Month: July 2011

Friendly Fires + Cut Off Your Hands – Billboard The Venue (29.07.11)

A small crowd gathered early to watch New Zealand natives Cut Off Your Hands kick off the evening, opening with “Down & Out” from their recently released LP Hollow. The boys started off slow and were lacking their usual charismatic energy as they played through their new material to an unreceptive audience. The set was…

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Photo Gallery: Splendour in the Grass Day 1 Pt 2 – Woodfordia (29.07.11)

The first day of live music at Splendour in the Grass continues with Boy & Bear, DJ Shadow, The Hives, Gotye, Modest Mouse, Mogwai, The Black Seeds, Bluejuice, Kanye West and many more!

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Photo Gallery: Splendour in the Grass Day 1 Pt 1 – Woodford (29.07.11)

We arrive at Splendour in the Grass for the first full day of festivities! In the first half of the day, we check out Sydney’s Jinja Safari, up-and-coming artist Marques Toliver, Illy, The Kills, James Blake and more.

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Live Review: Warpaint + Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders – Corner Hotel (26.07.11)

The bellowing Jack Ladder seems to be one of those guys quietly working hard to sound more mature every time I see him live. His swagger on stage is really refined, and you’d be mistaken if you had transported yourself to the early new wave scenes of the 1970’s and 80’s. Jack’s guitarist – Kirin…

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Kanye West and Jay-Z team up for the anticipated album 'Watch The Throne'

For this project, music icons and pop culture visionaries JAY-Z and Kanye West have joined their extraordinary talents to deliver the most anticipated album of the year, WATCH THE THRONE. The longtime friends and music innovators inspired each other to new heights with their collaboration on WATCH THE THRONE recorded in person at various locations…

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Melbourne's Northeast Party House announce national tour

Northeast Party House are a six piece psychedelic dance rock band from Melbourne, Australia. In early 2010 the band began playing warehouse parties and local venues and quickly gained a following based on their reputation for delivering high energy live shows. A demo version of the band’s track ‘Dusk’ gained blog attention and local airplay,…

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The Panda Band kick off their Charisma Weapon Album Tour Tomorrow

Fresh off the back of the WAMIs festival and a brief east coast run, Perth’s The Panda Band brace themselves for their national ‘Charisma Weapon’ Album Tour. Recently returning to the touring circuit after an extended break from the Australian spotlight, The Panda Band were received back with open arms at this years 2011 WAMIS……

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Ed Kuepper to perform with Mark Dawson for 'Rearranged' (two sets) national tour

ED KUEPPER, founding member of Australian proto-punks, The Saints, musical pioneer with the equally incendiary Laughing Clowns, owner of some 18+ solo albums and the newest member of Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds hits the road again this August/September to present ‘Re-Arranged’. A show in two (human) parts. Loosely described as “ambient-rockabilly”, the two-piece show sees…

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Prices to sit unchanged and RockWiz to play Pyramid Rock Festival 2011

Where does the time go? It feels like only yesterday that we were ringing in 2011 after three magical days of music festival frivolity on Phillip Island and already the time has come to look ahead to 2012. Well we here at PYRAMID ROCK FESTIVAL have been looking ahead for quite some time now, putting…

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Feist announces the first details of her highly anticipated new album Metals

Four years after the release of her Grammy-nominated, Juno Award-winning, best selling album The Reminder, Feist returns in 2011 with Metals. Recorded in Big Sur, California and co-produced by longtime collaborators Chilly Gonzales and Mocky, as well as newcomer Valgeir Sigurðsson (Bjork, Bonnie “Prince” Billy), Metals will be released on Polydor/Interscope/Universal/Arts & Crafts on October…

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GO/NO-GO announce single launch & new album

The better part of 2011 so far has seen Sydney 4-piece GO/NO-GO writing and recording their highly anticipated sophomore album. The release is due out this Summer, but there’s plenty of action to keep fans sated before then! The first single from the yet-to-be-titled album #2 is Phase Out, and will be released on 13th…

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Björk releases the Biophilia app for iPads, iPhones and iPod Touches

Björk continues to unveil Biophilia, her most interdisciplinary project to date, with today’s release of the Biophilia App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch and first two album singles “Cosmogony” and “Crystalline” on the iTunes Store. The full Biophilia album will be released on September 23 through One Little Indian/Universal. The groundbreaking director and longtime…

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Rage's Tom Morello aka The Nightwatchman to release new solo album in September

The new album is the anticipated follow up to the 2008 album by The Nightwatchman ‘The Fabled City’ and was produced by Morello. The first single ‘Save The Hammer For The Man’ was co-written with Ben Harper and features Harper on vocals and guitar. While Morello’s solo albums as The Nightwatchman have primarily been acoustic…

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St Jerome's to get new life in Melbourne with The Resurrection, opening in August

Dear friends, We’d like to put paid to some rumours you may have been hearing around town. St Jerome’s is not re-opening. It can’t. The building got pulled down. However, we’re opening up a venue named The Resurrection in Lygon Street East Brunswick, which pays homage to the glorious institution that was St Jerome’s in…

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Sony teams up with Motorola to find High School talent in MySchoolAct

Musicians from every metro, regional and rural high school across Australia are being given an opportunity like never before, the chance of scoring a recording deal with Sony Music Entertainment to the value of $50,000 as well as being included in the lineup at Australia’s biggest touring music festival the Big Day Out 2012 all…

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Mikelangelo and The Tin Star kick off three date tour next Friday

Melbourne’s foremost purveyors of surf ‘n’ western sounds, Mikelangelo and the Tin Star return to the Vanguard for one night only Friday 5 August. The group launched their debut album, The Surf ‘n’ Western Sounds Of Mikelangelo and the Tin Star, to a sell out show at the Vanguard in June, and are bringing their…

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Peats Ridge on the lookout to discover Australia’s next home-grown talent for this year’s line-up!

Artists from around Australia are encouraged to apply to perform at the annual Peats Ridge Arts and Music Festival. Musicians, artists and theatre groups will have an opportunity to unlock their door to stardom by appearing in front of more than 10,000 people over New Years from Thursday 29 December to Sunday 01 January 2011….

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The Boroughs bring New York Dolls back to Australia!

It’s official. The Boroughs – the boutique New York-inspired arts and culture festival – will bring the highly influential punk band the New York Dolls to Australia this October! For the first time since 2007, the 70s icons will reach Australian shores in all their glamour and glory. This time, it’ll be as spokespeople and…

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Boy & Bear to play iTunes Live in Sydney next Wednesday

On the eve of the release of their first full-length effort, the freshly minted Moonfire, Boy & Bear will hold a free performance as part of the iTunes Live from Sydney series. On Wednesday 3rd August, Sydney fans will have an opportunity to attend a live, acoustic and intimate performance by Boy & Bear as…

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Drapht announces national tour running through September and October

It’s been one hell of a year for Australian hip hop artist DRAPHT, with his fourth album “The Life of Riley” debuting at number 1 on the ARIA charts (still the only Australian artist to do so this year!). With tracks “Rapunzel” and “Sing It (The Life of Riley)” getting a smashing on radio and…

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Pnau – Billboard the Venue (26.07.11)

Pnau have finally made it back on Australian shores this year, touring with the Big Day Out festival and playing their first run of headlining side shows since Nick Littlemore ‘vanished’ from the spotlight back in 2009. The atmosphere in the band room was electric as the lights dimmed and the audience was bathed in…

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Modest Mouse + Deep Sea Arcade – Enmore Theatre (25.07.11)

What was all this talk about Modest Mouse only playing new songs at On The Bright Side? I just saw the setlist then and it was pretty much ONLY old stuff. Just because it’s super old and you don’t know what it is, doesn’t a new song make! Pfft. Anyway, for one reason or another…

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King Cannons – King Cannons (2011 EP)

Melbourne based six piece King Cannons make music that is a little bit punk, a little bit reggae, a little bit roots and a whole lotta rock. This is a genre I’ve never cared for but even to my skeptical ears their self-titled EP is a well crafted release that showcases the band’s obvious talent…

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Music Video Monday feat. Deru, Oh Mercy, Skipping Girl Vinegar, Moonbell, Belles Will Ring, The Windy City, The Snowdroppers, Beaches and more!

Just barely making this online before the end of the day, but it still counts! We’re back once again with our weekly Music Video Monday! We kick things off with our video of the week, which goes to an electronic artist from Los Angeles who I only discovered over the weekend: Deru (Benjamin Wynn). The…

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Live Review: Sleepmakeswaves + This Is Your Captain Speaking + These Hands Could Seperate The Sky + Lunaire – East Brunswick Hotel (22.07.2011)

I remember being so impressed when I heard my first post rock song – “Sleep” by Godspeed You! Black Emperor. It changed my musical life and brought a whole new perspective on listening. Music was more than just a 3 piece band and a vocalist. This new genre was an exciting and uncharted area for…

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WIM Album Launch w/ Bukhu + James Domeyko – Paddington Uniting Church (22.07.11)

The threat of facing a torrential downpour did not dampen the spirits of the guests who attended the first gig of many for WIM’s self-titled debut album launch tour, held at Paddington Uniting Church in Sydney. The landmark venue gave way to a diverse range of live acts to attract all ages. On the hall…

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Oscar + Martin + Absolute Boys – The Northcote Social Club (22.07.11)

The hipsters were out in force at The Northcote on Friday, braving the cold in their op-shop finest, eagerly awaiting the appearance of Oscar Slorach-Thorn and Martin King. Warming the stage were local trio Absolute Boys who stole the show with an engaging, intense performance. Their music is a blend of post-rock experimental ambience that…

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the AU interview: Xani Colac & Mark Leahy of The Twoks (Melbourne) with Kate McMahon of Elephant Eyes (Melbourne)

There are a plethora of bands in Melbourne all attempting to carve a career for themselves in our effervescent and often unrelenting arts scene. Very occasionally an artist will come along and knock you flat with the incredible beauty and subtle genius of their sound. Local bands The Twoks and Elephant Eyes are two of…

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The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar (2011 LP)

Welsh trio The Joy Formidable have been taking the world by storm with their massive grungy, guitar driven rock. Their debut LP The Big Roar, has been a long time in the works and the resulting sound is a testament to the bands brute force and chaotic beauty of their live performances. The Big Roar…

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Live Review: Dan Sultan + Alexander Gow – The Gov, Adelaide (21.07.11)

After having taken some time away from music, Dan Sultan was back in Adelaide performing over two nights, with Oh Mercy’s Alexander Gow. Sultan’s popularity is such that Thursday night’s gig sold out and a second show was added. These shows were more of a double bill, than a traditional support and main act gig,…

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