November, 2011

This JB Hi-Fi staff review of Lulu – the new album by Lou Reed and Metallica — has been causing much mirth as it’s passed around on the internets. Not much more to add really. That JB Hi-Fi employee deserves a pay rise.

Kate Bush: 50 Words For Snow [Fish Music/EMI] It’s Kate Bush’s cheery Christmas album! Not really. 50 Words For Snow is the 53-year-old (really!) eccentric singer-songwriter’s tenth album in her 32-year career and comes hot (cold?) on the heels of this year’s Director’s Cut set that restyled some of her most well-known songs. Its seven tracks seem a meagre offering [...]

Interesting The Observer interview with UK national treasure and Britpop survivor Jarvis Cocker answering readers’ questions and looking back on his time as Pulp frontman and the current state of that nation. On the UK press: For 30-odd years Murdoch has really affected the way this country operates, people walking round like, ‘Oh, we can’t offend him,’ [...]

Australian music’s afternoon of afternoons was held yesterday. The Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) awards ceremony clawed back a little respectability following last year’s infamously shambolic Sydney Opera House fiasco. Channel Nine digital TV channel GO! showed highlights of the presentations and it was interesting to note how few on-air plugs aired for their upcoming The [...]

  You and me Sitting in a tree F-U-C-K-I-N-G – Everything I Wanna Do, Nickelback Welcome to Nickelback world. An amalgamation of lyrics from songs on the Canadian rockers’ seventh album Here And Now gives a good idea of their ongoing appeal to fans. Grab a Jim Beam, JD, whatever you need. I love the whisky, [...]

  Well you can’t get what you want but you can get me So let’s set up and see ‘Cause you are my medicine when you’re close to me When you’re close to me – On Melancholy Hill, Gorillaz ‘Genius’ is a term that’s bandied around far too often nowadays but…Damon Albarn is a musical [...]

There isn’t much to do now but listen to that song About the dreams you have when someone great is gone I didn’t pay attention, didn’t get it at the time When you drifted into silence That was your goodbye – When The Light Goes Out, Ben Lee Zombie dogs. Dead dads. Albert Brooks. Sex [...]

Real Estate – Days (Domino) New Jersey band Real Estate (not to be confused with grunge exponents Sunny Day Real Estate) avoid the dreaded second album slump on Days after their self-titled 2009 debut grabbed a fair few fans in indie pop/rock land. The guitars on Days sweetly jingle and jangle and melodies are clear. Singer/guitarist Martin [...]