Webcuts Music

It’s Summer festival time in Europe, but over in Australia it’s Winter and Webcuts was there to brave the chill and celebrate Splendour in the Grass‘ tenth birthday with 32,000 others at the new Woodford location in Queensland. Over the three day weekend our reviewers witnessed a phenomenal selection of old and new favourites including — Ash, Band of Horses, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Cloud Control, The Drums, Grizzly Bear, Jonsi, LCD Soundsystem, Paul Kelly, Pixies, School of Seven Bells, Scissor Sisters, The Strokes, Tame Impala, The Vines, Yeasayer, and believe it or not, a whole lot more!!

Is Grinderman now the guiding force in Nick Cave’s life? With the departure of Nick Harvey as both perennial Bad Seed and Cave’s right hand man, what are the Bad Seeds now but just Grinderman with a new name and a new lease on life, without all the trappings of three decades journeying to hell [...]

It took eleven years, three albums and a European tour for Melbourne space rockers Black Cab to broach Brisbane but they did and yes, it was worth the wait. Even the prospect of a half empty venue, an OCD stricken punter and the one colour Hi-Fi lights were not enough to dissuade Black Cab in performing anything less than a mesmerising set of original material and two stunning encores that paid homage to the whole space/drone/shoegaze rock genre. Able support was provided by Brisbane alt.rock kings Grand Atlantic.

Is there anything more cliched than the rock and roll break-up? Secret meetings in dark alleys. The guitarist that suddenly pops up on other people’s records. The singer who doesn’t return their calls. You either see it coming a mile away, or it creeps up on you like old age. It happens to the best and it happens to the worst, and eventually it will happen to them all. Piss and moan about it all you like, but what’s done is done. The latest induction to the rock and roll hall of “fuck this shit for a laugh” are Webcuts’ favourite punk sons, The Scare.

For a band who were always going to burn out before they faded away, Australian punk infidels The Scare are sadly/happily/stupidly (delete as appropriate) calling it a day. “It was a fun ride, it was a wild ride, at times it was a shit ride, at times you wanted it to never end type of ride. But alas all good things must come to an end, and now it’s our turn.” Kiss Reid 2010.

Melbourne four piece Otouto prove that art pop is not a dirty word on their impressive debut album Pip.

The Triffids, one of the most revered and highly regarded bands to come out of Australia are due to release a mammoth 10 CD box set, as well as a brand new compilation album entitled Wide Open Road – The Best of the Triffids on April 5 through Domino Records. In addition, on April 9, the remaining members of The Triffids will gather together with friends at London’s Barbican for a special concert to celebrate the songwriting genius of their late leader David McComb.

Forever known as Nick Cave’s red right hand in the Birthday Party, Rowland was the purveyor of that skeletal, metallic guitar style that along with the bass growl of Tracey Pew, defined the sound of the band. Speaking to Static’s Chris Berkley, only a few weeks before his passing, Rowland S. Howard recounts his extensive career and his brief return to music with Pop Crimes.

..with a rejuvenated reappraisal of the career of Melbourne psyche-drone-pop quartet Ripe and their space-rock epic “Moondriven”, now with 33 1/3% more added insight courtesy of an exclusive interview with guitarist and vocalist Peter Moran who talks about the making of their landmark Australian debut The Plastic Hassle. Fans of Sonic Youth, Swervedriver and Dinosaur Jr take note.

Sydney art-pop quintet Dappled Cities have steadily grown in status in the last ten years with 2006’s Granddance and their most recent psyche-pop opus Zounds. Last year, we spoke to Dave Rennick, guitarist and vocalist of Dappled Cities about birthing and touring the album.