R.I.P Society's Success Summit at the Annandale Hotel, 03/10/10

Okay, first let me be out with it and tell you who played: Carborator, Whores, Blank Realm (Brisbane), Boomgates (Melbourne), Royal Headache, Woollen Kits (Melbourne), and Zond (Melbourne). Let me also be out with the statement that every single band was on top of their game and this was a totally cracking mini-festival-thing - I even enjoyed Carborator this time around. I don't want to be one of those people that can't criticise anything, but really, this was a treat. My favourites of the night probably were Blank Realm who I just cannot help but be in awe of, and Zond who 'slayed' if I am allowed to use that word. I'm fairly sure they just destroyed everyone in the best way possible with their wall of sound. Both are bands I have seen before and both beat my incredibly high expectations of them - even surprised me with how fucking excellent they were. Honourable mention to Boomgates, the new Melbourne super-group (with a pedigree of Dick Diver, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, The Twerps, and Teen Archer you'd almost expect competing egos, but it seems to work really nicely) who play the catchiest summer-jam pop songs.

Overall I'd say a grand success indeed. Pretty sure Eternal Soundcheck should have some videos up soon.

Carborator
Whores


Blank Realm




Boomgates




Royal Headache



Woollen Kits





Zond










http://www.myspace.com/ripsocietyrecords
http://www.myspace.com/carboratorband
http://www.myspace.com/oreswhay
http://www.myspace.com/blankrealm
http://www.myspace.com/boomgates
http://www.myspace.com/royalheadache
http://www.myspace.com/woollenkits
http://www.myspace.com/zond

Straight Arrows at Shortty's Birthday Party, a House in Redfern, 02/10/10

I finally figured out how to record videos on my camera! Amazing, huh? Straight Arrows are, if you are not familiar, members of various other Sydney bands (Red Riders, Circle Pit, Peewee, etc.) and along with Peewee, a favourite party band (it's all in the collective bouncing). They played this fun birthday event and here are two videos of them treating us with Something Happens and Haunted Out. A well overdue LP called "It's Happening" should be out soon, so that's something to get a little bit excited about.

(Also, thanks to the hosts!)





http://www.myspace.com/thestraightarrows

Pikelet and Richard In Your Mind at The Gaelic Club, 25/09/10

Holy excellent. This show was so much fun, there was dancing and head-banging (:SPOD, but more on that later) and both Pikelet and RIYM sing about these fantastical fantasy worlds where space and tiny creatures prevail. Pikelet had a full band this tour - I have previously only seen her do the solo act which I might add is incredible, she creates several loops and lines them all up with each other - so this was a bit different, but I'm of the opinion that she's probably one of the best musicians in Australia (see also: drums for True Radical Miracle and Baseball). You can watch her excellent new video clip for 'Pillow Castle' here (it's a claymation by Melbourne artist Alex Machin. Sorry, I got a bit excited.).

Richard In Your Mind recently became a 5-piece, the fifth member being the ever-entertaining-SPOD. SPOD is not somebody I know but someone that you'd really want to know - mostly because he wears flat caps and Ween t-shirts and is inappropriately funny at all the right times. I'm pretty sure everybody wants to be him. That aside, surreal-psychedelic-interspersed-with-the-occasional-rap-and-tribal-beats-music with tambourines played by 5 dorks is well, just that, and mental amounts of enjoyment. The only weird thing about this show is that the stage was 5ft high and everyone felt so far away. Flashless photos.














http://www.myspace.com/ovalyn (Pikelet)
http://www.myspace.com/richardinyourmind

Southern Comfort, Rand & Holland, and Songs at the Excelsior Hotel (Surry Hills), 17/09/10

I have been really bad/lazy with this 'blogging' thing since I got back to Australia, so apologies to the myriad of invisible and dedicated followers (ha!). This show was well over a week ago and I didn't even take any real photos - it was a great show but sold out and a kind of strange mix of people. Really, I didn't want to battle my way to the front of the sweltering Excelsior and flash in everyone's eyes, and just wanted to enjoy Songs so that I did.

Southern Comfort (this is Harriet and Angie from Circle Pit) are kind of jangly blues I guess, just 2 guitars (and tambourine at this show) with both girls singing. It was pretty decent. Rand and Holland are pretty good, the drummer is from The Garbage and the Flowers. I'm not really going to go into anything else about the other bands because I was really only there to see Songs. I'll make no secret of the fact that their record Songs gets played an exorbitant amount in my house and they've always been one of my favourite bands to see live. This was the last Sydney show with the current line-up as 2 members are leaving, so who knows what the band will morph into. What I love about Songs is that they play exactly that - good songs. Dual boy/girl harmonies, Flying Nun-esque guitars and wonderful psychedelic moments. The songs on the album flow together seamlessly and I kind of wish they would have just played the whole thing in full, but I really can't complain as it was excellent as is. A video of them playing 'Clouds' can be found here.





http://www.myspace.com/518634114 (Southern Comfort)
http://www.myspace.com/randandholland
http://www.myspace.com/ssongsssongs

HEY GUYS

Against all my better judgement, I got a tumblr so I can have a greater sense of self importance, and also as another means of procrastination (I have an essay due tomorrow. And Monday.) On it will be rad things that I like, bad things that I dislike, and mundane writings from my inner workings. You can find it here http://mesophyll.tumblr.com/. Let's follow each other (in a creepy way). I will also be accepting all forms of abuse in the notes and/or comments section. Please feel free to wage word war.

Friday night I am going to Songs at the Excelsior so look forward to my sage words coming soon.

-Dimity.

Yes I'm Leaving, Intentions, Carborator, Peewee, and Brainwaves at Black Wire Records, 10/09/10

This is what I remember:

• Good posters at Black Wire
  
• Yes I'm Leaving = quite good
• Not liking Intentions (I don't like math-rock)
• Carborator's newest song (pulled off with disbelief by all members) being a good'un, not loving the rest
  
• Peewee playing "Brass Knuckles" by Personal & The Pizzas and ruling (I swear I'm not biased)
  
• Vomit

http://www.myspace.com/yesimleaving
http://www.myspace.com/tohellwithintentions
http://www.myspace.com/carboratorband
http://www.myspace.com/peeweesux
http://www.myspace.com/brainwavespunk