Saturday, May 31, 2003
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 Gaye Warmongers on Acid Flash(back)
Communication begins. Lip-sync fun from The Electric Six and Tony and George here. File under subversive fun. Communication ends. |
| [posted in Bow :: at 22:21] |
Thursday, May 29, 2003
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Gabba Gabba Hey
Not talking Ramones here.. instead cast your mind back to Rotterdam, Belgium and Industrial Italy of the early 90's and remember with fondness Rave gone wacko.
To take you back to the daze... those guys always liked to add extra z's where they weren't needed we bring you Gabba Planet loads of MP3's and links to all that's gabba |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 04:43] |
Motherfucker
First there was Digital Boy then Beck and now the NY Club Motherfucker
Why do we love them so much... it's easy they play our own DJ Foundation's I Believe in Punishment
Anyway how can you resist a club with a name like Motherfucker. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 04:37] |
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
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Press the Eject
Despite funding Pressplay to the tune of $60 million it now looks like Sony and Universal have decided that the sensible thing is to flog it off to Roxio, who recently acquired the old Napster brand. Is this the begining of the end of the great unified strategy to own the music and the distribution channel? Wired News thinks it might be. |
| [posted in Bow :: at 10:02] |
Explosive
Like any other country Australia has endless bands that are massive at home but unheard overseas.. off the top of my head You Am I , Frenzal Rhomb, and from the past Painters & Dockers and Cold Chisel
One of the current overseas under achievers is Brisbane outfit Powderfinger who are just about to bring out their fourth album.
Now, this apostle has never been too keen on this lot but the new single, can't even remember what it's called rocked the car this afternoon. Names raced through my head, can it be the Datsuns, maybe the Libertines, maybe the Casanovas ? But no it's Powderfinger.. in a way you could almost say it's what the Stone Roses 2nd Coming should have sounded like. It'd be great if the whole album sounded like this.. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 09:49] |
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
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Cans Can
Placard the headphone only festival that has been happening in Paris for the last six years is coming to London in July. The line up includes Powerbooks for Peace, Frankie the Robot, Voodoo Muzak datamath (aka Reuben from Ladytron) and a whole lot more. If you like the idea get involved. |
| [posted in Bow :: at 21:22] |
Try Them On For Size
The Rough Trade shop in London’s Covent Garden was the unlikely venue for a short lunchtime concert by Antipodean/US quartet Clogs at the weekend. Pressed against the record racks a small but attentive crowd was treated to a series of minimalist, jazzy, acoustic instrumentals played on violin, guitar, bassoon and kettle drum. Rachels and Threnody Ensemble are good reference points for the Clogs’ sound but one composition, “Turtle Soup”, was reminiscent of an Outback Godspeed You Black Emperor - the music accompanying a found archive recording narrating the capture and cooking of the animals by Aborigines. It was also the first time that this apostle has seen a guitar played like a cello – and it sounded surprisingly good!
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| [posted in Angel :: at 13:42] |
Monday, May 26, 2003
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Fairies Wear Slippers
Apparently Ozzy, the self-styled 'Prince of Fucking Darkness', likes nothing better than slipping on a pair of his personalised DVS Franciscos after a hard day at the cutting edge of cartoon rawk. Now you too can enjoy the experience.
While we are on the subject of Ozzy - if you have any questions for the man himself you can put them to him here. |
| [posted in Bow :: at 08:58] |
Sunday, May 25, 2003
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EZ DJ
Shockwave bring you EZ DJ, which we're told allows you to do all that DJ stuff on your laptop...don't bother applying for your freebie download if you're a mac user as this apostle found out.
So I can't really review it.... these guys did though and they said
Bring down the house with the coolest music mixer to dance its way out of the clubs and into your hands! Mix speaker-busting beats, outrageous synths and super samples to create the soundtrack of your life!
Instructions
Roll over the various buttons on the DJ table to learn what each tool can do. Use the playback controls in the upper left corner above the DJ table to record, export or playback your mixes. For more information, click on the question mark in the upper right corner to access detailed instructions |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 05:12] |
Saturday, May 24, 2003
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From a Whisper to a Scream
“I’m feeling very tired tonight so there may be a few wrong notes”. The words were whispered by the frail genius that is Vini Reilly a.k.a. The Durutti Column.
The London Apostles had turned up mob-handed at Ronnie Scott’s on a cool, damp Sunday evening to (in my case) worship the man’s unique guitar stylings - part rock, part classical, part Spanish and all his own.
I could list you the songs, but if you’ve never heard of the Durutti Column before then telling you that he played “Otis” isn’t going to mean much to you (he did, it was great). Just one word of caution; in the Film “24 Hour Party People” Vini’s singing is described as “Provocatively Poor”. It hasn’t really improved but fortunately he doesn’t do much of it!
As an added bonus with DC you get Bruce Mitchell – formerly the drummer with Alberto y Los Trios Paranoias (of beloved memory), Bruce doesn’t provide the beat, more adds percussive melody lines. And he hardly ever uses the *****y snare drum, bless him!
A new venue to all of us, a new band to some, but I think we all walked out smiling (and I, at least, didn’t spot the wrong note!)
At the other end of the guitar music spectrum (ultra-violent to Vini’s intra-red) we find the Scottish Guitar Army of Mogwai – five very serious young men with guitars. Well, four serious young men with guitars and one serious young man with a drum kit.
Due to “transport difficulties” the (slightly smaller) Apostles “Young Team” walked into the Scala (usually the coldest London venue around) just as the first song got under way.
Recent reviews had suggested the band were mellowing and moving away from the traditional Post-Rock quiet/loud/quiet song structures. It didn’t take long to disabuse us of this notion - two songs in and the band launched a version of the awesome “Mogwai Fear Satan” which was earwax-meltingly LOUD. And this was what the fans came to see; the nodding that passes for rhythmic movement at these events became noticeably more enthusiastic each time the volume reached crescendo level. Which it did. Regularly.
The new songs (I assume they were the ones I didn’t recognise) didn’t seem out of place, so I think you can chalk up at least one sale of the new album “Happy Songs for Happy People”
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| [posted in E End :: at 16:28] |
From Our Rovin' Sydney Gig Reporter
Monica of Monica's Blog is our new woman on the ground - getting out there and giving us the gig news
Here's the first of we hope to be many instalments of Sydney's gig scene, or in this case a Surrey Hills sojurn...............
Monica says:
You know those nights where there seems to be 10 acts on, none of whom you really know, but all of which you wouldn't mind checking out?
Well first I scurried over to the Hopetoun, only to be told that Mess Hall had sold out. I did get a quick peek of Jed Kurzel (one half of MH) before I left, and boy, if that man wasn't on stage he'd be all over billboards and magazines.
Alright, next up The Gaelic Club. Oh, The Weekend are halfway through their set? So it was after this I arrived on Friday night at the Bar Broadway for Element, the first gig on their Tour to Nowhere.?
Basing yourself in hard rock deliver some heavy guitar action, layer it with some lovely lyrics, insert a fully fledged band member on the violins to add some extra drama and you have the elements of Element.
Yay! I love bands that refuse to be constrained by their genre. I think I may have even heard some funk and pop in there, or at least their take on it.
Lead singer Jamie Allan is such a cute, little, singing space cadet. Or at least he becomes one when he's as trashed as he was that night. The best songs were when Jamie brought us excruciatingly close to climax with his soaring melodies (oh, oh, almost there) and then let us release with some solid guitar or drum sections. What more can I say? Very satisfying. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 08:48] |
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
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You Know When You’ve Been Yo La Tengo’d
With new album “Summer Sun” in tow, Yo La Tengo were in London recently to play the Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Anyone expecting the quiet introspection of the latest offering or its predecessor “And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out” would no doubt have been surprised by the full-on guitar thrashes punctuating the more reflective material. Yo La Tengo are undoubtedly a talented trio of musicians, as demonstrated by their regular swapping round to play different instruments, but at two hours their performance was probably a little overlong, especially the final twenty minutes of the main set which descended into rather self-indulgent guitar torturing histrionics.
Mention must also be made of the first act, M Ward who mixed dextrous if jarring guitar instrumentals with Tom Waits meets Bob Dylan stream-of-consciousness songs, complete with harmonica. His set included an interesting slowed down and slightly tuneless reading of Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”. His between song banter was virtually inaudible and he sounded quite hoarse, so it was all the more impressive that he could manage the vocal duties.
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| [posted in Angel :: at 14:19] |
Truck Drivin' Neighbours
Beck fans will remember this as one of his greatest pieces... well now real life imitates art in the form of the band Fat Truckers
Here at the apostles we love Teenage Daughter and Superbike
We'll be getting our greasy hands on the album as soon as we can
Take a look at one of their videos
While you're at it take a moment to visit the Fat Truckers Union website. Images for and of fat truckers, music for fat truckers and much much more. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 08:50] |
Monday, May 19, 2003
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Talk on the Wild Side
When an interviewer says "He makes me feel like an amoeba. I want to cry" you know the interview isn't going at all well. When the interviewee says "OK, let's not do it. We're not getting along," it's time to leave the room. Why Lou Reed ever agreed to the interview in the first place is a mystery. Read it here. |
| [posted in Marylebone :: at 19:18] |
Sunday, May 18, 2003
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Arctic (Rock 'n') Roll
Following an earlier mention of the high number of bands per members of the populace in Greenland we have been busy trying to track down a listing of what is currently top of the pops. Whilst we haven't managed that yet we did come across this interesting top ten from ULO, Greenland's foremost record label. According to the ULO web site the first Greenlandic record ever released was Sumut (meaning 'where to?') by four-piece Sume (meaning 'where?') in 1973. Amazingly the record sold nearly 10,000 copies to Greenland's 50,000 inhabitants and directly lead to the founding of ULO in 1976.
Footnote
The Sumut album gets a mention in this run down of the history of Danish progressive rock. |
| [posted in Bow :: at 15:55] |
Spinning in your grave at 45 rpm
The billboards of London's tube are offering grim fare at the moment. Though he's long since shuffled off this mortal coil, the marketing machine is moving to push George Harrison's latest album Brainwashed. This comes after the jaded experiences of a number of post-mortem John Lennon albums, and the embarrassment of 'new' Beatles tracks to jolt life into the money-spinning Frankenstein that was the Anthology project. Even a Beatles keeno has to concede that these releases did nobody any favours.
But the re-hashing of music from beyond the grave is not just for mop tops. Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, Kurt Cobain - they've all been resurrected and to pretty poor effect. So you have to wonder, have there been any tracks from the vaults, musical sketchbooks or unfinished masters of the deceased that have been worth anything near half a listen, or should all the dead rockers be allowed to rest in peace? Answers on a postcard.
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| [posted in Roving :: at 12:49] |
Friday, May 16, 2003
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Place your bids please
Ozzy Osbourne and son Louis are at loggerheads again - this time over a radio station. Ozzy and Louis are behind rival bids to run new UK radio station West Midlands FM. Ozzy wants a rock music station, whilst Louis is flying the flag for dance music.
Ozzy told UK newspaper The Sun: "It's obvious the birthplace of rock bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin should have a rock station for people who live there. The sort of music Louis plays always goes on for f****** hours and sounds the same. The best bit about it is the f****** end."
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| [posted in Marylebone :: at 08:55] |
Thursday, May 15, 2003
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Our lips are sealed
The trend for rock operas continues with more bizarre twists and turns. The life of Deep Throat porn star Linda Lovelace is about to hit the stage in all its glory with music by Charlotte Caffey of Eighties band The Go-Go's. Lovelace:The Musical. We kid you not. |
| [posted in Marylebone :: at 12:20] |
Zonged
This apostle believes that the future of Rock'n'Pop'n'Roll has arrived in the form of UK based Japanese artist Zongamin You can find out more about him on the XL Recordings site
Sounding nothing like anybody else this guy has the same sensibilities as a Beck or even a Hendrix... the sound and range of his stuff is leagues ahead of anything else I've heard bar DJ Scud.
Will he be huge? the critics already love him but it'll be a while bfore Radio 1 in the UK or AM radio in the states will be able to bear the skewed compositions.
He's also famed for being the illustrator at Flesh Records where I've just download a killer version of the old Cramps no. Human Fly
The 12 endorse Zongamin |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 08:28] |
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
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I Know We Go On About Them
Yeah I know we do ...but they're great... who are we talking about The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Bondi apostle has just picked up the album and yes they still rock like the 1st ep.
Short Sharp & Sweet and dare I say it she's getting more range with her vocals.
Problem is , do we want them to implode or do we take a punt and believe that they've got more good stuff in them.
For the moment I'm just wallowing in the innocence of it all |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 07:31] |
US Foundation Grant Helps Create Digital Video Archive of World Music
A new world of music from around the globe will soon be available to students and scholars. A research team from Indiana University and the University of Michigan has received an $875,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to create an online digital archive of video recordings and a searchable database for research and teaching.
The grant has been supplemented by additional support from both universities bringing the total to $1.4 million. The Ethnomusicological Video for Instruction and Analysis (EVIA) Digital Archive project will focus on video recordings made by ethnomusicologists, who are scholars who study music for the purpose of cultural analysis.
The press release tells us A sense of urgency surrounds the preservation of these videos as musical performance traditions from around the world are continually altered, threatened and destroyed by war and the increasing effects of globalization. This sense of urgency extends to the videotapes themselves, which have a notoriously poor archival life.
The EVIA Digital Archive currently is the only project of its kind that will collect, copy, annotate and preserve ethnomusicological video materials on the Web for use by educators, researchers and musicians on a global scale. The Smithsonian Institution is undertaking a similar project.
"The eventual goal will be to repatriate these materials back to countries where they were collected,"they say. "In those countries where there is war, such as Liberia where I have done my work, if you have an electronic archive, it can't be destroyed, as opposed to taking taped copies back and leaving them there."
For more information about the Ethnomusicological Video for Instruction and Analysis Digital Archive, go here |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 07:16] |
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
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I don't live today
The 12 Apostles mourn the passing of Noel Redding, bass player for Jimi Hendrix, who has died aged 57. Redding was found dead yesterday at his home in the town of Clonakilty in southern Ireland, and his manager Ian Grant announced the news on his company Track Records' website. The cause of death has yet to be established.
Born David Redding, 25 December 1945, in Folkestone, Kent, Redding was a key member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience from its formation in 1966 through its dissolution three years later. Originally hired as a bass player, reportedly due in some part to his look (a huge afro and his trademark granny glasses), his real desire was to continue as a guitarist. Redding formed and played guitar in Fat Mattress, who released two albums in the late '60s and early '70s, and was involved in Road and the Noel Redding Band. Noel Redding we salute you.
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| [posted in Marylebone :: at 21:06] |
Tales From The Sydney Indie-Ground
Keep hearing Peabody's new single Stupid Boy on the radio and can't get enough of it.
According to their web site they're big in the Sydney and East coast pub /indie scene.. nice tune... sounds like them rather than anybody else. It's always great not to have to say..oh yeah the sorta sound like Radiohead crossed with the Clash but the singer sounds like.... blah blah blah.
Also I'm pretty fond of Monica's Blog she's managed to get along and see both the gigs I wanted to go see last week but didn't make it to... The Bumblebeez at the Annandale & electro rock new thang Spod at the Hopetoun on Sunday.... maybe you want to do our gig reviews Monica?
Like any nice straight girl she's currently got a thing about gay guys getting it on...so gay indie guys out there... get in touch she'll be thrilled.
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| [posted in Bondi :: at 09:19] |
It's all a load of hot air
The world's first inflatable church is going on display to the public for the first time at 1100 today. Sandown Park Exhibition Centre in Esher has the honour of unveiling it and here at 12 Apostles we think its a must-have. For just over twenty one thousand pounds you could pack up your place of worship in the back the of car and take it on holiday with you - along with the rest of the congregation presumably.
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| [posted in Marylebone :: at 07:52] |
Monday, May 12, 2003
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Oh, Those Greenlandians
It seems that there's nothing much to do in the Arctic Circle apart from make music for Greenlandians produce more CDs per head of the population that any other country. Well, there's hardly any roads, hardly any light some of the year and hardly anything to read (yep, literature's only just catching on), so what else can a Greenlandian do but turn to making toons. |
| [posted in Marylebone :: at 08:20] |
Saddam's Where Am I ? Rap
We promise you.. no more Saddam posts after this!!
Saddam spends his time in hiding making internet rappin' videos |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 07:44] |
Sunday, May 11, 2003
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Squirrel in Video Shock
Just in case you need reminding that the pop video can still be an inventive medium - Shynola have come up with a 3 and a half minute classic for Junior|Senior which stars a poptastic pixel squirrel. |
| [posted in Bow :: at 21:01] |
Royal Visit
Fierce - the international performance festival is on in Birmingham between May 16th and June 8th. Amongst the cornucopia of things going on are two performances by the Queen of No Wave (or should that be Siam) Lydia Lunch. Ever since her first forays into the world of sonics with the seminal (not a word we use lightly) Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, through her work with 8 Eyed Spy and Harry Crews along with a slew of collaborations with the likes of Roland S Howard, Michael Gira, Jim Thirlwell, Die Haut (not to mention the films and books) LL has always been at the cutting edge.
For Fierce Lunch will be giving a performance of her latest spoken word project In Our Time of Dying ('a blistering attack on the American war whores' race to global destruction') on June 6th at the Birmingham Rep. The following evening she will be hosting an 'Electro Punk Rock Disco' featuring herself with Dave Knight and Karl Blake (of Shock Headed Peters) and Terry Edwards on sax at The Custard Factory. Sounds like fun... |
| [posted in Bow :: at 15:59] |
Friday, May 09, 2003
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Preaching To The Converted
Here at the Apostles we are never more pleased than when we come across someone writing intelligently and knowledgeably about music that we like (an all too rare occurrence these days). Marcello Carlin's Church of Me is one such destination and features a newly posted essay on the life, times and legacy of the KLF (complete with sideline discourse on Metal Machine Music). Well worth a read. |
| [posted in Bow :: at 08:34] |
Thursday, May 08, 2003
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Czech It Out
The Other Sex | a Female Avant-garde Festival is happening in Prague on June 14th. The event features live performances from Mafucage, Fata Padure, Kaffe Matthews, Cobra Killer, Irina Andreeva and Neotropic as well as a video art lab, art exhibition, bookstall, tea room, chill-out area and something billed as Curiosities in Garden Eden which sounds suitably intriguing. If you go let us know what you make of it. |
| [posted in Bow :: at 13:24] |
Wednesday, May 07, 2003
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Dixie Chicks Too Rad For Colorado Radio Station
Colorado radio station KKCS have suspended a couple of their DJ's for playing the Dixie Chicks.
See the story here
How sad is this... Bush declares war over earlier in the week but radio programmers still won't play artists who choose to exercise their right to the 1st ammendment... even stranger is the fact that 75% of the stations' listeners think the DJ's should be allowed to played the D.C's |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 07:06] |
12 Apostles DJ Foundation Features In Guardian Piece
Our own DJ Foundation and his track I Believe in Punishment features in an article written by Ben Wilmott about George Bush and his attraction for the dance and recording industry in UK broadsheet The Guardian
We knew that somebody would pay attention to us eventually.
Read the article here |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 06:57] |
Rock Garden
Who'd believe that a few dodgy UK heavy metal / punk acts of the eighties who liked to wear make up and wander around in dry ice would spawn such an encompassing culture as some would call it...what are we talking about.. Goth.
In the old days the whole thing was limited to bands like Sisters of Mercy, the Mish and Southern Death Cult and some sad university students who couldn't work out any other way to be alternative.
Now we've got nutty germans eating each others insides, endless goth clubs around the world, goth websites,, goth goth goth...and now the bottom of the barrel, Goth Gardening... yes you heard right... a gothic gardening website. Sometimes at the apostles we wonder at the sanity of the world we live in.
Post Script... this apostle had just finished writing this story and was doing a quick news hop and discovered that... wait for it..
Elton John to Bring 'Vampire' to Broadway
No capes, no crosses and definitely no tap-dancing vampires. Longtime musical collaborators Elton John and Bernie Taupin are planning to bring ``The Vampire Lestat'' to Broadway, and they promise a production free of gothic excess.
It will be dark, sexy and scary, but that doesn't mean it has to be cliche,'' Taupin said Tuesday at a news conference to announce the show.
The project, based on the character from Anne Rice's novels, is the first production from Warner Bros.
Oh yeah we believe you...
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| [posted in Bondi :: at 06:51] |
Monday, May 05, 2003
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Radio Days
According to Arbitron's Internet Broadcast Ratings poll, MusicMatch's Artist Match service is the top ranking internet radio station with 257,699 hours of TTSL (that's Total Time Spent Listening) in the week 14th to 20th April. Second was Virgin Radio with 214,424 hours of TTSL. |
| [posted in Bow :: at 09:43] |
Sunday, May 04, 2003
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Slow Times Ahead
The Slow Sound System ('quality avant chillage' according to BBCi) are in residence once again on May 18th at London's The Foundry. The event includes a live performance from .m u r m e r (s'agita, staalplaat, framework), along with DJ sets from thorsten sideb0ard (8bitrecs, highpointlowlife, sonomu, not clickable), iMax (53 degrees, grain of sound), albert (scatsta sound system, 8bitrecs) and datamath (ladytron). Visuals are courtesy of tom keene (eponymous), jay ropinsky (klik klak / hardman, berlin), iMax (53 degrees) and The Foundry CCTV and spycam. If you can't make it then catch the live streaming audio on Resonance FM. |
| [posted in Bow :: at 10:54] |
Saturday, May 03, 2003
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Meaty Rock
A simple question... Who is Beef Savage?
Do we know... do we care |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 06:55] |
Friday, May 02, 2003
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Max Appeal
Those nice people at Kitty-Yo are offering you the chance to get a life-sized poster of their much vaunted Maximilian Hecker. All you have to do is collect the 12 parts of the jigsaw from their website over the next 24 days, print them, send them to their Berlin HQ and Max will send it back to you complete with his autograph. Now that's what we call an unbeatable offer... |
| [posted in Bow :: at 16:24] |
Lilac Menace
Not often we mention online fashion webzines but as Lilac Menace has a great name. It sounds like it could be the shop next door to Granny Takes a Trip in the Kings Road in days of yore. (Apropos of nothing....The Yardbirds visit Granny Takes a Trip.)
+ the fact that these guys are Sydney based and therefore eons away from London or NYC fashion publishing and finally it's a well designed and fun site.. from the ants on the entry page to the flock of Edgar Allen Poe-esque ravens that follow your curser around on the text pages.
More sites designed like this please. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 04:34] |
Thursday, May 01, 2003
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The 80 Minute 45
Thinking of burning your old record collection to CD-R but worried that you will miss the look/feel of those beautiful vinyl grooves? Fear not 'cause the guys at Verbatim have come up a 'digital vinyl' CD-R that looks like a record. If you have access to a CD printer you can even create your own label art work. Apparently they are only available in the US right now but are due for wider sale soon. Nice, in a 'does the world really need this' kinda way... |
| [posted in Bow :: at 08:36] |
