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29Jun/12Off

7 Australian bands you should know about

Posted by Lachlan

Back in 2008 I wrote a piece called 'New bands you should know about in the Australian scene'. Since then, that piece has consistently been one of our highest traffic drivers. So, I've resolved to update my list to tell you a little bit about the Australian bands that are rocking my world now in 2012.

Hydromedusa

These Adelaide-based stoner/doom merchants and quite simply one of the fastest rising stars in Australia's underground. They Combine incredibly classy, high-energy blues-based rock with thc-drenched, psychedelic sensabilities, and an apprenticeship from our nation's greatest doom band, Space Bong, these guys are one hell of a dynamic and versatile

unit. They can make you tap your does, wallow in drugged-out bliss, or drop you into a pit of droning despair - like a magicial amalgammation of Church of Misery, Bongzilla, and Space Bong.

Go download their debut album for free. Word is they've been working on a new one; and I'm hoping they're a staple for this years Doomsday Festival.

The Reverend Jesse Custer

These Canberra grindpals are awesome, awesome, AWESOME. Seriously, I struggle to think of a more exciting Australian live band at this point in time. Every single time I've seen these guys play, I've been blown away -- and they just keep getting better.

The Reverend Jesse Custer mix up seething metallic hardcore, with gritty sludge, frenetic grind, feedback, fury and groove. As a band they're never sitting still. Their compositions are as intelligent as they are enjoyable. A single-tempo genre band these guys definitely are not.

Just fucking awesome. I don't feel like their recording fully does them justice, but you should check it out regardless. A new one has apparently already been put to tape.

IDYLLS

Man, has these been a buzz about these guys! I'm writing this a few days before IDYLLS hit Sydney as part of their 2-week tour of Australia. Their new album "Farewell All Joy" has been kicking peoples asses for the last few months, and I simply cannot wait to see them unleash their bizarre form of aural carnage live.

These guys play unique, furious metallic hardcore here in the vein of Dillinger Escape Plan, Agents of Abhorrence and early Converge. Awesome. Go get it.

In Trenches

In Trenches play seething metallic hardcore from Melbourne. These veterans have been instrumental in leading Australia's new brand of hardcore - focused on infusing complex rhythms, post-metal, sludge and even psychedelic and blackened elements.

Their recent album Sol Obscura is a cracker. Check it out.

Killsong

And now for something completely different. These guys remind me of the multi-headed beastfuck spawn of a smokey, seedy jazz band, a rock opera, a group of sketchy gypsy circus toughs, a brilliant improvised spoken-word poet descending into madness, and a degenerate that is forced to clown for meth. Essentially they're indescribably brilliant. Their music / performance is theatric, musically impressive, comedic, and generally just mind-blowing. Absolute insanity.

Features members of Squat Club, Darth Vegas, Gauche, The Bznzz, Slimey Things, Rica Tetas and other awesome things. They've got some live bootlegs up on their Soundcloud, but their debut album should be out through Art As Catharsis a little later in the year.

Jesus Christ Posse

Sydney old school hardcore punk rock executed brilliantly, and with a hilarious militant Christian schtick. Apparently at their last show they begun by reenacting the crucifixtion of Jesus on a giant cross, then raised their front man from the dead to start the first song.

Another one thats more of a live band, but check out the album.

Space Bong

Still the best droning doom band on the planet. Definitely up there with Yob, Iron Monkey, Eyehategod, Sunn O))), Earth and the like. They've got a new album coming out a bit

later in the year, but for now you can enjoy 2010's The Death of Utopia (though I'm not sure if 'enjoy' is the right word if we're talking one of the darkest and most depressive bands on earth).

4Nov/09Off

What Is Music? Festival 2009

Posted by Lachlan

Fuck yes! What Is Music? Festival is back!

After a thunderous return in 2008, the What Is Music? Festival is back again attempting even more ridiculous and sublime experimental music programming! After 15 years the reputation of the Festival precedes it, and 2009 will see even more incredible performances and events unleashed upon Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

American laptop terrorist John Wiese will perform his first solo shows ever on these shores, having played the festival as a member of Sunn O))) in 2005, as well as premiering visual scores for large-scale ensemble. Expect the extremest of frequencies, and some of the best improv you've ever heard.

Joining us from Poland will be Musica Genera festival curators Robert Piotrowicz and Anna Zaradny. Robert is a master sculptor of dense, layered synth beauty, though his infamous grindcore roots lend a sense of the brutal/beautiful/brutiful. Anna brings a much needed and appreciated sense of feminine grace and patience with her complex, slow-shifting laptop work, not to mention an impressive pedigree including collaborations with Burkhard Stangl, Zbigniew Karkowski, Tony Buck and Cor Fuhler.

From Japan: hercel. Shayne Bowden/Ayako Mori, man/woman, painful/ecstatic, creation/destruction, foreign/familiar and lots more tasty dichotomy action, all wrapped in a crunchy shell of power electronics. Essential viewing for both the modern intellectual neanderthal and primitive reactionist übermensch alike.

Of course all your favourite locals (and expatriates) will be there too, including Oren Ambarchi, Jon Rose, Clayton Thomas, Clare Cooper, Jim Denley, Alan Lamb, David Shea, Brendan Walls, Matt "Skitz" Sanders and many more (un)usual suspects presenting new works, new sounds, new experiences.

Perhaps the most exciting event though will be the final night of the festival that Melbourne's already talking about, 50/50. 5 conductors, 4 screens, 3 hundred seats, 2 much excitement in 1 massive night. 50 bands. 50 minutes. Not to be missed.

http://www.whatismusic.com/

SYDNEY - Saturday, 12 December 2009

Carriageworks
Main entrance: 245 Wilson Street
Free parking: Enter at 229 Wilson Street, Eveleigh NSW 2015, Australia
02 8571 9099

John Wiese (USA)
Film Screening - Suicidal Variation (KOR)
Robert Piotrowicz (POL)
Miles Van Dorssen
Jon Rose
Anna Zaradny (POL)
David Shea (VIC)
Chris Abrahams / Clare Cooper (Berlin)
Brendan Walls
Jim Denley / Clayton Thomas (Berlin)

MELBOURNE - Sunday, 13 December 2009

East Brunswick Club
280 Lygon Street, East Brunswick
Box Office 03 9388 9794

John Wiese Ensemble - 2 sets

Personnel: Oren Ambarchi, Marco Fusinato, Dave Brown, Robbie Avenaim, Sean Baxter, Dale Gorfinkel, Jon Rose, Clayton Thomas, Clare Cooper, Lloyd Honeybrook, Adam Simmons, Nik Kennedy, Carolyn Connors and David Shea

Film Screening: Suicidal Variation (KOR)

DJ2 between the acts

MELBOURNE - Monday, 14 December 2009

The Old Bar
74-76 Johnston Street, Fitzroy

Shayne Bowden (Japan) & Rob Mayson
Green Beret
Dead Boomers featuring Lloyd Honeybrook
Scratchplate

Films by Eli Partridge and Christina Tester

Presented by Sabbatical

PERTH - Tuesday, 15 December 2009

Ellington Jazz Club
191-193 Beaufort Street, Perth
+61 8 9228 1088

John Wiese (USA)
Robbie Avenaim (VIC)
Alan Lamb

Presented by Tura

MELBOURNE - Wednesday, 16 December 2009

Horse Bazaar
397 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
+61 3 9679 2329

LVSXY (Berlin)
hercel (JAP)
Anna Zaradny (POL)

DJ 2 between the acts

Presented by Stutter

MELBOURNE - Thursday, 17 December 2009

East Brunswick Hotel
280 Lygon Street, East Brunswick
Box Office 03 9388 9794

John Wiese (USA)
Robert Piotrowicz (POL)
Oren Ambarchi and Matt Skitz
Lloyd Honeybrook

DJ2 between the acts

MELBOURNE - Saturday, 19 December 2009

Iwaki Auditorium
ABC Southbank Centre, Southbank Blvd, Melbourne

50/50
50 bands in 50 minutes