Category Archives: Review

Crow “Arcane” – LP Review

Review: Lana Harris

  Deep in the American south, legends about crossroads abound. It is said that if you stand at a crossroads and wait there until midnight, a man (or the devil in the guise of a man) will appear who will imbibe you with phenomenal guitar playing abilities (and the women, money and fame that come with it). All that for the rather reasonable cost of your soul. Nowadays we know that’s not true, because there are plenty of people who have immense amounts of money, sex and fame that got gypped on the talented part.

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Sutra @ The Playhouse (Brisbane Festival), 8th September 2010 – Live Review

Review: Lana Harris

[Image courtesy Brisbane Festival – Photo Credit: Hugo Glendinning]

Bodies twirling through the air, gravity defying leaps and rod straight limbs in perfect turns: the Shaolin monks have come to town. Part of a new contemporary dance performance, their fighting skills are being used to story tell and entertain in another’s vision.

Artist Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is the man who has married the martial with the contemporary, travelling to China to live with and learn from the monks. His involvement in the temple life must have been deep and overwhelmingly positive: not only has Cherkaoui managed to capture the monks centuries old, tradition honed skills and use them effectively in a modern, western performance style, he convinced them to leave their Buddhist temple and to perform as part of the Brisbane Festival.
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Bonfire Nights “Bonfire Nights” EP Review

Review: Victoria Nugent

  Bonfire Nights are relative newcomers to the Brisbane music scene, but they are truly carving out their own distinct style. Stephen Foster and Ruth Nitkiewicz took the step of joining forces musically earlier this year, with great results. This rocking duo makes music that’s a little bit different from the usual indie pop fare, with great boy girl vocal dynamics, switching with ease between slow harmonic pop and no holds barred indie rock.

“Own Worst Enemy” is pure dark rock, full of low, dirty-sounding intonations, edgy guitar riffs, a short

eerie intro and punchy vocals. “Leave Yourself Open” is slower with great harmonies between Foster and Nitkiewicz, with harmonica woven into almost hypnotic instrumentals. Continue reading Bonfire Nights “Bonfire Nights” EP Review →

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Cantina @ The Spiegeltent (Brisbane Festival) 5th September 2010 – Live Review

Review: Lana Harris

[Image courtesy Brisbane Festival]

Have you heard the one about the Spiegeltent? A girl and a guy walk into this travelling bar – a pointy topped sphere shaped by mirrors, wood and glass. Golden poles, blood red velvet curtains swooping overhead, low lighting and dancing shadows. Smoky. Drinks service on the curve, booths hugging the circumference. A big-top boudoir with an audience.

The girl and the guy start out cautious in this ringmaster’s playground. They clamber carefully onto the high wire – wobble and steady, wobble and steady. She wears a pair of lasciviously red heels as she teeters. The shoes return sporadically throughout the acts, as do the scene setting ukulele and tinkling pianola. Music through out invokes alternately past, present and future – offered in no particular order. Subject to whims and acrobatics, time periods depart and return often.
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French Breakfast on The Goodwill Bridge (Brisbane Festival) – 5th September 2010 – Live Review

Review: Lana Harris

  Is knitting French? The first glimpses of the Goodwill a la Paris show a portaloo covered in crochet and various other styles of weaved wool, ministered to by a lady who appears to be wearing a full pants suit made of crochet squares. Disappointingly, up close this is just a pattern on ordinary

fabric. The knitting display continues onto the bridge, incorporating the French theme with some knitted croissants.
Continue reading French Breakfast on The Goodwill Bridge (Brisbane Festival) – 5th September 2010 – Live Review →

Brisbane, event, Festival, Review

Michael Paynter @ The Prince Bandroom, Melbourne – 2 September 2010 w/ Ryan Meeking & Stonefield – Photo Gallery & Review

Photographer: Naomi Rahim

Click the image to view the photo gallery
Michael Paynter

[Photo: Naomi Rahim]

Melbourne singer-songwriter Michael Paynter played The Prince Bandroom for the launch of his new-ish EP, Love The Fall. Paynter took to the stage with gusto and vibrancy, eager to please his audience. His performance style was positive and honest, banter humble yet friendly, whilst his vocals were as much at home on ballads “Crave” and “Novocaine”, as they were on pop-rock tracks such as “Love The Fall”. Notable mention should be made of his frantic rock cover of Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel”, which maintained the energetic momentum of the show.


[Photo: Naomi Rahim]
Continue reading Michael Paynter @ The Prince Bandroom, Melbourne – 2 September 2010 w/ Ryan Meeking & Stonefield – Photo Gallery & Review →

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The Drums “The Drums” – EP Review

Review: Natalie Salvo
The Drums are a young band from New York City who – like The Strokes before them – received a lot of hype very early on. But as their debut EP, Summertime! And now eponymous debut album have proved, this indie pop quartet are more about basking in the sunlit glow of a California beach than being inspired by yellow cabs or shopping on fifth avenue.

The guys ooze retro cool and like Peter Hook’s bass playing in Joy Division and New Order, their sound makes an immediate impact gaining your attention quickly with its old-yet-fresh style. But it seems this quality is also the group’s pitfall because when spread out over 12 songs, it becomes too repetitively simple and the buzz does tend to wear off a little. Like summer itself, you miss it when it’s gone but after enough humid 40+ degree days you can’t wait for winter or at the very least, autumn.
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Black Label Society “Order of the Black” – LP Review

  Review: Lana Harris

Zakk Wylde is known as one of the metal world’s best guitar players, particularly
when talking shredding abilities. He was Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist for two decades, and didn’t let decadence overcome discipline – as well as working and touring with Ozzy, he completed an album a year from 1999-2006 with his side project, Black Label Society (BLS). BLS have their guitars firmly wedged in heavy metal/ hard rock – think Alice in Chains, a bit of Ozzy’s influence apparent in the vocals. But now Wylde’s no longer with Ozzy, and Order of the Black is the first album release by BLS in four years.

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Interview with JOHN 5 [Audio]

Interview: Ben Hosking
There aren’t many guitarists out there displaying as much originality and commitment to their craft as John 5.

Long known as the axeman behind such artists as Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, he’s also played with such luminaries as Rob Halford, David Lee Roth and Paul Stanley. When he’s not touring with Zombie, he’s playing session work with artists from a wide range of styles including Ricky Martin and recording his own solo albums; such as his latest effort, ‘The Art Of Malice’ which is available now.
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Ben Hosking, Interview, Review

Bec Plath “At The End of the Night” – Single Review

Review: Victoria Nugent

  This soft single is the latest release from Brisbane vocalist Bec Plath, best known for her vocals with local band The Bloodpoets. At The End of The Night follows Plath’s 2009 debut EP Unrequited, and gives a taste of what we can expect from her next EP.

The single starts with a smooth yet strong piano intro with guitar kicking in shortly before Plath’s melodious vocals. During the chorus, Plath’s vocals take on a slightly sharper edge, building in intensity before softening again for the verses. The piano remains a subtle but constant presence throughout the song, which flows effortlessly through key

changes which add to the track’s originality. Plath’s lyrics are introspective comments about living in a stressful world to which many people would be able to relate. Her vocals are imbued with both honesty and a sense of heart that makes listening seem like a deeply personal act. The music meanders for a while, almost seeming a bit lengthy, before coming to a powerful crescendo towards the end of the track, and then fading out softly. At The End of the Night is a slow-burner with a lot of emotion, and worthy addition to any compilation.

Bec Plath – At The End of the Night is available at iTunes:
Bec – Bec Plath

Related Posts:
CD Review: Bec Plath “Unrequited”

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Bastardfest @ The Globe Theatre, Brisbane – 28 August 2010 – Live Review

Click to see more images
Blood Duster
[Photo: Stuart blythe] 		  Review: Hannah Collins

Bringing together some of Australia’s most notable and long standing metal acts; Astriaal , Pod People and Blood Duster ; The Globe Theatre opened their doors on Bastardfest last Saturday to let the shred ignite the stage and appease those curious enough to have been lined in entry.

Punters of all shapes and sizes graced the venue and packed the bar, but although The Globe seemed full up, it was more of an illusion caused by the tinned sardines hovering in the foyer when in reality we were quite short of a sell out. Numbers may be have been lacking but it contributed only, to make the experience more personal.

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Brisbane, Concert, Music, Review

The Cat Empire @ The Tivoli, Brisbane with Clairy Browne and The Bangin’ Rackettes – 25 August 2010 – Live Review

Review: Victoria Nugent

  It may have been mid-week, but that didn’t deter the crowd at The Tivoli who flocked to see The Cat Empire perform on their Cinema tour.

As the evening kicked off, Clairy Browne and the Bangin’ Rackettes warmed up the crowd with their soulful stylings. Clairy Browne had a powerful presence as frontwoman, with an Amy Winehouse

style beehive and a deep, dulcet voice. The three Bangin’ Rackettes crooned backing vocals at the side of the stage and the band provided old style soul music to flesh out the sound, with punctuating saxophone. Champagne featured bright keys, rounded saxophone beautifully melodious verses and a less polished but more upbeat chorus. The band’s unique cover of Bang Bang from Kill Bill was a standout song, with the tempo slowed right down, giving it a more mournful sound than one would think possible. One memorable moment was the duet between Browne and her sister Natalie (one of the Bangin’ Rackettes) about not letting a man treat you badly, the classy soul punctuated by more modern one fingered gestures. T he group’s sultry sensual cover of a Tina Turner number, complete with red lit silhouettes further emphasised the band’s great range. Browne was at her powerfully smooth voiced best with Stephanie, a bitter song about the dangerous woman trying to steal your man. Clairy Browne and The Bangin’ Rackettes make music that is purely intoxicating, combining dirty doo-wop with sultry soul, slow hips and unison fingersnapping.
Click the image to view the photo gallery

[Photos: Cody Alexander]
Continue reading The Cat Empire @ The Tivoli, Brisbane with Clairy Browne and The Bangin’ Rackettes – 25 August 2010 – Live Review →

Brisbane, Concert, Music, Review

Midnight Juggernauts “The Crystal Axis” – CD Review

Review: Natalie Salvo

  Batten down the hatches, the Midnight Juggernauts ‘difficult’ second album, The Crystal Axis appears to be anything but that. Instead, it uses analogue harmony walls and experimentation aplenty to craft 12 striking tracks (well 11 plus an overture) with a destination of the sun’s core. Onboard we journey via new tangents and those crazy panoramic retro screens of old.

The trio employed a lot of live experimentation to get here. The jams err on the side of prog rock and spaced-out sonic landscapes. They billeted together in a remote and isolated house on the NSW

coast with only synthesisers, keys, guitars, drums, racks of pedals and other electronic gizmos for company. The jams even found their way into the recording process and at times this adds a unique character to the music, while at other moments feels as though a bit too much fat was left on the bone.
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Junip “Fields” – Album Review

Review: Natalie Salvo
If ever there was a group that embodied the spirit of quality over quantity, then Junip’s it.

The trio – made up of José González (vocals, guitars), Elias Araya (drums) and Tobias Winterkorn (keys) – have released a few singles and EPs; taken a 5-year break (where the former toured his solo work); and are now on the verge of releasing their debut album, Fields. It took a lot of effort to get here (although it was by no means the longest spell – Guns N’ Roses anyone?) but in this case people will declare it was a labour of love well worth the wait.

González and Araya have been making music together since they were 14, having started creative life as a hardcore group. In 2010 they’ve taken a different musical route, improvising together to find song sketches and in particular, looking for beats and guitar patterns that stood out for their overall groove and melody. The result is 11 nu-folk and pop songs borne out of patience, perfectionism, inspiration and sheer bloody mindedness.
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Goodnight Owl “Goodnight Owl” – EP Review

Review: Natalie Salvo
Goodnight Owl started life in a bedroom, graduated to various recording studios and a church in Melbourne, and the result is a folktronica quartet content on blurring the lines between musical genres. Peel away the layers and you have five songs on a self-titled debut EP that have too many ambient noises and electronic beats to be strictly pop, yet also boast too many tender, heartfelt moments to be strictly the former.

The group have been likened to The Postal Service, Sigur Ros, Bon Iver and Band of Horses and they admit their music can take you in one of two directions. Like being faced with a road less travelled, on the one hand there is the promise of the embrace of the dawn while the alternative is an adventure into the dark
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