The Pretty Things have had a seminal influence on rock music, which is more far-reaching than any casual observation would suggest. Their story runs deep and is one that is often unfortunately overlooked. Their diverse and unexpected history has spawned countless imitators, many of whom have seen greater commercial success, but The Pretty Things remain the original and the best. Arguably amongst the first ever “garage” bands, glowingly acknowledged by Iggy Pop, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols & Nirvana as a primal influence and guiding light.

It is no surprise that guitarist Dick Taylor chose to leave The Rolling Stones, which he had formed with Mick & Keith, to pursue a more raw level of energy with The Pretty Things with songs like ‘‘Rosalyn’’, “£.S.D.” and “Midnight to Six Man”.
Continue reading The Pretty Things – Australian Tour – December 2012 →

It ended fittingly where it began 35 years ago, in Perth, when INXS drummer Jon Farriss declared to a 15,000+ capacity house on the opening weekend of the brand new Perth Arena and the final night of the Matchbox Twenty / INXS Australian tour that from this point INXS would bring down the curtain as a live touring band. In a fitting homage to the band, Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas joined the band (INXS) and vocalist Ciaran Gribbin on stage and performed INXS’s signature closer, Don’t Change, in the band’s encore.

The remaining band members of INXS, Tim, Andrew and Jon Farriss, Kirk Pengilly and Garry Beers issued this statement.
Continue reading INXS – The Touring Ends… The Music Lives On →

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
The Galactic Space Circus Tour (22 piece live spectacular)

The Godfather of Funk and his 22 piece psychedelic circus extravaganza touch down in Australia this summer, delivering the complete 22 piece P Funk Space Circus to Australian fans for the first time since Clinton’s last full scale tour of Australia back in 2002.

George Clinton is without doubt one of planet earth’s most influential musical innovators, having inspired the likes of Prince, Afrika Bambaataa and Macy Gray; mentored Public Enemy, Eric B & Rakim and provided much of De La Soul and Snoop Dogg’s musical education.
Continue reading George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic →

Buy Outlands – Deep Sea Arcade at

DEEP SEA ARCADE: GRANITE CITY TOUR NOVEMBER 2012

with THE PREATURES and special guests
Continue reading Deep Sea Arcade: Granite City Video and Tour →

Reviewer: Billy Geary
Walking through the gates of the picturesque Werribee Park, Harvest gives a different feel than most festivals. The location is certainly the nicest in the Melbourne area and the festival itself just gives an air of relaxation about it – something seldom seen at other large festivals. Levels of anticipation were quite high, compared to the inaugural effort of last year, which gave rise to a couple of absolutely incredible moments of music, despite some of the logistical matters leaving a lot to be desired.

Due to a major traffic jam en route to the festival, we arrived just in time to catch the end of Los Campesinos’ set on The Great Lawn. The seven piece indie pop band looked to have drawn a decent sized crowd, with closer ‘Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks’ and ‘Baby I Got the Death Rattle’ being particularly impressive.
Continue reading Live Review – Harvest Festival – Werribee Park, Melbourne – 11 November 2012 →

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Australian Tour with Special Guests Moon Duo
Presented by Feel Presents & SPA
Tix on sale Nov 16th 2012

“Ladies and gentlemen, right now I’ve got to tell you about the fabulous, the most groovy…”

BLUES EXPLOSION!

Get ready for the musical hysteria as The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion bring their fuzzed-up freaked-out live show back to Australia for Golden Plains 2013, with handful of headline shows across the country. Last here in January 2011 following a reissue campaign that saw much of their unavailable catalogue brought to light once more, JSBX blew the roof off venues in Australia and New Zealand, playing their classic album Orange in its entirety and selling out shows in Sydney and Melbourne.
Continue reading The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Australian Tour →

UnConvention Brisbane 2012 to take a blowtorch to the music industry.

The terms we use to talk about music making – especially by ‘professional musicians’ and ‘industry workers’ – can give the impression of a big machine, churning out product for mass consumption. A flow on effect is that the music business is seen as an industrial complex that artists need to ‘break into’ in order to be taken seriously or be successful. “It’s a really flawed concept”, explains UnConvention 2012 director Ed Gugliemino, “and one that doesn’t accurately describe how things work in my experience – especially in Australia”.
Continue reading UnConvention Brisbane 2012 takes a blowtorch to the music industry →

PUSCIFER is an exploit that could only come from the mind of Maynard James Keenan.

PUSCIFER’s latest album ‘Conditions of My Parole’ was recorded amidst the wine barrels at Maynard’s Caduceus Cellars. It was the culmination of a three year period that introduced PUSCIFER to music fans and challenged the concept of what a band can be. Kerrang! exclaimed “whereas Puscifer’s early output exercised his funny bone, the rather brilliant Conditions Of My Parole exorcises it”

A PUSCIFER live show leads their audience through laughter, tears and reflective enlightenment throughout one night’s performance. It’s a musically driven evening that merges technology, quirky characters and comedy in what can best be described as an anarchist dinner theatre.
Continue reading PUSCIFER Australian Tour Announced! →

Yes, it’s time to take a breath and sit down!!

Paul Simon, multi-award and 13 time Grammy winner, has today been added to the supreme Bluesfest line-up of 2013.

Simon will be performing at Bluesfest on Easter Monday but there is more! Festival goers are in for a double treat: Taking the stage before Paul Simon will be the hugely gifted Canadian singer/songwriter & composer Rufus Wainwright.

The 2013 Bluesfest bill is truly shaping up to be the biggest one yet.
Continue reading PAUL SIMON and RUFUS WAINWRIGHT added to BLUESFEST 2013 line-up! →

Birds of Tokyo’s new EP ‘This Fire’ out now. Video directed by Kris Moyes. Buy Digital EP – http://smarturl.it/yf57st Buy CD/Limited Edition Vinyl EP – http://www.birdsoftokyo.com New album coming March 2013.

Official site / Join Mailing List – http://www.birdsoftokyo.com.
Like Birds of Tokyo here – http://www.facebook.com/birdsoftokyomusic
Follow Birds of Tokyo here – http://www.twitter.com/birdsoftokyo

This Fire – Lyrics
Written by Birds of Tokyo

– This Fire – EP – Birds Of Tokyo

Photographer: CARBIE WARBIE – http://www.carbiewarbie.com

Photographer: CARBIE WARBIE – http://www.carbiewarbie.com
Continue reading Photos! Sydney Blues & Roots Festival 2012 →

Review by Ben Hosking – www.hoskingindustries.com.au
If you were to simply cast your assumption about Sydney’s Shinobi on their biography, you’d probably be left thinking they were some ham-fisted, second-rate, sports-oriented rock band. With an ex-first grade NRL player as a songwriter and front man, you’d be forgiven for cringing at the thought of previous sports personalities getting behind the microphone; however Shinobi are thankfully far more than some passing interest of a former State of origin player. You need only hit play on their debut long play, Against the Brave, to figure it out. Bristling with powerful melodies and heavily laden with catchy hooks, ‘Against the Brave’ is a strong release. The bio points to bands like the Foo Fighters, Shihad and silverchair for stylistic similarities and it probably isn’t that far off. The more powerful rock moments are also reminiscent of post-‘Betty’ Helmet at times. We wouldn’t be surprised if Prong had a place on the band’s playlist as well: not so much in terms of the metallic elements, but in some of the phrasing of the lyrics, such as in the track ‘Leeches’.
Continue reading CD Review: Shinobi – “Against the Brave” →

Photographer: Jose Eduardo Cruz

Photographer: Jose Eduardo Cruz

Artists: Willie Colon + Fonseca
Venue: The Palace Theatre, Melbourne
Date: 28 October 2012

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL GALLERY

Review by Ben Hosking – www.hoskingindustries.com.au
Hailing from Newcastle, Paradise Found offer the listener a mix of hardcore-influenced vocals with down-tuned riffing that combines equal parts hardcore and circle pit-inducing breakdowns. According to the band’s bio, Paradise Found has been credited with having one of ‘the highest energy live shows in Newcastle to date’, which is a big call; however, as far as the local Newcastle scene goes in recent years, that could be a perfectly believable statement.

‘Foundations’ is the band’s new debut EP and it’s full to the brim with concise, infectious slabs of brutality that remain totally hummable thanks to their strong guitar melodies. From the opening strains of ‘Northern Lights’ to the closing gang vocal of ‘End of the Story’, this EP will have you either shouting the words or humming to the guitars – no question.
Continue reading CD Review: Paradise Found – ‘Foundations’ →