Friday Tunes 21/11/2008

Far from the regular rage and indignation that generally besets me on a Friday afternoon, this week as we look at a little more than 4 weeks till the great xmas break there's a wide range of smiles around me and even hushed talk of mutiny in the ranks...nothing quite spurs dissension like thinking of tropical islands, lazy days off, beer Lao or a refusal to deliver caffeinated goods with sufficient haste to a co-worker on a friday arvo. Well that or a 40 million dollar ransom for 100 million dollars worth of Saudi Arabian oil, but that's a whole other matter isn't it.

So i've been tossing up a few tunes in my mind all afternoon but as this hot hot afternoon stretches on into Friday evening i thought i'd start with something a little mellow from The Ray Mann Three. When you hear a review like the following one tends to be automatically suspicious:

"A sublime album full of lazy, summery sex tunes that make Prince look like a virgin...it's like a huge serotonin shot to the ass with a mango daiquiri on the side. The instrumentation is sparse but well thought out, the songs are absolutely top notch, and Ray's voice is beyond orgasmic...If you ever needed proof that soul wasn't dead, you just found it...Guaranteed baby-making music”. Jonno Seidler, BRAG Magazine.

Needless to say; i was suspicious. I mean that's a serious claim to make, you just can't cast doubts on the strength of Prince's sexuality lightly. Even if you're talkingabout someone who used to play in Kid Confucious (as Ray Mann indeed did and as drummer Bart Denaro still does). I must admit though in my opinion the Ray Mann Three's self titled debut album is awesome and perfect for love making at any time. It was written over 3 years of playing in low-key lounges and night clubs all over Sydney, some of which you may know - The Basement, The Annandale Hotel, Tonic Lounge, and the Vanguard. The bands Been getting some great airplay recently so keep your eyes tuned on their website and myspace page for tour dates etc and to listen to my personal favorite track "Hook Me Up." For some immediate gratification though check out "Smile"



Now moving along i wanted to introduce a little Australian techno. Not trying to confuse anyone with the "techno" label i actually mean techno here and not electronica or any of the other millions of labels we give "that" sort of music these days. This DJ was actually introduced to me by Anton Banks, and i want to side track here for just a second to give Anton the thanks he deserves.

Anton is the brains behind a radio program called "The Vault" which airs every other Wednesday night from 9:30pm until 11:00 eastern US time (GMT -5:00) on 88.1FM in Middletown, CT (in the US). You can check it out on his website here and also download/listen to past shows. It's a great program with a good range of electronica, including some GREAT minimal and tech-house sets. My personal favorite is the Dario Zenker edition but they're all riddled with gems. It's a great show and i def. encourage you to check it out.

Ironically enough it was Anton that introduced me to Melbourne artist Komplex. With a deep, well-produced sound harking back to the early Detroit days Komplex is well worth a listen, especially for other Australians out there trying to boost up the scene! If you like what you hear or you are an Australian producer/DJ trying to get some recognition yourself i'd love to hear your stuff so send it on in!

So wrapping up here for another week at the Flash, what week would be complete though without a dose of fail?

This week from the U.K:


see more pwn and owned pictures


Another Friday out, and word to the wise - stay away from poisonous catepillars!

Those who know...know.

Will out.

Friday Tunes 24/10/2008

Ok, so before i go on again about some more Aussie music i have to share a link that came to my attention yesterday. I'm sure i'm about the ten millionth blogger to pick up the story but it was news to me...So According to BBC News:

"A potted plant at a cafe near Tokyo, Japan is entertaining customers by writing a regular blog about its feelings.

It is the work of a university engineer who has been studying how to communicate with plants. He devised a sensor which he attached to the plant named "Midori-san" that measures bio-electric signals. These are converted into data by a computer next the plant and then translated into Japanese in the form of a blog.

The plant's latest (21/12/2008)entry reads: "It was cloudy today. It was a cold day.""

I find myself somewhere between laughter and dismay...it doesn't actually tell you how on earth the 'language' is translated and to be honest i feel like the whole business smells kinda like off milk, but as far as a publicity stunt goes i've got to give it two thumbs up. Lets just hope the bastard doesn't get any more expressive anytime soon.

Onto music though, i thought i'd continue my last week's rant a bit with a few more contemporary examples of Australian music excellence, hopefully to cast out forever any unbelievers or possibly win over a few more skeptics.

To start with another Oz-Hop Group The Hilltop Hoods. This isn't one of their most popular tracks but it's a little different and one of my personal favorites so enjoy "Stopping All Stations":



And now to move on to something more Pop-ish, but i don't say that to discourage you just really to identify the wider audience that would be moved by this song. Unlike the song above i've chosen probably the best known track from Machine Gun Fellatio (RIP), but if you dig this then know that there's plenty more a quick search will yield. I've chosen this one because regardless of how many people love it and call it their own, it's still amazing on so many levels. Check out "Unsent Letter":



Cool well i'm off to Island Vibe festival out on Stradbroke Island, because there really is no better place to listen to reggae than the beach...so i'd love to make this post longer but...

Peace out from Brisbane.

Funky Chicken Friday

Its the Calzone, not the dance...

Welcome to the next riveting Heapsaflash installment...

It's been a hazy week in Brisbane and i'm not just talking about the transitory weather. I know Queensland has a reputation, living in the States for over 10 years if i had a penny for every person i met who knew what the great Barrier reef was but couldn't tell you much else about the country in general...well you know the saying. It's not really ignorance, because there are of course trillions of places which i have no conception of, it just always used to irk me that people i'd meet in Massachusetts would know more about the great barrier reef than i did (or even possibly have been there whilst i myself, had not.) Yet these people didn't know that Steve Irwin and Paul Hogan, whilst respectable in their own ways, are just as funny and over the top to most Australians. Or that No, hardly no-one drinks Fosters in Australia. I only mention them here to illustrate a point - and one i have only just come to fully appreciate - Queensland's beaches are honestly everything they are cracked up to be, unlike pretty much every other stereotype about Australia i've ever heard. Take the David Lowe Highway from outside Mudjimba up to Noosa and you'll see what i mean.

The other reason i bring up these grave stereotypes that all people everywhere have to deal with in some form or another is to make some further comments on Aussie music. I've heard from foreign individuals that they think it's harder for a band to make it if they're Australian because they don't have the clout say a English band does, which i find hard to stomach. I say this for two reasons, firstly in places like the U.K. and the U.S.A. bands have big shoes to fill and there's just a ridiculous amount of competition. Secondly, many Australian bands have and are making it in a big way overseas: for example my weeks pick Cut Copy



Or what about Skip-Hop, controversial i know and unlikely to sway any die hard Hip-Hop fans, but still valid, especially if given it's proper Australian context, and not seen as as simple emulation of the American ideal. Check out 'The King is Dead' by the Herd, Written about John Howard's final retirement. Incidentally this also happen's to be Ev's pick for the week:



And i know we've posted it before but as per the request of our resident junior correspondent here's Skipping Girl Vinegar with 'One Chance'




I'm not nearly done with my indignation on this topic but i am extremely tired...so stay tuned for the next post where i will hopefully expound these views further with additional solid evidence and more unecessarily personal anecdotes...

Peace out from Brisbane.

Classic Bluejuice Antics

Sorry this was just brought to my attention:



Genuine, and hilarious!

It's been a little like...

Well to be honest, its been like <<Dà Nào Tiān Gōng,>> or for those of you who can't read my poor pinyin Chinese, "Monkey King creating Havoc in Heaven." Many fellow Australians of generation Y will remember watching "Monkey Magic" which was loosely based on the Monkey fables from Chinese folklore, but done by a Japanese production company and dubbed in English. So now that i've got you all wondering what in god's name i'm going on about let me just conclude with, it's been crazy round here the past few weeks! like Monkey Magic crazy...



We've had Big Sound come and go a couple of weeks back with three of our favorite artists up in Brisbane for the festivities. I had a chance to meet Mark and the Gang from Skipping Girl Vinegar on the Thursday night and see them play to the largest showcase crowd of the summit. Without mincing words, they absolutley smashed it and it was fantastic to see them play at the Troubador in such an intimate setting. (Can't wait to pull that experience out of the bag a few years from now!). SGV's performance at Big Sound also summoned the release of their debut album "Sift the Noise" which has been receiving a good deal of attention here in Oz, being placed up on the itunes Asutralia homepage, it has been sybaritically encroaching upon the lifestyles of music fans and aficionados alike. If anyone's interested in giving it a listen you can find it on itunes or buy it here.
If i may be allowed one moment to digress and indulge myself here too... Can i just say a big up to Skipping Girl's Keyboardist Amanthi Lynch, proving like so many other Linguists out there, that it's not what you do with a linguistics degree that counts, provided that you finish it! Thanks Amanthi for showing me i'm not the only one who wondered what on earth i'll do with it!

Big Sound also saw bluejuice playing at the Valley Fiesta to what i hear was a great show with all the usual antics, but thankfully without any broken bones this time. Pinky Beecroft himself also graced Brisvegas with his presence (and was back up last weekend to actually play). Pinky Beecroft and the White Russians are actually on the tour path atm so be sure to check out their website here for upcoming tour dates as they surface. I had the good fortune to Meet Pinky at the SGV show and in response to his last comment if he's still keen - Count me in for the next video clip - screen center - killing people...saying nothing. They say beauty is life's easy pass but apparently it's just looking like you're Russian. если я только знал это раньше!

Besides Big Sound the usual wheelings and dealings going on, only more fast paced and aggressive than normal. Technology chose to smite us down but we smoted it...

I'll leave you with an artist we've been listening to alot lately - Sophie Koh. Sophie now hails from Melbourne, but was born in New Zealand from Malaysian parents, and grew up in Singapore. She was “Unearthed” by JJJ in Darwin and has played with everyone from the Eels and Paul Kelly to Pete Murray and Alex Lloyd. For more information check out her website. In the Meanwhile check out "Objects in this Mirror":



And Finally what post would be complete without the weekly fail...without Further ado:


see Sarah Palin pictures

Peace out from Brissie,

Will.

Friday Tunes 1/8/2008

Crazy day Friday today so it'll have to be a short one...just the weekly chart and graph...Enjoy...

Friday July 25th

In between the random acts of general tomfoolery (yes its a real word, if you don't believe me check here) today we've been hard at work gearing up for Pinky Beecroft and the White Russian's new album. For those of you who don't know - Pinky Beecroft, from what was Machine Gun Fellatio is due to relase his first solo album on August 23rd. The response so far has been great and i know many people have been eagerly waiting, especially since the band's been doing live shows all over the shop, giving the priveledged few a chance to get a sneak peak.

Now completely randomly, here's a few words from the man himself:


Meanwhile our very own Nate has shown us what i believe to be one of the funniest sites on the web today. For those of you who haven't been to www.failblog.org yet, do it now, you won't regret it! Here's a little taste:


see more pwn and owned pictures

And for one more little rib tickler enjoy...


more

Happy Weekending,

Will out.

Friday Tunes 18/7/2008

Heaspafriday at Heapsaflash again, it's been a busy week punctuated by upcoming work with Pinky Beecroft of what was Machine Gun Fellatio, Sophie Koh, the Paper Scissors, Skipping Girl Vinegar and of course Bluejuice. i recently found this following video on youtube with Jake and Stav and couldn't stop laughing at the boy's response to Vera's question "Why does no-one take Bluejuice Seriously?"...I think the answer is self evident...



Needless to say we've all heard of The Shins before, but (besides the fact we all love them) as this is a blog on Australian Indie music, i thought it only fitting to include a song called Australia which has, in fact, possibly nothing to do with Australia by an American band. I must admit i wonder why they called it Australia after all. If anyone out there in the blogosphere has any light they can shed on this i'd love to hear it. ( I read they wrote it on tour here but i've yet to see any verification for this claim)



Finally given Paul's noticable absence from the office this afternoon i feel it necessary to reaffirm Heapsaflash's electronic contigency with the following video, just to show you all out there that not only do we support all kinds of music here but we have proper respect for the New Zealand Drum and Bass scene (and dub scene). Hope you dig one of Concord Dawn's chiller tracks - You Don't Have to Run.



Will Out.

Is it Friday Again Already?

So another Friday's rolled around here at Heapsaflash, it's still too cold but not as cold as Melbourne thankfully where Skipping Girl Vinegar has just released their new video clip for "Sift the Noise."

Although their debut album's still pending (due out September 13th!) i can't help but feel the pre-release jitters escalate since "Sift the Noise" follows from the success of "One Chance" which we posted on this blog ages ago, with only a minutely smaller degree of anticipation. Once again the band has done a superb job with the animation, combining classic movie references ranging from my personal favorite Mr. Myagi to E.T. and King Kong all in a truly unique style. And sorry but I have to mention to the "Mangez the Wagon Wheel" innuendo here too...something all good one-class-of-highschool-french-watched-too-much-T.V.-during-childhood observer can appreciate. Wagon Wheels, for those of you outside Australia the U.K. and Canada, can easily be defined as possibly the best reason to stay part of the commonwealth:)

So check out the new Skipping Girl Vinegar video for "Sift the Noise:"



And for those of you still dealing with John Howard seperation anxiety heres a little clip with a backing track by Adelaide boys Sonic Animation. Def. one of my favorite Australian electronic acts.


Loving the Weekend,

Will Out.

New Video from Kate Miller Heidke

So another busy week is drawing to a close and it’s Friday here again at Heapsaflash, the day when we lick the last of our weekday wounds and brave uncharacteristically cold tropical weather to bring you another exciting update...this week from fellow Brisbane-ite Kate Miller Heidke.

A little over a year now since the release of her debut album 'Little Eve', Kate Miller-Heidke is one of the most talked about performers in Australian music.

Most recently Kate’s been working with Jefferton James a.k.a. Tea Cozy on a clip for her new single “Mama.” Jefferton describes the motivation for the clip as:

“The idea of a city fleeing and returning to nature came to me while eating my lunch amid a crop of skyscrapers...I started imagining these buildings uprooting themselves and becoming like lumbering dinosaurs marching back to a mythical source of life...my eureka moment was when I realised that Mama , the mama of the song could be mother nature and that a city is nothing more than a forest made of buildings...”

With two such talented artists working in tandem, you know the result’s going to be arrestingly splendid, so without further ado, Check out the new Kate Miller Heidke video clip for “Mama”

There is one more thing....it’s been emotional...

Will out.

Friday Tunes

FT was noticeably absent last week. Were we MIA out of respect to the almighty - hmmm perhaps, but more likely it's because we're lazy, and when we get a day off, we take it!!!

So, in order to make amends for disappointing you all last week, I bring you not 1, but 2 Friday Tunes - gees we're generous.

Firstly, indie-funk wet dreams The Paper Scissors have just released their new single 'The Bandit', and already it's getting people a bit hot and bothered. Is it because of the near-naked man in the film clip, maybe, but more likely it's because this is a slammin' good tune.

They're soon to be on the road with bluejuice for a tour that some are claiming will be the biggest thing since Ben Hur. The tour kicks off in Adelaide in just two weeks time, so to get you in the mood check out this clip out:


The second track comes from old-faves QOTSA. I'm off to V Fest down the Gold Coast on Sunday, and these desert rockers are sure to be a treat. My girlfriend saw them last night in Brisbane and said they were amazing.

This is one of their older tracks, but it's a goodie:


Nate out.

Friday Tunes

Hi cyber music afficionados,

Paul here again for another ripping installment of this week Friday Tunes! Swashbuckling, I know...

Todays theme will be awesome clips by artists who should probably run for leaders of countries, lets just say they have my vote!

First up is the very cool animated clip for Melbourne band Skipping Girl Vinegar. I know we have spoken of these guys before, but they will be dropping their brand new album really soon ( I have had a sneakly little listen and between you and me, it hot!) and i thought i should just re-iterate why they are just that good!

The clip is for the track 'One Chance' which you would have no doubt heard on the wireless, that is unless of course you have had your ears filled with brocolli and tarzans grip glue.

The One Chance clip was actually made by the Skipping Girl Vinegar vocalist/guitarist/daredevil pilot Mark Lang. Now I know what you are thinking, anyone can make a clip with a camera phone, walkman and a small painted woodern duck... Well this is true but, check the clip out and you will see just the lengths Mark has gone to, fantastic!



The second clip here is from my all time favorite artist Tom Waits. The Track is called "Gods Away on Business". Anyone who can incorporate emus into a film clip deserves all the accolades one can give!

Have a great weekend and enjoy!

Friday Tunes

We haven't blogged this week, to be honest we've been crazy busy working. A bit sad really, this blog is something we've been wanting to spend more time on, but as is often the case work gets in the way.

So this week for Friday Tunes we bring you Radiohead's Scotch Mist. It's epic, coming in at 52-odd minutes, and features Thom York and co. performing the entireity of 'In Rainbows', in what appears to be a small rehearsal space.

This video is pretty amazing, not only for the music, but for the fact that they've released something so candid and complete for free - but that seems to be the norm for Radiohead as of late. We've had 'In Rainbows' on high-rotation all this week, it's been serving to keep us sane.

So without futher adu, the Radiohead film Scotch Mist (you might want to get comfy before pressing play, it'd be a shame to press pause halfway through).

Friday Tunes

Hey everyone out there in the blogosphere, this is Paul here!

It is my turn to grab the helm of this weeks Heapsaflash Friday Tunes, swashbuckling!

After tuesdays announcement of the HUGE "Less Talk, More Problems" Tour which finds Sydney roustabouts and new jack swingers, BLUEJUICE teaming up with the insanely awesome PAPER SCISSORS to rock this great nation, I thought it appropriate, nay, necessary to get some of THE PAPER SCISSORS clips up on the Heapsablog.

Obviously, if you havent yet heard The Paper Scissors you may very well be dead, so do seek medical advice. If after feeling a pulse and therefore proving you are indeed alive you will definately want to check this clip out to avoid any further am I dead or am I alive scenarios.

Here it is, The Paper Scissors Yamanote Line.




www.myspace.com/bluejuice / www.myspace.com/thepaperscissors

Laneway excitement

Tomorrow the Laneway bus pulls up in Brisbane and I for one am very excited. I went last year not expecting much and it ended up being one of my '07 highlights. A friend of mine went to the Melbourne version on Sunday and said it was the best festival setup he's been to.

Tomorrow's lineup is indeed impressive, a great mix of local and international bands. My only complaint is the bloody timetable clashes!

Band's I'm looking forward to:

• Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
• The Presets
• Okkerville River
• Theredsunband
• Feist (despite the CYHSY clash)
• The Panics
• I Heart Hiroshima
• The Vasco Era

YAY :)!

Announcing the Papers Scissors and bluejuice 'Less Talk, More Problems' tour

Whao! The tour to end all tours (well, not exactly, but it's still very big) is here. The Paper Scissors and bluejuice are heading out across the nation for one massive, MASSIVE co-headlining tour. Tell me more you say? Well, all in due time, but what I can tell you now is that there are a tonne of exciting extras that will be annouced very shortly.

For now what we can reveal is below, so start getting excited, because the 'Less Talk, More Problems' tour is gonna be huge!

The ‘Less Talk, More Problems’ Tour

The Announcement
Two of Australia’s premier emerging acts, bluejuice & The Paper Scissors have officially announced a massive co headline Australian tour. Covering 6 states, 2 territory and 1 hemisphere, The ‘Less Talk, More Problems’ Tour will see both bands tread the boards together throughout April / May.

The After Parties, The Video Blogging & The Bang For Your Buck

Final details are still being completed so stay tuned for information on a number of additional features that will accompany the ‘Less Talk, More Problems’ tour. These will include Purple Sneakers’ very own PhDJ who will be aiding in the process of getting absolutely stonkered post-show at a series of After Parties which will be held in every major city that the tour passes through. The tour will also be video-blogged ever step of the way so that fans can stay in touch via video footage of the bands’ travels. Stay tuned.

The Shows
Catch all these sexy men-boys at...

Fri 11 April – Jive, Adelaide
Support: tba
$22 on door, $15+bf pre-sale
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au or Moshtix Outlets

Sat 12 April – Gaelic Club, Sydney: ALL AGES SHOW
Support: tba
$22 on door, $15+bf pre-sale
Tickets available from www.thegaelic.com/tickets & www.moshtix.com.au or Moshtix Outlets

Sat 26 April – Amplifier, Perth
Support: tba
$25 on door, $18+bf pre-sale
Tickets available from www.bocsticketing.com.au & www.moshtix.com.au or Moshtix Outlets
Plus: www.78records.com.au

Sun 27 April – Newport Hotel, Fremantle
Support: tba
$25 on door, $18+bf pre-sale
Tickets available from www.bocsticketing.com.au & www.moshtix.com.au or Moshtix Outlets
Plus: www.78records.com.au & direct from the venue

Sat 3 May– Trisellies, Blue Mountains
Support: tba
$18 on door, $12+bf pre-sale
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au or Moshtix Outlets & Direct from the Venue.

Thu 8 May – Oxford Tavern, Wollongong
Support: tba
$15 on door, $10+bf pre-sale
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au or Moshtix Outlets

Sat 10 May – Cambridge, Newcastle
Support: tba
$18 on door, $12+bf pre-sale
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au or Moshtix Outlets

Fri 16 May– Transit Bar, Canberra
Free Entry

Sat 17 May – East Brunswick, Melbourne
Support: tba
$22 on door, $15+bf pre-sale
Tickets available from The East Box Office, on (03) 9388 9794 & www.eastbrunswickclub.com

Fri 23 May – Republic Bar, Hobart
Support: tba
$18 on door, $12+bf pre-sale
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au or Moshtix Outlets

Sat 24 May – James Hotel, Launceston
Support: tba
$18 on door, $12+bf pre-sale
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au or Moshtix Outlets

Fri 30 May – Atlantis Room Port Panthers, Port Macquarie
Support: tba
$22 on door, $15+bf pre-sale
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au or Moshtix Outlets & Direct from the venue.

Sat 31 May – Step Inn, Brisbane
Support: tba
$20 on door, $15+bf pre-sale
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au and 1300 762 545
Plus usual Oztix Outlets: Rockinghorse, Butterbeats, Central Station, MoshPit Music

Sun 1 June – Great Northern, Byron Bay
Support: tba
$22 on door, $15+bf pre-sale
Tickets available from: www.oztix.com.au and 1300 762 545
Plus: Hotel Great Northern, ABC Centre Ballina: Music Bizarre Lismore, + all Oztix outlets

Friday Tunes

Friday Tunes time again, and todays track comes from kiwi band Spa. Their debut self-titled album's been out in NZ for a while, but only received an Aussie release earlier this month.

The first single is 'Neil Of Diamonds', and it's as addictive as crack. For more info go here and here, but for now press play and enjoy the tunes!

SGV album update

Just a quick one, we got a pre-release copy of the debut Skipping Girl Vinegar album yesterday and it's a cranker! We've had it on high-rotation in the office the last two days.

We can't wait until we can tell you more! Stay tuned!

Friday Tunes

This is a new thing we're starting on Heapsablog, Friday Tunes! Every week we will bring you new tunes / video clips for music we're digging.

Today it's bluejuice (again we know, it's been a very bluejuice week). They've just released the clip for their new single 'The Reductionist', and it's awesome. Check it out:



Have a look at Stav's face as he leave's the plane, haha!
Nate out.

AMP Short List

News just in - bluejuice have been short listed for the Australian Music Prize (AMP) - Woot!

The list was announced on Tuesday night, and this years' finalists are:

• bluejuice - "Problems"
• Architecture In Helsinki - "Places Like This"
• Dardanelles - "Mirror Mirror"
• Devastations - "Yes U"
• Lisa Miller - "Morning In The Bowl Of Night"
• Midnight Juggernauts - "Dystopia"
• New Buffalo - "Somewhere Anywhere"
• Perry Keyes - "Last Ghost Train Home "
• The Mess Hall - "Devils Elbow"
• Urthboy - "The Signal"

Winners are announced on March 13, go here for info and to vote for your favourite album of 2007.

Let the celebrations begin!!!

Hottest 100 and more madness

Howdy cyberland, just a quick update on a few things.

Firstly, congratulations to bluejuice for picking up Legs 11 in the Triple J Hottest 100. The guys are obviously still riding high on the news, and express their thanks to all those who voted for 'Vitriol'. While we're on the topic, Skipping Girl Vinegar just missed out on a spot, but considering the competition (Radiohead finished at #94, what's with that!) the guys aren't disapointed.

Secondly, those lucky enough to score tickets to the Sydney BDO were treated to a top live set from bluejuice. Despite technical problems, bass strings breaking, and stage invasions, all reports point to a great gig. For those looking for proof there are some telling photos floating around the internet, get Googleing and check 'em out.

What's coming up? well the good news for bluejuice keeps rolling in - Vitriol is currently iTunes 'Single Of The Week', which means once again you can get your hands on the track for free. That's right, FREE, nada, nothing, so what are you waiting for. Also, the new clip for 'The Reductionist' debuted on Rage last week, and is currenly being featured as their 'indie clip of the week'. Stop by their MySpace to check out the clip, and while you're they're check out their gig guide, they've got some great support slots coming up.

Plenty more is going on around the country, Kate's off to Perth soon, Skipping Girl Vinegar are jamming the festival circuit, and Matt Ellis is packing his bags in anticipation of his quickly approaching hometown gig at the Hopetoun. So what are you waiting for? Get along to some gigs and support some Australian music.

Till next time.
Nate

2008 Shaping Up

Hey there everyone and welcome to the Heapsaflash Heapsablog!

2008 is already shaping up to be a big year here at Heapsaflash. With the summer sun high in the Brisbane sky and collaborations scheduled with a host of new talent it’s sure to be an exciting and formative year!

With the holidays well and truly over we’ve hit the ground running with action all over the country:

Kate Miller-Heidke continues her busy tour schedule, hitting Western Australia in February.

On the Sydney side of things, Matt Ellis is returning to Australia from his new base in Venice Beach, CA, for a one night only show at the Hopetown Hotel in Surry Hills on the 27^th of February. Following the great response to his current album ‘Tell the People,’ he’ll be playing a mix up of songs old and new - the mans a gem and well worth checking out for all alt country fans. Unquestionably his finest yet, ‘Tell the People’ was recorded and mixed by Ronan Chris Murphy at Veneto West Studios and attracted a eminent line-up of artists, the credits of whom speak entirely for themselves: Nels Cline (Wilco, Banyan), Tim Young (David Sylvian, The Youngs), Greg Leisz (KD Lang, Beck, Joni Mitchell), Tim Luntzel (Bright Eyes, Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris) and Dave Palmer (Fiona Apple, AIR).

Still in Sydney, as Australians across the country warm up their BBQs in preparation for Australia Day, bluejuice are gearing up for the Triple J Hottest 100 countdown and a performance at the Sydney Big Day Out. With ‘Vitriol’, the 1^st single from their debut album Problems (4 Stars – Rolling Stone Magazine) the 2nd most played song on JJJ in 2007, the stats are looking good for some serious top 100 contention on Jan 26^th. Regardless of the outcome, with endorsements like the Rolling Stone Magazine including ‘Vitriol’ in their top 100 tracks of 2007, 2008 is going to be another explosive year for the juice.

In Melbourne, come the 26^th Skipping Girl Vinegar will also be listening intently to the Hottest 100 countdown results for their own massive single ‘One Chance.’ Whilst ‘One Chance’ is still enjoying regular airplay on Triple J, the band is putting the final touches on their debut long player ‘Sift the Noise’ - due out in April.

So 2008 is shaping up to be as busy and efficacious as ever - we’ll keep you posted!