EP Launches: John Columbus & Cloud Control

Not that I’ve ever personally done it, but I can imagine that launching your very first EP must be quite a special occasion. To finally get your name cemented in music’s history books would have to be satisfying. In reality, it’s one of the more minor steps in the path to musical greatness, but to the fledgling band, it certainly doesn’t feel that way. Well it just so happens that two of my current favourite Sydney bands are going to be reaching this milestone; ON THE SAME DAY. On Saturday, October 13, Cloud Control and John Columbus will each be unleashing their debut EPs unto the world.

Cloud Control

EP: Self-Titled

1. She's Crazy & She Doesn't Care
Buffalo Country
3. Fine Teacher
4. Vintage Books
5. In Your World
6. Into The Line

Launch: Headlining the 'Art, Bitch' event, The Loft

8pm, Saturday, Oct 13

Cloud Control are as tasty as they come. Imagine smooth crisp guitars, slicing through a thick layer of bass and drums and topped off with a helping of zippy keyboards. Add to this a pair of compelling vocals that grab your attention with their sheer power and might. Finally, wrap this all up into some of the most addictive pop songs ever written. I could be pretending I know how to analyse music OR I could be talking about the wonderful Cloud Control. With such enticing music and lively performances, it’s little wonder that they have me following them around like a salivating dog. After much anticipation, their debut release has finally arrived and oh what a joyous occasion it is. Cloud Control are destined for greatness.

John Columbus

EP: The Toll ($10)

1. Somethings Wrong
2. Absolutely Frozen
Song for the Supermarket
4. The Toll

Launch: Douple EP launch with Sui Zhen (more EP's!), The Factory Theatre

8pm, Saturday, Oct 13

I’ve only known John Columbus for a very short time, but they’ve already managed to have quite a significant impact on me. Their music isn’t the type that hits you instantly, rather it gradually creeps up on you and before you realise it, you’re fully immersed. Their rich blend of folk music combines an acoustic backing with smooth, deep vocals to create a dreamy atmosphere that is then guided by an intricate layer of keyboards and electric guitar. Every time I listen to John Columbus, I walk away thinking what a nice experience it was. Not nice in the patronising ‘oh yeah, it was nice’ kind of way, but nice in sense that it was pleasant, rewarding and totally satisfying.

It’s such a shame that these two events had to clash. There’s no way I could recommend just one because that would mean missing the other. So depending on what takes your fancy, you should at least go to ONE of these launches. If you’re in Sydney and do something different this Saturday night, I will be severely disappointed. And after you’ve gone to one of them, make sure you check the other out too. They are both great bands, well deserving of your time.

Monday Mix #25

Living So Well - The Crayon Fields
The Crayon Fields are pretty much the best band ever. It's the kind of music that you might get mocked for liking, but you don't care because you're so wrapped up in their warm and fuzzy sound. All evil could be swiftly eliminated if everyone just began listening to the pure happiness that The Crayon Fields create. Now, just when I thought they couldn't get any cooler, they put out this video which perfectly captures the spirit of one of my all time favourite songs. Yay!

Coffee & TV - Blur
You simply can't present a collection of music videos without including this classic by Blur. It's one of the few clips out there that simultaneously plays a song and tells a story and gets it right. I had always enjoyed this song, but as soon I saw this video, I fell in love. It's an all round brilliant piece of work. Plus that milk guy is undeniably cool.

Mr. Ice Cream - Soft Tigers
Soft Tigers are one of the funniest bands going around Sydney. Last week I saw them play with a band member missing and they produced one of the most shambolic sets ever. It was hilarious. A few members of the audience clearly didn't get it and were wondering how they could even afford instruments, let alone be given a stage to perform on. For the rest of us, we knew it Soft Tigers at their best. This light-hearted approach to their music is carried on into their videos which are always good for a laugh. This latest one is no exception and brings the brilliant Mr. Ice Cream to life with flying colours.

Push The Tempo - Fat Boy Slim
As far as music videos go, I don't think anyone out there has been as consistent as Fat Boy Slim. The music alone has never really captured me, but when combined with the brilliant videos, I'm a big fan. There was a lot to choose from, but I think Push The Tempo will always be my favourite. It's just so stupid and funny that it always delivers.

Her Spirit Knows - By The Fireside
This is a video that's had quite an impact on me lately. It was my first introduction to the band and now as I listen through their album, it is continually sitting there in the back of my mind. It is quite dark and creepy and gives you insight into the rather bizarre world of By The Fireside.

Yves Klein Blue / Oxford Art Factory

At long last I got to see (and hear) Yves Klein Blue. They developed a bit of name for themselves, winning the MTV Kickstart competition, but as far as the wider community is concerned, they are relatively unknown. I’d been meaning to catch them for a while, but until last Saturday, it just hadn’t happened. I’m glad I am finally acquainted with them because what I saw was quite impressive. Hailing from Brisbane, Yves Klein Blue look and sound like a major band. As I was listening to them, I got the feeling that they belonged on the same platform as bands like Maximo Park, The Fratellis and The Strokes. Their music certainly isn’t of the same standard, but they just gave me that impression. It feels like it’s just a matter of time before the public takes notice or they write ‘that’ song and things take off. I’m not sure how this will pan out, or whether I’ll like what they become, but currently they have my attention. Yves Klein Blue make an infectious, bluesy blend of indie-rock and deliver it in an energetic live show. Provided they play things right, they’ve got the potential to become disgustingly big.

MP3: Polka

The other half of this tale lies in place in which the gig took place. It’s a relatively new venue called the Oxford Art Factory, located on good old Oxford St. I don’t think word’s alone can describe the ridiculousness of this venue. For starters, it is quite big and situated completely underground. Then within this, it seems to contain everything you could want from a venue. The dance floor is spacious, the prices are low and all the rooms are logically arranged. It’s almost as if someone sat down and thought ‘what would be the ideal venue?’ and then dug a giant hole and built it! I can’t even begin to imagine how many millions of dollars this place must have cost. I feel like we have a Hacienda on our hands (I can hope). More likely it will become infected by dirty music and dirty people. We can’t let that happen! People of Sydney, an incredible venue has been dropped in your laps. Let’s make it something we can be proud of!

Oxford Art Factory | Yves Klein Blue

Kevin Drew - Spirit If...

If James Brown was the king of soul, Kevin Drew would be the king of whisper. That soft, delicate singing style of his is one that isn’t often matched. We got a taste for it with Broken Social Scene, but here we get to experience it in its entirety. Even when his music does enter more lively territory, it seems to maintain a calm atmosphere. It’s hard to say whether he plays a key role in shaping the BSS sound or whether they just played a major part in this album (probably both), but either way, plenty of parallels can be heard between the two. I was a bit sceptical of the whole ‘BBS presents…’ approach, wondering whether it was just an attempt to sell more records, but after hearing this album, the first in that series, it actually makes sense. The BSS sound is incredibly diverse, while this album seems to focus in on a few particular aspects of that sound. That’s to say it’s narrow in any way, just that as a side album, it serves its purpose quite well. And this isn’t just a quickly thrown together side project either. Running in at over an hour, it has an incredible amount of depth to it. A couple of times I’ve been listening to it and discovered I had progressed only a few songs, despite feeling like a I had passed through a good 6 or 7 songs. It says a lot for the music you’ll be hearing on this album. It may not beat the frontline BSS albums, but ‘Spirit If…’ delivers everything I hoped for from Kevin Drew and I’ll definitely be coming back to it.

TBTF – This was the first song I heard off this album and it probably remains a favourite. I know I waffle on, calling every band I write about amazing, but there’s something special about this song. It goes back to the whispering I mentioned earlier, which allows him to create music that I’d go so far as to describe it as beautiful.

Lucky Ones – This one is at the opposite end of the spectrum. It is energetic, powerful and builds quite a nice momentum.

Released: 18/09/07 | Website | Myspace

Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil

A while back I wrote about The Ocean Floor and mentioned how their music wasn’t particularly groundbreaking, but it was a heap of fun regardless. I’d have to put Black Lips in the same category. For me, it’s the kind the music I would listen to when I’m looking to change things up. The album certainly never sits still, with no song exceeding the 3 minute mark. As it progress, the sound varies greatly, at times entering some rather bizarre territory. Even the lyrical content ranges from self harm to infant interaction. I’ll leave it to you to discover the rest of this album’s intricacies. But whatever the music sounds like the overwhelming feeling is always one of light-hearted fun. Apparently this band is renowned for their crazy on-stage antics and while this album isn't exactly in that category, it's hard to see. These guys are clearly enjoying themselves and it's good to have a break from the seriousness of music every now and then.

Bad Kids – This song has a really energetic vibe to it, which is probably how it caught my attention. You can also hear their more childish side coming through.

Step Right Up – This song has great juxtaposition between the rough, wild sound of the intro and the relative calm of the chorus. Very nice.

Released: 11/9/07 | Website | Myspace

The Go! Team

The Go! Team have come along way in the last 3 years. In fact, for those who aren’t aware, they have evolved from a one-man bedroom project into a collective very worthy of their name's exclamation mark. When you see this colourful, excitable bunch live on the stage, it’s hard to believe that much of their music began on one guy’s laptop, but that’s (pretty much) how it was. When Ian Parton produced the brilliant Thunder Lightning Strike, the next, not-so-logical step was to get a band together and turn the music into a live performance. Despite all the odds, they’ve done incredibly well and when I saw them last year, it was a highly memorable experience. Sure they’ve got plenty of novelties (constantly changing instruments, two drummers and a rapping lead singer named Ninja), but they’re bursting with so much playful energy that these things become huge assets. But what impresses me most is that despite undergoing such a massive transformation, they’ve somehow managed to remain true to the original spirit of the Go! Team name. It’s something that’s definitely worth commendation.

Thunder Lightning Strike (2004)

Despite my first reference to this album being about its apparent ties with the sport of skipping (or maybe because of it), Thunder Lightning Strike quickly became a favourite. It champions instrumentation without overdoing it and commands an army of samples to brilliant effect. It is music in its purest form. Not just songs, melodies or riffs, but rewarding, inspirational MUSIC. I’ve had many favourites over the years, but the song below occupies a special place in my heart after seeing it used very nicely in a ski movie during a video-editing phase of mine.

MP3: Huddle Formation

Proof Of Youth (2007)

I’ll be quite honest and say straight up that I don’t enjoy this album as much as the last, but that isn’t to say I’m not incredibly impressed by it. I expected this album to sound like it was from a completely different band and instead, I was met with more great Go! Team. The rapping element of their sound isn’t too pervasive and the instrumentation still reigns. It definitely fits in with their live sound and will continue to fuel many shows into the future. I tried to pick a song that really captures this live energy of theirs.

MP3: Doing It Right

Label | Website | Myspace

Monday Mix #24

Skinny Boy – Amy Milan
For those who don’t know, Amy Milan is the girl from Canadian band, Stars. While there are of course similarities, her solo album is actually quite different from the band’s sound. It has an overarching country element to it, though I seemed to have picked the least country, and most stars-like song of the lot. Typical. It’s a great album nonetheless.

You Sound Like Louis Burdett – The Whitlams
I recently saw The Whitlams with a ninety-something piece orchestra at The Sydney Opera House. It confirmed many things in my mind. The Whitlams are great, the opera house is the stupidest, yet coolest piece of architecture ever created and this song is brilliant. It may not have benefited the most from the orchestra (that honour goes to Blow Up The Pokies), but it didn’t matter because it’s so good in its own right.

Grand Pacific Son – The City Lights
I must admit that I judged The City Lights a little too early. After repeatedly slagging off their new album, I’ve actually come to enjoy it. Whoops. I still wouldn’t say it’s deep or particularly far-reaching, but as some good old rock n roll fun, it does the job. Hearing this song on the radio one night is what made me realise that I had possibly made a mistake in my initial verdict. Such clean guitars. Mmmmm

Lake Michigan – Rogue Wave
There’s no doubt that Rogue Wave’s new album has its moments. As I listened back through it, I discovered that it had already formed a substantial part of my image of Rogue Wave. Despite this, however, I still feel underwhelmed by it. Fans of the band and this song should still check it out, but you’ve been warned. Never know, it could just be me.

One Of These Days – 78 Saab
Speaking of Rogue Wave, this band sounds quite a bit like them. I’ve never really been the biggest 78 Saab fan, but I’ve still always enjoyed them. This song comes from their new album, which thanks to this song, I’m quite looking forward to.