Bawley (Hearts) 2011: Top 5 Concerts of the Year: Karen

5. Paul Kelly A-Z, The Playhouse, Canberra 28/01/2011

Kicking the year off with a tear-jerker before departing the country for 12 months. I can't remember where in the alphabet we landed at this show but The Playhouse was the perfect venue for an emotion filled show. Tears all around.

4. TV On The Radio, Metropolis, Montreal 17/04/2011

Beautiful show from one of Bawley's favourite bands.

3. CSS, Stereo, Glasgow 31/08/2011

I'm in love with Lovefoxxx. I met Lovefoxxx. She gave me a poster. I love Lovefoxxx.

2. The Cave Singers, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow 18/08/2011

So much energy, sweat and fun. These guys copped the old Glesga crowd in full swing and were ready to fight back with ferocity. Brilliant!

1. The Jezabels, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow 6/09/2011

My second Jezabels show for 2011 and they didn't disappoint. Possibly the friendliest band around, they had the famously hard-to-please King Tut's crowd lapping up their hits as well as throwing new tracks off Prisoner in too. Dark Storm is still my favourite.

Other highlights from the year include: C.W Stoneking in Edinburgh, Cut Copy in New York and Architecture in Helsinki in Paris.

Bawley (Hearts) 2011: Top 5 Concerts of the Year: Hummer

5. Jebediah, ANU Bar, Canberra 26/05/2011

Essentially a greatest hits show Jebediah put on a show that was far more fun that I care to admit.

4.Adalita and Amaya Laucirica, Transit Bar, Canberra, 14/04/2011

Adalita's headline performance was good but the night belonged to the brilliant Amaya Laucirica. Playing songs from her Early Summer album Amaya Laucirica silenced the crowd with fuzzy guitars and uplifting lyrics.

3. Deftones, UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney, 28/01/2011

With a powerful new record under their (still low ridding) belts Deftones put on a the kind of performace you expect from bands half their age. Equal parts brutal and beautiful Deftones proved once again that they are more than your average hard rock band. (full review)

2. The Cure: Reflections, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, 01/06/2011

Specially reformed line ups of The Cure playing their first three albums at the Sydney Opera House. This show was always going to be great. I could not have known it was also going to be a lot of fun. As expected the sound was perfect and the band faultless what was a surprise was how fresh and fun the near 30 year old music seemed. The Cure: Reflections was a massive event and massive fun. (full review)

1. Portishead, Harvest Festival, Parramatta, 13/11/2011

The loudest, quietest, most delicate and most physically assaulting show I attended all year was also the best. (full review)

Bawley (Hearts) 2011: Top 5 Albums of the Year: Hummer

5. SBTRK - SBTRK / Gil Scott Heron and Jamie xx - We're New Here / Radiohead - The King of Limbs Dubstep/post-dubstep/bass music/the wobble sound/whatever was everywhere in 2011. While the clubs and radio playlists focused on the abrasive bro-step sounds of Skrillex, Nero and Skream there was another set of dubstep artists that were doing something more interesting thing at the other end of the post dubstep spectrum. With more guest singers than a sewing machine convention the success of SBTRKT's debut record is in its cohesiveness. From the soulful Sampha to the poptastic Little Dragon SBTRKT manages to find the best in his collaborators. The record is full of downbeat electronic pop and I love it. On We're New Here Jamie xx chops combines, re-samples and remixes Gil Scott Heron's 2010 album I'm New Here. Coming just before Heron's death the album has the feel of a tribute, but a fearless tribute. Opening track I'm New Here is a highlight as is the gorgeous My Cloud and the hands in the air closer I'll Take Care of U. Using chopped up drum loops (Bloom) and reverb washed vocals (Feral) Radiohead showed that the tools of dubstep could be applied to interesting progressive rock music. The Oxford group further embrassed the genre inviting Jamie xx and SBTRKT (among others) to re-work tracks on the TKOL RMX 1234567 collection.

4. The Horrors - Skying The Horrors have continued progression from goth punks to dark romantic pop masters. Skying has the band trying their hand at the stadium music of the 80's. The Cure, Simple Minds, My Bloody Valentine all the references are checked but this is more than just a re-cast of what has gone before. Skying is a large sweeping beautiful re-imagination.

3. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake The album as modern war document. Inspired by the front line artists of wars past PJ Harvey drags her paint brush across the canvas of war touching on aggression, righteousness, loss and the deep dark red of blood. The albums graphic (I've seen soldiers fall like lumps of meat, blown and shot out beyond belief - The Words That Maketh Murder) and gloomy (There are no fields no trees, no blades of grass, just unhurried ghosts are there - Hanging In the Wire) lyrics are at odds with the inspiring at times pompous music. Let England Shake is supposedly not a protest album but an observation of wars past and commentary of conflicts present. It is also superb.

2. Bon Iver - Bon Iver Free from his broken heart/log cabin myth Justin Vernon and band have produced an expansive technology assisted (yes, auto-tune) album of love songs. Drawing on place names real and fictional for song titles Bon Iver takes you on a journey one love song (real and fictional) at a time.

1. TV On The Radio - Nine Types of Light Released just days before the death of bassist Gerard Smith Nine Types of Light is a strange TV On The Radio record. Minus the walls of static and subversive lyrics the Brooklyn band seem to be (almost) happy. The new positive agenda is set on opener Second Song made personal on You and then executed with soul on standout track Will Do. The sparse ballad Killer Crane completes the records subdued first half. Before New Cannonball Blues and Repetition increase the pace towards the stadium sized riffs of closer Caffeinated Consciousness. It took me a while to get into this positive version of TV On The Radio but the sheer number of repeat plays has revealed Nine Types Of Light; my favourite album of 2011.

Live Review: Harvest Festival, Parramatta Park, 13/11/2011

The threat of rain has passed and the sun is shining as I join the growing smug of hipsters heading across Sydney's West towards Parramatta Park and the inaugural Harvest Festival.

Entering the site through the arts area means a short tour of the spoken word, comedy and cat suit performance art stages before arriving at the Windmill stage and New Yorkers The Walkmen.

I am not all that familiar with The Walkmen and their choice to start the day with a low key ballad confused me. This pattern continued and I found their set to be nice enough but hard to get excited about.

Harvest Festival promoters had promised a more civilised festival experience - fewer crowds, shorter lines, better food and no under 18s. I sat in the field listening to PVT, pint of cider in one hand plate of Churrasco in the other, and believed they had succeeded.

TV On The Radio open with Halfway Home but the show doesn't feel like it really starts until the band play Caffeinated Consciousness. The crowd has woken up and will continue singing, dancing, cheering along for the remainder of the set. New songs Will Do and Repetition fit perfectly next to older favourites like Red Dress, Young Liars and Staring at the Sun. A TV On The Radio performance has a lot going on and if there can be any complaint it is that Tunde Adebimpe's vocals are sometimes lost in the wall of noise. There are certainly no complaints as everyone in the crowd loses their shit to set closer Wolf Like Me.

Watching Bright Eyes I am surprised how many of the songs I recognise. They are familiar but not fantastic, after spotting a nurse handing out free sunnyboys I move on.

The sun is still high in the sky when Mogwai take the stage. The daylight only seems to highlight the raw power of the band. Pity the other acts across the site as on song after pummelling song the Scottish prog rock group seem to get louder and louder.

In 2008 I missed seeing The National at Glastonbury due to a savage case of food poisoning. In January of this year I came down with whooping cough just days before their Enmore Theatre show. So after two previous attempts and three weeks of self imposed isolation (just in case) I finally get to see The National. The band starts with a stomping version of Anyone's Ghost before the brilliant Mistaken For Strangers gets everyone moving. Front man Berninger's lyrics are complex and full of double meaning but this thinking man's band still know how to have fun. The soaring Bloodbuzz Ohio very nearly carried the audience away. Fake Empire and Mr November had the whole hill dancing. The show ends with Berninger stranded in the crowd shouting the words to Terrible Love. It may have taken three attempts but The National were worth the wait.

45 minutes after their scheduled start time the Flaming Lips appear on stage. Wayne Coyne arrives inside a giant zorb and the rest of the band are birthed from the va-jay- jay of a large orange woman. But just because they are on stage it does not mean the Flaming Lips are ready to play any songs. First streamer cannons, then Wayne Coyne has to walk his zorb over the heads of the audience, then balloons then more streamers. Another ten minutes later the band start to play She Don't Use Jelly, cue more streamer cannons, more balloons and a big sing along. More streamers, balloons and The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song follows before I give up. The Flaming Lips live show has always had a great reputation but for me I would prefer less gimmicks and a few more songs.

Harvest festival had been great so far but the day was always going to be about Portishead. The earlier delays have pushed back the start of Portishead's show. Rather than dull the mood this delay builds on the already high pre-show expectations.

The Bristol group starts with Silence, the teasingly long intro has the band jamming for a good few minutes before we get the first taste of Beth Gibbons' perfect delicate vocals. Mysterons follows and it is one of the few times you hear the band use the samples and scratching of their early 90s material.

Beth Gibbons is a reluctant star - when she is not singing she hides in the darkness. The reticent singer is more than made up for by the video show. Not content with just projecting the on stage action onto the screens, Portishead use stage attached CCTV cameras, mirrors, VHS tapes and analog video processing tools to augment the live images with pulses, shadows and crazy animations.

Wondering Star is Portishead's most beautiful and fragile song. The whole audience falls silent as the band's minimal beat carefully supports the perfect delicate vocals. In contrast Machine Gun is the most assaulting live track I have heard all year. The crushing beat physically turns my stomach, the guitars buzz and synth drone induces paranoia while the laser eyed Tony Abbott projections add a layer of fear - just brilliant.

The guitar riff on tonight's version of Glory Box is superb, highlighting that this the band's defining song should be celebrated as more than dinner party background music.

The main set ends and the band leave the stage with a chaotic version of Threads, before returning for an encore of Roads and We Carry On. A brilliant end to a brilliant set on a brilliant day, more next year please.

V.ery I.mportant P.rotester: Kayne West joins the Occupy Wall Street movement

2012 Big Day Out head liner Kanye West marched with Occupy Wall Street protesters yesterday. Casually blended into the crowd Mr West wore heavy gold chains, Givenchy flannel, a diamond-encrusted watch and Louis Vuitton Jeans.

Kanye didn't have any words to say but in an exclusive report, egotripland.com uncovered the protest signs the everyman's man had planned to carry during the protest.

Egotripland.com:

Occupy Wall Street protesters got an unexpected visitor yesterday when rap superstar Kanye West made a brief surprise appearance at the demonstrations in lower Manhattan. Given the “Louis Vuitton Don’s” status as the petulant post

er child of flossy good living, and his reputation for self-absorption, West’s presence would seem directly at odds with OWS – which has fervently denounced corporate greed and the drastic inequities of wealth in this country. But in an exclusive investigative report, egotripland has uncovered the protest signs West had planned to carry during yesterday’s Occupy Wall Street protests.

See more of Yeezy's Occupy Wall Street protest signs and slogans at http://www.egotripland.com/kanye-occupy-wall-street-protest-signs/

The Beatles cover Smack My Bitch Up

This would have to be the most interesting thing The Beatles have done in years, also The Prodigy do Help!

Live Review: The Cure, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, 01/06/2011

Q: How big is the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall and just how far back are seats X45, 46, 47?

This is what I have been asking myself in the weeks since receiving tickets to The Cure: Reflections. On presenting our tickets at the door, the young usher smiles kindly and says "just keep going up" and we go up, up and up into the last three seats in the last row of this magnificent hall.

I need not have worried. The view from Row X is magnificent and from the moment the band starts their set, the sound is pitch perfect - loud, very loud, but without a hint of unwanted distortion.

Tonight's show was celebration of the bands beginnings: starting the show as a three piece (Simon Gallup on bass, Jason Cooper drums and of course Robert Smith vocals and guitar) the line up grows as they play their first three albums - Three Imaginary Boys, Seventeen Seconds and Faith - in full.

The problem with the Three Imaginary Boys album is that it was never very good - on the record the sound is thin and tinny, the lyrics weak and inconsequential. Tonight, live, the sound is full, the lyrics are still just as immature but are sung with an unexpected sense of fun. 10:15 Saturday Night, Grinding Halt and Fire in Cairo are the highlights and as the first set ends, Robert says "We forgot to play this last night" before recreating the original albums secret track - little more than an end of tape time filling jam known as The Weedy Burton.

Like a low hanging cloud the black clad masses drift out of the Concert Hall and into the Opera Bar. Balding goths mix with business men, pirates and corset bound vampresses all joined by their love of The Cure and a ticket to the hottest show in town.

Next, keyboardist Rodger O'Donnell joins the trio for Seventeen Seconds, the album that best captures the bands transition from a group following in the footsteps of post-punk to the band that has defined emotional gothic rock for the last 30 years. There are moments of great fun: the whole audience singing along to the keyboard riff on Play For Today, standing and dancing the long time live favourite A Forest, and the Happy Birthday Simon version of Three. Just as enjoyable but much darker are the live versions of M and Seventeen Seconds.

Another short break before the band return to the stage as a five piece with Lol Tolhurst joining for the Faith set. Tolhurst's keyboard playing and cymbal washes fill out the sound perfectly, recreating the dark dense moods of the Faith album. Primary is great as is All Cats Are Grey, but for me the highlight of the night so far is the big romantic wave of sound that is The Funeral Party.

After more than five minutes of applause and cheers for more, the band return for encore number one, early career b-sides World War and I'm Cold are great but the biggest cheers are saved for the classic singles Boy's Don't Cry, Killing An Arab and Jumping Someone Else's Train.

For encore number two, the band have moved forward a few years playing Decent, Splintered In The Head, Charlotte Sometimes and the gloomy as death The Hanging Garden.

After nearly four hours the band return for a third encore and this time they are ready for some fun: Let's Go To Bed is followed by the always popular The Walk, ending with The Lovecats.

No whater what seat you were in The Cure: Reflections was a massive event and massive fun.

Danger Beach - Apache

If you like this as much as I do you can get it on Danger Beach's 2010 album Milky Way; purchase ($7) or download (free) via Dream Damage.

Trent Reznor and Karen O cover Led Zeppelin

When I first heard 'they' were making Hollywood version of Stieg Larsson's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo staring Daniel Craig as Blomkvist, I cringed and swore that under no circumstances would I see the movie.

My resolve was softened when it was announced that the film is to be directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Seven, The Social Network) and the soundtrack was being worked on by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

Now this bootleg quality recording of the films trailer has won me over. The action sequences look awesome but it is the sound track that really excites me. Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Karen O teaming up to cover Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song, awesome.

Rumour has it that the preview is screening before The Hangover: Part 2, is this enough for me see a sequel to The Hangover - No.

THE CURE “REFLECTIONS” LIVE AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

After weeks of speculation Sydney Opera House have announced that the world’s most enduringly influential bands, The Cure will perform for Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House. Appearing onstage with a uniquely evolving line-up of band members past and present, The Cure “Reflections” will see the band perform their first three albums live, in their entirety, in an extraordinary concert experience exclusively for Vivid LIVE on May 31 and June 1.

Expect the shows to be filmed for a concert film to be released later in the year.

Live Review: Eat Skull, Slug Guts, The Phoenix, Canberra, 10/04/2011

On Sunday night the Phoenix hosted a massive bill of punk flavoured music.

The night starts early with local bands Killing Birds and Bad Lifers playing short sets before the self proclaimed tropical punk kings of Canberra The Fighting League take to the stage. The Fighting League have been playing around town for a few years now and while front man is still ridiculously self-assured, I think on tonight's performance their talent is starting to catch up to his confidence. More good things to come from these guys?

Slug Guts vocalist James Dalgleish - dressed in leather gloves, pants, and jacket (no shirt) with dark aviators and a moustache on his face - looks the every bit the filthy rock star. His drawling uninterpretable vocals are a perfect fit for the band's raw swampy sound. Raw and swampy should not be mistaken for poor and lazy - Slug Guts are a tight act, with slow heavy drumming backing up thick baselines and weaving guitar/saxophone rhythms. On paper it sounds like a disaster but they are good enough to pull it off.

The only criticism I have of Slug Guts is that, for the first time listener, their consistent sound makes it hard to distinguish one song from the next.

Finally Eat Skull arrive on stage, but are unwilling to start their set until those lounging on the back room couches stand up and give them their full attention. The couches are pushed to the corners of the room (you will never guess what I found under a couch at the phoenix - yuk) and everyone crams in at the front of the stage.

A snapped guitar string, some poor jokes and a few lame but loud heckles give the show a slow and shambolic start. This is not at all helped by the near constant flow of people over the stage, ducking behind the band and into the toilets. Once things do get going, the songs vary from the quick and catchy noise pop of Cooking Our Way To Be Happy and Don't Leave Me On The Speaker to stretched out psych-garage Happy Submarine.

Singer Rob Enbom's cartoon-like facial expressions are amusing but it is the wild ungainly percussion of Rod Meyer that demands the most attention. When Meyer is not banging his tambourine against a BBQ hot plate or hitting his drum sticks on an empty keg, he is downing shots and rolling around on the filthy floor. The show gets really loose when, during The Doors cover and rock standard Roadhouse Blues, the now sweat-drenched Meyer shoves his way into the audience to dance with, hug and rumble anyone (un)fortunate enough to get in his way. Everyone else steps back and sings a chaotic version of the "Roll Baby Roll" chorus.

At the end of this fun night, I leave the Phoenix with a dull ringing in my ears and a confused smile on my face.

Grinderman and The National make Record Store Day Evil

Today is a Record Store Day, an annual celebration of all that is good about wandering in to your local record store, rummaging through the racks, and coming away with something that you didn't even know you wanted.

In these times of poor sales and free downloads Record Store Day has also become a way for artists to promote, new or collectable releases.

2011 Record Store Day releases include new songs The Butcher and Supercollider from Radiohead, limited editions of Gorillaz iPad recorded album The Fall, a Flaming Lips box set, and a very special limited edition red glitter vinyl 12" from Grinderman. Its four tracks include the original album version of Evil, an early demo and two new remixes, the most excitingly of these has to be The Silver Alarm remix: a woozy remake of Evil featuring lead vocals from Matt Berninger of The National. Love It.

Listen Here

A more complete list of releases and the independent record stores that will be selling them can be found at http://www.recordstoreday.com, Australia, World Wide.

Live Review: Oh Mercy, Gossling, ANU Bar, Canberra, 06/04/2011

Back at the ANU Bar for another night of live Australian music - tonight, Gossling and Oh Mercy.

First up Gossling: playing solo, the Melbourne songstress with the muppet-esque voice had some good moments (a Snoop Dogg joke, and set closer I Was Young) but largely struggled to capture the attention of small talkative audience.

Oh Mercy's latest album Great Barrier Grief has been getting great reviews and a lot of radio play, naturally I was looking forward to hearing the songs live. The headliners started well, opening song Keith St had everyone singing along as they rushed from the bar back while Confessions kept toes tapping.

For the most part though, the show was a little flat - the songs were nice enough and the band seemed entirely likeable, but the room lacked any real energy. It was only when Gossling returned to stage to play keyboards on Lenard Cohen cover Memories that the show really came to life, sadly Memories was the last song of the night.

7% refrigerator magnet poetry

Earlier today I raved about the brilliant reviews by being published on @Discographies.

Tonight I find that the smarts behind that twitter feed have produced a mathematical explanation of Radiohead. Originally published in Rupert Murdoch's iPad only newspaper The Daily the infographic reveals what I have often suspected. Radiohead are 15% a nagging sense of unease and equal parts things that go "bleep" and things that go "skitterskitterskitter".

While I don't see a future in the iPad or newspapers published exclusively for it I do hope for a future in musical infographics. More please.

Get on Twitter, follow @Discographies

Are you sick of bloated album reviews written by bloggers with a first-rate thesaurus but nothing much to say?

Exhibit A:

Pitchfork's 19,995 word goodbye LCD Soundsystem review.

Maybe it is time to check out @Discographies. The largely anonymous micro-blogger summarises an artist's entire body of work in 140 characters or less: short to the point and hilariously accurate.

Exhibits B,C, D and E:

Katy Perry: 1 "Everyone ignored me at Karaoke Night...until I told them I was bi-curious." 2 "Then I bought a blue wig and push-up bra"

Radiohead: 1-7 "How could we ever grow weary of these timeless works of art?" 8 "Whatevs. We live-tweeted it three days ago. It's so over"

Metallica: 1-4 "Run! Run! A monstrous juggernaut is coming to kill us all!" 5 "It stopped! Why?" 6-9 "Choked to death on its own fumes"

Interpol: 1 Find an old photo of Joy Division. 2 Xerox the photo. 3 Draw the Xerox. 4 Stare at the drawing: you'll never get Closer.

Get on Twitter and follow @Discographies while you are there why not follow @BawleyMusicBlog.

Live Review: Dan Kelly and Gareth Liddiard, ANU Bar, Canberra, 23/03/2011

Arriving at the ANU, I am surprised to find a dozen plastic cafe tables arranged around the front of the stage. It soon becomes obvious that the bar staff are not running late in converting the room from student eatery to gig venue but that tonight is to be an intimate, sit-down show.

The last of the tables fill up as Dan Kelly arrives on stage starting his wonderful set with I Will Release Myself (Unto You) a song that with its self deprecating lines (The Lord did not give me, the skills to aim high/I'm not like Delta Goodrem born to try, I'm an uncomplicated guy... Uh, I'm struggling hard to spell my name, and honey you're such a brain) and loveable characters is the near perfect example of a Dan Kelly song.

Playing solo gives Kelly time to talk with the audience, he explains where each of his songs came from and what they are about. Proving he has no lack of imagination, these chats cover controlling hordes of ice addicts with classical music, wooing a lesbian couple to be his polygamist wife(s) and running away to an undersea post-apocalypse world lorded over by Bindi Irwin.

It is not all silliness. Drunk on Election Night came from frustration with our politicians and is tonight dedicated to Tony Abbott. The intent of this tribute is not lost on this audience as we all heartily sing the song's Cock-suck'n, Mother-fuck'n chorus.

The set finishes with Dan Kelly's Dream, a thick cloud of smoke machine fog settling above a classic rock guitar solo and the sound of chickens. This trip into Dan Kelly's mind has been weird but thoroughly enjoyable.

The bar queue has barely moved when Gareth Liddiard comes on stage. Tonight the Drones front man is playing songs from his recently released solo album Strange Tourist.

Like Kelly before him, Liddiard spends a lot time explaining the motivations and meaning behind his songs. Opener Blondin Makes an Omelette is inspired by the famed Niagara Falls tight-rope walker while Strange Tourist is a depressing tale that takes the listener to popular Japanese suicide spot the Aokigahara forest.

The serious subject material and stripped back song delivery makes much of Liddiard's set an intense experience. It is only during the faster, fuller Drones songs Shark Fin Blues and I Don't Ever Want To Change that we get a chance to tap our feet and relax.

The set ends with The Radicalisation of D a near spoken word story commenting on western society and how an ordinary middle class boy 'D' (David Hicks?) was driven to become the home grown terrorist. The last lines of the 30 minute epic: But now we interrupt this broadcast/To bring you breaking news/There is a building in Manhattan/And it's burning.

..INnnntense..

Extra, Extra

The CD version of Radiohead's latest album King of Limbs will be in shops on Monday the 28th March (Tuesday 29th US and Canada?). To help celebrate this occasion Radiohead have produced one off lefty newspaper titled The Universal Sigh.

Even better The Universal Sigh will be available (for free) at your favourite record store from midday on Monday 28th March 2011.

Website theuniversalsigh.com has been stood up to provide like minded fans an avenue for expression while extending the paper's life beyond the fish and chips shop.

Check http://www.theuniversalsigh.com/locations/ for a list of record shops that will be giving out copies of the paper.

The King Of Limbs out on Saturday

Radiohead have done another 'In Rainbows' except, this time, without the 'pay what you like' thing. Their new album is available for download from Saturday here , before coming out in novelty 'CD-and bits-you-don't-really-need' format, which ships on May 9. Oh, and the plain old CD version will be out in shops at the end of March, too.

What does it sound like? Nobody knows.....

Hottest 100 Numbers 101-200

Wondering where all the songs you voted for in the triple j hottest 100 went?

Richard Kingsmill has leaked numbers 101 - 200.

Sleigh Bells, LCD Soundsystem, Robyn, Grinderman, Janelle Monae this list is 101 times cooler than the top 100.

Here it is (Bawley 100 ranking in brackets):

200 ( 36 ) Delphic - Doubt

199 ( - ) The Holidays - Broken Bones

198 ( - ) The Subs - Mitsubitchi

197 ( - ) Weezer - Memories

196 ( - ) Clare Bowditch & The New Slang - Modern Day Addiction

195 ( - ) Dizzee Rascal - Dirtee Disco

194 ( 4 ) Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

193 ( - ) The Amity Affliction - Youngbloods

192 ( - ) Laura Marling - Devil's Spoke

191 ( - ) Deadmau5 & Wolfgang Gartner - Animal Rights

190 ( - ) Nicholas Roy - It's All My Fault

189 ( - ) Hungry Kids Of Hungary - Wristwatch

188 ( - ) Brandon Flowers - Crossfire

187 ( - ) Angus And Julia Stone - Black Crow

186 ( - ) Kanye West - Lost In The World {Ft. Bon Iver}

185 ( - ) The Cat Empire - Feeling's Gone

184 ( - ) Sally Seltmann - Harmony To My Heartbeat

183 ( - ) OK Go - This Too Shall Pass

182 ( - ) Miami Horror - Moon Theory

181 ( - ) Foals - This Orient

180 ( - ) Cee Lo Green - Bright Lights Bigger City

179 ( - ) Illy - The Chase {Ft. Olivier Daysoul}

178 ( - ) Regina Spektor - No Surprises {triple j Like A Version}

177 ( - ) Kanye West - Dark Fantasy

176 ( - ) Cold War Kids - Louder Than Ever

175 ( - ) Paul Kelly & Angus Stone - Four Seasons In One Day

174 ( - ) Bliss N Eso - Family Affair

173 ( 26 ) Janelle Monae - Tightrope {Ft. Big Boi}

172 ( - ) The Drums - Saddest Summer

171 ( - ) Bertie Blackman - Peek-A-Boo

170 ( 47 ) Yeasayer - Madder Red

169 ( 24 ) Cut Copy - Take Me Over

168 ( 9 ) Crystal Castles - Celestica

167 ( - ) Big Scary - Falling Away

166 ( - ) Local Natives - Airplanes

165 ( - ) Girl Talk - Down For The Count

164 ( - ) Wavves - King Of The Beach

163 ( - ) Lykke Li - Get Some

162 ( - ) Birds Of Tokyo - Circles

161 ( - ) Tame Impala - Alter Ego

160 ( - ) The Drums - Forever And Ever Amen

159 ( - ) 360 - Just Got Started {Ft. Pez}

158 ( - ) Daft Punk - Derezzed

157 ( - ) Sarah Blasko - Hold On My Heart {The Presets Remix}

156 ( - ) Marina & The Diamonds - Shampain

155 ( 78 ) The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

154 ( - ) Band Of Skulls - Death By Diamonds And Pearls

153 ( - ) British India - Beneath The Satellites

152 ( - ) Miami Horror - I Look To You {Ft. Kimbra}

151 ( - ) Darren Hanlon - All These Things

150 ( - ) Two Door Cinema Club - Come Back Home

149 ( 14 ) LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean

148 ( - ) Hilltop Hoods - Parade Of The Dead

147 ( - ) Dan Black - Symphonies {Ft. Kid Cudi}

146 ( - ) Gyroscope - Some Of The Places I Know

145 ( - ) Fyfe Dangerfield - When You Walk In The Room

144 ( - ) Bag Raiders - Snake Charmer

143 ( - ) Sia - Stop Trying

142 ( 30 ) Robyn - Dancing On My Own

141 ( - ) Gyroscope - What Do I Know About Pain?

140 ( 56 ) Cloud Control - Meditation Song #2 (Why, Oh Why)

139 ( - ) Angus And Julia Stone - For You

138 ( - ) Kanye West - All Of The Lights

137 ( - ) The Cat Empire - Falling

136 ( - ) My Chemical Romance - Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)

135 ( - ) Bluejuice - Work

134 ( - ) The Aston Shuffle - Your Love

133 ( - ) Lupe Fiasco - The Show Goes On

132 ( - ) LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls

131 ( - ) Sarah Blasko - Hey Ya! {triple j Like A Version}

130 ( - ) Ball Park Music - iFly

129 ( - ) The Amity Affliction - Anchors

128 ( - ) Best Coast - Boyfriend

127 ( - ) Gorillaz - Superfast Jellyfish {Ft. De La Soul & Gruff Rhys}

126 ( - ) Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - 40 Day Dream

125 ( - ) Kimbra - Settle Down

124 ( - ) John Butler Trio - Close To You

123 ( - ) K-Os - I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman

122 ( 83 ) Band Of Horses - Laredo

121 ( 37 ) Kele - Everything You Wanted

120 ( - ) Stonefield - Through The Clover

119 ( - ) Grinderman - Palaces Of Montezuma

118 ( 5 ) LCD Soundsystem - Home

117 ( - ) Washington - I Believe You Liar

116 ( 41 ) Kele - Tenderoni

115 ( - ) Ben Folds & Nick Hornby - From Above

114 ( - ) Katy B - Katy On A Mission

113 ( - ) British India - Avalanche

112 ( 87 ) The Chemical Brothers - Swoon

111 ( - ) Kings Of Leon - Pyro

110 ( - ) Grouplove - Colours

109 ( - ) Marina & The Diamonds - Mowgli's Road

108 ( - ) Cassius - I Love U So

107 ( - ) Kid Cudi, Rostam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend & Best Coast - All Summer

106 ( - ) Philadelphia Grand Jury - Save Our Town

105 ( - ) Kanye West - Power {Ft. Dwele}

104 ( - ) Caribou - Odessa

103 ( - ) Foals - Miami

102 ( - ) Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill

101 ( 98 ) M.I.A. - XXXO

Quiz: Can you guess the Lego album artwork?

Armed with a fist full of Lego, 21-year-old Aaron Savage has recreated his favourite album covers. Can you guess which artworks have had a Lego-over?

Take the quiz on the Guardian site ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/quiz/2011/feb/03/lego-album-artwork

A bonus for the Lego fans Michel Gondry's classic video for The White Stripes - Fell In Love With A Girl.

The making of is also neat (don't tell anyone but I think they cheated)

Non-Lego news you might have missed The White Stripes have called it a day full statement on http://www.whitestripes.com/

Live Review: Deftones, UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney, 28/01/2011

After catching up with old friends, sinking a few beers while getting a detailed run down of Tool's set from the previous night, I make my way to the UNSW Roundhouse.

I successfully negotiate security and enter the roundhouse, where I'm on The Drug (That Killed River Phoenix) is playing loud, really loud. No, T.I.S.M. have not made a comeback - support DJs The Only are spinning some big club beats mixed with classic shout-along tunes. The Only do seem a strange choice of opening act a metal show but the pair of DJs are successful keeping the under 18s occupied (while the 18+ crowd cram into the bar area at the back of the venue).

A long bar queue later and Deftones spring on to the stage, full of energy and anger. The largely chronological set starts with Adrenaline-era tracks Birthmark, Engine No. 9 and Nosebleed. In the time since I last time I saw Deftones (at Soundwave 2007) front man Chino Moreno has lost some serious kilos and gained a shock of energy - when not running around the stage he is scaling barriers and jumping from speaker stacks.

On bass, Sergio Vega is an adequate replacement for the still semi-comatose Chi Cheng. While Cheng is always missed, the only time I find Vega's performance lacking is when he tries to recreate Cheng's backing vocals (screams) on Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away) and My Own Summer (Shove It).

The band play a devastating version of Around The Fur before moving onto the more experimental sounds taken from their White Pony and self-titled albums. Hexagram and Bloody Cape set up the set's massive middle section with Minerva, Diamond Eyes, CMND/CTRL and Royal raising the roof.

Deftones have always swayed between beauty and brutality. Their ability to do this has much to do with Chino's vocals. The smooth Sextape is followed by the caustic Rocket Skates.

If the middle part of the set raised the roof, its climax - You've Seen The Butcher, Hole In The Earth, and Kimdracula - blow the roof right off.

The slower tracks Change (In The House of Flies) and Passenger give everyone a chance to catch breath before the set closes with Chino squealing like a pig on 7 Words.

Deftones have followed up their return to form album with a live show that is perhaps better than anything they have put together before.

(Doing The Sums 2010) Are You Joe Average?

The Bawley crew love (or is it love to hate) the triple j Hottest 100, which-ever. The only thing we love more than the Hottest 100 is our own (Doing the Sums) Are You Joe Average quiz. (see: 2007, 2008, Hottest 100 of all time, 2009)

Here is how it works:

1. Write out a list of the songs you voted for in the triplej Hottest 100.

2. Write down the position each of these came in the triplej Hottest 100

3. If a song did not make the list put down 101.

4. Add up the scores, and divide by the number of songs you voted for.

5. Post your results as a comment to this blog entry.

How to interpret your score:

1-13: Paint me a rainbow there must be lots of (Little) Red and (Cee-Lo) Green in your life.

14-27: Your Radar Detector is tuned to Austereo?

28-40: Very vanilla

41-52: "Here I am stuck in the middle with you"

53-65: Pretty pedestrian, but you probably have one weirdo friend who is rubbing off on you more than you realise.

66-77: Kinda quirky in a cute way.

78-89: Kinda quirky in a "slowly back away..." way.

90-100: You're a f***ing freak, man

101: Did you vote for songs, or flavours of ice cream????

The Bawley 100 top 10 scored:

Hot Chip - I Feel Better - 85

Crystal Castles - Celestica - 101

The Jezabels - Mace Spray - 16

Grinderman - Worm Tamer - 101

Jónsi - Go Do - 96

LCD Soundsystem - Home - 10

Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) - 101

Hot Chip - One Life Stand - 50

The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio - 31

Gorillaz - On Melancholy Hill - 42

72.4 Kinda quirky in a "slowly back away..." way. - I am happy with that.

How did you score?

Cold Result on a Hot Day

On the hottest Australia Day in years the triple j Hottest 100 proved to be more than a little cool. Is this further proof (2007, 2008, 2009) that musical democracy does not work?

Triple J's full list below (Bawley rankings in brackets)

100 ( - ) Muse - Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)

99 ( - ) Dead Letter Circus - Big

98 ( - ) Foals - Spanish Sahara

97 ( - ) Parkway Drive - Sleepwalker

96 ( 6 ) Jónsi - Go Do

95 ( 65 ) Broken Bells - The High Road

94 ( - ) Xavier Rudd - Time to Smile

93 ( - ) The National - Anyone's Ghost

92 ( - ) LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change

91 ( - ) The Bedroom Philosopher - Northcote (So Hungover)

90 ( - ) Art vs. Science - Finally See Our Way

89 ( - ) Interpol - Barricade

88 ( - ) Kanye West - Monster

87 ( - ) Birds of Tokyo - The Saddest Thing I Know

86 ( - ) Evil Eddie - Queensland

85 ( 10 ) Hot Chip - I Feel Better

84 ( - ) Washington - The Hardest Part

83 ( 29 ) Arcade Fire - Modern Man

82 ( - ) The Black Keys - Tighten Up

81 ( 29 ) Klaxons - Echoes

80 ( - ) The Black Keys - Howlin' for You

79 ( 19 ) Little Red - Slow Motion

78 ( 72 ) Gorillaz - Stylo

77 ( - ) Big Boi - Shutterbugg

76 ( - ) Kings of Leon - Radioactive

75 ( - ) Hungry Kids of Hungary - Coming Around

74 ( 31 ) Tame Impala - Lucidity

73 ( - ) Gypsy & the Cat - Time to Wander

72 ( - ) Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk

71 ( 32 ) Gypsy & the Cat - The Piper's Song

70 ( 90 ) Groove Armada - Paper Romance

69 ( - ) Pendulum - Watercolour

68 ( - ) Andy Bull ft. Lisa Mitchell - Dog

67 ( - ) Vampire Weekend - Holiday

66 ( - ) Cold War Kids - Audience

65 ( - ) Dead Letter Circus - One Step

64 ( - ) Gypsy & the Cat - Jona Vark

63 ( 13 ) Arcade Fire - Ready to Start

62 ( - ) Angus & Julia Stone - Hold On

61 ( - ) Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - Jackson's Last Stand

60 ( - ) Children Collide - My Eagle

59 ( - ) Washington - Rich Kids

58 ( - ) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

57 ( - ) Example - Kickstarts

56 ( 91 ) Sia - Bring Night

55 ( 81 ) Vampire Weekend - Giving Up the Gun

54 ( - ) Miami Horror - Holidays

53 ( - ) Bliss n Eso - Reflections

52 ( - ) The John Steel Singers - Overpass

51 ( 92 - 2009 ) Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

50 ( 3 ) Hot Chip - One Life Stand

49 ( - ) The Jezabels - Easy to Love

48 ( - ) Pendulum - Witchcraft

47 ( - ) Birds of Tokyo - Wild at Heart

46 ( 23 ) Bag Raiders - Way Back Home

45 ( - ) Boy & Bear - Rabbit Song

44 ( 52 ) Crystal Castles - Baptism

43 ( - ) Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP - We No Speak Americano

42 ( 1 ) Gorillaz - On Melancholy Hill

41 ( - ) Bliss n Eso - Down by the River

40 ( - ) Gyroscope - Baby, I'm Gettin' Better

39 ( - ) The John Butler Trio - Revolution

38 ( - ) The Naked and Famous - Young Blood

37 ( - ) Gorillaz ft. Daley - Doncamatic

36 ( - ) Chiddy Bang - Opposite of Adults

35 ( - ) Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. - The Bike Song

34 ( 39 ) The Naked and Famous - Punching in a Dream

33 ( 97 ) Tame Impala - Solitude Is Bliss

32 ( - ) Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks

31 ( 2 ) The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio

30 ( 55 ) Yeasayer - O.N.E.

29 ( - ) Illy - It Can Wait

28 ( - ) Darwin Deez - Radar Detector

27 ( - ) Dizzee Rascal ft. Florence and the Machine - You Got the Dirtee Love

26 ( 21 ) Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith - Not In Love

25 ( 84 ) Gotye - Eyes Wide Open

24 ( - ) Sparkadia - Talking Like I'm Falling Down Stairs

23 ( - ) Bliss N Eso - Addicted

22 ( - ) Children Collide - Jellylegs

21 ( - ) Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn

20 ( - ) Washington - Sunday Best

19 ( 96 ) Flight Facilities ft. Giselle - Crave You

18 ( - ) Cloud Control - There's Nothing in the Water We Can't Fight

17 ( - ) Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. - Bang Bang Bang

16 ( 8 ) The Jezabels - Mace Spray

15 ( - ) Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand

14 ( 100 ) Kanye West ft. Pusha T - Runaway

13 ( - ) Sia - Clap Your Hands

12 ( - ) Drapht - Rapunzel

11 ( 69 ) Pendulum - ABC News Theme Remix

10 ( 82 ) Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. - Somebody to Love Me

9 ( - ) Art vs. Science - Magic Fountain

8 ( - ) The Wombats - Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)

7 ( 43 ) Cee-Lo Green - Fuck You!

6 ( 42 ) Adrian Lux - Teenage Crime

5 ( 95 ) Boy & Bear - Fall at Your Feet

4 ( - ) Birds of Tokyo - Plans

3 ( - ) Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - Dance the Way I Feel

2 ( - ) Little Red - Rock It

1 ( - ) Angus & Julia Stone - Big Jet Plane

January Songs: 31 songs in 31 days from Darren Hayman

Hefner were one of the great little lo-fi indie bands of the late 90's, somewhere between Pulp and Belle and Sebastian. They made some brilliant albums, my favourite being 1999's The Fidelity Wars.

Since they split up in 2002, frontman Darren Hayman has released several albums under several different names, but he's temporarily abandoned the album format to make and release a song a day, for every day in January. Each song will be available free for a few days on Soundcloud, after which point they'll be available to buy. Each will be accompanied by videos and things on the January Songs website.

He freely admits that the songs "won't all be good but some might be" - but judging by the first one - "It was Over" - a typically ramshackle tale of drunkeness and failed relationships, they're going to be worth keeping an eye on.

The Bawley 100 – New Years Eve 2010/2011

The world of end-of-year lists has been thrown into disarray by the release of several private files stolen from deep within the usually secretive Bawley community, available to view on the notorious website BawleyLeaks. One Bawley contributor condemned the leaks as “an attack on his freedom to judge the artistic merits of others”. Another Bawley representative has dismissed the release as imperialist propaganda.

The stolen data, which has subsequently appeared on ipod and spotify playlists, contains a number of not so shocking revelations.

It is thought that the Bawley crew now faces a personal and professional crisis following the publication of the information in the public domain. So damaging are the leaks that the original Bawley team has returned to their Bawley Point base to plan their next move of music snobbery.

Friday, 31 December 2010, 23:59

C L A S S I F I E D LIST 100049

EO 12958 DECL: 3/24/2019

TAGS OVIP">>OVIP (BAWLEY, 100), PREL, JAZZ, ROCK, MINIMAL, INDIE, ELECTRO, WORLD

SUBJECT: (B) Bawley 100 – New Years Eve 2010/2011

The 2010 Bawley 100:

100 Kanye West - Runaway

99 Stonefield - Drowning

98 M.I.A. - XXXO

97 Tame Impala - Solitude Is Bliss

96 Flight Facilities - Crave You

95 Boy And Bear - Fall At Your Feet

94 Grizzly Bear - Boy From School

93 Eels - Looking Up

92 Laura Marling - Devil's Spoke

91 Sia - Bring Night

90 Groove Armada - Paper Romance

89 Kort - Incredibly Lonely

88 Mgmt - Congratulations

87 The Chemical Brothers - Swoon

86 Warpaint - Undertow

85 Amaya Laucirica - This World Can Make You Happy

84 Gotye - Eyes Wide Open

83 Band Of Horses - Laredo

82 Mark Ronson (feat. Boy George) - Somebody To Love Me

81 Vampire Weekend - Giving Up The Gun

80 Blur - Fool's Day

79 Jackie Q - Ring Round

78 The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

77 Chiddy Bang - Truth

76 The National - Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks

75 The Hold Steady - Barely Breathing

74 How To Destroy Angels - The Space In Between

73 Deftones - You've Seen The Butcher

72 Gorillaz - Stylo

71 Wire - Two Minutes

70 Mogwai - Rano Pano

69 Pendulum - ABC News Theme (remix)

68 Beach House - Zebra

67 Old Man River - Norway

66 PVT - The Quick Mile

65 Broken Bells - The High Road

64 The Drums - Forever and Ever Amen

63 The New Pornographers - Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk

62 Laura Marling - Goodbye England (Covered In Snow)

61 Pantha du Prince - Stick To My Side

60 Little Dragon - My Step

59 PJ Harvey - Written On The Forehead

58 Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Tuning Out

57 The New Pornographers - Your Hands (Together)

56 Cloud Control - Meditation Song #2

55 Yeasayer - O.N.E.

54 Beach House - Silver Soul

53 Grinderman - Mickey Mouse And The Goodbye Man

52 Crystal Castles - Baptism

51 Belle & Sebastian - Write About Love

50 The Dead Weather - Blue Blood Blues

49 Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly - Morning Light

48 Sufjan Stevens - Now That I'm Older

47 Yeasayer - Madder Red

46 The Bench Warmers - Football (In The Goal)

45 Deerhunter - Helicopter

44 Deftones - This Place Is Death

43 Cee-Lo Green - Fuck You

42 Adrian Lux - Teenage Crime

41 Kele - Tenderoni

40 British Sea Power - Living Is So Easy

39 The Naked And Famous - Punching In A Dream

38 Gayngs - The Gaudy Side Of Town

37 Kele - Everything You Wanted

36 Delphic - Doubt

35 Gogol Bordello - To Rise Above

34 Grinderman - When My Baby Comes

33 Massive Attack - Girl I Love You

32 Gypsy And The Cat - The Piper's Song

31 Tame Impala - Lucidity

30 Robyn - Dancing On My Own

29 Arcade Fire - Modern Man

28 Klaxons - Echoes

27 Cut Copy - Where I'm Going

26 Janelle Monae - Tightrope

25 Massive Attack - Paradise Circus

24 Cut Copy - Take Me Over

23 Bag Raiders - Way Back Home

22 DJ Shadow - I've Been Trying

21 Crystal Castles (feat Robert Smith) - Not In Love

20 The New Pornographers - Crash Years

19 Little Red - Slow Motion

18 Whitley - Killer

17 Sufjan Stevens - I Walked

16 Deftones - Sextape

15 Hot Chip - Hand Me Down Your Love

14 LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean

13 Arcade Fire - Ready To Start

12 British Sea Power - Zeus

11 Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Hand Covers Bruise

10 Hot Chip - I Feel Better

9 Crystal Castles - Celestica

8 The Jezabels - Mace Spray

7 Grinderman - Worm Tamer

6 Jónsi - Go Do

5 LCD Soundsystem - Home

4 Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

3 Hot Chip - One Life Stand

2 The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio

1 Gorillaz - On Melancholy Hill

Can you keep a secret?