Yonsy's Music Blog

Best Gigs of 2010

2011-01-12T15:57:00.002+11:00

1. Faith No More – Festival Hall

Faith No More are one my favourite bands from the 90’s and although this was my 3rd time seeing them, the anticipation was huge. After consuming several beers at a nearby pub, some like minded friends and I arrived in good spirits to see a great support slot from Eagles of Death Metal. Jessie Hughes was rocking the stage like he was the headliner and got the crowd pumped for the main event playing all their hits including “I Only Want You”, “Cherry Cola” , “Wannabe in LA” and my favourite “I Want You So Hard”. The same can’t be said by the 2nd support act in the form of “comedian” Neil Hamburger. He spent 20 minutes (felt like a lot longer) telling bad jokes and generally angering the crowd who were growing more impatient by the minute.
Luckily after he left the stage, the main attraction wasted little time getting on stage to a chorus of applause, opening with the instrumental "Midnight Cowboy". From there we were treated to a cavalcade of the best songs of the 90’s and you would never know they spent the last decade on hiatus. They sounded as good if not better than they did when I saw them last back in 1999. Highlights from the main set included “Midlife Crisis”, “Last Cup of Sorrow” and “Ricochet”, as well the covers ‘Easy” and “I Started a Joke”. Mike Patton provided plenty of on stage banter between songs and jumping around the stage frantically, even jumping into the crowd during “Just a Man” to finish the Main Set. The band came back for 2 encores, starting the encore with “Edge of the World” and finishing the concert with a great version of “Stripsearch”. Although this was the 2nd concert, it was the first on sale and was clearly full of massive FNM fans who sold the event out in about 10 mins. We were all treated to a gig full of hits and rarities and one that will not soon be forgotten.

Setlist: Midnight Cowboy / The Real Thing / Land of Sunshine / Caffeine / Evidence / The Gentle Art of Making Enemies / Last Cup of Sorrow / Ricochet / Easy / Midlife Crisis / Epic / I Started a Joke / A Small Victory / Surprise! You're Dead! / Ashes to Ashes / Just a Man
Encore: Edge of the World / Mark Bowen Encore 2: Switch (Cover) / Stripsearch

2. The Bon Scotts – Barwon Club, Geelong

The reasons this was my favourite local gig of the year was because it was unexpected, spur of the moment and reminded me why I love music. My original plan for this night in November was to check out Regurgitator at the Bended Elbow but due to the fact I couldn’t find the venue, I ended up at the Barwon Club. I knew the Seabellies were playing at the Barwon Club and since I was in the mood for some live music I decided to check it out, after recently hearing them on Triple J. After paying $8 to get in, I caught the end of the 2nd support band of Chris Pickering and Catherine Britt. They sounded great and I had already gotten over the fact that was missing the band I set out to see that night.
After a small interval the stage was filled with 6 musicians including a cello and a piano accordion player. I was instantly curious about what I was about to hear, having not heard even a song by the Bon Scotts before. In fact I wasn’t even sure who the band was before they introduced themselves. Being a massive Bon Scott fan, I had noticed the name from time to time but had never seen them play. After hearing a couple songs I was hooked by their funky and original sound, reminding me of Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse at times but still unlike anything I’d heard before. My favourites from the set were “The Kids are Coming”, “We Can Cause Such a Fuss” and what has become one of my favourite tracks of the year “We Like War”. I learnt the track names after buying the CD after the gig which has been on high rotation ever since. The Seabellies also played a good set after this, but the Bon Scotts were the clear stars of the night. As mentioned earlier in the review, this gig reminded me how much I love live music, especially when it’s an unknown band who wins you over. This was a perfect example of this and I have since seen them play another fantastic gig at the Builders Arms in Fitzroy during their December residency. I am looking forward to their afternoon set at The St Kilda Festival in February.

3. Queenscliff Music Festival
This was my first time at QMF but it will certainly not be the last. After scoring a last minute ticket from my friend Scanlan the night before, I scanned the schedule and got excited about some of the acts I’d be treated to. Little did I know, the acts I had not yet heard of would be providing some of the weekends highlights.
After arriving at Queenscliff at 11, we picked up a program and organised a rough timetable. First up was a great set by Gareth Liddiard from The Drones with a horrendous downpour of rain in the background. The rain was a constant throughout the festival but didn’t dampen the spirits of those that showed up, it may have deterred some from coming though as the numbers seemed a little low, especially on Saturday. Gareth Liddiard’s set was great, mixing some tracks from the recent solo album Strange Tourist including "Strange Tourist" and "Highplains Mailman" with various tracks from the Drones catalogue. I particularly enjoyed hearing the stripped back versions of “Shark Fin Blues”, “I Don’t Ever Want to Change” and “Jezabel”.

One of the artists who I managed to see play two great and different sets on Saturday was Mr Percival. I had not heard him before but was urged to go along by Scanlan and did not regret it. It’s hard to describe his style (see clip below) but he basically uses his voice via an octave loop pedal to create a wall of sound that gradually builds til it sounds like he has a full band behind him and then he sings over the top of it. He plays a combination of originals and covers including “Stand By Me”, “Lean On Me” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. During his evening set at the festival grounds he played a cover of “Down Under” right after Colin Hay’s set which was a ballsy move but it worked. The highlight of the evening set was an original called “That’s What Donny Said” during which he had the whole crowd singing the chorus. His cover of “Electric Avenue” had the crowd singing heartily and it was a sea of smiling faces. Although it’s hard to describe how and why Mr Percival is so good, I do strongly recommend seeing him live if you get the chance, I can guarantee it will be a feel-good experience.

Dan Kelly played a mid afternoon set that was enjoyed by a large crowd, focusing mostly on the his latest album Dan Kelly’s Dream. Highlights included “Hold On, I’m Coming”, “The Decommissioner”, “Bindi Irwin Apocalypse Jam” and a great cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U” played on the ukulele.
After catching the end of John Williamson, we headed to The Bedroom Philosopher for an enjoyable set of songs and stand up. Although the set was cut short due to John W running late, everyone there (myself included) laughed riotously, especially Triple J favourite “Northcote (So Hungover)”. Kaki King was next up on the main stage and showed off her virtuoso guitar playing in between incoherent stage banter. When she let the music do the talking though, using a unique finger tapping style of guitar playing, it worked well.

Colin Hay was the star of the festival, playing the Saturday night slot to a large but at times noisy crowd. Due to the noise, the usual story telling between songs is kept to a minimum for this set but luckily this was remedied on both of his sets on Sunday. All the classics were dusted off by this Australian legend (he’s Scottish and lives in America but we’ll claim him) but stripped down to the solo acoustic format, which is just how we like him. Newer tracks like “Are You Looking at me?” and “There’s Water Over You” sit nicely alongside the classics “Who Can It Be Now?”, “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You”, “Beautiful World”, “Down Under” (which invokes the greatest sing along of the day) and my favourite “Overkill”. It was a great set but I enjoyed the Sunday afternoon set more as he told a few stories alongside the songs which had the whole crowd laughing hysterically. I also attended his Sunday morning Songwriters Q & A which was great as he answered questions from the crowd in between playing some of his classics. Included in this set was another fave of mine “Waiting for my Real Life to Begin”. I even managed to shake his hand after the session and thank him for being so awesome.

Mark Seymour is another legend of the Australian music scene, although it was only during the Hunters and Collectors songs that my interest was held. It’s not easy to follow Colin Hay, but he did play quite a few songs that had the crowd singing along including “Holy Grail”, “True Tears of Joy” and the classic “Throw Your Arms Around Me”.

Claude Hay was up next and played the most enjoyable set of the day for me. Like Mr Percival, he was unknown to me before the festival and used looping pedals to give his sound a full band feel. His equipment included a double guitar (Bass and Electric), a sitar, a bass and snare drum and a large arrangement of pedals. It has to be seen to be believed and even his recorded material does not give justice to how good he is live. Watching the songs build from a simple bass line and add drums, guitar and then sing and play guitar over the top is exciting to watch and during his short set I become an instant fan. I couldn’t resist watching him twice again on the Sunday, including a great set on the Queenscliff Blues Train. After having some bad luck earlier in the day with rain damaging his equipment, he remains upbeat and his acknowledgment of the crowd’s appreciation only makes us love him more. The highlight of the set is a sped up, almost unrecognisable version of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”. Don’t miss a chance to see this up and coming blues man play a live gig.

On the Sunday I saw repeat performances of Colin Hay, (the 3pm set was the best of the festival) The Bedroom Philosopher and Claude Hay twice. Replacing Washington at the last minute was Clare Bowditch and the New Slang. I had just recently heard the latest album Modern Day Addiction, and the more upbeat sound makes it her finest album to date in my opinion. There was a full band on stage and it was an upbeat performance featuring a large slice of the new album and some classics. Highlights included “Start a War”, “I Thought You Were God” and “Running” which featured one the band running around the crowd for the entire song and back in time to finish it off. Another great performance.

After this I joined the queue for the ride on the Queenscliff Blues Train. The train consists of four carriages, each containing a band, that travels for 20 mins and then stops to allow the punters to switch carriages and see a different band if they choose. It’s a great idea and both Claude Hay and Catherine Britt with Chris Pickering played great sets. I recently seen Catherine Britt and Chris Pickering play a support show at the Barwon Club and was impressed with Chris Pickering’s voice and guitar playing. Luke Foran also features in the band on bass, who is a great solo artist in his own right.

After Colin Hay’s great set which I couldn’t bring myself to leave until it was finshed, I headed along to catch the end of The Meanies. Turns out to be the right decision as they played the songs I knew last and I got to hear all the classics including “Ton of Bricks”, Gargantuan” and the 90’s anthem “10% Weird which was great. To finish the festival off we checked out Mick Thomas & the Sure Thing. He was quite good as well, especially “Fathers Day” and “Mondays Experts”. So that was my QMF experience, a great weekend was had by all and l look forward to it again this year.

2010 in Review

2011-01-09T18:42:00.008+11:00

It's been a while, but here goes with my favourites of 2010.

Top Albums 2010
1. The Black Keys – Brothers
2. You Am I – You Am I
3. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
4. Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame
5. The National – High Violet
6. The Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt
7. Midlake – The Courage of Others
8. The Bon Scotts – Oddernity
9. Spoon – Transference
10. The Beautiful Girls - Spooks
11. Angus and Julia Stone – Down the Way
12. Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
13. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
14. Basement Birds – Basement Birds
15. Clare Bowditch – Modern Day Addiction
16. Dan Kelly – Dan Kelly’s Dream
17. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
18. Gareth Liddiard - Strange Tourist
19. Claude Hay – Deep Fried Satisfied
20. Stone Temple Pilots – Stone Temple Pilots
21. Washington – I Believe You, Liar
22. Matt Costa – Mobile Chateau
23. Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – Lonely Avenue
24. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
25. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening

Top Tracks 2010
1. Tighten Up – The Black Keys
2. The Suburbs – Arcade Fire
3. Shadow People – Dr. Dog
4. Conversation 16 – The National
5. Trigger Finger – You Am I
6. Kids on the Run – Tallest Man on Earth
7. We Like War – The Bon Scotts
8. It’s All my Fault – Nicholas Roy
9. I Need a Dollar – Aloe Blacc
10. Written in Reverse - Spoon
11. Hold On, I’m Coming On – Dan Kelly
12. Bus Stop – Basement Birds
13. Heaven Can Wait – Charlotte Gainsbourg feat Beck.
14. Hurt Me – The Jezabels
15. Strange Tourist - Gareth Liddiard
16. Factory – Band of Horses
17. Undercover Martyn – Two Door Cinema Club
18. My Latest Mistake – The Beautiful Girls
19. Children of the Grounds – Midlake
20. On Melancholy Hill – Gorillaz
21. How Can You Live With Yourself – Claude Hay
22. Start a War – Clare Bowditch
23. This Too Shall Pass – OK GO
24. All These Things – Darren Hanlon
25. Big Jet Plane – Angus and Julia Stone
26. She Said – Plan B
27. Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool - Editors
28. The High Road – Broken Bells
29. Dance Yrself Clean – LCD Soundsystem
30. The Season – Matt Costa
31. Save Our Town – Philadelphia Grand Jury
32. Solitude is Bliss – Tame Impala
33. Killer – Whitley
34. O.N.E. – Yeasayer
35. Beat the Devils Tattoo - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
36. Pumped Up Kicks – Foster the People
37. Black Sheep - Metric
38. Baby Lee – Teenage Fanclub
39. Rich Kids – Washington
40. Crave You - Flight Facilities
41. Eyes Wide Open - Gotye
42. Hickory Dichotomy – Stone Temple Pilots
43. Fathers Son – Fistful of Mercy.
44. Every Goliath Has It’s David – The Boy Least Likely To
45. Silverline – The Bees
46. The Sharpest Crown – Joe Pug
47. Fuck You – Cee-Lo
48. Overpass – The John Steel Singers
49. Fables – The Dodos
50. Time to Wander – Gypsy & the Cat

Best TV Seen in 2010.

1. Breaking Bad - Season 3
2. Boardwalk Empire - Season 1
3. The Walking Dead - Season 1
4. Dexter - Season 5
5. An Idiot Abroad - Season 1
6. Bored to Death - Season 2
7. Entourage - Season 7
8. The Ricky Gervais Show - Season 1
9. True Blood - Season 3
10. 30 Rock - Season 5
11. Spicks and Specks
12. Hung - Season 2
13. United States of Tara - Season 2
14. The Simpsons - Season 22
15. Weeds - Season 6
Best Movies of 2010.

1. Scott Pilgrim Vs the World
2. Kick Ass
3. Toy Story 3
4. The Social Network
5. Inception
6. Machete
7. Hot Tub Time Machine
8. Shrek Forever After
9. Shutter Island
10. Easy A
11. The A Team
12. She's Out of my League
13. The Lovely Bones
14. Dinner for Schmucks
15. The Expendables

2009 in Review

2009-12-30T09:30:00.006+11:00

Here are some of favourites for the year 2009.

100 Best Songs of 2009
1. "Eid Ma Clack Shaw" - Bill Callahan
2. "The Fixer" - Pearl Jam
3. "Little Lion Man" - Mumford & Sons
4. "A Community Service Announcement" - Jonathon Boulet
5. "Ramona Was a Waitress" - Paul Dempsey
6. "Where Did All the Love Go?" - Kasabian
7. "Running to Stand Still" - Elbow
8. "Down to the Cemetery" - Kid Sam
9. "That Look You Give That Guy" - Eels
10. "Kingdom of Rust" - Doves
11. "Airstream Driver" - Gomez
12. "Cheap and Cheerful" The Kills
13. "Panic Switch" - Silversun Pickups
14. "Silk Suits" - Kram
15. "Blood" - The Middle East
16. "Two Weeks" - Grizzly Bear
17. "Zero" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
18. "Tightrope" - Yeasayer
19. "Lay it Down" - Peter, Bjorn & John
20. "Number With No Name" - Ben Harper & Relentless7
21. "Satellite Skin" - Modest Mouse
22. "Long Way to Go" - Liam Finn & Eliza Jane
23. "Black Wind Blowing" - Mason Jennings
24. "Say Please" - Monsters of Folk
25. "New Fang" - Them Crooked Vultures
26. "The Rakes Song" - The Decemberists
27. "Mexican Mavis" - Boy and Bear
28. "Don't Wait" - The Beautiful Girls
29. "In These Arms" - The Swell Season
30. "I Want Some More" - Dan Auerbach
31. "Bell" - The Mess Hall
32. "White Rose Parade" - Lady of the Sunshine
33. "Just Breathe" - Pearl Jam
34. "You and I" - Wilco (feat Feist)
35. "Percussion Gun" - White Rabbits
36. "I Woke Up Today" - Port O'Brien
37. "Ulysees" - Franz Ferdinand
38. "Thump" - Bertie Blackman
39. "Out the Airlock" - Paul Dempsey
40. "Since We've Been Wrong" - The Mars Volta
41. "No Turning Back" - Sarah Blasko
42. "Pale Horses" - Moby
43. "Crying Lightening" - Arctic Monkeys
44. "Goodtown" - Wagons
45. "Lisztomania" - Phoenix
46. "Set it Right" - Hungry Kids of Hungary
47. "Someone So Much" - Bob Evans
48. "Bloodlines" - Leader Cheetah
49. "Python for a Pillow" - The Fumes
50. "ATX" - Alberta Cross
51. "Fun That We Have" - Julian Plenti
52. "The Price" - Dappled Cities
53. "Foreign Land" - Eskimo Joe
54. "Static Information" - Love of Diagrams
55. "Fugitive" - David Gray
56. "Keep Me in the Dark" - The Fiery Furnaces
57. "I've Got Friends" - Manchester Orchestra"
58. "Lose You" - Peaches
59. "Treat Me Like Your Mother" - The Dead Weather
60. "Convinced Of The Hex" - The Flaming Lips
61. "Chaka Demus" - Jamie T
62. "Sucker" - Jez Mead
63. "One Way Road" - John Butler Trio
64. "For What it's Worth" - Placebo
65. "Sigh No More" - Mumford & Sons
66. "Laughing With" - Regina Spektor
67. "The Uprising" - Muse
68. "Fell Into Me" - Jordie Lane
69. "Brother" - Little Birdy (feat. Paul Kelly)
70. "Get You Back" - Oh Mercy
71. "Dirty Robot" - Lemonheads (feat Kate Moss)
72. "All of the Dreamers" - Powderfinger
73. "While We Wait for the Others" - Grizzly Bear
74. "Keep it Together" - Ben Harper & Relentless7
75. "Sort Of" - Silversun Pickups
76. "Fresh Blood" - Eels
77. "Natural Reaction" - Gomez
78. "Remember Me" - Tame Impala
79. "Compulsion" - Doves
80. "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" - Weezer
81. "My Girls" - Animal Collective
82. "With This Ship" - The Basics
83. "Heart Skipped a Beat" - The xx
84. "Lua" - Conor Oberst and Gillian Welch
85. "Underdog" - Kasabian
86. "Wilco (The Song)" - Wilco
87. "Low Rising" - The Swell Season
88. "Heads Will Roll" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
89. "We're Mostly Made of Water" - Kid Sam
90. "Ain't No Friend of Mine" - Mason Jennings
91. "Fast Friends" - Paul Dempsey
92. "Bracket WI" - Bon Iver
93. "Amongst the Waves" - Pearl Jam
94. "Little Girl" - Sparklehorse (feat Julian Casablancas)
95. "Man Named Truth" - Monsters of Folk
96. "Diamond and a Tether" - Death Cab for Cutie
97. "Lenin" - Arcade Fire
98. "Mountain Song" - Leeroy Lee
99. "No Kind Words" - The Maccabees
100. "Wheels" - Foo Fighters

Favourite Gigs of 2009 (International)
1. Pearl Jam/Ben Harper - Etihad Stadium
2. Gomez - Palais Theatre
3. Neil Young - Big Day Out
4. Elbow - V Festival
5. The Black Keys - Palais Theatre
6. My Morning Jacket - Big Day Out
7. Dr. Dog - Palais Theatre
8. The Kills - V Festival
9. G. Love & Special Sauce - Hi Fi Bar
10. Jack Johnson - Sound Relief
11. TV on the Radio - Big Day Out
12. Gomez (Bring it On 10th Anniversary Show) - The Espy
13. Kaiser Chiefs - V Festival
14. Ben Kweller - Chill City
15. Arctic Monkeys - Big Day Out

Favourite Gigs of 2009 (Australian)
1. Paul Dempsey - Hepburn Springs Palais
2. Midnight Oil - Sound Relief
3. Hunters and Collectors - Sound Relief
4. Paul Kelly - Chill City
5. Mat McHugh - Rubys Lounge
6. John Butler Trio - Chill City
7. The Beautiful Girls - The Espy
8. The Drones - Big Day Out
9. Paul Kelly - Sound Relief
10. Split Enz - Sound Relief

Best Films of 2009
1. Avatar
2. Inglorious Basterds
3. Zombieland!
4. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
5. Watchmen
6. The Hangover
7. Up
8. Star Trek
9. Gran Torino
10. (500) Days of Summer
11. Adventureland
12. District 9
13. The Boat that Rocked
14. Fanboys
15. The Brothers Bloom

Best TV Shows of 2009
1. Dexter
2. Weeds
3. Spicks and Specks
4. Entourage
5. Californication
6. 30 Rock
7. Curb Your Enthusiasm
8. South Park
9. Scrubs
10. The Simpsons
11. Nip/Tuck
12. Bored to Death
13. rage
14. My Name is Earl
15. United States of Tara

Favourite Books Read in 2009
1. A Nest of Occasionals - Tony Martin
2. The Slap - Christos Tsiolkas
3. Firestarter - Stephen King
4. The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
5. High Noon in Nimbin - Robert G. Barrett
6. Christine - Stephen King
7. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
8. The Dead Zone - Stephen King
9. And Then We Came to the End - Joshua Ferris
10. The Shining - Stephen King

The Best Albums of 2009

2009-12-29T08:37:00.011+11:00

Best Albums of 2009
1. Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Key Tracks: "The Fixer", "Just Breathe", "Amongst the Waves", "Gonna See My Friend"

2. Paul Dempsey - Everything is True
Key Tracks: "Out the Airlock", "Ramona Was a Waitress", "Fast Friends", "Bird in a Basement"

3. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Key Tracks: "Little Lion Man", "Sigh No More", "White Blank Page", "Awake My Soul"

4. Doves - Kingdom of Rust
Key Tracks: "Compulsion", "Kingdom of Rust", "Jetstream", "Winter Hill", "Spellbound".

5. Gomez - A New Tide
Key Tracks: "Airstream Driver", "Natural Reaction", "Little Pieces", "Lost Track", "Other Plans"

6. Eels - Hombre Lobo
Key Tracks: "Fresh Blood", "Tremendous Dynamite", "That Look You Give That Guy", "Prizefighter", "In My Dreams"

7. Kasabian - The West Rider Pauper Lunatic
Key Tracks: "Where Did All the Love Go", "Underdog", "Fast Fuse", "Vlad the Imapler", "Fire"

8. Monsters of Folk - Self Titled
Key Tracks: "Say Please", "Magic Marker", "Man Named Truth", "Goodway".

9. Mason Jennings - Blood of Man
Key Tracks: "Black Wind Blowing", "Ain't No Friend of Mine", "The Tourist", "The Field"

10. Kram - Mixtape
Key Tracks: "Silk Suits", "Ridin' High", "Satellite", "Burnin Sands"

11. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
Key Tracks: "Panic Switch", "There's No Secrets This Year", "Sort Of", "Surrounded"

12. Them Crooked Vultures - Self-Titled
Key Tracks: "New Fang", "Mind Eraser, No Chaser", "Scumbag Blues", "No-one Loves Me & Neither Do I".

13. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
Key Tracks: "The Rake's Song", "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid", "Annan Water", The Hazards of Love 1"

14. Ben Harper and Relentless7 - White Lies for Dark Times
Key Tracks: "Number With No Name", "Keep it Together", "Boots Like These", "Shimmer and Shine

15. The Swell Season - Strict Joy
Key Tracks: "Low Rising", "In These Arms", "Fantasy Man", "The Rain"

16. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Key Tracks: "Heads Will Roll", "Shame and Fortune", "Zero", "Soft Shock"

17. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Key Tracks: "Two Weeks", "Foreground", "While We Wait for the Others", "Southern Point"

18. Sarah Blasko - As Day Follows Night
Key Tracks: "No Turning Back", "We Won't Run", "All I Want", "Bird on a Wire"

19. Wilco - Wilco (the Album)
Key Tracks: "Wilco (The Song)", "One Wing", "You and I (feat Feist)", "I'll Fight"

20. The Mars Volta - Octahedron
Key Tracks: "Cotopaxi", "With Twilight As My Guide", "Teflon", "Halo Of Nembutals"

21. Bob Evans - Goodnight, Bull Creek!
Key Tracks: "Pasha Balker", "Someone So Much", Hand Me Downs", "Brother O Brother"

22. Jamie T - Kings & Queens
Key Tracks: "Chaka Demus", "Sticks N Stones", "Emily's Heart", "Spiders Web"

23. The Middle East - The Recordings of the Middle East
Key Tracks: "Blood", "The Darkest Side", "Lonely", "Fools Gold"

24. David Gray - Draw the Line
Key Tracks: "Fugitive", "Nemesis", "Draw the Line", "Full Steam"

25. Powderfinger - Golden Rule
Key Tracks: "Iberian Dream", "All of the Dreamers", "Burn Your Name", "Jewel"

26. Alberta Cross - Broken Side of Time
Key Tracks: "ATX", "Taking Control", "City Walls", "Song Three Blues"

27. Dan Auerbach - Keep it Hid
Key Tracks: "I Wan't Some More", Street Walkin'", "The Prowl", "Trouble Weighs a Ton

28. Lady of the Sunshine - Smoking Gun
Key Tracks: "White Rose Parade", "The Wolf", "Kings Black Magic", "Smoking Gun"

29. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight:
Key Tracks: "Ulysees", "Turn it On", "No You Girls", "Twilight Owens".

30. Peaches - I Feel Cream
Key Tracks: "Talk To Me", "Trick or Treat", "Serpentine", "I Feel Cream"

New Music - December 2009

2009-12-18T14:29:00.009+11:00

Pearl Jam - Gig Review - Etihad Stadium - Nov 20th 2009

2009-11-24T13:19:00.005+11:00

The news that Pearl Jam and Ben Harper would be playing on the same bill was a source of great excitement to me which only grew after hearing Backspacer which is their best album since Vs in my opinion. My friends shared my sentiments and a posse of over 10 people was quickly formed as the countdown to the 20th November begun. After leaving work early at 4pm, we all congregated at a close-by pub to get a few beers into us before Ben Harper started. We timed it perfectly, arriving just as the great man got on stage to play the unreleased track "I Will Not be Broken". By the time we made it down to our spot in the Fixer field (Front GA) we were treated to the first of the nights countless highlights with the suprise inclusion of "Faded" which sounded just as good a did with his original band. "Number With No Name" was next which is one of my faves from the new album. Eddie Vedder was then invited on stage for an awesome duet with Harper on the Queen/Bowie classic "Under Pressure". They sounded great together and even inproved on the original with Harper hitting some awe inspiring notes and Vedder treating the crowd to an early taste of his distinctive vocals. Harper then treated the crowd to another of his classics with "Diamonds on the Inside" much to the delight of the many fans of Harper's earlier tunes, myself included. The band finsihed the set with some tracks from this years White Lies for Dark Times and another new track called "Rock N Roll is Free" which sounded quite good as well. The lineup for drinks was a pisstake and I missed more than I would have liked of the second half of Harper's set but could hear it pretty well.

Pearl Jam wasted no time when it came to playing the songs the crows wanted to hear opening with the laid back "Elderly Woman" from their best album Vs followed by the more energetic "Corduroy" and "Animal". By the time one-two combo of "Even Flow" and "Oceans" was played to an extremely appreciative crowd I was aware that I was witnessing something more than an average touring rock show, well aware that the set so far was quite different to the previous shows at Perth and Adelaide. It is rare for international artists or even locals for that metter to play a different set for each gig and is one of the many reasons that I rate this gig as my favourite of all time. They ticked every box required for the perfect performance as they played plenty of their hits, a few covers, some special guests, a few unexpected rarities and it went for 2 and a half hours. The group of friends I went with all shared the same opinion and the best was yet to come. Other highlights from the main set included "Given to Fly" (dedicated to my favourite footballer Richo), "The Fixer" and "Do the Evolution".

As good as the main set was, the two encores that followed were nothing short of perfect. Eddie Vedder came out by himself to rapturous applause armed only with his acoustic guitar to play a chilling version of Neil Young's "The Needle and the Damage Done" which is one of my favourite songs ever. This was followed by another acoustic track "Just Breathe" from the new album which sounded great. The first very special guest, Ben Harper, was then invited on stage for a couple tracks, first on slide guitar only on "Red Mosquito" and then shared the vocals on the highlight of the night "Indifference". It was the track I was most hoping to hear and was every bit as good as I'd hoped. I would have been quite happy for the gig to end there but there were 10 more classics yet to come. To finish the first encore we were treated to 4 in a row from the classic debut Ten, the highlight being "Jeremy" as the 50,000 strong crowd sang along.

The 2nd encore begun with a rousing version of one of Australia's greatest songs, "Throw Your Arms Around Me" joined by Liam Finn on vocals which envoked another heartfelt sing-along from the crowd. By the time "Black", "Spin the Black Circle" and "Alive" were played I was entirely exhausted and completely blown away by the calvacade of hits I had witnessed and I was not the Lone Ranger. The concert finished with a great version of The Who's classic "Baba O'Reilly" and popular B-side "Yellow Ledbetter" featuring some wicked AC/DC riffage. After 32 tracks and 2 and a half hours of madness I was spent and ready for home.
Best. Gig. Ever.

Set List: Elderly Woman, Corduroy, Animal, Got Some, Brother, Amongst The Waves, Even Flow, Oceans, Lukin, Green Disease, Force of Nature, Present Tense, Gonne See My Friend, Given To Fly, Daughter / Another Brick In The Wall Part 2-(Waters), Glorified G, The Fixer, Do the Evolution,

1st encore: The Needle And The Damage Done-(Young), Just Breathe, Red Mosquito w/ Ben Harper, Indifference w/ Ben Harper, Jeremy, Deep, Why Go, Porch

2nd encore: Throw Your Arms Around Me w/ Liam Finn-(Archer, Falconer, Howard, Miles, Seymour, Smith, Waters), Black, Spin The Black Circle, Alive, Baba O'Riley (Townshend), Yellow Ledbetter / AC/DC Medley-(Scott, Young, Young)

New Music - November 2009

2009-11-16T16:14:00.005+11:00

Them Crooked Vultures - New Fang

2009-10-30T09:02:00.002+11:00

Them Crooked Vultures have finally released the first taste from their upcoming and greatly anticipated debut album and it's a ripper. For those unaware of the supergroup, the band features Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) on guitar and lead vocal, Dave Grohl on drums on backing vocal and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) on bass. It features Homme's signature guitar sound and it's great to hear Grohl back behind the drums.
Australia will be the first country to get the album when it lands on our shores November 13th before the worldwide release on November 17th. Those wanting to see the rock gods in action will get the chance next year when they play 4 date tour around Australia in January. See the dates below.

Tue Jan 19 – Challenge Stadium, Perth
Fri Jan 22 – Festival Hall, Melbourne
Mon Jan 25 – Riverstage, Brisbane
Tue Jan 26 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney

New Music - October 2009

2009-10-23T09:03:00.004+11:00

New Music - September 2009

2009-09-03T12:31:00.010+10:00

Here is my favourite tracks of the past month and some new releases.

Paul Dempsey - Everything is True - Album Review

2009-08-31T11:01:00.007+10:00

*****
On his debut solo album, Paul Dempsey has kept everything that is great about Something for Kate and made a fresh and unique sound that I can't get enough of. I've been listening to this album on repeat for over 2 weeks now and have not come close to tiring of it yet. Even the latest single "Romona Was a Waitress" which is getting fairly heavy airplay still sounds fresh. The songwriting on Everything is True is Dempsey's strongest effort since SFK's Elsewhere for 8 Minutes and the simple yet catchy acoustic guitar is the perfect accompaniment to his clever and insightful lyrics. All the instruments on the album are played by Dempsey and he also wrote and co-produced the debut with Wayne Connolly, who has previously worked with The Fauves and Josh Pyke, proving that he is truly one of Australia's most talented artists. It's hard to pick highlights on such a strong album but I am really loving "Fast Friends", "Bird in a Basement" and current single "Romona Was a Waitress". The bonus disc features four covers played acoustically and is a nice addition, if only for the great MGMT cover of "Time to Pretend. You can find his cover version of classic 90's Teenage Fanclub track "Sparky's Dream" on iTunes as well which is probably my favourite of the cover versions. This fantasic debut is the current leader for Album of the Year at this stage and I am looking forward to seeing a full live show at the Palais in Hepburn Springs on the 11th Sept, having seen a sneak preview at RRR's Performance Space in July before hearing the album. I strongly receommend this album, even if for some stupid reason Something for Kate is not your cup of tea. 5 out of 5.

Everything is True
1. Bats
2. Fast Friends
3. Out The Airlock
4. Ramona Was A Waitress
5. Take Us To Your Leader
6. Bird In A Basement
7. Theme From Nice Guy
8. Have You Fallen Out Of Love?
9. The Great Optimist
10. Safety In Numbness
11. Man Of The Moment

Counterfeits and Forgeries
1. Time to Pretend (MGMT)
2. Heaven (Talking Heads)
3. So Like Candy (Elvis Costello)
4. Disappearer (Sonic Youth)
5. Sparky's Dream (Teenage Fanclub) iTunes Bonus Track

Here are the latest tour dates for Paul Dempsey

Thurs 10 September – Ruby’s Lounge
Fri 11 September – The Palais, Hepburn Springs
Sat 12 September – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Wed 16 September – Lizottes, Kincumber
Thurs 17 September – Wollongong University, Wollongong
Fri 18 September – Brewery, Newcastle
Sat 19 September – Manning Bar, Sydney
Fri 25 September – The Sound Lounge, Gold Coast
Sat 26 September – The Zoo, Brisbane
Thurs 1 October – The Gov, Adelaide
Fri 2 October – Rosemount Hotel, Perth
Sat 3 October – Fly By Night Club, Fremantle
Fri 9 October – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Sat 10 October – Westernport Hotel, San Remo

David Gray - New Single and Album

2009-08-20T09:42:00.008+10:00

1. Fugitive
2. Draw The Line
3. Nemesis
4. Jackdaw
5. Kathleen
6. First Chance
7. Harder
8. Transformation
9. Stella The Artist
10. Breathe
11. Full Steam

David Gray has just released an excellent video for "Fugitive" which will be the first single from his forthcoming album Draw the Line due out on September 22. It's another great upbeat piano driven classic from the UK singer who hasn't released an album in 4 years. See below for the latest video for David Gray and a couple of classics.

Falls Festival 09/10 - 1st Lineup Announcement

2009-08-06T15:28:00.004+10:00

The 1st announcement for this years Falls Festival has come out a week early due to a leak and it looks to be another solid lineup for 3 day festival. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Future of the Left and Grizzly Bear were long rumoured to be appearing and have now been confirmed in the eclectic lineup that has something to please everyone. This lineup will be shared with the rest of Australia with Brisbane's Sunset Sounds Festival on the 6th and 7th January 2010 as well as Perth on January 8-10, 2010 for the Southbound Festival. The Falls Festival will be held in Lorne, Victoria as per usual and be held over the new year period from the 29th December 09- 1st January 2010. Those wanting a ticket should head to the website www.fallsfestival.com to register as they will be harder to acquire than ever before with this stellar lineup.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs / Moby / Hilltop Hoods / Grizzly Bear / Rodrigo y Gabriela /The Temper Trap / Xavier Rudd / Emiliana Torrini / Little Birdy / Midnight Juggernauts / Andrew Bird / Lyrics Born / Chairlift / King Kahn and The Shrines / Editors / Philadelphia Grand Jury / Kaki King / Sarah Blasko / Art vs Science / DJ Yoda / Liam Finn / Lisa Mitchell / Major Lazer Soundsystem (DJ Set) / Patrick Watson / Seasick Steve / The View / Urthboy / White Rabbits / Future Of The Left / Killaqueenz (Lorne Only) / Yves Klein Blue / The John Steel Singers

Modest Mouse - King Rat - Music Video

2009-08-06T09:05:00.005+10:00

Here is the latest video clip fopr "King Rat" from the new Modest Mouse rarities EP, No One's First, and You're Next. It was directed by the late Heath Leadger and is a fantastic animated clip and a great song too. Ledger's first music video attempt was for Ben Harper's "Morning Yearning" which was also an excellent clip. Enjoy.

Pearl Jam with Ben Harper and Relentless7 & Liam Finn - Aust & NZ Tour

2009-08-05T10:58:00.013+10:00

Pearl Jam have just announced that they are returning to Australia to tour their upcoming album Backspacer, due out on September 14th. To make the gig even more enticingthey have brought along Ben Harper and Relentless7 and Liam Finn to support them. All shows will be held at larger stadium venues with only one show for each city. This will be my second time seeing Pearl Jam after catching their epic two and a half hour show at the Myer Music Bowl in 1995. I was one of the few who had actually purchased a ticket after about 10,000 charged into the gig through a knocked down fence. It was one of my first concerts and I managed to get right up the front which was quickly abondoned when Pearl Jam got on stage as I was getting crushed. I managed to crowd surf (my first and only experience) my way further back for a better position and was treated to an excellent set of hits lasting 2 and a half hours including a great cover of "Throw Your Arms Around Me".

Ben Harper is one of my favourite artists and I am looking forward to seeing him for the sixth time, this time with a new backing band and new songs. Unfortunately his excellent back catalogue will most likely be left behind for his new material but I did enjoy the new direction of White Lies for Dark Times. My first time seeing Ben Harper live was at the Offshore Festival at Torquay in 1999 and I became an instant fan when he opened with Pearl Jam's "Indifference". Hopefully Harper will join Pearl Jam on this tour to colloborate on one of my favourite songs on this tour. The version they did together (see below) on Triple J in 2001 is my favourite live performance ever.
Liam Finn will be opening all the shows in Aus and NZ bringing some new tracks from forthcoming EP Champagne in Seashells which includes the catchy new single "Long Way To Go". See below for dates and be sure to get in quick as they will be sure to sell out fast.
Tickets go on Sale Monday 17th August.

Tour Dates:
Friday, 20 November, 2009: Etihad Stadium, Melbourne
Ticketmaster - www.ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100
6pm - Liam Finn
7pm - Ben Harper and Relentless7
8.30pm - Pearl Jam

Sunday, 22 November, 2009: Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
Ticketek - www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849

Wednesday, 25 November, 2009: QSAC Stadium, Brisbane
Ticketek - www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849

Friday, 27 November, 2009: Mt Smart, Auckland, New Zealand
Ticketek: www.ticketek.co.nz or 0800 842538

Sunday, 29 November, 2009: AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand
Ticketek: www.ticketek.co.nz or 0800 842538

Ticket Prices are about $125 for Gold and $99 for Silver + BF.

New Music - August 2009

2009-08-04T10:57:00.013+10:00

Here is this months video mix tape. Enjoy.

Gomez - A New Tour 2009 - Australia

2009-08-03T09:39:00.016+10:00

October sees Gomez heading to Australia for the umpteenth time and for the second time this year. This time around they've got a fantastic new album, A New Tide, to show off.I have been lucky enough to witness the awesome live show of Gomez five times including their first tour in 2000, an excellent set at Spendour in the Grass in 2002 and their recreation of the album Bring it On at the Espy earlier this year. Gomez have always put on a good show and I'm sure this tour will be no exception. See below for the dates announced so far. Tickets for all shows are about $60 + BF.

Thursday October 22 • METRO THEATRE • SYDNEY
Saturday October 24 • ANU BAR • ANU, CANBERRA
Sunday October 25 • HI FI BAR AND BALLROOM • BRISBANE
Wednesday October 28 • HI FI BAR AND BALLROOM • MELBOURNE
Friday October 30 • THE GOV • ADELAIDE
Saturday October 31 • FLY BY NIGHT • FREMANTLE
Sunday November 1 • FLY BY NIGHT • FREMANTLE

ALL TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY AUGUST 3RD

AVAILABLE from http://shop.lovepolice.com.au/lovepolicetours.products/tickets/gomez2009tour

Mason Jennings - New Album

2009-07-30T15:02:00.006+10:00

Mason Jennings has announced that his 8th studio album, Blood of Man, will be released on the 15th September 2009. This is Mason's 2nd release for Jack Johnson's label Brushfire Records and I am looking forward to hearing it more than any other release on this years schedule. The new album was produced by Mason and he has also played all the instruments for the first time.

For my money, Mason Jennings is the greatest songwriter of our time and is very underrated, especially in Australia. For anyone who has not heard Mason Jennings before, do yourself a favour and give him a try. His distinctive voice and ability to write clever, amusing and thoughtful lyrics should make him as popular as his label boss Jack Johnson, but unfortunately mentioning his name usually ellicits blank stares. Hopefully this album will be the one that breaks him as artist and it might entice to make another trip down to Australia. I was lucky enough to see him twice on a weekend back in 2003 when he supported The Beautiful Girls and his version of "Bulls on Parade" on an acoustic guitar is one of the best live covers I have ever seen. Here is a statement from the man himself on the upcoming album:

“I can’t wait to get out on the road and play the new songs from Blood of Man. This batch of songs is so intensely personal, so dark, and so rocking that I am a little afraid of what will happen. That’s why I am bringing out my good friends Brian McLeod on drums and Chris Morrissey on bass. I will be playing a lot of electric guitar and I can honestly say that I have no idea what will be conjured up. I only know that it will be really open, really loud and really real.” -Mason Jennings

Here is a great short film with Mason discussing the new album Blood of Man. I also found a couple of songs played acoustic from the new album and some classic Mason for newcomers.

(Not Official Video)

Homebake 09 - First Announcement

2009-07-23T08:24:00.006+10:00

Australia's premier homegrown music festival is back for it's 15th year and features some of the country's best bands and as usual some unexpected acts from yesteryear. The most exciting announcement for me is 90's stoner rock legends Tumbleweed who I have seen play excellent sets at a number of festivals. Hopefully they will some more shows around Australia around the time of Homebake. Powderfinger will likely have a swag of brand new tracks to road test as well as they are currently in the studio recording their 7th studio album.

POWDERFINGER, JET, HILLTOP HOODS, ESKIMO JOE, SIA, DANIEL MERRIWEATHER, MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS, SARAH BLASKO, A special best of performance by TIM FINN, CLOSURE IN MOSCOW, TIKI TAANE (NZ), SHORT STACK, UNDERGROUND LOVERS (original line-up) PHRASE, DECODER RING, BUMBLEBEEZ, TUMBLEWEED (original line-up), EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING, ROWLAND S HOWARD (together with Mick Harvey, JP Shiloh & Lindsay Gravina), THE FUNKOARS, THE MIDDLE EAST, THE ASTON SHUFFLE, SUGAR ARMY, RECORD PRODUCER, SHOCKONE + many more still to be announced

Featuring…FOUR STAGES (Main Stage, The Big Top, The Dome & The Hopetoun Stage) THE HOMEBAKE CINEMA PAVILION (bigger and better than ever), MULTIMEDIA, INTERNATIONAL FOOD FAIR, MARKET STALLS, ROVING PERFORMERS, ARTIST SIGNING TENT (ALL PROCEEDS TO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY http://www.habitat.org.au, RIDES, YOUTH & COMMUNITY INFORMATION & AWARENESS STALLS & more!

SATURDAY DECEMBER 5TH, 2009The Domain, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney City, NSW Australia ON SALE MONDAY AUGUST 17TH, 2009 9.00AM - OVER 18’s ONLY

http://www.homebake.com.au/2009/index.html#/homepage/

http://www.oztix.com.au/

* Moshtix phonecharge: Ph 1300 438 849 or web: http://www.moshtix.com.au

Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time - List

2009-07-09T11:30:00.007+10:00

Here is 100-1 of Triple J's Hottest 100 of All Time that has been counting since Tuesday. They whole countdown will be replayed over this weekend but they have been revealing 20 a day and so far it has been an excellent list. Good to see some AC/DC, Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin as well as some newer stuff like Bon Iver, Modest Mouse, Jeff Buckley and The Shins. I will update the list as the countdown continues. The final 20 of the countdown will not be revealed until Sunday afternoon.
1. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
2. Rage Against the Machine - Killing In The Name
3. Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
4. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
5. Radiohead - Paranoid Android
6. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
7. Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge
9. Foo Fighters - Everlong
10. Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
11. John Lennon - Imagine
12. Oasis - Wonderwall
13. Radiohead - Creep
14. The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
15. Radiohead - Karma Police
16. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
17. Hilltop Hoods - The Nosebleed Section
18. Muse - Knights Of Cydonia
19. Metallica - One
20. White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
21. Powderfinger - These Days
22. Massive Attack - Teardrop
23. Hunters & Collectors - Throw Your Arms Around Me
24. The Beatles - A Day in the Life
25. Pearl Jam - Alive
26. Michael Jackson - Thriller
27. Powderfinger - My Happiness
28. Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
29. Pixies - Where Is My Mind?
30. Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
31. Metallica - Enter Sandman
32. New Order - Blue Monday
33. Silverchair - Tomorrow
34. The Living End - Prisoner Of Society
35. Smashing Pumpkins - 1979
36. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Into My Arms
37. Tool - Stinkfist
38. The Killers - Mr Brightside
39. Pearl Jam - Better Man
40. Nirvana - Come As You Are
41. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
42. Bloc Party - Banquet
43. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
44. The Beatles - Hey Jude
45. Queens of the Stone Age - No One Knows
46. Faith No More - Epic
47. John Butler Trio - Betterman
48. Beastie Boys - Sabotage
49. Guns 'N Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
50. Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
51. Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet With Butterfly Wings
52. You Am I - Berlin Chair
53. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
54. The Cure - Close To Me
55. Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone
56. Jeff Buckley - Lover, You Should Have Come Over
57. Tool - Forty Six & 2
58. Daft Punk - Around The World
59. Augie March - One Crowded Hour
60. Johnny Cash - Hurt
61. Blur - Song 2
62. Nine Inch Nails - Closer
63. AC/DC - Thunderstruck
64. Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun
65. Underworld - Born Slippy
66. Elton John - Tiny Dancer
67. Ben Folds Five - Brick
68. Blink 182 - Dammit
69. Jeff Buckley - Grace
70. The Prodigy - Breathe
71. The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?
72. The Shins - New Slang
73. The Clash - London Calling
74. Nirvana - Lithium
75. Green Day - Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
76. The Stone Roses - Fools Gold
77. Gotye - Hearts A Mess
78. Smashing Pumpkins - Today
79. David Bowie - Life on Mars
80. The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black
81. Pulp - Common People
82. System Of A Down - Chop Suey!
83. Placebo - Every You Every Me
84. Bob Marley & The Wailers - No Woman, No Cry
85. The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You
86. The Beatles - Come Together
87. Coldplay - Yellow
88. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
89. Rage Against the Machine - Bulls On Parade
90. Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
91. AC/DC - Back In Black
92. Bon Iver - Skinny Love
93. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
94. Modest Mouse - Float On
95. Stevie Wonder - Superstition
96. Daft Punk - One More Time
97. Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning
98. Led Zeppelin - Kashmir
99. TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me
100. Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out

New Beastie Boys Album - (Updated 22.7.09) MCA diagnosed with cancer.

2009-07-07T15:03:00.008+10:00

Tracklist
1. Tadlock's Glasses
2. B-Boys In The Cut
3. Make Some Noise
4. Nonstop Disco Powerpack
5. OK
6. Too Many Rappers (featuring NAS)
7. Say It
8. The Bill Harper Collection
9. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (featuring Santigold)
10. Long Burn The Fire
11. Bundt Cake
12. Funky Donkey
13. Lee Majors Come Again
14. Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament
15. Pop Your Balloon
16. Crazy Ass Shit
17. Here's A Little Something For Ya

Beastie Boys have released the details of their 8th studio album Hot Sauce Commitee Part 1. This is their first vocal album in 5 years after releasing the funky instrumental album The Mix Up in 2007. It is planned for release on September 15th 2009(Now T.B.A.) with Hot Sauce Commitee Part 2 also on the way according to Mike D:

"Pt. 2 is pretty much done. Basically we were making ...Pt 1, had too many songs, so we recorded some more songs. Which sounds bizarre but it actually worked out, because it made it clear to us which songs were going to be on ...Pt 1. Then we had this whole other album of songs: ...Pt 2. ...Pt 1’s going to be your regular CD in the stores and to download, but ...Pt 2 is going to be released in...we’re still figuring it out, but a different way. More of a 2009 style. You could get in the shower one day and, boom, all of a sudden you’re showered with MP3s. Or we might send people a seven-inch every few weeks, so you have a whole box set".

The first taste of the album "Lee Majors Come Again" is the upcoming first single from the album and is a return to their earlier raw punk sound although it may be just a demo version. You can check out the audio below.

Adam Yauch (MCA) has just announced that he has been diagnosed with cancer and the new album will now be postponed. The good news is that surgery should be able to remove the cancer growth found in his glands without damaging his vocal chords. See the You Tube clip below to hear it from MCA himself.

New Music - July 2009

2009-07-02T08:47:00.006+10:00

Here is what I have been listening to over the past month and some new releases.

Best Albums of 2009 (So Far)

2009-06-30T11:57:00.013+10:00

Here's what I've been listening to and liking so this year.

1. Eels - Hombre Lobo
Key Tracks: "Fresh Blood", "Tremendous Dynamite", "That Look You Give That Guy", "Prizefighter", "In My Dreams",

2. Doves - Kingdom of Rust
Key Tracks: "Compulsion", "Kingdom of Rust", "Jetstream", "Winter Hill", "Spellbound".

3. Gomez - A New Tide
Key Tracks: "Airstream Driver", "Natural Reaction", "Little Pieces", "Lost Track", "Other Plans"

4. Kram - Mixtape
Key Tracks: "Silk Suits", "Ridin' High", "Satellite", "Burnin Sands"

5. Kasabian - The West Rider Pauper Lunatic
Key Tracks: "Underdog", "Fast Fuse", "Vlad the Imapler", "Fire"

6. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
Key Tracks: "Panic Switch", "There's No Secrets This Year", "Sort Of", "Surrounded"

7. Ben Harper and Relentless7 - White Lies for Dark Times
Key Tracks: "Number With No Name", "Keep it Together", "Boots Like These", "Shimmer and Shine"

8. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
Key Tracks: "The Rake's Song", "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid", "Annan Water",

9. The Mars Volta - Octahedron
Key Tracks: "Cotopaxi", "With Twilight As My Guide", "Teflon", "Halo Of Nembutals"

10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Its Blitz!
Key Tracks: "Heads Will Roll", "Shame and Fortune", "Zero", "Soft Shock"

11. Lady of the Sunshine - Smoking Gun
Key Tracks: "White Rose Parade", "The Wolf", "Kings Black Magic", "Smoking Gun"

12. Dan Auerbach - Keep it Hid
Key Tracks: "I Wan't Some More", Street Walkin'", "The Prowl", "Trouble Weighs a Ton

13. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Key Tracks: "Two Weeks", "Foreground", "Fine for Now", "Southern Point"

14. Bob Evans - Goodnight, Bull Creek!
Key Tracks: "Pasha Balker", "Someone So Much", Hand Me Downs", "Brother O Brother"

15. The Temper Trap - Conditions
Key tracks: "Sweet Disposition", "Science of Fear", "Love Lost", "Fader"

16. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish I Were an Eagle
Key Tracks: "Eid Ma Clack Shaw", "Faith/Void", "Too Many Birds", "Jim McCain"

17. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight
Key Tracks: "Ulysees", "Turn it On", "No You Girls", "Twilight Owens"

18. Peaches - I Feel Cream
"Talk To Me", "Trick or Treat", "Serpentine", "I Feel Cream"

19. Wilco - Wilco (the Album)
Key Tracks: "Wilco (The Song)", "One Wing", "You and I (feat Feist)", "I'll Fight"

20. Eskimo Joe - Inshalla
"Foreign Land", "Losing Friends Over Love", "Childhood Behaviour", "Inshalla"

21. Placebo - Battle for the Sun
Key Tracks: "For What it's Worth", "Battle for the Sun", "Ashtray Heart"

22. Regina Spektor - Far
Key Tracks: "Laughing With", "Blue Lips", "Machine", "Dance Anthem of the 80's"

23. Daniel Merriweather - Love & War
Key Tracks: "Change", "Chainsaw", "For Your Money", "Giving Everything Away For Free"

24. The Lemonheads - Vashions
Key Tracks: "Dirty Robot (feat Kate Moss)", "Yesterlove", "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye (feat Liv Tyler)", "Waiting Around to Die"

25. Little Birdy - Confetti
Key Tracks: "Summarize", "Brother (feat Paul Kelly)", "Crazy", "Run Run Run"

Most Played Albums From Past 6 months (Last FM)
1 Gomez – A New Tide - 171
2 Kram – Mix Tape - 130
3 Eels – Hombre Lobo - 130
4 Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid - 129
5 Lady Of The Sunshine – Smoking Gun - 126
6 Gomez – How We Operate - 120
7 Doves – Kingdom of Rust - 118
8 The Black Keys – Attack and Release - 117
9 Mason Jennings – Boneclouds - 113
10 Ben Harper – Fight for Your Mind -106
11 Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid -105
11 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz! -105
13 You Am I – Hi Fi Way -98
14 Bob Evans – Goodnight, Bull Creek! -97
15 TV on the Radio – Dear Science, -93
16 You Am I – Dilettantes-92
17 Mat McHugh – Seperatista! -92
18 The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible -88
19 Ben Harper and Relentless7 – White Lies For Dark Times -88
20 Dr. Dog – Fate - 87

Most Played Artists From Past 6 months (Last FM)
1 Gomez - 451
2 Elbow - 267
3 You Am I -259
4 Doves -240
5 Eels -237
6 Mason Jennings -227
7 The Black Keys -211
8 Ben Harper -194
9 The Beautiful Girls -140
10 Kram -133
11 Ween -132
11 Arcade Fire -132
13 Yeah Yeah Yeahs -128
14 Lady Of The Sunshine -127
15 TV on the Radio -125
16 The Kills -113
17 Elliott Smith -109
18 Silversun Pickups -107
19 Bob Evans -106
20 Dan Auerbach -105

Most Played Songs From Past 6 months (Last FM)
1 Elbow – Grounds for Divorce - 33
2 The Kills – Cheap and Cheerful - 33
3 Gomez – Airstream Driver - 32
4 Ben Harper and Relentless7 – Number With No Name - 30
5 AC/DC – Ride On - 29
6 Bill Callahan – Eid Ma Clack Shaw - 28
7 Dan Auerbach – I Want Some More - 28
8 Kram – Silk Suits - 27
9 The Black Keys – Strange Times - 27
10 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero - 26
11 Tame Impala – Half Full Glass Of Wine - 25
12 Elbow – Running To Stand Still (U2) - 24
13 My Morning Jacket – I'm Amazed - 24
14 Lady Of The Sunshine – White Rose Parade - 23
15 Kram – Ridin High - 23
16 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll - 23
17 Arcade Fire – Lenin - 22
18 Doves – Compulsion - 22
19 Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses - 21
20 Ben Harper – Mamas Trippin (Freedom Mix) - 21
21 Sting – Fields of Gold - 21
22 Elbow – The Bones of You - 21
23 Conor Oberst with Gillian Welch – Lua - 20
24 Cold War Kids – Something Is Not Right With Me - 20
25 Gomez – Machismo - 20
26 Dr. Dog – Army of Ancients - 20
27 TV on the Radio – Golden Age - 20
28 The Beautiful Girls – Periscopes - 20
29 Babybird – Bad Old Man - 20
30 Doves – Kingdom of Rust - 20
31 The Beautiful Girls – I Thought About You - 20
32 Bob Evans – Someone So Much - 20
33 Peter Bjorn and John – Lay It Down - 20
34 Gomez – Notice - 20
35 Gomez – Natural Reaction - 19
36 Regurgitator – Track One - 19
37 Lady Of The Sunshine – The Wolf - 19
38 Yeasayer – Tightrope - 19
39 Lady Of The Sunshine – big jet plane - 19
40 Machine Gun Fellatio – Unsent Letter (acoustic) - 19
41 Beastie Boys – Sabotage - 19
42 Radiohead – Paranoid Android - 19
43 Gomez – If I Ask You Nicely - 18
44 The Do – On my shoulders - 18
45 Mat McHugh – Numb - 18
46 Stone Temple Pilots – Meat Plow - 18
47 M.I.A. – Paper Planes - 18
48 Gomez – Sunset Gates - 18
49 The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979 - 18
50 Sia – Breathe Me 17

Blueprint Festival 09 - 3rd round of Artists added

2009-06-26T14:43:00.007+10:00

The latest festival to hit Victoria features one of the best all Autralian line-ups ever put together in my opinion. Headlining the new event is Oz rock legends Jebediah who have not played together for a few years and should be reason enough to get yourself a ticket and head down to Ararat. Having seen the Jebs play many a festival set I am greatly anticiapting this reunion to see if Kevin Mitchell can still rock out after unplugging as Bob Evans for the last few years. The Beautiful Girls are also back on the touring circuit after taking most of the last 2 years off and having seen them more than any other band will be looking forward to seeing them again. The huge lineup features some of Australia's finest Roots artists including Ash Grunwald, Old Man River, Blue King Brown, Wagons and up and coming Gold Coast funksters Tijuana Cartel playing their first shows in Victoria. Tim Rogers and Claire Bowditch are also worthy additions to the lineup after being added in the final round of announcements. Transport to the festival from Melbourne by coach has also been organised to make it easier for those without cars.
The festival has gone to great effort to make this festival unique with a beer hall featuring micro brews on tap, a seated restaurant, a massive market and a large garden set up in front of one of the stages.
Tickets are now $120 after the first 2 rounds of tickets selling out. For all the details on how to get there and all other information go to the official website http://www.blueprintfestival.com/website/home.html.

18th-21st September 2009, Ararat, Victoria
Jebediah / The Panics / The Beautiful Girls / Tim Rogers / Ash Grunwald/ Galvatrons/ Blue King Brown / Bertie Blackman / Claire Bowditch / Shane Nicholson / Old Man River / The Basics / Tijuana Cartel /Wagons / Phrase / Drapht / Resin Dogs /The Boat People / Epicure / Hungry Kids Of Hungary / Calling all Cars / Pablo Discobar / The Dirty Secrets / Red Ink / Bonjah / Funkoars / Ryan Meeking and The Few / The Hello Morning / The Frowning Clouds / The Fearless Vampire Killers / Matt Joe Gow and The Dead Leaves / The Vandas / Goodbye Motel / Royal Chant / Winter Street / Shannon Kennedy / The New Black / Matt Katsis / The Nation Blue / The Vandas / Calerway / Labjacd / Sleep Parade / Zoophyte / Matheson / Twelve Foot Ninja / Sierra Fin / ME

Faith No More Reunion Tour 2009 - Setlist

2009-06-12T11:06:00.004+10:00

Australian Faith No More fans are currently crossing their fingers that they will make our way to our shores sometime this year or perhaps for the Big Day Out or V Festival next year. They have just played their first reunion show at Brixton Academy and the setlist is a great selection of hits, covers and rarities. Tour dates have been booked up until September throughout Europe but none yet announced in America or Australia, although they have not ruled it out. They are about to play their first festival show at the Download Festival which will be streamed live from the website on Friday 12th June from 9pm (Donnington time). http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/news/article.aspx?AID=ad929032-1aa3-4efb-b418-ea8f8df7e39a

Here is the setlist from the Brixton Academy show.

01. Reunited (PEACHES & HERB cover)
02. The Real Thing
03. From Out Of Nowhere
04. Land Of Sunshine
05. Caffeine
06. Evidence
07. Chinese Arithmetic
08. Surprise! You’re Dead!
09. Easy
10. Last Cup Of Sorrow
11. Midlife Crisis
12. Cockoo For Caca
13. The Gentle Art Of Making Enemies
14. RV
15. King For A Day
16. Malpractice
17. Jizzlobber
18. Be Aggressive
19. Epic
20. Mark Bowen

Encore 1:
21. Chariots Of Fire/Stripsearch
22. Just A Man

Encore 2:
23. I Started A Joke
24. Pristina

Click this link for a full list of their current tour dates.

http://www.fnm.com/tour-dates.shtml

New Music - June 2009

2009-06-08T01:15:00.003+10:00

Here are some of the new tracks I've been listening to this month.

(Audio Only)

Favourite Sophomore Albums

2009-05-31T09:54:00.016+10:00

After reading a recent list of the Best Debut Albums in Melbourne's Herald-Sun paper, I decided to come up with a list of my favourite follow up albums. These are all albums where the 2nd album was better than the debut, which in some cases was not hard to do. Quite often a band releases an excellent debut and then have nothing left for the 2nd album, The Strokes being a good example of this. I have found that some of my favourite artists though have released their best album on their second release. These are my Favourite Sophomore Albums, most of which are unapologetically chosen from the 90's.

1. Ben Harper - Fight for your Mind

My first choice was not a difficult one as Fight for your Mind is my 2nd favourite album of all time after Blood Sugar Sex Magik. It is a masterpiece in my opinion and the best album Ben Harper has ever made and most likely will ever make. Although the album shifts through many genres including rock, folk, blues, funk and gospel, it flows perfectly and even goes straight from blues rock anthem "Ground on Down" to the beautiful, sad acoustic number "Another Lonely Day" and somehow makes it work. Other highlights include "Gold to Me", "Exuse Me Mr", live favourite "Burn One Down" and the epic gospel song "Power of the Gospel" featuring a string quartet and a beautiful three-minute instrumental opening. Ben Harper's guitar work is at it's best on this album whether its acoustic on "By My Side, "Please Me Like You Want To" and "Another Lonely Day or Weissenborn on "Ground on Down", "Gold to Me" and the funky "Fight For Your Mind". Juan Nelson bass lines also add some depth to the album especially on before mentioned title track, "Burn One Down" and "Exuse Me Mr". What makes this album destined to become a classic for all generations are the amazing lyrics penned by Harper. For those who don't own this album, head straight to your local and get yourself a copy. Now.

2. You Am I - Hi Fi Way

The second album by Australia's best and most underrated band was Hi Fi Way but it was the one I bought first. I saw "Cathy's Clown" on rage and went out and bought the cassette the next day. It's fair to say it didn't leave my walkmen for months and have been a massive You Am I fan ever since. It is my favourite Australian album ever and every song on it is a classic. The quiet moments on the album are as strong as when the band rocks out and there is plenty of both to be found over the fourteen songs. It also managed to top the ARIA charts when it came out in March 1995 and is still a critics favourite in Greatest Australian Album Polls. Tim Rogers as at his songwriting best here, especially on "Purple Sneakers", "Handwasher", "How Much is Enough" and "Jewles and Bullets". Sadly, even after consistently releasing quality albums, You Am I have not achieved the same success as some of the bands they have inspired but they remained a favourite of mine.

3. Stone Temple Pilots - Purple

Even though Core, the debut from Stone Temple Pilots, was an excellent album, it was Purple that made the world take notice of the American four-piece and it still holds up as one of the best albums of the 90's. The album begins with devil salute inspiring riff of "Meatplow", preparing the listener for sonic onslaught that lays ahead. It was word of mouth that led me to buying this album, and I in turn recommended it to anyone who would listen. "Interstate Love Song" is a rock classic with a great riff and a catchy melody and "Big Empty" had a catchy chorus but had a more atmospheric tone. The album tracks "Still Remains","Lounge Fly" and Kitchenware & Candybars" are as strong as the singles and made Purple an album you could listen to from start to finish. The album finishes nicely on the secret track "The Second Album" which sounds like a lounge band fronted by Johnny Mathis who is name checked. The artwork and hand-written lyrics in the booklet are also excellent and albums title only appears as a japanese symbol on the cover and never throughout the booklet. 12 Gracious Melodies.

4. Pearl Jam - Vs.

Pearl Jam's 2nd release is a much more consistent effort than their much hyped debut Ten and has kept it's appeal over 15 years after it's release. Like the previous three choices, this album features great songs on both ends of the volume dial from the louder "Animal", "Rearviewmirror""Go" and "Blood" to the quieter "Indifference", "Daughter" and "Elderly Woman". Producer Brendan O'Brien should probably also take some credit and has produced most of Pearl Jam's albums as well countless other artists over the past twenty years. The artwork and booklet features some great photos and hand drawn art included within the lyrics, with "Elderly Woman" including the guitar chords to strum along to. The albums title, like Purple, does not feature anywhere on the original artwork, disc or booklet.

5. Radiohead - The Bends

What makes this album so great, apart from flawless tracklist, is the change in quality from first album Pablo Honey to second album The Bends. "My Irong Lung" was released first as a 5 track EP and prepared the world for Radiohead's new sound featuring some beautiful vocals and loud distorted feedback driven guitar. Thom Yorke's beautiful vocals also sound great with gently strummed acoustic guitar on "Fake Plastic Trees" and"High and Dry" with closing track "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" played over perfectly finger-picked chords. Radiohead get the balance perfect on the albums fourth single "Just" with a great intro and catchy chorus accompanied by a baffling film clip. Johnny Greenwood's guitar sound was vastly improved on this album, especially on the acoustic songs. A flawless album and just ahead of Ok Computer in my opinion.

6. Tool - Ænima
This album was so good that people who don't even like heavy music couldn't help but like it. I recall a friend of mine who's CD collection consisted entirely of ganster rap and Ænima. I was a relative latecomer to this album but was hooked after one listen and have never tired of it. Opening with the anthem "Stinkfist", perhaps one of the best opening tracks of all time, starts the album at full throttle before settling down for a few slow burning epics in "Eulogy" and "H". No band builds a song better than Tool and they are at their best on this album. Excellent stop motion claymation film clips for "Stinkfist" and "Ænima" were created by guitarist Adam Jones as well as some great album artwork. The other highlights of the album are on "Forty Six & 2", "Hooker With a Penis", "Pushit" and "Jimmy" and there are some great interludes to link the songs. Another masterpiece sophomore album from the 90's.

7. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
This album is one of the best of this decade and still gets plenty of listens by me. It took a while for me to get this album as well but after hearing "Intervention" I was convinced to get the album and was addicted to it for months. The opening organ of "Intervention" always gives me chills and after witnessing the band at 2008's Big Day Out has become one of my favourite songs. "Keep the Car Running" channels early Springsteen for another one of the albums many highlights and "No Cars Go" features a great drum beat. "Windowsill" features some great lyrics and a builds to an epic finale "I don't wanna see it at my Windowsill" is repeated over and over. The dual vocals work best on "The Well and the Lighthouse" and "No Cars Go" and a list of over 30 contributors are featured to great effect on the album. Lets hope they can continue to produce this kind of gold for their 3rd album which they are currently working on.

Triple J Hottest 100 of all Time

2009-05-27T14:53:00.009+10:00

Triple J have once again decided to poll their listeners on their favourite songs of all time and have decided to have it over a whole weekend over July 11th and 12th instead of the annual Australia Day event. It's not what I'd call a great idea as it makes it hard to plan a bbq around but I am still looking forward to the event and curious as to what will take out the top spot. The safe guess would be "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as it was the winner of the previous countdown in 1998 and still one of the most popular songs ever among Triple J listeners. The playlist at Triple J has changed a lot though in the last 10 years and it is easier than ever to vote so it will likely receive entries from a lot people who don't necessarily listen to the station. I grew up listening to Triple J and still consider it Australia's best radio station, even though I don't listen to it as much as I used to. It is the only radio station that plays most of my favourite artists and their excellent live music recordings have kept me listening in recent years.

The big question is then, Will the countdown refect the music Triple J has played over it's illustrious history or will new music be featured heavily in it's place? After all 100 songs isn't a lot and there will be some great songs that miss out. I am finding it to be an impossible task to pick my Favourite 10 songs out of over 15,000 that are currently in my music library. Whatever the result, I am sure we will be treated to some great music over the weekend and we'll have an indication of what songs from the past 20 years or beyond are still relevant to the majority of listeners. I have picked 10 from my favourites shortlist to vote for in a poll on my blogs main page so cast your vote. Click this link to vote in Triple J's Hottest 100 of All Time and to see previous years countdown's. http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100_alltime/voting/.

Here are some of the great live videos that I have been watching from the fantastic Triple J website.

AC/DC to Tour Australia and NZ (New Dates Added)

2009-05-11T08:39:00.009+10:00

AC/DC have finally announced dates for Australia and New Zealand on their Black Ice World Tour. All dates announced so far have been about a week apart allowing for extra shows in each city which will no doubt sell out quickly. The last time AC/DC toured Australia was in 2001 on their Stiff Upper Lip Tour which I witnessed in Melbourne and was blown away by the energetic performance from these rock legends.

Tickets go on sale Monday 25th May 9am from Ticketmaster. Prices have been kept fairly reasonable compared to other touring legends ranging from $99 to $150. Supporting AC/DC for the whole tour of Australia will be Wolfmother. The setlists for their current European tour have been the same for each show which is the way AC/DC usually tour so it is expected that the same setlist will be bought to Australia. It includes 4 from the latest album Black Ice and a selection of their classics. (see below).

Dates so far are:
January 30, 2010 - Wellington, venue to be confirmed
February 6, 2010 - Auckland, venue to be confirmed
February 11, 13 + 15, 2010 - Melbourne, Etihad Stadium
February 18, 20 + 22, 2010 - Sydney, ANZ Stadium
February 25 + 27, 2010 - Brisbane, Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre
March 2, 2010 - Adelaide, Adelaide Oval
March 6 + 8, 2010 - Perth, Subiaco

Setlist
Rock n Roll Train (from Black Ice, 2008)
Hell Ain't a Bad Place To Be (from Let There Be Rock, 1977)
Back In Black (from Back In Back, 1980)
Big Jack (from Black Ice, 2008)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (from Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, 1976)
Shot Down in Flames (from Highway To Hell, 1979)
Thunderstruck (from The Razors Edge, 1990)
Black Ice (from Black Ice, 2008)
The Jack (from TNT, 1975)
Hells Bells (from Back In Back, 1980)
Shoot to Thrill (from Back In Back, 1980)
War Machine (from Black Ice, 2008)
Anything Goes (from Black Ice, 2008)
You Shook Me All Night Long (from Back In Back, 1980)
TNT (from TNT, 1975)
Whole Lotta Rosie (from Let There Be Rock, 1977)
Let There Be Rock (from Let There Be Rock, 1977)

Encore:
Highway To Hell (from Highway To Hell, 1979)
For Those About To Rock (from For Those About To Rock, 1981)

Here are some live AC/DC clips.

New Music - May 2009

2009-05-08T09:52:00.008+10:00

It's been a good year for music so far with plenty of excellent releases on the schedule for the next couple of months including newies from Eels, Paul Dempsey (Something for Kate), Placebo, Eskimo Joe, Kasabian, Phoenix, Lemonheads(cover album) and the debut album by Passion Pit. Here are the film clips for some of the tracks that I have been listening to lately. My favourite song at the moment is "Eid Ma Clack Shaw" by Bill Callahan from his great new album Sometimes I Wish I Were an Eagle but unfortunately there is no clip for this song as yet.

Ben Harper and Relentless7 - White Lies for Dark Times - Album Review

2009-05-02T10:28:00.010+10:00

1. Number With No Name
2. Up To You Now
3. Shimmer And Shine
4. Lay There And Hate Me
5. Why Must You Always Dress In Black
6. Skin Thin
7. Fly One Time
8. Keep It Together (So I Can Fall Apart)
9. Boots Like These
10. The Word Suicide
11. Faithfully Remain
Rating: ****1/2

Ben Harper's new band Relentless7 has given Harper a new spark and he is showing some of the passion of his earlier releases. The album begins with "Number With No Name" featuring some trademark Harper slide which is good to hear again, especially with distortion. White Lies for Dark Times is Harper's heaviest album to date with his lyrics illustrating some of the anger that the title hints at. "Shimmer and Shine" shows off the talents of his new band with drummer Jordan Richardson adding some excellent percussion fills. As good as his slide is to hear again, Harper's greatest instrument though is his voice which is in fine form as usual. "Keep it Together (So I Can Fall Apart)" has Harper wailing over his wah driven slide which is featured again on "Boots Like These". The slower numbers like "Up To You Now", "The Word Suicide", "Faithfully Remain" and "Skin Thin" work on the album to show off Harper's songwriting talents. " The bluesier rock numbers "Why Must You Always Dress in Black", "Boots Like These" and "Lay There and Hate Me" have Relentless7 in their comfort zone and are a perfect fit for Ben Harper's style. White Lies for Dark Times is a return to form by one of the best musicians of our time and hopefully it will not be the last we hear from Relentless7.

Doves - Kingdom of Rust - Album Review

2009-04-28T15:42:00.006+10:00

1. "Jetstream" – 5:30
2. "Kingdom of Rust" – 5:11
3. "The Outsiders" – 3:28
4. "Winter Hill" – 5:18
5. "10:03" – 4:04
6. "The Greatest Denier" – 3:59
7. "Birds Flew Backwards" – 2:51
8. "Spellbound" – 5:39
9. "Compulsion" – 5:14
10."House of Mirrors" – 4:20
11."Lifelines" – 4:26

Rating: ****1/2
The 4th studio album from UK band Doves is my favourite album of the year so far. I hadn't listened to Doves since they released Some Cities in 2005 and had somehow forgotten how good they are. I have rediscovered their back catalogue in a big way after hearing Kingdom of Rust which was an easier first listen than their previous releases. They have a small following outside the UK, despite rave reviews around the world, like fellow underrated Manchester lads Elbow. They also released their 4th and most accomplished album last year, taking out the Mercury Prize for The Seldom Seen Kid. Kingdom of Rust is of the same quality and is my early tip for this years Mercury Prize. Doves were nominated for their first two albums Lost Souls and The Last Broadcast but missed out. Both bands have taken great steps on their 4th albums and with Gomez are the best bands out of the UK at the moment.
Opening track "Jetstream" is a perfect example of Doves epic sound and they do it naturally without overdoing it. First single "Kingdom of Rust" is an instant classic that starts with a Spaghetti Western feel and soars into an epic piano driven chorus. The highlight of the album appears on the 9th track "Compulsion" and it's all about the funky bass. The whole album is excellent and although it might not achieve commercial success, it will be a favourite among real music fans and critics alike.

Splendour in the Grass 2009 - Lineup - (Updated 16.6.09)

2009-04-24T10:08:00.012+10:00

The 2nd Announcement for Splendour in the Grass 09 has just been announced and here it is.
The complete second line-up is:
Happy Mondays (in their only Australian show)
Doves
You Am I
The Beautiful Girls
Downsyde & Drapht
Architecture In Helsinki
Kisschasy
Little Red
Bluejuice
Children Collide
Miami Horror Live
Art vs Science
Paul Dempsey
Dappled Cities
Dananananaykroyd
Holly Throsby
Bridezilla
Deya Dova

The highly anticipated Splendour in the Grass festival is returning to Belongil Fields in Byron Bay once again and have delivered another stellar lineup, especially on the local front. On the international front we have Janes Addiction reforming with their original lineup after disbanding for the second time in 2003 after their great Big Day Out shows which I witnessed on the Gold Coast. Last years hype band MGMT are coming back after visiting Australia in December last year which will get the kids dancing. Splendour whores Bloc Party return for their 3rd time adding their new album Intimacy to their already impressive swag of hits. The Flaming Lips will bring their quirky sounds to the festival for the first time.
The local talent on the bill is just as impressive with something for everyone. Kram will be playing without his Spiderbait bandmates who played some great sets at the festival in 2002 and 2004 and his debut album has plenty of festival friendly tunes. Bob Evans, Sarah Blasko, Augie March and Josh Pyke will bring some cruisy sounds to Byron Bay and Midnight Juggernauts, Hilltop Hoods and Grinspoon will pump up the festival crowd. Leader Cheetah have just released their excellent debut The Sunspot Letters and have recently played some well received support shows with Elbow, Dan Auerbach and The Temper Trap. All tickets will sold online at http://www.qjump.com.au/ and go on sale on Thursday 14th May at 9am. Here is the full line-up so far.

Bloc Party (only Oz show) / The Flaming Lips / Jane’s Addiction / MGMT (only Oz show) / Hilltop Hoods / Grinspoon / Midnight Juggernauts / The Specials / Sarah Blasko / Augie March / Josh Pyke / Friendly Fires / Little Birdy / Birds Of Tokyo / The Gutter Twins / Manchester Orchestra / Yuksek / Bob Evans / White Lies / Kram / Yves Klein Blue / Decoder Ring / Lost Valentinos / Leader Cheetah / Jack Ladder / The Middle East / Polaroid Fame / Glass Towers.

Saturday July 25th and Sunday July 26th 2009
Belongil Fields

New Music - April 2009

2009-04-21T11:09:00.007+10:00

Here are some of my favourite songs and their film clips from the year so far. Enjoy.

Chill City 09 - Melbourne - Friday 10th April

2009-04-17T21:35:00.010+10:00

Chill City was the closest Victorians could get to Bluesfest this year with most of the artists on the bill also playing the legendary event in Byron Bay. With only one stage, the organisers picked a lineup to entertain all ages which ranged from young children through to seniors, all seeming to be enjoying themselves. My wife and I arrived at 2:30 to catch the beginning of Ben Kweller. His latest album Changing Horses is a country album and sounded great live with his slide guitarist providing some authentic country fills. After opening with the an older track "Walk On Me", the upbeat set covered his whole catalogue swapping between guitar on piano with varying success after some technical issues with the mic. His smile showed it didn't dampen his spirits any, even hugging the roadie at the end of the set to show there was no hard feelings."On My Way", "Sawdust Man", "Falling" and "Sundress" were all crowd favourites and the set finished with the highlight "Penny on the Train Track".

The Easy Star All Stars are a band who have re-recorded reggae versions of whole albums including Radiohead's OK Computer, The Beatles' Sgt Peppers and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon with excellent results. Opening with "Sgt Pepper" and "With a Little Help From My Friends" they played tracks from all 3 albums and got the crowd up and dancing, especially the children. The set finished with a fantastic version of Radiohead's "Karma Police". Chill City was living up to it's name and whole families were able to enjoy themselves on their deck chairs or picnic rugs with a great soundtrack.
Paul Kelly was next on stage playing an hour long set of crowd pleasers. It is no mystery why he is one of Australia's most popular singer-songwriters and most of the crowd left their chairs and blankets to get a closer look. Back up singers Vika and Linda Bull were a great addition to the band on "Love Never Runs on Time" and "Deeper Water" with Vika Bull providing the days highlight taking the lead on a chilling version of "Sweet Guy". Other classics included "Dumb Things", "Before Too Long", "To Her Door", "When I First Met Your Ma" and the newer track "God Told Me To" evoking many a sing-along amongst the diverse crowd. "How to Make Gravy" was also greeted with crowd delight and rounded out the best set I have seen Paul Kelly play yet. Next up was The Bamboos feat Betty Harris who are a great instrumental band and went down well with about half the crowd, others were just awaiting John Buter Trio's arrival to the stage.

At 8pm John Butler Trio got on stage for a 2 hour set to please the old and the new fans. I fall in the former category and haven't listened to JBT much of late but a few songs into the set was reminded why I loved them in the first place. JBT sound best in a live capacity and their ability to win a crowd is as strong as ever. Over several lineup changes, John Butler has always been an excellent live performer and songwriter and put on one hell of a show on this occasion. This was also the last time this trio would be playing together in Melbourne and John Butler's only shows for 2009. Opening with "Company Sin" the hits were paraded out early with "Pick Apart", "Betterman" and "Used to Get High" warming the crowd up for the longer tracks that were played mid set. The epic instrumental track "Ocean" showcased Butler's excellent guitar playing skills and as the song built to a dramatic climax the crowd went wild. During "Good Excuse", drummer Michael Barker broke into the best drum solo I have ever seen which went for about 10 mins and made me wonder why John Butler would let this genius leave his band. The set finished with an extended jam version of "Zebra" featuring some call and response from the crowd. For the encore, John Butler took the stage by himself with his acoustic guitar for the ode to his children "Peaches and Cream" which was favourite from Sunrise Over Sea and only was only improved when the band joined him the second half of the song. The banjo was bought out for "Better Than" and the slide guitar was also featured earlier in the set on "Treat Yo Mama". That bought an end to a great day of music and rekindled my love for one of Australia's best musicians.

Gomez - A New Tide - Album Review

2009-04-17T15:38:00.006+10:00

Rating: ****
1. "Mix"
2. "Little Pieces"
3. "If I Ask You Nicely"
4. "Lost Track"
5. "Win Park Slope"
6. "Bone Tired"
7. "Airstream Driver"
8. "Natural Reaction"
9. "Very Strange"
10."Other Plans"
11."Sunset Gates"

I have waited a few weeks to let Gomez's 6th studio album sink in before making any judgment on it and after repeated listens, A New Tide has started to grow on me. It is not their best but they are a band that don't make the same album over and over and that's one of the reasons I love them. It is less radio friendly than their previous effort How We Operate, sounding more like their underrated 3rd album In Our Gun. Not to say that they are no catchy somgs on the album with tracks like "If I Ask You Nicely", "Natural Reaction" and excellent first single "Airstream Driver" all having an upbeat vibe. The acoustic guitar is heavily featured on this album and all 3 vocalists share the lead on singing duties, with some excellent backing vocals on every track. Their latest offering has received mixed reviews but I really enjoyed it as whole album, even though there were not as many stand-out tracks as usual. I may be biased though because they are probably my favourite band. The distinctive vocals of Ben Ottewell on "Little Pieces", "Lost Track", "Bone Tired" and "Sunset Gates" are reason enough for Gomez fans to be excited about another release. I am glad I persevered with this album becuase it is getting better with every listen and a worthy addition to their impressive catalogue. I will look forward to seeing them back in Australia to tour this album, hopefully this year sometime.

Ben Harper - Triple J's Like a Version

2009-04-16T18:48:00.006+10:00

Here is the audio from Ben Harper's recent visit to Triple J's studio to perform "Number With No Name" and a cover of David Bowie's "Under Pressure" for Like A Version. It also includes an interview discussing the new album White Lies for Dark Times,the Bluesfest shows, his recent time on stage with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and the his new band Relentless7. Also included is the video of "Under Pressure" and "Number With No Name" from JJJ's studio without the interviews.

Lady of the Sunshine - Smoking Gun - Album Review

2009-04-13T20:19:00.007+10:00

01. Silver Revolver
02. Home Sweet Home
03. White Rose parade
04. Jack Nimble
05. Big Jet Plane
06. Smoking Gun
07. Daisychain
08. The Wolf
09. Anna
10. Kings Black Magic
11. Dead Mans Train
12. Lady Sunshine
Rating: ****
Ever since hearing the first single"White Rose Parade" played on JJJ I have been anticipating the new album by Lady of the Sunshine, Angus Stone's side project . Smoking Gun is a more eclectic album than previous releases by Angus and Julia Stone with his sister. The album is great on it's louder moments when he swaps the acoustic guitar for an electric on "Smoking Gun" and lead single "White Rose Parade" . "Kings Black Magic" starts nice and gentle with an acoustic guitar strumming over soft vocals but then morphs into a thumping chorus which provides one of the albums highlights. "Big Jet Plane" is one catchier songs on the album featuring a chorus that has been stuck in my head many times, same goes with opening track "Silver Revolver". The slower acoustic numbers highlight Stone's songwriting talents, particularly on "The Wolf", "Daisychain" and "Anna". "Jack Nimble"and "Lady Sunshine" show off Stone's impressive vocal range and are standout tracks. Hopefully this will not be a one-off project for Stone but there have been no live dates announced as yet. A fantastic debut showing a new side to a very talented musician.

V Festival Melbourne - 4th April 2009 - Review

2009-04-09T20:34:00.005+10:00

This years V Festival line-up was not quite as impressive as 2008's but as the festival was so well run I decided to go again. This time it was with a 10 strong posse to celebrate my friend Ako's 30th. After starting the day off with several schooners at the Newmarket Tavern we got through the gate as The Do were playing their fantastic song "On My Shoulders". After grabbing some beers at the bar we headed straight for That Stage to catch the band that I and a few others were most looking forward to seeing, Elbow. The Seldom Seen Kid was one of the best albums of last year and was featured heavily in the hour and fifteen minute set. Opening track from the latest album "Starlings" opened the set with the whole band playing trumpets and it sounded fantastic. Also joining the band on stage were 2 identically dressed violinists who also played in moved in unison and added something special to the stage. "The Bones of You" and "Mirrorball" from the Mercury Award winning album followed and sounded as good if not better than the recorded versions. Singer Guy Garvey interacted with the crowd with ease as he told jokes and introduced the songs with the confidence that comes with 18 years of playing live. The title track from the bands previous album "Leaders of the Free World" upped the tempo a bit and the crowd seemed to be getting into it, even the though it was not as big as it should have been. The crowd favourite from the set would have been "Grounds for Divorce" featuring the best guitar slide riff ever and would have been the best track of the day had it not been for the set's closer "One Day Like This" which I'm still getting chills from just thinking about it. It is a mystery why this band isn't bigger than Radiohead and should have attracted the biggest crowd of the day. Even more baffling was when half of my friends left to see Vanilla Ice try to steal another 15 minutes of fame. But for those who were there to see it, it was an amazing performance and my favourite set of the day.
After Elbow finished I was free to enjoy the day without worrying too much about the timetable. Razorlight were up next on This Stage (Main Stage) and decided to catch half of their set before seeing The Kills. They sounded great and I got to see plenty of their hits including "Back to the Start", "Stumble and Fall" and "In the Morning" before heading the The Other Stage for The Kills. I only started listening to The Kills about a month ago when it was announced they would be playing V Festival and have become an instant fan. For a 2 piece they pumped out some volume and played a great set with the highlights being "U R A Fever", "Black Balloon" and the excellent "Cheap and Cheerful". It was another great set that had the crowd dancing and singing along.
Next up were Kaiser Chiefs who played a great set that had the crowd singing due to their easy to remember and repetitive choruses ("Ruby", "Na Na Na Na Naa"). At a festival after a few beers though it is exactly what you want. It was the most fun we had for the day and was surprised at how many hits they had over 3 albums. Highlights were "I Predict a Riot", "The Angry Mob", "Never Miss a Beat" and the sets closer"Oh My God". I decided to have a look at Snow Patrol but after high energy performance of Kaiser Chiefs they seemed a bit dull so we headed back for the final act The Killers. I've never been a fan of The Killers before but everyone else I went with were big fans of Hot Fuss and were excited to see them so I gave them a chance to win me over. I was glad a did because they played a good set, especially when they played anything from Hot Fuss and the crowd went ballistic. The newer material didn't receive as good a reception but they spaced out their hits for the first half of the set before they finished with a string of crowd favourites (see setlist below), "All These Things That I've Done" and "When You Were Young" were my personal highlights. Once again the V Festival has organised a great day and although the lineup didn't impress me much on paper, in the end there was great live music played all day and I will be back next year as long as there is one great band on the list like Elbow to get me there.

The Killers Setlist
Spaceman / Losing Touch / Somebody Told Me / For Reasons Unknown / This Is Your Life / Joy Ride / Human / Bling (Confession of a King) / Shadowplay / Smile Like You Mean It / A Dustland Fairytale / Sam's Town / Read My Mind / Mr. Brightside / All These Things That I've Done
Encore: Bones / Jenny Was a Friend of Mine /When You Were Young

Simon and Garfunkel To Tour Australia and NZ

2009-04-02T21:55:00.005+11:00

Simon & Garfunkel have just announced that they will be touring Australia and New Zealand for the first time in over 25 years. This comes as exciting news to me and many others who will no doubt snap up the tickets in no time. Art Garfunkel recently joined Paul Simon on stage for an unannounced one off performance in New York and there are no other dates planned for 2009 as yet.
This will most likely be the last chance to see this classic duo live in this country and they have a large catalogue of hits to pick from, especially if Paul Simon plays some of his solo material. Tickets go on sale on Friday 17th April.

Tour Dates are:
13 June - Vector Arena Auckland, NZ
17 June - Entertainment Centre Brisbane, QLD
20 June - Acer Arena Sydney, NSW
21 June - Acer Arena Sydney, NSW
25 June - Rod Laver Arena Melbourne, VIC
26 June - Rod Laver Arena Melbourne, VIC
30 June - Entertainment Centre Adelaide, SA
2 July - Burswood Dome Perth, WA

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz - Album Review

2009-04-02T07:59:00.007+11:00

****
1. "Zero" 4:25
2. "Heads Will Roll" 3:41
3. "Soft Shock" 3:53
4. "Skeletons" 5:02
5. "Dull Life" 4:08
6. "Shame and Fortune" 3:31
7. "Runaway" 5:13
8. "Dragon Queen" 4:02
9. "Hysteric" 3:50
10. "Little Shadow" 3:57

For their 3rd album, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have headed to the dancefloor replacing their loud guitars with synth to great effect. Kicking the album off with first single "Zero", Karen O squeals, croaks and moans beautifully through the songs sexually charged lyrics over dance beats and synth. It's one of their finest songs to date and one of the highlights of It's Blitz. "Off With Your Head" is their catchiest song to date and will stay in your head long after you've heard it. Hidden amongst all the beautiful choruses and dance beats are darker moments like the atmospheric "Skeletons" and the albums closer "Little Shadows". Other highlights on the album are "Shame and Fortune", ""Dragon Queen" and "Hysteric" with no real filler unlike the YYYs previous two albums. With word of an Australian tour for later this year (possibly for Splendour in the Grass), they are sure to be one of the biggest bands of 2009.
TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek and Nick Launay (Nick Cave, Supergrass) add to their already excellent track record with production on this album. Below is the great new clip "Zero" as well as a track from each of their previous albums, "Maps" from Fever to Tell and "Gold Lion" from Show Your Bones.

Kram - Mix Tape - Album Review

2009-03-26T11:08:00.005+11:00

****1/2
1. Good Love
2. Ridin High
3. She's My Girl
4. Turn A Light On
5. Burnin Sands
6. Silk Suits
7. Live A Long Time
8. Won't Be Home Tonight
9. Harmonies
10. Satellite
11. The Best Thing
12. Thankyou Mr Ludwig
13. Get To It
14. Long Cold Night
15. Down The Line

The debut album from Spiderbait singer/drummer Kram lives up to it's title Mix Tape as it changes gears seamlessly across the 15 tracks as all good mix tapes should. What makes it even more impressive is that with the exception of a few cameos from Tumbleweed's Ritchie Lewis and Jet's Nic Cester, Kram has played all the instruments himself.
First track "Good Love" could appear easily on any of Spiderbait's albums and starts the album in high gear. The following track "Ridin' High" heads in the opposite direction with a wah-driven guitar riff, smooth bass and funky beat which was briefly visited on Spiderbait's previous album Tonight Alright's highlight "Picky". Kram channels Beck for another cruisy foot tapper "She's My Girl" and as "Turn a Light On" starts with an acoustic guitar strum and piano it is clear this album intends to take the listener on a musical journey. "Burnin' Sands" is another excellent track showing off Kram's vocal range with some great falsetto vocals. First single "Silk Suits" sounds like the Kram we have known and loved for all these years and is accompanied by a great clip featuring Kram and Alicia Molik head to head on the tennis court filmed at Rod Laver Arena.
The album continues to bring the hits in the second half and plays more like a best of than a debut album. Other highlights include "Satellite", "Long Cold Night", "Get To It" and the percussion instrumental "Thankyou Mr Ludwig". It is the perfect album for road trips, parties or just listening by yourself with headphones. It is my favourite album of the year and as there were 50 songs recorded for the album, another album could be on the cards in the future.

Fee Brown and the Highwater - Northcote Social Club Album Launch - Sunday 29th March 2009

2009-03-25T15:08:00.006+11:00

Fee Brown & the Highwater are having their album launch this Sunday afternoon at the Northcote Social Club. It is sure to be an excellent afternoon of live music with sets played by three of Melbourne's finest folk artists. Supporting Fee on stage will be her band the Highwater featuring Damian Hooper on Lead Guitar, Chris Pain on Double Bass & Melbourne's leading One-Man Band Tim Scanlan playing Percussion. This event is the official launch of the groups debut album The Devil Dressed Me now available for puchase at www.thecan.com.au/feebrown.

I strongly recommend getting there early to witness the excellent voice of first support Gen Finnane Her songs tell a great story and she has a spine chilling voice that has the ability to capture the attention of any audience. The gig will start at 2pm and tickets are $8 from the venue or $12 on the door.
Lindsay Phillips will also bring his acoustic guitar and distinctive voice to the Northcote Social Club to round out this trio of Melbourne folk heroes.

http://www.myspace.com/genfinnane.
http://www.myspace.com/lindsayphillipsmelbourne
http://www.myspace.com/feebrown
http://www.myspace.com/timscanlan

The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love - Album Review

2009-03-19T21:59:00.006+11:00

The latest release by The Decemberists sounds more like a rock opera than an album and it is a pleasant change from albums that have 3 or 4 good songs and the rest filler. Each of the 17 songs have their place on the album, even the small instrumental tie-ins, and sound best when played in sequence as a full album. It is a good way to spend an hour though and Colin Meloy’s distinctive voice is always good to hear. Although they sound like the same band, some excellent riffs show up throughout the album which are unexpected at first but after repeated listens become the core of the album.

This press release sums up the story of what the album is about better than I can:

"The album began when Meloy – long fascinated by the British folk revival of the 1960s – found a copy of revered vocalist Anne Briggs’s 1966 EP, titled The Hazards of Love. Since there was no actual song with the album’s title, he set out to write one, but was soon immersed in something much larger.
"The Hazards Of Love tells the tale of a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting animal; her lover, William; a forest queen; and a cold-blooded, lascivious rake, who recounts with spine-tingling ease how he came 'to be living so easy and free' in the aforementioned “The Rake’s Song”. Lavender Diamond’s Becky Stark and My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden deliver the lead vocals for the female characters, while My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Robyn Hitchcock and The Spinanes’ Rebecca Gates appear in supporting roles. The range of sounds reflects the characters’ arcs, from the accordion’s singsong lilt in “Isn’t it a Lovely Night?” to the heavy metal thunder of 'The Queen’s Rebuke/The Crossing”."

After only a few listens it has already become one of my favourites of the year so far and is getting better with every listen. Below is the tracklisting and an audio sample of "The Rake's Song" from the new album as well as a couple of great film clips from the previous albums.

1. "Prelude" - 3:04
2. "The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)" - 4:19
3. "A Bower Scene" - 2:09
4. "Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)" - 4:07
5."The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)" - 4:26
6. "The Queen's Approach" - 0:29
7. "Isn't It a Lovely Night?" - 3:29
8. "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" - 6:27
9. "An Interlude" - 1:40
10. "The Rake's Song" - 3:16
11. "The Abduction of Margaret" - 2:07
12. "The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing" - 3:56 .
13."Annan Water" - 5:12
14. "Margaret in Captivity" - 3:08
15. "The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)" - 3:22
16. "The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)" - 1:31
17. "The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)" - 5:57

V Festival 2009 Playing Times - Australia (Updated 27/3/09)

2009-03-18T21:16:00.010+11:00

Melbourne / Sydney / Gold Coast
This Stage
1:45pm - 2:15pm: Howling Bells
2:45pm - 3:30pm: Louis XIV
4:00pm - 4:45pm: Jenny Lewis
5:15pm - 6:15pm: Razorlight
6:45pm - 7:45pm: Kaiser Chiefs
8:15pm - 9:45pm: The Killers

That Stage
1:15pm - 1:45pm: Villians of Wilhelm
2:15pm - 3:15pm: Duffy
3:45pm - 5:00pm: Elbow
5:30pm - 6:45pm: Madness
7:15pm - 8:30pm: Snow Patrol

The Other Stage
1:15pm - 1:40pm: Canyons
1:45pm - 2:15pm: Tame Impala
2:45pm - 3:45pm: The Do
4:15pm - 5:15pm: M83
5:45pm - 6:45pm: The Kills
7:15pm - 8:30pm: Human League

Virgin Mobile Local Stage
1:30pm - 1:50pm: Black Rose (Sydney Only)
2:15pm - 2:45pm: Garage2V State Winner
3:15pm - 3:45pm: Garage2V National Winner
4:15pm - 4:45pm: The Temper Trap
5:15pm - 5:45pm: Children Collide
6:15pm - 7:00pm: Wolf & Cub
7:30pm - 8:30pm: Jackson Jackson

Perth Timetable

This Stage
2:30pm - 3:00pm: Howling Bells
3:30pm - 4:00pm: Jenny Lewis
4:45pm - 5:30pm: Elbow
6:30pm - 7:30pm: Kaiser Chiefs
8:45pm - 10:15pm: The Killers

That Stage
2:00pm - 2:30pm: Garage2V National Winner
3:00pm - 3:30pm: Louis XIV
4:00pm - 4:45pm: Duffy
5:30pm - 6:30pm: Madness
7:30pm - 8:45pm: Snow Patrol

The Other Stage
1:45pm - 2:10pm: Canyons
2:15pm - 2:45pm: Tame Impala
3:15pm - 4:00pm: The Do
4:15pm - 5:15pm: M83
5:45pm - 6:30pm: The Kills
7:00pm - 7:45pm: Razorlight
8:15pm - 9:30pm: Human League

Virgin Mobile Stage
2:30pm - 3:00pm: Garage2V Stage Winner
3:30pm - 4:00pm: Garage2V National Winner
4:30pm - 5:00pm: The Temper Trap
5:30pm - 6:15pm: Children Collide
6:45pm - 7:30pm: Wolf & Cub
8:00pm - 9:00pm: Jackson Jackson

Due to the complaints made about clash of The Killers and The Human League, V Festival has listened to it's audience and changed The Other Stage's times to avoid it. Unfortunately, it now means Howling Bells and Tame Impala are playing at the same time but it also gives punters a chance to see Elbow and The Do who were playing at the same time before. It's a true testament to the organisers of the V Festival that they listen to the feedback of the ticket buyers and make necassary changes.
You can also now go to the V Festival website http://www.vfestival.com.au/news/playing-times-change-the-other-yellow-stage-and-ma/1022.html to view the maps for each state online.

Sound Relief - MCG, Melbourne - Gig Review

2009-03-15T18:45:00.023+11:00

The lineup for Sound Relief promised a day featuring the best music from the last 30 years and delivered even more. The day began a bit shaky as Melbourne was pissed on with rain til about 12:30 but the rain had a purpose as it was announced at the event that the last of the bushfires had been put out by the downpour. Once that was established the rain didn’t seem to bother anyone. My wife and I made our way to shelter at the London tavern at about 11.45 to meet some friends and have a couple of pints to start the day and watched Jet play their set on the big screen.. They got a good reaction to their early hits “Rip it up”, “Cold Hard Bitch” and “Are you Gonna be my Girl”.

We made our way into the MCG with no hassle and got our wristbands on for access to the General Admission area, which was a great spot to witness the days action. First up we had Kings of Leon who came out and played a small set, leaving out hit single “Sex on Fire” to avoid showing any disrespect. They opened with my favourite from the new album ”Crawl” which sounded great and then “Revelry”, “On Call” and finished with “Use Somebody”. Slightly disappointing that they only played 4 songs for those who missed out on tickets for their sold out shows at Rod Laver but they sounded good all the same.

Paul Kelly was next and played a selection of hits for the appreciative crowd. Ash Naylor from Even joined Paul Kelly on stage after a solo track for a great set featuring “Dumb Things”, “To Her Door”, “God Told Me To” and the highlight “How to Make Gravy”. The set ended with a beautiful accapella song from his Foggy Highway, “Meet Me in the Middle of the Air” that echoed across the MCG. It was the best set of the early afternoon and had the whole crowd singing, especially on the football anthem “From St Kilda to Kings Cross”.

Augie March were next on stage and opened with “Lupus” and “Pennywhistle” from their latest album Watch Me Disppear. The country stomp of “This Train Will be Taking No Passengers” got the crowd moving and the track we were all waiting for, “One Crowded Hour”, was played last to a see of smiling faces and singing voices. It was moments like this that the 80,000 were here to see and there were plenty more to follow. To avoid the rain and recharge for the upcoming bands I went in for a couple of drinks during Bliss N Eso and Kasey Chambers but heard the crowd enjoying both. The event was run better than most festivals likely due to MCG being designedfor large crowds and due to the amount of people there, lines all moved pretty quickly which made for a more enjoyable day. Highlights from the Sydney event were being shown on the big screens and we were treated with highlights from Hoodoo Gurus, Josh Pyke, Coldplay, The Presets and Icehouse throughout the day. When Coldplay got John Farnham on stage for his classic song "You're the Voice" the crowd sang like it was happening live in Melbourne and it was yet another highlight.

Next up was Liam Finn with EJ Barnes and some very special surprise guests. "Second Chance" was played first and had Liam using a loop pedal to give the impression of a full band which sounded great, especially when he got behind the drums for a solo. After a couple more experimental but enjoyable solo songs he invited his father Neil Finn and Nick Seymour on stage for some Crowded House songs, while he stayed behind the drum kit.

This sent the crowd wild and those who had left their seats would have no doubt dashed back as the familiar chords of "Don't Dream it's Over" begun. Having never seen Crowded House before this was my favourite moment of the day. As the sun came out, Tim Finn joined the group for "Weather With You" which had the crowd taking over the vocals for the most part. The set finished with "Better Be Home Soon" and had the crowd singing in groups all over the huge venue.

Jack Johnson came out next to huge cheers from the crowd as he treated the many fans to a solo performance of hits. He expressed his sympathy for those that suffered in the tragedy and was glad he was part of such a great cause. He had the crowd providing hand clap percussion for his sing-along favourites "Banana Pancakes", "Flake", "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" "Times like These" and finished the set with "Better Together". Jack Johnson is a popular artist in Australia and it was clear a lot of his fans were there today and treated to another great performance. Wolfmother were next and played a selection of crowd pleasers from their only album and had the crowd in a frenzy during set closer "Joker and the Thief". Next came a special message by Prince William and Prince Harry followed by a minutes silence that was observed by everyone except a few drunken twits. Kylie Minogue then appeared on stage from the darkness and lead the crowd in singing "I Still Call Australia Home" which had a great response.

If this is the last time Hunters and Collectors are on stage it will be a damn shame but they couldn't have gone out on a higher note. They played a no filler set of classics as well as they did 10 years ago. The set played was "When the River Runs Dry", "Do You See What I See", "Blind Eye", "Holy Grail", "Say Goodbye" and finishing with the classic "Throw Your Arms Around Me". After the band left the stage the crowd kept cheering and the band were enticed on stage for one more track, "The Slab", one of their earlier pub gig classics. I can't desribe how many great moments I had seen up to this stage and feel lucky to have been witness to so many once in a lifetime performances in one day. There were still 2 acts to go at this stage and was excited about both.

Split Enz were then introduced to the crowd by Hamish and Andy as the NZ band claimed as our own and played a set of crowd pleasers with great energy and enthusiasm. When Neil Finn took over the vocals for "I Got You" and "Message to my Girl" the crowd went apeshit. A great keyboard solo proceeded"Six Months on a Leaky Boat" and "History Never Repeats" was another crowd favourite. The song chosen to close the fantastic set was the energetic "I See Red" which got the crowd dancing. Another great set of hits was over and only one remained.

The anticipation for Midnight Oil was evident within the crowd which exploded when the band opened with the fast paced "Redneck Wonderland". When "Read About It" was played next it was clear that they hadn't forgotten how to please a crowd since they split. The crazy dance moves remained and were being mimicked throughout the crowd and on top of mates shoulders throughout the sacred ground of the MCG. Peter Garrett got his harmoica out next for the classic "Blue Sky Mine" which started a run of Australian anthems including "Beds are Burning", "King of the Mountain","The Dead Heart" and "Power and the Passion" featuring Rob Hirst's epic percussion solo. To finish the blockbuster set off they played "Best of Both Worlds". After a quick break they came out again for the final song of the night "Sometimes".

It was the end to a memorable day that was enjoyed by all who were there and no doubt by those who watched or listened to it at home. $5 million was also raised for the Red Cross relief fund and will be remembered and talked about for years to come.

Bright Eyes - Film Clips

2009-03-15T02:57:00.004+11:00

Here are a few clips by Bright Eyes. Just seen them on rage and thought they were pretty cool.

Faith No More to Play Australia?

2009-03-12T15:07:00.013+11:00

Faith No More recently announced that they will getting back together to play a few festivals in Europe later this year. Ever since, I have been anxiously awaiting news that they would bring their big swag of hits down under. Although there has been no official word as yet, Faith No More's bass player Billy Gould posted this message on Twitter a few hours ago which has given me some hope.

"In answer to your questions of shows outside the EU, especially from Brazil and Australia, yes, we are thinking of coming there."

Re-forming for this reunion will be Mike Bordin, Roddy Bottum, Bill Gould, Jon Hudson and hard-working frontman Mike Patton. Faith No More split up in 1998 after being together for 17 years through various line-ups and this year will be the 20 year anniversary of the highly influential best seller The Real Thing, the first album featuring Mike Patton as singer.

The festival tour dates that have been announced for June are as follows:

Fri June 12 to Sun June 14 - Download Festival Donnington Park Englandhttp://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/

Friday June 19 to Sun Jun 21 - Hurricane Festival Eichenring Scheeßel Germanyhttp://www.hurricane.de/

Friday June 19 to Sun Jun 21 - Southside Festival Neuhausen ob Eck, Tuttlingen Germanyhttp://www.southside.de/

Friday June 19 to Sun Jun 21 - Nova Rock Festival
Nickelsdorf Austriahttp://www.novarock.at/

To keep updated of all Faith No More's reunion news, check out Billy Gould's Twitter page which is updated frequently - http://twitter.com/MRGOULD

Sound Relief - Playing Times

2009-03-12T09:41:00.005+11:00

The playing times for the once in a lifetime event Sound Relief have now finally been released and it looks like it's gonna be a great day of music. With bands only playing 30-40 minute sets, we are guaranteed to be treated with a set full of hits by all the artists.
After a 10 year haitus, Hunters & Collectors re-formed especially for this show and it may be your last chance to catch these pub rock heroes as have announced that they are not planning any shows after this. Other Australian icons that re-formed for these special concerts are Midnight Oil, Split Enz, and Icehouse. Australian icon John Farnham is also rumoured to join Coldplay on stage to play Farnham's classic "You're the Voice", which Coldplay have playing at their Australian shows recently. Kylie Minogue has also been announced as a special guest MC for the Melbourne event but at this stage will not be performing.

Tickets for the MCG show in Melbourne have now sold out but there are still plenty of tickets available for the Sydney show at the SCG.

MELBOURNE

10am Gates
12:10pm Jet
12:55pm Gabriella Cilmi
1:40pm Kings Of Leon
2:20pm Paul Kelly
3:05pm Augie March
3:50pm Bliss N Eso with Paris Wells
4:35pm Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson w/ Troy Cassar-Daley
5:30pm Liam Finn
6:20pm Jack Johnson
7:00pm Wolfmother
7:45pm Special Announcement & Minutes Silence
8:00pm Hunters & Collectors
8:55pm Split Enz
9:50pm Midnight Oil
10.30pm Finish

SYDNEY

11:00am Gates
12:15pm Coldplay
1:00pm Wolfmother
1:45pm Hoodoo Gurus
2:30pm Little Birdy
3:05pm Architecture In Helsinki
3:40pm You Am I
4:25pm Josh Pyke
4:55pm Marcia Hines (Special Performance)
5:30pm Taylor Swift
6:15pm Eskimo Joe
7:05pm Jet
7:45pm Special Announcement & Minutes Silence
8:00pm The Presets
8:50pm Icehouse
9:40pm Barry Gibb (feat. Olivia Newton-John)
10.30pm Finish

Relentless7 - White Lies for Dark Times

2009-03-09T12:02:00.010+11:00

Lady of the Sunshine - Smoking Gun

2009-03-04T21:49:00.006+11:00

1. Silver Revolver
2. Home Sweet Home
3. White Rose parade
4. Jack Nimble
5. Big Jet Plane
6. Smoking Gun
7. Daisychain
8. The Wolf
9. Anna
10. Kings Black Magic
11. Dead Mans Train
12. Lady Sunshine

Lady of the Sunshine is a new project by Angus Stone, who's main gig is fronting the band Angus and Julia Stone with his equally talented sister. The first taste of the album, "White Rose Parade", features a heavier sound than I was expecting from the usually laid back singer songwriter and it is one of the best songs of the year so far. The album will be released on 3rd April 2009 and if "White Rose Parade" is any indication it should be a great album. Here is a statement by the man himself describing the new project:

"Hey..

I wanted to introduce you to ‘Lady Of The Sunshine’, a project I have been working on in the lab and the result is a new album ‘Smoking Gun’…

I’ve been skipping off in between tours for about a year now to shake my head of these songs.
Every emotion in my head had its own voice and this album is what became of them.

Last year the old timer gave me his old telecaster which shot me a chance to move into a heavier sound & gave me the stones to get a bit more fired up. I tripped up to North QLD to record with ‘Finn’ (Govinda Doyle) who plays drums and bass on the record. We layed down the tracks in about 6 weeks throughout 2008, recording in an old water tank Finn had fixed up. Finn’s wife would cook supper for us and her new born baby whilst we worked till the young hours of dawn.

I guess the idea of this album was that there would be no idea of how it would come together as a whole. I wanted these songs to have their own emotions & create their own style. I enjoyed how the songs took on their own ride, most from the simplest of ideas.

I wanted to work on the artwork as we did the music. I was throwing ideas back n fourth with Caroline Pedler who did all the original canvas paintings for the album booklet and a little drawing of mine for Daisychain.

So… ‘Lady Of the Sunshine’…
Peace.. Angus Stone"

Go to their My Space page for more information
http://www.myspace.com/ladyofthesunshine

Here's a clip for the new song featuring some great surf footage and a couple of classics from Angus and Julia Stone.

Michael Franti - Acoustic Melbourne Shows

2009-03-03T19:49:00.005+11:00

MIchael Franti has just announced that he will be playing two intimate and acoustic shows in Melbourne before he heads to Byron Bay to play the 20th Bluesfest at easter. Franti is a frequent vistor to Australia and was here late 2008 for a series of raved about shows promoting his latest album All Rebel Rockers. Michael Franti & Spearhead blend funk, rock, hip-hop, reggae, dub and roots and their live shows create a party atmosphere with plenty of crowd involvement.
The concert has been billed as Michael Franti with Friends so who knows who will join him on stage. His performance of "Sometimes" at Bluesfest 2003 had Xavier Rudd, Jack Johnson, G Love, John Butler, Sly and Robbie and Radioactive all joining in the fun and went for over 20 minutes. His 2003 acoustic album, "Songs From the Front Porch" is my favourite Franti album and catching the big bare-footed legend in acoustic mode is an event I will not miss again, after missing his acoustic show in Byron Bay 2003.

Tickets for this unique event go on sale from ticketek from Tuesday 10th March. The gigs will take place at the Prince of Wales, St Kilda on Sunday 5th April and Ferntree Gully Hotel on Tuesday 7th April. Tickets are only $44 and will likely sell out in no time.

War Child Heroes - Various Artists - Album Review

2009-03-01T12:08:00.004+11:00

War Child is an organisation that raises money for children living in poverty in the world's most dangerous war zones. For more info on this worthy cause, visit the website http://www.warchild.org/uk.

The idea behind this new compilation was getting 15 music legends to choose one of their tracks to be covered by an artist they think will do it justice. There are some interesting choices here with some tracks improving on the orignal. Elbow do a very faithful version of U2's "Running to Stand Still" from The Joshua Tree which is one of Bono's favourites and a highlight from the album. David Bowie selected former collaborators TV on the Radio to add their unique flavour to the classic song "Heroes" and was no doubt pleased with the result. Iggy Pop also chose a former collabrator in Peaches to tackle the classic punk track "Search and Destroy" and the song fits her style perfectly adding some fuzzy synth and thumping drums to great effect. Beck turns Bob Dylan's "Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat" from a laid-back blues song to a funky electronic rock track like only Beck can. Other highlights feature Lily Allen with some help from Mick Jones on The Clash's "Straight to Hell, Franz Ferdinand's live take on Blondie's "Call Me", Yeah Yeah Yeah's version of The Ramones' "Sheena is a Punk Rocker" and Bruce Springsteen's Atlantic City covered by The Hold Steady. A solid and unique album with the profits going to a wortthwhile cause make it a great purchase.

1. Beck - "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" (Bob Dylan)
2. Scissor Sisters - "Do the Strand" (Roxy Music)
3. Lily Allen and Mick Jones - "Straight to Hell" (The Clash)
4. Duffy - "Live and Let Die" (Sir Paul McCartney)
5. Elbow - "Running to Stand Still" (U2)
6. TV on the Radio - "Heroes" (David Bowie)
7. Hot Chip - "Transmission" (Joy Division)
8. The Kooks - "Victoria" (The Kinks)
9. Estelle - "Superstition" (Stevie Wonder)
10. Rufus Wainwright - "Wonderful/Song For Children" (Brian Wilson)
11. Peaches - "Search and Destroy" (The Stooges)
12. The Hold Steady - "Atlantic City" (Bruce Springsteen)
13. The Like - "You Belong to Me" (Elvis Costello)
14. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" (The Ramones)
15. Franz Ferdinand - "Call Me" (Live) (Blondie)

Sound Relief - Benefit Concert

2009-02-25T08:35:00.004+11:00

The tragic bushfires and floods that have devistated Victoria and Queensland this past month have left many affected. To help rebuild the lives of those affected, Australia's music community has got together, in some cases playing together for the first time in many years, to play concerts at Melbourne's MCG and Sydney's SCG. All profits from the Melbourne show will go to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal. For the Sydney concert, 50% of the profits will got the Bushfire Appeal and 50% will go to the Premier's Disaster Relief Fund Appeal to aid the victims of the floods in Qld.

The date for this once in a lifetime event will be Saturday 14th March and tickets will go on sale on Wednesday 4th March at 9am from Ticketek www.ticketek.com.au . Tickets are only $75 and will sell out very quick with General Admission on the field and Reserved Seating in the stands available for both concerts.

As well as the impressive Australian talent appearing at the concerts, Kings of Leon and Coldplay have also volunteered their time for Melbourne and Sydney respectively, playing a set early in the afternoon before playing shows that night. Jack Johnson will also take time away from his Australian holiday to appear at the Melbourne event. Re-forming for the event are Midnight Oil, Hunters & Collectors, Split Enz and Icehouse which is sure to make the tickets sell out in less than an hour. Wolfmother and Jet will be appearing at both events and there will be other special guests appearing via video in between sets. See below for the full lineup and you can head to the Sound Relief website for more details or to donate to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal.

www.soundrelief.com.au

Melbourne
Midnight Oil
Jack Johnson
Kings Of Leon
Paul Kelly
Split Enz
Wolfmother
Augie March
Hunters & Collectors
Jet
Liam Finn
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson
w/ Troy Cassar-Daley
Bliss N Eso with Paris Wells
Gabriella Cilmi

SYDNEY
Coldplay (ACOUSTIC)
Eskimo Joe
Hoodoo Gurus
Icehouse
Jet
Josh Pyke
Little Birdy
The Presets
Wolfmother
You Am I
+ more acts to be announced

Here are some clips from some of the bands performing.

Dark Was the Night - Various Artists - Album Review

2009-02-19T12:04:00.010+11:00

Dark Was the Night is an excellent double cd featuring 31 exclusive tracks including a number of covers. The profits for this release go to benefit the Red Hot Organization – an international charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for HIV and AIDS through popular culture. This is is their 20th year of releasing compilations and this is the 20th release.

It features a who's who of alternative artists, the highlights being tracks by The Arcade Fire, Spoon, Bon Iver, My Morning Jacket, The Decemberists and Stuart Murdoch from Belle and Sebastian fame. My favourite track on the album is Conor Oberst and Gillian Welch's beautiful rendition of the Bright Eyes track "Lua". Below is the tracklist and a few choice selections provided by the website.

THIS DISC
1 Knotty Pine – Dirty Projectors + David Byrne
2 Cello Song (Nick Drake) – The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez
3 Train Song – Feist + Ben Gibbard
4 Brackett, WI – Bon Iver
5 Deep Blue Sea – Grizzly Bear
6 So Far Around the Bend – The National
7 Tightrope – Yeasayer
8 Feeling Good (Nina Simone) – My Brightest Diamond
9 Dark Was the Night (Blind Willie Johnson) – Kronos Quartet
10 I Was Young When I Left Home (Bob Dylan) – Antony + Bryce Dessner
11 Big Red Machine – Justin Vernon + Aaron Dessner
12 Sleepless – The Decemberists
13 Stolen Houses (Die) – Iron and Wine
14 Service Bell – Grizzly Bear + Feist
15 You Are The Blood – Sufjan Stevens

THAT DISC
1 Well-Alright – Spoon
2 Lenin – Arcade Fire
3 Mimizan – Beirut
4 El Caporal – My Morning Jacket
5 Inspiration Information (Shuggie Otis) – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
6 With A Girl Like You (The Troggs) – Dave Sitek
7 Blood Pt 2 – Buck 65 Remix (featuring Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti)
8 Hey, Snow White (Destroyer) – The New Pornographers
9 Gentle Hour (Snapper) – Yo La Tengo
10 Another Saturday (traditional song) – Stuart Murdoch
11 Happiness – Riceboy Sleeps
12 Amazing Grace (traditional song) – Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues
13 The Giant Of Illinois (Handsome Family) – Andrew Bird
14 Lua – Conor Oberst + Gillian Welch
15 When the Road Runs Out – Blonde Redhead + Devastations
16 Love vs. Porn – Kevin Drew

Mat McHugh & the Black Bird - Ruby's Lounge - 13th Feb 2009

2009-02-16T11:06:00.010+11:00

Friday night is the best night for live music and getting to see my favourite Australian singer songwriter at an intimate venue like Ruby's was hard to pass by. A group of friends and I arrived just as the support band Cats are Black got on stage. The band has only been together for 2 months and the singer, Matty Woo, is the tour manager for The Beautiful Girls. They were quite enjoyable as background music for about half an hour but when they got to their last song they had my full attention. For a new band to have even one song as good as "The Beaver Trail Leads to the Country" shows a lot of promise, especially with Matty Woo's voice hitting notes rarely heard since Jeff Buckley died.

Mat McHugh and the Black Bird opened the set with the first single from Seperatista!, "Darling This Scene Must End" which was the first of about six in a row from his fantastic debut album. The whole band sounded great and featured the drummer from the Beautiful Girls, Bruce Braybrooke. The venue was perfectly suited to the laid back tunes and it was a shame the crowd didn't come to life until the band played some songs from The Beautiful Girls repertoire. Starting with "Dela" he got the crowd singing along to "Let's Take the Long Way Home", "Periscopes" which began with Paul Simon's "The Boy in the Bubble", "Freedom Part 2" and an extended jam version of "Music" which lead into a funky version "Ring the Alarm". As there was no backstage area, Mat announced that they would stay on stage rather than head off for encore and finished with "The Bottle" and my highlight of the night "La Mar". All in all it was a faultless set, getting to hear some classics mixed with some new songs made for a perfect gig. I hope this band will play some more shows around Melbourne and make another album, they did play a new song so the may do so.

V Festival 2009 - 2nd Announcement

2009-02-15T00:20:00.005+11:00

The V Festival has just announced a 2nd round of acts that will be touring around Australia in March/April. The full lineup is:

The Killers / Snow Patrol / Kaiser Chiefs / Elbow / Madness / The Kills / The Do / The Human League / Duffy / M83 / Louis XIV / Tame Impala / The Temper Trap / Canyons / Jenny Lewis / Jackson Jackson / Howling Bells / Wolf & Cub / Children Collide.

Not as good as last year's lineup but given that the festival is run so well it is sure to be an excellent day all the same. I went to the Melbourne V Festival last year and was inpressed with the layout and being an Over 18 event means there are no designated drinking areas which makes a big difference. Elbow will be the band I will be looking forward to seeing the most. Their Mercury Prize winning album of last year The Seldom Seen Kid was their best to date. The dates for the Festival are below and for more details go to the official V Festival website.

http://www.vfestival.com.au

Centennial Park, Sydney, 28th Mar
AVICA Resort, Gold Coast, 29th Mar
Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne, 4th Apr
Claremont Showgrounds, Perth, 5th Apr

Here are some tracks by Artists playing at V Fest this year.

Mat McHugh (The Beautiful Girls) - Australian Tour - Feb/Mar

2009-02-12T22:15:00.013+11:00

This Friday 13th Febraury, Mat McHugh will be playing a solo gig at the awesome venue Ruby's Lounge. It's a great chance to see one of Australia's best singer songwriters play some songs from his debut solo album Seperatista!. It is the start of an intimate set of dates around Australia. See details below

Tune in to Triple J's Breakfast Shift this Friday morning at 7:45am to hear Mat play an original and a cover on Like a Version.
For those who missed it, here is the audio of Mat McHugh live on JJJ having a chat with the Breakfast Shift and performing "The Bottle" from Seperatista! and a great cover of Yazoo's "Only You". Also the video from "Only You"

Mat McHugh (Beautiful Girls) + Cats Are Black
Ruby's Lounge, VIC
1648 Burwood Highway, Belgrave 3160
Fri 13 Feb
08:00 PM
$22 at Door

Its been a stunted start for Mat McHughs solo mission thanks to an untimely motor bike accident that left him bed ridden in the USA for a month. The injuries have healed, the tour has been rescheduled and Mat is ready to bring his solo project out into the live forum and so he announces his Seperatista! Australian Album Tour. Which brings us to SEPERATISTA!, a free-floating animal of rare sensitivity and grace, recorded with a band largely seconded from the Sydney jazz scene. Off-kilter drums, deep bass, horns, piano, organ, melodica and cello flesh out Mat's voice, acoustic guitar and occasional ukulele on an album rich in precious sonic details. $18+BF$22 at door.

http://www.moshtix.com.au/Event.aspx?id=23622&pLock=&vip=&skin=&ref=

Australian Tour Dates
12 Feb 2009 8:00 P
The Toff in Town Melbourne, Victoria
13 Feb 2009 8:00 P
Rubys Belgrave, Victoria
14 Feb 2009 6:00 P
The Palais Hepburn Springs, Victoria
19 Feb 2009 9:00 P
Settlers Tavern Margaret River, Western Australia
20 Feb 2009 8:00 P
Fly By Night Fremantle, Western Australia
21 Feb 2009 6:30 P
At The Beach Scarborough Scarborough, Western Australia
22 Feb 2009 7:00 P
Speigeltent - Garden of Unearthly Adelaide, South Australia
1 Mar 2009 12:00 P
Corinbank Festival Corinbank, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
5 Mar 2009 8:30 P
The Zoo Brisbane, Queensland
6 Mar 2009 8:00 P
Joe’s Waterhole Eumundi, Queensland
7 Mar 2009 6:00 P
Quiky Pro-Show Tweed Heads, Queensland

Below is the clip for the excellent first single from Seperatista! "Darling, This Scene Must End".

St Kilda Festival - 8th Febuary 2009

2009-02-11T22:16:00.013+11:00

I only got to see a couple bands at St Kilda Festival due to the delicious beers at the Village Belle holding me hostage but they were both excellent. The first band I saw was the Black Market Rhythm Co,who played on the AIR stage at about 4pm. The before mentioned beers put me in the perfect mood for this funky four-piece as they played tracks from their latest release Low-Fi Records, Hi Fi Radio. This was the 3rd time I seen this gold coast based band live,the first time was at the Gold Coast BDO in 2008 and the other was supporting Roger That at the Evelyn in Fitzroy.

Lead singer Christopher Ernst was celebrating his birthday on that occasion and confessed that he was quite drunk after playing a cover of Radiohead's "Exit Music for a Film" in the wrong key, still a great gig though.

Their set at the St Kilda Festival ended a little too soon but all in attendance were dancing and having a good time in general which is what you want in a gig. Their last song "Low-Fi Records, Hi-Fi Radio" was a crowd pleaser as they moved to the groovy horns and guitar and sang along during the catchy chorus. They will be a band to watch in the future, click this link for their My Space page where you can preview some of their music.
http://www.myspace.com/theblackmarketrhythmco

I only got to see a couple of songs by Jackson Jackson, partly because they played the song I wanted to hear "Eliza" early on. The band I was really looking forward to seeing was The Angels. Admittedly, I haven't listened to The Angels in about 15 years but growing up with 3 older brothers they were heavily played in the house in my younger years. Funnily enough I still remembered all the words after all these years and knew every track they played. My mate Ako and I heard "Dogs are Talking" from the bar across the road and sped off towards the stage singing all the way.
From there we were treated to a non-stop marathon of hits from the past including "No Secrets", "Be With You", "Face the Day", "We Gotta Get Out of this Place", "Take a Long Line", "Marseilles" and their signature track "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again", which was played early on. As the chants of "No Way, Get Fucked, Fuck Off" echoed around St Kilda I noticed there were a number of punters younger than me singing along which was good to see. It was also good to see Doc Neeson's voice was as good as ever and his theatrics were as present as ever. The set was a great dose of nostalgia and was enjoyed by all ages. After a few chants of "Angels" CLAP CLAP CLAP, Doc Neeson came back on stage to play a quick encore of "City Out of Control". I was completely deflated after the gig and unfortunately didn't have the energy for Tex Perkins & his Ladyboyz but a great day was had by all.

Dan Auerbach - Keep it Hid - Album Review

2009-02-11T08:32:00.004+11:00

****
The solo debut album from Black Keys singer/songwriter/guitarist has just been released and it is a must have for all fans of The Black Keys or for those that wish they were a four-piece. Dan Auerbach has taken full control of this album, singing over a number of instruments including lead and rhythm guitar, drums, keyboards and percussion as well as taking responsibilty for the production and engineering at his own studio, Akron Anaolog.

The album opens with a great acoustic gospel song called "Trouble Weighs a Ton" and is the biggest departure from the heavier sound The Black Keys. The next track "I Want Some More" sounds a bit more familiar featuring some bluesy guitar and funky organ and one of the many highlights of the album. Like all good albums, it takes a few spins before the meldoies reveal themselves but it's worth the effort. Keep it Hid has all the things I love about The Black Keys but with the extra instrumentation and backing vocals, is different enough to be set apart, especially on tracks like "Heartbroken, In Disrepair", "Real Desire", "The Prowl" and "Street Walkin'". The quietier moments on the album like the before mentioned opening track, "When the Night Comes", "Whispered Words", "When I Left the Room" and closing track "Goin' Home" gives the debut album more depth. In conclusion this is a worthy and ecelectic release from The Black Keys frontman and after seeing him in action in January, more proof that he is a legend of our time.

Unforunately there are no film clips from the album yet but I here is the audio for "Street Walkin'".

Favourite Albums by Decade

2009-02-08T00:36:00.018+11:00

2000 - 2009
1. The Dandy Warhols - Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia
2. Gomez - In Our Gun
3. The Beautiful Girls - Learn Yourself
4. Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
5. Mason Jennings - Century Spring
6. The White Stripes - Elephant
7. You Am I - Dilettantes
8. The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
9. The Strokes - Is This It
10. Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales
11. Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R
12. Matt Costa - Songs We Sing
13. Ben Harper - Diamonds on the Inside
14. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
15. Damien Rice - O
16. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
17. The Black Keys - Attack and Release
18. Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News
19. Cold War Kids - Robbers and Cowards
20. Gomez - How We Operate
21. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
22. Kings of Leon - A-ha Shake Heartbreak
23. Xavier Rudd - Solace
24. Beck - Guero
25. Jurassic 5 - Power in Numbers
26. Michael Franti - Songs from the Front Porch
27. Tool - 10,000 Days
28. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
29. Angus & Julia Stone - A Book Like This
30. Dr. Dog - Fate
31. Eels - Daisies of the Galaxy
32. The Beautiful Girls - Ziggurats
33. Mason Jennings - Boneclouds
34. Ween - La Cucharacha
35. Gomez - Split the Difference
36. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever You Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
37. Ben Harper - Both Sides of the Gun
38. Something for Kate - Echolalia
39. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
40. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
41. The Bees - Octopus
42. Donavon Frankenreiter - Self-Titled
43. Josh Pyke - Memories and Dust
44. Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová - Once (OST)
45. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
46. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
47. John Butler Trio - Three
48. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
49. The Panics - Cruel Guards
50. The Zutons - You Can Do Anything

1990 - 1999
1. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
2. Ben Harper - Fight For Your Mind
3. Rage Against the Machine - Self Titled
4. You Am I - Hi Fi Way
5. Stone Temple Pilots - Purple
6. Gomez - Liquid Skin
7. Jeff Buckley - Grace
8. Faith No More - King for a Day, Fool For a Lifetime
9. Tool - Aenima
10. Radiohead - OK Computer
11. R.E.M. - Automatic for the People
12. Pearl Jam - Vs
13. Elliott Smith - Figure 8
14. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
15. Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
16. Nirvana - Nevermind
17. Soundgarden - Superunknown
18. Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
19. Something for Kate - Elsewhere for 8 Minutes
20. David Gray - White Ladder
21. Gomez - Bring it On
22. Spiderbait - Ivy and the Big Apples
23. Ben Harper - Welcome to the Cruel World
24. You Am I - Hourly, Daily
25. Radiohead - The Bends
26. Weezer - Self Titled (Blue)
27. Pearl Jam - Ten
28. Supergrass - Self-Titled
29. Ween - Chocolate & Cheese
30. Snout - Circle High and Wide
31. Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire
32. The Tea Party - Splendor Solis
33. Regurgitiator - Unit
34. Tool - Undertow
35. Ben Harper - The Will to Live
36. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
37. Faith No More - Album of the Year
38. Stone Temple Pilots - Core
39. Ween - The Mullosk
40. Tumbleweed - Galactaphonic
41. Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty
42. Nirvana - In Utero
43. The Lemonheads - It's a Shame about Ray
44. Soundgarden - Down on the Upside
45. The Verve - Urban Hymns
46. Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness
47. Stone Temple Pilots - Tiny Music
48. Red Hot Chili Peppers - One Hot Minute
49. Wilco - Summerteeth
50. Elliott Smith - XO

1980 - 1989
1. AC/DC - Back in Black
2. Faith No More - The Real Thing
3. Metallica - Master of Puppets
4. Violent Femmes - Self Titled
5. Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill
6. Cold Chisel - East
7. U2 - The Joshua Tree
8. Midnight Oil - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
9. Travelling Wilburys - Vol. 1
10. Paul Simon - Graceland
11. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mothers Milk
12. Aerosmith - Pump
13. Guns N Roses - Appetite for Destruction
14. R.E.M. - Green
15. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
16. Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse of Reason
17. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
18. The Angels - Two Minute Warning
19. Crowded House - Self-Titled
20. INXS - Kick
21. Cheap Trick - Lap of Luxury
22. Fleetwood Mac - Tango in the Night
23. Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
24. Cold Chisel - Twentieth Century
25. Minight Oil - Diesel and Dust
26. Guns N Roses - G'N'R Lies
27. U2 - Under a Blood Red Sky
28. Men at Work - Business as Usual
29. Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
30. Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.

1970 - 1979
1. AC/DC - Highway to Hell
2. Neil Young - Harvest
3. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
4. Led Zeppelin - 4
5. Bob Marley - Exodus
6. The Beatles - Let It Be
7. Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman
8. The Doors - Morrison Hotel
9. Paul Simon - Self-Titled
10.The Who - Who's Next
11. Nick Drake - Pink Moon
12. John Lennon - Imagine
13. Lou Reed - Transformer
14. AC/DC - Powerage
15. Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps
16. The Angels - Face to Face
17. Pink Floyd - The Wall
18. Midnight Oil - Head Injuries
19. Radio Birdman - Radios Appear
20. Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic
21. Neil Young - Zuma
22. Bob Dylan - Desire
23. AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
24. The Eagles - Hotel California
25. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
26. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
27. Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years
28. Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
29. Aerosmith - Rocks
30. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

Free Download of new Gomez track

2009-02-06T10:51:00.009+11:00

Click this link http://gomeztheband.com/ to get a free download of the excellent new Gomez song "Airstream Driver" from the upcoming album A New Tide. The album will be released on March 28th 2009 in Australia, March 30th in the UK and March 31st in the US. Gomez are my favourite band and can't wait for this to be released after hearing a preview when they played "Mix" and "Very Strange" on their tour of Australia last month. Here is the tracklisting and artwork for the new album.

1. "Mix"
2. "Little Pieces"
3. "If I Ask You Nicely"
4. "Lost Track"
5. "Win Park Slope"
6. "Bone Tired"
7. "Airstream Driver"
8. "Natural Reaction"
9. "Very Strange"
10."Other Plans"
11."Sunset Gates"

Here is a great live version of "How We Operate" from the bands previous album of the same name and the film clip for "Notice". I have also included "Machismo" and "Rhythm & Blues Alibi" for those who might not have heard the excellent sounds of Gomez before.

You Am I Clips

2009-02-06T06:49:00.005+11:00

Here are a couple of great clips from You Am I's new Album Dilettantes which was my favourite album of 2008. I have also added Berlin Chair from their first album Sound as Ever just because I love it.

Tonight: Franz Ferdinand - Album Review

2009-02-02T20:40:00.009+11:00

****
The new album by scottish four piece Franz Ferdinand is a return to the form of debut album. Their 3rd album opens with the funky dance track "Ulysses" which begins with a smooth bass line over whispered vocals leading into a thumping synth riff that keeps building until the catchy chorus kicks in. It is their best track since debut single "Take Me Out" and has been stuck in my head for a week. It is a promising start after their hit and miss second album You Could Have It So Much Better.

The album continues to bring the funk with "Turn It On", "No You Girls" and "Twilight Omens" featuring their trademark harmonised choruses and guitar hooks. The second half of the album doesn't quite reach the same level but there is enough good here to make it an enjoyable listen from start to finish. The epic length album version of "Lucid Dreams" does not work as well as the original 3 minute version that was released last year, but still has it's moments. "Bite Hard" opens with some gentle piano which transforms into another pumping dance anthem. "What She Came For" is another catchy dance/rock track as is "Can't Stop Feeling" which features some more dirty synth riffs.

The albums closing tracks "Dream Again" and "Katherine Kiss Me" are a quiet departure from the rest of the album, ditching the electronic sound for a more mellow vibe. This supports the bands assessment of the album having a dusk to dawn theme that starts with party songs and winds down as the album finishes. Although this album for the most part is more of the same, it is still their best album to date and an excellent addition to their catalogue. Here is the clip for the great new single "Ulysses"

Ben Harper and the Relentless7

2009-02-01T04:11:00.009+11:00

Here are some cool live clips of Ben Harper with his new band Relenless 7 from a club in California called Spaceland in December last year. Hopefully they will play some extra shows around Australia when they come down in Easter to headline Bluesfest in Byron Bay. Their new album White Lies for Dark Times is due to be released on May 5th. Go to their My Space page to hear "Shimmer and Shine", the first taste of the new album as well as covers of Led Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times" and Prince's "Purple Rain".

http://www.myspace.com/RELENTLESSSEVEN

Under Pressure (David Bowie Cover)

Lay There and Hate Me

Skin Thin

Boots Like These

Great Covers

2009-01-30T08:08:00.006+11:00

Ben Harper - "Sexual Healing" (Marvin Gaye)

Josh Pyke - "Under the Milky Way" (The Church)
Live on Triple J - Like a Version

Paul Kelly & Katy Steele - "This Mess We're In" (Thom Yorke & PJ Harvey)
Live on Rockwiz
I think this version is better than the original which I also love, but Paul Kelly's voice sounds better on this cover than he ever has before in my opinion.

Holly Throsby - "Berlin Chair" (You Am I)
Live on Triple J - Like a Version

Big Day Out 09 - Melbourne - Jan 26 2009

2009-01-28T11:43:00.012+11:00

My Big Day Out started at 11am this year, at the Newmarket Tavern. It was meant to be a meeting place and a "couple of beers" but it turned into a 3 hour schooner marathon that left me a bit shabby. Not to mention missing a few bands i really wanted to see, especially Eddy Current Suppression Ring. But the beer was delicious on such a nice day and after dragging myself away we made our way down. The 1st band we got to see was The Ting Tings, they had already been playing a while when we got there but we got to hear a few hits from the bar including "Shut Up and Let Me Go" and set closer "That's Not My Name". Next were the Black Kids, who's debut album Partie Tramautic has been on high rotation for my wife and I and the only band we both really wanted to see. They sounded better live than I had expected, doing perfect versions of "I Wanna be Your Limosuine", "Partie Traumatic" and "Listen to your Body Tonight". We had to leave a bit early so we could see TV on the Radio, and regretted not catching their show at the Corner on the Saturday night before.

TV on the Radio played a set that covered their whole career, and a bunch of hits were played early in their set. When TVOTR belted out "Dancing Choose" it sent me running into the crowd for a better look which was then followed by "The Golden Age" and "Wolf Like Me" which all sounded amazing and the peak of the set. Finishing with "Staring at the Sun", it was a very enjoyable set but was on a bit too early for me to get excited.

The next half and hour was spent trying to work out where the boiler room was, the map provided only confused things. Eventually we found it after overhearing "Superstar" and following the sound and caught the last 2 songs by Lupe Fiasco which sounded great, especially "Day Dreaming" which was the only song I wnated to see anyway.

Next up were My Morning Jacket and they were awesome. Opening with "Evil Urges" they played an energetic set full of wicked guitar solos and thumping drums and was the highlight of the day so far. Highlights of the set included "Off the Record" and "Wordless Chorus" from the album Z and "I'm Amazed" and "Highly Suspicious" from latest album Evil Urges. I then shot over to the Essential Stage to catch the end of The Drones set, wishing they had started half an hour later. I watched Cut Copy with little interest for a few songs and then headed to the main stage for the 2 headliners, catching the last 15 mins of The Living End who sounded good.

Arctic Monkeys went straight into their fine style of geezer rock and played a very enjoyable set to warm us up for the main act of Neil Young. My highlights were great versions of "When the Sun Goes Down", "Brianstorm", "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and a great sped-up version of Nick Cave's "Red Right Hand". By the end of the Arctic Monkeys set, the anticipation for Neil Young was unbearable as we discussed what tracks he might be playing.

The chants for Neil Young (or "Youngy" as he had been drunkenly shortened to by this stage)were coming thick and fast now and we weren't left waiting long as he took to the stage not long after 8:30, much to my excitement. The hits were played early on with a kick arse version of "Hey Hey, My My" and as it's killer riff echoed through the crowd, I couldn't help notice that it was nowhere near big enough for such a legend. For the next half an hour we were treated to excellent versions of "Everybody Knows, This is Nowhere", "Cortez the Killer" and "Cinnamon Girl". But the best was yet to come as we were treated to 3 classics in a row from one of the best albums of all time, Harvest. Neil came out solo for "The Needle and the Damage Done" as chills ran down my spine and I realised I was witnessing something very special. As he warmed up his harmonica and broke into a brilliant version of "Heart of Gold", I officially crowned Youngy the King of the BDO. My favourite moment of the day then followed as he played perfect rendition of "Old Man", and by the time the banjo kicked in I was almost in tears. To close the set, the crowd went off to the often covered "Rockin' in the Free World" and the classic Beatles track "A Day in the Life". As I made my way out I got to hear Prodigy belt out their 90's anthem "Breathe" and left the festival with a smile from ear to ear.

Triple J's hottest 100 - 2008 | triple j

2009-01-27T12:49:00.006+11:00

Click this link to see the results of the worlds biggest music poll, which I think was a bit average this year, especially the Top 20.

Countdown | triple j hottest 100 - 2008 | triple j

And here are the 100 songs that nearly made it, which has more of my year's favourites.

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/kingsmill/playlist/s2475563.htm

Triple J's Hottest 100 Vol 16 will be available to buy on March 7th 2009. Here is the tracklisting and artwork from the forthcoming double cd. Considering it was an average Hottest 100 list, it is a pretty decent compilation.

Track Listing:
Disc 1
1. Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire
2. Mgmt - Kids
3. Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
4. The Presets - Talk Like That
5. The Living End - White Noise
6. Kaiser Chiefs - Never Miss A Beat
7. Emiliana Torrini - Jungle Drum
8. Drapht - Jimmy Recard
9. Cut Copy - Lights & Music
10. Bon Iver - Skinny Love
11. Mystery Jets & Laura Marling - Young Love
12. Ladyhawke - My Delirium
13. Dizzee Rascal / Calvin Harris / Chrome - Dance Wiv Me
14. Cold War Kids - Something Is Not Right With Me
15. Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked
16. Art Vs. Science - Flippers
17. Little Red - Coca Cola
18. Bliss N Eso - Eye Of The Storm
19. Sigur Ros - Gobbledigook
20. Soko - I Will Never Love You More
21. Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes
22. Children Collide - Farewell Rocketship
23. Cog - Bird Of Feather

Disc 2
1. The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name
2. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig !!!
3. Birds Of Tokyo - Broken Bones
4. Architecture In Helsinki - That Beep
5. Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma
6. Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Possess Your Heart
7. Pnau - Embrace
8. Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Dawn Of The Dead
9. The Getaway Plan - Where The City Meets The Sea
10. The Grates - Burn Bridges
11. Josh Pyke - The Lighthouse Song
12. Pez, 360, Hailey Cramer - The Festival Song
13. Tame Impala - Half Full Glass Of Wine
14. British India - I Said I'm Sorry
15. Lily Allen - The Fear
16. Pendulum - Propane Nightmares
17. Ash Grunwald - Breakout
18. The Herd - The King Is Dead
19. Laura Marling - Ghosts
20. The Butterfly Effect - Window And The Watcher
21. Something With Numbers - Stay With Me Bright Eyes

Highlights from Past Big Day Outs

2009-01-24T12:06:00.013+11:00

With only 2 days before the Melbourne Big Day Out comes to town, here are some of my highlights from the 8 previous Big Day Outs I have been to.

1996 - Melbourne

This was my first Big Day Out and was there to see Rage Against the Machine. The day was a scorcher and I made the rookie error of shaving my head the day before and not wearing a hat. The result was the worst sunburn I have ever had, mainly on top of my head. During the day I caught excellent sets from Regurgitator, Spiderbait, Tumbleweed and Elastica. RATM hit the stage at 5pm with the killer riff of "Know Your Enemy". I got caught up in a mad rush for the stage and had to head forward with the crowd to avoid being crushed. It was the most insane pit I have ever been in and by the end of the song I had rolled my ankle and decided to make my way back to a less hectic area so I could enjoy the set. They were faultless in their performance with Zack owning the mic and Tom Morello getting sounds out of a guitar that seemed impossible. They played tracks from their self titled debut album like "Bullet in the Head", "Wake Up" and "Bombtrack" as Evil Empire was not yet released. I do recall them playing "Vietnow" from it's distinctive guitar intro and "Bulls on Parade". They finished the set with "Killing in the Name" and "Freedom" and left nowhere for the day to go but down. Another great set was by Radio Birdman, having left Porno for Pyros after they played "Pets". I didn't have any of their albums at that stage but was urged to go by my cousin. After witnessing an average set by Rancid earlier it was great to see some good punk played like it should be, fast and loud. All in all, it was an excellent Big Day Out.

2000 - Melbourne

I missed the next few Big Day Out's after buying tickets Soundgarden's solo show in 97, 98 being cancelled and 99 featuring a nu-metal line-up that I could not get excited about. With Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails headlining, it was my favourite Melbourne Big Day Out to date. As we walked in we heard the lovely sounds of Beth Orton playing on one of the smaller stages and became an instant fan. During the day, I also enjoyed sets by Spiderbait, Magic Dirt and Something for Kate but walked off during Blink 182 who sounded awful. The last three bands on the main stage were all amazing. The Foo Fighters opened with their best song from their new album "Stacked Actors" and followed it with a string of classics including "Breakout", "I'll Stick Around", "My Hero" and highlight "Everlong".
We headed down to the front to get a good position for RHCP while we watched NIN who were amazing, especially on "Head Like a Hole", "Starfuckers, Inc" and an epic version of "Closer".
RHCP played a set featuring tracks from Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Californication , sadly ignoring One Hot Minute altogether but it was still one my fave Big Day Out sets ever. Starting the set with Californication opener "Around the World" they played a great set featuring a selection of their many hits with "If You Have to Ask" and "I Could Have Lied" being unexpected and excellent inclusions. The encore of "Soul to Squeeze" and "Power of Equality" was the perfect conclusion to a great festival.

2001 - Melbourne

After the tragic death of a teenager at Sydney's Big Day Out, Limp Bizkit packed up their big dacks and terrible Nu-Metal songs and went home. I was fairly indifferent about them as a headliner anyway and was more interested in seeing Queens Of The Stone Age, You Am I, Coldplay, Augie March, Placebo, The Avalanches and At the Drive-In (which I sadly missed). The day ended with an excellent sing-along set from Powderfinger who had just taken out JJJ Hottest 100 top spot for the second year in a row and German metal band Rammstein who hit the stage engulfed in flames. The higlight of the set was the amazing visuals of pyrotechnics and crazy costumes but also sounded pretty good for metal, which I don't usually listen to. Another great day of live music, the highlights of the day being Placebo's "Every You, Every Me", The Avalanches' "Frontier Psychiatrist" and Queens of the Stone Age's "Lost Art of Keeping a Secret".

2002 - Gold Coast

The Gold Coast BDO venue is my favourite festival location as the weather is always fine, it has an awesome stage layout and there is no designated drinking area, which gives you more time to get around to more bands and still have a few beers. The lineup was not the best as far as international acts but the aussie contingent more than made up for it. I had convinced a couple of friends from work to come along to their first music festival, at this time they only listened to gangster rap. BDO 2002 cured them of that for good and to this day they now attend more festivals than me, I had created a monster. The standouts of the day were all Oz artists from the up and coming John Butler Trio, Eskimo Joe and Machine Gun Fellatio to festival legends like Regurgitator, Magic Dirt, Spiderbait and Something for Kate. The JBT set was probably the best of the day, playing songs from his best album Three and featuring the best bongo solo I'd ever seen. We also get to witness a pretty raw set by The White Stripes that I enjoyed but I was alone in that verdict so we only watched about 20 mins, I was happy getting to see "Hotel Yorba", "Fell in LOve with a Girl" and "Jolene". I also got to see some of Garbage, silvercahir and New Order who were all good, got to see "Blue Monday" which was awesome. To finish the day we had the Prodigy on the main stage. They were great and finished the day on an upbeat note. "Breathe" and "Voodoo People" sounded amazing. I got to see more bands in this year than any other, 13 in all, and was my favourite BDO to date.

2003 - Gold Coast

This year was a bit of a blur, I had a bit "too much fun" before I even got there. I invited a couple friends around to have a big bacon and egg cook up so we'd have some
fuel for the day. By the time my wife had cooked up these delicious bacon and egg rolls however we had already consumed about 6 bourbon cans each. Then we went to the Parkwood Tavern to watch a boxing matach and some beers so by the time we got to the Big Day Out at about 2 (missing The Waifs) we were very loose. Watched a bit of Millencollin and then Deftones who were both good and then after 10 minutes of The Vines it was time for one of the highlights of the day, Machine Gun Fellatio. I had seen Machine Gun Fellatio at 4 fetsivals in 2002 and was a big fan by this stage, especially of their live shows. They played a great mix of tracks including "Rollercoaster", "The Girl of my Dreams", a great singlong with "Pussytown" and my fave "Unsent Letter". They also put on a great visual show which at times looks like a circus act is performing. I missed Wilco to see The Living End which I still regret having seen The Living End so many times and not catching Wilco yet. They were ok but next up were Queens of the Stone Age who were excellent and played a set full of their latest album Songs for the Deaf. Bassist Nick Oleveri decided to nude up for the occasion which is one way to keep cool on stage I guess and second vocalist Mark Lanegan's voice was giving me chills. They were my favourite act of the day with recent JJJ Hottest 100 winner "No One Knows" sending the crowd into a frenzy. I then caught a good set by You Am I over at the Green Stage before heading back to the main stages for the 2 headliners, Janes Addiction and Foo Fighters. By this stage, I was pissed as and didn't manage to go in close. Janes Addiction sounded great and was happy to hear anthems "Mountain Song", "Stop! and "Been Caught Stealing". Foo Fighters also played a good set of hits but I was happy to see them end so I could go home to bed.

2005 - Gold Coast

Bon Iver - "Skinny Love" Live on Letterman

2009-01-23T09:42:00.005+11:00

This was one of my favourite songs of 2008 and this live version which I saw on Letterman late one night is the shit. There are three drummers playing in perfect rhythm and adding harmonies to the lead singers awesome falsetto vocals.

Michael Franti - Obama Song

2009-01-21T19:13:00.005+11:00

Here's a pretty cool track by Michael Franti & Spearhead called "Obama Song" . With Barack Obama officially becoming the leader of the free world today, it's a good time to check out this funky little track.

Debut Album by Kram from Spiderbait

2009-01-20T22:08:00.017+11:00

Lead singer and drummer from Spiderbait, Kram, is about to release his debut album Mixtape and from the tracks I've heard on his My Space it should be a ripper. You can preview 4 of the tracks from the aptly titled Mixtape which according to a quote from Kram will sound "like a radio station where all the songs sound like different bands even though it's all played by one person.... The premise of the whole album was to be constantly changing your approach musically". Sounds like my kind of album. You can also get a free download of "Outer Space" from My Space (click here http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=393564850)

The film clip for first single "Silk Suits" is an instant classic. The action takes place at Rod Laver Arena as Kram (sporting jeans, Motorhead T-Shirt and matching yellow head and wrist bands) and Alicia Molik battle it out with Nic Cester from Jet as umpire. The song is already been played heavily on Triple J, featuring Kram's trademark thumping drums and killer vocals. The new album is released in Australia on March 14th. Check out the excellent clip for "Silk Suits" below as well as a great live track from the Meredith Music Festival and a snippet of album track "Soccer".

The Black Keys / Gomez / Dr Dog - The Palais, St Kilda - 11 Jan 2009

2009-01-16T18:55:00.011+11:00

This gig had the perfect lineup and with a start time of 7pm, was impossible to resist. The afternoon was spent drinking beers at the espy and getting sunburnt with a few friends who were also going to the gig. Dr. Dog are a band I only recently starting listening to but they have become a favourite of mine. Their 2008 album Fate was one of the best of the year, and was featured heavily in the 45 minute set. The opening piano riff of "The Old Days" started the show off nicely as they played through a tight set of retro rock tunes. The vocals were shared by three of the five members and would not sound out of the place in the 60's. Highlights of the excellent set were "Hang On", "Uncovering the Old", "Army of Ancients" and closing track "The Rabbit, The Bat and the Reindeer".

Dr Dog were going to be hard to beat, but Gomez were well equipped to do so. They opened the set with "Shot Shot" and played all hits for over an hour, including one new track. As they were playing "Bring it On" in full at the Espy on Tuesday night, they left that album off the setlist. I was glad because I was going to the Tuesday show and it gave them time to play classics from Liquid Skin like "Rhythm & Blues Alibi", "Blue Moon Rising" and "We Haven't Turned Around". They closed with two tracks from How We Operate, "Girlshapedlovedrug" and an extended jam version of "How We Operate" which sounded amazing. I have now seen Gomez five times and they have always managed to bring something new to their live performance. Even seeing them twice in 48 hours during the week, they were both completely different and excellent in their own way. They have now become my favourite band. Setlist below

The Black Keys command the stage better than most 5 piece bands as they stroll on stage to their positions in front of impressive stage props. There is a giant inflatable dream catcher that is lowered behind Patrick Carney's raised drum kit and an inflatable indian figure behind singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach. After a quick greeting they go straight into their energetic and loud blend of rock and blues, playing tracks from Thickfreakness and Rubber Factory. It was 45 minutes into the set before the new album Attack and Release was featured with an excellent version of "Strange Times". Highlights of the main set were "Set Me Free", "The Breaks", "Your Touch", "Same Old Thing", "Hard Row" and "I Got Mine". They came back for a 2 song encore after a short break and was the highlight of the set. They started with a chilling version of "Psychotic Girl" and finshed with my favourite Black Keys track "Till I Get My Way". It was a night I will not soon forget, the highlight being getting to meet Gomez singer Ben Ottewell before they got on stage while he was outside having a ciggie. He talked a bit about the new album, A New Tide coming out at the end of March and that they will probably back in Oz before the year is out. I'll be there fellas.

Gomez Setlist:
Shot Shot / See the World / Silence / Homoa Beach / Rhythm and Blues Alibi / Ping One Down / Blue Moon Rising / Airstream Driver/ We Haven't Turned Around / Girlshapedlovedrug / How We Operate.

2008 in Review - Best Lists

2009-01-14T09:43:00.007+11:00

Just to finish up my list of favourites for 2008, here are some more.

Top 20 Songs

1. "Something Is Not Right With Me" - Cold War Kids
2. "Grounds for Divorce" - Elbow
3. "Diamond Hoo-Ha Man" - Supergrass
4. "Beau Geste" - You Am I
5. "The Golden Age" - TV on the Radio
6. "I Will Possess Your Heart" - Death Cab for Cutie
7. "Same Old Thing" - The Black Keys
8. "Oh My" - The Drones
9. "Skinny Love" - Bon Iver
10."Fighter Girl" - Mason Jennings
11."Dig, Lazurus, Dig!!!" - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
12."Make You Crazy" - Brett Dennen (feat Feli Kuti)
13."On My Shoulders - The Do
14."Kids - MGMT
15."Gamma Ray" - Beck
16."White Winter Hymnal" - Fleet Foxes
17."Awkward Orchid Orchard" - The Boat People
18."The Old Days" - Dr. Dog
19."The Bottle" - Mat McHugh
20."Carolina Drama" - The Saboteurs

Best Autralian Gig
1. You Am I - Ferntree Gully Hotel
2. Josh Pyke - Gold Coast BDO
3. Ash Grunwald - Ruby's Lounge
4. Hoodoo Gurus - St Kilda Festival
5. Tim Scanlan - Wesley Anne
6. silverchair - Gold Coast BDO
7. Christopher Ernst - The Evelyn
8. Mick Hart - Ruby's Lounge
9. Will Connor - Myer Music Bowl
10.Roger That - The Evelyn

Artist of the Year
1. You Am I
2. Rage Against the Machine
3. Brett Dennen

Best Radio Show
1. The Breakfasters - RRR
2. 2008 - Triple J
3. All Over the Shop - RRR
4. Roy & H.G. - Triple J
5. Roots and All - Triple J

Best Podcast
1. Get This
2. The Ricky Gervais Podcast
3. Smodcast

Best Movie
1. The Dark Knight
2. Kung-Fu Panda
3. Tropic Thunder
4. Iron Man
5. Pineapple Express
6. Gone Baby Gone
7. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
8. Wall E
9. Burn After Reading
10.Juno

Best TV Show
1. Entourage
2. Dexter
3. The Simpsons
4. Curb Your Enthusiasm
5. Weeds
6. Spicks and Specks
7. Scrubs
8. rage
9. The Hollowmen
10.South Park

Best Publications
1. Rolling Stone
2. Empire
3. In Press
4. Hit (Herald Sun)
5. J Mag

Best Books (Read in 2008)
1. Watchmen - Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
2. Things the Grandchildren Should Know- Mark Oliver Everett
3. Shakey - Jimmy McDonough
4. Highway to Hell - Clinton Walker
5. The Dave Grohl Story - Jeff Apter
6. Lolly Scramble - Tony Martin
7. The Rainmaker - John Grisham
8. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
9. Room Full of Mirrors - Charles R. Cross
10.Misery - Stephen King

Best Internet Sites
1. Facebook
2. Undercover Music News
3. Faster Louder
4. You Tube
5. Metacritic

Top 50 Albums 2008

2009-01-10T02:31:00.022+11:00

1. You Am I – Dilettantes *****

This was an excellent album from start to finish from the best rock band Australia has to offer. They released two of the best albums of the 90s with Hi Fi Way and Hourly, Daily and Dilettantes is a return to form. From the opening acoustic title track to the epic closing track “The Piano Up the Tree” there is not a moment of filler. I was surpised this album was not on any reviewers Top 10 lists although it did receive good reviews when it was released. The highlights of the album would be current single “Beau Geste” (great film clip as well), “Wankers”, "Givin' Up and Gettin' Fat", “Frightfully Moderne” and “Daveys Gone Green Again” that contains an excellent riff during the chorus.

2. TV on the Radio – Dear Science *****

This was an album that got better with every listen. First single “The Golden Age” got me hooked with it’s funky opening riff and beautifully catchy chorus. It also has a fantastic weird film clip. “Red Dress” is another classic featuring some excellent horns and great lyrics delivered with style. The highlight of the album is “ Dancing Choose” with frantic rhymes over tight drums and horns. Although I thought “Return to Cookie Mountain” was a great album, “Dear Science” has proven that TV on the Radio are a great band. Other highlights are "DLZ", "Halfway Home" and "Family Tree". I am greatly anticaipating their set at the Big Day Out in a few weeks to see if they have the skills live.

3. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges *****

This album was a pleasant surprise for me, switching styles with ease on all 13 tracks. The quieter moments on the album, “Librarian”, “Thank You Too”, “Look at You” and “Sec Walkin’” is what makes the album a classic for me. But MMJ also delivered some excellent rock tracks with “Aluminum Park”, “Remnants” and “I’m Amazed”. “Highly Suspicious” is my favourite track on the album with it’s excellent riff and falsetto vocals. Another band I am looking forward to seeing at the Big Day Out this year.

4. The Black Keys – Attack and Release *****

The Black Keys have created their best album to date. Producer Danger Mouse has added more melody and extra instrumentation for the talented duos fifth studio album. Opening track “All you ever Wanted” promises a different sound than on previous albums and continues to deliver on all eleven tracks. “ I Got Mine”, “Strange Times” and “Same Old Thing” are the standout tracks for me but it’s all good. Looking forward to seeing it live at the Palais supported by Gomez and Dr Dog. Should be an excellent start to the year.

5. Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs *****

Narrow Stairs is the album that made me take notice of Death Cab for Cutie. I saw them support Something for Kate in 2003 and thought they were pretty good but their previous albums had some weak album tracks. This album, like all in my Top 10, can be played from start to finish without wanting to skip tracks. The 8 and a half minute first single “I Will Possess Your Heart” slowly builds with the best bass riff of the year, which then gradually adds drums then piano to form a perfect four and a half minute instrumental intro. Other standout tracks include “No Sunlight”, “Pity and Fear” and “Long Division” but every track is great and I have had it on high rotation since it’s release over 6 months ago.

6. The Drones – Havilah ****1/2

This was an excellent and consistent album by the Melbourne four-piece. With dirty blues riffs and raw vocals, The Drones’ 5th studio album contains 10 excellent tracks. From the heavier, bluesy tracks like “The Minotaur”, “Nail it Down” and “ I Am the Supercargo” to the quieter “Careful as you Go”, “Your Acting’s Like the End of the World” and “The Drifting Housewife”, this album is always compelling. Singer/Songwriter Gareth Liddiard is at his best lyrically on the apocalyptic “Oh My” which features great lines like “Humans are a waste of food” and “You want to shrink your stinky footprint? Get your tubes tied”. Can’t wait for their set at the Big Day Out.

7. Mason Jennings – In the Ever **** 1/2

Mason Jennings is the most under rated singer-songwriter of our time in my opinion. He has a unique voice and is my favourite songwriter. On his 7th studio album he has again made an album full of catchy tunes and beautiful lyrics. First single “Fighter Girl” was one of the best of the year but I never heard it once on the radio. Likewise with the beautiful acoustic second single “How Deep is that River”. Jack Johnson features on “I Love You and Buddha Too”, which he played at his Melbourne show last year. “In the Ever” is also Mason’s first release on Jack Johnsons label, Brushfire Records. “Your New Man” is a humerous track about a break-up made worse by his ex moving onto a new man. It is recorded live to great effect and my favourite of the 11 great tracks on this album.

8. Dr. Dog - Fate ****1/2

Key Tracks:
The Old Days, Hang On, The Ark, The Rabbit, The Bat and the Reindeer, The Breeze, Army of Ancients, The Beach

9. Mat. McHugh - Separatista! ****1/2

Being a massive fan of The Beautiful Girls, I am probably a bit biased about Mat McHugh first official solo album. But for fans of TBG, especially their earlier material, you will probably love it as much as I did. This album has some great acoustic tracks with brilliant guitar riffs and beautiful harmonies like on "It Isn't Me", "Numb" and "Darling, This Scene Must End". He keeps the album interesting by adding some horns, melodica and piano on "The Bottle", "Loneliness" and "Ring the Alarm" which adds some reggae funk to the album. Can't wait to see the album live when he plays at Ruby's Lounge on Febuary 13.

10. The Zutons - You Can Do Anything ****1/2

It took a lot of listens for this album to grow on me, but once it did, I couldn't stop listening to it. It is full of catchy choruses and great lyrics over many genres. I could list the whole album if I was to pick my favourite tracks, there is no filler and often feels like you are listening to a mix tape. Hopefully they will come to Australia this year, maybe for the V Festival, and I will get to see them live. Highly Recommended.

11. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid ****1/2
Key Tracks:
Grounds for Divorce, The Fix, An Audience With the Pope, On a Day Like This, Weather to Fly

12. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst ****
Key Tracks:
Souled Out, I Don't Wanna Die in a Hospital, Sausilito, Cape Canaveral, Get Well Cards

13. Josh Pyke - Chimney's Afire ****
Key Tracks:
Make You Happy, Our House Breathing, The Lighthouse Song, The Summer,

14. The Saboteurs - Consolers of the Lonely ****
Key Tracks:
Carolina Drama, Salute Your Solution, Top Yourself, Old Enough

15. Supergrass - Diamond Hoo-Ha ****
Key Tracks:
Diamond Hoo-Ha Man, Bad Blood, Rebel in You, Whiskey & Green Tea, When I Needed You

16. Donavon Frankenreiter - Pass it Around ****
Key Tracks:
Life, Love & Laughter, Pass it Around, Mansions on the Sand, Your Heart

17. The Boat People - Chandeliers ****
Key Tracks:
Awkward Orchid Orchard, Panic, Born in the 80's, Hours N Hours, Babysnake

18. Augie March - Watch Me Disappear ****
Key Tracks:
Pennywhistle, Becoming Bryn, Farmer's Son, Watch Me Disappear

19. Emiliana Torrinni - Me and Armani ****
Key Tracks:
Jungle Drum, Big Jumps, Heard it all Before, Me and Armani, Fireheads

20. Beck - Modern Guilt ****
Key Tracks:
Gamma Ray, Walls, Youthless, Orphans, Modern Guilt

21. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin ****
Key Tracks:
Ode to LRC, The General Specific, No One's Gonna Love You, Is There A Ghost

22 Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty ****
Key Tracks:
Something Is Not Right With Me, Relief, Mexican Dogs, Dreams Old Men Dream

23. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes ****
Key Tracks:
White Water Hymnal, Quiet Houses, He Doesn't Quite Know Why, Blue Ridge Mountains

24. Black Kids - Partie Tramautic ****
Look at Me, Hurricane Jane, Listen to your Body Tonight, Partie Traumatic, Hit the Heartbrakes

25. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazurus, Dig!!! ****Key Tracks:
Dig, Lazurus, Dig!!!, More News From Nowhere, We Call Upon the Author, Moonland

26. Matt Costa - Unfamiliar Faces ****
Key Tracks:
Cigarette Eyes, Trying to Lose my Mind, Mr. Pitiful, Emergency Call, Bound

27. Ash Grunwald - Fish Out of Water ****
Key Tracks:
Mojo, Fish Out of Water, The Devil Called Me a Liar, Breakout, Port Campbell

28. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago ****
Key Tracks:
Skinny Love, Flume, For Emma, re: Stacks

29. Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Primary Colours ****
Key Tracks:
Which Way To Go, I Admit my Faults, We'll Be Turned On, Wrapped Up

30. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular ****
Key Tracks:
Kids, Time to Pretend, Weekend Wars, Electric Feel

31. Kings of Leon - Only by the Night ***1/2

32. Okkervil River - The Stand-Ins ****
Key Tracks:
Pop Lie, Starry Stairs, Lost Coastlines, Singer Songwriter

33. The Weepies - Hideaway ****
Key Tracks:
Wish I Could Forget, Takes So Long, Not Dead Yet, All Good Things

34. The Dandy Warhols - Earth to the Dandy Warhols ***1/2
Welcome to the Third World, Now You Love Me, The Legend of the Outlaw Truckers, Mission Control

35. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend ***1/2
Key Tracks:
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, Oxford Comma, A-Punk, Mansard Roof

36. Primal Scream - Beautiful Future ***1/2
Key Tracks:
Can't Go Back, Zombie Man, The Glory of Love, Necro Hex Blues.

37. The Hampdens - The Last Party ***1/2
Key Tracks:
Generation Y, Forget to Begin, Asleep on the Lawn, Hands in the Ground

38. Brett Dennen - Hope for the Hopeless ***1/2
Key Tracks:
Make You Crazy, Ain't Gonna Lose You, San Francisco, Wrong About Me

39. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals ***1/2
Key Tracks:
Like This, Hands in the Air, In Step, Set it off

40. Xavier Rudd - Dark Shades of Blue ***1/2
Key Tracks:
Edge of the Moon, Dark Shades of Blue, Up in Flames, The World as we Know It

41. The Felice Brothers - The Felice Brothers ***1/2
Key Tracks:
Frankie's Gun, Whiskey in my Whiskey, Ruby Mae, Wonderful Life

42. Portishead - Third***1/2
Key Tracks:
Machine Gun, The Rip, Magic Doors, Hunter

43. Ray LaMontagne - Gossip in the Grain ***1/2
Key Tracks:
Meg White, Gossip in the Grain, You Are the Best Thing, Hey Me, Hey Mama

44. Santogold - Santogold ****
Key Tracks:
L.E.S. Artistes, You'll Find a Way, Say Aha, Light Out

45. Jack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static ***1/2
Key Tracks:
If I Had Eyes, Hope, Sleep Through the Static, Home, Go On

46. Jeff Lang - Half Seas Over ***1/2
Key Tracks:
Newman Town, Night Draws In, Five Letters, My Mother Always Talked To Me

47. Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim ***1/2
Key Tracks:
Ghosts, You're No God, Night Terror, My Manic and I,

48. Lior - Corner of an Endless Road ***1/2
Key Tracks:
I'll Forget You, Heal Me, Lost In You, Sonja

49. Metallica - Death Magnetic ***1/2
Key Tracks:
The Day That Never Comes, That Was Just Your Life, My Apocalypse, All Nightmare Long

50. Coldplay - Viva la Vida ***1/2
Key Tracks:
Lost, Viva La Vida, 42, Violet Hill

2008 in Review - Concerts

2009-01-05T18:52:00.013+11:00

As it is the beginning of a new year, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on the music I listened to and watched live in 2008. These were my 10 favourite international gigs I saw this year, most were at festivals.

Top 10 Overseas Live Acts 2008

1. Rage Against the Machine - Gold Coast Big Day Out - Jan 20 2008

I scored a ticket from a friend for the sold out Big Day Out 3 days before the gig, having tried and failed to get tickets the morning they went on sale. Rage Against the Machine are one of my fave bands and my love for them only grew after seeing them live again. I also saw them at the Melbourne Big Day Out in 1996, my first BDO. It was the best live performance at a festival I have ever seen, and i have been to a lot of festivals in the last 12 years. Opening with "Testify", the played perfect versions of their back catalogue for an hour and fifteen minutes before closing with 90s Anthem "Killing in the Name" which was the highlight of the day. Other highlights were "Guerilla Radio", "Bullet in the Head" and "Bulls on Parade".

2. The Dandy Warhols - The Palace, Melbourne - November 7 2008

The 2nd Melbourne show was a friday night and the main reason i got a ticket, as I don't often go to gigs on weekdays. The Dandys played a set of classics and they sounded a lot better than expected considering the venue. 8 tracks were played from "13 Tales from Urban Bohemia" which is one of favourite albums of all time. "Bohemian Like You", "All the Money", "Get Off" and "We Used to be Fiends" were all played early in the set and by then they could do no wrong. I was there with my wife and 4 friends and we all agreed that it a brilliant show, it felt like a party. The band obviously partied too hard the night before as only Zia McCabe came out for one acepella track for the encore. By that stage, we didn't care because they had played all their hits in a 2 hour plus set anyway. "Godless", "The Legend of The Last of the Outlaw Truckers " and "Horse Pills" were also highlights.

3. Queens of the Stoneage - V Festival, Melbourne - April 5 2008

Queens of the Stoneage played a perfect festival setlist at the V festival this year. They played all their hits without wasting any time with talking or playing new tracks that nobody knew. I had consumed a few beers by the time they hit the stage, but that only added to my enjoyment. Setlist contained "Go with the Flow", "Lost Art of Keeping a Secret", "Make it Wit Chu" and "Medication" but there was no filler. The show climaxed with "No One Knows". The best set at V festival this year.

4. The Arcade Fire - Big Day Out, Gold Coast - Jan 20 2008

The Arcade Fire were on stage at about 6pm which was too early, they should have played before RATM instead of Bjork who was terrible. The opened the set with "Wake Up" and the whole ten piece band sounded fantastic. They had a huge church organ on stage and the sound that came out of it was amazing. "Intervention", "Keep the Car Running" and "Rebillion (Lies)" were highlights but the whole set (see below) was great.
Wake Up, Keep The Car Running, (Antichrist Television Blues), Neighbourhood #2 (Laika), No Cars Go, Haiti, Black Wave/Bad Vibrations, Intervention, Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels), Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out), Rebellion (Lies)

5. Jack Johnson, Matt Costa and G Love - Myer Music Bowl - 25 Mar 2008

Although I was unimpressed with Jack Johnson latest album "Sleep Through the Static", his live show is still a great night out. My Wife and I went with a group of frinds and we had an excellent night of singalongs and suprise guests. The first half of the set included "Flake", "Taylor", "Bubble Toes", " Good People" and a couple of new songs. He then invited Matt Costa on stage to play "Let it be Sung", "Fall Line" and Matt Costa's "Sunshine" which I thought would be the highlight of the show. He included The Cars "Just What I Needed" in an excellent version of "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing"and a few others before it was time for next special guest G Love and the true highjlight of the evening. They played "Rodeo Clowns", a cover of Taj Mahal's "Further on Down the Road" and "Mudfootball" with G Love's harmoica stealing the show. The first encore had Jack on stage by himself for a couple of acoustic songs and then G Love came back out for the second encore with "Rainbow" and finishing with an amazing version of "Better Together" with G Love softly playing his harmonica over Jacks acoustic guitar and voice. Matt Costa's set before Jack was also very good.

6. Smashing Pumpkins - V Festival, Melbourne - April 5 2008

Smashing Pumpkins were a favourite of mine in my teenage years and I was very keen to catch them live having missed their last Australian tour in 1995. Even though only 2 members remain from the original lineup, they still sounded awesome. As the opening riff of "Today" rung through the showgrounds, I knew I was in for a treat. They played all my favouites, (see setlist below) with the highlights being an acoustic version of "1979" and the highlight of the day "Bullet with Butterfly Wings". They even managed to play some of AC/DC's classic "Let There be Rock". Being the final band of the day, the encore of "Zero" and "Cherub Rock" was the perfect end to the best festival I've been to in a long time.

Today, Tarantula, Stand Inside Your Love, Hummer, Tonight, Tonight, Superchrist, Cash Car Star, 1979 (acoustic), That's The Way My Love Is, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Set The Controls For The Heart of the Sun (Pink Floyd cover), United States Encore: Zero, Cherub Rock

7. Brett Dennen - Northcote Social Club - Sept 17th 2008

Brett Dennen is virtually unknown in Australia, so I was pleasantly suprised to hear he was making a trip down to Australia. Me and a friend deceided to check out this Wednesday night gig based on our love for the song "The Holidays are Here (and we're Still at War). Unfortunately he didn't play this song but that didn't spoil the show for us at all. For an hour and a half he sung sweet tunes aided by brilliantly finger picked acoustic guitar with no backing band. New album "Hope for the Hopleless" was heavily played throughout the set, which was at the time unreleased, and it is a step forward from previous albums "Brett Dennen" and "So Much More". The highlights of the show were new tracks "Ain't Gonna Lose You", current single "Make you Crazy" and "Ain't No Reason". It was definitely worth the trip out on a Wednesday night.

8. Spoon - Big Day Out, Gold Coast - Jan 20 2008

Spoon's album of 2007, "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" was one of my favourites of the year so I was excited to hear their 2nd round announcement for the big day out. They played in the big top mid afternoon, and set my mood for the day. The final 3 tracks of the set (see below) were the highlights of an excellent show

The Beast and Dragon - Adored, Don't You Evah, You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb, Stay Don't Go, The Underdog, The Delicate Place, The Fitted Shirt, The Ghost of You Lingers, Finer Feelings, Don't Make Me A Target, I Turn My Camera On, I Summon You

9. Modest Mouse - V Festival, Melbourne - April 5 2008

Another excellent set from the V Festival last year, the whole setup of the festival was the best I'd ever been to. I would go again this year just for the way it is run, even though the lineup has not excited me apart from Elbow. Modest Mouse took to the stage with roars of excitement and anticipation. Singer Isaac Brock and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr controlled the show playing a set full of jams, singalongs and anthems. "Float On" and "Dashboard" were crowd favourites but it was the epic "Spitting Venom" that turned the show from good to great. Excellent set, look forward to seeing them play a headline show on their next tour.

10. The Nightwatchman - Big Day Out, Gold Coast - Jan 20 2008

Being a massive RATM fan and wannabe guitar player, Tom Morello is like a god to me. For that reason, I had to check out Morello's side project and I am glad I did. Playing tracks from debut album, his Dylanesque vocal style and folk classical guitar had the crowd mesmerised. He even got the crowd singing on "Flesh Shapes the Day" and closing track "The Road I Must Travel". It was an excellent warm up for RATM's closing set and proof that Tom Morello rocks, even with a classical guitar.

So thats my 10 favourite overseas gigs for the 2008, 2009 is shaping up to be another excellent year with the Big Day Out not far away. Sunday night I will be seeing The Black Keys, Gomez and Dr. Dog at the Palais. On Tuesday at the Espy, Gomez are playing a 10 year anniversary show for debut album "Bring it On", playing every track in order followed by classics. Should be a good week, stay tuned for the reviews.