Halfbaked Homebake

The first Homebake 2006 line-up announcement has been released with a surprise headliner, uber-hip electro-rockers, a famous actress trying a career shift (read resuscitation), crusty irrelevant rockers and white-boy rappers all getting a look in.

Silverchair
Hilltop Hoods
Eskimo Joe
Scribe
Augie March
Gotye
The Presets
The Butterfly Effect
Infusion
Midnight Juggernauts
Youth Group
Little Birdy
Kid Kenobi & MC Shureshock
You Am I
Parkway Drive
Bjorn Again
The Models
Angus and Julia Stone
Bob Evans
Toni Collette and the Finish

To me, its a fairly weak line up so far. Bar a few exciting inculsions (Silverchair, Infusion, The Presets, Augie March, Midnight Juggernauts), we are left with the psuedonymed Jebediah also-ran Bob Evans, an Abba cover band in Bjorn Again, the ever terrible You Am I, the irritating Little Birdy and the hilarious comedy stylings of Parkway Drive. Come on, I thought Australian music could do better than that. What about something like Kid Confucious? Teenager? I Heart Hiroshima? Van She? Touch N Go? Lets hope we see some more quality acts in the next announcement because we all know Australian music has the goods.

Homebake will be held on the 2nd December at The Domain in Sydney. Tickets are $75 plus booking fee, available on the 21st August.

www.homebake.com.au

You Love It

STREAM : Sneaky Sound System - I Love It

Firstly, I am not much of a Sneaky Sound System fan. I tried to get into Hip Hip Hooray, I really did. But it just didn't click with me. However, this song I Love It rules, period. How can you not love Connie Mitchells's adorable vocals, the slightly cheesy synth-bass, that irrisistably danceable rhythm section and those crazy robotic dance moves that the Sneaky crew execute superbly in the now ubiquitous Club [V] staple of a video. They are on tour in September and their new album is out in the next month or so, so we shall see if I Love It is the benchmark for what I am hoping will be a decent LP. Expect this track to rule the dancefloors and incite groovers to play air keyboard and drums constantly. Also I have a slight crush on Miss Connie.

Crunk-a-licious

The inaugural Australian Urban Music Awards were held last week in Sydney. When I first heard that such an award ceremony was taking place I was a little taken aback. Urban Music awards? In Australia? I thought we were so raawk and rawlll and Kylie Minogue and all that. Maybe not anymore..

Everywhere I go, I see Sean John and 50 Cent t-shirts, baggy Ecko jeans and Nike Dunk sneakers on people who used to wear Rip Curl, Billabong and metal t-shirts. Whats happening? Sure iv'e been subjected to attempted brainwashing into thinking that 'Aussie Friggin Hip-Hop' and 'RnB superclubs' are the best thing to hit the Australian music scene ever, but really, was Urban music really so important in this country to earn its own televised awards night? Aparantly so. Even rational human beings who I thought would not be influenced by the force-fed permeation of the foreign Urban culture into our own have been spitting lines like 'The Herd's new album is fucking phat !' and 'Aw man check out the new track from Nelly, its wickid yo!.'

There is no simple answer, but I think I know what it could be. Silly little sexually liberated teen slags who love to shake their groove thing on the dancefloor, coupled with testosterone fuelled he-men whos ill-fitting clothes resemble something attacked by Issac Newtons and his calculations on the theory of gravity. All of a sudden they are from the 'hood (Castle Hill and Mosman aren't what you would call 'the Ghetto'), drive 'tricked out' whips (i.e. old beat-up VL Commodores) and wear 'pimpin' sneakers (K-Swiss) .

Poor examples of Urban music have turned previously intelligent and discerning young people into mindless drones; slaves to whatever junk the iced-up 'gangstas' (lol) are spitting at them. When you are at a party or wherever you meet people these days (I dont know i'm a blogger, bloggers don't have lives) and you meet a young lass, do not talk about music to her. Chances are, when you quiz your potential bed-post notch on their favourite genre of music (assuming they understand what the word 'genre' means) 90% of the time you will get the answer 'RnB' followed by a spontaneous 'The new Chris Brown song is soooo hot, just like him hehehe'. (A further 8% will enthusastically yell 'The Used!' and proceed to cut themselves).

I have nothing against good quality Urban music. In fact, some Urban artists I rate amongst my favourites (Spank Rock and Kanye West for example). However I am concerned that pop music, which in truth in many cases is quite good (thats for another rant), is being pushed aside as the style of music preferred by teens and pre-teens for music that promotes horrible attempts at dancing, a psudeo-gangster lifestyle and terrible song titles like 'Stick Wit U' and 'Dirrrty'. Even more concerning, is people trying to identify with subject matter and a culture that is definetly not theirs, and in truth, makes them look silly. Leave Urban culture to the pro's.

I guess Urban culture is as Aussie now as VB, Aussie Rules and Cold Chisel, and I just have to deal with it. Check it , yo!


2006 Urban Music Awards Winners

Best Male: Guy Sebastian
Best Female: Jade McRae
Best International Act: Kanye West
Best New Talent: Figgkidd
Best Hip-Hop Group: Hilltop Hoods

Dont Feel Like Dancing.

Now day in day out we here at whiteboydancefloor do everything in our power to search every extremity of the globe to deliver you good music to enjoy. But this search often delivers some of the most horrendous sounds aswell. E.g Coldplay & Keane. All we can do is our best to shield you good people from the filfth.

Now... to begin...the thorn in my tuesday

Sam Champion. It baffles me how this ridiculous excuse for music can be heralded as some kind of revalation. Unless Sam Champion recieves some seriously indepth lessons on tone and pitch then we have a fatal case of has-been-before-they-ever-have-been. But Pix I hear you all cry out in defence of Sam Whatever, tone and pitch aren't everything what about great singers with unique voices.

The only thing unique about this Sam Champion is that the music ever saw the light of day. Most of these kinds of people confine themselves to making mp3's they only show their little sister. I'm sorry blogosphere, for a world that has produced and discovered so many winners, without a doubt, Sam Champion is a flop.

Sadly though, i do expect big things for him. Give him two months and he'll be doing secret myspace concerts in the shitholes, ow sorry i mean hidden treasures of america. Wanna hear good out of tune cheap ass recordings CLICK HERE When Sam Champion says they produced music on a $15 budget, then they can come see me.

Notice i didnt post a link whiteboydancefloor faithful... theres a good reason for that, currently, Whiteboydancefloor are lodging blogger legal action against Sam Champion for false advertising... Sam they may be, but champion... fail fail fail.

Another ridiculous joke of a show Rockstar 2. I didnt need to tell you that. But now to get to the "aussie contigent". Before Toby shot to "stardom" he was the lead singer of band Juke Kartel. I tell ya they stink so badly that I have no doubt this fool is perfect neigh even destined for Rockstar 2 success!!!

Whatever the fuck that is. Juke Kartel's main claim to fame... supporting Nickelback. Well doesnt that just say it all.

Now on a good note!... Stereogum have posted the latest from incredibly gay incredibly wonderful pop poofs The Scissor Sisters. It is appearing more and more so that the homosexuals are the only ones show us how to get the groove thing happening (Presets, Savage Garden?, Elton John, im sure theres others). Generalisation? Yes. Do i care? no.

"Dont Feel Like Dancing" is just a good fun track. Is is the best thing since sliced bread? No. But even still, it has a great if alittle repetitive groove and it'll get ya movin. Makes me more pumped for the new album from these carnival folk!

And finally I leave you all with a question. Is the blogging world going soft? It seems like especially the big blogs are getting too afraid of saying they dislike music unless it's a sure bet of conformity like Jessica Simpson or Britney Spears. I think the blogging world needs to get a bit more of the Pitchfork mentality sometimes. Some of their reviews make my blood curdle as they rip apart my favourite musicians, but I much prefer that to either posting what you love or not posting at all.

I'm all for love between bloggers and the music, but it would appear to many fat cats are getting concerned with which record labels are giving them free shit rather than what is good music. Bloggers must keep their integrity as a unique uber-breed of individuals who applaud the unique and attack all those who feel they can get away with producing inferior music. E.g KoRn.

I wanna start seeing blogger posts looking more like blogs again and less like press releases. So many of the great blogs out there are falling into the shadows, blogs are the only untouchable realm of the media masses because real bloggers wont let them, lets ensure it remains that way.

Oww and Sam Champion, I'll see you no doubt soon on MTV and Top of the Pops (RIP) and even worse Cd Live (Aus).

I've Got a Golden Ticket!

One of the very few good things to come out of the recent remake of the original Willy Wonka movie was the incredibly jovial soundtrack produced by legend of soundtracks and tv themes, Danny Elfman. His application of such a vast arrangement of instruments never ceases to prove his musical depth.

Now the original starring Gene Wilder is certainly a hard act to follow, it seemed like musically, theatrically and casting wise the original really nailed the tone needed for this movie in every regard. However, rather than paying tribute to the original in typical Tim Burton style he did what everyone didnt think they wanted, and did it moderately well. However where the original nailed it, the remake merely poked.

I'm assuming here, but most of you should have seen the Willy Wonka remake produced by Tim Burton and some have deemed it a musical triumph of the greatest scale. Well good for you.

However it remains to be seen what sort of impact the movie would have achieved without the impecable stylings of Mr Danny Elfman (responsible for the Simpsons tv theme).

Dont believe me?

Check Out the insane songs Elfman wrote about your favourite characters. Elfman ranges from funky to supremely atmospheric to mentally derranged, but its all sheer brilliance. Elfman's use of twisted oompa loompa voices one would think could prove alittle annoying, but as with the original score, Elfman's utilisation of effective variations in pitch and tone of the oompa loompa's vocals has proven to aid in maintaining intreuge in the tracks. Each one like a soundtrack in itself.


MP3: Veruca Salt
Light, fluffy and fantastic. The love child within shows through.
MP3: Violet Beauragarde
Incredibly insane piece of funk rock and roll, like something out of King Kong's New York disco party.

West Coast Lovin'

MP3: Gerry Mulligan - Walking Shoes
MP3: Miles Davis - Israel
(MP3's will be back online soon)


One of my secret musical loves is Jazz, something I haven't really discussed here at all. However, I must confess i'm not what you would call a jazz aficionado, so hopefully I can document my discoveries and favourites here.

One of my favourite jazz styles is probabably the 'Cool' sound, pioneered by the likes of Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan. Cool Jazz was derived from a fusion of the intesity and melodic sensibilities of swing and the and spontaneous nature of Be-bop. The sound created was less abrasisive and more laid back than its forebearers. The first noted Cool album was 'Birth Of Cool', an LP recorded by the Miles Davis Nonet featuring composer Gil Evans and legendary baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan. Despite criticisms that the West Coast sound was the domain of white musicians, many Afro-American musicians were exponents of cool Miles of one (Duh).

I'll probabaly feature crazier and more experimental jazz musicians in the future, hopefully Miles' crazy electric phase in the early 70's (Bitches Brew, In a Silent Way etc), but I think cool is a good start.

Hype is a dirty word..

STREAM: I Heart Hiroshima - Candy Cut

Brisbane kids I Heart Hiroshima have a new EP out called 'Cut In Colour', and with it a new single entitled 'Candy Cut'. which is a damn cool song. It's got that jangly indie rock n roll sound that is impossible not to groove to and some catchy male on female vocal work. Check it at their MySpace page.





VIDEO: MSTRKRFT - Work On You

MSTRKRFT made Wolfmother sound pretty good and have also remixed DFA 1979 and Metric to make them dancefloor fillers so they must be doing something right. Their new album ' The Looks' has just been released along with the
follow up video to the very erm, sticky video for 'Easy Love'. The video for 'Work On You' is an anime feast for the eyes with Transformer-looking robots duking it out, brandishing light saber-esque weapons featuring a killer robot disco scene with some pretty white dance moves.


Whats the deal with Lily Allen? I mean everyone is going nuts over her, other bloggers and Pitchfork for one, however she sucks. Her voice is cringe worthy with that very unnattractive cockney twist, and her songs aren't anything to write home about. And Sam Champion? They aren't THAT good surely? Blog hype goes feral I think....

New Samaim, CYHSY Cancel Aussie Tour

Big bummer to those who were heading down to Rebel Rebel and/or Splendour in the Grass to catch Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!. They have cancelled their entire Australian tour for some reason.



STREAM: New Samiam - 'Take Care' & 'Do You Want To Be Loved'

These guys Samiam have been around forever making some pretty solid pop/emo/punk for the legendary swedish label Burning Heart. The guys released a decent LP back in 2000 and then disappeared off the face of the earth, but now they have rediscovered the passion, hired a new bass player and a new album is in the can ready for a September release. From the sound of the new tracks they have gone back to a more straight up pop-punk aesthetic this time around and is really quite infectious.




Pfork this morning reviewed an album by an artist known as Girl Talk aka Greg Gillis and raved about it, and from their aural descriptions of his compostitions I just had to check this stuff out. This guy that makes some incredible bootlegs sampling a broad spectrum of artists such as Ciara, LCD Soundsystem, 50 Cent, Neutral Milk Hotel, M.I.A and Kanye West. The results are frenetic and surprisingly cohesive, forging a unique Pop-Hip-Hop-Electro-Whatever fusion. Yeti Don't Dance have some Girl Talk mp3's for download here.

Stop, Look & Listen

Currently as I sit here, It is 2:38am EST in the sleepy ghetto of Colyton. And what my ears have just heard tell me something only my mind previously knew... The Mars Volta are back, The Mars Volta are back!



With their third album in as many years, the indescribable sounds of The Mars Volta return with "Am-pu-tech-ture". While the album is yet to be released, the track "viscera eyes" can be streamed from the band's myspace page. The song is arguably a further step back in time for The Mars Volta if there is such a thing for them. From the dexterity of the songs subtle moments to the pounding groove of Omar's guitar, I think I'm hearing a winner and as such feel the compulsion to tell you this at now 3am EST.

What I believe everyone loves most about this outfit is that their music travels down so many alleyways, up so many mountains and through so many caves, tunnels and canyons yet still remains so unmistakably The Mars Volta.

Call the first one a new band's sudden energy burst, Call the follow up a get lucky sophomore, but it seems like their shaping up to further prove themselves undeniably skilled maestros.

This is the band like Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band of our current era, the band who you buy the cd of whether your a fan or not just so that you can show your kids, this was the nectar of the gods when I was young, and dont you forget it.

Myspace: Stream The Mars Volta - Viscera Eyes

** Also a quick news update for you all, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have cancelled their Australian tour, including Splendour in the Grass. No official word on why but perhaps they got sidetracked in search of Cookie Mountain. Sorry Clint, Im sure theyll be back.

Sexy is a Battlefield. Sexy will be victorious

As always the follow up efforts to an extremely successful album for any band is difficult and what results is a nervous wait for an avid fan to endure. The Eagles of Death Metal are the kind of the band they run the tightrope of stupidity so delicately and perfectly that it's difficult not to like them. However, one puff of wind and whammy! you've fallen off the tightrope into the wagon, fallen off the wagon and into the grace and then you've fallen from grace and people want to crap on your face.

So worried was I that my beloved Eagles of Death Metal may disappoint, It took a good few months for me to actually give the album a listen. To say it's the best thing they've ever done I shall not, but to say I love it I will.

I believe their whole philosophy and good vibes of sexuality bordering on homosexuality, free loving and its marvellous association to rock n roll music is a positive and sorely needed element in music these days.

If only those emo wanks would realise, dressing in black on makes only tosspots like you, but rock n roll gets you pussy! Dont comprehend what im saying because your woozy from cutting your wrists. Then watch the film clip of "I want you so hard (boys bad news)" as an instructional video as to the effects women experience from rock n roll music.

Spot to the cameos from rock n roll legends Dave Grolh & Jack Black. I tell ya making good music is not a necessity for these two, they cant do whatever they please!

I rest my case.

Cansei De Ser Sexy are taking over the world

VIDEO: Cansei De Ser Sexy - Lets Make Love and Listen to Death From Above
MP3: Cansei De Ser Sexy - Lets Make Love and Listen to Death From Above (Spank Rock Remix)


Its true, those Brazilian kids we featured in April are kicking ass everywhere with bloggers and music journos going nuts for them. And with good reason. How good are they? Their new album came out yesterday, they are getting the remix treatment from none other than Diplo and Spank Rock. Check out the video and remixes for 'Lets Make Love and Listen to Death From Above', if a girl said that to me I would be hooked for life. But really, do you know any girls that would understand 'Death From Above', or that listen to CSS? If you do, please give them my number ASAP kthnxbai.




R.I.P Syd Barrett, who passed away on the 7th July at age 60. If it wasn't for him, we wouldnt have the amazing music of Pink Floyd, one of my favourite bands and one of the greatest in the history of rock music. If you haven't already seen it, this is Pink Floyd's moving tribute to Syd at Live 8 last year.

Clap Your Hands Say Sydney!

MP3: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - Upon This Tidal Wave Of Young Blood


Jangly indie rock kids Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! are finally coming to Australia. Remember them? When the Brooklyn bands' debut LP dropped it set off the collective hard-ons of bloggers and music critics alike everywhere, and believe it or not, had the substance to back the hype. CYHSY will be playing at Splendour in the Grass, but that is sold out so you can catch them at Rebel Rebel (thats at Home Cockle Bay btw) on the 22nd July.

Maybe The Killers need to get some pointers from CYHSY on how to be a good band, as this garbage they call a new song has been released on the net after the wally said their new album will be'one of the best albums of the last 20 years'. Whatever.




I just discovered the coolest Kiwi band (yes believe it or not, in New Zealand they do more than play Rugby and have relations with livestock) called The Brunettes. I may have been slow to discover them but I don't care. They have this 50's style charm about their music that I really like. Have a listen here at their website.

In Search Of 1988

MP3: Ozma - New Song #1
MP3: Ozma - New Song #2

When Ozma announced they were reuniting earlier in the year, I went nuts. These guys from So-Cal are Synth pop nerds who make emotive and catchy anthems for the generation weened on Nintendo 8-Bit consoles. Apparently they split in back 2004 because of differences with their drummer, who has been given the arse in their latest incarnation. They are currently working on a new record due out in 2007, which they claim will be more 'futuristic'. Interesting. In the mean time, we have some live bootlegs from a May 5 show in San Francisco recorded by a random Ozma geek of some new material you might enjoy. The quality sucks but it is still new Ozma!

Buy Ozma records at Amazon.com




MP3: Ivy League - London Bridges

Folk music has really exploded lately, with a new generation of trubadours grabbing the torch long ago dropped by Dylan et al. I suppose I could use words like 'lush', 'laid-back', and 'tender' to describe the way Brooklyn collective Ivy League sound, but i think reference points like Simon and Garfunkel and modern day colleagues Jose Gonzales and Camera Obscura are a good start. Watch these guys, heres hoping their upcoming LP makes the right noise.

Del Piero smells

The Italian diving, I mean football team are somehow through to the World Cup final, after beating what we all thought was a bet-your-house-on-it-chance-to-win-the-whole-thing Germany. Norton Street was going off apparently, and Australians everywhere were even further lamenting what could have been if Grosso did not take that dive. Oh well, the wbdf crew are behind Portugal to do the job and knock both the Bleu and Azzuri off.




MP3: Panica - Bezerk

If you are like me and think this whole 'Aussie Hip-Hop' thing is a load of crock, you would want to steer clear of anything that remotely resembles Hip-Hop being produced locally. I don't care what anyone else says, I think Australian accents and rapping in most cases seems wrong, and people criticising rappers from Oz who don't rap with an Aussie accent is even more wrong which has happened to Mr 1200 Techniques NFA. But what do you think about an Aussie chick rapping? Just forget Maya Jupiter ever existed OK, because it can work.

Panica is a DJ/Producer/MC from Melbourne and sounds just as her press release states, creates 'a blend of hip hop, drum n bass and electro squelch beats'. It is Australian Hip-Hop sans the swagger and arrogance, and it really has a soul. Panica is lyrically poigniant and talks about themes close to home. I don't think i've given up on the genre down under just yet after hearing such a great artist.


MYSPACE: The Valentinos - CCTV (Bang Gang vs Van She Don't Stop Remix)

The Valentinos, who are recoding new material as we speak, have just released a new remix of CCTV, mixed by Bang Gang DJ's and Van She which can be checked out at the bands MySpace page. I liked it.

Out with the New in with the Old

Everyone is so concerned with being fresh, new, cutting edge, fashionable, new skool, rare skool, gay skool... whatever. Rather than constantly pumping you full of new shit, Whiteboydancefloor seeks a balance. Rather than getting too over the top in the rigged world cup, feeding you news about whats going to be the best of the worst mainstream pop going round. We're going to keep our integrity and keep our legs closed (i dont even know wat my points was there).

But i propose to give you the most vintage soul, and the most underrated pop rock of all time.

Now, i did say soul, So guess no longer... James Brown. I take you back to the year 1973, and soul is never better than when it's James Brown and an entire entourage of fellow soulful brothers. This is a man who's got more than "i feel good's" and "get up offa that thing's". If you didnt know that, I'm giving you a chance to educate yourself before someone catches you out.

Two drummers, too brilliant.



And also as promised, arguably some of the greatest hit single creating from any band in the history of popular music. ELO.




If you told someone the name ELO or Electric Light Orchestra few people would really go, "Ah yes, Jeff Lynne" or even know a single song by them. However, whack your ELO Best of in the compact disc player and you'll notice a very different outcome. "Evil Woman", "Livin' Thing", "Strange Magic" & "Mr Blue Sky" are merely just a small few of the instantly notable hits this band has to offer. Yet while you have the mediocrity of U2, half assed The Who Revivals and my bad spelling all still being heralded as vintage cool, it sends me to boiling point the think only a select few really know the triumphs and pop / rock / other stylings of such a musically articulate phenomena. So, again to make amends for your lack of musical savvy... I give you an electronically charged rock n roll popped out legend, "Mr Blue Sky".

I'd go as far to say that if the world had more ELO and less rap metal, we may not be fighting a war in Iraq right now!

Mp3: Mr Blue Sky

And finally, here is just a friendly reminder that even the great ones, have their moments of embarassment. However after watching this, I warn you, It could make you love James even more.

Acid House Kings

MP3: Acid House Kings - Keep Your Love

Swedish music has always tickled my fancy, as well as the Swedish furniture that adorns my bedroom, those lovely Swedish lasses and that Swedish car I have parked in my driveway. I dont know what it is about the place, but they have a knack of making the best of everything with a touch of quirkyness.
One example of Swedish bliss are Acid House Kings, who have been doing their power-guitar-pop thing for over a decade. They are about to emark on a huge US tour which is apparently their first one ever but word on a tour down under however. This track is a cover of the Loveninjas track by the same name and is a tambourine and hand-clapped driven stunner.


Some gig news in Sydney: TV On The Radio are playing the Gaelic Clun on the 25th July, Mogwai on the 20th July at the Enmore, DJ Shadow on the 23rd July at the Enmore and Avenged Sevenfold are playing the Roundhouse on the 20th August.