Weekly News - April 6th

• Robert Forster is set to release his latest album, The Evangelist, on April 21. From all accounts (5 stars in Uncut, 4 stars in Q) it's an album on par with his best work. Have a judge for yourself here where you can listen to The Evangelist in full.

• Singer-songwriter Madeleine Paige is set to release her debut EP this month. You can pick up a copy of Angels In The Architecture this Thursday at The Globe where Madeleine will launch the EP.

• I Heart Hiroshima are working on some sort of remix album for Tuff Teef, to be released on Valve Records later in the year. I'm a little bit short on details for this one so I'll keep you posted.

• That's not all Valve are up to at the moment. Apart from debut albums from Del Toro, Do The Robot and An Horse this month, they also have Jane Woody's (Formerly of I Heart Hiroshima and Kicks) first LP, Big Breaths Little Lungs, coming out in May. To top this all off they are going to be the local distributor of the Scul Hazzards' Let Them Sink. Hats off to Valve for being such a cornerstone of Brisbane music.
  

• Loud In The Library is an initiative by the Brisbane City Council in support of National Youth Week (as in this week). Held at libraries around Brisbane, they have some pretty sweet programs set up (Learn how to krump!) as well as a number of bands playing for free. Have a look at their website for more information.
  

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Favourite Brisbane Bands - Gav's Top 5

I'm a sucker for a list so here's my side of this rundown. A quick disclaimer before we start however, this list is a) lacking bands which are older (Go-Betweens, Saints, etc.), b) lacking bands which most people already now about (The Grates are the only casualty here), c) lacking bands who have recently moved (Scul Hazzards), or disbanded (Night Crash, Shakes) and d) lacking bands which Cam has already listed. On top of all this I am an extremely fickle person and this list will most likely have no meaning to me come tomorrow, but for now it is today so here goes.

I Heart Hiroshima:

This was the easiest pick of the lot. I Heart Hiroshima are a band who I'm proud to say come from Brisbane. From the quirky name and off beat lyrics, to the slamming drums and repetitive riffs, Matt, Cam and Susie have been the soundtrack to the last two years of my life. While many are quick to whack the generic indie band label on the trio, I am of the opinion that I Heart Hiroshima are quite possibly the most unique sounding band in Australia. I constantly find myself trying to play spot the influence while listening to IHH, and yet I fail miserably each time. Instead I usually end up dropping the music geek shtick and losing myself in the sea of catchy yet discordant music they produce.

And while each one of IHH's releases has been a highlight for me, it is on stage that the band really shines. The constant energy the band puts into their music, not to mention the sheer joy that constantly emanates from Susie when she's behind the kit, propels the band from good to great in the live setting. I've now seen the band perform close to 20 times and I can still vividly remember each one (though I have to admit, the Skinny's in-store where a drunken hobo attacked a bunch of teenagers stands out). While the band may have to refine their style to make it internationally, half of me hopes that they don't so they stay in Brisbane.

Violent Soho:

Oscar Wilde once said 'Talent borrows, genius steals.' If this is true then Violent Soho may just be the next Beatles.

Okay so Violent Soho may not be geniuses, but the four boys from Mansfield have taken the almost deceased sound of grunge and beaten it into submission. Having missed grunge the first time around, I feel like I can somehow vicariously live that life via Violent Soho. And why not when they channel the sound of bands such as Mudhoney and Green River so perfectly? Indeed one of the corner pieces of recent sets has been their searing cover of Melbourne band GOD's 1989 song 'My Pal'. While their debut EP was catchy as hell, it had a feel of youthful ignorance to it that stopped it from being the great release it could have been. Recent tracks may signal an improvement however, with 'Son Of Sam' and 'Jesus Stole My Girlfriend' both showing signs of the band finding its on niche within grunge.

Del Toro:

When ever Del Toro comes up in conversation it seems unavoidable that words such as 'cinematic', 'western', and 'desert' will be used. And while their is a huge Morricone vibe running through most of their songs, Del Toro turn it into The Good, The Bad, And The Acid Casualty. Indeed if they were to score a film it would be a western, but one set in space or a post-apocalyptic setting (a la Firefly).

The trio have just finished recording their debut album with Casey Rice (Dirty Three, Tortoise, Veruca Salt) which should be released sometime in the near future.

The John Steel Singers:

JSS are probably the band most likely to succeed in Brisbane at the moment. Anyone who has seen them live or heard their debut EP will testify this. The six lads take every current musical trend and throw them out the window in favour of a classic 60's pop sound drawing straight from The Beatles and The Beach Boys. That said they never fall into the trap of being derivative, rather they keep things fresh via unique melodies, quirky lyrics, and the ability to take a song in the opposite direction from what you're expecting, even if you've just listened to the it a dozen times. They've also just finished recording an new EP, so keep an eye for that one.

Young Liberals:

The Young Liberals are the dark horse of this list. Indeed they've only played live once (their second gig is tonight), yet they have already recorded two albums. The reasoning behind this is a goal to record an album for each month of 2008, and so far so good. The band combines the sound of 60's garage rock with lyrics reminiscent of David McCormack (E.g. A song about Robbie William's CD's being used to pave roads in China). The result is some of the most entertaining music I've heard in recent times. I won't go into much more as I'll be posting a review of the albums soon, but if you get the opportunity to see the Young Liberals play I couldn't recommend it more.

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Andy Warhol Exhibition

The Queensland Art Gallery isn't usually part of our territory but, with the event of the forthcoming Andy Warhol exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art, they have managed to catch our eye with something a little special.

As part of the opening night celebrations for the exhibition Robert Forster (of the Go-Betweens if you didn't already know) will perform a set featuring the music of the Warhol-associated band, The Velvet Underground. Accompanying him will be fellow Go-Between Adele Pickvance on bass, Dylan McCormack (brother of Dave and member of his band, The Polaroids), Susie Patten of local favourites I Heart Hiroshima on drums, and Karin Baeumler (of Baby You Know, who I've never heard of, please enlighten me if you could). Unfortunately they are only scheduled for a thirty minute set, which is a little bit restricting considering the length of some of The Velvet Underground's music ('Sister Ray' clocks in at 17 and a half minutes!). Nonetheless, this is sure to be an unmissable event.

Tickets go on sale on Monday (19th November) for $25, which gets you into the Andy Warhol exhibition also. For those in the dark about The Velvet Underground I have to say shame on you. But we all have to learn from our mistakes, so here's a live cut to listen to.




The Velvet Underground - Some Kinda Love off 1969: The Velvet Underground Live

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Review: I Heart Hiroshima - Tuff Teef

More I Heart Hiroshima here for you. The band's debut album was released on Saturday, and it is quite the banger. Tuff Teef serves up more of their unique sound, however the band mixes up that formula a few times, and some of the new tracks have a few surprises in store for the listener.

Tuff Teef kicks of with the slow paced 'Lungs', a track which is probably the closest I Heart Hiroshima will ever get to a ballad, at least until Matt's accusingly shouty vocals kick in and the Susie goes into overdrive on the drums.

Next up is 'Surgery', a song which I have been waiting to be recorded since I heard it a year ago. The transition to vinyl is excellent, the songs infectiously danceable beats and riffs come across extremely fresh, and, thus, I find it highly difficult to sit still while I listen to it.

'Punks', the next cut on Tuff Teef, is the only song to previously be released by the band (check out the review below). Following on is the semi-title track, 'Teef', a pounding song which appears to be about teeth (sorry, teef) funnily enough. Subject matter aside, the song drives along repetitively, a trait that will most likely be the main criticism leveled against the album. The band are unashamedly repetitive, however the excellent drumming and guitar work on show means that the parts being repeated make up for it. Repetition can be good if used correctly, and I Heart Hiroshima are doing just that on Tuff Teef.

Having said that, the next track is possibly the least repetitive one on the album. It also happens to be the least compelling. The lack of a decent hook on 'Crook'd' to tie the song together means that the song floats by the listener without much attention. The next song, 'Electric Lake' starts off a little bland as well. The off kilter vocals and repetitive sound lead the listener to believe that the song is the same as any one of the previous songs on offer, at least until Susie's solo vocal kicks in towards the end of the song. Her vocals, reminiscent of early Courtney Love, make the song, and on a second listen 'Electric Lake' stands out as one of the best songs on the album.

Susie's riot grrl-style singing continues on 'Crime', a song which features an excellent chorus, as well my favourite lyrics on the album. The run of good songs continues with 'Wires', a song which epitomises the beauty of I Heart Hiroshima's repetitive style. One of the things that become apparent on this track is the emotiveness of the band's vocals. While in most bands the singer tends to keep a standard level of emotion in their voice the entirety of a song, I Heart Hiroshima possess the ability to show a lot of emotion in their singing/shouting (which is helpful as many of their lyrics are indecipherable).

'Got Bones' and 'Throw That Metal' continue with the formula, both to an average result. The last two tracks, however, are some of the strongest on the album. 'Captain To Captain' possesses an urgency to it, and, similar to 'Surgery', is impossible to sit still to while listening. The song also features the best drumming on the album, quite an achievement when your drummer has such commendable skill. Closing track 'Stop That' is a perfect choice for the final song. The buildup to the chorus is preformed beautifully, while said chorus is a magnificent mess of no wave-style riffing. A glorious conclusion to a great debut from I Heart Hiroshima. A final mention goes to Cam for the very cool artwork on the album.

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Review: I Heart Hiroshima - Punks EP

I was a bit slack on this one, it's been out for around a month now and I hadn't got around to reviewing it, but the imminent release of I Heart Hiroshima's album has forced my hand.

I Heart Hiroshima have, in the space of two years, evolved into one of Brisbane's most talented bands. Anyone who has witnessed their live shows knows how dynamic the band can be. Often in the music industry, however, bands like this have trouble making the transfer to the studio and reproducing their live sound on record. Thankfully I Heart Hiroshima is not one of those bands.

The EP kicks off with the title track, possibly the best (and longest) cut I Heart Hiroshima have recorded so far. The stomping beat, topped off with Susie's half-sung, half-yelled vocals, drives the song along until Matt's excellent chorus (accompanied later in the song by Cam) brings the song home. As always the intertwining guitars are present, but rather then repeating as in most of the band's previous songs the boys continuously alter their riffs and hooks. The result is a song that at times sounds wrong but constantly sounds great.

The second track is 'The Cover', a song which has become my favourite I Heart Hiroshima song (at least until I hear the recorded version of 'Surgery'). A much more upbeat, and, funnily enough, punkier song then 'Punks', it features some of the best (and more discernible) lyrics of their small back catalog.

The next two tracks hark back to the early days of the band. 'Instrumental1' is a bare bones track recorded prior to the bands lineup change. It is definitely a weak link on the EP though it is interesting to hear how similar the band sounded to a number of other bands around town who share a similar instrumental post-punk sound. The last track is a re-recording of 'London In Love'. The track is an improvement on the previous recording, with the guitars beefed up and the track sounding decidedly less 'lo-fi'.

While the band is sticking to their basic formula, it is also obvious that they aren't resting on their laurels. 'Punks' and 'The Cover' are both big steps forward for the band and hopefully their album, Tuff Teef (which is being released on the 11th of August), follows suite. As a taster here's the video clip for 'Punks'.

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I Heart Hiroshima, Yves Klein Blue supporting Tilly & The Wall @ The Powerhouse (2.8.07)

Last Thursday Faster Louder put on a free gig at The Powerhouse, featuring the Conor Oberst approved Tilly & The Wall supported by two 'hot new local acts', those being Yves Klein Blue and I Heart Hiroshima. I'd never been to a gig at The Powerhouse before (yeah, I didn't go to any of the Robert Forster shows... I know, I suck), so I was keen to check it out.

Walking into the venue, initial impressions were good. It certainly looked interesting. I was somewhat concerned about how the sound would come across in such a large concrete space, but I was optimistic. After waiting an hour for the first band (seriously, why would you advertise a gig as starting at 7:30 when the first band doesn't even get onstage until closer to 8:45?), Yves Klein Blue finally took to the stage. It was my first time seeing the band, and my initial thought was "hmmm, I can see where that $20k they won from that Kickstart competition went to?". In other words, they were decked out with some nice gear. My second thought was "hmmm, this sound is muffled and thin".

It seems to me that as nice as The Powerhouse is, it's not exactly the best place to see an energetic rock show. The huge space sucks up any energy that the band puts out, and the concrete walls that surround the performance area take care of any clarity that might have been found in the sound (maybe it was just because I was up on the walkways above the stage, out of the direct line of the speakers, but still, 1/3 of the audience was up there with me). Add the fact that the venue was maybe half full, and it became a difficult task for the bands to put on an engaging show. Personally, I thought that Yves Klein Blue struggled. They certainly have that British guitar pop/rock sound down pat, but to me they seemed to lack a bit of energy and spark. I just couldn't hear the hooks in their songs, and with the type of music they choose to play, melodic hooks are vital. Maybe it was just the sound of the venue, or maybe they're just not the next big thing that some people hail them as. I haven't heard their EP, so I'll wait before passing a more definitive judgement on the band. One thing is inarguable: they played for too long. My companions and I all agreed that they played at least three songs too many. For a local band playing first on the bill with only one EP to their name, a 45+minute set is too much. Then again, maybe that was the intention of Faster Louder when putting on this particular show - to put local bands on the same level as an international act. Whatever the reason, my point remains: too long.

I Heart Hiroshima faired somewhat better. Their lack of bass guitar helped to reduce the muffling effect of the venue, and their music is generally more frantic than that of Yves Klein Blue. Personally I've found a lot of the IHH shows I've seen in recent times to be somewhat lacking when compared to their early shows, where they used to rip your heads off with their aggression. While I think that they have undoubtably grown as songwriters over the last few years, live they have seemed lethargic and, at times, somewhat apathetic. This was not the case this particular night - the band was in good form, putting on the best show I've seen from them in quite a while. The only real criticism I have of them is that they had some really long breaks between songs. Their songs are generally quite short anyway, so to have a 1-2min break between them can kind of grind the show to a halt. Still, it was only an issue a couple of times through the set, so as far as the music went it was a good performance.

Tilly & The Wall finished off the evening. I'm sure there will be plenty of reviews of them elsewhere, so since they're not really within the scope of this blog I'll just say that my friend and I left after a few songs. Maybe if a) the venue had sound that was more conducive to their style of music, b) their tap-dancer wasn't sick, c) I wasn't so tired and d) they hadn't taken the stage to repeated calls of 'Brisbane, where the fuck are you!?', I might have stayed.



One thing I'd just like to mention: although I've repeatedly said that I didn't think much of the sound of the venue, I still think it can be a great place to see music. It would be an amazing place to see a more atmospheric band, like Bloon or Art of Fighting. Perhaps if the sound could be dampened in some way, so it wasn't so unclear, it would be suitable for more 'rock' acts too.

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WolfGangFinch Kids Launch: I Heart Hiroshima, Nite School, Do The Robot @ Alhambra Lounge (19.7.07)

Photo courtesy of WolfGang's myspace site.

WolfGang has quickly turned out to be one of Brisbane's best club nights in the last few months and last Thursday night saw to continue that trend in aid of the Finch Kids collective and the launch of the first issue of their new zine (appropriately named, Finch Kids). While WolfGang have recently been bringing out the heavy weaponry (don't forget to check out Yacht next Wednesday), they decided to keep it local this time around.

Starting off processions were Do The Robot. The three-piece tries its best to defy pigeonholing, yet they do so with out sacrificing any part of their song craft; a fact due mostly to the brilliant guitar work of Matt who invokes the spirit of Kevin Shields at times. While the formula of each song tends to shift between Shoegaze swirls and post-punkish stabs of guitar, beats lifted straight from a Joy Division (this is a compliment not an insult!) and indie-pop singing courtesy of leading lady Sera, the influence of other sources comes through such as the no wave guitars of 'Dr Death' and the almost trip-hop-like beats of 'Bad Art'. At times, however, the band seems to extend the songs longer then they should really go for. This may be due to a lack of material to fill out the set with, but the songs tend to become boring once they go past the 4 minute mark. Other then that minor setback Do The Robot are definitely a band to keep an eye on for the future.

Following on from Do The Robot was Nite School. Never having heard anything by these two ladies I had no idea what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised by the driving guitar and punchy drums of opener 'Eat Shit Or Rust'. Surprise soon turned to boredom, however, as I realised that every track was going to sound the same. While the grinding riffs of Bridie Smith's guitar recalled that of The Birthday Party or early Sonic Youth, and Andrea Blake utilised her stripped down drum kit to slam out a rhythm worthy of The Who or The Kinks, together the two elements fail to comprise a complete song and everything falls flat on its face.

Last on stage was a slightly inebriated I Heart Hiroshima. Touring in support of their recently released Punks EP and soon to be released album Tuff Teef, the trio took to the stage with the vigor we've come to expect of them. Playing a short set of recent and older songs, the band got the crowd dancing with opener 'Punks' and 'Red Hands'. Having perfected their sound of kindergarten-chic hooks and rhythmic riffs, courtesy of Matt and Cam, combined with the driving, flailing, manic, and downright danceable drumming of Susie, it will be interesting to see how far this trio goes with their debut album.

All up it was a great night provided by WolfGang and Finch Kids, and I'm definitely looking forward to similar events in the future.

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I Heart Hiroshima Tour/EP/Album

One of the most important bands in the Brisbane scene in the last couple of years, I Heart Hiroshima are coming out guns blazing in the next few months. First off the ranks is a tour with Sydney boys Regular John. The tour kicks off with a show at Elsewhere on the Gold Coast tomorrow night, followed by a free gig at the Powerhouse Sunday afternoon, and another free show Sunday night at the Great Northern Hotel in Byron Bay. I Heart Hiroshima will be back at the Powerhouse on the 2nd August to support Tilly And The Wall. The band also plan on releasing the Punks EP next month, as well as their debut album (for which a title has yet to be announces) in late July/early August.

As a taster heres a live recording of the title track from the Punks EP. A big thank you to Brendan for providing this recording.

I Heart Hiroshima - Punks (Live @ The Metro - 19-05-07)

Update: The band has posted the EP version of Punks on their myspace. Check it out!

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