I'm not shy in admitting that I'm not a huge fan of current trends in hip-hop. Commercialisation almost destroyed it. A whole bunch of annoying idiots got involved in making fairly sub-standard music. The Australian versions have been almost as bad, and much derided and I think, in many respects, for good reason. Still some people are plugging along and creating some interesting stuff.
Some time ago, I received an email from a Brisbane hip-hop artist by the name of Tenda McFly, but didn't get a chance to listen to his stuff until tonight. He has created a free mix tape for download that is surprisingly catchy. He uses a bunch of well known indie songs and adds in rapping and other beats to make something that fairly interesting. Artists include Grizzly Bear, Regina Spektor, Jamie T and The XX.
This is a great local hard-rock album, despite its strange title. Reminds me a lot of Helmet and The Mark of Cain. Saw them play at the opening of The Alley, but the sound was terrible.
The debut record of local hard rock outfit The Mercy Beat does not seem to contain explicit instructions on how to clean Himalayan bovine. Instead, the Brisbane quartet offer a journey into a realm where guitar riffs are hard currency. Landing somewhere between Kyuss and Helmet, The Mercy Beat valiantly attempt to recreate the electric atmosphere for which their live shows are renowned. For the most part this strategy succeeds, as demonstrated on tracks such as Arouzin Yispouse and I Was Born Yesterday, where the band opts to jump out of the gates guitars blazing. 2 Nein No, perhaps the record’s most interesting track, deftly uses dissonant lead riffs and punk-inspired rhythms to describe the perils of Devo-inspired dance floor chaos. While it can occasionally feel that a few of the slower numbers want for an injection of tempo, The Mercy Beat’s debut record is ultimately a satisfying experience
Hi y'all. A quick plug for an event I am intimately involved with - specifically SHOOT, put on by local Brisbane community group, the 4C Arts Collective.
Basically, we're throwing an 'art party' this Saturday October 2nd at The Alley in the city. This involves three bands, other performance arts, such as Guns and Kids (some kind of drum/dance battle I'm told), visual feasts and a variety of multimedia. The whole idea behind it is to mash as many different artistic and creative disciplines in one place and donate all proceeds to a charitable organisation or community art project.
This will be the sixth art extravaganza put on by the collective and they're always a great night out. Tickets are $15. If you buy from oztix, you get a free drink. It's a pretty great price for everything you get.
This time round, proceeds are being donated to Six Degrees - the climate change activist group associated with Friends of the Earth.
Long time no speak? I'm still snowed under with work and house move. Planning to catch up on the writing this weekend.
Quick shout out to let you know of the emergence of a new space / venue in the heart of Brisbane.
The Alley is an artspace located in laneway just off Elizabeth street, near Ticketek main office. I don't believe it has anything to do with the old Alley bar that used to be at Milton.
They're doing their opening gig tomorrow night with The Mercy Beat headlining (rad!). Others include I Am Tiger and Massai. $10 / BYO / Doors: 8pm.
They're also hosting the next 4C Art party in October in which yours truly is playing at.
Great that these types of venues are opening up around the city!
It is an election frenzy at the moment here in Australia. The two candidates for the position of Supreme Leader of Australia have been involved in an often heated debate on the issue of The Boat People.
I decided to cut straight to the chase and ask The Boat People in person what they thought of the election thus far, and get their side of the story. James from the Boaties was kind enough to indulge me.
It's election time and Tony Abbott and Julia Gibbard seem determined to make The Boat People an election-changing issue? What have you guys done to warrant such concern?!
Well it's very flattering to see ourselves in the headlines but without trying to jump to conclusions I'm not sure Tony Abbott is a fan of indie-pop, so perhaps it's not us he's referring to! You never know though. Perhaps the Liberal party should use a Shins track in their next T.V. ad!
Have you considered sending the candidates a copy of your quite accomplished third record Dear Darkly to assure them that the Boat People are contributing positively to Australian society?
No, but I thought I saw Julia Gillard at a gig recently. Then I thought it was Elly Jackson from La Roux. Turned out it was neither, but for a moment I was quite excited!!
What policy do you think the major party candidates should be concentrating on instead? Do you have any reform advice?
Well, I've never been a fan of economic rationalism so it would be a nice surprise if the major parties truly recognised the intrinsic, non-material value of the arts and followed that up with policy. That and a federal "free guitar strings for poor musicians" grant.
Echo Stick Guitars. Coming to a political ad near you.
If you had to pick a song off Dear Darkly to accompany a political or election ad, which one would it be? And could you imagine what kind of message this hypothetical ad might contain?
Perhaps "Echo Stick Guitars" because it's the most nonsensical song we've ever put out! Plus it has an off-beat electro drum feel that always makes me think "spoken by R. Reynolds for the Labour Party, Canberra".
You've been touring about now, heavily promoting Dear Darkly, hows the response been?
It's been the best response we've ever had! We're loving playing live more than ever, and good thing too as there's a lot more touring to come.
Will touring pretty much define the rest of 2010? Any international touring plans?
Somewhat ironically, in a week where our new supreme leader cracks the whip on asylum seekers, Brisbane indie-pop group The Boat People release what is probably their most accessible album to date, Dear Darkly. This is the group’s third record and comes on the back of two critically acclaimed records, Chandeliers (2008) and yesyesyesyesyes (2005).
Generally, this record doesn’t disappoint. Dear Darkly advances musically upon the base constructed by its predecessors but doesn’t stray to far from a winning formula; that of Australiana pop music. In fact, there seems to be a streak of Australian melodic tropes, common to popular 70s and 80s Australian groups such as the Triffids, INXS, Australian Crawl and the Church, that permeates the Boaties music on Dear Darkly. Have a listen to ‘Dance to My Pain’ to get where I’m coming from on this point.
Opener ‘Under the Ocean’ explicates themes that seem to resonate strongly in Australian music. We love the beach, we love the ocean and, thus, we will identify, at least on the surface, with the aesthetics of this song. Well, that’s a pretty good formula because it works to great effect (though, I have to admit, the chorus melody keeps reminding me of Icehouse’s ‘Great Southern Land’ every time I hear it).
The lyrics of ‘Soporific’, presumably written by someone with medical training, may have you reaching for your dictionary (it’s a drug that induces sleep by the way), but that shouldn’t put you off what is a strongly structured tune with a rather surprising bridging section that sounds similar to the dungeon level in Super Mario Brothers. The fact that I was humming the tune to the song on my nightly jog can only mean that it’s memorable enough to warrant endorsement as one of the best songs on Dear Darkly. ‘Echo Stick Guitars’ conjures technocratic images of futuristic rock bands armed to the teeth with digital samplers and some beat-machine rifles. I’m not sure what ‘Echo Stick Guitars’ are but I think I want one.
If those songs were not enough, the record is peppered with even more highlights. ‘Damn Defensive’ features of a cascade of sounds that combine well to produce what is probably the standout track of the record. There are simply so many interesting textures being painted simultaneously that it is difficult not to feel moved. ‘Hidden Buses’ is nothing more than lower fidelity recording featuring acoustic guitar and vocals, but is effective in conveying a matter-of-fact mood that is tremendously appealing ‘Cat’s Collar’ is a joyous singalong which preaches the immorality of sleeping with close acquaintances. ‘Pornography’ features a great little guitar riff that leads into a descriptive pop gem that recalls the best of McLennan and Forster.
However, perhaps some of the tracks work better than others. ‘Live in the Dark’ repeatedly asks some sort of rhetorical question about living in the dark (strangely enough!), but, simply put, is not as engaging as the aforementioned tunes. My problem with this song may not exactly be the song itself, but possibly its placing on the tracklisting. Perhaps it would have worked better at the very beginning. Furthermore, ‘You Are Adored’, the excessively long track that closes the record, could have been more concise. I’m not sure how the several minutes of ‘ohs’ and ‘ahs’ tagged on to the end make it a substantially better song. Perhaps this facet might become more obvious in a live setting, but in the context of the record, it seems a trifle overwrought.
Overall, despite some fairly minor reservations, Dear Darkly is a solid record and perhaps the best the Boat People have put out so far in their career. The good songs are far more frequent that ones that are not, and are lot more interesting and accomplished than many other songs doing the rounds on Australian radio, to the extent that I would not be surprised that Dear Darkly gets nominated for a J Award. These facts alone justify my decision to purchase the record. Also, I’d wager that a live performance of this record would be a special occasion indeed.
See them perform at the Troubadour on July 24th with support from Skinny Jean. I saw the band play some of these songs during a support of a very ordinary Red Riders at the Globe last year. They were quite good (as you can read here). I presume they’ll be even better this time.
Brisbane noughties institution The Boat People are releasing their third long player very very soon. An email that popped into my inbox this morning states 2nd of July as the release date, so get your hammers ready, it's time to smash open those piggy banks!
There is also a east tour which takes in parts of Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. They play in Brisbane on the 24th of July with Skinny Jean. Full details are on their webernet page.
While you're digesting your brunch this fine Saturday morning, you might like to indulge yourself by checking out the video for the first single from the record 'Echo Stick Guitars'
Oh yeah. This is a gem. Brisbane's very own Seja Vogel is playing at the Troubadour on the 22nd of April in support of her 'solo' album (warning: may or may not have solos). You may remember Seja from Sekiden and Regurgitator and a few other Brisbane acts. Enjoy 'I'll Get to You' clip embedded below and get the hell out to the gig!
You know a song is good when you feel compelled to place it on your portable music-playing device without the feeling that you’re obligated too. You know the band is good when you choose to repel the drudgery of your work commute by listening to their music. These two anecdotes sum up my experience of listening to Sleepwalks newly released mini-ep “Clicks”.
Sleepwalks are a three-piece alternative rock act from Brisbane who have released what I think is a very solid three track mini-ep featuring ‘Clicks’, ‘Pith’ and ‘Negative’ in that order.
‘Clicks’, evokes memories of sweaty mosh pits filled with flannelette-addicted teenagers though it’s clear that certain pop sensibilities lurk somewhere under the distortion. It’s the standout tune of the release and probably the most accessible. That’s not to say that the other tracks are less worthy; indeed, my favourite moment of the entire release comes a third of the way through the second track ‘Pith’ in the form of a distorted and isolated mclusky-esque bassline.
Stylistically, this release speaks directly to my own sense of musical appreciation. I’m a sucker for those grunge hooks, the quiet-loud dynamics of bands like Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr, the Replacements and a legion of other grunge and punk acts that have clearly influenced Sleepwalks. My only real criticism is that the release is slightly on the short side – just as they drag you in, its over. However, it’s a more of a case of ‘taste of things to come’ that makes this band one to keep an ear out for in the coming year.
Regardless, I heartily endorse this local produce. It’s a solid first release and worthy of your attention (and your money). If you don’t believe, have a listen to the ‘Clicks’ above (the band have kindly given permission for you to ‘borrow’ a copy for yourself – the link is below).
Sleepwalks support Die!Die!Die! on the 23d of April at the Coolangatta Hotel and again at the X&Y on the 24th of April. You can purchase their EP through Tym’s Guitars, Violent Green or the Outpost or by contacting the band directly.
It may surprise you, but Brisbane musical institution Powderfinger have called it a day.
Although not my favourite band in the universe, they’ve been the flag bearers of Brisbane music for longer than I care to remember. Apparently this will be announced today on their website, but its racing around the twittersphere like Amy Winehouse on methamphetamine.
I’d like to thank you for inspiring one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. Back in highschool my friend chose your song ‘Return of the Electric Horsemen’ to perform a off-key serenade to some girl he liked.
Fortunately for me, I happened to be in the room when this event took place (which was strange enough). Now I have the privilege of being able to bring this incident up at the most inappropriate moments, of which I’ve indulged in on at least five different occasions. Oh, and the girl didn’t buy it, unfortunately for Steve.
Well, toodles ‘Finger. I only really liked “Internationalist”, “Double Allergic” was not too bad, but apart from that, it was all pretty pedestrian to be honest. A host of other people liked your music and you made a bunch of money but I think you failed to build on the direction “Internationalist” may have pointed you towards.
If you've read Rave Magazine you've probably read articles by Denis Semchenko (he goes to _a lot_ of locals gigs, I seriously don't know how he does it!). Anyway, Denis along with 4ZzZ personality Stacey Coleman will be guest speakers at the fifth Talking Shop seminar.
The focus for this seminar is will be to identify the ways that local artists and groups to engage with local, national and international media for minimum costs (I read that as free!). As the marketing materials reads "Talking Shop serves up invaluable opportunities to meet, discuss, applaud, share and plot the growth of the arts.".
It's on at the Judith Wright Centre on Wednesday 14 April (5.30pm – 7pm). Best of all, it is FREE!. You'll have to RSVP though by using the following email link by 5pm on Monday the 12th of April.
Sounds like a very interesting seminar and probably something local bands should investigate. I'll be going myself if I somehow get out of my international relations of Asia-Pacific class that is scheduled on Wednesday nights.
A quick plug for a little event that is happening in Brisbane on the 20th of February.
FUTURE SPECS
Future Specs is the next Connect 4 art party installment from 4C Arts Collective. We have collated artists from a myriad of fields that we believe address the concept of the future, tomorrow, prediction and speculation. And we’ve mooshed it all together into well, another art party for the good people to enjoy. Come ponder the future with us at Connect 4: Future Specs, Saturday the 20th of February at White Canvas Gallery, 26 Church Street Fortitude Valley. Entry is $10, drinks by donation.
Featured VISUAL ARTISTS and interactive INSTALLATION >>>> Beau Allen Lix Bacskay Anna Cooke and Rozina Suliman Renata Fojtikova > http://renatafojtikova.blogspot.com Andrew Forsyth Hannah Groff > www.hannahkay.com.au David Heckenberg Monica Rohan Jose William Vigers
PERFORMANCE >>> Daniel Santangeli Giema Contini Kieran Law Gen Ganner Thomas Quirk & Manda Boyd Leena Reithmuller (MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED)
MUSIC >>>>> Re:enactment (acoustic set) The Citizen Loud iPhone Quintet Monster Monster
I think someone will have to explain to me the precise meaning of their name but regardless, I have it on good authority that Felinedown are a capable, up-and-coming local act. If you need some direction as to what their sound is think a blend of Garbage and Nine Inch Nails (alternatively, you could just go listen at their myspace).
Anyway, they're playing a showcase on Saturday night to digitally re-release their EP that was recorded early this year. Also on the bill are the more than capable Grand Atlantic and Moon Jog.
It is being hosted at Top Floor, 99 Elizabeth Street in Brisbane Citay. It is $15, BYO alcohol (which means, $15 plus the the benefit of getting boozed super cheap - what Valley venue can offer THAT?! If you ignore the Valley Studios that is!) So, if you're not doing much come Saturday evening, I implore you to "come on down", price is right style.
Oh yeah, so me and my budding literary overlord friend, Mister JM Donellan, were lucky enough to catch the first of Blame Ringo’s laundromat gigs which I talked about last week. The gig was in West Ashgrove, a short walk from my place, though despite that fact, we still drove – our bad.
The band played a few numbers from their ‘Lucky Number 9’ LP which was released earlier in the year, as well as some newer songs – which I must say, sounded very good. Actually, this happened to be the first time I’ve ever seen the band live, something that I had been meaning to tick off my long ‘things to do before my death and eventual reincarnation as a puma’ list. I’m pleased to say that this has now been achieved.
Despite its short nature, no doubt due to logistical issues of attempting to play three laundromats within three hours, there was much to like about Blame Ringo’s gig. Newer songs like 'One Way Driver' and 'The Sunshine Song' sounded particularly good, the boys employing vocal harmonies and other techniques that have the power to make teenage girls soil their undergarments to great effect. I guess it was lucky they were performing in a laundromat then. The setlist (and some other photos from the laundromat tour) are available for perusal on their myspace blog. I managed to take a small video of the band performing ‘Garble Arch’ which you can see below. Unfortunately my camera battery ran out about a minute in...but you get the gist, right?
Anyway, Pete from the band, being the nice guy that he is, did me the courtesy of answering a few of my meandering and somewhat random questions about the band, the tour, and forthcoming plans.
Hi Blame Ringo, that certainly was a flattering photo of the band that I saw in the Sunday Mail a few weeks back. Some would say arousing. In the spirit of your moniker, can we also blame Ringo Starr for the inclusion of such racy material in our local rag?
We blame ringo for pretty much everything. I'm not sure whose idea it was to strip for that photo shoot though. In fact, I think it was Tony, and he ended up covering up with a Rave Magazine! Cheeky bugger.
A very interesting video clip of people attempting to re-inact the famous Abbey Road record cover accompanies the song 'Garble Arch'. Can you tell us the story behind how this came about?
We all love the Beatles and I'd always heard these stories about how Abbey Road is still as popular for tourists as it's ever been. It seemed like a no-brainer really. Granted, we had no idea that it was going to take off the way it did, but we always knew it was going to be very popular.
This laundromat tour is certainly a very interesting idea. You guys have a history of quirky live performances, I recall your former band “The Little Heavies” performing from a back of ute, parked on Waterworks Road in Ashgrove. How are you going to possibly one-up the laudromat idea? Playing on rooftops in New York a la U2? Gigs on a space shuttle en route to Mars?
To be honest, it's now time for us to cut the crap and put out a killer new record. We've got some wacky plans for the new year, but for now it's all about the music. We're demoing later in the month and feel confident that we're onto something special.
So these gigs at the various laundromats around Australia, did you manage to do any ‘covers’ (ho ho ho)?
Not much washing was done in the end. I booked the schedule far too tightly. We literally pulled up outside a laundromat, ran in, played our tunes, said our goodbyes and got the hell out of there, speeding off onto the next show. It was a riot though.
Your recent record “Lucky Number 9” is a great little local release. What are you intending to do next?
As I mentioned before, we're currently demoing for a release early in the New Year. The tunes are taking a slightly more pop-rock direction, but our Kinksian stylings will be as strong as ever. We'll keep everyone up to date as best we can over the next few months!
Indeed. ‘Cash in Jackson’ from “Lucky Number 9” features some killer guitar chops and a somewhat epic solo. Can we expect this tune on any future evolutions of the Guitar Hero franchise?
Believe it or not, I've thought about Guitar Hero. I got "World Tour" and played it to death. And I will be getting the Beatles one when it comes out in a week's time. Not sure how it all works though. The new record is going to have equally gnarly axe wielding though, don't worry about that. We have a few gigs coming up before the end of the year, and will keep you posted on them for sure.
Blame Ringo are playing a few more gigs in the next few months, the details of which you can discover for yourself on their myspace page.
Well well well, there seems to be another new kid in town - the X & Y Bar. Opening this week presumably in the abandoned building right next to the carpark entry to Rics Cafe - basically on Ann street opposite Cloudland. I hear some of the guys and girls from Skinny Jean are dj'ing on the opening night. A-nice-a as Mario Mario would say.
This is excellent news! More venues mean more places for bands to play, and that means a greater variety for the punters and more opportunities for up and coming bands.
A few Brisbane bands are milking up some of the scene in the old UK of A in the coming months. Specifically, I HEART HIROSHIMA and the JOHN STEEL SINGERS.
For my UK brethren, I implore you to swing by and check them out. To use a sweeping generalisation, you’ll find that these bands differ a lot from the usual Razorlight crap that seeps out of the majority of British radio.
According to their website, I HEART HIROSHIMA play the following UK dates in May, 2009
Thu 21 May UK London, Barfly Sat 23 May UK Bristol - Dot To Dot Festival Sun 24 May UK Nottingham - Dot To Dot Festival Mon 25 May UK Glasgow, Twisted Wheel Tue 26 May UK Manchester, Night & Day
They’re also gallivanting round Europe as well. Check the tour section of their website for more info.
The JOHN STEEL SINGERS (or as the acronym goes, the JSS) are also fucking off to ol’ blightly. They’re playing the Great Escape festival in Brighton on the 15th of May (wooh!). Their myspace speaks of other UK dates but no specific dates have been put up there. Keep an eye out, eh?
Anyway, the Brisbane Sounds project has just announced the line up for its annual concert, held at the Zoo on May 23rd. It looks to be quite intriguing with old guard Screamfeeder topping a very tight line up of local acts. The rest of the line up features Gentle Ben and His Sensitive Side, New Jack Rubys, Blackwater Fever, Vegas Kings, and the Mercy Beat. Sounds ace!
Cost is $12.00 (excluding that darn booking fee!!)
If you didn't already know, Brisbane Sounds aims to promote local Brisbane acts on both the national and international scenes. They produce an annual LP. The 2009 LP will be available at this gig for the bargain price of $10.00 and will include tracks by An Horse, Young Liberals, I Heart Hiroshima, The Danger Bunnies, Hits and Texas Tea.
In years to follow, I saw countless acts at the venue. The ones that stick out are (i.e. the ones I can remember attending) were A Perfect Circle, The Shins, Doves, Death Cab For Cutie, Hot Hot Heat and Roots Manuva. I also recall seeing many local and Australian acts here: Girls Germs, Bantha Fodder, and the Giants of Science amongst others.
The venue itself I thought was adequate, though to be perfectly honest I preferred the Zoo. The Arena had these two annoying pillars stuck close to the stage, obscuring views from the left and right sides of the venue. I do admit that they were holding up the roof, so I guess I can’t complain that much.
Yet again, another piece of Brisbane’s music history has been deleted. Not all is lost however; the new Hifi Bar is set to open very soon in West End, promising some big acts over the coming year. Let’s hope it can at least fulfil the hole left in the music scene left by the Arena.
I ventured out to Fortitude Valley on Good Friday night with a few compadres. The streets were thankfully mostly devoid of the usual miscreants that seem to frequent the clubs around the main strip. The Valley Studios was open, and a few artists were playing – Washington, Philadelphia Grand Jury and Hungry Kids of Hungary, collectively formed under the grand banner of the 'International Relations tour'. I'd never seen any of these bands, but since I am actually doing a Masters of International Relations I felt somewhat obliged to attend. In the end, I'm glad I did.
I got there at nine o’clock on the rocket clock to witness quite an abundance of slightly over inebriated but willing punters. Oh yes, The Valley Studios has a very generous BYO licensing policy! Huzzah.
Unfortunately, I turned up too late to catch the fitchin' looking melbournite Megan WASHINGTON. I did manage to check out her rather fashionable looking glasses from a distance though. She's quite an attractive lass and therefore, she must have been good, because we all know only hot people make good music.
PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY took the stage and were immediately imposing. They have a Hives/Electric Six vibe about them, minus the snazzy clothing. The bassist was an imposing man with an even more imposing beard. His dance moves were also quite hilarious, and their songs were extremely entertaining. I especially enjoyed watching the drummer play his instrument with 101% passion. They finished with a cracking rendition of a song I assume was called 'We Don’t Want to Party' (going by the fact that seemed to be the only lyric), nearly destroying instruments and the stage in the process.
The HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY are up next, playing an energetic set of pop music. Harmonies are through in without restraint. They play some great little tunes including 'Set it Right' and 'Scattered Diamonds' and clearly enjoy performing live. At one stage, the aforementioned Megan Washington got up to play some kind of bell instrument which is barely audible above the mix. But hey, it's all part of the show. The conclusion is rapturous, with a whole bunch of people getting up to do some sort of beatle-esque sing along complete with an avalanche of tambourines.
And that was the end of that. After chatting to a hilarious random named Hannah out on the street (whose karate chopping stories will live long in my mind), my friends and I attempted to catch I Heart Hiroshima playing a midnight set at Rics Café, but was prevented to the huge amount of people congregated around its entrance. It seems the miscreants had returned.
Last night, while I was finishing off an essay on ethics, while my eyes were being ripped out of my skull by abstract notions of political realism, and generally I just felt like crap, I remember thinking "I could really go some good-times music".
Lo and behold, my friend Yaz sent me the link to a local band I had never heard of before, named LAST DINOSAURS.
After a few listens, I have come to the following conclusions: I really enjoy their sound. I really want their album. I also want to steal their babies. Why? Well, for instance their influences include Takeru Kobayashi, a japenese competitive eater. With influences like that how can you not have indie credentials?
A cautionary look at their myspace site reveals some insight as to what we can expect from the group this year.
"2009 is not actually the year of the ox. It’s the year of the last dinosaur. This year we are gonna go hard and give it our best shot, maybe try rehearsing more than once a month and actually playing a few shows. That not is idea good?"
LAST DINOSAURS are playing a whole lot of local shows over the next few months, including this Sunday the 12th of April at the Alhambra Lounge, then some dates at the Globe theatre, the Step Inn and Ric'c Café. They’re also playing various dates in Sydney and Melbourne. You should check them out. I know I will. For all their upcoming shows, its best to check out their myspace.
