Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Everybody!

I'm going to be shutting the blog down over the Christmas Holidays and I'll resume posting in the new year. Let me take this opportunity to thank all the people who've helped me out, introduced me to their music and have been generally wonderful.

Wishing everybody all the best and hoping to see you all again next year!

Wipping Willow - Cerise

Cerise from TELEMAKFILMS on Vimeo.

Here's a short but visually and aurally pleasing clip from French Electro band Wipping Willow. Although this clip has no vocals and is mainly a synth piece, the band usually likes to mix sultry female vocals with New Orleans style Jazz while adding an electronica element, the result is a style of chilled out trip hop that you don't run into much but suprisingly it works, and works great.

Listen to more of the Wipping Willows at their Myspace page.

Happy Birthday Röyksopp!

Okay, so it's a little late. The anniversary of Röyksopp is actually on the December 15th and not today. As a special present, Röyksopp are celebrating by giving away a track off their next album. The track is available as a glorious 320 kps mp3 or as a wav (all 41.5 megs of it!).



Click here to go to Röyksopp's site and download "Happy Birthday".

First seen over at Face the Musik.

Check out some of Röyksopp's previous songs here.

Throwdown - Baby got Back

Throwdown are a straight edge metal band from California. I think their cover of Sir Mix-a-lot's Miami Bass style "Baby got Back" is hilarious.

Originally released in 1992 "Baby got Back" was soon to be imprinted on young minds around the world because of it's tongue in cheek, over the top nature. Throwdown's cover does the original justice, keeping it's heavy palm-muted bassline but giving it enough oomph to push it into a metal lover's frame of mind. Sure to put a smile on the face of anybody who was a teenager in the nineties.

Sam Geunjin Kang - Dreams

Wow. Just wow. This guy is great. I've never heard of Sam Geunjin Kang before but I wish I had. Perhaps Sam's singing could use some work but the bare bones for a very fruitful career as an acoustic pop star are all there. A luscious guitar melody drives the tune and the rap style spoken word verses give the song a freshness that keeps your head bopping along. Definitely an artist to keep an eye on for the future to come.



"Dreams" is on Sam's new album which is scheduled to be released this Friday December 19th. Times like this I wish I was in L.A.!

Check out Sam's Myspace page here.

If you liked this, you might like other Asian-American Acoustic pop artists like Goh Nakamura or Big Phony.

First seen over at Angry Asian Man.

Tracks that play for eternity

While rummaging through all my records a few weeks ago, I found 2 tracks that have a play time of "eternity". What does this mean? these tracks are ones found at the end of one side of a record where the last groove wraps around and connects with it self again. Provided that you leave the record player, it just keeps repeating whatever sound information is recorded there producing a track that never ends.



As you can see here, the third track of the A side of Josh Wink's "Don't Laugh" is called the eternity mix and the track time is infinity.



Another endless loop I found was while playing Rabbit in the Moon's "Phases of an Out of Body Experience". After phase 3, which is the second track on the A side of the disc, there is a locked groove that plays a nice refrain over and over. It bizarred me out because I hadn't realised it was an endless loop and it probably played for about 5 minutes until I worked it out!

For the vinyl collectors, Josh Wink's record was made in the thousands so it shouldn't be hard to get a hold of one. Phases of an Out of Body Experience on the other hand, due to it's popularity will make it a much harder record to find. Good luck digging in those bins! I found both of these records trawling through endless stacks of records in Tokyo.

Listen to some of Josh Wink's more recent tracks at his Myspace page.

Listen to OBE Out of Body Experience at Rabbit in the Moon's Myspace page.

Alternative Xmas presents for the vinyl head

If you're like me and not too keen to add more things to an already crowded world, here's some great ideas for Christmas gifts that involve recycling and are sure to excite your local vinyl nerd, or even friends or significant others of vinyl nerds.

Check out Shoestring to find great ways to give a new purpose to your old and unwanted vinyls.

Discovered via Nylvi

Solarstone - Seven Cities

The front runner and undisputed king of Balearic Trance anthems, the mark that Solarstone's 1999 hit "Seven Cities" has left on the Ibiza experience and on trance in general has been huge. The chilled guitar hook and soothing synth sounds put together a classic example of the dual nature of Balearic Trance, danceable yet chill enough to relax to at the same time. Perfect listening music for watching a sun come up or come down.

Connections part 2 Bob Dylan and Ministry

Originally written in 1969 for the "Midnight Cowboy" soundtrack but completed too late to included, "Lay Lady Lay" went on to be one of Bob Dylan's highest charting hit songs. It departed from what fans had expected in that Bob's voice was completely different to his previous songs. Bob credits the change to giving up cigarettes.



Fast forward to 1996 and many covers later, Ministry fashioned the song into a power chord driven metal tribute to the softly spoken original. What was Ministry's motivation in producing such an unexpected cover? Who knows really? Although it is hated by many, I always had a soft spot for it mainly because it comes from so far out in left field.

The Grates come full circle

I don't think I've ever seen a band having quite as much fun in a performance as The Grates - an indie rock trio from Brisbane. So much fun in fact, you couldn't be blamed for thinking vocalist Patience Hodgson is powered by red cordial. I don't think I've seen a clip of the band where she's not jumping around. Have a peek at the youtube clip below to get a feel for what their live performances are like.

Embedding disabled, click here for the clip.

They've come a long way since recording their first demo they recorded in a backyard garden shed in 2004. Their next big springboard to popularity came with their appearance at Big Day Out in 2006 and since then, it's been a steady series of local and international tours. Not hard to see why, their not so serious perkiness turns the cynic in you off and let's you get right into their energetically nonchalant tunes.

The Grates are hosting and choosing their favourite tracks for Rage this Saturday the 13th starting at 11.25 pm. It's pretty poignant since the band basically formed while the the three of them watched Rage one night. 2002 to 2008, Rage to Rage, big props to The Grates for a fun six years.

Watch a stream of Rage here. Unfortunately due to silly international copyright laws, our non-Australian brothers and sisters will have to miss out or if they're tech-savvy, use a proxy in order to watch it.

Hear more of The Grates at their Myspace page.

Playing for Change - stand by me

Playing for Change was originally a series of films that had the aim of empowering musicians and their communities around the world with access to educational programs and facilities. The first film explored music through the eyes of street musicians in the United States, the second film took the concept international with musicians from all over the world. The results are some awesome musical collaborations between large numbers of artists from many varied parts of the world. The awesome cover of "Stand by Me" above just brims with the input of so many different artists and styles, it sounds like no other version that's come before. Very inspirational, have a listen.

Goh Nakamura - Fall at Your Feet (Acoustic Crowded House cover)

Here's another great clip of Goh covering a classic song from a quintessential Aussie band, Crowded House.

Goh Nakamura - Just Like Heaven (Acoustic Cure cover)

I'm constantly blown away by how talented Goh is. In this cover, he's strumming the base chords, plucking the melody and singing the lyrics all at the same time!

Fat City Reprise - Long Gone

Fat City Reprise - Long Gone from Cesar Kuriyama on Vimeo.

Here's another clip like the one from Big Phony that was made with a bunch of photo stills and put together into one big long animated sequence. Although this clip directed by Cesar Kuriyama is technically better than the one by Charles Yi, there's something really creepy with the underage (or maybe she's just really skinny) girl and the stuffed toy that feels her up while she's sleeping. Artsy but disturbing is the way I would describe it.

Read more about how the clip was put together at Wired.

Infusion - Legacy (Junkie XL Remix)

Infusion are three guys from Melbourne and one of the biggest things to shake up the Australian dance music scene in the new millennium. Their releases on the Audiotherapy label and their remixes, most notably, the bootleg of Kate Bush's "Running up that Hill" are some of the most sought after by progressive trance DJs and collectors. A heavy, deep bassline and distorted, floating vocals are almost a signature in most of Infusion's tracks and these help to create the right mix of atmosphere and emotion without ever going too cheesy. Infusion are perhaps Australia's most classy electronic act and definitely worth checking out if you've never heard of them before.

Infusion are currently touring all around Australia playing at Homebake and Big Day Out. Check their Myspace page for details.

JS909 Drum Machine

Here's a fun little drum machine I found via Nylvi that's written in Java script. It has a very simple interface and it's quick and fun to put together some beats.

Click here to have a go.

Does it offend you, yeah? - Attack of the 60 ft Lesbian Octopus

With a track title like that, how can you not be partial to the song? Does it offend you, yeah? is a UK electro rock band that recently opened for NIN during their 2008 North American tour. Not afraid of including the synthesizer into their tracks, Does it offend you, yeah? has a nice eightie's synth and electric rock guitar driven sound that doesn't take itself too seriously.

To be honest, I used "Attack of the 60ft Lesbian Octopus" because it's got a great title but there's another track I quite like from from their first studio album "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into", have a listen to "Being bad feels pretty good" for a time tunnel trip back to growing up in the eighties.

Magic Dirt

One of Australia's most enduring bands with indie roots, Magic Dirt from Geelong has been around since 1992 and were a cult favourite of the alternative scene. Magic Dirt made the switch from their original dark brooding sound to a more accessible poppy sound post nineties with their third album, "What are Rockstars doing Today?". Triple J hammered the album's single "Dirty Jeans" and the band found a brand new generation of fans (me included). A big rift exists in the fan base with some preferring the mid-nineties darker sound and others preferring the post nineties pop sound. Have a listen and see what you think.



"Bodysnatcher" is a song from the 1996 album, "Friends in Danger" and is a good example of their earlier sound.



"Plastic Loveless Letter" from their 2004 album "Tough Love" makes for a great pop song with it's catchy hooks and crunchy guitar chords.

Which way do I go? Personally I prefer the earlier stuff and I wish I had discovered Magic Dirt earlier as the mid nineties albums are a bit hard to find now. Although they're not bad as a pop band (it doesn't hurt that Adalita is gorgeous), the rawer and shadowy sound of their earlier albums are the "magic" in Magic Dirt to me.

If you're in the Melbourne area around Christmas, then you're a lucky dog. See Magic Dirt perform live and for FREE. Pop over to their website for more details.

Big Phony - Girls like you don't go for guys like me

Big Phony - Girls Like You Don't Go For Guys Like Me from Charles Yi on Vimeo.

Here's a creative and original music clip for a song from New York based acoustic indie pop star Big Phony. The whole video is made up of stills and tells a really touching story (although it might be a bit emo for some). It's also a really good introduction into Big Phony's laid back and uncomplicated acoustic sound.

Check out Big Phony's blog here.

Listen to more tracks by Big Phony at his Myspace page.

Big props to Charles Yi for putting together a great clip.

If you like what you hear, Check out Goh Nakamura, another acoustic indie pop artist.

First seen by me over at Angryasianman.

The Invisible Cities - Regret

If Aimee Mann and Angie Hart were put into a blender and the result was able to be reconstituted into a living breathing human being, that person's voice would probably sound like lead vocalist, Sadie Contini's. Sadie's voice is both bold and intimate, emotive yet never shy, even in the louder, more rock orientated pieces the band has come up with over the years.

Sadie's just one part of the magic that are the Invisible Cities, long a corner stone of the indie pop scene from San Francisco. I was first introduced to them through the bonus tracks on Goh Nakamura's "Ulysses" album. They did a great cover of an earlier Goh track "At Ease" and their playful interpretation of it was what got me hooked.

It looks like a big year ahead in 2009 for the Invisible Cities, they're just about to wrap up and release their second studio album. Stay tuned for more updates about this vibrant indie band.

Check out their subdued and very heartfelt cover of New Order's "Regret".



Right click and save here to download an mp3 of "Regret".

Click here to visit the Invisible Cities web page.

Listen and download more of their tracks here.

Check out their Myspace page.

Gurrumul Yunupingu - Djarimirri

Inspirational. No other words come to my mind when I think of Gurrumul Yunupingu. Born blind and hailing from Australia's North East Arnhemland (it's in the very northern part of the bit that looks like a flat iron, not the pointy part that's called Far North Queensland), Gurrumul sings in his native Yolgnu language, and what beautiful singing it is. At this year's ARIAs, also known as the Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards, Gurrumul was nominated for four awards and ended up taking home the awards for Best World Music Album and Best Independent Release. He counts Elton John and Bjork among his many fans and it's easy to see why when you hear him perform. His gentle guitar and strings accompany perfectly with his beautiful and vibrant voice which sings longingly about his homeland. Truly inspirational.

Click here for an article about a performance Gurrumul did yesterday in support of the Reconciliation Action Plan.

Read more about the Reconciliation Action Plan here.

Listen to more of Gurrumul's tracks at his Myspace page.

If you like what you hear, please vote for Gurrumul at this year's The Age EG awards by clicking here.

Buy Gurrumul's debut album here.

19 - あの紙ヒコーキくもり空わって (Ano Kamihikoki Kumori-zora Watte)

19, pronounced juuku, was an insanely popular acoustic pop duo around the millennium in Japan, and this track from their "Ongaku" album is probably their most famous. This song holds special memories for me. When I was a assistant teacher at a junior high school in Nagano, a band I formed with a bunch of year 10 students covered this song, including the harmonica solo near the end, at their graduation ceremony. Fifteen years old and already talented musicians, I was really proud to have played with them.

Anyway, one of the better acoustic pop songs to come out of Japan.

If you like what you hear, check out Goh Nakamura, another acoustic pop artist.