Monks of Mellonwah - Swamp Groove

Weirdly-named Sydney indie/alternative rock quartet Monks of Mellonwah have been nominated for Best Indie Rock Act and Best Rock Act at the 2012 All Indie Music Awards and will be travelling to the U.S to play at the awards ceremony, which will take place in February at the Key Club in Hollywood.

Having released one EP, the Monks are putting the final touches on their follow-up, which is due for release in early 2012. Their music video for Swamp Groove took 1st prize at the Howard's Shorts short film festival, and the Monks are set to be featured in an upcoming documentary on ABC's RAGE. Check out the above clip for yourself and see what you think.

Big Day Out 2012

So, who remembered to put on sunscreen? Oh, that's right, NOBODY. And who got sunburnt to hell? Oh yeah, EVERYBODY. Well, actually, it wasn't so much that Big Day Out punters forgot to use sunscreen, it was more the fact that we were told it was going to piss down all day. Indeed, as Abbe May's powerful set of guitar-led indie-rock closed, the heavens opened and it seemed that BDO 2012 was going to be a mud-bath of Glastonburic proportions. But then something amazing happened (in the context of what has been the most rainy Sydney summer ever). As Best Coast brought their angsty-yet-perky, reverby indie to the table, the sun came out. As if on cue. For most of the afternoon, it remained H to the O to the motherflipping T. Like, seriously boiling. Lobster skin was order of the day, especially because there seems to be some kind of unwritten rule that the majority of the crowd must remain shirtless throughout. It makes sense though, I mean, how else would we be able to see their Southern Cross tattoos?

What's that? Oh yeah, the music.... Well, the aforementioned Best Coast were an early highlight, as were Sydney punkers, Chicks Who Love Guns. Triple J Unearthed winners Underlights displayed a sound that is clearly influenced by late 90s English indie. It was a shame that they suffered terrible sound (the bass was too prominent, everything else sounded like a muddy mess) because there were signs of promise there.

Boy & Bear brought a sense of serenity to the madness with their lovely set, which peaked when they covered Crowded House. Elsewhere, Battles and OFWGKTA were excellent and The Vaccines proved why they have received so much hype of late. Kimbra has been omnipresent this summer and she put in the strongest performance that we have seen from her so far. Vocally MASSIVE and exuding confidence in abundance, this woman is an absolute megastar in the making.

At the same time that My Chemical Romance were looking bored and old, Mariachi El Bronx doffed their sombreros to a huge crowd elsewhere in the concrete jungle of a site. Later, Kasabian did what Kasabian do while the day's highlight was going on in front of a criminally small crowd at one of the smaller stages. Kitty Daisy & Lewis (above) are simply wonderful. We have said enough words about how much we love them before, but, suffice to say, anyone at BDO who didn't pop along to see at least a couple of songs from this delightful trio of London siblings deserves to have their entire record collection smashed into tiny pieces. Whatever else you were doing, shame on you for not joining the couple of hundred people who were dancing like crazy to their amazing set (during which legendary Jamaican trumpet player Eddie Tan Tan Thornton made a typically impish appearance).

After this, we cut a dash to see the back-end of Foster The People's set and discovered where everybody was during Kitty Daisy & Lewis. Holy smoke, they were playing to a gargantuan crowd. Yeah, yeah, Pumped Up Kicks has been played to death but its appearance and subsequent mass sing-along was the feel-good moment of the festival in the early evening sunshine. Back in the arena were Soundgarden but, let's be honest, who really cares? After all, it's not 1994 any more. That said, Black Hole Sun did make us chuckle, as it brought back memories of how we used to sing it as Back Hole Mum as teenagers.

And then it was time for the main event. Kanye West announced his appearance by being hoisted way into the air on a cherry picker as puffs of smoke billowed below him (you can just about make him out in the blurry iPhone photo below) and the strains of Dark Fantasy kicked in. It was quite the spectacle and was greeted with an audible sense of awe from the massed throngs. This was followed by a fantastic version of Power. As starts go, this was as strong as anything we've seen, but his self-indulgence soon got kinda tiresome and his set list offered some seriously dull moments.

Post Kanye, Noel Gallagher & His Angry Birds (or whatever they're called) certainly knew how to keep the crowd happy, with a spattering of Oasis songs, including the underrated Talk Tonight in amongst his new stuff.

And, after Gallagher had done his thing, it was time for the shirtless masses to go home and apply some aloe vera to their bright red skin. All in all, it was a fairly unremarkable Big Day Out. Still, considering some of the headlines previous years have made, that's no bad thing.

Review by a sunburnt Bobby Townsend.

Vice throws a Bondi party to launch Rdio in Australia!

We've been to our share of Vice parties in our time, and they are always pretty frickin awesome, so we're looking forward to next Saturday (Feb 4th) where, to celebrate the launch of Rdio, they are taking over Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel and cramming it full of bands. Doing their thang will be Das Racist, Canyons, Alpine, Collarbones, Jonti and more. There’s gonna be DJ sets from Twin Shadow & Austra too.

There’ll also be a one-year Rdio subscription in it for one lucky punter, so head along to rdio.vice.com for your chance to get your hands on one of 300 double passes – and to grab your free 7-day Rdio trial. For those Aussie-based readers outside of Sydney, there’s even the chance to be flown (with three mates) to the show and to be put up in a hotel room – plus the free 7-day trial, too. Not bad, hey?

Wondering what Rdio is? Well, it's an ad-free music subscription service which allows you to play the music you want, when you want, discover and share music through friends, influencers, facebook and twitter, sync music to your iPhone, BlackBerry or Android and listen while offline. 

Geoffrey O'Connor interview

Geoffrey O’Connor - known for his work in Melbourne band Crayon Fields - plays this year’s St Jerome's Laneway Festival as a solo artist. Heidi Pett chatted to him about his various name changes, duelling synthesisers and a dream collaboration with Elton John before he loses his marbles:

You’ve previously released solo work under ‘Sly Hats’ - what sparked the decision to use your real name this time?
Sly Hats was a name I just came up with on the spot when I got my first gig. I gradually grew to regret it more and more. I just never really liked the name and I couldn’t see myself releasing albums as Sly Hats, so I thought I’d curtail that and use the name that my mother gave me.

It’s a very personal album in terms of lyrics, did this have something to do with your decision to use your birth name? I guess I’m asking because it might be expected that people distance themselves from the more personal aspects of their own life in their work whereas you’ve gone in the opposite direction.
For this record I actually wanted to make it quite personal. All the songs are based on both experience and observation, which I guess is still all experience. Just something I’m familiar with, really.

Do you find it difficult offering up these things that you’ve created? Knowing they’ve come from somewhere close to you? 
Not at all. In drawing from personal experience I admit certain things and exaggerate other things to make out that I’m a bit of a better guy. There’s still a strong resemblance between the way the stories are told in the songs and what actually happened. I guess with songcraft and that kind of licence you can make yourself out to be better than you actually were in the situations. Little bit of fantasy and exaggeration.

Do you differ in your approach when writing your solo work as opposed to what you’ve done with Crayon Fields? 
I guess with my solo work I’m able to chop and change things a little more. It’s a lot easier for me to rework a song when I’m doing it all by myself. When I’m working with the band I feel like I’m wasting everybody’s time. There’s different levels of preparation involved, different ways of approaching songs. I don’t have to be wary of other people as much when I’m writing for myself.

The latest album does feature a lot of collaborations, though, so how did that work?
I’d bring the songs fully formed. Usually I’d sing their parts first and ask if they wanted to sing the duets. There were a couple of times where somebody asked me if I wanted extra vocals on my records. It worked out really well cause I get a nice variety of different voices and instruments.

How do you set up your collaborations? 
I’ve never approached someone. Never made the cold call. Usually they’re friends because I really like their music and their voice. Not that that’s the way I choose my friends! But that’s often how I get to know people.

Of course. Now, your latest album has been described as having a synthy, power-ballady vibe. Was that a deliberate nod to the eighties? 
It wasn’t a deliberate reference, but I can definitely see where the comparisons come from. I did consciously set out to make a record that sounds very synthetic, which I guess is always going to evoke the eighties a bit. Although, I feel like in 50 years time when synthetic instruments become more familiar to people it will just be seen as another instrument. You know folk musicians use acoustic guitars and it doesn’t really evoke a certain period anymore whereas it might have 30, 40 years ago. It wasn’t a conscious thing, you know? I’m not going to be making a music video where I’m of surrounded by people doing aerobics or anything like that.

I was going to ask about your videos, actually. You’ve collected a fair bit of praise for your previous videos, are you working on some for your solo work? 
I’m making a trilogy of videos, they’re all sort of thematically linked. They’re just fun to make. A little bit morbid but vaguely humorous as well, I hope.

What can we expect from your set at Laneway? 
I’m bringing my band along, which is two synthesisers and this kind of laser machine which kind of acts like a drummer. And duelling synthesisers, which I really enjoy; they kind of flank me on stage.

It sounds like a military operation! 
It is, yeah. *laughs* You should see the rehearsals.

So you’re quite precise in the way that you approach your music? 
Yeah, I like to be thorough in that way, I don’t like to leave things to chance.

Speaking of leaving things up to chance, Laneway is certainly a large production. How do you feel about playing in that sort of environment? 
To be honest part of what appeals to me about playing festivals is the freedom you have to miss bands as much as see bands you really like. There’s something really comforting and satisfying about drinking backstage while you can hear them playing faintly in the background and knowing you might see them next week. It’s a bit perverse really!

I guess when you’ve got any number of opportunities to see them play, you lose the urgency. Is there anybody you’re particularly looking forward to seeing? Making ‘friends’ with on the basis of their musical talents? 
I doubt I’d hang out with them, I never approach my idols! It’s not that I’m shy or anything it’s just not something I’m comfortable doing. I’d feel like the really corny guy.

If, in a parallel universe that was totally socially acceptable, who would you like to work with? 
I’d love to collaborate with Elton John to be honest. *laughs* That would do it for me. While he’s still got half a brain it’d be great. Him and Stevie Nicks, I think that would be a great balance.

If the idea of duelling synthesisers appeals to you, then get yourself along to the St Jerome's Laneway Festival where you can catch Geoffrey O’Connor alongside the likes of Feist, The Drums, Laura Marling and Yuck. For the full lineup and for news on ticket availability, visit lanewayfestival.com.au

Interview by Heidi Pett. 

Krate Krusaders Volume 2 - When The Needle Drops

Bobbysix.com's 25ThC gets his hip-hop on to review Krate Krusaders Volume 2. Here are his thoughts: 

This is the second volume of featured artist releases from South West UK production duo Bad Habitz and 1 Step. It features a selection of well respected MC's from both sides of the Atlantic and, on the face of it, should be a good listen. However it falls down in a number of areas.

Hip-hop has always been about pushing boundaries, trying new techniques and sampling previously hidden sonic gems. The production here is pretty standard and on most of the tracks feels a little like hip-hop by numbers. There was very little head nodding going on at this end. On quite a few of the tracks the beat is far too prominent, meaning that the vocal is lost and it makes it difficult to follow the MC's flow. This may be simply a mastering issue but it does make it heavy-going. As a whole, it's unlikely to bear repeated listening and some tracks really grate on the ears.

Mamba has a nice laid back vibe. Sick Flow has a heavy beat and accordion sample which fit well with the vocals of Ramson Badbonez and Flitptrix. Put The Work In has a lovely Arabian feel and great lyrics from Sonnyjim. These are the few exceptions, but on a 17-track album, it's not nearly enough.

Review by 25ThC

Diane Cluck interview

Bobby Townsend chatted to Diane Cluck about her Song of The Week project, in which she will devote six months to writing, recording and digitally distributing a new song to subscribers each week:

Hello Diane. Tell us a little about how you came up with the idea of Song-of-the-Week project... 
I was packing up to move from New York and had a moment of panic around leaving my day job. I literally sat down on a rolled-up rug and began thinking out ideas for Song-of-the-Week. Initially, I thought I'd write one song per week for an entire year. Then I scaled back to six months, because from my experience so much can happen and change over the course of a year. Song-of-the-Week was born out of wanting to do some of the things I most enjoy: writing songs, singing & playing music, drawing... communicating.

How is it going so far? Have you had a lot of interest? Have any fans come up with weird and wonderful subscription ideas?
It's going really well! It's amazing! The project is more than 80 percent funded at this point. There's an option for people to create their own subscription plan, but so far, no one's bitten. I do want them to; I'd be so interested! Just a few days ago, some folks in San Francisco pooled together to subscribe at the "house show"-level... they'll be flying me out for a show this summer during LGBT Pride.

How about the option for people to have a song written by you about whatever they like... What kind of things are people requesting?
Ten people have commissioned songs so far. One woman asked me to write about her dog who recently passed away. She said, "The song doesn't have to be about a dog; it could be about a loving, compassionate being who shared her life with me." Someone else wants me to write about education. I'm not yet sure what that means. Most people haven't told me what they want their song to be about. Initially, we were all waiting to see if there'd be enough interest in the project, but now it's clearly definitely happening.

As someone who has always had something of a DIY dynamic, do you see this project as a fun challenge, as something that was born out of necessity, or as a combination of the two?
The Song-of-the-Week project is both a challenge and a necessity... I'm not just boiling that down to mean 'financial necessity'. For a long time, I've wanted to have more integration between my working and creative lives. I got to a point where doing jobs that weren't directly related to my life wasn't okay with me anymore. I had a talk with myself, like, "What do you most want to be doing right now?" The responsibilities involved with Song-of-the-Week are a good mix of just what I need. There are some things I already do well (songwriting and performing ) and other things I have less experience with or don't feel are my natural strengths, but want to develop (working with others in collaborative and technical capacities, and interacting on a personal level with people who support what I do). I feel very fortunate and happy to be where I am. 

In many ways, I'm taking more responsibility for the outcome of my life. A lot of conventional music business protocol didn't make sense to me, and I spent more time reacting against a system I didn't like rather than laying the groundwork for my own. That's what I'm doing now, with help, and I think the times we're in now are actually fostering that growth in me, making it easier. Song-of-the-Week is helping me commit to more follow-through with my creative ideas. I'm discovering how helpful organization can be... and how much I've needed it for a long time. I'm learning to schedule my own work days as well as time off. My previous patterns were very inspiration-based, often not grounded by my tangible, physical reality. I think that's why a lot of great art is made by people in their twenties who then die at that age. I've become aware of my limits and enjoy the beauty of working with them rather than against them. There is more here to explore than I'd originally thought.

With the music industry in the state it is in, do you think this kind of thing is something that more bands will do in the near future? 
For sure, it's already happening! I have friends in all sorts of places: from hobbyists to musicians on major record labels, and it's easy enough to find discontent at every level. What I like about this transition is that more people are realizing no one's handing out golden keys. Music is way older than 'the music industry'. The people I know who are happiest are pursuing lives and careers on their own, unique terms. My Song-of-the-Week project and hubs like Kickstarter are outgrowths of that... people working together for what they desire to bring into the world. A couple of years ago, I began learning about music business. It was and is challenging for me; it's not what I'm naturally drawn to. After putting some time into learning about PRO's, mechanical licenses, etc., the landscape's become easier for me to navigate. Many artists don't realize that as soon as they release recordings, even just over the internet, there are royalties accruing for them in various places that they'll never receive unless they, or someone on their behalf, fills out the paperwork. Dealing with some of this for myself (with help from friends) has been financially beneficial and personally empowering. I'm beginning to see how I might be able to manage without being signed to a record label. I do feel that society does musicians a great disservice by filling their minds with phrases like 'starving artist' or 'you'll never make a living doing that'. Comparing notes with friends who went to school for the arts, we all agreed that business courses were completely lacking in the required curiculum. It's quite pathetic, and I hope that's changing. I'm discovering how enjoyable and creative managing one's own small business can be, and have been advocating and taking a real interest in this as it applies to the lives of those around me. Too many people are suffering in 'jobs', or accepting the perameters of what's handed to them.

I interviewed award-winning English folk singer Laura Marling recently and she told me she was a big fan of yours. It must be nice to know that you are influencing artists like her? 
Absolutely ! Laura's a graceful and talented woman and I'm proud that she'd consider my work influential.

What bands/artists are you listening to at the moment? Can you give us any recommendations? Hmmm...there are a few artists I'm always tuned into: Little Wings, Amanda Jo Williams, Cocorosie... recently I've been listening to Joan As Police Woman and Devon Sproule. And oh yeah! Shovels & Rope! They're the greatest. They're a wife & husband team (Cary Ann Hearst & Michael Trent) that make really vital/vitalizing country music. Check out the YouTube video of them singing Gasoline in a swamp. They're hot.

What happens after this project has run its course? Do you have other ideas/projects up your sleeve? 
I'll probably put touring on hold while I'm working on Song-of-the-Week, but eventually I'd like to do more touring in the US. I've mostly hopped between its two coasts, but I'd love to play more shows in the out-of-the-way middle regions that we musicians tend to skip. As the US becomes more troubled, I find myself wanting to invest more energy in being here. I want to continue working as a people's musician. It feels important, and it's what I have to offer. Along/under/through this, I want to continue developing methods of reaching out to others through my art. I'm getting more oriented to the internet than I used to be. I don't necessarily support people spending more time there, but the connections I'm able to make through it (the kind that become real, physical events) are amazing. I'm very much into preparing food as medicine. I'm currently working on a website with a friend, and I look forward to organizing my thoughts around food and herbs as they relate to health. The U.S. medical system is very fucked at the moment. I like being able to share ways we can take care of ourselves and each other without relying on the pharmaceutical and insurance corporations.

Interview by Bobby Townsend. Find out more about Diane's project here.

41 Strings at Sydney Opera House

Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeah's fame brought his ambitious 41 Strings project to Sydney's Opera House this weekend. The performance saw him play guitar while conducting an impressive line-up of acoustic and electric strings, ranging from violins to electric bass, with some drums and synths adding further layers

The composition used Vivaldi's Four Seasons as inspiration and was enhanced by visuals from acclaimed video artist Daniel Askill, which were projected onto the roof of the Concert Hall. The performance chronicled the ups and downs of the seasons in a mass of strings and percussion. At times pensive and moody, elsewhere brimming with joy, 41 Strings was beautiful and mesmerising. Zinner looked nervous and a little uncomfortable as he conducted the classically trained musicians that surrounded him (understandably enough - it would be pretty intimidating) but grew into his role as the music soared through the - criminally not sold-out - hall, to huge appreciation from the crowd.

However, while 41 Strings was wonderful, it was eclipsed by the night's first act, which was a special performance of companion piece, IIII, from Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Brian Chase and Soft Circle's Hisham Akira Bharoocha and Ben Vida (all of whom co-collaborated on 41 Strings). A drum circle was led by Bharoocha and, again, was based on Four Seasons. Bharoocha, Chase and Vida were joined by Ryan Sawyer and Matthew Watson as they led 16 additional drummers. It was jaw-dropping stuff: a delight to the eyes and the eyes, as a stage full of musicians drummed in perfect time, teasing the audience with a composition that started slowly and built to a truly exciting and invigorating climax. This performance was, without question, the highlight of Sydney Festival so far.

Review by Bobby Townsend.

The Vaccines interview

Bobbysix.com chats to The Vaccines about the Big Day Out tour in Australia:

“I'm terrified. I think it's going to be carnage,” The Vaccines drummer Pete Robertson says somewhat impishly. His band is in Australia for the Big Day Out tour in the knowledge that the festival has quite the reputation for bands getting together and letting loose. “I have heard that there is a lot of partying at Big Day Out,” he nods. “Everyone stays in the same hotel and everyone gets on and has a good time. Considering it's straight after Christmas as well, I don't think we're going to get much rest. It's going to be good.”

While they are still a relatively new band, their non-stop schedule means that The Vaccines are already well versed in combining travelling with partying. Their first time collectively in Australia was for the Splendour festival a few months ago and that proved to be a crazy experience. “I've got memories of not remembering a lot,” the drummer laughs. “It was pretty hectic and we had a little too much fun. Our summer was generally pretty insane and that was the most insane leg of it. We flew from England to Japan on the Wednesday and on the Friday we touched down in Brisbane, then went to Sydney for two days, then to Melbourne for two days. Then we flew to Chicago and then we did coast-to-coast in The States, all within about two weeks. It was fun.”

The reception they received on their first visit to Sydney – not least at their sideshow at a packed Metro Theatre – is something that has long since stayed with the band. “It was amazing. It was one of those moments. As individuals we'd been working hard in other bands and then collectively when we first got together a couple of years ago to make music that we thought could connect with people. When your music travels further than you ever have before, it's a rewarding experience.”

They'll be sideshows again this time round, as the quartet is set to support label-mates Kasabian. With The Vaccines having played countless live gigs in 2011, you can expect their turn in Aus to be something really special. Robertson is especially looking forward to playing to some big festival crowds. “We had an amazing festival season in our summer. We played just short of 50 of them, all over the world. So I think we're reasonably well schooled in it and I'm looking forward to getting back into it.”

Playing in front of audiences is what The Vaccines are all about and their sound lends itself to being played live, as that was how it was originally put together. “We wrote the record [debut album, What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?] as a live band. We didn't have any recording facilities, so we used our resources the best we could, which was basically two guitars, a bass and a drum kit. We designed the music to be played live. Well, actually we recorded a live album, essentially.”

When The Vaccines first started out, they did so with no masterplan. Rather they simply enjoyed being in a band and all that entailed. One wonders whether a plan has since developed as they have continued to gain success. “The masterplan is very vague,” Robertson suggests. “We're all good players and Justin [Young, lead singer] is a great songwriter. We just felt that, between, us we could make some meaningful music. I think we're doing that and I think we can make more meaningful music. There's room to develop. That's ultimately it. To be the best we can.”

Interview by Bobby Townsend. It first appeared in Sydney's Drum Media.

Clytem Scanning - In The Lake

Clytem Scanning is a Parisian songwriter who creates inventive, experimental, industrial, beat-driven melodies - all within the confines of her 10m²  room. Her music is at times dance-ridden, elsewhere atmospheric and ruminative. This latest video, for In The Lake, falls into the latter camp. We're a little bit in love with her here at Bobbysix. If you want to find out more about her, then check out the interview that we did with her last year.