Album of the Week

Maximum Balloon

I almost didn't listen to this album at all. I know this sounds silly but words are important to me, usually that means the lyrics, but in this case it was the name of the band. Don't you think it sounds like the least amount of time ever spent thinking up a band name? Ever? Maximum Balloon. Hmph.

But if you can get past that, this is actually a truly exceptional album. Maybe Dave Sitek was just too busy producing great music to stop and think too much about the name? I did have another reason to be cautious though. Dave Sitek is one of the TV On The Radio boys and I do find their music a bit heavy going sometimes, just lots of noisy noises and not that much to hold my attention. Think of Maximum Balloon as like an accessible TVOTR. Or TV-lite. And very timely indeed. They seem to be the most achingly hip 'band's band' at the moment, it is becoming almost comical how many young emerging bands reference them so obviously. And I don't mind at all if it means I don't have to listen to the real thing.

Dave has some pretty cool friends too, and I can make no secret of my love for Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. A few of the other collaborating names I was not really aware of before, but they all add their own distinct flavour to each track. I guess he's kind of like a more credible Mark Ronson? Yeah, I like his album too, but don't tell anyone.

it is happening again

It is time to eat my words when it comes to this band. And not just this band, but basically most bands that Wes gets obsessed with then introduces me to and then I tell him it's boring. It happens alot. He really likes slow, considered composition that initially seems like it doesn't even have any melody. But then it creeps into your head and installs itself and you just can't get it out! Beach House has been described as 'dream pop'. Never even heard of it. I think they are kind of like The XX.  

you're my high school lover

I forgot to post this last week when we saw Phoenix again! Not as good a set as last time but they are still a great great band. I wore my new vintage denim dress that I bought the other week, and I took all these photos with my iPhone. I actually think they turned out really well, considering you can't zoom or anything (that I know of!).

It's Wes' birthday today! We are having a quiet Sunday though, he will need so much sleep to get over his party last night. All he wanted was to have a burger and beers with his friends, so mission accomplished, and then some :-)

i'm running out of time...

This week's gig was Hot Hot Heat at Scala, which was packed full of pint-sized chicks who were all massive fans, the kind that know all the words to all the songs and try to touch the band members when they come close to the edge of the stage. Well, I'll admit the bassist was kind of spunky, and he certainly had all the dance moves, and the others all have interesting hair...I just wanted to find out if my new camera could take decent night photos, and the answer is, well not really. But I was really far away, and the lighting was really crap. I'm not too sure about the sound quality at Scala either. I'll blame that, cause a few times I thought HHH sounded like they were playing songs too fast and actually out of time, but surely the guys know how to play music properly, when it is their job after all?

I can't believe these photos finally loaded! Can everybody else stop using Photobucket please? I think it is all of you clogging it up meaning it doesn't work for me unless I get up at the ridiculously early hour of 9:30am on a Saturday!!

don't you eva

2010 has officially been christened the Year of the Gig. It actually started a few months ago and there are no signs of letting up, the tickets flying in from left, right and centre. It is so hard to say no. Well, I don't ever say no. After all, they are usually pretty cheap, and you're not going to miss any amount of cash when you've got the memory of a great gig to put your mind at ease. Plus, they are usually on a weeknight, which makes the working week go so much faster! Yay!

I think Britt is cute, because he's a rocker, but he also kind of reminds of a kid who would've had coke-bottle glasses and got teased in primary school.

Can't get over how awesome the Rabbits' percussion obsession sounds! Sometimes three or four guys making loud banging noises onstage at once.

This week I toddled off to see classic Spoon and new best friends White Rabbits in Camden (where else?) and tonight will head back to Koko to see Bertie Blackman and Funeral Party at Club NME. Soon will be Phoenix again, or Hot Hot Heat might be first up...Had tickets to see Lisa Mitchell next month but she cancelled, anyone know what happened there?

Been way too busy to blog or take photos, sorry! Hopefully get back to it this weekend, though I am going to buy an iPhone tomorrow and then going down south to see the baybee! Sunday. I'll do something constructive on Sunday. For sure.

Music of the Week

I am a baaad blogger. I'm sure nobody else even noticed how long it is since I've done an Album of the Week post. But I know. And I'm apologising for it right now. Busy...Christmas...New Year...yada yada. And yet I still don't really have an album review so to speak, more of a reminder: To vote in Triple J's Hottest 100 2009! My favourite, and reportedly the world's biggest, music poll, closes at midnight Sunday AEST. So get voting! This is one tradition from home (and summer) that I just cannot let go of. I love love love Triple J and its' Hottest 100 so much, not to mention the great memories of spending Australia Day listening to the broadcast while barbecuing or lolling about in a pool somewhere. I really take voting seriously, compiling lists, refreshing my memory by re-listening to tracks, and somehow slowly whittling it down to my 10 favourite tracks of the year that was. This year was actually not that hard, because I didn't know heaps of the songs (where have I been?) but I figure it's a great jumping off point for discovering new stuff I should already know about and would have heard if only I could listen to my beloved station regularly!

In case you were wondering, my choices were thus:

Florence & The Machine - Dog Days Are Over (I think she might get number one, but not sure if she was as big in Aus as she was here)

Florence & The Machine - You've Got The Love (yes, two, but the year really did belong to her, didn't it?)

Franz Ferdinand - No You Girls

Kasabian - Fire (should hear me sing along to this one! If you've heard the song, you'll know what I'm talking about)

La Roux - Bulletproof

Metric - Gimme Sympathy

Passion Pit - Little Secrets (not their biggest song, so may be a wasted vote there, but I really like it alot better than the single, The Reeling)

Phoenix - Lisztomania (obv)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (tough choice between several tracks on this album)

Bertie Blackman - Byrds Of Prey (ditto)

good news for people who love bad news

We went to see Modest Mouse last week and they were awesome! I wasn't really sure if I would know many songs but they played alot of good ones, and the crowd was just filled with dedicated fans so everyone really got into it with lots of dancing and singing along. I'm really loving going to gigs regularly, but don't have anything planned from now on so will be on the look out for tickets...thought I might go see Lisa Mitchell, New Young Pony Club, and Efterklang who I've only just heard of, but that can be a good thing when it comes to gigs, it's always nice to be surprised.

So I felt a bit like Minnie Mouse in this outfit. So many hearts and bows! There is a red heart on this tee and one on the clasp of my belt but you can't quite see them in the pics. It is getting increasingly hard to take outfit pics as it gets cold - everything is covered up by a coat and scarf :-( but I have been making extra effort to include more outfit posts so I hope you guys like them!

Headband: Accessorize; Tee: Urban Outfitters; Skirt: H&M; Belt: FCUK; Tights: Topshop; Brogues: Topshop; Scarf: cashmere from Edinburgh.

Album of the Week

So the other day, I stumbled upon (not Stumbled Upon) The Brunettes somewhere or other, and was so impressed by what I heard, I had already decided I had to post about them this week. Then I listened even more and realised 'Hey! I know this B-A-B-Y song!'. I think it must have been played on triple j. It is great, but so are all their songs - quite catchy, yet mellow, not too poppie...basically they are indie. And they are a really quirky and cool couple, so, they are my new favourites!

ps. Definitely rethinking my original comments on Kasabian's other albums...

pps. Just finished my first week of work in my new job!!

ppps. Congratulations to my friends on the safe arrival of their new baby girl Natasha xxxx

Accidental Festival

My ears are still ringing after this week's Accidental Festival. It was the inaugural festival this year, taking place in venues in and around London, organised by moi. Basically I bought tickets to a bunch of gigs months ago when I was still in Aus, knowing that I could well have to sell them if I didn't get a Visa, and when I went to put them in my diary, they were all in the same week! So, I told some friends, and it coincided with my sister's visit too, and we had our own mini festival! 7 bands in 5 days.

Franz Ferdinand, Phoenix, and Passion Pit were the headliners, and all were awesome, but I think Phoenix were actually my fave. It was just one of those gigs that has this amazing atmosphere where you just know you are experiencing something really special. Plus, I got to touch the lead singer. He looks like my old flatmate Kevin!

Albums of the Week

Note that plural! I have so much new music that I'm keen to share that I can't wait to release it in the trickle that is weekly album posts. Maybe I should call it a 'Just updated my iPod' post. Note I am busying my blog with other things like music, in the hope that it won't notice I haven't posted any outfits in months! This is of course because I wear pretty much the same clothes everyday now (comfy and house-bound) and Wes is too busy with work to take photos of me :-(

So, I 'Just Updated My Ipod' with...

Dragonette - tipped off by Sportsgirl's blog, this is soo good, kind of like Lady Gaga but cooler. Maybe like Yeah Yeahs Yeahs but more electronic?

The Big Pink - really reminds me of something but can't put my finger on it. Good album, and it doesn't stop at the single (Dominos - they're using it on ads and stuff already). It's quite rock, which is a relief from all the electronica I've been listening to lately.

The Kooks - shouldn't like this at all. Rich pretty boys who went to talent school. All songs sound mostly the same. But I can't stop! I'm sorry.

Hockey - yes, so did everybody else this week!

Phoenix - ALL their albums as I'm going to see them soon, but I will be posting on that later...

Now I've got them all out of my system let's see if I can come up with anything next week!