Text Copyright Me

I'll walk you up - what time's the bus come?

2006-08-07T20:48:00.000+10:00

Arctic Monkeys were amazing the other night. I reviewed the gig, so make sure you pick up a copy of the mag. Encapsulating the excitement of an entire year could be difficult, you'd think, but not for this Sheffield quartet. They played a blistering set, and it was a pleasure hearing one of my favourite songs 'A Certain Romance' live. But it was their next single - the stunning 'Leave Before The Lights Come On' that really grabbed me.
Fuck, these guys are just amazing. They release their debut album in January after one single ('I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor'), the next single 'When The Sun Goes Down' causes hysteria, and they play some stupidly massive tours. They also continue writing and recording.
For their third single 'The View From The Afternoon', the band decide to release it as an EP called Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?, complete with brand new track 'Despair In The Departure Lounge', the revamped 'Cigarette Smoke Fiona' (complete with new lyrics, which, to be honest, is confusing) and two newbies I hadn't heard (the pretty 'No Buses' and the EP title track).
This is commendable in itself. You could understand - expect, even - that the band would choose their next single from the album, there's so many to choose from!
But no, they continue writing and writing and recording, and decide to release a completely new song as their next single: 'Leave Before The Lights Come On'. And I think it's one of their finest songs to date, alongside 'A Certain Romance'.
Then the news that the b-sides are both new, too. And covers! One is a cover of the old 50s romantic ballad 'Baby, I'm Yours' - originally recorded by Barbara Lewis.

This is why I love Arctic Monkeys! Six months after their amazing debut is released, we are here with a new EP, a single with awesome b-sides (well, two actually, but 'I Bet You Look Good...' was released before the LP) and another completely new single is on the way.

God bless Arctic Monkeys.

PS: You can download 'Leave Before The Lights Come On' from one of my favourite blogs, Untouched By Work of Duty. Get it here. Or, watch the video for 'LBTLCO' here!

Download a radio rip of Arctic Monkeys covering 'Baby, I'm Yours' here.

Scientists Are Golden

2006-08-05T10:47:00.000+10:00

My beloved Blog is back, friends. Let's hope I can keep it up! Yes, it's had a name change and I think it's all rather aesteticly pleasing, but the question is: can I keep it up?

We shall see!

Anyway, this morning I interviewed Keith Murray from We Are Scientists, pictured, which spawned this whole nostalgia for Blogger. No advertising; nice, neat and simple pages (compared to MySpace), and I remembered how much fun I was having during the two months I was an active Blogger.

Anyway, as many of you will know, I'm a fan of We Are Scientists. I came across the infectious 'The Great Escape' back in December 2005 on a CD that came with a copy of the NME, and was hooked. Alongside Giant Drag, WaS were my most anticipated tour this year. So imagine my horror when they decide to tour in August, when I'm in England for my mum's wedding. Everyone's telling me I'm stupid for being upset, because I'll be in the UK, but the fact of the matter is - this gig was something I was looking forward to ALL year and now it's been taken away from me.

As a consolation, Matt (my editor at Time Off) gave me the interview - which, by the way, was the most fun I've had so far - and that just made me even more gutted. I want to see We Are Scientists, dammit. So, you all must do me a favour and go see them. That is all I ask.

Keith (singer, guitarist - pictured right in photo) is a dude, to say the least. We spoke of the band's plans to steal Editors' new songs to record We Are Scientists' next record, and taking photos with koalas in the back alleys of Australian cities and potentially leaving minus a kidney. Then he told me to boycott my own mother's wedding so i can attend their show (haha), and reminisced about Patience making him fairy bread on their US tour, as well as revealing The Grates' secret heroin problem.*

Their debut With Love and Squalor - one of 2006's best releases - had unfortunately been collecting dust of late, along with The Grates, Giant Drag and Band of Horses' debuts. But when I was given the interview yesterday, I pulled my CD out and played it. And again. And again. This morning I've played it three times in a row. In fact, I just hit 'Play' again. It's brilliant. 'Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt', 'Cash Cow', 'The Great Escape', 'Textbook', 'Can't Loose' et al. are all great rock songs. And the guys are funny as fuck!

So, in fine tradition of posting links to audio you can hear (and hopefully download), here are a few WaS-related links:

Visit You Ain't No Picasso for downloads of WaS covering Sigur Ros' 'Hoppipolla' and an acoustic version of 'Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt'.

Or, how about the ultimate fanfest! Visit Nebulize My Mind to download their debut (independent) album, two EPs and some demos - all full length, and all free!

*Not true, obviously!

The lights have gone out

2006-05-03T19:33:00.000+10:00

Ok, so I was kidding myself that I could keep two blogs. How many people read this? I have no idea. How many people read my MySpace blog? I still have no idea, but it's more than this. So yes, the lights have gone out on Blogger, but the music can still be heard here.

Peace out.

Band of Horses

2006-03-31T16:39:00.000+10:00

Wow, it's disturbing how much I've become addicted to MySpace, but it's so easy to do! Like that brief moment of excitement when you finish work and are about to check your phone to see if you have any text messages, logging on to MySpace (or simply checking your email) opens a world of friend requests (mainly strangers which is a little weird) and comments and blog updates.

So, my apologies to Blogger for abandoning you for these past three weeks. And now without further adieu, here is a little musical update.

Band of Horses - Everything All the Time

Prior to last week, I'd never heard of this Seattle group. I was sent an email from my editor asking if I was interested in interviewing the band. Seeing they were on uber-cool label Sub Pop, and looking like they were in the same indie category as Death Cab for Cutie and co, I jumped at the chance.

I got a hold of the CD and what I heard was some of the most stunning music of 2006. I know I'm a bit of a sensationalist and a fan girl, but this is exquisite.

It's such an uplifting experience listening to Everything All the Time, and one feels quite euphoric when the CD ends. Seriously, it'd be a different music scene if Coldplay had taken this path. The first four tracks are stunning and I highly recommend you check them out.

The band was born out of the ashes of former Seattle scene favourites Carissa's Weird (which may or may not have something in common with the song of the same name by indie starlets Iron and Wine - who are friends of the band), in which Band of Horses songwriter and vocalist Ben Bridwell was the drummer.

Here are a few tracks to listen to:

Band of Horses - The Funeral (album highlight)

Demos

Band of Horses - Wicked Gil (very different version of the final album track)
Band of Horses - Bass Song (early demo of what became 'Our Swords' on the album)

PS: I have almost finished this new blog idea thingo, so expect it soon.

Shout out

2006-03-17T10:23:00.000+10:00

I will be beginning a series of larger posts very soon. As you will be aware, most of my posts are merely shoutouts about a band or artist i recommend and a link to a song of theirs, so you can listen and make your own mind up. Of course, the fact it's on my blog is an indictation that I like it.

This new feature will be similar, but I plan to make it a lengthier piece and each one will revolve around a certain topic.

I'm going to be ambiguous about it until the first post, so stay tuned!

Marlinchen update

2006-03-16T21:58:00.000+10:00

Well I finally saw these guys last night, and they were amazing! Their Drawing a Cat with the Aid of Two Coins tracks were stunning live and the new tracks (well, new to me!) were as beautiful as one could have hoped for. Unfortunately Ric's sucked balls as a venue, as a decent chunk of the audience sat talking to each other about which brand of cigarette they prefered and going into detail about their Telstra bill. Yeah buddy, I sat beside you. Also, having smoke blown in my face isn't cool...

But the crowd aside, Marlinchen were breathtaking. I didn't realise Glen used a bow on his electric bass which was a welcomed suprise, and Jasmine's voice was haunting. Goosebump material indeed. I can't wait to see them in a more fitting venue such as the Powerhouse, the Judith Wright Centre or Woodford. Until then, I'll have to keep listening to their CD.

The band have created a website - a blog in fact - and you can find it here.

J.O.Y Submission

2006-03-09T10:41:00.000+10:00

Ok, now people close to me know how much I hate the look of MySpace, but I have only praise for what the site is. Last minute posts by bands have given me much vital information going into interviews, checking out a Top 8 can give you some idea of fellow artists (unless they put their fans in there) and along with the blogs I frequent, has been a great source of educating my musical knowledge.

It was through MySpace that I found out Regina Spektor and the Dresden Dolls are friends, and that is so much cooler than you could possibly imagine in my book. But also, and the whole point of this post, is another female singer who is Regina Spektor's Top 8:

Jenny Owen Youngs. As pictured:

Now, from her publicity shots, she may look like another Avril Lavigne, but seriously - would Miss Spektor have Miss Lavigne in her Top 8? Me thinks not.

Hailing from New Jersey, Owen Youngs has a delicate, crisp voice I guess you could say is similar to Chan Marshall (Cat Power), but that's a very loose comparison. Think of nice indie pop songs and you're getting there, and she does a pretty damn good cover of Kelly Clarkson's 'Since You Been Gone' on her MySpace. I love it when people laugh during songs...

But this is the track I highly recommend you download: Jenny Owen Youngs - Fuck Was I.

To hear her singing in a less acoustic environment, check out her other project The Robot Explosion.

A History of Violence

2006-03-06T21:32:00.000+10:00

I've just returned from the movie theatre, after watching David Cronenberg's latest film A History of Violence. I hadn't actually planned on going - it was all rather spare of the moment, so I had no expectations of it. I've had great success with films I have no expectations of; The Magician was good, and Night Watch blew me away (just to give you two recent examples).

The film centres around the passive father character of Tom Stall (played brilliantly by Viggo Mortensen) and his family, including wife Edie (Maria Bello) and two children. The opening scene of the film however, is a particularly slow chapter where the audience is introduced to two menacing characters. This is my first experience with Cronenberg, but I presume the long, quiet shots are something of a signature for the director.

The scene ends with the revelation of a murder, and we switch to a peaceful town, and into Stall's diner, where we meet Tom. He pours coffee and jokes with his co-workers and customers, and it is revealed that this is a tight-knit community. You just know that the two sinister characters from the first scene are going to stopping by anytime soon.

Sure enough, they do and here we have the movie's first brutal scene, yet once the deed is done, you the audience are left with a feeling of satisfaction, as it was in self-defence. A couple of blows to the chest and a perfect shot through the top of the head, and suddenly Tom is a hero. But Tom is also a little too good at shooting.

Cue the bad guys in expensive suits and flash cars, who believe Tom isn't who he says he is, and we have ourselves a nice little conflicting story.

The movie is slow, with not much incidental music and some quite banal dialogue at times; just like life. There is no soliloquy, nor are their any kodak moments, and this is what makes the violence so shocking; just when you think something is going to happen (long, silent zooms that lead to nothing), bam! Out of the blue.

The most satisfying scene in the film (and indeed, in recent cinematic history) comes when Tom's son Jack (Ashton Holmes) hits the school bully, who has continuously harassed the guy. Although quite violent, each kick in the face is satisfying to watch (and hear) because, although your parents always told you to walk away, finally your fantasy comes true.

The score, if you can call it that really, is provided by Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings) and although the music plays second fiddle to the outstanding use of silence, quite often Shore treads into Bernard Herrmann territory, but instead of sounding cliched, the music and it's accompanying shot work well, and it's a joy to hear.

One thing I picked up on was the recurring theme of doors throughout the movie, and particularly shots of doors closing. Always centred on screen, it's as if these doors are sending the audience a message. Has Tom left something behind so shocking, he must block it out? One door opens, another one closes?

A History of Violence doesn't resolve; the ending is quite ambigious, and you just know film scholars are going to be salivating at the mouth knowing they have a new film to use in their studies, but I'm pretty sure Cronenberg fans will be left in the cinema feeling a little short changed.

Is it brilliant, or is it merely Cronenberg's most easily-accessible film? Only time will tell, I guess. I can't wait to see it again.

View the trailer.

The Gossip

2006-03-05T00:20:00.000+10:00

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine (Adam of Go Stop Stop fame) said how much he wanted to see this band called Pretty Girls Make Graves. Having never heard of them, I figured they'd have to be pretty cool if he liked them, so I got my name on the door, and along we went.

We got there at 9pm, after the first two bands had finished, as Adam was supposed to have been at band practice, but a problem with the bass amp had been too much, and the guys called it a night.

Now, Pretty Girls were awesome - I highly recommend you check them out (you can catch a tune on their MySpace) - but it was the support act that blew me away: The Gossip.

Hailing from New York, and good buddies of Le Tigre, The Gossip (pictured) is fronted by a chick full of sass and soul, Beth Ditto (centre). Boasting a voice many black singers would be jealous of, and backed by a mere guitar and drums, this trio command your attention.

THIS IS WHAT POP MUSIC SHOULD BE IN 2006.

Enough said. Download The Gossip - Standing In The Way of Control and I know you won't be dissapointed.

Faith and Disease

2006-03-02T17:12:00.000+10:00

One thing Marlinchen-related that I can link you towards, is that they cite Cocteau Twins and Faith and Disease as their two primary influences.

I have fallen in love with Faith and Disease. Their unbelievable song 'Wallow' is the perfect medium between Angelo Badalamenti's score to Mulholland Drive and Lisa Gerrard's work in the films Gladiator and The Insider: lush, deep strings with an almost synth quality with layered haunting, arabesque vocals. Listening to this music just reminds me how so much of the music that comes out this day is devoid of beauty.

If you like any of the following:

Soundtracks to:
Mullholland Drive,
The Insider,
Gladiator,

Or these artists:
Dead Can Dance
Lisa Gerrard
Sigur Ros

Then you should definately download Faith and Disease - Wallow. You can download a handful of other tracks by the duo here.

Marlinchen

2006-03-02T16:50:00.000+10:00

It's raining outside. Everything looks lush and deeply green. Everything is clean and refreshed. What a perfect environment to be writing about a newly discovered band.

A few days ago I received a demo CD from a local band called Marlinchen. Everything about the band is magical; their name inspired by a Brother's Grimm fairytale (The Juniper Tree), the handwritten letter from the publicist named Emily (one of the prettiest names), the bio that looks like it's been ripped out of an old book, the CD artwork featuring drawings remeniscent of children's rhymes and then the music. Featuring only four songs, Drawing a Cat With the Aid of Two Coins is the most amazing aural experience I've had since getting ahold of Sigur Rós' Takk... From the opening song eerily sounding like Tubular Bells, to the vocals that conjure a very mournful Lisa Gerrarad (Dead Can Dance/Gladiator soundtrack) all creating the most amazing atmospheres. Violins mourning and pianos rippling, voices quivering...It is easy to picture a forest with fairies and gnomes, or trekking through some wilderness in a very remote part of the world. The band proclaim to write music for "a soundtrack to a film never imagined" - well, I want to imagine it.

Alas they have no website, but I may just skip my rule and upload a track in the near future. They have no website, hardly any presence on the Internet at all, but this all adds to their mythical quality. I can't wait to experience them live.

I'll post again when I have some Marlinchen related links...

Wolfmother remixed!

2006-02-26T17:45:00.000+10:00

Again, supposedly 'working' (check: reading music blogs for fun), I'm at war with myself because I have a stupidly short attention span. Anyway, I came across this blog today with the promise of a remix of Wolfmother's "Woman" and much to my happiness, they delivered on the goods. And what good goods too! It's not enough that vocalist Andrew Stockdale (pictured) looks like he's from the 70s fronting a rock band, but when you remix the track with 70s funk licks, it's almost taking the piss. But it's so good, we can forgive them for that. Oh yeah, the remix is by MSTRKRFT, a side project of Death From Above 1969.

Wolfmother - Woman (MSTRKRFT Remix)

The "Dancing in the Dark" mp3 / The Grates

2006-02-26T17:17:00.000+10:00

Great news for readers of this blog (all of whom are too good to leave a simple comment every now and then...), I have managed to convert (and when I say "I", I mean "Ricky") the Tegan and Sara streaming video of "Dancing in the Dark" to an mp3, so you can all download it and play it til your heart's content.

Enjoy!

Tegan and Sara - Dancing in the Dark

Although, probably not very legal, I'm sure there's a loophole somewhere I've gotten through, since it's just an audio copy of a video stream. Please don't sue me...I mean well.

I also made an mp3 (again, it was actually Ricky) of "19-20-20" by The Grates. It's the first single from their upcoming (and fucking highly anticipated) debut LP. But I'm not uploading that mp3 cos that would be illegal and I don't want to screw a band if I can help it. That said, check out their MySpace and you'll find it streaming there.

Want to see the artwork for "19-20-20"? Click here.

It's official: Portishead #3

2006-02-24T13:13:00.000+10:00

Just confirmed on Portishead's MySpace (linked from their official site). Which means 2006 may well knock 1997 and 2004 off top spot for best music years in my life time. The anticipation is just insane:

The Grates (debut)
Butterfingers (sophomore)
Muse (album number 4)
The Streets (numero tre)
The Butterfly Effect (sophomore album; big production debut)
Portishead (long awaited album #3)
Dirty Pretty Things (debut from Carl Barat's new band)
Razorlight? (aiming for a 2006 release)

Favourite albums of Jan/Feb 2006

2006-02-24T12:25:00.000+10:00

January/February

01. Tegan and Sara - So Jealous
02. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
03. Cat Power - The Greatest
04. We Are Scientists - Of Love and Squalor
05. Great Lake Swimmers - Bodies and Minds
06. Howie Beck - Howie Beck
07. Richmond Fontaine - The Fitzgerald
08. Die! Die! Die! - Die! Die! Die!
09. CocoRosie - Noah's Ark

Sigur Rós

2006-02-20T21:19:00.000+10:00

As many of you will know, "Takk..." by Sigur Rós was one of my favourite albums of 2005, but I'd go one better now and say it is one of my favourite albums of all time. The Icelandic quartet are coming to Brisbane in April, and I really want to go - there's just a small problem with the $70 ticket price.

One of the blogs I frequent, You Ain't No Picasso, has a review of their concert in Louisville, Kentucky and it's a really well written piece. I now need to get to this Brisbane concert. It's a matter of seeing one of the most incredible bands of Earth.

Read the review here.

Download the track that closed the concert: Sigur Rós - Popplagið.

You can also download a lot of full-length mp3s off the band's official website here.

"Dancing in the Dark"

2006-02-18T00:46:00.000+10:00

Thursday night I saw Tegan and Sara at The Zoo. They were fucking amazing; they have this energy that just pulls you in and holds you tighter and tighter. Amusing banter, amazing songs...it was just incredible. They have their doubters, and those who think they are derivative with their music, but that's just being petty, I say. These sisters are infectious and have voices you just fall in love with. Of course 'I Know, I Know, I Know', 'So Jealous', 'You Wouldn't Like Me' and 'Walking With A Ghost' were personal highlights, but the biggest highlight of the show was, without a doubt, their cover of Springsteen's 'Dancing in the Dark' which closed the set (after Sara informed the crowd, "so this is where we say 'thank you' and go side of stage, try to dry our wet pants from all the sweat, and you scream our names, before we come back for the encore" or something like that). I had pretty much written it off as another average 80's song (I still think Springsteen's finest hour was 'Streets of Philedelphia') - you know, the one where Courtney Cox is dancing on stage with him. I think... And the coolest part is that I found a streaming video of a recording of the song the duo did in a radio station. Watch it here.

*****

Unfortunately we arrived late at the gig and I only saw two Iron On songs, which I was dissapointed with because I really wanted to see them, and judging by the crowd that was there watching them, they were good. Next up were Sydney quartet Sparkadia, who, I think it's safe to say, were relative unknowns in Brisbane until Thursday night. I know I wasn't expecting much, so when they were actually good, I got excited. Then, when I realised that had some great songs, I was amazed. One song in particular blew me away; one with a haunting harmony that just captivated me. Once the song had finished, vocalist AB said it was available on their EP, so I didn't hesitate getting over to the merch stand and grabbing a copy.

Although the EP is terribly recorded - barely audible - the song is still beautiful, and good news is that the boys have a demo version of the song on their website, and the volume is higher, so it's actually a good listen. I highly reccomend it: Sparkadia - Up in the Air. AB's vocal sound is quite similar to Sting during The Police days, and live I couldn't help but notice a similarity with Paul Young.

Make Someone Happy

2006-02-12T23:33:00.000+10:00

Isn't that a nice heading? Wow, this is my third post in two days - I'm on a roll. But for some reason I just keep getting good things to write about, and I'm in the mood to write.

Anyway, yesterday I reset my iTunes. Now it only contains music released in 2006, with the exception of a few albums from late last year that I'm only picking up on now. I was having a look on Amazon to see what's being released soon (nothing really, it seems everything good was released in Jan/early Feb), and I came across a CD called Make Someone Happy, and it is already my favourite 50s compilation that I've ever laid eyes on. I'll explain...

1. It contains 'I've Told Every Little Star' by Linda Scott, as featured in Mulholland Drive. It's such a pretty song that the fact it's used in such a dark movie, is brilliant. Watch a montage from the movie featuring the song.
2. It contains 'Sixteen Reasons' by Connie Stevens. This is one of the most beautiful songs from the 50s in my opinion and is made even better by the fact that it too was used in Mulholland Drive, in the rehearsal scene where Betty (Noami Watts) first lays eyes on Adam (Justin Theroux), which is one of my favourite scenes in the film - she looks back! She looks back! Watch the scene.
3. It contains 'Old Cape Cod' by Patti Page. This is the song that Groove Armada samples in the ultimate chillout track 'At the River' (the one that goes "if you're fond of sand dunes and salty air, quaint little villages here and there"). It took me a long time to find this on the Internet and download it. Stunning.
4. Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World. Is there a more uplifting song? And it was put to good use in Good Morning Vietnam.

I highly suggest you check it out, and if you are feeling adventurous: buy it for me :) I'll burn you a copy!

Arctic Monkeys

2006-02-12T21:21:00.000+10:00

It's hard to write an album review in 150 words. It really doesn't give you much space to go into detail, and really you must decide whether you're going to analyse the songs or speak of the album in general. I wrote five rough drafts of anything upwards of 500 words before settling for this one. I still wish I could talk about the demos and a little about the tracks in general, but I guess I have to be happy with what I've got.

ARCTIC MONKEYS
Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (Domino/EMI)

This album hasn’t been officially released here yet, but it’s already on many store shelves and selling modestly. This may be a retail response to the fact that it’s outsold any other debut LP in first week sales in British chart history and is well on its way to being the highest selling debut album ever – a record currently held by Oasis’s Definitely Maybe back in 1994. And it’s easy to see why. Finally the British youth have a voice entirely theirs, and this record can join The Streets’ A Grand Don’t Come for Free as the most accurate portrayal of British youth of today. Sure it lacks the acid tongue of Johnny Rotten, and ‘Riot Van’ should have been left off for say, ‘Choo Choo’ (a rejected demo) but with lyrics such as ‘there’s only music so that there’s new ringtones’ and the simplicity and beauty behind a line such as ‘his way or no way: totalitarian’ which makes the album stand above the rest. Finish it off with some heavy funk-infused Britpunk, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a debut. But don’t believe the hype; try it for yourself.

4.5/5

*****

I'm going to add a few comments here though, as this is my blog! Whilst it is nice to hear a fresher, fuller and generally louder I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor and the few other demos that were given a production make-over for the album, I still can't get over how much A Certain Romance has lost its charm. In the demo, there's a dissonant, oh-so-slightly-out-of-tune part at the beginning which is pure class, and has been polished up for the album. I don't know, the song is still the album highlight but it's like going out and buying a brand new jumper to replace that old one you wear around the house. It should be the same, but it feels different, and isn't as homely as the demo.

But I have good news! The good folk at Mardy Bum, an Arctic Monkeys fansite are hosting the demos, so here's a few I recommend you download if you don't have them already.

Arctic Monkeys - A Certain Romance
Arctic Monkeys - Choo Choo
Arctic Monkeys - Cigarette Smoke
Arctic Monkeys - Fake Tales of San Francisco

"Music is crap, aliens told me so"

2006-02-12T11:34:00.000+10:00

Yesterday I bought The Weekend Australian as I thought I'd have a bit of a read about what's been going on in the world. In the glossy magazine insert, there was an article written about plans to send astronauts back to the Moon, and eventually Mars. My God, did this bring me back to 2001 when, with a combination of seeing the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, a subscription to National Geographic and the fact I'd just started my journalism course at uni, I was perusing the Internet daily to get my science and technology news. My computer desktop wallpapers were glossy NatGeo photos, and the Mars Odyssey mission was launched and followed religiously.

Reading magazines such as NatGeo, New Internationalist, and New Scientist always makes me realise how fickle my small existance is on Earth, and how so many people out there are shaping (or playing an important role) in our evolution. Technology - in my opinion - does get a little out of hand (except mp3 players) and moves far to quickly, but all these science innovations are amazing (unless they're being used for terrorism, which is more than a little scary). Take the 2006 Australian of the Year, Professor Ian Frazer - a man who has spent the last 20 years researching "the link between papilloma viruses and cancer" and finally nailed a vaccine to prevent and treat cervical cancer. How fucking cool is that? That is unbelievable!

And then I think about what I do. Seems rather trivial, really.

Anyway, as this is a music-orientated blog, browsing the New Scientist website, I came across a study about how people prefer songs if they know others like it. I agree to some extent, which is why I thank God for blogs, as at least I can connect somewhere in this world with like-minded people. The two people I've introduced Antony and the Johnsons to - who I thought would like it - have both rejected it, to which I'm a tad confused, but I still love him (as does a big part of the world).

I think it's all about sharing. If you like a song, and a friend does too, you are sharing something together, which is one of the beauties of music. And by the way, the blog heading is a line by an old Brisbane band called Custard. I thought it was fitting if you stare at it long enough.

Read the article here - it's quite interesting.

I do believe I have just written my best blog entry to date.

Cat Power / Regina Spektor

2006-02-11T22:52:00.000+10:00

I'm still a little confused as to why when I published my last blog on Mattafix, my previous one about The Valentinos was deleted. I hope that when I publish this blog, Mattafix won't dissapear...

Anyway, I have another artist to talk briefly about: Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall). When I interviewed Tegan (of and Sara fame) she was saying how much chicks rock, but don't chart. I agree with both statments: I have a fine collection of female songwriters in my collection which hails back to Alanis Morrisette's Jagged Little Pill, which was third LP I ever owned (after Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory? and Presidents of the United States of America). In my collection now you'll find Sarah Blasko, Missy Higgins, Sarah McClachlan, CocoRosie, Regina Spektor, Emilliana Torrini, Tegan and Sara amongst others, and I'll tell you what: more often than not, I'll reach for one of these albums when I need a dose of soul.

I'm not going to pretend to be a Cat Power (read her Wikipedia entry here) fan from way back. I've only heard of her within the last six months, and found an mp3 of one of the tracks from her latest album The Greatest, which is a 2006 release. It's called 'The Moon' and it is stunning, so I found her album online and downloaded it (woops, I mean I went into Rocking Horse and bought a copy). Marshall's voice is sultry and stunning, full of raspiness and smoky tones. Not every song on the album is FANTASTIC, but it is truly a beautiful CD. And, just so you can experience a little of it, download Cat Power - The Greatest (the song).

Whilst we are on the topic of female vocalists, Regina Spektor (pictured above) comes to mind. On one of the many blogs I read, I was refered to another site - Said the Grammophone - where the focus was on an American chanteuse called Regina Spektor, a chick who has sung backup on a Strokes B-side ("Modern Girls and Old Fashion Men") and toured with the New York band as well as Kings of Leon. She was born in Moscow, before moving to NYC at age nine with her parents and subsequently (or not so), she is a little different to your average vocalist: think Joanna Newsom by way of Emiliana Torrini - but no, don't think Bjork. Anyway, a most stunning song can be heard and downloaded by way of click on the following link: Regina Spektor - Samson. You'll love it, I know. And don't forget to head over to Said the Gramophone, it's worth a look.

Mattafix - Big City Life

2006-02-09T17:45:00.000+10:00

Every now and then a song comes along that blows my mind and reminds of the world outside indie music. In the last week I've gotten my hands on the We Are Scientists album (my review was Feature Album of the week in this week's Time Off), as well as my most anticipated foreign debut album of 2006 (I think The Grates knock off pole position) in Arctic Monkeys, but it's a British hip-hop track in vein of Primitive Radio God's "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand" that has just stopped me in my tracks.

It's one of those tracks to put up loud, and just imurse yourself in it. Lush, fat beats and soulful lyrics, a sexy trip hop beat. It's the best hip-hop track since "Dry Your Eyes".

Mattafix are a duo from London, and are set for big things.

Although I don't have the mp3 to link, the "Big City Life" music video is available here. It's fairly large, so you might want to download it instead of streaming it.

Peace out.

You Fuck Like Taper Jean Girl

2006-02-01T23:38:00.000+10:00

OK, so a few of you will have heard me talk about this website called The Cobra Snake, which I discovered early last year thanks to the world's best magazine Lucky (R.I.P). For those of you who haven't clicked the above link yet, The Cobra Snake is a dude who goes to the most fucking awesome parties (with seriously good-looking people - mainly fashionistas) where everyone goes nuts, takes photographs and posts them on his site.

So I'm having a casual browse again right now, when I come across a set and who just happens to be the subject of a few snaps? None other than the Followills of Kings of Leon fame. Matthew (guy on right) in particluar is getting some serious groupie action! Then a nice suprise toward the bottom, when I see Annie from Giant Drag there too. Have a squizz, it's always a great way to pass an hour or two!

Oh, and by the way. Caleb, the guy on the left in the photo is the dude I interviewed.

We Are Scientists

2006-01-29T19:45:00.000+10:00

Right, so after the major shits I got upon realising a decent chunk of my blog was lost in the last post (as I wrote it at work, and had to save it as a draft and then re-edit it and, well it's a long story).

Anyway, I'm currently listening to We Are Scientists, which I first heard about on one of the few blogs I regularly check out: You Ain't No Picasso. Listen to We Are Scientists - The Great Escape. Hailing from Brooklyn, these guys are definately one I'll be listening to a lot more throughout the year. They sound quite British, so I was suprised to hear they were, in fact, American. Yes, I know that was a pointless comment.

Earlier today I finished my Living End cover story. 1000 words and I'm actually quite happy with it. 500 on Deerhoof as well. It really was awesome speaking to Greg, one of the interviews that makes me happy to be doing what I'm doing.

Well, those of you who have followed me here from my old LiveJournal blog will know how much I love The Office. Good news for people who love good news is that I've found a worthy successor and no, I'm not talking about Extras. Seven Periods With Mr Gormsby is a seriously funny and charming comedy from New Zealand. The title character is a politcally incorrect, old-fashioned teacher who happily reveals other teachers' sexual orientations and sings racist songs in front of ethnic students in a school were some of the teachers have questionable morals and could learn a thing or two from the students, who mean well but are quite dumb.

I began to really like the characters over the course of the series (which I know have on DVD), and can't wait for the second season.

Well, that's it for now I guess.

The Grates, CocoRosie, the BDO, oh my!

2006-01-24T17:39:00.000+10:00

Well, it's been a few day since I posted my lost...post. It's been a hectic week of interviews and gigs but I'll try and spill as much as I can. First gig was The Grates last Tuesday night at the Rev. This was the first time I'd seen them and they blew me away: such power-pop and attitude! They played some awesome new tunes from their upcoming record, so I can't wait for it to be released!

[This is where a big block of the story got deleted with a wrong click of the button and a forgetful mind. Something about the CocoRosie concert I went to etc etc. It was mind-blowing but I ain't going to bother writing it again.]

The next night was Broken Social Scene, which went ok, I guess but it was the first time I noticed myself being journalist and not fellow human-being (nothing major, just where any normal person would continue a course of conversation, I went onto a new question).

The Big Day Out sucked balls. This imfamous 'Guest Ticket' eventuated to nothing more than a tent with a bar, which I found at 6pm after no staff knowing anything about it and spending the day on my own. Oh, and phones didn't work. Yeah it was fucking shit - anyone need an anti-BDO advocate? I'm more than willing.

That said, the bands were great as to be expected. I saw The Presets (pretty good really), walked over to Shifter, saw half a song and walked off (but still managed to write a review) and stood in the crowd for a half hour for Wolfmother during the power cut until I got the shits and went and got a drink. When I was in the bar, Wolfmother came on of course, which put my nose even more out of joint, but as soon as the opening riffs of 'Collosal' were heard and by the time 'Joker and the Theif' were blaring out the speakers, I was in a better mood.
Kings of Leon were good, awesome music but not much of a show. Franz Ferdinand hit me like Boston (took my breath away - geddit?) with their charming banter, dancing, and fucking awesome tunes! When the beat kicked in on 'Take Me Out', maybe ten thousand people all started jumping - it was intense!

Due to my nose being firmly out of joint, I left before The White Stripes played. I'll see them again soon.

Anyway, yesterday I had two of the greatest interviews yet. Firstly with Willy Vlautin of Richmond Fontaine, a rock/country band but so much more. The guy was so passionate and interesting to talk to; he's just written a book and is really looking forward to coming to Austrlia. I learnt his wife is coming toward the end of the band's tour and the are having a week here, on holiday. I suggested he read Bill Bryson's Down Under, which he seemed really keen to read. Hey Bill, need a publicist?

After this was Tegan, of Tegan and Sara. Finally! And she was so amazing to talk to! Really bubbly and fascinating and just someone really, really cool. We went off on this massive tangent where we spoke of The Office for like ten minutes, before I realised it's only a 15 minute interview and we should really get back on track!

Today I was supposed to interview The Raveonettes (think of that 50s romantic music that appeared in Mulholland Drive), butthis whole daylight savings thing got in the way again and they rang an hour early when I wasn't here and now we have to reschedule it. However, my interview with Sulo from The Herd (Oz hip-hop, not defunct 60s mod band) went fucking amazing, making it three brilliant conversations in two days! Woohoo! We spoke for 20 mins and I asked if he had to go, to which he replied' "not yet" and so the conversation went for another 10 mins.

And now I'm here, writing this in the office. Ah, air conditioning, how I love thee!

Great Lake Swimmers / Deerhoof

2006-01-17T16:55:00.000+10:00

This morning I interviewed Tony Dekker (photo below) from Toronto band Great Lake Swimmers. The guy is extremely mellow and thoughtful, but not very descriptive with his words when conducting interviews. Oh well, I can forgive him because he writes such beautiful music. You must check out their second LP Bodies and Minds. Speaking of which, download Great Lake Swimmers - Bodies and Minds and let me know what you think. It's only into January but I think I have found my Damien Rice of 2006 already.

After some phone number issues, I finally got through to Dekker but was rushed as I had my Tegan and Sara interview directly after this one. Or so I thought. It turns out that after waiting 20 minutes and checking a few emails, the Tegan and Sara interview is next Tuesday!

Today was also the day I was confirmed a Big Day Out ticket, and not just a regular ticket but a VIP one at that! Which means no lines, VIP toilets and access to the VIP tent where the performers drink (apparently). And what do I have to do in exchange for this free ticket?

Simply review a few bands of course! And I scored the pick, me thinks:

The Presets
Shifter
Wolfmother
Kings of Leon
Franz Ferdinand

Tomorrow I'm interviewing American indie-punk group Deerhoof which will be a spinout (get Deerhoof - Wrong Time Capsule from their latest LP The Runners Four) as well as my second Expatriate interview, regarding their gig which Go Stop Stop are supporting. But the name dropping continues with the news that Flamingo Crash (a close friend's sister's band) are completing the awesome lineup. Oh, and it's at the Troubadour so apart from an impromtu appeareance from The Grates, I'd say you'd be hard pressed for a better gig in Brisbane that night.

Go Stop Stop

2006-01-16T19:06:00.000+10:00

So I'm going to try and post as many mp3s (or links to them) as I can on this site, and as often as I can. I'll try and make them legal as often as I can, but this might not always work out well.

First up is Go Stop Stop - Only Words. You can visit their website via the link on the right-hand side of this page. I used to work alongside Adam, the vocalist which is where I first heard about these guys. After a false start, the band took a break in mid-2005 before playing one of my favourite small gigs in November at Ric's. Adam's vocals mustered up visions of Ian Curtis (Joy Division) and at times his voice along with the band's sound could be compared to that of Interpol, yet fresher than a winter's morning breeze hitting your face. It was an awesome night, one I feel people will remember when the band get huge. And I think they will, as I'm sure you will after hearing this track.

Only today I learnt that their bass player has gone to join another up-and-coming Brisband called I Heart Hiroshima, so hopefully this won't be too much of a set-back ahead of the Stop's gig at the Troubadour, Saturday Feb 18 in support of lush Sydney boys Expatriate.

Tegan and Sara

2006-01-16T18:09:00.000+10:00

As per usual I'm supposed to be working, and in this case preparing for my Tegan and Sara and Great Lake Swimmers interviews tomorrow morning. Download Tegan and Sara - Frozen, from their 2000 LP This Business of Art.

Anyway, over the past few months I've noticed how cool Blogger is compared to LiveJournal, and there's also stuff on my old LiveJournal that I don't want to be part of my new journal entries, if that makes sense.

So here is my new journal; a place where I can rant and rave about bands I'm loving (hence the blog's name) as I was before!

But I better get back to work now, so until next entry, ciao!

Edit (Feb 27, 2006): Tegan and Sara dot com won't let me direct link to the mp3s anymore for some reason, but if you head over to TeganandSara.com and click on the audio section, you'll find the amazing "I Know, I Know, I Know" as well as "Frozen" and a few others to download. I highly reccomend it.