SONIC KERFUFFLE

2011-06-13T10:37:00.024+02:00

21st Century: Art in the First Decade, Part 1.
- The Gallery of Modern Art -
In the attempt to begin writing about art, my brain issues a caveat in the form of Jasper Johns’s sculpture ‘The Critic Sees,’ 1964. Made from sculpmetal and glass, it consists of a rectangular block with a pair of spectacles and a pair of open mouths (instead of eyes) sculpted into it. The piece is a pun on the fact that the art critic employs words in his attempt to understand and represent a visual work of art. Hence the art critic effectively 'sees' with his mouth. The idea that language is unable to provide an unmediated description of physical phenomena may need to be reconsidered, given the discovery of 'synesthesia,' a condition whereby the brain's ability to process sensory input is disrupted, causing people to hear colours and see sounds. Synesthesia is believed to have been central to the development of language, (particularly metaphor). Basically language is fundamental to our biology, and is no less 'accurate' an observational tool than is the visual system.
Belgian artist Carson Hoeller’s ‘Tilted Left/ Right Slide,’ 2006, (a 26 meter-long version of which was exhibited at the Tate Modern in 2006), was commissioned by Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art and is comprised of two stainless steel slides entwined to form a double-helix, taking the visitor (including my mother and I) on an exhilarating ride from the first floor to the ground floor. The ‘21st Century: Art in the First Decade,’ exhibition (18 December - 26 April 2011) was an attempt by the gallery’s director Tony Ellwood to encompass international and local contemporary art practice from the last decade, and the slides perfectly reflected the interactive and technologically innovative nature of the rest of the exhibition. Artists from 42 countries created 220 works employing a combination of film, interactive technologies, installation, painting, animation, music, sculpture, drawing and assemblage to reflect on issues including celebrity worship, capitalism, religion, conflict, environmental destruction, consumerism, new technologies and cross-cultural identity.

2011-06-13T10:37:00.023+02:00

21st Century: Art in the First Decade, Part 2.

- The Gallery of Modern Art -
Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929) is a Japanese artist who made a name for herself in 1960s New York with her ‘happenings,’ a feature of the 1950s Fluxus movement initiated by the composer John Cage, and a form of public performance art, which she used to demonstrate against the Vietnam War. By her own volition she has occupied a mental institution in Tokyo since 1980, and continues to create art from a studio close by. Suffering from mental health problems from a young age, she has utilized her hallucinatory experiences as inspiration for her 'infinity nets' or polka-dotted landscapes.
Yayoi Kusama’s 'Narcissus' Garden,' (1996/ 2002), is an installation incorporating a collection of stainless steel spheres which have been scattered over a portion of gallery floor covered in a modicum of water. The spheres and the water, in which they float, mirror and reflect one another. The work is a reference to the Greek myth, ‘Narcissus and Echo,’ a book from Ovid’s ‘Metamorphosis,’ in which a beautiful youth spurns the love of Echo (a water nymph cursed to repeat the words of others), falls in love with his own reflection in a pond, and destroys himself upon learning that his reflection cannot reciprocate his love. Her 'Soul Under the Moon,' 2002, is an enclosed space located in the center of the garden. People line up outside as only four are allowed access to it at a time. Inside it is pitch black, and one is surrounded by mirrors and by an installation of small, round, coloured lights, which are repeated infinitely into the distance. These ‘infinity rooms’ create in the spectator a feeling of dissociation, as one’s concept of an integrated ‘self’ dissolves into the particles comprising an infinite void.

2011-06-13T09:53:00.014+02:00

21st Century: Art in the First Decade, Part 3.
- The Gallery of Modern Art -
British artist Damien Hirst had his token offering in the photograph of a diamond-encrusted platinum cast skull, 'For The Love of God,' 2007. It was inspired by Aztec art and was christened after his mother’s response to the work. Danish-Icelandic artist Olaf Eliasson, whose exhibition exploring the properties of light was recently on display at the MCA in Sydney, created a city of white Lego skyscrapers for children and adults alike to contribute to, entitled 'The Cubic Structural Evolution Project,' 2004.
In 2009 a GoMA exhibition had children building toy planes out of a rubbish heap of found materials located in the centre of an installation space and then pin them to the (once sacrosanct) walls of the gallery like a collection of rare insects. 'Connection,' 2004, by the Belgian artist Tobias Putrih, is a seemingly improvisational sculpture constructed out of a number of large and successively smaller cardboard boxes, which have been placed inside one another to create a bridge. The use of an impermanent material such as cardboard playfully undermines the notion of durability associated with arches and bridges.
With her sound installation ‘From Hear to Ear'(v.13),' 2010, Celeste Boursier suspended 5 ‘candelabras’ out of coat hangers from a harpsichord in the ceiling of an installation space; from which hang little nests made from MDF board. Five species of Finch fly from one of these open structures to the next, preening themselves, filling their nests with tufts of grass collected from the perimeters of sand-beds beneath each structure, feeding from a number of different food sources provided. In the event that natural habitats are destroyed through deforestation and climate change, I thought the work provided an innovative, experimental solution to the inevitable problem of having to create artificial environments for displaced species of bird. The work is itself very minimalist and calming, with the only sounds being that of wings flapping, birds ferreting through grass and communicating with one another.

2011-06-13T09:53:00.013+02:00

21st Century: Art in the First Decade, Part 4.
- The Gallery of Modern Art -
Leandro Erlich created his 'Swimming Pool,' 2010, in the gallery by building a pool-shaped enclosure on a lower level and then removing a section of the ceiling directly above it. In its place, installing a water-filled inflatable ceiling so that people on the level above can be seen looking down into the pool. For me, this work failed to provide much insight, simply reinforcing how a pool looked like from two different perspectives (that is, from within it and from without) without getting wet. I expect he was trying to thwart our expectations about what our concept of a ‘swimming pool’ is by displacing it in a gallery, and subverting exactly those physical specifications by which we would normally classify something as a pool. As a manifestation of an idea it is an innovative piece of interactive sculpture.

This challenging of preconceived ideas about everyday mass-produced objects by taking them out of their everyday context and putting them on display in a gallery (thereby stripping them of their utilitarian usage and forcing one to contemplate them anew as ‘art.’) was something the French Dadaist Marcel Duchamp invented with his ‘ready-made sculptures’ and a concept that every artist since the dawn of Postmodernism has attempted to recycle.

American Pre-pop painter, print-maker and sculptor Jasper Johns (b.1930) took a different approach to this idea of making the familiar unfamiliar. Instead of merely lifting (relatively) unmediated designs and objects from 1960s consumer culture, like Pop artists’ Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein Ed Ruscha, he meticulously ‘reproduced’ mass-produced objects and designs using entirely new materials and new manufacturing processes (e.g. his painted bronze 'Savarin coffee can with paint brushes,' (1960.) Think Claes Oldenburg and his ‘soft sculptures’ made out of upholstery ('Giant Hamburger,' 1962 and 'Soft-Pay Telephone,' 1963.)

2011-06-13T09:52:00.012+02:00

21st Century: Art in the First Decade, Part 5.
- The Gallery of Modern Art -
On a number of television monitors, a series of scenes show the artist Yang Fudong arriving at a different urban environment in metropolitan China, and like an urban Clark Kent, pulling a new outfit (business suit or martial arts costume) out of his backpack to suit each new situation. I thought about the apparent freedom of choice consumers are presented with in contemporary society (in purchasing such multipurpose clothing, they too, can be an urban shape-shifter), and the way public infrastructure/ urban planning inevitably shapes our activities in that they are undertaken at prescribed times within prescribed locations etc.

Chinese conceptual art provocateur Ai Weiwei had painted a selection of ancient ceramic pottery pieces with what appeared to be gouache. The 'Painted Vases,' 2006 were to my mother a demonstration against the systematic destruction of historical Chinese artifacts and architecture in favour of modern technological development. I believed he had deliberately desecrated objects deemed valuable by the arbiters of culture, just as Robert Rauschenberg had once rubbed out a Willem De Kooning drawing in a demonstration against American Abstract Expressionism and Jasper Johns , in a critique of the masculine bravado which permeated a lot of Abstract Expressionist art, constructed a canvas separated by two small balls, entitled 'Painting with Two Balls,' 1960.

2011-06-13T09:51:00.004+02:00

21st Century: Art in the First Decade, Part 6.

- The Gallery of Modern Art -
Moroccan, American artist Latifa Echakhch covered an entire wall of the gallery with squares of ultramarine blue carbon paper, and had poured methylated spirits over parts of it; causing the ink to bleed and run in rivulets over bare white wall and the floor for her piece, ‘À chaque stencil une révolution (For each stencil a revolution),’ 2007. She apparently uses ‘gestures’ to efface or strip a material of its utilitarian function, so that the viewer can infer potential social and or political functions onto it. According to the artist, carbon paper was historically used to reprint revolutionary posters.

Jasper Johns too, incorporated objects (paintbrushes, rulers) from his painting studio into his paintings, and would then utilize them in a way that would be contradictory to their conventional use (using a broom as a paintbrush, and then painting over it) in effect effacing the traditional meanings ascribed to an object, and opening it up to a new realm of associations within a painting. He would do the same with words, playing with concepts and their physical referents by labelling a paintbrush with the word ‘ruler,’ or stencilling the word ‘red’ over a yellow patch of colour. He was a modernist and a direct successor of Paul Cezanne, and Pablo Picasso in that the ready-made designs and objects he employed in his work were not means to an aesthetic end (like for the Pop Artists, for whom the mass-produced designs of advertising and the mass-media were mere subject-matter); but rather, the tools with which to investigate the mechanisms of human perception.

2011-06-13T09:49:00.010+02:00

21st Century: Art in the First Decade, Part 7.

- The Gallery of Modern Art -
For her video installation, 'King (a portrait of Michael Jackson),' 2005, the South African artist Candice Breitz had a number of Michael Jackson fans perform every song on the ‘Thriller’ album in a studio to the best of their ability. While the majority were content to sing (with the odd flat, toneless German accent), others (donning glittery jackets, striped pants, gloves, and fedoras set at a jaunty angle) adopted clichéd mannerisms, dance-moves and hairstyles in their attempt to impersonate the late Michael Jackson. The effect is one of stark contrast, as the spectator brings the prerequisite mental image of Jackson’s technical brilliance to the work, and filters the mediocrity of these performances through that critical lens. One watches this installation series with horrified fascination in the recognition of an activity most of us have attempted, or will most likely attempt in the future. I thought it was a fascinating insight into the ubiquitous phenomenon of celebrity worship. One does not have to be an Idol contestant to fall into the delusional trap of believing oneself to be talented when all objective evidence points to the contrary.

Chinese artist Xu Zhen had converted a gallery room into an abandoned Chinese convenience store, entitled, ‘ShanghART Supermarket (Australia),’ 2007-08. Complete with the installation of a cash register, aisles, shelves filled with brightly packaged toilet-paper, condiments, fried noodles, tea and confectionery, everything is bathed in the flattening glow of fluorescent light beams. I seem to recall it being an ironic response to the current demand for contemporary Chinese art in the western art world. Basically, anything will do, even items in a convenience store.

(For part 8 of this review, click on link to older posts, below.)

2011-05-30T05:27:00.195+02:00

21st Century: Art in the First Decade, Part 8.
- The Gallery of Modern Art -
One artist, whose work recalled that of American photographer Chris Jordan, forced the spectator to conceive of the astronomical scale on which we continue to pollute our environment through over consumption and non-recyclable waste. From afar, his digitally composed photograph appeared to be of a gently rippled surface of water. Upon closer inspection 18th century ships were to be seen scattered across the surface of the canvas. It is at this point that the miniscule photographs of trillions and trillions of plastic bags, which actually comprised the piece, came shockingly into view.

Zhou Xiaohu’s 'Utopian Theatre,' 2006, was a clay model of a miniature city, which looked like it had been moulded from milk chocolate and was made up of a number of dioramas representing historical revolutionary events. Next to one scene, a monitor was situated, televising a public address given by a government official in a rasping, incoherent tongue to a sea of clay figurines. I was suffering from gallery fatigue at this point, so didn't bother reading the plaque. All I got was a vague image of Hitler's inauguration speech, and of a claymation dream sequence from Peter Weir's film Heavenly Creatures.

For ‘Lightning for Neda,’ 2009 (inspired by Islamic sculpture), artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian made several panels, pyramidal structures and covered them in little glass shards to create a glittering mosaic. Whereas I (as David Sedaris might say), simply dreamt of illuminated manuscripts and imagined myself engulfed inside a gargantuan kaleidoscope.

2010-12-18T22:33:00.013+01:00

Favourites of the year

- 2010 -

Here's the albums:

01. arcade fire > the suburbs [montreal]

02. the black keys > brother [akron, usa]

03. tame impala > innerspeaker [perth]

04. the national > high violet [new york]

05. interpol > dto. [new york]

06. foals > total life forever [brighton]

07. local natives > gorilla manor [los angeles]

08. lcd soundsystem > this is happening [new york]

09. caribou > swim [london]

10. deerhunter > halcyon digest [atlanta]

11. surfer blood > astro coast [palm springs, usa]

12. best coast > crazy for you [los angeles]

13. yeasayer > odd blood [new york]

14. vampire weekend > contra [new york]

15. hot chip > one life stand [london]

16. the besnard lakes > ...are the roaring night [montreal]

17. junip > rope and summit [gothenburg, swe]

18. matthew dear > dark city [detroit]

19. spoon > transference [austin]

20. damien jurado > saint bartlett [seattle]

And here's the songs:

01. arcade fire > ready to start [montreal]

02. made in japan > oxford decor [sydney]

03. broken social scene > forced to love [toronto]

04. twin shadow > slow [new york]

05. surfer blood > harmonix [palm springs, usa]

06. band of horses > laredo [seattle]

07. the morning benders > promises [new york]

08. local natives > wide eyes [los angeles]

09. lcd soundsystem > home [new york]

10. foals > total life forever [brighton]

11. deerhunter > helicopter [atlanta]

12. interpol > summer well [new york]

13. kaki king > the betrayer [new york]

14. active child > wilderness [los angeles]

15. munch munch > wolfman's wife [bristol]

16. junius > elisheva, i love you [boston]

17. the seabellies > feel it leave [sydney]

18. ariel pink's haunted graffiti > round and round [l.a.]

19. spoon > nobody gets me but you [austin]

20. the national > england [new york]

tame impala > desire be, desire go [perth]

panda bear > slow motion [new york]

hot chip > one life stand [london]

the besnard lakes > like the ocean,like the innocent,pt.2

boy & bear > rabbit song [sydney]

wild nothing > chinatown [blacksburg, usa]

clogs (feat. matt berninger) > last sog [new york]

warpaint > undertow [los angeles]

damien jurado > wallingford [seattle]

maximum balloon (feat. aku) > tiger [los angeles]

gorillaz (feat bobby womack & mos def) > stylo [london]

janelle monae (feat. big boi) > tightrope [atlanta]

yeasayer > o.n.e. [new york]

the walkmen > woe is me [new york]

vampire weekend > holliday [new york]

kings of leon > the immortals [nashville]

erdmöbel > fremdes [berlin]

sky larkin > still windmills [leeds]

magneta lane > lady bones [toronto]

miami horror > i look to you [melbourne]

beach house > lover of mine [baltimore]

white rabbits > rudie fails [london]

food > tobiko [oslo]

toro y moi > blessa [columbia, usa]

the depreciation guild > crucify you [new york]

male bonding > year's not long [london]

errors > a rumour in africa [glasgow]

joanna newsom > easy [san francisco]

the clientele > jerry [london]

the soft pack > c'mon [san diego]

2010-11-29T20:48:00.005+01:00

Nodder

- Munch Munch -

This is a hit!

2010-10-05T13:20:00.032+02:00

Also Under The Deck

- Sam Buckingham -
Sam Buckingham embues 'Name that Song' (title pending) with wry humour as she sings candidly and wistfully about an unrequited love. Her vocal repertoire incorporates barely perceptible Nashvillian 'catches' and twangs, and a clarity and girlishness reminiscent of Kasey Chambers and Angie Hart. Add to that the wonderfully haphazard accompaniment of twittering birds as she performs this song on the verandah. Austere acoustics and unpredictable notes evoke Blues, Jazz and the relaxed meander of a Jack Johnson song, whereas the meter and melody recall the youthful exuberance of Frente's 'Accidentally Kelly Street.' In the absence of musical terminologies required to describe Buckingham's music accurately on its own merits, I draw comparisons in an attempt to create an impression of her unique sound. With 'Name that Song' personal experience is beautifully articulated in all its light and shade.
'Gravity,' an original song by Buckingham, again has traces of that wonderfully optimistic Frente sound. Here her vocal notes are lilting, beautifully offbeat and capricious. In her lyrics, and the claymation clip accompanying the song, there is an acknowledgement of our lack of control in the face of nature, of the conflicting forces which drive individual action and what we perceive of as fate. In the music clip, two plasticine characters attempt to withstand the magnetic pull of their attraction to one another. The piece is simple and bittersweet, supported by a minimalist instrumental accompaniment. It's a little Country. Let's christen it Buckingham.

2010-09-16T08:38:00.047+02:00

Under The Deck

- Sam Buckingham -

For the past two months, Folk singer-songwriter Sam Buckingham has been filming her performances in and around Sydney and posting the clips onto the World Wide Web as part of a six-month online tour called 'Under The Deck'. In this way she not only continues to produce music, she is circulating it to a wider audience, all without having to travel out of Sydney. Sometimes in collaboration with other artists, and at times alone, Sam Buckingham records two new performances on a different theme each week and then uploads them onto YouTube for public consumption. Some are performances of songs she has written herself and some are covers of songs by other artists. They are largely unedited, and short, in keeping with the blog-like concept of the show.

Sam Buckinghham's voice is pure and exquisitely clear, her guitar acoustics beautifully pared-back, and her songs personal and deeply felt. She also has a mercurial ability to turn her voice/ string instrument to any musical style she pleases. On August 24, as part of her Under The Deck tour, Sam Buckingham uploaded a playful cover version of Justin Bieber's 'Baby' and a cover of Cher's 1989 classic 'Turn Back Time'. Her interpretation of the latter gives the original song a distinctly Country feel. Buckingham's voice here attains a full-bodied earthiness and ducks and weaves, playing wonderful havoc with a well-worn melodic trajectory. In between lovely meanderings and breaks, she draws out some long quavering notes which bring to mind such artists as Dolly Parton. Wonderful stuff.

Amongst numerous influences, Buckingham cites artist Fiona Apple, Kasey Chambers, Bic Runga, Aretha Franklin, Motown, Jazz, Blues and The Beatles.

2010-09-15T20:30:00.001+02:00

Today's 80s

- Twin Shadow -

No, I won't say 'Slow' by Twin Shadow sounds like The Smiths. It's too damn good to be reduced to a copy. Totally 80s in a nice way - among my very favourites of this year.

2010-09-13T20:20:00.006+02:00

äöü

- Erdmöbel -

Here's something German for a change. 'Fremdes' by Erdmöbel is surprisingly funky, has a nice warm sound on the verge to slickness - and reminds me of Kante. Nett.

2010-09-10T08:40:00.007+02:00

Brunette or what?

- Blonde Redhead -

Let's put this simple: 'Not Getting There' by Blonde Redhead sounds like another mixture in my ears. A mixture of Deerhunter and Bloc Party. Crude? Maybe... but sounds nice.

2010-09-07T20:12:00.006+02:00

That's something

- Wild Nothing -

There're a couple drawers where this might be put into, like Shoegaze or Dreampop or simply Good 80s Sound. At least that's where M83 and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart fit into - and 'Chinatown' by Wild Nothing sounds indeed a bit like a mixture of those two bands. I could easily get lost in that melody!

2010-09-05T21:31:00.006+02:00

Back to the future

- Miami Horror -

Yeah, this is... old school. The kind of Disco-House, that Melbourne's Miami Horror come up with on 'I Look to You', had been cutting edge in the late 90s when Classen Collective dropped 'Close to Greatness' on Munich's legendary Compost Records, and Bob Sinclair wasn't

into Pop yet. But it still gets me on the dance floor.

Most definitely!

2010-09-04T21:55:00.007+02:00

Teen Spirit

- Beach House -

Slow and mellow with a dominant synth and on stage a pleasantly unpolished voice. That's 'Lover of Mine' from Beach House's current album Teen Dream. A gorgeous track that hops onto the bandwagon of M83 and the likes.

2010-09-03T00:13:00.006+02:00

- Radiohead -

A Radiohead gig in Prague filmed by 50 fans... that means: 50 cameras, 50 angles. And the whole thing can be downloaded for free. Bring it on!

2010-09-02T22:55:00.007+02:00

Pop with horns

- The Seabellies -

Time for some Pop. 'Feel It Leave' by Aussie-band

The Seabellies is in fact slightly ordinary... but definitely beautiful and features some nice horns. For those who

like Phoenix.

2010-08-31T18:53:00.000+02:00

Anticipating

- Interpol -

Upcoming Interpol album currently streaming here!

2010-08-24T15:23:00.009+02:00

!!!

- Made in Japan -

I can't believe this band hasn't made an album yet! Those two current songs by Sydney-based Made in Japan are both undeniably brilliant! The New Waveish 'Pairs' is almost perfect Indiepop, whereas the rougher 'Oxford Decor' reminds me of the utterly underrated The Departure from a couple years ago. Aaawesome!

2010-08-23T14:48:00.003+02:00

Spicy

- Magneta Lane -

A girlgroup. But not exactly one you'll find in the charts. They play Rock music. With guitars. They call themselves Magneta Lane and their single 'Lady Bones' is a solid piece of just that: Rock. I didn't bother listening to the lyrics and I find the video a bit weird... but so what: I love that melody!

2010-08-20T20:42:00.019+02:00

Shameless

- Gamble House -

I love the music of Grizzly Bear and have mentioned that a lot in my posts. Same here. Their songs bear a unique richness of ideas and sounds that has obviously been an inspiration for many other bands (like The Morning Benders, Papercuts, ...). But there can be a fine line between being inspired by something and simply trying to copy something. The latter is what Gamble House do with 'Central Park'. But it's still such a nicely crafted tune that it's worth a listen.

2010-08-18T14:13:00.010+02:00

"There's potential"

- Sky Larkin -

Sky Larkin have recorded some new songs and there's one among them which I quite fancy. It's called 'Still Windmills', a rather unpolished track with a very loud guitar. Nice. Reminds me of the German band Monochrome.

2010-08-17T20:30:00.006+02:00

Flowery?

- The Snowdroppers -

No, it's not the White Stripes. They sound indeed more raw. But it's still a similar kind of Blues-Rock, that single 'Rosemary' by The Snowdroppers from Sydney. Just a little too slick for such noise.

2010-08-14T20:57:00.022+02:00

Groove galore

- Maximum Balloon -

TV On The Radio's Dave Sitek has made a solo album

with a different guest singer for each song. He calls it Maximum Balloon and it's due end of the month. The few snippets I've heard so far hinted at a... let's say, strong dancefloor-compatibility. The single 'Tiger' is already out there and a true smasher, bursting with a hellishly funky guitar and jabbing horns. Like it a lot!

2010-08-13T17:07:00.004+02:00

Some more animals

- Boy & Bear -

I really liked Fleet Foxes and am quite looking forward to another album by them. But as it doesn't look like there will be one soonish, Boy & Bear from Sydney are the band to turn to for now. Nice stuff.

2010-08-10T21:02:00.004+02:00

Crazy for it

- Best Coast -

Actually, I'm rather annoyed by all that current lo-fi hype. And Best Coast seems to be one of the most hyped things around. But they've got those hooks! I mean, really, that album is a hit!

2010-08-03T14:15:00.015+02:00

Food for thought

- Food -

Do you have any records that you only bear listening to occasionally and that inevitably make you think once you've put them on? Well, I do. Nils Petter Molvaer's 'Khmer' or

'Ki-Oku' by Tokyoites Toshinori Kondo & DJ Krush are such. And now there might be another one... so far I've only heard one song from it, but what the Norwegian duo Food has put together here is quite amazing. It sounds a bit like Battles in laid-back-mode and has of course been released by the legendary ECM label.

2010-08-01T14:39:00.004+02:00

Revival

- Deerhunter -

OK, I got to admit that currently I'm only having ears for the new and unbelievably good Arcade Fire album. But soonish I will put on Deerhunter's new single 'Revival' again. It's too damn catchy to be neglected.

2010-07-20T19:40:00.017+02:00

Hurry up!

- The Walkmen -

Here you go, another new song by The Walkmen. And what a blast it is! I hereby declare their upcoming album to be overdue.

2010-07-13T21:24:00.015+02:00

Comeback

- Emma Dean -

Phew, there's really been loads of amazing new music out there while we were offline… like stuff by Active Child, Interpol, Junip, Arcade Fire, Junius, Foals, The National, Panda Bear, The Besnard Lakes, The Walkmen, iLikeTrains, and many more... Still, I think the first post after our break has to cover Sydney’s Emma Dean. She picks up where Regina Spektor left off before turning to mainstream. Fancy songs, amazing voice - and her live shows seem to be worth queueing too!

2010-03-03T20:43:00.001+01:00

Wide awake

- The Morning Benders -

Why the hell do all those songs remind me of other bands? 'Promises' by The Morning Benders is a fine enough song to stand for itself... but still evokes the brilliant Grizzly Bear (yeah, again!). It's beautifully crafted and shines with melodies The Shins couldn't top. Very promising! Album coming soonish.

2010-03-02T21:08:00.000+01:00

Put on your dancing shoes!

- Errors -

Mogwai in Funk - that's sort of what Errors' new single

'A Rumour in Africa' sounds like. Instrumental Rock that calls on the dancefloor. Just blank out that weird video...

2010-03-01T21:31:00.002+01:00

Amp maxed out

- The Soft Pack -

Noise all the way from San Diego. The Soft Pack seem to play ordinaryish Garage Rock but have somehow managed to kick out that upbeat stunner called 'C'mon'. Am already totally hooked!

2010-02-07T10:45:00.006+01:00

Let the bears out

- Papercuts -

So many awesome melodies in just one song! 'Future Primitive' by Papercuts comes as inconspicuously as a true grower... rather lo-fi-ish it sneaked up on me and now won't let me go. No wonder, if you listen closely the composition turns out to be of Grizzly Bear-class. Really great song.

2010-01-24T13:04:00.013+01:00

Strong current

- Surfer Blood -

This January is almost looking as bright as last year's when it comes to music. I still remember that sunny Saturday morning when I walked out of JB with the new records of Animal Collective and Antony... in 2010 we're also having two early highlights with Spoon and Vampire Weekend. Both albums are quite awesome but the best song so far is not to be found on either of them. I think it's 'Harmonix' by Surfer Blood from Palm Beach. Brilliant to the bone.

2010-01-23T12:42:00.006+01:00

Radioheads

- White Rabbits -

Rudie might fail but those guys don't. Um... right. White Rabbit not only have a great song with 'Rudie Fails' but obviously also heaps of talent. Listening to this live version makes me think of no one less than Radiohead!

2010-01-12T08:52:00.005+01:00

Music for men with long hair

- Imaad Wasif -

This is made to pose to! Melodramatic harmonies, heavy distortion and a swanky guitar solo - no shit! When it's been a while that you listened to Ugly Kid Joe, give Imaad Wasif's single 'Fangs' a go. Wanna headbang? That's your thing then.

2010-01-11T21:16:00.005+01:00

Vintage, dude

- No Art -

Yeah, it seems like the 90s are slowly coming back. Guitars are sluggish and heavy again with only hushed vocals bobbing up here and there. Check out 'Fight in the Nocturnal House' by Sydney's No Art and you know what I mean. Very trendy.

2010-01-10T20:25:00.000+01:00

Feels good

- Groom -

Another band that tries to play SonicYouthish stuff. But New York's Groom are good at it. Their new record sounds as rough as if their producer didn't feel like working on anything but the drums - otherwise the rather sinister 'Fag Feels Good' could be taken of Sonic Youth's last album.

2010-01-07T22:40:00.012+01:00

Simple indeed

- 1973 -

Before releasing their debut sometime this year, Paris-based band 1973 has just come up with their lazy little tune 'Simple Song (for a Complicated Girl)'. Well, I can't say no to Wilco and mostly to Phoenix either, but despite this song tries to sound like a mishmash of those two bands, I've got to admit it's a bit too mellow to not be boring in a way. But then it's so laid-back that you gotta like it anyway.

2009-12-31T16:14:00.025+01:00

Faves of the decade

- 2000s -

And these are my favourite albums of the last ten years:

1. the national > boxer [new york 07]

2. interpol > antics [new york 04]

3. radiohead > in rainbows [oxford 07]

4. arcade fire > neon bible [montreal 07]

5. wilco > a ghost is born [chicago 04]

6. i am kloot > dto. [manchester 03]

7. radiohead > kid a [oxford 00]

8. the mars volta > de-loused in the comatorium [la 03]

9. animal collective > merriweather post pavilion [nyc 09]

10. grizzly bear > veckatimest [new york 09]

11. the notwist > neon golden [munich 02]

12. yeasayer > all hour cymbals [new york 07]

13. arcade fire > funeral [montreal 05]

14. tv on the radio > return to cookie mt. [nyc 06]

15. radiohead > amnesiac [oxford 01]

16. fat freddys drop > based on a true story [wellington 05]

17. arctic monkeys > whatever people say... [sheffield 06]

18. wild beasts > two dancers [leeds 09]

19. coldplay > x&y [london 05]

20. grizzly bear > yellow house [new york 06]

21. the go-betweens > oceans apart [brisbane 05]

22. interpol > turn on the bright lights [new york 02]

23. the national > alligator [new york 05]

24. maximo park > a certain trigger [newcastle 05]

25. queens of the stone age > songs for the deaf [la 02]

26. fleet foxes > dto. [seattle 08]

27. kings of leon > because of the times [nashville 07]

28. the walkmen > you + me [new york 08]

29. spoon > gimme fiction [austin 05]

30. antony and the johnsons > the crying light [nyc 09]

31. the national > sad songs for dirty lovers [new york 03]

32. the rifles > no love lost [london 06]

33. tv on the radio > dear science [new york 08]

34. the kooks > inside in / inside out [brighton 06]

35. llorca > newcomer [paris 01]

36. franz ferdinand > dto. [glasgow 04]

37. gravenhurst > fires in distant buildings [bristol 05]

38. the notwist > the devil, you + me [munich 08]

39. joan as police woman > real life [new york 07]

40. editors > the back room [birmingham 05]

41. battles > mirrored [new york 07]

42. bon iver > for emma, forever ago [wisconsin 08]

43. air > talkie walkie [paris 04]

44. ...trail of dead > worlds apart [austin 05]

45. gotan project > la revancha del tango [paris 01]

46. doves > some cities [manchester 05]

47. the dzihan&kamien orchestra > live... [vienna 03]

48. marr > express and take shape [hamburg 04]

49. the dead 60s > dto. [liverpool 05]

50. leader cheetah > the sunspot letters [adelaide 09]

2009-12-30T19:52:00.029+01:00

Faves of the year

- 2009 -

So this is my favourite music of the last twelve months...

Albums:

1. animal collective > merriweather post pavilion [new york]

2. grizzly bear > veckatimest [new york]

3. wild beasts > two dancers [leeds]

4. antony and the johnsons > the crying light [new york]

5. leader cheetah > the sunspot letters [adelaide]

6. fat freddys drop > dr boondigga & the big bw [wellington]

7. phoenix > wolfgang amadeus phoenix [paris]

8. the pains of being pure at heart > dto. [new york]

9. st. vincent > actor [new york]

10. kristofer astrom > sinkadus [gothenburg]

11. alberta cross > broken side of time [new york]

12. animal collective > fall be kind ep [new york]

13. sonic youth > the eternal [new york]

14. the antlers > hospice [new york]

15. bat for lashes > two suns [brighton]

16. wilco > wilco (the album) [chicago]

17. doves > kingdom of rust [manchester]

18. arctic monkeys > humbug [sheffield]

19. franz ferdinand > tonight: franz ferdinand [glasgow]

20. dinosaur jr > farm [amherst, usa]

21. editors > in this light & on this evening [birmingham]

22. gossip > music for men [portland]

23. japandroids > post-nothing [vancouver]

24. them crooked vultures > dto. [los angeles]

25. the xx > dto. [london]

26. passion pit > manners [cambridge, usa]

27. dirty projectors > bitte orca [new york]

28. yeah yeah yeahs > it’s blitz! [new york]

29. ebony bones! > bone of my bones [london]

30. ...trail of dead > the century of self [austin]

Songs:

1. animal collective > daily routine [new york]

2. destroyer > bay of pigs [vancouver]

3. no through road > party to survive [adelaide]

4. yeasayer > ambling alp [new york]

5. leader cheetah > alibi [adelaide]

6. phoenix > lisztomania [paris]

7. jonathan boulet > 3 2 1 ready or not [sydney]

8. fat freddys drop > pull the catch [wellington]

9. bowerbirds > northern lights [raleigh, usa]

10. cloud control > gold canary [sydney]

11. grizzly bear > two weeks [new york]

12. editors > papillon [birmingham]

13. spoon > got nuffin [austin]

14. passion pit > the reeling [cambridge, usa]

15. wild beasts > hooting & howling [leeds]

16. doves > kingdom of rust [manchester]

17. alberta cross > taking control [new york]

18. st. vincent > just the same but brand new [new york]

19. franz ferdinand > no you girls [glasgow]

20. wilco > wilco (the song) [chicago]

21. the pains of being pure at heart > the tenure itch [nyc]

22. kristofer astroem > me and the snakes [gothenburg]

23. dinosaur jr > i don’t wanna go there [amherst, usa]

24. the whitest boy alive > island [berlin]

25. arctic monkeys > my propeller [sheffield]

26. bat for lashes > daniel [brighton]

27. oi va voi > everytime [london]

28. the antlers > two [new york]

29. red riders > you’ve got a lot of nerve [sydney]

30. the rakes > bitchin’ in the kitchin’ [london]

bon iver > beach baby [usa]

ola podrida > your father’s basement [austin]

i heart hiroshima > shakeytown [brisbane]

yeah yeah yeahs > dragon queen [new york]

radiohead > these are my twisted words [oxford]

no age > you’re a target [los angeles]

antony and the johnsons > kiss my name [new york]

the horrors > sea within a sea [london]

u2 > cedars of lebanon [dublin]

ebony bones > guess we’ll always have ny [london]

...trail of dead > bells of creation [austin]

washed out > get up [columbia, usa]

japandroids > heart sweats [vancouver]

jochen distelmeyer > wohin mit dem hass [hamburg]

megafaun > the fade [durham, usa]

them crooked vultures > dead end friends [los angeles]

gossip > heavy cross [portland]

the mars volta > cotopaxi [los angeles]

spider bags > it always loved to happen [chape hill, usa]

soap & skin > thanatos [vienna]

sleeping states > showers in summer [bristol]

dirty projectors > cannibal resource [new york]

kid sam > we’re mostly made of water [melbourne]

thom yorke > all for the best [oxford]

patrick wolf > oblivion [london]

bear in heaven > you do know [new york]

the xx > crystalised [london]

lee memorial > all these things [melbourne]

the rifles > science in violence [london]

the sand pebbles > the day summer fell [melbourne]

2009-12-29T19:46:00.003+01:00

Taking on the whole world

- Jonathan Boulet -

Damn it, this song is catchy!!! What Jonathan Boulet from Sydney delivers with '3 2 1 Ready or Not' is something that will get you out of bed on even the greyest morning. Haven't heard such a bubbly tune in a while. Gimme more of that!

2009-12-28T18:21:00.000+01:00

Getting it raw

- Spoon -

And here it is: another song from Spoon's upcoming album 'Transference'. The first one already gave a hint that the guys might like it a little louder again but 'Written in Reverse' is now quite a blast. Looks like January is holding ready a real highlight there!

2009-12-27T19:01:00.002+01:00

Switch on those synths

- Dappled Cities -

That the 80s revival brought back those weird synthesisers into Rock is one thing. That there are some really good songs around with that sound is another. A highlight here is definitely the Editor's 'Papillon'. Not too bad either is 'Answer Is Zero' by Dappled Cities from Sydney... though it's a bit ordinary (honestly, I think tomorrow I'll have forgotten about it). But for now it's quite nice.

2009-12-26T18:24:00.000+01:00

Fur in the face

- Megafaun -

Man, what an old-fashioned song. Might have been cutting-edge in the early 70s or so. But as I'm a fan of Wilco and Fleet Foxes, it doesn't really come as a surprise that Megafaun's 'The Fade' is right up my alley. Lovely tune.

2009-12-25T14:42:00.000+01:00

Flying Fur

- Bear in Heaven -

Ever heard of Bear in Heaven? I hadn't. But 'You Do Know' might make me remember them. No guitars here but quite a few electronics take care of the right atmosphere. Cool stuff.

2009-12-24T20:01:00.001+01:00

Behind the bars, a band

- Panther -

Panther is another little band from Portland (what's going on there?). They're playing it quite funky on 'Control your Ships' from their latest album. And their gig at this tiny book store proves once more that you don't necessarily need to know how to sing if you got the right song (although that chorus is simply annoying)...

2009-12-23T13:58:00.003+01:00

Into space

- Animal Collective -

No doubt, my favourite record of 2009 is Animal Collective's 'Merriweather Post Pavillion'. So when they released their 'Fall Be Kind EP' about a month ago I was very excited. But I should have thrown my expectations overboard (when will I finally learn?). At first listen the EP isn't as catchy as the album. You really have to dive into it, only then it reveals its Pop. Take 'What Would I Want? Sky'. It's an atmospheric beast for more than 3 minutes before it turns into a tune that is as perfect as one of those Beatles melodies.

2009-12-22T11:18:00.000+01:00

Sad song

- Holopaw -

Don't get me wrong here, I like this a lot. But leave the voice aside and it could be mistaken for one of those sad sad Sophia-tunes. 'The Art Teacher and the Little Stallion' is melancholy in sound and seems to fit much better into snowy-grey Bavaria than into Holopaw's home Florida. Bla bla bla... it's a nice song, full stop

2009-12-21T00:21:00.000+01:00

Loud China

- Carsick Cars - / - Joyside -

Not that I've got any clue about the Chinese music scene but these two bands are apparently the hottest shit in Beijing. And hey, they're definitely not too bad! I quite like 'Zhong Nan Hai' by Carsick Cars, a Sonic Youthish guitar-noise-festival. And Joyside's punky 'Spy' reminds me a bit of that tune from Pulp Fiction. Kind of crisp.

2009-12-20T11:40:00.000+01:00

Back in the 90s

- The Laurels -

Ok, guys, here you go: I love Oasis! Yeah right, never mind. Anyway, The Laurels from Sydney are a band with lots of guitars and this awesome song called 'Wandering Star'. It reminds me of... you know... no, not Blur!!! ...but also a bit of The Dandy Warhols. Yep.

2009-12-19T18:45:00.011+01:00

Make it funky

- Pylon -

Straight out of the 80s this is still as hot as it gets! Have to admit that I'd never heard of a band called Pylon till the re-release of their apparent classic 'Chomp' from 1982 a couple of weeks ago. Most of their stuff is rather Gang of Four-like but 'Gyrate' is so bloody funky it could even be on a Talking Heads record (by the way, check out this very early MGMT cover). I'm lovin' it! (do I get sued now?)

2009-12-18T18:12:00.007+01:00

True Beauty

- Sleeping States -

13 degrees below zero and everything covered in snow - what could fit better here than a song called 'Showers in Summer'? Taken from Sleeping States new album 'In the Gardens of the North' that tune is nothing short of beautiful in any weather, though. And when it picks up pace at about 3:50 minutes I'm finally fallen for it.

2009-12-06T17:08:00.013+01:00

Crawling guitars

- Spider Bags -

Now here's a song which I would put in the same category as the brilliant newcomers Alberta Cross. 'It Always Loved to Happen' by Spider Bags is loud and grungy... but probably still Folk - sort of Bob Dylan in Rock. Old-fashioned and simple but still pretty cool.

2009-12-05T00:28:00.011+01:00

What did you expect?

- Yeasayer -

They took their time. But now Yeasayer have finally released a new single: 'Ambling Alp'. They're one of my very favourite bands and this song is likely to strengthen that status. There's a bit of 80s here with lots of weird sounds and the most amazing melodies... wouldn't be surprised if they teamed up with Animal Collective soonish. Über-Hit!

2009-12-04T23:51:00.011+01:00

Drive

- Vampire Weekend -

It's been a damn long week. It's late. But I just heard this tune. It's stuck in my head. Maybe writing a post can get it out of there... so: Vampire Weekend's new single 'Cousins' rocks, is funky and comes as a pretty cool video. Clearly their most catchy song to date!

2009-11-14T01:20:00.001+01:00

Deep

- The Antlers -

It's not bland, it just takes its time: The Antlers' new record 'Hospice'. That thoroughly unagitated sound can easily mislead, it's no record for the background. It needs to be turned up! References: The Walkmen, The Wrens. Single 'Two' even has a bit of the ineluctable Arcade Fire. Something for grey days.

2009-11-13T20:41:00.016+01:00

Targeted chaos

- No Age -

Careful guys, this is really loud! When LA-duo No Age came up with their album 'Nouns' last year I first thought it to be poor crappy bollocks. But then I noticed all those hypnotic melodies behind the martial noise. Even more so on 'You're A Target' from their EP 'Losing Feeling'. Give it a chance!

2009-10-11T21:30:00.007+02:00

Crystal clear

- Cloud Control -

Wow, this is awesome! 'Gold Canary' by Sydney's Cloud Control is melodious to the core. Take a bit of Vampire Weekend and a little of Delta Spirit and you might end up getting something as splendid as that song. Moreish!

2009-10-10T14:36:00.000+02:00

Strumming

- Girls -

If you're ill at ease with strumming guitars and lo-fi-ish sound you better skip this post. 'Lust For Life' by Girls is a jolly ride that lives entirely on its charms. If you're looking for musical skills or an original idea - check out Bon Jovi! 'Lust For Life' is just a sunny song.

2009-10-05T14:07:00.007+02:00

Casually classic

- Alberta Cross -

When it comes to plain Rock, Adelaide's Leader Cheetah had so far been this year's hottest thing for my taste. But now there's a record which easily outstrips it: 'Broken Side Of Time' by Alberta Cross. More noisy than the Aussies, those guys nonetheless come up with pure sound-beauties. There's not a single dull song on this album – actually, it's catchy from start to finish, bringing together almost everything I like about Band Of Horses and Kings Of Leon. Quite a task to pick a favourite here, though, 'Taking Control' and 'The Thief & The Heartbreaker’ could definitely be it. ...don’t feel like putting on another record for the rest of the year, really.

2009-10-04T09:55:00.000+02:00

Fiddlestick on guitar

- Mumford & Sons -

Well, I guess in the end all these bands go back to Arcade Fire, right? But still, 'Little Lion Man' by Mumford & Sons reminds me of Bodies Of Water and Port O'Brien. There's so much euphoria in that song, it's almost spilling over and hooked me within a sec. Brilliant melody!

2009-10-03T17:25:00.011+02:00

Autumn soundtrack

- Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions -

It's got something psychedelic and a bit of Blues but I guess it's still Folk. Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions have just released a new record and 'Blanchard' is probably its highlight - likely to make Cat Power get damn jealous! With that awesome lead guitar and those dreamy background vocs it's lulling me into the perfect mood for a sunny Saturday afternoon on the terrace.

2009-10-02T16:55:00.002+02:00

The best place

- Los Campesinos! -

'The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future' is Los Campesinos!' new single and quite a wonderful song. Put the lyrics aside - the sea is simply the best place for pretty much everything, innit? - the sound is really massive giving the song a vibe somewhere in-between Sofia and Arcade Fire. Not exactly an optimistic tune but definitely lovely.

2009-09-04T09:32:00.006+02:00

Don't even miss the effects pedal

- The Twin Atlas -

A record label would likely be tempted to call this Shoegaze Folk or some rubbish. It's slow, it's dreamy and a bit monotonous. Well, that's how I knew The Twin Atlas. On their new album, though, they seem to be more into Pop - which I use as a trigger to post one of their older tunes called 'Roll On'. Love it!