British India - God Is Dead Meet The Kids

The Melbourne lads have just released the second film clip from their sophomore record 'Thieves', thoughts?

BIG DAY OUT SYDNEY ~ 23/01/09

What a year to blend into other years.

It was my 5th year Big Day Out Anniversary and it was, yeah okay. Nothing amazing, nothing short of shit but to be honest, it's either me getting old or times are changin'.

When I draw back on the memory, the whole ordeal brings to light scorching heat and too many fucking people. I can only estimate it was almost 40 degrees in the middle of the day and with no where to hide from the sun, I really started to question if Olympic Park really is the best venue for such a festival. Yeah it's big, but the sound is kind of shitty (especially the main stages) and when it rains or simply burns the skin on our bones, there is really nowhere to hide. This is my first complaint.

So the day started off in some ridiculously long, smoker friendly line with a 30 minute waiting time to even walk in the door (without even showing my ticket) in 30 degree + heat. So it came as no surprise whilst watching the end of the fantastic Children Collide, it was lights out scout. I was watching the Melbournites perform the last of their set, when suddenly it was all white bright lights and ears popping. Luckily I made it to St Johns in time for an excess of water and recovery, just in time.

So I walked aimlessly around in hope of recovery, seeking shade and H20, then it came time to catch The Ting Tings, and nothing much has changed, they still sucked and for some hope of improving their sound the peeps at BDO put them on the small stage? Idiots. I've never seen so much human traffic in that grassy space and it was literally human traffic a la Sneaky Sound System in the Lillypad 2007. Drag. Did I mention there is possible pun in calling them The Tin Tins because it would suit better.

Next up was Black Kids and they were amazing, I didn't see much as I was holding prime position for TVOTR, however the U.S kids sounded just like their record and normally I hate that but after a disappointing day it was nice to hear something of quality.

And now for what I had been waiting for... TVOTR!
It was good, great, amazing but I expected more? Their sound I think is better suited for indoors with many songs almost hard to make out for the first minute. The exotic, eccentric dance moves held my gazed and the crowd were really chilled, besides one girl off her tits flashing her undies to everyone. All in all I guess I was happy to hear 'Staring At The Sun' as well as a distorted 'Red Dress' but wish I caught the sideshow.

I start to lose track of the day a little, a mix of vodka slushies, cooling summer eve on the grass and My Morning Jacket (who were fucking impressive!). Here comes the best part of the day where you start to find everyone because they're too fucked up to move fast now and all your text messages start to transit. I caught The Drones, got in a grass fight and made my way to the Arctic Monkeys.

I'd missed these guys several times now, but was never particularly fussed, and to be honest the main stage did the U.K teens no justice. It's very hard for anyone to sound good in that stadium (cast your mind back to White Stripes walking off stage in 06') and it was just kind of luke warm to me. Could of been the vodka or the torn choice to be there instead of Hot Chip (even if I did see them the Wednesday before).

The best thing was their cover of 'Red Right Hand' originally by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. It was pretty hot, but definitely lacked the edge and sophisticated murderous essence that Cave provides, though still a highlight.

So one drink blends into the next and my memory starts to decay, from my memory I ended up catching the end of Hot Chip performing 'Ready For The Floor' and in the chaos of the barricades and masses flocking to see The Prodigy, my equally sweaty friend and I decided to wander, accidentally stumbling upon a very empty arena with a lone Neil Young. I was too messed up to take it all in and somehow ended up back in the Boiler Room and amongst the wet mess witnessing The Prodigy who were quite literally off the wall.

The rest of the night has faded and I somehow woke up sans phone and only a sun burnt forehead. Kind of alright really but now particular moments I'll remember for life aka Arcade Fire 08', The Hives 05', Mars Volta 06, and well nothing really in 07' thanks to the special K bomb.

Will I go next year? I honestly don't think so... Don't quote me on it though..

Oh a baby sister

http://tinysinglesounds.blogspot.com/

Look what baby made waiting for a lift.

What I've Been Listening To In The Background

The Protectors ~ The title sounds like an influential 80's band late for it's time.

So an OWM reader sent me an email suggesting 'The Protectors' to me and well for the first time, I actively traveled straight to their Myspace page (and lets just take a moment to praise Myspace music, making the digital world just that much more excessble and well just better - amen)..

I was caught of guard by this electric dose of camp, not too camp, just right. The first track is Dangerous Boys and it starts off distorted but carried with a nice soft guitar intro and then evolves to a riff I'd expect influenced from the first Killers Record. It's really upbeat and at first my funeral music taste was all intimidated and hated it. Trying to open up my musical pallet I listened again, I liked.. it is great weekend music, before you go out, cleaning your room and well I'd definitely catch a gig, it sounds like a band who would deliver an upbeat performance.

I like how none of the tracks sound alike, 'I'm a Sister' reminds me of 'The Young Knives' and 'Speak Slowly' is a decendent of LCD and Hot Chip.

I can name all of these influences even if they have not had a hand in production, if they all sounded like the same artist I'd have a problem, but there is nothing from with takes of influence from an array of respectable acts.

Summer soundtrack? Check it >> http://www.myspace.com/theprotectors

We Are Scientists - Thanks to an amazing Glastonbury DVD

For my 21st birthday I received some amazing gifts, some I'd use, some I'd only hop to ie. A Gordon Ramsay Book (I've read it and tried, but you see I've ignited my kitchen twice now - truth is I'm just scared) but one of the best was from a mates Dad who burnt me 08's Glastonbury DVD's.

It hurts to watch because it seems an injustice that I wasn't actually present but through the power of T.V I can watch it from my bed. I picked up a variety of acts mainly We Are Scientists, their performance of 'After Hours' got my attention from beneath my pile of uni readings. Bad W.A.S for encouraging no study.. anyway it's a fun song on high rotation which you confuse for a story about unity and love or something like that but it's basically about a venue haha. It's nice, and starts almost exactly like (Antichrist Televisions Blues) by Arcade Fire, I can overlook it because it makes me happy.

I also picked up on The Editors, the U.K version of Interpol, I like it but not sure if I can stand the similarity.

Ohhh I FINIAL LY got 'Dear Science'! Only now you say? Yeah, only now.. But you see music this fine needs time, appreciation and company.. I need to be with it night and day and I just have not had the time until now.. it's great, wait no, that's dressing it down.. it's immaculate, a portrait of everything (and it's little) great that's going on in music right now, it's like coke in the nose of the nobles.. Raw, deep and bubbly indie sounds.
The best thing about TVOTR is their impeccable talent with loops and Tunde Adebimpe's perfectly echoed vocals. Perfection.

Oh and in other OWM news, we are going to be one of the lucky blogs who will be receiving an exclusive look into one of Sydney's best indie acts new tunes :D This will be an amazing thing for me and you kids because of course if I'm listening, so will you.. More on this soon!

ALSO THOSE OF YOU ATTENDING BIG DAY OUT - do not be lame and show up for the main acts, get outside the bubble and see some kids you might not know! I know Sydney has Children Collide, Sparkadia, Eddy Current Suppression Ring and a few others on early, totally check them out.. DO IT.
Take care crumble-butts.

TUBES 4 GOOGS - Where you need to be Jan 10th!

So as you should all be aware, I am in fact a Central Coastian that somehow got under the fence and made it to the city of Sydney! Thankfully!

However I haven't forgotten my roots nor the place where I sat discovered all my favourite records as I grew up.

So the place doesn't have much but sand, ocean and beer but it has some great people too and the cool cats from the Coast are throwing the biggest event on the beach side towns calendar Tubes 4 Googs!

What's a Googs you ask? Well a "Googs" is a Sean Macgugan of the tight Avoca community who suffered a horrific spinal injury whilst surfing in Samoa in 2003. So in support of Sean and those less fortnuate, Sean's Mates and the whole Central Coast community put together a surf for charity event on the beaches of Avoca including a kick ass benefit night to top it all off.

All proceeds from the comp and benefit go to charity and the whole weekend is killer.

So with a few extra hands involved 6 years later T4G has become a largely sponsored event which takes over 3 days of the January calendar and host some of the best local talent for one night of madness.

Who can you catch this year? Amy Meredeth, Parades, The Lazys, Goons Of Doom, Vaudeville, We Are Grace, One Jonathon and many many more all for $20 at The Woodport Inn who recently hosted Melbourne teen heart throbs British India which sold out to a packed house.

The booze is cheap, the cause is great and the bands are killer.. Why wouldn't you be there?
www.t4g.com.au for tickets!

Happy New Year kids!

My Top 5 Records On High Rotation 08

Children Collide – The Long Now – Most Anticipated.

I can say this was my most anticipated of 2008 easily.
When these lads signed up with Universal (home to other Aussie acts such as Grinspoon and Jet) I was curious to how the production giants would portray these musical rogues from the suburbs of Melbourne.
Children Collide aren’t some hot new thing from the fluro gen, nor are they thrusting through the airwaves, they’re better known to those Triple J fans and punters were more likely to see them doing the duties of support acts over the last few years.
In saying that, those shows and solid Triple J support has landed the lads the majority of their fan base.

Children Collide have an obscure eastern European premise that no one has proven to compare right now and I was impressed that there was no image sell out which is usually associated with hooking up with mega record labels.

It’s basically a polished EP but I still love it.

Sparkadia – Postcards – Most Surprising

These kids literally came out of nowhere. I had never heard of them, and caught them sneaking into a free Dappled Show which had reached capacity. Literally, this record rocks.
Live, recorded the songs are just good, no real cliché hooks or lame lyrics just a solid album. Great flow. Great band.

The Subways – All Or Nothing – Most Predictable Sam Choice

There isn’t much you could do to tear me away from this band. They can break-up get engaged, get loose and get lyrical and it’s all fucking gold. I just love that U.K London rock sound, kind of obvious riffs but this is an angrier offering and I just like it better that way, this one would be particular to taste I’d say.

The Kills – Midnight Boom – Most likely to not make a follow up but get it while it’s hot!

New band and new Kate Moss beau, these kids from the U.K have it going on with this kind of easy pop edgy sounds. I’m always one for male/female acts and intertwining vocals and the record is just really fun. Great variety of upbeat tracks and some more mellow like ‘Black Balloon’. For the kids who know the English do it better.

British India – Thieves – Second Most Predictable Choice

Say what you want about these Melbourne kids, they make a great record in little time. There are a few fillers in there but ‘Thieves’ provides a deeper look into Melia’s and Wilson’s musical partnership and offers more hits than Triple J can throw a female vote at.

Soko @ Oxford Arts

In a music world jam-packed with Internet sensations and overnight fame fare for fifteen year olds, it was no surprised when the masses took to a cute little French girl with gutter mouth and an adorable accent with an interesting trademark of ‘frenglish’ if you will.

Soko set the Internet and airwaves alight with her single ‘I’ll Kill Her’ late in 2007. The song detailing her desire to kill the girl who caught a love interests eyes over her and projects their future together in a ‘what would have been’ scenario, all ending in threats.

The first time I heard her it was love and after seeing the petite Parisian in person and perform, I can say it’s safe I’ll never love again. Unrequited loves a bitch right?

After a few wines at The Exchange a primarily female crowd filed into the depths of Oxford Arts and awaited patiently throughout the support. Cuthbert and the Night Walkers were amazing but played a little too long for an opener. They kind of sound like early Architecture and Helsinki crossbred with Arcade Fire and B52’s. I dug it.

Anyhow, we waited on for another half hour of sound checks and such and in great anticipation became slightly restless. Alas, at about 10 o’clock the red curtain exposed three keyboards one on which sat a tiny cat lantern, an assortment of acoustic guitars, ukuleles, bass and a miniture drum set. Oh and then emerged a sleepy looking Soko almost out of nowhere!

She’s quite short and dressed in a loose white singlet and her voice is as squeaky and as cute as you imagine when she says hello and declares her jet lag.

Opening with a proclaimed lullaby, I bent down to grab my camera and it’s utterly quiet. You could literally hear me rummaging through my shit; the crowd was entirely engaged in the tiny little voice.

The song came to a holt and the Parisian became alarmed realizing she had not lit her incense and frantically rush around the stage and lit the two sticks stating that “now she could play”.

Soko introduced her entourage of two and set into ‘Happy Hippy Birthday/They Shoot’. The most moving of the performances as she tells the story of hesitation to contact the one you love on their birthday, when they don’t love you. Declaring the man in the song the only man she can love and wrapping up the song in tears. My cold heart literally broke for her.

My favorite song of the night would most likely be ‘I Wanna Look Like A Tiger’ performed in the tiger hat/rug/god knows as pictured above.

The audience interaction was unlike any gig I’d been to before, Soko literally conversing with the crowd and speaking openly to the light and sound guys throughout the performance. After continuously requesting not so much light and eventually no light to which they ignored she finally demanded the light guy “go to the bar and have a beer” to ease the heat on stage. Unfortunately the lights were turned up yet again and inspired my favourite Soko quote of the night “It’s not that I don’t like lights, I just don’t like lights”.

The lights were as unruly as the many drunken clowns in the audience, most making me embarrassed to be Australian (you know the bogan who requests ‘Khe San’ at a French show… no joke.. someone actually asked Soko to play Cold Chisel!). The sound wasn’t much better with serious distortion marring the majority of the show.

After a while the songs start to melt into one another and all bled to be the same about dying alone, being alone and unrequited love, did I mention dying alone?

With no set list the show continued into it’s second hour which provided the crowd pleasing hit ‘I’ll Kill Her’ and my favourite ‘Wet Dreams’ which was performed with a kind overweight man from the audience who seemed quite pleased to stand next to the petite potty mouth as she sung about “bang bang bang in the back of your mothers car”.

I’ve walked out on very few shows in my life but after the French darling realized there was no curfew and could continue playing I wasn’t ready for more due to a painful pair of new shoes and some friendly wine and decided to hit the road with a few other punters.

It will definitely go down as one of my favourite shows ever intimately and I’d definitely see Soko again because the whole time you feel like you’re in this conversation with her about her bizarre life and it’s probably the most enchanting thing.