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Spoon – Atlanta – 14 April 2008

Spoon Centre Stage, Atlanta, GA 14th April 2008 It's Britt Daniel's birthday but you wouldn't know it. There's no cake and candles, no rambunctious behaviour or jokes. You'd be expecting the band to be soused and swaying, playing covers and celebrating the occasion, using the opportunity to cut loose. In fact Daniel looks embarrassed as

By |2021-01-31T23:40:37+00:00June 4th, 2008|Categories: Live Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Steven Heath – The Airport Fire

Peak Plasma Conc., 2008 [6/10] "A soundtrack for driving around the city at night" is how Australia's Steven Heath depicts his latest release and it's not a far fetched description; the overall feeling that it leaves behind is that of cold, lonely nights with the radio as your only companion. Recorded in a friend's spare

By |2021-01-02T03:02:29+00:00June 1st, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

Models – God Bless America

The Post-Punk years in Australia were a mixed ground. The key bands of that era were floundering or disbanding while the second wave was about to hit, bands like Hunters and Collectors, Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists and The Beasts of Bourbon would soon come to prominence, but one of the bands who had been lingering

Shearwater – Rook

Matador, 2008[rating:9/10] There are musicians who would flinch when accused of doing it "for the birds", reducing the act of making music to a mating call, but Jonathan Meiburg and his band ornithologists in Austin, Texas' Shearwater would find delight in such an accusation, after all, a shearwater is a species of seabird. Their passion

By |2020-12-31T09:48:48+00:00May 24th, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Robert Forster – The Evangelist

EMI, 2008 [8/10] Robert Forster and Grant McLennan were two months into writing the next Go-Betweens album when on May 6th 2006, Grant McLennan died suddenly of a heart attack at age 48. An indescribable blow to Australian music, McLennan's death was felt worldwide, and while we mourned his loss, attention turned to Forster in

By |2021-01-02T03:04:12+00:00May 23rd, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Adem – Takes

Domino, 2008 [8/10] Home recorded, folk-tinged, somewhat sullen but with equal parts warmth and optimism, South London's Adem Illhan lives a Nick Drake-ian life in a Brian Eno world. Having paid his dues with the post-rock band Fridge with Keiren Hebden (Four Tet) at the beginning of the decade, he has since picked a less

By |2021-01-02T03:07:02+00:00May 14th, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Be Your Own Pet – Get Awkward

XL, 2008 [6/10] Junior Nashville punk rockers, Be Your Own Pet caused something of a stir at a show in London recently. Previewing tracks from their follow-up to 2006's self-titled debut, the band engaged in a food fight, whereby vocalist Jemina Pearl walked away from the melee with a fetching black eye. It's a decent

By |2021-02-17T00:50:02+00:00May 13th, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Bughouse – V For Vendetta

2018 Update: Bughouse released "V for Vendetta / Tax Stamp" on Bandcamp in 2017 with their second album from 2014 Fink Tank the following year: bughouse1.bandcamp.com Bughouse's classic debut single "V for Vendetta" is remembered in our ongoing "Secret History of Australian Music" series which digs through our archives looking

ROOT! – Interview with DC Root (Damien Cowell) (2008)

In Webcuts' short history we've had the pleasure of publishing many enjoyable and informative interviews, but few have matched the humour and insight pervasive in this feature with DC from Melbourne's ROOT!. The band's history, debunking the misconception that having good lyrics equates to bad music, the sycophantic cult of Nick Cave, politics and much, much more are covered.

By |2021-01-04T04:07:18+00:00April 27th, 2008|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , , , |2 Comments

Adorable – Interview with Piotr, Robert, Kevin and Wil (2008)

2019 UPDATE: ADORABLE REFORMED IN LATE 2019 FOR 5 FINAL GIGS. SEE THE ADORABLE FACEBOOK PAGE FOR DETAILS. Forming in 1990 Coventry's Adorable had the confidence, the drop dead cool, and most importantly the songs -- epic, emotional, dynamic songs -- of a great rock 'n' roll band. Fourteen years after their untimely demise we

By |2021-01-22T12:44:13+00:00April 24th, 2008|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , , , , , |5 Comments

Pete Fijalkowski – Interview about Polak, Adorable and Broken Heart Surgery (2008)

You can't keep a good man down: Pete Fijalkowski former frontman for two of England's finest, yet criminally ignored bands Adorable and Polak, answers my email inquisitions about those bands and his solo album Broken Heart Surgery. For the record when did The Candy Thieves become Adorable was it September 1990 as indicated in Footnotes?

By |2021-02-09T04:47:41+00:00April 24th, 2008|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , , , , , |2 Comments

Centro-Matic / South San Gabriel – Dual Hawks

Cooking Vinyl, 2008 [5/10] (Centro-Matic) [7/10] (South San Gabriel) Will Johnson can seemingly do anything. A prolific songwriter, Johnson has spent over a decade playing indie rock in Denton, Texas' Centro-Matic, putting out a succession of albums before splitting his eclecticism in half, looking for a more contemplative approach to making music while still performing

Explosions in the Sky – Australian Interview (Static, 2008)

Austin post-rockers Explosions in the Sky have been weaving their instrumental magic for almost ten years now, releasing four revered albums and one soundtrack over that time. During their recent Australian tour Static's Chris Berkley talked to Chris Hrasky drummer with the band about creating their last disc, All of a Sudden I miss Everyone,

By |2021-01-20T00:58:32+00:00April 22nd, 2008|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , , , , , |1 Comment

Tindersticks – Interview with David Boutler (2008)

We talk with Tindersticks keyboardist and founding member David Boutler about version 2.0 of Tindersticks, the stunning new album The Hungry Saw, the re-issue of their back catalogue, Songs for the Young at Heart and more.

The Monochrome Set – The Independent Singles Collection

Cherry Red, 2008 [7/10] England 1979 -- punk was morphing into the more experimental post-punk and saw landmark releases from PiL, Gang of Four, The Cure, Joy Division and The Pop Group. And then...then there was The Monochrome Set. Instead of vitriolic and/or depressive lyrics, distorted guitars and dub and funk influenced bass The Monochrome

By |2021-01-02T01:17:28+00:00April 12th, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Colin Meloy – Colin Meloy Sings Live!

Rough Trade, 2008 [6/10] Colin Meloy. You either love him or you hate him. At times I've found myself wanting to do both. He's the perennial literate geek come celebrated indie star. He's charming and ruggedly handsome, self-assured and intelligent, with a Morrissey fetish that is second to none. When he speaks in that rich

By |2021-01-02T10:35:59+00:00April 9th, 2008|Categories: Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

The Screaming Tribesmen – Igloo

It should be obvious by now, but if you want to sell me your record, couple it with some chiming chords, a memorable lyric and a catchy hook, and I'm all yours for the next three to four minutes. The plangent chords and echoed vocals of The Screaming Tribesmen's "Igloo" create a chilling landscape, blanketing

The Long Blondes – Couples

Rough Trade, 2008 [8/10] "Couples" by name and couples by nature, Sheffield's indie darlings, The Long Blondes, were once discreetly paired up (drummer with bassist, obviously, and guitarist with keyboardist) leaving them looking like the Fleetwood Mac of the North. While the respective break-ups occurred before the making of the album, it's of small amusement

By |2021-01-02T01:19:21+00:00April 4th, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

The Honeys – Interview with Bruce Begley about Star Baby (2008)

All my favourite bands break up too soon. Some dissolve and leave no trace they ever existed, others leave behind a body of work, be it that beguiling debut or just one crucial single that will go on to stand the test of time. The reasons may be acrimonious, incongruous or ingenious. From the other

By |2021-01-05T01:37:39+00:00April 3rd, 2008|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Destroyer – Trouble In Dreams

Rough Trade, 2008 [8/10] Daniel Bejar is the Woody Allen of pop music. His idiosyncratic, poetic touch opens up another world, planting himself square in the middle around a revolving cast of characters (mostly women), picking up on the ripples and waves they create, and making them part of his own interior monologue. His approach

By |2021-01-02T01:22:28+00:00March 29th, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

M83 – Interview with Anthony Gonzalez (Static, 2008)

Anthony Gonzalez is the driving force behind French band M83. Since 2001 M83 have released several albums of hypnotic electronica combined with effects laden guitars, and softly sung vocals. Static's Chris Berkley managed to track down Anthony on his first Australian tour and discussed airline mishaps, growing up on the French Rivera, the new M83 album Saturdays=Youth

By |2021-01-05T01:22:33+00:00March 28th, 2008|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

Adorable – Footnotes 92-94

Cherry Red, 2008 [rating:8/10] How does a band become a "favourite?" Some acts are found and then loved via recommendations from press, blogs, radio or friends. Some have an extensive back catalogue ready to be devoured and devoted to. Others quietly creep up behind and sucker punch you with a single song leaving you stunned and

By |2020-12-31T00:21:44+00:00March 21st, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Times New Viking – Rip It Off

Matador, 2008 [rating:7/10] Times New Viking are the future. They're not my future, they're probably not your future, but they are the future. Rip It Off is their third album and first on Matador records as their latest darlings. The title could be interpreted as an invitation to, or a connect the dots as to

By |2020-12-28T01:34:47+00:00March 19th, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

Mute/EMI, 2008 [rating:8/10] The passing of time has done nothing to dampen Nick Cave's spirit or soften his tongue. In the preceding decade spent mostly strapped to the piano like a bible-addicted lothario, it gave the impression that this is where the story ends: in ebony and ivory theology. Those Leonard Cohen years that gave

By |2020-12-31T00:18:52+00:00March 18th, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Dean Wareham – Black Postcards

Penguin Press, 2008 [rating:7/10] "I don't wanna stay at your party/I don't want talk to your friends/I don't wanna vote for your president/I just wanna be your tugboat captain." Over simple chords, and a shaky voice listing in an ocean of reverb, it was with those words that first signalled the arrival of a little

By |2018-07-19T06:07:20+01:00March 11th, 2008|Categories: Book Reviews, Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |2 Comments

Bauhaus – Go Away White

Cooking Vinyl, 2008 [rating:1/10] Bauhaus' original swansong, released almost 25 years ago now, was a recording halted and hindered by singer Peter Murphy catching pneumonia and being hospitalised, meaning the finished product, entitled Burning From the Inside, was largely put together without him. Despite such an obstacle, ...Inside allowed the band to stretch out and

By |2021-01-01T06:58:39+00:00March 10th, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , |1 Comment

Stars – Interview with Amy Millan & Evan Cranley (Static, 2008)

It may've taken eight long years but Canadian indie pop quintet Stars made their way to Australia for the first time recently on the back of their fourth LP and one of 2007's best releases, In Our Bedroom After the War -- a record brimming with heartfelt pop and rock with electronic and soul flourishes.

By |2021-01-03T02:16:00+00:00March 7th, 2008|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Beach House – Devotion

Bella Union, 2008 [9/10] Baltimore's Beach House first appeared in 2006 with their self-titled debut, a gorgeous collection of dizzying songs built around Victoria Legrand's awash-with-reverb harmonies, church-style organ and Alex Scally's languidly strummed guitar. It was their style and approach, reminiscent of Mazzy Star, Yo La Tengo and This Mortal Coil, that found favour

By |2021-01-02T01:26:16+00:00March 4th, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , |1 Comment

Interpol – Our Love to Admire (Ltd Edition)

Capitol/EMI, 2008 [rating:7.5/10] Our Love to Admire was one of Webcuts' favourite albums of 2007. In fact we considered the third album by Brooklyn's Interpol as their most consistent and fully realised work to date. Keyboards, once mere adornments, were now fully integrated into the band's epic songs adding atmosphere and depth. The repetitive yet

By |2020-12-30T10:46:50+00:00February 29th, 2008|Categories: Album Reviews|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

Cat Power – Jukebox

Matador, 2008 [rating:6.5/10] Chan Marshall walks into a Manhattan recording studio, one arm weighed down by a stack of vinyl and the other carrying a large Starbucks cappuccino. She sits down on a couch by the mixing desk and begins rifling through the records, absently muttering to herself "Nah, done that. Maybe. Could do. Think

By |2021-01-24T09:51:09+00:00February 22nd, 2008|Categories: Reviews|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Jacob Golden – Interview circa Revenge Songs (2008)

If success was awarded by the amount of struggle and heartbreak an artist had endured, and took into account the innate talent the artist had, Jacob Golden would be multi-platinum and headlining London's Royal Albert Hall by now. He's not there yet, but after a very successful 2007 this year should see Golden's star if

By |2021-01-01T07:16:39+00:00January 15th, 2008|Categories: Interviews|Tags: , , , , , |2 Comments