Week Ten

Wow, it's already the second last week before this grid is over. Gosh it's gone fast. Hopefully I'll be on next grid, fingers crossed for me guys. Regardless of the potential ending looming near, I had quite a bit of fun this week. Wolfmother are pretty amazing live, they played a third show at the corner on ANZAC day, thats crazy! Three shows for the guys, I swear they will reach Jet status, although I hope the music won't succumb to crapness like the aforementioned group. I think not. Not with a rockin' show like that! So energetic, the singer sporting such a cool afro and thick sidies, dressed in 70s gear and pulling off some great rock moves. Some great new songs mixed in too. My Wolfmother-crazed friend Adrian rang the studio and did a brief review of the gig with me, which went well I think! Thanks a lot for that Adrian. Also, check out some Midnight Juggernauts, the supports band, 2 guys, synths included hehe. Part of the whole electro/dance/rock move me thinks.

Wolfmother: Black Sabbath part 2

Had a look at post-rock music, which, according to the humble opinion of Amanda, is pretentious music to the max. Although I do admit, it can be very beautiful, but you have to have the patience to find that beauty. It's traditionally very long and drawn out, meandering, shoe-gazing stuff. We're talking songs that can go past the 10 minute mark. Consequently they can be very intense, but radio confines me to playing songs under 5 minutes (not by rule, but because I don't want to bore myself or my humble listener). Some bands that come to mind are Mogwai, God Speed You! Black Emperor, Sigur Ros (hailing from iceland and singing a weird mixture of icelandic and english gibberish), A Silver mt Zion, Set Fire to Flame ETC. Anyway, before this becomes long and drawn out, post-rock music is definately worth checking out, using rock elements but in a postmodern sort of way?

My new band of the week is Longwave. These guys are amazing, hope you enjoyed the song I played. They're from New York, so yah, of course they're cool. Pretty sure they're in the process of a new album (dubbed a concept album about a sea monster?) with producer John Leckie who has worked with Radiohead, Stone Roses, Pink Floyd, George Harrison and John Lennon. Hmmm...

Thank you so much for the SMSs, lovely, lovely people. If you want me to play a song for you, post a comment, ask me, I shall deliver!! (hopefully...)

Playlist for Monday 25th April

The Dears - Who are you, Defenders of the Universe
Bit by Bats - All Night
Bloc Party - Luno
Grandaddy - The Crystal Lake
Death Cab For Cutie - The Sound of Settling
Something For Kate - Prick
Augustus - Distant Shores
The Killers - Midnight Show
Wolfmother - Woman
Longwave - River (Depot Song)
Joseph Arthur - Honey and the Moon
Mogwai - Dial: Revenge
Laura - We Should Keep this Secret
Sigur Ros - Leit af Lifi
Motor Vehicle Sundown - Shouting Out
Love of Diagrams - New Fury
Keane - Untitled 1
The Flaming Lips - After the Gold Rush (original by Neil Young)

Week Nine

Not too much going down this week, although I got rather excited the night before the show as I received information that I had won a Doves prize pack from Faster Louder, including the new album, a t-shirt and badges. How cool is that?! It makes me even more joyous knowing that they are coming to Australia. Yup, the date for Melbourne is confirmed for June the 14th at the lovely Forum. Tickets on sale Friday 29th April so pencil it in.

Some awesome gigs this weekend I must say. Wolfmother have sold out both their shows at the Corner, which holds about 800 people! Well done guys, this is an amazing effort. They're playing this Thursday and Friday night, but if you haven't got a ticket I guess you can drool at the windows or something. Also, 80s sounding-electro-dance act Cut Copy are playing at the hifi Bar on Saturday night. And it's ANZAC day on Monday so Sunday night will be buzzing: come on down to Weekender at the Ding Dong Lounge!

Dig! is the new 'rockumentary' in cinema's at the moment. It is essentially about the love/hate relationship between The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre and the band's different musical visions. The Dandy's building a financially successful musical career (selling out perhaps?!) while the Brian Jonestown Massacre opting to keep their artistic credibility in tact. The film, I have heard, is really cool. It was shot in seven years and edited from 1500 hours worth of film! incredible stuff. I can't wait to head on down to have a good look at the incredibly cool, sexy Courtney Taylor-Taylor, the narrator of the film and frontman of The Dandy's.

DIG!: Dandy's VS Brian Jonestown Massacre

Thank you all for the lovely SMS's, I really appreciate the feedback guys! I'll be playing songs for Vanessa and Davo who msged in. If you want something played next week just post a comment asking me and I'll do my best to track it down and play it for you!

Playlist for Monday 18th April:

The Futureheads - Decent Days and Nights
Franz Ferdinand - Come on Home
Guided by Voices - I am a Scientist
Doves - Catch the Sun
Belle & Sebastian - I'm a Cuckoo
Velvet Underground - Stephanie Says
Cut Copy - Future
Wolfmother - Apple Tree
Gomez - Get Myself Arrested
The Libertines - Up the Bracket
Scared of Horses - December (ill at ease)
Wilco - Can't Stand It
Brian Jonestown Massacre - Maybe Tomorrow
The Dandy Warhols - Shakin'
Pilate - Melt into the Walls
Kent - Music Non Stop
The Von Bondies - C'mon C'mon
The Tea Party - Paint it Black (original by The Rolling Stones)

Week Eight

I know it's so very commercial radio, but I had a competition this week! Something to get excited about, congrats to Michael who won! The prize was a very cool, funny, original t shirt from Rong made exclusively by Damien Ryan, a good friend of mine. Check out the website for free classifieds and more cool shirts! Michael told us a funny t shirt story to win his prize - a bunch of his mates always wear hi-brow band t shirts (like you do if you're indie) and one day someone decided to wear an Avril Lavigne one and was frowned upon accordingly. His defence: he hates the music but would like to go to bed with her! So from that point on Britney and Avril made regular appearances on the t shirts of a not so hi-brow group of indie heads! Thanks for calling Michael, hope you enjoy your new merchandise. Thank you also Damien, hope you enjoyed sitting in the pretentious indie chair for the night.

In music news...

Ryan Adams is releasing three new albums this year, the first of which will be a double album! How incredibly amazing. The double album is said to be released on May 3rd and is called 'Cold Roses'. The guy broke his hand semi-recently but he just keeps soldiering on. He has a new backing band, the Cardinals, and lets hope they come out here soon! Ryan also broke up with his girlfriend, actress Parker Posey, of two years. To that I say: Ryan, I am yours!

Rock Star!

Splendour in the Grass first lineup has been announced!! And it's a pearler! Included are Bloc Party, Interpol, Queens of the Stone Age, Moby, Sarah Blasko and Shihad. There will be many more announced but I am already sold. See you at Byron Bay on July 23 and 24.

Wolf and Cub are supporting Wolfmother on their tour! The bands sound nothing alike; Wolfmother is pure 70s rock ala Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin while Wolf and Cub sound like The Rapture. I guess they share similar names...

Come on down to the last Flipside ever this Thursday April 14th Upstairs @ A Bar Called Barry in Smith st Collingwood, for $2 pots, free entry and awesome indie tunes!

Playlist for Monday 11th April:

Air - Playground Love
The Cure - Close to Me
Interpol - Slow Hands
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane over the Sea
Maximo Park - Apply some Pressure
Ryan Adams - English Girls Approximately
Bright Eyes - Lua
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Supernaturally
Wolf and Cub - Thousand Cuts
Blueline Medic - Plight 217
The Beatles - Two of Us
Pulp - This is Hardcore
Elliott Smith - Strung Out Again
Spearmint - Left Alone Among the Living
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Rich
Elbow - Not a Job
Placebo - Where is my Mind? (live) (original by The Pixies)

Week Seven

It was more or less a chilled week this week, just spinning some quality tunes. Unfortunately the album review segment has to take a backseat for a while - blame uni and just being too busy. Tried to make the show as interesting as possible, featuring a live, new Coldplay track called 'Speed of Sound' which will incidently be the new single! The new album X&Y will be released some time in july. Check out www.coldplay.com for more details. Thanks to Elle for passing on that track!!

I had a look at the idea of the mixed tape (or CD for the digitals, I like the analgoue, hehe) as being the ultimate gesture of indie romance. How much fun is it to make a mix tape? I could spend all day getting it right. At the risk of sounding corny, a song can mean so much to you that it becomes more than a song, so much so that it becomes ingrained in you. So you put a song on a mix tape and it's almost as if your baring part of your soul to the lucky person receiving it. It's a very personal gesture. You want to melt my heart, just give me a mix tape! What got me on to this is that Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol fame recently put together a compilation of his favourite songs on a CD called 'The Trip', mostly obscure songs at that. It can also be a chance to show off how indie you really are (although I discourage all notions of pretentiousness). So i featured a few bands off 'The Trip' including Four Tet and Secret Machines.

The mix tape: The epitome of indie rock romance

And for the most exciting part: REM played on Sunday night at Rod Laver Arena and apparently blew the minds of excited audience members who managed to grab setlists ;) Fantastic. And Bright Eyes, who supported, also played a gig at Melbourne's Prince of Wales last night, and OMG, left me and everyone else speechless. The boy looked like he was going to burst into tears at some points, his fragile voice so so amazing! Mostly a mellow set, he didn't stray too far from the new album 'I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning' but 'Lua' and 'Landlocked Blues' nearly made me cry! He also got suitably drunk by the end, although the slurred words, half closed eyes and unco-ordinated movements could have been all part of that brilliant act. Magical night!

Post a messge, you read this you must post a message! Thanks for the lovely SMS's always puts a smile on my face. If you went to REM or Bright Eyes tell me what you thought!

Playlist for Monday 4th April:

Ryan Adams - This is it
Interpol - Obstacle 1
REM - Half a World Away
Bright Eyes - Something Vague
Bright Eyes - Lover I don't have to Love
The Shins - Pink Bullets
Keiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot
Collapsis - Be Silent my Everything
Something For Kate - Twenty Years
P.J. Harvey - To Bring you my Love
Secret Machines - Nowhere Again
Four Tet - Everything is Alright
Snow Patrol - Chocolate
Coldplay - Speed of Sound (live, new single!)
Infusion - The Careless Kind
The Chemical Brothers - The Boxer
Doves - Snowden
Bloc Party - Positive Tension
Rufus Wainwright - Across the Universe (original by The Beatles)