Fave Albums: Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

New York band Vampire Weekend released their eponymous debut album in 2008 to much hype and acclaim.  Their sound has hints of African beats and ska music and the album spawned the singles "Mansard Roof," "Oxford Comma," "A-Punk" and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa."  There really isn't one bad song on this album, and it all flows really.  It is uplifting and fun to listen and sing along to.

Favorite Lyric: Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma ("Oxford Comma")

Favorite Song: "A-Punk"

Fave Albums: Little Red - Listen To Little Red

The first time I saw Little Red live in 2007 I knew they were something special.  After winning the hearts of Melbourne with their entertaining live shows and a couple EPs, they finally released their debut album Listen To Little Red in 2008.  It is full of their self proclaimed "doo-wop punk" style and some of the sweetest vocal harmonies you may ever hear.  The three main songwriters take turns singing lead throughout the album, with highlights including Tom Hartney on "Coca Cola," "Little Annie" and "Jackie Cooper," Quang Dinh on "Witchdoctor," "Fool" and "If You're Lonely," and Dominic Byrne on "It's Alright," "Stare In Love," "Misty, I" and "Fight Song."  This album is how I will always remember Little Red, with all those fun gigs around town and watching them become more and more popular.

Favorite Lyric: If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, well honey I got two shoulders and they're strong ("If You're Lonely")

Favorite Song: "Misty, I"

Fave Albums: The Basics - Stand Out/Fit In

Any regular readers of this blog would know that I am a big fan of Melbourne's The Basics and a frequent attendee at their live shows.  This album, 2007's Stand Out/Fit In, is what first got me into the band.  The album cover is shot out in front of The Espy in St. Kilda with Kris Schroeder, Tim Heath and Wally De Backer wearing their trademark grey suits.

This album is full of so many songs that are staples of their live set, including "Rattle My Chain," "Memory Lane," "Have Love, Will Travel," "Hey There!," "Just Hold On," "Lookin' Over My Shoulder," "Better" and "Three Cool Cats."  The musicianship and vocal harmonies just shine through on all these songs as Wally and Kris take turns on lead vocals (with the occasional song from Tim).  It's such a fun and uplifting album that you can't help but sing along and want to dance while listening to it.

Favorite Lyric: We're going nowhere fast, but I'm just glad I'm going there with you ("Hey There!")

Favorite Song: "Lookin' Over My Shoulder"

Fave Albums: Amy Winehouse - Back To Black

2006's Back To Black was the album that put Amy Winehouse on the map with the breakout hit single "Rehab."  Produced by Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, the album is a mix of British soul and ska music that features Amy's honest lyrics and unique voice.  Standout tracks include "Me & Mr Jones," "Back To Black," "Tears Dry On Their Own" and "Wake Up Alone."  Despite her well publicized personal issues and untimely death, there is no doubting Amy's incredible talent.

Favorite Lyric: And no I'm not ashamed, but the guilt will kill you, if she don't first ("Just Friends")

Favorite Song: "Back To Black"

Fave Albums: Starky - Starky

The fantastic eponymous second album by Sydney band Starky was released in 2006 and spawned the hit single "Hey Bang Bang."  It's a synth and guitar driven album that you can really dance to throughout, especially on the songs "Me Michelle," "We Don't Exist," "The Wreckery," "Is This How It Ends" and "We Generate Friction."  From start to finish there isn't one bad song on there.  It's too bad though that Starky didn't record any further albums before breaking up (especially considering this one was successful).

Favorite Lyric: Here's to you and me and all the things we'll never be ("Is This How It Ends")

Favorite Song: "The Wreckery"

Fave Albums: Bic Runga - Birds

New Zealand singer-songwriter Bic Runga released her third album Birds in 2005.  It's a bit of a darker and more mysterious affair than her previous albums, but contains many moving songs such as "Say After Me," "Listen," "Birds," "If I Had You" and "Captured."  There are also the more upbeat songs "Winning Arrow" and "Blue Blue Heart," as well as the country-tinged "No Crying No More" and Nick Cave-esque "Ruby Nights."  It's quite a beautiful album even with its sense of melancholy.

Favorite Lyric: A crazy love that waits for you, why must it wait forever? ("If I Had You")

Favorite Song: "Winning Arrow"

Fave Albums: Doves - Some Cities

Some Cities is the third album by British band Doves, which was released in 2005.  It is full of indie guitar rock with the driving beat of "Some Cities," "Black And White Town," "One Of These Days" and "Sky Starts Falling," the beautiful jangly guitar parts in "Almost Forgot Myself," "Walk In Fire" and "Ambition," as well as the trip hop feel of "The Storm."  It's a lovely album which I seem to associate with driving on East Bay freeways to and from work.

Favorite Lyric: Too much history coming down, another building brought to ground ("Some Cities")

Favorite Song: "Almost Forgot Myself"
 

Fave Albums: The Redwalls - De Nova

I first saw Illinois band The Redwalls perform on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and knew immediately that I had to get their album, De Nova.  Their second release, which came out in 2005, is full of 1960s garage rock on songs such as "Robinson Crusoe," "Love Her," "It's Alright" and "Rock & Roll."  There are also the political messages in the lyrics of "Falling Down," "Front Page" and "Glory of War" alongside the heartfelt "Thank You," "Build A Bridge," "Hung Up On The Way I'm Feeling" and "How The Story Goes."  It's a fantastic album by a band that is unfortunately no longer together.

Favorite Lyric: Well in times like these you better watch what you say, watch them take your fucking rights away ("Falling Down")

Favorite Song: "Thank You"

Fave Albums: Interpol - Antics

New York's Interpol released their second album Antics in 2004.  It's a beautifully atmospheric album driven by the rhythm section and melodic guitars, as well as Paul Bank's vocals.  The singles "Slow Hands," "Evil" and "C'mere" are all fantastic songs.  It's a very coherent album and the perfect listen for a dark, wintry day. 

Favorite Lyric: I submit my incentive is romance, I watched the pole dance of the stars ("Slow Hands")

Favorite Song: "C'mere"

Naked Bodies- Single Launch

Photo by Greta Parry

Last night I headed off to The Workers Club for the debut single launch by Quang Dinh's band Naked Bodies.  The first act for the evening was Melbourne singer-songwriter Grizzly Jim Lawrie.  He played a beautiful set of his folk songs on acoustic guitar, including "Take Things Fast" and "Over The River."  He's been a part of the local music scene for years and his debut album is out this week.  Next up was Melbourne four piece Quince.  They played an energetic set of psychobilly and punk music.

The room was much more full by the time Naked Bodies took the stage.  The band were launching their double A side single Fiction Tree/Monkey Blues, both songs which they played on the night.  The other songs in the set were good as well with a couple standouts.  Having a band member on violin for some tracks added a unique dimension to their sound.  It was good to see Quang back in the swing of things and I look forward to future releases from them.

Here's the video for "Fiction Tree"

Fave Albums: The White Stripes - Elephant

The White Stripes fourth album, 2003's Elephant, contains probably their best known hit single "Seven Nation Army." Jack White is incredibly talented and there are some great songs on here such as "Black Math," "Ball & Biscuit," "The Hardest Button To Button," "Hypnotise" and "Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine."  There are also little surprises dotted throughout the album such as their cover of Burt Bacarach's "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself," the spoken word intro of "Little Acorns," Meg White singing lead on the song "In The Cold, Cold, Night" and the humorous lyrics of the album closer "It's True That We Love One Another."

Favorite Lyric: Be like the squirrel, girl ("Little Acorns")

Favorite Song: "Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine"

Fave Albums: The Living End - Roll On

Melbourne's very own The Living End released their second album Roll On in 2000.  Not only does it have their trademark rockabilly/punk sound, but I think it's one of Chris Cheney's strongest albums lyrically as he tackled political issues such as the 1998 Melbourne waterfront dispute on "Roll On" and the stolen generation on "Killing The Right."  There are some absolute rockers on here such as "Pictures In The Mirror," "Carry Me Home," "Don't Shut The Gate" and "Uncle Harry" along side the more melodic tracks "Staring At The Light," "Dirty Man" and "Blood On Your Hands."  It's a very cohesive album that also showcases what an amazing guitar player Chris was even in the early years of the band.

Favorite Lyric: There's too much work and not enough pay ("Roll On")

Favorite Song: "Carry Me Home"

Fave Albums: Ben Folds Five - Whatever And Ever Amen

The newly reunited Ben Folds Five released their second album Whatever And Ever Amen in 1997.  The band members are all exceptional musicians and combined with Ben Folds' lyrics this album covers a gamut of emotions.  On one hand there is the humor of "One Angry Dwarf And Two Hundred Solemn Faces," "Song For The Dumped" (whose chorus I can definitely relate to due to an incident with my ex-best friend), "Battle Of Who Could Care Less" and "Steven's Last Night In Town." Then you have the emotion of songs such as "Selfless, Cold And Composed," "Smoke" and the hit single "Brick."  It's a wonderful album that shows the breadth of songs Ben Folds Five can create.

Favorite Lyric: See I've got your old I.D. and you're all dressed up like The Cure ("Battle Of Who Could Care Less")

Favorite Song: "One Angry Dwarf And Two Hundred Solemn Faces"

Grizzly Bear- Shields Tour

Last night I ventured to Billboard The Venue after work to see Grizzly Bear's sold out side show in support of their fantastic new album Shields.  The opening act was Sydney musician Kirin J Callinan.  He started solo on stage with just his guitar and some samples and then brought out a few female friends (including Pikelet) to play bass, drums, guitar and keyboards.  It was quite an interesting set to watch as he took us on this sonic adventure with lots of different soundscapes.

I had a great position up the front for Grizzly Bear and was so excited to finally have the opportunity to watch them perform these richly layered songs in a live setting.  Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen traded off on lead vocal duties throughout the night.  They played most of Shields as well as songs from Veckatimest and Yellow House.  There were many highlights throughout the nearly two hour long set, but my favorite songs were "Yet Again," "Sleeping Ute," "Two Weeks," "Gun-Shy" and "While You Wait For The Others," which had everyone singing along and their keyboard player fulfilling a band request to crowd surf.  For the last song of the night we were treated to an acoustic version of "All We Ask."  It was such an amazing show and a real privilege to see them play in a small club.  Definitely go check them out live if you get the chance.

Here's the video for "Yet Again"

Fave Albums: You Am I - Hourly, Daily

You Am I's third album, Hourly, Daily was released in 1996 and always reminds me of my study abroad year in Melbourne.  It's a very Australian album with Tim Rodger's lyrics about daily life and the various things he references in songs.  Besides the expected guitar rock of "Good Mornin'," "Mr. Milk, "Soldiers" and "Flag Fall $1.80" there are also surprising orchestral arrangements on songs such as "Tuesday," "Heavy Comfort" and "Please Don't Ask Me To Smile."  It's an album that takes you on a journey through one day and tells stories from different points of view along the way.

Favorite Lyric: Now your friends are like eyelashes, too many dropping off these days ("Heavy Comfort")

Favorite Song: "Mr. Milk"

Fave Albums: Portishead - Dummy

Portishead's debut album Dummy came out in 1994 and won the 1995 Mercury Music Prize for best British album.  Portishead is considered part of the trip-hop genre with its use of samples, electronica and the sullen vocals of Beth Gibbons.  Highlights on the album are the hit singles "Sour Times" and "Glory Box," as well as the songs "It's A Fire" and "Roads."  It is the perfect album to chill out to or listen to on a stormy, wintry day with its dark and melancholy feel.

Favorite Lyric: We're all looking at a different picture through this new frame of mind ("Glory Box")

Favorite Song: "Roads"

Fave Albums: Blur - The Great Escape

In the battle of Britpop I am firmly in the Blur camp.  The Great Escape, Blur's fourth album, was released in 1995 and contains the hit singles "Stereotypes," "Country House," "Charmless Man" and the sweeping orchestration of "The Universal."  There seems to be an overall theme running through Damon Albarn's lyrics of people unhappy with their lives and searching for adventure or something better.  There is also a cheeky lyrical humor throughout the album, especially on the songs "Mr. Robinson's Quango" and "Ernold Same."  This is probably the most Britpop sounding album that Blur produced before turning to a more lo-fi indie guitar sound on their future recordings.

Favorite Lyric: He's never cheap or cheerful, he's Hugo and he's boss ("Top Man")

Favorite Song: "Country House"

Fave Albums: Dave Dobbyn - Twist

Singer-songwriter Dave Dobbyn is like New Zealand rock royalty (and has even received an Officer New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) from the Queen).  He has had a long musical career both in bands and as a solo artist.  His third solo album, Twist, was released in 1994 and was produced by another Kiwi legend, Neil Finn.  This album features the hit singles "Language," "Lap Of The Gods" and his duet with Emma Paki on "Naked Flame."  There is a nice balance on the album between the more rock sounding songs such as "What Do You Really Want?" and "Rain On Fire," and the heartfelt lyrics of "It Dawned On Me," "Protection" and "I Can't Change My Name."  In addition, Neil's influence can be heard throughout, especially with the use of the optigan on "Betrayal."

Favorite Lyric: Blood red bloom - pohutukawa, the black dunes hiss with the grasses' breath ("It Dawned On Me")

Favorite Song: "Language"

Rock For Recognition

Did you know that Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander peoples are not recognized in the Australian Constitution?  The Rock For Recognition concerts are hoping to change that by raising awareness and informing people of the issues ahead of any vote on a constitutional referendum to recognize the unique cultures of Australia's First Peoples.

As Tash, Michelle and I entered the Corner Hotel last night we were treated to DJ Ken Eavel from PBS who was spinning tunes before and after each act.  The first artist to grace the main stage was Leah Flanagan, who played a bluesy and soulful set with her band.  She has a great voice and talked about the importance of this event, which was illustrated by the song "Alywarre Girl" about her grandmother who was part of the stolen generation.

The main floor filled quickly as people crammed in to get a spot for Dan Sultan's set.  He started off solo on mandolin and electric guitar for a few songs before being joined by his band on stage.  They played a rocking set of music that had the sold out crowd dancing throughout.  Dan sounded great and his trumpet player really added a lot to the songs in the set, which included "The Door Is Still Open (To My Heart)," "Lonesome Tears," "Nyul Nyul Girl," "Walk Through My Dream," "Fear Of Flying" and "Letter."  We were also treated to the new song "Kimberley Calling," which was about Dan's visit to the burial place of his grandmother in The Kimberley.  In the encore "Old Fitzroy" got a huge reaction from the crowd and had everyone singing along.  Dan is such a charismatic singer and performer and seemed really on tonight, especially with his wonderful band.

Here's the video for "Old Fitzroy"

Fave Albums: The Breeders - Last Splash

The Breeders were originally a side project for Kim Deal from the Pixies, but gained success in their own right, particularly with their second album Last Splash which was released in 1993.  It features the hit single "Cannonball" and is a guitar driven album that fits right in with the grunge/alternative rock of the early 1990s.  There are so many great songs on this album, but my favorites are "No Aloha," "Divine Hammer," "Hag" and "Saints." 

Favorite Lyric: Saw it on the wall, motherhood means mental freeze (freezeheads) ("No Aloha")

Favorite Song: "Divine Hammer"

Fave Albums: Inspiral Carpets - The Beast Inside

My final "Madchester" selection is Inspiral Carpets and their wonderful second album The Beast Inside, which was released in 1991.  Inspiral Carpets were another band whose sound could be defined by the swirling organs courtesy of Clint Boon.  There are a lot of atmospheric tracks on this album such as "Born Yesterday," "Sleep Well Tonight," "Beast Inside" and "Niagara."  In addition, there is also the uplifting songs that make you want to dance around like "Caravan" and "Mermaid."  I do love this album and never get tired of listening to it.

Favorite Lyric: Open your eyes to a brand new world, dreams are all we have ("Dreams Are All We Have")

Favorite Song: "Caravan"

Fave Albums: The Charlatans - Some Friendly

Another band associated with the "Madchester" scene (although not actually from Manchester) was The Charlatans.  Their debut album Some Friendly was released in 1990 and contains the hit singles "The Only One I Know" and "Then."  The heart of the band's sound on this album is the organ playing of Rob Collins, particularly on "White Shirt," "Believe You Me" and "Sproston Green."  Tim Burgess was also the perfect pin-up front man with his bowl cut and pouty lips.  They were one of my favorite bands in high school and I managed to see them live once or twice (and had the bruises to prove it from being up against the barrier in the pit).

Favorite Lyric: Have you seen my polar bear? It's that white thing over there ("Polar Bear")

Favorite Song: "Sproston Green"

Fave Albums: The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses

The next few choices in my fave albums series come out of the "Madchester" scene of the late 1980s/early 1990s.  I was never a raver, but I really liked a lot of the bands associated with this scene while in high school.  One of the key bands of the era was The Stone Roses, whose eponymous debut album came out in 1989.  The Jackson Pollock inspired cover artwork was done by guitarist John Squire.  His guitar playing is a highlight throughout the album, especially on the songs "Made Of Stone" and "I Am The Resurrection."  The music, along with Ian Brown's vocals, give the album a laid back and psychedelic feel, especially on "I Wanna Be Adored," "Waterfall," "Don't Stop" "Shoot You Down" and "Fools Gold."  There's also the more traditional British indie sound on the songs "She Bangs The Drums," "Elephant Stone" "Bye Bye Badman" and "(Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister."

Favorite Lyric: My aim is true, my message is clear, it's curtains for you Elizabeth my dear ("Elizabeth My Dear")

Favorite Song: "She Bangs The Drums"

Melbourne Cup 2012

Photo by Jason South

The first Tuesday in November for Melbourne means it's Melbourne Cup Day (and a public holiday).  The rain managed to hold off for the race that stops the nation, and the winner of this year's Cup was Green Moon, with Fiorente finishing second and Jakkalberry third.  Favorites such as Americain and Dunaden did not do as well as expected.  The Cup trophy was presented by the Duchess of Cornwall, while Prince Charles presented the trophy to the winner of the Diamond Jubilee Plate.  The royals added a bit of class to the day, and are off to Adelaide for the next stop of their Australian visit.

Hungry Kids of Hungary- Sharp Shooter Tour

Last night was Cup Eve so Mary and I celebrated by going to see Hungry Kids of Hungary at the Northcote Social Club.  We got into the band room in time to see the second act of the evening, Brisbane three piece Gung Ho.  They had a sort of punk/surf band sound, and played their own songs as well as a cover of Friends' "I'm His Girl."

It's been about a year and half since we last saw Hungry Kids of Hungary play live.  They started their set with "The Vacationer" and played a mix of old songs and new ones from their upcoming album.  It was great to hear "Coming Around," "Wristwatch," "Scattered Diamonds," and "Eat Your Heart Out" from Escapades, as well as "Old Money" and "One By One" from their EPs. 

The new songs sounded absolutely amazing on first listen, including current single "Sharp Shooter" and the soon to be released "Twin Cities."  I cannot wait for this album to come out next year!  They finished the main set with "Let You Down" and for the encore played "Set It Right" and finished with a cover of the Talking Heads' "Road To Nowhere."  This may end up being my gig of the year- lots of fun, dancing, good energy and those fabulous vocal harmonies.

Here's the video for their current single "Sharp Shooter"

Fave Albums: The Trash Can Sinatras - Cake

Scottish band The Trash Can Sinatras released their debut album Cake in 1990 to much acclaim and success.  The album features a mix of heartfelt songs such as "Thrupenny Tears," "Funny," "The Best Man's Fall" and "You Made Me Feel" as well as uplifting numbers like "Maybe I Should Drive," "Circling The Circumference" and the radio hits "Obscurity Knocks" and "Only Tongue Can Tell."  It is an album full of well written lyrics and music, and twenty-plus years later Cake still holds up and sounds as fresh as the day it came out.

Favorite Lyric: So typical, a battle of wits, and I've come half prepared ("You Made Me Feel")

Favorite Song: "Circling The Circumference"

Fave Albums: The Sundays - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic

The debut album Reading, Writing and Arithmetic by British band The Sundays was released in 1990 and did quite well in the charts based on the success of the single "Here's Where The Story Ends."  Harriet Wheeler's voice is pretty amazing, especially on the songs "Skin & Bones," "Can't Be Sure" and "My Finest Hour."  It is a beautifully atmospheric album with fantastic jangly guitars by David Gavurin and soaring vocals throughout.

Favorite Lyric: England my country, the home of the free, such miserable weather ("Can't Be Sure")

Favorite Song: "My Finest Hour"

Fave Albums: The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths were one of the most important British bands to emerge in the 1980s.  Their third studio album, The Queen Is Dead, was released in 1986 and is regarded by many as their best work.  The songwriting partnership of Morrissey (lyrics) and Johnny Marr (music) has produced so many amazing and memorable songs, many of which feature on this album: "Cemetry Gates," "Bigmouth Strikes Again," "The Boy With A Thorn In His Side," "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" and the title track "The Queen Is Dead."  Morrissey's lyrics have always had a dark sense of humor to them, and Johnny Marr is one of the best guitar players in the business.  These two talents combined should have been unstoppable, but The Smiths only ended up releasing four studio albums before disbanding in 1987.  However, the band's influence lives on and can still be heard in numerous bands today.

Favorite Lyric: A dreaded sunny day, so I meet you at the cemetry gates ("Cemetry Gates")

Favorite Song: "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"

Fave Albums: The Chills - Submarine Bells

Staying in the Southern Hemisphere, my next fave album is Submarine Bells by The Chills, which was released in 1990.  A proponent of Flying Nun's Dunedin sound, this album was their major label debut and got lots of airplay on US College Radio.  The first track, "Heavenly Pop Hit" may be one of the best songs of all time and always makes me happy when I hear it.  There are a variety of song types on the album to keep things interesting, from the urgency of "The Oncoming Day" and "Familiarity Breeds Contempt" to the beauty of "Don't Be - Memory" and "Submarine Bells."  I love the swirling keyboards throughout, and jangly guitar solo on "Part Past Part Fiction" is a definite musical highlight.  Lead singer Martin Phillipps' lyrics are also quite good, and I will never understand how he manages to get all the words out on "Efflorensce and Deliquensce" without getting tongue-tied.

I did get to see The Chills live once when they opened for Split Enz at the Millennium shows (yes, that's right- I went to New Zealand for Y2K and lived to tell about it).  And if you have ever wondered where my Twitter handle (@softbomb) comes from, it is one of their album titles.

Favorite Lyric: Deep and dark my submarine bells grown in greens and grey ("Submarine Bells")

Favorite Song: "Heavenly Pop Hit"

Fave Albums: Crowded House - Temple Of Low Men

My favorite band of all time is Crowded House, so it's only fitting that I start this fave albums series with them.  Their second album, Temple Of Low Men, was released in 1988 and produced by Mitchell Froom.  The cover features Nick Seymour's beautiful artwork, and believe it or not was named after a euphemism for female genitalia (there were also thoughts of calling it Mediocre Follow-Up).

The album starts off with the slightly spooky "I Feel Possessed" before you hear the voice of disgraced televangelist Jimmy Swaggart begging for forgiveness at the start of "Kill Eye."  Neil Finn's lyrical imagery is strongest in songs such as "Into Temptation" and "In The Lowlands," while his angst about gaining fame after their debut album is detailed in "Mansion In The Slums" (The taste of success only lasts you half an hour or less, but it loves you when it comes.)

Temple Of Low Men is a cohesive album and contains hallmarks of Crowded House throughout, whether it be the soaring chorus in "When You Come," the good humor (as well as Paul Hester's excellent brush work) on "Sister Madly," or the song destined to be a crowd sing-along, the closing track "Better Be Home Soon."

The US tour for this album was the first time I saw Crowded House live (and my first concert ever).  My teenage heart swooned when I smiled at Neil from the pit of The Warfield Theatre and he smiled back at me.  It's been love ever since.

Favorite Lyric: Love this life, don't wait till the next one comes ("Love This Life")

Favorite Song: "When You Come"

NaBloPoMo: Fave Albums

Today is October 31st, which not only marks Halloween, but also the eve of another National Blog Posting Month (or NaBloPoMo for short).  Last year I challenged myself to Wear My Wardrobe.  This year I have decided to tackle my music collection and review 30 of my favorite albums- one for each day of November.  The rules are that I can only choose one recording per band/artist, and they must be full length studio albums (so no live albums or compilations).

This will be my fourth year in a row doing NaBloPoMo, and hopefully you will discover an album or two you may not have been aware of to check out along the way.  Wish me luck (I'm sure I will need it)!

Oh Mercy- Deep Heat Tour

Last night the Deep Heat Tour rolled into Melbourne as Oh Mercy played at The Hi-Fi Bar.  I met up with Mary in line and we headed inside the venue when the doors opened and found a spot against the wall for the evening.  The opening act was Split Seconds, a five piece indie band originally from Perth but now based in Melbourne.  I thought they sounded pretty good and enjoyed their set and songs.

Next up was Brisbane four piece Millions, who were very impressive.  I really liked their songs, which had some good grooves to them.  "Those Girls" was a highlight of the set and reminded me a bit of Supergrass.  They also did an excellent cover of The Ronettes' "Be My Baby."  Definitely a band to watch!

Oh Mercy's stage backdrop was all in gold with "Deep Heat" spelled out in helium balloons.  Rohan walked out to his drum kit and started the beat for the title track before the rest of the band joined him on stage.  Alex was sporting a gold lame jacket with Deep Heat embroidered on the back, which fit his current stage persona and the party atmosphere of the show.  The second song of the night was their current single "My Man," and we were lucky enough to hear all of the Deep Heat album played live.  They had a saxophone/flute player to help fill out the sound, as well as very special guest Robert McComb from The Triffids who played violin on "Fever," the reggae-tinged "Still Making Me Pay," and my favorite track off the album "Pilgrim's Blues."

Alex was in good spirits and full of energy throughout the set.  Older songs such as "Broken Ears," "Keith St." and "Lay Everything On Me" got new arrangements to fit in with the vibe of the new album.  They invited all the support bands onto the stage for a raucous version of "Drums" before playing "Stay Please Stay" and finishing off the night with a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "State Trooper."  I felt this show was one of the best ones I have seen them play.  Afterwards we caught up briefly with Alex, who said it was nice to see familiar faces and was still cursing all the pollen in the air during the day and its effect on his voice.

Here's a short video from when the band hit Byron Bay, featuring some of "My Man" live:
  Oh Mercy from Corona Extra on Vimeo.

The Basics- Ingredients Album Launch

Mary, Tash and I met up at the Northcote Social Club tonight for the sold out launch of The Basics' upcoming best-of album Ingredients.  As was the case the last time we saw them play in July, it was only two band members- this time Kris, who is home briefly from working with the Red Cross in Kenya, and Tim.  Unfortunately, Wally was away overseas since he is about to start the European leg of the Gotye tour.  While the three of us were catching up and having dinner Kris stopped by our table for a quick chat, which was nice of him.

We entered the band room just as Mustered Courage took the stage.  They were a four piece bluegrass band with members playing guitar, bass, banjo and mandolin.  I found it a bit random to be listening to traditional bluegrass in Melbourne, but they sounded good.  The standout songs for me were "Bullet" and their cover of Seal's "Kiss From A Rose."

As the curtains opened Kris and Tim came onto the stage to big cheers from the crowd.  It was nice to have Kris back but he was self-admittedly very nervous at the start.  For the evening Kris was on acoustic guitar and Tim played electric guitar.  The set featured many songs off of their last full length album Keep Your Friends Close, including "Fear of Failure," "The Day Mairead Goes Away," "Keep The Door Open" and "What Do You See In Me?"

As expected there was lots of funny banter throughout the nearly hour and a half set.  Besides some old favorites like "Second Best" and "Hey C'mon!," we were also treated to a few songs off their other soon to be released rarities album Leftovers.  Kris played a beautiful version of "All or Nothing" solo, and Tim even put on an accordion for a few songs, which resulted in amusing versions of "With This Ship" and "Hey There!," as well as the always lovely "Hey Rain."

The best part of the night though was when they pulled down a screen from the ceiling and tried to Skype in Wally midway through the show.  While we could see and hear him, Wally couldn't hear us. This resulted in Kris typing messages to him on chat and then giving up on the video call altogether.  Fortunately Wally prerecorded "Just Hold On" and Kris and Tim played along to the track, managing to stay in time for most of it as the audience was treated to some funny chat messages from Wally. 

For the encore they played a rocking version of "Call It Rhythm and Blues" and then finished with Tim singing "Have Love, Will Travel."  For a year where we thought we wouldn't be seeing them live at all, we have been lucky to catch two "Silver Basics" shows.  Hopefully next year we'll get to experience all three of them physically playing in the same room together.  In the meantime, we have two new albums to look forward to in November.

Napoleon and Henry Wagons

This weekend is the last one for the Napoleon: Revolution to Empire exhibition at the NGV.  To celebrate they opened up the gallery for 24 hours straight yesterday, and scheduled some free live music throughout the night and other special activities.  Mary and I headed in to check out the exhibition in the evening.  The show was quite interesting and covers French culture, art and life from the 1770s through to the 1820s.  I hadn't realized the connection both Louis XVI and Napoleon and his first wife Josephine had to Australia.  The French explored Australia around the same time the British did, and Josephine had a wide collection of native flora and fauna at her Malmaison estate.  Can you imagine kangaroos and black swans in France in the early 1800s?

The focus of the exhibition though was the rise of Napoleon through the ranks of the military to becoming Emperor of France for ten years, and then ultimately his exile to the island of Saint Helena until his death in 1821.  I liked seeing the various portraits of Napoleon throughout the years.  We were also fortunate enough to hear three different short pop up talks by experts on different pieces of art in the exhibition, which provided some great insights into the era and Napoleon's life.

Fortunately Mary and I timed our visit to the exhibition perfectly and finished up just in time to catch Henry Wagons play his hour long set.  We met up with Tash, her sister Jessie and boyfriend Heath and grabbed a table near the stage.  Henry was in fine form and made some very funny Napoleon references both in between and during songs throughout his set.  He started out playing solo and then gradually invited some members of Wagons and The Nymphs to join him on stage.  We were treated to a mix of Wagons songs and ones from his new duets album Expecting Company?.  This show was a bit of a dry run for Henry's upcoming tour and even though we were his guinea pigs I thought he did a great job and sounded lovely.  After the show Mary and I left Tash, Jessie and Heath to complete their wait until they could enter the exhibition at midnight.  Their tickets may have been cheaper than ours, but with daylight savings starting this morning they probably didn't get out of the NGV until around 3:00 am!

Concert For The Kimberley

This evening Tash and I met up at Fed Square for the free Concert for the Kimberley.  This event was held to help raise awareness about the battle to save the Kimberley region in Western Australia from a liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing plant being built on the coast at James Price Point/Walmadan north of Broome.  It is a fight to save the unique and pristine environment in the Kimberley as well as Aboriginal access to their traditional land.

Former leader of the Australian Greens Bob Brown opened the event with a speech, and night alternated between musical acts, speakers and video presentations explaining what is going on in the Kimberley and how people are fighting against the fossil fuel industry and the development of this gas hub that would be the size of 25 Melbourne CBDs.

Clare Bowditch played two mini sets featuring older songs and ones off her new album The Winter I Chose Happiness, including "You Make Me Happy" which she did on the tv show Offspring.  Next up was Albert Wiggan, a local resident who featured in one of the videos speaking about the importance of the land and country to himself and his family.  He sang two very powerful songs that he wrote, including one titled "Dear Prime Minister."

The final act of the evening and the main reason for the packed out Fed Square was John Butler Trio.  It's hard to believe but this was the first time I have seen them live, and they put on a fantastic hour and a half set.  John was constantly changing guitars throughout the night and it was amazing to watch him play.  We got to hear favorites like "Zebra," "Revolution," "Don't Wanna See Your Face," "Better Than" and "Funky Tonight," as well as a song written about why we were there tonight, "Kimberley."  All in all it was a great evening, and certainly educated me about something I wasn't even aware was happening in Australia.

Here are some highlights from the event:

Castaway with Dan Sultan

If you were banished to a desert island, what are the top five movies that you would bring with you?  This is the question that is posed to celebrity "castaways" in ACMI's Desert Island Flicks series.  Tonight Tash and I met up (the first time I've seen her since she returned from Toronto) to hear what musician Dan Sultan's picks would be.  His choices, in no particular order, were:
- La Bamba
- Scarface
- The Big Lebowski
- Misery
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 

The format for the evening was that the moderator and Dan would discuss each movie briefly, then show a short clip chosen by Dan, with further discussion about the movie afterwards.  Dan was very honest about what elements of each film appealed to him and how they related to his life.  I think it's good for musicians to get the opportunity to talk about something other than their music and be able to show other facets of their personality.

The event also got me thinking about what my top five desert island flicks would be.  I have chosen films from different genres that I really love and would be able to watch over and over again:
- Into the Wild
- Zoolander
- Sixteen Candles
- Four Weddings and a Funeral
- A Bug's Life

Seven Year Itch?

Today is the seven year anniversary of my arrival in Australia.  It's hard to believe I have been here for this long.  Over the years I haven't really felt homesick, but during the past few months I have been having thoughts that maybe it's time to move back to the States.  This could just have been a result of boredom, the big restructure at work and the very tempting opportunity of taking a voluntary departure package (although even if I had wanted one I likely wouldn't have received it because they are so oversubscribed).

I do really like my life in Melbourne, but the pull of family will always be a deciding factor at the end of the day.  This morning was the birth of my niece Kylie, which is another big milestone I have missed.  However, I will get to meet her in December when I am visiting, so that is something to look forward to.

Rufus Wainwright- Out Of The Game Tour

Last night I headed off to the Arts Centre for Rufus Wainwright's sold out show at Hamer Hall.  This was my first time seeing the newly renovated Hamer Hall and the building is much more open now and looks great.  I managed to get a seat in the stalls close to the front so I had a good view of the stage.  The opening act was US singer-songwriter Krystle Warren, who is also a member of Rufus' band.  She played a half hour set of bluesy songs on acoustic guitar and had an expressive and soulful voice.

Rufus and his band emerged onto the darkened stage and started with an a cappella version of "Candles" before launching into "Rashida."  Rufus was wearing a sparkling white suit from his recent wedding that he said made him look like a snowflake.  The set featured many songs from his fantastic new album Out Of The Game, including my favorites "Perfect Man," "Montauk," and "Out Of The Game."

Rufus was very funny with his between song banter.  We were treated to some old favorites such as "April Fools," "Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk," "Going To A Town," "The Art Teacher" and "14th Street."  There was also a portion of the set which featured songs from Rufus' parents.  Teddy Thompson and Krystle Warren each sang a Kate McGarrigle song (Teddy's version of "Saratoga Summer Song" was amazing), and then Rufus and Teddy did Loudon Wainwright's "One Man Guy" (which was also on Rufus' album Poses).

The encore for the show was probably one of the biggest spectacles ever.  The band came out in costumes along with a man dressed as cupid, and they had everyone get up on their feet and dance in order to summon Rufus Apollo to the stage for a dance party.  Rufus eventually appeared in the crowd wearing a toga, blond wig, eye mask and glitter all over his body singing "Bitter Tears."  He wandered around the section I was sitting in and gathered a group of people from the crowd and led them in a conga line up onto the stage.  Towards the end of the song Teddy emerged with a giant lightening bolt and struck Rufus down.  He then proclaimed that he was in fact the "Gay Messiah" and they finished the night with that song.  It was another fabulous Rufus show and a fun time as always when he plays with his band.

Here's the video for "Out Of The Game" featuring Helena Bonham Carter

Trivia at The B.East

A group of us from work decided to gather for an evening of trivia tonight at The B.East, a newish burger place on Lygon Street in East Brunswick that has taken over the space that used to house Turkish restaurant Baba.  Onagh and I threw caution (and diet) to the wind and ordered ourselves burgers and chili cheese fries to share.  Both were decent but the make or break dish for me was the ice cream sundae, which was an absolute disappointment.  News flash to the owners: if you are going to charge $9 for a sundae you better be using gourmet ice cream and lots of hot fudge sauce.  Instead we got budget vanilla ice cream, one spoonful of fudge sauce, some Freddo frogs, whipped cream, and a sparkler that must have been an attempt distract us from the disaster we were about to eat.

Thankfully the Rock and Pop Culture trivia was more entertaining.  The evening was hosted by Triple R’s Jess McGuire and Shock Record’s George H. and we had three rounds of film, tv and music trivia.  It may just be that I'm getting old, but many of the questions seemed kind of easy to me.  By the end of the night our table managed to tie for third place, which was pretty good considering the number of teams playing.  To make up for the sundae we stopped and got some gelati from Gelobar a few doors down before heading home.

Oh Mercy- M+N Lunchbox

What better way to spend your Friday lunch hour than with Oh Mercy?  In order to celebrate the release of their third album Deep Heat today the band played a gig at The Workers Club as part of the Mess+Noise Lunchbox series.  Luckily for me the venue is close to work, so I brought my work colleague Hannah along and we met Mary there.

Oh Mercy started their set with "Deep Heat" and played most, if not all of the album.  It was a guitar-free Alexander Gow, but he did work the microphone and a little egg shaker throughout.  They were also without Simon Okely, who is away traveling for the rest of the year, so we were treated to Cliff on guitar.  I always enjoy the chance to hear an album live before getting to listen to it on CD.  It was interesting how the songs "My Man" and "Europa" have evolved since being played on the last tour.  Of the songs on Deep Heat that I hadn't heard before the standout track was the reggae-inspired "Still Making Me Pay," which reminded me a bit of "Holding On" in its vocal phrasing.  They finished the set with their current single "Drums" before Alex had to head out to the airport for a record store gig in Sydney this evening.  Deep Heat is a huge step forward and a sonically different album from the previous two, but at its heart it still sounds like Oh Mercy.

Here's the video for "Drums"


And a bonus video of "Still Making Me Pay" and "Drums" live from the show!

Melbourne Street Art: Baby Guerrilla

One of my favorite street artists at the moment is Baby Guerrilla.  I love walking around Melbourne and discovering one of her pieces on a wall.  These are a few that have gone up recently around Brunswick.

Albert Street

Dawson Street

Brunswick Road

The Ocean Party- Tote Residency

Every Saturday in July has seen The Ocean Party playing at The Tote Hotel Front Bar in support of their recently released EP In A Knot.  Since this was the last Saturday of their residency Mary and I made sure we finally got down there to see them play (despite the rain today).  We arrived as the second band on the bill, MSG, was about to start.  They were a low-fi indie trio with a female lead singer/guitarist and some short, punchy songs.

The Ocean Party began the evening with their two recent singles "On The Floor" and "In A Knot."  Their set list mainly featured songs off their upcoming album Social Clubs, which showcased Lachlan, Curtis and Liam on lead vocals at various points.  It was nice to have a sneak preview of these new tracks, including "Bored of it All," "Sit on the Hill" and "Waiting."  We were also treated to old favorites "The Dogs" and possibly the most honest song ever written about male puberty "Shakin' Like a Leaf."  After the show I had a lovely chat with Lachlan and finally got a copy of The Sun Rolled Off The Hills CD.

Here's the video for "In A Knot" (feel sorry for Lachlan- it was cold when this was shot)

THE OCEAN PARTY - IN A KNOT from Lucky Dolphin on Vimeo.

The Empress Hotel 25th Musical Anniversary

The Empress Hotel has spent the past four days celebrating 25 years of live music at the venue.  I have seen quite a few shows here, and even got up on stage to sing Crowded House karaoke with The Basics in 2008.  Mary and I had burgers in the dining room and then headed into the band room for the start of the final night of celebrations.

The first act for the evening was Melbourne duo D.D Dumbo, which consisted of a guitarist and drummer/percussionist.  The lead singer did guitar, drum and/or vocal samples at the start of each song and used those loops to build the songs around.  I thought they sounded great and even played an interesting cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying."  For a band that is just starting out they were very impressive.

The main reason for coming to this gig was the chance to see The Basics live again, although it was just Tim and Wally since Kris is in Kenya working with The Red Cross.  Others must have had the same idea because the boys drew the biggest crowd of any act on the bill tonight.  They started their set with "Second Best" and then humorously launched into "Three Cool Cats" of all songs with the audience clapping along to the rhythm.  "Rattle My Chain" reminded Wally that playing the drums takes a lot of energy (he doesn't play as much for Gotye shows), and Sandra from The Empress came up on stage to dance to their cover of The Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night."  "Call it Rhythm and Blues" had everyone dancing, and after a quick version of "Happy Birthday" for Tim's mum the whole crowd sang along to "Just Hold On."  The last song of the set was "Money (Gimme, Gimme)" and while there were calls for an encore that was it from the boys for the night.  While we did miss Kris, the "Silver Basics" were still fantastic and Wally and Tim had a good time on stage.

The Basics boys were originally billed as DJs for the night, which they also did between sets.  Mary and I were standing between the turn tables and the stage for the evening so we were able to chat with them and Mary talked me into finally getting a photo with Wally (he was being very generous with the numerous fans who were coming up to him after The Basics set).  I think my favorite memory of the night was when Tim and Wally had their arms around each other and were reaching out to me as they sang "We are your friends."

There was a mystery band added to the bill last minute under the moniker "Presidents and Shitkickers" who I correctly guessed was Melbourne's very own Big Scary. Tom and Jo played some old songs from their EPs and recent album Vacation as well as a few new ones.  Highlights included "Falling Away," "Purple," "Gladiator," "Mix Tape" and the last song of their set and one of my favorites, "Autumn."

The final act of the evening was The Bedroom Philosopher (aka Justin Heazlewood) and his Awkwardstra.  Justin is another comedian who I have been meaning to catch at the comedy festival but haven't, so I was excited to finally see him live.  He started his set by regurgitating a couple of small instruments and then launched into "The Bedroom Philosopher."  His songs had us laughing throughout and my favorites were "Cars 2," "Inanimate Electronic Helper," and a reworked version of his hit song "Northcote (So Hungover)" with YouTube comments on the video replacing the verses.  In the spirit of the night he wrote and performed a "Song for The Empress" and finished with "Corporate Punk" just in time for curfew.

This was a wonderful gig overall and a great celebration of a venue that continues to support and discover new talent.  I hope The Empress Hotel has many more years of live music to come as they are an important part of the Melbourne music scene.

Flight of the Conchords- 2012 Australian Tour

Poster by Jason Munn

Mary and I were fortunate enough to attend the Flight of the Conchord's sold out show at The Plenary in the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre tonight.  Although our tickets were off to the side and a bit further back than I would have liked, thankfully the venue had screens on either side of the stage so we were able to see what was happening throughout the evening. 

The opening act was stand-up comedian and fellow Marinite Arj Barker, who also played Bret and Jemaine's friend Dave in the FOTC tv series.  Arj is a frequent visitor to Melbourne, and it was good to finally get to see him live as I unfortunately haven't made it to any of his comedy festival shows.  I enjoyed his set, including his funny observations about building design in Melbourne.

Bret and Jemaine snuck out onto the stage in the darkness after Arj finished and launched into "Too Many Dicks (On the Dance Floor)" complete with decorated cardboard boxes on their heads.  They then swung the boxes around to the silver painted side to play one of my favorite songs of theirs "Robots."  The band for this tour consisted of Bret, Jemaine and Nigel Collins on cello and drums (the only "member of the NZSO" they brought over to Australia with them).  The show ran for two hours and was full of songs from the tv show as well as some new ones.  Highlights included "Inner City Pressure," "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros," "Bowie," "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)," "Hurt Feelings" and "Business Time."  In between songs they told stories about their "wild" rock life on the road, which all tied together nicely in the lyrics of one of the encore songs "Back on the Road."  We were also treated to some skin tight glam era outfits for "Demon Woman," which had the boys displaying a lot of chest hair as well as some wire filled scarves and capes to make it look like they were in front of a wind machine.  Overall it was very entertaining and funny night and hopefully one of these days there will be a season three of the Flight of the Conchords tv show.