ALBUM REVIEW: The Walkmen - Lisbon

(released on Fat Possum, 2010)

Review by Kim Larkin
                                            

3/5

Almost every aspect of Lisbon will remind you of another song or band, sometimes just proving that there is something else you could be listening to, including ‘old school’ The Walkmen. Leithauser’s vocal seem to be a combination of Dylan’s pronunciation and the presentation of risky range heard in the Cold War kids. Upon saying that, he does completely hold his own in comparison to the messy music (bringing us back to the garage aspect of The Walkmen). Let me just clarify as messy not being a bad thing, in Victory for example. There’s a pleasant delay to the sound, and it gives off the same charm as any Vampire Weekend song where, regardless of the intentions behind the lyrics, it seems like a decent ‘summer song’; see Woe is me, undoubtably the highlight of the album..

In all honesty, any sentiments presented in the album through the lyrics are lost as focus remains on the music, the melody of Leithauser’s voice turns purely into notes through his elongated vowels and lazy words, as the guitars normally remain quite sharp and almost piercing. There’s something simple and genuine about all the songs, and their earnest sound (yes, including the mariachi horns) will let you forgive the upcoming disappointment and listen to the album a second time (possibly more) without resentment.

While I Shovel the Snow is the main plateux of the album, where nothing seems to be happening, especially in comparison to the momentum in songs from the first half of Lisbon. It’s somewhat of a let down as The Walkmen seem to ignore the contrasting dynamics of songs such as Angela Surf City and Blue as Your Blood, which is what really makes the album. Listening to the last few songs on Lisbon just feels like a poorly staged concert where all the energetic songs are played at the start to get the crowed going, and all the lullabies are played at the end of the to serenade sleepy attendants to their cars. The song Lisbon itself is a big step away from The Walkmen fans knew from their biggest hit The Rat in 2004. It’s a decent song, but not worthy of being deemed the albums title.

Lisbon is a far lighter album than their earlier Bows + Arrows and You & Me, but with the same regal feel expected of The Walkmen and their use of trumpet processionals, vintage instruments and upright pianos. Combining what sounds like garage and folk (unsurprising as Chris Zane, Mumford &Sons producer also produced this album), The Walkmen return to their original roots as members from garage/indie bands Jonathan Fire*Eater and The Recoys. 

WHY YOU SHOULD GO TO BIG DAY OUT

Written by Michael Bird

                                                        

Sure it’s more or less moot at this point, as tickets for Big Day Out 2011 sold out in about 30 seconds, but it’s worth reminding ourselves why Big Day Out remains the Australian festival despite competition from Splendour, Falls, et al.

Where else would you hear:

Australian bands like Silverchair, Grinspoon and Powderfinger time and time again. Even when they’re not touring so much or jet out of the country for most of the year, there are some Aussie bands who have become regulars on the main stages (eventually), and you could pretty much trace the evolution of a band like Powderfinger by taking a look at their BDO shows. You could also trace the evolution of Daniel John’s hair, which is just as interesting. Outside of grassroots festivals, it’s hard to find an event in Australia that continues to showcase Australian rock like Big Day Out.

Political hoo-ha that everyone actually cares about. The infamous flag ban of 2007 ignited debate right across the social spectrum, with political heavyweights getting into it almost as much as the topless steroid guy who debated freedom of expression with you in line at the port-a-loos. Jet performed their set against an Australian Flag backdrop, and while not many people were offended by the flag, Jet’s music remains highly offensive to this day. 

Cedric’s sheep rant. Their truncated 2001 set is well worth checking out on its own merits (seriously, check it out on Youtube, Arc Arsenal is fucking insane), but perhaps the most memorable part of At the Drive-In’s Sydney performance was front man Cedric Bixler-Zavala insulting first the press gallery and then a large portion of the crowd in a bizarre anti-mosh rant. Taking issue with the amount of crowd-surfing that was going on, Bixler gesticulated, made some vaguely racist comments and then bleated like a sheep before the whole band left the stage. Tellingly, teenager Jessica Michalik was killed in the Limp Bizkit mosh later that day, in perhaps the darkest moment for the festival, adding a touch of prophecy to At the Drive In’s set.

YOUNG HERETICS - Purple Sneakers, Melbourne 19/11/2010

Text and Photos by Matthew Hallett
                                                                   

As the crowd gathered in anticipation of what was to come, beverages were consumed and cameras were at the ready. Word seems to be spreading of how amazing Melbourne duo Kitty Hart and Matthew Wright aka Young Heretics really are. As they setup their instruments, they look well-dressed and ready to go, along with the aid of a bass player and drummer; Young Heretics begin playing, their confidence and conviction highly evident throughout the night.

They opened with two new songs, which had more of a rock feel than some of the duo’s usual warped pop songs. The crowd was instantly hooked in, enthralled by what they were witnessing. That’s what is great about Young Heretics; their music contains so many different elements and is so unique that it draws you in. Their sound was a lot larger and more filled-out compared to their debut album ‘We are the Lost Loves’. Yet among all the great sounds and the hypnotisingly-brilliant stage presence (on what was a relatively small stage) the stand out factor was the duo’s amazing ability to harmonise so beautifully, even with the wall of sound from other instruments.

Fans were treated to the emphatic Risk/Loss and the stunning We are the Lost Loves, as well as another new song which Kitty called The Lion King Song announcing this would also be on a future album. Probably the biggest highlight of the night the set closer Bones of a Rabbit, a song that just continues to build, with beautiful harmonies and vocals that soar high into the heavens, taking you on an incredible journey, capped off by the duo’s floor-tom and cymbal attack at the end which was also enthralling to watch.

It was a shame the set was relatively brief because Young Heretics are an incredible live act with a brilliant set of songs, and with a taste of what is to come on album number two, one can truly be excited about what lies ahead for Young Heretics.

PAUL DEMPSEY - The Corner Hotel, Richmond 8/10/2010

Written by Matthew Hallett
Photos by Timothy Casten
                                                        

After spending some time in the US, writing and gigging, Paul Dempsey was welcomed home to an enthusiastic crowd at the Corner Hotel. The show sold out within weeks of going on sale, with patrons clustered together as far and wide as the walls could withhold. Dempsey was greeted by a warm reception upon taking to the stage, a reception that would only get warmer as the night carried on.

The setting was intimate and raw, with Paul using only an acoustic guitar and his captivating voice to showcase his talent and tell stories through song. The atmosphere was almost that of a friend’s party. There was a sense of familiarity and there were no barriers whatsoever between Dempsey on stage and the punters in the audience, with Dempsey regularly making conversation and banter.


There were quite a few hecklers but their comments were either praise or just silly jokes, again making it feel as if it were a mate’s party or something. Dempsey dealt with the hecklers well, often cracking jokes, but then his ability to go from joking and having everybody laughing, to a serious, pensive song within seconds and have the whole crowd captivated so that you could hear a pin drop was sheer brilliance.

Dempsey played all but one song from his solo album ‘Everything is True’, with highlights including Bird in a Basement, Perfectly Numb, Bats and Ramona was a Waitress. It was great to hear these songs in their rawest forms, no doubt bringing the songs back to how they were first conceived – just a guitar and voice. Other highlights included seeing support act Mike Noga (the Drones) play harmonica and sing with Dempsey on Man of the Moment as well as Dempsey doing a cover of MGMT’s Time to Pretend which was well-received by the crowd.

The cheers after each song seemed to become progressively louder as the night went on. Paul played a couple of new songs including We’ll Never Work In This Town Again as well as a brand new track written in the US (could possibly end up on the next SFK album which is a work in progress). Of course there were some Something for Kate songs in the mix such as Kaplan/Thornhill, Asleep at the Wheel, and The Last Minute, and with no setlist Dempsey just played whatever he chose in whatever order.

After one encore Dempsey came back for a second, urging that he is not the ‘former’ Something for Kate frontman and the band is very much still alive and kicking. With this he closed with a stirring rendition of Beautiful Sharks, much to the delight of the crowd who showed Dempsey warmth, love and support throughout the whole night, which Dempsey seemed truly grateful for, and truly grateful to be home.    

  

Saskia Sansom

Mike Noga

SILVERSUN PICKUPS - The Corner Hotel, Melbourne 28/09/2010

Written by Kim Larkin 

Photo by Timothy Casten

                                                

Being far less aquatinted to Silversun Pickups that I should have been, considering I was going to see them play live and everyone hates the fan that doesn’t really know the band, did leave me apprehensive of what I was expecting to see. I knew Lazy eye, and I knew it was at the Corner, (although stereotypical) of my favourite venues, so I thought I knew enough to sufficiently enjoy it. And I was right.

Their first tour in Australia for three years, Silversun Pickups centered the ‘slightly-larger-than-the-other-one’ stage and began their extended set. Kicking off the intimate gig, frontman Brian Aubert lost all timidness after his first reverberating riff, which consumed and bewitched the crowd. The showmanship of Aubert, really the main performer, was an odd mixture of consideration and respect for the crowd, and the ability to walk alongside the stage while strumming like mad, occasionally reaching out for hands to hold and shake. The crowd, already energised from supporting band Papa vs Pretty, were utterly taken by Aubert, the only heckles and shouts being ones of love and admiration (and football finals), to which were not just well received, but were responded to as conversations between band and fan arose.

What can I say? The set was solid. Silversun pickups were professionals and were no suffers of stage fright. It had the same feeling of seeing your friends band play at a gig, expect your mates didn’t have a sold out show and weren't from the US. All those years of the ‘pickups playing in their garage has completely paid off as hearing them live was just like hearing Swoon through super surround sound. The occasional difference being the extended guitar solos, which often led to spontaneous pedal play by Aubert.

The one fault of the night had to be the overuse of distortion. It was like a boiling kettle right next to your head inbetween songs. At first I presumed it was possibly a failure on the sound man’s part, but that was naive of me. It was very apparent that the band chose to manipulate the distortions, and the ringing of the ears became the main souvenir of the night. Not the t-shirt.

But that can be overlooked, because when the room wasn’t swirling in high-pitched, high-voltage, electric squealing, the music was energetic and together and Silversun Pickups made you forget that prior to Lazy Eye (the obvious crowd favourite) blowing your mind, you head was about to implode.

ALBUM REVIEW: Weezer - Hurley

(released on Epitaph, 2010)

Review by: Michael Bird

                                            

3.5/5

Weezer seem to want to tie themselves to their past, or at least let it be known that they have a perception of themselves as a band over time. There’s a fair amount of self-referential content to most of their albums, and there’s no reason to release more than one self-titled album unless you’re interested calling attention to the shifting shape of your own band. Hurley was going to be self-titled (again), apparently, until Rivers and Co. realised that people would just call it ‘the Hurley album’ anyway in reference to the cover, and it’s clear that this latest offering is still Weezer on Weezer, but thankfully in a more enjoyable form than the last few records the group has put out.

Rivers is a master of the niche Weezer occupies in alternative music, and Hurley showcases his capacity for catchy choruses, lyrics that are humorous but still introspective, and a bizarre knack for throwing about cultural references that might seem immediately dated or opportunistic coming from anyone else. Michael Cera, wearing his Scott Pilgrim pants, guests on ‘Hang On’. Nine out of ten bands would be ridiculed for this move on the grounds that it compromises the album’s artistic integrity, cashes in on a fad, blah blah blah, but Weezer somehow remain the effortlessly cool kids at your house party who are allowed to sing the ‘Fresh Prince’ theme without being dorky or ‘scene’, they’re just above it all.

With this in mind the strange collaborations, Youtube obsession and seriously, SERIOUSLY hip album name/cover shouldn’t have much of a bearing on how the album is received. It’s all just Weezer being Weezer, and no matter how aware the band wants you to be of how aware they are of how you perceive them, in the end it should be (at least mostly) about the music. Hurley does call back to the beloved early Weezer albums a bit more than Raditude or Make Believe, and this is definitely a welcome change. ‘Where’s My Sex’ is as dweebishly rockin’ as anything off Pinkerton, and there are definitely echoes of the offhand sort of irreverence Weezer used to exude throughout Hurley. The guitars are plenty rough, and the hooks (Memories) are about as memorable as they used to be.

It’s probably a mistake to take Cuomo’s lyrics particularly seriously, so to characterise Hurleymeasured album, insofar as fans of the power-pop, party time Weezer should be just as satisfied as fans of the more experimental, grown up Weezer (if there are any). The latter half of the album does venture off into some strange sonic spaces, especially the closing Time Flies, but not at the expense of the power chords and shout-along choruses you know Weezer can deliver. It’s not the Blue Album by any stretch, but it shouldn’t have to be. Hurley is a return to form for Weezer, and a damn good time. as a ‘mature’ album might be unwarranted. It’s definitely a more

ALBUM REVIEW: Philip Selway - Familial

(released on Bella Union, 2010)

Review by Michael Bird

                                              
2/5

It’s hard to approach a solo album from a member of any band without some preconceptions, especially when the band is a capital ‘B’ band like Radiohead. You assume (rightly or wrongly) that the record might be an attempt to either cash in on or distance oneself from the output of the band, and often you simply know too much about the person putting the album out and it unfairly colours your opinions.

Of course, it’s unlikely that Phil Selway would want or need to cash in on anything at this stage in his career, and it seems equally unlikely that he’d want to distance himself from Radiohead’s sound (whatever exactly that is). Being a fairly quiet member of a somewhat private band, it might also be the case that we don’t know enough about him to write the album off completely. Personally, all I know about Phil Selway is that he seems polite and reserved, he can keep time and he plays in a band with Thom Yorke. Having said that, after giving Phil’s debut solo effort Familial several spins, I would sum it up as polite, reserved and partially about Thom Yorke (it is also largely in time, but that’s not so interesting).

Selway opts for largely acoustic, stripped back and muted instrumentation and production, and the album remains staunchly pop throughout (think Finn brothers pop though, not Damien Rice). It’s personal sort of content, I suppose, but personal vague and forgettable terms. It’s easier to characterise Familial in terms of what it isn’t than what it is, and despite the presence of some whispers, sparse acoustic guitars and earnest self-assessment, Bon Iver it ain’t. It ain’t Iron and Wine either, and perhaps where Selway falls down is in sticking too close to a safe formula, refusing to push any boundaries at all in any direction, ultimately making Familial a completely forgettable exercise.

‘By Some Miracle’ and ‘Broken Promises’ are highlights insofar as the album has any highlights, where Selway proves he can do more vocally than contribute the occasional backing to Yorke. Several songs seem to reference Radiohead and Yorke in particular (‘All Eyes on You’ might be introspective or a study of Yorke from behind the kit), and this is where one of the disadvantages of taking a break from a successful band to release a solo album surfaces. The world does not need any more famous people complaining about being famous, not even if they’re mild mannered drummers. The songs themselves are entirely inoffensive musically, but by the time it’s “So frail and small, so scared you’re terrified by all” and “We’ll turn out the lights, we just want a simple life”, the line from earnest to tedious and whiny is crossed and much of the appeal of the album is lost. 

What Selway chooses to do on Familial he does well enough; he has decent control over a decent voice, he can pick his way through some occasionally interesting chords with ease, and the polished production of the album suits a quiet, intimate half hour (most of the songs are quite short) with an able singer/songwriter. The problem however, is that there just isn’t enough of anything to make the album interesting.

CHILDREN COLLIDE - The Corner Hotel, Richmond 02/09/2010

Text by Matthew Hallett

Photos (in-text) by Matthew Hallet

Photos (below article) by Creep Box Photography [link] 

                                                                                                   

Momentum is not always a word associated with live shows these days. So often bands simply play with idle breaks in-between songs peppered throughout a show that refuses to build anywhere or amount to something astounding. The art of achieving a well-structured live show is half the problem.

Children Collide encountered no such problem in just the second show of their ‘Theory of Everything’ national tour. The eager crowd erupted as the curtains parted, and Frontman Johnny Mackay greeted the fanfare with a hushed “Shut up” which was the first glimpse of a sense of humour prevalent throughout the night. The Melbourne lads began playing an instrumental jam, with the opening song being anyone’s guess, before Johnny launched into the surf-rock riff of Chosen Armies followed by Across the Earth and Jellylegs which received a very warm reception from the grateful crowd.

Throughout the night Johnny would crack jokes, and interact with punters showing an amicable side, that isn’t always present in a live show. He was clearly grateful for the crowd’s interaction and enthusiasm joking, “You guys obviously didn’t get the memo about Melbourne audiences standing there with their arms folded”.

The energy from the Children Collide boys was electrifying onstage and they kept the momentum going through little jams and ditties that bridged directly from one song into another, but there was still a healthy amount of banter, jokes, & responses to punters that made it a truly interactive and intimate show.

Skeleton Dance was probably one of the highlights of the show with its infectious groove and the crowd emphatically chanting “hey” during the bridge. Farewell Rocketship­ prompted a mass sing-along from punters, and My Eagle went down a treat. Although the set was only an hour in duration, not a minute was wasted, and by the end nothing was left wanting from a truly satisfying show that felt a lot longer than it really was, due to a well-structured setlist flowing perfectly between old and new material, as well as a healthy dose of Mackay’s warm personality. 

Children Collide

Opening for Children Collide were Howl and Teen Archer