Belief=Function=Belief

Week Twentytwo

2005-07-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Last show! I can't believe I've been on the radio for close to 6 months. It's been a really amazing experience and I want to thank everyone for listening and supporting me throughout. The only reason why I did a show by myself was because I knew no one who shared the same passion for, dare I say, 'indie' music as I do but during the last 6 months I have met some really amazing people who made me realise that I wasn't alone in my passion and it's a great feeling to be able to share that. So without much further ado, I must say thank you to these people (in no particular order): Elle, Ryan, Greer, Simon, Mark, Gav, Damien, Trent, Michael, Sherwin, Adam and Brendan. Sorry if I missed anyone. Thanks so much to everyone who listened in regularly, muchly appreciated!

I also discovered some great music this year and I haven't been into discovering bands and getting so involved in music ever. And I'm sure it will continue and I'm sure I will be back on the airwaves soon. No doubt the withdrawals will begin in no time. So the setlist was a best of - my favourite tracks of the year plus some old favourites that I just love. Thanks to every for exposing me to some of the bands that I may never have discovered and hours of endless mp3 exchanges over msn! I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you all enjoyed the little snippets that featured my very lovely guest programers. I had a ball with you all!

Playlist for Monday July 18th:

Supergrass - All Right
The Departure - Be My Enemy
The Walkmen - The Rat
Babyshambles - Killamangiro
Nick Cave - Supernaturally
David Bowie - Rebel, Rebel
Doves - Black and White Town
Bloc Party - Positive Tension (live @ Glastonbury 2005)
The Chemical Brothers - The Boxer
The Rapture - House of Jealous Lovers
Bright Eyes - Poison Oak
Belle and Sebastian - Le Pastie De La
Maximo Park - Graffiti
Lou Reed - Perfect Day
Ryan Adams - Sweet Illusions
The Postal Service - Such Great Heights
The Dears - Who Are You, Defenders of the Universe?
The Kinks - You Really Got Me
The Editors - Bullets
P.J. Harvey - Shame
The Rolling Stones - Under My Thumb
Something For Kate - Belief = Function = Belief
Nouvelle Vague - Love Will Tear us Apart (original by Joy Division)

So thats it! Keep Listening to the music and keep listening to SYN's Indie night! Ryan Mason and his partner in crime Brett will be taking over my spot with 'Discography' of the best indie bands to grace this earth and I'm sure they will do a fine job. I can't wait to listen to the first show. Good Luck guys and cheers to everyone for their support!

Now I'm going to go have a heart attack with all the gigs coming up in the next month.

Week Twentyone

2005-07-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

The A-Z of indie this week. Surprisingly I fit in the 26 songs very comfortably. Below is by no means a definitive list, I had to leave many a great indie band out. That said I thought I'd go for more established indie bands, leaving out the current new new wave, or whatever, of the UK that I play so much anyway. Inclusion is exclusion. Anyway, thanks for the SMS, especially to E, who says they listen every week and gave me great suggestions for some letters. Much appreciated. So here's the indie alphabet soup:

Arcade Fire - Tunnels
Beck - Girl
The Cure - Lovesong
Death Cab For Cutie - I was a Kaleidoscope
Elbow - Powder Blue
Flaming Lips - Race for the Prize
Gang of Four - Damaged Goods
P.J. Harvey - This is Love
Interpol - Slow Hands
Joy Division - Transmission
Kings of Leon - The Bucket
Les Savy Fav - Hold on to Your Genre
Modest Mouse - The View
Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) - First Day of my Life
The Pixies - Gauge Away
Q and not U - Wonderful People
Radiohead - 2+2=5
The Smiths - This Charming Man
Tears for Fears - Mad World
The Unicorns - I was Born a Unicorn
Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane
Wilco - Heavy Metal Drummer
Xiu Xiu - Crank Heart
Yo La Tengo - Here Comes my Baby
The Zutons - Pressure Point

And the Cover song! The Shins - We Will Become Silhouettes (original by The Postal Service)

Last show next week! It's a great one, I'm going to play my fav tunes of this year plus sneak in some snippets of previous shows where I've had guest programers. Tune in!

Week Twenty

2005-07-04T15:40:00.000-07:00

I had the lovely Simon in the studio this week, one of my most devoted listeners and a damn fine guest presenter! This was his second appearance and it was great to have him back of course! Simon's aim was to play music that would fuck with the listener's mind just a little bit (and sometimes a lot - see The Doors haha). He played lots of psychedelic spaced out rock and added some much needed variety to the show I think! Not to mention the spoken word songs that spaced everyone out! But I enjoyed myself immensely. Thanks for helping me celebrate the 20th week Simon! Two to go guys, next week will be the A-Z of indie, a challenge I know and hopefully I will be up for it!

Coming soon to a cinema near you...

Playlist for Monday 3rd July:

REM - Revolution
The Pixies - Debaser
Robyn Hitchcock - The Devil's Radio
Les Savy Fav - The Sweat Descends
The Pogues - Bottle of Smoke
Shout Out Louds - Very Loud
The Doors - Mental Floss
Lou Reed - Vicious
The Velvet Underground - The Black Angel's Death Song
The Red Paintings - Walls
Brian Jonestown Massacre - You Have Been Disconnected
Radio 4 - Dance to the Underground
The Cure - A Short Term Effect
Smashing Pumpkins - Thirty-Three
The Warlocks - Baby Blue
Cat Power - Speak For Me
Ratcat - Pieces
B-52s - Mesapotamia
Love - A House is not a Motel
Towns Van Zandt - Kathleen
Bjork - All is Full of Love
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - I Will Love You Till the End of the World
The Flaming Lips - Do You Realise?
The Saints - Private Affair
Arab Strap - Soap
The White Stripes - One More Cup of Coffee (original by Bob Dylan)

Week Nineteen

2005-06-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

After some nudging to update my blog from the now legendary Ryan Mason, here tis. Speaking of which, happy birthday Ryan, even though you are sick. Some of you may remember Ryan when he appeared on the show, but it seems he is also an up-coming rockstar, performing a delightful acoustic version of Arcade Fire's Neighborhood #2 (Laika). I played it on my show cos I thought it was so good. And I don't play crap. I get sent stuff and I don't play it if it's crap. Anyway, head on over to his website to download it, I'll make him put it up now.

So the famous Glastonbury festival took place last weekend. And 150,000 people were under water. It rained so much, i really do feel sorry for them. But then again, I couldn't go see those really cool bands and I was insanely jealous, so maybe its a good thing, hehehe. Bloc Party were amongst the plethora of bands on offer at Glastonbury and I managed to grab a live song of there's from the festival, 'The Marshalls are Dead'. Hope you enjoyed. Also, the live Killers song was a newie too, perhaps we'll see it on a future album (if they get that far...).

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have been getting lots of good press lately. They're a new band from Brooklyn and I do like. They have that quirky pop sound. So i featured some tracks off their debut self titled record. Get your hands on some if you can.

Next week my good friend Simon will be joining me for the second time to guest program on the third last show AND the 20th week. So very special stuff. Simon is man of great wisdom, so tune in, it shall be a good one.

Playlist for Monday 27th July

Patrick Wolf - The Libertine
Spoon - The Way we Get By
Muse - Uno
Apartment - Everyone says I'm Paranoid
Ambulance Ltd - Heavy Lifting
...And You Will Know us by the Trail of Dead - Baudelaire
Brakes - All Night Disco Party
Architecture in Helsinki - Do the Whirlwind
The Get Up Kids - Red Letter Day
A Gun Called Tension - Gold Franxs
The Go! Team - Huddle Formation
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Spread Your Love
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - In this Home on Ice
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Details of the War
Fiery Furnaces - Single Again
The Research - She's not Leaving
Desert Session - Crawl Home
The Strokes - Someday
The Killers - All the Pretty Faces
The White Stripes - Take, Take, Take
Bloc Party - The Marshalls are Dead (live @ Glastonbury)
The Magic Numbers - Love me Like You
Ryan Mason - Neighbohood #2 (Laika) (original by Arcade Fire)
The Shins - Turn a Square (live)
Ryan Adams - Brown Sugar (original by The Rolling Stones)

Week eighteen

2005-06-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

So the B sides and rarities special had to come. I had a great time digging in to a goldmine of B sides and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Without getting too deep and meaningful on you, to me B sides are like hidden treasures reserved almost exclusively for hardcore fans. It's really great to hear what a band does behind the scene, as such, and sometimes a B side can be even better than album material. What I find amazing is how singles can become real collectors items due to the B sides! I mean, just go to ebay and type in Something For Kate and you'll find singles worth $50 from 1998 which is just amazing for an Australian band. I admit i talked about SFK a little excessively, but I just really admire the strength of their B sides, they always deliver the gold on their singles! And they are always doing stuff for their fans, like playing scret shows and releasing rare items. B sides I think, a part from giving a band a chance to experiment or whatever, are essentially for the fans. But before I blab on a little too much here were my favs:

I got excited by Flake Music, who were The Shins before they were called The Shins. Real exclusive stuff, thanks to Ryan for passing this on to me.

Brian Jonestown Massacre taking the piss out of the Dandy's on 'Not If You Were The Last Dandy On Earth'.

Arcade Fire's 'No Cars Go', a song from an early EP that they will be reissuing soon. What do people think of that?? I think it's good for fans to sorta catch up on stuff they missed out on in the past but in a way doesn't it devalue and make the single / EP less exclusive? You can't cluth it to your chest anymore and say, 'It's only MINE!'

Ryan Adams for always giving us the goods!!

Playlist for Monday June 20th:

Bluebottle Kiss - Lover's Tiff
Bloc Party - Always New Depths
Coldplay - Bigger Stronger
Flake Music - Spanway Hits
Brian Jonestown Massacre - If You Were The Last Dandy On Earth
Guided By Voices - He's The Uncle
Arcade Fire - No Cars Go
Radiohead - Pearly
The Postal Service - Be Still My Heart
Something For Kate - Mental Note
The Cure - Halo
Stone Roses - Mercy Paradise
Pearl Jam - Yellow Ledbetter
U2 - Summer Rain
Modest Mouse - I've Got it all (most)
The Beatles - Rain
Elliott Smith - No Name #6
The White Stripes - Red Bowling Ball Ruth
Interpol - Specialist
Beck - Clap Hands
Jeff Buckley - Lost Highway
Augie March - Sunday Morning Records
Ryan Adams - From me to you
Something For Kate - Ordinary World (Original by Duran Duran)

Week Seventeen

2005-06-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

A very enjoyable show this week! The very lovely Elle came in for a farewell before she jets off to London to live out her dream for six weeks or so. It was such a pleasure to have the queen of indie radio in the studio with me with her flawless taste in music and insightful musical analysis, hehe. Twas a pleasure Elle, and have so much fun on your trip! We must do a correspondence or something on the show while you are gone. All the best!

The Departure was sorta a feature album this week, I played three new tracks off the just released brand new debut album. So much fun they are. Be sure to catch them on August 6th at the Corner. Also played a new, unreleased track by The Arcade Fire called 'Cold Wind'. The band recorded this song for the TV show Six Feet Under and is as yet unheard but for a very few ears, including those of you who tuned in last night! Very exciting stuff. Interpol also recorded a brand new track for the show reportedly called 'Direction'. TV shows and cool indie music, never thought it'd happen but it's all the trend lately.

Congrats to the winners for the new Motorace single giveaway. It goes to Carlie and Ben who contacted the studio to win a copy! The single is called 'Tomorrow's Gone', another stella tune from Motorace who I do think are one of the better bands in Australia. Very lush and well produced, it'll feature on Aussie TV show's everywhere soon! Thanks to everyone else who msged in, the responses were awesome last night!! I'll take all your bside suggestions on board, and if anyone has anything else they'd like to add, just post a comment, I'd love it!

Playlist for Monday June 13th

Coldplay - Square One
The Eels - Trouble with Dreams
Louis XIV - Pledge of Allegiance
The Drones - Sharkfin Blues
Battle - One More Night (live)
Help She Can't Swim - Are You Feeling Fashionable
Peabody - The Weight Just Right
Sarah Blasko - Always Worth It
The Faint - Southern Belles in London Sing
Dogs Die in Hot Cars - Pastimes and Lifestyles
The Departure - All Mapped Out
The Departure - Dirty Words
The Departure - Talkshow
Rufus Wainwright - One Year Love
Motorace - Tomorrow's Gone
Pink Grease - Stripped
The Strokes - Last Night
The Arcade Fire - Cold Wind
The Editors - Munich
Arctic Monkeys - Fakes Tales of San Francisco
The Cure vs The Killers - A Forest/Somebody Told Me
Muse - Feeling Good (live)

Week Sixteen

2005-06-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

Not too much going down this week. I went nuts with playing some new UK 'new-wave' music, one of which was by The Departure who will be touring Melbourne and Sydney soon! They'll be playing at the Corner Hotel on August the 6th, new album 'Dirty Words' is due out on June the 13th while the new single 'All Mapped Out' is available now. I may be becoming a bit cynical towards the so-called new-wave now, a LOT of bands are starting to sound way too similar, but for now I'm enjoying it. Hopefully it's not going to be too overdone, if it isnt already... any thoughts?

New-wave british boys in suits and chucks: mmmm

Also in tour news, it's about time that Ryan Adams has announced his side shows. He'll be playing in Melbourne on July 27th at the Palace (yes the rumours were true) and tickets are $60 from Ticketmaster7. I think they'll be in demand and will sell out fast so be sure to grab them when they go on sale this Friday June 10th. Congrats to Wolf and Cub who scored the support slot for the Queens of the Stone Age shows in July (Futureheads also supporting). Those guys will also be playing at Ding Dong on friday June 10th. There's just way too many good bands to see soon, Amanda is going to be very broke indeed.

Playlist for Monday June 6th:

The Kaiser Chiefs - Everyday I Love You Less and Less
The Afghan Whigs - Uptown Again
The Cure - Friday I'm in Love (acoustic)
Maximo Park - Signal and Sign
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps
Faker - The Familiar
French Kicks - One More Time
Bloc Party - She's Hearing Voices (live at SxSW)
Ben Folds - Army (live)
Radiohead - Karma Police (live at Sydney 2004)
The Departure - She's in Stereo
The Rakes - Retreat
Wolf and Cub - Spirals
The Futureheads - Meantime
Ryan Adams - Magnolia Mountain
Something For Kate - Deja Vu
Belle and Sebastian - Legal Man
Bluebottle Kiss - Sisters Head On
Louis XIV - Finding Out True Love is Blind
The Go! Team - Bottle Rocket
The Cribs - Hey Scenesters
New Rhodes - I Wish I Was You
Gerling - Bad Blood!!!
The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
Bettie Serveert - Lover I Don't Have to Love (original by Bright Eyes)

Week Fifteen

2005-05-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

I was so completely disorganised this week and lacking in content, thank God Greer came in to save the day. Although I think the show sounded so chaotic because of my lack of organisation and because Greer made me laugh so much! God she was so funny, providing many laughs with her 'awesome' American accent (not Canadian!) and some wonderful stories (check: she asked Eddie Vedder if he would prefer 'paper or plastic' for his groceries when she served him at a supermarket in Seattle). Our OC obsession really came through (like it hasn't already) both declaring that the friendship would be lost if Seth actually existed and we had to fight over him. And our analysis of awkward indie boys came into full effect. It was quite scary really. ANYWAY I had SO much fun Greer, thanks for joining me.

Played some tracks off the new Maximo Park record which kicks arse! God I hope they tour here real soon. I was hoping to play more tracks off the record so I shall play one more next week. It's so addictive. Also had a small tribute to Modest Mouse, a band I don't play enough at all and thanks to Greer's obsession with the band we got quite a good taste from their huge discography. Was also very pissed off that my Turin Breaks song died half way through. God knows...

Oh, and for all those Napoleon Dynamite freaks out there, I am slowly warming to the humour, the quotes we played off the soundtrack were very funny indeed:

'What are you going to do today, Napoleon?'
'Whatever I feel like I wanna do, Gooooooooooosh!'

Greer's Hero: "Friggin idiots...."

Playlist for Monday May 30th:

Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure
Modest Mouse - Paper Thin Walls
Turin Breaks - Self Help
Hot Hot Heat - Goodnight, Goodnight
P.J. Harvey - The Life and Death of Mr Badmouth
Interpol - Slow Hands
Little Barry - Free Salute
Death Cab For Cutie - The Sound of Settling
Maximo Park - I Want You to Stay
Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Brendan Benson - Spit it Out
AC Newman - Miracle Drug
The Shins - Caring is Creepy
Pedro the Lion - Never Leave a Job Half Done
Modest Mouse - Drama Mine
The White Stripes - Blue Orchid
The Postal Service - Such Great Heights
Elliot Smith - Waltz #2
Eisley - Telescope Eyes
Bright Eyes - Arc of Time
David Bowie - Sorrow
Modest Mouse - Out of Gas
The Pixies - Dig for Fire
The Scissor Sisters - Take me Out (original by Franz Ferdinand)

> Slow Hands better than Evil?? Ryan you need to reply - but Slow Hands kicks arse! You cannot beat the line 'You make me want to pick up my guitar and celebrate the myriad ways that I love you' with a beat like that!

Week Fourteen

2005-05-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well this week was a lot of fun. In search of doing something different I found myself in the new JB Hifi store in Bourke st in the soundtrack section discreetly writing down killer songs that have appeared in movies. As such this week was a movie soundtrack special. There were the obvious (The Shins in Garden State), the teen movie (Psychedelic Furs with Pretty in Pink), the movies based around music (Almost Famous, High Fidelity), the quirky (Flaming Lips in Spongebob Squarepants) and the how-the-hell-did-that-end-up-in-there?? (Radiohead in Clueless??) as well as everything inbetween. Hope you enjoyed it, of course there is so much to chose from but you have to be selective with 2 hours.

Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?

Next week on the show my friend Greer is coming on to guest program so expect lots of Modest Mouse, Death Cab and Bright Eyes. mmmmm. Oh and she's got an American accent. It's cool. I want it.

Send in your fav B sides and cover songs too. I have the BEST cover song for next week. It's gonna be great.

Playlist for Monday May 23rd:

Oasis - Fucking in the Bushes (Snatch)
Iggy Pop - Lust for Life (Trainspotting)
The Cure - Six Different Ways (Rules of Attraction)
Badly Drawn Boy - Everybody's Stalking (Igby Goes Down)
Psychdelic Furs - Pretty in Pink (Pretty in Pink)
Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees (Clueless)
The Kinks - Nothing in this World can Stop me Worrying about this Girl (Rushmore)
Paul Simon - Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (The Royal Tenenbaums)
The Shins - New Slang (Garden State)
Beck - Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
The Editors - Bullets
James - Getting Away With it all Messed Up
And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Relative Ways
REM - Sweetness Follows (Vanilla Sky)
The Who - Sparks (Almost Famous)
The Beta Band - Dry the Rain (High Fidelity)
Smog - Cold Blooded Old Times (High Fidelity)
McLusky - She Will Only Bring You Happiness
Broken Social Scene - Lover's Spit (Wicker Park)
The Flaming Lips - Spongebob and Patrick confront the Psychic Wall Of Energy (Spongebob Squarepants Movie)
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Donnie Darko - thanks el!)
Arcade Fire - This must be the Place (Naive Melody) (original by Talking Heads)

Week Thirteen

2005-05-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

Despite my trouble with breathing on air due to an awful cold, the show ran rather smoothly this week. I'll apologise now for my on air sniffles...it was not ideal! I aired the interview I had last year with Bluebottle Kiss frontman Jamie Hutchings which I hoped you all enjoyed! I certainly hope you listened even if you don't know the band very well, as the music is fantastic. I cannot recommend them enough, beautifully raw and intense music. It was quite an honour talking to Jamie, as you can imagine he is one of my musical idols! We chatted about his unique song writing skills (he tells these amazing fictional narratives in 'Come Across' and constructs amazing phrases), the evolution of the Bluebottle Kiss sound, Jamie's solo project and their incredibly intense, frenetic live shows. If you ever get to see them play live please do so! Not to be missed. It was also great hearing Jamie totally not care about the fact that the band have never actually broken into more mainstream avenues of music fandom, awesome attitude. It's all about artistic integrity...the guys are recording a new album in June this year.

The original Bluebottle Kiss line up

So the Bloc Party show at Melbourne's Hifi Bar on July 20th sold out in less than a day, and it looks like Interpol are heading the same way with sellouts. Ryan Adams is rumoured to play here on July 27th which I am really dark about since I bought tickets to Interpol on the 27th. Looks like I may be having to do a swap or something.... Doves have also rescheduled their Australian tour dates, with the guys now playing at the Forum on July 16th. My God, I am wetting my pants over JULY.

Once again thank you so much for the SMS's guys, I am really glad you're all enjoying the show. I would really appreciate some suggestions for cover songs, which I play at the end of every show. I am also thinking of doing a B-Side special on a show very soon so please, bring on the suggestions for that too. I know you all can't contain yourselves. Post a comment! Or Email!

Playlist for Monday May 16th:

Bluebottle Kiss - Scouthall
Rogue Wave - Endless Shovel
Bit by Bats - Neon Flux
Belle and Sebastian - The Boy with the Arab Strap
Frou Frou - Let Go
Electrelane - Bells
Kasabian - L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)
The Departure - Lump in my Throat
Bluebottle Kiss - Smother it in Honey
Bluebottle Kiss - Crawling with Ants
Bloc Party - Helicopter (Sheriff Whitey remix)
Spoon - The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine
Radio 4 - Eyes Wide Open
Idlewild - Love Steals us from Loneliness
Kings of Leon - Soft
Bluebottle Kiss - Ounce of your Cruelty
Bluebottle Kiss - Boredom you are Breaking my Heart (live)
The Mars Volta - The Widow
Young Heart Attack - Mouthful of Love
The Reindeer Section - Cartwheels
The Killers - Why Don't you Find out for Yourself (original by Morrissey)

Interview with Bluebottle Kiss

2005-05-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

Tune in to the show this week to hear an interview I recorded with Bluebottle Kiss frontman Jamie Hutchings. The Sydney band have been around for over 10 years now and have produced some intense, raw and beautifully crafted records. I had a chat to Jamie about his songwriting, playing live and trying to crack it not only in the Australian scene, but overseas in America too. Jamie is a very articulate individual with a great passion for music and this really is worth a listen. It also gives me an opportunity to go nuts on playing Bluebottle Kiss songs, something I have been waiting a while to do. They are really amazing and one of my fav bands, so don't miss it!

Week Twelve

2005-05-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

New grid! New timeslot! OMG, 2 hours is so much better than 1.5! Haha, much fun was had in the studio this week. Thank you very much to Ryan for making it heaps of fun. Lots and lots of talk about pretentiousness, because we all know that indie is the most pretentious genre of music for so many different reasons. Especially when you can't even define the genre. And especially when Bright Eyes writes a song called Road to Joy based upon a classical song 'Ode to Joy' by Friedrich Schiller. And when you release two albums simultaneously...OK enough Bright Eyes!!

Despite it being a genre that is hard to define I think Ryan nailed it with this definition:

"Pop music for uncool people"

We redefine coolness anyway...

Ryan and I saw Scottish band Dogs Die in Hot Cars on Friday night (for free!! - thank ya Ryan) and despite not being overly familiar with their material I was blown away by the amazing stage presence of the band, in particular the incredibly charismatic frontman, Craig Macintosh. The man has the most distinctive voice and literally becomes a part of the songs, throwing his entire body into the rythmn. It was really quite entertaining. Not to mention the songs, which were so much fun, a very thick sound. Most enjoyable gig.

The Dogs need taming...

I played lots of new tracks on the show this week, including Coldplay's new single 'Speed of Sound', Oasis' 'Lyla', Interpol's 'C'mere', Maximo Park's 'Graffiti' and of course the new Ryan Adam's single 'Let it Ride'. The new double album 'Cold Roses' is really good, although I must admit he probably could have cut it into a single album with maybe a few bonus tracks added in. And since he is releasing two more album by the years end, the point was made: you have to wonder how much of that will be good quality. Hmmmmm, I'm not really complaining though!

Playlist for Monday May 9th:

Soulwax - Conversation Intercom
Of Montreal - Lysergic Bliss
The Vasco Era - Kingswood
The Shins - We Will Become Silhouettes (Postal Service cover)
Oasis - Lyla
Stephen Malkmus - Baby C'mon
Ryan Adams - Let it Ride
Ryan Adams - Cherry Lane
Graham Coxon - Spectacular
Phoenix - Embuscade
The Killers - Andy You're a Star
Radiohead - Polyethylene Parts 1 and 2
Interpol - C'mere
Iron and Wine - Evening on the Ground (Lilth's Song)
The Beatles - Here comes the Sun
Turin Breaks - Long Distance
Maximo Park - Graffiti
Dogs Die in Hot Cars - Celebrity Sanctum
Dogs Die in Hot Cars - Godhopping
Coldplay - Speed of Sound
Beck - Nicotine and Gravy
Bright Eyes - Road to Joy
The Cooper Temple Clause - The Same Mistakes
John Mayer - Kid A (original by Radiohead)

Interpol Competition

2005-05-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

Make sure you tune in this week from 8pm for your chance to win the third single, 'C'mere', off Interpol's brilliant second album 'Antics'. The New York princes of darkness have just announced some Aussie tour dates for July to coincide with their Splendour in the Grass appearance. So you'd want to be playing as much as Interpol as possible before this time comes (without slitting your wrists, of course)! The single contains a remix of 'Public Pervert' by the band's bass player Carlos D and 'Length of Love' mixed by Sam Fog and Husker Du/Sugar legend Bob Mould. Just tune in from 8pm this Monday May 9th and call the studio on 9925 9907 when you hear 'C'mere'. First caller wins!

C'mere!!

Now lets get excited about these tour dates:

July 22 - Heaven, Adelaide
July 24 - Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay
July 26 - Metro, Melbourne
July 27 - Metro, Melbourne
July 29 - Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Tickets on sale May 16th!!

Week Eleven

2005-05-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

So, SYN grid 1 for 2005 has come to an end. It was so awesome, I've had so much fun. Not to worry though, loyal listeners, cos I am still on air for grid two, but in a bigger and better time slot! Tune in next week from 8-10pm! Should be lotsa fun. My friend Mason is taking me to see Dogs Die in Hot Cars on friday night (may 6th) cos he has door passes! So he'll be coming on the show to talk all things about Dogs and spin some fantastic indie tunes. Looking forward to it.

This week I had a Brit Pop retrospective spured on by The Tears new single 'Refugees'. The Tears consist of Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson, formally of Suede. They have a new album out due in June sometime called 'Here come The Tears'. I think that Refugees sounds a LOT like Suede, but I suppose that is to be expected, really. So I looked at all things Brit Pop and had a chat about the classic Blur/Oasis rivalry that was well documented in the 'Live Forever' documentary (rockumentary?). Always good to go back and look at the British scene back then and compare to now! The Tears was especially for Peter, who SMSed in for them last week. Thanks a lot and keep them coming. SMS when I'm on air: 0427 767 767

Here's what Liam Gallagher had to say about the latest bands in the UK music scene:
Franz Ferdinand: "nonsense, million miles an hour music that's not going anywhere."
Pete Doherty of The Libertines: "I’m not into smackheads. Smackheads need slaps… So what does the word Libertine mean? What does it mean? Freedom? He’s fucking in the corner doing smack with a helmet on his head! There’s nothing free about that. It’s nasty, innit? If the kids like them, fair enough, but they’re nowhere near like us. The music’s rubbish for start”.
Sister Scissors: “If that’s what they call entertaining then let them ‘av it - bright colours and fucking weirdos on stilts? I’m more entertaining than that cunt. And I’ll rip his fucking vocal chords out anyday because he’s fucking rubbish.”
Bloc Party: “a band off University Challenge, like they’re sitting on a panel or something”
The Kaiser Chiefs: “a bad Blur”

Hmmm, considering the current state of Oasis' music at the moment I'd say he should shut his mouth. But when has Liam EVER done that? I'll play the new Oasis single on the show next week.

Yes, I am God

Congrats to Elle on a brilliant last show on Music is my Radar, what an awesome 20 weeks she has had! Expect her as a guest on my show soon.

Playlist for Monday 2nd May:

The Devoted Few - Misery Loves Company
The Golden Republic - You Almost Had it
The Rapture - Heaven
The Pale Pacific - All my Friends
Kings of Leon- Holy Roller Novocaine
Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
At the Drive In - Pattern Against User
The Tears - Refugees
Suede - Animal Nitrate
Oasis - Live Forever
Blur - Boys and Girls
Pulp - Disco 20000
Ride - Vapour Trail
Stone Roses - Waterfall
Youth Group - Shadowlands
Radiohead - Myxomatosis
South - Paint the Silence
Bluebottle Kiss - I Put a Spell on You (original by Screamin' Jay Hawkins)

Week Ten

2005-04-26T02:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's already the second last week before this grid is over. Gosh it's gone fast. Hopefully I'll be on next grid, fingers crossed for me guys. Regardless of the potential ending looming near, I had quite a bit of fun this week. Wolfmother are pretty amazing live, they played a third show at the corner on ANZAC day, thats crazy! Three shows for the guys, I swear they will reach Jet status, although I hope the music won't succumb to crapness like the aforementioned group. I think not. Not with a rockin' show like that! So energetic, the singer sporting such a cool afro and thick sidies, dressed in 70s gear and pulling off some great rock moves. Some great new songs mixed in too. My Wolfmother-crazed friend Adrian rang the studio and did a brief review of the gig with me, which went well I think! Thanks a lot for that Adrian. Also, check out some Midnight Juggernauts, the supports band, 2 guys, synths included hehe. Part of the whole electro/dance/rock move me thinks.

Wolfmother: Black Sabbath part 2

Had a look at post-rock music, which, according to the humble opinion of Amanda, is pretentious music to the max. Although I do admit, it can be very beautiful, but you have to have the patience to find that beauty. It's traditionally very long and drawn out, meandering, shoe-gazing stuff. We're talking songs that can go past the 10 minute mark. Consequently they can be very intense, but radio confines me to playing songs under 5 minutes (not by rule, but because I don't want to bore myself or my humble listener). Some bands that come to mind are Mogwai, God Speed You! Black Emperor, Sigur Ros (hailing from iceland and singing a weird mixture of icelandic and english gibberish), A Silver mt Zion, Set Fire to Flame ETC. Anyway, before this becomes long and drawn out, post-rock music is definately worth checking out, using rock elements but in a postmodern sort of way?

My new band of the week is Longwave. These guys are amazing, hope you enjoyed the song I played. They're from New York, so yah, of course they're cool. Pretty sure they're in the process of a new album (dubbed a concept album about a sea monster?) with producer John Leckie who has worked with Radiohead, Stone Roses, Pink Floyd, George Harrison and John Lennon. Hmmm...

Thank you so much for the SMSs, lovely, lovely people. If you want me to play a song for you, post a comment, ask me, I shall deliver!! (hopefully...)

Playlist for Monday 25th April

The Dears - Who are you, Defenders of the Universe
Bit by Bats - All Night
Bloc Party - Luno
Grandaddy - The Crystal Lake
Death Cab For Cutie - The Sound of Settling
Something For Kate - Prick
Augustus - Distant Shores
The Killers - Midnight Show
Wolfmother - Woman
Longwave - River (Depot Song)
Joseph Arthur - Honey and the Moon
Mogwai - Dial: Revenge
Laura - We Should Keep this Secret
Sigur Ros - Leit af Lifi
Motor Vehicle Sundown - Shouting Out
Love of Diagrams - New Fury
Keane - Untitled 1
The Flaming Lips - After the Gold Rush (original by Neil Young)

Week Nine

2005-04-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

Not too much going down this week, although I got rather excited the night before the show as I received information that I had won a Doves prize pack from Faster Louder, including the new album, a t-shirt and badges. How cool is that?! It makes me even more joyous knowing that they are coming to Australia. Yup, the date for Melbourne is confirmed for June the 14th at the lovely Forum. Tickets on sale Friday 29th April so pencil it in.

Some awesome gigs this weekend I must say. Wolfmother have sold out both their shows at the Corner, which holds about 800 people! Well done guys, this is an amazing effort. They're playing this Thursday and Friday night, but if you haven't got a ticket I guess you can drool at the windows or something. Also, 80s sounding-electro-dance act Cut Copy are playing at the hifi Bar on Saturday night. And it's ANZAC day on Monday so Sunday night will be buzzing: come on down to Weekender at the Ding Dong Lounge!

Dig! is the new 'rockumentary' in cinema's at the moment. It is essentially about the love/hate relationship between The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre and the band's different musical visions. The Dandy's building a financially successful musical career (selling out perhaps?!) while the Brian Jonestown Massacre opting to keep their artistic credibility in tact. The film, I have heard, is really cool. It was shot in seven years and edited from 1500 hours worth of film! incredible stuff. I can't wait to head on down to have a good look at the incredibly cool, sexy Courtney Taylor-Taylor, the narrator of the film and frontman of The Dandy's.

DIG!: Dandy's VS Brian Jonestown Massacre

Thank you all for the lovely SMS's, I really appreciate the feedback guys! I'll be playing songs for Vanessa and Davo who msged in. If you want something played next week just post a comment asking me and I'll do my best to track it down and play it for you!

Playlist for Monday 18th April:

The Futureheads - Decent Days and Nights
Franz Ferdinand - Come on Home
Guided by Voices - I am a Scientist
Doves - Catch the Sun
Belle & Sebastian - I'm a Cuckoo
Velvet Underground - Stephanie Says
Cut Copy - Future
Wolfmother - Apple Tree
Gomez - Get Myself Arrested
The Libertines - Up the Bracket
Scared of Horses - December (ill at ease)
Wilco - Can't Stand It
Brian Jonestown Massacre - Maybe Tomorrow
The Dandy Warhols - Shakin'
Pilate - Melt into the Walls
Kent - Music Non Stop
The Von Bondies - C'mon C'mon
The Tea Party - Paint it Black (original by The Rolling Stones)

Week Eight

2005-04-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

I know it's so very commercial radio, but I had a competition this week! Something to get excited about, congrats to Michael who won! The prize was a very cool, funny, original t shirt from Rong made exclusively by Damien Ryan, a good friend of mine. Check out the website for free classifieds and more cool shirts! Michael told us a funny t shirt story to win his prize - a bunch of his mates always wear hi-brow band t shirts (like you do if you're indie) and one day someone decided to wear an Avril Lavigne one and was frowned upon accordingly. His defence: he hates the music but would like to go to bed with her! So from that point on Britney and Avril made regular appearances on the t shirts of a not so hi-brow group of indie heads! Thanks for calling Michael, hope you enjoy your new merchandise. Thank you also Damien, hope you enjoyed sitting in the pretentious indie chair for the night.

In music news...

Ryan Adams is releasing three new albums this year, the first of which will be a double album! How incredibly amazing. The double album is said to be released on May 3rd and is called 'Cold Roses'. The guy broke his hand semi-recently but he just keeps soldiering on. He has a new backing band, the Cardinals, and lets hope they come out here soon! Ryan also broke up with his girlfriend, actress Parker Posey, of two years. To that I say: Ryan, I am yours!

Rock Star!

Splendour in the Grass first lineup has been announced!! And it's a pearler! Included are Bloc Party, Interpol, Queens of the Stone Age, Moby, Sarah Blasko and Shihad. There will be many more announced but I am already sold. See you at Byron Bay on July 23 and 24.

Wolf and Cub are supporting Wolfmother on their tour! The bands sound nothing alike; Wolfmother is pure 70s rock ala Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin while Wolf and Cub sound like The Rapture. I guess they share similar names...

Come on down to the last Flipside ever this Thursday April 14th Upstairs @ A Bar Called Barry in Smith st Collingwood, for $2 pots, free entry and awesome indie tunes!

Playlist for Monday 11th April:

Air - Playground Love
The Cure - Close to Me
Interpol - Slow Hands
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane over the Sea
Maximo Park - Apply some Pressure
Ryan Adams - English Girls Approximately
Bright Eyes - Lua
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Supernaturally
Wolf and Cub - Thousand Cuts
Blueline Medic - Plight 217
The Beatles - Two of Us
Pulp - This is Hardcore
Elliott Smith - Strung Out Again
Spearmint - Left Alone Among the Living
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Rich
Elbow - Not a Job
Placebo - Where is my Mind? (live) (original by The Pixies)

Week Seven

2005-04-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

It was more or less a chilled week this week, just spinning some quality tunes. Unfortunately the album review segment has to take a backseat for a while - blame uni and just being too busy. Tried to make the show as interesting as possible, featuring a live, new Coldplay track called 'Speed of Sound' which will incidently be the new single! The new album X&Y will be released some time in july. Check out www.coldplay.com for more details. Thanks to Elle for passing on that track!!

I had a look at the idea of the mixed tape (or CD for the digitals, I like the analgoue, hehe) as being the ultimate gesture of indie romance. How much fun is it to make a mix tape? I could spend all day getting it right. At the risk of sounding corny, a song can mean so much to you that it becomes more than a song, so much so that it becomes ingrained in you. So you put a song on a mix tape and it's almost as if your baring part of your soul to the lucky person receiving it. It's a very personal gesture. You want to melt my heart, just give me a mix tape! What got me on to this is that Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol fame recently put together a compilation of his favourite songs on a CD called 'The Trip', mostly obscure songs at that. It can also be a chance to show off how indie you really are (although I discourage all notions of pretentiousness). So i featured a few bands off 'The Trip' including Four Tet and Secret Machines.

The mix tape: The epitome of indie rock romance

And for the most exciting part: REM played on Sunday night at Rod Laver Arena and apparently blew the minds of excited audience members who managed to grab setlists ;) Fantastic. And Bright Eyes, who supported, also played a gig at Melbourne's Prince of Wales last night, and OMG, left me and everyone else speechless. The boy looked like he was going to burst into tears at some points, his fragile voice so so amazing! Mostly a mellow set, he didn't stray too far from the new album 'I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning' but 'Lua' and 'Landlocked Blues' nearly made me cry! He also got suitably drunk by the end, although the slurred words, half closed eyes and unco-ordinated movements could have been all part of that brilliant act. Magical night!

Post a messge, you read this you must post a message! Thanks for the lovely SMS's always puts a smile on my face. If you went to REM or Bright Eyes tell me what you thought!

Playlist for Monday 4th April:

Ryan Adams - This is it
Interpol - Obstacle 1
REM - Half a World Away
Bright Eyes - Something Vague
Bright Eyes - Lover I don't have to Love
The Shins - Pink Bullets
Keiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot
Collapsis - Be Silent my Everything
Something For Kate - Twenty Years
P.J. Harvey - To Bring you my Love
Secret Machines - Nowhere Again
Four Tet - Everything is Alright
Snow Patrol - Chocolate
Coldplay - Speed of Sound (live, new single!)
Infusion - The Careless Kind
The Chemical Brothers - The Boxer
Doves - Snowden
Bloc Party - Positive Tension
Rufus Wainwright - Across the Universe (original by The Beatles)

Week Six

2005-03-29T20:13:00.000-08:00

It was a pretty big show this week, one I was quite excited about. I aired my first interview for the show with Ben Nash, the singer and guitarist for Sydney band 78 Saab. We chatted about the new album 'Crossed Lines', the long delay between the release of their first album 'Picture a hum, can't hear a sound' and 'Crossed Lines' and of course, the uncontrollable force that is the media. 78 Saab recently featured in Andrew Bolt's column, a journalist for Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper. Bolt wrote about the recent riots in Sydney and correlates bands like 78 Saab, who he described as living out the irresponsible drunken rockstar cliche, with such events. Obviously Ben didn't appreciate the bizarre correlation but took it on the chin, concluding that once a band's songs and quotes are out there it's all public property. Ultimately they gained more exposure through the article and provided some interesting interview banter! Check the Oz Music Project website in the next couple of days to read my article on the interview! Thanks to Ben Nash.

Rockin the 'burbs: 78 Saab

I had a special segment for my little brother, Jake, the cool skater dude that lives in the room next door to mine. Finally he is started to appreciate the art that is muzak and I decided to celebrate this with Art Brut's very cool tune 'My Little Brother' just discovered rock and roll! Keep it up Jake, you'll soon be as pretentious as all the indie kids I know.

Happy Birthday to Elle, who turned 20 on the airwaves, this Tuesday 29th March. Of course Elle is the brains behind Music is my Radar (10-12 Monday nights), a very cool indie show that everyone needs to tune in to. Hope you liked my Beatles loving.

Playlist for Monday 28th march:

Bluebottle Kiss - Return to the city of folded arms
The Bravery - An honest mistake
Low - California
Moving Units - Available
78 Saab - Like it was before
78 Saab - Beat of your drum
Art Brut - My little brother
The Killers - Mr Brightside
The Mountain Goats - Palmcorder Yajna
Nations by the River - Boy
78 Saab - All a Lie
The Beatles - Birthday
Red Jezebel - Joyful Possibility
78 Saab - Cops
Afghan Whigs - Fountain and Fairfax
Iron and Wine - Such Great Heights (original by The Postal Service)

Dis-Belief

2005-03-25T13:45:00.000-08:00

belief=function=belief is show of the week on SYN! Wow, quite a shock to the system! Thanks to everyone who listens and all those at SYN. Perhaps it has something to do with Andrew Bolt being discussed by the less than impressed Ben Nash from 78 Saab, which will be aired this Monday 28th March. Don't miss it! If you do you could miss witnessing the point at which SYN is edited into Andrew Bolt's upcoming column in the Herald Sun! Catch you on the airwaves this Monday.

Week Five

2005-03-22T19:30:00.000-08:00

Wow, had so much fun this week! Thank you so much Simon, the people's poet, and my lovely guest programmer on the show. It was good to break up my voice a bit with his random, poetic thoughts. Apologies for playing the wrong REM track, however, I think it worked out to Simon's advantage as we consequently had a back to back session of his favourite band. I enjoyed myself immensely and you're welcome to come back anytime Simon!

The People's Poet

Also, special thanks to Bianca, who sat in the studio to observe the fine art of radio programming, for her support, laughter and authority over the SMS page. Thanks to all those who SMSed in! It's always lovely getting SMS...

Big show next week! I am airing an interview I had with Ben Nash, the singer/guitarist from Sydney band 78 Saab. We chat about the release of their new album, Crossed Lines, the media and what a 'stooge' Andrew Bolt is! Be sure to tune in next week!

Playlist for Monday 21st March:

The Rapture - Olio
This is your life (Fight Club Soundtrack)
Hot Hot Heat - Bandages
Johnny Cash - What is truth?
Belle and Sebastian - Step into my office, baby
Brian Johnstown Massacre - All around you
Tom Waits - The piano has been drinking (not me)
Youth Group - Booth Street
The Fragments - You saw me fall
Dirty Three - Red
Built to Spill - I would hurt a fly
Sleepy Jackson - You've got no more days left
Dios Malos - You got me all wrong
REM - Begin the begin
REM - The Flowers of Guatemala
The Postal Service - We will become silhouettes
You Am I - Ordinary
The Dandy Warhols - Good Morning
Radiohead - Sunday Bloody Sunday (original by U2)

Week Four

2005-03-15T18:09:00.000-08:00

"I love pretentious music!"

Wow, The Black Keys officially rock my world! Seeing them last Thursday night put me in a real 70s good old rock n roll music mind frame. They sound so gritty and raw and so much energy exchanged between the two guys. Amazing show, and I scored an awesome t-shirt and three badges! Merch always sucks me in. So in light of being gobsmakced by how good The Black Keys were, I decided to put a bit of a 70s slant on the show with a retrospective (dedicated to none other than my Uncle Stan;) of great old school artists. It was very difficult to choose a couple of bands from back then cos my god, how many there were! Nonetheless, I narrowed it down to three songs I have been obsessed with in some point in my life: David Bowie's Rebel, Rebel (love that riff), Pink Floyd's Wish you were here and The Kinks LoLa. Had a lot of fun with this segment. Of course I ended the show with The Black Keys cover of a Kinks song: Act Nice and Gentle.

David Bowie at his glam rock best

The hype surrounding The Arcade Fire did not get the better of them. I think the album 'Funeral' is fantastic. It seems these days that every new band that comes out of a buzz city (like Montreal for example) gets loaded with hype. And it's bad cos it will ultimately set you up for disappointment, unless they really do knock the wind out of you. Arcade Fire is a beautiful band, be sure to check them out. You can check out the review I aired at the bottom of this post. Don't like it? Well just post a comment or email me and we'll get talking!

I am really looking forward to next week! My lovely friend Simon is coming into the studio to guest program with me, and he has exceptional music taste. I won't give away any secrets of what he will be airing but I can guarantee it will be a great show! As such the album review segment will be put aside for a week so we can squash in as many tunes as possible!

Thanks for the SMS and lovely emails. it's great getting feedback. Thanks particularly to David who emailed me, you'll be hearing some Postal Service next week, unless I can get my hands on the great cover song that was suggested.

Right now, it's off to watch Modest Mouse on the OC!

Playlist for Monday 14th March:

Placebo - Bulletproof cupid
The Departure - Be my enemy
Kings of Leon - Taper jean girl
The Mess Hall - Lock and Load
Modest Mouse - Float On
Interpol - Evil
Radiohead - Idioteque
David Bowie - Rebel, Rebel
Pink Floyd - Wish you were here
The Kinks - LoLa
Stereophonics - Dakota
P.J. Harvey - The whores hustle and the hustlers whore
Arcade Fire - Neighborhood 1 (Tunnels)
Gerling - Blood on the microphone (part 1)
TV on the Radio - King Eternal
78 Saab - No Illusions
Augie March - The Good Gardner (On how he fell)
Sparklehorse - Comfort Me
The Black Keys - Act Nice and Gentle (original by The Kinks)

Album Review: Arcade Fire - Funeral

Funerals are bleak, desolate affairs, faces dressed in gloom and bodies groomed in black. They are not events to keep bottled away forever hidden in the depths of your heart. The Arcade Fire’s debut album is marked with death: two of the band member’s grandparents passed away and a third member’s aunty died. As such, they use their debut album as a catharsis for the pain. Strangely, it’s not altogether depressing, but more uplifting; an epic reaffirmation of life itself.

‘Funerals’ has a recurring theme of the neighborhood, as four songs have neighborhood in their title while there are allusions to it in others. Just like a neighborhood is spread with a diversity of people, this record takes you through a multiplicity of sounds; from gorgeous pop leanings to intense, power stricken guitars, accompanied by a small orchestra the whole way. Although ‘Funeral’ is wholeheartedly vibrant and inspiring, there is always an ominous current rumbling under the surface, threatening to smother. The beauty of the Arcade fire is that they never succumb to the dark side, and as such there is a sense of ordered chaos in the songs.

Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) opens the album with intricate piano and builds into a euphoric tale of two loved ones escaping from their snow covered neighborhood to live in their own isolated world, as memories of parents and bedrooms begin to fade. Neighborhood #2 (Laika) throws a piano accordion in the mix, sounding like something coming from a café in a street in Paris. Une Annee sans lumiere, and Crown of Love are slightly subdued and controlled, they beg for an emotional outbreak and do so unpredictably. Crown of Love is reminiscent of Bright Eyes, both musically and lyrically. The song boasts a lethargic melody, before it turns into an intense orchestral showdown, as singer Win Butler laments a lost love with lyrics like “If you want me/Please forgive me/The crown of love has fallen from me”. Wake Up keeps the despairing theme, with hearts filled with nothing, but there is an elated choir singing a heavenly, wordless chorus.

Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) charges out of its cage with a dynamic drum beat and Butler’s shrill voice proclaims that the “power is out in the heart of man”, begging you “to take it from your heart, put it in your hand”. A melodic xylophone taps throughout the song, making it the most striking by far. The lyrics are marked with a sense of urgency, as they are with all the songs on ‘Funeral’ and you get the sense that Arcade Fire feel that the heart of man is corrupt. But there is always that sense of hope inherent throughout the whole record.

The Arcade Fire give a whole new definition to heartfelt emotion. The music is a welcome assault on the senses, affected your ever-changing mood throughout this 48 minutes. Sometimes it even feels like your floating above the clouds, ascending into somewhere so glorious where such beautiful music can exist. The songs are dripping with emotions and you know it runs through their veins and they succeed in injecting some into your own.

Week Three

2005-03-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

"world, the time has come to...push the button"

And push the button I did, thanks to The Chemical Brothers and 'Galvanise'. I just love this song so much, and like I said it's very uncharacteristic of me to play this sort of track on the show, but what a great opener! Really enjoyed myself this week. I played a whole bunch of new tracks from Bloc Party , The Kills and Kaiser Chiefs, who are getting heaps of press over in the UK, another 'buzz' band perhaps. Bloc Party's new album 'Silent Alarm' is fantastic, got some gorgeous tracks on it, and i just love the drums/percussion, so original.

There's so much happening this Thursday night! Of course The Black Keys kick off their 3 shows tomorrow night at The Corner and continue till Friday. Thursday night is what my ticket has printed on it, but have to say I'm disappointed I chose the middle show, as Paul Dempsey from Something For Kate is playing a rare solo gig at The Northcote Social Club. Probably be trying some new tunes too! Oh, I'm so upset. I'll have to listen to one of the many bootlegs I have on the way to The Corner on Thursday night to satisfy my Something For Kate needs. Also, another Tsunami benefit conert is on at The Hifi bar, featuring Epicure, The Reservations, The Wellingtons and more. So you have no excuse to be sitting at home on Thursday night in Melbourne.

I aired my Doves album review from 'Some Cities', an exquisite UK album. Here's hoping they'll come down to our waters and tour it very soon. Next I think I will be doing The Arcade Fire's 'Funeral', another buzz band that I want to see actually live up to their hype.

Cover song was a great one: Ryan Adams with Wonderwall. He does it so beautifully, like he does everything really. I did hear tho, that when Liam Gallagher found out about the cover, he was so disgusted that he refused to play the song live again! Don't quote me on that one, I 'heard' it, cannot verify the facts though. Once again, post a suggestion about future cover songs to end the show with!!

Thanks a lot to El, on Music is my Radar, for calling me up and having an on-air live discussion about the brilliant Dears show last Wednesday night, something that I saved $40 on cos she got on the doorlist and I was her very special guest! Pretty much all I had to say was that it was a great show, and Murry is a very enigmatic frontman, and the bassist is very cute! Oh, and band's should play their back catalogue dammit!

Possible interview with 78 Saab coming up!

Playlist for Monday 7th March:

The Chemical Brothers - Galvanise
Maximo Park - The coast is always changing
The Music - Freedom Fighters
Bloc Party - So here we are
The Kills - The good ones
Kaiser Chiefs - Oh my god
The Faint - Desperate Guys
Phoenix - Run, run, run
The Black Keys - 10 AM Automatic
Something For Kate - Big screen television
Epicure - So Broken
Flamingo Crash - Yes? Yes? Yes?
Doves - Walk in fire
Dan Brodie - The Player
The Sleepy Jackson - Rain falls for wind
My Disco - Inhaler
Elbow - Red
Ryan Adams - Wonderwall (original by Oasis)

Album Review: Doves - 'Some Cities'

The first two albums by Manchester trio Doves contain some pearler tracks, but somehow the ambience generated throughout the music clouded the songs and many tracks just seemed to be fillers between the outstanding ones. Fortunately, the third album by Doves, entitled ‘Some Cities’, is much more consistent, with richly textured songs that are foreboding, yet altogether beautiful.

The songs on ‘Some Cities’ are still soaked in sparse atmospherics but they do not drown the music. Instead, catchy guitar hooks and the trademark Doves thumping drum beat are prominent and uplifting. The opening title track has a sense of urgency, with an insistent drum rhythm and melodic, joyful guitar, the song keeps building as each verse travels by. Second track and first single ‘Black and White Town’ keeps the beat up, the drums pounding over a simple soul strutting piano, with effects bursting randomly. Lyrics like "In satellite towns/There's no color and no sound" depict the dull life of living in the cities for these Manchester lads.

Doves music is often streaked with a darkness and anxiety, created by haunting atmospheres underlying the songs. Some Cities is no exception. ‘The Storm’ is surrounded by subtle orchestration, while final song Ambition is engulfed with eerie soundscapes. Jimi Goodwin’s voice, while not being the main attraction in the Doves music, has a dreary, melancholy feel, which adds to this slightly apprehensive mood the Doves create.

‘Snowden’ incorporates a divine angelic choir in an otherwise wordless chorus, easily sweeping you off your feet with driving guitar melodies. ‘Walk in Fire’ is reminiscent of the Doves previous album ‘Last Broadcast’ and is easily the most exquisite track on the album. It begins solitary and refined, gradually gaining momentum and the sonic guitar lick popping up here and there is the small gem in the song.

‘Some cities’ is bursting at the seams with intricate arrangements and rhythmic, pounding drum beats, keeping with the classic Doves sound. But altogether it is a progression of Lost Souls and The Last Broadcast, an album that is much more direct and focused.

Week Two

2005-02-22T22:50:00.000-08:00

Second week back and it just keeps getting better! The show this week was a major Bright Eyes fest. I took the time to freely indulge in the genius that is Conor Oberst, reviewing and selecting tracks from his two new albums, released simultaneously, 'I'm Wide Awake, it's Morning' and 'Digital Ash in a Digital Urn'. He is such an enigmatic guy; obscure, indulgent and always pretentious but he very cleverly gets away with it. These two albums add to the rather large collection of LPs, EPs and collaborations with other artists such as Son, Ambulance. Could anyone pick up the major Bob Dylan influence in 'I'm Wide Awake, it's Morning'? Just to add, the guy is gorgeous and has one of the best haircuts in indie rock. Check out the review at the bottom of this post.

Thought I'd look at some musical issues, not too seriously of course, but I briefly talked about...

The 'sellout'. I know it's talked about a lot but it's a big deal with indie music. I used to hate it when a band I loved started to gain a lot of momentum in the press and then what seems like overnight exploding onto everyone's radio. Ah, I could no longer claim them my own little treasure and risked being labelled pretentious if I insisted I loved them before they got big. So what do you do? Diss them? Put them in the back of your CD collection and pretend you never liked them? It took me a while to realise that this is stupid, as good music is good music, it doesn't change because the band gains a lot more fans. Of course, the band can get sucked into the fame machine, at which point you have to re-evaluate their integrity. But hey, Brandon Flower's was voted sexiest man alive in the NME music awards and The Killers still kick arse (of course we have to wait for new material...).

Originlity in music - does it exist these days? Have we exhausted our musical limits? Wolfmother are an Aussie band who pretty much sound like a reincarnation of Black Sabbath, particularly the vocals which sound uncannily like Ozzy Osborne's. I think they sound great, but are they credible if they sound exactly like what was happening 30 years ago? This has been argued a lot now, what with the whole garage rock revival, with bands like Jet.

Ok, so enough music philosophising. Something to get excited about this week is The Dears gig tomorrow night at Melbourne's Prince of Wales. It should definately be a show to remember. A band I can claim I did know before they hit commercial radio! Also listen out for the Doves review on my next show. Cover song last night was by The Futureheads , who gave us Kate Bush's 'Hounds of Love'. Bluebottle Kiss also did this song on their 'Tapdancing on the Titanic' EP, something worth checking out. Any suggestions for cover songs, email me!

Playlist for Monday 28th Feb:

Kasabian - Club Foot
Death Cab For Cutie - We Laugh Indoors
Mexico City - No Sympathy
The Killers - Jenny Was a Friend of Mine
Bluebottle Kiss - Everything Begins and Ends at Exactly the Right Time
Bright Eyes - Landlocked Blues
The Arcade Fire - Neighbourhood Part 3 (Power Cut)
The Cure - Pictures of You
Love Outside Andormeda - Gonna Try and be a Girl
Wolfmother - Dimension
The Walkmen - Little House of Savages
American Analog Set - Hard to Find
Young Heart Attack - Tommy Shots
Bright Eyes - Easy/Lucky/Free
Elliott Smith - Let's Get Lost
The Dears - Lost in the Plot
The Futureheads - Hounds of Love (original by Kate Bush)

Bright Eyes Album Reviews:

The voice of Conor Oberst, the enigmatic genius behind Bright Eyes, is one of intrigue, both in terms of its fragile, heartfelt delivery and the magnificent words that pour out in storytelling mode. The 24 year old indie rock veteran has been writing poignant songs since he was 13 and as such has often been labeled as rock’s boy genius. His releases are often obscure and impenetrable to the impatient listener, but for those persistent enough, Oberst’s voice is like an addictive drug that will reduce you to tears in no time.

The first of the two simultaneously released records is ‘I’m wide Awake, it’s Morning’. After listening to this country flavored acoustic offering it is no wonder why Oberst has been called the contemporary Bob Dylan. Often he simply strings an acoustic guitar and belts out a story in what seems like whatever words pop into his head at that instant. ‘Landlocked Blues’ sounds like early Dylan; lengthy verses over a simple, yet captivating, acoustic guitar. It is the simple songs, featuring Oberst and his lovelorn guitar, that are the most effective.

Then there are the songs with a laidback melancholic country feel. The blissful piano and the all too familiar slide guitar feature throughout ‘I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning’. ‘Another Travelin’ Song’ is more upbeat, with playful drumming and Oberst’s stream of consciousness like singing. At times he tries to pack in as many words into one sentence as he can, but he never sounds clumsy.

Oberst is a true wordsmith. He will touch your heart with lyrics about driving all night to meet someone in the morning all the while making acute observations about everyday life, like an overflowing ashtray. His voice is delicate and brittle, at times shaking under the weight of the emotion pouring out. Just when you think he’s going to falter the music bursts and his tremoring voice rises above it all. It is made all the more heartfelt with the help of Emmylou Harris’ subtle harmonies. His images are evocative and empathetic. Take a sample from ‘Poison Oak’ which reads “Now I’m drunk as hell on a piano bench and when I press the keys it all gets reversed. The sound of loneliness makes me happier”. Oberst’s records are often very indulgent and lengthy but I feel that ‘I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning’ is almost flawless; the songs are more stripped back in comparison to pervious releases, the record is succinct and by the time the final, most intense tune ‘Road to Joy’ rolls around, it leaves you wanting more. This is Oberst’s best acoustic pieces to date; sincere and always passionate.

‘Digital Ash in a Digital Urn’ is more of a challenge to listen to and is ‘Wide Awakes’ polar opposite. Here is more of a self-conscious studio experiment. It’s constructed of robotic beats and drum loops, dressed in sonic sounds and ambience. The orchestral element that enters many of Oberst’s songs is stripped away in ‘Wide Awake’ but is welcomed back in ‘Digital Ash’. The result is a claustrophobic, moody, electronic record.

Many of Oberst’s opening songs are strange choices to begin a record with. They can be long winded and repetitive and first song ‘Time Code’ from ‘Digital Ash’ is no exception. It begins sparsely and is ambient, making for a very gradual build up before robotic drums kick in. Unfortunately, it’s not at all captivating. Track two, ‘Gold Mine Gutted’ is more redeeming, the keyboards creating a desolate mood. ‘Arc of Time’ is interesting; molding jittery drum loops with an acoustic guitar that has a slightly classical feel to it. ‘Take it Easy (Love Nothing)’ is a joy to listen to. Jimmy Tomborello of the Postal Service lends a hand in this first single, a band who Oberst takes inspiration from in this record.

The heartfelt emotion is still evident in Oberst’s voice but the music somewhat distances the listener from experiencing it completely. But there are certain lyrics that will once again, have you sighing with their sensitivity. “I feel like a piñata won’t u take a swing at me if you could just crack the shell open I think inside you would find something sweet”. In ‘Hit the Switch’ Oberst takes a good, hard look at himself and the drunken images are stark and painful.

‘Digital Ash’ is more excessive than ‘Wide Awake’ and some sequences can be a little repetitive. But aurally it is very interesting and Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs proves to be a worthy collaborator on five of the album tracks. Indulgent and pretentious as always, but only Conor Oberst could get away with it.

Week One

2005-02-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

Feels great to be back on the airwaves. Although I was rockin' by myself in the studio I had a lot of fun. Thanks to the guys who sms-ed me, I will definately be playing 'Little House of Savages' by The Walkmen next week for Hatman, glad you enjoyed it.

Played some new and exciting tunes on the show, including 'Skeleton' which is on the new Bloc Party album released yesterday (Feb 21st), got my dirty hands on a new Beck track called 'Que Onda Guero' off the new album 'Guero' released March 21st and 'Black and White Town' by Doves. I just heard that Doves will be releasing the new album 'Some Cities' this week in a very special package which includes the CD, bonus DVD and an exclusive poster packaged in a linen bound box. Sound's pretty special and I may be reviewing this one in the near future.

Which brings me to the album review: Hope everyone enjoyed listening to snippets from The Dears album 'No Cities Left'. If you want to argue or discuss what I thought about the album then don't be scared to post a comment. Of course if you don't want people reading it then try my email:

belieffunctionbelief@syn.org.au

You can read the review again at the bottom of this post. Next will probably be one (or two) of the Bright Eyes newies: 'I'm Wide Awake, it's Morning' and 'Digital Ash in a Digital Urn'. Of course the boy released two simultaneously; he's a pretentious indie rock kid! And God love him for it.

The Killers will be appearing on The O.C. tonight, playing a few tunes to the kids who are desperately trying to rekindle old flames. Ah Seth, you can have me any day.... From memory they don't play 'Somebody Told Me' - I thinks it's 'Mr Brightside' and 'Smile Like You Mean It' - refreshing if you ask me. Don't want to over do that brilliant song until it becomes not so brilliant and slightly irritating. That would be a tragedy. SO, The Killers will be blasting down my airwaves next week on the show.

Cover song suggestions are greatly appreciated. I am planning to end each show on a cover song and had some positive feedback of Something For Kate's haunting version of David Bowie's 'Ashes to Ashes'. Turned it upside down; it's stripped back and acoustic, no funked up beats 80s Bowie style.

Playlist for Monday Feb 21st:

The Shins - Kissing the Lipless
Ryan Adams - Afraid, Not Scared
The Devoted Few - Counting Cars
The Walkmen - The Rat
Cut Copy - Going Nowhere
Bloc Party - Skeleton
Doves - Black and White Town
Beck - Que Onda Guero
Death From Above 1979 - Little Girl
Radiohead - Just
The Dears - We Can Have It
Les Savy Fav - Je Taime
Ground Components - Crying Time
Sarah Blasko - Don't U Eva
Moving Units - Between Us and Them
The Rapture - House of Jealous Lovers
Something For Kate - Ashes to Ashes (original by David Bowie)

Album Review: The Dears - No Cities Left

The six darlings hailing from Montreal who call themselves The Dears have unleashed quite an emotionally charged epic, riding the scale from dark and brooding to well-crafted pop. ‘No Cities Left’ is melodramatic, ornate and has masterpiece written all over it, but somehow the songs are never over done. They have you gasping for breath but give you that exhilarating effect that makes you want to ride the roller coaster all over again.

The Dears echo past wailings of Britpop, most notably in singer Murray Lightburn’s doom ridden voice, reflecting The Smith’s enigmatic front man Morrissey. In each song there is the added drama of violins, which make the climatic build up in ‘Expect the Worst / Cos she’s a Tourist’ so intense, or a horn section, or smooth, jazzy elements that sweep ‘Warm and Sunny Days’ and ‘The Second Part’ in a velvety haze.

‘Lost in the Plot’ is the obvious choice for the first single and it is a sublime pop moment. Hooking you in with melancholic keyboards and soaring guitars the song is incessantly catchy. It bursts with intensity thanks to the painful wail of Lightburn’s voice, engulfing it in poignancy, yet somehow leaving you heartened, a case in point for the whole album.

The Dears don’t keep things predictable. The songs vary in pace or come to a complete change in style half way through. ‘Expect the worst / Cos she’s a tourist’ comes to an abrupt stop; the energy and vibrant mood now soaked in ambience and lethargy as it drifts slowly by. The same unpredictable changes can be said for ‘We Can Have It’ and ‘Postcard from Purgatory’, the albums 8 minute ominous masterpiece.

‘No Cities Left’ is no doubt indulgent and extravagant but even with an incredible amount of instruments and layering happening in each song it works so well. It’s haunting, sentimental pop that is completely endearing and not without charm. The notorious UK music mag NME may have claimed that The Dears are probably the best new band in the world right now and for once I think the hype may not be misplaced.

Ready, Set...GO!

2005-02-15T23:25:00.000-08:00

Welcome all. Having just attended the all important presenters meeting, I am getting quite excited about the show which starts this coming Monday the 21st of Feb. I am opening the indie nights which means that everyone should stayed tuned until at least 12am for the best night on radio ever and catch some great indie tunes on SYN. I do mean to be pretentious by creating this site, but I don't want to pretend I am the indie music master. I love it and I do have extensive knowledge on it, but probably not as much as some of you who are tuning in. So, comments and criticisms are greatly accepted. Just be prepared to cop the abuse back ;)

That said, this week I will have an album review on The Dears' debut 'No Cities Left' and will be continuing the 'feature album review' every week on the show. The Walkmen appeared on The O.C. tonight. What a delight. I'll be playing a song of theirs on the show that'll have you thinking of Seth Cohen in no time.

If you think you can't tune in cos you don't live in Melbourne, the best city in Australia, then head over to www.syn.org.au and they will get you connected; internet radio streaming. God loves technology.

So get your ears ready music lovers. Get Excited!