Wow.

I think that was the only word I could muster after seeing Midnight Juggernauts‘ performance (Friday, August 21 at the Hi-Fi). I generally err on the side of caution when it comes to seeing electronic/dance acts as I worry about a band’s ability to replicate this kind of music on stage – but after this performance I am truly kicking myself for having passed up opportunities to see the Juggers in the past.

As soon as singer Vincent Vendetta entered the stage donning a velvet, star-adorned wizard’s cape I just knew this was going to be a gig to remember. I (along with a sizeable portion of the Australian public) was a huge fan of the band’s original release album Dystopia as, at the time, as the sounds were so original; a new take on electronic music. Their latest work The Crystal Axis falls slightly short of their last success – what was new and exciting from their last album is now a bit tired and overdone on this release.

That being said, the band did a fantastic job of blending the new with the old playing a good portion of their later works to keep the crowd entertained. For me, the standout song of the night was ‘Tombstone’ – a wildly popular song, which was performed perfectly on stage. Much credit must be given to the three-piece (Vincent Vendetta, Andrew Szekeres and Daniel Stricker) for perfectly recreating their songs on stage. Watching this genre of music live often means seeing instrument-less band members fawn about on a stage equipped with only their Macbook and an amp through which their songs are played, but Midnight Juggernauts were quite the opposite. The same kind of music, but with real guitars, a real keyboard and real tambourines!

With a stellar lineup on supports including Dappled Cities, who were mighty fine-sounding, filled with a child-like energy, and the much more quirky Kirin J Callinan who managed to put on quite a display during the Juggers’ finale tune, Into The Galaxy, where in true Blink 182 fashion he stripped off his pants and jacket, and proceeded to ballet-prance around the stage with a tamborine, this  most certainly was a stand-out gig of 2010 to date. I’m looking forward to checking out the Juggers next time they’re in town again.

Words: Sophie Hart

Saturday, August 28

I have to admit I walked into this review process a sceptic. I haven’t had much exposure to The Cat Empire outside what I hear on the radio, and may have found the breakout hit Hello mildly irritating after over zealous DJ’s declared it was the only song I needed to hear for most of 2003. So, I wasn’t entirely sure of what to expect from the self confessed “country’s most successful musical exports” (taken from the band’s web site). I was pleasantly surprised. Vocalists Felix Riebl and Harry J Angus took the sold out crowd on a journey through the band’s back catalogue and into their new album Cinema, a sign of their new direction.

The night warmed up with support acts Mama Kin and Clairy Baby Browne and the Bangin’ Rackettes putting on strong opening performances. Stand out moments included renditions of Nancy Sinatra’s Bang Bang, and Dolly Parton’s Jolene, both given a new lease on life by Clairy Brown and her Motown styled and choreographed backup singers. Their contribution had the crowded venue dancing in preparation for the main act.

From the moment The Cat Empire took the stage they had the audience at their feet. The prolific performers have toured across Australia and the World several times over. They even herald their new album, Cinema as the product of a much needed 8 month break after endlessly touring and recording since the bands inception 10 years ago.

It is more than evident that the band are very familiar and comfortable with each other on stage. Their performance was undeniably infectious and well executed, with all 6 performers effortlessly amalgamating their numerous instruments and still having a moment to shine with extended instrumental breaks showcasing each performer.

If I walked into this review as a sceptic, I walked out with a new appreciation for The Cat Empire as live performers. Though they weren’t particularly conversational with their audience, they took them on a musical journey, showcasing a back catalogue of favourites and an emerging new direction that delighted their eclectic and diverse fan base. And all without mega hit “Hello”…

One of Brisbane’s most favourite outfits is back with another release, just as fun and exciting (if not more so!) as the last. Laneous and the Family Yah have spent the last 18 months making sound waves sound so very different and light-hearted all over Australia, through both countless live performances and radio airplay.

Their most recent offering from their album Found Things (to be released in September) is I am Dog. The song gives a feel of dancing like a crazed maniac, and the lyrics tend to lend themselves to this idea. This chipper little tune seems like such an innocent and fun idea at first, but as you listen a few more times, it becomes apparent that the idea that Laneous had was something more complex.

The “lyrics wrote themselves, seemingly shallow and meaningless like a kids song for adults, but lending itself to be read a little deeper, commenting on my, as a human, connection to the animal particularly when it comes to my relation to women.”

This feel-good tune is now available, and you can check out the awesome clip for it right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n5ED48aL8Q.

Blue King Brown are currently smashing singles out like there’s no tomorrow. Having just released their new album Worldwize, Never Fade Away is already their third single from this one release. Talk about a hard-working act!

Being just as politically loaded as much of their other material, accompanied by an urgency in the melody, this song is one that emotionally attacks the listener, whilst also being danceable and fun in a Jamaican sense.

With ideals such as the importance of support and family, as well as discussing femininity, the song is symbolic of many of the values that the band tend to speak out about on a regular basis.

Never Fade Away is an awe-inspiring, exciteable track that is bound to give you goosebumps upon first listening, and drive you mental (in a good way!) from it being stuck in your mind for hours afterwards. Check it out here if you haven’t already heard it.

Don’t be alarmed by the frightful demeanour of their name. I promise, you will be pleasantly surprised.

If you haven’t heard of them already, the Demon Parade are far from new to the music scene. Having played a number of festival sets including Cherry Rock Festival and Playground Weekender, as well as an extensive support of Brian Jonestown Massacre on their 2010 Australian tour, Demon Parade are on the up-and-up.

Meet their new EP, God Said It’s Legal. With a mix of old-school, punk-style psychedelic rock and new-age melodies, this band has something reminiscent of so many other bands, but every song is constructed in a way that is so unique and unusual that it sounds fresh and new.

Vocalist and songwriter Michael Badger has the qualities of Robert Harvey from The Music mixed with Peter Hayes from BRMC. Put this with some mysterious harmonies and even more mysterious guitar licks, and you have yourself a downright winner.

You can catch the surrealism of Demon Parade live Saturday September 11 @ Fans, Alhambra.

Words: Betina Dale
Photos: Kate Scantleton

Wednesday, August 18

The lights were dim, the air was thick – but neither hot nor cold – that perfect in between temperature that makes a gig perfect. It was a Wednesday eve and all was quiet, except for a little venue who was about to get (very) loud!

An awe inspiring performance by Black Devil Yard Boss warmed up the crowd nicely, proving that they are indeed a name to watch in the upcoming years, with their next tour playing support for none other than the great Shihad. Black Devil Yard Boss is their name and down and dirty rock is their game – watch out for these boys!

Meanwhile, backstage somewhere, the main event were warming up their vocal cords. Some would say that Brisbane locals Dead Letter Circus are a cross between Cog and Karnivool… the intensity of Cog with the substance behind the lyrics of Karnivool. Regardless of what they are – Dead Letter Circus are the new force to be reckoned with in Australian alternative rock music. A silence fell upon the crowd as the band made its way onto the stage.

An unmistakable sound rung true as the crowd chanted each chorus. Hits like Here We Divide and Reaction really got them moving while the new favourite Big got the crowd pulsing with anticipation. DLC are the next big thing and this tour is the turning point. A crisp, clear and unfaltering sound echoed through the Zoo as they unmasked the true beast of their latest album This is The Warning. It is almost impossible for this album to sound any better on disk than it does, but live, lead singer Kim Benzie brings a whole new level of passion and force to the vocals that it takes the audience on a journey to another world.

The eager crowd lapped up every second, with punters hanging off every word. Crowd sung choruses rung loud in the cosy confides of the Zoo as DLC impressed the only way they know how – LOUD!

Although now partially deaf, the impressive performance definitely places DLC on the list of bands to watch in 2010. Their new album This is the Warning came out on May 14 2010 and debuted at number 2 on the Aria music charts and is a must have for your 2010 album collection.

It can be hard keeping up with the local music scene; bands come and go – you see some make it and then spend the rest of their career telling people you saw them when they were “just starting out”. For that is the natural progression of a band – to start off small and then work their way up to bigger things. Montpelier, a Brisbane four-piece, seemed to have defied all logic and started with the biggest first – and by the looks of it, this is only the beginning to what may become domination of Australia’s indie-pop culture.

It may seem like I’m jumping the gun a bit here (a month ago I had never even heard of the band), but I have since discovered that they recorded their first EP in Fairfax Studios in Hollywood with Kevin Augunas (who worked with Cold War Kids and the Zeros) in Fairfax Studios, Hollywood. Like I said: starting off big. Luckily, I will be able to be one of those who can claim to have seen Montpelier during their humble beginnings as they played the Troubadour along with Claire Whiting and Blame Ringo as part of the Broken Compass Tour. The band is comprised of Dave Butler (vocals/guitar), Greg Chiapello (vocals/bass), Andrew Stone (keyboard) and John Pickering (drums).

Unfortunately, the term ‘indie-pop’ can be more of an affliction than a classification – but the band’s determination to not become defined by the label is what works best for them. Their influences – the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Arcade Fire, Radiohead and the Shins – can be quite distinctly recognised upon listening to their tracks, but in a way that seem to update and refresh the ‘alternative’ culture of the past.

The songs are diverse. For example, The Rafters contains beautiful harmonies and repetitive pop melodies coupled together in what can be recognised as an uncannily brilliant juxtaposition. And it is not just by chance or luck that these combinations work so well; listening to their self-titled EP reveals this type of layering across many of the songs.

One thing that may be detrimental to the band is that they don’t yet really look like a band. Skinny jeans and thick-rimmed glasses will only get you so far and in my opinion it would perhaps be wise for each of the members to start to forge their own role within the band. This being said, their fans don’t seem to mind at all. They have a distinct group of followers here in Brisbane, and if things keep going to plan, this fan-base is set to multiply big-time.

If you haven’t yet seen them live, Montpelier are playing at the 100 Club this Friday August 20.

Saturday, Jul 24

It was time for another elusive Turpentine Fashion Night – this time held at Brisbane’s Port Office Hotel. Showcased was a selection of pieces by the likes of Ark°, Everything’s The Same, Ashlee Hart, Jimmi Paige, Evelyn Curtis and Saralli Designs. All credit to Paul Sparrow for the photography used in this article.

If you have a thing for fashion, then this was certainly the place to be on July 8. Designs ranged from colourful evening and day wear to swimwear; with my personal highlight being a velvet black evening dress with some amazingly adorned sleeves! And it wasn’t just for the ladies; the designers even catered for the happening Brisbane male (much to the delight of the majority of the female audience).

The clothes were enhanced by the stellar work of makeup artist Elana Mullaly who gave ‘bling’ a whole new context. The models’ diamante-encrusted faces were hard to miss as they paraded the catwalk – although I’m not sure that’s a look that many of the audience would be willing to sport on a night out…

As was to be expected, it was a great night. The drinks were flowing, the dancing was excessive and the clothes were fantastic. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long for the next night of fashion education from the people at Turpentine!