Tuesday 25 February 2003

We're extremely pleased to announce that The Dandy Warhols have apparently finished their new album...

it hasn't got a title yet, but our questionably reliable international spies tell us the follow up to 2000's eventually-really-big-selling-cos-of-an-advert 13 Tales From Urban Bohemia was recorded in the hirsute foursome's home studio in Portland (that's in America apparently) and somewhere in the UK called London.

AND!!! In the producer's chair (or, more likely, hovering cross-legged in the middle of the room) for at least some of the recording is none other than Nick flippin Rhodes! Yep, that fella from Duran Duran with the lovely, covetable hair and the devilish grin! Mmmm...

Anyway, we await the new Dandys material with much interest, and hope to Christ it isn't a load of directionless weed-driven drivel a la their more recent gigs, oh no. Smart, tunesome dronepop please!

Wednesday 19 February 2003

*REVIEW*

Gonzales/Feist/Spod at The Annandale Hotel 23rd January 2003

Whaddya want, blood? Two days after this bewilderingly good show, Chilli Gonzales will fight and lose to overwhelming odds in a cavernous tent at Big Day Out, trying to bring the twisted fruits of his mangled mind to the (very) public arena. All this, it’s worth adding, in spite of perhaps the most immersed, passionate and downright terrifyingly, sweatily intense performance ever from master of all trades Chilli himself, multiple costume changes and tap-dancing. I mean really, whaddya want?

Anyway, back at the Annandale, things are going considerably better for Chilli, the gangly, strange-faced mastermind behind last year’s magnificent Presidential Suite album. After a clearly deranged, reassuringly portly Melbournian called Spod has prepared the crowd by pouring beer all over his pink polo shirt and wince-inducing stubbies, while writhing on the floor and breathing “scorpions….of SEXXX!” into the mic – ok, you probably had to be there, but do yourself a favour and check out his website - the scene is set for some lurid filthy hip-hop acid cabaret action. And what do we get? Chilli, straddling his piano like Tori Amos’s satanic little brother, playing delicious lounge versions of Daft Punk, The Bee Gees and Nick Cave…

It’s only when Feist, a tiny woman with an incredible voice, joins Chilli that things kick off in full style. “Shameless Eyes” is simply delicious, the duo swaying onstage like the tall poppies they are, and “Salieri Serenade” takes on a new life when transferred to a live setting. “Take Me To Broadway”, the one everyone knows, is rattled off early on, and even a mid-set appearance from minor irritant (and Gonzales labelmate) Taylor Savvy for “1000 Faces” can’t dampen the atmosphere. This is hip-hop like you’ve never heard, cabaret like you’ve never seen, and a night like you’ve never experienced: more fun than microwaving lightbulbs. More!

Monday 17 February 2003

Bis have split up. This makes us very sad, not necessarily because we've loved everything they've ever done - we haven't - but because they don't deserve to disintegrate in such an inglorious fashion.

We Loved "Kandy Pop", as much for the fact that it was the first song by an unsigned band ever to appear on Top Of The Pops, as for the daft bouncy shoutiness of it all. We enjoyed the New Transistor Heroes album immensely, and we still think "Eurodisco" is gonna live forever.

In fact, we picked up their final album, Return To Central for next to nothing in a tiny Sydney record shop, and were pleasantly surprised to find they'd developed way, way beyond the daftness of yore and become - gasp - a proper pop band!

And now they're calling in a day. They got theirs, it seems. All together now: "oooooooh... ska!"

Friday 14 February 2003

More top remix news: uniformed artpop electrokids Ladytron release the follow-up to their huge global radio hit-thing single "Seventeen", on March 10th. Taken from the rather spiffy Light & Magic album, "Blue Jeans" sees the comically poker-faced pan-European four-piece remixed by the more guitarry but similarly moody Interpol. Yay to that, gotta be bang up STARSANDHEROES's alley.

Thursday 13 February 2003

In Mind Elevation, Nightmares On Wax released one of 2002's most fully disappointing albums, chock-full of filler and imbued with the unmistakable feeling that they'd missed a crucial meeting somewhere along the line.

But! The album's saved by two fantastic pop tunes; one is "Know My Name", which came out last year, and the other, released Feb 24th 2003, is the lush, ska-friendly "70s 80s".

Why buy? Cos they've re-recorded it with the lovely Roots Manuva and it's very likely to be even better than the original, that's why. Roots has checked in a remix too, as has STARSANDHEROES' new discovery (ok, we were late on this one) RJD2. Find it! Yesss...

Tuesday 4 February 2003

As is good and right in these times of strife and warmongering fools, Chris Morris has put together a timely sequel to his still brilliant post 9/11 Dubya cut-up, "Bushwhacked".

Called, not surprisingly, "Bushwhacked II", it's available as a free MP3 download on the Warp website here. Also well worth a gander is The Smokehammer, Morris's splendid satirical site.

This is the news...

Monday 3 February 2003

Flippin' heck - Phil Spector's been arrested on suspicion of murdering some lass at his crazy Mr Burns-esque eccentric millionaire's standard-issue castle.

The man who trashed the Beatles' Let It Be but also made some incredible records with The Ronettes, Ike & Tina and scores of other splendid pop kids, seems to have fallen from grace in a spectacular fashion of late.

I mean, first he works with Starsailor, now this...it just ain't right, I tells yer.