The Greatest Show on Earth & Van Sheezy in the Heezy

I don't feel there is a need to recount how good Daft Punk although I will say I don't know how I will ever be able to go to a dance gig without comparing it to the religious experience that was Neverever Land. If you ever get the chance make sure you don't miss it. The first track for a little reminiscing, the second for some inspiration (the boys really did a good job on being faithful yet different to the original).

Daft Punk - Da Funk / Dadftendirekt (Live)

Nicky Van She & Dangerous Dan - Around The World Again

(Thanks to Willis The Chop for the photo)

After seeing Van She with kindegarten scenesters Operator Please a while ago I have been getting rather anxious and excited about the release of their debut LP. In the meantime we have The Cat & The Eye (d-load here and here), a great laidback 80's synthpop tune that is growing and growing on me. I recently picked up the TC&TE single and discovered the delightful B-side Danny. A bouncy synthy vocoded anthem with sweet guitars and real drums. Also a couple of more obscure remixs to add to your Van She collections.

Van She - Danny

Melinda Jackson - Fall In Love (Van She Tech Mix)

Tiga - You Gonna Want Me (Van She Remix)

Love Yous All

Gold: Pre Settled Tracks in anticipation for DP on Sunday

Holy Shit!
Daft Punk is playing at my park, my park!
In just two sleeps Perth forshore is going to erupt into surely one of the best shows ever to be put on in Dullsville. With a lineup beyond belief (Daft Punk, Cut Copy, Presets, Sebastian and Kavinsky, Muscles, Van She) to say that Perth is more than just a little excited would be a drastic fucking understatement. To celebrate I am posting some newish Presets and the post after this will be some new Van She

I was going to post most recent single My People but that can already be found here, here and here. So instead I thought I'd post a few remixes (all Aussie) and a remix of My People. The Silvershair remix is an interesting one, I really tried to like Silverchair's last album Young Modern, but just couldn't. It's pretentious, dispassionate and I couldn't believe how many fucking ARIAs it won, but who cares about them anyway. The remix is certainly not their finest work but interesting none the less.

Silverchair - Straight Lines (Presets Remix)

Architecture in Helsinki are a good pop band and I have enjoyed all of their albums to date and this take on Heart In Races makes it almost unrecognisable from the original. Gone are the twee pop musings with kettle drums, replaced by heavy encapsulating presetness. Like it, a lot. Not sure if it's as good as the original but this is almost like a completely new song.

Architechture In Helsinki - Heart It Races (Presets Remix)

Lastly is the Kris Menace remix of My People, I chose this one out of the other two on the single as it is the most interesting and is just a bit more original than the other two that are kinda Ed Banger electro and Gameboy/bleep electro, well maybe this is a little too. Anyway, enjoy

The Presets - My People (Kris Menace Remix)

(All in 320kbps) Love Yous All

Faster Louder Live (Local Extravagnaza!)

Apologies about lack of postage, I don't really have an excuse


First post is a gig review for the Faster Louder show put on @ Amplifier last Thursday.


The lineup was all local bands, 4 of Perth's finest I might add and it was a really good night.



First up on the lineup was the Oasis/Beatlesesque harmonies of The Silents. With their good EP getting good rotation on the J's these boys are on the way up. I really like The Silents and their 23 single/EP that they released last month has some great tracks on it, I am certainly looking forward to getting their debut album, due for release sometime in the not-too-distant future.


The Silents - 23


The Silents - Nightcrawl





Second on the bill were one of my favourite bands floating around the West, Institut Polaire, even though they like so many others are soon to be departing our sun-drenched shores for the bleak grey of Melbourne, hopefully they will do as well there as they have done in Perth. Their recently released standout EP The Fauna And The Flora has as my girlfriend puts it, a little like a country/folk Arcade Fire (there are seven of them) feel to it. I really like these guys and thought they thoroughly desevered to win WAM Song Of The Year prize last year.

Institut Polaire - City Walls & Empires

Institut Polaire - The Flora and the The Fauna Are Too Closely Allied

Next up were Vio-Punkers Streetlight. Streetlight are a band that polarises opinion throughout Perth. You really either love them or hate them with debate often raging about trilby wearing, marracca brandishing frontman Le Craft. I haven't quite made up my mind yet but Streetlight are definitely my least favourite of all the four bands playing on the evening.

Streetlight - Attack That Gentleman

Streetlight - The Poet's Paper Boat

Headlining the night (after flipping coins that morning on radio) were the newest and one of the most quickly rising bands in Perth, Sugar Army. Sugar Army's signatures are constantly changing tempos and time changes with surging guitars and Patrick McLaughlin howlings are going down a treat with local fans and recent EP Where Do You Keep Your Toys kicking a lot of goals with some Triple J play.

Sugar Army - ...And Now You're Old Enough, I Think That You Should Know

Sugar Army - Maybe The Boy Who Cried Wolf Was Just Paranoid

Love Yous Locals

Purple Sneakers DJ - EXCLUSIVE!!

It's a special moment in any blogger's life when he/she gets their first exclusive. I don't really think you've made in the blogging world until you've had a first release and, thanks to Purple Sneaker Head Honcho and one of FHM's most influential people under 30 PhDJ, Highlighter now has their's. This is a track that is a special remix of a Wons Phreely track Another Thing that features on the spankingly new Purple Sneakers Mixtape of Indie Joy (Available soley on iTunes).

Here at Highlighter we are big fans of the mixtape and Martin has done a stirling job of mixing up a storm of Oz Indie goodness. Starting slow and moving the BPM's up towards the end, PhDJ has chosen some of my favourite tracks floating around New Holland at present. Here is the tracklist with a few goodies filled in for you

Yves Klein Blue - The Streetlight

Rivo Crew - Smash a Kangaroo

Gotye - Thanks For Your Time

The Paper Scissors - We Don't Walk

I Heart Hiroshima - Punks

Dappled Cities - Vision Bell

Teenager - Pony

Wons Phreely - Another Thing (Mailer Daemon & PhDJ remix) - EXCLUSIVE!!!

Urthboy - We Get Around

Soft Tigers - Mr Icecream (Kato & DJ Spruce Lee remix)

Melanie Horsnell - Like Love

British India - Tie Up My Hands

Muscles - One Inch Badge Pin

The Beautiful Girls - Thought About You

The Mares - Biscuit Tin

bLuejuice - Vitriol

Regurgitator - Blood & Spunk

Mercy Arms - Kept Low

Horsell Common - Good From Afar

Cut Off Your Hands - Closed Eyes (Kiwi Bros)

Being a Perth boy I have only heard stories from my mate's cousin's stepdad's dog about how fucking good the shows that these guys put on at the Abercrombie. Not only do they have an exceedingly good party in Sydney on New Years Eve (Dappled Cities, The Tongue, Young & Restless) but they have their own label Boundary Sounds that is supporting awesome Aussie up-and-comers. They are currently making their way around the country and after playing the Newport last night, tomorrow night is the big one with Purple Sneakers vs Death Disco on @ Amplifier and if you're in Perth, Highlighter encourages you to clear your schedules and get your ass down for some Purple partaying

Love all round to PhDJ and the Purple Sneakers Crew

And as an added bonus, the You Am I track the team adopted their name from

You Am I - Purple Sneakers

Ministry Of Sound Mixtape

Its only 11 sleeps until Ministry Of Sound Annual All Day Outdoor Festival @ Supreme Court Gardens to launch off our Summer festival season (I know Parlife but that was Spring). And, as I'm aiming to do for all the festivals this summer, I thought I'd throw together a Mix Ceedee of all the artists involved in the festi'. It is a good lineup for MOS and I'm particualrly looking forward to seeing Bookashade for the first time and Midnight Juggernauts again (As is evident from the doubles on the Ceedee.)

Without Further Ado.....

Highlighter Presents..... The MOS AADOF Mix Ceedee

Booka Shade - Night Falls

Sneaky Sound System - Tease Me

Midnight Juggernauts - Twenty Thousand Leagues

Trentemøller - Moan (Trentemoller Remix)

Fedde Le Grand - F to the F Wheels In Motion

Pnau - Come Together

DJ Mehdi - Steed Lord 'Dirty Mutha'

Paul Harris - I Love You Revolver

Infusion - The Only Thing I Know

Booka Shade - Numbers (DJ-Kicks)

Smokin' Jo - Sausage Dog

Goodwill & Tommy Trash - It's A Swede Thing

Electrofunklovers - I Dont Think You Know

The Aston Shuffle - For Everyone

Midnight Juggernauts - Raised By Wolves

Love yous all

NME: Love Music Hate Racism

The good folks of NME have initiated a program to counter the recent actions of the British Nationalist Party (A 'White Power ' political group) of distributing racist mixtapes of white power music outside British primary and high schools. How fucked up is that. Anyway, NME decided to make their own mixtape called Love Music Hate Racism, that promotes multicultural love and tolerance, something the world needs a lot more of. The mix CD has a range of British acts from many different cultures and many different styles. Here are a couple of the better tracks both of a reggae mood, the first is a guy I hadn't heard of Natty, from London who has a very good rhythm and vibe and a dubby Babyshambles track that I do quite like, even though i still think Pete can't sing.

Natty - If I . . .
(If you like it go to his Myspace to download a free mixtape of his new stuff)

Babyshambles - Stone Me - What A Life!

You can download the whole double CD and artwork/CD covers from the NME wesbsite but they are a single mp3 for each CD, not broken down into tracks. Very frustrating. Anyway here are the links anyway.

Download Disk 1

Download Disk 2

Download CD1 artwork

Download CD2 artwork

Get 'em while they're hot.

Also here is the 2007 NME Cool List, it's a load of wank but humourous (Quoted from the NME website)

1)Frank Carter, Gallows (new) 2007: the year punk broke again. One man led the charge. It was blood at first sight…

2)Jamie Reynolds, Klaxon (last year 13) Broken-boned new rave mongrel

3)Lovefoxxx, CSS (last year 10) Three XXXs, two catsuits, one fiancé, zero holiday time

4)Ryan Jarman, The Cribs (re-entry) The enemy of generation Razorshite

5)Lethal Bizzle (new) Most sought-after grime star since Mr Muscle

6)Alex Turner, Arctic Monkeys (last year 32) Fluorescent adolescent

7)Kate Nash (new entry) So cool she’d much rather be with your friends, mate

8)Amy Winehouse (last year 50) Was there any question of her not being on the list? We say, “No, no, no (etc)”

9)Beth Ditto, Gossip (last year 1) Last year’s Number One

10)Keith Richards (last year 26) Who the fuck is Mick Jagger?

(Thank fuck Pete Doherty didn't make it, cuz heroin just aint cool)

The Panics

Last Friday night Highlighter braved the cold to go and review my favourite Perth expats The Panics for FasterLouder. The Bakery was playing host and as it was filthy weather you knew it was gonna be a packed house inside. They played a really, really good show besides a few minor letdowns that you can read on the review if you like. I recently purchased their new LP Cruel Guards which came with a bonus CD of covers. There are a couple of Bob Dylan's, a Rolling Stones' and Leonard Cohen, but the standout would have to be their Happy Monday's cover of Lazyitis which is simply brilliant. I have also posted the title track from the album which is a standout for the album even if it is a little mellow. And lastly a fan favourite from their last album Sleeps Like A Curse. Go and get the new album its fantastic, and in fact go and grab their other 2 LP's while your there, you won't be disappointed

The Panics - Cruel Guards

The Panics - Lazyitis (Happy Mondays Cover)

The Panics - My Best Mistake

Cut Copy Rarities

After being so excited by the new Cut Copy track that Binny posted last week. I thought I would dig around and post some old and rare Cut Copy tracks that you might not have heard. I am really quite worried that Cut Copy will release five singles (like Muscles did) before their album comes out and then only have 10 songs on the album. Anyway i'm sure they won't and i'm not gonna complain too much if they keep giving us tracks the quality of So Haunted. So without further ado.

Cut Copy - Stars

Cut Copy - Future (!!! Remix)

VHS or Beta - Night On Fire (Cut Copy Remix)

Control

A week and a bit ago I went to a preview screening (Thanks JJJ) of the new Ian Curtis biopic, Control. I can't profess to be the biggest Joy Division buff but I was really impressed by the film. Director Anton Corbijn has done a terrific job with the mood of the film, which is black and white, really echoing what I would imagine late 70's Manchester to be like. It gives a really quite moving account of the tragedy that was Curtis's life with his battles with depression and epilepsy. Sam Riley who plays Curtis (and kinda looks strangley like Pete Doherty in my opinion) does a really good job, including the singing he does. I would recommend it to anyone who likes music, not just Joy Division, as it really helped me to get grasp a better grasp for the band's music. Here are two of my favourite tracks from the movie.

Joy Division - Digital

Joy Division - She's Lost Control

Also I have been stumbling across a few Joy Division tributes and covers, I thought the Killers cover was OK and I love the Wombats tribute track and then I stumbled across this Nouvelle Vague track, I generally like Nouvelle Vague but this track completely strips the song of any original emotion that was intended and in my opinion cheapens it greatly, anyway feel free to disagree.

Nouvelle Vague - Love Will Tear Us Apart

Also I have two FREE in season tickets to any Control showing in Perth and if you want them leave a comment and I will get back to you.

Newly Single

Some fresh meat recently out of the recording abattoir and right onto the musical weber- so grab those steak knives and get stuck in.

† Hot Chip - Shake A Fist.mp3
To be honest- these guys weren’t an immediate favourite of mine- that was until I saw them live. They seem to do electro in a way that I’m not quite sick of yet. Describe as electro-pop with a neo soul it's just a little more mellow and a whole lota fun- and their new release 'Shake A Fist' (off their forthcoming 3rd album Made In the Dark)- which they have been dropping into their live shows for a while now, is the perfect example, so “If you have a pair of headphones you better get them out and get ’em cranked up cos they're really gonna help you on this one".


† Cut Copy - So Haunted.mp3
So some pretty mixed reviews on this one… And with their nu LP on the way (In Ghost Colours, due Feb 2008 on Modular) it’s a bit of a tasters of what’s to come. To be honest I didn’t even recognise their sound at the beginning of the song but then around the 47 second mark it kicks in and all Cut Copy uncertainties are dismissed. The sound is a little less synthy with some hard angular guitars, this may be the effects of their new co-producer for the album- who is none other than Tim Goldsworthy (of the famed NYC Label DFA). So- on a scale of 1 to 10- it’s a grower.

† Tokyo Police Club - Your English Is Good.mp3
Tokyo Police Club should have been on your radar for a little while now with their insanely good 2006 EP- A Lesson in Crime. And this non-album single, released in early July, carries on their trend of summery guitar pop and catchy chorus shouts. To say I cannot wait for their LP is a colossal understatement.


And because you might need something to wash down that meat you’ve just consumed- have a sip on this- the RAC remix of Be Good. It’s probably the best thing since the invention of grandpa mix (if you don’t know what that is I feel profoundly sorry for you). This is taken off their forthcoming 4 track EP titled Smith.
Bon Appétit- Tokyo Police Club - Be Good (RAC Remix).mp3



Oh you didn’t think I send you off without dessert did you..? Here’s a few slices of Pavlova aka Aussie singles-

The Panics - Dont Fight It.mp3
Faker - This Heart Attack.mp3
Cut Off Your Hands - Still Fond.mp3 (yeah I know they’re not from Aus- hmm but they can be like the kiwi fruit on top of the Pavlova..yeah that works)

†rash Out ■

Snap, Crackle and Pop, Glorious Pop

My girlfriend said to me the other day, "When are you going to stop listening to all this electro and pop crap and get back to indie rock?" It was a good question as I hadn't really considered that I had listening to much pop, electro yes, pop no.

But then I realised that there was a fair chunk of pop that I actaully had been listening to. Pop music would have to be one of the most problematic terms to define. You could elaborate it to popular music which it originally started as back in the days of Tin Pan Alley where popular music overtook the Broadway and vaudeville sounds so popular at the time. Then along came blues, jazz and good ol' rock n roll.

Today pop music has been dirtied with the mass produced shite that occupies the commercial charts today (Mika i'm talking to you c*nt). Pop has been tarnished with r&b barbies and Freddie Mecury wannabes that get super-producers to mask their shitty vocals and get massive PR firms to put their face on every bus stop and Pepsi bottle. This is the definition of pop as popular music, which the 14 year old girls lap up like a cat to a milk-filled saucer.

But fear not dear music lovers, their are still artists out their pushing the envelope in terms of melody, non guitar based, beautiful pop. Guillemots deserved Mercury award nominated debut was an amazing example of this and it really kicked off my love affair. And more recently Jens Lekmans album version of Arms Around Me really tickled my fancy along with Feist's 1 2 3 4, two tracks that are blogged to death but I just can't get enough of.

I have decided to call this new expansive genre nu-pop, yes i know i'm a wanker, but I just really, REALLY hate some of the absolute trash that gets tagged as pop in the charts today. Anyway here is a mixceedee of tracks I have been loving that are around the mark.

Nu-Poppers, They Aren't Shit
by DJ Benjimite

Jens Lekman - Your Arms Around Me
Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
The Soft Lightes - Heart Made Of Sound
Architecture In Helsinki - Like It Ar Not
Fields - IfYouFailWeAllFail
Guillemots - We're Here
The Paper Scissors - Yamanote Line
Phoenix - Too Young
Rufus Wainwright - Instant Pleasure
The Shout Out Louds - My Friend And The Ink
The Brunettes - Her Hairagami Set
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Underwater (You And Me)
Feist - 1 2 3 4
Peter Bjorn and John - Let's Call It Off
Figurines - The Air We Breathe
Loquat - Time Bomb
Maps - Eloise
Andrew Bird - Heretics
Mates of State - Goods

And just for good measure I have to throw in this bonus track (It won't fit on the ceedee) just cos it is such a damn good song.

Sufjan Stevens - Chicago

Love yous all

Southbound 2008

So maybe this is a little premature, like seeing candy canes at your local IGA at the beginning of October, But after the second announcement I just couldn’t wait to get into the forth coming Southbound line-up...

Kings of Leon
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
The Go! Team

Built To Spill

José González

Midnight Juggernauts

Bonde Do Role

The Panics

The Dirty Secrets

Etc…


Oh boy, where do I sign up? (..err Mills, Planet, 78’s…) Or you could join the 21st century and purchase yourself and E-Ticket from Sunset Events or Ticketek. And although it may not have quite the same number of huge name bands like- say a festival such as Splendour in the Grass *cough which I attended cough*… it still contains enough awesome bands that any music lover should be frothing over. This can be proven by the fact The Falls Festivals in Lorne, Victoria and Marion Bay, Tassie, which holds pretty much the same line-up to Southbound, have sold out!

So if you haven’t already, mosey on down to the local beats store and forked ova the $ for a ticket… because it’s not really summer holidays until you’ve been Douth, and it’s not really Douth until you’re chilling out listening to good music. So following that logic I made up 5 seconds ago, I expect to be seeing everyone’s tanned chevy chase's down in Busselton on the 5th of Jan '08! (not the 4th- i camped last year...and lets just say it was an experience...i'd like to never have again) And I don’t want to hear about that Summerdayze nonsense being on the next day…have a big glass of harden the fuck up.

So here is a little taster of what’s to come pounding through your tympanic membranes (yeah I Wikipedia-ed that) at this summer’s SB!

Kings Of Leon - My Party (Kenna And Chad Hugo Remix).mp3

Well I assume everyone reading this already has all 3 of KOLs LP, so here’s a nice little remix for youS…

Rebel Motorcycle Club - Not What You Wanted.mp3
Also if you have the patience, watch this clip of Nick Jago (BRMC’s drummer) refusing to leave the stage at the 2003 NME Awards. Very amusing… What’s he on..?

The Go! Team - Ladyflash.mp3

It’s an oldie (by oldie I mean 2005) but a goodie. Can’t go past it! This song is about as colourful as a pack of multi coloured highlighters.

Built To Spill - Conventional Wisdom.mp3

Explosive guitar pop.

José González - Crosses (Stanton Warriors Remix).mp3
Stanton Vs González? No way José…! Alrite that was awful...The song is not.

Midnight Juggernauts - Deadly Venom.mp3
A bit of electro terror from an old (yeah I still mean 2005) EP.

Bonde Do Role - Office Boy.mp3

Office Boy makes me feel happy with its updated version of Brazil’s baile funk.

And here- of course, is the humble playlist of top songs an ace remixes of or by the 2008 Southbound Artists. Just a little something from me to you-

+ José González - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division Cover).mp3
+ Regurgitator - Drinking Beer Is Awesome!.mp3

+ Gotye - Coming Back (Faux Pas Bellheadless Remix).mp3

+ The Beautiful Girls - La Mar (Live At The Metro).mp3

+ The Go! Team - Ladyflash (Hot Chip Remix).mp3

+ Peter Bjorn and John - Lets Call It Off (Girl Talk Remix).mp3

+ The Dirty Secrets - Best Friends.mp3

+ The Presets - Down Down Down (Midnight Juggernauts Remix).mp3

+ Bonde Do Role - Gasolina (Radioclit Remix).mp3

+ Angus and Julia Stone - The Beast.mp3
+ Groove Armada - Get Down (Daft Mix).mp3
+ Panics - Sleeps Like A Curse.mp3

†rash Out ■

Coming Down

After the monstrosity that was Parklife today has been nothing short of a complete and utter mess. So with that in mind, I thought I would post some Parklife photos, give some highlights and then post the Come Down EP, for all those mornings or afternoons when you wake up in struggle town.

After arriving at Parklife and making a quick stop-off to the bar, it was straight to the Earth Tent to check out Chicago electro-punkers Greenskeepers who really impressed. I really am a sucker for a keytar and Greenskeepers were no exception. With the band all in karate suits and lead singer in what looked to be an American civil war jacket, they looked like a million bucks and it was a shame there wasn't more of a crowd to appreciate it.






Next up was wunderkind of the moment Muscles who's debut album Guns Babes Lemonade has just arrived in record stores throughout Oz, I'm not sure about international release yet. I actually preordered mine through JB and was hoping to get it before yesterday as it was in shops on Friday and one would assume if you preorder then you would receive it on the same day as shops, obviously not. Anyway with a full artillery of tracks at his disposal, and even though it was the third time I had seen him, the kid from Shepparton rocked many socks including my own.





Next highlight were Sweden's The Sounds, who's gorgeous electro-pop really impressed and frontwoman Maja is every bit as smoulderingly hot as she looks in photos (Sorry mine is a bit shit).



The unexpected but fucking awesome set of the day definitely belonged to Freq Nasty who blew me away with his vocal party breaks and cool as visuals. Digitalism were also amazing, with Pogo probably being one of the days most anticipated tracks and they didn't disappoint. Justice and MIA were clashing headliners and we started at MIA watched a couple of songs and headed off to Justice. Neither really held my attention that firmly which was disappointing as Justice were one of the acts I was most looking forward to. Nonetheless an absolutely amazing day and it was certainly good to have it so well organised this year as opposed to the shambles that was '06. Perhaps it was the Moshcards that worked so well, a great innovation.

Today, the day after, I was the epitomy of a shattered man. And all I wanted was some good chillout tunes to lullaby me off to sleep and I didn't even have a decent chillout playist to do so. So I thought I'd put one together for those days where all that matters is perfect tunes to rebalance the equillibrium. So here is the....

Come Down EP

Sebastian Tellier - La Ritournelle
Dub Pistols - 6AM
50Hz - Smooth Rhodes
Stars - The Night Starts Here
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Forever Heavy
Lux - 100 Billion Stars
Massive Attack - Live With Me
Matthew Dear - Don & Sherri (Hot Chip Remix)

Enjoy

► Internet Killed The Video Star

Here lies 3 killa vids for 3.5 killa songs, dedicated to the iGeneration in all of us that enjoys simultaneous audio and visual stimulation.

Matt and Kim - Yea Yeah (Flosstradamus Remix).mp3

So far this has to be one of my favourite tracks of 2007! That was a fairly large claim- open to much ridicule… So maybe their enthusiasm does rub off a bit, but Matt & Kim, a duo from Brooklyn, are for sure going to be a summer favourite with their super happy brand of drums and keys. And this video remixed by Flosstradamus definitely shows why! Or maybe it was just because Matt forgot to take his Ritalin… Either way – Totally – Radical – Awesome – Yeah!!






Hearts Revolution - C.Y.O.A.!.mp3

C.Y.O.A. or Choose Your Own Adventure… Ya’no like those books where it like has heaps of different ending and stuff…? Yeah well I’m not quite sure what exactly it has to do with this video clip, but I do like it a lot! It does remind me slightly of that Justice clip for some reason, you know the one with like shirts and stuff… And no, it’s not because both titles are punctuated by full stops, oh wait- yes it is.

Justice Vs Simian - We Are Your Friends.mp3

So speaking of Justice, here is an awesome video clip, and no, it’s not D.A.N.C.E ! why? Because I hate that stupid song! There I said it (I am also praying to the music gods they do not play it as their closer at Parklife) So instead here is 'Your Friends', and if you watch closely you might catch a glimpse of a design for one of the shirts used in the D.A.N.C.E. vid.



And just because I’m feeling pleasant, and because everyone else seems to enjoy that shyte song – here is the only decent remix of it…and believe me there are M.A.N.Y.!

Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (MSTRKRFT Remix).mp3


†rash Out ■

New Music: Matthew Dear

A new album that just came into my hands from our friends at Inertia is Matthew Dear's third solo album Asa Breed. Truth be told I had no idea who Matthew Dear was when I grabbed the CD as it came under the genre electronic on the press release which always catches my attention. I like to have my recently added playlist on shuffle most of the time at home and when the first song of his started playing it immediately caught my ear. I took the player off shuffle and listened to the rest of the album which is definitley one of the most interesting albums I have heard in recent times. It is really varied, at times sounding like Postal Service, then like Hot Chip and then to TV on the Radio, 3 bands I like immensley. It has great rhythm throughout which I then read should have been evident due to his minimal-tech background under the moniker Audion. At best I could probably describe it as electro folk-punk and it is really, really good. So instead of me crapping on, trying to decribe the sound here are a couple of tracks to show you how good he really is.

Matthew Dear - Pom Pom

Matthew Dear - Don and Sherri

Buy Itunes

Ministry of Summadayze Lineups are here!

Even though the weather might not indicate so, summer is on the way. This is evident through the mass of festival lineups that will filter through the telegraph poles over the next couple of weeks. A banging Parklife kicked things off soon followed by cracking Falls and Southbound lineups and now we have a brand spanking new electro-festival in the Ministry of Sound Annual All Day Outdoor Festival (phew what a fucking mouthful). It certainly it is a good day to be a sandgroper with Perth taking preference over Melbourne and Brisvegas to get one of the two legs of the tour. With a line up that would perk up any nipple, MOS have given us another outdoor festival as opposed to an All Night Warehouse Party in Sydney (how ridiculously good does that sound) with Armand Van Helden headlining. I think it is sort of like a Day/Night thing from East to West...blah, blah....but it does have an amazingly good line up and so without further ado...

Featuring.....

Sneaky Sound System (DJ/Live)
Midnight Juggernauts (Live)
Fedde Le Grand (Holland)
Booka Shade (Live) (Get Physical, K7 / Berlin)
Trentemoller Live In Concert (Poker Flat)
PNAU (Live)
DJ Medhi (Ed Banger)
Infusion (Live)
Paul Harris
Smokin’ Jo
Goodwill
John Course
Riot In Belgium
Hook n Sling
The Aston Shuffle
& More to be announced

Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster, Moshtix, Inthemix and Live Stores today Friday 28th September. Limited First Release tickets available at $79 + applicable

So get going kids cos these are gonna go like Pete Doherty to a crack pipe.

Summadayze

There is no doubting the quality of the Ministry lineup, but if one observes closely, you will observe that it does have a lack of variety. Not to blame MOS for it as techno, house, breaks etc is what they do. But for a true smorgasboard of electronic delights, Summadayze has well and truly delivered. From hip-hop to house, breaks, indie, funk and of course some banging electro, mark Sunday January 6 down in your diaries boys and girls cos Perth esplanade and Supreme Court Gardens are going to explode. I've never really been a huge fan of Summadayze as I always was Good Vibrations boy, but drop my dacks and call me charlie, Future Entertainment have done a stirling job with this year.

David Guetta feat Chris Willis
New Young Pony Club
Chromeo
Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso
Felix Da Housecat
Christopher Lawrence
Sister Bliss (Faithless
Dave Spoon
De La Soul
Benny Benassi
Kissy Sell Out
Cosmic Gate
Joachim Garraud
People Under The Stairs
Claude Von Stroke
Tom Neville
Headman
Kid Confucius
Midnight Juggernauts
Bang Gang
Infusion
KIM (Presets)

New Yound Pony Club, Chromeo, De La Soul, Benny Benassi, Kissy Sell Out, People Under The Stairs, Von Stroke, Infusion.....SHIT!!!

To put it lightly I am very, VERY excited about summer and heading to Sydney for NYE and Shore Thing (Groove Armada) and Field Music (I can't do another rundown I need to sleep).

Ok quick festival count Parklife(Monday!, there's a couple of bad clashes too, not cool), Ministy AADOF, Nevereverland, Shore Thing, Field Day, Summadayze...Holey moley it's on!

1990s & The Dirty Secrets

Last night Highlighter ventured down on a wet and windy night to check bucktoothed bee-boppers 1990s who happened to be supported by one of my favourite Perth bands at the moment, the Dirty Secrets.

I was a tad worried about what the show was going to be like as I had heard that 1990s had put out a bulletin to their myspace friends to message them back to get your name on the door. This was obviously just to fatten the crowd a little as ticket sales had been poor, but much to my surprise the crowd was decent at 8:30 for the start of the Dirty's.

Opening with latest single My Heart is on Fire, these Perth boys were really impressive. Even though the new-wave, synth rock sound isnt new, they do it very well, with vocalist/synther and Napolean Dynamite lookalike Jarrah, having a voice that reminds me of Julian Casablancas mixed with Paul Banks when he goes low... Yeak its good. He's also got some skills playing his keys with one hand holding the mike in the other and singing like a demon which was really impressive. I still think that Five Feet of Snow is their catchiest track but the new single has a definite party vibe about it and will be a sure grower. Here's a couple of their tracks and make sure if you get a chance to go and see them, DO! They are great live and i'm sure their album, due for release very soon will be top notch.

PS This Miami Horror remix is absolutely banging and i've heard on good authority that it will/has been a frequent of Ajax's Parklife sets.

The Dirty Secrets - My Heart Is On Fire

The Dirty Secrets - Five Feet Of Snow (Miami Horror Remix)

1990s

Dirty Secrets were supporting Glaswegians 1990s, to quote their myspace with no "The" and no apostrophe. I really like 1990s first single See You At The Lights, and the music video just sealed the deal.



Yes Jackie's teeth are that bad and yes they sound really good for a three piece, I always have a little bit more respect for a three piece if their sound was as good as the 1990s was. They had a good setup also, you can't really make it out in the photo above but they were all in a line, pinned at the centre by the drumkit. I also am a big fan of the scottish accent, cracks me up everytime. And apologies about the quality of the photo of Jackie below, it sucked to begin with and it still sucks after i've filtered it to death with photoshop.

And lastly to a new section that I will finish each post with, I will post a Golden Oldie track that has at some point in my life done some good, given some inspiration or i've just plain fucking loved it. Its only fitting that the first Golden Oldie will be a gangsta rap song as gangsta was pretty much the type of music that made me fall head over heels for music. NWA were probably the first proper gangsta group and this is my favourite party track of theirs and one of the only songs that Dre MC's on. Love it, hope you do to if you haven't heard it.

NWA - Express Yourself

Love Yous All

Parklife Remixed

I know I just posted the Parklife mix but as I am feeling just so darn excited about next Monday i thought I would throw some more fuel on the fire with another mix. This one is a Remix Tape of a selection of Parklife artists. Some are of other artists remixing them, some are the Parklife acts remixing others. Most are quite good tracks in my opinion especially the Bagraiders remix of K.I.M and the Teenage Bad Girl remix of Bring It On by Goose, both crackers (Also apologies about the Bloc Party remix as it is quite old but I am a sucker for a good bit of indie). I am just assuming that everyone is as excited as I am about Parklife, it really seems to be a case of out with the old (breaks - no offence Freeland, still love you) and in with the new (ELECTRO!), a masterful stroke by our chums at Fuzzy, the organisers. Enjoy



Parklife Remixed by DJ Benjimite


K.I.M. - By The Time They Reach You (The Bagraiders Remix)
Midnight Juggernaughts - Shadows (Ajax Remix)
Kraftwerk - It's more fun to compute (Busy P remix)
Digitalism - Zdarlight (Discodrome Edition)
Goose - Bring It On (Teenage Bad Girl remix)
Justice - The Party (LA Riots Remix)
Whomadewho - Out the Door (Hook N Sling & Kid Kenobi Remix)
Lyrics Born - Pack Up Remix (Featuring Evidence/Dilated Peoples & KRS-One, Prod Jumbo/Lifesavas)
M.I.A - Boys (The Twelves Remix)
Bloc Party - Two More Years [MSTRKRFT Remix]
The Sounds - Tony The Beat (Rex the Dog mix)
Grandmaster Flash - Adventures on the Wheels of Steel (Scratch Perverts Mix)
Muscles - One Inch Badge Pin (Christopher Robin Remix)
Sneaky Sound System - I Love It (Riot in Belgium Forest Rave Mix)
Yelle - À Cause des Garçons (Sta Remix)

Oh and by the way, weather forecast for Monday is sunny, mild and 9-23, oh yeah.

Parklife

After a large weekend that included winning a footy premiership and drinking about a million beers I have a fresh cold and a lot of uni work on. So instead of addressing these issues i have decided to compile a Parklife mixtape. I can't believe Parklife is only 2 weeks away and i am so poor but with ticket in hand it doesn't matter.

So here it is, it should all fit on 1 CD and gives a good variation of the plethora of tasty treats on offer at Parklife.

Burn one for your friends, family, dog, whoever, share the love!

Living The Parklife - Vol II

Riot In Belgium - La Musique

Digitalism - Pogo

Busy P - Rainbow Man
Shapeshifter - Move With Me
Yelle - Les Femmes
Ajax - Out Of This World

Freq Nasty - Sil Num Tao

Goose - Black Gloves

Greenskeepers - 15 Minutes

Justice - Phantom pt. II

Muscles - Sweaty

K.I.M. - By The Time They Reach You

MSTRKRFT - Easy Love

The Sounds - Dance With Me

James Lavelle & The Scratch Perverts - Lonely Soul

M.I.A - Bamboo Banga

Adam Freeland - Nowism

Hook N Sling & Kid Kenobi - The Bump

If your not going, best get yourself a ticket.

Hope you enjoy my mix

!st Post

Well,

After reading about a million I have decided to pen my own thoughts and do my best to share some of the freshest, swoitest and rip-frickin roaring tracks floating around Perth, Oz and the G Lobe.

Tomorrow night I am off to the Wasted Magazine launch party at Gilkisons which should be a lot of fun.

Playing are a bold bunch of broads named Brass & Sassy. The play dirty electro femme-pop that i'm sure is not far away from lifting the f*ck off. They sound a little like a sexed-up version of Sydneysiders Teenager, with that Chrissy Hinde type husky smouldering vocal. Their tracks drip smut. So I thought i'd post a couple to see if you kids enjoy them as much as I do.

Brassy & Sassy - Questionnaire

Brassy & Sassy - His Heart Burned For Me

Also gracing Perth this week are the mighty Juggers (Midnight Juggernauts), who have just droppped a stirling debut album Dystopia, (with the Aussie version I bought you get a bonus CD with 6 awesome extra tracks including a bombed out mix of shadows by head Bang Ganger Ajax.

It seems even his poo could turn to gold at the moment.

I'm really glad Juggers are touring as I had to skip their set at Splendour In The Grass as I chose to see a very disappointing set by Gotye who I was/am a fan of, but 20mins of sound problems before he started really took the gloss of his performance.

Midnight Juggernauts - Shadows (Ajax Remix)

And in other VERY jolly news, DAFT PUNK!!!! tickets went on sale today and yours truly got one and I was also very impressed that you get a free copy of Daft Punk's Musique Vol. 1 1993-2005 album which has been specially reproduced for the Never Ever Land tour, though perhaps you should with the rather high ticket prices. But hey, Daft Punk, first ever Aussie tour, sweet support acts too, and us in Perth get Van She too. Yaaay. Here are a couple of Remixes to keep your tongues wet until decemeber.

Daft Punk - The Prime Time Of Your Life (Para One Remix)

Van She - Kelly (Cut Copy Remix)

Till next time i'll leave you with a quote from the great man Jeff Fenech

"Love youse all"