Wednesday, September 28, 2005     blah blah.. mashups damage music industry...blah blah blah..i tunes too cheap.......blah blah blah home copying killing music industry.....blah blah blah They'd like us to believe that the music and entertainment industry is on it's last legs and we should spend spend spend to help the poor blighters out. Well it looks as though someone has... all that crying wolf by the music industry and this is what PWC are currently saying The global entertainment and media (E&M) industry is in its strongest position since 2000 and will increase at a 7.3 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to $1.8 trillion in 2009, according to latest PricewaterhouseCoopers' Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2005-2009, released on Tuesday. Improved economic conditions and an advertising upswing, combined with expanding online distribution of music, films, books and video games, will be key drivers triggering end-user spending. It;s tough out there here at the apostles we feel ever so sorry for those coke snorting music ind types.       [posted in Bondi :: at 19:09]     Add 'n' To X Reincarnated In Melbourne I think i did a piece on this lot earlier in the year when they release a cd ep .. well... now their album is out and the snippets this apostle's heard sound great. Here's their site. The few reviews they've had talk about Cabarate Voltaire and a weird Human League. We reckon they heard the call when the sad demise of Add n To x was announced.....       [posted in Bondi :: at 15:52]   Tuesday, September 27, 2005     Beta band Are Done As always i seem to be a bit behind with the gossip but it appears that the monumental Beta Band have gone to that great gig in the sky. Shame really as they were britain's and maybe the world's only band who could re-invent the Pink Floyd for the 21st century.. I shall miss them but at least they've left a fantastic and totally confusing catalogue behind. I expect that in or around 2024 a whole scene will manage to clothe themselves in the template they've left behind. On a more positive note at least Steve Mason is still keeping the faith and has released a new ditty with his side project King Biscuit Time To be honest i don't think this one compares with the last 2 King Biscuit Time releases which were, I have to say, two of the most beautiful releases in the history of all pop music. But then i am biased. Historical note. This apostle saw the Beta Band in the first big London appearance at ULU. One of those, it changes everything, gigs. The British Sea Power did it all again the year before last and i get the feeling Devendra Banhart and all his psych-folk pals are basically doing a us version as we speak.       [posted in Bondi :: at 16:49]   Monday, September 26, 2005     New York Titbits Came across this great stall at the Atlantic Avenue fair yesterday. Also although i didn't manage to catch them .. The Hong Kong. Are they the new Blondie ? Also post punk could be on it's way out.. are this lot.. The Isles bringing in the next round of revivalism in.. at least it would be chronologically correct.       [posted in Bondi :: at 21:37]   Thursday, September 22, 2005     Sister Ray's Buys Selectadisk Store In Berwick Street Just thought we'd mention this.. as this is what they say on the web site Sister Ray are delighted to announce that our takeover of Selectadisc at 34-35 Berwick Street, London W1 is now complete ! We are currently making ourselves busy trying to get to grips with their Filing Systems and Stock so please bear with us during this transitional period. Over the coming months we plan to vastly extend the styles of music we currently offer and also add our used rarities items making a bigger,better Sister Ray. Note the line We are currently making ourselves busy trying to get to grips with their Filing Systems and Stock as far as we can work out this means they are chucking all old stock in the bin -- or that's what they told the Apostles this morning when we tried to talk to them about getting Sale Or Return stock back or asking them to pay us for 12 Apostles product Selectadisk had sold... not our problem geezer etc etc What they don't know is that we have the love of all 12 apostles on our side .....       [posted in Bondi :: at 16:39]   Wednesday, September 21, 2005     New Psych Folk Etc I know he's been everybody's favourite alt folkie for the past couple of years but i wasn't really a fan of Devendra Banhart's early recordings. Almost too whimsical. I just bought the new cd, Cripple Crow recorded up in Bearsville near Woodstock on a whim on Sunday and nothing else has made it onto the decks since then. I'm still not really sure why I like it so much, as most of the songs have already been written by the Beatles on the White Album ( interestingly he namechecks Paul and Ringo). But that said he does have a wonderful voice and he knows how to write a song that suits his style. The album isn't a classic but it will and does cross boundaries and will be enjoyed by surfers, squatties and coffee table cd buyers alike. Don't forget the cover art as well.. sgt peppers meets the incredible string band at an early traffic gig.       [posted in Bondi :: at 17:00]   Tuesday, September 20, 2005     And The New Worst Band In The World Are Yes it has to be the UK's latest we don't care about fashion but actually we're really fashionable The Towers of London I'd seen the name about and then noticed this week from posters that they were playing CMJ. Luckily I was smart enough to download their video before deciding to check them out live. Not good is all i can say. Sigue Sigue Sputnik I have to say sounded better and looked better and they weren't any good either. There's some guff on the web site about Motley Crue meets the Pistols blah blah blah. They only mention the Pistols because he has a noticebly Thamesian accent on his vocals, they might as well have said Motley Crue meets Flowered Up. And as for the Motley Crue comparison. Who cares Motley Crue were crap and that's that. Luckily the kids are too smart for this half arsed pretend rock n roll revolution       [posted in Bondi :: at 15:09]   Monday, September 19, 2005     The New Last Poet A friend turned me onto Saul Williams recently. Poetry slam vs radiclized hip hop with beats quite different to the normal fare. I suppose you could say there's a bit of Gil Scott Heron & Tricky in there, but really he's his own man and It's great stuff.       [posted in Bondi :: at 18:04]   Friday, September 16, 2005     CMJ Hourly Schedule Friday How many bands can you see in one day You have to feel a little sorry for the Punks whoever they are. They had an 8.30 am slot at the Knitting Factory this morning !       [posted in Bondi :: at 14:25]     This Could Be Interesting This press release just turned up in the apostles box this morning IODA -- the Independent Online Distribution Alliance has unveiled Promonet, a new promotional distribution network which will provide podcasters, bloggers, Internet radio stations, e-zines and other promotional music sites with thousands of pre-cleared, legal music tracks, videos, artwork, and other promotional assets from IODA's roster of over 750 leading independent labels. The digital distribution company also announced the creation of a new promotional license that specifies terms under which qualified podcasters and bloggers can use and distribute PromoTracks from IODA's labels in podcasts and as full MP3 downloads. Music from a wide range of genres will be available as PromoTracks. Promonet is now accepting applications from qualified promotional partners at http://promonet.iodalliance.com IODA-distributed labels can select up to three songs per album for inclusion in Promonet. In addition to hosting PromoTracks, Promonet will also contain a directory of release-specific videos, photos, album art and other promotional assets posted by labels and artists, as well as preview clips of all tracks, and "buy links" for each release at the many digital music services and retailers to which IODA distributes. There is no charge to IODA-distributed labels to make their assets available on Promonet. In exchange for access to the thousands of PromoTracks available in the system, qualified podcasters and bloggers must comply with a few simple rules designed to raise awareness of the artists and labels and drive sales of their music. PromoTracks must be properly identified and the sites using them in their programming must include links to the artists' sites as well as "buy" links to at least one digital and one physical retail site for each release. IODA will provide all necessary information and assets via the Promonet site. This announcement comes in conjunction with the launch of IODA Digital Marketing, a new Internet marketing division designed to complement the company's core business of digital music and video distribution. IODA Digital Marketing will offer a combination of underground and commercial marketing programs tailored to meet the needs of labels and artists both small and large. Initial clients include Curumin, "Achados E Perdidos" (Quannum Projects); Stephen Lynch, "The Craig Machine" (What Are Records?); Dr Elmo, "Dr Elmo Sings The Boo's" (Laughing Stock); The Real Tuesday Weld "The Return Of The Clerkenwell Kid" (Six Degrees Records). Initial promotional partners include Amazon.com, Emusic, GoFish Technologies, Live365, Music.download.com and Better Propaganda. "Promonet and IODA Digital Marketing are the key components of IODA's focus on the next phase of the independent digital music business," said IODA founder and CEO Kevin Arnold. "Indies have a great opportunity to take advantage of the promotional opportunities created by new technologies online. Because they tend to have less hang-ups about restricting the use of their music and more respect for their fans than the majors they can move more quickly and push the envelope to their benefit." "The 'infinite shelf space' is already here, but the real challenge is getting the right music to the right fan," said Tim Mitchell, VP of Business and Product Development. "IODA Digital Marketing will take advantage of the 'many to many' nature of the Internet and its viral networks in order to promote music cheaply, effectively, and on a huge scale." Mitchell and the IODA Digital Marketing staff will be attending the CMJ Music Marathon at Lincoln Center in New York this week and will be available to demo Promonet. Mitchell will appear on the "Podcast Compass" panel, Saturday, Sept 17th 11:30 a.m. in Avery Fisher Hall. IODA Director of Promotions Adam Rabinovitz will take part in the "Break It In the Blogosphere" panel, also on Saturday, Sept 17th at 11:30 a.m. in the Charles Dana Lounge. About IODA IODA -- the Independent Online Distribution Alliance -- is the industry-leading digital distribution company for the global independent music community. IODA provides comprehensive services to record labels, physical distributors, and artists, including license negotiations, media encoding and metadata management, royalty payment administration and reporting, and promotional support. Founded in 2003, IODA represents a rapidly expanding roster of over 200,000 tracks from more than 750 independent labels around the globe. The IODA catalog ranges from established classics to modern up-and-comers in all genres, including favorites such as Billie Holliday,, George Clinton, , Antony & the Johnsons, Bebel Gilberto, Midnight Oil, KRS-One, Duke Ellington, My Morning Jacket, John Lee Hooker, The Wrens, Sean Paul, The Hives, Del the Funkee Homosapien, Built to Spill, Charlie Parker, Arrested Development, Sun Ra, Blackalicious, and Fela Kuti. IODA distributes its client catalog to all major digital music services including the iTunes Music Store, RealNetworks' Rhapsody, MSN Music, Napster, Yahoo!, Sony Connect, MusicNet, eMusic, OD2, and over 150 other retail outlets. IODA was recently named one of FORTUNE magazine's 25 Breakout Companies for 2005. The company's web site is located at http://www.iodalliance.com.       [posted in Bondi :: at 13:51]   Thursday, September 15, 2005     The Morning After Girls Melbourne's finest are in New York this week and then in the UK early October. Don't miss them.. The standells meet primal scream at the Dandy Warhols pad ... except they're better, younger & skinnier I've been saying it for two years now.. they are the most beautiful live band around... forget your arcade fire's, bloc parties & kaiser chiefs this is how it should sound       [posted in Bondi :: at 16:31]   Wednesday, September 14, 2005     RL Burnside Dies Along with many others I only discovered him via the cd he did with Jon Spencer a few years ago and managed to catch him live at the basement in Sydney a couple of summers ago... I'm not really sure what authentic blues is supposed to be but it sounded pretty wild to me... read more about him here       [posted in Bondi :: at 19:49]     Too Many Bands Too Little Time NYC's CMJ rolls around again. Unless you are so hip it doesn't matter it's impossible to know where to start. i think I might check out the Zom Zoms in Brooklyn tommorrow night. Great name and very silly haircuts       [posted in Bondi :: at 19:39]   Tuesday, September 13, 2005     12 Apostles Go West Well..... just for the weekend to San Francisco and what a city for the sad record shop addict it is! Friday night it was a quick dash down to the Mission and a visit to Aquarius. For those of you who receive their online updates you'll be glad to know that the descriptions in the shop are almost as long as those in their newsletters. I almost got my hands on a great looking plunderphonics cd collection before being whisked out of the shop by my partner who has no time for nerdy boys hanging out in record stores. I then had to wait all night and half the morning before i could get into Amoeba on Haight where they've turned an entire bowling palace into a record store. Although I have visited their Berkeley store a few years ago I had forgotten how good this place is. New & second hand, vinyl & CD, friendly staff and racks and racks of stuff. In my allotted hour i managed to get my greasy paws on some Robert Gordon 45's, Kayne West's new one on vinyl, a great micro house collection and some old Cramps demos re-issued by Sub Pop and eventually after 18 months of looking Gino Soccio's dancer album. Final stop on Saturday was North Beach where City Lights is still a must visit if only to giggle at some of Gary Snyders' poems and also a visit to the best rock poster shop I know Rock Posters where on my request for any old Beefheart posters from the 60's they helped my search by making sure Trout Mask Replica was on the shop soundsystem. Wait till you see the psychedelic Johnny Cash handbill I managed to pick up along with a handbill for one of the Floyd's earliest gigs on the West Coast.       [posted in Bondi :: at 20:51]   Monday, September 12, 2005     Great New Bootie On The Block Check this one out as soon as possible everyone...George Bush Doesn't Like Black People using Kayne West's Gold Digger . This is great stuff by the Legendry KO who live close to the Houston astrodome housing the refugees. Although I gather we're not allowed to call them refugees.. rather citizens. If they were citizens wouldn't the State & Federal government have helped all these people out a bit earlier. Let's hope there's more of this stuff on the way.       [posted in Bondi :: at 20:37]   Thursday, September 08, 2005     Gang of Four @ Coney Island Can't really pass this one up ..and the Pixies on the same bill. Check out Across The Narrows       [posted in Bondi :: at 21:16]     We Like Pop Too Not very underground to say so but he's got it and who else since the Clash has been so cool, political and a great songwriter. I'm off to buy the new album.       [posted in Bondi :: at 21:08]     And From Astoria Queens Come.... The Isles Caught these guys on the TV a couple of weeks ago on some documentary about Astoria. I'm not the world's greatest fan of jangly indie pop/ rock but for some beautiful and un-understood reason I find myself listening to their mp3's every couple of days. It's almost as though I'm listening to REM before they became famous or Brighton's PopGuns before they dissolved in a haze of alcohol and the Byrds before Gram Parsons had his evil way with them. Listen to the Isles       [posted in Bondi :: at 19:42]     Remember Monica... She Used To Blog For Us Well she's still on the planet.. actually she's all over the planet and as far as we can work out she's looking for more music, more unadulterated hedonism and I think some love as well       [posted in Bondi :: at 19:36]     Tagging The Holy Land The Apostles favourite artist / polemicist Banksy has been busy at work in the home of the 12 apostles tagging & painting Sharons' Berlin wall..       [posted in Bondi :: at 19:31]     Sydney Radio Station Playlists 12 Apostles "Lord Lucan" Sydney's FBI(think xfm) has placed the Ollo Mix of Lord Lucan on their current heavy rotation playlist. Well done those ollo boys..... The full list is as follows A Rotation Feist Mushaboom Polydor / Universal Further! The Last Request Chatterbox Syd Low Deep Get Set (Run the Road mix) Independent / Import Ru C.L Just One Shot Invada / Universal Oz T. Raumschmiere Diving in Whisky Shitkatapult / Mute The Dodgems Lord Lucan is Missing (Ollo mix) 12 Apostles / Independent       [posted in Bondi :: at 12:36]   Wednesday, September 07, 2005     London Outfit ROC To Release Music With The 12 Apostles Next Month The 12 are very pleased to announce that sometime in the next month or so, we don't believe in release dates, we will be releasing the latest music from London collective ROC We can't tell you what's coming as that would spoil the surprise but expect to be entertained and confused by their latest collection of perfect sick sweet sour pop. The 12 recognize ROC to be London's Velvet Underground.. unloved and undiscovered by many but adored to the point of obsession by a few including us. Remixes will also be coming from: Chicago's oh Astro Sydney's ollo South London's Bullet Proof Sounds       [posted in Bondi :: at 23:24]     12 Apostles Favourite Has 2 New Releases Coming Up dsico ( that no talent hack) whose "punk as pussy" 12" sold out in a matter of weeks on the 12 apostles imprint has two new releases coming up soon. A cd release on his own Spasticated label followed by a new 12" on Metal Postcard Records Keep an eye out for it..       [posted in Bondi :: at 23:19]     Wax Audio Says Imagine This The 7" of Wax Audio's Imagine This has now sold out and is bound to become a surefire Beatles related collectable. But don't worry you can still download it for free.       [posted in Bondi :: at 23:15]     Chichester Home Boy Wins Mercury Ok so he's lived in the US for the past 20 years but still it's not often that somebody from Chichester wins a major rock award.. actually nobody from Chichester ever wins anything .. so it's a nice surprise to see Anthony & The Johnsons pick up the prize.       [posted in Bondi :: at 23:12]   [news archives]