nobodymove!

Grizzly Bear gets the a cappella treatment

2009-05-02T23:33:00.001+10:00

An old video, but one I just discovered, of Grizzly Bear's 'The Knife' performed a cappella by The Carleton Singing Knights of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.

Not the most riveting of videos, but great to listen to nonetheless.

New St. Vincent - "Actor Out Of Work"

2009-04-30T23:04:00.003+10:00

St. Vincent's debut album, "Marry Me" was one of my album highlights of 2007/08, if only because the title was a reference to one of my favourite TV comedies, Arrested Development.

Obscure references notwithstanding, "Marry Me" was a beautiful and outstanding album; I've found that the more albums I listen to, the more seemingly fleeting moments in a song make or break it in my mind. St. Vincent's use of an old microphone to give that radio sound is something I hope I never get tired of.

Her new album, "Actor", is due out in May, and the first single, Actor out of Work seems to indicate a decided turn towards a bigger, rockier sound. I'm a fan - it's a short, sharp and sweet tune. And I don't mind the fact that the accompanying video clip disturbs me.

MP3: St. Vincent - Marry Me

Hiatus Over

2009-04-30T23:03:00.003+10:00

Sorry for the downtime folks, real life got in the way.

I hope that if I set myself a bi-weekly obligation to post on this site, and publish it for all to read, I'll be forced to stick to it out of fear of disappointing anyone who reads this place.

Regular music stuff to follow.

Last Radiohead Mashup, I Promise....

2009-03-02T10:51:00.002+11:00

...in which "Overdub" mixes Radiohead's 15 Step with that other famous song in 5/4 time, Dave Brubeck's Take Five.

New Here We Go Magic Video: "Tunnelvision"

2009-02-25T13:32:00.005+11:00

Tunnelvision is my favourite track off one of my favourite releases of the year. It's not often that a video so perfectly matches the music, but I think that Team Peking have done an amazing job directing this.

New Phoenix Single Available Free

2009-02-24T13:19:00.002+11:00

The facts:

Phoenix have made the first single from their upcoming LP, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, available for free.

It's called "1901".

Phoenix have added more synthesiser this time around, but it's still that Phoenix sound.

Grab it here.

BEST OF SXSW A-Z: "O"

2009-01-15T13:03:00.003+11:00

The Oaks' bio is an interesting one; back in 2003 lead singer/guitarist Ryan Costello worked and lived for a humanitarian organisation in Afghanistan. The result is some impressionistic rock and roll that has a very subtle Middle Eastern influence. As the airy folk gives way to a two minute instrumental breakdown, it almost captures some of the anguish and joy of his experiences - even if you don't know the backstory

MP3: The Oaks - Masood

Okay so it looks and sounds Emo but bare with us. Supposedly rising from the debris of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans-based Oh, Juliet! are still very much an underground concern, and their sound is remarkably structured and polished considering their apparent inexperience.

MP3: Oh, Juliet! - Hunting The Canyon

Oliver Future will sound comfortably familiar to fans of acts like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! and Clem Snide. Well it might have something do with the fact that they're all produced by Adam Lasus, but the Brookly five piece are quickly garnering acclaim for their own brand of left-field indie.

MP3: Oliver Future - Signing Off

Best Of SXSW A-Z: "N"

2009-01-14T21:04:00.001+11:00

A famous dead person once said "You can tell a lot about one by the company one keeps". Or something like that. Jason Chung, otherwise known as Nosaj Thing, has shared the stage with Flying Lotus, Daedelus, Architecture in Helsinki, DJ Krush, and many others. He recently won Turntable Lab's remix competition featuring MF DOOM. If you like any or all of the above mentioned bands, you're likely to enjoy Nosaj Thing's thing - squelchy electronica, with beats and blips.

MP3: Nosaj Thing - 1685

The Nouvellas are a new-soul group fronted by Jaime Kozyra and Leah Fishman, backed by a three-piece band, and all five are from the recently broken-up band Dansettes. Those with a keener ear will have heard Jaime & Leah contributing vocals to recordings of that other new-soul band of the year, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings. If you like them, you'll be sure to like this.

MP3: The Nouvellas - Satisfied

Personally, I'm really glad that the music world seems past the infatuation it once had with acoustic singer/songwriters - I never got onto the Ben Harper/Jack Johnson bandwagon; at times, it seemed to me they were essentially one and the same. That said, Toronto's Justin Nozuka takes acoustic pop, adds soulful vocals and a catchy chorus, and comes up with something palatable. I guess that's a backhanded compliment, but it's a compliment nonetheless.

MP3: Justin Nozuka - Golden Train

BEST OF SXSW A-Z: "M"

2009-01-13T10:46:00.002+11:00

Well "M" was littered with great singer-songwriters, but the props really have to go to My Brightest Diamond, the alias for Shara Worden. Previously she honed her craft as a member of Sufjan Stevens' band, and if this ethereal cut is anything to go by, he's had a positive influence. Hers is a music of dreamy haze and layered harmonies given an edge by her lyrics and potent voice.

MP3: My Brightest Diamond - Disappear (String Quartet Version)

The band's moniker is a deceptive one, you'd hardly call this pop 'mini', dreamy perhaps, but it doesn't sound small. Minipop create wide-eyed vistas on which Tricia Kanne's airy vocals can waft and shine against, they sound a little Aussie to these ears - Ladyhawke comes to mind - which is no bad thing in our book.

MP3: Minipop - Like I Do

Noting that The Most Serene Republic are signed to Canadian indie label Arts & Crafts, home to Stars & Broken Social Scene, is a good place to start. They contain the same textured sound and rock orchestra elements of their label-mates: boy-girl vocals, wordy lyrics and an intriguing sound that rewards on repeat listens.

MP3: The Most Serene Republic - Present Of Future End

Best Of SXSW A-Z: "L"

2008-12-29T15:02:00.006+11:00

Elizabeth Powell, founder of Land Of Talk, is yet another story of the classically trained musician who found the world of Bach & Vivaldi constricting their creativity. With echoes of PJ Harvey and Dinosaur Jnr, Land Of Talk make a good mix of punk, pop and rock.

MP3: Land Of Talk - Speak To Me Bones

Le Loup are a band from Washington DC with a French name, and their album is titled "The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millenium General Assembly". Honestly, I don't blame you if the hipster-isms haven't turned you off already. But have a listen to the infectious chorus and wonderful layering of sounds on We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!, and you might have just found an indie hipster band you don't feel guilty for liking.

MP3: Le Loup - We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!

Sounding as if it was recorded in someone's bedroom, The Lovely Sparrows' Chemicals Change is an example of a beautiful song created through simplicity, with singer/songwriter Shawn Jones' vocals barely audible above the haunting guitar.

MP3: The Lovely Sparrows - Chemicals Change

BEST OF SXSW A-Z: "K"

2008-11-25T12:25:00.002+11:00

Hailing from Bordeaux, France you'd be forgiven for assuming that Adam Kesher would just be more Gallic electronica, but you'd be wrong. They mix aggressive rock rhythms with dance beats and buzzing synths to electric effect. It's the kind of thing you can imagine getting pretty chaotic, if not blindingly fun, in a live setting.

MP3: Adam Kesher - P-Katherine

Mixing lyrics and themes about nature with progressive influenced rock doesn't sound too good on paper, but in actuality, five-piece Kaddisfly pull it out effortlessly. Despite a seven year history the band have happily strayed the edges of popularity, allowing them room to evolve and change at their own whim. Talent can only go unnoticed for so long though.

MP3: Kaddisfly - Empire

No prizes for guessing which part of America these two young lads are from, or even for how the band sound: plaintive acoustic guitar against a haunting backdrop of piano and downbeat harmonies. Kid Dakota have a melancholy about them that suits their deep vein of Americana as well as their modest songwriting.

MP3: Kid Dakota - 10,000 Lakes

Best Of SXSW A-Z: "J"

2008-10-30T14:00:00.000+11:00

Only one mentionable band for "J" - it was bound to happen sooner or later...

Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong are helmed by ex-drummer of The Pipettes, Joe Van Moyland, and after forming in early 2007, have already supported the likes of Babyshambles and the Kaiser Chiefs. Their debut album was scrapped before it was released, but not before review copies had been circulated to the London music press, with NME giving it 8/10. That said, the NME gives anyone who hasn't released their debut yet 8/10 provided they have indie cred. Which these guys apparently do.

MP3: Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong - Lonely Buoy

BEST OF SXSW A-Z: " I "

2008-10-30T12:44:00.003+11:00

Iglu & Hartly's press statement proclaims "Never follow, always lead the pack with new unbelieveable hot shit." Not a bad philosophy really, and if this cut is anything to go by, that means eclectic genre-hopping with an anthemic hook to keep it all together. 'In This City' smells distinctly of summer... and also MGMT, which is no bad thing.

MP3: Iglu & Hartly - In This City

It's probably a good indication of just how long it takes to get through an A-Z list when a band splits in the time it takes to get to their name. Synth-pop duo I Was A Cub Scout, of English heritage, mined a lovely melodic vein with a kind of rag-tag sound, their genetic make-up indebted to indie songwriters and electronic leaning blips and bloops. Alas they split back in June, leaving behind a debut album - "I Want You To Know There's Always Hope" - full of potential.

MP3: I Was A Cub Scout - Pink Squares

Fronted by boy/girl combo Simon and Julia Indelicate (is it just me or is the matching surname a little passé now?), the two had previously met at performance poetry meetings before hitting off as a band. If their artwork is anything to go by, they've got a great sense of humour despite their high-brow contentions to 'raise the bar' of the British music scene.

MP3: The Indelicates - Julia, we don't live in the 60s

New Passion Pit Video: "Sleepyhead"

2008-10-22T20:13:00.003+11:00

MP3: Passion Pit - Sleephead

New Feist Video: "Honey Honey"

2008-10-22T20:04:00.003+11:00

Best Of SXSW A-Z: "H"

2008-10-21T21:20:00.006+11:00

On Jussayin', H.I.S.D. (HUEston Independent Spit District) remind me of LA hip-hop outfit People Under The Stairs in the best way possible. Subtle production, with beats that could not possibly swing more, and samples and brass hits in all the right places make this track a perfect summer track. Their debut album, "The District" is available now.

MP3: H.I.S.D. - Jussayin'

I never knew there was a Jamaica in New York, but there is, and that's where HEAVy is from. They cite their influences as ranging from Minnie Riperton to N*E*R*D, and Sam/Sam's Return makes good on their promise - crisp beats mixed with soulful vocals make a track that is just the right side of jazz hip-hop.

MP3: HEAVy - Sam/Sam's Return

Heavy Claws have a song with a sweet analog synth hook. What more can be said? Except for the fact that they categorised themselves as electronic/dance/DJ, which is kind of a misnomer.

MP3: Honey Claws - Shout Out

Department of Eagles Do Daytrotter

2008-10-21T20:51:00.002+11:00

In Ear Park has been on heavy rotation lately, and I must say, I almost like it more than Daniel Rossen's other, more well-known band, Grizzly Bear. Good news then, that Daniel and Fred have recorded some cuts from the album (plus two unreleased tracks) for the Daytrotter guys.

MP3: Department of Eagles - Daytrotter Session

New Video - Minilogue "Animals"

2008-09-29T12:00:00.004+10:00

New video created by Kristofer Ström, who also created Minilogue's previous music video, "Hitchhiker's Choice"

Tip: click "HD" in the top right corner of the video to get rid of those jaggy-edges.

BLOC PARTY RELEASE AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES AND BRAND NEW SINGLE

2008-09-11T23:23:00.002+10:00

This is getting ridiculous. Bloc Party recently did another BBC Radio 1 countdown in which Zane Lowe unleashed their brand new single, Talons. You read that right, brand new, as in "not previously heard on Intimacy." Apparantley the track was one of the last to be mixed and finished for the album, and will appear on the physical release of the CD in October.

If you pre-ordered Intimacy already, then you can download the track for free here, and a corresponding video is already out too.

On top of all this, the band have announced that they are touring our nation in November, with tickets on sale in late September.

The dates are as follows:
Thu 20 Nov – Festival Hall, Melbourne
Sun 23 Nov – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
Tues 25 Nov – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Fri 28 Nov – Riverstage, Brisbane
Sun 30 Nov – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth

Let's see if BP have any more tricks up their sleeve in the coming weeks...

BEST OF SXSW A-Z: "G"

2008-09-02T10:46:00.003+10:00

When it comes to singer-songwriters, it's very hard to stand out out from the endless swathe, unless you have something unique. In the case of Jacob Golden, it's inventive production, intimate performances and a dedicated fan base; and let's not forget his fine lyrical sensibility, given ample demonstration on his second album Revenge Songs.

MP3: Jacob Golden - Out Come The Wolves

Great Lakes Myth Society get their band name, and much of their subject material, from their native state of Michigan. Sufjan Stevens would be proud, though the band's sound recalls a far sunnier Interpol (dress sense included as you can see) or The Arcade Fire. With only two albums to their name, the Great Lakes are quickly garnering attention outside of the Great Lakes state.

MP3: Great Lakes Myth Society - Heydays

Georgie James is actually made up of John Davis (former drummer of Q And Not U) and Laura Burhenn) hailing from Washington D.C. The two claim to share a love of 50s pop music, though i'm not sure that's clear from their modern, choppy (and slightly dancey) sound. Their debut album is released through Saddle Creek Records (former label to Bright Eyes and Rilo Kiley). There you have it, a whole boy/girl duo assessment without mention of The Tings Tings... whoops.

MP3: Georgie James - Need Your Needs

Best Of SXSW A-Z: "F"

2008-08-25T15:12:00.001+10:00

Foreign Born originally self-released their first album, On The Wing Now, while touring the US & UK with bands such as Cold War Kids and We Are Scientists. Now signed to Dim Mak Records, their album is described by the band as 'rhythmic and otherwordly, with lots of percussion'. Add to that all the chants handclaps, and wailing vocals, and you have a sound that comes up on the good-sounding side of the rock/folk fence.

MP3: Foreign Born - Union Hall

The Forms recorded their second album with the help of Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies). On his experience with the band, Albini quipped that he'd never worked with a band that had gone over the same piece of tape 58 times. On "Knowledge In Hand", the opening track to their 2nd album, it seems as though everything including every hi-hat hit were carefully mulled over for 2 weeks before being committed to record.

MP3: The Forms - Knowledge In Hand

Free The Robots make hip-hop beats filled with jazz samples and synthesizers. No matter how many times I hear this sort of stuff, if it's done well, it's golden - which is exactly what these guys have done on their EP. Have a listen to more of their stuff at their Myspace, and check out their blog for the latest on Robot Freedom.

MP3: Free The Robots - Jazzhole

Intimacy is out now!

2008-08-21T18:57:00.002+10:00

Following the release of new single, 'Mercury', Bloc Party have performed a lightning release of their third studio album, Intimacy, in the vein of Radiohead/Nine Inch Nails/Raconteurs/Girl Talk et al.

The mp3 download is available right now for a small fee, while the album proper will be shipped from October 27 - both are available to order here

Meanwhile here are some first impressions on the album.

MGMT to tour Australia

2008-08-14T01:53:00.008+10:00

It's been hinted at for a while, and now it's finally confirmed - MGMT will be touring Australia later this year. Here are the dates:

Sat 6 Dec – Perth (Belvoir Amphitheatre)
Tue 9 Dec – Sydney (Enmore Theatre)
Wed 10 Dec – Brisbane (The Tivoli)
Thu 11 Dec – Melbourne (The Palace)

All dates will be supported by Luke Steele and Tame Impala.

Here is a live video of MGMT performing Kids in a carpark:

Brand New Sigur Rós!

2008-05-28T13:46:00.004+10:00

Rejoice! Icelandic Gods Sigur Rós revealed toady, on their newly revamped website, the details for their latest album - including a link to a free mp3 of the first track "Gobbledigook".

The album is called "með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust" (which translates as 'with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly') and will be available from June 23.

For album details check here

MP3: Sigur Rós - Gobbledigook

Best Of SXSW A-Z: "E"

2008-05-21T18:37:00.004+10:00

You may already know of Emmy The Great through her association with one Dev Hynes aka Lightspeed Champion. She's the cutting female vocal all over his debut album Falling Off The Lavender Bridge but enough but about him, the Hong Kong born Emma Lee-Moss has also collaborated with the likes of Fyfe Dangerfield (of Guillemots) and Jeremy Warmsley. So with Indie street cred in tow she's crafted a number of acoustic gems and various contributions to compilations, when she finds the time to knuckle down and make an album she'll have plenty of helping hands and eager anticipation from listeners.

MP3: Emmy The Great - Easter Parade

Eagle Seagull already sound a lot like The Arcade Fire, and if they got a few more girls in their ramshackle, art school squad - they'd look a lot like them too. Quick comparisons aside the Lincoln, Nebraska based six-piece have already garnered a bit of buzz on music press and blogs thanks to their punchy and accessible sound, smart pop nous and great song titles (see below).

MP3: Eagle Seagull - I'm Sorry But I'm Beginning To Hate Your Face

He may only be 20 years old, but Eldar has already been signed to record conglomerate Sony/BMG and been nominated for a Grammy. While his background may be in that most unfashionable of circles, 'contemporary jazz', you don't need an inside knowledge of scales or heady solos to appreciate his playing. Bright, catchy and slightly rocking, of course it'd take a fresh-faced Russian to make jazz 'cool with the kids' again.

MP3: Eldar - I Remember When

PIPPED TO THE POST: Edison Glass - All Our Memories
It might take a couple of listens to break through, but persevere with the whiny rock exteriorand you will be rewarded. Smarter than it initially sounds.

Best Of SXSW A-Z: "D"

2008-05-18T14:47:00.001+10:00

TheDeathSet don't believe in songs longer than 2 minutes, which means that each track they make packs a whole lotta punch. Originally from Australia, but now based in Baltimore, and signed to the hip sister-label of Ninja Tune, Counter (also home to Pop Levi and The Heavy), this track is a great example of the Death Set sound.

MP3: TheDeathSet - Negative Thinking

The Dodos are an early call for my top track at SXSW this year - It's certainly the one that I've listened to the most, and anyone I've played it to I've caught humming the verse days after. The constant shuffle of the drums gives the track a great sense of momentum, and the short stabs of electric guitar are effective by not being there for the whole track.

MP3: The Dodos - Fools

Dr. Dog played last year's Meredith Music Festival, when I had no idea who they were, and didn't really care. Having now listened to them, I'm kicking myself for not heading down to seem them live. A psych-rock outfit from Philadelphia, they've been compared to both The Band and The Beach Boys, and while you can see elements of those bands in there, the sound of Dr. Dog is something else.

MP3: Dr. Dog - The Girl

New CSS: "Rat Is Dead (Rage)", Tracklisting

2008-05-01T00:50:00.006+10:00

It's the month of free single downloads! This time, CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy to their friends) are offering up the first single from their upcoming album, 'Donkey'. It's only available for the next month, so make sure you relatively attempt to hurry to download soon!

MP3: CSS - "Rat Is Dead (Rage)"

'Donkey' Tracklisting:
Jager Yoga
Rat is Dead (Rage)
Reggae All Night
Give Up
Left Behind
Beautiful Song
How I Became Paranoid
Move
I Fly
Believe Achieve
Air Painter

'Donkey' will be out through Stomp / Sub Pop this July

Nintendo Vs. Sega: Winner = RAC

2008-04-29T17:05:00.006+10:00

The fine folks over at the remix artist collective, who've previously given artists such as Bloc Party and Justice stellar dancefloor-ready remix treatments, have turned their analog synthesizers on to remixing classic video game themes. You can get a hold of the results online now; prepare to be swept up in a wave of nostalgia.

MP3: RAC - Nintendo VS Sega EP

The fine cover art of this EP was designed by French Akutou - check him out here.

Coldplay Single - Very New! Very Free!

2008-04-28T18:52:00.004+10:00

Coldplay have announced via their sparkling new website that the first taste of their new album, Viva La Vida (or Death And All His Friends), will be available free for a whole week starting tomorrow (April 29th).

In a move that smacks more than a little of Radiohead, the new single Violet Hill will be available download for an entire week before it's paying version comes along.

Not only that, but the website details a free 7'' vinyl single that will be made exclusive to the weekly music rag, NME. The single will contain Violet Hill on the A side, and the B side will be A Spell A Rebel Yell

The single: Violet Hill
& more details here: www.coldplay.com

Benicàssim 2008

2008-04-23T20:31:00.004+10:00

You can keep your Glastonbury, your Carling, your O2 festival - I still maintain that Benicàssim is the best festival in Europe, and the lineup just gets better and better every year.

New Santogold - "Say Aha"

2008-04-22T23:33:00.009+10:00

With her self-titled debut out very soon, Santogold (aka Santi White) is set to become the female Gnarls Barkley. Mixing a hundred different genres, Santogold sometimes channels Karen O, and at other times, M.I.A. - sure those references give you indie cred, but when you give the album some great pop production, then you're talking a huge crossover hit. And to get you hyped up, we've got the track "Say Aha" for you to download.

MP3: Santogold - Say Aha

M83 vs. Midnight Juggernauts

2008-04-17T10:31:00.003+10:00

Yes, this is a visual pun. Enjoy!

I wouldn't normally endorse a track before even hearing it, but given the bands involved here, and the fact that my Mac hates Windows streaming audio, I think I can make an exception. M83 and Midnight Juggernauts, two of my favourite bands from France and Australia respectively, recently toured around Australia. I caught them at the Forum in Melbourne, and both acts delivered a stellar show - my only qualm was that M83's support slot wasn't long enough. As Midnight Juggernauts continue their quest to be friends with the entire French music industry, M83 has become their latest remixer. This time, the hit single "Shadows" receives the Francophone treatment, and since I haven't heard it, I'll make an educated guess that the remix is both swirling and epic, which, while diluting the original's dancefloor aesthetic, imbues it with something more beautiful.

Stream: Midnight Juggernauts - "Shadows" (M83 Remix)

Best of SXSW A-Z: "C"

2008-04-15T22:46:00.008+10:00

Hailing from the Utrecht in the Netherlands, C-Mon & Kypski were originally a hip-hop turntablist duo, but have now expanded into a four piece with live instruments. Hailing from the Netherlands, they've described their sound as a mix of 'DJ Shadow, Beck, Gogol Bordello, Fela Kuti, Super Furry Animals and Justice'. To be honest, listening to their single 'Bumpy Road', I can't spot any of those bands, which makes these guys more original than they give themselves credit for. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have an insanely catchy hook, either.

MP3: C-Mon & Kypski - Bumpy Road

Bill Halliday and Gareth Jones, otherwise known as The Cansecos, remind me of two bands who were around briefly in the late 90s - Chakradiva and Arkarna. While that probably isn't the most helpful comparison, if you've heard of either of those groups, you'll know the sort of thing to expect - synth bass, beats and vocals, arranged in such a way that doesn't sound as sparse as you would expect. Smooth stuff.

MP3: The Cansecos - Raised By Wolves

Colour Revolt were one of my favourites from SXSW last year, so I'm glad they're back. This year, they've got their debut album entitled "Plunder, Beg, and Curse". I can't decide if I like their music more than the fact that they've spelt 'colour' correctly, even though they're from Mississippi, or vice-versa. In any case, they're music's fantastic - think of a slightly less bombastic ...Trail of Dead.

MP3: Colour Revolt - Naked And Red

Honourable Mentions:

Clare & The Reasons - Pluto - the harmonies and instrumentation make these guys from Brooklyn sound stereotypically New York-art. Lovely!

Collections Of Colonies Of Bees - Flocks III - possibly the longest track at SXSW, at 11 minutes.

New Video: Björk - "Wanderlust"

2008-04-03T11:41:00.004+11:00

No doubt you've already seen this clip on Youtube, but that grainy picture quality simply doesn't do it justice. If you want to truly see what a great job Encyclopedia Pictura did with this clip, download the hi-res Quicktime right now. Keep your red & green glasses at the ready for the 3D version of the clip soon.

Björk - Wanderlust

And while you wait for the 145MB download, here's a little making-of doco:

New Video: Sebastien Tellier - "Divine"

2008-04-03T11:36:00.004+11:00

As if the album art for Sebastien Tellier's new release wasn't odd enough, the bearded, sunglass-clad man turns the weirdness up a notch on his latest clip for "Divine".

MP3: Sebastien Tellier - Divine

New Death Cab Album Artwork Released

2008-03-27T00:42:00.008+11:00

For all y'all art-conscious types out there, Death Cab have made public the artwork for their upcoming LP Narrow Stairs. It's not much, but for the sake of reporting music news, here it is:

Well, there you have it. Narrow Stairs is due out in May on Warner Music.

Best Of SXSW A-Z: "B"

2008-03-25T13:44:00.004+11:00

An interesting note before we begin, there are no less than 21 bands with the word 'Black' in their name... none of which will be featured.

Back Ted N-Ted is actually the musical moniker for producer Ryan Breen, best known for his work with Imogen Heap and Chronic Future. Mixing airy electronica with breezy vocals and some simple put effective guitar work, all of course with a great production sheen.

MP3: Back Ted N-Ted - 999 Buttons

All too often bands are labeled as sounding like a mix of genres, only for the resulting sound to fail to live up that expectation. Big Red Rooster are a terribly generic looking lot, but thankfully their sound is precisely that indescribable mix of styles. Courting elements of R&B, hip-hop and pop in a slick mix of singing, rapping and chunky rock

MP3: Big Red Rooster - How U Like That

Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears will be instantly enjoyable to anyone familiar to the likes of 70's pop acts like ELO, XTC and Supertramp. Although hailing from Brooklyn, New York they seem to be in league with bands doing similar revival work across the pond in England.

MP3: Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears - Imitation Of The Sky

Honourable mentions:

Laura Barrett - Robot Ponies: a great narrative-driven song about 2053's most popular Xmas present

Bearsuit - Steven Fucking Spielberg: taking out the best song title award by a country mile

Best of SXSW A-Z: "A"

2008-03-23T18:20:00.003+11:00

Album are from Mexico, but don't write music that sounds particularly Mexican. They write electronic/rock tracks, with discordant backing vocals. Beautiful stuff. They've been described as the Radiohead of Mexican music.

MP3: Album - Stab You

Anamanaguchi are a 4-piece from New York and part of the 8bitpeoples label because their music is, well, 8 bit. Good if you like your video game music.

MP3: Anamanaguchi - Electric Supply

Nicole Atkins croons over music that reminds me of all that is good about American pop/country. Country music haters, consider this your guilty pleasure.

MP3: Nicole Atkins - Maybe Tonight

New Video: Jamie Lidell - "Little Bit Of Feel Good"

2008-03-22T13:06:00.001+11:00

New Video: Yelle - "Je Veux Te Voir"

2008-03-20T13:41:00.001+11:00

New Video: Justice - "DVNO"

2008-03-05T23:45:00.005+11:00

This is the latest single for French outfit Justice, who are sticking with So-Me (who were responsible for the clip to D.A.N.C.E.) to handle their music video duties. Glad they did, then.

Download: Justice - DVNO (for iPod)

Preview For Björk's New Video

2008-03-04T10:51:00.006+11:00

If you're familiar with Grizzly Bear, you may have seen their fantastic video for "Knife", which was made by Encyclopedia Pictura. Those guys have joined forces with design firm UVPH to work on Björk's next video for the track Wanderlust, and the pictures that have been released have been stirring up a mighty lot of hype.

Have a peek:

To prepare you more, here's Grizzly Bear with "Knife":

New Video - Gnarls Barkley: "Run"

2008-03-04T10:49:00.001+11:00

...in which Justin Timberlake is a geeked-up TV presenter, and Dangermouse & Cee-Lo give a stirring live TV performance.

New Kanye West Video: "Flashing Lights"

2008-02-20T23:40:00.002+11:00

Klaxons Bag It Up

2008-02-19T11:03:00.003+11:00

Here's the Klaxons covering Blackstreet's 'No Diggity'. It's an amazing cover - they keep it simple yet the vocals make the track sound distinctly 'Klaxon-esque'. But really, while the song is all well and good, let's remember that my photoshop skills are what are really awesome here. Seriously, that took me only about 20 minutes. If New Idea are reading this, I'm available.

MP3: Klaxons - No Diggity (via You Ain't No Picasso)

Golden Plains Final Lineup

2008-02-18T23:37:00.002+11:00

The time is almost upon us for one of the freshest and favourite Victorian music festivals - Golden Plains - the less-crowded version of Meredith Music Festival. Many were wondering whether a second lineup announcement would occur, but it seems the organisers instead opted for a trickle of extra bands such as Pikelet and Scientists of Modern Music to follow the killer first announcement.

The final lineup is:

WEEN, SHARON JONES AND THE DAP KINGS, THE VINES, IRON AND WINE, BEIRUT, OPTIMO, THE BANG GANG DEEJAYS, THE DIRTBOMBS, THE PANICS, JENS LEKMAN, KID KOALA, BRITISH INDIA, THE BAMBOOS, SOUTH RAKKAS CREW, BUFFALO TOM, JAY REATARD, SCIENTISTS OF MODERN MUSIC, FUTURE OF THE LEFT, JANE BADLER AND SIR, KAMIKAZE TRIO, PIKELET, QUA, THE FROWNING CLOUDS, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, THE SEA AND CAKE.

In Rainbows Remix

2008-02-14T12:31:00.002+11:00

It seems that U.S. hip hop artist, AmpLive, has created a mini-album of Radiohead-sampling hip hop drawn from the band's eighth studio album - In Rainbows.

Despite some mild controversy, the entire album is now available for free online.
Featuring the likes of Chali2NA of Jurassic 5 and Del The Funky Homosapien.

But hey, it's free, what more do you need to know!

Read more and Download it here

New NER*D - "Everybody Nose"

2008-01-31T12:58:00.000+11:00

While In Search Of... was a great album (both the analog and digital versions), Fly Or Die left a lot to be desired, and yet everyone will no doubt lose it when Pharrell & Co. drop their next album N*3*R*D, sometime soon.

To whet your appetite "Everybody Nose" is available to stream at the Billionaire Boys Club blog, and I've gotta tell you, it's nothing all that special. All the same, here it is:

N*E*R*D - Everybody Nose

New We Are Scientists video - "After Hours"

2008-01-30T22:27:00.000+11:00

This new track isn't anything amazing, but fortunately, the humour in the clip saves the song from complete mediocrity. Say what you like about their music, at least the guys are funny.

Worst or Best Album Art?

2008-01-30T22:01:00.000+11:00

Sebastien Tellier is about to drop his next album, Sexuality, and since he's responsible for one of my favourite tracks of all time ('La Ritournelle'), and since the album is going to be produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk, I'm keenly anticipating it's release. With excitement building, the album art has been released to the discerning public, and it's been lauded and damned at the same time. I for one, love it's shameless kitsch-value.

Sexuality is due out next month through Record Makers.

Here's the video to Mr Dan's Magic Wand Mix of La Ritournelle:

The Mars Volta Will Not Rest!

2008-01-25T14:49:00.000+11:00

So The Mars Volta's fourth studio album, Bedlam In Goliath, is out today - and already there's new material on the horizon in the form of yet another solo album from lead guitarist Omar Rodriguez Lopez.

Entitled Calibration, its released on the 25th of February and features contributions from Chilis guitarist John Frusciante, keyboardist Money Mark and TMV partner in crime Cedric Bixler-Zavala.

This confirms the band as one of the most prolific of our time, Four studio albums, a live album, and now five solo albums - its like the 70's all over again!

Check out some clips here, and you can find tracklist details over at Line of Best Fit.

NEW MUSIC ON VIDEO GAME CREDITS

2008-01-22T16:14:00.001+11:00

It's not often that a videogame will introduce you to great new music, but BioWare's meticulous sci-fi RPG Mass Effect has done just that.

The game's end credits are soundtracked by a very fitting, very unheard of Canadian band called Faunts and their excellent track M4 (Part II). Using ambient synth work and stacatto guitar it manages to evoke 80's music without sounding forcefully hip or rehashed.

Coachella 2008 Lineup Announced

2008-01-22T12:21:00.000+11:00

And so, every year, I'm reminded that Big Day Out really isn't all that big.

Update: official poster released on Pitchfork. It's easier to read than a paragraph of text.

New Zoot Woman Track + Video "We Won't Break"

2008-01-22T02:09:00.000+11:00

Stuart Price, Jonny Blake, Adam Blake and Beatrice Hatherley form Zoot Woman, a UK band who play the sort of dance/electronic music that is easy to listen to and sometimes seems made for advertising. They've made the track "We Won't Break" from their forthcoming album available at RCRDLBL, and the video is up on Youtube. If you're already familiar with the band then you'll know what to expect.

After hearing it, I'm looking forward to the new album; their 2003 self-titled album was on constant rotation for me when it was released. Oh, and if you think the name Stuart Price sounds familiar, he also goes by the monikers of Jacques Lu Cont, Les Rythmes Digitales, and Thin White Duke. Don't hold his Starsailor remix against him.

MP3: Zoot Woman - "We Won't Break" (via RCRDLBL)

Justice's Rejected Fabric Mix

2008-01-12T13:54:00.000+11:00

So the story goes that Justice were all set to release Fabriclive 37, the next in the hugely popular mix series, but the powers that be at Fabric just didn't like what the French duo came up with. "Too eclectic", they said. We thought it would be lost forever, but good news: Justice decided to give it away as a Christmas mix. You can grab it courtesy of Asian Dan.

The "eclectic" tracklist is:

01 Sparks - Tryouts For The Human Race - Virgin
02 Rondo Veneziano - La Serenissima - Universal
03 Goblin - Tenebrae - Cinevox
04 Daft Punk - Ouverture - Virgin
05 Surkin - Next Of Kin - Institubes
06 SymbolOne - Love Juice - SymbolOne
07 Korgis - Everybodys Gotta Learn Sometimes - Angel Air
08 Midnight Juggernauts - Ending Of An Era - Mindight Juggernauts
09 The Paradise Ft Romauld - In Love With You - Vulture
10 Justice - TTHHEE PPAARRTTYY (Acapella) - Ed Banger
11 Chic - Everybody Dance - Atlantic
12 Frankie Valli - Who Loves You - Warners
13 Das Pop - Underground - Das Pop
14 Julien Clerc - Quand Je Joue - EMI
15 Daniel Balavoine - Vivre Ou Survivre - Barclay
16 Richard Sanderson - Reality - Barclay
17 Zoot Woman - Grey Day - Wall Of Sound
18 Fucking Champs - Thor Is Like Immortal - Drag City
19 The Rave - Mother - The Rave
20 Fancy - You Never Know - Fancy
21 Frank Stallone - Far From Over - Universal
22 Sheila - Misery - Warners
23 Todd Rundgren - International Feel - Warners

MP3: Justice Xmas Mix

Free Mixtape from Okkervil River

2008-01-03T02:20:00.000+11:00

This one's been around a little while, but if you haven't heard already, head to Okkervil River's website and grab their mix-tape of covers and b-sides, 'Golden Opportunities'. If anything, it'll help you ride out the time until we start getting some new albums rollin' out for '08.

Okkervil River - Golden Opportunities Mixtape

Radiohead wishes you a happy new year...

2008-01-02T16:19:00.000+11:00

Here is the webcast the band made to wish everyone a happy 2008. Enjoy!

Sample Moby's forthcoming album

2007-12-27T18:49:00.000+11:00

I think everyone got tired of Moby the moment his entire album was used to sell us stuff, so I wouldn't have thought that the guy-who-kind-of-looks-like-michael-stipe would have been able to do much more to rekindle interest in his work, but apparently the sampler that has been released on Moby's site has been raising a few eyebrows.

Check it out for yourself.

Edit: I just listened to it - *yawn

Free instrumentals of YACHT and Blow

2007-12-23T16:06:00.000+11:00

Jona Bechtolt, aka YACHT, and one half of the Blow has made instrumental versions of I Believe In You, Your Magic Is Real, and Paper Television available for download.

Get them at his site.

Now, get working on those mash-ups! ("Pile of Gold" would work nicely with The Knack's "My Sharona"...)

Video: Lupe, Kanye, Pharrell (CRS) - 'Us Placers'

2007-12-20T15:22:00.001+11:00

Here's a great video clip (not sure whether it's official?) for the Thom Yorke-sampling 'Us Placers'.

Free Canon Blue EP available for download

2007-12-19T16:44:00.000+11:00

Canon Blue (aka Daniel James), is an artist on the label Rumraket, which is also where you can find arists such as Grizzly Bear, Slaraffenland and Amiina - the label itself is run by Efterklang.

I hadn't heard any of his music until I got word that his new "Halcyon" EP was available for a free download, so I pressed play without any preconceptions - I can't express how great it is to discover an artist this way, without any pressure or hype from industry-bodies.

Basically, James writes acoustic/folk music, but covers the lo-fi nature of it all with an electronic veneer. And that's all I'm going to say - I want you to judge for yourself. Consider it an early Christmas present.

Canon Blue - Halcyon EP

Goldfrapp announce new single details

2007-12-11T01:55:00.001+11:00

Goldfrapp, who recently announced their new album Seventh Tree, which will be released early next year, have just announced the first single will be a track entitled 'A & E'. I have no idea what that stands for, but no doubt all will be revealed when the single is released digitally on the February 3rd.

From what little the band has said about the forthcoming release, there seems to be hintings toward the band returning to the lush sounds of Felt Mountain, away from the electro-glam of Black Cherry and Supernature, especially when you look at the artwork for the 'A & E' single..

Also, couldn't help noticing a clown theme emerging between Alison Goldfrapp and the woman I always confuse her with, Róisín Murphy...

Bonde Do Role Australian tour cancelled

2007-12-10T18:50:00.000+11:00

Bad news as one of the concerts I was really looking forward to this summer has been cancelled. Brazilian baile-funk outfit Bonde Do Role have had to cancel their upcoming Australian tour over December/January for reasons currently unknown, meaning the band will not be making their scheduled appearances at Falls Festival, Field Day, Southbound Festival, Sydney Festival or any of their headlining dates.

If you bought a ticket for their headlining shows in Melbourne, Adelaide or Brisbane, you can get a refund from the point of purchase.

Video: Cut Off Your Hands - Oh Girl

2007-12-10T17:55:00.000+11:00

Well, while last week's dates for Cut Off Your Hands were cancelled due to Nick's injuries he sustained when jumping from 15 feet to the stage, the nice folks at Etch 'n' Sketch have made the band's new video available in delicious Quicktime format (no pesky youtube!) for you to grab.

The clip features the band building things up, and yes, tearing things down. What more could you ask for? And if you say "a live gig", well then, you'll just have to wait.

To grab the clip for your very own, click on the picture above; the username is "Cut Off Your Hands", and the password is "video" (all without quotation marks). Too easy.

Album Review: The Black Lips - Good Bad, Not Evil

2007-12-05T17:31:00.000+11:00

It's funny how sometimes, you can just tell from an album whether or not a band will tear it up live or not. Such is the case with The Black Lips, whose debut major-release album, Good Bad, Not Evil, conveys the impression that during their time in the recording studio, the sound-proof walls barely held them in.

Hailing from Atlanta, The Black Lips, known for their raucous live shows, would have had a hard time making a studio-based album that anywhere near matched the intensity of their earlier live album, Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo. Thankfully, this album is not only filled with quality material, but a wide range of it as well. While a large proportion of tracks, such as 'Bad Kids' and 'It Feels Alright' are still carry the band's raw sound, the band changes it up on tracks such as 'Veni, Vidi, Vici', which is a summer tune backed by a calypso-style loop, while Southern country music can be heard on the track 'How do you tell a child that someone has died?'

While many bands of the same ilk as have tried for so long to record studio albums that emulate their live shows, The Black Lips have realised that such a feat would be impossible, and to some degree, a waste of time - instead, they've released a brilliant album that perfectly complements their live shows, showing a different side of the band.

So get the album, and their earlier live recordings if you can find them, and make sure you see the guys when they hit our shores in a couple of weeks. If you're in Melbourne, try and get to their gig at the Tote, with Eddy Current Suppression Ring, who deliver the most intense live show of any Melbourne band. Seeing both bands on stage will be something special.

Tour dates are:
Meredith Festival - December 15
Oxford Art Factory, Sydney - December 18
The Arthouse, Melbourne - December 19
The Tote, Melbourne - December 21

Vice Records have a couple of Black Lips tracks available to download:
Black Lips - Not A Problem (Live from Tijuana)
Black Lips - Cold Hands

Good Bad, Not Evil is out now through Etch 'n' Sketch and Vice Records Australia

Note: if you're going to buy this album, then make sure you get the Australian exclusive edition that comes with with a live DVD of the Black Lips live in Israel - that alone should be worth the price.

Broken Social Scene East-Coast tour announced

2007-12-05T17:12:00.000+11:00

More Canucks coming our way, and this time it's Toronto supergroup Broken Social Scene. While the band hasn't released anything since their self-titled album, one of the band leaders, Kevin Drew, has released his 'Spirit If...' album.

While the Laneway Festival has it billed as 'Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew', these sideshows will include a mix of BSS hits, and newer works by Kevin Drew, played by the whole band.

And given that Feist is one of the sometime-singers in the band, maybe it's not too much to hope for some special encore guests? I'm just sayin'..

Note: Lucky Brisbane fans get to see BSS label-mates Stars play as well in the same show, the rest of you will have to pony up for separate tickets if you're a fan of both bands.

Melbourne: The Corner

Wednesday February 27

Tickets from from The Corner

Sydney: Manning Bar

Thursday February 28

Tickets from from Moshtix

Brisbane (with Stars): The Zoo

Friday February 29
Tickets from The Zoo

All tickets on sale December 18

Feist sideshows announced

2007-12-05T15:26:00.000+11:00

Arguably one of the biggest acts for next year's laneway festival, Feist, has announced a couple of sideshows for fans who prefer the acoustics of an indoor venue.

Tickets go on sale December 10 - buy one before anyone who's seen an iPod decides to.

Tuesday 26 February 2008 – Prince of Wales, Melbourne
Tickets from Ticketek or Prince Bandroom

Friday 29 February 2008 - Metro Theatre, Sydney
Tickets from Ticketek or Metro Theatre

New Kanye West Video - "Good Morning"

2007-12-02T10:24:00.000+11:00

While not officially released, Takashi Murakami (the same artist responsible for the cover art on Graduation) has created a short film for the intro track, "Good Morning", in which the stylised bear that's been the theme of all 3 of Kanye's albums, finally gets what he set out for all those years ago.

This video is currently being shown at the Murakami exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in LA.

Free Mars Volta Track

2007-12-01T11:53:00.000+11:00

So it seems Radiohead have set a bit of a trend; while not in the same epic vein, The Mars Volta are offering a new track to download for free over at their website. The fee? completing a slide puzzle of course. If you don't have the patience (or sheer talent) to complete the task - there's always The Hype Machine...

Head over here to try your hand

V Festival 2008 Announced

2007-11-29T15:17:00.001+11:00

Yet another festival announcement.

Last year's V Festival cause quite a stir with its star-studded lineup including Pixies, Beck and Phoenix, but the big thing holding it back for many was the fact that it was only held in Sydney and the Gold Coast. Melbourne concert goers who couldn't afford a flight up to Sydney were given V Festival sideshows which cost a premium, merely to see a few acts. At the time, the organisers of the festival had said that their research indicated that Melbourne wasn't a festival city, with people preferring to go to sideshows.

Thankfully, along with the acts announced today for next years incarnation of the festival, the organisers have decided to take it nationwide!

Dates for the festival are:
Sydney: Centennial Park, Saturday March 29th, 2008
Gold Coast: Avica Resort, Sunday March 30th, 2008
Melbourne: Showgrounds, Saturday April 5th, 2008
Perth: The Esplanade (City), Sunday April 6th, 2008

And the line-up so far is:
The Smashing Pumpkins, Duran Duran, Queens of the Stone Age, Mika, The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Presets, Air (!), CSS, The Tough Alliance, and Plug-In City.
(Mika and Air won't be playing the Perth leg of the tour)

So there you have it. Tickets go on sale Thursday December 6, get them through the website.

Iron & Wine; Beirut announce Australian tour-dates

2007-11-27T20:29:00.000+11:00

Two great releases this year were Iron & Wine's The Shepherd's Dog and Beirut's The Flying Cub Cup, and while both acts have already been announced for the Golden Plains festival, those of you who feel you can't justify the $190 for a ticket will be happy to know that both acts have announced separate tourdates around the country as follows:

Iron & Wine

Melbourne - Friday March 7 - The Athenaeum Theatre (tix from Ticketmaster)

Sydney - Tuesday March 11 - The Maning Bar (tix from Moshtix)

Brisbane - Sunday March 9 - The Zoo (tix from The Zoo)

Beirut

Melbourne - Tuesday March 11 - The Corner Hotel (tix from The Corner)

Sydney - Wednesday March 5 - Manning Bar (tix from Moshtix)

Brisbane - Thursday March 6 - The Zoo (tix from The Zoo)

Both artists will be bringing full backing bands along for the ride, so you can expect some very special shows.

Let's Get Digital!

2007-10-29T22:40:00.000+11:00

Insound, purveyors of all things 'indie' and 'pitchfork', have teamed up with CMJ, the massive music and film festival in NYC, to bring you an mp3 compilation of some of the fine acts that have played there this year, and best of all, it's free!

Acts include Crystal Castles, British Sea Power, HEALTH, and We Are Wolves.

Check out the rest of the acts, and download the album from Insound

update: The CMJ compilations are coming thick and fast! If that wasn't enough for you, grab the even bigger free compilation from my favourite (legal) source for mp3s, eMusic.

Hooray for free music!

Universal, EMI, Warner to sell singles on USB drives

2007-10-20T18:53:00.000+10:00

In the latest move by record labels desperate to convince themselves they're up-to-date with what the kids deem cool, and at the same time try and prevent the death of the single, three big record labels have announced that from as early as October 29, they will start releasing singles on USB drives at £4.99 - for now it seems the format is being trialled in the UK, with the rest of the world to follow if the model proves successful.

According to Brian Rose, the commercial director for the UK division of Universal Music, where the USB singles will be trialled, the drives are "aimed at the younger, 12- to 24-year-olds, who no longer believe that the CD is as cool as it used to be".

While this claim may have some validity, this seems an odd move to make. Given that to play the music, you need a computer, a large portion of their target audience would already have an iPod or some other portable device, and a large percentage of those people, if they did want a single, would be able to buy it from iTunes for £0.99. So what's the sweetener?

Apparently, the USB drive will have 'bonus content' on them, which I assume will include a ringtone and wallpaper - I realise the ringtone market is highly lucrative, but what kid is going to want to have a drawer full of low-capacity USB drives sitting around?

I just hope the record labels have a recycling plan for when everyone has copied the music off their USBsingle.

Bruce Springsteen and Arcade Fire

2007-10-16T15:11:00.000+10:00

At a recent gig in Canada, Bruce Springsteen joined Arcade Fire on stage to perform 'Keep the Car Running'. Don't believe me? Observe:

Interview: Midnight Juggernauts

2007-10-08T20:18:00.000+10:00

It’s been a long time coming, but Melbourne band Midnight Juggernauts have finally released their debut album, Dystopia, and it’s been making waves amongst critics and listeners alike. Nobodymove! spoke with Andy Juggernaut about the band's new album, the rise of iTunes, and their own record label, ‘Siberia’.

Nobodymove!: While more and more new albums – especially ‘dance’ albums – seem to be just a collection of singles, Dystopia is an album that is really ‘an album’, with a beginning, middle and end.

Andy Juggernaut: It was important to us…to make a proper album that you listen to; [an album’s] like a journey. We spent a lot of time with the tracklisting, trying to have something that flows and goes through different types of styles, emotions, and it’s something we placed a lot of emphasis on – making sure it wasn’t just a collection of songs, and something you’d want to sit at home and listen to, rather than just out at a club.

NM: People who’ve seen you live in the past would associate your sound with music you dance to, yet you’ve included some tracks there that are a little more down-tempo. Had you been writing much music in that style over the years?

AJ: We’d never played that style live, and while we’d worked on little things in demos, it was stuff that was never going to happen until we started working on the album…The thing about an album is you get that opportunity to experiment more. While our last EP [Shadows] boosted us a lot, it was very dance-oriented. They were very quick tracks, and we got a couple of singles out of it…but with the album, you do get the chance to try out different things, and with tracks like ‘Dystopia’ and ‘Aurora’, you don’t have to worry about everything being a single, and you have the opportunity to experiment.

NM: The album’s been a long time in the making for you. Was it difficult to choose what made the album, given you had years of ideas to work with?

AJ: We had a lot of tracks we wrote in the lead up, and there was some hard decisions as to what tracks we left off, but in the end, we went with the songs that went best together – it was important that the tracks worked together as an album. [Recording the album] was an organic process, and in some ways it ended up different to what we thought it was going to be beforehand, because when we got into the studio environment, and had the studio at our disposal, we came out with this. We’re really happy with it, as it represents what we did at that time. Our next record is going to be very different, and we’ll probably always be like that.

NM: Given the music industry is going through some dramatic changes, with power shifting from labels, and online retailers like iTunes becoming how people receive their music, releasing an album seems to have become a very different process. How did the band deal with all this?

AJ: iTunes have been great for us, as we’ve been playing the game of singles, and bonus tracks with [online purchased] singles, but I’d be really sad if the actual album died, because it’s a very different experience when you have a full album – you can listen to it from start to finish…sometimes songs don’t quite make sense unless listened to in context.
Things like blogs and song downloads are the way things are going, and record labels are accordingly trying to change how they sell music; record sales are going down as a result, and now they want all sorts of things that create revenue, like merchandise, and pieces of tour money, which is something that was unheard of before. While downloading will continue, hopefully the album never dies…you just have to think of creative ways to get people to buy them. I’ve always been interested in the actual artwork of the album, so we spent a lot of time with our artwork, wanting to make something we really liked and would want to buy ourselves.

NM: For the release of Dystopia, you did it through the band’s label ‘Siberia’. How did the decision to form your own label come about, and has it work out for you?

AJ: Having our own label afforded us a lot more freedom. It was never something we set out to do, but each time the possibility of signing has come up, we’ve thought it may be better if we did it ourselves, if we had a good grasp of where we wanted to take the band, and how we wanted to do things… that’s why we stayed independent. On our last EP, the label was more or less a stamp, but with this album, it has been functioning a lot more like a label, so there’s been a lot more work associated with all the press, and everything that comes with releasing an album – the extra work at times can be stressful, but is ultimately rewarding, because we do have the freedom to make the decisions and do what we want, and we’re not having to answer to anybody, which is great. At a time like this – we were really busy, and spent a lot of time overseas, while there was a lot of stuff that needed to be done back here to promote the album, and we had to constantly approve or disapprove things – it was good to know we’re doing it ourselves, and we own our music. Maybe one day, we can put other artists out on the label.

Big Day Out 2008 Line-Up Revealed!

2007-10-02T13:35:00.000+10:00

Big Day Out, while being seen by many as the preeminent Australian music festival, has in the past few years been quite underwhelming in the bands it delivers. Thank god the first announcement hints at the next Big Day Out to be the first one to be excited about in years:

International acts this year are:
Rage Against The Machine, Björk, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Dizzee Rascal, Battles, Billy Bragg, Cut Off Your Hands.

Local acts:
Grinspoon, Hilltop Hoods, Paul Kelly, Sarah Blasko, Faker, Midnight Juggernauts, Something With Numbers.

Melbourne tickets will be on sale October 12 from Ticketmaster, and Missing Link, Polyester et al for $125.

Make sure to get your ticket before all the Rage Against The Machine fans who missed out on their solo show snap them up.

Full info at www.bigdayout.com

Kanye West wants YOU!

2007-10-01T18:56:00.000+10:00

...to know he has a sense of humour.

Here he is on SNL recently, taking part in a sketch where he recreates his hissy-fits at the Europe MTV awards, where he argued on stage with the winners of 'best video', and more recently at the MTV VMAs, where he failed to bag any wins.

NEW RADIOHEAD!!!

2007-10-01T16:37:00.000+10:00

I don't think there were enough exclamation marks there in that title. If you haven't already heard the news, here's the deal:

from Dead Air Space (Radiohead's official site)

Hello everyone.
Well, the new album is finished, and it's coming out in 10 days;

We've called it In Rainbows.

Love from us all.
Jonny

Sure enough, head over to In Rainbows, and there is the full deal about the new album. In what could be the most exciting move ever by such a large band, the album is available for pre-order exclusively from the site in two ways:

First, there's the download option - you'll be able to download the album when it is released on October 10, and the coolest part is that YOU specify how much you want to pay for it!

Second, there's the 'discbox' option, that will appeal to radiohead die-hards everywhere (myself included). It will be shipped on December 3rd, and also includes a download of the album, as well as In Rainbows on CD, and on 2 x 12" Heavyweight Vinyl, a second bonus CD with new songs, digital photographs and artwork. The discbox also contains artwork and lyrics booklets, all encased in a hardback book and slipcase, all for the sum of £40 (approx. A$92), which includes shipping.

The tracklisting of discbox is:

CD 1 AND VINYL
15 STEP
BODYSNATCHERS
NUDE
WEIRD FISHES/ARPEGGI
ALL I NEED
FAUST ARP
RECKONER
HOUSE OF CARDS
JIGSAW FALLING INTO PLACE
VIDEOTAPE

CD 2
MK 1
DOWN IS THE NEW UP
GO SLOWLY
MK 2
LAST FLOWERS
UP ON THE LADDER
BANGERS AND MASH
4 MINUTE WARNING

And here's what it will look like:

2nd Falls Festival Line-Up Announcement

2007-09-29T17:23:00.000+10:00

Falls Festival has just announced the second part of their line-up for this year's new years' festivities, which consists of international acts The Pipettes (UK); Bonde Do Role (bon-jay-der-hole-ay) (Brazil) and Cut Off Your Hands (NZ).

Adding to the local talent are Angus and Julia Stone; Clare Bowditch and the Feeding Set; Old Man River; Lior; Jeff Lang; The Beautiful Girls; Little Red; Operator Please; Regurgitator; The Herd; The Scientists of Modern Music.

Seems that the first announcement had all the big names (The Go! Team; Girl Talk; BRMC; Kings of Leon; Groove Armada), but still there's more to be announced - who knows what's up Falls' sleeves...

As for me, I'll be waiting for the first Big Day Out line-up, announced this-coming Tuesday.

Deerhoof offers mp3 album

2007-09-24T21:37:00.001+10:00

I've now had the pleasure of seeing San Franciscan art-rockers Deerhoof live a couple of times, and they definitely rank highly in my top live bands to see, if only for the sight of seeing drummer (and unofficial band leader) Greg Saunier beating his minimal kit to an absolute pulp.

A bit of time's passed since the group released their last album, Friend Opportunity, so to fill the Deerhood void some of you may be feeling, the group have put up a free mp3 album on their website. But act fast, as they don't know how long they can keep this stuff up there before the powers-that-be decide they'd like to keep the material for a 'limited edition bonus disc' on the next album.

Grab the tracks here.

Unreleased Doves tracks

2007-09-21T19:33:00.000+10:00

The story of Doves is one that is often repeated - initially a dance group named Sub Sub, who had moderate success with their #3 UK single, "Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)", their project ended in 1995 when their studio burnt to the ground. Deciding to leave Sub Sub as dead and buried, the trio decided to go down a different path, and became Doves.

In my opinion, this band is hugely underrated. While it seems that with every album they increase their public exposure a little bit more, given similarities they share with bands such Coldplay, Elbow and other British bands, it's surprising more people don't know about them. They are currently in the studio recording their 4th LP, but if you haven't heard their work before, I strongly recommend picking up their debut effort "Lost Souls" - every song is a masterpiece, and it's an album you will find yourself constantly returning to.

While nothing is really known about the new album, the band has posted some outtakes material on their website which you can only get to if you find the button they have hidden on their page - for your convenience, I've got direct links to their songs. Apparently these are old outtakes, and not new material, but there's some good stuff in there nonetheless. Enjoy!

"Track 8""Track 9"
"Track 10"
"Track 11"
"Track 12"
"Track 13"
"Track 14"
"Track 15"
"Track 16"
"Track 17"

Rage Against the Machine announce Australian dates

2007-09-19T15:42:00.000+10:00

While some (including myself) thought that the RATM reunion at Coachella music festival was a one-off, it seems like the band are well and truly back together, with a mission to fix politics all over again. Said Tom Morello to MTV:

"It occurred to all of us that the times were right to see if we can knock the Bush administration out in one fell swoop, and we hope to do that job well… There is no action without reaction. And we're part of that reaction"

Rage against the machine will be bringing their 'reaction' to Australia early 2008, playing Sydney Entertainment Centre on January 22, and Melbourne's Festival Hall on January 30. And while not announced as yet, I think it's almost safe to assume that a Big Day Out appearance is on the cards.

Free EP from Great Lake Swimmers

2007-09-16T17:17:00.000+10:00

Everyone loves free stuff, so everyone should love the fact that Canadian indie rock/folk band Great Lake Swimmers are making a live EP available for you to download! They've garnered comparisons to artists such as Will Oldham, Nick Drake and Iron & Wine, so that should give you a fair idea of what you're in for.

But what am I saying? It's free! Check it out and make your own call.

Great Lake Swimmers - Live EP

New Kanye video - "Good Life"

2007-09-13T14:50:00.001+10:00

With MTV (a.k.a. 'the man') hating on Kanye, it looks like everyone's favourite temper-tantrum throwing superstar has decided he's going to make friends elsewhere. Specifically, in France, by getting So-Me (responsible for the great video for Justice's "D.A.N.C.E.") to work their visual magic on the newest video from Kanye's forthcoming release, Graduation. Nice stuff, even though it seems that he's now started referencing his own previous songs in his new songs.

New single from The Weakerthans

2007-09-13T14:35:00.000+10:00

The Weakerthans are an indie rock band from Canada, who have garnered quite a name for themselves with their mix of punk, rock, folk, country and sonnets, though hopefully not all at the same time. I was introduced to these guys through their new single, 'Night Windows', which will appear on their next release - Reunion Tour. It's an amazing track which combines folk and rock music under beautiful harmonies. It will possibly be the nicest thing you hear all day.

The Weakerthans - 'Night Windows'

Album Review: The Kissaway Trail - Self-Titled

2007-09-09T22:07:00.000+10:00

The Kissaway Trail are a new band from Odense, Denmark, with an awful name, though their music is much better than their English. Their self-titled debut is essentially an indie-rock affair over eleven tracks, filled with catchy melodies, and crosses the spectrum of instrumentation, with large string arrangements on some tracks, and banjos and mandolins on others. The album standout is undoubtedly the single “Smother + Evil = Hurt”, which, with its lush orchestral instrumentation backing a rock sound, brings to mind that other epic-sounding band The Polyphonic Spree. Except while the latter has thirty members, and The Kissaway Trail have five. The fact that such a young band can have such a big sound is a testament to their ability. With that said, the album does, at times, dip into a repetitive state, but all in all it’s a strong debut effort. If you loved the latest album from The Arcade Fire, then you should find something to love in The Kissaway Trail.

The Kissaway Trail is out now through Etch 'n' Sketch / Inertia

Album Review: New Buffalo - Somewhere, Anywhere

2007-09-09T22:04:00.001+10:00

On ‘Somewhere, Anywhere’, New Buffalo (a.k.a. Sally Seltmann) has decided to go back to the basics. While her debut album ‘The Last Beautiful Day’ was full of samples and electronic beats, the majority of the tracks were, this time, written on Seltmann’s antique Thurmer piano. As a result, Seltmann’s new album is a stripped-back listen, which feels incredibly intimate, as many of the tracks being nothing more than vocals and piano.

The fact that the songs are often so bare in their instrumentation highlights the brilliant song-writing that is present here; while in many albums, subtleties can easily be lost behind over-production and samples, this isn’t a problem for New Buffalo. On album highlights such as ‘City And Sea’ and ‘Versay’, it almost sounds as if you’re listening to a live performance right inside her studio.

Seltmann, a multi-instrumentalist, has said that she found it more of a challenge to focus solely on composing on the one instrument. If this is what she produces when she limits herself to focusing on one small area of her ability, then I really hope she does more of the same for her next effort.

Somewhere, Anywhere is out now through Remote Control

Album Review: The National - Boxer

2007-09-09T21:58:00.000+10:00

They say that record labels will only listen to 30 seconds of a band before they decide whether a band has what it takes. If that’s really the case, then I’m honestly surprised this five-piece from New York ever managed to get signed at all, let alone release four albums. I can tell you this much from the outset: The National are not a band that will grab you immediately. They are the epitome of those bands that are ‘a grower’. Their previous album, the critically-acclaimed ‘Alligator’, is a key example of this: initially dismissed as ‘nothing special’ by reviewers upon its release, by the end of 2005 it was raved about.

‘Boxer’ starts off strong with their first single ‘Fake Empire’, and never relents in its intensity, even if it’s a quiet, slow-burning sort of intensity. Throughout, Matt Berninger’s gin-soaked vocals (which many instantly compare to Nick Cave) create a mood of a man who often drinks alone, but is never judged for it – he’s probably celebrated, if anything. The album’s introspective nature is something that makes The National so special: while there are hundreds of bands out there yelling and screaming for your attention these days, the National are content to just keep playing until you discover them.

Boxer is out now through Remote Control / Inertia

Picking Up Where We Left Off

2007-09-09T21:55:00.000+10:00

...kind of.

Given the last post here was in May, I've resolved to start posting again, and more frequently, starting the the backlog of reviews that I've yet to post.

Sorry (again) about the delay.

Warm & Scratchy

2007-05-22T10:03:00.000+10:00

The guys over at Adult Swim have been making a habit lately of giving free music packs just for the hell of it, and they're showing no signs of stopping. While the previous Chrome Children and Definite Swim compilations were hip-hop themed, their new offer is strictly an indie-rock affair, with tracks from The Rapture, Les Savy Fav and Broken Social Scene.

Check out and download the whole tracklist here.

Best of SXSW: Beat The Devil

2007-05-17T09:16:00.000+10:00

The first things you'll notice on listening to Beat the Devil's 'Shine in Exile' are the vocals, (inadequately describable as a sort of 'languid croon'), and the fact that there are no guitars - just a harmonium (with some bass & drums). Both of these are supplied by lead singer Shilpa Ray. Forced to play harmonium and sing since she was 8, Ray was raised in a strict Hindu household, where Western music was forbidden. As a result, the band's music sounds as if Ray, upon discovering Western music for herself, decided to incorporate as much as possible into her own work. There are echoes of jazz, blues, folk, and rock all within the one track, and it's unlike anything else I've heard recently.

Beat the Devil currently have a self-titled EP, available from their site here.

Beat the Devil - Shine In Exile
Beat the Devil - Plea Bargain

Best of SXSW: The Kissaway Trail

2007-05-16T20:05:00.000+10:00

The Kissaway Trail come from Odense, Denmark: this fact excuses them from what is a terrible name for a band. Their music, on the other hand, is much more appreciable. The Kissaway Trail are five young kids who write big, swirling rock songs; lead single 'Smother + Evil = Hurt' evokes the majesty of The Polyphonic Spree, without sounding derivative. Like the 'Spree, and many other new acts, standard instrumentation doesn't cut it anymore. For extra texture, The Kissaway Trail use a lot of strings, banjo and mandolins in their tracks, and it is exceedingly effective: first time I listened to their single, I was blown away. Grab it below.

The Kissaway Trail: Smother + Evil = Hurt

Their self-titled debut release is out now on Etch 'n' Sketch.

Best of SXSW 2007

2007-05-16T19:27:00.000+10:00

Every year around March, the centre of the music world seems to be in Austin, Texas, where the south by southwest music conference is held. It's a week packed full of bands who could be 'the next big thing'. Finally, two months after the event, I've managed to compile somewhat of a 'best of' the conference, and while the general consensus was that this year's installment was a little mediocre, there were still some standouts.

I'll be trying to put up a new artist profile each day. Here goes...

Note: While there were many amazing bands playing there (such as The Polyphonic Spree), I'm only going to be mentioning bands who also supplied a sample track for download.

Our Love To Admire

2007-05-12T16:49:00.000+10:00

It seems the new thing is for album art to leak, and so, in keeping with current trends, here is what will be gracing the cover of the new album from Interpol, 'Our Love To Admire'. While the black, white and red colour scheme that adorned their previous two albums is nowhere to be seen, it's been replaced by something that's just as uplifting:

'Our Love To Admire' will be out on Remote Control soon.

Album Review: Maxïmo Park - Our Earthly Pleasures

2007-05-08T18:29:00.000+10:00

Our Earthly Pleasures is the second effort from the Newcastle quintet, and while their debut effort – A Certain Trigger – was defined by its hastiness and raw energy, the band has taken much more time and care in crafting their second release. This time, production duties were given to Gil Norton, producer to Foo Fighters and Pixies circa Doolittle. The result is an album that is more anthemic, bolder, and certainly more radio-friendly, but perhaps lacking some of the eager, nervous energy of their debut.

‘Girls Who Play Guitars’ starts the album off on a strong note. While it’s instantly clear that this is a more polished effort than Trigger, the energy from Trigger is still eminent in the angular guitars and Smith’s energetic howl. Lead single ‘Our Velocity’ continues the album at a similar pace. The album briefly dips when it reaches the middle two tracks, ‘When ‘Karaoke Plays’ and ‘Your Urge’, which are both forgettable tracks; both seem to keep a constant flat-line of dynamics for the duration of the song.

Smith’s lyrics throughout are fantastic, and possibly even save some of the songs from obscurity. On ‘A Fortnight’s Time’ he sings, on relationships, ‘when it comes to girls I’m mostly hypothetical / if I list their names it’s purely alphabetical / when it comes to girls I’m truly theoretical / if I touch their nerve it’s merely dialectical’. Similar themes are prevalent through the rest of the tracks, but it doesn’t get old. As has been the case with their other songs, Smith proves himself the backbone of the band.

Our Earthly Pleasures is better sounding, both crisper and cleaner, and more calculated than their previous work. Whether this is a good thing really depends on what you prefer. But while half the album is made of catchy rock songs that will be sure-fire hits (‘Girls Who Play Guitars’, ‘A Fortnight’s Time’, ‘Our Velocity’), the other half is forgettable (‘Your Urge’, ‘Sandblasted And Set Free’, ‘By The Monument’). If one thing’s for certain, make sure you see this band live, as reports of their live gigs in the UK show that even the weaker tracks on the album will sound fantastic when the middleman of the sound-deck is cut out.

Do the D.A.N.C.E.

2007-05-01T17:26:00.000+10:00

Here's the new video clip from French act Justice; both the song and the video are two of the coolest things I've heard/seen in ages. Look out for the 12" single soon (including 'Phantom').

JUSTICE - D.A.N.C.E.
Uploaded by edbangerrecords

Gorillaz call it quits

2007-04-28T13:38:00.000+10:00

From NME:

Damon Albarn has confirmed that Gorillaz will release no more studio albums.

The Blur singer said that the only project left for the cartoon band will be a film featuring a score composition, that has previously been linked to filmmaker and 'Monty Python' mastermind Terry Gilliam.

Speaking to BBC Radio 2, Albarn said: "We're trying to make a film next, starting in September hopefully. It will be a film score. There won't be another pop record."

This could well turn out to be one of the smartest moves Albarn makes, as it seems that the fictional band reached their peak with the release of Demon Days. Expect rumours of a Blur reunion to start any day now.

Please bear with us...

2007-04-20T14:54:00.000+10:00

...as I work my way through 250-odd tracks from artists that performed this year at South By Southwest 2007.

Expect a bunch of free music and artist profiles. soon. I promise.

Album Review: LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver

2007-04-08T15:44:00.000+10:00

Many will remember LCD Soundsystem for giving us the anthemic ‘Daft Punk is playing at my house’ a couple of years ago. If you ended up buying that eponymous album, it seemed like that was unfortunately one of the few highlights present.

Thankfully, James Murphy has rectified that by releasing a follow-up that is so strong, and so well put-together that I will be quite surprised if it doesn’t feature in many critics’ top lists of 2007. Album-opener ‘Get Innocuous’ kicks off the affair sounding a lot like James Murphy’s other main pseudonym/project, DFA; with lots of processed beats and repeated synth loops. But what makes Sound Of Silver so wonderful is that it really traverses a wide range of styles – it’s clear that Murphy is, in a sense, creating a mosaic of many of his favourite styles of music. If you played someone the first track, followed by the final track ‘New York I Love You But…’, they’d think you were playing two completely different artists.

It’s this chameleon-like quality of the album that makes it so enjoyable to listen to, and yet at the same time it is completely cohesive in its entirety. Elsewhere on the album, Murphy engages in a bit of political commentary on ‘North American Scum’, and writes slightly melancholic lyrics on ‘All My Friends’. The peak of the album is, appropriately, right in the centre, with ‘All My Friends’ and ‘Us Vs. Them’ both long sprawling tracks (each clocking in at over 7 minutes), that start off with minimal beginnings and gradually build and build until you realise that you’re nodding your head to the churning, swirling beats that are coming out of those headphones. Highly recommended.

Ed Bangin'

2007-03-27T09:24:00.000+10:00

Ed Banger Records is a French label run by Busy P, who also happens to be the manager of Daft Punk. By now, the Ed Banger label had really made itself known worldwide, especially in Melbourne after the Ed Banger party, and Sebastian & Kavinsky's amazing set at Golden Plains festival. These guys have been putting out fantastic, dirty dance music for a while now, and it's all gotten better with their Ed Banger Records Vol. 2 compilation. You can get a hold of their stuff from the U.S. here, and from France here.

For now, here's one of the originals (and best) from the Ed Banger archives: SebastiAn - Ross Ross Ross