Opinion
8
Mar 10
The Defamation of Ben Drew
Back in the early days of The Music Blogs I wrote about the brave choices artists often make, in particular when they leave one band to start another. Ben Drew aka Plan B, though a solo artist, has effectively just done the same thing.
17
Nov 09
We can work it out? Apparently not.
If we want to be truthful we can blame The Bubblies. If it wasn’t for this obscure French Pop band we may not have this current insult to the music world. I am talking of course about Apple Corps bizarre decision to release The Beatles collection on an Apple shaped USB Stick.
19
Oct 09
Soon the recorded music industry becomes the performing music industry
An excellent article written in 2007 by owner of Littoral Records, Alan Jones that looks at the decline of the traditional business and marketing model of big record labels and predicts they’ll be run down and overtaken by smaller, more agile, responsive and smarter labels.
19
Jun 09
The Solomons: Not the Island
I recently discovered a local Melbourne band called The Solomons and it surprises me that they’re not more well known, despite having played at some of Melbourne’s best live music venues.
8
Jun 09
Statement Of Intent: A Key Ingredient To Making It In This World
Like the great musician Joey ‘The Lips’ Fagan, I believe in starts. Once you have the start the rest is inevitable.
10
Apr 09
Sine – Perfect Relaxation
It’s currently 2am, and I’ve just finished up a joint and chucked German band Sine on for a listen. I feel I’m in the right state of mind and it’s the perfect time to listen to such soothing music. When you listen to tunes like these, it’s best to know that you’re going to be doing nothing for a while. I can imagine lying around for hours listening to this. They create a gentle wall of sound that overwhelms and entices the body and mind. I’m happy to be reviewing something that can do that.
Due to the release of their new aptly named album, Chillbar, I’ve been asked to write it up. In short, I’d say it’s a warm combination of flamenco style guitars, keys and synths with the expected electronic production. I think that pretty much sums them up. I guess you know what you’re getting into when you see the word “Lounge” being used to describe the music. Fear not, however, as its ambient orchestration and instrumental lyrical-like hooks always keep you interested enough to keep following through the journey.
9
Mar 09
Indie and the Buzzwords
Let me start by saying – Indie is not a genre. It never has been and it never will be because that’s just how it fucking is. The fact that there are hundreds of shitty “Indie” bands out there who all sound the same is insulting to the independent music world and should all be killed in the most inhumanely way possible. The fact of it is, independant music technically ceases to be independant once it signs itself to a major label – but it doesn’t always mean they cease to be good – that happens a lot, but in few cases you get lucky.
A famous example is with The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols. When the Warhols signed to Capitol, Anton flew off the wall. I think, deep down, he wanted them to get success without having to feel the need to help the music industry out anymore. A strange twist of fate occured, however, as The Dandy Warhols are pop and the luxury of achieving some mainstream successes and the film DiG! ultimately led to Anton and the BJTM becoming better known across the globe.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
4
Mar 09
Induce Vomiting If Swallowed
I don’t know how I should go about introducing myself – I’ve recently started a blog over at GuitarZero.org where myself and my compadres have begun a crusade to bring you the finest in underrated, unknown and underground music, both local and offshore. A few worth mentioning are; Riff Random, Nunchukka Superfly, The Hard Ons, Ghosts Of Television, Day of the Meerkat, Coda and The Church. These bands have inspired me and have reminded me that Australia’s music scene is just as strong as any out there – they’re just not out there.
Music never ceases to amaze me – no matter how old I get. There’s always something when listening to new good music that will remind me of something or introduce me to something foreign and makes me fucking feel. Feeling is the most important thing about music, there’s no doubt about it – you know it and I know it. What bugs me about the commercial and mainstream world is that they’re lying about these feelings. They’re bottling them up and manufacturing them, running them through auto-tuners and compressors and feeding it to us on television, advertisements, in films and on radio. It’s beyond disgusting – it’s a betrayal and ultimately, as insane as it may seem, a way of numbing what you know to be true and real.
20
Jan 09
…Or rock some mink boots in the summertime like Will.I.Am
Love them or hate them, U2 are the only band to have lasted so long and with the same lineup while still managing to release big selling albums and hit singles.
If we can blow our own trumpet for a second.8
Dec 08
They don’t make ‘em like they used to
Amongst my favourite bloggers is Sam de Brito on the Sydney Morning Herald website, who writes fairly wide-ranging entries focussing on a masculine perspective on life. A couple of weeks ago, however, he strayed uncharacteristically into the area of music. What he said irked me considerably, in several polar ways, and I really wanted an outlet in which to respond to it.
5
Dec 08
The Maladies & The definition of artistic license =)
I never knew that there were places (homes, institutions or whatever you want to call them) for people who were deaf. Daniel Marando from the diabolically bluesy Maladies sits across from me, staring out the window. Something seems to catch his eye as he turns and waves to an older lady sitting across the room, intently watching the Bold and the Beautiful with closed captions blaring.
“HI MARGARET, HOW ARE YOU?”
2
Dec 08
Are AC/DC to blame?
This was possibly the most ridiculous and incredibly amusing thing I have read all day.
Thankyou NineMSN for making my day.
Please note the name of the writer. L-O-L
AC/DC blamed for financial crisis…
12
Apr 10
Searching For Fun: Almost Alice & New Young Pony Club
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