Hungry Kids of Hungary - The Factory Theater 12/11/2010

I'd never been to the factory theater before and for some stupid reason I was shocked when we arrived at a Factory in Marrickville. I found out a week before the gig that Hungry Kids of Hungary were being supported by Ball Park Music and Big Scary and was excited to hear that. I've heard a bit of both support bands being played on Triple J lately so I looked forward to a night of new exciting discoveries.

Ball Park Music were already on when we arrived and it seemed as though they'd sectioned the front half of the space for under 18's. These guys were so young and passionate and excitable it was really endearing. They are damn good and currently have a few tracks on Triple J, iFly is a cracker and Sad Rude Future Dude is so freaken catchy it should come with a warning. I love the way these guys make such taboo lyrics sound cute, 'I haven't had a friend in years, I only have sex with myself'' is one I find particularly humorous.

When these guys were done, Big Scary were up next, I knew these guys were a two piece but I wasn't expecting such a mis-matched looking duo. He looked like a country singer and she looked...well to be honest, she looked a little deranged, wearing a nannary dress with a self cut hair do and bashing on the drums so frantically I thought she was having a seizure, but Holy Toledo was she good!!! These guys do a bit of everything, they have punk songs, roots songs, indie songs, classical songs! I've never heard a band work their way through so many genres, very entertaining, if you have the opportunity to see these guys, do it!
BTW if you don't like spiders, DO NOT do a google image search for 'Big Scary'!!!

Last but certainly not least was Hungry Kids of Hungary and these guys are always good! I love their sweet poppy indie sound, I've heard people talk about 'Cuddle-Rock', and these guys fit into this charmingly named genre perfectly. By the time they got on, the stage was filled with blow up palm trees giving it a very surreal holiday vibe. Highlights were Wrist Watch, Let you Down, and Set it Right, with my fav being Arrest This Heart (that song certainly does!) These guys seem like nice people, who write nice music, with nice haircuts and outfits, its all very nice and maybe nice isn't for everyone, but for me there is just nothing not to love about them! Musically they are very tight and sound as though they have been playing together years longer than they have been. It was such a great night and I really felt like I got my moneys worth! For $15 I got to see 3 of Australia's new up and comers do what they do best! Bargain!

Location:HKoH

Loving this track - Rapunzel - Drapht

The track opens to somthing similar to Nirvana's About a Girl and gets better from there. I love this track and I know some fans are pissed that Drapht sings in this. OMG how dare a rapper sing in one of his songs, whatever, I give credit to good music, especially if its breaking barriers and still sounds good!
The film clip is a little lame, didnt impress me but the tune was enough for me.
Check it out, enjoy.

Pendulum - The Horden 05/11/2010

I know I know, it's been ages since my last post. Life is hectic when you're planning a wedding! Enough whinging and onto the music!

When I found out Pendulum were playing at the Horden I was pumped. I've seen them at a Big Day Out but seeing them in an enclosed venue was going to go off! Especially with the release of their brilliant latest album Immersion which has so many amazing tracks on it. Sure they may have overused the word SYDNEY in hyping up the crowd, and yes the smoke machine might have been over kill by my God these Perth exports tore the roof off the Horden and turned the crowd into a psychotic sweaty mess!

The support DJ Shockone had the crowd dancing and everyone seemed to be in the mood as though we all knew what was to come. It was interesting watching the different groups of people, the really young surfie kids scantily clad, the guys outfits looking disturbingly similar to the girls, and the goth old school ravers in black and fluro with glow sticks. I find it hypnotic to watch ravers dance, they always have skills.

The opening horns of Genesis floated magically out over the audience and filled the room. When Pendulum came on the crown erupted into dance as the music kicked up a notch and the place was a billion degrees in minutes. Didn't help that we were standing with a row to ourselves right at the back of the right hand stand watching all the steam rise to our level. Guys removed their shirts and I removed my stinken hot leggings and continued to dance like there was no tomorrow, sweating up a storm.

They played old favs like Fasten Your Seatbelt and Hold Your Colour and my all time favourite Tarantula was easily my highlight of my night! Loads of new track were played, such as Salt In The Wounds and Witchcraft. I really had no time to make notes because I was too busy dancing. I decided to put the note pad down and just take it all in, the energy, the noise, the movement, the band, the amazing lights and everyone else around me having a ball. It was a bit of an 'other worldly' experience and I was so impressed with how well Rob Swire's voice live matched the fantastic albums.

They had everyone chanting A, B, C! A, B, C! before they came on for an encore that began with their mind boggling reworking of the traditional ABC News theme.With everyone feeling thoroughly satisfied they finished the night kicking everyone in the face with their killer track Watercolour.

Whether you like Drum and Bass or dancey fast paced rock or whatever the hell you want to call Pendulum these days as they morph into a genre of their own, one things for sure, these boys always deliver an amazingly tight, high energy value for money show. No one can deny they left the Sydney audience very satisfied, as well as exhausted and very, very sweaty!

Sunset Riot EP - Review

I was given the Sunset Riot EP by someone close to the band, and asked to take a listen to it. I got the feeling, if I liked it I should put it on the blog and if I didn't like it, no hard feelings. When I put it in the car cd stacker and took a listen what I heard wasn't what I expected.
These guys have been born into the wrong era for sure! This young Sydney band have a sound that is so traditionally rock and roll they sound like they should have been opening for ACDC or Guns N Roses 15 years ago.The lead singer has a really interesting voice and occasionally sounds like he's channelling Bowie.

My favorite song on the 5 track EP is Rain. It has this amazing guitar riff at the beginning that features all through the track and definitely gets stuck in my head. Whilst Sunset Riot aren't of the sort of genre I usually listen to, their talent is obvious and I can appreciate the killer old school rock sound these guys kick out!

We should always do our best to support local talent so keep your ears out Sunset Riot. I've seen on their facebook page they doing what they can to get on next years BDO Sydney line up and they're in contention to support Bon Jovi in December. Check out their website http://www.sunsetriot.com/ for their massive list of upcoming gigs. Take a listen to Rattlesnake which I've added below.

Loving this track - Can it Wait by Illy featuring Owl Eyes

The Chase by Illy was the feature album on Triple J last week and I heard a few tracks that I really liked. A stand out one for me that I've heard a few times was definitely 'Can it Wait'. I love the female vocals by Owl Eyes a singer from Melbourne and the beat is quite poppy and very catchy. I had friends see him perform at The Coaster Festival we went to recently, I was cheking out someone else at the time but they said he was great.
Love it.

Paramore Entertainment Center 15/10/10

Last time Paramore came to the country for Soundwave I thought long and hard and decided not to go. I couldn't justify going to a festival mainly to see 1 band, especially a band I was slightly embarrassed to admit I liked. So when I found out they were touring again by themselves I was in!

They were supported by US band Relient K and not surprisingly the tween filled crowd knew every word to most of their songs (I've never heard of them). They had a pop punk sound, a very young sound, not unlike Blink 182. Much to my delight they played a cover of Toto's Africa. I think everyone else was too young to know it but considering we were the oldest people there we appreciated it (I went with my Mum...shut up she's cool!)

After we'd had a few champagnes out of little plastic cups, and to a roaring screaming crowd Paramore emerged from behind the big black curtain. They started with a few tracks off Brand New Eyes, Ignorance, Playing God and Careful. The crowd, from our higher vantage point were amazing and huge! That's the good thing about a young crowd, everyone was so energetic and just out to have a good time! They played several tracks of their old albums which the crowd also enjoyed.


The youthful Tennessee band were so amazing, much more than I thought possible and I enjoyed myself so much I thought I was going to bust at one point! I may have developed a girl crush on amazing Hayley Williams. With her fiery red hair like Florence, she has such a powerful voice and at 21 seems really grounded and professional and like the rest of the band, passionate about her music. 

They energetically punched out a huge gig and I struggled to see anyone not having a great time. Maybe it was because I went in with low expectations of the band and with the notion that I was going to be annoyed constantly by 12 year olds dressed inappropriately, but I was left shocked and amazed! The audience weren't too bad and the band was phenomenal I'm not ashamed to say. It's a big call but I'm putting Paramore up along side Vampire Weekend for Gig of 2010!! Next time they come back, I'm there!


Here is a KOL cover I heard a while ago, and while Kings of Leon aren't what they used to be, Paramore do a fantastic job of covering their track Use Somebody.

Love this track - Gotye - Eyes Wide Open

I missed the boat in 2006 when Gotye had his rapid rise to fame in Australia, due to fact that I spent 18 months out of the country, but I remember coming home and hearing my brother raving about this talented guy. He has a new track out Eyes Wide Open which to me sounds much more mature and possibly a little more commercial than the experimental stuff off his previose album, but thats not necessarily a bad thimg. On the contrary this new track is fantastic and full of sound and layers. Some things never change and typically Goyte, it is a very emotive track which makes my heart swell.  I love it, and I hope you will too. Cant wait to see him play at Laneway early next year.

Little Red - Penrith RSL 10/10/10

I really don't mind a Sunday night gig especially when the venue is just down the road, and there is a big bunch of mates to go with and catch up before hand. It was the news that Little Red was being supported by Sparkadia which tipped me over the edge to go see this gig. These are two Aussie bands climbing the ranks of Aussie music royalty lately and they've both had their last two albums do really well, with great catchy new singles being flogged by Triple J and a few commercial stations lately.

Sparkadia were fantastic and they opened with Too Much To Do to a really small crowd. It was so small I almost felt awkward being there, like I was intruding on a private jam session, this seemed more obvious when Lead singer Alex Burnett several times stated how amazingly quiet we were. There was like 70 people, of course it was quiet! They played old hits like Animals and Jealousy and their latest single Talking Like I'm Falling Downstairs had everyone in the small crowd moving. I love this song and they played it perfectly. These guys were so impressive, less of a support act and more like a double billed show. For $25 I definitely felt like we got our moneys worth.

After a short sound check, Little Red were on and away with a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm. I guess thinking back, I knew that several songs on their old album sounded like they had different singers on lead vocals but I still got a shock when the first 4 songs featured 4 different band members taking the lead mic.

Familiar looking Dominic Byrne who sings the majority of the bands tracks was so endearing as he unselfconsciously and with a lack of coordination danced, lurched and twitched around on stage the whole gig with such fervor and intensity it was impossible not to dance and bop away to these catchy tracks. Tom Hartney with his gorgeous deep voice seems to be channeling a young Rod Stewart these days and his rendition of Coco Cola was a sure crowd favourite. They finished up then came back with Don't Fight It for an encore. Both bands put on a great show and its a sure sign of a great gig when all of sudden it seems to be over.

Atomic Tom - Take Me Out

This is amazing. I just got sent this link by a friend and it's phenomenal! The things technology can do these days blows my mind!! As one commenter said, this should be iPhones new add.

Check it out, I know you'll love it!

Gig Etiquette - Don't be a Douche Bag!

Ok so we've all been to that awesome gig that was totally ruined by that friggen douche bag or bags, and I often think some of them are actually unaware of their Douchiness. Hence my gig etiquette guide, if you read this and some of these points sound like a standard good night out for you, well it's safe to say, you, my friend are a Douche Bag!

• Don't come and stand right next to me and then proceed to talk really loudly to your mate next to you. If you want to catch up, go to dinner, a pub, whatever I don't care. I, like you, have paid good money for this gig and had every intention of listening to the band. Don't look pissed when I tap you on the shoulder and shout HEY DUDE, SHUT UP!!
• Don't turn up tanked and proceed to drink 8 more Bourbons in the 30 mins prior to the headlining act coming on. I'm standing at the back so I can actually see something and avoid being trampled as I'm small. If you stumble into me again I will push back! Don't use me to lean on, I neither know you, nor like you so try to remain upright and lucid at all times because if you fall down I may accidentally kick you several times in the face.
• Don't endanger my eye sight by flailing around wildly poking and pushing those around you. If your dancing is bigger than the space you've allocated for yourself, then take it down a notch. Considering that you dance like Elaine from Seinfeld, maybe you should stop the dancing altogether and go for a more co-ordinated head nod, OR move to the front to be with other big dancing, like-minded, knobheads.
• If you're a chick with long hair and like being up the front, for the love of God, tie your nasty hair up! Don't leave it out to get all sweaty and stuck to my face! If I have to deal with another hairy mouthful, next time I'm bringing scissors!
• Don't take so many drugs that you have no idea where, who or what you are! At the Coaster Festival a group of us were sitting watching a band when some freak, very off his face, holding 2 beers spotted a mate (I assume) about 15 meters away. All of a sudden he looked so excited, actually he looked insane, ceremoniously handed his beers to someone next to him, made a big show, took his pants off, then ran and tackled this guy to the ground in a very inappropriate display of man love. He had no idea of his surroundings, he could hardly stand and we all cleared out of the way in case he removed his few remaining items of clothing. 
• There is no such thing as a sneaky fart. Don't do it! Yes, the sound will be drowned out by the band, but the stench wont be! It's not my fault you incorrectly chose to eat at that cool and cheap Indian place down the road, so don't punish me! Hold onto it because it will stink! Knight of Columbus it will stink! And don't then look around you with fake outrage at the stench you've inflicted on us... I KNOW IT WAS YOU, YOU GRUB!

I need a whole section on bad gig and festival fashion, I need a whole post, I need to start a whole new blog dedicated to offensive and downright ridiculous and inappropriate gig fashion! But I wont, somehow I've managed to narrow it down to the latest and most current offender that has me standing on a huge soap box with a megaphone screaming:
HEY FATTY, PUT SOME PANTS ON! I CAN SEE WHAT YOU ATE FOR BREAKFAST!
Ladies, short shorts are gross. Unless you had a horrific accident in which Emergency Staff had to cut your pants off and you are such a trooper and a huge fan you didn't want to miss anything by going home and changing your pants, then I don't want to see 2 inches of frumpy bum hanging out the bottom of your pants! It seems these days there is 3 inches being added to the top to make them high waisted, and 3 inches being removed from the bottom of them!!

Look sweetheart, I know you want to (or think you already do) look like this:

But in actual fact, trust me, from this angle you look way more like this!

Most importantly, have a good time! We're all there for the love of music, (well most of us) and if you enjoy what you hear or see then sing, and dance and move and get into it, just always be a little mindful of those around you! Also it's important to remember to try to remain clean! If you're at a festival stay out of the mud! Sure, often it's hard to avoid at a wet festival but muddy feet are different to bathing in it! You're not 5 anymore.

Let me know what you all think. These pointers are from my experiences at gigs and festivals but I know you all have your own horror stories, leave a comment and let us know what they are! Maybe there are some standard DON'TS that I missed.

What Music Says About You!

I stumbled across this link to an old artical whilst doing some blog research and found it interesting. I'm not too sure accurate it is, especially for someone like me who's musical tastes are eclectic, but still it's a short read so give it a look-see.
Daily Telegraph - what-music-says-about-you.

The Coaster Festival - Gosford Showground 25/09/10

I've gotten a little behind on the blog lately, its been a while since my last post. I blame the epic 3 week cold I've finally recovered from! What probably made it worse was the weekend I should have been in bed but instead chose to go to the Coaster Festival up the coast. However, it was totally worth it! It was a great little festival filled with tons of amazing local acts and a few international big wigs including the mind blowing Cypress Hill.

I started off the day sitting with mates watching Maniac. I wasn't a huge fan. All band members looked like they'd tried to hard too dress like freaks, and one of the lead singers looked like Captain Jack Sparrow, but not hot. Their music was a little better, kinda cruisey and a little quirky, with some cool 80's drum beats. They sounded better than they looked I guess.

Up next on the same stage was one of my favourites, Boy and Bear. The little crowd quickly got bigger which made it apparent that these guys have a definite following amongst Aussie fans. They started off playing Blood to Gold and then played a few new tracks which sounded very promising, I guess they might have a full length album coming out next year some time. I'm not 100% but it looked like they had a different guy on bass, not sure if he was a ring in or they have a new member, either way they still sounded seamless. They finished with Rabbit Song and Mexican Mavis which the crowd approved of.

We basically stayed at the main stage all day, except for a solo trip I made later in the night to see a few other bands whilst Birds of Tokyo were playing. After Boy and Bear, Silversun Pickups took to the stage. I had great anticipation for these guys as I've been a fan for a while but hadn't, until now seen them live. Brian Aubert on lead vocals has one of the most intriguing voices I've heard in a long time and I couldn't get enough of them. The small crowd went off and it was at this point I was really thankful for the fact that the organisers had sectioned off the grounds, so if you wanted to drink alcohol you had to remain in a few designated areas. So for those of us who steered clear of drinking that day (I was hopped up on Codral and attempting to  soldier on through the dreaded lurgy) we got an extreme close up look at most bands that day! As a short person I was very appreciative! Unfortunately it was during their set that I had a very awkward mistaken identity moment as Sonja, a close friend of mine, pinched my bum then hid. I turned around to see who it was and saw a guy WHO LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE I KNOW! I hit him with my hat and said Hey! It wasn't a "how dare you sexually harass me!' hey, it was a "That was a bit unlike you but it's great to see you!" hey! He looked at me and said 'You wanted me to pinch your bum?' and he seemed a little disturbed. At that point 3 things happened! 1) I realised I had no idea who this guy was, he didn't pinch me and I just looked like a total slapper who likes strange men touching her inappropriately, 2) Sonja tapped me on the arm and said 'Um, sorry, that was me!', 3) A wave of humiliation and mortification washed over me. I apologised, turned around and pretended to be engrossed in the music Silversun Pickups were playing before making a quick getaway to the toilet line!

As I walked back from the portaloos I could hear Kevin Mitchell from Jebadiah/Bob Evans singing away for Basement Birds. Other members of this little Aussie super group experiment include, close to my heart, Josh Pyke, as well as Eskimo Joe's Kav Temperley, and Steve Parkin which wikipedia tells me has been an Aussie music collaborator for many bands and on albums over the years. I love their music style, a little bit rock a little indie and big chunk of folk. They got 2 female audience members up to sing Julia Stone's section in the song Bus Stop, and the 2 girls did quite well. The soul and love of music and sheer talent just oozes out of these guys, you can tell they all live, breathe, eat and sleep music. Surprisingly enough and much to the pleasure of the astounded crowd, the guys finished with a gorgeous folk version of The Presets', My People.

Bluejuice...WTF? What are these bizarre dudes on?? They rocked up dressed apparently like Yettie's but they looked like big white and fluro fluffy ravers to me and it didn't take long for frontmen Stav and Jake to strip off and down to not a whole lot, I noticed quite a few audience member stripping off too, which was in some cases an unattractive sight! Many of them should have remained clothed, or maybe put more clothes on! The band had so much energy and the crowd were in a frenzy in no time. It was at that stage I realised how many people were off their faces and it was a little disturbing. Kids....Don't take drugs! Sure, I did turn 27 during the week and now may sound old, but I sure don't feel it, and if remaining coherent, fully dressed and upright during a festival makes me old, well then hey, I'm old and proud of it! I forgot how disco Bluejuice are and I really enjoyed having a boogeeambo golf buggie. Again, Kids....Drugs are bad mkay!

Art Vs Science took over next as the sky started to turn dark and they opened up with prodigious amounts of energy playing Friend in the Field. I know only the few tracks I'd heard on Triple J over the few years since they were unearthed in 2008 to play at Splendour in the Grass and during their set I noticed that they had a much heavier sound than I'd anticipated. Annoyingly, they spent a lot of time stuffing around and stopping during songs to make electro feedback noise and at the point I got a headache towards the end, I left to get some dinner and head over to see Hungry Kids of Hungary at a different stage. Don't get me wrong, Art Vs Science were entertaining, I just found them a little frustrating and I think maybe I was too lucid to dance to non existent music during the long painful breaks between songs.

Hungry Kids of Hungary played on a smaller stage to a smaller crowd but had a big sound. They opened with Set It Right and left the crowd dancing with this gentle rock lullaby. Their rendition of Let you Down was magical and had me feeling uplifted and forgetting my burden that was my huge cold. It was sad that they only had a 30 minute set as they still had a heap of hits that were left unplayed as they left the stage. I know I missed Birds of Tokyo to see these guys and Cloud Control who were on next but to me it was like a warming cup of hot chocolate on a cold night, these two bands are therapeutic to me! It recharge my batteries and helped me to keep going and fully enjoy the rest of my night.

Cloud Control crammed onto the small stage and I was impressed to see a decent little crowd considering Birds of Tokyo were blaring away in the background on another stage. They began with Meditation Song and although I saw them when they supported Vampire Weekend at the beginning of the year I didn't realise how young the lead singer looks. Gold Canary sounded as terrific live as it does on their album and despite the fact that their set was too short for my liking, each and every song they played showed massive amounts of musical talent. It's sad to hear Cloud Control are moving to the UK at the end of the year to further their careers but I'm glad I got to see them before they left as it's unknown when or if they'll return back to Oz.

Last but by no means least of the night was Cypress Hill, in all their doobee smokin glory they rocked out! Everyone I've spoken to about the day all say the same thing, Cypress Hill was a definite highlight and they enjoyed them so much more than they thought they would. The entire crowd was head nodding and hand rapping along whether they knew the lyrics or not. There was old classics like Insane in the Brain and Dr Greenthumb, and newer tracks like Rock Superstar as well as a few of their new album released this year. Whilst the audience was filled with the smell of Silly Cigarettes the guys onstage puffed away on suspiciously smoky cigarettes of their own. They were so entertaining and a fantastic surprise for the night, I would never have gone to see Cypress on their own tour before but I'll give it another thought next time they come back.

Overall it was a great little festival filled with awful fashion and amazing music, people off their chops, and those just out to have a good day. Highlights for me were absolutely Silversun Pickups and Cypress Hill. I'll be sure to check out the line up next year because if it's remotely good, I'll be there.

Album Review - Parades, Foreign Tapes

I saw Parades support Klaxons a few weeks ago and I loved their new sound so I bought their Album Foreign Tapes.

Like I said in my Klaxons review they remind me of a mix between The XX and Cloud Control but different in a really new and exciting way. They have a very dreamy sound and an interesting rock twist on folk music with amazing harmonies that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and say Hell Yeah!

The album features a plethora of talented ring-in friends, including the beautiful female vocals of Rebecca Shave on the majority of the album and Alyx Dennison on the fantastic track Loserspeak In New Tongue and I have a feeling Alyx was the female vocalist onstage with them the other night!

Other stand out tracks are Past Lives which has amazing drums that get me dancing every time, and Marigold which has a super catchy melody.

Folk-pop singer, song writer Jonathan Boulet is the bands drummer. But his talents don't end there as he's also the producer of the album and a musical force to be reckoned with.

I really enjoyed these guys live and the album is filled with great track after great track. There is some really stunning stuff coming out of Australia lately and I hope these guys get all they deserve. If you get the opportunity, I highly recommend you check them out.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Klaxons - The Enmore 02/09/10

It still shocks me every time I see the Klaxons, underage girls wearing high waisted SHORT shorts! What is it about the Klaxons that attract this sort of mini-ho-bag! I saw 2 inches of arse cheek hanging out of one little frumpy girls pants and I threw up in my mouth a little bit! Must be the fact that they usually hold All Ages gigs. With that old lady rant over I must now talk about HOW FREAKEN AMAZING THE ENTIRE NIGHT WAS!

The Klaxons were supported by Sydney Band Parades who interestingly have the talented Folk-Pop singer, song writer Jonathan Boulet as their drummer. They were just fantastic, big sound, haunting harmonies and the female vocals were beautiful. They're described as being an Art-Rock band which I think makes them sound a little wanky but these guys are anything but pretentious. They have a really interesting folk sound with an electro beat. If Cloud Control and The XX had a baby, that would be Parades. I enjoyed them so much, I invested $20 and bought their album from the merch stand between sets.

                 

Then it was time for the Klaxons who opened with Flashover from their new album Surfing The Void. Thankfully they played loads off their first album such as Gravity's Rainbow, Golden Scans, Magick, and It's Not Over, but they also played heaps off their new album like Echoes, Surfing the Void, Venusia and my favourite off this great new album Twin Flames. Now, when first listening to the new album, which was released late last month, my initial thoughts were that it was a little disappointing, and that it sounds very similar to their first album Myths Of The Near Future. But after taking a few listens through I remembered that the first album is fantastic and actually, so is this new one! I love how raw and gritty they are, the vocals aren't perfect, the guitars are a little crazy and it sounds like real music, not over produced and polished and engineered to within an inch of its life! It is, what it is, and it's very sexy... as is James Righton on keyboard and vocals (3rd from the left below), unlike the rest of the band who are all quite unfortunate to look at!

          

They sounded perfect in every track and the time passed so quickly. Before I knew it they said a huge amount of thanks and were off, before coming back and playing an encore which included my favourite Klaxons track Atlantis to Interzone which had me up and dancing like every other person in the place. What can I say, Klaxons are one of my favourite bands.

I'm aware of trying not to gush too much in these blog posts, and keep them unbiased otherwise no one will want to read this thing if I just crap on about how amazing every band is in each and every post. But the thing is, I've told myself, I only want to talk about music I like. I'm not about to rant and slag off a band if they were no good or put out a horrid song on the radio, that would just be a waste of my time, so music that I don't like, doesn't end up on this space. And as for gig reviews, I'm paying for all these gigs myself so I generally only see bands I like, which of course means I'm going to love their live set, unless they do something appalling like turn up drunk, insult the audience and storm off cos they didn't get their backstage fruit platter, however if a band is crap live, I wont lie. The Klaxons weren't crap, they were fantastic, as were Parades.

I couldn't decide whether to attach an old track, Atlantis To Interzone, or a new track, Twin Flames, so I'm attaching both! Warning: Atlantis To Interzone is one of the worst clips I've ever seen. It's hilariously bad, they look like 16 year olds dancing around with flashy lights in their parents garage, but considering it was probably one of their first and LOW budget clips, I'm not surprised!

Ebony & Ivory - The Log Cabin 20/08/10

When a friend organised for a few of us to catch up and get some dinner at the local Log Cabin, I was in when she said Live Music. I didn't know what to expect, but what I got was a fantastic duo cover band made up of singer Jesse Suitupe and guitarist Saul Santilli. The amount and quality of sound that came out of these 2 guys was amazing.


They played a huge range of hits to keep everyone happy and it wasn't long before everyone was up and dancing to songs like Superstitious, Sunburn, Jack and Dianne, All night long, Kiss, I shot the Sheriff, and a beautiful rendition of Ben Harper's, Steal My Kisses. Jesse has an amazing vocal range and a really soulful sound. He's a bit of a cross between Cee-Lo Green from Gnarls Barkley and Guy Sebastian (without the lameness) but he has no problem rocking out to the grungier tracks they play. I was most shocked when I realised half way through that they were playing Beyonce's Halo. Now, I'm no Beyonce fan but this version was really good and I actually think Jesse managed to sing it in the same key as Beyonce! Like I said, amazing vocal range. Saul's guitar was really funky and the jams he had between tracks showed the guy has some serious talent.

It was a great night out and I always love a good dance, especially when the venue is just around the corner! These guys were awesome and maybe a bit wasted as a cover band. I get the feeling they have a stack of their own songs but are currently really happy just playing great covers. They play at The Crown Hotel Sydney, The Courthouse Hotel Sydney, The Colonial Hotel, The Log Cabin, The Macquarie Hotel Liverpool, Penrith Panthers and the Matraville Hotel. They have 2 upcoming gigs listed on their facebook page which are The Log Cabin, Friday the 10th of September and The Office Hotel Sydney, Saturday the 11th of September. If you have the chance to check them out, do it!

Song of the Day! The Subs - Mitsubitchi

It's so close to the weekend I can smell it!! This song is just what everyone needs, to keep trudging through the week and make it to the weekend! I dare you to listen to it and not bob your head or tap your feet! IMPOSSIBLE!!!
I know it's been around for a while but I cant help but love it, and thats why it's my Song of the day!

Song of Today!

I was going to try to leave it a few days before I added another post and a new song but I heard this Pendulum track again today on the way to work and I just love it. Pendulum are such crafty guys, originally from Perth but now based in the UK and I love most of their stuff. I can't wait to see them live in November!
For now, check out what they've done with the old school ABC News theme!! Love it!

The EELS - The Enmore 14/08/10

The last in a string of gigs over the past few weeks was The EELS, again, at The Enmore. Almost by accident, I managed to see both support acts, the first being listed as Ventriloquist. Hmm... I thought... I haven't heard of this band before! As I walked in I was surprised (oddly enough) to see a woman on stage with a doll on a chair pretending to talk for it. Her jokes were average but she was only on for 15 minutes and the weirdness factor was entertaining enough! Up next, the bill said Laura Imbruglia, I googled and sure enough, she's the sister of Natalie. I noticed a small boy on stage who picked up a massive acoustic guitar and left me shocked when the most amazing female voice busted out of it! She was really interesting. Her style was a bit country and her lyrics were funny and angry-man-hating at the same time. Think a little, bitter, female, John Williamson. Loved her!

Then on came Mark Everett better known as E. The weirdness continued, 'IT'S THE STIG!' I thought. E was dressed in a white racing jumpsuit and his face was completely covered, with beard, Sun glasses and a camouflage bandanna. He started out with a few softer songs from the last 2 albums before the rest of the band wandered onstage and kicked it up a notch. I was confused because of E's outfit compared with the rest of the band who were all in funky jazz/rock get up with vests and caps. Over the course of the set I slowly realised that all band members had sunglasses on and were all massively beardy!

They played great tracks like Prizefighter, Hombre Lobo, In My Dreams, End Times and my favourite Fresh Blood. But they also mixed it up a bit by playing My Beloved (one of the many songs they have on the several Shrek soundtracks) double time and much more funky. They also changed God Damn Right when E sang the songs lyrics to the band playing The Beatles Twist and Shout. Bizarre but really entertaining! There was also songs featuring Punk influences as well as Rockabilly, but the weird crescendo of the night happened during an odd Latin sounding track when E went to the back of the stage opened a little coolie box and proceeded to throw Cornetto's into the audience. At that point I remember thinking, why is The Stig throwing ice creams into the audience during a Latin song? I don't do drugs but did I accidentally take acid somewhere along the way?

They played a few slower tracks for an encore then that was it for the night. From the moment I walked in and there was a Ventriloquist onstage, to seeing a 12 year old boy take the floor that turned out to be a woman with a huge voice, to The Stig throwing out ice creams during a Latin track, I spent the night so very confused! Confused, but thoroughly entertained!! I've been told, you never know what to expect when going to an EELS gig and what we got was definitely unexpected!

Florence and The Machine - The Enmore 05/08/10

Florence's side shows have been eagerly awaited by all fans who couldn't make it to Splendour in the Grass this year and shows sold out immediately. There was so much demand they announced a few extra shows which played in the days following this Enmore gig.

The support act was Ernest Ellis from Sydney who played an interesting mix of soulful dream-like melodies with slow and determined drum beats. Very cruisey but more suited to a Sunday afternoon than a Thursday night. He closed his set with a great rendition of the only track I've heard from him on JJJ Heading for the Cold.

At 9.30 Florence made her entrance and my goodness what an entrance it was! She sure has a flare for the theatrical side of performing! They opened with Drumming Song and shook the audience violently from their lull between acts. Florence wore a flowey feminine lacy cream dress which flared out as she spun and danced gracefully all over the stage through the entire gig. I've been present at a Florence and the Machine gig when they played the Laneway Festival earlier this year, but being of the shorter persuasion I didn't actually get to 'see' them. This time.... I SAW!

She played hit after hit including My Boy Builds Coffins, Hurricane Drunk, You've Got The Love, Raise it Up, Kiss with a Fist and Dog Days are Over including, amongst many others, my favourite, Cosmic Love which saw a little set change as they lowered a gorgeous fairy light backdrop to accompany the romantic song. Changing it up a little, she got very creepy with a shawl and strobe lights representing lightning during her song Blinding. I've always liked this song although it disturbs me with lyrics like: "No more dreaming of the Dead, as if death itself was undone. No more calling like a Crow for a boy, for a body in the Garden." She also played a few new tracks which sounded amazing! Cant wait for the next album to come out.

Whilst my ears did feel like they were bleeding as Florence blared into the mic which I wished the sound guys would turn down just a tad, if I was ever to go deaf, I couldn't think of a better way to do it!

With her amazing vocals and high energy, Florence was unstoppable as she danced from beginning to end with the help of her fantastic band; her Machine. I heard that 15,000 people decended on the natural ampithearter to watch them play at Splendour and I felt so lucky to see her at The Enmore, such an intimate venue which apparently holds just over 2000 at capacity. She blew my ears off but it was well worth it!

Band Of Horses - The Enmore 29/07/10

It was a sold out show and it's not hard to see why. Over the last few years Band of Horses have been gaining more and more fans with their beautiful Hillbilly-chic music and as they are on the Splendour in the Grass line up this year, which is on this weekend, thankfully they decided to do a few sideshows.

Band of Horses opened with The Great Salt Lake and I was surprised to see a huge image of a lake with interesting rock formations projected onto the back wall behind the band. They sounded amazing and as the show progressed the images changed to reflect the general theme of the songs being played. The images also began to change throughout the songs and by 4th song the images were flicking by so fast I started to feel motion sick! I decided to stop watching the footage and start watching the band which helped.

They played some great old classics from Everything All the Time and Cease to Begin with some standouts for me being Is There A Ghost, Ode to LRC, and Islands on the Coast which had impressive photos of gigs and festivals that the band had taken. There was also a lot played off their new album Infinite Arms including the charming tune Blue Beard. I was surprised to see the keyboardist take lead vocals for the song Older. I knew it sounded slightly different from a lot of their other stuff but I hadn't picked it being a different singer. Great Song!

During the chorus of the soulful Detlef Schrempf one audience member nostalgically raised his or her lit cigarette lighter to the sky in appreciation. What followed was an angry security guard with a torch flashing at them to put it out. Soon after the entire crowd was lit up with little glowing flames waving in time from side to side! Sticken to the Man!!! It look awesome from my vantage point on the stairs near the back of the intimate venue!

When they played Cigarettes, Wedding Bands they had a fascinating backdrop of an old desert shack with the sky filled with fluffy clouds. That distracted me for a while but the band soon regained my attention when I was slapped in the face by a freaking amazing guitar solo. My notes here say 'Amazing guitar...HOLY CRAP!' :) They busted out Laredo which the fans loved and it was played with a backdrop of really interesting black and white pictures of the American mid west reinforcing their country influence and sound.

They played No One's Gonna Love You as part of their Encore and I was thoroughly satisfied as that's my favourite song by them, they also made heart felt thanks to many people that got them there and helped them along the way and Ben Bridwell (lead) went on about how appreciative he was of our rowdy audience. It was quite sweet.

It was a feast for the eyes, the ears, and the heart! The crowd was buzzing as it left and spilled out into the street. Band of Horses never disappoint and you'd have to have a heart of stone to not feel the emotion they pour into each and every song. Great gig!

Blue Beard.mp3 Be patient it's a big file.

Song of the Week

I DID IT!! Finally managed to link an .mp3... I think! Please let me know if it doesn't work. If it does, whilst you're there you might as well listen to this awesome track! It's my favourite song right now, With You in My Head by UNKLE.

I haven't listened to much from UNKLE in the past but I'm thinking I might start because I love the complexities in the beat and sexiness of this track. It's currently on a certain Vampire Movie soundtrack but don't let that deter you, give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Also do me a favour and become a 'Follower' of this blog if you aren't already! :)

ENJOY!
With You in My Head.mp3

Boy & Bear - With Emperor Antarctica

The whole blog idea started a while ago, after I'd seen Boy and Bear supporting Lisa Mitchell at Penrith RSL and then head lining their own show at The Annandale soon after. I had the urge the blab about how good they were but I had no one who particularly wanted to hear me gush! This is where you come in!

I think there's big things in store for this Sydney 5 piece. The release of their EP has shown some serious talent. The fact that all 5 members are singer/songwriters is evident in all of their songs as they perform hauntingly beautiful, complicated harmonies involving all band members. The vocal gymnastic with their fancy oooohs and arrrrhs are amazing on their EP and spot on in their live shows. Their EP With Emperor Antarctica contains 5 songs and although each track has a different sound, each song manages to flow seamlessly into the next. The highlight is definitely track 2, Rabbit Song. It makes me want to jump in my car and go on a summer road trip. The bridge towards the end of it is what makes the song so amazing. Love it.

If Fleet Foxes and Mumford and Sons had a love child, that would be Boy and Bear, and whilst these sorts of comparisons are inevitable, Boy and Bear also have an indescribable something new and stand alone in their own right. They also have great lyrics, uplifting harmonies and their live sets show a musical maturity beyond their years. I had hoped to attach an .mp3 to this post but whilst I'm still trying to figure this thing out, check out Rabbit Song here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYCDNRpyzrMyoutube.com/watch?v=TYCDNRpyzrM

It's About Time!

Well, I've been talking about creating a music blog for a while now and I figure it's time to get this show on the road. For anyone who knows anything about me, you'll know I'm slightly music obsessed, and after having a conversation with a mate about what to do with this obsession which oozes out of me, he suggested I make a blog instead of changing careers! :)

So here we are! As the name of my music blog suggests, stick with me and you'll 'Hear No Evil' music-wise. A bit about me, I'm a Furniture Designer & chronic gig goer from Sydney and have been since my first concert at the age of 13, The Offspring at The Horden! I'm Female, and I think the majority of my wages goes towards concerts and festivals. My taste in music is pretty eclectic. However I generally stick to Triple J Radio as most pop music makes me want to stab myself in the eye with a ball point pen!

Apart from Album and gig reviews, I also plan to post photos and songs, links, upcoming gig and festival dates, music gossip, favourite songs, diary entries and possibly an Aussie music section. Feel free to let me know if there is any content you think should be included.

I thought I'd start off with a bit about who I am and why I'm here and get stuck into the musical goodness in the next few days. Stay tuned!!!

Penny Lane