Hall of Records

Follow the moving truck kids!

2010-04-25T14:29:00.002+10:00

This blog has been moved to itsonlyproper.wordpress.com

It may look a little different, but the idea's the same: music is the mandate.

What's new this time Mr Wolf?

2009-05-29T21:37:00.006+10:00

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

2009-05-29T18:28:00.002+10:00

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'

2009-03-17T18:30:00.000+11:00

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

2009-03-17T18:16:00.000+11:00

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

2009-03-16T14:10:00.000+11:00

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

2009-03-16T13:30:00.000+11:00

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

2009-03-16T13:02:00.000+11:00

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

2009-02-12T11:36:00.000+11:00

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

2009-01-17T21:20:00.000+11:00

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

2009-01-17T21:12:00.000+11:00

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

Bloc Party in Adelaide 23 November 2008

2008-11-29T21:12:00.000+11:00

The bouncers could have been forgiven if, after the excitable crowd had settled into the Thebarton Theatre for Van She's support set, they had thought it was going to be an easy night after all. The crowd did clap and cheer and were guilty of foot tapping and self-conscious head bobbing during Van She's set, but this was an afternoon nap compared to when Van She exited the stage. There was suddenly significantly less vacant personal space, the rather subdued crowd shifting into 'elbows-out' gear and transforming general admission into a bone-crushing mosh pit. Before the weight of hundreds of bodies the front row (including myself) were one with the barrier. The chants of "Bloc Party!" started in a wave before boredom triumphed. The anticipation was palpable.

The moment arrived when Bloc Party graced the stage with their presence. Opener 'Trojan Horse' nearly ripped the roof off the Thebby. The set that followed mostly consisted of tracks from the band's albums 'Silent Alarm' and 'Intimacy' with a few choice songs from 'A Weekend in the City'. Led along by participative hand-claps, the crowd were whipped into a frenzy, with their rabid excitement evident when Kele stepped back from the microphone to let the crowd scream "so f**king useless!" in 'Positive Tension'. It must be said that 'Mercury' is so much better live. It must also be said that, visually, the gig was characterised by Kele's giant grins throughout the gig, his smile-inducing dancing and Matt's strange frog dance. Kele had certainly gained the love of the front row when in the opening lines of 'This Modern Love' (or possibly another song), he saw bouncers dragging a crowd surfer out of the crowd over the heads of the front row and stopped the song before inquiring whether the 'girls in the front row' were alright (cue swoons from the front row girls and the resounding chant of 'Yes'). Kele further endeared himself to the crowd by making two frenzied runs from the stage to the audience, allowing the front-row plenty of opportunities for inappropriate touching. Fortunately bouncers were in assistance to claim him back from the grasps of the front three rows.

A brilliant set list (peppered by banter regarding the movie Australia and Nicole Kidman, amongst other topics) and encore later, a sweat-soaked crowd high on guitar riffs and heart-thumping drum beats trickled out of the Thebarton Theatre. A mini mosh pit formed at the merchandise stand. Everyone was in an overexcited state that would precede an inevitable Bloc Party withdrawal.

Below is the set list, which I managed to snare at the gig.

Trojan Horse
Halo
Hunting For Witches
Positive Tension
Signs
Song For Clay
Banquet
So Here We Are
Better than Heaven
Talons
This Modern Love
The Prayer

Mercury
Price Of Gas
Flux
Helicopter

Encore
Ares
Like Eating Glass

Indie Rock Cafe

2008-11-29T20:26:00.000+11:00

http://www.indierockcafe.com

A blog that discusses indie artists, festivals and new releases. If that isn't enough indie goodness for you, it also has free mp3 downloads, to boot.

What does Glam Rock look like?

2008-11-24T22:58:00.000+11:00

What do you think of when you overhear the utterance of those two words: 'Glam Rock'? Intimidating hairstyles (think industrial amounts of hairspray, RSI from backcombing hair, and the dangers of bleach), unhealthy obsessions with lurid make-up and hip-thrusts? If you said yes, you're on the fast track to 'Preparing THAT costume for the requisite Glam Rock themed dress-up party'.

http://www.geocities.com/glamcandy/paradigm.html

Glam Rock 101 - A listing of a few essential albums and videos can be found at this website: www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1159843_3,00.html

David Bowie. This man IS glam rock style, managing with grace, albeit scarily so.

The same cannot be said of others. Here is the blank space where many hair-raisingly frightening pictures of those golden years, the 70s, should have been.

What would current glam rock look like?
When I ponder this, I am less inclined to cower behind the couch, holding a pair of safety scissors and a Radiohead CD (hopefully as far away from glam rock as it can get without polar attraction) before me to ward off the horror. As for modern glam rock? Fancy costumes, colourful face paint, music with self-possessed swagger...These are the musicians I think of:

Karen O (Lead singer of Yeah Yeah Yeahs) - the coolest lady in rock.

Indie-style glowstick-wielders Klaxons

Also, although it may be more 80s rave party than glam rock fashionistas, this video clip has value for the dancing, neon costumes and James not even pretending to play his keyboard but making hilarious hand motions instead.
Here: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=VvzkVKhUVL0

The Superfantastisch 8 of 2008 (in words+pictures)

2008-11-19T17:50:00.000+11:00

1. Alex Turner - One of the wittiest song masters around,the Arctic Monkeys front man paired with Miles Kane of The Rascals for side project The Last Shadow Puppets.

2. Matt Bellamy - for existing. Oh and for Muse releasing the DVD of their Wembley gig, 'HAARP'.

3. Kele Okereke - Bloc Party released their third album 'Intimacy' late this year and announced an Australian tour, including Adelaide in their line-up of gigs.

4. Caleb Followill - Kings of Leon released their 4th album and follow-up to 'Because of the Times'. Could he beat the banshee cry on Charmer? You bet he could.

5. Russell Lissack - the floppy-fringed Bloc Party guitarist. What, "two members from Bloc Party?!" you say. It was double the 2008 action for these lads - an album and Australian tour in as many months. Also, try saying his name 10 times fast.

6. The Wombats - the Australian tour in 2008 may have been stymied mid-run by Murph's laryngitis, but the gig seen by this writer was higher in energy than a stint on cough syrup. The absence of Cherub the wombat was palpable, but they doggedly played on.

7. Andrew Van Wyngarden - half of the MGMT duo. Even though it was released digitally in October 2007 before a 2008 hard-copy release, their album 'Oracular Spectacular' was, well, spectacular (any attempts at puns would just be corny).

8. Yannis Philippakis - Foals. 2008 was the year bringing us 'Antidotes'. An appearance by Yannis on Season 2 of English TV series Skins was nice, too.

The bonus track in all this (you know, the one where you fast-forward 20 minutes after the last song) is:

Carl Barat - Dirty Pretty Things broke up and The Libertines will never reform, but Carl Barat is still as cool as ever.

Hall Of Records Trophy of the Week

2008-11-19T17:36:00.000+11:00

The dual winners are:

'Always New Depths' by Bloc Party and 'Skeleton' by Bloc Party.

How can B-sides be so good? I'd downloaded both before, but every single day over the past week (well, two) I've needed my daily dose of each of these. Sort of like an exam-time lifeline.

'Always New Depths': www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJa_QR0eDA0 - it's not an actual video clip, but is sufficient to hear the song.

'Skeleton' (from 'Silent Alarm Remixed'): http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=OG-6YXXeF18 - same as for Always New Depths, not an actual video clip.

Exclusive Bloc Party downloads are available by joining the Bloc Party website member's section (for free!).

The Superfantastisch 8 of 2008

2008-11-19T16:44:00.000+11:00

It may not meet the same standards as the NME Cool List, but now here's my Superfantastisch list of musicians of 2008.

1. Alex Turner - One of the wittiest song masters around,the Arctic Monkeys front man paired with Miles Kane of The Rascals for side project The Last Shadow Puppets.

2. Matt Bellamy - for existing. Oh and for Muse releasing the DVD of their Wembley gig, 'HAARP'.

3. Kele Okereke - Bloc Party released their third album 'Intimacy' late this year and announced an Australian tour, including Adelaide in their line-up of gigs.

4. Caleb Followill - Kings of Leon released their 4th album and follow-up to 'Because of the Times'. Could he beat the banshee cry on Charmer? You bet he could.

5. Russell Lissack - the floppy-fringed Bloc Party guitarist. What, "two members from Bloc Party?!" you say. It was double the 2008 action for these lads - an album and Australian tour in as many months. Also, try saying his name 10 times fast.

6. The Wombats - the Australian tour in 2008 may have been stymied mid-run by Murph's laryngitis, but the gig seen by this writer was higher in energy than a stint on cough syrup. The absence of Cherub the wombat was palpable, but they doggedly played on.

7. Andrew Van Wyngarden - half of the MGMT duo. Even though it was released digitally in October 2007 before a 2008 hard-copy release, their album 'Oracular Spectacular' was, well, spectacular (any further rhymes would just be corny).

8. Yannis Philippakis - Foals. 2008 was the year bringing us 'Antidotes'. An appearance by Yannis on Season 2 of English TV series Skins was nice, too.

The bonus track in all this (you know, the one where you fast-forward 20 minutes after the last song) is:
Carl Barat - Dirty Pretty Things broke up and The Libertines will never reform, but Carl Barat is still as cool as ever.

2008-09-25T11:32:00.000+10:00

The Interface

2008-09-25T11:25:00.001+10:00

My favourite discovery of the day? Downloadable podcasts from www.spinner.com. Free from itunes, Spinner.com's weekly live-performance show Interface is a winner. Or you can watch the videos on the website.

From my personal favourite Bloc Party through to Hard-Fi, Cut Copy, Spoon, Tokyo Police Club, Adele, The Hold Steady, Datarock, Kaiser Chiefs, Jose Gonzalez, Kate Nash and The New Pornographers and many many more, there's something for everyone. Unless you like Justin Timberlake, in which case there's nothing there for you.

Bloc Party live set

2008-09-25T11:09:00.001+10:00

Bloc Party interview and live set

2008-09-25T11:04:00.000+10:00

Check out a video of Kele and Russ from Bloc Party being interviewed and performing live on www.spinner.com. From the site an mp3 or video podcast can be downloaded of the full set that was on the DL Show.

Muse Adelaide 15th Nov 2007 Setlist

2008-09-24T14:10:00.000+10:00

01 - Take a bow
02 - Map of the Problematique
03 - New Born
04 - Butterflies and Hurricanes
05 - Supermassive Black Hole
06 - Citizen Erased
07 - Ruled by Secrecy
08 - Feeling Good
09 - Sunburn
10 - Hysteria
11 - Fury
12 - Starlight
13 - The Groove (instrumental)
14 - Time Is Running Out
15 - Stockholm Syndrome + outro (Dead Star and maybe Hyper Music riffs)
-----------------
16 - Plug In Baby
17 - Knights of Cydonia

I thought there was also a Map of Your Head intro somewhere

2008-09-24T13:43:00.000+10:00