Inpress Issue #1189 by TheMusic.com.au

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…TRAIL OF DEAD THEOPHILUS LONDON THE ADULTS FRENZAL RHOMB

V I C T O R I A’ S H I G H E S T C I R C U L AT I N G S T R E E T P R E S S • W E D N E S D AY 3 1 A U G U S T 2 0 11 ~ I S S U E 118 9 ~ F R E E

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Would you like to be in the running to be part of one of Australia’s best known festivals?

ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN ST KILDA FESTIVAL 2012 Whether you are a band or solo musician, a children’s entertainer, community group, stallholder, trader or have an event or activity that you’d like to showcase at the 2012 St Kilda Festival, now’s the time to register

OPEN 1 SEPTEMBER 2011 DEADLINE 30 SEPTEMBER 2011

For more information and to apply go to

stkildafestival.com.au

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ISSUE 1189 WEDNESDAY 31 AUGUST 2011

THEOPHILUS LONDON INPRESS 14 The week’s best and worst in Backlash/Frontlash 16 The Frontline brings you the hottest industry news 16 In The Studio keeps you turned on to your fave band’s movements 18 Foreword Line brings you all the latest tour announcements 22 Is Bigsound really that big? Local bands give us their opinion 24 The 27 club is definitely not the place for Andy Bull 26 Nero are kicking off at 140bpm and don’t look like they’re slowing down 27 Trail Of Dead ain’t about perfection 28 Stepping into the future of music with The Vines 29 Leader Cheetah tell us not to be a try hard 30 Frenzel Rhomb are the kings of keeping it simple 30 Hip hop gets classy with Theophilus London 30 The Adults are really just a bunch of kids having a muck around 32 On The Record rates new releases from Gotye and Eskimo Joe 34 Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons get back together one last time 34 Little Scout finally shine their light 34 On the brink with Simone Felice

FRONTROW

BRUNSWICK

Thursday 1 september

Sweet Jean Sime Nugent & Alice Keath return to play four nights of beautiful “aspirational” folk. 7.30pm

35 This Week In Arts plans your week ahead 35 Organiser Vesper White talks about the upcoming Metropolis 2040 36 The tragic story of young playwright Andrea Dunbar comes to screen in The Arbor

Is it a bass? Or is it a ukulele? Find out when the talented Shortis & band play four ripper sessions of original, sophisticated, folk-tinged country. 5pm

The Miserable Little Bastards Dirty, lowdown country rock’n’roll 9pm

Sun 4 September

The Shivering Timbers

EDITORIAL Group Managing Editor Andrew Mast Editor Shane O’Donohue music@inpress.com.au Assistant Editor Bryget Chrisfield Editorial Assistant Samson McDougall Front Row Editor Daniel Crichton-Rouse frontrow@inpress.com.au Staff Writer Michael Smith

ADVERTISING sales@inpress.com.au National Sales & Marketing Director Leigh Treweek Victorian Sales Manager Katie Owen Senior Account Executive Nick Lynagh Account Manager Cat Clarke Account Manager Brad Turner

DESIGN & LAYOUT artroom@inpress.com.au Group Art Director Stuart Teague Inpress Cover Design/Art Direction Stuart Teague Layout Kieryn Hyde, Stuart Teague, Eamon Stewart

ACCOUNTS & ADMINISTRATION

A rollicking ride of original and traditional acoustic folk, blues & country 5pm

accounts@streetpress.com.au Reception Holly Engelhardt Accounts Receivable Anita D’Angelo Accounts Payable Francessca Martin

EVERY TUESDAY

Senior Contributors Clem Bastow, Jeff Jenkins Overseas Contributors Tom Hawking (US), James McGalliard (UK), Sasha Perera (UK). Writers Nick Argyriou, The Boomeister, Atticus Bastow, Steve Bell, Alice Body, Tim Burke, Luke Carter, Dan Condon, Anthony Carew, Chris Chinchilla, Jake Cleland, Rebecca Cook, Kendal Coombs, Adam Curley, Cyclone, Guy Davis, Carolyn Dempsey, Liza Dezfouli, Lizzie Dynon, John Eagle, Guido Farnell, Sam Fell, Bob Baker Fish, Robert Gascoigne, Warwick Goodman, Cameron Grace, Stu Harvey, Andrew Haug, Andy Hazel, Joey Lightbulb, Michael Magnusson, Baz McAlister, Sam McDougall, Tony McMahon, Count Monbulge, Luke Monks, Fred Negro, Mark Neilsen, Roger

CONTRIBUTORS

Tuesday Trivia 7.30pm

THE UNION HOTEL

BRUNSWICK 109 UNION ST, BRUNSWICK UHBBOOKINGS@YAHOO.COM.AU

9388 2235

37 Brett Cousins discusses stoner comedy The Aliens 37 Film Carew weighs in on The Arbor, Life In A Day, and Kidnapped 37 The Menstruum gets nostalgia for mangoes and gangs 38 Screen legend Martin Short gears up for his stand-up tour of Australia 39 Cultural Cringe looks back at the first week of Writers Festival

BACK TO INPRESS 40 Our guide to Brissie music conference Big Sound 43 Gig Of The Week 43 LIVE:Reviews rates Wild Beasts and Grouplove 49 Sarah Petchell will Wake The Dead with her punk and hardcore talk 49 Andrew Haug takes us to the dark side in The Racket 49 Dan Condon blues and roots in Roots Down 49 Kendal Coombs leads the under-18s boardroom in the Department Of Youth 50 Luke McKinnon goes with the flow in The Calling 50 Pop culture happenings with The Breakdown 50 The freshest urban news with OG Flavas 50 Business Music with Paz 52 If you haven’t appeared in Fred Negro’s Pub, your mother probably still speaks to you 52 Jeff Jenkins gets down and local in Howzat! 54 Our Gig Guide fills your diary for the weekend 59 Fill your dance card with our Club Guide 60 Gear and studio reviews in BTL 62 Find your new band and just about anything else in our classy Classifieds

CREDITS

Saturday 3 September

YANTO SHORTIS & BAND

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Nelson, Danielle O’Donohue, Matt O’Neill, James Parker, Adam Psarras, Josh Ramselaar, Paul Ransom, Leonie Richman, Symon JJ Rock, Antonios Sarhanis, Ingrid Sjolund, Dylan Stewart, Nic Toupee, Rob Townsend, Danielle Trabsky, Dominique Wall, Doug Wallen, Jeremy Williams.

PHOTOGRAPHERS Senior Contributor Kane Hibberd Jesse Booher, Chrissie Francis, Andrew Glover, Kate Griffin, Andrew Gyopar, Lou Lou Nutt, Gina Maher, James Morgan, Heidi Takla, Nathan Uren.

INTERNS Jack Crane, Cassandra Fumi, Stephanie Liew

EDITORIAL POLICY The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder. By submitting letters to us for publication, you agree that we may edit the letter for legal, space or other reasons. ©

DEADLINES Editorial Friday 5pm Advertising Bookings Friday 5pm Advertising Artwork Monday 5pm General Inquiries info@inpress.com.au (no attachments) Accounts/Administration accounts@streetpress.com.au Gig Guide gigguide@inpress.com.au Distribution distro@inpress.com.au Office Hours 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday

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GIVEAWAYS

Jack Daniel’s is turning 161 and in all their drunken memories the family can’t remember the exact date of his birthday so they’ve decided to celebrate all through September. At the centre of the festivities is the latest JD Set show, which is a tribute gig to Aussie legends Icehouse. Headlining the gig at Trak on Wednesday 14 September are Art Vs Science. Joining them on stage will be angelic-voiced songstress Kate Miller-Heidke, effervescent frontwoman of The Grates, Patience Hodgson, and a few more special guests. Sound goods, huh? It gets even better – we’re giving you the chance to head to the gig and take five of your mates.

The Vasco Era have a new, self-titled album on the way and with the release of the first single from the third LP they’ve decided to celebrate. The song, Child Bearing Hips, is a blistering slab of raw, distorted rock. The Corner Hotel will be hosting this single launch on Friday and we’ve got two double passes burning holes in our pockets that we need to chuck your way.

The voice behind The Tea Party and the drummer from Directions In Groove are joining forces once again to delight audiences up the East Coast. Jeff Martin and Terepai Richmond will be playing some new compositions and reliving some unique tracks at the Espy this Sunday. Inpress has managed to snag five double passes to the performance and we’re giving them away to you. Who do we think we are?

From humble beginnings in a rural Victorian shed to impressing thousands of new fans in the UK, Stonefield have well and truly arrived. To celebrate, the four Findlay sisters are about to embark on their first national tour. If you haven’t experienced their home-grown psychedelic rock yet, it’s your lucky day because we’ve got two double passes to give away to their East Brunswick Club show this Friday.

HEAD TO THE INPRESS FACEBOOK PAGE TO ENTER

FRONTLASH Go Wal!

BACKLASH Go Chaz!

DANCING WITH THE B-LISTERS TAKE A BOW(IE) The Queen’s Head’s Bowie tribute night at a heaving GB on Saturday was a triumph, and not just through the lack of involvement of serial tribute-show player Steve Balbi. The band set off the next day on a six-week Euro tour – expect them to be in top live form upon their return.

UNEARTHED We’ll give props to the new Triple J Unearthed digital radio station that promises to play only new and unsigned Australian music. Take that radio stations who reckon filling Australian content with Chisel for the millionth time is satisfactory to make Australian airplay quota.

GO-GO-GOTYE And huge props to Wally De Backer (AKA Gotye), who’s sitting atop the ARIA albums and singles charts this week with the kinda sales figures almost unheard of in this age of illegal downloading.

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Never thought we’d be jealous of the US Dancing With The Stars but with an ex-Wilson Phillips, Ricki Lake, David Arquette and Cher’s ex-daughternow-son Chaz on board, we want this sucker fast-tracked. Lara Bingle and Damien Leith could only dream of being half that interesting.

GOOD CALL Why didn’t refugee advocates think of it years ago? With an Iranian-born amputee reducing the judges to tears (good crying, not bad) on Monday’s X Factor with his rendition of Imagine (of course), it’s only a matter of time before the Oz public is phoning in to have our shameful asylum seeker policy changed.

TONGUE LASHED Sad to see Sydney label Other Tongues close last week – they’d released a stack of good records in their short existence, including albums by You Am I and Lisa Miller. We wish the staff all the best in their future endeavours.

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THE

FRONT LINE

IN THE STUDIO WITH BRYGET CHRISFIELD

‘ART ATTACK If you are a fan of the ridiculously talented creative hub that extends from Perth via Tame Impala, Pond and beyond, check out Allbrook/Avery. This duo teams Nick Allbrook – Tame Impala’s touring bassist (previously guitarist), Pond’s frontman and singer/ multi-instrumentalist with Mink Mussel Creek – up with Cameron Avery, who is also lead singer with The Growl. The story goes that the pair’s forthcoming debut album, Big ‘Art, was recorded over the summer just gone when Allbrook found himself with no fixed address and moved into the back room of Avery’s house. According to Allbrook/Avery’s bio, their time together saw the pair enjoying the following: “joyrides in their friend’s decrepit Holden Astra, duck watching at the local park, drinking large bottles of porter, making nocturnal excursions to Ezy Plus for Gummi Bears and soy crisps and generally being tight bros.” Curious? Head to the band’s Facebook page and listen to their first single, Empty. There’s a backbone of organ chords, dreamy, MGMT-leaning, layered vocals, hand claps and even babbling brook found sounds – a celestial hoedown for your ears. If you love it, head to the Triple J Unearthed website where you can download Empty for free. A representative from Spinning Top Music, their management company, promises that a second song from Big ‘Art will materialise soon. If you watched Tame Impala’s recent live television debut on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Friday 13 August, you would have noticed that Allbrook was notably absent. Unfortunately lengthy delays in customs meant that he was unable to wield his bass in front of the TV cameras and had to be replaced by Tame Impala’s tech, Matt Handley (who used to front Pollyanna). What? You missed the band’s performance? Be sure to head to modularpeople. com where you can watch the boys doing us proud and cranking out Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind? Drummer Jay Watson promotes another band from their ‘hood, fellow psych rockers The Silents, via his choice of t-shirt on the night and the crowd are clearly picking up what Tame Impala are putting down. They also shared a green room with Julia Stiles and Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley (from Jersey Shore).

NO HARM DONE Although they formed in 2005, Harmless – César Rodrigues (Blue King Brown’s touring and recording guitarist) and Monty Mackenzie (Cleverhorse) – are only just now preparing to release their debut album, Water Feature. Harmless are a Melbourne-based duo who, according to their MySpace page, “harness textures from various mediums including laptop and samples, guitar, alto sax, synthesisers, loops, percussion, bowed cymbals, and various random objects.” Percussionist/drummer Nick Martyn has also been recruited to perform with the pair live. The resulting sounds are hypnotic, swirling and cinematic, so it comes as no surprise to learn that Rodrigues also composes music for films. Harmless have made a video for the first taste from this upcoming set, a track called Here’s The Girl, which starts off sounding very much like Animal Collective’s My Girls but is intriguing nonetheless. This material was recorded at Blank Tape Studios, where Rodrigues works as chief engineer and producer.

PUSSY WHIPPED When a local barista suggested Reckless Vagina were worth a listen, it was a little too early in the day for such language. But you’d certainly not forget their band name in a hurry. The Sydney sextet’s tunes don’t sound like their moniker, however, there’s xylophone, euphoric vocals, shimmering guitars, brass and an overall celebratory tone to Hit & Miss (available for yours ears on their MySpace page). The other track on their MySpace, Francis Dollarhyde, is 1.28 minutes of tambourine-heavy urgency that begs you to thrash your limbs about while the vocals creepily insist, “You are mine!” The band release their material on Chocolate Jesus Industries so you can hit up chocolatejesusindustries.tumblr.com to clock the Hit Or Miss video. Scrolling down the page led to another welcome discovery: Whipped Cream Charges, another artist on the Chocolate Jesus Industries roster. This quintet possess a discordant appeal not dissimilar to those criminally underrated Melbourne misfits of the ‘80s, The Wreckery. They have an album on the boil, titled Whip It Out, which is slated for release later this year, and you can download a compelling cacophony by the name of Egypt Town for nix at whippedcreamchargers. bandcamp.com. Their vocalist preaches tenaciously over sax that sounds as if the instrument’s being murdered while battling for supremacy over guitar fuzz and a swaggering backbeat. Also available for free download from their bandcamp page is Rasputin, the lead single from Whipped Cream Charges’ upcoming longplayer.

INDUSTRY NEWS BY SCOTT FITZSIMONS

GOTYE’S THE ONE TO BREAK ADELE DEADLOCK

Hunters & Collectors, Noiseworks and V8 drivers by Sydney Harbour

In an exceptionally strong week for Australian releases, Gotye has broken Adele’s 15-week reign at the top to take a clean sweep of the ARIA albums (Making Mirrors) and singles (Someone That I Used To Know) charts. No local artist has achieved that since 2007, when Silverchair had Young Modern and Straight Lines atop the respective lists. Achieving gold accreditation in its first week, it’s the first album to sell more than 35,000 copies in a week all year. It scanned 38,000 in total. The single enjoyed a 20% sales spike this week, its third at number one, and as such delivered the highest weekly sales tally since Anthony Callea’s The Prayer at Christmas 2004. Making Mirrors, released by Eleven through Universal, received gold accreditation, as did Australia’s Got Talent winner Jack Vidgen with Yes I Am, an album thrown together in three days following the show, debuting at three behind Adele’s 21. There was also a strong showing from Josh Pyke, whose Only Sparrows came in at four. Given the strong week, Frenzal Rhomb were unlucky not to go top ten with Smoko At The Pet Food Factory at 14, two behind the debut posting from Nero’s Welcome Reality. The top two singles remained static with Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know (featuring Kimbra) above Maroon 5’s Moves Like Jagger (featuring Christina Aguilera). Jason Derulo jumped from 16 to three this week with It Girl, and will probably make a run at the top spot next week.

TRIPLE J ANNOUNCES NEW AUSTRALIAN MUSIC STATION Triple J have announced they’re launching a new digital radio station dedicated to independent Australian artists as a part of the Triple J Unearthed program, in what has been described as some of the station’s biggest news this decade. The station will be launched Wednesday 5 October and will be available online/through the iPhone app around the world, and on digital radio in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Station manager Chris Scaddan told The Front Line, “As far as Triple J’s concerned this is as big as any announcement in the last decade, launching a new radio station.” The Unearthed program aimed at young talent has discovered Killing Heidi, Grinspoon and Missy Higgins amongst others in the past. Triple J believes it will be the only radio station to play solely Australian music. Scaddan said, “We think [Triple J Unearthed] will give people a reason to pick up digital radio… It won’t be driven by personalities and announcements… Sometimes we’ll have musicians introducing their own tracks, maybe their favourite three songs from their town… Because of the digital format where you can see track details, you don’t need regular back announcers.” He also said it would be “driven by community” and feature “voices of community”. The station launch date will feature free parties in various capital cities with live bands.

OTHER TONGUES TO FOLD Music company Other Tongues is set to fold after a split between the partners, it was revealed last week. First announced by music newsletter Your Daily SPA, Other Tongues co-founder Nick Pontikos confirmed the news in a statement. He explained, “There was a difference of opinion between the partners on the best way to move the company forward. In the end it was irreconcilable, and as the partners remained split, the conclusion was to wind the company down. The split was very amicable, we’re just moving in different directions. And the company may be revived in the future, the structure remains in place.” Pontikos said that while they won’t be taking on any more releases, existing clients will still be catered for and speaking to Your Daily SPA, Departed Sounds’ Ashley Sambrooks and Rice Is Nice’s Julia Wilson admitted that while they were looking at new options now, the situation had been handled well. “The company will trade on to sell its catalogue, but won’t be releasing new music,” said Pontikos. “All local releases and licenses will remain actively in print. Importantly, all artists and labels will continue to be accounted to. It’s a disappointing end, no question, we built something very strong in a very short space of time. We had a wonderful team of staff who gave their all, and a roster of artists and labels that I love from A to Z.” Pontikos is revitalising the Longtime Listener name, which “will continue working with the majority of artists from the [Other Tongues] roster – we had a strong family at OT, and those ties don’t break easily.” He cited new albums from Witch Hats, the debut solo outing for The Hold Steady’s frontman Craig Finn and Lateef The Truthspeaker as upcoming priorities.

TIM ROGERS CURATED FOOTY AD You Am I frontman Tim Rogers has provided the voice-over, composed the backing track and contributed to the script of an Australian Rules ad, which the AFL says aims to encourage the link between Aussie rules and music. The AFL’s general manager of strategy and marketing, Andrew Catterall, told The Front Line, “We think there’s a natural connection between Aussie Rules and local music… especially in Melbourne. If you go to a Weddings Parties Anything gig there’s scarves and everything.” Catterall described Rogers’ voice as “creative and theatrical” and believed many musicians are “passionate about the footy”, therefore making sense for the league “to use an Australian artist [for] the voice-over.” The AFL this year launched a concert series called Live At The G, which has featured Little Red and Airbourne amongst others performing prior to games at the MCG. “We’ve got a semi-permanent stage at the ‘G, and

HUNTERS & COLLECTORS’ ‘BIG OFFER’ TO REFORM Iconic Australian rock band Hunters & Collectors are to play a “one-off” show at the V8 Supercars touring car race meeting at Sydney’s Olympic Park in December. The show will also feature John Farnham, Noiseworks, James Reyne, Bliss N Eso and Jebediah. The top four acts will perform on Saturday 3 December at the Olympic Stadium, with Bliss N Eso and Jebediah to perform the day before. Hunters & Collectors frontman Mark Seymour told The Front Line that the scale of this event was what encouraged them to play: “We got an email from our manager a while ago with the offer. He gets numerous offers, which I wasn’t aware of but I am now, but this one was big and on the scale of the Sound Relief concert… If we hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t be doing this.” The band broke up in 1998 and had only played 2009’s Victorian bushfire fundraiser Sound Relief since then. Seymour also said band members now have an “oblique view of playing rock’n’roll, [but] this event managed to garner their interest… We’ve always been a fairly robust group, but struggled to have that commercial credibility. We seemed to build audiences through our career and by the end were playing to big audiences. The guys organising this must have vivid memories of those big audiences and think it will work. I think it will work. I reckon it will be really powerful and relaxing… It’s the right fit. We’ll be playing to people who know us, and a lot of them.” As far as further events go after this, they’ll take it on a case-by-case basis. “That would be the realistic approach… I have no idea if another [opportunity] will come along.” we boost the sound. We made sure it’s a better opportunity for the acts to perform.” The AFL wishes to “encourage and develop” the relationship between the game and music. St Kilda supporter Eric Bana has also provided a voice-over for a previous AFL ad this year.

AMP ENTRIES TO OPEN Entries for this year’s AMP [Australian Music Prize] will be open for entries from Thursday through their website australianmusicprize.com.au, which will now be a part of the Street Press Australia (publishers of Inpress) website theMusic.com.au, which has been announced as the online partner for the event. Likened to the Mercury Prize, the award is open to Australian albums released in the last 12 months, with an extensive judging panel deciding the recipient of a $30,000 prize – donated by the PPCA. Andrew Mast, Street Press Australia’s group managing editor and an AMP judge, said, “We couldn’t be more excited to be able to step up our involvement with the Australian Music Prize. We are proud to be a part of an award that is both credible and controversial. Helping artists financially and getting them talked about is a grand achievement.” Last year Cloud Control won the prize, joining previous winners Lisa Mitchell, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Augie March, The Mess Hall and The Drones. Prize director Scott Murphy said, “Thanks to PPCA, all of the six winners to date have received a very healthy deposit in their bank accounts – money they have all needed – but to also be receiving the leg-up in the media months, sometimes years later is what this is all about.”

GREAT SOUTHERN BLUES CANCELLED Organisers of the Great Southern Blues Festival, scheduled for Friday 29 September to Sunday 2 October, announced last Thursday that the event would not go ahead. A statement on the festival’s website read, “The organisers of the annual Great Southern Blues Festival, today announce with great disappointment that the event… will regrettably be cancelled.” Bands booked included John Butler Trio, Pete Murray, Kasey Chambers & Band, Blue King Brown and American artist Booker T Jones. The statement gave the reason that, “In the current economic climate, unsatisfactory ticket sales for the event have unfortunately made it impossible for us to proceed. We would like to thank all of the media partners, suppliers and loyal supporters for all of their hard work and commitment to this much-loved event… Great Southern Blues Festival upholds a firm belief in environment, great music and good times. The festival will return in 2012 in full swing with a stellar line-up and continuing energy to bring a super event to its fans.” The Soundwave Revolution and Funk & Grooves festivals were also cancelled this year.

POP PUNKERS LOOK FOR HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS Sydney pop/punk outfit Tonight Alive have become ambassadors for the MySchoolAct online competition, which boasts the prize of a Sony Music recording deal (worth $50,000) and a chance to play Big Day Out 2012. The competition is now accepting submissions from high school artists from across the country at myschoolact.com.

CHARITY FOR INDUSTRY TO LAUNCH Set to launch Wednesday, Entertainment Assist is an Australian-based charity which will provide support to individuals who make their income through the Australian entertainment industry through “crisis support, preventative assistance and education”. The launch will take place at Melbourne’s Sofitel Hotel’s LaTrobe Ballroom, with actor Shane Jacobson speaking.

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DECCA RECTIFY BEATLES BLUNDER AND SIGN MACCA Paul McCartney has signed with Decca Records nearly 50 years after the label infamously rejected his band The Beatles. As the well-recited story goes, Decca said that The Beatles – one of the biggest and most successful bands in history – had “no future in show business”. Paul McCartney will release the score of Ocean’s Kingdom on the label – his first ballet. When interviewed by The New York Times, McCartney said, “For me, the sheer athleticism is the most astounding thing about what I’m seeing. It’s like a meeting of the Olympic games and art, and I find that fascinating and challenging for me, to see what can be done.”

FRESHLY INKED Little Red will release their latest album Midnight Remember in the US on 25 October after signing a deal with label True Panther, an imprint of Matador. The label is also home to Girls, Delorean, Tanlines and Ty Segall. Midnight Remember reached number five on the ARIA album chart in Australia, and the band will return to the US in October for the CMJ festival in New York as well as for a coast-to-coast tour to support the album. Digital music distribution and promotions company Valleyarm has inked deals with Boundee (Japan), Snapper Music (England), ZE Records (Brazil) and DigiRama (New Zealand). Independent music company PIAS has signed a deal with Wichita Recordings to distribute their releases everywhere around the world, bar North America. Subsequently the label, home to Kele, The Cribs, Simian Mobile Disco, Best Coast, First Aid Kit and more, will be handled by Liberator Music in Australia and New Zealand. Charlie Mayfair have been announced as the third and final act to play the Little BigSound youth-focused conference, which falls under the BigSound umbrella. Taking place at the Judith Wright Centre on Saturday 10 September, the all-ages event will have a range of panels throughout the day.

MOVES AND SHAKES Victoria Ciesiolka, Warner Music Australia’s head of press, finished up last week after five years. She’s moving into independent publicity and promotion.

DEW PROCESS AND SPA TO THROW BIGSOUND PARTY Record label Dew Process and Street Press Australia (publishers of Inpress) will be hosting the official after party at Bigsound following the Bigsound Live aspect of the Brisbane conference and showcase. Taking place at the Aviary on Thursday 8 September, Mosman Alder, Guineafowl and Last Dinosaurs will perform before Creation Records founder and Bigsound key-note headliner Alan McGee DJs for the delegate and invite-only party. Street Press Australia’s marketing manager Leigh Treweek said, “We’re incredibly excited to be throwing this party with Dew Process, a label that does and has done so much for Brisbane acts and independent music in Australia in general. To have Alan McGee, the man who signed The Jesus And Mary Chain, Primal Scream and Oasis, on the decks is a huge coup, and we have no doubt this will be the biggest – and most debauched – party to hit the Valley this year. And that’s saying something.” Got news? Announcements? Gossip? Unsubstantiated but hilarious rumours? Send them all to frontline@streetpress.com.au.

THE

FACE VALUE

FRONT LINE

Music Victoria CEO PATRICK DONOVAN and South By Southwest’s BRENT GRULKE tell PAUL RANSOM that the FACE THE MUSIC conference can help Melbourne regain its standing as one of the world’s top live music cities. There was a time when any self-respecting muso could afford to sneer at the idea of their band being a brand. Since the digital revolution forced record labels to scale back their once legendary largesse and opened up the online marketing door to every independent act on the planet, the music industry has drifted increasingly to DIY.

Patrick Donovan

Brent Grulke

Donovan takes the idea a little further. “A lot of the people involved with Face The Music donate their time and I really feel like they’re wanting to pass on their information to younger people to make sure that the industry has a viable future, and to make sure that Melbourne continues to be a great music hub.”

For Patrick Donovan, CEO of Music Victoria, this represents a clear call to action and is one of the key drivers behind the programming of the state’s biggest annual industry conference, Face The Music (FTM). “Bands are earning less and so managers are not really attracted to earning 20% of nothing, and so the self-management model is becoming hugely important.”

On that topic, Donovan is predictably passionate. “In 1993 Rolling Stone listed Melbourne and Austin as two of the top five live music cities in the world,” he begins, adding that the local star has slipped since, while the Texan’s has shone ever brighter. However, on the bright side, a recently released Access Economics report into the dollars and cents of the sector has made a lot of people sit up take notice. Feeling that the industry at last has the ear of the relevant authorities, Donovan enthuses, “The different levels of government are taking us very seriously at the moment, so we’ve gotta ride with it and prove that it’s a very serious industry.”

Given that, Donovan argues, events such as November’s two-day FTM summit are an increasingly valuable opportunity for players in the industry. “There’s a hell of a lot of really experienced people in the music industry who are very much prepared to share their experiences and their mistakes,” he explains. “The wonderful thing about this industry is that while there is some competitiveness with the big promoters, most people in the industry want it to be healthy.” To help lift FTM’s profile, organisers have drafted in South By Southwest (SXSW) creative director Brent Grulke as a keynote speaker. It’s a coup for Melbourne given the phenomenal global success of both SXSW and its host city Austin, Texas. “I would never say that it’s imperative that a music industry creative be business savvy to succeed but the odds of at least not getting ripped off are vastly improved if you are,” Grulke says plainly. “Ignorance ain’t bliss.” Whereas SXSW has branded itself as a premium showcase event, FTM is opting to focus on professional and industry development, with the goal of reinvigorating Melbourne’s reputation as one of the world’s best live music cities. As Donovan says, “It’s all about skills development with a bit of an emphasis on the export market, but there’s a also a panel on what makes a great music city and another discussing what we need to do here in Melbourne to ensure that we’re

friends and becoming inspired by other people’s work.”

still a thriving music city in 30 years’ time.” From his office in the rather aptly named Bowie Street in Austin, Brent Grulke ponders the reasons for SXSW’s astonishing success, declaring, “Much of the success of SXSW has to do with it being in Austin. It has a long tradition of being an artist-friendly home. It supports hundreds of bands, music venues and theatres and is home to the University Of Texas and the state government, so there’s a built-in audience for the work of creative people. Plus, SXSW is held in March, which usually features lovely weather, and Austin is also relatively affordable.” While that may sound rather mundane, Patrick Donovan and Music Victoria would argue strongly that getting the nuts and bolts in place is critical to the maintenance of a viable music industry. Things such as licensing laws, parking

permits for musos and balancing the needs of venues and nearby residents are all part of the successful music city mix. And this, in turn, is all part of the FTM plan. “Governments aren’t great at thinking 30 years ahead because they figure they’re not going to be around for that long, so we figure it’s our duty,” Donovan expands. “What we’re trying to do is to remind the authorities of Melbourne’s global reputation. Y’know, the infrastructure is already there and the creativity is there, it just needs a little more assistance.” For the average wannabe rock star, however, long term policy settings might seem less immediately attractive than the obvious networking benefits that a conference such as FTM can provide. Picking up the point, Grulke concurs. “Obviously, meeting like-minded people makes economic sense for lots of the people that attend but beyond that, there’s the opportunity to form creative relationships, making

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Here again, FTM looks to play its part. “It’s a greater than the sum of its parts thing,” Donovan insists. “Y’know, if everyone gets together and gets galvanised to become more professional it will really improve the industry as a whole.” Looking at it from the outside, Brent Grulke suggests that Australian artists are well placed to take advantage of the new opportunities that a decentralised industry provides as well as the platforms that conferences such as FTM and SXSW create. “The Aussies are very, very visible at SXSW,” he reveals. “Since Australia has a rich history of producing first rate musical talent, there’s a positive prejudice towards Australian acts. I may not know the music of an Australian act but simply because they’re Australian, I may be predisposed to want to see and hear them. I’m rarely disappointed. Lots of people think this way.” WHAT: Face The Music WHEN & WHERE: Friday 19 and Saturday 20 November, the Arts Centre

FOREWORD LINE T EN S E PR

NEWS FROM THE FRONT some of the most influential artists of today, including Ne-Yo, Wyclef Jean and Nelly Furtado just to name a few. In 2010 Flo Rida collaborated with Australia’s very own Jessica Mauboy and created the smash hit Running Back, which dominated the Australian charts. Fans won’t want to miss seeing this Grammy-nominated artist in his element. Tickets for the Geelong show are available from Ticketmaster and tickets for the Ballarat show from Oztix.

UNDEAD SKINDRED Hailing from Los Angeles, Hollywood Undead first burst onto the scene in 2008 with their signature brand of rap rock and furious energy. These masked maniacs will leave fans’ heads buzzing long after the clubs have let out and the hangover sets in. They’re bringing their new album American Tragedy to Australia in what will be their first shows here. Support comes from Skindred, who have been causing a right royal rumble in the underground since they formed in ’98 and their blend of raggae metal is certainly the only of its kind. Catch Hollywood Undead with Skindred at the Espy on Tuesday 27 September.

A STRANGE COSMOS

A VILE EVENING Kurt Vile & The Violators are playing their very first Australian show at the Corner on Sunday 4 December. Kurt Vile has been on a slow burn accent since 2008, steadily rising from the American underground through relentless touring and the release of four smashing albums. The culmination of this groundwork is this year’s epic Smoke Ring For My Halo, which perfectly showcases the amazing range of Kurt’s music. It’s tender and evocative, elusive but companionable, tough in the gut and the arm, swollen in the chest and giddy in the head. Kurt Vile is touring with his crack ensemble The Violators, who add the perfect modicum of live grunt to Kurt’s songs and make them roar. Special guests for the show will be Fabulous Diamonds and Chook Race.

At just 21 years of age, British singer/songwriter Cosmo Jarvis has already courted controversy with his viral sensation Gay Pirates. The self-directed video for Pirates has received over half a million YouTube views following a twitter post by Stephen Fry. Continuing in the thoughtprovoking vein of Gay Pirates, Cosmo also released the controversial video to his follow-up single Sure As Hell Not Jesus, which he wrote and directed himself, exploring the themes of shame and redemption from a papal perspective. The brand new single, My Day, is a Prufrocklike exercise with Cosmo imagining himself as an old man looking back on his youth, criticising his generation’s self absorption and apathy. In support of his album Is The World Strange Or Am I Strange, set for release on Friday 30 September, Cosmo Jarvis is coming to Australia. Catch him at Workers Club on Thursday 13 October.

WAR STORIES It has been just over two years since the release of Melbourne soloist Levi McGrath’s explosive debut Move and since then he has toured New Zealand, the USA, visited Compassion projects in Thailand and worked with World Vision in Uganda. Now Levi returns to Australia in support of new album Children Of War. Closely informed by his recent travels and aid work, Children of War is an astonishingly honest, powerful collection of songs that not only chronicle many of his life-changing experiences in Africa, but the impact these had on this boy from Bendigo. McGrath aims for his music to motivate and inspire a new generation of people who are willing to stand up and make a difference. See him play as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival at Seraphum Upstairs on Thursday 29 September and Saturday 1 October, and then at the Wallan Gateway Church on Sunday 30 October.

SECOND SWIFT

BUFFALO HOUSING BROUS Her shimmering single Streamers with lush production, an undulating melody and hypnotic performance has highlighted Brous as an exciting new emerging artist in Australia. Now, the Aussie wonder act is set to reveal more. Following a fresh signing with One Louder Recordings, Brous has slated Friday 23 September to release her self-titled debut EP. To celebrate, Brous will be taking her mesmerising live show to the Buffalo Club in Melbourne on Saturday 3 September.

Taylor Swift, who is currently headlining sold-out stadiums and arenas on the North American leg of her blockbuster Speak Now world tour 2011, recently confirmed plans to extend the tour into 2012 with dates around Australia and in Auckland. Demand for tickets for Taylor Swift’s Australian show dates have been exceptionally strong during the pre-sale with fans clearly signaling that they want more shows! Some second shows have now been announced, including a second Rod Laver show on Wednesday 14 March. Tickets are on sale now... be swift!

GO WITH THE FLO On Friday 14 October, international R&B superstar Flo Rida will be performing at the Geelong Arena, with his second exclusive performance being held at the Bluestone in Ballarat on Saturday 17 October. As well as dominating the charts for the last two years, Flo Rida has released three successful albums and worked with

WHAT BETTER TIME TO DIE? While there’s no exact science to the resulting madness that is Every Time I Die the band have consistently produced maniacal, convulsive and completely unpredictable albums throughout their career. Nowhere is this more evident than on their stunning fifth album, New Junk Aesthetic, which sees the band set out to corrupt souls and bring fans to their knees with an orchestrated chaos of their heaviest most skillful work. Along with Support artist The Acacia Strain and The Word Alive they are planning on bringing this chaos to Melbourne stages on Thursday 29 September at the Espy.

NEW CHEF NEW MENU NEW GRUB 2ND SEPTEMBER:

LITTLE SCOUT ALBUM LAUNCH

9TH SEPTEMBER: LA VAMPIRES (USA)

10TH SEPTEMBER:

DAMO SUZUKI & THE HOLY SOUL WITH GARETH LIDIARD (THE DRONES)

23RD SEPTEMBER: WET HAIR (USA)

WEDNESDAY 31ST AUGUST

THE RELEASED SERIES WITH VICE ROYALTY + LE FOX + THE HELLO MORNING + DJ’S DEACON ROSE & PUNK DRUNK DAMO (TRIPLE J)

THURSDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER

RED LEADER - EP LAUNCH + TIT FOR

TAT DJS + ONEPOINTEIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION FRONT BAR DJ JAMES LAKE

WOLFY & THE BAT CUBS MADE IN CHINA $2 POTS $2 ENTRY

SUNDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER

ORLANDO RADIO LAUNCH

FREEDOM TIGER LAUNCH THE EGOZ + DIKTIONONE + KRYPTIC + LOS THEORY

THURSDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER

SYN APPROVED PRESENTS: TESS & THE TYPECAST + THE STAFFORDS

+ KRAKATOA FRONT BAR DJ JAMES LAKE

FRIDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER

LA VAMPIRES (USA)

+ FABULOUS DIAMONDS + FORCES + ANGEL EYES FRONT BAR SIMON WINKLER (RRR) RAINBOW DISCONNECTION DJS

NAOMY@GETNOTORIOUS.COM NICCI@GETNOTORIOUS.COM

LITTLE SCOUT ALBUM LAUNCH + LOVE MIGRATE + CARRY NATION FRONT BAR DJS PETE KEEN (SUGAR MOUNTAIN) & MATT KULESZA (RAT VS POSSUM)

SATURDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER

TWO ROOMS OF DJS ALL NIGHT LONG MONDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER

FRIDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER

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CATE@GETNOTORIOUS.COM

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FOREWORD LINE NEW YORK, NEW YORK At the Espy on Saturday 10 September, some of Australia’s finest pay homage to the great bands of New York. On Boxing Day 1999, The Celibate Rifles played their recorded-live-at-CBGB album Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang at Goldmans (Newtown RSL) and asked Shaggin’ Wagon to open the proceedings with a set of New York punk classics in honour of the iconic CBGB. Eleven-or-so years later, the memory of that set still burned inside Rifles’ vocalist Damien Lovelock, and he had the bright idea to revisit it on a somewhat larger scale and New York, New York: A Tribute Show is the result. Featuring Damien Lovelock, Rob Younger, Link Meanie, Carrie Phillis and Shaggin’ Wagon, the show comprises songs from Velvet Underground, Blondie, Talking Heads, Ramones, Television, Patti Smith, New York Dolls, Dictators, Suicide, Blue Oyster Cult and many more.

NEWS FROM THE FRONT Simon Breed

ONE, TWO, THREE... NO FOURTH.

FIRST IN LANE Lanie Lane is delighted to announce that her debut album To The Horses will be released mid-October. For those familiar with her live show, the album contains all the numbers she has been wowing rooms of all shapes and sizes with over the past year. For those unfamiliar, it’s a dose of proper early rock’n’roll, skiffle, blues and Australian soul; serving up fantastic tales of love, lust, heartbreak and the importance of a good guitar. It’s all delivered by one of the most distinctive voices and charming characters on the circuit. After spending the past 12 months touring with the likes of Justin Townes Earle, Clare Bowditch, Fitz & The Tantrums and You Am I, Lane and her cracking band are embarking upon her first national headline tour throughout October and November. Catch Lanie Lane at the Northcote Social Club on Friday 21 October.

A RAT, A POSSUM AND A BUFFALO Rat vs Possum are set to launch Fat Monk, the bubbling, synthesized bliss-out and first taste of upcoming second album Let Music & Bodies Unite at the Buffalo Club on Friday 16 September. Support comes from wobbly beat-maker Horse Macgyver and electronic audiovisual artist Time Shield (AKA the new live show of fellow Sensory Projector and previous Rat vs Possum remixer Faux Pas). Rounding up the live music on the night will be special tag-team DJ sets throughout the night from nu-disco psych dudes NO ZU, ex-Brisbane electronic band Toy Balloon and the elusive party machine Nick Rave & The Bad Speed playing disco, rave, pop, soul and everything in between until the wee hours. What more do you want? Tickets are $10 and only available at the door only from 8.30pm.

TEENAGE DREAM Wyoming’s punk rock quartet Teenage Bottlerocket announce their own Melbourne headline show at the East Brunswick Club on Friday 11 September. This follows the soon to be sold out juggernaut with Frenzal Rhomb in early September, so you best keep an eye out for these young’uns. Tickets are $12+BF and doors are at 7.30pm.

Three up-and-coming Australian acts are banding together this October to deliver new material to East Coast audiences. The ten members of Brisbane’s Inland Sea are bound together by a love of complex harmonies and songwriting. Since releasing their debut EP Traitor in mid-2010, the band have gone from strength to strength. The Rescue Ships is Brian Campeau and Elana Stone’s new project, an ideal marriage of their individual talents. At once complex and immediate, the duo combine their modern take on folk, rock and pop. Jackson McLaren was born well after many of the classic albums that first inspired him were released. After self-producing many recordings in his bedroom, McLaren recorded his debut EP with 2007 ARIA Producer Of The Year, Josh Pyke. Catch the three acts at the National Hotel in Geelong on Friday 14 October and the Grace Darling on Saturday 15.

BLUE SKYS FOR MURRAY As Pete Murray prepares for the release of his brand new album Blue Sky Blue and his first Australian tour in more than two years, he has announced the addition of Busby Marou and M. Jack Bee as support on his upcoming Free Tour.

DEBUT PARTY Sydney producer and DJ, Beni will be releasing his debut album House of Beni nationally on Friday 23 September. A shape-shifting, solid state wallof-dance the DJs first album will coincide with a number of national parties hitting Melbourne at the Prince on Saturday 24 September.

THE END OF THE WORLD Doomsday festival is only three years old and has already racked up a big following of heavy music lovers. Headlining the 2011 festival will be US band Cough. This heavyweight quartet formed in 2005 with the intent of becoming the heaviest band ever to hail from their home city of Richmond, Virginia – they are, without a doubt, well on the way. Taking inspiration from the lumbering doom of Black Sabbath and Sleep, along with the filthy sludge of the likes of Eyehategod, they have an ability to embody everything from all out aggression to hypnotic psychedelia and earth-moving stoner grooves. You can catch Cough along with local acts Clagg, Looking Glass, D’usk, Hydromedusa, Mother Mars and Summonus at the Northcote Social Club on Saturday 22 October.

GOSSIP HAS IT NEW WAR ARE THE SHIT

HALL YOUR ASS DOWN HERE Pioneers of rock’n’soul Hall & Oates are returning to Australia in 2012 for their first tour since 1991. Joining them on this summer concert event are Australia’s own Icehouse. Together the two bands are performing a series of A Day On The Green winery events in February. This tour takes the duo to the Plenary in the Melbourne Convention Centre on Thursday 2 February and Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley on Sunday 12 February.

New War will launch their debut 12” single (produced by Rowland S Howard & backed by Gossip & HTRK remixes) on Saturday 24 September at a new venue, Phoenix Public House, at 133 Sydney Road. Increasingly known for their compelling live show & shape-shifting sound, New War have quietly amassed a loyal audience. Supports on the night are Fabulous Diamonds, Taipan Tiger Girls (feat. Ollie Olsen) and Pearls, with DJs Ann Ominous and Woody and a guest DJ set by Gossip.

MORE ACTS FOR THE QMF The Queenscliff Music Festival have announced another round of acts for the 2011 showcase of artists. Joining an already awesome line-up of The Triffids & Friends, Eskimo Joe, Kimbra, Oh Mercy and Stonefield will be the UK’s Simon Breed (frontman of Brit group The Breed, who’ll perform solo and with The Triffids), Australia’s own Mick Harvey and David Bridie along with a ton of acts. Full details are online at qmf.net. au where you can also purchase tickets for the event being held on 25-27 November.

NO SLOWING DOWN FOR THE CAUSE Having toured almost non-stop so far in 2011, Brisbane’s own For This Cause have announced they’ll be embarking on an extensive national tour throughout October. Since forming in 2009, the band have released two EPs, played over 100 shows and won fans along the way. Now, with their second EP Journeys behind them; Reuben, Luke, Damon and Rhys are heading out onto the road for the final time this year. You can catch the boys at Ruby’s Lounge in Belgrave on Thursday 6 October and Friday 7 at Kate’s Party in Bayswater

ANU BRINGS THE SUNSHINE BACK Christine Anu is heading back to Melbourne after a string of musicals spanning two years to perform a one-off gig showcasing some of her biggest hits. Singer of Island Home, Sunshine On A Rainy Day and Coz I’m Free Anu will be performing at Bennetts Lane on Sunday 27 November, not only performing the tracks that have made her famous over the past 20 years but also sharing a few intimate moments of her career with the small crowd.

T EN S E PR

360 GETS ON THE ROAD

TO THE LEFT, TO THE LEFT Future Of The Left are back in Australia as part of the Meredith Music Festival in 2011. They have now annouced headline shows in most major Australian capital cities including Melbourne. The band have become the stuff of Legends for their unrelenting live shows, packed with ferocious energy and intensity. You can catch their epic show at the Corner on Friday 16 December.

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As one of this country’s most talked about up-andcoming artists, 360 numbers among a small handful of true to life, underground-reared MCs that can transcend the hip hop genre and walk tall in a pop-dominated landscape. With his album Falling & Flying set for release on Friday 30 September, 360 has decided to set off on a national tour. On the back of the success of his single Throw It Away featuring Josh Pyke and his latest offering Killer, 360 will be playing a handful of dates in Victoria alone. The shows will feature his brand new threepiece backing band, with Grey Ghost supporting. You can catch the Falling & Flying Tour at the Bended Elbow (Geelong) on Thursday 20 October, Kay St Saloon (Traralgon) on Friday 21, the Corner for all-ages and 18+ gigs on Saturday 22, and at the Karova Lounge (Ballarat) on Thursday 27.

FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT HTRK

CITY OF COLOUR Melbourne Music Week returns in November to showcase the best of our fair city’s thriving independent music scene. MMW is partnering with the local music industry to create a unique event that will feature live performances, DJ sets, films, workshops, conferences and much more. Events will take place right across the city, not only in live music venues, but in city laneways, record shops, cafes, bars and fashion stores. In co-production with ACMI, the Cinemix program returns and will see local trio Midnight Juggernauts performing a soundtrack to the 1960s British newsreel series Look At Life. Labels Live @, a series of concerts curated by different independent Melbourne-based music labels, will include a night curated by Mistletone at St Michael’s Church featuring HTRK, Beaches, The Orbweavers, Montero and Wintercoats. Two Bright Lakes have organised Melbourne duo Oscar & Martin and Teeth & Tongue to perform on the rooftop of Melbourne Central. The first international act to be announced for the MMW program is LA experimental music producer Daedelus, who is currently signed to UK label Ninja Tunes. Full program details will be announced on 19 October, with more artist announcements to come in September.

PISSING OFF THE PRESS AND WINNING

IT’S TIME FOR A NEW EMPIRE

Infuriating the press with foul-mouthed screamo and hip hop is one way to attract attention, and it seems to have worked for US band BrokeNcyde. After racking up millions of views on their controversial YouTube video and running amok at last years Warped Tour the band are heading for Australia on the Will Never Die Tour. You can catch the band’s crazy antics at the Royal Melbourne Hotel on Saturday 29 October.

New Empire have announced they’ll be heading out on the road for a national tour in support of their anticipated new album Symmetry, which is set for release on Friday 16 September. After scoring a global publishing deal the band have been on an upward trajectory. You can check out these local rockers in the afternoon on Saturday 22 October at the Prince and in the evening at the Royal Melbourne Hotel.

REMEMBERING DRAKE

STEP INTO MY OFFICE AND SHAKE IT

The tribute concert Way To Blue: The Songs Of Nick Drake is coming to Australia with the addition of two local artists Shane Nicolson and Luluc. Nicolson, a brilliant artist in his own right, is perhaps best known for recording the highly acclaimed album Rattlin’ Bones with Kasey Chambers. While Luluc first garnered attention after the release of their debut album Dear Hamlyn being handpicked to tour with Fleet Foxes. With these two acts being added to the line-up of musicians covering some of Drake’s best songs this concert is a must for Drake fans. You can catch the performance over two nights on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 November at the Melbourne Recital Centre.

‘Step into my office baby’ is a line you would probably expect from a sleazy boss or co-worker rather than three mad Melbourne DJs. However the John Curtin Hotel in Melbourne wants to change that by hosting a free fortnightly dance session beginning this Friday. DJs Andrew McClelland, Nathan Jones and Miss Modette will be spinning a mix of ‘60s pop and modern indie rock from 6pm onwards.

TWO BABES MAKE A HELL OF A TOUR Art Vs Science premiered the video for their latest single With Thoughts on Friday and have now announced a string of dates taking them around to more regional towns in Australia with punk rock mega-babe Abbe May. They embark on the Feels Like Home Tour near the end of September hitting Victorian venues in October. You can catch both the bands at Pier Live in Frankston on Tuesday 6, the Bended Elbow (Geelong) on Friday 7, Kay St Saloon (Traralgon) on Saturday 8 and the Bended Elbow (Ballarat) on Sunday 9.

DANCING SHOES COMPULSORY Two powerhouse acts of dance music are joining forces on the People Of The Night Tour which is landing in Australia during the first few weeks of September this year. AN21 and Max Vangeli will be playing at Roxanne Parlour on Friday 16 September.

RUNNING CIRCLES ‘ROUND THE REST The Red Eyes have set a launch date for their single Circles off their anticipated third album. Circles was mixed in Brooklyn by producer King Charlie. Before kicking off their summer festival circuit playing at Queenscliff Music Festival and Shine On, the band are launching the single to a hometown crowd at the Northcote Social Club on Saturday 15 October. The band are bringing their alternative mix of dub/reggae to the masses with support from Jess Harlen and DJ Sista Itations.

Demand for Roger Waters has caused him to add three more shows to his Australian tour. Waters is adding a fourth show to his Melbourne leg, which will now see him playing his last Victorian show on Saturday 11 February.

GET DOWN AND DIRTY Perth’s electro cabaret touring machine Tomás Ford is hitting the road to pimp his brand new single I Feel Dirty, and as it would have it he wants you to get down and dirty with him too. The latest single from Ford is a pop-sized blast of sweaty, intense disco punk that draws visual inspiration from what looks like a mash of Powerangers and Alice In Wonderland. After touring with Birds Of Tokyo, Ford has itchy feet and is keen to get back on the road. Joining him for his national tour are beatmakers Naik and DOS4GW. If you want in on a show that is sure to leave you thinking ‘what the?’ you can check out Ford and the Perth beatmakers at Yah Yah’s on Saturday 17 September. Mental scarring is fun, yeah?

DROPKICKING ANOTHER SHOW AT YOU

BABY ANIMALS STAMPEDE Baby Amimals have managed to pack their touring schedule to the rim this year. The band kicked off the year with a live set at A Day On The Green nationally with INXS and Train, playing to more than 30,000 punters all over the country. Last month they headed back to their hometown Perth at the invitation of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, to play at his very special live event, Songs For The Dalai Lama. In between they’ve been writing songs for their forthcoming new album, spending time in the studio cutting demos and preparing to unleash an abundance of new material! However this clearly hasn’t slowed the band down as they are embarking on a string of shows landing in Melbourne at the Corner on Monday 31 October.

WATERS IS ONE HOT TICKET

Dropkick Murphys and Lucero are in high demand in Melbourne. After selling out their show at the Forum, a second date has been added for Wednesday 26 October at the same venue. However, this show will feature a different support act in the form of The Ramshackle Army.

WE LIKE TO PARTY

GANG GANG DANCE SLIP IN A SIDESHOW The arc and trajectory that Gang Gang Dance have followed since their inception is outstanding. The band’s latest record Eye Contact once again captures the experimental spirit that typified their landmark avant-pop release Saint Dymphna. Recorded with long-term collaborator Chris Coady (producer of recent releases by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Zola Jesus, Beach House and TV On The Radio), the latest track displays equally a meticulous song craft and love of improv. Already announced to perform in the Supernatural Amphitheatre at this year’s Meredith Music Festival, the group have now announced that they will play the Corner on Wednesday 7 December.

With a debut album name like Party! Party! Party! high hopes are held for The Bennies (formerly Madonna) launch at Gertrudes Brown Couch this Saturday. Their party-ska-punk sound has led to the band touring Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and playing shows in Australia with The Aggrolites, Streetlight Manifesto and Star Fucking Hipsters. Pulling their favourite bands together to ensure the biggest party possible at Gertrudes, the band will be playing alongside The Smith Street Band, The Tearaways, Foxtrot and Grizzly Jim Lawrie. Upon entry you get a CD and party bag. How sweet is that.

TEX TIMES TWO In a very special twist to the formula, iconic Australian musician Tex Perkins will let fans see both sides of him in a combination he’s called Tex Perkins: All Night Long. Firstly he fronts up with his Band Of Gold to plough through that group’s country classics with Rachael Tidd, and then he’ll bring his Dark Horses to the stage to show why they’re such an ongoing Australian tradition. It all goes down at the National Theatre on Saturday 15 October.

Alex kid

NT SE E PR

SHINE ON POLISHES UP EXPLODING INTO AUSTRALIA Made up of Mark Smith, Michael James, Munaf Rayani and Christopher Hrasky, Explosions In The Sky have been riding the wave created by their last album, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care since it’s release. As part of this wave they are coming down to Australia for Meredith Music Festival and have now announced a Melbourne sideshow at the Forum Theatre on Thursday 8 December.

The first round of artists for the Shine On Festival have been revealed. Playing in the picturesque Pyrenees Ranges, this year has a plethora of unique acts from across the globe. Acts playing the festival, which runs 18-20 November, include The Bamboos, The Red Eyes, D-Nox, Tijuana Cartel, Frivolous, Hermitude, Opiuo, Wax Tailor, Alex Kid, Dunkelbunt and Die Vogel. Tickets for Shine On 2011 are on sale now.

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it’s just one of those freak things that’s happening right now. Also, some of those ‘80s bands are our parents.” So, what role does an event such as the upcoming Bigsound music industry conference, held over three days and featuring a combination of panels and live shows, play in creating a buzz about bands from a certain city? “Bigsound’s primary purpose is to showcase up-andcoming bands,” says Ridley. “It’s the first showcasing opportunity for most bands on the East Coast and can definitely open up opportunities, even on a global scale.” Neale elaborates on the central point that Bigsound also has an influence far beyond its own geographical location. “Bigsound is testament to the fact that Brisbane is important not just on a national scale but also on an international scale. Those in the Brisbane music community know this, but it takes an event like this to help raise the musical profile of the city/state. By bringing the industry to the city it gives some of our best upcoming talent the chance to show their wares to a group of people that it may otherwise have taken several national tours to reach.” For Richardson, it’s all about recognition that bands who have played the showcase can take away to other places. “It actually shows people what Brisbane can do,” he says. “And in turn, a lot of the bands that play Bigsound can then go down to Sydney and Melbourne and get the recognition that they wouldn’t have got otherwise. It’s really important in that sense.” When it comes to what bands are hoping Bigsound will do for them specifically, Wall is worried that the event will be rubbish if there aren’t enough punters around and Ridley is just hoping it’s as awesome as last time.

SO HOT RIGHT NOW

The Cairos

Bleeding Knees Club

With some of the best new music in the country currently coming out of Brisbane, and with that city’s Bigsound industry conference kicking off next week, TONY MCMAHON asks locals DZ DEATHRAYS, BLEEDING KNEES CLUB, THE CAIROS and VELOCIRAPTOR what it is that makes their city tick. DZ Deathrays cover pic by KANE HIBBERD.

nce-sleepy Brisbane town has a long history of being at the forefront of innovative and important musical trends. In the dark days of the repressive Joh Bjelke-Petersen regime, where demonstrations were outlawed and a gathering of any more than a handful of people was seen by the brutal police force as such, bands like The Saints and The Go-Betweens nonetheless managed to forge a musical scene that went on to have resonances the world over. At a certain moment in the 1990s, bands such as Regurgitator, Powderfinger and Custard, all hailing from Brisbane, seemed to have both the credibility and the musicianship to achieve whatever it was they wanted. And now, in 2011, it could be argued that the worm has turned again. “I kinda think it’s the lack of a scene that’s making Queensland produce better music at the moment,” says Alex Wall from garage rockers Bleeding Knees Club. “Every other state has a pretty strong music scene and has for some time now, and it seems like Queensland is starting to develop a new sorta scene and style that is newer and different to the rest of the country. Fuck, I said ‘scene’ way too many times.” “Bands are the building blocks for any good music scene,” says Simon Ridley from thrash poppers DZ Deathrays. “So the two generally go hand in hand. I guess the scene in Queensland or at least Brisbane

is a very supportive one, which allows bands to grow and helps them get out and start touring faster and easier than some other scenes might.” “I think Queensland has always had great talent,” says Jeremy Neale, of 12-piece garage pop revivalists Velociraptor, “but is only recently coming into its own in regards to the business side of the music industry. There’s now a wider array of capable artist/event managers and publicity companies than we have had available in years gone by. This definitely helps to level the playing field and make us competitive on a national level. More bands are now choosing to stay in Brisbane as the prospect of success is now realistic for a Queensland band, whereas a couple of years ago they would have just moved south. The weather also makes it easier to get out of bed and play guitar, which theoretically allows for more viable songwriting hours in a day.” “Five years ago there was nowhere near as many bands here as there are now,” says Ali Richardson, singer/ guitarist with four-piece The Cairos, emphasising the cyclical nature of these kinds of things. “I think that just lately everyone’s realised that you can do it in Brisbane and make it work. There’s a lot of great venues and there’s a lot of great people who are willing to go out and support bands. There’s also a real community of bands who are really supportive of each other. Everyone knows each other and everyone helps each other out. Or maybe

Velociraptor

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“I hope there aren’t just boring industry people at our show,” says Wall. “‘Cause if it is, my Bigsound will be lame. We’re starting to play as a three-piece at Bigsound, which will be a pretty big thing for us, so I guess all I want from Bigsound is people

TEN YEARS OF BIGSOUND

to dig our new line-up and to have a fun show with strippers and midgets and twirlers and babies.” “Hopefully it will be as fun as the last time we played,” says Ridley. “And also will allow us to play in front of some people who might not have had the chance to see us yet. We’re also always looking to make some new contacts.” Neale is a little worried not everyone will get Velociraptor, but is convinced that Captain Kirk will become a fan. “It’ll be very interesting. ‘Raptors rule and are thoroughly entertaining… but not everybody gets it, so we’ll see. Hopefully it leads to some bigger shows/supports as well as putting us on the radar of a lot of industry [people] that may not have heard us or seen us play before. Best case scenario: William Shatner will eventually hear of us and want to collaborate on his next spoken-word rock opera.”

This years marks the tenth anniversary of Bigsound, the Brisbane music conference and showcase held in the inner city suburb of Fortitude Valley, roughly the cultural and geographical equivalent to Melbourne’s Fitzroy or Sydney’s Newtown. Since Bigsound’s inception, peak industry body Q Music, the driving force behind the event, with support from government body Arts Queensland, has played a seminal role in fashioning Brisbane as one of Australia’s most vibrant musical cities.

And for Richardson, it’s going to be hard to top the last time The Cairos played Bigsound, in 2010, but it’s also about firming things up. “We played at Bigsound last year,” says Richardson. “That was so important to us. We pretty much got a record deal out of it. We had people from Universal and Island Records. It was a long flirtation but it finally worked out when they got to see us play and to hang around with us in Brisbane for a little while. Last year the power went out in front of everyone, so we only got to play half a set. It would be brilliant for us this year just to really nail it and consolidate out position. There are so many bands coming along in Brisbane, it’s like you’ve really got to keep your position.”

Bigsound is considered the best and most relevant music conference in Australia and works by way of a strong international focus, combined with a distinct local flavouring. (Interestingly, despite Bigsound having a line-up to absolutely die for, only a handful of the 80 bands playing are non-Australians). It brings out industry professionals and specialists, buyers, artists and speakers to create a holistic milieu of innovation and opportunity, as well as boasting consistently kick-arse line-ups of musos’ musos that attract the punters and insiders alike.

Inpress has always imagined that for a band to play a festival like this, with such a truly killer line-up, would be a real downer in the sense that they would be too busy with their own shows to derive any pleasure from the plethora of amazing acts surrounding them. It seems we’ve been mistaken, though, because if the interviewees here are anything to go by, there will be a lot of extracurricular gig watching going on. Except for Wall, who’ll be occupied with some classic rocking and rolling.

Held over three days, Bigsound has a focus on taking up the myriad challenges that a career in the music industry in the digital age presents. With a reputation for cutting-edge topicality mixed with a grass roots approach, there is little doubt that this event will continue to become more and more relevant to an industry in such a profound state of flux.

“Yeah, I’ll be too busy doing knee slides and 20-minute solos,” he says.

But hand in hand with all this rests perhaps Bigsound’s most attractive feature. Let’s face it, we’re all music fans here and Bigsound’s showcase element, Bigsound Live, is its flagship attraction. With 80 bands taking over a number of Valley venues, this is an opportunity for local punters to witness one of the most exciting musical salons in the country, as well as a hell of an excuse for music fans, country wide, to hop onto a cheap flight and give themselves a treat they’re unlikely to be able to experience even in the music-rich southern states.

“Velociraptor!” says Ridley simply, and we assume this means he’s as excited as everyone else to be seeing them. And even though we assume he gets in for nothing, Neale makes an important point about the ridiculously cheap asking price of Bigsound admission, an asking price that becomes yet more insane when the stellar nature of the line-up is taken into consideration. “We’re playing a pretty late slot on the Wednesday,” he says. “So we’ve got a fair bit of time to kick around. We’ll support our local pals and also our fellow raptors DZ Deathrays, but I’m also really keen to check out artists travelling in for Bigsound like Mike Noga, Husky and Loon Lake. Given the quality of the live acts it’s the most amazingly affordable festival Queensland has seen.”

It’s worth noting some of the testimonials that Bigsound has attracted. Peter Jesperson, from New West Recordings in America, a visitor to last year’s event, said that it was the best and most well organised music conference he’d been to in a decade. He also compared it to the world’s premier musical event, South By Southwest, before it became so huge – no faint praise. John O’Donnell, from OdFellows Music and a part of the Cold Chisel management team, called it a triumph on every level, as well as going on to say that it was undoubtedly the best music conference he’d been to in Australia.

“We’ve just got back from a pretty big tour,” says Richardson. “So we’re running all right at the moment. We’re playing well, so we don’t have to spend too much time worrying about the show. We’re pretty excited to be going out and seeing a few bands while we’re there. Bands like Velociraptor. Last year they were playing at the same time as us and we didn’t get to see them, so we’re pretty excited about that.”

It’s probably important to understand that Jesperson and O’Donnell have little-to-no vested interest in speaking in this manner, and this, even more than the amazing line-ups or solid work being performed behind the scenes – perhaps even more than the overall positive cultural implications for Brisbane in particular and Australia in general – illustrates directly the extraordinary value of an event such as this.

WHAT: Bigsound WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 7 to Friday 9 September, Fortitude Valley, Queensland

DZ Deathrays

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Tony McMahon

GROWING PAINS “Thank god I haven’t done anything amazing, ‘cause I’d only have another four weeks to live!” ANDY BULL, who’s approaching his 27th birthday but clearly believes he has no place in the 27 Club alongside Amy Winehouse, jokes with MICHAEL SMITH. “I just hope that nothing good happens in the next month.”

t’s nearly a year since Sydneysider Andy Bull released the Phantom Pains EP and he’s not got around to doing his own tour to support it until now. That might seem to fly in the face of accepted industry wisdom, but the way Bull sees it, it made perfect sense. “The thing is,” Bull begins, “when I released that EP a year ago, we didn’t put it out with much fanfare. Like, we didn’t do heaps of press or anything – there was no real push – and that was refreshing because I really didn’t feel [like] doing that stuff; I just wanted to put out some music. So we put it out and then got a whole heap of support tours and toured pretty much solidly for the last 12 months; every other month there’s been something. That’s really been the only way, along with radio, that we’ve built an audience. So slowly but steadily there’s now, hopefully, an audience for my own show. “It is weird to be doing it a year later, but it’s also kind of satisfying, because you get told, ‘Oh if you don’t make a big splash within the first couple of weeks, then that’s it – you don’t get another chance to launch yourself in the public consciousness,’ or whatever. But, a year later, now there’s the demand, so it’s kind of weirdly satisfying that there might be the opportunity, a year after doing something, to finally tour on it properly. The material is older now, but when we recorded it to begin with, we recorded it really quickly and by the time we were doing the first shows, it was only the third or fourth time I’d played some of those songs, so it was still sort of fresh. We are actually working towards a new album and a new EP, so we’re trying to weave some of the newer material into this tour, as Phantom Pains plus new stuff.” So instead of jumping straight into a Phantom Pains headlining tour a year ago, he headed out opening for Hungry Kids Of Hungary, followed by a co-headline tour with Owl Eyes and then the national support for American singer/songwriter Joshua Radin. What Bull has done essentially is build up a fanbase first, which is the way the industry used to work – an act gigs and gigs and gigs, builds up a fanbase and an industry buzz and then they get signed and tour the resulting album.

“It’s funny. I think that despite the fact that we’re living in what we call the ‘information age’ and everything – just because of the way the music industry works now and a CD’s worth nothing or whatever and major record labels don’t have the power they used to have, so the industry’s become kind of secularised in a weird way – that it seemed like things are reverting back to the old ways. We have to tour and play and that is the only way; if you want an audience, you have to find it, which is kind of old-fashioned but it’s also novel as well. “And it’s satisfying when that works too because I’m almost 27 now and I’ve been doing this since I left school and if you’d told me when I left school, ‘Hey, in ten year’s time things will be just beginning to pick up for you,’ I would have been really depressed. You always want to do things the fast way – you don’t want to have to put in the work, you just want things to click for you – and for some people it does. “There are much more talented people than me and they just have this vision, they know exactly what to do and they put out their finest work at age 19 or 20 and everyone wants to be that person – have the gift and just do it. Like, preternaturally talented – everyone wants to be a prodigy. But for me it’s been absolutely

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the other way ‘round. I think if I’m going to bloom at all, I’m going to be a very late bloomer [laughs].” Of course, recent events have reminded the world yet again that 27 isn’t necessarily the best age to be when you’re a musician. “That’s true. I was joking to my girlfriend one day, talking about one of the prodigies, one of the real talents, Amy Winehouse, and I’ll be 27 in a couple of weeks and I was saying, ‘Thank god I haven’t done anything amazing, ‘cause I’d only have another four weeks to live!’ Once I turn 27, things can start picking up for me; I just hope that nothing good happens in the next month. I really do like this idea that you actually get better and better at something your whole life; that there’s an infinite potential for improvement, regardless of whether you’re 30 or 40 or 50.”

“

…you get told, ‘Oh, if you don’t make a big splash within the first couple of weeks, then that’s it – you don’t get another chance’…”

In a way, the Phantom Pains EP was a reaction to his 2008 debut album, We’re Too Young, whose critical success but relative commercial failure allowed Bull the chance to reassess what he actually wanted out of his music – and certainly ensured there’d be no pre-27 success. “The title of the album reflects how I felt about it,” Bull admits. “I know that a lot of musicians distance themselves from things they’ve done in the past but even as [We’re Too Young] was coming out I felt a step removed from it. It had taken so long and there was music there, ideas that I thought were so novel and new, but they weren’t really, because I’d written them when I was 17 or 18. So when it came out, I didn’t feel it represented my tastes. And so much work had gone into it, trying to get it right, that it wasn’t right at its core. “So I decided I’d engage in [the process of recording] in a way that’s meaningful to me and use my friends, strip things back and just try to wipe the slate clean. I made the opposite sorts of choices that I’d made on We’re Too Young in making the EP.” WHO Andy Bull WHAT Phantom Pains (Island/Universal) WHEN & WHERE Friday, the National Hotel, Geelong; Saturday, Northcote Social Club

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BLURRING BORDERS DAN STEPHENS is living the current dubstep obsession as one half of UK duo NERO, who have just released their debut LP Welcome Reality. TROY MUTTON finds out there’s a whole lot more to the twosome than epic productions at 140bpm.

t feels like on any given day the Triple J waves are being flooded with dubstep tunes from the likes of Skrillex, Chase & Status and, of course, the Parklifebound Nero. While it’s completely reasonable to say that there are plenty of other genres that stand out, the frenetic, loud, bass-heavy beats that form the backbone of dubstep tracks are ones that cannot be escaped.

Originally more well known for their electro-infused drum’n’bass tunes, Dan Stephens and Joe Ray had their first official release Innocence in 2010, and it’s pretty much been nonstop since. This year alone we’ve already had genuine epics in Me & You and Guilt, with latest single, the more trance-electro Promises, likely to be no different. All the tracks feature on their debut album, Welcome Reality, and it’s been a while coming. “It’s been about two years in the making really. I guess any time that we weren’t gigging or touring, we were in the studio, just working away to get the album finished,” begins Stephens down the line from LA, at the beginning of their current album tour.

“When we first started writing the album things weren’t as busy, obviously because as we were writing the album and writing the singles – that’s just sort of gained us some promotional success. As we started putting out the singles it started getting harder and harder to find time to finish the album. We ended up putting it out about a month later than originally planned. It’s great to be on the verge of releasing it.” And release it they now have, a massive 15 (or 22 if you’re looking for digital exclusive) tracks that any fans of Stephens and Ray would know, span multiple genres. There are of course the dubstep joints they are loved for, but there’s also a 4/4, heavy electro element and even a bit of disco – the legendary Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates guests on Reaching Out. It’s all par for the course for Nero; their love of music spreads far and wide. “I think we were working away from being tied down by any one specific genre and just wanting to become known as electronic music producers, rather than dubstep producers or house producers. It was quite an important thing for us to kind of blur the lines between the genres. Therefore all the tracks have that same kind of Nero sound, which is kind of ‘80s in a sense. “The lines are kind of blurred, between the different speeds of our songs, slower or faster than the song before it. The sounds just flow through the album and the themes, it kind of just blurs those borders,” Stephens explains. There’s also a pop element that seems to be infiltrating this sound more and more, obviously as it becomes more commercially accessible. “I mean it was really weird because we’ve always loved pop, and we’ve always loved traditional kind of song craft and catchy melodies. Eighties pop, like, Phil Collins and Michael Jackson are big influences on us. We didn’t really set out there to write pop music, but we were obviously influenced by it. “We didn’t set out to write sort of chart music, so when it popped up in the charts…” he trails off. Has that been surprising for them? “Yeah, it’s only really been the last month or so that people have said to me, ‘You guys are being played a lot on Triple J at the moment.’ I had no idea. It’s been really weird for us; when we started getting played on daytime radio, on Radio 1 in the UK, and the chart stuff was happening, everything starts to kind of happen on the other side of the world – it seems to be spreading, it’s really weird.” During a time where people can just pick and choose their favourite tracks for next to nothing, having a successful dance album means you can’t just throw together a bunch of tracks you have laying about and it’s something that they’ve given a lot of thought too. As such, the duo have crafted an album that coherently flows from start to finish audio-wise and, most importantly, tells a story. “We didn’t want to write an album that was a collection of singles – we’ve actually just written an album that we feel you’d miss out on it if you didn’t actually download the whole album and actually just listen to it from beginning to end, but that’s probably quite a tough ask for some people. It shouldn’t be, because we made sure it had nothing too repetitive… “We wanted to write an album that actually felt like an album, so a lot of the tracks segue from one to the other – move into the next one. It feels quite cinematic really, sort of flows through. And there’s a cinematic theme in the artwork. It was obviously very influenced by ‘80s sci-fi films – that ‘80s vision of the future which was quite sort of big and post-apocalyptic, like Blade Runner. We’ve really tried to write an album that is an album and works like an album. We really just hope that people do buy the whole thing and listen to it all the way through and give it a chance. Because, actually, the tracks make more sense being listened to in the context of an album rather than as individual tracks.” That retro-futuristic element of Nero has been a big part of their aesthetic from day dot – the videos for Guilt and Promises have a very futuristic feel, while ‘80s anime and videogame influences abound on Me & You and Innocence. In fact, each one is pretty damn awesome in its own right, and a large part of that has been Nero’s vision. “Yeah, we’re very vocal about… I guess our image and the way we project ourselves through our videos… we’re very clear with that. It’s probably very annoying to a lot of the directors and the people, and the label that we work with, but we’re very hands on in the whole process. “I think that’s kind of important, and I think the worst thing for that would be if we didn’t do that and if it came back and it was not how we wanted it, I think it would be a nightmare to explain what has gone wrong. We find it’s easier for us to be very involved the whole way through the process. We are very lucky as well to work with some amazing directors. Like Christian Larson [who directed the dubstep-heavy Britney Spears track Hold It Against Me], who directed the Guilt video… And also we’ve just worked with Ben Newman [on Promises], he’s directed a lot of really great stuff.” Another binding factor has been Alana Watson – she’s the lass you hear on all their big singles and half the of tracks on the album. It adds a certain coherence to the record which works, as opposed to heaps of different guest vocalists. While she’s not officially the third member, she is Stephens’ girlfriend, and we’ll be getting a taste of her come September. “It’s just me [at Parklife], Joe had to stay back. Alana who sings on half the tracks on the album, and is pretty much like a third member now, she’s coming out with me and doing live PA for her vocal tracks, which is gonna be really cool.” The lack of Ray is common for whenever Nero have played out here in recent times, but it doesn’t mean the show will be any less epic. The live vocals will of course add that tangible element to just a guy manning the decks, but really the Nero sound is just becoming so big, it’s almost the new stadium concert for Generation I (or whatever it’s called these days). “I kind of agree. It almost felt like for other DJs to play our stuff, it’s really quite hard. It works quite well when we play our own stuff at concerts… Tracks that aren’t really geared towards the club banger – more big, euphoric, poppy-sounding songs. And when anyone else plays them it will go off, but when [we] play them it just goes crazy.”

WHO: Nero WHAT: Welcome Reality (MTA/Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 24 September, Parklife, Sidney Myer Music Bowl

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PAPER TRAIL When his other musical half takes time away from ...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD to raise his son, CONRAD KEELY gets busy working on his art, or finishing a novel. SAMSON MCDOUGALL’s head spins.

onrad Keely one half of Texas’s ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead brains trust, seems pretty relaxed. When Inpress catches up with him in his – spiritual at least – home in Austin, he’s nursing a hangover (it’s about 9pm his time, must’ve been a pretty big one) and lamenting the mixture of tequila and beer. It’s okay though, because outside of his media commitments this evening he’s living in some kind of dream existence by the standards of many. At the moment, he informs, he’s putting the final touches on some visual art for an exhibition before heading into the studio at some indeterminate future time to work on what will be the eighth ...Trail Of Dead album in about 16 years. All this means that his other, more recent, creative endeavour, a novel, will have to wait for a while as he negotiates the rigours of life as a multifaceted renaissance-type man. Yet when it’s explained that he’s living the dream of millions, he offers, “It’s nice to hear that because in some ways I feel like I’m the consummate slacker.” Bastard. ...Trail Of Dead was born out of Austin in the mid-‘90s. The product of the fusion of, for the most part, two young, creative minds, Keely and Jason Reece erupted onto the scene and by the release of their third album in 2002, the Pitchfork perfect-scoring Source Tags & Codes, they had the medium- to heavy-rock world in a spin. Their sound melds elements of psychedelia, punk, Britpop, even classic rock, and somehow manages to defy identification with regard to time and place. By Keely’s estimation, their sound resulted from the converging and alignment of two differing music pedigrees. “When we first met as kids our musical backgrounds were more contrary,” Keely says. “As soon as we established a common ground they’ve pretty much been parallel since then with the real exception that Jason’s been into ‘90s hip hop and I’ve been more into folk than he is. As far as common background, now it’s very complementary, but when we met, he was the hardcore punk rocker/skate punk; he turned me on to Dag Nasty, Descendents, Fugazi and all that stuff. I was the ‘70s prog rocker, I turned him on to Pink Floyd and Rush and Genesis, the classic rock.”

unrealised creative goals. “We try not to kill ourselves,” he says of touring. “We used to be far more aggressive about touring but not so much now. Jason’s got a kid, he’s raising his son, so he has to have time off which frees me up to work on the book. The thing that feels the best about it is knowing that we haven’t achieved our goals. There’s these musical and artistic goals and visions that we are still striving for, still searching for. Perfection eludes us and in some ways I don’t want to necessarily achieve it, I always want to be striving for it and as long as I still have that sense then I’ll always feel we have something to accomplish.”

WHO: …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 7 September, Corner Hotel

“

Perfection eludes us and in some ways I don’t want to necessarily achieve it.”

There is a British-ness to ...Trail Of Dead that distinguished them from the US grunge and hardcore explosions of the mid- and late-‘90s and strangely brought them in line with much of the Britpop of the same period. This different-ness, and the growing reputation of their wild stage shows, allowed ...Trail Of Dead to sidestep the attachment to any one ‘scene’ and develop their material on their own terms. “I was born in the UK, I’m an Irish citizen, maybe that’s where it all comes from,” Keely continues. “I’ve never thought of it in those terms, it’s something that we do almost subconsciously I guess. Other than that, I don’t think that there’s any way for us to explain it. We’ve never really wanted to sound like our time period; to me we’ve always wanted to sound futuristic, that was always the goal. In a way it was our goal and personal mission to ourselves to create a type of music that we pictured being played in another time. It’s difficult to articulate, but every album we’ve done has basically been a product of our environment at the time.” For good and bad, the band have been able to push forward with each release without the constraints of actually writing for a particular audience. In doing so, they undoubtedly alienate listeners through a constantly morphing aesthetic. But, as Keely explains, it’s allowed the band to develop a continual narrative, of sorts, across and through all of their releases to date. “For me, every album is an experiment launched from the previous album,” he continues. “And although I’ve heard feedback that each album we do is drastically different, I don’t see them as being that drastically different at all. I see them all as being part of a continuous journey. I’m not strict about the narratives. I don’t tell the story of Tommy, the deaf dumb and blind kid you know? It’s more about leaving as much up to the listener as possible in terms of how they want to build that narrative.” The novel Keely is writing centres on a character featured in the artwork (also by Keely) on the cover of this year’s release Tao Of The Dead. In fact, he reveals that the narrative is intertwined with Tao... and somehow the band’s music and the novel are interconnected. “The book that I’m working on is more of an accompaniment, [the record and the book] accompany one another,” he says. “I’ve been working on the book for years. When I did the artwork for Tao Of The Dead I introduced the character for the first time. It’s a sci-fi fantasy, steampunk in aesthetic, set in a future world where it surrounds the boy that’s been on the last two album covers, who’s a type of telepathic savant. “I think it’s a great time for literature and books in general. There seems to be a lot of great stuff coming out now and a real sense of resurgence and interest, especially among the young adult crowd. Novel writing is very challenging; it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. When I’m in book mode, that’s all I’m doing that day. But at the moment it’s my art, there’s an exhibition coming up so I’m finishing a piece for that. Then there’s the record, so the book has to take a back seat, which is fair enough because the book is going to take longer than any of these other things and I don’t want to rush it.” Thankfully ...Trail Of Dead have set aside a little time to pay a visit to Australia in September (only their third visit to date). We’re hoping their devastating live performance hasn’t slowed too dramatically, as their two previous visits have registered as entries in the rock mythology of the last decade. As far as Keely is concerned, the passion for creating music under the ...Trail Of Dead moniker is as alive as it’s ever been – they still have

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BACK TO THE FUTURE “People are expecting more than just music now, when they’re going to see bands,” THE VINES guitarist RYAN GRIFFITHS informs BRYGET CHRISFIELD. Rest assured the live hijinks of their fearless bandleader CRAIG NICHOLLS always deliver.

alking into the designated interview room of Sony HQ to greet one half of The Vines, two amiable chaps – frontman Craig Nicholls and guitarist Ryan Griffiths – stand up from their seats, their hands extended for enthusiastic handshakes. This is unexpected given that The Vines have so expertly mastered their requisite sullen onstage rockstar personas. Griffiths has a particularly welcoming manner, often presenting a warm smile framed by his long, shaggy, flaxen locks. Nicholls has just recently returned from a cigarette break and motions to a position next to him on a black leather sofa. His face is largely concealed by what appears to be a black scarf, fashioned as a beanie, and oversized, brown vintage shades. As the frontman sips from a can of coke, he clearly enjoys talking about music: that of The Vines and also those who inspire him. Both bandmates demonstrate extremely positive mindsets and seem chuffed to have this opportunity to spruik their latest album, Future Primitive. After just one listen you’ll agree that The Vines have

headed in a ‘new direction’, stretching their musical parameters to the point where the word ‘experimental’ could be used to describe a couple of the tracks. “That was our intention,” Griffiths enthuses, “and Chris [Colonna] who produced the album helped us go in that direction and encouraged us to explore different sounds.” Colonna urged the band to marry traditional, organic Vines’ elements with less conventional, electronic ideas. “He did bring along new synth sounds and pedals,” Griffiths continues, “and he even used an iPhone – the apps on that – at one point, but he encouraged us to use percussion a lot as well. There was a lot of percussion that we used that we wouldn’t maybe necessarily have chosen, but it sounded really good.” Was it hard to know when to stop adding sounds when there were so many options available, given Colonna’s extra creative input? “Well, I think if it just started sounding too cluttered, [you know you’ve gone] too far and Chris was really good at helping us to get it under control,” Nicholls praises. “[He encouraged us] to be a bit crazy, but then to know when it might be better to be a bit more sparse… You can do unlimited tracks and everything on Pro Tools. In the ‘60s they did it on an eight-track like with Sgt Pepper’s – how great that is and they only had eight tracks to do it on!” Nicholls was especially impressed by Colonna’s adaptable working style: “He was just really easy to work with and nothing was a problem. He’d say, ‘Okay, we’ll do that if you want’, ‘Oh, you don’t wanna do it? Alright.’ ‘Oh, you want me to do this?’ ‘Oh, okay I’ll do that, yeah’… cool things were happening, but it just happened easily. “He really knows a lot about music, different music to what we usually listen to. Like, more dance music. So it’s good.” Colonna’s influence is expressed most vividly on a track called Outro, which Nicholls describes as “really abstract, far-out” and with “strange things going on”. Think M1A1 by Gorillaz. “That’s one of my favourite Gorillaz songs,” Griffiths shares before Nicholls adds, “Yeah, great, what a compliment! I think [M1A1 uses] a sample from a movie – a zombie movie, Night Of The Living Dead. Yeah, I was reading [that] in the CD [insert].” Nicholls modelled a Gorillaz t-shirt for the band’s recent Splendour In the Grass appearance and, having established the pair witnessed the Damon Albarn-led menagerie during their Australian tour last year, we launch into a discussion. How Justin Bieber can sell more tickets than Gorillaz is a topic that raises alarms. “When I first went to America, I spoke to a producer and I also said, ‘What’s going on? How come this band isn’t big here?’” Nicholls contributes. “And he said, ‘Good music isn’t popular here’. So that’s not to put down anyone in particular, but yeah! Just saying that’s what it’s like.” When The Vines first landed on the cover of Rolling Stone back in 2002, the coverline said it all: “Rock Is Back: Meet The Vines”. Together with a handful of other bands who also adopted names utilising the definite article, The Vines’ music and attitude shifted the listening public’s attentions back to the real rock’n’roll deal. “It was good,” Nicholls reflects, “there was good, real bands who were getting attention and getting people excited.” On our current musical climate, the bandleader offers, “It is a strange time, I think, where music has become very visual and I think it maybe shouldn’t be. I mean, it’s always nice when a band has a good image, but…” Can we assume Nicholls isn’t talking about an “image” such as that of the giant mouse head-wearing Deadmau5? Griffiths takes this one: “It seems like these days you’ve gotta draw a lot of attention to yourself to get attention for what you’re doing – the music part. We did the Big Day Out tour recently and Die Antwoord were on that. Those guys, they stand out in a crowd, you know? They’re quite funny. But it seemed like it was for real though, hey! They were living it. But, I mean, they went so far out to get their songs heard: they really had to make quite a stage show just to get everyone in to actually hear the music… People are expecting more than just music now, when they’re going to see bands.” At the end of the day, however, a band’s music still needs to sound good when you load their CD into your player of choice. “Well that’s it,” the guitarist concurs. Although thrilled with the finished product, Nicholls says he would’ve preferred to drop album number five in 2010: “The last album was 2008 and we really wanted to put it out last year, the album, but all the work that’s gone into it – it’s not a big deal, I just wanted to keep the album on even numbers: all my lucky numbers… We’re gonna try and do another album next year. We’ve got a couple of songs already and we’re gonna try and do that… In the ‘60s, a band would put out two albums a year sometimes – that was really great. I mean, I wasn’t there, but it just seems like that’s a cool thing. Just the music scene – that stuff has changed so much, with music videos being such a big thing and then all the other stuff. It’s all the festivals; it’s a big circus. It’s a good time and the travel can be a bit of a drag sometimes, but it’s usually worth [doing] for somewhere to play and have a good time.” The Vines were booked to play Splendour In The Grass again this year and it seems as if they’ve played that specific festival more times than they haven’t. “We’ve only done three,” Nicholls corrects. “This was number four, yeah. So it was four years after the first album came out that we did our first one – so that was 2006 – then we missed ‘07, did ‘08, we missed ’09, then we did ‘10 and we did it again this year. We’re the first band in the history of Splendour In The Grass to do it two years running, so we’re pretty happy about that – we weren’t sure whether they were gonna ask us to play at this [latest] one.” Just like Future Primitive’s release date falling on a year that ends in an odd-number, this year marks the first Splendour In The Grass festival The Vines played in an odd-number year. Ending in an ‘11’, this year may not be one of Nicholls’ “lucky numbers”, but the success of his band certainly seems to have a lot more to do with talent than luck. “Yeah, you have to believe in what you’re doing, so that keeps it all together,” Nicholls concludes modestly.

WHO: The Vines WHAT: Future Primitive (Sony) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, Hi-Fi; Saturday 31 December, Homebake, Domain, Sydney

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KARMIC RETRIBUTION Tour-tired LEADER CHEETAH members DAN CRANNITCH and MARK HARDING tell LIZ GALINOVIC how while creating their second album Lotus Skies, they tried not to try too hard.

hey look a tad dazed and distant in that way that is common of the truly exhausted. Several empty coffee cups lie around the table, evidence of the morning they’ve spent talking about themselves and their music in relation to the release of their second album, Lotus Skies. The fatigue is a result of their recent tour with fellow indie rockers The Middle East. But despite the heaviness around the eyes, Leader Cheetah singer/guitarist Dan Crannitch and bassist Mark Harding still manage to look pretty pleased when discussing the recent events. It actually livens them up a little. “It’s our ninth night and tenth day of playing and not getting enough sleep,” Crannitch explains. “But it’s been great.” Harding nods in agreement. They’ve been playing together now since the end of 2007, along with Crannitch’s brother Joel on drums and “other Dan”, guitarist Dan Pash. While all four had been involved in numerous bands over the years, the Crannitch brothers decided they wanted to start something new. “Mark is a really old friend of mine,” Crannitch says, “and out of everyone that I knew, he’s the guy that I thought I‘d love to have come and play bass in the band.” The compliment induces a shy smile from Harding, who adds that at the time he was involved in something else and had no intention of joining them. “But I just loved what he was doing,” he says of Crannitch.

as though he’s pleading with the universe], ‘I need a song!’ And it works… karmic retribution.” The band’s next big aim is to get overseas, but first they’re working their way through another national headline tour. Asked whether they’ve already amassed material for album number three, both men deliver a very adamant “no”. But this doesn’t mean they’re not continuously working at it. As Harding tells it, “Everyone’s always doing a bit of songwriting and there’s always creative ideas floating around. Always. There’s never really a drought in this band.”

WHO: Leader Cheetah WHAT: Lotus Skies (Spunk/EMI) WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Karova Lounge (Ballarat); Saturday, East Brunswick Club

What they were doing was devising Leader Cheetah’s sound and creating their debut album, 2009’s The Sunspot Letters – a collection of melodic indie rock ballads that landed them a place at Splendour In The Grass and has sent them touring around the country. As Crannitch says, in his matter-of-fact way, “2009 was a busy year”. And 2010 proved to be one too. “We pretty much took most of the year off to just write and try to write the best album we could.” That was despite having told everyone in 2009 that they already had most of the material for a follow-up. “To be honest, I don’t think any of those songs ended up making it onto this album. At that point [back in 2009] we were like, ‘Oh these are definitely going to be on the next album,’ and then we just went through a few little creative writing spurts and after a while you start crossing out some of the old songs and replacing them with new ones,” Crannitch tells and Harding nods along with him.

“

All the embryos come from Dan and Joel [Crannitch] and I guess we kind of jam it out together. That’s how it works.”

When it comes to sound, not much has changed on Lotus Skies other than the structure of the songs being somewhat more refined. The ballads are still there, the rock is still there, the occasional country twang and surf guitar is there. According to Crannitch this was their aim. They didn’t want to “try too hard” or “over think” anything. What did change was that on the first album Dan Crannitch wrote and conceptualised most of their songs, but on Lotus Skies his brother Joel played a bigger part in this process. “He came up with the initial idea of some of the key tracks on [this] album, which I think probably changes things in the sense that he brought a bit of a different colour and palette than if it was just all me.” Harding and Pash tend to leave this part of the writing process to the brothers. As Harding explains, “all the embryos come from Dan and Joel and I guess we kind of jam it out together. That’s how it works.” What Harding, in conjunction with Joel Crannitch, has especially brought to the band is a love for funk and soul music, the influences of which shine through on tracks such as So Save Me. “Joel and I really do enjoy soul music and really groove-orientated tunes and we were just bringing that to rock’n’roll,” he says. The boys claim that all four of them have very similar tastes and a respect for music. “I don’t think we have any different genres that we’re not in to,” says Harding, which makes the creative process roll much easier, particularly if a member is finding themselves in some kind of creative block. The first single to come off the album, Crawling Up A Landslide, is a prime example of how this works out. Crannitch says that what he first brought to the table wasn’t working. “It wasn’t until Joel started doing the little classic country shuffle that we were like, ‘Well, we’ve definitely countrified it and I don’t know whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but fuck it! It sounds good’,” he laughs. “I think that’s also in the vein of what we were saying about not trying too hard and just letting the songs go where they kind of want to go and not being too afraid to just… if that’s where it goes, that’s where it goes.” When it comes to lyrics, they describe their work with words and phrases such as “esoteric” and “stream of consciousness”. Yet Crannitch, who does most of the writing, admits to suffering through a period where personally he found himself feeling spiritually and emotionally “off balance”. But it was an experience that brought richness to the songs while being a cathartic process for him. “I think that can kind of help when you’re writing. I’m feeling better now, but I was definitely feeling a little bit out of balance and would sometimes just kind of put that energy out there and be like [makes

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FACT AND FICTION Songs about teenage Nazis, avian attacks and punk rock legends, all recorded within a pet food factory. It could only be a new FRENZAL RHOMB album. BRENDAN CRABB joins frontman JASON ‘JAY’ WHALLEY on the assembly line. Bird Attack song, which we’ve just done a video for and was probably the least painful clip we’ve ever done. It took about as long as the clip goes for. Then the next track is based on an actual incident, when Propagandhi came out recently and this idiot from some Nazi website was writing all this hateful stuff, talking about how they were going to come to their shows and bottle them and stuff.

here’s no great science to writing Frenzal Rhomb lyrics, but as expected on Smoko At The Pet Food Factory, the Sydney punkers’ new album, there’s healthy doses of humour and biting social commentary. “They’re all kind of based on actual incidents or fiction,” amusingly droll frontman Jay Whalley laughs. “I don’t know what else you can write about really. There’s the

“‘Cause our manager was bringing them out, he was liaising with the police, because they had been on the line to him, because they’d been tracking these guys independently. I guess through someone’s IP address or something they found out one of these guy’s addresses. This guy had been writing all this hateful shit on these forums. They went around to his house and it turns out he’s a 16-year-old kid and his mum didn’t actually know he was a Nazi. So the cops showed up at the door and she’s like, ‘Roger, the police are saying that you’re a Nazi’,” he says, mimicking a stunned middle-aged housewife before bursting into laughter. “So yeah, that’s a song, Mummy Doesn’t Know You’re A Nazi. I think you can hear most of the lyrics and I believe we’ve written a lot of them in the lyric booklet. We wrote a song about Karl Alvarez from Descendents, but that’s quite flattering. ‘Cause he seems like a terrific, stand-up gentleman; drug abuser, but a stand-up gentleman.” Smoko… is full of the type of irreverent anthems Frenzal Rhomb are renowned for and is sure to please their dedicated fanbase. However, it’s an album with a difference, as the

band trekked to Descendents drummer Bill Stevenson’s studio in Fort Collins, Colorado, located within an actual pet food factory. Whalley is audibly pleased with the finished product. “We recorded the last one in Kogarah and we thought once we looked at the budget, that the dollar is so good if we go to America it’s actually the same price as going to Kogarah these days. Just before Christmas we did the No Sleep ‘Til festival, where Descendents played... [we] knew Bill Stevenson, but had never really worked with him. So we thought, when he’s out here, let’s ask him if he would be interested in producing our record. As it turned out he didn’t give a fuck as long as we had money, so we just sort of gave him a cheque and ended up going to his very mechanised, factory-production line kind of system that he’s got going on over there. It turned out pretty good I think. They based the initial tracks on the demos that we had recorded, just live in the room, so it still, to my ear, has that ebb and flow of our natural sound, when we just kind of play, that you can actually hear everything properly and it sounds loud,” he laughs. Inpress enquires about the studio environment itself. “Well, apart from there being an actual pet food factory surrounding the studio, on one wall there were like fish heads and bits of horse and what have you. At the other end there’s the cannery, where they’re actually putting them in there. I thought it was a good metaphor for everyone’s job really. There’s not many people who just enjoy their job so much that they don’t feel at the end of the day that they’ve just

been packing shit into cans and giving it out. I like the idea that the majority of this record was written during smoko, when you’re on a break. I like the fact that with a band like us, people seem to come along to our concerts and kind of get a bit loose. It’s nice that we can provide the backdrop for that.” Whalley stresses that while fans shouldn’t be shy when requesting a particular favourite at a Frenzal Rhomb show – but they may get what they want, plus more. “Normally when people come to the show they might yell out a request or what have you. They might even go so far as to write on a sign what song they want to hear. The other night someone hit the notes app on their iPhone, typed in the name of the song and threw the iPhone onto the stage. I’m thinking, ‘We are living in the future’. Of course then Gordy [Forman, drums] and Lindsay [McDougall, guitars] came running over with their balls out and grabbing the camera app. They took some snaps of their testicles and threw the phone back into the audience... So that guy will have something to remember that show forever.” WHO: Frenzal Rhomb WHAT: Smoko At The Pet Food Factory (Shock) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday and Sunday, Corner Hotel; Tuesday 6 September, National Hotel (Geelong); Wednesday 7 September, Loft (Warrnambool)

LONDON’S CALLING A Morrissey fanboy with a background in marketing who’s duetted with Sara Quin (Tegan & Sara) – THEOPHILUS LONDON is not your standard hip hopper. Words by CYCLONE.

heophilus London’s background is murky, the hip hopper cultivating his own mystique. He was born in Trinidad but raised in Brooklyn. London started rapping at 13. He studied marketing at college – only to quit to pursue music. Branding remains an interest. With Timez Are Weird These Days, London claims that he set out “to just make a pop record”. “I want to make music that connects with people,” he says. It’s working, too, as HBO has licensed I Stand Alone to promote a second season of How To Make It In America,

the TV show that popularised Aloe Blacc’s I Need A Dollar. London doesn’t deny his music’s referentiality – his earlier song Humdrum Town is based on a line from The Smiths’ It Was Really Nothing. He is often quizzed about his adulation of Morrissey. Although London now considers it overemphasised in the press, he reckons that every adolescence requires Morrissey. “I feel sorry if you didn’t get into him at some point in your life.”

Like his fellow maverick Kid Cudi, London admits to feeling disillusioned with gangsta rap’s hold over hip hop – although he’s not adverse to extolling the bling lifestyle, gauging by Girls Girls $. “It needed change,” he says of the scene. “It needed individuality.” London reminds us that hip hop culture is about nabbing influences from everywhere.

a nonchalant London says of his look. “I made a lotta mistakes when I was younger with fashion and stuff like that, but now I’m really just comfortable with my style and my fit – and people have really pointed me out for it. It’s very flattering. The statement is made when I walk in the room… If people think I’m tasteful for it, I appreciate it.”

His aim is to deliver “daring records”, not “easy” radio ones – but to keep it pop. “I wanted my first album to stand out. I want ten years from now people to re-evaluate it – like, ‘Wow, this is good, 2011, this came out and it’s different from anything else that’s out [then]’.” The cameos are equally unusual. Sara Quin – of Tegan & Sara fame – duets on Why Even Try, the album’s pinnacle. “She’s on the [same] label. I admire her band Tegan & Sara. I wanted to take her out of her comfort zone, out of her element, and have her jump on a funk record about me fighting with a girl on the phone, on Skype…” What did Quin make of it? “Oh, she loved it, I love it – people are loving it. P Diddy invited me to his house and he played it – he’s like, ‘That’s my favourite song. I think that’s cool’.”

Even before his album dropped, the entrepreneurial London was securing ad campaigns with the likes of Bushmills Irish Whiskey. He’s designed a shoe for Cole Haan. And he’s a Tommy Hilfiger ‘face’. Today’s interviews are delayed because London has a meeting, possibly to score another deal. Inevitably, this has aroused suspicion in ‘cred’ music circles.

Key to the hype surrounding London is his slick image. The dapper rapper, who customises his gear, wears a Borsalino (fedora) on the sleeve of Timez…, itself modelled on a Leon Ware LP. His style has been hailed in GQ and he’s been photographed for Italy’s L’Uomo Vogue. Then London has been clothed by the high-end Lanvin. He joined Ronson’s supergroup Chauffeur with Sam Sparro to cut Souls On Fire for Gucci. “To me it’s kinda effortless at this point,”

The pragmatic London is using popdom as a launchpad. He’s interested in further design – and keen to present a jewellery range. “If I do do something, it’s gonna be limited, like only 50 to 100 pieces – and that’s just how we keep it. I would rather Chanel or Louis Vuitton hit me up to design an exclusive line or something. But I don’t want to have a clothing line. I don’t want to have the pressures of having a clothing line – it’s not in my goals.” Oh – and he’s reading scripts.

WHO: Theophilus London WHAT: Timez Are Weird These Days (Warner) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, Northcote Social Club; Friday, Palace

GROWN UP With new collective THE ADULTS, Shihad frontman JON TOOGOOD has made an album he’d listen to as a 40-year-old guy, he tells SAMUEL J FELL. “Originally the idea was that I just had a surplus of music that I’d been writing by myself and I thought some of it would be good,” Toogood explains, “and I just wanted to get some of my friends to jam on it and see where it would go. But I quickly discovered that writing something from scratch with these people – because they’re all smart as – was actually way more interesting. So I don’t think I used one single thing that I’d written.

ith the debut album from Kiwi collective The Adults, bandleader and Shihad frontman Jon Toogood has taken himself a long way out of his comfort zone. “Oh, without a doubt,” he enthuses. This is a man you can certainly not accuse of being blasé. “I mean, the whole thing is an experiment of throwing people together into different situations and [playing] music that they wouldn’t usually do.” The Adults, through the vehicle that is the collective’s eponymous debut, have created something that is, to

put it lightly, not of the norm. Among the Kiwi luminaries Toogood has rounded up are the legendary Shayne Carter (Straightjacket Fits, Dimmer), Tiki Taane (Salmonella Dub, Shapeshifter), hip hop soulster Ladi6 and Julia Deans (Fur Patrol). You’ll find deep dub, art rock, reggae, hip hop and metal all rolled into one ball of sonic sludge, which has then been lovingly and abstractly remoulded into something different. Something electronic. Something fuckin’ tectonic in its unstable condition that may or may not cause catastrophic results upstairs.

“So as soon as I got a taste of this collaboration thing, it was like, ‘Whoa, this doesn’t sound like me, it doesn’t sound like you either, it sounds like something new’,” he goes on. “I could hear some magic going on and I don’t quite know how it’s happening, so I just wanted to keep going. It sorta reminded me of how I first started writing with Shihad; how the hell did that happen? But it was good, you know? So I just wanted to keep the ball rolling like that… so as soon as I got a taste for it, it was a collaboration the whole way. I emailed and texted everyone and said, ‘You know how I want you to jam on my songs? Fuckin’ forget about it, we’re gonna write from scratch’.” Inpress ventures that once the worm turned, once he realised The Adults was taking on a life of its own and veering off the path he’d mapped out in his head, it would have been an intoxicating experience. “I thought at the

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time, ‘This is gonna be a big change for me’, and it was, man,” Toogood enthuses. “I mean, I’m a fan of Dimmer, so to have Shayne Carter there, how the hell did he get here?... It was like a music fan’s insight into how these people do what they do… it was really cathartic.” Shihad’s last record was Ignite, released in September last year, and it’s fair to say it was a return to form for one of New Zealand’s longest-serving heavy bands, a return to the raw power they exhibited back in the pre-Pacifier days. It was also the group’s eighth studio record in a career spanning more than two decades, so it seems a record such as The Adults was always destined to happen for Toogood, a step away from the relative safety of a well-known four-piece into the realm of not only solo work, but work of a different nature entirely. “To me, it sounds like music I’d listen to as a 40-year-old guy, it really is,” he muses. “It sounds like me, it really does.” HO: The Adults

WHAT: The Adults (Warner) WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Northcote Social Club

SINGLED OUT

ON THE RECORD

LATEST CD REVIEWS

BY CLEM BASTOW

SINGLE OF THE WEEK

COLD CHISEL ALL FOR YOU Warner CHISELLLLLL!!!!!! Over the past few years, Cold Chisel have risen in my estimations from what was once “the guys who by association inflicted Khe Sanh on my Year 12 formal” to surely one of the greatest bands this country has ever produced. The lovely All For You – a Walker number in the Flame Trees mould – is doubly bittersweet for being Steve Prestwich’s final recorded performance, but don’t let that trick you into thinking it’s funereal – instead, it’s a winning blend of freshness and age-appropriate mood, with just enough of the hallmarks that run through their back catalogue.

KREAYSHAWN GUCCI GUCCI Sony Given that I had Gucci Gucci on my iPod a few months ago, Sony’s concept of “new music” is clearly relative – but there it is in my new releases, and any slackness on the part of major labels does nothing to decrease the brilliance of Oakland’s favourite daughter. Her horizontally laidback flow and catty, Us Weekly-drenched wit (“Bitch you ain’t no Barbie/I see you work at Arby’s”, “Lookin’ like Madonna but I’m flossin’ like Ivana”) are still one of the best things I’ve heard all year.

ADELE SET FIRE TO THE RAIN Remote Control AT LEAST IT’S NOT ROLLING IN THE DEEP, RIGHT? Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever been as unsettled by the omnipresence of a song since you couldn’t get away from Puff Daddy’s I’ll Be Missing You; it was everywhere here and it was even more everywhere in the States. Set Fire To The Rain is a far more generic bit of R&B power balladry, something you wouldn’t have been surprised to hear Faith Hill or Toni Braxton trot out for a Michael Bay also-ran. However, without the presence of a voice of Hill or Braxton’s power, it remains a middling affair.

THE HERD FUTURE SHADE Elefant Traks

SAND PEBBLES DARK MAGIC Dot Dash/Remote Control

GOTYE MAKING MIRRORS Eleven

Given their perception as simply anti-Howard, thanks to the politics behind tracks such as 77% and The King Is Dead, there was some curiosity about what a post-Little Johnny album from The Herd would even be about. On Future Shade, however, they prove that their gaze extends well beyond party lines, with exhilarating results. The chilling My Sister’s Palace tackles the issue of domestic violence with compassion and clarity, while the gorgeously groovy Salary Cap nails the demise of Australian egalitarianism. Australian politics certainly gets no free pass, though – Red Queen Theory is outstanding, a perfect example of The Herd at their best, where they’ve used the frenetic beauty of hip hop to hit where it hurts.

Spring time! Who hasn’t lost their head? This question is deliciously posed in a magical, musical sense by the Melbourne five-piece Sand Pebbles with the opening track of their new album, Dark Magic. The opening track Spring Time (Who Hasn’t Lost Their Head) sets a lofty standard of guitar-laden, free-wheeling psych-inspired garage pop epics in another Sand Pebbles album chock full of treats. This is nothing new, however, for anyone lucky enough to have seen them play live or heard, in particular, their last two studio albums, the brilliant Ceduna (2008) and the stunningly powerful A Thousand Wild Flowers (2009). Apart from incredible individual talent, an amazing fact with this band is that their age spread covers five decades. With the last two members to join the band also being the youngest, and given the band’s musical style, it is even more amazing that this mix is all so seamless.

It’s been a long, five-year wait for those who prefer Wally De Backer under his Gotye guise, but we welcome him back wholeheartedly. Somebody That I Used To Know, the album’s lead single featuring Kimbra, proves that Heart’s A Mess – the stunning track from his previous album (Like Drawing Blood, which recently re-entered the ARIA albums chart together with his debut album, Boardface) – was no fluke. The xylophone melody may bear a striking resemblance to Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, but no one can channel despair quite like De Backer, even though his character seems to be in the wrong when you listen closely to these lyrics – nothing worse than dating someone who’s still hung up on a past flame.

What’s really exciting about Future Shade, however, is the evolution of Jane Tyrrell. It’s only her second album with The Herd, but the songstress has stepped up to become the third front-person voice of the group, alongside MCs Ozi Batla and Urthboy. Her vocals are impeccable – transitioning seamlessly from Florence-style drama to reggae stylings in the space of moments – but it’s her positioning as a third opinion in the songs that’s particularly exciting. Stepping outside the boundaries of choruses and a final-moment belt, Tyrrell is in form just as scintillating as her male co-vocalists. The Herd have always channelled a certain furious exuberance. They’ve a knack for conveying their passion for music and their anger with the world’s flaws in equal measure, and it’s never as apparent as on Future Shade, where their sumptuous sound is married perfectly with their sharp lyrics. Time hasn’t mellowed them – rather, it’s given them the tools to communicate their message with even more bite. Future Shade is just as operatic as it is opinionated – an accomplished snapshot of social commentary, framed by beautifully complex music.

While the opener has a hazy, lazy almost hypnotic quality, follow-up Because I Could has a more desperate, intense depth to it, showcasing the band’s three blazing guitars, underpinning basslines and transcendental percussion. Long, Long Ago is a hidden gem that has grown on this reviewer with each listen and transports one back to San Francisco in the 1960s at the height of the LSD era, as does One Of These Mornings. River Sparkle rollicks along at a cracking pace with soaring guitars and subdued hooping and a-hollering, before the title track and Occupied Europe (Take Me Across The Water) draw recollections of smokey nights listening to Itchycoo Park and odd connotations of unicorns, stars, swirling mists and kaleidoscopes. Another Way To Love is a cracking track with overtly clever lyrics. Entrance To The Stream and the killer Blue Eyes In Black & White close out another opus from this much underestimated local outfit. The Boomeister

Aleksia Barron

As the title suggests, standout track Smoke And Mirrors explores performance devices and investigates the requisite outpouring of self onstage within a complex finger-snap pattern that perfectly complements the castanets. A self-confessed Phil Collins fan, this side of De Backer is evident via I Feel Better, which sounds off with fanfare that could precede a propaganda announcement from George Orwell’s 1984, but then morphs into this album’s Learnalilgivinanlovin. In Your Light remains on jovial turf and instrumentation here may well bring Piffy the bell ringer out of retirement to reproduce these sounds live. With its vocal effects and madcap lyrics (“I put the genie bass on so my left hand can play the choir”), State Of The Art is the Thanks For Your Time of Making Mirrors. Something about Save Me channels Peter Gabriel as De Backer’s voice soars high above the vast instrumental palette of his creation. De Backer’s musical vocabulary straddles somewhere between sounds capable of coming from the mouths of Muppets and symphonic wonderment. Gotye transports us to a place where unbridled joy teeters precariously on a cliff’s edge, threatening to plunge us into despair when we least expect it. A listening experience that will touch your soul. Bryget Chrisfield

GYM CLASS HEROES STEREO HEARTS FEAT ADAM LEVINE Atlantic Combining Gym Class Heroes with one fifth of Maroon 5/ive is surely tantamount to creating a Gen Y MOR singularity. And while I have plenty of time, irrationally, for Adam Levine in his usual incarnation, injecting him into one of recent pop music’s least interesting/most irritating bands is a surefire recipe for irrelevance. I bet Katy Perry high-fives herself every time she remembers she escaped Travis ‘Travie’ McCoy’s clutches.

MATT NATHANSON FASTER EMI The whole Eric Hutchinson/Jason Mraz effect on singer/ songwriters really makes me long for the days of unbridled macho rock – I mean, lines like “You taste like sunlight and strawberry bubblegum”, really, is it too much to ask for a little less infantilisation in songwriting? Nevertheless, I’m sure this will be all over the new season of Packed To The Rafters and/or Offspring. Speaking of which, given my knack for predicting said indent soundtracks, how ‘bout a job, Seven?

WYNTER GORDON BUY MY LOVE Neon/Warner If there’s one recent theme in pop music that I’m particularly enamoured by, it’s songs that elevate consumerism to something approaching transcendent jubilation. Think Ciara’s Click Flash or Fergie’s Glamorous, and you can add Wynter Gordon’s Buy My Love to that list. The upbeat dance/pop track finds Gordon doing Gwen Stefani better than Stefani has done for about five years, and as a giddy embrace of wildly ostentatious moneyflashing, it’s entirely infectious.

DAVE STEWART ALL MESSED UP Roadrunner Dave Stewart seems to be spending this year meddling in genre: soon he’s going reggae (with Mick Jagger!) and right now, he’s all country/roots. It’s a rather odd mishmash, with some pretty pedal steel guitar, guest vocals from Martina McBride, and the dourest of dour Nashville moods (see: title, lines like “Here in the rain again, feels like it never ends”). As expert pastiche goes, it’s spot on, but Stewart’s thin voice is too weak to lift it above anything more than an experiment.

BOBAN & MARKO MARKOVIC ORCHESTRA VERSUS FANFARE CIOCARLIA BALKAN BRASS BATTLE Asphalt Tango/Planet

STEVE CROPPER DEDICATED 429 Records Nowhere on this planet is there a working musician possessed of the history and influence of guitarist Steve Cropper. This is the man responsible for a great deal of the Stax sound, he was guitarist in the MGs with Booker T, he was guitarist in the Stax house band, he’s produced a myriad records and has played with the likes of not only Booker T but Otis Redding (with whom he co-wrote Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay), Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett (with whom he co-wrote In The Midnight Hour), Big Star, Jeff Beck and John Lennon. This man has done it all and he’s still going – hence this new record, Dedicated, which is a tribute record to ground-breaking act The 5 Royales, the R&B group who so influenced Cropper himself. Laid down with a little help from his friends – Steve Winwood, BB King, Bettye LaVette, Lucinda Williams, Delbert McClinton and Brian May amongst others – Dedicated is pretty much as you’d expect: Cropper doing his guitar thang on these fantastic old tunes. Despite the fact this isn’t anything more than a covers record featuring a bunch of country and blues artists, this is an album that delves back in time and digs up gem after gem, done with style, love and of course, dedication. BB King adds the class to Baby Don’t Do It, that unmistakable guitar tone mingling perfectly with Cropper’s – this one is a standout for sure in a record of standouts. If for no other reason than to educate yourself on what once was, you can’t go past this one. One hell of a smooth record from one hell of a smooth – and legendary – player. Samuel J Fell

Company In brass, as in life, it’s all about speed. It’s an ego thing. Balkan brass bands want to amaze and exhaust you with their frenetic dexterity. Then they want to tear your face off. It’s a three-pronged attack. Loud. Fast. Heavy. It will come as no surprise then that it’s all about testosterone. It’s a pickle party. There’s not a woman in sight. Fanfare Ciocarlia are a bunch of rural, middle-aged Romanians from a village that doesn’t even boast a train station. Squaring off against them are stars of Emir Kusturica soundtracks, Serbia’s Boban & Marko Markovic Orchestra. Make no mistake, this is a Balkan brass sound clash, each orchestra intent on crushing their opposition. It’s hysterical, almost ludicrously fast music – think cartoon soundtracks mixed with a New Orleans brass band. Fanfare Ciocarlia’s bottom end is legendary, the tuba is without peer, yet Marko Markovic’s trumpet solos are so fast they’re threatening to burn up on re-entry. It’s hard to choose a winner, but sifting through the evidence is joyous. Both bands lay it on the line with their covers of Duke Ellington’s Caravan lined up back to back. This should make it easier, but both orchestras play fast and loose with their arrangements – in fact, they barely resemble the same tune. Boban Markovic does draw links to the exotic jazz of the original but Fanfare Ciocarlia just chew it up and spit it out like one of their own bastard children. It almost feels like it’s their composition they’re so cocky. Both orchestras team up for Fanfare Ciocarlia’s The James Bond Theme, and it’s the best moment on the disc, demonstrating the power of a 25-piece brass band when pointed in the right direction. The remainder of the disc is a frantic blur of brass as each ensemble lays claim to being the best. The playing is phenomenal, the energy infectious and by the end of it you don’t care who wins, you’re just happy they’ve played the game. Bob Baker Fish

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CSS LA LIBERACION V2/Co-Op The Brazilian troupe CSS were an easy standout at the last Big Day Out, and they’ll be back soon for Falls. This time we’ll know the new songs, thanks to this third album. As on past efforts, here CSS send their mix of prickly New Wave and club bubblegum zipping through the colourful lens of globe-trotting party music. Some interesting guests pop up on La Liberación: Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie sings coy lead on the effective single Hits Me Like A Rock, while piano legend Mike Garson (who played on Bowie’s Aladdin Sane, among other career highlights) threatens to steal the show on one of the best tracks, Partners In Crime. The Ssion’s Cody Critcheloe sings on the horn-waggled City Girl, which harkens back to the canned and distorted party jams of the first CSS album, and Ratatat spike Red Alert with their characteristic guitar hooks while singer Lovefoxxx raps modestly. There and elsewhere, Lovefoxxx holds forth in a way that’s both insistent and off-the-cuff. She’s bratty and manic with a deadpan streak, cursing casually on the closing faux-manifesto Fuck Everything as well as on the opening I Love You: “The rain is falling on my head/Bringing thoughts it never had/Like love and shit.” Meanwhile, the pulsing You Could Have it All calls out its subject’s selfishness yet pushes the production to such a phantom plane that there’s a weird melancholy to what might have otherwise been a simple kiss-off. As for the punk-inspired, Spanish-language title track, it’s more guitar-wracked but no less contagious. La Liberación is recorded pretty straight – even blandly – and CSS don’t attempt to bottle the abandon of their live show. Still, these songs are freakishly catchy and sneak in some surprisingly grown-up moments in between the shouted choruses. Doug Wallen

ON THE RECORD

LATEST CD REVIEWS

ESKIMO JOE GHOSTS OF THE PAST Dirt Diamonds/Warner Freo’s favourite sons Eskimo Joe have returned with their fifth studio album and, while it’s the record that perhaps should have followed Black Fingernails, Red Wine, it’s actually served better by having an album’s break between the two. This is the record where the Eskies have realised who they are and what they do best – they just needed the (slight) misstep that was Inshalla to get there. Ghosts Of The Past – as the title would suggest – is their coming of age; Kav Temperley and co are coming to terms with where they’ve been, and it’s a time for reflection, and embracing all the things Australia loved them for in the first place. Back are the dramatic keys that made Black Fingernails… so dark and memorable, and Ghosts Of The Past in general sees a not-unwelcome back-to-basics approach that will have old fans looking back fondly, just as the trio themselves are doing. Lyrically this is Temperley moving out of his ‘roaring 20s’, and sliding comfortably into a third decade, looking back on the ‘ghosts’ that have brought him here. Earlier songs such as When We Were Kids and the title track see him in full reflection mode, while later on in tracks such as Just Don’t Feel and Sky’s On Fire, there’s an acceptance of life now. Underpinning it all is that classic Eskies pop rock sound, which almost plays it a little too safely (but then that’s kinda the point). Driving drum beats, rocking riffs and Temperley’s signature croon are interspersed with slower moments that give listeners a chance to stop and perhaps do some of their own reflecting. Where they go from here is anyone’s guess, but for now most fans will be happy to have them back.

LUCIE THORNE BONFIRES IN SILVER CITY Little Secret Records/Vitamin There’s a strong feeling around the place at this point in time that Lucie Thorne, with her rough-hewn yet subtle voice and simple, heartfelt songs, is Australia’s answer to Gillian Welch. I’m yet to subscribe to such a notion, but after even a cursory listen to this NSW South Coast player’s newest offering, Bonfires In Silver City, you can see where those comparisons are coming from. Simply and elegantly, Thorne presents ten songs in a set that certainly shows her as a cut above the myriad other female singer/songwriters on offer in this country. Coming from a country-esque background (which certainly isn’t too prevalent on the record), these songs weave effortlessly around each other like otters at play, Thorne’s voice the perfect foil for the sparse instrumentation that is really a solid feature of this record. Bonfires In Silver City conjures images of gentle melancholy on front porches with like-minded pals, a bottle or two of red wine and a warm breeze – this may not sound like anything new or exciting, but because Thorne has the ability to make it seem like this is exactly how this music should sound, it comes across as real and unpretentious, just a girl and her songs, and they’re fine songs, making up what is a fine record. To my mind, however, Bonfires In Silver City needs just a little something extra to make it a great record – it’s like it’s almost there, but not quite. Thorne is a grower though, and the potential is there in spades. Samuel J Fell

JOLIE HOLLAND & THE GRAND CHANDELIERS PINT OF BLOOD Anti/Warner American singer/songwriter Jolie Holland has been plumbing the depths of traditional Americana in its various guises for more than a decade now, and knows every nook and cranny as well as any weather-worn cowboy could. On her fifth album Pint Of Blood, her first foray with newly christened backing band The Grand Chandeliers (Shahzad Ismaily and Grey Gersten), Holland doesn’t rattle the cage, instead crafting a collection of songs that stroke the issues of jilted hearts, wasted chances and shots at redemption that are comfortable yet soothing, like donning your favourite dusty jacket. All Those Girls does a do-si-do with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s Helpless; Remember shimmies up to J Mascis on the peanut-encrusted floor of a forlorn saloon; while The Devil’s Sake slinks along in a velvet-curtained theatre, evocatively backed by Marc Ribot’s twanging guitar lines. Townes Van Zandt makes a more literal appearance, as Holland takes on his Rex’s Blues armed with mournful piano and world-weary croon, and smashes it. The issue here is that it is on this most stripped-back of songs that Holland truly soars. Throughout the rest of the album we see her rise up in a semblance of euphoric whimsy, we see her dive into the deep end of melancholic blues – yet the end result comes across as more of a fence-sitting tedium, neither pulling all her punches nor shooting for the stars. Pint Of Blood is an evocative title for any album – yet Holland could have done with an injection of swagger here to give it justice. Brendan Telford

Troy Mutton

DAN BRODIE & THE GRIEVING WIDOWS MY FRIEND THE MURDERER Independent Bred out of the same local scene that produced Dallas Crane, Dan Kelly and nurtured the maturation of The Drones, songwriter Dan Brodie (are all those Ds really a coincidence?) has returned after a six-year absence. Early in his career, backed by band The Broken Arrows, Brodie released two electrified country albums, led by breakout singles Take A Bullet and Jesus, Try And Save Me. He followed these up with the melodic, more straight-ahead rock of his 2005 solo album Beautiful Crimes, but then decided it was time for a break. To mark his return, Brodie has once again recruited his brother Chris on bass and Dave Nicholls from Spencer P Jones’ band on drums and left the country rock far behind. My Friend The Murderer is dark and dirty, burning through stark basslines and drums that punch you in the gut. There’s a fiery intensity that Brodie has distilled into these songs. It’s Dark Now is a brooding, bubbling cauldron of aggression with the sparse vocals ruminating on a relationship gone very sour: “I can’t believe we were married/I wish we’d never met/You’ve got the kind of face that’s easy to forget.” Around the vocals, the music bleeds with the influences of bands such as The Scientists, Beasts Of Bourbon and The Birthday Party. Rain Set In is another tense and noir-ish set piece that is made even more sinister by the addition of brass and the languid pace of the bass. Brodie and his Grieving Widows are very distinctively Melbourne, but it’s easy to see this album appealing far outside their hometown. Especially under a starless sky when there’s an eerie chill in the air. Danielle O’Donohue

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EXFOLIATION Though dogged by health problems and personal loss, SIMONE FELICE is learning to appreciate the beauty of life. He talks with SAMSON MCDOUGALL. and hatred and rape and bigotry and greed but there’s also always been love and laughter and smiles and babies born and songs and art and so I feel like it’s a scale, like in an old market. The scale sits this way or that and it always seems to be sort of in balance, although you could argue that it tips to the dark side more often than not, but like I said, I have a new way of lookin’ at life. So when my baby was born and I looked at her I thought, I can learn something from her and we can learn from the wisdom and the innocence and the wonder that the children have in their eyes.” It’s interesting then that Black Jesus paints such a grim picture of humanity? “Have you ever read Cormac McCarthy’s The Road?” he queries. “Well, that’s a spot more grim than this book and he won the Pulitzer Prize for it and Oprah had him on her book club [laughs]. My book is like a children’s story compared to that. I don’t think there should be too much controversy about it.”

hen Simone Felice’s daughter Pearle came into the world during a thunder storm last year, he looked at his child for the first time and wondered whether she’d come from a better place. At 33 years of age, the man, a native of the mountains of New York State, had already endured a level of suffering and personal tragedy to rival most lifetimes. His pain is reflected in his music, through his solo work and writing with groups The Felice Brothers and The Duke & The King, and further explored in his first novel Black Jesus. The story paints a bleak depiction of small-town USA, the disconnectedness of societal elements and the US war machine, and tests the depths of desperation and depravity experienced in our modern world. Yet there exists, as with his songwriting, a thread of light – a music of chance occurrences – that alleviates the gravity of the work. “I feel like humanity is teetering on the brink of complete degradation and collapse, but you know, at the same time I am hopeful,” he drawls from his Mountain barn/ recording studio where he works. “In some ways I

have to be because I have a brand new baby who’s one year old. She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, so I have to look on the bright side and realise that we have love and the sun still shines and there’s food on the table and fire in the stove. I have a great task laid out before me now and that is to try to make her world as light and as good as it can possibly be.” Declared legally dead for seven minutes as a 12 year old, Felice survived an aneurism but had to re-learn all basic motor skills. A related condition struck him another blow last year when a series of fainting episodes revealed an irreversible calcification of his aortic valve, which led to emergency open-heart surgery. Heartbroken by the loss of an unborn child in 2009, the arrival of his first child has, as any parent will tell you, altered Felice’s outlook of the world and forced him to pay greater heed to the beauty that exists in the day-to-day. “When I was a kid there was always the shadow of the Cold War and nuclear destruction at any moment,” he continues. “There’s always been war and famine

KICKIN’ ON

Where Black Jesus goes further than The Road is that it names names. Black Jesus is not only a grim depiction of the lows that humans can reach, but it deliberately points the finger at the US government and armed forces for their crimes against the world while infiltrating big business and the mechanisms of fame in the same downward spiral. Overall, however, you’d have to call it a human story – a story centred on some very insignificant people from a very small town. “I hope that people will be able to relate to it because it tells the story of regular people, the common folk,” he continues. “I wanted to tell a story about people that are on the fringes of society, these are the people that I grew up around. That little town Gay Paris is basically the town I grew up in just with a different name. So a lot of those stories and a lot of those characters are based on people I knew growing up. “I think it’s important as a writer to write what you know, to tell the truth. I’m so happy that this book is out and that people can read it. It feels like a real gift to me because I’ve been writing stories for a long time, and poetry a long time, so to have it out there now is a really special feeling for me. This is the first of a handful of interviews I’m doing and it’s kinda hard to believe. I mean, I’ve put a lot of records out and done a lot of stuff and played for a lot of people and hopefully moved people through my work,

“Yeah, still with The Sorrows, we’re about to release our – well, I dunno – probably our 20th album or something like that,” Camilleri muses firstly. “That’ll come out in September, Crooked Little Thoughts, so we’re looking forward to that, make us feel like we’re part of the landscape.” It’d actually be hard to imagine the Australian musical landscape without The Black

“It’s like with music, a good producer will illuminate the great parts of your song and help you shed the dead skin of the other parts. That process was really great. It’s interesting to trust someone to put a knife to your creation. But if it’s the right person and you can trust them then you have to surrender to the knife. And if you let them in, then you do the dance together.”

WHO: Simone Felice WHAT: Black Jesus (Allen & Unwin) WHEN & WHERE: Felice is a guest of the Melbourne Writers Festival, for salon details visit mwf.com.au; he plays Lyrical this Thursday at the Corner, and Wednesday 14 September at Northcote Social Club.

recounts, “we’d demoed the songs so much and so well that it was basically just those two guys picking apart the songs, cutting the fat and making sure they sounded right.” Still, she adds: “They both had a huge influence. They’re complete geniuses. Even the tiniest things they’d suggest made a huge difference.”

People coming and going is a feature that also defined the Falcons back in their day, although not to the extent of the Sorrows (who, according to that bastion of fact and knowledge, Wikipedia, have had 23 past members), but that is hardly the point. However, this is no ordinary situation and so we talk about the changing nature of the music industry, and there aren’t many people more qualified to comment on this than Camilleri, who co-founded the Falcons back in 1975 at the behest of Daddy Cool’s Ross Wilson, along with other Cools, Gary Young and Wayne Burt – he’s been around the block, it’s fair to say.

Frontman Joe Camilleri, perhaps, thinks so too, as he doesn’t really talk much about Zep & The Falcons, focusing more on his ‘other’ band, The Black Sorrows, and what music is in this day and age, what’s it all about, how different is this? He’s in Perth, sitting in his car on the side of the road, but you can feel the vibrations over here on the East Coast and we pass the time wondering about things and throwing up ideas and we don’t really accomplish much, although we’d like to say otherwise.

These differences in process extend far beyond the constructs of musical collaboration. The editorial process especially required Felice to remove ego from the equation in order to ‘dance’ with the editorial knife for the sake of the vision of the work. “I wrote the first few lines of that story in 2005,” he continues. “I had a friend that went to Iraq and fought there and came back with injuries, though they’re the kind that you can’t really see... you know what I mean. So I wanted to tell a story about the traumas of war and I wanted to tell a story about how love can save your life and how we can see in different ways than with our eyes. I got a really great editor in London, who believed in my story and really encouraged me and helped me, and I’ve found over the past two years I put it down on paper and I hope people like it.

LITTLE SCOUT’s MELISSA TICKLE tells DOUG WALLEN that for them, it’s all in the preparation.

Sorrows. “Well that’s right, we’ve been going since ’83 and we haven’t stopped and the only thing that’s changed is you get different people coming and going.”

Dredging these stories from the same realm of personal experience, it’s no wonder there are similarities in aesthetic and thematics between his prose and musical output. “I think that they overlap thematically sometimes because the characters and stories kind of spring from the same well. But to bring a song to life for instance or prose to life, they are completely different disciplines. I think that they are branches of the same tree, but the fruit is different.”

FIRST THINGS FIRST

With 35 years of water under the bridge, JO JO ZEP & THE FALCONS still find common ground in the music writes SAMUEL J FELL.

t seems odd to be writing about a band like Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons in this languid year of our lord, ‘Twenty-Eleven’, as people have taken to calling it. It almost, almost, seems a little perverse. Behind the 8-ball? No, but still a little out of the comfort zone, but relevant, no? In this instance, yes. It’s 35 years since the almost accidental formation of the band and so a reformation show must be had, that crucial line-up coming together once more, just for the one show – the Falcon is back. Still seems a little out of place though.

but it’s another thing to have a book in print for people to hold in their hand and take on the train with them.”

After we’ve done this for a while then, we begin to run very short of time and so we must talk about the Falcons, who are as mentioned, reuniting for a one-off show to celebrate 35 years since they formed, and this is surely an exciting prospect one would think. “Well I am [excited], I haven’t seen those guys for a little while,” Camilleri states. “I just hope they have a heartbeat, you know? Because my motto is I come to play, I don’t just come to muck around, let’s do the job, and I’m sure they come with that feeling too. “So I’m really looking forward to, not just playing some of those songs – I play some of those songs in the Sorrows – but there’s a kind of love affair that you have with those people,” he muses. “You don’t live in their pockets anymore and you hated them when you were breaking up, but whatever it was when you were making the music, still lives, you know?” Jo Jo Zep disbanded in 1981, reforming for a tour and a record, Ricochet, in the early 2000s and then were inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame in ’07. They have established their bona fides and even though the members (who for this one-off will include Camilleri, Wilbur Wilde, Gary Young, Jeff Burstin, John Power and Tony Faehse) are off on different tangents, the music does still live, even 35 years down the track.

WHO: Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Forum

ome bands release their first album almost overnight, and some take their sweet time. The latter describes Brisbane’s Little Scout, who selfreleased EPs in 2008 and 2009 after being singled out by both Triple J and MTV’s Kickstart competition. Tours with Belle & Sebastian and gigs with The New Pornographers and Camera Obscura eventually followed for the indie quartet, but a full-length debut didn’t surface until now. With Take Your Light finally out, it shows off another side of Little Scout, who have evolved over the passing years from cute folk-pop to deeply dreamy rock. “It was a really long process for us,” acknowledges singer/ bassist Melissa Tickle, who shares the band with her keyboardist sister Kirsty Tickle, guitarist/singer Patrick Elliott and drummer Miro Mackie. “We have a habit of doing a lot of preproduction. We take a lot of time. For us it’s really important to put as much effort into the songs at an early stage as possible: we did three rounds of preproduction.” But it was worth it. “Until this record,” notes Tickle, “we didn’t feel like we’d found our sound. It’s very different from the EPs. They sound like a band trying to find their sound.” Take Your Light, on the other hand, is a confident and consistent album that makes the most of Tickle’s fluttering voice while draping the band’s moody pop arrangements in reality-bending effects. Helmed by The John Steel Singers’ Scott Bromiley and singer/songwriter and Parades member Jonathan Boulet in Boulet’s Sydney garage, the album recalls the heights of ’90s shoegaze and alt.rock alike. Again, much credit goes to the band’s uncommon level of preparation. “When we got to the studio,” Tickle

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You might think having two producers – especially guys who have more experience playing in their own bands than actually producing – would mean too many cooks in the kitchen, but the fact that Bromiley and Boulet are such good friends with Little Scout made for a working relationship where ideas could be thrown around freely. And getting out of their home base of Brisbane to set up shop in Boulet’s garage in Sydney’s decidedly residential outer suburb Chapel Hill enabled everyone to focus on the record. In other words, there weren’t the distractions of late city nights. It may sound strange, but there’s a real clarity in all the head-swimming reaches of Take Your Light. For so much rippling lushness, the pop chops that landed the band those high-profile support gigs are still readily at hand. And yet Tickle’s voice blends so well within the softened surroundings that they seem practically custom-tailored to her airy range. Guitarist Patrick Elliott does sing lead on The Easiest Way and Know Your Exit, but Tickle’s vocal presence defines Little Scout on this record, from the spooky opener In The Air to the hypnotic lead single We Are Walking Out. In fact, as Little Scout make the rounds launching the album, they’ll do so with a fill-in bassist to allow Tickle to concentrate solely on singing lead. “It’s a quartet with two to three rotating bass players,” she observes, laughing. “I used to play bass and sing, but we got to the point where my skill level was not quite up to scratch. Plus, it’s a lot more fun to not have an instrument in your hand when you’re singing.” The “team of geniuses” who pick up the bass, Tickle says, includes Shem Allen (Skinny Jean) and Nick Smethurst (Lion Island). “The best thing about them,” she beams, “is that they make us play a lot better. It’s been a really good step.”

WHO: Little Scout WHAT: Take Your Light (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Workers Club

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THIS WEEK IN

ARTS

Zabriskie Point

WEDNESDAY 31 Art After Dark – late-night entertainment as part of the Vienna: Art & Design exhibition. Tonight’s artist: Mojo Juju’s ‘Hoodoo Emporium’. NGV, 5pm. Face to Face – A pre-release screening of this new Australian drama, followed by an audience Q&A with director Michael Rymer. Winner of the Best Film award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and shot in 12 days in Melbourne. Astor Theatre, 7pm. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes – drive-in to the latest blockbuster film, the James Franco-starring behemoth directed by Rupert Wyatt. Lunar Drive In, Dandenong, 9:30pm.

THURSDAY 1 Future Of The Species: Part One – written and performed by Maude Davey, directed by Ingrid Voorendt, this is a performance meditation about playing god, the economic exploitation of the body, and the capacity to kill. Opening night, 6:30pm. La Mama Theatre until 11 September. Going Down Swinging – Australia’s own spoken word journal is still swinging after three successful decades. This lively launch features three of New York’s finest Poetry Café slammers (Mahogany l. Browne, Jive Poetic and Ken Arkind), Melbourne Writers Festival Event, the Toff In Town, 8pm. Pulp Fiction – directed by Quentin Tarantino this classic film starring John Travolta, Uma Thurman, and Bruce Wills is on the big screen, where it should be. Astor Theatre, 7:30pm. Tell Them That It Rained Too Hard – AtticErratic presents a new Australian play by writer and composer Tom Pitts (The Harlots), directed by Celeste Cody. It will be bold and provocative, stripping bare the realities and ideals that constantly face us as we grapple with our own ideals of love and sex. Opening Night, 8pm. Gasworks Arts Park until 10 September.

FRIDAY 2 The Great Journey – directed by Lorenzo Bassott and inspired by Dario Fo’s Johan Padan a la descoverta de le Americhe, The Great Journey’s a story of a fugitive from the Inquisition who has gone to the new world. Comprised of three actors, who drive the audience through improvised comedy. Opening night, 8pm. La Mama Courthouse until 10 September. Heroes – directed by Martin Sierra with original music by Josh Mitchell, Heroes explores the courage, unity and heroism that arose in mankind during the September 11 attacks, delivered in

a unique fusion of contemporary dance styles and physical theatre. Beckett Theatre, Malthouse, 8pm. Metropolis 2040 – a peep show into the future. Launch night, the age of man is over the machine is here, with space girls, robots and human hybrids. Red Bennies, 8:30pm. Patricia Piccinini: The Fitzroy Series – to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Centre for Contemporary Photography, a new photographic exhibition from internationally acclaimed Australian Patricia Piccinini. Centre for Contemporary Photography from 11am. This Is Just To Say – Hannah Jane Walker (UK) is a serial apologiser. Saying sorry is social glue we use to make people like us. This is an interactive performance poetry piece exploring the concept of apologising. Part of Melbourne Writers Festival. The Wheeler Centre, 7pm.

SATURDAY 3 The Arbor – playwright Andrea Dunbar was discovered (aged 15) at the UK’s notorious Buttershaw Housing Estate, the setting for her acclaimed – yet controversial – plays. This awardwinning film pays tribute to a life and talent cut tragically short. Part of Melbourne Writers Festival. ACMI Cinemas, 7pm. Meant To Be Spoken – in a celebration of Australian playwriting, some of our finest playwrights meet, to read their works, including Daniel Keene, Lally Katz, Angus Cerini, Robert Reid, Peta Brady, Katy Warner, and Declan Greene. Hosted by Deborah Leiser-Moore. Part of Melbourne Writers Festival. ACMI Cube, 7pm. The Slut – written and directed by Hagar Ben Asher, this provocative film tells the story of 35-year-old Tamar who in her perfectly stable life enjoys the sexual freedom of having multiple partners. Her world is disrupted when a young man comes to the region, meets Tamar and falls in love with her. Part of AICE Israeli Film Festival. Palace Cinema Como, 8:15pm. Yuki Onna & Dragonfly – photographer Luke Hardy’s exhibition inspired by Buddhist notions of incarnation and reincarnation. Closing day. Fortyfivedownstairs.

SUNDAY 4 The Matchmaker – directed by Avi Nesher. Set in Haifa in the summer of 1968, a teenage boy goes to work for a matchmaker who has survived the Holocaust and finds his life irrevocably altered. The Matchmaker is a tender story of love, loss and survival in the

METAL ON METAL ONE OF THE GREATEST FILMS EVER MADE IS THE SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR A DYSTOPIAN NIGHT OF BURLESQUE AND PEEP SHOW CALLED METROPOLIS 2040. AMELIA SCHMIDT TALKS TO ORGANISER VESPER WHITE.

“Metropolis is definitely one of those films that has the power to transform a person,” White gushes. “I first had the privilege to view it in my very first year of arts school at COFA in Sydney – I remember sitting in the darkness of the lecture theatre, totally paralysed by the mystical rise of the machine-man (the iconic

Metropolis robot). Fritz Lang is an absolute mastermind; his vision is as powerful and has as much resonation with audiences as it did in the 1920s. His films and movie posters are captivating, haunting and in a way, timeless.” It’s a strong background in literature and film that drives Metropolis 2040, White’s upcoming performance extravaganza at Red Bennies, transforming classic dystopian literature into saucy burlesque, aerial and even a short film. “Metropolis stuck with me, as did the works of Orwell, Huxley, Kafka, and for years this idea of a production incorporating retro-future and

aftermath of the Second World War. Part of AICE Israeli Film Festival. Palace Cinema Como, 6pm.

you looking forward to in this year’s Melbourne International Arts Festival and Fringe Festival? Loop Bar, 6pm.

Zabriskie Point – directed by Michaelangelo Antonioniv, an epic portrait of late-’60s America, it presents us with a Romeo & Juliet-style couple, on the run. Astor Theatre, 9:15pm.

TUESDAY 6

Fritz Lang’s incredible dystopian masterpiece Metropolis sets a world of cyborg ladies, industrial factories, and menacing cityscapes. Vesper White fell in love with the film in art school and now, as an important figure in Australian burlesque, she’s putting on a night inspired by Metropolis’ themes and imagery.

MONDAY 5 Rising Water – Tim Winton, award winning Australian writer, brings another piece to the stage following the success of Cloudstreet. Starring John Howard, and Directed by Kate Cherry. A Black Swan State Theatre Company production, MTC Playhouse, 6:30pm. The Vault – August creativity salon discussion topic: The Good, Bad And Ugly of arts festivals. Spring is coming and it’s soon time for two of Melbourne’s most prominent arts festivals. What are

The Eye Of The Storm – Australian director Fred Schepisi brings Patrick White’s Noble Prize winning novel to the big screen, starring Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis, Charlotte Rampling, Robyn Nevin, and Colin Friels. Actors Helen Morse, Maria Theodorakis and Peter Houghton visit Cinema Nova to discuss their highly anticipated new film following a preview screening. Hosted by Triple R’s Thomas Caldwell. Nova Cinemas, 6:30pm. Julius Caesar – a Bell Shakespeare production, directed by Peter Evans, starring Alex Menglet and Kate Mulvany. ‘To see the future, one must look to the past’. Opening night, 7:30pm. Fairfax Studio, MTC until 17 September.

dystopian elements bubbled away at the back of my brain until this year, when the opportunity to do the season appeared, and everything finally clicked.” Not content to be a burlesque performer, event producer, and literature-lover, White has also created a film that was nominated for Best Short Film and Best Short Film Director at the Bloodfest Fantastique festival (run by MUFF). “I have a habit of mixing short films with live performances,” White explains. “Working with an array of media allows for a total brain explosion of creativity. In the same way that films have a very punchy and often high-energy introductory clip, so too do I adapt an opening sequence to the beginning of a show. Such a great rev up for the audience! “The opening clip for Metropolis has been dubbed the Fuck Your TV sequence. The themes of the Metropolis 2040 show tied in too neatly with the idea of abandoning your TV, heading out to shows and seeing true creativity born in a live space. The ominous, steam-powered machine garden world of Lang’s cinematic vision matched too nicely with the all-too-familiar living room dark space, dominated by the box.” As for the performance element of the show, White is appropriately coy in revealing much about the routines we might be experiencing. “This show moves away from your traditional burlesque cutesyfunny acts; there’s a darker, more erotically-charged balance to each

piece. We’ve got Sparkarella on the angle-grinder, a gravity-defying Barbarella tribute (we have the harness to prove it!), smoke-screens, savage beauties, space girls, the Metropolis robot, and a spectacular light-show finale that has to be seen to be believed where the UV Warrior robots discover that they’re human after all...” White’s interpretation of the themes of Metropolis as they are presented in Metropolis 2040 is a distinctly postmodern one – no longer an articulation of fear of the industrial age, Metropolis 2040 instead recognises the threat of the age of technocracy – a TV-obsessed, Apple-powered, smartphoneconnected dystopia that perhaps can only be remedied with a good dose of real life human performance. A flash of flesh. A beating heart inside the body of a human being performing directly in front of you. “The future/past metaphor couldn’t be more appropriate to a theatre like burlesque – most burly-Q performers are constantly wrestling with their identities,” White muses. “Are we glamourous show-girls with classic tributes to a golden age past, or are we modern Amazons making our mark with eyes to the future? Perhaps there is a bit of both in Metropolis 2040!” WHAT: Metropolis 2040 WHEN & WHERE: Friday and Saturday, Red Bennies

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THE TREES OF LIFE THE TRAGIC LIFE OF PLAYWRIGHT ANDREA DUNBAR, BEST KNOWN FOR HER WORK RITA, SUE AND BOB TOO, COMES TO SCREEN IN A UNIQUE WAY VIA FEATURE FILM THE ARBOR. ANTHONY CAREW SPEAKS TO ITS DIRECTOR CLIO BARNARD. English filmmaker Clio Barnard was in Bradford, West Yorkshire, when the civil riots broke out. Though far North of the ‘action’, she was at the epicentre of its social meaning; on location working on a documentary on disaffected male youths in a Buttershaw housing estate. “There are very few options for them,” says Barnard. “Education is so expensive, now, that their options have really narrowed. In my opinion, the riots come out of that: that feeling of complete frustration and neglect, when felt by a large group of people.” Barnard had met her subjects whilst filming her debut feature, The Arbor, on location. It’s a quasi-documentary ‘biopic’ of the late Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar, which feels more like a piece of video art than a traditional movie. Barnard slices 30-year-old archival interviews with her family’s recollections now, cutting them with scenes taken from Dunbar’s debut stageplay, The Arbor, which she wrote, at 15, as a school assignment. But there are notable, provocative wrinkles to these depictions: the testimonies were recorded as audio interviews, then re-‘performed’ by

actors lip-syncing the remembrances in staged, well-lit tableaux. And the play-within-the-film is staged on a central reservation in Dunbar’s old stomping grounds of Brafferton Arbor, the estate in which her three plays were all based. “The lip-syncing was something I’d intended to do from the very beginning,” explains Barnard. “In The Arbor, Andrea has the lead actress introduce the scenes, reading the scene directions to the audience. By directly addressing the audience, she’s reminding them that they’re watching the dramatic re-creation of a true story. I see the function of the lip-syncing as being a constant reminder to the audience that you might be watching a true story, but the truth is actually quite an unstable thing. As much as a documentary purports to be ‘real’, it’s only ever a re-telling of reality that has been edited, shaped, and effectively dramatised. The distinctions between what’s truth and what’s fiction are never very clear; the narratives of most documentary films are so similar to fictional narratives that there’s no difference.” As for staging the play with countless

gawpers from the real Brafferton Arbor looking at the fictionalised one – with Dunbar’s extended family as audience, and her nieces and nephews filling the cast of the play – that, too, is about Barnard playing with ‘reality’. “I wanted to provoke questions in the people who actually lived there,” she says. “What did it mean, to them, to see their lives

and their area depicted in a play? How did they feel about seeing their surroundings dramatised? Did they think it was an honest portrayal?” Beyond its playful, meta-commentary devices, The Arbor succeeds as personal drama (with harrowing recollections from Dunbar’s daughter Lorraine, whose life has been even more of a mess than her fallen

mother) and, especially in the light of English civil unrest, also as social commentary. “There’s a very complex set of issues that get provoked by telling this story about a playwright and her daughter,” Barnard says. “It’s essentially a portrait of a family across three generations, a family who represents the social failings of

Britain in that time. It’s about people who have been marginalised – and increasingly marginalised – over 30 years, beginning with everything that happened under Thatcher in the ’80s up to everything that’s happening now.” WHAT: The Arbor WHEN & WHERE: Thursday to Sunday, ACMI Cinemas

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LOVING THE ALIENS LIZA DEZFOULI GETS BEHIND A DUMPSTER FOR A SMOKE AND A CHAT WITH BRETT COUSINS, WHO PLAYS JASPER IN RED STITCH’S ‘STONER COMEDY’ THE ALIENS, AND FINDS THAT IT’S A VERY FUNNY PLACE TO BE. After 10 years with Red Stitch Actors Theatre, Brett Cousins is now playing the ‘older one’ in their production of The Aliens by US wunderkind

THE

playwright, Annie Baker. “I get to be the somewhat maudlin older statesman,” Cousins says. “The other two roles I would’ve played

a lot over the years at Red Stitch; the ‘other bloke’ is the sort of role I would’ve played five or ten years ago. Of course, with writing at this level, it’s never quite the same.” The play, Cousins says, is subtle and very funny. “The basic story is two guys, these geniuses, who have looked at society and said, ‘I don’t fit in – I’m going to forget about uni and just hang out behind a dumpster at a cafe.’ A young man who is already questioning a lot of things, as 17-year-olds do, starts working at the cafe, and the two older guys become rockstars to him.” Cousins describes his character Jasper as a “genius, beautifully alienated from the world, who cuts away all the bullshit”. “He’s a kind of a parent, he’s the glue that holds the relationships together, in the duo and then the trio. He’s incredibly smart and wise; he’s able to understand people, recognise them straight away. He sees through people. He writes novels; he’s amazing. So there’s that entirely different view on the world.” In preparation for the part, Cousins has been reading and listening to the work of Charles Bukowski. “Jasper worships Charles Bukowski. Those coming of age stories of how bleak the world can be without that level of love and security we take for granted... “It’s a huge acting challenge, embodying that level of anger and frustration,” continues Cousins. “In a way I am very much the opposite, I’m an optimist.” Despite this, he insists the playwright has written the work with “a very light touch”. “The character has a tragic past but I don’t

want it to sound like some heavy drama,” he emphasises. “It’s the opposite. I spend all this time getting into this character that’s troubled and tragic, to figure him out, and then I play it in front of people and they laugh and laugh. It’s the opposite of what you’d expect. It’s a torrid tale but it’s very funny, how they go about finding themselves.”

THE MENSTRUUM 41: MICROFLORA BY ROBERT LUKINS Saul Jarvie smells of filth and righteous mango. In the summer of 2002, I got this

job with my two housemates. Brad and Ed and I went on contract with the Toowoomba Council, working at the rubbish dump on the north-east outskirt of the city. $20 an hour, we were auditing the waste, pegging it out in three by three metre squares then dividing it in accord with a supplied list of categorisation. We

CAREW

The Arbor

Cousins is joined onstage in The Aliens by Brett Ludeman, who has performed with Red Stitch before, and David Harrison, fresh out of acting school. The play is directed by acclaimed director Nadia Tass, in her second directorship for Red Stitch. “She fell in love with the play,” says Cousins. “It really seems to have touched her profoundly. She’s attached emotionally to the script and what it says about these people, how they can fall through the cracks. They see the world for what it is: not a very nice place. She feels very strongly about this. She’s interested in pulling back the layers and finding how funny they can be.” Does Cousins miss his character once a season has finished? “The thing you tend to miss are the people around you, but at Red Stitch we’ve circumvented that ’cause we’re an ensemble. We don’t have that postproduction depression. We’re in a 10-year production. But guest actors can get very emotional. It reminds you how special each individual production is.” WHAT: The Aliens WHEN & WHEN: until 24 September, Red Stitch Actors Theatre

MENSTRUUM would segregate and weigh each mound – vegetable matter: 15.2kg, cardboard (thin): 1.9kg, nappies (soiled): 8.6kg, animal fur: 0.7kg, putrescence (unidentifiable): 4.0kg. That summer was a hot one, a proper Queensland one, and there was this week where it hit above 40 Monday to Friday. I don’t know if you’ve ever ripped open a bag of vet’s waste that’s been gently baked at 42 degrees for a fortnight, but it’s something you don’t forget. But with all this, with the sunburn and the stench and the hills of maggot-heavy chicken carcasses, I remember that time as one of the greatest. I can see it: the day’s over, we’re piling into Ed’s ute and sending it rolling out of town, down the range towards Brisbane and home. Just before the big descent we stop at the fruit and veg barn and get that tray of mangoes for $10 – then the three of us sit on the bonnet with our backs against the windscreen; sun setting, the juice running down our arms and our chins. Those nights we did nothing but see bands. We would go to The Healer and watch our favourite: Saul Jarvie’s gang, Watership Down, who then became Rival Flight. Other friends would join us, ask why we smelled

FILM

like we did, drink cheap beer, cheer, and we were our own gang. A decade on, it’s winter in a different city and the idea of gangs seems all too far away, but Saul is here, and with friends he’s calling himself Microflora. There is a new thing he has given the world; just black plastic, seven-inch diameter, just music. But these tracks, just these two, are better even than the amazing music of Saul’s past, and that’s saying a goshdamn of a lot. “I asked him Egan, ‘Why are you sketching swords?’, and with his back turned, he refused to answer, but he’d always draw the same sword”: Egan’s Sketchbook, it’s one beautiful son of a bitch. Go to the shops, the internet, somewhere, buy the thing, it will kill you proper. I’m going to take this vinyl record, and there will be so much more to follow, as a signal not that summer’s back, but that it never went away. A flash: I see my housemate Brad stumbling onto a garbage-bagged treasure of porn at that tip. He loaded up the ute with those sacks of stinking videos and magazines. He was so, so, fucking happy. I think of Toowoomba and Saul and long-buried landfill, and I think that the past has no right to be better than now.

WITH ANTHONY CAREW Ever struggled to watch, say, an old Italian movie, unable to get past the dubbing? It’s a familiar feeling of audiovisual dislocation for any cinephile, and one that Clio Barnard plays with in The Arbor, a near-video-art take on the ruses of documentary, the uneasy ‘reality’ of kitchen-sink dramas, and the eternally-slippery relationship between truth and fiction. Her odd ‘documentary’ on the late Yorkshire playwright Andrea Dunbar does the usual: digging up archival footage, scenes from her works that reflected on her life, and, sourcing interviews with surviving family members who knew her intimately. But, Barnard runs this through plentiful devices built to be reflexive and distancing, chief of which is this: she recorded her interviews as audio, then employed actors to lip synch their responses in staged tableaux. This pantomime is used to constantly prompt viewers to question everything they’re hearing/seeing; to create constant awareness of how these true confessions have been edited into a cinematic entertainment. Barnard has her figures washing dishes or changing motor oil, but it’s with the spontaneity of an advertorial testimonial; her cast better lit, more carefully composed, of more theatrical gesture, and more photogenic than the invisible originals they’re dramatising. The lulling drug of ‘suspension of disbelief’ never kicks in because, as hyper-aware modern viewer, you’re tripped on the discrepancies between mouth movement and sound output; Barnard employing that hyper-awareness back on itself in a critical loop. Set against these staged video-pieces are scenes from Dunbar’s own play The Arbor, performed in the middle of the council estate in which she was born, she wrote, and she died. The audiences in the background do things cinema subjects should never do: they look into the lens, they talk amongst themselves, they gawp and mock the performance happening in front of them. Again, that’s the point: rather than suspending Dunbar’s writing in its artful fictionalisation, Barnard brings it back to the cold light of cruel reality, where it plays as comically-bad exaggeration of kitchen-sink clichés (fook off!, etc); the filmmaker exploring how profundity achieved in artistic isolation can fall apart when you mess with the sanctity of its setting. It’s all deeply-philosophical stuff that unfolds into worlds within worlds of thought, but it’ll only satisfy a certain kind of viewer. If you’re the type that needs the safety and reassurance of a straight narrative telling – either in

fiction or documentary – The Arbor will only bother, annoy, or deeply disturb. Life In A Day seeks to be an unironic time-capsule portrait of life-on-Earth on a singular day: 24 July, 2010. Instead, its theme seems more like ironic commentary on the narcissism of those dwelling in the 21st Century’s digital grid: human life circa 2010 consisted entirely of people filming themselves and uploading it into YouTube. That’s how Kevin Macdonald’s motion-picture was assembled; ‘crowdsourced’ from a global village of willing participants who wanted naught more than to have their existence ‘validated’ by being seen on screen by millions. As motion-picture, Life In A Day flips from moments of faux-profound personal disclosure – one guy comes out to his grandma on camera, as if his life is some staged reality television show – and an unending barrage of montages that, too often, border on blandeur; those ‘seize the day’/human life/Koyaanisqatsi stand-bys of passing clouds and skydivers and news-reports-ofcatastrophes. It feels less cinematic than televisual; its busy edits, time-lapsings and jumbled-up stream of images like someone restlessly flicking through channels. Or, if you’re to take it as singular: like one unending inspirational commercial shilling for, like, digital video cameras (it’s co-produced by LG!) or something; merely peddling that same tired ‘we’re all connected!’ angle that all those awful interrelated-webof-character movies do. Any moment that may be profound or poignant or touching or strange, any genuine frisson found amidst its structural hatchet-job, ends up fading from memory fast; washed away by a forward-rushing tide pushing viewers towards the cinema exits, out into the world to seize that day. That phenomenon – whilst working as scathing commentary on the modern mindstate of internet-addled near-amnesia – effectively writes the eulogy for this Day On Earth: ultimately forgettable. Kidnapped ticks the banal boxes of the ever-dire ‘edgy-home-invasion-movie’ checklist: idyllic suburban bubble bursts by balaclava-clad bandits, women screaming, sexy daughter preyed on, pumpin’ electro adding adrenaline, arms broken bare-handed by super-villain, bad-guys removing their masks then turning on each other, guns fired, “shocking” climax arriving, ironic sunny-pop-song rolling over credits. It’s supposed to be a bourgeois viewer’s worst nightmare brought to life, but it plays more like my cinematic nightmare: middle-brow stupidity posing as transgressive profundity.

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SHORT AND SWEET

BREWING LAUGHS

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE LEGEND MARTIN SHORT IS COMING BACK FOR A SECOND TOUR IN AS MANY YEARS, AND BRINGING AN ENTIRE CAST OF CHARACTERS WITH HIM, WRITES BAZ MCALISTER.

Brew HaHa is back. Come down to Gertrude’s to see Lehmo along with his good mate Justin Hamilton and young guns Daniel Connell and Tom Ward. Gertrude’s Brown Couch, Fitzroy. Thursday, 8pm.

SUNDAY BURLESQUE SHOW Red Bennies have decided an end-of-weekend burlesque injection is just what the world needs, and have the girl-show to prove it with the More-Bang-For-Buck Burlesque Show. Featuring Viola Vixen, Lux St Sin, and Hooney B Goode, the venue will be bursting with naughty goodness. Sunday, 7pm.

A WOMAN’S TOUCH In order to track down her philandering husband, a woman seeks the help of a detective, but when she accidentally encounters his secretary, the two femmes join forces on a dangerous and deadly adventure. A film noir-style thriller, Two Femmes & A Fatale is the latest sensation from Full-Skirted Productions. A crime of passion. A crime of vengeance. A crime of convenience. Which one will prove fatal? Chapel Off Chapel until Sunday.

BENJAMIN SKEPPER PLAYS MELBOURNE Benjamin Skepper returns home to Melbourne for his first and only Australian solo performance, at Chapel Off Chapel. Formerly resident at the Tokyo French Embassy, he was the featured performer at the inaugaration of Museo 900 at the Duomo di Milano. Skepper will perform on harpsichord, cello, and electronics to showcase original compositions, including a special preview of new works from his forthcoming third solo album. Sunday 11 September, 2pm.

48 HOUR FILM PROJECT IS BACK International short film competition The 48 Hour Film Project returns to Melbourne Friday 14 October to Sunday 16 for the fourth time, with this year’s winner receiving the chance to screen their film at the prestigious 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Over a wild, sleepless weekend, a team of filmmakers will write, shoot, edit, and score a film (hence the competition’s name). Head to 48hourfilm.com for more info.

I THINK THEREFORE I SHOOT RMIT graduate Todd Anderson’s new photography exhibition, Everybody feels something, even if it’s nothing, acknowledges our emotional life and attempts to understand more about the thought processes and actions of human beings. The surround-sound installation constructed by Todd to accompany the images utilises various cinematic techniques in order to activate viewer emotions. Colour Factory Gallery, Fitzroy-Collingwood Precinct. Thursday 6pm, until 1 October.

TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON To be held at Revolver Upstairs on the first Friday of every third month, to coincide with the change of seasons, GrafficCreative and DangerFork have collaborated on Seasons Of Change, a new event showcasing up-and-coming and established artists both local and international. This Friday, from 6pm, will feature new artwork from SHEM and JORS, jewellery, exclusive limited edition prints, and act as the launch for JaseBeathedz’ new mix-CD.

SOAP AND POLAROIDS EQUAL EXHIBITION Sarina Lirosi’s Best Before is an intensely personal exhibition, based around experiences with death and illness. The artist has used the unlikely combination of used soap fragments, plus Polaroid “skins” depicting human skin, folds, moles, and hair. The soaps are donations from family and friends, given only at the point of being considered “expired”. Fortyfivedownstairs until Saturday.

LINER NOTES: INXS’ KICK FEAT. MICHAEL NOLAN

Veteran Canadian entertainer Martin Short needs no introduction down under, yet he’s only graced us with his presence once before, back in 2009, when he first toured to Australia. “I was concerned, because you always are, that my sensibilities would be different,” he muses about his first time in front of an Aussie crowd. “But that was completely not the case. Canada and Australia have a lot of similarities – that whole ‘Commonwealth’ sense of humour going on. As a kid growing up in Hamilton, Ontario, I really had more of a connection to Australia than I did North America.” Short’s run of Australian shows are billed as ‘one-man variety shows’, a bit more involved than straight stand-up, which was never his thing. “We’re so conditioned to comedy being presented as a guy or a woman standing in front of a microphone talking about life – and stand-up’s are philosophers in that sense – but there are other ways to present comedic ideas through characters, that’s what I do. I always think of this show as if I was hosting Saturday Night Live but I was also the cast.”

The iconic American sketch comedy show gave rise to some of Short’s best-known characters such as paranoid lawyer Nathan Thurm, “a kind of odd but a dear, sweet guy” in man-child Ed Grimley, and albino entertainer Jackie Rogers Jr. He also did killer impersonations of celebs such as Katharine Hepburn, Jerry Lewis, and Elizabeth Taylor. One of Short’s best-known and enduring characters is fat-suited entertainment reporter Jiminy Glick. “I was doing a talk show and I wanted to interview more celebrities so I thought I’d go out in the field and do that – if they were having a junket I’d go in and interview, say, Nic Cage. But I’ll do it as Jiminy Glick, and now as the host of the show I’d be able to cross to him as our ‘entertainment reporter’.” Glick is such a well-realised character that Short says at times he’s in danger of becoming a bit too real, putting words into the comedian’s mouth. “The Glick character is almost his own person,” Short says. “He’s this guy who is so obnoxious and a loser, but has power. So we’re all watching to see if he slips, and he does, he constantly slips

and falls. When I look back at tapes of the movie I made of him [Jiminy Glick In Lalawood, 2004] sometimes I can’t remember using the phraseology he uses – sentences like ‘I take great umbrage’. No idea where that came from. To me he could easily have been a member of parliament, or the dean of a school, rather than an entertainment journalist.” Short confirms that Glick is going to again make an appearance on the tour this time around, and will be interviewing local celebrities. And on the Sydney leg, Glick and the rest of the rogues’ gallery will be gracing the stage at the iconic Opera House for the first time. “I know, how dare I, right?” Short laughs. “I think that you reach a point in your life where you’re not obsessed with paying the rent, you’re trying to keep yourself interested and the way you do that is take on these ‘big’ things. Whether you should or not remains to be seen...” WHAT: Martin Short WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, Princess Theatre

Liner Notes rocks the Melbourne Writers festival with one of Melbourne’s best loved spoken word events – a poetic tribute to a classic album, song by song. This year: INXS in all their MTV ’80s pomp, with Kick. Those taking part include Angie Hart, Ken Arkind, Tim Clare, and Catherine Deveny. Part of Melbourne Writers Festival. The Toff In Town this Saturday, 8pm.

EDINBURGH FRINGE DOUBLE ACT TOURS Straight from Edinburgh Fringe, Cynical Ballads and Death Drive is a double bill featuring two acclaimed UK writerperformers. Described as “the funniest of the new generation of comedy poets”, Luke Wright’s Cynical Ballads takes us on a darkly funny tour of contemporary Britain. And in Death Drive, Tim Clare combines stand-up with poetry, memoir, and the ukulele. Part of Melbourne Writers Festival. The Toff In Town this Sunday, 8pm.

MSO LAUNCHES 2012 SEASON The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra today announced its 2012 season, which promises to provide all Victorians with another exciting year of music. Over the course of 2012, the MSO will give 168 performances in Melbourne and around regional Victoria. Season highlights will include the Australian debut of the world’s leading dramatic soprano, Deborah Voigt; Australia’s first and only performances of the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular; a collaboration with Bell Shakespeare – celebrating in words and music the world’s favourite love story, Romeo & Juliet – and the Metropolis New Music Festival. See mso.com.au for details.

GIVEAWAYS Part of the 2011 Melbourne Writers Festival programme, The Arbor is an enthralling portrait of playwright Andrea Dunbar, who grew up in the rough environs of the Buttershaw housing estate in Bradford, Yorkshire. Struggling with poverty and violence, she went on to become one of the UK’s most promising

playwrights before her tragic death at 29. Employing Verbatim Theatre techniques throughout the film – where original interviews from Dunbar’s family and friends are lip-synched by the actors – The Arbor examines Dunbar’s life through her writing and the recollections of those who knew her, exploring the

tense relationship with her daughter Lorraine, who just like her mother, has experienced a life marred by tragedy. Thanks to ACMI we’ve five double passes to the Sunday 4 September, 5:30pm session of The Arbor to give away. For your chance to win one visit facebook.com/inpressmag.

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C U LT U R A L

CRINGE

WITH REBECCA COOK Melbourne Writers Festival kicked off last week with a hot fuss over international festival guest Jonathan Franzen and a frenzy of controversial commentary on the state of the media and gender inequality. Author of widely acclaimed book The Corrections got writers and readers alike frothing at the bit over the use of autobiographical elements in fiction – although Cringe wonders about the breadth of Franzen’s personal experience after he purportedly described the Werribee sewage farm as one of the ‘most beautiful places I’ve ever been’. The US author and avid birdwatcher was in Werribee (not your usual destination for visiting artists – ‘Hey, if you loved the penguin parade, you really must make time to do Werribee!’) with fellow twitcher and writer Sean Dooley where they

reportedly spotted Australia’s rarest bird, according to MWF director Steve Grimwade. Grimwade was on a high after a massively successful first weekend and was showing no sign of waning despite having attended five full sessions the day before we spoke and countless events over the span of the festival so far. Grimwade describes the response to date as “extraordinary – I’ve never had so many people thank me before.” If the vibrancy of this year’s festival is anything to go by, the death of the book has been greatly exaggerated. “The book will never die,” says Grimwade, “it will just be available in different format. Change doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Every part of the industry needs to consider where they fit in the moment.” It’s a lesson that MWF appears to have learnt early and adopted quickly. This

year’s programme incorporates debate, music, performance, food, professional development workshops, digital forums and guided walks, as well as the usual high literary speaker sessions. By all accounts this diversity is paying off in spades with the musical interpretation of Shaun Tan’s The Arrival being the surprise hit of the festival so far; earning a standing ovation from the jam-packed audience at the Melbourne Recital Centre. The event saw Tan’s graphic tale of a refugee in a strange land brought to life in music by Sydney composer Ben Walsh and performed live by the multi-instrumental Orkestra Of The Underground to projections of Tan’s exquisite illustrations. “There was a real outpouring of emotion,” says Grimwade. One of the sound engineers at the Centre told him they’d never heard such a rousing response to any of the shows they’d presented before. The festival’s ‘Big Ideas’ sessions have also been a massive sensation with Sophie Cunningham’s talk on feminism spawning leagues of support online and launching a women-only literary award (The Stella). CEO of Fairfax Greg Hywood sparked debate with his comments (tweeted by Jay Rosen) that “if you’re dissatisfied with the media it’s because you’re dissatisfied with yourself and the polity.” Justice Kirby provided some lighter comments in his speech when he confessed to loving James Dean so much he went to see East Of Eden 28 times. And that’s only week one of the MWF! To check out the program head to mwf.com.au.

7 - 9 SEPTEMBER, BRISBANE

CONFERENCE CALLS ADALITA, OWL EYES and STONEFIELD head to Brisbane next week to showcase at the annual BIGSOUND music industry conference. They speak to DAN CONDON about past achievements and future goals. Pic by KANE HIBBERD.

his past year has been enormous for Adalita, Owl Eyes and Stonefield, with each of them coming into their own with projects that have connected with Australia’s music-loving population and, one would imagine, will continue to do so more and more as their current musical undertakings build more momentum, evolve and flourish. For Stonefield, four young sisters from regional Victoria who shot to prominence after winning Triple J’s Unearthed High competition, the year has been packed with opportunities most bands only dream of. But drummer and vocalist Amy Findlay, the oldest of the group, remains unspeakably humble about this crazy ride. “Releasing our first EP was pretty exciting. We were going to do it before we won Unearthed High anyway, but with everything that happened we were able to do it on a much bigger level,” she says, before adding with a nonchalant giggle, “and playing at Glastonbury – that was probably the biggest thing I guess. “Obviously we always dreamed of being able to tour and see different parts of the world with our music, but we never actually thought it was going to happen. We’re the kind of people who go with the flow and then when all this stuff started happening, it became pretty unbelievable.” Brooke Addamo, once known as 11th placegetter in 2008’s Australian Idol series, now known as Owl Eyes, is also humble about the great leaps her musical career has taken over the past 12 months. She’s just released her second EP, Raiders, and speaking to her, you get the sense she’s given some thought to her potential career trajectory. “I wasn’t just sitting back and waiting for things to happen,” she says. “I definitely was networking and wanting to have a solid career in the music industry. I definitely worked hard. But I didn’t expect to get such a great reaction, especially to the Raiders EP, it’s been really lovely. That support takes you a long way.” But the most surprising response comes from

Adalita. Almost two decades fronting one of Australia’s most loved rock bands in Magic Dirt has given her the well-earned reputation as something of an industry veteran, but with her stripped-back, eponymous debut solo album, she has had to change far more than just her music. “I don’t really know what I’m doing, I’m just kind of winging it and taking it step by step; it’s almost like playing with a ball and seeing what it does,” she says of life as a solo artist. “I’m not really sure what’s around the corner. I put the record out and didn’t know what to expect; I was almost prepared for it not to go very well. But it ended up going well, which was sort of a surprise for me. I mean, I was happy with it, Dean [Turner] and I worked really hard on it, but I thought it would be too different or too weird or too solo or too dark or something. It’s been interesting and I think because it’s been going so well it makes me feel good and feel like it’s worth pursuing, so I guess I feel pretty lucky that it’s all going so well. “I feel like I’m starting again in a way. I guess it’s fun in that way; it’s all new and I don’t know what to expect – the unknown – there’s definitely a fun aspect there.” It’s this stark change between her noisy past and darker, more reserved present that is contributing majorly to Adalita’s insecurities. “The quiet,” she says of what she finds most challenging about her new endeavour. “The silences and the space around the music. The live shows are the big challenge, coping with that amount of space and air around the music – it’s not something I’m used to so it’s quite a shock at first. It’s quite hard to keep chipping away at the self-consciousness and the fear. There’s an incredible amount of self-consciousness and you’re very aware of everything and I still haven’t gotten over that, but I think I’ve definitely chipped away at that and I don’t know if it’s getting easier, but I’m getting more familiar with it. That’s definitely something I’ve had to confront and deal with which I wouldn’t normally have had to with Magic Dirt.

“You’d think that I’d be comfortable up there after all those years, but nup. Fuck no. Nup. No. It’s really hard and there’s moments when it’s felt so hard that I’ve thought, ‘I can’t fuckin’ do this. I can’t fuckin’ do it, I’m gonna walk off stage, I’m gonna collapse, I’m gonna break down, I can’t do it. I’m gonna go to pieces and just lose it,’ because it’s so intense.” None of the acts are strangers to Brisbane, but they have varied experience with industry showcases such as Bigsound. It seems they all treat them the same way, though. It’s just another gig. “They are obviously a lot scarier than normal shows, but I think that because we have done quite a few now we have sort of learnt to think of them as just another normal gig,” Findlay says. “These people might be in suits, but everyone is just people. We need to approach it just the same as everything else.” “I’ve done things where industry have been there, but I haven’t really done something that’s really custom to that,” Addamo says. “I’m not really too sure what to expect but I think Bigsound will be heaps of fun because there are going to be punters there as well and that’s what makes the gigs so exciting.” “They’re just people,” Adalita says when asked about playing to industry heads. “You’re just playing in front of people. Magic Dirt have done a couple of industry showcases before, so it’s not something entirely alien to me. I just feel like it’s a gig, you just do your thing and if someone likes it then you have a chat, I guess. I think it’ll be interesting to see how it all runs. I feel all innocent!” The presence of women in the music industry grows ever stronger and these artists are shining examples. It is interesting then to hear their differing views on their treatment in what has often been regarded as a male-dominated business. “I feel like the Australian music industry is really thriving on female artists at the moment and I feel really inspired by that,” Addamo says. “I’m really inspired by all the Australian artists who are female like Sarah Blasko and

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this Melbourne singer/songwriter called Brous, who I love. There’s so many artists that are females that I’m really inspired by because everyone has their own voice. I feel like there have been a lot of boy bands going around, but now it feels like the girls are kind of catching up. It’s a mix and I think that’s a beautiful thing.” “I think it’s a lot easier than when we first started off,” Findlay says, “because when we first started playing and we’d go and take every opportunity we could for gigs and play to five people or whatever. A lot of the time we’d walk into the venue and there’d be other bands made up of all guys and we’d be looked down upon a lot of the time – be expected to play something crap and even the sound guys had a bit of a ‘whatever’ attitude at the start. But then they’d get a bit more respect for us after we’d played. I guess now that we’re doing bigger stuff and we’re getting a bit of a reputation, all that kind of thing has become a bit easier.” “It’s such a great positive effect that bands like Stonefield are having, because they are an all-girl band and they’re out there and doing really well. I think that gives other young women a real boost and it has a great positive radiating effect,” Adalita says of her fellow Victorian musical compatriots. “Most of my musical career has been Magic Dirt, so I’ve tended to ignore negative criticism or I wasn’t exposed to it. Maybe I was a little bit cushioned against it? But I had to kick against it for a while, mainly at shows with punters – only a couple of ignorant, unenlightened individuals – but that gives you more fuel for the fire. But fuck it; don’t listen to that shit, whether you’re a woman in music or whoever you are – if someone’s gonna put you down it’s more a reflection on them than you and you have to continue doing what you’re doing.”

WHO: Adalita, Owl Eyes, Stonefield WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 September, Bigsound Live

7 - 9 SEPTEMBER, BRISBANE

CREATION STORY Creation Records co-founder ALAN McGEE experienced all that the music world had to offer in the mid-‘90s as Oasis conquered the world, and he’s coming to Bigsound to share his wisdom as the opening keynote speaker on Wednesday 7 September. He talks to STEVE BELL about intuition, obsession and knowing when to fold ‘em.

music these days. I’m much more into books and films, and painting and stuff. Music was only 20 years of my life to be honest and even though I’ve managed some bands in the last ten years, Creation was my musical life and it only lasted 17 or 18 years. Some of these guys that are running Rough Trade are about 60 and they’re still running record labels – I don’t even understand how you could do that. Why would you want to be in the music business at fucking 60? It’s a young man’s game! Funnily enough after I quit music – because we made quite a bit of money out of Creation – I reinvested all of the money in property, and I made about four times as much out of property than I did out of music. I went from being wealthy to being rich because of property.” Being in the right place at the right time played a minor role in McGee’s success – he couldn’t have signed Oasis so early, for instance, if he hadn’t famously stumbled upon them in a tiny Glasgow club – yet it was his instinctive intuition that took him to the top of the pile. “You’re completely right, it’s intuition,” he concurs. “People love saying, ‘Oh, he’s just lucky’. I wish I was just lucky, because then I’d get everything right. But I have an intuition. These days I’m very, very interested in Crowley, Chaos Magic, Austin Osman Spare, Peter J Carroll, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Kenneth Anger – I’m very, very obsessed within these confines, and when I get obsessed I become good at things. I became obsessed after music with property and stuff like that, and I became very good at buying property very cheaply and selling it for millions. And I’m now very obsessed with my daughter, who’s ten, and I think I’m quite a good dad.”

he imposing Glaswegian mogul Alan McGee co-founded Creation Records in 1983 and built it into the powerhouse it became in the ‘90s, discovering and signing Oasis, Primal Scream and The Jesus And Mary Chain. He sold Creation while the label’s stocks were still good – its last release, Primal Scream’s XTRMNTR (2000), went gold in the UK – and then gradually eased out of the music business. He continued to dabble, starting the Poptones label and managing bands such as Mogwai, The Libertines and The Kills, but his heart and mind were elsewhere, and in 2008 he walked away for good. He’s been coaxed back to at least share his many experiences at this year’s Bigsound conference. “Yeah, yeah, I’m looking forward to it man,” he enthuses. “It’s going to be sort of funny for you guys – not for the journalists, but for the music business people down there – it’s going to be quite weird for them, because I’ve left the music business… In the ‘90s Creation ruled I suppose, if you want to bring it down to some crass sort of level, but really that was it – my musical career was from the early ‘80s until the end of the ‘90s, so it will kind of be like people asking me questions about

what it used to be like. I’ve got no interest in modern day music, because there’s nothing very good around. There probably is, but I’m 50, man – I just like The Beatles now, you know? I like DJing funnily enough, I really like DJing and playing songs, but that’s all I really have to do with

So it’s his ability to focus on the task at hand that put him in such good stead over the years? “I think I’ve got a strong willpower, and I think I’m fairly good at business, and I’m pretty intuitive, but I’m not a genius. In music especially – I’m not a genius in music. To be honest I never really liked music really that much – Bobby [Gillespie, Primal Scream frontman] liked music, and [Creation co-founder] Joe Foster liked music, I

always did music because I was good at it. I found out that I was good at it and I did it. They taught me a lot about music. You’re only ever as good as the band you sign – I’m no genius, I just happened to find Oasis and Primal Scream, and they made me look good. I just had good taste and signed good bands, and there’s a lot of people around the traps with good taste. If it wasn’t for Noel and Liam [Gallagher] and Bobby Gillespie – and Jim Reid and William Reid [The Jesus And Mary Chain] I suppose – I wouldn’t look as good. They are geniuses – I’m not. [Late Factory Records owner/manager] Tony Wilson wasn’t a genius – he was brilliant, but the geniuses were New Order and Joy Division and they made him look good, and Oasis and the Primals and the Mary Chain made me look good.” When Oasis, and Creation, took off in the mid-‘90s, did it make things more difficult to manage when everything was on a bigger scale and egos were running rampant? “Not for me, it was easy,” he laughs. “I enjoyed having the biggest band in the world. Really by ’91 Creation had peaked, because we’d put out [Primal Scream’s] Screamadelica, [My Bloody Valentine’s] Loveless and [Teenage Fanclub’s] Bandwagonesque – which are three classic albums. By ’94 we were about to go bankrupt, and I’d signed Oasis in ’93 – then Oasis exploded and sold 50 million records. I think in Creation’s history we sold about 60 million records, and 50 million of them were by Oasis. I rode the wave and it was an interesting time – it’s great fun having the biggest group in the world for three years. The mistake was that I never got out in ’96 or ’97 – I should have fucked off and just stopped then, and that would have been a genius end to a genius story. But we still got out when Oasis were having number one records and Primals were still huge, and that was okay – it’s still cool.”

INDUSTRIAL WORDS

As the cream of the music industry’s movers and shakers from around the globe converge on Brisbane for the annual Bigsound conference, we take a quick look at a few more of the high-profile guests who will be contributing their expertise to the wide range of panels, workshops and interviews, imparting their extensive knowledge and, while they’re in Brisbane, hoping to discover the next big thing or make that breakthrough they’ve been searching for.

DAVE SHAPIRO Booking Agent, The Agency Group/ Record Label Owner How did you first become involved in the music business? “Playing drums for a band on Victory Records.” What do you perceive to be your area of expertise, and how did you gain experience in this field? “Touring: first from having experience touring for a number of years and now I’ve been an agent, booking tours for the last eight years.” What will you be primarily discussing during your appearance at the Bigsound conference? “I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences in touring and in label development while also gaining knowledge from others at the conference.” What are you hoping that people will be able to learn from your panel/interview? “I’m hoping for people to learn that while the music industry has had a rough time lately, there is still a real business there and it’s viable if done right.” What are you expecting to take away yourself from your visit to Bigsound? “I’m looking forward to making new contacts, in particular Australian contacts. Also hearing new and different perspectives on the label and distribution side of things.”

GRAHAM NIXON

JEN LONG

Manager/Owner Resist Records

UK DJ/Music Journalist

How did you first become involved in the music business? “Assisting in the Resist retail store, helping out around the place when need be.”

What organisations do you work for? “I write for NME, Artrocker, The Line Of Best Fit, BBC… and I present a show on BBC Radio 1.”

What do you perceive to be your area of expertise, and how did you gain experience in this field? “Resist wears many different hats – a retail store, tour/booking agency, management and record label. All of these have come through necessity, as at the time there were no other options, so we created those opportunities ourselves and learnt along the way.” What will you be primarily discussing during your appearance at the Bigsound conference? “Whatever is asked of me. Preferably something related to record labels, management, touring, booking, promoting or retail.” What are you hoping that people will be able to learn from your panel/interview? “Hopefully they can get an insight into what we do and often how simple what it is we do. Knowledge, patience and hard work generally pay off.” What are you expecting to take away yourself from your visit to Bigsound? “Having never attended Bigsound, I’m looking forward to everything the week has to offer. Meeting many people you email or speak with regularly is always nice and catching up with friends.”

How did you first become involved in the music business? “Writing for a British magazine called Kruger. I edited their website, interviewed bands and slowly became more involved in music. I tour managed bands, freelanced at a radio station and played many records in sweaty nightclubs until someone eventually gave me a job.” What are you hoping that people will be able to learn from your panel/interview? “If I can do it, pretty much anyone can. I guess the best thing I could hope for is that someone could walk away with enough self-belief or motivation that they send that email or shake that hand. Or just if they don’t fall asleep, that would be nice too.” What are you expecting to take away yourself from your visit to Bigsound? “I had an amazing time my last trip to Bigsound and I’d really like to leave this year with the same excitement for the people I’ve met and the bands I’ve seen. I’m looking forward to meeting up with old faces and there’s already some bands I’ve noted are playing that I’m really looking forward to. Last year Bigsound totally got me motivated for finding and supporting some of the brilliant artists coming out of Australia.”

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KEVIN FRENCH Booking Agent, Paradigm Talent Agency How did you first become involved in the music business? “I owned a small coffee shop/music venue and started booking acts into the venue. After selling the venue, I realised I wanted to get into the music business and began my own agency.” What do you perceive to be your area of expertise, and how did you gain experience in this field? “Booking tours and knowing the right terms for a successful performance for each specific artist. Lots and lots of practice! There were several long, learn-as-I-go years before I felt I really had a grasp on all aspects on the live music business.” What will you be primarily discussing during your appearance at the Bigsound conference? “The role of a booking agent and how to get one and why you would need one, eventually…” What are you hoping that people will be able to learn from your panel/interview? “What it takes to be a successful live act.” What are you expecting to take away yourself from your visit to Bigsound? “I would love to find some new talent ready to start working in North America and also look forward to building new working relationships with the Australian music industry.”

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ISSUE 1189 - WEDNESDAY 31 AUGUST, 2011

TOURS

PRESENTS

THIS WEEK INTERNATIONAL THE WINDY CITY: August 31 Revolver Upstairs YOU ME AT SIX, WE THE KINGS: August 31 (U18) Hi-Fi THEOPHILUS LONDON: September 1 Northcote Social Club BIG BOI: September 2 Palace THE ADULTS: September 2 Northcote Social Club JEFF MARTIN & TEREPAI RICHMOND: September 2 Caravan Music Club; 3 Cherry Bar; 4 Espy Gershwin Room ANTISERUM: September 3 Brown Alley TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET: September 3 Corner; 6 National Hotel (Geelong) Teenage Bottlerocket Saturday and Sunday Corner Hotel; Tuesday 6 September National Hotel (Geelong); Sunday 11 September East Brunswick Club

GIG OF THE WEEK THE VASCO ERA

FRIDAY, CORNER HOTEL

NATIONAL FANTINE: September 1 Evelyn STONEFIELD: September 1 Bended Elbow (Geelong); 2 East Brunswick Club; 3 Karova Lounge (Ballarat) CHARLIE MAYFAIR: September 2 Empress LITTLE SCOUT: September 2 Workers Club THE VASCO ERA: September 2 Corner TRIAL KENNEDY: September 2 Brighton Town Hall (all-ages)LEADER CHEETAH, BELLES WILL RING: September 2 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 3 East Brunswick Club ANDY BULL: September 2 National Hotel (Geelong); 3 Northcote Social Club JACKSON JACKSON: September 2 Evelyn FRENZAL RHOMB: September 3 Corner; 6 National Hotel (Geelong) THE BENNIES: September 3 Gertrudes Brown Couch

Sid O’Neil is one tough bastard and the latest single from The Vasco Era’s forthcoming album is only testament to that. A gritty mulled scream runs through the track weaving in between some body hair inducing guitar riffs and ear drum blowing drum beats. In celebration of Child Bearing Hips and the video for it, which features a couple of indie kids jaunting around in slow motion whilst driving a beat up car, the boys are having a single launch at Melbourne’s iconic rock venue the Corner. The trio will most probably be featuring a few the tracks off the third and upcoming album set for release on 14 October, plus a bunch of golden oldies. So if you reckon you can get your slow motion groove on to to some solid Australian rock, haul your indie arse to Swan Street this Friday.

Straight Arrows pic by Jesse Booher

Super Wild Horses bring an entourage of fans that have been following them closely on the Melbourne circuit for years. The duo’s impromptu beginnings have gifted the pair a fortuitous fanbase. Success goes hand in hand with their unassuming nature and sharp delivery of raw pop/punk. Black Book – the track that graces one side of a split-7”, the flipside featuring Boomgates – sees the pair slip habitually into ‘60s pop territory. There are a few remaining copies of this precious vinyl for sale and the doe-eyed male contingent in the audience slip over their own drool as they rush over to snap up a copy. Meanwhile, Golden Town follows gutsy licks and driving drums. Lock & Key is tortured by a decent peppering of attitude. Short, sharp tracks crash into each other, punching the next square in the jaw and keeping us hungry.

UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET: September 7 Loft (Warrnambool) ...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD: September 7 Corner RUSSIAN CIRCLES: September 7 East Brunswick Club; 8 Corner JOE: September 8 Neverland FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS: September 8 Next; 9 Castle (Dandenong); 11 National Hotel (Geelong) ELZHI: September 9 Espy LA VAMPIRES: September 9 Workers Club NICK WARREN: September 9 Billboard TITLE FIGHT, TOUCHE AMORE: September 10 Billboard SYL JOHNSON: September 10 Hi-Fi STREET CHANT: September 10 Gasometer TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET: Sepetmber 11 East Brunswick Club SUICIDE SILENCE: September 11 Billboard (U18 afternoon; 18+ evening) SIMONE FELICE: September 14 Northcote Social Club; 15 Palais Hepburn Springs; 16 Meeniyan Town Hall BRYAN ADAMS: September 15 Palais MONSTER MAGNET: September 16 Palace AN21: September 16 Roxanne Parlour ABOVE & BEYOND: September 17 Festival Hall SEBADOH: September 19 Corner

LEADER CHEETAH, BELLES WILL RING: September 2 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 3 East Brunswick Club THE VINES: September 3 Hi-Fi BEN SALTER: September 15 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 16 September Northcote Social Club MONSTER MAGNET: September 16 Palace THE HERD: September 16 Prince Bandroom SEBADOH: September 18 Corner Hotel THE OWLS: September 23 Yah Yah’s ESKIMO JOE: September 29 Forum; 30 Pier Live JACK LADDER & THE DREAMLANDERS: September 30 Corner Hotel MONO: October 7 Forum FUNKOARS: October 7 Billboard; 8 Whalers Inn (Warrnambool); 28 Bended Elbow (Geelong); 29 Karova Lounge (Ballarat) BLACK DICE, LUCKY DRAGONS: October 8 Forum SULUMI: October 9 Toff In Town LUCKY DRAGONS: October 12 Toff In Town OKKERVIL RIVER: October 14 Forum; 15 Meeniyan Town Hall AESOP ROCK & KIMYA DAWSON, THE NARCICYST & OMAR OFFENDUM: October 15 Forum THE WOMBATS: October 15 Festival Hall WILL SHEFF: October 16 Toff In Town BACHELORETTE, RAT VS POSSUM: October 19 Toff In Town 360: October 20 Bended Elbow (Geelong); 21 Kay Street (Traralgon); 22 Corner Hotel (arvo U18; evening 18+); 27 Karova Lounge KONONO NO 1: October 21 Forum JELLO BIAFRA: October 22 Forum HEIRS, ALCEST: October 22 Toff In Town TALLEST MAN ON EARTH: October 25, 26

LIVE: REVIEWS

STRAIGHT ARROWS, SUPER WILD HORSES, THE BONNIWELLS THE GASOMETER From the outset, the Gasometer bandroom reeks of the voguest of vogue. It’s a stench so powerful it could blow your asymmetrical haircut in the wind. Melbourne outfit The Bonniwells swagger on stage and explode into hard-hitting low-fi garage/punk, which is equally moody and engaging. Vocalist Marc Dean’s endearingly off-kilter disposition complements the jaunty riffs and rattling vocals of From The Sun, while Sun Tan & Freckles successfully resurrects surf rock. And although you can hear a Misfits’ influence in this band’s originals, it’s charming to see the trio pay homage to their ancestors in a cover of Hollywood Babylon.

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What better way to satiate any remaining hunger than with Sydney ratbags Straight Arrows? Here to celebrate their looming tour in the US, the fourpiece stumble through a mélange of empty Tecate tinnies and party poppers. Frontman Owen Penglis declares, “We’re going to America city to get rich!” and soon enough Straight Arrows are chasing swigs with their punchy punk garage. They manage to create a sound that’s pissed off but never antagonising or unapproachable. There’s an immediate magnetism to Penglis’s fuzzed vocals; he spits out lyrics with an energy that’s desirable. Tracks such as Magic Sceptre negotiate whirring guitar licks from Alex Grigg, Bad Temper sees limbs thrash and It Happens Again emits yet another solid bassline from goddess Angela Bermuda (also of Circle Pit). As an outfit, Straight Arrows maintain a spontaneity and impulsiveness that’s as captivating as it is jarring. Their presence is flanked by a subversive and offbeat quality that’s different to most music kicking around Melbourne these days. Melody Newell

live@inpress.com.au

MYCHILDREN MYBRIDE: September 21 Music Man Megastore (Bendigo, all-ages); 24 East Brunswick Club; 25 Phoenix Youth Centre (all-ages) ICE CUBE: September 22 Espy CONGOROCK: September 24 Prince GOLDIE: September 25 Hi-Fi HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD, SKINDRED: September 27 Espy MOON DUO: September 28 Northcote Social Club ALICE COOPER: September 29 Palais EVERY TIME I DIE: September 29 Espy AKRON/FAMILY: October 2 Corner SUZI QUATRO: October 2 Schweppes Entertainment Centre (Bendigo); October 3 Palais ALLEN TOUSSAINT, THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND. JON CLEARY & THE PHILTHY PHEW: October 5 Palace KASABIAN: October 5 Peninsula (Melbourne Docklands) THE SECRET SISTERS: October 6 East Brunswick Club; 8 Palais Hepburn Springs BOOKER T JONES: October 7 Hi-Fi MONO: October 7 Forum MARNIE STERN: October 7 Northcote Social Club TAYLOR DAYNE: October 7 Shoppingtown Hotel (Doncaster); 8 Chelsea Heights Hotel BLACK DICE, LUCKY DRAGONS: October 8 Forum DEAN WAREHAM: October 11 Corner COSMO JARVIS: October 13 Workers Club THE BATS: October 14 East Brunswick Club OKKERVIL RIVER: October 14 Forum; 15 Meeniyan Town Hall FLO RIDA: October 14 Geelong Arena; 17 Bluestone (Ballarat) POUR HABIT, SMOKE OR FIRE: October 15 East Brunswick Club THE WOMBATS: October 15 Festival Hall BACHELORETTE: October 19 Toff In Town CHRIS CORNELL: October 19, 20 Palais JAMES RHODES: October 19, 20 Melbourne Recital Centre GHOSTPOET: October 20 Northcote Social Club KONONO NO. 1: October 21 Forum EMMANUEL JAL: October 21 Corner TIGER & WOODS: October 21 Mercat Basement SBTRKT: October 21 Roxanne Parlour ALCEST: October 22 Toff In Town JELLO BIAFRA: October 22 Forum THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA: October 22 Black Cab Saturday 10 September Bar Open

(U18), 23 (18+) Billboard THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH: October 25, 26 Corner DROPKICK MURPHYS: October 26 Forum JANET JACKSON: October 26, 27 State Theatre STEELY DAN, STEVE WINWOOD: October 27 Rod Laver Arena THE BUSINESS: October 28 Tote CELPH TITLED: October 28 Corner HERNAN CATTANEO: October 28 Billboard LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO: October 28 State Theatre BROKENCYDE: October 29 Royal Melbourne Hotel SHAPESHIFTER: October 29 Forum Theatre LONDON ELEKTRICITY: October 31 Prince Bandroom FLY MY PRETTIES: November 5 Athanaeum Theatre THE POINTER SISTERS: November 7 Palais Theatre CHILDREN OF BODOM: November 10 Palace FOLK UKE: November 10 Caravan Music Club; 11 East Brunswick Club MAD SIN: November 11 Hi-Fi EVIL NINE: November 11 Brown Alley KD LANG: November 12 Sidney Myer Music Bowl KINGS OF LEON: November 13, 14 Rod Laver Arena RUSSELL WATSON: November 14 Plenary Hall

DOLLY PARTON: November 22, 23 Rod Laver Arena THE MOODY BLUES: November 23 Palais Theatre LEO SAYER: December 1 Bairnsdale RSL Club FOO FIGHTERS, TENACIOUS D: December 2, 3 AAMI Park SALT-N-PEPA: December 3 Palais Theatre KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS: December 4 Corner ELTON JOHN: December 6 Rod Laver Arena GANG GANG DANCE: December 7 Corner EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY: December 8 Forum Theatre FUTURE OF THE LEFT: December 16 Corner ARCTIC MONKEYS: January 3 Festival Hall THE VENGABOYS: January 12 Corner HALL & OATES: February 2 Melbourne Convention Centre; 12 Rochford Wines (Yarra Valley); ROGER WALTERS: February 11 ROD STEWART: February 17 Rod Laver Arena; 18 Hanging Rock (Macedon) ROXETTE: February 18 Rod Laver arena. TAYLOR SWIFT: March 13, 14 Rod Laver Arena

Grouplove pic by Kane Hibberd

As Husky work their way through a charming and dreamy set, they can’t put a foot wrong. Close to the end, Gawenda announces that they will play their next song unplugged, in the middle of the crowd, on the condition that no one talks (“otherwise you won’t hear us”). The crowd eventually quietens, allowing the band, who have propped themselves up on a table against the wall near the bar, to treat us to a fantastic acoustic track with impeccable harmonies and, as Gawenda points out, fine guitar playing by Collins (“not bad for a drummer”). They finish off their set with the song they’re here to launch, Dark Sea, before graciously stepping off stage. They’re soon back for an unplanned encore, despite Preiss’s suggestion that they “don’t ruin it” for themselves. Sadly, he is spot on as their cover of America’s Sandman is the weakest point of the night. Even though Gawenda says it’s one of their favourite songs, it just doesn’t have the same eloquence that their original material has.

NATIONAL FRENZAL RHOMB: September 7 Loft (Warrnambool) ED KUEPPER & MARK DAWSON: September 9 Northcote Social Club; 10 Caravan Music Club JACKSON JACKSON: September 9, 16, 23 Evelyn BLACK CAB: September 10 Bar Open DAMIEN LOVELOCK: September 10 Espy NIK LONE: September 11 Northcote Social Club TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKETS: September 11 East Brunswick Club SPARKADIA: September 14 Bended Elbow (Ballarat); 15 Bended Elbow (Geelong); 16 Forum BEN SALTER: September 15 Karova Lounge (Ballarat); 16 Northcote Social Club VELOCIRAPTOR: September 15 Vineyard; 16 Miss Libertine; 17 Colonial Hotel THE AERIAL MAPS: September 16 Bella Union RAT VS POSSUM: September 16 Buffalo Club BASTARDFEST: September 17 Corner ELIXIR: September 17 Thornbury Theatre NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE: September 17 Northcote Social Club; 24 Newmarket Hotel (Bendigo) THOMAS FORD: September 17 Yah Yahs LUCIE THORNE: September 18 Caravan Music Club; 29 Bella Union BIRDS OF TOKYO: September 20 the G (Albury); 22 Pier Live (Frankston); 23 Forum; 24 Kay St Entertainment (Traralgon); 25 Eureka Hotel (Geelong) DRAPHT: September 21 Bluestone (Ballarat); 22 Chelsea Heights Hotel; 23 Palace TRIAL KENNEDY: September 22 Saloon Bar (Traralgon); 23 East Brunswick Club BROUS: September 23 Buffalo Club BENI: September 24 Prince NEW WAR: September 24 Phoenix Public House SAND PEBBLES: September 24 Northcote Social Club RICHARD IN YOUR MIND: September 24 RAOBGAB Buffalo Club LEVI MCGRATH: September 29, October 1 Seraphim Upstairs; October 30 Wallan Gateway Church BATRIDER: September 30 Tote DEAD LETTER CHORUS: September 30 Northcote Social Club NAT COLE & THE KINGS: September 23 Hotel Spencer THE SCREAMING TRIBESMEN: September 23 Espy PUBLIC OPINION AFRO ORCHESTRA: September 23 Corner ESKIMO JOE: September 29 Forum; 30 Pier Live (Frankston) GOTYE: September 30, October 1, 2 Forum JACK LADDER & THE DREAMLANDERS: September 30 Corner WEDDINGS, PARTIES, ANYTHING: September 30 Palace ART VS SCIENCE: October 6 Pier Live (Frankston); 7 Bended Elbow (Geelong); 8 Kay St Saloon (Traralgon); 9 Bended Elbow (Ballarat) JUSTINE CLARKE: October 5 Dallas Brooks Centre ART VS SCIENCE: October 6 Pier Live (Frankston); 7 Bended Elbow (Geelong); 8 Kay Street Entertainment (Traralgon); 9 Bended Elbow (Ballarat)

other places, where there’s apparently a thing called a “shoe-y” where you get your drink for free if you put your shoe up on the bar and drink from it. Gawenda challenges the audience to it – a challenge one girl accepts (whether she goes through with it or not, we never find out).

Given the quality of the songwriting, Gawenda’s beautiful vocals and the clear musical talent (Preiss’s keyboard skills a definite highlight tonight), Husky are precious musical treasure. Dominique Wall

WILD BEASTS, GOSSLING GROUPLOVE, YOUNG THE GIANT CORNER HOTEL

In what could be considered a double headline show tonight, the venue is already bursting at the seams. It’s barely dinnertime but eager fans push their way to the front for some close-up magic with Californians Young The Giant as the few crowd members that haven’t arrived yet are still licking the gravy off their dinner plates. Pity the gravy lickers who are missing out as Sameer Gadhia leads his boys on stage. It’s easy to appreciate a band that plays as a whole and pushes past individual egos. These guys have combined their powers for a Captain Planet de force, synchronising their head bobbing like budgies listening to Tupac. Their stage persona is like a nerdy Cold War Kids and it’s highly contagious. Gadhia creates a slow-motion bubble around his microphone, but as soon as he pulls away the energy and speed he exerts could be bottled and sold to the masses at fluorescent-filled dance raves. And oh, that voice! It’s the voice that mothers swoon over. Cough Syrup is a darker number, with the reverb and drumming making a grandiose sound of stadium proportions. For final song My Body, Gadhia dances like he’s in a Fatboy Slim video. It’s not a song that showcases his voice fantastically, but it’s a great party song to get bodies moving. And boy do they move. It’s a hard act to follow, but Grouplove are all smiles when they enter and appear to be up for the challenge. Their band name proves very appropriate as they pull out every ‘70s stereotype except for the flowered headbands. Their sound mimics the sweet and fluffy music of that era. Songs like Itchin’ On A Photograph get a great crowd response but are lacking in depth and too sickly sweet for this pair of ears. They haven’t quite created their own Captain Planet yet, so it feels a bit messy and high school-ish, but nonetheless they laugh and dance and epitomise the vibe of the ‘70s era they set out to embody. Set closer Tongue Tied is promising and catchy-withoutthe-cringe until Hannah Hooper pulls out a talking piece mid-song that gives an awkward reminiscence of bad, ‘90s rap verses in song: Only East 17 and TLC have the right to use that without creating projectile vomiting reactions. But encore song Colours banishes the cringe completely and makes everything better again. It’s a perfectly woven mix of sappy sweetness with depth and they deliver it fantastically, the crowd eating out of their palms. Leonie Richman

HUSKY

EAST BRUNSWICK CLUB Having only heard one of this local quartet’s songs, being the beautiful and atmospheric single History’s Door, a very sedate, serious affair is expected tonight. However, we’re greeted by a large, enthusiastic audience for the launch of Husky’s latest single, Dark Sea. Catching singer and guitarist Husky Gawenda, keyboardist Gideon Preiss, bassist Evan Tweedie and drummer Luke Collins mid-song, the understated beauty and amazing power of the music they’re making is immediately apparent. They’re something incredibly special. Our expectations prove unfounded and we’re not upset. Before long, Gawenda welcomes us to the show and proclaims that it’s good to be home. It seems the boys have been in Tasmania recently, among

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CORNER HOTEL

It’s a night of godly voices at the Corner, and Melbourne’s Gossling – the project of singer/ songwriter Helen Croome – is keeping up her end of the bargain on the side stage. Sitting behind her keyboard, with a cello and guitar reinforcing her sometimes surging, sometimes plucky style, Croome flits between understated meows (and there is something catlike about the tone of her voice) and arresting, long-held notes. As a singer, Croome bridges the divide between the ‘quirky’ and the ‘for everyone’ – Joanna Newsom comparisons have been made, and are made again tonight by those in the attentive crowd, but in truth Gossling is a far straighter arrow with less finicky accessories. That’s aided by the fact that, as a songwriter, Croome is from the Missy Higgins school: her latest EP, War, is warm piano balladry with a touch of social commentary. If Gossling seems at first a clean musical fit for Wild Beasts, the decision is instantly justified by the crisp, almost-too-tight sound that comes from the stage when the Kendal, England foursome (plus an extra keys player) appear. On record, with the dual vocals of Hayden Thorpe and Tom Fleming high in the mix, rough, natural imperfections add a heaping of grit to their operatic ship songs. Here, with vocals still high but the imperfections blended into thick instrumentation, it takes a couple of songs to get used to the less jarring sound. (That is as strange a situation as it sounds, but hey, sometimes you’re expecting to be challenged.) That said, Thorpe and Fleming are a perfect pairing as frontmen, not only sticking their vocal ranges together to make one giant, world-saving vocal transformer, but balancing each other’s stage presence: Fleming is the everyman to Thorpe’s English folk dandy (he’s actually wearing something akin to a Russian Cossack), and the pitching is just right. After some introductory soft crooning via the wandering midsection of their latest album, Smother, Thorpe announces that we’ll be getting back to the “meat and two veg Wild Beasts” from here on in, and bouncy 2008 single The Devil’s Crayon follows, playing out like a blueprint for The Temper Trap’s lighter Sweet Disposition. An adoring fanclub gathers under the light of the now vacant side stage across the room from the band and Fleming and Thorpe acknowledge them before one of the women attempts communication – “I gave you my sunglasses! I gave you MY SUNGLASSES!” – and fails, then slinks back into the shadows. It’s a sign that, by walking the line between band-as-messenger and personal/ personality-as-message, and between understated composition and theatrical delivery, Wild Beasts have captured more than just the 30-ish-year-old, indie-ish audience mostly in attendance – there are some crazed (younger) fans amongst the Domino Records set. The latest album’s Invisible, and This Is Not Our Lot from 2009 album Two Dancers, make for a surprisingly excellent pairing, and Hooting & Howling takes us out, Thorpe moving between his mics to add an awesome dimension of physical space. Finishing 15 minutes before their allocated set time means we get an allocated encore, but forgiveness comes via Smother standout musicalmeets-looped-synth opening track Lion’s Share. Adam Curley

live@inpress.com.au places to pilot the band, from crowd left to right: Ian Ball, Ben Ottewell and Tom Gray backed up by Paul Blackburn and Olly Peacock. Bring It On cracks open proceedings and causes the crowd to bop in unison. The set is heavy with tracks from their latest release Whatever’s On Your Mind, littered sporadically with melodies from all their other six longplayers since 1997’s Bring It On. Hamoa Beach, That Wolf and Just As Lost As You Are – from their more recent albums – are a flowery pop departure from the diversity and rawness of their past, although the catchy Airstream Driver stands out.

The Kills pic by Andrew Glover

THE KILLS, TEENAGE MOTHERS PRINCE BANDROOM

Tonight finds the sold-out bandroom at the Prince heaving with excitement in anticipation for The Kills, but before we can get to them, Melbourne’s Teenage Mothers are charged with the responsibility of warming up the crowd. Awkward and perhaps a little green, this nasty gang of ‘mothers’ deal a short set of energised rock with a certain innocence. Jamie Hince’s new wife Kate Moss is definitely not sipping on cocktails at the bar when they play Orlando & Miranda, which suggests that beautiful people have it easy. These lads certainly have attitude but it’s unclear whether this is much more than middle-class rebellion. Are they as streetwise as they would like you to believe? Nonetheless, they have a loutish charm and it will be interesting to see what their first release brings. We are left to wait for what feels like an eternity. As the crowd packs in behind us, a strange but cool-looking dude reassures his Mum that he will be back before midnight over a series of lengthy text messages (read over his shoulder). Just as this starts to feel voyeuristic, a guy in a suit pushes his way forward and immediately updates his Facebook status to let all his friends know that he has scored a prime position. The lights dim as we contemplate this odd behaviour. A few seconds later, The Kills are going off like a cracker with No Wow. It is exactly what the doctor ordered and the crowd let out a roar of approval. Jamie Hince is wedged between two banks of drum machines and synths that provide the strutting beats and electronic crunch while he simply loses control on guitar. Meanwhile, the effortlessly cool Alison Mosshart is prowling the stage doing it tougher and fiercer than you could ever imagine. Whether she is flicking her hair off her face, staring into the crowd or leaning back on a stack of amps, Mosshart pulls some pretty clichéd rock moves but few could achieve such mesmerising effect. Sounding even tighter than the last time they visited, it’s hard not to be blown away by the duo’s bluesy garage rock that comes on rough, raw and loud. After Future Starts Slow, the pair launch into Heart Is A Beating Drum on which Mosshart wields the guitar to devastating effect. Kissy Kissy and URA Fever provide the backward glances at back catalogue for which fans are waiting. Tape Song, which is reminiscent of The Cure’s Lets Go To Bed, elicits a rousing, hands-in-the-air sing along. There is nothing particularly cheap and cheerful about tonight’s set, which grinds a little heavy. Hardly bothering to make polite conversation in between songs, The Kills pump it out fast and furious. The set only stops when Mosshart stops to introduce a gently rocking and rolling cover of an old Marilyn Monroe song, One Silver Dollar, which provides the sweetest moment of the set. Encores are inevitable as their set barely lasts an hour. The Last Goodbye, a nostalgic slow waltz, reveals The Kills’ softer side. This is, of course, short lived as Pull A U and Fried My Little Brains bring down the night on an appropriately raucous note. You know you have had a good time when you leave a gig soaked in sweat.

A large part of Gomez’s popularity is due to their three-part vocal arrangements. They switch the lead with ease, similar to school friends surfing – letting each other take waves and giving the respectful hoot when necessary. This swapping of the limelight displays dynamism and they back each other up with vocals to produce a three-layered harmonious effect: Ottewell takes the soothing Eddie Vedder approach, Ball summons the power of heart and Gray plays the jovial joker. Older songs are dressed up for the live act, as you’d expect, yet Get Myself Arrested and Hangover particularly suit the band’s live energy. These songs also emit an air of lyrical craftmanship through such passages as “She waters down the rain when I get home” (Hangover) lingering soberly throughout the venue. After the campfire sing-along of Sweet Virginia, Gray indicates to the crowd that it’s time to step things up a notch and they launch into Fill My Cup, taking it for a ride that bustles with psychedelic gusto. Ruff Stuff sees Ottewell duck backstage for a bevvy. He then returns to the stage with another drinking buddy to shout “come back”, exhibiting a looser side of himself to that of his usual cool, calm and collected look. In fact, they all seem to loosen up a bit into the set, apart from Gray who just seems generally loose. Finishing up with I’ve Got Options, the band take five but eventually heed the calls of stomping fans. Coming back to bust into How We Operate and Whippin’ Piccadilly, Gomez showcase their effortless harmonies in full flight, leaving Melbourne folk with a healthy dose of what makes Gomez, Gomez. Kate Kingsmill

KITCHEN KNIFE WIFE, IMMIGRANT UNION TOFF IN TOWN

Three guitars and two harmonicas grace the stage, attached to the trio that is Immigrant Union tonight. Apparently they are missing members, so any critique of their lack of ballast would be unfair, but on we go. Immigrant Union play country in the most traditional sense of the word: warm, sliding guitar parts and pining vocals, the word “darling” included within the first minute or so. Their set tends to plod on though, as their albeit-lovely country tunes begin to bleed together like mixed coloured laundry. A vaunting beat, littered with hand claps, announces Kitchen Knife Wife to the waiting rabble. They appear, as they begin, to have a vaguely INXSish sound, but any pigeonholing goes right out the window as the fiery set ploughs on. Lascivious and snazzy frontman Bernard Czaplinski has an irrepressible stage presence and a great idea of traditional pop ideals, as well as that only-slightlyannoying vocal affectation that replaces ‘i’ with ‘eo’ (as in, “Ceileong…”) in a voice that skips between a Craig Nicholls/Nic Cester throaty squawk and a dragging blues drawl. James Fleming on keys is more than just background; getting all Ray Manzarek in our faces (indeed, The Doors influence is clear when

the band briefly cover Five To One later on) then splitting into honky-tonk and vaudeville tinkering. Happy, the single they are here to launch, is my least favourite of their entire set. Although the keys are infectiously toe-tapping and the chorus infectious, it sounds so tailor-made, so pop-rock-by-numbers. If you hear Happy and aren’t impressed, rest assured that they are yards better than this track.

ADALITA

How best to describe the spirited cadre? Something like Cherry Poppin’ Daddies meets Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, though filtered through an indie-pop sieve and dripping with youth and burgeoning greatness. As Dads make self-conscious devil horns, the seemingly youngish crowd bop away, both ironically and otherwise. They’re good value though, the younger set: they cheer loud and love getting right up front of stage.

You would be hard pressed to find someone more highly regarded in the rock scene than Adalita Srsen. The former Magic Dirt frontwoman-turnedsoloist has gone from strength to strength and, for many fans, can do no wrong. Considering she’s been playing to sold-out crowds of adoring fans since the ‘90s, you’d think Adalita would be a bit more comfortable on the stage. Instead, Srsen comes across as reserved and nervous. Maybe it’s because, unlike the Magic Dirt days, her new approach to music is very minimalist, or maybe it’s because she is just incredibly modest and completely humbled by the audience’s show of support. Adalita really is something else. Although tunes such as Hot Air and The Repairer are stunningly built, they’re still no match for Plastic Loveless Letter or I Was Cruel. Srsen’s new sound is completely stripped back to the point where all that is left is beautifully understated guitar framing her powerfully raspy vocals. It’s deep; certainly not the kind of music that you want to rock out to onstage. Especially when the violins kick in.

Much of Kitchen Knife Wife’s sound has a contagious catwalk strut to it, something the crowd relish as many go gaga for the shimmying singer. The music gets carnival, and fairly carnal, at times and blazes between genres, eating up boundaries. ‘They’re all over the place!” someone happily yells. Thank you, random punter, that’ll do nicely. Lisa Dib

FUNERAL PARTY HI-FI

Funeral Party take to the Hi-Fi stage very nonchalantly – the house lights are dropped well in advance and the mix CD cuts off as soon as they walk out. They waste little time in getting ready and almost immediately begin the build up that precedes The Golden Age Of Knowhere, the title track from their excellent debut album. Without even a gap between songs, they launch into Car Wars and its intense disco beat getting a handful of people at the front jumping and dancing. The song still manages to sound awesome, despite the lack of bongos and Omar RodriguezLopez solo (both present in the studio version.) Unfortunately for Funeral Party, their US and UK hype hasn’t translated to more than some Triple J airtime over here. That, and playing a show on the same night as Wu-Tang Clan, means that the Hi-Fi is barely half full. Thankfully, they don’t seem to be too daunted. They drop the gloriously cowbell-laden New York City Moves To The Sound Of LA after the first two songs, sending the crowd wild and doubling the number of people up the front. Despite being sick, as singer Chad Elliott later admits (“the Japanese people were friendly – too friendly”), they still bring an energetic and chaotic stage presence and the crowd definitely feed off it – the cheering and applause is louder and longer as the show goes on. Even the three new songs that they sprinkle into the set get a great response. Songs such as Finale and Where Did It Go Wrong prove to be the best hits with the crowd; Finale in particular with its fantastic, “We are the voices under the tracks/Pulling you forward/Pushing you back,” sing-along, even though it would have been better suited to close the set rather than the new song they choose instead. They walk off as soon as they finish this new song, but very quickly get drawn back on stage by a demanding crowd. With no introduction, they hammer out Just Because – the song that best exemplifies their sound and style. They finish it and literally drop their instruments, leaving to an even greater response from the crowd. Although this show didn’t sell out, those in attendance got to see a fantastic young band playing an incredible, energetic show. Josh Ramselaar

NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB On a freezing cold Sunday night, dragging yourself out to a local gig would ordinarily be pretty difficult. But not when you’ve got two tickets to see arguably one of Australia’s most talented musicians strutting her stuff at the Northcote Social Club.

Easily the standout tracks for the evening are Jewel Thief and Fool Around. Jewel Thief’s grunting guitar and bluesy undertones coupled with the slow build up on Fool Around give her music an intensity that engulfs the entire room. The Northcote Social Club audience lacks its usual vibrant energy and everyone is completely still – either mesmerised or asleep. Her show is like a perfect haunting lullaby. Despite a relatively dull performance, Adalita is more laid-back-summer than Kings Of Leon could ever hope to be. It’s the music that would be playing when you’re trying to creep into bed at 4am, reeking of whisky and salt water. And in her signature flannelette shirt, she really is an absolute rockstar. Tianna Nadalin

JORDIE LANE, LITTLE JOHN, MIKE NOGA CORNER HOTEL

If you can judge those by the company they keep, Jordie Lane is damn smart. Shrouding himself with the appearance of Mike Noga of The Drones’ fame, followed by Little John on stage two, there’s a mini festival in our midst. Noga brings the dual sword of poignant acoustics and comedic banter, topped by his white “gay wizard” blazer. With an intonation that hones the best of Bowie and Dylan, and skilfully executed acoustic guitar intercut with harmonica refrain, his is a post-modern alternative to the acoustic set, not lacking in humour. Hot on his heels mere minutes later are Little John. Clad with double bass, electric guitar, fiddle and the most beautiful mandolin, the five-piece muster big-band inertia that devours your consciousness whole, rendering you only capable of registering pure awe. Frontrunner John Dickson is priest-like in his delivery, though less dogmatic, backed up by powerful, pseudo-biblical roots-rock. Hushed reverence greets opener Thin My Blood, aching with Zane Lynd’s trembling double bass, Noga returning on the drums. With these resident talents, amongst others, new life is breathed into each track as the elements come together with Jordie Lane’s signature plucked strings. Theatrical, dark, lively and with an edge of comic appeal, Lane’s on top form. With the “Little John Three” returning to the stage to lend their vocal talents alongside guitarist Matt Green, and the lovely second banjo à la Liz Stringer, a strange evocation of The Travelling Wilburys is achieved. This musical collaboration frames softly lilting riffs in tracks such as Not From Round Here, which enhances the aching beauty Lane so effortlessly achieves, whilst energetic numbers such as Feet Fall hit hard, spreading an emphatic smile. Tales from his travels in America break up Lane’s performance, as he waxes nostalgic about AA meetings in downtown New York, burning guitars, and many a sandwich. This adds a depth to the record that cannot be bought and we become emotionally invested.

Guido Farnell

GOMEZ PALACE

Out of the abnormally warm winter’s night and into the steamy aromatic sauna that is the Palace, burred murmur hangs atop of the heat fog. Punters packed inside hang off the barred balconies that surround the stately theatre, in a similar vein to criminals waiting for a riot to break out. But not on this night, as Gomez take the stage to give Melbourne a taste of their Southport indie rock. The frontmen take their

Gomez pic by Lou Lou Nutt

Encore time already, as we are treated to a strippedback assembly for the gorgeous I Could Die Looking At You, before rowdy finisher The Publicans Daughter, which will be forever etched on our collective consciousness due to Mr Lane’s decision to burn his much-worn shirt. Dropping the burning cloth into a metal bin and dancing ‘round the flames in a fit of instrumental devilry, the ensuing flames and extinguisher smoke spread across the stage, casting an eerie, ephemeral glow as the band make their exit. If we were handing out stars, they’d get them all! Clementine Lloyd

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PROUD ELECTRIC MARY

Electric Mary need no introduction. Currently one of the best rock’n’roll bands in town, they‘re about to leave our shores and show Europe what they’re all about. Catch them at their farewell show this Saturday at the Prague, with Sharaya and My Left Boot in tow. Tickets are $15 on the door, so be early and don’t miss out!

ATTENTION MELBOURNE!

NEW WAR, NEW VENUE New War will launch their debut 12” single (produced by Lindsay Gravina and backed by Gossip and HTRK remixes) on Saturday 24 September at new venue Phoenix Public House, at 133 Sydney Road. Increasingly known for their compelling live show and shapeshifting sound, New War have quietly amassed a loyal audience sharing the stage with the likes of Wire, Laughing Clowns, Gossip and Jandek. Supports on the night are Fabulous Diamonds, Taipan Tiger Girls (feat. Ollie Olsen) and Pearls, with DJs Ann Ominous and Woody, plus a very special guest DJ set by Gossip (USA). Tickets are $15 on the door only.

ON FIRE

The Fire Alive have been captivating audiences with their energetic live show at numerous gigs such as the Queenscliff Music Festival, Apollo Bay Music Festival and most recently at the Push Over Festival. They’re a rock-orientated outfit with the different influences shining through to create a unique blend of progressive rock and blues. Catch them at the Prague this Thursday with support from Japan For, Elysium Fields and ODD.

HAPPY FADING HOUR

Fading Hour are emerging as one of the most promising young bands to hit the Australian music scene. Their sound is dynamic, distinct and lucid; an amalgamation of genres that can best be described as progressive hard rock. You can catch them at the Prague this Friday with Pyrene who are launching their new album and billed as co-headliners. Support comes from The Witching Tree and Riot In Toytown.

DESERT STARS

Deserters are busy in the studio recording the follow-up to their acclaimed debut Pale Morning. Mixed by New York-based producer Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, The Panics), their killer new single Stars Burn also features backing vocals by Sydneysider Elly-May Barnes (youngest daughter of the legendary Jimmy). Deserters will be launching Stars Burn at the Retreat Hotel on Friday 16 September.

Returning home next week from their eightweek Canadian tour that saw the band drive over 10,000km to play 34 shows and five festivals across five provinces, The Little Stevies will be jumping on stage at the Northcote Social Club with a swag of stories to tell and a couple of new songs to test out! Joining them are good friends from the Apple Isle (that’s Tassie if you were wondering) Ben Wells & The Middle Names, touring mainland Australia in support of their new single, Robin Hood. Also along for the ride is the Adam Cousens Band (also from Tassie). Get down to the Northcote Social Club on Saturday 8 October to give The Little Stevies a warm welcome home! Tickets are just $15+BF.

A HEAD TURNER

Mick Turner (Dirty Three) returns to Bar Open this Thursday to showcase material from his next solo LP. Turner’s inimitable dulcet tones of improvised longing guitar will be complemented by Vertical Slum, a new group featuring Ian Wadley (ex-Bird Blobs) and Samaan Fieck and Kishore Ryan (Where Were You At Lunch) who recently toured New Zealand with Mad Nanna. First on will be Crude, solo project of Matt Middleton of The Aesthetics. Doors are at 9pm and entry’s free.

INCREASE THE TEMPO

Love Tempo is the night that’s held in a club but feels like a house party. Same deal as last time; lots of sweat, occasional power outages, loose limbs and a general ‘anything goes’ vibe. Love Tempo DJs again have a stack of squelchy disco, house and deep funk to keep you dancing into the early morning. It’s all happening at the Buffalo Club on Friday 9 September. Doors are at 10pm.

SOCIAL RATS

Brisbane duo Dune Rats are preparing to drop their long-awaited second EP Social Atoms this month and are sending a callout to fans up and down the East Coast to help them get the party started on their September launch tour. Formed in late 2010, Danny Beus (Villains of Wilhelm) and BC Michaels (The Cairos/Comic Sans) have experienced a groundswell of support from critics, bloggers and fans alike. They play Can’t Say on Friday 9 September.

TIM REID IS THE ONLY ONE

Melbourne’s best-kept secret, singer/songwriter Tim Reid, is gearing up to launch his long awaited new album Lines, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Any Given Day. The album is preceded by a teaser EP Only One, which will be launched Sunday 18 September at a special afternoon kid-friendly show at the Empress Hotel. Special guests will be The Weekend People. The limited edition EP will be available for sale on the night and features three exclusive non-album tracks.

MAPS AND SUNSETS

Following an exciting wave of critical acclaim for the new album The Sunset Park, The Aerial Maps are set to launch it at a rare Melbourne show to celebrate the release. The launch will be held at Bella Union on Friday 16 September. Supports for the night will be the wonderful Van Walker and the equally enticing Crystal Thomas & The Flowers of Evil.

JIMMY-NY CRICKETS

BRUTE FORCE When you combine three of the scene’s best party DJs, add backup dancers, alcohol, a festival moshpit, shoulder fights, crowd surfing and dance-offs, you begin to get a visual of what the Sosueme DJs stand for. The Sosueme DJs take this respected party ethos to the masses at Can’t Say at Miss Libertine this Friday. Individually Wonderland, Hobo and Hansom are forces to be reckoned with in the clubbing landscape. Together they are forging their way into total music dominance, storming the party and festival circuit, creating new rules and laying down proper old-school party tracks. More than a set, this is a performance.

Jimmy Stewart is back in Melbourne after his third skirmish in NYC. After smashing his own records (almost 70 shows in three months) on home turf, he then managed to cram in 17 shows as well as a Catskills Mountains recording session in just seven weeks in the USA. Now Stewart launches himself and various affiliates into Melbourne’s spring with a full program: see him this Thursday with Jimmy & Danny Walsh at the Labour In Vain, this Saturday catch The Miserable Little Bastards at the Union Hotel, this Sunday catch Clinkerfield at Yah Yah’s, and this Tuesday Stewart’s back at the Labour to kick off his month-long Tuesday residency there. Get on it!

GET IN THE MOOD

The name Mood speaks for itself; the night is all about getting you in the right mood with groovy deep house, disco and techno tunes. Go check out Melbourne’s number one weeknight deep house event in a cosy and warm environment with an excellent sound system and huge screens for visuals. Resident DJ NuBody brings his unique sound to Thursday nights in Melbourne always accompanied by a special guest. Watch them spin from 9pm till late every Thursday at Loop. No cover!

DREAMING BIG Home to veterans COLOURED STONE and up-and-comers YUNG WARRIORS, Payback Records is the groundbreaking label of AFL star Nathan Lovett-Murray. TONY MCMAHON previews one of the year’s most important tours. some, but it’s not. It’s old school mixed with the new, and we’ve all got the same stories. I don’t really know what to say, I’ve been listening to Coloured Stone all my life. And my dad’s the guitarist, so it’s going to be great seeing him back up on his feet and playing again. He taught me all about music, taught me all his old songs.”

Yung Warriors

Essendon footballer Nathan Lovett-Murray hates it when people tell him something he’s planning can’t be done. And, as befits a man who plays one of the world’s toughest sports at the elite level, the things he wants to do are big dreams indeed. He wants his record label, Payback Records, to be the fi rst purely indigenous hip hop label. He also wants indigenous Australian hip hop to be recognised as its own unique genre. After meeting him in his Preston office, this superimpressed and, admittedly, Essendon supporting writer is not about to say he won’t do it. Take, for example, Payback signing Yung Warriors. Their latest single, Just A Thought, from their forthcoming album, is an evocative and beautiful paean to indigenous pride, lyrically assured and gorgeously arranged. Replete with mellowing horns and clever samples, it is surely a sign of staggeringly big things to come from this ultra-important outfit. “Nathan’s the man,” says Yung Warriors frontman Tjimba Possum Burns, talking about the benefits of being associated with Payback Records. “It’s not just putting out music either, you know? Together with Nathan, we do a lot of workshops with young indigenous people and it’s just amazing seeing people want to tell their stories. We really feel like Payback is our home now. More power to us, more power to other indigenous people. It just makes us stronger, you know?” Talking about strength, it’s not just indigenous people that this extraordinary music empowers, although Inpress would be loath to underestimate this aspect. If though, as historian Bain Attwood suggests, the only hope for an authentic Australian culture is the coming together of indigenous and non-indigenous traditions, Yung Warriors could are already playing a big role. Burns agrees that his music is teaching non-indigenous Australia about his culture. “That’s true. I’ve seen that touring around country Victoria, especially with the live performances. It brings an awareness and a respect. That’s what we want to do: send a message.” Which brings us nicely to The Black Boy National Tour, a series of very special gigs around the country organised and financed half with a grant, half with Lovett-Murray’s own money. Yung Warriors will be playing alongside one of the oldest remaining and most significant indigenous bands in Australia, Coloured Stone, as well as local support acts from each state. “It’s going to be great for some of these young kids to see all these amazing old songs and for some of the people who know Coloured Stone to see some new songs. It might seem a little old school for

HAVE A TRI

Ensemble Tri Duo feature two Bb/bass clarinets, live electronics (laptop) and live video mixing. Brigid and Grania established Tri Duo in the early ’90s as a exploration of Brigid’s acoustic, electronic and visual compositions. They combine a series of compositions inspired by natural elements such as food, water, glass, organic textures, visual art works, air, improvisation, abstractions of architecture, bridges and monuments and how water has affected these changes. They have had rave reviews for their performances and recent CD releases, particularly on ABC National. Intrigued? See them perform on Wednesday 7 September at Loop from 7pm.

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Not very rock’n’roll though, going on tour with your dad. What will Burns do about the groupie situation? It seems he hasn’t really thought about it, but he’s confident some arrangement can be made. “Ummm… that’s true. It’s not very rock’n’roll is it? Ummm. I don’t know. We’ll work something out.” Coloured Stone, meanwhile, have forged a musical career of undeniable value and poise across three decades. In the ‘80s they sang loudly and proudly in Black Boy about indigenous people’s joy in their skin colour, a relatively unheard sentiment – at least for non-indigenous Australians – at the time. Recently, they played to a packed MCG and a television audience of close to a million people as part of the AFL’s Dreamtime Game. On his new album, Beautiful World, which he and his band will be promoting on the upcoming tour, Coloured Stone founding member Bunna Lawrie has done a magnificent reboot of the abovementioned Black Boy and, something like a gift that keeps on giving, it still manages to have supreme relevance today. “Yeah, I’ve been trying to experiment here and there, change things around,” Lawrie says. “So, now we’ve done a rap version of it. That song never really got the commercial airplay it should have got, so now we’re promoting it again. You know, it always got played on golden oldies stations and hits and memories. Now, we’re hoping to get it played on Triple M and Triple J and places like that. It’s got so much power, that song. Everywhere I go I hear stories from young people about how it’s given them hope in their lives.” And Lawrie is super excited about getting out there and playing Black Boy again. He seems to think it might be reasonably well-received, but he’s also pretty excited about the nature of the tour itself. “Nathan’s just done an amazing job with this. It’s the first of its kind in the world: a fully indigenous run tour. And it’s not just Coloured Stone and Yung Warriors either, there’s a whole lot of local acts that we’re getting to play with us in each place, so it’s going to be really something. When we do the new version of Black Boy, mate, it’s going to bring the house down, it’s going to blow the roof off.”

WHO: Yung Warriors and Coloured Stone WHAT: Black Boy (Payback Records) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, Evelyn

ARCHITECTURE IN MELBOURNE

The Royal Australian Institute of Architects invite emerging architects to address new concepts and practical issues in contemporary architecture on the first Monday of each month at the Process Architecture Forum. Recent presenters include Kennedy Nolan, Kalliopi Vakras, John Gollins, Gregory More, Anthony Fryatt, FMD, Threefold, Nest, Splinter Society, one2one and Beatriz Maturana, Judd Lysenko Marshall, Herbert + Mason, ARM, Cox Architects and Hive Engineering. Entry’s always free and everyone is welcome. Catch this month’s forum at Loop this Monday from 6pm.

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A WHEELBARROW RACE

GREATEST HIT

Guinness have announced the Victorian semi-finalists in the Guinness Live Thursdays competition. More than 100 bands entered the competition with five from Victoria making it this far! With two bands having already battled it out, there’s still My Lasting Reply vs The Modern Age at Elephant & Wheelbarrow this Thursday, and Between The Wars versus a to-be-announced wildcard finalist at PJ O’Brien’s on Thursday 8 September. The band that wins this nation-wide competition will win an all expenses paid trip to Dublin, Ireland, to perform at the Arthur’s Day celebrations alongside international acts including Scissor Sisters, Stereophonics, Paloma Faith and Calvin Harris. Attend these free live music events to vote for your favourite band to win.

Desert island songs with CLEM BASTOW FERGIE FEAT. LUDACRIS GLAMOROUS

Growing up without much money can have a couple of different effects on you: either you crave it, swayed by consumerism and advertising, or you end up sort of impervious to the machine because *shrug* what’s the point. Generally speaking I tended to end up in the latter category; fortunately I was only interested in My Little Ponies, which were far less pricey than Barbie Dolls or Lady Lovely Locks or Moon Dreamers, so I never really craved swag beyond my family’s means. (My pony obsession meant I was even happy with the generics from Coles New World in Bay Street, Port Melbourne.) If you’re not exposed to the other half, it’s not that difficult to avoid wanting to know – or live – how they live. As I’ve grown, it’s mostly stayed the same. Sure, I have gripes about money – I’m a freelance writer! – but they tend to involve paying bills on time and not wanting to make any more withdrawals from The Bank Of Dad or Mercantile Mum, rather than drooling over aspirational consumer items. Except for one thing: first class air travel. It’s the one thing, without fail, that makes me go into a reverie of consumerism. There’s a billboard on one of my regular tram routes that features Qantas’ SkyBed, and some business type chilling in his Marc Newson PJs as he LIES DOWN on a flight to Perth. LYING DOWN ON A PLANE. The thing about long haul air travel is that in a way, it’s a great leveller: no matter how rich you get, it still takes 18+ hours in a metal tube full of farts to get wherever you’re going. But there’s no denying that real cutlery and an actual bed would make those 18+ hours all the more bearable. For some reason, my dreams of first class (or business, I’m not fussy) air travel are always soundtracked by Fergie’s sublime Glamorous. It probably helps that the video heavily featured Fergie Ferg getting about in her own silver Gulfstream, but ever since I put the song on my iPod/Phone, it inevitably gets an airing when I’m mid-air, and certainly I sit back and think about first class air travel while the song plays. As I mentioned in this week’s Singled Out review of Wynter Gordon’s Buy My Love, I’m fascinated – perhaps because of my childhood of relative frugality – by songs that elevate consumerism to some sort of spiritual experience. R&B tends to be where such psalms to things are most ostentatious and convincing, and nowhere is that more evident than Glamorous. Despite Fergie’s repeated reminders of her downhome background and ability to keep it real in the face of success (“I don’t care, I’m still real, no matter how many records I sell”), the song is a slow-jamming paean to the fab life. The near-religious ecstasy reaches its xenith with Ludacris’ guest spot, in which every second or third word or phrase slows down like some sort of Mogadon freakout, heightening the ridiculousness of phrases like “Half a million for the stones, takin’ trips from here to Rome/So if you ain’t got not money take your broke ass home”. Does this all make me a disgusting cog in the consumer machine, little more than a shill for Marc Newson’s flash seats and airplane socks that don’t give you horrible nightmares? Probably, and yet, also not, since the likelihood of my ever living “the flossy flossy” are about the same as the odds I will own property in my lifetime: slim to nil. So I guess, in some way, my love of both air travel and Glamorous is my catching up for all the consumerism I avoided as a child and teen. I just sit back in coach and dream that one day I’m going to have a lifestyle so rich and famous Robin Leach will get jealous. And if that happens I’ll make sure to “air cheers” Fergie from across the aisle when they hand out the champagne.

FOLKTRONIC Not your average folktronic artist Caitlin Park has single-handedly taken the genre and pulled it to the left with her abstract composition, electro-acoustic stylings and fi lm nostalgia. A sprawling, intricate and heart-warming foray into the soundscapes of old fi lms, audio books, spoken word, and minimalistic musical arrangement, her debut release Milk Annual is as much an exploration in found sound and sonic design as it is an exhibition of modern folk song construction. Milk Annual will be launched at the Toff on Thursday 29 September.

A LOOPY NIGHT

Spring time is upon us and it’s time to shed all those layers and shake your booty with the funkiest DJ Crew around town! DJs Ego, Lickweed and Jumbo have a bag full of funky delights to treat your ears and get you dancing all night, with the freshest hip-hop, funk, breaks and drum’n’bass you know the place to be is at Loop. Ego will bring you a spectacular audiovisual performance full of all your favourite tunes across all genres. With all this plus free entry, there’s really no excuse not to head to Loop this Saturday.

PRESS PAUSE

Pause Fest is Melbourne’s first digital festival that will showcase a unique blend of international and national agencies and artists who produce 3D, animation, VFX, motion graphics, interactive, digital and multitouch installations and anything that moves and kicks ass. In the lead up to the festival, Loop will be introducing some of these exciting pieces and artists fortnightly. The aim of these catch ups, just like Pause Fest itself, is to time create networks and provide opportunities to people interested in these areas to get involved and submit work to Pause Fest 2011, or just have a drink and chat in this relaxed setting and enjoy the art. Head to Loop tonight at 6pm if you’re keen.

PRECURSOR BLESSING

Music holds a fascination with a new breed of connoisseur who wants to experience what it was that drove the old crew there. The past shapes the future. Hear the music that inspired lifelong devotion to the creative pursuits of turntablism at the first session of Precursor at My Aeon this Friday. It’s a three-hour set from special guest DJ Phil K alongside Precursor residents Sylk, JaseFOS and Jayd. Doors are at 10pm and entry’s $10.

GOOD THINGS WILL COME

The Good Things DJs bring the positive vibes at this bi-monthly night of party music this Friday at Loop. Veteran DJs Kim Dezen and Jumbo have rocked parties from here to there and into the atmosphere and are regarded as true professionals regarding dancefloor activity. Expect the positive vibes to be delivered in the form of Roy Ayers’ sweet sunshine soul, MJ’s underplayed cuts, golden era hip hop nuggets from the ‘90s vault. Catch Pet Sounds from 10pm, and entry is free.

LIVING ON THE YARRA EDGE

NMIT music students will showcase their talent at the Yarra Edge Music Festival, which runs from Monday 12 to Friday 16 September at NMIT’s Fairfield campus. The festival, now in its fourth year, will feature original music from NMIT students in a series of free events. The highlight of the festival is the Songwriting Competition Final, held on Thursday 15 September. The People’s Choice Award will be decided in an afternoon concert open to the public, where the six finalists will present a selection of original songs. Then in the evening the Music Industry Award will be presented in front of invited industry representatives and NMIT staff at a closed event. The winner will receive a cash prize and access to a recording studio for a day.

A WARD OF MUSIC

Georgina Ward is proud to announce she will be supporting Jeff Martin and Terepai Richmond for an intimate night of music at the Caravan Club Oakleigh this Friday and the Espy’s Gershwin room on Sunday. Ward will be playing exclusive new material from her debut upcoming album. A singer/ entertainer for most of her life, Ward’s music has been played on radio and seen on television and live on stage in performances around Australia with various acts. Now it’s Ward’s turn to show her own artistic impression under her own name, although she still performs with various bands around Melbourne.

IT’S A DJ REVOLUTION

As one of the most well-known and respected DJs across the globe, DJ Revolution has an impressive list of mad skills: he’s exposed quality hip hop on a recognised internationally syndicated hip hop mix show that has helped launch the careers of some of the biggest and brightest, has lent his now infamous scratch techniques and production skills to many artists and released a bunch of notable mixtapes and two critically-acclaimed LPs. He’s played shows all over the world and now he’s coming down under to play a two hour set at Laundry Bar on Friday 9 September. Guests include DJs Flagrant, Syntax, Juddabarz and a few more surprises to be added, and entry is free.

NEW VINYL, OLD BAR

Nikko will be launching their first vinyl release and double A-side single About The Spirit/Smoke Alarms, at Old Bar on Saturday. The release is currently available for purchase as a limited edition 7” (along with two new t-shirts featuring the 7” cover art) from nikko.bandcamp.com. Support comes in the form of On Sierra, Roller One and The Television Sky.

JOURNEY FOR THE CAUSE

Since forming in 2009, For This Cause have released two EPs, played over 100 shows and won fans along the way. Now, with their second EP Journeys behind them they’re heading out on the road for the final time this year. You can catch them on Thursday 6 October at Ruby’s Lounge and an all-ages show on 8 Saturday at an as-yet undisclosed venue.

SOUL FOOD This Sunday sees one of Australia’s finest guitarists take to the boards of the Drunken Poet. Nick Charles has spent years honing his craft the world over, from Edinburgh to Kansas, supporting such luminaries as BB King, Guy Clark and Taj Mahal. Charles is a guitarist best viewed from a few feet away, the deft touch of a virtuoso is a true privilege to watch. This is music with soul. Joining Nick this Sunday will be the Floyd Thursby Trio. Floyd from 4pm, Nick from 6.30.

PONY PUNK

Smash The Disco is back at Pony with a night of hard and fast punk action to party until the break of dawn. At Melbourne’s only monthly punk night, you know exactly what you’re gonna get. This time round don’t miss out on Wot Rot, SPG, Riot Co and Someone Else’s Wedding Band in the early show. And by the time that’s done, you’ll only just be warming up so you can stick around for the late show with Glen & The Peanut Buttermen and Last Call. Smash The Disco will smash a huge hole in Pony this Friday night.

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A WALK IN THE WINTERPARK Following on from the successful single launch of the fi rst focus track The Night Beetle and coinciding art exhibition, Winterpark is warming up for the Sunday Morning album launch this spring. Winterpark is the collaborative studio project for Melbourne’s Matt Ridgway, born out of the ashes of his indie-punk rock dreams. The show is a one-off performance at the Grace Darling on Friday 16 September to celebrate the release of his third album, and will be the fi rst full live performance in over a year, where Winterpark will treat Melbourne fans to a one off gig that showcases the songs from the new album as well as throwing in a few old favourites. Tickets are $9 at the door.

TWO, THREE, FOUR...

Twin Ages, are a four-piece band from Melbourne that blends the likes of rock, grunge, blues and psychedelic madness. Living Skies are a three-piece band featuring two guitars and a violin. The band came together in Canada and relocated to Melbourne. One of the band members is returning to Canada in October, so this Thursday at Yah Yah’s will be one of the few opportunities to catch Living Skies live.

BRITPOP WEEKENDER

Weekender pop-up club number four is this Saturday at Yah Yah’s. Last Weekender rocked the place so get ready because this one will be even bigger. There’s live fun downstairs from 9.45pm with The Per-Sueders. A grab bag of musicians and nutters will mix and match it on stage playing Britpop classics. DJs Steve Wide, Kieran O’Sullivan and Gregory Wright will be bringing it over two floors playing hot tunes all night. Be there or feel the sarcastic wrath of Tyrian Lannister. Doors from 9pm.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YAH YAH’S

Who would’ve thunk it’s been three years since Yah Yah’s first flung open its doors to shenanigans on Smith Street until 5am on weekends. This Sunday will feature Yah Yah’s favourite acts and a couple of supergroups. The Stax Soul Revue will feature the amazing Wolfgramm Sisters as well as a plethora of special guest singers. The Chrome Nips are Yah Yah’s (almost) resident party band featuring Joel Silbersher (Hoss, God) on vocals, Phil Gionfriddo (the Bowers, Dynamo), Mikey Madden (Gruntbucket, Vandas), Gus Agars (the Gin Club, Vandas, Tex Perkins) and Jimmy Sfetsos (Hoss). Gruntbucket will be playing an all-covers set with special guests Adalita, Spencer P Jones, Matt Walker, Andrew McGee, James McCann, Pete Punk, Ben Salter and Lucy Jane. Clinkerfield will also play and frontman Jimmy Stewart will play a solo set. Ben Salter (Gin Club) will also be playing a solo set on the night as well as getting up later on with the supergroups. Two of Yah Yah’s favourite garage bands will be playing as well – the incredible Beat Disease and the Murlocs from Geelong. There will also be a fresh Yah Yah’s cocktail available for $5 all night. All payers before 8pm will get one gratis, just for being punctual to the party. Doors from 5pm, happy hour 5 to 8pm.

PONY LEATHER

A couple of months ago Old Skin played at Pony and they tore the place apart. They’ve asked them back to do it all over again. This time they’re bringing a bunch of mates, so there’s sure to be carnage this Thursday night with the latest instalment of Mixed Lolly Thursdays. Come down and cut sick to Cabin Fever, Old Skin, The Debutant Kid and Sweet Lady Brick. It’s gonna be wild. Doors from 8.30pm.

MUSTANGS AT PONY

Death Valley Mustangs are a warm gun and are releasing their EP Super this Saturday at Pony, featuring seven tracks including the singles Slack Cassidy that was featured on the old radio box and The Devil & You. Bringing you the sweet puff will be Bugdust, horns in the front from Rayon Moon, and some dirty drinking blues from the solo Dan Kirk. Doors from 9pm.

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ATOMIC BLUES

After many happy years of singing in Little Red, and one too many HG Wells novels, baritone Tom Hartney has decided to launch a brand new project Major Tom & The Atoms. Anyone who has seen Little Red live will be familiar with Hartney’s bluesy crooning style, inspired by the great baritones of yesteryear such as Nick Cave, Jim Morrison and John Lee Hooker. Backing him on his new adventure are The Atoms, an explosive live psychedelic blues orchestra, hand-picked for the journey. Major Tom & The Atoms headline the Retreat on Friday 9 September. Admission is free.

BLUE CHERRY In a new adventure for Cherry, they’ll showcase the best local blues acts on a Sunday afternoon (open at 2pm, bands play from 3 to 6.30pm) with resident DJ Maxwell Von Crawdaddy playing the best blues tunes on a lazy Sunday afternoons. Free entry with a BBQ in AC/DC Lane, what’s not to love? They begin with the fi rst Sundays of the remaining cold months, then go weekly into a long hot summer. It kicks off this Sunday with Cold Snap.

CLIMBING

Anthemic pop-rockers Chev Rise will play the Cornish Arms this Saturday night with support from Wolfie & The Batcubs and Master Gunfighters. Bands kick off at 9pm, with DJ Phemix spinning party tunes all night. Entry is free.

FATTI BOOMSTICK

TONER

It’s been a while between drinks but Undercolours are coming back to Pony for their first show in quite a while. Things have been on an upward trajectory for the band in recent months so they’re happy to be bringing their rad tunes back to Pony’s tiny little stage. It’s a late show too, so things will most likely get a little bit naughty. This Sunday morning from 2am.

Galambo is the project of Chilean musician/producer and folk investigator Bryan Phillips. Phillips was a 2006 RBMA participant, and has hosted parties with Argentina‘s infamous ZZK Crew in his native Chile. This dextrous Chilean commands a highly calibrated one-man band of traditional instruments, electronix and plenty of improvisation. Also on the line-up this Saturday at Bar Open is Sydney-based DJ Hezekiah, playing Latin, Balkan, Afro, Asian and Middle Eastern beats. Dancefloor experimentation on the night will be provided by a band that will only exist for one night, Cumbia Club, featuring past, present and future members of the Cumbia Cosmonauts. It kicks off at 10pm and entry is free.

RED HEAD

If Red Leader could describe their music, they’d stop making it. When describing the live show, they say ‘like being stuck in an elevator with Gary Numan, Rihanna and The Strokes’. Frontman Alexander Russo cuts a compelling figure with every brooding vocal and scything synth. He is backed by the streamlined riffs and quiffs of guitarist Hugh Matthews, bassist James Raftopoulos and drummer Xavier O’Malley. Catch them this Thursday at the Workers Club. Doors from 8pm, $15 (includes EP).

GO-GO SOUL

This town’s biggest funk and soul party SoulA-Go-Go are hosting their annual band special, this Saturday at Bella Union. Taking the mantle are The Sweethearts – a neo soul, all-girl fusion band brining much loved old-school sounds to life. Also catch PBS regulars, DJs Vince Peach, Miss Goldie and special guest Mr Rex, all delivering Melbourne’s most prestigious floor stompin’, butt shakin’ party. The Soul-A-Go-Go band special only happens once a year, so make sure you get down super early to secure your spot on the dance floor.

One of Perth’s most out-there and precise experimental rock outfits, TANGLED THOUGHTS OF LEAVING are prepping for the release of their epic debut LP. CAM FINDLAY chats to AARON and LUKE POLLARD. on The Assassination Of Jesse James… and The Hours. “The Jesse James soundtrack was the major influence on Deep Rivers [Run Quiet],” Aaron adds. “We wanted to have something that was a little more concentrated and direct. That really focused our songwriting. That song still has influences from Cult Of Luna and ISIS, especially with the piano and using that influence really gave the song a new dimension.”

FANTASTIC FOX

WORLD FUSION

Indie-folkstress Melody Moon has a home-coming gig at the Wesley Anne on 11 September, as part of the Darebin Music Feast. Her song Out Of The City hit the top ten on the Amrap AirIt charts, and she’s spent much of the year touring the East Coast solo. This show will be a ujohn nique one with friends popping up to play sax, harmonica, vocal bass and glockenspiel along with gate-crashing songwriters bringing that extra edge to the stage.

DEADEN ALIVE

Raquel Solier emerged from boxes of worn VHS tapes and empty milk cartons to become Fatti Frances and in June 2011 released her debut selftitled album to much praise. Joining Frances at the Bendigo Hotel on Saturday 17 September will be Plast Her Ov Paris plus Infinite Void (ex-Diamond Sea) and My Favourite Colour Is Gold (featuring ex-members of Remake Remodel and James Dean Is Dead), who will be making their fabulous debut. It all happens at the newly re-furbished Bendigo Hotel (complete with ass-tearing PA and David Lynch-esque curtains). BYO tap dancing dwarf. Since working with artists such as Bertie Blackman and Kimbra, Zac Abroms has decided to go launch his own label, Viceroyalty, to draw together a family of uniquely talented artists. This will be the first event since his launch and will see newly signed math-rock Penninsula band Le Fox headlining this week’s Released Series at the Workers Club. With a heap of crazy tunes beaming from the decks of DJs Deacon Rose and Punk Drunk Damo (triple J), and all for only $8 entry, tonight’s show will be a cracker.

MOON TUNES

Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving started from humble beginnings in Mandurah, about 70kms from Perth, when leadman and keyboardist Aaron Pollard brought two of his friends, Andrew McDonald (guitar) and James Hoey (drums) into his writing project. Aaron’s brother Luke picked up the bass not long after and the line-up coalesced in 2004. The group have been slowly yet surely releasing tracks, with a number of EPs and a split with Sydney’s Sleepmakeswaves. It was 2008 EP Tiny Fragments that fi rmly established Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving as one of the more experimental heavy bands in Perth. The band have now only just released their debut LP Deaden The Fields, which is an entirely different beast to Tiny Fragments – and to anything the band have done previously. Delays in producing their album came from morphing songs from their original demos and a change in line-up when new drummer Ben Stacy came on board. The young band began pulling inspiration from a wide range of sources. One that was very important to Aaron and Luke in particular was the ever-growing library of contemporary fi lm soundtracks. “One of the most notable ones of late would defi nitely be Clint Mansell,” Aaron says when asked what composers in particular inspired him. “Especially when we were working on Tiny Fragments, Clint Mansell’s work on the fi lm The Fountain was a huge influence on what we were doing then.” Luke goes on to list more, such as Philip Glass on Koyaanisqatsi, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

MONDAY CURRY OF THE DAY $10 TUESDAYS BEEF, CHICKEN OR VEG WRAP $10/$8 WEDNESDAYS PORTERHOUSE STEAK $12

The end product introduces a whole gamut of new styles for the group. Eschewing the sense of convolution and randomness, Aaron re-wrote the songs with a much more rocky and melodic shape. “We made a conscious effort to not have anything that was too blazing metal,” Luke states before Aaron adds, “We also made a conscious effort to have technical changes that weren’t necessarily jarring just for the sake of it. “On Tiny Fragments there’s changes that are there just to scare the fuck out of people [laughs]. We’ve [now] found new ways to join technical parts together and I think that’s just another element we’ve added to our repertoire from being a band for so long.” “We tried to give all the progressions more time to breathe and actually reach their potential,” Luke adds. “Before, we would never give the ideas the credit that they were due. We’d get onto an idea and then go, ‘Right, next thing, next thing, next thing, next thing’. Now it’s...” Aaron takes a swig from his beer, leans towards his brother with a cheeky grin and puts it straight: “Just say it. Say, ‘The album’s a million times better than anything we’ve ever done.’ Go on, say it!”

THURSDAYS FREE POT WITH ANY MAIN MEAL!

WHO: Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving WHAT: Deaden The Fields (Firestarter) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, Progfest at the Espy; Sunday, Brunswick Hotel

Tonight Bar Open bring a fine selection of local producers to nod your head, tap your toes and shake your thing to. Oskar brings the classic pumping sounds of French house and disco together with a tight production aesthetic ready for the listener of today. Ben Houghton from This Thing deftly toes the line between cheeky disco edit throwbacks and pulsating deep grooves. Last but not least, production team Sleep D like it slowed down, funked up and bassy. With a knack for heavy, deep beats these guys are worth keeping an eye on. Doors from 8pm, free entry.

KOJO MOJO

After performing across the country with some of Australia’s most exciting and enigmatic acts, the Kojo Sound System return home to Melbourne for the final chapter of the I Can Tour. This Friday at Bar Open will showcase the soulful sounds of Candice Monique, hot Adelaide talent Neo Pisto and of course the future roots-infused blend of hip hop that is the Kojo Sound System; featuring special guests from the Asanti Dance Theatre. Rock to the beat this Friday from 10pm. Entry is free.

BABY GRACE

Charles Baby’s songs are unique. They are full of a strange kind of poetry and mystery in which you find yourself lost. He’ll be performing songs from his new EP Charles Baby Has Quiet Choruses and more at the Grace Darling this Thursday for what will be an intimate performance. See previews of new material as he prepares to record an album later this year. Support on the night will be from Charlie Lim and Alysia Manceau.

LLOYD’S BREW

With eight albums, countless accolades and 20 years of performing, writing and recording, Lloyd Spiegel has experience and presence well beyond his years and has become one of this country’s leading blues artists and most respected guitarists. New album Tangled Brew is the result of a lifetime spent on the road and balances his raw energy and strong connection to the blues with innovative grooves and instrumentation that re-invents his music and the genre as a whole. He’s won three Victorian Blues Awards, sold out shows across Australia and spent nine months at the top of the Australian Blues/Roots playlist chart. Catch him at the Northcote Social Club with guests this Sunday from 1.30pm. Only $15 on the door.

TAX TIME

Join Tax, Absolute Boys, Repairs and Angel Eyes at the Grace this Friday. It’s a gig from which legend may be etched in stone tablets or it may just end up as a forgotten blurb within the cyber vortex. One thing’s for sure, it will comprise of Viking beats, classic power riffs, danceable vibes, good and bad technique, dark alley keyboard clashes, and retrospective doomsday sci-fi. Be your best and be there. Doors from 9pm, $8.

WORD UP Melbourne-based hip hop promoters WordsSmiths Presents are back with an explosive new line-up including renowned Brisbane-based electro/hip hop duo Morgan Mcmanus & Omega Child at the Prague on Friday 7 October. Joining them on the night will be Bastian, Kryptic, Grinny, woFace and Los Theory, with DJ sets from DJ Relik and hosted by Ad-Wan. Good tunes, good rhymes and good times. Tickets $12, doors 8pm.

THURSDAY 1ST

GOLD GULL

WITH FOX'S WEDDING AND MARTY NELSON-WILLAIMS TRIO

FRIDAY 2ND

STEP INTO MY OFFICE BABY DJ'S

WITH ANDY MCCLELLAND, NATHAN JONES AND MISS MODETT

FRIDAYS CHICKEN SNITZ, CHIPS & GRAVY $10

SATURDAY 3RD

SATURDAYS FISH N' CHIPS $8

WEDNESDAY 7TH

GRAFT VS HOST

WITH KILL THE MATADOR, CAVALCADE AND MORE

MODAY 5TH

“DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN” - MUSIC, FILM AND POP CULTURE TRIVIA

DR WATSONS COMEDY SOUL LOUNGE THURSDAY 8TH

PLAYWRITE

WITH UNDERCOLOURS AND POURPARLOUR

DEEP BEATS

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SEP THURS 22ND - SAVING CLEOPATRA, JORDAN CLAREY + GUESTS SEP FRI 23RD - DEAD RIVER DEEPS + SPECIAL GUESTS OCT 7TH - HELL CITY GLAMOURS, ROCK CITY RIFF RAFF, MY DYNAMITE + GUEST OCT 15TH - BETH KING & THE HEMINGWAY COLLECTIVE RECORD LAUNCH WITH CHARLES BABY AND PLEASING ANNA

live@inpress.com.au

WAKE THE

DEAD

Hardcore and punk with SARAH PETCHELL I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Queensland’s Deceiver had signed with Sydney hardcore label Dogfight for the release of their debut album. Well now that I have all of the details of that debut I can give them to you. The self-titled album will be released Friday 14 October, and is ten tracks of heavy hardcore that combines breakdowns that will have moshpits moving, with fast and melodic choruses that will infect anyone that listens to them. Add to this guest vocals from Vincent Bennett (The Acacia Strain) and Bruce LePage (ex-100 Demons) and the result is an album that will have metalcore fans stoked. You should also keep an eye out for them hitting Melbourne very, very soon. While we’re on the topic of new music and new album releases, all the details for the new La Dispute record were announced last week, and to top it off they have included a new track. So the album, the band’s second full-length, is going to be called Wildfire and will see release on 4 October through No Sleep Records. If you read the long description of what the album will be like on the band’s website, you can expect it to be “more heavy and more soft, more fast and more slow, more complicated and more straight-forward”. It is the result of more than a year-and-a-half’s songwriting. If first track Harder Harmonies is anything to go by, then this is seriously going to end up being one of the albums of 2011. Perth’s Break Even have posted a video for their recently released track Hells Gates and man, it’s good! It was filmed by Ashley Walton and produced by Sal Scuito, and these two have done such a good job. Part live performance, part in-studio video, part tour diary, I think the thing that I like the most about it is how it really encapsulates the spirit of the band. Just dudes doing what they love. The other cool

DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH All things under 18 with KENDAL COOMBS

thing is that the footage is mostly taken from the band’s recent tour with Rise Against and Sick Of It All. If you jump onto any of the Australian music news sites (No Heroes included) you should be able to easily find the video there.

ROOTS

While we’re on the topic of new videos, Terror have premiered their new video for the track You’re Caught, and it’s pretty funny! Well, it is if you think seeing the band members go on a murderous rampage after being disrespected by shitty kids is funny (which I do – Scott Vogel as a janitor is also a little funny). It’s fun and it’s not really a generic hardcore video (there’s not a live performance in sight), and will be included on a DVD (titled Defending The Faith), which is being released as part of a CD/DVD reissue of Keepers Of The Faith this November. You can check out the video at bloody-disgusting.com

Blues ’n’ roots with DAN CONDON rootsdown@inpress.com.au

Ordinarily, I don’t pay much attention to what typically are indie-music festivals, and now I’m kicking myself because the legendary Keith Morris is heading to Australia with his new project OFF! this December to play the Meredith Music Festival. If you don’t know who OFF! are, here’s a quick rundown: they’re a hardcore/ punk band formed in late 2009 with Circle Jerks/ Black Flag singer Keith Morris, Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides), Steven Shane McDonald (Redd Kross) on bass and Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket From The Crypt/Hot Snakes) on drums. So this really is a band made of punk rock royalty! Check out their First Four EPs album if you need any extra incentive to get psyched. So the festival runs from 9-11 December, but here’s me with my fingers crossed hoping that somewhere in there, there are some sideshows! Finally, Totally Unicorn have announced yet another tour (these guys really do get around). This one is a bit of a quickie – a four-date tour from Sydney to Adelaide – but they’re playing with some excellent bands. Called the Backdoors & Blowouts tour, you can check them out on Friday 23 September at the Gasometer with the always amazing Robotosaurus (SA), those purveyors of Star Wars-themed noise in Bowcaster, Lazerface and Only Sleeping.

TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY)

You Me At Six and We The Kings play the Hi-Fi from 4pm in a special underage show for those aged 14-17 only. Tickets are $50.60+BF through the Hi-Fi box office and Moshtix outlets.

FRIDAY

Melbourne has produced the best high school band in the country for the third year in a row with Rudolf Steiner School indie popsters Snakadaktal taking out the coveted Triple J Unearthed High crown. The five-piece will be flown up to Sydney to have their winning track professionally recorded and will open a concert at their school headlined by none other than The Living End. Now it just remains to be seen whether the group will stick with Snakadaktal as their name or change it to something else. Howl, Victoria’s first champion of Unearthed High, changed their name to Hunting Grounds after winning due to a Canadian band by the same name appearing on the FIFA World Cup soundtrack, while 2010 winners from Bendigo Iotah changed their name to Stonefield to avoid a clash with ARIA-nominated singer/actor Iota. You can check out the music of Snakadaktal now at triplejunearthed.com/snakadaktal. Keep an eye out for these guys (and girl) in the future. Speaking of all things Unearthed, Triple J are going the way of digital television in light of the introduction of digital radio and launching a second station. Triple J Unearthed will feature 100% unsigned, up-and-coming Australian artists 24 hours, seven days a week. If you fancy yourself getting radio play then upload your music on to Triple J’s Unearthed website and wait to be discovered. On Wednesday 5 October you will be able to hear the station on digital radio in all capital cities, and on your computer everywhere else, from the Unearthed website. Do you fancy yourself as a reviewer but don’t think you quite have the skills to go through with it? Well then, SYN FM were thinking of you when they were pitching their latest workshop to Signal. Happening next Wednesday 7 September from 5.30pm, a host of reviewers from Mess + Noise, RRR and The Age will be giving you the inside scoop on how to be a top notch reviewer. You must be aged between 12 and 25 to attend with tickets only $10. Email training@syn.org.au to book your place.

The Hume FReeZA Push Start heats continue with My Best Friend BOOM! headlining plus competing bands Red Vendetta, Inertia, The Band King, Jay Sea and more at the MacIntosh Centre, Shepparton Showgrounds from 6pm. Tickets are $5 on the door. The southern metropolitan FReeZA Push Start competition has moved on to its first final, the Bayside final, with Trial Kennedy headlining over finalists Defective Trigger, After Dark, Blackpool Road, Diprosus, Doctor Datum and The Good Kept Quiet at the Brighton Town Hall from 6.30pm. Tickets are $15 on the door. The Big Underage Gig featuring DJ Brad E is happening at the Whyndam Vale Community Learning Centre from 7.30pm. Tickets are $5 on the door.

SATURDAY

Stonefield will be stopping in at the Karova Lounge in Ballarat for an all-ages show supported by The Mimes, The Grim Fandangos and The Fury. Doors open at 2pm, tickets are $15+BF through New Generation and Oztix. While The City Sleeps, Summerset Avenue and Almaria play Fist2Face in Ringwood free from 2pm. Snakadaktal

DOWN

Well I certainly didn’t see this coming, though it seems a few devotees of the Great Southern Blues Festival had feared what was confirmed to us midlast week, that the festival would be cancelled. The reasoning is pretty simple – they didn’t sell enough tickets, but now people are looking deeper into exactly why that is. Some are suggesting that the new Batemans Bay venue simply isn’t the same as its old Narooma stomping ground; some are suggesting that the inclusion of mainstream, pop-leaning acts such as John Butler Trio, Pete Murray and Kasey Chambers has taken the festival too far away from its roots; and, of course, hard economic times are the reason being thrown around by just about everyone else. It doesn’t matter why the festival has been canned, it sucks, and let’s hope, for the good of this musical community, that it is back better than ever (hey, it doesn’t necessarily have to be bigger) in 2012. If you had a ticket, your credit card will be refunded, if it hasn’t been already. He’s been around for 50 years, has put out 30 records, has won a Grammy, been nominated for a bunch more and is one of the most critically acclaimed bluesmen of our time and John Hammond Jr is returning to Australia. His brand of blues is unique – he doesn’t try to be anyone but himself but he’s always changing things up, releasing an entire record of Tom Waits compositions, featuring backing vocals, guitar and production work from Tom Waits himself (2001’s Wicked Grin), enlisting G Love to produce a record (2007’s Push Comes To Shove), all the way back to his early years where he would perform classic blues songs and introduce a whole new audience to this music they may never have heard before. Some people – such as Dr John – credit him with keeping these old blues songs alive. Back in the day he was mates with the likes of Bob Dylan and Tim

THE

RACKET Metal, heavy rock and dark alternative with ANDREW HAUG According to TMZ.com former Queens of The Stone Age/Kyuss bassist Nick Oliveri has been charged with four felonies and faces up to 15 years in prison stemming from his arrest last month in Hollywood after a five-hour standoff with police. Steel Panther will release their new album, Balls Out, on 18 October. UK progressive metallers Tessaract have announced the addition of vocalist Elliot Coleman to the group’s ranks. Bassist Amos Williams said, “We’re very excited about working with Elliot as we feel he has a great talent and personality, as well as, and most importantly, a voice that transcends the norm and continues the Tesseract tradition of taking things to the next level.” Commented Coleman: “I’m very much excited to be a part of the juggernaut that is Tesseract. I know I have big shoes to fill, as Dan [Tompkins] is a fantastic vocalist, but I’m confident that we’ll be producing some great new music in the coming year and I’ll be adding some new flavours to this ever-evolving machine.” Charred Walls Of The Damned, the project led by acclaimed metal drummer Richard Christy (Death), have set Cold Winds On Timeless Days as the title of their second CD, due 11 October via Metal Blade Records. Christy states, “It’s 12 songs of crushing heavy metal and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it. I’m very proud of this album – everyone worked so hard on it and when you listen to it, it definitely shows.” The writing process for Cold Winds On Timeless Days actually began while the band were mixing their 2010 debut. With 12 songs clocking in at 58 minutes, fans are getting a lot more music this time around. Recording 12 songs in a short amount of time is no easy feat, but one that was accomplished because of the stellar talents in the band.

Hardin and while he never achieved the same degree of commercial success as his peers there are few artists who have managed to release such a consistently high standard of output for so long. He is still going as strong as ever and is heading back with his acoustic guitar, harmonica and that half-sweet, half-gravelly voice of his to treat us to another round of captivating shows this November. It’s his first tour out here since the release of his awesome Grammy-nominated record Rough And Tough, and you can catch him at the Corner Thursday 10 November, Way Out West in Williamstown Friday 11 November, Meeniyan Hall Saturday 12 November and Harmony Row Vineyard, Kyneton Sunday 13 November. It’s staggering to think that Lloyd Spiegel and Arunachala have played more than 220 gigs together over the past 18 months across Australia, but it is so. The duo have decided it is time to call it quits, however, and this weekend they will play their final ever Melbourne show as something of a send-off that we’re sure will be quite special. They released a great album in Tangled Blue last year and there is no doubt they will take a hell of a lot of great memories from their time together, god knows they’ve made some pretty special music. So make sure you’re there when it all finishes up with a bang – they play the Northcote Social Club with support from Shaun Kirk on Sunday afternoon from 1pm. Entry is $15. This year’s Victoria/Tasmania Blues Music Awards, as presented by the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society, were handed out last weekend and as per usual there were some well-deserving winners throughout. Ian Collard really cleaned up this year, picking up the Best Male Artist award, while Collard, Greens & Gravy won Best Band, Best Song and Best Album. Phil Manning scored himself a couple of gongs too, winning both the Duo/Solo award and Best Producer, as did Heather Stewart who won Best Female Artist and Best Debut Album. The Allan Stafford Award, which is awarded for services to the blues music industry, was presented to Rob Rowe from Way Out West Roots Music Club.

used to track this utterly ambitious CD, with Jacob Hansen adding his magic touch to the mix at Hansen studios in Ribe, Denmark. Twelve songs were recorded during the sessions, and the music itself is based on a deep and emotional story, picking up where the band’s second album Holy War left off nine years ago. Commented guitarist Olof Mörck: “ To make a neoclassical album filled with overly bombastic clichés of steel-clad warriors was out of the question – instead we explored the themes and sounds around various fantasy movies, new and old, and also countless computer RPG soundtracks to infuse the musical aspect with a genuine fantasy feel, and as previously stated, heaps and stacks of tomes on every mythological tale from Gilgamesh to the Aeneid provided a genuine and credible backdrop to the story. The album is genuinely a concept album in every aspect, and we will collaborate with some truly gifted artists who are experts in this genre to bring our world to life visually. Prepare yourself to be engulfed in a world of enchanting fantasy and songs of swirling magic later this year!”

LOCAL GIG GUIDE

Eyefear, Taberah – Friday, Central Club Hotel

TOURS, TOURS, TOURS

Suicide Silence – Sunday 11 September, Billboard (under-18 arvo and 18+ night) Children Of Bodom – Thursday 10 November, Palace Andrew Haug hosts Triple J’s The Racket every Tuesday from 10pm – triplej.abc.net. au/racket. Email theracket@inpress.com.au Tesseract

Swedish symphonic power metallers Dragonland have completed work on their fifth album for a late-2011 release via Germany’s AFM Records. Several different studios were

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OG FLAVAS Urban news with CYCLONE She wasn’t a street martyr like Tupac Shakur or a member of the creepy 27 Club. Aaliyah Haughton was among the ‘90s’ most innovative – and adored – urban artists. Last Thursday was the tenth anniversary of her death. She’d been returning to the US from a video shoot in the Bahamas when the crew’s plane crashed. Haughton was 22. Yet there’s been pathetically little media coverage of the date even Stateside, with only BET screening Aaliyah: One In A Million. Other tributes can be found on YouTube or in clubs, including Sydney’s Red Room. Australian R&B divette Prinnie Stevens has put together a special for her Hot Girlz radio show (keepup.com.au). “Aaliyah’s smooth, understated, but tasteful vocals and lush vocal arrangements have definitely influenced me as an artist,” she tells OG Flavas. “Her ability to be sexy but classy at the same time made her one of my favourites of all time.” Stevens covered Haughton’s Try Again on the Made In The ‘90s tour. Haughton, Brooklyn-born and Detroit-bred, introduced her quiet storm vocals on the New Jill Swing anthem Back And Forth, which Nellee Hooper subsequently sampled for Madonna’s Inside Of Me. The teen had hooked up with R Kelly for her 1994 debut, Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number, also featuring a slick remake of the Isleys’ At Your Best (You Are Love). Kelly, rising 30, allegedly eloped with the underage Haughton, Vibe publishing a marriage certificate that stated her age as 18. The clandestine marriage was annulled and Haughton never worked with him again. The budding song stylist indicated her willingness to experiment with 1996’s One In A Million. She’d virtually abandon (Kelly’s) swingbeat, hiring the relatively unknown studio team of Timbaland and Missy Elliott. Timbaland layered Haughton’s voice over his revolutionary triple beats – closer to UK jungle than mainstream urban. Indeed, Haughton became Timbaland’s muse, helping him to reshape R&B. Songs such as If Your Girl Only Knew still sound

BUSINESS MUSIC Investing in club music with PAZ BUBBLES Who writes albums in dedication of their decrepit dog? LOL Boys, that’s who. Who names their dog Bubbles? Jerome from LOL Boys, that’s who. This is nine tracks of juke, bubblin’ bass and wonk. It’s the type of stuff that blinded and killed poor Bubbles. It is a free release on the Cocobass label. It has its moments. The artwork makes it disturbing. If I were to dedicate an album to my pet dog, I would have called it Trap Bass Terrier. These guys are seriously intoxicated. RIDDEM/MEDLEY WATCH Julien’s promo continues to deliver. Favourite so far is the Soca Ska Riddim with Super Jigga TC and Shal Marshall on the vox. Back to that 120bpm and vibing on ska. The Billboard Riddem dancehall package has huge synth drive and 15-odd artists toasting. Something to scare off Hurricane Tomas. Soul Jazz Records compiles great packages of niche sound. Invasion Of The Mysteron Killer Sounds – Vol 1 and 2 is the recent addition. Compiled by Soul Jazz and Kevin ‘The Bug’ Martin, it’s best purchased if you are into bashment instrumental madness. Surmises 30odd years of dutty grinding. Features diversity from Sly Dunbar to South Rakkas Crew. All nasty for the dancefloor. More than 30 tracks and a Paolo Parisi-illustrated comic to get you interested in retail physicality. Crossfaded Bacon’s EMYND has teamed with Kenny Meez to blend some Motown a cappellas (that have been leaked the world over) with legendary roots and dancehall riddems. Discovered while downloading the Crossfaded Bacon first and 15th Mixcast, which is exclusively dancehall. Both are available at Crossfaded’s site. Wedding medleys are unusual for this column but Buraka Som Sistema led us to a bunch of line dances that happen to Kuduro riddems at a Portuguese wedding. Not sure nan would be Kuduro sliding.

x50

avant. The new Princess Of Techno Soul presented a third – and eponymous – LP the month before her passing, the lead single Timbaland’s We Need A Resolution. Aaliyah had metal as well as techno overtones.

THE CALLING LUKE MCKINNON goes with the flow

Between albums, Haughton pursued acting roles, appearing opposite Jet Li in Romeo Must Die – she contributed the US number one Try Again to its soundtrack. Haughton next portrayed the vampire Akasha in an adaptation of Anne Rice’s Queen Of The Damned. It was filmed in Melbourne (Matthew Newton had a part!) – and some of Aaliyah was recorded locally. Haughton developed into a fashion icon, shedding her b-girl attire for an ever more sophisticated and seductive look. The “shy” soulstress maintained her dignified mystique in interviews. She never discussed the Kelly scandal. At the time of her death, Haughton was dating Roc-A-Fella’s Damon Dash.

360 will hit the road for an intensive spring tour from mid-October right on through to mid-November. When Falling & Flying lands on 30 September, it’ll be the culmination of a productive studio streak for this Melbourne MC. The album takes in the full sweep of styles from dancehall to straight-up hip hop, with the in-demand Styalz Fuego in the producer’s chair.

Today Haughton’s influence extends beyond urban. The post-dubstep James Blake sampled Are You That Somebody? for CMYK. Aaliyah fan Beth Ditto covered the same song with Gossip. Credible ‘nu-Aaliyahs’ are few. Beyoncé Knowles has never taken comparable creative risks, not even on 4.

Funkoars are back and are set to unleash their highly anticipated fourth album The Quickening on 16 September through Golden Era Records. Fresh off the back of releasing their thumping first single Where I Am, Funkoars have announced The Quickening album launch tour, which will see them travelling extensively throughout the country from September through November. The Quickening features guest performances from Hilltop Hoods, Vents, Ad-Fu, K21 with production from Large Professor, Dazastah, Simplex and Debate.

Haughton’s posthumous outings have been limited. Two tasteful collections have surfaced, the first 2002’s I Care 4 U, a ‘greatest hits’ with the previously unheard pastoral ballad Miss You. Three years on, the lavish Ultimate Aaliyah materialised in the UK (and here), but not in the US. A compilation encompassing Haughton’s best collaborations (cue: Nas’ ace You Won’t See Me Tonight) and Journey To The Past from the Anastasia soundtrack, the song Haughton performed at the Oscars, would be welcomed. Presumably, Haughton’s family is ensuring her legacy isn’t exploited – since other unreleased songs do exist. Amid much speculation about Amy Winehouse’s third album, NME’s Dan Martin has questioned the way the legacies of acts such as Michael Jackson are being handled: “History shows us that a posthumous release done cheaply, artlessly or opportunistically is a lot worse than no release at all.” True. But, surely, it’s wrong that, even in the US, Haughton’s landmark One... is out of print.

Creative talent Phatchance is back with a cracking remix of Gotye’s newly released Somebody That I Used To Know featuring Kimbra. With help from producer One Above, Phatchance flips Gotye in to a smooth hip hop track while paying homage in the same breath.

Mat Cant’s Fantasy Mixtape (for Acclaim Magazine) is dutty. I chatted with Cant about teaming up with legendary zine Acclaim to present their favourites with Cant’s upfront sounds, the project title: Fantasy. A lot of elements to compromise the project, but it works. It taps all things nu-urban (ha ha I dubbed it that). Think The Weeknd, Kanye, Frank Ocean and Kingdom. This partnership has legs and so has nu-urban. Physical copies out soon, for now hit the site. Been busting them to merch the artwork. D/L some Bmore/Philly club for some reason. Decided to reignite the passion with the Murder Mark – Ayo Vol 2 mix. They are all still fascinated with the ‘bed springs break’ first heard on the DJ Sega mixes. Not sure who invented that. It is now the signature for Philly Club Balled Remix, like R Kelly reinterpreted for a bass-bin but not ignoring the bump’n’grind. Still on that club vibe is the Vicki Leekx mixtape. I completely slept on this one. It’s MIA’s pre-album mixtape to promote the eminent release (which has all “happened”). Why is no one in Australia doing mixtapes like this? I keep getting told 360 does it. True? EXTRA DUTTY The Very Best remix comp with Wilfire!, Douster and holding it down is UK’s Wookie who is not related to Chewbacca, but is a grime dub-plate pioneer. Schlachthofbronx’s new EP, Mudders, is comparable with the above-mentioned LOL Boys. Always mashing niche sounds together. The OG track Mudders is Socatech with big sirens and Euro synths. Throwback dutty goes to 4hero and the track Hold It Down. Found it in FLAC somewhere and the broken beat hasn’t dated. Made for London squat parties in dark basements as the night ends.

Über producer No ID has announced that he has taken a position as executive vice president of Def Jam Recordings. The Chicago native broke the news to Billboard.biz. “I’m [now] executive VP of Def Jam,” he said. “I’m going to keep on doing what I’m doing and take it to another level. Def Jam is a cultural staple. It’s not just a label, its part of the culture that I came up in and that I’ve been involved with for 20 years. It’s very important that the next generation of executives grab it by the horns and keep it on track as it grows.” Speaking of Chicago and NO ID, Common is currently at work with the producer for his upcoming Warner Bros Records debut, The Dreamer, The Believer, due 22 November. In preparation for the album’s release, Common has been discussing how the LP is taking shape and said that he and No ID are crafting “positive hip hop.” “It’s going to be positive hip hop. Hip hop that can really generate good spirit, the spirit of the music and just good energy,” Common continued. Finally, Kanye West and Jay Z’s Watch The Throne has officially reached gold status in the US. In only its second week, the record has become one of the few hip hop releases this year to achieve gold certification for moving more than 500,000 units. The album, which holds court at the top of the Billboard 200 for the second consecutive week, sold an additional 177,000 copies, upping its overall sales total to 613,000 albums sold since its release. This also marks the first week that both digital and physical editions of the LP were available for the entirety of the sales period. 360

Houston, Texas’ Mayor Annise Parker declared Tuesday 30 August as ‘Bun B Day’. During a public ceremony taking place at Houston’s City Hall, the 38-year-old was honoured with his own day for his contributions to both hip hop and the local community. Bun, whose real name is Bernard Freeman, rose to prominence as one half of UGK alongside Pimp C. He most recently

THE BREAKDOWN

MIXES

The Bubbles EP

For his album tour, 360 is bringing his newly formed three-piece band, with Grey Ghost warming the stage at most venues. With a formidable following behind him, you can expect each of these shows to be bustling. Listen to 360’s latest single Killer below, then scroll down to see when the tour is rolling into your town.

released his third solo album, Trill OG, last year.

Pop culture therapy with ADAM CURLEY I had my pants around my ankles, midway through getting changed, when a bloke in DTs came in and started talking to another bloke, older, who was fully dressed and on his way out of the pool change room. They were discussing football, not far from me, loudly enough for everyone to hear. The first part I missed because I was too busy thinking about how oddly disconcerting it is to be pants-less in a room with someone making conversation, the way it’s also disconcerting to have a conversation at a urinal. Many male and female writers have pondered that gender difference – women-in-bathrooms talk versus men-in-bathrooms silence – but the simple fact is that women don’t have their bits out while they’re talking. It just isn’t right. Meanwhile, if women knew that what men mostly talk about in bathrooms and change rooms, when they do in fact talk, is sports, they’d probably stop pondering it all together. I caught up when one of the men started talking about a footballer who was in trouble for abusing the crowd or picking a fight with someone or smoking crack while beating up defenceless children. Something like that. He was saying that the footballer was clearly in the wrong but that all the attention the incident had attracted was, really, a positive. “It’s good for the game,” he said. “It gets people watching.” The idea that all publicity is good publicity, of course, comes from the entertainment industry; that the media exposure caused by some actor being caught cheating on her or his spouse or smoking crack while beating up defenceless child actors is, in the end, good for that actor’s career. Whatever keeps them in the papers. And, in some circles, that thinking keeps actors and sportspeople behaving badly, trying to draw a reaction like a kid chucking a tantie. The same has been true of music in the past. ‘Rockstars’ and ‘popstars’ behaving badly has landed them publicity and furthered careers. Indeed, in the heyday of NME, it was the way things worked, and it was

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thought largely to be “good for the game”. It got people listening and watching. There’s been a rapid shift in the way music – and especially Australian music – is promoted and written about in this country over the last few years, however. No longer relegated to paid-for magazines and daily supplements, most music news is now broken by blogs and, increasingly, e-newsletters. There’s a million of them. I know because I’ve subscribed to most of them and receive at least three a day: newsletters updating me on the latest releases, tour news, which tours have been canned, which promoter is saying what, who’s working with whom, etc, etc. Street Press Australia, which publishes this column, has its own e-newsletter, Your Daily SPA, as does Mess + Noise, The AU Review, Who The Hell?, Tone Deaf, J Mag (called Jmail), The Music Network, culture publications such as Broadsheet and The Thousands and many label-associated sites, including EMI’s The In Sound From Way Out blog. It’s now a highly competitive sector of the music industry, with publishers vying for exclusives, to be the first to break a piece of news or stream a song. When something big happens, I’m guaranteed to have no less than five newsletters telling me about it within the hour. It can be exhausting, but it’s also an excellent advancement on the way Australian music is talked about: many of the sources, being music-focused publishers rather than news publishers with music arms or magazines attempting to lure our gazes in a newsagency, report on local acts and acts who wouldn’t traditionally have received much attention with as much weight as internationals. They generate excitement about local music, about venues and labels, and as a result are helping to create networks, to nurture talent, to lead listeners to music we might like that may not have a huge promotional push behind it. That’s not always true, of course. Occasionally it will be obvious when a newsletter is attempting to create a stir to get more clicks and subscribers, and hopefully a competitive market won’t lead publishers to go further down that path. Because I think we all know that, when it comes to music, bad and gossipy press and the people it’s about are rarely good for the game, and because when I have my pants down, no one should be talking.

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REAL WORLD MUSIC CRASS, QUEER, AWESOME

FANTINE is releasing her second single and embarking on her first national tour, but her music has already taken her to Cuba, London and New Zealand. She chats with CHRIS FAMILTON. different acts. Being diverse leaves me open to the possibility of working with a whole range of people, whether it be pop, soul, electro.”

Crass! is a new queer alternative happening at the Bendigo Hotel that sinks its mitts into Melbourne’s soggy parts on the fi rst Friday of every month. Favouring dancefloor dramatics, wardrobe malfunctions and embracing the theory that you haven’t had a good time until you’ve lost a shoe, Crass serves up a balanced diet of DJs and a live band every month. This time around, the live band is cold wave German electro slappers Ana Nicole. DJ duties will be performed by DJ Sveta – a Russian Sydneysider in whose capable hands Amanda Palmer herself put the remix of her latest single – and DJ Commission Flats of Pony/ Grouse/Revolver infamy. Those deets again? This Friday, Bendigo Hotel, $10 entry and 9pm doors, with drink specials all night.

Her natural predilection for travel and new experiences led her to visit London this year to test the waters and to work on her new single Perfect Strangers with a highlyregarded indie producer who has worked with Damon Albarn for the last 20 years. “That was a little bit exciting as I’m a big Gorillaz fan and especially the earlier stuff that he was involved with, so I had the double whammy of not just working with Jason Cox but also working in Damon Albarn’s studio,” Fantine enthuses. “I’d written the song with different people during my previous trip to the UK and it had a different arrangement, but Jason has gone and re-arranged it and it is sounding really good. Perfect Strangers splits the difference between the fi rst two singles.”

GLORIOUS SURRENDER

Not content to work with the cream of UK producers, she has also cast her net towards the shores of Cuba to try and create a new angle on her songs; songs that have been created in collaboration with a number of musicians including an Australian teen prodigy.

The Glorious launch a double A-side single from their debut album Surrender To The Change at the Grace Darling on Sunday from 6.30pm. Taking their cues and inspiration from classic acts such as Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Pink Floyd, the band are purveyors of exquisite melody and expertly crafted songs, and quietly radiate an authenticity that can’t be faked. Support from Paul Ruske and Format Wars.

DRUM FRENZY

Yffer are a trio from Melbourne, making music that pivots around softly sung, meandering vocals, with layered, woven guitars and a recent addition of drums deviating between quiet, driving repetitiveness and moments of restrained frenzy at climax. They will be joined tonight at the Edinburgh Castle by Nick Huggins from 7pm for free in the front bar.

ROYAL JELLY

Sarah & The King Bees’ laid back melodic rhythms create a refreshing, good-feeling musical journey. With influences ranging from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers to Taylor Swift, the down-toearth attitudes of the group allow for a unique pop/acoustic mix and warm charisma not easily found in such young players. They are pure music. Catch them every Friday evening in September at the Edinburgh Castle front bar from 6pm.

MORE MADNESS

Monday Night Mass sees the bandroom door thrown open at the Northcote Social Club for a free threeband extravaganza from the deepest caverns of Melbourne’s underground. Every week they bring you some of Melbourne’s loudest, brashest and most brazen local offerings. From 6pm smash a Chicken or Eggplant Parma for the bargain price of $15 and Jugs all night for $12. Come and hear why the Social Club bandroom is regarded as one of the best sounding rooms in town and have your face melted by some of Melbourne’s finest. Bands start from 8.30pm, kitchen open till 9.30pm with free pool, heated deck and smoking area ‘til close. This week features The Bonniwells, Bad Aches and Sundogs.

NO MACHINES

Performing regularly around Melbourne, singer/ songwriter Anna Paddick’s released debut EP No Machine in February 2009, and the singer’s style has been compared to Etta James and George Harrison. Joining Anna at the Northcote Social Club this Tuesday will be Oh Pep!, Return To Youth and more. Tickets $10 on the door.

SEE THE FUTURE

This Friday and Saturday at Red Bennies, the year is 2040, the Age of Man is over and the Machines are here. In Metropolis 2040, featuring the brand new film from the people that brought you the Gorelesque Sequences (Nominated for Best Short Film and Best Short Film Director at Bloodfest Fantastique Festival) and the spectacular light show finale that has to be seen to be believed, the formidable Ultraviolet Warriors will discover that they’re really human after all. Tickets are $20 with doors from 7pm and show at 8.30pm.

At a fleeting glance, one might think Fantine Pritoula is just another R&B-flavoured pop act, but listen to her singles closely and, better yet, experience her live and you’ll understand the range and maturity she already possesses. Born to a Russian father and Dominican mother in Moscow, she was raised in both those countries before settling in Perth. That cultural diversity in her upbringing no doubt influenced her similarly eclectic approach to songwriting. Her fi rst single Rubberoom was an upbeat pop song while the new single Eleven is a much darker electro-soul track, still fi rmly rooted in pop melodies. Live, she plays with a full band who comfortably play anything from funk to indie styles making it tricky to tie Fantine down to any one genre. “I don’t think I’m part of any scene at the moment, but I don’t feel isolated in any way,” she tells. “I still get to play and support

SUNDAY BEST

Red Bennies have decided an end-of-weekend burlesque injection is just what the world needs right now, and have the girl show to prove it. So hustle on down to their little oasis on Chapel for a naughty early night snack before bed time this Sunday featuring Viola Vixen, Lux St Sin and Hooney B Goode. Doors from 7pm, show from 8pm.

SOUTH SIDE STORY

Since launching in early 2010 the South Side Show has quickly become Melbourne’s undisputed weekly home of vaudeville, circus and cabaret. Onstage, on the dance floor or hanging from the ceiling, every Saturday night this lush Art Decoinspired venue comes to life with the crème de la crème of local and international guest performers, alongside a rambunctious crowd comprised of circus kids, carney folk and vaudevillians. Saturdays at Red Bennies from 10pm.

FLY BABY

Squeaker hit Victoria in September for a bunch of shows on the back of their second EP release Fly Baby Fly. The release is out now on iTunes and will be available at all live shows in deluxe digipak format. The new EP has already earnt them a

“I went to Cuba in July to have talks with a Cuban producer over there, who worked with the original members of the Buena Vista Social Club, to see if he could work on some Latin mixes of my songs. I’m trying to see what things are out there and I’m keeping my options open to working with people of all different styles. But at the same time I’m mindful that people don’t want too many different styles and I need to keep some kind of unified sound that reaches different areas. On the writing tour that I did last year I wrote with Ben Lee, who is traditionally a pop writer but we wrote music that is completely different to stuff you’d expect Ben Lee to write. It’s good to be able to get out there and see what people are doing. It’s good to not pigeonhole people and see what they come up with and most of the time you are pleasantly surprised.”

WHO: Fantine WHAT: Eleven (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, Evelyn

HAND CRAFTED Nigel Wearne returns to the Retreat Hotel this Friday with his compelling blend of alt. country and folk. Equipped with personally handcrafted guitars, his music melds fingerstyle guitar, slide dobro, country twang and honest storytelling. Wearne tells stories of mischievous bank robbers, wandering poets, failed dreams and his love of eggs. Catch him play at the Retreat Hotel this Friday from 7pm, free in the front bar. Wearne also performs at the Sporting Club Hotel every Sunday in September from 4pm.

PYJAMA KINGS

After a break from touring to work on their latest release Simple Things, Nathan Cavaleri’s band, Nat Col & The Kings are taking off on another journey to dominate the East Coast. Nat Col & The Kings packed their bags and embarked on an adventure to conceive their latest musical creation. They headed for an Australian landmark in the music world – The Grove, originally owned by INXS’s Gary Beer. For Nat Col & The Kings it was somewhat of a retreat, as they ate, drank, slept and most importantly they played music (most of which was done in their pyjamas). You can catch them at the Torrumbarry Hotel on Friday 23 September, the Toff on Saturday 24 and Nighthawk Blues (Mentone) on Sunday 25.

RIDING SHOTGUN

With their regular drummer Kjirsten Robb overseas for the first half of 2011, The Hired Guns swung in Clare Moore (Dave Graney) to sit in for their regular shows about Melbourne. As expected, Moore was a revelation, and the band loved having her on board. Now with Kjirsten back in town, the idea sprung up of a show where both KJ and Moore hit the skins, on their own and at the same time. A date was finally found, and it’s all happening on Saturday 24 September at the Retreat Hotel. Support comes from James McCann & The Vindictives.

WILD HORSES

Some have said that Saturday night’s alright for fighting, we put it to you that it is better for good company and great music. Multiple ARIA nominee, and two-time winner, Monique Brumby this Saturday eve hits the Drunken Poet to showcase songs both old and new. With 15 years of experience on the road and in the studio, Monique is a songwriter completely comfortable in her art. You provide the company, Monique will provide the great tunes. From 9pm this Saturday.

sold-out launch in their home town of Adelaide and the current number-one spot on South Australia’s Reverb Nation Chart. See what the fuss is about on Friday 9 September at the Barwon Club (Geelong), Saturday 10 at the Blue Tile Lounge and Sunday 11 at the Espy’s Gershwin Room.

RIDE YOUR LAMARAMA

Lamarama, the seven-piece psychedelic band from the future that only exist in the psyche of their listeners, are performing a show at Bar Open this Sunday. Joining them will be Squid Squad, a seven-peice hip hop/funk act designed to titillate and tantalise your senses with their unique brand of grunk hop. Danny Christensen will open the night with an acoustic solo act that will have the ladies melting to their knees. Doors from 7.30pm, free entry.

SHINERS

The Blackeyed Susans are a band with style – both musically and sartorially. The Susans have released six albums and numerous EPs and singles, with two ARIA nominations to their credit. Snarski and crew bring their tales of melancholy and menace to the Retreat Hotel this Sunday. The trio will perform two sets from 7pm and entry is free.

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BANGIN’ DUET Punk and grunge two-piece Udays Tiger bring their no-nonsense set to the Espy front bar this Thursday. With a busy run of shows and new EP Sinners in their arsenal, it’s a good time to get on the wagon. Red Aces headline at midnight, Udays Tiger play at 11pm, The Cheats are at 10pm and opening are the The Cocoa Jacksons at 9pm. There are worse ways to spend a Thursday night.

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Cherry Blues will be happening on the first Sunday of every month, before going weekly in summer. It kicks off this Sunday at 2pm, with a live set from Cold Snap. It’s free entry and there’s a barbie in AC/DC Lane.

Little Scout

JUST A PHRASE

Howzat! is surprised that Phrase is not a bigger star. His third album, the genre-busting Babylon, debuted at 29, but slipped from the Top 50 after just one week. It deserves much better.

GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES

HOWZAT! Local music news by JEFF JENKINS

LITTLE SCOUT, BIG RECORD

After hearing their two EPs – 2008’s The Dead Loss EP and 2009’s Different In The Distance – Howzat! had Brisbane’s Little Scout pegged as a little, folk pop band. I was wrong. Their debut album, Take Your Light (out now through MGM), is ambitious and atmospheric. “We still enjoy playing those sweeter songs,” singer Melissa Tickle says, “but we thought it was time to step into something a little darker.” A cinematic expedition, Take Your Light perhaps sounds more European than Australian. “We wanted to try some challenging stuff on this record,” explains guitarist Patrick Elliott. “We’ve really tried to push ourselves in many ways.” The EPs had a charming innocence; Take Your Light is moody and cryptic, filled with apocalyptic imagery and intrigue. “We could never have made this album without those EPs,” Patrick adds. “It was definitely

the right time to make an album, because we’d grown together as a band – and as people.” With Little Scout, The John Steel Singers, Hungry Kids Of Hungary and Skinny Jean, there’s definitely something going on in Brisbane. The vibe there hasn’t been this big since the early days of Powderfinger, Custard and Regurgitator in the ’90s. Little Scout made Take Your Light in Jonathan Boulet’s garage in Sydney, after 12 months of preproduction with their good friend Darek Mudge from Intercooler. Jonathan recorded and mixed, Scott Bromiley from The John Steel Singers produced and drummer Miro Mackie took care of catering. Word is Miro has now produced a cook book, which he’ll be selling on the Little Scout tour. They’re playing at the Workers Club on Friday.

CHERRY RIPE FOR MAX’S BLUES

Cherry Bar owner James Young is a massive Carlton fan, so when he sent Howzat! an email with the subject “Blues”, we were reluctant to open it. Fortunately, the missive wasn’t about Juddy’s march towards another Brownlow – it was to promote Max’s Sunday Sessions. Yep, Melbourne’s rock home is getting the blues on Sundays, with RRR legend Maxwell Von Crawdaddy spinning the tunes and Melbourne’s best blues acts hitting the Cherry stage.

“Been messing around with guitars a bit, but it’s 23 years and there’s still no hits.” So sings Andrew Cox in Nothing On The Go, a track on one of The Fauves’ forthcoming albums, German Engines. The Fauves remain our most successful unsuccessful band; it’s a remarkable tale of endurance. “Sometimes I feel like giving up,” The Doctor sings, “sometimes I feel this sport’s too tough.” But The Fauves remain in peak physical condition, getting set to release not one, but two new albums, even though Coxy concedes, “Life’s got a way of fucking us all.” A mate, who’s heard the albums, remarked: “German Engines purrs beautifully; Japanese Engines is a bit soft.” But Howzat! loves The Fauves’ middle-aged melancholia. Japanese Engines is out on 16 September; German Engines will follow early next year.

SWITCHED ON

New band The TV Set are definitely more analogue than digital. This is an indie supergroup doing classic covers (think Cheap Trick, Kiss, The Move and The Records). Fronted by Michael Witheford (The Fish John West Reject, Lust In Space), The TV Set also features members of The Devilrock Four and Kim Salmon’s Precious Jules. They’re playing at the Victoria Hotel in Brunswick on Saturday.

CHART WATCH

Gotye becomes the first local act to spend more than two weeks on top with a single since Gabriella Cilmi’s Sweet About Me in 2008 (five weeks at number one). He is also the first Aussie male solo artist to enjoy a three-week reign since Damien Leith’s Night Of My Life spent four weeks on top in 2006. Somebody That I Used To Know GOTYE (number one)

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Inescapable JESSICA MAUBOY (five) Love Is A Drug ESKIMO JOE (38) We Run The Night HAVANA BROWN (39) Gotye becomes the first Aussie act to have the number one single and album in the same week since Silverchair did the double in April 2007 with Straight Lines and Young Modern respectively. Making Mirrors is just the second Aussie album to top the charts in 2011, following Drapht’s The Life of Riley in April. Making Mirrors GOTYE (number one, debut) Yes I Am JACK VIDGEN (three, debut) Only Sparrows JOSH PYKE (four, debut) Moonfire BOY & BEAR (nine) Ghosts Of The Past ESKIMO JOE (11) Smoko At The Pet Food Factory FRENZAL RHOMB (14, debut) Get ‘Em Girls JESSICA MAUBOY (17) Like Drawing Blood GOTYE (19) Seeker Lover Keeper SEEKER LOVER KEEPER (22) Rrakala GURRUMUL (23) Double Platinum THE TEN TENORS (25) Roy DAMIEN LEITH (28) The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating THE LIVING END (31)

HOWZAT! PLAYLIST In The Air LITTLE SCOUT

Don’t Say When THE FAUVES Velvet Glove PHRASE & BARNESY Covered By Snow DEAD LETTER CHORUS Dark Magic SAND PEBBLES

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HELL HOUND

This Friday night at the Retreat Hotel, legendary bluesman Chris Wilson will be performing two sets of electrifying blues rock from 9:30pm. Chris has long been an essential part of the blues and rock scene in Australia and has played in iconic groups such as Harum Scarum, Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls and the superb Crown Of Thorns. Chris returns to the Retreat Hotel with his band hot in toe this Friday. Free entry.

HOST PLUS

Get down to the John Curtin Bandroom in Carlton this Saturday to witness the splendour that is Graft vs Host, supported by the dashing folk from Kill The Matador, Cabin Fever and Cavalcade.

ON THE CHARLIE Vibrant folk-fi red five-piece Charlie Mayfair have recently let loose their brand new single Tell Her. The band have won over audiences during the last year with their debut EP Watch My Hands and a swell of shows surrounding it. They have shared the stage with the likes of Old Man River, The Bedroom Philosopher and Skipping Girl Vinegar. They play the Empress this Friday.

NAIL BAG

THRASH KINGS King Parrot are a five-piece thrash/grind metal outfit, brand new on the scene. They consist of members that have punished the ears and minds of Australian metal heads for many years. The songs are short and hard, delivered with blistering intent. They stop at nothing to deliver a kick in the face every time. Catch King Parrot live at the Tote launching their debut EP The Stench Of Hardcore Pub Trash on Saturday with support from Frankenbok, Subjektive and Maniaxe.

Melbourne’s ballsiest blues/rock outfit Bag O’ Nails return from their July hiatus with a bagful of upcoming shows. Performing a mix of original tracks from their debut EP Attitude Blues as well as some of the most downright dirtiest blues you’ll hear, the Nails will remind you what hard rockin’ blues should sound like. This Saturday the guys will be performing at the Nighthawk (Mentone).

SINE OF THE TIMES

Sine are one of Melbourne’s most exciting dub reggae acts. Sub-bass frequencies, skanking horns, smooth vocals and samples are all dubbed and warped live. While paying tribute to the Jamaican innovators, Sine have evolved with a futuristic attitude to roots culture, pushing forward the expression of reggae music. Sine play Friday 9 September at Bar Open from 10pm.

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WED 31 Agent 86, Bladerunner, Mr Thom, Joybot Lucky Coq Ben Hauptmann plays the music of Wes Montgomery Uptown Jazz Café Cocks Arquette, The River of Heaven, Mitchell Brennan/Cooper Bowman, Eastlink The Gasometer Hotel Daryl Roberts Clifton Hill Hotel Dizzy’s Big Band Dizzy’s Jazz Club Free Music Wesley Anne James Sherlock Trio Paris Cat Jazz Club Joe Oppenheimer, James Fahy, Joseph Tafra Open Studio Jules Sheldon The Standard Hotel Lincoln Mckinnon, James McCann Retreat Hotel Lo-Res, Sarah Holmes Band 303 Marc Hannaford Bennetts Lane Moon Republic Veludo No Love for Lexi, Verona Lights, Brent Hayhurst, Stealer Evelyn Hotel Open Mic Dancing Dog Café Open Mic Grind ‘n’ Groove Bar Open Mic The Bender Bar Osker, Ben Houghton, Sleep D Bar Open Pause Fest 2011 - Meet & Cheer Loop Petar Tolich, Scotty E Co., Crown Ring the Alarm, Armagidion Time, Jesse I, Ras Crucial, Mat Cant Laundry Bar Soul Army, Vince Peach, Miss Goldie, Prequel, Black Diamond Kicks Bimbo Deluxe Stand & Deliver Co. Nightclub The Battery Kids, Pretty Villian, The Moon Project, While The City Sleeps Esplanade Lounge The Brunswick Open Mic with host Brodie Brunswick Hotel The Charles Ives Singers, Virtual Proximity Empress Hotel The Eyeball Kicks, Kumar Shrome & the Punkwallahs, The Premodernists The Tote

The Released Series w/ ViceRoyalty, Le Foxx, The Hello Morning, Deacon Rose Workers Club The Tins, Nimbleman Family Band, Ben Wright Smith The Old Bar The White Goods, The Windy City, The Magic Bones Revolver Upstairs Vice Grip Pussies Cherry Bar Wine, Whiskey, Women, Rachael Byrnes, Gen Finnane & Flora Smith The Drunken Poet Yffer, Nick Huggins Edinburgh Castle Hotel

THU 01 All Ganiks Veludo April Maze, The Great Western, Cam Macintosh Wesley Anne Bateman, Party Vibez, Half Mast, Take Your Own, Death By Deathray The Tote Cabin Fever, Old Skin, The Debutant Kid, Sweet Lady Brick, Love/Hate Pony Charles Baby, Charlie Lim, Alysia Manceau Grace Darling Hotel Citrus Jam, Steak Knives & The Set Great Britain Hotel Dead Letter Circus, Jerricco, I Am Giant Sand Bar, Mildura Do Drop In, Kiti, Lady Noir The Carlton Fantine Evelyn Hotel Finlo White, Kitty Kat Co., Crown Friendly Yen, 4tress, The Big Empty, Firefight Brunswick Hotel Funhouse DJs Co. Nightclub Going Down Swinging #32, 1928, Tranter, Sleeves, Megawuoti, Supremes, TDAH, Prequel, Edd Fisher The Toff In Town Goodtime Medicine Band Lomond Hotel Hierophants, Living Eyes, Vacant Skies, Hound, The Moon Project, Colour Me Indian, Looking For Scarlett, Manchild Laundry Bar I Explode Like, In A Memory, That’ll Be The Day, Who Invited the Wolf? Next Kim Salmon, Simone Felice, Laura Jean Corner Hotel Lachlan Bryan, New Settlement Road, The Blind Alley Band Empress Hotel

Loo$e Change, Ships Piano, The Latonas, JCJizzle Exchange Hotel Low Key Live Electro The Bender Bar Matty Grant, Matt Dean, Phil Ross Billboard Mesa Cosa, Hierophants, Living Eyes, Vacant Skies, Hound, The Moon Project, Colour Me Indian, Looking For Scarlett, DJ Manchild Freakout! Thursdays @ Laundry Mick Turner, Vertical Slum, Crude Bar Open Mood, DJ NuBody Loop Mose, Men Without Pants, Sarah De Haan Revolver Upstairs Obsession DJs First Floor Oh Pep!, Warring Sighs, David Sattout, Ben Burne Bendigo Hotel Open Mic Plough Hotel Open Mic The Drunken Poet Orchard, Celadore, Dangerous, Smoking Toddlers, Backyard DJs Shake Some Action @ 161 Oskar & Bebra Open Studio Paul Grabowsky Sextet Bennetts Lane Phil Treloar, Julien Wilson, Phil Rex Uptown Jazz Café Plastic Palace Alice, Blood Red Bird, Huw Murdoch Edinburgh Castle Hotel Post Percy, Moopsie, Awesome Whales New Guernica reAMPD, This Year’s Coming, We The Innocent, The Ascension, The Furys, Holliava Ruby’s Lounge Red Aces, Udays Tiger, The Cheats, The Cocoa Jacksons Esplanade Lounge Red Leader, Tit For Tat DJs Workers Club Saskwatch Cherry Bar Schroderini meets Marinucci and Buddy Paris Cat Jazz Club Simon Burke 303 Something on the Side, Kiti Windsor Castle Hotel Sonya Veronica Dizzy’s Jazz Club Stonefield The Bended Elbow Sweet Jean Union Hotel Brunswick The Clits, The Jackals Retreat Hotel The Fire Alive, Japan For, Elysium Fields, ODD The Prague

Theophilus London, Polo Club Northcote Social Club Tiger Funk Bimbo Deluxe Timmy Rolfe & his Soy Latte Sound The Sporting Club Twin Ages, Living Skies Yah Yah’s Unlucky DJs Seven Nightclub WHO, Agent 86, Lewis Can Cut, Tiger Funk, Jumbo Lucky Coq Yolke, Adnan & the Whale, Mad Nanna The Old Bar

FRI 02 Andy Bull, Spring Skier, Buchanan National Hotel Anton Delecca Quartet Uptown Jazz Café Australian Guns n Roses Tribute Show Metro & Puggs Irish Bar Bang ON, Milk Teddy, The Cannanes, Actor Slash Model Public Bar Big Boi, Theophilus London Palace Theatre Blackout Bimbo Deluxe Bluestone Junction Lomond Hotel Braz Jazz Dizzy’s Jazz Club Buddy the Concert: Scott Cameron The Capital, Bendigo Performing Arts Centre Built On Secrets, Heartless Vendetta, Exo Majesty, After the Apocalypse Bada Bing Built On Secrets, Heartless Vendetta, Exo Majesty, After the Apocalypse Pier Hotel Catfish Voodoo, The Morning After, Boss, BJ Winters Esplanade Basement Charlie Mayfair, Jimmy Hawk, Kikuyu, James O’Brien Empress Hotel Choro, Katie Harder & the Gentle Folk, Jesse Mitchell, Sunday Chairs Wesley Anne Crass!, DJ Sveta, DJ Commission Flats, Ana Nicole Bendigo Hotel Dear Stalker, Chk! Chk! Boom!, The Instincts, Hands Like Ours Brunswick Hotel Delivery Boy, The Sweet Somethings, Kylina The Bender Bar DJ Nikkos, Joe Sofo, Kitty Kat Co. Nightclub

Dub Captains, James Hampton, Tom Tuena Cherry Bar Elana Stone Band, The Rescue Ships Bennetts Lane First Floor DJs First Floor Fruit Jar Railway Hotel Gavin Campbell, Lady Noir, DJ Greg, MaxtheMAX Turner The Carlton Good Things Collective Loop Grandpa’s Guitar Sessions, Tim Durkin, Kim Bloodsoon, Smash the Disco, Wot Rot, S.P.G, Glen & The Peanut Buttermen, Last Call Pony Hannah Macklin & The Maxwells, Killbot Kindergarten, Nai Palm 303 Hunter, Iowa, Have/Hold, Zombie Psychologist The Old Bar I A Man, San Fran Disco, Rain Party Revolver Upstairs Jackson Jackson, Gosling, DJ Jumps Evelyn Hotel James Macaulay Group Open Studio Jeff Martin, Terepai Richmond Caravan Music Club Kim Dezen, Jumbo Loop Knee Cools, Cracker Bax, Booty Quest, Indian Summer Fashion Keyboard Kojo Soundsystem, Candice Monique & the Optics, Neo Pitso Bar Open Leader Cheetah, Belles Will Ring Karova Lounge Little Scout, Love Migrate, Carry Nation Workers Club Mae Parker Bar 362 Mathew Gill Windsor Castle Hotel Matt Rad, Mr George, Tom Meagher, Phato A Mano Lucky Coq Matthew Kea Bluestone Lounge Mezzanine, Count X Abode Mondo Freaks The Night Cat Nigel Wearne, Chris Wilson Band, Adalita Retreat Hotel Nikkos, Joe Sofo, Kitty Kat Co., Crown Paper Scissors, Dirt Farmer, Midlife, Dangerous, Rusty Esplanade Lounge Poprocks at the Toff, Dr Phil Smith The Toff In Town Private Function Yah Yah’s

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Sarah & The King Bees Edinburgh Castle Hotel Scion Pirates Piping Hot Chicken Shop Seamus Anthony, Melissa Main, Ewan Cloonan, Marisa Quigley, Tam Sharp Vibe Bar Shirley Davis, Kollosoul Veludo Shots Fired, ODD, PK Barwon Club Shuffle Club Transit Lounge Silencer Laundry Bar Sleeps, Furniture Incident, Upperhand, Get To The Chopper, Crying Sirens Esplanade Gershwin Room Sosueme DJs Miss Libertine Soul Infusion featuring Carmen Hendricks Rahk Melbourne Spectrum Basement Discs Step Into My Office Baby, Andrew McClelland, Nathan Jones, Miss Modette John Curtin Hotel Stonefield, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Animaux East Brunswick Club Sun Shephard, Legends Of Motorsport, Dread, Riff Fist Rubys Lounge Sun Shephard, Legends Of Motorsport, Dread, Riff Fist Ruby’s Lounge Sunshine, Radiator, Adam Bartas Brown Alley Tamara Kauldins Dirty Martini Paris Cat Jazz Club Tax, Absolute Boys, Repairs, Angel Eyes Grace Darling Hotel T-Bird Club Abode Teddy Music, 50/50, Affiks, The Arctic, Camo, Bonitta Laundry Bar The Adults, The Scientists of Modern Music Northcote Social Club The Fading Hour, Pyrene, The Witching Tree, Perpetual End The Prague The Stu Thomas Paradox Tago Mago The Tiger & Me Sporting Club Hotel The Tiger & Me The Sporting Club The Vasco Era, Fearless Vampire Killers, Kitchen Knife Wife Corner Hotel The Wellingtons, D.Rodgers and the Backline Masters, The Barebones Cornish Arms Hotel Traditional Irish Music Session The Drunken Poet

Trial Kennedy Brighton Town Hall Velvet DJs Seven Nightclub Witch Hats, Teeth & Tongue, Wolfy and the Batcubs The Tote

SAT 03 3/4 Beast, The Rosencrants, The Kilniks, Blood Orange, Poolside Fiasco Brunswick Hotel After Dark DJ’s Roxanne Parlour Allan Browne, Ben Robertson, Geoff Hughes Uptown Jazz Café Andrew Nolte & His Orchestra Edinburgh Castle Hotel Andy Bull, Spring Skier, Buchanan Northcote Social Club Blackchords The Penny Black Blu, Jon-E, Syme Tollens Abode Brous, Magic Silver White The Buffalo Club Buddy the Concert: Scott Cameron West Gippsland Arts Centre Bugdust, Death Valley Mustangs, Rayon Moon, Dan Kirk, Undercolours, Throbulator Pony Buttertime Great Britain Hotel California Games Laundry California Games Laundry Bar Chaos Kids, Bad Taste, King Parrot, Frankenbok, Subjektive, Maniaxe The Tote Chev Rise, Wolfy and the Batcubs, Master Gun Fighters Cornish Arms Hotel Clari & Bari, FLAP! Open Studio Constance, Adam Askew, Mr Honeysmack The Carlton Cosmic Tonic Veludo Cosmo Cosmolino Burrinja Café Craig Schneider Trio Dizzy’s Jazz Club Doc Leeroy, Speakeasy Windsor Castle Hotel Doug De Vries Trio, Mistaken Identity Paris Cat Jazz Club Eddie James & The Prowl Empress Hotel Elana Stone Band, The Rescue Ships Bennetts Lane Electric Mary, Sharaya, My Left Boot The Prague

Elephant Gun Baha Tacos Envy, Matty G, Dean T Co., Crown Evelyn Markets, Coloured Stone, Yung Warriors, J Mac, Mr Morgz, Miss Hood Evelyn Hotel Faff, Cacophony, Freya, The Control Zeds, Twilight, Triple Dream My Aeon Finlo White, Joe Sofo Co. Nightclub Frenzal Rhomb, Teenage Bottlerocket, Hawaiian Islands Corner Hotel Fruit Jar, The Good Ship, The Bon Scotts Wesley Anne Galambo, Cumbia Club, DJ Hezekiah Bar Open Go Go Sapien Bar Nancy Goyim The Sporting Club Graft Vs Host, Kill The Matador, Cabin Fever, Calvacade John Curtin Hotel Hanhela, God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise Empress Hotel, Arvo Show Hot Step Bimbo Deluxe House of Rock, Binge And Purge Palace Theatre INXS Kick, Michael Nolan, The House deFROST, Andee Frost The Toff In Town Jamie Vlahos, Frazer Adnam, Scott McMahon, Mr Magoo, Ziggy, Wes B, Mike Metro Billboard Jeff Martin, Terepai Richmond, Matt Sonic Cherry Bar JVG Guitar Method, The Killing Liars, King of the North, DJ Samikaze Retreat Hotel Leader Cheetah, Belles Will Ring, Playwrite East Brunswick Club Lumber, Cold Red Mute, Panel VanHalen Public Bar Matt Glass Edinburgh Castle, early show Monique Brumby Trio The Drunken Poet Mountfield Plains, Steeple Jack, Underwater Jesus, Fortnight Jumbo Revolver Upstairs Nikko, On Sierra, Roller One, Television Sky, DJ Bryant Jones The Old Bar N-Tice, Jon-E, Steve Punch Abode Orlando Radio Launch Workers Club Pacman, Jean Paul, Sam McEwin, Samari, Kodiak Kid, Moonshine, Ash-Lee Lucky Coq

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gigguide@inpress.com.au Phil Manning, Black Jack Oz Rock St Andrews Hotel Pickled Beats, Ego, Lickweed, Jumbo Loop President Roots Lomond Hotel Private Function Grace Darling Hotel Relax With Max The Night Cat Riverfire Afterparty The Fox Hotel Collingwood Shaun Kirk, 2swai, The Pierce Brothers, Shoe Shine Ruby’s Lounge Spencer P Jones Tago Mago Stonefield Karova Lounge Sydonia, Twelve Foot Ninja, Branch Arterial, Arcane, Mushroom Giant, Xenograft, A Million Dead Birds Laughing, Sadhana, Anna Salem Esplanade (Whole Venue) The Bennies, The Smith Street Band, The Tearaways, Foxtrot, Grizzley Jim Lawrie Gertrude’s Brown Couch The Per-suaders, Kieran O’Sullivan, Gregory Wright, Steve Wide, Shaky Memorial Yah Yah’s The Scientists of Modern Music, Dangerous, Brave Face, Indian Summer DJs Rats @ Brown Alley The TV Set The Vic The Velvet Cake Gypsies The Bender Bar The Vines, Papa Vs Pretty, Money For Rope, Bleeding Knees Club The Hi-Fi Tom Francis, The April Tree, The Vocaniks Chandelier Room Tongue & Groove Caravan Music Club Tracey Candy, Gus ReedHill Theatre Royal (Castlemaine) Untruth, Our Mindset, In Motions Bang Yanto Shortis & Band, The Miserable Little Bastards Union Hotel Brunswick

SUN 04 Alex Watts & the Foreign Tongue Tago Mago Askew, Booshank, Paz, Ms Butt, Jumbo, Junji Lucky Coq Continental Roberts Blues Party, Woodward & Rough Lomond Hotel

Cynical Ballads, Death Drive, Andyblack, Haggis The Toff In Town DJ Wars The Vic Duck Musique Edinburgh Castle, early show Flounder, Bad Taste, The Blazing Endfields Evelyn Hotel Floyd Thursby The Drunken Poet, Arvo Show Freedom Tiger Launch, The Egos, Diktion One, Kryptic, Los Theory Workers Club Goyim Great Britain Hotel Gunn Music Competition Esplanade Basement Headspace, Dale Ryder Band, Bad Boys Batucada Esplanade Lounge Jeff Martin, Terepai Richmond Esplanade Gershwin Room Jimi Hocking’s Blues Machine Young & Jacksons Jimmy Tait, Howl At The Moon, Tehachapi The Old Bar Ju Ju 303 Kavisha Mazzella Caravan Music Club Lamarama, Squid Squad, Danny Christensenwill Bar Open Leticia Mahers Sunday Soiree, Noriko Tadano, The Hazelman Brothers, Dean Haitani, Sweet Felicia & The Honeytones Northcote Town Hall Letterbox Music, Gabriel Lynch, The Hazelman Brothers, Ellen Kibble, Adrian Whitehead, Kate Walker, Sprowell Wesley Anne Livingstone Daisies, The Blackeyed Susans Trio Retreat Hotel Lloyd Spiegel, Shaun Kirk Northcote Social Club Madizms Laundry Bar Max Crawdaddy, Cherry Blues Cherry Bar Mistaken Identity Bennetts Lane Music Trivia Empress Hotel Nick Charles, Pete Fidler The Drunken Poet Nick O’Mara, Muckle Pup Bar Nancy Nigel Wearne Sporting Club Hotel Nigel Wearne The Sporting Club Open Decks The Bender Bar Open Decks, Daniel Bowden, Matt Glass Band, Matt Katsis Band Veludo Open Mic Rose Hotel Orulas Crew The Night Cat

Phato A Mano, Agent 86, Tiger Funk Bimbo Deluxe Phil Manning Mentone Hotel Poor People, Mad Nanna, High Tea The Tote Roman Wafers, George Hysteric The Carlton Rory Ellis Carringbush Hotel Sheldon King, Nathan Seeckts, Tim Scanlan Empress Hotel, Arvo Show Spectrum St Andrews Hotel Tangled Thoughts of Leaving, Nikko, Eight Years, Blackwood Jack, The Kashmere Club, The Highwater Ballroom Band Brunswick Hotel the F100’s Barking Dog Wine Bar The Glorious, Paul Ruske, Format Wars Grace Darling Hotel The Patron Saints The Standard Hotel The Shivering Timbers Union Hotel Brunswick The Shuffle Club Dogs Bar The Stax Soul Revue, The Wolfgramm Sisters, The Chromenips, Gruntbucket, Ben Salter, Clinkerfield, Jimmy Stewart, The Beat Disease Yah Yah’s Twyce Daily, Rose Carleo, Open Mic Chandelier Room

MON 05 Bennetts Lane Big Band Bennetts Lane Chris Busietta, Marilla Homes Empress Hotel Gerry Hales Bluegrass Sessions, DJ Dave Heard, ‘Crotchety Knitwits’ The Old Bar Hail Hail St Andrews Open Mic & Jamm Night St Andrews Hotel iBimbo Bimbo Deluxe Mexican Mondays Retreat Hotel Mikelangelo The Gem Milano Veludo Open Mic Night Bertha Brown Process Architecture Loop Round and Round Storytellers night Brunswick Hotel Snowy Belfast, Playwrite Esplanade Lounge Swing Patrol, Johnny T, Ramona Staffeld The Toff In Town

The Bonniwells, Bad Aches, Sundogs Northcote Social Club Trivia John Curtin Hotel Wolfy and the Batcubs, Made in China Workers Club

TUE 06 Anna Paddick, Oh Pep!, Return to Youth, Mack & the Boys Northcote Social Club Cosmic Pizza Lucky Coq Dark Tales from the South, The Pope’s Assassin, Swamplands Bar Nancy Eugene Holcombe, Guests The Old Bar Frenzal Rhomb, Teenage Bottlerocket, The Hawaiian Islands National Hotel Irish Session Lomond Hotel Jess Ribiero & The Bone Collectors, Patinka Cha Cha The Toff In Town Jules Sheldon, Mikey Madden, Tim McCormack Retreat Hotel Just Mad Cuts - The Ultimate Bizarre Corner Hotel Matt Radovich, Andras Fox, Henry Who Bimbo Deluxe Mike, The Sunday Chairs, Bowie Jane, Vladdy B, Michelle Hines Esplanade Lounge Mojo Singers Night Dizzy’s Jazz Club Nathan Bird Sporting Club Hotel Nathan Bird, Open Mic The Sporting Club Open Mic Empress Hotel Open Mic Wesley Anne Open Mic Night Ruby’s Lounge The Brunswick Discovery, Formosa, Below the Line, James Fahy, Joe Oppenheimer Brunswick Wednesday the Rat, Booty Quest, Indian Summer DJs, Smoking Toddlers Dumplings Bitch! @ Eurotrash Weekly Trivia The Drunken Poet

THEY SHALL BE RELEASED THE RELEASED SERIES sees the Workers Club hosting a series of nights curated by local labels. We check in with tonight’s host, VICEROYALTY’s ZAC ABROMS. Le Fox

How long have you been running your label? “Viceroyalty was formed in October 2010 and has been active for just shy of one year.” What’s the philosophy behind your label? “Via the experience of working in a number of different facets of the local music industry from promoting live shows to artist management to being part of an A&R team at an indie label (Forum 5), I came to identify with a collection of needs and a level of care and attention young, independent artists rely on in order to function at optimum creativity and quality. Viceroyalty is dedicated to managing an artist’s interests professionally in a manner underpinned by principles of honesty, respect, creativity, passion and ambition. The goal is to create a real support network, an atmosphere in which great original music can flourish.” What was your first release? “Viceroyalty is on the cusp of our maiden releases. Adelaide’s Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! have just put the fi nishing touches on their new single Panther Shrine, produced by Gareth Parton (Foals, Holy Fuck) and mastered at The Exchange, London with Nilesh Patel (Bjork, Air) which is scheduled for release in the next couple months and marks their fi rst effort since 2010’s critically acclaimed album Sea Priest. Meanwhile Le Fox are hard at work mixing their debut single with UK production duo DNR (best known for their work with Ladyhawke and Bertie Blackman) which we aim to release later this year.” Which labels do you most admire? “I’ve always had great admiration for independent record labels that have maintained their independence and a DIY ethos despite developing critically or commercially successful acts, particularly those who have taken chances on the weird and wonderful. It’s pretty hard to look past The Beggars Group of labels in the UK, particularly 4AD and Rough Trade Records, to whom we owe recent catalogue such as Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti and Deerhunter,

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in addition to classics from The Smiths to The Slits. A little closer to home, I’ve always had a lot of time for Flying Nun records and their legacy of great alternative music from New Zealand and abroad.” Who are your three fave musical acts at the moment and why? “One artist who I’ve had the pleasure of working with in different capacities these past few years is New Zealand singer Kimbra who continually impresses me with her creativity and talent both live and on record, and whom Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! are fortunate to be touring with nationally throughout September. Since discovering his music at Golden Plains earlier this year I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Justin Townes Earle’s back catalog of blues and country balladry. And very recently, I’ve been introduced to the work of St Vincent, whom I’m hungrily discovering at present with much satisfaction.” What releases do you have coming up? “Beyond their single Panther Shrine, we aim for Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! to head back into the studio and complete their sophmore album with Gareth Parton for release early next year. Le Fox are set to release a string of singles with a view towards furthering their touring opportunities and live performance experience throughout summer ‘11’/12.” Who have you chosen to play at your night at the Workers and why? Le Fox will take the stage to deliver what promises to be an explosive set of postpunk jams, whilst Viceroyalty services clients and dear friends of ours The Hello Morning will open the festivities, the classic rock-influenced, alt.country behemoth that they are, psychedelic bliss-outs and all. Viceroyalty buddies and DJs Deacon Rose and Punk Drunk Damo of Triple J notoriety will be spinning tunes throughout the evening.” Viceroyalty showcase at the Workers Club tonight (Wednesday).

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THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL’S OPEN MIC NIGHT

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WITH GUESTS 4TRESS, THE BIG EMPTY, FIREFIGHT - 8PM TILL MIDNIGHT - $2 POTS OF DRAUGHT - $5 BASICS FRIDAY THE 2ND OF SEPTEMBER - 9PM

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WITH GUESTS, CHK CHK BOOM, THE INSTINCTS, HANDS LIKE OURS SATURDAY THE 3RD OF SEPTEMBER - 9PM

3/4 BEAST

WITH THE ROSENCRANTS, THE KILNIKS, BLOOD ORANGE AND POOLSIDE FIASCO 5PM

SHANE DIIORIO BAND WITH GUEST PENY BOHAN

SUNDAY THE 4TH OF SEPTEMBER - 9PM

TANGLED THOUGHTS OF LEAVING (WA)

WITH GUESTS NIKKO (QLD), EIGHT YEARS 5PM

BLACKWOOD JACK

WITH GUESTS THE KASHMERE CLUB, THE HIGHWATER BALLROOM BAND MONDAY THE 5TH OF SEPTEMBER - 8PM

NASHVILLE BASED ROUND AND ROUND MUSICIANS STORYTELLING TUESDAY THE 6TH OF SEPTEMBER - 9PM

THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL DISCOVERY NIGHT

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Kitchen Specials

Mon - $12 Burger & Pot, $14 Porterhouse Tues - $6 Pizza Wed - $14 Porterhouse Fri - $6 Pizza Thu - Great Pub Quiz Challenge

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WED 31 Birthday Party: New Guernica Lost & Found: Spidey, Gupstar, Adalita: Revolver Upstairs Petar Tollch, Scotty E: Co. Nightclub Ring The Alarm: Ring The Alarm DJs: Laundry Bar Stand & Deliver: Co. Nightclub

THU 01 Cabin Fever, Old Skin, The Debutant Kid, Sweet Lady Brick: Pony DJ 2up, DJ Macatk: Somewhere Bar Funhouse: Finlo White, MC Kitty Kat: Co. Nightclub Good Evening: DJ People: The Toff Carriage Room Love Story: Sleeves, Tranter, Megawuoti, Supremes: The Toff Stage Room Midnight Express: Prequel, Edd FIsher: The Toff Mood: DJ NuBody: Loop

Obcession: Obcession DJs: First Floor Post Percy, Moopie, Awesome Whales: New Guernica Theophilus London, Polo Club: Northcote Social Club Unlucky: Unlucky DJs: Seven Nightclub

FRI 02 3D: DJ sNuff, Jaffa, Pgram, Chris X: CBD Club Big Boi, Theophilus London, Thundamentals: Palace Theatre Can’t Say: Sosueme DJs: Miss Libertine Chardy, Feenixpawl, Boogs: Circus Bar DJ Who, Mr Moonshine, Snowie, Tahl, Muska: Lounge Grandpa Funk Junkie: Cushion Good Things Collective: Kim Dezen, Jumbo: Loop Hannah Macklin & The Maxwells, Killbot, Kindergarten, Nai Palm: 303 Honey Smack, Simon TK, Post Percy, Andee Frost: New Guernica

Josh Lang: 3D Jupiter’s Bonzai, Red Rockets Of Borneo, Sid Air: Revolver Upstairs Moonshin, Benny Badge, Jumbo: Croft Institute Mezzanine: DJ Count X: Abode No Way Out: Vandalism: Brown Alley Paparazzi: Nikkos, Joe Sofo, Kitty Kat: Co. Nightclub Pet Sounds: Kim Dezen, Jumbo: Loop Poprocks: Dr. Phil Smith: The Toff Revolver Fridays: SuckMusic: Revolver SneakerPeeps Presents: Sunshine, Radiator, Adam Bartas: Brown Alley Sounds Of Fusion: Phill Ross, Dean T, Chris Mac, DJ Atomik, Johnny M: Fusion Teddy Music, 50/50, Affiks, The Arctic, Camo, Bonitta: Laundry Bar T-Bird Club: Abode The Scientists Of Modern Music: Northcote Social Club Velvet: Velvet DJs: Seven Nightclub

SAT 03 After Dark Social Club: After Dark DJs: Roxanne Parlour Blu: Jon E, Syme Tollens: Abode Envy: Matty G, Dean T: Co. Nightclub Inkswel, Sammy Soda, Julien Love, Andras Fox: Croft Institue Jesus & Jay, Jules Jay: Baroq House Upstairs Lil Party For Wayne: Playground Lounge Saturdays: Lounge Mark John, Dinesh: Baroq House Downstairs N-Tice: Jon E, Steve Punch: Abode Pickled Beats: Ego, Lickweed, Jumbo: Loop Replay: Kam Denny, Tate Strauss, Phil Ross, DJ Nova, Johnny M: Fusion The Late Show: Nikki Sarafian, Jake Judd, Matt Prodan, Inkswell, Ransom, Boogs Revolver The House deFrost: Andee Frost: The Toff Thick As Thieves: Antiserum: Brown Alley

Tropical Space Lab: Galambo Cumbia Club: Bar Open Weekend Express, Chestwig Lopan, Kelly Richards, Tomas Touche Mugen: New Guernica

SUN 04 DJ Gorgie: Somewhere Bar Revolver Upstairs: Boogs, Spacey Space, Silversix, Radiator, T-Rek: Revolver The Sunday Set: Andy Black, Haggis: The Toff

MON 05 DJ Dave Heard: The Old Bar

TUES 06 Klub Muk: 303

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COMMUNALISM CHARLIE MAYFAIR aim to set each other creative challenges, explains WILLIAM WEIGHTMAN to NIC TOUPEE.

“It’s an important track for us – it’s the first time we’ve all worked together on writing something, and Tell Her sounds a lot darker and a lot more emotive than our last record,” muses Will Weightman of Brisbane folk five-piece Charlie Mayfair. The band have just released Tell Her, a taster to their upcoming as-yetunnamed EP, and it stands as not just their new song, but as a symbol of something larger. Charlie Mayfair have changed their methodology, starting to not only play as a fivepiece, but to write as one, and as Weightman explains, the difference in their sound is palpable. “There’s a much bigger emphasis on guitar sounds than there was before and a lot of heavy pounding drums.” Charlie Mayfair’s last EP Watch My Hands saw only six hands in the band, which this year has increased to ten, and with the band’s expansion has come a new period of fertile collaboration. “In ways, it has been a natural progression,” Weightman continues.

“With our last release, there were only three members. This recording has been the first time the group got to be creative together and work towards one goal. We haven’t looked for a new direction intentionally, but we have all grown instrumentally together, and the sound is blatantly different because of that.” While they’re fiercely non-partisan, each member brings their own ideas to the communal table. The idea for Tell Her came from vocalist and keyboard player Hannah Shepherd’s personal file, which was then given a sympathetic workover by the band. “Our own personal songs are brought to the band, then reflected and translated into a whole-band arrangement. The best thing about having five writers in the band is that everyone relates and identifies with a song in a different way. Tell Her is about what it’s like to lose someone significant and meaningful in your life. I guess it has a depressing overtone, but it’s something we can all relate to.” WHO: Charlie Mayfair WHAT: Tell Her (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Friday, Empress

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BAHA TACOS Saturday

Elephant Gun

BANG Saturday

Untruth, Our Mindset, In Motions

Tuesday

The Brunswick Discovery, Formosa, Below the Line, James Fahy, Joe Oppenheimer

CARAVAN MUSIC CLUB Friday

BAR OPEN

Jeff Martin, Terepai Richmond

Wednesday

Saturday

Osker, Ben Houghton, Sleep D

Thursday

Mick Turner, Vertical Slum, Crude

Friday

Kojo Soundsystem, Candice Monique & the Optics, Neo Pitso

Saturday

Galambo, Cumbia Club, DJ Hezekiah

Sunday

Lamarama, Squid Squad, Danny Christensenwill

BENDIGO HOTEL

Tongue & Groove

Sunday

Kavisha Mazzella

CORNER HOTEL Thursday

Kim Salmon, Simone Felice, Laura Jean

Friday

The Vasco Era, Fearless Vampire Killers, Kitchen Knife Wife

Saturday

Frenzal Rhomb, Teenage Bottlerocket, Hawaiian Islands

Tuesday

Thursday

Just Mad Cuts - The Ultimate Bizarre

Friday

CORNISH ARMS HOTEL

Oh Pep!, Warring Sighs, David Sattout, Ben Burne Crass!, DJ Sveta, DJ Commission Flats, Ana Nicole

Friday

BILLBOARD

The Wellingtons, D.Rodgers and the Backline Masters, The Barebones

Thursday

Saturday

Matty Grant, Matt Dean, Phil Ross

Saturday

Jamie Vlahos, Frazer Adnam, Scott McMahon, Mr Magoo, Ziggy, Wes B, Mike Metro

BIMBO DELUXE Wednesday

Soul Army, Vince Peach, Miss Goldie, Prequel, Black Diamond Kicks

Chev Rise, Wolfy and the Batcubs, Master Gun Fighters

EAST BRUNSWICK CLUB Friday

Stonefield, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Animaux

Saturday

Thursday

Leader Cheetah, Belles Will Ring, Playwrite

Friday

EDINBURGH CASTLE HOTEL

Tiger Funk Blackout

Saturday Hot Step

Sunday

Phato A Mano, Agent 86, Tiger Funk

Wednesday

Saturday

Matt Radovich, Andras Fox, Henry Who

Sunday

Sheldon King, Nathan Seeckts, Tim Scanlan

ESPLANADE (WHOLE VENUE) Saturday

Sydonia, Twelve Foot Ninja, Branch Arterial, Arcane, Mushroom Giant, Xenograft, A Million Dead Birds Laughing, Sadhana, Anna Salem

ESPLANADE BASEMENT Friday

Sarah & The King Bees

Gunn Music Competition

Jeff Martin, Terepai Richmond

ESPLANADE LOUNGE Wednesday

The Battery Kids, Pretty Villian, The Moon Project, While The City Sleeps

Thursday

Red Aces, Udays Tiger, The Cheats, The Cocoa Jacksons

Friday

Paper Scissors, Dirt Farmer, Midlife, Dangerous, Rusty

Sunday

Snowy Belfast, Playwrite

Tuesday

Mike, The Sunday Chairs, Bowie Jane, Vladdy B, Michelle Hines

Wednesday

Saturday

3/4 Beast, The Rosencrants, The Kilniks, Blood Orange, Poolside Fiasco

Sunday

Tangled Thoughts of Leaving, Nikko, Eight Years, Blackwood Jack, The Kashmere Club, The Highwater Ballroom Band

Monday

Round and Round Storytellers night

Wednesday

Pause Fest 2011 - Meet & Cheer Mood, DJ NuBody

Friday Friday

Monday

Sunday

No Love for Lexi, Verona Lights, Brent Hayhurst, Stealer

Saturday

Pickled Beats, Ego, Lickweed, Jumbo Process Architecture

LUCKY COQ Wednesday

Friday

Matt Rad, Mr George, Tom Meagher, Phato A Mano

Charlie Mayfair, Jimmy Hawk, Kikuyu, James O’Brien

Saturday

Sunday

Eddie James & The Prowl

Sunday

Music Trivia

Monday

Chris Busietta, Marilla Homes

Tuesday

Open Mic

Flounder, Bad Taste, The Blazing Endfields

GRACE DARLING HOTEL Thursday

Charles Baby, Charlie Lim, Alysia Manceau

Friday

SPORTING CLUB HOTEL Friday

Jules Sheldon The Patron Saints

THE TOFF IN TOWN Thursday

Going Down Swinging #32, 1928, Tranter, Sleeves, Megawuoti, Supremes, TDAH, Prequel, Edd Fisher

Friday

Poprocks at the Toff, Dr Phil Smith

Saturday

INXS Kick, Michael Nolan, The House deFROST, Andee Frost

Sunday

The Tiger & Me

Saturday

Monday

Sunday

Nigel Wearne

Tuesday

Nathan Bird

THE DRUNKEN POET Wednesday

Wine, Whiskey, Women, Rachael Byrnes, Gen Finnane & Flora Smith Open Mic

Traditional Irish Music Session

Saturday

Monique Brumby Trio

Sunday

Nick Charles, Pete Fidler

Swing Patrol, Johnny T, Ramona Staffeld

Tuesday

Jess Ribiero & The Bone Collectors, Patinka Cha Cha

THE TOTE Wednesday

The Eyeball Kicks, Kumar Shrome & the Punkwallahs, The Premodernists

Thursday

Bateman, Party Vibez, Half Mast, Take Your Own, Death By Deathray

Friday

Witch Hats, Teeth & Tongue, Wolfy and the Batcubs

Saturday

Chaos Kids, Bad Taste, King Parrot, Frankenbok, Subjektive, Maniaxe

THE DRUNKEN POET, ARVO SHOW

Sunday

Pacman, Jean Paul, Sam McEwin, Samari, Kodiak Kid, Moonshine, Ash-Lee Askew, Booshank, Paz, Ms Butt, Jumbo, Junji

Tuesday

Cosmic Pizza

Weekly Trivia

Sunday

Floyd Thursby

THE GEM Monday

Thursday

I Explode Like, In A Memory, That’ll Be The Day, Who Invited the Wolf?

NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB Thursday

Theophilus London, Polo Club The Adults, The Scientists of Modern Music Andy Bull, Spring Skier, Buchanan

Mikelangelo

THE HI-FI Saturday

The Vines, Papa Vs Pretty, Money For Rope, Bleeding Knees Club

THE OLD BAR Wednesday

The Tins, Nimbleman Family Band, Ben Wright Smith

A Fool Who’ll LAURA JEAN Making Mirrors GOTYE Royal Headache ROYAL HEADACHE Native To IS TROPICAL Father, Son, Holy Ghost GIRLS Precious Jules PRECIOUS JULES Sote Adhi Raat THE BOMBAY ROYALE American Goldwing BLITZEN TRAPPER Wild Flag WILD FLAG Milk Annual CAITLIN PARK

TRIPLE J HIT LIST What The Water Gave Me Florence And The Machine In The Grace Of Your Love The Rapture Gladiator Big Scary Moves Gold Fields Vows Kimbra End Of The World Alex Metric Dun Proppa Def Wish Cast Loverboy You Me At Six The Clapping Song Katalyst Cities Of The Red Night Woe & Flutter

Poor People, Mad Nanna, High Tea

THE VIC Saturday

The TV Set

Sunday

DJ Wars

UNION HOTEL BRUNSWICK Thursday

Sweet Jean

Saturday

Yanto Shortis & Band, The Miserable Little Bastards

Sunday

SYN XXXXX Martial Art ESSENDON AIRPORT Twin Rays GUNG HO Baby Teeth CAITLIN PARK Work For Me THE DRONES The Hammer TOTAL CONTROL Down the lane STREET CHANT Yr Philosophy STREET CHANT Diamond TERRIBLE TRUTHS It Takes time To Be A Man THE RAPTURE Aviary MINT JULIP

WORKERS CLUB Wednesday

WESLEY ANNE Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Thursday

Red Leader, Tit For Tat DJs

Friday

Little Scout, Love Migrate, Carry Nation

Monday

Saturday

Tuesday

3RRR SOUNDSCAPE

Yolke, Adnan & the Whale, Mad Nanna

Thursday

Hunter, Iowa, Have/Hold, Zombie Psychologist

The Bonniwells, Bad Aches, Sundogs

White Heat ICEHOUSE To The Horses LANIE LANE Field Songs WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE What Happens In Hell Stays In Hell NEKROMANTIX Sunday Morning WINTERPARK Only in Dreams DUM DUM GIRLS Better Day DOLLY PARTON The Loudest Engine HOWLING BELLS Prowler ABANDON ALL HOPE No Control THE BOX ROCKETS

The Released Series w/ ViceRoyalty, Le Foxx, The Hello Morning, Deacon Rose

Lloyd Spiegel, Shaun Kirk

Sunday

STEREO

Sunday

Cynical Ballads, Death Drive, Andyblack, Haggis

Goyim

ON THE

Wednesday

Tuesday

Saturday

Evelyn Markets, Coloured Stone, Yung Warriors, J Mac, Mr Morgz, Miss Hood

Bang ON, Milk Teddy, The Cannanes, Actor Slash Model

THE STANDARD HOTEL

Saturday

Friday

Saturday

Friday

WHO, Agent 86, Lewis Can Cut, Tiger Funk, Jumbo

Thursday

Friday

PUBLIC BAR

Thursday

Friday

Jackson Jackson, Gosling, DJ Jumps

Bugdust, Death Valley Mustangs, Rayon Moon, Dan Kirk, Undercolours, Throbulator

Thursday

Lachlan Bryan, New Settlement Road, The Blind Alley Band

Saturday

Agent 86, Bladerunner, Mr Thom, Joybot

The Charles Ives Singers, Virtual Proximity

Fantine

Grandpa’s Guitar Sessions, Tim Durkin, Kim Bloodsoon, Smash the Disco, Wot Rot, S.P.G, Glen & The Peanut Buttermen, Last Call

Lumber, Cold Red Mute, Panel VanHalen

LOOP

Friday

Sleeps, Furniture Incident, Upperhand, Get To The Chopper, Crying Sirens

Friday

Saturday

Trivia

ESPLANADE GERSHWIN ROOM

EMPRESS HOTEL

Dear Stalker, Chk! Chk! Boom!, The Instincts, Hands Like Ours

Monday

Kim Dezen, Jumbo

BRUNSWICK HOTEL

Friday

Graft Vs Host, Kill The Matador, Cabin Fever, Calvacade

Good Things Collective

Wednesday

Friendly Yen, 4tress, The Big Empty, Firefight

Saturday

Sunday

EVELYN HOTEL

Thursday

Step Into My Office Baby, Andrew McClelland, Nathan Jones, Miss Modette

Thursday

Andrew Nolte & His Orchestra

The Brunswick Open Mic with host Brodie

Friday

Catfish Voodoo, The Morning After, Boss, BJ Winters

Monday

Tuesday

Sunday

JOHN CURTIN HOTEL

Hanhela, God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise

Thursday Friday

Private Function The Glorious, Paul Ruske, Format Wars

Yffer, Nick Huggins Plastic Palace Alice, Blood Red Bird, Huw Murdoch

Saturday

Headspace, Dale Ryder Band, Bad Boys Batucada

Monday iBimbo

EMPRESS HOTEL, ARVO SHOW

Nikko, On Sierra, Roller One, Television Sky, DJ Bryant Jones

The Shivering Timbers

Free Music

April Maze, The Great Western, Cam Macintosh

Friday

Choro, Katie Harder & the Gentle Folk, Jesse Mitchell, Sunday Chairs

Saturday

Fruit Jar, The Good Ship, The Bon Scotts

PONY

Monday

Freedom Tiger Launch, The Egos, Diktion One, Kryptic, Los Theory

Sunday

Monday

Thursday

Cabin Fever, Old Skin, The Debutant Kid, Sweet Lady Brick, Love/Hate

Tuesday

Eugene Holcombe, Guests

Tax, Absolute Boys, Repairs, Angel Eyes

Letterbox Music, Gabriel Lynch, The Hazelman Brothers, Ellen Kibble, Adrian Whitehead, Kate Walker, Sprowell

Tuesday

Open Mic

Sunday

The Stax Soul Revue, The Wolfgramm Sisters, The Chromenips, Gruntbucket, Ben Salter, Clinkerfield, Jimmy Stewart, The Beat Disease

Sunday

Gerry Hales Bluegrass Sessions, DJ Dave Heard, ‘Crotchety Knitwits’

The Per-suaders, Kieran O’Sullivan, Gregory Wright, Steve Wide, Shaky Memorial

Orlando Radio Launch

Anna Paddick, Oh Pep!, Return to Youth, Mack & the Boys

Jimmy Tait, Howl At The Moon, Tehachapi

Saturday

Wolfy and the Batcubs, Made in China

YAH YAH’S Thursday

Twin Ages, Living Skies

Friday

Private Function

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BEHIND THE LINES Compiled by MICHAEL SMITH

ALL ABOUT MACKIE Laz Harris, Mackie PA’s US international products expert, will be on hand at Allans Music + Billy Hyde (152 Bourke Street, city) at 7pm on Thursday 8 September to talk you through all the latest Mackie gear, covering everything from understanding EQ and effects to how to set up the proper gain structure to get the best out of your system. Inevitably places are limited so though the session is free, it’s advised you register your interest by going to the Allans/ Hyde website, and why not? You’ll be going into the draw to win a Mackie Thump 12A powered speaker.

RECORDING BEADY EYE The release at the end of February of the debut album Different Gear, Still Speeding from Beady Eye, which is basically Oasis minus Noel Gallagher with a couple of additions, seems to have come and gone without much notice. It’s a shame when you consider the talent involved, including veteran producer Steve Lillywhite, whose credits stretch from XTC to U2, Siouxsie & The Banshees to Morrissey, The Pogues to Ultravox. The album was recorded at RAK Studios in London in the northern autumn of last year, and former Ride guitarist and Oasis member for their last decade, Andy Bell, shared some of his thoughts on recording in the 21st century. “I’ve gone back to playing guitar,” Bell explains. “I was playing bass in Oasis, so I’m playing all those old Ride guitars now, those 12-string Rickenbackers. On some of the later Oasis records, we were recording to Pro Tools and two-inch 24-track tape, but you just get tired of 24-track – it’s not as good. I know it’s heresy to say so but multi-track recording is improved by Pro Tools – they really have it down. The one time that I think you do need an analogue part of the process is in the mastering. The ideal for me is record in Pro Tools, transfer it onto tape when you’ve mixed it and then back from tape into the mastering and then you’ve got all the analogue warmth and you’ve got all the amazing potential of digital recording, which is basically everything you ever do – you never miss a take, you never miss a note, you can go back, you can time-stretch it, you can change it, you can do what you want with it, you can use things you’ve recorded in any situation and just put them right into your record – it’s great.”

SOUND BYTES

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

THE BIG DADDY The man behind the music, ROSS WILSON, and the engineer behind the remastering, DON BARTLEY, talk to MICHAEL SMITH about a new remastered version of the Australian classic, Daddy Who? Daddy Cool!. Back in July 1971, Daddy Who? Daddy Cool! became – at least until Skyhooks released their Ross Wilsonproduced debut album, Living In The Seventies, in 1975 – the highest-selling Australian album to date, shifting more than 100,000 copies. Yet surprisingly, it’s never been reissued on CD – until now, 40 years on.

Ross Hannaford and Ross Wilson recording in 1971

“I decided to start [mastering] the album with Eagle Rock because we actually had an original master tape from 1972, which funnily enough, when I got it, it’s got writing on it and it’s my writing! I mastered a vinyl of this tape when I was working at CBS, which was then called the Australian Record Company [now Sony], at Artarmon in the cutting rooms. And Robie [Porter] was the one who brought this tape in, which was very unusual in those days, to have your clients attending, but I remember it because he was my first client.

“Yeah, amazing isn’t it?” Wilson concurs. “In the CD era, which is almost over,” he laughs. “The original tapes are there – not the multi-tapes but the quarter-inch masters, as they had back then. Sony bought the whole catalogue from Wizard, which used to be Sparmac, way back in the day.” The album was recorded at what was then called Armstrong Studios in South Melbourne, with indie label Sparmac label co-owner Robie Porter – who’d originally made a name for himself as Rob EG, an instrumental artist, in the early 1960s – producing. Recent UK migrant Roger Savage, who’d learned his craft recording early singles by The Rolling Stones, engineered, assisted by Ern Rose, who himself became a producer and took over Armstrong’s, by then AAV, in the late ‘80s and renamed it Metropolis, which sadly closed in 2006. “Daddy Who? was recorded on eight-track, and by the time we got around to our second album, Sex, Dope, Rock’n’Roll – Teenage Heaven, they’d moved up to 16-track,” Wilson says. As for Porter’s production approach, “He just let us play, and then he mixed it in the States, which we thought was a good idea. Everything was done in a couple of takes and we then jumped up around a microphone putting vocals and back-up vocals on. The whole thing took two-and-a-half days. “The American engineer, and he doesn’t get a mention anywhere and I’ve forgotten his name, he was real good because neither he nor Robie wanted to use lots of effects – they only used effects if it was appropriate,” Wilson continues. “So the thing that sets this album

serendipitously, to mastering engineer Don Bartley, who these days runs Benchmark Mastering out of what used to be EMI’s 301 Studios premises in Sydney’s Castlereagh Street.

apart from all the other albums that you listen to from the time is it’s not drenched in reverb, ‘cause that was and is an Australian thing, except for the Albert’s records – AC/DC and stuff like that, they were very dry too, you know, dry, powerful guitars. The only time we used echo was for effect, on Lollipop or something – used discreetly, rather than on everything. “It was also released as a stereo album. Now that might not sound like much, but at the time they used to release albums as a mono version and a stereo version because there wasn’t a mass of stereo players throughout the nation, they were still kind of a new thing. So one of the nice things about the Daddy Who? album is it’s got that really nice American extreme panning of instruments.”

“The mixes in those days, when a tape came in like that, it was basically ready to go. You didn’t really have to do anything except find a good level and do a very faithful transfer onto the disc. In fact at CBS when I first started, we weren’t allowed to adjust sound and we didn’t have any equipment to do it anyway. The tape came with line-up tones on them, so you’d line them up and then that was the way it got transferred. But Robie wanted more bass or more tops or something and we had to go and find something to plug in. He’d already spent time in the States and, at that time, producers there were coming into mastering sessions asking for tracks to be louder, softer or brighter. They’d already started doing manipulation while transferring the signal across to the lacquer [the original ‘stamp’ from which the vinyl disc would then be pressed]; we weren’t doing that here so he came in and said we should be able to do it here, so it was an introduction to a new way of mastering.” The remastered 40th anniversary edition of Daddy Who? Daddy Cool! is out now through Sony

Remastering duties fell, as it turns out rather

Coldplay called on three producers – Markus Dravs, Daniel Green and Rik Simpson – as well as Brian Eno, who added not only his own unique production touches but also some additional composition, when they recorded their fifth album, Mylo Xyloto, due for release in late October. A Creature I Don’t Know, the third album from UK songbird Laura Marling, is due out September. It was produced by Ethan Johns (Kings Of Leon, Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne, Emmylou Harris). Iconic American filmmaker David Lynch recorded his self-produced debut album, Crazy Clown Time, due for release in late October, over several months in his own Asymmetrical Studios with engineer Dean Hurley. Melbourne four-piece Husky recorded their forthcoming debut album, Forever So, in their own makeshift studio in a backyard bungalow before sending it off to Noah Georgeson (Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart, The Strokes) to mix at the House Of Blues Studios. Country/roots singer/songwriter Sara Tindley took herself down to South Australia to record her latest album, Time, in The Yearlings’ studio, My Sweet Mule, with Yearlings’ guitarist Chris Parkinson producing and Mick Wordley recording and mixing, before Wordley took the record to his Mixmasters Studio in Adelaide to master. Packwood might be an independent act but that obviously wasn’t going to compromise the desire to record the music as they were hearing it, so a 50-piece orchestra joined the band at Trackdown Studios in Sydney’s Moore Park with engineer Daniel Brown (Sydney Symphony, Katie Noonan). The rest of the recording for their selftitled debut EP was done at Linear Studios with Chris Vallejo (Josh Pyke, Empire Of The Sun).

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CALL or EMAIL: jeremy@leftofelephantsound.com.au M: 0421 836 876 WEBSITE: www.leftofelephantsound.com.au www.myspace.com/leftofelephantsound

LIVE SOUND EQUIPMENT, STUDIO NEEDS, PA SPEAKERS, MIXING CONSOLES, MICROPHONES, SIGNAL PROCESSING, CABLES, MULTICORES, STANDS ROAD CASE SPECIALISTS – READY TO GO AND CUSTOM MADE

E-STORE : WWW.GIGGEAR.COM.AU SALES@GIGGEAR.COM.AU CALL : 1300 289 997 FACTORY 18 / 21 BARRY STREET, BAYSWATER, 3153 SHOWROOM HOURS MON – FRI : 9.00AM-6.00PM;

NEED A MONTH OF WORK WITH GREAT PAY? The Established Bottled Water Company is looking for a bakers’ dozen of good workers to help out with our current project.

$20-36 per hour Great working hours: 10am-4pm, Monday-Friday Located in a bright Victorian mansion just off Lygon street, Carlton. We are seeking friendly people with a laid-back and conﬁdent phone manner to call businesses. The idea is simple, for every bottle of water a company buys, a bottle with their name on it gets sent out to the SES volunteers. Continued work will be created for the right people. If you have good command of the English language and basic computer skills call us today on:

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EMPLOYMENT ADMINISTRATION Affordable MUSIC LAW services - advice, contracts and contacts. New entertainment law firm: creative|legal (Discount with iflog ID) Contact us: WEB www.creativelegal.com.au PHONE 03 8682 8529 EMAIL contact@ creativelegal.com.au SKYPE creative.legal iFlogID: 14900

DJ AVAILABLE- ANYTIME

www.djzokithefab.com -0416306340 for any dj service club or home or birthday call anytime-GET A REAL DJ NOT MP3 PLAYER OR CRAPPY DOWNLOAD....... VINYL DJ ROCKS iFlogID: 14930 Drummer wanted for Sydney Grunge Band. In Carlingford/Paramatta area 24 years and under. Influences: Silverchair, Nirvana, AIC, Sabbath etc Contact Daniel on 0403 885 433 for more info and demos. iFlogID: 13938 Les Paul Custom Epiphone White, goldtop hardware. plays beautiful and gives a great full sound. comes with gator hardcase and fender straps-W-straplocks.retail $1800 selling $950!!! call Nathan on 0423197252 iFlogID: 14232 Line 6 Flextone (Multi Effects) 75Watt Bought for $1450, selling $850. looks brand new, great clean to heavy metal. to buy or test Call Nathan on 0423197-252 iFlogID: 14230

CALL CENTRE/CUST. SERVICE

FUNDRAISING: ANIMAL WELFARE

FILM & STAGE SOUND & MUSIC RemmosK live debut @ the Valve Bar - Tempe 01-09-11. For lovers of pure unashamed rock, be sure to catch their inaugural gig for full bragging rights. iFlogID: 14534

FOR SALE AMPS

VINYL

LANEY GH120 GUITAR HEAD

120 watt.2 channel.f/switchable.reverb.direct out.very punchy.great tone.UK made.VGC.$350.Ph.0428744963. Cooroy iFlogID: 13021

PEAVEY BANDIT 80WATT 12” GUITAR COMBO

2 channel.footswitchable.great fat tone.reverb/saturation etc.USA made.VGC.$350. Ph.0428744963. Cooroy iFlogID: 13019

PEAVEY WINDSOR SERIES 400WATT 4/12 SLANT CAB.

supreme XL speakers.HUGE bottom end grunt.AS NEW cond.$450.. iFlogID: 13023

BASS GIBSON EPIPHONE SG BASS GUITAR.

solid mahogany.great Ph.0428744963.Cooroy.

fat

tone.VGC.$400.

iFlogID: 13029

CD / DVD Attention Musicians, Record Collectors, Universities, Libraries - new Book (print/cdROM/direct download) compiling 100 years of popular music. GO TO www.plattersaurus.com web-site on how to buy. Enquiries: (02) 9807-3137 eMail: nadipa1@yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 13287 Desert Sessions Vol 9 & 10 CD. Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss), PJ Harvey and Twiggy Ramirez (Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, A Perfec Circle) etc. $10- Ph0449713338 iFlogID: 14859

Love animals? Fundraising helps deliver world-changing animal welfare standards. Fun & social team with ethics. Want to build your CV by fundraising for WSPA? Go to WWW.FUNWAYSING.COM & join our team! iFlogID: 14867

ENTERTAINMENT A ACTORS EXTRAS & MODELS WANTED FOR FILM & TV WORK, NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED,ALL AGES AND SIZES WELCOME,NO JOINING FEES, CALL NK MODELS PH:02 9281 8108 M:0406 900 600 www. nkmodels.com iFlogID: 15258

SALES & MARKETING Looking for fun, ethical, paid work? Love meeting great people? Looking for a little more out of your career? Check out www.funwaysing.com iFlogID: 13785 People needed to send eMails offering a new music Book for sale. Must have own computer - payment by commission via Paypal. Contact Bill on (02) 9807-3137 or eMail: nadipa1@yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 13289

THE FLOWER KINGS - Unfold the Future Limited Edition 2 CD Set with bonustrack (Hard Digipak) $20. PROG ROCK LEGENDS Ph0449713338 iFlogID: 14863

DRUMS WANTED VINTAGE DRUM KIT, old Ludwig, Gretsch etc. Also want vintage snare drums etc. Sydney based but will pay top $ and arrange courier. Ph 0419760940 iFlogID: 13234

GUITARS FENDER PINK PAISLEY STRAT.

genuine 1980’s.all original.in case.great tone/action/ condition.very rare.$2000 ono.Ph.0428744963.Cooroy iFlogID: 13027 GODIN MIDI GUITAR ACS SA Nylon string semi-solid body with piezo and 13-pin MIDI output plus the Terratec Axon AX100 Synth controller & AX101 MIDI pickup. $2,400 including delivery. THE001Music@hotmail.com iFlogID: 13086

KEYBOARDS KORG TRITON Extreme88 synthesizer in new condition with keyboard stand and damper pedal. Worth over $7,000 sell for $4,295 including delivery. Currently in Perth. Phone 0439301165 Email: THE001Music@ hotmail.com iFlogID: 13084

OTHER RECORDING EQUIPMENT FOR SALE TASCAM DP-02CF combines 8-track recording with Portastudio™ interface. Designed for musicians who want to record quickly and have fun. WWW.TASCAM. COM FOR FEATURES/OVERVIEW $250 +POSTAGE CALL PONE 0430597676 iFlogID: 14347

BUCK 65 Situation 2 x Vinyl LP . Sleeve and Record are Brand New. $15 Ph0449713338 iFlogID: 14857

MASTERING Audio Mastering, mixing, recording. CD-R music & data duplication, cover artwork, colour disc printing, online global distribution. Full studio package deal for EP or full album projects. Enquiries ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 15156 Audio Mastering, mixing, recording. CD-R music & data duplication, cover artwork, colour disc printing, online global distribution. Full studio package deal for EP or full album projects. Enquiries ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 15162

OTHER

COLDCUT Sound Mirrors 2 x LP Vinyl. Sleeves and Records are brand new. $20 Ph0449713338 iFlogID: 14855

++ play more chinese music - love, tenzenmen ++www.tenzenmen.com iFlogID: 14468

CRADLE OF FILTH Godspeed and the Devil’s Thunder Gatefold 2 x Vinyl LP. Sleeve and Record are brand new - Sealed! $20 Ph0449713338 iFlogID: 14849

PA / AUDIO / ENGINEERING

KING CRIMSON Beat Vinyl LP Signed by Adrian Belew (guitarist also guest on Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, Tori Amos albums). Sleeve and Record in excellent condition. $20 Ph0449713338 iFlogID: 14861 NINE INCH NAILS Closer 12” Vinyl: further away (part one of a two record set), 1994. SEALED!!! VERY RARE! $80 ono Ph:0449713338 iFlogID: 14847 NINE INCH NAILS Year Zero Triple Gatefold 2 x Vinyl LP. Special Edition Heavy Etched Vinyl w/16 page book! Sealed! $45 Ph:0449713338 iFlogID: 14845 PETE ROCK NY’s Finest 2 X Vinyl LP. Sleeves and Records are brand new. $15 Ph0449713338 iFlogID: 14853 TYPE O NEGATIVE Dead Again Gatefold 2 x Green Vinyl LP. Sleeves and Records are brand new - Sealed. $20 Ph0449713338 iFlogID: 14851

MUSIC SERVICES BAND MERCHANDISE Cardboard Box Studios, Contributor to Rolling Stone Magazine, Dane specialises in providing high quality creative images to a diverse range of clients www. danebeesley.com iFlogID: 15218

MUSIC PRODUCER SERVICES

Aria Nominated Producer/Audio Engineer/Mixer/ Remixer + Online Vocal editing - all enquiries welcome. www.chriscorby.com. Ph0419355060 iFlogID: 15021 Pa hire,set up and pack down,great for bands and functions,We also have lights and sound man.We have over 20 years exp.Email me at nsound@live.com.au with ur event iFlogID: 14205 Sydney PA Hire: Best quality equipment, small to large 2, 3 and 4 way systems, packages for all occasions, competitive prices servicing Sydney and environs. Details; http://www.sydneypa.biz, Chris 0432 513 479 iFlogID: 13943

PHOTOGRAPHY Photographer with Studio available for your Album or band promotion shots. Always happy to help with unique creative ideas to suit your style. Gig shots available also. Call Jeff 0424050756 iFlogID: 14325

POSTERS Poster distribution for Music & Arts on the Gold Coast & Northern NSW. Fast, efficient and reliable service at a competitive price www.thatposterguy.com.au iFlogID: 14678

PRINTING

IS IT YOUR TIME...........?

To make the record that lets everybody else know how good, you already know, you are The Music Industry is going through a revolution. You now have the opportunity to be heard. Do you have what it takes? Artist/ Producer and Director of independent record label - Lee Bradshaw is seeking talent for 2011-2012 roster. www. bradshawmusicproductions.com Contact Kate - 0423972300 or kate@ bradshawmusicproductions.com iFlogID: 14875

DUPLICATION/ MASTERING CD MANUFACTURING:Acme is Australias best price CD manufacturer. 500 CD package = $765.05: 1000 CD package = $1320.00 Short run also available. www. AcmeMusic.com.au KevinW@AcmeMusic.com.au iFlogID: 13117

HIRE SERVICES For as low as $100, you get a professional sound/pa mixer system with operator for the evening. Suitable for weddings, pub/clubs band gigs, private parties etc. Infovision@yayabings.com.au. Contact Chris 0419272196 iFlogID: 15173

ARRANGING & PRINTING SERVICE

RECORDING STUDIOS Do you want to hear your song fully produced before you hit the recording studio? Any Instrument. Any Genre! First song is free!! For more information: 0437693454 llewellynstudios@live.com.au www. youtube.com/llewellynstudios iFlogID: 13120 Incubator Recording and Mastering. “Where the grooves are hatched”. Record your next demo or release in a relaxed creative enviroment with experienced engineer. Affordable check it out online at www. incubatorstudio.com.au iFlogID: 13892 Recording Studio, Parramatta, $30hr casual rate. No kits! Singers, songwriters, instrumentalists for acoustic, world, classical genres specialist. 25+yrs exp, multi instrumentalist, arranger, composer, producer. Ph: 02 98905578, 7 days. iFlogID: 15152 Recording Studio, Parramatta, $30hr casual rate. No kits! Singers, songwriters, instrumentalists for acoustic, world, classical genres specialist. 25+yrs exp, multi instrumentalist, arranger, composer, producer. Ph: 02 98905578, 7 days. iFlogID: 15160

REPAIRS Drum-In-Tensions - your local mobile Drum and Percussion service and repairs for Brisbane, Gold Coast and Northern NSW. Free quotes available. Call Timo now on 0402 980 602. iFlogID: 14888

TUITION ATTENTION: MUSIC CREATORS

Contact me for your free chapter of my book “ Chord Voicing for Composers, Arrangers, Songwriters and Pianists”. The complete guide to advance harmony. jdmuspub@gmail.com iFlogID: 15062 Drummer and Drum Lessons Drum Lessons avaliable in Gladesville Teach all Levels, ages and experience. Played for 16 years. I studied at Billy Hydes Drumcraft, Obtained Dipolma in Drummming Mob: 0402 663 469 Michael iFlogID: 13703 GUITAR LESSONS BEGINNERS-$25HR 1xFREELESSON guarantied guitar playing in days not years taking the frustration out of learning. Music CD’s teaching tools supplied. Teaching guitar 10years + SMS 0405 044 513 iFlogID: 13973 Music tuition, classical / flamenco guitar, celtic harp, theory & harmony, arranging. 9am - 9pm, 7 days. Parramatta area. $40 hr, $30 half hr. Mature & patient. Harps for hire. Ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 15154 Music tuition, classical / flamenco guitar, celtic harp, theory & harmony, arranging. 9am - 9pm, 7 days. Parramatta area.$40 hr, $30 half hr. Mature & patient. Harps for hire. Ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 15158

VIDEO / PRODUCTION Professional music preparation services including arranging, transcribing, and orchestrating for bands of all sizes and styles.We also provide a specialised music printing service using high quality paper in a range of customised sizes and weights. aurigami.com. au/scoreprep.php iFlogID: 15124

D7 STUDIO MUSIC VID FROM $250 music vid $250. Live gig edits, multiple angles, from $150 or 1 live track from $80. All shot in full HD. d7studio@iinet.net.au ph:0404716770 iFlogID: 13368 Kontrol Productions is a highly professional production company that specializes in the production of music video’s. We ensure that our products are of the highest industry standards. For enquiries www.kontrolproductions.com iFlogID: 13827 MUSIC VIDEOS offer a great way to gain exposure. Immersion Imagery has worked with a variety or artists and strives to offer quality & creative Music Videos. Visit www.immersionimagery.com email info@immersionimagery.com iFlogID: 13825

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MUSICIANS AVAILABLE DRUMMER A1 PRO DRUMMER AVAILABLE for freelance gigs, tours etc. Extensive touring experience, gret time/tempo/ groove, great drum gear and pro attitude. Sydney based but will travel. More info, ph 0419760940. www.mikehague.com iFlogID: 13230 TOP INTERNATIONAL DRUMMER available, great backing vocals, harmonica player and percussionist. Gigs, tours and recording always desired. www. reubenalexander.net iFlogID: 14261

GUITARIST 18 year old guitar player looking to form Rock N’ Roll band. Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, New York Dolls. Preferably in South. Call Tom on 0401722767. iFlogID: 13358

OTHER Percussionist - Professional Freelance Percussionist with 20 years professional experience playing both nationally & internationally. Looking to perform with professional musicians on a freelance basis. Very reliable. Call Timo on 0402980602. iFlogID: 14923 We are a friendly jazz band playing music to any style for romantic situations, weddings, anniversaries, small cozy clubs - very affordable. contact Chris 0419 272 196 ventura@yayabings.com.au iFlogID: 15177

SONG WRITER RemmosK live debut @ the Valve Bar - Tempe 01-09-11. For lovers of pure unashamed rock, be sure to catch their inaugural gig for full bragging rights. iFlogID: 14609

MUSICIANS WANTED BANDS Guitarist wanted for new band, album already recorded, band ready to gig. Been compared to No Doubt, Lily Allen. We have charts for all songs. Call Francesca 0431907626 iFlogID: 15013 Open Mic Every Thursday At The Plough Hotel,great venue,Bands welcome,amps,drums,pa provided.333 Barkly Street Footscray, email me with any questions nsound@live.com.au iFlogID: 14207 Sydney SoundClouders Meetup featuring live bands and solo performances @ The Valve Bar & Venue, 900 Princes Hwy, Tempe on Thursday, September 1, 2011. Free event - all welcome. iFlogID: 14843

BASS PLAYER Bass Player wanted - Must have good gear, transport and be a solid player. Gigs waiting. Infl: Paramore, All time low etc www.myspace.com/thestellaraffect Ph: 04326321495 for an audition. iFlogID: 15282 New three piece needs a third piece-BASS player who isn’t scared of solos and melodic work. Sounds like Tumbleweed, Custard, Magic Dirt. Rehearsing at Marrickville. Call Poncho 0414184301 iFlogID: 14283

DJ Looking for a cool DJ to work with in forming a killer club act with live drums/percussion. Call Al on 0400 909 633 drumpercuss@hotmail.com iFlogID: 14052

DRUMMER Can you groove? Guitarist and bassist looking for determined drummer to form a heavy rock, funk blues driven jam band in the Bondi area. Preferred age: 16-24. Call Andrew: 0414399413. iFlogID: 14410 Energetic drummer needed to form a progressive heavy rock band in Bondi area. Are you serious, determined and able to drive the rhythm section whilst still keeping a groove? Call:0414399413. iFlogID: 14934 WHO ARE YOU? Are you a reliable Metal Head into Conspiracies who plays Drums or Guitar? CONTROL NEEDS YOU...Contact: 0423 350 259 iFlogID: 15071

GUITARIST 18 year old guitar player looking for another guitar player. Influences: GN’R, Aerosmith, Zeppelin, New York Dolls. Preferrably someone in the south (Shire). Call Tom on 0401722767 iFlogID: 13407 Guitarist wanted - Must have good gear, transport and be a solid player. Gigs waiting. Infl: Paramore, All time low etc www.myspace.com/thestellaraffectPh: 04326321495 for an audition. iFlogID: 15280 NOEL GALLAGHER required for SYDNEY based OASIS cover band. Must have good gear, transport and band experience. Lead ability not essential. Good vocals. Call karl 0415 877 918 iFlogID: 13432 NOEL GALLAGHER required for SYDNEY based OASIS cover band. Must have good gear, transport and band experience. Lead ability not essential. Good vocals. Call karl 0415 877 918 iFlogID: 14036

OTHER www.ozjam.com.au is free to join, and with over 5000 members its fast becoming the largest online music community in Australia! If your looking to join or form a band, find a band member or get exposure check Ozjam out today! iFlogID: 14982

UP & COMING BANDS WANTED...

Up & coming bands wanted for gigs-get yourself some exposure in front of small/med size crowd-send band details & contacts to soundbar@bigpond.com iFlogID: 13071

SINGER GOSPEL SINGERS WANTED for non-denominational music ministry to record triple-CD in Perth. World-class, passionate and devotional vocalists sought. View www. THE001Music.com for details. Jesus is KIng! Reverend Eslam. God Bless You! iFlogID: 13088 Very strong Professional female singer (18-30) with cover band experience - for Corporate Party Covers Band based in Sydney, agency backed and plenty of work! Send Bio to info@techwebdevelopers.com iFlogID: 14364

SERVICES GRAPHIC DESIGN Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY- from $399 including UNLIMITED pages, Logos, Hosting and 5xemail addresses and much more! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au iFlogID: 13864

Graphic Design for the music industry. Work to your budget and needs for your next logo, flyer, album art or merch design. Contact design@dillonashcroft.com or head to dillonashcroft.com iFlogID: 15088 Limited Edition mens tees and hoodies with a sense of humour. All hand-screened and numbered. monstrositystore.com iFlogID: 13611

OTHER Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY- from $399 including UNLIMITED pages, Hosting and 5xemail addresses and much more! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www. bizwebsites.com.au. iFlogID: 13862 Need to promote your restaurant, club and make it the place to go? Contact us now, because providing good entertainment is a personal skill. Chris 0419 272 196 ventura@yayabings.com.au iFlogID: 15175

TATTOO Monstrosity Dreadlocks, Sydney. Dreads and maintenance special: All service $30 per hour. Professional, guaranteed service. Kings Cross. Call 0421356410 iFlogID: 13613

TUITION GUITAR LESSONS BEGINNERS-$25HR 1xFREELESSON guarantied guitar playing in days not years taking the frustration out of learning. Music CD’s teaching tools supplied. teaching guitar 10years + SMS 0405 044 513 iFlogID: 13975 MUSIC TUITION- Guitar, Bass, Drums, 5 String Banjo. Catering for all ages, private one on one lessons. Rock, Blues, Country, Jazz, Slide, Finger Picking. Sutherland Shire.Contact Terry- 0402 993 268 iFlogID: 15166

STAND-UP COMEDY WORKSHOP

Have fun learning invaluable comedy, presentation & life skills from ARIA nominated Robert Grayson w JJJ Raw Comedy finalists in 3 states in 2011 www.youstandup.com Robert@youstandup.com Ring 0401 834 361 iFlogID: 15113