Pop Singles live in PBS Studios

PBS 106.7FM is running ‘Drive Live’ this week in Melbourne and I rocked along to catch Pop Singles, Extreme Wheeze and Lost Animal. The week is presented by APRA and Arts Victoria and features a tightly curated selection of bands each day between 5-7pm. The best part is you can rock up for free and check it out. PBS members also get free beer! Seriously. Don’t miss the critically acclaimed ‘Twerps’ on Friday, who ended up on almost everyone’s best of 2011 album list.

Check out details on the PBS 106.7fm site here.

Full set of photos after the jump. PBS Drive Live-104 PBS Drive Live-120 PBS Drive Live-144 PBS Drive Live-155 PBS Drive Live-168 PBS Drive Live-185 PBS Drive Live-198 PBS Drive Live-205 PBS Drive Live-206 PBS Drive Live-208 PBS Drive Live-209 PBS Drive Live-210 PBS Drive Live-211 PBS Drive Live-215 PBS Drive Live-219 PBS Drive Live-227 PBS Drive Live-244 PBS Drive Live-260 PBS Drive Live-264 PBS Drive Live-273 PBS Drive Live-299 PBS Drive Live-311 PBS Drive Live-338 PBS Drive Live-347 PBS Drive Live-348 PBS Drive Live-350 PBS Drive Live-353

DZ Deathrays definitely played my fav set by an Oz band at Melbourne’s Laneway Fest on the weekend. This is the first single from their soon to be released debut LP out on I Oh You. Kinda reminds me of the Beastie Boys ‘No sleep to Brooklyn’ but less punk and more guitar licks. Catch these guys at the final Laneway shows this weekend.

Pick up the single from the itunes link on their site here.

DZ Deathrays - ‘No Sleep’

Matt posted details of the last Wintercoats ep here.

I caught his excellent support slot for Julianna Barwick at The Toff in Melbourne.

Check the Wintercoats bandcamp page here.

more photos after the jump

Harpoons launched their new single ‘Walk away’ at the Toff in Town. Check out the details of their cool new single here – http://whothehell.net/3G3

Following on from Mel T’s interview with Geoffrey O’ Connor. I spoke to Husky Gawenda of Husky, another Australian band set to play the Laneway Festival circuit this summer. Husky have had a lot of love on the site for their singles and live shows. In October they released their debut record ‘Forever So’ and have been touring the country playing to sold out crowds and very happy fans.

I started by asking about the release of ‘Forever So’.

We finished the record last year so we were sitting on it for a little while. We’d spent a lot of time and energy and love on the record so waiting to release it was a bit hard in a way cause we really wanted to get it out there and have people hear it. So to finally put it out and start to get feedback in all sorts of different ways – on Facebook and twitter and all the ways you get feedback these days – it’s been quite amazing. The fact that there are people out there connecting with it and enjoying it is an amazing feeling.

and having that direct connection with fans?

Yeah, its a beautiful thing because in the past the only feedback you get other then meeting people at shows, which is a great way to get feedback but other then that the only feedback you get is from critics. That’s all good but it’s a different sort of feedback I think. So to be able to just read people responses to the album on our Facebook wall is great. It’s a great way to gauge how people are feeling about it.

How has playing shows and the time since writing the record changed the way you feel about the record ‘Forever So’?

It’s interesting, I don’t listen to the record. I don’t think that much about the actual record. Obviously we’ve been playing and touring a lot so the record has become a live creature. It’s a thing we do live, we’ve had to work on translating the recordings to a live setting and we’ve had a great opportunity to do that this year because we’ve had so many support tours and now we’ve had our own tour. I’m still feeling really good about the songs, I still feel that most of the time I can connect with them while I’m playing them. Sometimes they mean something different to me while I play them to perhaps what they meant when I wrote them but there is nothing wrong with that, that’s the nature of songs and any sort of art. I’m really enjoying playing the songs and seeing how people respond and connect with them – it’s great fun.

The arrangements on the record are quite unique, have you had trouble translating that to a live set – you have a lot of scope to play around with?

You can’t do live exactly what you do with a recording but because the arrangements are so intricate and layered it does mean that we choose parts of the song to reproduce live and it also means we can change things as we go and do different things at shows. I suppose what you miss live is having the ability to reproduce all the different layers that you hear on the recording but there are things you can live that just don’t apply on the recording. So what you loose in some ways you gain in other ways. Since we’ve been playing so much and had such an opportunity to work on it, I think the songs are coming across really well live now.

Yeah the tracks def lend themselves to new arrangements and your voice is quite strong to carry it, I’ve heard of you guys doing a cappella performances at shows?

Yeah, that’s been fun… we’ve been doing that at most shows on our national tour. We spent so much time on the production, arrangement and the layering of the record it’s nice to unplug our instruments on the stage and sometimes we’ll hop of the stage and get out into the audience and just sing a song. No electricity, no microphones, no reverb, no anything… y’know, just voices. Sing a song the old fashioned way, It’s a lot of fun.

You’ve been supporting some great acts on tour including Devandra Banhart who really came from performing in that way – of course now his shows are different. What have you learnt from that process?

Yeah, you’re right that is where he came from, his live show is surprisingly electric these days. He’s got three electric guitarists including himself and a drummer and bass player. In terms of what I learnt, I’m not sure it’s so much that you learn things. It was certainly an awesome experience to be sharing the stage with a guy who has done such great things and made such great records. He’s a great performer and it’s always good to see other performers and see how they do it. That’s definitely the learning experience but the main thing is the honour of sharing the stage with those guys and the opportunity to play in front of bigger crowds has been really good for us.

Taking a back step, how important was Triple J unearthed for you guys and how important is it for other Australian musicians?

It was very important for us, it certainly gave our music a vehicle. Before Triple J unearthed we hadn’t had much radio play and not many people knew who we were or had heard our music. We had this record that we recorded ourselves in my house in the bungalow. We just had this record with a bunch of songs and didn’t really know what to do with them. I suppose Triple J unearthed brought our music out of hiding (he says with a laugh). It meant that a whole lot more people heard it and knew who we were. It’s difficult in this country and probably anywhere for a young emerging band to get their music out there. I think unearthed really does do that, it unearths bands that otherwise you probably wouldn’t hear of and that would be a shame because there are a lot of talented, really great young bands in this country so I think unearthed is really important.

So once you had won unearthed you were picked up by Liberation?

Yeah, we finished the album right at the end of last year and early this year we released ‘History’s Door’. We won unearthed around then in early March and not long after that Liberation got in touch as did a bunch of other people in the industry. So yeah, unearthed brought our music to the attention not only the public but also the industry.

Liberation has some interesting bands on there, Temper Trap, Cloud Control and Violent Soho – does that play a part in making that decision?

You look at everything and you definitely look at the other bands they’re working with and what they’ve done with them. The most important thing was meeting the people at the label and getting to know them and working out what their vision was and how they operated and what they were like, what sort of human beings they were. Y’know, you’ve got to work with these people closely, so that was a big thing. We found them to be great people and our vision for our band and music was the same as their vision and they were wanting to support our vision so yeah… so far it’s turned out to be a great decision.

The title of your record ‘Forever So’ suggests some sort of wisdom or perspective on life – are you a reflective person by nature?

Yeah, probably a little bit too reflective (again laughing). I think it’s hard to know, it’s hard to generalise about people but I think that people are perhaps preoccupied with the past. We do that as human beings, we think about the past and we think about the things perhaps we wished we’d done or the dreams we had that perhaps have turned out a little different in reality. So yeah, I would say I’m a little bit reflective and you can hear in the album a reflection of times gone by and people and places and perhaps loves that you remember fondly or otherwise.

You guys are on the Laneway festival circuit – are you excited about that?

Yeah, super excited! We were surprised to be chosen for that line up. It’s a great line up and the beauty of the line up, which is always the case with Laneway is that it’s so consistent throughout. Their attitude is not to get huge headline bands and it doesn’t really matter what the rest of the line up looks like. They get big headliners but it seems like they very carefully choose the rest of the line up. So yeah, we are very chuffed to be amongst it.

It’s my fav summer line up and they seem to put musicians first and ticket sales second.

That’s right and the other great thing about is that it means that people will go along and discover other bands which may not be their favourite bands but they might end up being their favourite act of the festival.

Would you like to plug some Australian bands while we are talking about new discoveries?

One of the bands on the line up are ‘The Panics’ who are a great band, their new record is really good… I’m excited to see them live. I also really like ‘Ballpark Music’ who have a great energy live, which is quite unique. A lot of great bands in Melbourne who I really like are ‘Ainslie Wills’ they are putting out a record sometime next year. ‘Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Rackettes’ who have just put a record out, they’re awesome so definitely check them out. I really think there is a lot of great music going on in this country at the moment.

Catch Husky playing the Laneway Festival around the country, dates here – http://whothehell.net/7ct

Let’s kick off with Brendan Suppression riding the crowd during an Eddie current suppression ring gig at Billboard on the 18 December 2009. It was so damn hot that night, I thought I was gonna pass out. I couldn’t find my way out when trying to leave and had to have a bouncer walk me out as I was so freakin delirious. These guys sent the crowd into a frenzy and to get this shot I jumped up onto the stage and faced back into the crowd. I wouldn’t advise doing that but at the time it felt right and I’m pretty happy with this picture.

This shot is of Tim Jenkins of Parades and I think it’s fair to say he was in the moment. Parades were a pretty nice surprise for me as I had not heard any of their music prior to this gig at the East Brunswick Club 4 May 2010. From the get go I was hooked into the melody and their energy on stage was intoxicating; these guys were young and having loads of fun. I really enjoy shooting at the EBC as there is plenty of light and a wide stage to shoot back across to get a clear frame like this – signature EBC photography.

Before Kimbra did that catchy tune with that guy who’s gonna win all the ARIA’s she supported Little Red at the Forum on the 29 Oct 2010. Whoah… hot damn! I was so impressed by her voice and presence on stage that I considered going home after. It was a real shame for Sparkadia and Little Red as those guys seemed dull compared with the sparkle of this glamorous diva. Her very photogenic posing with full stage lights made the hardest part choosing which image to post.

I love festivals and Good Vibes on the 4 Feb 2011 was a great summer day that kicked off with Melbourne band Strange Talk. These guys have picked up on the popularity of dance/rock or indie/electro as the critics prefer but for me it is simply feel good tunes. Strange Talk had the kids dancing before anyone was peaking and during the self-conscious opening slot in the middle of the day. I really enjoyed shooting Strange Talk plus a crowd reflection in sunglasses is photo gold! Expect to see more of these guys during the summer.

As for the camping festivals, I’d recommend Tassie Falls as my fav but on the mainland, Golden Plains in March takes the cake. This may come as a shock to cool indie folks but Airbourne were probably one of the most exciting acts at this years Golden Plains. The very hip Wavves was so lazy and boring compared to the riot these guys brought for 45 minutes of musical mayhem. I loved everything about this set - the sneakers with torn jeans and no t-shirts. The beer blasts and crazy nonsense screaming at the crowd. The shit load of marshal amps and the guitarists running back and forth across the stage like lunatics. Airbourne played their guts out and everyone that let themselves enjoy it, did so with a huge grin.

Dead Letter Chorus – Wiggle Bay

I went along to the Rewiggled party with a healthy dose of skepticism tucked firmly into my pocket. I mean, it’s a Wiggles cover album – those songs were cool when I was in diapers, but there’s no way they can transcend genre boundaries (as well as a couple of decades) – and the live performance wasn’t going to be any better. Boo to me, it turns out. Dead Letter Chorus pulled out one hell of a cover, and delivered their own track Run Wild with their usual style – and the album, well shit. It’s fantastic.

Rewiggled has only just gone into final production, but the gentlemen and women at the ABC were kind enough to provide a preview CD, and I can assure you, it’s damn delightful. At points it’s bittersweet – listening to your reimagined childhood is an odd experience – but one full of grins and these ridiculously warm moments. It jumps across all kinds of musical boundaries – rolling folk from Dead Letter Chorus, hard-style rawk from Frenzal Rhomb, softly spoken awesome from Oh Mercy and almost heart-breaking stillness from Paul Greene (among so many others) – and really captures the heart of The Wiggles, as well as showcasing some of Australias best music.

I really can’t wait for you all to listen to this, ‘coz it’s one hell of an experience. To say that The Wiggles have had an impact on Australian culture is a massive understatement – and Rewiggled truly does them justice. Stay tuned for more of this goodness – or head along to the ABC store and get your pre-order on. There’s also a Facebook page, where you can check out a few previews, and revel (wriggle?) in the musicy goodness. You can pick it up on November 4.

Oh, and check out Dead Letter Chorus. They’re real good. By the way, that guy at the top – that’s Murray. He’s a Wiggle.

You can buy the record here – http://whothehell.net/1pF

Watch their last video here – http://whothehell.net/KzR

Lastly, you can read all the nice things Matt has to say about them here – http://whothehell.net/zbb

Full set of live pictures after the jump – enjoy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Novocaines make rock music in Australia and don’t turn into shallow bogan-progsters while doing it. I’ve seen them more times then I care to mention, drawn to their chaotic awesome (and an unstoppable live show). Hell, they even made it onto the soundtrack for Scream 4 without being gross pop-whores. So in a nutshell, they’re alright.

Their new track, ‘Trampled Hearts’, has a harder edge than most of their previously recorded stuff – as well as managing to capture more of the energy of their live performance in a single song. Plus it was mastered at Abbey Road, so theres that. This is rock, and I love it -the Novocaines know their biz.

The Novocaines have FB, and a debut album coming out soon. Check it.

Do you like to have fun? Do you like to dance and Roll in good times? Drink merrily with your stylish friends while bathing in some of Australia’s finest music at one of Sydney’s greatest venues?

The answer is probably yes, ‘coz you’re here. The Lonely Kids Club are doing us all a favour and putting on a show at the Oxford Art Factory, featuring Rufus, Collarbones, Fishing and Albatross (alongside many others), launching their summer lineup.

October 16 is the date, Oxford Art is the place. I’ll be there, and I’m a charmer, so you should be there too. While you’re waiting, listen to/watch this stunning clip from Rüfüs. I’m in love.

You should check out Lonely Kids Club as well – their clothes are pretty and their attitude balling.

Gorgeous set last night by ‘Caitlin Park’ at the Toff in Town, Melbourne.

You can check her out here - http://whothehell.net/D6P

Links to the new record here - http://whothehell.net/Cbwy

More pictures after the jump.

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Earlier in the year, in the depths of winter, Dead Letter Chorus dropped one mighty-fine, super-summery clip on our doorsteps, accompanied by one darling of a film clip. Now, as we’re launching back into the warmer months, we’ve got a wistful-wintery tale, accompanied by a suitably darker clip. The track is All Mine and it’s the perfect follow up to Yellow House, as well as a rolling, harmonious, heart-wrenching ballad that deserves more adjectives than I could ever think of.

Both tracks are off Yearlings, Dead Letter Chorus’ recently released third album. Usually I avoid reviewing albums but this one deserves an extended mention. The album has a lot of guts, rolling deep in quality tracks and feels truly complete – every song owns its place.

It’s easy to harp on about the death of Australian folk music (and who can blame those who do?) but listening to the musical and lyrical scope of Yearlings, I’m less inclined to beat my head against the nearest hard, wall-like object. You can pick it up now, so you should. Personal favorite is I Belong With You, but honestly – it’s all fantastic

As an added bonus, they’re on tour right now – FBi Social this Saturday in Sydney and next Thursday at The Old Museum alongside favorites of mine Founds. More details, tickets and information for all y’all that like that kinda stuff is available here..

Check out Dead Letter Chorus on FB/Twitter

Click here to view the embedded video.

So many happy tones wiggling their way brain-wise from this tune ‘I Believe In Love, Kid‘. Oh Ye Denver Birds made the song, Allyson Alapont made a clip and it was pleasant and exciting for everyone involved (I assume). Electronically affected indie is all over the place and largely gross, foul and uninspiring – not so of Oh Ye Denver Birds. To quote, this shit is bananas – and bananas are good. Plus the clip is a smiley, pleasant walk through indie-fun-times.

Oh Ye Denver Birds are radcore, and have a funtastic (albiet small) back-catalogue. They’re supporting Megastick Fanfare all over the country right now until the end of October, so you’ll get your chance to feast on these fowl. Thank me later.

Check out Oh Ye Denver Birds on FB/Twitter/Bandcamp

The only downer is that I can’t really remember any standout tracks.

I’m not saying it all sounded the same, just that it all sounded like something I’ve heard before.

But hey I’m old man so y’know… whatever. you’ll probably love em or be too drunk to care either way.

You can stalk them here – http://whothehell.net/85K

In the build up to the release of their debut album ‘Forever So’ in late October, Husky have released another gem for the airwaves -

Dark Sea – (mp3)

JJJ’s The King(smill) gave their last single a rubber stamp of perfection but I actually prefer this track for it’s understated harmony.

Lead singer Husky Gawenda knows how to tease out emotion from the most cynical indie music lover.

Gawenda lifts the listener with his sweet vocals and the band strum out a simple backing melody. ‘History’s door’ had too much in common with ‘boy and bear’ – this is a more mature sound.

Catch them supporting the wonderful Kimbra or later in the year when they’ll surely be flogging the new record.

Husky myspace - http://whothehell.net/qPpp

Click here to view the embedded video.

Let’s get one thing straight – post rock isn’t elevator music. Sure, some of it’s a little winding & pretentious and there are usually far too many words in post-rock band names (as well as grammatical confusion), but as a style it’s enthralling, interesting and often confronting – when done well.

Thankfully for the Australian post-rock scene, sleepmakeswaves do it well (and in less than 140 characters). (hello) cloud mountain is off their new album, and comes pre-packaged in a beautiful film clip, laden with tidy visual metaphors. It was directed/filmed/edited by Frederick Lloyd, a 20 year old Brit doing amazing things with a camera.  The track itself manages to pull off the epic feel of post-rock without the epic lengths – at just over three minutes, it’s a long step from some other opus’. If I was going to dive into clichés, I’d use words like “sweeping sound-scapes”, “delicate” and “multi-instrumental aural experience, filled with dreams of home and lost love” – but since it’s Tuesday, I’m not going to do that. Instead you get one of the best pieces of post-rock that I’ve ever heard come out of Australia.

If you haven’t listened to much (or any) post-rock, sleepmakeswaves are a great starting point. If you listen to a lot, their new album …and so we destroyed everything is available right now on bandcamp, and well worth the $12-something.

Check out their FB for more details on their (very fast approaching) shows. I know I’ll be there.

Oh and also, if you haven’t already – make the video huge, crank your speakers, and chill. It’s worth it.

Last night I went down to the Kings Cross Hotel for FBi social and caught Tigertown, Tin Sparrow and Founds – or more should I say, they caught me. Fanboy Alex is on the prowl, again…

Openers Tigertown were totally harmless, rolling out some of the smoothest indie-folk around. The seven piece bask in a couple of  indie cliches – mandolin, extraneous floor toms, pan-pipey keys – but executed them with class & aplomb.  At points I felt like I was floating in and out of an indie dream, nursed by these sweet, rolling tunes. Therein lies the fault of Tigertown – instead of occasionally challenging the audience, they stay firmly within a (albiet, very comfortable) formula. The set seemed to melt into itself at points and lacked discernable climax as a whole. While each song was a catchy piece of indie-folk sweetness, there was no release, and very little development of emotional tone.

Maybe I’m just afraid of things that are pretty, but I don’t want this to happen again. Watch the space, either way.

Tin Sparrow were up next. They’re one of Sydney’s best folk-acts and are really in their prime right now, playing an exceptionally tight, dynamically gorgeous set. Spinning in off the back of their latest EP (and tour), they delivered a whirlwind set. Their performance is laced with emotion and energy, pushing out a sound much bigger than the shape of the band. They also prove that, contrary to popuar belief, drummers can write AND sing songs, following Mark Piccles (the drummer) belting out an amazingly powerful track. Great band, great set.

Now to Founds. They were recently announced triple j unearthed winners of the Bigsound opening spot – and their set proved they deserve it. They’re unique in the Australian music scene, combining indie-folk with soaring Scando-ambiance and subtle post-rock, merging many styles into something unbelievably solid. In some ways, they remind me of Melbournians Alpine – but with balls, and a better drummer. That said, they resist classification so strongly that I’m loathe to compare them to anyone.

Combine all that mystery with a fantastic live show and you’ve got something special. Their opener was a brief and chaotic instrumental piece, really setting the “epic” tone that permeates their set. Their latest single, Holograms, is an absolute killer live – it’s not pop or folk or rock – it’s just a sparkling piece of music, absorbable no matter how you cut your cloth. There wasn’t a single track they played I didn’t love.

Founds are amazing for what they’ve done in such a short time. After twelve months together they’re producing and performing music that is unmatched – and perhaps unmatchable – in Australian music. I’d love to see what happens as they grow as a band and as performers. This is a space that I’m watching, so you should as well.

More photos after the break.

Tigertown on FB
Tin Sparrow on FB
Founds on FB and Tumblr

Click here to view the embedded video.

I have an undeniable love for artists who use ph (as in phat) in their names. They’re walking a firey knife-edge, balanced between self-deprecation and community disdain – they’re martyrs for naming, blazing a trail for us all.

MeltPhace continues the proud creative tradition in his name and, partnered with Keiiko, has produced some fantastic minimal electronica. There’s a taste of 65dos & Baths – as well as just about any miscelaneous electronic post-rock you can name – which I dig. There’s a dearth of tastey post-rock in Australian music at the moment, as well as a flood of non-committal, bland electronica. Keiiko and MeltPhace are two artists individually & collectively holding the fort for us all.

You can check out Keiiko’s solo stuff here and MeltPhace’s here. It’s not the first time they’ve worked together, either – they both play in Founds, a delightfully undefinable (but nonetheless fantastic) sextet from Brisbane. Good to see they’re spreading the love.

They’re too cool for Facebook.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Charlie Mayfair are the indie-kids you bitch about in your corner of the local hipster tavern, cradling your broken egos over cider and tacos. They’re a reminder that you’ll never be quite as cool or as successful – or as beautiful and surprisingly charming. Unfortunately, they’re also genuinely gorgeous & fantastic musicians who are producing great tracks without fail.

This is the video clip for Tell Her, a song I covered earlier in the year. Director Jefferton James and cinematographer Byron Quandary have delivered a visual feast that compliments the emotional turmoil expressed in the song itself. While it dives into one or two cinematic cliches (e.g. the Sixth Sense dead but don’t know it standard) it’s precisely executed and lovely despite its (tiny) flaws.

I particularly love the moment in the picture below. Words cannot express the hipster poignancy that laces this moment. Plus that not-quite-shaggy-definitely-well-maintained facial hair is delightful to see in real life.

Check Tell Her out, and Charlie Mayfair as they tour near you in the nearest of futures.

P.S. I’m a fanboy, so what? You probably like The Living End and still live with your parents.

The Jungle Giants are a rolling force of indie-superpop, infused with afro-rhythms and youthful gusto. They’re currently charming their way across the east-coast on tour, hitting up a bunch of quality venues.

When I caught them on Friday night I was blown away – they delivered a rocking show with more class & engagement than many bands with much more experience. It’s very easy to forget how young they are when they take the stage – between their outrageously tight delivery & captivating live presence, they feel like a much older band. Their age isn’t a gimmick, just a side note to some fantastic music.

They’re a real standout in a scene flooded with hipster-pretention. Catch them (live) if you can, or get their new (and glorious) EP.

More photos after the jump.

The Jungle Giants on FB