APANIYAM

Dear followers,

I normally also avoid anything too personal. However, I have just had a very full 18 hours and I need to share some feelings. This isn't something I am very good at as a whole, so after a vague summary, I'll do it with music.

Essentially, right now, four events have come together, I feel hurt, betrayed and abandoned by one, even, just stupid. Another has me terrified at the inevitable, and my inability to go away to visit someone, I also have no words for how much regret I feel for not making an effort towards my extended family whilst I could. The third event has me floored, yet again tumblr became the medium of choice for people to remind me how awful I am as a person, the consequences of which I just cannot process right now, I was clear about my feelings, but apparently others read into my actions too far. Ironically, one and three are fairly inverse of one another. Finally, I just feel like a big kid playing adult. I mean, I always have, but some days I just feel like I don't belong with those around me. Sure I have a career, but that feels more like dumb luck than actual ability.

So anyway, to my friends, I love you all. Thank you for having my back right now, I can share details in private.


As for music. Here's something like how I feel today.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPG6Ak5FASk&sns=em












-A

Inexplicably still using myspace, Mikelangelo and the tin star are an Australian group dubbing themselves "Surf n western". I was trying to figure out a better way to define it, but that's pretty perfect. Obviously inspired by a bit of punk rock, these pals of Amanda Palmer having been bouncing around Australia. I have been fortunate enough to catch the live show twice.

As for this album, Mikelangelo has a beautiful voice, and can use it very well. Unfortunately he writes some really corny lyrics. I don't know if it's because the music is corny(I don't think it is), or because they are just that good, but I really don't mind. Honestly, when the only thing you can fault about an album is the occasional lyrics, then they have done really damn well.

If you like surf rock, if you like western, or any of the derivative genres, you'll love this album. Big gaudy guitars, and foot tapping beats the whole way through. I have designated it as my "Badass cruising soundtrack" for the summer.

Now here is a song so manly you'll grow hair.

So two guys from Depeche Mode(not even giving you a link for that one) who aren't Dave Gahan started a new project. It's not as camp powerpop as Erasure was, and there's none of Gahan's vocals(duh). So I guess it's ok? Martin Gore writes some good electro, so it could be a very neat little release. Just in time for the summer partay season here. I'll reserve judgement for the full length, but pitchfork has the sample track "Spock" here.

Have at.

-A

So, since all my reader(s?) know me, you can guess I have been rocking the sad bastard music lately. I promise I will cheer things up after this one, but this has just been stuck in my CD player for weeks.

With lyrics as good as "sometimes you reach for the bottle before the sky" how can I skip this one? A timely release for my life state, this is his third solo release (he's in some other band) from Chuck. It's a man's man's album, jangly guitars, pumping punky bass lines, strings and what sounds like spoons on Nomad By Fate.

Hell, here is him playing the opening track in a workshop with a group of men so tough their razors are scared to get closer to their faces.

(I think he's even got a fishing hook in his guitar strap.

All joking aside, this is an awesome album. Hot Water Music are good, Chuck is a great musician, and he's got some talented friends. There's a Brian Fallon appearance and to my surprise Chris Phillips of SNZ has been invited to the little enclave he has going on. More SNZ related activity the better in my mind.

As for bad things, the album gets a little repetitive towards the end, and I tend to get distracted and start doing other things. That said, it is consistently good throughout, just not a whole load of variation.

Anyway, that's really all I have to say on it, good musicians make good albums, this is no exception. I promise the next band will be a bit more cheerful.

PS: A friend of mine (who is a legit writer and junk) wrote up a pretty good intro to the Australian blues revival check it yo: http://hereisyourmind.net/

Trying something new for this one. I will be writing this review as I listen and write out this review in the time it takes to play. Also, this is a little milestone for me, it's my first review straight off a new record. I know I am a couple of weeks behind, but I have been busy.

Okay, since the record is already spinning let's get this show on the road.

Track one is Chicago, and I already have a feeling I will love this album. I had to check the speed setting on my turntable, but nope, Tom's kept the energy of Bone Machine going and then some.
Chicago blasts us straight into Raised Right Men, and my fears of a bland album are creeping in. This track reminds me a little of the newer Nick Cave stuff (DLD and Grinderman 2) which I am not as fond of.
All fears are abated with, Talking At The Same Time (Segue, just scratched chilli into the soft skin under my eye, OW) which is classic Waits. I love this track a large amount, and I can picture myself spending a lot of time chilling to this track. If I was lucky enough to get a digital download, this is going on my summer drinking playlist.
I was lost in thought on that last one, editing back, and Get Lost dropped. This track. I am speechless. I had to check for guest vocals, but no, Tom Waits is a straight up baller. This album already has given me two of my favourite tracks of the year (survivability is yet to be tested obviously).
Again, a bit of a jumpy change in pace into Face To The Highway. There's some heavy usage of almost tropical steel string guitars in this album. Really, this track is just classic jangly beats, a moody guitar, a polite background riff and Tom's crooning over the Top. His vocals are much less grating on this album as a whole, which I have no argument against. I felt Bone Machine was a bit distorted because he was coving up that age was catching him, but this is proof he has years left in him.
Pay me, is my least favourite so far. That vague not quite Irish accent and drawn out folk song style just gets to me. Tom's been guilty of this is in the past, but Shane McGowan was the only person I've ever heard make this kind of thing really work in a catchy way.
Back In The Crowd is better again, a perfect place to round out side one. Some classic crooning and that ever present, almost tinny guitar that he is establishing as the theme for this album.

Side B opens with Bad As Me, the title track(duh).
Here's a video, I'm too busy listening.

Ok, now it's over. Heh. Bit Gimmicky?(Sucks, I had an awesome Bad Ass Me pun lined up) I still love the track, but Get Lost was mind blowing, Bad As Me was just a solid track. However, with the whole DJ thing, I am most inclined to give BAM the run on a dance floor.
Kiss Me has played through as I wrote the above, a very classic sexy Tom song. I have a date with that song, a cup of tea and a rainy day already lined up.
Satisfied is rocking the same swingy, rock'n'roll vibe as Get Lost, with some more classic vocals. I love his voice, and I'm a sucker for some good sax. This track has me tapping my foot and grooving around a little.
Last Leaf killed me. I totally forgot I was writing this, just staring at the wall. This is the song the whisky drinker in you has been missing. Our messiah has returned.
(segue: I have been trying to figure out the pattern to the ups and downs, but then I remembered that there's never a very smooth progression on Tom's albums.)
Hell Broke Luce makes me want to go marching, and I do not mind at all. I cannot think of what this reminds me of, but he's kept the tighter percussion(almost industrial) he learned on Bone Machine. It would take me time to figure this one was a Waits track, but I needed a new Goin' Out West.
Last track is New Years Eve. He sounds a lot like Cohen on this one, very spoken word and rhymey (totally a word). I like it quite a lot, but it drags out a little. I don't mind this on a closing track though.

All right. That's it, I commend you if you read through this drivel for this long. A nice little experiment to get me back on the reviews wagon.


Overall, my thoughts are: BUY THIS ALBUM, GOD-DAMN TOM WAITS IS A BAD ASS.

Hello friends!

So I am back, working on a broken keyboard (no s key, so I am copy/pasting s. Sorry if I miss a few caps) after a variety of illnesses and upsets. sorry for the lack of updates lately, back to my last post, I mentioned I am cleaning out my music collection. Well I am fairly deeply into it now, and I'd like to share some gems I have discovered as I have gone through my collection.

First up, is album titles starting with symbols and numbers (then I will work through the other albums in alphabetic order. I'll be picking 5 albums that I loved from each section, most of these will be old favourites, or ones I had never given a good chance.

With no further adieu, my five (in no particular order) for non-numerical album titles after the jump!



First up is Kyuss with ...And the circus leaves town. With the killer opener Hurricane (below). This has been an awesome album for just laying back in this terrible heat Brisbane has been experiencing lately (except for today's lovely break). There's something about Cali stoner rock that is perfect for Brisbane's tropical heat.
Really Kyuss don't need an introduction in most circles, but I forget I am getting old, fronted by Josh Homme of Queens of the stoneage/Eagles of Death Metal fame they are a classic band and very well worth giving a listen to.


Second album is Fugazi with 13 songs. No explanation, just listen to the whole album, this was a period of music that MADE modern punk/hardcore what it is.



Next up is Monster Magnet with 4-Way Diablo. Another band touring Australia soon, Monster Magnet have always been one of those bands vaguely on my radar. The title track on this album has been jammed in my head since I have it a real listen. It's their most recent album, and I hear from fans that they have better albums, which I will definitely be checking out given how much I'm enjoying 4-Way Diablo. Just some honest hard rock.



Finally is Kanye's 808's and Heartbreaks. Whatever your opinion on rnb/urban pop there's no denying Kanye's the genius voice of a generation(and he loves fishsticks). I have a soft spot for musicians who are batshit but still amazing at what they do. His lyrics aren't as inspired in this album, but the production is fantastic, great late night music. The album as a whole really peaks into the stresses of the celebrity life, and it's interesting to see. He acknowledges that he put himself where he is and he is lucky to have the fans he has, but regrets a few of the trappings of the lifestyle.



Honorary mention goes to Throbbing Gristle's 20 Jazz-Funk greats. Like 13 songs, just give it a listen, it's a classic. Also, () by sigur Ros...


Aside: On Kanye, I started a pretty large argument on facebook when 808's came out and I linked a song on my wall. It seems a few people think musical tastes are an either/or thing. Lots of people said I couldn't possibly like all the hardcore/goth/country/jazz/pop I link too, because the music is so different. Well really, my musical tastes are a product of what I am doing at the time and my moods, so yes, I can like a variety of songs and genres, because I am confident enough in my tastes of one genre to allow myself to listen to other genres.

Alright guys, sorry about my absence this week, Brisbane is a touch submerged. I keep coming to write, sitting down then wandering off. I am now sitting with a fresh cup of tea and a bottle of water, and I have zero excuse to stand up, or leave the computer.

So obviously, three posts a week was really ambitious. Oh well, life's about making mistakes. I'll be stepping back to weekly or bi-weekly posts depending on what's going on in my life. I'm also not just going to do straight reviews any more, don't worry, I'll review a lot of music still. However, in more of a "hey you guys should listen to..." manner, to give a bad review I need to listen to bad albums, and since this is blog totally for fun for me, why would I do that?
This kind of contradicts my new style of posting I'll have beyond this. One of my goals for the year is to clean out the mess of MP3s I have found from various media around my house. They mostly date from when I was angry, young and poor and felt the recording industry could shove it. Now I'm a little older and wiser, and understand that in most cases Album Sales = Income = Record Deals = More good albums. As much as we dislike it, record companies still pay the royalties cheques on most of these albums.
Anyway, back to my point. Most of these tracks I haven't listened to in years, nor have I ever heard the whole album! So my plan (whilst updating some id3 tags and cover art) is to go through my music library (currently sitting at 200Gb, Bloated by lossless rips of most of my real CDs and records) and get rid of the one of tracks I have floating around.
Rather than just going out and buying the albums, or just trashing them all, I think this could be an interesting little discovery mission. There's loads of people who have been intending to do similar things, so by documenting them in the "should it stay or should it go?" series, I may be able to help you guys out. I'm also going to find all the worst mistaggings I have.

I'm also going to occasionally write about me, because I'm self indulgent. Feel free to ignore these posts, I won't be actively sharing them, but they'll be open to read for those who are interested.

Take care those still in flood areas,
-A-

Woah, so a total of 6 people have asked where I've been.

I'm currently redesigning my home, and have very little inspiration to review. Rather than pump out rubbish, I'm going to go back to writing quality reviews, and expanding my blog a little. I'll update when I do. Thanks for the concern.

-A.G.

Ok, so tonight posting will resume with a big compensatory post for my time away.

I'm sick. I should be back at it come tomorrow.

In my quest to bring interesting music(as I hope it has been so far) I find a lot of surplus. Originally I was saving these up for some reason, but unfortunately there are always some bits and pieces that just don't fit in as a review, or a link to free music. I still save these because I feel people might enjoy them. I've decided to put together a little round up of all the stuff I liked that I couldn't really give a home to.

So each month I'll post up a "scraps" section. Bands without albums, and clips that are just fun. Due to the number of links/clips, it'll all be after the jump.



Cool videos.

First up. Crystal Castle's Not in Love Feat Robert Smith. I'm sure most people have seen this, but it's fantastic. A very good combination of classic post punk and modern post-dance electro.



Spike Jonze directs the new Arcade Fire clip for The Suburbs

Welcome to to first www.* these are intended to be a brief run down of what's up the coming weekend. Due to the huge amount of time it could take to go through everything, I'll focus on Brisbane City/Valley/West End and run off what I am invited to/suggested for me on facebook. Venues/promoters/bands are free to email me at mr.adrian.grey(at)gmail.com before Wednesday of each week, alternatively facebook me here.

I'll start each post with a quick review of what I did the weekend before if anything was notable, and then post a list of events under the jump. With each event I will post any significant thoughts, and let people know if I intend on going maybe.

With no further adieu: List is after the jump. I'll skip the review this week because I'll be reviewing the new Gentle Ben album when it comes out (I went to the single launch at woodland. It was great, but the crowd wouldn't shut the hell up).

*The dot in www. is not the end of the sentence, it's nerd humor.



Thursday
Real Big Fish VS. The Aquabats @ The Tivoli
I'll be there. Wouldn't miss it for anything, tix are about $50 from Rockinghorse and still available.


Combichrist (w/Bitch Brigade)
I'm sure most of my friends are going to this. Suckers, Aquabats will be better. Still if you like CC you already have tix. Still available! Buy one anyway, my boss is running this.

Ekklesia & The Dead Will Tell (South Africa) @ Rosies
For those students too poor to get into a real gig, according to facebook this is free for students. Not my kind of thing, but I have heard good things about Ekklesia, if I wasn't at either of the above two I'd probably swing by this for a bit, I mean, it's free, what can you loose?

LambdaLambdaLambda @ Alhambra Lounge
Great name, just not a fan of the place. I'll give it another shot one day, but I got pretentioused out last time.

Friday
Go to Basement 243 to check out how they refitted tabu(feat. pool tables and MASSIVE ducted AC unit) and drink the CHEAPEST BASICS EVER. I'm not affiliated with the place so I am pretty sure I can tell you that you'll get change from a fiver. On a Friday. Seriously.

Bertie Page Clinic - "Rock & Roll In A G-String" Album Launch @ The Wickham
Just $10 makes this pretty tempting, I've heard good things.

Saturday

Prometheus Bound @ Transcontinental Hotel (W/Greshka)
This is the Steampunk club where I DJ, Brisbane's one and only, and totally cosplay/jeans and tshirt friendly. Get dressed up or come gawk, either's cool with me. Music is folk/gypsy punk and new swing/cabaret from open, moving to steam inspired darkwave/industrial/gothtechno after the bands. Go to this so I get paid more.

The Art @ X&Y bar
I won't be there for obvious reasons, and they will always be the Follow to me, I still have my hand painted t-shirt. It's free, and free stuff is just neat!

Sunday

Suitcase Rummage! @ King George Square.
I only wish I wasn't busy.

Stage Door Theatre's TOTALLY 80's party AA 4pm-8pm (w/food)
At Stage Door in Bowen hills, hosted by Kristin Fletcher who used to do Globe's Retrospekt nights (I think) which were always loads of fun. I may go.

Post-Stereosonic Recovery @ Alloneword.
I won't be there, but AOW is a lovely venue for those who don't have to work monday.

This won't be one for a lot of people, another Aussie indie-pop solo girl with that cute indie-chic cool. To be honest, I am getting a little sick of it too, we already have the Waifs and Angus and Julia Stone, but every now and then you need to add something fresh to the old playlists.

Out of Western Australia comes Pogo, a 22 year old sample master. This skill at remixing samples from one film or scene within a film is beyond his years. He pulls together these samples into an almost ambient trip-hop style with a real feel for creating new music.

I didn't believe it when I read his bio. His sampling is to the quality of, if not rivalling, great acts like The Avalanches, and I don't say that lightly.

I could honestly just sit here and chill to this all night, great background music. Check after the jump for the video for "Alice" and a link to his Last FM which is packed full of free downloads.


http://www.last.fm/music/Pogo

My second favourite thing is when bands give us free music. My favourite thing is when free music is really really good. Earth for Foxes is a one man vocals free Electro-pop, almost 8 bit, band out of the US. From what I can garner they have no official album released and are unsigned as of yet.

I grew up on the blues and country from my ma' long drives from Brisbane to Sydney on the inland route listening to Long John Baldry pretty much sums up 1-2 school holidays a year for a huge chunk of my life. Now a days my music tastes have calmed down a little from "one genre all the time and that is who I am" to "a bit of everything I like". The thing I most missed for a couple of years there was bluesy-jazzy rock.

Another single from the upcoming Patrick Wolf release the Conqueror. Rumours have it that we have another six months or so until the official release of the full length album, but the Time of my life single drops on the 6th of next month.

Does anyone else feel that chill when they hear the term Dance-Punk? There's something about it that just sounds wrong. It could just be the old disco/punk rivalry I hammered into myself when I was angry, young and poor. Despite my dislike fo the name, bands like Test Icicles, Dandi Wind and Crystal Castles have brought us some fantastic albums in the last few years.

With remixes by a few of the Test Icicles guys and headed up by Kevvy Mental, who has his finger in many pies (Fan Death and Birthday Massacre production credits, and a couple of official Dandi Wind and KMFDM remixes) Fake Shark-Real Zombie! are quickly filling my void for new Test Icicles quality material. Meeting people is terrible, produced by one hell of a heavy weight in Dave Ogilvie (yeah, that one) is the second album from these guys, with a third slated for release at some point this year.
As an album, it definitely comes together. My only disappointment is the lack of energy on some tracks in comparison to what I feel is the stand-out track Six Sick Suck. Just because it's loud doesn't mean it's got feeling, but it does get into that heavy alt-rock vibe I know the kids love.

Still a really quality album, I suppose we can thank Dave Rave for how well this ties together (Kevvy Mental is a great producer in his own right, but we can't deny Dave's sheer talent and experience). I'm a fan of shorter EPs over albums for this genre, but as a full length this is a great album, and somehow it comes togeather. Tracks like Jewellery have an almost deftones vibe to them where Six Sick Suck is almost a polar opposite and pulls up all the energy and passion of a Test Icicles release, and the official single Angel Lust actually made me write the whole album off for a while(too much funk/rock).

Videos after the jump.


Unfortunately the best I could find for SSS was a live video, it's really flat, so find it on last FM or something.
As for actually videos, there are impossible to find. Here's Avril Kadaver, but I don't encourage stealing music from small label artists, so ignore their vid description.

And whilst I was looking for that I found this:

Micachu & The Shapes to me are one of the very good experimentalish bands of this decade that are probably looked over due to their associations. In the last few years there has been a run of bands who are total bollocks but through the right connections/drugs in circulation in the London/NY music scene have made a killing. Unfortunately, for all her talent, Micachu looks like one of these "hip new things." She's got her awkward indie-chick look, her London Djing roots, and a thumbs up from Bjork.

However, for their first release, Micachu and her Shapes really bring it. With beats that remind me of what the ill-fated Din Glorious were doing(albeit, calmed down a little) and a solid voice they've put together a really catchy album.
A couple of critics actually slammed the album on release, claiming it was just assorted random experimentation from track to track. Whilst there are some frantic changes between songs, I think this is more a sign of our times than a real criticism. Experimental albums should be just that, they should use vacuum cleaners(Turn me Well) and circus noises(the opener Vulture is a manic track sampling the "ohm-pa-pa" of a carousel). Similar reviews are coming out of their live shows, which is unfortunate. Possibly, the quality of the album recorded can be attributed to it being produced by the guy behind Doktor Rockit. Really only time can tell, but until it's out, I'm definitely crossing my fingers for a solid follow up.

See after the jump for the clip for Turn me Well, featuring a vacuum cleaner. I also recommend Vulture and Golden Phone as top singles from the album. If you can stomach a bit of choppiness between tracks, grab the album, you will not be disappointed.