Drums are dead

What has happened to Liars? They have changed. But isn't that what is so fascinating about them? They never stop changing. They went from nudity to disco-punk, then on to spastic tribal freak-outs and now on to this. I was kind of hoping they would stop at the spazz, but they didn't.

That doesn't mean what they are delivering now is bad at all. Because it is clear that their new material is fantastic. They are still as filthy as hell and they still deliver one heavy, sludgy punch. To my delight, they have gotten even noisier and even grimier. They have discovered their inner drone, yet at times they sound, believe it or not, almost catchy. On 'Houseclouds',it's as though Matt Bellamy has joined the band. But in a good way. 'Leather Prowler' tilts its hat to Human Animal and 'What Would They Know' sounds like the lovechild of Joy Division and Boris.

Sounds good doesnt it? Liars was released on Monday, and you can stream some tracks from it here.

Oh and I was right, Daft Punk are coming. Who would have thought? Pigs have flown

If you are even the slightest bit interesting in the fabulous music scene of Sydney and even a silent supporter of FBI Radio. Finding a reason to help the cause of FBI Radio is not difficult in the slightest.

I'll keep it short and sweet, they are hosting a fundraiser @ MUM and all the proceeds go towards helping FBI with the immense amount of ground they cover in bringing us all fresh new music.

I'll leave it there because this is the kind of event that I need to sell. The line up is fantastic and the cause is even more so. If you're not a sucker like me who works all day and night on weekends, then perhaps you should show FBI Radio some small thanks and head on down.

Mp3: I Heart Hiroshima - Punks
Mp3: Muscles - Dolphin Licks
Blog: Less Talk, More Paper Scissors - Head over to A-Reminder too, Sean's done a nice number on The Paper Scissors.

Faker / Sparkadia @ Annandale

I am aware of how crap the photo is. Unfortunately I am not Daniel Boud, I was too lazy to give up my spot leaning on one of those bar table thingos and only have a 7.2 mega pixel camera, so compile that information and you've got the reason behind my lack luster photo. That and this is the only close-to full band shot I managed.

So we arrived in good time and as this was for sexy Andy's Birthday the most I knew of the evening was that I was going to be watching Faker, venue, supports, dress code all unknown. Upon arrival, The Wahas are putting on a commendable performance with plenty of light and shade. I mean when I think of what I could accomplish when I was as young as they, I had to give them credit.

So with the The Wahas all at home safely and tucked in bed it was time for the grown ups to talk. Sparkadia entered the stage smartly dressed but with little fuss or commotion. Sparkadia had always been one of those Sydney outfits I knew could put on a good show but never really inspired me to listen to them over others. It is obvious that once again I was not listening hard enough. Ofcourse what sold me on them was the set filled with 3 minute hip shakers but what sealed the deal forever was guitarist / keyboards / vocalist Josephine. I won't harp on it too much because I won't stop but suffice to say she is absolutely stunning to look at. I know it's shallow but I mean no one from The Wahas was really going to be featured on Australia's Next Top Model. Oww but Pix, it's about the music not the looks I hear you cry. Maybe for you it is, but I'm not handing over my slightly hard earned cash (or pocket money that Mum has given me) unless I know there is the strong chance of babes. Sparkadia delivered that. It wasn't hard to allow the music wash over me with "Morning Light" & "Animals" clear standouts.

Onward now to Faker. Looking like the same high school kids they were however many years ago and dressed to suit, I didn't get the impression that Faker really knew just how popular they had become. Didn't they buy Addicted romantic? Did they not see "hurricane" blasted across Channel [V] like the rest of us. Personally I had no doubts at all that they were going to be dynamite. With tracks from Addicted Romantic like "Love for sale", "Quarter to three", "Teenage werewolf" & ofcourse "Hurricane" you could not go wrong if you played upside down without instruments.

Where my interest was more focussed was their new tracks. With their second LP "Be the twilight" on the way out, it was always going to of more value to me to see if any unheard songs could have the same instancy that many of Sparkadia's songs did. Unfortunately while I thoroughly enjoyed Faker overall, I didn't get those insatiable chills of anticipation about any of the new songs. Now in saying that, It could be for a multitude of reasons. I was by this time smashed off my face and spending a large portion of my time making unrepeatable jokes with friends. So ofcourse I could be wrong but honestly, I did not get the "Ohhh La Lala" vibe from any of their new songs.

For a measly 20 something bux, Faker or Sparkadia or The Wahas alone were well worth the price tag so putting them all on the same bill was just spoiling me. As we made our way to the car, my counterparts gave AB & Josephine from Sparkadia some complimentary yet harassing conversation as they tried to leave, I myself only admired from a far. To finish the night in some dead end off George st finding some tennis balls, playing handball, cricket and managing to throw the ball onto a roof thus backing up my former cricket nickname of "Shot gun" I could ask for little more.


It always good to have fans.

Ice Creeeaaam! Ice Cream Man!

It is really funny what people try and pass off as power pop these days. I'm sure Alex Chilton would have a fit if he heard some of this rubbish.

But he wouldn't start convulsing in anger at the sound of this band.

Something like Icecream Hands would fit right in next to Cheap Trick and Big Star et al and hold its own quite easily. Major chords are the order of the day for these guys. My year 12 music teacher always said major chords sounded happy. No argument there.Their songs possess vocal harmonies that hold each other close, releasing and reacquainting at the right moment. This Melbourne band have been together for over a decade, yet they are filled with the energy and optimism of a precocious bunch of newcomers.

Icecream Hands fill me with the joy of a summer afternoon. The smell 40 degree intensity sun baking vinyl seats as a warm wind swirls through the windows. The sound of tyres dueling with tarmac. The feeling of glare forcing your eyes to squint. Sigh, I wish it wasn't August

Iccream Hands have a new EP 'Come Along', and its out September 10. And it's very good.

Playing more catch up

Once again university has put me behind the 8 ball, so like the boyfriend who always tells you he'll change and doesnt, I've got some more catching up to do. No sorry flowers this time, just a slap in the face and a request to keep your attention on my food you're cooking... bitch.

So to start off the doldrums that is a Monday, I thought I'd have you all looking forward to the weekends to come. While the line up may not be sending the street cred police jumping with fits of excitement, anyone who has been down to Royal Randwich can do little to mount a case for it not being a brilliant day out.

If TV Rock stick to a DJ Set and you pretend it doesn't say Youth Group on the bill, then we are in business for good times. One cannot always waste their time being dazzled by the newest hip thing, sometimes its good to just get drunk and have Riot In Belgium give you everything you expect and then some more of what you expect.

Mp3: Josh Wink - Higher state of consciousness (TV Rock & Dirty South mix)

The Forgotten

You know the songs. Those songs by very well known artists that may make their greatest hits compilation, but when rattling off their biggest hits they more often than not get left out. Compendiums of the best songs of a decades will forget them, and classic hits radio may play these tracks once every few months. They are the sort of forgotten tracks, blinded by the glare of their progenitors 'Your Song', 'Sweet Dreams' or 'Brown Eyed Girl'. And these sort of tracks are often my favorites.

Sade - The Sweetest Taboo
Elton John - Nikita
Eurythmics - Who's That Girl
Van Morrison - And It Stoned Me
Electric Light Orchestra - Midnight Blue

Get some nuts!

It's only Tuesday and 2007 has been in comparison to others, a slow year for music. So I don't really feel the urge to start getting too specific for a Tuesday. Rather I'll just trotter along with a nice helping of bits and pieces that have taken my fancy.

First up is an ad I'm sure many of you have already seen but being from the beautiful Foxtel generation, advertisements are something I can skip with the flick of a button. Call 131 787 today.
Ok now I've gotten my token Murdoch obligations out of the way for another month, I found this ad featuring Mr T which I must say is one of the most well scripted pieces of Mr T lingo I've heard in a very long time.



In other news, Whiteboydancefloor's Dayve or Javid Van Der Peipers as he is often referred is tonight jet setting across to London for Uk's V Festival and it had me checking the line up and going through all the acts Dayve will be lucky enough to check out. Arguably none more exotic than Rodridgo Y Gabriela.

Long story short. It brought me to this fantastic little number.

Mp3: Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Diablo Rojo (even the name excites me).

And finally on this lazy daze post. Another find by Mcbain you may or may not have had the endless free time to find. A few college punks does an acapella of Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. Did I mention Kanye is shit? Well he is.



Expect Midnight Juggernauts & Architecture in Helsinki reviews to follow during the week.

Splendour In The Grass: Part II

When you're at a two day festival and you're going hard, you can't expect to be first one up in the morning to catch the band with an 11 o clock slot. No way. 12 o clock? Maybe. But thanks to chemical excesses, general lethargy and not wanting to see anyone in the morning we didn't end up arriving at the site till about 1230. And it looked like we weren't the only ones, the place was pretty much empty. Walking into the Supertop got you pretty much straight to the front, but all of that was about to change with the arrival of Airbourne.


Walking into the tent and seeing 4 massive Marshall head/stack combos either side of the drumkit left me with one expectation - fucking ROCK. The lads burst out on stage all with a beer or a bottle of Jack Daniels in hand and from the word go it was a non-stop ride. It's rare that you can see a band exude the energy that these guys did, and it wasnt just every now and then, it was start to finish! Hair everywhere, cock rock solos, alcohol sprayed all over the crowd and to top it all off, vocalist Joel O'Keefe running everywhere like a madman, first to the side of the stage in front of the big screen (if you cant see that photo for some reason) and then climbing up the scaffold at the side of the stage, hanging off with one leg and playing a guitar solo. Considering the tent was empty on our arrival I decided to look behind me again to see the place PACKED, and every single punter with an ear-to-ear grin and banging their heads in approval. Finally it ended to the deafening chants of 'Airbourne! Airbourne!' and all I've got to say is - if these guys are coming to a town/pub/whatever near you, get your ass down there for rock at its finest.

While Gotye didn't really interest me, and I would liked to have seen OK Go it was at that stage in the afternoon I decided to go with the part of our group that was checking out Midnight Juggernauts (or as we liked to call them - the Juggers) who I hadn't seen since their mildly impressive display as a backup band for Electric Six. With a bar just outside the stage and the sun shining brightly we watched the band al fresco. They played a great set, with the usual highlights but unfortunately they had to suffer the worst sound of the festival. Not that is was shit the whole way through, it just took the longest to get all the levels right out of the other bands. Still an absolutely mouthwatering performance though that led the crowd gently into the final evening.


With not as many bands to see on Sunday it wasn't until a bit later in the evening that we made our way back to the Theatre to catch instrumental trio The Dirty Three. I knew virtually nothing about these guys before we saw them. The name rang a bell but that was pretty much it. Walking in I heard what I could have sworn was a double bass until I got in position and saw that it was frontman Warren Ellis on a violin! I've never seen a violin played in as many different ways as I did that night, with a bow, plucked, strummed, hit, everything. The story with these guys is that they started in 93, recorded a bit and now basically just travel everywhere and record individually, coming back every now and then to release a new record and do a tour. You can tell that they're session musicians and while folk-sy kind of music normally isn't my thing I couldn't helped but be moved by these guys. Considering they don't sing, their music certainly says alot. Any instrumental band that can call a song 'Everythings Fucked' and get away with it are geniuses anyway.

Last but certainly not least it was over to the main stage again to see Arctic Monkeys take up the challenge of proving that they're more than a fad. I never used to be into these guys until a few months ago when I heard a Triple J live recording and understood that these guys weren't pretending to be more than they are, they're actually pretty damn good. The place was absolutely packed, I'm talking 4 or more people per square meter and when 1. You're rugged up cos its fucking freezing outside and 2. You're on drugs and want to dance around it got a little crazy in there. Out they came and they played pretty much everything. These guys easily take the plaudits for best sound of the festival (and thats saying something), it was impeccable. Kudos must be paid for penning the phrase 'Cowabunga Motherfuckers' before launching straight into 'Brianstorm' and for a band from Sheffield the singer certainly sounds alot like Liam Gallagher. An absolutely flawless performance that sadly brought two amazing days to an end.

So whats left to be said about Splendour 07?

Pros:
The lineup - Absolute quality of the highest degree. Bands I knew, bands I didn't, either way every single act I witnessed now holds a very special place within my tenderloins.
The weather - After last year, and hearing the horror stories of years before that, two absolutely beautiful days of 28 degrees or so
The stages - The Mixup tent was bigger this year, a great call by organisers.

Cons:
Timetable Clashes - With so many good bands, it was hard to see them all and the 4 o clock Sunday slot left most people divided.
Food and Drink costs - Ten dollars for noodles? Without a drink? Get fucked.
The Crowd - As far as I'm aware there were the same amount of tickets this year and last year. That didnt stop this year feeling a hell of a lot more crowded than last year

Best Band: Its a genuinely hard choice given the quality of acts but I'm gunna throw my vote in for Airbourne. Im not kidding you, do not miss these guys, or I'll come to your house and bash you.

Biggest Dickhead: The guy that climbed the pole during the Cat Empire on Saturday night. The collective cheers of the crowd as he made it up the girder in the middle of the tent soon turned the other way and people started worrying 'holy shit this guys gunna fall'. You could see the band casting glimpses too. Had he fallen he would have died, hurt or killed the people he landed on, Splendour would have been cancelled and that was it. You're not a legend mate, you're a fucking dickhead. Oh.. and the 69% of people who couldn't afford an extra three dollars to get a green ticket and neutralise your carbon emissions. Tightasses.

Next Year?: For all the whinging the locals do about Splendour patrons I find it pretty stupid that Belongil Fields (site of the festival) is being turned into housing development. That sickens me, it really does. With Splendour buying their own land and waiting for approval to hold the festival there next year is still slightly uncertain (although does anyone else think itd be incredibly stupid for them to deny a festival site but approve all this housing in Belongil?) but if its on, I'll see you there!

Thats all from me for this years Splendour boys and girls. Stay tuned for my overseas adventures in the near future, including coverage of the V Festival live from London. Until then..

Splendour In The Grass: Part I

Thats right ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls it's time again for Javid's annual Splendour review. A bigger entourage, better accomodation an amazing lineup and NO MUD made this a pretty damn good fesitval, but please, read on. I'll try my best to be breif when I can but I'm making no guarantees because it was HUGE! So without further ado...

Given that someone left his keys in the boot of his car, and the tickets were in the car, its no surprise that we arrived a little late on the first day. Ultimately it didnt bother me too much although I would have liked to catch Operator Please as they climb the ladder of success at a rapid rate. I have heard nothing but good things said about their performance but for more detail than that you'd be better off asking someone who was there. Our entrance to the festival did however provide me with enough time to get down to the MixUp Tent and catch my first act of the weekend.

Now I've just got to say, I used to hate Muscles. I hated the voice, the lyrics, pretty much most of his act. But sometime in the week before Splendour with Triple J flogging him to death I somehow caught the bug that makes you go absolutely nuts and realise that this skinny Melbourne-based white guy is a genius. While I was expecting to see a bit more on stage than just himself and the keyboards he was using I certainly wasnt disappointed by the show he provided, and neither were the thousands of others dancing their asses off around the tent. The place was packed, moving, and you couldn't help but get caught up in the simple pleasure that this man provides. Big things ahead for this guy - you wait and see.

So that was one chance taken on an act I wasnt familiar with, someone with a distinct sound that I wasnt sure if I should embrace, and it paid off. This would happen a few times during the festival, with another shining example straight after as I made my way to the G.W. McLennan Theatre to catch WBDF darlings Tilly and the Wall. I didnt know what to expect when I walked in and I was first shocked by the relative emptiness of the standing room area. Then I looked up to see a whole drum riser with no drums on it, just one girl tapdancing. A nerdy looking guitarist who was having a blast, a keyboardist and two more women standing on top of much smaller risers but also dancing. It was weird to see all the contrasting images brought together on the one stage, one girl looked like a dancer, one girl looked like a country western star, one looked like a circus person but they were ALL hot. Im not gunna discriminate. But as well as looking the part these guys played an absolutely amazing show. Im not sure which astounds me more - the fact that these guys use tap for percussion or the fact that there arent a shitload of other acts out there who'd already thought of it. Either way it made you want to dance like Fred Astaire. With 'Bad Education' being the only song I was really familiar with I went into this set with no expectations, but these guys delivered. Amazingly.

After some lunch, seeing the sights and absorbing the dense atmosphere it was into the Supertop for the first time during the festival to catch personal favourites The Cat Empire. The tent was absolutely packed, little room to dance but we found a spot with a decent vantage point and got comfy. I've already seen the Empire a few times live and once again they didnt disappoint. They moved seemlessly between new riffs which are sure to feature on the upcoming album, already existing songs and massive jams including an epic scat vocal solo from co-frontman Harry. They closed with what would appear to be 'The Chariot', making everyone think they were leaving the stage before a four-count and straight into 'Sly', getting the whole place moving and expressing their gratitude towards a crowd that just couldnt get enough. The Empire are home again and thats where they belong.

Straight after that it was over to the MixUp tent again to see locals Blue King Brown. Very much like The Cat Empire with the amount of people on stage and the fact that they went into some epic jams, these guys were thoroughly enjoyable. Extensive amounts of percussion, backing vocalists and a full band got everyone in the place moving. Everyone in the band got a moment in the spotlight, from the timbale players ridiculously amazing solo to both backing vocalists singing songs of their own. Just like Muscles these guys are a relatively new Australian outfit about to take on the world.

As you can no doubt tell by the photo we were right up the back for the Kaiser Chiefs. Another band I wasnt really that familiar with apart from the obvious songs. But what I learnt about these guys is that they are straight rock and roll, they dont fuck around and they were absolutely stunning. Hearing songs I'd heard before and making the connection to this band was a good thing as an impeccable sound and an excited crowd came together in an hour of feelgood intensity. 'The Angry Mob' brought the house down as the crowd sang in full voice. 'Oh My God' and 'Ruby' were other highlights of the set, and in conclusion these guys are a band I certainly wont be missing at any more festivals. Recommended viewing.

And last but not least, to close the first day came Lily Allen. I was looking forward to seeing what she would do tonight in comparison to the Big Day Out show of over half a year ago. Unfortunately for me she went straight into 'LDN', then straight into the second song she played at BDO - 'Window Shopper' or whatever its called, and from there it was pretty much the same thing all over again. The sound was great and the vibe was good but to be honest she turned out to be one of the most disappointing acts of the festival. A nice cover of Blondies 'Heart of Glass' broke the mould a little bit but then, just like at BDO she played the Kaiser Chiefs 'Oh My God' and when you've already heard the men themselves play it the same evening it just doesnt have the same effect. Closing with 'Alfie' (again) was also a highlight as the man himself came out on stage in a cow (or panda) outfit (im not quite sure, blame the X). Overall though there was little to nothing different about the BDO which was saddening, but it certainly didnt bring the day or festival down at all. Actually I stand corrected, there was one thing that was different, and that was that she didnt have the whole band with her, which made it even less dynamic and exciting, but oh well i'll see how she goes in a few weeks (stay tuned).

With that, the first night was over. The slight possibility of heading to the Tipi forest was thought against upon the realisation that pretty much everyone who was still at the festival would still be there. The night had gotten very cold and there was another big day ahead of us all tomorrow. So we left the festival and thats where I leave you for now. Dont worry, you wont have to wait too long for the next installment, keep your eyes open. Until then..

Hard Act to Follow

Opening the week with Hot Chip is certainly a hard act to follow. So I knew without question Tuesday was almost like an invitation from Chris "try and beat that if you dare". So rather than trying to take some pointless high ground and contend with Chris, I decided to join him and post about some of my favourite DJ mixes of late (late as in the last 3 days).


Anyone who actually reads what I blog about or has ever been to Sydney on the weekend will be no stranger to the name John Glover. What I enjoy the most about John Glover as I've said before is that for the majority of his mixes I am familiar with the tracks and the tracks I am not are digestible enough that it doesn't matter. For better or worse, he has an annoying yet nifty knack of getting my most hated RnB tracks and using the vocals over some dirty beats, somehow keeping me dancing. While many Hot Chip fans are too specific a tastemaker to tolerate the kind of easy to swallow mixes of Glover, I myself will suck it up. Download his August promo mix via z-share.

Mp3: John Glover - August Promo Mix (67.75mb)



Djake is a long time associate of whiteboydancefloor and has been honing his DJ skills at a remarkably rapid rate. Almost taking a leaf out of John Glover's book along with many other DJ's, Djake has refined his skills and quenched the appetite of his appreciators by releasing monthly mixtapes.

While compared to the likes of Glover and so on, you'd class him as an emerging DJ however his progress with every mixtape is exciting. Knowing Djake for quite sometime before he became a DJ has ofcourse made us at whiteboydancefloor harder critics on him than anyone else. His knack of constructing DJ sets which have a relevant context and flow to them has made his tastemaking a hits with those who have witnessed it live. With a very bright future and an ability to provide tunes the average man could not dare say no to, you've got yourself a winning formula.

Mp3: Djake - July Promo Mix

Nerdz Rool

Ok any DJ's that can play 'Band on the Run', 'Say My Name' and 'Never Too Much' in the same set and make it work need some sort of statue erected in their honour. They did it yesterday at Sounds on Sunday and left me in total awe. Mixing garage, house, bluegrass, big-band, new-wave, RnB, hip-hop and pop sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, but these guys know how to make it stick together. One look at the track listing for Hot Chip's installment in the now legendary DJ Kicks series and you may get a flavour for what true music nerds and crate-diggers these guys are. Buy it and if you get the chance, see them mix live.


Hot Chip - My Piano
Hot Chip - Sexual Healing

Zappin' it to ya

Ok I could have easily taken the crown for the worst post title ever created, I was going to go with "Sunday should be Funday (not)" but luckily Chris has saved the day. Let us continue with all those songs we're randomly posting now as they never really fit into anything else we've posted previously. Here's hoping these weekend posts should kick into some regular posting during the week. Pending on what state Dave returns from Splendour in the Grass in, we might also have a review of that for you fine people as well.

First up I am going with the new film clip from Korn's latest track "Evolution". Now while I encourage you to make up your own minds, I have to be frank. The first minute of the song hints toward some catchy yet sinister Korn brilliance but I was foolish to think they were capable of that anymore. People often say they make music in a dead genre, unfortunately I think it isn't the genre's problem but the band. However, the film clip isn't too bad. A very messy sludge of a chorus to boot. (Pix)

Youtube: Korn - Evolution



Currently I am on the biggest The Teenagers kick ever. I've always liked them but lately I am in love with their dry sarcasm and arrogant French delivery. If I ever became someone who was worth talking about like Scarlet Johansson then I would want these maestros to make a song about me. I think Scarlet owes these boys more than a "thankyou". (Pix)

Mp3: The Teenagers - Scarlet Johansson

Blue Juice are making too many waves for me to even attempt to ignore them. Whacky Aussie who have produced a hooky as fuck song. Who the Bloody Hell & Boudist have already well and truely built the buzz around these guys but I can't help but do my own buzzing. The church organ really adds to their preaching delivery. The track "Vitriol" is backed by a halarious film clip to boot. What's not to love? (Pix)

Mp3: Blue Juice - Vitriol

Apparently, according to Debbie Gibson, 'the future only belongs in the hands of itself'. Well it's 2007 and the youth of 1989 are all grown up now. That means the young adults of then are now middle aged. Then the middle aged of '89 may well be elderly. And the elderly of the time are probabaly dead. How depressing. Nice work Future. (Chris)

Mp3: Debbie Gibson - Electric Youth

Imagine a disco where there is no big hair, platform shoes or John Travolta. Instead, there are lasers, aliens and Captain Kirk. The dancefloor is made up of asteriods, not parquet. You can't park your Beemer out the front, only your intergalactic cruiser. And there is no disco ball, only the stars. Sounds like fun to me. (Chris)

Mp3: In Flagranti - Bipolar

Make Up Sex

As with the start of any new semester Whiteboydancefloor got a tad slack on the posting. To make up for our tardiness, we are going to be cramming the weekend full of those flowers your husband brings home to you that stink of "sorry I'm late, no that isn't lipstick on my collar" or "sorry you caught me jacking off to Emma Watson in Order of the Phoenix". Just general examples, nothing suss.

So smell the roses bitches.

First up. A youtube to soften you up. This little gem was sent my way by good friend Mcbain (yes ladies, that is his real name). The track is from Godley & Creme of 10cc fame.

Youtube: Godley & Creme - An English Man in New York (Strange Apparatus)



First up we have the cover of sorts of Calvin Harris' second single "The Girls" which Dragonette have given a sex change and morphed it into "The Boys" with Dragonette frontwoman Martina taking dirty sex appeal to a whole new level. Personally, I like Dragonette's version better than the original bringing alittle more wit and intelligence. Both great tracks though.

Mp3: Dragonette - The Boys

I am still somewhat undecided on this track by Armand Van Helden. I wouldn't say I am always in favour of the music he makes, but he certainly treads the fine line between commercial cheese and commercial cheese you don't mind dancing to with distinction. The track "Je T'aime" tricks all the mundane commercial boxes but hey, it's the weekend and just pretend you're too messed up to know better when you put it on. I think I only like it because I'm a cheap sellout. But I know I'm not alone in being either of those things.

Mp3: Armand Van Helden feat. Nicole Roux- Je T'aime

"Hold Music" is the new single from Australia's favourite muppet impersonators Architecture in Helsinki. After the knockout punch that was "Heart it Races" it was always going to be difficult to follow up with anything even comparable but I think if they haven't succeeded they have come amicably close. Plenty of cowbell and so much off the chain fun you wish you could bottle it and sell it. I think "Hold music" is kind of Hip Pop, probably the worst genre name I've ever made but that's the only way I can explain it, Hip Pop (shoot me later).

Mp3: Architecture in Helsinki - Hold Music

Easy Tiger

As you may already be aware, Client are very tasty.

Maybe the taste resembles cheese, because we all know their music is full of it. Maybe it's because they are just so damn fine aesthetically. Maybe it's because their music is just really cool. Nonetheless, Client are a very palatable dish, best served ice cold. Think Depeche Mode, but made up of the babes from Girls Aloud.

Client - Drive






Jacksonville City Nights is easily one of my favourite albums. Before that particular album came along, me listening to anything resembling country would be like Joe Hockey making friends with Greg Combet. It was the enemy and it was never going to happen. But Ryan Adams has got to me. Easy Tiger is fantastic. At times its exceedingly average and it's as if it gets bogged down by Adams self serving and arrogance. But on the whole it soars. Its full of Ryan's trademark heartbreaking narratives, delivered in his typically fractured and painful twang. The Cardinals are gone, yet none of the quality has left with them. This, Ryan Adams' latest release in his prolific career, is very impressive and is the perfect companion to drive away into the sunset to. I like.


Ryan Adams - Pearls On A String

Goodnight Technologist

The Main Drag are blissfully dashing. As I sit in the living room with big headphones to allude to the fact that I love music more than you do, The Main Drag gracefully waltz through my kitchen, lightly brushing past me whilst making enough noise that I know they are there, but not so much it wakes up my parents. They share my love for restrained emotion that oozes out the cracks and straight toward your heart.

Yours as fast as mine is a good for the soul and presents an album of what appears to be fragile beauty, deceivingly, this sound could outlast an earthquake. With a welcomed sprinkle of electronic but a real cohesion to their sound, nothing specifically stands out about The Main Drag, rather the packaged end product hits me sweeter than a sledgefeather.

If you're not one for the hyperbole, in Penrith-man's terms, Yours as fast as mine is an absolute cracker and The Main Drag have an arresting quality to them. Wait sorry, In Penrith-man's terms The Main Drag are a bunch of blokes who know what the fuck they are doing. They've shared the stage with many a whiteboy favourite including but not limited to Tigercity & Arcade Fire. I think much like Tigercity, The Main Drag's days of being a whiteboy secret are quite limited.

Mp3: The Main Drag - How We'd Look on Paper
Mp3: The Main Drag

***

In other news, anyone who is heading down to Tribal to check out Riot in Belgium, the Whiteboys will be out in force so we might see you there.

Pfft who am I kidding, you might see US there (we like to pretend we are not has beens).