Monthly Archives For November 2010

Parades/Boulet do Shoot The Player

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Parades: Loserspeak in New Tongue from shoottheplayer.com on Vimeo.

The best track off one of the best Aus albums of the year. Nice to reflect on some good Aus music after the musical abortion that was the Arias.

Jonathan Boulet: Ones Who Fly Twos Who Die from shoottheplayer.com on Vimeo.

…and dummer Jonathan Boulet doing his own thang. Boulet’s newest track ‘You’re An Animal’ is released by Modular in December and is pulled from his upcoming sophomore album penciled in for the first half of 2k11.

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Spookyland

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‘An Eroding Song’

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‘Eight Split Knuckles’

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Spookyland is 19 year old wunderkind Marcus Gordon. The smear of facepaint on the album cover the EP does seem to back up his Bowie hero claim in his bio, but his debut is a pared-back affair. Killin’ One Bird With Two Stones is an ambitious EP. Gordon’s poetically charged tunes do vary on the EP, shifting from delta blues numbers to drawn out folk narratives (…track four clocks in at 8:21). While I was too quick to dismiss him as a whingy emo parading in alt country clothing at first listen, this EP definitely grew on me after a few spins.

Opener ‘An Eroding Song’ begins with a chord progression that gives a nod to Mazzy Star’s Fade Into You, before branching out into a dreamy cowboy type waltz, harmonica in tow. It’s a nice big eyed track that works in line with Gordon’s lyrical knack. While there are the obvious Dylan-type verbalizations going on in ‘Dizzy Blues’ and ‘Ballad of the Dead Doctor’, the bluntness of ‘Failures’ echoes a Daniel Johnston b-side at best. Much like the famed 1990 incident where a bipolar fit led Johnston to throw ignition keys out of a small aeroplane window mid air, Gordon’s moods are also somewhat erratic. Melancholic laments like ‘Ballad of the Dead Doctor’ do float around without much landing ground, but Spookyland’s unsettledness does have an odd charm about it.

I would have liked to hear more songs on this release like ‘Eight Split Knuckles’ that deliver more of Gordon’s wit. There’s a tune on his myspace ‘Holy Hookers’ that didn’t make the EP cut either that’s also worth a listen. Spookyland seems more at home on these jangly spag. western jaunts than on the ballads that comprise the latter half of the EP, but that’s just my two cents worth. Overall, a solid effort that packs heaps of character. It took two or three few spins, but there is no denying Gordon’s abilities. Looking forward to hearing a full album release in the near future.

Spookyland will be launching the Killin’ One Bird With Two Stones EP at the Sandringham Hotel, Newtown tomorrow night (6th November) with Panzer Queen & Desire The Horse.


Killin’ One Bird With Two Stones EP is out now through Code One/MGM.


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Brisbane’s “The Troubadour” to close.

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Iconic Brisbane venue The Troubadour is closing at the end of the month. There had been rumblings around the Brisbane music scene about rising rents and the changing face of the Valley, but this is the biggest loss to the Valley’s live music precinct since The Rev became a dance club.

Here’s the presser from the venue’s website:

It’s news that will rock the Brisbane music community – the heart and soul of Brisbane’s music community, the iconic The Troubadour will be calling last drinks and closing its doors forever come the end of November.

In what will be a devastating blow to the town with a matter that has gone beyond the control of owners Jamie Trevaskis and Corinna Scanlon, the beloved music venue will close its doors on Sunday, November 21.

More information as to how the venue will be farewelled and why it is closing will be released in the very near future.  The Troub crew would like to extend gratitude to every single band, artist and punter who has graced the venue in the last seven and a half years.

The future of “The Troubadour” name and recognisable aesthetic remains uncertain but for now, the dream is over.

See the bullshit for yourself right here.

Since opening in 2003, The Troub has played host to bands too numerous to mention. Small-time local bands and big-name international touring acts have squeezed onto the small stage and squinted at the crowd through the red stage lights (a photographer’s nightmare).

Share your favourite Troub lineups and memories in the comments.

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Kimbra performing at the Forum Theatre, Melbourne.

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Kimbra-the-forum-melbourne-david-payne

Words by Melissa Tan – Pictures by David Payne

Typical pre-weekend crowd banter didn’t do anything to dampen Kimbra’s charm over the Forum on Friday night. Strutting the stage in a flouncy blue number, the NZ singer opened up the night with a bit of class dropping tunes from her upcoming record Vows. Looping pedals and a hysterical scat during the bridge lent a nice twist to Nina Simone’s ‘Plain Gold Ring’, while the disco riffs in a cover of Prince’s ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’ ushered punters into a cheesy boogie. Kimbra knows how to flaunt her vocal range without wandering into self indulgent jazz singer territory.

A tight band threw in a varied mix of jazz, soul funk and pop, keeping the overall sound fresh. Shouldn’t go by without mentioning the drummers’ impeccably sculptured square ‘fro. Notable highlights included the Janelle Monae vibes of ‘Break’, and the incredibly uplifting chorus in ‘Cameo Lover’, which could well be the best smothering of pop to hit this town in a long time. After an interesting set, (shoulder popping and impulsive hand gesticulating included) it’s without a doubt that the crowd would’ve been keen to adopt this Kiwi as one of their own.

For more pictures, hit continue reading.

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