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Considering the short lived “myspace” hype surrounding Arctic Monkey's 2006 debut Whatever People Say I am That’s What I’m Not, what’s most remarkable about the Monkeys is that five years on, the band’s music is more intriguing than ever. With three successful, yet progressive and starkly different albums under their belts, the release of their fourth album (mysteriously titled Suck it and See) raised the burning question of where the hell the band would take their sound next.


In true Arctic Monkey’s fashion, singles 'Brick by Brick' and 'Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve moved Your Chair' revealed little about the band’s direction on their fourth offering. Whether these tracks were Americana-garage ‘rock n roll’ parodies (“run with scissors through a chip pan fire fight”) or a nod to the band’s transatlantic influences, it was at least satisfying to hear frontman Alex Turner return to the dry wit of the band’s first album. But Suck it and See has not been made in jest, rather quite the opposite. The band has abandoned its jungle drumming and reverb heavy guitar rock for…sugary ballads. Opener ‘She’s Thunderstorms’ may begin with a promising enough eerie guitar riff, but as soon as Turner’s sweeter-than-ever vocals come crooning in, it’s clear that the band’s particular style of snappy indie rock has taken a back seat on this album.

The album does feature a few impressive love songs, including the retro charm of ‘The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala’, and the short but sweet ‘Reckless Serenade’, with it’s catchy bass hook and possibly the band’s catchiest sing along line since "now then Mardy Bum".The band also explores new and exciting territory on ‘Piledriver Waltz’, with its heart-renchingly bare lyrics (“I heard the unhappy ending it sort of sounds like you’re leaving”) and a well paced, controlled rhythm and melody which perfectly matches the mood of Turner’s melancholic word play. Although there are hints of more complex guitar work in these tracks and a fine display of Turner’s, as always, intriguingly sharp lyrics (“Her steady hands may well have done the devil’s pedicure”), there’s a touch of uncertainty about the songs that can be heard throughout the entire album…the tentative sound of rock band adjusting to romantic ballads. Although, whilst the heavier tracks ('Library Pictures', 'All My Own Stunts') may feature spatterings of familiar guitar riffs and rhythms circa My Favourite Worst Nightmare, these tracks don’t even thrash as cohesively as we’re used to.


Ultimately, the album’s strengths are also its weaknesses. The slower tracks become more of the same as the album progresses through the 12 track listing, and Turner’s lyrics and his smooth vocals are really the only memorable part. Unlike the band's last attempts to experiment with style, this is the first Monkey’s album which unconvincingly expands the band's own musical boundaries. By the end, the entire album just washes over you with a blurry impression of its charming sentiment, but not much else.
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British music rag NME was pretty harsh when they described The Wombats second album This Modern Glitch as a ‘triumph for mediocrity’. The review certainly confirmed my own fears that the band’s dalliance with bland electronica was an indication of a case of serious ‘second album slump’. During the lead up to the band’s Groove in the Moo sideshow at the Enmore, mixed anticipation consequently ensued...would the band’s new tracks be met with dissatisfied shuffling in the audience?

Luckily, the opposite happened. As the band entered the stage and began playing a blistering version of Modern opener ‘Our Perfect Disease’, the crowd, despite containing a large portion of 30 yr old males, ruptured into a teen girl screaming frenzy. Surprisingly, the new tracks were just as well received as the older pop gems from 2007 debut A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation – take that music journalism! Single ‘Jump into the Fog’ soared through the audience with the heavily accented vocals and bops of charming front man Matthew Murphy, dressed in an equally impressive dashing white suit.

The set list flowed very smoothly, cleverly interspersed with most of the tracks from Guide, which brought a dollop of frenzied energy to the short, but sweet, one hour set. Highlights included the ecstatic sing-a-long to the chorus of ‘Kill the Director’ (“this is no Bridget Jones!”); the band’s frenetic thrashing on ‘My First Wedding’ and classic feel-good closer ‘Backfire at the Disco’ ("Yes, I'll meet you on the dancefloor!"). In fact, by the mid-set rendition of the oddly romantic ‘Techno Fan’ - with its catchy harmonies and expertly paced rhythm and pauses - the audience had already been completely won over. And later, so was the band, as Murphy revealed “you’ve moved our furry little souls”.

The charm of Murphy’s lyrics and the band’s flawless execution of sprawling, hook filled guitar pop brought the audience of hungry fans to their knees. No matter what any critic says, if any band can bring fans that much joy, then they can never really do any wrong.

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The return of The Strokes

March 26th 2011 05:14

Since the release of The Strokes’ third studio album First Impressions of the Earth in 2006, Strokes’ fans everywhere had been dreading the signs of an impending band breakup – 4 of the 5 band members had embarked on successful solo projects, and reuniting for another album was rarely mentioned. On hiatus, Julian Casablancas was also looking cooler than ever. Luckily, we were all saved from any further depressing speculation when The Strokes began touring again in 2010. Rumours of a new album were finally confirmed when fourth album Angles was announced to be released in March.

So what do The Strokes sound like after a five year long hiatus? Angles is the first album which the band has created democratically, instead of following the usual Casablancas led model. The band also scrapped their initial collection of tracks made with producer Joe Chicarelli, and retreated to Albert Hammond Jnr's home studio to re-do the album. Not surprisingly, the result is mixed. The 80s pop synth beats on tracks like ‘Two Kinds of Happiness’ and ‘Games’ are unoriginal and outdated. They'd both fit quite nicely on the soundtrack of a Molly Ringwald movie.

But, there’s also a marked return to the garage rock style circa Is This It on the album. ‘Macchu Pichu’ is a triumphant return to the old, and the delightful ‘Under Cover of Darkness’ sees Casablancas’ vocals hitting new highs, amongst simple layers of coasting drum rhythms and guitar solos. ‘Taken For a Fool’ is also a much needed break from the straight upbeat pop sound of the album. Slicker and edgier than the other tracks, it’s neatly structured with a funk guitar riff and an expertly controlled groove rhythm which peaks victoriously at the chorus. However, there are also some tracks that are disappointingly flat (‘Call Me Back’, ‘Metabolism’) and lack the usual immediate charm of The Strokes’ sound.

The band’s attempt at bringing their sound up to date with the electro pop that’s dominating the airwaves, and the mix of the individual band members’ styles, makes for a disjointed album. Nonetheless, there is room for hope. The band is still trying to find they’re feet again, and when they do, we’ll be intently listening.
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I also like sandwiches.


When Two Door Cinema Club lead singer Alex Trimble introduced a song in the set list as “from our old stuff”, the crowd’s rapturous response was cut short by Alex exclaiming “f*** you, we don’t have any old stuff!” It’s all too easy to forget that Irish, indie-guitar-pop hit makers Two Door Cinema Club only released their debut album (Tourist History) in March last year. After playing Splendour in the Grass and a sideshow at Manning Bar in 2010, the band returned to Australia just six months later for the Laneway Festival. Not only did the band upgrade their Laneway sideshow to the Enmore Theatre, but they’ve also gone from upcoming talent to sell out indie pop stars


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The Best and Worse of Music in 2010

December 28th 2010 13:02
As I prepare to bring down my fair hand of judgment upon the music of 2010, I can 't help but worry about how future generations will recall the music of the 'noughties'. Between the explosion of oh-so-indie experimental noise, created by men dressed like girls dressed like men; the grinding club hits; and the saints and sinners pop dichotomy, there hasn't been much to keep us seekers of quality satisfied. On that note, there has been quite a few gems, but also some serious losers in 2010.

THE BEST
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gallery

November 2nd 2010 04:45
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Do you enjoy fluorescent paints, the new NME layout, fast moving shapes and space themed costumes? If you answered yes, then it's likely that you're well aware of the delicate nuances of the allusive "nu rave" genre. It's another recently invented vague indie genre pulled straight out of the collective behinds of the hottest, non-prescription glasses wearing music journos around. Well for those of you asking what this delightful little meme of a word is, slam down a tall drink of disco, hectic rave beats and strobe lighting, and proceed to throw it all right back up into a mixing machine. If you succeeded...congratulations! You've just created you're first nu rave hit, British tweens everywhere are now flailing around with glow sticks to your sick indie trance, madly drawing on their faces with coloured zinc.

Now, let me introduce you to the birth mother of nu rave, the Klaxons. Last seen in the country at Modular's 10th Birthday bash 'Nevereverland' in 2008, the three turned four man band has returned to the country this month to tour their newest offering Surfing The Void. Upon entering the stage of the Enmore theatre to what can only be described as some sort of flute inspired homage to the BBC channel, the members of the band took their places and without skipping a beat, immediately ripped into 'Flashover' from Surfing. The heaviness of the track's colliding synths and guitar riffs, and the shouted ominous lyrics "dimension of time have come undone" did not work too well as a warming introduction to the band. Instead, the gig started with a thick frost over an ever stiffening crowd


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The allure of We Are Scientist's newest album is about as enticing as a sneaky google images search for "Keith Murray" and his stunning mug. Thrilling for about half a second, until you realise that googling is not enough to satisfy your unfulfilled needs, and then you find out about his long time girlfriend and the fantasy is all, completely over.

The biggest problem with Barbara is that the tracks all zoom by at lightening speed. The catchy hooks, ziggy synths and upbeat tempos all blur together like swirling remnants of a messy night you can only half recollect in the morning. And like those morning afters, by the end of Barbara, you'll be thinking that it was all much better than it actually was at the time. Whilst there may be a marked return to the climbing electric guitar riffs and boppy grooves ('I Don't Bite') that were so masterfully crafted on 'With Love and Squalor', through all of Barbara's chirpy shine, the tracks still fall short of momentous


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I'll see you at SPLENDOUR...

May 6th 2010 14:21
From the day that the biggest, most ambitious, most soul suckingly pricey splendour line-up was released, it seems that the punters of Australia have simply been falling all over themselves at any mention of the old Byron Festival that could: Splendour in the Grass. Upon viewing the line up on the website, may I note how the modest typeface only extenuated the quiet, yet cunning ambition of the Splendour creators - The Strokes, the Pixies, Florence, Mumford & Sons - so many bands that could've individually sold out a Big Day Out gathering in some town in the back end of Queensland. Whilst this debilitating awe quickly faded upon discovery of the price of a ticket, it seems like twenty somethings everywhere have reached deep into their low interest bank accounts to fork out the dosh. Hopefully this grand gesture of a festival will mean that festivals of the future will be graced by more than a few big names, and more stable online ticketing servers.

may your town complain less about Splendour than the Byron residents did

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Without any Modular sheen present, NYPC have decisively stepped out independently with a darker, stranger and more thoughtful sophomore album that at long last breathes new life into a scene long been taken over by tired electro pop sameness. Over the faux hip party goer persona featured on the band’s dance floor friendly 2007 debut, lead singer Tahita Bulmer has traded in her seductive monotone for a vocal range full of surprises, whilst producing half Andy Spence experiments with a mix bag of zappy synth parts to match. The album sparks open with first single “Lost A Girl” – a track that holds to a simple pounding drumbeat and a running guitar riff before leaping forward with colourful harpsichord melodies, waves of bass and sweet vocal echoes. The cool funk bass line and clap along melody of “Chaos” may not stray from the upbeat Playroom precedent but the music is thick with the buzz of exciting sounds weaving in and out to add sparkle to the dubious lyrics (“whitewash on your life as the lights go down”). The album ambitiously builds on clean-cut pop melodies, seamlessly mixing soaring angelic choruses with dark electro beats. “The Optimist” somehow pulls off a spacey ambience with layers of squeaky synth behind airy vocals and pained lyrics. Let’s hope this new ambition catches on to the bands that so keenly copied the band the first time.

Most excellent tracks: “The Optimist”, “We Want To”, “Lost A Girl”, “Rapture


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