Monday 14 May 2012

Music Diary 2012, days 6 & 7

Typically, my weekends are family time, so the three of us are usually mooching around at home, shopping, or daytripping. Unusually, I listened to almost no music this weekend – just during a car journey on Saturday night, and on headphones on Sunday night. For some reason, having to document what I listened to as part of this music diary has made my music choices more discerning. This is a good thing.

Kingbastard Lost Property (Herb Recordings)
Yep, this one's a keeper. During its second airing in the car I realised just how many great moments there are on this album. Really looking forward to an uninterrupted listen on headphones.

Mogwai The Hawk is Howling (Matador)
This is rapidly becoming my favourite Mogwai album. My interest in the band was reignited late last year by their amazing set at Harvest music festival. Aside from a few stunning moments (eg, 'San Pedro') I don't rate their latest album Hardcore... that highly, but Hawk is just beautiful. It spans both poles of Mogwai's musical universe, from the gorgeous and languid ('Local Authority') to the snarling and savage ('Batcat') – and explores various points in between ('I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead'). Great for night driving.

Tim Key Tim Key. With a String Quartet. On a Boat. (Invisible Dot)
Having thoroughly enjoyed his latest stand-up show Masterslut and his book The Incomplete Tim Key, I figured I may as well download his album, too. It's probably the weakest of the three, but still has some great moments, mostly courtesy of his arguments with Tom Basden.

Friday 11 May 2012

Music Diary 2012, day 5

Friday is my music day, the day I have lots of time to spin tunes, whether driving to and from work, or at work (I work part-time at a music studio).

Ex Confusion Embrace (n5MD)
The second of the three review CDs I received this week turned out to be glorious, immersive ambient-drone from Japan, with a couple of glowing piano miniatures interspersed here and there. I requested the album because it's released on n5MD, and most of their stuff is really good. No idea what instrument is creating most of the tones, but it sounds pretty amazing. Probably a guitar and a shitload of pedals and processing. Reminds me of Auburn Lull minus the vocals and drums. I listened to this on the way to work and loved the way it coloured the afternoon air. Looking forward to getting stuck in on headphones.

Wizards of Time Will the Soft Curse Plague On? (Hidden Shoal)
This has been one of my favourite albums for months now. So excited to be releasing it on Hidden Shoal. 'Little's Jingle' won Single Of The Week in Melbourne's Beat this week, so I felt like celebrating by listening to the whole album, loud, soon after arriving at work. Still sounds amazing after 50 spins or more.

Tim Hecker Harmony In Ultraviolet (Kranky)
This is still my favourite Tim Hecker album, probably because it was the first one I heard. I decided to blast it in the studio shop after a Green Day cover band arrived and played really loud in one of the studios nearest the shop. I simply couldn't compete by playing rock music on an iPod dock, so I shifted emphasis and filled in all the gaps around the sound of a rock band as only Tim Hecker can. It sounded very different than how I remember, but then I don't often listen to it at the same time as a Green Day cover band. Thankfully. It prompted a lot of strange looks when musos came into the shop to buy a beer or rent an amp, as though the stereo was broken. No, a Green Day covers band is broken; this is perfect.

SBTRKT SBTRKT (Young Turks)
Yep, still enjoying the first half of this one hell of a lot.

Kingbastard Lost Property (Herb Recordings)
Well, this is unheard of: I like all three of the review CDs I've received this week. Kingbastard has mustered quite an epic and complex album with his latest, Lost Property. I span it once in the shop, then again on the drive home. There's some beautifully considered soundscaping going on here, very intimate and moving. The chord changes have a disarming grace, punctuated by passages of rhythmic momentum. There's even a bluesy lo-fi number thrown in there. It definitely sounds like a labour of love for its creator, Chris Weeks. The intricate handmade sleeve is pretty spectacular, too. Looking forward to spending more time with this one.

Thursday 10 May 2012

Music Diary 2012, day 4

Today I received a package in the mail from Belgium: three review CDs from Brett at [sic] Magazine. Whoop! I got stuck in right away...

Kutin, Ivory (Valeot)
Well, this is very promising indeed. I put the first of the three CDs on the lounge stereo while I was cooking and immediately liked it. This rarely happens. Field recordings, static, warm slushings of synthy noise; heartbreaking melodies buried beneath digital detritus. Definite shades of Fennesz, which is a very good thing. It gets abstract and creepy towards the end, which had Holly looking at the speakers with concern. Some of the passages on the last couple of tracks sound like little metallic beetles are trying to fight their way out of the speakers and eat you. Yuck. Will definitely explore this one, loud, over the next few days. Excited to dip into the other two by Kingbastard and Ex Confusion, too. All three have lovely packaging.

SBTRKT, SBTRKT (Young Turks)
This has been my album of choice to blast in the car since I borrowed it from my local library a few weeks back. So, on it went again as I made the half-hour drive to rehearse with my band, Summon the Birds. The first half of SBTRKT is wall-to-wall melancholy-infused bangers; the second half sounds dated to my ears, so I normally skip back to the start once I reach track seven. There's a vocalist called Sampha whose voice kills me. The female vocalist isn't so good, but is still strong. I think when this came out last year I didn't pay much attention because the phrase 'dubstep' was waved at it. (I can't really get into all these new trendy genres. 'Chillwave'? Ugh.) I picked up the CD at the library because I liked the cover and seemed to recall reading a good review somewhere. 

From spinning these two albums today I recognised a simple truth: I like to listen to loud, pace-quickening music in the car, and reflective, atmospheric stuff at home. Predictable, but true.

Wednesday 9 May 2012

Music Diary 2012, day 3

Grouper, Dream Loss (Yellowelectric)
I kicked off my afternoon working at the computer by listening to Dream Loss by Grouper, the companion album to the previous day's Alien Observer. I listened through my half-decent computer speakers, but at low volume so I wouldn't get too distracted. The titles of the albums are a pretty perfect summation of the feel of each: Alien Observer captures a sense of eerie wonder at watching UFOs in the night sky, while Dream Loss has a sad, muzzy, distant atmosphere that's a bit depressing. I mean, there's a song on there called 'Soul Eraser'. To have on in the background while working, the album passed me by. I think it needs headphones and a stiff drink to work its magic.

Trentemoller, The Last Resort (Poker Flat Recordings)
A producer friend put me onto Trentemoller's album The Last Resort. Given it's one of his favourite albums, I wasn't surprised to find it stuffed with production trickery. For this reason, I find it hard to really engage with. The production tweaking seems to take precedence over the songwriting. However, as background music when you're working, it's perfect. There's some glitchiness in there, some murky funk, some dubby ooze, and plenty of crisp beatwork. I like it as long as I don't ask too much from it. You can also leave it on, pumping away, without having to worry about what to queue up next. It fills up an entire CD and any albums that do that are always far too long.

Etc. 
I did skim through a bunch of other stuff today, but nothing I feel compelled to mention. So, a bit of a 'meh' day as far as music listening was concerned.

Tuesday 8 May 2012

Music Diary 2012, day 2

Grouper, Alien Observer (Yellowelectric)
I put my headphones on this morning and immediately immersed my entire being in Grouper's magical Alien Observer. I wasn't a massive fan of Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill (Type), but this one's spectacularly good. It's simultaneously really dense and feather-light. The multi-tracked vocals are really eerie. It can make you imagine there's someone behind you calling your name, which is a bit unsettling when you're trying to work. It's really good all the way through and I tend to listen to it a whole lot more often than its companion album Dream Loss. There's an eerie video to the title track featuring blood, smoke and lesbian snogging:

   
Soundcloud
Seeing as my Internet connection is slow, I favour Soundcloud for sampling tracks to see if I might like albums by particular artists. (If I try listening to stuff on YouTube I'm plagued by buffering.) Seeing as I enjoyed Grouper, this sent me exploring related releases by Mirrorring and Tiny Vipers, then on to Moonface, The Cribs and Orcas. All of them were pretty good. I'm especially intrigued by Mirrorring and Orcas, so will probably grab some of their stuff off eMusic when my monthly subscription renews in a couple of days. (Incidentally, you can get Alien Observer on eMusic for under $3, which is ridiculous.)

Steely Dan, Aja (ABC)
I began my afternoon with little Holly by spinning some piano music on the lounge stereo because Holly seems to like that stuff. However, Sophie Hutching's Becalmed (Preservation) is pretty maudlin, so I quickly switched tack and stuck on Steely Dan's Aja. It got Holly dancing and I drooled over the classic Dan songwriting smarts and production, as usual. Who doesn't love 'Peg'?! This reminded me that I should revisit the Classic Albums episode on Aja, which is probably the best I've seen. Plus, there are plenty of other Dan albums that I've yet to explore in depth. Back catalogue, here I come.

Simon Scott, Navigare (Miasmah)
There's a new Simon Scott album out soon on the excellent 12k label, plus I've queued up a download of Bunny once my eMusic subscription renews, so I decided to revisit Navigare on headphones, in bed. I'd given up on reading The Incomplete Tim Key again as it just made me snort with laughter, so decided to immerse myself in some ambient droney stuff instead. It's cool. Not the best of its kind, but worth a spin if comedy poems are too stimulating at a late hour. 

Monday 7 May 2012

Music Diary 2012, day 1

Nick Southall, who wrote an excellent, award-winning article called 'Imperfect Sound Forever' in the now defunct Stylus Magazine many years ago, currently writes a blog called Sick Mouthy. He's come up with an interesting idea called Music Diary 2012, which basically involves documenting what you listen to for a week, paying particular attention to the circumstances of the listening experience: where we are, who we're with, etc. Seeing as I write a music blog I've decided to get involved – and here's my first day, Monday 7 May 2012.

De La Mancha, The End Of Music (Karaoke Kalk)
I write the occasional music review for Luna Kafe and [sic] Magazine, which is handy when I spot an album I fancy – I can write to the label or artist, tell them I'll write a review, and hey presto, more often than not I get emailed a download link. Now, this is normally fine – I'll listen to the album a few times, pen a review, email a link to the label or artist, and everyone's a winner. However, sometimes I download an album, listen to it a few times, then I simply can't think of what to write about it. Or, I might write something, it'll get published, and then I'll regret having been quite so blunt in the review because I've offended one of the musicians involved (which happened with a recent Luna Kafe review). In the case of De La Mancha's The End Of Music, I'm having the former problem. I downloaded it a while ago, gave it a few spins, and now the record label are asking where my review is... I haven't written it yet because I can't think of what to say. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. What the hell do I say about it? I re-listened to the first half on my iPod while out walking this afternoon, during my daughter's afternoon nap. Let's just say it's growing on me. The airy quality of many of the songs is well suited to strolling under an overcast sky. Review coming soon...

Nils Frahm, Felt (Erased Tapes)
My 18-month-old daughter Holly loves music. If she likes an album, she goes quiet and listens intently, beatboxes along if there are prominent rhythms, or dances elegantly. I tend to listen to Nils Frahm's Felt at home, in the afternoon. Every time I put it on, Holly smiles and sways from side to side, especially to the gorgeous first track, 'Keep'. Today we listened to Felt while I made a very complex vegetarian dish called tempeh and millet loaf. The interweaving piano parts are beautiful and it's currently my album of choice for quiet, reflective listening, especially while cooking. Unfortunately, today I stuffed up the timing of the recipe. The loaf needed an hour to cook by the time Holly's dinner was due, so I ended up cooking her a decidely substandard omelette so she could eat, have her bath and get to bed in time for me to watch Masterchef. I think the lesson here is that Felt suits moments where there are no deadlines; just leisurely, reflective activity. And my cooking style is far from leisurely and reflective now I have a daughter.

Other stuff
Given the choice, I like to listen to albums all the way through. Unfortunately, being the parent of an 18-month-old means this doesn't happen very often. I did listen to other stuff today – a couple of tracks off Tycho's Dive, some stuff by Wizards of Time and Elisa Luu that's coming out on my label, Hidden Shoal – but it was playing in the background while I wrote emails and surfed the net, so I didn't really pay much attention. I also like to listen to music on headphones, in bed, before I fall asleep, but tonight I started reading The Incomplete Tim Key and found myself laughing so hard at the following poem that listening to music would have felt like an anticlimax to the day:

Poem #1193 'For My Passengers' Sake'
There was a gap in the track and the train was heading right for it.
The driver noticed and hated it.
He threw down his sandwich and sprung into action.
He tried to jump out of his cabin and throw himself into the gap to act as additional track
      so the train could keep going.
This obviously didn't even come close to working;
His back was ripped to shreds and the train bounced into a forest.


Wednesday 2 May 2012

Hidden Shoal alt.pop/rock compilation

Umpire
Now We're Active
Just a reminder that I've also compiled a ten-track compilation of alt.pop/rock stuff from the Hidden Shoal roster that's available for licensing via dots and loops. It kicks off with the dreamy garage-pop of [The] Caseworker's 'National Runner' and concludes with Umpire's majestic 'Cyclones Into Sunshowers', visiting Salli Lunn, Iretsu, Boxharp, Chris Mason, Rich Bennett, Kramies, Glassacre and City Of Satellites along the way. Plenty of melody-driven mastery to fill the air with.

Check out the comp on Soundcloud:



If you're interested in licensing the music of any of these artists for use in your creative project, please contact tim@dots-and-loops.com

Monday 23 April 2012

Hidden Shoal atmospheric/ambient compilation

Just a reminder that I've compiled a ten-track compilation of atmospheric/ambient stuff from the Hidden Shoal roster that's available for licensing via dots and loops. It begins with the haunting wash of Stray Ghost's 'Nothing, But Death Part 1' and concludes with acclaimed producer Scott Solter's 'The Palace Wedding', visiting Antonymes, My Majestic Star, Sleeping Me, Rich Bennett, Slow Dancing Society, Elisa Luu, Wes Willenbring and Jumpel along the way. Plenty of delicious atmospheres to immerse yourself in.

Check out the comp on Soundcloud:


If you're interested in licensing the music of any of these artists for use in your creative project, please contact tim@dots-and-loops.com

Hidden Shoal artist profile: Markus Mehr

Markus Mehr
Markus Mehr creates textured ambient drone music that pulls you in like a magnet to the heart. It's subtle and beautiful - but can be prone to violent blasts of distortion and passages of bone-crushing intensity. Whether humming along like a barely perceptible background atmosphere or looming large in your face like a raging tsunami, this music is wonderfully suited to visual accompaniment. His music suits cutting-edge visuals, from industrial townscapes to womblike moments of personal reflection.

Markus's debut solo album Lava was released to critical acclaim in 2010. The following video is of single 'Cousteau', which features amazing visuals by artist Stefanie Sixt:



Markus's latest release, In, comprises two massive tracks, 'Komo' and 'Ostinato', that evolve majestically over the course of 25 minutes. Here's a clip of Markus and Stefanie performing 'Komo' live:



In is part one of an ambitious yet beautifully realised triptych, which continues with On (June 2011) and is completed by Off (January 2012).

If you're interested in licensing Markus Mehr's music for your creative project, please contact tim@dots-and-loops.com

Tuesday 27 March 2012

Hidden Shoal artist profile: Elisa Luu

Elisa Luu
Rome-based electronica artist Elisa Luu has an enviably light and precise touch. Though digitally crafted, her music is warm, inviting and uniquely human, betraying a vulnerability and sensitivity that is rarely found in the male-dominated sphere of electronica. With its sighing, lilting qualities, Elisa Luu’s music reawakens a sense of childlike wonder and adventure with every sprawling and sparkling track. It is ideally suited to visuals that portray moments of contemplation, transformation and redemption.

'Slow Bass Flute', taken from Elisa Luu's stunning debut album Chromatic Sigh, is part of my compilation of atmospheric/ambient tracks from the Hidden Shoal catalogue on Soundcloud:



Similarly dreamy is 'R3Son8':



Both these tracks are beatless, but when Elisa integrates electronic rhythms into her compositions, such as on 'Pixie Space Rock' and the following track 'Slowbeat', the results are equally beautiful:



Elisa Luu's new album will be released on Hidden Shoal later in the year, preceded by the single 'Se Fosse Per Me'.

If you're interested in licensing Elisa Luu's music for your creative project, please contact tim@dots-and-loops.com

Sunday 25 March 2012

Hidden Shoal artist profile: City of Satellites

City of Satellites
Imagine a Venn diagram with one circle that says 'dream pop' and another that says 'shoegaze rock'. The area where they overlap is a wonderful place. That place is City of Satellites. It's all about synthesis - between electronic beats and live drums; between shimmering keyboards and breathy vocals; between post-rock guitar sounds and rich basswork. The result is dizzyingly beautiful and futuristic music that is perfectly suited to a range of visuals - and has already been heard in episodes of Australian drama Offspring.

The band have released a stunningly expansive EP called The Spook and debut album Machine Is My Animal, from which the single 'BMX' is taken:



The title track of their debut album is included as part of my alt.pop/rock compilation on Soundcloud:



If you're interested in licensing City of Satellites' music for your creative project, please contact tim@dots-and-loops.com

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Hidden Shoal artist profile: [The] Caseworker

[The] Caseworker
[The] Caseworker are a continent-spanning trio whose music has the feel of a shoegazing Velvet Underground reared by the Flying Nun label – the perfect balance of drone and chime. Their hazy, melodic pop songs have irresistible momentum, but a momentum that's infused with ambiguity and doubt. In my head, [The] Caseworker's songs best suit those funny, downbeat indie movies in which every song on the soundtrack is good, conveying that the director has impeccable music taste!

'National Runner', the addictive opening track on their latest album Letters For Coast, also opens my compilation of Hidden Shoal alt.pop/rock:



There's also a video for the track on my YouTube channel if you want to witness the song as a soundtrack to the athletic prowess of incredible Ethiopian long-distance runner Miruts Yifter:



If you're interested in licensing [The] Caseworker's music for your creative project, please contact tim@dots-and-loops.com

Sunday 18 March 2012

Hidden Shoal artist profile: Boxharp

Boxharp
American duo Boxharp create magical, ethereal pop music, expertly weaving electronic textures amid timeless, emotionally resonant songcraft. Vocalist Wendy Allen's pure and beautiful tone evokes Celtic hymns, while Scott Solter's glistening musical beds alternate between intimate and disorientating. Boxharp's songs are so wonderfully varied in style and tone that they could accompany a range of visuals - but perhaps best suit windswept, natural scenes.

To date, Boxharp have released the eclectic Loam Arcane EP and album The Green, both of which have received widespread critical acclaim.

The title track from The Green is included as part of my Hidden Shoal alt.pop/rock mix on Soundcloud:



A video for 'Rainbirds' is featured on my YouTube channel:



If you're interested in licensing Boxharp's music for your creative project, please contact tim@dots-and-loops.com

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Hidden Shoal artist profile: Wes Willenbring

Wes Willenbring
My initial intention was to run through the Hidden Shoal catalogue alphabetically, but a new single by Wes Willenbring has just been released, so I'm jumping ahead. Wes creates the kind of immersive, atmospheric music that bleeds masterfully between moments of sweet repose and queasy melancholy. The closer attention you pay to it, the more layers of meaning it reveals. As such, I can imagine his music providing the perfect soundtrack to slow-moving, reflective visuals.

Wes’s songs revolve around the primary elements of guitar and piano, the sounds expertly disassembled, reconstructed and manipulated to create minimalist atmospheres that draw equally from the sounds and moods of Leonard Cohen, Erik Satie, Earth, Brian Eno, Coil, and others. Across three albums, his attention has shifted gradually from more focus upon piano on his debut album Somewhere Someone Else through more varied pieces on his second album Close, But Not Too Close, to longform works on his forthcoming third album Weapons Reference Manual, which features new single 'The Consequences of Reckless':



I've included 'The Burrow' from Close, But Not Too Close on my compilation of atmospheric/ambient tracks from the Hidden Shoal catalogue featured on Soundcloud:



Plus, you can follow Wes on Soundcloud to sample tracks from across his excellent discography:



If you're interested in licensing Wes Willenbring's music for your creative project, please contact tim@dots-and-loops.com

Sunday 4 March 2012

Hidden Shoal artist profile: Apricot Rail

Apricot Rail
Perth-based instrumental pop band Apricot Rail create the kind of gleaming, melodic music to perfectly soundtrack moments of wide-eyed discovery, blue-skied revelation and intimate tenderness. Woodwinds, glockenspiels and trumpet weave amid chiming guitars to create music that is as moving as it is playful. The band released their self-titled debut album, produced by Umpire's Simon Struthers, in 2009. It features beautiful single 'Pouring Milk Out The Window':



In 2011 the band released their latest single 'Surry Hills', the first to include newest member Justin Manzano:



If you're interested in licensing Apricot Rail's music for your creative project, please contact tim@dots-and-loops.com

Monday 27 February 2012

Hidden Shoal artist profile: Antonymes

Now that the archiving of my music writing is out of the way, I can get on with the business of profiling the awesome Hidden Shoal artists whose music is available for licensing via dots and loops. The Hidden Shoal catalogue spans a startling array of genres and styles, from minimal, delicate ambient to heavy, rhythmic indie-rock. Nestled beautifully at the minimal, delicate ambient end of the spectrum is Antonymes.

Antonymes
Antonymes is designer, photographer and musician Ian M. Hazeldine, who is based in Wales. Ian's recorded output to date is characterised by sparse, thoughtful piano melodies, exquisitely rendered atmospheric textures and a truly cinematic approach to sound. His music is perfectly suited to moments of reflection, scenes of nature, and narratives that unfurl slowly and deliberately.

His album The Licence To Interpret Dreams was released to widespread critical acclaim in 2011. It comprises 12 beautiful pieces, including the single 'Endlessly', which is featured on my YouTube channel:



Another of Antonymes' songs, 'The Slow Beginnings of a Fragile Acceptance', which opens The Licence To Intepret Dreams, can be streamed on Soundcloud as part of an atmospheric/ambient compilation I've put together:



If you're interested in licensing Antonymes' music for your creative project, please contact tim@dots-and-loops.com

Monday 13 February 2012

[sic] Magazine reviews, 2009

My reviews for [sic] Magazine started off slow, with lots of repeats of stuff covered on Luna Kafe, plus the following newies published in 2009:

AristeiA, How To Kill A King EP

Redjetson, Other Arms

worriedaboutsatan, Arrivals

Trespassers William, The Natural Order Of Things EP

Maybeshewill, Sing The Word Hope In Four-part Harmony

Atlas Sound, Logos

Extradition Order, Since The Bomb Dropped

Luna Kafe reviews, 2009

What with writing artist bios and press releases for Hidden Shoal Recordings and starting to review for [sic] Magazine too, I scaled back my reviews for Luna Kafe quite a bit in 2009. 

Levator, The Biggest Waves Come At Night

St Kilda, EP

The Samuel Jackson Five, Goodbye Melody Mountain

Wilderness, (K)no(w)here

Brad Shepik, Human Activity Suite

All Tomorrow's Parties, Mount Buller, Victoria, 9-10.1. 09

Womadelaide, Adelaide Botanic Park, 6-9.3.09

Mellow Drunk, One Thousand Lights

Ploug, Pettersen & Badenhorst, Equilibrium

Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest

Tortoise, Beacons Of Ancestorship

Sean Noonan's Brewed By Noon, Boxing Dreams

Ryan Blotnick, Everything Forgets

Sacred Harp, Sacred Harp EP

Tim's 10 Favourite Releases Of 2009

Tuesday 7 February 2012

YouTube channel!

To demonstrate how savvy I am with all this Web 2.0 malarkey, I now have a YouTube channel, which includes a playlist of tracks from the Hidden Shoal Recordings label. These tracks, and hundreds more, are available for licensing via dots and loops. I'll be adding to the playlist progressively, so be sure to subscribe to my channel for updates. All the videos make for excellent viewing, ranging from the intimate ambient soundscaping of Markus Mehr's 'Cousteau' to the widescreen indie-rock of Umpire's 'Supply Chins'. Enjoy!

Tuesday 24 January 2012

Luna Kafe reviews, 2006

My first review of 2006, a demo by Melbourne-based instrumental rock trio Tarcutta, is an exciting one for me. Three years later, Hidden Shoal, the label I co-manage, had the privilege of releasing Tarcutta's debut album. Mid-year I also reviewed Glassacre's Slow Attack EP, which first established my friendship with Hidden Shoal's Cam Merton. Later in the year saw reviews of further Hidden Shoal releases by My Majestic Star, Dilatazione and Slow Dancing Society, which sadly proved my last - you can't get away with reviewing releases on your own label!

And, would you believe it, there are two more reviews of Because Of Ghosts live. Ridiculous.

Tarcutta, demo

Slowdive, Just For A Day, Souvlaki, Pygmalion (remastered)

Deerhoof, Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 10.2.06

Seven Mile Journey, The Journey Studies

Pivot + Because Of Ghosts, Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 18.3.06

Mafia Horse Connection, demo

Xiu Xiu + Because Of Ghosts, Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 21.4.06

Interkosmos, Invasion Warning, London Mix, Proximity

David Anderson, Collage

Wilderness, Vessel States

The Necks, Chemist

Glassacre, Slow Attack EP and Monocle, Lounge Act EP

Griddle, Klimty Favela

Wolf & Cub + The Mercy Arms + Mountains In The Sky, East Brunswick Club, Melbourne, 16.9.06

All India Radio, Echo Other

Tortoise, A Lazarus Taxon

Mahogany, Connectivity!

Yo La Tengo, I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass

Q & A with Mahogany's Andrew Prinz

My Majestic Star, Ideas Are The Answer

Weltraum, Traum/Trauma EP

Treelo, Esta EP

Animal Collective + Oren Ambarchi, The Corner, Melbourne, 6.11.06

Under Byen, Samme Stof Som Stof

Dilatazione, Too Emotional For Maths

Slow Dancing Society, The Sound Of Lights When Dim

Sunday 22 January 2012

Luna Kafe reviews, 2005

Looking back over my writing from 2005, I must have written about almost every release I heard and every gig I attended! I used to go to a lot more gigs than I do now. I saw Because Of Ghosts live three times during 2005. And I don't even like them that much...

The Necks, The Corner, Melbourne, 13.1.05

Tortoise + Because Of Ghosts + Via Tania, The Corner, Melbourne, 21.1.05

The Clientele, The Violet Hour and Ariadne EP

What is Music? The Corner, Melbourne, 6.3.05

Can, Tago Mago (remastered)

Hood, Outside Closer

Iron & Wine, Woman King EP

Festa El Cheapo, The Retreat, Brunswick, Melbourne, 5.3.05

Cam Butler + The Devastations + Tarantula, The Rob Roy, Fitzroy, Melbourne, 9.4.05

Sam Prekop, Who's Your New Professor

Architecture In Helsinki + Food Group, Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 29.4.05

Architecture In Helsinki, In Case We Die

Jerry Colburn, Smell The Love

Lou Barlow, Emoh

Yo La Tengo, Prisoners Of Love

This Is Your Captain Speaking + Because Of Ghosts + The Sunwrae Ensemble, The Rob Roy, Fitzroy, Melbourne, 21.5.05

Smog, A River Ain't Too Much To Love

Stephen Malkmus, Face The Truth

Pajo, Pajo

Sigur Ros + Amiina, Hamer Hall, Melbourne, 3.8.05

Interpol + Snowmen, Metro, Melbourne, 27.7.05 

Leo Abrahams, Honeytrap

Wilderness, Wilderness

Laura, Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne, 22.7.05

Because Of Ghosts + One Hundred Years + Lion's Light, The Rob Roy, Fitzroy, Melbourne, 13.8.05

Big Spaceship, Dream On

Can, Future Days (remastered)

Blackloud, 6th 6th 6th / Mysterious Waves

Q & A with Auburn Lull

Boards Of Canada, The Campfire Headphase

The Kingsbury Manx, The Fast Rise And Fall Of The South

Animal Collective, Feels

Tim's Favourite Albums of 2005

Won, A Forest

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Luna Kafe reviews, 2004

To anyone who reads this blog: I promise the posts will get a lot more interesting very soon! I'm currently archiving all of my writing, then I'll begin posting in earnest.

For now, here are my Luna Kafe reviews from 2004. Among them are some very personal pieces ('Silence or How Being A Music Fan Makes Me Vibrate', 'The Record Collector Is Dead' and my review of Panda Bear's Young Prayer), and probably one of my favourite reviews of one of my favourite albums (Bark Psychosis, Codename: Dustsucker). Enjoy.

The Shins + Iron & Wine + The Smallgoods, Corner Hotel, Richmond, Melbourne, 10.12.03

Silence or How Being A Music Fan Makes Me Vibrate

Big Day Out, Melbourne, 26.1.04

Olivia Tremor Control, Dust At Cubist Castle and Black Foliage

Explosions In The Sky, The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place

Grandaddy, The Corner, Richmond, Melbourne, 8.5.04

Animal Collective, Sung Tongs

Manitoba + Four Tet, The Corner, Richmond, Melbourne, 11.6.04

One Hundred Years, Lindenow EP

The Microphones, Rob Roy, Melbourne, 1.7.04

The Record Collector Is Dead

Bark Psychosis, Codename: Dustsucker

Pilesar, demo

Iron & Wine + C. W. Stoneking + Grand Salvo, The Corner, Richmond, Melbourne, 4.10.04

Rose Et Noire, Rose Et Noire

Eddie The Rat, Lip-synching At Zero Gravity

Panda Bear, Young Prayer

My Ten Favourite Albums Of 2004

The Arcade Fire, Funeral

Kmotiv, The Abstraction Agenda

Brian Wilson Performs SMiLE, Regent Theatre, Melbourne, 9.12.04

Friday 6 January 2012

Luna Kafe reviews, 2001

I've decided to post links to all of my reviews, year by year, to create an archive of my writing, and to give potential customers thinking about using my promotional writing services a good feel for what I can do.

Here are all the reviews I wrote for Norwegian e-zine Luna Kafe in 2001:

The Beta Band, Hot Shots II

Circulatory System, Circulatory System

The Kingsbury Manx, Let You Down

John Coltrane, The Olatunji Concert

Sister Sonny, The Bandit Lab

Jim O'Rourke, Insignificance

A brief guide to The Sea and Cake

Papa M, Whatever, Mortal

Thanks for reading. More soon...