The Streets Of My Town

Bright Eyes and Tim Kasher

2011-02-17T07:38:00.000-08:00

It wasn’t your typical rainy and cold London evening tonight in Kings Cross. As desperate flower salesmen tried to push their remaining roses on the walk to Scarla, the combination of a jet setting support act, headliner birthday celebration, new album premiere and ever-expensive Valentines Day eve promised an eternally interesting evening.

There is something to be said for a top notch support act. Sick of the days of seeing any whaling sap with a broken heart and a guitar as a warm up, you can imagine my excitement when the cult hero that is Tim Kasher hit the stage.

Stepping off the plane onto the vibrantly coloured Scarla stage Kasher, complete with underwear full of weed, tried his best to silence the already huge crowd. With a sizeable segment of the crowd reciting every word of songs off his new record “______” and tracks from his more notable works with Cursive, standing stark and alone he warmed the room with his harmless life stories.

It was painfully obvious however that although interesting in his own right, Kasher’s flowing and tuneful narratives seemed only a lighter sandbox version of what is to come. With the entrance of the Kashers band, everything became louder and easier to jig to but lost the intimacy which made the start of the gig so special.

The long wait between acts saw one girl faint and a few others resort to Facebook but with the mutterings of a large sounding black man over the PA, those sneaky punters who already had the new album knew it was time for Bright Eyes to stumbling onto stage.

With an exceedingly excitable response to new material, Conor forwarded through a handful of tracks off the day old release “The Peoples Key”. It wasn’t long however before the requests began (sigh) as the crowd seemingly recited every song off the 2006 opus “I’m wide awake its morning” and the 2009 popularity builder “cassadega”.

A beefed up version of the crowd pleaser Four Winds provided an early highlight for the night and didn’t suffer as badly as “We Are Nowhere and It's Now” from the stupid loud girl sing-a-long plague on any softer number. Why don’t girls get it.... I didn’t pay to hear your attempt and Sony invented sing star for this exact purpose so stay the fuck at home.

With some impressive twirls and flirts with the crowd Conor and his typically awkward crowd banter kept our attention much in the same way the 30 minutes leading up to the encore where new tracks were played back to back did not.

The inclusion and impending cracking version of Road to Joy answered many ticket holders’ prayers as a sweet rendition of ‘happy birthday’ to Conor prompted his return for a massive encore. Returning with Valentines roses for the girls in the first few rows (swoon) the 25 year-old won a few more hearts before closing on some much needed older material and a lively tribute to the turmoil in Egypt.

The incredibly tricky task of promoting a new album whilst a very vocal crowd shouts requests for the classics like Digital Ash and Wide Awake its Morning placed somewhat of a dampener on tonight.

Whilst new material sounded great it was not what people came to see tonight, making that perfect Bright Eyes set list unobtainable for most. Conor revealed that he will tour with Bright Eyes in summer in the U.K and hopefully by then people have fallen for “The Peoples Key” to stem the constant cries for Lua.

Im in freaking London!

2011-02-17T07:35:00.001-08:00

Yes it finally happened.... the lure of fish and chips, shite weather and bad teeth finally became too much and I moved to the UK. Living in SHepherds Bush now I have already booked up 20+ gigs so hopefully I'll keep you all entertained still. I am juggling writing now with work as a marketing assistant with Universal (fucking) Music now which is awesome so they may take a little longer to come about.

Enjoy

Stars- The Five Ghosts

2010-07-14T00:26:00.000-07:00

For decades, the likes of Bryan Adams and Alanis Morissette waved their maple leaf flags proudly as some of the only recognisable exports from the Canadian music scene. Sometime in 2008 however, with a slight change of wind direction and the sudden appearance of an abundance of heavily bearded men, something drastically changed.

Almost overnight a Canadian alternative revolution saw the likes Broken Social Scene, The New Pornographers and Stars becoming some of the most recognisable names in alternative music.

The mainstream success of Toronto popsters Stars, with hits off their 2007 opus In Our Bedroom After the War, has left fans gasping for more of their trademark story driven pop/rock. The anticipation for a now 5th full length release from the somewhat super-group of Canadian musicians has come to a head with 'The Five Ghosts', an obvious departure from previous works.

When critics use the term ‘departure’ it usually dictates that a musician has tried something new, and it has worked. Sadly in the case of 'The Five Ghosts' this is not really the case.

What seemed to underpin the group’s previous triumphs was their pop simplicity. The kind of basic, catchy riffs and hooks that grew and grew into euphoric endings have gone missing, replaced with electro fuzz and some profoundly lost vocals.

From the earliest seconds it’s painfully evident that Stars have attempted to try their hand at incorporating jarring synthesizer beneath the tracks, and the trend remains. In a similar paradox to what saw the latest Editors record fall flat, not to mention Neil Young’s ‘Landing on Water’, the over-exuberant use of synth detracts from some profoundly sound instrumentation. This over-excitement in its use bodes more like a toddler’s reaction when realizing crayons are editable rather then a step forward for Stars.

Beneath this synth nonsense, opener ‘Dead Hearts’ aptly delivers those warm and fuzzy harmonies between lead vocalists Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan which remain as cute and perfectly fitting as on previous works.

Unfortunately Stars strongest trump, with one of the finest duets since Sonny and Cher, seems to dissipate as the record progresses.

With Millan’s harmless vocals featuring a lot heavier across ‘The Five Ghosts’ in vein of some trademark duet dueling, lead single ‘Fixed’ highlights the sure talent but lack of intrigue a solo vocalist brings to already cloudy material.

On an album with so much incongruity, Millan’s voice coupled with a trademark slow-building combo of strings and noise does once combine successfully to provide sure highlight ‘Changes’.

The single track on the album that is completely devoid of silly add-ons and returns to some simple catchy pop, enhanced by a building narrative, restores some hope for further releases but is not the ‘Take me to the Riot’ that will get this album recognised.

There were three ways Stars could have gone after the immensely popular predecessor to 'The Five Ghosts'. Option A was to do something very similar, ‘In Our Bedroom after World World War II’ perhaps?

Option B was to strip it back, highlight the group’s strong points by leaving a guitar and two glorious singers with a shown talent for writing catchy and lasting pop tunes. The final option was what you hear on ‘The Five Ghosts’ and unless the new direction hits home with a new set of fans, next time Stars shouldn’t pick C.

The Tallest Man on Earth- The Wild Hunt (2010)

2010-04-14T04:10:00.000-07:00

If one was to explore an intrigue with thriving alternative folk/pop scenes across the globe, they wouldn’t start with Sweden. Yes Sweden, that little ambiguous Scandinavian nation who seems to breed nothing more then angry metal bands.

Oh how surprised you would be when taking a stroll down the syndromic streets of Stockholm and overhearing the faint wail of a classy folk act. The secretly Swedish artists like Jens Lekman, Lykke Li and Taken by Trees form the impressive repertoire of alternative success stories coming from the northern point of Europe, and a new artist is pushing to join the ranks.

The indescribably gifted folksinger Kristian Matsson, also known as The Tallest Man on Earth has put a reputable hand up for the title of the next big deal too descend down from the heights of the Scandinavian alternative folk scene.

The soloist released his highly regarded debut ‘A Shallow Grave’ in 2008 and has followed it up with a ten track, gem of an LP which is sure to engage the interests of young and old folk fans alike.

Instantly when you listen to the work of the Tallest Man on Earth a notable comparative taboo comes to mind for any music reviewer, the dreaded adjective of “Dylanesque”.

To not indulge in this crippling adjective curse felt so heavily by the likes of Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes would seem shallow so here goes.

Gee whiz the Tallest Man on Earth reminds me of the early works of Bob Dylan.

This album embodies aspects to which are remarkably reminiscent of the older, rambling yet poetic lyric of Dylan, while still remaining comfortably simple.

Epitomized early on the album with ‘Burden of Tomorrow’, the sheer brilliance of the intricate yet flowing lyric is highlighted.

By Track 2 however some would have already made up their mind about this artist with a voice that can only be described as hit and miss.

It’s like how some people love Vegemite and others can’t stand the sight of it, his voice is an acquired taste.

It is very reminiscent of a certain predecessor with a problematic voice that seems to add to the entire experience.

Coupled with some impressively intricate guitar it makes for a good package.

The sheer variety and creativity in the sometimes invented and usually unusual chord progressions across the album highlight an aspect to which holds The Tallest Man on Earth in good stead for wannabe cover artists keen for a challenge.

As the album progresses towards the track ‘Thousand Ways’ the tone shifts towards a finger-picking, country artist’s wet dream.

With this shift, some gorgeous hooks and the usual poetic lyric demonstrate a thorough understanding of song selection and pacing to which has possibly been lacking in his previous attempts.

In what might end up being the surprise success on the album, the final track ‘Kids On The Run’ demonstrates a possible future direction for the Tallest Man on Earth after the impending buzz over the Wild Hunt subsides.

The epic piano ballad which rounds out the album managed to evoke a little goose bump action as a heart is poured out all over the place on the only non-guitar track on the album.

If not right away, ‘The Wild Hunt’ could be one of those few albums that people discover in a popular artists back catalog and fall in love with years after the fact.

The Wild Hunt is a huge step forward for the Tallest Man on Earth and fans and foes alike will surely enjoy the struggle to decide whether this is a 2010 classic or a shameless attempt at covering a god.

The Boat People are doing things.....

2010-04-02T23:39:00.000-07:00

To utilize a simply horrible pun; Brisbane’s indie pop experts The Boat People have set sail in early 2010 to showcase the thoroughly enjoyable new single ‘Soporific’.

Be it the propensity to tongue-tie listeners or a possible aversion to simplicity after the 2005 release 'yesyesyesyesyes', the Boaties new single offers up a not only a different approach to song titling but also some new sounds.

The definition of ‘Soporific’ is the causing of sleep, which seems far from a way to describe the punchy new single. The track sees the band shift away from previous efforts introducing some crazy hip synth and a powerhouse driving beat.

Baring some similarity to the earlier works of the Strokes and Phoenix, the more defined structure of the single showcases some impressive guitar work and the recognisible lyric to which the Boat People have become so accustomed too.

Whilst pushing for a broader and more professional sound, the single still maintains that typically Aussie indie pop feel which bands like The Panics and Augie March have made so successful.

It’s obvious that this three track effort has been well toiled over and showcases a sound which fits snugly into the ever growing obsession with this genre in Australia, and bodes well for their upcoming release in April.

Kid Sam @ The Troubadour

2010-04-02T23:34:00.000-07:00

The intimate love affair between local up-and-comers and that decaying Persian rug beneath the feet of acts at the Troubadour became a little more complicated after tonight’s sold out performance.

Local songstress McKisko graced the Troubadour stage yet again bringing with her the gorgeous ballads and pop elegance that she is beginning to become known for. With a voice which is nothing short of stunning and a mostly harmless catalogue of songs, the siren desperately needs that special song which gets the crowd off the floor and generates the recognition she surely deserves.

In what seemed a stark juxtaposition to the earlier proceedings, Sydney campaigners Deep Sea Arcade got the crowd on their feet and forced some swift fringe re-adjustment as the hotbox of a venue came alive. With the hand-written sold out sign being plastered across the entrance, the keen fans were treated to a tight and somewhat ethereal performance by the Triple J Unearthed contenders who shallowly compare to a walrus era Beatles.

With a sip of water and a bit of a swagger, the low key entrance of Kieran Ryan, front man of Kid Sam, signified the start of the set. A solo acoustic number greeted the hushed crowd before his cousin Kishore joined him on percussion.

The constant game of instrumental musical chairs being played out over the night showcased the powerful vocals of Kieran whilst he switched between electric and acoustic numbers.

The sheer difference in structure and sound in each and every song pointed however to a slight confusion of what sound the band is really going for. Being held together by some outstandingly slick percussion the songs shift from folk to rock and everywhere in between, all of which performed in a professional manner.

Crowd favourite ‘Down at the Cemetery’ was tight however it wasn’t until the injection of a second guitarist when the night became more structured and generally more enjoyable.

Descending into a formidable chaos as they finish on a Modern Lovers tune, the quiet front man left the stage uttering only a few words to the crowd all night. In just under an hour, however, the talent this sold out crowd was looking for was clearly evident and seeing Kid Sam lighting up a much bigger stage one day looks pretty likely.

The Lost weekend will always remain....lost

2010-03-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

As you have all probably heard.... the 2010 Lost Weekend Festival to be held at the Brisbane Riverstage this weekend has been canceled. By the looks the bogan hick public of Brisbane didn't support what was sure to be a highlight of the event calender in 2010 as they were too busy abusing their wives whilst listening to back in black. But for those faithful few, here is some consolation, some of the bands are doing sideshows and they are all listed below;

Friday 6 March

Deerhoof, Wooden Shjips, Tenniscoats, Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard – The Hi-Fi, 8pm, $40 + bf from here

Saturday 6 March

Busdriver, Hawnay Troof and Wagons – Rosie’s, 9pm, $10 on the door

Nashville Pussy, Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side, The Medicine Show and Sue Ray – The Zoo, 8pm, $16.50 + bf from here.

Tim Hecker, Curse Ov Dialect - Institute of Modern Art, 7pm, free entry (but spaces are limited!)

Gyroscope - X&Y Bar, 6pm, $25 + bf from here

Sunday 7 March

Lou Barlow, Monotonix, New Pants, Hawnay Troof, Busdriver, DZ, Oh Ye Denver Birds, Mt Augustus, Axxon, Tape/Off, Comic Sans and Little Scout, Rosie’s, 5pm, $35 from OzTix (available soon!)

Tumbleweed, Giants Of Science, Ox – The Zoo, 8pm, $20 + bf from here

Tuesday 9 March

Dinosaur Jr, Kitchens Floor – The Zoo, 8pm, $45 + bf from here

NOTE: The Dirty Projectors and The Thermals (who I was most excited about) have not yet announced and show and this looks very unlikely... so I need to go and book some flights to Melbourne.

Polyphonic Spree @ The Powerhouse 19/02/10

2010-02-25T17:46:00.000-08:00

With brightly coloured feather headdresses, masquerade masks and an abundance of smiles waiting for every punter at the door to the Powerhouse, this was always going to be a special night. The New Orleans Carnivale themed evening was sponsored by Southern Comfort who poured on free costumes, cheap beverages and a silly amount of balloons in bringing the mass collective of musicians to Brisbane.

The New Orleans Bingo Show kicked off the event with some somewhat terrifying experimental cabaret mixed in with elements of jazz and soul as a complicated theatrical performance played out on stage. After the initial shock of it all the crowd quickly warmed to the comedic skits, dancing hookers, dramatic costumes and some interactive bingo! What was surely the most unique performance to grace the stage of the powerhouse in a long while also acted as a great support with the crowd beaming as they awaited the entrance of the Polyphonic Spree.

It really is a stunning visual when a twenty piece band featuring a complete horn and strings section, four guitarists, two drummers, a small choir and scores of other instrumentalists hit the stage. It is especially impressive when this immensely talented bunch is completely overshadowed by one weedy Texan who looks and sounds like a partitioner. This is indeed the case with Tim DeLaughter, the front man with The Polyphonic Spree.

Sparing not a second, the band launched straight into crowd favourites ‘Hold me now’ and ‘Light and Day’ which got the crowd leaping around and hugging each other after the first ten minutes. Following up with an overwhelmingly excitable version of the Bond theme to ‘Live and Let Die’, even McCartney and Wings would have been all smiles as the first of the hundreds of launches of confetti fired into the air. With all eyes fixed on the glowing front man the band exploded through epics off their newest release ‘The Fragile Army’ encouraging some goose bump inducing crowd sing-a-longs and a little bit of freeze theatre of their own.

Impressive as their own material is, tonight didn’t seem to be about the Polyphonic Spree’s music with the majority of the set consisting of stirring renditions of band favourites. A Tommy medley finishing with ‘Pinball Wizard’ put The Who to shame as was the case with the Rolling Stones classic ‘She’s a Rainbow’ and Thunderclap Newman’s ‘Something in the Air.’ The versatility of the band was exemplified with sure crowd favourite and first encore ‘Lithium’ which saw the hundreds of balloons carefully strapped to the roof tumble down as the crowd moshed around to the Nirvana classic.

Be as skeptical as you like, but even the most hardened punter couldn’t ignore the growing ora of happiness the band creates onstage. Returning through the crowd for a few more encores in the bands trademark white robes, the sheer joy on the faces of the collective only added to the euphoric feeling around the tiny Powerhouse room. Praising the crowd whilst attempting to understand how to gain residency in Australia, DeLaughter closed the set with Neil Diamonds ‘Sweet Caroline’. With punters leaving with beaming smiles and the merchandise table suitably pillaged, The Polyphonic Spree left their mark on another lucky Brisbane audience.

Laneway Festival 2010- Mumford + Sons.... Florence + the Machine ...etc etc

2010-01-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

Stepping off the train at Fortitude Valley with a bunch of indie kids, silly youngens and general oldies the start of St Jeromes Laneway Festival was just a tad upsetting. Arriving at the gate which is yet again in the much less charming RNA showgrounds then its old location by the Zoo, it felt like a wet fish to the face when I heard that headliner, Echo and the Bunnymen, had cancelled. A whole heap of upset old people were trying for refunds as a storm rolled through the valley. Wet and a little terrified (which is how I like my punters) some youth jogged swiftly towards the stages for the start of the day.

U.S product Hockey kicked off on Stage 10 which had by far the most charm of all the stages on the day. Hockey brought an exciting punch of sound to hopefully lighten the day after the earlier disappointments..... Apart from the guys accent this is surely a band to watch.

Wild Beasts are hopefully waterproof as the heaviest rain and thunder bolt and lightening very very frightening hit the outdoor stage. A small crowd huddled under tree's to see the much hyped English product who didn't disappoint. It took only 2 songs for most of the crowd to move their indie swaying into the amassing puddles as the band rolled through a good set. Full of the catchy pop hooks and almost comedic vocal stylings the band brought some welcome energy to the earlier proceedings. .

Now to call a band a whore could be seen as a little harsh... however The Middle East seem to play every festival going this summer...but much like a good hooker they do it oh so well. A crowd who were mostly getting ready for the following act seemed to be drawn in to the beautiful melodies and bon iver esk vocals. Formative hit "Blood", which has got some impressive airplay in independent circles overseas, went off the hizzie yet again and new material shows much promise for a good year in 2010 for the local act.

The organizers of Laneway has this knack about them.... be it gypsy voodoo or good scouting but they can pick acts far in advance that will be huge when the festival comes around. They did it with Feist... they did it with Manchester Orchestra, and in 2010 they have done it again with Mumford and Sons. The biggest crowd of the day gathers on the main stage to see the impressively successful and apparently lorded Mumford and Sons. In what seems a cute touch the relatively unknown band in their home country set up their own gear the whole time receiving the loudest squeals of 'oh my god! oh my god!' this festival goer has ever heard. Upon a expectantly noisy entrance the band looked completely shocked, in their first ever show in Australia, as the crowd response was the best I have ever seen. The worrying amount of young girls going bonkers to lead singer Marcus Mumford could have been a dampener on the show however the huge chorus of a crowd only added another element to the already impressive show the band put on. Rolling through hits with style and grace the band left everyone happy and the showcasing of new material which sounded a little more rockabilly and less lovey dovey left fans wanting more. As is testament to the appeal of the band, set highlight "Little Lion Man" was oddly performed about three songs in and the mesmerized crowd hung around to see the rest of the set, still screaming lyrics until the very end.

It is not often that I am so totally conflicted with a timetable clash that I can't focus on what I'm watching. The lure of demented legend Daniel Johnston became too much as I quickly escaped the Mumford mosh and ran to see the end of his set. The mood quickly shifted from screaming glorification to quiet admiration as the small and unique crowd stood still in the misty rain with rye smiles filling their faces. Reading from his infamous songbook, Daniel recited songs from his illustrious catalog of simple, poetic and sometimes terrifying collection of folk ballads before being joined on stage by the full band. In what seemed a maniacal touch Daniel spouted morbid jokes at the crowd as he clearly struggled through his set, making it all the more special. There is nothing quite like watching a mind slowly break with every passionate, off tune, shriek Daniel hits and overall it is a harrowing ordeal. It is however reedeming to witness the real beauty and genius of the man who left us so long ago, and will be a gig that no-one in that small crowd will ever forget.

Sarah Blasko is beautiful... she is one of Australia's finest products and manages to provide her unique blend of ballad pop of high class with every performance. It is always a little upsetting when such a talented muso draws such a small crowd however the red bulls being consumed at the bar after Mumford and Sons allowed for the true fans to get a intimate performance out of her. Drifting away from older material (which makes me sad) she delivered all the new hits that did oh so very well in the Hottest 100 and left all her faithful fans happy now leaving on a 8 month adventure to the UK. Good luck Sarah.

The cancellation of British store-horse Echo ad the Bunnymen could have left a massive gap in the Laneway lineup to which it wouldn't recover but to fill this void prolific Melbourne instrumentalists the Dirty Three stepped in. Another silly timetable mistake put the highly successful trio; who mix folk melody with rock energy and stir in elements of classical, jazz and blues; before the current queen of indie pop Florence + the machine. Lead man Warren Ellis showed some impressive dance moves as they rocked through their 15 minute epics like "Life is fucked" and "Hope" however the majority of the crowd wern't moved. The Dirty Three hold the impressive accolade as the loudest gig I have ever seen. The crashing drums and shreiking violins forced many whiny, 18 year old Florence fans to spend the entire gig with fingers in ears... which brings me to my most important point of the day... FUCK YOU FINGER IN EAR FLORENCE FANS! have some respect! An amazing performance however let down by poor timetabling.

I have never seen such a girl orientated/lesbian/floral dress wearing nosebleed section n my time as was present for Florence + the Machine. The indie pop superstar has never toured Australia and made sure her fans here will be chasing her back again soon with one of the most visually pleasing and vocally impressive shows in Laneway history. 23 year-old Florence Welch glided on stage in her beautiful outfit as was hoped and proceeded to wow the crowd with hits off her highly successful 2009 release "Lungs". Hits Kiss with a fist, Cosmic Love and Drumming Song all sent the crowd bonkers however the trained pogo in Dog Days was a sure festival highlight. Florence displayed some vocal acrobatics to which place her in the highest regard of indie songstress's and some beautiful accompaniment on harp made the gig all the more special. Finishing with some trademark spinning dance moves, Rabbit Hearts left the crowd wanting more... and me wanting a piece of the sexiest legs in music...ever.

Overall the Laneway organizers are very very lucky. When a headliner cancels and a storm rolls in things can be fixed however some poor timetabling would have left sour tastes in many mouths if not for some stellar performances. Unfortunately by the looks Laneway will fall next year to another festival which gets bombarded with wanks who have nothing else to do on weekend and ruin it for us music lovers... but it has been a good ride.

Sunset Sounds 2010!

2010-01-29T19:36:00.000-08:00

With my fake wayfarers and novelty boosh badges attached, the trip to the Brisbane river stage for the Sunset Sounds Festival 2010 involved a feeling similar to that time you almost caught that butterfly at age 4...almost wetting yourself with excitement! Giggling excitedly I was a little dumbfounded at the mass cue of weedy white people with similar expressions already lining up before the music even began. With Brisbane's finest boutique independent music festival drawing over 10'000 people early, I got my British on and cued skillfully in the 30+ degre getting in just as the openers began.

Day 1

Townsville product The Middle East kicked off proceedings at the garden stage with their usual blend of folk/pop which seemed to go down well with the crowd. After already enjoying the likable bunch 4 times this summer it is a sure testament to the group that they can continue to draw such big crowds and deliver great performances time and time again. Hottest 100 success story "blood" encouraged a huge crowd sing-a-long and provided an early highlight for the entire festival.

Still unsure as to why the crowd are all here so early a swift jog over to the River stage allowed front row viewing for the British pranksters Datarock. The overly relaxed crowd suddenly found some rhythm with the opener "Sex me Up" as the band thrived performing in front of the huge crowd. Drummer Ade Meehan joked about a broken leg front a stage whilst delivering his thick and driving drum lines keeping the crowd moving throughout the provocative set. Some jazzy saxophone coupled with outrageous dance moves and a killer rendition of "fa-fa-fa" left both Datarock and the crowd wanting more...unfortunately being cut short by festival organizers.

Something a little strange happened to the crowd post Datarock..... a surge of pasty white, horribly dressed lads forwarded to the front of the stage. Be it not for the overwhelming majority of horrid haircuts and bad teeth I wouldn't have guessed that a British poster boy was about to hit the main stage. Jamie T did not disappoint, infarct his set was rated by many as the highlight of the entire festival. Getting the crowd bouncing with "368", Jamie and his 4 piece band kept up the intensity dropping some lyrical bombs during "Kings and Queens" and "Man's Machine". With English flags waving and ugly people making out all over the place his set drew to a close with the sluggishly dull rendition of "sheila" however judging by a punter behind me... the performance was good enough to wet yourself...seriously.

There is nothing like a good festival being ruined by assholes wearing fluro. Like seriously... why come to a festival just to be loud and drink too much? Abuse women and get on peoples shoulders...? WHY I ASK WHY?! Well the entire asshole population seemed to dwell over at the Art Vs Science set. If a grenade went off mid set in the middle of the mosh a good deed would have been done as the horribly wasted boys and girls jumped up and down to the childish electro beating out of the Garden Stage. If in a 6 song period only the words "use your flippers to get down" and some french mumbo jumbo gets uttered... I feel something is seriously lacking in a bands catalog... and this is the case for Art Vs Science.

After some stellar reviews on pitchfork for their live show Rodrigo y Gabriella won the tough choice over Moby to play out the rest of my fun jumunji style day at Sunset Sounds. With a storm rolling over the garden stage my game card stating 'don't be scared it is not thunder, staying put will be a blunder' was proven wrong as the crowd lit up at the sight of the Spanish guitar virtuosos. What was surely the most talented performance thus far in Sunset Sounds history saw the dueling guitars battle out some stunning tunes as the crowd turned from a wet mob until an uncontrollable rave. The metal underpinnings of the band seep through into their work covering Metallica's "Orien" and shredding an acoustic guitar in a way I'd never seen before. Gabriella's tapping, which made John Butler look like a rookie, was epitomized during hit of the 2009 release 11:11, "Busta Voodoo" and amped the crowd up for a few final numbers rto send them off.

In what was a kind of relaxed day with only a hand-full of acts performing the overall vibe of the festival only added to the excitement for the day 2 shenanigans to follow.

Day 2

In the faithful words of the Fresh Prince.... let's kick it! Day 2 of Sunset Sounds 2010 was where it was at... no silly electro pop, no half cocked indie wannabe's..... it was all class as the finest alternative products from around the world were on show.

Kicking off the day was Canadian wonder boy Patrick Watson. With recent success in a collaboration with talented instrumentalists Cinematic Orchestra, Watson drew a reasonable crowd for an opening time slot. In a word his music is.... harmless. Some beautiful harmonies backed up with impressive piano and some good band backing showcased some dam fine alternative ballads which had the crowd swaying. Adding to his performance was the fact Watson seemed genuinely happy to be performing and was loving the crowd banter and that of his band. Finishing on new material which broke right down to a reggae style jape-off even the security guard cracked a smile at the fun-loving, scooby-snack antics up on stage.

Making sure my cohort and I were front of house, the hopes of us all were sky high as we waited for mastermind Andrew Bird to take stage. Hearing all about his breath-taking performance at the Sydney Opera House earlier in the week it became quickly evident that this grassy patch in front of a tiny, poor quality stage was indeed not.... the Opera House. Taking nothing away from his magical performance, (please note; using the adjective 'magical' is something I would have never done before witnessing what Bird does...) the seemless blending on Violin, Xylophone and some envyable whistling skills got lost in bad sound quality and leveling. It really hurt watching a man I so much adore, a man with so much talent, but was held back by his venue and this was the case with Andrew Bird's performance at Sunset Sounds 2010.

Editors are just shite. They steal, rape and pillage Interpol songs and still manage to somehow get that formula wrong. Over at the River Stage I decided to sit back, relax and close my eyes and pretend Interpol were on the main stage. This was going swimmingly for me until they played some material off their new album. Similar to giving a 6-year-old a synthesizer for the first time, the band painfully showcased songs off the 2009 release "In this Light and on this Evening" only saved by a good performance of "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors" which did make me sway for a moment then snap back into reality.

God bless Lisa Mitchell. It's nice when a little known Australian Idol failure makes it good as every yelling girl at the festival flocked over to see her strut her stuff. For me, her Feist/Kate Miller Heidke/Sarah Blasko style act was nice enough but not world-beating however.... golly the girl does have talent. In what was probably the funniest crowd reaction I have seen in my time, during her hit "the $1 dollar song" the crowd began pelting coins at the stage hitting her and the ladies who cued for hours to be front row in a barrage of metally justice. After her pleading t stop the coins stop flying and the set got a little less interesting.

In what was surely the primary reason most indie types forked out the money for the festival, the wait for Brooklyn poster boys Grizzly Bear was unbearable... (ha) The surprisingly small crowd made up for it with sheer enthusiasm and excitement as the lads entered on stage to rapturous applause and white boy whaling. The intricate experimental pop/rock stylings of the band, which became so instantly addictive to many around the globe, could have easily been lost in distortion in a rabble on stage....but this was far from the case. An extremely tight performance with the Bear's pitch perfect harmonies and delicious guitar strokes entertained the goosebump laidened crowd. The choir boys sure did cement themselves as one of the most talented bunch's around with beautiful performances of "Two Weeks' early and "The Knife" surpassing all expectation. The set hit fever pitch with "While you wait for the others" as a poor man finally got to show off his Grizzly Bear outfit on my shoulders which he wore through the 30 + degree heat. Grizzly Bear left the crowd a little speechless and made the ticket price worth while for the handful of punters who stuck around the whole set.

I have never been so proud of my crowd maneuvering as was the case weaving towards the riverstage for headliners the Yeah Yeah Yeah's. Managing to get about 8 rows back, thick in the mosh, possibly impregnating a few people on the way, the excitment of a close up view of Indie goddess Karen O was unable to be retained. Shaking my moneymaker to a great pre-set rave of Rock Lobster and Vampire Weekend, by the time the YYY's hit the stage the crowd was pumped for an amazing night.... and that it was. There were really two ways you could experience this gig. One was to dance like crazy to the especially impressive new material off 2009 release "It's Blitz" as the incredibly enormous yet clean sound blared across the river stage. The second was to stop and admire the beauty of the spinning Karen O as she launched through her hit-laiden set. I did a little of both but the uncontrollable urge to jump around during "Heads will roll" and "Zero" seemed to win out. If there was to be a dampener on the performance apart from Karen O being clothed, a slightly slowed down and lackluster performance of favorite "Maps" left a little to be desired, but the 3 song encore left a smile on everyone's faces.

Sunset Sounds 2010 yet again proves that there is indeed a market for big alternative music festivals in Brisbane and with good management and some great performances, Sunset Sounds is pretty hard to beat for one of the best festivals in Australia.

Playing some catch-ups!

2010-01-26T23:49:00.001-08:00

Much like when you arrive to a party that little bit too late and are embarrassingly sober, here is where I quickly try and catchup what I have missed with this whole blogging situation.

I could go back to put up pics and describe the good, the bad and the downright terrifying gigs i've seen around Brisbane but I'll start with my most recent highlight and work backwards when I get the time.....

WHY? @ The Troubadour-13/12/09

It can only be described as rare when you climb the steps of the Troubadour and you are A. sober and B. forking out more then a pretty red $20 on the door... but tonight was always going to be a little bit different. The hot summers night and whopping $40 door fee didn't seem to repel punters with an odd assortment of hip-hop kids, indie-types, impressively old crooners and blatantly wasted fans gearing up for a night even the wasted ones will remember for a time to come.

Arriving a tad late to the sounds of local support To the North it became quickly evident that something wasn't sitting quite right with the Brisbane 4 piece. Some interesting guitar work reminiscent of the twangy catchy riffs of Bloc Party underpin the tunes which seem to get grubby and lost when the lead vocalist chimes in with his Mammal/Rage Against the Machine monotone vocals. Perhaps the band should return to their instrumental lineup showcasing the talent this band really does have.

With the heat becoming almost too much the sweet ballads of McKisto seem welcome to the now seated crowd. The two piece flow through their set on guitar and piano showcasing the undeniable talent of the local up-and-comer. Unfortunately, the crowd were in house to see a white-boy rapper rock out... not for anything beautiful or touching... so the chatter over her set left McKisto to be drowned out as the crowd became more and more eager for the headline act.

The are not many Hip-Hop acts i would ever pay money to see... Kanye beating down Taylor Swift would be one... maybe Jay-Z in a leotard but a weedy, Jewish, 31-year-old from Brooklyn would not usually be of interest. The hype of Why? from their 2 fans of Facebook and a jaw dropping performance at Meridith convinced me however that this would be a worthwhile venture and by golly it was! Bursting on stage in all his Weird Al look-a-like glory, Joni Wolf launches into the opener off their latest album 'Eskimo Snow' as 'These Hands' starts the crowd moving and strangely enough at the Troubadour.... bouncing.

There is nothing like the death-defying feeling of the whole floor shaking as a crowd goes bonkers in a very non-Dizzaee style in the Troubadour. Why? elicits this unavoidable reaction as they focus mainly on songs off the critically acclaimed 'Alopecia' record of 2008. Wolf's winding and poetic vocals prompt a struggling crowd to try and sing-a-long to Sad Assassins and crowd pleas er 'These Few Presidents' however all that can be matched is his silly dance moves as he twists from line to line. With an encore of the apparent hit 'The Hollows' it seemed additively obvious that Why? were throwing it all down tonight, even if the band won't get their promised fee, the small crowd left knowing they saw one of the best gigs of the year.

Video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr-N4AH_TIw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-yDAX6FZqQ

Photos from the gig- to come

I go by many names....

2010-01-20T06:55:00.001-08:00

So this is the part where I hit you with a wet sponge full of info that you don't care about including who I am and what makes me jolly music wise.... but for the sake of making this look good when you type "David Beaufoy" into google... here goes!

My name is David Beaufoy and I have a bachelors degree in Journalism and Communication from our very own University of Queensland. I like long walks on the beach and thrive in the collection of raindrops in an attempt to make a clone of Alex Mac and then figure out her earthly secrets.

Music wise i'm pretty open to anything but am a complete music snob. Influences of Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Go -Betweens, Nick Drake etc etc could be found if you cut me open and touch my jelly parts.... but to save a long list I will leave you with the best 5 gigs i've ever seen.... should give you all the info you young spinsters need.

1. Sufjan Stevens: The Tivoli. Jan 10th 2008
2. Why? : The Troubadour. about a month ago
3. The Who: BEC last year
4. Bright Eyes: Byron Blues and Roots Festival
5. Okkervil River: St Jeromes Laneway Festival a few years ago.

and there you have it.... please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicular mode of transport and enjoy the finest Brissy has to offer.

The Streets of my Town!

2010-01-20T02:50:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to the Streets of my town blog about everything musical in and around our great city of Brisbane!

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