PNAU
BILLY TALENT
ILLY
DAVE CALLAN
PETER BLACK Z-TRIP WHITE ARROWS OPOSSOM
N O W AVA I L A BL E O N I PA D • 8 AU G U S T 2 012 • 15 8 9 • F R E E
www.themusic.com.au www themusic com.au
GURRUMUL WITH W ITH SPECIA SPECIAL AL GU GUESTS UESTS
EMMA LOUISE
THE RAZZLE DAZZLE SUMMER TOUR
SATURDAY DECEMBER 1 BRISBANE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE , 9Ê "6 ,ÊÎäÊUÊ 1* / ,½-Ê/ /, ]Ê " Ê " -/
ON SALE THURSDAY AUGUST 9 FROM MISSYHIGGINS.COM NEW ALBUM THE OL’ RAZZLE DAZZLE FEAT. EVERYONE’S WAITING & UNASHAMED DESIRE OUT NOW
John Butler Trio (NYE Midnight Set) Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings (usa-nye sEt) tHE bLacK sEedS (nz) fRiEndLY fIreS dj Set (uk-nye sEt)
kRaFty kUtS Vs A.sKilLz (UK) tHE hERd (aus) Kaki King (USA) Blood red Shoes (UK) Unknown Mortal Orchestra (USA) Electric Wire Hustle (NZ) King Tide (AUS) mAt. mChUGh & THE SEPERATISTA SOUND SYSTEM (aus) 65DaysoFstatic (UK) Deep Sea Arcade (AUS) Gold Fields (AUS) Gossling (AUS) Will & The People (UK) Chapelier Fou (Fr) The Medics (AUS) NorthEast Party House (AUS) HatFitz and Cara (aus) Tuka (AUS) The Cairos (AUS) The PreaTUREs (AUS) Battleships (AUS) Lime Cordiale (AUS) Daily Meds (AUS) JONES Jnr (AUS) Tigertown (AUS) MicroWave Jenny (AUS) also featuring — The Return of The Dub Shack Plus many more artists to be announced...
TIME OFF • 3
/ >Ƣ i >*>!Ƣj*Y'
THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS
TBG.10 C_SY* ƢźƢ 7 YO* CELEBRATING 10 YEARS /
{ Supported by DJ RUDEKAT }
SAT 11th AUG THE TIVOLI 52 COSTIN STREET. FORTITUDE VALLEY THETIVOLI.NET.AU / TIX : TICKETEK.COM.AU DOORS 7:30PM
4 • TIME OFF
T H E B E A U T I F U L G I R L S .C O M
TIME OFF • 5
Order your copy of AMID R now! E W O P 50 ON I T I ED
%
! % $55.00
DECEMBER
20#4711
OUT NOW
VISIT WWW.THEMUSIC.COM.AU/STORE
6 • TIME OFF
TIME OFF • 7
GIVEAWAYS embark on a road trip that will change him forever. Thanks to Hopscotch Entertainment we have four copies on DVD to give away! Death In Paradise is a warm, light-hearted eight-part detective series which takes place against a stunning Caribbean island backdrop. Sent to the tiny island of Saint-Marie to solve a mysterious murder, quintessentially British cop, Richard Poole, is a total fish out of water. Thanks to Roadshow Entertainment we have five copies of the series on DVD up for grabs!
Thanks to Sony Music we have five copies to give away of The Sapphires soundtrack. It includes all the songs as featured in the film including some of the biggest hits of the ‘60s performed by the original artists, and the new single ‘Gotcha’ by Jessica Mauboy. Set in 1968, music is integral to the feel good Aussie film that follows four young Aboriginal girls, The Sapphires, through a turbulent time in history set to the backdrop of some of the greatest hits of the era.
Strike a pose and get into the groove when Saint’s Nightclub (upstairs at St Paul’s Tavern) is transformed into a dance club playing only the music of Madonna – 1980s, 1990s, Noughties and Now! Celebrating 30 years of music from the iconic Queen of Pop, the 7th Annual Brisbane Madonna Party will be held on Friday 17 August. We have two doubles up for grabs! Entrants must be 18+.
In This Must Be The Place, Sean Penn plays Cheyenne, a bored, retired, wealthy American goth-rock star living in Dublin. Living in an enormous mansion with his down-to-earth wife of 35 years, Jane (Frances McDormand), he learns of the death of his father – who he has been estranged from for over 30 years. He returns to America to unexpectedly
Regurgitator and Clare Bowditch are headlining this year’s sold-out Red Deer Fest. Don’t have a ticket and want to see what all the fuss is about? Well there’s still hope! The organisers are giving away a double pass to this year’s event. Red Deer Fest will be held on Saturday 1 September at Mt Samson. For more details go to reddeerfest.com.au. Entrants must be 18+.
HEAD TO TIME OFF’S FACEBOOK PAGE TO ENTER
ISSUE 1589
W E D N E S D AY 8 A U G U S T 2 0 1 2
TIME OFF
FRONT ROW
Foreword Line – news, opinions, tours, Backlash, Frontlash 10 Sydney’s The Laurels have released an incredible debut record 14 On the eve of his massive tour, we chat to Illy about what’s next 16 Peter “Blackie” Black has had one hell of a year. He speaks about his recovery and his new album 18 Take a look inside Pnau’s recent Elton collab 20 The return of Z-Trip is always a good thing. What does he have in store now? 21 The Obese Records family have a lot of celebrating to do! 22 With new material ready to go, Billy Talent are itching to get back here 24 Los Angeles’ White Arrows keep some pretty good company on their first Aussie tour 24 Huge in their homeland, Home Brew are now ready to take on Australia 24 We get the drum on Sophie Koh’s new album 26 Opossom are the latest awesome post-Mint Chicks outfit to spring up 26 We get extreme with Truth Corroded 26 What is going on in the world of The Rational Academy these days? 26 On The Record has the latest, greatest and the not so greatest new musical releases 28 Chris Yates spotlights the best (and worst) tracks for the week in Singled Out 28
Check out what’s happening This Week In Arts We speak to the host of this year’s Gangsters Ball, funny man Dave Callan Cultural Cringe and The Looking Glass give you your weekly dose of arts opinion Matthew Ryan from Dead Puppet Society chats about The Harbinger opening this week Jeff Dunham tells us about the controlled chaos
CREDITS
Madeleine Laing, Tom Hersey Front Row: Baz McAlister, Mandy Kohler, Lauren Dillon, Adam Brunes, Matt O’Neill, Mitch Knox, Jessica Mansour, Guy Davis, Rowena Grant-Frost, Danielle O’Donohue, Helen Stringer, Alice Muhling Photography: Stephen Booth, Kane Hibberd, Terry Soo, John Taylor, John Stubbs
EDITORIAL Group Managing Editor: Andrew Mast Editor: Steve Bell Contributing Editor: Dan Condon Front Row Editor: Cassandra Fumi Interns: Keagan Elder, Sophia De Marco ADVERTISING Advertising Account Executives: James Tidswell, Alex Iveson DESIGN & LAYOUT Cover Design/Designer: Matt Davis ACCOUNTS & ADMINISTRATION Administration: Leanne Simpson Accounts: Marcus Treweek CONTRIBUTORS: Time Off: Ben Preece, Dan Condon, Daniel Johnson, Chris Yates, Matt O’Neill, Adam Curley, Lochlan Watt, Carlin Beattie, Tyler McLoughlan, Mitch Knox, Sam Hobson, Rachel Tinney, Tony McMahon, Benny Doyle, Jake Sun, Helen Stringer, Brendan Telford, Rip Nicholson, Cyclone, Amber McCormick, Brad Swob, Siobhain McDonnell, Sky Kirkham, Bradley Armstrong, Carley Hall, Eleanor Houghton, 8 • TIME OFF
themusic.com.au
30 30 32 32 32
BACK TO TIME OFF! Get the drum on all the coolest happenings in local music last week, this week and beyond in Live Dan Condon gets the dirt on the blues scene from the Roots Down Lochlan Watt gives you brutal metal news in Adamantium Wolf Adam Curley cuts sick with another musical pop culture rant in The Breakdown Cyclone has the wide urban world covered with some OG Flavas Go behind the music Behind The Lines iFlog and you can too
34 36 36 36 36 41 42
EDITORIAL POLICY The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. No part may be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holder. © PUBLISHER: Street Press Australia Pty Ltd Suite 11/354 Brunswick Street Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 POSTAL: Locked Bag 4300 Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 Phone: 07 3252 9666 Email: info@timeoff.com.au Rural Press
PRINTED BY:
THURS 9TH AUG
AUGUST 9,
KNIGHTS LIKE THESE, 12 gorgeous tattoo models battle it out for AZREAL, FROMone WITHIN, the Gold Coasts number INKED BEAUTY! THE FINAL FALL, BOUND FOR RUIN AUGUST 16,
THE DALTON’S GANGS, LAST RAID, KALEIDOSCOPE, GHOST AUDIO + MORE $5.00 ENTRY, DOORS FROM 7PM
CNR CAVILL AND ORCHID AVE, SURFERS PARADISE
WWW.SURFERSBEERGARDEN.COM.AU
my OPEN day FRIDAY 10TH
FLANNELETTE SON OF FALLAN THE DECIDER DOUBLELINED MINORITY
UNIVERSITIES
SATURDAY 11TH
PUNKFEST:
EKKA WREKKA
FEE HELP
FLANGIPANIS BLACKY (HARD-ONS) DEATH BY DEATH RAY WHISKY & SPEED SHIT FOR DICKHEADS
SCHOLARSHIPS
TAFES FRIDAY 17TH AUGUST
AH FUCK THAT THE BOLLOCKS
ANTICHRISTS ANONYMOUS
SATURDAY 11TH AUGUST
LITTLE KITTY BIG MEOW
es
GOLDSTOOL + EAT CITY
lu
lu B
COLLEGES
es
+
ROGER MCDONALD (SOLO) + WHISKEY & SPEED + DECADENCE OF CAIN
B
OPEN DAYS
FRIDAY 10TH AUGUST
SATURDAY 18TH AUGUST
MOJO WEBB BAND
One website has everything you need to know about choosing the right tertiary institution for you myopenday.com.au Where every day is Open Day
TIME OFF • 9
FOREWORD LINE
NEWS FROM THE FRONT
IN BRIEF Tony Sly, frontman for melodic hardcore punks No Use For A Name has passed away at the age of 41. The cause and location of death has not yet been disclosed.
CHERRY POPPERS
Get your dancing shoes dusted, and your Zoot Suits on; the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies are returning to Australia for another round of their signature highenergy shows. Nobody does jumpin’ swing, ska, and rock’n’roll as well as these guys, and you can catch The Daddies breaking out their signature foot-tapping sound featuring ear-popping horns, big guitars and pop-rivet drums on Thursday 1 November at The Tempo Hotel. It’s a live show guaranteed to get every head bopping, every arse shaking, and every crowd erupting into a dancing frenzy. The band were here a couple of years ago to treat us to some shows that blew many of those who were lucky enough to catch them away, so you can bet it is well worth collecting up $46 + BF and heading along to OzTix, Moshtix or the venue to grab yourself a ticket. Proudly presented by Time Off.
GOOD RETURNS
Chart-topping Australian songstress Delta Goodrem is heading home to perform a limited run of intimate and exclusive theatre concerts, to play both her fan faves and some preview songs from her upcoming new album Child Of The Universe. Opening the concerts for Delta will be new talent, Rachael Leahcar – whom Goodrem mentored to the grand final of The Voice, and who’s also packing her own debut album. To coincide with the announcement Goodrem releases a new single, Dancing With A Broken Heart, on Friday, so you’ll know the words when she plays Brisbane Convention Centre Saturday 27 October. Tickets via Ticketek from Thursday 16 August.
Co-founder of The Olivia Tremor Control and Elephant 6 Recording Group Bill Doss has passed away at the age of 43.
EXCELLENT SHELLAC
Already announced for two nights at The Hi-Fi as part of Melbourne Festival, Shellac will also embark on a tour around the rest of the country. Shellac was formed when Bob Weston moved to Chicago and joined drummer Todd Trainer and guitarist Steve Albini in 1992. They played their first shows in Chicago in 1993, and first out of town shows later that year in Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. This will be the band’s first trip back to Australia since 1993. In that time they’ve released four LPs and a few 7-inch singles; the most recent LP, Excellent Italian Greyhound, was released in June of 2007. The group play The Zoo Tuesday 23 October, where they’ll be joined by Melbourne solo artist Evelyn Morris, aka Pikelet. Tickets are on sale now via Moshtix or the venue. Both Melbourne shows sold out in two days, so we suggest getting a wriggle on!
American urban artist Flo Rida has been forced to pay $400,000 in compensation to the organisers of the Fat As Butter festival after his failure to appear at their event last year.
GIRLS ARE BACK IN TOWN
After an incredible response to ticket sales so far (putting it lightly), The Beautiful Girls have added eight more shows to their already epic final road trip. Adding to their Coolum Civic Centre (Friday 10 August) and The Tivoli (Saturday 11) shows, the Mat McHugh-fronted trio return in September. Byron Bay fans get a boogie Thursday 27 September at The Great Northern Hotel; Friday 28 at the Coolangatta Hotel; and Saturday 29 back at The Great Northern. All shows $40 plus BF via OzTix, doors 8pm.
Snoop Dogg has announced that he will now be known as Snoop Lion as he embarks on a slightly different musical direction as a reggae artist.
HIGH TEA HITS
With their third album Sad Summer Hits scheduled for an October release, Brisbane indie-folk/countrysoul duo Texas Tea are proud to announce the release of their new single Heart Says Yes (Head Says No). It’s the second taste from said album, the first being I Don’t Write No Sad Songs from earlier this year. Since their arrival in 2005 Kate Jacobson and Benjamin Dougherty have solidified themselves a firm musical indent, their smoky live performances earning rave reviews and great supports. Friday 17 August they play Jet Black Cat Records in duo mode at 6.30pm, before rocking a full band later that night at Black Bear Lodge. Both free.
10 • TIME OFF
Simon Bonney has announced the reunion of his 1980s post-punk group Crime & the City Solution, with a compilation release An Introduction To… Crime & the City Solution/ A History Of Crime – Berlin 1987 – 1991 to be issued very soon and a new album American Twilight due early next year.
SONIC RANALDO
Fans of iconic alternative rock band Sonic Youth take note; founding member and guitarist Lee Ranaldo is headed our way with his band in tow for some excuseive shows, including one at The Zoo, Sunday 21 October. The acclaimed artist will be touring off the back of his new album Between The Times & The Tides. This year, Ranaldo was ranked as equal #1 guitarist of all time by SPIN magazine, sharing the position with Sonic Youth band mate Thurston Moore. This accolade joins the many Ranaldo has received as one of the seminal artists of his generation, including also being ranked amongst the greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, and to make six-string lovers even more excited his band includes Wilco’s incredible guitar virtuoso Nels Cline. Tickets via OzTix Wednesday15 August.
themusic.com.au
Melbourne’s King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have announced their debut album, 12 Bar Bruise, will be released on Friday 7 September. Reports have surfaced that rock music icon Lenny Kravitz could be setting up a recording studio in the Gold Coast.
READY TO FIRE
There’s a lot of love about for The Rubens right now and that love is just going to become more and more intense following the release of their brand new single My Gun. The new tune follows on from the enormous success of their Don’t Ever Want To Be Found single, which has been all over the radio in recent months, and it’s another gem of a tune that has us incredible excited about hearing the band’s debut, self-titled record, which will be released on Friday 14 September. The single was recorded in New York City with Grammy Award winning producer David Kahne. They’ll be jumping on tour with special guest Bertie Blackman for a number of dates across the country, including shows at the Coolangatta Hotel Thursday 11 October, The Hi-Fi on Friday 12 and The Northern, Byron Bay Saturday 13.
THE BEDROOM DIARIES
Melbourne song and dance man The Bedroom Philosopher will perform his only Queensland shows of the year, celebrating the E-book release of The Bedroom Philosopher Diaries. He’ll be joined by his whip-tight Awkwardstra and supported by choice spoken word artists and body-poets including Justin Heazlewood, B-Phil, Benjamin Law, Candy B and The Melotonins, a barber shop trio. See the whole menagerie Wednesday 29 August at Black Bear Lodge and Thursday 30 at The Loft, Gold Coast. $12 plus BF via blackbearlodge.com.au and OzTix.
JAY DOWN
British R&B singer/songwriter Jay Sean is fast becoming a global phenomenon – the proof is in the press, the sales, the fans, and of course, the music. Sean’s current hit single I’m All Yours featuring Pitbull has already achieved platinum status and is sitting at the top of the ARIA charts, and he’s heading our way to celebrate. Sean’s first hit single Down was one of the biggest selling songs of 2009, selling six million copies and in the process making him the most successful British/European male urban artist in US chart history. As of 2012, it is the fifth biggest selling song by a British artist in the digital era. The first UK artist to be signed by iconic hip hop imprint Cash Money, the savvy hitmaker plays Jupiter’s Casino on the Gold Coast Sunday 27 October for an all ages show, supported by Johnny Rufo and Elen Levon. Tickets via Ticketmaster.
PARTY AT MY HOUSE
Everyone’s favourite Saturday night radio show triple j’s House Party is hitting the road on a massive club tour. Bringing your fave triple j tunes and mixing them with new club joints and party jams is your hostess and House Party presenter Nina Las Vegas, along with guests in Sydney beat wunderkind Flume (live), disco demon Beni, Flume and Emoh Instead side project What So Not and triple j alumni Deacon Rose. Saturday 25 August the party touches down at Bowler Bar. Tickets via OzTix.
EVERY MONDAY
MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA! FROM 6:30PM EVERY TUESDAY
PUB OLYMPICS....
VISIT WEBSITE FOR DETAILS
EVERY WEDNESDAY
STEVE & MITCH’S OPEN MIC NIGHT 7PM
O’MALLEY’S EVERY THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT AFTER THE FEATURE BANDS TIL 3AM:
DJ MICHAEL SIDEWAYZ
COME DOWN AND MEET OUR NEW RESIDENT DJ. TOP 40’S, R&B, DANCE AND MUCH MORE TILL LATE
THURSDAY 9 AUGUST
O’MALLEY’S TRAD SESSION 7 PM
FRIDAY 10 AUGUST
LOCK & LOAD WITH MARK LOCKYER AND DANIEL GOWEN FROM 6PM - 11PM
THE DJ SIDEWAYZ SHOW FROM 11PM TILL LATE SATURDAY 11 AUGUST
STEVE FOTHERGILL FROM 6PM- 9:30PM
RAMJET 9:30PM SUNDAY 12 AUGUST
MICK MCHUGH DUO 6PM
T A E LIV O
P M E T
9
; 5 H G B = A5
M
0P FROM 7:0 T S U G WED 8 ARUODIE GRAHAMD UP
THE B ITH THE WIN BAND W DOLLTRSY FREE EN
PM
0 FROM 6.0 T S U G U A THURS 9 NBY, ALEX ,
MICK DA D, KING’S BAND PENTLAN BAND, WOMEN’SOHN? WHO IS J RY FREE ENT
PM
0 FROM 6:0 T S U G U FRI 10 A G DUO, SPARKZ
I THE B TRY FREE EN
M
0P FROM 7:0 T S U G SAT 11 AULINES, ARCTIC,
SIREN , ALTER EGOS GLACTRIYER FREE EN
PM
0 FROM 4:0 T S U G , U SUN 12 FAOOT ALLEY, ZELITAARD
BARE UEEN, JUNKY TRASH QDS ON DIAM TRY FREE EN
M
0P FROM 7:3 T S U G U MON 13 AOKE (WITH LIVE
ROCKA BANTDRY) FREE EN
PM
0 FROM 10:0 T S U G U TUES 14 A E SOCIAL
EKKA EV AX, ALISON WITH AJ LAND, WONDERISCO, DANNY TRUMPD W, NICE & EGO, T, HEY NOAIRWOLF DEVOLA, $23.50
AIRS DOWNOSWTLER BAR @B OM 10PM
ST FRUSE PARTY $10 U G U A 0 1 FRIAL KILMER’S HO V M FROM 10P T S U G U A SATB1J1S $15 B
OON S G N I M CO
GUST INGS FRI 17 AU AND THE K
NAT COL T Y UGUS SAT 25 A ’S HOUSE PART J E L P I R T T 0 AUGUS THURS 3 ON DREAMER DREAM EMBER NOV ’ DADDIES N THURS 1 I P P O P CHERRY Basement Level - Wintergarden Centre Queen Street Mall - Brisbane City PH 07 3211 9881 FAX 07 3211 9890 Email admin@mickomalleys.com.au
THE TEMPO HOTEL 388 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley. 18+ ID Required. Management reserve the right to refuse entry. TIME OFF • 11
FOREWORD LINE
NEWS FROM THE FRONT
IN BRIEF SIX60 STYLE
Kiwi reggae-rockers Six60 have returned from a successful whirlwind tour of Europe and the UK (where they sold out three shows in London), and they’re bringing their fresh blend of rock, reggae, hip hop, soul and drum’n’bass to The Tivoli, Thursday 13 September. Last here launching their self-titled debut album in April, their unique sound helped to sell out a bunch of shows around the country then. Tickets to see the guys who knocked Adele off her New Zealand chart perch with their self-titled debut album via Ticketek.
NO NICKI
Although it was only announced just last week, Nicki Minaj’s upcoming return tour with Tyga (which included Wednesday 3 October at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre) has been rescheduled, with the new Brisbane show to take place at the same venue on Monday 3 December. The change became necessary due to international scheduling conflicts that also effect Nicki’s European dates, and tickets go on sale through Ticketek on Thursday 16 August.
NEW NEWTON
British singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner is making his return to Australian shores next month, announcing a series of intimate shows across the country on the back of the release of his third record Write It On Your Skin. It’s been a while since we saw Faulkner, whose brand of folk-leaning pop music has been a hit over the past few years, and we’re sure that plenty of people will relish the opportunity to see him when the tour kicks off on Sunday 16 September at The Zoo. Write It On Your Skin was written with the live environment in mind, which should make for some special shows. Tickets via OzTix from Friday.
YOUNG GUNS
A four-piece guitar-driven band from England, All The Young met as teenagers through a mutual love of music and daydreaming, and decided to form a band as an escape from the repetitiveness of small town life. Having spent the past couple of years taking it upon themselves to bring great guitar tunes back into the UK music consciousness, they head Down Under to head out on a tour alongside everyone’s favourite hard-working kiwi-comeMelbournian rockers King Cannons. After they play BIGSOUND on Thursday 13 September, the two groups jump into the van and head out to play dates at the Miami Shark Bar on the Gold Coast on Friday 14, and then head further south for a show at the The Northern in Byron Bay on Saturday 15. You can grab tickets for both shows through OzTix right now.
BLASKING IN
The indomitable Sarah Blasko will be joining Mumford & Sons at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on Wednesday 31 October. A musician of great integrity and artistic temperament who pushes creative boundaries across the arts, Sarah Blasko’s charismatic live show with a five-piece band is the perfect addition to this stellar line-up, which also includes Willy Mason. Don’t forget that Mumford and Mason, along with Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, are also playing a date at the Brisbane Riverstage on Wednesday 17 October.
IF YOU WANNA ROCK’N’ROLL
It’s been a decade since the record-breaking Long Way To The Top rock music extravaganza blazed its way around Australia, and it celebrates with a return 10th anniversary show. Where the original tour included music released up to the ‘70s, this features ‘80s bands like Mi-Sex, Dragon and Noiseworks. And which other legends will be in the house this time around? The list is a big one, with special guest Ian Moss joined by Axiom, Brian Cadd, Dragon, Marcia Hines, Col Joye, Masters Apprentices’ Jim Keays, Dinah Lee, Mi-Sex, Russell Morris, Doug Parkinson, Little Pattie, Glenn Shorrock, Spectrum, Lucky Starr, Chain’s Matt Taylor & Phil Manning and John Paul Young. It rock’n’rolls into the Brisbane Entertainment Centre Friday 12 October. Tickets via Ticketek from Friday. 12 • TIME OFF
Killing Joke have reported their frontman Jaz Coleman missing in a statement on their Facebook page last week. It is believed he went on a rant on the band’s Facebook about The Cult and The Mission, two acts the band were set to play with later in the year. Mumford & Sons have confirmed that they will be hosting a Gentlemen Of The Road mini-festival when they are in Australian this October and have listed 20 potential small towns in which it might take place.
MOMENTS IN TZIME
SAVING THE BEARDLESS
There’s plenty of well-known forecasts about this year being the end of the world, and The Beards have another they want to warn you about – on December 21 the world will end… for people without beards. They’re embarking on a massive tour to save you, so get the diary out: Friday 28 September they play Beach Hotel, Byron Bay; Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 the Caloundra Music Festival; Thursday 4 October The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba; Friday 5 Coolangatta Hotel and they finish up the south-east Queensland leg with a massive show on Saturday 6 at The Hi-Fi in West End. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.
YOUNG MAN
The clip for Gotye’s enormously successful Somebody That I Used To Know has been nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards; Video of The Year and Best Editing In a Video. The second volume of The Key Of Sea will showcase some of Australia’s most loved artists such as Paul Kelly, Chet Faker, Lanie Lane and Jinja Safari, in duet with artists and musicians who have brought their music to Australia after seeking a better life in this nation. Local garagegrunge exponents Violent Soho have announced that they have signed a deal with IOHYOU/ Mushroom, that will see them release a 7” single later in the year.
September 21 is the release date for TZU’s fourth studio album, Millions Of Moments, and following the album’s release, the band will hit the road for an extensive tour that hits Sol Bar, Maroochydore on Friday 21 September and The Zoo Saturday 22, before returning Saturday 10 November to play the Sprung Festival on Saturday 10 November. No strangers to the touring arena, TZU always deliver live, and this tour will see the band showcasing new material this along with many classics. In addition soulful hip hop/electronica duo Sietta join the entire tour as support. Tickets are available via OzTix and the venues right now. Proudly presented by Street Press Australia.
Has it really been 35 years since those costumewearin’, booty-shakin’ disco fiends The Village People first gave us a reason to wear leather chaps again? Why yes, indeed it has. Three-and-a-half decades hasn’t seemed to slow them down, either: in recent years, they have performed a full schedule of fairs, festivals, universities and casinos throughout the United States as well as Canada, Brazil, France, Japan, Finland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Romania, South Africa, Mexico and Poland. And now, they happily return to Australia! Ray Simpson (Cop and lead singer), Alexander Briley (Soldier), Felipe Rose (Native American), David Hodo (Construction Worker), Jeff Olson (Cowboy) and Eric Anzalone (Biker) all swagger their way into Jupiters Theatre on the Gold Coast, Sunday 25 November. Tix on sale Monday 30 July through ticketmaster.com.au
CHOICE CUTS
LITTLE SOUND
By youth for youth, the second annual Little BIGSOUND has announced its full program – a feast of industry and music in a one-day forum for young people aged 14-25 looking at starting a career in the business. Taking over Fortitude Valley’s Judith Wright Centre on Saturday 15 September, the event will feature speakers from the likes of Dew Process, Spotify, TheMusic.com.au, Soundwave, Select Music, triple j and many more. This line-up of speakers includes industry identities behind the success of bands such as Jebediah, Eskimo Joe, Powderfinger, Shihad, San Cisco, DZ Deathrays, Ball Park Music and Art Of Sleeping to name a few. The day will include morning and lunchtime acoustic sessions with triple j Unearthed stars Sahara Beck and Thelma Plum and rising Rockhampton soloist Weathered, and will close with a musical showcase featuring some killer artists like Alexander Gow from the band Oh Mercy, Brisbane’s Hey Geronimo, pictured, and Canada’s Your Favorite Enemies. For more info and to grab tickets to the event, head along to bigsound.org.au.
Cassian has just released his third solo EP The Love Cuts, through super cool New York label Nurvous (which is related to the legendary Nervous) and the release has seen this Sydney dude turn heads all across the globe; scoring support and kind words from the likes of A-Trak, Aeroplane, Bag Raiders and Faze Action. He’s just back from a big six week tour of the US and, seeing as he’s in such fine touch in the live arena, he’ll be heading straight into dates throughout Australian and Japan to continue the momentum he’s built thus far. This, of course, includes a trip to this part of the country, so if you feel like a dance to one of the hottest emerging electronically-inclined acts on the planet, you’ll want to get along to Byron Bay’s LaLaLand on Saturday 25 August, Oh Hello! on Friday 7 September or Elsewhere on the Gold Coast on Saturday 22 September.
FRONTLASH
FRONTLASH
So the LNP are now charging media to report from Sate Parliament? Fuck accountability, we’ll use coverage of our scheming as a cash grab! They were left a pretty disastrous economy, but at this rate they’re in danger of throwing out the baby with the bathwater and ruining our state to save it…
Congratulations to Louise O’Reilly and Paul Hannan from local act Laneway for taking out the prestigious GW McLennan Fellowship for 2012. Here’s hoping that they’re not the last recipients of this fantastic award, we’ll have to wait and see if any art funding at all is retained by our current government…
MEDIA MADNESS
SHADY LANEWAY
WHAT A ZERO
OLDIES BUT GOODIES
Completely fitting that the jerk who threw the beer bottle onto the track seconds before the men’s 100m sprint final at the Lolympics was beaten up by a world judo champion. Violence doesn’t solve problems but some people still need a good flying judo chop…
A couple of great announces for tours by elder statesmen this week, with caustic renegades Shellac announcing their first Oz tour since ’93, and Sonic Youth legend Lee Ranaldo announcing his first solo tour to these parts. Show those kids how it’s done…
VALE TONY SLY No reports have yet told exactly how he passed away, but we’re saddened to hear of the passing of No Use For A Name frontman Tony Sly, a frequent visitor to these shores. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family, he shall be missed…
OUR PLEASURE
LANEWAY
themusic.com.au
You hardly see any more cane toads around these days (compared to a couple of decades ago at any rate), and maybe it’s because they’re all migrating south. Another one was found on the outskirts of Melbourne last week…
The CBD’s premiere
party venue JONSON STREET BYRON BAY
Sat 11 Aug
ILLY Sun 12 Aug
STONEFIELD & OWL EYES Thurs 16 Aug
ALPINE
Free entry all night IP sections available
Sun 19 Aug
WHALE SONG WITH ASH GRUNWALD Thurs 24 Aug
TIM ROGERS Sun 26 Aug
CHILDREN COLLIDE Fri 31 Aug
PIGEON Sun 9 Sept
KATCHAFIRE
TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE
Cnr George and Elizabeth Streets, Brisbane Ph 3221 4377 irishmurphys.com.au
Live music 7 nights a week
www.thenorthern.com.au TIME OFF • 13
NO REST FOR THE WICKED
It’s been quite an ordeal waiting for The Laurels to get their debut album together, but as guitarist-vocalist Piers Cornelius explains to Steve Bell, good things (hopefully) come to those who wait.
F
or years now young Sydney staples The Laurels have been fixtures on the nation’s stages, blowing people away with their accomplished marriage of noise and dexterity, but it was only last month with the release of their debut album Plains that they had a substantial recording to show for their efforts. Their 2011 EP Mesozoic was indeed a fine taster for what lay ahead and contained some monster riffs, but with Plains they upped the ante and have taken things to a whole new level, the record a fitting physical encapsulation of all that they’ve done and achieved so far in their short career. Now that their long-player is on shelves – or in clouds or on playlists or however else is music is disseminated and consumed these days – it’s time for them to take their distinct aesthetic to the people, something that the burgeoning quartet couldn’t be happier about.
There’s more to this story
on the iPad
“Yeah, it’s really exciting,” co-vocalist and guitarist Piers Cornelius admits of finally having Plains out there. “We’ve been waiting for the album to come out for such a long time, so it’s a pretty big relief for everyone. We’re just really excited that people will finally get to hear it, and we won’t have to spend three hours every gig we’re at saying, ‘It’ll be out soon!’ – that’s all we seem to get asked, we never seem to get to have proper conversations with anyone, it’s just, ‘When’s it coming out? When’s it coming out?’ kind of thing.” There’s a lightness of tone to Cornelius’ voice which makes it clear that he hasn’t really been vexed by this expectation from The Laurels’ fanbase; who in their right mind could be bothered by people clambering to hear your art, especially at this stage of a career? But he’s definitely glad that they took their time. “In retrospect probably [I’m glad we waited], but while we were working towards putting out the album it was a bit frustrating,” he admits. “We’ve always been wary of being one of those bands who put out an album really early and then they decide that they don’t like that kind of music anymore, and that they totally want to change their style and sound before they do their next album. It was a bit frustrating not being able to put anything out, but we’re also happy that the thing that we’ve put out first is something that we really like. And we won’t look back in a couple of years and think, ‘What were we doing?’” Once Cornelius and the rest of The Laurels – co-frontman/guitarist Luke O’Farrell, bassist Conor Hannan and drummer Kate Wilson – did indeed bunker down to record Plains, they took the time to
articulate their vision for the album, which for them was to transcend the delightful racket of their live sets. “We discussed it quite a bit, which led to some pretty tense rehearsals,” Cornelius recalls. “But we just figured that we’ve been playing so long and everyone’s seen us so many times, that if we just put out a record that sounded exactly like how we do live then it wouldn’t be very exciting, it would probably sound boring and we’d probably sound bored if we were doing that on record. So we just wanted to make one where it didn’t really sound that much like our live show, and used a heap of clean guitars and guitar tones and stuff, compared to when we play live and it’s all feedback and distortion. We wanted it all to sound like a lot of our favourite records, where everything is given its own room to distinguish itself. We were just trying to make a record that sounds like our favourite ones I guess, and not something that you put it on and two minutes later your housemate will walk in and tell you to turn that noise off!” Guitar tones have always seemed an important part of The Laurels’ arsenal, and they did an incredible job on Plains, giving each song its own disparate feel. “Yeah, I guess we’ve always liked really bright, sort of trebly chiming guitars,” Cornelius ponders. “And we have quite a ridiculous amount of guitar pedals, so that’s something that we’ve always been interested in. I think it’s something that you have to be interested in a lot of the time. If you go in to record and you leave that up to the producer, then you probably won’t ever end up with an album that you’re happy with. So we always take that into consideration, yeah.”
“
things as well. It was fun working with him.” The Laurels had already built up a solid following on the back of their hard work ethic plus a slew of great high profile supports in both Sydney and beyond – they’ve shared a stage with such acts as Swervedriver, Low, Wooden Shjips and The Black Angels to name but a few – but they still didn’t feel any external pressure leading into the recording sessions. “The only pressure we had was put on us by ourselves, just wanting to make something that we were really happy with,” Cornelius tells. “If you worry about all of that external stuff it distracts you, and I doubt whether worrying if other people will like it is the right thing to do. There was a bit of pressure that we’d put on ourselves to make something that we were really proud of, but we didn’t factor in how we’re viewed because of all the supports we’d done – we didn’t even give that a second thought, we’re just stoked to get to play with all of these bands that we love. Other bands probably hate us because we’ve been pretty lucky, but we just love getting to see our favourite bands up close.” Of course they do, because it’s obvious that the members of The Laurels are complete music nuts – in the best sense of the term – with a combined palette far broader than the ‘shoegaze’ genre that their dreamy soundcsapes so often find them lumped amidst. “If you asked us all to nominate our top ten albums we’d all probably have one shoegaze record in there, probably maximum,” Cornelius laughs. “There’s so much stuff and it’s always shifting, I don’t even really know where to start. Sort of
“IF YOU’RE REALLY INTO MUSIC YOU WANT TO GO OUT ON MUSICAL QUESTS AND DISCOVER THE MOST AWESOME STUFF YOU CAN – WHEN YOU’RE A MUSIC-HEAD, THAT’S INBUILT.”
For Plains The Laurels decided to once again team up with producer Liam Judson (Cloud Control, Belles Will Ring), who’d done enough with them on Mesozoic for them to decide that he was indeed the right person to helm their debut long-player. “On the EP we only got to work with him very briefly, probably on about two or three of the songs,” Cornelius continues. “It was great working with him and he knows a lot of the sounds that we were trying to go for, and he’s very positive in the studio – everything that you want to try out, he’s totally into trying that with you to see how it goes. I think that he’ll probably nick a lot of those ideas for Belles Will Ring, but that’s okay, he did show us some really cool
anything from the early-‘60s trebly stuff like The Byrds or The Beatles, and we’ve started to listen to hip hop recently and stuff like Curtis Mayfield and Blur and The Las... I feel bad naming bands because everyone in the band has different tastes. “Obviously we’re always listening to music, and sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed by how much great stuff is out there, but I don’t think we really listen to bands to incorporate them into our sound – it’s just because we like listening to them. Maybe subconsciously it rubs off a bit on some of our songs, but we don’t trawl through record stores for bands that we can rip off. We all listen to so much different
CALL OF THE OUTBACK
For part of the tracking for Plains, The Laurels decamped to a property near the Hunter Valley in rural New South Wales, with unintentionally hilarious results. There was a flooding incident which found producer Liam Judson crossing a surging causeway in his underwear to save the master tapes, and also some neighbourly interference which helped put a damper on proceedings. “The first night we got there we spent all day setting up, and we had a timeline and had been hoping to finish bass tracks for three songs on the first day, and then the next day we’d get all of the rest [of the rhythm section] done, and then that would let us work on our guitars and vocals for ages – everything revolved around allowing Luke and I to do our thing properly,” Cornelius laughs. “But on the first day we got delayed travelling up there – car issues – and we ended up arriving much later than we expected, and then we spent a little while setting up the drums and everything, and just as we were about to commence the first take of the first song the phone rang, and it was a neighbour from a property about a kilometre away but directly level with us on the other side of the hill, and she said, ‘If you guys don’t shut up I’m going to send my husband around to shut you up!’ So we were sort of expecting not so sleep for a week and spend twenty-four hours every day just laying down stuff, but unfortunately we ended up having to stop our recording time at about half-past five or six o’clock every day so we didn’t get killed by her husband!” music but I couldn’t imagine it any other way, listening to the same thing over and over again would suck. If you’re really into music you want to go out on musical quests and discover the most awesome stuff you can – when you’re a music-head, that’s inbuilt.” Speaking of musical quests, do The Laurels have any plans to take their music abroad now that they have such a perfect calling card? “We’re pretty keen to try and go to the US I think, but it’s all unfortunately dependent on getting a grant because we don’t have enough money to fund it ourselves,” Cornelius reflects. “We have very tentative plans to go there, but if that doesn’t end up happening then we’ve already got most of the songs that we want to put on the next album written, so I guess we’ll start rehearsing those and get ready to go back into the studio. It would probably save us a lot of money if we didn’t go to the US, but going there would be pretty fun. I haven’t really thought about it too much yet to be honest, we’re just really excited to have an album out and it’ll probably hit us soon that we have to be doing things beyond that.” WHO: The Laurels WHAT: Plains (Rice Is Nice) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 17 August, Beetle Bar
TIME OFF • 15
A BACKWARD GLANCE FORWARD Melbourne’s Illy is at the forefront of Australia’s next wave of Australian hip hop. Ahead of his latest tour, Matt O’Neill speaks to Al Murray about taking his alias back to his roots.
I
lly isn’t a typical Australian hip hop artist. In a genre often criticised for dated trends, Al Murray has always sounded thoroughly contemporary. His longstanding friendship with producer extraordinaire M-Phazes ensured his work was blessed with cutting-edge polish from the outset. His commitment to songwriting, meanwhile – writing all of his own hooks – has kept his voice consistently distinct. “I honestly never had a clear vision of what I was going to do when I started my solo career,” the MC muses. “I knew what I wanted to do. I didn’t have the first idea how to go about doing it, though. I’ve been very lucky, really. You know, M-Phazes is one of my best mates
Secret Sounds presents
and has been heavily involved in my stuff – and he just happens to be, far and away, one of the best producers this country’s ever seen. I’ve been very fortunate.” Originally cutting his teeth as a member of Melbourne crew Crooked Eye, Murray’s career proper began strongly with 2009 debut album, Long Story Short, and has proceeded to evolve at an astonishing rate over the subsequent years. Follow-up effort, The Chase, hit #25 on the ARIA charts, delivering multiple hit singles and eventual entries in triple j’s coveted Hottest 100. Throughout, Murray has continued to shape his own sound. Significantly removed from Australian hip hop’s ongoing fascination with chopped-up soul samples and rock-inspired production, Illy’s work has been defined by dextrous rhythms, cinematic arrangements and pop-friendly hooks, the MC often collaborating with live vocalists like Melbourne’s Owl Eyes or Hue Blanes. “I actually agree with a lot of those comments [about Australian hip hop],” Murray admits. “I don’t think they’ve ever really applied to what I do. I actually think a lot of them are in response to criticisms from the other direction, though. You know, I can definitely see why some people would think Australian hip hop is stuck in the ‘90s – but I think a lot of those comments are really in response to older guys constantly claiming new stuff is shit. “I mean, of course they’d say that. They were there for all of the original stuff. They experienced it. We didn’t – so we have to do our own thing. Build our own sounds. It’s really a stupid, horrible, fucking circular argument. Personally, I think there’s room for everything. Just do what you want to do. If people don’t like it, they won’t get behind it. If they do get behind it, you can laugh and say ‘Nyah nyah.’” As a result, Murray’s success has often been marred by backlash. Similar to 360, Murray’s larger than life personality, mainstream success and contemporary sounds have conspired to make him something of a target for both Australian hip hop purists and sceptical mainstream audiences. It’s a position that only becomes more pronounced as he grows more successful. “Well, I think a lot of the stuff towards me, if you dig below the initial comment at all, there’s fuck all there to justify it,” Murray says bluntly. “I say that because, I may have a couple of songs that have been on the radio, but anyone who has seen a live show knows that they’re hardly the crux of the set. I mean, this album I’m working on has some of Australia’s best MCs and best producers on it. “You know, MCs and producers – that people giving me shit are probably massive fans of – are happy to work with me. I think, whatever backlash I encounter, it’s usually based on people only knowing a few big songs and having no fucking clue beyond that. Any time you hear something like, ‘Oh, Illy’s a fucking faggot,’ ‘Why?’ ‘Oh, because he’s got that fucking song.’ I have forty others that sound nothing like it.” Keeping all of that in mind, Illy’s career is about to get really interesting. The Melbourne MC’s forthcoming third album, Bring It Back, sees a reinvention – Murray eschewing his sculpted, pop-friendly sound in favour of exploring his hip hop origins. The album began as something of an experimental project for Murray but, as time progressed, gradually morphed into Illy’s third solo album, due for release later this year.
Special Guests
EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS plus WILLY
BRIS ONLY*
MASON
Wed-17-Oct BRISBANE RIVERSTAGE* Tickets from ticketmaster.com.au & 136 100
Wed-31-Oct GOLD COAST CONVENTION CENTRE Tickets from ticketek.com.au & 132 849
TICKETS ON SALE NOW secret-sounds.com.au
Pre-Order the new album Babel out Fri-21-Sep.
mumfordandsons.com
For more details head to mumfordandsons.com
“I’ve wanted to do an album like this for quite a while. I’ve wanted to work with a lot of the people I worked with on Bring It Back for ages. Particularly [Funkoars producer/MC] Trials. I’ve wanted to work with that guy for, like, a solid three or four years. It’s still an Illy record. It’s not like I’m sounding like Bjork all of a sudden. It’s just something a little different from my earlier stuff. “It’s a lot more hip hop. It’s a lot more boom-bap. There are no vocalists besides myself and other MCs. There are no sung hooks. There are a lot more DJ scratches and cuts. It’s just a lot more of a rap album. I love what I do and I’m proud of my albums – but I wanted to do something different. At the start, it was a passion project. It was kind of stepping out of my comfort zone and stepping back into my comfort zone at the same time.” It’s an interesting period for Murray. In addition to shifting back to a more classic rap identity with Bring It Back, Illy is also currently preparing a sequel to The Chase. Having recently graduated from his law degree (“Yeah, man – that’s what I mean when I say that people don’t know shit about me,” he laughs), Murray’s career is kicking into overdrive. Even he seems somewhat unsure of what’s about to happen. Talking about that sequel to The Chase the MC says, “That was initially my main priority and Bring It Back was just an idea I was kind of exploring in my spare time – but, as people started to get in touch and songs started to come together, Bring It Back went from being this random project to actually being able to stand on its own two feet as a record. “All these plans started falling into place and we kind of realised that Bring It Back was actually happening and it was going to sound fucking dope. As a result, everything to do with The Chase sequel got put on the backburner while we gave Bring It Back the attention it deserved. It’s weird, man. Since finishing uni, I’ve just decided to throw myself completely into music and see what happens.” WHO: Illy WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 9 August, Tomba’s, Toowoomba; Friday 10, The Zoo; Saturday 11, Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay; Saturday 10 November, Sprung Festival, RNA Showgrounds
16 • TIME OFF
themusic.com.au
Sunday 16 September The Zoo ZOO.OZTIX.COM.AU | 1300 762 545 or from an oztix outlet
On sale THIS FRIDAY newtonfaulkner.com chuggentertainment.com bluesfesttouring.com.au
ADRIAN BOHM PRESENTS
ADRIAN BOHM PRESENTS THE STAR OF ABC TV’S BLACK BOOKS
AWESOME AUSTRALIAN TOUR, GREAT JOB!
THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER THE TIVOLI BOOK AT TICKETEK 132 849 TICKETEK.COM.AU
ON SALE NOW! ABPRESENTS.COM.AU
21, 23 & 24 SEPT QPAC CONCERT HALL BOOK AT QPAC 136 246 QPAC.COM.AU
! DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND THIRD SHOW ON SALE NOW TIMANDERIC.COM
BILLBAILEY.CO.UK | ABPRESENTS.COM.AU TIME OFF • 17
BLACK IN THE SADDLE It’s been a horror year for Peter Black, otherwise known as Blackie, wild axeman of seminal Aussie rock icons the Hard-Ons. Yet as he shows Brendan Telford, he’s as resilient as they come.
I
t’s been a tumultuous year for Peter Black, to put it mildly. One third of one of Australia’s best loved bands the Hard-Ons, the guitarist known to all as Blackie had a lot to look forward to – the release of his second solo album, being named one of Australia’s best guitarists by Australian Guitar Magazine, and an impending tour of Europe and Japan all loomed on the horizon. He’s never taken such things for granted, and his primary source of income came from driving a taxi, a profession he thought was perfect for a musician. However in May things turned drastically after he was assaulted after picking up a fare and was left unconscious with skull fractures and a swollen brain. “I won’t lie to you, it’s been the most fucked time of my life,” Black states
plainly. “I’ve had a trilogy of really fucked up shit happen to me before the assault too. I don’t know, I guess I’ve had such a good run, being a young kid in a punk band and travelling the world, that there had to be some shit thrown in my direction at some stage. I’m not enjoying it, but what can you do? That’s life.” Whilst it’s incredibly heart-warming to see Black back on his feet again, the after effects of that terrible night continue to plague him to the point that it impedes upon the greatest love of his life. “I get bouts of vertigo still, which is a real worry because the hospital said I should only have it for six weeks and it’s getting closer to two-and-a-half months,” he continues. “It’s certainly much better than when it was when I was in hospital. I just got back from a jog, I can do things like that, and the fitter you are the better you recover. When you get a knock on the head, I don’t know the full mechanics of it but it fucks with your inner ear, and I’m doing these vertigo exercises that make you feel like you’re going to puke all the time. I feel a little nervous picking up a guitar, because I feel like that I mightn’t be up to par anymore. And with the acoustic stuff, I’m a long way off feeling proficient at that stuff, so it’s all rather cumbersome.” Black may have been down, but the overwhelming level of support that came out of the woodwork from the Australian music industry proved to him that he was far from finished with this mortal coil. “Mate, you’ve got no idea,” Black marvels. “I can’t talk about it without getting insanely sappy! You keep thinking that the music industry is this and that, we’ve been playing for thirty years and we don’t make a cent, it’s all so hard. Then something like this happens – the amount of support I got was astonishing. It blew my puny fucking mind to kingdom come! The way everyone rallied together – friends, family, the music industry as well – I can’t thank them enough. It’s been paramount. When I get better I want to do a bunch of things to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart – I don’t know how I’m going to do it yet though.” In many ways Black already has, because if there’s one place the music community wants him to be, it’s back on the stage. He’s out on the road, testing the waters with the solo material that makes up his new album No Dangerous Gods In Tunnel. This venture into the acoustic domain is worlds away from the Hard-Ons, especially because of Black’s aversion to the form; therefore making the process something that Black admits is starkly alien yet perversely enjoyable. “I picked up the acoustic quite late in life,” Black opines. “It’s something that I’ve fallen for heavily, I wish I’d started doing this shit years ago. One of the main catalysts was being at a party and this dude handed me an acoustic and said, ‘C’mon dude, play a song!’ I said, ‘Nah man, I can’t do any of this shit!’ But I walked away thinking, I actually couldn’t play it, I didn’t know where to start, what to do with the instrument. It’s a killer creative outlet that I think I was blinded to because, even today, I don’t have a love for acoustic music. Too much of what I hear to me sounds just like a demo. The acoustic guitar is a beautiful instrument, and it should be used to make beautiful music. It may be my ignorance, but so much of it’s folk, which I just do not listen to. And I feel that I let myself be blinded to that for far too long, so much that I look at an acoustic now and think, ‘Fuck, where have you been all my life?’ If you’re going to use the instrument it has to sound like that’s the best way to present it, not like a guy who is showing the rest of his band how a melody goes.” The music present on No Dangerous Gods In Tunnel is vastly different to anything that Black has put his name to previously, a fact that he believes is the natural course of the artist. “For me the real notion of growing as an artist is to expand,” he muses. “You have to get harder as you get older, to keep challenging yourself. You can sound like a retread or an RSL artist, which is why I’ve always wanted to experiment, to fuck with the form. Because of my punk rock background, I always thought of going solo as a bit wanky, which was an idiotic attitude to have. So whilst the first album I had fuck all money so was just giving it a go and seeing what came out, I could distil what I knew into something focused, with no electrics or drums, using strings too, which challenged me in other ways than just playing the bloody thing.” Above all else the fact that Black is back in the saddle is great news for everyone, most of all to himself, and he’s revelling in this new chance. “Music is a part of me, so touring the solo stuff is massively positive, to be playing again,” he tells. “Ray [Ahn] has been getting me to do some tentative Hard-Ons and Nunchukka [Superfly] rehearsals; even though my neurologist and brain specialist are saying that I shouldn’t be in the same fucking room as loud amplified music, let alone playing it! But I’ve been doing twenty-minute lots, then twenty-minute breaks, and if I get tired I go home. They scratch their heads and say, ‘Look, it’s just not recommended!’ But when I explain how important music is to me, they shrug their shoulders. If it’s doing good for my soul, then in the long run it’s doing me less harm, more good.” WHO: Peter Black WHAT: No Dangerous Gods In Tunnel (Citadel/Fuse) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 11 August, Prince Of Wales Hotel; Sunday 12, Tym Guitars (all ages)
18 • TIME OFF
themusic.com.au
QUEENSLAND’S
ONLY AUDITED
STREET
PRESS
TIME OFF • 19
REWRITING HISTORY Five years ago, Elton John took Australia’s Pnau under his wing. Today, Pnau give Elton John Good Morning To The Night. Matt O’Neill speaks to Nick Littlemore about remixing their mentor’s legendary back-catalogue.
I
t’s a work of staggering ambition. Ostensibly a remix album, Good Morning To The Night actually inhabits a much more impressive spectrum of accomplishment. Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes haven’t simply grafted a handful of popular Elton John tunes to house rhythms – Pnau have genuinely deconstructed John’s original recordings (specifically, from 1970 to 1976); assembling entire new productions from the fragments. Take lead single and title track, Good Morning To The Night. A shimmering, cerebral slice of funkheavy house, Good Morning To The Night clocks in at just over three minutes – but is sewn together from eight different songs. Late-album highlight Phoenix actually packs nine
PRESENTED BY
into the same period. Even accounting for the similar experimentation of The Beatles‘ Love collage for Cirque Du Soleil; it really is a record of unprecedented ambition. “I feel good. I feel good about it. I’m quite proud of the work. It’s hard to say what we did exactly – but I like the record. You know, I listen to it and I enjoy it,” Littlemore says. “Initially, there was just so much material to learn – to be schooled on. We ended up just trying to find the best grooves we could; the best feeling, in pieces. And looking at pieces that weren’t popular ones. Just those magical loopable moments of a track. “There was a lot of trepidation on our part. For the first six months, we were just listening to his music. Six months of just trying to get to know his material,” he elaborates. “I mean, it’s really touchy stuff to work on. For the first six months, we just couldn’t think about it. I mean, how do you make this stuff better? Of course, eventually, we realised that wasn’t what we were trying to do, anyway. We just tried to make something that we liked.” Somewhat surprisingly, it was John’s idea. The singer/ songwriter sought out the band five years ago after hearing their eponymous breakthrough 2007 album. Impressed, he signed the pair to his management company and has been acting as a friend and mentor to the band ever since – even collaborating with Littlemore for the pair’s 2011 album Soft Universe. John initially suggested the remix album some three years ago. “It was Elton’s idea. He called us a couple of months after we moved to London and had signed with his manager – told us he wanted us to make this record,” Littlemore says. “The music industry is so surreal. Things just happen like that. It’s not always down to the individual but there are those artists who glide through the world who can just reach out and pick someone – and Elton is one of those artists. “You know, I never like to analyse our connection with Elton too much. I mean, why does anyone meet anyone in this life? I just don’t like to look at it too closely – because the whole thing has kind of changed my life, and me, for the better,” the producer reflects. “When we first moved to London, we didn’t really have much of an international footing and there was a lot of logistical stuff. We couldn’t have done that without Elton.” The whole project is really a testament to Pnau’s remarkable career. The Sydney duo have, through both their own output as Pnau and that of internationally-acclaimed side project Empire Of The Sun, achieved more than any Australian dance act in history. Locally, their debut album Sambanova took out 2000’s ARIA award for Best Dance Release. Empire Of The Sun can boast 11 ARIA awards. Internationally, they’re heavyweights. Aside from Elton John’s patronage (which began with the declaration that Pnau was the greatest record he’d heard in ten years), Littlemore has worked with Robbie Williams, Groove Armada and, most recently, Cirque Du Soleil (as musical director and composer for 2011 arena show Zarkana). Peter Mayes‘ curriculum vitae encompasses work with Karen O, Mika and The Killers. “I don’t think any artist is ever really conscious of their success while it’s happening – even on the comparatively minor scale that mine has been compared with, you know, actual stars,” Littlemore reflects (without irony). “I don’t know. You take every day as it comes and, as opportunities come, you and try and say ‘yes’. We’ve always tried to say ‘yes’ to everything in Pnau. “You know, Peter and I currently live on opposite sides of the US – one in New York, one in Los Angeles – so we don’t see each other as much, but we’re always working. It’s kind of hustling, in a way. You’re always hustling for more work,” he continues. “Even if you have a big management team and record labels and all the rest, it takes a lot of random chances to get into things and find more work.” Somewhat amusingly, Littlemore doesn’t seem to think of Good Morning To The Night in such terms – or any aspect of his career, for that matter. Consistently returning to the subject of luck, Littlemore comes across not as a hardworking musician who has graduated to the global arena, but rather as a kid playing grown-ups who is certain he’s going to be caught out soon and put back in the nursery.
JUL 26 West End 7pm KELLIE LLOYD (Screamfeeder) AUG 9 West End 7pm KATE JACOBSON (Texas Tea) AUG 23 Fortitude Valley 7pm ROWLEY COWPER
AUG 2 Fortitude Valley 7pm JAMES O’BRIEN (The Boat People) AUG 16 UQ 1pm STEVE GRADY AUG 30 UQ 1pm DAVE DI MARCO (Charlie Mayfair)
Fortitude Valley (07) 3254 1655
West End (07) 3844 8777
UQ (07) 3870 2258
542 Brunswick Street, New Farm
Shop 3, 156 Boundary Street, West End
Building 94, Slip Road, Saint Lucia
20 • TIME OFF
themusic.com.au
“Oh, that’s not a fear. That’s a reality,” he laughs. “You know, that’s the way this industry works. I see it happen around me all the time. At the moment, we have a lot of friends – but it can get very lonely very quickly in this industry and I’m sure that will happen eventually. I’m very conscious of the fact that I have a shelf-life. All you can really do is just keep working at things and hope for the best. “That’s one of the good things about working with someone like Elton. You know, he’s been at it such a long time – but he’s delivered different songs, different eras, different shows that have all broken through to people over the years. I think that kind of longevity is really what we’re looking for as musicians. Pnau’s been a part of my life since I was a kid. Really, I just hope we can make a few more records… You know, get more esoteric and be true to ourselves; not make music that isn’t representative of who we are, so to speak,” Littlemore adds, cryptically. “In a lot of ways, Good Morning To The Night feels like a Pnau record. Rather than an Elton John record, it’s a Pnau record where we just happened to exclusively sample Elton’s music. It actually feels a lot like our first record, you know?” WHO: Pnau vs Elton John WHAT: Good Morning To The Night (Ministry of Sound/Universal)
TRIPPIN’ WITH PURPOSE Whilst he’s been quiet on news of his long-awaited follow-up album for some time, Z-Trip proves to Cyclone that he’s been loud on all other fronts, including throwing political punches.
Z
-Trip (aka Zach Sciacca) may be the Godfather of the MashUp, a style popularised by 2ManyDJs, Girl Talk and countless others, but he’s more about the ethos than any title. “It’s kind of a redundant term, ‘cause mashing-up music is just mixing music,” Sciacca quips, referring to its derivation from reggae culture. “If you’re a fucking DJ, you should be mixing music to begin with!” The American rolls with the tag only because he appreciates that it summarises his approach for a wider demographic – and, Sciacca says, “it’s not like anything I can shake. “I think it’s a term that people have been able to identify with because it’s like coining ‘dubstep’ or ‘drum’n’bass’ or ‘jungle’ or whatever – everybody needs to put something in a box. But what I do, my nature, is out of the box.” Indeed, so played-out is the catchall ‘mash-up’ now that many are re-branding their steez as “party”. Sciacca is glad that DJs have ditched the bandwagon. “There was a lot of it that was bad. There were people who were mixing together a pop vocal with a funny anecdotal thing that made for an interesting combo, but musically sounded like shit. To me, it was always the music that came first – and should come first – and it was always about mixing different kinds of music, not just making a cute little thing.”
“There are a lot of forward-thinking people in the US, but there are more people who are sheep, who just follow along and are afraid of anything that’s gonna take away the statusquo – even though the status-quo is fucked. And that’s the sad truth. It’s really fucked-up to see it, because I’ve gotta live in this country. I’ve gotta deal with these people – and mostly it’s people I bump into in traffic. They’re everywhere. You can look at them and just go, Yep, that guy, he doesn’t know how to merge – he clearly doesn’t know what the fuck’s going on.” Merge, shift gear or mash it up? WHO: Z-Trip WHEN & WHERE: Tuesday 14 August, The Hi-Fi
Sciacca originates from New York but moved to Phoenix, Arizona, with Mom when his parents separated. The b-boy joined the Bombshelter DJs, buying records on trips to NYC. Sciacca eventually settled in Los Angeles to further his DJ career, but he attributes his unique blending of hip hop, electro and rock to those days of isolation in the desert. Sciacca first generated heat internationally with 2001’s mixtape, Uneasy Listening, Vol 1 (alongside DJ P). In 2005 he issued an acclaimed ‘artist’ album, Shifting Gears, containing the hit, Walking Dead, with Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, on the Disney-affiliated Hollywood Records. Since then, Sciacca has sired side-projects (Ahead Of The Curve with Lateef), cut music for video games (he’s heavily involved in DJ Hero), and remixed everyone from Nirvana (officially!) to The Jackson 5 to, recently, will.i.am. Sciacca is “stoked” to be returning to Australia. He’s toured here for years, even playing 2009’s Big Day Out. And Sciacca raves about our crowds being “up for just about fucking anything... You [Australians] always go hard – wherever I play, and wherever I go, you seem to go along with [it]. And you don’t just go along with [it] for the sake of going along. You’re riding shotgun – you’re in the car with me.” This time the technology geek is bringing a new fluid audio-visual show entailing a (responsive) VJ, enabling him to “read the crowd like a true DJ… It allows me to be versatile with what I play and when I play it and how I play it – to not have to worry about having every visual sync-up and have everything be the same over and over and over,” he explains. “I like to change up my music – and change up my sets. Every show has got to be a little bit different or else I get bored.” Sciacca, who once opened for The Rolling Stones, has been playing to a very different audience lately – and “a dream come true” - as LL Cool J’s tour DJ. “It’s great! I mean, the dude’s a legend. For me to be working with him, I’m completely honoured. It’s very validating for what I do and how I do it.” The MC, an “open-minded guy”, has permitted him to ‘flip’ his tunes. “We have a dubstep moment that we do in Going Back To Cali.” What’s more, the pair have ventured into the studio for jams like Super Baller. Touring with LL Cool J, in addition to prepping his own show, has delayed work on Sciacca’s long-awaited follow-up to Shifting Gears. But he’s deliberately taking his time, having no label to dictate deadlines. “The cool thing about it is I keep making more – and [more] interesting – music and it’s getting to be more and more diverse. So, when it is time to put it out, it’s gonna be very dense. There’ll be a lot to it.” Sciacca is aiming to finish an album by year’s end or in early 2013. In the meantime, he’s teamed with Canada’s Datsik for the wobbly Double Trouble on the latter’s Vitamin D LP. Sciacca is obsessed with dubstep, being into all “low end” music (including Miami bass). “There’s a lot of people who shit on it, but I’m a huge fan, man. I think if it’s done right, it’s amazing.” And Double Trouble is indicative of Sciacca’s new material. “It’s just working with different rappers or different artists, different producers – and trying to come up with completely different stuff.” Sciacca is excited about the current fusion of rap and EDM arising from the US dance explosion. Hip hop, he feels, “had kind of really run its course” and needed to reinvent itself. Not that Sciacca is disloyal. “I don’t want people to think that I’ve jumped ship or anything, ‘cause I’m still a hip hop head – always will be.” In fact, he remains the nonconformist. “It’s really great to see cross-pollinisation within music – I’m a huge fan of that. I’ve built my whole career off that so, to see it happening, I’m stoked.” These days DJs are as wary of engaging in political debate as the prissiest of pop stars. Sciacca? Hell no – he has opinions. Such was Sciacca’s early support of Barack Obama that he unleashed the mix-ups Party For Change and Victory Lap. Obama is now running for a second term with many Americans disillusioned. Sciacca understands. “I’m still a fan of him and his politics – for the most part,” he cautions. The DJ certainly doesn’t want the Republican Mitt Romney to win. “I think Romney’d be a fuckin’ travesty for a United States President!” Sciacca hopes Obama might yet implement more of the changes he promised – changes that have been actively resisted. “They’ve been fighting him left and right this whole time – and I will even go out on a further limb and say that I think half of the reason is just ‘cause he’s black. It’s not even ‘cause of his fuckin’ politics. There’s a lot of white racist people who are still in power in the US and who have a very fuckin’ hard time with a black person running the country. That’s the reality of it.” Nowhere is this more evident to Sciacca than in the apparently grassroots backlash to the health care reform dubbed ‘ObamaCare’ – touted as a Socialist conspiracy by conservatives. Sciacca sighs,
themusic.com.au
TIME OFF • 21
FAT RECORD Influential Aussie hip hop label Obese Records release their Obesecity 2 compilation a decade after their first, and Street Press Australia got to catch up with a few of the artists involved.
BIGFOOT (HIRED GOONS CREW, MELBOURNE)
One of the few artists on Obesecity 2, who also appeared on the first Obesecity 10 years ago: “Typically, Australian hip hop 10 years ago had laid-back and easygoing overtones that I could not always identify with. I was striving to make something more indicative of the lifestyle that I was living at the time, also reflecting the more extreme nature of the music that I gravitated towards as a listener. It was my aim to make Destroy The Rhyme the hardest and fastest song on the album, highlighting the differences between myself and the majority of Australian rap at the time. Since then, with the proliferation of relatively inexpensive home recording equipment and influence of the internet, the music industry has undergone a radical change… Obesecity 2 is testament to the years of hard work and solid foundations built by those artists who have stuck to their guns, unfalteringly walking their own path and building their own fan bases from grassroots beginnings. Very few of them are household names in the commercial realm, but the majority are revered and respected mainstays amongst hip hop circles who have invested blood, sweat and tears in pursuit of their passions. Seasoned veterans from all corners of the map are aligned alongside newer generations of talent showing limitless potential.”
CLASS A (MELBOURNE)
One of two lady emcees on the new compilation: “It means a lot to me to be a part of Obesecity 2. I used to catch the train up from Geelong and go to Obese Records (retail) to get my hip hop music and clothes as a little homie; I really looked forward to that. I was just such a big, dedicated fan. I actually dreamt about being on an Obese compilation. I remember saying to some guy at McDonalds in Geelong when Culture Of Kings came out: ‘I’m going to be on one of these compilations, watch me!’. That was the 10-years-ago bratty me. It took me a while but I got there. This album in particular means a lot to me because it has
22 • TIME OFF
so many of my friends on it, a lot of us started rapping around the same time and started doing shows together years ago in Melbourne. for example 1/6, Maggot Mouf, Fluent… Also me, Raven, Aetcix (Goatmob), Luke Mac and Spit were rapping together in Geelong so so long ago. But yeah, the fact that we’ll be on such a dope, recognised and respected CD that will be distributed nationally is amazing. Being on an album with some of my favourite Aussie rappers such as Lazy Grey, Bigfoot and Newsense is just a spinout really. My track on the album is called The View, produced by Aoi. It’s pretty much head-nodding, sassy, creepy but soulful, thoughtful, Aoi and Class A goodness.”
P LINK (RAWTHENTICS CREW, MELBOURNE)
Part of the next-gen emcees coming through the scene, P Link grew up with the first Obesecity. “Hip hop in Australia today is definitely more exposed and ‘popular’, so to speak, which is always gonna have its goods and bads. But considering the live shows and quality and consistency of local releases, especially in the last couple years, I think it’s mostly good. The scene is a whole different ball game compared to 10 years ago, thanks mainly to the Internet, I think – I’m not sure Myspace was even round back then. Now with YouTube and all the rest, it’s a lot easier to get yourself out there. Anybody with a laptop and Facebook is an emcee these days. But I’ll admit, overall I’m stoked to see crews I grew up on as well as mates of mine able to make a living off their hip hop now. In the future, I wanna see the hard working real heads past and present get credit for their craft. I guess it all started for me on the battle tip, slinging punchlines with the boys, and gradually turned into hitting the pad and getting serious with it. These days it is my everyday life! My sound… It’s Rawthentic! Melbourne-made Boom Bap from a true fan of the art. Go cop my EP for a better explanation.”
DWIZOFOZ (BRISBANE)
Dwizofoz is one of two winners (the other being DVS from Melbourne) to earn himself a place on the
DWIZOFOZ Obesecity 2 compilation alongside the nation’s best underground acts. “I actually didn’t discover Obesecity (the first one) until a year or two after it came out. But when I found, it I loved it. I’d heard a bit of Aussie stuff by then, but this was the first time I was really struck by the amount of talent we actually had locally. It changed the way I saw rap from our shores. I actually started dabbling in rap because of my probation officer. I was on parole for a heap of stupid shit you do as a kid to make money to buy weed and eat. Every week she’d come round and I’d basically ignore her with my head in a book writin’. Luckily enough she actually gave a fuck and saw that music was a way to get through to me. She introduced me to Evil Eddie from Butterfingers as a part of a government program running out of a
themusic.com.au
local recording studio. He gave me homework to write a story as a track, taught me to count bars and all that stuff. I came back a week later with a four-verse track about how I got kicked outta school. Got to record it in a full-on studio, learn about production, making beats etc. Around that time the studio engineer introduced me to Ghosty, we connected straight away and formed Ozalians. The rest, as they say, is history. If it wasn’t for that probation officer, I would never have been able to do what I have so far and would still probably be talkin’ about how gangsta my guns are, so thank fuck she cared.” Obesecity 2 is out Friday 17 August on Obese Records.
FREE PROGRAM THIS WEEK... FRIDAYS
MUSIC Brisbane Powerhouse and Brispop present
THE RESIDENTS:
LANEWAY Fri 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Aug, 6pm, Turbine Platform
SATURDAYS
MUSIC
Brisbane Powerhouse and Jazz Queensland present
TURBINE JAZZ:
ROAD PLANT Sat 15 Sep, 5pm, Turbine Platform
SUNDAYS
MUSIC Brisbane Powerhouse and Brispop present
LIVESPARK: Brad Butcher, Sean Sennett Launch Sun 5 Aug, 3.30pm, Turbine Platform Pictured: Brad Butcher
COMEDY Brisbane Powerhouse presents
LIVEWIRED:
VARIOUS
Join us on Sunday nights for complimentary comedy from Brisbane’s up-and-coming comedians. Past jokers include Josh Thomas and Mel Buttle. Every Sunday, 6.30pm, Turbine Platform
B R I S B A N E P OW E R H O U S E . O R G TIME OFF • 23
TALENT QUEST Billy Talent got to where they are through hard work, total committment to the cause and by never giving it up for girls. Stuart Evans plays musical chairs with singer and self-confessed “weird little man” Ben Kowalewicz.
W
hen Billy Talent singer Ben Kowalewicz calls, he says he’s on the line from Amsterdam and that he’s feeling relieved after receiving some good news. “Our drummer [Aaron Solowoniuk] is recovering from open heart surgery and thankfully he’s doing well. Something like that gives you perspective. As you get older, you appreciate different things like how someone’s well-being is the most important thing. When you’re young you tend to think of yourself as this little invincible creature but when you start to question mortality things change,” he says. Thankfully, Solowoniuk’s on the mend as Kowalewicz’s conversation turns to music. “One thing I love about this band is there’s a lot of hopefulness and optimism. I think we’re a good rock’n’roll band and we try to be good people and do the right thing,” he tells. From Ontario, Canada, Billy Talent have been together since 1993 (formerly known as Pezz, they changed their name in 2001 after running into legal trouble with a North American band of the same name). Billy Talent existed for around a decade before tasting any form of commercial/mainstream joy. The name Billy Talent was taken from a Canadian book and movie called Hard Core Logo about a fictional punk band who reunite for one last tour. The guitar player’s name in the movie was Billy Talent. Clearly, the name change worked as since then they’ve produced two multi-platinum records in their native Canada. But the name wasn’t the only thing that changed as almost seamlessly, the band’s sound altered. Billy Talent’s output was more aggressive and much more tilted towards traditional punk. Kowalewicz grants that the name change and success are not linked and more the work of coincidence. Around 2001 Kowalewicz worked at a Canadian radio station. He bumped into someone with connections to Warner Music – that connection paid dividends
as the radio contact got Kowalewicz and co a demo deal with the label. By the end of 2003, they’d released their self-titled debut album with successful singles Try Honesty, Nothing To Lose and The Ex. Okay, so Billy Talent may not mean as much in Australia, predominantly because their unassuming celebrity status remains quiet. If tales of debauchery exist, they haven’t made their way down under. “We don’t go out looking for attention,” Kowalewicz laughs. “That’s not us. We’re four like-minded individuals who share the same passion.” Attention, it seems, comes to them. Rolling Stone tagged them as being a band that makes blood pump faster than normal. Kowalewicz is flattered by the positive prose but remembers the darker days when he and fellow band members spent time trying to get noticed. He’s candid as he remembers the struggle. “It was fucking hard man. We can get a bottle of whiskey and we can talk about it all night long,” he laughs before the conversation turns. “I know it sounds hokey, but I knew in my heart of hearts it would happen and we’d get success. I just knew we had to keep going. We all had this innate thing in us to keep going. It wasn’t like we wanted money or fame – it was about trying to get music in front of as many people as possible and that remains our aim.” Although Billy Talent are highly regarded in their native Canada and throughout Europe, the sacrifices to get to this point aren’t forgotten. Kowalewicz explains, “Any good story has a struggle. Anything worth fighting for is hard and being able to look back and reflect on everything can be confronting. When we were teenagers a few other friends of ours were in bands but gave it up for girls or whatever else came along. We didn’t and have been in a longstanding relationship ever since.” Trust is a reoccurring sentiment for Kowalewicz. He speaks highly of all band members and only has praise for all. The core and foundations of the
FREAKS OFF THE LEASH
M
“Yeah, I know, it’s pretty trippy,” Church says of the endless obsession with his backstory. “It’s one of those things, though – it sounds like my life was really intense when you cram it all into one or two paragraphs. But, like, being born blind and having an interesting major at college were actually eighteen years apart. I never saw them as connected in my head; or even particularly unbelievable. “The whole process has made me kind of introspective about my life – but, at the same time, it’s also helped me realise that, while my story is unique, so is everybody else’s,” the frontman muses. “You know, everyone I’ve encountered or run into, if you speak with them for an hour or so, you’ll realise that their life is just as full of supposedly weird stories as mine is, you know?” It is undeniably fascinating stuff. What’s more; it correlates fantastically well with White Arrows‘ cerebral, celebratory music. It isn’t difficult, for example, to draw a line between the indistinct shapes and colours of Church’s youth and White Arrows‘ impressionistic, psychedelic songcraft. Similarly, the frontman’s years studying shamanistic rituals seem to make sense alongside the dancefloor drive of debut album Dry Land Is Not A Myth. “Man, I had no intention of even being in a band when I made our first recordings at university,” Church laughs. “I’d never played live before. I’d never even played with 24 • TIME OFF
Kowalewicz got married last summer. Luckily, he warned his wife about what she was getting into. “She knows she really married three of us,” he jests. But bands, and particularly lead singers, can be complex beasts comprising sometimes strange yet workable dynamics. Kowalewicz’s no exception. He’s also in no hurry to deny it. “I’m a weird little man. Since we’ve been talking, I’ve switched chairs three times. I actually think it’s not just me as everyone’s fucking weird and everyone has a bit of obsessive compulsive in them,” he laughs. Regardless if Billy Talent’s success is down to luck, coincidence, damn hard work or a combination of all, the band have released four booming albums to date: Watoosh (as Pezz), 2003’s Billy Talent, 2006’s Billy Talent II and 2009’s Billy Talent III. They’ve also
got new material on the way. Their latest sound, Viking Death March, has been released for digital download via their website and a new album is coming. Kowalewicz reveals that a new producer was involved in making the yet unnamed album. “Ian [D’Sa], our guitar player, produced it,” he remarks. “I’m really proud of him and the album. Although Ian co-produced previous albums, this time it was just us and two engineers in the studio. The energy in the room was great and it was really nice to feel that sense of calm and trust. Ian’s been working diligently to make it sound as good as it can.” The choice of D’Sa to produce the album was unequivocal. “We all said to him that you need to produce this fucking record. The excellent thing is to have seen Ian’s transition from guitar player to producer as there is no fucking way that I could produce,” Kowalewicz laughs. WHO: Billy Talent WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 9 August, The Hi-Fi
HOME AND AWAY
White Arrows’ backstory encompasses more dramatic revelations and sudden detours than a soap opera. Matt O’Neill speaks to frontman Mickey Church about the Los Angeles post-punks’ debut album Dry Land Is Not A Myth and its associated legend. ickey Church is actually quite well-adjusted. Surprisingly so. The White Arrows backstory suggests something of a mad genius. Every article, review and criticism of the band since their latenoughties inception has arrived wrapped in a haze of stories about Church’s upbringing – from his being legally blind until age 11 to his decision to study shamanistic rituals to the spontaneous discovery that his guitarist was his half-brother.
band are built on doing the best for the band and not the individual. “We trust each other and if you’re in a relationship it doesn’t matter about your ego. No one outside the band will remember the fights and bickering – we learnt that at a very young age. It’s about what’s best for the band and the song.”
“If you want to know more about Home Brew, just ask New Zealand Prime Minister John Key,” says on of the group’s official taglines. Nic Toupee finds out from MC Haz Beats why they’re such a hometown news item. any other musicians before. It was kind of a personal test, in retrospect. I had absolutely no ambition and no foresight as to what was to come or what we would try to do. You know, even down to what kind of music we’d make - let alone whether we’d be touring Australia.” That said, it’s ultimately ridiculous. If anything, tying White Arrows‘ sound to Mickey Church’s background cheapens their accomplishments. Church isn’t some hippy wizard shaman conjuring post-rave celebration for a generation of new modernists – he’s a musician and a songwriter. Dry Land Is Not A Myth is far more impressive than a magic trick; it’s actually a well-crafted and imminently enjoyable album of music. “Our priority is not to be experimental or out-there. Making what we like to make is our priority,” Church says matter-of-factly. “If nothing else, I think to set out to be experimental is an oxymoron. I wish I could be Howard Hughes about all of the stuff that gets written about our band – just hide on an island with no media contact whatsoever – but I’m far too connected and far too meticulous to pull myself away from it all. “In the end, I think of it as just fuel, though,” the frontman muses. “You know, we’ll try and forget about all of the people talking about our hair or whatever and use all the good things people have said about us to push through and make more music in the studio. It’s always evolving – you know, my simply playing with other musicians these days is a completely new experience for me. We’re just going to keep making music.” WHO: White Arrows WHAT: Dry Land Is Not A Myth (Dew Process/Universal) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 18 August, The Hi-Fi
“W
e are crazy people,” laughs Haz Beats with mischievous delight. “We all like laughing, really: we’re friends that are clowns all the time.” Beats, who also goes by the name Goonie Hodges — which may be about as legit as Haz Beats — is explaining, but certainly not justifying, the kind of controversial stunts and onstage behaviour which has certainly not hurt in making Home Brew famous. In fact, they got to number one on the New Zealand Top 40 charts, which their self titled indie-release album achieved in May.
sword cupboard as well. Drag their hyper-comedic curtain aside, and Beats believes you’ see the real secret of their success — their down-to-earth, unpretentious lyrics and crafty beats.“What we deliver on stage is raw, honest hip hop,” he says, suddenly more earnest. “And every show is different - we usually just freestyle the whole thing.”
The band’s jolly japery and hyperactive hi-jinks include drink-driving in their clips (Police Stop Seven), getting on the wrong side of Auckland University with some over-enthusiastic postering (as you can see in their clip for Carpe Diem) and general blatant honesty about drugs and drinking — plenty of drugs and drinking. Unfazed by the repercussions, Beats sees it as just merry prankery. “We’re the kind of the same people, we like to laugh - everything is fun to us.”
“We play some new and old stuff, and maybe some unreleased stuff. I brought my gear with me on tour, and we’re writing all the time. We know people want to hear the old stuff but we’re going to cut it up with some stuff off the new album and some brand new stuff as well.”
That’s not to say they don’t court a bit of sensational coverage. Beats is not ashamed to announce proudly “shock promo is the best kind of promo.” It’s more beerbongs on stage than biting the heads off bats, but Home Brew have managed to make a name for themselves and their off-stage, or at least non-musical, performances. Beats steps in to defend the band’s reputation: he explains that the band are equally focussed on getting drunk and getting the audience on side. “When we’re up on stage, with everyone screaming your name, grabbing you, it’s a whole different scene; the crowd expect us to be drunk, and we are drunk... or most of the time we’re drunk. We try capture the audience right from the first. That way people get involved with the show. Say if we bring a beer-bong on stage or something like that, they’re amping. We get them involved from the get-go.” As anyone who has watched a magic show knows, it can’t all be about one trick. You’ve got to have the rabbitout-of-hat AND the woman-sawn-in-half, and preferably the
themusic.com.au
While you will no doubt hear tracks from all of their five releases thus far, it’s also odds-on that you’ll hear something that Beats cooked up in the tour van before the show.
Watching the band, it’s obvious Home Brew are a group of total extroverts — happy to play up to a crowd, to be filmed in highly dodgy activities, and to be watched generally just fucking around in a bored-suburban-lowattention-span Cartman kind of way. Beats says it’s a mixture of a natural affinity for performing, and learning from some humiliating mistakes along the way. “Right from the start, we were doing gigs all the time - we thrashed Auckland,” he remembers. “We got sick of it, so we stopped and instead we got online and asked our fans what they wanted us to do. Then we started getting couches or beer bongs or whatever up on stage. I never knew i was going to be doing this five or 10 years ago, but it came naturally for us. But every show is different, and we’re always learning how to be a better band. We’re real tight now because we’ve made our fuckups in the past.” WHO: Home Brew WHAT: Home Brew (Independant/Grindin) WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 12th August, Coniston Lane
SPOKEN IN ONE STRANGE WORD JUDITH WRIGHT CENTRE OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS
AUGUST A.RAWLINGS
(2012 POET IN RESIDENCE)
ROBERT ADAMSON (NSW)
HOLLY THROSBY (NSW)
L.E. SCOTT
(NEW ZEALAND)
CHARMAINE PAPERTALK-GREEN (WA)
A MILLION BRIGHT THINGS SHOWCASE AND MUCH MORE FO R F U L L P R O G R A M D E TA I L S V I S I T
QUEENSLANDPOETRYFESTIVAL.COM
TIME OFF • 25
INTO THE LIGHT
ELECTRIC DREAMS
Sophie Koh has found joy in creating more upbeat pop tunes. She chats with Nic Toupee about her recent collaboration with Ben Lee.
P
erhaps Ben Lee had advice in mind for future collaborator Sophie Koh, when he wrote the lyrics to Numb – ‘So let the music come, I’m writing pop songs.’ It was in conversation with Lee that Koh found inspiration to develop what she considers her indie-pop incarnation in the newly released-album Oh My Garden. “I wrote a few songs on this album with Ben,” she explains. “We talked about that ‘magic third album’, the one where you’re trying to connect with a greater audience, and how you can do that by writing something more direct, more pop. I have always been a big fan of pop songs.” Some people might think pop – the three minutes of sunshine, the hooks and shimmy around the lounge infectiousness – is the beginning of an artist’s journey. There are plenty of examples; even The Beatles themselves went from Love Me Do to Revolution Number 9 in an increasingly oblique and psychedelically-enhanced freak fest. Although to draw comparisons to The Beatles’ wild trajectory may be a bit extreme, Koh has taken the journey in reverse. Three albums and 10 years into her songwriting career, she finally felt in a position to make a pop album, after a couple of albums of stripped-back acoustic tracks. “When I made the first two albums I was quite young, and young as a songwriter – not as mature as I am now, or as confident in the studio as I am now. When I went into the studio with Brad (Wood, LA-based producer of Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair and, fortuitously, Ben Lee), I felt more confident in knowing what I wanted, and with this album I feel I’ve grown up.” So in a norm-spinning reversal, for Koh, the pop album was, in fact, her great experiment. “Part of it was me wanting to do something different,” she says earnestly, “but also to play to people’s strengths, the people I was working with on the album. Ben’s strength was with the vocals, helping me make it more direct, and I was keeping it all as raw as I could.”
Kody Nielsen was one-third of noisy punk outfit The Mint Chicks; he’s now the mastermind behind playful psych-pop outfit Opossom. He walks through the transformation process with Brendan Telford. She found the collaboration refreshing, after the thorny wilderness of two albums of solo creativity. “It was magical,” Koh affirms. “I was sick of writing songs by myself. I’m not the kind of person who goes in with a hard idea of exactly what I want in my head. I knew I wanted to make an album that was more upbeat, and that idea was shaped by the people I was working with, as much as it was my idea wanting to make something more pop.” Brad Wood and his LA-based studio were the missing links in Koh’s pop plan. “For me, having access to proper studio facilities, I wanted to make the most of it, and I knew I wouldn’t get the chance again. Whereas previous albums have been a lot more homegrown and organic, this time we got programmers and stuff in. I wanted to learn a lot more about writing and recording, and collaborate with other people.”
That said, Nielsen felt that the time was right to return home and unplug from the music machine that he had been shackled to for almost a decade before new material could flow.
The results of this California-infused burst of melodic pop inspiration have found some Australian critics on the back foot, suspicious perhaps that Koh has sold out. Nothing, in Koh’s mind, could be further from the truth. “Whether people are critical or surprised is not important to me. What was important was to see whether I could keep being a songwriter interesting for myself. I was sick of writing songs about sad stuff, I wanted to write songs that were strong and melodic, to make something happier and less held back than my previous work. This is my third album and time to stop trying to please people,” Koh appeals. “I haven’t done it as a career move – I don’t actually want to be famous. I just want to be a songwriter.” WHO: Sophie Koh WHAT: Oh My Garden (Crying Ninja Records) WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 12 August, the Powerhouse
TRUE CALLING
T
“It’s been a pretty big year,” bassist Greg Shaw reflects. “Even since we got back from Europe, we’ve been knuckling down to write the fourth album. We’re actually really keen to get back to playing some local and national shows. With everything that’s been going on, it’s been ages since we’ve actually played a national tour so, funnily enough, that’s probably going to end up a highlight of the year.” Given their pedigree, it’s a somewhat surprising situation. Truth Corroded was never formed with anything resembling serious career ambitions. If anything, Shaw seems to suggest that the current incarnation of the band formed almost in opposition to such ideals. Originally a confused hardcore/ alt-metal hybrid act, Truth Corroded disbanded and re-assembled in 2003 as a thrash/death-metal outfit – with no expectations for the future. “We reformed as a five-piece in 2003. Prior to that, we were a very different band. We definitely had more of a hardcore leaning – like, mid-‘90s to late‘90s Victory Records bands like Sick of It All – but we were getting into other bands like Clutch as well,” Shaw reflects. “We were bringing a lot of things into the band but without any clear direction. There were a lot of compromises. A lot of question marks. “When we reformed the band, we had a very clear direction – and I feel we’ve maintained that over our three albums as well,” the bassist elaborates. “To be quite honest, we were pursuing a sound that wasn’t exactly the new black. There were some thrash revival acts turning up around then but we had a pretty different 26 • TIME OFF
“I moved back after the break-up and just wanted to chill for a bit,” he recalls. “It could have gone for longer if it wasn’t for Bic, who asked me to write some songs with her. She was getting a new album together, and I got caught up in the producing side of things, with Bic and other little bands here and there, so I’ve actually been quite busy. But after Bic’s record was done I found I was on a roll, there were more songs and ideas in me. So I used both, and started playing with recording these ideas.” The end result of this is Electric Hawaii, ten tracks of woozy paisley psychedelic pop that’s been injected with enough variations of the sonic palette to inform a plethora of records. “It was the first time that I felt that I didn’t have to write for any kind of musical arrangement,” Nielsen explains. “I didn’t have to cater to a line-up or a set of instruments, so I could construct things on a piano, or use a particular drum fill that I felt like playing with. I could be more complex. I’ve always wanted to wear
more of the ‘60s psychedelic influence on my sleeve. It’s particularly tricky music to write and not sound contrived. I’d been listening to a lot of new music, so I wanted the songs to sound current, yet have a familiar sound to them so that it wasn’t unrecognisable.” The perfect example of what Opossom encapsulates is on the single Blue Meanies, a pastiche of pop and paisley psych mashed together with modulated vocals and off-kilter instrumentation, all coming together to make a bubbly multi-coloured aural explosion. Whilst it sounds like someone going mad in the laboratory, Nielsen maintains that everything on the album was controlled and measured. “I worked really hard on providing something that I never could with The Mint Chicks. There were simple elements like going down in the verse and getting louder in the chorus. Rather than it being a volume thing, which I was used to, I wanted it worked into the arrangements. I could have bass and vocals on a verse, with keyboards coming in on a chorus to add volume without stomping on a distortion pedal. I could play with tempo and rhythm as much as I wanted to until it gelled in a way it never had before.” That said, what Nielsen has created with Opossom continues to evolve at the rate that even he finds it hard to get a grasp on it. “I just wanted to play with things, then get them out there and see what made sense. I think that’s some of it, I’m realising what it’s about, maybe…” WHO: Opossum WHAT: Electric Hawaii (Create/Control) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 18 August, The Hi-Fi
DO THE POP
Adelaide thrashers Truth Corroded began their career without ambition. Ahead of their latest national tour, Matt O’Neill speaks to bassist Greg Shaw about the band’s transformation into international heavyweights. ruth Corroded have accomplished a lot in the past 18 months. Since 2011’s Worship The Bled, the band toured to Europe, secured an international record deal with Belgium’s respected Ultimhate Records and been endorsed by Jackson Guitars – not to mention shot a new video and organised an Australian tour. It’s been a whirlwind period for the Adelaide thrashers.
T
he break-up of self-made “troublegum art punks” The Mint Chicks after three albums and two EPs, rampant live shows and much adulation came as a shock to many, especially as the New Zealand trio – made up of brothers Kody and Ruban Nielson, Paul Roper and Michael Logie – had just made the move to Portland, Oregon for a change in scenery. However the quest for musical wizardry is in their blood, so it was only a matter of time before something new bubbled to the surface. First it was Ruban who made ripples last year with his outfit Unknown Mortal Orchestra. 2012 appears to be Kody’s year, with the release of debut record Electric Hawaii with new band Opossom (with Logie on bass and Bic Runga on drums).
Brisbane’s The Rational Academy are not an easy bunch to categorise. As Tyler McLoughlan discovers, this is precisely the plan of doggedly dedicated founding guitarist and vocalist Ben Thompson. slant. Our only thought was really to write music, get it out there and, really, see if anyone cared besides us.” Over the course of their three albums (2005’s Our Enemy Is The Weapon, 2008’s Upon The Warlords Crawl and 2011’s Worship The Bled), the band’s ambitions have evolved alongside their musical capacity. Currently peddling an unnervingly precise fusion of classic thrash and contemporary death metal, Truth Corroded’s reach extends from their home in Adelaide, throughout Australia, Europe and Asia. “We really had no expectations at all. You know, we formed our own label – Truth Inc Records – to release our album because we didn’t think anyone else would be up for it,” Shaw laughs. “And that actually sort of gave us opportunities to establish the band and build our networks. Shortly after we formed the label, we were contacted by a label from Singapore who wanted to release our record and tour over there.” Truth Corroded are now developing into an international entity proper. Their albums are decorated by contributions from heavyweights like Jonas Kjellgren of Scar Symmetry (who mixed and mastered their two most recent albums) and Kevin Talley of Dying Fetus (who drummed on Worship The Bled). When Shaw discusses the band’s plans, he references both recording their fourth album – and “breaking new markets like America”. “Well, I try not to think too far ahead,” the bassist laughs. “It’s weird to even think about cracking America. You know, if you’d told me two years ago that we’d be touring Europe, I wouldn’t have believed you. And, if you’d told me ten years ago that my band would tour Asia, I wouldn’t have believed you then, either. We just take each year as it comes, really.” WHO: Truth Corroded WHEN & WHERE: Friday 10 August, Beetle Bar
W
ith 2012 so far dedicated to securing an ever-changing four-piece line-up, setting free Pacific Rope – a six-track digital archival release – and recording their third long-player, there hasn’t been much time for The Rational Academy to gig. Ahead of a Black Bear Lodge appearance next weekend, Ben Thompson looks back at the explorations of sound that have shaped the band he formed in 2004. “We didn’t ever want to make the same record twice,” Thompson says drily in the midst of negotiating a record deal for The Rational Academy’s third album. “And we get interested in certain genres and styles and we move through that and each record is hopefully completely different as a result. When we first started, our first 7” was very cut up folk, a very processed kind of sound, and we’ve moved through I guess what people call indie pop to a more heavy kind of sound at the moment… We are a pop band, we write pop songs but we just approach them in different ways as we go through. It just seems that simple to me – I like pop music. You could deconstruct all of those songs and play them in a completely different way which is what we do live anyway – it’s sort of impossible for us to recreate most of what we actually record.” The Rational Academy’s style has been as fluid as their line-up over the years, a direct result of Thompson’s considered approach and unwavering dedication to his musical vision. Though this may seem to be a contradictory explanation, fans won’t be surprised by yet another plot-twist when the third album, titled Winter Haunts, is unleashed. “This album kind of came together because we put together this new line-up. It really stuck together well; we went and did another tour in Japan and we came back from this tour and decided we wanted to, probably for the first time in our entire career, capture more of what we were doing live at that point. This album is really based on what you will see when you see us live,” he says, fully aware that most bands set out with such
themusic.com.au
an agenda from day one. The Rational Academy have always forged their own path, particularly given a release history of 7” singles and cassettes that have garnered more interest overseas than in their home territory. “When we put out our first 7”…at that point there wasn’t a lot of people on a local level pressing 7”s so it was sort of a choice between pressing a CD that’s not really permanent or make a statement about how we feel about this band and the fact that we take it seriously and that we want it to be around for a long time. Pressing a 7” was sort of like a mission statement in a way – you know, this is vinyl, we’re doing this properly… “I think it helped [with exposure]. For example, by the time our first album came out, we had vinyl which was in shops in different countries. So our first album, I think we had fifty-something international reviews for it all over the world… People knew that we existed because we had come out straight away in such a, ‘Hi, we’re here’ kind of way,” Thompson admits. With the preparations for the release of Winter Haunts in full swing, Thompson isn’t interested in playing the anticipation game. “I don’t expect anything – I’ve learnt to never expect anything. We’re really proud of it. Bands say this all the time but this is actually definitely my favourite record out of all the ones we’ve made, so I’m happy already.” WHO: The Rational Academy WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 18 August, Black Bear Lodge
TIME OFF • 27
SINGLED OUT WITH CHRIS YATES
ON THE RECORD
CHARLES BUDDY DAABOUL La Chambre
The inside of Kurt Cobain’s coffin must be pretty shiny these days, what with all that rolling around his grave he’s been doing. If his ex-wife’s prolific outbursts and the selling off of his music to just about anyone hasn’t riled up his ghost enough, this really is rubbing salt in his rather significant wounds. The song he felt important enough to quote in his suicide not, Hey Hey My My by Neil Young, has been given the kind of lame dance party workout that renders the message of the song impotent, and really could signal the death of rock’n’roll forever. Oh the fucking humanity.
CHET FAKER Love & Feeling Opulent/Remote Control There’s a lot of cool stuff about Melbourne beard-wearer Chet Faker’s smooth Love & Feeling single. A snapping hip hop beat is paired up with very minimal guitars and a snaking bassline, while some keys fill up a little bit more space. It is however overshadowed by the inclusion of his cover of Blackstreet’s No Diggity, which already has scored him a lot of attention on the internets. No Diggity has always been one of the standouts out of that whole generation of ‘90s R&B, and Chet Faker’s production adds an edge to the original while maintaining the groove.
Ivy League
Grand Salvo – aka Paddy Mann – has always refrained from travelling down the beaten path, preferring instead to carve his tales of whimsy and woe out of much finer, eclectic stuff. On Slay Me In My Sleep, his sixth foray as Grand Salvo, Mann relocated to Berlin and enlisted the duties of acclaimed composer Nils Frahm for production duties (and a smattering of piano and celeste) alongside a plethora of bit players on this overtly ambitious album.
The first solo album from the singer of Australian indie mainstays Youth Group starts with a piano ballad that offers a lot more than the first sonic impressions deliver. With the plodding beat and string flourishes, it sets up the mood for the record instantly – it employs these elements throughout. It’s catchy and melodic and Martin’s voice has aged gracefully, plus there’s a little more grit although he still sounds vulnerable and a little weepy. From the earliest Youth Group singles, he’s always been a lyrically-focused songwriter, and Nylex Nights is a magnificent showcase of this. Presumably a snapshot of wandering around Richmond in Melbourne (where the Nylex sign shines) lines like “The streets are full of the ghosts of drinkers” paint a vivid picture.
D
VD
Kicking off with the pagan carnival-esque instrumental The Old Woman And The Boy, it takes no time to disappear down Mann’s rabbit hole. The song titles are ridiculously verbose (one of the shortest being They Sit Facing Each Other At The Kitchen Table. He Notices She Is Missing A Finger), but reads as the chapters of a beguiling folk tale set in France of the meeting of a woman and a young man as he burgles her house in May 1928. Really. The bewitching Mann weaves a tapestry of subtlety and beauty around this highly evocative concept, a suite of songs coming forth that embrace the listener warmly rather than hold at bay. There is inherent in this album the sense that Mann intends this to be a bedtime story, to be told in a wind and snow-swept house by candlelight. It’s difficult to highlight any one song, because alone they feel just that – alone, out of place. The fact that Mann has the audacity to make such an album is one thing; the fact that he has made a grandiose, majestic folk epic with all the emotional toil of a classic novel, is nigh on revelatory. ★★★★½
Brendan Telford
Broken Brights EMI
Being one half of a successful brother and sister duo would inevitably cast a sort of weighty silhouette LIVE over the solo work of either; sometimes a kind of resultant expectation is realised, at other times dispelled. Australia’s folk sibling darlings Angus and Julia Stone have both made the leap outside their cosy sphere recently, with Julia’s debut solo effort offering us another facet earlier this year. Now Angus has quietly ushered in Broken Brights, an understated and blissful fusion of the tried and true and the new and refreshing. Much like the man himself, really. VD
Much like The Aerial Maps, Martin uses obvious and familiar places such as Moreton Bay and Surfers Paradise to assist his storytelling – the latter as the location for Postcard From Surfers uses objects like pre-mix cans, Breezers and hotel rooms painted in pastels to create an all too real imagery for the track which he delivers in a poetic drawl. Even references to other places like Tehran in The End Of The Affair or New York Misses You are mentioned from afar. He gets into some much deeper territory as well: Good Friday explores the atheist’s jealousy of the religious who have a saviour to rely on, while Persian Eyes explores the confusion of depression in paradise. Love’s Shadow is a proudly Australian album, void of nationalistic pride but reveling in the landscape and its people. It’s also a very strong introduction to Toby Martin as a solo artist. ★★★★
Chris Yates
Broken Brights takes its own line in its own time; it’s the album equivalent of a wander round Angus’ favourite haunts. Initial reserves about his often unvarying Paul Kelly-like delivery abound. Happily though, young Mr Stone and co. scratch a well-worn surface to reveal more musical depth than the sweet occasional humming and guitar strumming would lead one to believe. For instance, River Love and the title track place us in familiar territory, with the ebb and flow of plucked guitars, sparse but driving percussion and vocals almost spoken in a whisper. But there are great opposing senses of travelling and rejoicing, of space and isolation inherent with this combination of Angus’ laid-back croon, echoing snares, and banjos and violins tracing lines through the more upbeat tunes like Monsters and Be What You Be; this juxtaposition is what makes the album viable.
D
Hot Fridge
Preservation
ANGUS STONE
Love’s Shadow
D
My My Hey Hey
TOBY MARTIN
Slay Me In My Sleep
VD
THE NETZ
LIVE
GRAND SALVO
D
When CBD is not playing his guitar, he’s the drummer in fantastic Sydney outfit No Art. When he does get on the guitar, it’s a whole different story. His small collection of tracks on this EP are basically a representation of what he does live, which in theory is not that unique. He’s one dude playing guitar with a loop pedal, but his songs are just incredible, and the soundscapes he builds for them to sit on out of just a guitar are perfect. The track Amsterdam is the most immediately catchy, with the hook revolving around what you would expect a song called Amsterdam to be about.
VD
Independent
Broken Brights is not just Angus and Julia in solo form with mandolins, harmonicas, piano, dobro thrown in; there’s real sentiment and storytelling breaking through tracks like lead single Wooden Chair and the grim tone of It Was Blue. ★★★½
Carley Hall
JOHN MAYER The Queen Of California Sony Dear John, we need to talk about your clear misunderstanding of the political system in California. There is no queen. California is ruled by a benevolent Austrian robot and his name is Predator. He came from the future to kick and chew bubble gum, and he’s all out of bubblegum. I know that it’s hard to keep track of the politics, especially now you’ve taken up being a Johnny Depp impersonator as well as being a singer/songwriter. Lord knows, you had to do something to get chicks – especially since your new song sounds like a cast off from Hot August Nights. Good luck to you, kind regards, Chris.
BEN SALTER I Gotta Move Independent Before he hit the open seas to wander the earth with a guitar and a desire to bring a slice of joy to the world in the form of depressing acoustic songs, Ben Salter played a whole bunch of gigs around the country where he proved that the millions of gigs he has played over the last decade or so were building up to something. This is a previously unreleased track that made its way into his recent shows and it sets up his next album as another step forward for one of Brisbane’s finest ever troubadours.
MIA DYSON
NACHTMYSTIUM
FABULOUS DIAMONDS
Black Door/MGM
Century Media/EMI
Chapter/Fuse
It’s been five years since Mia Dyson’s third studio album Struck Down brought us another facet of the husky-piped blues and roots chanteuse. She offered us only a brief reencounter with her Urthboy collaboration for 2007’s highly-rotated hip hop/blues fusion track Over Before It Began, before jetting off to the States to reconnoitre a new fanbase and bust out a track with Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, whose reported intentions for Dyson’s career courted some acrimony. Regardless, it seems Dyson soaked up more than LA sun on her US jaunt; The Moment is awash with much more clarified song structures with much less dirty blues than her former releases. On the whole, it works.
In recent years, the pervasive trend within the USBM (United States black metal if you’re not up on your sub-sub-genre acronyms) scene is to take black metal and throw it together with drone and doom influences. Against a backdrop of this slow, meditative black metal, Silencing Machine stands out like a game changer – ten tracks of bleak, unrelenting, extreme music of the highest calibre. Instead of drawing on a host of slower influences, Chicago’s Nachtmystium have sped things up, reduced the production value and turned to the work of gritty post-punk outfits like Killing Joke and Throbbing Gristle for inspiration.
Melbourne hypnagogic duo Fabulous Diamonds have done a stellar job of eschewing every notion that has been alluded to with respect to their music by shifting their entire focus in their next recording or live performance. Such elusiveness can make them difficult to embrace, yet an interesting by-product of this aesthetic is that such unpredictability creates a vacuum whereby each new release or live performance is essentially discovering them all over again.
The Moment
Silencing Machine
Lead single When The Moment Comes kicks things off in the right direction, with the focus on Dyson’s brooding morning-after vocals building on top of her band of galloping drums, resonating guitar chords and wandering piano lines. The slow burners like The Outskirts Of Town and Dancing On The Edge find their niche in the album’s midway point, allowing Dyson to reinforce the slightly more late-night-in-a-strange-town, cigarettes and whisky crooners with some hooky melodic lines meandering over a fairly paced and restrained rhythmic backing. Cigarettes ushers a more heady rock back into the album with a bit of Americana thrown in using ballpark keys, and Dyson’s stamp is all over album closer Two Roads, her soft inflections between rasps are spine-tingling and a sweet juxtaposition over a piping harmonica. Overall it’s a refined outing but what’s lacking most is that raw, dangerous, dirty soul at the heart of previous Dyson fare, and in turn the sauntering troubadour sound of old is sadly affected. ★★★½
28 • TIME OFF
Carley Hall
Though they might seem worlds apart, black metal and post-punk are two genres with more similarities than differences. Both are bleak in sound, dystopic in outlook and unflinchingly caustic. In fact, the two genres fit together real nice on Silencing Machine. Spaghetti. Meatballs. Gin. Juice. There’s a natural congruency at play in the charred buzz of Sanford Parker’s synths and the tremolo-picked riff terror of Blake Judd and Drew Markuszewski, just as frontman Judd’s tortured howls find their counterpoint against Charlie Fell’s inventive drum tracks. Following the rampant experimentalism that defined their last two full-length efforts, Silencing Machine is bolstered by Nachtmystium’s decision to stay within the confines of this black metal/post-punk aesthetic for its entirety. The singularity of vision makes the record harrowingly monotonous, recalling some of the Norwegian BM staples in ethos rather than sound. When Nachtmystium hit album standouts like The Lepers Of Destitution, Borrowed Hope And Broken Dreams and I Wait In Hell, they create something artless and raw; definitely some of the most powerful extreme music you’ll hear this year. ★★★★½
themusic.com.au
Tom Hersey
Commercial Music
Third LP, Commercial Music, eschews their previous penchant for averting song and album titles, yet such acts of conformity are yet another ruse. These six tracks, from the opening insistent mantra that is Inverted/Vamp, at once outline the duo’s ever-growing confidence in their craft, and there intention to confound as much of their audience as possible. The album has a much silkier production than anything they’ve previously put to tape (thanks to the ever-prolific Mikey Young), but if anything this heightens the physical, emotional and sexual unease that emanates from Nisa Verenosa’s sultry-yet-detached vocals and Jarrod Zlatic’s sensualyet-monotonous tone. The sparse percussive elements further drive the spike home. There are allusions to sexual tension in the caress that harbours violent undertones that is Lothario and the sweaty expulsion of closer, Downhill, yet more often than not this tension is palpable, unbearably so. John Song offers a tale of Brunswick-set malaise, a weekend of debauched wastedness tied up in a hypnotic grind, whilst Wandering Eye is the closest Fabulous Diamonds have ever got to a traditionally structured song, albeit infused with a trance-like dirge. Commercial Music is anything but. What it proves is that Fabulous Diamonds are more adept at straddling the fine line between dreamscapes and nightmares. ★★★★
Brendan Telford
HOUSE VS HURRICANE
LAWRENCE ARABIA
OPOSSUM
MERE WOMEN
UNFD/Warner
Spunk/Co-Operative
Create/Control
Tenzenmen
Although they lost a lead vocalist and a keys player last year, Melbourne’s punishing House Vs Hurricane haven’t slowed up in the slightest. In fact, if their second album is anything to go by, it’s given their sound a newfound maturity. The loss of the at times overpowering synth lines of the past has especially helped them to refine their songs and travel down a far more inviting road of sharp, emotive and breakdownheavy post-hardcore as opposed to the video game screamo that they were meddling with a few years ago.
New Zealand-born musician James Milne has been plying his trade under the musical guise of Lawrence Arabia for almost a decade now, and it’s taken him all over the world, either from his own creative wellspring or through his collaborations with the likes of Okkervil River and Feist. He’s built a small yet fervent fanbase that has fallen in thrall of his elegiac, quirky histrionics, which seemed on the cusp of reaching their apex with the effervescence that permeated 2010’s Chant Darling. The Sparrow isn’t a natural successor in any form – but eschewing notions is Milne’s forte.
The dissolution of NZ troublemakers The Mint Chicks was unexpected, but it hasn’t taken long for promising mutations to climb out of the wreckage. First up it was Ruben Nielson, who put together the warped pop explorations that is Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Now it’s brother Kody’s time to evolve, and as Opossum he’s put out Electric Hawaii, a sonic pastiche of almost every genre his previous incarnation was not.
At first, the abrasiveness of Sydney’s Mere Women is a little confronting, even with a vague idea of what to expect. Waiting Room creeps up slowly with ambient washes while a marching drum accompanies singer Amy Wilson’s high vocal wail. It drops back to almost nothing leaving just the mathematical beat and vocals as the guitars start pounding rhythmic noise over the top, which sounds random but is just as uniformly executed as the drumming. The song bleeds naturally into TB with some repetition and a low rumble of a hook that is enough to hang onto if you concentrate. Similarly, this tracks breaks down in the middle to reveal a second half which outshines its humble beginnings.
Crooked Teeth
The guitar lines are choppy on this second release and run circles around the duelling vocal pair of Ryan McLerie and new rough vocalist Dan Casey for the most part. But when the six-strings pull away from each other and soar in different directions, such as on Moonshine and All We Need, the album really crawls along your inner emotions and pulls at something previously unfound. Lost World, with its compressed breakdowns and layers of harmonies stands up early as a contender for track of the album, while later, Dead Lizard, and its thrash metal bludgeoning gives it a decent run for its money. However, it’s not until finale, Bare Bones, that the band really breaks away from Crooked Teeth’s general formula, and the results stand up as arguably the high point of the whole record. Recalling the atmospherics of Deftones’ Chino Moreno’s Team Sleep project, the track, although a bit soppy in its early stages, is a refreshing end to an unrelenting album and quickly makes you want to hit the repeat button and take the ride all over again. ★★★½
Benny Doyle
The Sparrow
The album opens with Travelling Shoes, a bouncy number rich in storytelling imagery and acerbic wit, but is immediately tempered by the wistful Lick Your Wounds. This continual shift in tone persists throughout The Sparrow. The shuffling drum, stark monotonous piano and sonorous strings buoy Milne’s vocals beautifully on album highlight, Early Kneecappings, from which context comes the cover art for the record, with lyrics about altering a New York subway poster: “I added a crude moustache, exposed brains/It made the pretty boy look highbrow, so I gave myself the same”. Such elliptic lyrics permeate The Sparrow, and alongside the intriguing and beguiling arrangements is the reminder that Milne truly is an artist carving his own path. Yet somehow these aspects aren’t enough. There’s nothing here that is offensive, nor is it blandly inoffensive, yet it drifts away in a haze of misplaced familiarity without leaving the desired impression. What the album does do though is show that Milne is yet another step closer to realising the musical peaks that he ardently seeks. ★★★½
Brendan Telford
OId Life
Electric Hawaii
Kicking off with the soaring sunny pop of Girl, Nielson ensures that nothing will be easy, infusing the simplistic boy/girl love story with loud organ, lo-fi vocals and a twist of paisley psychedelia that ensures that the brightness swirls unpredictably at the edges. Fly also embraces the ‘60s Mamas & Papas-era woozy pop, Nielson’s vocals intertwining with band member Bic Runga (eschewing her stab at ‘90s pop chanteuse with some feisty drumming and beguiling backing vocals). Single Blue Meanies is so bright and tasty it gives off ice-cream headaches whilst offering much more in the way of mind-bending flourishes, and these influences become further pronounced as the album progresses. Whether it’s the insistent synth and drums on the urgent Getaway Tonight, the warped traipse through whimsy that is Watchful Eye or the sun-drenched dirgey outro to Cola Elixir, sonic experimentation is centre stage. The most evident thing about Electric Hawaii is that despite a proclivity to experiment and push boundaries, it never loses sight of the inherent importance of the hook and melody. The ten tracks on this impressive debut are indelibly catchy without being predictable, offering enough layers of subterfuge and intrigue that getting lost on Opossum’s island without chance of rescue seems a godsend. ★★★★
While clearly the band has been heavily influenced by post-punk and no wave, there’s a million other influences that have been distilled into the very dense mix. The high energy tracks in the middle of the album, Hoof Foot and Indian, show just one of the very different directions the band could have taken. Even as late as Mister Minute, the very last track, they still haven’t covered all the bases. A loose jangly riff builds a loop with staccato drums interfering while even more guitar noise is layered up on top. Eventually organ drones start to carve out a melody while the vocals start to emerge. After a brief gap, the most tuneful and catchy part of the album emerges out of nowhere, lasting for about a minute-and-ahalf. It finishes so abruptly that it leaves you hungry for more, just as they’ve created your appetite. ★★★★
Chris Yates
Brendan Telford
adventure into design THINKING | MAKING | CONNECTING
EXPLORE OUR INNOVATIVE COMMUNICATION DESIGN AND BRANDED FASHION BACHELOR DEGREES EXPERIENCE TRUE BILLY BLUE AT OUR BRISBANE CAMPUS ‘DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DESIGNER’ WORKSHOPS saturday AUGUST 11 + saturday SEPTEMBER 15 + saturday october 6 Visit www.billyblue.edu.au or buzz Billy at 1300 851 245 Think: Colleges Pty Ltd trading as Billy Blue College of Design, ABN 93 050 049 299, RTO No. 0269, HEP No. 4375, CRICOS Provider Codes: NSW 00246M, QLD 03107J, VIC 03252M.
themusic.com.au
TIME OFF • 29
F R O N T R O W @ T I M E O F F. C O M . A U
THIS WEEK IN
ARTS THE PERFORMING AVENGERS This year’s Gangsters Ball is hosted by hirsute Irish comedian Dave Callan, who tells Baz McAlister how he’ll be expected to be funny. Funny how? Like a clown funny?
THE HARBINGER
THURSDAY 9
SATURDAY 11
PAM ANN – the trash-talking trolley dolly is back with Around The World. Be aware of the nearest exits as the in-flight entertainment kicks off with a laugh-out-loud performance courtesy of the big-haired lady in pink whose toured alongside Cher and staffed a private jet for Elton John. The jokes might not be for some, and under 18’s are strongly discouraged, but for anyone with a penchant for comedy that’s as camp as it is glamorous, we hope you enjoy the flight! Opening night, Brisbane Power House, 8pm, until Sunday 12 August (Sunday show 7pm).
Marco Fusinato – the Melbourne artist known for extrapolating rhetoric from the art, political and music worlds will be speaking today at his latest exhibit, The Color of the Sky Has Melted. Fusinato’s past work includes blasting audiences with 13,000 watts of white light in Aetheric Plexus and transforming scores by avant-garde composers in Mass Black Implosions. Fusinato will be speaking from 4pm. Opening night, IMA, 5pm–7pm, exhibiting until September 6. The Harbinger – Queensland’s Dead Puppet Society prove enchanted stories aren’t just for kids in this adult fairytale about an old man who reacquaints a city with the magic he’s witnessed disappear. From the creative minds of David Morton and Matthew Ryan, The Harbinger creates an evocative yet slightly disturbing world where the line between reality and make believe is blurred to such an extent that you’ll find yourself immersed in this tale that has more than a hint of the Brothers Grimm. Preview night, La Boite, until 1 September.
Extreme South: Cas and Jonesy – a book about the journey two young explorers – in fact, the youngest pair ever to travel from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole and back again – will be up for grabs tonight. The book’s authors, James Castrission (Cas) and Justin Jones (Jonesy) will also be along to talk about their travels and show snippets from the accompanying documentary, Crossing The Ditch. Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, 6pm.
FRIDAY 10 Stuart Ringholt – and the crew behind denim label, Ksubi are giving the art-loving Brisbane public the chance to view Ringholt’s work in a satellite gallery space in conjunction with IMA. You’ll find Ringholt’s confronting collages and exceptional artwork, which often play on the viewer’s fear of embarrassment, in the space until September. Tonight Ringholt, who in the past has led gallery tours in the nude and asked the audience to follow suit will speak at the exhibition. There will also be champagne and cupcakes. Birthday suit optional! Opening night, IMA@ Ksubi Fortitude Valley, 6pm. RINGHOLT
ONGOING Pedro Almodóvar – a retrospective of the acclaimed Spanish director’s work is currently showing at The Gallery’s Australian Cinémathèque. Almodóvar’s films including Broken Embraces, Volver and his most recent piece of shock cinema, The Skin I Live In explore the meeting points between love, sexuality and religion. An undertone of social liberation is also recurrent and relates to the political climate in which he began his filmmaking career in the mid-70s – a time when Spain transitioned to democracy and Madrid’s La Movida movement emerged. The theme of Spain’s cultural and political development will continue at QAG in Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado, running in conjunction with the Almodóvar exhibit. QAG, until 2 September.
Comedian Dave Callan is no stranger to the Gangsters Ball, the annual crazy whirl of 1920sthemed cabaret, vaudeville, magic, burlesque dames and Big Band swing. It’s been going for five years this year, but last year was the Melbourne-based triple j DJ’s first Gangsters Ball as a punter. He pinned back his trademark locks – “Because hair didn’t happen on men back in the 1920s,” he says – and jitterbugged the night away. “I was impressed by how everyone dressed up,” Callan continues. “The place looked amazing with everyone decked out ‘20s-style. What I like about it is some themes work better for women than men and vice versa – but with Gangsters everyone gets to look amazing and the decor transports you to another time – except alcohol is not illegal!” A self-confessed fan of the gangster genre of flicks, he cites classics such as The Godfather Part II, Casino and Goodfellas among his favourites. As well as re-watching those films, boning up on choice Joe Pesci quotes to casually drop into his conversation, Callan is frantically learning the Charleston and collecting bits and pieces for his ‘20s outfit ahead of his hosting duties when the show hits Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane next month. Touring his comedy show in the UK has given him some more options. “I found some nice cravats in London yesterday which are of the era. Unfortunately the MasterChef guy has sort of ruined cravats for everyone so I might go bow tie instead.” The other thing Callan says draws him to the Gangsters Ball is that it represents true variety in its acts. There really is something for every taste: dark hypnotist Shane Hill, plate-spinning juggler Mr Gorski, fire-stick foot-juggler Zoe Robbins, sleight-of-hand gangster magician Al Cappuccino, burlesque bombshells Red Devotchkin and Briana Bluebell and much more. “I usually perform with other comedians and these guys usually perform with other acts from their discipline, so to come together like this is kind of amazing, like a performing Avengers,” Callan admits. “I am equally excited about all of them.” That’s not all the entertainment on offer – poker, blackjack and roulette fiends can head to the gambling den for a flutter, where you might spot Callan
BARRACKS 07 3367 1954 61 PETRIE TCE, TOP OF CAXTON ST
WHAT: The Gangsters Ball WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 15 September, The Tivoli
BERNIE (M) (NO FREE TICKETS) ADVANCE SCREENINGS FRI-SUN 10.05AM
9.15PM WED 10.00, 12.00, 2.00, 2.45, 4.45, 6.10, 7.30, 8.15, 9.30PM
(NO FREE TICKETS)
FREE TICKETS)
WED 10.10, 2.30PM
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (M)
THE BOURNE LEGACY (M) THE CAMPAIGN (MA15+) (NO THU-TUE 11.30, 3.00, 6.15,
THE SAPPHIRES (PG) FROM THURSDAY
GIVEAWAYS GALORE! For the chance to win Portlandia Season One DVDs whilst stitching a bird into your pillow and then proclaiming that “it’s so Over!.” Also double passes to Jackpot in cinemas now this action-comedy from writer Jo Nesbo begins when Oscar Svendsen awakes clinched to a shotgun in a strip club, around eight dead men, and police aiming at him. To enter head to the Time Off’s Facebook page. Free arts stuff….ummm yes please.
THE CAMPAIGN (MA15+) SHOWING FROM 8 AUG
3367 1954
THURSDAY 9TH AUGUST TO WEDNESDAY 15TH AUGUST 2012
30 • TIME OFF
And of course, there’s the music. The Velvet Set, Michael McQuaid’s Red Hot Rhythmakers and the WellSwung Daddies will be lighting up the night with ‘20s-appropriate jazz, swing and Big Band sounds. Callan says he has a deep love of this style of music and used to slip it into his triple j playlists under the radar. “I used to blend my taste for Big Band and my love of triple j music by playing Richard Cheese. He plays Big Band versions of stuff like Creep by Radiohead, Snoop Dogg, Slipknot and so on. It kept everyone happy… Okay, mainly me.”
THE BARRACKS
CENTRO 07 3852 4488 39 JAMES STREET, THE VALLEY
WWW.PALACECINEMAS.COM.AU
in between sets, looking pretty and blowing on men’s dice. “Then he’ll turn to me, give me a chip and say in a thick Brooklyn accent ‘Eeh, go buy y’self somethin’ nice.’ Then I will put the chip in my cleavage and pickpocket him for being sexist.”
THU/MON-WED 4.15PM FRI-SUN 4.25PM
HYSTERIA (M)
THU/SUN/MON/WED 10.15, 9.25PM 2.25PM WED 12.10, 3.15, 6.25, 9.30PM FRI 1.45PM WED 12:00, 2:40, 6.45, 9.25PM THU/SAT-WED 12.30, 4.45, 6.45, 8.45PM MAGIC MIKE (MA15+) THE SAPPHIRES (PG) (NO SAT/TUE 2.25PM FRI 11.50, 4.15, 6.45, 8.45PM THU-TUE 12.15, 4.45, 7.15, FREE TICKETS) A ROYAL AFFAIR (M) 9.30PM COSMOPOLIS (MA15+) THU 10.00, 11.00 (BABES THU/MON-WED 11.55AM THU-TUES 10.05, 2.35, 9.00PM WED 10.10, 5.15, 7.00PM THU), 12.15, 1.15, 4.45, 6.10, FRI-SUN 12.05PM WED 9.50, 12.25, 9.15PM TED (MA15+) 7.00, 8.15, 9.15PM THE CABIN IN THE JACKPOT (MA15+) THU 2.30PM FRI-SUN 10.00, 12.00, 12.45, WOODS (MA15+) FRI-SUN 10.30AM BARRACKS EXCLUSIVE! 2.00, 2.45, 4.45, 6.10, 7.00, BARRACKS EXCLUSIVE! MON/TUE 10.30, 2.45PM THU/MON/TUE 10.10, 2.30, 8.15, 9.15PM THU 3.30PM WED 9.55AM MON/TUE 10.00, 12.00, 12.45, 7.10PM FRI-SUN 2.40, 7.10PM MARGARET (MA15+) FRI-WED 4.00PM 2.00, 5.00, 6.10, 7.00, 8.15,
CENTRO
07 3852 4488
BERNIE (M) (NO FREE
AICE ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL TICKETS NOW ON SALE – AUGUST 29- SEPT 5
9.00PM WED 10.15, 10.30 (GOLDEN LUNNCH), FRI- SUN 12.20PM THE SAPPHIRES (PG) 1.10, 2.30, 4.40, 6.10, 6.50, 8.15, 9.00PM (NO FREE TIX) THU- MON 10.15, 11.00, BEAUTY (R18+) (NO FREE TIX) 1.10, 2.30, 4.40, 6.10, THU- WED 2.10, 6.50, 8.15, 9.00PM 7.10PM THU 11.00 (BABES) TUE 10.15, 11.00, 1.10, COSMOPOLIS (MA15+) 2.30, 4.40, 6.50, 8.40, THU- WED 10.00,
TIX) ADVANCE SCREENINGS
9.20PM
MARLEY (M) CENTRO EXCLUSIVE!
THU- WED 4.20PM
AND IF WE ALL LIVED TOGETHER? CENTRO EXCLUSIVE! (M) THU- WED 2.00, 4.10, 6.20PM
THE DARK KNIGHT
RISES (M) THU- MON/ WED 10.45, 3.10, 8.30PM TUE 10.45, 3.15, 8.30PM
THE DOOR (M)
THU- WED 12.10PM
HYSTERIA (M)
THU/ MON- WED 12.30PM
TIME OFF • 31
NICHE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS
ALL NEW AV SHOW! NEXT WEEK - ROYAL SHOW PUBLIC HOLIDAY EVE - DON’T MISS OUT
TUE. 14TH AUGUST THE HIFI SUPPORT:
SAMPOLOGY (DJ SET) + SPECIAL GUESTS TICKETS: THEHIFI.COM.AU NICHEPRODUCTIONS.COM.AU
TIME OFF • 31
F R O N T R O W @ T I M E O F F. C O M . A U
THE LOOKING
GLASS
WITH HELEN STRINGER I’ve been reading a lot of Joh Bjelke Petersen-related material of late. This is definitely not because I believe that there’s any validity whatsoever in comparisons between our current upstanding Premier, Mr Newman and The Hillbilly Dictator. No. It’s because I fear that the end of Channel Nine’s Underbelly series will bring about mass panic and intend on writing a script based on Joh’s reign entitled ‘Underbelly: Hey, Hey Joh, Where You Going With That Money in Your Hand’. Having embarked on this journey of Joh-discovery I’ve come to realise that there’s just so much to be thankful for as a Queenslander in 2012. I almost don’t know to whom or where I should be extending my gratitude first. Almost. I’m grateful to have a leader who’s not afraid to make big decisions without consulting anyone – except, of course, for Peter ‘The Sky is Falling Down and You’re All Going to Die’ Costello. There’s none of this quintessentially Labor Party, time wasting, equivocating, Unionpandering, committee-hearing bullshit with the Queensland LNP, no siree. With the kind of majority they have they don’t need to worry about the little things, like people. I’m infinitely thankful that our first female Speaker of the House, Fiona Simpson, is such an indefatigable defender of democracy and a staunch human rights warrior. It’s nice to have such an open and inclusive mind in the speaker’s chair, a mind that thinks, “Sure, I believe in equal rights; I believe that the LGBTQIA have the right to marriage - after they’ve exercised the right to transform themselves
into heterosexuals by taking the Lord Jesus into their hearts.” When I think of our forefathers suffering unjustifiable persecution for political activism during the age of Joh, I’m grateful that I live in a state in which free speech and protest are now sanctified. I know that when Ms Simpson throws the media out of parliament and threatens to ban the public from the public gallery she’s doing it because she has a better grasp on democracy than the rest of us uneducated riff-raff. When she says that “bona fide members of the public who wish to observe democracy” will be welcome she’s unequivocally demonstrating that she understands that democracy isn’t actually participatory. This is because the honourable Speaker knows that democracy isn’t about accountability. It’s not about balancing powers or responsibility. It’s about efficiently expediting legislation through the age-old and sacred process of rubber-stamping and you sure as shit do not need onlookers to do that. So when parliament sits again (August 21, 22 and 23) I genuinely hope that security staff has been able to obtain enough “credible intelligence” about potentially disruptive observers that they’re able to deny them access at the door. Hell, I hope they pass a retrospectively active law allowing police to arrest potential protesters before they’ve protested and that they demonstrate the efficacy of this law by trying it out on anyone attempting dissent when parliament sits again. Denying the public access to the public gallery? That’ll show them lefty bastards.
BEFORE THE TERRORIST The man responsible for bringing Achmed The Terrorist to the collective conscious, Jeff Dunham chats to Paul Andrew about how it all began.
Long before YouTube sensation Achmed The Terrorist, ventriloquism had a history of representing the dead. Ventriloquism – the art of throwing one’s voice – is as ancient as theatre. Originally a religious practice named Gastromancy by the Greeks, these strange voices from the stomach were believed to be the voices of the un-living. Modern Ventriloquism was popularised in the US during the days of Vaudeville in the late 19th Century when performers like The Great Lester made a character – a puppet dummy crafted from wood – utterly believable. It was Edgar Bergen, who comedian Jeff Dunham – as a student of The Great Lester – recounts transformed one of Vaudeville’s onetrick ponies into a radio sensation, his infamous character Charlie McCarthy, the girl crazy smartarse whose shows were aired from 1937 to 1958. Dunham was aged eight when he and his mum went browsing in a toy store in his hometown of Dallas, Texas. “What do you want for Christmas?” asked his mum, and the loner schoolkid snatched a Mortimer Snerd doll from the shelves, “I want this,” he shrieked.
As Dunham recounts of that formative childhood experience his mother was less than impressed. “Why would a boy want a Mortimer Snerd dummy for Christmas?” Dunham explains that Mortimer Snerd was another Bergen dummy and cites Bergen as “the” artist who “revolutionised ventriloquism into the modern comic medium we know today.” And just as Bergen changed a vaudeville sideshow into a modern form of comedy, Dunham is widely accepted as having propelled the craft to its outer limits. His irreverent cache of comic characters; the gothic Achmed “I keel you” the Terrorist, his gay wayward son AJ, Bubba J the Southern yokel, Walter the dry pensioner and the Mickey Mouse/ Kermit/Bugs Bunny-inspired Peanut have almost become household
HARBINGER OF PUPPETS
The second iteration of the company’s sell-out The Harbinger is back at La Boite, this time taking the main stage in revamped form. It’s more Brothers Grimm than Sesame Street, a dark fairy-tale telling the story of an old man (played by a 10 foot puppet) hiding with his memories in a bookshop, cut off from the war-torn streets of a broken city. 32 • TIME OFF
“What type of monster would Walter be,” Dunham asks me. I tend to see Walter’s character as fairly monstrous as is. “Something Edgar Allan Poe?” I guess. “Frankenstein,” he reveals. “Walter is Frankenstein but without the two bolts on his neck or the green shading. Universal has copyright to the two bolts and green shading. Dunham reveals he never sets out to make a particular character. “Walter was a character I imagined having a small role, maybe for three shows. I didn’t think anyone would be able to put up with his dark dry humour. I was wrong. AJ was the same. There was a show when Achmed mentioned a son, and I thought I could make a son character,
C U LT U R A L
With the second iteration of Dead Puppet Society’s The Harbinger starting at La Boite this weekend, Helen Stringer chats to co-director Matthew Ryan to talk Muppets and more. There’s something about puppets that reignites in adults an oftforgotten capacity for imagination. Any kid with an Elmo toy can demonstrate the degree to which we’re capable of empathising with and caring about characters that are, sans human intervention, completely inanimate but getting a grown-up audience to suspend disbelief is a more difficult task. Dead Puppet Society, however, have managed to win over adult audiences with their blend of gothic fairy tale.
names. “I wanted to do something different with each of these guys, and the Monster Show was born, in time for Halloween.
The Harbinger has undergone significant changes since its 2011 premiere as part of La Boite Indie, the most obvious being the addition of dialogue for puppets and actors alike. Ryan concedes that writing without dialogue was
a challenge, but he says, “I’m not opposed to it. I’m just a storyteller; the story is the main thing to me. But with where we wanted to go with the story, the changes we wanted to make, it just became unavoidable that we needed dialogue,” he tells. “I think it will be exciting to people who saw the original to see that there’s this whole new world to explore.” Ryan has brought his experience with runaway success ‘boy girl wall’ in taking a show to the main stage; although comparisons between the plays end firmly there. At the suggestion he’s now run the full gamut of theatrical experience, Ryan laughs, “The last couple of days I’ve been reminding myself that the last show I did was just a dickhead running around with a piece of chalk and an overhead projector. The size of [The Harbinger] is massive: this is the biggest show I’ve ever done and it’s
incredible and it’s mind-blowing but there is that part of me that realises that theatre comes in all shapes and sizes.” Ryan won’t have a lot of time to dwell on the new world of The Harbinger; rehearsals for Kelly, his first play to hit the QTC stage, begin during The Harbinger’s season. It’s a hectic load, he agrees. “I think I was pinching myself when it actually came about,” he says, “But I’m very excited to have my script on at QTC, it’s something I’ve been trying to achieve for thirteen years. “This is ten weeks of straight rehearsals for me on two different shows. I can’t think about in the middle,” he finishes with a laugh, “otherwise I’m going to fall in a heap.” WHAT: The Harbinger WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 11 August - Saturday 1 September, La Boite Theatre
It was in ‘05 and ‘06 when Dunham’s 20-year career of performing in comedy clubs took centre stage at Comedy Central. “These appearances coincided with the rise and rise of DVD sales and YouTube. YouTube has become the perfect medium for us.” WHO: Jeff Dunham WHAT: Controlled Chaos WHEN & WHERE: Monday 13 August, Convention Centre
CRINGE
WITH MANDY MCALISTER
Co-writer/director [Dead Puppet’s David Morton also at the helm] and acclaimed Brisbane playwright Matthew Ryan explains his collaboration with Dead Puppet Society: “I grew up with The Labyrinth with the Muppets; puppetry has come up in almost every one of my shows…that level of theatricality has resonated through my work,” he continues, “I think what a puppet does is take an audience member further back into a childlike view of things. It wakes up different stages of our lives… We go to great lengths to ease the audience into being like children in a way… It really reverses cynicism.”
once again for a few shows; he’s been around for a while now too. We were lucky with timing; four appearances with Carson on The Tonight Show between 1990 and 1991 gave us a sort of legitimacy. There was a time in the 1960s and 1970s when one appearance with Carson sealed your fate, your career was made.”
This week I’ve been getting in touch with my inner nanna. My inner nanna who sews, and bakes, and makes plush toys is nothing like my real nanna who long ago cottoned on that the ratio homemade chutney sent to grandkids to visits from grandkids was a bit out of whack and now spends her time and money on home improvements and travel. No, given that threading needles, using sharp cutting utensils, and lugging rolls of fabric around Lindcraft are young people endeavours, no one should be allowed to indulge in nanna activities beyond the age of 35. Everything involved in knitting, crochet, and sewing is pointy, gougy, and dangerous. However, if you feel, as I do, that you have a couple more years left in which to get your craft on, you can do so at some great workshops being run at Bleeding Heart on Ann st. A multifunctional space, Bleeding Heart is located in a heritage listed building inconspicuously snuggled between hulking modern structures. It’s one of those buildings you might see but never look at. If you did you’d see Bleeding Heart is housed in the old School of Arts building (erected in 1865) on Ann st and its white picket fence is sweet and incongruous to the surrounds. Located within are an art gallery, a shop selling the wares of local artisans, and cafe. Throughout August and September, Bleeding Heart are carrying on their popular
Hands On Brisbane series. Art, craft, and design workshops are held every Saturday morning to teach you everything from beer brewing to plush toy making and a whole bunch of other nifty things you might not otherwise attempt. There’s some great stuff coming up like a French knitting class, lino printing with visual artist Kay Watanabe, and a make your own terrarium workshop. Special mention however has to to to the two hour Manga drawing workshop on Saturday 25 August. This workshop absolutely free, and is being run by the Japanese consulate as part of Japan week. Accomplished Manga artist David Lovegrove will teach participants how to draw Manga characters and scenes, and tips to improve their work. Places are very limited so register your interest at bleedingheart.com.au/ handsonbrisbane. Workshops are usually $15-$20 and this includes all the materials required to make your masterpiece. As a participant last Saturday the lovely and talented Dominique Antos’ toy making workshop I can vouch for the welcoming nature of the venue and tutors, and the quality of the coffee. I walked away pretty damn pleased with myself having make a my first plush toy, a whale I’ve name Fudgie the Whale, after the very specifically whale-shaped ice cream cake sold by American ice creamery, Carvel. It’s a real thing, keep calm and Google it.
PIGEON Member answering/position in band Danny Harley – keys, guitar and vocals.
How long have you been together? Pigeon have been together now for about a year-and-a-half.
How did you all meet? Most of us met at high school through various projects and musical endeavors. Chris (bass) and I have been playing in bands since we were 14 and I met Luke through an unassuming passion for jazz. Aaron has always been around playing whatever he could get his hands on and I met Nick at university studying music and boom bap pow… Pigeon was born.
You’re on tour in the van – which band or artist is going to keep the most people happy if we throw them on the stereo? This is a scenario that we run into quite often. Our meeting point is usually somewhere around electronic indie pop stuff. Fail-safe artists that always get a work out in the CD player of the van are Miike Snow, Delphic, Royksopp, Bag Raiders, SBTRKT and that sort of stuff…
Would you rather be a busted brokebut-revered Hank Williams figure or some kind of Metallica monster? I think as a group we’d probably strive to be a Metallica-like monster and then use the truckloads of cash from that to fund our ventures into other areas of music in which we can make ambient/noise music to show to our parents. Ha ha. No, we’re very much about having fun so the more people having a sweet time with us the better really. Bring on the stadium tour.
Which Brisbane bands before you have been an inspiration (musically or otherwise)? Ooooh, nice question. I think definitely for me and a few others The Butterfly Effect were always a band we loved and looked up to. A bit of a strange one for us but they’re amazing. However, we’re more influenced by current Brisbane bands at the moment; bands like Tin Can Radio, The Belligerents, The Jungle Giants, and The Cairos. There’s definitely heaps of good music coming out of Brisbane at the moment. Get on it!
What part do you think Brisbane plays in the music you make? Well firstly it’s where we write all of our music, it’s where we live, and it’s where we get most people along to a show so for us it’s hugely important. It’s a definite influence and I think it’d be difficult not to get influenced by what’s around you. I think the main affect it has on us as a band is its healthy music scene and getting to see other bands doing similar things and drawing inspiration from that.
Is your band responsible for more make-outs or break-ups? Why? Hmmm… well I guess I’d have to say make-outs purely because the majority of the band have girlfriends so that’s a fair few make-outs right there, not to mention our saxophone player’s tour escapades. Line up ladies. We write music to create a party atmosphere and for people to have a good time so I’d hope that we’d be responsible for more make-outs for sure. Break-ups suck.
What reality TV show would you enter as a band and why?
We wouldn’t say no to a cameo on The Shire… That was a joke. That show is a step backwards for the human race. Maybe we’d enter Luke into Farmer Wants A Wife, I think he could pull off ‘Farmer’. Or maybe as a whole band we’d do Big Brother just so we could get some decent rehearsal time and maybe track an album, the free time would be much appreciated.
If your band had to play a team sport instead of being musicians which sport would it be and why would you be triumphant? We’re gentle fellows so I doubt we’d be any good at something like rugby. I think something like a winter sport… curling perhaps? That sport is awesome. It’s like boules on ice. Chris (bass player by day, manager by night) is great at cleaning up after us so he could be that guy at the front with the broom. I really hope anyone reading this has seen curling before. Look it up on YouTube, it’s a riot.
What’s in the pipeline for the band in the short term? We’ve just finished up a tour with The Belligerents and we’re about to head off on our own headline tour happening most places between here and Adelaide. The Brisbane show is at Alhambra on the Saturday 11 August. The tour is to promote our new single Oh Hebe, which you can find on triple j Unearthed or watch the video on YouTube. It’s a taste of new music from an EP we’re recording currently which will be out around October/November. See you there! Pigeon launch Oh Hebe (Independent) at SolBar, Maroochydore on Friday 10 August, Alhambra Lounge on Saturday 11 August and Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay on Friday 31 August, plus play Red Deer Festival, Mt Samson on Saturday 1 September and BIGSOUND Live on Wednesday 12 September. Photo by TERRY SOO.
TOUR GUIDE FEATURE TOUR
SNAKADAKTL
FRIDAY 10 AUGUST, THE HI-FI
HUNTING GROUNDS @ X&Y BAR PIC BY TERRY SOO
Okay, they’ve got a fairly ridiculous name that sounds like something out of a bizarro Sesame Street, but when you make as big a splash as young Melbourne five-piece Snakadaktl have in recent times you can pretty much call yourself whatever you like. Even their new tour is called the Dance Bear Tour – named after their recent single of the same name – which also conjures up images of some twisted kid’s TV program. Well, regardless, they’re bringing along their mates Sures and Palindromes – two other emerging bands who’ve been impressing all and sundry of late – so head along and check out this killer night of burgeoning Aussie indie goodness when they hit The Hi-Fi this Friday night!
TIME OFF PRESENTS RUFUS: Oh Hello Aug 10 PASSENGER: The Hi-Fi Aug 16 THE LAURELS: Beetle Bar Aug 17 THE JUNGLE GIANTS: Elsewhere Aug 17, The Zoo Aug 18 LONG PLAYER SESSIONS: Brisbane Powerhouse Aug 18 XAVIER RUDD: Rumours Aug 29, The Tivoli Aug 30, LKCC Aug 31, Coolangatta Hotel Sep 1, Byron YAC Sep 2 RED DEER FESTIVAL 2012: Samford Sep 1 PLUS ONE RECORDS SHOWCASE: The Zoo Sep 11 BIGSOUND 2012: Fortitude Valley Sep 12-14 JULIA STONE: Spiegeltent Sep 19 and 20, Byron Community Centre Sep 21 OH MERCY: The Zoo Sep 21, Joe’s Waterhole Sep 22 TZU: SolBar Sep 21, The Zoo Sep 22 MYSTERY JETS: The Hi-Fi Sep 25 THE BEARDS: Beach Hotel Sep 28, Spotted Cow Oct 4, Coolangatta Hotel Oct 5, The Hi-Fi Oct 6 BLACKCHORDS: Ric’s Sep 29 TIM & ERIC AWESOME SHOW: The Tivoli Oct 4 THE MEDICS: The Northern Oct 5 CLARE BOWDITCH: Old Museum Oct 11 GROUPER: Brisbane Powerhouse Oct 11 BASTARDFEST: The Hi-Fi Oct 13 LAST DINOSAURS: Alhambra Oct 13, The Hi-Fi Oct 19 MUMFORD & SONS: Brisbane Riverstage Oct 17, Gold Coast Convention Centre Oct 31 BILLY BRAGG: QPAC Oct 25 CHERRY POPPIN’ DADDIES: Tempo Hotel Nov 1 XIU XIU: Brisbane Powerhouse Nov 18 GOLDEN DAYS FESTIVAL: Coolum Beach Nov 17-18
INTERNATIONAL
BILLY TALENT: The Hi-Fi Aug 9 NASUM: The Hi-Fi Aug 17 COLD BLANK: Electric Playground Aug 17 OPOSSOM, WHITE ARROWS: The Hi-Fi Aug 18 SLASH: Brisbane Riverstage Aug 23 CHRIS LAKE: Family Aug 24 PENNYWISE, THE MENZINGERS, SHARKS: Coolangatta Hotel Aug 23, Eatons Hill Hotel Aug 24 THE BEACH BOYS: BEC Aug 28 PITBULL, TAIO CRUZ: BEC Aug 29 APOCOLYPTICA: The Hi-Fi Aug 30 DIE! DIE! DIE!: The Zoo Aug 30, Elsewhere Aug 31 KATCHAFIRE: The Hi-Fi Aug 31, Kings Beach Tavern Sep 6, Caloundra RSL Sep 7 THE REMBRANDTS: The Tivoli Sep 1 CARTEL: Crowbar Sep 5, Surfers Paradise Beer Garden Sep 6 34 • TIME OFF
HUNTING GROUNDS, GUNG HO, ROYAL CHANT X&Y BAR: 04/08/12
THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES: The Hi-Fi Sep 6 PATRICK WOLF: The Tivoli Sep 7 EARTH: The Zoo Sep 9 RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: QPAC Sep 12 INGRID MICHAELSON: Spiegeltent Sep 12 SUBHUMANS: Prince Of Wales Sep 13 SIX60: The Tivoli Sep 13 RIVAL SCHOOLS: The Zoo Sep 14 JONAH MATRANGA’S ONELINEDARWING: Crowbar Sep 15 BARRY ADAMSON: Beetle Bar Sep 16 MACY GRAY: Jupiters Casino Sep 19, QPAC Sep 20 HANSON: The Hi-Fi Sep 20 ENTER SHIKARI: Eatons Hill Hotel Sep 20 EIFFEL 65, N-TRANCE: The Hi-Fi Sep 21 FUTURE ISLANDS: GoMA Sep 21 WHEATUS: The Hi-Fi Sep 23 AMERICA: Twin Towns Sep 15 MUSIQ SOULCHILD: Mystique Sep 15 FAR EAST MOVEMENT: Eatons Hill Hotel Sep 19 SCISSOR SISTERS: Arena Sep 25 MARIANA’S TRENCH: The Zoo Sep 25 MYSTERY JETS: The Hi-Fi Sep 25 FEAR FACTORY: The Hi-Fi Sep 26 FERRY CORSTEN: Family Sep 28 JAMES MORRISON: Eatons Hill Hotel Sep 28 ULCERATE: Beetle Bar Sep 30 DEFEATER, BLACKLISTED: Mount Gravatt PCYC Sep 30, Byron Bay YAC Oct 1, The Zoo Oct 2 JOE BONAMASSA: QPAC Oct 3 STEEL PANTHER: Eatons Hill Hotel Oct 4 TIM & ERIC: The Tivoli Oct 4 NEKROMANTIX: The Hi-Fi Oct 4 RUSSIAN CIRCLES, EAGLE TWIN: The Zoo Oct 5 GRANDMASTER MELLE MEL: Coniston Lane Oct 6 CANNIBAL CORPSE: The Hi-Fi Oct 8 MARTIKA: The Hi-Fi Oct 10 EVERCLEAR: Coolangatta Hotel Oct 10, The Hi-Fi Oct 11 GROUPER: Brisbane Powerhouse Oct 11 TORTOISE: The Zoo Oct 12 GOMEZ: Coolangatta Hotel Oct 13, The Tivoli Oct 14 GRAILS: The Zoo Oct 17 MUMFORD & SONS: Brisbane Riverstage Oct 17, Gold Coast Convention Centre Oct 31 XIU XIU: Brisbane Powerhouse Oct 18 LEE RANALDO BAND: The Zoo Oct 21 SMASH MOUTH: Jupiter’s Oct 21 SHELLAC: The Zoo Oct 23 HOT CHELLE RAE: BCEC Oct 23 SUNN O))), PELICAN: The Tivoli Oct 24 WEDNESDAY 13: The Zoo Oct 25 THE BLACK KEYS: BEC Oct 26 AT THE GATES: The Hi-Fi Oct 31 CHERRY POPPIN’ DADDIES: Tempo Hotel Nov 1 RADIOHEAD: BEC Nov 9 BEN HARPER: BCEC Nov 9
The night is young when New South Welshmen Royal Chant kick off the second show of the tour with only a handful of polite punters standing before them. Still, it’s clearly no deterrent as frontman Mark Spence leads his band of three through gems like Shatters Alright and Coughing Fits with charismatic vigour. They make the most of their opening slot, proving that jangly ‘90s garage surf rock is making a classy revival. Having already built a solid fanbase over the past couple of years with a couple of swiftly picked-up EPs, Brisbane boys and triple j Unearthed favourites Gung Ho’s slightly more geeky brand of the garage surfer sound incorporates a bit more funk with Oliver Duncan’s dexterous manhandling of his gaffer-taped bass. He and fellow specs-wearing guitarist Michael McAlary share vocal duties, with each achieving a widely differing style of song and sound. Duncan channels a bit of Robert Smith with his sighs and laconic wail, covering Friends’ I’m His Girl, while McAlary’s breathy delivery and spot-on falsetto fits the mix perfectly on radio favourite Twin Rays. With catchy, surf rock hooks and off-kilter pop beats, Gung Ho are in prime position to take over the summer. Practically obliterating the sunny vibe that seeped into the last two sets, Ballarat sextet Hunting Grounds part the crowd and leap onstage, unleashing chugging guitars and distorted synths with Star Shards from recently-released debut album, In Hindsight. Vocalist Michael Belsar soon finds his comfort zone, letting his mid-range vocal wander before reaching for a controlled high in All Eyes. It’s hard to believe the cramped space can handle the level and fury of sound this swag of guitars, keys, bass and drums create but despite some high and low lines getting lost in the mix, it all sounds pretty bang on. These guys are fascinating to watch, full of late-teen/early-twenties attitude and shifts between Belsar’s deadpan delivery and Lachlan Morrish’s thrashy howl on Kill My Friends. Ripping through covers of Gorillaz’s Clint Eastwood and No Doubt’s Hella Good, calls for their triple j Unearthed High-winning song Blackout – under former band moniker Howl – are extinguished by Belsar, saying their closer is just as massive, “like my penis, so it’s actually quite small.” Making good on his hint, they finish literally on a high with In Colour, with Belsar, and even the boys from Last Dinosaurs, becoming airborne over the crowd’s heads. Crowd surfing and circles of death aside, these young guys know how to create a memorable performance. It’s clear the name change and new direction in sound is working for them, proven by a preference for their new material tonight. Carley Hall
4 WALLS FESTIVAL
QUEENSLAND ACADEMY FOR CREATIVE INDUSTRIES: 04/08/12 There’s a lot to like about the 4 Walls Festival. Now in its third year, it’s one of the very few all-ages events in Brisbane these days; a three-stage, 21 band extravaganza, featuring a mixture of unknown and established acts. Held in the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries building in QUT’s Kelvin Grove precinct, the stages have (mostly) impeccable sound and there’s a great vibe among the excited punters. Cub Scouts have pulled a massive crowd into the main stage as they kick off with some highly professional indie pop. They’re skilful musicians and the music is well-constructed and catchy, but it all seems a little generic after a few songs, and the band is drowned out by the massive stage.
themusic.com.au
Down at the Basement stage Bandito Folk are putting on a solid performance. It’s rather safe indie rock, but it’s well performed and has enough hooks to keep the crowd bopping. Stephen Smith follows with a well-constructed folksy set that is reminiscent of the work of The Trouble With Templeton. The room’s pitch-black, but when the door opens to let some light shine in it’s clear that the room is packed out with an appreciative audience. The Skyline stage is the place for heavy music at 4 Walls and it’s in a beautiful setting – up on the roof, with a view behind the band – but they’re suffering a run of bad luck up here tonight. Payne Rd’s guitarist dislocates his knee during their first song, and while the band soldiers on, they sound a little hollow without the instrument and the injury rather overshadows the set. The next band, Trepidation, have been unable to make it, and sound problems cut short the performances of the artists brought upstairs to fill in. Back at the main stage Millions have taken over and, looking impressively dapper, are cranking out a great set of sunny, ‘60s-inflected pop (a cover of The Ronettes’ Be My Baby fits comfortably into the set). They’ve been touring all over the place recently and the experience shows, as their presence dominates the stage, with tracks like These Girls justifying their rapidly increasing national profile. The Medics hit the floor next and are in perfect form; their reverb-drenched pysch-pop fills the room. Heavier live than they are on recording, the increased intensity benefits the music, giving it additional immediacy and drive. Single Beggars is an obvious highlight and the crowd screams their appreciation. While it’s exciting to see such a professionally run all-ages event at an unusual venue, they’ve adopted a few of the worst aspects of festivals (no passouts), and created a few unique problems of their own. The main stage room gets emptied at the end of every set, with the crowd forced to line up outside in the stuffy indoor car-park while the next band sound-checks. It’s a ridiculous setup and isn’t something that would or should be seen as acceptable at a normal event. Hopefully next year a few more kinks get worked out and the festival can continue as an even better all-ages showcase event. Sky Kirkham
BLACK BEAR PLAYS BLACK BEAR BLACK BEAR LODGE: 05/08/12
In this second part of Black Bear Lodge’s first birthday celebrations, it’s the staff from the venue that are taking to the stage, emerging from their usual spots in the office or behind the bar. An interesting soundcheck misleads the crowd as Black Bear owner Corinna Scanlon takes to the stage. Haunting and beautiful are the words on everyones lips, as Scanlon delivers delicate acoustic guitar coupled with her soaring voice to dead silence, an awe resonating throughout the venue. She touches on solo material with the odd Bill Callahan cover thrown in and at the conclusion receives thunderous applause. Following her bittersweet performance at the closure of The Troubadour, tonight sees Texas Tea’s Kate Jacobson deliver a much more positive set; from the childlike melody of The Alphabet Song to odes to the staff, it’s an essential part of this celebration. With a full band behind him, Timothy Carroll has everyone off their feet as he delves into what feels like a live mixtape to the venue come to life. His band goes from straight-up blues-based rock to psychedelic touches and even emits vibes of Mogwai-like postrock. The band never miss a beat and the whole set comes off as simply perfect and inescapable.
It’s the bar’s turn to strut their stuff as Velociraptor frontman Jeremy Neale plays with his Teen Sensations project. The band clearly have drawn a good crowd with the venue bursting as the group deliver a set of Beach Boys vibes via dirty garage. Neale has clearly honed his craft and leads the group even when he’s not at the mic. It’s an interesting incarnation of the saga that will no doubt re-appear in the future. Even with their drummer overseas and their synth player ill, there’s simply no stopping the power that is Dreamtime, beginning with a series of percussionbased loops segueing to tribal chanting which then paves the way for the crushing guitar and vocal work of Zac Anderson. There are no faults in their set and the environment sucks you into the fog-based land the band inhabit. From tempo changes to free-form jams, it’s hard to ignore the level of musicianship and talent from this local psychedelic mainstay. Being a Sunday night and with the gig joyfully running a little later than planned, the crowd is somewhat sparse for Outerwaves, who is rounding out the night. Still, the stayers enjoy it and his electronica gets the people movin’. Goods Inwards and a cover of Len’s Steal My Sunshine all go down well as Dom Stephens takes things casually, having a good time. Black Bear Lodge clearly know how to throw a party and just about every aspect of this revitalised institution has been covered in tonight’s celebration. From the loud to the delicate, here’s hoping for another year of great music at the Lodge. Bradley Armstrong
BANDS OF YOUR TOWN 2012
THE JUDITH WRIGHT CENTRE: 03/08/12 Designed as a showcase event for the finalists of the annual Grant McLennan Memorial Fellowship, established in 2007 to commemorate the life and music of The Go-Betweens co-founder, this evening’s Bands Of Your Town performance has a wonderful celebratory vibe as Grant’s sister Sally exclaims: “Welcome to Grant’s grant!” Performing alongside Powderfinger’s Ian Haug and former Go-Betweens Adele Pickvance and Glenn Thompson, she recalls campfire sing-a-longs with her late brother, variously interpreting her favourites in between performances from the four Queensland finalists which each include their own special McLennan pick. Kellie Lloyd’s selection is Thought That I Was Over You, a beautiful song of longing from McLennan’s Jack Frost project with The Church’s Steve Kilbey. A veteran of the Brisbane scene with Screamfeeder, Lloyd explains that the revered songwriter once told her to “Never stop playing music”, a sentiment clearly heeded as she displays the alt-pop fruits of her solo work on guitar, Foxes Down A Hole and newbie Paradigm. The always enigmatic but never shy Edward Guglielmino actually shows some nerves tonight as he sandwiches The Go-Betweens’ 1987 song Bye Bye Pride between Mothers and the haunting sorrow of Healthy as he tries to forget Robert Forster is watching on. The latter particularly emphasises the avantguarde experimentalist’s huge songwriting progress within his new album, aptly titled Sunshine State.
year’s winner Scott Spark serves to show the success of the fellowship, and the magnificent boost the program gives to songwriters in the memory of Grant McLennan, one of Australia’s most loved and important songwriters.
TINY SPIDERS, UNDEAD APES, GOLDEN BATS, GREEN NOSE
Tyler McLoughlan
Hiding behind a partition, chiptune instrumentalist Green Nose kickstarts The Waiting Room festivities with an insanely addictive bevy of hip hop compositions that ought to come with a health warning. With a niche that sounds like Japanese Nintendo soundtrack cast-offs with excellently offkilter vocal samples tacked on, and finishing with the strangest Beastie Boys megamix ever, this unique yet killer set sets the tone for the rest of the night.
ED SHEERAN, GEORGI KAY
QPAC CONCERT HALL: 31/07/12 The young Georgi Kay from Perth stands out immediately in her rock blazer, jeans and Joan Jett mullet, but it’s her casual attitude as she introduces each song and her mesmerising, whispering vocals that really command attention. The crowd cheers as she introduces the song In My Mind, a familiar dance hit that has been blessed with her vocals. She’s as gentle with her projection as she is in plucking the strings of her travelling guitar, commanding silence for the acoustic version as her vocals radiate across the room. Faint-worthy screams fill the hall as a cargo-panted silhouette walks onstage. Ed Sheeran gets straight into Gimme Love for his first headlining tour in the country. Despite some high echoing from his vocal mic and slight speaker problems, he continues to jam on his own travelling guitar like a pro. The screaming and heartshaped fingers continue as he engages with the audience to get them ready for an interactive singalong show. And like good little followers, they keep up with every word as he raps to Drunk and UNI. He uses the second mic to loop sounds for some impressive, lengthy self-jams, then takes time to educate us about how his beloved machine works and demonstrates by creating the beat for Grade 8, which he effortlessly mixes into Lil’ Kim’s Lighters Up.
THE WAITING ROOM: 03/08/12
Next up is Golden Bats, a one-man sludge metal army whose no-frills approach fits his aesthetic perfectly. Backed by a drum machine that seems limited to stadium fillers, the axe-wielding somehow slides comfortably over the top and Geordie Stafford’s reverb-heavy screams emanate desolate aggression in spades. There is no need for fleshing out, as these tracks settle like leaden dust and seep into every pore, never to let go. Another swing of the pendulum sees frenetic punk hazards Undead Apes wreak havoc, their anarchic blend of Ramones and Descendents fare matched by witty repartee and effervescent cheer. The quartet tear through their set with boundless energy, complete with spirit fingers, and even showcase a new song that Adam Scott has his vocals reverbed for as the lyrics aren’t written yet. Songs cover both albums, fly by at a relentless pace and leave you feeling used, abused, and proud of it.
He delivers Leggo House for his last song “until the encore, unless you want to go and watch Game Of Thrones.” As promised, he returns for a rocking 15-minute performance of You Need Me, I Don’t Need You complete with guitar shredding, freestyle rapping and strobe lights. The two-hour show ends with his breakout hit, A-Team, and no one leaves disappointed.
Tonight is a special occasion, the much-awaited “official” debut vinyl album launch for Tiny Spiders, and (as always) they do not disappoint. Crashing forth with Harsh Mistress, the duo are melding into their own amorphous lifeform, such is their inseparability. Innez Tulloch’s guitar is particularly fuzzed-out tonight, threatening to cave in people’s inner ears, which isn’t tempered by Cam Smith’s maniacal drumming. Quasi-Spaghetti Western instrumental, Fresh Pots, is frenzied, sweat flies through the air, beers are accepted graciously from the crowd, and with the amount of flashbulbs going off it’s akin to taking part in a zoo exhibit for musical baseness. Just when things feel at their straining point, Cajun Style pogos up the tempo once more, before A Stranger In The Alps turns the chaos into a murky blues quagmire of excessive noise. Clawing out of the wreckage with a pared-back Midnight Movie, it’s this dip in tempo that proves to be the set’s lynchpin, a fine song that also allows for a breather for the final push into the abyss. By the time the loudest pop song of 2012, Shoot The Rainbow Rays Out, pops up, the meltdown is complete.
Jann Angara
Brendan Telford
Sheeran takes “advantage of the acoustics” of the concert hall and instructs the audience to “take a deep breath” and “shhhh” as he creates a simple beat-boxing loop and sings the traditional The Parting Glass in beautiful a cappella. He continues to showcase his vocal ability as the audience maintains their silence for Bump. Between covering Nina Simone, tuning his guitar, sharing drinking stories and giving props to Chris Lilley, Sheeran continues to charm with both his presence and musical talent. He turns the concert hall into a festival as the audience embrace and sway with their neighbours as they sing along to This. He continues to pull at the heartstrings, singing Kiss Me through dimmed lights – a song he wrote and performed for his godparents’ wedding.
TOUR GUIDE RICK ASTLEY: Twin Towns Nov 16, Ipswich Civic Hall Nov 17, The Tivoli Nov 18 RON POPE: Old Museum Nov 18 COLDPLAY: Suncorp Stadium Nov 21 NICKELBACK: BEC Nov 22 DARK FUNERAL: The Hi-Fi Nov 23 GEORGE MICHAEL: BEC Nov 27 THE SELECTER: The Zoo Nov 29 NICKI MINAJ: BEC Dec 3 REGINA SPEKTOR: BCEC Dec 6 SIMPLE MINDS, DEVO: Sirromet Wines Dec 9 NIGHTWISH: Arena Jan 4 WEEZER: BEC Jan 13 ED SHEERAN: Brisbane Riverstage Mar 2
NATIONAL
TOMMY EMMANUEL: QPAC Aug 9 THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS: Coolum Civic Centre Aug 10, The Tivoli Aug 11, The Norther Sep 27 + 29, Coolangatta Hotel Sep 28 SNAKADAKTAL: The Hi-Fi Aug 10 BLACKIE: UniBar, Lismore Aug 10 Prince Of Wales Aug 11, Tym Guitars Aug 12 SOPHIE KOH: Brisbane Powerhouse Aug 12 ALPINE: The Northern Aug 16, The Zoo Aug 17, Coolangatta Hotel Aug 18 THE LAURELS: Beetle Bar Aug 17 LOON LAKE: Alhambra Aug 17, SolBar Aug 18 IOWA: X&Y Bar Aug 17, Tym Guitars (afternoon) & The Waiting Room Aug 18 JINJA SAFARI: The Hi-Fi Aug 18 CHILDREN COLLIDE: Spotted Cow Aug 23, The Zoo Aug 24, The Northern Aug 26 TIM ROGERS: Old Museum Aug 23, The Northern Aug 24, Spotted Cow Aug 25 DAVE GRANEY & THE MISTLY: Starcourt Theatre, Lismore Aug 23, Miami Tavern Aug 24, Beetle Bar Aug 25, SolBar Aug 26 BODYJAR: The Hi-Fi Aug 24 CHANCE WATERS: X&Y Bar Aug 24 KING CANNONS: SolBar Aug 24, Shark Bar Sep 15, The Northern Sep 15 GRINSPOON, SPIDERBAIT, THE MISSION IN MOTION: Eatons Hill Hotel Aug 25 CASSIAN: LaLaLand Aug 25, Oh Hello! Sep 7, Elsewhere Sep 22 KATE MILLER-HEIDKE: The Hi-Fi Aug 25, 26 XAVIER RUDD: Rumours Aug 29, The Tivoli Aug 30, Lake Kawana Community Centre Aug 31, Coolangatta Hotel Sep 1, YAC, Byron Bay Sep 2
FESTIVALS
With a folk/country twist, Sue Ray’s interpretation of Was There Anything I Could Do? is an evening highlight, clearly showing why this Toowoomba native is shortlisted as soon as she lets loose with her strong, emotive vocal. With guitar and harmonica, her own track Lover Evermore is sheer loveliness. Sadly, there can only be one winner of the $25,000 grant to travel to New York, London or Berlin, and tonight Paul Hannan and Louise O’Reilly, the songwriting partnership of Natural Bridge quartet Laneway, take honours amongst a deserving field. They perform a charming, harmony-filled version of Bachelor Kisses before showcasing the languid western strums of Love Is The Devil from their new record Turn Your Love Up. Another short performance from last
TINY SPIDERS @ THE WAITING ROOM PIC BY SKY KIRKHAM
themusic.com.au
PRADA UPLATE: GoMA Aug 31 – Nov 2 RED DEER FESTIVAL: Mt Samson Sep 1 BIGSOUND: Fortitude Valley Sep 12 - 14 PARKLIFE: Botanic Gardens Sep 29 BASTARDFEST: The Hi-Fi Oct 13 WHIPLASH: The Hi-Fi Oct 21 ISLAND VIBE: Point Look Out Oct 26 – 28 QUEENSLAND FESTIVAL OF BLUES: The Hi-Fi Nov 3 SPRUNG HIP HOP FESTIVAL: RNA Showgrounds Nov 10 GOLDEN DAYS: Coolum Nov 17 – 18 HARVEST: Botanic Gardens Nov 18 STEREOSONIC: RNA Showgrounds Dec 2 BIG DAY OUT: Gold Coast Parklands Jan 20
TIME OFF • 35
ROOTS DOWN
OG FLAVAS
ADAMANTIUM WOLF
BLUES ‘N’ ROOTS WITH DAN CONDON ROOTSDOWN@TIMEOFF.COM.AU
URBAN AND R&B NEWS BY CYCLONE
METAL, HARDCORE AND PUNK WITH LOCHLAN WATT
FRANK OCEAN
MUMFORD & SONS Mumford & Sons confirmed on their Facebook page earlier in the week that they will indeed be putting on a Gentlemen of the Road stopover while they are in Australia this October, as was speculated from the moment they announced their tour. Now, I’ve made it pretty clear that I don’t really get what fans of this band are on about, but they sure know how to pick a line-up, with the likes of Justin Townes Earle, Simone Felice, St Vincent (who is Guy Clark’s niece! Whoa!), Dawes, Michael Kiwanuka and heaps more joining them on these mini-festivals that the band have curated in the UK and US so far this year. Details of the Australian show are going to be announced as you read this, apparently, and it’s going to be in either one of these towns; Dalby, Coober Pedy, Lightning Ridge, Katherine, Karumba, Dungog, Longreach, Charleville, Yamba, Candelo, Newman, Mullewa, Denmark, Streaky Bay, Tumby Bay, Apollo Bay, Strahan, Beechworth, Harrietville or Mallacoota. I’m backing Dungog. Anyway, I have no word on whether there are any other acts from overseas getting in on this show (the band will already have Willy Mason and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes on the road with them) and I kinda think they won’t, but there will almost certainly be some good Aussie acts added. Stay tuned for the full announcement! You’ve probably already seen it by now, but just in case Roots Down is the only reading material you can handle in a week (I wouldn’t blame you), then let me tell you about the lineup for this year’s Peats Ridge Sustainable Arts & Music Festival. The lineup is another massive one and, as per usual, it’s jam-packed up with a bunch of roots-inclined fare that is going to keep plenty of people happy. The festival has finally secured the John Butler Trio as headliners for the event in 2012, after nine years of trying to get them onboard, a serious coo for them. Acts like American Daptone Records soul powerhouse Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings (my personal highlight), Kiwi reggae masters The Black Seeds, Kaki King, King Tide, Mat.McHugh & The Seperatista Sound System, Gossling, Hat Fitz and Cara, Microwave Jenny and Brow Horn Orchestra are among the bands who’ve signed up for the festival who are appropriate for inclusion here, though there are a whole heap of other big names from a variety of genres to check out as well. The festival hits its Glenworth Valley location from Saturday 29 December through to Tuesday 1 January, 2013. General public tickets are available from OzTix as of 10am Monday 20 August. So if you feel like a bit of journey this New Year’s, keep it in mind. I was very excited to receive a copy of the brand new Texas Tea album Sad Summer Hits during the week and I’m pleased to say it is their finest work to date. The Brisbane country/ soul/Americana/roots/folk duo are in fine form songwriting-wise and this record, made with a full band and recorded by Magoo, really brings that out of them with more clarity than ever before. The first single I Don’t Write No Sad Songs is a really cool song, but it’s honestly not particularly indicative of the rest of the album; for starters, Kate Jacobson sings the majority of the tracks on the record and most of them are far shorter than that first cut. It isn’t being released until October, but the second single Heart Says Yes (Head Says No) is out Monday 13 August so make sure you jump on the band’s Bandcamp to have a listen for yourself. The band are also doing two shows in support of the release, with an in-store performance at Jet Black Cat Records at 6.30pm on Friday 17 August, which the band will perform in duo mode, before a full band showing at the Black Bear Lodge later on that evening (from around 8pm). Both shows are free! 36 • TIME OFF
Those colour forecasters Pantone declared that 2012 would be all about Tangerine Tango, a “reddish orange” denoting energy. “Sophisticated but, at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” announced Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman. That’s an apt description, too, of Frank Ocean’s wonderful (official) debut, channel ORANGE – though, befitting the zeitgeist, there are also darker shadings, like a sunset. Along with Canadian alt-soulster The Weeknd, Ocean has pioneered a genre OG is dubbing illwave – a sublime, sometimes even sinister, urban variant on chillwave. Illwave taps into Sade’s quiet storm, Timbaland’s experimental R&B, and James Blake’s nightbus. Ocean, who legally changed his name from Christopher Breaux as a nod to Frank Sinatra (and the rat pack flick Ocean’s 11), was born in Los Angeles but raised in New Orleans. Following Hurricane Katrina, the aspiring muso returned to Cali. He found himself writing for Justin Bieber, among others. Ocean signed to Def Jam – which sidelined him. Meanwhile, he connected with Tyler, The Creator’s eccentric hip hop posse Odd Future, who surely influenced his increasingly avant-garde approach. Last year Ocean aired the cult mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA. On the atmospheric, spare and downbeat channel ORANGE, the hipster hero writes about his own interior life (Bad Religion) and his environs (Crack Rock), the singer’s lyrics surreal, dreamlike and occasionally mystical. In contrast to nostalgia..., Ocean avoids samples, his instrument of choice the electronic keyboard.
Prior to the album release Ocean leaked his sleeve notes on Tumblr, revealing that his first love was a guy (it was unrequited) – and he sings of a ‘he’. Ocean hasn’t explicitly stated that he’s gay or bisexual, but “a free man.” This is, after all, the dude who in January ambiguously told NME that channel ORANGE “sounds like there’s a cloud moving underneath it”. Still, it was astonishing news, Ocean being a member of the notoriously ‘homophobic’ Odd Future (as is the lesbian Syd The Kyd). The urban scene is grossly homophobic – something that stems from, not only American religiosity, but also latent anxieties about black masculinity arising from slavery and colonialism. It goes beyond any casual use of the ‘F’ word. Hatas spread gay rumours to discredit successful hip hoppers. Kanye West has bravely questioned such prejudice. And Ocean’s openness has been praised by everyone from Elton John (a fave in the black community!) to ‘80s soulster Boy George to, importantly, Russell Simmons… and Tyler. Yet channel ORANGE – its colour-synesthetic title inspired by Ocean’s memories of that summer he fell in love – challenges stereotypes of how a gay male soulster might project himself. Indeed, the straight Cee-Lo Green is camper. Channel ORANGE thematises love over sex, especially on the gorgeous organ- and string-laden Bad Religion – on which, when not using his falsetto, Ocean sounds very like Daniel Merriweather. Since R Kelly, R&B has been fixated on the bump‘n’grind. Sam Sparro recently lamented that contemporary pop, per se, has sacrificed raunch for romance – and lost its emotional innocence. (“Everybody’s so insecure,” he told OG. “It lacks depth.”) Ironically, Sparro foreshadowed Ocean’s illwave with his existentialist electro-soul Black & Gold. Ocean opens channel ORANGE with his most accessible song, the velvety Thinkin Bout You. Fertilizer is warm, evoking Stevie Wonder’s ‘70s electro-funk, but brief. Pharrell Williams co-produced the minimal ballad Sierra Leone – imagine Jamie Woon fronting N*E*R*D. The jazzy Sweet Life echoes Randy Crawford’s Street Life, while Lost is a bit psychedelic Prince, a bit New York indie-dance.
THE BREAKDOWN POP CULTURE THERAPY WITH ADAM CURLEY time of the song’s appearance (early 2011) gaining popularity via witch-house. The Wanted – well, they’ve benefited from both the talk of a boy-band revival and from the ubiquitous amalgamation of rave and vocal-heavy pop on the radio. PURITY RING The MTV Video Music Awards has announced nominees for this year’s US edition to be held in September. As usual, the list of names has been met with knowing nods and shrugs; Rihanna, Katy Perry, Drake, and so go the charts. The category of Best New Artist, however, has had a few calling a shift in the culture of pop music, including, according to The New York Times’ Arts Beat column last week, some of the program directors of the awards. Exactly which names are causing this (quite possibly publicity-chasing) observation doesn’t exactly read as a ticking bomb in the centre of commercial arts practice. On the list are Carly Rae Jepsen, fun., Frank Ocean, One Direction and The Wanted. Separately, each act can have its place in the category justified in terms of sales, radio play and worldwide reach. Separately, too, the song each act is nominated for can be easily traced to ongoing trends in pop music, which is to say that none have exactly struck out on their own and found success with wildly different sounds to those already in the pop consciousness. Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe, with its string-aping synthesisers, followed a line of pop songs utilising synth-string sections, including Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream album, which itself was largely informed by Swedish producers trading on an indie zeitgeist of washy production and orchestral chorus sweeps. One Direction, more than being a boy-band comeback, have followed the same path from Swedish production house to American charts by incorporating elements of ‘90s pop-punk (now old enough to be a new teen discovery) and even chillwave. Fun.’s We Are Young is from the post-MGMT school, while Frank Ocean’s Swim Good furthered Kanye West’s interest in gothic electronica, at the
When you take the origins of these acts as a whole, it’s a pretty good picture of how pop music works. Sounds and aesthetics get introduced to radio playlists slowly; one act has some success with a song that fits the radio format but has been tweaked with a sound not yet heard on the radio (influenced often by something else happening outside radio’s awareness) and they will be followed by another act furthering that sound. Soon enough, that sound is a ‘pop sound’. But that isn’t to say there’s a formula. As much as all the acts on MTV’s Best New Artist list have been backed by teams of industry professionals and by large sums of money, each has fought their own battle to occupy a unique space on the pop landscape. Jepsen is comparatively old for a female pop singer at 26, having gone at it for years following a place in the finals of Canadian Idol in 2007. Fun.’s hit was the success of their label, Fueled By Ramen, who nurtured them and pushed them into radio programmers’ hands as they did Fall Out Boy and Paramore, also unlikely hit-makers. There was never any guarantee of American attention for a British act like One Direction, nor of mainstream attention for Frank Ocean, an R&B singer seemingly uninterested in writing songs with the bpm rate of a radio hit. The Wanted – well, their battle was perhaps against being so generic that they could have fallen into a pit of apathy were publicity dollars not hurled at media fast and hard enough. They are, in this scenario, the odd one out, the group at the latter end of a pop-music trend’s life. The current scale could be set with The Veronicas’ latest single, Lolita, at the almost-dead end and Purity Ring’s album, Shrines (4AD/Remote Control), near the beginning of a new fascination with garage and trip-hop beats. But it is right to say that the MTV’s Best New Artist list signifies a shift in pop music culture – because pop music is always shifting by increments, fuelled by commerce, yes, but if you look closely enough, also by ideas.
themusic.com.au
Supports have been lined up for Canada’s Burning Love and things are looking pretty awesome. The Brisbane show at Crowbar on Thursday 16 August will feature support from Ghost Town, Shields and The Fevered. Other bands confirmed to play interstate include Epics, Lo!, a reunited Fattura Della Morte, Vanity, Hydromedusa, Starvation, Urns, Pity Scissors and more. Tickets are available only at the door for this one. Tasmania’s Psycroptic has been added to a couple of the forthcoming Cannibal Corpse shows – which also feature Brisbane’s Disentomb and Perth’s Entrails Eradicated – namely on Friday 5 October at Billboard, Melbourne and Saturday 6 at The Metro Theatre, Sydney. No further information about local supports has been disclosed for the Brisbane show at The Hi-Fi on Monday 8. If you’re interested in winning a signed copy of the latest Cannibal Corpse album, Torture, as well as a signed tour poster, buy a pre-sold ticket and email your proof of purchase to promo@soundworkstouring.com to win. Local punk rockers No Trust are set to launch their new EP at Fat Louie’s on Saturday 18 August with the help of Headaches, Meanwhile In Hell and Vomit Bullets. The Trust Issues can be downloaded for free from notrust.bandcamp.com. Melbourne’s Hopeless, who now feature ex-Break Even vocalist Mark Bawden behind the microphone, have had the venue for their upcoming Brisbane all ages show changed over – you can catch the band at The Waiting Room on Wednesday 15 August for an Ekka Show Holiday special. They’ll be joined by Melbourne newcomers Outsider’s Code as well as locals Milestones, Waiting Room and Ill Temper. It’s $15 and starts at 6pm. Adelaide’s metallic post-hardcore group Valiant Jones has confirmed the details of their debut album Departure. It follows up on their 2010 EP release, and will see a release on Friday 17 August through Capitalgames Records (home to Coerce, Robotosaurus, The Burning Sea and more). You can stream the first single Centrefolds at valiantjones. bandcamp.com or another track by the name of Sunset Memorial over at triple j Unearthed. Pop-punkers Heroes For Hire have confirmed the details of their new album – No Apologies will be released on 28 September through Halfcut Records. Recorded by New Found Glory guitarist Steve Klein, the band has a new video online for the title track, and will hit the road with US group Yellowcard in support of the release throughout September. Locals can check it out at The Tivoli in Brisbane on 18 September with Nine Sons Of Dan. Ricky Sheahan, vocalist of Brisbane metalcore band The Construct, is this Thursday launching a radio show for the Perth-based, digital radio station thepit.fm. Tune in from 3-5pm for a mix of music from all over the world with a specific focus on Queensland thrown in. Surprisingly, Wednesday 13 sold enough tickets to his show at The Annandale in Sydney on 26 October that it sold out and was upgraded to The Manning Bar. The goth rockin’ metal punk will play Brisbane at The Zoo on 25 October. Sydney mosh metallers Shinto Katana released their third album Redemption just last week on Skull And Bones Records. Go check it out if you like it mid-paced and crushingly heavy, okay?
GIGS OF THE WEEK: Thursday: Rosetta (USA), City of Ships (USA), Nuclear Summer, Hope Drone – Crowbar. Dead Letter Opener, Therein, Caligula’s Horse, Interim – The Zoo. Awaken I Am, Amberain, Call The Shots, Sunny Side Up – X&Y Bar. Friday: Lynchmada, Truth Corroded, Kyzer Soze, Icarus Complex – Beetle Bar. Saturday: Flangipanis, Blackie (Hard-Ons), Death By Death Ray, Whiskey & Speed, Shit For Dickheads – Prince of Wales Hotel. Azreal, My Killing Hands, Dead End Kings, Phantom Lighter Thieves, The Recalcitrants – Crowbar. Tuesday: A Breach Of Silence, DeadYet?, 4 Dead In 5 Seconds, Illicit – Crowbar. Hopeless, Tyrants, Outsider’s Code, Postblue – X&Y Bar.
HAVE YOU HEARD
PALINDROMES How did you get together? Jordan de Pasquale (vocals/multi-instrumentalist): “Well Joel and I have been playing together in bands for over three years now so it was only natural we started this project together. Palindromes started when I was working on some of my own originals that I ended up putting on the Internet as demos. The demos generated some interest among the local music scene so I decided to recruit Joel and take it to the next level. We have been playing as Palindromes since November 2011.” Sum up your musical sound in four words. “Feel good Layered chills.” If you could support any band in the world – past or present – who would it be? “Tough question. We have so many influences in our music but if I had to choose one (from the past) to play with it would have to be The Smiths. Morrissey’s baritone vocals get me every time. And I suppose we would love to play with Radiohead in the present. No explanation needed.” You’re being sent into space, you can’t take an iPod and there’s only room to bring one album – which would it be? “Cut Copy – Bright Like Neon Love. This is one of those rare albums I find you can listen to over and over without it ever getting old or boring. Opening track Time Stands Still would be the perfect track to float around space to.” Greatest rock’n’roll moment of your career to date? “This was definitely when Joel and I played a show in Melbourne supporting Skrillex (he is one of the shortest people I have ever met) at a cool venue. Not only was it one of our most wellreceived shows but later in the night the Dupstep extraordinaire proceeded to shout us drinks for the rest of the night. Too much Dubstep and too much Jack Daniels produced one set of lost keys and one $600 key replacement fee. Thanks Skrillex!” Why should people come and see your band? “We blend together different genres to create a unique live show comprising of ambient lo-fisynths, catchy melodies along with upbeat, and sometimes slow, drum beats. Music goers have called our live show exciting, experimental and fun.” Palindromes play The Hi-Fi on Friday 10 August (with Snakadaktl and Sures).
ON TIME OFF STEREO Live At Bar Nancy BEN SALTER Harmony DIE! DIE! DIE! Strange Dreams GOOD HEAVENS Playin’ In Time With The Deadbeat SLUG GUTS Moody, Standard & Poor OBITS Thirty Three EP LOON LAKE Between The Times & the Tides LEE RANALDO The Fatal Feast MUNICIPAL WASTE Frozen Track HOME BLITZ Primitive Man ICEHOUSE
SHAUN’S BLUES
NO NEED FOR COLD
Brisbane four-piece Cold And Need have just come out of the studio with their latest EP Colours And Shapes, which was alleged to have almost killed off producer Tristan Hoogland – thankfully there have been no recorded deaths following the release. Colours And Shapes is “a bold collection of truly rocking tunes” crafted with pretty much every instrument under the sun. Between recording sessions, the band has been touring with the like of Tigertown and The Cairos, but is eager to hit the road yet again to unveil their latest material. Cold And Need will be playing at The Barlow on Friday 24 August with Deer Republic and Klaus supporting them. More dates are to be announced, so keep an eye out.
ACOUSTIC URGE
Burger Urge, while renowned for its burgers, is trying its utmost to reinvigorate Brisbane’s live music scene by hosting the Urgepolooza Acoustic Music Tour. Following the closure of the Troubadour and Globe Theatre in Brisbane, Burger Urge owner, Sean Carthew, wants to showcase some of Brisbane’s best acts once more. The tour will include bands from not only Brisbane but Melbourne as well, the artists playing at either one of the three stores. Kate Jacobson (Texas Tea) will play at the West End Store on Thursday 9 August, Steve Grady, pictured, at the UQ store on Thursday 16 August, Rowley Cowper at the New Farm store on Thursday 23 August and Dave Di Marco (Charlie Mayfair) at UQ on Thursday 30 August. Shows at the New Farm and West End stores begin at 7pm, whereas shows at UQ start at 1pm. Don’t forget the burgers either!
SHIP AHOY!
Ekka is very nearly upon us once again; getting us in the mood is Brisbane indie-folk troupe The Good Ship, who will play a ‘Best In Show’ at The Joynt on Tuesday 14 August. The Modern Gent will also be joining them for an evening of Ekka festivities. If you pop along you can expect yourself to be bouncing along to the outfit’s “porno-folk-country-cabaret” sounds, and if you’re lucky, their own rendition of Drunken Sailor. In true Ekka spirit there will also be Dagwood dogs and fairy floss to fully get you in the mood. Even better still, you can afford to get a little trashy, as it’s a public holiday the day after, so you have nothing to lose. Tickets cost $10 at the door.
LANGUAGE WARNING
After a brief period of gig hibernation, Ah Fuck That! have announced their return to the stage and are getting ready to rock the suburbs! The punk-thrash group are getting back into the swing of things at Chardon’s Corner, Annerley on Friday 10 August where they’ll be joined on stage by locals Goldstool, Eat City and The Bollocks. Doors open at 8pm. Following this, you can catch the foursome at Queensport
Tavern, Hemmant on Friday 17 August alongside Le Murd, Thumping Bumjoys and Raygun Mortlock. Doors open at 7pm. Better things to do on your Friday night? Ah Fuck That! Both shows are free.
GUNS + BEARS NSW country boys Bear With Guns have packed their bags and are all set for their first east coast tour armed with their debut single Taken For A Fool. Produced by award-winning producer Wayne Connolly (The Vines, Josh Pyke) and influenced by the likes of Mumford & Sons, John Butler and City And Colour, the end result is pretty special. The blend of folk, alt-rock and roots is seamless, divulging into its theme of heartbreak and betrayal. Catch the NSW five-piece if you want to hear what else they have to offer, they will be playing at The Loft, Gold Coast on Friday 10 August and at the Beetle Bar on Wednesday 15 August.
Blues boy Shaun Kirk has been revelling in the limelight following the success of his debut album Thank You For Giving Me The Blues, which he toured around the country. Ready to hit the road once again with his definitive “boogie blues and soul” sound, Kirk will be touring once more to celebrate his second single from his album – Drug Got A Hold Onto You with its accompanying video. He’s playing a number of Queensland shows; Saturday 11 August at Ric’s Bar and Sunday 12 August at The Joynt, before returning later next month for the Caloundra Music Festival which is held on 29-30 September.
LEFT OF CENTRE
Canberra avant-jazz outfit Pollen Trio are about to embark on their first trip up north, playing two dates whilst here in Brisbane. The electro-acoustic ensemble is busy showcasing their latest release Roll Slow, playing at Alchemix Studios and The Waiting Room while in town. Catch the trio at Alchemix Studios, Woolongabba on Friday 31 August together with Anonymeye and Clocked Out Duo. If you happen to miss that one they’ll be at The Waiting Room, West End the following night, Saturday 1 September, with Scrapes, Bremen Town Musician and Feet Teeth. Both shows are all ages, BYO, $10 on the door or $16 for both shows.
LUNAR ECLIPSE Brisbane punk-rockers Lunar Seasons are playing their first show after having a short break, bringing their mix of post-punk and grunge to the X&Y Bar. With a new bass player and a string of new songs, they are eager to hear what fans think. Be sure to catch the four-piece on Wednesday 8 August, where Love Hate Rebellion and Digital Natives will join them.
PREATURES PREACHING The Preatures have gone through a big change (intended sarcasm), with the dramatic change of their band name from The Preachers to its incorrectly spelled alternative. However, their moody sound of “Gothic Soul and Rock & Roll” remains much the same. The indie five-piece have just come back from touring with The Cairos last month, but will touring again this time with Bluejuice on their Winter Of Our Discotheque university tour over the next month, playing on Thursday 23 August at UQ’s Red Room and on Friday 24 August at Griffith’s Uni Bar, Gold Coast. There are also rumors that their next EP Shaking Hands will be out soon, so keep an eye out for that as well.
NON-FICTION
For the last few months Brisbane four-piece My Fiction have been holed up in recording studios working on the follow up album to their debut FIRE!ROMANCE!FIRE. All fired up and ready to showcase their new material, My Fiction will be playing the first of a string of shows at X&Y Bar on Friday 10 August, as a fundraiser for charity, The Schoolbag, who provide schoolbags to young people in need. Joining them on the night as support acts is Blonde On Blonde and Earth To Jim. Further dates are yet to be announced, but in the meantime catch their indie-rock sounds whilst helping people in need and get on the good side of karma. Tickets cost $10, with money raised going to The Schoolbag.
CERTIFICATES | DIPLOMAS | DEGREES IN: Audio Production | Film Production Live Sound Production | Electronic Music Production Web Design & Development
RE INuF.aOu FOR MwO w.sae.ed VISIT: w
U
0 SAE ED
CALL: 180
BYRON BAY | BRISBANE | SYDNEY | MELBOURNE | ADELAIDE | PERTH CRICOS: 00312F (NSW) 02047B (VIC) 02431E (WA)
themusic.com.au
TIME OFF • 37
ICARUS COMPLEX
POLO CLUB
PERSONAL BEST RECORDS Hugh from Trinity takes us all out to dinner, pretty refreshing for a venue owner to look after us like that! Head to the venue to watch Elizabeth Rose do her thing. The crowd are into it! Venue reaches capacity just before we go on! Good crowd makes it a really fun set for us. We top the night off by getting the crowd to sing Ryan a massive happy birthday! Couple of chilled drinks and a hefty pack up.
RUFUS Tobias Martin, guitarist for local heavers Icarus Complex, opens up to Benny Doyle about their exciting new release, Dreaming Of Night. In their regular day to day existence, the members of Brisbane metallers Icarus Complex take the roles of demolitions expert, electrical engineer and architecture student. But when they come together to plug in and unload, they transform into a dominant force; loud, abrasive and ready to take on any challengers. The Brisbane lads have just locked their creative horns together on their debut EP, unleashing utter fury and tackling topics a little deeper than your standard fare. “Dreaming... definitely has quite a strong lyrical theme covered by the title track questioning existential meaning and conduct,” Martin says. “It questions whether the sense of sight was existentially meant for a practical actuality rather than vision based around self creation and dreaming. Perhaps our eyes were never meant for daylight? The themes of songs also range from the throes of capitalism in The Lies Consume Us All and the sheer rage, crying, shame and frantic masturbation in Consolation Prize.” Laying the six-track down in Malice Studios with Joel Adams, Martin recalls the sessions with fondness, admitting that the producer helped take the band to places unfamiliar. “Joel really helped us push our music to the limits, whether it was laying vicious dance vibes or egging us on to do something ridiculous at the end of the EP. We tried to accomplish music that would not only allow the listener to have a pants party but tracks that us, the musicians, wouldn’t easily get bored of. The only goal we didn’t accomplish was buying the hot blonde bombshell candlelit dinner. We gave him ice cream as a thankyou though, [which is] close enough.”
Young Sydney trio RUFUS are working their way north on the Blue EP Tour, and they took time out from their busy schedules to let Time Off know how their shenanigans have been going to date:
Blurring the lines of sounds and genre ideals, Polo Club have returned to the fold with some next level tracks. Vocalist Dyl Thomas chats with Benny Doyle.
FRIDAY 3 AUGUST: Headed to Canberra, meet everyone at Gigpiglet, Surry Hills, to jam pack our van with all our gear, Liz and her gear, and Ryan (our lighting guy) and all his gear. Everyone’s very excited, particularly Ryan – it’s his birthday!
Melbourne lads Polo Club have finally made the follow up to their well-received debut release The 13, gaining a couple of members in the process and shunning the traditional ideals of two turntables and a microphone. With a deeper creative pool to draw from, the band tackled weird and wonderful sounds and fresh structures, Thomas admitting the sessions were without boundaries. “The songs ended up where we envisioned them which is always nice,” he says, “and we feel what we have written musically for the EP is a step above our last release in 2008.” This latest EP was helmed by Tony Espie, somewhat of a go-to-guy for the lush synth sounds that the quartet have tackled on the release. Thomas gushes over the experience, summarising the edge that Espie bought to the table simply.
Laptop party all the way to Canberra. Stop at SWAMP in Fishwich to get some audio stuff sorted. They hook us up, hard. Few suss characters lurking the porn shops! Load our stuff into Trinity Bar for soundcheck. First soundcheck of the tour is always a bit of a punish. Get everything sorted eventually. Sneaky video interview for Canberra guys Fro and Mo; good dudes. Check into our hotel, Hugh from Trinity Bar has hooked us up in a place that’s well-andtruly out of our price range. Everyone chilling at the hotel, trying to catch some sleep before the show.
SIREN LINES
“I suppose Tony just brought Tony,” he levels. “Everyone you speak to says the same thing, ‘He’s a dude that knows his shit and he’s a legend’ – who wouldn’t want to work with that? Tony has mixed a few records that we love the sound of like Midnight Juggernauts, Cut Copy and The Avalanches, all of which sound big and full; this is what we wanted when a listener put the disc in and hit play. Tony really knows how to bring a track alive in the mixing process; the songs came back sounding bigger than ever with a punch to them we thought we’d never hear. We would recommend working with him to anybody.” WHAT: She’ll Never Know (Independent)
WHAT: Dreaming Of Night (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 10 August, Beetle Bar
New single Dance In Clouds is the launching pad for an east coast assault by Sydney four-piece Siren Lines. Guitarist Jake Smithers tells Tony McMahon all about making Queenslanders dance.
WHEN & WHERE: Friday 10 August, Alhambra Lounge; Saturday 11, Great Northern, Byron Bay
LITTLE BIGSOUND, BY YOUTH FOR YOUTH
Q Music is a not for profit organisation supporting Queensland music, musicians and industry workers. This column will present you with information on grant and export opportunities, conferences and the general lowdown on the state’s music industry.
BIGSOUND LIVE TIMETABLE NOW ONLINE! The timetable for the BIGSOUND Live 2012 showcases has been announced. 120 bands will be performing over two nights on 12 stages in Fortitude Valley on 12 and 13 September. Be quick to order your tickets through Oztix and check out the program timetable on www.bigsound.org.au right now.
KATIE NOONAN AND SARAH HOWELLS TO HOST THE QMAS Triple j’s Sarah Howells and Katie Noonan host this year’s Queensland Music Awards. Seated tickets are sold out but a few standing are still available through Oztix. Winners will be announced at Brisbane’s Old Museum Tuesday 14 August, with performances from Ed Kuepper, Ball Park Music, Art Of Sleeping and more, info at www.queenslandmusicawards.com.au. 38 • TIME OFF
Little BIGSOUND is a one-day event for young people 14-25 years old looking at starting a career in the music business. QMusic has teamed up with Youth Music Industries (YMI) to create the second annual Little BIGSOUND on Saturday 15 September. Participants will have a chance to get amongst artists, labels, media and agents plus hear some of the country’s best up-and-coming acts, including Alexander Gow (Oh Mercy), Hey Geronimo and Weathered. For more info visit www.youthmusicindustries.com.
CONTROL IS NOW CALLING FOR APPLICATIONS CONTROL: The Business of Music Management, a dynamic five-stage program designed to equip music managers with crucial business skills, is now calling for applications. Mid-career music managers from around the country are encouraged to apply. For more info visit www.amin.org.au.
DELEGATE REGISTRATION FOR AWME 2012 NOW OPEN Early-bird registration is now open for the southern hemisphere’s premier roots music market event, the Australasian Worldwide Music Expo (AWME), taking place in Melbourne, Thursday 15–Sunday 18 November. For more info visit AWME website at www.awme.com.au.
Dance In Clouds is the first single from Siren Lines’ upcoming EP, due for release later this year. As such, Time Off wonders if it’s a taste of what we can expect from the rest of the record or is it a bit of a standalone track? “It’s most definitely a taste of what’s to come,” says Smithers. “We’ve worked really hard this past year after the release of our debut EP The Seeking Sessions and we’re very excited with the direction we’re going for our upcoming EP.” Time Off wonders aloud what the excitement levels for a first time east coast tour might be like? Might we see some serious television sets in swimming pools type action? Smithers indicates that this is unlikely, though he doesn’t rule it out entirely… “Excitement levels are definitely peaking! This is actually our second time around, a couple years ago we did the east coast with Young Heretics and it was an amazing experience for all of us. As a band we were thrown into the deep end (with no TVs) because we had only just started, but this time around we’re very ready to take on the east coast.” When it comes to what Siren Lines have in store for the Queensland leg of their tour, Smithers says it’s going to be all about getting his northern cousins moving. “A lot of fun, well at least for us. Our show is like being in a constant state of flux; we have highs, lows, parts that make you want to move and parts that make you stand still. Well that’s what I hope we will be able to do for you Queenslanders.”
GET PAID FOR PLAYING LIVE! Play live? Submit a Live Performance Return (LPR) before 31 August to get paid! Songwriters who play live can be paid for their efforts by submitting an APRA Live Performance Return (LPR) before August 31, 2012. For more info visit www.apra-amcos.com.au.
WHAT: Dance In Clouds (Independent) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 11 August, Tempo Hotel
themusic.com.au
SATURDAY 4 AUGUST: Four or Five hours sleep later we’re driving to Sydney. Worst start to the day; James our drummer gets a speeding fine. Ring triple j and have a nice on-air chat with Sarah Howells; she is super-friendly. Arrive at the Standard midday and start prepping for the show. Full on RUFUS working bee. We have to set up a projector to make the new visual show we have work. Very excited to see how people respond to the visuals, spent the last four weeks working on them. Standard are letting us paint a giant Ü on the walls, we rope our manager and a friend into painting it for us. It looks sweet! Check out ticket sales and it looks like it’s going to be a sell out! Soundcheck etc... Crowd gets there early to catch MOVEMENT! They play a sweet opening set. We’re getting ready for the show and miss Liz Rose’s set. Venue is absolutely packed. Lights and everything look great! The crowd are really into the new set. We get Elizabeth Rose up to do Stars Ago with us. Tyrone jumps up on the bar and sings to her across the crowd. Big percussion breakdown to finish, New Navy are in the crowd, but they don’t storm the stage this time... Brisbane and Melbourne next. RUFUS play Oh Hello! on Friday 10 August.
STARBOARD CANNONS
Byron Bay acoustic duo Starboard Cannons have released their spectacular debut album, Somebody’s Opus. Singer/guitarist Ash Bell tells Tony McMahon about maintaining his identity. “When you have a normal band situation, with the same members playing the same instrument in every song, you develop a definitive sound. Because Matt [Bone] and I are essentially a duo, and we had a heap of different musicians doing different things on different songs, we were a bit at risk of losing our identity to the interpretations of whoever played on the song. Fortunately, everyone just seemed to understand what was needed, so it turned out great in that each person contributed their own unique influence, but the essence of each song remained cohesive with the rest of the album.” Renowned deskman Jordan Power was brought in to co-produce, and Bell is unequivocal in his praise. “The man is a genius. Matt and I were pretty confident in ourselves as producers, but having Jordan involved helped immeasurably. Matt and I frequently locked horns over all sorts of things, and Jordan was always there to be our democratic third man. It also helped that he was really into the material. It’s not often you get to work with someone like that. Already booked him for the next one.” For SEQ punters who might never have seen Starboard Cannons live, Bell says it’s all about the fun. “The only thing I ever want to do at our shows is have a good time and feel like everyone else is too. I’ve discovered that thing all the old folk guys know about with the big communal folk jams. There’s nothing like the feeling of playing acoustic music with a few great players and seeing what happens. That’s the experience we try to bring to our shows. We’re there for the punters, they’re there for us, and we’re all there together in the one place so why not celebrate?” WHAT: Somebody’s Opus (Vitamin) WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 11 August, Courthouse Hotel, Mullumbimby; Friday 24, Gov’s Espresso, Mermaid Beach
VISIT WWW.THEMUSIC.COM.AU/STORE
ORDER YOUR COPY OF AMID OWER P 50 N O NOW! ITI D E
OUT NOW
>iÉh V l^c$l^c h^ijVi^dc
FREE
THIS WEEK’S ISSUE NOW LIVE www.the
Apple and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.
TIME OFF • 39
WED 08 Brodie Graham Band, The Wind Up Dolls Tempo Hotel Daniel Gold Ashmore Tavern Dave Court, Phil Barlow, The Unsort Duke (Matt Duke) Chalk Hotel James Johnston The Code Bar & Nightclub Locky Irish Murphy’s Brisbane Lunar Seasons, Love Hate Rebellion, Digital Natives X & Y Bar Pete Smith, Mark Z Regatta Hotel, Toowong Rockstar Dicky Beach Slsc Russ Walker Duio Victory Hotel Beer Garden The Accidents Melba’s - Surfer’s Paradise
THU 09 Billy Talent, Thecityshakeup The Hi-Fi Cbd Dub Project The Loft, Chevron Island Dead Letter Opener, Therein, Caligula’s Horse, Interim The Zoo Illy, Chasm Soundsystem Feat. Scryptcha, Mr Hill, M-Phazes Tomba’s Nightclub Jabba Irish Murphy’s Brisbane James Johnston The Code Bar & Nightclub Jezza Fibber Magee’s, Toowoomba Leith Stuart Hamilton Hotel Lindsay Webb Sit Down Comedy Club, Paddington Mark Sheils Boardwalk Tavern Mick Danby, + More Tempo Hotel Nick Trovas Chalk Hotel Nicky Convine Mon Komo Lounge Bar Pam Ann Powerhouse Theatre - Brisbane Rosetta, City Of Ships, Hope Drone, Nuclear Summer Crow Bar - Brisbane Sam Cahill, Chris Miller Elsewhere Tommy Emmanuel Qpac Venus Envy Victory Hotel Beer Garden Vote For Pedro Royal Exchange Hotel Woody Elephant & Wheelbarrow
FRI 10 Ah F K That!, Goldstool, Eat City, The Bollocks Chardons Corner Hotel, Annerley Alone With Wolves, Yorke, Arcade Made Elsewhere Amber Lawrence Queen Street Mall Bears With Guns, Leyte, The Blue Ruins, Davina Drinan The Loft, Chevron Island Big Boyz Hamilton Hotel Blind Dog Donnie, George Moustache The Music Kafe Bonnie Jensen Brisbane Jazz Club B-Rad, Berst Irish Murphy’s Brisbane Brian Ferrier Coolangatta Sands Hotel, Front Bar
40 • TIME OFF
British India Livewire Bar, Conrad Treasury Cutloose Sugarland Tavern Nightclub Dan England, Clint Boge Buderim Tavern Darren Scott Titanium Bar Dave Ritter Band Fibber Magee’s, ToowoomBa Dean Watkin Cannon Hill Tavern Diana Anaid, Ramjet Elephant & Wheelbarrow Double Jack Cbx Geoff Taylor Horse & Jockey Warwick Guy Turk Coolangatta Sand Hotel, Front Hot August Night Qpac Concert Hall Illy, Chasm Soundsystem Feat. Scryptcha The Zoo James Johnston The Avenue Tavern Jeff Wright Club Hotel Waterford Joey Mojo, Paul Dluxx Shuffle Nightclub Jr Nasty Lock ‘N’ Load Julia Rose, Hussy Hicks, Cc The Cat Soundlounge Currumbin Kye Cole Duo Captain Cook Tavern Local Licks, Tall Poppy Stadium Bar & Grill Love Like Hate Buddha Brewery, Byron Bay Lucky 13 Albany Creek Y And J’s Mark Bono Alderley Brewery Bar Midnight Blues Band Kingscliff Beach Hotel Monstrothic, Lynchmada, Truth Corroded, Kyzer Soze, Icarus Complex Beetle Bar My Fiction, Blonde On Blonde, Earth To Jim X & Y Bar Nadine Francois, Zion Gazebo Restaurant, Hotel Urban Pam Ann Powerhouse Theatre - Brisbane Paul Masters, Mc Kitch, Fletcher & Mrs JacKson Neverland Pigeon Sol Bar, Maroochydore Polo Club Alhambra Lounge Rufus, Elizabeth Rose Oh Hello! Sez Booker, Oliver $, Mallice Chalk Hotel Snakadaktal, Sures, Palindromes The Hi-Fi Stiffler’s Mum Gladstone Reef Hotel The Beautiful Girls Coolum Civic Centre The Big Duo, Sparkz Tempo Hotel The Clones Nudgee Beach Hotel The Febs Wharf Tavern The Feel Murrumba Downs Tavern The Front Edinburgh Castle Hotel The Lazy Valentines CaxtOn Hotel Tommy Emmanuel Jupiters Casino Triplickit Coolum Beach Hotel Vaughan Ney Brook Hotel Venus Envy Surfers Paradise Beer Garden Vote For Pedro Pub Mooloolaba
LONG PLAYER
BEARS WITH GUNS
Artist’s Name: Dubmarine
DINGOES BABY
Person Answering: Joel Alexander Album Covering: The Prodigy’s The Fat Of The Land (1997) Why did you choose this album? The musical ideology of Dubmarine is to play ‘electronic’ genres live. Fat Of The Land was a real turning point for electronica, it replaced techno’s ‘boom-tic boom-tic’ with funky breakbeats, added walls of guitar noise and the group had actual frontmen personalities, which made it feel like we were involving ourselves with a band in a era when dance music was celebrating the lone-producer (Fatboy Slim, Moby, etc). It’s a landmark album for a group like us. When Did You First Hear This Album? 1997 of course, debuted at No. 1 and stayed in the charts for almost 30 weeks, couldn’t have missed it! Does playing this album in its entirety present any specific challenges? Playing any of these songs presents many specific challenges! To recreate a ‘sampled,programmed,sequenced’ masterpiece with all live instruments has been a huge challenge but I think people are going to dig seeing ten musicians playing these sequenced and sampled parts on live instruments, with their hands and feet, note for note. It has been very challenging not only learning the many parts of the tracks but matching sounds with the records from synths to drums and guitars. It has been a very long but rewarding process. Fave song from record? Smack My Bitch Up! Also Narayan. Album synopsis: When The Prodigy released their third album The Fat Of The Land in 1997, it was like a bomb went off. Taking electronic music and injecting pure rock swagger, the album more than built on the promise of their much loved 1994 record Music For The Jilted Generation. Along with the punk rock makeover of singer Keith Flint, the album produced a string of massive singles including Firestarter, Breathe and the controversial Smack My Bitch Up. Received by almost universal critical praise, the album went on to sell millions of copies around the world and change the way many perceived dance music. Dubmarine play The Fat Of The Land in its entirety as part of the Long Player Sessions at Brisbane Powerhouse on Saturday 18 August.
SAT 11 Adam Brown Coolangatta Sand Hotel, Front Andy Penny Kingscliff Beach Hotel Ben Eaton, Wasabi, Hammo, Reecey Boi, Ben Jackal Chalk Hotel Benny & The Dukes, Boy Cry Wolf, Sons Of The Morning The Loft, Chevron Island Chris Miller, Sam Cahill Elsewhere Clay Blyth Chinderah Tavern Clint Boge Albany Creek Y And J’s Deon Powter HamilTon Hotel Ger Fennelly, Jabba Irish Murphy’s Brisbane Harry Healy Fibber Magee’s, Toowoomba Helena Platinum Nightclub Hope Springs, Jakarta Criers, Talltails Coolum Beach Hotel Hot Gossip Birthday Bash Hot Gossip Jeff Wright Kenmore Tavern Jodie Joy Stockholm Syndrome Lindsay Webb Sit Down Comedy Club, Paddington Love Like Hate Tatt’s Lismore
Marcus Mercer Palace Hotel -Woody Point Mark Bono Manly Hotel Mark Pradella Quintet, St Peters Sax Quintet Brisbane Jazz Club Mc Bossy, Paul Bell, Marky Mark Z, Scotty R, Dj Tom Walker Regatta Hotel, Toowong No Standing Noosa Surf Club Pam Ann Powerhouse Theatre - Brisbane Peter ‘Blackie’ Black Prince Of Wales Hotel Pigeon Alhambra Lounge Pj Hooker Brook Hotel Polo Club Great Northern Hotel Byron Bay Powerplay Mon Komo Lounge Bar Propaganda, Indie Party, M.I.T., Urby Neverland Rick Barron, Berst Elephant & Wheelbarrow Rock Revolution Logan Ent Centre Shaun Kirk Ric’s Siren Lines, Artic, Glacier Tempo Hotel Starboard Cannons Courthouse Hotel, Murwillumbah Steven Michael & Sarah Coolangatta Sands Hotel, Front Bar Stonefield, Owl Eyes Southern Cross Uni Surecut Kids Sugarland Tavern Nightclub
Country NSW five-piece Bears With Guns are hitting the road to promote their debut single, Taken For A Fool. Tony McMahon gets the lowdown. “The experience of rejection, heartache and betrayal are just a part of life that everyone goes through in some way or form,” says vocalist and guitarist Rob, talking about the subject matter of Taken For A Fool. “These experiences weren’t sought out, I just expressed in song the way I felt about it all (probably because it was on my mind a lot at the time).” Producer Wayne Connolly, who has worked with The Vines, Josh Pyke and Sarah Blasko, among others, was brought in for desk duties during recording, and it seems things couldn’t have gone more swimmingly. “We had no idea what to expect working with Wayne, being our first major recording experience. The whole recording process was really comfortable, and we feel he captured that in a great way with Taken For A Fool. It was exciting when we found out we were recording with such a high calibre producer (especially for our first EP) where the original plan was to record in a mate’s room in Bondi. Ending up with Wayne was an opportunity that was presented to us by our label, and one that was too good to say no to.” As far as a Bears With Guns live show is concerned, it seems the band are seriously into the bonding that goes along with these events. “We like to have fun with the audience and our friends at live shows, and the experience is something you can’t get through recording. We would like to encourage people to go and watch live music. There is an overwhelming amount of talent in the Australian music scene and the best way to support up-and-coming bands is to get out and be a part of it.” WHAT: Taken For A Fool (Highway 125) WHEN & WHERE: Friday 10 August, The Loft, Gold Coast; Wednesday 15, Beetle Bar
The Beautiful Girls The Tivoli The Fireballs The Hi-Fi The Forty Thieves, Jaz Aitchison, Lauren Moore The Zoo The Rational Academy, The Scrapes, Dingoes Baby, Do The Robot Tribal Theatre The SiDe-Tracked Fiasco The Brewery, Byron Bay The Upsteppers, Cc The Cat Sol Bar, Maroochydore Tyson Faulkner Breakfast Creek Hotel Venus Envy Wharf Tavern Weightless Fat Louie’s
SUN 12 Barefoot Alley, Zelita, Trash Queen, Junkyard Diamonds Tempo Hotel Brett Hitchcock Hamilton Hotel Brisbane Big Band Brisbane Jazz Club Chester Victory Hotel Beer Garden Clark Brick Waterfront Hotel Dan England Lost City
themusic.com.au
Dave RiTter Southern Hotel Toowoomba Ebb & Flow Caloundra Rsl Ger Fennelly, Jabba Irish Murphy’s Brisbane Home Brew, Sky High, Dj Substance Coniston Lane Instanbul Gypsy Groove, Good Company, Angela Toohey The Music Kafe James Johnston The Avenue Tavern Jeff Carter Duo Blue Pacific Hotel J-Phaze Lock ‘N’ Load Karma Duo Breakfast Creek Hotel Liam Griffin, PJ Wolf, Chris Drage Black Bear Lodge Locky, Booster, Verner, Ben Jackel, Tom Laidley, Hammo, Ollie, Woodie, Atarii Chalk Hotel Marcus Mercer Robina TAvern Mr Clifford, Sessionkatz Elsewhere Nick Muir Coolangatta Sands Hotel, Front Bar Peter ‘Blackie’ Black Tym Guitars Powerplay Noosa Reef Hotel Shaun Kirk The Joynt, Brisbane
Scratching an itch deep inside him, Zac Anderson has added to his Dreamtime duties by forming Dingoes Baby. He excitedly fills in the gaps for Benny Doyle. “I started getting all this energy from somewhere, like a victim of ADD, and using a lot of fuzz and playing loud, fast and atonally during practices with Dreamtime,” the guitarist informs. “It became clear there was a disturbance in the force and that this type of self-expression was not reciprocated among the band members. I took some deep breaths and composed myself for Dreamtime’s introspective style of music... until I got home where I’d play loud and fast like a pack of dogs tearing up a carcass, until my mate came downstairs and told me to be quiet so he could change his tampon.” Speedy screeching garage psych is what Anderson and his cohorts are meddling in and with an opinion that “rehearsing songs sucks”, you can expect the unexpected from the Brisbane trio. “Yeah, we try to keep the pace fast, but when it slows down I turn into The Edge from U2; just hit one note and it goes on and on, and then we go Kyuss on everyone’s ass! It’s a good place to experiment for all of us, and sometimes some strange compositions come out. I think it’s good for people to see and be a part of improvisation and experimentation; there’s some excitement knowing it could all fall apart, [but] somehow it never does. But I think it’s more entertaining to watch a band that is playing and hearing their own music coming out for the first time. It’s more genuine – there’s no predisposition to it. Though it does help we can hold together stoner grooves and interlayer them with noise and Kawasaki riffs.” WHEN & WHERE: Saturday 18 August, Black Bear Lodge
Solar Rush Bayswater Hotel Sophie Koh Powerhouse Theatre - Brisbane Stonefield, Owl Eyes Great Northern Hotel Byron Bay The Rhubarbs, Bubble Boy Elephant & Wheelbarrow Thirteen Seventy, Mick Medew & The Rumours, Generation Jones, Dark Lab Mustang Bar Venus Envy Royal Exchange Hotel
MON 13 B-Rad Irish Murphy’s Brisbane Funky Monkey Jam The Music Kafe Mark Sheils Elephant & Wheelbarrow Rockaoke (With Live Band) Tempo Hotel
TUE 14 2012 Queensland Music Awards Feat., Ed Kuepper, Ball Park Music, The Art Of Sleeping, Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side, + More Old Museum Building
Ajax, Alison Wonderland, Trumpdisco, Danny T, Hey Now, Nice & Ego, Devola, Airwolf Tempo Hotel Benjam Royal Exchange Hotel Blind Dog Donnie, The Cornermen, Something Whiskey The Music Kafe Booster Chalk Hotel Hopeless, Tyrants, Outsiders Code, Post Blue X & Y Bar Mark Sheils Samford Valley Hotel Monster Zoku Onsomb!, The Nam Shub Of Enki, Collapsicon, Erther, Justus Corrupt, The Electric Crush Massive! Coniston Lane Pete Hunt Quartet Lock ‘N’ Load The Carios, Millions, Mosman Alder, Aregentina The Zoo Venus Envy Caxton Hotel Woody Lives Here Irish Murphy’s Brisbane Z-Trip The Hi-Fi
BEHIND THE LINES TEAM EFFORT
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
WITH MICHAEL SMITH
EGNATER AMP ONLINE OWNERS CLUB
If your amp of choice is the Egnater, you’re invited to join the Egnater Amplification’s Owners Club and share your ideas and experiences to your heart’s content. It’s free to join – all you need do is complete the website submission form at www.egnateramps. com, attach a picture of yourself, your band or your Egnater equipment, send it in and it’ll all be posted up on the site where sit alongside the likes of the guitarists from Hellyeah, former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick and a whole galaxy of amazing players.
THE NEW FENDER BASSMAN PRO SERIES
They were once the industry standard, and now they’ve been given the makeover their champions have been hoping for, so please welcome the new Fender Bassman Pro Series all-tube bass amps, their dual-channel design using modern technology to maximise classic technology. There are two heads in the range, the Super Bassman, a stadium-level 300 watt, and the Bassman 100T, a professionallevel 100 watt job, with four cabinet options – the Bassman 810 Neo with eight 10” Eminence speakers and rated at 2000 watts program/1000 watts continuous at four ohms; the Bassman 610 Neo with six speakers, rated at 1600 watts program/800 watts continuous at four ohms; the Bassman 410 with four speakers, rated at 1000 watts program/500 watts continuous at eight ohms, and the Bassman 115 Neo with one 15” speaker and rated at 700 watts program/350 watts continuous at eight ohms.
MEET THE VOX LI’ LOOPER
Vox don’t just make those classic AC-30s that bands like The Beatles and The Atlantics use. These days they cover the full gamut, the latest addition to which is the Vox Lil’ Looper, a fully functioning dual-independent loop recorder with built-in effects. Essentially a scaled-down version of the Vox Dynamic Looper, it includes, in addition, auto-record and a beat-division function. Well worth seeking out.
SOUND BYTES
Paul McCartney was in New York earlier this year recording some tracks with Amy Winehouse/ Rufus Wainwright producer Mark Ronson. Martha Wainwright recorded her forthcoming album, Come Home To Mama, for the most part at Sean Lennon’s home studio in New York City with producer Yuka C Honda of NYC-based Japanese girl duo Cibo Matto, who produced Lennon’s 1998 album, Into The Sun. Bad Religion are recording their next album at JHOC studio in LA, band members Brett Gurewitz and Greg Graffin co-producing with its owner, Joe Barresi (Kyuss, The Melvins). Dunedin, New Zealand’s Die! Die! Die! recorded their new album, Harmony, at Blackbox Studios in France with Chris Townend (Portishead, D12, Violent Femmes). The debut album, Winter Of The Electric Sun, from The Oyster Murders was tracked for the most part by Lachlan “Magoo” Goold (Regurgitator, Spiderbait, Gerling, Renee Geyer) at his Applewood studio in Brisbane. Kamikaze Kings, recorded their debut album, The Law, at Audio Ego Studio in Berlin with producer Dirk Faehling (Motörhead, Skew Siskin, Jingo De Lunch). Melbourne three-piece Blacklevel Embassy recorded their third album, New Veteran, with ARIA Awardwinning producer JonBoyRock at Megaphon Studios and Sydney suburb St Peters, then Jon Gardner, audio engineer at the Sydney Opera House, mixed it at his facility with the unlikely name, The Chinese Brothel Mix Studio, the record then mastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service. Building on, as he puts it, recordings done on “ProTools under the house,” Richard Clapton independently produced his first new album in eight years, Harlequin Nights, calling on Reyne House to record stuff like drums and so on at Albert Studios in Neutral Bay, before getting David Nicholas to mix it and Don Bartley at Benchmark to master it. The Sundance Kids sent their forthcoming second album to Air Studios in London to be mixed by Austin and Adam Noble (Coldplay) and mastered by Ray Staff (Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones). Halfway Homebuoy have completed recording their album at Damien Gerard Sound Studios in Balmain with producer/engineer Russell Pilling, who recorded the debut EP for Bity Booker, utilising the studio’s MCI JH24 2” tape machine to keep things nice and warm.
Former Ataris bass player Mike Davenport talks to Michael Smith about recording the new album, Drink. Sing. Live. Love., from his current band, Versus The World.
O
riginally from Anderson in Indiana, American pop punks The Ataris were always more than a band. Committed to the whole DIY ethos, they set up their own label, Kung Fu Records, and even set up their own record store, dubbed Down On Haley, in Santa Barbara in California. It was in the back of that store long-time Ataris bass player Mike Davenport first got together with some of the store’s employees and, in 2005, released the debut album named after the band he formed, Versus The World. A lot of touring followed and eight years and several lineup changes later, the band now also sporting guitarist Chris Flippin from Lagwagon, Versus The World have just released their second album, Drink. Sing. Live. Love. “We actually went in there to just do an EP,” Davenport, on the line from his office in Santa Barbara, explains, “there” being Playback Recording and Orange Whip studios in his hometown, “and as we started layin’ down tracks, we were stoked with what we were doin’ so much that we were, like, ‘We should really work hard on this instead of just rush somethin’ out like we’ve done year after year [in the dozen years up to 2005, Davenport had recorded six albums with The Ataris as well as the eponymous Versus The World debut]. Let’s take our time and see what happens.’ And I really think it shows.” After releasing that Versus The World debut, Davenport had opted to take a couple of years off from that dozen pretty relentless years of recording and touring, and when he finally dusted off the bass, he hooked up, at his invitation, with Flippin in a party band called Cave Mummy that included another former Atari bass player, Marko DeSantis, and that got Davenport back into playing music again. “I didn’t want to tour,” Davenport admits, “I didn’t want to record, I didn’t want there to be a bunch of pressure, and Chris is the one. It was his whole scheme the whole time to get me to play in Cave Mummy, and while we’re in Cave Mummy he’s asking whatever happened to that singer [Donald Spence] in Versus The World? ‘I loved that – let’s do that band!’ So we called up Donald, who was playing with Bryan [Charlson, drummer in Crooks & Liars], who’d played live with Versus The World and worked at Down On Haley. So we called them up and said, ‘Hey, let’s just merge – Flip has this idea about all of us doin’ Versus,’ and he was right, man.”
ideas on their 2003 album, So Long, Astoria, which was produced by Lou Giordano, and Flowers produced the first Versus The World album. “He’s always been there for me – he’s my bullshit detector,” Davenport confesses. “He’s the one where I’ll say, ‘I think this’ll work,’ and he’ll say, ‘No, it doesn’t work; it sounds like a bad ‘70s riff,’ or something – you know what I mean? Thom is our fifth member and it wasn’t for him, none of it would sound like this. We all work out the music together, but someone will bring in a riff, and then we’ll bring it to Thom and Thom will tear it to pieces, and once he tears it to pieces, we go back, we go back and we work it out, and by the time we’ve done all that, Donald will be pretty close with the vocals – Donald will come up with all the lyrics and melodies. This band works exceptionally well as a team.” The album was then mixed by Ian MacGregor, whose CV is certainly diverse, having done the honours on records by All American Rejects on one hand and Katy Perry on the other. “Ian’s awesome. He’s another guy that came up here to Santa Barbara, did a bunch of interning at Orange Web during The Ataris days, where we recorded The Ataris records, and lo and behold he became a big-time producer, which is awesome because then he’s still a fan of mine and he produced our record for not what he charges a Katy Perry or All American Rejects,” Davenport laughs. “He did it as a fan, and that is just an incredible compliment. “He brought depth [to the mix], and maybe even more. It sounded a little sterile. I think Thom is great at capturing the songs and helping us with the songwriting, but the awesome audio and the mix of the songs, that’s
The choice of producer was also an obvious one for Davenport. Thom Flowers had worked as an engineer on the first three Ataris albums, before beginning to become involved with production
all Ian. Thom could have done a great job himself but we really wanted to push it to the next level, and it was Thom that brought it to Ian, so I think they worked together on it. They work together on other projects.” The album was then mastered by Jason Livermore at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Davenport again drawing on his Ataris experience, that band having mastered two of their albums there. “We just wanted this record to have the best of the best, and I mean, we called in every favour we ever had and we used the deal that we hadn’t done a record in seven years and we wanted to come back strong and everybody really pitched in. That’s why you see so many great names associated with this record. I think once they heard the songs they wanted to be part of it, and that’s the vibe we got all the way.” While Davenport admits that they’re at their best live, where they find recording in the studio hard, Drink. Sing. Live. Love. was a record done very much in the now traditional studio sense. “In the studio is very much us separate. We didn’t record this as we did some Ataris records where we would try and track everything together and make it more of a live sound, we did this very studio-like and it came out sounding more live than if we’d recorded live and tried to make it sound that way. So it almost worked out better for us this way and I think it was the team – to be honest with you, the team captured what we were going for.” Drink. Sing. Live. Love. is out now on 3Wise Records.
GEAR REVIEW
TIMBERIDGE TR MINI 4-SERIES MINI-ACOUSTIC
Owned and presided over in Melbourne, Timberidge guitars have been distributing quality instruments since 1994. The design and spec decisions are made in Australia and production is carried out overseas. I had the opportunity to road test one of their new products, the Timberidge 4-Series Mini-Acoustic, and found it impressive. There was something adorable about this Timberidge 4-Series model when I first pulled it out of its padded bag. Adorned in lovely flamed woods, this guitar looks like it should be hanging on the wall of an old English cottage. While the concept of a traveller’s guitar is not a new one, the idea has certainly become more popular in recent years with a greater range available than ever before. This was the first Timberidge guitar I have ever played, so I was intrigued to find out what they had delivered, both visually and sonically. Off the bat, the TR Mini was a lot of fun to play, and I wasn’t at all put off by the fact I had to battle a reasonably high action and some heavy strings. In fact, this really helped project the notes that seemingly sustained for days. The tone of the instrument is a little ‘boxier’ than a normal-sized steel string, and accompanied by a touch of banjo or resonator, it’s perfect for country, roots and old blues musings.
Some quality woods have been incorporated, like the solid cedar top, solid mahogany back and sides and a rosewood bridge and fingerboard. In addition, while on the subject of the bridge, this is what really helps define the sound of this instrument. An interesting design has been utilised that raises the saddle and lowers the bridge pins (in a similar way to a tune-omatic bridge on an electric) to create more tension when anchoring the string into the top. The result is much the same as on a Les Paul – big sustain – which is especially enjoyable with the small body, as interesting harmonics tend to jump out more. Plugged in, the sound goes from boxy to big when you EQ the tone with the B-Band A3T preamp. The preamp has a four-band EQ consisting of bass, middle, treble and presence and there’s an onboard tuner and volume
themusic.com.au
control. The amplified tone of this instrument was a lot brighter than its acoustic voice (which is often the case with Piezo pickups) and the combination of Lo-Z XLR and Hi-Z jack connections makes it more versatile for live shows, so it can connect directly into a PA without a DI, directly into an acoustic amp, or both. The Timberidge TR 4-Mini is a great little guitar at a great price that would suit players that are either fans of traveller guitars… or actually genuine travellers, or even people with small hands. Timberidge have quite a range of instruments now, from regular-shaped guitars to parlour and ukuleles. A visit to their website will tell you more. timberidgeguitars.com.au orjadeaustralia.com.au. Reza Nasseri Originally published in Australian Musician. INPRESS • 41
EMPLOYMENT ADMINISTRATION DJ AVAILABLE- ANYTIME
www.djzokithefab.com -0416306340 for any dj service club or home or birthday call anytime-GET A REAL DJ NOT MP3 PLAYER OR CRAPPY DOWNLOAD.......VINYL DJ ROCKS iFlogID: 16083 Experienced Manager required for established Brisbane based artist. Must have industry contacts, previous and current experience and be ruthless. Contact Justin info@earthgoat.com iFlogID: 19087 Experienced Sydney original rock band looking to play with local interstate bands. Will return favour with string of Sydney dates in venues such as The Wall, Valve, Town & Country. RemmosK@gmail.com iFlogID: 19261 Get your Band/ Business online with affordable website design. From $299 Services include Seo, Social network marketing Includes free 1000 Facebook likes, 22k twitter followers. Contact info@earthgoat.com iFlogID: 19089 RADIO SYDNEY possibly the worlds largest digital Radio Station with 100 music channels is offering bands and solo artists their own feature promotional channel visit the Indie channel on www.radiosydney.com.au iFlogID: 18316 Seo Marketing ~ Facebook likes, YouTube, Twitter views Promote your business online with Seo services Facebook likes 1k - 10k Youtube views 1k - 100k Twitter followers 1k - 100k Prices start from $20 iFlogID: 19091
SALES & MARKETING People needed to send eMails offering a new music Book for sale. Must have own computer - payment by commission via Paypal. Contact Bill on (02) 9807-3137 or eMail: nadipa1@yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 13289
VOLUNTEER Rock crew internships offer. Full training provided by muso/prod w/ 30 yrs + ind exp in all facets of music prod. Must b keen, honest, reliable & have car. 0434 959 986. iFlogID: 18844
FOR SALE AMPS 300W 2x10” EV tilt-back bass speaker cabinet. Can be straight or tilted back. Fantastic sound. $375. West End, Brisbane. Ph 0400 404 919 iFlogID: 19313 400W 1x15” EV bass speaker cabinet. Heaps of volume, great sound. $325. West End, Brisbane. Ph 0400 404 919 iFlogID: 19311 BASS AMP TRACE ELLIOT 600w combo $1,800 o.n.o RRP $3,300. Near new condition heavy duty locking wheels, Trace elliot 600W combo 12-band classic Graphic Eq Call Tim 0416 732 029 iFlogID: 19226
SYDNEY SOUND CABLES - ONLINE
Hand assembled Professional Audio, Musical Instrument, IPod, Dmx, Hi Fi and Digital cables. Express post to all of Australia. Buy from our online shop, custom or bulk order. But Once, Buy Right! Cables to suit your needs made from the best parts only. Canare, Neutrik, Mogami. Lifetime warranty. www. sydneysoundcables.com.au call: 0404 222 160 iFlogID: 19215
BASS Epiphone hollow body bass - Jack Casady Signature $850 o.n.o, RRP $1,299. Near new condition, epihone hard case included. earnie ball strings, Very well loved. Call tim 0416 732 029 iFlogID: 19228
CD / DVD Attention Musicians, Record Collectors, Universities, Libraries - new Book (print/cdROM/direct download) compiling 100 years of popular music. GO TO www.plattersaurus.com web-site on how to buy. Enquiries: (02) 9807-3137 eMail: nadipa1@yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 13287
MUSIC SERVICES BOOKING AGENTS WWW.DANNYAMMAR. COM
Wedding & Corporate Entertainment supplied by the Best Musicians in Australia. Visit www.dannyammar.com for more info. iFlogID: 18717
DUPLICATION/ MASTERING CD MANUFACTURING:Acme is Australias best price CD manufacturer. 500 CD package = $765.05: 1000 CD package = $1320.00 Short run also available. www.AcmeMusic.com.au KevinW@AcmeMusic.com.au iFlogID: 13117
MASTERING Audio Mastering, mixing, recording. CD-R music & data duplication, cover artwork, colour disc printing, online global distribution. Full studio package deal for EP or full album projects. Enquiries ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 15162
OTHER ++ play more chinese music - love, tenzenmen ++ www.tenzenmen.com iFlogID: 14468 Award-winning Experienced, Qualified Music Producer: 1.Doing Instrumental version of any song for $40 2. Mix your multi-tracks for $50 and produce personalized original instrumentals for $50. 3. Check lovenabstudio on soundclick. com email: vangelis2133@yahoo.com iFlogID: 18269 Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY - from $299 including Hosting and email addresses! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au iFlogID: 15452 Music publicity. Do you want to get noticed? Affordable exposure for your band by someone that actually cares! www.perfectlywrite.com.au Drop me a line! iFlogID: 15737 Songwriter - If you want to rhyme I’ve got the time. Jingles, songs, you can’t go wrong. If you’ve got the music, I’ll make it the number 1 pick. Tommy-0434021675. iFlogID: 17080
PHOTOGRAPHY Image is everything! If you have a band wanting to get ahead let me capture the next gig. High quality pictures say everything. http://roybarnesphotography.com/ 0414 243 811 iFlogID: 18648
POSTERS GOLD COAST BYRON BAY NORTHERN NSW Poster distribution for touring artists & bands. Fast, efficient & reliable service at a competitive price www.thatposterguy.com.au iFlogID: 17120
RECORDING STUDIOS ALCHEMIX RECORDING STUDIOS
Inner Brisbane city Recording Studio. Record, Mix, Master & Duplicate. Established 1998. Large studio with lots of Vintage Gear & the latest in Digital Technology. Obligation free studio tours available,. PH: 0407 630 770 E-Mail: sound@alchemix.com.au WEB: www.alchemix.com.au iFlogID: 17291
TUITION Eastern Suburbs guitar/ukulele/bass/ slide lessons with APRA award winning composer. Highly experienced, great references, unique individually designed lessons from Vaucluse studio. Learn to play exactly what YOU want to play! www.matttoms.com iFlogID: 16690 Music tuition, classical / flamenco guitar, celtic harp, theory & harmony, arranging. 9am - 9pm, 7 days. Parramatta area. $40 hr, $30 half hr. Mature & patient. Harps for hire. Ph: 02 98905578 iFlogID: 15158 VocalHub - Sing like no one is listening! Singing lessons for vocal technique and care, audition tips and repertoire in a encouraging and supportive environment. Visit: http://www.vocalhub.com.au iFlogID: 17102
VIDEO / PRODUCTION
AUDIOSAPIEN RECORDING STUDIOS
Recording, mixing, mastering and rehearsal rooms. Highest quality recording of albums, demos, voice overs and commercial jingles, all at affordable prices (Starting from just $55.00 per hour). Experienced engineer, top gear and great sounding rooms. For more information go to www.audiosapien.com.au. Phone: (07) 3814 2367 for bookings. iFlogID: 18267
BEST VALUE FOR MONEY RECORDING
Wavelength Recording. Guaranteed world class product from $440/day with eng. Awsome classic equipment, digital or tape. Great packages to suit all budgets. Ph 0404066645 iFlogID: 18713 ParallelHarmonyStudio Robina is the Gold Coast’s newest Recording & Production facility. 30m2 liveroom. Record to your budget. Amazing Vocalbooth. Record a song for $25 on Thursday Friday & Saturdays. Call 0755808883 www.parallelharmony.com.au iFlogID: 18638 RECORDING STUDIO $30ph iFlogID: 17084 Recording Studio set in the Lockyer Valley Qld. Professional audio engineer to take your music to the wow factor. Reasonable rates.Suit young upcoming bands and solo artists. w w w. l e u m a s s t u d i o s . c o m . a u ph:0754626319 by appointment. iFlogID: 16143 Recording Studio, Parramatta, $30hr casual rate. No kits! Singers, songwriters, instrumentalists for acoustic, world, classical genres specialist. 25+yrs exp, multi instrumentalist, arranger, composer, producer. Ph: 02 98905578, 7 days. iFlogID: 15152 Recording Studio, Parramatta, $30hr casual rate. No kits! Singers, songwriters, instrumentalists for acoustic, world, classical genres specialist. 25+yrs exp, multi instrumentalist, arranger, composer, producer. Ph: 02 98905578, 7 days. iFlogID: 15160
WAVELENGTH RECORDING
Check out the new website, packages and prices. Join our engineers collective and receive immediate discounts. www.wavelengthrecording.com.au Ph 0404066645 iFlogID: 19288
STUDIO HIRE Gold Coast ParallelHarmonyStudioRobina. 30 square metre live room, large vocal booth. Handsome range of range of topoftheline Neumann, Rode and Shure microphones. Call 0755808883 for details. www.parallelharmony.com.au iFlogID: 18640
D7 STUDIO MUSIC VID FROM $250. Live gig edits, multi angles, fr $125 a set, 1 live track $100. All shot in full HD. d7studio@iinet.net.au 0404716770 syd based iFlogID: 13368 Kontrol Productions is a highly professional production company that specializes in the production of music video’s. We ensure that our products are of the highest industry standards. For enquiries www.kontrolproductions.com iFlogID: 13827 QUALITY MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION Immersion Imagery strives to offer quality & creative music videos to suit your style & budget. Portfolio of over 30 artists. www.immersionimagery. com info@immersionimagery.com facebook.com/immersion.imagery iFlogID: 18477
MUSICIANS AVAILABLE BASS PLAYER Electric & upright bass. Good gear. Comfortable in most styles. Experience performing live and in the studio. Check out my website if you wanna hear more. http://www.wix.com/ steelechabau/steelechabau iFlogID: 16159
DJ Dj available Dubstep to Drum&bass. Willing & able to adapt to your event. Low hourly rates. Everything negotiable. Easygoing, flexible entertainment. Call for a quote today. KN!VZ Entertainment Group Ph:0415680575 iFlogID: 16661
DRUMMER A1 TOP PRO DRUMMER AVAILABLE FOR SESSION FREELANCE WORK, TOURS ETC. EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE, TOP GEAR, GREAT GROOVE AND TIME. SYDNEY BASED, WILL TRAVEL. PH 0419760940. WEBSITE www.mikehague.com iFlogID: 18334 TOP INTERNATIONAL DRUMMER available. Great backing vocals, harmonica player and percussionist. Gigs, tours, recording. Private lessons/mentoring also available. www.reubenalexander.net iFlogID: 14261
GUITARIST 18 year old guitar player looking to form Rock N’ Roll band. Influences: Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, New York Dolls. Preferably in South. Call Tom on 0401722767. iFlogID: 13358 Musician/Guitarist seeking fame. I play blues and have a good ear for melody and improvisation. Im looking for likeminded people who want to start touring. Go to peterbuckley.me iFlogID: 18014
SONG WRITER Songwriter - If you want to rhyme I’ve got the time. Jingles, songs, you can’t go wrong. If you’ve got the music, I’ll make it the number 1 pick. Tommy0434021675.
MUSICIANS WANTED BANDS Guitarist + Guitarist/Singer looking for a BASSIST + DRUMMER to form Power Pop/Punk band in Sydney. Think THE RAMONES meets CHEAP TRICK. No time wasters and committed musicians only. Contact 0403 995 832 iFlogID: 19373 Looking for bass player, drummer and vocalist. Age 19 - 22. Influences include The Gazette, Avenged Sevenfold, Abandon All Ships, Hans Zimmer, and Machine Head. Contact me at rafaelerion@hotmail.com. http://soundcloud.com/rafaelerion iFlogID: 19238 Looking for singer, bass player, keyboard player, percussionist and horn section for REGGAE band in Northern Beaches NSW. Call Michael 0402549423 or email siczex@yahoo.com.au iFlogID: 18612
BASS PLAYER Looking for a bassist with influences including Pixies, Sonic Youth, Queens of the Stone Age. Preferably female, backing vocals required. Call 0411396413 or email clawsandorgans@gmail.com iFlogID: 19350
DRUMMER Experienced drummer with a commitment to practice and regular rehearsals required for Melbournebased alternative rock band. Influences QOTSA, Foo Fighters, Nirvana… www.myspace.com/mollydredd 0411 372 469 iFlogID: 16936
GUITARIST 18 year old guitar player looking for another guitar player. Influences: GN’R, Aerosmith, Zeppelin, New York Dolls. Preferrably someone in the south (Shire). Call Tom on 0401722767
If you want to STOP, we can help. Narcotics Anonymous 9519 6200 www.na.org.au iFlogID: 16217 Need promo shots of you or your band? I’m looking for unsigned artists in the Bris area for collaboration shots (aka free). studio@manologonzalez. com.au or 0422 145 668. iFlogID: 18711 Tarot Card Readings by Karen. Over 30yrs Exp. “When you need to know” Always welcome new customers. www.tarotreadingsbykaren.com Parties and Private readings P: 0432 689 546. Evenings & weekends available. iFlogID: 19301 What happens when you start paying attention? When you become an active member and start participating in this elusive thing we call life. WWW.WHATISTHEHAPS.COM iFlogID: 17980
TUITION DRUMMER AND DRUM LESSONS Avaliable in Gladesville Teach all Levels, ages and experience.16 years experience. I studied at The Billy Hydes Drumcraft Academy and Obtained a Diploma in Drummig. $60/HR Mob: 0402663469 Michael iFlogID: 18762
SHARE ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE
CHEAPER THAN A TAXI!
iFlogID: 13407
SINGER GOSPEL SINGERS WANTED for nondenominational music ministry to record triple-CD in Perth. World-class, passionate and devotional vocalists sought. View www.THE001Music.com for details. Jesus is KIng! Reverend Eslam. God Bless You! iFlogID: 13088 Looking for other original acoustic duo’s/bands with a following to share the bill and do live gigs together. Contact RemmosK@gmail.com iFlogID: 18849
SERVICES BEAUTY SERVICES Fully Qualified & 8yrs Experience, Thai Massage $49/hr or Sensual Balinese Aroma $69/hr. In/Out calls, Male/ Female Welcome. www.takecaremassage.com.au - By Anson 0433646338 iFlogID: 17428
GRAPHIC DESIGN Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY from $299 including Hosting and email addresses! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au iFlogID: 15450 Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively and PROFESSIONALLY- from $299 including UNLIMITED pages, Logos, Hosting and 5xemail addresses and much more! Contact info@ bizwebsites.com.au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au iFlogID: 13864 Limited Edition mens tees and hoodies with a sense of humour. All handscreened and numbered. monstrositystore.com iFlogID: 13611
OTHER Get your Band or Business Online Cost effectively from $299 including Hosting, Shopping Cart and 5 email addresses! Contact info@bizwebsites.com.au or see www.bizwebsites.com.au
iFlogID: 17078
Free online and print classifieds Book now, visit iflog.com.au 42 • TIME OFF
If you want to use DRUGS, that’s your business
iFlogID: 15454
Stay at Melbourne Metro YHA this weekend - cheaper than a taxi and more comfy than couch surfing; YHA hostels are not just for backpackers! Multishare beds from $27 per person. iFlogID: 19256
WANTED OTHER
THE SUICIDE WATCH PROJECT
Wanted! Your love and support for our hip hop collaboration for suicide prevention. Help us break down the taboos and barriers. Share the message ‘it’s ok to talk about suicide’. Releasing digital mixtape early September to co-incide with World Suicide Prevention Day and RU OK Day. Visit: facebook.com/TheSuicideWatchVolume1 Web: crazybandplans.com/SWV1 iFlogID: 19155
SATISFY YOUR SOUL
Bob Marley believed in a better world. Today his family are creating it by turning their father’s ideals into actions and principles into products. The House of Marley brand is dedicated to creating the world he imagined through products that give joy, give back and satisfy your soul. All Marley products are manufactured as earth consciously as possible. With the use of natural, recycled and ecoconscious materials, Marley products support the Marley family charitable foundation. This global movement is dedicated to supporting youth, planet and peace.
EMJH023MI
RRP $99.95
See the entire range on-line or visit a stockist: Harvey Norman, Bing Lee, Surfstitch & Volume
thehouseofmarley.com.au facebook.com/thehouseofmarley
twitter.com/houseofmarleyAU
Enrol Plan Book Tour Manage Promote Travel Run it your way What will your creative future look like? Degrees and Diplomas in Entertainment Business Management, Music, Audio Engineering, 3D Animation, Game Design and Film and Television Production.
Open Day. Brisbane Campus 11 August 2012 Register now!
Launch your creative journey through collaboration, education and training at JMC Academy.
Your creative future starts today. Visit jmcacademy.edu.au or call on 1300 410 311. facebook.com/jmcacademy
twitter.com/jmcacademy