Been There: Dollarosa, Open Slather @ Basement 243 – Thurs 15th Dec.

The darkened streets were littered with those unfortunate few, caught in the summer drizzle that chilled the Valley last Thursday. Though, even as the weather outside was frightful, the Basement was delightful (sorry but if Dollarosa can cover a jingle than I surely can too). We filled our glasses, sank deep into the heavenly couches and soaked up the vibes.

Now, it’s been a while since I have seen Dollarosa take the stage but it goes to show that absence makes the heart grow fonder and the band stronger.

Interview with Martin Somerville of The Clues

Speaking to Martin gives you the impression that he might just see the world in technicolour. Definitely in a hue slightly skewed from our own… but I suppose the greatest artists have always walked to their own beat.

A snapshot of The Clues… from the horse’s mouth.
We’re a test tube band. Some disgruntled renegade servant up there must have been high and snuck into the labs one night to experiment by mashing different people and genres together, creating a new creature. He was obviously a fan of Two Door Cinema Club, Whitest Boy Alive, Death Cab and Bloc Party as he named us The Whitest Cinema Death Party. We renamed ourselves later on to The Clues.

Tags: Martin Somerville, Moose, The Clues, Yocto

Been There: Eight Miles High Festival @ The Zoo – Sat 10th Dec

It seems these muggy summer nights just cannot hold a finger over our unyielding desire to soak up the sights and sounds of the Valley.

In the way of sights, nothing quite screams Saturday Night like a man, quite possibly intoxicated to the state of higher intelligence, but more likely to have mis-judged his problem solving strategy, as he wades across Adelaide street with his arms stretched across the unhinged door of the maxi-cab parked in the lane one over.

Though, in the way of sounds, there was something slightly more mellow for those willing to seek it.

Tags: Belles Will Ring, Eight Miles High Festival, Grand ATlantic, Howling Rabbits, Richard In Your Mind, Sand Pebbles, the zoo

Interview with Steven Appleton, of The Howling Rabbits.

If you often find yourself strolling through the concrete jungle wondering why there isn’t a Brisbane festival dedicated to psychadelic rock… then wonder no more. Joe Woolley was thinking the same thing and has decided, in a stroke of brilliance, to just do it.

So The Howling Rabbits, who have been making waves in Brisbane’s psychadelic rock pool for over a year now, will be joining other leaders in psych rock, such as Richard In Your Mind, Belles Will Ring and Grand Atlantic for the debut Eight Miles High Festival.

NSP had a chat toThe Howling Rabbits vocalist Steven Appleton, aboutArnotts biscuits, music and what’s coming up.

Tags: Eight Miles High Festival, Howling Rabbits, Steven Appleton, the zoo

Been There: Getaway Plan Requiem Tour @ The Hi-Fi – Wed 23rd Nov

As Matt Wright launched himself from stage and into the eager and waiting crowd, they swelled forward obligingly to catch him.

You could taste adoration in every breath. Each song was met by a chorus from the fans. Such dedication isn’t usually displayed at launches, given that the punters have only had days, weeks at best, to listen to the new tracks- let alone learn to sing along. It goes to show that even with a years break, The Getaway Plan are just as phenominal and just as loved as they ever were.

Tags: Requiem, The Getaway Plan, The HI-Fi Bar

Check it: Psycho Beach Party @ Woodland Bar – Sat 26th Nov

Woodland Bar are having a quiet one this Friday, closing their doors for a night but are back with a vengance on Saturday with an aptly named Psycho Beach Party. Think sarongs, skateboards, sun-tans, summer drinks and smooth sounds.

Sure to make you shake off the rain of the past few days with their refreshingly crisp summer tunes, Triple J favourites New Navy will be headlining in support of their EP Uluwatu. Their latest collaboration has seen the group grow, experiementing and expanding their musical boundaries.

Tags: Lovely Legs, New Navy, Psycho Beach Party, Step Panther, The Otchkies, Woodland Bar

Check it: Aston Shuffle @ Oh Hello -Fri 18th Nov- 8pm

Standing at the very pinnacle of Australian House Music is the duo from the ACT, The Aston Shuffle.

The duo are known for their pleasantly optimistic heartbreak ballads, and even more so for their infectious dance beats inspiring shufflers the world over.

The relatively new venue on Ann st, Oh Hello will be playing host to the Brisbane leg of their first live Australian tour, so I hope their dancefloor is ready.

Tags: brisbane, Fortitude Valley, Oh Hello, The Aston Shuffle, Your Love

Been There: Hack @ The Globe Theatre – Thurs 3rd Nov

Think high energy, think unpredictable punk rock and underground music. Seasoned on the streets of Brisbane, Hack  are a group known for delivering an indulgently immature stage presence while maintaining a super tight performance and high sound quality.

It’s plain to see that Hack love nothing more than playing to a live crowd. They feed off the energy of the crowd, breathing it in and injecting it straight into their stage personas to deliver larger than life alternate punk rock.

Tags: Hack, Stryder, The Globe Theatre

Interview with Andrew Wessen, of Group Love

As I was patched through to Group Love bassist Andrew, who was sitting bleary eyed on a staircase in an the National Airport Tennessee, I asked the question begging to be answered.

Why should I never trust a happy song?

You can like a happy song but you can’t trust it, Andrew tells me. The album title was chosen because we often get called a happy band, so it was a bit of tongue in cheek. I guess, we were just telling people to look a little further into song meanings.

Tags: Andrew Wessen, Colours, Group Love, Never Trust A Happy Song, Spun

Been There: Georgia Fair @ The Hi-Fi – Fri 7th Oct

Thanks to a mutual appreciation of music, the duo met back in high school, where they began to play together and write their own tracks. What a stroke of luck for the rest of the world, that these two came together.

On Friday night  we flocked to the Hi-Fi, along with a good enough portion of West End to fill the venue wall to wall, to see the incredible Australian group, The Panics. However, when we walked in the door, we were met by the sweet and dulcet melodies of the two New South Welshmen better known as Georgia Fair, and from that moment, the highlight of the night belonged to them.

Tags: Avalanche City, Don't Fight It, Georgia Fair, Marianne, the hi-fi, The Panics