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2 • THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015
THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 3
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THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 5
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Street Press Australia Pty Ltd
GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Mast
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EDITOR Daniel Cribb
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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
THIS WEEK THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK • 3 JUN - 9 JUN 2015
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CONTRIBUTORS Aarom Wilson, Adam Germano, Adrienne Downes, Amber Flynn, Andy Snelling, Annabel Maclean, Athina Mallis, Bailey Lions, Cam Findlay, Chantelle Gabriel, Christopher James, Claire Hodgson, Eli Gould, Emilie Taylor, Gareth Bird, James Hunt, Jeff Kit, Jeremy Carson, Joseph Wilson, Josie McGraw, Jessica Tana, Kane Sutton, Kershia Wong, Kitt Di Camillo, Liv Gardner, Lukas Murphy, Luke Butcher, Mac McNaughton, Marcia Czerniak, Mark Neilsen, Matthew Tomich, Michael Caves, Michael Smith, Rachel Inglis, Rebecca Metcalf, Rob Nassif, Renee Jones, Ross Clelland, Scott Aitken, Simon Holland, Tess Ingram, Tom Birts, Taelor Pelusey, Zoe Barron.
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The Whipper Snapper Distillery is hosting CORD’s inaugural Art Auction on Saturday night. Live music by The Stoops, Sarah Pellicano, pictured, and Pussymittens, with all proceeds going towards Fiona Stanley Hospital’s spinal cord injury unit.
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CONTACT US Tel 08 9228 9655 info@themusic.com.au www.themusic.com.au Cnr Fitzgerald & Angove St Rear of The Rosemount Hotel, North Perth WA 6006 PO Box 507 Mount Lawley WA 6929
PERTH
Presented by the Perth Theatre Trust, The Independent Theatre Festival is returning to Subiaco Arts Centre running every Wednesday through Saturday 3 Jun to 4 Jul. Show info available from ptt.wa.gov.au.
James Tindale and Sophie Kasaei (from Geordie Shore) and Tori Black (from the internet) will be at Sexpo, Thursday through Sunday, Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 7
national news news@themusic.com.au RUSSELL BRAND
JOSHUA RADIN
RADINANT TREW STORY
Actor, comedian, author, social media personality and political activist Russell Brand is making his way to Australia off the back of his new documentary film, The Emperor’s New Clothes. With a focus on YouTube content from his own channel The Trews, he’ll be bringing his new show Trew World Order Down Under, ultimately hoping to become part of the crowd. Catch a more intimate performance when the man makes his way to Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, 17 Oct; Perth Arena, 20 Oct; Brisbane Entertainment Centre, 22 Oct; Sydney Opera House, 23 Oct; and Qantas Credit Union Arena, Sydney, 24 Oct.
GOD GIVEN METAL
Thirty years and 15 albums into their career, German power metal quintet Helloween is still shredding away like there’s no tomorrow. Yet they’ve only ever visited us once – and that didn’t even include Adelaide or Perth. With their imminent God Given Right tour, they’ve going to change all that. Taking their tour name from their latest album, My God-Given Right, Helloween will be showcasing it and more 14 Oct at 170 Russell in Melbourne, 16 Oct at Metro Theatre in Sydney, 7 Oct at Max Watt’s in Brisbane, and 20 Oct at Capitol in Perth.
MUSIC CHAT
With the main event fast approaching, it’s time to announce the fifth annual “little sister” event, Little BIGSOUND, the music forum that gives young people 15 – 25 a chance to hear and learn from some pretty amazing industry speakers. On hand this year are ARIA Award-winning producer Magoo, Footstomp Music director Graham Ashton, 4ZZZ music director Chris Cobcroft, THINK Creative’s Tim Ariel and Collision Course PR’s Tim Price, along with artists Dean McGrath from Rolls Bayce, Jarryd Shuker of Art Of Sleeping, Sahara Beck and Danny Kenneally from As Paradise Falls. It’s all happening 27 Jun at The Judith Wright Centre.
SAVE THE DATE
Listen Out Festival is returning this September and October to kickstart the festival summer season, delivering a heap of national and international dance music acts. With the line-up announcement coming soon, you’d be best to take down the dates: 26 Sep at new venue Catani Gardens, Melbourne; 27 Sep, Ozone Reserve, Perth; 3 Oct, Centennial Park, Sydney; and 4 Oct, Brisbane Showgrounds.
BACK IN BUSINESS
‘90s punk/hardcore hybrid Good Riddance broke up in 2007 and now, eight years later, the band have reformed and have burst back onto the scene with their latest full length, Peace In Our Time. They’ll be hitting up Australia for the first time in over a decade, promising new tracks and older hits, Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 7 Aug; Manning Bar, Sydney, 8 Aug; Crowbar, Brisbane, 9 Aug; and Amplifier Bar, Perth, 12 Aug.
IF YOU’RE DOING A “FACEBOOK FRIEND CULL” WHY DO YOU NEED TO TELL EVERYONE ABOUT IT? JUST SHUT UP AND CULL. YESSSSS, @RONNYCHIENG 8 • THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015
Even if you’re not sure who singersongwriter Joshua Radin is, you will probably have heard his songs, perhaps on Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill or American Idol or a bunch of other TV shows. People who are well acquainted with Radin will be stoked to hear he’s coming to Australia in support of his sixth and latest album, Onwards And Sideways. Radin and his oh-so-soothing voice will be at Rosemount Hotel, Perth, 6 Sep; Corner Hotel, Melbourne, 9 Sep; Metro Theatre, 10 Sep; and Max Watt’s, Brisbane, 11 Sep.
GOT IT COVERED
Following sold out tours dates across the US, Europe and the UK, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox have announced their first Australian tour, arriving on our shores in September. The social media juggernauts are famous for their ability to transform contemporary pop hits into vintage-flavoured songbook standard from the last century. The group made it big with a cover of Miley Cyrus’ We Can’t Stop, before going on to do Taylor Swift’s Blank Space, Meghan Trainor’s All About That Bass, Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way, and Hozier’s Take Me To Church. They’ll be making their way all around the country, stopping by Panthers, Newcastle, 2 Sep; Metro Theatre, Sydney, 3 Sep; The Tivoli, Brisbane, 5 Sep; Gold Coast Arts Centre, 6 Sep; Forum Theatre, Melbourne, 9 Sep; and Astor Theatre, Perth, 11 Sep.
OISIMA
OI, OI, OI
Off the back of his recent debut album release Nicaragua Nights, Adelaide’s Oisima has announced a national headline tour. Hear his exotic beats and contemporary dancefloor soul when he comes to Goodgod Small Club, Sydney, 26 Jun; Hugs & Kisses, Melbourne, 27 Jun; Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane, 9 Jul; and Flyrite, Perth, 10 Jul.
THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 9
local news wa.news@themusic.com.au
FRONTLASH A GIANT SHOW
The Jungle Giants had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hand on Friday night at Amps – nothing quite like a sold-out indie-rock gig!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT The new Vegemite chocolate range has inspired trolls everywhere to mock up their own bizarre and hilarious combinations. Cat food and chocolate might not be the best idea, though.
IT’S ABOUT TIME Following Ireland’s vote in favour of gay marriage, Australian politicians have been under extreme pressure to bring about change. The wheels have begun turning!
READY TO POUNCE
SLOW ROAST
DJ Craze and Ape Drums are heading to Australia to celebrate Slow Roast Records fifth birthday. DJ Craze has toured with the likes of Kanye West, has scored Time Magazine’s Best American DJ and owns the label; Ape Drums has received kudos from the top DJs Major Lazer, Dillon Francis, Flosstradamus and more. They’ll be hitting up Villa, 31 Jul.
DOUBLE DATE
CAT CHOCOLATE
BACKLASH INSIDE OUT
Westboro Baptist Church’s attempt to show hatred towards the Irish re: their gay marriage referendum backfired when they printed the flag colours backwards and began hurling insults at Ivory Coast.
PHONE FIGHT There’s a bug on the new iPhone iOS messaging system: if someone with the iOS receives a certain string of characters in a text message, their phone will crash.
POOR FORM Not cool to see so many people condemning the actions of Adam Goodes – everyone who makes up what the AFL is should be able to accept and celebrate this type of expression.
10 • THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015
CLN
Rock powerhouse Def Leppard is making its way to Australia at the end of the year, their first visit to the country since 2011. They’ve got a catalogue of albums up their sleeve, so no doubt you’ll be hearing the likes of Pour Some Sugar On Me, Hysteria, Let’s Get Rocked, Animal, Rock Of Ages and more when the group make their way to Red Hill Auditorium, 21 Nov.
German duo Schneider Kacirek are performing a series of intimate shows around the country in June. With Stefan Schneider previously devoting his skills to electronic and post rock outfits, and Sven Kacirek exploring dance and drum’n’bass music, they bring together a fresh sound on their latest offering, 2015’s Shadow Documents. The collaborative team will be performing Four5Nine Bar, 21 Jun with Original Past Life.
THE NEW FUTURE
Brisbane future beats producer cln has lifted a second track, Left Behind, from his forthcoming EP, Found, and is taking himself on his first headline trip up and down the east coast to reintroduce himself and the new material. With a small US run planned for later in the year, you can catch cln 31 Jul in At The Pile.
GOING GREEN
The Blue Room Theatre needs your help going green! They’ve set their sights on becoming WA’s first completely carbon neutral theatre, and need to raise $21,000 for the purchase and installation of solar panels. With people like Tim Minchin on board, you know it’s a cause worth backing. Head to blueroom.org.au/ support-us to pitch in.
WATCH THEM EXPLODE
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion have a new album polished up and with it comes a run of Australian tour dates. For close to a quarter-century the rock’n’rollers working New York city and surrounds hard with their greasy riffs and life-affirming punk rock, and bring a bunch of new tracks from Freedom Tower – No Wave Dance Party 2015 to the Rosemount Hotel, 11 Aug.
LAST TRAIN TO FREO
FREO LIFE
Next up in the Australian Revelations celebration of Australian film screening 30 Jun at The Backlot Perth facility is as local as you could want. The debut feature film from local director Jeremy Sims, Last Train To Freo is just that, what happens in a Perth train carriage one evening, told in real time. The WA premiere of the next feature for Sims and writer Reg Cribb, Last Cab To Darwin, happens July.
WED 3 JUNE
HIGH SPIRITS - TAKE A LOOK AT THE TOP SHELF THU 4 JUNE
ASK ABOUT ‘AUNT LUCY’S CHUG-A-LUG’ FRI 5 JUNE
MOONLIGHT WRANGLERS, MONROE, HANNAH MAE & THE HOODWINKS, MATT WARING SAT 6 JUNE
OAKLEY CD LAUNCH, BRAVE, DAVID CRAFT, DJ ENZYME TUE 9 JUNE
SCOTCHY SCOTCH SCOTCH SOON...
SAT 13 JUNE - CHICKS WITH DECKS 9 NORFOLK ST FREMANTLE
THEODDFELLOW.COM.AU
THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 11
local news wa.news@themusic.com.au MATHAS
NANCY CARTWRIGHT
AYE CARAMBA!
Legendary voice artist Nancy Cartwright – best known as the voice of Bart Simpson on The Simpsons, though in reality responsible for myriad other Springfieldian vocals – has been added to the line-up of Supastar Guests destined to attend next month’s Supanova Pop Culture Expo events in Sydney and Perth. Cartwright’s insane body of work not only includes multiple roles across The Simpsons, but starring roles on shows such as Rugrats, Kim Possible, Goof Troop and shortlived cult comedy The Critic. The voice artist’s addition to the Supanova line-up comes fresh on the heels of a spate of comic-book TV-show actors, including Gotham’s Camren Bicondova, Agents Of SHIELD’s Elizabeth Henstridge, Arrow’s Willa Holland, and more. It all goes down in Perth 28 & 29 Jun, Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre. DREAM RIMMY
CHECK OUT THE VIEW
The first seven episodes of RTRFM’s short film series, The View From Here, are now available online. The series puts the spotlight on some of WA’s best emerging acts, like Methyl Ethel, Mathas, and Mt Mountain. Episode eight will be premiering on 2 Jun, but you can head to rtrfm.com.au/theviewfromhere to catch up on what you’ve missed so far.
I LIKE AUSTRALIA BECAUSE IT’S A PLACE WHERE SOMEONE CAN BE CALLED SOMETHING LIKE, SAY, “SQUIZZAH” HIS WHOLE LIFE, THEN BECOME PRIME MINISTER YEAH THAT’S FAIRLY ACCURATE, @BRO_PAIR.
WARMING UP IN WINTER
RTRFM are settling in the portside town of Fremantle once again for the ninth annual Fremantle Winter Music Festival. The event will showcase 24 talented WA bands plus a selection of DJs across five venues around town on 27 Jun. Mojo’s Bar, The Railway Hotel, North Fremantle Bowls Club, Swan Hotel Lounge, and Swan Basement all host a range of bands, including the likes of Tired Lion, Sugar Army, Dianas, The Floors, Edie Green, Dream Rimmy, Old Blood, Leon Osborn, Mudlark and more, plus RTRFM DJs Alex Griffin, Britt Day, and Coel Healy. 12 • THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015
THE KIMBERLEY WAY
Looking to go regional with your hospitality training? The Kimberley Training Institute (KTI) were very recently named WA’s Best Regional Hospitality & Education Provider at the Australian Hotels Association WA Hospitality Supplier Awards, and with six campuses throughout the Kimberley region (Broome, Derby, Kununurra, Halls Creek, Wyndham, Fitzroy Crossing), you’re sure to discover your perfect fit. For more information on courses and facilities, head to kti.wa.edu.au.
IT’S ONLY NATURAL
Fresh from a world tour with Michael Bublé, vocal play group Naturally 7 is returning to Australia with World Vision for seven shows starting at the end of August, after they travel to Cambodia to visit schools and engage the children in music and learn about community projects that address the root causes of poverty in the country. See the a cappella group creating full-sounding music simply using their mouths when they come to Perth Concert Hall, 6 Sep.
THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 13
music
KING BREAKER US breakbeat legend Keith MacKenzie is heading Down Under, and Cyclone catches up to get the inside skinny on what’s been and what’s to be.
A
ustralia has long been big on breakbeat – and no city more than Perth. In the ‘90s breaks trumped house and techno to become the dominant party music – and, while the dance scene has since morphed again and again, it’s never gone away. Now one of the genre’s US legends, Keith MacKenzie, is finally hitting our shores for July’s Major Bass mini-festival with his fresh blend of booty-shaking “breaks & bass”. “I’m so excited to come to Australia,” MacKenzie announces, bright and breezy at 9am. “I’ve wanted to go for years.” MacKenzie began DJing around Tampa, Florida, in the ‘90s. The state, traditionally famed for Miami bass over rave, was emerging as the breaks domain of the US, even the world, with Orlando’s DJ Icey as king. MacKenzie befriended his future
still champions a variation of booty breaks – which he touts as being like old-school breaks but, with its 808s, with a techno fervour. But he’s simultaneously mad about trap – the ‘It’ bass offshoot. Intriguingly, MacKenzie has since left Florida for chilly Chicago (it’ll be a decade in February). It was for his career – in a sense. “Actually, I have a day job as well,” MacKenzie reveals. “I work in the printing industry – like graphic design and printing industry. I’d got recruited by the company in Chicago. I turned down the offer for a couple of years, ‘cause I didn’t wanna move to Chicago,
the winners – just like when you buy a lottery ticket, you look at the numbers… and then you don’t win,” MacKenzie confesses. “So anyways!” In 2012 MacKenzie formed a studio supergroup, Smookie Illson, with Caudill and his Atlantan bestie D:RC (Darcy Reenis), premiering on Los Angeles’ post-electro Potty Mouth Music. “It started off as just like some type of fun little experiments – and then we started making more trap and 808-based music more than breaks.” Smookie Illson unleashed a twerk bootleg rework of those Floridians Yo! Majesty’s Club Action in early 2013 – “and,” says MacKenzie, “it’s still getting played over and over again.” He reckons that “ten different people” dropped it at March’s Ultra Music Festival, including Skrillex, joined on the decks by his Jack Ü homie Diplo. “Everybody’s making their own double drop re-edits of it.” Recently, Smookie Illson issued the trapbeat Compound Riddims EP, a collab with UK jungle old-timers Ragga Twins (who, coincidentally, Skrillex has ‘rediscovered’), on Play Me Records – as well as a mixtape, Spring Training. MacKenzie hopes that Club Action’s enthusiasts check them out, too. “When you have a song like that, it just gets rinsed so hard, then you’re like, ‘Wait, we have more tunes! Hey, listen to these other
“I CALL ‘EDM’ ‘ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC’ – I CALL THAT EVERYTHING. BUT THEN EDM BECAME KNOWN FOR CHEESE... EVERYTHING THAT’S JUST BAD.”
collaborator DJ Fixx (aka Pauly Caudill). He’d produce. In 2004 MacKenzie introduced a label, illeven:eleven recordings. In the interim, the Brits gatecrashed US breakbeat, with Adam Freeland formulating his own brand of coastal (nu-skool) breaks, substituting Icey’s funkiness for prog. This led to a trans-Atlantic movement that marginalised not only the Floridians, but also their Californian cousins – DJ Dan and Überzone. The UK simply had a mightier dance music machine (and media). Yet MacKenzie welcomed the newcomers. “I always loved buying UK breakbeat – ever since 1996 or whatever. But then what honestly really made me just go crazy over the new sound was when [DJ] Deekline started doing booty breaks – and that was probably 12 years ago. My daughter was born around that time, so I took maybe six months off DJing at the time. Then I got back into it – and you know how it’s just a lot of work to be involved? If you step out for just a few months, you miss a lot [laughs]. Anyway, I came back and I saw all these Deekline records and they were basically UK breakbeat mixed with booty. I was like, ‘Wow, this is next level.’ He was the first one to start doing the booty breaks stuff and then Stanton Warriors came in and started making booty breaks – and that was one of my favourite times, when the UK people started mixing booty in their music.” MacKenzie eventually teamed with Deekline, the Londoner behind 1999’s crossover breakstep, I Don’t Smoke, for 2008’s Booty Breaks mix-CD. The American 14 • THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015
but [I] finally ended up giving in – and it was the best move that I ever could have made. Chicago is amazing. I didn’t know how cool the city Chicago was.” MacKenzie is prolific, day job or no. He continues to release solo records – and he collaborates with Caudill, alternately as ‘Keith MacKenzie & DJ Fixx’ or ‘KMFX’. The pair transformed Azealia Banks’ Chasing Time into a trap-house banger for her US$10,000 remix competition. Despite “a super great response” online, KMFX’s effort was overlooked for Amorphous’s (strange) Atmospheric Trap Remix. “I never even thought we were gonna win, but I was definitely looking and waiting for them to announce
tunes that we have!’ But I definitely am happy that people have supported that remix for a while.” In addition to presiding over illeven:eleven, MacKenzie has set up Ill At Will Music – with his Smookie Illson cohorts. Plus they have an Ill At Will clothing store on Big Cartel, Reenis designing T-shirts and trucker hats. “It’s a lotta work,” MacKenzie admits of his business concerns. “There’s not enough time in the day for me to be able to do everything that I want.” The producer frets about not finishing things (he apparently has ten or so “open projects”). “It’s so frustrating!” That explains why he occasionally airs music through other “established” labels (notably Deekline’s Hot Cakes) – they’re better positioned to promote it. Chicago (and Detroit) has seeped into MacKenzie’s later output. KMFX’s ILL City Bass EP, out on Stanton Warriors’ Punks Music, is housey – albeit like a bass reincarnation of Inner City. “Chicago has influenced a lot of the newer tunes, for sure,” MacKenzie agrees. “I feel like moving here just opened up a lotta new things for me.” He and Caudill also “rejacked” Steve “Silk” Hurley’s Chi-house classic Jack Your Body as a free download. If at one stage many a seminal Chicago house figure lamented the decline of the local circuit, in 2015 it’s buoyant – largely due to the popularity of footwork (and juke), which MacKenzie digs. “The house scene here is alive and strong,” he extols. “There’s a lotta old-school house nights that I go to from time to time. I just went to this throwback ‘80s and ‘90s house party at this huge venue called Metro – Smart
THE MACKENZIE BREAK Keith MacKenzie is yet to tour Australia, but he has associations with various Aussie acts. He and DJ Deekline concluded 2008’s fabled Booty Breaks mixcompilation with Nick Thayer’s The Pressure Point. MacKenzie once issued a Bass Kleph remix on his illeven:eleven recordings. This year the Chi-towner’s collaborative project Smookie Illson (with DJ Fixx and D:RC) remixed Milan Stankovic aka RawButt’s debut single, Bom Zigi for Mobin Master’s Safari Music – the Melbourne label known less for breaks or bass than bounce. Smookie Illson have even circulated remix booties of Oz tunes – the boldest one of Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know. Ahead of Boomtick’s Major Bass mini-fest at Villa, MacKenzie has done his research: “Just being on the internet, I’ve noticed that Perth has a very strong breakbeat scene.”
Bar – and it was sold out.” Mind, MacKenzie is loyal to Florida, deeming it “awesome” – and he attends the annual Miami Winter Music Conference. Is MacKenzie nostalgic for the old days? “I’m more about the future, but I love my roots. I’m not really the person who wants to play old-school gigs. I don’t even know where I would start if someone wanted to book me at an old-school vinyl night. It’s unfortunate, but I don’t think I could do it.” In the ‘90s mainstream America lauded ‘electronica’ (and, with it, the likes of British big beat band The Prodigy). But the bubble soon burst. The EDM boom has been different. America is forever changed: EDM is too much a part of popdom to recede. Nonetheless, MacKenzie is circumspect about the phenom. Some vets consider EDM an entry point for audiences into the underground, but he’s uncertain. In fact, MacKenzie holds that even the acronym EDM is about “dumbing it down”. “I don’t know if I’ve necessarily been a beneficiary. I still feel as though I’m an underground artist somewhat. The EDM thing, when people first started to talk about it I was like, Well, I call ‘EDM’ ‘electronic dance music’ – I call that everything. But then EDM became known for cheese – cheesy music, like big room house and everything that’s just bad [laughs]. I don’t know… I don’t feel like I’ve benefitted from that at all. But, then again, everything’s so big now – so everything is mainstream. Maybe everyone’s benefitting because the culture as a whole is blowing up.”
What impresses MacKenzie is the evolution of breakbeat. Today the amorphous music is synonymous with ‘bass’. It’s inherently an ‘anything goes’ culture, absorbing disparate genres in a way rigidly 4/4 dance music can’t, from fidget (remember that?) to dubstep to moombahton to trap – and it has subsumed myriad regional styles (among them, in MacKenzie’s case, Detroit’s otherwise neglected ghettotech). “It’s really exciting to me – ‘cause you go on the internet and you’re discovering new artists who are doing breakbeat, but don’t even know they’re doing breakbeat,” he laughs. “It’s showing that breaks are coming back in a big way. It’s not
necessarily like the breaks scene, per se – I think it’s just breaks are coming into bass music. You hear some of the big people making breaks songs.” Big people like Diplo and co. And, although dubstep was rinsed to the extent that every bass DJ switched to trap, MacKenzie believes that this music won’t suffer the same fate. “Trap is here to stay – I mean, for a little while at least. If you hear some of the newer sounds some of the trap guys are making, they’re making the hybrid-sounding trap that’s like dubstep-meetstrap – like trap with a harder edge, dubstep with trap beats. Some of that stuff is pretty cool. But, yeah, I feel like breakbeat and booty are definitely on the rise.”
WHEN & WHERE: 11 Jul, Major Bass, Villa
There is one headliner MacKenzie definitely wants to catch. The DJ has previously been billed elsewhere alongside Kill Paris, aka Corey Baker, from Boulder, Colorado – and is a fan. “I’m really excited that I’m going to be playing with Kill Paris,” he admits. “I love his music.” Baker, with an indie background, has disseminated music via Skrillex’s OWSLA, but his “future funk” is closer to ODESZA’s. He’s just uploaded an album, Galaxies Between Us, on SoundCloud. Wonderfully, Baker has been known to perform with a keytar. A key draw at the Major Bass will be the UK’s KOAN Sound. Bristol’s Will Weeks and Jim Bastow came out of dubstep – they’re also down with OWSLA. They’re touring behind an EP, Forgotten Myths. The Brits are bringing their pal Culprate. MacKenzie himself will have new music. “I’m gonna try to have tonnes of new fresh stuff when I come out there – so that’s the goal at least.” THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 15
tv
BACK TO THE FUTURE
“There’s so much shit on TV,” says Home Delivery host Julia Zemiro. Daniel Cribb discovers why the show’s third season sets it apart.
“I
am in London right now and the sun is out, so it’s a miracle!” a chirpy Julia Zemiro begins. “I’ve just done another series of RocKwiz, and I’m also on my way to Eurovision, so I’m confused,” she adds. It’s not surprising with such a hectic schedule, but at least she’s over the jetlag. Flying in ten days earlier, Zemiro has been busy filming episodes for the third season of Home Delivery – a show that follows one celebrity per episode as they take a trip down memory lane, revisiting places they in which grew up. As host,
it’s Zemiro’s job to steer the talent down avenues that’ll open them up to honest and revealing conversations about their upbringing, giving viewers a unique insight into their lives. Filming episodes with Alan Davies, Jo Brand, Billy Bragg and Matt Lucas (Little Britain) since landing, season three is shaping up quite nicely. “The thing is you want people who know that they have to spend the whole day in a car with me, driving to different places, and are willing to talk sort of from 9am to 5pm, and be a bit playful. We’ve lucked in on all series, I have to say.” Unlike your standard interview,
music
it’s spending the day together that really allows Zemiro to get the most out of each of her guests. “If I asked you about a childhood memory, just sitting here on the phone, you can think of one. But if I take you back to that place, you will start to remember things that you had forgotten. “If you take them somewhere where they’ll feel something – either good or bad – then they’ll talk about it a bit more. There’s no doubt that by the end of the day you’ve relaxed a little bit more into it and you’ve sort of forgotten that there are three cameras following you around.” While season two focused purely on comedians, the third round is a mixed talent pool, with episode one focusing on Ian Thorpe, and where he’s at a year after his revealing Parkinson interview. From seeing the first pool Thorpe swam in to busking at a train station with Billy Bragg, it’s not surprising that Home Delivery is a show Zemiro is proud to be a part of. “There’s so much shit on TV that either is competitive or abusive. What I love about our show is that we’re not trying to get anything out of these people or abuse them or trick them; we’re actually trying to find out what it is that makes the person who they are. “I think teenagers can watch the show and go, ‘Alright, so year twelve isn’t the end of the world.’ You know, other things can happen. You can find other ways and other pathways to find what you love and do it. And that takes resilience and you’ve got to be tough. And all these episodes, all of them, you see a resilience in the people.” WHAT: Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery 9pm Wednesdays on ABC1
DREAM SOUNDS
Los Angeles’ NGHTMRE may still be a new name in the EDM scene, but he’s already been dubbed “Skrillex 2.0” by Earmilk – and, spookily, he originates from the same area as Porter Robinson, as Cyclone discovers.
‘N
GHTMRE’ is shrouded in mystery. Like Porter Robinson, the man within that mystery, Tyler Marenyi, began DJing seriously after his trap production took off. He previously cut music as ‘Tmare’ but, switching to the darker NGHTMRE, teamed with Imanos for a remix of Ciara’s Overdose – and boom. Marenyi has solicited his “trap buddies” for “a bunch of cool unreleased music” to play Down Under – and then he has his own. Born in Connecticut, at four Marenyi moved to North Carolina. “When I was four or five years old, I started playing instruments – I played piano and guitar growing up. Honestly, most of what I listened to growing up was indie music and rock music – like a lot of old American rock bands. Near the end of high school, I got into the whole idea of mash-ups and just dance music in general – kinda electronic stuff.” He’d discover not only his Chapel Hill homeboy Robinson, but also Zedd. Marenyi was attracted to “hard electro” as well as progressive house, favouring EDM that’s “super-high energy”, but simultaneously melodic. These days Marenyi combines those qualities in his own output (check out his eerie electro-trance Elm St), admitting that sonically he’s “all over the place”. “I’m not really trying to think too much about 16 • THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015
the genre I’m making or specific influence when I write stuff.” Marenyi relocated to LA two years ago on completing a degree in Finance. He’d attend a production school, “immediately” befriending Slander’s Derek Andersen there. Marenyi and Slander disseminated a viral ‘trapover’ of Showtek’s We Like To Party – and, lately, the Nuclear Bonds EP. Meanwhile, Marenyi hooked up with Californian house legend Richard Vission and they aired the “groovy house jam” Walking On Sunshine (featuring Jackie Boyz) via Ultra Records. “I interned for him for three months
– and then we just decided to work together. So I’m sort of an engineer with him when we write pop music – and then we do house tracks together just for fun.” Since that Ciara triumph, Marenyi’s remix services have been in demand by the likes of Kanye West associate Theophilus London. He’s even tweaked Perth’s Slumberjack. Recently, he’s remixed Major Lazer’s Lean On (with DJ Snake and singer MØ) plus The Prodigy’s Rhythm Bomb (Flux Pavilion), the latter due out while he’s in Oz. “It should be awesome – I’m really excited for that.” Following his Oz run Marenyi’s hitting Lollapalooza. “Travelling’s one of my favourite things.” Marenyi “eventually” aspires to assemble an album. “Superlong-term” he’d love to collaborate with his “idols”, especially Red Hot Chili Peppers. However, “I don’t think I have too specific a master plan yet,” Marenyi laughs. “At least – I’m still developing it myself!” WHEN & WHERE: 6 Jun, Ambar
UP YOUR NOSE
Matt “Youngy” Young, frontman of madcap Melbourne bruisers King Parrot tells Brendan Crabb about walls of death, Phil Anselmo and repulsing his own mother.
A
mong the sensations of this year’s Soundwave run were globe-trotting Melburnians King Parrot, whose thrashedup grind/death/punk attracted significant crowds despite early timeslots. However, vocalist Matt Young nearly didn’t survive to enjoy it. At the festival shows, the vocalist interactively incited “walls of death”, an activity since retired due to occupational hazards. “It probably wasn’t the smartest career move,” he laughs. “Obviously there’d been internet footage circulating... When we got to Brisbane,
some little smart-arse dude just lined me up, took my legs out. I was in the wall of death, the wall of death crumbled and I was at the bottom of it. I actually thought I was going to die. Fortunately I went into beast mode, fucking started throwing people off me, and got the fuck out of there.” It’s one of the few things that haven’t turned up trumps for the road-dogs lately, although a recent tour van break-in during yet another exhausting US jaunt tested their mettle. “We were in a real hurry that day and we’d had fuck-all sleep as you usually do. We had to park about a mile away from where we were playing... It was Chicago, a
big fucking crazy city. We just made a mistake. We left the safe in there and we should have taken it,” Young sighs. “It really sucks, but we decided that after speaking with our manager that we would ask our fans how they felt about donating.
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“People decided they wanted to help, and within about twenty-four hours we were so lucky that the money started trickling back. When we got to the point where we’d almost made the money back… Your faith in humanity has been restored. To go from the lowest of the low to having it completely restored within twenty-four hours was an incredible feeling.” Also boosting morale is second album, Dead Set, recorded by former Pantera and Down vocalist Phil Anselmo at his New Orleans NODferatu’s Lair studio. They’re also signed to his Housecore label Stateside. “He doesn’t let you get away with any bullshit. He sat down with me and we went through pretty much every line, every word on the whole album. You try and get the best result; we wanted to work with the best people that we possibly could and Phil’s definitely that. It was cool for me to have someone like him advising me, pointing me in the right direction and saying, ‘That’s not cutting it, do it better, try doing it this way.’” King Parrot have unleashed a clip for Home Is Where The Gutter Is. “I showed my mum this morning, and she was almost dry-reaching. It was fucking hilarious.” Then, impersonating her. “‘Matthew, you didn’t do that?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah Mum, we did.’ So if I make my mum dry-reach I’m fucking happy.” WHAT: Dead Set (EVP) WHEN & WHERE: 5 Jun, Prince Of Wales; 6 Jun, Amplifier Bar; 7 Jun, HQ
ROLL WITH IT
music
Lurch & Chief frontman Hayden Somerville feels anxious and guilty when performing hungover: “I could be better if I didn’t go out’,” he promises Bryget Chrisfield.
A
s we settle onto stools inside Grace Darling Hotel, Lurch & Chief ’s Hayden Somerville (Chief ) is all hair – long dark tresses and manly beard – and black hooded anorak. A couple of recent posts on the band’s Facebook page request help from ‘friends’ in finding “a pair of twins, of any age and any gender” as well as a black German Shepherd for a music video they’re filming for EP track Echo tomorrow. It turns out “this huge, black, fluffy thing” the clip’s director cast “just cancelled”. When asked whether a bit of CGI could be incorporated during post-production, Somerville cracks up, barely containing a mouthful of beer, then offers, “Nah, I don’t think we’re quite at that level.” Somerville’s all-time favourite TV series being The Sopranos, the frontman admits, “Ever since I was a kid [I’ve been] obsessed with gangster films. I think it’s the suits and the cigarettes.” Does he smoke? “Oh, I used to. I quit now. But I miss them every day,” he laments. When asked why he quit, Somerville refers to “a bit of a meltdown”. “I get chronic tonsillitis and I’d be out for weeks, and then you just get run down and you have to cancel shows. “I get really anxious if I’m sick or feeling rundown before a gig, because I feel like people have come to see [us] and I really wanna be at my best. And if I’d been
out the night before – and this still happens, like, you’re away and somebody’s like, ‘No, fuck off! Don’t go to sleep,’ and then the next minute it’s six o’clock and you’ve got a gig the next day, and you don’t get enough sleep ‘cause you’ve gotta drive and all this stuff. And you feel guilty because you’re like, ‘I could be better if I didn’t go out’.” Not yet feeling “ready to tackle an album”, the band focused on another EP. The material for Breathe was “written in two weeks” and Somerville acknowledges, “We got so much done because we just put our phones and computers and all our lives away”. “Something
we purposefully did was isolate everybody to a remote location, because six different people have a hundred different things each going on at all times. So we just banged out multiple tracks, picked out our favourites and put ‘em on an EP. It’s my favourite work to date from the band.” So does Somerville always have final say given that he’s the “Chief ” part of his band’s moniker (to guitarist Alex Trevisan’s “Lurch”)? The frontman chuckles, “I’m probably the most vocal, but we’ve never had a three-three split, ever, in the band… It’s always been, like: if four people are saying ‘yes’, you’ve gotta roll with it. And it goes against me SO much, with what I wanna do sometimes.” Majority rules? “Majority has to rule or there will be utter chaos.” WHAT: Breathe (Illusive) WHEN & WHERE: 4 Jun, Prince Of Wales; 5 Jun, Settlers Tavern; 6 Jun, Mojo’s Bar; 7 Jun, Four5Nine Bar THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 17
theatre
PLAYER & MUSE
Perth Theatre Company Artistic Director Melissa Cantwell discusses the muse and the music behind her latest project with Dave Drayton.
M
any years ago Melissa Cantwell and a Vietnamese friend sat in a jazz bar somewhere in the belly of Ho Chi Minh City. As a pianist played in the background, the friend relays the story of a friend of a friend of a friend, or is it urban legend? “There’s a pianist who fell in love with a French woman during the Occupation and they have this passionate, beautiful love affair, and then she left him to go back to France to visit family. She calls one day to say she’s never coming back and he went blind.”
She couldn’t shake the story and the seed planted by her friend has grown into Cantwell’s first play in seven years, The Song Was Wrong. “You know sometimes those things just get under your skin? This stayed with me and grew. There’s something so beautiful about the piano as a live instrument on stage. I knew I wanted piano to be part of it, and it was a process of finding an actor who was also able play, which was in itself an interesting challenge.” Nick Wales answered the call, joining an eclectic team that includes movement director Lisa-Scott Murphy and designer Bruce McKinven, with
music
costumes by Aurelio Costarella and Fleur Kingsland. “There’s something kind of transcendent about Nick’s work,” Cantwell reflects, “from scoring for piano to a lot of interesting performance work as well and he just felt like he had the scope for the show. It opened up a lot of possibilities for me. Nick’s reply to the initial script and treatment of the work was to create various pieces in response and from there I could respond to that in the final writing of the piece. We’ve led each other in a way, and what his music has offered me is possibilities for scenes that I may not have otherwise imagined. It was interesting to propose a story to a composer about a composer – the main character in the work is a composer and a pianist and so that was an interesting conversation to be able to have with someone who exists in that world, who is able imagine that relationship with a muse or relationship with a lover and what it means if they leave.” The tale has also been recontextualised from the one passed onto Cantwell in the Ho Chi Minh City jazz bar. In The Song Was Wrong, an Australian composer falls in love with a French photographer – we witness their passionate collision before exploring each life individually, either side of this moment. “I am interested in that relationship between two artists and what we’re able to share with our audience in that sense. The creative process that we go through as individuals and looking at what happens in that shared space when two artists fall in love. I hope that it gives a little bit of an insight into that side of the artist’s life.” WHAT: The Song Was Wrong WHEN & WHERE: 4 – 20 Jun, Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre
FRANTIC ROMANTIC Wedding nights are meant to be tiring, but after rock’n’roll icon James Baker walks down the aisle he’s going to give new meaning to the phrase ‘something old, something new’, he tells Steve Bell.
A
ll weddings feature music – usually provided by someone else – but if you’re a legendary rock’n’roll musician, why not soundtrack your own big night? Perth scene mainstay James Baker is getting hitched to his lovely bride-to-be Catherine Podger, and instead of a typical reception they’re holding a gig at the Rosemount Hotel titled I’m Flipped Out Over You, which involves five bands – Le Hoodoo Gurus (the recently-reformed original line-up of Hoodoo Gurus), The Scientists (billed as Frantic Romantics), The Dubrovniks, The Television Addicts (the current incarnation of The Victims) and The Painkillers – alongside some esteemed friends such as Spencer P Jones (in solo mode). All five of those great rock bands feature Baker behind the kit, so it’s shaping up as an epic night in every sense of the term. “It’s going to be a big day,” he laughs. “I’m in five bands playing on the night, that must go in the Guinness Book Of Records! It sounded funny to start with, but I kept on adding more bands – I only started out with three on the bill, and now it’s ended up with five. It’s only half-hour sets, so it’s not too strenuous. “I’ve had a ball with all of them – they’re all different. The Painkillers are good, even though not many people know about them. We rehearsed with The Dubrovniks
18 • THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015
the other day and they sounded the best they’ve ever sounded. We’ve just played shows with all of Le Gurus and The Scientists and The Victims recently, so it’s going to be great fun. The Dubrovniks haven’t played since about ‘92 though – the last gig was in Athens, and Athens is going to be the first gig of our upcoming tour to Europe. It’s a honeymoon-cum-small tour – we’re playing three gigs in Greece, a festival in Spain and a couple of shows in Austria.” The well-overdue return of The Dubrovniks and their impending European sojourn came about in awesomely strange circumstances.
THE SCIENTISTS
“One of our songs from The Dubrovniks got covered by a local Greek band and it went into the Top 5 in Greece, which is unheard of,” Baker marvels. “It’s an obscure song too, one Boris [Sujdovic] wrote called Like Fire. They phoned up and said, ‘You must come!’ and then we got the Spanish festival. And they’re paying us good money too! All our wives and girlfriends are coming, so it will be just a party. Last time we went over we played about sixty-two gigs, and after that you don’t want to play the sixtythird one – this time is only six gigs so it’s stress free. We might make a live album out of it too.” And the party’s not all about the past, the happy couple having recorded a new single for their wedding titled Ain’t Gonna Let You Go (free for first 350 payers). “It looks great; it’s on lime green vinyl and it’s a song I wrote about Cathy but she sings it,” the happy groom gushes. “It’s a great song – it’s trashy, like something off Nuggets. It’s not a romantic ballad!” WHEN & WHERE: 6 Jun, Rosemount Hotel
STING IN THE TALE It’s all a bit cloak and dagger, but, as Muse bass player Chris Wolstenholme tells Dylan Stewart it’s all part of releasing albums these days.
H
aving signed a non-disclosure waiver, an advance copy of Muse’s seventh album, Drones, is pulled from a locked drawer and placed in a CD player. Phones off, pen and paper are allowed, and a strictly embargoed copy of the album’s lyrics is presented. It’s the type of secrecy that has shrouded Drones, and, as bass player Chris Wolstenholme explains, it’s for good reason. “I think it’s always important that the first that people hear of an album is the real thing,” he begins. “With mobile phones you get people recording gigs and pirating copies of albums [before they’re released, so] quite often when a new album comes out the
first thing that people hear of it is some shitty iPhone recording.” The expansion of piracy networks and the willingness of consumers to illegally download music is well-documented, although it hasn’t stopped Wolstenholme and his bandmates – guitarist/singer Matt Bellamy and drummer Dom Howard – from achieving superstardom. The new record’s content, however, is another reason they’ve been keen to keep it from prying ears. Drones is a conceptual album, bringing to life the not-too-distant future and the story of a human brainwashed
by the establishment and trained to be just another killer in an army of world-destroying clones.
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Despite being stripped of nearly all his emotion and human connectedness, he rebels against authority and leads a rebellion. World War Three ensues and, well, let’s just say it’s not something to walk down a wedding aisle to. It’s a dark, epic, rock’n’roll album that asks for a significant emotional investment by fans. “For me, growing up, music was all about the album,” Wolstenholme continues. “The anticipation that people felt when an album from a big band was coming out has died down in recent years and it’s something that I personally miss.” It’s cathartic, listening to an entire album away from the distractions of everyday life. There are some excellent stand-alone tracks like lead single Dead Inside and the soldier’s lament of Aftermath, but there’s a wholesale consumption of the listener when listening to Drones in full that very rarely happens in contemporary music. “There are probably two or three ways that you can interpret the record, and I don’t think there’s necessarily a right or wrong way,” explains Wolstenholme. “You can take the lyrics very literally, but there are some pretty strong metaphors in there too that talk about the human race and how we’ve become disconnected through the growing use of technology in our life, and how that has become such a part of our lives to the point we go through life without having connections with other human beings.” WHAT: Drones (Warner)
XX MARKS THE SPOT
music
Now that Jamie xx (aka Jamie Smith) is “older”, he loses less nights to the dancefloor and treasures solo reflection time, he tells Bryget Chrisfield.
W
hen asked how he is, Jamie xx (aka Jamie Smith) replies “not bad”. He’s just returned to London from Coachella, which he describes as “very fun”, but Smith’s gentle, monotone delivery is at odds with this description. “It’s a beautiful place and I spent some time out in the desert on my own, which was wicked,” he continues, once again sounding unenthused, exhausted or potentially both. “I rented a house in Joshua Tree for the week in between the two Coachellas.” Did he have any interesting, enlightening visions? He laughs knowingly, before offering, “Um, I had a lot of time to think.” Smith says that he doesn’t meditate, but has “given it a go”. On whether he constantly has thoughts running through his head, Smith admits, “Yes, definitely”. You get the feeling that the majority of these thoughts are musicrelated and with the crazy regularity of Smith’s output – his band The xx, solo guise, remixes, production work as well as DJ sets – downtime must be rare. “I always take a field recorder out with me when I tour,” Smith enlightens, “and a lot of the sounds [on In Colour] are based on sort of chatter from nights out and that sort of thing.” Album opener Gosh is a startling statement with spleen-rupturing bass rumbles and samples from a bunch of different pirate radio shows repeating phrases such as, “Oh, my gosh”. “I liked that phrase,” Smith allows. “It’s quite an old English phrase,
‘Oh, my gosh’. It’s been sort of recoined by jungle MCs from the mid‘90s so I just like how those sorts of things are constantly reappropriated in the UK.” All Under One Roof Raving from Smith’s debut solo outing, features spoken-word samples, some of which were lifted from Mark Leckey’s 1999 short film Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore. Watching this video-art piece calls to mind long lost nights out on the town spent entirely on the dancefloor, when chats are minimal and it’s all about the tunes. Reflecting on such nights out, Smith muses, “I definitely feel like, just being older, it happens less for me.”
Another standout album track, Girl, samples Freeez’s IOU. When asked whether he recalls the first time he heard the ‘80s classic, Smith offers, “Somebody at the record label played it, ‘cause the original Freeez record was actually out on the same group of record labels [Beggars Group] that we release on, and I’d never heard it before. And somebody played it in the office, somebody who’s been working with us since day one, and I just loved it, basically, and the fact that it’s British and it’s sort of related to our history a little bit.” Smith recently spent a couple of months living in Brooklyn and shares, “I really liked living there for a little while. It can be very lonely, which I liked, but it can also be exhaustingly social, which is also fun. It just sort of depends who’s in town, really. It’s very much a place where, for me at least, depending on whoever’s there at the time it really changes what happens in the city.” WHAT: In Colour (Young Turks/Remote Control) To read the full interview head to theMusic.com.au THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 19
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
★★★★½
album/ep reviews
MUSE
SETH SENTRY
Warner
High Score/Inertia
It would be a pretty tough critic who’d say Muse needed Drones to be successful for their career to right itself, given 2012’s The 2nd Law didn’t live up to expectations. But it could be fair to say that if this latest record flopped, there might be some questions asked about the band’s legacy.
To date, Seth Sentry has had two operative flaws. First, his persona on the mic is brutally straightforward, without style or nuance. Second, he refuses to change. So imagine the thrill when Seth Sentry confronts, and defeats, both flaws in the first few bars of album opener, How Are You! Sentry’s regimented flow, an eternal slave to his rhyme schemes and simple melodies, reaches immediately for heights he’s never even contemplated before. Thirty seconds into Strange New Past Sentry has decided to rewrite the future.
Drones
Lucky, then, that Drones is spectacular, epic in scope, epic in sound, epic in delivery. Released tracks, Psycho and Dead Inside, indicate that the band are back in their comfort zone; a three-piece rock’n’roll behemoth ready to conquer all. But Drones isn’t just a collection of 12 tracks sewn together to create a powerful album; it’s a conceptual album encompassing a vision of an allpowerful government state, the brainwashing and destruction of a human soul, and the inevitable rebellion and subsequent World War Three that follows.
Strange New Past
It’s a powerful narrative made even more dystopian by Matt Bellamy’s lyrics, which are as strong as ever. Even in uplifting moments like Mercy, there’s an overarching sense of despair. Not every track is a winner, with concurrent tracks The Handler and Defector representing a weaker area of the record, but it finishes with a superb duo: the haunting lament of Aftermath and the epic, four-part The Globalist. Drones can be consumed song by song, but it shouldn’t be. It should be absorbed as an overall piece of work, and a brilliant one at that. Dylan Stewart
OF MONSTERS & MEN
20 • THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015
It might sound odd for a man of Seth Sentry’s experience, but he remains a work in progress. His triumph is his commitment to making that progress while others around him stagnate. That’s artistry. That’s humility. That’s what an intelligent rapper should be striving for. James d’Apice
Cum The Raw Prawn
Republic/Universal
Beneath The Skin is comparable to Mumford & Sons latest album, Wilder Mind, in a number of ways. Firstly, the titles of both these recent records seem to imply or suggest a deeper or more serious level of introspection. The cheery sounds and bright trumpets of these bands’ earlier releases have been replaced with a postgreat-recession seriousness, or
Run is a backward step. On Dumb, when we share Seth’s self-deprecatory moment, we learn our hero is not smarter than a sixth grader, and when we hear a forgettable pop rock hook, it feels like the past. Then, New Sentry steps up to the plate with some neat new flow tricks and the future again feels a little brighter.
COSMIC PSYCHOS
Beneath The Skin
The best laid schemes often go awry. Icelandic band Of Monsters & Men here return with the follow-up to their timely debut album, My Head Is An Animal. The record remains a key touchstone for anyone wanting to know what pop music sounded like in the early half of this decade. Since then, it seems the band hasn’t changed much. However, as its title would suggest, Beneath The Skin is a more sombre affair than its predecessor.
It’s not all rosy though. On Nobody Like Me he reels off some funny, engaging, Jurassic Park-flavoured raps. We’re listening. Then Thundamentals’ Tuka drops a guest verse and the spell is instantly broken. Tuka brings with him all the style and charisma Sentry lacks, and we remember what we’ve been missing too. Uneventful
★★★
Desperate Records/Rocket
★★★ at least the sheen of sincerity. This has meant that the folk instruments and the simpler times they evoke have been left back in the dusty attics in which they were found, replaced now with the loud and grey sounds of electric guitars. The album was produced by Rich Costey, who’s previously worked with other groups searching for this sense of stadium-ready solemnity. Organs is the quietest moment on the album, and while it’s easy to see it as the token acoustic track, it’s also a reminder that the band can sound perfectly sincere once the background noise is stripped away. Roshan Clerke
Kicking off with Better, Not Bitter and its “Fucken bullshit, maaaate!” refrain – possibly the most Ocker song ever committed to tape – the Cosmic Psychos’ new album, Cum The Raw Prawn, finds the trio putting the yob back in yob rock with glorious gusto. Recorded on the fly at frontman Knighty’s infamous farm, this represents possibly the dumbest batch of lyrics in the Psychos’ storied catalogue of dumb lyrics, but the music behind them is typically driving and unrelenting, rife with the trio’s innate (albeit brutish) knack for hooks and melody. Mad Macca unleashes some blistering guitar parts on songs like Bum For Grubs, Come & Get Some and Toothbrush – and also contributes two strong tracks in Fuckwit City and Pint Girl – while Dean Muller holds
★★★★ the beat with typical precision and also chucks in the driving Cotton Mouth. Strange drunken skits, laughing and the sound of tinnies being cracked between songs also add a larrikin charm. It takes a special skill-set to write songs so mindlessly stupid that make you want to grab a beer and scream along at the top of your lungs, but that’s how this lot’s always rolled. At the very end, Didn’t Wanna Love Me moves as close to pathos as Psychos are ever gonna get, but mostly this is the sound of blokes trying to make their mates laugh and having a ripping time (and making some great rock’n’roll) in the process. Steve Bell
album/ep reviews
★★★★
METHYL ETHEL Oh Inhuman Spectacle
Dot Dash/Remote Control Perth-bred Methyl Ethel’s debut full-length is a strong progression from their first two EPs. Despite opening with the WAM Pop Song Of The Yearwinning Rogues, as a whole, the album certainly wanders down a more lo-fi dream-pop path. That doesn’t mean it’s not got its fair share of memorable hooks – second track, Shadowboxing, and the fifth, Twilight Driving, are standouts in that respect with glistening guitar tones and catchy lyrics, while later track, Artificial Limb, is a showcase for Jake Webb’s nostalgic-sounding vocals, tinged with that Aussie twang we’ve all come to love so much.
★★★★
★★★½
★★★½
YOUNG GUNS
HARTS
DAUGHN GIBSON
EMI
Pavement/Shock
Sub Pop/Inertia
Young Guns are shooting for the stars with this latest release. Rising Up is electric with a powerful main riff while Lullaby is more deep and meaningful. I Want Out and Infinity are the most mainstream songs, full of heavy but playful beats. Die On Time sounds like a song that could be an opener for a Bond movie. Ones And Zeros’ energy is infectious with its fast pace and guitars; Gustav Wood’s vocals are incredible with a hint of that English accent in there. A solid album for the London-based lads.
Melbourne singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Darren Hart brings something brighter back into rock music on his latest release. While the stomping funk of the title track sounds heavily inspired by Mark Ronson’s recent foray into downtown sounds, it’s all the more noteworthy that this is the work of one man. In the vein of classic self-produced ‘70s singer-songwriters like Shuggie Otis, Harts handles all the playing himself. When A Man’s A Fool is heavy on the riffs, while he takes a much more virtuosic approach to the guitar on the remaining three tracks, filling them with Hendrix-style guitar solos.
On his third album Gibson strips away the gothic Americana elements of his previous releases and replaces them with immersive electronic textures and dark pop-laced compositions. Co-producers Tim Hecker, Jesse Sykes and Randall Dunn (Earth, Sunn O))) enhance the respective experimental, melodic and dark qualities of the album as Gibson delves into lyrical corners that have a cinematic feel. He sings them in a deep, rich voice that brings to mind Jack Ladder and Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner backed by Wild Beasts or Tindersticks. An album that takes a few listens before its nuances begin to emerge.
Roshan Clerke
Chris Familton
Ones And Zeros
Aneta Grulichova
Kane Sutton
Breakthrough
Carnation
MORE REVIEWS
themusic.com.au/music/album-reviews
★★★
★★★
★★★★
FFS
PINS
LEFTFIELD
Domino/EMI
Bella Union/[PIAS] Australia
Infectious/Liberator
FFS With seemingly shared intellectual and musical outlooks, the mind-meld of Franz Ferdinand and Sparks – a band who could almost be their glam-era forebears – should work very much hand-in-glove. Both love their little operatic flourishes and slightly superior asides. But as they sipped their gin & tonics, perhaps they revelled in their in-jokes a little too much. So, while there’s the arched eyebrow and dry-tofruity witticisms of ditties like The Man Without A Tan, titling another of their baroque little constructions Collaborations Don’t Work – even tongue-incheek – might be just a bit too clever for their own good. Ross Clelland
Wild Nights
Alternative Light Source
Bella Union have had a definite focus on Mancunians in 2015, first with the release of pop-centric BC Camplight’s comeback album a few months back and now the release of girl group Pins’ second LP. The quartet doesn’t appear to have any qualms about flying the ‘rebel’ label but behind the middle-fingerreliant marketing strategy is a bundle of thoughtful surf and grunge-pop songs, reminiscent of great bands like Splendora, Hole (during the Malibu era) and even a bit of Magic Dirt. To the point and no-nonsense, the band never lose their sense of fun.
Breaking 16 years of anticipation for a third Leftfield album, TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe electrogroans through murky opener, Bad Radio, and the relief is palpable. Universal Everything roundhouses an Age Of Lovefuelled banger punching an oh so sweet drop at 5’27”. Fists will pump to Little Fish and Jason Williamson rhymes like the scallywag offspring of Mike Skinner and Keith Flint on Head & Shoulders. Finally, Levitate For You gets ghostly thanks to London soulboy Ofei. Alternative Light Source’s arrival is as blindingly unexpected as it is dazzlingly brilliant.
Adam Wilding
Mac McNaughton
Sharon Van Etten – I Don’t Want To Let You Down The Hazy Chains – Orb Tremonti – Cauterize Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard – Django And Jimmie Nocturnal Sunshine – Nocturnal Sunshine Herbert – The Shakes Lifehouse – Out Of The Wasteland Cairo Knife Fight – The Colossus
THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 21
live reviews
STATE OF THE ART FESTIVAL Perth Cultural Centre 30 May The State Of The Art Music Festival was back for another year with a stellar line-up of music, food and entertainment for all ages. Fans, families and curious onlookers stopped by the Wetlands stage to watch the free portion of the festivities unfold, starting with The Little Lord Street Band. Passersby were promptly reeled in. Guitarist and vocalist Natasha Shanks’ husky voice was perfectly accompanied by just the right amount of twang, stamping this band with a unique country twist.
sweet tones and lyrics of love, creating a perfectly mellow environment for the audience with her serene, angelic voice. By now the Urban Orchard stage was going off with Rag N’ Bone in full force. At first glance, you wouldn’t expect such a powerful voice to come out of Kiera Owen’s mouth, but this frontwoman packed a punch from the get-go, her vocal prowess and stage presence sublimely captivating. The rumbling bass and drums in songs like Danielle burned through the stage in the best possible way. It’s no secret that Hideous Sun Demon bring the goods every time they hit the stage, and this time was no different. Not a single ounce of the Orchard’s beautiful surrounds
BIRDS OF TOKYO @ STATE OF THE ART MUSIC FESTIVAL PERTH CULTURAL CENTRE. PIC: KAREN LOWE
WAM artists Russell & Tom from small country town Narrogin brought their A-game to the festival. Although from the country, they strayed from tradition playing as a folk/rock’n’rollinfused duo. Switching between two acoustic guitars and an Octo drum pad, these two harmonised around the WA Street Food Lane; they’re a duo definitely on the rise and a must-see if you enjoy local talent. Next up on the Street Food stage was the delightfully bashful Helen Shanahan. A previous winner of the Telstra Road to Discovery, Shanahan’s timid presence on stage and soothingly quiet voice amazed the crowd with her full and crisp sound. With just her acoustic guitar she filled the streets with her 22 • THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015
Thieves entertained with charming banter and country tunes. Sharing a single mic, the trio delved into a cover of Tanya Tucker’s Delta Dawn, wowing the audience with their ridiculously tight three-part harmonies. Parents and children danced along to their entire set. It’s safe to say that the ukulele never sounded so good. Keeping expectations high on the WA Museum Grounds stage, indie rock band The Love Junkies were another crowd pleaser. They ripped it to shreds from the start, the audience jumping right into action, head-banging to the indie rock’n’rollers’ hectic sounds. The hilariously engaging band kept the crowd entertained to say the least with their unorganised set
BOYS BOYS BOYS! @ STATE OF THE ART MUSIC FESTIVAL PERTH CULTURAL CENTRE. PIC: KAREN LOWE
was spared from the Demon’s gritty, dirty rock. Their set had everyone’s attention, complete with colourful language and the most thrashing you’ll likely ever see at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. Moving over to the WA Museum Grounds stage, this reviewer had the pleasure of watching the psychedelic pop rockers, Timothy Nelson & The Infidels. Starting off with favourite, Soldier, Nelson and his Infidels rocked out on stage, inviting the crowd to let loose. Maintaining their upbeat numbers was fill-in drummer from Flooded Palace. The unpredictable and flawlessly pitched group got the whole festival in good spirits with their high energy and retro music. Ten out of ten. Over at the State Theatre Courtyard stage, We Two
smash out some air drums. The six-piece’s almost ethereal sound was the perfect way to ease the audience into the evening to come. Australian musician Gareth Liddiard, founder of The Drones, slowed it down in the low-lit tent of the State Theatre Courtyard stage. Liddiard began his set getting to know his fans, testing them with questions and jokes. Once the politically amusing joker had caught our attention he proceeded to calm and entice with his crisp tone and Australian drawl. His haunting lyrics silenced the tent as we listened eagerly to Gareth the storyteller. Jacob Diamond’s blue-eyed soul cut through the hustle and bustle of the Street Food
RAG N’ BONE@ STATE OF THE ART MUSIC FESTIVAL PERTH CULTURAL CENTRE. PIC: KAREN LOWE
and their zero shits given atmosphere – a messy set with intensity-plus. Well done. Former Little Birdy frontwoman Katy Steele was up next, bringing a new sound to the WA Museum Grounds stage. Starkly different from her band days, Steele has traded rock for a more ambient groove, and her distinct vocals lent brilliantly to it. Her impeccable style and sheer swagger made everyone in her vicinity feel infinitely cooler. Meanwhile over at the Wetlands stage, Dream Rimmy kept things moving with their trance-inducing psychedelic rock. Breezy riffs and light keyboard work got toes tapping and heads turning. By the end of their set, the crowd had spilled over to the pedestrian pathway, with plenty feeling compelled to
Lane. Standout track Avarice attracted a crowd around the 21-year-old, his lyrical prowess and emotional depth in performance worthy of a musician twice his age. It says a lot when an artist can pique people’s interests with nothing but a guitar and a voice, and Diamond did just that. Here’s hoping we see him move up a stage or two next year. The ‘90s fresh Australian hip hop group Downsyde had the crowd going from the very beginning of their set. Starting it off with their earlier hits to get everyone familiar, they continued to pump out their beats with their continuous high energy. For their first show in four years Downsyde have certainly kept their ability to party on stage. Introducing their more aggressive album, Classic Hill, Downsyde kept to
live reviews tradition by sticking to their familiar lyrics and loops. Over at the PICA stage, Boys Boys Boys! busted out their infectiously boppy tunes, with synchronised dance moves in tow. This band’s baby-like vocals and colourful outfits might dupe you into thinking you were at a Hi-5 concert, but their catchy hooks and peppy enthusiasm almost instantly set off a dance party that never seemed to stop. As fans were moving and shaking to every single sickly-sweet song, it became clear this was pure, unadulterated pop at its finest. Retired rock’n’rollers, The Holy Rollers, set a perfect atmosphere at the Urban Orchard stage. Keeping a good energy the Rollers laid down a smooth grunge tone. Reminiscing with the crowd about cassette players and vinyl, Holy Rollers took their fans back in time, reliving those early ‘90s. Another cult classic, You Am I had fans filling the WA Museum Grounds, the crowd cheering almost continuously
for these crazy classic rockers. Singing along with their top hits Berlin Chair and Heavy Heart, the crowd was once again taken back. The Urban Orchard stage was oozing with stoner rock when Mt Mountain hit the stage. This five-piece wasn’t afraid to draw out their songs, wringing every last drop of their bass-heavy melodies. Each track was undeniably thrilling; an aural rollercoaster with unpredictable peaks and valleys around every corner. True to their name Legs Electric were truly electric. Spectators flocked towards the sound of the fuzzy bass coming from the most inspirational women in music since Joan Jett. Legs Electric quickly had spectators filling the PICA stage trying to get front row to witness this all-girl group tear it up on stage. Lead singer Ama Quinsee took control with her powerful rock ballads and growl. These girls are truly taking the music industry by storm. A sizeable crowd had formed for Urban Orchard’s closing
act, The Scientists. Fans clamoured around the stage as the four-piece launched into their opening track, Frantic Romantic. These guys definitely knew how to put on a show, their unassuming rock hitting a stride that so many bands these days can only dream of. It was made abundantly clear how the band attained – and have kept – their iconic status. They weren’t afraid to kick it old-school style, lead vocalist Kim Salmon even taking the time to take a picture of the crowd with an analogue camera. Festival headliners Birds Of Tokyo had followers quickly packing the stands of the Museum Grounds to hear the Australian favourites rock it out again, opening with an electronic mash-up with crisp rock’n’roll voice of lead singer, Ian Kenny. Although the lyrics were familiar Birds of Tokyo had adjusted their tracks with a synthesiser, creating modern and spacey tones. This worked at times and not in others as it took away the usual rawness of their shows.
After ten hours and 60 bands, the night drew to a close. Punters left still buzzing about their favourite acts from the day. If there was anything to take away from this night, it’s that you don’t have to go far to find some killer music – sometimes it’s right there in your own backyard. Charmaine de Souza & Shenae Gooley
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arts reviews
ALOHA
ALOHA Film
In cinemas 4 Jun
★★★
This film is worth going to see for the names in it (Bill Murray, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Alec Baldwin, Bradley Cooper), but I warn you, it is most definitely a romantic comedy. Brian Gilcrest (Cooper), who used to work for NASA, has been sent to Hawaii by an evil billionaire (Murray) to strike a deal with some Hawaiians. He swaps land and cell phone
service for permission to launch a satellite. Along the way of course, he trips over his ex-girlfriend Tracy (McAdams) and questions whether he is still in love with her while he toys with the idea of sleeping with his fighter pilot (Stone). The female characters are written to be floozies, which of course makes Bradley Cooper look stupid, but heroic, emotionally tortured and ultimately loveable.
STRANGERLAND
Alec Baldwin as General Dixon is a highlight. His stone-faced, deadpan delivery and bursts of outrage pepper the film with excitement. The not-so-subtle hints that the US defence force is a rudderless boat controlled by billionaires provide an overall strong message. And of course, there’s also stunning Hawaiian scenery, emotional tension and romance to look at. There are plenty of brilliant throwaway lines as well about Americans feeling enlightened when they take MDMA and cover themselves in mud at Coachella – always appreciated.
Caroline (Nicole Kidman) and Matthew Parker ( Joseph Fiennes) and their two children attempt a new life in Nathgari, a remote town situated in the harsh Australian desert. One day their children go missing while a massive dust storm engulfs the town. As local detective David (Hugo Weaving) investigates, tensions and suspicions rise.
Sarah Barratt
Film
In cinemas 11 Jun
★★★
Strangerland is hotly anticipated at the Sydney Film Festival (SFF), marking as it does the first time Nicole Kidman has participated in Australian independent cinema since 1989’s Dead Calm.
Directed by Kim Farrant, Strangerland is a dark, nihilistic drama. The film begins engagingly, slowly setting up events with effectiveness. Unfortunately
the pace halts grindingly by halfway. Farrant seems uninterested in plot and more on coping mechanisms. The portrayals are rich, with Kidman bringing welcome plainness in look and, later, raw emotion. Fiennes is solid, clinical yet fuelled by anger. Weaving is expectantly good as the flawed detective whose relationships compromise proceedings. Meyne Wyatt’s Burtie is also an appealingly sympathetic character. Despite the talent and care, the film is too vague in focus to be considered great. Sean Capel
STRANGERLAND THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 23
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the guide
INDEPENDENT THEATRE FESTIVAL
Perth Theatre Trust’s Independent Theatre Festival is finishing preparations for its second year, kicking off Wednesday with HorseHead, pictured. Western Australia’s best independent theatre producers are once again setting out to prove that it’s the indies that are constantly raising the bar and boldly venturing into unique territory. Highlights include HorseHead – the play won the 2012 Rome International Fringe Festival Award – which tells the tale of the two men who had to acquire and place the horse’s head in the bed of Jack Woltz in the iconic scene from The Godfather. Tomas Ford’s cabaret The Final Chase looks promising as well. The Edinburgh Fringe hit is a James Bond-style spy comedythriller that stunned audiences and scored a five-star review from Time Out London.
The Independent Theatre Festival runs from 3 Jun - 4 Jul at Subiaco Arts Centre. THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 25
eat/drink steph@themusic.com.au
STREET FOOD
A NEW PYRAMID
Sarah Barratt checks out the word on the street (food). Illustration Stephanie Liew.
NEW VEG ON THE BLOCK
Comida Do Sul Brazilian food in a truck, serving up street style delights for lunch and dinner pretty much every day of the week in Perth, Fremantle, Inglewood, Leederville and Curtin Uni. Try the coxinha, potato dough, wheat flour and spicy shredded chicken mixed up and fried like an arancini. Mojo Cantina These food trucks and vans of Mexican spice are usually in Perth city or Northbridge, serving up tacos, Mexican soda, Mexican coffee, guacamole or a seafood gumbo. They’ve also got your favourite tortillas, nachos and chilli dogs too. Bangkok Jump Street Not quite a food truck, not quite a food stall, this 26 • THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015
in-between business does a little of both to serve their Thai fare. Their classics are the prawn pad thai, coconut pork skewers and a slather of Thai longan juice – super refreshing on a warm day or to cool down your tongue if the spicy food is getting to you. Jessie’s Curry Kitchen & Café – 869 Beaufort St, Inglewood These guys specialise in the street food murtabak, which is pratha bread usually filled with beef or vegetables. Their influence is Indian, Malaysian and Asian more generally. There are plenty of standard Indian curries on offer, nasi lemak, curry puffs and vegetarian options.
The healthy eating pyramid has been updated for the first time since 2007. Instead of three tiers (eat most, eat moderately, eat in small amounts) it now consists of five groups, as you can see. The differences? Grains used to be lumped in with the fruit and veg in the bottom tier, and now it’s in the second layer. Sugar has been removed from the upmost tier. They’ve also added ‘choose water’, ‘limit salt and added sugar’ and ‘enjoy herbs and spices’. Yes, we do want flavour in our food, thank you. Source: Nutrition Australia
Apparently a hybrid of the trendiest and daggiest vegetables now exists: kalettes. Despite sounding like a hip name for baby kale, kalettes are actually a combination of kale and brussels sprouts. Apparently they are high in Vitamins C and K and taste sweet and nutty. Our first thought was that they’d taste bitter as hell. They look like tiny, less round cabbages or like a wrinkly purple shrunken bok choy bulb. How long until someone incorporates them into a green smoothie? The last commercial veg hybrid, by the way, was broccolini (broccoli crossed with kai-lan aka Chinese broccoli).
EATING OUTSIDE
2.5 billion people eat street food every day. Why? •
Often cheaper than dining at an eatery.
•
A good way to try a variety of foods.
•
It’s a fun and social thing to do with pals who like eating. And if you’re eating at a food market or festival it’s just a happy kinda atmosphere; everyone is just nomming and smiling away! :)
•
Lots of street food (in Australia) is ethnic food you can’t find that easily in restaurants unless you know where to go; diaspora communities and immigrant in Australia are drawn to street food for nostalgic and cultural reasons too.
•
For some reason the food just tastes better when you’re eating with fingers or plastic/wooden cutlery maybe???
the guide wa.live@themusic.com.au
LIVE THIS WEEK
CHART WRAP
LAUNCH & LUNCH
TAKING OVER TOWN
PUNKED UP
To celebrate the launch of their debut album, Methyl Ethel will be taking to The Bird on Saturday with Cosmo Gets and Benjamin Witt, followed by a lunch there on Sunday from 1pm, where the band will be DJing and putting on a BBQ.
Toddla T has his fingers in several pies, juggling producing, radio hosting and his record label, all while sweeping the UK with his notorious ‘Toddla T Takeovers’. He’s heading to Perth to give us a taste, performing Jimmy’s Den on Friday.
A night of good ol’ fashioned thrash punk takes a hold of Victoria Park Bowls Club this Friday night, with The Reptilians, Cavalier, Union and Dr. Bumface taking to the stage. $5 on the door from 7pm.
MAKING A SPLASH
WARMING UP
READY TO LURCH
The Big Splash Band Competition begins this week, with heat one taking place this Thursday at Mojo’s Bar. Apollo’s Son, Black River Ransom, Hip Priest and Verge Collection battle it out.
Indie rockers Brufield have been in the studio recently working on an EP. Before launching their EP next week, the band warm up at Swan Hotel this Thursday with Rooftop Fiction, The Dirty Feels and Matt Waring joining the party.
Lurch & Chief are currently on a national tour supporting their new EP Breathe, and they take on the WA leg this week. Prince Of Wales Hotel, Thursday; Settlers Tavern, Friday; Mojo’s Bar, Saturday; and Four5Nine Bar, Sunday.
UP & COMING
TAKING UP RESIDENCE
BON VOYAGE
Backed by a ten-piece band including a horn section and backing vocalists, up-and-coming local Edde is one to watch. Hear what all the fuss is about when she brings her huge voice and energy to Jimmy’s Den this Wednesday.
Blues rockers Old Blood have grown in leaps and bounds the last couple of years, and they’re taking up residency at Clancy’s Fish Pub Fremantle every Sunday throughout June. What better way to finish off your weekend!
Local prog-metallers Voyager round up their Seasons Of Age national tour at Amplifier Bar this Friday night. They’ll be heading over to the US for a bunch of shows shortly, so make sure you see them while you can.
BREAKING THE HOODOO
SAX ME UP
FULL OF HEART
Hoodoo Gurus’ original lineup headlines a huge show at Rosemount Hotel this Saturday. They’ll be joined by support acts including The Scientists, The Dubrovniks, The Television Addicts, The Painkillers and more.
Michael Bednall and the Perth Saxophone Collective are bringing Flight – an exciting showcase of music for saxophone and electronics – to Astor Lounge this Saturday. $20 on the door.
Byron Bay hardcore/metal outfit In Hearts Wake bring their national album tour for Skydancer to Perth this week, playing tonight (3 Jun) at Metropolis Fremantle with We Came As Romans, Beartooth and Storm The Sky.
FOR MORE HEAD TO THEMUSIC.COM.AU
KING PARROT
NSW Blue Mountains-bred electronic duo Hermitude have claimed the top spot in this week’s Albums stakes on the Carlton Dry Independent Music Charts with their new full-length, Dark Night, Sweet Light. The pair’s triumphant entry knocks previous gold medallist Sia and her long-dominant album 1000 Forms Of Fear down a peg to #2, with the next-closest fresh face coming in the form of King Parrot’s Dead Set, which slides into the top five at #3, ahead of San Cisco’s Gracetown, itself up a spot to #4, and Courtney Barnett’s Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit, bringing up the rear at #5. Fozzey & VanC close out the new-entry ranks for albums this week with No Feat., which makes its debut at #6. Ascendant chanteuse Joelle takes out top debut honours on this week’s Singles ladder, earning the #5 spot for Wish I Never, one of only two new tracks to make the cut — Sons Of The East’s eponymous EP completes the set, entering the charts at #19, one spot above the reappearing Flume & Chet Faker, whose joint Drop The Game release is back at #20. As far as incumbent releases are concerned, Sia sees her previously consecutive hat trick spread out a bit this week, with Big Girls Cry climbing up to #1 to knock Hermitude’s The Buzz, featuring Mataya and Young Tapz, down to #2, while Elastic Heart sits strong at #3 and Chandelier drops a couple of rungs to #6. Southern singer-songwriter Asta also climbs inside the top five, with Dynamite, featuring Allday, trading places with Chandelier to hit #4 this week. THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 27
the guide wa.live@themusic.com.au
SINGLE FOCUS
HAVE YOU HEARD of the chillest songs into the most epic live show.
MELISSA TKAUTZ Single title? Gotta Let You Go What’s the song about? The song is about the moment you realise it’s time to move on. It’s time to let them go. How long did it take to write/record? I recorded the vocals pretty quickly; this song came naturally. Digital Damage however spent hours in studio building the beat to get it perfect. Is this track from a forthcoming release/existing release? The track is a standalone release available on iTunes but there is definitely more music on the way!
What was inspiring you during the song’s writing and recording? Being a mother I always find this to be a tricky question. My day to day life at times can be a million miles away from dance music. I just get inspired by the fans! We’ll like this song if we like... Love to dance. Do you play it differently live? I have done it acoustically. I think you can tell a good song when it still packs a punch after being stripped right back. Website link for more info? melissatkautz.net
THE STOOPS When did you start making music and why? Pronto started beatboxing in high school in 2000 in an attempt to find girls. Only instead of girls, he found Roc Walla. Roc switched from beatboxing to producing and emceeing after being outshone by Pronto.
Answered by: Bernard Guillaume Why are you coming to visit our fair country? Klone will be on tour in Australia with Voyager for seven shows. We’re very excited to visit your country! Is this your f irst visit? Yes it is the first time and certainly not the last one! How long are you here for? We’ll stay in Australia for 15 days.
Any extra-curricular activities you hope to participate in? To visit your natural park, taste your food, have party in your great pub! What will you be taking home as a souvenir? A lot of photos and great reminder! Where can we come say hi, and buy you an Aussie beer? 5 Jun, Amplifier Bar; 6 Jun, Prince Of Wales, Bunbury. Website link for more info? klonosphere.com/klone
What do you know about Australia, in ten words or less? Beautiful landscape, hospitable people, good music taste! 28 • THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015
Greatest rock’n’roll moment of your career to date? Roc: One time I was recognised at Subway and almost got a discount. Turns out they thought I was Pronto. Why should people come and see your band? To witness the fitness. We stay true to our hip hop roots with live turntablism, two MCs plus vocal guests.
Sum up your musical sound in four words? Beats, rhymes, life, unicorns.
When and where for your next gig? Dis/Connect (Cord Fundraiser) at Whipper Snapper Distillery, 6 Jun.
If you could support any band in the world – past or present – who would it be? A Tribe Called Quest have the power to transform some
Website link for more info? thestoopsofficial.com
GETTIN’ COMFY
JUST VISITING
KLONE
If you could only listen to one album forevermore, what would it be and why? As our DJ, Arms In Motion has to answer this impossible question. Massive Attack – Blue Lines. Because it blends a lot of our favourite genres all in one (reggae, hip hop, electronica, soul etc).
PAT CHOW Answered by: Ben Protasiewicz What is it about the venue that makes you want to a run of shows there? I love playing at the Velvet Lounge. It’s got a great atmosphere, it’s a good size for a gig. Haven’t played there in a bit – I’ve heard they’ve revamped the PA which is great! Same set every week or mixing it up? We’ll defs mix it up a bit. We don’t like to do the same set every time. We’ll play some oldies and some you may have never heard before.
worked on a duet with Sophie Hopes [Tired Lion] before we recorded our album. We’ll probs do that song. It’s called FML. Favourite position at the venue when you’re not on stage? Up the front. I like to get close to the speakers and get the full assault of the band, have a dance even. When are you in residence? We’ll be at the Velvet Lounge every Thursday in June! Website link for more info? facebook.com/patchowband
Any special guests going to make an appearance during your tenure? Yeah, maybe! We S U P P O R T I N G
I N D E P E N D E N T
A U S S I E
M U S I C
ANDS THE INDUSTRY THE LOCALS THE B ES THE DJS THE GIGS THE PRODUCERS MIXES THE ARTISTS THE FESTIVALS THE UMS THE TOURS THEMUSIC.COM.AU TH HE INDUSTRY THE LOCALS THE BLOGS T THE GIGS THE PRODUCERS THE CLUBS STS THE FESTIVALS THE GROUPIES THE HE FANS THE BANDS THE INDUSTRY THE NDS THE INDUSTRY THE LOCALS THE BL S THE DJS THE GIGS THE PRODUCERS T MIXES THE ARTISTS THE FESTIVALS THE G HE INDUSTRY THE LOCALS THE BLOGS T HE GIGS THE PRODUCERS THE CLUBS T STS THE FESTIVALS THE GROUPIES THE A E FANS THE BANDS THE INDUSTRY THE THE ENCORES THE DJS THE GIGS THE PR
THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015 • 29
the guide wa.gigguide@themusic.com.au
THE MUSIC PRESENTS BLUR: JUL 30, Perth Arena
BEN HOWARD: JUN 3, Fremantle Arts Centre JEBEDIAH: JUN 26, Astor Theatre MAJOR BASS FEAT. KOAN SOUND: JUL 11, Villa Nightclub
KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS: AUG 5, Rosemount Hotel OH MERCY: SEPT 19, Rosemount Hotel KEVIN SMITH: SEPT 26, Riverside Theatre
THE CHURCH: JUL 16, Settler’s Tavern, Margaret River; JUL 18, Prince Of Wales, Bunbury; 18 JUL, Rosemount Hotel THE WOMBATS: JUL 23, Metro City MARK RONSON: JUL 22, Metro City
GIG OF THE WEEK AGAINST ME!: 4 JUN, ROSEMOUNT HOTEL
WED 03
Jam Night: Carine Glades Tavern, Carine Glades
Open Deck Night: Brass Monkey Hotel, Northbridge
Josh Johnstone + Chris Rowe: Clancys Canning Bridge, Applecross
Adam James: Como Hotel, Como
Gianni Denitto: Ellington Jazz Club, Perth Ben Howard: Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle Club Acoustica: Indi Bar, Scarborough
BEN HOWARD
CLUB GUIDE
WED 03
DJ Grizzly + Lab Rat: Brass Monkey Hotel, Northbridge Newport Wednesdays Student Night: Newport Hotel, Fremantle
FRI 05
Various DJs: Brass Monkey Hotel (2 levels), Northbridge Cash Money: Flyrite, Northbridge DJ Neil Viney: Public House, Perth Rob Homer + NDorse: The Aviary, Perth
SAT 06
Japan 4 feat. Nghtmre + Invoker + Tee EL + Micah Black + Sangers: Ambar, Perth Various DJs: Brass Monkey Hotel (2 levels), Northbridge Nice7: Matisse Beach Club, Scarborough Welcome - Queer Party: Parker Nightclub, Northbridge
NDorse + Sam Spencer: The Aviary, Perth
MON 08
Monday Madness Backpacker Night: Brass Monkey Hotel, Northbridge
Eddie Staszak: Balmoral, East Victoria Park
Decoy: Crown Perth (Groove Bar & Lounge), Burswood Sparrow: Ellington Jazz Club, Perth Greg Carter: Gate Bar & Bistro, Success
The Drools + Agamous: Leisure Inn, Rockingham
Big Tommo’s Open Mic Variety Night: Herdsman Lake Tavern, Wembley
Howie Morgan: Lucky Shag, Perth
Open Mic Night: Indi Bar, Scarborough
In Hearts Wake + We Came As Romans + Beartooth + Storm The Sky: Metropolis, Fremantle
Kingswood: Jimmy’s Den, Northbridge
The Dice Band: Mojo’s Bar, North Fremantle
James Wilson: Lucky Shag, Perth
Steve Hensby + Ku Kraft: Moon Cafe, Northbridge
The Big Splash Band Comp feat. Apollo’s Son + Black River Ransom + Hip Priest + Verge Collection: Mojo’s Bar, North Fremantle
Frenzy: Mustang Bar, Northbridge Hip Priest + The Gizzards + Reef & The Riff Raff + Junior Horn: Rosemount Hotel (Four5Nine Bar), North Perth
Dove: Lakers Tavern, Thornlie
Lurch & Chief: Prince of Wales, Bunbury Luke Minness Trio: Public House, Perth
DJ Anton Maz: Rosemount Hotel (Backyard), North Perth
Against Me! + Joyce Manor + Grim Fandango: Rosemount Hotel, North Perth
Rock ‘n’ Roll Karaoke with Magnus Danger Magnus: Rosemount Hotel, North Perth
Wolf Arrow + Field + Salt Tree + Black Stone Brewers: Rosemount Hotel (Four5Nine Bar), North Perth
James Wilson: Swinging Pig, Rockingham
Josh Johnstone: Rubix Bar & Cafe, Perth
Jam Night: Swinging Pig, Rockingham Shake: The Bird, Northbridge
Open Mic Night with Claire Warnock: Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
Keith McDonald: Wanneroo Villa Tavern, Wanneroo
Riley Lee: St Paul’s Anglican Church, Beaconsfield
THU 04
Rooftop Fiction + Brufield + The Dirty Feels + Matt Waring: Swan Lounge, North Fremantle
Last Night feat. Emarosa + Lowlight + Cloak & Dagger: Amplifier Bar, Perth
S U P P O R T I N G
Golden String: The Bird, Northbridge
I N D E P E N D E N T
Saffron Sharp: The Laneway Lounge, Perth
FRI 05
Voyager + Klone + The Other Eden + Watercolour Ghosts: Amplifier Bar, Perth Anh Do: Astor Theatre, Mt Lawley Acoustic Fridays: Balmoral, East Victoria Park K-OS: Brighton Hotel, Mandurah DJ Boogie: Clancys Canning Bridge, Applecross The Fling: Clancys Fish Pub, Fremantle Decoy Duo: Crown Perth (Lobby Lounge), Burswood Toby: Divers Tavern, Cable Beach Natalie Gillespie + Ben Falle + Daniel Susnjar: Ellington Jazz Club, Perth Stevie M: Lakers Tavern, Thornlie Fisherman Style feat. Earthlink Sound + The KBI Sound System + DJ Corby + Choppa + Crucial: Mojo’s Bar, North Fremantle King Parrot + High Tension + Colossvs: Prince of Wales, Bunbury I, Said The Sparrow + Avastera + Lights Of Berlin + Available At The Counter: Rosemount Hotel, North Perth The Wine Dark Sea + 10 Bit Tonsil + The City Views: Rosemount Hotel (Four5Nine Bar), North Perth Acoustic Royale: Sail & Anchor, Fremantle Lurch & Chief: Settlers Tavern, Margaret River Robbie Jalapeno & His Fabulous Band of Bureaucrats + The Shops + Sky Electric: Swan Lounge, North Fremantle
A U S S I E
M U S I C
the guide wa.gigguide@themusic.com.au Greg Carter: Swinging Pig (5pm), Rockingham
Lurch & Chief + Figurehead: Rosemount Hotel (Four5Nine Bar), North Perth
Frenzy: Swinging Pig, Rockingham
Morgan Bain: Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
Moonlight Wranglers + Aretinos + Maurice Flavel’s Intensive Care + Tilly Dan & The Midfield Legends: The Odd Fellow, Fremantle
One Trick Phonies: Swinging Pig (Arvo) , Rockingham King Parrot + High Tension + Colossvs: YMCA HQ, Leederville
The Reptilians + Cavalier + Union + Dr Bumface: Victoria Park Hotel, Victoria Park
MON 08
Trivia: Clancys Canning Bridge, Applecross
SAT 06
Nelson/Salisbury/Shaw: Ellington Jazz Club, Perth
King Parrot + High Tension + Colossvs: Amplifier Bar, Perth
Wide Open Mic: Mojo’s Bar, North Fremantle
Yngwie J Malmsteen: Astor Theatre, Mt Lawley
Steven Isserlis + Connie Shih: Perth Concert Hall, Perth
Michael Bednall & the Perth Saxophone Collective: Astor Theatre (Lounge), Mt Lawley
Trivia: Rosemount Hotel, North Perth
Wesley Goodlet Jamboree Scouts: Carine Glades Tavern, Carine Glades Fifi Mondello Trio: Clancys Fish Pub, City Beach Ali Bodycoat Quintet + Danny Martin & the Mastertones: Ellington Jazz Club, Perth The Devil Rides Out + Skullcave + Kaan + Black Stone from the Sun: Jimmy’s Den, Northbridge Paul Van Dyk + MaRLo + Mark Sixma + Roxanne Emery + Driftmoon: Metro City, Northbridge
Turin Robinson: Rosemount Hotel (Backyard), North Perth One Trick Phonies: Sail & Anchor, Fremantle Morgan Bain: Settlers Tavern, Margaret River The John Peel Experience + Class Act: Swan Basement, North Fremantle Slick & The Oilys: Swan Lounge, North Fremantle
Lurch & Chief: Mojo’s Bar, North Fremantle
Easy Tigers: Swinging Pig, Rockingham
Voyager + Klone + Gombo: Prince of Wales, Bunbury
Methyl Ethel: The Bird, Northbridge
Dichotomy + Ultrasound + Pockets of Resistance: Railway Hotel (Main Room) , North Fremantle
Claire Fahie Duo: The Craftsman, Cannington
I’m Flipped Out Over You feat. The Frantic Romantics + The Dubrovniks + The Television Addicts + The Painkillers + Spencer P Jones + more: Rosemount Hotel (Main Room), North Perth
TUE 09
KING PARROT: 6 JUN, AMPLIFIER BAR
Oakland + Braves + David Craft: The Odd Fellow, Fremantle Good Karma: Whale & Ale Tavern, Clarkson
Domenic Zurzolo: Last Drop Tavern, Warnbro
This Will Destroy You + Hazards of Swimming Naked: Amplifier Bar, Perth
Frown + Lytta + Population Control + ALZABO + Self Harm: 208 Maylands, Maylands
Kim Salmon + Spencer P Jones + The Wilds + Luke Dux + Todd Pickett: Mojo’s Bar, North Fremantle
Open Mic Night: Brass Monkey Hotel, Northbridge Greg Lloyd: Ellington Jazz Club, Perth
Lilly Singh: Astor Theatre, Mt Lawley
Little Lord Street + China Doll: Moon Cafe, Northbridge
Mojo’s Monthly Comedy with Greg Sullivan: Mojo’s Bar, North Fremantle
Elk Bell + Kyle Bonser: Northbridge Piazza, Northbridge
Bex & Turin’s Wide Open Mic: Rosemount Hotel, North Perth
Feeding Carrion + Metaphusia + The Underdogs + Renegade Girl: Railway Hotel (Main Room), North Fremantle
Deez Nuts + Antagonist A.D + Earth Caller: YMCA HQ, Leederville
SUN 07
Cider & Jam Sundays: Brighton Hotel, Mandurah Sunday Session: Brooklands Tavern (Beer Garden), Southern River Old Blood: Clancys Fish Pub, Fremantle Dave Mann Collective: Clancys Fish Pub, Dunsborough Limelights Jazz Trio: Clancys Fish Pub, City Beach Acoustic Sundays: Como Hotel (Courtyard), Como Courtney Murphy: Currambine Bar & Bistro, Currambine Hale School Jazz: Ellington Jazz Club, Perth
S U P P O R T I N G
Bad Manners + The Mod Squad: Rosemount Hotel, North Perth The Get Down with Aslan + Klean Kicks + Pawel + Good Company + Sleepyhead + Beni Chill + Jo Lettenmaier + Tim King: Rosemount Hotel (Backyard), North Perth
I N D E P E N D E N T
A U S S I E
M U S I C
32 • THE MUSIC • 3RD JUNE 2015