knit blues shuffle.
Voltera have been busy releasing three EPs over the course of 2012, each of which is influenced by a different global co-ordinate, its musical aesthetic and subsequent socio-political climate. These combine to form Co-Ordination, the second full length album. It’ll be launched on Friday 9 August at Northcote Social Club with guests Circles, Death Audio and Sirus.
MIXED LEADERSHIP Melbourne’s rollicking blues punks Bittersweet Kicks roll into the Retreat Hotel this Friday for their farewell show before jetting off on their European tour. This is a band with a serious ability to punch out an energetic, fun show. They’ll be followed by King Leghorn.
40 • For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news
ADAM EATON Album title? Catastrophes Where did the title of your new album come from? ‘Catastrophising’ is imagining negative outcomes from situations that really have no threat. I catastrophise and I’ve noticed it being an element of my writing with this album. The title is me laughing at myself. How many releases do you have now? Two, my EP, You And I And Us, I recorded in Norway and released last year, and my album, Catastrophes. How long did it take to write/record? It was over about six months of writing in Copenhagen, Oslo, and back in Melbourne. In the end, a lot of the record ended up with songs I wrote about a month before entering the studio. Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? I was very inspired by the producers, Roger Bergodaz (Jordie Lane, Tex Perkins) and Shane Reilly (Tex Perkins) who kept on coming up with really interesting sonic landscapes. We wanted the record to contribute. What’s your favourite song on it? On Your Way Now has an interesting instrumentation and production. Lyrically I’m proud and we took the song somewhere else. Will you do anything differently next time? Not consciously, next time I’ll be more experienced and more understanding of myself as an artist. I’ve already written a lot of the next album and am ready to go! When and where is your launch/next gig? Friday 2 August at the Grace Darling Hotel with Ariela Jacobs. Website link for more info? adameatonmusic.com
ALBUM FOCUS
WALL OF IVY
This time three years ago The Ramshackle Army burst onto the Bendigo Hotel stage to begin a journey. They return to the venue for an anniversary party this Friday, joined by ska punks Mister Coffee (for the first time since 2011), rockers Road Ratz and openers Admiral Ackbar’s Dishonourable Discharge.
HIGH VOLTAGE
ALBUM FOCUS
MEETING THE STANDARD Taking to the Standard Hotel tonight (Wednesday) will be Dan Lethbridge. This Sunday, catch Waywardbreed playing two sets. Next Wednesday 31 July, Nigel Wearne brings his tunes to the bar. Then Sunday 4 August has The Lucilles playing a couple of sets.
LOUNGE LIZARDS Tonight (Wednesday) at the Lounge Bar, Beat Science is playing live, with DJ Carmex and Ayna. This Thursday it’ll be Ships Piano, Sooky La La and DJs Jake & Nikki. Get Lit on Friday with D’fro and Mugen. Then it’s Super Grandé Saturday with Lewis Can Cut and Moonshine. Sunday’s going all night with Tee Dubya, SpinFX & Woz, Andy Ukhotmosky & Disrute and David Bass & Flip3k. Wind down on Monday with Acoustic Sessions featuring Dub Dementia, Georgia Maq and Darcy Fox.
THE DARLING DOWNS Answered by: Kim Salmon Album title: In The Days When The World Was Wide Where did the title of your new album come from? It comes from the title of a poem by Henry Lawson which is also the title of a book of verse by that venerable gentleman. How many releases do you have now? This is the third album by The Darling Downs (ie. Kim Salmon and Ron S Peno). How long did it take to write/record? About a year. The album was recorded with Idge at Soundpark in Westgarth along with some guest musicians. It took time as other projects were happening at the same time. Was anything in particular inspiring you during the making? Sixties pop music, especially the music coming out of New York at that time. Think Simon & Garfunkel, Dylan’s Blonde On Blonde and Dusty Springfield. What’s your favourite song on it? We’re pretty happy with every song but the opening track Saved is a lovely introduction to the album. Will you do anything differently next time? Each album is its own thing. In a word, nothing. We feel this is the best album yet in the everunfolding story of The Darling Downs. When and where is your launch/next gig? The Toff In Town on Saturday 27 July is the album launch with support from Skyscraper Stan & The Commmission Flats and soloist Fraser A Gorman. Website link for more info? facebook.com/TheDarlingDowns
FROM PADDOCK TO PLATE
food
TOP 5
DIY: A VEGGIE PATCH
1 2 3
Veggies don’t like growing in the shade – you’ll get the best results from a growing patch which gets at least five hours sun a day.
Environmental damage is being caused by what we choose to eat. Making informed choices about the food you eat and buy is an achievable step towards helping the environment. Perhaps in the future, foods will come with listed carbon footprint figures right next to nutritional information. Chefs like Matt Stone are addressing these concerns with some clever and effective methods.
4 5
Give your plants room to move. Plants hate being crowded and will be weak and small if they haven’t got enough space.
Silo may seem like another hip Melbourne coffee shop but, at its core, it is driven by the belief that a restaurant need not be a burden on the environment it relies on. Head chef Matt Stone says that he aims to “minimise the waste of the hospitality industry,” adding that they buy, “farm direct food delivered in reusable black crates.” A poster on the front of the café states that the business produces no garbage... All organic waste is treated in a food waste dehydrator and steriliser then sent back to the farm to be forked back into the dirt as rich compost and so, every unused nutrient goes back into the soil it came from.
FOOD TRIPPIN’
around four million tonnes of food, not even including what goes to waste before our produce hits the shelf. The organic landfill rots, releasing methane into the atmosphere; a gas that is twenty five times more potent than the carbon that comes out of your car exhaust.
I
n today’s fast paced world, you may be forgiven for being too busy to think about where your food came from and how that food effects the environment around us; but a new breed of Australian chefs have been putting these ideas at the forefront of their cuisine. In an effort to change the ways we think about the things we eat, these chefs are developing direct links with their producers and cooking with ingredients direct from the farm. From farm to fork, Chef’s all around Australia are starting to think about the sustainability of an industry built around the idea of consumption. How many people realise the damage that their food choices can cause?
Kurt Medenbach learns what it takes to eat healthy, while saving the planet. Pics by Holly Engelhardt. Engelhardt
[THE GUID IDE]
Everything from apples to soup comes wrapped and packaged at the supermarket; this packaging generates mountains of waste and tear up our limited resources. Every minute, Australians dump 7,150 recyclable plastic bags into landfills; it’s estimated that there is enough petrochemicals in 8.6 plastic bags to drive a car for one kilometre.
Environmental damage is being caused by what we choose to eat. Making informed choices about the food you eat and buy is an achievable step towards helping the environment.”
Give your patch a good digging over to break up the soil and get rid of any weeds. Make your own super soil! This involves digging in a good load of compost and/or soil conditioner.
You could plant some flowers among the veg, as they discourage pests.
EATING AROUND THE USA WITH SOFIE MUCENIEKAS AND LLOYD HONEYBROOK
Stone proudly states that one farmer grows, “80% of the food [they] serve… he picks on Wednesday, he forages on Thursday, he delivers on Friday.” The chef adds that they have to use food, “when it’s in its peak season and abundance rather than chasing ingredients.” Although, he adds, “labour cost is higher, stuff is not cleaned, not polished, they can pay the farmer a better price than he gets and they can get a better price, and they ca afford to have ingredients they might not usually afford to have.” Farmers can earn as little as 35c a litre for milk, whereas a café buying direct can pay the farmer more like $1.80 per litre. Stone reveals that he can pay, “three or four times of what he would usually get.” Meaning, the farmer doesn’t have to produce as much to make cash and so can focus on quality over quantity. The business wins, the farmer wins, the environment wins and the customer wins. Other restaurants are starting to learn some of these lessons; Neil Perry’s Sydney and Melbourne restaurants, Rockpool, are now getting all their produce delivered in the same re-useable crates
Vegetables and fruit are shipped from the other side of the globe even when there are locally produced alternatives, while a constant stream of delivery trucks fouling the air with exhaust. Some of our most common food items travel more than 70,000 kilometres before reaching us; nearly twice round the world.
We too should make some of the same choices restaurants are starting to make; Buy less packaged food, bring your own bags, start a compost pile. You can find farmers’ markets in most parts of the country with over 160 nationally. They are a great place to get local food direct from the farmer. Ask where your food came from.
Up to twenty per cent of food purchased in Australia goes unused, and them dumped into landfill; that’s
Green food is not a fad; it is the first leap forward towards making the food industry sustainable.
Portt landd Another delicious breakfast: breakfast burrito, 4 tacos (carnitas, chicharon, steak & onion, carne asada), amazesauce at Los Gorditos. with @lloydhoneybrook#mexibreakfast
YS LIVE JAZZ FRIDA A N NA GIL 441 // "1, Ê-/] "1,
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7 -" Ê 1- ÊUÊ , / 7 -" 1-- U , / "" ÊUÊ / -/ Ê , -* -ÊUÊ " / To check out the mags online go to themusic.com.au/mags • 41
[THE GUID IDE]
HOWZAT! LOCAL MUSIC NEWS BY JEFF JENKINS break-up. “Needing to figure out where I was going and why I should bother”, he started to write songs.
Andy Szikla
PEAKS AND VALLEYS Andy Szikla was known as Mr Fish when Howzat! met him in the mid-’90s. We remember thinking, ‘If this guy had been around in the ’70s, he would have been a superstar’. He’s a true singer-songwriter. As well as Mr Fish, Andy has been in several bands, including 87 Fat Girls (with Horsehead’s Andy McLean and Cameron McKenzie) and Ides Of March. Now he’s finally released an album with just his name on the cover. “There is no vanity in it,” Andy says. “It was just a way for me to navigate out of a very dark time in my life.” Andy confesses he was “very, very lost” after his mother’s death and a marriage
42 • For more opinion go to themusic.com.au/blog
Dark Valley (out now on Rubber Records) isn’t an obvious break-up album, with Andy creating characters to tell his tale. A highlight is Take Me Up, which features some wonderful wailing from Kerri Simpson. “It’s a big song, and Kerri is a force of nature,” Andy smiles. He and Kerri went to Lalor Tech together. “She was the leather-clad rocker and I was the clueless nerd, but we were both a little on the outer,” Andy recalls of their school days. A fan of John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, “everybody thought I was a dork, except for Kerri and a few others. She was the coolest kid I knew, and was into rocking bands like Thin Lizzy.” Take Me Up is a heavy song. “The conflict is really about the guilt of exiting from a broken relationship and leaving kids behind. The song reinterprets that, and I made the guy a sod-busting farmer who tries to do the best for his family, but the cruel winters and poverty bring him failure, and the casualties are his children, as well as his own innocence. This kind of baroque, heroic retelling of my own inner mess is really the theme of the whole album.”
The World Was Wide (out this week on Fuse). Died Pretty’s Ron S Peno has reunited with Kim Salmon for the duo’s first album in six years. Ron and Kim have been friends for more than 30 years. They met when The Scientists were doing a residency at the Vulcan in Sydney. Brett Myers, from The End, introduced his friend to Kim after a gig: “This is Ron from The Hellcats.” Ron took the opportunity to ask Kim about the lyrics to Swampland. Kim was instantly drawn to Ron – “he had such an engaging personality” – and Ron became a regular at Scientists shows. One night he was wearing a wig, which had Kim wondering, “Is he mocking us, or is he just drunk?” Years later, backstage at a Surrealists show, Ron told Kim: “We’ve got to make a country record together!” Again, Kim wasn’t sure if Ron was serious. But they would eventually create the “country-politan” duo The Darling Downs, releasing the 2005 debut, How Can I Forget This Heart Of Mine?, followed by 2007’s From One To Another. Ron thought the show was over, but the new album – which is being launched Saturday at The Toff In Town – proves otherwise. It’s a sparkling collection of songs that are both mournful and life-affirming.
SALMON FARMING
Riptide VANCE JOY (12) Fire Starter SAMANTHA JADE (15) Sheppard EP SHEPPARD (20) Alive EMPIRE OF THE SUN (32) Act Yo Age BLISS N ESO (36, debut) Untouchable JOHNNY RUFFO (39, debut) Four Voice-related albums in the top 40. More Than A Dream HARRISON CRAIG (#2) Circus In The Sky BLISS N ESO (5) A Time For Us LUKE KENNEDY (6) The Great Country Songbook TROY CASSARDALEY & ADAM HARVEY (12) This Music CELIA PAVEY (14, debut) Glorious Ruins HILLSONG LIVE (16) Departures BERNARD FANNING (18) The Beginning And The End Of Everything JOSH PYKE (20) Surfers Paradise CODY SIMPSON (25, debut)
Howzat! usually likes short, sharp songs. Six of the nine cuts on Dark Valley are longer than five minutes, with the title-track clocking in at more than nine minutes. “Some narrative ideas require more exposition than others,” Andy believes. “If the song is genuinely saying something, and it sounds great, the listener will probably want more, not less.” Fair enough. Andy is launching the album Saturday at Cherry Bar, and videos for all the songs can be found at darkvalley.tv.
It’s crazy that Kim Salmon is not in the ARIA Hall of Fame. He’s a grunge pioneer, recognised around the world. Maybe he hasn’t stood still long enough for ARIA to recognise his amazing body of work? We’re talking Scientists, Beasts Of Bourbon, The Surrealists, Salmon, The Business, Precious Jules, Antenna with Dave Faulkner, The Darling Downs and Runaways with Spencer P Jones. “I’ve always got a lot of irons in the fire,” Kim says. “It’s like farming – if you stop planting a new crop, you’re doomed.” Surely, ARIA, his time has come?
UPS AND DOWNS
CHART WATCH
Saved THE DARLING DOWNS
Andy Szikla’s favourite Aussie album is Died Pretty’s Doughboy Hollow. “It can go round and round in my car’s CD player for days.” We’re sure Andy will love the new Darling Downs album, In The Days When
Vance Joy jumps from 17 to 12.
Henry MELODY POOL
Resolution MATT CORBY (#6)
Stolen Cars THE WEEKEND PEOPLE
Parachute TIMOMATIC (9)
Own Worst Enemy NICK BATTERHAM
As The Crow Flies DANNY ROSS (26, debut) Sharkmouth RUSSELL MORRIS (29) Ice On The Dune EMPIRE OF THE SUN (30) The Platinum Album JUDITH DURHAM (39)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST Take Me Up ANDY SZIKLA
43
[THE GUID IDE] g i g s
1,000’s of gigs at your fingertips. The Guide at
TOUR GUIDE
DEAD LETTER CIRCUS: August 30 Wool Exchange (Geelong); 31 Hi-Fi CLOUD CONTROL: September 4 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 5 Star Bar (Bendigo); 6 Forum
COLD WAR KIDS: July 30 The Hi-Fi
PRESENTS SURFER BLOOD: July 24 Corner HAIM: July 25 Hi-Fi EVERYTHING EVERYTHING: July 26 Corner COLD WAR KIDS: July 30 Hi-Fi JAMES BLAKE: July 31 Palais JAGWAR MA: August 1 Corner KARNIVOOL: August 1, 2 Town Hall COSMIC PSYCHOS: August 9 Hi-Fi CLARE BOWDITCH: August 10 Corner SHAPESHIFTER: August 16 Billboard DIALECTRIX: August 16 Revolver JOSH PYKE: August 17 Corner PLUTO JONZE: August 17 Northcote Social Club THE REAL MCKENZIES: August 28 Loft (Warrnambool); 13 Espy; September 1 Barwon Club (Geelong) JAPANDROIDS: August 28, 30 Corner THE STIFFYS: August 29 Beav’s Bar (Geelong); 30 Musicman Megastore (Bendigo); Saturday 31 Grace Darling
THIS WEEK INTERNATIONAL SURFER BLOOD: July 24 Corner Hotel HAIM: July 25 The Hi-Fi, Liberty Social (late DJ set) LADI6: July 25 Revolver FRANK OCEAN: July 25, 26 Festival Hall JEHST, M-PHAZES: July 26 Laundry Bar EVERYTHING EVERYTHING: July 26 Corner Hotel BLEEDING THROUGH: July 26 Ferntree Gully Hotel; 27 The Hi-Fi WAVVES, UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA: July 27 Corner Hotel DEAP VALLY: July 27 The Tote DIZZY WRIGHT: July 27 Prince (two shows) JAKE BUGG: July 28 Corner Hotel MS MR: July 29 The Hi-Fi FIDLAR: July 29 Corner Hotel PALMA VIOLETS: July 29 Northcote Social Club ALT-J: July 30 Festival Hall VILLAGERS: July 30 Corner Hotel LAURA MARLING: July 30 St Stephen’s Uniting Church COLD WAR KIDS: July 30 The Hi-Fi PASSION PIT: July 30 Palace
NATIONAL ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI: July 24 Toff In Town KERSER & RATES: July 24 Barwon Club (Geelong); 26 Karova Lounge (Ballarat) BEN SALTER: July 25 Workers Club SCOTT DARLOW: July 25, 26 July St Joseph’s College (Geelong) PSYCROPTIC, KING PARROT: July 25 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 26 Barwon Club (Geelong); 27 Northcote Social Club; 28 Musicland THELMA PLUM: July 26 Northcote Social Club WORLD’S END PRESS: July 26 Ding Dong Lounge BAD//DREEMS: July 26 Gasometer SHELLEY SEGAL: July 26 Benetts Lane CASH SAVAGE & THE LAST DRINKS: July 26 Bridge Hotel (Castlemaine); 27 The Curtin GREEN STONE GARDEN: July 26 Edinburgh Castle; 27 Wesley Anne STANDISH/CARLYON: July 27 Shebeen ROSS MCLENNAN: July 27 Spotted Mallard SAM BUCKINGHAM: July 28 Workers Club SIMON MELI & THE WINDOWBIRDS: July 28 Northcote Social Club BUFFALO TALES: July 30 Sandbar (Mildura) DAVID BRIDIE & THE PILLS: July 30 Northcote Social Club
FESTIVALS SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS: July 26-28 North Byron Parklands (Byron Bay)
UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL LAURA MARLING: July 31 St Stephen’s Uniting Church PASSION PIT: July 31 The Hi-Fi DARWIN DEEZ: July 31 Corner Hotel JAMES BLAKE: July 31 Palais, Howler (late DJ set) A LOSS FOR WORDS: July 31 Barwon Club (Geelong); August 1 Next; 3 Ferntree Gully Hotel; 4 Phoenix Youth Centre (all ages) SALMONELLA DJ SOUNDSYSTEM: August 2 The Espy OF MONSTERS & MEN: August 3, 4 Palais BARDO POND: August 3 Corner Hotel CHVRCHES: August 5 Corner Hotel JOAN BAEZ: August 8 Hamer Hall COSMIC PSYCHOS: August 9 The Hi-Fi FUNCTION, PANGAEA: August 9 Brown Alley ALESANA: August 9 Evelyn Hotel; 10 Lilydale Showgrounds BARN OWL: August 10 Northcote Social Club GIRAFFAGE: August 10 Liberty Social GUTTERMOUTH: August 10 The Loft (Warrnambool); 11 Ferntree Gully Hotel; 16 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 17 Evelyn Hotel; 18 The Man (Falls Creek); 19 Swindlers (Mt Hotham) SENSES FAIL: August 11 Corner Hotel PINK: August 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25 Rod Laver Arena
WED 24 JULY 2013
Tom Fryer Band + Bev Harper Trio: 303, Northcote Shut Up Jackson + Big Volcano + Sean Peters & The Motherfucking Boogaloo: Bar Open, Fitzroy Kerser + Kwasi + Hoodwolf + Gzutek: Barwon Club, South Geelong Open Mic+Various: Bonnie & Clydes Cafe & Cocktail Bar, Thornbury Stylus + Jimmy Cupples + Mick Pealing + Lisa Edwards + Mike Brady + more: Central Club Hotel, North Melbourne The Deep End + Sudden State + Super Saloon: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Surfer Blood + Jeremy Neale + The Harlots: Corner Hotel, Richmond Mo’Soul+Kingston Crown + DJ Vince Peach: Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne The Unholy Racket feat. Joe Forrester + Kate Walker + Melissa Main Duo: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North The Protomen + MC Frontalot + Toehider: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy Split Seconds + We The People: Gasworks, Albert Park Rodrigo Cassiano + Leigh Bacchetti + Lauren Moore: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood The World At A Glance + Loser Denial + The Ashyards + Theft: IDGAFF, Abbotsford Midnight Soul Ensemble+Beat Science + DJ Carmex + DJ Anya: Lounge Bar, Melbourne Monarch + Hotel Wrecking City Traders + Agonhymn: Northcote Social Club, Northcote Rosey + Gallie + Les Thomas: Old Bar, Fitzroy Dave Wright & The Midnight Electric: Retreat Hotel, Brunswick
44 • To check more gigs online go to themusic.com.au/theguide
Alex & The Shy Lashlies : Revolver Upstairs, Prahran The Dinner Set: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran Fraser A Gorman + Tim Neilson: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick Robot Child + The Mean Times + Aircrafte: The Bendigo, Collingwood Open Mic Night + Various: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Lace and Whiskey + Made In China + Pirates: The Curtin, Carlton Wine, Whisky, Women feat. Michelle Parsons + Di Watson: The Drunken Poet, Melbourne Collage + Capcha + Humans As Animals + Land of the Blind: The Espy, St Kilda Olympia: The Post Office Hotel, Coburg Band Comp + Various: The Public Bar, North Melbourne Dan Lethbridge: The Standard Hotel, Fitzroy Architecture In Helsinki + Two Bright Light DJs: The Toff In Town, Melbourne Pronto + Ritchie 1250 + The Brides Of Christ + Ross De Chene Hurricane: The Tote, Collingwood Red Latern Colony + You & Your Friends + Project Broczewski + DJ ChasR: The Workers Club, Fitzroy Simply Acoustic + Various: Wesley Anne, Northcote
THU 25 JULY 2013
Kickin the B at 303 + Artie Styles Quartet: 303, Northcote Inedia + Claws & Organs + Lucid Sun + Worm Crown: Bar Open, Fitzroy Christopher Sealey Collective: Bennetts Lane, Melbourne Reverend Funk & The Horns Of Salvation: Cherry Bar, Melbourne
BIG SCARY: September 5 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 6 Hi-Fi HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY: September 5 Barwon Club (Geelong); 6 Corner Hotel; 7 Karova Lounge (Ballarat) THE DRONES: September 13, 14 Hi-Fi PEACE: September 13 Eagle Bar La Trobe University; 14, 15 Northcote Social Club THE PAPER KITES: September 15 Hi-Fi, 28 Forum ILLY: September 20 Corner RUDIMENTAL: September 21 Festival Hall JINJA SAFARI: September 25 Loft (Warrnambool); 26 Barwon Club (Geelong); 27 Forum; 28 Karova Lounge (Ballarat) HORRORSHOW: September 29 Ding Dong; October 17 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 18 Wool Exchange (Geelong) FOALS: September 26, 27 Palace XAVIER RUDD: October 3 Forum BOY & BEAR: November 1 Wool Exchange (Geelong); 2 Forum
Breaking Tradition + Void Of Vision: Colonial Hotel, Melbourne Kaisha + Emma Wall & The Urban Folk + Guests: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North Animaux + Brotherfunk + Echo Drama: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy Frank Ocean + Special Guests : Festival Hall, West Melbourne Rick Price + Brooke Schubert: Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick The Demon Parade + Flyying Colours: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood Dr Piffle & The Burlap Band + Quarry Mountain Dead Rats: Great Britain Hotel, Richmond The National Evening Express + Pilots of The Future: IDGAFF, Abbotsford Psycroptic + King Parrot: Karova Lounge, Ballarat Continental Roberts? Blues Party: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East Overdrive + Ships Piano + Sooky La La + DJ Jake + DJ Nikki: Lounge Bar, Melbourne Michael Planter & The Exit Keys: Old Bar, Fitzroy Dandelion Wine + Plum Green + Trappist Afterland: Reverence Hotel, Footscray Child + Seedy Jezus + The Underhanded: Reverence Hotel (Afternoon) , Footscray The Glorious: Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill Hoy: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick Scott Darlow: St Josephs College, Newtown Fiona Lee Maynard & Her Holy Men: Tago Mago, Thornbury Saint Vitus + Monarch + Broozer + Clagg + Thrall: The Bendigo, Collingwood As a Rival + Falconio: The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine The Glare + Guests: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Bec & Bianca: The Drunken Poet, Melbourne
Jakubi + Dylan Joel: The Espy, St Kilda Haim + The Preatures: The Hi-Fi, Melbourne Factory Launch Night feat. Big Fucking Robots + ALFO + Gelido + Mechanist + more: The Noise Bar, Brunswick Mike Noga: The Post Office Hotel, Coburg Band Comp + Various: The Public Bar, North Melbourne Grizzly Jim Lawrie + James Teague + Playwrite: The Toff In Town, Melbourne Leaps & Bounds Festival + Brothers Hand Mirror + Banoffee + Fox & Sui: The Tote, Collingwood My Piranha + Stone: The Vineyard, St Kilda Ben Salter + Junk Horses + Wayward Breed: The Workers Club, Fitzroy Anna’s Go-Go Academy: Victoria Hotel, Brunswick Lester The Fierce: Wesley Anne, Northcote Charles Jenkins: Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East Adam Rudegeair + Mayfield: Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy
FRI 26 JULY 2013
Hollaback Fundraiser + Quashani Bahd + Heaps Tuff + Various: 303, Northcote Claude Hay: American Hotel, Echuca Merri Creek Pickers: Bar Open, Fitzroy New Model Agency + The Choice of Thieves + Katrina Cartel + Sarah Hill + Dasher: Barley Corn Hotel, Collingwood Psycroptic + King Parrot: Barwon Club, South Geelong Chantal Mitvalsky + Aaron Choulai: Bennetts Lane, Melbourne Shelley Segal + Adam Levy: Bennetts Lane, Melbourne
Evolution Essentials + Aruna + Alexander Popov + Armada: Billboard The Venue, Melbourne Spectrum Trio: Burrinja Café & Bar, Upwey Rock Dungeon feat. Pterodactyl + Bricks: CBD Club, Melbourne Spencer P Jones: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Fifth Friend + Jack Jack Jack + Thrasher Jynx: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Anna Gilkison Trio: Chi Kitchen, Melbourne Dean’s Martini & Shakers: Claypots Evening Star, South Melbourne Everything Everything + Clubfeet: Corner Hotel, Richmond World’s End Press + Pikelet + Andreas Fox: Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Ruby Page: Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond Green Stone Garden + more: Edinburgh Castle Hotel, Brunswick Dianne + Peach Noise + Guests: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North SoundBytes 14 “Post Pax Party” + cTrix + dot.AY + Abortifacient + Various: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy Bleeding Through + Make Them Suffer + Boris The Blade + Driven To The Verge + Hollow World: Ferntree Gully Hotel, Ferntree Gully Frank Ocean + Special Guests : Festival Hall, West Melbourne
The Ears + Iowa + Faspeedelay + Auto Da Fe: Old Bar, Fitzroy Fred Everything: Onesixone, Prahran Tek Tek Ensemble: Open Studio, Northcote La Mauvaise Reputation: Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne The Moonee Valley Drifters: Pascoe Vale RSL, Pascoe Vale Brunswick Massive + DJ Brain: Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy As A Rival + Jonesez + A Process Of + On Sierra + Laser Brains: Reverence Hotel, Footscray Kalacoma + Rabid Zulu + Sudden State + Guilt Free + Hedonistic Pleasures: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran Kisstroyer: Shoppingtown Hotel, Doncaster Sound From Earth + Maddy Hay + Mike Clifford + John Flanagan & The Begin Agains: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick Scott Darlow: St Josephs College, Newtown Cass Eager & The Velvet Ropes : Star Hotel, Echuca Annemarie Sharry + Bob Sedergreen + Dale Lindrea + Christophe Genoux: Surrey Music Cafe, Box Hill Damen Samuel: The 86 Cocktail & Cabaret Bar, Fitzroy
LAURA MARLING: July 30 St Stephen’s Uniting Church
Ronnie Charles & The Retro Bandits: Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick Bad Dreems + The Clits + Destiny 3000 + Velcro + The Angel & Baby Chain: Gasworks, Albert Park Upstairs + Psalm Beach + Cocks Arquette + Ivy Street + Treehouse: Gasworks, Albert Park Hayley Couper + Ali E + Alex & The Shy Lashlies + Cabin Inn: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood Kerser + Kwasi + Hoodwolf + Gzutek: Karova Lounge, Ballarat Prayer Babies: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East Friday Nights at Monet’s Garden feat. Good Heavens: National Gallery of Victoria, Southbank Thelma Plum + Dan Parsons + Kathryn Rollins: Northcote Social Club, Northcote
The Ramshackle Army + Mister Coffee + Road Ratz: The Bendigo, Collingwood Cash Savage & The Last Drinks: The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine Riff Fist + Swidgen + The Superguns + Olmeg: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Ghost Towns Of The Midwest: The Cornish Arms, Brunswick The Fallen Angels + Midnight Driver + Smoke Stack Rhino + Rexcramer: The Curtin, Carlton Traditional Irish Music Session + Dan Bourke & Friends: The Drunken Poet, Melbourne Bee + Bnash + Mantic Notion + Tash Sultana + Ross Evans + Rob & Andy: The Espy (Gershwin Room), St Kilda
THU 25TH
LIAM GERNER (Alan Ladds)
"DPVTUJD 4FTTJPO Å GSPN QN SAT 27TH
COLLARD GREENS & GRAVY
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197A BRUNSIWCK ST FITZROY 3065 (03) 9417 5955
FRI 26TH JUL
BLEEDING THROUGH SAT 27TH JUL
28 DAYS SAT 3RD AUG
A LOSS FOR WORDS SAT 10TH AUG
EUROGLIDERS SUN 11TH AUG
GUTTERMOUTH FRI 16TH AUG
CARTEL SAT 24TH AUG
JERICCO FRI 30TH AUG
12 FOOT NINJA SAT 31ST AUG
THE ANGELS FRI 13TH SEP
NORTHLANE SAT 16TH NOV
IAN MOSS
LIVE SESSIONS FREE GIGS
SAT 27TH – SHERIFF SAT 3RD – BRADY JAMES SAT 10TH – MAX SAVAGE SAT 17TH – THE TIGER & ME SAT 24TH – HOWLIN’ STEAM TRAIN SAT 31ST – MASSIVE
45
[THE GUID IDE] g i g s
1,000’s of gigs at your fingertips. The Guide at
TOUR GUIDE ROSS MCLENNAN: July 27 Spotted Mallard
MILLIONS OF DEAD COPS: August 15 Corner Hotel FLYLEAF: August 16 The Hi-Fi BASTILLE: August 16 Corner Hotel SHAPESHIFTER: August 16 Billboard CARTEL: August 17 The Hi-Fi OBEY THE BRAVE: August 17 Bang; 18 Allen McLean Hall ASH: August 22 Corner Hotel THE GAME: August 22 The Espy YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE: August 24 Toff In Town LINDSEY STIRLING: August 27 Corner Hotel JAPANDROIDS: August 28, 30 Corner Hotel THE REAL MCKENZIES: August 28 The Loft (Warrnambool); 31 The Espy; September 1 Barwon Club (Geelong) CYNDI LAUPER: August 29, 30 Palais BEING AS AN OCEAN: August 29 Bar 12 (Frankston); 30 Wyndham Youth Resource Centre; 31 Workers Club FAT FREDDY’S DROP: August 31, September 1 Forum ALL TIME LOW: August 31, September 1 Billboard ANDREW STRONG & THE COMMITMENTS: September 5 Corner Hotel DEMARCO: September 7 The Espy VOLUMES: September 7 Ringwood OLP; 8 Evelyn Hotel HIT THE LIGHTS: September 7 Phoenix Youth Centre (Footscray); 8 Corner Hotel ANBERLIN: September 8 Palace KELE OKEREKE (DJ SET): September 13 The Prince PEACE: September 13 Eagle Bar La Trobe University; 14, 15 Northcote Social Club
NATIONAL DAN PARSONS: July 31 Old Bar; August 16 Wesley Anne LACHLAN BRYAN: July 31 Retreat; August 2 Zeally & Cliff (Torquay); 3 Post Office Hotel (Coburg) JAGWAR MA: August 1 Corner Hotel INDIAN SUMMER: August 1 Eureka Hotel (Geelong) KARNIVOOL: August 1, 2 Town Hall OUR LAST ENEMY: August 2 Revolver ADAM EATON: August 2 Grace Darling APES: August 2 Karova Lounge (Ballarat) FRENZAL RHOMB: August 2 Corner Hotel ADALITA: August 2 The Tote HTRK: August 2 Howler THE DUNHILL BLUES: August 2 Old Bar; 3 The Tote; 4 Cherry Bar SCOTT DARLOW: August 2 Emmanuel College (Point Cook); 6 Our Lady Mary College (Fitzroy) DAVID BRIDIE: August 2 Memo (Healesville); 3 Caravan Music Club; 4 Montrose Town Centre ALISON WONDERLAND: August 2 Star Bar (Bendigo); 3 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); September 19 Corner Hotel HOLLOW EVERDAZE: August 2 Northcote Social Club; 17 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 24 Barwon Club (Geelong) OSCAR KEY SUNG: August 3 Toff In Town SUPER BEST FRIENDS: August 3 Rochester Castle MINDSNARE: August 3 Central Club FIFTH FLOOR LAUNCH ft THE MURLOCS: August 3 Secret Location FANNY LUMSDEN & THE THRILLSEEKERS: August 3 Wesley Anne; 31 Baha Tacos (Rye); September 1 Pure Pop Records MOZFEST ft BROTHERS GRIM & THE BLUE MURDERS: August 4 Corner Hotel EAGLE & THE WORM: August 6, 13, 20, 27 Workers Club SHELLEY SEGAL: August 6 Bennetts Lane PAUL KELLY: August 7 Playhouse (Geelong); 8, 9 Melbourne Recital Centre; 11 Regent Cinemas (Ballarat) DIESEL: August 8 Spotted Mallard (solo); November 2 Palms at Crown EUROGLIDERS: August 8 Chelsea Heights Hotel; 9 Doncaster Shoppingtown Hotel; 10 Ferntree Gully Hotel GRINSPOON: August 9 Corner Hotel BOOTLEG RASCAL: August 9 Workers Club; 10 Baha Tacos (Rye) BERNARD FANNING: August 9 Palace; 10 GPAC Costa Hall (Geelong); November 9 Rochford Wines (Yarra Valley) CLARE BOWDITCH: August 10 Corner Hotel ISAAC GRAHAM: August 10 Public Bar JEFF LANG: August 10 Yarraville Club THE TIGER & ME: August 10, 11 Toff In Town VIOLENT SOHO: August 15 Liberty Social ILUKA: August 15 Beav’s Bar (Geelong); 17 Workers Club DIALECTRIX: August 16 Revolver I, A MAN: August 16 The Tote THE TROUBLE WITH TEMPLETON: August 16 Northcote Social Club KINGSWOOD: August 16, 17 Cherry Bar
DON MCLEAN: August 17 Hamer Hall GLASS TOWERS: August 17 Toff In Town JOSH PYKE: August 17 Corner Hotel PLUTO JONZE: August 17 Northcote Social Club RUSSELL MORRIS: August 20 Corner Hotel THIS SANCTUARY: August 21 Valleyarm EGO: August 21 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 22 Eureka Hotel (Geelong); 23 Can’t Say HOLY HOLY: August 22 Workers Club FOR OUR HERO: August 22 Next; 24 Wrangler Studios FUN MACHINE: August 22 The Curtin; 24 Grace Darling BOB EVANS: August 22 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 23 Torquay Hotel; 24 The Westernport Hotel (San Remo); 26 Beav’s Bar (Geelong); 27 The Loft (Warrnambool) MOVING PICTURES: August 23 Palms At Crown CASTLECOMER: August 23 Workers Club DRAGON: August 23 Corner Hotel ED KUEPPER: August 23 Flying Saucer Club; 24 Theatre Royal (Castlemaine) SNAKADAKTAL: August 23 The Wool Exchange (Geelong); 24 Forum MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS: August 23 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 24 Corner Hotel GOLD FIELDS, CLUBFEET: August 23 The Prince LET IT BE ft DOUG PARKINSON: August 24 Hamer Hall GRACE KNIGHT: August 24 Flying Saucer Club (Elsternwick) ALL THE COLOURS: August 24 Workers Club TOM WEST: August 25 Evelyn Hotel THE BEASTS OF BOURBON: August 29, 30, 31 St Kilda Memo THE STIFFYS: August 29 Beav’s Bar (Geelong); 30 Musicman Megastore (Bendigo); Saturday 31 Grace Darling BLOODS: August 30 Workers Club DEAD LETTER CIRCUS: August 30 Wool Exchange (Geelong); 31 The Hi-Fi SETH SENTRY: August 30 Black Swan Hotel (Bendigo); 31 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); September 6 Westernport Hotel (San Remo); 7 Wool Exchange (Geelong) TWELVE FOOT NINJA: August 30 Ferntree Gully Hotel; October 4 Corner Hotel THE WOOHOO REVUE: August 30 Northcote Social Club; September 28 The Loft (Warrnambool) DIVA DEMOLITION, BELLUSIRA: August 31 The Espy; September 1 Newmarket Hotel (Bendigo) THE FAUVES: August 31 Corner Hotel MAJOR CHORD: August 31 Bella Union THE BOMBAY ROYALE: August 31 Howler SHAUN KIRK: August 31 The Loft (Warrnambool) THE BOMBAY ROYALE: August 31 Howlers UNDERGROUND LOVERS: August 31 Northcote Social Club VANCE JOY: September 1, 2, 3 Corner Hotel CLOUD CONTROL: September 4 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 5 Star Bar (Bendigo); 6 Forum LOUIS LONDON: September 5 The Curtin BIG SCARY: September 5 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 6 The Hi-Fi THE CACTUS CHANNEL: September 5, 6 Northcote Social Club HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY: September 5 Barwon Club (Geelong); 6 Corner Hotel; 7 Karova Lounge (Ballarat) JEREMY NEALE, FEELINGS: September 6 Workers Club SHAUN DIVINEY: September 7 Wrangler Studios JIMMY BARNES: September 7 Prince Of Wales Showground (Bendigo) TONIGHT ALIVE: September 11 The Hi-Fi (under-18); 13 Billboard THE CAT EMPIRE: September 12, 13 Forum NORTHLANE: September 12 Commercial Hotel (South Morang); 13 Ferntree Gully Hotel; 15 Coburg Town Hall CLAIM THE THRONE: September 13 Evelyn Hotel THE DRONES: September 13, 14 The Hi-Fi PIGEON: September 13 Can’t Say THE SNOWDROPPERS: September 13 The Curtin THE PREATURES: September 13 Northcote Social Club; 14 Karova Lounge (Ballarat)
FESTIVALS LOUD FEST: August 3 Arrow On Swanston PROGFEST: August 24 The Espy POISON CITY WEEKENDER: September 6, The Curtin; 7 Corner Hotel; 8 Reverence Hotel LISTEN OUT!: October 5 Observatory Precinct Royal Botanic Gardens SPRUNG FESTIVAL: October 19 Kevin Bartlett Sport & Rec Complex HARVEST FESTIVAL: November 10 Werribee Park HITS & PITS FESTIVAL: November 22 Palace QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL: November 22-24 Princess Park (Queenscliff) ONE ELECTRIC DAY: November 24 Werribee Park VANS WARPED TOUR: December 7 TBC STEREOSONIC: December 7, 8 Royal Melbourne Showgrounds RAINBOW SERPENT FESTIVAL: January 24-28 Lexton
46 • To check more gigs online go to themusic.com.au/theguide
Ten Thousand + The Deep End + Aural Window + Darcee Fox: The Espy (Lounge Bar), St Kilda Bad//Dreems + Special Guests: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood Qlayeface + Orsome Wells + Bear The Mammoth + Guests: The Noise Bar, Brunswick Mighty Duke & The Lords: The Post Office Hotel, Coburg Clowns: The Public Bar, North Melbourne Marlon Williams + Guests: The Thornbury Local, Thornbury Sol Nation + Bart Willoughby: The Workers Club, Fitzroy Extremely Elvis - Blue Velvet feat. Silas Lulic: Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury James Sherlock Trio: Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy Underlander + Cabbages & Kings: Victoria Hotel, Brunswick Rick Price: Wellers, Kangaroo Ground Canvas: Wesley Anne, Northcote The Wellingtons: Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East The Electric Guitars + Whitewash + The Zonks: Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy
SAT 27 JULY 2013
Plagiarism Begins At Home + Shanty Town: 303, Northcote The Seven Ups + Judge Pino & The Ruling Motions: Bar Open, Fitzroy Wot Rot + Liquor Snatch + The Savages + Hopes Abandoned + Too Soon: Barley Corn Hotel, Collingwood A Tribute to Amy Winehouse + Atlanta Coogan: Bennetts Lane, Melbourne Baby Et Lulu: Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh Andy Szikla + The Preachers of Fiction + Kerri Simpson + Raised By Eagles + The Patron Saints: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Wavves + Unknown Mortal Orchestra: Corner Hotel, Richmond Splendour Refugee Party + The Getaway Plan + My Echo: Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne John Montesante Quintet + Yvette Johannson: Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond Blues Mountain: Elsternwick Hotel, Elsternwick Carissa Jade + Colleen O’Connell + Beth Brown and The Holy Roller + Kimberley J Clemens: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North Mightboys + Tiprats + Johnny Casio: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North The Good Ship + The Good China + The Stiffys + Teak + Tom West: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy
28 Days: Ferntree Gully Hotel, Ferntree Gully Electric Sea Spider + Wooshie + Oscar Key Sung: Gasworks, Albert Park The Sweets + Agility + Papa Maul: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood Musikunst: Great Britain Hotel, Richmond Andrew Rice + Michael McManus + Blake Scott: Great Britain Hotel, Richmond Ash H King: Grind ‘n’ Groove Bar, Healesville Claude Hay: High Street, Echuca Tiney Ted + Iron Tys + Jwaters + Mohamed The Wolf: IDGAFF, Abbotsford Collard Greens & Gravy: Labour In Vain, Fitzroy Cold Heart: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East Rambling Gypsies + Indigo Lake: Music Land, Fawkner Scaramouche: Musicman Megastore, Bendigo Rick Wilhite: New Guernica, Melbourne Psycroptic + King Parrot + A Million Dead Birds Laughing + Metal Storm: Northcote Social Club, Northcote The Sinking Teeth + The Stray Melodics + Have/ Hold: Old Bar, Fitzroy Adrian Whyte & The Pavement Serenaders: Open Studio, Northcote Claude Hay: Oscar’s Hotel, Echuca Elder Statesman Meets Young Maverick: Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne Dr Piffle & The Burlap Band + The Drunken Poachers: Penny Black, Brunswick Stephen Bowtell Band: Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy Charlie Lane + DJ Shaky Memorial + The Nudgels: Retreat Hotel, Brunswick Army Of Champions + Clowns + Hug Therapist + Japan For + more: Reverence Hotel, Footscray Maurice Fulton: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran Young Hollywood + Altitude + Dutch Beats Mafia + Little Miss Remembering: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran Scott Graham: Shamrock Hotel (Front Bar ), Kyneton Standish/Carlyon + Guests: Shebeen Bar, Melbourne Ross McLennan + The Orbweavers + Cameron Ross: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick Pacific Blues Union: The Axedale Tavern, Axedale The Eighty Eights + The Escargo-gos + The Tarantinos + Jamesy Ohhh: The Bendigo, Collingwood Bobby Valentine: The Commune, East Melbourne Howlin’ Wind: The Courthouse Theatre, Geelong Cash Savage & The Last Drinks + The Infants: The Curtin, Carlton The Alan Ladds: The Drunken Poet, Melbourne Phil Para Band: The Espy (Front Bar) , St Kilda
Vyrion + Norse + Agave Maize + Thrall + Decrepit Soul: The Espy (Gershwin Room), St Kilda Electric Sea Spider + Friendships + Guerre + Nakagin + Oscar Key Sung + more: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood Bleeding Through + Make Them Suffer + Boris The Blade + Emerson + Refractions: The Hi-Fi, Melbourne Sugar Fed Leopards: The Post Office Hotel, Coburg
The Baudelaires + Willow Darling + Harmony Byrne: Bar Open, Fitzroy A Tribute to Amy Winehouse + Atlanta Coogan: Bennetts Lane, Melbourne Alastair Kerr Quartet: Bennetts Lane, Melbourne Ash H King: Burrinja Café & Bar, Upwey Cherry Blues + Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Cherry Arvo Blues + Matt Dwyer’s Little Big Band: Cherry Bar (Afternoon), Melbourne
WORLD’S END PRESS: July 26 Ding Dong Lounge
Potato Cake feat. River of Snakes + Bricks Are Heavy + Dead River + more: The Public Bar, North Melbourne Brooke Russell & The Mean Reds: The Sporting Club, Brunswick Laura Smock: The Thornbury Local, Thornbury The Darling Downs + Special Guests : The Toff In Town, Melbourne Deap Vally + The Delta Riggs: The Tote, Collingwood Leaps & Bounds Festival + TTTDC + The Spinning Rooms: The Tote (Front Bar), Collingwood The Love Bombs: The Tote (Cobra Room), Collingwood Dancing Heals + Brave Face + Dan & Amy: The Workers Club, Fitzroy The F100s: Union Hotel, Brunswick Gianni Marinucci: Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy Ol’ Timey Music Jam with Craig Woodward & Friends: Victoria Hotel (Afternoon) , Brunswick Green Stone Garden + more: Wesley Anne, Northcote Try Hardz: Whole Lotta Love, Brunswick East Twin Lakes + Sleepy Dreamers + Run Rabbit Run: Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy
SUN 28 JULY 2013
Jess Locke + OPA: 303, Northcote Claude Hay + Cass Eager: American Hotel, Echuca Cass Eager & The Velvet Ropes : American Hotel, Echuca
Jake Bugg: Corner Hotel, Richmond College Fall + Musto’s Scrapbook: Edinburgh Castle Hotel (Afternoon), Brunswick Dan Krochmal + Jackie Sannia + Syre & Fresko + Emma Broady + Santanna Nawalany: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North Jack Runaway + One and the Same + Waterline Duo: Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North Band Room Friday + Elephant Gun + Skoll & Hati + Reika: First Floor, Fitzroy Innumerable Forms + Mammoth Grinder + Straight Jacket Nation + Extortion + Internal Rot + Headless Death + Sewercide + Blood Rule: Gasworks, Albert Park New Estate + Stephen Cummings + The Ocean Party: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood Claude Hay: High Street, Echuca Ray Pereira & Milton: Kindred Studios (Frontspace), Yarraville Merri Creak + Marty Kelly & The Weekenders: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East Psycroptic + King Parrot: Music Land, Fawkner Simon Meli & The Widowbirds: Northcote Social Club, Northcote Mantooth Music Presents A Damn Big Lineup + Various: Old Bar, Fitzroy The Joshua Kelly Trio + Stephen O’Hern: Open Studio, Northcote Sarah Carroll: Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy
gigs
1,000’s of gigs at your fingertips. The Guide at
Jamie Hay + Tom Lyngcoln + Tim Mackswell: Reverence Hotel, Footscray Paul Norton + Wendy Stapleton + Michael Christiano: Sandbelt Hotel (Afternoon), Moorabbin Horns Of Leroy: The B.East, Brunswick East Daniel Champagne: The Bay Hotel, Mornington Term Four + Cabin Fever + Disparo + Organ Donors + The Transitions: The Bendigo, Collingwood The Warrains + The Pimlotts with Mitch Dean: The Bendigo, Collingwood Heisenberg + Lopaka + The Seaford Monster: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Nous + Warpigs + Roundtable: The Curtin, Carlton Zeptepi + Pheasant Pluckers: The Drunken Poet, Melbourne Dale Ryder Band + Bad Boys Batucada + Ms Butt: The Espy (Lounge Bar), St Kilda Innumerable Forms + Mammoth Grinder + Straight Jacket Nation + Extortion + Internal Rot + Sewercide + Headless Death + Blood Rule: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood
Paul WIlliamson’s Hammond Combo: Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy The Daryl McKenzie Jazz Orchestra: The Apartment, Melbourne The Pierce Brothers + Rattlin’ Bones Blackwood + Adam Hynes: The Espy (Lounge Bar), St Kilda MS MR + Special Guests: The Hi-Fi, Melbourne Alex Hamilton: The Public Bar, North Melbourne
BAD//DREEMS: July 26 Gasometer
Black Jesus Experience: The Horn, Collingwood Trash For Cash Flea Market + James Teague + Elephant + Guests: The Noise Bar, Brunswick Wayward Breed: The Standard Hotel, Fitzroy The Cassettes Funk and Soul: The Thornbury Local, Thornbury The Ambients + Conolan/Taylor Band: The Toff In Town, Melbourne The Laughing Leaves + River of Snakes + Seedy Jezus: The Tote, Collingwood Timber & Steel presents + Sam Buckingham + Whitaker + Tom Kline: The Workers Club, Fitzroy
One Night of Flamenco with Clarisa Di Salvo: Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury Andrea Keller Trio: Uptown Jazz Cafe, Fitzroy Cathy Menezes & Co: Wesley Anne, Northcote Mild Horses: Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford
MON 29 JULY 2013
Levowskis Present + Valhalla + Lost At Sea: 303, Northcote Browne, Ball & Hannaford Trio: Bennetts Lane, Melbourne
[THE GUID IDE]
Cherry Jam Mondays + Various: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Fidlar + Dune Rats: Corner Hotel, Richmond Three’s A Crowd+Dead + Duck Duck Chop + Mandek Penha: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy Acoustic Sessions + Dub Dementia + Georgia Maq + Darcy Fox: Lounge Bar, Melbourne Palma Violets + Bleeding Knees Club + Frottera + Teenage Mothers: Northcote Social Club, Northcote Unpaved Songwriter Sessions + Various: Old Bar, Fitzroy
Alt-J + Snakadaktal + City Calm Down: Festival Hall, West Melbourne Irish Session + Various: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East Passion Pit + PVT: Palace Theatre, Melbourne Marlon Williams: Retreat Hotel, Brunswick Sarah Blasko + Fletcher: Shepparton Eastbank Centre, Shepparton
TUE
Laura Marling: St Michael’s Uniting Church, Melbourne
30 JULY 2013
Walter Lampe Trio: Bennetts Lane, Melbourne Open Mic + Various: Cape Lounge, Fitzroy The Patron Saints: Cherry Bar, Melbourne Peter Baylor’s Ultrafox: Claypots Evening Star, South Melbourne Villagers + Courtney Barnett: Corner Hotel, Richmond The Jazzcats: Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Richmond Kooyeh + Demian + Swooping Duck: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy
Discovery Night+Various DJs: The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick Tane: The Curtin (Front Bar) , Carlton Anna’s Go-Go Academy: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood Cold War Kids + Cabins: The Hi-Fi, Melbourne Vaudrey + Boyeur + Mary & The Banks: The Toff In Town, Melbourne Open Mic+Various: Wesley Anne, Northcote
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SAT 27TH 9:30PM
SUN 28TH 5:30PM
SUN 28TH 9:00PM
COLD HEART (Way up country croonin’) MERRI CREAK (Sweet harmony roots) MARTY KELLY & THE WEEKENDERS (Acoustic roots)
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The visionary engineer and inventor whose name became synonymous with high-quality portable audio systems, Amar Bose, has passed away aged 84. His choice not to float his company publically allowed Bose to pursue expensive long-term research into exploring his passion, innovative acoustic engineering, which resulted not only in concert hall quality audio to concert halls, but also the home, as well as noise-cancelling headphones and even an innovative car suspension system. During his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 1950s, the classical music buff realised that some 80% of the sound audiences experienced in concert halls was indirect, bouncing off walls and ceilings before reaching the listener’s ear. Basic physics of course, but it sent Bose off on the research that led to his inventing a new type of stereo speaker based on psychoacoustics. In 1968, he introduced the Bose 901 Direct/Reflecting speaker system and made his fortune. As well as leading his company, The Bose Corporation, he taught at his old alma mater, MIT, for more than 45 years.
DRINK TO QOTSA Queens Of The Stone Age have released their latest album, …Like Clockwork, as a limited edition eight-gigabyte USB flash drive that doubles as a bottle opener, complete with highres photos, original artwork, videos and lyrics. It’s bound to be available through their website if you want to crack a coldie on QOTSA.
SOUND BYTES Mixed by Joe Henry (Solomon Burke, Loudon Wainwright III) in Pasadena, the new album, Hully Gully, from Don Walker was recorded over several years and studio sessions with his band The Suave Fucks.
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Keyboard player Bruce Haymes recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered the new album, Holy Roll, from Victoriana Gaye, at Parkside in Northcote, Melbourne, coproducing with the band’s Jeff Raglus.
CHARLES CILIA HALO GUITAR I’d like to introduce you to Cilia Guitars and their creator, Charles Cilia. After visiting his factory and show room at Chipping Norton in south western Sydney, where he has quite the range of acoustic and electric guitars including some nice resonator guitars, I took the Halo home to try out over the weekend. At a glance it looks like a PRS, but there are differences so nothing wrong with having both in your arsenal. I actually did like the simplicity of the one tone control pod, one volume dial and two pickups with three-way toggle. There are times, however, when a more complex set-up would be appealing. Talking about the pickups, they’re made in house – Cilia describes them as custom wound “Blue Murder Trinity” set with single coil tapping. The idea is that they work as a good-quality microphone that simply picks up the true sound of the instrument with all its nuances and subtleties. Cilia also told me he could certainly obtain pickups cheaper if he brought them in ready to go but his vision of sound production has been best served by inventing his own, and interestingly he uses words like “organic” when discussing tone. That’s enhanced by the mahogany body with maple top, while apparently you can get either a maple or African rosewood neck, depending on your budget.
IN TH E STUDIO
VALE AMAR BOSE
ENGLISHMEN IN NASHVILLE Pulling back from the brink of breaking up, Birmingham, UK’s Editors followed their dream of making an album in America. Not that they were thinking Nashville, as Michael Smith discovers.
espite two consecutive number one albums in the UK – their 2005 debut, The Back Room, reached number two – sell-out tours and plenty of festival headline spots, by 2010, Editors found themselves in a quandary. The choice was to break up or ask founding guitarist Chris Urbanowicz to leave. They opted for the latter. Though the band had originally planned to record fourth album, The Weight Of Your Love, with Mark Ellis aka Flood – who’d produced their previous album, 2009’s In This Light And On This Evening – it was eventually recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville with producer Jacquire King, whose CV includes producing records for, among many, Tom Waits, Norah Jones, Of Monsters & Men and, of course, Kings Of Leon.
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“We did two sessions with Flood,” Editors singer, guitarist and songwriter Tom Smith explains. ”When Chris was in the band, and none of us thought the results were good enough, and we did a lot of rehearsing in between those two sessions, trying to work through the songs with Chris, and that wasn’t very fruitful and time went on, it kind of got darker and darker and it culminated in us going on without Chris. “It was obviously a very traumatic time for the band, but once we’d made that decision and the two new guys moved in, Justin [Lockey, lead guitar] and Elliott [Williams, keyboards, guitars, backing vocals], there was a new energy and things were working again and the songs felt quite straightforward and accessible, for us at least, and we’d all harboured dreams of making a record in America. We have a long-standing love of alt.rock from America and since things hadn’t gone well enough with Flood and it was a new band, it felt like the time to try somebody new and move on.” A late night session down the pub tossing around the names of potential American producers resulted in the choice of King, and it was his decision to use Blackbird, an obvious choice for a producer who, as his profile notes, “utilises traditional analogue techniques and equipment such as tracking to analogue tape
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BEHIND THE LINES
“We’d never thought of Nashville as a location,” Smith points out with a chuckle, “but then we were there. We’ve been lucky – we’ve worked with a lot of great producers [besides Flood, they worked with Jim Abiss on their 2005 debut, The Back Room, and Jacknife Lee on 2007’s An End Has A Start] – but Jacquire’s very much a songs man. It’s quite simplistic, his production – he never complicates things – he’s very much about going for the songs and trying to get, certainly from his side of things, an emotional connection with the material from the way the songs are presented or performed. He’s about getting good sounds and great takes – quite simple stuff, really. Most of the songs were played all together in a room and it was about getting good performances and capturing something.” The band recorded in Blackbird Studio’s Studio B, which features a 48-channel API Legacy Plus console, with a 24/64 6 Card PTHD system and ATC 300 monitors, and includes a small live chamber. “Coming from doing a lot of sessions in London, us doing the aborted ones for this record, where the studios, if they’re not closing down they’re run down – and they’re great and there’s a charm in that too – but going to Blackbird where everything was just… It wasn’t a high tech studio – it was analogue and old-school in its set-up – but it was working, and beautifully maintained and plush! I remember walking in and thinking, ‘Make the most of this guys, ‘cause I don’t know if we’re ever gonna work somewhere like here again’. So, yeah, all the songs were done to tape, live takes, and we kept the basis of each song and went to ProTools from there.” King got Smith to use a Shure SM7B mic with switchable response to record all his vocals, which he approached more ambitiously than on previous albums. The strings you hear on the record are a mix of real and synthesised
Don’t be turned off by the price tag, these are no ordinary headphones. Originally a company that created accessories for PCs, the Swiss-based Logitech, which has diversified into the manufacture of microphones and computer speakers, has re-imagined the future of wireless devices with the Logitech UE 9000. They’re Bluetooth-enabled – allowing users to pair the headphones with up to eight devices. It’s easy, even the least tech savvy amongst us (ahem) can manage: simply unplug the cable and pair them with your phone or laptop. Voila. The Logitech UE 9000 has dual mics built in for clear, no-fuzz calling. Controls are conveniently placed on the right headphone for easy switching and clicking. The plush foam cushions are akin to a pillow for your ears, while the around the ear design gives you a comfortable, measured fit. There’s no chance of interference, as the Logitech UE 9000’s are noise-cancelling, turning down the volume around you to a low hum. The deal maker is their exquisite sound qualities – clear, ambient and thick. The bass is perfect – heavy and defined with zero distortion, while the sound of voices is crystal. Aesthetically, they may take some time getting used to: they’re marginally heavier than they look and the chunky-blocky design is a little obtuse at first, but they will grow on you – give them time. Plus, metal alloy-hinges give them a slick retro-feel, making them stylish enough to wear outside.
Steve Flack
Natasha Lee
strings, the song, Nothing, in fact just Smith’s vocals atop a string arrangement that was recorded with composer and former Pop Will Eat Itself frontman Clint Mansell. “That was a bit of a dream, for us to work with Clint – we talked about Clint quite a lot over the years. We were trying figure out a way to develop the song for the record and we did have a version of it which was the full band – it was in a different time signature, quite straightforward and it was good and we played it live very well – but none of us thought it really suited the emotional content of the song. So we stripped the song back to the song I originally wrote on the acoustic guitar, which was in 3/4, and looking at developing it from there Jacquire started talking about Eleanor Rigby. “I’d met Clint Mansell at a wedding,” Smith laughs, “a year previously. We’re massive fans of what he does [including soundtracks to feature films Doom, The Fountain, Black Swan and Stoker, as well as arrangements for The Prodigy and Biffy Clyro] – he came from Birmingham and the band being from Birmingham and maybe one day our worlds could meet. So I sent Clint the song with our ideas and he came back with some ideas and that was that, really. We did that in north London – I was stood to the side feeling kind of awkward while the orchestra were playing. It was a wonderful experience. WHO: Editors WHAT: The Weight Of Your Love (PIAS)
PRODUCT NEWS
LOGITECH UE 9000
Michael Dolce, the house guitarist on The Voice who also backs acts like Delta Goodrem and Keith Urban, plays Cilia guitars, so if you’d like to hear one at work, you can check out the various Voicerelated clips on YouTube or the CDs that the reality TV show has spawned by the bucketload.
50 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews
combined with modern technologies like computerbased recording via ProTools and software plug-in digital signal processing that emulate classic outboard Universal Audio and Neve signal processing gear.”
MEET THE TIM ARMSTRONG ACOUSTICS Based on Tim Armstrong’s beat-up old ’60s Fender acoustic on which he writes for his band, Rancid, the Tim Armstrong Hellcat acoustic features a solid mahogany top, scalloped bracing and Fishman preamp. The Tim Armstrong Deluxe acoustic, on the other hand, is a more traditional take on Armstrong’s original ‘70s Fender acoustic, with a solid mahogany top, bone nut and saddle, dot fingerboard inlays and Fishman Neo-D soundhole pickup with end pin jack.
ACETA BUILDING CAREERS AT ENTECH 2013 ACETA (Australian Commercial and Entertainment Technology Association) has stepped up to help students and new graduates achieve that all too necessary right qualification in order to get a career in the field of entertainment technology with the Skill Zone at ENTECH 2013, happening in the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, Tuesday 23 through Thursday 25 July, 10am-6pm. It’s not a job bureau,
but a way to learn about all the options in the industry and how to go about approaching an employer. At ENTECH 2013, ACETA are launching their new careers guide and holding a forum for students at which they’ll meet industry identities to talk about how they’ve built their own careers. The careers guide talks about the qualifications required for the various roles and how to best match yourself to a job that suits not only your interests, but also your lifestyle. The forum is interactive, so attendees get to ask questions as much as the panellists get to talk. There’ll also be visiting exhibitors available to talk about whether they can offer internships or work placements. ACETA is the industry association for the commercial and entertainment technology sector, with members including manufacturers and distributors. ENTECH is, of course, the nation’s most important entertainment technology industry trade show, with product displays and workshops from many of the sector’s manufacturers and distributors. Entrance is free but you do need to register your intention to attend online. Skill Zone Day at ENTECH is Thursday 25. For more information about ENTECH go to the ENTECH website.
THE ORANGE CRUSH CR120H AMP The new Crush range from Orange Amplifiers marks the company’s first foray into the world of high power, solid-state amplifiers. Orange have spent years researching, developing and testing a solid-state amplifier of which they could be truly proud, the design team feeling it was important to keep these amps simple and not bombard the player with hundreds of onboard features. The result is an analogue, solid-state, two-channel (dirty and clean) amp based on their Rockerverb range. The dirty channel uses a circuit based on four stages of gain and a three-band EQ that provides the player with a wide palette of overdriven and distorted sounds. The clean channel is based on a two-stage, two-band EQ design that gives the player a clean but warm sound which when cranked begins to break up, just like a Rockerverb.