Sep 28, 2011

Moneyball



Can't wait for this.
Baseball!
Philip Seymour Hoffman!
Brad Pitt!
Bennett Miller!
Aaron Sorkin!

Sep 27, 2011

Gold Leaves


Gold Leaves recently came to my attention and I am most certainly happy about this. Gold Leaves is the new project of Grant Olsen (Arthur & Yu). "The Ornament" is the first full length album that he has released under this name. Containing 9 tracks, the album is full of shimmering melodies and well thought out pop sensibilities. It was recorded and co-produced and recorded by Jason Quever (Papercuts). Please listen to a stand out cut from the album, out now on Hardly Art.

MP3: Cruel/Kind

Sep 22, 2011

Sebadoh @ Metro Theatre


Sebadoh. The very word conjures up images of 90s rock greatness. Guitars crunching and melodies soaring. Introspection and passion in one deadly mix. They sailed under the radar, but those in the know remembered just how great they were. So after a long hiatus they have returned. To the stages of the world. Wednesday night they landed back in Sydney at the Metro Theatre. They gave us close to two hours of rocking swagger and aggression. Aggression laced with melancholic melody.

Unfortunately the night fell just short of greatness because of, to my ears, a poor sound mix. At first the guitars seemed just crunchy, but as the night wore on it became apparent that the lead guitar was way too loud and the vocals a little buried. Maybe this was a deliberate mix by the band, but I would have preferred a little more clarity and crispness to let the songs shine. For these songs are truly great and to that point I was able to enjoy the night. Especially the Barlow numbers. When Jason Loewenstein took the mic it became a little too much of a screamathon. Especially when played back to back. Having said that I did enjoy songs like "Careful" and the encore number "Not Too Amused". But Lou shined, despite the sound, on so many great tunes. "On Fire" was deliberate and well paced. "Skull" was pure melodic greatness, whilst tunes like "Rebound" and "Magnet's Coil" rollicked along with great alacrity. "Soul And Fire" was also welcomed with open arms, as was the stunning "Not A Friend", one of my all time favourite Sebadoh numbers. As you can see "Bakesale" was given a heavy portion of the night, with many "Harmacy" songs also joining the party. We also gratefully heard some older songs, including a few from the classic album "Bubble And Scrape". The main set closed with the sublime "Brand New Love", a song of immense heart and beauty. So, all in all, it was a great night to trip down memory lane. I certainly enjoyed hearing these amazing songs brought to life once again. I just wish the aural experience had been a better one.

Set List
On Fire
Too Pure
Skull
Ocean
Rebound
Magnet's Coil
Shit Soup
Mind Reader
Got It
Love To Fight
Drag Down
Dreams
The Freed Pig
License To Confuse
Sister
Drama Mine
Crystal Gypsy
Careful
Bird In The Hand
Soul And Fire
Two Years Two Days
Beauty Of The Ride
Not A Friend
Forced Love
Together Or Alone
Sixteen
New Worship
Brand New Love

Not Too Amused
Willing To Wait

Sep 21, 2011

Honey Bunny-Girls



I just can't get this song out of my head!

Sep 17, 2011

Quail and Dumplings-Bonnie 'Prince' Billy



Recently I posted about the upcoming new album from the incomparable Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. Now we have a video of a cut from the album. Naturally, it's majestic.

Sep 15, 2011

Pree


A couple of years ago Pree released an EP of stunning beauty. "A Chopping Block" was 5 tracks of bliss. Now, in 2011, we see the upcoming release of their debut full length album. "Folly" will be released on October 18 on Paper Garden Records. Pree was originally the solo project of May Tabol (Le Loup), but the band has since fleshed out to 4 members. Please have a listen to a track from their upcoming album.


  Pree - Lemon Tree by Paper Garden Records

Sep 13, 2011

New Blackout Beach


Blackout Beach will return in November with a new album. November 15 to be precise. On Dead Oceans. The album is called "Fuck Death".
Carey Mercer explains.

"Fuck Death is a record named after a Leon Golub painting, an American painter I admire very much. The record is an attempt to make something about Beauty and War. I have very little experience with these concepts. This is not a political record, though I suspect those will be coming soon enough. It took three years to make, which, I admit, is a long time to make a record."

Mercer recorded the entire album by himself.
Here is a song from the album.

MP3: Beautiful Burning Desire

Sep 10, 2011

Be Comfortable, Creature-Explosions In The Sky


Be Comfortable, Creature from Explosions in the Sky on Vimeo.

Explosions in the Sky! Enough said.

Sep 7, 2011

New Album Coming From Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

He is Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and he is a genius. October 4 will see him release a new album on Drag City. "Wolfroy Goes To Town" will contain 10 tracks of pure bliss. Can't wait!

Wolfroy Goes To Town Track Listing
1 No Match
2 New Whaling
3 Time To Be Clear
4 New Tibet
5 Black Captain
6 Cows
7 There Will Be Spring
8 Quail And Dumplings
9 We Are Unhappy
10 Night Noises

Sep 3, 2011

New Video From Charge Group

CHARGE GROUP 'Run' (Official music video) from Microphone & Loudspeaker on Vimeo.



Please enjoy the brand new video from the great Charge Group. It's called 'Run' and is the first single to be lifted from their upcoming second album, a self titled effort that will be released in the early parts of 2012. The video stars and was directed by Brendan Cowell. It also features dancing by the Suara Indonesian dance group!

Sep 1, 2011

Explosions In The Sky Return To Australia

That sentence of itself is enough to bring luminescent contentment to this writer. The Austin, Texas quartet are making their long awaited return to these shores, via their appearance at the Meredith Music Festival. Now, we have sideshows and dates to make us SO happy.

Explosions In The Sky Tour Dates
December 8-Forum Theatre, Melbourne
December 11-The Metro, Sydney
December 13, The Hi Fi, Brisbane