Here’s a scrawling of memories regarding a gig at the lovely Factory Theatre in Sydney that involved a certain formido Leporidae – Frightened Rabbit to quote the Latin. I arrived a little late and missed the start of support act Sierra Fin. However, the group showed some nice enthusiasm, especially drummer Frosty who used his…
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There was electricity in the air of the Prince Bandroom as hundreds of excited punters braved the stormy weather and made the trek down to St. Kilda to catch electro-pop wonders Passion Pit on the last of their Splendour in the Grass sideshows. Supporting the boys on their Australian tour were The Joy Formidable who…
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Just two days ago, the Metro Theatre was faced with a dark divide: on one side were the loitering, cigarette smoking hipsters; and the other, groups of chubby middle-aged men joking loudly and drinking VB. It’s moments like these which bring a tear to my eye, proud of music’s role in bringing all sorts of…
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Once again, Oxford Art Factory has played host to a night for the memory bank with The Drums throwing one hell of a party. This review is a tad behind schedule for reasons beyond control of Ares the mighty war god, but here it is for you to peruse. Before I get to the goodness…
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From the minute I entered the venue on day two, I found myself feeling much more a part of the festival atmosphere than I did the day prior. What would go on to happen today and the next would prove Splendour 2010 to be the best festival I’ve ever attended in the Southern Hemisphere –…
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The wonderful fortnight of Splendour in the Grass sideshows continued last night with the sole international hip hop artist to get a spot on the lineup: Canada’s K-OS. Catching him briefly at Splendour and being blown away by his set at Good Vibrations many years ago, I had eagerly anticipated his sideshow. I arrived at…
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48 hours or so after Splendour came to an end, I return to Sydney slightly under the weather, with the memories of an excellent weekend that passed by all too quickly. Thankfully, the sideshows continue around the city and the country, keeping our live music withdrawals at bay – at least for the moment. The…
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It’s a little overdue, but now is as good a time as any to take a look-see at Tame Impala’s debut album InnerSpeaker. Given the belated nature of this review there is a good chance that you have probably heard most of the LP, or even acquired its goodness for your own enjoyment. Nevertheless, there…
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After hearing about the epic 6 hour delays some punters encountered entering the camping area in the later hours of Thursday evening, I couldn’t help but be thankful I had elected to stay in a hotel in Brisbane for the first night. Thankfully, the delays were down to between 1 and 2 hours by the…
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“No-one told you to come to my concert, and that’s what I appreciate the most. There’s no sheep in this crowd.” -Richard Ashcroft, prior to his embarrassing Splendour fiasco. Ashcroft is the soul of an era once past, one of the few britpop legends managing to survive with the same dignity they once possessed. His…
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A large crowd was crammed into the Workers bandroom to watch local folktronic act Goodnight Owl launch the film clip for “Maps and Compasses”, taken from their recently released self titled EP. Supporting the band were a young group from Geelong called Sleep Decade. Sleep Decade were a pleasant surprise with their pleasant blend of…
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Brisbane’s finest purveyors of indie pop, The Boat People, graced the Worker’s Club with one of the final shows on their Dear Darkly album launch tour. First on the billing were local act Drugs In Vegas. Formed in their final year of high school, Drugs In Vegas have already amassed quite the fan base through…
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Pop audiences in Australia have never really embraced big, outdoor festivals (remember Rumba?), but Paperchase Touring seemed to have found a winning format of late with R&B/urban mini-festivals at Acer Arena such as Supafest and Winter Jam. This time it’s called Winterbeatz, and it boasts Ne-Yo, T-Pain, Outkast’s Big Boi and Fatman Scoop. Arena doors…
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Opting to enjoy a night in Brisbane rather than at the Splendour campgrounds, I headed along to the Troubadour to catch up and coming bands Blame Ringo and Montpelier, who tonight were celebrating the launch of a tour around QLD and Northern NSW. With the exhaustion of an extensive touring schedule yet to kick in,…
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Tomorrow we head up to Splendour in the Grass, but before we make the voyage, we thought we’d touch base with one of our favourite bands, Frightened Rabbit, who are playing at the Festival on Sunday, alongside a few sideshows around the country! Kindly taking up the interview with us was Grant Hutchinson, the drummer…
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As I entered the Hordern Pavilion beer garden, I found my ears telling my feet something they didn’t expect: RUN. There was a sound coming from the stage that simply sounded amazing. It wasn’t The Temper Trap, no – it was way too early! It was a band from North Wales (via London) called The…
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Splendour in the Grass is almost upon us and the sideshows kicked off in Melbourne last week, including an intimate set at the Workers Club with the UK’s best kept secret The Joy Formidable. The Workers underwent a slight transformation for the evening, with the front bar closed off to the general public and the…
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It is difficult to imagine, when observing the masses of leather jackets, studs, and dirty beards at the Annandale on Friday night, that these crowds were here to see a band whose most popular song references Jesus in its title. A self-confessed stoner rock band, Violent Soho were here to ignite an explosive release for…
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Having just released his unexpectedly brilliant debut album ((un)), and touring Australia for the first time this September with Parklife, we had a chat to the maestro of “wonky pop”, Dan Black… while he was sitting on a street corner in Paris – where he just so happens to live! Ah, the life of the…
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Cabins (pictured below) kicked things off with some loud bluesy rock and roll. Whether you arrived in time for them or The Vasco Era, it would have been a similar treat, but I think those that made it just that little bit earlier would have been pretty chuffed! The second song of the night, “Mary”…
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All good things must come to an end, even Glastonbury. So now we are onto the last day of Glastonbury, all that’s left after this is a wasteland of tents, and trip back to home comforts. The day started off well, with Frightened Rabbit on the Other Stage. They played a strong set, and showed…
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Returning to Australia for a short tour this September, including a stop off at the Sydney Fringe Festival, we chat with Toronto’s Buck 65. We chat about the tour, his upcoming EP, working with Sufjan Stevens, Marie-Pierre Arthur and Hawksley Workman and living in France! Hi Buck! Thank for taking the time to speak with…
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Another Friday night, another fantastic lineup at World Bar’s MUM! As is always the case, there was plenty of mayhem on multiple stages, so I wasn’t able to catch everyone, but here’s a short recap of the three bands I did see. First up on tonight’s national affair were Adelaide’s Steering by Stars. Touring their…
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Kite Club’s debut EP Esoterica is a surreal experience that envelopes the listener in a miasma of wistful pop melodies that are deliciously avant garde in their construction. Nicholas D. Futcher, the young musical mind behind Kite Club, has created a sound that is similar to the likes of Dirty Projectors and Wild Beasts with…
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Kat Mahina recently chatted with the lead vocalist of Melbourne’s Goodnight Owl, Eddie Alexander. He let’s us in on who Goodnight Owl are, what they’re all about and what’s next! How did the band meet and start playing together? We started playing together because Joe and I recorded the EP and then obviously needed to…
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Hello Ernest, its Amanda from the AU review, how’s the day been? Pretty good, Keita and I have been buying more jumpers. Ah yes I was at your gig a couple of weeks ago at Oxford art factory, and I was taking a look at your sweet jumpers you have on sale. They go pretty…
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The first event of Summer returns… STEREOSONIC 2010 NATIONAL TOUR DATES: Saturday 27th Nov – SYDNEY – Sydney Showgrounds – Main Arena and Surrounds 12pm-11pm (Gates open 11:45am) Sunday 28th Nov – PERTH* – Claremont Showground 12pm-10pm (Gates open 11:30am) Saturday 4th Dec – ADELAIDE – Bonython Park 12pm-10pm (Gates open 11:45am) Saturday 4th Dec…
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Melbourne duo Fabulous Diamonds have finally dropped their second LP, aptly titled Fabulous Diamonds II! As they tour the album around the country with a series of album launches, we had a quick chat with one half of the band, Nisa Venerosa. First of all, congratulations on the new album Fabulous Diamonds II! You launched…
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Last Friday, Darren Hanlon’s anticipated new album I Will Love You At All was released nationwide. Ahead of the release, I got a phone call from the man himself, and we chatted about the new album, songwriting, SXSW (who wasn’t there in 2010, seriously!?), signing to a US label, and why playing in Tippaburra was…
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It’s a pretty disconcerting feeling when you venture to see a band who made it into your Top 10 Albums of 2009 list and end up entering a near-empty venue, but then again, it’s Brisbane and Black Cab aren’t well known up here, despite having long conquered their hometown of Melbourne. So to those who…
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