A friend of mine is bloody good at the guitar. He has a beautiful Gretsch! Even better he can play the banjo and a range of interesting instruments. But I've never heard him sing, that was, until today when he told me he put up a demo under the band name of 'Bear And I'.
It's been nearly 2 months since I last blogged and over that distance many a time I have thought about blogging but haven't been sure what detail to include in writing. Sure, I've known WHO to write about but haven't known WHAT to write. So since I'm stuck at home with a suspect chest infection, I have decided to sit and get this blog done, otherwise I will probably explode. KABLAM!
Ok, so I've wanted to blog about Cut Off Your Hands. They are one of my favourite bands, and even though I'd like to label them as Australian, our dearest neighbours (of the New Zealand variety) need some sort of recognition. The first I had heard of this band was when they were formally known as 'Shaky Hands'. I'm not going to go into why their changed their name because every other blog or interview featuring COYH will go through that, but what I will say is that I have been drawn to these guys since I heard their tunes in the courtyard of the Abercrombie Hotel during a Purple Sneakers night back in September 2006. I could not see the boys but the music skimmed over the heads of a mass of people who had turned up to dance and perhaps to see this new and exciting New Zealand band. Let's just say I was smitten by the music and so were the majority of the courtyard. Next thing I know I'm hitting Candy's Apartment in March 2007 to attend BOOM BOOM MEGA BOOM where COYH (they changed their name by then) were playing alongside The Ghosts (now Ghostwood), Bridezilla, The Holidays and The Hate Game. Those were the good ol' times of Candy's Apartment. Sigh. But anyway, at that gig their music hit me extra hard, especially when my friend screamed "I LOVE THIS SONG" when "You & I" came on. All of a sudden I was educated and down with the sound of COYH and wouldn't go back. Their energy grabbed me, Nick's frontman antics amused and allured me, and their danceable pop tunes were irresistable. It's funny to see photos from early last year, the boys had long hair and they look markedly younger!
Moving along, I ran out and bought their EP 'Cut Off Your Hands' which was under the artist name of Shaky Hands. The EP is just gold. It's the kind of album that would make you pulsate in unusual bodily movements of dance.
I got to see them later in the year when they played at Spectrum, whilst teenagersintokyo were playing I was sitting near the staircase and got introduced to Michael, I said hi but I'm painstakingly shy sometimes when it comes to musicians because I usually embarrass myself. I perhaps should have some sort of filter on my mouth but instead I just be polite and don't end up saying much. But of course a bit of alcohol lets me relax and I can pretty comfortably have a conversation. The boys later came on and had matching shirts and Nick was jumping, ramming and spitting on people. It was pretty fun. Although I ended up on the floor when he decided to stage dive and everyone moved out of the way except me, where next thing I know I'm facing the ceiling and he's wriggling around the floor like a bug on its back, singing with microphone in hand and all. That gig was great, I just remember having so much fun. That was just after they had released their EP 'Blue On Blue' with adorable songs of young love such as 'Oh Girl' and 'Still Fond'. Those songs make me swoon. Then COYH appeared in The Brag (the front cover is still on my wall), Drum Media and 'Blue on Blue' was being mentioned nearly everywhere. I must say, the choice of 2 covers to 'Blue on Blue' in either red or blue with differing braille (that spelled out either 'Blue on Blue' or 'Cut Off Your Hands' respectively) was just genius.
So I've been off the radar for a little while, but that doesn't mean that I've been slack in the music department. I have successfully spent my whole day procrastinating from uni work and instead have been listening to music that I haven't heard before, as well as relistening to bands that I have discovered within the last two weeks. So today I have been blasting my music recommendations at people and they have been squealing (in excitement):
I decided I may still be unclear to some readers, so i've written a brief bio on my life.
Adam Lewis was born in the tropical island of Gomadina in the summer of 1987. The fourth son of one of the island's most respected wine merchants, he was hand-picked as one of "Gomadina's Child Prodigies" during his time at St. Randall's Pre-school, and placed in the prestigious Jack Clancy Memorial School for the duration of his lower education.
During his formative schooling years, Adam was bullied for an unsightly birthmark under his left eye. During one spring afternoon of 1994, he was shoved into a payphone box at the local mall. Lying on the ground with a bloody nose and injured spirits, he was comforted by the famous actor Ted Danson, on a promotional trip to Gomadina in support of his then-new film, "Getting Even With Dad". Danson gave Adam a piece of advice that would stick with him for the rest of his life: "Fortune favors the brave." Determined to succeed in life in spite of those around him, Adam thrust himself headfirst into his studies and two years later was awarded the Jackson Rivera award for excellence in literature for his short story "My Father and The Stairs".
However, tragedy struck soon after when he witnessed the tragic death of his surf instructor Brad Armstrong at the age of 15. Adam sunk into a deep depression that reached its climax in 2004 with his dramatic withdrawal from the Gomadina Math Cup, the nation's standard appraisal for higher education. Faced with an uncertain future, Adam moved to Australia to start anew, arriving with nothing but a backpack of knicknacks and dreams.
Shortly after his arrival, he gained casual work and lodgings as a the pool cleaner to the McDoyles, a rich family of oil traders in Sydney's northwest. Adam found love in their daughter Madeline, but this was torn apart by her father, who had previously promised her to the son of a fellow oil trader in Dubai. Heartbroken, he found himself alone on the streets of King's Cross when he was robbed and pushed into a phonebooth. As if from a higher power, Adam remembered the lessons given to him over a decade earlier by Ted Danson, and made the instant decision to pick himself up and thrust himself again into his work.
The next day, he applied for a position in the University of New South Wales' media course, and began in 2006. He was wildly successful, being awarded the Heinrich Kurt award in 2007 for his short film "Let Tomorrow Break Today" and becoming lead hall monitor in the Webster building from 2007-2008. He also began work at FBi, a popular talkback radio station, and became known throughout the independent music community for his unwavering belief in the power of dance and distortion, and constant promotion of obscure Melbourne bands. This lifestyle was completed in 2008 with his commencement at Apple, a technology company based in Cupertino, California who are best known for product lines such as the iDesk, the PortaMac and the Newton.
Though the trails of his future are still yet to be traversed, it is clear from Adam's already remarkable life that he is destined to be kind of a big deal. As a great man once said, "fortune favours the brave", and throughout his youth and young adulthood Adam Lewis has proven himself to be brave beyond anyone's wildest expectations.
I should be in a blogging habit, but lately, i'm not.
So i'm checking in. Hi blog.
Since last post, I now work for apple and am in the middle of a BRUTAL semester. I'm having a great time, but that time is in short supply. But here's the things I should've posted about.
1) 
Seriously guys?
2) 
Since when do amazing bands come out of castle hill?
3) Unexpected post-uni beers with friends is the best thing. Ever.
4) Nick Cave's ATP had better come to Sydney or i'll be grumpy (and travelling)
5) I should be writing another script for uni, not writing blogs. Bye pals! Visit me at apple store sometime, if i'm not there you'll still be in a gorgeous building surrounded by macs and smiles.
I'm on the excruciating one-hour bus ride home after a day at uni, lucky I have my Ipod on me otherwise my selection of music would be the either 'Sweet Home Alabama' repeatedly on 101.7fm from the bus's radio or the electro-house beats radiating from some dudes head phones behind me. Today is Wednesday- Wednesdays at my uni are the days when bands come at lunchtime and play in our small bar. Over the last 4 semesters bands have been entertaining us in-between lectures for free (woo woo thanks to the Union!) We have had Mercy Arms, Ghostwood, Operator Please (they had the biggest crowd turn up on record), Dash and Will, Nathan Hudson, Luke Steel, Cuthbert and The Nightwalkers, Lover, Children Collide, Expatriate and last week Magic Dirt played, summoning an enthusiastic crowd who moshed to their new and old tunes. 1 in the afternoon is way too early for me to get dancing or into the mood to mosh so I just skimmed the sidelines of the bar and tapped my foot and nodded my head from a safe distance. Today Andy Bull played before Little Red at my uni bar and his style has obvious funk influences and he had the soul vibe going on too. His voice is presented in a high register which makes him sound different to what I expected but he was backed with a drummer, bassist and 3-piece brass band comprised of a saxophonist, trumpeter and trombone-player which was quite impressive. He's not my usual taste and right now I'm listening to his recorded tracks but I don't think it entirely gives him enough credit because the band live were very entertaining and I enjoyed his set quite a bit. Following him were Little Red who were pretty relaxed but seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely whilst they were draped with leis that were randomly being handed out around campus. My foot didn't stop tapping the whole time and I actually enjoyed them more in the relaxed setting of my university bar more than when they supported Vampire Weekend a few weeks back.
Red carpets..they have so much appeal. Celebrities, musicians, actors, models and the VIP of the entertainment industry pose on the crimson walkway and I'm sure many people dream of stepping foot onto it to share some of the limelight with their idols. I've been on a red carpet once..back in july last year, my friend and I made sure we turned up fashionably late because it would have been embarrassing for us to walk on the red carpet while there were photographers and important people around us. The main reason: because we were neither musicians, journalists, actors, models or any form of celebrity. We were there to see Starky play their penultimate show. We shyly approached Crystal Bar in Martin Place with wobbling heels and goose-bumped skin, shuffling on the red carpet to an audience of none, apart from the door girls and guys who checked us off the list and pointed us towards Ray Ban's 70th Birthday Party. We entered the party and dropped off our coats and instantly recognised some faces, a Red Rider, Joel Edgerton, James Matheson, Gareth Moody, Saskia Burmeister, Rai Thistlewaite amongst the room of fellow celebrities. We nibbled on the amazing canapes, ate quality battered chips and calamari out of cute chinese noodle boxes and sipped on a few glasses of bubbly to shy away our red faces. By the time the bubbly had us under the influence Starky came on stage, delivering an energetic performance along with their single "Hey Bang Bang" which was nominated for and ARIA award in the category of "Breakthrough Artist 2006". My friend and I left soon after Starky finished performing, deciding that we had a fulfilling night and our timidness wouldn't have helped us mingle with the Ray Ban party crowd. But I was young and naïve! I'd certainly stick around, sipping more bubbly and mingling if the opportunity were to arise again.
That opportunity nearly arose again when this year after a few beers with a friend he asked me to be his date to a music awards event. As you can imagine I was very excited to be asked to attend such an event with familiar faces of artists who I avidly listen to and regularly hear about. I also saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and didn't want to appear overly enthusiastic with the invite so I didn't nag him too much for details. I called my so-called 'date' on the afternoon of the event to check the time of arrival thinking the award was to be presented that night..he then informed me it had already been held that morning and that he had "forgotten" to tell me the details of the event. Ouch. For your information his band didn't win the award anyway..
The next big red carpet event for the music industry is the ARIA awards with industry insiders paying $395-$495 for tickets which includes a three-course meal, unlimited alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks (or until too drunk to be served), red-carpet entry and passes to the after-party. I can imagine many people would be itching to attend for the experience and to rub shoulders with some of the ARIA contenders such as The Presets, Gyroscope and Cut Copy..some people itching enough that they are going to pay $445 for industry gold tickets- some of my friends who work in the music industry are going to empty their pockets and their piggy banks to go. But i wonder how much of a strain it is for some independent musicians to cough up a few hundred to fund their attendance. Most indepedent musicians have day-jobs to pay and maintain the equipment they need for their band, touring and recording and it doesn't come cheap either. 2007 AMP music award winners The Mess Hall know all about that when they confessed that during the recording of their latest album, Devil's Elbow, they were living on tinned food as well as the dole- not exactly living the luxury life. Still it's all about the experience isn't it? But I would certainly drink up $445 worth of alcohol if I were to attend and see Connie Mitchell in a plastic dress again doing her robotic dance moves/poses..mind you, I wouldn't be drinking in celebration. Nevertheless I can imagine it would be a fun and unforgettable night. Is it an easy prediction to say that Faker will be nominated for their single 'This Heart Attack'? After the exhaustive radio play they have had it is inevitable that they will at least get a nomination.
YAY:
•MGMT and Wolf Parade have announced their hitting our shores later this year!
•'The Gardner' by The Tallest Man On Earth and trying to sing with his Swedish accent after a few too many vodka-lemon-limes.
•The Boat People- charming Brisbane pop band with sweet tunes and sweet cardigans.
NAY:
•4am RAGE with death metal/hardcore artists with weird growling vocals, weird eyeliner, weird hair and weird piercings. Weird.
•'Shake It' by Metro Station- Hurt me before I have to hear those whinging vocals again that sound like those boys have just hit puberty..they aim to lure in teenage girls with these lyrics: "I'll take you home if you don't leave me at the front door/ Your body's cold, but girl we're getting so warm/And I was thinking of ways that I could get inside ". Ewwww.
This past week we have had creative people with instruments in hand arrive on our shores. These people have given live music in Australia that boost of excitement, with bands such as Sigur Ros, Band of Horses, Vampire Weekend, The Fratellis, Devo, Cold War Kids, Tokyo Police Club, Laura Marling and New Young Pony Club as a handful of the most anticipated bands to catch while they are down under. Most of these bands have also held side shows too and if you are like me and didn't get to road trip up to Byron Bay, the side shows were easier to fit around a busy schedule. Being a poor uni student I managed to see one of these side-shows on Monday at the Metro where Vampire Weekend charmed the pants off everyone, not literally though and I'm glad about it because I think it is rather distasteful when people throw their underwear on stage- reminiscent of Jason Mraz at The Forum 2006 when a woman and a man took off their hopefully unsoiled undergarments and catapulted it onto the stage. Jason was slightly amused but grossed out by it. I can just imagine the chaffing the man would have felt on the bus ride home..ewww.
Back to Vampire Weekend though..they were supported by Little Red who have received a great deal of praise for their short 60's pop and rock 'n' roll infused tunes off their debut album 'Listen To Little Red'. I have heard and read nothing but good news about these cats. The crowd at the Metro were very inviting when they came on stage and as soon as they began people were jittering and some were jiving as they played a musical-chairs-like game with their lead vocalists, rotating regularly and harmonising together. I didn't feel like I was in the 21st century, and I realised more suitable attire would have been a big polka dot dress, ponytail and scarf around my neck. I have seen Little Red before and it is hard to stand there without tapping a foot or two. Then Vampire Weekend graced the stage and the crowd erupted in excitement, cheering and wolf-whistling and they started with "Mansard Roof" which was a fun sing-a-long. Vampire Weekend have this boyish charisma that ooze out of them especially from the lead singer, Ezra Koenig, who shared multiple smiles all around and seemed delighted to be in Australia. It's hard for a few people to accept they are from New York since they seem like they hail from the UK but once Ezra greeted the audience with his American accent it was evident that they were not a British band at all. They cheerfully played through their entire debut album tracklist of afro-pop with three new tracks as well and their bassist was cheerful too, dancing as he played. It would have been next to impossible to not ingest the happy atmosphere and leave there feeling like they were as good live as they are on CD. As for the other Splendour side-shows I missed out on Sigur Ros which I heard was amazing and a friend of mine went to Band of Horses, informing me mid-set that he was close to tears because they were so impressive.
“SYDNEY’S INDIE MUSIC SCENE IS NEAR IT’S END!!!”
So this is what I’ve heard a few people shouting out lately, ok..they weren’t exactly ‘shouting’ but they were prophesising what seems to be an apocalyptic ending to the beloved and rather creative music scene in one of Australia’s best cities (let’s not start on the ‘Australia’s BEST city: Sydney vs Melbourne’ argument). I think the idea that it’s near its end is pretty ridiculous but I think there are reasons for such suggestions and predictions:
Reason 1) Some people believe that independent music has lost some of it’s appeal.
This could be due to the current trends in music that are becoming tedious, predictable and past their time. Who knows. Or it could also be a reaction to neglect as a consequence of some of Sydney’s favourite bands who have been on hiatus over the past year recording albums (eg Mercy Arms) or venturing overseas (eg teenagersintokyo, Ghostwood), popping up for some quick gigs and then disappearing just as fast as they sell-out of their tickets. A prime example is Dappled Cities who left us last year to embark on an adventure in the USA after their truly wonderful double-headliner with Red Riders at The Metro-I had never seen so many girls at an indie gig scream in hysteria whilst clinging to their balloons that flaunted the words ‘I LOVE YOU’. I guess it was, after all, all ages. But those arduous six months that they were away flew by and the Dappled boys returned to us in late 2007, coming back to play across two nights and Oxford Art Factory where the sold-out second night sat on Valentine’s Day. They made all in attendance forget their singledom and presented some new tasty material as well as an emotional adieu to their drummer Hugh Boyce. Now the boys with a new drummer in tow are away again (hibernating!) to record for their new album. However they secured their appeal to Sydney last month when they impressed everyone at the Annandale when they decided to dress-up for the occasion in elaborate coats, hats, feathers and knickerbockers handing them the image of older century nautical captains. Except Ned, he was dressed as a tiger.
YEN magazine today attracted my attention to the live exporting of Australian sheep to the Middle East so they can be slaughtered the 'Halal' way. I have read about this before but reading about it again is a reminder of how Australian sheep are being mistreated. The sheep endure horrendous conditions on the weeks it takes for them to be transported overseas and thousands of them die on the journey due to heat exhaustion and disease to name a few. Not only that, but the sheep are also inhumanely treated when they arrive in the Middle East and it is ridiculous that the Australian Government is pouring millions into exporting live sheep over there to be treated like they have no feelings, no thoughts..as if they aren't even living. It is disgusting to know that although we have Halal slaughterers here who have to follow guidelines on how animals can be treated here, once the animals arrive overseas the laws aren't the same and the animals are handled and abused in horrific ways before and during their slaughter. Usually I rather not read these sort of stories about animal cruelty because it upsets me (especially with the stories of the dancing bears) but this one keeps popping up and I find it distressing.
What the hell is wrong with the Australian Government that they can allow something like this to happen? A better alternative is to slaughter the animals (the Halal way) within the guidelines that the laws here have set out to avoid the mistreatment and stress of the animals, resulting in the preparation of food here where it is frozen and sent to the Middle East. They deserve a death within legal regulations and as humanely as possible.
It is also disgusting to hear that our beautiful Australian sheep are being treated this way :( To help you can sign a petition on the following website that will address this disgusting trade to Kevin Rudd. This story almost makes me want to turn vegetarian.
