The Avalanches are officially back and announce festival shows

Late last night, Australian electronic group The Avalanches updated their social media accounts providing hope of a long-awaited follow-up to critically acclaimed plunderphonics album 'Since I Left You'. Although not giving away any information regarding the new album (which they've reportedly been working on since 2005), they have announced some comeback shows for 2016. With their last live show being in 2007, and last DJ set in 2011, their return is one not be missed - with the group bringing us their take on an "ambient world music party".

The Avalanches will play Primavera Sound in Barcelona as part of the festival and at the closing party, as well as Splendour in the Grass in Australia. More importantly for all UK based fans, the band have been added to the Sunday line-up for Field Day. 

Added to the likes of PJ Harvey, Air, Beach House, and many more on the Sunday, it is a day that you can't miss out on. However, be sure to look into the full weekend, as the Saturday is not short of superb - with a headline slot from James Blake, and others including Four Tet, Roots Manuva and Rejje Snow.

Being as unpredictable as they are, I would not pass up this opportunity. Who knows, it might be the last for a while.

Written by - Richard Maver (@richmaver)

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Introducing... Bad//Dreems

Picture the scene. It’s September. You’re sprawled out across a semi-damp, stain ridden 2-seater sofa outside in your back garden. You’re trying to get the most out of the British summer by drinking Fosters at midday with your already inebriated mates. Amidst the overproduced clutter of Calvin Harris and the lad-clad Courteeners on the playlist, a song comes on that resonates entirely with the situation. You try hard to be cool in front of your friends by not waving your arms around like you would at a summer Springsteen festival set. Instead, you say to your mate “What’s this band again?” (pretending to have already known who they are). They reply “Bad Dreems”; to which you play along with the façade and nod along as if you’re entirely familiar with the band. Later on when the conversation has ended, you slyly note down the band’s name in your notes section on your phone; so that you can instantly download any releases they’ve had and ‘be cool’ again. The problem is you can’t seem to find the band because it’s spelt with Es.

To save you this intrinsic embarrassment, I’m here to let you know it’s spelt Bad Dreems, and that you should probably check the band out before this scenario affects you. Hopefully, you can be that guy who puts the song on the playlist.

From Adelaide, Bad//Dreems are a 4-piece energetic “outsider rock” band who offer up vibrant melodies and a mammoth sound. Nothing here is brand new. Nothing here is attempting to reinvent the wheel, nor is it trying to genre hop. Despite this, Bad//Dreems have developed from a group of four mates kicking around in bars, to a band (amongst others) carrying the rapidly expanding punk rock scene in Australia. What makes this band stand out, is their rise. It’s not through excessive marketing, selling of their sound, or direct family funding. Rather it’s simply their passion for the music, which is shown through their DIY film clips and gritty live shows.

Mixing raw, heartfelt garage with gaudy vocals, Bad//Dreems tell tales of the sordid underbelly and decaying fringes of their home city. The band released their debut EP Badlands in the summer of 2013, and have since been signed to Ivy League Records. The track ‘Hoping For’ embodies the whole ‘feel-good’ concept and can make a Tuesday evening feel like the weekend.

New UK AA-side ‘Cuffed & Collared / Dumb Ideas’ highlights their electrifying, authentic sound, but this time by dosing it with a sprinkle of raw integrity. It could quite easily be played in the background to a bar room punch-up (not inducing it). A thinking man’s release. To sum it up; think Parquet Courts bouncy, aggressive guitar, but throw in some rasp Cobain-esque vocals (from lead vocalist Ben Mawre).

Recently completing a UK tour including The Great Escape and Live at Leeds festivals, Bad//Dreems will be back soon (potentially after completing their debut album) and by then you should all have them firmly locked into your Spotify playlists.

Check them out now before they conquer the UK too. 

For fans of // Parquet Courts, The Replacements and Nirvana

Written by Richard Maver (@richmaver)

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alt-J announce headline Australian tour.

English indie rockers alt-J will return to Australia again in May next year for their biggest tour to date. The five date all-ages tour will be the bands third visit to the country since the release of their second album This Is All Yours.

Recently, alt-J have shown lots of love for Australia. In August they were announced for a run of new years festival dates including Field Day, Falls Festival and Southbound. Days later they announced a surprise two date tour in October for Melbourne and Sydney which sold out in minutes. The quick stopover left fans wanting more.

The arena shows will be in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Tickets on sale now, information can be found here

Alt-J 2015 Australian Tour

Friday, 8th May 2015
Riverstage, Brisbane

Saturday, 9th May 2015
Qantas Credit Union Arena, Sydney

Sunday, 10th May 2015
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Wednesday, 13th May 2015
Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide

Friday, 15th May 2015
HBF Stadium, Perth

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Gig review... The Rolling Stones @ Adelaide Oval, 25th October 2014

The Stones were back! Seven months after postponing the original dates due to the sudden death of L'Wren Scott, the band arrived in Adelaide ten days before their highly anticipated stadium show. Spotted at restaurants, a local football game and walks in the park lands created huge buzz around the city. The band rehearsed for five days in a local recording studio next to the local psychiatric hospital treating patients to a sneak peek of what was to come for the '14 On Fire Australian tour.

The legendary rockers are the first band to play at the newly renovated Adelaide Oval had a record sold out crowd of 53,300 with hundreds without tickets sitting outside on the riverbank.

Opening with amazing lights, smoke and fireworks the band hopped on stage and started the night with Jumpin' Jack Flash.

'We're sorry we kept you waiting so long" Jagger says,
'At least the concrete had time to set in your new stadium'
'Its great that we are the first band to play this amazing stadium and we are very proud'

The 19 song set list featured classics including Wild Horses, Miss you and Brown Sugar. Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone was an interesting choice as voted by the fans but the standout for the night was Gimme Shelter featuring the spine tingling vocals from Lisa Fisher.

                           

With the huge screens on either side of stage, even from far back everyone could see the stage antics. Ronnie Wood constantly smoking a cigarette, Keith Richards and his signature bandana and Charlie Watts with his awkward drummer cam. Then there was Mick Jagger's still surprisingly youthful energy and several costume changes. The Rolling Stones had the crowd at the palm of their hands all night.

Finishing with an encore of You Can't Always Get What You Want featuring the Adelaide Chamber Choir and following with (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (With Mick Taylor) they proved to everyone that they've still have got it. Their first show in Adelaide for nineteen years, I think it was safe to say that no one left disappointed.

Setlist:

Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Let’s Spend the Night Together
It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)
Tumbling Dice
Wild Horses
Doom and Gloom
Like a Rolling Stone
Out of Control
Honky Tonk Women
Happy
Can’t Be Seen
Midnight Rambler
Miss You
Gimme Shelter
Start Me Up
Sympathy for the Devil
Brown Sugar

Encore:
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

Remaining Rolling Stones Australian tour dates:

Saturday, November 1 – Perth Arena 

Wednesday, November 5 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Saturday, November 8 – Hanging Rock, Macedon
Wednesday, November 12 – Sydney Allphones Arena
Saturday, November 15 – Hope Estate, Hunter Valley
Tuesday, November 18 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Saturday, November 22 – Auckland Mt Smart Stadium

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Track of the week... Doc Moores - Orlando

This weeks track of the week comes from a band that have featured in the 'Un-Signed' mixtape, so here is proof that this site can come across some real bangers! They are based in Australia and the latest offering entitled 'Orlando' is just as good as their last song 'Not The Hero'. I'd say they are the best young band Australia has to offer right now!



According to their Triple J page they state they sound like... Two Door Cinema Club, Last Dinosaurs and The Holidays. And as far as their influences go its, Jonathan Boulet, The Wombats, Bombay Bicycle Club. You really can hear the Two Door influence on them as well as the wonderful vocals the singer has, it does seem he has taken a leaf out of Jack Steadmans book. This track starts off slow but them bursts into life with guitars and bass inter-twined with the perfect drums.

Orlando by Doc Moores

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Doc Moores - Orlando

EP Review... Dafoe - Dafoe EP

This brilliant Australian band based in Toowoomba (Queensland) has became a huge hit with me of late. Their mixture of Indie, Rock, Grunge (?) and a smidge of screamo involved too. The recent recording is being hailed as 'uncomplicated brilliance' by Australian alternative media outlets, lets see if I can do better!

Young Kevin:
This track starts off with a tight bass before entering the brilliant world of a light guitar being stummed over the top of it. The hush vocals come in and you are treated to a lovely drum and the verse just becomes its own. Nothing I have heard before, this is astounding. The heavy(er) chorus makes this track for me with a drop that anyone can be proud of.
Out of 10: 8/10

Knife Edge:
Drums and Guitar welcome you into this upbeat track and echoing vocals in the background gives this a hazy entrance to my head. Listening to this is like running through the woods on a foggy night. Exciting! The bridge into the chorus just keeps on gaining momentum and eventually explodes into a simple guitar then gradually builds itself up again. Lovely!
Out of 10: 8/10



Three:
Not that long of a track, more of a instrumental that sounds like a ghost is trying to lull a baby to sleep. Distrubing? Perhaps but then it interludes into the next track
Out of 10: 7/10

Hardgrave:
Think of this track as a cross of Lostprophets VS lots of Synths. This indeed is a strange track that defines more than one genre. Interesting to say the least but the verses are astounding as so is the chorus with shouty lyrics "Hardgrave" being almost howled over the brilliant instruments the band plays. The build up to the end is amazing with heavy fuzzy guitars ending the track in such a good way to compliment the rest of the track.
Out of 10: 7/10

Whittengrave:
The intro is very Indie, but then the drumming enters and you think you are entering something mental, but this track stays sane. Until the mental chorus which I love! The verse after the chorus is brillaint, the Guitar, Bass and Drums are all being played with gusto as you can easily tell they have talent.
Out of 10: 7/10

Dafoe - Dafoe EP
Out of 10: 7.4/10

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Dafoe - Dafoe EP - Via Bandcamp.com $2AUS or $5AUS for the CD