Luna Kafe reviews, 2007

Far fewer reviews in 2007, mainly because it was the year I started to write press releases and artist bios for Hidden Shoal Recordings. I still managed to squeeze out a piece on the label's Sankt Otten first, though, which proved to be my last (I got this detail wrong in my last blog post).

Top 10 Albums of 2006

Tim Hecker, Harmony In Ultraviolet

Sankt Otten, Wir Koennen Ja Freunde Bleiben

Deerhoof, Friend Opportunity

Deerhunter, Cryptograms

Comets On Fire + Grey Dayturas + My Disco, The Corner, Richmond, Melbourne, 8.3.07

Deerhoof + My Disco, The Corner, Richmond, Melbourne, 10.3.07

The Sea and Cake, Everybody

Dinosaur Jr, Beyond

Dinosaur Jr, The Forum, Melbourne, 12.7.07

Erdem Helvacioglu, Altered Realities and Andrey Kiritchenko, Stuffed With/Out

The Clientele, East Brunswick Club, Melbourne, 26.7.07

Best of 2007

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

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

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

Luna Kafe reviews, 2003

Here are the pieces I wrote for Luna Kafe in 2003:

New Year: New Hope For Lifesaving Sound

Loose Fur, Loose Fur

The Sea and Cake, One Bedroom

Leben, #0 EP

All Tomorrow's Parties, Camber Sands, England, 4-6.4.03

The Art of Will Cullen Hart

Yo La Tengo, Summer Sun

Tindersticks + James Yorkston and The Athletes, Bristol St George's, England, 7.6.03

Four Tet, Rounds

Re: Cooperation, Transcollaboration

Otis, My Man, promo

Come Down, Whose Side Are You On, Anyway? EP

Life, Music, Death: Dominic Silver, 17 June 1971 - 25 June 2003

Summer Hymns, Clemency

Animal Collective, Here Comes The Indian and Campfire Songs

Do Make Say Think, Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn

The Kingsbury Manx, Afternoon Owls EP and Aztec Discipline

The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow

Animal Collective, Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished and Danse Manatee

Luna Kafe reviews, 2002

Following up on last week's post featuring links to all the pieces I wrote in my first year of reviewing for Luna Kafe, here are my reviews for 2002. Reading them again, I particularly like my review of Fennesz's Endless Summer. At the very least, it sent me back to that album.

Jim O'Rourke, I'm Happy, and I'm Singing, and a 1, 2, 3, 4

Seaworthy, It's Humbling When Two Saints Meet

Boards of Canada, Geogaddi

Shalabi Effect, The Trial of St-Orange

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Source Tags & Codes

Fennesz, Endless Summer

Circulatory System, Inside Views

Jim O'Rourke/Kim Gordon/Ikue Mori/DJ Olive + Chicks on Speed + Hecker + Pan Sonic, live at Royal Festival Hall, London, 26.4.02

Archer Prewitt, Three

Claudio Bezz, Smooth

The Flaming Lips + Bob Mould + Goldrush, live at Sheffield Leadmill, 6.7.02

The Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

Why I Love The Flaming Lips

Yo La Tengo, The Sounds Of The Sounds Of Science

Melissa Lesnie, Untitled EP

Marty Namaro, Abstractionisms and Lelio Padovani, Unknown Evolution

Thrill Jockey's 10th Anniversary, Hackney Ocean, London, 15.11.02

Califone, Deceleration One

Cameron Scott, Rubert Reynolds's Purple Patch

Mayday, Old Blood

Yume Bitsu, The Golden Vessyl Of Sound

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...