Time Off Issue 1591 by TheMusic.com.au

CHILDREN COLLIDE

BODYJAR

XAVIER RUDD

FATBOY SLIM

OBITS GHOST NOTES MARIA MINERVA TRANSIT

N O W AVA I L A BL E O N I PA D • 2 2 AU G U S T 2 012 • 1591 • F R E E

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TOURING LAKE AIR

SAT 6TH OCT THE ZOO BRISBANE WITH SPECIAL GUEST JAPE

Supported by triple j

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John Butler Trio (NYE Midnight Set) Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings (usa-nye sEt) tHE bLacK sEedS (nz) fRiEndLY fIreS dj Set (uk-nye sEt)

kRaFty kUtS Vs A.sKilLz (UK) tHE hERd (aus) Kaki King (USA) Blood red Shoes (UK) Unknown Mortal Orchestra (USA) Electric Wire Hustle (NZ) King Tide (AUS) mAt. mChUGh & THE SEPERATISTA SOUND SYSTEM (aus) 65DaysoFstatic (UK) Deep Sea Arcade (AUS) Gold Fields (AUS) Gossling (AUS) Will & The People (UK) Chapelier Fou (Fr) The Medics (AUS) NorthEast Party House (AUS) HatFitz and Cara (aus) Tuka (AUS) The Cairos (AUS) The PreaTUREs (AUS) Battleships (AUS) Lime Cordiale (AUS) Daily Meds (AUS) JONES Jnr (AUS) Tigertown (AUS) MicroWave Jenny (AUS) also featuring — The Return of The Dub Shack Plus many more artists to be announced...

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GIVEAWAYS Def, Kanye West, Chuck D, KRS-One, Snoop Dogg, RunDMC, Ice Cube and many more. Directed by Ice T. Thanks to Pinnacle Films we have ten double passes to give away to a preview of Hit & Run. The screening will be held at Event Cinemas Indooroopilly on Wednesday 29 August at 6.30pm. The movie stars Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell and Bradley Cooper.

With Father’s Day around the corner, forget the ties, the tools, socks and the lawn equipment. If you really want to celebrate, then treat Dad to a gift he will remember, a colourful gift pack of the full premium range of Rekorderlig Cider. The current Rekorderlig Cider product line consists of seven styles that offer a variety of colour and flavour: Apple, crisp Pear, Strawberry-Lime, Wild Berries, premium Apple & Blackcurrant, the limited edition Winter Cider and the new Mango & Raspberry, all served in 500ml glass bottles. We have a case of Winter Cider to give away to one lucky winner! Entrants must be 18+ and photo ID must be shown when collecting the prize from our office.

Brisbane Festival (8 to 29 September) is giving away a double pass to a pop-up Korean speakeasy that will appear in West End. Prepare to drink the night away with the venue’s eccentric proprietor, as a tale of love transcending culture, language and gender unfolds to rhythms created by his staff, a ragtag crew of musicians. It will run 11 to 29 September at 8pm (no Sunday or Monday performances) at Absoe Carpark, West End. Thanks to Rice Is Nice we have two copies up for grabs of the new album from Good Heavens. It’s called Strange Dreams and features the single It’s Not Easy Being Mean.

Something From Nothing: The Art Of Rap is a performance documentary about the runaway juggernaut that is hip hop. It will screen for one night only at Dendy Portside on Wednesday 29 August at 7pm and we have five double passes to give away! It stars Afrika Bambaataa, Eminem, Nas, Mos

Stereo Addicts are playing The Hi-Fi on Thursday 23 August and we have got two double passes up for grabs! Entrants must be 18+.

HEAD TO TIME OFF’S FACEBOOK PAGE TO ENTER

ISSUE 1591

W E D N E S D AY 2 2 A U G U S T 2 0 1 2

TIME OFF Foreword Line – news, opinions, tours, Backlash, Frontlash 14 Our very own Kate Miller-Heidke is riding high after releasing her finest record to date Children Collide have faced some mammoth changes in recent times What’s happening with Bodyjar these days? We get to the bottom of it Obits are one of the best garage rock bands on the planet right now, and they’re coming to Brisbane With another big album under his belt Xavier Rudd is on his way back to Brisbane After all these years Soul Asylum are still hitting heavy Dave Graney talks about his new record On the eve of her first Aussie visit, we catch up with Maria Minerva Local instrumentalists Ghost Notes have another release for us The Gold Coast’s Fairchild Republic are on the up and up Ex-Yellow Swan Pete Swanson chats about his latest work American pop punk exponents Transit are keen to see us again The new Catherine Britt record is her finest yet, she chats to us prior to her dates with Tim Rogers It seems everyone loves Chance Waters; find out why On The Record has the latest, greatest and the not so greatest new musical releases

Chris Yates spotlights the best (and worst) tracks for the week in Singled Out

FRONT ROW 18 20 23 24 25 26 27 27 28 28 28 28 30 30 32

CREDITS

EDITORIAL Group Managing Editor: Andrew Mast Editor: Steve Bell Contributing Editor: Dan Condon Front Row Editor: Cassandra Fumi Interns: Keagan Elder, Sophia De Marco ADVERTISING Advertising Account Executives: James Tidswell, Alex Iveson DESIGN & LAYOUT Cover Design/Designer: Matt Davis ACCOUNTS & ADMINISTRATION Administration: Leanne Simpson Accounts: Marcus Treweek CONTRIBUTORS: Time Off: Ben Preece, Dan Condon, Daniel Johnson, Chris Yates, Matt O’Neill, Adam Curley, Lochlan Watt, Carlin Beattie, Tyler McLoughlan, Mitch Knox, Sam Hobson, Rachel Tinney, Tony McMahon, Benny Doyle, Jake Sun, Helen Stringer, Brendan Telford, Rip Nicholson, Cyclone, Amber McCormick, Brad Swob, Siobhain McDonnell, Sky Kirkham, Bradley Armstrong, Carley Hall, Eleanor Houghton, 12 • TIME OFF

themusic.com.au

Check out what’s happening This Week In Arts Fatboy Slim levels about his new movie on that infamous beach-doof spectacular in Brighton Felix Nobis talks about the importance of performance to poetry on the eve of the Queensland Poetry Festival Circus Trick Tease chat to us about dysfunctional relationships Saia Hanlon talks about his new show The Looking Glass pleads with us to say no to 50 Shades Of Grey Baz McAlister does a rock star Cultural Cringe column

34 34 34 35 35 35 35

BACK TO TIME OFF! Get the drum on all the coolest happenings in local music last week, this week and beyond in Live Dan Condon gets the dirt on the blues scene from the Roots Down Lochlan Watt gives you brutal metal news in Adamantium Wolf Adam Curley cuts sick with another musical pop culture rant in The Breakdown Cyclone has the wide urban world covered with some OG Flavas Go behind the music Behind The Lines

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Madeleine Laing, Tom Hersey Front Row: Baz McAlister, Mandy Kohler, Lauren Dillon, Adam Brunes, Matt O’Neill, Mitch Knox, Jessica Mansour, Guy Davis, Rowena Grant-Frost, Danielle O’Donohue, Helen Stringer, Alice Muhling Photography: Stephen Booth, Kane Hibberd, Terry Soo, John Taylor, John Stubbs EDITORIAL POLICY The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder. © PUBLISHER: Street Press Australia Pty Ltd Suite 11/354 Brunswick Street Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 POSTAL: Locked Bag 4300 Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 Phone: 07 3252 9666 Email: info@timeoff.com.au Rural Press

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FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

WINTER IN SPRING

Helmed by singer, songwriter, multiinstrumentalist and visual artist Dylan Baskind, Winter People have blossomed into a sprawling six-piece, combining the pastoral harmonies of the old world, with the bitter edges of the new one. Winter People create songs of the modern wilderness on their debut album, A Year At Sea, out 21 September. Since bursting into the spotlight in 2010, the group’s timeless compositions – including j-faves Wishingbone and Gallons – have seen them become the object of local and international adoration. To celebrate the album’s release, they’re hitting the road to celebrate with special guests Founds and play The Zoo Wednesday 12 September; Black Bear Lodge Thursday 4 October; Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Friday 5; The Loft, Gold Coast Saturday 6; and Live Spark at the Brisbane Powerhouse Sunday 7 (all-ages). Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.

IN BRIEF The Pennywise shows set to happen on the Gold Coast on Thursday and in Brisbane on Friday are now cancelled due to a back injury sustained by frontman Zoli Teglas.

ATLAS ROCKED

Byron Bay’s Parkway Drive will embark on their most ambitious Australian tour this December to coincide with the release of their hugely anticipated fourth album, Atlas. Recorded in Los Angeles with esteemed producer Matt Hyde (Slayer, Hatebreed, Sum 41, Alkaline Trio), the soon-to-be-released Atlas is yet another leap forward for the chart-topping Australian group, whose previous effort, 2010’s Deep Blue, took out the ARIA award for Best Hard Rock and Metal release. The new album’s heightened ambition has led to plans for a more elaborate live show. December’s Atlas Australian Tour also boasts a killer all Australian line-up, with support coming from three exciting local acts, I Killed The Prom Queen, Northlane and Survival. They play Byron Bay High School on Thursday 13 December and Brisbane Riverstage on Friday 14 (both shows all ages). Tickets via Ticketmaster, Oztix and Afends (Byron Bay).

SPOT THIS

Spotify, the world’s biggest and music streaming service of its kind, today announced plans for a (slightly belated) Brisbane launch party. Partnering with local promoters Treats Collective, Spotify will take over the infamous Cobra Kai Club at Oh Hello! next Thursday 23 August from 7pm and will host some of Queensland’s hottest emerging live acts in Gung Ho, Velociraptor and Woe & Flutter, with more to be announced. All guests through the door will receive a Spotify Premium trial card upon entry and there will be giveaways, live music and DJs all night long. Follow Spotify via Facebook and Twitter for VIP guest ticket giveaways and event updates.

14 • TIME OFF

Twenty-two-year-old Timothy Brockhurst has died at the British V Festival over the weekend, pronounced dead in the early hours of Sunday morning after being found in his tent following a set from The Killers. All four members of Savannah, Georgia hard rock band Baroness as well as their crew were sent to hospital last week following a serious bus crash in the UK.

ON THE WAGON

The first band ever signed to Fat Wreck Chords and arguably the definitive act on the label, Lagwagon, were pioneers in creating the nowfamous ‘Fat Wreck sound’ with their speedy drums, guitar virtuosity and undeniable melodies. They’ve influenced hundreds of thousands of kids, been around the world more times than Ferdinand Magellan and twisted and redefined themselves over the course of a career that spans almost 25 years. With 141 songs being polished up and set loose on the world, expect some real dusties alongside all your favourites as they will only be playing the classics. Get back on the wagon with them and special guests The Smith Street Band on Wednesday 28 November at The Hi-Fi and Thursday 29 at the Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast. Tickets via thehifi.com.au and Oztix.

The three imprisoned members of feminist punk collective, Pussy Riot, were found guilty of hooliganism in Moscow on Friday afternoon and have been sentenced to two years in jail.

HIGH TIMES

Underground thrash-sludge messiahs High On Fire have set a new standard in doom metal. Boasting apocalyptic riffage and gravel-gargling vocals, their latest opus Snakes For The Devil solidifies them as one of the most important bands in metal today, Absolute Punk affirming, “…the band has burned the metal rulebook and forged a new archetype.” It’s rare to encounter a band that combines this much brute force with such intelligence and expertly orchestrated songs. Equal parts molten metal and earthquake panic, High On Fire’s punishing live show is descending upon The Zoo on Sunday 30 September (long weekend). Tickets via Oztix from August 24.

OPEN POWER HOUSE

Evocative song and synth pulsations care of some of the finest underground music icons from Europe and America will be on display on Thursday 4 October at the Brisbane Powerhouse when Benoit Pioulard, Mist and High Wolf appear for Open Frame 2012. USA-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Benoît Pioulard albums have Pitchfork summarising that “for those drawn to dark, hermetic, electroacoustic folk, this is comfort food”. Joining him is the French pyramid mystic and guru of sound, High Wolf. Working amidst a flutter of deep grooves, delayed instruments and dense explosions of tone, High Wolf’s music is cosmic in its scope. Rounding out the bill is American synth duo Mist, whose recent album, House, is an affecting journey through wandering synth lines and gently chaotic pulses. Catch all these fine acts plus a screening of Generator – a powerful new collaborative work between Makino Takashi and Jim O’Rourke. Tickets via the venue.

themusic.com.au

Cub Scouts picked up two awards at this year’s Queensland Music Awards – Song of the Year and the Pop Award – while Ben Salter took the coveted Album of the Year title for his solo debut The Cat. Melbourne’s Little Red announced their split last week after speculation over their future had been mounting since an exodus of members. Aussies Tim Minchin and Jason Donovan are set to feature on BBC’s Never Mind The Buzzcocks this week, Minchin the latest guest to take on the role of host for a week following Simon Amstell’s departure.

MULL THIS OVER!

Thursday 22 til Sunday 25 November sees the return of the Mullum Music Festival in Mullumbimby, 15 minutes north of Byron Bay. Ranked by the Sydney Morning Herald as one of the country’s top Australian five music festivals in 2011, this year’s line-up keeps the good times flowing with legendary Jamaican vocal trio The Abyssinians and their nine-piece band, blues/African roots master Boubacar Traroé, Chicago singer/songwriter Joe Pug, Chilean world music star Nano Stern, and London’s Will & The People. And that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, with Husky, Darren Percival, Tinpan Orange, Mama Kin, King Tide, Vince Jones, Tim Freedman, Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes, pictured, Electric Empire, Gossling; Winter People; Mia Dyson; Joe Robinson; Liz Stringer; Hat Fitz & Cara Robinson; and heaps more joining in the fun. For the full line-up and ticketing details for ‘The Biggest Little Music Festival In Australia’, head to mullummusicfestival.com.au.

GOOD VIBES

Returning for its seventh year, Island Vibe Festival retains its reputation as one of the finest reggae, soul and dub events in the entire South Pacific. Island Vibe boogies down Friday 26-Sunday 28 October at Point Lookout on Stradbroke Island, and organisers have just unleashed the breadth of the line-up for this year’s event. Joining the already announced The Original Wailers, Prince Alla & Mr Savona, JPod, Chant Down Sound, Kooii, The Upsteppers, Ganga Giri, Antiheroes and Rhythm Collision Sound are: Kiwis Cornerstone Roots and 1814, KingTide, Mama Kin, Lotek & Die Rude, Fyah Walk, The Strides, Bunna Lawrie & The Whale Dreamers, Bankrupt Billionaires, Blunt Instrument, Sean Choolburra, 1 Dragon 2 Dragon, One Dread, Bullhorn, Band Of Frequencies, Ghetto Fire Sound, Blaze Fire Sound, The Rusty Datsuns, The Leisure Bandits, Hayden Hack Infusion and CC The Cat. For more line-up announcements, tickets and more info stay tuned to head to islandvibe.com.au.

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FOREWORD LINE

NEWS FROM THE FRONT

PLUS ONE SOUNDS

IN BRIEF Mike Patton has confirmed that he has finished recording both the new Mondo Cane and Tomahawk records. They are in the country for the Harvest and Soundwave festivals respectively.

BRAGGING RIGHTS

Due to overwhelming demand, Billy Bragg will be performing additional shows on his upcoming tour, which sees Bragg performing a special two-part show: the first half celebrating Woody Guthrie, and the second exploring Bragg’s own repertoire, highlighting the songs from his almost-three-decade, 14-album career. In addition to his Thursday 25 October show at QPAC, Bragg will now appear at The Hi-Fi on Friday 26 October. Tickets via qtix. com.au, thehifi.com.au and all Moshtix outlets. Also just announced, Melbourne’s Jordie Lane will join him as the special guest for the entire tour. Lane will be busting out plenty of his own back catalogue, along with new single Fool For Love, due in September. Whether Bragg’s politicallycharged lyrics will rub off on him remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure says Lane, “I know I’ll learn a lot about music and a lot about life”. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.

MATCHBOX TWENTY TWELVE

This October sees the return of Matchbox Twenty, in their first Australian dates since 2008, and following the release of their fourth full-length studio album North. It’ll be their sixth Australian tour, and the shows will feature a smattering of tracks from their back catalogue plus a selection of songs from their new album. They’re joined by INXS, touring with new lead vocalist Ciaran Gribbin and performing their own greatest hits-heavy, hour-long set as they celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of their classic Kick album. The Rob Thomas-led Matchbox Twenty have sold more than 30 million records since their 1997 inception, including their ARIA #1 and ten-times platinum Yourself Or Someone Like You, More Than You Think You Are and Exile On Mainstream. Catch them and INXS Saturday 27 October at Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Tickets via livenation.com.au from Friday 31 August.

WANT TO COME UP

Brisbane band We All Want To have a new album, entitled Come Up Invisible, due for digital release on 27 August and in record stores from 7 September. Boasting members from some of Brisbane’s best-loved bands, We All Want To are essential on record and completely undeniable live; their shows a primal collision of poppy punk, sweet folk, gritty blues and grandiose soundscapes, swirled into sing-along anthems and intimate whispers, at once powerful and fragile. They’re getting well busy over the next couple of months on the touring front to celebrate Come Up Invisible, and they play the Plus One Records Showcase at The Zoo Tuesday 11 September, BIGSOUND Showcase at Black Bear Lodge Thursday 13; and an intimate show at Black Bear again Sunday 30; before winding up the full national tour on Friday 2 November at Alhambra Lounge.

HAPPIER DAYS

Due to last minute complications 4ZZZ’s Get Happier event has changed its Friday 24 August venue to Black Bear Lodge. Saturday 25 will still go ahead at the Bridge Club and for those that have bought the two-night ticket option through Oztix, these will still be valid. And in case you hadn’t already got onto the tickets situation, here’s a little band refresher: Friday – Bitch Prefect, Holy Balm, Sarah Mary Chadwick, Sky Needle and Tight Slip. Saturday – New War, The Garbage & The Flowers, Terrible Truths, Rat King and Cannon. Single tickets are $14 for subscribers or $18, doubles are $25 or $30 via Oztix. 16 • TIME OFF

EMI have announced they will be holding their annual conference while in Brisbane for BIGSOUND next month. This means all of the company’s Australian and some of their New Zealand staff will descend upon Brisbane early September.

ARCADE CITY

After an incredible run so far in 2012, and with no signs of slowing down, Deep Sea Arcade have been killing it since the release of their debut longplayer Outlands earlier this year. The release had plenty of love here and also abroad (currently #50 on America’s CMJ top 200 charts), and now the Sydney five-piece have released a new single Granite City and announced its accompanying tour. As with recent singles Seen No Right and Steam, Granite City has hooks more infectious than the common cold and is fast becoming a live favourite at their shows. After they wrap up their current tour with Bluejuice and head over to the UK and Europe for the next couple of months, they’re taking good friends The Preatures on tour, playing The Zoo Friday 16 November. $18+BF via Oztix/$22 door.

Todd Wagstaff and Jo Walker’s Parker & Mr French management company have announced a deal with Universal Music Australia, which will create a distribution channel for the roster’s artists. Gypsy & The Cat and Evermore are the first to opt in. It was announced last week that Tasmanian songstress ASTA took out this year’s triple j Unearthed High, with her song, My Heart Is On Fire. Italian prog legends Goblin have been announced as the headliners of the Melbourne Music Week event. No word on whether they will make it to Brisbane. The soundtrack for new film The Sapphires has debuted in the top spot on the ARIA charts this week, dislodging Ed Sheeran from the top spot.

Plus One Records and Time Off are presenting a showcase evening of Brisbane talent at The Zoo on Tuesday 11 September. Running a day before BIGSOUND is set to kick off, the night features some awesome door prizes including flights, festival tickets and more, but more important than all of that biz is the bands, and joining the initial announcement of We All Want To, Dubmarine and Halfway are burgeoning national heroes The Medics. The Medics are having a cracking 2012 so far following the release of their debut album Foundations, along with their recent success at the National Indigenous Music Awards. Add to that the indie super-group that is We All Want To, the eight-piece country workhorse Halfway and the high-powered, high-energy dub, dancehall, reggae and d’n’b sub-bass vessel Dubmarine, and things are looking mighty fine. There’s still more to be announced, so grab your $15 plus BF tickets from Oztix (or free with a BIGSOUND pass).

BRITISH BULL-DOGS

FINE & DANDO

Long time friends and musical collaborators Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield tour Australia this December, performing an entire set side by side. The duo will deliver acoustic versions of their expansive back catalogues, including songs by The Lemonheads, Blake Babies, their own solo material and some covers. In 1986, a then 19-year-old Hatfield first introduced herself to Dando in a Boston pizza shop, having watched The Lemonheads perform the evening prior, and the pair formed a close friendship and musical bond that has lasted more than 25 years. Dando’s Lemonheads released ten studio albums, including the 1992 classic It’s A Shame About Ray, on which Hatfield played bass. Likewise Dando helped out on bass for a short period during Hatfield’s time with The Blake Babies. Supported by Bambino Koresh, the new project for members of Smudge, Sneeze and Godstar, they play The Zoo on Sunday 16 December. Tickets via handsometours.com, thezoo.com.au and Oztix.

STATIC INSTRUMENTS

One of the world’s most popular instrumental groups, 65Daysofstatic, have announced their first ever visit to Australia, performing headline shows around the country to coincide with their Peats Ridge appearance. The tour follows the recent announcement of the release of their back catalogue in Australia, beginning with their latest We Were Exploding Anyway/Heavy Sky featuring Robert Smith (The Cure), followed by deluxe editions of their first three albums. Their most recent records The Destruction Of Small Ideas and We Were Exploding Anyway have seen the band shift into an electronic-based sound that has seen them compared to peers such as Battles and Aphex Twin. Straddling both rock and electronica, the band have created a hybrid sound that’s truly unique, and we get our first chance to experience it Thursday 3 January at The Hi-Fi. Tickets via thehifi.com.au.

To mark the release of their new single I Can Make You Love Me, British India are hitting the road to rock’n’roll around the nation. I Can Make You Love Me has become a radio staple since its release, and now the band have unveiled the highly-anticipated video behind the song. Featuring a lovelorn Minotaur (!), the clip was directed by Oh Yeah Wow, the team behind a myriad of incredible work including Gotye’s stop-motion clip for Easy Way Out. So check the video – the Minotaur head took over five hours to graft onto the actor, who had to sleep with it still on due to the early morning shoot start – and start planning which show you’ll be checking. Presented by Street Press Australia, they play Kings Beach Tavern on Friday 9 November and The Zoo Saturday 10. Tickets via Oztix.

FINALLY TIME

All good things come to those who wait, and while Charlie Mayfair may have taken a little extra time to hit the touring trail following the release of their Fall In Time EP, they’ve finally announced they’re taking their newly-evolved sound to the east coast to celebrate. Stepping out for the first time as a quartet, the shows will see Hannah Shepherd step into the role as the fiery frontwoman and solo lead vocalist for the group. The tour also follows the rousing success of the band’s most recent single Waste Me – impeccably crafted and bolstered by a feverish delivery and one of the year’s most gloriously haunting videos. Joining the touring trek are the sweet pop strokes of Sydney duo The Falls, and they play Alhambra Lounge on Thursday 27 September and Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay on Friday 28. Tickets via Oztix, presented by Street Press Australia.

BACKLASH

FRONTLASH

Dear Putin, you can’t lock up bad bands just because you don’t like them, we all want that power but it’s just wrong. Nah seriously, the treatment of the arts in Russia is verging on matching that of the LNP in Queensland ie. seriously fucked. Free Pussy Riot now (sounds a bit rude)…

Last week’s QMA Awards were an awesome way to shine a light on just how much amazing talent we have sitting here under our noses. Get out and support local bands, we’re on the verge of something really special here but it’s no good without punters…

I WANNA RIOT

THINK LOCAL

GET A LOADER THIS

RADIO GAGA

Well Front End Loader winning an ARIA hasn’t made them play any more than they used to, but at least they’ve done something constructive (finally) and released their own beer with Sydney brewer Young Henrys. Get into it, it’s easily the best thing they’ve ever done…

So Triple M tries to be all coolsie and hold a Facebook competition to see if their listeners want to ban Nickelback, and then they get the requisite number of likes and renege on the deal? What the fuck is going on in commercial radio land? That heinous band would be fuck all without their support anyway, it’s all sickening…

C’MON AUSSIE!

RICE IS RIGHT? Holy fuck, has everybody seen Stephanie Rice’s newly updated Olympic tattoo? Nothing wrong with tatts per se, just that Steph’s is the WORST! TATTOO! EVER!

Steph’s prison ink

themusic.com.au

How good is the Kerry Packer mini-series Howzat? The acting and all that sort of malarkey is fine, we’re more excited about revisiting a bygone age where a good sturdy moustache was a status symbol and nobody trusted non-drinkers or non-smokers!

The CBD’s premiere

party venue JONSON STREET BYRON BAY Fri 24 Aug

TIM ROGERS Sat 25 Aug

KIT BRAY BAND Sun 26 Aug

CHILDREN COLLIDE

Free F ree e entry ntry a all ll n night ight IIP P sections sections a available vailable

Fri 31 Aug

PIGEON Sat 1 Sept

SPRING SWING WITH ONE TASTY MORSEL Sat 8 Sept

What’s the craic @ Irish Murphy’s? Wednesday 22nd Locky 8PM

FAT ALBERT

4OURPLAY Thursday 23rd

Sun 9 Sept

Friday 24th Casey Fogg 5pm

KATCHAFIRE

Saturday 25th Ger Fennelly 3pm

Fri 14 Sept

URTHBOY Sat 15 Sept

KING CANNONS

TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE

9PM 9PM 9PM

Craic’n Sunday y 26th

Ger Fennelly 12PM

8PM

Monday 27th B-Rad 8PM Tuesday 28th Woody Lives Here 8PM

Cnr George and Elizabeth Streets, Brisbane Ph 3221 4377 irishmurphys.com.au

Live music 7 nights a week

www.thenorthern.com.au TIME OFF • 17

I GUESS THIS IS GROWING UP WHERE’S THE FAT?

Between her sophomore album Curiouser and new album Nightflight, Kate Miller-Heidke and husband Keir Nuttall recorded and released a self-titled album as Fatty Gets A Stylist – their lead single Are You Ready? actually since used to advertise both Channel Seven and the New York Lottery. So – what happens to it now? “Look, the people that love that record, really love it – and I stand by it, I think it’s an excellent album – but there were a number of reasons why it failed. I mean, firstly, the name was considered offensive,” the singer-songwriter laughs. “We actually had to release it in the US as a Kate Miller-Heidke solo album called Liberty Belle because they considered the name to be offensive. Secondly, we just couldn’t tour it. “When I say it failed, though, I just mean it didn’t sell as well as our other stuff,” she clarifies. “There’s still people that come up at every show and ask about it but it never sold that well. Ironically, it’s still probably the most lucrative thing we’ve ever produced. We’re still getting paid for it being used to advertise the New York Lottery. It’s made way more money than any of our so-called hits! “I don’t know. I really do think that project would have been judged differently if people didn’t know it was us,” she sighs. “Originally, it was supposed to be a secret. Just a weird little anonymous project we could use to get that music out there. Once it was kind of announced that it was us, it became a much bigger deal that it was supposed to be – and I think people were disappointed when it didn’t sound like any of our other stuff. I don’t think I’ll be doing anything like it again anytime soon, anyway.” arguably culminating in electronic side-project Fatty Gets A Stylist (see sidebar), Nightflight sees the Brisbane singer-songwriter strip her musical identity back to its foundations. Less concerned with covering up or amplifying her personality, she seems willing to simply let her music speak for itself.

Indie-songstress, pop star, opera singer – Kate Miller-Heidke’s done it all. Ahead of her latest national tour, Matt O’Neill speaks to the Brisbane singer-songwriter about her most recent transformation.

ate Miller-Heidke hates her albums. Her words, not ours. Her output to date has been received well both critically and commercially. In 2007, debut album Little Eve climbed to #11 on the ARIA charts – eventually certified gold. Follow-up record Curiouser, released in 2008, hit #2 and was certified platinum. In 2009, her single Caught In The Crowd won the International Songwriting Competition. She hates them, though. “Oh, I can’t even listen to it,” she responds when asked – with almost alarming speed. “It makes me want to slit my wrists. It’s probably my biggest influence; wanting to be different from the last thing I did – because I hate it. Right now, I’m kind of still in the honeymoon phase with this new record. I’m feeling pretty good about it all. I know in six months, though, that I’ll hate myself again. That’ll be the impetus to make something better.” That album is Nightflight – Miller-Heidke’s third solo album, released earlier this year. It’s a definite departure from her prior work. Having original risen to fame through her work as an opera singer, MillerHeidke’s work has always possessed a bent for the quirky and theatrical – from breakthrough hit Words through to viral comedy song R U F*cking Kidding Me? (The Facebook Song). Nightflight is different. It’s not entirely of this world. It’s ambitious; august and magical. Still, there’s a humility and directness that’s always been somewhat buried on MillerHeidke’s previous albums. Where previous album Curiouser was recorded in California with one-half of production duo The Dust Brothers (Beastie Boys, Beck), Nightflight was written by Miller-Heidke and her husband and collaborator Keir Nuttall in Nuttall’s grandparents’ house in Toowoomba.

that... lush, organic, thing,” she elaborates. “The new material has actually been working really well live. It’s great, actually. The new songs have given the show much more depth and scope, I think. It’s been great bringing all the material together. I rework some of the old songs and just plain chuck the ones I hate.”

him about it. He told me he still feels like a fraud of a musician as well. That generally made me feel a lot better,” she laughs. “Honestly, it’s actually a good thing, sometimes, I think. I think it’s good to guard against complacency. You know, if you’re always feeling dissatisfied...”

It seems to coincide with a greater shift of perspectives for Miller-Heidke – both as an individual and as an artist. Contrary to her (wellearned) reputation as an exceptionally gifted entertainer, Miller-Heidke has always seemed to struggle with her own form of celebrity. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there’s always been a significant disconnect between Kate Miller-Heidke as a performer and Kate Miller-Heidke as a person.

Her recent guest appearance on ABC’s Q&A – and the resulting complications – go some way toward illustrating Miller-Heidke’s issue. As a guest-panellist, she copped considerable criticism for not offering sufficient critical comment on the Federal Budget. Though later defending herself quite eloquently, she generally doesn’t seem comfortable with a world where musicians are judged on anything other than their music.

“

RIGHT NOW, I’M KIND OF STILL IN THE HONEYMOON PHASE WITH THIS NEW RECORD. I’M FEELING PRETTY GOOD ABOUT IT ALL. I KNOW IN SIX MONTHS, THOUGH, THAT I’LL HATE MYSELF AGAIN.”

Onstage; Miller-Heidke is effortless. Her prodigious skill as a musician, coupled with her theatrical experience as an opera singer, allows her to titillate an audience through a beguiling mix of vocal pyrotechnics and witty charisma. In conversation; Miller-Heidke isn’t quite as comfortable. She’s guarded – her speech punctuated by long pauses, choosing her words carefully; often asking questions to clarify exactly what’s meant by each inquiry.

“We spent a long time making the record exactly the way that it needed to be made,” Miller-Heidke says of the process. “There was a lot of exploring that had to be done – but I guess I had a vision of what I wanted the essence of the record to be. I wanted to somehow capture the spirit and the dynamics of the acoustic live shows that we’ve been doing over the years.

“I think turning thirty was a huge milestone for me. It really did have an impact on the way I look at my life and the world around me,” she reflects, before laughing. “But, no, I don’t feel like I know what I’m doing most of the time. Most of the time I feel like a total fraud. Occasionally, I get flashes of maturity. Very occasionally. Most of the time, though, I feel like a fraud – in music, in general life.

“We’ve done hundreds of them over the last couple of years and I really wanted to somehow capture

“I actually did a big tour with Ben Folds in the US recently and I had a big conversation with

18 • TIME OFF

“I feel like, as I get older, I just want to be myself a bit more, to be honest,” she says. “You know, I still love doing work with the theatre – getting to work with the English National Opera, for example, was absolutely amazing, a dream come true – but that’s all the escapism I think I really need in my life. Otherwise, I’m pretty happy with just doing what I’ve been doing. “I do think Nightflight, as an album, came out of that sense of maturity, of turning thirty. Like I said, turning thirty felt like a huge milestone for me. I’ve found myself quite liking growing older. It’s equal parts terrifying and liberating.” she laughs. “It’s a much more mature album. You know, I hope young people like it as well – I hope everyone likes it, really – but it’s an album for adults.” It’s reflected in her career as well. Whereas at one point, Miller-Heidke made a concentrated effort to navigate herself away from classical singing and into popular music, she has started to flit between the two realms quite comfortably. The coming months, for example, will see her complete her own national tour in support of Nightflight, tour the United States with Ben Folds Five, before heading over to London to again perform with the English National Opera. “I am surprised to still be doing classical singing, actually. I don’t do everything. You know, I’m not singing Mozart. This latest opera is written by David Mitchell, who is my favourite author, and they were looking for an opera singer with a pop sensibility so I just had to do it. I think I just grew up a bit,” she muses. “You know, things that used to seem really important or boundaries that used to be a big deal just don’t matter as much.

“Sometimes it is all too self-referential for my taste. I don’t like having to always consider how other people are going to view me or how they’re going to interpret what I say. I don’t like that aspect of the music industry,” she reflects. “I do regret going on Q&A, in retrospect. It would have been fine had it not been the budget special – and had I not been so stubborn. I should have done some research.

“I don’t know. As a musician, doing what I do, the idea of the future is absolutely terrifying for me. You know, I really enjoyed working with the English National Opera, so I’d maybe like to do one of those shows every year for the next twenty years or so. Other than that, I just desperately hope I don’t get too old or too bored or whatever to not keep writing songs. Those are really my only goals.

“But, really, I just don’t think people want to hear that shit from musicians, you know? Like, I don’t want to alienate conservative people or Christian people or whoever. Anyone can find something in a song. Music can really unite people. That’s one of its main functions,” she counters. “I don’t want to see my favourite musician blabbing about the budget on Q&A. I want that person to live in a more sacred space.”

“I mean, I don’t have a back-up plan. This is it for me. There are times where I have thought of just packing it in, having six kids and moving to Mullumbimby,” she laughs. “But, thankfully, I didn’t follow up on that...”

To this end, Nightflight feels like an important record for Kate Miller-Heidke. After a series of increasingly stylised and theatrical endeavours,

themusic.com.au

WHO: Kate Miller-Heidke WHAT: Nightflight (Sony) WHERE & WHEN: Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 August, The Hi-Fi

Who says it’s not about the music anymore?

Billy Bragg & Wilco

Jeff The Brotherhood

Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions

Hypnotic Nights

A four-disc set in celebration of centennial year of Woody Guthrie’s birth.

Co-produced by Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) Single ‘Sixpack’ currently playing on Triple J and communities

Set includes two original ‘Mermaid Avenue’ albums plus a third disc of previously unreleased material from the sessions and the ‘Man in the Sand’ documentary. Billy Bragg’s ‘Ain’t Nobody That Can Sing Like Me’ Australian tour, incorporating Billy’s celebration of the music of Woody Guthrie, happens in October. Go to vivleespresents.com for details.

Punch Brothers Who’s Feeling Young Now? SOLD OUT SHOWS IN MELBOURNE, SYDNEY AND ADELAIDE. The band that T Bone Burnett has called “one of the most incredible bands (America) has ever produced.” “Punch Brothers are a superb cutting-edge band, exploring the outer edges of modern music, who happen to be bluegrass virtuosos.” – BRUCE ELDER, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD.

TOUR AUSTRALIA FOR 2013 BIG DAY OUT ‘Why the hell aren’t you listening to it?’ – STEREOGUM

Chris Robinson Brotherhood Big Moon Ritual DEBUT ALBUM OUT NOW. “… a slim portfolio of long songs which morph between country, rock, soul and the avant-garde, with guitar work redolent of the Dead and Allmans.” 9/10 - UNCUT. “… a compelling trip. Can’t wait for part two.” - RHYTHMS Exclusive Australian edition of new companion album ‘The Magic Door’ – with 3 extra songs - OUT SEPTEMBER 7.

Boogie! Australian Blues, R&B and Heavy Rock from the ‘70S’

Ry Cooder Election Special A wakeup call as the U.S. heads towards its November Presidential Election. Includes “Mutt Romney Blues”, “The Wall Street Part of Town” and “Guantanamo”. “In a recording career that stretches back more than four decades, Cooder has never before made an album as immediate as Election Special… an impassioned screed against the dumbing down of America…” 9/10 - Uncut “Ry has proved equal to the crying need of the times….” ++++ - MOJO

WWW.WARNERMUSIC.COM.AU

WWW.NONESUCH.COM

A TWO-DISC CELEBRATION OF BLUES-BASED OZ SOUNDS OF THE ‘70S. 44 TRACKS: Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, Chain, Carson, La De Da’s, Madder Lake, Cold Chisel, Daddy Cool, Skyhooks, Rose Tattoo, Lobby Loyde & the Coloured Balls, Max Merritt & the Meteors, Wendy Saddington, Spectrum, the Dingoes, Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons, Sports, Masters Apprentices, Stevie Wright, Buffalo, Blackfeather, Ariel, Kevin Borich Express, Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band and more! Original cover art by Ian McCausland, liner-notes by Jen Jewel Brown.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/INDOCHINERECORDINGS

TIME OFF • 19

FACING THE TRUTH Melbourne power trio Children Collide are finally on the road in support of their excellent third album, Monument. Sounding chipper, frontman Johnny Mackay gets Ben Preece up to speed.

s one of the forerunning rock outfits currently doing the rounds in Australia, it’s safe to say that Children Collide are also one of the most hard-working. Of course, to merely stuff the trio into a category so broad as ‘rock’ also seems a tad unfair, as their new Monument album is a fitting testament to their ambitions. Their third long-player brims with colour, specifically psychedelic post-punk/ pop that isn’t short of a riff or two, and a batch of tracks which nestle comfortably with some of Johnny Mackay’s most personal musings yet. Mackay, the singer-songwriter guitarist and all-round good guy for Children Collide, is in Mexico “just hanging out” following an extended

writing trip to New York. Clearly a prolific writer, it seems he’s just keeping the songwriter pen busy between projects. “Oh, it’s not for Children Collide necessarily,” he laughs. “There are a lot of bands out there that just do the one thing, but for me, or for us rather, we definitely need some time out to play around, do other things so we can come back, make Children Collide interesting and get a new angle on everything each time. I’ve been away to write some other stuff that I wanted to finish and make sense of. I was bringing a whole range of different songs to the band, a lot that doesn’t fit so I guess this trip has just been about fucking with all of that.” And of course, that begs the question of whether there’d ever be a solo jaunt on the cards for Mackay. “In all honesty, I write hundreds and hundreds of songs in all different ways,” he responds carefully. “If a group of those songs come together in some kind of way and become a project then, maybe, I guess that could happen. I don’t really know, I just really like finishing things.” Monument has done nothing to tarnish Children Collide’s already flawless catalogue. Its influences seem to come from far and wide and the process simply seemed a little more focussed – the band abandoned the norm of heading overseas to record and instead bunkered down with Paul “Woody” Annison in Melbourne. “I think for the other guys, it was a lot more focussed,” Mackay explains. “For me, when we’ve been away in another country and I haven’t known anyone there, there was no temptation of distraction – I’d go to the studio through the day, go home to the hotel, chill and repeat process the next day. In Melbourne, all my friends are there, there are parties and shit going on that I know about and the temptation is everywhere to go off the rails or whatever. The other guys were loving the fact that they could get up and drive or ride three minutes from their own bed to the studio. I feel like we got there. “This time around, as we do records more and more, I get more and more closed off in the vocal booth. This time around, I had to have it pitch black and I had this robe that I bought in Turkey and I’d always wear this singing robe. I also had these bells that my Mum gave me years ago, which I tried to get into one of these vocal takes – it was pissing Woody off so much.” Prefacing the following with the undeniable fact that Mackay is an entirely open, charming and likeable fellow, talk of bells, robes and reports that influences on Monument included the likes of Boney M will polarise some. Hell, even the line in Prussian Blue – “I’ve been contemplating su-su-sussido” – would be sacrilege for some, mashing Nick Cave’s The Boys Next Door with Phil Collins as it does. “I am a massive wanker,” he laughs. “I love Boney M! You know what I think it is – people in Australia take themselves way too seriously and it’s way too boring. All this just comes from loving music though, and reacting to the stuff you don’t like – the weird conglomeration of elements around you. Everyone should just admit they’re wankers, we’re all wankers – if we’re musicians, we’re wankers! You’re just wanking with a guitar, a piano or with your mouth or whatever – hang on, that didn’t sound right. You know what I mean.” Wanking aside, Mackay is itching to get out on the road and finally play songs from his new record. Armed with a new drummer, Mackay reveals the band has somewhat of a new lease on life as they head into this tour. “I think this’ll be the biggest one we’ve ever done date-wise,” Mackay reveals. “These are the first sets in a long time we’re going to be conscious of changing the tried and true songs and segues and all that. It’s evolved over time and we’ve thrown new songs in, new orders in, opened with different things, ended with different things and over thousands of gigs, you eventually learn what works and what doesn’t. Those things will come into play but I guess we’ll see if what I say is right when these shows kick off. “We just really enjoy playing live and it’s the thing we’ve done more than anything else,” he continues thoughtfully. “Spending some time in New York and London, we Australians sure have to work harder. It’s a country where you need to be good live and work hard to keep it there. We have a new lease on life at the moment with a new drummer and a new bunch of songs to play, we’re excited to turn it on its head a little bit and do something that looks and sounds different. I think I want to start the set in complete darkness or something weird like that.” Founding drummer Ryan Caesar quit earlier this year, immediately prior to the release of Monument. The band has held strong and seemingly not missed a beat, despite losing a key member in what was undoubtedly terrible timing. “A band is like being married to a bunch of people you’re not attracted to, you know,” he explains with an analogy. “There comes a time when you shouldn’t be in a creative relationship and it took a long time for us to recognise that. There are so many other things that come along with that – the relationship with the other people around the band and in the band and everything you’ve shared. But anyway, it was a long time coming and it’s funny because, you know, I have nothing but nice things to say about Ryan, he’s a great dude and a fucking amazing drummer. So with the new drummer Mitch [McGregor], it feels like we’re starting a new band, but we just happen to have this bunch of songs to play.” WHO: Children Collide WHAT: Monument (Universal) WHEN AND WHERE: Wednesday 22 August, Lismore University Bar, Thursday 23, Spotted Cow, Toowoomba; Friday 24 and Saturday 25, The Zoo; Sunday 26, Hotel Great Northern, Byron Bay

20 • TIME OFF

themusic.com.au

TIME OFF • 21

SPOKEN IN ONE STRANGE WORD JUDITH WRIGHT CENTRE OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS

AUGUST A.RAWLINGS

(2012 POET IN RESIDENCE)

ROBERT ADAMSON (NSW)

HOLLY THROSBY (NSW)

L.E. SCOTT

(NEW ZEALAND)

CHARMAINE PAPERTALK-GREEN (WA)

A MILLION BRIGHT THINGS SHOWCASE AND MUCH MORE FO R F U L L P R O G R A M D E TA I L S V I S I T

QUEENSLANDPOETRYFESTIVAL.COM

22 • TIME OFF

SECOND WIND Melbourne punk stalwarts Bodyjar called it a day in 2009, but the boys have reunited for a victory lap to commemorate the release of their breakthrough album No Touch Red on vinyl and re-release of their back catalogue on CD. Daniel Johnson catches up with singer/guitarist Cam Baines.

he original line-up of Bodyjar played their first show together in 1994 and in the 15 years that followed, the band went on to become one of Australia’s most popular pop punk bands. Since disbanding a few years ago, Baines and Bodyjar drummer Shane Wakker have – along with bassist Mike Brunott and ex-For Amusement Only guitarist Mikey Juler – formed a new outfit called Cola Wars, who released their debut full-length in 2010. Since then, Baines and Wakker reunited with bassist Grant Relf and guitarist Tom Read for what was intended to be a oneoff show to farewell iconic Melbourne venue The Arthouse in April of last year. That gig went well, so when fledgling indielabel Pile Of Sand wanted to release No Touch Red on vinyl, they decided to play another show in March, but as Baines explains, they didn’t initially plan to make it as far as Brisbane. “I think we just sort of thought we’d do a Melbourne show but because it went so well and people bought tickets so quickly we thought we’d do another one, and then we did Adelaide,” Baines says. “We didn’t think we’d be doing Sydney and Brisbane, that’s for sure, but after we did the first three we thought everyone had a really good time and enjoyed it so we thought we’d try and do Brisbane and Sydney and see how we go up there.

Melbourne and I think that’s what sort of sparked it off again, just having a jam and thinking, ‘Wow, this isn’t that bad’ and we had fun doing it. It’s not something you can plan, saying, ‘We’re going to break up and then get back other again.’ We’re just trying to have a bit of fun at the moment, we’re not putting out a new record or anything yet, we’re just clowning around and seeing if we enjoy it enough to keep doing it, and if we do want to keep doing it we will.” WHO: Bodyjar WHEN & WHERE: Friday 24 August, The Hi-Fi

“It was just one of our friends putting out one of our old records on vinyl, that’s what it started off as, then we thought, ‘Oh, we should do a gig because he’s paying for it all and we should try and help him move a few’ and it’s just turned into a bit of a tour, but it’s taking us ages because we’re just trying to find time in everyone’s personal lives to do every state.” When asked if he looks back on No Touch Red more fondly than some of the Bodyjar’s other records, Baines concedes it was “definitely the breakout album, I guess”. “I didn’t realise it at the time but now I can sort of see that was the first album that got played on triple j and we got a few singles off it that did well. It was our third album; it took us three albums to get any sort of airplay of anything like that. We brought out an international band to tour it with us and it got put out on a few labels overseas, like in Japan and Europe – it was on Burning Heart and Revelation in Australia.” Baines is modest about the success the band experienced after the album’s release, attributing it to the wider popularity of pop punk in the late-’90s. “It was just at that time when punk was doing really well, in general, and it just got swept up in all of that success,” he offers. “It was the first album that sold really well for us and I guess a lot of people really remember it as the sort of breakthrough album for the band. I got told that by the guy that does our website, that we should (re-release) No Touch Red and do a tour for that. When I listen to it, it does have a few singles and a few songs we put in the set anyway – You Say, You’ve Taken Everything and Remote Controller – so it sounded like a pretty good idea.” Baines has fond memories of playing Brisbane, particularly at the now sadly-defunct Livid Festival. “We’ve had some really good gigs up there,” he considers. “We did the Livid Festival when it was just up there and we did the touring Livid Festival (in 2003) and it was just an amazing gig. The first time they ever toured that Livid; it had a really good punk line-up… it had Dropkick Murphys and Me First & The Gimme Gimmes and Less Than Jake. I also remember when No Touch Red first came out we brought out Down By Law and we ended up playing that place in the city that was an old church [The Rev] and that was one of the best-ever gigs we had up there. We also did a bunch of all-ages gigs at the Arena and we also did our own shows at the uni up there as well. We’ve just got a lot of friends up there, I guess.” Baines is quick to point out that Cola Wars is still an ongoing concern, but admits the Bodyjar reunion has put his other band on the backburner in recent months. “Because Bodyjar have been jamming to get these shows happening we haven’t been able to jam with Cola Wars as much but we have done a few gigs. [Cola Wars] did a gig a few weeks ago and we just finished recording an EP with [producer] Forrester Savell and we’ll put it put before Christmas hopefully. The older you get, the harder it is to find one day where everyone can jam. It’s either one band or the other and at the moment it’s Bodyjar until we get these gigs out of the way, and then we’ll get the Cola Wars EP out and get that happening and play some gigs for that and then see what happens.” When asked if he had any inkling Bodyjar would be reforming a mere three years since their split, Baines says he didn’t believe the band would ever play again.

BRISBANE. THE ZOO.

“It really genuinely was the end of the line for us; I couldn’t picture us ever doing another album at the time,” he tells. “You spend the better part of your life doing the one thing over and over with the same people and it starts to feel wrong, it feels like you’re just going through the motions and it felt like we didn’t really have the same enthusiasm we had. At the time it was the right thing to do. No one wanted to write any new songs, no one really wanted to do anything so it was like, ‘Why the fuck are we bothering?’

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“Then I guess having a few years off you sort of realise you miss it a bit and it’s been a pretty hard thing to let go of. We’ve played these shows and we played The Arthouse’s last-ever show in

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TIME OFF • 23

IN MEMORIUM Rick Froberg of Brooklyn garage exponents Obits tells Steve Bell to throw away the blueprint and live by the seat of your pants, and that it don’t matter what you look like when concocting kick-ass rock’n’roll.

ick Froberg has always been an unassuming type for a rock’n’roller, happy to let his music do the talking for him, and his time fronting his most recent outfit Obits is no exception. The Brooklyn-born and bred four-piece have existed quietly since 2006, releasing two solid albums – 2009’s I Blame You and 2011’s Moody, Standard And Poor – but not really doing much more than the occasional tour, and the entailing obligations. Even Obits’ current predicament was somewhat of a happy accident, a leaked tape of their first gig – which itself didn’t happen until they’d already been jamming for well over a year – finding its way into the hands of an executive from the prestigious indie Sub Pop, who invited them to Seattle for a label shindig and ultimately signed them.

But of course Froberg’s impeccable rock’n’roll resume goes back far beyond such recent encounters. Way back in the mid-‘80s he was singer for San Diegan post-hardcore outfit Pitchfork, and when that band dissolved he and its guitarist John “Speedo” Reis – later to find fame as frontman of Rocket From The Crypt – formed the iconic Drive Like Jehu, who would in time prove to be incredibly influential in the worlds of post-hardcore and straight-up rock’n’roll. After five years and two albums Drive Like Jehu also disbanded, Froberg moving to New York City to concentrate on his career as a visual artist (his distinctive style can be found on the artwork of many of the albums released by these bands). In 1999 Froberg and Reis reunited once more under the ferocious garage guise of Hot Snakes until its demise in 2005 (they only recently reunited) after which Froberg formed Obits with some other like-minded folk in his neighbourhood, before once more being dragged back into the spotlight. Some people chase fame, others just seem born to it. “I’m really looking forward to coming down to Australia – I’ve been one time, it was pretty great,” the quietly-spoken musician tells, referencing Hot Snakes’ Australian sojourn back in 2005. “I think there’s some amazing bands to have come from Australia. Obviously The Saints are from Brisbane – you know who they are – but we love lot of that stuff, a lot of the awesomely crappy punk stuff like The Victims or The Missing Links, and bands like Radio Birdman and the Sunnyboys. Even AC/DC are one of my fave bands, there’s so much great stuff down there.” Froberg turns his mind back to the formation of Obits and the fact that he didn’t want the band to sound like any of his former outfits. “It was important in the sense that I didn’t want it to be like those things – I definitely wanted it to be something different,” he reflects. “But you do what you do, whatever it is, and that’s how it’s going to come out – so it wasn’t that important. I try to walk the line between the two things. It took a while [for the Obits sound] to develop – we didn’t sit around and suddenly articulate a vision or direction, it doesn’t work like that. You have to actually figure something out what you like and that took a while, it wasn’t an overnight thing.” The Obits sound is a sinuous beast, its foundations definitely rooted in the garage realm but characterised by the twin guitars of Froberg and his partner-in-crime Sohrab Habibion weaving in and around each other like demented snakes, but with an added element of restraint and use of space that sets them apart from any of their former outfits (Habibion was previously in the equally raucous Edsel ). “I think we just try to live with each other [musically], because there’s a lot of different things going on in the band and you have to create space for everything – it’s important to do that,” Froberg ponders of the band’s chemistry. “I think that’s why people know that there’s two guitars – you can have three guitars in a band and not even know it, because they’re all playing over the top of each other and producing this one big sound, so we try to use silence and space as much as we can. Well, you can’t really use silence in rock’n’roll, but we try to create space, and I think that makes everything sound better because it has room to move and breathe.” Froberg tells that the band’s live sound is quite removed from their recorded output, mainly because he forgets what those recorded versions actually sound like. “Well, I think that we have a tendency to play things differently here and there – it’s sort of like a game of Chinese Whispers,” he laughs. “We don’t sit around and listen to our records too much, so we just play the songs over and over and in the end that means that they move further and further away from their starting point – they change from the original thing, from the record, which we don’t listen to. It works for me. We just stand around and play pretty much – there’s no ‘show’ or anything like that. It’s a real rock band subsisting in a rock format, it’s just a bunch of un-rock looking guys doing it.” Obits absorbed a line-up change recently, Alexis Fleisig stepping in on drums for the departed Scott Gursky, and Froberg believes that it’s had a positive change on the band’s sound. “Yeah, it’s a totally different thing though – it’s not the same as it was before, it’s like a completely new entity in some ways,” he enthuses. “But it’s working out fine – he’s a super great guy and a super great drummer, he has a lot of wallop. He was in Girls Against Boys and some pretty legendary DC punk bands – he’s a great guy.” Obits are at roughly the point where all of Froberg’s other bands floundered and disbanded – does he see this as a sign that maybe Obits is here to stay? “No, not necessarily, I think it’s just working out really. While I’m having a good time I’m there,” he chuckles. “You keep going until that stops happening, and then you do something else. I’m not a very blueprint-y guy, I tend to fly by the seat of my pants.” Does Froberg feel that the experience of being in a touring rock band has changed since he started out all those years ago? “Yeah it has somewhat, but the experience is fundamentally not that different,” he considers. “Many times these days we can stay in hotels, we get to do things like go to Australia which we couldn’t really do in the past. I think it’s easier to put things together because of the internet, I think people are different but it’s all pretty much the same thing at the end of the day when you go out and play. We still occasionally sleep on floors – actually, more than occasionally – so if you like that first thing, it’s got it all pretty much.” WHO: Obits WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 26 August, The Zoo

24 • TIME OFF

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INWARD AND UPWARD Xavier Rudd’s new record Spirit Bird is every bit the soul journey we’ve come to expect. Tyler McLoughlan enjoys a yarn with the barefoot cultural warrior to learn about the experiences that shaped his seventh studio album.

rom his position as one of Australia’s most loved roots artists both at home and abroad, Xavier Rudd is fulfilling his lifelong mission of creating awareness and change for the country’s environmental and Indigenous issues. Never mind that Rudd’s new album Spirit Bird has produced his highest selling single to date in Follow The Sun; music is merely a vehicle for the Sea Shepherd ambassador to share his deep connection to country. “I had a really, really profound experience with a redtailed cockatoo in the Kimberly,” explains Rudd of the creature that named his new record. “It’s hard to put into words, but basically what happened was I was coming back from a sacred site one day and I had this urge to stop the truck… There was this dead tree, and in it was a big mob of red-tailed cockatoos. Usually [they’re] pretty flighty birds, but they just stayed there and there was this one big bird and she locked eyes with me and didn’t take her eyes off me and she just started to screech and groan; as she did I felt like I was anchored to the earth and started seeing all these visions of places and faces and things were flashing through my mind like memories, but they weren’t my memories – [it was] stuff I’d never seen. And basically later that day the song Spirit Bird just poured out of me; I wrote the first half of it on the sand in the beach. It was pretty emotional and I was drained at the end of it. “Then a few years passed and I was recording this record – and a lot’s happened between now and then; I guess my connection with the Kimberley was a lot to do with James Price Point and building the gas [hub], protesting that. I was in Canada and I was recording this record sitting by the fire at ten o’clock at night, writing the song and the back half of it just poured out of me again – really strong and really fast and really emotional. I was drained, went to bed, woke up the next day and I had all these messages and realised that at the time that was coming through me – Western Australia time – the police had moved in on James Price Point and started to drag elders off, and protestors and kids and all the rest, and moved in with bulldozers and it was just a toxic thing.”

Rudd has a wonderfully warm way of revealing his creation stories – it’s like listening to a spoken-word version of the mythological Dreamtime stories that many Australians are first exposed to in primary school through the tale of the rainbow serpent. “I knew it was a spirit – I knew it was an old, Aboriginal spirit,” he continues. “From where and when and how and who I wouldn’t know and it would be just ego to try and know; I just knew what it was and respected that it was coming through me and that I just had to leave it in its raw form and just let it be what it is… I do understand that I’m a vehicle for some kind of spirit because it happens more often than not that strong music comes up through country and through me. I don’t know why and I don’t really want to know why or try and tell it what to do or try and alternate the music at all for whatever reason in my mind – I think it’s important to leave it in its raw form, almost like you wouldn’t tell your grandmother what to wear to church. It’s the same kind of thing; I respect it and it is what it is.” Following the personal loss documented across his 2010 opus Koonyum Sun with the aid of the distinct vocal and percussive personality of South African musicians Tio Moloantoa and Andile Nqubezelo, Rudd has returned to a solo setup for Spirit Bird to emphasise the feeling of a new chapter. It also allowed him the space to incorporate the sounds of his beloved bush friends, beginning with the cacophony of kookaburra chuckles accompanying didgeridoo on opening track Lioness Eye. “It was something that I’d definitely wanted to do for a while, so I left a bit of an open canvas for it. I recorded some [birds] myself, but it’s a bit of a mission, it’s hard work – so I ended up finding this guy called David Stewart on the internet whose spent the last 35 years of his life recording bush sounds and bird sounds around Australia. So I basically bought the samples off him,” he says quite chuffed of the find. “Kookaburra’s are big for me, they’re always bringing the sun down and bringing the sun up… They’re a very strong presence in this country and I see a lot of people in kookaburras and it just made sense.”

Rudd’s work on Spirit Bird was perhaps enriched rather than delayed by an on-going back problem that progressed to the point of surgery last year, the cause of which even his surgeons are unsure. “When I wrote Comfortable In My Skin I could hardly move, so yeah it was an interesting time of reflection,” he admits. “It was at the end of a massive change in my life and it was like – I guess in Chinese medicine and a lot of cultures, a lot of what I was going through manifests in your lower back, and I feel like that’s probably what was goin’ on. And I guess I dealt with a lot of that stuff by just being active – I’d go run or do whatever – and I couldn’t do that. It was interesting just to reflect and go within myself; I’ve had an amazing dozen years of touring internationally and the crazy journey I’ve been on, and two kids and a beautiful life of high highs and low lows, and I think this record and that time was part of just like, ‘Okay, all of that aside, where am I at?’ You know, where am I at inside and through my back thing I was spending hours painting and reflecting and listening to music and just sort of going

inward. It was interesting; it was tougher than I thought it would have been, but it was definitely necessary.” Due to head out on a 28-date tour, his most extensive trip around the country to date, followed by a North American tour that takes him well into December, Rudd is eager to share Spirit Bird with the world. “I’m ready to play – I get back here… months from now,” he says with a big, joyful laugh. “It looks like a long daunting tour but it’s gonna a beautiful one and I’m just gonna have to stay healthy and fit.” WHO: Xavier Rudd WHAT: Spirit Bird (Salt X/Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 29 August, Rumours International, Toowoomba; Thursday 30, The Tivoli; Friday 31, Lake Kawana Community Centre, Sunshine Coast; Saturday 1 September, Coolangatta Hotel; Sunday 2, YAC Amphitheatre, Byron Bay

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TIME OFF • 25

A LABOUR OF SOMETHING David Pirner may have experienced the highest of highs fronting his band Soul Asylum, but as he tells Steve Bell he’s happy just to have played a role in the never-ending pantheon of rock’n’roll.

t’s been a strange but incredibly fascinating career arc for Minneapolis-bred rock veterans Soul Asylum. They kicked off all the way back in 1981 under the name Loud Fast Rules, but the by the time they’d changed their name to Soul Asylum a couple of years later their abrasive rock had already made a deep impression around local traps, a scene dominated by the massive twin peaks of The Replacements and Hüsker Dü. For years they remained in the shadows of those underground behemoths – forging a career and a solid reputation but basically existing in the fringes – until suddenly in 1992 their sixth album Grave Dancer’s Union exploded (mainly due to single Runaway Train tapping into some weird grunge-obsessed zeitgeist) and they were suddenly a massive commercial

entity, playing at US President Bill Clinton’s inauguration and enjoying all of the trappings of commercial success. Few had expected Soul Asylum to be the band from their clique to break into the big time, and the band themselves struggled with their newfound fame – they spent the next few years trying unsuccessfully to emulate that success, with varying results. Now, some two decades after their career peak, they’re back with their tenth album Delayed Reaction – their first in six years – and, having returned to the indie realm far away from the pressure of the major label world, a whole new way of looking at their craft. “I pushed the record, as far as doing a lot of it on my own incentive and doing things in a way that it had to be good enough for Soul Asylum, but it had to be done without some of the spoils that the band has had in the past – ie. cash,” laughs frontman and songwriter David Pirner. “So in that regard I’m pretty proud of the record, and I’m also just really trying to understand what it’s going to take to make it work in this day and age and with this band, because the band has gotten better, but the band has also gotten... well we’re not 18 any more, but driving after the show in the middle of nowhere just reminds me of exactly what we were doing when we were 18. It’s either a labour of love or a labour of lust, definitely a labour of something...” These days Pirner is crafting his songs to appease his band rather than radio heads or TV execs, and he seems quite content harbouring these far more humble aspirations. “I’ve never had any other method than no method at all, and the outcome just sorta has to satisfy the constituency, which basically means that I have to write music which is good enough for the band to want to commit it to a recording,” he continues. “It was very difficult because I sort of had to really bring ideas to the band that were completely realisable without having to do a whole lot of fucking around on the part of, ‘Let’s get all of the band in a room together’, because we all live in different places now, and all sorts of complications like that. So just sort of keeping the show on the road is I guess the goal of making an album, as opposed to, ‘Hey man, I’m going to go and sell a billion records!’ I think it’s more of a life-sustaining thing, and the game is survival.” The success of Grave Dancer’s Union came at the height of the grunge explosion when majors were looking to the underground as a new way to print money, and while Soul Asylum definitely played the fame game – Pirner dating Winona Ryder, even scoring a cameo in her flick Reality Bites – he claims that this success was inadvertent rather than something they chased. “I think probably as far as being a commercial entity, that was never really the band’s intention,” he posits. “It’s helped by opening a lot of doors and getting the band into studios where it became more of an education, in terms of, ‘We’ve not got a bunch of money to make a record, and I’m going to learn everything I can from these producers and engineers that we can now afford’, and theoretically in my mind I have learned from these experiences. But I think as far as trying to recapture anything, that’s not really what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to carry on whatever it is that makes the band great, and that’s the hardest part to maintain. I’m totally thankful for whatever it is that’s enabled us to survive, and for better or worse that album helped us survive.” Naturally Pirner has fond recollections of the early days, when Soul Asylum played a small but pivotal role in what would become one of the most influential scenes in the history of underground music, still feeling a bond with those bands that were around him at the time (The Replacements’ Tommy Stinson is even Soul Asyum’s current bassist). “I think there’s such a weird retrospective look at the way that things turned out,” he muses. “Back during those days it was really us against the world and all that sort of shit, [us and] bands like Hüsker Dü and The Replacements and all the SST bands – The Meat Puppets are a band that I still hang out with. But at the time we were the underground, creating something called ‘alternative music’ when ‘alternative’ meant the ‘alternative to popular’, or ‘alternative to something that makes money’, or ‘alternative to these strange trappings that turn people’s view of music and art into something else, depending on how many other people know about it’. So to a degree I think that we were sort of this weird link, and I think when people try to decipher the key element it really goes way beyond, ‘Who’s cooler, Hüsker Dü or The Replacements?’, or ‘What if Kurt Cobain had never shown up?’ – all these things that people can’t figure out are the things that made it so magical. “It seemed like a whole bunch of bands trying to make this sound and then finally coming into their own, so for these bands who had been out there doing the legwork and spending years and years on the road by the time Nirvana became popular, there was this meeting of the present and where music was going, and it all came together and was a good thing for everyone involved – people acknowledged punk rock for whatever reason, even if it became something that people hated. The stereotypes and clichés are all there – it got oversaturated and overplayed and all that, which seemed kinda gross – but it’s very hard to pinpoint when the pursuit became something that we were actually doing. It was an exciting time, and I think in the end I can only hope to be part of this fibre where music is music and it means something different to everybody, but I definitely feel a brotherhood with the people that I grew up with.” WHO: Soul Asylum WHAT: Delayed Reaction (429/Universal)

26 • TIME OFF

themusic.com.au

NIGHT OF THE MOODIST

SOLVING PROBLEMS LIKE MARIA

Doug Wallen discovers the influence of hip hop and The Byrds on a re-christened Dave Graney & The Mistly.

ne of the great deadpans of Australian music, Dave Graney is more subdued as an interview subject than you’d expect from his mouthy stage banter or the casual braggadocio of his 2011 memoir 1001 Australian Nights. That said, the rock lifer comes off just as naturally as he does on the intimate album You’ve Been In My Mind, his first batch of new songs since 2009’s Knock Yourself Out. Graney remains backed by drummer and wife Clare Moore, guitarist Stuart Perera and bassist Stu Thomas, long known as The Lurid Yellow Mist but now simply The Mistly. (“It’s just an easier way to say the name,” he says.) Recorded in Brunswick with Andrew Hehir (The Basics, The Hired Guns), it’s well-oiled, in-the-room playing captured in one or two takes with very few overdubs. He wound up mixing the record himself. “I thought I could do it and it was quite simple,” he says. “As long as something’s recorded really well with a good engineer, there’s not much actual mixing to be done. We worked out all the songs a lot playing them live and rehearsing, so everybody was down on the material.” Graney has shed his skin many times over the years, from The Moodists in the ’80s to The Coral Snakes and The Dave Graney Show in the ’90s. But the current band have been going for some years now, lending a consistency that’s obvious to anyone who’s seen them live. That comes through in spades on You’ve Been In My Mind, a record that’s confident without being overthe-top. Coined by an unwitting caller on sport radio, lead single Flash In The Pantz is all well-worn charisma, while the surly six-minute jam Mistral is a late highlight. If Graney’s mix of old-school panache and prickly wit feels familiar on Cop This Sweetly and Midnight Cats, he mixes things up by diving headlong into 12-string guitar. “I always liked The Byrds,” he explains, “since they started reissuing their stuff really well in the early ’80s. The beautiful, chiming arpeggios – it’s an intoxicating sound. The main mystery of The Byrds is the vocals. It’s very disappointing if you try to play a Byrds song by yourself, because

The esteemed Maria Minerva is a busy lady: in addition to preparing for her first Brisbane appearance at the Open Frame Festival, she’s been completing a thesis, which can be a little taxing on the soul. The beset Londonian (by way of Estonia) songstress takes a break with Mitch Knox.

there’s no lead vocals. It’s very much three people singing, and this beautiful, intuitive harmonising.” He also cites the late Arthur Lee’s great band Love and the general West Coast American sound of yore, as well as R&B and jazz elements, as influences on this record. But starting down the track of inspiration is tricky because there are many more things going on than you’d pick from simply listening to the songs. “I love a lot of jazz and hip hop,” Graney elaborates, “but it’s not really evident. I love hip hop mainly for the voices and the lyrical matter. They talk about the business of music and performing, and identity. I’ve always done that because they used to do it in the post-punk scene, where I started out. People were always commenting on what they were doing. But West Coast for us also means The Doors, and Clare has always used Latin kinds of beats, like The Doors did.” In the midst of an album launch tour, Graney & The Mistly are capping the 100th anniversary celebrations for the Regal Ballroom (formerly known as Northcote Theatre). They’re doing a night at Castlemaine’s newish Bridge Hotel as well, and Graney and Moore are playing in Harry Howard’s band there the night before. Fans of Graney’s memoir will perk up at Mt Gambier Night, an ode to the South Australia “blue-collar timber town” where he was raised. “[It’s] about walking around a place you were once small in,” observes Graney. “It envelops you. It’s a spooky song about the presence of a place.” It’s also about the meditative vibe after sunset. He adds, “Night time brings out your consciousness a lot more.” WHO: Dave Graney & The Mistly WHAT: You’ve Been In My Mind (Fuse) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 24 August, Miami Tavern, Gold Coast; Saturday 25, Beetle Bar; Sunday 26, Solbar, Maroochydore

t’s 11am on a Monday morning, and 24-year-old Maria Juur, aka Maria Minerva, has just woken up. It’s a setback she doesn’t really need, having had grand plans of being up and at the library by 9am, well in time to get in some hours of study and work in on her postgraduate thesis before other commitments infringed on the ever-shortening day. And then Seinfeld happened. “It’s been a busy time,” she explains. “I have lots of things to do before I go on tour. But I’m very lazy, so mainly I’ve been fighting with myself. I’m halfway through writing my thesis, which I never thought would happen, but at the same time, I’ve been watching a lot of TV, because you’re always at the computer, and you wanna procrastinate. There’s another thing I’ve been doing, it’s called procrastinating – you have stuff to do, but instead of doing it, you’re so nervous that you constantly eat, which is what I’ve been doing. “I started watching Seinfeld, because I have had conversations with people where they quote Seinfeld and I say, ‘I’ve never seen it,’ and they’re like, ‘What are you talking about?’ … so now seemed like the best time to start watching all the freaking seasons. I’m in the fourth season right now. It’s really funny because, just to get some consolation, I typed in ‘how to fight procrastination’ on YouTube, and there was a video where someone said: ‘Get to work. Don’t watch Seinfeld.’ And I was like, ‘How did you know I was watching Seinfeld?’” To be fair, though, procrastinating through the magic of the internet and TV has never really gotten in the way of Minerva getting work done before. “Once I was stuck in Copenhagen Airport for like ten hours, and I was really bored,” she relates. “But fortunately I had a bunch of films and I wanted to see them because they were a starting point for a book that I wanted to read, Peter Shaviro’s

Post-Cinematic Affect, and the films he discusses are kind of mainstream science-fiction, action movies; the kind of films that I never watch. Like, never. I’m just not into this kind of shit. “But I wanted to read the book, so I downloaded them and watched them at Copenhagen Airport, and they were really kind of fascinating because they’re action movies, and they’re supposed to be super interesting, but I’ve never really got into that. I was watching the films and something resonated in my head, so now I’m releasing an album in a month and there’s a track on it, Perpetual Motion Machine, which is a phrase I stole from this stupid movie I was watching at the airport.” Minerva will be back at the airport soon enough, to embark for her first trip to Australia. And – providing she gets through her thesis and Seinfeld – her sojourn will be a well-earned one. After all, what does a sci-fi-referencing, art-history-graduating, international-music-playing, busy modern lady deserve if not a little relaxation time? “I think it’s gonna be a nice trip because by the time I make it over to Australia, I’m done with my school stuff, and I just can’t wait to chill out,” she says. “Because I’m really nervous right now. I have to finish the freaking thesis and then I have to prepare for the tour itself. Every day is filled with obligations, and sometimes you just need a day where you don’t have anything, and I’m not going to have that until I fly to [Australia].” WHO: Maria Minerva WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 29 August, Open Frame @ The Judith Wright Centre

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TIME OFF • 27

FROM CRADLE TO RAVE

RECOVERING THE NIGHT

Pete Swanson earned his stripes as one-half of Portland noise legends Yellow Swans. Ahead of his debut Australian solo tour, Matt O’Neill queries the noise don about his transformation into a techno darling.

Ghost Notes are set to relaunch their debut album By Cover Of Night before launching into two new records. Owen Dengate and Cameron Smith explain their unique process to Brendan Telford.

host Notes aren’t your conventional Brisbane band. Their brand of instrumental rock isn’t an easy sell, particularly when the negative connotations of “post-rock” rear their ugly heads. Nevertheless, they’ve gleaned critical acclaim for their sinuous jazz-inflected compositions, which culminated in their debut album By Cover Of Night last year. Twelve months on, Ghost Notes are revisiting the album, re-issuing it in vinyl form, something that drummer Cameron Smith and guitarist Owen Dengate both admit almost happened in the first place. “When we first did the album, everyone was keen to have it on vinyl, but when we realised we’d have to split it up because it was too long for a single vinyl, there were some misgivings,” Smith concedes. “Then three months later a lot of people came up to us saying, ‘You really should do this on vinyl’. We realised that we could split the album three ways which would work well, but had to think of another way to fill a fourth side of a record. We were conscious of the negatives of releasing the exact same album on vinyl, because it would feel like we were short-changing the people who’d supported us early on. We settled on a bonus side of live material.” Whilst the launch of the vinyl is exciting, fans hankering for new material won’t have to wait long at all. “We have two albums in the wings, which we’ve been recording concurrently with the planning of the By Cover Of Night re-launch,” Dengate states. “The new stuff is much more collaborative now. Whereas before Jamie [Curran – piano] or I would write something and bring it in, the writing happens in the room. A lot of it’s fairly spontaneous, where I’ll play a riff and people will start to latch on. If no one can think of anything to add to it, it gets left behind.” “It’s great because there’s something happening with the band now,” Smith continues. “We’ve been quiet in a live aspect this year, but we should have a lot of momentum when we release these albums. The writing process has been healthy, people are bringing in a riff or an idea,

P it’s very bare bones, and we write from there. Although it sounds freeform, in the past things have been fairly planned out with defined parts. Now there’s no structural process – the song is complete when it feels right. We can look back at our iPhone demo and it might be eightminutes long or two-minutes long. We often change how a song is structured sometimes months after we have finished it, when a new idea presents itself.” When asked to define the Ghost Notes sound, Smith and Dengate find their amorphous aesthetic hard to pin down. “I think there’s a lot of diverse ground that we cover,” Smith starts. “We try to take music from other formats and approximate to our style, with trumpets and weird out of time pattering drums. There is the post-rock thing, although we tend to not do that in the way most other bands do. When I think of the bands that influence us, it’s not Mogwai or Explosions In The Sky; it’s the Dirty Three, Tortoise, Talk Talk. There is a bit of a jazz thing going on, although we aren’t jazz, I think jazz musicians would be offended if we said we were. There’s a big Ennio Morricone influence. We rip off Bluebottle Kiss a lot too...” “There’s a lot of that great indie Australian rock sound from the ‘90s that really appeals to us, definitely,” Dengate concurs. “I find most instrumental music tends to be pretty limiting. We never sit still; we’re always changing.” WHO: Ghost Notes WHAT: By Cover Of Night (Incremental)

Having six guys with instruments in a bedroom doesn’t paint a pretty picture, but with incredible focus and twenty-first century technology the band were more than the sum of too many cooks. “Luckily with the new age, ProTools and such, everything is digital,” Lyons states. “We couldn’t do any of it live obviously, and being in close quarters means things could get a little heated. Things can get difficult, but it’s been one thing that has always worked well. The core three or four of us has always been good friends, and we’ve never had any issues with egos.” The end result is surprisingly glossy, seeing as it’s a bedroom project, something that Lyons believes hinges on how they structure their songs. “We’ve worked hard at recognising how we want these songs to go together – you can write a song with drums 28 • TIME OFF

Ironically, such pursuits have coincided with what has arguably been Swanson’s most celebrated period. Long respected as a member of the noise underground through his work with Yellow Swans, Swanson’s solo output has seen him embraced by entire new audiences. Specifically, his 2011 debut solo album Man With Potential and same year follow-up I Don’t Rock At All saw him introduced to techno and ambient crowds. “Well, my friends were interested in what I was doing,” he explains of the emergence of his solo career. “I remained pretty active after Yellow Swans. Every six months or so, I’d just pull the best stuff from my basement and release it on cassette. When I was recording Man With Potential and I Don’t Rock At All, I had some offers for releases – so I just went up to a friend’s place in Oregon, set up a studio and recorded them in two weeks.

moving into techno lately. It’s kind of hilarious. All these different artists from different parts of the country, who were on all these different trips, somehow all ended up in kind of the same place at the same time – but I didn’t know that when I was making the record.” Swanson, though, maintains that his output isn’t quite as surprising as some would suggest. Much has been made in various reviews of his transition into techno on Man With Potential but Swanson sees both of his solo albums as an evolution of his work within Yellow Swans – and really sees techno as simply a phase his work as a musician is going through at the moment. “I can see where people are coming from when they talk about my music and techno – but, really, most of the Yellow Swans stuff... Even on Going Places, you could hear a kind of pulse within the music,” he muses. “Man With Potential was this really jagged, harsh album. I Don’t Rock At All was this pastoral, ambient guitar album. I really think that’s just the two halves of Yellow Swans explored separately. “I actually got a call recently asking if I wanted to be a part of a compilation of noise artists making techno. I kind of said, ‘Well, yeah, okay – but this will probably be the last time I really do anything with this sound’. I have no idea what my next record will sound like at this point,” he says with a laugh. “I do want to make another one but I probably won’t have time to release it until, like, 2013.” WHO: Pete Swanson WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 23 August, The Judith Wright Centre

ON THE ROAD AGAIN With three albums and a touring history alongside the likes of Saves The Day and Less Than Jake, Daniel Franzier of Transit tells Tyler McLoughlan how positively stoked the pop punk outfit are to be visiting the land of kangaroos and koalas for the very first time.

Fairchild Republic have kicked a lot of goals over the past twelve months, which lead singer Adam Lyons assures Brendan Telford is down to keeping it all in house.

“He’s about ready to put himself to bed!” Lyons laughs. “We had the demos for the album done a year ago, but we decided that we could re-record, go back through and re-do what needed to be done and start again. The recording process can be tough because we do it all ourselves, done in my bedroom outside of (working) hours, and whilst it can be easy recording piecemeal in your own home, it’d be nice to take two, three weeks off, get everything done in one go then get on with your life.”

“Well, I don’t really have a lot of time for it. I don’t really have time to tour,” he laughs. “I’m in grad school full-time and I’m trying to focus on this other career path. When I was in Yellow Swans, I used to go on tour and come back and do social work, working with mentally ill people. Most recently, I was working with drug addicts with mental illness. So, I decided to study and become a nurse-practitioner.”

“It’s been very interesting. There’s been a lot of interest from the techno world – and I never expected that,” he laughs. “Apparently there’s been a lot of noise artists

WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 25 August, The Waiting Room

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS One listen to Gold Coast sextet Fairchild Republic’s debut album Wish Upon A Paper Crane and you’d be safe to assume that the band have a lot of money behind them, a hotshot producer, major studio time and a management team driven solely to get their name out there. Their stint on the stage of the Big Day Out and some solid supports would further that notion. Yet the band’s frontman Adam Lyons is understandably chuffed to be able to state that their position is very much down to them alone, right down to his brother Nathan (who is also in the band) doing their booking for their upcoming tour.

ete Swanson’s voice seems perpetually coloured by surprise. Particularly when discussing his work as a musician. He seems surprised that anyone still cares about his old band Yellow Swans (“Probably has something to do with the fact that we didn’t release our last album – 2010’s Going Places – until two years after we broke up,” he laughs), surprised at the music he’s currently making; in fact, surprised to be making music at all.

and guitar, yet when we started out we tried to pour ourselves on, to put too much together instrumentally. Now we know how to layer things and we know our processes, how to set the foundation of drums and bass, then slowly add the elements that complement each other. We then use the vocals, the vocal melody as the main instrument that all the others support. It’s the reason why we’ve been thrown in that commercial pop element. For us, whenever we hear a song we just want to sing along to them, you never want jangly guitars lumped over the top so that you lose that main melody.” The title, Wish Upon A Paper Crane, whilst touching on a personal experience, proves to be emblematic of the band’s fortunes for a multitude of reasons. “I had this bizarre fascination with paper cranes,” Lyons explains. “In primary school we made one thousand paper cranes for a teacher’s daughter who had leukaemia, this huge gesture of well wishes. And I told people about this, so when I was going through a dark period in my life a couple years ago, a friend of mine gave me one thousand paper cranes. Now all the cranes are strung up in my room directly above where we recorded, and when we were lucky enough to tour in Japan and we went to theme parks and looked at the Hiroshima paper planes… it’s not necessarily something that’s changed our lives rather than something that’s always been there, and that seemed important to us.” WHO: Fairchild Republic WHAT: Wish Upon A Paper Crane (MGM) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday August 23, Alhambra Lounge; Friday 24, Elsewhere, Gold Coast

aving just completed the legendary 41-date American Warped Tour, Transit drummer Daniel Franzier is feeling rather happy with himself for having made the decision to fly home to Boston, leaving his four bandmates to schlep the 3000 miles back in the tour van. “The shows were so good,” he says contentedly. “It was definitely one of the, exposure-wise, absolutely probably the best tour we’ve ever done in that respect. Also just, it was a blast – there were so many of our friends’ bands on the tour and new people, you know bands that we weren’t very close with or had never heard of, so it was definitely a great tour for us. “It was kind of just like a giant... I don’t even know how to explain it – there was so much thrown at you. None of us knew what to expect – it was out first time on the tour so once we kind of settled into things we were like, ‘Okay, this is cool, this is fun’. It was awesome because like some days we wouldn’t leave until early in the morning so you don’t drive ‘til the next day, so there’d be like a barbeque for all of us to hang out at, not just artists but the whole tour so it was great to meet people there… In the simplest terms, it’s punk rock summer camp. Call me lame but that is all it is – a bunch of guys and girls getting together and having a blast all summer. It’s great,” says the 19-year-old, name checking California’s Funeral Party as his pick of the tour. Having spent a good chunk of their time on the road since their third album Listen And Forgive was released last October, Transit are in fine form for their debut Australian visit – which includes an impressive spread of all ages dates – and they’ve handpicked Melbourne punk stalwarts Anchors to accompany them. “Anchors, I don’t know what happened, we were just drawn to them – we were just like, ‘This is the band,

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this is gonna happen’. They’re a great band, that’s pretty much all it comes down to, and we’re really excited that they could be a part of the tour and excited to meet the guys and see if any interesting tour stories happen.” Franzier’s teenage wonderment comes to the fore when asked to imagine how it will feel to arrive in a land he’s only experienced through stories and imagery. “I picture that we’re gonna land, I think we land in Sydney, and I’m just gonna see – I don’t know what that building is – but the building that you always see in Sydney that people talk about,” he says trying to recall the Sydney Opera House. “I just picture I’m gonna see that immediately and I’m just gonna hang out with kangaroos and koala bears,’ he laughs, before grappling with some further words to describe Transit’s level of expectation ahead of their first visit. “I don’t even know, I can’t even tell you!” he says excitedly. “I’m gonna get up and play and then I’m gonna be speechless ‘cause I’m gonna be in Australia – that’s the first thing that’s gonna happen! Usually you hear stuff, you know there’s like a buzz goin’: ‘Oh, people want you to come to Australia’. That’s not something I’ve really looked into or heard much about – I hope they come out, I hope kids care, I really do ‘cause it’s Australia, it’s supposedly the greatest place on earth, so we’ll see.” WHO: Transit WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 25 August, X&Y Bar; Sunday 26, Paddington Hall (all ages)

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TRIMMING THE PHAT

BRINGING IT HOME

Chance Waters had quite the career as Phatchance. Matt O’Neill speaks to the Sydney hip hop MC about starting afresh with his new moniker and new album Infinity.

Catherine Britt’s new album, Always Never Enough, finds the Australian country music star stripping it back and playing it live in the studio. Matt O’Neill speaks to the singer-songwriter about her unpredictable career.

t’s a bold move, given her position. Catherine Britt is one of Australia’s most successful country music exports. She’s enjoyed considerable success both nationally and abroad, securing multiple ARIA nominations within Australia and releasing more than a handful of charting singles in America, including one with Elton John. She even beat out Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know in last year’s Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition. “Yeah, that’s pretty weird,” Britt laughs. “I mean, awards are funny things, aren’t they? I beat out Somebody That I Used To Know when I came second in that Vanda & Young Competition for songwriting with my song, Sweet Emmy Lou – and then he goes on to get number one in twenty bloody countries! I mean, I didn’t even win that competition – Kimbra’s Cameo Lover did!” So – why do it? Why, on her fifth album, would one of Australia’s most successful singer-songwriters opt for something as risky as recording the entire album live? Britt has never even played rhythm guitar on her own records before Always Never Enough. Having lived in Nashville for six years and played with some of the biggest and brightest names in Australian country music, why opt for such a risky proposition? “Well, I figured before we went in, ‘If I can’t bloody sing a song I wrote well enough live to put on an album, I don’t deserve to be a musician,’” she responds candidly. “If I can’t do that, what right do I have to have my own career? I mean, that’s how records used to be made. No overdubs, no post-production. You just got a band around a microphone, you went for it and hoped for the best.

Really, Catherine Britt is simply that kind of musician. She’s never been comfortable taking the easy route. She had real a chance of country music stardom – moving to Nashville in her teens, signing with RCA Nashville, releasing hit singles in the States – but she turned away from it. Relocating back to her hometown Newcastle, Britt took a road less travelled - country music stardom in Australia. “I’ve never felt limited by Australia. I chose to come back and continue my career here because I think we have something very special here in Australia. It’s very different to America,” Britt explains. “In America, country is a big deal. It’s pop radio. It’s the number one genre in the country. Here, I can have people my age come up to me in Newcastle and ask me if I sing ‘country and western’. It’s just so uncool!” “But then, you know, I’ll turn on triple j and they’ll be playing Lucinda Williams and Justin Townes Earle - all the stuff that I simply adore. I just don’t think we quite get it in Australia,” the songstress laughs. “It can be a struggle, at times, but I knew that and I very consciously took that on. I remember being in year six and telling my dad I was going to be the girl who made Australians realise country was cool. That there’s more to it.”

“I’m so proud we did it that way and I’m so proud of how it’s turned out. It’s different, absolutely – but I feel I’ve really hit my stride. You know, I produced this album with Bill Chambers and I’ve never produced a record before. I play guitar on the album and I never really played an instrument on my records before. And, you know, the whole live thing, I really am very proud of it all.”

WHO: Catherine Britt WHAT: Always Never Enough (ABC/Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 23 August, Old Museum; Saturday 24, Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay; Sunday 25, Spotted Cow, Toowoomba (all shows supporting Tim Rogers); Wednesday 12 September, BIGSOUND Live

n a country known for its irreverent attitude to hip hop, Chance Waters still manages to stand out as an innovator. The Sydney MC’s catalogue to date has shown a consistently unconventional musical approach to his genre. His 2009 debut album Inkstains glowed with live instrumentation and surprising genre flourishes (folk, rock) while 2011’s Inkstains (Acoustic) delivered a sound which, while not unprecedented, was and remains rare – entirely acoustic hip hop music. “The thing is; I take just as much from outside of hip hop as I do from hip hop,” Waters explains of his work. “Obviously, a lot of my favourite artists are rappers but I really do take a great deal of influence from artists in other genres. A lot of my music has bridges and pre-choruses and harmonies and a whole bunch of stuff you don’t see in hip hop – at least not from the rappers. Typically, you see a guest artist handle that sort of stuff.” This is perhaps why Waters recently decided to do away with his most successful alias. Having spent the better part of the past five years building his reputation as Phatchance, Waters recently made the surprising decision to proceed under his given name. Considering his accomplishments to date, it’s somewhat of a bold move. Phatchance has supported DJ Premier, Method Man, De La Soul, The Herd and Bliss N Eso. Chance Waters was relatively unknown. “There were a lot of reasons. Mainly, I just wasn’t really happy with the name anymore,” the MC reflects pragmatically. “Especially with the type of music I make. When you just hear the name, Phatchance has a lot of connotations attached to it. Not only is it a very hip hop name, it actually harks back to. like, golden age style hip hop, you know? I love that music but you don’t hear much of it in what I do these days. I decided my given name was weird enough to work by itself.”

FRI 24 AUG

Twin Towns Services Club, Tweed Heads With special guest Wes Carr (introducing Buffalo)

Tel: 1800 014 024 or www.twintowns.com.au

SAT 15 SEPT

Toowoomba Empire Theatre With special guest Wes Carr (introducing Buffalo)

Tel: 1300 655 299 or www.empiretheatre.com.au

FRI 21 SEPT

Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane With special guests Wes Carr (introducing Buffalo) & We The Ghosts

Tel: 3852 1711 or www.thetivoli.net.au or www.ticketek.com.au DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO SEE AUSTRALIA’S FINEST VOCAL HARMONY GROUP LIVE AND EXPERIENCE WHAT HAS GOT THE COUNTRY MUSIC WORLD A BUZZ. W W W. T H E M C C LY M O N T S . N E T. A U W W W. F A C E B O O K . C O M / T H E M C C LY M O N T S A U

30 • TIME OFF

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The advantage of the shift being that it allowed Chance Waters to reintroduce himself somewhat – an opportunity of which the MC is well aware. Currently laying foundations for the release of his second album Infinity, Waters is determined to take his career and music to the next level with his new moniker. Rising production star One Above (The Hilltop Hoods’ I Love It) features heavily across the album and Waters has personally endeavoured to improve as an artist in every facet of his work. “It’s been in the works for a long time. We wanted to do everything we possibly could to make sure it was of a quality that could compete with a national level,” he says of the record. “So, we wanted to make sure that not only was the production up to scratch – and One Above has kind of proven with Hilltop Hoods that he can easily handle a national level – but also that I was at that standard. “We did a lot of prep work with this record. You know, from recording songs two or three different times to me just straight up going out and getting singing lessons,” the MC laughs. “We’re of the mind that we are doing something that interesting and a little bit different with this record and we believe it does deserve a bit of the spotlight – but in order for it to get there, we really need to lift our game. The standard in Australian hip hop is just so high at the moment. It’s on us to rise to the occasion, really.” WHO: Chance Waters WHEN & WHERE: Friday 24 August, X&Y Bar

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SINGLED OUT WITH CHRIS YATES

ON THE RECORD

VELOCIRAPTOR Riot

Hellsquad/MGM Six years and a whole bunch of shit has happened in the world of rock’n’roll since The Datsuns last released an album, and even that was met with very little fanfare. Since then we’ve seen their ‘contemporaries’ like Jet become a laughing stock, and edgier cohorts like the The Hives look like mainstream rock when compared to The Black Lips. It’s hard to get excited about a new single that sounds like it could have been off their first album without the raw energy. So even though The Datsuns should be commended for sticking to their roots, it really kind of seems a bit glam and silly.

BEN FOLDS FIVE Do It Anyway Sony

Keith Morris’ lyrics and the way he delivers them are packed with character; you can picture the crazed, dreadlocked 56-year-old hollering at you, “Have you been smoking pot, or is your head up your ass!?” like he questions in Cracked, or chasing kids off his lawn as he yells, “I’m gonna club you like a baby seal” on King Kong Brigade. The band is hot-as-hell too; Dimitri Coats’ every evil riff (and there are lots of them in 15-odd minutes) cuts through your brain as Mario Rubalcaba’s drums pound unrelentingly and Steven McDonald’s bass lines stick to them like glue. Maybe Morris’ semi-melodic delivery and the proficiency of these musicians means you don’t have to like Circle Jerks’ Group Sex or the first Black Flag record [both of which are Keith Morris masterpieces] in order to dig OFF!? Time will tell. But if you feel there aren’t many decent punk rock records released these days, you must run to OFF! immediately. It’s hard to think of anyone who’s doing this any better right now. Dan Condon

Rubbing Your Gums Gaga Digi Mining from a rich history of loose garage rock, Melbourne’s Drunk Mums actually accomplish the near impossible task of sounding different from the legions of other bands pick-axing away in this well-prospected hole. The guitars are jangly, the drums hard and still a bit sloppy and the vocals are multi-layered with a chorus of rich ‘ahhhs’. The production is a bit glossy but still real enough to show off the band in their natural state. You can draw a direct line back from Drunk Mums through the ages of Australian pub rock and hit all the right pointers along the way.

GRIZZLY BEAR Yet Again Inertia Grizzly Bear are back with another dreamy, folk-scape likely to excite those with a taste for non-threatening indie rock, who like to look outside the mainstream, but you know, not too far. Kind of like Simon & Garfunkel but with layers of reverb and guitars instead of a great song. For the outro, there’s a psychedelic freakout with distorted drums and so much delay it hangs on for about an extra seven seconds at the end of the track, where they seem to be rubbing our noses in the fact that they are indeed capable of being much more interesting, they just don’t wanna do it.

Mature Themes, the new album from Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, brings to mind Moe Szyslak’s definition of post-modern: “weird for the sake of weird”. Far stranger than rabbits hanging in harnesses, the album opens with Kinski Assassin and its repeated chorus, ‘Who sunk my battleship? I sunk my battleship” (the phrase “bring on the bogan shemales hopped up on meth” also hinting at Aussie origins), and things don’t get any less bizarre from here. Strange music and even stranger motifs abound, Is This The Best Spot repeatedly begging listeners to “step into my time warp”, before the title track and lead single Only In My Dreams drop in relatively traditionally-structured songs which sound magical amidst the madness (in the best Ween tradition), until Driftwood conjures the “bad breath of a cross-eyed goat” and things get mental again. The quizzically spiritual Early Birds Of Babylon leads into the patently pointless Schnitzel Boogie, which exists in complete contradiction to the album’s title. Symphony Of The Nymph finds Pink eulogising himself a la Rivers Cuomo, while Farewell American Primitive is all drug-addled polemic, as fun as it is confounding. They jump through dozens of eclectic ideas, both sonic and conceptual, a cacophonous melange at times as alienating as it is interesting. As with previous effort Before Today (2010), Pink has embraced the studio and the resulting sheen sounds fantastic – miles removed from his early lo-fi bedroom recordings – and it just acts to magnify the oddity of his muse. There’s method to Pink’s madness though, and there’s enough going on in the margins to keep you coming back. A wilfully weird world, but a wonderful one to visit. ★★★½

Rhode Island reprobates Deer Tick have ditched the country-rock leanings of their first few albums and turnedLIVE in a set of rock’n’roll drinking songs and tales of road debauchery which would give any sane person second thoughts about letting them crash on your sofa. Opening track The Bump’s refrain – “We’re full grown men! But we act like kids!/We’ll face the music, next time we come in” – is like the mission statement for some delinquent version of The Monkees, all snotty boasting over a barrelling barroom stomp. Someone mutters “You D Vfuckin’ douchebag” before the Stones-y Funny Word tries to rip apart the concept of love, and the shouty drinking anthem Let’s All Go To The Bar conjures the hedonistic bonhomie of The Replacements (an inkling confirmed later in the piece when the album’s hidden track ends up being a ragged cover of Paul Westerberg’s Mr Cigarette).

Steve Bell

Most of the songs showcase the slightly caustic worldview of frontman John McCauley, although drummer Dennis Ryan offers the country confessional Clownin’ Around, and guitarist Ian O’Neil (formerly of Titus Andronicus) slips in smooth redemption tale Walkin Out The Door and somewhat turgid country rocker Now It’s Your Turn. There are subtle keys throughout courtesy of Rob Crowell, and these become sole subtle accompaniment for the bulk of crooned lament Electric, before jaunty acoustic romp Miss K. brings things to a suitably upbeat and sleazy finale. Deer Tick proffer a beguiling swagger and punk-like happiness to subvert their own cause by fucking around, plus they have that slight whiff of danger which adds credence to their trashbag aesthetic – an unexpected new direction but one which suits them down to the gutter. ★★★★

Steve Bell

HUGO RACE

MICACHU & THE SHAPES

SERPENTINE PATH

Rough Velvet/MGM

Rough Trade/Remote Control

Relapse/Riot!

Hugo Race does what he wants. In his three decades in the music realm, he’s traversed blues, rock, electronica and film scores. Nevertheless, a plaintive album of covers anchored by the notion of love may catch people off guard, especially as No But It’s True is Race’s first “official” solo record. Here he explores what makes a love song stand the test of time, to the point where each track turns a light back on itself, baring its soul in the process – and Race’s intentions become clear.

Mica Levi is a lovely anomaly on the indie-pop arena. She’s effectively degenerated pop convention and style to its basest core then spliced it all together in a Frankensteinian endeavour gleaning bizarrely infectious results. Her 2009 debut Jewellery was well ahead of its time, experimenting with form and tempo to create songs that were more like anarchic collages of more generic fare, infused with neon and toys. The hyperactive artistry was affronting in its punk aesthetic, yet the end result was an incredibly savvy step into another realm, a playful performance founded in having fun.

The last pair of Electric Wizard albums have been close to unfaultable. Those psychedelic riffs and vintage tones and Jus Oborn’s mammothly stoned singing voice made for some of the best doom metal songs in a long time. But as good as Witchcult Today and Black Masses are, they sometimes leave you wanting some of the more caustic death-influenced doom found on Wizard’s older records like Come My Fanatics… or Dopethrone. Serpentine Path, the latest group featuring Electric Wizard’s ex-drummer Tim Bagshaw and the three members of New York doom crew Unearthly Trance, take the formula of those classic records and run with it on their self-titled debut LP.

No But It’s True

Never

The album opens with No Regrets, a track made famous by the Walker Brothers, and Race’s gravelly voice echoes over his acoustic guitar, his nostalgic approach a godsend. This works particularly well on tracks such as Leon Russell’s Song For You and the iconic Cry Me A River. The standout is Bruce Springsteen’s I’m On Fire, the production dissolved so that the lyrics are laid bare – that love can throw one to the edge of the abyss, trapped within its reckless whims. His bluesy grind on the inimitable Barry White classic Never Ever Gonna Give You Up lends the song a feverish urgency that the big man could never have imagined possible. The closer is the traditional ballad Silent Night, initially a strange late inclusion until it becomes clear – love is in everything. Whether it be love as an aphrodisiac, a road to ruin or a road to redemption, Race makes it inherent in No But It’s True that love is the true constant in the world, and as he murmurs in the Lee Hazelwood classic, “It’s gonna be all right/Wait and see.” ★★★½

Brendan Telford

Never doesn’t overtly mix with this formula – apart from some spit and polish thrown into the production – as there really isn’t one. Easy uses the vacuum as a sonic tool, something that could almost be called a Micachu staple. The chugging riffs and industrial sounds of Waste, undercut by Levi’s reverb-heavy, cut-and-paste vocals, blend into Slick, using toy keyboard beats, eclectic instrumentation and warbling vocals to break up the skeletal twee elements that underpin it. Low Dogg is a killer tune, driven by 8-bit hip hop beats that MIA could pull off if she wasn’t concerned about maintaining her street cred. Further diversions into parallel worlds are offered in the tape-chewed surf-bop of Holiday, whilst the darker Nothing, complete with cameo croons from Marc Pell, is incredible in the way it revels in its unease. Never is a cheekily rendered scrapbook of genres, all put through the prism of neon ingenuity and crackpot invention. Levi, like contemporary Tune-Yards, is intent on destroying all notions of what makes a pop song, and Never proves that such endeavours should be celebrated. ★★★★

32 • TIME OFF

Dine Alone/Shock

4AD/Remote Control

You probably don’t even need to drop the needle on the record to know whether you’re going to like OFF!’s eponymous record; the Raymond Pettibon artwork, the song titles – Wiped Out, Borrow And Bomb, Feelings Are Meant To Be Hurt – and the fact it covers 16 tracks in 15 minutes ought to tell you you’re in for fast, thrashy, angry punk rock. The only thing you mightn’t be ready for, particularly if you didn’t give OFF!’s First Four EPs a shot in 2010, is how good these songs are. This band can do a lot in under a minute.

Ben is doing pretty well out of that whole nostalgia market of kids who grew up on triple j and now have enough money to go to festivals and stuff. Do It Anyway is evidence that he has spent his years in relative exile listening to The Mountain Goats and learning how to play piano like those beardy men in cowboy movies that always have to stop abruptly when the poker game goes awry. He’s mimicking John Darnielle’s voice to the point that he could probably get a law suit together, except he never would because he’s a top bloke (I’m guessing).

DRUNK MUMS

Divine Providence

Mature Themes

UNFD

★★★★

DEER TICK

Gods Are Bored

ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI

OFF!

THE DATSUNS

LIVE

OFF!

Anyone left in Brisbane who hasn’t worked out how awesome our own Velociraptor are, now’s your last chance to get onboard and stop looking stupid. How they manage to sound like such unbridled chaos, and snap themselves back into ridiculously catchy choruses in less time than it takes to even realise it’s happening is something that maybe the band themselves don’t even know. Managing at both times to sound like some accidentally discarded relic from the ‘60s and something that still hasn’t actually happened yet, the hype behind one of the most exciting bands out of Brisbane in forever is fully and unconditionally justified.

Create/Control

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Brendan Telford

Serpentine Path

Perhaps run is a misnomer though; they walk, stagger, trudge along with the formula, weighed down by the ungodly heaviness of their arsenal of riffs. Efforts like Crotalus Horridus Horridus have the quartet pushing the songs towards funeral dirge slowness, the buzz of tube amplifiers and crash of cymbals seeming to hang in the air for an eternity before the next note comes along to pummel you. It’s powerful stuff, even when the band up the tempo a little bit they sacrifice none of their foreboding heaviness. Though they only formed the band last year, when these guys lock into a groove they sound like they’ve been doing slow, misanthropic death/doom together for decades. Though their name isn’t being bandied around doom metal circles yet, and for this album the band will probably be discussed more for the previous credits of its members, this self-titled banger is going to make Serpentine Path a major part of the conversation regarding modern doom metal. ★★★★

Tom Hersey

VAN SHE

WHILE SHE SLEEPS

XAVIER RUDD

YEASAYER

Modular/Universal

Halfcut/Shock

Universal

Spunk/Co-Operative

The second album: it’s a tricky path to navigate sometimes, particularly if it has to emerge from the shadows of a debut whose accolades and intense admiration only add to its expected comparison and dissection. It’s album number two for Sydney fourpiece electro outfit Van She, but while it may be a tough ask to up the ante from 2008’s much-loved V, the near four-year break brings us Idea Of Happiness, another slick production with tropical fun galore.

With This Is The Six, Sheffield’s While She Sleeps have dropped one of the best metalcore releases of the year. The quintet slip into that genre, however, while employing a range of heavy styles, tackling everything from thrash and hardcore to more straightforward elements of punk and metal across the record.

Returning to solo mode for his seventh studio record, Spirit Bird is every bit the soul journey we’ve come to expect from Xavier Rudd. Capturing the raw beauty and power of the bush through a chuckling kookaburra and didgeridoo in the largely instrumental opener Lioness Eye, the tireless environmental and Indigenous crusader demonstrates his deep connection to our country with many snippets of his feathered friends across the record. Provided by David Stewart, Australia’s most renowned wildlife sound recordist, the samples are a natural extension of Rudd’s expression across Spirit Bird, adding authenticity to the title track and elsewhere creating a comforting, natural ambience.

New York experimental pop voyagers Yeasayer have crafted an idiosyncratic career out of making obtuseness seem mainstream. Through the popularity of intricate releases All Hour Cymbals (2007) and Odd Blood (2010), the trio have used the backbone of conventional balladry, fleshed it out with electronic eccentricities and nuances, and the result has been inexplicably accessible. On third album Fragrant World, they’ve endeavoured to spread the palette even further afield, and the result, once more, is surprisingly immersive.

Idea Of Happiness

The opening title-track is a good indication they’re sticking to a formula that’s clearly worked a treat previously – it’s all staggering synths, catchy beats and Nicholas Routledge’s mid-range, easy vocal. That’s by no means a bad thing. Singles Calypso and Jamaica execute a fine balance of Routledge’s vocals ringing true without sounding out of place amongst the electro layers in these clean tracks buzzing with spacey synths, Caribbean percussion and sonic pops. Sarah could be this album’s more production-heavy answer to V’s Kelly, with its crisp offbeat crunchy synths and double-tracked vocals, qualities also inherent in the more upbeat Tears, underlining Routledge’s articulated vocals, but they’re largely unaffected here and it’s a pleasing juxtaposition. Van She certainly know how to write agreeable melodies for the ears and pump out gratifying beats for the feet. They create interest with countless layers of sound that duck, swerve and leap over and in between vocals and rhythmic lines, as in The Beat Of The Drum and We Move On. It’s easy to comprehend what their Idea Of Happiness is – cocktails on the beach – and while the album is as likeable as that premise, elements of surprise and progression are lacking. ★★★½

Carley Hall

This Is The Six

Spirit Bird

Taking this flawless amalgamation, the young English quintet have released a debut LP that is impossible to slow down. The wild soloing and thick breakdowns of Sean Long and Mat Welsh are manic and possessed, while Adam Savage’s rapid-fire drumming would knock some teeth loose without the slightest hint of irony. However, the band balance the sonic violence with heart-on-sleeve confessionals, while the scattered piano found throughout provides the music with room to breathe while enveloping it all in a moody darkness that never sounds over the top or contrived. To the casual listener This Is The Six might seem like a wall of channelled aggression, but the lyrics on tracks like Our Courage, Our Cancer and Love At War show the Brits are unafraid to get deep and let go of some feeling. This is where vocalist Lawrence Taylor stars, his impassioned cry made to move mosh pits. The longhaired frontman’s vocal tone, verses and delivery make you feel like you are part of something strong and unifying, and with loads of gang choruses built around his cries the tracks all but scream for heaving chaos. Be prepared for this shit to seriously open up come Soundwave ’13. Until then, you’ll just have to be content to thrash around your livingroom some. ★★★★

Benny Doyle

Comfortable In My Skin was written during a difficult period of forced bed-rest following back surgery, though it rolls easily and joyfully from Rudd as he hits his musical strength – simple, well-executed folk sans percussion with a vocal melody that goes straight for the heart. Rudd’s other forte, fat percussion and chugging roots rhythms feature heavily too. Create A Dream is Rudd’s Imagine, a lovely, unassuming closer in which he shares his dreams of a better world over finger-picked guitar and his trademark Weissenborn slide used subtly to covey the perfection of an imperfect, heartfelt vocal: “Imagine sacred sites were left to be/Imagine if true activists controlled TV”. It’s in these quieter moments that Rudd proves himself as one of the country’s most important musical voices, converting anyone who possesses an open heart and a respect for sacred Australia. ★★★★

Tyler McLoughlan

Fragrant World

The first noted difference on Fragrant World is the lack of a stand-alone single – each track informs the ones that bookend it and vice versa. Some detractors will see this as a decline, yet in the age of bite-size attention spans, the desire to create a complete album is admirable. And whilst on previous efforts there has been an element of familiarity, this feels like a concerted effort to create a uniquely Yeasayer product. That isn’t to say it wholly gels – the twitchy R&B of Longevity doesn’t live up to its name (especially when Twin Shadow does this kind of thing standing on his head), and some tracks bear down on you with their overtly busy electronics – but the missteps aren’t irredeemable either, thus making the successes all the more poignant. When they dabble in kosmische on Damaged Goods, include an awkward multi-layered percussion that informs Fingers Never Bleed or Daft Punk wizardry inherent on the excellent Henrietta, the band show themselves to be growing exponentially, in both ability and potential. Fragrant World is exactly that – a new realm overcome with sounds that bombard the senses. ★★★½

Brendan Telford

BLOC PARTY. FOUR TRIPLE J FEATURE ALBUM “Four isn’t about comfort zone, but ripping free of it… about barrelling forward, not miming last decade’s Bloc Party”. ROLLING STONE Brand new studio album 17.08.12 Produced by Alex Newport (Mars Volta, Death Cab For Cutie)

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THIS WEEK IN

ARTS

WEDNESDAY 22 Twilight Markets – Rocklea’s answer to mid-week dinner dilemmas has 100 stalls worth of fresh produce, fashion, and crafts. For those who’d rather browse than recreate a feast, there’s also a range of alfresco dining options onsite. Sherwood Rd, Rocklea.

THURSDAY 23 Kitty Flanagan – returns with a hilarious new show that promises to ask the questions other comedians won’t touch: Is it OK to take hot beverages into the dunny? and of course, Why are babies so angry? Flanagan fast-paced humour is sure to entice even the most straight-faced. Just remember to leave anyone under three at home. Opening night, Brisbane Powerhouse: Powerhouse Theatre, 7pm until Sunday 2 September.

FRIDAY 24 Art with Altitude – transforms Airport Village for 10 days into an exciting exhibition space full of installations too large for traditional galleries. Inspired by the theme land to sky and beyond , the exhibition will also showcase a range of performances from live musicians to children’s theatre groups. Opening day, Airport Village, until Sunday 2 September. Queensland Poetry Festival – the opening night of 2012 festival will feature the rock star of Australian poetry Robert Adamson. This years poet in Residence A.Rawlings and award-winning singer-songwriter Holly Throsby. Opening Friday 24 August until Sunday 26 August, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts.

SATURDAY 25 Wonders of a Godless World – set in a particularly bleak hospital on an unnamed island in the middle of god knows where, centers on a orphan in charge of housing the mentally insane and a strange new patient who catalyses a chain of apocalyptic events. From murders to inexplicable turmoil, the lives of patients, staff, and the island are quickly turned upside-down with damning consequences. Closing night, Brisbane Powerhouse: Visy Theatre, 7.30pm.

played to, but it’s the biggest production – all bells and whistles,” Cook says. It was then suggested that his concert film would suit the big screen, amid surging demand for ‘event’ cinema. Cook’s cohorts The Chemical Brothers showed their Don’t Think in 600 theatres internationally. His is going to 800. “But I suspect that next year the Swedes will do it and they’ll be in 2000 screens worldwide,” he suggests ruefully.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival – hits the ground running (in heels, of course) from today. The main event is the runway showcasing Spring/Summer collections from local and renowned Australian designers, but a range of fashioncentric workshops and ragtrade seminars are also on the program. Runway shows will take place at Treasury Park and Casino, Queens Park, until Friday 31 August.

SUNDAY 26 Brisbane International Youth Music Festival – wraps up for the weekend with a Gala Concert tonight. The winning instrumentalists and vocalists from the weekend’s competition will perform in the gala along with a panel of accomplished international performers. Closing day, Somerville House, 6pm.

MONDAY 27 Blade – vampires, blood-sucking vampires and a half-vampire, halfhuman who wants to sort them out. Catch it at the Rooftop Cinema tonight. Also make sure to take advantage of the bar and range of tapas – if your stomach can handle it. The Limes Hotel, Fortitude Valley, 7:30pm.

TUESDAY 28

NO RAIN

Fatboy Slim took his beach-doof spectacular to a stadium and had it filmed. Cyclone gets the skinny on the whys and wherefors. Electronic dance music’s natural habitat is the nightclub, rave or festival, but, fresh from his cameo in the London Olympic Games closing ceremony, Brit DJ Fatboy Slim (aka Norman Cook) is bringing his Big Beach Bootique to cinemas. And you’ll be raving in the aisles.

Originally the big beat pioneer planned to “document” the fifth of his famous Brighton parties, and first in the seaside resort’s new football stadium, exclusively for DVD. He shot the second of June’s two spectacles. “It’s not the biggest crowd I’ve ever

Nijinsky – performed by The Hamburg Ballet, this company performs a tribute to one of the dance world’s most elite male performers, Vaslav Nijinsky. An Australian premiere, the short season will end today and runs in conjunction with the Brisbane Festival. Closing night, QPAC: Playhouse, 7:30pm. No Worries – English photographer Martin Parr’s latest satirical exhibit focuses on the true blue types of WA. Renowned for images that highlight the odd in the ordinary, Parr who was once famously dissed by Magnum – the prestigious photographic agency – he continued to create images that document the lives of the working class for over 30 years. Brisbane Powerhouse, until Sunday 23 September.

On the eve of the Queenslandd Poetry rns from Festival, Helen Stringer learns Felix Nobis about the importance of performance to poetry. The uninitiated might be forgiven for thinking that spoken word is the purview of undergraduate arts students with a penchant for rhyming couplets and hearty doses of dramatics. Annually, however, Queensland Poetry Festival draws poets from far and wide to demonstrate inaccuracy of such stereotypes and the continuing vitality of the discipline. Melbournebased poet, playwright, actor and academic, Felix Nobis, is making his inaugural appearance at QPF this year; he explains that for him spoken word is more than just enthusiastic recitation but a mode of performance with ancient roots.

BARRACKS 07 3367 1954 61 PETRIE TCE, TOP OF CAXTON ST

Having translated epic poem Beowulf – a process, he explains, that began as a hobby and turned into three year project, with an extensively toured one-man show. Nobis sees performance as a basis for understanding the past. There’s therefore a nice if not unexpected symmetry between Nobis’ work as an academic where his area of study is medieval storytelling and his narrative-based spoken word. “I started writing poetry when I was younger,” he says, “But really got into it in my twenties...looking back on those poems that I wrote when I was in my twenties, they’re all quite narrative driven; I loved

3367 1954

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playing around with verse and I loved playing around with rhythms. It was l i I was writing i i quite i always stories. long poems…driven by narrative but being put together in verse.” This early predilection for narrativebased prose led, at least partially, to his translation of Beowulf. “I came across the poem,” he says, “And all of a sudden something clicked. I don’t think I would have taken to Beowulf as immediately and as strongly as I did if I hadn’t been writing my own narrative verse and if I hadn’t been playing around with that form or hadn’t been thinking about how to tell stories through poetry.” Fittingly, Nobis is by all accounts a consummate and hugely engaging storyteller; indeed, he explains that the performance element is intrinsic to his work. “Most of my work really is performance. I like an audience to be introduced to my poetry through

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Coo Cook did have qualms about moving his festival, last held in 2008 on Brighton Beach, to Falmer Stadium (or The AMEX). Partygoers could be put off by the prospect of “a cattle shed”. “But,” he says, “it’s such a beautiful stadium.” The AMEX has superior facilities and, crucially, allows for greater crowd control. “It was a lot more relaxed for me ‘cause some of the ones on the beach I was throwing, I was shitting in my pants. There was one where a quarter of a million people turned up. The police were saying

POETS GO PUBLIC

ONGOING

Hamburg Ballet

34 • TIME OFF

Fatboy Slim: Live From The Big Beach Bootique will show on one night only, Friday 31 August, globally. “The idea is that if we get everyone to watch it at once on the same night, we get some kind of vibe like it’s a gig. Obviously, it’s not the sort of film that you’d go to the Tuesday afternoon matinee of [laughs]. [ The idea is to get eve everybody together at once - they may maybe have a few drinks before they go in - and [you get] as close to recreating r the show as you can. I su suppose it’s the nearest you can get without actually being there.”

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And The AMEX is a more environmentally sustainable choice. Cook previously had to fork out a small fortune to clean up the shingle beach, post-party. “It took a team of fifty people a week to sift through all the pebbles and get all the muck out of it.” Coincidentally, Cook himself lives on Brighton’s seafront with his wife, media personality Zoë Ball, and their children. Arriving on the South Coast from Surrey as a uni student in the ‘80s, he was already DJing there prior to joining the indie-pop group The Housemartins as bassist. “Of course, while we were taking the broken glass out of the pebbles, we were finding Victorian broken glass and bits from the ‘30s and the ‘40s,” Cook continues. “The beach has never been as clean as it was after we did that!” Might this model citizen have called in Time Team’s archaeologists? “Yeah,” he replies laconically, “it was mainly broken glass.” WHAT: Fatboy Slim: Live From The Big Beach Bootique WHEN & WHERE: One night only- Friday 31 August

my voice rather than reading it or having someone else perform it. I like to be the conduit between my work and the audience,” but, he says with a laugh, “I’m not some crazy performance poet who jumps on tables…” Whilst he’s quick to dispel the possible misconception that his work is a form oof “bush poetry” he explains that there’s Australianness to it. “I certainly an Australianne enjoy playing with the Australian A let…the accent accent and I try to let…t performance style,” influence the performanc Australian he pauses, “I think the A way we accent is more than a wa speak. I think it’s a way we view things as well - we see tthings in an accent, if that’s possible.” possi festivals like On the importance of fes poets write QPF he says, “A lot of po becomes a much on their own and it beco audience to lonely task. Having an au share with makes it a very public thing; as poets you’re constantly torn between the private persona and the public persona. A festival, I think, balances both because people can be poets in a public space,” he continues, “I look forward to getting really inspired by hearing some of the poetry there being performed and just speaking with people about poetry. I think it’s a great opportunity to get together with other poets.” WHO: Felix Nobis WHAT: Smashing The Sunset (Part of the Queensland Poetry Festival) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 25 August, 6pm, Judith Wright Centre. The festival runs until 26 August.

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to me, ‘People will die tonight.’ They said, ‘It won’t necessarily be your fault, but statistically you’ve got 250,000 drunk people on the streets – people are gonna die.’ Then we did one on New Year’s Day and the weather absolutely pissed down on us and everyone was soaked – not cold, but soaked. I was getting electrocuted. So compared to the ones I’d done on the beach, this one was a stroll in the park.”

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REVIEWS BERNIE FILM There are several good reasons to see this film, the first being the brilliant and uncharacteristically understated performance from Jack Black, who plays opposite screen legend, Shirley MacLaine. The second is that it’s a Richard Linklater film. Linklater made his name in the ‘90s with Dazed & Confused, Waking Life and Before Sunrise (followed years later by Before Sunset), and he directed Black in School Of Rock. Bernie is based on an article about the real-life Bernie Tiede, played by Black, and it’s a fascinating story. Bernie is a mortician in Carthage, Texas, and he’s the nicest, most solicitous guy you could meet. A pillar of the community

who attends church, supports charities and performs in local theatre productions, he meets the elderly wealthy widow, Marjorie (MacLaine), when he prepares her dead husband for his funeral. The pair strike up an extremely close friendship and become inseparable. But after a few years of this platonic intimacy (Bernie’s pretty obviously gay), the cranky old cow, Marjorie, finally pushes Bernie to do something drastic. What follows is the ‘truth being stranger than fiction’ part. Matthew McConaughey is at first almost unrecognisable as the sunglasses-wearing DA Danny Buck – a man who starts to suspect Bernie of being a money-hunting shyster even though everyone else won’t hear a word said against him. The characters in the small

C U LT U R A L

WITH BAZ MCALISTER

The Harbinger town are all delightfully offbeat but genuine, and the end result is a triumph, especially for Jack Black, who should be up for a swathe of awards for this role. Vicki Englund In cinemas nationally

THE HARBINGER THEATRE

The stage of Dead Puppet Society’s The Harbinger is dominated by a puppet of gigantic proportions; an old man who’s wheeled across the boards and given life and voice by three puppeteers. The wheezing and spluttering Old Albert has cut himself off from an increasingly brutal world, an isolation which is only broken by the unexpected appearance of a

Bernie

ART

young girl and the reappearance of his fairy-tale youth, in turn re-enacted with more delicate puppet versions of his younger self. There’s no doubt some heavy introspections going on here: about imagination, about dreams, about lost pasts and about hope. Without going into them, as the story of Old Albert and his initially unwelcome visitor unfolds, The Harbinger performs a Pinocchio-like feat; the Old Man becomes as alive as the little girl beside him. Yes, it’s a dark and grim world created. But The Harbinger is profoundly, unexpectedly moving theatre and, ultimately, hopeful as well. Helen Stringer Running until 1 September, La Boite Theatre

ART

S TA R T E R

CIRCUS TRICK TEASE

Five minutes with

If an actor was to play you in a movie who would it be? I would have to say Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) – not so much for his acting skills, but all my mates seem to think we look similar [laughs]. What’s the most cringeworthy thing you’ve seen on stage ? One moment would be backing Shannon Noll and watching him fall off the stage flat on his face... then jumping straight up to perform a kick ass show – funny night! Where has the weirdest place you’ve seen a performances? I played at a Swingers club once! That was definitely different....

What/who inspires you artistically? J. Krishnamurti – If you ain’t checked him out, you gots too... Floyd Maywheather – cause my next love is boxing. Prince and Miles – because they‘re always changing their sound. What was the first show or concert you saw? Musical – Annie, Concert – Michael Jackson If you weren’t a performer what would you be doing? Boxing WHAT: Gene Peterson Live with Saia Hanlon and TMC WHEN & WHERE: Opening tonight to Thursday 23 August, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts

Teasers by name and teasers by nature, Circus Trick Tease are one feature act at the infamous Gangster’s Ball this September. Performer Shannon McGurgan let’s a few tricks out of the bag. “One ‘trick teaser’ is Mr. Plonk picking up female audience members,” snickers McGurgan, “continuing with a magician’s sleight of hands.” Another is the love triangle, which takes a decidedly queer twist on the traditional. And another yet again, is a narrative-driven circus show – Gasp. McGurgan is a circus performer and acrobat who trained the troupe in specialized acrobalance skills. He started in gymnastics and moved professionally into circus beginning with The Circus Arts School in Atlanta Georgia and culminating ten years later as one of the first graduates from The National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne. ”Malia has a background in ballet, much of her career has been as a fire performer,” McGurgan explains, “including training in Samoa and New Zealand in both art forms. Farhad grew up doing gymnastics in his home country of Iran and wasn’t tied to any formulaic

Last week, Cringe stared down Big Brother not once, but twice: once during shake & stir theatre company’s slam-bang adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 on the stage of the Cremorne Theatre at QPAC (see it – it’s brilliant). And once on Channel 9, as a gaggle of fresh-faced hyperactive twentysomethings were shepherded into a bunker at Dreamworld. Both involved the iconic Two Minutes of Hate, for very different reasons.Sitting in the audience at the Cremorne, I was reminded of how brutal and uncompromising is the torture Winston Smith undergoes in the Ministry of Love, at the hands of Big Brother’s Thought Police. His will is taken away, his revolutionary spirit broken, and his love utterly destroyed in Room 101, by means of waterboarding, electric shocks and ultimately his fear of ravenous rats. The TV housemates are infinitely more insubordinate to authority than Winston Smith was – but by contrast, Big Brother has no Thought Police to mete out punishment, and no Room 101 in which to conduct torture. The best he can do is send housemates to the Naughty Corner to write out their penance 50 times on a chalkboard. Lame!Big Brother might have borrowed its title and its premise of constant camera surveillance by a sinister, unseen authority from 1984, but there the similarity ends. And oh, how I wish it didn’t. These irritating housemates have signed their dignity away to Nine – why not make them sign it all away? The housemates can’t expect to laze around by the

THE LOOKING

Five minutes with

SAIA HANLON

CRINGE

WHAT: Circus Trick Tease part of The Gangsters Ball WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 15 September, The Tivoli

This is what reality TV should be. I don’t care who thinks they can dance, cook, sing or how much talent they have –I just want to see them getting really messed with. Is it too much to ask for the Big Brother contestants to come stumbling out into the sunlight in a few weeks’ time, no longer cocky wastes of skin but productive, obedient, respectful, docile members of society? Oh, and believing that two plus two is five, but we’ll soon drill that out of them.

GLASS

WITH HELEN STRINGER

structure so he performs amazing skills, freestanding headstand on a bottle, a trick rarely done by Western trained performers. Farhad has toured for a decade with circuses around the world. “Miss Tinkle and Mr. Plonk run the circus, they are a couple too. It’s a typically dysfunctional relationship seen in most marriages that have outlived their usefulness. Unfortunately, they feel that need to stay together in order for the circus to survive, a metaphor for soooooo many relationships perhaps. Miss Tinkle drinks for solace, Mr. Plonk has the veneer of a “sensitive” man, but, his real agenda, all the crying and fawning, is to get down your pants, any pants, he’s not too fussed.”

pool for a few weeks and then walk straight into a cushy radio presenting job, just for letting themselves get turkey-slapped on national TV, oh no. They should have to work for that 15 minutes of fame. They should be contractually made to become the civil dead; to literally sign their very human rights away. Suddenly, address Big Brother as ‘mate’ and it’s straight to the Diary Room for some solid whipping and a cage of rats to the face.In the UK in 2004, a reality TV show called Shattered aired. It was the best reality show ever made, and I have no idea how it got greenlit. Ten contestants were locked in a house and had to go seven days without sleep, to be in with a chance of winning 100,000 pounds (but if anyone shut their eyes for more than 10 seconds, 1000 pounds came out of the prize-money). It wasn’t long before they were shambling around, hallucinating and dreaming while awake. It was, in a word, hilarious.

You know you’re getting old when déjà vu is no longer a momentarily disquieting sensation but a feeling so pervasive it’s only alleviated by unconsciousness.There’s a point when you find yourself silently quoting Battlestar Gallactica all day long: all of this has happened before and will happen again. Clearly, there’s also a point at which you find yourself utterly unashamed to publicly admit that 80% of your inner-monologue consists of Battlestar Gallactica scripts (for the record the other 20% is Buffy The Vampire Slayer).None of this is helped by the fact that there’s been a dearth of originality of late, particularly in the film world. If it’s not a sequel, prequel or re-make it’s an adaptation from novel, memoir, comic, or epic poem. Let’s think about how many Batman movies society really needs. Now let’s think - really think - about whether we’ve surpassed that number. Didn’t Danny Devito once play a homicidal penguin? Ah yes, flightless birds, the creatures nightmares are made of. Scott Fitzgerald is being murdered by Baz Luhrmann and Jack Kerouac will serve as the vessel that answers the age-old question: are the rumours true? Can Kristen Stewart’s face really move? But topping the list of movies that should be forcibly prevented from being made has to

be ‘50 Shades of Grey: The Official Porno’. Let’s put aside for a moment that a transposition true to the source would see a script with dialogue of startling realism, including lines like: “My inner goddess is doing the meringue with some salsa moves” (hint: her inner goddess is her vagina and no, I don’t know how that’s physically possible either). Let’s instead focus on the fact that this is Twilight fan fiction. Have we not suffered enough at the hands of Stephenie Meyer and her beige, linen wearing non-bloodsuckers? After five long, plot-less years there’s only one movie in the aptly named ‘Saga’ left. Come December we will never again have to wonder whether, given the choice between bestiality and necrophilia, we too would follow Bella’s lead and choose the pretty corpse. We have a window of opportunity to finally rid ourselves of sparkly vegetarian vampires and their bevy of virginal domestic abuse victims and we’re going to miss it. All because Mrs Meyer’s complete inability to create a character has allowed others to take her blank cardboard cut-outs and project onto them the dull, desperate and depraved dreams of heartbroken housewives and lonely teenagers. Let’s not reward repetition anymore. Say no to 50 Shades Of Grey.

TIME OFF • 35

36 • TIME OFF

THECITYSHAKEUP Members/roles:

Dave – vocals/guitar, Cam – lead guitar, Ronnie – bass guitar

How long have you been together? Dave: Roughly four years as the crow flies…

How did you all meet? Cam: When in Rome…

You’re on tour in the van – which band or artist is going to keep the most people happy if we throw them on the stereo? Ronnie: Billy Talent’s been getting a bit of a flogging since we supported them earlier in the month… but anything from Queen to AFI gets on rotation at some point.

Would you rather be a busted broke-but-revered Hank Williams figure or some kind of Metallica monster? Dave: Who the fuck is Hank Williams?

Which Brisbane bands before you have been an inspiration (musically or otherwise)? Cam: Regurgitator musically… The Veronicas in my pants…

What part do you think Brisbane plays in the music you make? Ronnie: well music is a reflection of the world around you, and when you got Muppets like Campbell Newman calling the shots it’s hard for us to sit back and say nothing! It’d be good if more people spoke up rather than waiting for someone else to solve the problem.

Is your band responsible for more make-outs or break-ups? Why? Dave: Probably more threeways and bukakke parties…

What reality TV show would you enter as a band and why? Cam: Reality TV is a joke, I’d rather they use those resources to produce something worthwhile...

If your band had to play a team sport instead of being musicians which sport would it be and why would you be triumphant? Ronnie: Synchronised swimming – coz we’re tight as fuck!

What’s in the pipeline for the band in the short term? Dave: We’re on tour through August then locking ourselves away to write our debut album. TheCityShakeUp play The Tempo Hotel on Saturday 8 September. Photo by TERRY SOO.

Every time Tasmania’s Psycroptic play a show, even a support slot, they have the whole audience eating out of their collective hand. Tonight is no exception; the band present the technical death metal of numbers like Ob (Servant) with a liveliness and excitement often missing from the genre.

Alpine @ The Zoo pic by John Stubbs

Nasum stride across the stage and it takes roughly four-and-a-half seconds for this exhumed version of the band to verify their veracity. The four living Nasum members together sound more rehearsed, more in sync with one another, than almost any other extreme metal band you’re going to see. Guitarists Jon Lindqvist and Urban Skytt work through the firebomb riffs from efforts like The Black Swarm and Circle Of Defeat with the precision of death metal players; they stop and start on a dime, perfectly in sync with one another, and the crowd for the most part can only watch on in awe. Against the precision and speed of the axemen, bassist Jesper Liveröd is loose and punky and drummer Anders Jakobson’s blasts have a wonderful grindcore swing to them. As phenomenal as the band’s musicianship is, the real weight of tonight’s performance rests on the shoulders of Rotten Sound vocalist Keijo Niinimaa. Stepping in to fill the role of Mieszko Talarczyk, Niinimaa’s pig squeal is a faithful tribute to the late vocalist, and it keeps to the middle of the mix to allow the band’s riffs to absorb the focus.

ALPINE, CLUBFEET, GEORGI KAY THE ZOO: 17/08/12

Fresh from a run of dates with mega-selling Brit Ed Sheeran, Georgi Kay has no trouble making The Zoo stage her own. There’s a bit of Lana Del Ray in her voice which on today’s scene won’t hurt your chances in the slightest, but the thick triumph of Breakfast In Bedlam and the lighter snap of Puzzles show that this Perth lass has the songwriting edge and performance quality to stand tall without the need for any comparisons. Sydney-based five piece Clubfeet lean more towards the dreamy sound of Alpine and have the whole live lounge band Gypsy & The Cat shtick down to a fine art, but tonight, their moody pop just doesn’t get over the line. Watching Yves Roberts (bass) whip his body like a rubber man is mildly entertaining, but when Montgomery Cooper (keys) rolls up his sleeves and transforms into Talking Heads’ David Byrne, it’s pretty hard to take it all seriously. Teenage Suicide stands out in the set for all the wrong reasons, but apart from that the tracks simply bleed into each other – even their biggest song Last Words doesn’t hold up live, which is a real disappointment. Riding high on the wave of their ARIA crashing chart entry, Alpine seem as eager to make a night of this as the crowd does and dive immediately into their gorgeous A Is For Alpine record, mimicking the LP with the openers Lovers 1, Lovers 2 and Hands. The songs have some serious tough notes to hit and harmonise, but the twin enchantresses of Phoebe Baker and Lou James are knocking it towards the grandstands tonight, and surrounded, somewhat pagan-like, by their male counterparts, they drop, spin, weave and flow like leaves in the wind. These theatrics give an edge surrealism to the whole affair, the set not only providing music but spine-tingling visual art too. Recent support slots at The Tivoli have seen their intricate sound lost in the expansive room, however at The Zoo it’s contained in crisp perfection. The girls feed off each other during the rambunctious Heartlove, while new cuts such as Softsides and Too Safe are beautiful, poetic and fun. It’s about this time when Phil Tucker comes to the party also, his drumming as animated as the ladies writhing before him. Recent single Gasoline gets a massive response and there is a special moment following the song where you can see the penny drop across the sextet’s faces – ‘Wow, people are digging this shit!’ It’s a revelation only driven home further when they play Villages and everyone moves in unison, washed away by the performance Alpine have provided Brisbane this evening.

more readily identified with Motion Picture Actress’ standard body of work, as he gets things started tonight. As the set continues, Flemenco-influenced guitars overlay the rhythms, jazz influences drop in and out and his recent single True sees a live remix. It seems the artist has finally tamed his technical gremlins and that has lead to an accomplished set; diverse, catchy and energetic – easily his best so far. Ahead of the launch of their album, By Cover Of Night, on vinyl at The Waiting Room this Saturday, Ghost Notes are playing their first full show this year and quickly prove that the time off stage hasn’t weakened them at all, as they pull out one of their strongest performances. Helped by a lovely mix, the instrumental group stay achingly beautiful throughout their set, evoking the feel of a haunted Western. Sparse drums, scraped guitar strings and muted trumpet all seem somehow distant even as they fill the room, and the piano swells with a melancholy melody on stand-out track Man Takes A Walk In The Desert. Even when they explode into full volume there’s still a feeling of restraint that shines through and hints at ever more to come. Big Dead begin in the same vibe as Ghost Notes – ambient, jazz-influenced rock, all sparse snares and piano – before picking up the tempo significantly in the second track with a much jauntier number. It’s a technique that the six-piece follow over the next few songs: sparse jazz-influenced sections give way to more traditional rock, which fade back into brushes and repeating piano chords, before bursting out into rock once more while Cameron Bower’s vocals hang delicately over the music. New single How It Ends, How It Starts is very soft. Featuring acoustic guitar, soft-jazz saxophone and quiet, sad vocals, it’s a long way from a traditional single, but the song captures the room and draws enthused applause from the sizable crowd. Following on is Dopamine, a lovely track and the highlight of the set. Changed from its original form to a much quieter version, the jazz influence in their sound is strongest here, and as the extended outro fades delicately out, the guitarists leave the stage and let their colleagues draw the song to its conclusion. The remainder of the set is a lot heavier and is more than a little reminiscent of Radiohead circa-The Bends. It’s a surprising shift from the earlier half of the set and shows a band that is both expanding and refining their sound as they grow.

While on record they’re not exactly influenced by obscure Japanese noise rock, but tonight Cub Scouts seem to be playing it safe and seem rather timid even for their radio friendly indie-pop. There’s simply no edge to the performance and whilst they’re undoubtedly talented in their field, in particular the vocals of timid frontman Tim Nelson, it all just feels like the band are trying to get their set under the db limit and make sure they wrap up in time to get their eight hours kip. As with Glass Towers before them, the crowd seem sadly uninterested and eager for the DJ to start playing again. Fortunately the audience’s attention span has picked up with anticipation as Loon Lake kick into gear. The band are tight from the get go, with the threestrong guitar hooks luring you in at every turn as they cover material from across the board. Vocalist Sam Nolan really drives the band, not missing a note and being a true showman. A track that just missed out on being in the Hottest 100, Bad To Me, naturally gets a very positive response from the young crowd, who sing and clap along to every beat. It’s perhaps odd timing to plug the EP from in between songs, but it’s done with a giant projection behind them saying ‘buy more beer’, following on from projections of skateboarders and various buildings. The inevitable Cherry Lips sees the entire band convening at the front of the stage to drive the pop gem into the heads of the youngsters. Following on and closing the set is a cover of The Darkness’ I Believe In A Thing Called Love, which gets the greatest reaction of the night and while Nolan doesn’t quite get to the heights of Justin Hawkins, it’s still a good crack at an interesting choice for the end of an interesting night. With the kids now dancing to the nameless DJ and taking the venue into club land, it’s still great to see the number of fans who’d come out to witness this growing band, one who perhaps deserved a bigger stage to match their performance. Bradley Armstrong

NASUM, PSYCROPTIC, DYSCARNATE, CAPTAIN CLEANOFF

Sky Kirkham

THE HI-FI: 17/08/12

LOON LAKE, CUB SCOUTS, GLASS TOWERS

It’s a tour that nobody thought would happen with a line-up that nobody can believe is happening. Yes, spirits are high as punters file into The Hi-Fi, as longactive Aussie grinders Captain Cleanoff get stuck into blasting through cuts like Hardcore Fashion Parade.

Benny Doyle

ALHAMBRA LOUNGE: 17/08/12

BIG DEAD, GHOST NOTES, MOTION PICTURE ACTRESS BLACK BEAR LODGE: 19/08/12

The young‘uns have clambered into every nook and cranny of Alhambra Lounge tonight, making the temperature high with excitement levels to match, as Melbourne buzz band Loon Lake venture up to our neck of the woods for this sold out show.

Swelling orchestral strings give way to crunchy distorted beats, recalling the work of the n5MD roster, before collapsing out gracefully to a downbeat structure

First up, Sydney/Byron Bay four-piece Glass Towers play to a rather full room, however unfortunately fail to get a decent amount of

38 • TIME OFF

attention. Their indie rock is laden with hooks and the sound comes through great, but the waning crowd interest overshadows their best efforts.

The mood remains ebullient as England’s Dyscarnate bring their brand of tough guy slam to tonight’s bill. While repeating the maxim that those up the front “bang their fucking heads!”, Dyscarnate tear through newer efforts like Kingdom Of The Blind and The Promethean with boots firmly planted upon the foldback, arm muscles contorting and bulging with the formation of every new guitar chord.

themusic.com.au

Leaving The Hi-Fi, there’s a pervasive sense that this feels like an example of a band doing the whole reunion show deal the right way, without any lingering suspicions of ‘cash grab’. One last slog across the world, where the band’s surviving members make a statement about the incredible musicianship and combustible chemistry that permeates their string of late-‘90s/early-‘00s releases. Hopefully, this statement will inspire extreme music fans to revisit those records and listen to some of the music penned by Mieszko Talarczyk. What greater tribute to a musician could there be? Maybe a statue? I don’t know... Tom Hersey

PER PURPOSE, POP SINGLES, KNEE CHIN, NITE FIELDS BLACK BEAR LODGE: 14/08/12

With the amount of people jammed into Black Bear Lodge and the Valley in general tonight for the Ekka holiday eve, it’s clear that the people are choosing hangovers as opposed to influenza on Peoples Day. Kicking off tonight’s chunky bill, Nite Fields play to a solid crowd on one of their last shows for a while. The group are tight with their art-rock and dark electronica resonating around the venue. Come Down appears early and is one of the highlights of the night, with its reverb-drenched clockwork rhythm. Apart from the occasional sound problem, the set goes down a treat and is a great kick start ot proceedings. Wasting no time – they’re launching their latest 7” Melting Upwards tonight – Knee Chin tear up the stage with the three-piece pumping up the volume and thrashing their guitars wildly. The interplay between vocalists Mark Zian and Aiden Reid Hilcher works really well and the two clearly put their all into the performance, really rounding out a solid set of jangly alternative pop. Venturing up from Melbourne to launch their LP All Gone, Pop Singles do feel like the pop band of the night with their music feeling a tad more upbeat and structured compared to the rest of the bill. They’re damn tight though, and great to watch. Again, the odd sound problem pops up here and there and the overall tone feels like it could benefit from a second guitar, but in the end the band put on a great show that could have just as easily wrapped up a great night. Capping off a massive slog of dates launching their 7” Warburton, Per Purpose make their triumphant return to Brisbane to finish the tour on a high. The band deserves the mounting praise they’ve earned, as their live show is not only tight but simply enjoyable. Frontman Glenn Schenau hurls around the room with his guitar, yet always finds his way back to the front to give the hair-covered microphone a good lashing. The group draws on new and old, managing to sound brash and confronting but able to fall back on traditional hooks and simply good songwriting, whilst keeping an Australian vibe about everything. The great set feels over too early despite lasting its length and then some, but is undoubtedly a great conclusion to the night. All in all, the coupling of Black Bear Lodge and indie record label Bedroom Sucks has once again succeeded and excelled in making a memorable night for the Brisbane music scene, with a great selection of bands from near and afar within one of our city’s best venues and crowds. Bradley Armstrong

THE LAURELS, KEEP ON DANCIN’S, COBWEBBS BEETLE BAR: 17/08/12

It is a small crowd that sees opening act Cobwebbs kick out their wares, and the stragglers miss out on what is a deliciously shambolic set. It seems that every live performance seems to get further swathed in feedback and dirge, delving into Crystal Stilts territory at times, and the dirtier they sound the stronger they are. There are some slight issues with sound, and vocalist Sam Wightman fills out the downtime with droll banter and crowd-baiting, which only heightens the appeal. A new song is aired, but it’s Ice Melter that seals the deal. Keep On Dancin’s are next up, and as always they deliver a solid set, the quartet sticking predominantly to material from their excellent The End Of Everything album. The band is expert at creating a melancholic claustrophobia, yet it’s the urgent surf dirge of Hewitt Eyes and dark crawler Your Love Is Mine that really captures the imagination tonight. There are some Lenny Kravitz references, along with Yuri Johnson’s cheeky opening of Are You Gonna Go My Way?, but it’s quickly back to business. It takes a couple of chords of Black Cathedral to herald Sydney kids The Laurels as a new voice on the Australian music scene. Here to celebrate their much-awaited debut album Plains, the four-piece launch into a set that leaves nothing to chance, conjuring a wall of sonorous noise the likes of which the Beetle Bar has never witnessed. As far as stage performance goes it remains minimal, the three boys content on strangling their instruments and staring at their feet. It is up to drummer Kate Wilson to offer some visual connection, her incessant drumming a centrepoint, even though the sound is uncharacteristically drowned out the further one is from the stage. Yet it is the inherent strength of the songs on display that truly resonates. Piers Cornelius and Luke O’Farrell’s alternating vocals are another effective selling point, offering further diversity to these new tracks. The dueling guitar sound provides one of the fullest shoegaze washes seen outside of the Mother Country, Tidal Wave

proving to be particularly huge, whilst punkier stabs like Changing The Timeline show that that the band have a darker side. Connor Hannan anchors everything, his basslines the centrifugal force that every other element swirls out from.

BIGSOUND LIVE TIMETABLE ONLINE The timetable for the BIGSOUND Live 2012 showcases has been announced. Tickets are on sale through Oztix. To start planning your BIGSOUND experience visit bigsound.org.au right now.

The true mastery of the band is in that wash of noise though, and they sweep all and sundry away into a psychedelic swell, crushing down on the crowd until they are one and the same.

TOP TEN TIPS FOR SXSW

Brendan Telford The Laurels @ Beetle Bar pic by Sky Kirkham

Q Music is a not for profit organisation supporting Queensland music, musicians and industry workers. This column will present you with information on grant and export opportunities, conferences and the general lowdown on the state’s music industry.

QUEENSLAND MUSIC AWARDS HONOURS THE STATE’S FINEST

The Queensland music industry and fans were out in force on Tuesday 14 August as the State’s finest artists were honoured at the annual Queensland Music Awards. Held at Brisbane’s Old Museum, the night belonged to new kids on the block Cub Scouts who picked up two awards including Song of the Year and the Pop Award for their song Do You Hear. For more info visit queenslandmusicawards.com.au.

Attention all Aussie bands that are considering applying for the SXSW music conference! SXSW has given QMusic their Top Ten Tips for any Australian band looking to apply for the SXSW Showcase. For more info visit qmusic.com.au.

FRETFEST SEARCH FOR THE VOICE fRETfEST is searching for high-school musicians on the Gold Coast to perform at the ‘BETHEVOICE Of Your Gen On The GC’ showcase in September. The competition will allow successful applicants the chance to perform their own songs live on stage as part of the Bring On Spring Festival, held on 1 and 2 September. Check fretfest.com for more info.

CONTROL IS NOW CALLING FOR APPLICATIONS

CONTROL: The Business Of Music Management, a dynamic five-stage program designed to equip music managers with crucial business skills, is now calling for applications. Mid-career music managers from around the country are encouraged to apply. For more info visit amin.org.au.

LITTLE BIGSOUND FULL PROGRAM GET PAID FOR PLAYING LIVE! ANNOUNCED Play live? Submit a Live Performance Return (LPR) Programmed by youth for youth, the second annual Little BIGSOUND announced its full program, a feast of industry and music in a one-day forum for young people 14-25 looking at starting a career in the business. Taking over Fortitude Valley’s Judith Wright Centre on Saturday 15 September and following the Southern Hemisphere’s largest music industry gathering BIGSOUND, Youth Music Industries (YMI) have joined with QMusic to produce a unique event. For more info visit bigsound.org.au.

themusic.com.au

before 31 August to get paid! Songwriters who play live can be paid for their efforts by submitting an APRA Live Performance Return (LPR) before 31 August, 2012. For more info visit apra-amcos.com.au.

WANT TO KNOW MORE OR BECOME A QMUSIC MEMBER? For these stories, memberships and more, go to qmusic.com.au.

TIME OFF • 39

ROOTS DOWN

OG FLAVAS

ADAMANTIUM WOLF

BLUES ‘N’ ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON ROOTS@TIMEOFF.COM.AU

URBAN AND R&B NEWS BY CYCLONE

METAL, HARDCORE AND PUNK WITH LOCHLAN WATT

Jessica Mauboy

Ry Cooder The new record from Ry Cooder came out last Friday and hopefully plenty of people have taken the opportunity to have a listen to it over the past week or so that it has been floating around both online and in physical formats. I do very much like the work of Mr Cooder, though I wouldn’t say he has an infallible back catalogue, so I’m pleased to say I think this record pretty much nails the modern, roughneck blues that he’s hinted at hitting on his previous few records. This is the straightest blues record he has done for a while (though it has its twists and turns) and the best he’s done in ages. His Pull Up Some Dust & Sit Down record of last year came close to perfecting this kind of casual, pissed off, sardonic storyteller ground he’s been covering of late, but I think the relative simplicity of the recently-released Election Special and the kind of raw emotion he packs into the songs, as well as the fact that he’s no interest in shrouding his thoughts about the subject matters at hand (immigration, segregation, racism and general nastiness that Cooder believes could creep in should a Republican candidate – specifically Mitt Romney – be elected as President of the United States) lends a real undiluted form of power. Election Special is out now through Nonesuch/Warner; I had a chat with Mr Cooder the other day, keep your eyes peeled for that. The Mullumbimby Music Festival is set to happen once again this November and the main announcement made this week makes it look like it could very well be the biggest year that the festival has ever had. There are some mighty fine acts from all over the world on the bill for this year’s event and plenty of them haven’t announced any other Australian dates as yet so, even if you can’t make it to the festival, there’s every chance they’ll be playing at a location somewhat more convenient to you. Heading up the bill for 2012 are Jamaican roots-reggae-rasta masters The Abyssinians with their nine-piece band, Malian blues maestro Boubacar Traoré, local dudes done good Husky, one of the truly great American singer/songwriters currently living the travelling troubadour life, Joe Pug, old mate from The Voice Darren Percival as well as *deep breath*: Tinpan Orange, Mama Kin, Nano Stern, Gossling, Mia Dyson, Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Rackettes, Will & The People, Bustamento, King Tide, Electric Empire, Tim Freedman, Joe Robinson, Liz Stringer, Aya Larkin, Stiff Gins, Hat Fitz & Cara, Suzannah Espie, Vince Jones, Winter People, Entropic, Sara Tindley, The Rescue Ships, Band Of Frequencies, Darky Roots, Kingfisha, The Lucky Wonders, Juzzie Smith, Victoriana Gaye, Jojo Smith, Loren Kate, Round Mountain Girls, Gyan, ShakShuka, Rosey, Scarlett Affection, David Ades, Kapcha, One Dragon Two Dragon, Lifeline, Potato Potato, Brad Butcher, Jimmy Dowling, Eleea Navarro, Starboard Cannons, President Roots, Mr Cassidy, The Windy Hills, Jack Carty, The Buckley’s Family Band, Uke Mullum, The Biggest Little Town Choir, Raise the Roof Community Gospel Choir, The Pitts Family Circus, Stukulele & Miss Amber and a bunch more still to come. The festival happens in and around Mullumbimby on the North Coast of New South Wales (one of the most stunningly gorgeous parts of the world you’ll ever come across) from Thursday 22 November through to Sunday 25. Finally, I must tip my hat to the organisers of the Meredith Music Festival for another great line-up in 2012 and while there’s not a huge amount of blues and roots fare, what’s there is very good. Big Jay McNeely is one of the original great blues saxophonists, it’ll be amazing to see the 85-year-old start a party at Meredith, Omar Souleyman is said to put on a hell of a live show, Royal Headache, Bittersweet Kicks and Pond are rock bands with bluesy/soulful edges and they’re all freaking excellent, Saskwatch are keeping Melbourne’s deep soul flame burning bright and, on a small scale, Fraser A Gorman is writing some great country gospel type material at the moment. If you can make it down, I strongly recommend it. It happens from Friday 7 December to Sunday 9. 40 • TIME OFF

There has been much buzz surrounding the feel-good movie The Sapphires – an adaptation of a stage musical, itself inspired by a real ‘60s Aboriginal girl group. Jessica Mauboy stars. The Sapphires is the Aussie version of Dreamgirls, also a musical, then film, loosely based on The Supremes. The ‘60s was the heyday of the girl group, The Supremes, from Detroit (‘Hitsville USA’), a symbolic crossover triumph for the Civil Rights movement. Yet, when commemorating Motown’s 50th anniversary in 2009, Mojo named Martha & The Vandellas’ Dancing In The Street as its greatest song. Ouch. Girl groups are synonymous with drama. Amy Winehouse loved ‘60s girl groups (and the beehives), their influence permeating Back To Black. More than The Supremes’ dramatically romantic soul-pop, Winehouse was surely into the ‘bad girl’ Ronettes, fronted by Veronica “Ronnie” Bennett – whose future husband, producer Phil Spector, moulded them. Winehouse reinvented The Ronettes’ Be My Baby as B Boy Baby with ex-Sugababe Mutya Buena. The ‘90s saw a huge girl-group revival, led by the new jill swing En Vogue (mind, producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy put the Cali outfit together). Recall SWV, Xscape or Mariah Carey’s protégés Allure? How about Britain’s Eternal? Most fell apart, like The Supremes before them. Dawn Robinson quit En Vogue to pursue an ill-fated solo career with Dr Dre’s Aftermath Records, only to rejoin, then leave again... Atlanta’s mega TLC, on LaFace, were more hip hop, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes the ‘crazy’ rapper. Dramarama! Destiny’s Child reigned supreme into the 2000s. Unlike others, they endured successive (scandalous) line-up changes. After the controversial exits of

LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, who next conceived the long forgotten Anjel, Destiny’s Child aired the brazen Survivor. In the same way that The Supremes launched Ross’s solo run (she farewelled them with Someday We’ll Be Together), Destiny’s Child did Knowles’. The Houston combo dissolved in 2006, destiny fulfilled. The now iconic Knowles last released 4. She still covets that Oscar-winning movie role. Kelly Rowland, 2011’s Here I Am floundering, is a judge on Australia’s Everybody Dance Now. Michelle Williams, who’s forged an impressive profile in theatre, plans another gospel album in 2013. Even more than Destiny’s Child, Sugababes have courted drama. The Brits, rocked by endless departures, presented an album subversively called Catfights And Spotlights. Currently, not one founding member remains. Nevertheless, original ‘Babes Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy have announced that they’re back with a new vehicle – Mutya Keisha Siobhan. The trio have been working with Emeli Sandé as well as Shaznay Lewis of All Saints, another doomed girl group, best remembered for Never Ever – and are cooler than Spice Girls. (Lewis has likewise co-written Black Heart for new girl group contenders Stooshe.) But, if Destiny’s Child ever had a British counterpart, it was the two-step Mis-Teeq. The Beyoncé-ish Alesha Dixon is today a popular UK media personality. Girl groups don’t always implode. Often they just fade away. Xscape’s Kandi Burruss, who’d pen hits for TLC, Destiny’s Child and P!nk, proffered 2000’s promising Hey Kandi, then vanished, eventually resurfacing in The Real Housewives Of Atlanta. Some ‘90s groups have re-formed to tour, trading on nostalgia. Post-SWV, the charismatic Cheryl “Coko” Clemons dropped Hot Coko. It under-performed and so she switched to gospel. But to return to The Sapphires. The film has a choice soundtrack. In fact, it’s a defacto Mauboy album, albeit with mostly classic soul covers. There’s also Mauboy’s rendition of Linda Lyndell’s What A Man – remodelled as a posse-cut by En Vogue and SaltN-Pepa in 1993. Mauboy co-wrote the single Gotcha (with The Potbelleez’ Ilan Kidron!). And, ironically, she herself once briefly sang in a girl group: Young Divas.

THE BREAKDOWN POP CULTURE THERAPY WITH ADAM CURLEY

Bitch Prefect With so many festival and international tour announcements it’s been very possible to miss the excellent local action of late. If news of the impending influx of screaming sonic valentine swans is showing this year to be one of ‘80s alterna-icons on the big stages, then a roundup of albums and tracks dropped by our own folk is signalling a small-stage year of snarky songwriter punk via the deteriorating suburbs of whichever city it’s coming from. Turns out Australia is getting really good at pared-back, fauxnaïve emotional bedroom-rock, which probably isn’t a surprise if you’ve spent the last few years listening to Kes Band or Scott & Charlene’s Wedding or anything from Adelaide, and comes as even less of a surprise when you look into who’s turning out the latest batch. Melbourne’s Lehman B Smith last year released two albums, including the 40-track Little Milk through Special Awards Records, home also to Lower Plenty and Jonathan Michell. Like Michell’s Mum Smokes project and that group’s Easy/House Music double album of 2009, a venture into pop with warm production values sees Smith releasing his latest, Girlfriends, through Sensory Projects. That basically sums up Girlfriends, a wonderful collection of curly never-hits led by Smith’s nasally and endearing croon. It isn’t too far from the brighter moments of Kes Band, in which Smith plays, with all songs boosted by a choir featuring Laura Jean and Monica Sonand (Mononoke). There are some essential moments here, including the stunning piano frolic Friends (Hang On To Your Soul). Rougher with their guitars and straighter with their rhythms, Melbourne’s Drunk Mums have released a very clever video for their Rubbing Your Gums single. The track comes from the band’s debut selftitled LP, released this month through Gaga Digi. The

video has a pretty simple premise: a man with an inflatable penis for a head hits the pubs of Melbourne’s inner west, causing trouble and getting wasted. That’s not the clever part, obvs. The clever part is that filmmaker Jack Riddle manages to make this suburban stereotype sympathetic – you can’t help but feel a little gooey when he meets a vagina-head and the two stumble into the toilets together. Adelaide’s Bitch Prefect have been winning ears for some time with their melodic lo-fi ramblings, which explains the big response to their debut album, Big Time, out through Brisbane’s burgeoning Bedroom Suck label. Guitarist Scott O’Hara is the musical soulmate of Craig Dermody, frontman of Scott & Charlene’s Wedding; the two share a love of atonal vocals, purposely naïve lyrical and musical phrasings and imperfect jamming. But where Dermody infuses S&CW with earnest pleadings that pit the band in the real, Bitch Prefect take a more whimsical approach – these are cheeky jams about crushes, fucking up and being broke. As light moments in garage rock go, though, Big Time is exceptional and will no doubt be winning ground right through to summer. Darker in scope is the new 7” from Melbourne’s The Spinning Rooms, Don’t Stop Me/Painted Volcanoes. Recorded with The Nation Blue’s Tom Lyngcoln and mastered by Mikey Young, side A is a snarled, bassheavy romp pinned by snarls and punctuated by peaking yelps. Their debt to kosmische makes the band peers of New War, whose recent debut album threw up similarly sinister and danceable stuff. But where New War often bury themselves under a blanket of deep watery sounds, The Spinning Rooms let their rough surface show at all times – Don’t Stop Me isn’t suffocating but elating. It can be heard at thespinningrooms.bandcamp.com. If it’s all too heavy then go straight for the new single from Melbourne’s percussion party NO ZU, Emotion, taken from their forthcoming Life album, out through Sensory Projects later this month. There are light kosmishe beats, there are shuddering vocals, there are bubblegum keys, there are horns – and on this side of it there is dancing. Have a listen at nozu.bandcamp.com.

themusic.com.au

Just in case you missed it, the second Soundwave announcement dropped last week, and this is what it looks like: Slayer, Cypress Hill, Bullet For My Valentine, Bring Me The Horizon, Billy Talent, Mindless Self Indulgence, The Amity Affliction, Sick Of It All, The Blackout, Fucked Up, Gallows, This Is Hell, Cerebral Ballzy, Crossfaith, Polar Bear Club, The Early November, The Dear Hunter, Blood On The Dancefloor, Versus The World, Sylosis and Confession. If anyone else remembers the Twitter war that Confession frontman Michael Crafter ignited with festival promoter AJ Maddah some years ago about the complete lack of local bands on the lineup, the inclusion of Confession is somewhat amusing. A third announcement is expected, and Adamantium Wolf reckons there’s pretty good odds of Megadeth rounding out the big four. US post-hardcore giants Touche Amore are headed back to Australia, and they’re bringing beard-punks Make Do And Mend along for the ride. This time around Resist Records is looking after the bands, as opposed to their previous Australian promoters, Soundwave. The party will kick off their trek with two Brisbane shows – 31 October at The Zoo and 1 November at Sun Distortion Studios (where stage diving and moshing is fully encouraged). Tickets are on sale now at Kill The Music and through Oztix. US stoners The Atomic Bitchwax will make their way to Australia for the first time in October to headline the annual Doomsday Festival – which won’t even be making it to Brisbane this year. Bugger. May we suggest sussing flights to get to The Sandringham Hotel in Sydney on 12 October, or the Northcote Social Club in Melbourne on 14 October. Full line-up details are expected soon. To coincide with the announced return of band mainman Matt Pike from his stint in an alcohol rehabilitation clinic, as well as their stunning new video clip to Fertile Green, US stoners High On Fire have also dropped the news that they will be back in Australia for the third time this September. Thanks to Soundwave you can catch them for three shows only on 28 September at The Espy in Melbourne, 29 September at The Manning Bar in Sydney, and 30 September at The Zoo in Brisbane, with tickets on sale this Friday. Fat Wreck luminaries Lagwagon have announced an Australian tour to see the year out, and will be bringing Melbourne’s The Smith Street band on the road with them. Catch these punks at The Hi-Fi on 28 November and at The Coolangatta Hotel on 29 November before they head off around the rest of the nation. Iwrestledabearonce play a pretty hectic mix of metal, hardcore, grind, jazz, electronica and all around wackiness that “usually ends up pissing people off”. Oh yeah, and they are coming to Australia for the first time! The band will be supported by Byron Bay metalcore dudes In Hearts Wake and Melbourne newcomers Storm The Sky. The trio kick off the tour at The Zoo on 22 November, and play Expressive Grounds for an all ages on the Gold Coast on 23 November before jetting off around the rest of the country.

GIGS OF THE WEEK: Thursday: Behind Crimson Eyes, Texas In July (USA), For All Eternity, Take Us To Vegas – X&Y Bar. Friday: El Alamein, Little Shadow, Stockades, Wallow, Plainview – Crowbar. Shellfin, Spitfireliar, Feed, Sons of The Soil, Stone Chimp – Beetle Bar. Texas In July, For All Eternity, ENDWORLD, Burn With Me, Leviathan – Expressive Grounds. d-Wizz 2.0 – Chardon’s Corner Hotel. Saturday: Transit (USA), Anchors, Milestones – X&Y Bar. State of Integrity, Armada In The Dusk, Planet Fiction, Lead The Assault, Second Heart – Crowbar. Deathkrvsh, Draw Blank, Menace To Society, Black Deity – VIA Studios. Sunday: Transit, Anchors, Skyway, Deadlights, Travels – Elements Art Collective. Golden Bats – Tym Guitars. Capeweather, El Alamein, Stockades, Makeout Creek – Valhalla House.

1929 INDIAN MIXING ‘80S NEW WAVE AND EXPERIMENTAL SOUNDS, NEWCASTLE FIVE-PIECE 1929INDIAN HAVE RELEASED A STUNNING FIVE TRACK EP, THE DREAMING. TONY MCMAHON ACCESSES HIS INNERGEEK WITH GUITARIST BRENDY CANN.

HELLO VERA

BAD DREEMS ALEX CAMERON, GUITARIST WITH ADELAIDE DOWNER POP OUTFIT BAD DREEMS, SPILLS THE BEANS ON HIS TOUR PARTNERS TO TONY MCMAHON. AND THERE’S A NEW SINGLE, TOO OLD, AS WELL.

SYDNEYSIDERS HELLO VERA’S SOUND HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS PIANO/BEAT/POP AND, AS KEYBOARDIST AND SINGER JACK BRITTEN EXPLAINS TO TONY MCMAHON, NEW SINGLE ON THE ROAD BOTH IS AND ISN’T TYPICAL OF THE MUSIC THEY MAKE. “There was a time when On The Road was an accurate representation of what we do live, however, since the release of that single we’ve done a lot of writing and jamming and our approach to our live shows aren’t as rigid. People that know the music can easily recognise the tunes, however the format and arrangements are more elastic and fluid.”

“It’s great to finally have created something we are content with, as it did take us a while to get there. We are very big on finding a sound that is our own, so there was no way we were going to rush into to something to be later disappointed. We are not classically trained musicians so we tend to go off the ‘feel’ of a song during the writing process, not the name of chord or note. We find this usually creates something a little more interesting.” It’s a well known fact that everyone at Time Off are serious tech weenies, so naturally we want to know about the band’s retro gear. “We spent a lot of time trying out gear, especially keys and guitar/effects. An old Moog voyager and Nord wave helped us out the most in the keys department. We probably spent the most time on synth tonage, so it was very rewarding once we accomplished what we were after. Most of the guitar was through old Gibson 335 and a Vox AC30 with some very specific effects that had been collected over the years.” And it seems that producer Dave Hammer, who has worked with The Jezabels and The Rubens, also contributed to The Dreaming’s incredible sound. “The bands Hammer worked with and the music they produced definitely intrigued us. Not so much that they had a similar sound to what we were after, but just some general ‘techniques’ which left us curious as to what would be possible with The Dreaming. Hammer was very open-minded and had a general appreciation for our music, which made us feel super comfortable in the studio. It was good to have his opinion thrown in there to provoke a few thoughts and ideas.”

“It certainly is consistent with the themes on the EP,” says Cameron, talking about whether Too Old is consistent with the rest of the band’s work. “Our lives in Adelaide, doomed relationships, weird murder stories, bad comedowns and old friends. The few people that have seen us play live will know that there’s a more aggressive side to the band than Chills or Too Old. Songs like Tomorrow Mountain, Strange Hymn and Fuck Cousin are quite a bit darker and heavier.” The band’s current tour takes in 22 dates with Children Collide and Dune Rats, a sure-fire recipe for good times. Cameron isn’t backwards about how much fun it’s been so far.

WHAT: The Dreaming (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 24 August, The Loft, Gold Coast

“It’s been really rewarding. The opportunity to play music you love with people you love is something

“We’ve done Bunbury, Perth and Adelaide. It’s been good fun. The Dune Rats guys are legends, real funny – like 24-hour Cheech and Chong. The show in Bunbury was stopped three times ‘cos of fights – it was like a Bogan Altamont.”

JAY HOAD

Noted Twerps and Love Of Diagrams deskman Jack Farley helped record Too Old, and Cameron can’t speak highly enough of him. “He’s a really great engineer and awesome to work with. We recorded nine songs in a weekend in a place in Adelaide that had a 24-track tape machine, so we could track it live. Pretty much every record Jack has done in the past few years has been one of my favourites. Jack has a good way of capturing the essence of a band in a down to earth way. Can’t wait to record with him again.”

WHO: Hello Vera WHAT: On The Road (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 30 August, Black Bear Lodge; Friday 31, Bon Amici, Toowoomba; Saturday 1 September; The Brewery, Byron Bay

KERBSIDE COLLECTION

MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST JAY HOAD REGALES BENNY DOYLE WITH TALES OF THE TOUGH, INTREPID AND INSPIRED.

FUNK, SOUL, JAZZ OR RARE GROOVE; WHATEVER YOUR POISON, KERBSIDE COLLECTION HAVE THE ANTIDOTE. JASON BELL TELLS BENNY DOYLE JUST HOW THEY GET DOWN.

“I have always had an interest for the ‘weird and wonderful’ types of instruments,” Hoad confesses, regarding his extensive quiver of trade tools, “and being that I travel to many unusual countries throughout my touring schedule, I am exposed to all sorts! Honestly, the most difficult instrument I have ever played is probably the double bass. I did my degree in jazz on this instrument and the precision required as well as the stamina to play it for many hours at a time takes years of practice. A close second would probably be the didgeridoo and the dulcimer.”

Visceral and impossible not to shake a leg to, Kerbside Collection will be hard to avoid at the upcoming Home Festival, whether you are talking quantity of band members or quality of sound.

WHO: Bad Dreems WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday 22 August, Lismore University Bar; Thursday 23, Spotted Cow, Toowoomba; Friday 24 and Saturday 25, The Zoo; Sunday 26, Hotel Great Northern, Byron Bay

Following on from his breezy 2011 release Stories For The Soul, Hoad has returned to the studio and is currently working on his third record which he’s hoping to release in early-2013. He’s committed to keep pushing his soulful roots music in an array of different directions, but until then the road will continue to beckon. The 32-year-old has been taking his musical mastery around the world for the past six years, dazzling all that move before him with his rich amalgamation of global sounds. It’s a journey that Hoad admits has helped shape who he is as an artist and a person, a love affair that is all but mutual.

“The band formed a bit over a year ago as a way of having some beers with mates in a venue other than the usual pub and a chance of making some noise,” he informs. “The goals were just to jam and have some fun until we were like, ‘Shit, we’ve got ten songs – maybe we should do a gig?’”

Spent Rent are planning to put down their first EP next month and get it out soon after. Styles is hoping that the scope of their performances grows along with their sound. For now, however, simply grit your teeth and enjoy the ride.

“In the wise words of Jack’s uncle Bob, ‘You’ll get what ya given.’ We’re just generally excited about playing our first interstate show. Actually the real surprise will be if our van makes it from Sydney to Brisbane, then especially back to Sydney. That will be really special.”

“We have done basically everything live so far. So the recordings are hopefully a fairly accurate representation of how we sound live.”

IT WASN’T LOVE OR MONEY THAT CREATED SPENT RENT; IT WAS JUST A NEED TO FIND AN ALTERNATIVE TO PISSING IT UP AT THE LOCAL. RAW THROATED FRONTMAN ADAM STYLES GIVES BENNY DOYLE A QUICK HISTORY LESSON ON THE BAND.

“We all have our different inspirations and for some reason it just seems to gel,” Styles admits. “We are all parts metalhead, hippie, punk, rocker, actor, comedian, poet, etc – it’s one of the best things about the band. As long as the songs have drive and energy we’re happy. Anything can be an inspiration. Even though West End isn’t associated with fierce rock, you’d be surprised at what you might find if you go looking.”

When it comes to what Queensland punters can expect from Hello Vera’s first Sunshine State show, Britten says not to expect any surprises, and just hopes he and the band make it back.

For those Queenslanders who may have heard Bad Dreem’s records, Cameron says you won’t be disappointed in the band’s live shows.

SPENT RENT

Birthed from the belly of the West End, the band are looking to change perspectives regarding the music found in the area.

“The differences between the two experiences could be described through comparing spending an evening on social media conversing with your friends or, on the other hand, actually going out somewhere and talking face-to-face. The first satisfies that need for connection while the latter is a tangible experience. Same train of thought, different note.” Once a duo, it seems that making a move to a full band has been nothing but smooth sailing for the group.

WHAT: Too Old (Independent)

WHO: 1929Indian

Describing the differences between the experience of seeing Hello Vera live, as opposed to listening to their recorded work, Britten comes up with some interesting theories on social media.

that’s rare. Of course there are more logistical problems that arise with more people, but these are peripheral in the scheme of things.”

“We want to keep improving on the live show, maybe incorporating visuals and more music diversity,” he says. “As we evolve as a band so does our sound so I’m excited to see where our music will travel. [There’s] definitely a lot of energy; we love playing live. We mix things up and give the crowd a performance rather than just a bunch of songs back to back. [So] expect hard fast rock mixed with samples, humour, poetry, sound effects and didgeridoos. Sounds like fun, huh?”

“One of the main reasons I love travelling so much is that it inspires my writing and constantly challenges and inspires my musical development,” he explains. “It’s often the little things that random people say to me that inspire my song lyrics and stories. Or sometimes I’ll hear some random sound I’ve never heard before playing in the distance, and through following my ear I find some cool homemade instrument that I have never seen before. Also, I find the more time I spend in ‘third world’-type countries, the more grounded I become as well, appreciating the little things a little more than most.”

“It’s relative to the environment I grew up in,” the 30-year-old drummer says, discussing the ‘60s and ‘70s West Coast touchstones that the Brisbane band draw from. “Queensland, the sun, the beach, the coastline – [it’s] the same elements that those guys were feeding off. They brought a soulful but funky and lighthearted sound to jazz that I guess at the time (after the whole Second World War thing blew over, and the Flower Power movement set in) resonated with many people.” The band, which includes members of other local acts such as Afro Dizzi Act, Kafka and Kooii, released their debut single Jelly Belly late last year. A smooth cut of instrumental fusion, Bell says the gang are eager to follow the track up with something more robust shortly. “The 7” took a little longer than planned,” he admits. “[Then] when it did come, it was a weird time, as some of the players were on pre-planned overseas sabbaticals. We have quite a few more originals [now], which we’ve put together for a full-length release which hopefully isn’t too far away.” Applying a fresh spin to traditional tones, the guys are eager to open up some new ears to those established old sounds. “I guess that’s the hope,” Bell agrees. “I mean, essentially you want to play or make ‘good music’ (how Ellington described it), but yes, if there’s a way to give people jazz and funk that’s not cold, intellectual and boring with a little bit of fun, people might respond to it a better. At Home Festival, we’ll be bringing that formula.”

WHO: Spent Rent

WHO: Jay Hoad

WHO: Kerbside Collection

WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 26 August, Rock’n’Roll BBQ @ The Mustang Bar

WHEN & WHERE: Friday 24 August, Ric’s Bar; Thursday 30, Solbar, Maroochydore

WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 25 August, Home Festival @ Raymond Park

themusic.com.au

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BIGSOUND LIVE

catchy as hell pop music, nor do you need to take performances too seriously to get your ideas across.

The BIGSOUND Live component of the annual industry showcase has been taken to a whole new level in 2012, expanding to cover 12 different venues in the Fortitude Valley entertainment precinct, which in turn means that 120 different bands from around Australia (with a handful of overseas bands thrown in for good measure) will be showcasing in Brisbane over the two nights of Wednesday 12 September and Thursday 13 September. You can purchase a pass for both nights (or a single night pass for either) which gets you into all of the venues, meaning that you have the pick of the country’s up-and-coming bands at your disposal (with some already established names also throwing their weight behind the event), which is pretty freaking exciting no matter which way you spin it. We spoke to just a few of the many great bands converging on Brisbane for BIGSOUND next month, trying to find out just why we should catch them amidst the craziness and what they’re looking forward to the most from the experience:

What are you hoping to achieve from showcasing at BIGSOUND? I guess what we’re hoping to achieve from this experience is exposure. With more exposure comes more opportunities. Why should people come and see you from amongst the myriad bands at BIGSOUND? Whether people leave smiling or shaking their heads, they’ll remember us. We’re the underdogs, people like to root for the underdogs!!!

Band Name: Kira Puru & The Bruise Member/role: Kira Puru Hometown: Newcastle

Battleships

Band Name: Adele & Glenn

Band Name: Battleships

Member/role: Glenn – singer

Member/role: Jonathan Bowden – bass/keys

Hometown: Marrickville

Hometown: Sydney

Short description of your band and your music: We are a two-piece band who play pop music.

Short description of your band and your music: Battleships’ music tips its hat to the differing influences of the band’s individual members, blending indie rock sensibilities with the aesthetics of post-Britpop, to create a sound entirely their own. The four-piece set out to create music that they enjoy playing, something that they themselves would listen to... and hopefully, something that you would listen to too.

What are you hoping to achieve from showcasing at BIGSOUND? Recognition. Why should people come and see you from amongst the myriad bands at BIGSOUND? Because we are a refreshingly interesting group.

Short description of your band and your music: If you can imagine me and three dudes, cruising the Hume, listening to mix-tapes with everything from Portishead and Radiohead, to Outkast and Lana Del Rey via the Arctic Monkeys, then drunkenly fumbling out schizophrenic ballads about one night stands... well, it’s sort of like that. What are you hoping to achieve from showcasing at BIGSOUND? We’re just about to throw down a new release. Frankly, we’re just grateful to be invited and in such good company, anything more is just gravy. Why should people come and see you from amongst the myriad bands at BIGSOUND? We’ll give you five bucks.

What are you hoping to achieve from showcasing at BIGSOUND? BIGSOUND is a great opportunity to get our music out there further to as many people that will listen. Why should people come and see you from amongst the myriad bands at BIGSOUND? Because we play honest, evocative music with a lot of heart.

Band Name: Kingswood

Band Name: Violent Soho

Member/role: Alex Laska – guitar

Member/role: Luke Boerdam – vocals/guitar

What are you hoping to achieve from showcasing at BIGSOUND? Stage 3 of World Domination. Why should people come and see you from amongst the myriad bands at BIGSOUND? We won the triple j Splendour Unearthed competition recently – triplejunearthed.com.au/ kingswood. We’re an exciting band to experience.

Hometown: Mansfield, Brisbane

The Gooch Palms

Short description of your band and your music: Suburban slacker dope-smoking music.

Band Name: The Gooch Palms

What are you hoping to achieve from showcasing at BIGSOUND? Free beer and partying.

Member/role: Leroy– vocals/guitar; Kat – percussion, Theremin, backing vocals Hometown: Newcastle/Sydney Short description of your band and your music: This lo-fi tour de force describe their sound as “shitpop” proving to audiences that you don’t need a lot of members or instruments to make a racket, you don’t need to be accomplished musicians to play

Why should people come and see you from amongst the myriad bands at BIGSOUND? Because we came all the way from Mansfield to be here. Also don’t miss Flume, Jeremy Neale, Bearhug, Straight Arrows, Step-Panther, Velociraptor and Super Wild Horses.

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CALL: 180

42 • TIME OFF

Alistar – vocals, guitar, keyboards; Alfio – guitar, vocals; Reuben – bass guitar, vocals; Jacob – drums, vocals. Hometown: Brisbane

What are you hoping to achieve from showcasing at BIGSOUND? Okay... BIGSOUND To Do List: 1. Meet Johann Ponniah from I OH YOU. 2. Kidnap The Preachers. 3. Play a decent set of music. 4. Ask Steve Whilton if there is any way to delete Neil Diamond from my Last.Fm history. Why should people come and see you from amongst the myriad bands at BIGSOUND? I can’t make any promises, but there is a small chance that we will be doing a cover of one song from every band that’s playing at BIGSOUND. In which case, you won’t need to see the other bands anyway.

The McMenamins Band Name: The McMenamins

Hometown: Cairns, FNQ

Violent Soho

Short description of your band and your music: Emotive ideas of life, love and darkness, shrouded in an explosive and dynamite-like experience.

Member/role:

Member/role: Fleur McMenamin – songwriter/main vocals/guitar

Kingswood

Hometown: Melbourne

Band Name: The Cairos

Short description of your band and your music: Four young lads from Brisbane. We hang out in a warehouse in the suburbs and write music that’s inspired by everything from ‘60s pop groups to ‘90s shoegaze tunes.

Kira Puru & The Bruise

Adele & Glenn

The Cairos

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Short description of your band and your music: The McMenamins are siblings from Far North Qld, their songs range from intimate storytelling within the folk and altcountry genres to high-energy roots music. The siblings have toured Australia many times and recently the US, playing major festivals, supports for big name artists, gaining a string of song awards, consistent airplay and much critical acclaim. “Rock Solid Folk” – Rolling Stone. What are you hoping to achieve from showcasing at BIGSOUND? We hope to perform a great showcase at BIGSOUND, making some more people within the industry aware of our music. We also hope to meet some great people, building on our business partners and networks as well as being inspired by the other amazing acts showcasing this year. BIGSOUND Live takes place in Fortitude Valley on Wednesday 12 September and Thursday 13 September: for more information on BIGSOUND LIVE and the bands playing head to themusic.com.au/festivals/qld/big-sound/, and for ticketing and program information head to qmusic.com.au/bigsound/2012.

EPWithLaunch Guests www.apolloandthesun.com www.apolloandthesun.com

The Arachnids + Blackjack and Architect + ZIGGY ALBERTS

SAT SEPT 1ST Also Appearing

Sunday Sept 2nd TEMPO HOTEL FRIDAY SEPT 29TH Kings beach tavern festival of music Sunday nov 18th GOLDEN DAYS FESTIVAL COOLUM 4pm FREE ENTRY

TIME OFF â&#x20AC;˘ 43

TAKE A RUN AT THE SUN

EXTENDED PLAY-TIME

Indie pop-rockers Apollo & The Sun have just announced the release of their debut EP. The foursome, hailing from the Sunshine Coast, have signed a sixmonth development deal with Sunny Side Entertainment which includes the release of their new five-track CD. The band have been busy writing new material and performing for the last 12 months and are ready to embark on the next step of their musical careers. Keep your ears open for Apollo & The Sun, who play at The Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra on Saturday 1 September supported by The Arachnids and Blackjack Architect.

COLD & NEED Name of EP: Colours And Shapes Label: Footstomp Records How many tracks: Five Member answering: Christopher Wiggins – vocals and guitar. Tell us a little bit about the release: Colours And Shapes is our second EP. This release is a representation of our progression as a band and is closer to our live show than anything we’ve recorded in the past. We tried to experiment and push some boundaries with this release. New instruments, more dynamics and heart. The first single, Kaleidoscope, was released this month and is available to listen to and rate on triple j Unearthed. What do you have planned for the launch? We are launching Colours And Shapes on Friday 24 August at The Barlow, which is located upstairs at the GPO. It’s a brand new venue and we are really excited to play somewhere different. The show is going to be our biggest yet with new songs, a massive PA and light show. People always say they love the live set so much, so we want to meet that and more each time! We will have DeerRepublic up from Sydney to support as well.

HEY HEY GERONIMO!

Brisbane pop outfit Hey Geronimo have just announced their Special Best tour, following the success of their self-titled debut EP. With the likes of Why Don’t We Do Something and Carbon Affair, the five-piece have certainly proved they are more than capable of coming up with joyous, uplifting pop anthems. With the help of producers Matt Redlich (Hungary Kids Of Hungary, Emma Louise, Ball Park Music) and Magoo (Custard, Regurgitator), the Brissie boys have created some “ridiculously catchy, slacker-tinged pop.” Special guests, The Griswolds, will also join them at most of the shows. Catch the boys at a town near you: they play BIGSOUND on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 September; The Zoo on Friday 28, Caloundra Music Festival on Sunday 30, Beach Hotel Byron Bay on Friday 12 October and the SolBar Maroochydore on Saturday 13.

POWER TO THE STUDENTS!

HAVE YOU HEARD

What’s on the horizon for the band? We are launching the EP down in Sydney at the Oxford Arts Factory next month. We also have a film clip in the works and a whole bunch of shows lined up in Brisbane and interstate trying to spread the love! Cold & Need launch Colours And Shapes (Footstomp) at The Barlow on Friday 24 August, Mt Cotton Hall on Saturday 25 (all ages), Bon Amicis in Toowoomba on Friday 31 and Ric’s Bar on Tuesday 11 September.

KITTEN & CHEESE How did you get together? Bree Bullock (guitar/vocals): “Kat and I have been playing the same circuit for ages now. It was really only a matter of time before we started doing stuff together. We’ve always kind of been each other’s biggest fans, and have played a lot of supports for each other over the years. It probably would have happened sooner, only we are both the most disorganised people in the universe. So, when we finally got our lives in order, we were like, ‘Hey we should jam some time’.”

Queensland University of Technology’s music and sound students will be taking over Brisbane’s Powerhouse on Saturday 25 August, unveiling a whole array of emerging local music talent. Featuring a mishmash of artists, you can expect anything form Missy Higgins-like harmonies, folk jams through to epic apocalyptic drones. On the bill from noon to 5pm are; Bandito Folk, Coco Loco, Dear Anonymous, Hannah Rosa, Jane Kirkpatrick, Jessica Byrne, Mad Warrior, Violent Leader, Matt Graham and With All My Efforts. After that QUT will continue their take over at the Turbine Platform from 5 to 7pm with show POPALISCIOUS, a further display of upcoming artists – Denmark and Marcy Prospects – delivering fresh tunes. To top this epic music-fuelled Saturday it is also free! So wrap your ears around some new sounds and support our local emerging artists.

GET YOUR BLUES ON

Blues has been dragged into 2012 with Gold Coast blues trio Mason Rack Band, as they prepare to play their first home show since their return from an epic nine-week tour of Canada. No strangers to big festivals, having played at Byron Bay Blues & Roots Festival and Blues On Broadbeach and making their European debut at Germany’s Grolsch Blues Fest, the trio could almost be said to be household names amongst the blues community. Bringing their “enigmatic mix of blues-infused rock” where everything from “table tops, beer kegs and bar tops are all part of the show”, it’s easy to see where their unique sound comes from. They will be playing at Lone Star Tavern, Gold Coast on Friday 14 September. Upcoming jazz musician, Tanille Jade, will support them, with her “smooth and sultry jazz sounds”. Dinner and show cost $50 or $20 for show only.

Sum up your musical sound in four words. “Folky, fun, fresh… quirky.” If you could support any band in the world – past or present – who would it be? “Hmmm. I can’t really speak for Kat, but I think she might say She & Him or The Shins. And for me, any of those old-time troubadours like Bob Dylan, James Taylor or Joni Mitchell. I was brought up on that stuff, and those artists were the reason I picked up a guitar in the first place. I’ve always thought I was born in the wrong era.”

HORNS AND ALL

Bullhorn are a Brisbane eight-piece dynamic brass band, consisting of one bossing drummer and seven horn players. They come together “fusing contemporary styles on a vintage instrumental canvas” in an incredibly energetic style. Producing sounds spanning funk, hip hop, reggae, soul and of course jazz, Bullhorn are certain to get even the most conservative of you on your feet and dancing along. If the prospect of “rich sonic textures created live, acoustic and real” takes your fancy, you can catch Bullhorn at The Joynt on Friday 24 August; Home Festival, Kangaroo Point on Saturday 25; Noosa Jazz Festival on Friday 31; every Saturday over September at Black Bear Lodge; Solbar on Saturday 6 October and at Island Vibe Festival, Stradbroke Island over 26-28 October. 44 • TIME OFF

You’re being sent into space, you can’t take an iPod and there’s only room to bring one album – which would it be? “These questions are hard! Only one? I simply can’t choose an all-time favourite album, so I’ll just plug the one that’s had the most plays on my iPod recently, which is Ben Howard’s Every Kingdom. And I think Kat’s might be Jack Johnson’s On And On because it’s a classic and you can still listen to it after years and years.” Greatest Rock’n’Roll moment of your career to date? “Well for me… It’s only happened once or twice, but being recognised when your out and about, and having someone come up to you and say, ‘Hey, I know you! And I really like your music’. That’s the best feeling ever. ” Why should people come and see your band? “Our gigs are normally fun and intimate – like a loungeroom gig that you can sing along to. And Kat plays a pretty mean mouth trumpet. (She’s going to kill me when she reads that.)” Kitten & Cheese play Dowse Bar on Thursday 23 August

LABS, LIARS, PAWN SHOPS AND HALLS

Take a psychedelic trip along with Brisbane three-piece DarkLab as they play at the Crowbar on Thursday 30 August. The trio have had years of gigging experience, so are no strangers to the stage, as they bring with them their “good-time-vibe”. There is also rumoured to be an EP coming out this spring for you fans out there. Promising to be a night to remember, joining DarkLab will be Dirty Liars; if you have no idea what they sound like, picture this – “take the best B-sides from the devil’s juke box, propagate them in the Cold War era and mutate into today’s world of narcissism and melancholy”. The end result = Dirty Liars. That is not all; triple j Unearthed stars Dave’s Pawn Shop and The Halls are also on the bill!

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TIME OFF â&#x20AC;¢ 45

PERSONAL BEST RECORDS

ON TIME OFF STEREO Sunshine & Technology THE SMITH STREET BAND 12 Bar Bruise KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD Para Vista Social Club SCOTT & CHARLENE’S WEDDING Yearling THE PARSON RED HEADS Cassowary THE STRESS OF LEISURE Class Clown Spots A UFO GUIDED BY VOICES OFF! OFF! One Day I’m Going To Soar DEXYS

LAW FROM ROYAL HEADACHE Best record you stole from your folks’ collection? Culture Club – Colour By Numbers. First record you bought? Oasis – What’s The Story Morning Glory. Record you put on when you’re really miserable? No record. I just watch a Will Ferrell or a Steve Martin movie. Record you put on when you bring someone home? Modjo – Lady (Hear Me Tonight). Most surprising record in your collection? Fuel – Shimmer 12” single. Last thing you bought/downloaded? Milk Music – Live @ WFMU. Royal Headache play Converse Acts Of Disruption secret showcase on Saturday 25 August. Go to http:// tiny.cc/disruption for details.

46 • TIME OFF

Election Special RY COODER Sweet Darling Rock & Roll Is What I Love JAMES X BOYD

ARACHNOPHOBIA

HART RETURNS Ten years since being ARIA nominated for the Best Blues & Roots category, singer/songwriter Mick Hart has returned once more with his seventh studio album Side By Side. His latest offering will take listeners on an indie-folk journey as Hart and his band switch between ‘60sinspired Just Another Daydream to the sweet and intimate Fall Into Me. Hart has a wealth of live experience, having supported the likes of Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Paul Weller, just to name a few – this is an act certainly worth going to see. You can catch him playing at Black Bear Lodge on Sunday 26 August, before he jets off to Europe for a six-week tour.

FRUIT LOOPS Fruity collective Pear Shapes are about to kick off a small East Coast run, The Coca Cola Kid tour, showing off their fresh new single and video. Pear Shape’s new single, The Coca Cola Kid, which recently won

The Arachnids are itching to be crawling on the road again, following the success of The Vulture tour which they wrapped up just a couple of months ago. The Brisbane four-piece have proudly announced they’ll be hitting the road once again this September, with their Rage Therapy Tour, to launch the video for the title track from The Vulture EP. The band are all about “substance over style, creativity over cool, fun over fads”, so if you have any feelings of rage towards Justin Bieber, The Arachnids’ Rage Therapy Tour is the place to be. They will be playing at The Hi-Fi on Thursday 23 August, Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra on Saturday 1 September and Ric’s Bar on Tuesday 11. the Petty Thieves (DZ Deathrays, Katalyst) video competition, can be downloaded shortly so stay tuned for the digital release which will be blasting the airwaves soon enough. You heard it through the grapevine; Pear Shapes are playing at Alhambra Lounge on Thursday 20 September with Feelings (ex-Philadelphia Grand Jury) and more. Doors open at 8.30pm, $10 entry, $5 for students.

BEGINNING OF THE HOAD

Fijian born one-man band Jay Hoad is on his way to town, bringing his eclectic array of instruments with him, consisting of the didgeridoo, lap steel,

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dulcimer, dulsitar, cigar box guitar, wine box bass, harmonica, ocarina, djembe and much more. He’s spent the last six years travelling around the globe, keeping up a relentless touring schedule whilst passionately learning about developing world culture and every style of music he can sink his teeth into. Hoad is currently touring worldwide in the support of his second independent album, Stories For The Soul, and will showcase his unique high-energy show at Ric’s Bar on Friday 24 August. Watch Jay Hoad fuse many genres of music and instruments, creating a sound that’s hard to believe comes from only one person.

TOUR GUIDE

PRESENTS

FEAR FACTORY: Wednesday 26 September, The Hi-Fi

INTERNATIONAL

GRAILS: The Zoo Oct 17

SLASH: Brisbane Riverstage Aug 23

MUMFORD & SONS: Brisbane Riverstage Oct 17, Gold Coast Convention Centre Oct 31

CHRIS LAKE: Family Aug 24

XIU XIU: Brisbane Powerhouse Oct 18

THE BEACH BOYS: BEC Aug 28

THE SWELLERS: Thriller Oct 20, Elements Collective Oct 21

PITBULL, TAIO CRUZ: BEC Aug 29 APOCOLYPTICA: The Hi-Fi Aug 30 DIE! DIE! DIE!: The Zoo Aug 30, Elsewhere Aug 31 KATCHAFIRE: The Hi-Fi Aug 31, Kings Beach Tavern Sep 6, Caloundra RSL Sep 7 THE REMBRANDTS: The Tivoli Sep 1

LEE RANALDO BAND: The Zoo Oct 21 SMASH MOUTH: Jupiter’s Oct 21 SHELLAC: The Zoo Oct 23 HOT CHELLE RAE: BCEC Oct 23 SUNN O))), PELICAN: The Tivoli Oct 24

DAVE SEAMAN: Sky Room Sep 2

WEDNESDAY 13: The Zoo Oct 25

CARTEL: Crowbar Sep 5, Surfers Paradise Beer Garden Sep 6

BILLY BRAGG: QPAC Oct 25, The Hi-Fi Oct 26 THE BLACK KEYS: BEC Oct 26

THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES: The Hi-Fi Sep 6

THURSTON MOORE: The Hi-Fi Oct 27

PATRICK WOLF: The Tivoli Sep 7

MATCHBOX TWENTY: BEC Oct 27

EARTH: The Zoo Sep 9

AT THE GATES: The Hi-Fi Oct 31

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: QPAC Sep 12

TOUCH AMORE, MAKE DO & MEND: The Zoo Oct 31, Sun Distortion Nov 1

INGRID MICHAELSON: Spiegeltent Sep 12 SUBHUMANS: Prince Of Wales Sep 13 MARCO FUSINATO: IMA Sep 13 SIX60: The Tivoli Sep 13 RIVAL SCHOOLS: The Zoo Sep 14 JONAH MATRANGA’S ONELINEDARWING: Crowbar Sep 15 AMERICA: Twin Towns Sep 15 BARRY ADAMSON: Beetle Bar Sep 16 MACY GRAY: Jupiters Casino Sep 19, QPAC Sep 20 HANSON: The Hi-Fi Sep 20 ENTER SHIKARI: Eatons Hill Hotel Sep 20 EIFFEL 65, N-TRANCE: The Hi-Fi Sep 21 FUTURE ISLANDS: GoMA Sep 21

XAVIER RUDD: Rumours Aug 29, The Tivoli Aug 30, LKCC Aug 31, Coolangatta Hotel Sep 1, Byron YAC Sep 2 RED DEER FESTIVAL 2012: Samford Sep 1 PLUS ONE RECORDS SHOWCASE: The Zoo Sep 11 BIGSOUND 2012: Fortitude Valley Sep 12-14 GANGSTER’S BALL: The Tivoli Sep 15 JULIA STONE: Spiegeltent Sep 19 and 20, Byron Community Centre Sep 21 OH MERCY: The Zoo Sep 21, Joe’s Waterhole Sep 22 TZU: SolBar Sep 21, The Zoo Sep 22 MYSTERY JETS: The Hi-Fi Sep 25 CHARLIE MAYFAIR: Alhambra Lounge Sep 27, Great Northern Sep 28 THE BEARDS: Beach Hotel Sep 28, Spotted Cow Oct 4, Coolangatta Hotel Oct 5, The Hi-Fi Oct 6 BLACKCHORDS: Ric’s Sep 29 TIM & ERIC AWESOME SHOW: The Tivoli Oct 4 WINTER PEOPLE: Black Bear Lodge Oct 4, The Loft Oct 6, Brisbane Powerhouse Oct 7 THE MEDICS: The Northern Oct 5 DAPPLED CITIES: The Zoo Oct 6 CLARE BOWDITCH: Old Museum Oct 11 GROUPER: Brisbane Powerhouse Oct 11 BASTARDFEST: The Hi-Fi Oct 13 LAST DINOSAURS: Alhambra Oct 13, The Hi-Fi Oct 19 MUMFORD & SONS: Brisbane Riverstage Oct 17, Gold Coast Convention Centre Oct 31 BILLY BRAGG: QPAC Oct 25 THURSTON MOORE: The Hi-Fi Oct 27 CHERRY POPPIN’ DADDIES: Tempo Hotel Nov 1 BRITISH INDIA: king’s Beach Tavern Nov 9, The Zoo Nov 10 XIU XIU: Brisbane Powerhouse Nov 18 GOLDEN DAYS FESTIVAL: Coolum Beach Nov 17-18

CHERRY POPPIN’ DADDIES: Tempo Hotel Nov 1 CHELSEA WOLFE: The Zoo Nov 7 RADIOHEAD: BEC Nov 9 BEN HARPER: BCEC Nov 9 BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME: The Zoo Nov 15 RICK ASTLEY: Twin Towns Nov 16, Ipswich Civic Hall Nov 17, The Tivoli Nov 18 RON POPE: Old Museum Nov 18 COLDPLAY: Suncorp Stadium Nov 21 IWRESTLEDABEARONCE: The Zoo Nov 22 NICKELBACK: BEC Nov 22 DARK FUNERAL: The Hi-Fi Nov 23 GEORGE MICHAEL: BEC Nov 27

WHEATUS: The Hi-Fi Sep 23

LAGWAGON: The Hi-Fi Nov 28, Coolangatta Hotel Nov 29

MUSIQ SOULCHILD: Mystique Sep 15

THE SELECTER: The Zoo Nov 29

FAR EAST MOVEMENT: Eatons Hill Hotel Sep 19

NICKI MINAJ: BEC Dec 3

SCISSOR SISTERS: Arena Sep 25

REGINA SPEKTOR: BCEC Dec 6

MARIANA’S TRENCH: The Zoo Sep 25

POUR HABIT: Crowbar Dec 6, Miami Shark Bar Dec 7

MYSTERY JETS: The Hi-Fi Sep 25

SIMPLE MINDS, DEVO: Sirromet Wines Dec 9

FEAR FACTORY: The Hi-Fi Sep 26

EVAN DANDO & JULIANA HATFIELD: The Zoo Dec 16

MC LARS: Snitch Sep 27 FERRY CORSTEN: Family Sep 28 FUNKAGENDA: The Met Sep 28 JAMES MORRISON: Eatons Hill Hotel Sep 28 ULCERATE: Beetle Bar Sep 30 HIGH ON FIRE: The Zoo Sep 30 DEFEATER, BLACKLISTED: Mount Gravatt PCYC Sep 30, Byron Bay YAC Oct 1, The Zoo Oct 2 JOE BONAMASSA: QPAC Oct 3 STEEL PANTHER: Eatons Hill Hotel Oct 4 TIM & ERIC: The Tivoli Oct 4 NEKROMANTIX: The Hi-Fi Oct 4 RUSSIAN CIRCLES, EAGLE TWIN: The Zoo Oct 5 GRANDMASTER MELLE MEL: Coniston Lane Oct 6 CANNIBAL CORPSE: The Hi-Fi Oct 8 MARTIKA: The Hi-Fi Oct 10 EVERCLEAR: Coolangatta Hotel Oct 10, The Hi-Fi Oct 11 GROUPER: Brisbane Powerhouse Oct 11 TORTOISE: The Zoo Oct 12 GOMEZ: Coolangatta Hotel Oct 13, The Tivoli Oct 14 LANGE: Barsoma Oct 14

GRINSPOON: Saturday 25 August, Eatons Hill Hotel

JENNIFER LOPEZ: BEC Dec 18 65DAYSOFSTATIC: The Hi-Fi Jan 3 NIGHTWISH: Arena Jan 4 WEEZER: BEC Jan 13 ED SHEERAN: Brisbane Riverstage Mar 2

NATIONAL

CHILDREN COLLIDE: Spotted Cow Aug 23, The Zoo Aug 24, The Northern Aug 26 TIM ROGERS: Old Museum Aug 23, The Northern Aug 24, Spotted Cow Aug 25 DAVE GRANEY & THE MISTLY: Starcourt Theatre, Lismore Aug 23, Miami Tavern Aug 24, Beetle Bar Aug 25, SolBar Aug 26 BODYJAR: The Hi-Fi Aug 24 CHANCE WATERS: X&Y Bar Aug 24 KING CANNONS: SolBar Aug 24, Shark Bar Sep 15, The Northern Sep 15 GRINSPOON, SPIDERBAIT, THE MISSION IN MOTION: Eatons Hill Hotel Aug 25 CASSIAN: LaLaLand Aug 25, Oh Hello! Sep 7, Elsewhere Sep 22

WED 22 Akmal Saleh Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre Children Collide, Dune Rats, Bad Dreems University Bar, Lismore I Kick Clouds, Lantern Gallery, Shem Allen Glass Bar & Restaurant Ironside, Stonefox, Red Beard Ric’s Locky Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Looking Glass Liars The Joynt, Brisbane Luara Karlson-Carp Duo Limes Hotel Mark Sheils Bank Lounge Bar Nikolaine Martin, Sonia Serin, Harry Ward Elephant & Wheelbarrow Open Mic Night The Loft, Chevron Island Open Mic Night The Music Kafe Pop Up Club, AccousTic Sessions Chalk Hotel The Bowery Hot Five With Mal Wood The Bowery The Broadie Graham Band, Matty B Tempo Hotel

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Xavier Rudd Brothers Leagues Club, Cairns

THU 23 Adam Miller Brisbane Jazz Club Art Of Sleeping, Tigertown Black Bear Lodge Az Kerwin Elephant & Wheelbarrow Ballad Boy Loving Hut Behind Crimson Eyes Snitch Bluejuice, Deep Sea Arcade, The Preatures Red Room, Uq Children Collide, Dune Rats, Bad Dreems The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba Cobra Kai Club:, Gung Ho, VeLociraptor, Woe & Flutter Oh Hello! Coisa Linda Glass Bar & Restaurant Fairchild Republic, Polaroid Fame, Box Knife Alhambra Lounge Gympie Music Muster Amamoor Creek State Forest Park, Gympie Heavensent, J-Free, That Swedish Guy, Azza Exchange Hotel

Howls, Geomantra, Lunar Seasons The Beetle Bar I Can’t Believe It’s Not The Satellites The Bowery Jabba Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane John Riley, Emo Big Band Turnaround Jazz Club Kitty Flanagan Brisbane Powerhouse, Visy Theatre MaCe Fibber Magee’s, Toowoomba Mick Danby, Screaming Eaglets, Who Is John, Leo’s Band, Tim Russell Tempo Hotel Moonshine Sally, Iwish Risky, Tundra The Zoo Next Doors Playground, Goon Schoolars, H.D. Blues, Lazy Tangerine, Triplickit The Music Kafe Nick Trovas Chalk Hotel Pete Swanson, Tujiko Noriko Judith Wright Centre Of Performing Arts Rock Revolution Moncreif Theatre, Bundaberg Slash, I Am Giant Riverstage And Botanical Gardens Stereo Addicts The Hi-Fi The RooT Note The Loft, Chevron Island Tim Rogers, Catherine Britt Old Museum, Brisbane Timothy Carroll, Teen Sensations The Joynt, Brisbane Tom Gleeson Sit Down Comedy Club, Paddington Xavier Rudd The Venue, Townsville Young Professionals, Lesser Bilby Ric’s

FRI 24 1929indian, Bengali Cowboy, The White Lines, Billy Matyr The Loft, Chevron Island 4zzz Get Happier Feat., Bitch Prefect, Holy Balm, Sarah Mary Chadwick, Sky Needle, Tight Slip Black Bear Lodge Acca Dacca-Ac/ Dc Show ELephant & Wheelbarrow Akmal Saleh Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre Amy Michaels And The Good Time Girls Brisbane Jazz Club Art Of Sleeping, The Phoncurves Soundlounge, Currumbin Bevan Spiers Coolangatta Sands Hotel, Front Bar Blind Dog Donnie, Latitude, Joe Tamaira The Music Kafe Bluejuice, Deep Sea Arcade, The Preatures Griffth Unibar, Gold Coast Body & Soul Jephson Hotel Bodyjar, One Dollar Short, For Amusement Only The Hi-Fi Brian Ferrier Coolangatta Sands Hotel, Lounge Bullhorn, Le Suits The Joynt, Brisbane Callum Taylor Horse & Jockey Warwick Casey Fogg, Berst Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Chance Waters X & Y Bar Children Collide, Dune Rats, Bad Dreems The Zoo Chris Lake Family

Cold & Need, Deer Republic The Barlow, Fortitude Valley Corb Lund, Harry Hookey Crow Bar, Brisbane Dave Graney & The Mistly Miami Tavern D-Wizz 2.0, Harry, Cram, Lincolin Howe, The Wanted Men Chardons Corner Hotel, Annerley Fairchild Republic, The Lions Children, Blonde Bear ElsewhEre Bar, Surfers Paradise Fletcher & Ms Jackson Neverland Gympie Music Muster Amamoor Creek State Forest Park, Gympie Jay Hoad Ric’s King Cannons, The Hello Morning Sol Bar, Maroochydore Kitty Flanagan Brisbane Powerhouse, Visy Theatre Lanie Lane, Mia Dyson Tank Arts Centre, Cairns Linsey Pollak Tallebudgera Valley Community Centre Lost Dogs Kingscliff Beach Hotel Mojo Webb Lock ‘N’ Load Nick & Sal Gazebo Restaurant, Hotel Urban Pennywise Eatons Hill Hotel Punchline Duo, The Local Residents TempO Hotel Rock Revolution Pilbeam Theatre, Rockhampton Sez Booker, Peko, Kel Harper, Hammo, Joel Claxton, Oli Chalk Hotel Shellfin, Spitfireliar, Feed, Sons Of The Soil, Stone Chimp Beetle Bar Starboard Cannons Gov’s Espresso, Mermaid Beach That Swedish Guy, Emgee, Han Yolo, J-Free, Azza Exchange Hotel The Good Foot, Kerbside Collection The Hideaway The Mcclymonts Twin Towns Tim Rogers Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Tom Gleeson Sit Down Comedy Club, Paddington Wooly Cookies Fibber Magee’s, ToowoombA Xavier Rudd Magnums, Airlie Beach

SAT 25 Akmal Saleh Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre Alter Egos, The Rhubarbs Elephant & Wheelbarrow Art Of Sleeping, Tigertown Sol Bar, Maroochydore Asa, The Jackrabbits Irish Club Hotel, Toowoomba Biggy P, Cp3, Hammo, Oli, Scranton, Ben Jackel Chalk Hotel Bluejuice, Deep Sea Arcade, The Preatures Uni Bar, Southern Cross Brett Gannon Coolangatta Sands Hotel, Front Bar Brett Sellwood, Ryan Crowe Elsewhere Bar, Surfers Paradise

TIME OFF • 47

GIG OF THE WEEK

TOUR GUIDE KATE MILLER-HEIDKE: The Hi-Fi Aug 25, 26 XAVIER RUDD: Rumours Aug 29, The Tivoli Aug 30, Lake Kawana Community Centre Aug 31, Coolangatta Hotel Sep 1, YAC, Byron Bay Sep 2 Sarah Mary Chadwick

4ZZZ’S GET HAPPIER BENEFIT

It’s that time of year when you’re expected to dig deep for community radio station 4ZZZ’s Radiothon fundraising drive, and this year they’re hosting not one but two killer live events, co-curated by the excellent Bedroom Sucks label: on Friday night they’re taking over Black Bear Lodge (note change of venue) and you can catch Adelaide’s most non-heinous Bitch Prefect, Sydney’s Holy Balm, former Batrider frontwoman Sarah Mary Chadwick, Sky Needle and Tight Slip (doors from 7pm). On Saturday night proceedings move to the Bridge Club, where you can catch Melbourne’s fantastic New War, The Garbage & The Flowers (Syd/NZ), Terrible Truths (Melb), Rat King (Newcastle) and our own Cannons. Single night tickets are $18/$14 ZZZ subs or you can double up for $30/$25 ZZZ subs – tickets from Oztix. Help a great station and catch some awesome indie rock in the process – what are you waiting for? And just subscribe as well while you’re at it, alright?

48 • TIME OFF

Kitty Flanagan Brisbane Powerhouse, Visy Theatre Lady Abundance Project Lock ‘N’ Load Lanie Lane The Venue, Townsville Linsey Pollak Bangalow Catholic Hall Mark Easton Lennox Hotel Mark Sheils L’academie Hotel, Spring Hill New War, The Garbage & The Flowers, Terrible Truths, Rat King, Cannon Bridge Club Popalicious, Denmark, Marcy Prospects Brisbane Powerhouse Turbine Platform Relish Kingscliff Beach Hotel Rob Reeves Zegatos Sean Wade Coolangatta Sands Hotel, Lounge Sure Cut Kids, Fletcher & Ms Jackson Neverland The Ninjas, Ultrafeedy The Hideaway The Soundscapes Trio Brisbane Jazz Club Tim Rogers Spotted Cow Tom Gleeson Sit Down Comedy Club, Paddington Tramp Fiesta, Timber Bones Ric’s Transit, Milestones X & Y Bar Triple J House Party Tempo Hotel

SUN 26 Akmal Saleh Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre Brisbane Contemporary Jazz Orchestra Brisbane Jazz Club Children Collide, Dune Rats, Bad Dreems Great NoRthern Hotel, Byron Bay

Dave Graney & The Mistly Sol Bar, Maroochydore Fyah Walk, Flyin Solo The Joynt, Brisbane Ger Fennelly, Jabba Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Gympie Music Muster Amamoor Creek State Forest Park, Gympie Jake & Andy Coolangatta Sands Hotel, Lounge Kate Miller-Heidke, The Beards The Hi-Fi Kitty Flanagan Brisbane Powerhouse, Visy Theatre Lady Abundance Project Ric’s Lauren Lucille, Jamie Clark Brisbane Jazz Club (Afternoon) Locky, Booster, Hammo, Oli Frost, Woodie Chalk Hotel Mace Southern Hotel Toowoomba Mad World Blues Band Tempo Hotel (Afternoon) Mama Juju The Music Kafe (Afternoon) Mick Hart Black Bear Lodge Mr Clifford, Sessionkatz Elsewhere Bar, Surfers Paradise Owie Fibber Magee’s, Toowoomba Sebastian’s Habit Lock ‘N’ Load Sky Needle, Faaspeedelay, Where Were You At Lunch, Ratking, Martyr Privates, + More The Beetle Bar The A Team, Lo Fi Way Elephant & Wheelbarrow Obits, Undead Apes, The Arcolas The Zoo The Stonehavens, Istanbul Gypsy Groove The Music Kafe

LANIE LANE: The Spotted Cow Aug 30, SoundLounge Aug 31, Bangalow A&I Hall Sep 1, Spiegeltent Sep 27 1927: The Tivoli Sep 1

FRIDAY 24 AUGUST, BLACK BEAR LODGE; SATURDAY 25, BRIDGE CLUB

Children Collide, Dune Rats, Bad Dreems THe Zoo Chris Palmer The Music Kafe (Afternoon) Cold & Need, Hey Denise Mt Cotton Hall, Mt Cotton Colin’s Class Fibber Magee’s, Toowoomba Darren Scott Duo Narangba Valley Tavern Dave Graney & The Mistly, The Stress Of Leisure Beetle Bar Dave Ritter Manly Hotel Fyah Walk, One Dread, Sunny Dread, Rudekat Sound, Selecta Bing Mansfield Tavern Generate Feat., Bandito Folk, Coco Loco, Dear Anonymous, Hannah Rosa, + More Brisbane Powerhouse Ger Fennelly, Jabba Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Grand Atlantic, Slow Push, Plastic Fangs The Joynt, Brisbane Grinspoon, Spiderbait, The Mission In Motion, Nine Sons Of Dan, + More Eatons Hill Hotel Gympie Music Muster Amamoor Creek State Forest Park, Gympie Home Festival Feat., Bullhorn, The Rusty Datsuns, Laneway, + More Raymond Park, Kangaroo Point Indigo Parade, Black Cactus, Mayan Fox, Essie The Loft, Chevron Island Jenny Wynter Gold Coast Arts Centre J-Free, Azza, Krushel, Matt Kitshon Exchange Hotel Kate Miller-Heidke, The Beards The Hi-Fi

DREAM ON DREAMER: Tempo Aug 30, Paddington Community Hall Aug 31

Transit, Anchors, Skyway, The Dead Lights, Travels Paddington Community Hall Xavier Rudd Pilbeam Theatre, Rockhampton

MON 27 Akmal Saleh Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre B-Rad Irish Murphy’s, Brisbane Funky Monkey Jam The Music Kafe Kitty Flanagan Brisbane Powerhouse, Visy Theatre Mark Sheils Elephant & Wheelbarrow That Swedish Guy, Azza, Matt Kitshon Exchange Hotel

TUE 28 Akmal Saleh Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre Blind Dog Donnie, Shabu Shabu, Late Lost & Rustic, Zoe Ward, Mitchell Jay The Music Kafe Indie Rock Escalate, Pyre & Ice, Danger At The Door, Spuhnik, Ape Farm Tempo Hotel Kitty Flanagan Brisbane Powerhouse, Visy Theatre Mama Juju, Sunas The Bug Mark Sheils Samford Valley Hotel The Beach Boys Brisbane Entertainment Centre The Beach Boys Brisbane Entertainment Centre Xavier Rudd Moncreif Theatre, Bundaberg

FRENZAL RHOMB: Spotted Cow Oct 19, The Hi-Fi Oct 20 KARISE EDEN: St John’s Cathedral Oct 23 – 24 ICEHOUSE: Alexandra Hills Hotel Oct 26, Eatons Hill Hotel Oct 27 DELTA GOODREM: BCEC Oct 27 HOODOO GURUS, THE ANGELS, BABY ANIMALS, JAMES REYNE, BOOM CRASH OPERA: Sirromet Wines Nov 4 ANGUS STONE: The Northern Nov 7, The Hi-Fi Nov 9, Coolangatta Hotel Nov 10, Lake Kawana Community Centre Nov 11

SYDONIA: Crowbar Sep 1 SEEKAE: The Zoo Sep 1 PAUL GREENE: Dowse Bar Sep 6, Woombye Pub Sep 7 PSEUDO ECHO: Eatons Hill Hotel Sep 7, Coolangatta Hotel Sep 8 RICKI-LEE: Family Sep 9 WINTER PEOPLE: The Zoo Sep 12 SLEEPMAKESWAVES: Crowbar Sep 14, Miami Shark Bar Sep 15 CHET FAKER: GoMA Sep 15 JULIA STONE: Spiegeltent Sep 19, 20, Byron Bay Community Centre Sep 21 SETH SENTRY: The Zoo Sep 20, The Northern Nov 8 OH MERCY: The Zoo Sep 21, Joe’s Waterhole Sep 22 TZU: SolBar Sep 21, The Zoo Sep 22 THE CITY LIGHTS, THE SLOW PUSH: Beetle Bar Sep 22

BRITISH INDIA: Kings Beach Tavern Dec 9, The Zoo Dec 10 DEEP SEA ARCADE: The Zoo Nov 16 KASEY CHAMBERS, SHANE NICHOLSON, JOHN WILLIAMSON, TROY CASSARDALEY, CATHERINE BRITT, FELICITY URQUHART: Sirromet Wines Nov 18 THE LIVING END: The Zoo Dec 1 – 7 MISSY HIGGINS: BCEC Dec 1 PARKWAY DRIVE: Byron Bay High School Dec 12, Brisbane Riverstage Dec 14

FESTIVALS PRADA UPLATE: Queensland Art Gallery Aug 31 – Nov 2 RED DEER FESTIVAL: Mt Samson Sep 1

PETER COMBE: Tempo Hotel Sep 23

BIGSOUND: Fortitude Valley Sep 12 - 14

REGURGITATOR: The Northern Sep 26, The Hi-Fi Sep 27, 28

PARKLIFE: Botanic Gardens Sep 29

THE AMITY AFFLICTION: The Tivoli Sep 24 – 27

WHIPLASH: The Hi-Fi Oct 21

THE BEARDS: Beach Hotel Sep 29, Spotted Cow Oct 4, Coolangatta Hotel Oct 5, The Hi-Fi Oct 6 BLACKCHORDS: Ric’s Bar Sep 29 DAPPLED CITIES: The Zoo Oct 6 ASH GRUNWALD: Redland Bay Hotel Oct 6, Racehorse Hotel Oct 6, SoundLounge Oct 19, Star Court Theatre Oct 20 THE RUBENS: Coolangatta Hotel Oct 11, The Hi-Fi Oct 12, The Northern Oct 13 CLARE BOWDITCH: Old Museum Oct 11, A&I Hall Bangalow Oct 12 LAST DINOSAURS: Alhambra Lounge Oct 13, The Hi-Fi Oct 19

themusic.com.au

BASTARDFEST: The Hi-Fi Oct 13 ISLAND VIBE: Point Look Out Oct 26 – 28 QUEENSLAND FESTIVAL OF BLUES: The Hi-Fi Nov 3 SPRUNG HIP HOP FESTIVAL: RNA Showgrounds Nov 10 GOLDEN DAYS: Coolum Nov 17 – 18 HARVEST: Botanic Gardens Nov 18 MULLUM MUSIC FESTIVAL: Mullumbimby Nov 22 - 25 STEREOSONIC: RNA Showgrounds Dec 2 BIG DAY OUT: Gold Coast Parklands Jan 20 SOUNDWAVE: RNA Showgrounds Feb 23

EVERCLEAR: Thursday 11 October, The Hi-Fi

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BEHIND THE LINES TIME ON THEIR SIDE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

WITH MICHAEL SMITH

PETE LOCKETT DRUM CLINIC

He’s played with Bjork, Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, Jeff Beck and The Verve among others, so it’s obvious why Portsmouth, UK-born Pete Lockett is seen as one of the most versatile multi-percussionists currently playing internationally. From pop to rock to free jazz to avant-garde, even the rhythms of India and Japan, this extraordinary musician has it covered, and at 7pm on Thursday 30 August, Allans Billy Hyde in Fortitude Valley is hosting a free drum clinic with Lockett. You know the drill though, register your attendance at the Allans website.

DRUMSCENE LIVE TOUR It’s definitely drummer heaven, with three of the world’s most respected drummers – Thomas Long, Dave Weckl and Dom Famularo – along with Pete Lockett at Kedron Wavell Services Club in Chermside at 4pm on Sunday 2 September to showcase their abilities for DRUMscene magazine. The Austrian Lang’s CV includes stints with Paul Gilbert, John Wetton, Robert Fripp and Glenn Hughes among many and his 1995 solo album, Mediator, topped the European charts. American Weckl, who has played with everyone from George Benson and Chick Corea to Simon & Garfunkel and Diana Ross is no stranger to Australia either, while Famularo is similarly celebrated as both a player, with BB King, Lionel Hampton and more, and as an educator. Tickets are $43.95 from Allans Billy Hyde or Moshtix.

THE LATEST FROM MATON Though a lot smaller than the standard dreadnaught, the Mini Maton Diesel Model is a small-bodied acoustic guitar with a very big voice. It features an “AA Select” Grade solid Sitka spruce top, solid blackwood back and sides, AP5 pickup system, gold Grover Rotomatic machine heads and a vintage amber stain, available in six- and 12-string configurations. For the electric guitarist, in something of a coup, Maton have called on Josh Homme to help develop the BB1200 JH. It has a semi-hollow body with centre block, which features Victorian blackwood front and back, with a “rock” maple neck for maximum sustain, Maton JHB and JHN pickups, with Alnico 8 magnets, Trapeze tailpiece and bridge. As always though, the proof is in the playing, so check either or both out at your local Maton stockist.

SOUND BYTES Only their fourth album in 32 years, Dexy’s recorded One Day I’m Going To Soar at The Premises in Hackney, East London, and The Bridge Studio in Dorset with the band’s mainstay Kevin Rowland coproducing with keyboards player Mick Talbot and remixer/engineer Pete Schwier (Break The Chain, Some People, Kim Appleby), who mixed Rowland’s 1999 solo album, My Beauty. The debut album, A Thing Called Divine Fits, from Divine Fits, featuring Spoon’s Britt Daniel, Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner and New Bomb Turks’ Sam Brown, was recorded in a backyard studio in LA and coproduced by Nick Launay (Grinderman, Public Image Ltd, Yeah Yeah Yeahs).

It’s been 15 years since the last album from LA’s Redd Kross, but the pop punk originals are back with Researching The Blues, and talk all about it with Michael Smith.

heir first gig, back 35 years ago, was opening for Black Flag at a school graduation party, and for 20 years Redd Kross, based around brothers singer and guitarist Jeff and bass player Steve McDonald, made the kind of pop punk that would inspire everyone from the Seattle grunge kids to New York art rockers Sonic Youth. A much-needed hiatus after the release and touring of their last album, Show World, looked like it might become something more permanent with the untimely passing, in 1999, of guitarist Eddie Kurdziel from an overdose. Reconvening in 2006 with Robert Hecker from It’s OK on guitar and The Muffs’ drummer Roy McDonald, Redd Kross started recording a new album in September the following year, but it’s only now that the Researching The Blues album, recorded at American Recorders in LA with ex-Ramones drummer Tommy Erdelyi producing, has finally been released. “In our hiatus time,” Steve McDonald explains, “both of us have gotten interested in learning recording and both have spent a lot of time making our own recordings and recording other people – Jeff’s produced other bands, I’ve produced other bands and artists.” “But with this record, it’s very strange,” Jeff chips in, “because we started recording it on half-inch eight-track, and then it kind of mutated into going in the studio with the Neve board, then going into our own basements with our Pro Tools – we just did every imaginable technique.” “Yeah, we just worked with what we had,” Steve continues. “We went into a proper studio and did, like, basic tracks for a while, but then the thing that I think was the biggest game-changer for us was that we’d had these tracks for quite a while now and they’d been in various stages of being finished but I felt so strongly about making sure that the record lived up to the songs, ‘cause my brother had written this incredible collection of songs, and we had them around in various forms of rough mixes and they were cool and they were exciting but I was still, like, this is such a beautiful picture, let’s not put a shitty frame around it. “And so I feel like in some ways I had to learn how to mix well enough to get to the stage where I thought that the sound and the presentation lived up to the content.”

For all the changes in the way they approached the recording of Researching The Blues, which of course

“And another thing about the new technology,” Jeff adds, “being able to record at home. It’s not about cutting and pasting and doing all this trickery, ‘cause for me I approach it just the same way as normal studios, just that it’s in a box. The biggest, I think, struggle is just making decisions, you know, especially when you’re working by yourself – ‘Is this good? I dunno’ and you go off in this direction for a day, then, ‘No that’s not good’ – that’s a nightmare. Having too many choices.” Researching The Blues is out now through Shock Records.

ANSWERED BY: NEIL COOMBE – OWNER/ PRODUCER/ ENGINEER

LA “cosmic cowboys” Beachwood Sparks recorded their first album in a decade, The Tarnished Gold, at Kingsize Sound Labs and The Ship – Eagle Rock in California with Thom Monahan engineering, producing and mixing, the results mastered by Christian Wright at Abbey Road Studios.

Any tips for artists entering a studio for the first time? Preparation is probably the thing that will pay a band back in the long run, without a doubt. The more prepared you are as far as the songs and rehearsals go, generally the quicker it will all go down.

San Francisco two-piece Two Gallants recorded their latest album, The Bloom And The Blight, at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley and Tiny Telephone studio in ‘Frisco with producer John Congleton.

Which notable artists have worked at the studio? I have recorded many fabulous bands here such as The Go-Betweens, DZ Deathrays, The John Steel Singers, The Good Ship, The Grates, The Scare, Robert Forster, Yves Klein Blue and The Stress Of Leisure, to name a few.

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“So I spent all my listening on that tour learning about Albert Einstein,” he chuckles, “his theories…” “Applying them to our record,” Jeff interjects. “Kind of,” Steve continues, “and getting super inspired. So in a weird sort of way, the finishing of that record started in this country. When I got home in December, I got really disciplined and said, ‘I’m not doing anything else – I’m not going out at night, I’m not hanging out with my friends – I’m going to stay in the basement, I’m going to finish this record. I was going to do all those backing vocal parts I hadn’t done yet and I was going to mix this record. And that’s what I did.”

THE WHITE ROOM

Producer Mick Glossop (Van Morrison, Lloyd Cole, Ian Gillan, The Waterboys) is currently mixing the new solo album from Phil Odgers, singer from the UK equivalent to Weddings Parties Anything, The Men They Couldn’t Hang, in his West London Andy Munro-designed studio in his townhouse basement.

In-house engineer/producer Tim Carr (INXS, The Cat Empire, Something For Kate) has been tracking material with DZ Deathrays in 301 Sydney’s Studio 2, which also played host to Lana Del Ray, who recorded a track there with engineer Michael Morgan.

“It’s hard to stay focused and be disciplined,” Steve adds. “I mean, basically, it’s funny how this record got finished. Like I said, it started a while ago and then we’ve had other things, but I came to Australia four months ago with a hardcore band I also play in called OFF!, with Keith Morris, the original singer of Black Flag, and Jeff actually took me and Keith to the airport, and Jeff had been working on the record a little bit prior to that and he just gave me a disc and he said, ‘Look, this is where I think the record is right now. I think it’s really close,’ and I had two things on my iPod, a biography on tape about Albert Einstein, like, twenty hours of Einstein’s life, and what was to become the new Redd Kross record, Researching The Blues.

is decidedly not a blues record, it still sounds like four guys all in the same room enjoying making a racket. “Essentially we were,” Jeff confirms. “The only time we weren’t was, like, if there was a song to be sung, I had the luxury of just sitting by myself and recording a vocal – and a few guitar solos – but for the most part we had a really solid basic track as a band.” “We did, like, sixty per cent of the record in one week,” Steve adds. “It wasn’t that different from our other records,” Jeff continues, “in that sense, where we were all together as a band…” “But then it was just sort of the overdubbing portion,” Steve cuts in, “which is – the record is very light on overdubs – but just that portion of it, normally a band goes into a studio, then to a cheaper studio for an extra week and you nail down your overdubs and some of the mixes and you’re done. That was all left up to us, and it’s hard when you’re by yourself. I really give up respect to the artists that do the entire thing themselves because it’s hard to not have a cheerleader in the room going, ‘Wow, that was an awesome take!’ Or whatever it is that helps to motivate people.”

STUDIO PROFILE

What’s the studio set up you have there equipment-wise? When I first built the studio in 1998, it was purely all analogue with a Soundcraft Ghost 32 channel desk and 2” tape, but over the years I added ProTools to the equation and so now also run an HD3 system with a control 24 desk as well. So I use a combination of a large collection of vintage analogue gear and the ProTools these days which gives me a lot of options. There is a pretty comprehensive gear list on the website.

The self-titled debut EP from Melbourne fourpiece Rain Party, which features the daughters of The Church guitarist Peter Koppes, Neige and O, was recorded at Hot House and Jaya Jaya Music with producer Michael Badger (The Demon Parade) and was mastered at King Willy Sound in Sydney by William Bowden.

That, along with the fact that the brothers found themselves busy with other projects, explains the length of time it took to get the new album together. That and, as Jeff admits, “it is bad for someone like me, I know, the lack of deadlines. You’ll sing a backing vocal and, like, four weeks later go back and do something else.”

Who do you have on staff and what’s their background in the industry? I’m it. I produce, record and mix every band that comes through here. Analogue vs digital – discuss. I worked extensively with analogue gear and recording from when I was a kid in the mid to late-‘70s. I fully love analogue gear which is why I still use a hell of a lot of it, but I have to say when I started recording and mixing using ProTools about eight or nine years ago, I fully fell in love with it as well. It allowed me to do

things that I couldn’t in the analogue world and to fine tune to a much greater degree. As far as a comparison goes between digital and analogue, they really tend to be two separate animals with pros and cons for each, but I have found a balance of the two that pleases me and allows me to make great sounding records. Is the studio capable of holding a full band at once for recording? Yes, I have done many live recordings over the years.

it and that generally allows easier and quicker tracking, but if I ever come up against any sounds that aren’t serving a song well, I have an arsenal of vintage amps and guitars for all occasions. What’s the access to the studio like with regards to parking, flat load, etc? Plenty of parking with a nice easy flat load into the live room.

We’re an impoverished indie band – do you offer any deals for acts in our situation? Having played in impoverished indie bands for many years before building the studio, I surely understand the plight. Yes, I offer special deals for albums and EPs.

Working in the studio can be arduous and we’ll need a break – what are the amenities in the local area? Being up in the mountains, it is a good place to be if you are waiting your turn to track or if you just want a break. There are two cafes close by and many bushwalks just to ‘get away’, if necessary.

Do you have any in-house instruments at the studio acts can use, or is it totally BYO? I generally like a band to use their own gear if it sounds good mainly because they are used to

What are your contact details? The phone # here is (07) 3289 8185. Email is info@whiteroomstudio.com and the website is www.whiteroomstudio.com.

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