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.

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 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.

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!