I went to 153 shows in 2020. These were the best ones:
50. Laurence Pike @ Old 505 Theatre, 13/8 49. Not A Boys Name @ The Lansdowne, 10/9 48. Bloods @ Crowbar Sydney, 6/11 47. Sally Seltmann @ The Lansdowne, 12/11 46. Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys @ Petersham Bowling Club, 12/9 45. Lisa Caruso @ The Vanguard, 16/10 44. Tim Freedman @ Camelot Lounge, 24/11 43. Fanny Lumsden @ Red Rattler, 6/11 42. Sarah Blasko @ Old 505 Theatre, 14/11 41. Andy Bull @ Mary’s Underground, 29/11 40. Jack Colwell @ Oxford Art Factory, 2/10 39. Totally Unicorn @ Crowbar Sydney, 22/8 38. Shady Nasty @ Mary’s Underground, 3/12 37. Jack Ladder @ The Lansdowne, 17/7 36. Baby Beef @ The Vanguard, 20/6 35. Ruby Fields @ Wombarra Bowling Club, 17/10 34. Shogun & The Sheets @ The Lansdowne, 24/7 33. Party Dozen @ Mary’s Underground, 10/10 32. Mary’s Loves the Bush @ The Lansdowne, 27/1 31. The Buoys @ The Lansdowne, 22/8 30. E^ST @ The Vanguard, 2/8 29. Terror @ Hamilton Station Hotel, 19/1 28. Gordi @ Factory Theatre, 22/10 27. Nick Lowe @ Enmore Theatre, 16/2 26. An Horse @ Old Bar, 24/2 25. The Presets @ Factory Theatre, 21/11 24. Ben Folds with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra @ Sydney Town Hall, 6/3 23. Fatboy Slim @ Sydney Olympic Park, 31/1 22. Amanda Palmer @ Enmore Theatre, 20/2 21. Kwame @ The Lansdowne, 29/10 20. Hockey Dad @ Bulli Showgrounds, 9/10 19. Polaris @ Enmore Theatre, 28/2 18. The Stranglers @ Enmore Theatre, 8/2 17. mclusky @ Oxford Art Factory, 12/1 16. A Sunny Afternoon @ McCabe Park, 1/3 15. Vampire Weekend @ Enmore Theatre, 9/1 14. Private Function @ The Lansdowne, 13/12 13. The New Pornographers @ Metro Theatre, 26/2 12. Sleaford Mods @ Metro Theatre, 4/3 11. Invasion Fest @ Metro Theatre, 18/1 10. Urthboy @ Lazybones Lounge, 20/11 9. A.B. Original @ Factory Theatre, 14/11 8. Dune Rats @ Big Top Luna Park, 7/3 7. Laneway Festival @ The Domain, 2/2 6. Violent Soho @ The Lansdowne, 14/2 5. Knocked Loose @ Dicey Riley’s, 16/1 4. Elton John @ Qudos Bank Arena, 14/1 3. Farmer & The Owl @ McCabe Park, 29/2 2. Pagan @ The Curtin, 22/2 1. Genesis Owusu @ Mary’s Underground, 22/10
HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Jesus Piece @ Burkedin Hotel, 18/1; Cry Club @ La La La’s, 1/2; Tool @ Qudos Bank Arena, 17/2; Tyre Swans @ Stay Gold, 22/2; Julia Jacklin @ Enmore Theatre, 5/3; Dyson Stringer Cloher @ The Vanguard, 15/3; Hard-Ons @ The Lansdowne, 3/7; Phil Jamieson @ The Lansdowne, 7/8; Elana Stone @ Old 505 Theatre, 16/10; Brad Cox @ Wollongong UniBar, 23/10; Maddy Jane @ The Lansdowne, 24/10; Josh Pyke @ Factory Theatre, 29/10; Jack R. Reilly @ The Vanguard, 10/11; Middle Kids @ Factory Theatre, 11/11; Donny Benet @ The Vanguard, 12/11; Polish Club @ Factory Theatre, 17/11; Annie Hamilton @ The Lansdowne, 18/11; We Lost the Sea @ Crowbar Sydney, 21/11; Imogen Clark @ Factory Theatre, 9/12; Post Truth @ Hamilton Station Hotel, 17/12; The Vanns @ Wombarra Bowling Club, 23/12.
1. Ashley McBryde – Never Will 2. Spanish Love Songs – Brave Faces Everyone 3. Banoffee – Look at Us Now Dad 4. Sports Team – Deep Down Happy 5. Blake Scott – Niscitam 6. Gil Scott-Heron – We’re New Again: A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven 7. The Beths – Jump Rope Gazers 8. Miel – Tourist Season 9. The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You 10. Polaris – The Death of Me 11. Gordi – Our Two Skins 12. Azim Zain and His Lovely Bones – Be Good 13. Pillow Queens – In Waiting 14. Sorry – 925 15. Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia 16. The Chicks – Gaslighter 17. Caligula’s Horse – Rise Radiant 18. Gulch – Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress 19. E^ST – I’M DOING IT 20. Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters 21. Party Dozen – Pray for Party Dozen 22. Tame Impala – The Slow Rush 23. Dune Rats – Hurry Up and Wait 24. Miiesha – Nyaaringu 25. Run The Jewels – RTJ4 26. Hockey Dad – Brain Candy 27. HAIM – Women in Music Pt. III 28. Jack Colwell – SWANDREAM 29. Hayley Williams – Petals for Armor 30. Something for Kate – The Modern Medieval 31. Cry Club – God I’m Such a Mess 32. El Tee – Everything is Fine 33. 5 Seconds of Summer – C A L M 34. Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher 35. RVG – Feral 36. illuminati hotties – FREE I.H: This Is Not The One You’ve Been Waiting For 37. Headie One x Fred again.. – GANG 38. Touché Amoré – Lament 39. Neil Cicierega – Mouth Dreams 40. Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud 41. Jeff Rosenstock – N O D R E A M 42. Tired Lion – Breakfast for Pathetics 43. Haiku Hands – Haiku Hands 44. Jack R. Reilly – Middle Everything 45. Diet Cig – Do You Wonder About Me? 46. Covet – technicolor 47. Frances Quinlan – Likewise 48. Violent Soho – Everything is A-OK 49. Shopping – All or Nothing 50. Paradise Club – Paradise Club
HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Jaime Wyatt – Neon Cross, Colter Wall – Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs, envy – The Fallen Crimson, Adrianne Lenker – songs, Car Seat Headrest – Making a Door Less Open, Protomartyr – Ultimate Success Today, Soccer Mommy – color theory, Good Sad Happy Bad – Shades, Cub Sport – LIKE NIRVANA, Snarls – Burst, Laurence Pike – Prophecy, Taylor Swift – folklore, Bright Eyes – Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was, Laura Jane Grace – Stay Alive, Polkadot – Feeling Okay, Ratboys – Printer’s Devil, The Streets – None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive, Turtle Skull – Monoliths
I went to 233 shows in 2019. These were the best ones:
50. Youth Group @ The Foundry, 15/11 49. Seeker Lover Keeper @ The Lansdowne, 12/7 48. Anberlin @ Enmore Theatre, 26/5 47. The Magic Numbers @ The Triffid, 21/3 46. Bugs @ North Wollongong Hotel, 17/11 45. Florence + The Machine @ The Domain, 26/1 44. La Dispute @ Cambridge Hotel, 19/9 43. Allday @ Hordern Pavilion, 24/8 42. Two Door Cinema Club @ Enmore Theatre, 28/11 41. Frenzal Rhomb @ Cambridge Hotel, 21/12 40. Dune Rats @ Metro Theatre, 13/9 39. High Tension @ The Lansdowne, 10/8 38. Rob Thomas @ ICC Sydney Theatre, 13/11 37. Splendour in the Grass @ North Byron Parklands, 19/7 – 21/7 36. Underoath @ Hordern Pavilion, 12/9 35. WAAX @ Cambridge Hotel, 23/8 34. The Story So Far @ UNSW Roundhouse, 19/4 33. Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals @ Hordern Pavilion, 9/1 32. Paul Dempsey @ Oxford Art Factory, 15/6 31. JPEGMAFIA @ Oxford Art Factory, 2/10 30. Ms. Lauryn Hill @ Qudos Bank Arena, 7/2 29. Pianos Become the Teeth @ Rad, 16/2 28. Laneway Festival @ Sydney College of the Arts, 3/2 27. The Barking Spiders @ Factory Theatre, 28/12 26. Gang of Four @ The Zoo, 7/11 25. Turnstile @ Factory Theatre, 16/1 24. Dispossessed @ Greeny’s House, 1/11 23. Mitski @ Oxford Art Factory, 4/2 22. Phil Collins @ Qudos Bank Arena, 23/1 21. Making Gravy @ The Domain, 14/12 20. U2 @ Sydney Cricket Ground, 23/11 19. The 1975 @ ICC Sydney Theatre, 21/9 18. Azim Zain and His Lovely Bones @ The Front, 6/6 17. Download Festival @ Parramatta Park, 9/3 16. The Monkees @ Sydney Opera House, 18/6 15. Kacey Musgraves @ Enmore Theatre, 12/5 14. The Chemical Brothers @ The Dome, 2/11 13. Fleetwood Mac @ Qudos Bank Arena, 27/8 12. The Flaming Lips @ Sydney Opera House, 30/9 11. Yours & Owls Festival @ Stuart Park, 5/10 – 6/10 10. Charly Bliss @ The Lansdowne, 23/7 9. Deafheaven @ Manning Bar, 28/2 8. Four Tet @ Enmore Theatre, 7/3 7. Totally Unicorn @ Rad, 11/6 6. The Cure @ Sydney Opera House, 28/5 5. Death Cab for Cutie @ Sydney Opera House, 11/3 4. Childish Gambino @ Qudos Bank Arena, 24/7 3. Iggy Pop @ Sydney Opera House, 15/4 2. Dear Seattle @ Rad, 16/6 1. IDLES @ Oxford Art Factory, 28/1
HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Kylie Minogue @ ICC Sydney Theatre, 6/3; Eagles @ Qudos Bank Arena, 14/3; Tropical Fuck Storm @ UOW UniBar, 30/3; Party Dozen @ Oxford Art Factory Gallery Bar, 25/4; Post Malone @ Qudos Bank Arena, 8/5; Midnight Oil @ Anita’s Theatre, 23/5; 5 Seconds of Summer @ Factory Theatre, 3/7; Foals @ Hordern Pavilion, 17/7; Friendly Fires @ Metro Theatre, 22/7; You Am I @ Annandale Hotel, 6/9; Troye Sivan @ Hordern Pavilion, 20/9; girl in red @ The Lansdowne, 8/10; Fucked Up @ The Gasometer, 9/10; Northlane @ UNSW Roundhouse, 11/10; Courtney Barnett @ Howler, 22/10; Grinspoon @ Waves, 31/10; DZ Deathrays @ The Triffid, 8/11; Slim Set @ The Lansdowne, 23/11; Genesis Owusu @ Vic on the Park, 30/11; Spacey Jane @ Wollongong UniBar, 4/12.
Man, I have interviewed Every Time I Die somany times. I never would have guessed how many times I’ve done it before going through this archive, but it’s a lot. I guess it makes sense, really – they were touring a lot, and they were churning out records. They have to be one of the most scarily consistent bands in heavy music. They have a sound that’s theirs, but they’ve never gotten samey or stale across their career. Here, we’re talking about Ex Lives, which remains one of my favourite albums of theirs. The interview isn’t too bad either, considering I was still figuring out a lot about feature writing in these first few years.
***
When you’re after a good time in the field of rock, punk, hardcore or metal, it’s rare that you’ll go past EVERY TIME I DIE. With a discography and list of achievements as long as your arm, the band have finally dropped their new album Ex-Lives after a nearly three-year wait…and, just quietly, it might just be their best work yet. Vocalist KEITH BUCKLEY got on the line with Australian Hysteria Magazine to shoot the shit and discuss the making of this stellar record.
“The Sabres won!” exclaims Keith Buckley as cheers erupt from the bar which he is standing out the front of. Ever the professional, Buckley has moved away from the noise in order to speak to Australian Hysteria Magazine. He may have missed the final moments of his beloved Buffalo Sabres taking out a huge NHL victory, but it doesn’t seem to concern him that greatly. After all, he is bursting with excitement to talk about Ex-Lives, the sixth studio album from his band Every Time I Die and his return to the ETID fold after going on tour with hair-metal supergroup The Damned Things.
Buckley spent most of 2011 working as a double agent of sorts, hitting the road with TDT in support of their debut, Ironiclast; as well as working on Ex-Lives in his time off. Both bands were on the line-up for the Soundwave Revolution festival in September of 2011, but fate was not kind to the festival and it ended up folding before a single stage had even been set up.
Thankfully, both ETID and TDT toured, the former doing a handful of headlining shows and the latter joining the consolation-prize Counter-Revolution line-up. “The fact that I can say that Van Halen screwed up my year is actually kind of awesome,” says Keith with a big laugh. “That said, them cancelling actually worked out for the best for us. The Damned Things got to come out and play, which was awesome, and all the shows I got to play were really, really fun.”
New songs were premiered on that tour – including the pulverising first single “Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space” – but Ex-Lives had not reached completion at the time of the September tours. Regardless, Buckley was hugely enthusiastic about the album and its sound: speaking to AHM at the time, he emphasised that Ex-Lives was “not just another Every Time I Die record” and that the material was “honestly some of the best stuff we’ve written.” Even with the album finished, however, Keith is still as excited about the record as he was back then.
“We’ve been sitting on it for months, which is crazy,” he says. “We’ve had time to really build up some hype for it and put out the video [for “Underwater Bimbos”] and stuff like that, so it’s kind of like we’ve gone into training to generate interest for this record before we tour it. We’re very excited. I still love it just as much as I did when we were recording it, and it’s crazy to me that we’ve been sitting on it for so long. Normally, when we’re done with a record, it’s straight out so we don’t have to worry about it leaking.”
Naturally, this perceived break from tradition leads the discussion to the topic of album leaks. Both Ironiclast and the band’s previous record, 2009’s New Junk Aesthetic, leaked online prior to the official release date, and so Buckley is questioned as to what a leak means to both him and to the band.
“It honestly depends on how close it is to the release date – because, sometimes, it can actually help a lot,” he responds. “When you get to the point when you’re worrying about record sales… I mean, that’s not the kind of band that we are. We’re not Katy Perry. We’re not Rihanna. We’re just a hardcore band – record sales don’t really justify anything for us. We still go on tour and play to kids who know the words to our songs – whether they downloaded it or bought it, they’re still coming out to the shows to hear the songs live. That’s kind of the point, huh?”
Talk then returns to Ex-Lives – a record which, for what it’s worth, sounds as though it will absolutely thrive in the live environment. With breakneck drums, howled vocals and punishing guitars left, right and centre, it’s an album that expands to new horizons for the band without losing sight of what made them an excellent band to begin with. The album, tellingly, was very rawly recorded, and presented quite a different style of recording process for Buckley in comparison to New Junk Aesthetic. “I was working on the vocals with everyone else in the band watching me while it happened, which is something I’d never done before,” he says.
“Normally, I’d do vocals for the song and then hear the band’s critiques of it later on when they came down. I’d take their comments on board and then go back in without them and do it again. This time around, though, I was doing the takes with all of them watching behind me, which was really weird. I was making all of my mistakes right in front of them. It’s weird, because a lot of people seem to think that if you’re going to perform in front of an audience, that you must not be that self-conscious. But I am. Extremely. Doing that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. They’d never heard me make those mistakes before. It was good, though – I’m very open to input from the others, and I’m not a diva. It’s a band. It’s a democracy.”
With Ex-Lives finally ready to go, Every Time I Die are finally preparing for a full-scale tour, starting in North America and quickly moving onto the rest of the world. Quizzed on a potential Australian tour, however, and Keith is somewhat hesitant. “Oh, man, I really don’t know,” he says with a laugh. “Honestly, with so much going on I really don’t know when we’ll be able to get back down there. At a stretch, we’re gonna aim for November and see how that goes.” It might be awhile off yet, but do yourself a favour while you’re playing the waiting game and go give Ex-Lives a spin. There’s a very strong chance you’ll like what you hear.
1. LCD soundsystem – american dream
2. Toby Martin – Songs from Northam Avenue
3. Gordi – Reservoir
4. Paramore – After Laughter
5. Charly Bliss – Guppy
6. IDYLLS – The Barn
7. Holly Throsby – After a Time
8. Gold Class – Drum
9. Two Steps on the Water – Sword Songs
10. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.
11. Jen Cloher – Jen Cloher
12. Thundercat – Drunk
13. Neil Cicierega – Mouth Moods
14. Tigers Jaw – spin
15. Spoon – Hot Thoughts
16. Randy Newman – Dark Matter
17. Sampha – Process
18. Mere Women – Big Skies
19. HTMLflowers – Chrome Halo
20. Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound
21. Sports Bra – Sports Bra
22. Jeremy Neale – Getting the Team Back Together
23. Corneluus – Mellow Waves
24. Lincoln Le Fevre and the Insiders – Come Undone
25. Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice
26. DEAFCULT – AURAS
27. Julien Baker – Turn Out the Lights
28. Paul Kelly – Life is Fine
29. The Smith Street Band – More Scared of You Than You Are of Me
30. Code Orange – Forever
31. Tired Minds – Loom
32. Taryn La Fauci – Cycling
33. The New Pornographers – Whiteout Conditions
34. Batpiss – Rest in Piss
35. SZA – Ctrl.
36. Cayetana – New Kind of Normal
37. Frenzal Rhomb – Hi-Viz High Tea
38. At the Drive-In – in•ter a•li•a
39. Worriers – Survival Pop
40. Gang of Youths – Go Farther in Lightness
41. Oslow – Oslow
42. Jess Locke – Universe
43. Turnover – Good Nature
44. Clowns – Lucid Again
45. Naif – PLZ ALTER THE ANIMAL THAT’S INSIDE OF ME
46. Harry Styles – Harry Styles
47. Diet Cig – Swear I’m Good at This
48. Yes I’m Leaving – Pure Joy
49. N*E*R*D – NO_ONE EVER REALLY DIES
50. Party Dozen – The Living Man
HONOURABLE MENTIONS: ’68, Allday, Citizen, Cloakroom, Death Bells, Full of Hell, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Manchester Orchestra, Michael Crafter, Miguel, Polaris, Priests, Queens of the Stone Age, Quicksand, Ratboys, RVG, Sleaford Mods.
Another unexpected gem from my time writing for Australian Hysteria Magazine. I didn’t know letlive. from a bar of soap until I was on the line with Jason Butler, who ended up being on the loveliest and kindest dudes I had interviewed up to that point. This is just a quick chat, but I’ve been a huge fan of the band ever since. It was a lasting impression!
– DJY, January 2015
***
After five years of line-up changes and general turmoil in-between albums, letlive kicked back into action last year with a killer new album, Fake History. Things have been going gangbusters for the quintet from there, with the band signing to iconic punk label Epitaph and planning a re-release for Fake History with three new tracks. Australian Hysteria got the opportunity to speak to the band’s founder and leader, Jason Butler, to talk shop on the album, as well as the band’s live antics and a potential trip down under.
Australian Hysteria: Hi Jason, thanks for chatting to Australian Hysteria Magazine! Whereabouts are you? Jason Butler: I’m actually on Venice Boulevard, making my way down to Santa Monica, California. We’re home free for about a month – we’ve got our release shows, which will only take about three days, and that’s it! I’m actually on my way to a birthday party with my girlfriend.
Sounds good! This article might be the first time our readers may have heard of letlive. How would you describe your band’s music to someone who’s never heard it before?
Something that you’ve wanted to hear for a long time. [Laughs] That’s pretty good, right?
Let’s talk Fake History. It’s your first album in five years – what do you think took so long to get this record together?
I believe it was the components of the band itself. It was willingness – what letlive was, it was a continuation on from a punk rock band I formed in high school. We cut a few albums, and – as you do when you’re young – you do what you want and you play what you want. You put out albums to be a part of something. During that time, though, we generated a different idea of letlive and what it was meant to be. So in those five years between, we were just putting the pieces back together. I’m actually the only remaining member from the original lineup. Truly, though, the beginning of letlive as you and most will know it is definitely with the five gentlemen we have now. We came to the realisation that in order to put something out in an overly-saturated culture that will hold water, you’ve got to really mean whatever it is you’re about to put out. So one day, it fell into place and we recorded it.
Epitaph have planned a re-release for the record. Do you feel at this point that it will help in exposing you to a new audience?
Absolutely. We have to illuminate and acknowledge Epitaph – it’s a milestone for us; it’s a milestone for anyone in punk rock. Of course there will be people that are dedicated to the label, and will want to check out anything Epitaph-related. Also, they’ve done so much as a label independently that they’re marked to be so authentic and natural. All these things are things that we really appreciate so early on in our career. We’re all working together.
There’s a very potent mix of both the heavier side of the music and the melodic side. Do you feel that having a diverse sound assists you in being able to play with a lot of different bands?
Y’know, I would love for that to be true. We appreciate and propagate all kinds of music that people don’t immediately assume to associate with our band. We really hope that it shines through and opens up doors – not just for us, but for other acts as well. No matter how you take it, it’s just music – you’re trying to be creative; you’re trying to latch on to something that was so primitive at one point, based on human instinct. It’s just music. I hope it’s transparent enough for people to see that’s how we feel about it. I’d love to tour with Bruno Mars – maybe if B.o.B. wants to take us out, I’ll do a hip-hop tour!
On the YouTube video for “Casino Columbus,” one of the highest-rated comments talks about what you did at a show – you threw a trash can over your head, started your own mosh pit and tried to climb the roof of a tent. Is any/all of that true? If so, when did it happen?
[Laughs] From what I’m told, it’s all true. It’s all a blur to me, but I’ve seen video! That was South by Southwest. We were playing a showcase, and I chased my microphone into a trash can. I thought I’d go for a fashion statement and wear the trash can as a top hat. I found myself outside of the tent at one point, and then climbed up the tent and found a hole and came back in. It was sort of like the tent was birthing me – it was kinda beautiful! [Laughs]
It sounds like there’s quite a bit of energy going on at these shows. How important are letlive’s live performances to you?
I think the letlive live show is just as important as the way we’re presented on record. It’s definitely different. With the album, we just tried to show as much raw energy and emotion – as trite as that may sound – as we could. It’s the exact same thing with the live show. We want people to understand that letlive is more than the five individuals on that stage. letlive is simply a vessel of some sort, and it’s much more vast than we can fully articulate at this point in time. When we can, we’ll let you know what it is; but right now, we just want people to feel something. It’s a shared energy. Even if they don’t know or don’t like what’s going on, all the energy – negative and positive – is feeding into what’s going on that stage.
Finally, when are we going to see letlive on Australian shores?
As soon as possible, man! We’ve been discussing this with our manager. I’ve heard it’s beautiful, and you guys are some of the nicest motherfuckers I’ve ever met. We did that tour with Break Even, and God-damn! You guys are just nice and cool. Not to mention my boy Jona, from Prom Queen and Bring Me The Horizon. He’s one of my favourite dudes to ever exist. As a country, if you’re all like that? I’m all about it, man. Let’s go!
We’re so close! Parts one, two and three… missed ’em? Not to worry? You can revisit them here, here and here. Let’s get down to some top 40 pop hits. Starting now.
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40. Fucked Up feat. J Mascis – Led By Hand
Here’s a strange proposition: The best Dinosaur Jr. song of the year did have J Mascis in it, but it wasn’t by Dinosaur Jr. In a standout moment from their exceptional Glass Boys LP, Pink Eyes and co. paid homage to proto-grunge wigouts while still maintaining their hardcore punk roots. There was perhaps no greater yin-and-yang in the year than when Mascis mumbled the song’s chorus as Pink Eyes let out a Roger Daltrey-worthy “YEAH!” atop of it. An unlikely pairing on paper, “Led by Hand” had everything making a whole lotta sense quite quickly. Follow it around.
39. St. Vincent – Digital Witness
What did Annie Clark learn from her time making music with David Byrne? Two major things. The first: Horns. They’re a weapon. Use them wisely. The second: Is something categorically weird in your song? Make it weirder. Taking this on board, “Digital Witness” is one of her finest tracks to date. Whether it was the spiralling pre-chorus melody, the stinging guitar wail or that all-encompassing hook, it was nigh-on impossible to deny the resonance of this rebirth. During one of the song’s many earworms, Clark boldly states “I want all of your mind.” You got it. Anything else?
38. The Kite String Tangle – Words
We’re still learning a lot about Danny Harley, the prodigious figurehead behind Brisbane bedroom phenomena The Kite String Tangle. Tracks like “Words” allowed us as listeners to edge slightly closer in this regard, and it was something to be extremely thankful for. A restrained exploration of post-dubstep balladry, Harley shrouds himself in light-and-shade contrasts, gently coaxing out confessional lyrics as distant lights flicker and glow on the outskirts. It shouldn’t add up that such depth and maturity has been achieved at such an early stage, but one would suppose The Kite String Tangle has always been against the odds.
37. Jane Tyrrell – The Rush
Lovers can fall hard and fast for one another, but where does one find oneself when fire turns to ice? It’s a complicated subject, and one that Tyrrell details with an outsider’s eye and an insider’s mind. She may have set up two characters in the song, but it’s safe to say that she sees more than just herself within them. Driven masterfully by the unmistakable drumming of PVT’s Laurence Pike, there are soaring highs and crushing lows that weave through the song’s relatively-short runtime. Tyrrell sees us through to the bitter end. It’s not like it’s her first time.
36. Ken Stringfellow – Kids Don’t Follow
If any song is stretching the friendship for its inclusion in a 2014 list, it’s surely this: A cover of a Replacements song from the 80s that was recorded in 2004 for a tribute album to the aforementioned college-rock legends that ultimately never came to be. This hazy barroom take on the anti-authoritative punk number came from acclaimed Posies and R.E.M. alum Ken Stringfellow; and collected dust until the release of a rarities compilation at the beginning of 2014. So, here we are. You best believe this sucker was worth uncovering. A smart, somewhat-sombre reworking from a truly underrated craftsman.
35. Babaganouj – Too Late for Love
Go Violets didn’t fade away, they burnt out. Their embers remain flickering within Brisbane’s still-thriving indie-pop village, as two of its members have resumed full-time positions in this little jangly garage outfit that could. “Too Late for Love” may have been born in the sunshine state, but it’s more European in flavour – there’s a strong dose of Camera Obscura, a hint of The Wannadies and sprinklings of Belle and Sebastian’s early work. None of this is said to deride the song, of course. It’s a reflection on how it immediately feels like home. May this band burn longer and brighter.
34. Kelis – Breakfast
Her milkshake brought all the boys to the yard, but what happens when one of those boys sticks around? Now in her thirties, Kelis is exploring the concept of finding love in wake of divorce. It’s quite an adult prospect, recurring on perhaps her most mature LP to date, Food. Many went with a helping of “Jerk Ribs” when asked to name the album’s standout, but it would be foolhardy to dismiss this triumphantly horn-laden take on neo-soul, complete with stunning chorus and adorable children’s backing vocals. Much like in life, “Breakfast” is the most important meal of the day.
33. Ben Howard – Conrad
A lot of pitch-black darkness took up Ben Howard’s second album – hell, it even took up most of the cover art. Positioned towards its latter half, “Conrad” allowed the LP to let a glimmer of light into the spectrum. It continues to look at where a past love went awry; and yet the song plays to the pop sensibilities that rewarded Howard such attention to begin with. Its shipmates are his exceptional guitar work, layered to the point of being a battalion front; as well as a hummed refrain that would even garner due respect from the Crash Test Dummies.
32. Luca Brasi – Borders and Statelines
Luca Brasi’s dues have been paid in full and with interest; and many within Australia’s punk community have spent the last few years in particular wondering as to when it would be their time. It was answered not with words, but an extremely loud action. The forceful, crashing drums, the stellar twin-guitar attack and the rousing, spirited chorus they always had in them… “Borders and Statelines,” contrary to its lyrics, will come to define this band in the very best way imaginable. There is a wolf in the throne room, and its name is Luca Brasi. There will be blood.
31. Swans – Oxygen
2014 saw Michael Gira turn 60 years old. He continues to haunt the realm of alternative/avant-garde music after thirty-plus years in the game with unfinished business. Amid an exhausting two-hour-plus release – the double-LP To Be Kind – came this truly terrifying beast. “Oxygen,” already a live favourite, can now officially stand as one of the biggest, boldest compositions to ever come out under the Swans moniker upon its long-awaited recording. Its opening moments are spent picking out one of the year’s most distinctive basslines; its dying moments forcefully hurls everything it has built up into the inferno. The in-between is unforgettable.
30. Death From Above 1979 – Right On, Frankenstein!
Yes, the most hyped new rock band of the year may well have been a bass-and-drums duo; but a vengeful return from the very band that made it cool in the first place made sure we all knew whose yard we were stepping into. “Frankenstein” fires off on all cylinders from its opening seconds, pounding through a barnstorming, breakneck dose of rock & roll that exists purely on Keeler and Grainger’s terms. Plus, it’s gotta be the best false ending to a song from this year: The dust settles, the bass rings out… then, POW! Right in the kisser!
29. Bertie Blackman – Run for Your Life
Another new Bertie Blackman album means another new Bertie Blackman. From the days of her favourite jeans to her flirtations with electronica on later releases, the chameleonic Blackman has rarely allowed herself to get too comfortable within a particular style in her decade-and-change of songwriting. “Run for Your Life” is no exception to this, although it would be wise to suggest she spend a little more time in this specific corner. She sounds right at home with the gated snare, thickly-layered synthesizers and the whoah-oh’d call and response. She may well have just stumbled across her own pop paradise.
28. Kiesza – Hideaway
Fred Armisen may have sung that the dream of the 90s was alive in Portland, but his radar was a little off. The dream of the 90s, friends, is alive in Kiesza, a twenty-something Canadian up-and-comer who dominated dancefloors throughout the entire year with this certified banger in her arsenal. From a crafting perspective, “Hideaway” is retro in the sense that it can appreciate that there was a “What is Love” and a “Rhythm of the Night” for every “Teen Spirit” and “Black Hole Sun.” Its spirit is alive and shuffling once again. Mash it.
27. Coldplay – Magic
In the year that the phrase “consciously uncoupling” entered the cultural lexicon, you could well have been forgiven for forgetting that Chris Martin actually made music this year. Sure, some people would like to forget it altogether, but that’s another story for another time. We’re here to talk about “Magic,” a single that allowed Martin and co. to recall the pop simplicity of their early days while connecting it to the fresh pain of a then-recent separation. If “Magic” proves anything, it’s that we can begin again. That, and Chris Martin can still write a bloody tune.
26. Tkay Maidza – U-Huh
Don’t let Tkay Maidza’s age fool you, nor the simplicity of her big-business single. MCs twice her age would kill for a flow so tightly syncopated, hooks this high in both quality and quantity and a beat as bright and boisterous as the one that fills the spaces of “U-Huh.” There are constant surprises around every corner in the current Australian musical climate; and Maidza is the latest to make a substantial impact. One hopes the fire spat here leads to a phenomenal debut LP next year. After all, as she puts it, “We don’t tolerate broke behaviour.”
25. Yoke – Jabiluka
A phrase as simple as “I never told her” is what centres itself thematically at the core of “Jabiluka,” so named after a mine in the Northern Territory of Australia. Each time it is uttered, there are further layers peeled back to reveal the pain, the regret and the loss that comes with delivering such a line. It’s conveyed emphatically, almost taking on new meaning with every repetition. Similarly, the song itself may externally feel like a Dev Hynes-flavoured slice of downtempo indie-pop, but further listening will see those very same layers revealing. A smart yet complicated song.
24. DZ Deathrays – Reflective Skull
Who gives a fuck about how many notes you can play? If you can play the right ones, in the right succession, you needn’t worry about a single thing more. The riff that “Reflective Skull” lives and dies by was not designed for any greater intellectual pursuit. It’s a primitive headbanger, locked into an undeniable stomping groove and launched forth with reckless abandon. Ironically enough, with its less-than-more approach, this could be one of the biggest sounding tracks that the Deathrays duo have ever put their collective name to. Altogether, now: DUN, DUN-DUN, DUN DUN DUN-DUN, DEWWWW DEWWWW DEWWWW.
23. Sia – Chandelier
Ten years removed from her previous signature song, the inimitable “Breath Me,” Sia Furler has penned herself a new standard; an anthem which will forever define her as one of not only Australia’s greatest singer-songwriter exports, but as a true mastermind behind pop music in the 21st century. Hyperbole? For Christ’s sake, go listen to that chorus again. Seriously. It feels like that Maxell ad campaign where the guy is being blown away by the sound in his chair. Maddie Ziegler may have given the song a second life, but it was all a part of Sia’s grander plan.
22. The Gaslight Anthem – Get Hurt
Don’t call it a comeback. Don’t even call it a reinvention. What we are seeing here is Brian Fallon and co. going out on a proverbial limb, gazing forlornly at what lies beyond. In leaving their comfort zone and exploring the possibilities of slower, more refined songwriting, Gaslight have undertaken a greater journey all with a single step. The title track from their latest record also served as one of their most striking, honest songs ever put to wax. It’s murmurs and whispers from a band defined by their shouts and screams, and it makes for a remarkable listening experience.
21. Tiny Ruins – Me at the Museum, You in the Wintergardens
The single greatest ode to love in 2014 came from the humble, warm abode of Auckland; where you’ll find the quaint, gorgeously understated sounds of one Hollie Fullbrook on the wind. The story is simply told, beautifully painted and pristinely arranged, as we follow the scent of young love through two uniquely different workplaces that somehow not only complement on another, but serve as a reflection on the resolute power that can come through finding love. Its greatest achievement, however, is its ability to accomplish all of this majesty in a decidedly slim 155 seconds. It just comes and goes.
WHO: Alpine. FROM: Melbourne, VIC, Australia. FIRST TIME: Oxford Art Factory, Sydney; October 22nd, 2010. TENTH TIME: Laneway Festival, Sydney; February 2, 2013.
I had never seen anything quite like Alpine when I first lay eyes on them back in my first few weeks as a twenty-year-old. I haven’t seen much like them since. Often imitated, never duplicated. I was drawn to their undeniable stage presence, their energy and the precision with which they attacked their music.
I’ve seen them go from a small gathering during a support slot to playing festivals with punters as far as the eye can see. I obviously had nothing to do with it, but you’ll find me through every stage. It’s the same with a lot of the acts that ended up in the TTC – I enter stage right at an early, opportune time; and there I stay. This band is always such a joy to be around – they’re one of the few bands who went out of their way to thank me for coming to see them early on. You don’t forget things like that. I’ve come to know them all fairly well and can only speak the highest praises of them. As long as they continue to deliver their particular brand of indie-pop, I’ll make a point of staying on board.
There are times when Alex Lloyd feels like an Australian in-joke. He skyrocketed to fame with Amazing, the single from his breakthrough LP Watching Angels Mend; and then spectacularly crashed to earth. He’s spent the last decade or so in and out of the public eye, occasionally dropping albums that a dozen people might buy. He’s still kicking around, from what I’ve gathered. Good on him.
Anyway, this was another emailer. Not quite what I was after in terms of answers, but I’ve put it up here for completion’s sake.
– DJY, April 2014
***
You’ve been fairly on the quiet in-between the release of your self-titled record and Good in the Face of a Stranger. What did you occupy yourself with in this downtime?
My family and I moved to London about two and half years ago. After we got settled I managed to find myself a studio not too far from where we live in North London. It was an old photography studio. I had to then build a box inside the room, so this kept me busy. Then once the studio was ready I started writing and recording Good In The Face Of A Stranger.
Some of the songs on the new record, I feel, are more polished revisitings to your early work, particularly of the Black the Sun era. Is that a sentiment you agree with?
I don’t know if I would say more polished, but it’s a much smaller, more compact sound than the previous self-titled album. I think it is reminiscent slightly of Black the Sun, but mostly due to the fact that, like Black the Sun I ended up playing the majority of the instruments on the record.
Was there a need to create something more intimate, dark and mellow after making more commercially-aware records such as Distant Light and your self-titled?
I think due to the fact that I was in London when I started to write the album I was able to get lost in the grey sky and the more introspective nature that it provides. I have always been partial to a more melancholy sound I guess. Being where I was enabled me to really embrace it.
Good in the Face of a Stranger was released very quietly, and has thus far seen very little media coverage or response. As a now-independent artist, what is more important to you at this stage of your career – the exposure of your work or simply to have the finished product out there?
I guess it has been a bit of a learning curve on this album. I feel that we have done it the right way as far as my soul is concerned, but I definitely feel like I have learned a lot about being an independent artist at the same time.
Your career has seen you take both ends of the musical spectrum, to being a platinum seller on a major label to a hard-working independent artist. What do you see as the pros and cons of both situations; and which do you honestly prefer?
It is really hard to say, because I honestly feel as though I had a great time at major labels. However, to be contractually obligated to a company can feel pretty claustrophobic from time to time, but then they do provide a valuable service. But I can honestly say I am happy with my current status as an independent artist.
You’ve chosen some very intimate, unpretentious venues for this tour. What can fans expect in terms of your set-list, and how the songs will be played?
We will be doing a pretty laidback set for this tour, with a slight electro influence. It will be Alex Lloyd songs old and new with a real sense of wood and wire in its presentation.
As Marc Pell, Mica Levi and Raisa Khan mash into their instruments, build up terrifyingly noisy soundscapes and throw jarring and discordant sounds into the middle of a progression or arrangement just for the hell of it, you can really go either one of two ways. The first, naturally, is flee the scene in terror and fear for your hearing and well-being. Many have taken this path with the band, and in a way that’s perfectly understandable. For anyone with the capacity to stick around for awhile, however, Never brought a set of ambitious and imaginative tunes directly to the forefront. Three years after their debut, they still create a divisive and wholly creative path in their music – perhaps unlike any other contemporary act. Plug in, unwind and just leave the rest to them.
THREE TOP TRACKS: OK, Easy, Holiday.
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9. The Gaslight Anthem – Handwritten
Within months of one another in 2012 came Wrecking Ball and Handwritten, the new albums from Bruce Springsteen and The Gaslight Anthem, respectively. Upon reflection, we can officially count 2012 as the year that the apprentice overtook the master. As has been well-documented, without the Boss there is no Gaslight – and yet, for all of Wrecking Ball‘s enjoyable moments, it simply couldn’t hold a candle to what he had influenced and inspired over the years. Handwritten is the most assured, authentic and powerful TGS record to date; a mix of cautionary small-town tales and regret-tinged nostalgia. Rich in character development as much as it is incomprehensibly catchy choruses, this is the kind of album that won’t let you leave until you note every single track as an essential listen. The quest for the great American rock album is as arduous and oft-attempted as the great American novel. With Handwritten, The Gaslight Anthem have come closer than anyone else in at least the past five years.
THREE TOP TRACKS: National Anthem, Here Comes My Man, Handwritten.
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8. fun. – Some Nights
For all the crazy, rapidly-changing times of the 21st century, it’s remarkable what things stay exactly the same. In 2006, Nate Ruess was one of the smartest and most talented men working in pop music. In 2012, that very sentiment rings as true as ever. Of course, the circumstances have changed: Ruess’ previous outfit, the Arizona-based duo The Format were making underrated pop music for a relatively small audience. These days, he’s in the Big Apple, fronting a band called fun. and performing to more people in one week than The Format probably ever performed to on an entire tour. What’s stuck, however, is Ruess’ endearing melodies, his tugged-heartstring lyricism and his Wilson-brother-sized harmones and arrangement ideas. Choir here! Autotune solo here! Where are the horns? More guitars! For all the acts that cracked mainstream attention in 2012, Some Nights put the most soul into it. The new pop demographic has arrived.
THREE TOP TRACKS: Why Am I the One, Some Nights, It Gets Better.
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7. Kate Miller-Heidke – Nightflight
Everything that Kate Miller-Heidke has done – from humble, quiet beginnings with “Space They Cannot Touch” up to 2011’s baritone alt-pop project Fatty Gets a Stylist – has lead up to this very moment in her musical career. Nightflight would be a hell of an accomplishment on anyone’s behalf; but it feels all the more gratifying from a woman that has proven time and time again that she is bigger and infinitely better than any opera-trained vocal stunts and the damning “quirky” tag that’s stuck with her since the break-out hit in “Words.” The album is a mature, layered and deep record, a mixed bag that ensures that its larger pop moments have just as much impact as the stripped-back tear-jerkers. Everything here feels momentous, vital and emotionally invested. It’s a complete package, resulting in an LP that critics probably never saw coming and long-time fans always knew she had in her.
THREE TOP TRACKS: The Devil Wears a Suit, Ride This Feeling, I’ll Change Your Mind.
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6. Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory
What a difference a year makes. In January 2011, Cloud Nothings released a hazy, summer-ready indie/pop record – harmless enough, but hardly something with a firm identity stamp or worth extensive listens. Around 12 months later, Attack on Memory came charging out of the gates, tearing through speakers and cementing itself as one of the year’s essential indie rock records less than a month into the fucking thing. How the hell did we get to this point? There are two people to point in the direction of in this case. The first, of course, is frontman Dylan Baldi – tearing through a vocal range that his prior discography would have you believe didn’t even exist, his furious delivery elevated these songs into an entirely new stratosphere. The second is producer Steve Albini – mixing the thrashing, punchy style of his production work on In Utero with the churning post-everything sounds of his own Shellac, his approach made the record as raw and oozing with angst as any classic he’s put his name to. Through every screamed refrain, slamming drum break and piercing guitar noise, Attack on Memory kept the entire year turned up to eleven.
THREE TOP TRACKS: Wasted Days, Stay Useless, No Future/No Past.
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5. The Chariot – One Wing
It begins with distorted screaming going head-to-head with a churning, downtuned guitar. Some thirty-odd minutes later, it ends with a wall of feedback and a speech from Charlie Chaplin. In the in-between, The Chariot deliver their most ambitious, belligerent and, ultimately, finest LP to date. One Wing refuses to let the loss of long-time bassist Jon Kindler reduce the band to a three-legged dog: instead, the band move into territory both traditionally chaotic (“Not,” “in”) and surprisingly left-of-centre (see the spaghetti western progression of “First” or the shaken piano balladry of highlight “Speak”). They show a hunger for creativity, longing beyond the binary-code riffs that have sunken their contemporaries. With it, they’ve created one of the most rewarding albums of 2012. A new chapter begins.
THREE TOP TRACKS: Speak, First, in.
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4. Tame Impala – Lonerism
A lot has been made of the wonderful cover art for Lonerism – a photograph of Paris’ Jardin du Luxembourg from the perspective of outside the gates. What may be more telling, however, is the back cover. As you peruse the tracklist, you may notice Kevin Parker laying down in the middle of a bedroom that’s packed within a square inch of its life with equipment, wires and instruments. This, in essence, was how Lonerism was created, with Kevin Parker building up each track on his own from scratch. The end result is far from a mere bedroom project, however – the album’s expansive array of sounds surpasses that of 2010’s “de-butt” effort (hi, Jess Maubuoy!) InnerSpeaker within the first few tracks. This LP may even be the first instance of the Tame Impala project sounding like its own band, rather than just a sturdy tribute to the acid-washed prog-rock of yore. When Parker asks near the end of “Apocalypse Dreams” a trilogy of questions – “Am I getting closer?/Will I ever get there?/Does it even matter?” – we can now safely answer him: Yes, yes and yes.
THREE TOP TRACKS:Apocalypse Dreams, Elephant, Mind Mischief.
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3. Lincoln le Fevre – Resonation
Lincoln le Fevre has a story to tell. A couple, in fact. Really good ones. You could well just sit him down and have a yarn over a beverage of choice, but you might get even more out of him by simply listening to Resonation. A masterclass in modern Australian storytelling – possibly the best example since Gareth Liddiard’s Strange Tourist LP – Lincoln takes his listeners into the suburbs and through the country towns, peering into bedrooms and yards along the way. It’s strikingly intimate and raw, yet possess a universal quality in its themes. We’ve all been inspired by muso mates (“Get Drunk, See Bands”), wondered about the larger-than-life characters down at the pub (“Hope and Crown”) and even bitched about our hometown to anyone who would listen (“Dilettantes,” “The Mainland”). It’s in the way that LLF takes this subject manner and spins it in such a wholly personal and remarkably creative way that makes Resonation so utterly fascinating. Pull up a stool and shoot the shit with your new mate Lincoln.
THREE TOP TRACKS: Driftwood, The Boatshed, Get Drunk, See Bands.
2. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city
You already know the story. You’ve seen the endless tweets and updates fly your way about dominoes, [person] having a “dreaaaammmmmmmm,” calling people a “bish,” screaming “BEEEYOOOOCH” and posting every other rhyming couplet from the album’s many highlight tracks. good kid, m.A.A.d city essentially dominated 2012 – an impressive feat, given that it was only around for just over two months of it. High-concept and big-talking, the album boasted an A-team of collaborators and producers, from Dr. Dre to Just Blaze – on its own, enough to have hip-hop heads salivating. What kept good kid within the confines of the collective conscience, however, was a matter of both quality and quantity.
Yes, at nearly seventy minutes in length, this was a big record to take in. The greatest thing about good kid, however, was just how much more lay within it. It’s in the little things – the way Kendrick’s verse is shockingly cut short in “Sing About Me,” the interludes that detail the cast of characters further, the way Hit Boy sets the chaotic mood off just right in “Backseat Freestyle.” Every year sees a hip-hop star rise – and, yet, the way we’re talking about good kid already makes it feel like we’re discussing something bigger than a passing fad. It might not be very long before we’re speaking of this record as a hip-hop classic. As they say: Watch the throne.
THREE TOP TRACKS: Backseat Freestyle, Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst, Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe.
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1. Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than the Screw,
and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
Barack Obama had his first successful term in office. We had not one, not two, but four “generations” of iPads released. A global financial crisis came and went. We lost R.E.M., Oasis, the Violent Femmes, Supergrass, The White Stripes and a-ha (fucking a-ha!). We got back – even if for a time – Crowded House, Van Halen, Rage Against the Machine, Blur, Pavement, The Police and the Vengaboys (the fucking Vengaboys!). That’s barely scratching the surface of what has changed in the seven years between Fiona Apple’s last studio album – the bitter, seasick and typically-troubled affair that was Extraordinary Machine – and last June’s new LP, the title of which is second only to the record-breaking When the Pawn… in terms of length. Not that our dear Fiona has been simply twiddling her thumbs in the interim – much like Extraordinary, the release of The Idler Wheel was dogged by delays, secret recording sessions and various shrouds of mystery.
Still, that’s what made it all the more exciting when it finally reached the ears of those that had been patiently waiting all this time – not to mention those going on their maiden voyage with Apple, having heard so much already. Even with a few of her usual vocal tics present, as well as her trusty grand piano dishing out jazzy misery like it was 1996 all over again, The Idler Wheel sounded nothing like her three LPs prior – neither as a combined unit or as separate entities. Rather, it was an insular and close-cut affair, essentially a series of trade-offs between Apple and producer/percussionist/multi-instrumentalist Charley “Seedy” Drayton. The minimalist arrangements cause one to listen closer to the proceedings, as if leaning in to be told a secret. Oh, and how many secrets Fiona had been keeping from us all these years.
The album unshackled a multitude of fears, insecurities and interpersonal breakdowns. Many have sung about exes – few, however, will go to the extent of naming a track after them (“Jonathan”) and explicitly singing simple yet devastating phrases like “I don’t want to talk about anything” or “I like watching you live” – the latter delivered with the kind of poisoned bitterness that can only come with the most splintered of separations. Many have sung about describing their inner workings – few, however, will go to the extent of not only openly singing a lyric like “Every single night’s a fight with my brain,” but turning it into an extended-syllable refrain.
That’s perhaps the most striking thing about The Idler Wheel – how willing Fiona is to place her fragile being out on these limbs and ledges. Her world is crumbling as the piano descends to its bottom end, clinking percussion hovers above and the cacophony builds – and there she is, in the very centre of it all, wryly smiling at you from a distance.
The idler wheel is wiser. It makes for instant classics, too.
THREE TOP TRACKS:Anything We Want, Jonathan, Hot Knife.
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David James Young 