January 2012
4 posts
2 tags
Washed Out
Ernest Greene - aka Washed Out – makes music that sounds exactly like his stage name suggests: it’s wispy, dreamy and free flowing, so it should come as little surprise that it’s been tagged as part of the so called `chillwave’ movement. Greene started working on his brand of ambient synthpop a couple of years ago and got his first real break when songs he recorded in his own bedroom studio were...
2 tags
Interview with Rainbow Serpent festival's Tim...
Ever been to the Rainbow Serpent Festival in country Victoria?
Yes? No? Is there a few hands raised out there in internet land? I really can’t be sure. I, personally, have never been to the festival but it’s one that has always fascinated me. It’s kind of tucked away in the middle of nowhere and always features hundreds of artists that I’ve never heard of. I’ve...
1 tag
Prince Rama
Prince Rama are the real deal when it comes to psychedelia. Don’t believe me? Well, for starters, the band formed when they left the confines of an isolated Hare Krishna farm near Florida in the summer of 2007. Armed with free spirits, goat-skin drums and prayer bells, the trio headed out into the world and quickly made a name for themselves with their live shows blurring the boundaries between...
6 tags
My top albums of 2011
Hello again.
I hope you all had an awesome holiday break and got plenty of rest/drank heaps NYE/fucked a complete stranger/embarrassed yourself in front of your family at Christmas dinner by turning up on acid… well, maybe I speak for myself with those last few.
So it’s 2012. Yay? Not much has happened yet. Jay Z and Beyoncé had a baby girl. That’s pretty cool I suppose. But Blue Ivy Carter is a...
December 2011
6 posts
1 tag
I heart Battles
I heart Battles. You should too.
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Red Berry Plum interview
Red Berry Plum are a seven-piece out of Melbourne who write wistful folk pop. It’s quite lovely home-grown stuff that’s perfect for chilling out to during warm summer days. You can head over to their Facebook page to stream a couple of their songs, `Moon Owl’ and `Seaweed and a Feather’. I recently got the chance to have a chat to their vocalist/guitarist Pete Baxter ahead of their...
1 tag
Introducing: Oscar & Martin
Melbourne duo Oscar & Martin prove that sometimes less is more. Emerging from the leftovers of indie pop band Psuche, Martin King and Oscar V Slorach-Thorn’s minimalist pop drifts along on a sea of delicate crooning, bleeping keyboards and driving percussion. It’s honest. It’s stripped-back. It’s a bit like James Blake or Panda Bear and is bound to come tugging on your heartstrings. Their...
Watch
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Introducing: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Let’s be honest, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have one of the most ridiculous names buzzing around the local music scene at the moment. It’s the kind of name that when you mention them to people who haven’t heard the band, chances are you’ll be greeted with bemused enquires of, `king what and the whatty what? Come again, please?’ But rest assured, these seven lads won’t be a well kept...
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21st Meredith Music Festival
I’m sun burnt, my ears are ringing, my clothes are covered in glitter… but I had the time of my life at Aunty Meredith’s 21st birthday bash.
Two friends and colleagues - Tim Fisher and Bianca Faux Ami - and I gathered our thoughts together for this collective review of the festival.
Meredith Music Festival 2011, Meredith, Dec 9 - 11 review on Everguide.
The best thing that...
November 2011
6 posts
3 tags
Interview with Jae Laffer of the Panics
“Rain on the Humming Wire comes from me thinking about this place in the hills of Perth where I grew up. After there were storms, the whole place would be buzzing but there was no one around to hear it. All the powerlines would send out this buzzing sound. So I thought it would be interesting, with a record that is about looking back a lot of the time, to have its title taken from the...
5 tags
Flaming Lips, The Palace, Melbourne, Nov 17
photo: Ian Laidlaw
Seeing the Flaming Lips live is a very special experience. One that will probably change your perspective on live music forever. It’s not just a rock n’ roll gig - it’s a bonding experience between band and audience that’s complete with copious amounts of lighthearted silliness and eye-popping visuals.
Please see them live before you die.
Or,...
2 tags
Kashmere Club - Blood Runs Dry
My boys in Kashmere Club have a new video out for their song `Blood Runs Dry’. Wrap your eyes around it. Pretty impressive stuff, ey? Looks very professional. Watching it, you do get the feeling they would have been shaking the sand out for a good couple of hours afterwards- but you’ve got to go the distance for art. Expect to see it pop up on Rage in the next couple of weeks.
And...
2 tags
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
I had M83’s `Midnight City’ stuck in my head all day. Literally from dawn until dusk. On repeat. So when I finished work today the first thing I did was call my local record store and asked what time they closed. I then raced over and picked up a copy of their new album, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.
I haven’t been this excited about an album in a long time, and this...
1 tag
Sam Carmody and The Warning Birds interview
It’s been a productive year for Sam Carmody and The Warning Birds. Emerging from Perth in Western Australia, the catalyst for the indie folk five-piece was sparked when singer and songwriter Sam Carmody booked some studio time in late 2010 to record his own solo material. Armed with six songs, Carmody’s initial desire to record a minimalist acoustic collection faded when he enlisted the help of...
October 2011
5 posts
1 tag
happy Halloween
It’s not really a big thing in Australia, but get in the Halloween spirit with these ghoulish music videos before you go trick or treating tonight or just getting drunk at some house party somewhere.
* busting out some Thriller dance moves is optional but certainly encouraged *
3 tags
Ball Park Music, East Brunswick Club, Oct 21
photo: Amy Freshwater Photography
I wandered along to the East Brunswick Club last Friday to catch Ball Park Music. I’ve never been there before so I was a little surprised when I discovered it was such a small venue. The floors are sticky but the place has a nice welcoming atmosphere with its modestly sized stage and pub next door.
I wrote this review for Everguide.com.au. Check it.
...
1 tag
Introducing: Northeast Party House
Northeast Party House are six lads out of Melbourne. I saw them for the first time last Friday when they supported Brisbane’s Ball Park Music at the East Brunswick Club. They’re pretty fucking sick. They sound like Foals sitting down and having a picnic with the glossy beats of Passion Pit. Just straight up sugary pop goodness. Check them out.
Download their tune `Dusk’ here.
2 tags
Interview with Jebediah guitarist Chris Daymond
Okay, so not everything went my way when I interviewed Chris Daymond from Perth rockers Jebediah last Thursday evening. I was prepared as usual. I had done my research on the band, had my questions organised and had my recording stuff in place. Chris called my home phone a little after 5 pm. We talked for a few minutes and then the line went silent. I panicked. He called back a few minutes...
2 tags
HEALTH - Goth Star
I love this song at the moment. It sounds like the soundtrack to some dark sci-fi from the ’80s was thrown in the washing machine with a slab of modern dream pop akin to Washed Out or Beach House. It’s actually a cover of a Pictureplane song (sorry Pictureplane, but I still like HEALTH’s better).
You can download HEALTH - Goth Star here.
September 2011
7 posts
9 tags
Melbourne Parklife 2011
It’s the Tuesday after Melbourne Parklife and my brain is still scattered. I haven’t slept properly the last few nights and my ears are still ringing from the music. I’m piecing the day together in my mind, and from what I can remember, I had a good time.
My friends and I always drink way too much before going to music festivals. The whole morning consists of breakfast and beers. You want to be...
2 tags
Interview with Ball Park Music's Sam Cromack
I interviewed Sam Cromack from Brisbane indie rockers Ball Park Music last Friday. I always get really nervous before interviews, but once we got chatting it was ok. Turns out we have a couple of things in common: we both like Radiohead and Richard Dawkins. Sam also didn’t laugh at me when I couldn’t work out how to hang up the speakerphone at the end of the interview, and for that, I award him...
1 tag
My life and the daily grind
Help. I’m stuck in a rut. Stuck between a rock and a hard place. I need a new job.
At the moment I work in front of a computer all day. I have a fairly average desk job that pays well but is unrewarding. It’s not stimulating. It’s not interesting. It’s not fun. But it keeps me financially afloat and allows me to pay the bills.
But I’m not alone. Apparently a lot of people despise their day jobs....
2 tags
Introducing: Purity Ring
I like unconventional pop music. Music that makes you tap your feet but think at the same time. Music that takes the sugary sweet goodness of pop and pushes it in new directions. Bands like Animal Collective, the Knife, Sleigh Bells and Gang Gang Dance fit this criteria. They each harness a pop blueprint and contort it into something original by experimenting with voice manipulation, song...
5 tags
“Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to...”
– Bill Hicks (via mildlyaroused)
3 tags
Tool on a Tuesday evening.
Ok. It’s 11:05 p.m. I’m pretty tired. I’ve spent all day at work and have come home, gone for a run and have spent the evening typing away on the keyboard, adding tid bits like Gold Fields’ tour dates.
Anyways, sticking to my recent Metallica theme, here is some footage of prog-rockers Tool covering Metallica’s `Orion’ at the Big Day Out in Melbourne earlier this...
1 tag
Monday morning Metallica
People surfing the interwebs have short attention spans. Right now, you’re probably about to click another link and close this page. But wait! I’ve got a short video with a short anecdote.
So, I was going through my phone the other day and stumbled across all these videos I’ve taken at various gigs and music festivals. I know some people find it annoying when a sea of glittering little...
August 2011
3 posts
5 tags
A stew of thoughts
Hello. If you’re in Victoria, are you enjoying this sun? I’m lapping it up after months of rain and soggy shoes. So, a few things have happened since I last checked in.
I’ve recently got back from Sydney after spending a couple of days there. I went up because I wanted to see my dad accept a national teaching award at the Sydney Opera House. He is a university lecturer, and while we don’t see...
1 tag
Major Raiser: live music with a social focus
How often do you give back? I don’t very often. I mean, I donate blood every now and then and give my spare change to roadside collectors, but I wish I could do more sometimes. It’s a little bit tricky with work to find the time to give back to society. If I had more time, I would volunteer more. If I had more money, I would donate more. But the truth is, I lead a fairly modest lifestyle and...
whatever happened to CD stacks?
I’ve been sick for the last few days. It sucks. I’m all mucus and wheezing. But while lying in bed all day nursing a sore head and blocked nose, I started pondering my surroundings and got thinking, `whatever happened to CD stacks? Everyone used to have them, now my room looks old fashioned with all these archaic plastic disc containers everywhere. Am I old fashioned?’
Remember going around to a...
July 2011
8 posts
1 tag
Thanks Mr. Banhart
Sometimes I think it’s important to move outside your comfort zone. Take a chance. Be spontaneous. Do something that you normally wouldn’t do.
Last night I did just this. I bought a ticket to go see an artist I’d never heard before. I didn’t know any of his music, didn’t know anything about his background or the kind of fans he attracted. But it was exciting, because it was unfamiliar.
So...
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Modest Mouse, Modest Schmouse…
I went and saw Modest Mouse play at Prince bandroom in St Kilda, Melbourne, last night, and I’ve got to say, I was pretty disappointed with their performance. If I’m going to fork out $70 of my hard-earned cash to go see a band live, then I expect them to at least pretend that they’re trying to put on a good show. Rather, last night Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock came out on stage (noticeably...
2 tags
Hangovers and The Horrors' `Skying'
Ok, so I’ve been a little quiet on here lately, but it’s not really my fault. Time is finite. I’ve been working during the week, trying to listen to new music so I can write CD reviews to get my name out there and nursing a nasty hangover yesterday (yeah, I ended up going to Karova Lounge’s 7th birthday bash over the weekend and drinking my bodyweight in beer. Was fun at the time. My...
2 tags
... and here's the new vid from Hunting Grounds...
Here’s the new video for `In Colour’ by Hunting Grounds. It’s pretty cool, ey? And simple too for that matter. I suppose it just goes to show you don’t need the biggest budget to make a great music video. You just need good ideas.
I kinda wish I had of studied film or multimedia watching this video now. It just looks like fun. I did media studies in year 12 but spent all...
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Hunting Grounds deliver new single `In Colour’...
Those six young Ballarat lads that call themselves Hunting Grounds (formerly Howl) have released a brand new single titled `In Colour’ and it’s an absolute cracker! I’ve been following these blokes since they won triple j’s Unearthed High competition in 2009, and I’ve got to say, their sound continues to move forward in leaps and bounds with every release. `In Colours’ is the first taste of...
10 tags
Karova Lounge turns seven
Thank god for Ballarat’s Karova Lounge. Nestled on the corner of Field and Camp streets, it’s the hangout that’s kept the flame at the heart of Ballarat’s music scene burning brightly over many years. It’s a venue that I’ve visited on many occasions to catch the best local, national and international musicians and artists around. I love its modestly sized stage, occasionally sticky floors,...
1 tag
10 fun facts about Scottish band Mogwai
Mogwai are named after those furry critters in the movie Gremlins
`Mogwai’ also means ghost in Chinese
They don’t test their music on animals
Mogwai have a song titled `Batcat’, which is in no way related to the children’s Nickelodeon cartoon Catdog
They are playing an exclusive set at the Splendour in the Grass festival this year at roughly the same time as Kanye...
3 tags
Mr Little Jeans - `The Suburbs' (Arcade Fire...
I recently stumbled across this cover of Arcade Fire’s `The Suburbs’ by a relatively unknown Norwegian artist named Mr Little Jeans.
What I think is particularly great about this cover is the fact that it retains the spirit of the original while presenting a completely different instrumental interpretation of the song. Replacing the acoustic guitars with synths sounds like a gamble on paper, but...
June 2011
11 posts
2 tags
Gomez – Whatever’s On Your Mind
After 15 years of making music, Gomez could be considered veterans in the world of alternative rock. They’ve established themselves as forward-thinking Brits with a knack for creating genre-blurring songs amongst a democracy of songwriters and singers. Their 1998 Mercury Music Prize winning debut album, Bring It On, and extensive back catalogue is enough to allow them to continue to hold their...
3 tags
Mastodon reveal new album title
Those beardy metal folk in Mastodon have christened their next studio album the very macho title of The Hunter.
Sticking with all things sci-fi and bloodthirsty, the follow up to their 2009 album Crack The Skye will feature the tracks “Curl Of The Burl”, “Dry Bone Valley ”, “Blasteroids”, “The Octopus Has No Friends”, “All The Heavy Lifting” and “Stargasm”. It was recorded in the band’s hometown...
5 tags
Fight Club writer signs up for TV miniseries based...
Fight Club is an awesome movie. Nine Inch Nails are an awesome band. Put them together and what do you get? Well, hopefully an awesome TV miniseries. Ok, to be honest it’s not a literal combination of the two (don’t expect Trent Rezor to be running around shirtless with Brad Pitt, beating up wayward band groupies and dropping malevolent one-liners like, “We are all part of the same...
4 tags
prepare to be Washed Out
Ernest Greene - aka Washed Out - makes music that sounds exactly like his stage name suggests: it’s wispy, airy, dreamy and free flowing. So it’s no surprise that his music has been categorised as part of the so called `chillwave’ movement. What is surprising though is that Washed Out has generated a great deal of hype online and in certain music circles despite not having released a single...
3 tags
I scream, you scream, we all scream for… Battles!
Inject some incongruity into your Friday with Battles’ `Ice Cream’. It’s a beautiful and quite zany clip.
And for those hoping to catch the band in a live setting soon, keep those fingers crossed! Battles guitarist Ian Williams recently let it slip to triple j’s Zan Rowe that they intend to head to Australia over the New Year. “I think we’re talking about coming down there the end of this year...
3 tags
Radiohead - ``Staircase’’
It’s no secret that I absolutely love Radiohead (this blog is of course named after one of their songs).
I have all of their albums, a couple of their t-shirts and a poster of the Ok Computer artwork adorning my bedroom wall. Therefore, whenever they announce new material, I’m always all ears.
Below is a video of Radiohead performing a new song titled “Staircase’’. It’s a long, spirally...
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Parklife 2011 lineup revealed
The 2011 Parklife lineup was announced yesterday and there’s plenty of electro, rock and electro/rock crossover goodness on offer. The festival will wind its way around Australia, beginning in Melbourne on the 24th of September and concluding in Adelaide on the 3rd October. This year’s lineup features another eclectic mix of artists, with everyone from Swedish pop darlings Little Dragon through...
4 tags
Mastodon + Dillinger Escape Plan + Jane's...
Does liking heavy metal make you a bogan? Kinda. Metal’s pretty daggy with all its black t-shirts, long hair and devil hand gestures (you know the one: \m/ > . < \m/ ). But I still love a bit of metal every now and then and today I found out about a new and very exciting metal supergroup currently in the production stage. Mastodon guitar shredder Brent Hinds (pictured) has apparently...
7 tags
Harvest festival to hit Australia in November?
Keeps those ears to the ground and your eyes peeled! There’s rumours going around of a new music festival with a killer line-up headed Australia’s way in November! Leaks and speculation suggest that the people behind the Soundwave and Soundwave Revolution festivals are about to announce a new alternative music festival named Harvest.
Differing from the metal/emo/punk stylings of the Soundwave...
11 tags
Triple J’s Hottest 100 Australian albums of all...
So, I just finished voting in Triple J’s Hottest 100 Australian albums of all time and I’m mentally exhausted. I always struggle with top 10s in music because, for me personally, it’s like singling out my favourite family members or choosing one sole best friend and awarding them a prize – I just have so many that I like I can’t possibly decide! However, after much pondering and hair pulling, I...
2 tags
Dananananaykroyd - There Is A Way
Dananananaykroyd. It’s a great name isn’t it? Here’s a review I wrote of their upcoming album, There Is A Way. I think I’ll post it on Killyourstereo when the album is officially released.
They have one of the most ridiculous names in music today, but Scottish six-piece Dananananaykroyd are a band concerned with more than just silly puns and excessive syllables. Following...