Coach Bombay - BIGSOUND Live 2014 Feature Artist

BIGSOUND Live 2014 will bring together an insanely talented collection of artists from a diverse range of genres. We've looked at electronic-indie wunderkinds SAFIA and alt-country songstress Ruby Boots... next up is rising electro-pop purveyor Coach Bombay! Also known in the real world as Melbourne's Terry Mann, Coach Bombay has been delivering fun-time music that makes you want to dance and if you're looking for some fun times AND dancing at BIGSOUND Live, you're going to want to head along to his showcase. What did you say? You don't have tickets? Well head on over to QMusic and get some!

COACH BOMBAY'S

TERRY MANN

Performing as part of BIGSOUND Live 2014

Thursday 11 September - 9:10pm @ The Elephant Hotel

Hello and thanks for joining us at It's My Kind of Scene! How are you on this fine day? 

Terry Mann: Full of joy. My default state.


First things first... Moustaches or beards?

Terry: Only if your face-shape permits. For beards that's about 40% of faces. Moustaches about 10% (the rugged, fireman types).


BIGSOUND Live brings together a huge range of incredible acts from Australia and overseas. How do you feel being part of what's quickly become one of Australia's most well regarded music showcases?

Terry: Very psyched. The only downside is I don't have a time machine that would allow me to see every other act at Bigsound. There's a tonne of talent.


For me, seeing musicians I may not normally be inclined to see is one of the best things about the BIGSOUND Live experience. You have a short space of time to play for people who may not know you or your material well. So, how do you decide what or which songs to play?

Terry: An especially hard decision for us because there's over 25 songs in the CB catalogue. I guess it's about going with the songs that have caught industry attention the most in the past – whether that be radio, publishing, labels, bookers.

Speaking of punters who may not normally attend one of your shows, have you got a fave memory of someone who may have come to see one of your shows? What about a least favourite? Gig from hell you don't want to re-visit? (Hopefully it's hilarious with hindsight?!)

Terry: We had a British female comedian who was at our Ding Dong show randomly during the comedy festival. She spent about 20 minutes telling us how much she loved the show. Luckily we haven't had any gigs from hell in this band yet. It's too much fun to play.  

If you get a chance to run around like a crazy person on the night/s to check out some other BIGSOUND Live acts, who would you want to see?

Terry: It's the biggest dilemma because half of me wants to support the local legends I know and love (Yeo, Fractures, I'lls, Client Liaison), but the other half wants to check out the awesome interstate acts I've yet to see. Also it will be hard to turn down Deep Sea Arcade playing later after our set. 

There's so many great venues across the Valley hosting bands and musicians, but if you could play anywhere in the world, what and where is your dream venue to play? We all know of the awesomeness of BIGSOUND and we've all heard that SXSW is pretty darn good as well, but are there any other similar showcases in the world that you'd like to play, that we should know about? Anywhere else we should be dreaming of visiting before BIGSOUND returns to us, September 2015?

Terry: It may sound a bit tacky but years ago I had an unexpectedly amazing night at the (replica) Cavern Club in Manchester. Built just like the original but with 3 separate rooms/stages. There happened to be an international music festival on that night and I saw about 10 excellent bands within a few hours. My three favourites were all from Sweden, strangely. Would be a fun place for a showcase/party.

What have you got planned for the rest of 2014, post-BIGSOUND? Any tours, festivals, stand-alone gigs, cake decorating courses, TV marathons or anything else we should know about that you'll be involved in?

Terry: We’re touring a new single ‘Girls’ around Bigsound, the Melbourne show just before and the Sydney show just after - on the Saturday. After that we’ll be back home playing some more shows in the lead up to the launch of our second album, many moons in the making. Very pumped for the world to hear the new songs.

Do you love song covers? If you could cover one song, right here/right now... what would it be and why?

Terry: Of course. The other night I just wrapped up a very hilarious (but hopefully awesome) cover recording and debuted it to my housemates at high volume, with very positive feedback. I don’t want to reveal what it is yet, but let’s just say it was an unsuspecting number 1 hit that your Mum definitely had on cassette in 1988.

Something I often wonder. How often do you think to yourself; "is this the real life, or is this just fantasy?" I think the latter all the time...

Terry: Regularly. But not as often as I listen to Queen.

When they air the MTV Behind The Music special about you 31 years from now, what are they going to say about you?

Terry: Probably that I had a fixation about my music being more appropriate for Scandinavia or Asia than for Melbourne.

Scandinavian pop is delicious... as is K-Pop. As is Coach Bombay's music. So it makes sense. And we're hoping that cover is of John Farnham's 'Age of Reason'. Or Pat Benatar's 'All Fired Up'. Whatever it is, we're sure it's going to be most excellent. Big thanks to Terry Mann for answering our Q's and getting us even more excited about BIGSOUND Live! Keep up to date with all things Coach Bombay by heading over to his Facebook page and doing that whole like thing.

Top 25 - 30 August, 2014

Bertie Blackman + Childish Gambino!

1. Tkay Maidza - U-Huh (5 weeks at #1!)





2. Our Man In Berlin - Cirrhosis





3. Megan Washington - My Heart Is A Wheel





4. Bertie Blackman - War Of One (NEW)





5. Jack Colwell and The Owls - Seek The Wilde





6. Curxes - Valkyrie





7. Airling - Wasted Pilots (NEW)





8. Tulane - But I Say





9. Montaigne - I Am Not An End





10. Holy Holy - History (NEW)





11. Cathedrals - OOO AAA (NEW)





12. Rainy Day Women - Mrs. Jones (NEW)





13. Battleships - You Can't Change It





14. Avec Sans - All of Time





15. Childish Gambino - Candler Road (NEW)





16. De̊ǰa - Sirens (NEW)





17. Wafia - Alice





18. Amy Lee - Lockdown (NEW)





19. MKO - Puddles





20. Tempura Nights - R.I.P CHIX (NEW)





21. Little May - Dust





22. Jessie Ware - Say You Love Me





23. Lanie Lane - Celeste





24. Harts - Red and Blue





25. Zola Jesus - Dangerous Days (NEW)

Ruby Boots - BIGSOUND Live 2014 Feature Artist

Our second featured act for this year's BIGSOUND Live came to our attention a couple of years ago with a track that made us swoon it up like there's no tomorrow, 'Wise Up'. We're talking about Perth's Bex Chilcott, who performs under the name of Ruby Boots. We love her and we loved having her stop by the virtual office to answer our questions about all things BIGSOUND and more. Bex is one of the acts pulling double duty for BIGSOUND. Not only will she be delivering a must-see showcase, she'll also be speaking during the conference as part of The Battle For Country Music session! Don't forget, you can find out all the info you need about the conference and Live event and purchase your tickets over at QMusic. Now... here's our chat with Ruby Boots. 

RUBY BOOTS'

Bex Chilcott

Performing as part of BIGSOUND Live 2014

Wednesday 10 September - 10:50pm @ Press Club

Hello and thanks for joining us at It's My Kind of Scene! How are you on this fine day?

Bex Chilcott: Sleepy pre my morning coffee :) not for long tho! 

First things first... Moustaches or beards? 

Bex: If I tell you Movember is my fave month of the year, would that suffice! LOVE a dirty mo! 

BIGSOUND Live brings together a huge range of incredible acts from Australia and overseas. How do you feel being part of what's quickly become one of Australia's most well regarded music showcases? 

Bex: I'm really chuffed to be a part of the showcases this year, you are right, it is an exciting time for Bigsound, and it's an exciting time for me too. I have my debut album coming out early next year so it's just really good timing. What a treat to be able to meet with folks from around the world that  can count toward your journey. I've just finished up at The Seed Fund workshop and Bigsound was a hit topic, with some of the mentors making mention that it's not just the international speakers that are making their way over to Aus for the showcases but plenty more international industry types are heading over and using Bigsound as a go to place to witness the awesome emerging Australian acts that are featured at the showcases, which is REALLY exciting for us as artists, because if we have a domestic showcase that can give us musicians that are at the beginning of our careers a leg up before having to travel internationally, that's a big advantage being so far away from the the US, UK and Europe.


For me, seeing musicians I may not normally be inclined to see is one of the best things about the BIGSOUND Live experience. You have a short space of time to play for people who may not know you or your material well. So, how do you decide what or which songs to play? 

Bex: I love being able to shape my set like it's a conversation and half hour slots are perfect for that. I'm a very direct and upfront person off stage so it works well with my personality. Playing to predominantly new audiences has some real bonuses, as I have all new material and a new live band, so as an artist I can fill my set with the songs that mean the most to me and inject all my new passion and energy into them rather than having to play older songs. Which is rare because when you are playing to your fans you want to make them as happy as you can so that they have the best experience possible and so your set, or conversation as such, is usually about them for the most part and a few self indulgent moments throughout it. My Bigsound set is probably the set I have been most excited about playing for some time now; new songs, new band and intense times! I can't wait!

Speaking of punters who may not normally attend one of your shows, have you got a fave memory of someone who may have come to see one of your shows? What about a least favourite? Gig from hell you don't want to re-visit? (Hopefully it's hilarious with hindsight?!) 

Bex: This is one of my favourite interview questions because I had one of the warmest experiences with a young fan, and it's always so nice when this springs to mind. Let me introduce you to Huey .. I received this email here from him and he came to meet us with his mum when we played Moomba Festival last year. The email pretty much explains how awesome he is and trumps any need to get into any gig-from-hell related topics haha. I was smiling about this for days!!

Hi There,
We are doing an autograph hunt where the kids seek out the autographs of their most favourite people ever. Huey, who is 5 years old and has just started in prep, is a MASSIVE Ruby Boots fan and wants to write his letter to you to get an autograph. He especially loves Bex, but would be amazed if he got all of the band's autographs. He'd like to send you a request letter, as we are all working on our
writing skills. Could you tell us where to send this letter?

Many thanks,

Kimbra and Huey

p.s We will call you today because he is so keen to send this off ASAP.
My name is .. and I am a parent at the ... primary school, which is a child-inspired place in
Melbourne. 

If you get a chance to run around like a crazy person on the night/s to check out some other BIGSOUND Live acts, who would you want to see? 

Bex: I am really looking forward to checking out Kathryn Rollins. Some of the tracks and the new video she has released is really different to what I remember, so the live aspect of that is going to be really cool! I am REALLY pumped about finally seeing Steve Smyth play. He is on the top of my list of acts to see. For anyone who hasn't seen both The Love Junkies and Marlon Williams, definitely do yourselves a favour! I'm going to try and see as many bands as possible, it's a rare opportunity to be able to do so!

There's so many great venues across the Valley hosting bands and musicians, but if you could play anywhere in the world, what and where is your dream venue to play? We all know of the awesomeness of BIGSOUND and we've all heard that SXSW is pretty darn good as well, but are there any other similar showcases in the world that you'd like to play, that we should know about? Anywhere else we should be dreaming of visiting before BIGSOUND returns to us, September 2015? 

Bex: Americana Festival in Nashville would be my top pic, but that was probably an obvious answer coming from me! You can in fact jump on a plane the week after Bigsound if you feel so inclined, I saw that Ry Cooder has just been added to the list, so naturally I am really bummed I can't be there this year, but will be there next year with bells on. I'm also keen to check out Folk Alliance in Memphis! 

What have you got planned for the rest of 2014, post-BIGSOUND? Any tours, festivals, stand-alone gigs, cake decorating courses, TV marathons or anything else we should know about that you'll be involved in? 

Bex: Yeah I am going to learn how to stand up paddle board like a boss once summer hits again! Though I am not sure whether the coming months that I am spending in Melbourne is the best place to start that up. I'll have to wait to head back west I guess! I'm playing the "Out On The Weekend" side shows next month with Nikki Lane (US) and The Delines (US) which is going to be a hoot! The Spanish guitarist I played with in Nashville is in Nikki's band so looking forward to that reunion! And there is a national tour support in November and December that I am jumping on, but more on that when I am allowed to announce it!

Do you love song covers? If you could cover one song, right here/right now... what would it be and why? 

Bex: My go to song of late has been Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel". It allows me to use my voice the way I love using it, being at full force, and aside from LC being one of the greatest writers of all time, this song hits a core, being about Janis Joplin he has captured some of her character so gracefully (as he does so well) in such a brief moment of time. I really love everything about that song.

Something I often wonder. How often do you think to yourself; "is this the real life, or is this just fantasy?" 

Bex: I think it all the time... almost every changing moment of every day! Music sees us living such tumultuous lives, it's probably one the things I asked myself more often than any other question! And considering I rarely dream in my sleep (ripped off I know) I wonder if that's because half my life awake is in fact some kind of fantasy. 

When they air the MTV Behind The Music special about you 31 years from now, what are they going to say about you? 

Bex: Something I have heard my whole life; "You could always here her coming from ten streets away." My bellowing voice used to be the bane of my existence before I sang, always being told to quieten down, now I don't know what I would do with out it :) 

Bex Chilcott... Ruby Boots... amazing. A huge thanks to Bex for taking the time to answer our Q's. We can not wait to hear that debut album next year and to see you at BIGSOUND Live in just a few short weeks! You can stay up to date with all things Ruby Boots by giving an old like-a-roo to her Facebook page!

Song Review - History

History

by Holy Holy

EP: The Pacific (available now)

You know what I like about investing emotional energy in a band sometimes? It’s like investing in the stock market. You’ve heard a couple of songs, maybe an EP and like making a decision to invest, you decide, yes, you are a fan of this band and will back it up with a purchase, perhaps a ticket to a gig and a lot of chat about them to whoever will listen to you. It’s exactly like purchasing shares in some kind of company, there’s a gamble, but trust in yourself and all going well and your investment will be rewarded (I may or may not be a financial guru).

When I invested my emotional energy in Holy Holy with the first listen of ‘Impossible Like You’ so many months ago now, I wasn’t sure if my investment would be returned, but like a market player and risk taker of the late 80s, I was willing to give it a shot. Seems it was worth it, for with every part of Holy Holy I’ve heard and every gig I’ve attended, I've seen my emotional investment has been returned double fold, at least. Their third single ‘History’ is no exception, solid guitars driving the song along, lyrics to question and analyse with a steady mid tempo beat perfect for a firm sway and a tap on the steering wheel as I’m driving. The lovely little soft break at two and a half minutes is a nice reminder that my emotions are being sweetly manipulated by these incredibly talented individuals and my investment has been returned. Ok, so I’m no stockbroker by day, but I am a fan of good music and Holy Holy keep releasing sounds that make me happy to have heard them and make me smile, which in my books, is a very good return on my emotional investment. Looking forward to seeing them at their BIGSOUND appearance at The Elephant on Thursday September 11 at 10pm!

Jo Michelmore gives ‘History’ three and a half Jack White heads out of five…    

Song Review - Wasted Pilots

WASTED PILOTS

by Airling

EP: Love Gracefully (19 September, 2014)

When you're talking about acts that are having a breakout 2014, you've got to include Hannah Shepherd's electronic-pop moniker, Airling. She's earned big gold stars from all over for the tracks 'Ouroboros' and 'The Runner', supported Asgeir while he was in Australia (as well as girl of my dreams Ella Hooper in Brisbane) and took out the triple J Unearthed Splendour In The Grass competition. She's been hard at work putting together her debut EP with the uber-talented Tom Scary and Graham Ritchie and it's been announced that we'll be hearing Love Gracefully in September. Which is conveniently just after Airling performs as part of BIGSOUND Live in Brisbane and just before a tour through Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane this October. That is like the definition of a breakout year, right? To top it all off, Airling have released the new single, 'Wasted Pilots', Shepherd's most exquisite creation yet. 

"A broken in mess, you don't need no one to tell you how it is." 'Wasted Pilots' has a certain melancholy that permeates through the lyrics, which you wouldn't know if you're not paying close attention to them. The lyrics are the dark to the music's light. That powerful chorus will have you wanting to get those fists pumping in the air and Shepherd's vocals are breezy and full of warmth. With all the repeated listens that are sure to follow, allowing you to pick up on the story, Shepherd's vocals become more wistful. Maybe that's not the right word for the confession in the line that tells us she is, "feeling that I am dead inside." It's a wonderful juxtaposition that we don't see enough in pop music anymore. Music and lyrics are in direct competition with each other, but Shepherd pulls it off very nicely. I'm using a lot of big words like 'permeates' and 'juxtaposition'. The conclusion I have arrived at is that listening to Airling makes you smarter. So there's also that. 

Airling have gone from strength to strength this year and with that in mind, it makes sense that 'Wasted Pilots' is the strongest track we've heard yet. I've got a sneaky suspicion there's going to be something else waiting on the upcoming EP to blow us away too. 

Matt Bond gives 'Wasted Pilots' four Preset heads out of five...

And don't forget, you can see Airling playing as part of BIGSOUND Live in September and on tour in October. Dates below... in poster form! 

The A to Z of Pop - T is for The Things I Think

Well I would have just stuck my arms out sideways, but...each to their own

The A to Z of Pop

by Jo Michelmore

You read the blog, you read my thoughts. Sometimes. Today, my thoughts on pop, which I probably think about a little too much. Shut up. That's why I write on a blog. Whatever.

Things I think: Gaga played a gig with Queen this week. She wasn't very good. but neither are Queen without Freddie, so you can't win them all.

Things I think: Miley is so annoying, but she sings some great pop songs.

Things I think: Ariana Grande will be Ariana Who? soon enough. Give it a year...or two.

Things I think: Taylor Swift sings one of the greatest pop songs ever written.

Things I think: Madonna will always be the queen of pop. Not because she's good, but she was there in the 80s when pop first became what it is today. You can't take the crown away from old Elizabeth II just becuase she's old and a bit useless and you can't take the crown away from Mads for the same reason.

Things I think: Boy bands make me uncomfortable. See above. When listening to boy bands, leave the lights on, always. End.

SAFIA - BIGSOUND Live 2014 Feature Artist

Brace yourselves... BIGSOUND is coming and with it comes the funnest two nights of music in Australia all year; BIGSOUND Live! For two nights, Brisbane's Fortitude Valley plays host to more exciting acts from home and abroad than you can count. Ok, there's like 144 or something, but that's heaps. As far as "festivals" go, we say BIGSOUND Live is Australia's best. You don't have to camp. You get plenty of exercise running around to all the different venues and most importantly, you get more amazing, incredible live music than you can shake a disco stick at. So you should totes go check out the line-up and get your tickets over at QMusic! In the lead-up to the event, we'll be bringing you some (mad) chats with acts that will be putting on showcases at the event... acts like Canberra's SAFIA who are kicking all kinds of musical butt. Enjoy! 

SAFIA's
Ben Woolner

Performing as part of BIGSOUND Live 2014
Thursday 11 September - 9:50pm @ Woolly Mammoth's inthemix Stage

Interview by Matt Bond

SAFIA! Hello and welcome, thanks for joining us. How are you on this fine day?


Ben Woolner: I am very well thanks :)


Easy one to get us started... what's the last song you listened to?


Ben: New Dorp, New York (ft. Ezra Koenig) by SBTRKT


You've been on a roll since winning the Canberra slot for a triple J unearthed act at Groovin The Moo last year. You've placed in the Hottest 100, toured with Lorde and score airplay all over the world with your music. What have been your highlights of the SAFIA journey so far and did you ever expect to make an impact as quickly as you have?


Ben: The Lorde tour was pretty amazing. Not only was it awesome to play to that many new faces it was good to be part of a tour that big on such famous stages. It's a lot different to playing in small clubs haha. Being tucked away in quiet Canberra we're so oblivious to a lot of the hype that apparently is happening for us, we still get pleasant surprises when people turn up to shows in all kinds of cities and sing along to our tracks.


Looking forward, you'll be performing at this year's BIGSOUND Live in Brisbane! What are your thoughts on the BIGSOUND concept? Any acts you'll be keen to check out during the event?


Ben: Bigsound is a great platform for upcoming bands to meet the right people in the industry early on in their music career. We're particularly keen to see Crooked Colours, Remi, D.D Dumbo and Tkay Maidza  


And BIGSOUND Live is a warm up of sorts for you, because you dive straight into a national tour afterwards in support of your new single, 'You Are The One'. How would you describe the new track and what separates it from what we've already heard from you?


Ben: We're super excited about our new single 'You are the One'. Like everything we want to keep people guessing when it comes to our music, we like to mix it up and not do the same thing twice. The new track focuses a lot on live elements, there's a lot of electronic producers around at the moment and we wanted to separate ourselves from that movement by going into the studio and recording all the sounds and instruments live rather than programming them. We're super keen to see how people will react to it haha.


What can live music fans expect from a SAFIA show? And I noticed you're playing a Halloween Party in Perth at The Bakery on October 31. Anything special planned? Do you need help with costume ideas?


Ben: You can expect big over the top vocals, energetic drums, guitars, bass, buttons, everything haha. Yeah that's going to be a super fun show were doing with a bunch of good friends, our mates Crooked Colours and Paces are playing as well. We're still stuck on costume ideas so any ideas would be good haha :). Maybe I'll go as Slender Man. 

You guys are from Canberra. I once lived in Canberra. Apart from my lack of musical talent, we clearly have a lot in common. What do you think of the local music scene in the nation's capital?


Ben: The music scene down here in freezing Canberra has really picked up in the past few years. Acts like the Aston Shuffle and Peking Duk have already proved you can make it as a Canberra band now. There's venues as well now like Transit, Trinity and Meche that are bringing all the right acts to town weekly, playing to full clubs. It wasn't long ago that barely any acts came to Canberra.


Surprise! You've been selected to curate the line-up for Big Day Out when it comes back in 2016 (one would hope). Those new American overlords are throwing bags and bags of money at you to pay for whoever you want to play. So you've got 10 acts you can pick. Any at all. Who are you going to pick and why?


Ben: Tkay Maidza - The girl is awesome and is going to be Australia's biggest hip hop export I reckon, she already pulled a massive crowd at her early spot at Splendour in the Grass.


Peking Duk - These boys are absolute legends, I've had the pleasure of hearing a whole heap of their unreleased music and i can tell you that 'High' is just the beginning, the best is still yet to come ;)


The Gorillaz - It's been too long since these guys have toured, i want to see them live so badly and I reckon if you put their name on the top of a festival bill it would sell out in no time.


Rufus - I've seen these guys probably nearly 20 times now and I'm still not sick of them, one of the best electronic bands going around for sure, album number 2 will probably be out by then so prime time to do a headline spot ;)


Gun's n' Roses (with the full original line up) - Because it would be epic that's why, and 15 old me would pee his pants in excitement haha.


Sam Smith - His voice is insane, I could listen to him sing for hours.


Eminem - Because who isn't a Slim Shady fan?


The Kite String Tangle - Danny's music is incredible, people will need to swoon during the festival so there's no better option than The Kite String Tangle


Rage Against The Machine - Everyone needs to experience a RATM concert, I've been told its like a near death experience in the mosh haha.


Fat Freddie's Drop - My favourite set of Splendour 2013 by far, everyone needs a bit of dub reggae in their lives.


Quick Hits:

The ultimate dance song is... 
Ben: SAK NOEL - LOCA PEOPLE

I say Lorde, you say... 
Ben: Best fans ever.

The first album you ever bought was... 
Ben: The Eminem Show.

The next big thing in Australian music is...
Ben: Violent Soho.

If you were a WWE Wrestler, your entrance music would be... 
Ben: 'Livin La Vida Loca' by Ricky Martin haha.


Lastly, when they air the SAFIA Behind The Music special on MTV in 46 years time, what are they going to say about you?


Ben: Who's SAFIA?


Massive thanks to SAFIA's Ben for taking the time to answer our Q's. If you're in Brisbane on the 11th of September, make sure you head along to BIGSOUND Live and check out SAFIA's set... it's going to be a good 'un! And you should add their national tour dates into your calendars right now! 

Song Review - Seek The Wilde

SEEK THE WILDE

by Jack Colwell and The Owls

Jack Colwell promised a 'baroque pop romp' on his latest single, 'Seek The Wilde' and none will protest that is exactly what is delivered, methinks. Just one listen and you'll be wanting to head out into the forest and dance like Kate Bush in the 'Wuthering Heights' video. With an obviously not-so-subtle nod to Oscar Wilde, Colwell combines his training in classical composition with his love for the works of two of music's modern day poets, Tori Amos and the previously mentioned Madame Bush. The final product, 'Seek The Wilde', is another fascinating addition to the discography of Australia's most intriguing new star, following up the previous 2014 release, 'Far From View'.

I imagine no one was really expecting to be secretly wishing for a 17th century revival within the music industry, but a couple of minutes with Jack and his harpsichord might change that. He'll have you partying like it's 1699 in no time. In all seriousness, it's a testament to Colwell's talent that he can take antiquated instruments like the harpsichord, oboe and flute and still create something that sounds as timeless as 'Seek The Wilde' does. And really, when was the last time the harpsichord ever sounded this cool? I'm thinking Joanna Newsom's 'Peach Plum Pear'. How great is it that we can even be discussing an artist using a harpsichord? I thought all the kids these days were just pushing buttons on an iPhone or something. 

You're certainly left wanting to hear more as 'Seek The Wilde' feels like it's over way too soon, but the great thing about that is you just get to listen to the song again. And again and again. Usually baroque pieces of music went for like an hour, right? So you should probably listen to this at least 30 times. Right now. It's so hard to label an act as unique anymore, but the shoe fits and Jack Colwell is going to wear it and stamp his feet around in it and jump around a stage in it. The scope of music sometimes feels like it's getting smaller and smaller. Artists like Jack Colwell should be celebrated and supported for creating music that keeps that scope from being so limited. I'm thinking Oscar Wilde would have loved the shit out of this. I know I do.

Matt Bond gives 'Seek The Wilde' four PJ Harvey heads out of five...     

Top 25 - 24 August, 2014

Our Man In Berlin, Megan Washington + Jack Colwell!

1. Tkay Maidza - U-HUH  (4 weeks at #1!)


 


2. Our Man In Berlin - Cirrhosis (NEW)


 

3. Eliza Hull - Caught (NEW)


 

4. Curxes - Valkyrie


 

5. Megan Washington - My Heart Is A Wheel (NEW)


 

6. MKO - Puddles


 

7. Montaigne - I Am Not An End


 

8. Jack Colwell and The Owls - Seek The Wilde (NEW)


 

9. Wafia - Alice (NEW)


 

10. Tulane - But I Say


 

11. Harts - Red and Blue


 

12. Little May - Dust


 

13. Wilding - Missing Her (NEW)


 

14. #1 Dads ft. Ainslie Wills - So Soldier


 


15. Battleships - You Can't Change It (NEW)


 

16. Bec Sandridge - Over The Sea





17. Jessie Ware - Say You Love Me


 

18. Lanie Lane - Celeste (NEW)





19. Coach Bombay - Girls


 


20. Kimbra - Miracle





21. Avec Sans - All of Time (NEW)


 


22. Violet - My Dress Hangs There (NEW)


 

23. Mirror Talk - 1997


 

24. Jim Lawrie - Just Like Normal


 

25. Chelsea Wolfe - Lone (NEW)

Song Review - Missing Her

Missing Her

by Wilding

There are numerous parts to my personality, but three parts that play a big part could be summed up quite quickly; music lover, vintage lover, word lover. All of three of those lovers were sparked when I started thinking about Wilding and I read all the words; "endearing harmonies, The Beatles, the 60s, the 70s, pop and melody, The Beach Boys and Abbey Road" and my interest was peaked but were they all just things and words I had heard before? How many times can I hear these types of influence and still be interested? I mean, have I heard it all before? 


Luckily, the more curious part of my consciousness took over and I did bother to investigate what all these familiar words were trying to describe and...bam! Fabulous! Cute! Nodding! Retro! Dancing! Smiling! All the words in the world are nice, but the best part of hearing new/old inspired music is the feeling of the muscles in my face contracting as I smile manically and think of the friend I have who would absolutley adore this and the memories of songs I love and times I've had with said friend. The best part of hearing a new/old song I like a lot is the physical movement my shoulders make, the feeling of my hair waving around as my head sways back and forth and the weird tapping my feet do when I listen. And really, all the words in the world on this here blog and that there internet are nice, but if a song takes it sounds from times past and still makes me smile and move, what more is there? Only that little button with the sideways triangle which plays it all over again and starts the manic smiling again. The music lover, the retro lover, the word lover and the curious consciousness are all happy.

Jo Michelmore gives 'Missing Her' three and a half Beatles heads out of five...

Song Review - Caught

CAUGHT

by Eliza Hull

Album: The Bones of Us (TBA)

Time stood still
Silence in a room of people
Mouths gone dry my heart beats fast... 


Eliza Hull returns with 'Caught' the first new material since her ethereal 2013 EP, The Ghosts You Never Catch. Previewing her upcoming album, The Bones of Us, we're treated to another dazzling listening experience from one of our fave Melbourne songstresses, which sees her teaming up once more with Hayden Calnin on production duties. Theirs is the partnership that keeps on giving and Hull's voice along with the sounds and beats that make up 'Caught' could very well be their most effective creation yet, further positioning Hull as an artist that you must keep an eye on.


'Caught' is as dreamy as Eliza has ever sounded. Really though, it's absolutely the dreamiest Eliza has sounded. Her voice is full of warmth and sincerity which is extra impressive given the song's subject matter and the smattering of beats that come with the electronic territory. "I keep running into you, have I met you before?" I'm going back and forth between the narrator being "caught" in the same destructive relationship OR she seeks out the same type of destructive relationship. Have I ever told you that I generally find myself way off base when interpreting songs? "All of the stories, all of the fights, all of the running, the lonely nights... it's like it's happened before." Are you picking up what I'm putting down? Either way, Hull's talents as a lyricist and storyteller remain as strong as ever. 


"Then the lights went out." Shades of Björk in the vocals in this blink and you'll miss it moment followed by clapping beats will catch you by surprise. It's a segment of 'Caught' that's over in a flash, but each time I hear it I find myself holding my breath and thinking, "damn this is gooood." That's not the first time Eliza Hull has managed to make me do that. I doubt it will be the last. We've only got our first taste, but I think that's all we're going to need to say The Bones of Us is going to be one knockout of an album. 

Matt Bond gives 'Caught' four Presets heads out of five...


And if you're lucky enough to be in Melbs on Saturday September 20, you should be heading on down to The Toff In Town to see Eliza Hull launching 'Caught' live! Joining her on the night will be Texture Like Sun and Lanks. Boom! Get 'yo tix right here!  

The A to Z of Pop - S is for Two Words That Start With 'Sh'

This is getting ridiculous...

The A to Z of Pop

by Jo Michelmore

It has come to my attention in recent times, that I may be one of the only people in the world who feels this way, but, well, sometimes you just gotta admit these things. 


Like the ginger Pharrell, except not as talented, currently experiencing his fifteen minutes of fame. Which is fine. But while everyone else seems to be loving the shit out of him, I have only one thought about him.


Ed Sheeran? He's shit.
 

Example A: 'Sing'
Best(?) lyric: "oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, louder, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh sing"....zzzzzzzzz.
Sheeran: Shit.

Example B: 'Give Me Love'

Best(?) lyric:  "my, my, my, my, oh give me love, my, my, my, my, oh give me love, my, my, my, my, oh give me love, my, my, my, my, give me love"....zzzzzzzzz.
Sheeran: Shit.

Example C: 'Don't'
Best(?) lyric: "ah lahmlahlah, ah lahmlahlah"....zzzzzzzzz.
Sheeran: Shit.


Three is more than enough (pain). Exactly as you say Sheeran; don't. Quiet. Shush. I don't get it. You're shit. 

10 and 1 - Paws Up, Little Monsters

10 OF THE BEST: LADY GAGA

by Matt Bond

Ma ma ma maaaa. Mother Monster herself is in Australia right this second (AHHHH!) and she's delivering artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball to her legion of fans. Ok, so things have cooled on the universal love for LGG since the release of her 2013 album, ARTPOP, but she's still one of the biggest acts in music. So stop thinking you're cool for breaking free of the party-disco-fun-time hold she had on you while she was THE biggest music star on the planet for a couple of years there. Anyway, I am totally excited about Queen Gaga being in our corner of the world because I'll be heading along to the Brisbane show with Jo and Katie. It's my first time seeing her live and I can't wait until we're best friends. What? Nothing. But seriously, I think we'd get along famously. We live for the fame and so on and so forth.


Since I've been going back through Lady Gaga's discography over the past week in the lead up to what's going to be one crazy/amazing live show, I thought I'd get my '10 and 1' on with a list of Gaga's ten best tracks and the one song I could really do without hearing next Tuesday night. Sorry, my Queen. But nobody's perfect, right? Don't worry, you're on the right track baby... you were born this way or something. Now... let's stop bluffin' with our muffins and just dance!

THE TEN:

POKER FACE

PAPARAZZI

BAD ROMANCE

TELEPHONE

ft. Beyonce

SPEECHLESS
 

JUDAS

THE EDGE OF GLORY

AMERICANO

GYPSY (Live Piano Version)

SEX DREAMS

THE ONE:

JEWELS N' DRUGS

ft. T.I., Too $hort and Twista

When you've got ten songs as good as the ones above, you're allowed a dud here and there. 'Jewels N' Drugs' was the gangsta side of Gaga no one really needed to see. Thankfully we won't be hearing anything like this on the upcoming collaboration album with total dude, Tony Bennett. Now... paws up, little monsters. Bring on the artRAVE Brisbane Entertainment Centre show on Tuesday night!        

Song Review - Born To Love You

BORN TO LOVE YOU

by Elodie Adams

from the inSUBORDINATE EP (August 29, 2014)

We're always going on about how great it is to hear music from Aussie acts on big television shows and movies, but there is another area of the entertainment industry that has a huge audience for budding stars to reach. No, not porn. I'm talking about video games. Gaming has gone down a much more cinematic path since all these fandangled contraptions next-generation consoles came out, with epic trailers to promote the games and the use of popular songs within the games during the most buzzed about sequences. Remarkably, Elodie Adams was able to secure a place for her track 'Born To Love You' as the main theme for Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty by contacting the games developers via their Facebook page. Adams' soaring and melodic vocals against the simmering darkness in the heavy music backing her go hand in hand with the nature of the Oddworld stories. Anyone else remember playing Abe's Oddysee back in 1997? Those were good times.

But enough about games, Elodie Adams is definitely an intriguing new prospect on the music scene. 'Born To Love You' isn't the type of song you hear all that often anymore, which is a shame. Back in the mid-2000s you had acts like Evanescence and Lacuna Coil kicking butt as female fronted pop-metal acts, with Evanescence dominating radio for a good couple of years there. It's been all quiet on that front lately, but then along comes someone like Elodie Adams and you wonder why we're not hearing more acts like this; all dark, sexy and mysterious... completely rock and roll, but just that little bit more dangerous. It might not sit with what's going on in radio land right now, but there's still a huge commercial market for artists that deal in this wheelhouse, particularly with teens/young adults that rock a lot of black clothing. A song like 'Born To Love You' would be right up their alley. Trust me, I used to wear a lot of black. Teen me would have been all over this. Funnily enough, not-so-young adult me is too.


Does Australia have a new Goth Rock Queen on its hands? If we get more tracks like 'Born To Love You' from Elodie Adams, I don't see why not. It's about time too!

Matt Bond gives 'Born To Love You' three Karen O heads out of five...

Top 25 - 17 August, 2014

Harts looking left... MKO looking right.

1. Tkay Maidza - U-Huh (3 weeks at #1!)





2. Harts - Red and Blue (NEW)





3. Curxes - Valkyrie





4. MKO - Puddles (NEW)





5. #1 Dads ft. Ainslie Wills - So Soldier





6. Bec Sandridge - Over The Sea





7. Little May - Dust





8. Montaigne - I Am Not An End (NEW)





9. Coach Bombay - Girls (NEW)





10. The Griswolds - Right On Track





11. Kimbra - Miracle





12. Jessie Ware - Say You Love Me (NEW)





13. Mirror Talk - 1997





14. Jim Lawrie - Just Like Normal





15. Tulane - But I Say (NEW)





16. Amy Shark - Spits On Girls





17. The Twoks - Hey





18. The Lumineers - Visions of China (NEW)





19. Babaganouj - Bluff





20. Royal Blood - Figure It Out (NEW)





21. Alex Watts - Reunited (NEW)





22. Clairy Browne and the Bangin' Rackettes - Jenny





23. Bear's Den - Elysium (NEW)





24. LIGHTS - Portal (NEW)





25. HOWQUA - Fishing For Gold