The Biggest, Scariest Interview Yet (Part 1/2)

Before we get down to business. Don't forget that Al's Music Rant opens at the Comedy Festival this Wed 30th March. Bookings available at the Comedy Festival website or directly through TryBooking here.

So, here it is, the big reveal. An epic two part interview with Big Scary, so buckle up, this is as in-depth as they get.

I Heard The News Today, Oh Boy

Getting very close to performing the show on that poster there, but still somehow I've managed time to keep my musical senses sharp. In fact, I recently got a full preview (through legit means) of the latest albums from Wild Beasts, TV On The Radio and Architecture In Helsinki (previously featured here and here); and can safely say that they are wonderful additions all to this year's record collection. But onto the headlines...

• Rejoice! Bon Iver - the man more commonly known as Justin Vernon - will be releasing his HUGELY anticipated follow-up to For Emma, Forever Ago sometime in June. There's talk of children's choirs and new collaborations, and even some track titles (via FasterLouder)
• Speaking of long-awaited sophomore records, Friendly Fires are scheduled to deliver album no. 2 Pala in May. In the meantime, you can get a first taste with this radio rip of Live Those Days Tonight on YouTube.  (via triple j) 
• In the wake of Japan's devastation, large parts of the music community have done what they can to conribute. Including The Morning Benders who have released a remix EP entitled Japan Echo with all proceeds going towards the Earthquake Relief Fund. More details here (via Pretty Much Amazing)
• Radiohead's The King of Limbs gets a physical release tomorrow, and to celebrate they're giving away a free newspaper at selected retail stores. More details can be found at their website, but to save you searching - it'll be available gratis from Polyester Records in the city. (via TheUniversalSigh)
• Tyler, The Creator (whose killer video for Yonkers was spotlighted previously here) has confirmed the tracklist and artwork for his debut Goblin. It's not your average hip-hop sleeve that's for sure, but then Tyler isn't your average hip-hop star. (via One Thirty BPM)
• Finally, the live comedy version of this very blog will be opening this Wed 30th March at Eurotrash, as part of the 2011 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Still plenty of tickets available, but do make sure you book your tickets here: Try Booking Event | Al's Music Rant .

Also you can check out an interview I did for for 'Living In The Land of Oz' for the digital radio station, 979fm, available to stream or download from their website.

And another reminder that I also directed Patrick Miller's Archibald Wheeler Whets The Whistle (yeah, I'm a renaissance man - deal with it). He opens on Thursday and ticketsa are available from the Comedy Festival website.

And stay tuned, because there's still an epic interview that'll be appearing very very soon. Need a hint? Let's just say it's someone I've had a lot of fun interviewing before. Watch this space.

The Three P's: Promo, Promo, Promo

See that? It's my sexy, new, official poster for Al's Music Rant at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2011. Nice eh? Big shoutout to the one-and-only Linden Duck for that one. Well, new poster and new post means tickets are available right now!

Click here to go to the official festival event page:

Al's Music Rant | Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2011

A shortcut to skip the promo and get some tickets:

Try Booking Event | Al's Music Rant 

The A/V Room

I don't usually deal in music videos, sure there's been the ocassional embedded video to brighten up a band profile; and even that one rant about videos always being set in forests. But, as a general rule of thumb - music promos bore me.

I'd much rather hear the tunes and create visuals with my own imagination than have them prescribed to me. A good analogy would be movies that are adapted from your favourite book, they either fail to capture the spirit of the song or simply don't quite match up to the images you had in your head.

Don't get me wrong, I don't flat out hate music videos, there's still a lot of visionaries in the game that I love and respect. Such as the work of Hammer & Tongs, OK Go's inventive clips, Mark Romanek, Aton Corbjin, Michel Gondry, and by extension, Björk's entire videography - but these are rarities in a sea of dull, thoughtless promos. The industry seems content with a set of three endlessly repeating formulas that have become de riguer, your choice of a) the lifeless 'rock performance' video b) lifestyles of the bling and booty or c) a'quirky' narrative, with an option of having the band members 'act.' Cringe.

I understand there's plenty that try to break away from these set types, but it's often in vastly aimless directions with singular concepts repeated ad infinitum. You wouldn't think it'd be hard to sustain a person's attention for three minutes - but for many it's an uphill battle.

The point is, that good music videos take more than just a good song to soundtrack them. Lately, here's a bunch that actually carry through from their conceptual beginnings to successful execution.

Architecture In Helsinki - Contact High (Dir: Krozm)

Over Here, Over There, Every-fucking-Where

First mentioned back at the start of Feb, what follows is the review proper for...

British Sea Power - Valhalla Dancehall (Rough Trade, 2011)

 Once, it seemed that British Sea Power were content to forever circle the edges of full-blown, mainstream popularity, favouring instead to blossom as one of Britain’s mid-tier indie bands. That all changed with 2008’s Do You Like Rock Music? a concerted tilt at leaner cuts with more focused energy, leading many answering the title’s question with a resounding ‘Yes!’

I Heard The News Today, Oh Boy

Been a lot of new music floating about the interwebz as of late, so here's AMR to signpost you to some of the best and newest.

• Jonathan Boulet's other musical outfit, Parades have just released a new single. Their first new material following in the wake of their excellent debut Foreign Tapes (a Top 10 album for 2010). Water Stories is available to download from the band's revamped webspace, along with tour dates to support the new tune. There'll be much anticipation considering their recently cancelled shows supporting Ernest Ellis (via Paradesmusic)
• In a move harkening back to their MySpace-buzz inception, Sheffield's Arctic Monkeys have snuck a brand new tune onto their YouTube page almost unannounced. Entitled Brick By Brick, it finds elements of glam and psychedelia creeping further into their sound. The tough track is the first taste of the group's as yet untitled fourth album, working again with producer James Ford (of Simian Mobile Disco) (via Pitchfork)
• As previously reported, post-punk dandies Wild Beasts are set to unleash a new album in early May. The first single to be taken from it is Albatross, which debuted on Zane Lowe's BBC show. Hayden Thorpe's rubbery falsetto remains intact, but imbued with a slower-blossoming track with warm splashes of piano and a more relaxed rhythmic pulse. Lovely. (via Stereogum)
• My beloved Bat For Lashes has recorded a cover of Depeche Mode's Strangelove, as part of a promotion for a new Gucci cologne called Guilty Pour Homme. The 1987 gothic pop perfectly suits her musical sensibilties, even if cashing in for a designer label doesn't. (via Stereogum)
• Gayngs, the indie supergroup smitten with eighties soft-rock, have released a remix EP of their debut Relayted. Made available free online, Affiliyated, is a set of drastic reworkings by producer collective Doomtree, armed with random stems from the album. The rules were that they had to use all samples from the album, and adhere to the 69bpm meter. The results are very interesting indeed. (via The Good, The Bad & The Unknown)
• Finally, the delighfully eccentric work of Californian Merrill Gambus, better known as tUnE-yArDs, has dropping all manner of teasers for her forthcoming sophomore w h o k i l l (she likes her idiosyncratic spelling as you can see). First there's the rhythmically vibrant Bizness, which demonstrates how she scored a slot supporting Dirty Projectors; now there's the grimy tongue-in-cheek of Gangsta as well as a new song, Doorstep, performed live on the streets of Paris. All great teasers for what is sure to be a highlight in 2011's release calendar (via PrettyMuchAmazing & Le-Hiboo)

The Crucible

My latest batch of music reviews for Beat:

• Local dream-pop outfit, the frustrating-to-type Sikap Sempurna's self-titled debut EP
• Portland, Oregon's experimental art rockers Menomena Live @ The East Brunswick Club

and you can still catch reviews of:

• The Hidden Venture - Live At St. Andrews,  
• Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde,  
• Pearl Jam - Live On Ten Legs
• and, of course, Radiohead - The King of Limbs

you want more? you asked for it

Esben And The Witch - Violet Cries (Matador)