Autopsies, Astrid and Asteroids...

'Autopsy' Single Launch

With Astrid and The Asteroids @ The Hideaway

by Matt Bond

Emerging as one of the brightest new Brisbane bands over the past year, Astrid and The Asteroids seem to take it to another level with each release. Following up the infectious 'West End' was going to be no easy feat, but the new single 'Autopsy' has blown me away. Astrid Jorgensen found inspiration for the song in the story of Texan clock tower killer, Charles Whitman. In the post massacre autopsy, he was found to have had a brain tumor that may have prevented him from controlling his own actions. Jorgensen questions, "what separates good from evil?" as the 'Autopsy' narrator goes from medical rejection to mass murderer.


This is dark material. Very dark in contrast to Astrid's sweet and soaring vocal lines. The band embrace a steady pop/rock balance, starting light and adding on heavier layers throughout. Final result? A compelling three and a half minutes and a giant leap forward for Astrid and The Asteroids. "Five knocks on the doctor's door, don't know what I am asking for, but I don't feel fine." Outstanding. Bring on October and the release of the band's second EP!


Brisbane fans can catch Astrid and The Asteroids launching 'Autopsy' at The Hideaway in the Valley this Saturday, August 3. They'll be joined by Hailey Calvert and Isabel. Tickets are only $5 and you'd want to get in early. The Hideaway fills up! Give 'Autopsy' about a thousand listens before then so you can join in on the singalong.


 

The Candy Shop #13

How could Nayt, or anyone for that matter, resist a snake print jacket?

Music Lessons 

by Nayt Housman

Have you ever eaten something as an adult that you hated as a kid only to find you actually love it and can’t believe you ever lived without it? Like at Christmas last year I discovered I actually like cherries but used to think they tasted like sweet crushed bugs or like I discovered that condensed milk is actually delicious and doesn’t taste anything like the mayonnaise I thought it looked like.

It’s strange how aging opens up worlds previously considered closed, just like the 80's for me. This era fed us some of the most kitch music and it's pop culture celebrated all things bold and quirky. Until I reached the ripe old age of 30 I thought all things 80’s should be avoided and treated if infected because I associated it with all the wrong things in that era. Then bit-by-bit I discovered new parts of the 80’s that sang to me like the sirens of the deep sea (especially New Wave and New Romantics). Slowly I started desiring a perm and geometric fluorescent clothing designs. Why had I been so against this amazing era?

Well kids it’s time to tease up that fringe and put on your thinking caps because its 80's trivia night. Let’s get schooled!

Q: What 1984 song inspired the name of a chain of 1980's themed clubs in the UK? 

A: The Reflex by Duran Duran  

 

 

Duran Duran became quite well known for the sexual nature of their music and videos and regularly worked with fashion designers, giving them the title 'the prettiest boys in rock'.

  
Q: What 1984 single caused controversy when the accompanying advertising featured photos of two members, one in a sailor cap and vest, the other with shaved head and rubber gloves with slogans like 'all the nice boys love sea men' and 'theories of bliss, a history of Liverpool from 1963 to 1983, a guide to Amsterdam bars'?

A: Those dirty boys from Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

 

The boys were not short of confidence either stating that “Frankie Goes to Hollywood are coming ... making Duran Duran lick the shit off their shoes ... Nineteen inches that must be taken always."

Q: Which 1980 song (which itself was a top ten UK hit) was the inspiration for Depeche Mode’s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’? 

A: To Cut A Long Story Short by Spandau Ballet

 

 

The band began as “The Cut” then changed their name to “The Makers” before finally settling on “Spandau Ballet” when a friend saw the name scribbled on the wall of a nightclub toilet in Berlin. The name refers to the way victims in Spandau Prison would wriggle and jiggle when hanged.

Next time you hear a song you hate, ask yourself why, but never write it off totally because you might just find yourself in love or even obsessed with it and start collecting records and CD’s and trying to convince your friends why Spandau Ballet is better than the Beatles without actually having any stats to back it up.

 

New Music Monday #62

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros

by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros (July 29, 2013)

 

Just over a year has passed since Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros released Here and this week sees them back in our lives with their self-titled third effort. Many of the songs are bittersweet, with Alex Ebert reminding us throughout that life kinda sucks. You'd likely know that going in when you see a track called 'Life Is Hard', but this is Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros we're talking about so you should also know this isn't going to be a depressing collection of songs that wallow in misery. 'Life Is Hard' begs you to celebrate that title. Jade Castrinos sweetly sings, "celebrate it in the sun, promenade it with everyone, elevate it in a song, and I'll be there to play it," before Ebert runs down a list of all the decent and crappy things life will throw at us that go a long way in showing that we've really lived. "It's getting lost and getting found, to growing up and getting round, it's feeling silence, feeling sound, it's feeling lonely, feeling full, it's feeling oh so beautiful." 

The music seems lost in time, but that's a huge part of the band's appeal. As is their ability to storm through genres from minute to minute, bringing in jazzier elements with piano and horns on 'Let's Get High' before embracing a more psychedelic nature on the following 'Two'. 'They Were Wrong' comes across like a Johnny Cash number reinvented to sit comfortably alongside today's indie-folk anthems. Eberts impressively deepens his vocal line for a performance that will stop you in your tracks. Jade takes lead on 'Remember To Remember' and delivers an equally showstopping performance. It's always nice to see her spend some time in the spotlight and while it's not going to make you jump around screaming, "Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my ma and pa," you'll appreciate the mellower side of Ms Castrinos too. 

You don't have to look hard to find Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros' finest moments. They come right at the beginning and right at the end with the tracks 'Better Days' and 'This Life'. Both drive home the album's overarching narrative to near crushing effect. "Too dumb to say goodbye, that's some cliche shit, make me wanna cry, just know that every time I look in your eye, I see better, I see better, better days." You'll go from the 'life sucks, but it gets better' idea in 'Better Days' to the final message of 'This Life', where our narrator goes from pretending death is his friend to finding something and someone worth living for (accompanied by light gospel touches of course) and find yourself smiling. You probably didn't even realise you were doing it. And then you'll find yourself back at the start on the search for better days with Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. 

Matt Bond gives Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros four Beatles heads out of five...

Hearts Like Ours
by The Naked and Famous
Album: In Rolling Waves (September 16, 2013)

"Orders in to risen lines, we're alone but side by side." One line from Alisa Xayalith alongside some embraceable synth-tastic beats is all it takes to fall head over heels for The Naked and Famous all over again. Following up the smashing debut Passive Me, Aggressive You wasn't going to be easy for these Kiwi wunderkinds, but if 'Hearts Like Ours' is an indication of what to expect from their follow up, In Rolling Ways, you can rest assured they're going to deliver in a big way. If the song makes me hope for anything, it's that The Naked and Famous end up on the bill for some of our upcoming spring/summer music festivals. 'Hearts Like Ours' makes me want to be outside in the sunshine, dancing around stupidly while attempting to embrace what remains of my youth as best as I can. Which kind of feels like the theme of the song as well. It's adventurous, but somewhat mindful of the time slipping away. One of those 'live for the moment' songs. It's brilliant. 

Matt Bond gives 'Hearts Like Ours' four Michael Hutchence heads out of five...


 

Given The Chance

by The Kite String Tangle (out now)

I don’t want to focus too much on who The Kite String Tangle is, because if this is the type of song that you’re going to hear from him, then you’re going to be able to fill the rest in yourself, very soon. You only need to know that TKST is a project of Pigeon’s Danny Harley and if this song is anything to judge by, this guy’s talent is mind blowing. 

I’m having difficulty even describing this song, because I’ve fallen completely in love with it, to the point that words don’t make much sense to me when trying to describe it. It’s electronic with feeling, it’s samples with meaning, it’s light with substance and it’s incredibly addictive. The sounds are that of a cold rainy winter day and a bright sunny Sunday afternoon all at once, it’s cliché but  something you need to listen to yourself. I don’t always love this kind of electronic/indie/pop, but this is just something else. I can see this song being one of my favourites for the year and I’m not saying that because I write for a music blog. I’m saying that because I love it. 

Jo Michelmore gives 'Given The Chance' five Bjork heads out of five...

 I Do

by This Sanctuary

Album: Keep Talking, Please (October, 2013)

I'd never heard of Sydney pop punk outfit This Sanctuary before listening to 'I Do', the lead single for their upcoming second LP Keep Talking, Please. This is a shame, because their sound is world class. Like, competitive on an international platform good. Renee Sieff's sweet voice and lyrics lure you in before the band (Ben Tan, Neil Burmester, Sammy Sudhakar and Brendan Tan) launches in, their heaviness contrasting perfectly with Sieff's amped up performance. 'I Do' is catchy as anything earning radio play right now and it's more than deserving of the same attention. Unlike many other Australian 'pop punk' bands, This Sanctuary get the 'pop' aspect of the genre; there's a hook, a memorable melody and more than enough lines to sing along to. Give it a couple of listens and see for yourself. You'll be singing, "from the sunrise, till the sun goes down at night," before you know it. These guys and gal are a real point of difference on today's Australian music scene. I'm looking forward to hearing more from them. 

Matt Bond gives 'I Do' four Kylie Minogue heads out of five...

Hot Knife

by Fiona Apple

Album: The Idler Wheel... (out now)

 

Let me start by firstly saying that I’m a HUGE Fiona Apple fan but I promise I won’t be completely and utterly biased (though I’m definitely leaning).

Hot Knife sees Fiona experimenting with a decidedly more simplistic “backyard” approach to music in the form of rounds (like when singing “row row row your boat” and with a few people and each person starts at a different time). Sung with her sister Amber (better known as cabaret performer Maude Maggart) this is perhaps Fiona at her most uninhibited and joyous.

A few clicks of the metronome and low rumbling drums introduce Fiona chanting, “If I’m butter, if I’m butter, if I’m butter then he’s a hot knife, he makes my heart a cinemascope screen showing a dancing bird of paradise” gradually layering repeating phrases with others until the song climaxes to a point where she exclaims “HE EXCITES ME! Must be like the genesis of rhythm, I GET FIESTY! Whenever I’m with him”. Hot Knife is a pure expression of joy, excitement and all other tingly feelings of lust and love we tend to experience.

Lyrically Hot Knife is far removed from other Fiona works, where songs from her previous albums are often brooding, morose and laden with angst of love lost, or love failing and self-loathing, Hot Knife is poetically quirky and unapologetic.

This is one song that stands out from the album and usually the first I think of, probably because the repetition and strange descriptive lyrics make it ridiculously catchy and resonate with my own quirky nature.

Nayt Housman gives 'Hot Knife' four Kurt Cobain heads out of five...

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS OF THE WEEK:

Impossible Like You

by Holy Holy

You know what I love? I love it when I love a song to the point of getting immediately happy when I hear the first chords ringing through my headphones on the street or through my laptop at home. Every time I’ve heard the first chords of Holy Holy’s single I’ve stopped for a second and thought “damn I love that song” so when I heard the first chords as I watched the new clip for ‘Impossible Like You’ I couldn’t help but think “please be great, please let me love this clip” and I wasn’t disappointed. 

A perfect, beautiful accompaniment to a perfect, beautiful song; the images are simple but exact, a little mysterious but strikingly mesmerising. I know I’m a sucker for the abandoned building concept, but it’s the perfect setting for a song that deserves space. The blue hues that match the mood of the lyric are interrupted by such an unpretentious shot of the band members standing solo and bathed in red light at the exact moment the song demands it. This the type of clip that is often overlooked for its unassuming ways, but it’s exactly the clip that this song needed; it’s striking without being overstated and it only made me love this song a little bit more, which I thought was almost impossible.

 

Jo Michelmore gives 'Impossible Like You' four Michael Hutchence heads out of five...

Hot Knife

by Fiona Apple

Album: The Idler Wheel... (out now)

 

Let me start by saying I am NOT a Fiona Apple fan so I’ll attempt at not being completely utterly biased, but I’m not promising anything.

‘Hot Knife’, while not following a traditional Fiona Apple sound, is typically Fiona Apple. Self-absorbed, self-centred, un-original but not formulaic and layer upon layer of forced emotions, all the while being a little tiring. 

Having said this, the song itself is complex, which requires one of two things – a clip that is so bewildering, intricate and multi-faceted one can’t help but watch or a clip that is one shot, probably black and white – so simple that all a viewer can do is concentrate on the words, the vocals and the sounds Fiona Apple has created. Instead, what we have is a clip that is frustrating, one that possibly had a focused direction in someone’s mind at some stage, but got lost in the production. The feeling of forced emotions is only accentuated by the fact the Ms Apple doesn’t look at the camera once during the entire clip, which is strange considering the majority of the clip is headshots. While I just want to see some emotion, I’m distracted by the annoying cutting in and out of faces in a split screen, all of them looking everywhere but the camera, all of them unconvincing in their delivery. It’s unsatisfying and it’s aggravating, like I find most of Fiona Apple’s work. 

I don’t want to dislike this clip, because I’m trying really hard to find something about Fiona Apple to like, but yet again I’m disappointed by something forced and half-hearted being sold as important, which seems to be what Fiona Apple has made a career of. 

Jo Michelmore gives 'Hot Knife' one Germaine Greer out of five...

Top 25 - 28 July, 2013

The Naked and Famous!

Songs of the Week, 28/07/13 from itsmykindofscene on 8tracks Radio.

1. The Trouble With Templeton - You Are New





2. The Naked and Famous - Hearts Like Ours (NEW)





3. MTNS - Lost Track of Time





4. The Kite String Tangle - Given The Chance (NEW)

5. Pearl Jam - Mind Your Manners (NEW)





6. Holy Holy - Impossible Like You





7. Hannah Karydas - Heavy (NEW)




8. M.I.A - Bring The Noize





9. Avaberee - Running Out (NEW)

10. Kid Astray - The Mess (NEW)





11. Cloud Control - Scar (NEW)





12. The Paper Kites -St Clarity





13. Emiliana Torrini - Speed of Dark





14. Bastian's Happy Flight - Hooray (NEW)

15. This Sanctuary - I Do





16. [Strangers] - Sense of Liberty





17. Georgia Potter - Reckless (NEW)





18. Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know?





19. St Lucia - Elevate

20. The Stiffys - Champagne (NEW)





21. Little May - Boardwalks





22. City Riots - Catch The Sun





23. The Vaccines - Everybody's Gonna Let You Down (NEW)




24. Pigeon - Curtain Call





25. Jacob Banks - Worthy

Gig Review - Shelley Segal and Adam Levy

Shelley Segal and Adam Levy

Live @ Bennetts Lane, Melbourne (26/07/2013)

Words and art by Lou Endicott

 

I had the immense pleasure of attending Bennett’s Lane Jazz club on Friday night to see emerging artist Shelley Segal. Segal was accompanied by LA jazz guitarist and songwriter Adam Levy to play their duo album “Little March”. Levy’s bio has seen him working with some top notch songstresses in the past including Tracy Chapman, Norah Jones and Ani diFranco. And now as this album hits the streets, it’s Shelley’s turn. The album was recorded in just over a week in December last year in New York. It’s filled with little jazzy gems and soulful stories. It also was joy to see live.

 Accompanying the duo was the talented double bass player Jonathan Zion and drummer Tony Floyd. This quartet admitted freely that this was the first time that they had all played live together. I love seeing an experiment like this executed in front of a live audience. And this foursome created an engaging and dynamic energy immediately in their stage presence, their obvious respect of each other, the songs and the pure joy of playing.

The set list followed closely to the running of the album itself with the opener “Glad You Asked” - a cowboy-esque country song with simple percussion and sweet harmonies. Next up was my favourite of the record: the sultry, sweet and heart achingly sentimental “Stuck in the Memory of You”. This number gave Adam his first guitar solo which the audience lapped up and rewarded with an appreciative applause. It was here that we first saw Shelley play guitar with delicious jazz sensitivity as she danced over the melody effortlessly with her vocals. Simple but spot on.  

 

I don’t know what it is about certain jazz sounds, but when I hear those oh-so-good licks, lyrics and hooks that feel like you want to swing your hips and pump your shoulders, my nose scrunches right up. I get this (very unflattering) wrinkle across my nose and my eyes squint like I’m short sighted. This could be why jazz clubs favour dark lighting. There was a whole lot of nose scrunching during the sexy “Wiggle Room”. And I wasn’t the only one. Jazz. Good for the soul. Bad for wrinkles.

We had a gear shift from here as Adam played one of his originals. This was accompanied by a killer bass solo by the talented Jonathan Zion (who moved over the bass with fingers like a dexterous spider as his wild mop of hair moved in time with Floyds drumming). From here we moved to the story song “The Slipper Room”. A wonderful little tale about a much loved club that closed down. 

Segal then had the chance to let her vocals let loose with the rhythmic track “The Forbidden”. Perhaps this song was a warm up for the next song which I think really showcased just how versatile Segal is as a vocalist. “My Word” left the audience breathless with her perfect pitch vamped up scat section. I heard an audience member behind make comparisons to Ella Fitzgerald. And they weren’t far from the truth here. The set ended with a cover of Ray Charles “You Don’t Know Me” handled with respect yet an emotional rawness in Segal’s delivery. 

 The second set saw a mix of originals and covers. A highlight of this set was the Norah Jones cover “Don’t Know Why” which reminded the audience of the calibre of musician that Levy is. The magic Levy created when combined with Segal’s soft soulful vocals lulled us all into one big warm fuzzy. Looking around the room there was a smile on almost every face. Other covers included feel good standards such as “Sunny Side of the Street” and “My Baby Just Cares for me”. The audience also got to participate with a call and response moment in “I got my joy” led by Levy. After this song both Zion and Floyd left the stage for the final number.

 

The finale of this night was the beautiful title track of the album “Little March”. This song in itself is a beautiful and haunting song inspired by Romanian folklore and ritual. But what was really special about this song played live was that Segal invited her father Danny onto the stage to play fiddle to accompany the piece. A beautiful way to end a delightful evening.

All in all I must say I look forward to hearing more of Shelley Segal in the future. And I must write a note to wear more moisturiser at night to combat wrinkles as I’m sure there will be a lot more nose scrunching in the future when listening to Shelley make that delicious jazz sound. 

*Side note: There was a strict no photography sign sitting right above my table so instead of photography I scrawled some doodles of the artists. This was hard to do as I squinted with my nose all scrunched up most of the way through these drawings. But you get the idea.  

**Another side note/A Hair Review: Jonathan's hair was the uncredited supporting star of the evening. I was immediately reminded of The Muppet Show and their penchance for making music that starts with passion, a good hook, a lot of skill and a hell of a lot of flowing tresses. I think Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band may have found their missing member in Mr Zion. It's no wonder the smile on Zion's face was shining like a beacon all night. With hair like his and killer double bass skills to match he is a shoe in for the next Muppet movie.



    

Splendour In The Grass 2013

The Things I Will And The Things I Won't Miss

by Jo Michemore

Ah, Splendour. It's that time of year again. I remember you. How delightful that you've arrived again. The past couple of years, we (that is, Matt and I) here at It's My Kind Of Scene have brought you Splendour in the best way we know how; conversing, laughing, arguing and mocking all via text message in our infamous festival text review.

Remember that classic performance of The Smashing Pumpkins in 2012 and our text conversation about them?

Matt: It's just Billy Corgan and associates. Maybe the Veronicas will make a special appearance?

Jo: Ha! Get out of my head. I thought about that, but which one? They're both the same aren't they?

Matt: One's a robot. Duh!

Jo: Uh, yeah, but which one? Duh.

Matt: One of them is blonde again. I bet it's her.

Ok, maybe that conversation was nothing about Splendour and all about The Veronica's, but you got the privilege of reading our personal texts, so how dare you complain.

Well, this year, things are different. I'm not going to Splendour In The Grass and I'm not going to text Matt about it. This year, I chose Eurovision over Splendour.  Yep. I did that. It was worth it. It was worth every single second of it. In Sweden, I didn't understand half of what was going on, I felt like it was all a dream and I was a little lightheaded by the end of it, which now that I think about it, is almost the same as Splendour, right?

Ok, I'll admit, there's a part of me that's a little upset I won't be in Byron Bay this year, running from stage to stage, watching intoxicated people dance in mud and I won't be eating any curly potatoes on sticks. That last bit is especially upsetting. 

The things I won't miss are the things like wearing the same filthy gumboots for three days in a row, covered in whatever it is that makes up the substance of mud (who knows what actual liquids are mixed in there?) Yeah, I won't miss that. 

I will miss seeing these guys though....

The things I won't miss involve standing in the middle of a field, in the middle of winter. Simple. It's cold in the middle of winter. I don't like being outside in the middle of winter. I like to be surrounded by walls and warmth and I like having a hot beverage close by.

I will miss seeing these girls though....

 

The things I won't miss involve some of the worst public bathroom facilities I've ever had the misfortune of having to use. I'm talking the entire cubicle, covered in liquids of all descriptions, no lights, no paper, no flushing and a smell I'll never be able to unsmell. I definitely won't miss that situation.

I will miss seeing these guys though....

 

The things I won't miss involve the annoying never ending sounds of some band you despise that you're forced to see in order to wait for the crowds to disperse so you can make your way to the front to see someone amazing. The incessant singalong of a song you hate and the adoration of people you wish you never knew existed, let alone had to have the experience of seeing live. Yeah, I won't miss that.

I will miss seeing these guys though....

 

The things I won't miss involve sleeping in a bed that's not your own. Your own bed is a special place and should always be appreciated. A three day festival is a real commitment. Whether it be camping at Splendour itself or staying in a strange room somewhere nearby, there's nothing, absolutely nothing as good as sleeping in your own bed. I'll be doing that this weekend.

I will miss seeing this girl though....

 

The things I won't miss involve the incredibly annoying lines. Lines for food, lines for beverages, lines for toilets. You have to plan your day around how long lines are and how long those 300 people in front of you are going to take to eat/drink/pee. You choose a line, you start to make it to the front and you hear your next choice on your must see list start playing in the next tent. Yeah, I won't miss that.

I will miss seeing these guys though....

 

The things I won't miss involve day three. The final day is always the hardest. You generally know it's going to be good, but the exhaustion is starting to kick in and you know at the end of the day it'll all be over and all you have to look forward to is another twelve months before it all happens again. Yeah, I won't miss day three.

I will miss seeing these guys though....

 

One of the things I won't miss this year is this guy, one of the main reasons I wanted to attend. Frank Ocean unfortunately had to cancel the remainder of his Splendour sideshows and Splendour appearance at the last minute due to health reasons. Shame, he would have been awesome. On the upside, fingers crossed he'll come back sooner than later to play again....maybe?

 

There's a lot of things about the three day music festival I won't miss. There's a lot of things I will though. Sigh. We can't all have everything, can we? If you're there, what are you doing reading this? Go out, dance, watch, enjoy! If you're at home like me, enjoy a hot beverage, enjoy your own bed, enjoy your weekend and get on the internets and find a band playing at Splendour you never knew existed. You'll either love them or hate them and it'll be just like being there, but not. Either way, enjoy!

It's My Kind of Interview - The Stiffys

Jason Leigh and Adam Stagg are The Stiffys and they "LIKE HAVING A REALLY NICE TIME AND BELIEVING IN OURSELVES." It's nice to see a band putting out such a positive energy, right? These lads find champagne to be like a sexy lemonade, always look their best in their sailor outfits and speak only in CAPS. They might just be the coolest band going in Australian music right now. Katie Langley brought her A-game for her chat with The Stiffys. It was hard, it was exciting and hopefully it will arouse some interest in you dear reader. Enjoy! 

THE STIFFYS

As interviewed by Katie Langley

Firstly, I have to say that The Stiffys make fine seamen. What's the deal with the sailor outfits?


THE STIFFYS: WE JUST LIKE TO LOOK GOOD WHEN WE PLAY OUR SHOWS FASHION IS A BIG PART OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS SO WE LIKE TO KEEP UP WITH THE CURRENT TRENDS WE JUST LIKE TO MAKE AN EFFORT YOU KNOW MAKE A BIG SNAZZY THAT WAY WHEN THE LADIES COME TO OUR SHOWS THEY WILL LIKE OUR FASHION SENSE AS WELL AS OUR MUSIC


For those unfamiliar with The Stiffys, how would you describe yourselves?

THE STIFFYS: WE’RE POSITIVE EXCITED GUYS WHO ALWAYS HAVE SUCH A NICE TIME AND ENJOY A COUPLE OF CHAMPAGNES WE JUST WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE A GREAT TIME AND ALWAYS BELIEVE IN YOURSELVES EVERYBODY YOU CAN DO ANYTHING AS LONG AS YOU SET YOUR MIND TO IT ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS STAY POSITIVE AND USE YOUR COURAGE AND TRYING HARDS WE BELIEVE IN YOU YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WAIT WHAT WAS I SAYING SOMETHING TO DO WITH JURASSIC PARK OR SOMETHING


In your song "Champagne" you liken those delicious bubbles to sexy lemonade. If that's the case then rum is like... ?

THE STIFFYS: RUM IS ALSO A GREAT WAY TO HAVE A REALLY NICE TIME BUT IT’S ALSO A BIT LIKE A TAXI RIDE TO NEW AND EXCITING PLACES THE LAST TIME THE STIFFYS DRANK RUM WAS IN MAROOCHYDORE AFTER A SHOW AND WE WOKE UP ON SOMEONE’S BOAT UNDERNEATH ALL THESE POOL NOODLES AND WE DIDN’T HAVE ANY STUFF ANYMORE AND WE WERE TAGGED IN ALL THESE PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK WITH SOME GUY SHOOTING A LEAF BLOWER AT OUR DOODLES WE MUST HAVE HAD THE BEST NIGHT YOU GUYS BUT WE LIKE CHAMPAGNE BETTER BECAUSE IT’S CLASSIER IT’S BASICALLY LIKE FUEL TO US


Describe a typical day in the life of The Stiffys.


THE STIFFYS: WE USUALLY WAKE UP AT AROUND LUNCH TIME AND THEN RED ROOSTER USUALLY ASK US TO LEAVE AT AROUND FOUR O’CLOCK WE PICK UP SOME CHAMPAGNE AND HANG OUT IN THE CAR PARK FOR ANOTHER FEW HOURS DOING KICKFLIPS AND TALKING TO GIRLS OR WE JUST HANG OUT AT JUST JEANS AND SHOP FOR CLOTHES OR WE DO VOLUNTEER WORK WITH KIDS BECAUSE THE YOUTH IS THE FUTURE THEN WE GENERALLY HAVE A NAP FOR A WHILE AND THEN WE DO SLAM DUNKS AND KARATE FOR ABOUT FOUR HOURS THEN WE PRACTICE OUR MUSIC AND THAT’S PRETTY MUCH IT FOR THE STIFFYS

You have a song about Ranger Stacey. What is it that you love about her?


THE STIFFYS: RANGER STACEY IS OUR FAVOURITE OUT OF ALL OF THE POWER RANGERS THE GREEN ONE WAS GOOD AND THE BLUE AND BLACK ONES WERE COOL AS WELL WHICH ONE HAD THE MASTODON THAT WAS PROBABLY OUR FAVOURITE DINOSAUR ON THE SHOW REMEMBER THAT TIME THEY HAD TO FIGHT THE GIANT MONSTERS AND THEY WERE ALL LIKE IT’S MORPHIN TIME AND THEY ALL JOINED TOGETHER AND BECAME A HUGE ROBOT AND FOUGHT THE MONSTER AND GOT THEIR SWORD AND LIGHTNING CAME OUT OF IT AND THEY SAVED THE DAY THE POWER RANGERS DID IT AGAIN EVERYBODY


Who do The Stiffys get excited about touring with?


THE STIFFYS: WE’VE TOURED WITH THE BEARDS AND THE SNOWDROPPERS WHICH WAS THE BEST BECAUSE THEY’RE BASICALLY OUR BEST FRIENDS WE’RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE TOURING WITH UDAYS TIGER DURING THIS SINGLE TOUR AND THEN DAVID LEIBE HART LATER IN THE YEAR HOPEFULLY WE’LL BECOME BEST FRIENDS WITH THEM AS WELL AS FOR WHO WE’D LIKE TO SUPPORT IN THE FUTURE I DON’T KNOW PROBABLY SOMEONE LIKE METALLICA OR AIRBOURNE OR SHAQUILLE O’NEAL.


What pick up lines do The Stiffys use on the ladies? Or men?


THE STIFFYS: NO WE DON’T PICK UP PEOPLE A LOT BUT WE’RE REALLY GOOD AT PUSHUPS AND HANDSTANDS ACTUALLY WE USED TO PICK UP THE BEARDS’ SOUND GUY JIMMY AND WE JUST USED TO RUN AND PICK HIM UP AND SHOUT PICKING UP JIMMY PICKING UP JIMMY PICKING UP JIMMY BUT THEN ONE TIME WE’D HAD A COUPLE OF DRINKS AND WE DROPPED HIM IN SOMEONE’S BACKYARD AND NOW WE’RE NOT ALLOWED TO PICK UP JIMMY ANYMORE BUT THAT’S OK WE’RE SO BUSY TALKING TO LADIES THESE DAYS WE’RE ALL LIKE HI LADIES AND THEY’RE ALWAYS LIKE OH HI THE STIFFYS DO YOU WANT TO KISS US OR DO PUSHUPS OR SOMETHING AND WE’RE ALL LIKE THAT SOUNDS GREAT LADIES


What does the rest of 2013 look like for The Stiffys?


THE STIFFYS: AFTER THIS SINGLE TOUR WE’LL BE TOURING WITH DAVID LEIBE HART’S BAND AND WE’LL MAKE SOME MORE VIDEOS WE CAN ONLY MAKE ONE AT A TIME THESE DAYS BECAUSE WE GET SO THIRSTY WHEN WE FILM THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE NAPS WE’LL ALSO BE WRITING SOME NEW SONGS WE’VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING ON ONE CALLED KICKFLIP IT’S ABOUT KICKFLIPS AND IT’S ALREADY SOUNDING REALLY EXCITING EVERYONES GOING TO GO CRAZY FOR THIS ONE RICK THEY’LL BE ALL LIKE WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT AND WE’LL BE ALL LIKE YES PLEASE YES PLEASE YES PLEASE OH AND WE’RE ALSO LOOKING IN TO GETTING A SECRETARY FOR AL THESE LADIES THAT WANT TO SAY HELLO TO US AND TELL US THAT WE’RE COOL GUYS AND THAT WE’RE NOT DICKHEADS


Is Tupac really dead?


THE STIFFYS: YES EVERYONE KNOWS TUPAC DIED IN THE FIRST EPISODE OF GAME OF THRONES BUT IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT SPOILER ALERT GUYS

The world according to The Stiffys. A huge thank you to Jason and Adam for answering our questions! You can catch the boys on their upcoming 'Champagne' Single Tour which kicks off in Tasmania next week! 

THE STIFFYS

CHAMPAGNE SINGLE TOUR 2013

August 1 @ The Royal Oak Hotel, Launceston (TAS)

August 2 @ The Butter Factory, Burnie (TAS)

August 3 @ The Grand Poobah, Hobart (TAS)

August 8 @ Yours and Owls, Woolongong (NSW)

August 9 @ Brighton Up Bar, Sydney (NSW)

August 16 @ Crown and Anchor, Adelaide (SA)

August 17 @ Jetty Bar, Glenelg (SA)

August 22 @ Surfers Paradise Tavern and Beergarden (QLD) w/ The Getaway Plan

August 23 @ The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba (QLD)

August 24 @ Ric's Bar, Brisbane (QLD)

August 29 @ Beav's Bar, Geelong (VIC)

August 30 @ Musicman Megastore, Bendigo (VIC)

August 31 @ Grace Darling Hotel, Collingwood (VIC)

And here's a special song from The Stiffys to Katie. I think it's love. Or a potential restraining order. Probably love though...

 

Where Is My Mind? - The Dark-Mustard-Velveteen-Long-Sleeve-Top Wearer

You're allowed to judge a book by it's strange neck attire though, right?

Or Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover (Sometimes)

by Jo Michelmore

Sometimes sayings are an important part of life. They become common sayings for a reason, because they're true. I thought of one this week, one I'm not a big fan of;

'Don't judge a book by it's cover'

Yeah, it's kind of a stupid one, but one that sometimes rings true. I mean, Jack Kerouac's 'On The Road' with a plain maroon cover like the one I own doesn't even begin to tell of the incredible journey inside. Not into the beat generation? Well, let's talk The Beatles 'White Album'. It sold over 20 million copies and contains one of my fave Beatles tracks. Judge that one by it's plain white cover and it would have been lucky to sell 20 copies.

This week I met someone who immediately made that saying circle my brain from the moment I saw him. "Don't judge a book by it's cover" I kept repeating like a mantra, over and over. Maybe he's alright, just give him a chance. Don't judge his ill-fitting-suit-too-short-tie-and-poor-footwear choice. Maybe his voice isn't an indication of his attitude, he might just be loud, not loud AND arrogant. "Don't judge a book by it's cover", this saying came into my mind again when figuring out where my mind was this week.

Last week we left off on Coldplay's 'The Scientist', a clip famous for it's reverse narrative style, showing shots of Chris Martin wandering through an urban street scape into various other situations. This reminded me of a Kylie clip I could watch over and over and over.

 

I love this one, there's so many bits to see and every time I watch it I pick up on something a teeny bit different from the last time. The fact I love it and the song so much made me question who wrote it. How intruiged I was when I found out it was this person...

 

Cathy Dennis. D-Mob. Now, I have no idea who they were or what happened to D-Mob, but can someone look at Cathy Dennis please? Do you see that? I know it was the late 80's and that was a very strange time in fashion, but what is that? Cathy, what are you wearing? I don't even know how to decribe that colour. What is it? Browny-gold? Goldy-brown? Mustard? Dark mustard? You have red hair Ms Dennis and you wore a dark-mustard-velveteen-long-sleeve-top, leggings and something that may have dropped off a car engine around your neck. Ms Dennis, it looks like someone threw up on you and you just wandered into the studio like that.

This is where I learnt my lesson about judging books by their mustard velveteen covers. You see, when I did a little research into Ms Cathy Dennis, I realised she was not only responsible for Kylie's  'Come Into My World', she was responsible for this...

 

Probably my favourite Britney Spears song and most definitely my fave Britney clip, that dark-mustard-long-sleeve-velveteen-top wearer was the one who co-wrote the song that contains the lines 

"Baby, can’t you see
I’m calling
A guy like you
Should wear a warning
It’s dangerous
I’m fallin’"

That's pop magic that is. You know you know those lines even if you don't like Britney. I thought pop couldn't get better, but then I found out Cathy Dennis, the dark-mustard-long-sleeve-velveteen-top wearer also wrote this...

 

Now look, I'm not going to say this is the best pop song ever written and believe me, I've done a fair bit of judging Katy Perry's book by her cover, but this song is pretty darn catchy. That dark-mustard-long-sleeve-velveteen-top wearer has obviously spent more time in her life writing songs than worrying about her wardrobe but I have to congratulation someone who managed to include the words 'cherry chapstick' in a song. That's weird and awesome. You know what's even weirder though? The dark-mustard-long-sleeve-velveteen-top wearer is responsible for something I know you'll know but not realise you know it...

 

I know, right? The Idol theme song. One of the most annoying theme songs on television. Perhaps she took her inspiration from her dark-mustard-long-sleeve-velveteen-top as the most annoying piece of clothing she ever wore. Because I'm a nice blogger and I dare not leave that song as the last one in your head this week, I present to you one more pop song that Cathy Dennis was responsible for and it's one that a very good friend of mine (and someone you might have seen on the right hand side of your monitor - Hi Nayt!) is going to love...

 

See? The Sugababes as well. That dark-mustard-long-sleeve-velveteen-top wearer has been responsible for some awesome pop music and I've actually only mentioned a couple. I'm sorry I judged your dark-mustard-long-sleeve-velveteen-top Ms Dennis, you're actually alright.

The thing about sayings though, is that sometimes you need to ignore them. The guy I met this week? Yeah, he was a jerk. He was as much of a jerk as his ill-fitting-suit-too-short-tie-and-poor-footwear cover seemed, if not more. Old sayings, hey? Who needs them.