JONATHAN BOULET.
After having a look through recent posts, I realised I haven’t really properly spruiked anything off the new Jonathan Boulet record. The first taste we got, ‘Hold It Down‘ showed a renewed guitar heavy Boulet sound, with less of that percussiveness and more of the shreds. I liked it. It made sense to me – if you follow Boulet’s other work, you’d know that he’s dabbled his lower body in the heavier side of things with Snakeface and Top People.
Gubba, the new album, isn’t as heavy as some of the other projects – there’s a few playful moments throughout the release. It is darker than some of the earlier Boulet albums though. I’m still working my way through it, but it’s holding up pretty well.
Anyway, we got the clip for ‘Hold It Down’ just here. ‘Hold It Down’ follows the travels of some rather bad bikies. It’s a cool clip, bit of fun, gives light to that playfulness i mentioned earlier.
Make sure you check out Jonathan Boulet as he heads on a bit of a tour in support of the new album throughout August. Details here.
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Miks.
MAY ’14 MIX.
May mixtape is up and ready for your perusal. Featuring a whole heap, some old faves, some new exciting producers, some punk rock and some of the most sincere singer-songwriter stuff you’ll hear in a while.
MAAMF – MAY ’14 MIX.
DOWNLOAD (Right Click/Save As)
TRACKLISTING:
Cool Sounds – Nice
Ciggie Witch – Taylors Lakes
The Zebras – Try
Jonathan Boulet – Hold It Down
Life Coach – Tigersharx (Right Click/Save As)
Anatole – Undercurrent
Guerre – Deatheat
Deja – Heart
Ealing – Long Island (Right Click/Save As)
Milwaukee Banks – Rose Water
Andy Bull – Talk Too Much
Geoffrey O’Connor – Her Name On Every Tongue
Spookyland – The Silly Fucking Thing (Right Click/Save As)
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Miks
FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2012.
ok. So, here it is. My top albums of 2012. It’s been a nutty year, full of some really incredible albums. As I mentioned in my earlier post, it was impossible to listen to everything, but, I did try. Continuing on with the whole Australian music blog theme this blog has taken on over the past 8 or 9 months, everything here is Australian. Check out my 11-20 list for the os albums that made my faves.
I’ve made a bit of a mix with a track or two from each album which you can stream/download below. Also, if you click on the album titles, you can stream the album on spotify. Coz I is good like that.
So, without further ado, 10 – 1.
DOWNLOAD (Right Click/Save As)
10. Bored Nothing – Bored Nothing
Such a chilled release. A culmination of tracks from EPs leading up to his singing to SPUNK, not only is it a rad collection of tracks, but they all sit so tightly together. Great prolific song writing on show with this one.
Bored Nothing – Get Out Of Here
9. Jonathan Boulet – We Keep The Beat, Found The Sound, See The Need, Start The Heart
I called this fella a genius when his debut album came in my fave albums of 2009. His second album, whilst perhaps not living up to the rather lofty heights he set himself a few years ago, still nails it. A lot more percussive this time round, I think the beauty in it is just how ferocious some of this disc is.
Jonathan Boulet – Trounce
8. Catcall – The Warmest Place
This took me a little by surprise. From the opening 46 second intro, The Warmest Place shows that Catcall is, simply put, a killer pop song writer. But moreso, not only is she an individual pop song master, she also pretty much kills a pop album.
Catcall – The World is Ours
7. Pop Singles – All Gone
Like the Twerps debut album of last year (my fave of the year too!) Pop Singles have the whole Flying Nun era jangly pop, but still manage to sound broad, encompassing, and dare I say, Australian. Not only are there some incredibly excellent individual songs on this release (in fact, each track is excellent), the songs sit really well alongside each other. It freakin works as an album.
Pop SIngles – All Gone
6. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – 12 Bar Bruise
Throw shit at the wall and see what sticks? King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard nail that noisy bluesy punk vibe with their debut release, 12 Bar Bruise. There’s a bit of variety on this disc which I love.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Muckraker
5. Presets – Pacifica
There are so many great pop moments on this album. Whilst I had heard that this disc was going to be a bit more straight techno than Apocolypso, I would perhaps suggest that there are a heap more feel good moments on here. Both Kim and Julian nail it though.
The Presets – Ghosts
4. Tame Impala – Lonerism
For all of the hype this album has received, for me, it still manages to fit in the top 10. The album has some seriously great tracks – some perhaps even contenders for year best! But, as with all the albums on this list, it’s not just a collection of songs. They all sit well together, and there’s an overarching story if you like, in the sequencing of the tracks.
Tame Impala – Elephant
3. Collarbones – Die Young
A massively hyped album, for sure, but I think still deserving of every little bit of love it gets. If beat driven glitchy rave style r’n’b is the new thing, then these two are at the forefront.
Collarbones – Die Young feat. HTML Flowers
2. Love Migrate – Plagued Are All My Thoughts, Like White Ants In The Fence
Easily one of my favourite Melbourne bands, this was definitely an album I was eagerly anticipating. Showcasing some incredibly strong songwriting, it’s full of really broad encompassing instrumentation. Eddie’s wonderfully crafted vocals really complement what this band do.
Love Migrate – What Kind Of Man Have I Become
1. Boomgates – Double Natural
As is the sound of bands like Dick Diver, Twerps, and Eddy Current, there’s this thrown together sound that these guys really nail. It really does sound like a couple of mates having a play. As a result, there’s this nice snug feeling that you get from listening to this disc. And yeah, sure, you may classify it as indie pop. But more me, it’s indie pop perhaps at it’s finest, and it genuinely leaves you feeling satisfied.
Boomgates – Flood Plains
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Miks
NICK VAN BREDA.
Ok, so really, there’s no two ways about it. Nick Van Breda does sound a lot like Josh Pyke. But like an updated version with a bit more of a crazed out Jonathan Boulet style to him. Those two comparisons have been made plenty of times, but in terms of his songwriting style, as well as instrumentation, they’re by far the closest similarities.
There’s something incredibly simple about Van Breda’s vocal style and lyrics. There’s this unpretentiousness about it, a simple straight up honesty. And the instrumentation is pretty darn nice, especially on lead track ‘Think About’. The melody lines, as well as the warm strummed guitar, sit so nicely against the big, at times boomy drums. We got ‘Think About’ below.
Also below is ‘Record On’. With it’s simple, warm lyrics on top of this rhythm that feels like it’s about to fall asleep, it reminds me a lot of an old Melbourne band The Small Knives. Like this fella A LOT!
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Miks
JUNE ’12 MIX.
It’s the June mixtape. Below are the tracks that have got me through the past month. It even features a small bit of a double feature working ‘Wimbledon 1980’ by Indian Wells and the Jon Hopkins piano version of ‘Modern Driveway’ originally by Luke Abbott.
This was easily the most fun mix to make, especially working with the opening rework. Once again, it features some absolutely killer tracks, from the amazing indie goodness of I, A Man, the almost tribal epicness of Jonathan Boulet to the straight out techno fantasticness of the latest track from The Presets.
MAAMF JUNE ’12 MIXTAPE (Right click/save as to download)
TRACKLISTING
Indian Wells vs. Luke Abbott/Jon Hopkins – Modern Driving to Wimbledon 1980
I, A Man – The Scenic Route (Right click/save as to download)
Bobby Womack – Stupid Interlude (Ft. Gil Scott-Heron)
Bobby Womack – Stupid
Grey and Patrice – So Beautiful (Right click/save as to download)
Collarbones – Missing
The Presets – Youth In Trouble
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – American Dream, Pt II
Snakadaktal – Dance Bear
Van She – Jamaica
Junior Boys – Every Little Step (Flume Remix)
Jonathan Boulet – Dread Is This Place
Jeremy Neale – Darlin’ (Right click/save as to download)
Saskwatch – Your Love
Palms – Love
Cat Power – Ruin (Right click/save as to download)
The Temper Trap – Trembling Hands (Chet Faker Remix)
Love Migrate – Plagued Are All My Thoughts
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Miks
APRIL ’12 MIX.
So, this is perhaps the latest a mixtape has ever been…a little over a month late. Pretty abysmal I know.
But you know what, it’s a fucking good tape.
TRACKLISTING:
Bewilderbeast – Push’d Out
Jonathan Boulet – This Song Is Called Raggard
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Bloody Ripper
Bon Iver – Perth (Avec Sans cover)
Muscles – Ready for a Fight
World’s End Press – Second Day Uptown
Major Lazer – Get Free (Feat. Amber of Dirty Projectors)
Capital Cities – Kangaroo Court
Van She – Idea of Happiness
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Miks
JONATHAN BOULET.
Ok, so here is the first official single off Jonathan Boulet‘s new album, ‘We Keep The Beat, Found The Sound, See The Need, Start The Heart’. We got our first taste with Trounce a month or two back, and although new single This Song Is Called Ragged is no where near as ferocious as Trounce, it is still one of those super percussive heavy tracks with a riff that sticks in your noggin for some time.
I’ve pre-orded the good sir’s new album…you should too. Reckon it may well hit the maamf ’12 top 10. And this is only at two tracks in.
Jonathan Boulet – This Song Is Called Ragged by modularpeople
Miks
NEW JONATHAN BOULET.
ok. Prepare to be thrown about like a mofo. This is fucking nuts.
It was over a year ago when we first heard some new stuff from the creative genius, Mr Jonathan Boulet. The track You’re A Animal went nuts and was not only a great track, it went off live.
New one Trounce sounds…ah…kinda like it’s about to trounce. This is the percussive amazingness that Boulet is known for but with a crazy agressive edge.
The new album is now slated for release in June through Modular. Entitled “We Keep The Beat, Found The Sound, See The Need, Start The Heart”, for me it’s perhaps the most anticipated album of the year. CAN NOT WAIT FOR THIS THING TO BLOW ME APART.
You can stream Trounce below and download it in exchange for an email address and make sure you check out the intro vid to the album as well. Fuck me!
Jonathan Boulet – Trounce (Link to Modular site for download)
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Miks
FISHING + JONO BOULET
sometimes remixes hit the right spot. sometimes they hit you in the face (more often than not, not the ‘right spot’). Fishing are two fellas out of Sydney town who do some pretty interesting pop music. They had a track last year called OOOO which has that Avalanches samples all over the shop sound.
Anyway, they’ve had their way with Jonathan Boulet’s track from late last year You’re A Animal. Fishing have done some pretty stellar remixes over time (make sure you check out their remix of Cloud Control’s This Is What I Said as well as Alpine’s Heartlove. Their remixes, to me, have this real funky element. They’re all pretty groove laden and they use the best parts of the original and always make it their own. The Jonathan Boulet remix is def no exceptione. The chopped up and looped vocals gives the track a really good base. Whilst it’s not as percussive as the original, it’s one of those tracks that builds and is layered as all fuck.
This one definitely hits the right spot.
The Parking Lot Experiments.
Sometimes, living in such a great music scene that is Melbourne, you hear so many band names and so much hype that you only end up listening to maybe a quarter of those bands.
This can lead to some probs. You miss out on some killer killer bands. On Friday night I went to go see Jonathan Boulet at the East Brunswick Club. Boulet was incredible, and his new stuff sounds equally as impressive (bit different to his first record). Anyway, I do digress. One of the bands that supported was a band called The Parking Lot Experiments. Whilst I only caught the tail end of their set, from what I saw, they sounded amazeballs. After a search, they’re also on Triple J Unearthed (That site is a goldmine, seriously!)
So, we got their track Forest Fire down below as a stream and make sure you go grab it over on their Unearthed page. It’s this meandering (in a good way) little number that kills. See these guys live – an experience in itself.
Jonathan Boulet – You’re A Animal
Oh oh oh, some new Jonathan Boulet! He had a pretty amazing album last year – check out the 2009 Best of button just up above.
The new song is called You’re A Animal…and yeah yeah, I know. It should probably be You’re AN Animal, but hey Jono’s a bit of a creative genius in my opinion so I is gonna let it slide.
The track still has that big throw a few things together feel, but man is this more intense that the stuff off his first record. It’s massively percussion heavy and goes and smacks you in the guts, but does it nicely.
Modular are saying that he’s got a new album coming out early next year. Not bad for a dude who released his first album last year and also drums in Parades, an awesome local band.
Grab the track down below and make sure you stay tuned for album deets!
Hoonlight Mours
The Holidays are a band out of Sydney who make some pretty fun tropico-pop (there’s probably a better term to describe their music with…). Anyway, they’re track Moonlight Hours is super catchy and has been getting major play on Triple J. The guys have got a debut album coming out later on this year too which has been mixed by one Tony Espie (Avalanches, Cutters, Architecture in Helsinki…#WIN anyone?).
Definitely recommend checking out Moonlight Hours over at the bands MySpace and picking it up over at iTunes for a measly dollar seventy.
Something awesome that came through to the inbox just a while ago though was that killer Jonathan Boulet remix of the track. Jonathan Boulet is a master in his own right…but the treatment he gives to the already awesome original actually genuinely blew me away. It takes it into this dreamstate and Boulet owns it. He does something to it that just transforms it…forces you to have a mini trip.
And there’s also this vid…which is nothing other than amazing. It’s created by a fella called Moop Jaw and it’s as trippy as the remix.
The Holidays – Moonlight Hours (Jonathan Boulet Remix)
Also, check out The Holidays support Bluejuice on their Ain’t Telling The Truth Tour…I’m checking them out on Friday night down at The Prince of Wales…so full report should be up on the weekend!
Jonathan Boulet – Jonathan Boulet
"A precociously inspired 21 year old skate rat from Sydney’s northwest" Modular
Luckily for you, and for me, and for Modular (he was signed just a few months ago), and even Mr Boulet himself, I’m going with the former. This album IS good. The dude does possess some great song writing skills. I don’t really know what he reminds me of. It’s a little all over the place, but I think that’s what’s good about the album. There are obvious standouts like A Community Service Announcement and 321 Ready or Not. But then there’s also the opener, Continue Calling, a track that sounds so laid back and is such a great example of that DIY feel that he seems to have mastered on this album. The vocal harmonies, especially when they’re left on their lonesome half way through the track, just sound so easy.
I could go on about every track…but I won’t bore you too much. They’re all pretty darn good. I don’t know if I can put my finger on it, but there’s almost this feeling of sadness that stays with you throughout the album. Ones Who Fly Twos Who Die (Track 2) and You Never Knew Me (Track 3) really get this going. It’s not a depressing sadness or anything extreme. It’s just this feeling that something wasn’t right or…look…I dunno really. It’s really hard to put my finger on exactly what it is.
However, from this initial sadness, it goes a little bit crazy. 321 Ready or Not is such a great song. It pushes, it’s relentless, it feels as though it’s messed with my head just a bit. And that’s really good. I reckon this one would go off live.
Then that sadness kicks back in. 10 Billion Years is actually kinda sweet though. The glockenspiel in the background, the backing vocals provided by Rebecca Shave. They both add a particular sweetness to the track.
There’s electro stylings and glitchiness in Lay Off The Streets For A While, Adam of Zilla, and North To South East To You. And he fuses that in really really well. Something else that plays a really important role in making the album what it is is the musical ability of this fella. He played nearly all of the instruments you hear, and recorded them all by himself in his garage. Something pretty bloody impressive for a dude who just hit 21.
So yeah, this album will definitely find a place in my albums of the year list in a few weeks. There’s just something about an artist that seems to not really care about what people will think of his music. Or at least gives that impression. And the fact that he did it all himself blows me away.
So bloody glad I bought it.
Jonathan Boulet – A Community Service Annoucement
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
getting technologically happy
ok. So this isn’t exactly a post about new music. It does however have a track that I am loving at the moment. Jonathan Boulet is a young dude from Sydney who has just signed to MAAMF’s favourite, Modular Records. The track, Community Service Announcement has an awesome video, even being raved on about by…Ima let you finish, but I’m a little bit of a wanker man. What’s best about the original, and this remix done by the awesome Album Leaf, is that it makes me happy. It makes me glad to write a music blog and makes me think how using technology can make people happy, or in some cases can help make people happy again.
Some of you guys who actually know me will know that for a while I did quite a bit of work for an organisation called The Inspire Foundation. These guys started off as a suicide prevention based thing about 15 years ago, but now it’s extended it’s reach to simply helping young people get happy. Not in some happy clappy religious way. They’re actually committed to benefiting the lives of young people, and the majority of the dudes and dudettes that work there are young people too. They’re also an internet based organisation, and their main aim is to use technology to better the lives of young people. Pretty simple premise right?!
Getting serious for a tiny bit though. One of the biggest problems ,in Australia at least, is the suicide rate. Especially of young guys (Australia has one of the highest suicide rates for young guys in the world). One of the things that, in my opinion, has been missing from the discussion of young people and mental health is why you get more women reporting that they’re feeling shitty but more guys taking their own lives. It’s only until recently with the worldwide push of things like Movember, that people have thought more about men and their health.
Inspire are in the process of adding to this discussion. In partnership with the Brain & Mind Research Institute at Sydney Uni, The Matespeak survey was launched a little while ago. It only takes you about 15 mins to do and asks question about you using technology and how it helps you out in the not so great times. It’s only open to peeps in Australia though, so sorry international people! If you are outside Australia though but know an Aussie young person (generally aged between 16 and 24), feel free to send them the link. Likewise, if you’re in Australia and know other young peeps, feel free to send them the link. Also, it’s not gender specific. If you’re female, do it too. But remember to tell your boyfriend, brother, cousin, other fella friends.
You can access the survey at www.matespeak.com.au. Please do it guys. This is something really important.
And that track! Check it out and tell me you don’t feel a little bit happier after listening to it. See! Told you technology could help make you happy :p
Jonathan Boulet – A Community Service Announcement (The Album Leaf Remix)
K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
MAAMF: an australian music blog 