Thursday 27 November 2008

Lights In the Sky: HD

You may have already seen snippets of the Nine Inch Nails Lights In The Sky tour as captured in cheap mobile phone videos, in stunning still images and behind the scenes. Now we recommend you check out this high definition video promo clip for the tour - Awesome.
Forget Twilight or Chinese Geography or 808s and Constipates or whatever else you may be wasting your time on...
- Reads the latest post on nin.com

Seems the band’s official website is aiming to gather up and catalogue all the NIN content on the web into the ultimate fan generated database.

Can’t wait to see what Aussie fans add when the band tours in February.

Solo Chip

Rubbed Out, the debut solo album from the spectacled Hot Chip front man Alexis Taylor, is very much an album of two halves. The first contains a beautiful collection of tender ballads while the second seems to be an odds and sods of unfinished half ideas.

Fireworks, Rubbed Out’s looping static filled opener, is followed by Plastic Man where Taylor spills his heart out, singing delicately with only a synth organ masking his frailties. Paul McCartney cover Coming Up is equally delicate, though this time the organ is replaced with a sparsely strummed electric guitar. The overall effect is totally different, showing the singer’s strengths rather than human weaknesses.

Baby and Girl are more upbeat groove driven pleas to lovers current and future, while I Thought This Was Ours is another slow love lost ballad.

I’m Not A Robber is a highlight and the closest Rubbed Out gets to the feeling of Taylor’s regular band.

Taylor has said that Rubbed Out was "tailored in places, planes, hotel rooms and at home". It is from Collector’s Item onwards that the disparity of recording environments is felt, nothing really stands out nor does it fit together.

On a whole Rubbed Out could have been released as a brilliant EP; rather, it is half a good album.

Sunday 23 November 2008

Placebo to make live comeback at 12th century temple

Placebo are scheduled to headline a historic concert at the Angkor Wat site in Cambodia, they hope the performance will raise awareness and increase prevention of Human Trafficking.

The MTV EXIT concert on December 7th will be the bands first show in over a year and their first with new drummer Steve Forrest.

Other acts on the bill include Duncan Sheik, Kate Miller-Heidke, and some of Cambodia’s biggest recording artists.

The MTV Exit campaign has been running for a number of years, notable artists to lend their support have been R.E.M. and Radiohead.

Thursday 20 November 2008

Radiohead’s In Rainbows tour: While there is life there is hope.

We all thought the chances of seeing Radiohead play In Rainbows in Australia had ended when the band played their last shows of the year in Tokyo.

But this week the band have started slow leaking dates for the In Rainbows 2009 tour while they are not particularly close to 'Our Land Girt By Sea', the South American dates do show that the band is still thinking of their worldwide fan base.

Cross your fingers, and watch this (dead air) space.

Folk Chip

Following their successful UK tour Hot Chip are teaming up with beardy folk legend Robert Wyatt for a new EP.

The release will consist of Wyatt’s reworking of three Hot Chip tracks: Made In The Dark, Whistle For Will and We're Looking For A Lot Of Love as well a new version of One Pure Thought as remixed by Geese.

The EP will be available on the band's website from December 15th and it will be free.

Wednesday 19 November 2008

The Roots Love Your Family

If the rumours are to be believed US hip hop band The Roots are taking a break from touring to become the resident house band on US talk show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

In other The Roots/television news, this week the group appeared on children’s program Yo Gabba Gabba! they performed Lovely, Love My Family wearing nothing but smiles, sunshine, and primary colours (plus a little black just to keep up the cool image).



Those unfamiliar with Yo Gabba Gabba! might be surprised to hear that previous guests have included Datarock, Rhys Darby, The Shins, The Ting Tings, Jimmy Eat World, Hot Hot Heat and Mates of State. (more videos on fan site gabbafriends)

Early next year Bawley favourites MGMT are due to appear on the show dressed as space Vikings performing a song called Art Is Everywhere we will have to wait and see if it makes it into their live set when they tour Australia.

PS: If nothing else the internet was made for this

Saturday 15 November 2008

Live Review: MGMT, Birmingham Academy, 10/11/2008

Finding a car park near the Birmingham Academy is about as easy as finding Nelson’s Column in the Bermuda Triangle. Tonight night largely by accident, we succeed.

The venue is full to the rafters and by the time Violens (Vi-lenz) finish their set of instantly forgettable feedback drenched rock the 3000 strong crowd (inc. two thirds of the Bawley crew) are more than ready to see what all the fuss is about.

MGMT kick off their set with a rocking version of Weekend Wars, quickly followed by Pieces of What. The band are in a relaxed mood tonight, engaging in chilled out between song jams that continue for just a little too long.

In contrast with the bands relaxed mood, the crowd is hyped! Crowd surfer after crowd surfer tumble into the photo pit as the band stroll though The Youth and Future Reflections.

No doubt the Skins/Gossip Girl plugged singles Time To Pretend and Electric Feel get the biggest cheers, but for me it is the album tracks Of Moons, Birds & Monsters and 4th Dimensional Transition that provide the highlights. The rumbling drum fills and falsetto vocals on 4th Dimensional Transition are particularly satisfying.

Rolling Stone described Metanioa as a "14-minute opus, which ranges from Donovan-ish acid ballads to interstellar synth-powered dirges to falsetto-laden theatre rock." Tonight, it comes across as an admission that the band, having played every track of their debut album, needs just a few more songs to fill out a headline slot.

Closing the main set with the thunderous The Handshake, the band leave the stage to rapturous applause before returning seconds later for a sing-a-long karaoke version of Kids - Do, do, do, do, do, di, da, da, doo, doo ...

The Bawley crew leave happy and yes, with Kids stuck in our heads.

Do, do, do, do, do, di, da, da, doo, doo ...

A little good comes from accident involving Deftones bassist

Earlier this month Chi Cheng was involved in a car accident leaving the Deftones bassist in a coma. As he recovers in hospital Cheng’s mother and band mates have been using the bands blog to encourage fans and well wishers to do one good deed each day and to wear a seat belt.

In April 2008 the band started recording Eros the follow up to 2006’s Saturday Night Wrist with producer Terry Date.

Thursday 6 November 2008

Live Review: Hot Chip, Birmingham Academy, 29/10/2008

After a short drive up the M5 we find ourselves doing laps of Birmingham looking for a carpark close to the Carling Academy. We park in possibly the darkest/dodgiest carpark in all of the Midlands, but no time to waste - we are here to see Hot Chip.

Inside the venue, most of the large crowd are standing around the bar swilling hideous lager while chatting. Everything changes the when Max Tundra, a balding middle aged man dressed in a neckerchief and sports coat over white flannel pyjamas, walks on to the stage.

For close to 45 minutes Max Tundra is unstoppable, seemingly playing two, three, four songs at once while dancing manically and switching between toy instruments quicker than you can say “My First Xylophone”. It is totally insane, information overload, unlistenable but impossible not to love. Set highlights were Will Get Fooled Again, a tale of internet love and myspace etiquette, and closing song So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersen, Goodbye - yes, from the sound of music – Max Tundra was brilliant. Need more evidence of his insanity? How about a 700 word essay on leggings.

Headliners Hot Chip attract a diverse crowd but nu-rave, indie, dance, rock, and pop fans rise as one when they hear the slinky riff of set opener One Pure Thought, and the cheering doesn’t let up for a second as the band rush though Made In The Dark album tracks: Out At the Pictures, Bendable Poseable, Shake A Fist and Touch Too Much.

Over and Over proves to be just as nuts live as it is every week at your favourite indie nightclub, while new track Alley Cats is a different kind of repetitive, drilling its way into your head as you sway along. If this is where the new Hot Chip album is going, I very much look forward to its 2009 release.

The band’s current single Wrestlers is a guilty pleasure, but the cheesy R’n’B beat, the call response rap and the lame sexual innuendo is even more adorable when you can see that it is being sung by the nerdiest band on earth.

Finally, they play Made in the Dark highlight Four To The Floor as giant white balloons start spilling from the ceiling. The balloons are a great touch and serve as the perfect distraction while waiting for the inevitable encore.

Returning to the stage, the band burst the last of the balloons before playing My Piano and No Fit State. The set finishes proper with a swaying live version of Nothing Compares 2 U/In the Privacy of Our Love. The nu-ravers, indie kids, pop lovers, rockers and dance fiends all filter out, unanimous in their praise for the band.

Before heading off to see if the car is still in once piece, I get chatting with bass synth player Joe Goddard. All really I want to ask is “how did Hot Chip come to book Max Tundra?” But I already know the answer: “how could they not?!”

Wonderfully Crunchy Camera Phone Footage (most of) Wrestlers:

Wednesday 5 November 2008

Big Day Out Second Announcement: Prepare to be underwhelmed

Because Bawley loves talking about Big Day Out (and because every time we do, more people visit us), here's news of that much anticipated Second Announcement .

And let's hope you weren't holding your breath, because frankly, there's not much there. There's former SOAD frontman Serj Tankian, loveable electrogeeks Hot Chip, one-hit Cure wannabes Black Kids, and quite good rapper Lupe Fiasco.

And, give or take a Vines or a Holy Ghost, that's about it. Another weak announcement by a festival determined to play it safe.

Sydney Festival announcement comes tomorrow (and with it, the rest of the ATP lineup). Should be much better.

Tuesday 4 November 2008

Monday 3 November 2008

Sparkadia: This Boy's In Love - MP3 - Take 2

Everyone loves Sparkadia’s cover of This Boys In Love, so much so that our last post, a link to the mp3 has been pulled down.
Fight the power!
You can download the full triple j like a version session here or if you prefer to see the band you can watch last week’s triple j tv vodcast here (wmv, mp4)

Enjoy.

The 007 Best Bond Songs

Bond is back and so is the Bond theme song; Alicia Keys and Jack White have teamed up for the Quantum of Solace theme Another Way To Die. The collaboration is certainly better than You Know My Name the Chris Cornell performed Casino Royal theme song, but is it good enough to make Bawley’s 007 Best Bond Songs?
007. Nobody Does It BetterCarly Simon (1977, The Spy Who Loved Me)
006. Diamonds are Forever Shirley Bassey (1971, Diamonds are Forever)
005. A View To A KillDuran Duran (1985, A View to a Kill)
004. Live and Let DiePaul McCartney and Wings (1973, Live and Let Die)
003. You Only Live TwiceNancy Sinatra (1967, You Only Live Twice)
002. Goldfinger Shirley Bassey (1964, Goldfinger)
001. The James Bond ThemeJohn Barry/Monty Norman (1962, Dr. No – )
What do you think? Pour yourself a drink, and post your rebuttals.