It's a mix!

Ending To Begin - Mercy Arms
With all the hype and image surrounding this band, it’s sometimes hard to know what to think of them. But after hearing this song a few times and combining it with the brilliant ‘Half Right’, I’d say there’s more than enough reason to keep your eye on them, cool or not.

Cracked and Crazed - Doug Martsch
The story behind this song is quite remarkable. Filmmaker Devon Reed composed the soundtrack to his upcoming movie, Song From The Bigtop, and then went about recruiting prominent musicians to perform it. Not only should he be commended for his song-writing ability, but also his taste. The album, which rarely feels like a soundtrack, includes some very impressive tracks, performed by artists such as The Clientele and this man, the lead singer from Built To Spill.

Sadness And The City - The Smallgoods
The Smallgoods are Melbourne band that have really snuck up on me. This song in particular has grabbed my attention, thanks to the distinctive vocals and short, unorthodox structure, worthy of a comparison to Of Montreal. It also hints towards the harmonies which feature prominently in their music.

Zero Zero – Operative Please
Throughout Operator Please’s rise to fame, I’ve remained rather distance. I had differing opinions coming from every side, yet never bothered to listen to them for myself. Well now I have and I must admit it sounds pretty exciting. They’re not about to become my favourite band, but from the sound of their debut album, it’s clear that they’ve got some great energy and I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing them live. If anything, I’ll listen to them just to annoy the conservative AM radio hosts. When they won an Aria, I laughed as a 2GB host struggled to comprehend that yes, this is music and yes, people like it.

For Science Fiction – Maritime
Maritime re-entered my consciousness when I friend wrote a song remarkably similar to one of theirs. After hearing his demo, I scoured through my entire collection trying to find out where I’d heard it before. Turns out it was Maritime, a band that he (like so many others) hadn’t heard of. I bought their latest album recently and while it probably doesn’t beat their last, it’s pretty good. This song is excellent.

Chritsmas Chart Attack

I came across this on last.fm recently and it caught my interest. Basically they're trying to get a song into the number one spot on the Christmas charts using the collective might of indie music fans. If enough people buy it, it has the potential to rival some of the more traditional chart-toppers, ie Idol has-beens. The song in question is "Lips are Unhappy" by Lucky Soul. I've talked about the band before and considering they started their own label to release an album, becoming a DIY success story, they're quite an appropriate band to be championing.

It really isn't that relevant to me, considering it's all UK based, yet for some reason I felt compelled to get involved. I think the thought of challenging the mainstream charts, which are saturated by mass-marketed artists and fed to the unsuspecting public, is something that was just too good to resist. Besides, it is Christmas, a time when we're supposed to be give generously. What better cause than independent music? (don't answer that)

Then again, all this talk of charity is a bit inappropriate, considering it costs just 40p (less than AU$1). The track is one that comes on the album, but seeing as I never paid for it the first place, I've hardly got anything to complain about. And for those who do actually own the album, you're not completely paying for nothing as you also get an exclusive bonus track.

The best part is that it was so easy to do. Any eBayers out there with a Paypal account will be happy to know that you can have it all done in a few minutes. You don't actually get the tracks yet, as it's just a pre-order, but you get an email with a link to the tracks when they go live in late December. It will be interesting to see how this little experiment pans out. Will indie music triumph or will my 90 cents be spent in vain?

Mp3: The Towering Inferno

Click the picture above to find out more....

....Lucky Soul on Myspace

Radiohead - In Rainbows

It’s a bit late, but I’ve finally gotten around to featuring Radiohead’s latest ‘event’, i.e. the release of their 7th album, In Rainbows. I won’t go into the details of its release, because I’m sure you are more than familiar with it. Instead, I’ll just offer my opinion on two important aspects:

1) The Method
There’s no doubting that the release of this album was a spectacle, propelling the future of digital music into the spotlight. Full credit to whoever came up with the idea, I thought it was brilliant little experiment. It spread their music at phenomenal speed, slapped the big record labels in the face and best of all, made the band a fair bit of money in the process. However, despite all this, I doubt it will do much to revolutionise the way we buy music. The ‘pay what you want’ system simply isn’t practical on a larger scale. Perhaps some more big bands may give it a shot, but that’s about as far as I see it going.

The execution of it all was surprisingly well-managed. When you consider how many people would have been accessing the site at once, it’s impressive how quick and smooth the process of downloading it was. And just in case you’re wondering, I actually didn’t pay anything for it. But before you go get your pitchforks, I would like to point out that I had every intention of giving a little donation, all the way up to the point that it asked for my credit card details. But it seems I wasn’t alone in this regard with only 38% of downloaders actually paying anything for it. That's not the only factor to suggest this experiment wasn't all rosy. I also think the band abused the trust of some of their best fans. At no stage did they mention that the CD would be released separately, so many fans thought the mp3s would be all they'd get. As such, they paid a decent amount for it. If they now want the higher quality CD, they’ll have to pay again. I think an upgrade scheme would have been nice, where those who paid a certain amount were sent a free CD. Still, whatever the outcome was, I doubt I'll be forgetting about this little episode anytime soon.

2) The Sound
I suppose I should preface this by saying I don’t consider myself a Radiohead fan. Sure, I love OK Computer, but I’ve never given the other albums enough time to sink in. I have the same problem with Pavement, where I latch on to one great album (Crooked Crooked Rain) and ignore the rest. Trust me, it’s not something I’m proud of. But even with my underdeveloped viewpoint, it’s pretty clear that In Rainbows is pretty special. The power of Thom’s voice is simply incredible and from start to finish the album boldly strides into some pretty brave musical territory (and pulls it off). While I’d still say I prefer OK Computer, there’s no real need to compare them. They’re separate entities that can be enjoyed independently. It’s all the more reason to look further into this great band.

(You really shouldn't need these mp3s, but here they are anyway)

Bodysnatchers – This is the obvious ‘go-to’ track. By far the most accessible, I'd say many would agree in saying it was the first to really be liked. If you’re at a party and want a track from the new Radiohead album, it’s pretty hard to go past this.

Nude – It’s a hard to say anything about this track other than ‘wow’. As far as vocals go, it’s up there with best I’ve ever heard. The emotion is so powerful and I don’t even know what he’s saying.

Released: 31/12/07 | Website | Last.fm

Dr Dog - Easy Beat

As you may or may not know (or care), I’m not a very big fan of remixes. More often than not, they just kill the vibe of the original. But that’s a rant for another day. I have, however, discovered a nice little use for these annoying remixes: they point to good music. Any song that’s being remixed must have had something going for it in the first place (you’d hope). So when I heard that Beck had remixed Dr Dog, it got me interested, not in the remix, but in the band. I owe a lot to that remix because I now know Dr Dog. Easy Beats is such an impressive album because within its meagre 9 nine tracks, it actually contains a heap of variety. Throughout it has a fairly happy, upbeat feel to it, brought on by some ecstatic vocals and jumpy song structures. The band seem unafraid to venture off into some rather bizarre musical territory, however this is always rooted in a distinctly beatlesque sound (more than the norm). All in all it’s quite an engaging listen. Easy Beats was actually released in 2004 and I’m still yet to check out their 2007 effort, ‘We All Belong’. If Dr Dog are your thing, they’re actually coming to Australia soon. I seem to remember it costing something like $40 which kind of killed the appeal for me. If their new album impresses me as much as this one did, I may yet reconsider.

Say Something – I think this song sums up their sound pretty nicely. It’s a little rough on the edges, but underneath this is a rather smooth and powerful melody.

The World May Never Know – Originally I was going to pick another light-hearted track, but I thought it would be better to pick something a little more offbeat. Something that highlighted their vocals. Something like this. Just listen to that Beatles bass line at the beginning. Oh yeah.

Released: 15/03/04 | Website | Myspace

More music!

I’ve found that as I’m continually trying to present new music, it doesn’t always reflect what I’m actually listening to. Though of course there’s plenty of overlap, my music tends to get divided into two categories; firstly is all the new albums that I’m sifting through and secondly is the music that I listen to when around others (in the car, at parties or venues etc.). This post aims to restore the balance between those two equally import musical avenues.

Frequency Shift


To everyone who attended the Frequency Shift gigs on Friday and Saturday, THANKS! I almost feel guilty at how much fun I had, so I hope you enjoyed it too. Both nights were a big success in terms of attendance and of course, the bands all performed brilliantly. Apart from getting to see all my favourites again, it was also great to see some artists for the very first time….

Something Happens – Straight Arrows
I’d heard plenty about Straight Arrows so I’m glad I finally got to see them. Their show pretty much consists of two leads yelling incomprehensibly into their microphones, strumming their guitars real fast, giving each other a push and then repeating. I loved it. Every song went for under 2 minutes, was powerfully energetic and impossible not like. It was an action-packed experience. I can’t wait for more!

Galileo – Jordy Lane
Jordy Lane is a solo artist or ‘producer’ out of Sydney who’s been making some great music lately. His on-stage setup consists of a guitar, keyboard and vocals, along with a Mac that makes up for the limits of singularity. He handles it quite well and I was surprised at how well his ‘electronically tinged’ pop music translated into a live show. By far his biggest asset is his voice which is quite special and can easily drive a song on its own. Not wanting to pigeon-hole him or anything, but it kind of reminds me of the Death Cab For Cuite singer. All in all I was very impressed.


The Hits
You know when you walk into your standard night club and they’re playing those songs that EVERYBODY knows? The songs that aren’t necessarily the best ever written, but are just so much fun to dance to? Collectively, these songs are ‘The Hits’. The Hits show that when all is said and done, music is about having a good time. Forget trying to look cool, get on the dance floor and start screaming the lyrics to a 1980’s classic. That’s when you’ll discover the TRUE beauty of music.

Last Nite – The Strokes
Over the last few weeks I’ve been getting more than my fair share of The Hits. In fact I think I’ve got more than body can handle, but that’s beside the point. As I’ve brushed up on my knowledge, I’ve begun to wonder what the ultimate Hit might be. It’s quite a hard choice because a Hits session is rather diverse. How can you compare the pure violence of ‘Killing In The Name’ with the fanatical recitals brought on by Arcade Fire? (You can’t) But if there is an ultimate Hit, I’d have to say Last Nite would be pretty close. Not only is it incredibly addictive and incredibly well-known, but it’s ACTUALLY A GOOD SONG!

Making Plans For Nigel – XTC
While I haven’t always been the biggest fan, Spectrum is proving itself as one Sydney’s best venues for a healthy dose of The Hits. If you’re looking to annoy the promoter, who just so happens to be called Nigel, this is one Hit he’s not particularly fond of. Whilst it began as a joke at his expense, this song has quickly gathered popularity amongst my own circle of friends and now barely a car trip or party takes place without it. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing, but it’s well and truly stuck in my head.


MelbourneI recently took trip a down to Melbourne which was great fun, despite (or perhaps due to) sleeping just 5 hours per day. Ah well, such is the rock n roll life….

Cassandra – The Galvatrons
Seeing The Galvatrons is up there with the most hilarious moments of my life. They took everything good about Journey and Van Halen and delivered the best recreation of a dirty 80’s rock show I have ever witnessed. Just listen to that drum fill! Did I mention he had an axe! I couldn’t believe what I was experiencing. I loved it! And even though a lot of the entertainment came from the novelty of it all, they really did rock. I can’t wait till they come to Sydney. Hahahaha

Sidewalk – Built To Spill
Distant holidays mean long car trips which mean extensive playlisting. One thing that emerged as we explored the depths of our music collections was the sheer brilliance of ‘the big four’. That is, the first four tracks off Built To Spill’s “Keep It Like A Secret”. Together these four tracks make up one of the best 15 minute periods in all of music. I’ve now featured 3 of them, with no doubt that the fourth is on its way.

On Goings On

It's quite an exciting time for me because tomorrow sees Frequency Shift kicking off with a great big bang. It was put together by some friends and I and consists of our favourite Sydney bands playing over two nights at The Hopetoun Hotel. What more could you ask for? The amount of fun that will be had borders on downright ridiculous. I can't wait. It's quite a big weekend across Sydney, but I can tell you with 100% bias that this will be the best. I've raved extensively about most of these bands and for the others, you can fill in the blanks ("blew me away", "completely entranced by their fantastic melodies" etc.) Check the myspace page for details. See you there!

In other news from across the local blogosphere, Sean from A Reminder has released his annual 'Best Australian Artists' list, compiling the opinions of various bloggers and radio heavies. It 's quite an interesting read. Unfortunately I didn't contribute because a) I'm lazy b) I was busy c) I listen to way too much American music and d) I can never remember whether an artist came this year or last. I'm just disappointed that I didn't get to give the likes of Cloud Control, The Seabellies and John Columbus the boost they deserved (I wonder if it would have made a difference....). Ah well. Also, in case you lost hope, Get Big, Little Kid has come back from the dead. Hooray!

Be Right Back

I’m absolutely bursting with new music and yet it doesn’t look like I’ll get a chance to speak about it. Sadly, university exams beckon and my inefficient ways are coming back to bite me. I would love to add to the pile of Radiohead opinions, waffle on about my latest discoveries like Dr Dog and The Forms, report on Jack Ladder’s amazing new offerings, relive The Mint Chicks’ hilarious acrobatics at The Lair, digest the huge first announcement for the Laneway Festival and even plug the gig I'm organising, but alas, it all seems unlikely (somehow I get the feeling I’ll be able to make an exception for the last one). But don’t worry, in two weeks I’ll be free and back to my old ways, hopefully with plenty of catch up material. In the meantime, go watch some Curb or perhaps go follow some of the (not so subtle) links above.

Monday (+1) Mix #27

Energy – The Apples in Stereo
I’d heard of this band here or there, but it was only very recently that I actually got around to listening to them. As I put in New Magnetic Wonder, their latest album, I instantly liked what I heard. This song sums them up perfectly; powerful, energetic and happy. If you like what you hear, I’d definitely recommend looking further into them.

Let’s Replace The Cityscapes - The Triangles
If you thought the song above was happy, get ready for an explosion of pure joy. I remember hearing and liking The Triangles a while back, but clearly they got lost in the pile. When this song appeared on a mix CD, I was reminded just how much I enjoyed it.

Round & Round – The Smallgoods
That mix CD (Half A Cow compilation) continued deliver as it finally gave me an opportunity to hear The Smallgoods. I’d seen their name on chalkboards and posters around the place, but never actually listened to them. I like what I hear.

Alligator Snap – Tokyo Blonde
I’m still debating whether I like this song or just find it annoying. Tokyo Blonde really impressed me with their last batch of demos, so at first I was a little disappointed by their debut EP. However, the chorus to this song really grabs me so now I’m left unsure. You be the judge. One way or the other, they’re a band to watch and I look forward to seeing them live some time.

The Way – Record Producer
This is a bizarre little song out of Melbourne that has somehow ended up in my possession. I don’t really know anything about the band or what their story is (good luck finding them on the internet), in fact, pretty much all I do know about this song is that I like it. And as far I’m concerned, that’s all that’s needed.

Agnes Kain - Keep Walking or I'll Kill You

It’s weird. I’ve been buying music lately. This shouldn’t be a rare occasion, but sadly it is. I’ll save the whole music downloading debate for another day, but something’s not right, that’s for sure. So whether it’s an act of redemption or simply a reaction to the incompleteness of illegal markets, I’ve been doing my bit and supporting some local artists. Agnes Kain are one of those artists and I am now the proud owner of their debut album, Keep Walking Or I’ll Kill You. Don’t be fooled by the dark title, this is an album filled with warm moments and joyful melodies. Agnes Kain are a Sydney duo who like to keep things simple. The album was recorded in their bedroom and at no time do you feel like you’re being bombarded with excessive production. It is in this open environment that the beauty of these songs really shines through. The powerful female vocals are wrapped in an array of instrumentation, from violins to glockenspiels, transforming their memorable melodies into outstanding pop music. They find the perfect balance between depth and simplicity, producing a light-hearted atmosphere and that seems to float by as you get caught up in it. I’ll certainly be coming back to this album any time I feel like chilling out. Put them on, wait for your smile to arrive and then just relax.

All Time High – This is such a happy and spirited song, I feel like jumping around on the spot. Next time they play it live, they better watch out.

Puddles & Mud – Again, something about their music makes me feel light. This song demonstrates their cuter side, complete with hand claps. It has all the hallmarks of heartfelt home-made recording.

Label | Myspace

débuts, remplisseurs et moments monumentaux de baise

Le poteau qui ne contient aucun anglais compréhensible (et a besoin des poissons de babel pour y arriver)

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No Man's Woman

I’m not sure if a CD that has me singing The Veronicas’ songs is good thing. It may be testimony to the quality of this particular album, but it certainly doesn’t do much for my credibility. For those who aren’t aware of what this album is, it’s basically Australian men covering female artists. All the artists, on both sides of equation, are quite high profile and it’s pretty impressive for Dew Process to have assembled such a line up and made this CD happen. I must admit, I wasn’t very optimistic going into this CD. To me it seemed like a bit of gimmick; an intriguing gimmick, but not much more that. However, after listening through it a number of times, I’ve actually found myself impressed on a number of fronts. For starters, most of the songs being covered (and their respective artists) are ones that I’m not particularly familiar with. So in that sense, I’ve found it enjoyable purely on the basis of it being a nice mix of music. But it actually offers much more than that. It’s great to hear some of my favourite Australian artists, one after another, applying their signature sounds to these songs. Even artists I’m not particularly fond of, such as End of Fashion and Gyroscope have managed to impress me. In fact, there’s only really one track that I don’t thoroughly enjoy. This album provides a great snapshot of Australia’s varied music scene and does so whilst celebrating some music's most prolific female artists. It certainly is much more than just a gimmick.

Tracklist
1. Angus Stone – River (Joni Mitchell)
2. Powderfinger – Glorybox (Portishead)
3. The Vines – 4Eva (The Veronicas)
4. Expatriate – Missing (Everything But The Girl)
5. Lior – Landslide (Fleetwood Mac)
6. Bob Evans – Cars Wheels On A Gravel Road (Lucinda Williams)
7. End Of Fashion – Hanging On The Telephone (Blondie)
8. Dan Kelly – Nothing Compares To You (Sinead O'connor)
9. Whitely – Hyperballad (Bjork)
10. Josh Pyke – Wuthering Heights (Kate Bush)
11. Paul Kelly – To Bring You My Love (Pj Harvey)
12. Gyropscope – Cannonball (The Breeders)
13. Grinspoon – Boys In Town (Divinyls)
14. Tex Perkins – I Am Woman (Helen Reddy)

The CD is out now and comes with a bonus disc containing nine of the tracks by their original artists. You can also catch some of the artists performing these songs as part of the Legs 11 concert. Click here for details

Released: 20/10/07 | Myspace

Plastic Palace Alice

Ah Melbourne. I’ll probably never know if it truly is superior to Sydney, but with all the excellent music I’ve been discovering lately, I wouldn’t be surprised. The latest Melbournians to deserve a mention are Plastic Palace Alice. I’ve known them for a while now (as you may too have), thanks to their song ‘Empire Falls’. To put it simply, it’s brilliant. They’re currently in the process of launching this single and if you haven’t yet heard it, I’d highly recommend it. But with all the attention that gets paid to this one song, you’d be forgiven for wondering whether it was all they had. Well wonder no more because I can safely tell you it’s not true. Plastic Palace Alice deliver a blend of music that combines powerful excitement with delightfully indie sounds. What's more, they do it consistently. It's the perfect fill in this post-Arcade Fide era, where we expect music to be nothing less than emotionally monumental. This strength of theirs especially clear when you go to see them live. The atmosphere is energetic and their songs produce a real sense of movement, taking you along for the ride. I also like the fact that they seem to be made up interesting characters. I won’t go into the details, but they have ‘guitar god’, with his countless pedals and various toys and a ‘crazy bassist’ who goes above and beyond his head-bopping requirements, just to name a few. There’s always plenty going on in a Plastic Palace Alice show. You certainly won’t be disappointed.

The Girl Who Cried Wolf – Just to prove my point that they’re not just a one-song band, here’s something different. It really highlights their vocal abilities, including male/female harmonies and, of course, multi-dimensional medleys. It all comes together into quite a compelling piece of music.

Video: Empire Falls

They just passed through Sydney so you may have just missed them (Brisbane people, you still have a chance). However, they will be back in early December so make sure you check them out. You can get the Empire Falls single (which includes both the above songs) from their myspace.

Monday Mix #25

The Lowest Bitter - Les Savy Fav
Les Savy Fav are a band that I’ve never really embraced, but after hearing their latest record, I’m starting to wonder why. In the past I’ve found them a little rough, but perhaps I misjudged them. I'll certainly be giving this album (and their last) a thorough listening

Big and Small – Sui Zhen
I saw Sydney artist Sui Zhen for the first time at her EP launch last Saturday and was quite impressed. She has one of those very special voices and uses it well within her soft-yet-powerful blend of music. Fans of Joanna Newsome should definitely take notice. I don’t think this song does her talent much justice though, so you should defintely try to catch her live if you can.

In Your Hands – Tin Alley
I feel as if I like Tin Alley when I shouldn’t. It’s as if their music isn’t really the type that I would normally listen to, but I can’t help but be impressed by it. I have no doubt that there will be someone (or many ones) out there, who will thoroughly enjoy this band.

Carry The Zero – Built To Spill
My little brother recently mentioned that he was getting into Built To Spill and when I stopped to think about it, I remembered what an incredible band they are. The album which this song comes from, Keep It like A Secret, is especially brilliant. Perhaps we should all take this opportunity to revisit their expansive and highly-rewarding back catalogue.

One Chance – Skipping Girl Vinegar
Skipping Girl Vinegar win the prize for the most elaborately (excessively?) packaged CD to ever be sent to me. Firstly, the disc is designed to look like a vinyl and is packaged in the signature white cardboard sleeve with a hole in the middle. On the back of this is a little library book pouch, complete a removable card that gives details of the CD, stamped and signed as if previously borrowed. All this extravagance is then encased in a nice smooth plastic sleeve. Not only is it a lot of effort to put into a two track single, but it’s also quite a risk to send one of these resource-intensive CDs to a blogger who will more than likely look at it once and then forget about it. Well that’s exactly what I WOULD have done, had I not been blown away by the packaging. Apparently their gamble paid off, because this CD managed to remain in my consciousness long enough for me to realise that it actually contains quite a good song.

EP Launches: John Columbus & Cloud Control

Not that I’ve ever personally done it, but I can imagine that launching your very first EP must be quite a special occasion. To finally get your name cemented in music’s history books would have to be satisfying. In reality, it’s one of the more minor steps in the path to musical greatness, but to the fledgling band, it certainly doesn’t feel that way. Well it just so happens that two of my current favourite Sydney bands are going to be reaching this milestone; ON THE SAME DAY. On Saturday, October 13, Cloud Control and John Columbus will each be unleashing their debut EPs unto the world.

Cloud Control

EP: Self-Titled

1. She's Crazy & She Doesn't Care
Buffalo Country
3. Fine Teacher
4. Vintage Books
5. In Your World
6. Into The Line

Launch: Headlining the 'Art, Bitch' event, The Loft

8pm, Saturday, Oct 13

Cloud Control are as tasty as they come. Imagine smooth crisp guitars, slicing through a thick layer of bass and drums and topped off with a helping of zippy keyboards. Add to this a pair of compelling vocals that grab your attention with their sheer power and might. Finally, wrap this all up into some of the most addictive pop songs ever written. I could be pretending I know how to analyse music OR I could be talking about the wonderful Cloud Control. With such enticing music and lively performances, it’s little wonder that they have me following them around like a salivating dog. After much anticipation, their debut release has finally arrived and oh what a joyous occasion it is. Cloud Control are destined for greatness.

John Columbus

EP: The Toll ($10)

1. Somethings Wrong
2. Absolutely Frozen
Song for the Supermarket
4. The Toll

Launch: Douple EP launch with Sui Zhen (more EP's!), The Factory Theatre

8pm, Saturday, Oct 13

I’ve only known John Columbus for a very short time, but they’ve already managed to have quite a significant impact on me. Their music isn’t the type that hits you instantly, rather it gradually creeps up on you and before you realise it, you’re fully immersed. Their rich blend of folk music combines an acoustic backing with smooth, deep vocals to create a dreamy atmosphere that is then guided by an intricate layer of keyboards and electric guitar. Every time I listen to John Columbus, I walk away thinking what a nice experience it was. Not nice in the patronising ‘oh yeah, it was nice’ kind of way, but nice in sense that it was pleasant, rewarding and totally satisfying.

It’s such a shame that these two events had to clash. There’s no way I could recommend just one because that would mean missing the other. So depending on what takes your fancy, you should at least go to ONE of these launches. If you’re in Sydney and do something different this Saturday night, I will be severely disappointed. And after you’ve gone to one of them, make sure you check the other out too. They are both great bands, well deserving of your time.

Monday Mix #25

Living So Well - The Crayon Fields
The Crayon Fields are pretty much the best band ever. It's the kind of music that you might get mocked for liking, but you don't care because you're so wrapped up in their warm and fuzzy sound. All evil could be swiftly eliminated if everyone just began listening to the pure happiness that The Crayon Fields create. Now, just when I thought they couldn't get any cooler, they put out this video which perfectly captures the spirit of one of my all time favourite songs. Yay!

Coffee & TV - Blur
You simply can't present a collection of music videos without including this classic by Blur. It's one of the few clips out there that simultaneously plays a song and tells a story and gets it right. I had always enjoyed this song, but as soon I saw this video, I fell in love. It's an all round brilliant piece of work. Plus that milk guy is undeniably cool.

Mr. Ice Cream - Soft Tigers
Soft Tigers are one of the funniest bands going around Sydney. Last week I saw them play with a band member missing and they produced one of the most shambolic sets ever. It was hilarious. A few members of the audience clearly didn't get it and were wondering how they could even afford instruments, let alone be given a stage to perform on. For the rest of us, we knew it Soft Tigers at their best. This light-hearted approach to their music is carried on into their videos which are always good for a laugh. This latest one is no exception and brings the brilliant Mr. Ice Cream to life with flying colours.

Push The Tempo - Fat Boy Slim
As far as music videos go, I don't think anyone out there has been as consistent as Fat Boy Slim. The music alone has never really captured me, but when combined with the brilliant videos, I'm a big fan. There was a lot to choose from, but I think Push The Tempo will always be my favourite. It's just so stupid and funny that it always delivers.

Her Spirit Knows - By The Fireside
This is a video that's had quite an impact on me lately. It was my first introduction to the band and now as I listen through their album, it is continually sitting there in the back of my mind. It is quite dark and creepy and gives you insight into the rather bizarre world of By The Fireside.

Yves Klein Blue / Oxford Art Factory

At long last I got to see (and hear) Yves Klein Blue. They developed a bit of name for themselves, winning the MTV Kickstart competition, but as far as the wider community is concerned, they are relatively unknown. I’d been meaning to catch them for a while, but until last Saturday, it just hadn’t happened. I’m glad I am finally acquainted with them because what I saw was quite impressive. Hailing from Brisbane, Yves Klein Blue look and sound like a major band. As I was listening to them, I got the feeling that they belonged on the same platform as bands like Maximo Park, The Fratellis and The Strokes. Their music certainly isn’t of the same standard, but they just gave me that impression. It feels like it’s just a matter of time before the public takes notice or they write ‘that’ song and things take off. I’m not sure how this will pan out, or whether I’ll like what they become, but currently they have my attention. Yves Klein Blue make an infectious, bluesy blend of indie-rock and deliver it in an energetic live show. Provided they play things right, they’ve got the potential to become disgustingly big.

MP3: Polka

The other half of this tale lies in place in which the gig took place. It’s a relatively new venue called the Oxford Art Factory, located on good old Oxford St. I don’t think word’s alone can describe the ridiculousness of this venue. For starters, it is quite big and situated completely underground. Then within this, it seems to contain everything you could want from a venue. The dance floor is spacious, the prices are low and all the rooms are logically arranged. It’s almost as if someone sat down and thought ‘what would be the ideal venue?’ and then dug a giant hole and built it! I can’t even begin to imagine how many millions of dollars this place must have cost. I feel like we have a Hacienda on our hands (I can hope). More likely it will become infected by dirty music and dirty people. We can’t let that happen! People of Sydney, an incredible venue has been dropped in your laps. Let’s make it something we can be proud of!

Oxford Art Factory | Yves Klein Blue

Kevin Drew - Spirit If...

If James Brown was the king of soul, Kevin Drew would be the king of whisper. That soft, delicate singing style of his is one that isn’t often matched. We got a taste for it with Broken Social Scene, but here we get to experience it in its entirety. Even when his music does enter more lively territory, it seems to maintain a calm atmosphere. It’s hard to say whether he plays a key role in shaping the BSS sound or whether they just played a major part in this album (probably both), but either way, plenty of parallels can be heard between the two. I was a bit sceptical of the whole ‘BBS presents…’ approach, wondering whether it was just an attempt to sell more records, but after hearing this album, the first in that series, it actually makes sense. The BSS sound is incredibly diverse, while this album seems to focus in on a few particular aspects of that sound. That’s to say it’s narrow in any way, just that as a side album, it serves its purpose quite well. And this isn’t just a quickly thrown together side project either. Running in at over an hour, it has an incredible amount of depth to it. A couple of times I’ve been listening to it and discovered I had progressed only a few songs, despite feeling like a I had passed through a good 6 or 7 songs. It says a lot for the music you’ll be hearing on this album. It may not beat the frontline BSS albums, but ‘Spirit If…’ delivers everything I hoped for from Kevin Drew and I’ll definitely be coming back to it.

TBTF – This was the first song I heard off this album and it probably remains a favourite. I know I waffle on, calling every band I write about amazing, but there’s something special about this song. It goes back to the whispering I mentioned earlier, which allows him to create music that I’d go so far as to describe it as beautiful.

Lucky Ones – This one is at the opposite end of the spectrum. It is energetic, powerful and builds quite a nice momentum.

Released: 18/09/07 | Website | Myspace

Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil

A while back I wrote about The Ocean Floor and mentioned how their music wasn’t particularly groundbreaking, but it was a heap of fun regardless. I’d have to put Black Lips in the same category. For me, it’s the kind the music I would listen to when I’m looking to change things up. The album certainly never sits still, with no song exceeding the 3 minute mark. As it progress, the sound varies greatly, at times entering some rather bizarre territory. Even the lyrical content ranges from self harm to infant interaction. I’ll leave it to you to discover the rest of this album’s intricacies. But whatever the music sounds like the overwhelming feeling is always one of light-hearted fun. Apparently this band is renowned for their crazy on-stage antics and while this album isn't exactly in that category, it's hard to see. These guys are clearly enjoying themselves and it's good to have a break from the seriousness of music every now and then.

Bad Kids – This song has a really energetic vibe to it, which is probably how it caught my attention. You can also hear their more childish side coming through.

Step Right Up – This song has great juxtaposition between the rough, wild sound of the intro and the relative calm of the chorus. Very nice.

Released: 11/9/07 | Website | Myspace

The Go! Team

The Go! Team have come along way in the last 3 years. In fact, for those who aren’t aware, they have evolved from a one-man bedroom project into a collective very worthy of their name's exclamation mark. When you see this colourful, excitable bunch live on the stage, it’s hard to believe that much of their music began on one guy’s laptop, but that’s (pretty much) how it was. When Ian Parton produced the brilliant Thunder Lightning Strike, the next, not-so-logical step was to get a band together and turn the music into a live performance. Despite all the odds, they’ve done incredibly well and when I saw them last year, it was a highly memorable experience. Sure they’ve got plenty of novelties (constantly changing instruments, two drummers and a rapping lead singer named Ninja), but they’re bursting with so much playful energy that these things become huge assets. But what impresses me most is that despite undergoing such a massive transformation, they’ve somehow managed to remain true to the original spirit of the Go! Team name. It’s something that’s definitely worth commendation.

Thunder Lightning Strike (2004)

Despite my first reference to this album being about its apparent ties with the sport of skipping (or maybe because of it), Thunder Lightning Strike quickly became a favourite. It champions instrumentation without overdoing it and commands an army of samples to brilliant effect. It is music in its purest form. Not just songs, melodies or riffs, but rewarding, inspirational MUSIC. I’ve had many favourites over the years, but the song below occupies a special place in my heart after seeing it used very nicely in a ski movie during a video-editing phase of mine.

MP3: Huddle Formation

Proof Of Youth (2007)

I’ll be quite honest and say straight up that I don’t enjoy this album as much as the last, but that isn’t to say I’m not incredibly impressed by it. I expected this album to sound like it was from a completely different band and instead, I was met with more great Go! Team. The rapping element of their sound isn’t too pervasive and the instrumentation still reigns. It definitely fits in with their live sound and will continue to fuel many shows into the future. I tried to pick a song that really captures this live energy of theirs.

MP3: Doing It Right

Label | Website | Myspace

Monday Mix #24

Skinny Boy – Amy Milan
For those who don’t know, Amy Milan is the girl from Canadian band, Stars. While there are of course similarities, her solo album is actually quite different from the band’s sound. It has an overarching country element to it, though I seemed to have picked the least country, and most stars-like song of the lot. Typical. It’s a great album nonetheless.

You Sound Like Louis Burdett – The Whitlams
I recently saw The Whitlams with a ninety-something piece orchestra at The Sydney Opera House. It confirmed many things in my mind. The Whitlams are great, the opera house is the stupidest, yet coolest piece of architecture ever created and this song is brilliant. It may not have benefited the most from the orchestra (that honour goes to Blow Up The Pokies), but it didn’t matter because it’s so good in its own right.

Grand Pacific Son – The City Lights
I must admit that I judged The City Lights a little too early. After repeatedly slagging off their new album, I’ve actually come to enjoy it. Whoops. I still wouldn’t say it’s deep or particularly far-reaching, but as some good old rock n roll fun, it does the job. Hearing this song on the radio one night is what made me realise that I had possibly made a mistake in my initial verdict. Such clean guitars. Mmmmm

Lake Michigan – Rogue Wave
There’s no doubt that Rogue Wave’s new album has its moments. As I listened back through it, I discovered that it had already formed a substantial part of my image of Rogue Wave. Despite this, however, I still feel underwhelmed by it. Fans of the band and this song should still check it out, but you’ve been warned. Never know, it could just be me.

One Of These Days – 78 Saab
Speaking of Rogue Wave, this band sounds quite a bit like them. I’ve never really been the biggest 78 Saab fan, but I’ve still always enjoyed them. This song comes from their new album, which thanks to this song, I’m quite looking forward to.