La Shark

LA SHARK makes me miss London.

Check out their awesome tour video. 11 secs is certainly a crowd pleaser...aha

Isle Adore

Check out Melbourne quartet Isle Adore. Lovin' the Ariel Pink-esque-nes, echoed vocals and seemingly off-key notes, in all their tracks especially 'Lazy'.


Their Grace Darling residency will be finishing up this month, so get down and see them play on 21 April, with support from 'Milk Teddy', 'Towels' and 'The Fish'.

Lazy by isleadore

Kimbra

The best thing about being a music writer is discovering bands you would have never had batted an inch of an eyelash at, had it not been part of the job description.


I recently reviewed Kimbra at Melbourne's the Corner Hotel. I'm not a massive fan of her neo-soul, smokey-eyed reverberations but seeing her show did open my eyes to who she was and what she had on offer. A broad perspective of the what's going on around you is always a good thing.

 The crowd went nuts when 'Settle Down' escaped the collective on-stage peripherals but I'm pretty impressed at the calibre of impending single 'Cameo Lover' - it gives the well-known 'Settle Down' a run for its money.



We'll throw in the classic for good measure:

Interview: James Yuill

James Yuill chats cheese. Full interview here.

Islington Boys Club

Islington ain't just a town in North London - it's the beginning of a post punk introduction.

Islington Boys Club don't want to be like the rest of the lofi London bands - they're looking to pack some punch!

Check out their AA side single Plastic 16 - proof if I ever did sees it :)



Interview out soon!

Young Knives

Will be speaking to the boys from the UK's Young Knives today Their album 'Ornaments from the Silver Arcade' is out April 2011. 


Check their Myspace for tour details!


This is an earlier classic:

Seth Troxler

Interviewed the Detroit born-and-bred Seth Troxler today. The producer spoke about his new collective Visionquest and reminisced to a childhood that greatly shaped who he has become today. It was a great interview though it did not go like this:



Check out the Footprintz 'Golden Dreams', the second release via the Visionquest imprint.

Concrete Playground: You're the Spitting Image of Your Former Self

Feature on Buenos Aires artist Irina Werner who goes Back to the Future. Click here.

Interview: Metronomy

The English Riveria is Metronomy's third studio album and is due for release this April. Check out my interview with founder Joseph Mount here. We talk awkward encores and the festival season.

Interview: The Answering Machine

Manchester's The Answering Machine: Their sophomore album Lifeline was their most personal offering yet, I speak to Martin Colclough to find out why. Click here for full interview.

Concrete Playground: Berlin Club Wants You to Lose Yourself

This is one Berlin club that will have you losing your sensory perceptions before you even think you're at the party. Disclaimer: Excess consumption of alcohol is not advised, prior to entry..
Check full feature here.

Interview: SUUNS

SUUNS compare Montreal to a hospital - it's all about survival of the fittest! Check the full interview here.

Concrete Playground: Lego Camera

Check out the 3-Mega pixel Lego camera. Fortunately the pieces don't come off so you won't find yourself scrambling on on all fours looking for the last pieces but you can customise it by adding your own! See feature and stockist here.

PROFILE

Apologies for my prolonged absence but there is 'method behind my madness'. I've started up a new new one-off publication called PROFILE. It's all about showcasing a collective of proactive minds making a living out of doing what they love. The interview publication will be launched at the end of May but until then keep checking the site for updates and news on all of the talented individuals involved.


The best thing to do is join us on:


Facebook at: www.facebook.com/profilepub
&
Twitter at: www.twitter.com/profilepub


Individuals involved include:


//Jerome Borazio - St Jeromes
Ben Plant - Miami Horror
// Kate Hannaford - Moth Design


Sarah Guppy - Revolver
// Georgie & Alex Cleary - Alpha60
Lauren Zoriac - Dog Day Oz PR


// Sahil Merchant - Magnation
Rhett Wade-Ferrell - Moopjaw
// Emma & Tom - Emma & Tom's Juices


Mark Dundon – Seven Seeds + BBB
// Greg Sharp - Rubberhouse
Dave - Ghost Patrol


// Maudie Brady – Lord of the Rings
Ben - Edwards Moore


X

Review: Toro Y Moi Live @ The Toff In Town

Toro Y Moi & his live band play at Melbourne's Toff In Town. A succession of his debut tracks is mixed up with disco-funk tunes from his 2011 sophomore release 'Underneath the Pines'. Click here for full article.

Aussie Comeback Kids - British India

Melbourne-based band British India may have formed back in 2004 but they're still as relevant as ever. Take for example their newest sonic offering 'March Into the Ocean', the track was voted as Channel V's 'Ripe Clip of the Week'! Kudos to the quartet rockers whose third album Avalanches was released in April 2010.


Nice job guys!


Check out their Myspace for March tour dates. 

RADIOHEAD - THE KING OF LIMBS

WOW. Pulse is racing. This is the stuff of Kings. Their delivery is impeccable. Lotus Flower is from Radiohead's new album The King of Limbs which is available for download for the next 24 hours from here.


Thom Yorke is the King of Limbs.

Interview: Gavin Herlihy

Gavin Herlihy supports an industry run by the listeners. Check for the full interview here.

Interview: Glamour of the Kill

Interview with York's metal-heads Glamour of Kill. Click here to hear them in their full glory.

Interview: James Yorkston

The wandering Scotsman tells a tale of comedic prose. Check out his book and read the whole interview here.

Review: St Jeromes Laneway Festival

The most amazing lineup of the year. We're off to a good start. St Jeromes Laneway Festival has conquered. Check full review here.

Interview: Jack Beats

Jack Beats talk school-yard mixtapes in an offline peer-to-peer network. Check out the whole interview here.

Interview: Matt Tolfrey

Leftroom's Mat Tolfrey tells you the secret to a successful DJ career. Check it out here.

World's End Press + Rat Vs Possum

Worlds End Press + Rat Vs Possum are both Melbourne based  bands who played this year's St Jeromes Laneway Festival. Check out their stuff if you haven't already!








Rat Vs Possum will be in Sydney this Feb for the PLayground Weekender!


World's End Press will be at Melbourne's Fed Square on 10 March and Golden Plains on 12 March!

New Yeasayer video 'I Remember'

Just in time for Valentine's Day!

Interview: People Get Real

Newcastle natives People Get Real talk Wax:On, new projects and J.DILLA.


Feature here.

Interview: LAMB

Manchester's trip-hop duo Lamb talk peculiar fanfare, secret vineyards and Jack Kerouac ahead of their 2011 Australia tour. Click here for the full interview.

Interview: The Heebie Jeebies

Sheffield's Heebie Jeebies are lofi guitar drenched in self-deprecation. Check out their live 'nude' shows and more in the interview here.

Interview: Beardyman

Beardyman Interview o'er here.

Interview: GUTI

Argentinian son GUTI may be based in Berlin but he hasn't forgot his homeland. His new LP 'Patio de Juegos' is all sun-soaked synths and high hats with added South American inflexions! 

Check out his passionate journey here.

Concrete Playground: Foodily Creates Food For Facebook

Check out eatings answer to social networking FOODILY. The easiest way to share your Granny's Risotto recipe. Feature here.

Tallest Man Alive

Love Is All by The Tallest Man On Earth from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

Tallest Man Alive in Super 8.

Mmm sublime.

Music - A Commodity People Feel They No Longer Need To Pay For?

Ariel Pink recently made a trip to Australia to perform at the summer festivals and his side-shows. Pedestrian was lucky enough to interview the man who ain't about the BS. After being congratulated for topping Pitchfork's Song of the Year chart Ariel seems perplexed; lost for words. How can that be when their record sales are at an all time low?

In less than 2 minutes he questions the logic. Click here to view the video.

It seems the same issue is being analysed over in the Northern hemisphere where Stephen Godfroy, the man credited for successfully launching London's Rough Trade East talks about his most hated form of music: the download. Check Wired UK for his proposals.


The issue of music as a disposable concept so readily available to all is not a new one. Yes, the ease of accessibility to the Internet means bands from anywhere in the world can promote themselves, via Myspace, Youtube or any other social networking platform, but is it in their best interest? Who is this really benefiting other than the listener. 


I spoke to Yeasayer's Chris Keating about exactly this and it seems he along with many other musicians of today have accepted the fate of an industry where (illegal) download is King.


'Touring is the bread and butter of the music industry'.


You can see the full interview with Yeasayer's Chris Keating over at Lifelounge.

Concrete Playground: Cognitive Cities Conference in Berlin

In Berlin this month? Because the Cognitive Cities Conference is. It's all about industry leaders putting in their two bobs worth where sustainable living is concerned. It's about catering to the needs of the globe and its citizens. Check out the whole feature for details here.

EMI Taken Over By Citibank

Last week, British Record label EMI was sold to America's Citibank. Whether or not you agree with, former Creation boss, Alan McGee's hypothesis it's an interesting take that isn't, AT ALL, surprising. But it is very very sad.


The comments are also very interesting..


Hit up NME for the whole article.

The Strokes - Under Cover of Darkness Preview

The Strokes are finally coming back! After 5 years of waiting the world is finally getting what it deserves. After two years in the making the New York rockers have reached the end. 'Angles' is out late March.


And because patience is a virtue many of us, though we won't admit it, don't have here's a 30-second sneak peak of first single 'Under Cover of Darkness'. 


Check out Stereogum's exclusive sound-byte!

Interview: Everything Everything

Everything Everything's Jonathan Higgs reassures: 'People aren't selling out they're just trying to survive'. Check the interview out here.

Interview: Brother

Brother; the UK's Brit-pop revivalist talk 'lad rock swagger' and outlandish comments laced in apathy. Click here for full interview.

Interview: Sad Day for Puppets

Sweden's Sad Day for Puppets ponder the Swedish music community. Full interview here.

Small Black - Photojournalist

Small Black - "Photojournalist" (Stereogum Premiere) from stereogum on Vimeo.

The video for NY band Small Black's debut track Photojournalist!

Interview: Buraka Som sistema

Portugal's Buraka Som Sistema chat cheese. Click for full interview.

Interview: Greg Wilson - Electro-funk Veteran

Greg Wilson takes us back in time. Click here for the full interview.

Beardyman's 'I Done A Album'

Beardyman 'I Done A Album' sampler minimix (mixed by JFB) by Beardyman


The UK's Beardyman is an acclaimed beatboxer all because of a life enlightening moment at the age of three when he first heard Police Academy's Michael Winslow use his mouth in ways never seen before.


Beardyman's got his debut album 'I Done A Album' coming out in March 2011, check out the teaser above, but until then he's touring the UK. Check his myspace for dates! 


I'll be interviewing him today. How long do you reckon he can stay under water for?

Concrete Playground: PETA Ad to Extreme for Superbowl

For the full feature about PETA's scandalous marketing ploy click here.

Midnight Juggernauts

I recently moved back to Melbourne, Australia, the Southern part of the world, where the three lovely men above are also from. I'm not gonna lie, I did just see this music video for the first time today but I was a stalker for an unhealthy amount of time so backing off was the most understandable move.


This is a great song from Midnight Juggernauts' 2010 album Crystal Axis and quite a departure from the darker undertones of their 2007 debut Dystopia.


Speaking of Australian bands Cut Copy have released their third album Zonoscope for free web stream here. 


Or for restless ears enjoy 30 second previews below!


Cut Copy - Zonoscope [Clips] by modularpeople

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

What do you think of the new Fleet Foxes track 'Helplessness Blues'? It's off their sophomore album of the same name and it's free for download. The album will be out in May 2010!

Joy Orbison does Piano House

Gotta love the smooth liquidy sounds of J.O. Joy Orbison does piano house!

Interview: Yeasayer

On Halloween of 2010 Yeasayer's Chris Keating and I sat in the back-room of one of Berlin's many musical establishments. There we spoke about the age of the download and why just because he's singing about you, it doesn't mean anything..anything at all.


Chris Keating is a dude and he'll be in Australia with the rest of the band in the coming days. Bring on Laneway Festival! 


Check out Lifelounge for the full interview!

The New Pornographers - Sing Me Spanish Techno

Classic from Canada's The New Pornographers. Great twist at the end.

Big Day Out

On a sweltering day came an onslaught of ear candy, some more demanding then others, but on a whole a coma inducing day. 40 degrees, crazy loud music, Iggy Pop, Lupe Fiasco, Tool, M.I.A, Crystal Castles and Die Antwoord. Panadol was the pill of the day but sun-induced headache or not, no patron left or right was about to forgo the live music spectacular because of a little bit of heat.


BIG DAY OUT BLUES INDEED.

Suicidal Tendencies - PEPSI

Love this mid-80s teen angst by Suicidal Tendencies. You think Pepsi paid for the vid?

BDO - ANDREW W.K

Big Day Out tomorrow. Bodily harm inevitable.

Gang Star's Ode to Jazz

Guru of Gang Star is amazing. He died in April 2010 age 48.

Solomon Burke

I'm not gonna crack a joke about how he's (something about being too over-weight to get out of a chair that's probably suctioned to his ass) because Solomon Burke was the King of Rock 'N'Roll Soul. He died in October 2010 but his music definitely lives on!

Jacqueline Taieb - 7 Heures du Matin

Jacqueline Taieb is a French singer of Tunisian decent. By age 12 she was writing songs. In 1966 she was signed to Impact Records and a year later '7 Heures du Matin' was released. The track about a school girl who fantasizes about Paul McCartney was her greatest hit.


Australian act Fox & Braun are re-creating the '60s hit as we speak.

Oscar + Martin Support Cocorosie

OSCAR + MARTIN: RECOGNISE from Joshuaa on Vimeo.


Victorian experimental duo OSCAR + MARTIN recently supported the avant-garde Cocorosie in Melbourne. Check out OSCAR + MARTIN before they get swept away in the media frenzy.

Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill

The new one from Sleigh Bells sees frontwoman Alexis take a saucy role. Fruit smoothy anyone?

Hercules & Love Affair- My House

'My House' is the first single from Hercules & Love Affair's soon to be released Blue Songs.


The new dance show of Detroit, perhaps?

Le Cool: Buraka Som Sistema

For a free +1 tweet me the answer! www.twitter.com/j_fool


Check out the whole week's Le Cool happenings 'ere.

Interview: Everything Everything

Spoke to Everything Everything frontman Jonathan Higgs ahead of the NME nominee's Euro tour.


Interview up soon but for now here's a sneak peak question!


Q. One great recently deceased artist?

EE - Jerry Rafferty!

Couldn't agree more!

An Alternative Guide to Valentines in London

Us single gals are full of ideas and if, god forbid ;), I wasn't single these are the types of things I would do with my beau. 


Leave the silky bow of cliche behind and eat some food with your hands! Click for full Skiddle Valentines Feature.

The Type Writer - By Michael Winslow

History of the typewriter recited by Michael Winslow from SansGil—Gil Cocker on Vimeo.


An ode to the history of the type-writer by Police Academy's very own Michael Winslow.

Review: Crystal Fighters 'At Home

The newest release from Crystal Fighter's debut LP 'Star of Love' is 'At Home'. Check out my review over at This is Fake DIY.

Egyptian Hip Hop

Egyptian Hip Hop. These young lads are the shiznit. They're going crazy for 'em in the UK and it's only a matter of time before the British boys make their way down under. This is from the new EP.

Everything Everything - Radio 1 Rihanna Cover

Everything Everything; the UK lads, have been doin' rather well since they were were shortlisted as one of the 15 acts for the BBC Sound of 2010. In August 2010 debut 'Man Alive' was released and currently they're touring the globe sharing their math-rock acoustic visions.


Below is their Rihanna 'What's My Name' cover for BBC's radio 1.




I'll be interviewing frontman Jonathan today so watch out for that interview!