Cd review – The Violet Flames

THE VIOLET FLAMES – s/t single
Review by Rohan Hewson

1. Take It Away
2. Smile Again
3. Neon Lights

No, not Femmes, Flames; I wondered that too when I picked this CD up to put it in my player. The first and last songs are punchy garage rock with maybe three chords, and the middle one is the token ballad with fairly uninspired lyrics.

This reminds me of the B-sides of an Androids single I bought years ago. Remember them? This could be the Vines, Jet… anybody. It’s played well enough, but nothing you haven’t heard before. It’s the soundtrack to a boozy Thursday night out at the Hydey, derailed by the same guitar line being repeated 8 or 16 times in a row. As soon as this CD finished playing, I tried to remember what the first song sounded like. I couldn’t.

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Cd Review – Eskimo Joe, Black Fingernails, Red Wine

Eskimo Joe – Black Fingernails, Red Wine
Review by Leo Abbs

I’ll get to the straight to the point. This album isn’t as good as the last, but it comes very, very close.

There’s not much more to say about Eskimo Joe, for Perth music fans, but for the rest of the world who are still discovering about this little gem from Freo, I’ll elaborate.

This album leads to the dark side at the times, but it’s more enriched in the 80’s. Why the fuck you’d want to go back there, but with the fashionable haircuts you see around the place these days, it does kind of make sense. Most tracks are piano driven and it definitely makes for a moodiness that you never thought that stupid sweater wearing, cheek slapping band would ever have.

You’ll flog the single no doubt, but check out ‘London Bombs’, it’s incredibly moving and would be close to home for many young Australians.

Cd Review – The Floors

The Floors – Borrowed
Review by Leo Abbs

I love Free stuff. However, there’s usually a reason it’s free. It’s normally rubbish.

This however is fucking tops. I won it in a RTR competition this morning, and technically it’s not free, it’s for sale as a release, but look don’t spoil my story. I’m not trying to make it into the Dictionary of Bullshit.

There’s something very likable about this cd, you gotta give them points for pushing the boundaries just enough to keep you interested. There’s enough familiarity here to not scare the fussy people off, there’s enough weirdness to interest the elitists, and enough wankery to please those who like their guitar solos.

I’ve only listened to it once this evening, but I just want to tell the world that this band is up there…up where, I don’t know, but way above the usual pieces of shit you see on band nights at places like the bog (get it? bog, shit..). These guys aren’t huge in Perth, but they’ve been touring their asses over east, so while they are here, go see them. I’ll probably be standing beside you.

Though I wonder if i say their name is shit, will they tell me to fuck off?

Cd Review: RAZORLILY – ROARING TRADE

RAZORLILY – ROARING TRADE
Review by Rohan Hewson

Razorlily are a band centred around singer Kate Andrews, who seems to write lyrics exclusively about love or the lack thereof (don’t worry, they’re pretty good). Musically, they sound quite a bit like Halogen; the music is mostly quite intense guitar driven rock, such as the songs ‘Comfort Is Where You Find It’ and ‘Frozen’, with a few quiet piano-led songs in the mix. The album sounds a touch generic – it sorta floats by until halfway through the second last track, with a long instrumental rock-out ending, and the last song, ‘Fugitive Pieces’, is simply a acoustic guitar and vocals. That said, it’s safe enough to appeal to people with more commercial tastes, while still being pretty good. Some CD’s I review end up being used as beer coasters or frisbees, but I can see myself listening to this one again.

**** – 4 stars

Punter Profile: Chaircat

Punter Profile: Graham Knapp When did you first start going to see local perth bands? The 95 Big Day Out was my first exposure to Perth Bands on the small stage, and in the same trip I checked out a few Freo venues. Moved up in 1996 and hit the Grosvenor, Planet, Hydey, Shents, Coakleys and Rosie etc.. every weekend. Two of those venues remain. Do you buy many local cds? When I can afford to I do. When I can’t, I rely upon the demos I get for booking the odd gig. Are you involved in the music scene besides going to gigs? Since day one of living here I’ve been playing gigs pretty much. Around 2001 I began a good 3 or 4 year Hiatus from that, before getting sucked back in. I’m promoting small gigs ATM on a semi-regular basis. Which venues do you like and why? Hydey- Litmus test for bands, and just feels like home. Mojos for being so cosy. I like all the original venues, including the hybrid ones that only do one or two original nights a week. I seem to have a good time anywhere that sells piss, funnily enough. Who are your favourite local bands and why? O, Tuckers, Guttervilles are sentimental favourites. Currently live: Snowman, Silky Krusher (with the backing singers line up), Kill Devil Hills, Moonlight Wranglers, Schvendes, Red Jez, The Meaning of, Subtruck, Mongrel Country, Painkillers… I like bands on the extreme end of their respective spectrums. On CD: The Collonial Banquet, The City Watch, Most of the above mentioned. What is the best gig you’ve ever seen? Radiohead. Perth Ent Cent 97. What do you drink at gigs? Whatever I can afford. Occaisionaly I don’t drink, if driving. Then it’s juice and water. What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen on stage? Dan Durack (Three Orange Whips) spreading his arse mid song in my face. He didn’t miss a beat. I was stoned and found it pretty funny.. but I don’t think the crowd were laughing with me, as much as at me! The Tuckers are the funniest thing as far as just coming across as manaically funny. The Fuzz at some party where Shane was drunk, and being a mosh monster through every song. Never seen it before or again. Bizzarre! Are there any new local bands you have discovered lately? Solarii, Spoonful, The City Watch, Tracmajic and Sola, the Hill, Yabu Band, Tengo Fuego, The Wen Band, and News for Airwaves (who I now play bass for). Now why local music? Why not cover bands? I admit to enjoying cover bands, but I prefer to see people play their own stuff. The kind of songs cover bands usually play easily become highly annoying, with repetition. I used to get annoyed at the some of people you would encounter at a cover show, but now figure if anyone one annoys you at a gig it’s more because they are too pissed rather than because they go to cover bands. If I find myself in the vicinity of a cover band I usually enjoy it with a bit of a drinkie. Do politics go with music? Yes. Never for all the people all the time, though. It can be fucked up royally. It’s a bad time for it currently, plenty to say but no one listening.

WAM Song Of The Year: 2 Weeks To Go!

WAM Song of the Year 2006 – 2 Weeks to Go!

You’ve got 3 weeks to get your tune into WAM Song of the Year before the Monday August 7 deadline – get to it! http://wam.asn.au

There is over $30,000 in prizes to be won including a Grand Prize of 3 days recording and pressing of 500 CD’s! Choose from the categories of Pop, Jazz, Country, Rock, Heavy Rock/Metal, Urban, World & Folk, Blues & Roots, Electronic/Dance, Mixed Bag, Love, Gospel and School Aged entries and get your song in now – entries close August 7!

There are also prizes for Indigenous and Regional Song of the Year drawn from entrants in every category. All the details, entry forms and Frequently Asked Questions are available from http://wam.asn.au or by calling 9227 7962 (1800 007 962 for regional WA). To be eligible to enter you must live in WA and not be subject to a Publishing deal.

You never know who is going to win WAM Song of the Year. It may be a songwriter about to make international waves, like Damian Crosbie from The Panda Band. His 2005 winning entry made it into the triple j Hottest 100. It could be a 16 year old from Boddington like Lauren Brede, who had her recording and performance career kick-started in 2004! Whoever you are, you have a chance to win industry recognition and great prizes by entering WAM Song of the Year. Do it!

Good Luck!

Live Review – Death Cab For Cutie

Death Cab For Cutie
Metropolis Nightclub, Fremantle
Tuesday 18 July 2006
Review By Drue Vickery

It had been a long time since I had been so excited about a gig (probably since Mars Volta at BDO) and all my expectations were fulfilled. Very rarely does a band play pretty much every tune you want to hear, but Death Cab did this.

Death Cab For Cutie began with “Marching Bands of Manhattan”, to rapturous applause. Early highlights were “Soul Meets Body” which drew a massive sing-a-long from the crowd, and the haunting “I Will Follow You Into The Dark”, possibly one of the most poetic songs of recent years.

Some older tunes to make the set included “Why You’d Want To Live Here” and a few from We Have The Facts And We’re Voting Yes, but the crowd favourites were definitely the tracks from Transatlanticism. My favourites from this album were “The New Year”, which was just plain awesome, “We Looked Like Giants”, which had some phenomenal synchronised drumming, and my highlight for the night, “Title And Registration”. As soon as I saw Ben (Gibbard) pick up the drumsticks I just knew that this was going to be the song, and the opening got everyone jumping before a big sing-a-long.

At one point during one of the keys based songs, Ben calls for a clap-a-long and promises “This will be the only crowd participation part of the night”. Well sorry Ben, for proving you wrong, but I can’t help singing to your songs, they’re just too good. One thing I noticed about Death Cab is how tight they are. Before last night I underestimated the importance of Chris (Walla), Nick (Harmer) and Jason (McGerr). I knew Chris, as the producer, was real important to the records, but onstage he is energetic, passionate and more than competent, as are Jason and Nick.

As far as I know, Brisbane tickets are still available, so if you read this before that show and you can still get hold of tickets, make sure you do it because everyone will be telling you how good it was if you weren’t there.

Come back soon Death Cab. I’ll be waiting. (P.S. Nick, I hope you don’t already have that Chewy figurine).

Cd Review: Bob Evans – Suburban Songbook

Bob Evans – Suburban Songbook
Review by Leo Abbs

Nowadays industry people are concerned about the effects of downloading music and burning cds, but the truth is people are discovering music they otherwise would have surpassed. Now, I’ve seen jebediah play a zillion shows and own all their albums, but Bob Evans appeared to be another boring acoustic performer (you know what I mean – when you’re at a pub, the solo acts don’t get your attention, do they?).

Anyway, a friend burnt me a copy of Bob’s first record ‘Suburban Kid’ and I fell in love with the album, in particular ‘Today’, ‘Turn’ and ‘Stevie’s Song’, so when it came for the new album ‘Suburban Songbook’ to be released, I bought it in eager anticipation.

Now, when you read reviews you don’t always hear how many times the writer has listened to the album. I’ve had it for a month and it’s already starting to sit more in the cd boxes than in the stereo. It’s a shame because the single ‘Don’t You Think It’s Time’ was awesome. I really like the personal nature of the lyrics, but when they’re all about one topic, love, it gets annoying. The production’s better than the last record but that doesn’t make an album, does it?

There’s a few other highlights ‘sadness and whiskey’ and the optimistic ‘Coming Around’ but overall there’s way too many songs about his girlfriend. While we are critiquing, fuck the trumpet off, and Bob, it’s nice you wrote a song on the piano, but I’d prefer you stick to guitar.

In this case it’s best summed in this way: As I went to type up the draft of the review, I mistyped the title and came with ‘suburban snogbook’.