Reverb Magazine Issue 44 - March 2010 by Reverb Magazine

central coast|hunter|north coast #044 Mar ‘10

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music, arts & culture monthly

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BROKEN BELLS James Mercer exclusive DEEP PURPLE The Ian Gillan Interview HUEY LEWIS Still Making News Also Inside: Art Vs Science + Holly Mir anda + Al Di Meola + Julia Stone

No. 44 index 08 14 16 18 20 21 22 24 26

News Angus and Julia Stone Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan Broken Bells Fionn Regan Does It Offend You, Yeah? Holly Miranda CD Reviews Gig Guide Huey Lewis

27 28 29 30

La Roux News Art vs Science Al Di Meola Gig Guide

31 32 33 34 36 37 38 40 42 43 44

Mark Moldre The Avett Brothers No Fun At All Taking Back Sunday Motoring –Audi TTRS Fashion — Jive Bombers The Album Leaf Tokyo Shock Boys Kitchen Complaint Live Reviews Soundwave Review Gamer’s Corner Film Reviews DVD Reviews Socials

Publisher’s letter Something very special has occurred with this month’s Reverb. March 2010 marks the start of our distribution into Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Lismore, Byron Bay and Tweed Heads. We even step over the border into Coolangatta. This has been 12 months in the planning, has had one false start, a number of road trips, and we believe that Reverb is ready for the challenge. As I prepare to put the last words on the page, my aching legs and back remind me of Soundwave. What an ungodly dustbowl Eastern Creek is. Heat casualties were many, and the sight of collapsed girls being pulled from the front of stage prior to Paramore was quite scary. That said, I’ll probably do it all again next year. Much love all. KB.

soundwave PAGE 40

Editorial nick@reverbstreetpress.com.au Phone 4929 4739 Gig Guide gigguide@reverbstreetpress.com.au Sales Enquiries sales@reverbstreetpress.com.au Sales Manager kevin@reverbstreetpress.com.au Phone 0410 295 360 Production cam@reverbstreetpress.com.au

Editor Nick Milligan Sub-Editor Amanda Bevan IT Manager Kieran Ferguson Sales Tommy Leung Kevin Bull Nick Milligan

Senior Writers Peter Douglas Hugh Milligan Mark Snelson Writers Amanda Bevan Nick Bilbey Stephen Bisset Tim Boehm Kevin Bull Andrew Chesham Noah Cross Scott Gilbert Mark Henderson

Adam Miller Scarlett O’Horror Terry Paull Anthony Pollock Madeline Smith Byron Struck Steve Tauschke Lee Tobin Nathaniel Try

Kevin Bull Dane Geercke Mark McIntosh Terry Paull Anthony Smith Madeline Smith

Photographers Keith Abigail Johnny Au Tim Boehm Dan Boud

Cartoonist Dave Townley Jones

Graphic Designers Kevin Bull

Reverb Magazine is locally owned & published by The Lockup Garage. Printed by Spotpress Pty Ltd: sales@spotpress.com.au 6 r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 4 — m a r c h 2 0 1 0

news

Giveaways

NEWTON FAULKNER At NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY

Now a world-renowned artist, Newton Faulkner took very little time to build a massive following in Australia. Subsequently, he has travelled here three times - this will be his fourth trip in three years! Don’t miss his intimate performance at the University of Newcastle’s Bar On The Hill, Tuesday, March 30, 2010. Tickets on sale now through Bigtix.com.au, Rock Shop, Billy Hydes, uShop.

newtown faulkner

DEEP PURPLE

vampire weekend ©steven brahms

GROOVIN’ THE MOO 2010 LINE-UP Up for grabs this month: • signed Al Di Meola CD. • double pass to Huey Lewis and the News, March 20 at Hope Estate, Hunter Valley • 5 CD and 5 DVD copies of Triple J’s Tribute to Paul Kelly, Before Too Long. Just tell us what you want by emailing editorial@reverbstreetpress.com.au. First come, first served.

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Australia’s largest regional touring festival, Groovin The Moo, hits Maitland Showground on Saturday, May 8, 2010, with its largest line-up yet: Silverchair, Vampire Weekend, Empire Of The Sun, Tegan and Sara, Spoon, Grinspoon, Lisa Mitchell, British India, Miami Horror, Kisschasy, Bag Raiders, Kid Koala Presents The Slew (featuring ex-Wolfmother members Chris Ross and Myles Heskett), Killaqueenz, Muph n Plutonic, Illy, Funkoars, Ajax, Jonathon Boulet, Yacht Club DJs and The Only. Maitland’s Groovin The Moo officially sold out on Saturday February 20, 2010.

Deep Purple are truly a merciless hard rock machine, proving that where there’s smoke... there’s fire. An iconic name, Purple are the pioneers of heavy metal and hard rock, with classic hits such as ‘Smoke On The Water’, ‘Black Night’, ‘Woman From Tokyo’, ‘Pictures Of Home’, ‘Highway Star’, ‘Hush’ and many more. They are one of the world’s hardest touring bands, who along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath were once listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as “the world’s loudest band”. Deep Purple comprises of Ian Gillan (vocals), Ian Paice (drums), Roger Glover (bass), Steve Morse (guitar) and Don Airey (keyboards). It’s a devastatingly powerful line-up that is sure to rock the very foundations of Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Thursday, April 29, and Brisbane Convention Centre on Tuesday, April 27, 2010. Tickets on sale now through Ticketek.

montpelier

MONTPELIER

In October 2009, Montpelier released their first single, ‘The Rafters, a doorway into what was to come from this indie-pop four-piece. They kept up appearances with their equally impressive second single, ‘Take A Picture’, and raised a few eyebrows with a near sell-out show on a Tuesday night at the Troubadour. It’s now March 2010 and Montpelier are thrilled to present their debut, self-titled record. Catch them at the Bar On The Hill for a free lunch time show and then again at the Cambridge Hotel (with support from Paper Prophets and The Bastilles) on Wednesday March 10, 2010.

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BEACH HOTEL,BYRON BAY

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www.beachhotel.com.au OzTix 1300 762 545,www.oztix.com.au

& all OzTix outlets or In-store at Beach Bottleshop(cnr Bay Lane & Jonson St, Byron Bay).

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HUNTER VALLEY COMES TO LAMBTON

uncle earl

OUR UNCLE EARL

American string band Uncle Earl make their debut tour of Australia this March, and they drop into Newcastle for a special visit. The all-woman line-up presents traditional and original music that’s feminine and powerfully danceable. By skilfully complementing their deep roots in traditional American music with new ideas, songs, and arrangements, Uncle Earl has emerged as one of the leading lights in the ongoing old-time renaissance. Longtime Uncle Earl members, KC Groves and Kristin Andreassen are leading a new formation of the band that has influenced a remarkable new generation of old-time musicians. Their first-ever tour of Australia will feature some of the most accomplished and engaging musicians in the American stringboard scene: fiddler Stephanie Coleman, banjo player Cassandra Jenkins, and Sharon Gilchrist on bass. Uncle Earl play Lizottes Kincumber, Thursday, March 4, as well as the Blue Mountain Folk Festival, March 12-14.

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For one very special weekend, Lambton will bring the Hunter Valley to you when it plays host to the best the Hunter Valley has to offer, during The Lambton Park Wine and Food Festival. The inaugural event, to be held March 6-7, will be your one stop shop with over 30 exhibitors, including a group of gourmet food producers, boutique wineries, and superb local restaurants from Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. Foodies and wine lovers are in for a treat, with two full days of tastings, cooking demonstrations, viticulture seminars and entertainment. The festival is the brainchild of Will Creedon, the expat Irishman formerly of Harrigans in the Hunter Valley and who is now the licensee at The Lambton Park Hotel. “I think there’s a great opportunity for Novocastrians to discover, or rediscover, what makes the Hunter Valley unique.” Wanting to use as much local expertise as possible, Creedon has teamed up with Brian Lizotte to deliver the best possible entertainment line-up for the event. Lizotte, who took the reins at the old Kings Theatre in June 2009, has rapidly turned the 100 year-old theatre into Newcastle’s premier live music destination. The stage in Lambton Park will be pumping all weekend with the likes of Ray Beadle, The Bodacious Cowboys, The Flood’s Kevin Bennett, Amy Vee, Matt Purcell and Nick Saxon. Claim your space on the grass, grab a plate of gourmet food, a glass of wine, sit back, relax and enjoy, while The Lambton Park Wine and Food Festival brings the best of the Hunter Valley to your doorstep. Entry is only $15, including a wine glass, a wine tasting, cooking demonstrations and entertainment. Tickets can be prepurchased from www.wineandfoodfestival. com.au or at the gate on the day.

SEABELLIES TOUR

crusty demons

CRUSTY AT GOSFORD, MISSES NEWCASTLE

Those crazy guys on bikes, Crusty Demons, head back to the Coast with some of the greatest freestyle motocross riders on the planet, performing jaw-dropping and death-defying stunts. The Beyond The Apocalypse Tour of regional Australia visits Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford, on Saturday, April 17, but unfortunately Newcastle misses out. “The restructure of the first part of the Beyond The Apocalypse Tour and other circumstances beyond our control unfortunately means it is not possible to do all the shows originally planned by Global Action Sports,” explained Paul Dainty, Chairman and CEO of Dainty Consolidated Entertainment. “Despite our best efforts to keep this date as part of the tour we were left with too little lead time to effectively market the Newcastle show to the people of the region,” Mr Dainty continued. “We fully intend to get back there with a Crusty Demons show in the very near future.”

Two of the bright young things of the Australian independent music scene, Parades and the Seabellies, are preparing to stake their claim on 2010 by announcing a co-headline tour. To coincide with important new music by each band, The Young Cubs & Past Lives Tour will introduce songs from their debut album releases to Australian audiences for the first time in March/April. Newcastle band the Seabellies recently completed recording their cinematic sounding LP, By Limbo Lake, with Wayne Connolly (You Am I, Josh Pyke, The Vines) and have just delivered their follow-up to lead single ‘Orange X’, called ‘Young Cubs’. Their six-piece, multi-instrumentalist setup presents a controlled chaos and live energy unique to these shores. The Seabellies have earned their live chops playing over the past two years alongside the likes of Beck on the V Festival, and more recently US band Eulogies. Parades are a young art-rock band from Sydney, featuring Dan Cunningham, Tim Jenkins, Michael Scarpin and familiar face Jonathan Boulet — Parades’ debut album Foreign Tapes is set for an early April release and their lead single ‘Past Lives’ was recently added to Triple J. Parades’ album is expansive and ambitious; a haze of pop harmonies, post rock guitars and electronic meanderings. Their live show is equally as impressive. Parades have already played Homebake and Field Day, toured the east coast with Gomez and are now looking forward to playing with the Seabellies on this special tour. Musically these bands are perfectly matched. Catch them at the Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Sundey March 21, 2010. Tickets are $12 pre-sale from bigtix.com.au

news

LIVE! THE RONNIE JOHNS HALF HOUR

daysend

DAYSEND RETURN WITH tour and CD NUMBER THREE

Having taken their wares across the vast span of North America, New Zealand and Australia, Daysend have fused an array of musical genres to create a hard-edged yet melodic metal sound. The explosive Sydney five-piece rocketed into existence in 2003 with all the passion and determination that has propelled them to the very top of their country’s heavy music scene. Later that year the band released their debut album, Severance which was voted by listeners of high rating radio station Triple J as Number One Australian Metal Album of that same year. In 2007, Daysend broadened their sonic palate and released their second album The Warning. Come 2010, Daysend unleash beast number three upon the world, Within The Eye Of Chaos, released through Stomp. This album promises to be Daysend’s most uncompromising and unrelenting album to date. Never bowing to trends and fads, Daysend are a real metal band for real metal fans. Catch Daysend at the Cambridge Hotel, Friday, March 19, and the Chilli Lounge, Saturday 20, 2010.

sleeping on beaches and busking for bus money, Nick Saxon has travelled the hard road. And still is travelling, as far as he’s concerned. “I’m one of many artists on this journey. I have experienced highs and lows, but in comparison to those without love or hope, I am so lucky. So I won’t stop. It’s all the way, baby,” he says. So how does Saxon describe Hide and Seek? “It definitely has a summer feel to it, a fresh feeling,” he explains of the record, which covers tales of the ocean, love, urban tragedy, heartbreak, drugs, romance and more. A roots based funk/rock album with a twist of calypso magic, it is an album to immerse yourself in. At the Newcastle launch, Nick will be performing the album with a live band that includes some of the finest local talent — DJ Matt Saxon, Benjalu, Daniel March, James Chatburn, Jason Bone and more. Tickets are selling fast, so head to www.newcastle. lizottes.com.au to book your seat.

For the first time on stage, the comedy troupe The 3rd Degree — Felicity Ward, Heath Franklin, Jordan Raskopoulos and James Pender — reunite to perform all your favourite characters, including Chopper, Jesus, Poppy, Paulie, The Germans, Mlak Mlak and many more from the Logie-nominated Australian TV cult sketch show, The Ronnie Johns Half Hour. From 2005-2006, The Ronnie Johns Half Hour (produced by Jigsaw Entertainment) premiered on Network 10, and has since played around the world, with both series released on DVD, online views of its sketches in the millions; and Heath Franklin’s Chopper becoming an Australian comedy icon. The TV show began as the live sketch show, The 3rd Degree, a collection of the best performers and sketches from around Australian universities. It was first performed at 2004 Big Laugh Comedy Festival in Parramatta, and again in 2005, before touring to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival when it was spotted by Network Ten executives. With Glenn Robbins as executive producer, the show was nominated for a Logie for Most Outstanding Comedy, and writer/ performer Heath Franklin nominated for the inaugural Grahame Kennedy Most Outstanding New Talent Logie. Come back to where it all began as the guys present the best old bits, some juicy new bits, all your favourite characters live and close enough to throw fruit at. Relive the dangerous truth of gnocchi (it’s potatoes, not pasta!), how being uncool is so ‘underground’ and therefore cool, and why Jesus Christ always wanted an iPod instead of gold, frankincense and myrrh. This is Australian sketch comedy at its best! Catch it at the Laycock Street Theatre, Gosford, on Tuesday, May 25, Newcastle Civic Theatre on Sunday, June 6, Gold Coast Arts Centre on Thursday, May 27, and the Tivoli, Queensland, on Friday, May 28, 2010. Head to ticketek. com.au before they sell out.

thousand needles in red

GYROSCOPE, TAME IMPALA LEAD MASSIVE MONTH AT newcastle UNIversity

O-Week means mixed emotions for a lot of people. While it’s the harbinger of another year of academic toil, it also means a month of solid live music. 2010’s O-Week celebrations is no exception. On Thursday, March 4, the Bar On The Hill will host Gyroscope with support from Crystal Cove. Tickets are $22 for students and $25 for guests. On Thursday, March 11, Thousand Needles In Red (featuring Clint Boge of The Butterfly Effect and Tristan Bouillaut of Kill The Capitol) with play the BOTH. On Friday, March 12, the University of Newcastle will host the Retr-O’Ball, with a massive line-up that includes Tame Impala, The Thermals, Phrase, Yacht Club DJs, LeftaCenta, Beatnik DJs and Vaudeville. Tickets are only $20 for student union members. On Thursday, March 18, Angus and Julia Stone come to the BOTH and on Tuesday, March 30, Newton Faulkner will perform. A loaded month of music for uni students! Head to bigtix.com.au for tickets.

SURFEST 2010

loren kate

LOREN KATE DELIVERS

nick saxon

NICK SAXON ALBUM LAUNCH

As of January 2009, Nick Saxon was in full time construction. But the Newcastle-based songwriter has packed it all in to focus on his music. On Friday April 9, 2010, at Lizotte’s Lambton, Saxon will launch his debut record, Hide and Seek. “I can remember looking at a photo of when I was younger, about two years old. I am holding a ukulele in my nappies in the lounge room,” laughs Saxon. “It makes me realise, we all grow up. It’s inevitable. And that particular picture reminds me that although we don’t realise it, we hold on to the things we love most.” From travelling through Europe on tour, living in London for two years gigging,

Enchantingly beautiful, down-to-earth and absolutely spellbinding, Loren Kate has cast a sublime and haunting web over audiences around the country with her unique and unforgettable sound and soul. With a new album, Brand New Shoes, released in 2009, an EP due in 2010, and the impending birth of her first child approaching, it is a busy time ahead. “I think I’ve become much more relaxed as I prepare for being a mama,” Kate commented when asked about pregnancy. “All of a sudden I have this great excuse to chill out and put my feet up for while. I’ve been playing quite a few shows during the pregnancy and it’s a lovely feeling to sing and play guitar, knowing that the little one inside you can hear it and feel the vibration.” Catch Loren Kate at Brackets and Jam, Kincumber Mountain, Friday March 26, and Lizotte’s Kincumber, Thursday, April 1.

Ninety-nine surfers from around the globe will don the coloured singlets at next month’s ASP 4-star Burton Toyota Pro at Merewether Beach from March 9-14. Surfers from Australia, Hawaii, USA, Mexico, Japan, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil will battle for $US85,000 in prize money on offer in the Burton Toyota Pro. The jewel-in-the-crown of Surfest’s 13-day festival will celebrate its silver anniversary next month and two former world champs — Mark Ochiluppo and Sunny Garcia — will reignite their own 25-year-battle for trophy supremacy at the local break of four-time world champion and contest patron Mark Richards. While 1999’s world champ “Occy” has twice (1986 and 1998) won at Newcastle, the 2000 world champion Garcia — who turned 40 last month — is yet to have his name etched on the roll of Newcastle champions. Surfest runs from March 2-14 at Merewether Beach, Newcastle.

BENJALU WITH KIM CHURCHILL

Benjalu have their first headlining solo show of 2010 coming up on the Friday, March 19, at the Price Of Wales Hotel, Newcastle. They’re making it a double-headliner, welcoming Kim Churchill (fresh from a US trip and the Port Fairy Folk Festival) with support by Little BlaK Dress. Tickets $10 from the band or on the door. The night kicks off at 8pm.

GUM BALL 2010 LINE-UP ANNOUNCEMENT

The sixth annual Gum Ball music and arts festival, renowned for its exclusive laid-back nature and excessive good times, goes on sale this month and features a fine, diverse line-ups. Located at “Dashville” in the bush at Belford, Hunter Valley, the super-relaxed weekend festival works hard each year to provide the ultimate musical program with something for everyone. Encompassing a mixed bag of assortments, with everything from blues to hip-hop, to straight-out country rock and roll, this year looks to be one of the best, with first release artists including The Basics, Horrorshow, The Snowdroppers, Tijuana Cartel, Jackson Firebird, Collard Greens & Gravy, Laneous & The Family Yah, Abbie Cardwell, Rachael Brady and Brothers Grim. Along with two nights on-site camping, popular BYO policy, superb food and market stalls, live art exhibition, Gumnuts Playground, roving performers, some big warm fires and a vibe similar to a backyard party, Gum Ball is a classic event for all ages and certainly one not to be missed. Tickets for Gum Ball go on sale Monday, March 1 via thegumball.com.au. Gum Ball 2010 will be held May 28-29, 2010. r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 4 — m a r c h 2 0 1 0

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bluejuice golden bug

GOLDEN BUG LANDS ON NEWCASTLE

NEVER HEARD OF SUNDAE FUNDAZE?

For the uninitiated, Sundae Fundaze is a sun-and-fun filled series of events that take place in the beer garden of Newcastle’s Clarendon Hotel. Featuring line-ups of international, national and local DJs, Fundaze have become the crown jewel of Newcastle’s summer party calendar - and also serves to occasionally warm up the winter months, too. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon in Newcastle - beautiful weather, cold drinks, good friends and some block-rockin’ beats. Entering its fifth year, Fundaze has hosted the likes of Fake Blood, Sidney Samson, Ajax, Teki Latex, Edu K, the Bang Gang, Kim from The Presets and local favourites Kato and Dan Cares. The other regular Newcastle DJs on the Fundaze bills can now be heard every Saturday at The Clarendon, spinning tunes in the sun - an ongoing reminder of Fundaze fun. For Novacastrians, Sundae Fundaze is like having a regular mini-dance festival in your own backyard. It’s not crowded to the point where you can’t enjoy yourself - during the afternoon the vibe is nice and chilled. But as the sun sets, it becomes something quite different. Sundae Fundaze turns into a sweaty, throbbing outdoor nightclub. The music pumps and the crowd jumps. The next Sundae Fundaze takes place on Sunday March 28 and will feature Italian DJ, and Sound Pellegrino label mate, Solo. Plus, the regulars will be there - Kato, Dan Cares and A-Catt, along with SoCal. Born and raised in Italy, Solo felt that the weather was too nice to be in front of a computer making songs, so he had to move to London, where he spends every day (and some nights) in his studio, working on music. Already a favourite amongst his DJ peers, Solo’s fan base includes Sinden, Crookers, Brodinsky, Steve Aoki, Bloody Beetroots, Jesse Rose, Edu K, Renaissance Man, Ajax and Kissy Sell Out. Tickets are available now for $20 pre-sale and are available from The Clarendon Hotel and Ramjet. Don’t delay, as they are bound to sell out.

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Antoine Harispuru is a Robot Kid. The man behind Golden Bug, Harispuru was partlyeducated by Victor, a Japanese robot from Osaka. Victor was invented by Komba, an old Japanese man who wanted a child. He created Victor. When the old man died he sent Victor around the world telling him to find a new home. After a big odyssey Victor finally arrived at legendary “La Maison du Robot” in Paris. The shop was owned by Antoine’s mother who was the first one to import Japanese toys to Europe in the seventies. So Victor came to Antoine’s family and decided to stay for a while. And as Antoine’s mother was busy with the other toys - Victor practically was the one to teach Antoine how to eat, how to speak and how to dance... Victor was a huge fan of seventies hard soul and eighties electrofunk - so when Antoine turned 14, Victor bought him a Roland TR808 drum machine, a sampler and some old records and they started to invent a new style of robotistic booty funk. A few years later Victor and Antoine left Mamas Toyshop and went to live on a boat on La Seine… doing hippy partys on their boat, dancing at the Parisian rave parties of the nineties and hanging with their crew - the legendary skate boys from “Palais du Tokio”. The Crew also included people like DJ Falcon, Pedro Winter and other now famous funky Frenchmen. Living on the Parisian boat was great but it was too wet for Victor, who started to have some serious electronic damages. So they moved down to Barcelona. They skated outside MACBA, but one day someone did the wrong 360 kickflip and cut Victor’s head of with his board. At 38 years-old, Victor died in a skateboard accident. Very sad and lost, Harispuru had to find an escape. He found it in toy design, and started working for toy companies around the world while continuing to develop his totally rocking electronic booty funk music in the sprit of Victor the Robot. Golden Bug was born. Be a part of this amazing journey when Golden Bug plays the CBD Hotel, Newcastle on March 13, 2010.

THE DREAD SKY DEBUT NEW SONGS

The Dread Sky will be previewing their brand new album at the Pixie Music Presents (PMP) event on Saturday March 20 at the Lass O’Gowrie, Newcastle. This three-piece, old-school punk influenced outfit will be returning to home soil after their launch tour, including gigs in Melbourne and Port Macquarie, with more to come. Other acts playing PMP include VAMP and Ya Aha (Sydney). Free entry and music from 8.30pm.

BLUEJUICE PLAY GOOD FRIDAY SHOW AT PANTHERS

Bluejuice are dainty fellows. They know how to set a dining table, and they know the call of a rainbow lorikeet when they hear one. They’re too polite to take the last hors d’oeuvre, and they walk on the outside of a footpath to protect their lady-friends from a vehicular drenching on a rainy day. Bluejuice are your seats down, coats around, and doors open type of guys. It’s a shame then that these suggestions of good manners boil away to nothing in the face of a deep-seated psychological need to lie. They lie to their grandmothers. They lie to their chihuahuas. Bluejuice’s new single ‘Ain’t Telling The Truth’ is an homage to their passion for the lie. The only thing truthful about the song is the title that it ain’t telling the truth. It’s one of those songs with a descriptive title (much like Stevie Winwood’s ‘Valerie’ was most likely about someone named Valerie). It is the second single from their second album Head Of The Hawk. But the real truth is that the single follows the giant success of ‘Broken Leg’ which picked up an ARIA nomination for ‘Breakthrough Song of the Year’ and hit the #5 slot on the world’s biggest music poll ‘Triple J’s Hottest 100’. The video scored ‘Video of the Year’ nods from Rage, Myspace and iTunes and it has sold more than a whopping 50,000 copies and still going strong. And from March 31 through to until May 9, the band will take that mix of manners and miss-truths and The Holidays on the road with the “Ain’t Telling The Truth Tour”. Catch Bluejuice at Newcastle Panthers on Friday April 2, Doyalson RSL Club on Saturday April 3, the Hi Fi, Brisbane on Friday April 23, Coolongatta Hotel on Saturday April 24, and the Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay on Sunday April 25, 2010. Head Of The Hawk is out now through Dew Process.

Racz and Eaters

LIZOTTE’S LIVE AND LOCAL THIS MARCH

There’s a big month ahead at the both Lizotte’s venues, with lots of album releases involved. Starting at Kincumber, Racz and Waters launch Nothing Borrowed, Wednesday, March 3. Daniel Lee Kendall also has a new CD in his pocket, and you can hear it live Wednesday, March 17. Rounding out the locals is Alisa Fedele and Kim Churchill on Wednesday, March 24. Up north at Lambton, Zoe K and the Shadow Catz Band give us a preview of their new album on Wednesday March 10, followed by James Chatburn’s EP launch on Wednesday, March 17 with Nick Saxon in support. Finally, on Wednesday March 24 Lizotte’s will overflow with the likes of Grant Wolter, Amy Vee, Swoon and Gleny Rae Virus.

JOHN MAYER IN NEWCASTLE

Four studio albums, seven Grammy Awards and nearly 13 million album sales into his career, the now 32-year-old John Mayer isn’t just getting older – a worry he cast adrift with the 2006 release of his here-I-am, blownopen, mega-success, Continuum – he’s getting better. Since his 2001 debut, Room For Squares, and the world-wide radio group hug given to its hit, ‘Your Body Is A Wonderland’, as well as the Grammy it brought; to 2003’s Heavier Things and two more Grammys; to his first co-producing turn with Steve Jordan on the four-time Grammy Award winning, hitharnessed, Continuum, which included ‘Waiting On The World To Change’, I’ Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)’ and ‘Gravity’; to his latest and fourth studio album, his second time producing with Jordan, the November 2009 released, Battle Studies; Mayer’s kind of gravity heads only one way. Up. Catch him at Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Friday, May 7, 2010.

AMY VEE HITS THE ROAD

Amy Vee is excited to announce a slew of local appearances booked for March, including supports for Jon Stevens at Newcastle Lizotte’s (March 4-5), Lambton Park Food & Wine Festival (March 6), Wine & Waves Festival Merewether (March 13) and Live ‘n’ Local at Newcastle Lizotte’s (March 24), all before she heads north for a mini north coast/ Queensland tour in late March.

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Saturday March 6

Drown The Armada + Voilence + Cannon's Mouth Saturday March 20

Errol Jm And The Trade Secrets + Hot Girls + Horse Bolted ($5 for both)

Garth Carwardine, Stacia Goninon, John Butler, Danielle Caruana, Carlo Santo

The Seed Story

Back in 2004, John Butler, along with his wife Danielle Caruana and a small band of like-minded individuals, decided they wanted to put something back into the Australian arts community and give young artists opportunities that did not exist previously. And so the JB Seed was born. Six years later the JB Seed, or just simply ‘The Seed’ as it is now known, is still going strong. With over $533,000 worth of funding having been given to more than 200 artists, The Seed has grown to be one of the most important arts-grant programs in the country. John Butler says that while in the beginning it was important to have his name attached to the project, it has now reached a level where it truly can be a grant program run by the arts community for the arts community — hence the name change. “When Danielle and I first started the fund we always intended for it to grow into something that wasn’t funded by ourselves but contributed to by many movers and

shakers within the industry,” says Butler. “In the beginning we felt it was necessary to have credentials and for that my initials served well — this is an initiative funded by the music community for the music community and I feel The Seed best represents this approach.” This year sees The Seed offering grants in three categories — Art For The Public, Management Workshop Initiative and The Indigenous Community Music initiative. These programs offer grants of up to $5,000 for artists to explore themes of social justice in free & incidental public spaces, opportunities for music managers to engage with established professionals for practical advice on taking their band to the next level, and live performance opportunities for artists in indigenous communities respectively. If you are interested in contributing to The Seed or applying for a grant, check out www. theseedfund.org. Applications close March 15, 2010.

Plus plenty more gigs to come check with the hotel for a more complete line-up

Mondays 9pm Muso’s jam night - cheap booze, free pool Tuesday – Hamilton’s best pool comp 7.30pm Cheap drinks Monday and Wednesday Live It Up Karaoke

Thur- Sat 9.30-2.30

Little Creatures Pale Ale now on Tap

Happy Hour Thurs & Sun 4-6pm $3.30 Schooners Live Entertainment In the Beer Garden every Sunday

990

MEALS

7 Days a Week

Bistro now open til 10pm Thu-Sat

AUSTRALIA’S BEST PUB MEAL - THE FOOD CHANNEL

BOOKINGS: kurt@hamiltonstationhotel.com

cnr BEAUMONT & FERN ST’s ISLINGTON myspace.com/hamiltonstationhotel 02 4961 3852 OPEN 9.30AM-3AM DAILY EXCEPT SUN 10AM-MIDNIGHT r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 4 — m a r c h 2 0 1 0

angus and julia stone

HEAD FIRST DOWN Down the Way, the new album from folk-pop brother-and-sister duo, Angus and Julia Stone, has just graced our shelves. Julia Stone speaks to Mark Henderson about the adventures that inspired her new material. Congratulations on the upcoming album, Down the Way — it’s a beautiful album in which both you and Angus reach new levels as musicians and as producers. How did you go about producing the record? Producing is a weird term — I find that everyone in the room is sort of a co-producer. Our approach to recording is the same as our approach to jamming with the band, you get in there and you try things out. The songs were written before we got into the studio. We write like we always have. For us being the producers is just trusting the people we were working with and being open to the recording process taking its own journey. What made you choose Down the Way as the title, and what’s the meaning behind it? We were going through the different lyrics and songs until one day Angus called me up saying he had an idea for the title. It was a lyric from ‘Black Crow’, he asked, “What do you think of Down the Way.” I loved it, and it was decided on the spot.

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I found that when listening to the album, Down the Way was a perfect fit for the title, I was sure that you had put so much thought into it. That’s just how things happen, don’t you reckon? It is what are lives are about, always moving and asking “what’s down the way?” We won’t ever make a decision until something feels right; this is usually for a good reason. It was great the way that it turned out working well with the artwork, and had the perfect feeling for what we wanted to do. You guys were travelling a lot when recording and writing the tracks. How do all of these different places and settings affect the songs that you write? With each different place come so many different elements — musicians, studios, microphones, climates, and more. The songs we recorded in New York at the end of the last tour were so different. We were recording with a new band, it was at the end of two years touring. This was the last recording for the album; it was a great time of us recording, like a goodbye recording time that we both really enjoyed. While you were recording the album you wrote a letter, in it you mentioned a small English town that you really connected with. Yes, Colemore in the south of England. It was so isolated and different from the studio we recorded in in New York. We found this studio near the ocean — we could only get there by boat, which was amazing. The other way to access it was by walking down the train track — an adventure in itself. You could only walk on the train track at certain times because trains ran up and down it. It had a ‘chill’ feel. We lived totally alone for three weeks in a big sawmill, and in beautiful nature.

‘And the Boys’, the lead single from the album is a deep and interesting song about finding joy even through something as difficult as love lost. How did this song come about and why was it chosen as the first single? That song was exactly about that, it was about seeing the beauty in things even when they twist and fuck up. I wrote it just after I bumped into an ex-boyfriend; we hadn’t seen each other for years and didn’t connect. I felt really sad that day, it’s so weird having come from the place where you love somebody so much and then it disappears and you become strangers in a way. I was really hurt by this. I always imagined that we would have this connection; that was the day I wrote the song. I sat down and started singing because it helps, ‘And the Boys’ was the song that came out of it. You aren’t meant to stay in love with people. You move forward, and grow, change, and evolve — that’s a beautiful thing. Looking back I think that’s what the song is trying to say.

The album is emotionally expressive. Was there any songs in particular that you felt more of an emotional connection to? ‘Santa Monica Dream’ — I had written it that morning and recorded it that night. The recording of it was a really nice process. Angus had gotten back late from a party in Manhattan and we were staying in an apartment where it was him, me, two microphones, two guitars and us singing this song. We were in Santa Monica two weeks earlier, living this life where we were both happy — jamming, making music, and living by the beach. I missed that. Looking forward to touring Australia again? It has been so long, but Australia’s home — we always see familiar faces as well, which is a really beautiful part of it. Catch Angus and Julia Stone at the Bar on the Hill, Newcastle Uni, Thursday March 18. Down The Way is released March 12 through EMI.

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deep purple

CHILD IN TIME Deep Purple are returning to Australia — is this a place that you look forward to touring? Yeah, I’ve got a lot of friends there. A lot of memories from Australia. It’s always very, very pleasant. It’s strange, when you’re first on the road you say, “Wow, the Eiffel Tower. Wow, the Taj Mahal. The Grand Canyon!” But then a couple of years later you’ve seen all of that, so you remember the people — it might be a journalist, or a bar man in a hotel or someone in the business — gradually you establish people that you know in each place, so you look forward to going back and catching up. That’s far more enjoyable. Some of the Deep Purple songs that the band still perform are 40 years old. What is it about those songs that still makes them enjoyable to perform? Well, to be honest, if we just performed the songs that are 40 years old it would be pretty boring. What makes them exciting is that they’re surrounded by a load of little kids — the songs that were written 30 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago, right up until today. If you keep getting served the same dish, you’re going to get sick of it sooner or later. It’s all about the ambience and the surroundings. If I go out to eat, I’m going to be more interested in who I’m with than what the bloody food’s like. Is it true that Deep Purple are working on a new studio album? 16

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Deep Purple, a group that has sold in excess of 100 million records, need very little introduction. Along with their contemporaries Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they pioneered hard rock. Its been over four decades since their inception and their passion for music is still an unstoppable force. In this exclusive interview, Nick Milligan speaks with singer Ian Gillan about the history of Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore, singing for Black Sabbath, and why his eyes are always on the future.

The Ian Gillan interview

Could be. We work on a pretty ad hoc basis. In fact, I’m expecting a phone call from Roger Glover (Purple bassist) at any time now. He’ll probably say, “Should we get together?”, and I’ll say, “…yeah”. Then we’ll phone the other guys and find (a studio) somewhere. Then we’ll all turn up and say to each other, “How was Christmas? How’s the family? How’s the dog?” Then we’ll have a cup of coffee, pick up our instruments and sit down. Five days later we’ll have half a dozen songs written. That’s how it works. We’ve never planned anything in our lives. Everything has been fairly spontaneous. It goes back to the old days when people used to run interference all the time. Producers, managers, record companies — they wanted to come down to the studio. We used to say, “Bugger off, you can’t come in. You’re nothing to do with it. You guys are the business side. You sell the record if you want it.” We weren’t interested in doing three minute songs for radio. That put the commerciality out the window. Of course, a great division came down the line but we stuck to our guns and I think it worked out. It changed the industry quite a lot. That’s when you had the division between pop groups and what we used to call ‘rock groups’. Pop groups released singles and wore really amazing clothes, and rock groups put out albums and ignored the press. Deep Purple made a very clear statement with your 1970 record In Rock. Before that it seemed the band had been looking for a definitive sound. That album is undeniably an influential record in the ‘hard rock’ sub-genre. What are your clearest memories from the making of In Rock? Well, it’s quite incredible. We used to always

look for the best musicians we could find. I’m talking about when we were kids, in our first bands, down the street with our acoustic guitars. You’d always try and steal the guitar player or the drummer from the band in the next road because he was really good. Then everyone got very student-like about the music. You’d study the blues and you’d get all these obscure records. It was all a part of the learning process. A lot of people dropped by the wayside as writers, or musicians or performers. Then all of a sudden after paying your dues in that respect, you get the gig with Purple. I joined Purple with Roger Glover — we were not just a singer and a bass player, but more like a songwriting team that fitted in pretty well. Then you suddenly realise the company you’re in. You’ve got the amazing Ritchie Blackmore, who was a session player with Joe Meek and the first independent studio. His technique and knowledge of the guitar was light years ahead of anything that we’d ever heard before. His showmanship too, because he’d worked with Screaming Lord Sutch and everything else, so he was a great showman as well. Then you’ve got Jon Lord, who is not only an actor, but he’s got a musical background. He’s studied orchestral composition. His knowledge and appreciation of orchestral music brought to Purple all of those incredible nuances and melodies, and the construction that his talent and skill brought in. Ian Paice had the big band swing, like Buddy Rich and all of that. So he understood that rock has to be swing against the straight beat — that’s what makes rock ‘n’ roll. Roger was all things folk and myself had been everything from opera to a boy soprano in the church choir, to (influenced by) my dear Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Buddy Holly.

All of this came together and the chemistry was explosive in the rehearsal room. I think the first song we wrote was ‘Speed King’ and it was just a jam. Nobody had any idea what was going on. Roger Glover was fooling around and he said to me, “I don’t recognise this song and I’ve studied all the albums they’ve done”. Of course, it had never been written before, it was what was known as a ‘jam session’. It was his first ever jam session. You’ve got to be hot — you’ve got to be a good musician to do that. Then you’ve got this thing with Jon and the concerto (approach) and it was unsettling. It was one of the more powerful elements in the chemistry of the band and appeared to be a dominant feature. It was at a time when we were trying to keep everything balanced and there was all this democratic talk. It put a few noses out of joint. But it wasn’t until 1999, years later, when we performed again with the London Symphony at Royal Albert Hall when I realised what it was that Jon was doing. It was an epiphany for me. I thought, “You idiot, Gillan. You didn’t appreciate or understand what it was.” I was too ignorant and too young and fragile. I hadn’t been around the block. [Deep Purple’s sound] was like throwing two rocks into the water and all the ripples were asymmetric. It was weird — no one could get a hook on Purple to describe them. It was the beginning of a great voyage. Deep Purple, along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, are seen as being the pioneers of hard rock. Did you realise at the time that you were creating a new sound? Well, it was exciting, for sure. I don’t think anyone thought in those terms — about the impact. But I referred in the previous question

deep purple

to chemistry. I think it happens within all relationships, whether you’re in a team or any organisation that relies on a team spirit. It requires everyone to have star-like qualities, but you also have to be able to hold that back for the benefit of the team. Those are the things that are very difficult to deal with as a kid. We had no idea what was going on in terms of perception. Did we ever think that what we were doing was anything other than bloody exciting? (laughs) That’s the nearest we got to a ground-breaking perception. From 1970, Deep Purple released three albums in three-and-a-half years and you toured extensively. Did you have a chance to enjoy your success or were things moving very quickly for you? At that age, everything was fantastically exciting. I don’t think we were unprepared for it, musically. I think you could say that we had paid our dues in most respects, as writers and performers. We knew the ropes. We were all professional at the time. But the one thing you can’t prepare yourself for is success. That’s a whole new journey. It changes people. You find out then how to deal with it, but you can’t until you experience it. The hardest thing wasn’t the music, the hardest thing was the personalities. Suddenly you realise that Darwin was right, but he missed out the last chapter. Survival is the first step, but the driving force behind humanity is supremacy. That becomes evident at certain key points in

You also wrote and recorded an album with Black Sabbath — another group of amazing musicians. How did that differ from working with Deep Purple? It was completely different, but then again I do like to work with a lot of different writers. You have to write all the time. The guys in [Deep Purple] still practise for six hours a day. Steve [Morse, current guitarist] came up to me one day when I was doing a cryptic crossword and said, ‘What’s this about doing the crossword every day?’ and I said, “Just doing the same as you, Steve. I work with words, so I’m just practising. Finger exercises, really.” One day Ritchie pointed a finger at me and said, “You shouldn’t write any songs except for Deep Purple.” I said, “That’s like telling an olympic athlete that he shouldn’t run or train until the event.” You’ve got to keep going. You either use it or lose it. Working with Tony Iommi and Sabbath was quite... it was what you might call fusion. It was two people from different backgrounds — their music was entirely different to Deep Purple’s — the whole attitude was different. But you’ve got to open your heart and show your vulnerability sometimes. Suddenly, I got it — [Sabbath] just wanted me to yell and scream, and have attitude. So I wrote lyrics and just started yelling — it was great! I love those (Sabbath) guys. I just spoke to Tony last night. He’s in Florida at the moment and we’re working on a little project — a

“[Deep Pur ple’s sou nd] wa s lik e throw ing two roc ks into th e water an d all the ripples were asymm etr ic.

e to It was weird — no one could get a hook on Purpl e.” voyag great desc ribe them . It was the begin ning of a

your life. There was someone there — Ritchie (Blackmore), I’m talking about — that had something that turned into megalomania at a later stage. He wanted to be the boss — or didn’t like not being the boss. I’ll go anywhere and follow anything, but like most people, I don’t like being pushed around. I guess I resisted harder than the other guys. So instead of these forces working for each other, we had friction and difficulty. I think the professional side held us through most of it, but in the end you can’t survive those sorts of things. It’s like a divorce, really. Once you pass a certain stage in the relationship there is no going back. Because you can’t rebuild the atomic structure. The chemistry is not right. Even if you right it down on paper and say, ‘You’re the same person, I’m the same person’, it won’t work. When you initially left Deep Purple in 1973, the band made two records in 1974 called Burn and Stormbringer, with singer David Coverdale. With the benefit of 36 years’ hindsight, what’s your opinion of those records? Stormbringer and Burn? I have to be honest with you, this may sound stupid, but because I was so passionately involved in Purple, when I left… I left for a lot of reasons, but mostly it was because I didn’t like the way it was heading. It was becoming like a pop group and everything was pre-planned and too organised for my liking. When [Deep Purple] carried on it was of no concern to me, until someone said, “Have a listen to this, it’s David Coverdale…” and I went, “No! What are you talking about? I’m not listening to that!” It’s like watching your ex have it off with another bloke. Apart from those things I’ve heard on the radio like ‘Burn’, through the inability to act like an adult, I haven’t heard [those two albums]. I’ve got the bloody records in my studio, so I suppose I’ll have a listen to them one day. But I can’t answer your question without making a fool of myself.

charity event — pretty soon. We’re meeting up in a few weeks to write a couple of songs together for an Armenian charity, to rebuild a music school after the earthquake there. Has your approach to writing lyrics changed since the early 70s? Oh, it’s totally different. I remember going through a mid-life crisis. I phoned Roger and said, “Could you spend some time over here, mate. We’ve got to walk up and down the beach and have a long chat. Our lyrics are going nowhere. We’ve got to stop writing about fast cars and loose women. We’ve moved on in life. A: it’s undignified, it doesn’t make any sense and I’m getting all my hair cut off tomorrow. B: life is still full of excitement, but now I’m excited about other things that are more cerebral or spiritual, so let’s start looking at writing in a different way.” Since then it changed my approach. When you’re 20, you’re immortal. You know everything. When I was 22, I knew everything. I know a lot better now, but you were so full of the confidence of youth, physically and mentally, that you didn’t ever have self-doubt. One of the great things about the journey through life is that vulnerability creeps in — that awareness of your mortality. My hobby is studying eternity — it’s been my particular subject since I was eight years old. We won’t get into that, we don’t have time (laughs). But all of these chains fell off me in terms of lyrics and writing, and ten years ago I entered the most prolific writing period of my life. I’m working on 38 songs at the moment with various partners and I have no idea where they’re going to end up. But if you keep doing it, then you’re going to get a better percentage of good quality stuff. I’m a little obsessive. Everything I see is interpreted. Deep Purple perform at Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Thursday April 29, 2010. Brisbane Convention Centre on Tuesday April 27, 2010. r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 4 — m a r c h 2 0 1 0

broken bells

The news that Shins songwriter James Mercer and Gnarls Barkley’s Brian ‘Danger Mouse’ Burton were secretly collaborating on an album, quickly sent hearts af lutter. The resulting record, a self-titled gem called Broken Bells, is finally ready to chime in our ears. Nick Milligan caught up with James Mercer to discuss the Broken Bells experience. You first met Brian at the Roskilde Festival in 2004, where you both learned that you were a fan of each other’s music. What was it about his songwriting and production that had impressed you by that stage? I’m always interested in talking to anyone that’s really into the Beatles. I was, of course, intrigued by what he had done with The Grey Album and fascinated by that whole process of how he pulled that off. At that time, there wasn’t an idea of ever doing anything like we’re doing now. I was fully in the middle of getting The Shins off the ground. I had just done our second record (Chutes Too Narrow) and we were there in Denmark promoting, so I just had no thoughts of anything like this ever happening at that point. Up until now it seems your songwriting process has been quite solitary — you had written and recorded a lot of the Shins’ third record Wincing The Night Away before bringing in the rest of the band. Were you immediately comfortable with the level of collaboration you had with Brian? You know, I was. I was looking for someone to collaborate with. I knew I wanted to have that experience of sharing the creative process with somebody that I felt comfortable with, and would bring some new energy and enthusiasm to the writing and recording. It was kind of perfect. It wasn’t difficult for me to give up creative control over everything. We decided at some point that we would each have a veto power. If we didn’t like something, each of us could say, “Ah... I don’t like it.” Then

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that was it, it’s gone. Then you end up with something that inevitably only has cool stuff to the people involved. What is it about your separate approaches to songwriting that has made this a successful collaboration? I think we both know how to fill in the gaps for the other. If I come up with a chord progression or a melody, Brian is a terrific inventor of the next stage — of what [the song] needs or lacks to make it really engaging. My strong suit, when he’s coming up with chord progressions and song ideas, is coming up with melodies. If either of us are doing something, I think there’s something that the other can add to it. Did you have any song ideas before you went into the studio or was it a clean slate for both of you? It was totally a clean slate. I showed up the first day and we literally had no idea what we were going to do. I remember Brian picked up a little weird piece of electronics from the seventies — a novelty item that played chords and things. He started just messing around, going back and forth. I started humming up a melody and within 20 minutes we had something recorded that was a sketch for a song. Then you just keep adding to it and flesh things out. It goes really quickly. We’ve been very lucky. We’re very prolific when we’re together in the studio — it’s pretty cool.

“… the atmosphere created in the studio, that Brian generates, is where you can just do whatever you want. You feel very comfortable experimenting”

broken bells

“There’s a lot of violence and references to violence. Like something disastrous has happened.” Do you have a lot material that hasn’t made it on to the album? Yeah, we do. Just today I was realising that that process was about cutting away the extra... it’s almost like the way someone sculpts. They pull away the stone and they reveal the coherent idea that they had in mind. That’s what we ended up doing with the record originally. We had 13 or 14 songs that we were going to put on it. Then it became apparent that there were a certain number of songs that didn’t seem to fit in. Not that they weren’t good enough to be on a record, but they were a step in a different direction and that detracted from the feel. So we ended up with ten. A lot of the songs I really thought should be on the record, and then Brian convinced me and all it took was for me to listen to the record without [the extra songs] and I realised he was right. This is the most diverse range of vocals that I’ve heard from you. Was it always your intention to push yourself vocally? No, I think it just ended up happening. I never

has happened. I think ‘Sailing To Nowhere’ has that really desolate, dry feeling that something violent has happened, but it’s strangely ok. It was expected.

thought I was going to do some new vocal things, but I think that the atmosphere created in the studio, that Brian generates, is where you can just do whatever you want. You feel very comfortable experimenting and trying to figure out what will make this work as best as possible. I’m lucky that I’ve been able to be around that.

Have you had an opportunity to perform these songs live? We are going to get that opportunity pretty quickly. We’ve got a rock ‘n’ roll type band and a really teriffic keyboardist who’s helping us out. We’re doing our best to make it sound like the record. We’ve had a couple of weeks of rehearsing and it’s sounding really great. We’re really happy. We just had a really terrific practise today, we played the set twice and we feel really comfortable.

On the last Shins album you seemed to be moving toward a story-telling approach in your lyrics — like the story of the girl in ‘Phantom Limb’. Has that approach carried into Broken Bells? I don’t think there’s as much story-telling... well, no, I guess some of the songs are (chuckles). Maybe so. Brian and I worked on the lyrics together, too. Yeah, there’s some more [story-telling] and maybe that’s because you can’t get too personal. Everything ends up being something you can share with another human being. For it to make sense to both of us it needs to be a little universal. In a previous interview you told me that compared to composing and arranging music and melodies, writing lyrics felt more like ‘homework’. Have your feelings towards writing lyrics changed? Um… well, I don’t know. We’ll see. Working on this was easier because I have someone sharing the weight. But I don’t know, it will probably feel the same... homework! ‘The Ghost Inside’ is an amazing song — how did it come together? That one Brian started, I believe. He had some chords he was playing and I just starting humming. I remember goofing off, doing that falsetto and Brian really liked it, so we kept it and kept developing it.

Is it something you plan to tour outside of America?  Yes, and I’m sure we’ll be coming to Australia as well.

Is there any line of lyric on the record that you’re the most happy with?  ‘Citizen’ has a moment where I say, ‘Get along for a while now citizen, you’ll see how the innocent are bound to the damned’. I like that lyric. To me it’s an important thing for people to realise. Blaming people who have done bad things is a way that we separate ourselves from our own human nature, and make ourselves feel somehow better. We feel like we’ve escaped their wrong doing somehow — when in reality it’s not true at all. I think that’s a pretty cool lyric on the record. Are there any recurring themes in the lyrics of the album? There’s a lot of violence and references to violence (chuckles). Like something disastrous

Is it true that there’s already plans for a second Broken Bells album? Yes, so that’s where some of those extra songs will go. We tend to get into the studio whenever we have a free day, so we’ll have enough material pretty soon I think. What are your plans for 2010? Is it a year of Broken Bells? Yeah, it will be mainly a year of Broken Bells. The Shins will be recording, probably early this Summer and getting some demos together and sort some stuff out for the next Shins record. But mostly it will be touring and promoting the Broken Bells record and probably recording with Brian some more for the next thing. Broken Bells is out March 5 on Sony Music.

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fionn regan — does it offend you, yeah?

The empire of Fionn Regan

That’s right. We just found this place with rooms full of old telephones and broken chandeliers and all these strange photographs on the walls — and there was a switchboard, too. So we set up there in our fur coats and fingerless gloves because it was so cold and it was enjoyable to have an interesting background, to play music in that environment. We did take after take and it was like a scene from a different time.

Having recovered from a two-year world tour, young Irish songsmith Fionn Regan has just delivered an imaginative and timeless second album, Shadow Of An Empire. Steve Tauschke speaks with a folk troubadour in the making, from his home in the UK.

What’s the feeling with the release of every new album, Fionn? I’m usually more hopeful rather than nervous but sometimes there is a bit of nervousness. I don’t really have any expectation, I just try and get inside the world of what I’m doing in the record and make sure that it resonates with my own soul and spirit. It’s a mirror of what was going on and it’s a document of the time when it was made. After that it can be a bit of a quagmire, you just don’t really know what’s going to happen and what you have in your hand. But the overall feeling is hopeful. Describe what was happening in your world

Did you attempt to maintain an element of mystery in the lyrics? Different songs, like ‘Violent Demeanor’ for example, I saw this character at an intersection and he was holding a bag. I had this image where I imagined that he was left on the roadside and the last thing he had was a bag of birthday cards. Often there’s a knock on the door and a character arrives in your imagination and you have to figure out where he came from and what his story is.

during the making of this album. I toured a lot before this record so the writing happened a lot on the road. A lot of it was sitting in the back of cars with a pen and writing on hotel paper or napkins or whatever I had. At one point I got my hands on an old typewriter in a leather case and so I was carrying that around. It was like a drum kit, you had to commit to what you’re about to write, you had to really think about each letter you point your finger at. I didn’t want the record to be a beautiful box with no contents, I wanted it to be like an old piece of furniture where you put your hand inside it and you find a gold ring.

It sounds like touring really shaped the songs? When you’re touring and you’ve been on the road the sails take a hammering on the ship but if you stay in the harbour you might rust — that’s the way touring feels and I think it gave the album a bit of swagger and some dirt under its nails. It definitely sounds like it’s by a writer who’s been on the road for a while… and the record had a bit of a bumpy road in that respect and it’s been quite a journey. I’m very relieved to be at the start line and have it out over here. I believe you recorded in a disused factory in Ireland?

Shadow Of An Empire is out on March 1 through SpeaknSpell.

of a great track. I love Karen O’s voice. Would love to tour with them one day.

Let’s Dance DAVID BOWIE

Listzomania PHOENIX

I used to hate this song when I was growing up, and now I love it. Plus the video is set in Oz, which is kind of relevant to the tour we’re doing next week!

we had to tell people that it wasn’t written by us as people kept asking us when we were going to release it. I’m glad that Devo are still going today. Most bands don’t last over five years, let alone nearly 40.

So what did a Mercury Music Prize nomination for your debut The End of History mean for you in 2007? It meant another year-and-a-half on the road! Just as I was winding down the touring the nomination came along and I guess it was a testament to the impact the album had because the flag got raised pretty high, just in the level of the press and the exposure. Before that, very few people knew about us.

DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH? MIX TAPE Dan Coop, founding member of hard-hitting British electro group Does It Offend You, Yeah? tells Reverb his ten favourite songs from his iPod, and what makes them so darn special. Killing In The Name Of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE You can play this in any club in any country of the world and you will get people going crazy. It’s impossible to be drunk and not go crazy when this song comes on. I’m so glad it got to number one in the UK last Christmas.

One More Time DAFT PUNK Another club banger, I always enjoy playing this track out when everyone sings along. Always have been a big fan of Daft Punk, since Homework, It was a hard choice between this and ‘Harder Better Faster Stronger’.

Territorial Pissings NIRVANA When we’re getting psyched up for a live show, Nirvana normally enters into the mix backstage before we all get together and walk out on stage. This is one of my favourite Nirvana songs and reminds me of becoming a teenager!

Pin YEAH YEAH YEAHS Short but sweet track from the YYY’s. This track is what really got me into them. It falls under two minutes, which is always a good identifier 20

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Have to put a mention in for Phoenix. We share the same management and they’ve just won a Grammy for their latest album. This track is the first on the album and really sets the scene. It sends me right back to watching John Hughes films.

11th Dimension JULIAN CASABLANCAS Another track which harks back to the 80s. I would love to hear another Strokes record, hopefully they will get one together soon. I unfortunately missed watching the live show in London which I heard was pretty amazing.

Main Titles (Blade Runner OST) VANGELIS I only had two soundtracks on vinyl when I was growing up, Blade Runner and Star Wars. Although Star Wars is the most recognisable and probably the better soundtrack, I think Vangelis influenced a lot of electronic music producers with his work on this classic film.

Whip It DEVO We used to cover this live and it was funny that

The Rip PORTISHEAD We played at Coachella Festival in California the same year as Portishead and I immediately got the new album when it was released. I think this track is the best on the album which I think many people slept on. If you didn’t get hold of a copy you should, as it’s amazing. Does It Offend You, Yeah? support The Prodigy at Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Wednesday, March 10, and Sydney’s Future Music Festival on Saturday, March 6, 2010.

h o l ly m i r a n da

Holly’s magic Moving from Detroit to New York when she was only 16, Holly Miranda was following her musical dream. Eleven years later, ears around the globe are taking notice of this captivating songstress. Nick Milligan spoke to the songwriter about her debut record, The Magician’s Private Library.

What was Dave Sitek like to work with? He was the wizard. I think he has the ability to really conjure sounds out of you. He definitely brought a lot of his own flavour to the table. But I feel like he pushed me to play almost all of the guitar and piano parts, and challenged me to do as much as I could of it myself, before anyone else played. Your first experience with recording a debut album was when you were 17 years-old, with label BMG, and it didn’t go so well for you. Could you tell me about what happened? I never officially signed anything with anyone for that record. I did go in (to the studio) and start working on songs. I was 17 — I was really young and naive. I really believed that what was told to me was exactly what was going to

happen, even though we hadn’t finalised contracts. Then I happened to realise that the people I was affiliated with and what they were telling me was going to happen, wasn’t going to happen. I had a really great lawyer that told me to walk away from it, so I did. I have a record that nobody’s ever heard, locked in a safe in Jersey. When you were making your debut album, did you have the stage in mind or were you happy to make a studio-orientated record? No, there wasn’t a thought in my head about how I was going to do it live. We just made the best record we could. It’s been fun and challenging for me to try to reinterpret the songs in different live settings — as a solo, a duo and a trio. Right now we’re doing it as a four-piece — violin, guitar, drums and bass. We played a show a couple of weeks ago in New York where we got to do it as a seven-piece band on stage with horns and string and organs. At one point we had 13 people. The songs started as very basic, acoustic demos. It’s great the way that they’ve grown and they’re still growing. Is there a certain environment that you have to be in to write music?

©sebastian mlyarski

On this debut record, you worked with TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek as your producer — did you have clear ideas about how you wanted the album to sound? No, we didn’t really have much of a preconceived notion of what we were going in to make. We just went in with my demos and expanded from there. I had about 40 demos, so every time we wanted to work on a new song, we could go back through them.

Yeah, I usually have to be completely alone in a place where I feel like no one can hear me. Why was The Magician’s Private Library the best name for the album? Well, it’s a name that I’ve been holding on to for a while and just waiting for the right moment to use it on something that felt right. I think that it’s a very magical place. It was something my uncle said a few years ago, when I was playing Dark Side Of The Moon for him. I was always planning on dedicating this record to him — we had his picture up throughout the making of the album. At the end I remembered what he’d said and it clicked and made sense, and I couldn’t call it anything else.

Are there any recurring themes on this record? Dreaming and references to water — waves and high tide. But it wasn’t a conscious decision to have songs about dreaming and sleeping, but I think that’s where I live a lot. I read that you had a strong religious upbringing in Detroit — how does that inform the music you make now? I’m really grateful for the way I was raised. There’s a lot of spirituality and morality that I’ve taken with me, not necessarily in a religious way, but I feel like a spiritual person. The Magician’s Private Library is out now through XL/Remote Control.

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album reviews Feature albums

The Avett Brothers I and Love and You American/Sony

4.5/5 The Avett Brothers have built up quite a following since their ramshackle brand of country-tinged bluegrass hit shelves in the form of a self-titled EP back at the turn of the century. It came as no surprise to learn that the message-boards and forums were all aflutter with news that the Carolina crooners’ sixth studio album would be released on Sony imprint American Recordings. Not to mention that it would be produced by AR’s main man Rick Rubin. Well fans can breathe a sigh of relief as I And Love And You is as good as anything the brothers have ever produced - if not better. I And Love And You is a lush epic of an album that grabs you right from the outset with its goose-bump inducing titular track. Longtime fans will almost immediately notice the absence of brother Scott’s tubthumping banjo save for a few tracks - most notably the Appalachianinspired ‘January Wedding’, but there is just so much more going on here for it to be too much of an issue. From gorgeous piano arrangements, strings that never border on the cheesy and lyrics that conjure up an uplifting redemptive feel, is a marked departure from the dark, ‘mountainpunk’ of 2007’s Emotionalism. The Avett Brothers are not trying to reinvent themselves with this album, but rather it’s almost as if Zen-master Rubin has helped them realise what they can do when they put their minds to it. ~Stephen Bisset

Delphic Acolyte Modular

4.5/5 Excuse the melodramatics, but Acolyte is fucking amazing. With a hauntingly subtle hue to his voice, lead singer James Cook proves that dance-floor electronics can uphold the substance of a rock ballad – leading many critics to proclaim that Delphic are this decade’s New Order. While this comparison may be a little rash, Acolyte is undoubtedly one of the freshest, most fascinating releases to come out of the UK indie-dance scene in some time. Beginning with the enigmatic ‘Clarion Call’ before launching into the infectiously-catchy ‘Doubt’, Acolyte is diverse and multi-layered. The record’s mood shifts effortlessly from that of ecstasy (think trance-infused piano in ‘Remain’) to pure emotional breakdown (‘Counterpoint’ is beyond powerful as Cook bellows the tortured line: “tell me nothing’s wrong today”) – all the while remaining completely cohesive and downright spectacular. ~Lee tobin

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The Album Leaf A Chorus of Storytellers Sub Pop/Stomp

3.5/5 For over a decade The Album Leaf, aka Jimmy LaValle, has been all about mellow harmonies, quiet meandering bass lines and a subtle ambience that would suit the silver screen just as well as the stage. A Chorus of Storytellers still drips with the same Album Leaf nuances, but has a much fuller, more realised feel than previous efforts, thanks in no small part to LaValle giving up the reins a little (he previously provided all the instrumentation himself) and inviting some trusted friends to take part in the recording process. The result is a much more complex effort than previous Album Leaf releases, with layer upon layer of sound combining to form a kind of swirling melting pot of textures and melody. This is one of those albums that on the tenth listen you’ll hear a sneaky little guitar part or drum loop that just wasn’t there before. Ironically though, while called A Chorus of Storytellers, the album has only four tracks out of eleven that feature vocals, with the last two – ‘We Are’ and ‘Almost There’ providing the most traditionally structured, and at times most beautiful moments, on the album. ~Stephen Bisset

Birds of Tokyo The Broken Strings Tour MGM

4.5/5 Birds Of Tokyo toured relentlessly before and after the release of their massively successful second record Universes. To keep things interesting, they partook in a limited run of ‘Broken Strings’ dates, where they reworked their material with a string quartet. The result is quite amazing. Recorded over two nights at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre and Melbourne Town Hall, this double CD release captures the arrangements written for the tour and brings out the darkness in their material. Ian Kenny’s powerful vocals are at the forefront. All of their songs are converted to acoustic symphony with varying degrees of success, but nothing feels out of place. It’s certainly proof of the strength of their songwriting. ‘Wayside’ and ‘Off Kilter’ sound fresh and exhilarating, while ‘Medicine’ soars and ‘Broken Bones’ and ‘The Bakers Son’ are tense and gripping. The recording quality is perfect and there’s an interesting cover of ‘Heard It Through The Grapevine’. This is an impressive release that might be remembered as a classic Australian live album. It’s also available as a live DVD. ~Noah Cross

African, and Indian music into a coherent collection of pieces, which often see Lang’s slide guitar riff with Diabate’s kora, while Singh’s rhythm holds it all together. Diabate’s flamenco-style kora playing shines in the title track of this album, and it is easy to see why this man is revered for his skills and musicality. This is an interesting listen for fans of contemporary instrumental music. For fans of: Tommy Emmanuel, Ravi Shankar. ~Nick Bilbey

Eddy Current Suppression Ring Rush To Relax Shock

3/5 Melbourne band Eddy Current Suppression Ring had great success with their second album, Primary Colours. It was nominated for “best rock album” in the 2008 ARIAs, and “best Australian rock album” in Triple J’s J-awards. Not to mention the Australian Music Prize it garnered, or the $30,000 that came with that prize. Brendan Suppression and crew are looking to continue their success with the release of their new album, Rush to Relax. Don’t expect anything different here. It’s the same British punk rock experience, with simple riffs, hard drumming, and angst driven lyrics. Tracks vary in length and topic; from the one-minute long, ‘Walked Into a Corner’, about being anti-social at a party, to the 7-minute, acid-rock opus ‘Second Guessing’, about perhaps making the wrong decision. Overall, Rush to Relax is a competent collection of raw rock tracks. It doesn’t expand Eddy Currents’ talents, but it does highlight them. ~Andrew Chesham

Field Music

The HotRats Turn Ons Shock

4/5 When Supergrass lads, singer Gaz Coombes and drummer Danny Goffrey, entered the studio to muck about with producer friend Nigel Godrich, there was little expection or idea about what they’d come up with. The result is the band name ‘The Hotrats’ (named after the classic Zappa record) and a covers album, that is in parts a tribute to all the artists whose music is included, but also the 1973 David Bowie covers album, Pin Ups. For the most part Danny and Gaz are faithful to the original versions, though there’s an unavoidable Supergrass flavour. They make the Beastie Boys’ ‘Fight For Your Right To Party’ sound like The Who’s ‘I Can See For Miles’. There’s also full-blooded renditions of Elvis Costello’s ‘Pump It Up’ and The Cure’s ‘Lovecats’. For ‘grass fans, getting this record is a no brainer. But for everyone else, it’s a great release to throw on at a party. Hot stuff. For fans of: Supergrass, brit-rock. ~Nick Milligan

Lightspeed Champion

Field Music (Measure)

Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You

Spunk/Memphis

Domino Records

Industries

4/5 This is the third studio album by British indie outfit Field Music, and while it still essentially contains the angular melodies and unpredictable harmonic progression of their earlier releases, it’s generally more grounded and refined. The tracks are made accessible by catchy hooks and dreamy harmonies, but they’re given a bittersweet edge by restless and discordant undertones. Their string arrangements, interspersed throughout, add additional warmth – ‘Measure’ in particular stands out from its peers like a burst of sonic sunshine. The album is easily the group’s longest, a hefty twenty tracks, and yet it never quite feels superfluous, meandering unashamedly like an extended dream sequence. For Fans Of: Animal Collective, The Beach Boys ~Hugh Milligan

Djan Djan

Holly Miranda

Djan Djan Instrumental

The Magician’s Private Library

Recordings

Inertia/Remote

3.5/5 This album is the latest offering to come from the collaboration between legendary Australian guitarist Jeff Lang, Western African kora player Mamadou Diabate, and Indian tabla virtuoso Bobby Singh. This instrumental album boasts the technical prowess found only on the rare occasion three masters of their craft come together. Djan Djan infuses the influences of Western,

remain, and later return with renewed optimism in ‘Everytime I Go To Sleep’. The result is a satisfyingly cyclical collection of songs, unified by Miranda’s fragile, intimate vocals. As its title suggests, the album is infused with a constant sense of surreal whimsy, conjured by horn and string lines, bells and synthesisers. For Fans Of: Bat For Lashes, My Brightest Diamond. ~Hugh Milligan

Control Records

4/5 You may know Holly Miranda as the lead singer of Brooklyn band The Jealous Girlfriends – this album was born of her collaboration with guitarist Dave Sitek. While the tracks themselves are emotionally diverse, they’re anchored by recurring motifs; even once the cute, wide-eyed ‘Forest Green Oh Forest Green’ has plunged into the murky, brooding ‘Joints’, shadows of its melody

3.5/5 Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You is the sophomore album from precocious Brit Devonte Hynes, otherwise known as Lightspeed Champion. On an album driven by a frenzied, indie-pop bombast, several curious instrumental pieces scattered throughout Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You act as welcome respites, and add spade-loads of character to a record in danger of drowning beneath its own excess. ‘Intermission’ is an interesting midi-synth aside, sounding like the theme to a Mega Drive game, while ‘Intermission 2’ is a short percussive piece that could be a cut off Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs. The bass heavy, Brit Pop funk of ‘Marlene’ serves as the album’s first single, and it’s understandable why – it shows off Hynes’ multi-genre songwriting prowess without cramming too many styles into the song’s lean four minutes. The dramatic, string quartet chorus stands as proof that British Pop music can still be inspiring and incendiary, even after years of tireless rehashing. ~Scott gilbert

Massive Attack Heligoland EMI Music

4/5 After a seven year hiatus from the studio, it seems Trip Hop pioneers Massive Attack have finally got their groove back with Heligoland - to a degree. While the album never reaches the same awesome heights as 1998’s Mezzanine,

album reviews album of the month

Heligoland still offers more than a few glimpses of what made them the kings of Trip Hop back in the late nineties. From the outset though, it looked a little shaky with the track ‘Pray For Rain’ fronted by TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe. This maudlin, drawling number sounded more like what would happen if Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen got together over some Ketamine and an 808. Adebimpe threatens to put you to sleep with one of the most deadpan vocal performances in recent memory. Thankfully the album pulls its socks up quick smart with ‘Babel’, featuring Tricky chanteuse Martina Topley-Bird who conversely puts in one of the album’s best vocal turns. Other guest spots from Damon Albarn, Elbow’s Guy Garvey, and even ex-Mazzy Star vocalist Hope Sandoval, (on ‘Saturday Come Slow’, ‘Flat Of The Blade’, and ‘Paradise Circus’ respectively) positively soar over the almost trashy break-beats, lush sequencing and a definite world music undertone. Massive Attack takes an almost minimalist approach this time around, which flies in the face of their, dare I say it, overproduced 100th Window and marks a welcome return to form. While they might have run out of a bit of steam in the ensuing seven years, Heligoland proves that Massive Attack still have plenty in the tank yet. ~Stephen bisset

PieRced Arrows Descending Shadows Tombstone

3.5/5 Pierced Arrows is described by its creator as “rock ‘n’ roll that’s rough, ragged, and honest.” Murky and dirty yet so full of emotional expression, the unpolished garage rock sound perfected; Pierced Arrows is the latest in a line of successful bands birthed from the legend that is Fred Cole. Fred along with his wife and co-founder of The Rats and Dead Moon, Toody Cole, and Kelly Haliburton on the drums combine their talents to create the raw sound that is Descending Shadows. The debut is a grunge rock, garage punk based album in which the overly distorted guitars and Haliburton’s raw drumming compliment the mood of Fred and Toody’s vocal expression. From the opening track ‘This Is The Day’ right through until the closer ‘Coming Down to Earth,’ the energy level never changes. The aging rockers give everything they have to their music. Descending Shadows is as raw and real as an album will come, the punk rock sound of the seventies revived – it truly is a rock ‘n’ roll album that’s “rough, ragged, and honest”. ~Mark Henderson

Portal Swarth Profound Lore

4.5/5 Never content to sit idly by and recycle stock death/black/whatever riffs ad nauseam, Brisbane’s Portal can certainly achieve the same result of producing nausea, but in a far more unorthodox manner. Now employing eight string guitars into their already labyrinthine vortex of sound, this five piece have concocted one of their most unrelenting and suffocating pieces of art to date. Falling somewhere between prior releases such as Outré and Seepia, Swarth is a nightmarishly bizarre soundscape of

Lovecraftian terror that rattles the very foundations of some of the most extreme of metal’s subgenres and sculpts them into something very different and infinitely interesting. Go thee to Swarth and find out why this band is producing some of the most important death metal since Morbid Angel’s Altars of Madness. You have been warned. ~Byron Struck

Angus and Julia Stone Down The Way EMI

3.5/5 After spending six months apart, brothersister duo Angus & Julia Stone met in Cornwall, Brooklyn and Coolangatta to record their second LP, Down the Way. Following UK press darling A Book Like This, the Northern Beaches indie folksters continue with the melancholic pop aesthetic found on their earlier recordings. This sound is most adequately achieved on the sparse ‘Big Jet Plane’, with Angus’ wearied, hungover drawl perfectly suiting the acoustic guitar chug and shimmering string section. The duo’s sophomore release is brilliantly realised – from the vulnerable acoustic arpeggios and earthy sibling harmonies of ‘Santa Monica Dream’ to the lovely, organic harmonica bleats of ‘Hush’. But given the chilled-out, simplistic nature of their music, Down the Way doesn’t stand out as being the kind of album brimming with innovations or drastically new ideas. And it isn’t. Instead, it’s a well accomplished folk album that improves upon its predecessor in almost every way, and creates a melancholic, ruminative tone for listeners to immerse themselves in. ~Scott Gilbert

Story Of The year The Constant Shock

2/5 Story Of The Year’s latest release The Constant didn’t do anything for me. Guitarist Ryan Phillips was quoted saying the band were “working overtime writing” for this album and maybe they rushed it because it seems they tried too hard for variation in their tracks, which came across a bit awkward and still didn’t succeed. Most tracks have an anthem type feel with a typical emotive melody and catchy lyrics. ‘The Ghost Of You And I’ is probably my favourite track but I can imagine it being used as the theme song in a cheesy vampire flick. I’m definitely not a fan of ‘The Children Sing’, it has a Pink Floyd ‘Another Brick In The Wall’ feel to it and for some reason I always found that song intensely creepy. If you’re into post hardcore, you’ll undoubtedly find something you like in The Constant. It’s fairly stock standard in that respect. ~Scarlett O’Horror

Tindersticks Falling Down A Mountain 4AD/Remote Control

3.5/5 According to my friend, the internet, Nottingham-born Tindersticks got their name eighteen years ago when frontman Stuart A. Staples found a box of German matches on a beach in Greece. In Falling Down a Mountain, their eighth studio album, Tindersticks

Broken Bells

Vampire Weekend

Broken Bells

Contra

Sony Music

XL/Remote Control

4.5/5 While the world waits patiently for a new Shins record, Broken Bells’ debut album might just feed the hunger. This collaboration between two of modern music’s most innovative and insanely talented individuals - Shins singer/ songwriter James Mercer and Gnarls Barkley’s Brian ‘Danger Mouse’ Burton - delivers on all expectations. From Mercer’s unmistakable, evocative vocals to Burton’s off-kilter, lurking arrangements and production, these ten tracks are a rich tapestry of effective experimental ideas and cohesive atmospherics. Opening with the sublime singalong of ‘The High Road’, before the funky, organ-driven jangle of ‘Vaporize’, Broken Bells manages to be immediately catchy without ever feeling solely popfocused. ‘The Ghost Inside’ is the record’s highlight, Mercer employing a falsetto over slinking trip-hop grooves - it’s genius. This record is a melodic pleasure cruise. A joyride. Two masters working in perfect harmony. For fans of: The Shins, Beck, Vampire Weekend, The Sleepy Jackson. ~Nick Milligan

3/5 In an age where ‘fang banger’ has become commonplace vocabulary, it comes as no surprise that nerdy New York rockers Vampire Weekend have been greeted with momentous global reception. The group are a perfect example of what contemporary audiences are demanding: uplifting pop songs with an indie-alt twist, and their latest release, Contra, delivers just that – while adding an interesting blend of ska, reggae and afro-pop. Contra begins optimistically with the fresh and playful ‘Horchata’. There is a striking creativity about such tunes, especially the energetic ‘Cousins’ which channels the charm of their brilliant 2008 self-titled debut. There is, however, something missing. This record lacks the vibrancy of ‘A-Punk’ and is without the ironic smarts of ‘Oxford Comma’. After a few listens, Contra starts to sound a little too aware of its own cleverness and, as a result, appears lifeless. ~Lee Tobin

maintain their characteristic sound by melding jazz, soul, and rock. The chaotic wail of a trumpet, eerie scream of a melodica, and Staples’ baritone voice, in the title-track, opens the album. This fusion of sounds doesn’t make the album approachable, but it is a good, and rewarding, introduction. Canadian notable Mary Margaret O’Hara teams up with Staples in ‘Peanuts’, a saccharin sweet track whose obvious pathos makes it quite endearing. Though, after one too many listens it can quickly turn into the “skip-over track of the album”. FDAM may not impress long-time fans, but it is a good introduction to Tindersticks’ music. ~Andrew Chesham

We Are The Ocean Cutting Our Teeth Hassle/Shock

1/5 Although rife with flaws, the most glaring drawback on Cutting Our Teeth – the debut LP from British post-hardcore outfit We Are the Ocean – is clean vocalist Liam Cromby, who sounds like an effete Chad Kroeger. The band’s credibility is also threatened with vague, puerile lyrics that sound ripped from the pages of a teenage girl’s diary, with sentiments such as “I’m always looking for an answer / someone to tell me who I am” peppered throughout the album’s thirty minute runtime. I know that I’m not the target demographic for We Are the Ocean’s infantile, over-simplified breed of “hardcore” – these well-travelled power chord progressions and obvious chromatic runs seem intended for those early teens just beginning to feel their way around the musical landscape. But to whack a “post-hardcore” sticker on this boring, over-produced garbage serves only to embarrass the artists who created it, and to offer a firm slap in the face to fans of the genre. ~Scott gilbert

The Vasco Era Lucille Universal

4.5/5 Melbourne trio The Vasco Era return to follow up their 2007 debut with a concept album. This selfproclaimed nod to Elvis Costello is a triumph. It tells the story of a misguided love between characters Sam and Lucille. The story begins with ‘Not Stuck Here’ which uses a brooding, U2-like melody and arrangement to throw the listener straight into the world of the two lovers, with the song exploding to its peak after vocalist Sid O’Neil, taking on the persona of Sam, sings: “I’m not stuck here, it’s only Lucille”. The second single, ‘I Am The Chosen Vessel’, is incredibly catchy and best displays the Costello influence. Distorted wails and an infectious stop-start rhythm, held together by a simple chorus, beg another listen straight away. The real strength of this set is that each song is attractive in its own right, while the album as a story flows to near perfection. This album is simply a gem. For fans of: Elvis Costello, The Mess Hall, Wolf And Cub. ~Nick Bilbey

Amy Vee Sleeping Dogs Lie Independent

4/5 Having built a live following as the singer of smouldering rockers The Virtues, Amy Vee is returning to her roots as a solo folk singer with Sleeping Dogs Lie. This intimate five-track release is sparse and minimalist, Vee’s voice and guitar occasionally picking up a string part like a sleepy hitchhiker. Opening with the slinking gallop of ‘Enough For Now’, Vee’s sweet, breathless vocals are as playful as they are wistful. There’s a dreamy, introspective quality to tracks like ‘Borrowing From Thieves’, that make the whole release feel like it was recorded one early, reflective morning as the sun is rising. It’s a truly beautiful EP and repeated listens reveal lyrical gems that sparkle like droplets of water in the sunlight. Here’s to the on-going evolution of Amy Vee. ~Nick Milligan

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NEWCASTLE Don’t forget — Live & Local every Wednesday night 4-5 Mar Jon Stevens 6 Mar

The Bodacious Cowboys

11 Mar

Brian Kennedy

12 Mar

Chris Smither

18 Mar

Cotton Keays and Morris

19 Mar

Mary Gauthier

20 Mar Bruce Mathiske

21 Mar

Deni Hines

26 Mar The Brewster Brothers Trio 27 Mar

Abby Dobson

28 Mar Colin Hay Band 31 Mar

Jon Cleary

3-4 April Diesel

8 April

Justin Townes Earle

10 April Sara Storer 15 April Rock trivia 16 April Steve Prestwich

17 April Damien Leith 18 April Spy Vs Spy 21 April Bob Brozman 23 April Paul Greene 24 April Acoustic Classic Aussie Rock Show w/ Swanee and Alan Barnes 25 April 1927 29 April The Black Sorrows 1-2 May Diesel

For bookings and information, phone (02) 4956 2066 or visit lizottes.com.au

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Monday, March 1

Saturday, March 6

Thursday, March 11

Enmore Theatre, Sydney Michael McDonald + Boz Scaggs Lizotte’s, Lambton Mick Fleetwood Blues Band + Josh Owen

Bimbadgen Estate, Hunter Valley Diana Krall + Madaleine Peyroux + Melody Gardot Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle The Owls + Heart Attack and Vine + The Vignettes Chilli Lounge, Wyong Vamp + One, Two, Many + I Am The Agent + Spread The Ashes + Ruins of an Empire East Maitland Bowling Club Memorial Drive + Landstrum Lizotte’s, Kincumber Jon Stevens + Amy Vee Lizotte’s, Lambton The Bodacious Cowboys Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton The Medics + The Blackchords Randwick Racecourse Future Music Festival Royal Exchange Hotel, Newcastle Snez Sydney Entertainment Centre Backstreet Boys Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle Kevin Borich

Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni Thousand Needles in Red + Caleb Skips Chemistry + Enemy of Average + Origin Of Janken Chilli Lounge, Wyong Villian + While The City Sleeps + The Third Progression Gallipoli Legion Club, Hamilton Hat Fitz + Cara Robinson Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Shaun Kirk Lizotte’s, Kincumber Sarah Humphreys + Sam Buckingham + Renny Field + Kent Eastwood Lizottes, Lambton Brian Kennedy Metro Theatre, Sydney Dinosaur Jr + Deaf Wish Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle The Dirty Pint Blues Revue

Tuesday, March 2 Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Phoenix Lizotte’s, Kincumber Katie Noonan and the Captains + Brian Campeau

Wednesday, March 3 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Bright Yellow + The Bastilles + Big Scary Lizotte’s Kincumber Racz and Waters album launch Lizotte’s, Lambton Phil Buckle + Beth Robertson + The Soorleys

Thursday, March 4 Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni Gyroscope + The Evening Son + Crystal Cove Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Brian Jonestown Massacre + Fear Of Monsters Enmore Theatre, Sydney Pavement + Gersey Hamilton Station Hotel The Karma Cops Lizotte’s, Kincumber Uncle Earl Lizotte’s, Lambton Jon Stevens + Amy Vee Luna Park Big Top, Sydney Franz Ferdinand Sydney Opera House Moby

Friday, March 5 Beach Hotel, Merewether Kotadama + Rosie and the Thorns Blush Night Club, Gosford Bright Yellow + Big Scary Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle The Mess Hall + Bridezilla + Cabins Chilli Lounge, Wyong Planet + The Able Archers + Tainted Toys Enmore Theatre, Sydney Pavement + Gersey Erina Leagues Club Chris Byrne Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland The Clap Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Newcastle Nick Saxon + Daniel March Lizotte’s, Kincumber Ray Beadle band Lizotte’s, Lambton Jon Stevens + Amy Vee

Sunday, March 7 Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Tijuana Cartel Lizotte’s, Kincumber Jon Stevens + Amy Vee Lizotte’s, Lambton Ray Beadle band Metro Theatre, Sydney The Big Pink + An Horse Premier Hotel, Broadmeadow Steve Edmonds Band Sydney Opera House Amanda Palmer Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle Mighty King Snakes

Wednesday, March 10 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Montpelier + Paper Prophets + The Bastilles Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Status Quo Lizotte’s, Kincumber Brian Kennedy + Lucy Thorne Lizotte’s, Lambton Zoe K and the Money Shot Band album launch Metro Theatre, Sydney Dirty Projectors Newcastle Entertainment Centre The Prodigy + With Does It Offend You Yeah? Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton The Sundance Kids Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle Enemy of Average + I, The Hunter

Dinosaur Jr

Friday, March 12 Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni Tame Impala + The Thermals + Phrase + Yacht Club Djs + Vaudeville + Lefta Centa + Beatnik DJ’s Chilli Lounge, Wyong While The City Sleeps + Teal Club Led, Broadmeadow Red Dawn Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland The Adam Hole and Marji Curran Band Lizotte’s, Kincumber The Brewster Brothers Lizotte’s, Lambton Chris Smithers The Forum, Sydney Mickey Avalon UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney The Used Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle Milestones

Saturday, March 13 Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni British India Enmore Theatre, Sydney Devin Townsend Project Katoomba Blue Mountains Folk Festival

Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Newcastle Lander Configurations + Karma Cops + The Owls Lizotte’s, Lambton The Robertson Brothers Newcastle Leagues Club Torch Le Monde Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton The Sundance Kids + The Ivys Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle Chase The Sun + Cass Eager

The Sundance Kids

Sunday, March 14 Coast Hotel, Budgewoi Steve Edmonds Band Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Doll Squad Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Pixies Katoomba Blue Mountains Folk Festival Lizotte’s, Lambton Leah Liddell album launch Newcastle Panthers Tokyo Shock Boys Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle Big Red Rockets

Monday, March 15 Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Pixies Sydney Opera House Massive Attack Woodport Inn, Erina No Fun At All

Friday, March 19

Thursday, March 25

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Daysend Chilli Lounge, Wyong Mornings Eleven + Shayne Graham + Red Remedy Entrance Leagues Club British India Erina Leagues Club Nick and Liesl Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland The Domestics Lizotte’s, Kincumber Bruce Mathiske + Nathan Church Lizotte’s, Lambton Mary Gauthier + The Baker Suite Prince Of Wales Hotel, Merewether Benjalu + Kim Churchill + Little BlaK Dress Sydney Opera House Branford Marsalis Quartet Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle Milestones Woodport inn, Erina Steve Edmonds Band

Enmore Theatre, Sydney Brand New Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Truckstop Honeymoon Lizotte’s, Kincumber Organ In Rock Lizotte’s, Lambton Rock Trivia Queens Wharf Brewery, Newcastle Ian Moss

Saturday, March 20

Saturday, March 27

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Violence + Northlane + Taken By Force + The Cold Front Chilli Lounge, Wyong Daysend + Discord + Spread The Ashes + Mercify Hope Estate, Hunter Valley Huey Lewis and the News Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, Newcastle The Dread Sky + VAMP + Ya Aha Lizotte’s, Lambton Bruce Mathiske Newcastle Entertainment Centre Lady Gaga Soldiers Point Community Hall Allay The Sea Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle Gen X + Kate Ballantyne

Chilli Lounge, Wyong Mirrimar + Tranz Phat +Stray Bulletz + Enspier Gallipoli Legion Club, Hamilton Truckstop Honeymoon + Gleny Rae Virus Trio Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland The Liars Lizotte’s, Lambton Abby Dobson Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton Soul Movers + The Ride Ons Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle Corrina Steel

Tuesday, March 16 Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Pixies Kantana House, Green Point Djan Djan Sydney Opera House Massive Attack UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney Cobra Starship + Owl City

Wednesday, March 17

Imogen Heap

Sunday, March 21 Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle The Seabellies + Parades Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Kim Churchill + Matty Southon Lizotte’s, Kincumber Cotton Keays and Morris Lizotte’s, Lambton Demi Hines Metro Theatre, Sydney Imogen Heap Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle The Blues Bombers

Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle No Fun At All Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson Jack’s Bar and Grill, Erina Ross Ward Lizotte’s, Kincumber Daniel Lee Kendall album launch Lizotte’s, Lambton James Chatburn EP launch + Nick Saxon Northern Star Hotel, Hamilton Paddy’s Craic + Jigzag + The McNasty’s + Hugh Gordon’s Irish Combo Sydney Entertainment Centre Lady Gaga Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle Pat Capocci + Danny Cosmic Tremors

Metro Theatre, Sydney Imogen Heap Sydney Opera House Harry Connick, Jr

Thursday, March 18

Wednesday, March 24

Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni Angus and Julia Stone Lizotte’s, Kincumber Mary Gauthier + The Baker Suite Lizottes, Lambton Cotton Keays and Morris Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle Camp Frypan

Lizotte’s, Kincumber Brooke Harvey + Hayden French + Alisa Fedel + Kim Churchill Lizotte’s, Lambton Swoon + Grant Wolter + Gleny Rae Virus + Amy Vee Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle The Havelocks + The Karma Cops

Monday, March 22

CENTRAL COAST Don’t forget — Live & Local every Wednesday night 4 Mar

Uncle Earl

Friday, March 26 Chilli Lounge, Wyong Vendetta Fields Enmore Theatre, Sydney The Dead Weather Lizotte’s, Kincumber Abby Dobson Lizotte’s, Lambton The Brewster Brothers Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle Milestones

6-7 Mar Jon Stevens

10 Mar

Brian Kennedy

11 Mar

Round Robin Tour

12 Mar

The Brewster Bros

18 Mar

Mary Gauthier

19 Mar

Bruce Mathiske

26 Mar Abby Dobson

28 Mar Brian Cadd 3 April

Mental As Anything

9 April

Sara Storer

Sunday, March 28 Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland Barons of Tang Lizotte’s, Kincumber Brian Cadd Lizotte’s, Lambton Colin Hay Band Luna Park Big Top, Sydney Machine Head + Hatebreed + Emmure + Bleeding Through Oasis Youth Centre, Wyong House vs Hurricane + Antagonist + Ivory Line + Mary Jane Kelly Oxford Art Factory, Sydney Delphic + Matt Van Schie + Circle Pit + Modular DJ’s Wickham Park Hotel, Newcastle Johnny Green’s Blues Cowboys

Monday, March 29 Civic Theatre, Newcastle Al Di Meola

15 April Spy Vs Spy 16 April Deni Hines 17 April Steve Prestwich

23 April Bob Brozman (USA) 24 April 1927 25 April Acoustic Classic Aussie Rock Show w/ Swanee and Alan Barnes 28 April Eric Bogle 1-2 May The Black Sorrows

Tuesday, March 30 Bar On The Hill, Newcastle Uni Newton Faulkner Metro Theatre, Sydney Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Wednesday, March 31 Lizotte’s, Lambton Jon Cleary Metro Theatre, Sydney Gogol Bordelo The Loft, Newcastle House vs Hurricane + Antagonist + Mary Jane Kelly UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney Matisyahu Wests Leagues Club, Newcastle Blues Brother Revival

For bookings and information, phone (02) 4368 2017 or visit lizottes.com.au

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huey lewis and the news

TODAY’S NEWS An icon of eighties music, Huey Lewis and the News have finally grown into the “anachronistic” sound and image that they made famous with hits like ‘Power Of Love’, ‘Hip To Be Square’, ‘Do You Believe In Love’ and ‘I Want a New Drug’. Nick Milligan speaks with a very funny and dry Huey Lewis about their new album, working with director Robert Altman and what it’s like to be amongst Patrick Bateman’s favourite artists.

What are the News up to at the moment? We’re actually making a record, believe it or not. We try to make a record religiously every ten years and we visit Australia every twenty. How’s the record sounding? I think it’s fabulous, to my ears. But it’s early days yet. We’ve got a little gimmick on this one, but I’m loathe to tell you about it because it’ll be in the New York Times tomorrow. But we’re cutting it in Memphis, Tennessee. We really had a ball down there. Have you been to Australia many times over the years? We’ve been only once, I’m embarrassed to say. But we do only come every 20 years and our band’s only 30 years old. What are your strongest memories of your trip here? Well, the shows were great and the place is great. It’s a bit like California used to be — compared to here it’s more cheese, less rats. I love the physical beauty of the place. I like the reduced population. I live in Montana, so… How does touring with the News today compare to touring in the 80s? Well, let’s see. We get a lot more sleep [chuckles]. But it’s similar. We don’t tour as much [now]. We play, say, 75 shows a year. That seems about the right number. As long as you don’t play 200 a shows a year, it’s like falling in love all over again. You don’t want to take more than two or three weeks off, because you can lose your chops, but you don’t want to stay on the road for more than two or three weeks anyway. We ‘senior tour’ a little bit and we play better than ever. It’s more about the music than it ever was. Some of your songs are approaching three decades of age — what makes the music so enjoyable to perform? Well fortunately, I like our songs. I think we were 26

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kind of anachronistic to begin with. My dad was a jazzer, so I was always taught to write stuff that was not time sensitive — timeless stuff. It occurs to me that a lot of the songs we wrote in our twenties and early thirties are a lot more appropriate for ripe-old farts like us, now. We were always old-fashioned and now we’re old enough to wear it. Oddly enough, we never really were trendy. Not because we wouldn’t have been, if we thought it would help. We started two years prior to music television of any sort, so it was more of an audio consideration for us. We weren’t all that image conscious. I don’t even have tattoo! If we’d come out five years later, I’d be tattooed from head to toe if I thought it would help [chuckles]. Is it that mindset that leads to a song like ‘Hip To Be Square’? Yeah, ‘Hip To Be Square’ was — there’s a book called Bobos In Paradise [published in 1990 and written by David Brooks — ‘bobos’ describes superficial yuppies]. Bourgeois bohemians. It was this particular phenomenon here in San Francisco. After the hippie movement, people started dropping in like crazy. Kind of like the Patrick Bateman thing in American Psycho. [‘Hip To Be Square’] was appropriate to use, because it was meant to lampoon that. But not everybody got the joke, I’m afraid. How did you feel being included in a controversial book like American Psycho? Yeah, it was neat! [Bret Easton Ellis] clearly knew his stuff. I thought, ‘Boy, that’s interesting…’ The story with that is that [the makers of the film adaptation] asked us if we would contribute a song. They’d pay us for it, of couse. I thought, “Why not?” Willem Dafoe was in it and it was very artistic. They told us [‘Hip To Be Square’] was going to be in a controversial scene and I thought, “Whatever. It’s artistic, so I’m all for it.” Then on the eve of the release of the movie, they suddenly decided they were going to put out a soundtrack album. They sent my manager a mock-up of the soundtrack

decisions, we wanted it to be us. Sports was and asked if we would agree to be on it. I was our best work. The culmination of our ideas. on the road and he called me and told me this. We used drum machines — Sports, which sounds There had been no mention of a soundtrack like a bar record, was actually assembled with when we first signed the deal. There was only machines and sequences bases and our song, a Phil Collins song and a bunch of source overdubbed toms and cymbal crashes — really music [on the proposed soundtrack]. My put together manager said, “That’s not right. Poor fans will piece-by-piece have to pay e a record from the ground fifteen bucks mak to y tr e W “ up. Our records for one old y ten r eligiously ev er that we’re song. No isit making now are thanks, but y ears and w e v .” anything but. We ty no thanks.” en tw y er ev Austr alia just recorded in Literally, on Memphis nine pieces live, the day capturing it in the studio. We’re zigging when before the premiere of the movie, they issued it’s zagging. But our key to the success of a huge press release to every media outlet [Sports], was that we learned how to make saying that Huey Lewis had pulled his song records better. The songs were good, it’s from the soundtrack because he had judged always about the songs, don’t get me wrong. the movie too violent. That really made me But we realised how to realise the song’s upset, because I hadn’t even seen the movie. potential a little better. They tried to work me show business-wise, these Hollywood people, so I boycotted the You appeared in the 1993 film Short Cuts movie. I’ve still not seen the movie. which was directed by the legendary Robert Altman. What was he like to work with? You released your self-titled debut in 1980, He was a master. He was fantastic and but it seems like it was your second record wonderful to work with, obviously. He would Picture This that broke you commercially? rewrite the script every day. He’d do it on the Sort of. We had one hit and we sold 250,000 spot and he’d encourage you to improvise. He copies, which wasn’t great at the time. was fine with that. He just wanted you to stay true to the spirit of the script, he just wanted What was it about the material on your third the emotion to be right. The way he would block album, Sports, that made it a bigger success a scene was unbelievable. It didn’t matter how than the first two releases? many people were in it, he would block it so I’m not sure it was the material. We were getting nobody was in each other’s way and he’d do it better at making the records as well. The first instantaneously. He was a master at it. Really record was dashed off — we wanted it to have fun to watch. He’d put his arm around you before this live feel. We felt like if we ran into the studio each take and he’d tell you where you’ve been and did minimal takes, it would sound live. Of emotionally and where you’re going. He’s the course, it didn’t — it sounded small. I think we best director I’ve ever worked with. figured out that when you’re making a record it’s a technological consideration. We began to Huey Lewis and the News performs at Hope assemble the records and pay more attention Estate, Hunter Valley, on Saturday, March 20, to them. What we really needed was a hit record. and the Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane on We insisted on producing these things ourselves. Wednesday, March 17, 2010. If anyone was going to make those commercial

Al Di Meola page 29

Art Vs Science Page 30

Welcome to Reverb’s very first North Coast lift-out… we’ve finally arrived la roux

To fuel the flame of Australia’s love affair with them, British synth-pop duo La Roux are returning to the East Coast. Noah Cross caught up with singer Eleanor Jackson as she prepares to board the Bacardi Express. This is the second time you’ve visited Australia in the last six months, what is it about Australia that keeps you coming back? The crowd. Everyone at our Parklife shows were amazing, we were completely overwhelmed by the response we got at both Parklife and our sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne. The Bacardi Express train features a jamming carriage, dining carriage, chill out lounge, gaming room and sleeper carriages — where on-board do you reckon you’ll spend most of your time? Knowing my band, probably the dining carriage and the chill out lounge. I wouldn’t say I’m that much of a jamming person. I like to play piano when nobody’s watching, but who knows? What do you plan to get up to in Coffs Harbour (home of the Big Banana)? Qu’est que c’est the Big Banana? Sounds interesting. I’ll check it out. How about the coastal town of Newcastle? I was there yesterday! Newcastle in the north of England though. It was very cold and rainy, I hope the Australian Newcastle is a bit sunnier! There has been an increase of illegal downloads of La Roux music in Australia since your recent visit. How do you feel about online music and the Peer2Peer sharing mechanics? Good or bad for the creators of music? Illegal downloading has become a joke. I have a section on my MySpace that is connected to a downloading debate with Lily Allen and other artists on this very matter. It’s a difficult time for emerging artists. For those who missed your performance at

Parklife, what can they expect from your live show? Flying monkeys and unicycling. What’s in your live show? There has been some controversy surrounding Britney Spears’ Australian tour and lip-syncing? Do you think it’s OK for some artists to lip-sync depending on their performance, or should all performers be able to deliver everything they can live? Yes, I think you should be able to do your set live. People have come to see you sing live, not mime. There are certain TV promo things where you’ll mime for technical reasons, but it’s rare. If the reason behind miming is because of intense dance routines then essentially you’re going to see a dancer not a singer aren’t you? I think they should lessen the dancing and let the dancers do it and they should focus on delivering a song. The problem is that some people can’t sing that well live and so they cover it with dancing, let’s be honest! I’d want my money back, or at least a warning when I bought my ticket. There’s some varying electro sounds in your music hat are La Roux’s influences? Heaven 17, Depeche Mode, The Knife, Michael Jackson, Prince, David Bowie, Eurthymics. How do songs come about? Is there a sole songwriter or is it a team effort? With me and Ben, it’s definitely a team effort. We talk extensively about all the lyrics and sounds and care very much about the songs. If you could collaborate with any artist (past or present) who would you collaborate with, and why?

“The quiff came about kind of by mistake — it was a gr adual development.” We’re doing a collaboration with Heaven 17 which I think will be really interesting. Ben and I are massive fans. My fantasy collaboration has got to be Bowie though. Your video clips are quite popular [‘Bulletproof’ has received over two million plays on YouTube]. What has been your favourite video clip to make? Why? ‘I’m Not Your Toy’. We spent the day in a footballer’s wives-type mansion with a pool and loads of tropical plants. Loads of my mates were in the video, too. It was the most fun video I’ve made I think. You’ve got an iconic look, particularly your hair. Do you have a routine for maintaining your quiff? What does this image mean to you? The quiff came about kind of by mistake — it was a gradual development. It requires a lot of hairspray but I’ve got the routine down to about 15 minutes. You said in another interview that you co-design your clothes with a friend, what is the name of your clothing brand and how did that come about? We don’t have a brand or anything like that, it’s just me and my designer friend, Nova. We’ll pick material out and make things, or

we’ll go shopping for vintage or vintage designer clothes together. And we have just started to collaborate with designers like Basso and Brooke, Gucci, and Otswald Helgason. What has been your favourite music experience to date? Seeing Prince live at the O2 in London. What has been the most surreal music experience to date? The Top Shop launch in New York earlier this year. It was in this tiny old prohibition-type venue called the Box and Kevin Spacey was doing a cabaret act, Jennifer Lopez got her knickers in a twist about a handkerchief falling on her head and I met Debbie Harry. The MC was a half-naked transvestite dressed as a devil. It was amazing and terrifying at the same time. You’re the daughter of a well-known English actor [Trudie Goodwin aka June Ackland from The Bill], was there anyone in your family that was into music (either a music lover or musician themselves) and influenced you in your music? Yes, my mum and dad both have great taste in music. My dad plays blues guitar and boogie woogie on the piano. He taught me the guitar and introduced me to stuff like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake. What do your parents/family think of your music career now? They are very proud and very supportive. La Roux headlines the Bacardi Express. It travels from Brisbane to Sydney, via Coffs Harbour and Newcastle, March 25–27. Check out www. bacardiexpress.com.au for more details. r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 4 — m a r c h 2 0 1 0

news — art vs science

THEM HUNGRY KIDS

jump jump dance dance

JUMP JUMP DANCE DANCE

LA electro-rock conspirators Jump Jump Dance Dance have just unleashed their dynamic debut single ‘Show Me The Night’, and are bringing their electro-rock gospel to Port. The Jump Jump Dance Dance duo first united over a shared love of synthesisers, Australian culture and sweaty dance floors, before merging their talents to explore and tweak the happy medium between dance and rock music. The band worked with US heavyweight mixers Dave Sardy [Wolfmother, Oasis, Soulwax, The Ting Tings] and Mark Needham [The Killers, Bloc Party, 3OH!3] along with Australian dance industry veteran Sameer Sengupta [Poxy Music, Pocket 808] to produce a record that is equal parts electro-dance and the future of indie rock. Jump Jump Dance Dance perform at the Beach House, Saturday, March 13 along with Kid Kenobi and Bag Raiders.

IT’S A HORRORSHOW

Obese Records’ Spit Syndicate have been added as support for the upcoming Horrorshow ‘Inside Story’ tour. Spit Syndicate are currently in the studio recording the follow up to their ARIA-nominated debut, Towards The Light. This will be the first opportunity for fans to hear their brand-new tunes. Horrorshow have seen a rapid but organic rise over the past 12 months, with their second album, Inside Story, featuring as Triple J album of the week, FBI sunsets album of the week and more recently an ARIA nomination for their debut record, The Grey Space. Their swelling fan-base is about as eclectic as they come, hip-hop heads, indie kids and hipsters have all embraced their evocative brand of earnest, ego-free hip-hop. Catch Horrorshow and Spit Syndicate at the Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay, Sunday, March 14.

Serving their touring apprenticeship throughout 2009, Hungry Kids of Hungary have emerged with hardened stomachs, the ability to sleep standing and a dynamically-honed live show capable of drawing new audiences purely by word of mouth. A short 12-months since Triple J Unearthed invited the newbies to play a spot at the Gold Coast Big Day Out, the HKOH have since toured alongside the Philly Jays and Washington and provided national support for Bertie Blackman and Little Birdy before heading out on their very own national headline tour. With an overseas assault to the UK and USA scheduled for April, the lads are currently bunkered down in producer Matt Redlich’s poolside Brisbane studio as work begins on their debut album. And just as studio cabin fever is predicted to set in, HKOH will let loose on the road again, and along for the ride are Ernest Ellis and Boy and Bear. Hungry Kids of Hungary play The Zoo, Brisbane, Friday, March 12, and the Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay, Saturday, March 13.

THE RED EYES IN BYRON

As Melbourne’s celebrated dub/reggae band The Red Eyes gear up for the release of their second album, the 7-piece hit the road to launch their new single, a cover of Talking Heads’ ‘I Get Wild/Wild Gravity’. The tempo and style of the track lends itself to the dub/reggae groove of The Red Eyes and the song has quickly become a crowd pleaser in their massive live show. The track will be officially launched in March with a two-night stand at The Beach Hotel, Byron

Bay, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 — the boys are back by popular demand following their shows at Woodford Folk Festival and Byron Bay this NYE 09/10. Prior to this you can catch The Red Eyes supporting The Black Seeds at The Hi Fi, Brisbane, Thursday,March 18.

THE CRUEL SEA ARE ALIVE

The Cruel Sea and their unique blend of intoxicating wares are going to romance up a storm on the Gold Coast during March. A new album has been threatened or hinted at on occasion, but this ARIA award- winning Aussie institution is happy with its sporadic, if somewhat mysterious existence. Your chance to catch The Cruel Sea will be at the Coolangatta Hotel, Saturday, March 6, and as part of the highly desirable line-up at Meredith’s Golden Plains Festival.

LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES

Discovered by David Byrne in New York City almost two decades ago, Los Amigos Invisibles has prospered through 18 years, visiting 60 countries, releasing six albums and winning a Latin Grammy in 2009 for their latest, Commercial, the album that embodies their blend of latin rhythms, disco and acid jazz. It is a release that captures the band’s inimitable sound away from the ‘latin’ music staples of salsa and merengue, establishing them in the vanguard of truly international cross-cultural music. Los Amigos Invisibles are back on their third tour of Australia, taking in The Brewery, Byron Bay, Wednesday, March 10.

taking it to art Since forming in 2008, Art Vs Science’s rise has been truly meteoric. Before polishing off their debut record, the powerhouse electro-rock juggernaut are riding the Bacardi Express. Nick Milligan speaks to singer and guitarist, Dan Mac. Firstly, a big congratulations on your #2 spot in Triple J’s Hottest 100 for ‘Parlez Vous Francais’. Were you quietly confident of getting a good rank? We were told that we should expect a call from Triple J on the day. So we thought, “Oh okay, that sounds pretty good.” Last time we were told to expect to call from Triple J we won the Unearthed competition, so we were privy to their methods [laughs].I was at an Australia Day party at Milsons Point and by that point [the announcement] in the afternoon, everyone was right into the spirit of things. We ended up going until 4 or 5am the next day. Did 2009 feel like a massive year for you guys? Yeah, it really did. It was really great. It’s hard to describe really... we put a fair bit of work into it. We toured pretty hard. It’s set the bar quite high actually, I hope we can continue the trajectory. We feel very lucky. Art Vs Science formed in 2008 — has it ever felt like your success is moving too quickly? Yeah, I have thought that. But if I was having any worries about such a quick rise, I suppose it just puts more pressure on us to make more good music and make the show better, and just be a better band. It’s good in that respect. Is there anything you could single out as being a highlight of 2009? That would have to be Falls on New Year’s Eve. 28

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beer while playing a guitar solo — how did you figure out you could do that? Since we’ve been playing ‘Parlez Vous Francais’ — we played it at our first Splendour, actually, so it’s been in the set for a long time — there’s always been an extended guitar solo in the break down there, because when you see that song live it’s different to sitting at home on your couch. Plus, I’ve always wanted to do an Angus Young-style solo. I think the beer sculling thing started at a Halloween Party in Cargo Bar in Sydney when I did it and everyone really liked it. I thought, “Cool, I’ll have to do that again”. The [guitar solo] is good, because I think it gets the rockers on side. They realise we’re not a wanky, fluoro, electro band.

That was one of our favourite shows ever. We had around 12,000 people and we love Falls. It’s certainly our favourite festival, so to play on the main stage in front of everyone was an honour and a real thrill. What goes through your head when you’re playing to that many people? Just excitement, really. Calvin, the drummer from the Philly Jays, was backstage and he said to us before we went on [in a jive voice], “You’ve got it, man. Just make the party. Make the party. Make the party on stage, and they’ll come to the party. Make the party!” Which is what we did, we just had fun. We’d been rehearsing a bit, so we knew the show well. A few technical difficulties didn’t stop us. It was great advice, actually. We just have to make the party and hopefully people will come [laughs]. When you were forming Art Vs Science, did you have any idea about how you wanted to sound? No, not really. We were really just mucking around. First it was just me and Dan [Williams], the drummer, just playing with some sounds. Pink Floyd sort of stuff. I was showing Dan some Justice and saying, “Man, how could we do that?” Jim [Finn, keyboard] came in and added his bit. Music is always very prevelant in my thoughts. We didn’t even have a name for [the band] for the first few months.

Have you been in many bands before Art Vs Science? I’ve pretty much been in a band of some description since I was in Year 8. That was 12 years ago or something. Same with Jim, we went to school together and played in bands. Before Art Vs Science we were playing in another rock band while we were doing uni degrees — no bands of any significance, but that got us used to playing live and learning the ins and outs. Were you the guitarist in those bands? I was always playing guitar. Jim used to play guitar, too. Guitar is my main instrument. That’s what I’ve learnt since I was a boy. You do an on-stage stunt where you scull a

What do you guys aim for with your lyrics? My goal with the lyrics are to provide imagery for the song. We don’t really ever sit down and say that we want a song that covers this theme. The lyrics often come when we sing a vowel sound over the melody, and we often find a lyric to fit that vowel sound. I think our lyrics are like an ink blot — we listen to the vowel sound and see what we hear. Art Vs Science play the Bacardi Express tour with La Roux which hits the Tivoli, Brisbane on Thursday, March 25, 2010, Club Coffs, Coffs Harbour on Friday, March 26, 2010 and Newcastle Panthers on Saturday, March 27, 2010. www.bacardiexpress.com.au.

al di meola

Meola Sinfonia Tell us the idea behind World Sinfonia? To combine elements of various world musics, primarily tango influences that incorporate a wide range of emotions, combined with the strong compositional inclusion of classical, latin and jazz elements and structure. To really define the make-up of this group in what would ultimately differentiate from my past groups, is that the two main instruments are the acoustic guitar and accordion, and at times, bandoneon. What sort of influences are you drawing on for this material? It is the culmination of all of my influences of the past, going back to my years of listening to latin music during my teens and hanging out in various latin clubs, and jazz as far back as when I was nine years old, and growing up in the rock 1960s. But the biggest turning point was my meeting and the becoming friends with the late tango master, Astor Piazzolla, whose influences has resulted in the culmination of the present day, three renditions of World Sinfonia. How do you find the players? They are primarily European-based. One of the reasons is that most of my work occurs in Europe over the last 20 years and it has been increasing, so naturally through my frequent visits there I have come across various strong players throughout the different countries. Fausto Beccalossi, the virtuoso accordionist who is very much featured in this group, we met on the island of Sardonia. Gumbi Ortiz, my percussionist, who I met in Tamba, Florida, has played in more than ten of the last versions of my bands, and has recorded on at least 12 to 15 recordings over a 22-year span. Peter Kaszas, our drummer, is from Budapest. We met on a special project that was a very contemporary rendition of the opera, Carmen, that contained latin and jazz elements

T h e s i g n i f icance of Al Di Meola on the advancement of the electric guitar cannot be underestimated. With a career spanning 30 years, and hav ing been voted “world’s best guitarist” many times by Guitar Player magazine, Australia gets a chance to w it ness his latest project, World Sinfonia. Newcastle’s own guitar v ir tuoso, Adam Miller, finds out what makes the man tick.

and a 120-piece orchestra. Peter was the drummer in this incredible musical extravaganza that featured an amazing flautist, Ezster Horgas, and myself. I met Victor Miranda, bass player, in Europe when he was part of a group led by the famous latin flute player, Maraca, also from Cuba. We had asked Victor to join our group if he ever decided to leave Cuba, and six months later, he did. Kevin Seddiki, second guitarist, and I met in Tunisia when he was 15 years old. He planted himself in the hallway outside my hotel room when I was performing a festival. Upon departing my room, I saw this young man sitting there waiting to meet me and to play for me. I was impressed and throughout periodic communications over the years, it led to his joining this version of World Sinfonia. Is there much room for improvisation in this group? Absolutely, it is a vital part, maybe the most important part. It’s exactly what differentiates the type of music we are playing from classical music, which doesn’t incorporate improvisation at all. I’ve never met a classical player who doesn’t wish they could improvise. Will you perform on acoustic or electric

guitar, or both? It is almost 50/50. The show now comprises up to six pieces with electric guitar. You’re well known as a virtuoso and innovator of the guitar, where would you still like to take the instrument? Well, I think that as a composer utilising the guitar, I like to think of myself as an ever evolving musician in the compositional aspect. What do you think of jazz and world music’s place in the current industry? Jazz, as straight ahead jazz, is a great art form, the only downside is that it’s been done so much before by so many people in so many wonderful ways, so the need for the inclusion of other elements for me became more important when listening to other artists. For me in my own music, there is no other way. I have to have a mix of elements that I have passion for and that make the music interesting for me. Al Di Meola’s World Sinfonia will play at Bellingen Memorial Hall, Tuesday, March 9, Byron Bay High School, Wednesday, March 10, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Monday, March 29, and Bluesfest in Byron Bay.

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Thursday, March 4

Monday, March 8

Sunday, March 14

Beach Hotel, Byron Bay The Lucky Wonders Coolangatta Hotel Ash Grunwald Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Seth Sentry Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga Eugene Hideaway Bridges The Brewery, Byron Bay Broadfoot

A and I Hall, Bangalow Amanda Palmer

Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Horrorshow + Spit Syndicate Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Coastal Soul Laurieton Hotel Jaywalker

Friday, March 5 Ballina RSL Blind Lemon Bang Thai, Bangalow Jack Thorncraft + Steve Russell Bangalow Hotel Matt Buggy Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Polaroid Frame Club Coffs Rob Dowsell Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour The Bostocks Coolangatta Hotel Mickey Avalon Federal Hotel, Bellingen Coastal Soul Gollan Hotel, Lismore Cath Simes Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Ghost Mountain Pioneer Hotel, Wollongbar Glen Massey Richmond Hotel, Lismore Avocado Theory Seagulls, Tweed Heads Chi Chi The Beach House, Port Macquarie Nick Smales The Brewery, Byron Bay Late For Woodstock Tommy’s Tavern, Lismore Beauty and the Beast

Saturday, March 6 Ballina Hotel Hans Lovejoy Quartet Bangalow Hotel Blue Vein Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Late For Woodstock Coolangatta Hotel The Cruel Sea + Fearless Vampire Killers Coolangatta Sands Hotel Timmy Trumpet Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Tumbleweed Pioneer Hotel, Wollongbar Guy Kachel The Beach House, Port Macquarie J.B.D. + Logan Baker + Allan Humphreys The Brewery, Byron Bay Eugene Hideaway Bridges Tommy’s Tavern, Lismore Rochelle Lees Band

Sunday, March 7 Coolangatta Sands Hotel Mason Rack Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Micky Avalon Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Rod Dowsett The Brewery, Byron Bay Leigh James 30

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Tuesday, March 9 Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Greg Kew Bellingen Memorial Hall Al Di Meola

Wednesday, March 10 Byron Bay High School Al Di Meola Federal Hotel, Bellingen Roger Burke Quartet Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Dinosaur Jr The Brewery, Byron Bay Los Amigos Invisibles

Thursday, March 11 Beach Hotel, Byron Bay 8 Ball Aitken Gollan Hotel, Lismore Mossy Rocks Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Jonathan Boulet

Friday, March 12 Bang Thai, Bangalow Laura Nobel + Matt Hill Bangalow Hotel The Grains Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Lisa Hunt Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour Ben Francis Band Federal Hotel, Bellingen The 9th Chapter Gollan Hotel, Lismore Sabbatage Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Isacc Paddon + Jason Delphin + Jaywalker The Beach House, Port Macquarie Nick Smales Tommy’s Tavern, Lismore Matt Seaberg

Hungry Kids of hungary

Saturday, March 13 Ballina Hotel Karen and the Captains of Class Bangalow Hotel Mescalito Club Coffs Vanessa Lea + Road Train Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Hungry Kids of Hungary + Oh Ye Denver Birds Pacific Hotel, Yamba Jaywalker Pioneer Hotel, Wollongbar Beauty and the Beast The Beach House, Port Macquarie Kid Kenobi + Bag Raiders + Groove Terminator’s Jump Jump Dance Dance

Tuesday, March 16 Bangalow Hotel Snez Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Raekwon + Dr Rhythm + Cutloose Bellingen Town Hall, Bellingen Brian Kennedy Lismore City Bowling Club Sujikoto Lismore Workers Club Toni Childs

Wednesday, March 17 Federal Hotel, Bellingen Roger Burke Quartet Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay The Black Seeds

Tommy’s Tavern, Lismore Bluesville Station

Sunday, March 21 Beach Hotel, Byron Bay The Red Eyes Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Sundance Kids

Wednesday, March 24 Federal Hotel, Bellingen Roger Burke Quartet Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour Kid Sam Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga The Sunny Cowgirls + Luke Austen + Amber Lawrence

Thursday, March 25 Beach Hotel, Byron Bay The Grains Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Full Scale + Engine Three Seven

Thursday, March 18 Beach Hotel, Byron bay Super Mario Club Forster Blues Brother Revival The Brewery, Byron Bay Slim Pickens + Dr Baz Westport, Port Macquarie Mark Ginsburg Band

Friday, March 19 Bang Thai, Bangalow Sharny + Jack Thorncraft Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Ragga Jump Club Coffs The Robertson Brothers Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour Vanessa Lee + Roadtrain Glasshouse Theatre, Port Macq Lulo Reinhardt Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Babylon Circus Nambucca Hotel, Macksville Richie Gudgeon Pioneer Hotel, Wollongbar Geraldine Loong Richmond Hotel, Lismore Jabiru Sawtell Hotel Josh Matherson Band Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga Hat Fitz + Cara Robertson The Beach House, Port Macquarie Sullivan

Saturday, March 20 Ballina Hotel Mark Ginsburg Band Bangalow Hotel Leigh James Beach Hotel, Byron Bay The Red Eyes Lismore City Bowling Club Lulo Reinhardt Lismore Workers Club The Robinson Brothers The Beach House, Port Macquarie Sullivan + Ollie Brooke

Yves Klein Blue

Friday, March 26 Bang Thai, Bangalow John Hoffman + Jim Kelly Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Highway Blonde Club Coffs Bacardi Express w/ La Roux + Art vs Science + Yves Klein Blue + Miama Horror + The Cassette Kids Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour Josh Matherson Band Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Zed Lepplin Greenhouse Tavern, Coffs Harbour One Eyed Kings Richmond Hotel, Lismore Rochelle Lees Band The Beach House, Port Macquarie Sullivan The Brewery, Byron Bay Jimmy Willing

Saturday, March 27 A and I Hall, Bangalow Katie Noonan and the Captains + Brian Campeau Bangalow Hotel Josh Rawiri Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Madison Kat Federal Hotel, Bellingen Bo Jenkins The Beach House, Port Macquarie Ollie Brooke + Purno

Tuesday, March 30 Bayldon Community Centre, Coffs House vs Hurricane + Antagonist Beach Hotel, Byron Bay Matt Hanley

mark moldre — the avet t brothers

Hitchcock’s Waiting Room

can talk the same musical language and understand each other. Tim works completely differently — he can give the impression that he’s moving very slowly on a mix listening to tiny little portions of a song over and over and you’ll think nothing is happening, but he’ll suddenly say “it’s done” and it’ll be like he has waved a magic wand over the song and it will sound amazing. He’s a deep thinker when he mixes, he has this intense kind of focus, taking into account everything about the song, including the lyrics and what they are trying to convey. He was recently nominated for an ARIA and deservedly so. They are both wonderful guys to work with for totally different reasons.

We’ve been waiting far too long, but former Hitchcock’s Regret front man, Mark Moldre’s debut solo release is upon us. Kevin Bull caught up with Moldre to discuss the delay, illness and family commitments as he prepares to release The Waiting Room. The Waiting Room appears to be appropriately named. Can you tell us the circumstances behind the long wait, and was this frustrating for you? It certainly has been quite a while since the last Hitchcock’s Regret album, Endless Intermission, came out — about five years I think. I’m pretty certain that I started recording this album in late 2007, so it has been a drawn-out process. It was a little frustrating to some degree. I really wanted to move on, but it was very hard for me to start work on something new whilst I had an album sitting there waiting to be released. Part of what slowed the process was that after releasing the Hitchcock’s Regret albums on two different labels, I decided that I was going to release this album myself, through MGM, which meant that I had to pay for everything along the way. That slowed things down a lot… plus my wife also gave birth to our second child, and if there’s anything that’s going to divert your attention it’s kids! With your debut solo album about to be released, are the emotions different to the Hitchcock’s Regret days? Yeah, I guess they are. Putting your own name on something raises a level of perceived pressure. You can hide behind a band name to some extent. You take the good and the bad as a group. I’d been in that band since 2000 and two of the members were old school friends, so yeah, I miss that side of it. I still enjoy working with Shane Pex (Hitchcock’s

drummer) and he engineered a little of my solo album, plus we recorded a new song for a US compilation a little while ago. So I don’t think it’s the end for Hitchcock’s at all, it’s something that we could return to at anytime. What did you make of radio picking up on ‘Hushabye Mountain’, a B-side on the Troubled Genius EP? Honestly, I thought that was fantastic. I loved the way that song was recorded — Michael Carpenter and I recorded that in about 45 minutes. It was raw and rustic; one vocal take, banjo, dobro guitar, double bass, drums and a whistling solo. I’ve loved that song since I was a child — it’s a cover from the Chitty Chitty Bang soundtrack, and I’d been planning on doing a version of it for years, but never got around to it. Actually recording that song was quite inspiring and it’s given me a whole new direction for my next album.

guitar parts and bashed away at piano keys (or the top of the piano). We used the songs as a bit of a template for noise at first, then we started stripping things back as the mixing shaped the tracks.

You have called your style of music ‘sonic folk’. The folk part I understand, but sonic? Can you explain this to me? That was something we came up with while we were recording; originally I arrived at the studio with a bunch of demo recordings that were basically folk songs — guitar/piano and vocals. But I didn’t really want to record them as standard folk songs, so we added a lot of sounds — feedback, mellotron and optigan, samples, drones — Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss) came in and added some avant-garde

Helping you on production has been Michael Carpenter and Tim Powles (The Church). Can you elaborate on their differing styles in the studio. You couldn’t get two producers whose styles are so overwhelmingly different than these two, and experiencing their support and generosity is a pleasure and a privilege. Michael works fast; he thinks really quickly and moves at lightning speed to get things happening, he’s always two or three steps ahead of me. Our musical tastes are similar in many ways — we

When you hit the road in support of The Waiting Room, what will the makeup of the live band be? I’ve been playing a lot of duo shows lately with myself on acoustic guitar and my friend Adam Lang (whom I’ve nicknamed The Professor). Adam is an eccentric kind of multi-instrumentalist, playing on some of his own inventions. He plays a drum kit made from a suitcase, a motorcycle disc brake and an Arnott’s biscuit tin, a Theremin that he made himself plus banjo, mandolin, glockenspiel, electronics, lap slide, guitar, bass - in fact there’s not much that he can’t play. But when we go on tour I’ve decided to get the band together that played on the album, so I have Scott Hutchings joining us on drums and Reuben Wills on bass...and who knows, maybe I can get Adam to add some more instruments to his musical arsenal. Mark Moldre performs at Lizotte’s, Lambton, Wednesday May 19, and Lizotte’s Kincumber, Sunday May 23. The Waiting Room is available through MGM

Brothers in Arms With their debut turn at Bluesfest looming — not to mention their impending launch into t he musical st ratosphere cour tesy of t heir major-label debut , I And Love And You — t he sun seems to be shining on Nor t h Carolina’s T he Av et t Brot her s. Singer and guitar ist Set h Av et t takes t ime out to ref lect w it h Stephen Bisset. Catching the Avett brothers at home is an increasingly rare proposition these days. That’s not to say the band has been shy of touring in the past, it’s just that since they released their epic major label debut, helmed by none other than the Zen master of rock and roll, Rick Rubin, more and more people want a piece of the action. “Yeah thankfully you’ve caught me at home which I have a new appreciation for since I became a touring musician,” says Avett, in his disarming southern lilt. “I’m just taking some time out to put some new drum heads on my drum set that I have here.” It will only be a brief stopover, with Avett, along with brother, banjo-playing kick drummer Scott and bass player Bob Crawford, being knee-deep in an extensive world tour (that will bring them down under for Bluesfest and a series of sideshows) to promote what some pundits are calling the Avett Brothers’ most fully realised album to date — I And Love And You. For a band that remained staunchly independent over the course of ten years and six studio albums, Avett says the transition from the world of indie labels to the realm of

the majors was surprisingly smooth. “Yeah it’s been great,” Avett enthuses. “I think we did just the right amount of building-up leg work to get to this step. We’ve been at this thing for a decade and I think that kind of helped us. I mean we spent a lot of time getting the deal right, we basically went into it with our heads up so to speak.” When you consider the label in question is Sony imprint American Recordings, helmed by Rick Rubin (Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash, Metallica, et al) you wouldn’t consider them a minnow. In fact, it was news of the band’s collaboration with Rubin that sent The Avett Nation (the band’s fiercely loyal and ever-growing fan base) into a Twitter and forum frenzy, lamenting the fact that they had lost their secret little band to the major league stratosphere. However, the affable singer insists I And Love And You is still at its heart an Avett Brothers record, despite all of the major label accoutrements. “See, the thing is with Rick is that he’s very good at just sitting back and kind of leading with a very soft hand, so to speak,” Avett explains. “He’s not real heavy handed in the

studio and he has a real calming effect, despite his stature. So it’s not like he came in and wanted to change our sound or anything, so it’s still very much the Avett Brothers on that record.” “He brought a lot to the studio, but the main thing would be a sort of pace that we’re not used to in slowing down and taking our time and if it takes a long time to wear an idea out, we would take that time. See, generally our pace is just looking on to the next thing and on to the next thing, and that can take stuff out of what you’re doing in the moment. So basically Rick was there to help us round what we had out and help us bring out the potential in the songs.” Avett says for the I And Love And You sessions the band were a lot more prepared going into the studio than they had been in the past, taking a more workman-like approach to the process than previous efforts. “Yeah, this was the first time that we did like a full-on demo session,” he says. “We went into a studio near where we live and recorded like 30 songs and that was like a full on ‘let’s go in with everything mapped out’. I mean we’ve gone into the studio with things mapped out

before, but never had we recorded the songs once and then done it all over again.” If the critics’ reaction in the US is anything to go by, it was definitely time well spent, although the unassuming Avett insists the band pays scant attention to the ofthyperbolic music media, as one can never tell what’ around the corner. Avett says that for now, apart from dodging the praise, the band will just continue to keep on doing what they do best — playing shows. He adds that the band would be promoting I and Love And You for the foreseeable future before heading back to the studio, but were especially looking forward to finally getting down to Australia — something that the many members of the Oz chapter of Avett Nation are sure to reciprocate. “Oh man, this trip is something that we’ve been looking forward to for a long time now,” Avett enthuses. “We’ve heard nothing but good things about Australia and the people down there. We just can’t wait to get down there, and we sincerely hope that people come out to the shows and have a great time.” Avett Brothers play Bluesfest, April 1-5, 2010. r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 4 — m a r c h 2 0 1 0

n o fu n at a l l — ta k i n g bac k s u n day

GOOD SWEDE FUN Iconic and melodic Swedish punks No Fun At All are returning to Australia for their first visit in almost ten years. Vocalist Ingemar Jansson pleasantly agreed to field some questions for Nathaniel Try, whilst enjoying some time out in Brazil. For the unacquainted it may come as a rather remarkable revelation to ascertain that this is not No Fun At All’s first, second or even third visit to Australia. Throatsmith Ingemar Jansson enlightens, “It’s been more than nine years since we toured Australia last time. We’re really eager to come back, and I hope the kids, and former kids are as eager to come and see us again. This will be our sixth tour of Australia and it will be great to come back to see old friends, eat meat pies at the gas stations and drink some VB.” The reason Australian audiences have been refuted the opportunity to witness No Fun At All again for such a prolonged period of time, is providentially not a result of the quintet having had a bad fifth visit and vowing never to return again. Having been touring relatively relentlessly since their inception in 1991, the ensemble went on hiatus back in 2001. However, since 2004 the occasional spontaneous tour has been occurring. “Nothing that we do nowadays is quite planned. We got in contact with Ben at

Collateral Damage last year and suddenly we had a tour on our hands. The only problem now is that everything has to work in with our jobs and families. That is quite a difficult puzzle to solve,” professes Jansson. Hailing originally from the small Swedish town of Skinnskatteberg, No Fun At All undoubtedly had a slim chance of becoming a worldwide renowned group of touring musicians. Jansson articulates his views on the music industry in his homeland. “I think that in the nineties there were some very good record companies with the right intentions in Sweden and some really great bands. The mix of that somehow just poured bands out of our small (in population) country. Most bands knew each other and would take a smaller band as support when doing a tour of Europe.” Sweden’s impressive inventory of brilliant punk and rock exports also includes the likes

of Millencolin, The Hives, The Hellacopters and The (International) Noise Conspiracy, to name a few. Jansson’s fondest memories of the early days, when the group was finding its feet, provide some unassuming recollections. “Coming out of Sweden and realising that we could actually fill clubs all over Europe was a very strange and wonderful feeling. And then [we completed tours in] Japan, Australia, the Americas, etc. This was very confusing for country boys like us,” explicates Jansson. Throughout their career, the group has released six full length albums, including one Australian exclusive release, Throw It In (1997). Low Rider is the veteran punks’ latest offering, which was discharged in 2008, approximately eight years after the band last recorded. One might presume that after such a lengthy spell between studio visits, writing songs and

successfully attaining a high-quality release would be arduous to say the least. Jansson’s thoughts digress opposingly. “It was actually not that difficult. Mikael [Danielsson, guitar/ bass] who writes the music had a lot of songs ready. When we tried them in the rehearsal studio, they came alive quite easily.” With such an extensive career behind them, what does the future hold for No Fun At All? “That’s the fun part. I have no idea,” reveals Jansson, tranquilly. With a seemingly care free response such as this, there really is only one thing to do now – relish in the fact that the quintet are coming back to Oz and make sure that you are in attendance for one of these significant performances.

think that’s something that I haven’t quite accomplished yet, but that’s something I’m always working towards.

Friends and 2004’s Where You Want To Be? Listening to the first record is really difficult for me, just because of my voice. I just hate it on that record. I’m the most proud of (2006’s) Louder Now. I’m not trying to discount the other records, but that time in my life and that experience was really awesome for me. When I say I can’t listen to the first record, I’m not trying to get anybody to not listen to it, because that’s the record that opened all these doors for us. At the time we were just making something we all liked and were proud of, and we were shocked when people actually liked it. Listening to the early records, any time I hear my voice I’m like, “Why do people like this?” That’s just a self-deprecating thing that I have.

Catch No Fun At All at Erina’s Woodport Inn on Monday, March 15 and at Newcastle’s Cambridge Hotel on Wednesday, March 17.

Sunday School Adam Lazzara wasn’t always a dynamic, live wire performer. As the Taking Back Sunday front man explains to Nick Milligan, singing live was a scary opportunity, but also a welcome one. What’s it like being back in Australia? To be here and to be so far from home and still know that our tunes are helping people out, is a huge thing. It was always a goal of ours with the band, to give back a little bit of what our favourite bands gave us. To be able to be so far from home and have that still resonate feels really awesome. But there’s also a koala sanctuary here (on the Gold Coast) that’s my favourite place in the whole world. Which bands inspired you guys? For me, there’s this band called Lifetime that really helped me out. I don’t know what I would have done if it weren’t for them. When I discovered them at that time in my life. It just helped me through a lot. I can only hope that our band does the same for other folk. Have you always been a confident front man on stage? Hell no, man. I joined as the bass player. Then the singer we had at the time quit — I don’t remember why — then our guitar player Eddie (Reyes, guitarist) looked at me and said, “Ok, well you’re going to be the singer now.” We used to go to these open mic nights to try out new songs. I had a couple I would play there, so [Eddie] was just going off that. I think for the first ten shows I just faced our drummer, Mark (O’Connell), and looked him in the eye. I 32

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was terrified. Over time I’ve become more comfortable with it, but at first? No way, dude. I wouldn’t want to go back and watch any of those shows. Were you also thrown into the role of lyricist? I remember the first time I saw that movie Basketball Diaries. Then I would always carry a notebook around in my back pocket like he did (laughs). Then I got more into the author (Jim Carroll) as well, and he has one book called Void of Course, which is just awesome. I’m always writing all the time, and in the music that I like I’m always a lyric guy. It’s really not until this point in my life where if there’s a lyric in a song that I think is questionable, I can still listen to it. Then again, I’m guilty of that, too. But I’ve always been a lyric guy, so that was one of the things that made me comfortable with Eddie being like, “Ok, you’re the singer now.” People would actually hear and hopefully [my lyrics] would speak to them — or whatever hippie fuckin’ statement. That made me really excited. I grew up on Ginsberg and Kerouac and all that, so I felt like I could have a voice, and that was really appealing to me. How have you improved as a lyricist then? (laughs) Fuck, I don’t know. I’m not writing about the same stuff. Our first record compared to now… I always hoped that people could grow up with me, or I could grow up with them. But I don’t use as many pronouns, which I’m pretty stoked about. That’s always going to be a constant work in progress. Even for someone like Bruce Springsteen, I think he’s still working on that. Not to sound over zealous or anything, but I always wanted to be a poet — I

Is there a particular line of lyric on your latest record, New Again, that you’re the most happy with? There’s not one that I can point out, but I do encourage people to read the liner notes. What you hear in the song and what’s in the liner notes are two different things. There’s a song on New Again called ‘Everything Must Go’ and everybody sings the chorus right, but they don’t get the idea of it. The reason I do it like that is because in every song you’re working with this idea, but to pin it down just to the lyrics you hear in the song doesn’t do it justice. It’s the difference between taking a normal photo or taking a panoramic photo. I feel like the liner notes, as far as the lyrics are concerned, is the panoramic view of those. If you read those liner notes, maybe you’ll get something different out of the tunes. Do you ever go back and listen to the band’s first two records — 2002’s Tell All Your

Have you set goals for 2010? To be happy, man. That’s always my goal. But in 2010 it’s really my goal. I think for the rest of the band, we’re really focused on being happy and making decisions that make us happy and fulfilled — new tunes or any new venture on the horizon. New Again is out now through Warner.

general motoring

reviewed Audi TTRS reviewed by Peter Douglas

Kick in the RS There’s plenty of choice if you’re lucky enough to be shopping for an Audi TT — about seven different variants, to be precise. Latest and greatest is the rip-snorting new TTRS, offering incredible performance, handling and style. It’s the first time the RS name has been applied to a TT and the new five cylinder does it proud — hardly surprising when you consider the 2.5-litre, direct injection, turbo powerplant is good for 250kW/450Nm output. The latter comes in at just 1600rpm, so you can appreciate how hard it gets on to the throttle when you give it some welly. Couple that to the TTRS weight of 1450kg and you are looking at a sports coupé capable of dipping deep into the fours for a 0-100kph sprint and a car that charges right up to the electronically limited 250kph top whack. The engine can’t be found anywhere else in Audi-land, which is unusual given the amount of cross pollination throughout the VW/Audi Group. The RS donk is actually a derivative of a VW Transporter engine. Obviously, there are plenty of changes on the metamorphosis from commercial vehicle to high end sports car, including technical stuff like variable valve timing

on inlet and exhaust sides. Hopefully Audi sees its way clear to use the RS five in other models — it’s an absolute cracker and sounds sensational, nearly as good as the V10 in the R8. Unfortunately, the RS is only available with a six-speed manual gearbox, which is no real criticism but an automated DSG with an extra cog would have been even better. We don’t know why a double clutch DSG isn’t available but if it was, the RS would be even quicker and use less fuel. As it stands, quick isn’t a problem nor is fuel, but when you shop in the $133,000-plus range, you want the best, you want everything. Thankfully, that’s catered for inside with Bose audio, climate control, possibly the best steering wheel in the business, nappa leather and Bluetooth. The styling is clean, minimalist, functional and modern — totally in keeping with the exterior of the RS. We knew it would be good on a winding road and out on the freeway, but not as good as it turned out to be. While not in Ferrari class, the RS is as quick point-to-point as stablemate R8 V8. It really grips in corners and blasts out the

other side the way you want. The quattro all-wheel drive sends power to the front and rear axles and then side-to-side, depending on available grip. After a few kms of hard charging, the physical toll on your body begins to become apparent, especially on your knees which are used to brace the rest of your body either up against the console or on the door lining, depending on the direction of the corner. The old neck gets a work out, too. Braking is superb, thanks to large diameter discs and multi-piston callipers as well as the wide 19-inch wheels. Pin sharp electric power steering allows you to position the car pretty much anywhere you choose through a corner, even if you overcook it and run a tad wide, just steer it where you want and the RS is there. Though not super light, the RS feels light in your hands and nimble in all driving conditions. The magnetic multi-mode suspension gives ride choices and we found ‘normal’ better for everyday driving and ‘sport’ just right for kicking on. The chassis uses a lot of Audi Space Frame (ASF) technology and the body is largely aluminium, too. You’ll also find plenty of the

light-weight metal underneath in areas like suspension and sub-chassis fixtures. Though it delivers super performance, the RS is capable of sipping fuel at a reasonable 9.2-litres/100km. Try getting that from your Clubbie — even a Sooby WRX would struggle to get under the 10.0 litres/100km mark. It’s a stand-out looker, especially with that array of daytime LED driving lights curling up from the bumper. The RS sits lower than any other TT and has bigger rubber. The large rear wing is fixed and makes its presence felt at speed over 80kph. It’s a bit of a challenge to get into because of the low ride height and low-set seats, but that’s the price you pay for enhanced cornering and handling. We loved driving the RS because it is so competent, sounds so good and goes like the clappers. There is an annoying reverse gear gate that can lead to accidental reverse selection unless you are careful. And there’s no spare, just a tyre inflation kit… ah well. But the $64,000 question is: would you buy one of these or a Porsche Boxster S? Hmm? That is a hard call. The Porsche sounds pretty good. r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 4 — m a r c h 2 0 1 0

fashion — photogr aphy by luke holdstock

right Rebecca wears Gidget beach shorts in limited edition green check vintage crimplene fabric, RRP$69. Vintage top $10. I Love Billy shoes from Lillie Girl, Beaumont Street, Hamilton $149. below right Both wear vintage shirts $12, scarves $8, $6. below Juliette wears Carmen two-piece suit, leopard print with red contrast bikini set in nylon lycra. High waist square leg bottom and centre-gathered bandeau halter neck top, RRP$143. Pulp Heels from Pulp $129,

Photography by Luke Holdstock Make-up & styling by Wade Ambler Make-up assistance by Severyn Robertson Modelling by Rebecca Frith & Juliette Makin All clothing available from Missfancypants.com.au. Vintage clothing from The Lolly Factory, Newcastle.

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fashion — photogr aphy by luke holdstock

far left Rebecca wears Estelle halter neck one piece suit, navy with white contrast swimsuit in nylon lycra, RRP$159. Vintage faux pilot cap $15. Black Vybe shoes from Payless Shoes, Kotara $49. left Juliette wears Gidget beach shorts in limited edition buttercup yellow weave vintage crimplene fabric, RRP$69. Vintage polka top $8.

below Juliette wears Bettie two-piece suit, halter neck skirted swing top in old gold nylon lycra and high waist boy leg shorts in black nylon lycra, RRP$189. Rebecca wears Grace two-piece suit, super high waist bottom with gathered bandeau halter neck bikini top in black nylon lycra, RRP$143. Black shoes with wooden heels from Wanted, $85.

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the album leaf

turning a new leaf For more than ten years, San Diego’s Jimmy LaValle has been plunging the solitary sonic depths as one-man-band, The Album Leaf. Bringing in a full band for his latest slab of cinematic sound-scapes, A Chorus of Storytellers, he tells Stephen Bisset that too many cooks don’t always spoil the broth. Hi Jimmy, thanks for the chat. What’s going on? Well right about now I’m driving through northern California, and right before you called I was driving through northern California [laughs]. We’re basically doing lots of driving at the moment… just driving between shows. How did you arrive at the name A Chorus Of Storytellers for the album? I guess it’s basically the idea that behind every record there is a story and behind every song written there’s a story. Also, there’s a lot of people involved on this record, many more than previous albums, a lot more people had their hand in it and so there were a lot more stories going around. Did you find it difficult negotiating the whole ‘band in the studio’ thing considering you’ve been doing it all by yourself for so long? No, not at all, because we’ve been playing together for a while now so heading into the studio together was kind of a natural progression for everybody. The guys [Matt Resovich, Drew Andrews, Gram LeBron, Tim Reece, Andrew Pates ] have backed me on stage for so long so there was really no question as far as them not being capable or up to the challenge. It all just felt really natural. There wasn’t anything like, ‘Oh, I’ve got a band this time, this is weird. They all kind of let me do my thing and I let them do their thing and the whole thing flowed quite easily.

thought that it was just a really great opportunity. I actually got a handwritten note from Danny Elfman [original soundtrack composer] telling me that he really liked my version of [‘End Title’] and he wished me best of luck, which was really great.

Did you envisage A Chorus Of Storytellers as a full band project from the beginning or was there a point in the process when you decided to bring them on board? There was definitely a point in the process, but it was realised a while back before we even started recording, but it’s always been in the back of my mind to record a full band album.

Your music has been featured in everything from feature films, to advertisements to public service announcements from Michelle Obama and Jill Biden. Do you see yourself writing more for the screen in the future? It’s definitely something I want to do more of, for sure. See my wife is actually in grad school at the moment doing documentary films, so I’m definitely going to be scoring her films no matter what [laughs]. But yeah, I definitely hope to do more writing for the screen in the future.

It’s been some four years since your last album Into The Blue hit shelves. Why so long between drinks? Yeah, I don’t really know, it just kind of happened that way. I mean in that time I got married, I moved cities, and I scored a documentary. Also, the record was supposed to come out six months before it did so that added a little bit of time to it. But the length of time just felt kind of natural, I really was paying attention to detail with this project which kind of slowed things down, too. So you’ve been doing The Album Leaf for over ten years now. How do you feel the project has evolved since 1999’s An Orchestrated Rise To Fall? Well, obviously it’s a lot more of a machine now. In the beginning it really was a solo project as I was both recording and playing solo, but now it’s definitely a full-fledged touring band with a lot of people involved and a lot more visuals on stage. I guess it’s more of an operation now. It’s pretty crazy that I’ve been able to make all these ideas come to life and gain a little bit of

Are there any plans to bring The Album Leaf to Australia any time soon? Well we have wanted to come over there for the last three albums, but it seems that there’s always something not letting us come over. But we’re still trying. a following, so it’s been really nice. How did your turn on the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack cover album Nightmare Revisited [which featured Korn, Danny Elfman, Rise Against, Polyphonic Spree] come about? I was literally just asked out of the blue and I

The tyranny of distance… Yeah exactly, and we also have a ton of gear that we travel with so we can put on our show so it can be a pretty expensive proposition. We will get down to Australia one day though. A Chorus Of Storytellers is out now.

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tok yo shock boys

audience can shout and dance along with us. We also get some audience members up on stage to help out with stunts, so look out! What are your thoughts on the troupes that have followed your path (Jackass, Dirty Sanchez and Dudesons)? We think it’s good to see other people and groups who have been influenced by us go out and have their own success Is there a stunt that you have tried and tested, but has never made it to the stage? Well, most things we try out have been in our show at one stage or another. The only things that don’t make it into the show would be stunts that would kill us or ones that just aren’t funny!

With 20 years of physical abuse behind you, how are the bodies holding up? Strong as ever. You know Godzilla was Japanese, right?

With twenty years of physical abuse behind them, the Tokyo Shock Boys are on a trip around Australia to show us the scars. Kevin Bull caught up with Nambu-san to see just how much he can take.

Are there another 20 years left in your bodies? Actually, doing these shows helps keep me young. It’s sort of like getting access to the fountain of youth, but the only catch is that you have to wear a nappy with Chinese crackers in it!

Oh my, Jesus yes! We get many small cuts and bruises, but we’ve never had anything serious. The worst I’ve had is having my nipples melted when I was standing in fireworks!

Have any of the stunts gone painfully wrong?

What were your parents reaction when you first began Tokyo Shock Boys? Well, our type of show is very unique in Japan, actually 20 years ago we were the only ones in the world doing this type of show, so our

families were a little hesitant. However, they know the type of people we are and expected us to end up like this! Nowadays they are all very supportive and even give us ideas for new things to try out. Has the audience ever become too involved in your stunts? Yes, we always get the audience involved! Our show is fast and full of rock music, so our

“Don’t try this at home” comes to mind when watching your shows. What would your reaction be if your own children started doing similar stunts? STOP STOP STOP! During our show we always tell our audience never to try this at home. We have been doing this for 20 years and we do lots of practice and training; we only ever do things after many safe tests. So no-one should ever try this at home. How should the Australian audiences prepare for the Tokyo Shock Boys 20th Anniversary Tour? Put on your adult nappies, and get ready for the best rock & roll comedy show you will ever see! Be amazed by the Tokyo Shock Boys when they perform at Newcastle Panthers, Sunday, March 14.

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Live reviews Gig of the month

them crooked vultures Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Wednesday, January 27

‘Surreal’ is probably the best word to describe watching Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones jamming on stage for 90 minutes. Their combined presence on stage was almost too much to take in. Them Crooked Vultures, the supergroup whose debut record delivered on the rather high musical expectations placed upon them, gave a performance that covered their released material (plus an unreleased track called ‘Highway One’), but it was also a rare opportunity to see this group of musicians doing extended jams - showing-off, basically. The sound was expanded by live member Alain Johannes (Eleven, The Desert Sessions), who provided guitar, bass, backing vocals and keyboards. Put simply, I never wanted the gig to end. Grohl’s tight drumming opened proceedings on ‘No One Loves Me & Neither Do I’. ‘Scumbag Blues’ was a highlight, as was Jones’ extended intro for ‘Spinning In Daffodils’ and ‘Mind Eraser, No Chaser’. Grohl was very quiet, occasionally pulling cheeky faces at the audience from behind his drum kit. Josh Homme was insanely cool, as always. But it was the reverence directed at John Paul Jones that was overwhelming. When Homme casually extended his hand towards Jones to introduce him, he never had a chance to open his mouth. The crowd screamed for minutes and minutes, clearly in awe of being in the presense of a member of Led Zeppelin. Like I said, it was surreal. ~Nick Milligan

Laneway Festival

amazing live acts to be seen. Daniel Johnston was simply captivating. Meandering on stage in tracksuit pants, reading his lyrics off a music stand, muttering to the crowd. This was Johnston almost unbearably raw, and at his most exposed. UK’s Wild Beasts showed the bulging crowd exactly why they’re the current purveyours of dreamy, baroque pop. The Xx, while lovely and beguiling, gave the proverbial finger to their fans - choosing to play their hit cover of Florence and the Machine’s ‘You’ve Got the Love’ over the PA instead. Melbournian sonic folkster, Whitley’s set (while plagued with sound difficulty) proved to be a splendidly stripped-back affair, complete with Lawrence Greenwood’s affable charm. The Philly Jays racous and rowdy pop was certainly impressive live, but the pre-recorded ‘crowd banter’ track was just annoying. Enough of that lads, please. But if the day belonged to anyone, it was clearly Echo and The Bunnymen. While my motivation for watching their performance may have been slightly shameful (Donnie Darko’s ‘Killing Moon’, hello!) these post-punk Mancs had me transfixed. Would I go again? It’s like this; yes the design and execution were clearly not thought-out, and ok, it did seem to be more focused on aesthetics than actual construction. But, as far as festivals go, Laneway still has more fuzzy, indie musical marvellousness per square metre (and less southern cross tattoo-clad bogans) than any other going round. Just remember to BYO sandwiches. ~Amanda bevan

Echo and the Bunnymen Enmore Theatre, Sydney Tuesday, February 2

Sydney College of the Arts Sunday, January 31

This year’s St Jerome’s Laneway lineup seemingly appeared out of an Ivy-League/ indie/hipster kid’s wet dream. Wild Beasts, Daniel Johnston, The Xx, Florence and The Machine, Dappled Cities, Radioclit, Echo and The Bunnymen. Drool. But, like all good dreams, it was too good to be true. Putting aside the fact that this year’s Laneway Festival wasn’t actually held in, uh, a lane (or a series of lanes for that matter), the sound, the timetabling, the toilets, the food (or lack there of) situation - it was all just wrong. Not enough had been done to prevent “cross-over” sound between stages. So, unless you were standing in the first twenty or so rows deep, you found yourself in the peculiar situation of being able to hear two bands muddled together. That being said, if you managed to snare yourself a decent spot (and do some serious timetable sacrificing), there were some 38 r e v e r b m a g a z i n e i s s u e # 0 4 3 — f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 0

Stepping in front of a practically empty room, Brooklyn’s Black Gold played a commerciallyorientated, smooth and inoffensive set of pop-rock numbers, that were laced with jazzy flavours. Interesting echoes of Steely Dan and Maroon 5 were squandered with some fairly bland and uninventive choruses. The lead singer, who sat at a keyboard, seemed to deliberated spray a cloud of saliva into the air on every line of lyric. It was disconcerting. Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit brought people into the room - they were simply incredible. With singer Scott Hutchison’s lilting accent and direct lyrics, their show was a slow-building, anthemic and absorbing set. Their energy reached crescendos and climaxes, crashing break-outs and then soft, introspective interludes. Opening with ‘The Modern Leper’ and finishing with ‘Keep Yourself Warm’, this was a show to remember. Echo and The Bunnymen stepped on to the stage opening with ‘Going Up’, the first song off their 1980 debut record Crocodiles. Ian McCulloch looked the part on vocals, hands

Philadelphia grand jury Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle Thursday, February 4

Reverb continued its growing tradition of pumping indie nights with the Back To School party. Kids turned up in school uniform, bands played loudly, A-Catt dished up some beats and Bacardi girls wandered around with trays of free rum. It was no surprise that tickets sold out on the door. Loose. Empire Burlesque kicked off proceedings with a swift foot to the crowd’s bollocks. Raw, garage-orientated rock that made the audience pay attention. Fictions sounded tighter than ever, their uptempo brand of indie-pop had students dancing - they had the whole classroom captivated. Singer Cam James did a stirling job of getting everybody’s attention.

wrapped around the microphone, dark sunglasses, emotionless expression. He quickly became agitated with bright lights being used, complaining to the light technician: “If you listen to the music, it’s more dark than light. So why is it more light than dark on stage?” McCulloch’s arrogant attitude was entertaining - and authentic. The band, along with the second original member, guitarist Will Sergeant, busted out all the big hits - ‘All That Jazz’, ‘Rescue’, ‘Bedbugs and Ballyhoo’, ‘The Back Of Love, a haunting rendition of ‘The Disease’, and of course, ‘The Killing Moon’. They finished the first act with ‘The Cutter’, before returning for two encores that included ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’, which then melded into a dark cover of ‘Walk On The Wild Side’. One fuckhead in the audience called out, “C’mon, you’re not a covers band!” and McCulloch promptly told him where to stick it. The Bunnymen finished with an epic version of ‘Lips Like Sugar’. You couldn’t really ask for a better night with this legendary group. ~Nick milligan

Porcupine tree Enmore Theatre, Sydney Saturday, February 6

The silent, dark stillness within the walls of the Enmore Theatre is just the perfect atmosphere for experimental quartet Porcupine Tree. With the lights rising as the band tore into the all too familiar intro of latest LP offering, The Incident, all the audience could do was stare in awe. “We’re going to take you through a journey,” lead singer Steven Wilson informed the audience.

Expect big things from Fictions in the future. The Bastilles did what they do best - whip the crowd into a gyrating dancefloor with insanely catchy songwriting and genuine stage presence. They were as impressive as always and will only get better. Philadelphia Grand Jury took to the stage and blasted everyone away with their raucous, punked-up, slightly demented indie-rock sound. It was clear that they’ve become a live favourite, with the massive crowd cramming into the Cambridge to get a piece of the action. With their bizarre pre-recorded stage banter and amazing drummer Calvin Welch, the Philly Jays delivered a hot set. A-Catt provided beats as the classroom raged until the venue’s close. Another memorable Reverb Party - bring on the next one! ~Nick Milligan

“The first half of the night is going to be our entire latest record.” No reassurance needed tonight, Steve. I could tell tonight was going to be a good show.

The stage came alive as Porcupine Tree delved into the very depths of The Incident, accompanied by the start-stop motion photography of surreal images. This wasn’t just music tonight, this was art. Expect no guitar wankery from frontman/guitarist Steven Wilson and no self-celebration of a confessed rockstar. We’ve all seen it and to be frank – I’m tired of it. There were smiles all around as the crowd sang along to ‘Time Flies’, the track that sums up Porcupine Tree’s style. Not even a power failure could stop them. The haunting majestic beauty of Porcupine Tree swept the audience off their feet tonight throughout the first half of the show and well into the second, where the older material grabbed the audience by the balls. 20 years on, and a standing ovation for the lads from Porcupine Tree was appropriate. Now this is what dreams are made of. ~anthony pollock

Live reviews kora Coolangatta Hotel Saturday, February 13

With the vast number of groups and artists launched from the internet, bands are hard-pressed to deliver original music that stands out against the masses. New Zealand’s funk/reggae/rock quintet, Kora, certainly deliver a performance worth watching. Emerging from the darkness and gracing the stage in front of a packed audience, frontman Laughton Kora stood motionless as the pulsating instrumental beat built with tension. The thump of the kick drum had the band energetically running around the stage as the bass and drums vibrated the floor. Kora captivated the screaming fans with their funky beats, amazing guitar solos, heart-thumping bass and energetic performance. Changing instruments every interlude, and even midway through songs they embraced a unique blend of musical genres, from blues to heavy metal, depending on who was holding which instrument. Their lively stage show captivated and encouraged the audience to dance and sing along with them. Performing their anthem ‘Politician’ towards the end of their hour and a half set, they had the crowd singing well over the volume of the guitar and mimicking every word with gusto. Kora would have to be one of the most original, lively and electrifying live performances I have witnessed. With an incredibly dramatic and inspiring live set, Kora is definitely a band worth seeing. ~Madeline Smith

King Tide Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle Friday, February 19

If your looking for premier reggae in the land of Oz, then look now further - King Tide is the answer to the question. The Station Hotel in Newcastle’s Hamilton was a recent venue for King Tide to deliver their silky smooth reggae grooves. With their unmistakable vocal dynamic duo up front, the band settled into some easy tunes early to get the full room of hips gently swaying.

They then stepped up the tempo. You know the vibe has well and truly grabbed the crowd when hands get raised above heads to compliment the swinging hips. It seems all too easy to close your eyes and let the music take you to a far off tropical paradise. It has to be said that the gig room at the Station Hotel has a well rounded acoustic sound to it, then add to that, great sound engineering from the mixing desk, and you have a recipe for a good night out seeing live reggae. It was standing room only when the band fired up to punch out their own brand of infectious groove, and with that, the contagious fun took hold. The keyboardist even found his voice to contribute a song while the boys grabbed a cold beer to rehydrate the singing pipes. So whether your into reggae, or just love to let your hair down, King Tide are true entertainers that are sure to please. ~Terry Paull

Meshuggah Manning Bar, Sydney Monday, January 22

Upon first impressions, Meshuggah’s Soundwave sideshow left much to be desired. Featuring support from deathcore five-piece Whitechapel and melodic hardcore outfit It Dies Today (both US bands touring Soundwave), the Manning Bar crowd treated the first few hours of the gig with disdain, the outdoor smoking area at one point more packed than the sparsely occupied front section. Both acts were uninspiring, with Whitechapel’s redundant three guitar set-up turning everything they played into a noisy, indiscernible soup, while It Dies Today were the victims of bad live mixing, with the bass drum causing obvious pain for audience members every time it was struck. Following the pedestrian support performances, Meshuggah’s dramatic entrance was a thing to behold, with the Swedish prog metal giants emerging one by one onto a stage bathed in blood red light. The crowd favourite was easily ‘Bleed’ from 2008’s Obzen, which caused the audience to rush forward and unify in a seething, moshing mass. Hyper-talented drummer Tomas Haake somehow replicated the song’s frenetic rhythm perfectly in the live setting, manoeuvring around his complicated-looking cymbal set-up with the greatest of ease. The manic crowd fell to an eerie silence during the song’s quiet, chiming bridge riff, and exploded once again with lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal’s intricate, textured solo, the guitarist rocking his custom eight-string Ibanez with precision and flair. After inviting an audience member on stage to have a bash on Haake’s kit, the band played one more song and then exited abruptly. With ten minutes left before curfew, the stage seemed set for a customary encore performance, but alas, Meshuggah never returned. Although this left a bitter taste in many a punter’s mouth, it reflected the band’s individuality, and their proclivity to buck convention in all of its facets. ~scott gilbert

taylor swift Newcastle Entertainment Centre Monday, February 8

Walking in to the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, I get the feeling that I have seen this crowd before – prepubescent girls showing far too much skin with parents in tow – that’s right, it was at The Veronica and The Pussycat Dolls. feel so out of place. Opening for Swift tonight is Nashville, Tennessee’s Gloriana, a four-piece that are far too attractive for their own good, delivering the countrypop crossover. Featuring a percussion/bass backing track, their performance was enthusiastic and polished, and was lapped up by the Swift-induced audience. There was a lovely nod to Fleetwood Mac during ‘How Far Do You Wanna Go’ where they dropped in the chorus of ‘Go Your Own Way’. Also, the use of a ‘talk box’ during ‘You Said’ was a nice touch. Swift burst onto the NEC stage with ‘You Belong With Me’, and the teen girls wet themselves. If the quality of a live performance is

determined by a connection with the $100 ticket payers, then this was top notch. Be it the comical video breaks, multiple costume changes, video screens that stretched the length of the stage, and the hundreds of hair flicks, Swift’s live show really had it all. There was one distinct highlight that said a lot about Swift. Following one of the videos, she appeared among the stands to sing ‘Hey Stephen’ only feet away from the audience. After this she moved to a small revolving stage at the back of the general admission floor to perform three more songs. She was totally accessible to her fans, walking back to the stage, through the crowd and hugging her admirers along the way. She totally sold the performance with this alone. Closing the night by being drenched in water was the clincher. High entertainment value, with 5000 teenagers loving her even more. ~kevin bull

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soundwave review

mike patton/faith no more

SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL 2010 Eastern Creek Raceway, Sydney Sunday, February 21, 2010

davey havok/AFI

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This year’s Soundwave marked its emergence as one of Australia’s largest touring festivals — no mean feat when you consider the Big Day Out’s mammoth (and on-going) legacy. Soundwave 2010, which took place in the arid dustbowl of Eastern Creek Raceway, was a gargantuan showcase of some of the planet’s most engaging metal, rock, ska, punk and hardcore acts. Ultimately, there were too many good bands to see them all, but a 40,000-strong crowd braved extreme heat to try and do so. Eastern Creek, while large enough to hold a massive crowd, is not easy to access. There’s no public transport, which meant that the traffic congestion to get there caused hours of delays. Via car, we left Newcastle at 9.30am and didn’t make it into the festival until 2.30pm — twice as long as the normal travel time. The oppressive heat made this a very unhappy experience. When we made it to the front gate, there seemed to be a lot of confusion over

jim adkins/jimmy eat world

wristbanding. We showed our age verification and were given an 18-plus wristband (which clearly had ‘Over 18’ written on it). Yet no security guards accepted the wristband for the rest of the day, so every time we wished to enter one of the many drinking areas, we had to show our ID again. Beers were $8 a can and it was a token system, which seemed to greatly speed up queues for drinks. As we watched Eagles Of Death Metal from outside the D-barrier, Boots Electric led his band through a set of dirty rock tunes like ‘Wanna Be In LA’ and ‘I Want You So Hard (Boy’s Bad News)’ — and the heat seemed to get worse. With practically nowhere to escape the sun, we started noticing revellers (mostly teenage girls) collapsing from heat stroke and dehydration. Unlike other festival venues, there’s no granstands or temporary tents and pavillions — you’re in a dusty paddock with nowhere to escape the heat.

Alexisonfire sent the crowd into a frenzy, with a circle of death errupting in the middle of the hectic moshpit. Paramore, who were due to appear as Alexisonfire’s set finished, but were delayed by the organisers so they could empty the D-area. Young girls were collapsing everywhere. The decision to completely empty the D-area meant that a riot formed at the D-barrier’s entry gate and girls started to collapse as they were crushed. All in all, it was very messy business. Placebo took to the stage and performed an amazing show. New drummer Steve Forrest was incredibly impressive — hitting the skins with brutal aggression. They played a killer set list that included ‘The Bitter End’, ‘Every You Every Me’, ‘Special K’, ‘Ashtray Heart’ and ‘Sleeping With Ghosts’. During the set, singer Brian Molko poured both a bottle of water and a cup of liquid over News.com.au video journalist Helen Parker, who was filming him

soundwave review

brian molko/placebo

John Baizley/baroness

scott ian/anthrax

from the photo pit. Rock stars, eh? AFI leaped on to the stage, tearing through a big show. Opening with ‘Medicate’, they then launched into ‘Girl’s Not Grey’. Singer Davey Havok and co. finished their hour set with ‘Miss Murder’ and there were fists in the air as far as the eye could see. Jane’s Addiction were a highlight of the day. Bassist Eric Avery stepped out on stage, smiling from behind his aviator sunglasses and started an intro. The rest was a mesmerising set from a legendary band, including songs like ‘Stop!’ and ‘Ocean Size’. From Perry Farrell’s eccentric and gracious stage antics, to Dave Navarro’s wailing guitar solos — and some scantily-clad dancers — it was a performance that few will forget. Jimmy Eat World played to an adoring crowd, who sang along to every note. For a last-minute addition (due to My Chemical Romance having to cancel), Jimmy Eat World

did a stirling job. All the fan favourites were there — ‘No Sensitivity’, ‘Lucky Denver Mint’, ‘The Authority Song’, ‘Pain’, ‘Get It Faster’, ‘Sweetness’ and ‘Salt Sweat Sugar’. Finishing with ‘The Middle’, which had people dancing right into the distance, it was a set that ticked all the boxes. Faith No More took to the stage, with red velvet curtains draped around them. To put it simply — they were mind-blowing. Mike Patton, who had walked on with a cane and a limp, quickly started running around the stage in circles, howling, growling and bellowing with his phenomenal voice. From beat-boxing to crooning a classic like ‘Easy’, Patton reminded a lot of people of why he has one of the best and most versatile voices in rock music. Playing all the hits, from ‘Epic’ to ‘Midlife Crisis’, Faith No More where a whirling and dynamic colossus, that were clearly intent on keeping their audience guessing.

george pettit/alexisonfire

Overall, the sound quality of the PA system and the awe-inspiring sets by the roster of international acts made Soundwave a worthwhile venture. The natural slope down to the main stages meant that you could see and hear from practically anywhere. Definitely the best sound we’ve heard at a music event of that size. The crowd were also in good spirits. Though we avoided the chaos of the more punk and hardcore-orientated stages, the main arena revellers were in a good mood. There were surprisingly few bogans and everyone seemed keen to just have a good time. Sadly, the queue to get into the seemingly never-ending car parks at Eastern Creek Raceway reappeared on the way out, and we had to sit in our vehicle for over an hour before we could begin the drive home. Lucky we made that Soundwave 2010 mixtape… ~By the Reverb Team

hayley williams/paramore

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game reviews

RAPTURE REVISITED reviewed BioShock 2 [Xbox 360/PS3/PC] reviewed by Hugh Milligan rated 9.5/10

Daddy’s home

The player is thrust once more into the city of Rapture, a once beautiful [now devastated] dystopian arcology hidden beneath the Atlantic Ocean. Ten years have passed since the death of its leader, Andrew Ryan, and the city is now under the control of Sofia Lamb, a social psychiatrist with a very different concept of utopia; her extreme collectivist ideology has united the people into a secular cult called the Rapture Family. You are Subject Delta, one of the first Big Daddy prototypes, suddenly reawakened after a decade and determined to find the Little Sister with whom you are still symbiotically joined. While the developers have made a conscious attempt to relate the storyline to the previous events of BioShock, this is very much a fresh chapter with a new protagonist. Familiar characters such as Andrew Ryan and Frank Fontaine are still occasionally present in the form of audio logs scattered about the city, but these focus almost exclusively on their relationship to Sofia Lamb, in order to explain why she was conspicuously absent from the first game. All returning characters are, however, voiced faithfully by their original actors, and the logs are still satisfying as jigsaw pieces contributing towards a larger narrative. Lamb is herself a fascinating villain, every bit as complex and multifaceted as her predecessor; 42

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While all sequels are invariably expected to outshine the games that spawned them, surely this one has more to prove than most — BioShock wasn’t simply a game, but a social commentary and a work of art. Its morally confronting narrative became a treatise on laissez-faire capitalism and the ethics of genetic research, and it introduced one of the most breathtaking and evocative settings ever realised in a video game. It was, as a result, justly regarded as one of the best titles of 2007, and as anticipation for a sequel has escalated, so have the expectations of fans. Well, they can breathe easy — BioShock 2 is worthy of its heritage. her ruthlessness is tempered by a twisted altruism that often elicits genuine sympathy.

The city submerged

Visually, Rapture is in much the same state as it was last time, the same grandiose Art Deco environments in various stages of waterlogging and decay. Understandably, this has less immediate impact on the player the second time around, but the levels are so purposefully designed — be it a theatre, train station, amusement park or brothel — that they don’t feel generic or boring. Beyond its art direction, the game’s superb particle and lighting effects create an eerie ambience [greatly assisted by Garry Schyman’s chilling orchestral score], but the real accolades belong, once again, to its water effects. Whether it’s trickles from the ceiling that leave droplets on your helmet,

standing pools of water or gushing torrents that sweep you aside and flood the room, the water looks absolutely incredible and reacts with frightening realism to its environment. Clad as you are in a fully pressurised diving suit, BioShock 2 also allows you to go outside the city walls for the first time and explore the sea bed. These sequences provide a respite from more frenzied encounters, and allow you to get a closer look at Rapture’s looming underwater ‘skyline’.

Splice and dice

As a Big Daddy, your arsenal now includes iconic weapons such as the mining drill and rivet gun, and you have the additional ability to adopt Little Sisters on your travels; keep them safe, and they’ll harvest ADAM from various corpses and share it with you. Your endurance as a Big Daddy is a little underwhelming — you cannot simply wade into a group of enemies, for example, and expect to survive — but as an Alpha Series model, the game explains, you trade resilience for mobility. This also accounts for your ability to ‘splice’ yourself with plasmids — mutagenic cocktails that re-write your genetic code and grant you devastating powers. Playing as a Big Daddy, therefore, awards some benefits without abandoning the limitations and mechanics of the original game. BioShock’s combat system was fairly solid, and it remains fundamentally unchanged here; instead, several elements have been tweaked for greater ease and fluency. Plasmids and weapons can now be duel-wielded, allowing them to be more readily combined, and all the game’s gene tonics now fall under a single category, allowing the player far more flexibility in their play style. Plasmids are now more versatile as they are upgraded, and the tiresome

mini-game for hacking cameras and turrets has been completely overhauled. 2K Games has been careful to iron out the first game’s flaws without compromising its strengths, and the resultant gameplay is tighter and more accessible.

Power to the people

The biggest addition to BioShock 2, one that fans have long requested, is online multiplayer. This component was independently produced by Digital Extremes [of Unreal Tournament fame] and is kept quite separate to the single player campaign. Players take the role of a citizen involved in testing new weapons and plasmids during Rapture’s civil war — this is represented by a levelling system similar to that in Call of Duty, by which you gradually unlock new abilities, weapon combinations and cosmetic accessories. It’s far more immediate and frantic than the campaign, and there are some nice touches [such as the inclusion of plasmids unavailable in single player], but it ultimately lacks the versatility of CoD multiplayer. The maps, based upon levels from the original BioShock, are suited to intense close-quarters combat, so there’s little room for considered accuracy and the all-important headshot. Still, it’s a somewhat zany diversion from the campaign, and unlocking additional weapons gives you greater scope for experimentation. BioShock 2 is not going to startle or amaze you in quite same way as the ‘down the rabbit hole’ introduction of the original — nothing quite compares to that first spectacular glimpse of Rapture as you sink beneath the sea. But like its predecessor, the sequel is a distinctly thoughtprovoking experience. It will draw you into the dark, sublime world of Rapture and hold you in its watery grip from start to finish.

DVD & film reviews

Explosive drama The Hurt Locker deserves a place amongst the greatest war movies ever made. Whilst it is not epic in scale like some of its World- or Vietnam War counterparts, it is an unforgettable and nightmarish vision of the current conflict in Iraq. The movie follows a small bomb disposal team assigned in Baghdad. With 39 days of active duty left, Will James [Jeremy Renner] enters the team after his predecessor was killed disposing an improvised roadside device. Fellow team members Sergeant Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge, quickly realise that James’ renegade nature and apparent fearlessness could make staying alive during their remaining days in Iraq more difficult than they had expected. Sanborn is by the book, Eldridge is on the verge of breakdown and James is a reckless rogue — together they must

Killer release reviewed The Killers: Live From The Royal Albert Hall reviewed by Noah Cross rated 4/5 Certifiably one of the biggest touring bands in the world at the moment, The Killers were due a live DVD release — and this is a cracker. Filmed inside London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall, the Las Vegas four-piece step out to a rapturous response, bursting into ‘Human’. They then rip through a long set, which includes hits like ‘When You Were Young’, ‘Mr. Brightside’, ‘For Reasons Unknown’ and ‘Bones’. Singer Brandon Flowers’ voice is strong throughout — the gigging experience has served him well. In this release you also get an audio CD of the concert, as well as a behind-the-scenes documentary and a selection of bonus tracks from other live performances like Hyde Park and V Festival. This is not just a must-own for Killers fans, but should be checked out by anyone who enjoys a big rock production.

reviewed The Hurt Locker reviewed by Mark Snelson rated 4.5/5 keep their internal conflicts at bay in order to survive their time left in the field. To say that The Hurt Locker is riveting would be an understatement; the tension here borders on nauseating and may leave you feeling drained once you leave the cinema. It is directed and shot in a fly-on-the-wall documentary fashion. This really makes you feel like you are amongst the team and are sharing all of the chaos, confusion and paranoia that a modern conflict like Iraq presents. The thing that makes The Hurt Locker work so well, is that it is not out to make a political statement, but is more interested in giving the audience the feeling of what it is like deep inside the warzone where anyone could be the enemy. It is both a deep character study and an intense action-thriller that should have a broader appeal than most films about war.

Island Retreat Shutter Island is the latest outing for legendary film maker Martin Scorsese, and, whilst it might not rank up there with his finest work, it is a very impressive effort. It is a dark mind-bender of a film that is something of a departure for Scorsese, with its nods to noir mysteries and classic horror films. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Teddy Daniels, a US Marshall who, along with his partner Chuck [Mark Ruffalo], is assigned to investigate the baffling disappearance of a female patient from a maximum security facility for the criminally insane, located on the isolated Shutter Island. Once there, they find that the staff are being not exactly helpful with their enquiries and seem to be hiding dark secrets of this horrible place. Teddy, driven to this investigation by his own personal demons, becomes obsessively more and more determined to uncover the truth — a path that may end up pushing him into the depths of insanity. Scorsese has cleverly adapted the novel of

the same name into a classic yet unpredictable noir-style mystery that puts his best storytelling talents on display. DiCaprio was a fine choice for the role of Teddy, playing the tortured soul on the brink of madness incredibly well — Mark Ruffalo is also brilliant here. It is wonderfully shot in subdued tones which, combined with the moody score, assist in intensifying the overall sense of doom. Shutter Island is a creepy and atmospheric psychological thriller that has some slow pacing at times, but on the whole is still a gripping and highly entertaining ride.

Langella], a mysterious man with half of his face missing, also appears at their door, he explains that Norma and Arthur have a choice. If they push the red button, they will be given one million dollars in cash, but somebody they don’t know will die. If they don’t push the button, nothing will happen and they will continue their lives. Based on a short story called ‘Button, Button’, by I Am Legend author Richard Matheson, Kelly’s script gets off to a great start. The seventies are used creatively to build atmosphere and tension and the mystery of the situation has you asking questions. If Norma and Arthur are being exploited in an experiment, then who is behind it? What is their purpose?

Sadly, The Box becomes frustrating, because as the mystery deepens and becomes increasingly bizarre, no believable answers are given as to what is going on. Kelly blurs the lines of possibility, keeping the over-arching explanation deliberately obtuse — can this all be explained with science? Religion? Or science fiction? While Kelly may be suggesting that it doesn’t matter and that this is a film about morality, many viewers will lose interest when the plot begins to step into ‘supernatural’ territory. You do feel a little cheated and confused. Let’s hope that Kelly doesn’t suffer the same fate as writer/director ‘one-hit wonder’ M. Night Shyamalan, and start to believe that he can get away with anything.

reviewed Shutter Island reviewed by Mark Snelson rated 4/5

Pushing buttons reviewed The Box [DVD] reviewed by Nick Milligan rated 2/5 Richard Kelly’s awe-inspiring debut, Donnie Darko, was a true work of art. It was dark, off-kilter and humanistic, but also pulled off the ambitious task of incorporating sensational concepts without annoying or alienating the viewer. In his third film, The Box, Kelly again tackles big ideas — but is a lot less successful. The Box takes place in Virginia in 1976, a setting and time derived from Kelly’s childhood. Norma [Cameron Diaz] and Arthur [James Marsden] are a happily married couple, with a child, Walter [Sam Oz Stone]. One morning, a box arrives on their doorstep. Within a locked, see-through dome on its top, there is a red button. When Arlington Steward [Frank

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