Pond - Gig Review (23rd of September 2012, Corner Hotel)

The Corner Hotel hosted Progressive rock group Pond on a divine Sunday evening in which became a pure energising set kicking off with ‘Leisure Pony’ off their recent release ‘Beard, Wives, Denim’. It was lead singer Nick Allbrook’s quirky personality, which created, an electrifying atmosphere in which saw him dive into the crowd in their first two songs.

After an energetic entrance ‘eye pattern blindness’ calmed the crowd and nick until the mind blowing guitar riffs kicked in and from then on in every minute topped the next. Playing some new songs, which will be featured on their next album fans, have something to look foreword to as they include incredible instrumental collaboration, verging on some slower heavier sounds. ‘Moth Wings’ and ‘When it Explodes’ saw the crowd ‘explode’ into energetic dancing, crowd surfing and dancing on stage, and Pond with their upbeat indescribable sound.

After another new song all was halted on stage as they announced they was to be no encore and proceeded to jam on stage as nick walks on and off stage. Blasting into ‘Betty Davis’ the crowd was mostly a jolting joy of limbs flung about as Pond finish what was an energetic, musically inspirational set.

Pond, are set to play Laneway Festival February next year.

Rating

4/5

By Blake

Muse - The 2nd Law (Album Review)

So, in my previous posts i have been extremely critical over Muse, and to be honest i am not gonna stop. Their lead single Madness grew on me like wildfire and i still cannot get over how the direction of their music is going. But this album has so many different directions that you don't really know what they're trying to achieve.

The Reistance was released in 2009 and might I say was a terrible album. They had a few standout tracks on it like Uprising, Resistance, Unnatural Selection and Mk Ultra. So once hearing they were releasing a new album I instantly thought that it wouldnt be that hard to top it, but Survival was released around the time of the Olympics and well lets just say, i was wrong.


The album is called The 2nd Law. The track listing is as followed.

1. Supremacy
2. Madness
3. Panic Station
4. Prelude
5. Survival 
6. Follow Me
7. Animals
8. Explorers
9. Big Freeze
10. Save Me
11. Liquid State
12. The 2nd Law: Unsustainable
13. The 2nd Law: Isolated System

I am going to give an individual review of each track and a rating for the track out of five.

Supremacy: This to me sounds a lot like Rage Against the Machine crossed with rock opera. This song expresses the genius vocals that Matthew Bellamy has to offer, and has guitar riffs that are deep tuned that make you want to nod ya to the beat. 2/5

Madness: I have previously reviewed this song on this blog so I will not review it again. 3/5

Panic Station: Queen meets Stevie Wonder. But in a great way. I think this is hands down the best track off this album. Awesome guitar riffs, great drum beat, it has everything. This song has some of Matthew Bellamy's best vocals, and expresses the talent that the man has. If you were to check out any song on this album, this would be it. 5/5
Prelude: Clearly you cannot review a 57 second song.
Survival: See my rant earlier in this blog. 1/5
Follow Me: This song is different for Muse. I read about 3 weeks before this album was released as a stream that this song would have lullaby's and a more up tempo beat. Well how that is correct, hearing this song I was forced by my mind to look up some of these songs and the way they have been written, and I came across a site that said Nero, a drum and bass, dubstep and electronic music act, had a heavy influence, and a producer on this track. But might I say, as different as it is, it is still not the best. 2.5/5
Animals: I think this song comes as a surprise. Lyrics wise. Some of the lyrics are just out of character for Muse, and as much as i like this song, it is definitely not for the lyrics. The instrumental is great thought. 2.5/5
Explorers: This song is pretty average. But it sounds sort of similar to the old school Muse that we all grew to love. 2.5/5
Big Freeze: Man, is this song great. I love this song. U2 riffs incorporated with a stadium type of song sounds good to me. This is the most Musey-est song on this album and it is bloody awesome. I love it. Sorry for repeating myself but it is great. Lyrics are brilliant, instrumental is brilliant. Its great. 4.5/5
Save Me: Well this song surprised me, for one reason. It is the bassist singing. He has a good voice that is not recognised enough through each of their previous albums. This song and the next one is about his alcoholism. But this song gives off more of a love song as well. Either way i think it is a good song. 2.5/5
Liquid State: This song is sung by Chris again, and has the same meaning behind the other song he rote the lyrics for, but this is about being intoxicated. Great instrumentals for this song as well. 2.5/5
The 2nd Law - Unsustainable: I have reviewed this before so check it out. 0/5
The 2nd Law - Isolated System: This is a soft way to close this album. It reminds me a lot of the Exogenesis Symphony off The Resistance. I wasnt the biggest fan of it then and am still not now. 1/5

This is one of the most in depth reviews I will ever do. But the overall rating is not that high. Muse have gone mainstream and I dont like that direction they are going in.

The 2nd Law is available worldwide from the start of October, but certain sites are streaming it live for the week.

Rating

6.5/10

By Dylan

Animal Collective - Centipede Hz (Album Review)

Want an album that is energetic, lyrical, musically dense that no artist past to present has captured, Look past Merriweather post pavilion Animal Collective 8^th studio album and feast your ears to Centipede Hz, Animal Collectives newest release. 

Full of quirky electronic sounds mixed with abrupt drums, strong bass and even stronger singing ‘Moonjock’ kick starts in the most stylish of fashions leaping into, through a blend of eerie yet magical sounds to ‘Today’s Supernatural’ Animal Collectives first release single of the album. The song name represents the song with “today feels so supernatural” and this is the sound that Animal Collective captures across the album. 

‘Applesauce’ starting with “ I eat a mango and I feel like a little honey can roll” sums up the song instantaneously whilst mention of various other fruits in which come up within the song in which the band themselves would (maybe) be able to explain and again leads into through a vague distortion of sounds to ‘Wide eyed’. ‘Monkey Riches’ has a musical element that is mostly indescribable and is one of the strongest songs featured on the album being the longest as well. Concluding Centipede hz is ‘Amanita’ which captures the notion that “fantasy is falling down”. Starting off with a somewhat dystopian vibe a sudden mood is uplifted and tranced into a dancy atmosphere whilst “I’m going to bring back some stories and games” is repeated, finishing off an outstanding album in the most uplifting way, feeling like the whole album has thrown you through an adventure of sounds.

I highly rate this album 

Centipede Hz is available everywhere and Animal Collective will be on Australian shores for Big Day Out 2013. 

Rating

4.5/5

By Blake 

Favourite Friday - Dylan (Freaks and Geeks)

This song is pretty recent to classify it as one of my favourite songs of all time, but it is. This song is just so good from start to finish that I can listen to it over and over again. The song comes under the genre of Hip-Hop and Rap, and is performed by one of the best rappers around today, the mastermind, Childish Gambino. 

The song starts off with some strings than Gambino comes in and says "Alright, Gambino is a Mastermind" and from there it just gets ridiculously awesome. I cannot express the awesomeness of this song. He references the fact that he is in on one of the best television shows airing right now Community, and proves he knows how to rap. Knowing that makes it more brilliant that anyone can do whatever they feel like and if you love doing it, continue and make it your passion. One of the greatest talents this guy has is that he can rap under his breath and be appreciated for it.

Fuck I love Childish Gambino. 

This song is in my top 10 of all time and is arguably my favourite rap songs ever. 

Rating

10/10

By Dylan

Freaks and Geeks - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otPxoVQiIGo

British India - I Can Make You Love Me (Song Review)

I Can Make You Love Me the new single from indie rock group British India, based in Melbourne they have been around since 2004  with a modest supporter base. I must admit they have never been a band I have loved rather the opposite with their unoriginal and draining tracks, running low on music I stumble across this new single. This is in preparation for their fourth studio album yet to be named.

This song starts with a slow and very deep clean guitar riff which dominates about the first half of this song along with vocals, although not bad it doesn't entice an audience to keep listening or leave you on the edge of your seat. The basis of the song is a very generic on for songs, a person leaving the one they love and moving on to a new life due to some other person being in the way. But it is the second half this song which made me wonder what they wasted 2 minutes of production time on. With a much more upbeat/catchy drum beat accompanied by a great heavy grunge and distorted guitar riff, this brings life to this track. It lifts what a terribly generic song to something that is something else, if only they could produce 4 minute track of this quality. The breakdown of this song brings emotion and makes me forget they boring and most overused story line for a song. It seems to be what is holding back a band that could be a great Australian act, the ability and concentration to make a song which every second of it is as important as the last one and is as exciting to listen to.

I'm glad I didn't turn this song off after 2 minutes and continued to listen to it. It gives me hope that this album could be the one that turns the popularity of this band up and could make them a household name in Australia. Overall a decent single in anticipation for their 4th album

If you get a chance, check out the video clip for this song very bizarre and disturbing

I Can Make You Love Me is available everywhere now.

Rating

3/5

By Nick


I Can Make You Love Me - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXOAwbazzKQ

Muse - Madness (Single Review)

So, this is the first official song released from their forthcoming album The 2nd Law and I got to say I am a little bit unsure of what I honestly think about this song. By the end of this review I will finally decide what I think.

Well, I am gonna start by saying it is not the worst song Muse have ever made but it is certainly not the best song they have created. I have this obsession that when I listen to a Muse song, I like to compare it too their best album Origin of Symmetry. This is nothing like that. This is by far the opposite to that. This is synth-pop and if the album is anything like it, than I will be pretty disappointed.

I am going to do a pros and cons sort of list for this and I hope it will work out for me.

Pros

• Although Muse are not the same as they used to be, I have to give them credit for taking a step in trying to make a song that does not go with their genre.
• If you know Muse well you know that Matthew Bellamy is a great song writer. With saying that, the lyrics of this song are very well written. It is a love song that express the confusion of love which is great.
• The electronic/synth-pop genre is not as popular as it should be, but with this song it is opening up for more bands to be recognised. 
• I think that if the band goes in this direction they will get recognition of their new genre, but that means they will only be noted for their songs released prior to the Resistance.

Cons

• The beat is catchy and the song is good, but the direction they are going in is not the right suit for them.
• They are one of the best live rock bands in the world, and by playing this live, it will not express the greatness they perform live.
• The song is not the best synth pop song i have heard and they never will be able to perform it.
• By hearing this song, I am getting the vibe that Matthew Bellamy is trying to right the greatest song of all time to impress everyone. He is very eccentric and every time he writes a song he tries to top the one he has previously written.

From  this I think I know the rating I need to give the song.

Madness is available on iTunes and everywhere now.

Rating

3/5

By Dylan

Madness - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq9zhpBweDk

Loon Lake - Cherry Lips (Single Review)

Yes, I’m sorry. I am a little bit late, but I could not pass on reviewing this song. It is just so catchy and so brilliant that I need to share it with everyone.

Loon Lake is one of the last awesome local bands going around. They know how to write great music. Don’t get me wrong we have reviewed Aussie bands such as DZ Deathrays and other Australian acts like Yacht Club DJ’s. There is no doubt about this band; I’m talking about Loon Lake.

This song Cherry Lips is without a doubt a classic. It starts off with a basic drum beat and an easy guitar tune, but with saying that you are probably thinking that it is just a general beat how can it be so good. Well let me put it too you this way, with this beat it makes you want to get up, sing and dance. The lyrics are very basic and are great to sing a long too. With the opening line of the chorus saying “But it’s, almost night time and you know that’s the right time to dance”. Hearing that makes you want to just go nuts and dance.

There is nothing else I can say about this song, but I am going to go out on a limb and say this could be the best song of the year. I personally think it will rank high on the Triple J's Hottest 100.

Cherry Lips is available everywhere now.

Rating

5/5 

By Dylan

Cherry Lips - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5u_sa_SVuw