playing it sneaky

PLAYING IT
SNEAKY
WORD
This month sees the release of a premier
Australian album from the much-loved
Sneaky Sound System. The long time
party favourite have returned with their
most considered release to date, taking
their music from the club to the studio,
along with a sleek new look for album
number three.
More local goodness with the ever-lovely
Boy & Bear who braved the elements in
this month’s Groupie shoot, and our first
ever night shoot. Finding a secluded, yet
freezing wharf under the iconic Harbour
Bridge, the band effortlessly posed,
taking breaks when the commuter ferry
came in to dock. Needless to say, we
were all glad to retreat to the warmth of
the pub for the interview. Night shoots in
winter = not such a good idea.
One of the pioneers of the Australian
hip hop scene, Phrase changes tack for
his new album Babylon, with impressive
results, all of which he wrote instead
of going on a honeymoon. Speaking of
honeymoons, Northern Beaches nymph
Mylee Grace introduced us to the
concept of a ‘babymoon’ (less ‘honey’
more ‘waiting for baby’) as we fell in love
with her beautifully loose folk music this
month.
We party with GoodGod’s new night Yo
Grito!, talk to Yelle about giraffe suits,
seek out artist Marq Spusta who is
responsible for the cute-as-hell Dinosaur
Jnr artwork, and look at the amazing
Jay Reatard film made just prior to his
untimely death.
And finally, after seeing Red Hot Chili
Peppers’ t-shirts on just about everyone
consistently since the early 90s, we
celebrate the influential and iconic funk
rockers’ history as they release their
tenth album this month.
Happy Reading x
Mish
MUSIC NEWS
MUSIC
NEWS
With Triple J’s Dom Alessio
Good Vibrations Festival 2011
It appears that the glut of festivals is starting
to take its toll on the big boys. As we race
towards summer (also known as festival
season), one of the staples of the warmer
months, Good Vibrations, has announced
it’s moving from February to December 2012.
Festival head and Mexican restaurant owner
Justin Hemmes released a statement saying,
“It was a tough year last year. It’s a very
competitive market. Prices were very high
for acts. There was a bidding war going
on for acts which pushes the prices up.
Prices are inflated, demand is down. And I
probably didn’t pick the market as well as
I should have... you’ve gotta have one bad
year to keep you honest.” Let’s see how
this affects Good Vibrations when it returns
at the end of next year.
MUSIC NEWS
The Avalanches Frontier Psychiatry
While we wait for The Avalanches to release
their second album the seminal Since I Left
You is getting a deluxe re-release. When triple
j spoke to Robbie Chater from the group,
he said, “We’re trying to make a really
special bonus disc to go with it which will
include a lot of the remixes we’ve done for
other people over the years plus a lot of
other great new remixes we’ve got done
of Since I Left You tracks. And then I’m
loosely mixing everything together into a
journey that will complement the album.”
As for the fabled second record, Chater said,
“I think we’ll get a couple of singles out
this year but the album will be early next
year I think.”
MUSIC NEWS
Adelaide’s best-known musical export that’s
not Cold Chisel, The Mark Of Cain, has
opened a Twitter account. Not only that,
but the trio has announced details of its first
studio album in over a decade. The group,
which features Battles drummer John Stanier
on the skins, plans to release Songs Of The
Third & Fifth later this year. “It’s been a hard
couple of years and I never expected the
album to take so long to complete but
we are now coming to its final moments
before it is thrust into the world for better
or worse,” said band member John Scott.
The album was recorded when Stanier was in
Adelaide for the Big Day Out in 2008, which
Battles was a part of. “Most musicians
always think/say that their most recent
recording is their best - I know in my heart
that this album is the best thing we have
ever done.”
Mark Of Cain
MUSIC NEWS
Bands hosting their own festivals is no new
thing. Wilco does it, so does Neil Young,
but what about a festival on a cruise ship?
That’s exactly what Weezer is doing next
January. It’s a four day cruise, starting in
Miami and ending in Cozumel in Mexico. The
Weezer Cruise will include Dinosaur Jr, Lou
Barlow, Wavves, Yuck, The Antlers and
more. Weezer will also perform an “outdoor
sail away show”, an “indoor show” and they’ll
host a Q&A on the mysterious “Lido deck”.
Plus, there’s a boat! So if you’re thinking of
starting your own festival, maybe here’s a
way to separate yourself from the crowd.
Catch Dom presenting the new Australian
music show Home and Hosed, Mondays –
Thursdays from 9pm on triple j.
Weezer
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/
domalessio.
By Dom Alessio
TALK
INTERNET
KILLED THE
TV STAR
Remember when you were a kid, and you’d get up bright and early on
Saturday or Sunday to catch the premiere of your favourite band’s new
film clip on Video Hits or Rage? When you’d sit glued to the TV, hoping
to see that cool new video you saw last week? Like so many nostalgic
childhood moments (sifting through the shelves at the local record store,
having to wait a full week before finding out what happens next on your
favourite TV show) the internet has now superseded traditional ways of
viewing music videos, and maybe, this time, it’s actually for the better.
TALK
Last month, we heard that Video Hits (apparently the second-longest
running music video show on the planet) had been cancelled. Thanks to
on-demand video streaming from YouTube and Vimeo, as well as savvy
record labels and management firms now preferring these channels to
premiere new clips, the idea of a TV music video show is on the decline.
And in all honesty, the internet provides a much cleaner, simpler and
more effective avenue for the broadcasting and viewing of video clips.
Whereas the content of music video shows are almost wholly determined
by factors outside the control of an artist, i.e TV station advertising
dollars, marketing campaigns, classifications and content guidelines,
the internet allows artists, labels and management firms to access their
audiences directly. They don’t have to run the gauntlet of tailoring their
work to a specific TV show or channel; they don’t need to produce a
‘clean’ or ‘child-friendly’ version of their music; they don’t need to cross
their fingers and hope that MTV or Rage will add their clip to this week’s
playlist. Artists are able to directly speak to their fans, and fans are able to
access their favourite videos, without relying on the goodwill of program
directors. Not to mention time; once a video has been created it can be
uploaded to YouTube within hours rather than waiting for weekly cycles
of TV playlist rotations.
TALK
The internet also simply gives artists more scope for creativity and
innovation, to make a video premiere a real ‘event’, and to foster a real
sense of community among fans. The Snowdroppers premiered the video
for Run You Down via an online ‘peepshow’, where only fans signed
up to their website could access the clip. Other bands have gradually
revealed film clips after fans complete certain tasks, unlock codes or
follow online ‘treasure hunts’. The Middle East asked fans themselves to
produce a video for Jesus Came To My Birthday Party, instilling a sense
of community and pride within fans who worked hard for the opportunity
to have their clip as the song’s official video.
Maybe the traditional idea of music video programs is on the decline...
but even a casual glance online will tell you that the idea of music videos
themselves has never been stronger. The internet provides more freedom
and creativity for artists to show their videos, and the craft itself has
benefited greatly from this shift towards online viewing and broadcasting.
By Josh Butler
PRESENTS
Upcoming Gigs
Click images for tour dates
SECRET SOUNDS PRESENTS
AUG
AUG
AUG
AUG
2
3
5
6
BILLBOARD, MELB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
METRO THEATRE, SYD . . . . . . . . . .
HQ, ADEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VILLA, PER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TIX: BILLBOARDTHEVENUE.COM.AU | MOSHTIX.COM.AU | TICKETEK
TIX: BOX OFFICE 02 9550 3666 | TICKETEK.COM.AU, PH 132 849
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SPLENDOURSIDESHOWS.COM
IAMKELE.COM
PRESENTS
Upcoming Gigs
Click images for tour dates
SECRET SOUNDS PRESENTS
ARCTIC MONKEYS
DOES IT OFFEND YOU
YEAH? (SPLENDOUR IN
THE GRASS SIDESHOW)
August 2 The Gov, Adelaide
August 3 The Capitol, Perth
August 4 Metro, Sydney
August 5 Prince Bandroom,
Melbourne
January 3 Festival Hall, Melbourne
January 6 Belvoir Amphiteatre, Perth
January 10 Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
January 12 Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
January 14 Riverstage, Brisbane
KELE (SPLENDOUR IN
THE GRASS SIDESHOW)
August 2 Billboard, Melbourne
2 BILLBOARD, MELB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
August
3 Metro
Sydney
3 METRO THEATRE,
SYD Theatre,
..........
5 HQ, ADEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
August
5. . HQ,
6 VILLA, PER
. . . . . . . . . . . .Adelaide
................................
TICKETS
ON
SALE
NOW
August 6 Villa, Perth
AUG
AUG
AUG
AUG
SPLENDOURSIDESHOWS.COM
TIX: BILLBOARDTHEVENUE.COM.AU | MOSHTIX.COM.AU | TICKETEK
TIX: BOX OFFICE 02 9550 3666 | TICKETEK.COM.AU, PH 132 849
TIX: SPLENDOURSIDESHOWS.COM
TIX: MOSHTIX.COM.AU, 1300 GET TIX
IAMKELE.COM
PARTY
YO
GRITO!
Sydney late night partying haunt, the V recently
introduced a new free weekly mess hall in its Front
Bar.
Named after an old Mexican garage record, Yo Grito!
aims to please in every sense of the word, combining
music, dancing, and fried chicken all under the one,
clammy roof. Every Friday night, four of Goodgod’s
resident DJs serve up a greasy mixed plate of surf,
garage, soul, psychedelic, and, in staying true to the
history of Yo Grito (we’ll get to that shortly), fuzzy
rock’n’roll tunes.
PARTY
At the helm of Yo Grito! is Silky Doyle, better known
as Count Doyle. The famous musical architect
behind some of Sydney’s most loved nights,
including Dynamite, and Rumble, and the host of
FBI’s Wednesday night Dusty Fingers show, Doyle’s
music policy is, quite simply, All-Killer-No-Filler.
Joining Count Doyle is King OPP, ‘the Supreme
Ruler of the Dancefloor’, a.k.a Owen Penglis (who is
behind Sydney punk night Straight Arrows), Daniel
Darling (of Kill City Creeps fame), and of course,
Goodgod’s owner Jimmy Sing, or as the others call
him, ‘the Abbot of the Goodgod temple.’
“Myself and Jimmy were yakking about how
Goodgod needed a rock ‘n’roll night,” explains
Doyle, “but not just another night of juke box hits;
it needed to be the kind of rock’n’roll night we’d
wanna go to… a night that traced the thread from
Little Richard to The Sonics to The Milkshakes to
Thee Oh Sees.”
Together, these late night cowboys crafted a night of
guns-out-fun, a rock’n’roll showdown with a side of
southern style deep-fried chicken, served up from
Goodgod’s new late night kitchen The Dip, and all
the cheap Mexican beer you could possibly need to
wash it down with.
PARTY
Yo Grito! has already welcomed San Francisco psych
wunderkid Ty Segall to play, and has upcoming
performances on the way from The Bonniwells, The
Atom Bombs, and DJ sets from Super Wild Horses,
The Laurels and loads more.
So, what can partiers expect when they come to Yo
Grito! in a nutshell? “A room full of babes dancing
an absolute storm to 13th Floor Elevators, a
couple making out in one of the booths, the Yo
Grito DJs crammed into the DJ booth dancing
like crazy with 7’’s in there hand… pretty much,
the best rock’n’roll party you’ve been to!”
Head down to Yo Grito for their Rock n Roll
showdown every Friday night at Goodgod Small
Club from 9pm; 55 Liverpool St Sydney. Check
www.goodgodgoodgod.com for more.
By Mariam Digges
Images courtesy of Reef Gaha
ON TOUR
YELLE
In 2007, after releasing their hawking debut LP
Pop Up, French group Yelle impressed Parklife
Festival revelers around Australia with fun-filled
performances. Now with a second LP, Safari Disco
Club released, it’s time for the electro-pop-hop trio
to return.
“We had so much fun,” says the group’s vocalist,
Julie Budet of the tour. “It was so crazy!” It was
also the band’s first tour outside of France, so it’s
little wonder they let loose. Still, it’s hard to imagine
this bouncy 28-year old, not in party mode. From
dressing up in wildlife suits and singing about
battery-operated late-night company, to guesting
with mock-rap lampoonists Fatal Bazooka, Budet
isn’t taking too much of this seriously. “It’s true,”
she laughs. “It’s really a problem for us; too much
fun.”
ON TOUR
Today, as she contemplates another international
tour on the back of a recent UK trek with Katy
Perry, the only thing getting Budet down is leaving
her puppy dog behind. “I’m a big fan of animals,”
she admits, which explains Safari Disco Club’s title,
zoological artwork, and photos of the singer on allfours wearing animal prints.
The album’s stylist was Yelle’s close friend and
Belgian fashion designer, Jean-Paul Lespagnard,
who they have collaborated with previously. “We
really wanted to have animals in the artwork
and he began to work on the lion, elephant and
giraffe [costumes], and did the [front cover] suit.
It was perfect.”
Presumably she’s laughing at the thought of
wearing the suit down to the local for a baguette. Its
towering platforms, roughly-knitted, multi-coloured
body tube, and oversized woolen coolie hat with inbuilt octopus-dreads, makes no allowances for the
wearer’s field of vision.
ON TOUR
Though there was talk of Yelle launching their own
fashion label, Budet says it’s music that has her full
attention; it’s been that way since singing in her
bedroom as a pre-teen. Following her dad’s career
path it seems was a little intimidating. “For a long
time, I didn’t want to talk about it,” she begins,
“my father is a singer and a musician. It was kind
of weird for me as a little girl.” Yet in 2000, Yelle
met producer, Jean-François Perrier (aka Yelle’s
GrandMarnier) and; “realised it was possible.”
And her father’s verdict on Yelle’s music? “It’s funny,
because he was at a show two weeks ago. It was
a late [show], it was outside and it was cold, and
he stayed with my mother until the end!”
He must like it then? “Yeah,” she says chuffed. So
she can now stand tall before her father… “I’m not
so tall,” says Yelle. Apparently, that’s just the giraffe
suit.
Catch Yelle on tour at Splendour In The Grass,
Woodford 29-31 July; Rocket Bar Adelaide, 4 August;
Roxanne Parlour Melbourne, 5 August; Oxford Art
Factory Sydney, 6 August.
By Paris Pompor
FEATURE
SNEAKY
SOUND
SYSTEM
On The Road Again
Three years is a long time to wait for anything, especially for
the achingly capricious modern day consumer, who’s 2008
Sneaky Sound System tour t-shirt has slowly descended the
slippery slope of garment hierarchy from proud regular day
wear to occasional stand-in pajama top.
FEATURE
The ultra successful Australian outfit changed
things up for album number three; signing to local
powerhouse Modular Records and also becoming
a duo. Connie Mitchell and Angus McDonald have
developed as a band both in sound and attitude
for their new offering From Here to Anywhere,
with Connie saying of the process, “becoming a
twosome has been such a natural progression
because Angus and I wrote the songs from the
first and second album together anyway.”
Their first two albums, Sneaky Sound System and
2 were extremely lucrative for the band, spawning
almost too many hit singles, which almost refused
to make way for their sonic successors.
FEATURE
“It was important to give
everyone a break because
those two albums were
flogged. You need a bit
of time to say, ‘hey this is
something new here.’”
The duo’s extended hiatus wasn’t completely
spent wiling away their fortunes, with a back and
forth European working holiday providing just the
kick in the pants they needed to get back in the
studio. “When you are overseas, you become
fearless,” tells Connie. “With any artistic
endeavor, a trip overseas is the best way to do
it, because you are invigorated.”
FEATURE
The creative process behind From Here to
Anywhere was not fueled by international
illumination alone, with due homage also paid to
the wonders of pinot noir. “We party for a living,
because that’s just what we do,” she admits.
“But at times, we decided,
‘why not get wasted in the
hotel room and wake up
with a new song?’”
The vibe on the new album, while easily identifiable
as the customary Sneaky Sound System electro
pop, is excitingly multifarious when compared to
their previous long-players. “I think it’s different;
it’s still in the same genre, but we took risks
here because we didn’t want to sound the
same.”
FEATURE
Next up is a no holds barred international tour,
showcasing the extent of their new material, which
for Connie, extends to a whole new wardrobe.
“Yeah, I’m in one piece outfits!” she laughs.
Sneaky Sound System are back with a vengeance,
the only question that remains is, for how long
this time? “Angus and I will always have a
consistent working relationship, and at some
point there will be the possibility of me going
solo. And I know Angus is pretty keen for his
own project. I think we are going to create a
new franchise and maybe do some old school
hip hop with the guys from Van She… so there’s
lots of things bubbling all the time, but all with
the same quality control, which is the amazing
Angus McDonald!”
Sneaky Sound System’s new album ‘From Here
To Anywhere’ is out August 29.
By Tim Galvin
SHOOT
BOY & BEAR
Starry Starry Night
Forget Rolling Stone Awards, Triple J trophies
and near-sold out national tours, tonight Boy &
Bear are revelling in far bigger news; Masterchef
judge Matt Preston is a fan of their music.
SHOOT
“We were at this bar on Saturday night and Matt came
in. We’d had a few drinks by then so Tim [his brother/
drummer] started talking to him and Matt said he was a
big fan,” laughs keyboardist/banjo player Jon Hart between
takes at Groupie’s Sydney Harbour photo shoot.
Famous fans aren’t exactly new; English singer Laura Marling
has enlisted them as her backing band and Glee star Dianna
Agron posted their videos on her Tumblr, but they are indicative
of the Sydney folk-rockers’ rising profile, which is set to soar
with the release of their debut album Moonfire this month.
And despite the fact that last year’s With Emperor Antarctica
EP’s already corralled both critical acclaim and crossover
appeal, the band say they aren’t feeling any pressure.
“It is what it is and for our part, it’s done,” says guitarist/
vocalist Killian Gavin as we retreat to the pub afterwards.
“We’ve enjoyed the process, so whatever happens from
here is out of our hands.”
Preceded by spirited first single Feeding Line (surely, a
Masterchef theme song in waiting?), Moonfire takes Boy &
Bear’s signature sounds, old-fashioned storytelling, rustic
instrumentation, harmonies, and expands into new territory
marked by rockier song structures, distorted guitars, and
strings.
SHOOT
SHOOT
“We’d
decided that we’d constantly find new
ground creatively and the last thing we
wanted to do was make a record that
people expected us to make.”
“It’s really different,” says singer Dave Hosking over beers.
They were also determined to shake off the ‘new folk’ tag and the
constant comparisons to contemporaries like Fleet Foxes and Mumford
& Sons. “Something that comes in a wave; disappears as quickly as
it came. I was really conscious of not being a part of a trend and
just standing on our own two feet,” says Gavin.
The band spent a year writing songs for the album before scrapping them
to start afresh six weeks before they headed to Nashville, Tennessee to
record with producer Joe Chiccarelli. They chose him for his work on
The Shins’ Wincing The Night Away but found the actual process to be
an interesting battle of wills.
SHOOT
“For the most part, Joe was fantastic and brought really brilliant
“But there were times
and conversations where he would be
trying to make a song shorter for radio
purposes, which essentially, we don’t
give a fuck about. Our whole goal was just to make it
ideas sonically,” recalls Hosking.
as interesting and fascinating as possible.”
By the time you read this, the band will be back in the US where they’re
signed to Republic/Universal to play Lollapalooza in Chicago and two
shows in New York. After that, they’ll return home for their biggest tour
to date in November. Who knows, they might even see Matt Preston
there.
Moonfire is out August 5
Words by Jason Treuen
Shot by Angelo Kehagias
FEATURE
SBTRKT
Math Club
Reinvention and rock n roll has been
around since David Jones became
David Bowie, then became Ziggy
Stardust, then became a crazy
bastard. Alias accumulation in techno
has excelled since Richard James set
the bar nice and high in the mid 90’s.
In indie UK bass music however? Not
so popular.
FEATURE
Londoner Aaron Jerome’s career started out as a
self-titled affair until, like an impatient snake, he
went and shed his skin, put on a thicker one and
became SBTRKT (pronounced ‘subtract’). And
it’s an alien but familiar skin, one that’s gelatinous
and morphing, fluid like a shark and rhythmic like
a wind chime, but feeling friendly with echoes
of broken beat, American r’n’b, golden era UK
garage and, one would almost say, trip hop.
Jerome’s debut, self-titled album as SBTRKT is
certainly one of 2011 pleasant surprises. Oh, and
he wears a mask.
“Like anyone really I started playing
instruments when I was quite young, drums
and piano, things like that. After that I got
into DJing, because my cousin was playing
records, house music, when I was about
I was really aroused
by that dance culture and
seeing Technics turntables
and mixing, so that pushed me into
11 or 12.
making electronic music, or discovering more
electronic stuff, house, jungle, drum n bass, all
that kind of stuff.” Jerome says of his start.
FEATURE
His private transformation into SBTRKT didn’t go
unnoticed for long, despite his aversion to selfpromotion. “I pretty much didn’t tell anyone
to be honest. It took a while for people to
cotton on, once I was playing out and things
and people started recognizing me, it became
obvious.”
The SBTRKT album is intriguing trip through an
array of post hip hop bass music, built around
thoroughly modern tomorrow pop frames. It’s
something that could never have come out before
today, and it’s no surprise that Jerome is a fan of
the DIY approach. All recorded “late at night, in
the living room,” with a guest vocal from Little
Dragon vocalist Yukimi’s phoned in over the
internet and Sampha and Jessie Ware’s vocals
recorded under a blanket.
FEATURE
And it¹s a team that Jerome sees lasting beyond
the first season together too. If anything, the
SBTRKT juxtoposition of modern sounds of the
street, combined with a string of carefully curated
(but not scene stealing) collaborators, evokes
memories of Massive Attacks’ sterling run in the
90s.
If SBTRKT and his band of merry co-conspirators
can go any way to emulating the career path of
the Bristol massive, we could be at the start of a
symphony very much unfinished.
SBTRKT’s self-titled album is out now. Catch him
touring locally from October 20 – 22
By Glen Goetze
BYTES
RED HOT
CHILI PEPPERS
Twenty-eight years, nine albums,
fifty-six million record sales,
and some of the most iconic
music of the 20th century; the
Red Hot Chili Peppers have
created a legacy most acts
couldn’t even imagine emulating.
Despite their low points (running
through fourteen band members,
and countless drug dramas
and controversies) they are
undoubtedly among the most
popular and influential musicians
of our time. With tenth album
I’m With You set for release this
month, we take a look at the
band’s history.
BYTES
The band began in 1983, under the name Tony Flow
& the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem.
Originally consisting of Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Hillel
Slovak and Jack Irons, they made up music on
the spot, while lead singer Kiedis rapped one of
his poems in place of lyrics. Originally intending
to play just one gig, their reception was so good
that they booked future gigs and changed their
name to Red Hot Chili Peppers and were signed
to EMI Records to release their self-titled debut a
year later.
BYTES
Their second album Freaky Styley was produced
by funk legend George Clinton, on final track
Yertle The Turtle features an unlikely vocal cameo;
Clinton’s drug dealer. According to Kiedis’
autobiography Scar Tissue, the dealer was offered
an appearance on the album, to clear Clinton’s
drug debts. While the album achieved moderate
success, the band faired better appearing in
movies Thrashin’ (starring Josh Brolin) playing
the song Blackeyed Blonde and also Tough
Guys starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas
performing at a LA nightclub.
BYTES
Kiedis was briefly kicked out of the band after
Freaky Styley due to his drug problems. He had
been using cocaine and heroin since age 13, being
exposed to drugs by his dealer father. Drugs would
become a major part of the Chili Peppers story,
with original guitarist Hillel Slovak dying from a
heroin overdose in 1988. As a means to cope with
their bandmates date Mothers Milk was recorded
and released in 1989 which reached gold record
status and contained the tribute song Magic
Johnson for the Los Angeles Lakers basketballer,
which is still sung at Lakers games today.
BYTES
Drummer Jack Irons left the group after Slovak’s
death, and joined Pearl Jam in 1994. The Chilis
recruited John Frusciante, and went on to record
Blood Sugar Sex Magik, in Harry Houdini’s
mansion, in 1991. Their breakout album featured
some of their biggest hits; Give It Away, which
became their first #1 single, and Under The Bridge.
BYTES
Frusciante departed in 1994, and was replaced by
Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro for One
Hot Minute. Navarro then quit, with Frusciante
rejoining for Californication, their biggest
album ever. The album shifted away from the
abrasive, in-your-face, rap-driven basis of their
previous work, with Scar Tissue and title track
Californication showcasing a softer, more heartfelt
side to the Chilis. By The Way in 2002 continued
this softer focus, while 2006’s Stadium Arcadium,
a 28-song,double album, combined the old and
the new of the Chili Peppers; some slower and
heartfelt tracks, some faster, more aggressive and
high-energy ones.
BYTES
The band then took a break and focused on other
endeavours; Kiedis worked on a TV show, Flea
played in Thom Yorke’s project Atoms For Peace,
and drummer Chad Smith played in Chickenfoot
with Joe Satriani. Frusciante revealed in 2009 that
he had left the band, and was replaced by Josh
Klinghoffer, who played with the band live.
BYTES
New album, I’m With You is due for release at the
end of this month, with first single The Adventures
of Rain Dance Maggie revealed last month. If their
history is anything to go by, the new album will be
another reinvention for a band who have built their
reputation on breaking new ground and always
staying fresh.
I’m With You is out August 27
FEATURE
PHRASE
Phase Three
It’s a nerve-racking time between completing
an album and waiting to unleash it on the
world, as Phrase, a.k.a Melbourne MC Harley
Webster will tell you. It’s even more terrifying
when you decide to introduce your own neverbeen heard vocals, instrumentals, and iconic
rock singers into the mix.
FEATURE
“It’s like standing in front of people, naked, and
saying ‘so, what do you think of me?’ It can
fucking eat you up mentally.” Harley, a longtime
sufferer of anxiety disorder, has made a conscious
effort to distance himself from his third studio
album, Babylon. For this reason, the MC has been
writing music for what he calls “side projects”
while building a new studio in his Melbourne
suburb of Prahran, so he’s not sitting around
anxiously “waiting for a phone call telling me
I’ve been added to radio that week.”
On both his debut album and 2009’s Clockwork,
Phrase relishes in some astute social commentary,
artfully conveyed through his now trademark
hard-nosed rhymes. “Before Clockwork, I
guess I was angry about shit,” he remembers,
“like any male, I was kind
of confused and masked
my emotions behind being
a tough guy.”
FEATURE
Not that Babylon is lacking in the hard-hitting
themes stakes; the record covers everything from
big-city identity crisis’ (on Bubblegum) to the
perils of Facebook fantasising (on The Book).
After tying the knot with his musician partner
Jade, a.k.a Jane Doe (who also sings on Babylon),
Harley took a rain check on his honeymoon to
make a solo songwriting jaunt to Bali, where he
penned the majority of the record and realised he
no longer needed the support of sample breaks
and instrumentals; “I realised, I don’t need
another person to sample a tune, I can play
guitar, I can play drums…”
FEATURE
He then sent demos off to a wish list of artists
he hoped to collaborate with, a process that
raked in Sparkadia’s Alex Burnett, Sydney artist
Guineafowl, and even Jimmy Barnes. “Alex
Burnett was rad to work with.” Of Guinefowl,
Harley says, “he’s still young, he’s still hungry
and excited by doing stuff,” and reflecting on
“it
was a real experience for
me. I grew up listening to
Cold Chisel records… I was
like, fuck, I can’t believe I’m
with Barnsey!”
working with Jimmy Barnes, concedes,
With any strong gear shift, there’s always the
looming risk of alienating fans, but Harley
maintains that this is still, first and foremost, a
Phrase record; “For me, I feel like been making
music like this forever,” he reassures me, “even
if it doesn’t sound like it straight away.”
Phrase’s new album ‘Babylon’ is out August 12.
By Mariam Digges
FEATURE
MYLEE
GRACE
All Say Grace
For her first ever face-to-face interview,
Mylee Grace is a tad nervous. “I
hope I’m making sense,” says the
singer songwriter as we sit in a café
in Sydney’s Surry Hills, just up the
road from where her debut EP Baby
Talk was recorded. A big love-in family
project, the folk-tinged record exudes
images of loved ones sitting around
laughing while they accidentally create
some heartfelt songs, which in Mylee’s
case, isn’t too far from the truth.
Photo credit: Banjo Mclachlan
FEATURE
Growing up in fifteen different homes in Sydney’s
northern beaches, listening to her mum’s Johnny
Cash and Joni Mitchell records, Mylee Grace had
a very early introduction to recording music. “We
always lived in these tiny units but somehow
always managed to squeeze a grand piano in
one end, and drums in the other,” she recalls
as we sip our teas. “We had to hire the piano
removalist so many times… he’d just roll his
eyes every time.”
Writing music since the age of ten, Mylee was
often also encouraged to breathe life into ones
her mother (who contributes violin, piano and
accordion to Baby Talk) had penned. “She’d wait
until I got home from school and say ‘Oh Mylee,
I’ve just written this nice melody, see what you
can do with it.’”
Photo credit: Banjo Mclachlan
FEATURE
Baby Talk also features Mylee’s partner and
childhood friend Ozzie Wright. Together in their
seaside home, while their son Rocky played on
the living room floor, they created a collection of
seven songs with gorgeous, jangly melodies, each
“It’s
all pretty loose, live, and
fun-sounding,” she says, “there’s
with an overarching sense of spontaneity.
lots of things in it that I listen to and cringe at,
because we didn’t pain over anything or spend
too much time getting it right.”
On the inspiration for her songs, her relatively new
role as a mother has come into play, a position
that is quite unique for an artist’s debut record,
when you think about it. “The last five years have
been a whirlwind,” she muses. “ I’ve written a
lot about the learning you go through when you
fall in love and have a child… all these things
come up from your past. It’s been amazing and
inspiring.”
Photo credit: Banjo Mclachlan
FEATURE
The EP, she tells me, was named after a song
she wrote while on a babymoon in Japan. A
‘babymoon’? “Yeah. When we found out I was
pregnant, we set off to Japan and Thailand on
a babymoon, instead of a honeymoon,” she
explains.
Don’t expect to see any crazy touring jaunts from
her anytime soon either. According to Mylee Grace,
“it’s not about fussing over making anything
perfect, conquering the world and touring
constantly. I just want to share my passion.”
Mylee Grace’s debut EP ‘Baby Talk’ is out now.
By Mariam Digges
Photo credit: Banjo Mclachlan
FEATURE
THE [V]
EFFECT
Channel [V]’s Billy Russell
interviews the music channel’s
newest recruit: Carissa Walford.
I first met Channel [V]’s new host
before she even had the job. It
was her screen test, her chance to
talk some shit with me on camera,
which my boss would later watch
to determine whether or not she
was any good on air. The topic of
conversation was Coachella, and
these were her first words on the
matter: “I was enjoying Lauryn
Hill until someone told me she
hated white people and I was
like, “Well, forget you, mate!””
FEATURE
Witnesses attest that my jaw hit the floor almost
instantly. Did this pretty little white girl just play
the race card? On camera? In a job interview?! I
knew almost instantly that I liked Carissa Walford.
Now that she’s officially the new face of the channel,
Carissa and I sit down to talk not about music
festivals or the apparent xenophobic leanings of
the crazy Fugees lady, but instead about life at
[V]. I suggest to her that, compared to veterans
(read: old, no longer relevant) Danny Clayton and
Jane Gazzo, we are the lesser-knowns of the
team and must stick together. When she informs
me that she’s hosted live TV in front of 60 million
people, I suddenly feel that my claim of once being
mistaken for Zeke off Neighbours is not quite the
heavy artillery I believed it to be.
FEATURE
See, that’s where Carissa and I differ (well apart
from the fact that she doesn’t have a beard as
good as mine). Whereas I won a Presenter Search
to claim my job, Carissa is very much the product
of hard work, perseverance and experience... a
difference she saw fit to point out in an interview
with one of Sydney’s major newspapers.
FEATURE
She’s hosted some show on Fox Sports, filled in
for Olivia Munn on The Attack of the Show, and
played a “slutty schoolie named Melissa” on
Home & Away. When she refuses to comment on
the whereabouts of Alf’s rape dungeon, I move the
conversation along and proceed to quiz her with
my personal list of Klosterman-esque questions
that shall determine whether or not we can, by
law, be friends. These are the findings of my study:
- She’s unsure whether or not God can
microwave a burrito so hot that not even He
could eat it. (“Why would even He want to do
that?”)
- She doesn’t collect stamps.
- She describes her worst personality trait as
“non-existent”. I suggest “egotistical”.
- She thinks McDonalds’ new McWings do not
and cannot compare to anything on KFC’s menu.
- She’d rather be part of the human centipede
for a week than listen to LMFAO’s Party Rock
Anthem on repeat for the rest of her life.
FEATURE
And the analysis of my raw data is this: aside from
her McWings misstep, we are going to get along
fine. Which is just as well, because as Carissa
confesses, her biggest stress at the moment is
the need for approval from her new workmates
and, of course, her awaiting audience. “I just
need everyone to like me!” Lauryn Hill, please
take note.
Catch Carissa Walford, Billy Russell, Jane Gazzo
and Danny Clayton on Channel [V]’s The Riff
LIMELIGHT
DANGEROUS!
LIMELIGHT
We shine the limelight on two new
acts to take notice of this month
LIMELIGHT
It’s not often that an Aussie band gets snapped up by a big international
label like pioneering US punk stable, Epitaph. That’s what makes the
story of Adelaide band Dangerous! so exciting. Blasting out a brand of
thrashy garage-rock in the vein of The Hives, infused with the energy of
The Vines’ early work, the four-piece have been building buzz both here
and abroad due to their powerful live show and proper rock’n’roll outlook.
It’s dirty, raw, raucous and LOUD; the sort of music that makes you want
to down ten shots and dance on the bar. Their LA-recorded debut album
Teenage Rampage (of which the title tells you pretty much all you need
to know about their sound) is due for release in August, and the dudes
have already clocked up a few US and UK tours, including appearances
at famed festivals Download and Sonisphere. These boys from Adelaide
are, simply put, one of Australia’s biggest rock prospects; get onboard
now.
DANGEROUS!
LIMELIGHT
Where the glut of Aussie synthpop bands look back to the 1980s, and
our new wave of rockers hark back to the 60s and 70s, Melbourne’s
Boy In A Box look even further back into music history. Taking their cues
from late 50s and early 60s rock’n’roll, but infused and bolstered with
a more modern sheen and lyrical focus, Boy In A Box are the type of
bright, feel-good pop-rock that never fails to put you in a good mood.
Warm guitar tones, vocal harmonies and soaring choruses abound in the
work of the Melbournian four-piece; their accessible and energetic music
winning them no shortage of fans during recent tours alongside the likes
of Alpine, British India and, funnily enough, our other Limelight stars for
August, Dangerous! With an upcoming tour alongside Calling All Cars,
and with new single Glitter, Gold, Ruin getting heavy radio play all across
the nation, Boy In A Box are primed to make a run for the position of
Australia’s new indie-rock darlings.
BOY IN A BOX
ART
ART
MARQ SPUSTA
J Mascis’ Several Shades of Why cover
Marq Spusta’s illustrations are a thing of wonder. Superlatives aside,
his recent cover artworks for American singer songwriter J Mascis and
Massachusetts rockers Dinosaur Jr. are some of the most imaginative,
heartfelt and adorable pieces we’ve seen in a long time. Spusta’s
characters always traverse the stoned side of mellow, with the sort of
children’s book aloofness that makes you all warm and fuzzy inside.
Dinosaur Jr.’s Farm cover
Take his cover for Dinosaur Jr.’s 2009 album Farm, for example, featuring
those mopey, dough-eyed tree giants carrying tiny children with a
paternal air of gentleness. The cover came in at number nine in Paste
Magazine’s ‘Best Album Covers Of The Decade’ poll, and Pitchfork
featured it in their ‘Take Cover’ series. As Spusta explains, his inspiration
for his art is the music itself. “I let the sound dictate the vibe of the
piece, while letting lyrics and visuals float around in a stew.”
ART
ART
The Decemberists’ Columbus poster
Hailing from Pacifica, California, Marq Spusta dabbles in everything
from children’s books, to tour posters, to doom metal records. He’s
commissioned illustrations for Nirvana, Paolo Nutini, Tom Petty, The
Black Crowes, Sigur Ros, The Decemberists, and even (to avoid being
typecast) the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Most recently, his cover for
J Mascis’ Several Shades of Why has again turned the spotlight to him,
and sees him creating another piece filled with whimsical characters and
loaded with a spine-tingling sensitivity.
When citing his own favourite album covers of all time, Spusta names
Black Mountain’s In The Future; “It’s genius and simple. I bought
the new Islands record because of its cover. I’m a big fan of Mati
Klarwein, who did the sleeves for Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew and
Carlos Santana’s Abraxas.”
“I love bringing innocent elements to rock’n’roll art. A lot of times,
we get stuck with the hoochie mamas and skulls, but it’s fun to play
with a different tone.”
Most of Spusta’s works are also available to purchase in print, t-shirt,
and even fridge magnet form over at his website; head to
www.marqspusta.com for more information.
Dinosaur Jr.’s Pieces cover
By Mariam Digges
SCREEN
SCREEN
Nearly 15 months later, a documentary arrived about the prolific musician,
captured just months before his untimely death.
“Some people think you have a certain amount of songs before
you dry up. I tend to think it’s like an amount of time, so I’m racing
against time constantly.” - Jay Reatard
Memphis garage-rocker Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr, better known to the world
as Jay Reatard, was found dead in his home in January 2010, just shy
of his 30th birthday. His sudden death, which came six months after the
release of his breakthrough LP, Watch Me Fall, was reportedly the result
of a lethal cocktail of alcohol and cocaine.
Directed by Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz, Better Than Something is
in fact an extension of their short film of the same name, which premiered
at the Nashville Film Festival in April. The feature length documentary
interweaves archived performance footage of Jay Reatard, starkly honest
interviews with his closest friends, family, and the rock icon himself, and
some candid scenes from an intimate week the film crew spent with him
in 2009, where he divulges some personal childhood stories.
From the outset, the film’s helmsmen remind viewers that this is in fact,
a posthumous film dedicated to exposing Jay’s prodigious talent, by
opening with footage of a tribute concert to the artist at the 2010 SXSW
festival. So it’s jolting then, when we see the late artist appear on screen
for the first time, speaking about everything from his turbulent upbringing
in Memphis, to his controversial career.
SCREEN
One of the most poignant moments in Better Than Something would
have to be when Jay muses, “I’m not going to be able to make records
when I’m dead. I’m not dead right now, so I want to make records.
It’s that simple, really,” one of many moments that are granted the
right degree of pathos by Hammond and Markiewicz. The documentary,
which features a suitably impressive soundtrack that includes some
bootlegged Jay Reatard tunes, is a must-see for both fans of the artist
and music lovers at large, especially when you consider that most of
the filming wrapped up just nine months before his abrupt demise. Most
would agree that Better Than Something is a welcome appendix to the
requiem of Jay Reatard.
‘Better Than Something’ is screening at the Melbourne Film Festival on 6
August. For more information, head here.
By Mariam Digges
GIG PICS
GIG PICS
OF THE MONTH
GIG PICS
3THINGS
HIP
HOP
APPROACH
@ OXFORD ART FACTORY
Images courtesy of Phil Erbacher
GIG PICS
LADY
GAGA
@ MONSTER HALL
Images courtesy of Jakob Dezwart
GIG PICS
THE
GRATES
@ OXFORD ART FACTORY
Images courtesy of Phil Erbacher