Saturday, August 16, 2008

Stranded CD Launch at The Zoo

If you don't know what this was about then you aren't taking any notice of the list of other blogs on the right there. You should be visiting Before Hollywood regularly and you would know about their fantastic 3 CD compilation "Stranded" that features 42 tracks by some [not all at all] of Brisbane's finest rock bands. And if you consider it doesn't contains anything other than indie, indie-folk, and garage flavoured bands [with a couple of others thrown in for good measure] but no metal, no hip hop,no jazz, no blues, no reggae; then you get an idea of how broad the music scene is in this small [2 mil people] out of the way city on the edge of the empire. And there's a whole nuther 3 CD compilation waiting to be made by Brisbane metal alone if someone in that scene was interested.

Rumour has it that Gav and Cam's method of finding content was to list their 100 favourite brisbands and email them asking if they would like to be on the compilation. The first batch of emails went out to 40 bands and they got 42 "Yes Please" emails in reply. So they stopped there before it had to be a magazines series with a free cd in each issue. Even if this is not true, it should be.

What is pleasantly surprising is that you could actually have a list of favorite local rock bands that went past the end of one hand. I don't want to sound old but seriously when I was growing up and the Punk scene in Brisbane had bands like The Saints, The Leftovers, The Survivors, The Go-Betweens, Razar, V2 & The Hilton Bombers playing round the traps you could count on 4 limbs the number of actual non-covers bands playing let alone your favorites.

So if you haven't yet, then click now and have a good look before you buy anyway. Buy now, Limited Edition, All proceeds to a good cause etc. But the bottom line is that it's just a great collection of fine songs and if you can't find at least 1 CD's worth of stuff you love then I feel sorry for your children who must be growing up in a house full of crap music.

/end of rant section.

And for those who missed the Launch party, here is most of it. I missed most of the Monster Monster set [sorry Dan] and the start of the Rational Academy set but what I did hear was top stuff.

Ambitious Lovers
The problem with big rooms and small bands is levels. From a whisper to a scream sounds fine if the crowd noise is not at greater than whisper levels to start with. Don't get me started again on people having conversations. Anyway, I've compressed this set so it can be heard more easily. I think it sounds OK but if anyone has a problem let me know.

Ambitious Lovers - Live @ The Zoo - 15 Aug 2008.mp3 (50.45 MB)

Nova Scotia
A set now being referred to by people who heard it as 'one of the best ever' by one of Brisbane's favourite bands. The first song is a little uneven but after that it is pretty much what everyone says.

Nova Scotia - Live @ The Zoo - 15 Aug 2008.mp3 (46.61 MB)

Tragic/Athletic
I hadn't heard these guys before [though I recognized everyone in the band] and overall I was impressed. Some equipment problems on stage with periods of no music, sorry, but persist and you will be rewarded. At the end there is a one song appearance by Yeow Meow which is easily accomplished because the two bands share many members.

Tragic_Athletic - Live @ The Zoo - 15 Aug 2008.mp3 (42.06 MB)

The Rational Academy
Speaking of which, Yeow Meow and The Rational Academy also share many [2 of 3] members so the changeover between bands was about 45 sec. I did not know this was to happen and I had to return to my car to get a new tape so I missed most of the first song. But I'm happy with the rest. Don't know if it's just my memory but the band seems to be shortening their songs and adding more vocal tracks than when I first heard them a couple of years ago. I like the way they are sounding these days in any case.

The Rational Academy - Live @ The Zoo - 15 Aug 2008.mp3 (61.08 MB)

Thank you once again to Gav and Cam for Before Hollywood and their hard work on this project.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Cosmic Psychos at The Step Inn

Cosmic Psychos
What can you say about these guys. They just keep doin' it and we love it every time.

Cosmic Psychos - Live @ The Step Inn - 12 Aug 2008.mp3 (74.02 MB)

6fthick
And one day we will say the same thing about these guys

6fthick - Live @ The Step Inn - 12 Aug 2008.mp3 (52.26 MB)

Monday, August 11, 2008

Lyrics Born at The Step Inn

Packed house. Hot. Very sweaty. Bounced till my teeth came loose. More importantly, till my battery lead came loose [which is why I only got 1hr of the 1h30m set sorry]

I had a great time. His band was tight. His lyrics hardly mentioned how good his flow was or how hard it was for him trying to establish his reputation in a city so down on hip hop culture like the preceding local crew seemed to do endlessly. I suppose it helped coming from the Bay Area but it is a bit tiresome hearing that complaint from every local hip hop band. But he just celebrated life.

Lyrics Born - Live @ The Step Inn - 10 Aug 2008 [85.56MB]

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Another Quiet/Loud Night

GOMA Up Late

Mardi Lumsden & The Rising Seas
Mardi Lumsden & The Rising Sea - Live @ GOMA Picasso Up Late - 08 Aug 2008.mp3 (38.63 MB)

Houlette
Just the singer and a guitarist accompanying rather than the full band.
Houlette- Live @ GOMA Picasso Up Late - 08 Aug 2008.mp3 (47.19 MB)

The Hanger

No Anchor
Introduced by a drone from Laurence English the duo launch their CD officially. The Globe is a better recording but every set they do is interesting.
No Anchor - Live @ The Hanger - 08 Aug 2008.mp3 (61.45 MB)

Friday, August 8, 2008

Splendour Part 2

The Polyphonic Spree
Huge. Magnificent. The entire tent moshing to 'Lithium'. This had it all.
The Polyphonic Spree - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 02 Aug 2008.mp3 (126.26 MB)

British India
Great little Aussie band with a crowd pleasing live set.
British India - Live @ Splendour - 03 Aug 2008.mp3 (57.76 MB)

Laura Marling
Photobucket
Short set but she and Simon were great. If you listen carefully you can almost hear her singing under the girls choir who accompanied her from the audience in the first song.
Laura Mar
ling - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 03 Aug 2008.mp3 (46.42 MB)


Robert Foster
robert foster
Robert delivers a set chock full of the best bits of a long career. I am so pissed I left it too late to get tickets to his upcoming show of his latest release at the Powerhouse. Criminally small crowd. Criminally loud conversations from some of that audience who should know better.
Robert Foster - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 03 Aug 2008.mp3 (79.34 MB)

Yves Klein Blue
I have been ambivalent about these guys in the past but the larger space and addition of brass from the John Steele Singers on the day filled out the sound and I quite enjoyed them.
Yves Klein Blue - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 03 Aug 2008.mp3 (55.27 MB)

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Splendour Part 1

Mostly Saturday Bands.

Lightspeed Champion
lightspeed champion
Lot of fun. All the good bits of British Pop Rock without sounding like everyone else.

Lightspeed Champion - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 02 Aug 2008 [66.3 MB]

Brown Birds Of Windy Hill
Pleasant way to start the festival but too Eagles-ish for me.

The Brown Birds of Windy Hill - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 02 Aug 2008 [62.17 MB]

Bluejuice
Having [over]heard nothing except their hit Vitriol I was happily surprised with the performance.

Bluejuice - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 02 Aug 2008 [75.44 MB]

Band Of Horses
a band of horse
I like this stuff and Band Of Horses are certainly good at what they do. The Drones are their favourite band so that's got to count as well. Mike Noga and Dan Luscombe join them on stage to hit things and drink beer.

Band Of Horses - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 02 Aug 2008 [85 MB]

The Drones
droneblog
My set of the weekend. As far as I can tell The Drones are the best rock band in the world at the moment. Really looking forward to the next album. And to think my plan was to see some of this set then take off to the main stage to see The Fratellis [who were fine apparently].

The Drones - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 02 Aug 2008 [84.89 MB]

Sigur Ros
sigur ros blog
Simply amazing. Should be horribly pretentious but it works so well. If what they did was rock it would be a close tie with the Drones :)

Sigur Ros - Live @ Splendour In The Grass - 03 Aug 2008 [94.49 MB]

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Grates and Tokyo Police Club @ Great Northern

Later this week a Splendour round up but until then here are the very wonderful The Grates doing pretty much their Splendour set at the Great Northern on Friday night.

The Grates - Live @ The Great Northern - 01 Aug 2008 [67.01MB]

If Pae had been dressed up like this it would have been even more fun.

Photobucket

but you had to wait till Sunday for that.

Also playing were Tokyo Police Club. A variable set that some in the crowd found pale even by comparison to Yves Klein Blue who opened. I thought they got better as the set built. Certainly better than Dr Dog. I heard Delta Spirit were interesting on the Sunday so maybe Dew Process are getting better at picking non-Australian bands. I hope so.

Tokyo Police Club - Live @ The Great Northern - 01 Aug 2008 [68.4 MB]