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P29 REVIEW
He’s never had a job, he’s never made it big, and he’s never moved-on mentally from his brief flit with success in the 1970s.” - Sam Hobson reviews LAST DAYS HERE
“Having spent his days as a backbencher napping, conniving and running around Queensland like the big friendly nerd that he is, he’s surely a little bit out of touch.”
“I just really wanted to spend time with myself in order to be ready for the world in a way; to teach myself things, to learn a lot, to study.” - Marcel Gadacz of DREAM ON DREAMER (P17)
“I don’t want to reinvent myself as a person; I just want to be a better version of myself.” - JOSH PYKE (P20)
“To me, punk rock is the most genuine form of music; this is me, this is how I feel, fuck you if you don’t like it, fuck you if you do like it.” - ‘Skinhead’ Rob Aston of TRANSPLANTS (P23)
“That’s what Damage is. It’s not a reinvention, it’s not an evolution, it’s merely a continuation.” - Benny Doyle reviews JIMMY EAT WORLD’S DAMAGE (P26)
- Ben Preece reviews GLASS TOWERS’ HALCYON DAYS (P26)
“Few bands master either power or refinement, let alone both, and tonight shows exactly why You Am I will go down in history as one of Australia’s finest ever guitar groups.” - YOU AM I, Live Review (P28)
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- Helen Stringer with THE LOOKING GLASS (P30)
“It’s brimming with impeccable musicianship and its ambition and execution combined with a natural prowess for songwriting easily places it atop its contemporaries.”
T A E V LI
FEATURE
Your hormones nes are going batshit crazy in your body, your brain is going a million miles an hour, you don’t really know what you’re saying or what you’re feeling.” - Este Haim of HAIM
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CREDITS
EDITORIAL Group Managing Editor: Andrew Mast Editor: Steve Bell Contributing Editor: Benny Doyle Food & Arts Coordinator: Cassandra Fumi ADVERTISING Advertising Account Executive: Alex Iveson, Zac Gould DESIGN & LAYOUT Cover Design/Designer: Matt Davis ACCOUNTS & ADMINISTRATION Administration: Leanne Simpson CONTRIBUTORS: Time Off: Ben Preece, Dan Condon, Daniel Johnson, Chris Yates, Matt O’Neill, Adam Curley, Lochlan Watt, Tyler McLoughlan, Mitch Knox, Sam Hobson, Tony McMahon, Benny Doyle, Jake Sun, Brendan Telford, Cyclone, Siobhain McDonnell, Sky Kirkham, Bradley Armstrong, Carley Hall, Madeleine Laing, Tom Hersey, Jazmine O’Sullivan, Tom Noyes, Samantha Armatys, Amorina Fitzgerald-Hood
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OON COMING S
Front Row: Baz McAlister, Mandy McAlister, Helen Stringer, Matt O’Neill, Guy Davis, Samuel Hobson, Danielle O’Donohue, Dave Drayton, Anthony Carew Photography: Stephen Booth, Kane Hibberd, Terry Soo, John Taylor, John Stubbs, Rick Clifford, Sky Kirkham, Freya Lamont EDITORIAL POLICY The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder. © PUBLISHER: Street Press Australia Pty Ltd Suite 11/354 Brunswick Street Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 POSTAL: Locked Bag 4300 Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 Phone: 07 3252 9666 Email: info@timeoff.com.au PRINTED BY: Rural Press
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with special guests TICKETS ON SALE NOW * WWW.JINJASAFARI.COM Jinja Safari’s debut self-titled & triple j Featured Album out now on Island Records ! The AU Review 9.7 out of 10 "#$ % %& # $ ' ( $ ) $ *+& ) % "! MusicFeeds
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HERE’S SOMETHING DIFFERENT
LAST ALBUM THE CAT EMPIRE
Massive Attack
Too often international bands simply announce a set tour, play the shows and then bugger off home for another few years. Not The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus though, oh no. The Florida punks will be celebrating ten years together by putting together the Choose Our Adventure Australian tour, giving fans the opportunity to pledge for the show that they want to see. This then guarantees your ticket, but you’re only charged if your show is the date confirmed – pretty neat, huh? So here are the dates and the location options: Thursday 7 November (Brisbane or Gold Coast or Toowoomba or Gympie); Friday 8 (Coffs Harbour or Armidale or Byron Bay or Port Macquarie); Saturday 9 (Newcastle (licensed/all ages) or Central Coast or Mona Vale); Thursday 14 (Sydney (licensed/all ages) or Wollongong or Canberra); Friday 15 November (Melbourne or Geelong or Bendigo), and Saturday 16 (Adelaide or Perth or Hobart). Pledging opens on Tuesday 9 July, through the band’s GiggedIn page.
THE SEEDS HAVE SPROUTED
Harry Angus: I can’t remember. I’m buying heaps of new stuff all the time, but I just can’t remember. Felix Riebl: The last album I bought was The Best Of Jacques Brel. It’s a greatest collection of like 30 or 40 songs. I’m really into French music from the ‘60s and ‘70s and I bought that at the same time I bought Couleur Café by Serge Gainsbourg as well.
One of the more relaxed and refined festival experiences on the calendar is that of Harvest, the music and arts festival going from strength to strength, returning for a third year with another spectacular list of acts. First announcement brings us Massive Attack, the trip hop pioneers set to overwhelm all and sundry with their dark engulfing textures; Franz Ferdinand, who are as always eager to get angular, and Alison Goldfrapp, bringing the sass and glam once again. Add to this Primus, Neutral Milk Hotel, Eels, Desaparecidos, CSS, The Drones, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, M Ward, Superchunk, The Wallflowers and Walk Off The Earth. Add to this the usual festivities and freaks of Le Boudoir and The Secret Garden and it’s set to be a sensorial overload, so get amongst the fun Sunday 10 November, Werribee Park, Melbourne; Saturday 16, The Domain, Sydney, and Sunday 17, City Botanic Gardens, Brisbane. Tickets on sale from Friday 12 July.
YOUR HAPPINESS
The Cat Empire touring nationaly from September. Check The Guide for dates.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK YEAH YEAH YEAHS – DESPAIR Horrorshow
HORRIFICALLY BUSY
Filmed atop the Empire State Building.
THIS WEEK’S RELEASES EDITORS The Weight Of Your Love PIAS
It’s better late than never, and after a four-year wait Horrorshow are returning to the fold with titanic record, King Amongst Many. And if you’re reading this paper, then you can be pretty much certain that their forthcoming national tour will be coming to a venue near you: Wednesday 18 September, Baroque, Katoomba; Thursday 19, ANU Bar, Canberra; Friday 20, Metro Theatre, Sydney (licensed/all ages); Saturday 21, Sprung Festival, Victoria Park, Brisbane; Thursday 26, Corner Hotel, Melbourne; Friday 27, Star Bar, Bendigo; Saturday 28, Saloon Bar, Traralgon; Sunday 29, Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne (all ages); Thursday 3 October, Prince Of Wales, Bunbury; Friday 4, Amplifier, Perth; Saturday 5, Mojos, Fremantle; Thursday 17, Karova Lounge, Ballarat; Friday 18, The Wool Exchange, Geelong; Saturday 19, Sprung Festival, Kevin Bartlett Sports Complex, Melbourne; Thursday 31, The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba; Friday 1 November, The Zoo, Brisbane; Saturday 2, Solbar, Maroochydore, and Sunday 3, Beach Hotel, Byron Bay. Supported by Home Brew (Marksman Lloyd in Western Australia) and Jimblah, tickets for all dates go on sale this Thursday 4 July, with the full tour proudly presented by Street Press Australia.
GLASS TOWERS Halcyon Days HUB/Inertia
MAPS
Jinja Safari
Vicissitude Mute/EMI
FANNING THE FLAMES
LETLIVE. The Blackest Beautiful Epitaph/Warner
Those joyous gents of the jungle Jinja Safari are bringing their Afrobeat indie to venues all around the place on their sure-to-be-energised Bay Of Fires tour. Throw your hands up on the following dates: Wednesday 11 September, Woombye Pub, Sunshine Coast; Thursday 12, The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba; Friday 13, The Hi-Fi, Brisbane; Saturday 14, Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast; Wednesday 18, ANU, Canberra; Thursday 19, Uni Bar, Wollongong; Friday 20, Cambridge, Newcastle; Saturday 21, The Metro, Sydney (all ages); Wednesday 25, Loft, Warrnambool; Thursday 26, Barwon Club, Geelong; Friday 27, Forum, Melbourne; Saturday 28, Karova, Ballarat; Friday 4 October, Settlers Tavern, Margaret River; Saturday 5, The Astor, Perth (all ages), and Sunday 6, Prince Of Wales, Bunbury. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.
12 • For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news
Cloud Control
You’re all about refined shit, right? The finer things in life, like wine, cheese, crackers, that unbelievably awesome quince paste stuff? Then these days out are for you. Combining the aforementioned elements with beautiful surroundings and fantastic tunes, the A Day On The Green crew are presenting one of our most celebrated songwriters, Bernard Fanning, as the headliner for winery/garden performances nationally. And with an undercard featuring more stellar Aussie artists by way of The Cruel Sea, Sarah Blasko and Bob Evans, this day is shaping up to be a blissed-out one indeed. Dates as follows: Saturday 26 October, Robert Oatley Vineyards, Mudgee; Saturday 2 November, Bimbadgen Winery, Hunter Valley; Sunday 3, Sirromet Wines, Brisbane; Saturday 9, Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley, and Sunday 17, Kings Park & Botanical Garden, Perth (strangely with no Bob Evans). Pick your tickets up from Monday 8 July.
THE SOFTEST OF HIGHS We heart Cloud Control, you heart Cloud Control, so let’s all have a big sweaty love-in to celebrate their brand new record, Dream Cave. Recorded in the rolling green expanses of countryside England, the album is a psychedelic pop trip with a way stronger buzz than any of that stuff being peddled on the streets, and looks set to take the band even further around the world. Along with very special guests Palms – the smashing indie rock group that’s emerged from the ashes of Sydney’s Red Riders – Cloud Control will force you to fall in love with them once more, playing Wednesday 21 August at The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba; Thursday 22, Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast; Friday 23, The Tivoli, Brisbane; Saturday 24, Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra; Wednesday 28, ANU Bar, Canberra; Saturday 31, Capitol, Perth; Wednesday 4 September, Karova Lounge, Ballarat; Thursday 5, Star Bar, Bendigo; Friday 6, The Forum, Melbourne; Tuesday 10, UniBar, Wollongong; Wednesday 11, Bar On The Hill, Newcastle, and Thursday 12, Metro Theatre, Sydney (all ages). Tickets available now through the usual outlets; proudly presented by Street Press Australia.
RAINING DOWN FROM THE NORTH
Big Scary
WHEREVER THE WINDS TAKE YOU The ever-changing, always amazing Big Scary have just dropped their second proper album (Four Seasons notwithstanding) and it’s an absolute stunner. The duo of Tom Iansek and Jo Syme have stepped up every facet of their musical skill set – their playing assured, their vocals divine. And with the help of bassists Ted O’Neil (The Vasco Era) and Graham Ritchie (Emma Louise), they have created a legitimate masterpiece. Hear these songs live for the very first time when the Melbourne act takes to the road: Friday 30 August, Factory Theatre, Sydney; Saturday 31, Zierholz @ University Of Canberra; Thursday 5 September, Karova Lounge, Ballarat; Friday 6, The Hi-Fi, Melbourne; Friday 13, Fly By Night, Fremantle, and Saturday 21, The Spiegeltent, Brisbane. Support on all dates comes from slacker pop songstress Courtney Barnett. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.
STILL DAMAGED Holy crap, we thought that Hits & Pits 2.0 couldn’t get any damn bigger. Then they go get all crazy and drop Black Flag on us. Yep. Black fucking Flag. This tour will mark the first time the trailblazing Californian outfit has made the trip across the Pacific, and with their first new album in almost three decades close to becoming a reality, Greg Ginn and cohorts will be spitting venom like it’s 1984 once more. Only appearing on Hits & Pits 2.0, you can catch Black Flag at these dates: Friday 15 November, Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast; Saturday 16, The Hi-Fi Bar, Brisbane; Sunday 17, The Hi-Fi, Sydney; Friday 22, Palace Theatre, Melbourne, and Sunday 24, Capitol and Amplifier, Perth.
Emerging from the frosts of northern Canada are death metal extremists Kataklysm, who over the past two decades have turned stages to rubble right around the globe. Lovers of the riff have been waiting for the four-piece to return to Australia and now their deal with the devil will be recognised with Kataklysm bringing their sizeable swag of material back our way. The hyper-blasting goes down on Wednesday 4 December at Crowbar, Brisbane; Friday 6, Corner Hotel, Melbourne; Saturday 7, Manning Bar, Sydney, and Sunday 8, Rosemount Hotel, Perth.
Boy & Bear
SHINING BRIGHT Happy-go-lucky folkies and multiple ARIA award winners Boy & Bear are emerging from an extended period in the wilderness with a follow-up album to their 2011 smash, Moonfire, titled Harlequin Dream, and will be presenting these songs live on stage for the very first time later this year. Get ready to sing, dance and stomp your feet when the hoedown hits your hometown: Thursday 24 October, ANU Bar, Canberra; Friday 25, Enmore Theatre, Sydney (all ages); Friday 1 November, Wool Exchange, Geelong; Saturday 2, The Forum, Melbourne; Thursday 7, Beach Hotel, Byron Bay; Friday 8, Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast; Saturday 9, The Tivoli, Brisbane; Friday 15, Waves Nightclub, Wollongong; Friday 22, Metropolis, Fremantle and Saturday 23, Astor Theatre, Perth. This 16 Days Under A Southern Sun tour is proudly presented by Street Press Australia.
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ARTS
Russell Howard Peace
RUSSELL HOWARD 2014 OZ TOUR British comedian and TV presenter Russell Howard is bringing his Wonderbox stand-up set to Australia for a run of theatre shows next year. If you’re not familiar with the comedy stylings of the Bristolborn performer, he’s most known for star turn on his own TV series Russell Howard’s Good News. The show is hugely popular, averaging around five million viewers per week and has the tendency to send Twitter into overdrive. Pre-sale tickets on sale Wednesday 3 July, general from Tuesday 9.
WEDNESDAY 3 Malibu Express – 1985 film directed by Andy Sidaris, about semi-successful private detective Coby Abiliene who must solve the case of who is selling computers to the Russians. Cult movies at room 60, 6.30pm. The Lost Property Rules – a play from local playwright Matthew Ryan, directed by Lucas Stibbard. A physical performance that uses puppetry to tell the story of two young girls who are moving house and moving schools. Bille Brown Studio, QTC, 10.30am, to Friday 5 July.
THURSDAY 4 Quilts: 1700-1945 – a panel featuring guest speakers Kylie Johnson (Paper Boats Press), Tess Curran (Deputy Editor, Peppermint) and Daniele Constance (founder, Suitcase Rummage) reveal their tricks of the trade in building a business and career from sustainable art, craft and fashion. This event is part of the New Wave Emerging program. Queensland Art Gallery, 6pm.
FRIDAY 5 Orbit – a stage performance from the QTC’s Senior Youth Ensemble in collaboration with The Grin and Tonic Theatre Troupe that tells of a science fiction adventure exploring ambition, love, success and growing up. Bille Brown Studio, QTC, 7pm, to Saturday 6 July. Kaput! – a show from Circus Oz that stars Tom Flanagan, inspired by the silent slapstick comedy legends of Norman Wisdom, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. This event is part of Brisbane’s Annual Children’s Festival, Powerkids. Brisbane Powerhouse, 9.30am and 12.30pm.
SATURDAY 6 Unmade In China – a documentary directed by Tanner King Barklow and Gil Kofman, following the experiences of a Los Angeles filmmaker who finds himself in Xiamen, China trying to direct a thriller in Chinese, using a translator. Brisbane Powerhouse, 1pm.
PEACE, LOVE AND ROCK WITHSTANDING The Trouble With Templeton
AIN’T NO TROUBLING TROUBLE From its first formation as a performance moniker for frontman Thomas Calder to the expansive five-piece we get treated by now, the growth and development of The Trouble With Templeton has been a special one to watch. The group have already had a fairly monumental year with well-received dates around North America, and in between it all they’ve managed to craft a pretty special album in the way of new opus Rookie. They’ll be hitting the road next month to launch the full-length, playing Thursday 29 August, The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba; Friday 30, The Zoo; and Saturday 31, The Brewery, Byron Bay, all with Holy Holy. Tickets through the usual outlets.
TALES OF A TROUBADOUR
CALLING OUT
We’ve been claiming him as one of our own now long enough for Tim Finn to feel like a true blue Aussie, and as a founding member of Split Enz (and a brief part of Crowded House) he has brought some music into our lives that has helped shaped popular culture as we know it. And no doubt he’ll be wheeling out plenty of classics when he settles in at Eatons Hill Hotel on Friday 16 August, with a deep bill that offers even more excitement than merely the headline act. Western Australian favourite Bob Evans will join Finn on the evening, showcasing his latest record, Familiar Stranger, while Glenn & Adele (formerly of The Go-Betweens) and Sean Sennett round out the bill quite nicely. Get your tickets now through Oztix for $45+BF.
Check out Sam Buckingham when she performs a free show with Luke Moller at the Brisbane Powerhouse, Sunday 11 August as part of their afternoon Live Spark series (from 3pm). Her colourful and provoking pop nuggets have taken Buckingham right around the country, into the hearts and homes (quite literally) of Australians nationwide, with the songwriter helping to popularise the House Concert movement, allowing her to hang out with fans while sharing personal musical tales with them. Feel that connection firsthand by heading down to the banks of Brisbane River next month.
SPIKE IT TALL With 150 shows set to be knocked out over the course of 2013, Canadian/Australian band The Mohawk Lodge are on a mission, and Australia is now in their sights with shows coming our way this month. Presenting their fourth record Damaged Goods for our always-hungry little ears, their sound is a cacophonous mix that recalls artists such as Springsteen, Neil Young and The Hold Steady. Lay your heart out and The Mohawk Lodge will squeeze the hell out of it at the following shows: Thursday 25 July, Black Bear Lodge (with Rick Fights) and Saturday 27, The Loft, Gold Coast (with Love Cannons and Kuma).
INSTRUMENTALLY SOUND Epic local four-piece Ghost Notes have been busting balls behind the scenes, and in between touring have written a whole bunch of sprawling material which they’re releasing across a pair of LPs. First off the rank is Hidden Horizons, and the guys will be showcasing tracks from the forthcoming record when they launch it at Black Bear Lodge, Sunday 25 August, with support from Turnpike and Roku Music.
GREAZE LIGHTNING! Get your rockabilly stutter on when Greazefest takes over Rocklea Showgrounds from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 August for three days and nights of swinging good times. Featuring tons of music, a 500-vehicle hot rod display, market stalls, art displays, vintage photography, fashion, food, live demos and more, this is the ultimate rock’n’roll lifestyle event happening in Brisbane. Talking bands on the day – The Paladins and The Chop Tops will both be jetting in from the US for the festivities, while a massive bill of interstate and local acts will also take part including: Doubleblack, The Detonators, Coral Lee & The Silver Scream, Kieron McDonald Combo, Scotty Baker, Hanks Jalopy Demons, Matt Dwyer’s Little Big Band, Pat Capocci Combo, The Flattrakkers, The Satellites, DJ Limpin’ Jimmy & The Swingin’ Kitten, Men Into Space, Miss Teresa & Her Rhythmaires, West Texas Crude, The Ten Fours, Dan & The Dualtones, The Mayhem County Boys, The Sugar Shakers, Regular Gonzales, Los Trios Cardios, Paulie & The Crazy Rhythm Boys, A Band Called Twang, The Hi-Boys, DJ Swingabilly Ray and DJ Leapin’ Lawrie. Tickets are available from just $22, with different price brackets set for different times. Head to the event page to find out more information and guarantee your spot at Greazefest 2013!
BEND IT LIKE BENSON
GOING FOR THE JUGULAR Shit was already due to hit fever pitch when those dapper lads of dance Midnight Juggernauts arrived in town to cap off winter in these parts. But now the intensity is set to turn up further with the announcement of supports for the two shows in our region, happening Friday 30 August, The Hi-Fi and Saturday 31, The Northern, Byron Bay. The ever-provocative art pop visionary Kirin J Callinan will be on hand to twist your mind with his noisescapes, while Fascinator, the Alf costume-wearing, acid dropping (presumably) sideproject of Children Collide frontman Johnny Mackay will front up, too. The Brisbane show will also feature Usurper of Modern Medicine. Tickets are still available for both dates through Oztix, starting from $28+BF.
Way back in March, hyperbolic music publication NME proclaimed Peace’s debut In Love as the album of the year, and this was following a nod by the BBC in their nominations for the Sound of 2013 award. No question, the British four-piece are a band on the rise, and now us lot Down Under get to see if the hype is worth hearing about. With support coming from Brisbane indie kids Millions, you can check out the two bands Monday 23 September at The Zoo. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia and theMusic.com.au.
Hit The Lights
Pay your respects to one of the greatest jazz guitarists in history when the incomparable George Benson brings his smooth licks and versatile musicianship to the QPAC Concert Hall on Thursday 22 August. With more than 35 albums of music to draw from, you can expect nothing but the best from the ten-time Grammy Award winner, as well as new tracks from his latest album, Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole. Get your tickets now through the venue website, with prices starting from $95+BF.
TURN IT ON!
MAC DOUBLE DOWN Even after almost fifty years, the popularity of Fleetwood Mac hasn’t dwindled in the slightest, with the band announcing a second and final show for Brisbane later this year. Get swept up with the emotive chemistry of the group when they perform all their classics on Thursday 14 November at Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Tickets for this date can be purchased from noon today (Wednesday 3 July) through Ticketek, with prices starting from $100+BF. Seats for their Monday 2 December show still available, also.
Naidoc Week New Wave: Teens Workshop – in conjunction with My Country, I Still Call Australia Home: Contemporary Art From Black Australia, introducing teens to ideas and art-making processes. GOMA, 1.30pm.
Big sexy triple bills – that’s what we at Time Off are all about. And if you’re into your punk rock of the melodic strain, then you’re going to love the guts out of this. Hit The Lights, pictured, are heading over from the States for their first ever headline tour in our parts, and making the trip with their comrades State Champs. But rather than making it a Yankee doodle affair, the bands have also called on the aid of Sydney lads Heroes For Hire, the freshly broken four-piece showing they still have plenty to offer with guitarist Duane Hazell stepping up to vocal duties with ease. Along with local supports, you can catch the bands at Crowbar, Friday 13 September and Trinity Hall for an all ages Saturday 14. Head to Hit The Lights’ Big Cartel page now to pick up early bird tickets for just $34+BF.
MONDAY 8
FORGET THE COWS
Despicable Me 2 – an animated sequel to the adventures of Gru (Steve Carrell), the girls, the minions and a host a new characters. Dendy Cinemas, 1.30pm.
Birthed from the small regional town of Parkes, New South Wales, and shaped through countless hours busking on the streets of Sydney, Bears With Guns have quickly found their own unique and confident sound, melding rock energy with folk sensibilities into a charming, warm package. The five-piece will showcase songs from their debut EP of last year along with exciting new cuts when they play Black Bear Lodge, Sunday 28 July, and The Loft, Gold Coast, Saturday 3 August.
Fright Or Flight – the premiere show from the new Australian circus ensemble 3 is a Crowd and winner of Best Circus and Physical Theatre at the Adelaide Fringe Festival this year. Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, 8pm, to Saturday 13 July.
SUNDAY 7 Laser Beak Man At His Headquarters – an exhibition from Laser Beak Man creator Tim Sharp. This event is part of Brisbane’s Annual Children’s Festival, Powerkids. Brisbane Powerhouse, 9am to 9pm.
Wax Witches
TUESDAY 9 Tools Of The Trade: Exploring The Traditions Of Ballet Costume – an exhibition exploring the world of ballet costume, featuring costumes from the QPAC Musuem collection and on loan from the Queensland Ballet and The Australian Ballet. QPAC, 10am-4pm.
UPCOMING Joy, Fear & Poetry – a play by Natasha Budd with protagonists aged 8-12 years old, who through performance, digitial projection, video, animation and iPad play demonstrate their perspectives on life and art. Part of La Boite Indie. The Loft, QUT, from Wednesday 10 to Saturday 20 July.
STIRRING THE POT You probably only know him as the frontman for Gold Coast garage brats Bleeding Knees Club, but Alex Wall is no one-trick rocker, oh no. As Wax Witches, Wall gets to swim in a far more swampy sea, eschewing the traditional to pay his dues to straight-up riff heavyweights such as Black Flag and Descendents. With a debut album under his belt, Wall will be ripping into his breakneck jams next month so go freaking gonzo nuts when Wax Witches mixes up his messy brew of slacker punk and lo-fi rock at X&Y Bar, Friday 2 August. Tickets for the show can be purchased on the door that evening.
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FLYING INTO THE NIGHT In what is being billed as a true meeting of the minds, local lass Kate Miller-Heidke will be teaming up with long-time collaborator Keir Nuttal and fellow Brisbane multi-instrumentalist John Rodgers to embark on a whimsical musical journey. Entitled Heart & Craft, the performance will work through favourites of Miller-Heidke’s back catalogue, while throwing in some choice covers to keep things unpredictable for those in attendance. Part of Queensland Music Festival’s Esperanto, the show takes place at Brisbane Powerhouse, Sunday 28 July from 5pm. Head to the venue website now and pick up tickets: $50 adults, $35 concession, $25 student.
GIBB BROTHERS CELEBRATION VENUE CHANGE Originally pencilled in to be performed at the Brisbane Riverstage, How Deep Is Your Love, the soulful homage to the brothers Gibb and their world-renowned work as the Bee Gees, has been moved to Brisbane City Hall on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 July. Tickets still available through Qtix and Ticketmaster from $69+BF.
Kate Miller-Heidke
THIS WEEK at The Hi-Fi Ash Grunwald Fri 5 Jul Brisbane Rock Showcase Sat 6 July
JUST ANNOUNCED Dubmarine Fri 9 Aug Jinja Safari Fri 13 Sep
COMING UP Kooii Sat 13 Jul Saint Vitus (USA) & Monarch! (FRA) Thu 18 Jul Stereophonics (USA) Fri 19 Jul SOLD OUT
Nejo Y Dalmata (PUR) Sat 27 Jul RevFest Sat 3 aug Shapeshifter (NZ) Sat 10 Aug Flyleaf (USA) Thu 15 Aug Clare Bowditch Fri 16 Aug Ash (IRL) performing 1977 Wed 21 Aug Cosmic Psychos Sat 24 Aug Midnight Juggernauts Fri 30 Aug Anberlin (USA) Wed 4 Sep The Paper Kites Fri 6 Sep Snakadaktal Fri 20 Sep Soilwork (SWE) Wed 2 Oct Amorphis (FIN) Sat 12 Oct Every Time I Die (USA) Fri 18 Oct Enslaved (NOR) Rescheduled to Sun 3 Nov Nile (USA) Thu 14 Nov Hits & Pits 2.0 Feat.
Black Flag (USA) Sat 16 Nov
TIX + INFO THEHIFI.COM.AU
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LEAVING ALL THE WEIGHT BEHIND With less than a month until they arrive in the country, Haim bass face Este Haim contorts her lips into a smile for Anthony Carew, talking about a dramatised youth and writing “emo shit”, to the crossroads which brought the band to fruition.
ou have no idea how excited I am about going to Australia,” beams Este Haim, the bass-playing, face-pulling eldest sister in the upwardly-mobile sibling-trio Haim. Riding a wave of exuberant hype, especially in the UK press, the band have been earmarked for big things long before a debut album’s materialised, and will soon be arriving in Australia for their firstever shows in our parts: a pair of dates in Sydney and Melbourne and a slot at Splendour In The Grass. “Oh, I know the schedule, my friend,” boasts Este. “I know it like the back of my hand.”
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“It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid to come to Australia,” Este explains. “I used to yell at my mom, when she wouldn’t let me do things, I’d go to my room and slam the door and yell: ‘I’m moving to Australia!’ I don’t know where the fuck I got it from; I was, like, apparently three years old. Safe to say I’ve always wanted to go to Australia. It only took 25 years, but here I am! Look at me now, Ma: living the dream!” The incredibly-talkative 27-year-old has spent most of that 25 years playing music. The eldest daughter of a drummer
father named Mordechai – “I think he comes from Jewish gypsy blood” – Este was first sat behind a drum kit from “the time [she] could hold her head up”, and could hold a beat from the time she was four. Aside from various childhood flirtations with the circus – from learning trapeze tricks and how to ride a unicycle as a ten-year-old at a Club Med vacation in IxtapaZihuatanejo, Mexico to an obsession with the theatrics and costumes of Cirque du Soleil after seeing them play in Las Vegas as a 13-year-old – it’s been music that’s been at the core of Este’s life. To the point where the moment she first picked up a bass has the feeling of a formative childhood experience. “I still remember when my dad introduced me to the bass, how exciting it was,” Este recounts. “The bass, to me, was like the best of both worlds: I got to be the rhythm, but I also got to be melodic. I’m still excited about playing bass, because to me it’s the foundation; it’s the basis of the rhythm, but it’s also the basis of the melody.” When Este first wrote a song, though, she was in a less inspired place. “I wrote some pretty dramatic shit, as most 13 or 14-year-olds do.
After a spirited rendition of her most beloved hopelessly-emo teenage song – “Take my heart/ Put it in a blender/ Put it on speed number ten!” – Este recalls how a pre-adolescent nu-metal/emo phase changed in a blink. “I saw The Strokes’ Last Night video and that was like: ‘Oh, wait, not into nu-metal anymore!’” she gags. “I feel like I went out the next day and bought a pair of skinny jeans and a ’70s-looking jacket. I just tried my best to look like one of The Strokes, or at least the kind of girl they would like. Then I started getting into Elliott Smith and Rilo Kiley, wore glasses even though I didn’t have a prescription – I was totally that girl. That’s what happens when you’re in high school, right? You’re just trying to figure out who the fuck you are. And I went to an art school, so everyone was trying to be cool, not really knowing what they were doing. It was a whole school full of those girls.”
When Este graduated college, youngest sister Alana was graduating high school, and Danielle was fresh off stints playing in the live bands for both Jenny Lewis and Julian Casablancas. They’d been playing sporadically as Haim for five years by then, but had never left Los Angeles, and had treated their band as a part-time, hobbyish kind of thing. It felt, to the sisters, like crossroads for their dreams. “We had to either totally commit to doing it or just move on with our lives,” Este recounts. “So we locked ourselves in Danielle’s house for like a year and just wrote and wrote and wrote, from June of 2010 to June of 2011. I truly believe that songwriting is a muscle, and if you don’t flex it, you’re never going to get any better. So we decided to just do nothing but write songs.”
In high-school, Este and Haim’s guitarist/vocalist/ frontwoman Danielle, her now-24-year-old sister, had a stint in a contrived major label tween group, the Valli Girls; a play on their San Fernando Valley-girl upbringing, and a youthful evocation of Franki Valli. The band never went far, and, by university, Este took a completely different musical turn, studying ethnomusicology at UCLA. “My emphases were Brazilian percussion and Bulgarian folk singing,” she says. She also spent her time in college booking bands to play on campus. “I basically got to use UCLA as my own private piggy-bank, and pay bands I loved a lot of money to come and perform,” smiles Este. “I got Beach House to come play at noon to like 100 people, I got Diplo, Fool’s Gold, Tokyo Police Club.”
It was, basically, a yearlong writer’s retreat, which functioned as a kind of coming-ofage for all the sisters. Though Este was the oldest, she saw it as a transformative time; having long treated her diabetes casually, she devoted herself to exercise, became a vegan, and, though post-graduation, kept taking classes
Like, oh my god, I wrote the most emo shit ever. I liked Dashboard Confessional! So anytime I liked a dude and he liked my friend, I’d write a song about how sad I was and how I wanted to kill myself. When you’re 13 or 14, your hormones are going batshit crazy in your body, your brain is going a million miles an hour, you don’t really know what you’re saying or what you’re feeling, so the things that come out of your mouth can be ridiculously extreme, a little overboard. And sometimes they sound like Chris Carraba C-sides,” she laughs, with self-mocking glee. “I wrote really emo shit for like four or five years. I still write really emo shit. Even now, to this day. We’ll be writing and I’ll say something like: ‘And then I looked over the edge and thought: ‘what if?’’”
16 • For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news
online for the sheer joy of it. That was reflected in the band’s approach to writing. “We started talking about how we were feeling, about the world, telling stories, retelling stories that friends had told us, reading things in the newspaper,” offers Este. “We just became, like, thirsty for life, as weird and completely stupid as that sounds. We just wanted to drink everything in, ingest it, interpret it, and turn it into a song.” They came out with a bunch of songs, but then came the next step: capturing them on tape in a way that made them happy; a run of self-produced EPs from their early years each having left the band frustrated, wondering: “We sounded good live, why couldn’t we sound good on record?” For their breakout 2012 EP, Forever, the band worked with Childish Gambino producer Ludwig Göransson. And for their next single, 2013’s Falling, and much of their forthcoming debut album, they’ve shacked up with Ariel Rechtshaid, the producer whose work with both glossy pop acts (Usher, Justin Bieber), acclaimed indie types (Vampire Weekend, Cass McCombs), and people in between (Sky Ferreira) makes him the perfect appointee for Haim’s mixture of sunkissed, ’70s AM radio melodies and syncopated, ’90s R&B girl group rhythms. The band’s goal for their debut album was to “make the 2.0 version of the singles”. Says Este: “We just wanted to take it further, and we hope we did. We had a lot of fun making it, which hopefully translates to it being fun to listen to.” And when will the world get to listen to Haim’s muchanticipated debut LP? “Oh, god, I don’t know,” Este laughs. “I wish it was just coming out tomorrow. I just want to put it out there. If I could, I would. But we’ve just gotta finishing mixing it, and then it’ll be mastered, and then hopefully we can put a date on it. We’re so close to being done with it; sometimes it feels like it’s taking forever. I really love it and I’m really proud of it, but my patience isn’t infinite.” WHO: Haim WHAT: Falling (Polydor/Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 26 July, Splendour In The Grass, North Byron Parklands
LOOSENING THE LIPS Underneath any video of Haim performing that’s put up on the internet, you’re bound to find a discussion of one thing: “Geez, the bass player (sic) and her mouth,” marvelled one Stereogum commenter, in one of the more measured responses to the wild, gurning, grimacing, chin-jutting, facepalling, semi-maniacal facial contortions that come out when Este Haim plays the bass. It’s been compared to Muppets, seizures, Tourettic tics, a snake trying to ingest a whole rodent and endless variations on sexual innuendo. And yet, Este’s facial contortions are, popculturally speaking, not-sexual; miles removed from vamping and preening and the cutesy, mewling, littlegirl stage demeanour that the world wants – if not demands – from female musicians. And these facial contortions are often picked up on in feminist terms; many pundits – like the NME’s Eve Barlow, who made the public declaration Why I Love Este Haim’s Bassface – pointing out that no gurning male musician would be mocked or criticised so much. Which is to say nothing of the fact that there’s now an entire novelty Twitter account trading under the name –and the singular subject– of Este Bassface Haim. “I totally let myself go onstage, I have no idea what my face is doing,” laughs Este. “To me it’s just a sign of how free and happy I feel when I’m playing music. I fucking love playing the bass. I really just feel it.”
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PUTTING THE PAST TO BED An introspective outlook marks Dream On Dreamer’s second record, Loveless, but as Marcel Gadacz stresses to Benny Doyle, there’s nothing at the moment to feel sad about.
n the phone from his family home in Germany, a freshlyrisen Marcel Gadacz verbalises the stretching of his bones. Barely on 8.30am, he’s back with his family for the first time in two years, enjoying some quality time with his bloodline and getting a new work visa sorted before things start getting hectic with Dream On Dreamer once more.
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With a constant stream of strong punk, metal and ‘core bands emerging from Australia in recent years, it’s become a tough task for young acts to distance themselves from the pack. Some resort to surface differences: hair, clothing, make-up. Others try and draw attention with sensationalism, be it through film clips, social media or performances. But the groups that have gone the furthest the fastest seem to be the ones that simply concentrate on the one thing that does matter – quality songs.
to feel that way because it would make me realise a lot about relationships in general and human beings, and that’s what I talk about in the lyrics. Finding ways for all of us to work together rather than work against each other in the world. I’ve tried to just have my own perspective on that and hopefully it will open a lot of people’s eyes to that and maybe they’ll get something out of it – that’s the ultimate goal.” WHO: Dream On Dreamer WHAT: Loveless (UNFD) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 12 July, Brisbane Riverstage (all ages)
Dream On Dreamer have done this without all the additional bullshit. They’re a band that’s built on music, and have succeeded by putting out a solid product and having a strong belief in that – nothing more. This next chapter will be written on those humble foundations no doubt, but understandably Gadacz is invigorated by ideas of what the immediate future for the newly-blooded five-piece holds. “We’ve just been waiting for [this] moment for almost a year now for a new album to come out, and it’s finally coming together and all the stress is going to be relieved and we’ll see where it takes us,” he smiles. Songwriting sessions for Loveless started in August of last year and the frontman concedes that it took a lot of hard work for the band to be happy with the material. However, with a far longer creation time to play with (their 2011 debut full-length Heartbound was made in just six weeks), Dream On Dreamer could afford to crack the whip more forcefully in the quest for musical honesty. “It just gave us a lot more time to concentrate on how good we are and to push ourselves even harder, y’know,” Gadacz explains, “and even tweak the little things that we wouldn’t have had the time to before and make it sound really organic but still... just making it real. That’s what the whole point of this album was, just having that real sound that we always wanted to have, but mixing that into a sort of modern production; we wanted to have a real modern sound in a way that it’s not fake, so it’s still organic and it still has a lot of character to it, and that’s exactly what I think we’ve achieved with that. “When you record and you have a certain amount of time recording an album or whatever and you work with a producer you know what they are going to make you sound like, production-wise, and from our last album, our first album that we put out, it was all nice, the experience of being in America and having a well-know producer [Cameron Mizell] doing our album and stuff,” Gadacz expands, explaining what he means by “real sound”. “And the outcome was pretty cool, but it wasn’t really fully, entirely us. I wouldn’t say it sounded fake but it wasn’t the exact sound that we wanted to get out of it, but for the time it was really the best thing we could have done as a band, so I don’t really regret going [to the US] at all – I loved the whole time. But this is the first time where it was entirely up to us what the record was going to sound like, and Callan [Orr – guitarist] and his brother Kevin, they were so into this record and it’s got such a personal bond to the band. They knew exactly what they were going for, and there was no one else mixing or tweaking, it was really just what our ears wanted to hear.” Keeping it in the family was what this sophomore LP was all about. The Orr brothers took care of all the production duties, while Gadacz looked after the symbolic cover art that adorns the front of the album. It meant more work for the band, sure, but the pride derived from the additional hours is all but worth it. “It’s been a pretty stressful process and it just all sort of came together in the end now,” the frontman tells. “The whole time we’ve been working on this it’s just been... it hasn’t been a fun time in a way, there was a lot of hard work, and you can just get someone else to maybe do these things for you but I think for us, going with the approach of doing it all ourselves has been more than rewarding for us and we can just be proud of it.” And not only does the album see the band tightening the screws on every sonic element – the guitar work more inventive and crushing, the rhythm section stronger with greater versatility – but the vocal delivery of Gadacz leaves nothing inside. He lays himself out for the world to hear, an introspective lyrical journey taking place within his impassioned roars. “Loveless talks more about a specific time that I’ve spent over the last two or three years where I’ve found that I needed to push myself and find myself – my inner self – rather than things like falling in love with someone else. I just really wanted to spend time with myself in order to be ready for the world in a way; to teach myself things, to learn a lot, to study. Just trying to find my inner soul; that’s what I’m doing with [these] lyrics. We’re still going on that whole ambitious feel that we’ve always had; our message is to do something with your life, but it’s entirely up to you what you make out of [it]. That’s the whole message behind the band really, and this is what we’ve done in Loveless again. “[It’s] such a sterile title, it’s so straightforward in a way,” Gadacz ponders. “It could be seen as something not as positive, but the outcome of the songs really are positive messages and they really are [full of] information that people will probably get a lot out of. A lot of people, when they are alone or when they feel lonely it’s straightaway like a bad thing, like you feel like you’re left behind. But that’s not really what I was going with that – I actually chose
For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews • 17
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STRIKING IT RICH Barely recovered after an extended tour of the US, Gold Fields are more than ready to reconnect with their Australian fanbase. Vin Andanar talks lessons learned and experiences shared with Benny Doyle.
ART OR NOT?
or any 20-something guy or girl, it’s the dream that’s constantly discussed: bunk off overseas with your mates, share laughs, beers and good times and, while you’re at it, check out just what this fuck off big world of ours has to offer. Some do it via shagfests masked as package holidays; others fill a backpack and embark on the soul-searching solo mission. Gold Fields did it a far more enviable way than most and experienced moments that a busload of Contiki crew couldn’t even fathom.
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The five-piece indie dance outfit from Ballarat crisscrossed North America for four months, ticking all the usual boxes: Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Disneyland. But between that they also enjoyed some unique times. New fans were won over at industry conference SXSW, they played a Yahoo! On The Road double bill with long-standing heroes Empire Of The Sun and even found time for a cheeky slot on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, their songs broadcast to televisions numbering the millions. The lads were also treated by their label to Coachella tickets, three days which guitarist Vin Andanar calls “the best weekend of our lives”. It put everything into perspective for the band.
ESSENTIAL TOUR ITEM
RHYS RICHARDS FROM WORLD’S END PRESS
WHAT ITEM MUST TRAVEL WITH YOU ON TOUR? At the moment it’s UNO cards. We’re hoping one day we’re successful enough to travel with our own foosball table. We once met a band that actually does that.
“Most of us had to start writing, not really a diary but [just jotting down] things we did every day,” he continues, “because we were away for so long. I didn’t even realise how long we were gone for, but now I’m back it’s like, ‘Oh, I can’t believe we were in America back in February touring’. We did have to start [keeping notes] to remind us [of our trip] and so we could tell our families what we did when we got home.” Gold Fields still have plenty of work to do before you’d say they’ve ‘broken in America’, with Andanar admitting that at some gigs up to 95 per cent of punters hadn’t heard of the band. However, they’ve certainly made inroads – no question – and put themselves on the precipice of the Aussie influx that’s currently spreading wide and far. “We did get really positive feedback from a lot of the shows,” Andanar informs, “people saying, ‘We came out just to see you guys, we’d heard all this stuff’ and all of them mentioning how much they’re now looking to Australia for new music just because of the artists that have led the way, like
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World’s End Press touring. Check The Guide for dates.
“That’s the reason why we got together and started Gold Fields, is because we love going to music festivals and love just hanging out with [our] mates and letting loose for a couple of nights,” he says, “so doing that again, it kinda [motivated] us to keep doing what we’re doing just because that’s the reason we got together in the first place.
Empire Of The Sun, or like Cut Copy and The Presets and Tame Impala especially – everyone over there is absolutely in love with Tame Impala. Australia definitely has a good name in America [right now].” One thing Andanar and his Gold Fields cohorts did find interesting, though, was the fact they had difficulty locating bands similar to them. Which theoretically isn’t such a bad thing; after all, what artists want to sound like the pack? But when you’re touring a country for a four-month period, you want to make sure you’re on billings that work in your favour. “I guess that whole electronic/dance/indie scene is just crossing over there,” the guitarist reasons. “They had MGMT who were really big back in the day and I guess Foster The People is kinda in that vein, but other than that it was really hard to find like your Presets or your Cut Copy or Van She. I don’t know if it’s because their style of electronic music over there is a bit more commercialised maybe? I think their whole dance scene is like Skrillex and Deadmau5; we just found it really hard to find anyone to tour with. And most of the bands that we would play with were all from Australia or [the UK].” Andanar also goes on to name check Miami Horror and Bag Raiders as other domestic groups with US crossover appeal. For the most part, though, Gold Fields were fresh meat. “For them we were this new style of music but obviously we’re not; we’re nothing groundbreaking. There are other bands before us that have done exactly the same thing. Like, you’d get people who had no idea about the scene and they were comparing us to Muse and it was like, ‘Wow, that’s really bizarre’. [But] I guess for someone who had never listened to electronic or indie music or listened to like Foals or Friendly Fires or anything like that, I can see where they’re coming from if they don’t know anything about that style.” The album Gold Fields have been touring off is Black Sun, their debut from earlier this year and
an LP that the five-piece are immensely proud of, understandably given its laidback assuredness cover to cover. Not that this came easy, however, with the band starting from scratch one year ago after scrapping 12 months’ worth of work. “It took us longer than we wanted to finish the album and record it, but the reason it took us so long was because we just weren’t happy with it and we’re thankful now we did [take that time] and decide to redo the album ourselves because otherwise we would have just released a record that none of us would have given a fuck about,” Andanar admits candidly. “It was hard [admitting] that the last year of work that you’ve put into something is not a waste, but just isn’t good, or we didn’t think it was good. [But] we busted our arses to come up with something that we like, and the whole reason we first started the band was because we wanted to write music that we like and that our friends would like. And [now], that’s what Black Sun is to us. If other people like it, then it’s a bonus.” They’ll soon find that out for themselves, with the band on their first local headline tour in roughly 18 months. And even with all those opportunities Stateside considered, this is what Gold Fields have really been working towards. “The whole time we were in America, all those shows were basically practice for us to come back here and hopefully get people excited about us over here,” he says. “We were just looking forward to coming back to Australia and playing shows back home; I can’t even remember what it’s like to play [here]. We’re so [pumped] and pretty anxious; I hope people come.” WHO: Gold Fields WHAT: Black Sun (Capitol/EMI) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 5 July, Elsewhere, Gold Coast; Saturday 6, Alhambra Lounge
OUR LADY IN BREAKS Alexandra ‘Lady’ Waks is huge in the parts of Europe more traditionally known for producing vodka and James Bond villains. She tells Callum Twigger about being a one-woman industry.
The result is in. It’s Tim Mathieson. Nobody saw that coming #auspol #auspil Well, Phil Dobbie (@phildobbie) that changes everything.
ady Waks’ charisma, work ethic and willpower are tectonic. Based in St Petersburg, Waks’ bombastic presence at the centre of In Beat We Trust (IBWT) is the core of an underground breaks movement across Russia. She’s built an empire of club nights, shows, gigs, festival headlines and promotions across the former Soviet Union. She has a degree in design; she handles all design for IBWT. She also manages press photography. The hundreds of In Da Mix live radio mixes she has uploaded to YouTube have tens of thousands of views apiece. On top of this, Waks is also a mother. And yet, she’s quick to forward praise elsewhere.
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“I am indeed a very lucky girl,” Waks insists. “My teacher, the guy who taught us to breakdance, he is the founder and the owner of BOTY (Battle Of The Year) – the biggest breakdance festival in the world. From the very beginning I had a lot of luck to meet these kinds of people. In Russia, for about five years, I worked at Contrforce company and was a part of the team which organised the biggest festivals in Russia – Mayday, The World Of Drum & Bass, Soundtropolis, etcetera. This experience became the basis for my own company. I learned a lot of things those times and after I quit I started my own brand and my own parties at In Beats
18 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews
We Trust. I tried to implement the skills I achieved from my Contrforce experience and also improve the issues – to my mind – which I was not allowed to improve in that team, as I never was a leader there. “I have always been in love with music,” Waks reminisces. “As a child I sang in the chorus, as teenager I was involved in breakdance for a long time; I loved the atmosphere of hip hop jams and drawn graffiti. After some time I began doing my own hip hop jams and breakdance battles,” she says, almost without breath. “At the same time I started visiting techno clubs and met lots of interesting people in this scene. I started working at the radio station and tried to find something for myself... something new and fresh, and it was breakbeat. For me it was something in the middle between hip hop and rave culture. “In Beat We Trust is a promo company and a booking agency, so if there is a talented artist somewhere in the world, it doesn’t matter where: Spain, UK, Germany, Australia. And I feel like this is the next stop for Russia, I can make it happen here. Even if the artist isn’t a big name around the word, we can build up profile because we know how to make promotions in breaks
music. Of course they need to be a good producer/ artist/DJ at the first point. These kinds of names are good for distant corners of the Russian Federation.” Besides IBWT, Waks is a major player at kaZantip, a huge, ever-shifting electronic music gig on the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea. “At the very beginning – not sure what year it was, sometime around 2007 – I did all the genres from drum’n’bass to house music, from Timo Maas to Grooverider and Crystal Method,” Waks says. “After a couple of years we have decided that it’s better for me to concentrate my work on breaks. I am organising my IBWT parties at different areas and dancefloors of the Kazantip republic. But this year it looks like I’m booking again some of the drum’n’bass heads for the World Of DNB festival, which is on in August. Of course I’m also running breaks policy there!” WHO: Lady Waks WHEN & WHERE: Friday 5 July, Family Nightclub
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With his fourth album The Beginning And The End Of Everything on this week’s release schedule, Josh Pyke is feeling invigorated. He tells Tyler McLoughlan why he’d rather keep doing his folk pop thing than reinvent himself.
ROSE WINDOWS The Sun Dogs
SUPERCHUNK Foolish
THE JOHNNYS Highlights Of A Dangerous Life
ARTS BLOG OF THE WEEK ROOKIEMAG.COM
LOVING AND LEAVING
osh Pyke is in his creative element right now, if there’s anything to be read into the super-quick turnaround between finishing up touring for his third album Only Sparrows in December and releasing his fourth album The Beginning And The End Of Everything this month.
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”The last round of touring was just the best round of touring I’ve ever done. In terms of the band I had I just felt like we were totally killing it; I just felt like we’d really hit our stride. So that felt really inspiring as a musician,” Pyke admits, audibly chuffed. “I’ve never really thought of myself as a musician musician; I’ve thought of myself as a songwriter who can play instruments and tour, but I felt like a musician on the last round of touring and it was a good feeling. “Then I did a long solo tour which in the past has always been really fun but quite draining, and it was definitely tiring but I just felt invigorated by meeting all these people all over the country in places like Darwin and places that I hadn’t been before who knew all the words to every single song. It just felt inspiring to know that there were these people who really valued what I was doing. It just made me want to keep going. In the past I’ve felt like having a break after touring but this time I just felt like getting stuck straight back into doing another record.” Pyke’s method of songwriting means he’s never fully clear on the theme of a record until it’s done, though the significance of creation – whether his music or through recently becoming a father for the second time – is certainly making its presence felt across The Beginning And The End Of Everything.
An American online magazine for teenage girls created by fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson.
FROM THE ARCHIVES 21 APRIL 2010
“There’s a lot about legacy and death really, and letting go – a lot of things about letting go of things that you love, and I guess that comes with being a dad but also [because] this is four albums in and you kind of have to think of every album as a project that you’re so intimately close to and you have to let it go,” he ponders. “You have to learn to love that process in a way. There’s a lot of that in there as well; it’s a confronting feeling when it’s related to anything whether or not it’s your kid, or a project, or a friend, or your lover or whatever. That old thing if you love something let it go, it’s actually true.”
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Animals tend to be a recurring theme in Pyke’s songwriting too, harking back to his 2005 breakthrough EP Feeding The Wolves. The toothy antagonist features again in the album’s title track and Pyke even dresses up as one in the first single’s film clip.
“The clip for Leeward Side is like a kind of fantasy, weird wonderland that the director created that I’m making my way though, and part of it is that I morph into a wolf… In terms of the imagery I’ve created over the years, wolves and birds are bad. Wolves and birds are kind of like negative influences, and foxes and rabbits are good, basically. I really don’t know why,” he chuckles. “It just flows out – if I start to think too much about it, it becomes a bit contrived. Just let what happens happen, you know.” Recording between a shed-based home studio in Sydney and with producer John Castle (The Bamboos, The Drones) in The Shed Studios in Melbourne, Pyke found a new energy in the method that allowed him to incorporate much of his home studio recordings into the final cut. Though the result is no great departure from the warmly-delivered pop hooks and heartfelt folk sensibility expected of Pyke, there are still a few surprises in store, including a co-write on All The Very Best Of Us with childhood friend Holly Throsby. “When we were writing the song, she really pushed me to do stuff melodically that I wouldn’t normally have done like leaving quite long gaps in between words, whereas my tendency would be to fill those gaps up with words,” he tells. “And then when we got into the studio I was really pushing her to sing full voice and she felt a bit uncomfortable with it but I was like, ‘I’m telling you, it sounds awesome – you’ve got to sing like this’. So it was good – I felt like we pushed each other in different directions in two parts of the process of getting that song happening.” Pyke admits that he’s never felt more excited in his career than right now as he prepares to tour the new record nationally. As a songwriter who’s recently come to think of himself as a musician, it doesn’t cross his mind to strategise how to make each record different while still being uniquely Josh Pyke – he simply follows his instincts.
“That’s a question that I never ask myself because… I basically just follow the songs,” he says simply. “The last album I felt like they needed a more full band arrangement and so I just followed the songs, and the right thing to do was to get a band together and record the album. And when I’d written all these songs and done the demos of them, it just felt like the way that they should be recorded was two guys in a room kind of hashing it out until it sounded right. I never really consciously go, ‘Alright, I’ve got to now start to think of doing something different’. It does sound different and maybe a development, but it definitely sounds like me. “I don’t really feel a great desire to reinvent myself; I like what I do and I like what I’m trying to achieve – which is to do what I do but constantly develop – and that’s how I want to be as a person as well as a musician. I don’t want to reinvent myself as a person; I just want to be a better version of myself. So every song that I write and every album that I make, I just want it to be a better more developed version of what I’ve done before. “I take that from artists that I admire like Neil Finn and Paul Kelly; everything they do, it’s them. If you listen to Neil Finn’s solo records versus Crowded House, they’re quite different but it’s unmistakably Finn. He’s not a chameleon-type artist and I’m just not that type of guy. Luke Steele is an amazing artist but he has the capacity to do The Sleepy Jackson stuff and then slide seamlessly into Empire Of The Sun and it feels right, whereas for me, I’m just not that guy basically.” WHO: Josh Pyke WHAT: The Beginning And The End Of Everything (Ivy League/Liberation) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 29 August, Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra; Friday 30, The SoundLounge, Gold Coast; Saturday 31, The Tivoli
BUILDING A BOND The Never Ever have just launched their new EP Ghosts And Ghouls, and they’re heading out on a national five-band Hoodie Weather Tour to share it with the all ages crowd. Frontman Dylan Nash explains to Tyler McLoughlan how playing to 30 people is no different to playing to 6000.
ydney pop/rock outfit The Never Ever have amassed an impressive online presence over their four years together that has not only enamoured them with the all ages scene, but also led them to the attention of American producer Shep Goodman (Mandy Moore, Forever The Sickest Kids). “We got the email sent through our management and it just seemed a little too good to be true,” says frontman Dylan Nash of Goodman’s offer to work on their new EP. “It took a little big of investigation on our behalf, [but] after looking up his credits we sussed him out and I was lucky enough to be in New York in December last year so I met up with him and his production partner Aaron [Accetta]. We teed it up and I basically said to the guys, ‘Look it’s all good, he’s an awesome person’ – he just had such an energy and such a belief in the stuff that we were creating. From there we just had to do it – we dropped everything.”
S We sent the intern into the archives to select an old Time Off at random.
INTERVIEWS Wilco, Hoodoo Gurus, Bluejuice, Leeanna Walsman, Darren Styles
ALBUM OF THE WEEK We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River, Richmond Fontaine
GIG OF THE WEEK Seja and Otouto, The Troubadour
20 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews
Recording Ghosts And Ghouls in upstate New York in February, 21-year-old Nash explains the themes of the EP reflect an increased maturity from the five-piece. “It’s centred around self-development – trying to better yourself as a person for the benefit of yourself and mostly for other people. The first track we put out,
Spiders, is about some people very close to me who deal with issues such as anxiety and depression and the song’s about trying to be there and support those people and trying to align yourself with what they’re feeling… [The songs] deal with a whole bunch of things, but it’s all about growing up and realising the person you are and trying to make yourself a better person.” The future looks bright for The Never Ever if recent support slots (Yellowcard, Simple Plan) are anything to go by. “Last year we went on the Simple Plan and We The Kings national tour; that was an amazing experience and we got to play some of the venues that [we love]. Me personally, I’ve always wanted to play the Hordern in Sydney since I saw The Living End play there – it was my first concert – and just being able to tick off venues like that it seems surreal,” Nash says, suggesting that though their own headline shows attract a far smaller audience, both should be approached with the same gusto. “It’s definitely a different thing, but from those experiences playing on stages like [Melbourne’s] Festival Hall or the Hordern, you definitely bring something back from that. I think one of the main things we learnt is that
you’ve got to give it your all every time you go out on stage whether you’re playing to 6000 people which we were lucky enough to [play to], to 100, 30 kids, 200 kids. You’ve got to go out there with the same attitude…” On The Hoodie Weather Tour, The Never Ever are looking forward to catching up with good mates Nine Sons Of Dan and A Sleepless Melody, plus road-testing up-andcomers Way With Words and With Confidence. “I think having five bands going around the country it’s gonna seem like festival road trip shows. We haven’t done something like this where it’s been a big conglomerate of bands travelling so it will be fun – it will be really cool and I think there’ll be a lot of team bonding along the way.” WHO: The Never Ever WHAT: Ghosts And Ghouls (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 7 July, Studio 454 (all ages)
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TRICK OR TREAT? Singer-songwriter Laura Imbruglia might be living in a new city and playing with a new band on her new album What A Treat, but some things never change. She tells Steve Bell about the power of country music, searching for laughs amidst bleak terrains and embracing her inner freak (and blaming Ween).
t’s been the best part of a decade now since young Sydney musician Laura Imbruglia started playing her trade on the touring circuit as a budding songwriter, but the passing of time has gradually ushered in a myriad of changes in her world. She now calls Melbourne home, has established a crack band of musicians in that city, and for the first time they’ve all contributed to one of her albums, her brand-spanking third effort What A Treat.
WARM UP FOOD
VINCI ANDANAR FROM GOLD FIELDS
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It’s an assured, albeit occasionally melancholy, group of songs which were accumulated over the course of three years, and while there’s no overarching theme to the collection per se, they definitely feel like they belong together. According to Imbruglia this is by necessity rather than design; partly due to her not churning out songs at a rate of knots, plus because she’s a fan of bands who embrace a wilfully eclectic streak. “I usually let the songs dictate [the feel of the album] because I’m not very prolific, and I struggle enough to just get enough songs to fill an album,” she reflects. “So if I was to dictate a theme or a particular sound that I wanted then I’d never get anything done, because I’d be constantly trying to re-write the songs or write songs that are more suited. I just use the excuse that I’m a Ween fan if ever anything goes astray – if an album’s not cohesive musically I can just say, ‘Well I like Ween and Ween do that, and Ween rule!’. That’s my excuse for everything.” It’s an excuse that could apply equally as well to Imbruglia’s career as a whole, because her sound has changed dramatically over the journey, especially if you hold What A Treat up next to her relatively shiny 2006 self-titled debut.
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“It’s just growing up, and as you get older getting a better feel for the right kind of people to work with – both in your band and as a producer,” she explains of the gradual shift. “The first album is really hi-fi, and there was a lot of work from both my manager and the producer saying, ‘Make sure it’s radio-friendly! You’re gonna fucking get flogged on triple j blah blah blah’ – that’s just not a consideration for me anymore. That changes the sound a fair bit when you stop caring about stuff like that. And I didn’t really get into country music until after the first album, and then when you start listening to lots of old country music and bluegrass and stuff I guess you appreciate warmth in recordings more than you might have before.”
WHAT DO YOU USUALLY EAT BEFORE A GIG? While she’s musically accomplished, there’s no doubt that the core strength of Imbruglia’s writing is derived from her deft lyricism, and she explains that sometimes this gift is excised more easily than at others. “I don’t know that it comes easy, some of the songs – and you can probably tell the difference between them – just write themselves; Awoooh!, Why’d You Have To Kiss Me So Hard?, and The Intervention, those songs were ones that just fell together, and I didn’t have to work very hard. But then they’re not superclever or anything, I just try to get my point across and make the lyrics fit in with the feel of the song, whereas there are other ones that I agonise over for months and months – some of them are very syllable dependent, like Limerence for instance, and that ate into several hours of my commuting time on the way to work. But it pays off – it’s really rewarding when you find that missing word you’ve been desperate for. “[I enjoy songwriting] to a point. Sometimes it’s not that rewarding because you just can’t get to the end of it – if you work on a song for too long, you stop seeing what’s good about it. I nearly gave up on Harsh Dylan Songs because I was working on it for months and months and could only get the verse lyrics, and was just singing really crap lines in the chorus. It took me listening to Dylan and realising that I could hide some insults within the chorus by referencing Bob Dylan songs – making it a whole song of insults in one line – and that would work just fine.” Imbruglia’s default mode of lyricism involves utilising her wonderfully wry sense of humour, even sometimes in the bleakest of surrounds, and the ensuing levity characterises the tracts without rendering other emotions redundant, not always the easiest of feats. “I think that’s just the way I roll in life and as a writer,” she smiles. “When I started out I used to only write humorous songs, and I think it was just a defence mechanism at first because I was worried that I wasn’t a good writer or worried that people would get bored, so I was constantly cracking jokes to keep people
entertained. Now it’s my way of giving people relief from the relentlessly depressing nature of the songs’ subject matter – it’s for my own benefit as well as the audience’s, because it can be a total bummer sitting through a whole set of my songs, especially if you’re already depressed or you’re trying to have a fun night out. It’s just me saying, ‘Find something funny in this situation, because there must be something amusing about this’. I love The Magnetic Fields and Morrissey and writers like that, who manage to inject a bit of humour into grim subject matter.” Speaking of grim, Imbruglia’s early career found her constantly being scrutinised in the context of her ridiculously famous sister, a ludicrous situation given that they were coming from entirely different musical places. Thankfully Laura’s longevity has eroded these inane comparisons, even if her sister’s shadow still occasionally looms large. “Yeah, it’s finally backing off a little bit which is good,” the singer admits. “I don’t really cop much flack from people. I still regularly get people accidentally calling me Natalie when they’re talking to me, but I guess it’s just in their brain and you can’t really help that. I’m not really fussed anymore, I don’t think that people are still accusing me of nepotism or anything – I’ve been around enough and done enough things by myself that people don’t think I’m just passing through or whatever. In the early days I was constantly accused of that, and as a result – or as a backlash – I basically refused to speak to newspapers. I had to turn down free promo, but it was basically just them wanting to talk to me about my sister, which was a waste of time for everyone involved. Them’s the breaks, that’s what happens if you have the same surname as someone who’s successful.” WHO: Laura Imbruglia WHAT: What A Treat (Ready Freddie/MGM) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 5 July, Beetle Bar
Corn chips and fruit. Gold Fields are touring. Check The Guide for dates.
TRENDING ON 1 NEWS 2 REVIEWS 3 INTERVIEWS 4 VIDEO 5 BLOG
Warped Tour announce set for July
Bliss N Eso Circus In the Sky
Fear Factory
The Jed Rowe Band
On tour with Sticky Fingers
FAVOURITE ALBUM OF ALL TIME ESO FROM BLISS N ESO
CAN’T HARDLY WAIT It’s been two years in the making, and it didn’t always go according to plan, but Royston Vasie’s debut full-length, Tanah Merah, has finally dropped. As the Melburnian four-piece gear up for an east coast tour in support, co-vocalist/guitarist Leigh Hardingham chats with Mitch Knox about their awfully familiar-sounding album.
ith apologies to the citizens of Tanah Merah, Queensland: “We didn’t actually know that suburb existed until we decided to call [the record] that,” says Royston Vasie’s Leigh Hardingham. “On our last tour in November last year, we were driving somewhere through Queensland and we saw a sign for it and we were like, ‘What the fuck?’ We never even knew that it existed!
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Rather, Hardingham says, “I read it in a book, basically – that was where I sort of first noticed it. Then I googled it trying to find out what it was and found out it’s a village in Indonesia and Malaysia. In their local language, it means ‘red earth’ or ‘red land’, and myself, my brother [Brad – bass] and Cam [Mitchell – co-vocals and guitar], in the band, we all come from a Melbourne suburb called Mooroolbark, which is Aboriginal for ‘red earth’. So we thought, ‘Yeah, we’ll just go with that.’” Not that it really matters much; a rose by any other name, and all that. And the upstart foursome’s debut, produced by Finn Keane (Midnight Juggernauts), is
certainly a rose among modern music’s thorns, even though – if you’ll pardon the mixed metaphors – it started life as something of an ugly duckling. “We did it very back-to-front; it was recorded over almost two years,” Hardingham says. “We went to the studio a while ago and we were just throwing down tracks that we had in the back catalogue, and wrote probably five or six. After that, we laid them down and listened to them and thought it was starting to sound like an LP; then we got super busy with shows and other things and went away from it for a little while [before putting] down another six tracks. There are a lot of songs on there that are really old, and a lot of songs that are pretty new. I think it’ll be pretty obvious to most people. But it’s cool – it’s like two halves of the record.” That sense of duality crosses over into Royston Vasie’s live show, too – from their pair of songwriting frontmen with distinct but confluent voices to the way the immediacy and presence of their rock tunes make way for a sense of nostalgia and beer-
fisted romanticism that recalls loose nights in backyards past. This tour will be no exception. “It’s gonna be pretty boisterous,” Hardingham says. “We try to turn everything into a house party, almost to the point that you’ve gotta rock up with your backpack full of booze and all the sort of stuff you took to house parties when you were a teenager – that’s the vibe we want to give off. A lot of our sets these days end with a stage invasion, for some reason. Everyone just grabs whatever they can and whack it or throw it and that’s always fun. It’s the sort of show that builds a big vibe in the room that’s just a lot of fun, really.”
Fuck. I would have to go straight to OutKast ATLiens. People probably don’t understand what they mean by that title, but it stands for Atlanta aliens. They felt so outcast from what was going on and that album was absolutely as diverse as all balls. That album showed us that you didn’t have to follow any trend or be part of any genre to fulfil your shit. Bliss N Eso touring nationally. Check The Guide for dates.
WHO: Royston Vasie WHAT: Tanah Merah (Milk! Records) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 5 July, Alhambra Lounge; Saturday 6, The Northern, Byron Bay
For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews • 21
THE TIME OFF CREW ARE...
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With full-length number three, The Amenta wanted to add a sense of humanity to their nihilistic strain of industrial/black metal. Sampler/ keyboard player Timothy Pope tells Tom Hersey how expanding the band’s emotional palette led to their most punishing release to date.
“I In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, Neutral Milk Hotel
GOING TO Laura Imbruglia, Beetle Bar
CHECKING OUT Springsteen & I
WATCHING Mad Men Series 6
READING Falling Cars And Junkyard Dogs, Jay Farrar
EATING Toasted sandwiches
DRINKING Negra Modelo
Music, of all the liberal arts, has the greatest influence over the passions, and it is that to which the legislator ought to give the greatest encouragement.” - Napoleon Bonaparte
But according to Pope, that’s not what The Amenta set out to be about. They never had aspirations to write dispassionate, Kraftwerk-turns-extrememetal type stuff. It was more something they kind of fell into, as well as a reaction to their heavily black metal-influenced debut, Occasus. “Though we sometimes seem clinical, I think we quite often get unfairly pigeonholed as a cold act. I think a lot of that had more to do with production rather than actual songwriting, especially with this album; lyrically, it’s more about a personal, human struggle. And I think the mix on this album is the first time we’ve got something that’s sympathetic to that human element in the music. I think it’s warmer and more bass-driven, where n0n came out a lot harsher.” The band’s latest record, Flesh Is Heir, sounds more in line with Pope’s vision of the idealised version of The Amenta. It rejects the bleak, programmed sound of n0n for a thrashy assault that comes on abrupt, ugly and charged with spontaneity. Likewise, their second effort’s lyrical focus on societal decay is swapped for a much more personal approach. “All of our albums are kind of a reaction to our previous albums. Especially with n0n, which was before Flesh Is Heir; it was really hard work. And there was a big emotional investment, as well as time. So at the end we were really burnt out, and the idea of writing anything became really off-putting after that whole experience. So the first thing we do when we write a new album is to experiment and explore and find a new direction so we won’t feel that burnt out. Where the second album was really electronic, programmed and quite dense, there were a lot of meticulous little changes throughout it, so with this one we wanted to get something more
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Having put the record out, Pope and his bandmates have now turned their attention to playing a national run of shows to support Flesh Is Heir and combining material off the new record with the varying sounds of their two previous full-lengths, as well as EPs like VO1D and Chokehold, into a setlist. According to Pope, the divergent directions of the band’s releases still fit together rather nicely when it’s time to do it live. “The way we approach a setlist is exactly the same way we’d approach an album tracklist; there’s got to be movements and flow; you can’t just get out there and blast beat from beginning to end and expect people to care. Obviously they’ll get bored, so you need to kind of play with people’s energy. We might start with something that’s a little more open and epic to draw people in, then go into something that’s faster and uglier and stranger… You can kind of push and pull people’s ears a little bit, and I think that tends to keep people interested. Because I think, and I think this for everything we do, there should be room for the audience to breathe, as well as times when it’s completely claustrophobic.” As for what else fans can expect from the band’s Flesh Is Heir tour, Pope assures that there’ll be plenty of atmospheric extras that should add to any feelings of claustrophobia crowds might experience. Even if they’ve evolved musically, these are still the guys who used to paint their faces and freak out in front of a strobe light flurry, and their show will always be an engaging spectacle. “We’ve got a long-term crew member who’s considered part of the band nowadays. He doesn’t record anything, but we call him our audio/visual producer and he does all the lighting and films all of our shows – we try to record everything we play so there’s content there. Because we’d like to do more stuff like VO1D where
we can give bonus stuff out to fans for free over the internet – but for this tour we’ve got lasers, our trusty smoke machine and strobe lights. Plus we’ve got Cain, who’s kind of like the mad scientist of frontmanship, so he’s going to be thinking up ideas, and I’m sure he’ll be extraordinarily creepy when he gets onstage.” If, over the years, The Amenta’s live show has been anything, then Pope’s assertion of its ‘creepiness’ is certainly on the money. The dissociated, abrasive element to their performance even has a lot to do with the perception of the band as a clinical entity rather than the output of a collective of humans. And even as Flesh Is Heir introduces a more personal element to their catalogue, Pope is pretty confident that fans won’t be seeing a version of The Amenta that comes across as any less creepy. “Our aim when we go onstage is to represent the music honestly. Obviously we’re not the type of people in real life that we portray on stage, but I think the music is an aspect of us which gets amplified when we get on stage. So in a way it’s performance, but also it’s trying to find a way to inhabit them. “I think most people aren’t honest about their music. People who make really extreme music and then get up on stage and they have that ironic smirk on their face and they’re dressed like they’re going down to the shops to get milk, I don’t think that’s honest. Even though that’s them, and they’re representing themselves up on stage, they’re not honestly representing the music. So what we’re trying to do is to make ugly and extreme music, and then be ugly and extreme people on stage, because that’s what it deserves. But we don’t structure anything; we just get up there and do what we do. We’re never saying, ‘Oh Cain, when I do this, you go and drool on somebody’s face.’ It just kind of happens.” WHO: The Amenta WHAT: Flesh is Heir (EVP Recordings) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 11 July, Crowbar
NOT THE SHEEP
t’s like a beach party – it’s happy, it’s fun, it’s catchy,” says bright and bubbly 22-year-old vocalist Amy Sheppard of the Brisbane six-piece outfit named after the three siblings at its core. “I think we’re really lucky that everyone received our music so well but I think it’s because it’s got that happy feel and no matter what language it’s in, everyone can get involved and have a good time with it.”
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Sheppard’s singalong hit, Let Me Down Easy, broke through on commercial radio this year with adds to the Nova and Austereo networks, not a bad result for an independent band with humble beginnings. “The band started off in 2010 – it was just my brother George and I as a duo. So ever since then [we’ve] been writing songs and recording and when we recorded some tracks we realised that we needed a band to perform live, so slowly we just added in members and did a few gigs around Brisbane.” Little sister Emma was added to the mix alongside friends Jay Bovino, Michael Butler and Dean Gordon. “Then we started taking it really seriously and… we got an audition with Michael Chugg, which was just the
22 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews
immediate. So the thing that inspired us to write Flesh Is Heir, and what really shaped the record was that we tried to work really quickly. We threw down ideas and if we felt they had magic then we left them as they were. I think we ended up with something a bit more organic.”
Poptastic Brisbane outfit Sheppard may be new to the scene, but they’re already making waves internationally through the strength of their first single, Let Me Down Easy. Vocalist Amy Sheppard talks toTyler McLoughlan about their whirlwind industry introduction.
WIN
The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knife Fighting is a surreal stroll into the creative minds of some of Australia’s most exciting new comedy writers and directors. The show aspires to take sketch comedy in a different direction, and with longerform scenes, less traditional material and a surprising cast it’s at times random, often ridiculous and occasionally surreal. Produced by the award-winning Jungleboys and the creators of Review with Myles Barlow and A Moody Christmas, The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knife Fighting creates a brand new uncharted space for sketch comedy in Australia. Thanks to Roadshow Entertainment we have five copies of the DVD up for grabs!
totally understand, we can come across as pretty clinical at times,” The Amenta’s founding member and keyboard player Timothy Pope concedes.
Maybe it has something to do with the band’s notorious live show – one that has seen them inhabit the stage of tiny clubs where a smoke machine on overdrive has partially obscured the crowd’s vision and they come out on stage with faces painted a steely black to obscure any facial expression and matching militarystyle shirts – but The Amenta certainly don’t come across as warm or particularly human. In the past, when The Amenta has been wrenching out blast beats, gut-busting riffs and layers of ambience, all precisely layered atop one another, they have seemed more like Blade Runner jacked up on nuke, the synthetic drug from Robocop 2, than any expression of humanity.
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DREAMING OF ELECTRIC SHEEP
scariest thing of my life because it was just an acoustic performance with the three of us – George, Jason and myself, and we’re the three songwriters. We thought it was just gonna be a really intimate acoustic session with Michael Chugg but he brought in his whole office... So that was really intimidating but it was like sink or swim at that point and I think we swam. So ever since we signed management with Chugg he’s just been giving us gigs and touring us around. We were lucky enough to go on a world tour in 2012 and we went to South Africa, we went to the UK and New York and LA. Since then we’ve gone back to the US because we’ve been getting some radio play over there in Portland, Oregon. We were lucky enough to play a show with Atlas Genius, which was a 1500 [capacity] sold-out show, so that was insane to have all those people singing Let Me Down Easy; it was a really surreal moment for us.” Having just finished an 11-date national tour that coincided with the Rock The Schools program, gaving them the opportunity to play to school halls packed full of their target demographic by day, Sheppard have a host of local shows on the horizon before they head off overseas again.
“When we got picked up by Nova we were jumping around the room screaming – everyone was really excited. And to be having overseas success as well is really, really exciting. We’ve still got a lot of room to grow as well. At the moment we’re writing and producing some more songs, and we’re off to Sonic Bang, which is a festival in Bangkok in August. Pitball is headlining so we’re very excited! And we’re doing the Teneriffe Festival on July 6 and then we hope to release another EP in August and do some more overseas touring.” WHO: Sheppard WHAT: Let Me Down Easy (Empire of Song) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 5 July, Solbar, Maroochydore; Saturday 6, Teneriffe Festival; Friday 19, Beach Hotel, Byron Bay; Saturday 20, The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba; Thursday 29 August, UQ Uni Bar; Saturday 31, Springwood Hotel
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FOREVER A FAN After avoiding their own war of attrition, Transplants are back swinging with a soundtrack for the battlefield of life. Taking interviews from Epitaph HQ in LA, ‘Skinhead’ Rob Aston and Benny Doyle talk breaks, bonds and Barker.
APP IT UP TED
Size: 17.3 MB What It Does: If you haven’t see a TED talk yet, then you need to get on it. TED features some of the most riveting, awe-inspiring, jaw-droppingly good lectures and talks that you will ever see. Bold statement, but totally true. They’ve got talks on everything from how to create a cleaner and greener world, to the secrets to leading a truly awesome life.
t’s been eight years since we’ve heard from snarling punk rockers Transplants, and even though ‘Skinhead’ Rob Aston hates the fact they’ve been away for so long, the polite and affable frontman admits that as soon as the group stepped back in the studio to record their third record, In A Warzone, that period of inactivity ceased to hold any importance or relevance.
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“I don’t think any of us really knew what to expect going into it because it had been so long [since] the three of us had been in one room together, let alone working and writing and recording music,” Aston admits. “But fuck, man, we got in there and we just got to work. I think that first day we did two or three songs from scratch – written and recorded – and it was nice; there was no weird tension with anyone or anything, there [were] no egos. It was just nice. “We’ve always had a good chemistry with our band where if someone is not feeling someone’s idea then we just say it. Plenty of times I’ve had ideas that get shot down or someone else has an idea that I shoot down; it’s not a thing of... it’s not a competition. It’s not, ‘Oh, well you don’t like my idea so I’m not going to like yours’. Whatever is best for the song, what’s best for the record, what’s best for the band. Not every idea works, not every song works, but when you’re in a band and you’re creating music with three or two other people, you have to be open and receptive to other people’s ideas and suggestions, ‘cause if not you’re just some fucking dipshit control freak who no one wants to work with – who wants to be in a band with that guy?” he queries with a light chuckle. A supergroup of sorts, with Aston’s bandmates including Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and Rancid guitarist/vocalist Tim Armstrong, Transplants fell off the scene in 2005 due to Armstrong needing his own time and space for various reasons. His bandmates afforded him this – though it was longer than expected – and now with the current line-up solidified following the 2011 addition of bassist Kevin Bivona, all four men are on the same page with the music they’re making and the goals they’re trying to achieve. And for Aston – a former Rancid roadie pulled into the frontline by Armstrong – the excitement of the position he finds himself in hasn’t wavered.
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“I’ll catch myself looking over my shoulder because, like when we’re playing live I’ll just stop and trip out with what Travis is playing because fuck, I’m in a band with Travis Barker and Tim Armstrong – they’re pretty fucking good at what they do,” he laughs. “Literally, sometimes we’ll be playing live and I’m supposed to be fucking singing and I’m staring at the cymbals that
Why It’s Essential: It will change your life, guaranteed. Platform: iOS 6.0, Android
Trav’s beating the shit out of because fuck, I’m a fan, besides being in a band and friends and family with these dudes, I still admire what they do. I still love being in a band with these guys and creating music.” Before this, Skinhead never held such aspirations. He hadn’t written lyrics or penned a poem. He hadn’t even sung a song. “But [Tim] saw something in me so I was like, ‘Fuck, I gotta give this a shot. Here’s Tim Armstong, who you’ve been listening to since you were a little kid, since Operation Ivy, and Rancid obviously, and here he is hitting you up to write fucking songs, you fucking do it, y’know’. “[But] once I started writing songs and writing lyrics, I discovered it was a wonderful outlet, a wonderful release of energy, anger, pent up hostility or whatever, because you’ve got to get that shit out somehow, whether you’re going to fight or you’re going to fuck or you’re going to fucking scream, you gotta get that shit out somehow. And music to me is a wonderful release and almost a type of therapy, y’know, especially punk rock. You fucking scream...” he drives homes. “To me, punk rock is the most genuine form of music; this is me, this is how I feel, fuck you if you don’t like it, fuck you if you do like it, y’know. And that’s what punk has always been to me, it’s about saying what you feel, and everyone might not agree with it, but fuck ‘em, y’know.” The Warzone that Aston references throughout this latest record is one that everyone deals with, be it mentally, spiritually, geographically or religiously. All around the world things are happening and the vocalist recognises this, from Turkey and Afghanistan to his home of Los Angeles. Underneath this thematic banner lies a maturity in lyrical content, while the overall musical assuredness is palpable, with the quartet using anything from electronic loops, spaghetti surf guitar, hip hop verses and funk rhythms to help deliver a record that’s constantly moving.
Unfortunately, due to the post-traumatic stress Travis Barker suffers from following a horrific plane crash in 2008, Transplants won’t be visiting our country anytime soon – it’s a fact accepted by the band. But if things change for the drummer, Aston will have his bags packed fast. He finishes by painting an honest picture of the situation, for the lovers and the haters. “Try and put [yourself] in his shoes, because no one [can],” he challenges, “nobody has gone through what he’s been through, ‘cause he’s the only survivor from that plane crash. And he didn’t walk away from it unscathed – he has fucking skin grafts and burns all over his body, so I don’t think anyone who’s gone through what he’s been through would be too quick to jump back onto a flight. But I never rule anything out when it comes to Travis or when it comes to Transplants because you never know. Travis continues to surprise me and inspire me daily, and like I said he might call me and say, ‘Let’s go to Australia’. Then fuck, I’m right there with him. But if he never decides to then I’m with him there, too. I respect whatever he does. “And for the most part the feedback from everyone down in Australia and elsewhere has been pretty positive and they get it. There’s always going to be a couple of dipshits, like, ‘Oh, just get over it and get on a plane, or get on a boat’. Well, arsehole, the boat is about 31 days each way, and it only goes fucking one time a year! So I don’t think me and Trav are going to be spending the other 11 months just hanging out in Australia. As awesome as that would be and as fun as that would be, I’d get to see awesome bands like Kromosom and stuff play, but hey, nothing’s ruled out and hopefully one day we can get down there.” WHO: Transplants WHAT: In A Warzone (Epitaph)
ALBUM YOU’RE DIGGIN’ LAURA IMBRUGLIA
My guitarist’s, actually. He’s rerecorded The Zombies’ Odessey And Oracle album, like all by himself – drums, guitar, bass, vocals and he taught himself piano. He’s pressed that on vinyl and I bought it off him last week, it’s amazing. It’s called The Odessey Odyssey by Ben Mason. Laura Imbruglia is touring. Check The Guide for dates.
BRIDGING THE GAP Buchanan’s debut album Human Spring has been embraced by disparate audiences across Australia. Matt O’Neill speaks to mainman Josh Simons about the band’s true home.
hile young, Melbourne’s Buchanan have already secured a fairly rare distinction. They’re one of only a handful of acts to have had their early work recognised by both triple j and Austereo. Typically considered mutually exclusive territories, the two radio broadcasters have nevertheless presented Buchanan with unsigned awards – triple j have featured Buchanan as an Unearthed act, Austereo as a Radar Unsigned Find. “I’d be lying if I said that was anything other than what we hoped for,” bandleader Josh Simons says. “So, when that happened, it was incredibly liberating and incredibly validating – but it was also exactly what we had been trying to do. It was very nice, anyway. It’s really lovely to know that people on both sides of the fence actually like our tunes and want to support our work.”
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That says something about Buchanan. A couple of things, really. Firstly, they’re just a little bit uncool. They’re not an underground or alternative act. Buchanan are an act that dreams of stadiums, not festivals. Their recently-released debut album Human Spring – a kinetic mix of vintage Bloc Party energy and Coldplaystyle anthemia – was even mastered at Abbey Road. Buchanan make music for you and your mum.
“No, we’re not your average Australian indie band,” Simons concedes. “It’s made our career very hard. People have asked us if we changed anything for this album and, being honest, we could have changed a lot more than we did. We could have made really considered, indie, restrained music and really held things back – but fuck that, man! I was in a studio, I had a producer, I had an engineer. I had every toy in the world. Why the hell wouldn’t I go for it? Why the hell wouldn’t I make something that sounds really fucking cool, in my mind? Because cool in my mind is just going for it,” the bandleader says. “You know, you can criticise someone for being daggy or not being cool but, if they’ve tried their hardest to make something they love, that to me is the coolest thing in the world.” Secondly, they’re ambitious. More specifically, Josh Simons is ambitious. Buchanan’s sole permanent member, Simons doesn’t do things by halves. He started the band after his film production company didn’t work out. Human Spring is a full-blown concept record. In addition to being mastered at Abbey Road, it was produced by Catherine Marks – who has worked with Foals, PJ Harvey and The Killers. Josh Simons doesn’t hold back. “Hell yeah. Before doing music, I tried to set up a film production company and we actually made a feature.
GIGS GUIDE RULE #89 I’ve always played music, but I didn’t ever think I’d do that as a profession. I thought film might be the answer when I first got out of school – it didn’t turn out that way but, yeah, I’ve always tried to do big things,” he explains. “Again, it’s just a case of, ‘Why the hell wouldn’t you?’ “The album is definitely an ambitious undertaking. And, really, that’s because our subject matter on past releases wasn’t... I mean, it wasn’t lacking, but we weren’t really saying anything. We were just writing songs. Which is fine, plenty of people do that very successfully – but I definitely wanted to step up and really find a concept or an idea that really justified writing an album’s worth of songs. I’m already thinking of the next one, though,” Simons says. “I’ve got a few ideas already sketched out...”
Stop talking during the gig. If you want to have a D&M then stay at home. RULE #544
Don’t pretend to be ‘with the band’ in order to get in free. Cheapskate.
WHO: Buchanan WHAT: Human Spring (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 10 July, Black Bear Lodge; Thursday 11, Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast
For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews • 23
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[FEATURES FEATURES]
GROWING PAINS Sydney’s Raw Prawn are a young band with just one seven-inch to their name, but they’ve already built up one hell of a buzz. Frontman Alex Kiers tells Steve Bell about growing up and finding your sound in the glare of the public spotlight.
THE SUPERFOOD TAKEDOWN ON PG 34
Add to those commitments the fact that Kiers was a member of (now sadly-defunct) Camperdown & Out, and it’s no wonder that Raw Prawn remain a nascent proposition. They’ve released one strong seven-inch of on RIP Society – including radio fave None Left – and while they have an album nearing completion, it’s a vastly different feel to the yobbo punk vibe of their early material.
“We’re pretty excited to be finally coming up,” enthuses frontman Alex Kiers. “We’ve got a few friends who live up there who have been trying to get us to play there for a long time, so it’s cool to finally be playing a show. We got together back in 2011, so that’s two years now – it seems pretty pathetic that we’ve only put out one release in two years, but anyway... I guess this band is my main band, but for the other three it didn’t start out as their main band, even if it ended up being that way. Anna [John] plays in Holy Balm so it’s obviously not her main band because Holy Balm do a lot of stuff, and Al [Haddock] and Chris [Nailer] used to be in Whores, who were playing shows all the time too. That’s why we haven’t managed too much yet, but that’s changing; we’ve been playing shows seriously for eighteen months and the momentum is great at the moment.”
“We’ve changed since that seven-inch – as far as our recordings go we’ve gone a bit more electronic, with more synths and organs and drum machines and stuff,” Kiers continues. “Obviously we can’t really do that live so we still have to play those newer songs on guitars. It’s just become less of a punk band, I think, and now lives in a weird genre of ‘punk-influenced music’ that doesn’t really sound like your typical four-four punk kind of stuff. I want the band to go in more of a direction like a band such as Psychic TV, where they just do heaps and heaps of releases over the years and everyone sounds different – one minute they have guitars in a song and the next it’s a synthesiser, and they’ll have songs that sound like rock songs next to songs that sound like dance songs. I want it like that – I’d prefer Raw Prawn to be a bit more versatile, and have slow songs as well as faster songs, and use different drum beats without turning us into some angular post-punk band.”
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Pic by Holly Engelhardt
ommunity radio stalwarts 4ZZZ have only been conducting their Happy-Fest fundraiser for a couple of years now, but one thing they’ve already made a (welcome) habit of is bringing up young interstate bands for their first Brisbane forays. This year it’s much-hyped Sydney punks Raw Prawn, who are stoked to finally be getting their Brisbane wings.
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“That was Chris, our bassist. He was super exuberant and went through the fun last days with us and just really wanted to revise it. And that was great timing. We were a bit more mature and better players and we’d all started our own other projects. But it just seemed like the right thing to do.” Chocolate Strings came to life in 2006 when Fanaika, guitarist Alex Skinner and drummer Kasper Skou started making some blissed out tunes. By 2008, three had become eight, and from hip hop and dub roots to “driftwood slow-moving stuff”, the band created a relaxed party vibe wherever they went.
Being in an eight-piece band takes a fairly rigorous bent for democracy, and with some musicians’ egos it’s a wonder that any work gets done. But Fanaika is adamant that as part of the new writing process everyone is heard and that everyone has “their baby”. But are there times when she thinks, ‘Man, I should have left it at a trio’?
Saturday 24 August, The Hi-Fi
“Well, there’s more people to hide behind! I think that big collective thing on stage is lovely. The only thing…” she muses, “no actually, I don’t think it’s ever been a problem. It’s so much nicer to play with more people and at one point I think we had about twenty people on stage at one of our West End gigs. I think if we had it our way we’d have a gospel choir!” With most of the tracking done for album number two, Fanaika expresses a quietly confident hope for a November release. The only thing left to do is rattle a few cages at some planned shows down south. “Sydney’s a tough cookie to crack, it’s somewhere where we haven’t really tamed the wolf, but it’s been really interesting. We played some shows in the western suburbs and at this one pub show in Parramatta this guy kind of faked taking out a gun. It was a really bizarre experience, but it’s pretty funny. It’s good and bad everywhere; it is what it is.” WHO: Chocolate Strings WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 13 July, The Hi-Fi
LAY DOWN AND SPREAD ‘EM
itting the east coast for the loud and proud Dead Of Winter festival, Perth miscreants Chainsaw Hookers will be spitting venom in their own colourful way, the four-piece combining a junkyard aesthetic with blood-spilling riffs that join the dots between traditional hardcore and punk.
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Since 2005 the Western Australian four-piece have been writing their own rule book, reaching a few relatable pinnacles (appearing on the Perth leg of the 2011 Soundwave festival and watching Rob Zombie side of stage, a man drummer Nathan Sproule has “a really big boner” for), but also kicking the kind of goals a band of their build shouldn’t be expected to, such as picking up WAMi nominations and even scoring government grants, money which went into their 2012 debut. The coffers aren’t opening up for them on album number two, but Sproule doesn’t seem to mind, with Chainsaw Hookers set to take the crowdfunding route this time around. “I don’t think we’re going to have a grant, we’ll just see how it falls, and we’re interested in like what Josh Freese did with his record a few years back. He just sold things, parts of his drum kit, like x amount of dollars would get you one thing, or x amount would get you something
24 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews
WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 6 July, 4ZZZ Happy-Fest, The Zoo
From musical man crushes to crazed punters, it’s anything goes for Chainsaw Hookers. On the cusp of their arrival, drummer Nathan Sproule talks candidly with Benny Doyle.
PRESENTS COSMIC PSYCHOS
With an LP to their name and some respectful festival slots notched on their belt (Woodford, Island Vibe, Rainbow Serpent), Fanaika says a self-inflicted break and shakeup was needed following their last show at Peats Ridge in 2011. “We’ve probably had one falling out and that was at the time that we needed to have a break,” she says. “We were just going crazy before then. But we’re all a lot older now and it’s just life. “We spend much more time on developing songs before we play live, whereas in the past we’d come up with an idea and we’d play it live and just work it out as we played. And although that has been magic to a degree, the evolution’s really been in our writing process and that changed our live shows, too. The way that we’ve evolved now is into more sophisticated dub and hip hop, a lot of soul music as well and a really rootsy reggae.”
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Ben Salter touring nationally from July. Check The Guide for dates.
WHO: Raw Prawn
SWEET SOUNDS
n a night when the federal leadership topples, again, and Queensland tears New South Wales a new one, again, Ofa Fanaika is happily oblivious to the day’s events and is knuckling down for a bit of band practice. After a two-year break, West End reggae/roots eight-piece Chocolate Strings are back in business with an upcoming support slot alongside Afrobeat legends Kooii. As one of its leading ladies and group founder, Fanaika admits the call to rearm was not of her own making.
At Nowhere Audio the fridge is (or was) full of Donnie and Steve’s amazing selection of homebrew. They’re stocking up for the technological singularity. Listen to the bands Die On Planes and Roku Music. That is all.
“I really like confusing people actually,” he laughs. “That’s my intention I guess, because I really like to throw people off. We were playing shows in Melbourne and getting heaps of skinheads in the audience – proper hardcore punk dudes – and I reckon that if they saw what we were playing now they’d probably hate it, which is perfect. I prefer to keep evolving – I like when things start going in new directions and new influences start coming in. I guess that’s my intention, to make us confusing. I still want people to enjoy it – I don’t want to confuse people in a way that’s too challenging, just mess with their preconceptions a bit.”
When eight-piece music collective Chocolate Strings pulled up stumps for two years, uncertainty lingered about the band’s future. But singer and guitarist Ofa Fanaika tells Carley Hall things are shaping up for album number two and their live shows are better than ever.
STUDIO BAR
WHAT WOULD WE FIND IN THE STUDIO FRIDGE WHEN YOU’RE RECORDING?
Fortunately Kiers isn’t worried whatsoever about confusing his existing fanbase.
else, like shout choruses on the record. Just to entice people to help. Our Facebook is going off so we’re going to try and test those Facebook likes for loyalty.” Work on the follow-up is well under way, and although it might take a little longer to come together, the band have releases to bide the time. “We’ve got a split seven-inch release with New Jersey punk rockers Electric Frankenstein,” Sproule informs. “And then we have our own CD, but we’re taking our time on that one so it’s probably not going to be [released] until next year. We’ve done three tracks already and we’ve got about ten more to record but we’re just trying to shape them up, get the structures a little better. We’ll be working on that for the rest of the year.” While that’s happening, Chainsaw Hookers are simply keen to dominate the stage regularly. They want to get overseas for shows in the near future, too, but for now, they’re just going to have to settle for Brisbane; although jumping on a plane to somewhere remote sounds like a more enticing prospect if Sproule’s Queensland memories are anything to go by. “We were playing this indie bar and a female patron threw a glass at John, our guitarist, and got him pretty
good in the forehead – I thought that was hilarious!” he cracks up. “Apparently her boyfriend had cheated on her that night – she was a real crazy bitch – and he was just walking from the toilets and she was trying to throw it at him but it got John instead. That was our first show, and we’d only just got off the plane, too. But I almost lost it, I was absolutely hysterical laughing. It was a warm welcome.” If only the lady in question had access to Chainsaw Hookers’ merch stand – that might have put a smile back on her face. “We have all sorts of merch from condoms to ladies underwear to [the usual] shirts, singlets,” Sproule reels off, connecting the items like they’d naturally go together. “There’s always someone blowing up a condom and passing it around the audience; there’s always a bit of that going on.” WHO: Chainsaw Hookers WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 13 July, Dead Of Winter Festival, Jubilee Hotel
25
SINGLED OUT SINGLE OF THE WEEK
WITH CHRIS YATES
CHASM
Smoking Aces (ft Monchichi) Obese Records Sydney hip hop producer Chasm has launched a series of four EPs, each one featuring a different guest. It’s a brilliant idea and draws on his album sessions from his This Is How We Never Die record, an undisputed Oz hip hop highlight of last year. Sydney MC Monchichi brings his A game to complement Chasm’s massive beats and international level production. Hearts is a head nodder that leads brilliantly into the more casual Clubs. Diamonds adds a reggae feel and Spades sees Monchichi double timing over a smooth jazz sample. Smoking Aces is the complete package and then some.
THE DARLING DOWNS Saved Fuse Expectations have been mounting for a third record from Australian legends Ron Peno from Died Pretty and Kim Salmon from The Scientists and Beasts Of Bourbon (and many more obviously) since the pair rejoined forces last year, and those expectations are being met in typical style. Peno’s voice is as untouchable as usual – the brevity and casual delivery of a drunken piano bar singer, always threatening to fall out of tune completely but hanging on by its fingernails to absolute beauty. Salmon’s musical accompaniment is sublime and every note is where it should be. The whole thing is achingly Australian in the best possible way.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
[REVIEWS REVIEWS] a l b u m
MAVIS STAPLES One True Vine
Anti-/Epitaph/Warner There’s a homely, down-to-earth feel to the music made when the production talents of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy meet the incomparable soulful croon of Mavis Staples; we heard it first on 2010’s You Are Not Alone and that same feeling very much continues on One True Vine. But, with a few small tweaks and some different ideas, the end result here is more powerful, more beautiful and utterly triumphant. The opening salvo of Some Holy Ghost, originally performed by Minnesotan indie rockers Low, is an unassuming but auspicious beginning; Staples’ worn vocal met with luscious backing harmonies. The brilliant Every Step demands a little more attention as those backing vocals are brought forward in the mix and they work off Staples’ lead with a startling sense of rhythm and harmony. A crisp rendition of Funkadelic’s Can You Get To That? is packed with heart, proving Staples is one cool 73-year-old, while it must be impossible to not believe every single word of the shuffling Far Celestial Shore, so thoughtful is the delivery. There is great warmth in these arrangements and authority in Staples’ voice, making the record extraordinarily appealing on face value, while, under the surface, the vocals of Staples have an almost nourishing quality. She makes the songs gripping, putting every semblance of her life’s experience into the delivery; I Like The Things About Me is staunch and uplifting at once, while you can’t deny the strength of her faith after hearing Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind On Jesus). We’re privileged to hear the music Tweedy and Staples make together; here’s hoping there’s more to come. ★★★★½
ALICE IN CHAINS
BEN FOLDS FIVE
Capitol/EMI
Sony
When seminal alt-rock behemoths Alice in Chains burst onto the Seattle rock scene with 1990 debut Facelift, it brought a fresh take on heavy metal vocals; Layne Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell’s dissonant, layered harmonic voices were a precursor to the embittered grunge movement and are the flagship of a band that after five albums and 26 respectful years are still going strong.
It’s hard to believe this is Ben Folds Five’s first official live album, but when you consider that 1998 odds-andends collection Naked Baby Photos included a slew of live tracks, Folds released a solo live album and the band also released a live DVD, it makes more sense.
The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
Staley’s death in 2002 was a heavy blow but his benchwarmer Wiliam DuVall kept the flame alive and surprised all that thought Staley’s instantly recognisable vocals couldn’t be supplanted. That it was done with nary a fistshake from the AIC community is testament to the importance that this band completes its unfinished business. The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here is the latest to hit the deck and while it suffers from a slight case of déjà vu, it’s business as usual for the quartet. Much like earlier AIC albums, a lot of tracks on offer are plump for the picking, while others are a bit underripe. It’s like both ends of the album have been pegged and what sags in the middle is a trapped bundle of goodness. Three tracks in, Stone bears fruit with that familiar dirty guitar chug emblazoned with ricocheting guitar bursts and a harmonic shift in vocal line. Voices breaks it up a bit with an acoustic guitar-ballad sort of vibe and that irrepressible, jarring vocal partnership is at its bleak best on Breath On A Window, where the old Alice is brought back to life and DuVall’s dissonant tones struggle to avoid being suppressed by the droning dirge guitars pushing him under. ★★★½
Carley Hall
Live
This 14-song collection fittingly kicks off with a rollicking version of Jackson Cannery, the first song from the trio’s 1995 debut, before fast-forwarding to the subdued Erase Me from last year’s reunion album The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind. The jazzy Selfless, Cold And Composed is reproduced faithfully and Uncle Walter sounds as fresh today as it did upon its release. Curiously, they include Folds’ solo track Landed, and although it’s a fine song in its own right, it’s a shame it’s included at the expense of some of the trio’s own strongest moments – including Kate, Julianne, Battle Of Who Could Care Less and Army. The medley of One Chord Blues and Charlie Parker’s Billie’s Bounce is a throwaway moment that chews up another few minutes that, likewise, could have been better utilised. Brick has aged surprisingly well, and the playful rendition of Draw A Crowd is superior to its studio counterpart. The nine-and-a-half-minute draw-out of Narcolepsy on the other hand tests patience. Thankfully, the best is saved for last, with breakthrough hit Underground, Tom And Mary, One Angry Dwarf And 200 Solemn Faces and Song For The Dumped drawing this live collection to a close. Despite the dubious track selection, there’s still plenty to like about Live, but it’s a shame the band couldn’t have included a few more fan favourites. ★★★½
Daniel Johnson
Dan Condon
ROBYN
U Should Know Better (ft Snoop Dogg) Konichiwa/Interscope Snoop’s history of guesting on horrible tracks is proof that he basically will drop a verse for anyone with a big enough cheque (or baggie of weed), but his indiscriminate nature means every now and then he does something great by accident. Sweden’s Robyn is arguably one of the most exciting pop stars on the planet and her dance pop is miles ahead of any of the idiots that clog the charts with their bullshit Friday night anthems. She swears like a trooper and Snoop collaborates properly, contributing to the songwriting of the track well beyond the usual 16 bars after the second chorus. They should do a whole record together.
MIA
Bring The Noize N.E.E.T./Interscope MIA continues the theme of the Bad Girls video in her new clip with massive crowds, car stunts and highly-stylised camerawork. The track echoes some similar elements with a catchphrase chorus but it’s a lot less musical and borders on hardcore bass attack for the vocal cut ups of the post-chorus, which actually makes up a large portion of the track. It’s incredibly minimal in production which creates some very uncomfortable aesthetics that smash the sentiment home. Far from exploiting her popularity with pop, MIA is bringing some tough shit and it’s the best thing she could have done at this stage really.
OKKERVIL RIVER It Was My Season ATO Records What could be a folksy piano ballad by anyone else, in the hands of Okkervil River It Was My Season becomes a characteristically beautiful story which is equally upbeat and sad all at once. The production is exquisite – instruments and sounds that on the surface are barely even noticeable service the track with a level of sophistication that is at first hard to put your finger on. The placement of backing vocals and divergent keyboard sounds are more than just texture building and become an intrinsic part of the composition.
26 • For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews
GLASS TOWERS
JIMMY EAT WORLD
KIRIN J CALLINAN
HUB/Inertia
Sony
Siberia/Remote Control
It’s been a rapid incline of sorts for Glass Towers, the young Sydney-based band who have exuded ambition at every point of their career to date. This here debut album is no exception, undoubtedly stepping the lads into not only their next phase but also an entirely new playing field as they expand themselves from the littleband-that-could to the band that can and has done.
Jimmy Eat World frontman Jim Adkins recently said to Time Off that Damage is simply a collection of love songs – the kind that appeal to him. On the quartet’s eighth record, this involves being challenged by adversity and tackling personal pain. Work your way back through the Mesa, Arizona band’s catalogue, though, and you’ll find plenty of love there, too, just in a different scope. And that’s what Damage is. It’s not a reinvention, it’s not an evolution, it’s merely a continuation.
There will be a lot of talk about whether or not Embracism will justify Kirin J Callinan’s reputation for theatrics and controversy. The answer to that question’s both subjective and dull. Which is to say, impossible to answer. On the topic of whether Embracism is a good record, matters are a little clearer. It’s a great piece of music.
Halcyon Days
Halcyon Days rocks in every sense of the word, but not like a British India, for example, might – the guitars are more intricate, the relentless ADD drums (a good thing) evoke Bloc Party and the yearning vocal delivery of Benjamin Hannam is flawless – all of which continues to unravel with more precision and quality after every listen, offering something more translatable across international waters. Produced by the rapidly up-and-coming Jean Paul Fung (Last Dinosaurs, Bluejuice), the album’s familiarity is intact with flawless radio single Jumanji, the soaring Tonight and provoking almost title track Halcyon all making an appearance. Elsewhere, it’s the reverbdrenched Gloom and the youthful Lust For Life that help complete the puzzle perfectly. You’re Better shows another side, however, slowing down the tempo and displaying Hannam’s ability to truly speak from within. Halcyon Days is a triumphant first step for a young band and one that doesn’t necessarily push any envelopes and, instead, is brilliant for exactly what it is – a long-player that sits together as brilliantly as each song stands strong on its own. It’s brimming with impeccable musicianship and its ambition and execution combined with a natural prowess for songwriting easily places it atop its contemporaries. ★★★★
Ben Preece
Damage
But like all journeys, some parts are more exciting than others. Damage isn’t a terrible record – not in the slightest – but the ten tracks are rarely amazing. It moves seamlessly song-to-song, and producer Alain Johannes has done a great job maintaining the performance honesty of each individual band member, however, it washes over you a bit too easily without leaving something on a subliminal level. There’s a few spiky rock riffs scattered about – opener Appreciation has a rogue breakdown towards the track’s end, while there’s some howling six-string upheaval that carves through Lean quite nicely, but as a whole Damage is devoid of any slick licks. And although Jimmy Eat World aren’t exactly DragonForce, a lot of their benchmark singles (Bleed American, Just Tonight) have been built around a bold guitar line that’s captured the same raw emotion of the band themselves. Damage misses those. It’s an album that’s full of questions (“Are we only damaging the little we have left?” – Damage) and promises (I Will Steal You Back), but unfortunately few answers. And without any punch to define it on a musical level, Damage sadly underwhelms. ★★★
Benny Doyle
Embracism
Few will immediately enjoy everything on display. Over the course of the album, Callinan mashes together cacophonous lo-fi electronics (Halo), massive ‘80s synth progressions (Victoria M), weepy orchestral ballads (Chardonnay Sean) and liberal lashings of Australian post-punk vitriol (Embracism). Many may be put off by Callinan’s vicious, proudly Australian accent or blunt, fragmented lyrics. Crucially, though, it all feels viscerally authentic. It doesn’t feel affected or contrived. Callinan’s been compared to a lot of artists and most of those comparisons are justified. He does howl like a young Nick Cave. Chardonnay Sean does recall Scott Walker. He’s not beholden to those touchstones, though. In its weird collision of sounds, Embracism feels like a very honest, very personal work. Urgent and expressive. Of course, a lot of that does depend on whether you think Callinan is fundamentally full of crap – but even naysayers would be hard-pressed to deny some of the talent on display. The aforementioned Chardonnay Sean – seemingly Callinan’s ode to a friend who died in a car crash – is such a devastatingly good song, and of such heartbreaking immediacy, it will almost certainly find itself besmirched by an episode of a middling Australian drama in the near future. Give it a shot, anyway. It’s a great album. ★★★★
Matt O’Neill
a l b u m [REVIEWS REVIEWS]
MORE ONLINE... REISSUE
THEMUSIC.COM.AU
MS MR
WHITLEY
YOU AM I
Sony
Dew Process/Universal
Sony
Arriving with a Tumblr release strategy for debut 2012 EP Candy Bar Creep Show, New York duo MS MR provided a level of intrigue fitting their moody intensity. The project of vocalist Lizzy Plapinger and producer Max Hershenow, debut album Secondhand Rapture includes all four EP tracks; perfectly fine if the additional nine tracks weren’t such a baffling fit. And interestingly, they make the previously enjoyable singles slightly whiffy.
This record comes after almost four years of silence from Laurence Greenwood, the man behind Whitley, after he announced he was retiring the moniker due to disillusionment with the recording industry. After an extended period overseas, however, his enthusiasm returned, and now we have a third album from one of Australia’s most ambitious and rewarding songwriters.
The new mastering job on this re-release of You Am I’s classic 1995 second LP sure gives a nice veneer to proceedings, but it doesn’t make these amazing songs any better – how could it? It kicks off with one of the greatest side ones in Australian rock history – the laidback Ain’t Gone And Open into the crunchy Minor Byrd, the smile-inducing She Digs Her segueing into catchy-as-hell Cathy’s Clown, before high water mark Jewels And Bullets surrenders to the pathos-dripping Purple Sneakers and the life-affirming Pizza Guy brings it all home.
Secondhand Rapture
Falling in with the Florence Welch brand of dramatic indie rock, Plapinger shows her vocal chops off, while Hershenow makes his theme of sparsely accentuated production known – piano chords are left to ring, percussion swings and eerie soundscapes add fascination. Head Is Not My Home follows suit with delectably layered harmonies, but the oddities begin with Dark Doo Wop, a literal finger-clicking doo wop number with a brooding symphonic synth line, marching drums and jingle bells. Perhaps if they’d not made the daggy vocal device the title, everyone could have felt okay about the underlying rhythm buoying an out-of-place line about the world burning. Think Of You starts with lovely Beth Ditto-esque annunciation but quickly declines into a synth-laden chorus straight from the Stock, Aitken and Waterman toolbox. There’s vocal hooks galore across Secondhand Rapture though the patience required in the drawn out expanses in between dilutes their value, wearing thin as the record dishes out teen pop disguised as crescendo-filled dramas, notably BTSK and No Trace. It’s not a complete loss, but Secondhand Rapture promised so much more. ★★★
Tyler McLoughlan
Even The Stars Are A Mess
Even though it’s been four years since Whitley’s second album Go Forth Find Mammoth, it’s hard not to compare it to Even The Stars...; they’re texturally very similar, and listening to them back-to-back reveals an interesting progression in Greenwood’s headspace. Where Go Forth… was an expansive exploration of anxiety and fear, both personal and for all of humanity, Even The Stars… is a smaller album in sound and focus, and is generally more hopeful in its outlook (though this hope is still vague and delicate, and likely to be snatched away at any second). When Greenwood sang “I will make it through this” on Bright White Lights from Go Forth… it sounded like a hopeless platitude, whereas now in Roadside he sings “I’m alright now/I feel it in my bones now” with considered confidence. The only real misstep here is TV, which has gauche lines like “I get my sex from the TV”: he’s already explored similar themes in much more subtle and effective ways, like in the sparse and frightening OK.
Hi Fi Way: Superunreal Edition
Side two is no slouch either – The Applecross Wing Commander brings some great riffs to the table, Stray is a powerful beast of a song, Handwasher is all stark imagery and stripped-back vulnerability, Punkarella lives up to its name with propulsive ease, Ken (The Mother Nature’s Son) is a building head-bobber of the highest order, Gray proves warm enough to melt the coldest heart and things conclude with the poignant reflection of How Much Is Enough. This album ticks every box and then some, beguiling from first note until last.
Who knows whether Whitley will ever release more dark anthems for the world’s end like Head First Down or Bright White Lights, but with these lovely intimate songs to take their place, we shouldn’t miss them too much.
The extra disc on this new reissue lives up to the album’s spirit, featuring a swag of solid original B-sides, a faithfully-executed take on Big Star’s classic In The Street and a raucous We’re Desperate by X (US version), plus a brilliant 1995 triple j Live At The Wireless set catching this great band in all their ragged glory, plus some strong live tracks from around this time in Sydney. One of Oz rock’s great albums just got greater – superunreal indeed.
★★★★
★★★★½
Madeleine Laing
ATLAS GENIUS When It Was Now Warner “A same-sameness permeates much of the album, but the brothers do what they do well.” Natasha Lee
RETOX YPLL
Epitaph/Warner “YPLL isn’t the art rock saviour it may be touted as, but it’s a nonetheless impressive, aggressive and forward-thinking fiery record, deserving of any punk’s record collection for 2013.” Andrew McDonald
AMALI WARD Back In Time Precious/MGM “An invigoratingly catchy pop and pastel soul record that you’ll have stuck in your head before the second track has even begun.” Lorin Reid
Steve Bell
For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews • 27
[REVIEWS REVIEWS] l i v e each track seems to explore a different aspect of electronic music in an interesting manner and there’s enough of an overarching tone to pull it all together, which is an impressive feat. The only real flaw is an occasional loose transition, but the music settles down quickly and each piece is nicely structured once begun. If this is any indication, there’s certainly no lack of upcoming talent in Brisbane, unfortunately, looking around the venue, the question is whether there’s anyone prepared to come out and offer support. Butterclock acknowledges the applause that greats her with a quick “hi” and then drops some serious bass. Her recorded work employs sparkly arpeggios and clap-beats, strongly recalling Grimes, but tonight the music is shrouded in darkness, deep bass and smothering melodies with vocals drenched in reverb. It trends towards threatening, but there’s still enough of the sweetness running under the main tune to avoid sinking into itself. Musical accompaniment is heavily programmed, the live part of the show revolving around her vocals, which are exceptional – hard to distinguish from a studio recording. The set comes to an unfortunately early end (less than 20 minutes in) as the artist apologises and says her voice is gone, before very quickly making her way offstage. It’s a real shame, as the set has been great up until then.
YOU AM I THE TIVOLI: 26/06/13 Sometimes supports are superfluous to requirements, and tonight is one occasion where the crowd needs no warming up whatsoever. You Am I are playing two of their early classic albums in full tonight, but even though no surprises are anticipated we get an early curveball when they break with chronology and begin with 1996 third album Hourly, Daily (which makes complete sense in context). Eternally-debonair frontman Tim Rogers starts acoustically with the gorgeous title track – abetted by a cellist and new Drone Steve Hesketh on keys – before they move onto the effervescent Good Mornin’, the crowd then getting involved with the singalong chorus of Mr Milk, before a trumpet and saxophone join the fray for Soldiers. This eight-piece version of You Am I looks imposing but sounds majestic, the projected footage of suburbia behind them adding poignancy as they move through a swag of great tunes such as Tuesday, Wally Raffles and Dead Letter Chorus, before the irrepressible Baby Clothes lifts things a notch – sounding fucking righteous with keys and horns – and they offer a gorgeous version of Please Don’t Ask Me To Smile, the acoustic guitars of Rogers and Davey Lane meshing beautifully with the cello. They complete the album proper with a beautifully restrained Who Takes Who Home?, bassist Andy Kent dominating on handclaps, before they throw in the album’s (great) hidden track Forget It Sister for completists and take a well-deserved break. There’s a far more laidback vibe to the second half from a sartorial perspective, 1995’s Hi Fi Way kicking off with the wonderfully cruisy Ain’t Gone And Open, before moving through an amazing rendition of Minor Byrd and a goosebump-inducing She Digs Her. The power trio version of this great band – Rogers, Kent and dynamo drummer Rusty Hopkinson – takes us for a jaunt down memory lane as they ease into the refined power of Cathy’s Clown, before thundering into an absolutely blistering version of the scintillating Jewels And Bullets, Lane joining in halfway through to somehow add even more grunt to this riff-tastic song. By now the projections have changed from suburban whimsy to fire and brimstone and the music has morphed accordingly, although there’s respite in the beautiful Purple Sneakers, and a local shout-out when they update the reference to seeing “a Massappeal show” to seeing “a Screamfeeder show” in Pizza Guy. Rocking versions of The Applecross Wing Commander and Stray lead into a Rogers solo take on Handwasher, before Punkarella and the amazingly poignant Gray steer us to the finish line, the band completing proceedings with an epic reading of How Much Is Enough. Of course with this many You Am I acolytes baying for more they were always going to comply, the band returning for run throughs of Opportunities and the evergreen Trike before Rogers gets his soul on for a cover of Mose Allison’s Young Man Blues, and they finish with a raucous rendition of early track Copralalia. Few bands master either power or refinement, let alone both, and tonight shows exactly why You Am I will go down in history as one of Australia’s finest ever guitar groups. Steve Bell
OLIVER TANK, OISIMA, YUKON SNAKES BLACK BEAR LODGE: 27/06/13 Yukon Snakes – the stage name for Brisbanebased producer Tim Searle – warms up a chatty Black Bear Lodge crowd with classy flair. Mixing a smooth ambience with bright samples and regular keyboard flourishes, he’s interesting to watch as his well-prepared set both positions the mood and adds an element of wizard-like intrigue. Bearded and beanie-clad Oisima appears like a beatmaking Matisyahu as he opens his first Brisbane show with slow jams that slowly work in some soulful bottom-end grooves. With a blend of jazz, hip hop and soul, the Adelaide producer’s talent lies in sprinkling a solid base of smooth synths and beats with plenty
28 • For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews
Last time he played a club show in Brisbane, it took oOoOO a little while to settle in, but once he did the ambience was overpowering, a deep and dark set of bass and static that captured the crowd. This time, the first track builds in smothering intensity and by the time the crackling static and deep bass begin putting the sound system to the test in by the second song, there’s little doubt that this evening is going to match up. For all his deft touch with remixing and ability to retain a pop sensibility in a dark track, oOoOO live is a significantly less friendly experience; merging drone and techno, this is dance music on some serious downers. Album and EP tracks are recognisable, but warp in and out of their known patterns – settling briefly into the standard track before disintegrating into something very different, a single drum pattern or sample tying this new version back to the original. In the end, the only flaw is that the set didn’t go on for several hours longer. Sky Kirkham
LA DISPUTE, PIANOS BECOME THE TEETH, TRAVELS You Am I @ The Tivoli Pics by Stephen Booth of colourful flourishes of melody, combining elements such as energetic flute over lazy sax that sounds utterly appalling on paper but completely work with his deft touch. New single, Everything About Her, featuring the bright vocal of Annabel Weston, brings the high point of the set that winds down with grimier bass vibes and a wave of harp-like punctuations placing Oisima as a master of both beauty and groove. Oliver Tank brings live vocal and percussion plus a guitar to tonight’s ambient beat theme. With slightly menacing yet gentle keys, Embrace creates a lovely soundscape reminiscent of Massive Attack’s understated poignancy. Treating the audience to tracks from his forthcoming EP, Slow Motion Music, a recurring Tank theme is underlined by a languid newbie that holds up the apt line, “Time slows down when you walk into the room” with pace-appropriate strums and beats. He has a tremendous skill in working huge emotion from subtle beds of sound that complement careful word rhythms; “A cradle rocking next to her in perfect time with her heartbeat” from Help You Breathe highlights this point well, considering there’s barely more than delicate synths in a supporting role. Tank’s abrupt thanks at the end of every song, as though to signal its end, is distracting though. Having lulled the audience into such beautiful, dream-like states it’s annoying to be interrupted rather than carried through to the next motion. As the night closes, he bangs Snoop and Pharrell’s Drop It Like It’s Hot into Beautiful, throwing some big ‘80s guitar licks in before pausing mid-way through the tasteful autotune vocal of Last Night I Heard Everything In Slow Motion to insert his ‘thank you’s. Each song stands up on its own tonight, though the set hasn’t flowed as wondrously as Tank’s previous visits to Brisbane.
cool and calmly walks out, all blacked out with classic white Air Forces, busting through Wassup and Purple Swag as the entire venue gravitates towards the stage. He takes time to soak up the glory and even approaches the mosh to shake some reaching hands. After the band and strobe lights go mental for Pussy, Money, Weed, he stops to ask “who here smokes weed?”, immediately getting a joint thrown at him and a lighter soon after. Without any hesitation he sparks up, which has everyone following suit for the lengthy singalong intro to Purple Kisses. He puts his shades on as A$AP Mob members join the party, mirroring the crowd’s energy as they jump all over stage. And as if security wasn’t already in semi-panic mode at the riot-level energy, he asks for “crowd surfing and titties” before exploding into Wild For The Night. The band breaks the insanity with some cool down jazz as tonight’s headliner himself throws out bottles of water and towels while smiling his gold teeth at the parched crowd, before igniting the vibe again as he jumps all over the speakers for Goldie. After some crowdsurfing drama has punches thrown, A$AP Rocky stops the show to save a fan from getting kicked out before getting into an instructional “we run this!” speech, opening up the floodgates as people surf their way to the pit for a few moments onstage with their hero. Soon bikinis and boobs are clambering their way to the front, and bros are even jumping off the balcony to join the party. A$AP Rocky even opens his mic for some local freestyle then smilingly takes it back for some old school tracks after the hated gets heckled.
A$AP ROCKY
The night continues on as a rave rather than a concert as more people join the mob onstage; lighting visually hypes, surfing continues and the band maintains that explosive sound for Fuckin Problems and A$AP Ferg’s Work. A$AP Rocky leaves his mic and lets the DJ take over as he dives straight into the crowd and continues to party there for the rest of the show.
ARENA: 26/06/13
Jann Angara
Tyler McLoughlan
Outside the Arena, a sea of ‘90s beanies and frozen bare legs flows all the way to the corner for tonight’s sold out show. Walking in sounds and feels like weekend club night as the crowd bounces and raps to Faded and Mercy. Lights brighten to a roar as the drummer, bassist, keys and DJ take their station. Smoke machines are turned on full blast as that “pretty motherfucker” flow is heard from backstage. Finally, A$AP Rocky
OOOOO, BUTTERCLOCK, EP ALHAMBRA LOUNGE: 30/06/13 It’s EP’s first ever live show tonight, but that’s far from apparent, as he delivers a smooth set that covers a lot of ground. Definitely on the upbeat side of things, there’s no staggering complexity to the pieces, but
THE HI-FI: 28/06/13 American post-hardcore innovators La Dispute have dogged it out on Australian tours in the past relegated to tiny, sweaty rooms. But tonight The Hi-Fi’s mezzanine level is open, the floor’s crowded and it feels like the five-piece are finally gettin’ their dues. Local fivepiece Travels are first up; they play hardcore with an indie rock sense of vulnerability to avoid falling into a cesspool of chug‘n’slam meatheadedness, and are an apt fit to be on the bill. Their take on hardcore holds the audience’s attention throughout, the dense layering of the material from their Life LP and their forthcoming Death & Things Between 7” sounding dynamic and engrossing live. The two guitarists deftly work off each other to capture both the sonic and emotional nuance of the numbers, without sacrificing any energy required to get the first few rows moving around. The response to the entrance of Pianos Become The Teeth would make the layman assume the headliner had started early. The Maryland five-piece are met with an astounding response as they veer down a shoegazey path. Like individual, deftly-plotted narratives, the band’s efforts from The Lack Long After album progress towards satisfying payoffs and rewarding endings. But unlike the records, there’s an imperfect appeal to Pianos Become The Teeth’s live show; a distortion pedal ridden slightly too hard, the emotions in Kyle Durfey’s vocals pushing him off an album-perfect delivery. It’s so much more captivating to witness the band live than on record, and judging by the crowd’s response we hopefully won’t have to wait too long before someone brings them back for their own headlining tour. The entire evening has so far been a snapshot of topshelf modern hardcore, but La Dispute are headliners for a reason. Maybe we’ve now come far enough from Simple Plan for the stigma of playing emo-adjascent tunes to no longer be a kiss of death. Maybe La Dispute just rule. Because the Michigan outfit explode into the front row’s faces with an energy that is contagious, and the pit starts moving accordingly. With so many releases to choose from, La Dispute hit song after song without a wrong move. Jordan Dreyer wins over just about everyone in attendance as he orates above the spastic noise breaks and the quiet passages that give the crowd a moment’s respite from dancing. Their set is quick, fun and sweaty even though they’re playing in a nice big room. Which makes you wonder where they’ll play on their next tour. Tom Hersey
live
[REVIEWS REVIEWS]
ARE YOU LOCAL? BRISBANE SINGLES AND EPS BY CHRIS YATES CHRIS@TIMEOFF.COM.AU
ICH BIN EIN ESEL
BABAGANOUJ
Swashbuckling Hobo
Independent
2013 has been a bountiful year for local 7” releases. If it’s not enough getting two releases in the mail every month from the Tym Records and Mere Noise record clubs, Swashbuckling Hobo has started cranking them out with almost as much regularity. There’s four songs on this 7” from the three piece supergroup that is Ich Bin Ein Esel, but good luck to you if you can get past the anthem of the year Man Punches Shark without skipping it back to play it over and over again. If you do eventually flip it over, you’ll discover that Holy Grail is just as vital. Macka, Larmo and Dr Rock have just fucking destroyed it and are a good reminder that rock’n’roll made by middleaged men with beer guts is often the best kind.
Power pop! Two guys and two gals calling themselves Babaganouj don’t mess around getting to the meat and potatoes of their track which is a hefty guitar burst of melody that doesn’t let up. The whole song (especially the chorus) is reminiscent of Australian indie heroes Smudge – surely it’s no coincidence considering the Smudge song that shares the same name as the band. Tom Morgan and company would surely approve of the appropriation, they’ve managed to find that balance between smart pop and repeat listenability that has made that band last well beyond the glory days of the ‘90s.
Holy Grail
Mark Sultan @ Black Bear Lodge Pic by Freya Lamont
MARK SULTAN, GO VIOLETS, LOVELY LEGS BLACK BEAR LODGE: 28/06/13 Rising locals Lovely Legs kick things off tonight with punk-flecked panache, missing Jeremy Neale behind the kit but covering smoothly with a typically raucous set of desert-tinged garage rock. Frontman Alex Dunlop seems both aloof and charismatic, and while their music is slightly bratty in delivery they’ve accrued a stockpile of good songs – surely the bottom line – and the way they channel urgency but not desperation is perfect for this kinda thing. Next up we’re treated to another bunch of burgeoning Brisbanians, this time in the form of Go Violets. Again it’s the songwriting here which is the standout feature, numbers such as Runner and the driving Late Night showing a swag of promise, while the frontline pairing of Phoebe Imhoff and Alice Rezende carry the band’s retro-stylings with aplomb and pitch in tight harmonies on top of each other’s strong vocals. The clap-or-ama vibe of Teenager is a highlight, and when they finish with infectious recent single Josie there’s definitely a lot to love here. Soon the one-man garage band phenomenon that is Canadian Mark Sultan enters the fray clad in a massive red robe and a gold turban – clearly a costume still in
his suitcase from his recent southern foray with The King Khan & BBQ Show – and as he sits behind his kit and gathers his guitar he sagely offers, “This is going to be a love story of hate tonight” before bashing into a faux-metal intro and then segueing perfectly into the gorgeous singalong I’ll Be Loving You. This basically sets the tone for tonight’s proceedings – one weirdlooking guy playing both guitar and drums as he belts out amazing garage-soul numbers which seem like classic hits from an alternative universe – and Sultan just powers on unrelentingly without a break, spit flying liberally as he bashes out tracks like I Wanna Be The Only One and Beautiful Girl, the latter building into a snarling punk monster. The besotted crowd gather tightly around the stage trying to catch a glimpse of the four-limbed behemoth smashing it before them, dancing and singing where appropriate, but mainly just watching in awe as an a capella I Am The End takes thing to a new level and the ‘50s glory of Out Of Time makes us wonder why this guy isn’t massive despite the rampant affectations inherent in his shtick. Only the occasional metal growl, gurning facial expression and quick gulp of beer separate the songs, and it’s testament to Sultan’s stamina that he completes the marathon set without respite and even has the fuel in the tank to return for a brief encore. Amazing music, good-time delivery: Mark Sultan, take a bow.
THE KITE STRING TANGLE Given The Chance Independent There’s a lot to like about this track from Brisbane producer Danny Harley aka The Kite String Tangle. The most important thing I guess is the song at the heart of the track is subtle, engaging and immediate. The chorus embeds itself firmly on first listen, but it lacks any sense of desperation or obnoxiousness. The production is on a whole extra level completely. Sophisticated and highly developed, there’s so many different ideas and elements that all sit comfortably with each other without fighting for attention or overcrowding the soundscape. An outstanding, world class track bound to get recognition well beyond Brisbane city.
Love Loathe Love You
BLEEDING KNEES CLUB It’s-A-Happening Warner An incredibly ambitious project, the Down Under Nuggets packages of historical recordings and modern day interpretations is very exciting and too detailed to get into here, but the Bleeding Knees Club’s cover of the Magic Mushrooms’ It’s-A-Happening is a great place to start. The sensibly authentic recording and production means you could be forgiven for thinking that this is actually of the era, which I’m sure is the whole point. With ‘60s psych experiencing a most welcome resurgence of interest, the Australian Nuggets project is sure to be one of the most significant musical events of the year.
Jimmy Webster
ARTS SALON CIRCUS
Argus
This world, however, is not immediately accessible and there’s a slightly haphazard feel to the opening half hour. But Salon hits its stride the moment ‘Oracle’ – the stage-stealing Michelle Xen, donned in a spectacular array of costumes – is let loose; Xen remains absolutely captivating for the duration.
ARGUS THEATRE Dead Puppet Society’s debut work for children easily ranks among their best. They’ve previously prided themselves on making complex, ambitious puppet-based works for adults (La Boite’s The Harbinger, for example) – but Argus appears to have given them a newfound sense of focus. One they’ve arguably always needed.
Sam Hobson Out on DVD Wednesday 24 July
Helen Stringer Judith Wright Centre Of Contemporary Arts (finished)
The story concerns a weird little creature trying to find his lost friends in a big, strange world. Throughout, Dead Puppet Society’s performers imaginatively recreate everything from city streets to spaceflights to ocean floors and arctic circles with only the meanest resources. The ingenuity on display is astounding. Even the score, provided by chamber ensemble Topology, is full of weird, lovely tricks.
LAST DAYS HERE FILM
Most impressive, there’s a real heart to the work. It may have been designed for young audiences, but Argus should really thrill anyone, regardless of age.
Powerhouse, part of Children’s Festival (finished)
Starting out as a story about a man being courted by a fan to make that ‘last great album’, the movie instead turns out to be a rush to the film’s completion without the sickly, self-destructive man dying. It’s relentlessly harrowing, at turns beautiful, and in all respects, nothing short of a very difficult watch.
While there’s a lack of continuity in plot, Salon captures through physicality the dilapidated beauty of the fading bohemian era. As the cast performs various dance, circus and cabaret routines, the world of Salon becomes more and more engrossingly melancholy. Despite some misses, by the closing minutes of the sequin-doused show, there’s a real and beautifully rendered sense of an unsalvageable and dying world, one which the performers are futilely attempting to save.
In addition to the strictures of creating a show for a young audience, director David Morton limited the creative palette of the work by having performers craft characters solely out of hand gestures and narratives and settings out of repurposed household objects. These limitations have actually liberated the company – creating something sweet, funny and dazzlingly inventive.
Jason Marlowe
For the first 15 minutes or so of Salon, the only seven words that came to mind were: great shoes, no idea what’s going on. Superficial as it may sound, the shoes and the cast’s ability to perform various acrobatic routines while tottering in impossible high heels is hugely impressive. Hats off in particular to ‘Peacock’, who spends the majority of the show gracefully strutting his virtually naked self across the stage in heelless sequined platform shoes. Things became slightly less disorienting with the appearance of the night’s hostess, welcoming the audience to enjoy the weird, wonderful, extravagant world of the bohemian divine.
He at one point winds up the bandages, and we see what might just be bone – something hardened, yellow, and calcified where his skin should be – a yellow, horrible rod of human make-up with skin puffy and infected around it. He’s suffering all of this, he’s picking at his arms, because he’s spent 44 years addicted to heroin, crack, cocaine and a whole number of pills. He’s in his late 50s, and he lives in his parents’ subbasement. He’s never had a job, he’s never made it big, and he’s never moved-on mentally from his brief flit with success in the 1970s.
Salon
When we first meet Bobby Liebling, the subject of Last Days Here, and lead singer of 1970s metal band Pentagram, he’s at perhaps the lowest possible place a person could be. We find him sunken into a dirty couch, his arms nightmarishly thin, tightly wrapped in scrappy bandages and sticking out in front of him while he sits, locked at the elbows like they were on puppeteer strings. His speech lolls blurry from his shattered mouth; his face a droopy, twitching caricature of the intercut images we see of him in his youth.
Last Days
For more reviews go to themusic.com.au/reviews • 29
[COLUMNS COLUMNS] a r t s THE LOOKING GLASS
CULTURAL CRINGE
A JOURNEY THROUGH ARTS WITH HELEN STRINGER
ARTS NEWS WITH BAZ MCALISTER
Martin and his amazing collection of harem manpants. But I have the sneaking suspicion that she’ll be back, and soon. This is bad for Australia. If you need further explanation as to why Delta should be exiled, download the abomination she calls an ‘album’ and watch a montage of her rave dancing in a jumpsuit. On the plus side, I’m pretty sure that if you convinced her there was an Antarctic version of The Voice she’d go. Or you could woo her with the promise of a captive audience, install her on Christmas Island and allow her natural charms to convince the refugees to voluntarily repatriate. Those are just a few ideas for you to consider.
I would not be able to call myself a Queenslander if I failed to celebrate last Wednesday’s epic win. I’m not talking football here but the nail-biter of a shitfight that was the leadership spill. This showdown was hands down the most televised fun you can have in a 7pm timeslot. It could only have been made better if the battle really had been combined with State of Origin and Ruddy and Julia had fought it out by smashing the shit out of each other repeatedly while wrangling over a little ball, the possession of which has a great deal more value than the Labor leadership. Regardless, Ruddy was victorious (go the Maroons!) and will now lead the ALP into what will hopefully be a catastrophic defeat of a more dignified nature. While I’m firmly in the ‘ding dong the witch (or other unassailably gender neutral descriptor) is dead’ camp, I can recognise that PM/former PM/foreign minister/ backbencher/PM Ruddy may be a little out of practice when it comes to the top job. Having spent his days as a backbencher napping, conniving and running around Queensland like the big friendly nerd that he is, he’s surely a little bit out of touch with current issues. Luckily, I’m here to reinform Prime Minister Rin Tin Tin on the big problems everyday Australians are facing. First, Delta Goodrem. She’s got to go. Admittedly, she’s become slightly less horrible since she returned her enormous hair to the Indian peasants she bought it from and now that her trademark adult glamour onesey is not constantly obscuring the view of Ricky
30 • For more opinion go to themusic.com.au/blog
Second, daytime TV. Times are tough for the average Aussie battler, particularly in Queensland where Premier Can-Do (whatever the fuck he likes) has decided to fire 90 per cent of the population. Thousands of us are turning to daytime TV to fill our empty days and it’s truly a form of torture. Take the 11am-12pm filler Seventh Heaven, for instance, where the opening credits patently lie: when I see their happy faces smiling back at me I am not convinced that there’s no greater feeling than the love of a family. No. I’m convinced that I’m losing my will to live. My quality of life would be greatly improved by replacing this torture with reruns of Buffy, preferably synchronised with reruns of Angel after season three when the broody vampire left Sunnydale. I might even be motivated to search for a job. Third, Game Of Thrones. This is something you’re intimately familiar with, what with having endured and perpetrated enough backstabbing to make the Red Wedding look like a trip to Disneyland. You’ll appreciate then that for most Australians, GoT is more real than real life. Given our national commitment to the dwindling Starks and that hot blonde dragon girl whose name I can’t remember because every time she comes on screen I’m too stunned by her attractiveness to process any actual information, I feel it’s only right that you convince the entire production to move to Australia. This way we’ll get first viewing and won’t be punished for illegally downloading 4000 episodes per second. Also: hot dragon girl. It’s a big job, but if anybody can do it, it’s Ruddy PM.
But the reasons for this, I suspect, may be twofold: firstly, there have been some really, really shitty Superman and Batman films in the past, which might be more than enough reason to try to get a bit of distance from the name by leaving it out. Or perhaps studios are aiming to make their slam-bang superhero films sound more ‘thinky’ and ‘grown-up’, and if that’s the case surely Christopher Nolan’s presence on both Man Of Steel and The Dark Knight films was an influence in going down this road. The Avengers Arguably, the superhero movie has never been more dominant in cinema culture. More so than ever before, they’re the tentpole movies of mid-year (and I don’t just mean that in entertainment business terms, I personally mean it in trouser terms as well). So, why are they being slightly coy these days? Sure, some of them are absolutely up-front about their subject matter. The Avengers. Iron Man. Captain America: The First Avenger. The Amazing SpiderMan. Green Lantern. Audiences can be in little doubt over the character those movies are about. Those titles wear their allegiances proudly on their sleeves, just like heroes did in the golden age of comics. But have you noticed in the last few years how movie studios have been seeking to slightly obfuscate things? Zack Snyder’s new Superman movie, released last week, is concealing itself under the red-and-blue hero’s best-known nickname, Man Of Steel. Come to think of it, the movie even avoids actually using the word ‘Superman’ until it has absolutely backed itself into a corner and blurts it out. Similarly, the last two Batman movies didn’t mention the word Batman in the title, going for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. I’m not suggesting for a second anyone will be in any doubt what those nicknames signify (although I do find it amusing that somewhere, there might be a confirmed and rabid DC Comics-hater who stormed out of The Dark Knight yelling, ‘They should put his bloody name on the poster. Bloody Batman’).
But whatever the reason, I kind of like the way this trend is heading and I want to see it continue. There’s a mine of amazing superhero nicknames out there and I’d love to see them all get an airing. There’s been some debate over whether Robert Downey Jr would do another Iron Man film. Surely he’d jump at the chance if they titled it Ol’ Shell-Head? The upcoming Captain America sequel is too wordy as Captain America: The Winter Soldier – why not just go for the simpler: Cap? There’s not been a Spider-Man movie yet called The Webhead, or The Webslinger, or The Wallcrawler – the sequel coming up will just, predictably, be The Amazing Spider-Man II. Where’s the originality? Even calling it Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man would be better. You know what’s a much classier title than boring, staid The Wolverine? The Ol’ Canucklehead. And after a few box-office flops it’s time for a properly-done Fantastic Four reboot, which will not fail if it’s titled The FF: Stretcho, Matchstick, Suzie-Q and The Ever-Lovin’ Blue-Eyed Thing. Hell, this thing could run and run. If Nolan wants to revisit the Batman franchise after The Dark Knight there’s still a rich vein of names awaiting him: The Caped Crusader is still up for grabs, you know. And when the inevitable Superman sequels roll around, let’s not plump for the yawnsome Man of Steel II and Man of Steel III. How about Big Blue, or The Last Son Of Krypton, or The Man Of Tomorrow? There are, admittedly, a couple of exceptions to this rule. How many Captain Marvel fans, if we’re honest, would go to see a film titled The Big Red Cheese?
m u s i c [COLUMNS COLUMNS]
THE BREAKDOWN
OG FLAVAS
ROOTS DOWN
POP CULTURE THERAPY WITH ADAM CURLEY
URBAN AND R&B NEWS BY CYCLONE
BLUES ‘N’ ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON ROOTS@DRUMMEDIA.COM.AU
angrier and rawer – an anti-pop purge. Indeed, Yeezus is West’s counterpart to Prince’s notorious Black Album, supposedly shelved because of its ‘negativity’.
Kanye West
Major Napier I recently put the word out to friends that I was looking for a good non-fiction book to read and Abbra, who’s in Canada, came up with Eileen Myles’ The Importance Of Being Iceland, which Jules happened to own. It’s a big green book with a photograph by Dan Asher of an Arctic glacier on the cover. I’d never read any of Myles’ essays, which are on visual art but also on travel and body and life in New York City, nor any of her poetry. When I started mentioning her to other friends I immediately felt as if I’d been living in a hole – “She’s great,” they said, “have you read so and so?” It was a similar experience coming to Melbourne solo synth-R&B artist Major Napier, whose second EP, Please Stay, was released Monday via Bandcamp. Everyone was in the know. But that happens a lot with music, and more apparently. All it takes is some radio play or a Facebook posting or a party set and a big group of people is made aware of a musician. If you miss it, you’re on the outer, and your own discovery of it can feel like playing catch-up. It isn’t only this feeling that makes me think of Myles when listening to Major Napier, whose human name is Johnny Ross. It’s also the glacier, a massive white thing with a glowing outer rim against a stormy sky. Ross’ music comes as large shapes made beautiful. He sculpts grainy synth noise into surging melodies, sings in a calm, wintry voice and tweaks it with AutoTune and effects, making it at once strange and conspicuous and sensual and natural. Another thing: Myles writes in the book about a piece of video art by Sadie Benning titled Play Pause. The 2007 video features a lot of gay sex, Myles writes, which seems essential to “gay content”. She writes, “I think that only the implicitly powerful can readily bury their sex or their gods and not feel somewhat erased themselves as a result.” It’s such a powerful sentence. It speaks to so many things, including one of the most prominent debates in ‘gay culture’ right now – a debate no one has raised out loud, of course. How much do we need to show of our sex – how many men in their underwear, how many gender-specific pronouns – in order to express a strong social identity that doesn’t feel partially covered up or, well, gentrified? I don’t know anything more about Ross’ sexuality than the one he presents as Major Napier, which is neither explicitly gay nor straight. But Ross goes some way to responding to Myles’ statement by making music that is full of sexuality without presenting it as sex – or grand allusions to the act. Sure, Please Stay features a track (and single) titled Sensitive Fuck, but the most clear it gets about sex lyrically (or at least discernibly) is: “Don’t it feel good to have someone in your corner tonight?” Part of its sexuality comes from its existence: a young Australian producer singing an urgently romantic R&B song. Why? Because Major Napier’s incorporation and furthering of pining R&B – a genre once appreciated only for its wet renditions of romance – is done so partly in the name of ‘camp’, or Susan Sontag’s generous idea of it. Sensitive Fuck has that title to remove it from seriousness, despite its sincerity; to reveal it as intelligent appropriation as well as something from the heart. In playing to camp, Ross takes on all the sexual subversions of it. And then there’s the content, the stuff itself, of Major Napier’s songs. A 2012 song, Amazing/A Tribute To Jan Zajic, is pure escalating emotion, an awesomely catchy and primal love song, dedicated in its title to the Czech student who performed politicallyinspired self-immolation in the ‘60s. Its serious treatment of love, at its core, is so unabashed, so alive and bare. Ross puts romance on display the way others, like Sadie Benning perhaps, treat sex. To say that sexuality becomes irrelevant here, then, feels true and also like a burial, a retraction of power, a dismissal of those who came late – “Of course I know…” Maybe it’s better to say that sexualities matter immensely no matter what form they take. And Major Napier’s sexuality is incredibly appealing.
Kanye West’s defiant Yeezus has already been endlessly analysed as not a mere ‘artist’ album, but a cultural artefact – like his French allies Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories. More than ever the Chi-towner considers himself a rebel – and martyr. Perversely, he’s railing against perceptions of him as a ‘celebrity’ – the baby daddy of reality TV star Kim Kardashian. Happily, Yeezus, a US number one, avoids Glory-style sop about first-time fatherhood. But, more profoundly, Yeezus addresses the murkier aspects of West’s being a black hip hop artist in a corporate music industry – and consumer culture, generally. The MC/producer may seem overly preoccupied with music awards – will he ever live down his bum-rushing Taylor Swift? – but he’s right to question the racial politics of the Grammys, as he did recently in The New York Times. As such, Yeezus is a protest album – although West remains contradictory with his “aspiration minimalism”. Ironically, when OG interviewed an amiable West in 2008, one barred topic was politics, the rapper still sensitive about the backlash to his (again wholly justified) criticism of President George W Bush during the Hurricane Katrina telethon. Today West shuns interviews, conflating all media as hostile. But, while the popular media misrepresents him as a petulant rap superstar, music outlets have consistently proclaimed his brilliance. West’s albums, including his last solo foray, 2010’s maximalist My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, have received rave reviews. Yeezus is a self-conscious ‘suicide’ album, being uncommercial – and devoid of radio songs. Neither New Slaves nor the New Wave (and Marilyn Mansonspiked) Black Skinhead have been officially released as singles. MTV aptly described the CD artwork as “invisible”. West has stated that MBDTF felt “compromised”. Yeezus might be its B-side: it’s darker,
West doesn’t introduce an urban aesthetic on Yeezus, as he did with the illwave 808s & Heartbreak, but rather take an existing one to its extreme. Yeezus owes much to the electro ‘noise’ emanating from Ed Banger Records, the Parisian label founded by West’s DJ pal Pedro ‘Busy P’ Winter – especially with the opener On Sight. Winter, who initially managed Daft Punk, launched the electropunk Justice. Curiously, Winter, currently celebrating Ed Banger’s tenth anniversary, told OG that he’s “fed up with bangin’ and noisy music”. West has an ancient affiliation with Chicago’s (acid) house underground, working for E-Smoove early on – and that influence is discernible here. Yet Yeezus also has elements of (post-) punk, industrial, drag, dancehall and drill, a rap genre from Chicago’s South Side. West uses samples for texture only (Nina Simone’s Strange Fruit on Blood On The Leaves). Winter reportedly brought Bon Iver’s Auto-Tuned folk Woods to West’s attention, the hip hopper sampling it on MBDTF. West likewise collaborated with frontman Justin Vernon. Vernon again contributes to Yeezus, bizarrely paired with drill proponent Chief Keef on Hold My Liquor. West jacked Daft Punk’s Harder, Better, Faster Stronger for his hit Stronger (DJ A-Trak’s suggestion, apparently) – and the robots are chief among his studio collaborators on Yeezus, joining other EDM ‘fringe’ types like Hudson Mohawke, now one of GOOD Music’s in-house producers. West’s hook-up with Skrillex didn’t make the cut. Nevertheless, at the 11th hour he sought Rick Rubin’s services to strip the album back (so very different to the don’s MOR productions for Adele). West has journeyed far since he co-produced Jay-Z’s soulfully traditionalist The Blueprint alongside Just Blaze and subsequently premiered as an MC with Through The Wire. He pioneered the emo rap of KiD CuDi and Drake. West has turned self-indulgence into an art. On Yeezus the maverick expresses a persecuted rage similar to rap über martyr Tupac Shakur from 1995’s Me Against The World onwards. The late Death Row MC even foreshadowed Yeezus conceptually, depicting his own crucifixion on the cover of The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory – which, tragically, came out posthumously under the handle Makaveli. Like ‘Ye, Shakur was conflicted. But, unlike West, he was raised in the ghetto. Sometimes the affluent West is too much of a rebel without a cause – or pause.
ADAMANTIUM WOLF METAL, HARDCORE AND PUNK WITH LOCHLAN WATT due for release in August. Your Leader’s Deity and Love To Rose are available now through iTunes. Hands Like Houses release their second LP Unimagine on 23 July. Originally from Canberra, the alternative rock/ post-hardcore band are signed to America’s Rise Records and have spent way more time abroad than home in recent times. Two sample tracks are currently online. The Smith Street Band Black Flag, or what is has become, rocked Australia last week with the announcement that they’ll be touring as part of the Hits & Pits 2.0 festival this November. The group features original guitarist Greg Ginn alongside Ron Reyes, the band’s vocalist from 1979-1980, and recently reformed with an entirely new rhythm section after breaking up in 1986. Catch them with Boysetsfire, Bad Astronaut, The Ataris, No Fun At All, Snuff, Good For You, Off With Their Heads, and Jughead’s Revenge on 15 November at The Coolangatta Hotel, and 16 November at The Hi-Fi. Canadian death metal overlords Kataklysm will bring Japanese group Gotsu Totsu Kotsu along for a five show tour, kicking off in Brisbane at Crowbar on 4 December. Mammoth Grinder from the USA will tour Australia in late July/early August. The grindcore band will be bringing along Innumerable Form, a death metal unit with which they share some members. Catch them on 3 August at Sun Distortion alongside Shackles, Melbourne’s Internal Rot, Sick People and Headless Death. Warped Tour will reportedly announce the lineup for the Australian installment of the punk/ hardcore/metal festival on 10 July. Daylight Robbery from Chicago will be stopping by Brisbane next week as part of their national tour – catch them at The Waiting Room on 12 July with Roku Music, Black Deity, Screaming Match and Death Legs. Formed in 2006 through DIY punk roots and with a ‘70s-styled sound, the band’s new Distant Shores 7” is released locally this week through Poison City Records. ROME is the name of a band from the Gold Coast that features members of Devolved and The Berzerker. The band has just this week released the first two tracks from their self-titled debut album, which is
Dead Letter Circus, who recently signed to UNFD, will release their second album of prog rock/metal greatness, entitled The Catalyst Fire, on 9 August. The first single, Lodestar, will be available through iTunes on Friday. Psycroptic and King Parrot have lined up The Schoenberg Automaton and ROME for an absolutely massive night of metal at Crowbar on 3 August. The Smith Street Band will be spending most of the rest of 2013 overseas, with huge tours lined up all across mainland Europe, the UK and the United States, the latter of which where they’ll play 42 shows in support of Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls before winding up at The Fest in Gainesville. Urns have unveiled two new tracks on a digital release known as Invert. Possessing a dark, savage take on blackened, sludge-laden hardcore, the Melbourne-based band will head out on tour this week with Enabler from the USA. Check out inashesinurns.bandcamp.com.
GIGS OF THE WEEK: Wednesday: Enabler (USA), The Fevered, Urns, Postal, Ritual Harm – Biblical Violence Studios. Thursday: Enabler, Urns, Fvck Mountain, Shortlife, Coffin Birth – Crowbar. Fear Factory (USA), Twelve Foot Ninja – The Tivoli. Postal, Sabrecat, Albion Gold, Collins Class – Surfers Paradise Beergarden. Masketta Fall, Sunsets, I, Said The Sparrow, Far From Paris – X&Y Bar. Friday: Aveira Skies, Road To Ransome, Nicolas Cage Fighter, Bayharbour, Caspian – Studio 454. Galactic Acid, The Ovaries, Velvet Ballroom, The Unprettier – Crowbar. Saturday: Transvaal Diamond Syndicate, Black Mustang, Slow Riots – Crowbar.
M Ward The Harvest festival have announced their bill and they have once again programmed a diverse lineup that ought to be appreciated by people from all over the musical spectrum. There’s not a huge amount for the Roots Down readership as yet, but what is there is certainly worth mentioning and I get the feeling there’s more to come. If you haven’t ever heard Neutral Milk Hotel’s classic 1998 album, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, then you absolutely must. It’s called a classic album for a reason; it’s one of the finest pieces of folk-influenced indie rock ever committed to tape and I cannot even believe that the band has come back together, let alone that Harvest have secured their services for their festival. It’s really hard to do Eels justice with a mere paragraph or two; Mark Oliver Everett, the man who started the band and continues to lead them through any number of different odd and wonderful musical pathways, makes music that’s not easily categorised. At once he has made gentle, breezy indie-pop hits, heavy, dirgey blues romps, songs of beauty and songs that are just plain weird. An Eels show is always an experience as well, so whether you’re a devotee or you just know them from a movie soundtrack back in your youth, you won’t want to miss what E and the gang are putting down. He’s been made far more famous by his recent musical dalliances with Zooey Deschanel as She & Him, but M. Ward fans know that you can expect something pretty different when you delve into his substantial catalogue of music. He has written some of the most heartbreaking tunes you’ll ever hear and he has the kind of voice that carries incredible emotion. The guy is a sheer talent and he has been quite open about not much liking being away from home and on the road, so relish every chance you get to see him! Do you really need me to tell you about The Drones? One of Australia’s best bands both live and on record, a band that will be perennially underrated purely because it’s impossible to overpraise a band that are this fucking great. I See Seaweed is one of the year’s best albums thus far, another devastating set both sonically and lyrically that is bleak and brilliant and makes us bloody proud. They could well destroy everyone and everything on this festival. To some, they’re the band that had One Headlight, while to others they are just the band that features Bob Dylan’s son as the frontman. Sure, both of these things are true about The Wallflowers, but the fact is they have held their own as a more than capable roots rock band since the end of the 1980s and continue pumping out records to this day. They might have made it to Australia years ago, we can’t remember, but there’ll be plenty of fans who are gagging to catch a glimpse of the group live, no doubt. The full line-up features the likes of Massive Attack, Primus, Superchunk and more - check it out online. If the past two events are anything to go by, it’s an event that you simply do not want to miss. Releasing his kinda surprisingly brilliant live record, Live At Legends, only late last year, Buddy Guy has now announced a new studio album. I’ll be blunt: an early look at the concept of the record has me pretty worried as Buddy takes a similar route to John Fogerty’s recent record by collaborating with other artists. I’m not exactly psyched to hear Buddy with Kid Rock, Keith Urban or Aerosmith, but there are plenty of noncollaborative songs on the double CD set that it does have the potential to not completely stink. And, let’s face it, Buddy Guy usually ends up surprising us with just how good he can be, even now that he’s 76 years of age. Rhythm & Blues is out through Sony Music on Friday 2 August.
For more opinion go to themusic.com.au/blog • 31
[THE GUID IDE]
MISS ELM Member answering/role: EErin i H Harrington i t – lleadd singer i
Which Brisbane bands before you have been an inspiration (musically or otherwise)?
How long have you been together?
Kate Miller-Heidke for her bold style, and Ball Park Music for their catchy, happy music.
Two years.
How did you all meet?
What part do you think Brisbane plays in the music you make?
I started out solo and then sniped the others from various locations in mysterious ways.
It’s a great place to grow musical styles organically without having to be an overnight sensation.
You’re on tour – which band or artist is going to keep the most people happy on the stereo?
Is your band responsible for more make-outs or break-ups? Why?
It’s a mixture of The Beatles, Frank Ocean and obscure underground bands.
Tough question, probably make-outs, as our music is generally fun, humorous and upbeat so it gets people smiling.
Would you rather be a broke-but-revered Hank Williams figure or some Metallica monster?
What reality TV show would you enter as a band and why?
Definitely the Metallica monster, the costumes would be wicked.
Probably Master Chef as we have perfected our own special style of hobo cuisine on tour.
If your band had to pla play a team sport musicians which instead of being music sport would it be and why would you be triumphant? Golf. We’ve had a few competitive rounds of mini-golf on tour, one of the teams were named ‘Death Eagles From Mordor’... we won.
What’s in the pipeline for the band in the short term? New music! We are currently working on some great new material to test out at our next show. Miss Elm play Teneriffe Festival on Saturday 6 July (12.30pm) and then launch new single Growing Pains (Independent) at Black Bear Lodge on Thursday 11 July and The Loft, Gold Coast on Friday 12 July. Photo by TERRY SOO.
six pack
LITTLE FOX
Is Anniversary representative of what we’ll hear on the EP when it comes out in September? It seems there are some variables that Macarounas does a fine job of articulating.
FALEEPO FRANCISCO
Sydney songstress Little Fox, aka Simone Macarounas, tells Tony McMahon all about her new single, Anniversary, and its relation to her forthcoming EP. “Though Anniversary exposes a slight R&B-esque vibe,” she says, “it still stays true to the sound that we captured for [debut single] Blood And Dust and Little Fox as a whole. Incorporating Auto-Tune to Anniversary was actually a last minute call, but we thought it worked in beautifully with the song.”
MONKIBLOOD
WHAT: Anniversary (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 10 July, Black Bear Lodge; Thursday 11, The Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast; Friday 12, Byron Bay Brewery
au naturel and get us a groovin’ and a jumpin’! Man’s Been Crazy definitely represents our attitude well, dedicated to making you move.”
And when listening to Faleepo Francisco, it’s clear that the three friends – Roberts, guitarist Aaron Mucat and drummer Jack Dean – have a lot of belief in each other’s playing, their grooving top-end rock – sans bass – whisking you out of the Brisbane inner city and taking you to your own island in the sun.
Rhys Roberts and his Faleepo Francisco bandmates are making some silky smooth rock’n’roll. And as Benny Doyle learns, it’s all because of their close-knit bonds. Venture back a few years and it was in the confines of high school that Faleepo Francisco first got together. “We were in different covers bands,” Roberts recalls, “and when they broke up we thought the timing was right to get together – which we had never done before – and create some original music.” This formation might have been from the breakdown of other acts; however, the three-
SCARAMOUCHE
“Monkiblood has only ever written in one direction and that’s where the fun takes us,” says Gregory, outlining his band’s philosophy. “Could be in any direction in this mirth mobile. It all starts with a foot stompin’ jam and the blood bus could end up anywhere! It’s just gotta be
THE JED ROWE BAND
WHAT: Man’s Been Crazy (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 5 July, The Loft, Gold Coast; Saturday 6, Beetle Bar
where the clip is set, and found some very generous and trusting people who loaned us some horses and helped us handle them and avoid killing our actors!”
Melbourne rockers Scaramouche are hitting the road for their biggest tour yet. Guitarist Leigh Barker tells Tony McMahon that the impetus actually came from recording. “Yeah, Welcome To The Parlour came out last October,” says Barker, talking about his band’s latest EP. “With that, we aimed to capture the sound of the four of us playing live. Since releasing our latest EP, we’ve done a fair bit of gigging both in Melbourne and on the road, and we’ve slowly been compiling more and more songs, so we’ll be pretty excited to get back in the studio and try some things we haven’t tried before.”
VERVET THIRST
The track is the tone setter for their rustic sophomore album of last year, The Ember And The Afterglow, a record that the Melbourne alt. country trio cut with acclaimed Aussie songwriter Jeff Lang. The 32-year-old Rowe recalls their studio sessions as a relaxed time full of trust.
“I loved making the film clip and seeing the vision that I had for it slowly coming together,” Jed Rowe explains, talking about dramatic recent single Castlemaine. “I’d always thought the story would work well as a film, and Lachlan Bryan our director really understood what I was going for. We found some amazing locations in the Yarra Valley that looked like they could’ve been the 1850s Australian wilderness
Rowe and his bandmates took plenty away from the experience – the mantra of exploring your own ideas before getting hung up on the final product, for one – and are looking to inject this additional knowledge into a new batch of songs, the process slowly crackling into life on six-string and piano. “I don’t know yet whether we’ll do another album that builds on the sound of Ember... or head in a different direction,” he ponders, “but that discovery is one of the things that keeps it interesting.” WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 6 July, Mandala Organic Arts Cafe, Gold Coast; Sunday 7, Brisbane Powerhouse (3pm); Thursday 11, The Rails, Byron Bay; Friday 12, The Gollan Hotel, Lismore
WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 11 July, The Zoo
Still, though, hitting the road has its own special appeal.
“Yep, we’ll be wreaking havoc at every stop of this tour, dynamite sticks down toilets backstage, biting the heads off bats onstage. We even have twin brothers in the band so there’ll be plenty of brawls and infighting. Although I think this tour will be a classic poverty-stricken muso tour, we’ll be in the van long hours pretty much every day, probably starving most of the time, and we’ll be busking in every town we drive through and sleeping on people’s floors all the way up the east coast. Once we get through this phase we’ll have hopefully earned the right to be excessive and indulgent and outspoken, like all of those annoying rock stars.” WHAT: Welcome To The Parlour (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 4 July, New Tattersalls Hotel, Lismore; Friday 5, Ric’s Bar; Saturday 6, Country Life Hotel, Kin Kin; Sunday 7, Joe’s Waterhole, Eumundi
The 24-year-old says that bringing in Matt Accardo on rhythm guitar has given the Brisbane alternative rock four-piece a fresh pool of influences from which to draw from. It’s a way for the band to progress, to adapt, and to remove themselves from their comfort zones for the greater good of the music. “It pushes us forward and helps to define our sound,” the sticksman says. “It might seem like we are doing things ‘the hard way’ because we aren’t just playing what we all know, but we’ve found something special in our work.”
“Jeff’s approach is based on capturing great performances live and getting that interplay between the musicians. We recorded to tape as well, so it was all pretty old school which worked well for us on this record.”
The storytelling style of The Jed Rowe Band has long lent itself to a visual extension, and as the man behind the band tells Benny Doyle, they couldn’t have got to this point without the kindness of others.
The band will be headlining The Zoo for the very first time next months, a local rite of passage that will hopefully set the ball rolling for a big 12 months. “We would love to be gearing up to tour down south,” Roberts finishes, “[and] we hope to see the release of some new music and just plenty of gigs with plenty of attendees.”
Scaramouche have been at pains to point out that this is going to be a classic rock tour. Does that mean we might see some TV sets in swimming pools action? Barker is definitely up for it.
“Backing up The Meters was definitely a highlight, the Red Hots another epic funk off and the Godfather of Soul himself, Mr James Brown. Man that stuff takes me back to ‘66. Ha! I wish, sorry, I just get freakin’ excited talking about gigging, dude. I just wanna jam! Let’s jam! Yeah, we’ve been lucky to do some awesome supports over the years, it’s always a pump up to share the stage with likeminded bands with a mission to rip up the stage.” For those who’ve never seen a Monkiblood live show, Gregory assures us that his band’s straightforward worldview doesn’t change once it takes the stage. “It’s nothin’ but a party. I use the word jam a lot and that’s because we like to spread it nice and thick. A Monkiblood gig will be spontaneous and based on getting your groove on. Shake out the shit and dance right over it. We just wanna infect ya with good times.”
“We definitely [have] trust in each other’s abilities – we know that all of us have played competently in covers bands, and with that we’ve drawn influences and picked up skills,” he says. “I think that trust in each other is one of the essential things to have in a band; without trust, there’s no flow and freedom in the music.”
“This will be the biggest tour we’ve done yet, so we’re really pumped. It’s a bit of a dream to jump in the van and do such an extensive tour where we’re playing shows just about every night – 19 shows in just a few weeks will be hectic, but we’re all really enthused.”
And it seems that this fun at all costs outlook extends to Monkiblood’s attitude to support gigs as well. The band has supported Cog, TISM, Spiderbait and, err, Marcia Hines, among others. Gregory is obviously not one of those people who are ambivalent about their work.
Drummer Matt Gregory, from funk‘n’punk‘n’rollers Monkiblood, talks to Tony McMahon about his band’s new single, Man’s Been Crazy, and the notion of too much fun never being enough.
piece fast found that they’d more in common than a craving to keep plugging in. “It would be our similarities in creativeness,” the frontman responds when asked what has given this tongue-twisting band the legs previous groups didn’t have. “Every song we write we seem to be on the same page while writing it, and our songs seem to, in a way, construct themselves.”
“The EP touches on a variety of styles but is definitely united with a solid vibe and sound to the whole EP, thanks to Tony Buchen, my producer, who is amazing and the best. Strings, horns and piano have seemed to feature in most of the songs, which really do tie the whole thing together nicely. Not all the songs have the Auto-Tune vocals though, which I think gives the EP a bit of space and also let’s the listener get to know me a little more intimately with a cleaner vocal sound.” Finally then, how does a Little Fox live show stack up against her recorded work? Marcarounas makes the excellent point that it isn’t called a live show for nothing. “For me personally, when I see live music, I really love to feel apart of it. I can listen to a track 100 times at home and be in love with it, but to see real people playing real music and feeling the vibrations going through my body makes me feel alive. I can only hope that when people come and see us live that we could spark some type of connection and make them feel a part of everything that we are doing.”
[THE GUID IDE]
Along with their ‘Vervet Monkey’, Donnie, the symbolic voice and face of the band (“he represents the eternal struggle of a man torn between primitive urges and social etiquette”), the guys will be making good on their golden rules next week, for the benefit of the punter.
A recent six-string addition has changed the dynamic of Vervet Thirst. And as Chris Swindells tells Benny Doyle, the band are taking every opportunity that’s come with this new chapter. “Recently we’ve spent most of our time completely rewriting all of our material in preparation for recording a new EP later this year,” explains Swindells, the drummer and lyricist for Vervet Thirst. “We have a new, full sound that has been well received by our fans and continues to grow. This is a real transitional period that, I believe, will result in something that people will love.”
The first [rule] is: ‘A gig is a gig is a gig’. This means regardless of whether we are playing to two people or a packed stadium, we put the same level of energy into every show,” says Swindells. “The second rule is: ‘A show is called a show for a reason’. Nobody wants to pay to see a band that just stands there looking complacent and bored. We put a massive amount of energy into our shows because we’re doing what we love and we want the crowd to get their money’s worth.” WHEN & WHERE: Friday 5 July, The Zoo
For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews • 33
[THE GUID IDE] f o o d
CRUNCH TIME
CELEBS WHO HEART SUPERFOODS
Fact or fraud? With the rise, cost and popularity of super foods, Brendan Hitchens ditches the junk food to find out just how beneficial these lean, green, healthdefying claims are. Pic by Holly Engelhardt.
Duff McKagan “I didn’t know what the good food I was supposed to eat was and so I had to change a lotta things and it all kinda came hand in hand but I was pretty beat up for a while for sure. I think we’re having quinoa for dinner tonight! ...I think it, yeah, it might come from outer space, who knows? I have no idea.” (Inpress, Drum, Time Off, Drum Perth Feb 2013) Gwyneth Paltrow extols the virtues of agave (according to Cleo) Russell Simmons makes green juice a regular part of his Sunday morning routine (according to the New York Times)
I
t seems the age-old proverb of ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ just isn’t good enough in 2013. Perpetuated by their title, the hype surrounding super foods has grown astronomically in recent times. Though there is no legal or even scientific definition, according to the Oxford Dictionary, a super food is, “a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being”. According to many retailers and food manufacturers they offer health healing, agedefying and immunity benefits. Take, for example, Maca, the turnip-looking vegetable from Peru that ‘cures’ sexual dysfunction; seaweed, which boosts weight loss and purifies blood; coconut water, which has more electrolytes than a typical sports drink, and wild salmon, which produces healthy hair. Online store cheapsuperfoods.com.au offers products ranging from goji berries and wheat grass to bee pollen and hemp seeds. Company director Justin Snyder says whilst scientific studies into certain super foods are accessible with a simple internet search, his company prefers experience over research. “Rather than make health claims about what a particular food will or won’t do, we prefer to provide information to our customers based on our own experiences,” he asserts. “I think as a society we need to give more importance to our own experiences rather than just accepting the ‘expert’ opinion. Everybody reacts differently to different things so personal experience is the only way to really know what works for you.”
now has a new menu 34 • To check out the mags online go to themusic.com.au/mags
Jon Henning’s Byron Bay company 2die4 Live Foods specialises in another buzz product, activated nuts. “There is a lot of hype around the whole super food thing,” he says, “I think our nuts are a fantastic food, not necessarily a super food.” Henning, who started his company in 2004 and sources many of his products internationally, including Italy, Austria, Bolivia and Spain, says the sale of nuts has only recently reached prominence. “I think that nuts have become much more popular because people are much more aware of what they are eating these days and are making more informed choices.” Though the name and industry it has spawned is relatively new, super foods certainly are not. Historical documents
suggest that hazelnuts have been commercially grown since as early as 300 BC in regions of Turkey. Goji berries have been grown for harvest by the Yellow River of China for over 600 years and the pomegranate is considered to have originated and been cultivated in the Middle East since ancient times. Companies such as Swisse have capitalised on the recent trend and added super food powders to a product line that also includes vitamins and supplements. “We saw a clear opportunity in the market for consumers that are time poor with their hectic lifestyles to build on traditional single-ingredient super foods that are in the market, and create great tasting complex formulas that allow consumers to incorporate into their daily routine without having to do the hard work of mixing them with other ingredients,” said Swisse Partnerships Manager Dean Norbiato. Where the super food trend has become significantly contentious is because of labelling and unsubstantiated scientific research. Naturally, many manufacturers use exaggerated claims to suit their bias, and the seduced consumer is none the wiser. Super foods have become a fast food wonder drug for health conscience consumers and when there is no regulating in the use of the term super food, the risks could potentially outweigh the benefits.
Anna Paquin loves coconut water (according to Cleo) Miranda Kerr loves almond milk, açai berries and quinoa (according to Cleo)
FOOD TRIPPIN’ EATING AROUND THE USA WITH SOFIE MUCENIEKAS AND LLOYD HONEYBROOK
According to Phuong Nguyen, the Public Affairs Officer at Food Standards Australia New Zealand, there is “no reference to the term super food in the Food Standards Code” though he says strong caution needs to be taken when making health claims. “With regards to the conditions for making health claims, a new standard to regulate nutrition content claims and health claims on food labels and in advertisements became law on 18 January 2013. This would include foods claiming to have health benefits. All health claims must be supported by scientific evidence and meet certain wording conditions including being accompanied by a dietary context statement.” Merit can be found in super foods, particularly those high in nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and backed by the relevant research. A spokesperson from the National Health and Medical Research Council says there is room for super foods within the Australian Dietary Guidelines. “Foods often classified as ‘super foods’ can be categorised according to the five food groups, and therefore have a role in healthy dietary patterns as recommended in the Australian Dietary Guidelines. For example, blueberries are often classified as a ‘super food’ due to their high antioxidant levels and these would fit within the ‘fruit’ food group.” The truth is everyday fruit and vegetables like apples, bananas, broccoli, carrots and Brussels sprouts are also super foods. They have nutritional and health benefits, just without the celebrity endorsements and hefty price tags.
Portt landd Taco dinner at ¿Por qué no? Tacos (pollo verde, chorizo & brisket) and a Bryne’s bowl (also brisket). Delicious. @lloydhoneybrook
indie news
BACKLASH TIME WARP So KRudd knifed Gillard in the back to become PM just prior to a Federal election? WTF? It’s like some weird time warp in reverse. Are we just meant to forget everything we know and embrace change for change’s sake? Luckily the Libs have a leadership void as well…
RADIO GA GA
THEY FEEL FINE
COME ILL MAY
It’s the end of the world as we know it, at least according to Anna Smyrk and The Appetites. That’s the theme the Melbourne indie pop group are working around for their forthcoming record, and will be up Queensland way to present the first single from the forthcoming record, Apocalypse. Catch the gang at these dates: Thursday 4 July, Solbar, Maroochydore; Saturday 6, Queen Street Mall Main Stage (12pm); and Sunday 7, Lock ‘n’ Load (3pm).
There’s going to be bodies on the floor when these freestyle mike killers hit the Brisbane CBD. The Verbill, Raven & Myk Reid will be spraying the front rows with verses when they co-headline Transcontinental Hotel, Saturday 20 July, while local heroes The Optimen will also be putting on a show, as will DJs New Years Steve, Pydrt, Discourse and Nick One. Hosted by Chubz from the Phat Tape Hip Hip Show, this is a night not to missed, so grab a ticket now from Oztix for $15+BF.
Everyone’s patting the federal Government on the back for saving community radio’s new digital future with a $6M allocation – all they basically did was renege on a commitment, get hounded for their folly and then execute a backflip. We shouldn’t have had to beg…
HAVE YOU HEARD
YOUNG NIGHT
VIRTUAL FRIENDS He has been called one of the foremost acoustic guitarists in Australia, and now with debut LP Click To Like, Innes Campbell is looking to solidify that reputation while building on it with additional fresh sounds. From the music to the production and album art, Scottish-born, Brisbane-based Campbell has done everything here, so come out and celebrate with him when he unveils the release at Dowse Bar, Sunday 18 August. Get there from 3pm and you can also catch the likes of Angharad Drake and Deep Water Band supporting.
VALE ALAN MYERS Devo’s drummer Alan Myers – who was with the band during their fertile period in the late-‘70s and early-‘80s – passed away last week after a battle with colon cancer. Still a prominent member of the LA music community, he shall be sorely missed.
How did you get together? Jack Nielsen (guitar/vox) and Will McConchie (bass/lead vox): Jean-Marc and Jack had been jamming for a couple of months after meeting at uni. We invited Will, JM’s old school friend, to play bass. Nick’s arrival in the band was a bit more interesting. Jack was drinking with a friend at about two in the morning and asked him whether he knew anyone who played drums. He got Nick’s number and thought it’d be a great idea to call him immediately. Nick thought it’d be a good idea to join immediately too – he just wanted to get back to bed.
OUT OF THE JUNGLE Fans of guitar crunch and blues distortion would be well-advised to get to Southside Tea Room on Saturday 10 August when Old Lion, the riffing moniker of Jimmy Patch, showcases his new EP, The Hungry Ones. Get it loud and get it lucid, with lyrics that match the wild-man troubadour aesthetic.
Viva la Chunk!
FRONTLASH SLACK MOTHERUCKERS! Superchunk are coming! They last played an Aussie festival when they did Livid back in ’94 (although they toured again for club shows in ’96), and now the indie legends are confirmed for this year’s Harvest! There are other great bands as well, but it’s freaking Superchunk!
GO GO VIOLETS Local all-girl retro indie rockers Go Violets have had their track Teenager featured in a US Special K ad – awesome stuff. What used to bring calls of ‘selling out’ is now a sign of strong career advancement, well done!
METAL MINOR
STUDENT, TEACHER AND PREACHER Owner of a fine moustache and deliverer of fantastic songs, Dan Parsons is revealing more of himself than ever before, putting together a stripped-back set of bare bones songs on his eponymous sophomore album. In between American and European tour commitments behind his debut release Firestarter, Parsons got to work, purchasing a range of equipment to accompany his tape machine, before teaching himself the various crafts and putting his wide-reaching ideas wax. 600 hours of recorded material later and we’re left with an end product that’s fairly wonderful. Catch Parson when he clocks on at Dowse Bar (Iceworks), Thursday 8 August.
EXPANDING HORIZONS Last time you were having a beer at The Scratch, no doubt you were pondering to yourself, ‘This bar would be even better if they had some live music’. Well, lament no more friend, as the Park Rd, Milton drinking establishment has been steadily introducing live music, with some of the locals recently gracing the stage including Tim Steward, Kate Jacobson and Ben Salter. The next month or so at the venue looks to continue this solid run with Grand Atlantic’s Phil Usher and We All Want To’s Skye Staniford clocking in on Tuesday 23 July, while Shifting Sands will soundtrack your evening on Tuesday 6 August.
FOREVER YOUNG
All TV music competitions are heinous by definition, but if you haven’t seen the young 6yo girl bringing the death metal on America’s Got Talent, just get onto YouTube and look that shit up, awesome beyond belief. Throw her the horns!
Make your next night a young one when Young Night play a trio of dates over the coming month. The local indie four-piece will be plugging in Friday 5 July, Friends, X&Y Bar (supporting Tourism), along with shows on Thursday 11, The Tempo Hotel and Saturday 20, The Loft, Gold Coast.
PERSONAL BEST RECORDS
Best record you stole from your folks’ collection? Diana Ross & The Supremes Join The Temptations. First record you bought? The Beatles – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Record you put on when you’re really miserable? Swans – Cop. Record you put on when you bring someone home? The Stooges – We Will Fall. Most surprising record in your collection? The Happiest Little Engine from my third birthday. Last thing you bought/downloaded? Various – The Black Flower Bus Leaves At Dawn: Sects, Drugs and Rock ‘n Roll. The Paul Kidney Experience play Chardon’s Corner Hotel on Friday 5 May, Wasp Factory, Lismore on Saturday 6 July and Audiopollen, Upstairs at 199, West End on Sunday 7 July.
Sum up your musical sound in four words. Familiar, diverse, dimed, rock’n’roll. If you could support any band in the world – past or present – who would it be? The Beatles. I’m sure it’s over-said, but fuck it. They’re the Beatles. You’re being sent into space, you can’t take an iPod and there’s only room to bring one album – which would it be? Is This It – The Strokes. Greatest rock’n’roll moment of your career to date? Will got proposed to at our latest show. Also, playing to a throbbing crowd of 160 at Black Bear Lodge was a lot of fun. Why should people come and see your band? If you like ice cream you’ll like our set. The best way to enjoy ice-cream is fresh out of an amplifier. That’s possibly the worst analogy I’ve ever made. I’ll stop now. Young Night play Friends, X&Y Bar on Friday 5 July (with Tourism and Babaganouj).
SINGLE FOCUS
STEEP ASCENT Bringing folk and pop together beautifully well, Hannah Karydas is set to be a name on the tip of everyone’s tongue. The Brisbane-based songstress has just put together a fresh backing band to take her songs to the next level, with the 18-year-old eager to present them with full vigour at The Hideaway, Thursday 25 July with pal Tori Lee. Get your tickets on the door for $6.
Single title: Given The Chance
At the Transcontinental Hotel this Saturday, 6 July, local freaks White Devil, pictured, drop their debut album and lead a bill of equally degenerate chargers including Columbus, Le Murd, Main Street Brats, The Dirty F Holes, Whiskey & Speed, Flangipanis and Spitfireliar. Get amongst the riff and roll fun from 6pm – $10 on the door.
What’s the song about? This track is about that person that you can’t quite grasp or understand. How long did it take to write/record? This one took a while, actually, because I couldn’t ever find myself happy with the chorus. I revisited it what felt like a thousand times but eventually one night just found a sound I liked!
FALLING ALL OVER
Is this track from a forthcoming release/existing release? This is a track from an EP that will be coming out later in the year provided everything goes according to plan... Fingers crossed.
Versatile punk rock four-piece Atripwithsid will be presenting their brash, melodic sounds at Beetle Bar on Thursday 8 August. And just in case you were questioning the good times on offer, the guys also do a cover of Justin Timberlake’s Mirrors. Worry no more.
CONSTANT NEEDS We All Want To fans are going to have a busy weekend chasing the band and its members around town. The group play a free show at Southside Tea Room this Saturday, 6 July, with support from Library Siesta before those guys, and the next day We All Want To main man Tim Steward and former running partner Kellie Lloyd back up for another freebie on Sunday 7 at Dowse Bar from 3.30pm.
ONE HELL OF A LADY Michelle is the signifier of an artist following his dreams. It’s a name tied into memories of the past. And with this it’s the new single from local five-piece rock group The Reversals.Help the band launch the new single when they play Black Bear Lodge on Sunday 4 August. Support on the evening comes from Mardi Lumsden and Brendan Leggatt.
THE KITE STRING TANGLE Name: Danny Harley
WHITE LIGHTNING
PAUL KIDNEY FROM THE PAUL KIDNEY EXPERIENCE
[THE GUID IDE]
WAKE UP Although the name would lead you to believe the otherwise, the sun isn’t always shining in the world of Morning Harvey. After a few shows fell through on the band’s previous attempt at an EP launch, they’re going to give it a second shake, announcing another run of east coast dates to present their homely and occasional dangerous record Well For Wishes. They play a hometown gig at Black Bear Lodge, Friday 2 August, as part of a 4ZZZ fundraiser which also includes Boss Moxi, Twin Haus and The Good Sports.
FORTUNE FAVOURS THE STAGE Yet another sexy night at Trainspotters this week, with Lucky Bradford keeping their current momentum rolling forward with yet another headline show, while The Ninjas and Deer Lord will also line up for the free-as-fuck festivities. Get along to Grand Central Hotel this Saturday, 6 July, it will rad as all hell.
What was inspiring you during the songs writing and recording? Inspiration almost always comes from the people around me, whether good or bad, and I rarely tell them, either... haha. I also like conceptual writing which will stem from a documentary or a movie or book. We’ll like this song if we like... Electronic music with vocals. There’s a lot of it at the moment. Think Chet Faker meets Active Child, kind of. Do you play it differently live? I play it fairly similar to what you’d hear on the recordings but obviously the live element will inevitably change things. Especially with vocals and different venues et cetera. The Kite String Tangle play Alhambra Lounge on Thursday 11 July and Red Deer Festival, Mt Samson on Saturday 7 September.
For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news • 35
[THE GUID IDE] i n d i e
news
PERSONAL BEST RECORDS
ON TIME OFF STEREO Hidden Horizons GHOST NOTES All Our Wires SEJA Repeater FUGAZI Tales From The Beyond LA BASTARD
SIZE ISN’T EVERYTHING The Spruke Ukulele Festival is set to take place at the Southbank Institute of Technology campus from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 September, with organisers excited to announce that bluesman on the small string Manitoba Hal will arrive from Canada to head up the musical bill at the festival. With loads more performers to be announced, stay tuned to theMusic.com.au for more news on The Guide.
TRIBUTE NIGHT
My Name’s Bruce Too VARIOUS
SHAKING IT UP
One True Vine MAVIS STAPLES Settle DISCLOSURE Push The Sky Away NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS Forever HAIM Relationship Of Command AT THE DRIVE-IN
ON THE ROCKS Combining the plucky strings of ukulele player Jane Cameron with the more traditional singer-songwriter skill set of Mark Bentley, thewhiskeyarchive are a musical proposition full of honesty and insight. The duo draw on a wide range of ideas from varying genres to create something unique to them, and with their self-titled debut EP they’ve captured that kinetic live energy onto disc. They play The Hideaway with The Shiralee on Thursday 11 July; grab your tickets on the door for $6.
PUSHING THE LIMITS Twenty-four hours. That was all it took for Barefoot Alley to pump out their rocking debut album. What started off as a dare soon became an entire body of work, with a day of studio time back in February taking Hayden and Sophie to the edges of their sanity and back. Get a taste of the excitement and borderline madness when the two-piece bring it to life on the Alhambra Lounge stage, Thursday 4 July.
FLAKEY FROM NINE SONS OF DAN Best record you stole from your folks’ collection? Pink Floyd – The Wall. First record you bought? Ha ha, I think it was a Limp Bizkit one! Come on, I was eleven! Record you put on when you’re really miserable? Some Bon Iver or City and Colour! Record you put on when you bring someone home? Bon Iver will do pretty well again!
Get to know the vibe at Shucked Lane in Newstead. The popular coffee house has expanded and now hosts live music to go with the solid beverages and nosh. Head along on Sunday 28 July from 1.30pm and enjoy the smooth sounds of Lauren Grace, a jazz vocalist who takes the term ‘interpretation’ to new heights, with elements of swing, doo-wop and Latin thrown between well known songs. She’ll play the afternoon set accompanied by guitarist Lachlan Bell.
SINGLE FOCUS
Most surprising record in your collection? Meshuggah, or maybe my Sevendust back collection! Last thing you bought/downloaded? Biffy Clyro! Nine Sons Of Dan play Studio 454 on Sunday 7 July (all ages).
TAKING IT NEXT LEVEL Headlining their biggest show to date, Capitol Control will bring their wailing surf rock sounds to The Hi-Fi, the four-piece more than excited to run around the big stage and send the venue into a spin. Get involved when they plug in Saturday 6 July.
CC THE CAT Name: Claire Cottone Single title: Rock My World What’s the song about? It’s an upbeat pop/ska love anthem with an addictive chorus, a Madness-style bass riff, and a bangin’ horn section. How long did it take to write/record? I wrote the song in a day a few years back, and after much jamming, arranging and preproduction, we pulled it together in a few days at the Tanuki Lounge in West End. Is this track from a forthcoming release/existing release? This is the first release from our upcoming album Songs From The Sea, which will be released in August with a national tour.
Ain’t no party like a surf rock party, and fine celebrators of the style La Bastard are heading north so we can boogie the fuck down. Throwing rockabilly and other ‘60s guitar elements into the mix, the vivacious four-piece play tracks from their latest LP Tales From The Beyond at Beetle Bar, Friday 12 July with Sabrina Lawrie and the Hunting Party, Some Jerks and the Steady as She Goes; The Joynt, Saturday 13 with help from Frank Sultana and The Sinister Kids; and 633 Ann, Sunday 14 as part of their weekly afternoon shindig, Rock N Roll BBQ.
36 • For more news/announcements go to themusic.com.au/news
Can you give us a brief summary of your career to date? I started playing music in high school. I got together with friends and played covers mainly. In 1991 I helped form the band Spot The Dog and began writing songs. I’d always wanted to be a songwriter but hadn’t really pursued it that much. I started bringing my songs along to the band and we ended up playing a lot of them. Spot ceased working regularly in around 2004. Since then I’ve been recording and performing under my own name. Is it humbling having such a night being held in your honour? Totally humbling. The idea of the concert was first mooted by Zoli Mauritz at Music By The Sea. When I mentioned it to Michael Fix who has produced my last two CDs he suggested that we produce a retrospective [album] of other artists doing my songs. It’s particularly humbling because these people have so much talent and many of them are extremely busy with a range of projects. So we now have a CD I’ve Got A Heart as well as the concert event. What are you looking forward to most about the night? I’m looking forward to hearing the songs re-interpreted. I’m careful, not to say laborious in the crafting of the songs but I’ve never been overly precious about how they should be rendered. It will be really exciting for me to hear the artists put their own stamp on them and take ownership in a sense. What will your own set entail on the evening? I’ll be doing a short set with a new project that I’m working with, The Civil Union. In fact, as it transpires I’ll be singing lead on only one song. I will be up there playing bass and mandolin on a few though and enjoying my time side of stage.
Do you play it differently live? We pretty much play it exactly the same live.
Do you feel that there’s a rich folk tradition in Brisbane? Most definitely. There’s a genuine sense of community around the music here. All of these performers are friends of mine. We share common goals and common interests and face the same disappointments but there is very little bitchiness that I ever hear. People are genuinely supportive of each other. Trust me there will be a lot of hugging going on backstage. One of the side benefits of this project is that the CD will function as a document of the SE Queensland folky scene at the moment. I can also think of a bunch of people who didn’t make it on there that I would have liked to have heard, and there’s also most enough for a volume two!
CC The Cat launch Rock My World at The Joynt, Friday 5 July with Felicity Lawless and Vital Signs Sound.
I’ve Got A Heart Folk Extravaganza: A Tribute To Mark Cryle takes place at Sandgate Town Hall on Saturday 6 July.
What was inspiring you during the songs writing and recording? Inspired by the Jamaican mamas’ tunes about their men, I wanted to write a love tune for my guy at the time. In production we captured the spirit of the original ‘60s and ‘70s sounds.
BASTARDISING ROCK’N’ROLL
MARK CRYLE
We’ll like this song if we like... Skatalites, Bob Marley, old school reggae funk and soul, 4ZZZ The Yard, triple j Roots N’ All, Fat Freddy’s Drop.
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[THE GUID IDE] g i g s
1,000’s of gigs at your fingertips. The Guide at
TOUR GUIDE
JAPANDROIDS: The Zoo Sep 1 THE PAPER KITES: SoundLounge Sep 5, The Hi-Fi Sep 6, The Northern Sep 7
THE CULT: Tuesday 1 October, Eatons Hill Hotel
PRESENTS GOLD FIELDS: Elsewhere Jul 5, Alhambra Lounge Jul 6 BLISS N ESO: Eatons Hill Hotel Jul 12 DEAD OF WINTER FESTIVAL 2013: Jubilee Hotel Jul 13 KARNIVOOL: Eatons Hill Hotel Aug 7 SHAPESHIFTER: The Hi-Fi Aug 10 CLARE BOWDITCH: The Hi-Fi Aug 16, Byron Community Centre Aug 17 CLOUD CONTROL: The Spotted Cow Aug 21, Coolangatta Hotel Aug 22, The Tivoli Aug 23, Kings Beach Tavern Aug 24
INTERNATIONAL ENABLER: Crowbar Jul 4 FEAR FACTORY: The Tivoli Jul 4 MICK FLANNERY: Old Museum Jul 11 A DAY TO REMEMBER: Brisbane Riverstage Jul 12 (AA) YOUTH OF TODAY: Crowbar Jul 12 FAR EAST MOVEMENT: Club LIV Jul 14 BEN OTTEWELL: Old Museum Jul 14 STEVE VAI: QPAC Jul 16 BLEEDING THROUGH: The Rev Jul 18 SAINT VITUS: The Hi-Fi Jul 18 DIZZY WRIGHT: Coniston Lane Jul 19 STEREOPHONICS: The Hi-Fi Jul 19 P!NK: BEC Jul 19, 20, 22, 23, Aug 29, 30, Sep 7, 8 JONNY CRAIG: X&Y Bar Jul 20, Studio 454 Jul 21 (AA) ONRA: Coniston Lane Jul 25 THE MOHAWK LODGE: Black Bear Lodge Jul 25, The Loft Jul 27 A LOSS FOR WORDS: Snitch Jul 25, Studio 454 Jul 26 BARDO POND: The Zoo Aug 2 MAMMOTH GRINDER: Sun Distortion Aug 3 SENSES FAIL: The Zoo Aug 7 SHAPESHIFTER: The Hi-Fi Aug 10 ATTILA: Thriller Aug 10 THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS: BEC Aug 13 MDC: The Zoo Aug 13 ALESANA: X&Y Bar Aug 14, Studio 454 Aug 15 (AA) FLYLEAF: The Hi-Fi Aug 15 CARTEL: The Zoo Aug 21 ASH: The Hi-Fi Aug 21 BEING AS AN OCEAN: Crowbar Aug 22, Studio 454 Aug 23 (AA) OBEY THE BRAVE: Thriller Aug 24, Tall Poppies Studios Aug 25 (AA) DON MCLEAN: QPAC Aug 23, Twin Towns Aug 25 ALL TIME LOW: The Tivoli Aug 28 (AA) GUTTERMOUTH: The Northern Aug 29, The Tempo Hotel Aug 30, Parkwood Tavern Aug 31 FAT FREDDY’S DROP: The Tivoli Aug 30 JAPANDROIDS: The Zoo Sep 1 ANBERLIN: The Hi-Fi Sep 4, Coolangatta Hotel Sep 5 THE REAL MCKENZIES: Shark Bar Sep 6, Prince of Wales Sep 7 CYNDI LAUPER: Jupiters Casino Sep 10, QPAC Sep 11, 12 VOLUMES: Crowbar Sep 12, Eagleby Community Hall Sep 13 AMANDA PALMER AND THE GRAND THEFT ORCHESTRA: The Tivoli Sep 12
RED DEER FESTIVAL 2013: Mt Samson Sep 7 JINJA SAFARI: Woombye Pub Sep 11, The Spotted Cow Sep 12, The Hi-Fi Sep 13, Coolangatta Hotel Sep 14 RUDIMENTAL: Eatons Hill Hotel Sep 20 GANGSTERS’ BALL: The Tivoli Sep 21 BIG SCARY: The Spiegeltent Sep 21 PEACE: The Zoo Sep 23 FOALS: The Tivoli Oct 2 BOOMERANG FESTIVAL: Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm Oct 4-6 XAVIER RUDD: The Tivoli Oct 8
PLUTO JONZE: Alhambra Lounge Aug 22
THE BREEDERS: The Tivoli Oct 29
DIALECTRIX: Coniston Lane Aug 23 COSMIC PSYCHOS: The Hi-Fi Aug 24
HORRORSHOW: Spotted Cow Oct 31, The Zoo Nov 1, Solbar Nov 2, Beach Hotel Nov 3
JOSH PYKE: Kings Beach Tavern Aug 29, SoundLounge Aug 30, The Tivoli Aug 31
BOY & BEAR: Beach Hotel Nov 7, Coolangatta Hotel Nov 8, The Tivoli Nov 9
WED 3 JULY 2013
Yeo + MKO + Sleepy Tea + Eaves: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Quenel Mott: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Mark Sheils: Royal George, Fortitude Valley Open Mic Night feat. various: Solbar, Maroochydore Open Mic Night feat. various: The Loft, Chevron Island Accoustic Sessions feat. various: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Dead Sun + Waax! + Rohan: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley
THU 4 JULY 2013
Barefoot Alley: Alhambra Lounge, Fortitude Valley Closure In Moscow + special guests: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley
38 • To check more gigs online go to themusic.com.au/theguide
THE REAL MCKENZIES/THE GO SET: Miami Tavern Shark Bar Sep 6, Prince Of Wales Sep 7
Jazz Singers Jam Night feat. various: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point Enabler + Urns + Fvck Mountain + Short Life + Coffin Birth: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley Johnny Cash Tribute Show: Hamilton Hotel, Hamilton Jabba: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Ebony Rose: Lock ‘n’ Load Bistro, West End Open Mic+Various: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane Anna Smyrk And The Appetites: Solbar, Maroochydore The Brodie Graham Band + David Baker: The Hideaway, Fortitude Valley The Simon Wright Band: The Joynt, South Brisbane Underwood Mayne + Kenny Slide + Pirates of the Tempest + Nathan Warner: The Loft, Chevron Island Averia Skies + Nicholas Cage Fighter + Shorelines + Kings At Heart + Bayharbour + Dire Wolf: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Fear Factory + Twelve Foot Ninja: The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley
Only Just + Crowbird + Taken By Wolves: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley Abbreviations Orchestra + John Parker: Turnaround Jazz Club, Bowen Hills Uni Thursdays feat. 21 Hundred ft Nick Conomos + Tuffy + AD + Josh Jett + Jimmy Kixx: Victory Hotel, Brisbane Snitch feat. Masketta Fall + more: X&Y Bar, Fortitude Valley
FRI 5 JULY 2013
Royston Vasie + Cabins: Alhambra Lounge, Fortitude Valley Laura Imbruglia: Beetle Bar, Brisbane The Stress Of Leisure + Melodie Nelson: Beetle Bar, Brisbane Andrew Ozinato: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley Bec Whitehead & Jesse Green Band: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point DJ Pipeline Pedro: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa The Paul Kidney Experience: Chardons Corner Hotel, Annerley
Tex Perkins + Charlie Owen + Murray Patterson + Karl S Williams + Sue Ray : Eatons Hill Hotel, Eatons Hill Gold Fields + Phebe Starr + Willow Beats: Elsewhere, Surfers Paradise B-Rad + Jabba + TackyLand DJ: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Soula: Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra Le Breeze: Lambert’s Restaurant, Kangaroo Point About Time: Lock ‘n’ Load Bistro, West End Chris Poulsen Trio: Mandala Organic Arts Cafe, Mermaid Beach MaRLo: Platinum Nightclub, Broadbeach Rabid Zulu + Contnuum + Hobo Magic + Breach Notice + Pyromance + United Of Oz: Prince of Wales Hotel, Nundah Engelbert Humperdinck: QPAC Concert Hall, South Bank Innes Campbell + Tori Lee + TwoCrows: Queen Street Mall, Brisbane Scaramouche: Ric’s, Fortitude Valley Rev Sunday + Alla Spina + Pilots: Solbar, Maroochydore
Ash Grunwald + Andy Strachan + Scott Owen: The Hi-Fi, West End CC The Cat + Felicity Lawless + Vital Signs Sound: The Joynt, South Brisbane Monkiblood + Just Monday + Suicide Swans + Jackson Dunn: The Loft, Chevron Island The Floating Bridges + Berst: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Seven + Mr Hill + Vega: The Tempo Hotel (Bowler Ba , Fortitude Valley Udays Tiger + Gazar Strips + Tiny Migrants: The Waiting Room, West End Seven Sermons + Zombie Apocalypse Theory + Vervet Thirst + The Rared: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley Tourism + Young Night: X&Y Bar, Fortitude Valley
Coxfest feat. Skeletones + Throttle + The Bollocks + Viscous Kites + P3 + Goldstool + Kombi Killers + Eat City + The Dustin Hoffmans + The Kramers: Brew, Brisbane Louise Denson Trio: Brisbane Jazz Club, Kangaroo Point DJ Nato: Cafe Le Monde, Noosa Transvaal Diamond Syndicate + Black Mustang + Slow Riots: Crowbar, Fortitude Valley Cassian: Elsewhere, Surfers Paradise Trainspotters feat. Lucky Bradford + The Ninjas + Deer Lord: Grand Central Hotel, Brisbane Quenel Mott + Wasabi + WKD DJ: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Ash Grunwald + Andy Strachan + Scott Owen: Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra Masketta Fall + Take Us To Vegas + Deadheat: Lake Kawana Community Centre, Bokarina
ENABLER: Thursday 4 July, Crowbar
SAT 6 JULY 2013
Gold Fields + Phebe Starr + Willow Beats: Alhambra Lounge, Fortitude Valley Suicide Swans + Jackson Dunn + Monkiblood: Beetle Bar, Brisbane
Anna Smyrk And The Appetites: Lock ‘n’ Load Bistro (afternoon) , West End The Jed Rowe Band: Mandala Organic Arts Cafe, Mermaid Beach Ger Fennelly: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane Deorro + SCNDL: Platinum Nightclub, Broadbeach Engelbert Humperdinck: QPAC Concert Hall, South Bank
gigs
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[THE GUID IDE]
GIG OF THE WEEK
TOUR GUIDE
TEX PERKINS FRIDAY 5 JULY, EATONS HILL HOTEL Whether you remember him from his years fronting rock bands Beasts Of Bourbon and The Cruel Sea, or from his many and various (primarily) solo pursuits such as The Dark Horses, or his time collaborating with mates in the much-loved Tex, Don and Charlie, everybody knows and loves former Brisbane larrikin Tex Perkins. This Friday night at the excellent Eatons Hill Hotel you can catch the prodigal son as he returns in solo mode – abetted by long-time friends and confidants Charlie Owen and Murray Patterson – to run the gamut of his awesome career, ably supported by another local-reprobate-turned-southerner Ben Salter as well as locals Karl S Williams and Sue Ray. Spend some time catching up with an old friend who happens to be Oz rock royalty, what could be better?
Anna Smyrk And The Appetites + Wafia + Burton, Sunde & Fix: Queen Street Mall, Brisbane The Hi-Boys + Regular Gonzales: Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna Caboose: Saltbar, South Kingscliff Kat Davidson + Brad Oakes + Damien Power + Anne Ferguson-Howe: Sit Down Comedy Club, Brisbane The Pierce Brothers: Solbar, Maroochydore We All Want To + Library Siesta: Southside Tea Room, Morningside Brisbane Rock Showcase feat. Capital Control + The Method + Danger At The Door + City of Refuge + Roses For The Damned + Bamford Cock + Scatakite + The Dashounds: The Hi-Fi, West End The Brodie Graham Band + David Baker: The Loft, Chevron Island Sound Saber + Planet Fiction + Chasing Grey: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Josh Jett: Victory Hotel, Brisbane Happy Fest feat. Raw Prawn + Forces + Barbituates + Multiple Man + Happy Times + Samedi Soundsystem + more: The Zoo, Fortitude Valley
Happy-Fest feat. X in O + Green Nose + Mysteries + Footy: Winn Lane, Fortitude Valley
CLOSURE IN MOSCOW: Thursday 4 July, Black Bear Lodge
SUN 7 JULY 2013
Rock N Roll BBQ feat. The Skeletones + Goldstool + Hanny J + Antichrists Anonymous: 633 Ann, Fortitude Valley Mega Ogre + Cull + Pool Shop: Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley The Jed Rowe Band: Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm Ant Aggs Trio: Cafe Le Monde (afternoon) , Noosa The Wet Fish + The Casuarinas: Club Greenslopes, Greenslopes Moo Moo Papa: Coorparoo Bowls Club, Coorparoo Rag Doll Duo + Mick McHugh + Wasabi: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Anna Smyrk And The Appetites: Lock ‘n’ Load Bistro, West End Ger Fennelly: Mick O’Malley’s, Brisbane Innes Campbell: Queen Street Mall, Brisbane Dave Loew + Tori Lee: Queen Street Mall, Brisbane Ash Grunwald + Andy Strachan + Scott Owen: Rabbit And Cocoon, Gold Coast
Jazz, Swing & Rock feat. various: Robina Bowls Club, Robina Sol Sundays feat. Hayden Hack Infusion: Solbar, Maroochydore Stoked on Sundays feat. Scott Walker: Stoke Bar, Southbank The Never Ever + Nine Sons Of Dan + A Sleepless Melody + Way With Words + With Confidence: Studio 454, Enoggera No Art + Unity Floors + Footy: The Hideaway, Fortitude Valley Codswallop: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley Small Change Sundays feat. various DJs: Victory Hotel, Brisbane
MON 8 JULY 2013
B-Rad: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane
TUE 9 JULY 2013
Woody Lives Here: Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Lauren Lucille: Lock ‘n’ Load Bistro, West End The Bug+Aris + Beautiful Jim: New Farm Bowls Club, New Farm The City Sounds +Dave Loew: Queen Street Mall, Brisbane Mark Sheils: Samford Valley Hotel, Samford Valley The Switch + Beautiful Jim: The Bug, New Farm The Vices + The Weekend Hiatus + Columbus + Decadence Of Cain: The Tempo Hotel, Fortitude Valley
HIT THE LIGHTS: Crowbar Sep 13, Trinity Hall Sep 14 (all ages) GHOSTPOET: The Spiegeltent Sep 15 CALEXICO: The Spiegeltent Sep 17, 18 MURPHY’S LAW: The Zoo Sep 18 BEACH FOSSILS: The Spiegeltent Sep 19 PANTHA DU PRINCE: The Spiegeltent Sep 20 RUDIMENTAL: Eatons Hill Hotel Sep 20 LAMB OF GOD, MESHUGGAH: The Tivoli Sep 20 OLAFUR ARNALDS: The Spiegeltent Sep 22 PEACE: The Zoo Sep 23 SWERVEDRIVER: The Zoo Sep 26 ALAN JACKSON: BEC Sep 26, 27 RIHANNA: BEC Sep 28 THE CULT: Eatons Hill Hotel Oct 1 FOALS: The Tivoli Oct 2 SOILWORK: The Hi-Fi Oct 2 DAVID LIEBE HART BAND: Crowbar Oct 4 BRING ME THE HORIZON, OF MICE & MEN: The Marquee Oct 5 ROLO TOMASSI: Crowbar Oct 10, Sun Distortion Oct 11 (AA) DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT: The Auditorium Oct 10 (AA) AMORPHIS: The Hi-Fi Oct 12 KIM WILDE, NIK KERSHAW: The Tivoli Oct 16 RICKY MARTIN: BCEC Oct 16 EVERY TIME I DIE: The Hi-Fi Oct 18 CHELSEA GRIN: Brisbane Riverstage Oct 18 ONE DIRECTION: BEC Oct 19, 20, 21 YELLOWCARD: The Tivoli Oct 25 THE BREEDERS: The Tivoli Oct 29 ENSLAVED: The Hi-Fi Nov 3 THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS: TBC Nov 7, TBC Nov 8 SCOTT KELLY AND THE ROAD HOME, JARBOE: The Zoo Nov 9 SALT-N-PEPA: Jupiters Hotel Nov 12 SMOKIE: Brolga Theatre Nov 12, Empire Theatre Nov 14, QPAC Nov 15 NILE: The Hi-Fi Nov 14 FLEETWOOD MAC: BEC Nov 14, Dec 2 KATAKLYSM: Crowbar Dec 4 OLLY MURS: BCEC Nov 16 JILL SCOTT: The Tivoli Nov 21 JUSTIN BIEBER: BEC Nov 27 (AA) PASSENGER: The Tivoli Dec 6, Dec 7 (AA) TAYLOR SWIFT: Suncorp Stadium Dec 7 BON JOVI, KID ROCK: Suncorp Stadium Dec 17 BRUNO MARS: BEC Mar 7
NATIONAL YEO: Black Bear Lodge Jul 3 ASH GRUNWALD: The Northern Jul 4, The Hi-Fi Jul 5, Kings Beach Tavern Jul 6, Rabbit and Cocoon Jul 7 CLOSURE IN MOSCOW: Black Bear Lodge Jul 4 ROYSTON VASIE: Alhambra Lounge Jul 5, The Northern Jul 6 LAURA IMBRUGLIA: Beetle Bar Jul 5 TEX PERKINS: Eatons Hill Hotel Jul 5 GOLD FIELDS: Elsewhere Jul 5, Alhambra Lounge Jul 6 THE NEVER EVER: Studio 454 Jul 7 (AA) BUCHANAN: Black Bear Lodge Jul 10, Coolangatta Hotel Jul 11 DAVID BRIDIE: Mullum Civic Memorial Hall Jul 11, Brisbane Powerhouse Jul 13 BLISS N ESO: Eatons Hill Hotel Jul 12 WHITLEY: Black Bear Lodge Jul 12 SLEEPMAKESWAVES: The Tempo Hotel Jul 12; The Northern Jul 13 BEN SALTER: The Spotted Cow Jul 12 July, Cafe Le Monde Jul 18, Black Bear Lodge Jul 19 GREY GHOST: The Tempo Hotel Jul 13 BERNARD FANNING: Nambour Civic Centre Jul 14, Empire Theatre Jul 16, The Tivoli Jul 18, 20, Gold Coast Arts Centre Jul 19, Sirromet Wines Nov 3 CLUBFEET: Oh Hello! Jul 18 REMI: Bowler Bar Jul 18
BOMBS AWAY: The Met Jul 19 MEZZANINE: Alhambra Lounge Jul 19 MOJO JUJU: The Joynt Jul 19, 20 KINGSWOOD: Eatons Hill Hotel Jul 20 DEEZ NUTS: Crowbar Jul 26, 27 (AA) KATE MILLER-HEIDKE: Brisbane Powerhouse Jul 28 PAUL KELLY: Brolga Theatre Jul 28, Gold Coast Arts Centre Jul 30, Lake Kawana Community Centre Jul 31, QPAC Aug 1 ISAAC GRAHAM: Crowbar Aug 1 ELECTRIC HORSE: The Zoo Aug 1, The Northern Aug 16, Shark Bar Aug 17 CITIZEN KAY: Coolangatta Hotel Aug 1, Alhambra Lounge Aug 2 WAX WITCHES: X&Y Bar Aug 2 PSYCROPTIC, KING PARROT: Crowbar Aug 3, Norville Hotel Aug 4 SIMON MELI AND THE WIDOWBIRDS: X&Y Bar Aug 4 KARNIVOOL: Eatons Hill Hotel Aug 7 JIMMY BARNES: Ipswich Civic Centre Aug 7, Empire Theatre Aug 8, Twin Towns Aug 11 MARK SEYMOUR: Noosa Heads Surf Club Aug 8, Hamilton Hotel Aug 9, Racecourse Hotel Aug 10 SETH SENTRY: Kings Beach Tavern Aug 10, The Spotted Cow Aug 11, The Northern Aug 15, Coolangatta Hotel Aug 16 TIM FINN, BOB EVANS: Eatons Hill Hotel Aug 16 CLARE BOWDITCH: The Hi-Fi Aug 16, Byron Community Centre Aug 17 GLASS TOWERS: Black Bear Lodge Aug 21, The Loft Aug 22, The Northern Aug 23 CLOUD CONTROL: The Spotted Cow Aug 21, Coolangatta Hotel, Aug 22, The Tivoli Aug 23, Kings Beach Tavern Aug 24 PLUTO JONZE: Alhambra Lounge Aug 22 COSMIC PSYCHOS: The Hi-Fi Aug 24 THE SMITH STREET BAND: The Zoo Aug 29 JOSH PYKE: Kings Beach Tavern Aug 29, The SoundLounge Aug 30, The Tivoli Aug 31 THE TROUBLE WITH TEMPLETON: The Spotted Cow Aug 29, The Zoo Aug 30, the Brewery Aug 31 MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS: The Hi-Fi Aug 30, The Northern Aug 31 VANCE JOY: The Zoo Aug 31 THE PAPER KITES: The SoundLounge Sep 5, The Hi-Fi Sep 6, The Northern Sep 7 ROGER KNOX: The Spiegeltent Sep 8 RUSSELL MORRIS: The Spiegeltent Sep 11 JINJA SAFARI: Woombye Pub Sep 11, The Spotted Cow Sep 12, The Hi-Fi Sep 13, Coolangatta Hotel Sep 14 THE BASICS: The Spiegeltent Sep 12 ILLY: Oh Hello! Sep 13 DOKU RAI BAND: The Spiegeltent Sep 13 DICK DIVER: The Spiegeltent Sep 14 SNAKADAKTAL: The Hi-Fi Sep 20, The Northern Sep 21 BIG SCARY: The Spiegeltent Sep 21 HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGRY: The Spiegeltent Sep 24 EMMA LOUISE: The Spiegeltent Sep 25, 26 PARKWAY DRIVE: The Tivoli Sep 29, 30 (AA), Oct 1 XAVIER RUDD: Byron YAC Oct 7 (AA), The Tivoli Oct 8 THE AMITY AFFLICTION: Brisbane Riverstage Oct 18 LENKA: Black Bear Lodge Oct 24 HORRORSHOW: The Spotted Cow Oct 31, The Zoo Nov 1, Solbar Nov 2, Beach Hotel Nov 3 BOY & BEAR: Beach Hotel Nov 7, Coolangatta Hotel Nov 8, The Tivoli Nov 9 DEF FX: Beetle Bar Nov 9
FESTIVALS DEAD OF WINTER FESTIVAL: Jubilee Hotel Jul 13 SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS: North Byron Parklands Jul 26-28 GREAZEFEST: Rocklea Showgrounds Aug 2-4 RED DEER MUSIC FESTIVAL: Samford Valley Sep 7 MITCHELL CREEK ROCK N BLUES FESTIVAL: Upper Kandanga, Mary Valley Sep 20-22 SPRUNG FESTIVAL: Victoria Park Cricket Ovals Sep 21 BOOMERANG FESTIVAL: Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm Oct 4-6 LISTEN OUT: Cultural Forecourt Oct 6 HITS & PITS 2.0: Coolangatta Hotel Nov 15, The Hi-Fi Nov 16 HARVEST: City Botanic Gardens Nov 17
To check more gigs online go to themusic.com.au/theguide • 39
IN TH E STUDIO
IN SOUND WE TRUST Making an album is as much about relationships as sound. The Trouble With Templeton’s Tom Calder and the producer of their album, Rookie, Matt Redlich, talk to Michael Smith.
or Brisbane-based songwriter Tom Calder, it began in his home studio over two and a half weeks in April 2011, recording a mini-album, Bleeders, that he released that November under the moniker The Trouble With Templeton. The response was so positive it became clear that Calder needed to pull together a band – enter stage left, lead guitarist Hugh Middleton, keyboards player Betty Yeowart, bass player Sam Pankhurst and drummer Ritchie Daniell. The first fruit of that combination was a single, Six Months In A Cast, which came third in the International Songwriting Competition’s ‘Rock’ Category and will be released in the UK in October by Communion Records, with a supporting UK tour. As it happens, the single was produced by Matt Redlich, whose credits include records for Hungry Kids Of Hungary, Ball Park Music and Emma Louise, and who had mastered Bleeders.
F
“I knew Matt through a friend of mine, who is also the guitarist in Templeton,” Calder explains, “who’d had his record done by Matt as well, so [the mastering] was our first meeting and the relationship just grew from there. There was even a period of time before we decided to go with Matt where we thought we would do it ourselves again, but a conversation over a cup of coffee woke me up to what is so good about Matt. “He’s very hands-on but we’re totally on the same page in a lot of things. I think we work really well because we’re friends and we respect each other. A lot about making a record, to me, is about communication, especially between the producer and the band. Part of what you get when you work with Matt is him, and you can hear it in the record.” That relationship was built up over a year of discussions before the band went into Redlich’s studio, Grandma’s Place, in
40 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews
Yeronga, Brisbane, to record Rookie. Before that though, was of course the single. “It was the beginning of the record,” Calder admits of the single, “but it was so far out from the record – we just needed to get something out as a band. Going from a solo project to the band so quickly, and not really having anything representative of that sound out there, we thought it might be a bit of a shock for people to come to the shows having only listened to Bleeders and finding this wall of sound.” “I often like to do one song with a band anyway,” Redlich chips in, “even before we start, for both of us to get used to each other. What that can do is you can start to get a feel for their aesthetic as artists in the studio, and also learn a whole lot of stuff about where they’re at with their ability to perform and what they need to get the best takes out of them, because everyone’s different.” “And it was our first recording as a band and in a proper studio,” adds Calder. “It was probably great that it was a bit separated from the record, because it gave us a little bit of time to think about it and really let that experience settle in.” It also gave The Trouble With Templeton some idea of the possibilities the recording space itself offered. Redlich’s studio is within an old timber sales yard and features recording, practice and studio spaces jutting off a wooden corridor. “It just stems from my aesthetics,” Redlich explains his studio. “I don’t personally feel comfortable going into studios that look like ‘a studio’ like you’d buy at IKEA in the studio section, which seems to be what many of them are. So I was looking for a building that was unusual and I definitely found that. I just wanted to make a place that feels special and unusual and matches my vibe as a producer, which is more for the feeling
and reality and some level of honesty about the best parts of yourself. This place has its flaws but I’m kind of used to it now and it’s cool.
beds straightaway that is unique to that song, if it’s at all possible, and especially with this record, we used completely different set-ups for every song.”
“The acoustics in the corridor are good for some things. I’ve used it for vocals a couple of times now [though not for the bulk of this record], and we’ve definitely put guitar amps down there a lot, and we recorded all the acoustic guitars in the corridor actually. That was more a practical thing but it ended up sounding great. It’s a very long corridor here and you get a nice short delay and you can hear the drums bleeding through from the other room.”
Redlich’s favourite piece of studio gear, however, is his Neumann U47. “I use it on everything! It’s just the most fantastic microphone – it makes you wonder why anyone bothered to design a microphone after 1947, because it’s just so good on so many things. We used it on drums, on guitars, guitar amps, on piano – it’s just basically the go-to mic.”
Rookie was for the most part recorded to tape on a 2” MCI JX24 track machine, though Redlich runs it as a 16-track, with a few overdubs on his trusty PC, updated midway through the mix to a Mac. “The way that I work, I try and commit some sounds, and you can create a vibe from the sound of the
WHO: The Trouble With Templeton WHAT: Rookie (Independent) out Friday 2 August WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 29 August, The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba; Friday 30, The Zoo; Saturday 31, The Brewery, Byron Bay
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MATRIX PRODUCTIONS
NEW Sunshine Coast boutique recording studio. Internationally experienced Mix, Recording & Live Engineer providing dynamic & refined professional finishes to your Studio or Live project. P 0753133566 E matt@matrix-productions.com.au W www.matrix-productions.com.au iFlogID: 22473
Music-Production/Mixing/Mastering package only $150 per track. 5 Tracks for $550 (1-month period). 10 Tracks for $1000( 2.-months period). Check link and listen: http://www.youtube.com/user/Studio9Mru/ videos?view=0&flow=grid iFlogID: 20825 RECORDING STUDIO $30ph iFlogID: 17084 Recording Studio, Parramatta, $40hr casual rate. Audiophile quality. All genres. Also on location. 25+yrs exp, multi instrumentalist, arranger, composer, producer. Ph: 02 98905578, 7 days. No acoustic kits. iFlogID: 21483
We specialise in EP Packages for independent bands. This package includes: - 60 hours of studio time to track, mix and master your record - CD Artwork - 100 x Jewel Case CDs - Band Photoshoot - iTunes Distribution - Live show at the Zoo or HiFi to release your new record. Only $4995+gst Packages can be customised to fit your needs so organise a meeting with us today to talk about how we can best help you. www.tallpoppyproductions.com/record iFlogID: 22388
Recording, mixing, mastering, jingles, ALL production starting from $20/hr. Contact: Peter on 0415938543 or lif3entertainment@gmail.com Lif3 Entertainment ABN 42 596 535 578 iFlogID: 21362
Recording Studio, Parramatta, $40hr casual rate. Audiophile quality. All genres. Also on location. 25+yrs exp, multi instrumentalist, arranger, composer, producer. Ph: 02 98905578, 7 days. No acoustic kits. iFlogID: 21471 Recording Studio, Parramatta, $40hr casual rate. Audiophile quality. All genres. Also on location. 25+yrs exp, multi instrumentalist, arranger, composer, producer. Ph: 02 98905578, 7 days. No acoustic kits. iFlogID: 21479
THE WHITE ROOM Mt Nebo. 35 minutes from CBD. Clients include The Go-Betweens, The Grates, The John Steel Singers, Yves Klein Blue, The Good Ship, DZ DEATHRAYS, Barefoot Alley. www.whiteroomstudio.com - 3289 8185 iFlogID: 19468
REHEARSAL ROOMS
BOOK ONLINE REHEARSAL $15/HOUR
Why settle for 2nd best, get world class results in Brisbane’s only true world-class recording studio. Top Engineers. World-Class Gear.
Rehearsal Rooms at Tall Poppy are now only $15/hour when you book and pay online! Air Conditioned, Acoustic Treatment, Ventilation, Great PA’s, Flat Load In, Plenty of Car Parks. Book a room today and try something better for your creativity and music. www.tallpoppyproductions.com/rehearse iFlogID: 22386
48ch SSL 4048E console, Neve 1081 & 1073 mic pre/EQ’s, Neumann U47, U67 & AKG C12 vintage tube mics, 2” 24 track tape and more!
Mini EP Deal: 2–3 songs $3300 inc GST* EP Deal: 4–5 songs $5,500 inc GST* all recorded, mixed and mastered + CD’s!
‘LOVE NOISE STUDIOS’ REHEARSAL ROOMS, YATALA NTH EXIT JUST OFF THE M1. P.A PROVIDED, AIR CON, PARKING,CLEAN ROOMS & GREAT RATES. CALL NOW 0405 226 282 OR VISIT WWW. LOVENOISESTUDIOS.COM iFlogID: 22262
STUDIO HIRE
Highly qualified Photographer with 30 years experience specialising in live music and event photography worldwide. High quality imagery at affordable rates, throughout the Brisbane area. Call Graeme on 0416 316 738 iFlogID: 21614
Video sound pro recording, editing, mixing & mastering for film. Video editing full HD. Music arranging / composition & production for film. Voice overs dubbed into video etc. $40 hr. Enquiries ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 21481
Gibson Les Paul Standard 1992, Cherry Sunburst, made USA, all orig, very clean w/ orig hardcase, nice maple top grain/hints birdseye, binding aged creme, sounds/looks KILLER, Pictures available $3750ono (Brisbane) wrecker70@hotmail.com iFlogID: 19403
FILM & STAGE
WOOHOO IT’S TAX TIME!
SOUND & MUSIC
ENTERTAINMENT
Looking for a keyboardist (backing vocals a bonus) for a tribute show, which the first gig will be on September 7th 2013 and maybe before. It would help if you’re ‘Beatle’ crazy, and you must have had live experience and be based in the Brisbane area. You must be able to work out parts by ear, work with backing tracks, be reliable, have own transport, have a keyboard and be available for rehearsals. Pay is between $200-$250 per gig. Contact Adam Power: theory@adampower.com.au 0421 191 796 if interested to audition. iFlogID: 22570
LEGAL / ACCOUNTING
Want to save BIG? Use a SMALL but completely PROFESSIONAL music studio. Try Hawkesbury Music Studio in beautiful East Kurrajong! (15 minutes north of Windsor) Call James: 0490077658 or facebook.com/ HawkesburyMusicStudio iFlogID: 22557
TUITION DRUMMER AND DRUM LESSONS Drum Lessons avaliable in Gladesville Teach all Levels, ages .17 years experience. I studied at The Billy Hydes Drumcraft Academy and Obtained a Diploma in Drumming. Mob:0402663469 Michael iFlogID: 20676 Eastern Suburbs guitar/ukulele/bass/slide lessons with APRA award winning composer. Highly experienced, great references, unique individually designed lessons from Vaucluse studio. Learn to play exactly what YOU want to play! www.matttoms.com iFlogID: 16690 GUITAR TUITION. Bris. 30 yrs experience. Beginners a specialty. My home($40hr) or yours($60hr) Ph Peter. 0406017022 iFlogID: 20116 Gusto Guitars offers guitar/bass/double bass lessons to students of all ages. 12 years teaching experience, fun/motivating/ patient, all styles . Air conditioned studio. $25/half hour, $40/hr Logan. Contact Gus: 0434551033 gusto4207@gmail.com iFlogID: 21844 LEARN GUITAR $99 Special Promo 5 week course Beginners Welcome Children & Adults *Friendly mentoring approach *Great Results Guaranteed Enquire Now Paddington Ph: 0416960673 E: nikolaidis@ live.ie iFlogID: 19765 Music tuition, classical / flamenco guitar, celtic harp, theory & harmony, arranging. 9am - 9pm, 7 days. Parramatta area. $40 hr, $30 half hr. Mature & patient. Ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 21473 Music tuition, classical / flamenco guitar, celtic harp, theory & harmony, arranging. 9am - 9pm, 7 days. Parramatta area. $40 hr, $30 half hr. Mature & patient. Ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 21477 Music tuition, classical / flamenco guitar, celtic harp, theory & harmony, arranging. 9am - 9pm, 7 days. Parramatta area. $40 hr, $30 half hr. Mature & patient. Ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 21485 VocalHub - Sing like no one is listening! Singing lessons for vocal technique and care, audition tips and repertoire in a encouraging and supportive environment. Visit: http://www.vocalhub.com.au iFlogID: 17102
VIDEO / PRODUCTION MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION We offer high quality, creative music videos to suit your style & budget. Portfolio of over 30 artists. Seen on MTV, Channel [V], CMC, rage www. immersionimagery.com immimagery@ gmail.com facebook.com/immersion. imagery iFlogID: 18477
MUSICIANS AVAILABLE DJ Dj available Dubstep to Drum&bass willing & able to adapt to your event. Low hourly rates. Everything negotiable. Easygoing, flexible entertainment. Call for a quote today. KN!VZ Entertainment Group Ph:0415680575 iFlogID: 16661
DRUMMER A1 TOP PRO DRUMMER AVAILABLE FOR SESSION FREELANCE WORK, TOURS ETC. EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE, TOP GEAR, GREAT GROOVE AND TIME.SYDNEY BASED, WILL TRAVEL. PH 0419760940. WEBSITE www. mikehague.com iFlogID: 18334
OTHER Experienced Covers Duo available for functions, including Weddings. Over 150 songs on setlist. Acoustic music for dancing or relaxing. Songs from the 60’s to present day. iFlogID: 21747
GUITARIST Small but professional music studio looking for Singer/Songwriters eager to record on a budget. Hawkesbury Music Studio in beautiful East Kurrajong! (15 minutes north of Windsor) James: 0490077658 or facebook.com/HawkesburyMusicStudio iFlogID: 22559
OTHER RADIO SYDNEY IS BIG! VERY BIG! www.radiosydney.com.au The worlds largest free digital radio sevice? We say YES! iFlogID: 21174
SERVICES BEAUTY SERVICES Fully Qualified & 8yrs Experience, Thai Massage $49/hr or Sensual Balinese Aroma $69/hr. In/Out calls, Male/Female Welcome. www.takecaremassage.com.au - By Anson 0433646338 iFlogID: 17428
SINGER female vocalist looking to form pop rock/ alternative band in brisbane with influences from circa survive, versa emerge, tonight alive etc. ton_lili@hotmail.com iFlogID: 21707 Singer/Guitarist looking for other male musicians who play covers gigs and require someone to play occasional or regular shows with them for any of the gigs they book. iFlogID: 22008
MUSICIANS WANTED BANDS INDIE BANDS Indie Artists Get Your Own Feature Channel Just For Your Band Here! http://www.radiosydney.com.au/computer/page37.html iFlogID: 21172
MUSICIANS WANTED Ballina heavy metal guitarist is looking for other musicians to start serious band with. Influences Megadeth, Anthrax, Trivium, Iron Maiden etc. Ph 0478782923 iFlogID: 22000 Originals and Cover acts wanted @ Fitzys Loganholme every Sunday night from 6pm !!! Pa and basic Drum kit provided. Call JEZZA on mob: 0410 406 629 for more info :) iFlogID: 22574
Learn French! - Beginner to Advanced Levels. Bilingual English/Frenchspeaking Teacher. Either for fun/school/exam preparations. - Online via Skype. 1hr classes X 4 dates per month. Only $50 per 4 classes ($15/each additional class). Contact me on: vangelis2133@yahoo.com iFlogID: 22090
GRAPHIC DESIGN Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY from $299 including Hosting and email addresses! Contact info@bizwebsites.com. au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au. iFlogID: 21943 Quality Professional Websites designed and hosted for bands and businesses. Multimedia and Social Integration included from $300. See www.sophiebelle.com.au or contact info@sophiebelle.com.au iFlogID: 21949
OTHER
FREE ONLINE LISTING
Free online listing for musicians and music businesses. Promote yourself or your music business in a national online music directory http://www.musiclinks.com.au It’s FREE. iFlogID: 22357
Seeking experienced lead & backing singers, bass, keyboard, sax & trumpet players for REGGAE band in Northern Beaches. Call Michael 0402 549 423 or email siczex@ yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 18612
BASS PLAYER BASS PLAYER Bass Player wanted for established central coast band. Publicist for Bam Magera, The Veronica’s and booking agent now on board. Currently touring. Ep mastered by Brian Lucey ( the Black Keys- El Camino, Brothers) available on iTunes world wide. Must be committed and reliable. Contact Kurt - newregulars@gmail.com iFlogID: 22538 BASS PLAYER WITH HIGH VOCALS WANTED for vocal band with sixties influences. Paul McCartney type role. Prefer guy in their 20s but would consider someone older if suitable. Call now 0407 644 350. iFlogID: 20963
Tarot Card Readings by Karen. Over 30yrs Exp. “When you need to know” Always welcome new customers. www.tarotreadingsbykaren.com Parties and Private readings P: 0432 689 546. Evenings & weekends available. iFlogID: 19301 What happens when you start paying attention? When you become an active member and start participating in this elusive thing we call life. WWW.WHATISTHEHAPS.COM iFlogID: 17980
WANTED OTHER HI GUYS i am fundraising to volunteer for a months work with orphaned children in Nepal. please check out www.gofundme. com/ivhqnepal2013 to read my story and donate THANKYOU :) iFlogID: 21282
*Conditions apply
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For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews • 41
Not exactly a household name, but pretty much everyone’s heard the late Paul Tanner playing the instrument he developed with amateur inventor Bob Whitsell in the late 1950s to emulate the sound of the Theremin, the Electro-Theremin or Tannerin, on The Beach Boys’ track, Good Vibrations. A trombonist with the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 1938 until Miller’s disappearance over the English Channel in 1942, Tanner went on to be a studio musician in Hollywood and later a professor of music at UCLA, but, fascinated by the sound of the Theremin, he decided to develop his own version that gave the player greater control of pitch and attack. The instrument he and Whitsell developed used a mechanical control mechanism, the pitch knob attached to a slider outside the control box with a knob that allows for finer tuning to the desired frequency, rather than using the hand at various distances to the instrument’s antenna to change the pitch. Tanner played it on the 1958 album, Music For Heavenly Bodies, the first album to feature the instrument, and on several TV and movie soundtracks, most famously on the theme tune to 1960 TV series My Favourite Martian. A tip of the hat, though a little belated – Tanner passed away in February this year, aged 95, of complications due to pneumonia.
SOUND BYTES Angelo Petraglia (Trisha Yearwood, Patty Griffin) produced the new album, Mechanical Bull, due in September, from Kings Of Leon, in the band’s Nashville studio. Eric Burdon, still going strong at 72, recorded his latest album, ‘Til Your River Runs Dry, at Ultratone in Studio City, California, Playback in Santa Barbara and Funk HQ in New Orleans, coproducing the album with Robert Cray Band drummer Tony Braunagel.
SOL REPUBLIC MASTER TRACKS
LOGITECH UE MOBILE BOOMBOX This unassuming Bluetooth speaker comes in attractive packaging and boasts an appealingly lightweight, minimalist design. Small enough to fit easily into a day bag or even a large pocket, it’s targeted as a highly portable solution for those who are looking for some better sound than that currently coming out of their smartphone speakers. The volume and clarity coming out of this tiny oblong box feels impressive on first listen. However, the speaker, even when cranked, can be easily overpowered by ambient noise. While it can pump out some impressive levels of bass, you can only feel and hear it when you place the speaker close to ear level. It definitely beats the speakers on your phone but still suffers from some honky midrange and lack of stereo noticeable separation. On the plus side, it’s easy to set up and operate and the battery lasts more than a few hours on a full charge. While it comes with a wall wart and mini-USB, it wouldn’t have killed Logitech to include the headphone jack cable required to connect the box to any pre-Bluetooth players. Retailing at around $100, you’d be paying mostly for portability with passable sound rather than a truly great audio experience. Alex Hardy
REVIEW
REVIEW
VALE PAUL TANNER
REVIEW
BEHIND THE LINES
LOGITECH ULTIMATE EARS 900 Throughout the internet age, Logitech have been synonymous with computer accessories: mouses, keyboards, speakers. However, it might come as a surprise to the everyday music obsessive that since 1995 they’ve also been a go-to company for on-stage custom in-ear monitors. In the past few years Logitech has gone to great lengths to remarket themselves as a brand that’s on the pulse, and their Ultimate Ears 900 earphones are an extension of this. It’s hard not to be impressed by the packaging that goes with the UE 900s, all hard casing, smooth lines and removable rubber storage. Unfortunately, what comes inside doesn’t equal that initial ‘wow’ factor. The earphone design is chunky, dangling out like earrings on a child playing dress-up with their mother’s wardrobe. With four drivers per speaker, this sizing is probably a necessity, but does the sound quality justify the clunky look? Well... Then, you’re given not one, not two, but eight earphone tips – silicon and foam – to cater for any size of ear canal. You’re also provided with two braided cables – one with a microphone, one without – with the idea of the design being to mimic what the pros use on stage. This means the chord is actually supposed to sit up and over your ears, but for the life of this reviewer (yes, it may just be the individual, not the product), he couldn’t get the earphones to fit snugly when trying this technique, leaving chords dangling awkwardly downwards. By trying to push so many boundaries with the Ultimate Ears 900, Logitech have inadvertently made these earphones less enticing overall. More often than not, simplicity is king.
These are some seriously big and bulky bad boy headphones; however, where Sol Republic’s Steve Aoki model is garish and in your face, the Master Tracks are subtle and sophisticated, a victory when their general size is considered. The US company’s poster product, the Master Tracks, are powered by two X3 sound engines, and the listening experience that’s delivered is incredible. Good production shines through the speakers, with individual parts – guitars, keys, drums, even quirks and mistakes – allowed to swim within your headspace in pure clarity. And for bass junkies, the low-end stuff sounds mighty fine, too. One of Sol Republic’s unique design quirks is that the headphones can be broken down into their individual components, which, depending on how together/ forgetful you are, can be a good or bad thing. For younger users, this means they can have a quiver of headbands on the go – one for each day if they’re committed to the cause – although this reviewer would be unmoved to chop and change what is already a great product. The flexibility of the elements does make the Master Tracks very easy to adjust, but when they’re locked in place the speakers sit snug and secure on the leather-padded headband. Comfortable, durable and logical, Sol Republic’s Master Tracks are a fantastic set of headphones that understatedly push the boundaries of design and style but do so while delivering the ultimate sonic experience for listeners, which, at the end of the day, is what it’s all about. Whether these headphones can change the world, as proposed on the box, is another story for another time, though. Benny Doyle
Benny Doyle
PRE OR D NOW ER
42 • For more interviews go to themusic.com.au/interviews