When Brisbane progressive heavy rockers Dead Letter Circus released their debut album This is the Warning a few weeks ago, it became apparent that this band was suddenly a very big deal. Shows on the album launch tour began to sell out quickly, and when the official ARIA charts for the week were released, This is the Warning debuted at NUMBER TWO. An astonishing achievement for a band that has remained a relatively underground force over the past four years, steadily amassing a loyal legion of fans through word of mouth and a pair of quality EPs. The album launch tour kicked off with a bang in Melbourne, to a sold out crowd at the Hi Fi Bar and Ballroom, and backed by two Melbourne scene favourites, Sydonia and Bellusira.
Bellusira had the unfortunate situation of opening the night at 8:30, meaning that most punters were content to just stand up the back at the bar - and that's only the ones who had even bothered to turn up yet. It was a shame for the band, because I know they had really been looking forward to playing the show and were hoping to get people turning up early to see them play. And they do deserve a good crowd, because they're really something to watch. The band name appropriately means "beautiful anger", which is a good way to describe their combination of aggressive riff-driven rock and strong female vocals courtesy of the ever-wonderful Crystal Ignite. Over the last month or so I've seen the band do a few rare acoustic sets in support of good friends The Ox and the Fury, so tonight it was good to see them doing what they do best - rocking the hell out! Despite the almost-empty floor in front of them, there were a few of the band's regular passionate fans up the front, many sporting Bellusira t-shirts, and the band still put all their trademark energy and fire into their short half-hour set. I have noticed their stage presence improve greatly since the first time I saw them early last year. They only had time for seven songs, but they made them brilliant, especially when Ezekiel Ox joined them onstage for a rendition of Change from their recent Enigmatic EP. After this show, they will be playing a farewell of sorts at Trash Nightclub Hawthorn in a few weeks, before they knuckle down to record what I'm sure is a long-awaited debut album for many.
SETLIST
Effect
One Second
(New)
Rolling Tide
Change (with Ezekiel Ox)
Wide Awake
(New)
Up next was something a little more intense, Melbourne's favourite percussion-heavy rockers Sydonia. The first time I saw this band was in this very room, supporting Mammal's sold-out single launch in 2008, but I really wasn't sure whether I liked them or not back then. But after a few more shows since and becoming a bit more familiar with their material, my doubts are gone, and tonight I was really looking forward to seeing them play. They opened with one of their more mellow numbers, No Woman's Land, but quickly got right into gear, following it up with the crushing 3 Tongues sending the metalheads in the room into a frenzy! The set certainly had its moments, but I found some of the newer songs to be a bit boring. The highlight of course was the ever amazing percussion jam Bateria, in which guitarist Sam Haycroft and bassist Adam Murray put down their instruments to bang some drums, while they were also joined by Dead Letter Circus's Luke Williams and Stewart Hill, as well as their merch guy (I think) making a hell of a racket, while frontman Dana Roskvist and Black Devil Yard Boss (and ex-Mammal) guitarist Pete Williamson made some feedback out the front! After that, the rest of the set seemed a bit dull in comparison, but of course the new track Sinner sounded amazing as ever, and Incoming at the end ensured that nobody left the venue without their neck hurting! (Geddit Sydonia fans?) A fundraiser gig for the band's second album is apparently in the works, and I will most certainly be there!
SETLIST
No Woman's Land
3 Tongues
Drag You Out (new)
Ocean of Storms (new)
Bateria (drums: Sean Bailey (Sydonia); percussion: Sam Haycroft, Adam Murray (Sydonia), Luke Williams, Stewart Hill (Dead Letter Circus), and "merch guy?"; guitars: Dana Roskvist (Sydonia) and Pete Williamson (Black Devil Yard Boss)
Enemy (new (this one was particularly fucking awesome!))
Serve the Dead (new)
Sinner (new)
INCOMING! :)
At around 10:45, the restless fans finally had their moment, when the Brisbane four-piece made their way onstage to a heroes' welcome, and interestingly enough, their set opened with The Drum. As one of the more experimental pieces on This is the Warning, it was always going to be interesting to see how this and some of the other songs translated to the live stage, but they pulled it off remarkably. Then again, it wasn't really hard to satisfy the crowd tonight; all DLC really needed to do was turn up, the atmosphere was that intense! There weren't many holes in the setlist either - every song off TitW bar one was played, interspersed with favourites from the still-amazing Dead Letter Circus EP, which the crowd absolutely loved. I've heard a lot of criticism for vocalist Kim Benzie's live abilities, but there was no faulting his performance on the night. As noted already, the more experimental/electronic moments for the band worked out very well in the live scenario - This Long Hour and especially Cage sounded absolutely fantastic. The fans' enthusiasm for the band was incredible - singing along to EVERY SINGLE LINE, even from the album that had only been out a couple of weeks prior, and on the floor, this riotous devotion lead to a moshpit so intense that I decided to seek some refuge on the step during the brief reprieve of The Design! The main set concluded with the title track from This is the Warning, and naturally, Sam and Adam from Sydonia made their way onstage to lend their percussive talents to the song. Heeding some very enthusiastic requests for an encore, the band made their way back out soon enough but unfortunately it wasn't Alien that was played, but rather the old favourite Lines. Still, nobody was really complaining, as the band had delivered all of what was expected of them, and left a very satisfied crowd at the end of the night. Truly deserving of the recent success that has finally found them, Dead Letter Circus can only go up from here! Best Australian gig of the year.
SETLIST
The Drum
This Long Hour
Big
The Mile
Are We Closer?
Reaction
Cage
One Step
Here We Divide
The Design
Disconnect and Apply
Next in Line
The Space on the Wall
This is the Warning (with Sam Haycroft and Adam Murray (Sydonia))
---Encore---
Lines
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Nice to See You? It certainly was! - Jericco, Evelyn Hotel, 14-05-2010
It was about a year ago that I saw Jericco play probably their best show yet in this exact location, to a packed-out and enthusiastic crowd. Suffice to say, I had high hopes for this one, as they launched their new single "Nice to See You", and was not let down by one of Melbourne's finest examples of this Australian hard rock scene that's been developing so rapidly over the past few years.
I arrived a bit later on in the evening and only caught the last few songs of Branch Arterial, who seemed like a good choice for support. But it was the next act Geamala who I was very keen to see. I'd heard many good things about them and I was a little disappointed I missed them at the aforementioned Jericco gig last year, so it was good to see them tonight. Their sound is quite unique and not one that's easy to describe, but in amongst their melting pot of influences were world music, progressive rock, and even a very cool take on the Sepultura classic Territory at the end of the set. Their lineup includes an acoustic guitarist, a drummer, a guy who switches between shaku hachi (Japanese flute), computer samples and vocals, and a female vocalist who also doubles as a belly dancer. As you can see, this lineup obviously yields a very unique sound. I'd love to see these guys play live again.
Up next were another Melbourne favourite, Twelve Foot Ninja. This was probably about the 8th or 9th time I'd seen the boys in action, but their live shows are always high on energy and their songs don't ever get boring no matter how many times you've heard them. The old songs from their New Dawn EP got the biggest crowd response on the night because the crowd knew them the best, but some of the newer songs in the set have been played quite a lot recently and they're starting to become familiar to a few of the regulars. All in all, a solid support slot from a very talented young band. I had a brief chat to the band's vocalist after the set, and he informed me that the band are soon taking some time off from the live shows to record their debut album. I know I'm not the only one that awaits said album with extreme anticipation.
Jericco put together a slightly unorthodox setlist, opening with Promises Made of Glass, one of the newer tracks we've seen over the past few years. It was a bit unusual not to have the traditional opener that's been in every prior Jericco gig before this - and in fact the first three songs played were newer songs - but the crowd soon got over this and the moshing began! I was actually very disappointed in the behaviour of a few select crowd members - don't get me wrong, I love a good circle pit just as much as the next person, but imo it's not really appropriate to do it at a Jericco gig. Especially not when some genuine fans are actually standing up the front trying to watch and enjoy the band and suddenly find themselves being knocked into the foldbacks at the front of the stage! Even vocalist Brent McCormick had to tell the crowd to settle down at one point. With that slight downer on the evening pushed aside, it was an otherwise fantastic performance from the boys. About halfway through the set, keyboardist Fetah Sabawi announced, somewhat unsurprisingly, that the gig had been declared a sell-out, understandably looking quite happy as he did so! As it was for Twelve Foot Ninja, the crowd delighted in the tracks from the band's self-titled EP, and the newer ones also went down very well, including a solid rendition of the single being launched, Nice to See You. The band concluded with Rujm (Pile of Stones), always a crowd favourite, and you only had to look at the faces of the crowd as they made their way out of the venue, to know that it had been a very high quality gig. I don't expect this band to remain in the underground scene for much longer, they're just too damn talented.
SETLIST
Promises Made of Glass
No Solution, No Problem
Cause and Effect
Sun
Home (Where Did We Go Wrong)
--Intermission-- Dahab played over PA
Jericco (instrumental)
Always
B Song
Nice to See You
Rujm (Pile of Stones)
I arrived a bit later on in the evening and only caught the last few songs of Branch Arterial, who seemed like a good choice for support. But it was the next act Geamala who I was very keen to see. I'd heard many good things about them and I was a little disappointed I missed them at the aforementioned Jericco gig last year, so it was good to see them tonight. Their sound is quite unique and not one that's easy to describe, but in amongst their melting pot of influences were world music, progressive rock, and even a very cool take on the Sepultura classic Territory at the end of the set. Their lineup includes an acoustic guitarist, a drummer, a guy who switches between shaku hachi (Japanese flute), computer samples and vocals, and a female vocalist who also doubles as a belly dancer. As you can see, this lineup obviously yields a very unique sound. I'd love to see these guys play live again.
Up next were another Melbourne favourite, Twelve Foot Ninja. This was probably about the 8th or 9th time I'd seen the boys in action, but their live shows are always high on energy and their songs don't ever get boring no matter how many times you've heard them. The old songs from their New Dawn EP got the biggest crowd response on the night because the crowd knew them the best, but some of the newer songs in the set have been played quite a lot recently and they're starting to become familiar to a few of the regulars. All in all, a solid support slot from a very talented young band. I had a brief chat to the band's vocalist after the set, and he informed me that the band are soon taking some time off from the live shows to record their debut album. I know I'm not the only one that awaits said album with extreme anticipation.
Jericco put together a slightly unorthodox setlist, opening with Promises Made of Glass, one of the newer tracks we've seen over the past few years. It was a bit unusual not to have the traditional opener that's been in every prior Jericco gig before this - and in fact the first three songs played were newer songs - but the crowd soon got over this and the moshing began! I was actually very disappointed in the behaviour of a few select crowd members - don't get me wrong, I love a good circle pit just as much as the next person, but imo it's not really appropriate to do it at a Jericco gig. Especially not when some genuine fans are actually standing up the front trying to watch and enjoy the band and suddenly find themselves being knocked into the foldbacks at the front of the stage! Even vocalist Brent McCormick had to tell the crowd to settle down at one point. With that slight downer on the evening pushed aside, it was an otherwise fantastic performance from the boys. About halfway through the set, keyboardist Fetah Sabawi announced, somewhat unsurprisingly, that the gig had been declared a sell-out, understandably looking quite happy as he did so! As it was for Twelve Foot Ninja, the crowd delighted in the tracks from the band's self-titled EP, and the newer ones also went down very well, including a solid rendition of the single being launched, Nice to See You. The band concluded with Rujm (Pile of Stones), always a crowd favourite, and you only had to look at the faces of the crowd as they made their way out of the venue, to know that it had been a very high quality gig. I don't expect this band to remain in the underground scene for much longer, they're just too damn talented.
SETLIST
Promises Made of Glass
No Solution, No Problem
Cause and Effect
Sun
Home (Where Did We Go Wrong)
--Intermission-- Dahab played over PA
Jericco (instrumental)
Always
B Song
Nice to See You
Rujm (Pile of Stones)
Monday, May 3, 2010
"I see a mansard roof through the trees" - Groovin' the Moo 2010, Bendigo Showgrounds, 01/05/10
So, there was an epic line - for some people it apparently took up to four hours to get in! Took about half an hour for me - and it was rather overcrowded, but pushing those small details aside, Groovin' the Moo 2010 was a pretty good festival with a solid lineup, including three quality internationals.
Aforementioned line meant that I missed the first couple of acts on the lineup, and for the start of the day some friends and I just spend a bit of time in the bar, watching some reasonable sets from Muph & Plutonic and Kisschasy while we were there. The first real act of the day was Lisa Mitchell. I'm not entirely familiar with this singer's work, but there were a couple of familiar tunes in her set, and I think I walked away a new fan. Surprisingly she didn't play Coin Laundry, although as my friend later explained, this was probably due to the fact that people have taken it upon themselves to throw coins at her when she plays this song! (Lisa Mitchell scores 8/10)
I then decided to check out Space Invadas in the Showgrounds' more dance-oriented arena, The Moolin Rouge. My interest for this new four-piece soul/funk group lies in the fact that their DJ is the extremely talented Ashley Anderson, better known as Katalyst. So I enjoyed their set quite a bit, despite the fact that I didn't know any of the songs and also Katalyst wasn't really ripping it up on the turntables like he's renowned for doing. I guess that's not really the point of this project though. It's worth mentioning that the costumes were cool - Stormtrooper masks, and Darth Vader for the frontman, whoever he was... (Space Invadas score 7/10)
After that I had a bit of a wander to attempt to find some friends, which I finally did just before a typically blistering performance by Adelaide hip-hop champions Funkoars - lucky too, as one of said friends is a massive fan. I'm not a huge fan of Australian hip-hop in general, but I have become something of an 'Oars convert when I caught them a few months back supporting Ash Grunwald. That gig was in celebration of the collaborative track between the artists Little Did I Know, which was a stand-out track played on the day - unfortunately Ash didn't actually appear live, but the boys gave him a big shout-out, which was cool. Can't knock their ability to get a crowd going really, as the likes of Black Sally and What's Your Malfunction got some very enthusiastic call-and-responses going. Like I said, I'm a convert. (Funkoars score 8.5/10)
Ahh, the Bag Raiders. A shining example of a band (or more accurately, production/DJ team?) that suddenly gets thrust into the spotlight because of one big tune. The rest of their set was certainly entertaining enough, but when they dropped Shooting Stars, the crowd went ballistic, and those outside the tent actually ran inside to catch that great song in action. We'd almost left early to go watch Empire of the Sun, but we certainly didn't regret staying for that moment. (Bag Raiders score 8/10)
Empire of the Sun are one of those bands (to be fair, these days it's really just the Luke Steele and co. show) you either get/like or you don't - and unfortunately for Steele, most are in the latter category. But I'm in the former. I do quite like most of - actually, scratch that, ALL of the songs on the then-duo's debut album, and I think they are an amazing live act. Of course, that's what Steele is going for - rather than just stand up there and play the songs like they should be played, he puts a real effort into the actual experience of the live show. Crazy costumes, over-the-top choreographed dance routines, superb lighting and projections, Empire of the Sun's live show is a sight to behold - hell, even those that appeared not to like the band itself still looked a little stunned at everything that was going on. Steele and co. played just about everything from their debut album, and a couple of other bits which could have been genuine new songs or just outright bizarre jams, it's rather hard to tell. Smash hit Walking on a Dream concluded the set, which reminded the doubters that even if Steele's ridiculous live show is a little bit wanky, he can still write a damn fine tune. I'm just going to admit it - I think these guys are a class act, and I'll be interested to hear another album. (Empire of the Sun score 9/10)
As the house lights on the adjacent stage went down, some classic hip-hop track was blasted over the main arena PA, then a huge Contra backdrop became visible, and the crowd very enthusiastically welcomed the night's international headliner Vampire Weekend to the stage. With little fanfare, it was White Sky they chose to open the night, and the crowd fell in love instantly. It's clear the band have had an extremely rapid rise to popularity over the years since their self-titled debut album was released, and most people watching them on the night were clearly devoted fans - not those that had maybe heard Cousins a couple of times on commercial radio! It was also a nice contrast to see how refreshingly minimal their stage set-up was after the previous assault to the senses - a few chandeliers added a classy touch to the evening, while those that were looking closely at the Contra backdrop were surprised when the girl's innocent-looking eyes occasionally lit up brightly, making her look quite sinister at times! As for the songs, the band mostly focused on the more up-tempo numbers that were sure to get the crowd dancing - M79, A-Punk and even Cousins came quite early in the set, to the delight of all. Ezra Koenig seemed a little surprised by the rapturous response his band was getting in a town he'd most likely previously never heard of, but he welcomed the attention, teaching the crowd his band's many singalong moments - not that they needed it really, you only needed to listen to the massive hollering during One (Blake's Got a New Face) to realise that they were among fans! Walcott was of course the closer to a brilliant performance. Been looking forward to seeing these guys for so long that I might have been a little biased, but hell, so were the other thousand odd people there. (Vampire Weekend score 10/10!)
On reflection, it seems that I might have been too quick to judge what was on the night a performance I didn't think very much of at all - from a very divisive band indeed, Australian gods Silverchair. Hmm... what to say, really? I'm going to say I was tired after a long day and wasn't really in the mood for Daniel Johns' antics - which included getting the crowd to scream "eight and a half times", and oh yes, let's not forget, "Now scream HO!" (crowd responds accordingly.) "MO!" (crowd enthusiasm dies considerably.) "WOAH!" To their credit, at least they're still performing some classics, such as Israel's Son and The Door, but even those numbers were marred by, among other things, long pauses while Mr Johns waited for a suitable crowd response, or theatrical off-key pedal noise jams and solos. I don't get it, I enjoyed them very much at Across the Great Divide when they were doing similar things, but... this time something seemed a bit different. Like I said, maybe I was tired. They were OK... really. I'm going to try and restrain myself from commenting on the two new songs, purely because I was in a bad enough mood as it was when they being played, and also because part of me thinks that honestly, they might have simply been pulling what seems in their mind at least to be a rather amusing joke. The songs were entitled "16" and "Machina Colada". If there's Youtube footage around, look it up and be prepared to be shocked/amused. (Silverchair score a very confused 6/10)
Groovin' the Moo wasn't a bad little festival, but I think bearing in mind they were catering to three international acts (especially one as popular as Vampire Weekend), they could've done a lot better on the organisation front. I for one thought that queue was bad, but I was clearly one of the lucky ones! Also, no toilets in the licensed area was a MEGA FAIL. It'll probably take a very strong lineup to see me attend this one next year, as the only thing that saved the day were as always, the great bands; have I mentioned how awesome Vampire Weekend were?! But yeah, the organisation was a little poor and I'm generally getting a bit over festivals with the crowds and the stage-hopping and the dickheads and whatnot. /endrant.
Aforementioned line meant that I missed the first couple of acts on the lineup, and for the start of the day some friends and I just spend a bit of time in the bar, watching some reasonable sets from Muph & Plutonic and Kisschasy while we were there. The first real act of the day was Lisa Mitchell. I'm not entirely familiar with this singer's work, but there were a couple of familiar tunes in her set, and I think I walked away a new fan. Surprisingly she didn't play Coin Laundry, although as my friend later explained, this was probably due to the fact that people have taken it upon themselves to throw coins at her when she plays this song! (Lisa Mitchell scores 8/10)
I then decided to check out Space Invadas in the Showgrounds' more dance-oriented arena, The Moolin Rouge. My interest for this new four-piece soul/funk group lies in the fact that their DJ is the extremely talented Ashley Anderson, better known as Katalyst. So I enjoyed their set quite a bit, despite the fact that I didn't know any of the songs and also Katalyst wasn't really ripping it up on the turntables like he's renowned for doing. I guess that's not really the point of this project though. It's worth mentioning that the costumes were cool - Stormtrooper masks, and Darth Vader for the frontman, whoever he was... (Space Invadas score 7/10)
After that I had a bit of a wander to attempt to find some friends, which I finally did just before a typically blistering performance by Adelaide hip-hop champions Funkoars - lucky too, as one of said friends is a massive fan. I'm not a huge fan of Australian hip-hop in general, but I have become something of an 'Oars convert when I caught them a few months back supporting Ash Grunwald. That gig was in celebration of the collaborative track between the artists Little Did I Know, which was a stand-out track played on the day - unfortunately Ash didn't actually appear live, but the boys gave him a big shout-out, which was cool. Can't knock their ability to get a crowd going really, as the likes of Black Sally and What's Your Malfunction got some very enthusiastic call-and-responses going. Like I said, I'm a convert. (Funkoars score 8.5/10)
Ahh, the Bag Raiders. A shining example of a band (or more accurately, production/DJ team?) that suddenly gets thrust into the spotlight because of one big tune. The rest of their set was certainly entertaining enough, but when they dropped Shooting Stars, the crowd went ballistic, and those outside the tent actually ran inside to catch that great song in action. We'd almost left early to go watch Empire of the Sun, but we certainly didn't regret staying for that moment. (Bag Raiders score 8/10)
Empire of the Sun are one of those bands (to be fair, these days it's really just the Luke Steele and co. show) you either get/like or you don't - and unfortunately for Steele, most are in the latter category. But I'm in the former. I do quite like most of - actually, scratch that, ALL of the songs on the then-duo's debut album, and I think they are an amazing live act. Of course, that's what Steele is going for - rather than just stand up there and play the songs like they should be played, he puts a real effort into the actual experience of the live show. Crazy costumes, over-the-top choreographed dance routines, superb lighting and projections, Empire of the Sun's live show is a sight to behold - hell, even those that appeared not to like the band itself still looked a little stunned at everything that was going on. Steele and co. played just about everything from their debut album, and a couple of other bits which could have been genuine new songs or just outright bizarre jams, it's rather hard to tell. Smash hit Walking on a Dream concluded the set, which reminded the doubters that even if Steele's ridiculous live show is a little bit wanky, he can still write a damn fine tune. I'm just going to admit it - I think these guys are a class act, and I'll be interested to hear another album. (Empire of the Sun score 9/10)
As the house lights on the adjacent stage went down, some classic hip-hop track was blasted over the main arena PA, then a huge Contra backdrop became visible, and the crowd very enthusiastically welcomed the night's international headliner Vampire Weekend to the stage. With little fanfare, it was White Sky they chose to open the night, and the crowd fell in love instantly. It's clear the band have had an extremely rapid rise to popularity over the years since their self-titled debut album was released, and most people watching them on the night were clearly devoted fans - not those that had maybe heard Cousins a couple of times on commercial radio! It was also a nice contrast to see how refreshingly minimal their stage set-up was after the previous assault to the senses - a few chandeliers added a classy touch to the evening, while those that were looking closely at the Contra backdrop were surprised when the girl's innocent-looking eyes occasionally lit up brightly, making her look quite sinister at times! As for the songs, the band mostly focused on the more up-tempo numbers that were sure to get the crowd dancing - M79, A-Punk and even Cousins came quite early in the set, to the delight of all. Ezra Koenig seemed a little surprised by the rapturous response his band was getting in a town he'd most likely previously never heard of, but he welcomed the attention, teaching the crowd his band's many singalong moments - not that they needed it really, you only needed to listen to the massive hollering during One (Blake's Got a New Face) to realise that they were among fans! Walcott was of course the closer to a brilliant performance. Been looking forward to seeing these guys for so long that I might have been a little biased, but hell, so were the other thousand odd people there. (Vampire Weekend score 10/10!)
On reflection, it seems that I might have been too quick to judge what was on the night a performance I didn't think very much of at all - from a very divisive band indeed, Australian gods Silverchair. Hmm... what to say, really? I'm going to say I was tired after a long day and wasn't really in the mood for Daniel Johns' antics - which included getting the crowd to scream "eight and a half times", and oh yes, let's not forget, "Now scream HO!" (crowd responds accordingly.) "MO!" (crowd enthusiasm dies considerably.) "WOAH!" To their credit, at least they're still performing some classics, such as Israel's Son and The Door, but even those numbers were marred by, among other things, long pauses while Mr Johns waited for a suitable crowd response, or theatrical off-key pedal noise jams and solos. I don't get it, I enjoyed them very much at Across the Great Divide when they were doing similar things, but... this time something seemed a bit different. Like I said, maybe I was tired. They were OK... really. I'm going to try and restrain myself from commenting on the two new songs, purely because I was in a bad enough mood as it was when they being played, and also because part of me thinks that honestly, they might have simply been pulling what seems in their mind at least to be a rather amusing joke. The songs were entitled "16" and "Machina Colada". If there's Youtube footage around, look it up and be prepared to be shocked/amused. (Silverchair score a very confused 6/10)
Groovin' the Moo wasn't a bad little festival, but I think bearing in mind they were catering to three international acts (especially one as popular as Vampire Weekend), they could've done a lot better on the organisation front. I for one thought that queue was bad, but I was clearly one of the lucky ones! Also, no toilets in the licensed area was a MEGA FAIL. It'll probably take a very strong lineup to see me attend this one next year, as the only thing that saved the day were as always, the great bands; have I mentioned how awesome Vampire Weekend were?! But yeah, the organisation was a little poor and I'm generally getting a bit over festivals with the crowds and the stage-hopping and the dickheads and whatnot. /endrant.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Top 10 gigs of 2009...
I had this all done out with small reviews and shit, but this blog thing is being a prick and won't let me post them haha, something to do with HTML coding, if only I understood... so, basically, here they are in pure list form.
10. The Likes of You presents Hernan Cattaneo (Argentina) & Loco Dice (Germany), at Brown Alley, May 15th. With local support.
9. The Likes of You presents Sasha (UK), at Billboard the Venue, November 20th. With local support.
8. Fuck Buttons (UK) / Dead Meadow (USA) / Afrirampo (Japan), at Corner Hotel, January 14th.
7. The Bronx / Mariachi El Bronx (USA), at Billboard the Venue, September 13th. With support from Ouch My Face and Dr El Suavo.
6. What is Music? Festival presents 50/50, at ABC Iwaki Auditorium, December 19th.
5. Dream Theater, at Palais Theatre, December 7th and 8th. With support from Pain of Salvation (Sweden).
4. Static Age Festival with Lightning Bolt (USA), at Lithuanian Club, November 28th. With support from Grey Daturas, Embers Big Band, Ivens, Justice Yeldham, Dead Dog and others.
3. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (USA), at Corner Hotel, May 30th and 31st. With support from My Disco (both nights), Pets with Pets (first night) and A Friend of Mine (second night).
2. Winter Sound System with Armin van Buuren (Netherlands), at Melbourne Park, June 7th.
1. Pearl Jam (USA), at Etihad Stadium, November 20th. With support from Ben Harper and Relentless7 (USA) and Liam Finn (NZ).
I really don't understand why my reviews are totally fucked... I may try and get them up later, but this is already way overdue anyway so I'm thinking I'll just leave it for now. By the way, festivals in general weren't eligible for this countdown, BUT, as Lightning Bolt and Armin van Buuren did play full headlining sets at their respective fests, I have allowed their performances to get in.
10. The Likes of You presents Hernan Cattaneo (Argentina) & Loco Dice (Germany), at Brown Alley, May 15th. With local support.
9. The Likes of You presents Sasha (UK), at Billboard the Venue, November 20th. With local support.
8. Fuck Buttons (UK) / Dead Meadow (USA) / Afrirampo (Japan), at Corner Hotel, January 14th.
7. The Bronx / Mariachi El Bronx (USA), at Billboard the Venue, September 13th. With support from Ouch My Face and Dr El Suavo.
6. What is Music? Festival presents 50/50, at ABC Iwaki Auditorium, December 19th.
5. Dream Theater, at Palais Theatre, December 7th and 8th. With support from Pain of Salvation (Sweden).
4. Static Age Festival with Lightning Bolt (USA), at Lithuanian Club, November 28th. With support from Grey Daturas, Embers Big Band, Ivens, Justice Yeldham, Dead Dog and others.
3. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (USA), at Corner Hotel, May 30th and 31st. With support from My Disco (both nights), Pets with Pets (first night) and A Friend of Mine (second night).
2. Winter Sound System with Armin van Buuren (Netherlands), at Melbourne Park, June 7th.
1. Pearl Jam (USA), at Etihad Stadium, November 20th. With support from Ben Harper and Relentless7 (USA) and Liam Finn (NZ).
I really don't understand why my reviews are totally fucked... I may try and get them up later, but this is already way overdue anyway so I'm thinking I'll just leave it for now. By the way, festivals in general weren't eligible for this countdown, BUT, as Lightning Bolt and Armin van Buuren did play full headlining sets at their respective fests, I have allowed their performances to get in.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Soundwave Festival 2010, Melbourne Showgrounds, 26/02/10
The lineups for this rock/metal/punk festival have always impressed me. There's never really been much that floats my boat enough for me attend in the past, but I always though that Soundwave always managed to get a lot of great acts for the sort of festival that it was. Anyway, this year a lot of the acts really impressed, so I bought a ticket and was not disappointed by a great day of music.
The first band I heard on the day was Canada's The Creepshow, who opened proceedings on Stage 1 (there was a band before them on Stage 2, a last minute replacement for Closure in Moscow I guess, but nobody knew who they were). I didn't actually see The Creepshow, as I was standing on the Stage 2 side for a good spot for Sunny Day Real Estate, but of course because of the typical two-mainstage festival setup, I did hear all their set. They seemed pretty interesting, playing some catchy female-fronted psychobilly that seemed to get their fans on the other side of the arena dancing and singing along with great enthusiasm.
Legendary early 90s emo quartet Sunny Day Real Estate just reformed last year, with all four members from their original lineup - Jeremy Enigk (vocals/guitar), Dan Hoerner (guitar/backing vocals), Nate Mendel (bass, yes, the Foo Fighter) and William Goldsmith (drums, also ex-Foo Fighters). It's the band's second reunion, but the first time since 1994 that all original members have played together, and for the first time ever, they were playing in Australia - suffice to say, for the small but passionate crowd assembled in front of stage 2, this was a very special moment. The band walked onstage to a heroes' welcome, and when the song chosen to open the set was Seven, you could feel the happiness in the air. They were the first out of the three reunited bands performing at Soundwave today, and they set the bar high. Naturally, the set consisted mostly of songs from the cult classic Diary, along with a surprise inclusion of b-side 9, and J'Nuh from the Sunny Day Real Estate album. The band played their songs extremely well, with Enigk still singing very well after all these years away from the band. Goldsmith's performance was also particularly impressive; during the more intense musical moments he became a whirlwind of energy, absolutely pummeling his kit and working up a very noticeable sweat. The band closed with Sometimes, and the crowd were left wanting more due to the 40 minute limit on their set, but the band looked extremely happy to finally play in Australia and I wouldn't be surprised if we see them again, perhaps after they release their long-awaited new album. (Sunny Day Real Estate score 10/10.)
SETLIST
Seven
In Circles
48
Song About an Angel
9
J'Nuh
Sometimes
Next up was the tail-end of US stoner sludge metallers Baroness, in the festival's more "metal" stage, which was unwisely located INSIDE on a 34 degree day. Anyone who went in there knows what I'm talking about - it was just HOT. And with only two doors the side and two at the back open, there was a serious lack of ventilation. Thankfully, I didn't have to stay in there too long, at least not for this band or the next (Isis) as I'd seen them both the night before at their sideshow.
So I made my way back to the mainstage for Eagles of Death Metal. We were informed by Taking Back Sunday (playing the preceding set on the adjacent stage) that they were "very handsome man" and that the ladies "will probably be pregnant by the end of it". As expected, Jesse "The Devil" Hughes did inject a hell of a lot of swagger and sex appeal into the band's set, mostly with his between-song banter, but unfortunately once the songs were being played, his voice seemed to falter a little bit. I'm going to assume perhaps it might have been something to do with partying too much the night before or something - he did admit that he had been at Cherry Bar the night before and was keen to return that night, so yeah. A good set though featuring most songs you'd expect such as Wannabe in L.A and I Only Want You. It was just the fact that his vocals were a bit poor meant I didn't quite enjoy it as much. Which was a shame because I'd really been looking forward to seeing them after I missed them last year. (EoDM score 7/10.)
Next up it was back to the ever-increasingly hot sauna that was Stage 4, for a bit of good ol fun-time stoner rock, and who better to deliver it than Clutch. I didn't know a lot of the songs they played, but I stayed for the whole set anyway, and how could you not? The band's songs were inspiring some serious crowd energy down the front, no small feat considering the band were playing in the Soundwave oven as it were. "I thought when I woke this morning, that I was excited when I heard we'd be playing indoors!" commented frontman Neil Fallon. Yet despite the heat, the band didn't let up for a second -the riffs were monstrous, Fallon's vocals were right on the money and the crowd - including I - loved it. (Clutch score 9/10.)
I checked out the first few songs of Anvil, finding them quite amusing in a good way. They wouldn't have anywhere near the audience they did had they not realeased that movie (which I really must get around to seeing), but those that were in attendance certainly did enjoy the chance to see these true purveyors of speed metal do their thing.
Next up was the headfucking metal madness of Swedish five-piece Meshuggah. I met a few friends of mine outside before heading back in, and one remarked, "That name sounds Yiddish" - of course, it actually is; it means "crazy". Which is really a very good name for these guys - their music is chaotic, unpredictable, and yet extremely precise. Despite the increasing temperature in Stage 4, the Swedes worked the crowd into a frenzy as they tore through their polyrhythmic math metal numbers with great abandon. Guitarists Martin Hagstrom and Fredrik Thordendal were an absolute pleasure to watch as they bashed out complicated riffs and intricate solos together, holding it all together. And frontman Jens Kidman has one of my personal favourite metal voices. Their set included plenty of well-known numbers from across their career, from newies such as Bleed and Combustion to older favourites like Rational Gaze and the closing Future Breed Machine. Brilliance. (Meshuggah score 10/10.)
SETLIST
Pravus
Bleed
Rational Gaze
Combustion
Lethargica
Future Breed Machine
It was time for something considerably more low-key, but no less exciting, so I headed in the direction of Stage 1 for Jane's Addiction. As the second of today's reunited bands, many were wondering just how they'd cut it, especially considering the hard-living lifestyle they were all known for back in the day. Of course, they put on a great performance on the day, full of energy and enthusiasm for the songs they were playing. Perry Farrell's voice sounded great too; he faltered a few times but it was far better than Jesse Hughes' performance earlier that day. Dave Navarro delivered some typically ripping solos, and the rhythm section of Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins was spot-on. Farrell's banter tended to tread the fine line between amusing and ridiculous, but all in all, it was great to see these guys live at least once. I must say, I was disappointed by some of the songs being played in different keys - I know, a bit pedantic, but if you're used to a song sounding a certain way, it's a little weird to hear it otherwise for the first time. Anyway. The ending of the set was a nice touch - Navarro and Avery traded their electrics for acoustics, while Perkins played percussion at the front of the stage, in a lovely version of Jane Says. (Jane's Addiction score 9.5/10.)
SETLIST
Up the Beach
Mountain Song
Three Days
Whores
Been Caught Stealing
Ain't No Right
...Then She Did
Ocean Size
Summertime Rolls
Ted, Just Admit It...
Stop!
Jane Says
After that I spent a bit of time wandering searching for some mates, finally meeting them over at Stage 3 just after Anti-Flag's set. We decided to have a few final beers and sit in the stands and catch up on the day's events - but unfortunately Escape the Fate were on. I do NOT understand what it is about this sort of music that attracts people. It seemed absolutely boring and generic and for some reason, the crowd in front of that stage loved it. Meh. Thumbs down to mates for suggesting this spot to meet :P
FINALLY, the night drew to its brilliant conclusion - Faith No More came from out of nowhere, with a performance that was typically epic and aggressive. From all accounts their gigs in this land of sunshine have showed that they are certainly not suffering a midlife crisis, and the thousands of fans' reaction showed that still indeed care a lot for this band. Their performance - with a helluva lot of classics, Mike Patton madness, and even some random webcam chat to some unsuspecting people all accounted for - showed that at the end of Soundwave 2010, Faith No More were kings... for more than a day. (Faith No More score 10/10.) (I'm sorry, I really couldn't help myself...)
SETLIST
Don't Dream It's Over (Crowded House cover)
From Out Of Nowhere
Land of Sunshine
Be Aggressive
Evidence
The Gentle Art of Making Enemies
Chinese Arithmetic/Poker Face
Last Cup of Sorrow
Cuckoo for Caca
Easy (The Commodores cover)
Ashes to Ashes
Midlife Crisis
I Started a Joke (Bee Gees cover)
Digging The Grave
King for a Day
Epic
Just a Man
----Encore----
This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us (Sparks cover)
We Care a Lot
So, Soundwave 2010 was the first time I've attended this festival, but if future lineups are equal to this, I'll be sure to return. It's better organised and less crowded than some of its bigger counterparts and offers a wider variety of acts. The whole day really was quite enjoyable!
The first band I heard on the day was Canada's The Creepshow, who opened proceedings on Stage 1 (there was a band before them on Stage 2, a last minute replacement for Closure in Moscow I guess, but nobody knew who they were). I didn't actually see The Creepshow, as I was standing on the Stage 2 side for a good spot for Sunny Day Real Estate, but of course because of the typical two-mainstage festival setup, I did hear all their set. They seemed pretty interesting, playing some catchy female-fronted psychobilly that seemed to get their fans on the other side of the arena dancing and singing along with great enthusiasm.
Legendary early 90s emo quartet Sunny Day Real Estate just reformed last year, with all four members from their original lineup - Jeremy Enigk (vocals/guitar), Dan Hoerner (guitar/backing vocals), Nate Mendel (bass, yes, the Foo Fighter) and William Goldsmith (drums, also ex-Foo Fighters). It's the band's second reunion, but the first time since 1994 that all original members have played together, and for the first time ever, they were playing in Australia - suffice to say, for the small but passionate crowd assembled in front of stage 2, this was a very special moment. The band walked onstage to a heroes' welcome, and when the song chosen to open the set was Seven, you could feel the happiness in the air. They were the first out of the three reunited bands performing at Soundwave today, and they set the bar high. Naturally, the set consisted mostly of songs from the cult classic Diary, along with a surprise inclusion of b-side 9, and J'Nuh from the Sunny Day Real Estate album. The band played their songs extremely well, with Enigk still singing very well after all these years away from the band. Goldsmith's performance was also particularly impressive; during the more intense musical moments he became a whirlwind of energy, absolutely pummeling his kit and working up a very noticeable sweat. The band closed with Sometimes, and the crowd were left wanting more due to the 40 minute limit on their set, but the band looked extremely happy to finally play in Australia and I wouldn't be surprised if we see them again, perhaps after they release their long-awaited new album. (Sunny Day Real Estate score 10/10.)
SETLIST
Seven
In Circles
48
Song About an Angel
9
J'Nuh
Sometimes
Next up was the tail-end of US stoner sludge metallers Baroness, in the festival's more "metal" stage, which was unwisely located INSIDE on a 34 degree day. Anyone who went in there knows what I'm talking about - it was just HOT. And with only two doors the side and two at the back open, there was a serious lack of ventilation. Thankfully, I didn't have to stay in there too long, at least not for this band or the next (Isis) as I'd seen them both the night before at their sideshow.
So I made my way back to the mainstage for Eagles of Death Metal. We were informed by Taking Back Sunday (playing the preceding set on the adjacent stage) that they were "very handsome man" and that the ladies "will probably be pregnant by the end of it". As expected, Jesse "The Devil" Hughes did inject a hell of a lot of swagger and sex appeal into the band's set, mostly with his between-song banter, but unfortunately once the songs were being played, his voice seemed to falter a little bit. I'm going to assume perhaps it might have been something to do with partying too much the night before or something - he did admit that he had been at Cherry Bar the night before and was keen to return that night, so yeah. A good set though featuring most songs you'd expect such as Wannabe in L.A and I Only Want You. It was just the fact that his vocals were a bit poor meant I didn't quite enjoy it as much. Which was a shame because I'd really been looking forward to seeing them after I missed them last year. (EoDM score 7/10.)
Next up it was back to the ever-increasingly hot sauna that was Stage 4, for a bit of good ol fun-time stoner rock, and who better to deliver it than Clutch. I didn't know a lot of the songs they played, but I stayed for the whole set anyway, and how could you not? The band's songs were inspiring some serious crowd energy down the front, no small feat considering the band were playing in the Soundwave oven as it were. "I thought when I woke this morning, that I was excited when I heard we'd be playing indoors!" commented frontman Neil Fallon. Yet despite the heat, the band didn't let up for a second -the riffs were monstrous, Fallon's vocals were right on the money and the crowd - including I - loved it. (Clutch score 9/10.)
I checked out the first few songs of Anvil, finding them quite amusing in a good way. They wouldn't have anywhere near the audience they did had they not realeased that movie (which I really must get around to seeing), but those that were in attendance certainly did enjoy the chance to see these true purveyors of speed metal do their thing.
Next up was the headfucking metal madness of Swedish five-piece Meshuggah. I met a few friends of mine outside before heading back in, and one remarked, "That name sounds Yiddish" - of course, it actually is; it means "crazy". Which is really a very good name for these guys - their music is chaotic, unpredictable, and yet extremely precise. Despite the increasing temperature in Stage 4, the Swedes worked the crowd into a frenzy as they tore through their polyrhythmic math metal numbers with great abandon. Guitarists Martin Hagstrom and Fredrik Thordendal were an absolute pleasure to watch as they bashed out complicated riffs and intricate solos together, holding it all together. And frontman Jens Kidman has one of my personal favourite metal voices. Their set included plenty of well-known numbers from across their career, from newies such as Bleed and Combustion to older favourites like Rational Gaze and the closing Future Breed Machine. Brilliance. (Meshuggah score 10/10.)
SETLIST
Pravus
Bleed
Rational Gaze
Combustion
Lethargica
Future Breed Machine
It was time for something considerably more low-key, but no less exciting, so I headed in the direction of Stage 1 for Jane's Addiction. As the second of today's reunited bands, many were wondering just how they'd cut it, especially considering the hard-living lifestyle they were all known for back in the day. Of course, they put on a great performance on the day, full of energy and enthusiasm for the songs they were playing. Perry Farrell's voice sounded great too; he faltered a few times but it was far better than Jesse Hughes' performance earlier that day. Dave Navarro delivered some typically ripping solos, and the rhythm section of Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins was spot-on. Farrell's banter tended to tread the fine line between amusing and ridiculous, but all in all, it was great to see these guys live at least once. I must say, I was disappointed by some of the songs being played in different keys - I know, a bit pedantic, but if you're used to a song sounding a certain way, it's a little weird to hear it otherwise for the first time. Anyway. The ending of the set was a nice touch - Navarro and Avery traded their electrics for acoustics, while Perkins played percussion at the front of the stage, in a lovely version of Jane Says. (Jane's Addiction score 9.5/10.)
SETLIST
Up the Beach
Mountain Song
Three Days
Whores
Been Caught Stealing
Ain't No Right
...Then She Did
Ocean Size
Summertime Rolls
Ted, Just Admit It...
Stop!
Jane Says
After that I spent a bit of time wandering searching for some mates, finally meeting them over at Stage 3 just after Anti-Flag's set. We decided to have a few final beers and sit in the stands and catch up on the day's events - but unfortunately Escape the Fate were on. I do NOT understand what it is about this sort of music that attracts people. It seemed absolutely boring and generic and for some reason, the crowd in front of that stage loved it. Meh. Thumbs down to mates for suggesting this spot to meet :P
FINALLY, the night drew to its brilliant conclusion - Faith No More came from out of nowhere, with a performance that was typically epic and aggressive. From all accounts their gigs in this land of sunshine have showed that they are certainly not suffering a midlife crisis, and the thousands of fans' reaction showed that still indeed care a lot for this band. Their performance - with a helluva lot of classics, Mike Patton madness, and even some random webcam chat to some unsuspecting people all accounted for - showed that at the end of Soundwave 2010, Faith No More were kings... for more than a day. (Faith No More score 10/10.) (I'm sorry, I really couldn't help myself...)
SETLIST
Don't Dream It's Over (Crowded House cover)
From Out Of Nowhere
Land of Sunshine
Be Aggressive
Evidence
The Gentle Art of Making Enemies
Chinese Arithmetic/Poker Face
Last Cup of Sorrow
Cuckoo for Caca
Easy (The Commodores cover)
Ashes to Ashes
Midlife Crisis
I Started a Joke (Bee Gees cover)
Digging The Grave
King for a Day
Epic
Just a Man
----Encore----
This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us (Sparks cover)
We Care a Lot
So, Soundwave 2010 was the first time I've attended this festival, but if future lineups are equal to this, I'll be sure to return. It's better organised and less crowded than some of its bigger counterparts and offers a wider variety of acts. The whole day really was quite enjoyable!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The best (compact disc) sounds of the year 2009
So, some might see this as a little late in the piece, but then again, isn't posting your top 2009 CDs and gigs in say, November a little bit premature? What about all those great albums that get released in November, or all those awesome gigs you attend? So that's why I've always preferred to leave it a little late, and here it is. First up, the ten best albums of 2009, and they were, in my humble opinion!...
10.Deströyer 666 – Defiance
It’s been a little while between drinks for this legendary Australian-via-Europe blackened thrash metal group, but on their first album in seven years, the mighty D666 show no signs of slowing down. They’ve always been an underground favourite in the metal scene – not just Down Under too – and with this album it’s easy to see why. Blistering riffage and leads, truly evil vocals and a thunderous rhythm section, D666 are back and more defiant than ever before! Their no nonsense approach to their music always pays off well.
THE STAND-OUT: I Am Not Deceived
OTHER STAND-OUTS: Weapons of Conquest, The Barricades are Breaking
9. Porcupine Tree – The Incident
Well then, it’s yet another release from that band that just keep going from strength to strength! Some might not approve of the direction the band has taken in recent years, and I suppose that’s a little understandable, but the fact is they have become a band that are rapidly increasing their fanbase while still retaining the key sonic elements that we all know and love. I mean, you could hardly call this album a “sell-out” – it contains two discs of material, the first of which is comprised of fourteen “pieces” that together make up the 55 minute song cycle that is The Incident itself. The different tracks – with influences from ranging from discordant noise ambience to all-out heavy metal riffage to calm and gentle progressive passages – do of course stand up by themselves, but are linked together in such a way that the best way to experience the album is to listen to the whole thing together in one sitting. And indeed, that’s how the band are playing it live. The second disc isn’t too bad either – a collection of four extra songs independent of The Incident. Another classy effort from Mr Steven Wilson and co.
THE STAND-OUT: IX. Time Flies
OTHER STAND-OUTS: V. Drawing the Line, II. The Blind House, Bonnie the Cat
8. Sunn O))) – Monoliths & Dimensions
Sunn O)))’s “music” has been called many things in the past – many of them not complimentary – but one thing that has been noticeable in recent releases is their concerted effort to push the boundaries of their own sound, beyond the standard “LOUD SLOOOOOOWWWWW GUITARS” approach. The duo of Anderson and O’Malley do that very well here on this album, officially their seventh studio outing. Familiar guests Attila Csihar and Oren Ambarchi are once again present, as are newcomers such as experiment US violist Eyvind Kang. In just four epic tracks, Sunn O))) manage to deliver a record that is hypnotic, frightening at times, beautiful at others, and always crushingly loud and heavy. Brilliance.
THE STAND-OUT: Well... there’s just four tracks, so you know what? I’m going to give it to them all!
7. Mastodon – Crack the Skye
I make no secret of the fact that I think these guys are one of the most talented bands to emerge from the heavy metal scene in the past decade, and with their fifth studio album, they once again vindicate this opinion. Troy Sanders, Bill Kelliher, Brent Hinds and Brann Dailor have taken the foot off the pedal a bit since the all-out assault that was 2006’s Blood Mountain; on this album you can find a lot more clean singing, slower tempos and less in-your-face metal riffage. Not to say that it doesn’t sound like Mastodon, because of course it does. They’ve just adjusted their already amazing dynamic range a little bit, which should win them over a whole new audience without losing the loyal fans they’ve amassed over the years.
THE STAND-OUT: Divinations
OTHER STAND-OUTS: Quintessence, Oblivion, The Last Baron
6. Muse – The Resistance
I think this beloved trio of Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dom Howard will continue to, ahem, rise (no pun intended) with every release they bring out, and once again on this effort they have set their own creative bar way up there, in the upper reaches of the stratosphere which their bombastic sound so effortlessly reaches. Though the familiar Muse sound is present and accounted for on tracks like Uprising and Guiding Light, they have managed to keep things sounding fresh and inspired with some new ideas thrown into the mix. Frontman Bellamy’s voice continues to truly impress, such as on Resistance and the very Queen-esque United States of Eurasia, while his symphonic influences are also given a healthy workout on tracks like I Belong to You and of course, the epic closing suite Exogenesis Symphony. The stomping guitar riffs, the dazzling keyboard/piano wizardry, the rumbling bass, the steady drums – this, ladies and gentlemen, is a MUSE ALBUM. And if you don’t like that (which it seems a lot of you don’t), then you can quite frankly...
THE STAND-OUT: I Belong to You
OTHER STAND-OUTS: Exogenesis Symphony, United States of Eurasia, Undisclosed Desires
5. Portal – Swarth
Portal are truly one of the most unique bands out there in the ridiculously crowded, often same-old same-old scene of “death metal”. A band that is not focused on lightning-fast guitar solos, rapid-fire blastbeat-ery and those ridiculously guttural vocals, but puts more of an emphasis on atmosphere and dynamics. The sound of Portal is one that is NOT easy to listen to – hell, I’m still struggling – but it is one that will reward the persistent listener for its amazingly bleak journey into previously untapped sonic territory. (Sorry this review is a bit incoherent. If you know Portal, you’ll know it’s truly hard to describe what they sound like.)
THE STAND-OUT: Larvae
OTHER STAND-OUTS: Illoomorpheme, Marityme
4. Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
Way back in 2005, a certain David Grohl, in an interview with Mojo magazine, quipped, “The next project that I'm trying to initiate involves me on drums, Josh Homme on guitar, and John Paul Jones playing bass. That’s the next album. That wouldn’t suck.” In 2009, this wonderful project finally came to fruition, with a series of highly-praised gigs that sold out very quickly despite the trio not having released any recorded music yet! Eventually, in November, the debut self-titled release from the Vultures arrived, and what an album it is! The songs sound pretty much like you’d expect them to from a trio comprising of a guy from Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss, a dude from Led Zeppelin, and that legend from Foo Fighters and Nirvana. Down and dirty blues-tinged riff-driven rock ‘n’ roll as it should sound. Yes.
THE STAND-OUT: Elephants
OTHER STAND-OUTS: Scumbag Blues, Reptiles, Mind Eraser, No Chaser, Gunman
3. Karnivool – Sound Awake
And in 2009, the wait was over. It’s been an agonising four years since the Perth fivesome dropped their awesome debut Themata, and everyone was getting a little bit antsy, but I think we can all say it was worth the wait! As the album begins with a little crackly ambience and then, of all things, a freakin’ vibraphone, you wonder exactly what Karnivool have in store this time... before an EXPLOSION of thundering bass and drums threatens to tear your head off – and then, THAT VOICE comes in and you know everything’s going to be just awesome. It’s certainly one of those rare albums that delivers precisely what it’s expected of it – but of course, with a few surprises to keep things interesting.
THE STAND-OUT: Deadman
THE OTHER STAND-OUTS: Simple Boy, Umbra, New Day, most other tracks really!
2. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail
of Dead – The Century of Self
The indie world fell in love with this experimental Texan group after the release of their monumental third album Source Tags & Codes, but then what? The band followed up with the still-awesome but somewhat disappointing Worlds Apart, and then really pissed off a hell of a lot of people with So Divided in 2006... enter 2009. Free of their record label and with a bit of a re-jigged line-up to boot, ...Trail of Dead have finally lived up to their own standard with this cracker of a compact disc.
THE STAND-OUT: Isis Unveiled
THE OTHER STAND-OUTS: Halcyon Days, Luna Park, Pictures of an Only Child, Bells of Creation
This album also gets the gong, deservedly, for best cover art of 2009! Look at that. And now just remember that lead singer Conrad Keely DREW IT ENTIRELY WITH BLUE BIRO.
But anyway, it's now time for the big one! According to yours truly, 2009 belonged sonically to ...
1. Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport
In 2008, a little duo from out of Bristol, England exploded onto the music scene with a little album entitled Street Horrrsing. With its melodic approach to noisy drone, Fuck Buttons’ debut release saw Andrew Hung and Benjamin Power become something of a household name in the hipster indie scene, as they toured the world with their explosive live show, very often playing on the bill of ATP events. Surprisingly, it took them just a year to record and release a follow-up, and they did so in the form of this little beauty. Tarot Sport marks a slightly different direction for the group, as they have all but eliminated those wonderful screamed-through-a-plastic-toy-microphone vocals that were their trademark on Street Horrrsing, and also taken things in a bit more of a beat-friendly direction. Nevertheless, the harsh synths and rhythmic percussive pulse will be familiar to those that loved their debut, and indeed, this release can only mean a joyous leap forward for the UK twosome.
THE STAND-OUT: Flight of the Feathered Serpent
OTHER STAND-OUTS: Surf Solar, Phantom Limb
OK, so that just about covers it! There were some other brilliant albums I picked up during the year, but alas there can only be ten entrants in a top ten, so some must miss out! Coming soon, the top 10 gigs of 2009!
10.Deströyer 666 – Defiance
It’s been a little while between drinks for this legendary Australian-via-Europe blackened thrash metal group, but on their first album in seven years, the mighty D666 show no signs of slowing down. They’ve always been an underground favourite in the metal scene – not just Down Under too – and with this album it’s easy to see why. Blistering riffage and leads, truly evil vocals and a thunderous rhythm section, D666 are back and more defiant than ever before! Their no nonsense approach to their music always pays off well.
THE STAND-OUT: I Am Not Deceived
OTHER STAND-OUTS: Weapons of Conquest, The Barricades are Breaking
9. Porcupine Tree – The Incident
Well then, it’s yet another release from that band that just keep going from strength to strength! Some might not approve of the direction the band has taken in recent years, and I suppose that’s a little understandable, but the fact is they have become a band that are rapidly increasing their fanbase while still retaining the key sonic elements that we all know and love. I mean, you could hardly call this album a “sell-out” – it contains two discs of material, the first of which is comprised of fourteen “pieces” that together make up the 55 minute song cycle that is The Incident itself. The different tracks – with influences from ranging from discordant noise ambience to all-out heavy metal riffage to calm and gentle progressive passages – do of course stand up by themselves, but are linked together in such a way that the best way to experience the album is to listen to the whole thing together in one sitting. And indeed, that’s how the band are playing it live. The second disc isn’t too bad either – a collection of four extra songs independent of The Incident. Another classy effort from Mr Steven Wilson and co.
THE STAND-OUT: IX. Time Flies
OTHER STAND-OUTS: V. Drawing the Line, II. The Blind House, Bonnie the Cat
8. Sunn O))) – Monoliths & Dimensions
Sunn O)))’s “music” has been called many things in the past – many of them not complimentary – but one thing that has been noticeable in recent releases is their concerted effort to push the boundaries of their own sound, beyond the standard “LOUD SLOOOOOOWWWWW GUITARS” approach. The duo of Anderson and O’Malley do that very well here on this album, officially their seventh studio outing. Familiar guests Attila Csihar and Oren Ambarchi are once again present, as are newcomers such as experiment US violist Eyvind Kang. In just four epic tracks, Sunn O))) manage to deliver a record that is hypnotic, frightening at times, beautiful at others, and always crushingly loud and heavy. Brilliance.
THE STAND-OUT: Well... there’s just four tracks, so you know what? I’m going to give it to them all!
7. Mastodon – Crack the Skye
I make no secret of the fact that I think these guys are one of the most talented bands to emerge from the heavy metal scene in the past decade, and with their fifth studio album, they once again vindicate this opinion. Troy Sanders, Bill Kelliher, Brent Hinds and Brann Dailor have taken the foot off the pedal a bit since the all-out assault that was 2006’s Blood Mountain; on this album you can find a lot more clean singing, slower tempos and less in-your-face metal riffage. Not to say that it doesn’t sound like Mastodon, because of course it does. They’ve just adjusted their already amazing dynamic range a little bit, which should win them over a whole new audience without losing the loyal fans they’ve amassed over the years.
THE STAND-OUT: Divinations
OTHER STAND-OUTS: Quintessence, Oblivion, The Last Baron
6. Muse – The Resistance
I think this beloved trio of Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dom Howard will continue to, ahem, rise (no pun intended) with every release they bring out, and once again on this effort they have set their own creative bar way up there, in the upper reaches of the stratosphere which their bombastic sound so effortlessly reaches. Though the familiar Muse sound is present and accounted for on tracks like Uprising and Guiding Light, they have managed to keep things sounding fresh and inspired with some new ideas thrown into the mix. Frontman Bellamy’s voice continues to truly impress, such as on Resistance and the very Queen-esque United States of Eurasia, while his symphonic influences are also given a healthy workout on tracks like I Belong to You and of course, the epic closing suite Exogenesis Symphony. The stomping guitar riffs, the dazzling keyboard/piano wizardry, the rumbling bass, the steady drums – this, ladies and gentlemen, is a MUSE ALBUM. And if you don’t like that (which it seems a lot of you don’t), then you can quite frankly...
THE STAND-OUT: I Belong to You
OTHER STAND-OUTS: Exogenesis Symphony, United States of Eurasia, Undisclosed Desires
5. Portal – Swarth
Portal are truly one of the most unique bands out there in the ridiculously crowded, often same-old same-old scene of “death metal”. A band that is not focused on lightning-fast guitar solos, rapid-fire blastbeat-ery and those ridiculously guttural vocals, but puts more of an emphasis on atmosphere and dynamics. The sound of Portal is one that is NOT easy to listen to – hell, I’m still struggling – but it is one that will reward the persistent listener for its amazingly bleak journey into previously untapped sonic territory. (Sorry this review is a bit incoherent. If you know Portal, you’ll know it’s truly hard to describe what they sound like.)
THE STAND-OUT: Larvae
OTHER STAND-OUTS: Illoomorpheme, Marityme
4. Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
Way back in 2005, a certain David Grohl, in an interview with Mojo magazine, quipped, “The next project that I'm trying to initiate involves me on drums, Josh Homme on guitar, and John Paul Jones playing bass. That’s the next album. That wouldn’t suck.” In 2009, this wonderful project finally came to fruition, with a series of highly-praised gigs that sold out very quickly despite the trio not having released any recorded music yet! Eventually, in November, the debut self-titled release from the Vultures arrived, and what an album it is! The songs sound pretty much like you’d expect them to from a trio comprising of a guy from Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss, a dude from Led Zeppelin, and that legend from Foo Fighters and Nirvana. Down and dirty blues-tinged riff-driven rock ‘n’ roll as it should sound. Yes.
THE STAND-OUT: Elephants
OTHER STAND-OUTS: Scumbag Blues, Reptiles, Mind Eraser, No Chaser, Gunman
3. Karnivool – Sound Awake
And in 2009, the wait was over. It’s been an agonising four years since the Perth fivesome dropped their awesome debut Themata, and everyone was getting a little bit antsy, but I think we can all say it was worth the wait! As the album begins with a little crackly ambience and then, of all things, a freakin’ vibraphone, you wonder exactly what Karnivool have in store this time... before an EXPLOSION of thundering bass and drums threatens to tear your head off – and then, THAT VOICE comes in and you know everything’s going to be just awesome. It’s certainly one of those rare albums that delivers precisely what it’s expected of it – but of course, with a few surprises to keep things interesting.
THE STAND-OUT: Deadman
THE OTHER STAND-OUTS: Simple Boy, Umbra, New Day, most other tracks really!
2. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail
of Dead – The Century of SelfThe indie world fell in love with this experimental Texan group after the release of their monumental third album Source Tags & Codes, but then what? The band followed up with the still-awesome but somewhat disappointing Worlds Apart, and then really pissed off a hell of a lot of people with So Divided in 2006... enter 2009. Free of their record label and with a bit of a re-jigged line-up to boot, ...Trail of Dead have finally lived up to their own standard with this cracker of a compact disc.
THE STAND-OUT: Isis Unveiled
THE OTHER STAND-OUTS: Halcyon Days, Luna Park, Pictures of an Only Child, Bells of Creation
This album also gets the gong, deservedly, for best cover art of 2009! Look at that. And now just remember that lead singer Conrad Keely DREW IT ENTIRELY WITH BLUE BIRO.
But anyway, it's now time for the big one! According to yours truly, 2009 belonged sonically to ...
1. Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport
In 2008, a little duo from out of Bristol, England exploded onto the music scene with a little album entitled Street Horrrsing. With its melodic approach to noisy drone, Fuck Buttons’ debut release saw Andrew Hung and Benjamin Power become something of a household name in the hipster indie scene, as they toured the world with their explosive live show, very often playing on the bill of ATP events. Surprisingly, it took them just a year to record and release a follow-up, and they did so in the form of this little beauty. Tarot Sport marks a slightly different direction for the group, as they have all but eliminated those wonderful screamed-through-a-plastic-toy-microphone vocals that were their trademark on Street Horrrsing, and also taken things in a bit more of a beat-friendly direction. Nevertheless, the harsh synths and rhythmic percussive pulse will be familiar to those that loved their debut, and indeed, this release can only mean a joyous leap forward for the UK twosome.
THE STAND-OUT: Flight of the Feathered Serpent
OTHER STAND-OUTS: Surf Solar, Phantom Limb
OK, so that just about covers it! There were some other brilliant albums I picked up during the year, but alas there can only be ten entrants in a top ten, so some must miss out! Coming soon, the top 10 gigs of 2009!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Welcome...
So everybody, it seems that MySpace really isn't the place for this kind of thing anymore, or the kind of place for ANYTHING anymore, which is a bit sad really, but that's the way it goes. As the title suggests, this is where I will voice my thoughts on the music I am hearing at the moment - gig reviews, album reviews, yes, the band of the month might even make a return. By Friday, I aim to have posted my top 10 albums and gigs of 2009, a task that I have found rather difficult but it's coming together I guess... anyway. Occasionally I might also deviate from the music topic, but anybody that knows me, knows that there aren't many parts of my life that don't revolve around music. So, thanks in advance for reading... cheers.
Neeso
Neeso
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