Articles

Interview: Ghoul

About a month ago we snuggled up next to Ivan Vizintin from Sydney band Ghoul, on a long distance train from Mexico to Disneyland (Tokyo). To kill the time we discussed many things, including Ghoul's long awaited debut album, the current state of local music and the awesomeness of Dr Dre's 2001.

February 9, 2010 @ 21:47   1 comment
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8.1
Record Reviews

Rihanna
Rated R


Ok, so this is pop music in 2010. Alice In Wonderland ball-tripping visions, strong minded women who wanna fuck like guys do and much less reliance on traditional song formulas.

February 9, 2010 @ 10:36   8 comments
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Reacharounds

The Mint Chicks
Bad Buzz


MP3

This is a punk lullaby, wrapped up in that perfect cutesy lo-fi robot shit from the '90s that someone took too far (Polyester Girl). It also sounds like the missing link between the controlled fury of the band's fantastic Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No! and the lo-fi perfection of Screens. That's (kinda) funny because that's (kinda) EXACTLY what Minty guitarist, Ruban Nielson, told us their new stuff was gonna sound like when we interviewed him a couple of months back.

February 9, 2010 @ 10:15   2 comments
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7.8
Record Reviews

Beach House
Teen Dream


If voices were fuckable, I'd be balls deep in Victoria Legrand from Beach House's sultry, sensual siren calls. It hazily wafts it's way through your ears, juicy with cigarettes, red wine and sex - leaving you feeling like you've smashed a bottle of claret while wading through a hot spa.

February 8, 2010 @ 14:31   2 comments
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News

Vampire Weekend 'big city' tour

A little birdy (not Ms Steele) recently told me that this band called The Vampy Weekenders were kind of on-track to become the biggest, most rad hipster band on the planet.

This led me to believe that some people might be interesting in knowing the Paul Simon Yacht Band have just announced the details of a bunch of shows for when they are here in May galavanting around the countryside.

Thursday, April 29: Town Hall, Auckland
Tuesday, May 4: Palace Theatre, Melbourne
Thuesday, May 6: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide (ALL AGES)
Tuesday, May 11: The Tivoli, Brisbane (ALL AGES)
Wednesday, May 12: Enmore Theatre, Sydney (ALL AGES)
Sunday, May 16: Metro City, Perth

General public tickets go on sale Monday, February 22 at 9am. There is also a special pre-sale for Frontier members that starts at noon on Thursday, February 18.

February 5, 2010 @ 11:06
Articles

Ten Questions: The Kill Devil Hills

We fire ten 'hot ones' at Brendon Humphries of Western Australian band The Kill Devil Hills and he politely returns serve with some responses that give a lil' insight as to what peeps attending shows on their upcoming national tour should maybe expect.

February 4, 2010 @ 14:36
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News

Eddy Current Suppression Ring national tour

Last week we let it slip that Eddy Current Suppression Ring would be playing two Sydney shows in early May.

February 4, 2010 @ 12:52   1 comment
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News

Jay Reatard cause of death revealed

The Commercial Appeal reports that the official cause of Jay Reatard's untimely demise was "cocaine toxicity". The Shelby County Medical Examiner, Dr. Karen E. Chancellor, also cited alcohol as "a contributing factor".

Jay's manager, Adam Shore, has also announced that there are some possible posthumous releases in the works, including a new solo record for Matador and a re-issue of some of Jay's early stuff with The Reatards on Goner Records.

February 4, 2010 @ 10:49
Articles

Interview: Frightened Rabbit

The other day we sat down inside the magical bubble world called Twitter and spoke to lovely Scottish lads, Frightened Rabbit, about their upcoming new album, the general acceptance of the 'cunt' word and Kevin Bloody Wilson.

February 3, 2010 @ 16:37
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Videos

Frightened Rabbit
Nothing Like You

Nothing Like You is the second single from Frightened Rabbit's new album, The Winter Of Mixed Drinks (out March 6), and a clear front runner for Song Of The Year Twenty Ten.



You can catch Frightened Rabbit playing a FREE show TONIGHT at Beach Road Hotel in Bondi, alongside Sydney up-n-comers Cabins. Doors open at 7pm, with Frightened Rabbit taking to the stage about 10ish.

February 3, 2010 @ 09:39   10 comments
News

The Go Roll Your Bones kick off residency this Friday

Pleasurably wild Sydney lads Go Roll Your Bones are starting a month-long residency at Kings Cross' World Bar this week, tackling the 'sloppy drunk' 2am slot every Friday in February.

They'll be joined each week by a host of party-starting bands, helping carry you through the regular 10pm to 2am drinking hours...

February 5: DZ, The Joysticks, Brainslaves
February 12: Howl, Sideways Hitchhiker, Step-Panther
February 19: The Small Hours, Wandering Bear, The Good China
February 26: Ernest Ellis, The Preachers, The Salvadors

February 2, 2010 @ 18:06
News

Groovin' The Moo line-up 'announced'

Thanks to a good ol' fashioned media screw-up (premature street press advert-ulation) the line-up for this year's Groovin' The Moo has dropped a day ahead of schedule.

February 2, 2010 @ 12:19   12 comments
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6.8
Record Reviews

Surfer Blood
Astro Coast


Like Christopher Owen's Girls before them (and the Beach Boys prior to them), Surfer Blood's debut album Astro Coast succeeds in reciprocating basic 60's chord sequences within easy-going reverb drenched pop songs. With an effortlessness and ease that would typically suggest years of musicianship, the band's focus on chord progression, melody and lyrics is reminiscent of the music of the nineties.

February 1, 2010 @ 17:08   16 comments
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News

Tours tours tours: The Mess Hall, The Drones, The Kill Devil Hills

What do The Mess Hall, The Drones and The Kill Devil Hills have in common? If you answered "ROCK" you would be half right. If you said "they are all bad ass duos with elaborate hair styles" you would be completely incorrect.

BUT... if you said they are all touring around Oz-tralia over the next couple of months then you would be crack-smack BANG on the dollars.

February 1, 2010 @ 10:55
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News

Sydney Laneway Festival is happening this Sunday

There are couple of amazing things about the playing times (as below) for this year's Laneway Festival.

a) Daniel Johnston is opening for Dappled Cities. That's right, the man that gave birth to Kurt Cobain, Yo La Tengo and The Beatles is opening for eh.. those guys.

b) It's gonna be pretty empty at "headline o'clock" at the Clock Tower Stage, right?

c) Really nice too see they are accommodating oldies like me that enjoy an afternoon snooze, with The Middle East conveniently scheduled right before 3pm nap time.

Car Park Stage
12:00 - Black Gold
12:50 - Oh Mercy
13:50 - Kid Sam
14:50 - The Middle East
15:45 - Bridezilla
16:55 - Mumford & Sons
18:10 - Sarah Blasko
19:30 - Echo & The Bunnymen
20:50 - Florence & The Machine

Clock Tower Stage
11:30 - The White Goods
12:20 - Seekae
13:20 - Hockey
14:25 - Frightened Rabbit
15:30 - Philadelphia Grand Jury
16:45 - The Very Best
18:15 - Black Lips
19:25 - Radioclit
20:55 - N.A.S.A.

Inner Sanctum Stage
11:45 - Fergus Brown
12:45 - Danimals
13:40 - Jonathan Boulet
14:25 - Whitley
15:50 - Wild Beasts
17:00 - The xx
18:15 - Daniel Johnston
19:30 - Dappled Cities Fly
20:50 - Eddy Current Suppression Ring

January 29, 2010 @ 15:51   9 comments
News

We are interviewing Frightened Rabbit via Twitter on Monday

Everyone's favourite Scottish lovers/musicians Frightened Rabbit are currently in the country playing at the national Laneway Festival, supporting Echo & the Bunnymen and topping up their highland tans.

January 29, 2010 @ 14:16   3 comments
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Reacharounds

My Disco
Young


MP3

When I first heard that My Disco would be releasing an 11 minute 'first single' in February I assumed it would be a fairly slow building, mind-draining affair. But, as your ears are probably telling you right now, the song is a lot more forthcoming in it's approach, starting with all it's cards on the table and then stripping back to a fairly buck-naked rhythm pattern.

Young is set to be released on February 9 via Mistletone. You can catch the band officially launching the new single on Friday, February 12 at Oxford Art Factory.

January 28, 2010 @ 16:58   2 comments

Discussions

"I will always support the KC call, although perhaps less on the 'pushing boundaries' front. Dare I say it, Britney Spears' Slave 4 U was..."
1 hour ago in Rihanna - Rated R

"^ couldn't have said it better. They badly need to get over to Aus though and do some serious touring.."
1 hour ago in The Mint Chicks - Bad Buzz

"When that pressing of vinyl is made, I will be queueing up and beating down anyone who challenges my chances at getting a copy. I..."
1 hour ago in Interview: Ghoul

"I don't think I was in a position to keep account of my finances that night. I'd been playing 'Edward Goon-Hands' before I rocked up...."
12 hours ago in The Decemberists @ The Virgin Mobile Metro Theatre - 19/01/2010

"Nice review Rav. Sensational album."
21 hours ago in Beach House - Teen Dream

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Upcoming Shows In Sydney

Tuesday, February 9
Wednesday, February 10
Thursday, February 11
Friday, February 12
Saturday, February 13
Sunday, February 14
Tuesday, February 16
Wednesday, February 17
Thursday, February 18
Friday, February 19
Sunday, February 21
Thursday, February 25
Friday, February 26
Saturday, February 27
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Recently Featured

Eddy Current to play two Annandale Hotel shows in May

UPDATE: (04/02) these shows are actually happening in April. Full details here.

Win a double pass to Hockey tomorrow night

Hey trendsetters, how would you like to get your filthy mits on a double pass to Hockey's show at Oxford Art Factory tomorrow night? Yeah, that sounds like something you'd really be into.

Wu-Tang Vs The Beatles - Enter The Magical Mystery Chambers

And the people did in one voice declare, "The Wu Tang Clan and Beatles together at last! Wait. Seriously? Are you serious right now? And if not, where do I get the crack you're smoking?"

Street Chant - Scream Walk

New Zealand's Street Chant know exactly where it's at. Heavy guitars, delicious pop sprinkles and sloppier than a drunken pash with your local homeless man/lover. You might as well go ahead and file these dudes under - "bands we're going to become obsessed with in 2010".

Our Favourite Artists Of The Decade: The Mint Chicks

Some bands are obsessed with standing still, continually zooming into an annoyingly detailed view of their music in an attempt to perfect their craft, which has the negative transverse effect of halting their artistic development.

Pond - Mick Manmoose

Psychedelic Perth bong ponies Pond are playing their FIRST EVER Sydney show this Friday at Goodgod as part of Hole In The Sky's Haiti fundraiser. You should get along, not only because Pond are the best kind of mind-altering legal musical opium to emerge since The Wacked Out Tame Impala Fun Hour, but also because it's for a really solid cause. It's like a whip around at your local pub, except you know that your hard earned cash (the $15 entry fee) won't just be going to equip the cricket team with new cock protectors, but instead going to REAL PEOPLE who need REAL HELP.

The Drones - My Pal (live)

The Drones farewell The Tote with a blistering cover of the legendary GOD track.

Raekwon announces solo tour

The Chef was only here a few months ago with (half of) the Wu-Tang Clan, but he has just announced he will be heading back in March for a whole bunch of solo shows in promotion of his 2009 masterpiece Only Built For Cuban Linx Pt II.

Our Favourite Artists Of The Decade: Menomena

It may seem a strange choice to bring so much attention to a band like Menomena in a list of artists of the decade, especially with so many other names seemingly crying out for recognition ahead of them. But Menomena's feats this past decade are not to be taken lightly. While a lot of bands put out good or even great albums, very few actually managed to put out 2 or more, and both of the releases by the band this decade (not including their Under An Hour collaboration with a Portland based dance ensemble) fit neatly under this banner.

Ten Questions: DZ

We recently sat down inside a large container called 'electronic mail' with Brisbane wildcats DZ and hit them with ten questions. Coincidentally enough, they fired back ten related answers. We then hit the big red 'GO' button and now they are here for you to read.

Our Favourite Artists Of The Decade: TV On The Radio

On the international stage, no artist managed to captivate or stun us as much as the little-Brooklynites-that-could: TV On The Radio. Right from their first appearance on the scene, the band managed to continue their upward trajectory throughout the duration of the decade, a feat that so many other promising bands of similar heritage failed to achieve.

Goodbye 2009, hello FUTURE

Now that 2009 has (finally) clocked out we, the 'editorial' 'team' of this lil' webspace, have decided it's officially time to salute the year gone and celebrate all that it gave us.

Circle Pit - Hurricane

A few months ago Mr Magic Pharaohs strutted into our office and threw a CD-R down on the table. Hand-written in black ink were the words 'Circle Pit - Sydney Indie Record Of 2010'. This was partly a cheeky little joke from the Magic Man, something he was internationally famous for, but he also didn't have the faintest idea what the record was called. He also hadn't bothered to acquire track names, so for the next month or so we listened to the record with literally no accompanying information other than the fact it had been created by Circle Pit, a local band who, as previously mentioned, I've been slightly unsure about since day one.

Interview: The Mint Chicks

We chat to Ruban Nielson from The Mint Chicks about how their relocation to Portland has affected their music, what they have planned for the year ahead and how their new album Screens is really really fucking brilliant.

Songs - Songs

Sydney has had a steady flow of impressive noisy punk bands emerge over the past few years. Talons, Whores and Dead Farmers, to name but a few, have molded their angsty outbursts of frustration into exciting and genuinely catchy punk music. Songs exist at the other end of the spectrum, and while still classifiable under the wide umbrella of 'punk music', they don't possess quite the same dangerous swagger as their peers, choosing instead to mix together sensible pop structures with melodic arrangements to create a less aggressive form of the genre.

Episode 59: Bongdeth

Yeasayer - The Children

This song, the opener off the Brooklynites' upcoming new album Odd Blood, sounds nothing like the first little sneak peak Ambling Alp, which we posted a little while back.

The Fiery Furnaces - Keep Me In The Dark

Everyone seems to hate The Fiery Furnaces now because they said what everyone was thinking - Thumb Yorke is a wanker and Radiohead are a little bit overrated. Truth is, deep down we all know that Kid A isn't the best album of the decade, OK Computer falls away a bit towards the end and In Rainbows was only good because it cost 'sweet fuck all'. Hi Sean!

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