Best Albums of 2009

2010 is well under way, and while we know you’re all busy with your ill-fated New Year’s resolutions, we don’t think it’s too late (or too early) to take a look back on The Best Albums of 2009. Try as we might, we can’t forget the amazing albums dropped in ‘09. So here’s to 2010, and here’s to the Best Albums of 2009. As voted by, of course, you, our faithful, wonderful readers. Now, back to the treadmill. KEEP READING →→

Closure In Moscow w/ Gatherer, Secrets In Scale and Madonna @Plastic, Melbourne.

After a year in the US, Closure In Moscow returned to Australia and this show at Bang was their first show back home, how fitting that it would be in their hometown of Melbourne. Taking place at a venue that is better known as an alternative club than a venue, many younger fans were begrudged at Closure’s only Melbourne show being an overage show.

Arriving late, I missed opening band Gatherer and half of Secrets In Scale’s set. But what I did see of Secrets In Scale’s set, I liked. They’re a band worth checking out, and you can find their EP for free on myspace. Secrets In Scale’s myspace informs me that they’re currently working on their debut album with Kris Crummett, who worked with Closure In Moscow on both their EP and debut album. Keep your eyes on these guys. Up next was Madonna, who were a little too metal for me. Every song in their set just sounded like the previous one, and I just didn’t enjoy them. The creepy masks that they donned didn’t help either. But hey, if that’s your thing, then good for you.

Closure’s set was a good mix of songs off their album (“Vanguard,” “Kissing Cousins,” “Sweet#Hart”) as well as a few crowd favourites off the EP (“We Want Guarantees, Not Hunger Pains”). The new songs translated very well into a live setting and the band were very tight, proof that they’d spent all year in America touring. Chris’ stage antics were just as strange and captivating as always. I was skeptical as to whether Manny and Michael would be able to pull off the guitar parts live, but they surprised me and sounded just as good as they do on the album. Drummer, Beau, was as solid as ever and Brad played his bass with ease. The crowd in the front and the middle were going nuts, but everyone else… well, they KEEP READING →→

Thanks for voting, everyone!

Andrew McMahon/The Dear Jack Foundation won with 54%, so you’ll see him grace the March cover. Look for it on March 5th 2010. It was a close race for most of the vote, and Lydia and Tegan & Sara will still be in the issue, so even though they didn’t win you can read about them!


Red Sparrowes Album Teaser

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Best Albums of 2009 RUNNERS UP

Finally, the long overdue list of runners up for the best album of 2009. If you had been following us on Tumblr, you would have seen this already!

So here they are – the albums that almost made the cut for Best Albums of 2009. You voted, we tallied, and these albums…well…lost. But never mind that, we’re still honoring them!

KEEP READING →→

The Inevitable and I // Harvard

This is not your usual album. I was so impressed with this band that I actually begged their label to let me review the album early, and I’ve been listening it nonstop since I got it. It’s that good. This is the debut full length by the North Carolina five-piece, Harvard. The album is available today (Dec 1) digitally and physically (I suggest physically because you do not want to miss out on the album art!) and would make a great Christmas present for yourself or someone else. Here’s a little fair warning, I am about to say “love” so much you’ll start questioning whether or not it is a word.

“On With Disease”
This is the perfect opening track, it sets the pace for the rest of the album. It’s got a very strong drum beat and an energetic bass line. It immediately launches into what I feel will be Harvard’s classic “sound” for the rest of their (hopefully very long) musical career. Ten albums from now, people will say, “it’s evolved so much but it still has that Harvard sound” like people tend to say about Rx Bandits or Portugal. The Man with each album. “On With Disease” has harmonies and backing vocals in just the right places. Singer Jesse Clasen shows us both ends of his vocal range, KEEP READING →→

Brits And Pieces 4: Canterbury

Yay for Billy Talent rescheduling! Wow. Equally good, if not better than, Does It Offend You, Yeah?

So Canterbury start the show. My band to listen to this week. These guys appeal to the more indie inclined fans out there, quite different to the other two bands of the night: Cancer Bats and of course Billy Talent. Being the first band nothing really gets going for them (except for the guy dancing in the cow costume…) but they still have a lot of energy. The fairly unsurprising drums and guitars are kept interesting, they are laced with the synthetics of a keyboard. I must say I prefer their studio work to their live performance, but that may be due to the guitarist blinding me with his shiny guitar and being distracted by my friends shouting to Cancer Bats who are on the balcony above us. Still, worth checking out. Look for “Lost In The Basement.”

KEEP READING →→

Awesome Band Alert: Harvard

Why I had never heard of Harvard sooner makes no sense to me. I hope these guys are a household name some time in the near future!
They’re a five piece from Charlotte, North Carolina and they’re gearing up to release their debut full length, The Inevitable and I, on Dec 1st.

I was immediately in love with their sound as soon as I heard the first song on their MySpace, “Memory Police,” and it only got better as the player progressed. I very strongly recommend listening to them, like…now.

They’re indie, they’re rock, they’re experimental, they’re just plain really good. Or should I say ‘awesome’ since this is an awesome band alert. They’re definitely awesome.

Click to check them out

FOR FANS OF:
Circa Survive*, As Tall As Lions, Copeland

*I get pretty darn angry when magazines suggest things for Circa Survive and it sounds absolutely nothing like them, so please believe me when I say, I do not just hand out that comparison!