What's new this time Mr Wolf?

Ah, Patrick Wolf, we've missed you.

From the snippets of his new EP 'Vulture' heard on Wolf's myspace site, this latest release still shouts Wolf's quintessential minstrel sound from the rooftops. The tracklisting channels the syncopated electronics first sprung upon music listeners in his debut release 'Lycanthropy', yet also combines with the folk styling on 'Wind in the Wires'.

At the moment my time does not extend to a track-by-track analysis, but have a listen at www.myspace.com/officialpatrickwolf

Download Patrick Wolf's 'Hard Times' remixed by Alec Empire

RCRDLBL is a website providing free and legal music downloads and listens, including some rare remixes. To receive free RCRDLBL daily downloads, which I've been getting for a while now, sign up for the daily download e-mail at the RCRDLBL website.
With a wide range of artists and a plentitude of free remixes, it can be a bit hit and miss, but gems can be found.

The Patrick Wolf website:
This very nicely designed website brings to mind minstrel wanderings, dark forest nymphs and angel wings, assisted in this presentation by the luminous hair of Mr.Wolf.

Inopportunities

Remember that song 'Operatunity'? No? Your primary school life was obviously not sprinkled with a stint in the choir singing tunelessly and not actually being able to hear yourself over the other child squawkers/prodigies. Basically the song was about singing opera but being a supermarket worker/butcher or whatnot which I don't remember in all its wondrous detail.

Well let's rename that song 'Inopportunity', disregarding the fact that it's not an actual word. That song epitomises this blog post. A completely inopportune time to write blog post because I should be studying and writing an essay at this very moment, not writing random things just because I've realised that I haven't written anything for a long time.

What's happening in the music realm of late which I'm excited about/is of interest:

- Muse are still in the studio writing a new album
- Klaxons recording their new album but being sent back to the studio by their recording company to re-record it
- Bloc Party and MGMT announced for Splendour in the Grass for their only Australia show (me getting over-excited but deciding it's too much money and rather far away and Splendour subsequently selling out)
- Yves Klein Blue will tour Australia in July - the Adelaide date is July 11
- Patrick Wolf releasing his new album and releasing music videos for 'Vulture' and 'Hard Times'
- The Wombats and many other brilliant bands will be at Glastonbury Festival. Ah, Scotland.

Sparkadia - 'Summer Rain'

Sparkadia cover Belinda Carlisle's 'Summer Rain' for Triple J's Like A Version.
Cheesy? Not when it's Sparkadia!
P.S Boy, that's a quiff to admire! In a video his gravity-defying hair can be fully appreciated.

Glaswegian greatness

Franz Ferdinand were in Australia a little while ago and thanks to Triple J, you can get your ears on some of what went down at their shows.

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/live/default.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/media

I must say, I do like your hair

Who does a hair post? At one point in our lives we all do at least one commentary on someone's hair. Here's (one of) mine.


Aah, Matt Bellamy, because you are a rock god, everyone forgives you for your super spiky fire engine red hair from years back. Your current hair style though, is undoubtedly tops.

Russell Lissack, king of fringe.


There has been a constant metamorphosis involving Alex Turner's hair, of which half of the stages I do like.

Indie, windy, anticipation

Ah, indie bands. They can range from independent poppets to independent metal rockers. Yet when I think of indie as a loose description of a musical genre, I think of indie pop and indie rock - from cute pop quartets to singer-songwriters to bouncy rock acts. Even if they sign onto a major label after independent label status, they'll still remain my indie, windy, lovable bands. (I can almost hear my subconscious say: Unless they roll out some substandard album I hate and they become arrogant commercial snobs - then I won't love them anymore! haaah)

Favourite indie band clothing trends:
1. Skinny leg jeans
You've just got to have them. Otherwise your street cred is at dire risk. Boys, the skinnier your legs are the better, all the better for knee-knocking tunes and making all the girls jealous of the fact that they'll never fit into jeans that size.
Gus: Black skinny leg jeans with black boots or black or blue skinny legs with Converse hi-tops - actually these seem to be everywhere on the Australian music scene whether behind the mike or behind the crowd barrier. Acid wash jeans? Bright red? Up to you.
Girls can do the skinny legs with ballet flats/hi-tops/low-tops/Keds/heels (everything really).
2. Cardigan
Nothing says indie like a cardigan. Granny's hand-knitted 80s cardigan (a la Red Riders), Paul Smith's best, generic grey button-up with black edging, it doesn't matter which.

Speaking of all things indie (I've left out indie hair styles for now - there's way too many to even fathom let alone write here, yet I will attempt a shortlist in another post), Splendour in the Grass is creeping up upon us! Was that a nice subject segue or what? Although Splendour does bring many major acts, it also catches cute indie fish for us! The line-up is yet to be announced, and I'm bristling with anticipation, practically salivating. Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a new album being released (Zero is the single released and although different from previous offerings it is still very good) and I'm hoping this means a whole Australian tour or at least a Splendour visit. I've never been to Splendour before (Splendour virign!) but if there's a good line-up this year I'll need to somehow plan logistics as well as score tickets before they sell out. Splendour rumours tend to be based upon the two Japanese festivals either side of it, but at the moment those rumours aren't too exciting. Klaxons are working on their new album, so maybe it'll be finished in time for an Oz visit. Ooh, I can't wait until the line-up's announced! Although I obviously have to!

Should I go back to writing answers for my Constitutional Law tutorial? Read a case I should be reading? Or write another post? Hmm...It's debatable. I've almost finished my tutorial work anyway. Although tomorrow will be a day of printing materials I need for various subjects as well as a library visit.

Stay indie and lovable.
Cheerio

Throne rooms and adolescence

Last Wednesday (March 11) saw me captured in a fevered mosh pit bowing before the musical onslaught of Kings Of Leon. The front of the mosh was predominantly adolescent, this demographic being disturbingly populated by too many obnoxious visible-Bonds-underwear teenagers who were there for the new album. Thankfully Kings belted out old favourties, such as The Bucket and Molly's Chambers alongside On Call, peppered by the new, burying Sex On Fire mid-set and finishing with a four-song encore that included Charmer (my highlight of the night) and Manhattan. The Followills are one hell of a cool quartet, from Caleb's vocals and cardigan-wearing guitar strums (if they were the domain of indie rock-pop bands before, cardigans are now officially dirty Nashville rock cool) to Matthew's rockin'/angelic/chain-smoking prescence on lead guitar, the long-haired Nathan killing it on drums and Jared's thumping bass (debatable whether the sudden up-do-fringe he sports nowadays is better or worse). I bet they all practice their 'cool' rock expressions and bent-knee-'cool'-standing-while-strum in the mirror - how else do they do it?

Cut Off Your Hands & Laneway Festival '09

It's time to wax lyrical about these lads. Prior EP releases, knee-knocking (in the good way) tunes, and now this... After wooing us on radio and loudspeaker with the release of their album 'You and I', Cut Off Your Hands rolled into the town of Radelaide on the Laneway Festival 2009 train. And man, they were amazing! Despite the 40 degree heat sizzling the Saturday festival-goers, Cut Off Your Hands had enough energy to fire up a power station. It was first time I'd been to a gig of theirs (shakes fist at heavens over a prior Adelaide gig this blogger missed due to conflicting schedules or possibly it was exams - the ever-present interference of education!).

Anyway, kicking off with Happy As Can Be featuring lead vocalist Nick Johnston wielding drumsticks to showcase his military drum prowess (and probably try and out-thump their very own drummer), the mike cut out at the beginning and we sadly missed most of the vocals until halfway through the song. Still, it fired up the crowd's foot-tapping. One Mike that was working all the way through was guitarist Mikey (my scraping the bottom of the barrel pun?), who is leaving the band (sob) and whose Foals t-shirt I much admired. Whipping through tunes new and old it was splendid, it was sunny, peppered with punky riffs, shameless pop tunes (take the lovely Still Fond as an example) and a good slice of lead singer athletics in the form of Nick Johnston. That boy can jump. And climb up on amp to wow the audience. And throw himself upon the floor in splendid melody. Dancing and smiles all round.

10 Indie Covers for tonight

I'm still addicted to finding/admiring cover songs.

1. The Wombats - Bleeding Love (Leona Lewis)
I was undoubtedly no fan of Bleeding Love but love this cover.


2. Arctic Monkeys - Take It Or Leave It (The Strokes) Arctic Monkeys were/are Strokes fans. See whether that Turner boy plus his Sheffield crew did them justice.

3. Mark Ronson - Just (Radiohead)
From his album Version, I like this one the best. Normally looks of horror should greet anyone covering Radiohead, but this one should not be missed. Note the multiple Ronsons in this videoclip.


4. Hard-Fi – Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes)
A whole different feel is given here - it needs to be heard.


5. Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly - D.A.N.C.E (Justice)
This acoustic view comes off brilliantly.

6. The Kooks - Kids (MGMT)
Such a good cover, and Luke's accent just adds to it.


7. Arctic Monkeys - You Know I’m No Good (Amy Winehouse)
When will Arctic Monkeys learn to leave these songs (this cover, their Girls Aloud cover) to the ladies? Hopefully never, with this rendition a treat, albeit without the hilarity that their cover of Girls Aloud's pop chart scrambler imparted on the listener.


8. Muse - Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths) Any Muse version of any song need be heard, with either an ear of disbelief or, in my case, appreciation.

9. Bloc Party - Say It Right (Nelly Furtado)
Hate Nelly Furtado. Love Bloc Party.


And the best cover version ever to grace the airwaves/CD/record:
10. Muse - Feeling Good (Nina Simone)

Or:
The advisable way of listening - as part of Muse's Origin of Symmetry album.
The advisable way of watching - a live peformance (Hullaboo live DVD or HAARP lvie DVD)

Frightened Rabbit

These Scotsmen are my recent discovery, despite the fact that they have already existed for some while. Last year they released their new album called The Midnight Organ Fight, which can be streamed here. Or you can just Google away like I did on a trail of rodent discovery.

Christmas is over, yet let this song bring you back to ravaged Christmas pudding and the shredded remains of wrapping paper strewn across the floor.
Frightened Rabbit - It's Xmas so we'll stop