Wednesday, March 31, 2004
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 U Freqs Go To Pepperland
That strange label U Freqs are at it again with the release of their Le Grande Boofant 12" and video which more than nods at the magical mystery tour. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 02:38] |
See Bobby Gillespie Dj For 4 Quid
Mark Moore's told us that tommorrow night Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream djs at Electrogogo at Madame JoJo's 8 Brewer St, Soho, W1 from 10.00pm -3.00am
If you want more info go here
He's also got Marc Almond and Rusty Eagan on the decks as well over the next month.
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| [posted in Bondi :: at 02:30] |
Monday, March 29, 2004
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Autumn Started Here
The Hollywood reverberated to the sound of Sydney's finest women dj's on saturday night.
Sets from Robokoneko maestro at Couchblip Records. She gave us set of cool electronica to start off the evening... then Georgie mixed up something old and something new for an hour or so... I'm always happy when somebody finishes up their set with This Is Radio Clash. I saw the Specials come out of the box but not onto the turntable.. shame.
Then Sleepy Robot upped the tempo with shades of D&B and warm electronica followed by Cinnamon in a more relaxed mode.
Finally ... making the 3 hour drive from Canberra was self confessed electro geek Bec Patton who moved the floor for the next two and a half hours with some great upfront and leftfield electro sounds ... and impressive in an electro set no lite, I recogonize this shortcut tracks to pander to the crowd. Sydney needs to see more of this woman..and the apostles will be asking her back.. if she'll have us.
Thanks to Sleepy Robot for all her organizational skills and also to all the dj's ... let's do it again sometime.
If you want to check out any of these artists.. most are part of the Sydney Collective frigid that's been running nights for a decade now. They have a free night in Newtown every Sunday night..check the link for more details |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 09:24] |
Live Sydney: Poxy Music & Morganics
Monica says....
Poxymusic and Morganics I mentioned how I was blown away by Poxymusic (aka. Pocket + Ken Cloud) at Big Day Out, and last night I saw them in a totally different context: that is the land of the pointy toed heels and $200 metrosexual haircuts of Kink @ Arthouse.
Nevermind the place or the crowd, Poxymusic still kick ass. The masters of remixes they turn bland songs into itchingly lovely techy-breaks with their indelible poxymusic stamp. They're quite amusing to watch, what with Pocket jumping up and down like a rabbit stuck on fast forward while Ken Cloud mans the laptop with a face that emobdies serene contentment.
Must make a mention of Morganics too who I caught at the Toasted festival . This man is like all the best of what localised hip hop can offer rolled into one. He not only acknowledges Australia's multiculturalism with a range of diverse themes and languages in his raps he actively uses hip hop as a tool for cultural reformation by running community projects and workshops in poor urban and rural areas (you can hear the results on his new double album). His shows are part standup comedy, peformance art, physical theatre and hip hop. Yesterday his fine ability as a beatboxer and MC was preluded by a taste of his breaker skills!
He's performing at The Sydney Opera House theatre this week - so go check him! |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 09:18] |
Saturday, March 27, 2004
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The Pleasure Organ
Thanks to the skrufff newsletter for pointing us to this online keyboard / organ created by trojan condoms. Play 4 sep backing tracks and add your own pleasure noises on the keyboard. Childish but fun. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 03:21] |
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
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Autobahn Pop
There's a new genre in town and i've decided to label it Autobahn Pop.
As club based electro starts to run into a cul de sac, there appear to be a few new bands around who've picked up on its sensibility whilst at the same time actually managing to craft some songs that would improve the pop charts no end.
In the post yesterday the apostles received a promo from Melbourne based Cut Copy whose single future had already hit a chord in this house. The band remind me of Depeche Mode in their Vince Clarke days before stadium rock and the hard drugs kicked in. It'd be cool if these guys became the new aus sound rather than us exporting the likes of Jet to the world
Also out of Norway comes datarock with a similar feel.. check out their free mp3's on the site.
Are we returning to the days when pop bands could have cool haircuts and actually sing & play their instruments and go on real tours.. I hope so. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 08:43] |
WMD's Just Won't Go Away
Check the Australian political mash / cut up site, WMD & Other Distractions with compositions by Tom Compagnoni
As well as the standard Bush fare we also get our own pm John (the turd) Howard and amnesty man from the darkside.
Great to see some homegrown Australian mash ups with a bit of political attitude.
More please.. there's plenty of inspiration out there. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 08:36] |
Thursday, March 18, 2004
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Song For The Siren
From the people who bring you Kashpoint also comes this rather interesting looking idea... at least worth popping through for a drink I'd reckon
They say You Are Cordially Invited to Join Us @ The Rebirth of Britain's only Classical Music Nightclub The Siren Suite Wednesday March 24th Dick's Bar - The Atlantic Bar & Grill - 20 Glass House St. - W1 Regent St/Soho Side of Piccadilly Circus ENTRANCE FREE 8pm - 1am
DJ Siren & The Sound Storm mix Eastern & Western orchestral, choral & electronic works.
Often modified & mutated through filters, samplers & synths.
Inspirational Soundscapes.
"Not your 100favorite classics... Playful, irreverent & quirkily beautiful." - Time Out
"The most beautiful music I've ever heard in a nightclub" Debbie Harry
Well if old Debs likes it.... |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 23:54] |
Surfing, Naked Hippies and Peace & Love
Bondi Apostles' favourite soundtrack of the moment is the 30th anniversary CD re-release of the Australian surf cult classic Morning of the Earth
Great country rock'n'roll soul that suits the aesthetic of the film 100%.
Get the DVD get the CD... this is the fantasy that surfing once was for a few lucky bastards.
Also check out Crystal Voyager by George Greenough - the final wave scene set to Pink Floyd's echoes is as close to heaven as surfer can get. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 08:54] |
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
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Money, That's What I Want
It's time for the Rolling Stone 2004 Rock Rich List and who better to top it than the glam twins and their growing band of session musicians.
Good to see a few bizarre names lower down the list who mean nothing to me like, the Trans Siberian Orchestra, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw and gospel singer Bill Gaither. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 08:51] |
The Face ... Delete....
Can this be true... the emap mobsters are going to dump the face, read this letter and weep.
Ok it's not always our favourite mag but it's always been a great place for new music and this apostle has spent many a time scanning the record reviews standing in the newsagents or chuckling away to himself at some outrageous fashion shoot. Very rarely must a magazine be saved... this i reckon is one of those times.
Read their letter...
Dear friends and readers
THE FACE is under threat of closure. Profits have been down, and our parent company Emap is currently reviewing the future of the magazine.
THE FACE has always stood for discovering and promoting the best in creative talent within British and international pop culture. You can help ensure it can continue to do so.
We would like you to write a letter of support, addressed to the editor, Neil Stevenson (email it to: save@theface.co.uk). We will pass your letter on to the Emap executives.
A two-line letter is enough, but if you're feeling creative, please email a small digital photo of yourself holding a copy of the magazine. If you would rather we didn't republish your letter, please say so.
We need our letters by the end of Tuesday 16th.
And let us know if you can think of some creative ways of drumming up support!
Thank you,
THE FACE team (save@theface.co.uk)
Mason Young
Product Manager
The Face, Arena
POP, Arena Homme +
t 020 7859 8406
f 020 7208 3509 |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 01:09] |
Wolfgang Tillmans , Photographer and Now DJ
All you fashionistas will know all about edgy photographer Wolfgang Tillmans.. well now he's doing a bit of dj'ing on the side..
Want to check him out .. he's at The Cock in London this friday with what we're told is a set of Mind Meltingly Beautiful Electronic Music
If any of you saw his show at the (old) Tate last summer you'll know that he has a bit of a fascination with nightclub lighting systems. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 00:44] |
Friday, March 12, 2004
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Stop Press...12 Apostles Merchandise Plug
The 12 have joined the consumer society and we need you to spend with us now..... try on our new trucker cap for size.
Get with the team boys and girls... |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 01:40] |
Monica's Back
Our Sydney gig queen Monica has returned to the fray after a summer sojourn in Mexico... Good to have you back Monica.
Mark Gardener, 78 Saab and C-Minus Project @ Gaelic Club
Hmm, I didn't like C-Minus Project much last time I saw them play. Too whiny. But then they brought out a few likeable pop songs so I'm willing to not settle on a definite verdict quite yet.
Now I've never seen 78 Saab play although they're apparently stalwarts on the local scene. And I liked them as they opened up with something cold and dark like the edge of a knife but then quickly moving onto something achingly appealingly earnest to show there's something real behind the attitude.
Honest to god I really enjoyed this set. Sometimes they sound like the soundtrack that should have been playing when you were racing through the darkness on the back of a truck in Thailand with some French dudes you'd just met, you know that moment when it suddenly hits you that the special tea really was special. But then they'll move to the kind of music that would have been perfect when it had just hit dawn and you're on a beach with no idea how you're going to go back home but who cares because these French dudes are like your best friends and how was life like before you knew them?
Uh...then there was Mark Gardener who was pleasant enough and pleased all the many Ride fans out there. Touch before my time, I'm a little clueless about Ride, but we were given a taste of Mark Gardener in band mode when he played his last three songs with backing by [insert band name here because he didn't announce them but some Sydney group] and I can see why there's so many ardent fans braving a late Wednesday night. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 01:35] |
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
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Pure Joy
Bondi Apostle saw the legendary Brazilian singer songwriter and now politician, Gilberto Gil at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday night, and, as the man himself said, we had two hours of pure joy. Give or take a couple of sooky love songs which i'm sure make great backing tracks on Brazilian soapies.
The Opera House concert hall was transformed into a one night fiesta by a turnout of the entire Sydney Brazilian community. Brazilian flags, Mexican waves and hands in the air samba reggae frayed the nerves of attendants who gave up trying to seat people before he'd even come on stage.
Each song was welcomed by adoring fans who sounded as though they were celebrating one Ronaldo goal after another.
Samba Reggae I must admit generally leaves me rather cold but for the first time ever I heard Bob Marley's songs re-interpretated with a love and joy that I've not heard before (How many times have we all had to suffer endless mindless white rasta rubbish foisted on us by some weakly dredded moron) well not here. The Marley songs he played, Three Little Birds, Buffalo Soldiers and one other.. no time to take notes when you're dancing sounded like the spirit in which they were written.
The other thing about Brazilian music that can drive me bonkers are those endless drums (a la white dreadlocked hippies again.. you know the ones) Not Gil.. the songs are short sharp and sweet pop songs... and when he allows the drummers their go.. it's all packed into 90 seconds of pure rhythmic fun.
No wonder he's a cultural icon in Brazil. If he ever plays within a 1000kms of where you live go and see this man. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 04:19] |
Sunday, March 07, 2004
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Rock and Wool
Hey the songs not bad and the video is truely inventive. Lets here it for Steriogram - the best thing outta New Zealand for while... |
| [posted in Bow :: at 21:22] |
Friday, March 05, 2004
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Home Taping Sells T-Shirts
Downhill Battle.com have just put together a couple of cool t-shirts which can be purchased from the site for US$10.
You can choose between Peer To Peer Kills Pay For Play or Home Taping Is Killing Music & It's Fun with the old cassette image and skull & crossbones.
Support a good cause and buy their gear |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 06:07] |
Sampling Writers Just Got Easier
How ?
Well it's simple BBC Radio 4 have just decided to put up loads of interviews the station's made with writers over the last 50 years.
This is a fantastic resource and the 12 apostles would like to hear the 1st hip hop track that samples William Burroughs talking about his cut up methodology.
Also to be found are words of wisdom from the likes of Martin Amis, his dad Kingsley, Harold Pinter and even Virginia Woolf.
You'll need real player... we also learn that the BBC are soon to supply us all with loads more 3 minute samples of their programming in the near future for free. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 04:57] |
Thursday, March 04, 2004
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Cabinet of Curiosities
This is happening on Saturday night somewhere in Sydney on a derelict city warehouse site
Good to see you have to ring on the night to find the venue.... all power to them.
W u n d e r k a m m e r [Cabinet of Curiosities] Sat 6 March 8pm (Mardi Gras Weekend) Adm:$5
LIVE ACTS:
Anti Kati [AKlass -NZ], Mainstream [Painfree Sound Inst.]
Maladroit [SY-CO], Autoclave [UW Records], PAINt [NCL]
LIVE VISUALS & VIDEO ART:
Tesseract, Alex White, Luke Stacey, Emily Morandini,
William Noble, My Addiction, Stephen Fox, + More TBA
DJs:
At War [NAIL-London], Dada, Ivan the Terrible,
MJolner [Tribot], Breakfast w/ Duncan Disorderly
SOUND & LIGHTING
MDA & Tribot
INSTALLATIONS/DECOR/DESIGN
Drew Dada, Tui, Cameron Bremmer, Marcus Fischer
The first [infernal carnival] will utilise massive indoor/outdoor areas on a derelict city warehouse site . On the nite Ph: 0414 541 966 www.derwunderkammern.org After 6pm for co-ordinate details
[Harsh Electronics, Subversive Cinema,Experimental AV, Industrial Soundscapes,Bizarre Theatrics, Mutant Installations]
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| [posted in Bondi :: at 08:29] |
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
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B52's Camp It Up
The B52's played Sydney's Hordern Pavilion earlier this week... groan groan.. I hear some of you say: why would you even bother reporting on yet another eighties act touring their tired old songs.
Ok so some of the set list was a bit dodgy... I could do without having to hear Roam ever again which is a shame as my partner has been humming it ever since we left the venue.
That said though Planet Claire the starting point for the concert still had the vitality it did over 20 years ago. I'd like to go out on a limb and suggest that this song would make a great template for any act who's beginning to get bored of the electro or dour post punk rehash scenes.
What also saved the band was Fred's understanding of the inherent campness of this whole..let's get on the road again and play our songs
Wish'd they'd played 53 Miles West of Venus though. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 02:03] |
Aussie Indie Label Giving Away Free ipod
Don't know why I'm telling you all this - reduces my chances of getting my greasy palms on the ipod...
Aus's current very hip indie label and touring company Modular are giving away the ipod and other goodies to those who can be bothered to subscribe to their newsletter. It's that easy.
As they say on the site.. you'll never have to buy their product if you win as you'll be able to download all their releases illegally. And we reckon they've got some pretty good acts. 12 Apostles faves The Bumblebeez as well as uber cool Cut Copy, The Presets and garage rockers Rocket Science. |
| [posted in Bondi :: at 01:23] |
