Recommended
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.
17
Apr 09
I’ll fest your blues in a minute.
The stampede to see Toni Childs.
It’s been three days and the post-blues blues are sort of beginning to fade. The 2009 East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival was my first Bluesfest, and proved to be a superb way to pop the cherry and chill out in Byron Bay for a few days.
What was awesome?
1. Blue King Brown – I’ve never seen BKB live before but the energy and mood of their whole set was simply joyous. Natalie Pa’apa’a was smoking in some short-shorts and a leetle black singlet. I chugged two Smirnoff Ice’s and danced the whole way through.
2. Seasick Steve – what a fascinating man. The 68 year old guitarist still looks like the hobo he used to be (and took frequent swigs of whisky from a bottle under his chair in between songs) but his sound is superb and his stories are humbling. Easily the crowd favourite among the smaller Bluesfest acts. Continue reading →
28
Mar 09
Get on this…yeahhhh on it.
Matt and Kim. Playing in Melbourne 1st of May. Playing elsewhere also but I don’t care. I will be there and if you have a head, some sort of brain, an inkling of logical thinking, pistons for legs and some sort of hearing device that allows your brain to comprehend music you will be too. Seriously though, pistons for legs would be awesome.
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.
14
Jan 09
Oasis: Taking It To The Streets
Part canny marketing idea and part musical goodwill (surprising considering Liam Gallagher is involved), last September Oasis decided to preview four songs from their then upcoming album ‘Dig Out Your Soul’.
If we can blow our own trumpet for a second.23
Nov 08
Nothing a month? Yeah, I think we can swing that: My 5 favourite free downloads of 2008
As I have stated once before: I am a material guy in a digital world. Buying a full album online still does not wash with me and no amount of exclusive bonus tracks or digital booklets can sway my opinion. I do however purchase a lot of new singles to the point that I need to set up some sort of tab arrangement with iTunes like Norm had with Sam Malone.
21
Nov 08
Scott Matthews can pass my stranger any day
Fuck me, this man is brilliant. Scott Matthews hails from Wolverhampton in England and burst onto the UK charts back in 2006 with his debut album, Passing Stranger. You might have heard the mournful single, Elusive, on Triple J and thought you were listening to some previously undiscovered Jeff Buckley. But Elusive is just the tip of the iceberg and barely begins to showcase Matthews’ talent.
Passing Stranger is a collection of beautifully crafted urban folk-rock gems. From crunchy blues riffs to sliding guitars to delicately picked melodies, Matthews has perfected his acoustic sound. Woven into his songs is an entire medley of unexpected instruments to keep you on your toes, including tablas and a French accordian – each track is a magical experiment. Continue reading →
19
Nov 08
Shoot The Player
“… I usually don’t do things like these but since you want to make something beautiful, I’m in… ”
And so begins the journey of the latest Shoot The Player film with Swedish musician, the Tallest Man on Earth.
Shoot The Player is a website dedicated to making single shot music videos of singer-songwriters on the streets of our town, Sydney. I’ve been following the site for a while now, ever since a friend of mine was in a video himself, and I’m never disappointed by the injection of inspiration I get from each new upload.
28
Oct 08
Flying Under Your Radar: Epicure
Last Sunday evening as I sat in a bar in Elwood, a pint of beer in hand, listening to a good friend of mine sing the weekend away I noticed a woman at the table next to me. Gillespie’s music often has that effect.
24
Oct 08
Sneaker Pimps kick more arse than you
I can’t begin to tell you how much the Sneaker Pimps kick arse. This British trip-hop outfit formed back in 1995 and have released three stellar smooth albums since. After the grooving Becoming X (1996), the group booted out vocalist Kelli Ali and guitarist Chris Corner took the lead. I think that’s awesome. Continue reading →
8
Mar 10
The Defamation of Ben Drew
Continue reading →