The Music (Melbourne) Issue #140

25.05.16

Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture

Issue

140

Melbourne / Free / Incorporating

THE SOUND ISSUE: How To Make It And Appreciate It

2 • THE MUSIC • 25TH MAY 2016

THE MUSIC 25TH MAY 2016 • 3

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Love My Country

Country’s golden girl Imogen Clark is ready to go with her new album, Love &

Lovely Lies. The 21-year-old will serenade audiences all around Aus over her eight-

date tour throughout July and August.

Rising From The Ash

American metal trio Black Tusk are heading to Australia and New Zealand for the first

time ever in August this year. They’ll be showcasing their 2014 release Pillars Of Ash

in memory of late bassist Jonathan Athon.

May The Force

After a dangerous seizure in 2013, Abbe May is making a triumphant return with a new album, Bitchcraft. Along with the release of first single, Are We Flirting?, May will celebrate the new album with a national tour this July.

Black Tusk

Abbe May

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c / Arts /Music / Arts / Lifestyle / Culture


Heartbreak CalAmity

Australian hardcore rockers Amity Affliction will head on an east coast tour this August to celebrate the release of their fifth studio album, This Could Be Heartbreak. The tour

features support from Trophy Eyes, with the album out that same month.

Cold Calling

Coldplay will bring their 2015 album A Head Full Of Dreams to Aus later this year. Having kicked off their world tour in South America earlier this year, the UK alt-pop legends will hit the country in early December.

The amount that Sia donated to the animal charity of a Survivor’s

contestant’s choice when she crashed the stage at

the show’s fi nale.

Coldplay

Imogen Clark

Amity Affl ication

$50,000

Music /



Say Thank You To Your Aunty

Following a busy run at every comedy festival under the sun Melburnian comedy troupe Aunty Donna have announced they’re far from finished, with a massive national tour announced for next month.

Hellephant

Victorian loop odyssey DD Dumbo will tour the country in July, following a string of

shows throughout the UK and Europe. Armed with latest offering, Satan, the soloist will hit

Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Surrender To Funnies

Writer, comedian and creator of the podcast and TV show Comedy Bang! Bang! Scott Aukerman has announced his first live tour of the show will be coming to Australia this August.

DD Dumbo

Scott Aukerman

Aunty Donna

Arts / Lif

The percentage increase in APRA AMCOS writer

members receiving royalties according to the organisation’s most recent

quarterly distribution.

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Ruby Skippers

New Zealand producer Tiki Taane is about to make his way to Aus with his biggest tour of the country yet. Playing a total of 14 dates around the nation, the Kiwi musician will promote his new single, No Place Like Home, all throughout October and November

Cub On Mess Me Up

Brisbane’s Cub Sport have dropped a creepy, ingeniously

edited music video for their new single, Come On

Mess Me Up, ahead of a massive three months of

global touring that will reach Australia in August.

The Letter Sea

Brisbane alt-rockers Dead Letter Circus will head out on tour again this August, with the band promising one dollar from every ticket sale of the 11 dates going to conservationist not-for-profit organisation Sea Shepherd Australia.

Tiki Taane

Dead Letter Circus

Cub Sport

Music /



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Grab Your Fork

The first ever Melbourne Italian Food + Wine Festival will get your stomach rumbling before you try selections of

pizza and fresh pasta on 29 May at the Royal Exhibition Building.

Feeling MIFFed?

The Melbourne International Film Festival have revealed their opening night film, screening 28 July, The Death And Life Of Otto Bloom. Starring Xavier Samuel, the film tells the story of a man whose time is reversed.

Bunch Of Savages

Come this June Cash Savage & The Last Drinks will be releasing their third full-length album One Of Us, as well as returning to the road with their explosive live show for a four-date national tour.

Axis Of Jobrani

Founding member of the Axis Of

Evil musical comedy group Maz

Jobrani has announced he will

be returning to Australia this July

for two headline shows in Melbourne

and Sydney.

Italian Food + Wine Festival

Maz Jobrani

The Death And Life Of Otto Bloom

Cash Savage & The Last Drinks

Arts / LiSydney has THREE major book events on this week. Twitter might break, and there could be a run on notepads.

#cbca2016@isobelmarmion Sydney’s lit fiends have been living large - you’d think they’d share it around a little.



Cast Off Tomorrow

Folk-rock artist Tim Wheatley has dropped the third single, 78

Benz, from his 2015-released album Cast Of Yesterday, and

announced he’ll be performing two headline shows in Australia

next month.

Celebrate Scorsese

ACMI will be hosting the first exhibition of objects from the legendary Goodfellas director Martin Scorsese’s stellar career in Scorsese from 26 May to 18 September.

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Well before both bands enjoyed high-charting records, numerous sell-out shows, industry awards,

international recognition and magazine covers, Jake Taylor, vocalist for Byron Bay’s In Hearts Wake has vivid - and fond - memories of the invaluable shared experiences and kinship formed between his band and Sydney heavy-hitters Northlane during their formative years.

“We’ve grown up together, seeing each other on such a humble level of... It didn’t matter, it was never about how many people came to our shows,” he ponders from his home after the recent Groovin The Moo series. “We played to like ten people in a converted cafe on a Sunday afternoon in Melbourne, that’s one of the shows I do remember. We were just having the time of our lives, just playing music. You form an alliance and a bond when you share those experiences with bands, because it’s priceless. Having grown from that grassroots level to somehow we’re playing to a few thousand people now, it’s still the same people, there’s still that respect that was always there, and that’s really how we’ve grown together.

“It’s important to always remember those times, to hold them close, and that’s something that we got to share with Northlane. We were friends from the start. We just got along very well, and have ever since. So it’s just natural to take this next step with a band that is ready to also take that next step.”

Northlane singer Marcus Bridge was enlisted prior to last year’s Node record, so is unable to afford similar long-term perspective. As a relative newcomer though, does he believe a common ground of being socially and politically active is one of the primary reasons for this unwavering friendship? “Yeah, I think so, I guess Northlane and In Hearts Wake both have very strong messages in their music,” he explains while on tour in Switzerland after recently completing the star-studded Impericon touring festival. “That wasn’t necessarily the main reasoning for doing the [Equinox] collaboration, but it’s cool to have both of our takes on the world we live in touched on

by both bands in different ways than they would have previously.

“But I think overall the whole project came from mateship as well, and

just the idea of getting to do this as a bunch of friends having fun. But

also spreading that message, that positive message or spreading an

idea that things can be different, things can be changed.”

The unique musical joint venture he speaks of, Equinox,

Chart-toppers, label-mates and brothers - Northlane and In

Hearts Wake are all of these and more.

Brendan Crabb chats with respective vocalists Marcus

Bridge and Jake Taylor about friendly rivalry. Cover and feature pics

by Kane Hibberd.

Music

Joining Forces

THE MUSIC 25TH MAY 2016 • 1325TH MAY 2016 016 • 13• 13THE MUSIC 2

“It is a sensitive topic, it’s a very tricky one to undergo,” Taylor chimes in. “It’s something that a spotlight needs to be on in the mainstream. Looking up the figures on it, there’s over 60 million displaced individuals. It’s like more than World War II, and that was the last time it was ever such a great number. So it really is in a state of chaos. There’s a lot of people turning a blind eye to it and ignoring it. People that are suffering. It’s like, these are human�beings.”

The EP’s success (the vinyl edition sold out in mere hours) only continues the perpetual momentum enjoyed by each band recently. The year 2015 was a dear diary one for both bands. Node debuted at number one on the ARIA charts, while In Hearts Wake landed at number two with Skydancer. Both played to thousands of devotees at sold out gigs throughout the country. Northlane also bested In Hearts Wake to take home Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album at the ARIAs.

Such achievements aren’t mere serendipity. As indicated by their modest origins, the acts’ work ethic is telling. Both tour extensively abroad amid oft-gruelling conditions. For instance, Taylor notes they’ll soon undertake the lucrative, albeit demanding US Warped Tour, a platform having been laid after traversing throughout America four times last year.

On his podcast, Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta often utilises the phrase “high tide raises all ships” regarding heavy music’s growth; believing one’s positive fortunes can have a trickle-down effect for many others. This seems readily applicable to Australia’s homegrown heavy scene. As close as the outfits remain though, the accompanying narrative would suggest a good-natured rivalry exists between Northlane and In Hearts Wake. “I think so, but I don’t think we take it too seriously or anything,” Bridge surmises. “I guess it’s kinda good to have someone like that, for both of us pushing each other to do better. We’re all like very close, so no matter what happens we always support each other. When we did actually get that (the ARIA win), we all got messages from the boys and they were all stoked for us. I think there’s a little bit of that kind of competitiveness, but only all in good spirits.”

“We’ve always been peers and brothers, and always been lumped into the same category, so that’s naturally going to happen,” Taylor says of comparisons. “But the way I see it is, as long as it’s us or them, I’m stoked.”

is a three-track EP written by and featuring all ten musicians from the metalcore bands. The project had been in the pipeline for a few years, but it wasn’t until the groups had breaks in their respective schedules that it came to fruition. In January, they recorded in secret with producer Will Putney in�Melbourne.

The concert translation of this surprisingly synergistic studio process will entail sets from each act, as well as a section featuring all the members performing the EP in its entirety. This is the only time such a live union - let’s

dub them Northwake - is planned to take place. “What we want to do is have everyone on stage, trying new things,” Taylor enthuses. “How to have the voices of ten different members come through at once is quite a task. It’s a task on a technical side of things - how do you actually pull that off, without it sounding muddy and without it not working? So that for me is the greatest challenge of this collaboration, pulling that off on stage.”

“We’re figuring it out at the moment actually,” Bridge adds. “We’ve started playing Hologram on this current tour, just getting in the groove of that. But we’re gonna try and get as many of all the band members on stage as we can to do it. There’ll be a few other surprises as well for the tour.”

An obvious point of reference on Equinox is the track Refuge, which tackles head-on an issue many would rather not discuss, or prefer to remain blissfully ignorant of. “I think it’s a bit of a touchy subject with some people when it really shouldn’t be,” Bridge explains. “People like shouldn’t have to fear for their lives where they live, and if that means having to move across the world to find a home somewhere else, you should be able to do that. But there’s a lot of people that have that mentality of... that we live here and that they shouldn’t, and that’s just an idea which is a bit outdated. I think it will do some good and some people will definitely find something in that. Hopefully it changes some views on some things. I don’t think a lot of people truly understand how serious it actually is.”

But also spreading that message, that positive message or spreading an idea that things can be different, things can be change.

The Harsh RealityIn Hearts Wake and Northlane’s Australian label-mates at UNFD, Thy Art Is Murder, garnered international headlines last year following the resignation of growler CJ McMahon. The vocalist’s dissertation on perceived financial hardships while in a constantly touring heavy band resulted in widespread coverage. McMahon claimed an inability to even earn minimum wage fronting the deathcore act.

The Music quizzes Bridge and Taylor on how McMahon’s statement regarding the harsh realities of road life and monetary security resonated with them. “What he said is very true, it’s a bit hard to make a living doing this, but especially for me it’s not the end goal of it all,” Bridge explains. “I’ve been put in this pretty unique situation. I was asked to join a band that was already well established. I feel like I’ve been put in a very lucky position... I’m living comfortably, I’m doing what I love, so I’m not going to complain about it.”

Taylor also weighs in. “I can relate to it to if money is something that really plays a part in your survival. He’s [McMahon] looking to get married, he’s really looking at like his financial situation. I’m in a different place, so I can I respect his decision. But we’re not doing this for the money right now. If we were in a different marital situation, or living situation, then that would dictate what we could do. So each to their own. It does put food on the table for us now, which was the dream when we were 15, 16... So I’ve made that a reality for me, and I’m just fucking stoked,” he�laughs.

What:Equinox (UNFD)When & Where:12 Jun, Festival Hall


can do musically that represents that dream and make it something cathartic,” muses Kelly.

Gow is presented with an option to add something to the interview by Kelly himself: “Great dream songs? This will be able to help you out!” before he personally rattles off the most obvious options “Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, Dreamer by Supertramp — fantastic song — Dream Baby, is it the Everly Brothers? #9 Dream, the Beatles [technically John Lennon],” until accidentally letting slip that he’s just Googling and “totally cheating”. “Oh, what about California Dreaming,” interjects Gow proudly, “I wasn’t even Googling.” On a slightly different tangent we discussed the pros and cons of Mama Cass’ Dream A Little Dream Of Me and had some confusion over the wires. “Did you say Mama Cass is bad?”

“No, jazz.” “Oh, I thought it was dad music. That’s a great

description for a song, it’s a real dad one.”Kelly is extremely open about personal details — from

the way he sleeps “I sleep on my front ever since I saw an episode of Monkey Magic when I was a kid where there were these vampire women who leapt on this traveller’s neck and sucked his blood, and I can’t sleep on my back now. It’s fucked up,” and his sex dreams, which “aren’t very effective. Like, it must be some kind of ex-Catholic thing. I’m always just about to... you know... I don’t know the delicate way of saying it. But there will be an earthquake or I’ll look down and my legs are made of sweet potatoes, and I can’t actually do it”. He also experiences night terrors, a contributing factor to avoiding sleeping on his back, “something shifts, and you feel like there’s something in the room. You wake up and you can’t move. When I was a kid, because I was religious when I was a kid, I started saying ‘Our Father’ and stuff. My sister of course told me that Satan was possessing me and I had to say prayers. It’s like an affirmation, just saying...”

“Help me, help!” Gow jokes. “If there is a God, or Gods up there, that is the cruellest of tricks that he could conjure up.”

So we’ve got one bloke haunted by a reoccurring float in space, and another who is living with the repercussions of a Catholic upbringing. But as it turns out, they both like cricket, and enthuse about different options to orientate one’s self into the sport, because “If you didn’t get into as a kid” you won’t get it. “It’s like watching an episode of Game Of Thrones halfway through series five, you would just be like, the fuck? I mean there’s more people getting their heads cut off [than in cricket], but apart from that it’s the same thing,” explains Kelly. “Perhaps you should try 20/20 which only goes for about three to four hours, which on reflection sounds like a fucking long time,” realises Gow. “I like this Game Of Thrones thing,” says Kelly, who goes on to explain his sudden inspiration: to create a 20-minute long Game Of Thrones-style cricket innings where everybody has swords “and ice” and kills one other. Kinda like The Hunger Games. “Game Of Cricket... That’s the shittest thing I’ve ever thought of.” He’s working on it.

When & Where:25 May, Karova Lounge, Ballarat; 26 May, The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine; 27 May, Thornbury Theatre; 17 Jun, Caravan Music Club; 18 June The Workers Club; 3 Jul, National Gallery Of Victoria

When you’ve both Dan Kelly and Alex Gow on a conference call in the lead-up to their Australian Dreamers tour, there’s only one line of

questioning you can really take. “Alex is just cursing me for suggesting that we call this [the] Australian Dreamers tour,” laughs Kelly. “Couldn’t you have called it the Australian singers tour?” whines Gow. He’s feeling a little left out — we’re chatting about dreams and he “wish[es] I had more to bring to the table”, as Kelly happily shares anecdotes about his particular brand of flying dreams and cricket aspirations, while Gow thinks of things to add.

In fact, the most interesting information comes to light from Gow; since he was young he has had a “weekly reoccurring dream since I was a kid that’s terrifying — it just involves me floating through space on my own for hours. I wake up feeling really weird and it takes me about half an hour to snap out of it”. Various ideas get thrown around, from his potential need to see a therapist, “I think I’ve just got this thing about the abyss; I spend a lot of time thinking about it,” to the dream becoming a source of creative purging, “I reckon there’s something we

Break On Through Brynn Davies discovers that Alex Gow is plagued by a childhood nightmare and Dan Kelly’s sex dreams are “ineffective” in a strange conference call.

It must be some kind of ex-Catholic thing. I’m always just about to... you

know... But there will be an earth quake or I’ll look down and my legs are made of

sweet potatoes.

Music


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came back from doing a string of underplays in America where we were playing to shoebox rooms. It was great to do that again where you’re jumping into each other on stage and tripping over each other.”

Indeed, the lads have ‘blown up’ since the release The Balcony in 2014 and Bond says it can be overwhelming at times. “We went out on that six-date UK tour and we put out four new songs. After we took two months off, there was already that little bit of nervousness of ‘we’re getting back into it now, what if people don’t go as crazy any more’. We were playing Soundcheck third in the set and literally the first guitar chord hit and we were able to step back from the mic and [the crowd] did pretty much the entire song before we started.

“It was just the nerves before playing a new track and then it’s like ‘right, ok, this is going to be good’. We were putting the lyrics from new tracks on our website and people had no idea of the songs but they’d seen the lyrics. We noticed that people in the first few rows were going and learning the lyrics to the tracks but with no melody to put them to.”

The Ride, the band’s second record, was produced by David Sardy (Oasis, Red Hot Chili Peppers), to the delight of the lads. “Sardy is responsible for making these sounds that we’ve grown up listening to and would recognise — like that certain acoustic guitar sound,” he says. “He worked with Dandy Warhols on that Thirteen Tales [From Urban Bohemia] album, which, for me, some of the guitar sounds on that record are absolutely incredible. It was just lovely to have that security and absolute faith in him that... There was next to no argument making this record because we were coming from exactly the same place. It was just a really easy, fun album to make.”

But as for LA, where the album was recorded, the boys didn’t have much interest. “As a musician, there’s nothing you want outside of Dave Sardy’s house,” he says. “From the moment you walk in, you’ve got intricate guitars, pianos, the dreaded synths — no I love synths,” he laughs. “Just every instrument under the sun that you can imagine in different rooms. You can go in to each room and mess about and if you don’t want to do that then there’s a balcony area in the middle where you can just sit around and play each other music. There’s a big balcony in the studio and we were trying to get Sardy to let us build a zip-line down to the swimming pool, but he was having none of that.”

Although the band is booked out on tour up until September, Bond is certain they’ll be back down-under soon. “I’m not actually sure of anything beyond September but I’d imagine end of the year we’d be coming to Australia and Japan,” he says. “I don’t know of any specific dates but I know that we’ll be there and I know that we’re all dying to get back over because we truly, truly love the place. After we came to do The Kooks support dates we did, we got to play some of them beautiful, big amphitheatres with them guys and we just really fell in love with the place. It just feels like a holiday touring over there.”

What:The Ride (Island/Caroline)

“Honestly, it took less than a day probably of getting off the road from our UK tour to ringing each other and going ‘is anybody bothered

about this time off? We need to get going again’,” Bond says down the line from London, reminiscing about the band’s “forced holiday” last December after wrapping up their UK tour. “We went gradually insane from having a bit too much time on our hands. Management was saying ‘you need this because in a year’s time you’ll be going around and going why didn’t you let us have that time off?’... We all found something to do — I went to Japan —

but honestly we were raring to get going again.”With their debut record The Balcony capturing the

public’s attention and having just taken out a Brit Award for ‘British Breakthrough Act’, the four piece are excited about getting out on the road again this year to share their new record with fans. “We’re all really at a relaxed and excited place at the minute,” Bond continues. Having already done a short UK tour this year, the band have bought in some new crew members, new equipment and changed their live sound ahead of their big touring schedule, which takes them through until September. “It was only six dates but it was six of the best dates we’ve ever done,” he says of the tour.

“It’s left us all at a really comfortable place to go and do what we need to go out and do this year. We just

Sleep When You’re DeadBritpop rockers Catfish & The Bottlemen are back with their highly anticipated second record The Ride. Annabel Maclean finds out from guitarist Johnny ‘Bondy’ Bond that the band suck at taking time off.

We all found something to do — I went to Japan — but honestly we were raring to

get going again.

Music


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At the heart of the experience of being human is the notion of I — identity — and its foundational relationship

with the ‘not I’. Indeed, our existential engine is fuelled by the ongoing discourse between our internal selves and the external world we move through. What better place for Anouk van Dijk to start the dance.

With her new creation, Lucid, Chunky Move’s Dutch-born Artistic Director situates us on the shifting bridge between inner and outer worlds. “There’s this idea that identity only comes about through the observation of others; that identity comes from the outside,” van Dijk begins. “Our internal identity doesn’t really have any value, as such, when we’re being perceived by the other.”

To underscore this idea, Lucid takes one dancer (Lauren Langlois) and one actor (Stephen Phillips) and puts them on a stage with five cameras, thereby creating a feedback loop of action and observation and, beyond that, the possibility of a multi-layered identity. As van Dijk explains, “In all my work I’m always interested in how the external is affecting us on all levels.”

We all experience a visceral interaction with the external; namely, peer and social

pressure, self-critical voices in our heads and the impossible religions of beauty, glamour and cool. Lucid intersects with an external world rich with information about ‘how we should be’. To augment the point, van Dijk brings in an example that many parents would recognise. “I have a 13-year-old at home who is a magician on the iPad. It’s a generation that’s finding ways to develop identity in that space,” she

states. “My daughter has such an easy way of dealing with images but she’s also aware how it can affect and fuck up her psyche. Thirteen years old. So I actually think they’re more aware of the effects of it because they’re native to it. We might learn a lot from them about how to deal with it.”

Of course there is an attendant layer of postmodern self-reference here, not so much in the work but in the spectacle of it. If Lucid seeks to address notions of the self in a world dense with media about ideal and non-ideal forms, then Anouk van Dijk recognises that for her audiences the world they will spectate on stage will itself form part of the external tsunami of idealised humanity. “There’s an extension of the whole Warhol, 15 minutes of fame thing,” van Dijk responds, pondering the nature of ordinariness in a celebrity fixated culture. “There’s reality TV and social media; but also a lot of theatre and dance makers are now reacting to that commercial version by looking more into the realness of real people. But obviously in this piece I’m working with incredibly skilled people who, in that sense, cannot be normal because they’re so formed.”

Validate Me!

What:LucidWhen & Where:26 May — 12 Jun, Chunky Move Studios

Lucid. Pic: Pippa Samaya

Dance

In an environment suffused with messages about how we ‘should’ be, Chunky Move’s Lucid prises apart and reconfigures notions of identity, as Artistic Director Anouk van Dijk tells Paul Ransom.

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Seeing as Ivan Ooze recently dropped his own mixtape, we asked

him to nominate what his top five mixtapes were:

Spark Master Tape

The #SWOUP Serengeti

Get Busy Committee

Uzi Does It

Mr. Mutha Fuckin’ eXquire

Kismet

A$AP Rocky

LIVE.LOVE.A$AP

Capital STEEZ

AmeriKKKan Korruption Reloaded

Ivan Ooze’sTop 5 Mixtapes


“To just keep doing what I’m doing,” expresses Ben Townsend aka Ivan Ooze after his support for Wu-Tang

Clan at Brisbane’s Riverstage had the Clan telling the Melbourne-based MC to stick to his guns, fuck the hate. “Don’t let anyone’s opinions fuck with your head. Stay on your own track because you never know, like, I never expected something like that to happen after the Wu-Tang set because I’ve been on other tour supports and that stuff never really happens.

“I remember when I was rapping I looked to my left and saw them all watching and that freaked me out. I was like, ‘Holy shit, I’ve never seen other artists watching me,’ and when I went back after the set they said that was dope and they liked what I was doing,” recalls Townsend. “They respected what I was doing because it was different and said to keep continuing that.”

In March, Townsend dropped his latest mixtape ‘93 KFC Rotisserie GOLD, a volatile tracklisting of finger-lickin’, fast-paced raps over a selection of trap-style beat-downs that ends brilliantly on the Willy Wonka’s Pure Imagination sample. Much like Townsend’s approach to his hip hop, you can either take it or leave it, a sentiment that’s all in the name, he explains.

“In 1993, KFC were the first to serve rotisserie chicken and have it advertised on TV and it was known for being packed with heaps of flavour, it was new and people would grow to love it. People who hadn’t tried it before went and tried it and they really liked it. I named my mixtape that because I wanted to be be like, ‘Ooh, you haven’t tried this shit yet,’ and if you don’t like it, pffft, but if you do like it then it’s sort of

like a whole new and different style of rap that you’ve never heard in Australia before.”

While on the Wu tour, aside from taking Ghostface Killah Ugg boot shopping, and co-recording a track Bills with the legendary rapper, Townsend observed the command RZA had on stage, leading the Wu-Tang experience with complete control.

“When I was watching how RZA commands most of their shows, the way he talks and interacts with the crowd and when you do that that’s what draws in their attention. So, when you talk to [the audience] you have to be confident and know what you’re saying and doing and they are going to respect you for it. So it sort of makes you the leader in what the fuck’s happening,” Townsend reckons. “So I’ve made that into my stage show now and working in what aspects we are going to involve in the set and making them as solid as you can. Pretty much everyone in my show has an input into what goes down. Plus, I have written out a game plan and practised how we go about shit and it’s looking pretty good. And I think that’s why the [Groovin The Moo] set was so good.”

Take It Or Leave It

Ivan Ooze is a rapper driving his own lane, turnt up with a heightened sense of confidence after being encouraged by the biggest hip hop act the world has ever known. By Rip Nicholson.

What:‘93 KFC Rotisserie GOLD (Independent)When & Where:27 May, Karova Lounge, Ballarat; 28 May, Northcote Social Club

Music


What:Sierra-Kilo-Alpha (Four|Four/ABC/Universal)When & Where:28 May, Max Watts

Quebec City, Canada, is a beautiful

city, especially when you’ve got friends to visit and a few solo shows to do, as Nicky Bomba does.

“This year has been all over the place,” he begins, “the life I live is that of a troubadour; it’s an adventure. But I love being able to meet new people and experience the new sights, new sounds and new tastes that you get all around the world. It’s a beautiful thing, and a big part of my personal journey.”

And while today might find him in solo mode, he’s preparing for a Melbourne Ska Orchestra tour that’s anything but, with 26 members playing at any non-

Victorian show — “when we’re in Melbourne, it can be up to 35”.

The band’s size is one of Melbourne Ska Orchestra’s strengths, and their new record, Sierra-Kilo-Alpha, makes the most of it. “What we did with this album

was that we established a banner of ‘international ska’, and we really wanted to reflect that by sounding international and sonically strong. We wanted it to reflect the multicultural make-up of the band and offer something new in the genre.

“It’s very easy for us to just play generic ska stuff that everybody’s heard before, we can write that stuff in our sleep. Coming up with something new and it being relevant and singing about things that are relevant, though, is a much harder thing to do. It was definitely a concerted effort to take that step and offer something different to the genre.

“At the end of the day, that’s the strength of the Orchestra; the brain’s trust and creative minds that exist within the band. That gives us longevity; we’re able to record quickly because we know what the

Money For NothingNicky Bomba of The Melbourne Ska Orchestra tells Dylan Stewart about Sierra-Kilo-Alpha and trying to keep a 35-piece Orchestra afloat.

formula is and what we’re trying to achieve.”The record is solid but the Melbourne Ska Orchestra

is at their best when they’re on stage. “Our playing, and our ability to put on good shows and connect with people; that’s our calling card.

“We release songs, we create film clips and everything, but we haven’t had the luxury of having that hit song that everybody knows. So we have to make sure that [our live shows] are killer.”

As a punter, you sure get bang for your buck – tickets are relatively affordable. Of course, there’s a downside to that from Bomba’s perspective. “Y’know, we’re trying to not lose money, to break even, and a lot of that just comes down to basic logistics and economics.

“In order for a band of this size to operate, you really need to watch every cent, so pretty much it works like a business that’s being kept afloat by any means necessary. At times I’ll contribute personally — sometimes I’ll have to take the plunge and take funds out of my mortgage — but that’s the way it has to function and I’m willing to do that. Until my bank manager tells me to stop.”

At times I’ll contribute personally — sometimes I’ll have to take the plunge and take funds out of my mortgage.

Music


Polica, fronted by Channy Leaneagh, was hailed as the most alt of alt-R&B acts in 2012. Yet, when the

Minneapolis band hit 2013’s Laneway, they stunned audiences with a slamming post-rock set - amplified by dual drummers. Now they’re headed to Vivid LIVE 2016 on the back of a third album, United Crushers, which reveals a compelling socio-political dimension.

“We’ve been performing the album almost in its entirety, so it’s a very fluid, mapped-out set,” says bassist Chris Bierden. “We’ve spent a lot of time getting the live show really tight and kinda working out certain stage movements that we do. So hopefully it looks pretty well put together at this point!” Polica will likely also play “a smattering of old songs.”

Leaneagh was in the folk outfit Roma Di Luna with husband Alexei Moon Casselle, only they separated personally and professionally. Meanwhile, the singer-songwriter provided backing vocals for Ryan Olson’s collective Gayngs. Olsen proposed a side-project, the pair expanding Polica with Bierden and drummers Drew Christopherson and Ben Ivascu. Though Olson declined to tour, he remains primary producer (he and Leaneagh have since wed).

Polica’s debut, Give You The Ghost, was drenched in heartbreak. They were classed as alt-R&B alongside Frank Ocean and The Weeknd, Leaneagh using effects pedals on her soulful voice. Polica promptly followed with the harder, feminist-themed Shulamith, superfan Justin Vernon of Bon Iver cameoing.

Today Bierden suggests that, for Polica, genre is “obsolete”.

Polica still tends to be perceived as Leaneagh’s vehicle with Olson, but all members have input. “It’s always been very collaborative in that everyone is trying to bring their own style and put it into the song and hopefully have it all make sense together.” Bierden himself has a solo project, Invisible Boy, and gigs in Har Mar Superstar’s band.

Leaneagh dramatically told DIY that she approached United Crushers as her “last chance”, imagining “a ‘final paper’ feel” - quotes repeated in reviews. “I would like to think that it’s a certain refinement process that we went through,” Bierden responds. “The [band’s] success happened without any of us really expecting it. It was very pieced together. It didn’t feel like a real band until we played our first show and then all of a sudden we were starting to tour.” United Crushers is their most considered LP. “We took a year, we wrote the record, we got the songs ready to perform live, and then we went into the studio.” In fact, Polica decamped to an isolated complex in Texas.

The single Wedding - actually about the link between street drugs and police militarisation - has a strikingly topical video. Inspired by Sesame Street, Leaneagh and puppets teach children about police brutality. Few US artists beyond the urban scene have addressed concerns raised by the Black Lives Matter movement - and Bierden reckons that they fear “a backlash” for being political. “I guess we just don’t really think about it that way. It’s never been a band that is trying to aim for a certain level of success - we just wanna make the stuff that we wanna make. That’s always been a pretty evident mission statement from the very beginning of the band - that we don’t wanna be fettered by commercial expectations. We just wanna say what we have to say and kinda let it be at that.”

Unfettered

Cyclone gets the mission statement from Chris Bierden of Polica.

When & Where:31 May, Melbourne Recital Centre

Music

Lashes@courtneymelba

Backlash

Frontlash

Moby’s Dick

So Moby (remember him?) has a memoir to sell and therefore is reimagining the old tale about him flopping his dick out at parties. Can’t blame booze for everything, Mobes. We give this book a ‘D’ – a very small one.

Sia

WHADDAYAMEAN this week is the last time we get to see Maddie Ziegler (and her adorbs l’il sis Mackenzie) as part of Dance Moms on our TV sets.

Shady Ladies

Contouring. Shading facial features just makes you look like a waxwork. For real, though.

Central Perk

To the wait staff at Blondie Bar, Southbank for comping a takeaway coffee out to a Big Issue seller who was spruiking his wares to diners.

Almande Van Helden

Welcome to the vegan version of Baileys: Almande Almond Milk Liqueur. That’s a perfectly good reason for happy hour to kick off right this minute.

#Winning

Just when we thought Courtney Barnett couldn’t possibly have any more goal posts to kick a goal through, enter SNL – the season finale no less.


In April, as part of Matt’s (O’Gorman, drums) birthday, we all went to see Brian Wilson perform Pet Sounds at the Palais

Theatre here in Melbourne. My relationship with the Beach Boys’ 1966 album is sort of complicated. I know it’s a classic record, gosh we all do, it’s a go to for musicologists and critics in terms of its originality, sophistication and influence on music and culture. Dominique Leone from Pitchfork talks about the record’s “hymnal aspect... heartfelt love, graciousness” and Rolling Stone assert that it’s the second best record ever made by anyone ever. I know all this stuff cerebrally, but do I really feel it? For my bandmates it’s

How Does It Sound?

To kick off The Music’s Sound Issue, we hear how The Beach Boys changed the way British India’s Declan Melia thought about sound.

a no brainer; Pet Sounds is the archetypal pop record, whether you listen with your head or your heart, nothing does it better. For Nic Wilson (guitarist in British India), regardless of how much critical ink has been spilled on the subject, God Only Knows is his favourite song and Pet Sounds is his favourite album. But I’m still left scratching my head, Sat in the comfy burgundy chairs of the Palais Theatre, our eyes watery with rapture as Brian Wilson effortlessly navigates the album 50 years since he wrote it, I sneak a look at Nic sitting next to me, during the opening bars to album highlight You Still Believe In Me — he’s utterly transfixed, almost vibrating with the pleasure of hearing the opening arpeggios plucked by the man who composed them. This weird sound, so lush as to be almost dissonant, of the opening movement, neither piano

T H E S O U N D I S S U E


nor harpsichord, fills the air and it dawns on me. The clue was in the album title all along — it’s the sound that everyone is hearing.

Until this moment I was, as stupid as if feels to write this, anti-sound. The lyrics, the melody, the context, the song, these were the things that mattered most to me and, if you got them right (as rarely as that happens) the actual sound doesn’t really matter, right? If you reduce all music to its genetic makeup, the sound certainly isn’t the common denominator, otherwise how could Bob Dylan with his raspy, howdy-stranger voice, blowing a gale on his rusty harmonica excite me as much as the poise and finesse of studio boffins like Pink Floyd? If sound is so important, then how can the Ramones’ say as much with four multi-tracks as Genesis can with 46? But what I had been failing to see was that I’d become victim of my own critical thinking, by hoping to feel everything with my chest I’d neglected to feel it in my brain first. The thing about sound is it sneaks up on you. The sound is the submerged bulk of the musical iceberg, it marbles the subconscious so that you don’t even realise the effect it has. Bob Dylan’s one mic maelstrom and The Ramones’ mutant Chuck Berry blast are not a refutation of the importance of sound, it’s corruption of it that propagates its huge importance.

When Nic told me many years ago that the sound at the start of You Still Believe In Me was Brian playing piano while the producer muted the piano strings with hair clips, my initial reaction would have been, ‘Who cares?’ But when Brian Wilson sung the opening lines that night; “I know perfectly well/I’m not where I should be,” I suddenly understood. It’s the atmosphere, the delivery and the perfect synthesis of sound in the track (the sound of the voice, the piano, the blood rushing through our collective ears) that gives it its pertinence. The opening bars of the song have already subconsciously realigned the neuronic paths in our brains to carry the meaning of the lines we are about to hear.

Words on a page are lifeless symbols conveying a vague meaning; it’s the sound of the words — shouted, whispered, hissed — that gives them life. Take it one step further and set the words to music and you now have a whole universe of nuanced and sophisticated meaning, some tangible, some abstract, painting infinite, internal pictures of our human experience. Of course this means that if those lyrics were sung to a different sound they would cease to mean the same thing, and it’s times like this that we’re reminded just how much pop music can communicate (ie. anything) and why it’s so important.

Armed with this new appreciation of sound, I backtracked through some of my favourite records to hear, laughably for the first time, how they actually sounded. The opening bars of Airbag from Radiohead’s OK Computer; the mollases-thick layering of slowly bowed cello with Johnny Greenwood’s wet cement electric guitar is such a perfect synthesis of disparate sounds and ideas — old and new, classical and post-modern, organic and synthetic — that it does more to encapsulate what Radiohead actually mean than every word, chord progression and album art concept that Thom Yorke ever cooked up. And that’s just the first three seconds of the first song.

I put on Ghostface’s Supreme Clientele track The Grain. Just listen to the way RZA’s zeroes in on that piano sample, Wikipedia tells me it’s from a song called Do The Funky Penguin by Rufus Thomas — and that very well may be the case — but here, looped infinitely by RZA in some Staten Island basement, it comes to mean something

else entirely. In the context of the original it’s just a throwaway piano link, but by looping it, its sound is magnified. Our brain is hearing the same three seconds of music over and over ad infinitum, you begin to hear the minutia of the tone itself, the way the pianist hit the key, the rust on the piano string and the squeak of the damper pedal. That three seconds of piano becomes an unfathomable universe between your ears... and then Ghostface starts up.

Has any sound ever been more perfect than the opening chord to A Hard Day’s Night? Crang! To call it a G7sus4 is equal parts meaningless and reductive. You can’t hear it without visualising George Harrison executing the rapid downstroke on his black and white Rickenbacker. It’s the sound of all of London vibrating with the uncontrollable mania that The Beatles gave expression to. In the movie, the sound of that chord precedes The Beatles ‘breaking out’ of some dreary press obligation to run amok in their high-heeled boots through the black and white streets of Soho, and that’s exactly what that chord sounds like — ‘breaking-the-fuck-out’. All that pent-up excitement of post-war youth searching for that sound before George had even played it. Crang! The sound of a generational movement, with far more vibration than the sounds of bombs in Vietnam or the tumbling of the Berlin Wall. So, for me at least, that’s the new question — not, ‘What is it saying?’ but, ‘How does it sound?’

The Sound Issue

Declan Melia

That three seconds of piano becomes an unfathomable universe between your ears...

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Answered by: Simon Todkill, senior engineer and Owen Butcher, engineer

Studio address: 18 Mitchell Road, Alexandria

How long has the studio been running? The studio as a business has been running since 1926, this year is our 90th Anniversary! The studio has moved a few times since it opened, however the current facility has been open since 1999.

What makes your studio different? Ninety years of experience, 270m2 orchestral room, our engineers – best mastering engineers in Australia. We are the last of the traditional large format studios. We can do from large scale orchestras to developmental artists.

What’s your favourite piece of equipment you have in the studio? Neve 88R because it does everything we need. Seventy-two channels of Neve Preamp, Line Amps and summing. What else is there to say?

Do you find you specialise in specific genres? We record all genres, every day is different. We are familiar with all genres and are extremely adaptable. Due to our studio set-up we can blend between different styles quickly, our clients take full advantage.

Who have been your favourite artist(s) to come in? Stevie Nicks. Very warm and open, and very easy to work with. She’s always giving 100%, when the song is playing she’s listening, looking for better ways to deliver the

Studios 301

The Sound Issue

vocal. True legend.

What do believe has been the most well produced album of 2016 so far? PJ Harvey – The Hope Six Demolition Project: They’ve captured the essence of the performance and energy of the songs, using the technology to help boost the emotions and feelings contained in the lyrics.

What services does your studio offer? We offer everything from recording and mixing to mastering; orchestral to developing the new generation of electronic artists and bands; specialised vocal production to archiving historical recordings. Create, record, master – all in the one building

Do you prefer analogue or digital? We prefer using both to our advantage. We’re set up with the ability to use both in any application, from tape machines to consoles/outboard gear. The real question is identifying which is best for the song.

Who would be your dream artist to have record/rehearse in the studio? Robert Johnson, at around 3am.


HEOS is the newest wireless audio system from Denon (which was surprisingly developed in Sydney). It

allows you to centralise multiple wirelessly connected speakers around your home, and it’s versatile enough that you can have the same track blaring in every room or set each speaker to a different tune. Stick them outdoors or in-ceiling, get floorstanding or

bookshelf models — you can have your house song battle itself Pitch Perfect-style if you like.

It’s controlled by a free app that is available for both iOS and Android, which means all you need to do is download the app, make sure you’ve paid your Wi-Fi bills, and then you’re free to pump each room in your home full of tunes from whatever online source you fancy, be it Spotify, Pandora, Deezer, Tidal, Soundcloud, TuneIn or another. You can also play music from a USB stick, NAS drive or a smart device, which you can

link up to one of Denon’s range compact wireless speakers.

Based on room size, whether it’s going inside or out, and you own personal preference, you can choose from four wireless multi-zone music players that run the gamut from $379 to $999, with each available in black or white and with optional Bluetooth capability.

HEOS by Denon

The Sound Issue

If you’ve already got a system set up there are also add-on versions, so there’s no need to turf all of your old speakers either. The HEOS Link model for example lets you use the HEOS app to wirelessly control your existing sound system, and the Amp model is designed to add HEOS multi-room audio functionality to any pair of stereo loudspeakers, allowing for the same simplifies wireless use as the HEOS speaker models. There’s even a soundbar model that will dramatically improve the sound of your TV, the HomeCinema model, which also functions a powerful speaker set.

You don’t have to talk to Sennheiser Marketing Manager Dan Woodall for long to get the impression that

he believes in his product. Sennheiser make sound equipment for the discerning audiophile. They have headphones from the HE 1, with “truly life-changing audio reproduction”, to the HD800S, which is “virtually an industry standard”. Their mics cover a range of recording needs “from

models aimed more at the project studio through to top-flight mics for the most critical classical recordings”. He cites specifically the MK4, with its “super smooth sound and low noise… You’ll find it for around $300, which is a bargain for a true top-quality professional mic that any engineer would be happy to have in their studio”.

“It’s what we do,” say Woodall. “We don’t make TVs, or phones, or toasters. We specialise in sound, and we are the best at what we do.”

HE 1s and MK4s aside though, the latest creation from

Sennheiser’s best and brightest is the D1. “D1 is the next generation digital wireless microphone system. Built from the ground up for live use, it features extraordinary sound quality, a choice of capsules, on-board EQ/de-essing and control via an iOS app.

“Working in the license-free 2.4GHz band for operation anywhere in Australia and NZ, the system automatically scans the RF environment 133 times per

Sennheiser second, optimising signal strength and if necessary moving transmission channels for flawless audio. Up to 15 channels of D1 can be used simultaneously, with the system automatically looking after frequency allocation.”

You can show up, then “Just turn the system on, wait for the green light - and go for your performance, knowing the audio will be perfect. No hassles, no set-up, no drop outs. Concentrate on your performance, not your gear.”

When Woodall describes the D1, it sounds almost like the little black dress in a live musician’s arsenal. “D1 is specifically designed for use on smaller stages, and by bands who do not have lots of time to set up, or don’t have a sound engineer. You just turn it on, and it works. Every time, anywhere you go. If you are a singer or guitarist who wants freedom of movement on stage, and doesn’t want technical hassles – then it’s the system for you.”


The Sound Issue

Kindred StudiosDyskin RalBar Incubator Record-ing and Mastering

It’s traditionally been a long journey from fumbling through your first G-chord

to playing a flaming Fender with your teeth. It’s generally accepted that mastering a skill takes somewhere in the region of 10,000 plus hours, or around six to ten years depending on how much spare time you’ve got. Australian guitarist and dentist Brian Dyskin has designed an elegant solution to streamline that process. He calls it the Dyskin RalBar™. It combines a teardrop/paisley shape with an internationally patented combination of fret layout and markings that allow complete beginners to play with just one finger across the fretboard. Add in the Roman numeral markings across the fretboard edge, so new musicians don’t need to know chord names or shapes, it’s like “painting-by-numbers” for guitar.

The fret layout even autocorrects so a wrong note will automatically play as the next correct note in the scale. That means just about any combination of chords played on the RalBar™ will work musically with any combination of melody notes played on it.

Because the RalBar™ is constructed like a high end electric guitar – solid tonewood body, maple or mahogany neck and Dyskin designed single coil pickups – you can even use all the usual tricks that add to musical expression with guitars, like bending notes, muting and hammering on and off.

Answered by: Adrian Akkerman

Studio address: 65 Spencer St, Thornbury

What makes your studio different? Skills and passion. I have been recording all manner of music and sounds professionally for over 20 years. Recording drums is a favourite!

What’s your favourite piece of equipment you have in the studio? My ears, the warranty’s still valid and they get better over time. Second is the Manley Vari-Mu compressor, totally awesome the way it handles audio and simply adds the texture my ears like to hear!

Do you find you specialised in specific genres? The main genre is a well rehearsed project. A project that has direction that can be guided into what it needs to be. I enjoy harder emotive music.

Who have been your favourite artist(s) to come in? So many... Probably Kim Salmon and Spencer P Jones because the raw nature of the process. Definitely big picture sound, I mean warts and all it’s about the energy of the song, when nuance becomes gold!

What services does your studio offer? Recording of music, mastering for digital and vinyl releases, voiceover recording, tracking for clients to mix at home, mixing of clients home recordings/studio recordings, session musician service, film location and mobile recording.

Answered by: Georgia Whyte, marketing and communications coordinator

Studio address: 212a Whitehall Street, Yarraville

How long has the studio been running? Ten years.

What makes your studio different? We’re a Creative Hub where musicians mix with creative co-workers and businesses, do workshops, use our film and photography studios, perform live, meet in the cafe, or study music at Victoria University.

What’s your favourite piece of equipment you have in the studio? Our grand piano is pretty awesome. As well as our Nexo PA in the bar, our latest Pro Tools recording for live and studio and extensive mic selection including legendary Neumanns, AKGs and Audio-Technica.

Who have been your favourite artist(s) to come in? The Bamboos, RocKwiz Orkestra and Deborah Conway were great and having Evermore’s Peter Hume working in-house is always fun.

What services does your studio offer? Kindred has backline hire, bar and stage, 13 rehearsal rooms, film and photography studios, creative offices, dance studios, function and event spaces and a cafe. Victoria University’s music courses also operate out of Kindred.

Abbey RoadInstitute

What makes your audio course stand out from the rest? The world’s only audio production course designed in-house by the global leaders in the music industry. Graduates are certified directly by Abbey Road Studios London and Universal Music Group.

What kind of gear will students be learning on? Every lecture is conducted in front of fully equipped iMac and Universal Audio workstations. The studios feature consoles from API and AVID with a microphone collection that is the envy of most professional studios.

When every phone has an app for making music, why should students pursue an audio course? To truly master the craft of music production, one needs to work under the guidance of seasoned industry veterans.

What kind of career paths can students expect after doing your course? While students will be qualified for a range of roles in professional music production — from live sound to post production — we envision graduates to be working at the very forefront of music creation.

What is your hot tip for students who want to get into the world of audio? The music industry revolves around people and your network is your most valuable asset next to your portfolio. Get to know all managers, producers and artists as they will be crucial to your success!


ttTender Trap Studios

Tender Trap Studios is an independent recording

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Visit the site at www.tendertrapstudios.com.au or call the studio on 9481 0719

to discuss your project.

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The Sound Issue

Tender Trap Studios

Newmarket Studios

Mycelium Recordings

Answered by: Callum John Barter, Studio Manager And Chief Engineer

Studio address: 87-91 Arden Street, North Melbourne

What makes your studio different? We have four isolated tracking rooms with sight between them all, allowing bands to record live together while having isolation. The impressive selection of vintage microphones and a 24-track

Answered by: Jeremy Taylor, co-owner

Studio address: 255-259 Johnston St, Abbotsford

What makes your studio different? Mycelium Recordings is housed in a larger creative hub giving us direct access to a range of creatives including producers, filmmakers and graphic designers. We also have film facilities for film clips. A one-stop shop!

Do you find you specialise in specific genres? Not really. We like to adapt our production to what the band we are working with is looking for, that means being able to draw from vintage and modern audio production techniques.

Who have been your favourite artist(s) to come in? We have been working with Willow Darling recently. They have a great classic sound that they execute beautifully. Their considered songwriting and developed sounds makes for an album that mixes itself... nearly!

What do believe has been the most well produced album of 2016 so far? I’ve been digging David Bowie’s Blackstar. Unconventional structures, haunting melodies and complex sonic layers underpin Bowie’s classic vocal delivery.

What services does your studio offer? We do voiceover work, have a stable of session musicians and can master to digital or vinyl. We also offer the live room as rehearsal space.

Answered by: AJ Bradford, studio owner

Studio address: 37 Cunningham St, Northcote

What makes your studio different? It’s definitely the space. We’ve got some nice gear but it’s always about the feel of the space the gear is in. And the history of the music made here is in that feel too.

What’s your favourite piece of equipment you have in the studio? The 1890s upright piano from New York. It’s world-weary, has some dodgy notes, is beautiful and has featured on many albums. The studio feels right when the piano lid is open.

What do believe has been the most well produced album of 2016 so far? Some great female producers making albums at the moment. Catherine J Marks and Anna Laverty always quality. Also The Drones’ Taman Shud was sonically great — that low end and that sweet axe work.

What services does your studio offer? Recording and mixing. Any projects big or small. We are also a user friendly studio for freelance engineers and producers who need a space for dry hire.

Who would be your dream artist to have record/rehearse in the studio? Around his 2000 Aus tour I saw Joe Strummer sitting outside Centrelink in Fitzroy. Would’ve been a great photo. He sneezed and I said ‘bless you’ — but I really should have invited him to the studio.

MYCELIUMRECORDINGS AUDIO RECORDING & REHEARSAL STUDIO

T E L E P H O N E 0 4 3 8 0 8 0 0 0 7I N F O @ M Y C E L I U M R E C O R D I N G S . C O MW W W . M Y C E L I U M R E C O R D I N G S . C O M

2 5 5 - 2 5 9 J O H N S T O N S T R E E TA B B O T S F O R D , V I C T O R I A A U S T R A L I A 3 0 6 7

analogue tape machine capturing great performances.

What do believe has been the most well produced album of 2016 so far? 2016 I can’t decide, but from 2015 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s Paper Mache Dream Balloon is one I keep coming back to. Great songwriting and melodies with interesting sounds and instrumentation. Can’t get enough!

What services does your studio offer? Along with great recording, we can offer exceptional mixing with analogue warmth and depth running through the Harrison Console, together with the benefits of Pro Tools. The real plate reverb ties everything together nicely too!


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Album / EAlbum/EP Reviews

Sydney’s wunderkind Harley Streten (aka Flume) is back with his eagerly anticipated second album Skin and it’s almost perfection. This 16-track masterpiece is full of eclectic beats with a wide range of local and international collaborators that will leave you licking ya lips.

The anticipation builds in opener Helix, as Flume introduces flute sounds that become synthesised into a sick electronic beat that keeps building. On single Never Be Like You, Canadian singer-songwriter Kai’s smooth vocals give the track a hook with catchy repetitive lyrics, “I’m only human can’t you see?” accompanied by Flume’s trap and bass - it’s like a match made in heaven.

Hip hop beats take over in Lose It with Vic Mensa; where rapping meets electronica that makes you lose it. But sadly Allan Kingdom and Raekwon collab You Know is hit and miss. Instrumentals are what Flume does best and on Wall Fuck he slams repetitive sub bass beats while Free and Pika utilise softer, but still playful, hypnotic melodies. Tove Lo steals the show on Say It, with an underlying pop aesthetic that could see it making its way through mainstream channels.

Flume has delivered a unique, addictive and fun album that reminds fans his electronic capabilities are endless. If you weren’t a fan before, this album will infect you with its synths and convert you.

Aneta Grulichova

As recent solo shows have indicated, Nicholas Allbrook wants to operate free of accepted conventions and the inevitable expectations that arise from his work with POND and Tame Impala. Rambling and volatile, they seemed to function on the principle that nothing was prohibited; everything was up for grabs.

With cascading piano lines and sparse, aching strings, In the Gutter By The Park’n’Ride opens Pure Gardiya with a pristine beauty that suggests Allbrook’s been subsisting on a strict diet of Sigur Ros and nothing else. One could be forgiven for thinking Allbrook had made up Pure Gardiya’s lyrics on the spot as on Advance he reels off a list of rhyming professions over occasional off-key whoops. In contrast to the sporadic howling

They’re the latest buzz band from the Old Blighty; they’ve got the looks, they’ve got the swagger. But do Catfish & The Bottlemen stand up?

Well, the answer is a qualified yes.

Opening with first single 7, the North Wales four-piece waste no time showing exactly what they’re about, delivering an Oasis-style rocker that explodes with a crescendo of guitars at the end.

However, it’s here where we already see problems emerge. With founding guitarist Billy Bibby leaving the band, the boys recruited new axe-man Johnny Bond and he’s seriously good. The problem appears to lie in his integration. Main man Van McCann seems to have a lot of tunes already written and they have a distinct rock-by-

Nicholas AllbrookPure GardiyaSpinning Top

★★½

Catfish & the BottlemenThe RideIsland/Caroline

★★★½

and random note guitar solo of A Fool There Was, there are ramshackle little sketches like Karrakatta Cemetery, which is brought to life with some glockenspiel plonks and gently scraped strings somewhere off in the distant background. It’s a big shift away from the crisp, clear tones of his debut Ganough, Wallis And Fatuna.

Marked by ambition, Pure Gardiiya comes unstuck in numerous places, but in an age when so many are willing to risk so little, that Allbrook would be willing to risk spectacular failure in search of something revolutionary must be a good thing.

Christopher H James

numbers style. But then they’ve allowed Bond to go mental on the bridges and conclusions and as a result the songs take major stylistic shifts that jar a wee bit.

That being said, when Bond lets rip he elevates some of these tracks, like the smashing Soundcheck and inventive Anything, from good to seriously, seriously good. There are quiet moments on Glasgow and Heathrow building to a big finale with Outside, but when these boys get the chance to write in tandem with Bond, the sky’s the limit.

Paul Barbieri

AlbumOF THEWeek

FlumeSkinFuture Classic

★★★★


EP ReviewsAlbum/EP Reviews

Yumi ZoumaYoncalla

Mutual BenefitSkip A Sinking Stone

From OsloFrom Oslo

More Reviews Online theMusic.com.au

ArchitectsAll Our Gods Have Abandoned UsUNFD

★★★

British metalcore five-piece Architects come out all guns blazing on their latest, and while it’s most certainly a step up from previous passable albums The Here & Now and Daybreaker, there is still the odd track that fails to pull the right punches.

There is just something a tad off about the mix in some songs like Deathwish and The Empty Hourglass that lacks impact; maybe it’s that the guitars aren’t jagged enough or Sam Carter’s on-point growl is too stark when riding the floaty melodic sections. But Phantom Fear, Gone With The Wind and Downfall have saving graces in some rad spirit-raising chugs that are anthems in themselves.

Carley Hall

Beth OrtonKidsticksAnti-/Warner

★★★

It’s a good 20 years since Beth Orton became the go-to gal for the likes of The Chemical Brothers and William Orbit to lend classy, hippie-ish vibes to their early records, and on her seventh solo album, she’s back to kissing the more psychedelic lights of her past.

‘Folktronica’ is out the window. Instead, we get Snow — a schoolyard round sung through a Four Tet kaleidoscope — and Moon’s wide-eyed wonder raving into the early hours with meaty production. However almost every song is cut a good minute or two short and Kidsticks is over just as it’s getting started.

Mac McNaughton

Gold PandaGood Luck And Do Your BestCity Slang/Inertia

★★★

Another exotic travelogue-style recording from tourism addict and laptop boffin Gold Panda.

Japan was a major influence on Good Luck And Do Your Best, and it shows on the exquisite plucked strings of In My Car and the oriental chimes of Time Eater, which gets hijacked midway through by low, rumbling sub bass. Good times were clearly had on Panda’s recent travels as Good Luck And Do Your Best is bubbling with bright optimistic tunes and carefree vibes. But there are no significant advances on his previous album Half Of Where You Live.

Christopher H James

Band Of SkullsBy DefaultBMG/Liberator

★★★½British three-piece Band Of Skulls have found another swag of blues-ridden rock ditties to dole out, less than two years after 2014’s Himalayan.

By Default picks up where their previous effort left off, with a move in a more refined, organised direction. There’s still plenty of the usual swagger throughout that comes bursting out of the gate with opener Black Magic, with its ratatat snare and guitar twangs, but a bit of playful pop rock in Back Of Beyond and a bit of sparseness on Bodies and suave single Killer adds some much needed variety to the Band Of Skulls sound.

Carley Hall

Listen to our This Week’s Releases playlist on


Album / EAlbum/EP Reviews

Karl BlauIntroducing Karl Blau

MossyMossy

More Reviews Online theMusic.com.au

Holy FuckCongratsInnovative Leisure/Inertia

★★★½Props to Canadian powerhouse Holy Fuck for a direct-to-brain record the likes of which they have not produced before.

Congrats represents a turning point for the band; a step away from the punky sound that they’re known for and a lean towards carefully crafted soundscapes. While Xed Eyes sounds like a banshee party recorded in the depths of a Canadian winter, Shivering is more akin to the ethereal Explosions In The Sky. In either guise, Congrats [mostly] works.

Dylan Stewart

Lacuna CoilDeliriumCentury Media/Sony

★★★½Lacuna Coil’s past few albums were so middling, inoffensive even, they could almost have been called off for lack of interest from anybody bar the most devoted fans.

The House Of Shame’s flirtations with metalcore and Epica bombast signalled Delirium’s heavier take on the Italians’ pop/goth/metal. The new tack and overhauled line-up largely works, although their riff bank’s now overdrawn on utilising familiar ideas. Harsher male vocal passages often counterpoint charismatic Cristina Scabbia’s soaring tones. Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy lends a classy guitar solo to Downfall. There are clunkers (You Love Me ‘Cause I Hate You), but overall they’re seemingly on track to creatively mattering again.

Brendan Crabb

Miles Davis & Robert GlasperEverything’s BeautifulSony

★★

This collection of ‘reimagined interpretations’ of arguably jazz music’s greatest figure will never find its way into mainstream consciousness, but for jazz and house music aficionados anything with Robert Glasper’s name on it will have them frothing at the mouth.

While Glasper’s commitment to Davis’ legacy is unquestioned — he co-produced the Miles Ahead soundtrack — only similarly dedicated Davis trainspotters will recognise much on Everything’s Beautiful that they can attribute to the master. Collaborations with Erykah Badu, Hiatus Kaiyote and Stevie Wonder, while enjoyable, further muddy the water, making it difficult to distinguish where the Davis influence begins and ends.

Dylan Stewart

WinterbournePendulumIsland/Universal

★★★

Central Coast duo Winterbourne return with another EP after their debut All But The Sun in 2014, and while there isn’t much deviation from the neo-folk path they carved with that six-track wonder, Peundulum is another six tracks that underline their quiet talents.

These young chaps, James Draper and Jordan Brady, navigate their way the through sunny, almost Britpop vibes and hefty subject matter in Shape, the more pedestrian My Perfect Sunday and But I Do, then bounce back with a sombre, reflective turn in Floating Around. But it’s To Get To Know You that claims top points; those Franz Ferdinand feels thanks to twangy guitar builds and a snappy offbeat just make one smile.

Carley Hall


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OPINIONTrai ler Trash

Dives Into Your Screens

And Idiot Boxes With Guy Davis


Opinion

Wake The Dead

Punk And

Hardcore

With Sarah

Petchell

I’ve just recuperated from a great Sunday block party session with Peril and his Fresh Fest crew, so much love to the b-boys, b-girls, DJs and graf artists for

making the alleyways come alive. That place was vibing, so more like this please and thanks for having me. I’m also recuperating from the late night Saturday party

hustle down at the Brunswick Hotel. If you’ve never been to this joint, you are missing out because it’s a no-brainer for those that wont let the evening end.

Speaking of a no-brainer, Choi Records have dropped their second 45 from The Traffic and it’s another monster that any self-respecting funk fan needs to own. A-Side features a funkier than funk version of Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel’s breakdance classic, White Lines, and the B-side covers The Prodigy and Smack My Pitch Up in a way that only the hip hop gods would have foreseen. Do yourself a favour and hit up their Bandcamp page for a slice of vinyl that’ll be getting you props for the remainder of your moon walking life. Also worthy of a purchase is the latest from The Bongolian, B-Boy Toga Party. As the name would suggest, this one is all about the peak-time party when you need to hype the masses into another realm of frenzyness (yeah, I made that shit up). For those that love their vintage synths, heavy groove and big beat, you’ll love this so find it quickly and with that, I am out.

The Get Down

since reads like a bad attempt at marketing and has succeeded in simply pissing off a whole bunch of people.

Back in March this year, the band started a petition to get their fans to show whether they wanted them to reform and play a round of live shows. I guess this should have raised some flags then, since to me (not only are they jumping on the reunion bandwagon) this is either a strange popularity contest or a really weird way to promote themselves.

Then, more recently, the band decided to start a crowdfunding campaign to raise enough money so that they could afford to do a run of dates this July. We raise $4000, there are four shows. The more money they raise, the more shows they will play.

And this is the problem. When you are in a band there is a certain amount of risk implicit in that action. Making people fund you for that tour takes away that risk. And that is not fair on your fans. Particularly when the crowdfunding reward to get a ticket ($20) is probably more than what you would have been charging for entry to the show in the first place.I was going to write about Hell freezing over and the

Danzig and Jerry Only Misfits reunion, but instead I want to make a statement.GUYS! ENOUGH WITH THE

CROWDFUNDING ALREADY!Gold Coast band, Prepared Like A Bride broke up last

year. I’m sure that disappointed a lot of their fans and I can accept and understand that. But what has happened

Funky Shit

With Obliveus

The Traffi c – White Lines

X-Men: Apocalypse

Prepared Like A Bride

OPINIONThe X-Men film franchise has travelled

backwards and forwards in time so often that trying to figure out the who,

where and when of any given chapter could leave you dizzy. So my advice to you when it comes to X-Men: Apocalypse, the sixth movie in the series (not counting a couple of solo projects starring Hugh Jackman’s steel-clawed brawler Wolverine), is this: don’t think about it too much.

I mean, if you’re an X-Men aficionado, I’m sure you could have hours of fun plotting out timelines that give the story a scintilla of sense. (And there are fans out there who worship at the altar of continuity.)

But those after a big-bang blockbuster need to know just one thing — this is the one set in the 1980s. And director Bryan Singer, who has directed the bulk of the X-Men movies since their big-screen debut back in 2000, has a blast with the trappings of the era.

The screen is not only dripping with references to the decade when it comes to fashion, music and other pop culture bits and pieces, but Singer has given Apocalypse the tone and style of an ‘80s movie.

It may be a little jarring for 21st century audiences at times, but it also helps this film stand out from the superhero crowd a little. Despite this, though, it is increasingly apparent that the X-Men franchise is spinning its wheels a bit.

The love-hate relationship between two central characters, telepathic Professor X (James McAvoy) and human magnet Magneto (Michael Fassbender), is going over old ground by now, the strong work by the two actors notwithstanding.

And the core idea that the X-Men themselves — super-powered ‘mutants’ with a variety of strange abilities — are feared and distrusted by the human race is also one that seems to have run its course.

Nevertheless, Apocalypse is still fun, with Singer and an accomplished cast of both new and familiar faces getting the most out of material that verges on the same old, same old.

The team’s enemy this time around is En Sabah Nur (The Force Awakens’ Oscar Isaac, slathered in make-up but still a potent screen presence), the world’s first mutant, unearthed in 1983 after spending centuries buried underneath the sands of Cairo.

Eager to resume his world-ruling ways, he starts recruiting a squad of followers, among them poor old Magneto, who seems to attract tragedy as easily as he attracts metal.

As the movie’s title indicates, En Sabah Nur is looking to jumpstart the apocalypse, and only Professor X and his young mutants, led by Jennifer Lawrence’s shapeshifting Mystique, stand in his way.

Super-skirmishes and massive property destruction ensues, but Apocalypse does make good use of its heroes’ diverse skillsets to keep the action entertaining — as in the previous X-Men movie, Days Of Future Past, the fleet-footed Quicksilver (Evan Peters) is the standout, this time saving the day to the tune of an ‘80s classic by The Eurythmics.

As enjoyable as I found Apocalypse, however, I came out of it convinced it was time for Singer and this franchise to part ways. Singer remains the best director it has had, although I remain a staunch advocate of James Mangold’s The Wolverine, which will eventually be regarded as one of the best superhero movies ever, if you ask me. But the series needs fresh blood, and Singer should be given the chance to apply his gifts as a stylist and storyteller elsewhere.


Opinion

L i v e R e


Live Reviews

Vera Blue, Matt Gresham, The Outdoor TypeShebeen Bandroom17 MayOutside the venue we see “Vera Blue” written on a chalk board with those much-desired words “SOLD OUT” scrawled underneath.

Inside, The Outdoor Type (aka Zack Buchanan) immediately creates a vibe in the room that we can only hope continues all night. Bright and uplifting renditions of tracks such as Are You Happy and single When The Sun Goes Down showcase brilliant musicianship.

After a brief interval, very blonde-haired Matt Gresham walks on stage, guitar in hand. Gresham exudes a carefree attitude about his music. Gresham’s acoustic guitar synchronises seamlessly with his powerful vocals and the emotion behind his single Small Voices seems genuine. With gentle and resilient lyrics, Gresham somehow manages to engage the audience even though a whisper from the back row can be heard from the front. Gresham’s soulful vocals humanise the digital nature of his beats. The audience seem more than content with the relaxed nature of his performance.

Warm purple and pink lights create a night sky behind Vera Blue’s red hair — a sunset of sorts that 20-year-old Celia Pavey fashions into a canvas for her angelic vocals. While she’s now known as a folk-electronica artist, from Pavey’s first track we’re immediately made aware of the incredible vocal range this girl has. She performs an interpretation of Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz and just how this guitarist/singer is able to create an emotional ride from a normally upbeat hip hop track is bewildering.

Unfortunately, the audience seems preoccupied with the fact that it’s a school night and don’t give Pavey the credit she deserves (either that or they are taken away with her powerfully dreamy performances). Nevertheless, Pavey executes

a flawless rendition of her Like A Version cover, Jack Garratt’s Breathe Life. We wonder where this incredibly talented musician finds space to breathe between Florence & The Machine-sounding ballads. Blue closes with her debut single Hold and watching her is an extraordinary experience.

Antony Attridge

The Drones, Harmony170 Russell20 MayTonight’s sold out hometown show for The Drones unfortunately begins with hitches. Due to a ‘miscommunication’ between the venue and punters, set times run an hour ahead of time, which causes many to miss opening act Exek. Inadvertently arriving midway through Harmony’s set is quite the surprise and they’re borderline unlistenable due to a poor mix. While it is hard to capture this unique band’s sound, it feels devoid of any personality and becomes shamefully talked over as the room begins to fill.

Vera Blue @ Shebeen Bandroom. Pic: Paul Johnstone

The Drones @ 170 Russell. Pic: Joshua Braybrook

Vera Blue @ Shebeen Bandroom. Pic: Paul Johnstone

The Drones @ 170 Russell. Pic: Joshua Braybrook

Gold Class @ Northcote Social Club. Pic: Joshua Braybrook

Mere Women @ Northcote

Social Club. Pic: Joshua

Braybrook

From Blue’s fi rst track we’re immediately made aware of the incredible vocal range this girl has.

e v i e w s


Live Reviews

Coming on stage to (of all things) Enya’s Orinoco Flow (Sail Away), The Drones remind us that yes, they’re here and they’re the same characters we know and love. But unfortunately from opener Private Execution, the mix is so muddy and incoherent that it makes it hard to distinguish what’s even going on. Guitars are too low, keyboards way too high, drums come and go and the less that can be said about the bass the better. A misfire of following track Taman Shud causes the band to restart as frontman Gareth Liddiard’s amplifier blows. In trademark Liddiard style this incident is, humorously, played upon (although this isn’t as funny as the Gumtree user he intends to sell it to).

The set draws largely from tonight’s centrepiece, Feelin Kinda Free, which offers up highlights, singalong To Think That I Once Loved You being the cream and also coaxing the ladies from Harmony back to the stage to reprise their on-record performance. But again, the mix suffocates the atmosphere. The grandeur and impact as the track progresses gets so lost in translation that, instead of standing proudly on two feet by its conclusion, it feels more like a passing glance. The Drones’

performance also feels slightly compromised with occasional musical slip-ups standing out as plain as day in this environment; I Don’t Ever Want To Change is a prime example and sees Liddiard sitting behind the rest of the band, vocally and musically, as they reach the song’s peak. The band finish with their trademark cover of Kev Carmody’s River Of Tears which, if you have seen the band regularly over the years, proves amazing — they can still make the track emotive and fresh to the audience and themselves.

Tonight wasn’t The Drones at their best. Nor did it warrant the hefty ticket price. A more valid observation is that the show was ‘paint by numbers’ and this venue was not the appropriate site for a fan to experience a Drones rock’n’roll show.

Bradley Armstrong

Gold Class, Mere WomenNorthcote Social Club21 MayTrembling below scattered feet is the sound of a howling four-piece, Mere Women, who open this evening’s showcase of their new split-7” single with Gold Class. The band perform under neon lights that frame the stage and continue to electrify. Beneath the smog, Numb (off the new split-7”) is a welcome inclusion; several glassy eyes warm with tears while the beauty of this song flows with warm energy. These intertwining emotions bring their set to a subtle close.

Beating drums and the sharp fuzz of guitar riffs radiate, mixing with our anticipation and tapping feet. The neon-lit stage illuminates once more as Gold Class begin their powerful demonstration of contagious energy and impeccable songs. The venue’s sound mix perfectly complements the band as the audience roars, their cheers

and applause carrying through the entire set. With a focused mind and gaze, Adam Curley stares above the audience into an unknown abyss. He welcomes awed fans with a “hello, hello”. Curley then removes his jacket and begins moving around the stage. Standout song Michael is given a delightful introduction that leads into pure musical dynamite, stunned eyes doing their best to memorise this band’s stage presence.

“It’s really nice to play with Mere Women, it’s been a while,” says Curley. Life As A Gun charges through the speakers as the crowd sings along and bops in unison to the rhythm section. A dedication to the late Melbourne musician Adrian Slattery is greeted with applause and a subtle sadness fills the air as Shingles (Stay A While) brings the evening to a close.

Our cheerful request for “one more song” is not granted by Gold Class. As we file out of the venue, strangers lock eyes to communicate a shared appreciation.

Mikaelie Evans

Coming on stage to (of all things) Enya’s Orinoco Flow (Sail Away), The Drones remind us that yes, they’re here and they’re the same characters we know and love.

A dedication to the late Melbourne musician Adrian Slattery is greeted with applause and a subtle sadness fi lls the air as Shingles (Stay A While) brings the evening to a close.

More ReviewsOnline

theMusic.com.au/music/live-reviews

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Gil Scott-Heron @ Chapel Off Chapel

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TOOTSIE + SHAMPOO

FRI 27 MAY 7:30PMTHU 26 MAY

7:30PMWED 25 MAY

7:30PM

CINEMA FIASCO: XANADUTHE WITCH

+ THE WOLF MAN


Arts ReviewsArts Reviews

TheatreMerlyn Theatre, Malthouse Theatre to 5 Jun

★★★★½Tennessee Williams presented his 1944 breakthrough The Glass Menagerie as a “memory play” — and, being subliminally autobiographical, it’s atmospheric and otherworldly.

The Belvoir St Theatre’s acclaimed 2014 production, directed by Eamon Flack, is recreated in Melbourne. TGM depicts Williams’ fractious family in the late ‘30s — and his life as ‘Tom’ (a wry Luke Mullins), before he broke

The Glass Menagerie. Pic: Pia Johnson

Hunt For The Wilderpeople

Hunt For The Wilderpeople

away, reinventing himself as ‘Tennessee’, screenwriter/playwright. The Williams become the Wingfields. Mother Amanda (a mercurial Pamela Rabe, Wentworth’s “Freak”) is a wearied Southern Belle — alternately poignant and pathetic. Neglected by her (alcoholic) husband, she domineers her adult children in their confining St Louis apartment while battling for survival and dignity. Tom’s beloved sister Laura (Rose Riley) is “crippled”, her profound shyness emblematic of mental illness. Amanda fixates on the idea of a “gentleman caller” for Laura — but also for her own domestic diversion. However, the fragile offspring is absorbed in her glass animal collection. Tom, author and narrator, sneaks away nightly to the movies — a euphemism for his queer liaisons. All the characters reminiscence — and dream of escape. This epically long rendering of TGM evokes the quality of old black and white films with screen titles, dual real-time projections, and a cinematic score. Yet Laura, as the subject, remains elusive — Williams himself aware of her as a cipher, a tragic heroine slipping out of the text.

Cyclone

The

Glass

Menagerie

FilmIn cinemas 26 May

★★★★½Taika Waititi is one of the best modern New Zealand filmmakers, with his films Eagle Vs Shark, Boy and What We Do In The Shadows all immensely entertaining. Before directing Thor: Ragnarok, he delivers another New Zealand treat, Hunt For The Wilderpeople.

The film focuses on a national manhunt for a young troublemaking kid Ricky (Julian Dennison) and his grumpy foster Uncle Hec (Sam Neill) who are on the run in the expansive New Zealand wilderness.

This is a truly adorable film about friendship, family and the spirit of adventure that masterfully walks the line between the ridiculous and gritty reality. Though (positively) similar to Pixar’s Up, Waititi instils the film with the uniquely cheeky, darkly funny New Zealand humour. He also creates vividly drawn characters and genuine drama, some of which is tear-inducing. Also, cinematographer Lachlan Milne beautifully captures the New Zealand environment while the soundtrack/score is wonderfully nostalgic.Veteran Sam Neill and newcomer Julian Dennison make a dynamite combination, with Neill embracing his cragginess and vulnerability in his best character work in years, while Dennison shows excellent range, handles comedy and drama superbly. Aiding them is an expertly zany support cast, also with hilarious cameos from Flight Of The Conchords’ Rhys Darby and Waititi himself.Hunt for the Wilderpeople is entertaining, resonant, must-see New Zealand cinema.

Sean Capel

Pics: Melissa Cowan

It’s time to wet your whistle and Take The Plunge with the 2016 PBS Radio Festival. For over 30 years, the independent broadcasters have drawn from countless wells of music the world over to bring you jazz, reggae and rock plus heaps more. With only a few days left of the festival (you’ve got until 29 May), now is the time to throw some extra change into the fountain and keep the legendary station floating on the airwaves. Sign up this month and go into the draw to win heaps of great prizes. Head to pbsfm.org.au for more information.F

PBS Radio Festival :Take the Plunge


IndieIndie

Arthur Penn & The Funky Ten

Honeybone

Arthur Penn & The Funky Ten seem to have spent more time jamming in school than attending their maths

classes — the band actually consists of 12 members: Grace Cummings, Cameron Henshall, Tim Sneddon, Ben Harvey, Josh Lynzaat, Stikki Roder, Theo Conos, Edward Lloyd, Tim Eilenberg, Tyler Daglish, Jesse Glass and Ben Winstanley. Bassist Tim Eilenberg assembled a bunch of mates in 2011 “to create a high concept funk band, which I thought would be funny and cool”, but they weren’t serious about making music until they actually booked a gig. “We jammed on and off for a year, and then just booked a gig so we had no choice but to

New Zealander three-piece garage rock band Honeybone jumped from the dramatic landscape of Dunedin

in NZ’s South to the high fashion street cafes of Melbourne in 2012 with only a debut record under their belt (2010s Soul On Fire) and have “been gigging and writing ever since”. They have since recorded a studio LP Talk Back Baby in 2013 and embarked on a promotional tour to their homeland in Feb 2014.

Their follow up EP Spits & Curses is comprised of songs “rotated pretty heavily in our shows in the last year or so. Playing them live helps us get a feel for what works and what doesn’t,” says Drew Handcock,

get it together,” he explains. They’ve been performing together ever since.

“We got to play at the Hi-Fi with Perch Creek, recently had a huge single launch, played some festivals, put on a circus-themed gig complete with acrobats and magicians, but more importantly being able to play with 11 good mates and it being well received,” says Eilenberg. “The best part about working in a band of 12 is the diverse range of influences we get from each member. Artists such as Parliament/Funkadelic, George Duke, Alabama Shakes, Rick James, Prince, Tame Impala, Chic and more recently Justin Timberlake and The Doors. Basically anything that has energy and groove.” The conceptual nature of the band is evident in a few of Eilenberg’s initial visions: “The idea for Tim [Sneddon, vocalist], was just to dance and be weird on stage. Probably a good thing he’s a vocalist now and not that!”

who is described on their Facebook page as holding the role of “throat shredding and fuzz pedals”. The EP features songs about “tumultuous relationships, vengeful lovers [and] death. The songs weren’t particularly written to have a shared theme but at least two of those three things tend to run through each song. Sonically they are all pretty different though,” explains Handcock. “We’re not a particularly politically themed band but a lot of the underlying anger and aggression probably comes from just being fed up with the state of things both here in Australia and back home in NZ, even though the lyrics might not necessarily express that.”

When & Where:27 May, Shebeen Bandroom

When & Where:27 May, Retreat Hotel, Brunswick

Xylo Aria

Have You Heard

When did you start making music and why? I wrote my first song when I was 12. To be honest I just wanted to see if I could do it! I loved music and figured it couldn’t be that hard...

Sum up your musical sound in four words? Ambient, Ethereal, Melodic, Downtempo.

If you could only listen to one album forevermore, what would it be and why? It would have to be Overgrown by James Blake. It’s just the most beautiful album I’ve ever heard! His vocals and the slow, progressive nature of the songs just takes me somewhere else every time.

Greatest rock ‘n’ roll moment of your career to date? I was in a high school all girl band and at times there was a bit of head banging involved. “Greatest” would be a bit of a stretch at describing us though, we were actually fairly terrible!

Why should people come and see your band? We want to play gigs that will mesmerise you and allow you to momentarily escape the constraints of reality.

When and where for your next gig? 27 May, Wesley Anne.

Website link for more info? xyloaria.com

OPINION


Opinion

Howzat!Local Music By Jeff Jenkins

Sea StoriesSkipping Girl Vinegar’s last album was called The Great Wave, and though it’s not yet time to say goodbye to the much-loved band, singer Mark Lang is embarking on a solo adventure. He’s recording a solo record live at The National Theatre in St Kilda on Friday 3 June. “As the band has come to the end of this album touring cycle we’ve just decided to pop Skipping Girl Vinegar on the shelf while we put energies into our families — some that are soon to be expanded — along with some other personal interests and creative projects,” Mark tells Howzat! A solo setting works beautifully for Mark’s evocative and intimate songs. Encouraged by producer Nick Huggins, “I started playing stripped back solo shows about 16 months ago during downtime in the lead-up to the release of the latest Skipping Girl Vinegar album.” Initially, Mark was reluctant to stand on stage alone, without the safety net of the band. But the success of the solo shows gave him the confidence to continue, and also led to solo sets at Bluesfest, supporting Ron

Sexsmith, and in the US. For this show, Mark will be singing about one of his favourite themes: “my deep love and fear of the ocean”. Mark lives down the coast and he also has fond memories of spending summers in St Kilda at his grandparents’ place. “The apartment door would swing open, exposing sweeping views of the St Kilda beach, igniting daydreams of a life out at sea, which I’m not sure my mind has ever truly come back from.” The solo show will be augmented by animation by Leigh Ryan and visuals by Graeme Altmann, and Mark will be joined on stage by Hollie Joyce. “Hollie featured on our last Skipping Girl Vinegar album and I’ve had the pleasure of working with her in various studio sessions and truly believe that she’s one to watch in the near future,” Mark says. The set will include new material as well

as Skipping Girl Vinegar songs “reimagined”.

Power To The PeebsDon’t forget to show PBS some love. Their Radio Festival is running until 29 May. Head to pbsfm.org.au to sign up.

Miss You LoveSilverchair announced their “indefinite hibernation” five years ago this week. Will we get to see them again?

Hot Line“Yes, I’m back” — Peter Garrett, Tall Trees.

Mark Lang

Comedy / GThe Cat Empire


Wed 25 Julien Wilson Quartet: 303, Northcote

Dorcelsius + Secret Ashtrays + Abstract Mutation + Karli White: Bar Open, Fitzroy

Margaret Morrison + John Montesante Quintet: Bird’s Basement, Melbourne

Mellow Dias Thump with Ziggy Zeitgiest: Boney, Melbourne

Muddy’s Blues Roulette with Geoff Achison: Catfish (Front Bar), Fitzroy

Roundtable + Dr Colossus + Merchant: Cherry Bar, Melbourne

Peter Berner: Comic’s Lounge, North Melbourne

Clare Bowen: Corner Hotel, Richmond

PVBLO + JC: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy

Alex Watts + Frida: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood

Tkay Maidza + Moonbase Commander + Mallrat: Howler, Brunswick

Jimi Hocking + Nick Charles + Not The Wolf: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East

The Button Collective: Temperance Hotel, South Yarra

Drain Life + Forklift Assassins + Bunyip + Scrood: The Bendigo, Collingwood

Cat Power: The Capital, Bendigo Performing Arts Centre, Bendigo

Ella Hooper + Van Walker + Mouth Tooth: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood

Sulks + AB Robb + Dogood + Alex Midgely: The Old Bar, Fitzroy

Papa G & The Starcats + Bitter Fruit + Headphones Jones: The Toff In Town, Melbourne

Mild Manic + Kill Dirty Youth + The Black Alleys: The Tote (Band Room), Collingwood

Woo Who + Rhysics & The Rhy666 + Floyd Cox: The Tote (Upstairs), Collingwood

The McQueens + Kuchi Kopi: The Workers Club, Fitzroy

Thu 26 Kickin The B at 303 feat. Artie Styles Quartet: 303, Northcote

Sammy J & Randy: Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne

Jon Toogood + Josh Cashman: Baha Tacos, Rye

Papa G & The Starcats + Emilia & The Scarletts + The Hip Streets + Platypet Sillhouette: Bar Open, Fitzroy

The Good Minus + Hannah Cameron + Amy Alex: Bella Union, Carlton South

The Hip Joint with Bee Ampersand + Oliver Francis: Boney (Downstairs), Melbourne


Amy Winehouse Tribute feat. Eliza Hull + Tom Snowdon: Corner Hotel, Richmond

Steph Brett: Edinburgh Castle Hotel (Front Bar), Brunswick

Columbia + Small Town Aliens: Grace Darling Hotel (Band Room), Collingwood

Karise Eden + Dean Ray: Hallam Hotel, Hallam

Urthboy + L-FRESH The LION + Okenyo: Howler, Brunswick

Luke Yeoward: Labour In Vain, Fitzroy

Julie O’Hara + John Montesante Quintet: Leroy Espresso, St Kilda

Chris Wilson + Alison Ferrier: Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East

Steve Perry Big House: Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbotsford

Ocean Alley + The Football Club + Tommy Castles: Northcote Social Club, Northcote

Disco Volante feat. Ill-Yo + Bosco + DJ Morning Maxwell + more: Onesixone, Prahran

Joe Mungovan: Open Studio, Northcote

Phil Wiggins & Dom Turner: Piping Hot Chicken Shop, Ocean Grove

A Wilhelm Scream + The Decline + Anchors + Tigers: Reverence Hotel, Footscray

3181 Thursdays with Hans DC + James

Steeth + more: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran

Andy McGarvie + Doc Halibut: Shebeen Bandroom, Melbourne

Lepers & Crooks: Sooki Lounge, Belgrave

The Guide

The Music PresentsThe Cat Empire: 27 & 28 May Forum Theatre

DMA’S: 11 - 13 Jun Corner Hotel

Elizabeth Rose: 17 Jun Howler

The Rubens: 25 Jun Margaret Court Arena

The High Learys: 8 Jul Korova Lounge, 9 Jul Ding Dong Lounge

Jack The Stripper: 16 Jul The Workers Club, 17 Jul Wrangler Studios

Jack Garratt: 20 Jul 170 Russell

Mark Lanegan Band: 22 Jul The Croxton

Beach Slang & Spring King: 24 Jul Corner Hotel

James Blake: 27 Jul Margaret Court Arena

sleepmakewaves: 6 Aug Max Watt’s, 7 Aug Corner Hotel

Dead Letter Circus: 19 Aug 170 Russell

Rock Solid

After a big couple years releasing LP Peel Me Like A Egg, celebrating their 30th anniversary, and reuniting with frontman Keish de Silva, Hard-Ons will hit the Northcote Social Club on Friday.

Psych Tropics

Psych-rock reggae six-piece Ocean Alley are making their way down to Northcote Social Club this Thursday to launch new album Lost Tropics, where they will be joined by The Football Club and Tommy Castles.

Quadrone

Perth rock band The Drones have four massive shows at The Tote this week. Their Saturday night show is sold out but there are still tickets to the shows on Friday, Sunday and an all ages gig early Saturday.

Ocean Alley

Hard-Ons

The Drones

Gigs / Live


The Guide

Yolanda Ingley II: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick

Minton’s Playhouse Sessions: The B.East, Brunswick East

Alex Gow + Dan Kelly + Emma Russack: The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine

Cargo Cults: The Drunken Poet, West Melbourne

Walter Martin + Ben Mason: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood

White Lodge + Jurassic Nark + Floyd Cox: The Old Bar, Fitzroy

The Fabric + NAFASI + Nico Niquo: The Toff In Town, Melbourne

Cold Cuts with Pocock + River Yarra: The Toff In Town, Melbourne

Lovejoy + Picket Place + Eyesores: The Workers Club, Fitzroy

Tom Stevenson Band: The Workers Club Geelong, Geelong

Inconsolable: Wesley Anne (Front Bar), Northcote

Fri 27 Hot Dub Time Machine: 170 Russell, Melbourne

So.crates + Tumi & Gabriela Georges + Royalty Backline + more: 303, Northcote


Dub Princess + El Moth + Able 8: Bar Open, Fitzroy

Elvis is in the Building: Big Huey’s Diner, South Melbourne

Good Manners feat. Couture + Pillow Pro: Boney, Melbourne

The Harpoons + Friends: Boney (Downstairs), Melbourne

Greeves + The Lovely Days + Electic Exiles: Catfish, Fitzroy

Jon Toogood: Cherry Bar, Melbourne


Jackson McLaren: Compass Pizza Bar, Brunswick East

Peter Combe & the Juicy Juicy Green Grass Band: Corner Hotel, Richmond

Michaela Lee: Edinburgh Castle Hotel (Front Bar), Brunswick

Nite Fleit + Tom Baker + Leo James: Ferdydurke, Melbourne

Joelistics: Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick

The Cat Empire: Forum Theatre, Melbourne

Oscar Galt & The Eventual Somethings + Alister Turrill + The Hunted Crows: Grace Darling Hotel (Band Room), Collingwood

Urthboy + L-FRESH The LION + Okenyo: Howler, Brunswick

The Matches: Max Watt’s, Melbourne

Bob Dylan 75th Birthday Salute feat. Angie Hart + Sime Nugent: Memo Music Hall, St Kilda

Dirty Rats + City Sharps + The Sleepers: Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbotsford

Hard-Ons + Clowns + Flour: Northcote Social Club, Northcote

Josh Cashman: Penny Black, Brunswick

Andy Phillips & The Cadillac Walk: Pistol Pete’s Food n Blues, Geelong

La Dance Macabre with Brunswick Massive: Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy

Honeybone: Retreat Hotel, Brunswick

Pirra + Lady Oscar + Sumner: Reverence Hotel (Band Room), Footscray

Revolver Friday / Mi Casa feat. Mike Callander + Safari + more: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran

Huntly + Two Steps on the Water + Jessica Says + The Curse: Shadow Electric, Abbotsford

Arthur Penn & The Funky Ten + Tetrahedra + PVBLO: Shebeen Bandroom, Melbourne

Busy Kingdom: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick

The Here Heres: The B.East, Brunswick East

Distored Truth + Bastard Squad + Debacle + Substance Abuse: The Bendigo, Collingwood

Tex Perkins + Charlie Owen: The Grand Hotel, Mornington

The Resignators + Loonee Tunes: The Luwow, Fitzroy

General Men + Loobs + Polo + Tangrams: The Old Bar, Fitzroy

Sleazy Listening with Arks + Richard Kelly + Hysteric + K. Hoop: The Toff In Town, Melbourne

The Drones + Deaf Wish + Moon Ritual: The Tote (Band Room), Collingwood

Lepers & Crooks + Greenthief + Prymal: The Workers Club, Fitzroy

Tinpan Orange: The Workers Club Geelong, Geelong

Alex Gow + Dan Kelly + Emma Russack: Thornbury Theatre, Thornbury

Daryl Braithwaite + Kate Ceberano + Jon Stevens + John Paul Young: Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo

Xylo Aria: Wesley Anne (Band Room), Northcote

White Summer + All The Colours: Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy

Sat 28 Basement + Turnover + Break Even + Harbours: Arrow On Swanston (All Ages), Carlton


Lepers & Crooks: Baha Tacos, Rye

Lost Weekend feat. Frank Booker + Crown Ruler: Boney, Melbourne

Stare at the Clouds + Transience + Bear The Mammoth + Forecast Tomorrow: Catfish, Fitzroy

Oliver Downes: Charles Weston Hotel (Front Bar), Brunswick

Let Yourself Go - David Bowie Celebration with Ashley Naylor & The Diamond Dogs: Cherry Bar, Melbourne


Jane Cameron: Compass Pizza Bar, Brunswick East

Cherie Currie + Tequila Mockingbyrd +

Wild Violet: Corner Hotel, Richmond

Emma Donovan & The Putbacks: Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre, Preston

My Secret Circus + Cicadastone + I Am Mine: Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne

Twinsy + Stace Cadet + Tranter: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy

The Cat Empire: Forum Theatre, Melbourne

Mothers Ruin feat. Johnnie & The Johnnie Johnnies + DJ Trompe Le Monde: Gin Lane, Belgrave

The Belafontes + Wild Meadows + Madeline Leman & The Desert Swells: Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood

Lee Kernaghan: Hamilton Performing Arts Centre, Hamilton

Bag Raiders + Otious: Howler, Brunswick

Melbourne Ska Orchestra + Kooyeh: Max Watt’s, Melbourne

Rock Monsters with Shout At The Devil + Still Twisted + Morth + Guillotyne: Mr Boogie Man Bar, Abbotsford

Ivan Ooze + Dex + Midas.GOLD: Northcote Social Club, Northcote

Just In Tim

Melbourne-based Andy McGarvie is heading to the Shebeen Bandroom on Thursday to launch his new LP Not Soon Enough. Supporting McGarvie and his band on the night will be Doc Halibut.

Dub Time

The worlds first time-travelling dance party Hot Dub Time Machine, aka DJ Tom Loud, is touring Australia with his unique brand of dance and will be bringing it to 170 Russell on Friday.

Urthly

After selling out his Friday show, hip hop talent Urthboy has announced another to fill demand. Supported by L-FRESH The LION and Okenyo, he will be coming to the Howler on Thursday.

Hot Dub Time Machine

Urthboy

Andy McGarvie

Comedy / G


The Guide

Sun 29 The Sadults + Lucas George + Kim Little + Deadbeat Club: Bar Open, Fitzroy

Ben Salter + Brooke Russell + Grace Robinson: Bella Union, Carlton South

Semi Fiction + A Separate Reality + Pink Harvest: Cherry Bar, Melbourne

Basement + Turnover + Break Even + Foxtrot: Corner Hotel, Richmond

The Vignettes + Zuma + A Rioting Mind: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy

Lee Kernaghan: Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston

Daryl Braithwaite + Kate Ceberano + Jon Stevens + John Paul Young: Geelong Performing Arts Centre (Costa Hall), Geelong

Bag Raiders + Otious: Howler, Brunswick

A Wilhelm Scream + The Decline + The Ramshackle Army + The Playbook: Reverence Hotel (Band Room), Footscray

Forever Ends Here + Drawing North + Marcelo: Rubix The Venue, Brunswick

Bradley Zero + Andreas + Babicka + Pjenne: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood

Kim Salmon & The Surrealists + The Only Boys + Penny Ikinger: The Old Bar, Fitzroy

Elwood Blues Club All Stars: The Prince (Public Bar/4pm), St Kilda

Lose Your Interiors with Stuart Daulman + Demi Lardner + more: The Toff In Town, Melbourne

The Drones + Time For Dreams + Palm Springs + Mollusc: The Tote (Band Room), Collingwood

Hollywood Models + The Burnt Sausages + Hi-Tec Emotions: The Workers Club, Fitzroy

Mitchell Paxton Ward: Wesley Anne (Front Bar), Northcote

Mon 30 Tooth & Tusk + The Gravy Train Four + Kate Dillon: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy

Monday Night Mass feat. Camp Cope + Loose Tooth + Cable Ties + Spike Fuck: Northcote Social Club, Northcote

Shrimpwitch + Plaster of Paris + Shag Planet: The Old Bar, Fitzroy

Call It In with Instant Peterson + Dylan Michel: The Toff In Town (Carriage Room), Melbourne

Reika + The Rollercanes + Spare No Words: The Workers Club, Fitzroy

Tue 31 Make It Up Club feat. Sean Baxter + Rafel Kaczmarek + Nunique Quartet + David Palliser: Bar Open, Fitzroy

Sienna Wild + Diamonds Of Neptune: Cherry Bar, Melbourne

Mondegreen + Tetrahedra + Karate Boogaloo: Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy

Polica + Jaala: Melbourne Recital Centre (Elisabeth Murdoch Hall), Southbank

Sing Oh! De Mayo with Lowtide + T.V. + Last Leaves: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood

The Lovely Days + Masco Sound System + Jimmy Changs Hot Tuna: The Workers Club, Fitzroy

Daryl Braithwaite + Kate Ceberano + Jon Stevens + John Paul Young: Palais Theatre, St Kilda

Agonhymn + Warpigs + Matt Malone + Fuschia + Clive of India: Reverence Hotel (Band Room), Footscray

The LifeLike Project: Revolver Upstairs, Prahran

RKDA + Ocdantar + Aeora + more: Shebeen Bandroom, Melbourne

Benny C & The Associates + Gretta Ziller + Andrew Swift: Spotted Mallard, Brunswick

Angelus Apatrida + In Malice’s Wake + Harlott + Mason: The Bendigo, Collingwood

Harts: The Curtin, Carlton

New Lease feat. Meter Men + Terror Nullius + The Wax Eaters: The Curtin (Public Bar), Carlton

The Harmaniax: The Drunken Poet, West Melbourne

ABABCd feat. Black Cab + Beaches + Habits + Loose Tooth + Lossless + Crepes: The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood

Ron S Peno & The Superstitions + Shepparton Airplane + Kate Alexander: The Old Bar, Fitzroy

Dom Dolla + Torren Foot: The Prince, St Kilda

Tanzer + Sugar Fed Leopards: The Toff In Town, Melbourne

The Drones + Tyrannamen + White Vans: The Tote, Collingwood

The Love Junkies + Skyways Are Highways + Ohms: The Workers Club, Fitzroy

Vaudrey + TJ Patrick + Little Adventures: The Workers Club, Fitzroy

Isaac de Heer Duo: Wesley Anne (Front Bar), Northcote

Skazam

Known for sizzling live performances, which can include anywhere up to and over 30 players, Melbourne Ska Orchestra are getting ready to showcase their newest album Sierra Kilo Alpha at Max Watt’s on Saturday.

MobStar

Adelaide rap sensation Tkay Maidza is playing two intimate and exclusive shows this week, and Melbourne gets one of them. Maidza will be at the Howler on Wednesday along with some special guests.

Tkay Maidza

Melbourne Ska Orchestra


Prize pool over $130,000

Open to Victorian residents only

Two new categories

Open to all music genres

Melbourne Prize for Music 2016Outstanding Musicians Award 2016Beleura Award for Composition 2016Development Award 2016Distinguished Musicians Fellowship 2016Civic Choice Award 2016

Melbourne Prize for Music 2016

Entries now open

For information

please go to

melbourneprize.org

The Music (Melbourne) Issue #140

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Transcript of The Music (Melbourne) Issue #140