Perth Music

With their debut album Postcards just released, Sydneysiders Sparkadia have been embraced as the new darlings of the UK press scene, with influential music mag NME declaring that frontman Alex Burnett’s voice “is like having warm honey poured in your ears”.

The four-piece have been traversing the UK playing festivals like Glastonbury, T in the Park, Wireless, Oxygen and V, and have shows in Spain, France and Germany all coming up. They’ll then return to Australia for a huge national run of dates with Faker in September before kicking off the Australian summer at Homebake.

It’s been a huge year for Sparkadia. Postcards hit the ARIA album chart at an impressive #23 and was chosen as triple j’s feature album, the band toured with Jimmy Eat World, Vampire Weekend and The Thrills before selling out their own Australian headline tour. Now with the UK press behind them, they’re set to take on the world.

New single Jealousy has just hit radio and TV, with a slightly controversial video clip doing its best to engage and confuse viewers. Wedding cake anyone? Watch it here: www.youtube.com/ivyleaguerecords and judge for yourself what’s really going on…

Postcards also features the singles ‘Too Much To Do‘, ‘Morning Light‘ and ‘Animals‘, and is already being hailed by some local critics as one of the year’s best records:

Sparkadia w/ Faker + Snob Scrilla
Thur 4th September – Prince Of Wales, Bunbury, WA
Fri 5th September – Metro City, Perth, WA
Sat 6th September – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River WA
Fri 12th September – Forum Theatre, Melbourne, VIC
Sat 13th September – Wrestpoint Showroom, Hobart, TAS
Sun 14th September – HQ, Adelaide, SA
Thur 18th September – The Tivoli, Brisbane, QLD
Fri 19th September – Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast, QLD
Sat 20th September – Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW (licensed and all ages)

One of the less orthodox bands spawned by the post-Libertines London music scene, the Mystery Jets started at the end of the last century when Blaine Harrison and his dad, Henry, formed a band together. Soon joined by Blaine’s school friends Kai and Will, the band recruited drummer Kapil and started staging gigs in a crumbling hotel ballroom on Eel Pie Island. Their second album Twenty One has just been released in Australia and frontman Blaine Harrison caught up with Justin Middleton for this exclusive interview.

Click here to download the podcast of the entire interview. (13:12 - 3.0Mb)

I asked Blaine if he is looking forward to see how the Australian public will accept the bands second album given many have not heard of the band too much before now.  “Yeah I am excited. We’ve been going for a long, long time. I started the band with William, my dad, when I was eight years old so it was a long, long, long time ago. I can’t work out exactly how many years, I’m not very good at math. I’d say things got more serious and focused when we left school and did a couple of tours off our own back. We eventually got the line up that we have today and we started putting on our own parties really as a response to not wanting to go down the traditional pub circuit. That seems to be the route that most bands don’t really have a choice but to go down and that essentially involved charging your friends money to see you at shitty pubs with shitty sound and overpriced alcohol. That seemed like the exact opposite of what we wanted to do at the time. Instead we put on our own parties and eventually they picked up and lots of friends bands that played eventually established themselves and a lot of them got signed. We kind of decided that our work was done and we signed ourselves to 679 Records and got our first album, Making Dens, out in 2006.”

“Twenty One is our second album and we wrote it across the course of about 18 months, maybe a year and put it out early this year in England. With the first album the songs you end up releasing are generally the songs that you have got people’s attention with and it’s really just a case of rounding the album off. But definitely with the second album we had to think a little bit harder and think about what we wanted to say. We toured the hell out of the first album and really went for it on the road so by the end of touring we all felt creatively starved. Henry, my dad, wrote a lot of the lyrics for the first album and William wrote a lot of the music but after touring we all felt like there were things we wanted to say and things we were learning and that kind of resulted in Twenty One.”

With everyone in the band contributing to Twenty One I asked Blaine if it felt different and foreign in creating the album.  “It is kind of a thematic album really. A lot of the songs I think really fit together and they all kind of sit under that umbrella of first love and having your heart broken for the first time. We all bring different things to the table, a lot of the lyrics come from Henry and myself and musically William is still, in a way, the driving force but a lot of the other stuff is equally important: the arrangements, and the kind of clothes you put the songs in. A lot of the songs are pop songs at the bottom of them but they are in some kind of disguise and I think that is something we have learnt to manipulate on the second album.”

The band are still young so I asked Blaine if it was hard creating pop songs or if it felt quite natural and easy.  “I don’t think initially it was really. We didn’t really grow up with pop music, we are 90’s kids and although what was going on in England at the time was Brit-pop and all that kind of stuff, I think we kind of grew up in our own bubble. My dad plays a lot of prog, a lot of Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Genesis and that sort of stuff and we were teased a lot about it at school. But that was what we really wanted to do and growing up pop music was an unnatural ground for us to cover. With the second album we felt like we wanted to do that and we wanted to go out on a limb and try and do something we had never done before. Likewise with the next album, I think we will try and explore something that does feel completely new. That is the only way you can not trap yourself and not bury yourself in a hole.”

Young Love

Twenty One is out now. For more info on Mystery Jets visit www.mysteryjets.com

Since their inception in 2007, Harlequin League have wasted no time in forging a reputation as one of the most exciting new acts to come out of Perth in recent months. This August will see Harlequin League cement their progression through the ranks with the release of their highly anticipated, debut EP We Used To Be Gods, Now We’re So Plain.

To celebrate the impending release, Harlequin League will be showcasing tunes off their new EP at an all-ages and absolutely free event as part of Triple J’s live @ The Wireless this Sunday 3 August, at The Fly By Night in Fremantle with Birds Of Tokyo and Abbe May.

With the debut EP being recorded by respected Melbourne producer Woody Annison (Children Collide, Red Riders, Rocket Science, Dardanelles), Harlequin League’s first official recorded effort represents a melting pot of influences. Mixing gritty post-punk with ambient undertones and channeling the eclectic pop of the UK new wave, We Used To Be Gods, Now We’re So Plain represents the next phase in Harlequin League’s career.

Sun 3rd August - Triple J’s Live @ The Wireless at The Fly By Night, Fremantle - with Birds Of Tokyo and Abbe May
Thur 7th August - Deville’s Pad, Perth - with special guests TBA

For more info visit www.myspace.com/harlequinleague.  Harlequin League’s debut EP to be released August 2008, on Good Cop Bad Cop Records.

The time has finally arrived. Anyone that has seen Bliss N Eso live before can attest to the fact that not only are they the most dynamic live hip-hop group in the country but are also one of the most incredible live acts that you will see in your life.  It’s been two years since the group’s notorious, nationwide sell-out tour, and Bliss N Eso have decided their starved fans have been waiting long enough, as they hit the road through September, October and November.Since Bliss N Eso were last on the road, they have released the biggest album of their career, Flying Colours  which has propelled the group into unchartered territory. The album debuted in the top 10 on the ARIA chart and, shortly after, the group caused a riot at one of the most infamous MySpace Secret Shows in the country and were announced on this year’s Splendour in the Grass line-up. The anticipation for this tour has reached boiling point.

Equipped with a  new set-list featuring old favorites, as well as the hits off Flying Colours, an incredible new stage and production set-up, and a legion of fans that have been holding their breath for this very announcement – this tour is destined to become one that the lucky attendees will be reminiscing about for years to come.

Tour Dates:
supported by Motley(UK) & Mind Over Matter unless stated
Thur 4th September - The Pub, Bendigo
Fri 5th September - Prince of Wales, Melbourne
Sat 6th September - Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Fri 12th September - Roi Bar, Albury
Sat 13th September - Westernport Hotel, Phillip Island
Fri 19th September - Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour + Mind Over Matter & Choose Mics
Sat 20th September - Yamba Bowling Club, Yamba + Mind Over Matter & Choose Mics
Thur 25th September - Tomba’s Nightclub, Toowoomba + Motley(UK), Mind Over Matter & Choose Mics
Fri 26th September - The Zoo, Brisbane + Motley(UK), Mind Over Matter & Choose Mics
Sat 27th September - Sands Tavern, Sunshine Coast + Motley(UK), Mind Over Matter & Choose Mics
Thur 2nd October - Great Northern, Byron Bay + Motley(UK), Mind Over Matter & Choose Mics
Fri 10th October - Cambridge, Newcastle
Sat 11th October - Woodport Inn, Erina
Fri 17th October - Enmore Theatre, Sydney (Licensed All Ages) + Downsyde, Phrase & Flagrant, Motley(UK) & Mind Over Matter
Fri 24th October - Bombay Rock, Townsville + Phrase & Flagrant & Choose Mics
Sat 25th October - Cadence Nightclub, Cairns + Phrase & Flagrant & Choose Mics
Thur 30th October - Players Bar, Mandurah + Phrase & Flagrant, Bentman & Sipn
Fri 31st October - Settlers Tavern, Margaret River + Phrase & Flagrant, Bentman & Sipn
Sat 1st November - Capitol, Perth + Phrase & Flagrant, Bentman & Sipn
Sat 8th November - The Gov, Adelaide (Licensed All Ages)
Fri 14th November - UNI Bar, Hobart
Sat 15th November - Batman Fawkner
Sun 16th November - YouthArk, Hobart (Under 18s)

Tickets on sale 31st July. For more info/tickets head to www.myspace.com/blissneso

Mammal’s debut studio album The Majority is set for release on August 30 and they want you to participate in the explosive spectacle that is Mammal live as they launch the album around the country.

The Majority was recorded with Eric Sarafin (Ben Harper, Pharcyde) in the producer’s chair at Melbourne’s Sing Sing Studios, and was mixed and mastered in Los Angeles.

Mammal earned their stripes throughout 2007/08 on a never ending diet of pub gigs, local supports (Cog, The Butterfly Effect, Karnivool and Shihad), international supports (Kiss, Avenged Sevenfold, Hell Yeah, Sebastian Bach, Dry Kill Logic) as well as playing the cream of Australia’s rock festivals, taking fans at Big Day Out, Overcranked, Homebake, Bass in the Grass, Pyramid Rock, Groovin’ the Moo, Bass in the Dust and Off the Tracks festivals hostage with their infectious manifesto and unparalleled musical muscle.

In an industry typified by manufactured hype, management nepotism and the transparent agendas of major labels, Mammal is a rarity. Independent, loud, proud, and making a big noise. A visceral alloy of prog, punk and raw rock, Mammal are forward-thinking and forward moving.

See Mammal defy gravity at a venue near you:
Fri 12th September - Enigma Bar, Adelaide
Fri 19th September - The Corner Hotel, Richmond
Sat 20th September - The Zoo, Fortitude Valley
Fri 26th September - Annandale Hotel, Annandale
Sat 27th September - Prince of Wales, Bunbury
Sun 28th September - Amplifier Bar, Perth

Tickets for all shows go on sale as of Thursday 31st of July. Via OZTIX: www.oztix.com.au or via MAMMAL: www.mammal.oztix.com.au

On Sunday 27th July 2008, the world’s biggest live music event is coming to Perth!

The Global Battle of the Bands (GBOB) Challenge 2008 is hitting up every nook and cranny of Australasia to unearth the best band in the territory, so they can be flown to the UK to battle it out for the 1st prize of US$100,000. And GBOB is heading to Perth to dig up the very best in Western Australian talent.

The tyranny of distance will for the first time work in the favour of Western Australians. The reason being that the Perth Heat has been rated as not only a local qualifier, but also a Regional Final. Thus, the winner of the Perth Heat will not have to attend a secondary play-off to qualify for the Australasian National Final – they will go straight through to the National Final, held at the Hilton’s State Room in Sydney.

To add to this amazing opportunity, each member of the winning band will be showered with prizes, including a pair of the coveted Chuck Taylor Converse Shoes (a must in any musician’s wardrobe), a bag of goodies from Ernie Ball and a Fuji Z20 Digital Camera.

All Regional Final winners will be included in press releases to GBOB’s network of major music industry players and sponsors, which include Channel [V] and Triple M. Channel V will be broadcasting footage of the bands at the Australasian Final as well as following them to the World Final in London, and the winner of the Australasian Final will be featured across the Triple M network.

So bands, pay attention – US$100,000 and international fame could be yours. Don’t miss out on your chance to be the winner of the GBOB Challenge 2008. Just head to www.gbob.com, follow the Australia links and you’re on your way!

Register your band NOW for your chance to win the biggest band competition the world has ever seen.

On Sunday, 3 August, Triple J is getting festive in Fremantle with three of WA’s best live acts.  Local heroes Birds Of Tokyo headline a huge Live at the Wireless at The Fly By Night with special guests Abbe May, and Harlequin League. The Triple J live music magicians will be there to record the entire show with boisterous support from a few hundred lucky Sandgropers.

The best part is that it’s all-ages and absolutely free!   We’ve also got an esky full of drinks, and a fist full of VIP double passes to hang out with the bands (and Triple J’s Rosie Beaton) after the show. Be listening from Friday 3pm on Dools & Linda this Friday and all next week to find out how to get your hands on one.

This is gonna be massive, so get there early to nab your place.

Triple J Live at the Wireless
with Birds of Tokyo, Abbe May, and Harlequin League
Sunday 3 August 2008
Fly By Night, Fremantle
Doors at 2pm
Free and All-Ages

***Update***

Please note that because of the venue’s liquor licence, this event must now be ticketed. The only way to see this stellar line-up is by winning tickets by listening to triple j or signing up to jmail.

It’s rare for a musician to hold an influence in the music world for over twenty years. It’s rare for a musician to excel as frontman in one of the most respected bands of all time, and solo artist in their own right. But Black Francis has, and is set to headline shows in Fremantle, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne this September/October – his first in over a decade.

This tour will see Black Francis perform in support of his two most recent releases; 2007’s Bluefinger and 2008’s mini-album Svn Fngrs. Boisterous and meticulous, Bluefinger and Svn Fngrs have announced to the world that Black Francis’ songwriting and performance skills are as potent as ever.

Bluefinger – speculated to be the material originally ear-marked for the Pixies’ new record - sees Black Francis at the top of his game. Dutch artist Herman Brood – the man widely considered to be the epitome of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll - is heavily referenced through the album, continuing Black Francis’ penchant for expressing his unique take on the world.

It’s been over a decade since Black Francis last played headline shows in Australia. Tickets to see Black Francis play as part of the Pixies in 2007 sold out in a frenzy. You don’t need svn fngrs to figure out what the equation will be in 2008.

Tickets are on sale Wednesday 30 July.

Tour Dates:
Sun 28th September - Metropolis, Fremantle WA - www.moshtix.com.au
Mon 29th September - HQ Complex, Adelaide SA - www.venutix.com.au
Wed 1st October - Arena, Brisbane QLD - www.ticketek.com.au
Thur 2nd October - Forum Theatre, Melbourne VIC - www.ticketek.com.au

After spending much of 2006 in the midst of a turbulent tour cycle surrounding their Grammy-nominated album Plans, US Indie rockers Death Cab For Cutie took a well-deserved break during the first part of 2007. Each member of the band did their own thing; frontman Ben Gibbard embarked on his first-ever solo tour, guitarist Chris Walla released a solo album and produced records for acts like Tegan And Sara, drummer Jason McGerr constructed his own recording studio, Two Sticks, and bassist Nick Harmer worked on various projects. Plans was a collection of firsts for the band – Death Cab’s first album for a major label; the first disc to feature songwriting contributions from someone other than Gibbard; the first Death Cab disc recorded with the same drummer as the one before – but now in 2008 their new album, Narrow Stairs, feels more like home. Getting ready to tour Australia, guitarist Chis Walla caught up with Justin Middleton for this exclusive interview.

“It didn’t really feel that different coming into writing and recording the new album as it has other albums. I guess the band now has a grip on the process of making music. Ben (Gibbard) writes the skeleton of the songs and brings them into the studio where each of us pull apart different parts of the song, kind of deconstruct each part and then reconstruct it and the end result is something we are all happy with” Chris explained.

I asked Chris how the band felt coming into writing and recording this album after the great success of their last album, Plans. “After the success of Plans we each took about seven months off and just kind of did solitary things. I don’t think we even saw each other in that seven months so it was a pleasure to get back together for this album. We are a band and great friends but after touring and touring and living in each other’s pockets it was good to take a break from each other. When we got back into the swing of things it seemed we had a yearning to almost explode and I think that created the rockier side of things on this album. When we finished recording there was particular power to the music and something we weren’t conscious of was the rock side we were capable of.”

“A third of the album was recorded at Two Sticks, a third at Alberta Court and a third at Tiny Telephone Studios. We recorded at the different studios on purpose for a few reasons. Two Sticks is not a huge studio, in fact it is more like half a house than a studio, and that does not lead to huge sounds. We concentrated more on rhythms and getting the detail right in that session where as at Tiny Telephone we were able to rock out and that studio allowed us to get everything out of our system. In a way the songs on the album contain themselves individually but the album as a whole also contains itself” Chris said, explaining the recording process of Narrow Stairs.

When asked how the band handled the great reception of the new album and how much of a surprise it was when Narrow Stairs debuted at number 1 on the US Charts, Chris replied “It was definitely a surprise but we don’t really care about that sort of stuff. I don’t want to sound ungrateful or anything, it was really nice but it’s not like a cultural marker or anything. It’s not 1986 and we are not Bon Jovi. We create music for music’s sake and not to rise up the charts.”

I asked Chris how well the album has come out sounding in the live show and what we can expect when they tour Australia in August. “It was very easy transferring these songs to the live show. It was great and something we were conscious of while recording. With Plans we spent about two weeks after recording just scratching our heads trying to figure out how we were going to convert the album into the live show. With Narrow Stairs there is a live feel to the recording so it was perfect for playing the songs live as well. We recorded on two inch tapes so there isn’t room for a lot of overdubs or tracks, we forced ourselves to record almost like we were playing a live show. We are really looking forward to coming to Australia, we have loved touring there in the past and it feels almost like a holiday when we are there.”

Tour Dates:
Sun 17th August - The Palace, Melbourne VIC - SOLD OUT
Mon 18th August - The Enmore, Newtown NSW - SOLD OUT
Wed 20th August - Metropolis, Fremantle WA - SOLD OUT
Fri 22nd August - The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley QLD - SOLD OUT

Narrow Stairs is out now. For more info on Death Cab For Cutie visit www.deathcabforcutie.com

The first music festival of the summer has been announced with The Cruel Sea headlining the bill on November 29 at King’s Park.  You can expect to hear all your favourites including The Honeymoon Is Over, Black Stick, Better Get A Lawyer and This Is Not The Way Home. Get ready for an unforgettable night, it’s Tex and the boys’ first headline show in Perth since their hiatus a few years back and they’re sounding sharper than ever!

Co-headliner Ben Lee is no stranger to these shores. One of Australia’s most successful ever independent artists, Lee’s shows are famous for crowd singalongs to classics like We’re All In This Together, Catch My Disease, Cigarettes Will Kill You, and Gamble Everything For Love as well as hits from his acclaimed latest record Ripe.

Local hero Bob Evans has a new single and new album on the way and will no doubt combine some sneak peeks from this hotly anticipated release alongside faves from his ARIA award winning Suburban Songbook, like Don’t You Think It’s Time and Nowhere Without You.

Escape to the Park Schedule:
4.00pm: Gates Open
4.45pm: Abbe May & The Rockin’ Pneumonia
5.35pm: Kate Miller-Heidke
6.40pm: Bob Evans
7.45pm: Ben Lee
9.05pm: The Cruel Sea

Tickets on sale Thursday 24 July 2008 from Ticketmaster. Tickets are $70 or $80 . Ticketmaster pre-sale from 18 July.