2010 in Review

(I know this is a bit later than everyone else's, but I think it's weird doing a year end piece before the year is over. Anyway, here's my opinion on the best albums and gigs of 2010)

Top Ten Albums of 2010.


1. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
Album of the year for sure! Working with new drummer Billy Rymer while composing these songs brought out the best in Ben Weinman (instead of the programmed drums used to write Ire Works). This album saw Dillinger get better at everything they do, and add a whole bunch of new sounds. Amazing.

2. Murder By Death - Good Morning Magpie
A collection of songs written in a mountain cabin. Whiskey, broken dreams, living like a dog, carrying the weight of life, death and love, shaving with a knife and the wrath of forgotten gods.

3. Tim Kasher - The Game of Monogamy
Tim Kasher (of Cursive and The Good Life) delivers his first solo album. The Game of Monogamy plays like the score of a musical as Kasher grapples with the idea of settling down to married life. A perfect accompaniment to Cursive’s Mama, I’m Swollen album in which Kasher grappled with growing up (and which was my favourite album of 2009).

4. Julie Christmas - The Bad Wife
Another solo album from one of my favourite singers. This Time from Julie Christmas of Made Out of Babies, Battle of Mice and Spylacopa. Written mostly with John LaMacchia from Spylacopa (and also Candiria), or members of MOOB, it’s fair to say the sound will be familiar to fans of Christmas’s work. But what we have here are a bunch of songs which would not quite fit any of those acts, allowing everyone involved to stretch themselves in new areas. The cover of Jacques Brel’s If You Go Away (or ‘Ne Me Quitte Pas’) is the most beautiful piece of music mentioned on this list.

5. Jaguar Love - Hologram Jams
A huge change from anything Jaguar Love (or their previous band Blood Brothers) have ever done before, I remember thinking when it came out that this album was full of summertime dance jams. I managed to forget about it in the months since until compiling this list, but now that I’ve come across it again tracks like Everything is Awesome and Polaroids & Red Wine will feature heavily in what’s left of my summer.

6. Xiu Xiu - Dear God I Hate Myself
A typically upbeat effort from Jamie Stewart. Just kidding! We love you Jamie, even if you can’t seem to love yourself. What is different about this album is that it’s full of a lot more electro beats than previous Xiu Xiu work. Other than that it’s got all the beautiful soundscapes you’d expect and lyrics so bleak you feel they may collapse at any moment and take you with them.

7. Daughters – Daughters
Just Wow! The changes between Daughters’ debut Hell Songs and its follow up Canada Songs was incredibly dramatic, but made sense at the same time. On their third album they finished that journey. Unfortunately it’s also their last album as the band broke up shortly before it was released due to creative differences. That tension is what makes this album so good though. Not that you have to be strained to make good art, but members pulling in different directions makes for a very interesting combination of elements.

(There were no videos made for this album, but this is the audio of one of my favourite tracks off it)

8. Liars – Sisterworld
Liars started out as a Brooklyn dance punk band. Then they went all ambient and spacey with tribal rhythms. And now they’re doing something that has elements of both those things, but isn’t really either. Whatever, they’ve always sounded awesome.

9. Deftones - Diamond Eyes
This is Deftones' best album since White Pony. On it’s own that doesn’t say much since their last few albums weren’t all that memorable. But this is the first time they’ve gotten close to this level since White Pony. And it’s good to hear them do it again.

10. Deaf Wish - Mercy

2010 wasn’t a great year for Australian albums. A lot of great bands, and some really cool EP’s too. But not a lot of great albums. Then I heard this. I’ve never heard Deaf Wish’s previous recorded output, only seen them live. And I’ve never seen the band with their original guitarist Sarah Hardiman, who returns on this album either. So I had no idea what this would sound like, and was very pleasantly surprised. The rawness and chaos of their live shows is lurking underneath the whole thing, but there’s a lot of well crafted songs and some restrained sounds too. Taking their passion from the stage and turning it into a record with a purpose which you can listen to over and over again.

(No videos made for this album either, but here's some footage of the other version of Deaf Wish live at The Tote)

Honourable Mentions:

Rolo Tomassi – Cosmology
This album is good, but this band needs to be seen live for any of this to make sense. Such a brilliant show. Go see them!

The Melvins - The Bride Screamed Murder
Melvins being Melvins. In every way. Whereas some Melvins albums rock hard and some are full of experiemental weirdness, this one has a lot of weirdness but it’s always underpinned with awesome riffs.

65daysofstatic - We Were Exploding Anyway
65 rely more on their electronic side here than on previous releases, but it works. This sound was always in their style in some form or another, so it’s cool to see them explore it a bit more.

Shining – Blackjazz
Listening to this album you’d never realise that these guys started out as an acoustic jazz band. Jazz musicians who came to heavy music instead of the other way around. Interesting.

My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys
How to follow up a ridiculous caberet emo concept album? With an even more ridiculous retro-sci-fi rock concept album! Good job!

Cancer Bats - Bears, Mayors, Scraps and Bones
Contains my favourite hardcore-love-song line of the year!

“Some people call me a Nihilist / Say I don’t believe in a thing! / I know that can’t be true! / ‘Cause baby I believe in you!”

From a song called Black Metal Bicycle no less! I can’t decide if I think that’s cheesy or awesome, so it’s a good thing the riff (and ALL the riffs on this album) is so damn good!

The Toot Toot Toots – Curse The Crow
Like I said earlier, a whole bunch of awesome EPs released by local bands this year. I think this one was my favourite. Sounds even better when you turn it up loud.

Sleigh Bells – Treats
I listened to this album for the first time yesterday. And I’m sure I will be listening to it a lot more over the next few weeks.



Best gigs of 2010

Every Time I Die @ The Hi-Fi
Kicking off 2010 with a bang!

The Tote Farewell Show @ The Tote
A night that was equal parts awesome and devastating. Featuring Kamikaze Trio, Dave Graney, The Nation Blue, The Onyas, Dan Kelly, Beaches, Spencer P. Jones, The Stabs, Kim Salmon, The Meanies, Spiderbait, The Drones and many other Melbourne greats.

Amanda Palmer @ The Butterfly Club
Seeing one of my musical heroes in a room that fits only 50 people, in an old house converted into a bar, playing on a real piano and just singing over the top of it (no microphone needed) was just amazing.

Faith No More @ Festival Hall & Soundwave
It’s FAITH NO MORE!!!!! A band I never thought I’d get to see, and I got to see them TWICE!

Glassjaw @ Soundwave
I couldn’t go to their sideshow ‘cause it was the same night as FNM, but seeing them play at Soundwave was still a dream come true.

Alexisonfire @ Billboards, Soundwave & The Palace
I think I saw Alexisonfire 3 times this year. And each show was great, though their Soundwave sideshow at Billboards was probably the best.

Golden Plains @ Meredith Supernatural Amphitheater
Pavement AND DINOSAUR JR! J. Mascis’s amp set up alone was mind blowing!

Terrordactyl (Last Show) / The Committal (EP Launch) @ Cherry Bar
Yeah I know this is my band, but it was still one of my favourite gigs of the year. After 4 months being out with a broken shoulder I finally got to get back on stage and launch an EP with my new band to a packed out Cherry Bar! And Terrordactyl put on a great show for their final gig too. And openers Johnny Uppercut were also pretty great.

The Dillinger Escape Plan @ Billboards
Probably the best show of the year too. I can’t think of another band who puts this much energy into what they do, while playing such technical and well written songs, and makes it look so effortless.

Xiu Xiu / High Places / Kyu @ The East Brunswick Club
Three great experimental bands in one night. But mainly Xiu Xiu. Jamie Stewart’s mix of fragile pop and noise is beautiful, and live it takes on a special intensity and desperation.

Rolo Tomassi @ Billboards
Like I said, you HAVE to see these guys live. Some bands spend ages cultivating their stage presence. These guys just put everything into their playing and the presence comes from that. Front-woman Eva Spence is the best dancer in all of hardcore, for sure! I had to pay for a ticket to see Architects, Comeback Kid and This is Hell (boring, boring and boring-er) so I could go to this show, but it was so worth it!

Meredith Music Festival
Always one of the best weekends of the year. This year was no exception. Custard, CLipse, Neil Finn, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Those Darlins, Broadcast, Reverend Horton Heat, Rat Vs. Possum, Kyu and, of course The Dirty Three!

And for the future?

So what about 2011? Only six days in and already there’s been some great news and some terrible news. Circle Takes The Square have posted on their blog that they entered the studio on January 1 to begin recording Decompositions. Given their last album As The Roots Undo is still the best hardcore album I’ve ever heard (the only hardcore album I would say that is truly a musical work of art and poetry) I have big expectations. And given it’s been SEVEN YEARS since that album was released, my excitement is palpable. I’m calling this one for album of the year already. On a much sadder note, a few days later they also posted a tribute to former guitarist Bobby Scandiffio, who has unfortunately passed away. R.I.P. Bobby.

2009 Wrap Up Part III: A Year in Live Music

Sometime in 2008 I came across a list someone had made of every gig they'd been to ever. I thought this was a pretty cool idea. But I knew I'd never be able to make one myself for a number of reasons. This person had based their list around ticket stubs and while I keep the stubs from every ticketed gig I go to, so many of the shows I see are local bands with stamps on the wrist, and I would never remember all of these. Nor could I remember all the bands I saw at festivals, or shows my parents took me to when I was younger.

But I decided in 2009 it would be fun to keep track of every gig I went to for the year. So here it is, the definitive list of EVERY band/musical artist I saw perform last year. Not all of these are bands I liked or enjoyed, or even sat through the whole set of, but they are all bands I saw (you can probably assume if I saw them more than once I liked them though).

This is the final post of my 2009 Wrap Up series. I had to wait til the year was over to make this post though because we went to Falls Festival for new years eve so right up until the last minute of 2009 I was watching bands play.

The Surly Mermaids
Kat Frankie
(Northcote Social Club)

Brian Hooper
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
(The Palace)

Fabian Toonen
The Silence Engine
The Balls Revolution
We Came to be Robots!
(The Spot)

Fearless Vampire Killers
Jarvis Jay
The Mad Feeling
(East Brunswick Club)

Umlaut (with Mike Patton)
The Melvins
(Ding Dong Lounge)

Digital Primate
Quan
(Northcote Social Club)

Identity Theft
Propagandhi
(The Corner)

Jaguar Love
Nine Inch Nails
(Festival Hall)

Jaguar Love
Straylight Run
Minus the Bear
(Next)

Silverstein
Finch
Jaguar Love
Underoath
Every Time I Die
The Dillinger Escape Plan
36 Crazyfists
From First to Last
Chiodos
Devildriver
Alice in Chains
Nine Inch Nails
(Soundwave, Royal Melbourne Showgrounds)

Lyndon Chester
Zoe Keating
Amanda Palmer (& The Danger Ensemble)
(The Corner)

Deaf Wish
Dan Deacon
Brant Bjork & The Bros
Black Mountain
Mogwai
Of Montreal
You Am I
Jim White & John Doe
Bridezilla
Pivot
Old Crow Medicine Show
My Disco
Quintron & Miss Pussycat
The Church
Tony Allen
The Drones
Gary Numan
(Golden Plains, Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre)

Wyld Rice
The Balls Revolution
The Good Time Party Band
(The Old Bar)

Fabian & Christina
(The Drunken Poet)

The Lansburys
Push Button Auto
Abdoujaparov
(Old Bar)

Howl At The Moon
Richie 1250 & The Brides Of Christ
The Toot Toot Toots
(Old Bar)

The Assassination Collective
Fait Accompli
Ouch My Face
(The Tote)

The Putbacks
(Laundry)

Video Day
The Good Time Party Band
(The Great Britain)

The Innocent Folk
(Lucy's House)

Matt Bailey
Milk Teddy
Genevive & Jezebel
Cuba is Japan
(The Birmingham)

Signal Hill
The Coralinas
All India Radio
(East Brunswick Club)

Almeria
Seamus Moose
Colour the Sky
Feedback Dancer
(Ruby's Lounge)

Midnight Juggernauts
The Flaming Lips
(Festival Hall)

ITA
(No Vacancy Gallery)

The Innocent Folk
(The Drunken Poet)

Let's Play Adventure
Young Maverick
(Scarlett Lounge)

Fuse
Kaviya
Shoes for Strings
Feedback Dancer
(Noise Bar)

Cockfight Shootout
Regular John
Monster Magnet
(Billboards)

Rincon
Sydonia
Dead Letter Circus
(The Corner)

Yama Boy
Quan
(Newtown Workers Club)

Sore
Agonhymn
Blarke Bayer / Black Widow
Black Cobra
(Arthouse)

The Innocent Folk
The Silence Engine
(Noise Bar)

Fans of Flo
Killing Independent George
(The Tote)

Bloodduster
The Dwarves
(Corner Hotel)

Nick Oliveri
(Northcote Social Club)

The Diamond Sea
Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!
I Heart Hiroshima
(Northcote Social Club)

Bright Yellow
Ouch My Face
Keith Party
(The Birmingham)

Ray Mann
Tori Amos
(The Regent Theatre)

The Jacknives
Mother and Son
The Toot Toot Toots
(The Old Bar)

Akron/Family
SIA
Patrick Wolf
Tumbleweed
Royal Crown Revue
Yacht
Thee Oh Sees
Why?
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis
Pharaohe Monche
Heavy Trash
Paul Kelly
Animal Collective
Jarvis Cocker
Eddy Current Suppression Ring
Yacht Club Deejays
Kes Band
Wagons
The Middle East
(Meredith Supernatural Amphitheater)

Dirtbird
Cuba is Japan
(Wesley Anne)

Pets for Pets
Beaches
Batrider
Thee Oh Sees
(The Empress)

Philadelphia Grand Jury
King Kahn & The Shrines
Sarah Blasko
Andrew Bird
Liam Finn
Lyrics Born
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
Hayley Couper
Kaki King
Little Red
Chairlift
Urthboy
Future Of The Left
Grizzly Bear
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
(Falls Festival, Marion Bay)

Quan, Yama Boy @ The Workers Club (24/09/09)

My review of Quan last week is up now on FasterLouder. Great show. Not so happy with the review this time, just wasn't in a writing mood. It's ok, but I kept getting distracted by just listening to Quan's album instead of working on it so it's a bit short. Anyway, go read it.

Dead Letter Circus, Sydonia, Rincon @ The Corner Hotel, Melbourne (11/09/2009)

Rincon open the night with some big riffing. Soaring vocals are underpinned with chugging guitars, and it’s easy to see why they were chosen for tonight’s support slot. The crowd is still a bit small this early in the night, but those who are here seem pretty attentive and appreciative.

Sydonia start out a little slow, but as their intensity builds they manage to steal the show, in my mind, as most interesting band of the night. I saw Sydonia about three years ago and liked them, but they didn’t make a huge impact. Clearly the years in between have taught them a lot as they now seem tighter and more energetic. As a four piece they beef up their sound with extra percussion played throughout the set by their guitarist and bass player. This adds interesting rhythms to the songs and an oomph to their live sound. A rhythm based song which sees the band joined by members of Dead Letter Circus on additional percussion (including an upturned rubbish bin) is a highlight. They’ve also gathered quite a following since I last saw them, with a dedicated crowd at the front and many punters walking around in Sydonia merch.

Up until this point I’d been wondering how there could be so much room to move in a sold out Corner Hotel. But there’s a massive influx in the 20 minutes between bands and suddenly all is understood. By the time Dead Letter Circus hit the stage it’s hot, hard to move and there’s a mosh pit down the front. They kick things off with a fast pace and the crowd jumps along. DLC have somehow passed me by up to this point. I’ve seen the name around and had a vague idea of the musical style, but tonight is the first time I’ve really heard them. It’s easy to tell I’m in the minority here not just by the size of the crowd, but by how enthusiastically they respond to the band. And it’s also easy to see why.

Once again we’re treated to some soaring vocals and a strong rhythm section, this time with some more atmospheric and melodic guitar work layered over the top. Tracks from a forthcoming album are given an airing, as are tracks from their self-titled EP which are lapped up by the crowd. Disconnect and Apply particularly stands out with singer Kim Benzie grabbing a camcorder to film the crowd as they sing the song’s closing refrain. If I have one suggestion for Dead Letter Circus it’s that they could up their on-stage presence a little, especially when following a band like Sydonia. Only Benzie really interacts with the crowd, while the rest of the band seem a bit still. But this doesn’t bother the audience who more than make up for it with their own energy. Also surprising is that there is no encore, given how excited the crowd are by the end of the set.

Still, a great night all up with strong performances from all three bands. Surely we’ll be hearing from them all a lot more over the coming months.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Monster Magnet @ Billboard, 08/09/2009

My Monster Magnet review is now up on FasterLouder. Unfortunately it wasn't the best show. It was ok, but just not the awesome rock 'n' roll spectacle it should have been. Like the video for Space Lord was.

(Unfortunately I can't embed the video because Universal music have disabled that function, but here's a link to the clip on YouTube - Space Lord Mother, Mother!)

Here's the Review:

It’s been a few years since I last saw Cockfight Shootout and if memory serves me correctly there’s been a few hair-cuts since then. They also seem to have focused their efforts. Thankfully there are still a lot of big riffs, but I wouldn’t have expected harmonised twin guitar lines from the stoner rock band I saw in 2005.

Regular John share their name with a Queens of the Stone Age track, and for their first song they seem dangerously close to having borrowed the QOTSA sound too. But fortunately there’s a lot more on offer in the coming songs. As well as the notable stoner rock influence, there’s some early grunge fuzziness and psychedelic overtones – a nice mix of sounds complementing each other and held together with some driving bass work. The use of multiple vocalists also keeps things interesting; with clear singing giving way to shouts and screams reminiscent of early Nirvana work.

Before I discuss Monster Magnet’s set properly, there’s two things I have to get off my chest. As the band walks out on stage, I’m surprisingly disappointed by their appearance. I know this is rock ‘n’ roll and the true test of any band is how well they play, but for a band who have put so much into cultivating their image it feels like something is missing. I got my first taste of Monster Magnet while watching Rage ten years ago; fireworks shot into the air as they played in front of one of Las Vegas’ massive casinos. Their own team of cheerleaders danced behind the band, or hung off front-man Dave Wyndorf who wore a shiny blue suit in one scene, and a suit covered in light bulbs in another. Sure I wasn’t expecting all this to fit inside Billboard, but I did think the recent publicity photos of a leather clad band showed them to still be dangerous rock-super-stars. The kind of rock-super-stars you need to be to create an album like Powertrip, a title which so perfectly describes the combination of psychedelia, blues and straight out hard rock that is the Monster Magnet signature sound.

The closest we get to this is a solitary leather vest worn over a t-shirt by guitarist Phil Caivano, which is removed after a few songs anyway. Wyndorf is wearing an oversized grey zip-up hoodie and with his hair half its old length looks more like a guy coming home from the gym than a Space Lord.

The sound mix at Billboard isn’t great tonight either with Caivano’s guitar barely audible. Both he and bassist Jim Baglino do their part to rock out on one side of the stage, but lead guitarist Ed Mundell mostly stands still on his side. Those down the front are clearly enjoying the vibe and interacting with the band, but the mix and atmosphere of the venue seem to stop this from extending beyond the lowered dance floor.

So now that all that’s out of the way, let’s get into the good aspects of the show. Monster Magnet are a TIGHT band. Drummer Bob Pantella has a huge sound and drives the music hard all night. The set list is very fan friendly drawing heavily from classic albums such as Powertrip, Dopes to Infinity and going all the way back to 1992’s Spine of God, although it’s surprisingly lacking in tracks from the most recent album 4-Way Diablo. For all his stillness, Mundell is a fantastic guitar player and his wah heavy solo’s cut through the mix nicely. Also surprisingly clear are Wyndorf’s vocals, highlighting how good a singer he is and how strong his voice remains even after all these years. This is particularly evident in songs like Third Alternative (“It’s the blues baby, for the 21st century”) and Zodiac Lung which is performed by just Wyndorf and Mundell.

After a few tracks from 2004’s Monolithic Baby, the main set ends with the double shot of Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Space Lord, both crowd favourites (but again there are sound problems as a humming mid-song becomes so loud even the band get distracted). Wyndorf has a guitar around his neck most of the night, and while rarely played when he is singing, the triple guitar attack brings a killer fullness to the instrumental breaks. Especially in Melt which opens the encore and is one of the highlights of the night.

Unfortunately Wyndorf spends most of these times facing Pantella at the back of the stage, further diminishing interaction between the band and crowd. Monster Magnet have far too many good songs and are far too competent as musicians to ever put on a bad show, but there was just too much tonight holding this back from being the spectacular show it could, and should, have been.

The Flaming Lips @ Festival Hall, 29/07/09

A Flaming Lips show is really a giant party. Complete with balloons and streamers. After their 2004 appearance at the Big Day Out and photos from their overseas shows, expectations were high for the band’s stage show. And they were met from the very beginning.

As noise filled the air, a naked woman appeared on the semi-circle screen at the back of the stage. Shown from behind and saturated in bright orange, she began to dance around in bright blue space. As she turned around, a pulsing light emerged from between her legs. She lay down and the camera zoomed in until the pulsing circles of light filled the screen. One-by-one the band members appeared from a door in the screen, being birthed from the bright light.

As they began to play, the camera refocused on the woman’s eye and frontman Wayne Coyne appeared in a slowly-inflating gigantic hamster ball. With a burst of confetti and streamers, Coyne began to roll around above the crowd, joined by at least 20 giant balloons (surprisingly most of these survived the whole night).

Coyne re-joined his band on stage as they launched into Race for the Prize, and we were away. As if the crowd needed any encouragement to dance cat ladies began to do so on one side of the stage, mirrored by a group of gecko people on the other.

At this stage you might think the antics had peaked, but they continued to build throughout the night. Other highlights included Coyne singing from the shoulders of a man in a gorilla suit, even BIGGER balloons filled with confetti sent out to burst over the crowd, a giant butterfly in a crown, a dancing cartoon sun, smoke bombs, videos of everything from space to static, to close ups of Coyne's face and of course, more confetti (Coyne even used a mic stand at one stage which also doubled as a confetti cannon).

Somewhere underneath all this lurked a rock show. And what a rock show it was. The band were clearly enjoying being here (apologising it took five years for them to come back, relishing playing on a stage The Beatles also played and dedicating a song to Nick Cave) and this translated to fine form. The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song, previously a song of anger at the Bush administration became a song of celebration for a changing world. Favourites such as Fight Test and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt 1 became sing-alongs, stripped back almost entirely to vocals and guitar, with only minimal keyboard additions. 1993’s breakthrough single She Don’t Use Jelly made an appearance, as did a few new songs. These were fuzzed out guitar jams, which wandered off into psychedelic territory at times.

And it all culminated in an encore of Do You Realise?, the perfect song for the end of the night. More and more explosions of confetti hit the air as the whole crowd sung along in a celebration of the moment. Sure the night was coming to an end, but what more could you ask for? After all, “it’s hard to make the good things last…”

The Super 8 Diaries Launch @ Coppin St Studio, Melbourne (19/01/2008)

12 hours, 12 bands, $12. A pretty good deal if you ask me. Put it in an old warehouse turned arts studio, combine with a photography exhibition and the launch of The Super 8 Diaries, a documentary showcasing the better side of local music, and I’m there. The fact that it’s being held less than five minutes from my house means, of course, I turn up late, and unfortunately I miss the Ooga Boogas.

But I do get there just in time for The Thaw. Visiting from Sydney, this three piece are masters of transition. Soft beautiful melodies transform into walls of feedback and distortion with such ease and subtlety you barely even notice things have changed until you hear screams over the top and realise everything is as it should be. Elsewhere they fall back on jazz chords and weird rhythms before somehow bringing it all down to a whisper again.

Touch Typist are a completely different feel, but such is the beauty of this lineup that you never know what’s coming next. Consisting of guitar, drums, keyboards, vocals and sometimes a trumpet, these guys deliver an electronic/indie type rock, which mixes programmed beats with some cool organic jams.

Hardcore is the best word to describe Majorca. An energetic blur of screams, fingers and arms for sure, but technical ability and an understanding of how to structure a song separate this group from what tends to pass as hardcore these days. Top it off with the intensity and screams to prove that there’s no faking here, only real passion for what they do.

Next up is Chris Cobilis, whose band The Tigers appear on the Super 8 Diaries. Using a laptop, miniature guitar and microphone, Chris creates long drawn out soundscapes. Sometimes these lead into what Chris jokingly refers to as “proper songs” where he sings about ideas such as how we name things, but the two styles form a good balance as notes from the guitar are used to build the next soundscape.

Charge Group just weren’t for me. Apologies to the band; they showed an easy talent, sung and played together well, and I’m sure their music would appeal to a lot of people. But they just didn’t grab me on the day. Never mind, enough people were enjoying them that I’m sure they didn’t even notice me down the back.

12 hours may be great value, but it’s also a long time. So I took this moment to step out, grab some lunch and a coffee. I was out a little too long and missed the start of Aleks and the Ramps, another band to appear on the DVD. But luckily I didn’t miss it all. In their cute matching t-shirts they made a sound that was energetic and crazy, but mostly fun. There was instrument damage, there was dancing and there was a good time had by all.

What better to follow this, than another wall of screaming intensity? Enter Eucalypt, who brought back the hardcore. I recognised one guitarist as the guy, who’d been up the front dancing and screaming for Majorca. Suddenly it all made sense. Although we were all lined up across the front of the performance area, one of the band pointed out that there was still a lot of space in front of that, so we swarmed onto the carpet to join with them in a mess of bodies and movement. I don’t know what else to say about Eucalypt except they write some great tunes and use their heaviness to great effect.

Ladybird were the sole international act of the day, visiting us from France. They brought a softer, sweet touch to the day’s proceedings. But their cover of You Shook me all Night Long had them embraced as if locals for a sing-a-long closer to the set.

Tucker B’s move from a relaxed early 90’s sound to something far more raucous. Another band to appear on the Super 8 Diaries, it’s fitting that they play before the screening of a teaser introduction/interview with the project’s creators. Made for Chickens by Robots plays a guitar and sings through a megaphone while using drum pedals to play percussion on suitcases. The similarities to Bob Log III are inescapable. Having seen Bob not too long ago, I found both suffered from being unable to understand a word they said, which made the whole performance hard to get into.

There could be no more fitting headliner to this night than Baseball. Not only are they on the DVD, they are probably the best band in Melbourne at the moment, and encapsulate everything the Super 8 Diaries project is about. While the members may all be in other bands such as Pikelet, The Assassination Collective, Love of Diagrams and Ninetynine, those bands are hard enough to describe – put these four together and they become something else entirely. It’s rock, most definitely, but it’s also got elements of gypsy violin and chaotic punk. Most importantly, it’s the most original sound I’ve heard from any local band. If you live in Melbourne and haven’t seen them yet, you really should. Their debut album is coming out in February, and then there will be no stopping them.

In the meantime, check out the Super 8 Diaries DVD for a taste, along with live footage and interviews from Colditz Glider, Love of Diagrams, My Disco!, Baseball, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, The Tigers, Mukaizake, Aleks and the Ramps, Bang!Bang!Aids!, Die!Die!Die! and Tucker B’s. Visit MySpace for info on how to get the DVD and a few clips.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Baseball, Kes, Bang!Bang!Aids! @ Northcote Social Club, Melbourne (31/08/2007)

Gigs like this are the best reason to keep going out and seeing local bands. Although the three acts on offer tonight are all quite different, and will have different levels of appeal to different people, they are all linked in one way: you’re unlikely to hear music like this anywhere else.

So let’s start at the beginning with Bang!Bang!Aids! Or at least the crash of cymbals loud enough to be heard from the front bar which meant it was probably time to move to the band room. To be honest, the name should give you some indication of what to expect from this band. A lot of energy, a lot of noise, and almost as much time spent on tasteless humour and in-jokes between songs as playing music. This is probably a sign that the ADD kids are now old enough to get into pubs and start forming bands of their own.

All three members sang at various stages, with a guitarist, drummer and a third member who’s role seemed to be playing a floor tom, tambourine and occasionally a trumpet. Not that these “roles” stopped any one of them from dancing around and picking up another instrument, or leaving stage, as they saw fit. The addition of “blues dog”, (supposedly a hitch-hiker from country Victoria they’d invited on stage) added to the non-musical element, as he sat there drinking, then swearing and asking if anyone wanted to share their medication between songs. Luckily the band showed enough creativity that when they did play a song, it was usually pretty enjoyable. They threw themselves and their instruments into the music with full force. The long gaps between songs seemed to be getting to a few punters, but the extended banter seemed a natural part of the Bang!Bang!Aids! experience, putting the music in context and giving a more enjoyable show overall.

Next was Kes. About as far from Bang!Bang!Aids! as you could get. Softly spoken and intensely melodic, this was some kind of alternative/gypsy/cabaret/pop band… or maybe it wasn’t. I really don’t know what genre you’d put any of their sounds into, or really enough about those genres to classify any band into them, they were just words and ideas that popped into my head while watching them. More importantly, it was good. On top of the guitar/bass/drums foundation was laid beautiful vocal harmonies, keyboards, violin, recorder (three recorders at once!) and a saw. Harmonies and melodies seemed to be the main focus of Kes, and they do a very fine job with them.

Baseball have just returned from a 14 country European tour and by the time they took the stage, there was a large crowd eager to welcome them back. One of my favourite Melbourne bands, the best way to describe Baseball is “intense”. But unlike the introversion of Kes, Baseball’s is quite a confrontational intensity. Frontman Cameron stares wild eyed into the faces of the crowd as he howls his way through songs and brings out a distortion and violence from his violin most people wouldn’t think the instrument was capable of. Evelyn’s drumming keeps the songs together, but also pushes them along at quite a pace. And her voice is a nice contrast with Cameron’s when she sings. The middle ground is occupied by Ben on guitar who does well not to compete with the driving violin. The interplay between the two instruments on songs like ‘Soft Boy Factory’ is really impressive. Then there’s the bass lines, which really help to make the songs complete. Bobbing away in time bassist Monika seems like the calm, reliable part of the band, until she swapped instruments with Evelyn for the encore, and the same wild look came over her face.

The first time I saw Baseball it was this intensity and the unique sound this combination of instruments made which impressed me most. But the more I see them, the more I realise songs such as ‘Faith Like a Cross, Trust Like a Flag’, ‘The Wedding at Susa’and ‘It’s Gonna be Hard and It’s Gonna Hurt’ are just really good tunes. They would still be really good tunes no matter how they were played, but there is a magic which comes out watching these four people play them through their chosen instruments. There should be an album soon, and like many people, I can’t wait.

Gigs like this are the best reason to keep going out and seeing local bands. Although the three acts on offer tonight are all quite different, and will have different levels of appeal to different people, they are all linked in one way: you’re unlikely to hear music like this anywhere else.

So let’s start at the beginning with Bang!Bang!Aids! Or at least the crash of cymbals loud enough to be heard from the front bar which meant it was probably time to move to the band room. To be honest, the name should give you some indication of what to expect from this band. A lot of energy, a lot of noise, and almost as much time spent on tasteless humour and in-jokes between songs as playing music. This is probably a sign that the ADD kids are now old enough to get into pubs and start forming bands of their own.

All three members sang at various stages, with a guitarist, drummer and a third member who’s role seemed to be playing a floor tom, tambourine and occasionally a trumpet. Not that these “roles” stopped any one of them from dancing around and picking up another instrument, or leaving stage, as they saw fit. The addition of “blues dog”, (supposedly a hitch-hiker from country Victoria they’d invited on stage) added to the non-musical element, as he sat there drinking, then swearing and asking if anyone wanted to share their medication between songs. Luckily the band showed enough creativity that when they did play a song, it was usually pretty enjoyable. They threw themselves and their instruments into the music with full force. The long gaps between songs seemed to be getting to a few punters, but the extended banter seemed a natural part of the Bang!Bang!Aids! experience, putting the music in context and giving a more enjoyable show overall.

Next was Kes. About as far from Bang!Bang!Aids! as you could get. Softly spoken and intensely melodic, this was some kind of alternative/gypsy/cabaret/pop band… or maybe it wasn’t. I really don’t know what genre you’d put any of their sounds into, or really enough about those genres to classify any band into them, they were just words and ideas that popped into my head while watching them. More importantly, it was good. On top of the guitar/bass/drums foundation was laid beautiful vocal harmonies, keyboards, violin, recorder (three recorders at once!) and a saw. Harmonies and melodies seemed to be the main focus of Kes, and they do a very fine job with them.

Baseball have just returned from a 14 country European tour and by the time they took the stage, there was a large crowd eager to welcome them back. One of my favourite Melbourne bands, the best way to describe Baseball is “intense”. But unlike the introversion of Kes, Baseball’s is quite a confrontational intensity. Frontman Cameron stares wild eyed into the faces of the crowd as he howls his way through songs and brings out a distortion and violence from his violin most people wouldn’t think the instrument was capable of. Evelyn’s drumming keeps the songs together, but also pushes them along at quite a pace. And her voice is a nice contrast with Cameron’s when she sings. The middle ground is occupied by Ben on guitar who does well not to compete with the driving violin. The interplay between the two instruments on songs like ‘Soft Boy Factory’ is really impressive. Then there’s the bass lines, which really help to make the songs complete. Bobbing away in time bassist Monika seems like the calm, reliable part of the band, until she swapped instruments with Evelyn for the encore, and the same wild look came over her face.

The first time I saw Baseball it was this intensity and the unique sound this combination of instruments made which impressed me most. But the more I see them, the more I realise songs such as ‘Faith Like a Cross, Trust Like a Flag’, ‘The Wedding at Susa’and ‘It’s Gonna be Hard and It’s Gonna Hurt’ are just really good tunes. They would still be really good tunes no matter how they were played, but there is a magic which comes out watching these four people play them through their chosen instruments. There should be an album soon, and like many people, I can’t wait.

(Originally Published on FasterLouder)

Nine Inch Nails @ The Metro, 14/05/07

(Originally published in Jmag)



Unfortunately, this isn't what I originally wrote. It got changed quite a bit. Here's the review I submitted:

I’m watching the smoke build on stage and as it grows, so does my excitement. A marching chant starts up, joined by a throbbing bass distortion. Then the guitar and drums pound in, and we’re thrown into the world of Nine Inch Nails without warning. The excitement continues from there. Having previously toured only in arenas and festivals, watching NIN play such a small venue is something else entirely. “The bass goes bomb”, Trent sings. And it sure as hell does. Like the venue, the set list seems chosen just for the fans. New tracks mix with classics and rarities for nearly two hours of lights, noise and destruction that feels like 20 minutes. And I can’t believe it’s over.

Helmet, The Nation Blue, Rook @ The Corner Hotel, Melbourne (28/3/2007)

Heading down to The Corner to see Helmet, my expectations were pretty high. In the early 90’s Helmet helped to change the face of heavy music with their dropped tuning and reliance on dissonant chords and strong grooves over the speed and excessiveness of the late 80’s thrash and glam metal. This helped to pave the way for a new wave of bands, with Helmet’s influence being seen in anyone from Korn and Limp Bizkit, to Tool and Deftones, to silverchair and Incubus. Even though this was not the “real” Helmet (the original band parted ways in 1998 before singer/guitarist Page Hamilton resurrected the name with new members in 2004, and has been joined by three new players again since then), I was still expecting a very tight show at the least.

If it’s a sure bet that you’d find a Helmet CD in the collections of any of those bands mentioned above, it’s also a sure bet you’d find most of those bands in the collections of opening act Rook. While this four-piece were very tight and certainly enthusiastic, they were somewhat lacking in originality. Their sound at times drew on early Incubus, with atmospheric guitar phrases and some nice bass work, but would all too often veer towards the simple power choruses which have been worked to death by bands like Evanescence and Linkin Park. The singer had a decent voice during some of the quieter moments, but again when he pushed himself in the choruses to be earnest and emotional he’d just end up sounding like the guy from Nickleback. In fact that was my lasting impression of this band – Evanescence fronted by the guy from Nickleback.

The Nation Blue were a different matter altogether. Although there were shades of late 80’s punk, indie rock and art rock, something about the way they put it all together created something new which really saw them hold their own in such a metal environment. Although probably the least likely band of the night to be classified as metal, their brute force gave them all the heaviness they needed. Guitars were thrown, lyrics were yelled and an exciting mix of feedback, noise and music created some great songs and a powerful performance. Almost as if on cue the guitarist’s strap broke as he sung a line about these broken guitars getting old, and how white noise no longer heals the soul. But the white noise they produced certainly had me feeling better.

Then came Helmet. If I had to settle on one word to describe this performance it would unfortunately be “disappointing”. Helmet in the 90’s was a music force to be reckoned with. Four people creating a sound that no one had heard before and forging their own path. In the eight years they were gone, that sound became the standard and as mentioned before was worked to death by imitators and those who imitated the imitators. While this is not Helmet’s fault, their sound just isn’t as fresh in 2007 as it was in 1993. Watching the 2007 version of Helmet, it seemed Hamilton may have done better to let sleeping dogs lie. The rest of the band is now made up of a much younger group of guys who weren’t able to hold their place. While young blood can be a good thing (Hamilton himself often made reference to his own age, saying some of the breaks between songs were because he was 46 and needed to catch his breath), the tight performance and intensity I expected from a Helmet show just wasn’t there. I felt like I was watching a bunch of kids live out their dreams of playing with their idol instead of a band who were determined to create their own road. At least the 2004 version of Helmet had Frank Bello from Anthrax and John Tempesta from White Zombie around to keep things exciting and lend some experience to proceedings. Songs from 2006’s Monochrome album had a few fans leaving the mosh pit, who could only be coaxed back by classic songs such as Wilma’s Rainbow and In the Meantime. The fact that they held off Unsung (the breakthrough track from 1992’s Meantime album) until the final song of the encore suggests that even Hamilton knew why people were really there. My final thought of the night? Helmet were a great band in 1994.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

why i love music.

OH.
MY.
GOD!
(and i don't even BELIEVE in god!)

i don't want to be a pain in the arse to anyone by bragging, but i know anyone reading this is here because they are musically inclined, and tonight was one of THE BEST nights of music i've seen. EVER.

every band was completely different, but the were all amazing in their own right. certainly i have never lost my faith in music, but if anyone ever did, a night like tonight would clearly prove to them how wrong they are. same with any notions of punk being dead. HA! not one of these bands followed any kind of "punk" musical formula, and coming from all around the world they all sounded very different to each other, but if you believe at all that punk is an attitude rather than a style, then you should have been there tonight.

the thaw come from sydney, and were a kind of atmospheric, soft, spacey band, with some screamo (in the best tradition of saetia, i hate myself, circle takes the square, etc) thrown in to make sure you understand the importance of what they're doing. then came sabot from the czech republic, laying down some hard, fuzzy instrumental bass grooves for a solid half an hour with only two pauses to catch their breath. then ni-hao! from japan (yes, ni-hao is chinese, but perhaps one of the best quotes of the night was "konichiwa, we're ni-hao from japan"). two
basses and a drumkit, it was oh so cute japanese music, until they just decided to switch to rock-the-fuck-out mode, with no warning, and then back again. and then baseball. guitar, bass, drums, violin, singing, screaming, and a general whirlwind of intensity.

seriously.
OH.
MY.
GOD!

the whole thing was filmed for a dvd too. i hope i can get a copy.

i just went along to see baseball and for a bit of a laugh thinking that if the bands had come that far they'd at least be good for interest purposes/novelty value, even if i didn't enjoy them, but i got one of the best musical nights you could ever hope for. and all for entry by donation. i LOVE melbourne (even though the bands didn't all come from here, i love that we can attract them and get them to play in some weird upstairs area with dingy couches and a p.a.). i will write a proper review when i'm less drunk/tired, but i just wanted to share how excited i am by what i just saw.

and saturday night at pony, ni-hao! and the thaw. i think i'll be there.

Big Day Out @ Princes Park, 29/01/06

The Big Day Out is one of the most economic ways to have a great time seeing heaps of great bands. Unfortunately due to the scheduling clashes inherent in such a massive event, it’s also the easiest way to be disappointed at the awesome bands you had to miss.

Another great way to miss a band is to get held up in queues on the way in, and so it was that we arrived just in time to hear The Grates thank their audience for helping them get over their nerves about the day. This year saw a new venue for the Melbourne leg of Big Day Out, with Princes Park filling in nicely for the still-being-renovated Showgrounds. The capacity was smaller, giving the day a milder feel, and the closer proximity of the stages made it easier to see, or at least hear, a lot more bands.

The biggest difference between venues was the positioning of the smaller green and purple stages next to each other under a giant tent, and running them at alternating times to avoid sound clashes, like a miniature version of the main stages. So arriving at the end of The Grates also meant turning up at the start of The Greenhornes. A nice early-rock/R’n’B influenced introduction to the day, it wasn’t long before the crowd warmed to them, even if most in the audience seemed to be having their first taste. Drummer Patrick Keeler’s enthusiasm lead the band through an energetic set, especially the closing James Brown cover.

Gerling took to the orange stage with flannel shirts and guitars, looking like a long lost grunge band. The following set was heavily focused on their more rock and guitar songs, and considering the last time I saw them at BDO it was a largely electronic set (with shirts and backpacks), it was nice to see the other side of the band showcased this time around. They also beat a certain much-hyped-afro-led band to the punch, sneaking in the opening riff to White Unicorn, which saw a few of the idle crowd turn their heads in a moment of confused excitement. Meanwhile, Sarah Blasko had the tent completely packed out when she hit the green stage, thanks no doubt to her growing exposure on Triple J.

Magic Dirt have to be one of the most regular bands to appear on the Big Day Out tour, and their consistent sets show why. They covered newer tracks like I Love the Rain (which saw Adalita don an acoustic guitar, definitely something new in the Magic Dirt universe), through to a feedback drenched rendition of She-Riff. The highlight was a strong version of Vulcanella. The first time I’ve seen this song live, it was everything I’d hoped for as Adalita prowled the barriers in front of the crowd and the rest of the band threw themselves around to the distorted music on stage.

The already mentioned scheduling conflicts meant Mudvayne had to be skipped in favour of Sleater-Kinney back in the tent; a hard decision to make, but ultimately a good one as I witnessed one of the standout performances of the day. Drawing mainly from their recent album The Woods, the set was an example of how rock should be done. The interaction between Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein (both playing guitar and vocals) is fascinating to watch live, as is Janet Weiss’s unique drumming style. These were best shown off in tracks like Jumpers, where Tucker’s vocals soar, the bouncy Step Aside and What’s Mine is Yours where Brownstein’s guitar solo is literally a show stopper.

Wolfmother have made an appearance at every major festival over the last six months, and wherever they are so are the legions of Wolfmother t-shirts. So it was no surprise that they hit the blue stage to a large, and appreciative audience. And it was no surprise that like every Wolfmother show, it was loud, it was fuzzy and it was powerful. It was the 70s all over again. They stormed through hits like Apple Tree, and Woman, but if their Hottest 100 results are anything to go by, just about EVERY song is a hit.

Next it was back to the tent for The Go! Team, and a manic performance it was. Fleshing out an album composed largely of sampled bits and pieces to a six piece live band provided a greater feeling of life to the songs, with members jumping as needed between instruments as diverse as recorders, xylophones, keyboards, harmonicas and the more conventional guitar, bass and drums. Lead vocalist Ninja also displayed great diversity as she switched seamlessly between rapping and singing, and her “dances from around the world” during Ladyflash were a big hit with the crowd.

The positioning of the smaller stages next to each other also made for greater exposure to bands as there was a fairly constant stream of music coming from the shared speakers at any given time. And so it was that I heard End of Fashion while waiting for Henry Rollins. I can’t say I was too impressed with their music. O Yeah was a hit with those watching them, but that’s always the way with the single. They played well, but I had trouble finding anything about their songs that made them stand out from the others or grab me in any way.

A spoken word show in the middle of the nation’s biggest travelling rock concert seems like a bit of a weird concept. But if anyone was going to pull it off, it was going to be Henry Rollins. The iconic singer of Black Flag and The Rollins Band managed to entertain a respectable sized crowd with stories about his plan for peace in the middle east via Ramones albums and the importance of the true King of Rock, Iggy Pop (a little teaser for what was to come later).

The Beasts of Bourbon then took to the purple stage next door. It was a strong performance and although not quite the “fuck off” band of their glory days that Rollins had raved about minutes earlier, their passion for what the do is still there. By the time they finish with Let’s Get Funky though, it’s clear that most people in the tent are now waiting for The Mars Volta.

As soon as the Beasts leave the stage the chant goes up: “VOLTA! VOLTA!”. And they live up to everything that’s expected of them. Starting off with Cygnus… Vismund Cygnus, it’s not long before the eight-piece stage version of the band begin to show their chops. Eyes are predominantly on Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (formerly of At The Drive-In), but the entire band got a chance to show off their skills. More impressive was the way all members (now including Paul Hinojos, also an ex-At The Drive-In member) managed to communicate with each other through musical cues so that no matter what territory extended versions of L’via L’viaquez or Drunkship of Lanterns were taken in, everyone was able to reign it back in together with great precision. It was heart-breaking to leave during an extended version of Roulette Dares, but there’s only one chance in my lifetime I’m going to get to see Iggy Pop and The Stooges.

Pop did manage to live up to Rollins glowing praises, traipsing about the stage in exactly the energetic and erratic manner that his reputation and the reports from other Big Day Outs have led us to expect. The Stooges showed a high level of energy too, clearly excited to be back out playing their songs after 30 odd years. But it was definitely Pop who had the audience mesmerised. He called for people to come on stage and “dance with The Stooges”, and many did. Somehow one of my friends lost both his shoes in the scramble over the barrier, but he said it was worth it just to be on stage with Iggy, and to surprise him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Late highlights in the set came from tracks like Funhouse and closer I Wanna be Your Dog, with Iggy screaming when on stage, and at other times jumping down to run in front of the crowd and pass the microphone out for the chorus, before jumping back on stage to pose like a stripper and show off that lean physique and bit of ass-crack just above his skin tight jeans. For those down the front this truly this was an evening WITH the stooges, not just watching them.

Then came The White Stripes. Recent hit Blue Orchid got things pumping early in the set and for a two piece they still managed to provide a fairly eclectic mix of sounds. Starting and stopping songs almost on a whim and combining many into medleys, Meg White kept a steady beat, while Jack White roamed the stage, jumping between guitars, pianos and a xylophone, often mid-song and at one stage Meg even took the vocals for a bit. Highlights included Dead Leaves on the Dirty Ground combined with Passive Manipulation off current album Get Behing Me Satan, and a brief burst of There’s No Home for You Here before Jack went to the back of stage, placed his guitar down and took up on the xylophone for The Nurse, during which he’d allow feedback from the still plugged in guitar to ring out during the louder breaks. And of course a rendition of Seven Nation Army at the end of the set was lovingly welcomed by the crowd.

With The White Stripes finishing a touch early, there was just enough time to rush over and catch the last two songs by Shihad. Another of the bands to consistently rock the Big Day Out, it was a shame they had to compete with the headliners for an audience tonight. But those who were there looked like they’d been enjoying themselves. Shirtless, stick thin and now long-haired, singer Jon Toogood seems to be giving his best emulation of Iggy Pop, throwing himself around as energetically as ever. At the close of My Mind’s Sedate (a perfect way to whip the crowd into a frenzy as you say goodbye), Toogood pulled apart the drumkit, then leapt into the crowd with the bass drum and rode it around. It was a contrast to Jack White’s humble ‘thank you for watching me and my sister’ speech, but then that just illustrates the diversity of this year’s Big Day Out, which once again was celebrated and enjoyed by all.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)