I’ve been waiting for this all day, and now at 11.20pm, it’s finally here. Los Campesinos! had been hinting at this song’s release on Twitter for a few days now, and the wait was well worth it.
The song’s lyrics seem to allude to the break-up Gareth went through prior to the band jetting off to Spain to record 2011’s Hello Sadness, and mixed with light brass riffs, delicate guitar slides, and a serene dual vocal section – well, it’s as amazing, gut-wrenchingly dark, and poetically beautiful as you’d expect.
It was recorded at the same time Hello Sadness was, but it didn’t quite fit on the album. The band also noted that it’s not a single, but just a free download for everyone. LC! are pretty nice like that.
See the blog post with artwork and lyrics over here, and download the song over here [direct link]. Free music doesn’t get any better than this.
Bluejuice are renowned for having cool video ideas. Anyone who didn’t find “Act Yr Age” hilarious should probably chill out a bit, and “Vitriol” will forever be a stellar example of doing budget film-clips right.
“On My Own” continues that tradition. It’s a karaoke video that looks like it was ripped from an old VHS, and they really nail the cheesy aesthetic. The song isn’t bad either. Check it out below.
Bluejuice are also hitting the road with The Cairos and Loon Lake (except in Brisbane). Check out the details!
All Tickets On Sale Fri Feb 24th – $25 Pre / $30 Door
THU 12 APR – WAVES, WOLLONGONG
Tickets available from the venue & Moshtix www.moshtix.com.au, 1300 GET TIX & corresponding outlets
FRI 13 APR – THE METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY – ALL AGES
Tickets available from the Metro Theatre Box Office 02 9550 3666 & Ticketek www.ticketek.com.au, 132 849 & corresponding outlets
SAT 14 APR – HI FI, BRISBANE
Tickets available from www.thehifi.com.au, 1300-THEHIFI (8434434), Kill The Music, Butter Beats-CBD & The Valley, Gooble Warming & Atlantis Music-Southport
THU 19 APR – SETTLERS TAVERN, MARGARET RIVER Tickets available from Oztix www.oztix.com.au, 1300 762 545, Moshtix www.moshtix.com.au, 1300 GET TIX, Heatseeker www.heatseeker.com.au 08 6210 2850 & all corresponding outlets
SAT 21 APR – THE GOV, ADELAIDE – ALL AGES
Tickets available from Moshtix www.moshtix.com.au, 1300 GET TIX & corresponding outlets
THU 26 APR – EUREKA HOTEL, GEELONG
Tickets available from Moshtix www.moshtix.com.au, 1300 GET TIX & corresponding outlets
FRI 27 APR – PELLY BAR @ PIER LIVE, FRANKSTON
Tickets available from the venue & Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com.au & corresponding outlets
SAT 28 APR – HI FI, MELBOURNE – UNDER 18’s ONLY (2pm – 6pm)
Tickets available from www.thehifi.com.au, 1300-THEHIFI (843 443), Polyester Records-CBD & Fitzroy, Sight n Sound – Northcote & Boronia
SAT 28 APR – HI FI, MELBOURNE – (18+ 8pm to late)
Tickets available from www.thehifi.com.au, 1300-THEHIFI (843 443), Polyester Records-CBD & Fitzroy, Sight n Sound – Northcote & Boronia
Disregarding the cringe-worthy spelling of the title, this feels like a great return to form for Arctic Monkeys.
I’ll admit that my interest in them began to wane after Favourite Worst Nightmare – but in all fairness, I never got around to giving subsequent albums a proper listen. I never had a problem with the dirtier, garage-esque sounds of their later output, but there’s something about the hooks and structure of this that almost feel reminiscent of their poppier days. Maybe they’re finally finding more of a balance after such a huge stylistic shift.
The video is really well done, as much as it looks like a DIY job. Check it out below, and you’ll see why.
The Drums just released the video for “Days” – the third single from Portamento, the well-received 2011 follow-up to their debut. The moody black and white aesthetic suits it perfectly. About halfway through it starts to fill out with more layers – building upon that basic foundation The Drums so often lay down – and it’s here that the repetition starts to work.
Vocalist Jonathan Pierce explains the track below:
“The song is about that moment when you realize that you are someone different from what you once were. Different needs, different desires. Different hopes and fears.”
Check out Danish producer Trentemøller’s remix of it below as well! Trentemøller has always seemed like a fairly talented guy in my books, and this remix only supports that view. I’m not even sure which version of the track I like more!
You thought “Simple Man” was good? Daniel Merriweather sure did an excellent job on the guest vocals for that one, but wow – take a listen to this!
Hearing “Running It” for the first time is almost akin to the first time I heard Underworld’s “Scribble” – it’s a pretty special feeling. The production sounds so crisp and balanced, thanks to the work from Styalz Fuego. The composition lands on this beautiful divide between toe-tapping dance and a subtle melancholy. This has so much potential to be a hit for 2012 – and if it isn’t remixed the hell out of by the end of the year, I’ll eat my metaphorical hat. You’d do well to get on it now.
They’ve also announced the “Running to Shine Tour”, alongside Joelistics (also of renowned hip-hop group TZU!), and will be going all around the country in March! Check out the dates below.
Today the video for Childish Gambino’s latest single – “Heartbeat” – was released. The dance-floor kicks give the track a club atmosphere, but it’s hard to imagine any DJ touching this one. “Heartbeat” talks of rekindling flames with an ex who has moved on, and the jealously and mind-games that go with the territory.
It’s shot nicely, and while the concept might not be as captivating as the video for “Bonfire”, it does a good job of telling the story.
Check it out below. If you want to watch it without the dirty lyrics, you can try this video, but we all know how VEVO like to be difficult with regional restrictions.
As if it wasn’t enough to have their anticipated third album slated for a November release (right near the new Los Campesinos! album as well!), Johnny Foreigner’s vocalist and guitarist Alexei Berrow has just released some new material that he played at a solo show. He performed under the moniker of Yr Friends, and right now there are four tracks for you to listen to or buy right over here (I might even review it soon). They’re fairly stripped back, acoustic numbers. Nothing too loud or fast – especially in comparison to a lot of JoFo’s existing work.
“But Jeremy!” I hear you say. “This post title is misleading. It implies there is new material from our favourite Birmingham band: JoFo. Not solo material from Alexei!”
Well fret not readers. Even though Yr Friends is ace, there is a new song from JoFo! If you pop on over to Sounds of the Camper Van you can hear a new song of theirs done acoustically. In the back of a van. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like the song title is given, but even though the van is less than ideal for recording a song in, it still sounds pretty neat. I’m getting very excited for this new album. Very excited indeed.
Foo Fighters. I love ’em. Not gonna lie. Just had to share that.
Anyway, they just released a video for “Walk” from their new album Wasting Light. It’s hilarious, and contains underlying themes which keep the video right on track. It was good to see all members of the band getting multiple cameos as well.
They’re such a diverse band when it comes to their videos too. In recent years we’ve had the seriousness of “The Pretender”, and the comedy stylings of “Long Road to Ruin” (one of my favourite clips ever – Grohl’s acting is so funny, yet somehow still feels so sincere). I think Grohl would be great in a comedy film and could really pull a funny role off, but whether he ever does a bit of acting is another question altogether.
The clip is great, one of the best I’ve seen for a while. Check it out below (or over here).
This morning Aussie rockers The Living End premiered their brand new track on triple j at 7am – it’s called “The Ending is Just the Beginning Repeating”.
The band teased fans earlier this week by posting a short snippet on their website, a sample of lyrics, and a timer counting down to, well… pretty much now.
So what’s it like? Chris Cheney’s vocals sound great as per usual, and the song has a bit of an old Western vibe to it with the bell rings. The guitars sound great with the chugging verse, although I’m a bit concerned the chorus lyrics (the title) don’t have any kind of special hook to them – it just sounds a bit dry. On the other hand, in a live setting I can see the whole track going down brilliantly. It’s got an anthemic kind of feel, and I reckon it’s going to please fans of their more recent work.
Interestingly, the timer is still there after the premiere! But it’s longer. It’s counting down to 9am on the 22nd of July – the release date of their new album.
Take a listen to “The Ending is Just the Beginning Repeating” for yourself over at the band’s website right now. It’s out on iTunes too.
It’s great too, because while their latest single “Little Shocks” may not have an instant hook like “Ruby”, it shows growth in the band, who are clearly willing to try something new.
The track sounds like a bit of a grower, but it’ll be very interesting to see where their new album goes stylistically. I hope it gets some solid rotation on triple j.
The band are coming over for Splendour, but they’re also playing a couple of sideshows with Papa Vs Pretty and Stonefield.
Wed 3 Aug – UC Refectory, Canberra, ACT – 18+
Fri 5 Aug – Palace Theatre, Melbourne, VIC – 18+
Sat 6 Aug – Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW – All ages
There’s a pre-sale for Frontier Members from noon on the 6th of June, for 24 hours (or until the pre-sale allocation is gone). General tickets go on sale from 9am on the 9th of June.
A Splendour sideshow in Canberra? Wow. Well, there you go. Not that I’m complaining of course, seeing I live there. It’s just a bit surprising.
On The Tune 