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Music Times - April 2006

Phenomenal

April 30th 2006 02:57
Again sorry about the late info for Coachella, but you HAVE to watch this now. I've only just gotten on, and Damien Marley (thats right, Bob Marley's son) is playing. Normally I'm not a big fan of reggae but this is truly a sight to watch. Sigur Ros, who were just out here for the Easter Weekend Great Escape concert, are beginning to play at 2pm AEST Sunday. Check out as much as you can - Yeah Yeah Yeahs are playing 1pm AEST tomorrow, followed by none other than Bloc Party. If you ever considered yourself a fan of any music whatsoever, you MUST check this out. Depeche Mode are playing later today, and I'm sure it'll be great to see them live.


Again, webcast is here. Click on "Watch Live Now" and enjoy all the music you could ever want. I'll try and review Coachella, or as much as I saw of it, on Monday night/Tuesday.
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Posted By: Jimbo - Category: MP3 Alert
   


Rockin' in the USA

April 29th 2006 11:18

Coachella Movie


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Posted By: Jimbo - Category: MP3 Alert
   


Laziness with reason

April 27th 2006 03:32

Insert Title Here
Bloc Partay

Sorry dudes and dudettes, but I've been busy building a career this week (among other things) so this post will be brief. Todays' post is about none other than the greatest band in all of history - and I mean THE GREATEST. So who? BLOC PARTY.
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Posted By: Jimbo - Category: General News
   


Another FOX?

April 26th 2006 03:29

Insert Title Here


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Arresting Time

April 25th 2006 03:45

Insert Title Here
Arrested Development

Everyone wants to forget the 90s. From MC Hammer to Britney Spears' first single and Madonna's kimono era, the 90s was memorable in a bad way. Well, so was the 80s, but thats popular now so whos to argue? Being a youngin' of sorts, I have but two guilty musical pleasures from the 90s - one being Frente! and the other being none other than Arrested Development. No, not the hilarious satirical show that FOX has recently dropped - I'm talking about politically-directed hip hop band that brought us such hits as "Everyday People."
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The source of all Indieness

April 24th 2006 03:51

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Ok the lens flare and the couples thing is a bit cheesy

Insert Title Here
Thomas Cavanagh
Decided to break away from the norm for a day, in order to inform readers of my new discovery, in the form of a TV show called Love Monkey. I might be teasing all Australian readers by saying this, but Love Monkey is officially the best TV show ever. Based on a novel by the same name, the show airs on the VH1 in the US, chronicling the movement of Thomas Cavanagh - formerly of "Ed" fame, and cameoing as Zac Braff's brother in "Scrubs" - from major record label producer to New York indie label, "True Vinyl Records," and the various musical/emotional adventures he endures on the way.
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Taking Back what's rightfully theirs

April 23rd 2006 03:00

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They look like a boy band who have just been beaten up

For my necessary fill of angry, depressive, emotional music, Taking Back Sunday has always been my first stop. That's why, when I heard about the new album, "Louder Now," I couldn't help but be excited. Taking Back Sunday, characterised by Adam Lazzara's raspy and powerful voice, have been known for progressively getting darker as they go. I hadn't heard their 2002 debut album, "Tell All Your Friends" until the other day but, in retrospect, they sound far lighter and well... Yellowcardy... than their second album, 2004's "Where You Want to Be." A similar difference can be seen in their second and their third attempts at international success. "Louder Now," despite my expectations is darker, more driving and well... louder.
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Head Automatica: Sex, Drugs and Pop

April 22nd 2006 03:00

Insert Title Here
Head Automatica

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Oh the irony...

April 21st 2006 15:35
Ok seriously, the contradictions of life are seriously screwing with my mind. Check this - last night I go to Outback Steakhouse in Homebush, you know, for some culture. Outback Steahouse is an American franchise, and it was copied bit for bit when it moved to Australia. The only thing that makes it "Australian" is the stereotypical and unbelievable phrases in the menu like "gday mate," "bunged on the barbie," and for some reason "no rules" (don't ask me). The other "Australian" thing is Aboriginal art and boomerangs hung on the walls - that and the occasional showing of rugby on the plasmas, though the majority of it remains baseball and basketball, the iconic sports of the USA. The food is the simplistic answer to the age old question - why are Americans so damned fat? The steak I ordered seriously had a side of fat - well not literally, but one whole side of the steak was 100% fat. After cutting that off, the steak was nice, but the "blooming onion" that is apparently famous for the Outback Steakhouse franchise, was... a blooming deep-fried onion.

Ok, so this entry isn't supposed to be a food review (sorry Cibb) so what's my point? That I was glad not to be an American. The simple over-doing it thing they've got going with food and many other aspects of US culture is simply not something I desire. I was happy to be an Australian.
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Inside Man: Not what you think...

April 21st 2006 03:27

Insert Title Here
Probably Clive Owen's best

I thought that instead of writing about music today, it would be better to review the latest Spike Lee film, "Inside Man." Don't ask me why, but Cibbuano doesn't exactly touch on conventional films much, and Sara from Culture Guide seems to do it so i thought, why not?
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Tigercity: Three guys, a keyboard and plenty of ti

April 20th 2006 03:25


Insert Title Here
As I mentioned yesterday, discovering a band before anyone else gets indies so excited they have to change pants (ok scratch that metaphor). As I also mentioned, this has happened to me twice. While my discovery "She Wants Revenge" was less than gratifying in the end, the other band, Tigercity, are definitely an excellent addition to my music collection. How to describe them? Put simply: three nerds in a room with a keyboard and computer. Tigercity are as independent and unconventional as you can get - not only are they not signed to a major label, but their sound simply screams "unprofessional." However, this is in no way a bad thing. On the contrary, the sound quality of their EP matches that of any mainstream artist, yet their style and sound is simply not something you wouldn't expect many to like.
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Come forth laziness

April 19th 2006 07:30
Attention Ladies and Gentlemen...

It has come to my attention of late that the two words hated by everyone - including those which the words describe - has appeared more often than not in this blog. Thus, from now on, the words "indie elitists," will be substituted simply by the word "indies." Not only is this in essence self-explanatory, it will save me from having to look at the small words as to whether i spelt elitist right.
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She will have her revenge

April 19th 2006 03:57

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Crazy DJ Dudes
It is every indie elitist's wet dream to discover a band before everyone else, or at least when they're in their EP stage ie. before they release their first full-length album. While I assure my readers that I am in fact not an elitist of any kind, as an avid music collector, I am able to say that this has happened twice to me. The two bands, "She Wants Revenge" and "Tigercity," are both good examples of the complexity that is indie rock. I will focus on She Wants Revenge today, and leave Tigercity for tomorrow.
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Angels & Airwaves: Breaking the mould

April 18th 2006 04:37

Insert Title Here
The future of punk is here - and its name is Angels and Airwaves. Forget Green Day, forget emo, and you can definitely forget the punk of the early 80s - musical genius Tom Delonge has made history with his new band, leaving a visible path on the way. It has been quite obvious for a while that Tom Delonge's vision of music is unlike any other seen before, and that he will stop at nothing to get to it.
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Indie Music: the style, the love, the irony

April 14th 2006 03:34

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Broken Social Scene - The epitome of maturity

Hey waddya know, I'm not that lazy after all. Nevertheless, let me clear something up - I am not an indie elitist. I like bands normally classified as indie - We Are Scientists, Bloc Party, and The Strokes on the rockier side; Sufjan Stevens, Animal Collective and The Shins with their folk/country music. Apart from the fact that there tends to be alot of indie music with very country influences (which I don't really appreciate), I do enjoy the majority of indie music. However, I am in no way restrictive in my music tastes to indie. On the contrary, I appreciate alot of music that is regarded by established indie elitists as the "mainstream" product of "corporate puppets." Blink 182 (their later stuff), Panic! At the Disco, The Academy Is - my music tastes are in no way subject to their genre. But it begs the question, who are indie elitists, and what the hell is indie music anyway?
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What was, what is and what never will be

April 13th 2006 06:54
Just to let you know that I had planned to be putting up a blog entry tomorrow on the definition of indie music. I had written the entire entry and then, out of nowhere, Firefox crashed. Internet Explorer wins again it seems.

Anyways, due to anger, frustration, and laziness, there will be no indie music entry tomorrow. Perhaps if I feel like it later tonight, I'll write another band review.
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Mellow, but they don't drone

April 13th 2006 03:44
Insert Title Here
Guitar, chick - what more you need in a band?

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Chicks dig the tattoo
Ladies and Gentlemen - a confession. I heard about this entry's subject - Mellowdrone - from none other than IGN. Yes, the gaming ezine whose readership I can only assume consists entirely 15 year old computer nerds. Nevertheless, my occasional foray into the nether regions of the Internet proved a catalyst in a sequence of events that lead to my discovery of this refreshing indie rock band. Unlike many bands I'm prone to liking, Mellowdrone don't have a specific and continuous style but, unlike Yellowcard which takes this to the point of annoying, they use this lack of style to explore many established sub genres.

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Anti-Flag: Sellouts of the Decade

April 12th 2006 03:56
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What are we going to do about tryhards?

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Uncle Sam Always Comforts
And thus, do I really need to write anything more? Anti-Flag are the extreme of everything: extreme of punk, extreme of anti-patriotism, extreme of "selling out" in the opinion of many. Their name essentially dictates their motive for music and the message behind their songs - they are anti-American and they are proud of it. They even seem to think that they are cool for it. While I am not usually this prone to blatant and brash retaliations to defiant tryhardism, it must be said. Anti-Flag are NOT cool for being anti-patriotic - the rest of the world has been anti-America for close to half a century, and since Green Day caught onto this phenomenon, it seems that amateur punk bands everywhere have attempted to follow suit... and failed miserably. Not that Green Day had in any way succeeded - their latest album, "American Idiot," causes them to fall short of their former glory simply because they have taken their activism to the extreme while targeting an audience that has no say in politics for five years to say the least.
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Imogen: A heap of creativity

April 11th 2006 07:57
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Female Jamiroquai?
She's certainly not the most conventional of artists, but Imogen Heap brings something to music that is so lacking amongst others that it seems totally unnatural to hear her for the first time. Yet the British artist, who is also part of the duet Frou Frou, still manages to penetrate the market, not only through her solo and duet albums, but also through her music's appearance in tv shows and movies ranging from the OC, to Shrek 2 and Garden State. Her music, which can only be conventionally described as a form of indie pop, combines so many different instruments and effects that you have no idea what the next track will be like.

The 2005 Album, "Speak For Yourself," is definitely the best example of her unique ability to twist music to her tastes and wishes. Tracks like "Headlock" and "Daylight Robbery" are a cool and comfortable mix of pop melodies and strange instruments. However, the highlight of the album has to be the fifth track, "Hide and Seek," best known for its appearance during the funeral at the end of the O.C. Season 2.
Insert Title Here
For some reason, I thought of "Saw
It does not do this song justice to simply call it "a capella" because, while there are no definite appearances of conventional instruments, the vocals have effects in such a way that there is the illusion of an organ of some type faintly in the background. Yet, this song is truly one that can make grown men cry, and is a good example of the O.C.'s ability not only to choose good music but also to implement it properly with its video. Nevertheless, the slow and sad overtones of this track are quickly interrupted by her trademark fast pop songs. While the track seems almost out of place, it is truly a song to behold. Even if you're against pop, indie, any of that stuff, check her out, because her music is truly a sound to behold.
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They're sooo hot right now

April 10th 2006 07:57
Insert Title Here
Soooo hot right now...


I just had to quote the all-knowing Mugatu - If you don't know who he is, you are an uncultured swine. Nevertheless, I feel even this quote doesn't do the band I'm reviewing today justice, for I am talking about none other than Canadian artists "Hot Hot Heat."
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Posting guidelines

April 8th 2006 00:24
At MusicTimes.com.au we love your contributions and you can even get paid for your writing. However as always there needs to be a few rules.

Firstly, all posts should be music related and of interest to our readers


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Posted By: Jimbo - Category: This Week in Music
   


Emo: Teen Angst or Stylised Punk?

April 7th 2006 05:50

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Maybe if I scream loud enough, my ex-girlfriend will come back...

In light of my recent reviews of "The Academy Is" and "Panic! at the Disco," I thought it was the right time to address the issue of what exactly "emo" is. Is it a style of clothing, music, or simply some form of expression of teenage angst? What I'm about to say is based on my perspective of what "emo" is, and is in no way the concrete definition of the term. Check out the end of the blog for links to bigger and (slightly) better definitions of the term.
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Posted By: Jimbo - Category: Genre Explanation
   


PANIC! Genres merging!

April 6th 2006 11:05

Insert Title Here
Such badasses
With yesterday's "The Academy Is..." band review, I thought it was only fitting that I follow it up with their close friends and fellow tour-headliners, "Panic! at the Disco." While the name is quite out-of-the-ordinary, exploration into their music would actually reveal that their name fits their style. "Panic!", essentially, are a rather more innovative "My Chemical Romance" mixed with Disco/Dance beats and various other ingenious uses of the invaluable drum machine.

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And the Academy Award goes to...

April 5th 2006 10:13

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Almost Here, Almost There

Time to talk about something other than "indie," and move onto the opposite side of the spectrum at least a little. I am referring to none other than up-and-coming punk band "The Academy is..." Their uncommon name fits their uncommon style - mixing punk with emo and various melodic styles to create a combination that is just right for listening. I first heard of this band from none other than the MySpace front page, a risky decision I know but what turned out to be a good one. It turns out that the world is indeed small because I proceeded to discover that The Academy is... are good friends with another favourite "Panic! at the Disco" (which I'm sure will appear within the pages of this blog sometime soon) and Acceptance, who I've known for quite a while, but who have too many flaws to consider an overall good bands.
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The Rakes: Yet to Rake it in

April 3rd 2006 18:28
If you hadn't noticed by now, I am quite the fan of British "indie rock." Everything from Bloc Party to Arctic Monkeys and anything in between (Franz Ferdinand are Scottish ) is a bit of my fascination, and thus when I came across the Rakes in the last few days, I was more than delighted to share my newly found with the world. Their website bio (found at http://www.therakes.co.uk/) describes them as having foundations in bands such as David Bowie, Blur, The Cure and The Strokes. Considering I have never been much of a fan of Bowie, I can't back up this case, but the effect had on them by Blur, the Cure and the Strokes is definitely noticeable in their debut album, "Capture/Release." Track 5 from the album, "The Guilt" is reminiscent of the 1990s rough rock championed by Blur, mixed with "My First Punk Song" by Boxcar Racer (quite an unusual yet definitely true comparison).

The album doesn't box itself into the "indie rock" genre, as vague as the term is, but rather ventures into various musical influences while still retaining their unique musical style, an issue that many bands are increasingly struggling with these days (cough - Yellowcard - cough). Track 6 represents their foray into indie rock as aided by synthesisers in such a way that even the Bravery, who have made this musical style something to covet, would be proud. Nevertheless, their immediate comparison to Bloc Party is let down by the lack of charm that lead singer Matthew has in his voice, in comparison to Kele Okereke, whose voice can be beaten by none.
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