Empire of The Sun

So I'm reading a book of short stories at the moment by J G Ballard. They're kinda science fictiony, but more realisticish science, like valve computers that write poetry and ultrasonic musicians.... not so much spaceships and vagina-like aliens.








But the stories are really cool, they were written in the early 60's, some have a real Orwellian vibe about them, others well.. don't. BUT, for those fact hunters out there, J G Ballard also wrote a semi-autobiographical book called Empire of the Sun, about his childhood growing up in Shanghai during WW2. It was turned into a movie by Stephen Spielberg, featuring Batman as Ballard. I haven't seen it, or read it, I just know about it. Apparently everyone else I talk to has seen it... how have I not.

What I have seen is the new video by new Pnau/Sleepy Jackson side project Empire of the Sun. The song is called Walking on a Dream, it's self describes as a cross between Phoenix and Daft Punk, and while everyone who has ever put a synth on a track says it sounds like Daft Punk, these guys are actually pretty close. Either Daft Punk or Phil Collins anyway. The video is really colourful and filmed in Shanghai, which sort of brings it all around like a Curb your Enthusiasm episode. So here it is, it's great fun.

Oh yeah, Luke Steel is some sort of Superhero I think. The Album is out October 4th. I think I'll buy it!

STRANGE FACT...
If you put the video into an editing program and play around with the contrast, you get this video... Wow!



Bye for now

Robbed! Fuck!

So there's been no post lately coz I had my awesome library of tunes robbed. And my computer. Assholes. But it's almost cathartic, I get to start all over again, get rid of the shit.... nothing like a big purge to work out what music is good.

Well... the Meredith first announcement was made.

HOLY FUCK / LITTLE RED / MGMT / SAUL WILLIAMS / MAN MAN / THE BRONX / MUSCLES / FINAL FANTASY / TAME IMPALA / BEACHES / THE MOUNTAIN GOATS / TEN EAST / THE RUBY SUNS / BLACK DIAMOND HEAVIES / COMBO LA REVELACION / YACHT CLUB DJS / GRAND SALVO / ADAM GREEN / THE DATSUNS / ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI / REGURGITATOR

I think I picked three of those... to be honest I'm a little disappointed with the lineup. Some of the stuff I hadn't heard sounded interesting (Man Man, Black Diamond Heavies, Ten East), but nothing that's as great as past Meredith discoveries (Tapes n Tapes, Band of Horses, Girl talk). MGMT should be a lot of fun, Little Red are always lovely, Muscles... meh, The Datsuns and Regurgitator will both rock the party, and Tame Impala will bring the colours. Whatever that means. I also kinda like Holy Fuck. Here they are.




Originally I was annoyed... but I was thinking of the Fuck Buttons... who sound a bit like the retarded introspective shite pitchfork love. I am not a fan of the Animal Collective. But here are the Fuck Buttons for those interested.



I know what I'd rather from the Fuck bands.

So the Robbers stole my computer, but not my TV or my Radio. So to celebrate, here's the new TV on the Radio song on their website. I like TV on the Radio. You can't download it though, but it's not as good as their old stuff, so here's some better old stuff.





Those songs are grand, off their first EP. It's very good.

Peacie Outie!

Apologies

Apparently Chuck Palahniuk is a dirty liar. Reading these following quotes from him would lead you toe think that my last post was true.


"Clark Gregg...knew that I'd written Choke while listening to Pablo Honey, with 'Creep', over and over and over. So Clark got Radiohead to contribute a song; to write a song for the very end of the movie, the final credits.

"Apparently Radiohead liked the movie so much, they've written the score, most of the ambient music throughout it. So it's 'Choke-- with the music of Radiohead'."

But he's lying. Radiohead is featured on the soundtrack, but it's just the song Reckoner. No new stuff. Bummer. But Johnny Greenwood did the soundtrack to There Will be Blood.

BONUS SCREENSAVER...
You can get a cool screensaver based on the groovy video for 'House of Cards' here.


ON TO BETTER NEWS....

Tame Impala are the support for MGMT's tour. Yay... I feel vindicated.

ON TO NEW MUSIC....









The Mercy Arms are a band that I have liked for a long while. They supported cut copy a while back, I enjoyed their set a little more than the old Ctrl-x Ctrl-c. The guitarist is a bizarre kiddo (who is really friendly and possibly has acid tabs underneath his eyelids), but makes some cool sounds and provides some devlish screams and shouts every now and then. They turn what could be another boring Sydney band (Expatriate, Youth Group- Canberra is close to Sydney, Van Shit, Faker- Actually, I don't mind Faker. They might be from Melbourne) into what I consider one of our most interesting new bands.

Their new album is out on Saturday, they're going on tour. Hitting Melbourne on 30th August at the Northcote Social Club. Their myspace features the whole album, which is nice of them. If you ever wanted to hear Mr Bungle cover the Cure with spoken word by John Jarret, check out the song Shine a Light Down.. close as you'll get.

BONUS PREDICTIONS/WISHLIST

So the Falls Festival lineup was announced Wednesday. Yawn. Franz Ferdipants, The Hives and a whole list of other bands that have been here about a hundred times each. I'm sure it'll be fun, but come on, seem sas though organisers know it'll sell out anyway so decided to leave effort at home for the year. Luckily Meredith is around the corner, sure to have the imaginative line-up I crave. Based on rumours and stuff I want, here' s my predictions.

MGMT
Fleet Foxes
The Bronx (Confirmed on their Myspace)
TV on the Radio
The Drones
You Am I
Tame Impala
Paris Wells
Dan Deacon
Pivot

Probably others too... I predict maybe 6 out of 10... including the Bronx.

Choke

I'm a big Chuck Palahniuk fan... actually, let me rephrase that... I and I think a lot of other ' Chuck Palahniuk fans' saw Fight Club and read the book. I like the look of some of his other books, but I really can't get my ass into gear to buy them. Stick them in a box set and maybe I'll get em. Or if somebody buys them for me, so be it. (I'm not ignorant... I do read other books.)

But I had heard a lot about Choke, I think his 4th novel. And when I heard it was going to be turned into a film, I thought great! Think of Fight Club...Aside from the great direction, casting, effects, use of Meatloaf, costumes and music, the story is freakin great. Choke looks just as good. Any money the Herald Bum uses the words 'Sex Club' at least once during the promotion of this film.



Stupid shit Fox site for the film doesn't believe anybody without a zipcode is over 18... so we have to make do with the standard family friendly trailer. The other one is better... lots of rude bits.

Anyway, as awesome as the film looks, it's just got Awesomer. Apparently Chuck was listenin to Radioheads album Pablo Honey a whole lot during the writing of the novel, so they were approached to write the tune for the closing credits of the film. If I were radiohead, I'd have given this song.



But unfortunatly, I'm not Radiohead.... and they decided to score the whole film. Exciting stuff yeah?


BONUS:
Uberdrivel had this tune up... check out their blog too.
Vampire Weekend- Exit Music (For a Film) (Radiohead Cover)


Later Dater

Shhhhhhhh

You didn't hear it from me.... MGMT are maybe perhaps playing in Perth possibly on December 5. You do the math festival geeks.

The Sword

It seems that I'm sort of following a hard-rock theme the past few posts, so I'll round it off with this one and then maybe you can look forward to doo-wop or calypso music for the next post.

The Sword are heavy metal heroes that will save the day. I don't know if the new slipnot is any good, or if the new Metallica will be any good either (there's gonna be an Unforgiven 3... not a good sign), but it doesn't matter, coz the Sword exist. You probably don't need to hear them... just check out the logo.









Ah fine, you can hear them too. Go to their Myspace or just check out this clip.




Wow, that rocks. It also rocks that they have Norse mythology style song names. If there's one thing I hate it's heavy metal bands that don't realise they are crappy crappy poo poo if they have sci-fi themes. I'm looking at you Powerman 5000.













OLYMPIC FACT!

Until 1932, only the Bronze medal was actually a Metal... Gold and Silver was made of cheese.

HOT LEG

Thanks to IheartChaos for the Picture.

Hot Leg is Justin Hawkins (The Darkness) new band. Believe it or not, the man is more diverse than one would believe. I am of the opinion that once an artist goes sober... then they turn bollocks. But the new stuff sounds incredible. One epic track has a full orchestra, with almost african style drumming, and rather than the falsetto vocals, Hawkins goes for a more tender, almost Lou Reed sounding approach. The second track begins acapella for the first 3 minutes, then finishing in what can only be described as a latin funk jam being performed by Kraftwerk, including a jazz scat in Italian.

I'm shittin ya, it sounds exactly the same as the darkness. Sometimes that's all you need though.

myspace

HOLY SHIT BATMAN!

It's been longer than I was hoping that I'd post on this blog, but I'll make up for it some how.

BATMAN!















I finally saw the dark knight... not as great as the above promo shot led me to believe it would be, but still a good time to be had. HOWEVER....

Walking out of the cinema and spying a open doorway into another cinema, I saw what appeared to be an incredibly badly choreographed musical featuring the devil wearing prada singing and dancing to a Yngwie Malmsteem song.



The film looked bad. By the way, that is not Yngwie Malmsteem in that video. If you find it a little hard getting past the fact that those sweedish girls sound like Metal gods, here is the song so you can play it to any other visuals you like.



FUN FACT- Yngwie Malmsteem is so named because he was conceived on a scrabble board.

NOT SO FUN NAME- There is actually a band called the Devil Wears Prada. They're Christian Metalcore, which does not help them either.
Music Genre Rules:
Christian + x = Shit
y + Metalcore = Shit
Christian + Metalcore = Shit ^2
x + y =










Peace out.

FLOWER POWER

It started in San Francisco, came of age at Woodstock, and changed us and the world forever. Time Life presents Flower Power: Music of the Love Generation. You will hear hits from the most impressionable artists of the '60s and '70s including: The Mamas and the Papas, The Byrds, The Youngbloods, Jefferson Airplane, and many more.




I really want those CD's. Peter Fonda is on the ads for it... man... I could spend hours searching the internet and record stores looking for all the classics featured on it.

I watch too much late night TV.

However, if in 30 years time there's a Time Life CD featuring the hipster music of today, I have no doubt that Children Collide (myspace) would be on it.



Social Currency is the new single for Children Collide, off their new album which I think is coming out in October. This song is right up there in my favourites for this year... the looping bass is great fun, the way it loops around and when the chorus comes in... ROCK AND ROLL! Jwhores may remember this song...



I get the feeling Children Collide may get pretty big over the next little bit, which can only be a good thing. i can imagine hearing them in some sort of store that sells shirts or shoes or hats or jeans. Or on a Time Life CD.

BONUS LINK

For those not in the know, hipster runoff is a great blog. Just the right amount of cynicism for a quiet afternoon.

Tame Impala

THIS BLOG NEEDS MORE PICTURES!













Sick of hearing about British bands I hear you say? Have no fear, these lads are from Perth. They're the latest-ish signing on Modular records, and look to be the band that Wolfmother should have been (instead of the boardshort brand they became).

Now, their myspace only has two songs on it, they did have a fantastic cover of the old Blueboy song 'remember me'. Apparently Modular doesn't want people to hear their bands music.... interesting strategy to say the least. I'm not gonna describe what they sound like... you can just hear them yourself (By visiting their myspace... I'm not gonna supply you with free music.)

FREE MUSIC...




That's the original 'remember me'.... if I'm feeling really nice, maybe I'll put up the Tame Impala cover... but Modular will probably send Wolfmother around to beat my ass.
Oh yeah... .they're playin at the prince on Friday 15th August with a woman with a mullet,some yacht rock from Sydney, a bumblebee and Jack Osbourne. But it could be fun.


































DID YOU KNOW?

There's some rudey nudey shots of one of the Veronicas floating around the internets? I'll let you lads do the searching yourselves.... I am merely a messenger. And I certainly do not hide links on my blog.

Bye.