Filed under: Feature | Tags: ARIA Awards, arias, dance, electro, K.I.M., Talk Like That, The Presets
The Presets are fuckin awesome. They are even better live. And…they have just won the ARIA Award for best Dance Release for their killer track Talk Like That!! The ARIA Awards are going into partnership with iTunes to make available all the performances on the iTunes store from December 1 also, so watch out for that!!
Now, I love these boys. They are both bloody talented. They have had the say in some of the biggest Aussie songs out there from Justin co-writing Straight Lines by Silverchair to Kim doing his own stellar DJ work as well as helping out on Daniel Johns’s other band The Dissociatives.
Live, wow. Saw them at Nevereverland last year and was so impressed. Easily the best of the day/night.
Anyway, this is a live version of their winning track Talk Like That.
The Presets – Talk Like That (Live)
(iTunes)
Filed under: Feature | Tags: Broken Wrists, Frente!, indie, Miss Geo, new music, pop, Rhode Island, The Story
Miss Geo is a new singer/songwriter from Rhode Island over there in the States. When I first heard some of the tracks off her debut long player The Story, I could’ve sworn she was a local. You listen to her music and tell me you’re not reminded of Frente! (For those that aren’t Aussie or don’t know who Frente! are, they were a massive Australian pop band that were big here about 15 years ago or so. Produced really great pop music).
Miss Geo’s real name is Abby Gutierrez, and calls her music a mix of indie pop, new wave, and electro with a few “cunning lyrics” put in for good measure. She plans on touring sometime in 2010, presumably in the states. For any other info, check out her website, or her MySpace. This is one to watch out for, and I definitely recommend checking out her album.
Anyway, this is probably a standout off the album. It’s called Broken Wrists and this is the track that reminded me of Frente! the most.
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
Filed under: Feature, Miks, Writer | Tags: cube, dance, disco, electro, Hype Machine, Rubix
This dude’s name isn’t really The Cubinator. It’s Rubix. Would’ve been cool if it was though aye?! He sent me his track Baiser Sur La Disco this morning…and if crazy cut up housey electro disco sounding stuff if up your alley, then this is a track for you! The dude’s from Amsterdam and is already rocking it on the HypeM Charts.
Rubix – Baiser Sur La Disco (Rubix Refix)
Check out the vid for this track too. Is pretty stellar.
Filed under: New Music First | Tags: disco, fuck buttons, Glitch Pop, goodnight owl, hype band, melbourne, new music, Sensual Harassment, sleigh bells, The Swiss, triple j
wow. It’s been a while I know. I’m in exam mode at the moment so the whole blog thing has been put on the backburner. But, I figure I should at least get one post out there for you guys! And what better than an all encompassing New Music First post. Some pretty good stuff here – eclectic. All with an electronic tinge though which is always good!
First up is a local band called Goodnight Owl. These guys are from Melbourne and they produce some pretty nice guitar pop music. But then it has something else. It’s like a great sounding acoustic track but with this awesome glitchy electro stuff beneath it. It’s a really nice blend. Great lyrics too. If you’re in Melbourne also, you should check them out – they’re playing a few shows in early December. Check out the info here.
Goodnight Owl – Maps and Compasses
(iTunes)
Next up is a band that’s kinda exploded in blog land. They’re called Sleigh Bells and they’re…well…i don’t know. Apart from good, they’re definitely good. Already, you can see they’ve got two sides. A loud full on blown out distorted fucking great in your face style sound. They’ve also got a great nice, sweet pop sound. I like the loud abrasive sound the best. Crown on The Ground is definitely that. Oh…and just in time for Christmas! haha…sorry…had to get that in.
Sleigh Bells – Crown On The Ground
Third up on the list is Fuck Buttons. I got turned on to these guys through The Sound Lab on Triple J radio here in Australia. They produce some pretty awesome glitchy techno i suppose. I don’t know really, i’m no good with genre’s. I will say that it pumps, they all grow into something really big, they’re full of massive layers of sound, and the majority of their songs are pretty long. Including the track bellow, Space Mountain.
(iTunes)
Fourth on my little list of tricks is a band out of Brooklyn. Sensual Harassment are they’re name and they’ve been around for a short while. They cited (the M A A M F loved) Miami Horror as a band they like in the email they sent me so I thought I should give them a shot. They’re track, Daddy Long Legs is great. Is funky, slow groove, comes to an almighty climax mid way and keeps it going throughout.
Sensual Harassment – Daddy Long Legs
(iTunes)
Last on ze listo is The Swiss. You guys may have heard of these dudes before. They’re from South Australia but we won’t hold that against them because they produce some pretty awesome DISCO! Movement 1 has been around for a little while already and it’s part of a big Movement EP with three movements. Other than that, they’ve also remixed Ladyhawke’s Magic which I’m sure some of you have heard. Hell, they’re even supporting Ms Hawke on her current national tour. Must be love. Anyway, you should all check these dudes out. They’re the Next Crop feature artist today for Aus Music Month on Triple J too. Check out a new track called Bubble Bath on the Next Crop/Home & Hosed blog too. Bloody killer.
Anyway, that’s it. Mammoth post, so hopefully that will do you for a while and I can get back to my study. Last exam is on the 23rd, so expect a lot more amazing sounds after that.
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
Filed under: Feature | Tags: Australian, dance, indie, Matt Van Schie, new music, pop, Saturday Night, triple j, van she
If you follow us on Facebook, you may have heard me rave about this new one a few weeks ago. Well, the good folk at triple j have offered it up as a free download! Awesome. Matt Van Shie has gone solo. Well, hopefully it’s just a side project for a bit…this is all in between supposedly working on the new Van She album. I blogged about the new Van She track yesterday.
Also, if you want a pretty good idea of what his other stuff is going to sound like, check out his MySpace for some extra tracks. He’s producing some good stuff I think. Bit different to Van She, but still good. The track Journey on his MySpace features some work from Mikey from the band so he doesn’t seem to be steering too far away.
Matt Van Schie – Saturday Night
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
Filed under: Feature | Tags: (Don't Fear) The Reaper, Australian, blogs, electro, triple j, van she, Van She Tech
ok. So if you keep up with the music bloggers out there, you may have noticed that Van She have a new track out. It’s no secret that Van She are probably one of my favourite bands out there so this is pretty exciting for me!
The boys are notorious for not really updating their MySpace/their facebook. But, if you keep up with their twitter, you’ll know that they’re currently working on a new album. So, just like their debut, V, it’ll probably take them about 2 years to finally get it out there!
But, there is good news. Triple J’s Mix Up dropped a newy from the fellas just recently. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper is pretty darn sweet. Covering an old 70’s track by Blue Öyster Cult, they’ve made it sound just like Van She. It’s a radio rip, so the quality isn’t great and who knows whether this is how it’ll sound in it’s final format, but still, it’s a goo indication as to where they’re headin!
So, without further ado, here it is.
Van She – (Don’t Fear) The Reaper (Radio Rip)
You can check out the boys here on iTunes, as well as their remix project Van She Tech on MySpace
Filed under: Album Review, Boyling | Tags: Album Review, banjo, folk, Mumford and Sons, Sigh No More, triple j, White Blank Page
Have you ever sat and thought “wow, that was an intense and moving Banjo solo”?
No? Neither have I. Until recently…
Enter Mumford and Sons, folk finesse from the UK. Now I know what you’re thinking: folk is for post hippies in the 60s… people too afraid to wear flares and dump heaps of acid. And you’re probably right. But Sigh No More, the debut album from Mr Mumford and co, will challenge that perception. No longer will you think of turtle necks, parsley, sage, rosemary or thyme when the thought of Folk Music rolls around your head.
If you frequent Triple J you will have probably heard “Little Lion Man”. It’s catchy, explodes from the onset and introduces banjo like I’ve never heard before. My experience with Banjo music has been limited to duelling banjos and the episode of Family guys where they move to the country. So it’s been fun hearing it feature strongly throughout this album.
Lead singer Marcus Mumford is definitely partial to taking the listener on an aural journey, and this becomes clear from the onset. Sigh No More, the title track of the album, is soft and organic to begin. It then begins to flourish introducing horns and of course the sweet Banjo. I swear to God, Winston Marshal (Banjo player and guy with a pretty sweet name) must have an electric hand. He shreds chords like it’s no one’s business. Which leads me to the following conclusion: fuck The Edge from U2, he hasn’t got shit on Winston Marshal.
The album has a little bit of everything; it gets dark and gloomy with songs such as White Blank Page and takes flight with one of my favourites “Awake My Soul”. What’s consistent throughout is that most tracks start off low key and then gain momentum, finishing with a crescendo of sound that could quiet literally get you out of your seat.
Truthfully, this album won’t be for everyone. If you like Noah and the Whale, Laura Marling and perhaps even The Dodos then you will enjoy Sigh No More. But if you think that music is more about “disco sticks” and “supermanning hoes” then you should probably steer clear.
Mumford and Sons – White Blank Page
I’m off to buy a Banjo.
Filed under: New Music First | Tags: indie, King Washington, new music, Philadelphia Grand Jury, pop, Showstar, Tegan and Sara, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, triple j, Washington
ok. so some new music…there’s been so much going on lately with festival announcements, awesome remixes, album releases, killer new leaked tracks. There’s also been a lot of personal external factors (by that I mean, outside of the music industry). Uni is nearly finished, got one exam and a 4,500 paper due in the next few weeks as well as the research i’m doing as part of my internship with the Inspire Foundation. It’s all just nuts. Keeping on top of it all is a little difficult, but yeah, in a few weeks, i’ll be free!! Anyway, the reason I rant about stress is because i’m going to keep the blog posts to a minimum for the next few weeks. I’ll still post, trust me…and i’ll probably post more than I should. But yeah, she’ll be right.
Anywho, new music aye?!
K. First up is Tegan and Sara. Year, these guys have been around for a while and I never really took much notice of them. They’ve been playing their new track Hell on Triple J pretty continuously. I like it. Reminds me of Magic Dirt, especially the vocals – reminds me of Adalita (Magic Dirt singer) a hell of a lot. haha…get it? ‘hell’ of a lot??!! funny aren’t i? …yeah…ahh…oh shit.
Tegan and Sara – Hell (iTunes)
Next up is a band out of Belgium called Showstar. They’re pretty good, and they write a killer pop song. They’re third album Think Ringo is set to be released in January…and yeah, don’t know much about these guys. They’ve only got one track up on their myspace…but if Gold Mine is anything to go off, then they’re a band to check out.
Showstar – Gold Mine (radio edit) (iTunes)
Third on the list is a dude with a ridiculously long name. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart is from New York and is bloody good. Dreamish pop that kinda washes over you. Sure, the intro sounds like Smashing Pumpkins, but it’s still great. Could be a fave of the year maybe.
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Higher Than The Stars (iTunes)
Megan Washington is from Brisbane and goes by the name Washington. Original right? Well…yeah, kinda I suppose. Her music is definitely original though. Bad segue? Yup! Saw her on Spicks & Specks the other week and man, she blew me away. Freakin killer voice. Reminds me of Sarah Blasko a bit…not really a fan of Ms Blasko, but Washington…hell yeah!
Washington – How to Tame Lions (iTunes)
No relation to Washington, King Washington are a crew out of LA producing some awesome singer-songwriter rock’n'roll. They’re a pretty musical bunch of fellas, and they’re bringing harmony back…yeah…
Last up, Philadelphia Grand Jury are not from Philadelphia…funnily enough. They’re actually from Sydney. You hear the track. I’ll tell you that it’s just two fellas. Well, they’ve obviously got a drummer and others for their live show, but the mainstay is just these two blokes. They’re a massive Triple J band too…so that’s something going right for ‘em.
Philadelphia Grand Jury – The Good News (iTunes)
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
Filed under: Feature, Just A Ramble | Tags: Footscray Community Arts Centre, Hockey, Laneway Festival, melbourne, Mumford & Sons, St Jerome's, The Middle East, Whitley
You think Laneway Festival. You think St Jeromes. You think all those cool laneways in Melbourne. Well…this year you think wrong. St Jeromes closed it’s doors earlier on this year, and after a pretty bad festival this year (punters pissing in the street, massive scheduling probs etc), the organisers have decided to move it. And this time it’s not a laneway. It’s actually a pretty open area. Footscray Community Arts Centre is where it’s at next year. Some may think why?! Footscray?? Isn’t that junkie town? Hehe…well yeah, there is that side of it. It’s also a pretty funky area – super multicultural! If you ever want a good meal, check out just about any Footscray cafe/restaurant. Especially if you dig middle eastern food and also african food. Awesome awesome awesome. You can check out a run through of the venue here.
Anyway, the lineup for the gig is looking pretty good so far. Local bands like The Middle East, Dappled Citties, and Eddy Current Suppression Ring, as well as local solo dudettes and dudes Sarah Blasko and Whitley. For a local lineup, that’s pretty good so far. But I think it’s the international artists that really sell it. Florence & The Machine, Hockey, NASA, The XX, The Very Best, Mumford and Sons. I mean geez! It’s a music bloggers wet fuckin dream!
Tickets for all legs of the fest (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth) go on sale Friday (30th October). Can not wait! Good Vibes tix also go on sale that day too…so I think I might just have to waste a bit of money on Friday. Hehe.
To leave you with, a few of the tracks from the bands/artists I’m really hanging out to see.
Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man
…
…
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
Filed under: Feature | Tags: Australian, Dink You, folk, Love Your Band, pop, the little stevies, underwater exploring
This time The Little Stevies brought us a charming video written by Lachlan Woods and directed one of the band members himself, Robin Geradts-Gill. This pictorial journey gives us a visual feast of their latest release, Dink You.
The video opens with interviewer, Hannah Moon discovering TLS plan to circumnavigate the world…and yes, you got it- by bicycle! Ok, I admit the idea is not new but TLS gave the concept a refreshing spin. Just like the catchy line in the song itself, “so let’s jump on our bikes and cycle ‘round the entire world”. TLS set the scene for an exciting journey kicking off from Elwood Beach in Victoria, equipped with their bikes, scuba gear and even table-tennis balls.
I was a bit disappointed at the use of still shots and for some silly reason I ACTUALLY expected to see them cycling around the entire world. But I guess TLS need to leave something to our imagination.
The product placement could have been a tad more subtle, as they paraded their scuba-cycling attire. (But I must divulge that TLS chose to use SWIFT Table-Tennis balls for superior buoyancy!)
Highlights had to be TLS alongside some of the many wonders of the world. I won’t spoil it- but my favourite is Josh in the river Jamuna in front of the Taj Mahal! Classic shot.
Don’t book a Contiki tour. Check this video out instead.
For those who are ‘concentrationally challenged’, check out the shorter version here. Speaking of tours though, the guys are doing an east coast tour (including Radelaide!) throughout November and December.
And of course, the track itself. Support local artists guys. Super super important!
Alikitti
