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Things we are looking forward to in 2009

On behalf of the internetz, allow me to welcome you to 2009 - only one year away from The Future!

I know we are all disappointed that we don't have hover bikes, hover cars or reliable (hover-based) public transport yet BUT it's not all doom and gloom and there are plenty of exciting things that are going to happen in twenty oh nine.

The 2009 Sydney Festival

This is the reason that the world birthed Sydney in the first place. It's a joyous, special time. The weather is nice and there are plenty of great things going on all around the place.

We put together a bit of a rundown of things that going on a little while back, but for a full run down of the 'goings on' hit up the official site.

Word is that you need to learn a special dance in order to get into the city from January 10 (tomorrow!) onwards. Apparently those that know The Worm can get away with just doing that.

Also, there are FREE pianos all over the city during the festival. Great for improv piano man jokes.

New albums from Die! Die! Die!, Sunset Rubdown, The Mint Chicks, Tucker Bs and Casiotone For The Painfully Alone

Quintental orgasm! No leakage on the DDD, Rubdown or Casiotone albums yet BUT we have heard a few little sneak peaks from the new Mint Chicks and Tucker Bs records. Both sound mildly incredible.

Talons album is (finally) coming!!

Talons LP

We have got our dirty mits on an advanced (semi-mastered) copy of the album. It's all that... AND some! Prepare for mind explosions!

Dr Dre's Detox

Dr Dre

Aka Hip-hop's Chinese Democracy.

Dr Dre's loooooong awaited follow-up to the (almost classic) 2001 is 'apparently' going to see the light of day 'sometime' in '2009'. Word is that it will be loaded with more guest appearances than a Puff Daddy funded orgy. And be twice as hard. And fourteen times more titillating. Biggie's Small.

Oh.. and.. speaking of Biggie...

Notorious - the Biggie Smalls movie

The only real question is - will everyone stop making movies after this because it will be absolute cinematic perfection? Maybe.

The return of grunge

grunge
Some grunge kids (circa June, 2009).

The critical acclaim of No Age's Nouns in 2008 signified the unofficial 'return of punk rock'. Everyone knows that grunge follows punk so it makes sense that the joyous flano deadshit stoner genre comes back in a big way in 2009. PS: fuck disco.

Once again Brisbane is ahead of the curve and 2008 saw the triumphant explosion of 'grungey' newcomers Violent Soho. Did they shoot their load too early? Maybe.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs are going to release a new album

The band recently performed a new song live and if it's any indication of what the new album will sound like it would seem as though the group are back on track...

2009 = the year where everyone will once again pretend that Karen O is sex on legs. Blondie?

Lil Wayne will win the Grammy for Album Of The Year

If an album with this cover beats out Coldplay for the award then surely that will signal that the music industry is OFFICIALLY back on track.

The look on the face of the dickheads members of Kings Of Leon when SPOD's Dead beats out Sex On Fire for the number one spot in Triple J's Hottest 100

There is a top secret anarchist hacking plan currently in the works to convert this dream into a reality. But you should still go and vote for SPOD just in case our plan fails and/or we get lazy and don't see it through.

KOL (while probably just sitting around, circle-jerking) will be like "Huh? A song about death beat us? But Triple J never even played that song. They played our song every 4 minutes. Our song was about sex. And fire". Then the minds and hearts of a million 16-year old girls who think Sex On Fire is the best song (since the last time My Chemical Romance released anything) will explode over the insanity.

Ok, maybe that's just wishful thinking. Let's all hold (internet) hands though and pray that KOL don't get the top spot. It matters, right?

On a serious note - can we please stop playing Sex On Fire EVERYWHERE..? It's 2009. Time to move on. Thanks.

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So YES they are some of the things we are excited about over the next 12 months. Feel free to drop your own dreams, wishes and inside leg measurements into the comments.

Articles

The biggest disappointments of 2008

Under The Internet Act Of 2004 we are legally bound to post some lists in December. These lists (by design) are used to summarise the year in easy to understand bullet points and for the next week or so we will put together some carefully constructed summaries that hopefully capture our love, hate and concise feelings towards the last 12 months.

So let's kick this off with a list of things that let us down, angered us, frustrated us and made us laugh and/or cry.

TV On The Radio

TV On The Radio - Dear Science
Ok, so maybe we are in the minority with our thoughts of this album BUT we didn't want TVOTR to release a jazzed-up-pop-funk record. We wanted the love child of Cookie Mountain and Bloodthirsty Babes - with just a sprinkle of jizz from the Young Liars EP. Sure, Dead Science is still very very enjoyable BUT it's not good enough to lick the perspiration off the face of either of their previous two records.

At The Drive-In didn't reform
Mars Volta continue to make guitar masturbatory jams and Sparta continue to be boring emo pricks. Hurry up and repair the wounds and complete your destiny. Extra disappointment: Minor Threat also didn't reform.

Eddy Current Suppression Ring

Eddy Current Suppression Ring didn't win the ARIA
Sure they were an outside outside outside OUTSIDE chance AND there were conflicting stories on whether or not they even attended the award show BUT come on!!! It would have been the best thing to happen to Australian music since the time that Australian Idol dropout smacked Molly Meldrum in the face with his extended microphone.

Weezer released ANOTHER shit album
Despite the incredible album cover Weezer Red was an overcooked snooze-fest. For those playing along at home - that's 2 good albums, 2 average ones and 2 stinkers. The next one is the clincher.

Talons didn't release their debut album
Even with a handbag FUN-draising party and the band selling themselves, their hair and their dignity on several occasions OUR FAVOURITE Sydney band (yeah, we said it!) still didn't manage to CON-vince a record label to put their album out. 2009? Let's fucking hope so.

90210

The new version of Beverly Hills 90210 got axed! TWICE!!!
We do realise that this isn't really music related BUT it makes it no less VERY VERY FUCKING TRAGIC. Words can't describe the pain. This never would have happened if they had just agreed to put Tori Spelling in the show. Sure, her acting skillz make Nicole Kidman look like Audrey fucking Hepburn BUT it was certainly the one thing that cursed the 'class of oh eight' from the get go.

The total lack of new albums by Die! Die! Die!, Sunset Rubdown and The Mint Chicks
On the flip side - all three bands are scheduled to release something new next year! 2009 will be greatest year in music history. It will probably be too good. The world will more than likely wank itself to death over the NEW HOT shit that is gonna come out next year. For realz.

Radiohead didn't make it to Australia
They found plenty of time to set-up remix contests, protest against everything and host a billion-or-so web/videocasts BUT couldn't be assed jumping on a plane and heading our way. Fuckers.

Not enough Dead Farmers
Someone PLEASE inject a billion dollars into the Marrickville music scene already. Fuck!

Nickelback

Coldplay didn't break up and/or die
Word is that the group will finally call it quits in 2009 and put the world out of it's misery BUT until then we have to continue to put up with their brainless self-obsessed crap. Urgh.

Black Kids didn't live up to their hype OR their awesome band name
Booooooooo. Music that went from lo-fi greatness to an over-polished turd in five minutes flat.

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Feel free to throw your own list of things that let you down in 2008 in the comments.

Articles

Our favourite Australian/New Zealand artists of 2008

Every year Sean A Reminder asks a bunch of music nerds, bloggers, DJ's and 'hip peeps' to compile a list of their favourite Australian and/or New Zealand artists for the year. The only rule is that they must be an 'active' artist or group (ie. not broken up). He then takes everyone's lists, mashes them together into a special machine powered by Canadian Club, lust and a single piece of Thom Yorke's hair to create The Super List.

The results of this year's poll are IN! You can view the full final list HERE.

Once again we had the honour of contributing to this great project AND (for once) it seems like some of our picks actually made the final top 28 list. We are all mainstream and cool now.

The list that we submitted:

1. Die! Die! Die!
Still the best LIVE band in the world. If you disagree I will wrestle you.

Here is a video of them performing the CLASSIC track Blue Skies in Melbourne. The footage was shot by the same guys behind the fantastic Super8 Diaries project.

AND if that didn't get you WET, here is a photo of the drummer doing a flip of his drum kit to conclude a show...

Die! Die! Die! = fairly wild

2. Snowman
The Horse, The Rat and The Swan will surely end up being at the top of our favourite albums of the year list when we get around to compiling it sometime in February. Snowman are an exciting, scary and undeniably brilliant group and on the new album they really took their sound to a whole new (dark) place which I never knew even existed.

Snowman - We Are The Plague

3. Further
The most underrated Sydney band EVER! Tactics, released back in February, is their finest work to date and their live show blows me away every single time (no homo). It's criminal that these guys don't play more shows. Oh, and NO they haven't broken up. FACT!

4. Ohana
No other local act 'arrived' more in the oh eight. Well, in our world anyway. I am happy about Ohana's placement in my list for this year because for a while they have existed on the 'cusp', only missing out on cracking the top five because I felt they hadn't quite found the right mix of their math rock precision and their sharp punk edges. Dead Beat found the absolutely millimetre-perfect blend of these styles. They exceeded all of my expectations by about a billion percent.

Ohana - When Things Come Alive

5. The Drones
The Melbourne group really took it up a notch on their new album. Mature, raw, honest and unbelievably engaging. They have found the perfect balance between the dueling sides of their sound - the emotive pain soaked ballads and the raw, head-smashing insanity.

The Drones - Nail It Down

6. Witch Hats
Near perfect dirty swamp music. If you haven't wrapped your ears around Cellulite Soul yet then we highly recommend you sort that out PRONTO.

7. Talons
These young ruffians are getting better and better as they mature their sound and begin to drag their signature punk rock style into unfamiliar and slightly more experimental places. They are growing up with me. I think we will all end up in a nursing home together, talking about the good old days when they used to dedicate songs to my facial hair.

Talons - Mudrockets

8. Dead China Doll
Their self-titled album is an intense piece of music BUT still pails in comparison to their live show. Ring leader Eddy is the sexiest AND most menacing AND most scary frontman in Sydney. He also has the best beard the world has ever laid eyes on. If beards were rap abilities we would be the love child of 1992 Nas and 2008 Lil Wayne.

9. The Mint Chicks
The New Zealand punksters had a fairly quiet year due to the fact they relocated to Portland and lost their drummer (to love). They did however 'leak' a couple of songs that will be on their new album. They are taking their sound to a new and exciting place and it sounds surprising, exciting, incredible and awesome. I wouldn't be at all suprised if they top this list at the end of next year.

What A Way To Start The Day

10. Charge Group
Slow, melodic, emotional music has to be REALLY REALLY good to sucker me in. There is no middle ground. Charge Group's album won me over fairly quickly and even when revisiting it months later I found it to be just as powerful. The perfect accompaniment to a cold night indoors with your friend Mr Gin and his life partner Lady Tonic.

Charge Group - Lunar Module

11. My Disco
Head-thumping. In a good way. Fuck it - when is head-thumping not good? I mean, my lady wakes me up almost every night at one in the morning and asks if I want a good head-thumping and no matter how tired I am from mining, pillaging and writing 'code' I am always up for it. I normally first put My Disco's new album on though. They are good at keeping time and my lady (as much as I lust her) is pretty hopeless at that. Sexual metronome.

12. Ghosts Of Television
The Sydney collective ripped me a new one with their new EP and then ripped me several new ones (and reopened the previously 'ripped' one) with their live show. They used to be kinda hit and miss when they performed but they have really sorted that shit out this year. The EP's closing track, Buzzrds, is THE fucking balls.

Ghosts Of Television - Buzzrd

13. Dead Farmers
Record more. Play more shows in dirty warehouse spaces. Promise me you will play Violence at every show. Evolve into the best band ever already. Fuck.

14. Tucker B's
I only need to see the Tucker B's play once a year to keep my love for them. They are an old pair of socks - comfortable, warm and occasionally used as a 'cum pocket'. I mean... these guys are awesome and their new stuff is on par with everything they have served up in the past.

15. SPOD
The one man excitement machine released an incredibly tight new album this year and his live show is still the most fun you can have with your clothes on and/or without being 'coked up to the eyeballs'.

The video for Dead is pretty mindblowingly amazing.

16. Baseball
There is very little tempo change. It's on. I mean - it's ON! All the time. It sounds like Gladiators (with violins).

17. Naked On The Vague
Jangly off-off-off-centre pop that has been smothered with a dirty pillow and left for dead in a trash can in some seedy back alley.

18. The Nevada Strange
Exciting and fucking scary. I have only seen these guys once but hopefully they haven't been too damaged by the loss of some of some of their members (peeps from The Mercy Arms who have fucked off overseas) and I will get a chance to see them many more times in the not-too-distant future.

19. Violent Soho
These stoner Briscunts invented grunge (again) in 2008 and walked the thin line between homage and theft. Thankfully, it all worked out well.

20. Lindsey Low Hand
These guys are fun, disgusting, sloppy and scummy. Australian pub rock just got stabbed in the face with a smashed longneck bottle.

Lindsey Low Hand - Dull and Ordinary

21. Leader Cheetah
This is more of a future one. These guys will be the top of everyone's list next year. As soon as they (finally!) get their debut album out people will cream their jeans from coast to coast. It will be coast to coast jean creaming the likes of which the planet earth has never witnessed. So, in summary - Adelaide, ex-Pharaohs, jean creaming, Bloodlines, melodic as fuck, 2009.

22. Yes Nukes
The trio of misfits sound better and better every time I see them. Hurry up and move from 'yeah?' to 'fuck holy shit I will fly to Perth to see youse cunts play' please. Thanks.

23. Eddy Current Suppression Ring
ECSR have moved up in the Oz Rawk Ranks^TM in the last twelve months YET have still managed to keep their hard-working DIY ethos in tact. These guys seem to have no separation between their sound and their daily lives and this is what I think makes them such an incredibly engaging band.

24. Damnbuilders
One word - Snake Bite.

Damnbuilders - Snake Bites

25. Atrocities
Seeing these guys live is either unbelievable or confusingly fucked. I think it depends a lot on how drunk and/or 'messed up' they are. Right now they exist in that funny middle ground where it feels like they might explode (or implode) or actually become an amazing band.

26. The Stabs
Raw and painfully good. Their guitar screeching skills are THE fucking balls.

27. Mercy Arms
They really surprised me with their (long overdue) debut album. Easily the trendiest band that made this list.

Mercy Arms - Down Here, So Long

28. Batrider
Much like The Mint Chicks these guys (or more accurately - girls) probably rank higher on my 'favourites of all time list' than on this list, but only because they also headed overseas this year to try and win some new fans and lovers. I only need to listen to Tara once every six months to remember how much I love this band.

29. The Grates
They really surprised me this year and their new album is A LOT better than I thought it would be. They have matured, not a lot BUT they have undeniably moved their sound forward. I think it helps that I don't listen to the radio anymore. Triple J almost murdered these guys for me before the new stuff came out.

30. Devastations
Dark and intense. Like my torrid love life (when I was 19).

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Feel free to drop your own top 10/20/30/100 in the comments.

Articles

Interview: Talons

It is no secret that we lust the music of Sydney punk trio Talons. Now, with their debut album completed and only a few months away from being released, our high school crush has evolved into a full blown sexually tense romance and/or dangerous stalking.

We recently got the privilege/opportunity to talk to Christian J Best, lead singer and guitarist of the group, about the album, the awesomeness of Slayer, band members becoming Nazis and the joy of stabbing Kyle Sanderlands with an ARIA award.

Talons

So, the album is finished now, right? How does it sound? If you were forced to describe it in four words what would they be?

It sounds a bit like: pointy yellish funtime speakertickle.

How was the overall recording process? Were there any inner band 'beefs'? If there was a three way cage match between the members of Talons who would win and why?

The whole process was amazing, 2 days in studio doing drums/ bass and many, many weekends at Anf's (Volcano Rat) tracking guitars, tambourines, choirs, clarinets, violins etc.

Plus Tim Carr (Mr. Amazing Producer) enlightened us with philosophy and such things. We made an album but also made friends. Aw that's nice hey?

A few beefs, but its all part of the fun! I'm surprised Ben still likes me (I think).

I don't think Melvin (Mitchell) does. Maybe he never did. Sometimes he looks at me like he wants to kiss me though.

We actually talked about the fighting thing while mixing... we think Melvin would win the fight cause he looks the fiercest. But then again I've never been in a fight so who knows. I think I should be allowed a weapon to compensate for the size disadvantage.

Is it true that Mitch (bassist) claimed when he was six that he wasn't going to cut his hair until he was in a band, which had successfully recorded an album and now that you guys have got the record 'in the can' he has shaved his head? Does he look like a Nazi now? I mean - IS he a Nazi now? How does his Nazi believes conflict with you Jew-like features?

That is 100% true. You have done some outstanding research Mr. Jonny.

He kept his ponytail, which I then glued to my armpits.

Yes he looks pretty Nazish, but also handsome. Think Berlin high fashion - catwalk shit, you know.

I'm not sure if he is a Nazi now, frankly I'm scared to ask for fear of raised tension levels. Wait he cant be! He owns a black cat.

Have you heard the terrible new Bloc Party song called Talons? Are you guys going to record a song called Bloc Party? If so, can you make subtle David Chappelle references?

We have heard it. Man it does stink hey? Like compost heaps.

It's some armpit music. Aural tinea. Sewer singing.

What are the plans for the next little while? Shows? Overseas domination? Summer holidays?

Hmmm plans... we really want to tour OS but damn it costs a lot for a plane ticket!

Hopefully get the record released overseas and get signed to Sony. And then forget these underground sites and our friends. But I mean really we'll probably just struggle for the next 10 years or so. The worst-case scenario is pretty nice really.

When can fans expect to have their dirty mits on the record?

Next Feb is looking likely - just gotta dupe a label into putting it out there.

Do you have a solution for the current global financial crisis? Do you think it's all a myth to distract people from the fact that Russia is currently taking over Georgia and/or THE WORLD? Can you speak Russian?

I'm expecting some 1930's shit to go down, soup kitchens, food stamps...

Lets start a traveling carnival! That's my solution. That and looting. Man I'd love to be involved in some good old looting.

How is your side project (Vital Organs) coming along? Are they're any plans to release anything under that name in the distant future? Is it true that if you buy your demo solo album with the Talons LP you get a FREE Slayer t-shirt signed by Ben (drummer)?

Vital Organs is coming along really nicely, I want to put out a whole album, none of this EP balderdash! Should be ready in the next 6 months I finks. Man I love Slayer! Polaroids needs more Slayer news! Kerry King gets new Tattoo etc...

When you recently recorded a cover of ODB's Shimmy Shimmy Yah, did you ever feel the ghost of the late great rapper inside of you? If so, did it hurt?

I did feel him inside me. And I swear I craved fried chicken right after finishing recording that song! It didn't hurt, more sort of gurgled.

What bands are currently blowing your mind and/or paying you to tell me they are good?

Well I tend to get really obsessed with bands for a few months at a time... right now it's Obits from New York they sound like Hot Snakes mixed with Credence. But there's sooooo much good music floating around Sydney town these days, you all know the bands, I fink.

How do you feel about a line I recently 'dropped' in a 'rap' 'song' - "I am the best, but my named is not Christian"? Do you feel uncomfortable being mentioned in a rap song? Do you think I am stalking you? If I was stalking you would you confront me about it or would you hide behind a court appointed AVO like all the others?

I feel very good about that line!

Hows this one? "I can take a beating but my names not Jonny!?" (Jonny's last names is Nail everyone).

I KNEW you were stalking me and I liked it. Why else would I get changed in front of an open window at the same time every day?

Is there any truth to the rumours that you have put your DJ career on hold (as one half of the semi world famous Siamese Ginzz collective) to focus more on your 'band'?

My DJ career is my 1st priority forever. We are hot in the scene. Not as hot as DJ AM, he's on fire. Whoa! He got burned. Then Burned. OK I'll stop.

How do you see the current state of music in Sydney? Are bands getting the necessary support to 'make it' or better still create original and interesting music, or is it still just a town for electro-rock, occasionally lucky breaks and a handful of people calling the shots?

The current state of music in Sydney is great I think! Everything is in it's right place. The bad bands who stink it up stick to their own. Its nice!

Although the good stuff is being ignored by the "business".

But we're all getting by with a little help from our friends.

But it's damn near impossible to 'make it' anyway. You kinda realize that a few months into making music... but yeah it does get annoying seeing the same shit getting churned out again and again.

But we'll always have Nirvana.

Ok, time for 'super controversial last question' - do you guys have any regrets so far in your musical direction or do you see all the ups and downs of your journey just part of being 'a band in Sydney'?

Nah, no regrets! Oh except maybe not sounding like The Presets. I'd love to win an ARIA! I'd glue it to my car as a hood ornament. And stab people with it. Starting with Kyle Sanderlands.

Being a band in Sydney is hard, but not being in a band in Sydney would suck way more.

Thanks for your time my lovelys.

News

Mess + Noise have published the results of their annual readers poll. Nice to see three of our favourite local releases of the year - Talons, The Stabs and Tucker B's - get a mention.

December 8, 2009 @ 11:53