This album is beautifully presented from top to bottom. It’s the first thick album booklet that I have seen in a long time. A photo accompanies every song, and they all have a nice filmy feel. The album took two years to record, and “is a living and breathing document.” It’s no wonder [...]]]>

This album is beautifully presented from top to bottom. It’s the first thick album booklet that I have seen in a long time. A photo accompanies every song, and they all have a nice filmy feel. The album took two years to record, and “is a living and breathing document.” It’s no wonder that this entire album has a very nostalgic feel… it is nostalgic. It’s a shame because this album’s standout tracks and its forgettable songs had me torn between a 3 and a 4, so if it hadn’t been for those few songs, this would definitely have been a 4.

“How To Make Love Stay”
Every single line in this song is perfectly written lyrically, and vocally, I can’t imagine any other way I’d want to hear those words. So cryptic, yet so easy to relate to. But I actually did breathe a deep breath and a sigh of relief when the song ended. From the very first discordant yet so very melodic note of the guitar, this song depressed me. The vocals just added more pressure on my chest and the chorus just gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach. The drums come in at the perfect time, along with the bass and they create a nice beat that pushes you along.  I already love this album if the rest of it sounds like this. It slows back down at just the right moment, and when you think the song is going to end, it comes back with just a little bit of renewed energy in its bassline and subtle drum accents.

“city lights graced interstates, the way you move your hands through your hair when you feel alone. remember the flowers you picked when we crossed over madison? you were so sure you found yourself that you branded it into an oak- the one you swore reached through the sky and swallowed the city line. you had yet to hit twenty-three (an age that would swallow you). then, every breath made you confess you did not know what to do with your hands. this is a new side of you- so full of fear.”

“Keep What You Have Built Here”
Jumps right in with energy that you don’t expect and it sort of wakes you up from the slow melody of the previous song. Frantic, energetic, I feel like I am late for something really important. “but you turned all the words from my mouth into doubt. and I wish I could tear your heart out!” This is such a beautifully tragic song, with an uncharacteristically fun guitar riff . The slower melodies are preferred in this song. I also like the little bits of piano here and there. I love the harmonies that Keith and Cathy sing together, but the high notes are a little bit whiny and grating.

“What Safe Means”
I immediately fell in love with these lyrics, “you fell into uneasy sleep, a subtle hint that things were changing,” even though they are incredibly sad. Lovely beat. Very dramatic sound. This song, just like the rest of the album, has a great mix of fast and slow, quiet and loud. I’m glad that the end of the song has hopeful lyrics that bring the song to a good conclusion. I like that both guitars play notes, not chords, it adds an intricate and delicate sound to the album. I like this album so far for its introspective qualities…I feel like I could listen to it in a field in the middle of nowhere and find a lot about myself that I didn’t know. (Note to self: do that.)

“It Happened Because You Left”
This is another song that surprises you with its energy. It’s like Empire! Empire! has only two speeds, sleepy and energetic. Of course, there are variations on the sleepy speed, sleepy with full band, sleepy solo, etc. “It Happened Because You Left” is half energetic and half sleepy with full band. I love the question posed at the end of the lyrics,  “‘who will you be when you come back’ or even, ‘will you come back?’” Haven’t we all felt that way at one point or another? The bass line on this song is a killer.

“Rally The Troops! Poke Holes In their Defenses! Line Our Coffers With Their Coffins”
Musically, this is my favorite song so far on the album. I really like the sound of it, and the lyrics are great too. “it flew out of your mouth, ‘you can drive me anywhere- just drive me anywhere but here.’” This album is really good at reminding me of experiences I’ve had since jr. high and high school without sounding like something I would have listened to when I was younger. The ending drums sound a lot like Blink-182’s “Feeling This.”

“It’s A Plague, And You’re Invited”
There are guest vocals by Dj Degennaro on this song, and he sounds surprisingly like Keith Latinen if he had an edge to his voice. So far, this song is my least favorite, both lyrically and musically. It’s definitely another song that surprises you with energy right out of the gate but still has some soft vocals and has its soft moments. However, this song kind of ruins the mood that “Rally The Troops…” established, and it is sort of awkward. This song is very forgettable, and it’s very repetitive, but the ending guitar riff is pleasant.

“Everything Is Connected And Everything Matters (A Temporary Solution To A Permanent Problem)”
I wish this song had come after “Rally The Troops…” because it fits the mood so much better. Very sleepy guitar sound in the beginning, something which Empire! Empire! excels at. I also love how the drums seem more like an accent than a driving force. The guitars from the middle of the song on sound a lot like wind chimes to me, blowing in the wind. “you gorged yourself on Frost and Hemingway.” Some of my favorite lyrics on the album, but I am pretty sure I’ve said that about every song…

“The Next Step To Regaining Control”
With a 1:45 without lyrics, this felt like it was going to be an interlude, but then the vocals started, and I love the vocal melody of the line “you would not match my stride and cried ‘foul! foul! how could you expect me to care about somebody else?” This song is sort of like a combination of all the highs and lows of the album, and the soft moments along with the faster moments. The guitar around 4:13 is just beautiful, especially the perfect way they work so effortlessly together.

“With Your Greatest Fears Realized, You Will Not Be Comforted”
This is one of my least favourite songs musically, although I love the vocals and the lyrics. I guess I just don’t appreciate the sound of a banjo, but it is kind of grating. I think if this were played on an acoustic guitar, I would love it. “You wore the saddest smile that never fit quite right. your mother’s smile felt that way too” beautifully sad, something that, again, Empire! Empire! seems to master.

“I Am A Snail, And You Are A Pace I Cannot Match”
“I tried (i tried, i tried, i tried) to keep the awful things at bay from you.” I love the melody of that line. I love the harmonies when Keith sings over himself. This is the most lyric heavy song on the album, but it’s also the most forgettable…I can’t remember how it goes even when it’s just ended. I also realized that in this entire review I have failed to mention Cathy Latinen, who plays guitar on almost every song on the album. She has a consistent and recognizable sound that I love.

“An Idea Is A Greater Monument Than A Cathedral”
Probably the most dramatic sounding song on the album, as well as some of the most interesting guitar lines in the song. It’s another painfully, beautifully sad song, with great guest vocals by Matt Agrella, someone I would like to hear more of in the future. This may even be the saddest song on the album, and it makes up for the two songs before it, because this song is smooth, interesting, and memorable.

Getting to this show, and not getting lost and being stranded in the middle of nowhere, was our first concern. I always hear of people in America travelling 5hrs to get to shows, but here, travelling for over an hour is a big effort (unless you’re going interstate). So we got the train to the [...]]]>

Getting to this show, and not getting lost and being stranded in the middle of nowhere, was our first concern. I always hear of people in America travelling 5hrs to get to shows, but here, travelling for over an hour is a big effort (unless you’re going interstate). So we got the train to the other side of town and thankfully, found our way quite easily. Once the stress of having to find the venue was erased, we grabbed some food before the show at the local Subway.

While sitting in Subway, who other than the one and only Aaron Gillespie should stroll on past. There’s a moment of “OH MY GOD! IT’S AARON GILLESPIE” before we wave, and he “peaces” us back, a look of confusion on his face. The people walking with him, assumingly the event organisers, chuckle to themselves at our reaction, but we don’t care because it’s the second time in two days that we’ve had close encounters with Aaron.

It turns out that Lilydale Showgrounds is a bunch of sheds in the middle of a massive reserve, and is nothing like what we expected. This is as local and low key as it gets. We walk into the shed and A Sleepless Melody are playing. My first thought was “Wow, Aaron looks about 10yrs younger in real life. Who’s this random he’s playing with? Lucky guy”. Turns out, it’s not Aaron at all. It’s actually the guitarist of A Sleepless Melody, who could actually be Aaron’s twin. I enjoy what I hear from these guys though, and they definitely have a lot of potential. The singer seems to be careful and held back with his manner whilst performing, and I assumed it’s because of the acoustic nature, and I wonder what his stage antics would be like when he’s in front of a full band. Upon looking them up on myspace, I discover that they’re actually an acoustic duo, so I guess we’ll never know. I’d be interested to see what A Sleepless Melody could progress to if they were to assemble a full band though. As we walked in a tad late, we only caught a couple of songs from these guys though, but I look forward to seeing them sometime in the future.

Up next we have Lucas Williams with a few special guests. There’s a violinist amongst the guests and I’m itching to yell out “PLAY A YELLOWCARD COVER!” but I restrain myself out of better judgement. (Coincidently, whoever’s in charge of music between bands plays Yellowcard later in the night, which provides a chuckle). Lucas seems to be an experienced musician and plays with a sense of familiarity and ease. He then opens the stage up to the audience and I really commend the two guys who had the guts to get up there and play to a room occupied by strangers. Their song choice makes me cringe slightly, but they’re not bad and receive a deserving round of applause when they are done.

The next band to grace the stage is The Former Love Pirates from Sydney. I looked them up on myspace and they are in actual fact a full band, who played a stripped down acoustic set. They get on stage and my first thought is that they’re the type of guys who have had proper musical training (I’ll be very surprised if anyone tells me otherwise). Their sound is different from the other bands on tonight’s bill, they’re more indie rock than alternative rock, but it’s the type of environment where people are just enjoying the moment, so the crowd’s cool with it. Two of the three members present alternate between instruments, and at one point there’s even a banjo present, how’s that for diversity. I’m big on the bass lines and the songs are solid, really keen on getting their EP actually. I also dig that one of the guys isn’t wearing shoes.

After The Former Love Pirates are done, Lucas Williams returns to the stage once more for a couple of songs, including a cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall”. With some encouragement, there are more volunteers from the crowd to participate and this time we get two girls helping out with singing duties on the cover. They’re good singers and even attempt a harmony or two that don’t go completely wrong. Lucas finishes with a cover of “Hallelujah” and I can hear the person next to me praying that he won’t massacre it. Thankfully, his cover is actually the opposite of that, and he ends his set with everyone mellowed out and in a good mood.

Everyone then piles outside to witness the special event of the evening, Aaron Gillespie cooking off against a local (who’s name I have forgotten!). The jist of it is that each contender picks an ingredient from a pile of ingredients until they are all gone, and each must make a burger out of the selected ingredients. Two audience members are then chosen to taste the burgers and give a score out of 10. It’s a friendly competition with jokes flying back and forth and everyone has a good time watching the cook off unfold. The local contender is unfortunate to have been stuck with the anchovies and he attempts to find a way to incorporate them into his burger in a way where their taste will be masked bets, which ends up being the middle of his patty. We all know that Aaron has a food blog, but I think everyone is actually impressed by his ability to cook. He’s careful and patient, and the presentation of his final product is noteworthy. In the end, Aaron wins the cook off, but only with an average slightly higher than his competition.

Last local band to play for the night is City Escape. These guys already have an impressive list of bands that they have supported, including Thrice and Craig Owens, and now Aaron Gillespie can also be added to that list. They open with “Give My Remains To Broadway” from their debut EP, and its different hearing these songs acoustically. There’s a song from the demo thrown into the mix, as well as a couple of other songs from the EP and some covers. For a set that’s only six songs long, three covers seem like a bit much, but they are a rock/hardcore band playing an acoustic set, I see how that could prove difficult. They adapt well though, and carefully chose songs that don’t rely heavily on the screamed vocals, since screams are provided by the drummer. Like every other time I have seen City Escape, the pitch of their harmonies are perfect, and the guitarist holds his own firmly when against the singer. Their cover of “Coffee” by Copeland causes me to squeal with excitement embarrassingly loud and they pull it off well. Perhaps the only thing I was a little disappointed by was that they covered it exactly as it’s performed by Copeland, I would’ve liked to see the singer put his own flair on the vocals. A song from their demo, a Thrice cover and another song from their EP brings us to the end of their set, and they part with an Acceptance cover, which received a few excited “WOO!”s from older members in the audience. The only thing that could have made this moment more awesome was if they had covered “So Contagious”, but my prayers were quickly answered when said song was the first song to be played between City Escape and Aaron Gillespie. City Escape, once again, put on a commendable performance and continue to be one of my favourite local bands to see perform live.

And the moment we have all been waiting for all night has finally arrived. Everyone at the shed has crowded around the stage and is watching the show. Aaron Gillespie opens with “No, I Don’t”, which I must say is a strange choice, but it suites the mood of the night. This is quickly followed by “Southern Weather” which oozes with passion and emotion. Things slow down as the first slow song of the night “Monster” is premiered. This is such a beautiful song and I feel privileged to have experienced it not only live, but acoustically and in this intimate environment. A quick Google search of the next song informs me that it is a cover of U2’s “Where The Streets Have No Name”, and I’m about 90% sure Google is actually right. The next couple of songs are fast ones (“Say This Sooner”, “Hands” and “Lonely Wheel”) which get some great crowd participation. “Hands” is definitely a stand out track on Monster Monster for me and whether it was intentional or not when the song was penned, it’s definitely a perfect song for the crowd to get involved in. As per usual, any show that Aaron Gillespie plays, there is always a message about his faith, and the next song was a religious song that he learnt from church. This was perfectly followed by the chillingly honest “Dirty and Left Out”. “Hand Grenade” follows and then inevitably, we reach the last song of the night. There is no doubt that Aaron will close his set with “Amazing, Because It Is” and you can feel the shift of mood in the room. This is one of my favourite songs and I’ve always suspected that it would be amazing to one day be able to see it performed live, but the moment where you actually experience it, it’s on a completely different level compared to what you expected. Aaron even works Darrell Evans’s “Your Love Is Extravagant” into the outro, which is found on the No Gift To Bring Christmas EP.

Throughout his entire set, Aaron interacts frequently and is quite friendly with the crowd. He laughs at one guy who suggests that he plays “Drive There Now” acoustically, apologises to a girl who requested a song for her birthday, saying he doesn’t cover songs that someone else at the show has already covered and instead dedicates a different song to her, tells his “If you went to see your favourite band and all they played was this one chord, how long would you stay?” story and says we’re all lying when we shout out answers like forever and 26 hours, and even pokes fun at the guy he beat in the cook off in one song. It’s nice for the 50 people or so who have attended to see Aaron in a more relaxed and personal environment and it’s a good time for everyone. Aaron’s performance, even though acoustic, ooze with passion, enthusiasm and energy. He really does give his all no matter what nature he is performing in. This acoustic show blows my mind away, and I feel so grateful and privileged to have been there that night.

These smaller and more intimate shows are always something great to be involved in, and it feels like for that hour or so, all that matters is the room you are in, the people you are sharing this moment with and music that you are surrounded by. Everything else in your life that plagues you is left at the door, and for a while, you can just forget about it all and be engulfed by the music. This is how music is meant to be, an escape from realism, and tonight felt like that for me. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a show that’s had this effect on me, and it’ll be a long time until I experience something like this again.

click here to see more photos!

Brisbane (Australia) band The Dream The Chase announced via twitter that they will be releasing their video clip for “Who Is Alone” this Thursday (4th March) at 5pm.

We reviewed their debut EP, Found Again, last October and loved it, so make sure you check out their video on Thursday. Found Again can be found on [...]]]>

Brisbane (Australia) band The Dream The Chase announced via twitter that they will be releasing their video clip for “Who Is Alone” this Thursday (4th March) at 5pm.

We reviewed their debut EP, Found Again, last October and loved it, so make sure you check out their video on Thursday. Found Again can be found on iTunes and Amazon, as well as a handful of online stores. See their myspace for details.

The Dream The Chase are also featured in this month’s copy of Alternative Press (#260 ) in the AP&R section. Definitely keep your eyes on these guys!

EDIT: Video now up@www.myspace.com/thedreamthechase
i’m digging it, are you?

As this album was released to anyone and everyone at the exact same time via internet, this review is based on my immediate reaction and was posted two hours after I first heard any of the songs.

It only took a few songs to realize that this was an outstanding follow-up to last [...]]]>

As this album was released to anyone and everyone at the exact same time via internet, this review is based on my immediate reaction and was posted two hours after I first heard any of the songs.

It only took a few songs to realize that this was an outstanding follow-up to last year’s The Satanic Satanist and that it wasn’t going to disappoint. It also didn’t take long to realize that it was a lot different than The Satanic Satanist as well. As is tradition for Portugal. The Man, they stayed true to their sound while evolving and completely changing almost everything about themselves. I don’t know how that is possible either, but I’m glad they’ve found out how to do that because it makes every album and experience all of its own, incomparable to anything.

“The Dead Dog” – The opening guitar riff with its distortion is a bit heavier than we’re used to with Portugal. The Man. It’s very dark and ominous sounding, and it did take a few listens for it to grow on me. I love the almost discordant guitar during the chorus, it makes the song. I wish the mixing was a bit better on this song so that the vocals would be a bit easier to hear.

“Break” – The random, spontaneous noises are irresistible. Great keyboard sounds, I love how easily this song fades into “60 Years” – I didn’t even realize the song changed!

“60 Years” – Oh, John Gourley, your soft voice. The sound is reminiscent of 2006’s “Tommy,” which is definitely groovy. Also, is that Zoe Manville I hear? It’s nice to hear her voice so prominently, as it sort of took a back seat on The Satanic Satanist. This song also sounds a lot like “Work All Day.” I really love the vocal melody the best, and the same familiar guitar scale that Gourley seems to love so much. We’re certainly not complaining about this, because it works. The more I listen to this song, the more I feel like it’s the guitar for “Tommy” reworked for lyrics that worked.

“All My People” - I instantly loved this track.  It continues the groove and  I adored the sound. I am really drawn to the more organic sound of this album; I love the “oohs” and “aahs” throughout this song, they’re like nothing I’ve ever heard before. “Deeper in and deeper still,” has such a great beat to it. The line, “hands by your side” catches me off guard- it sounds like John Gourley has grown up. This is the first song that made me do a mental double take and recognize John’s new vocal sound. “All My People” is also reminiscent of a few Atmosphere songs.

“1000 Years” - The guitar work is amazing; Portugal. really outdid themselves experimentally on this new album. For a second, “1000 Years” sounds slightly like a broken record, which is so interesting and doesn’t sound bad at all, as the words “broken record” would imply. I love the line “the friends you have mean anything” and this track is such a groove! While I hear a lot that has previously been on their albums before, this album has reworked those elements into this new sound. It’s great to hear such an operatic voice like Zoe Manville’s in a rock atmosphere, it’s so fresh and I wonder why it isn’t used more.

“Fantastic Pace” – John Gourley’s voice sounds so different! It is so much deeper than it normally is, even when he is singing at a higher pitched range. The piano is a wonderful addition to this track. The melody during the line, “no one wants you” is beautiful, and I am really loving the vocals on this album. There are so many interwoven parts to this new sound. This track is stripped down beautifully to just the basic elements and yet it still has such a large sound. The album definitely has a more “driving down the road in a cult film smoking a cig with a menacing look on our face as we leave the burning city behind us” sound to it. It’s got parts of “AKA M80 The Wolf”s dark sounding bass line. I could be crazy, but this song also reminds me of The Nails’ song “88 Lines About 44 Women,” but then it goes into this very unexpected funky groove that made me check to make sure the song didn’t change.

“The Pushers Party” – The opening guitar riffs to this song belong in a classic rock song, but I’m glad they pushed their way into “The Pushers Party.” I love the bongos in the beginning, it adds to the stripped down sound. I was not expecting this kind of sound from the new album, but I love that Portugal always keeps you guessing. “The Pushers Party” is, at this point, my favorite track of the new album. What I consider to be the chorus of this song “the pusher was the feet and the feet were the floor, when we got a little bit well we got a little more“ is brilliant, I would give the album a perfect 5 based on hearing only that part. The very beginning of this song sounds a lot like “The Woods”, which is my favorite Portugal. The Man song out of all of their songs, (specifically the line in “The Woods” “I breathe in time to be where I was, if I need, better give me all your love” ) but very deep instead of in falsetto. As always, I love the “ahhs.”

“Do What We Do” – Zoe’s voice plus an amazing bass line add so much to this track. I have always loved John and Zoe’s voices together, and the beauty of the combination is especially evident here. The line, “we don’t need you to do what we do,” shows the great gang vocals. There is such an airy feel to their voices, punctuated with the synthesizers. I love the percussion instruments that have been added in this song, as well as the hand claps. There’s that familiar falsetto from John, still dreamy as ever; that’s something I’ve always loved about his voice…it isn’t nasally like it could be. Call me crazy, but this is another song that reminds me of “88 Lines About 44 Women” by The Nails, but only the very beginning before the vocals start.

“Just A Fool” –  This song shows a wonderful new synth sound for Portugal. John’s vocals sound so much more mature, and while this track was a definite risk for the band, I feel that it was well worth it in the end. It is, however, the least upbeat and most boring song on the album, although, because of the caliber of the songs, boring isn’t really saying anything.  I’m glad that they put it where they did on the album because it doesn’t interrupt the flow of the album, instead it acts as an interlude.

“Some Men” -Again, “Some Men” marks a risk by the band. However, when John’s soft voice comes in, it’s easy to forget about the somewhat annoying noise during the song’s opening – and if you still have doubts, the beautiful synths come in to demolish any annoyance the beginning offered. The acoustic guitar mixed with the synth is a perfect combination. My favorite guitar piece on the album comes in during the line, “never gonna change, never gonna change.” The spacey noises of this song and the fact that it still sounds so stripped down makes me love this. I love the lines in the chorus, “we watched him grow from a little person and as he grew into a bigger person, he stood above the people, all these little people, and everyone below, they were just little people” and  “We watched him grow into a bigger person and as he grew into a giant person, he stood above the clouds and all these little people, and as they looked above, they were just little people,” the melody on those lines is just perfect.

“When The War Ends” – It has an incredibly beautiful guitar sound that I haven’t heard from Portugal. until now. It’s amazing how deep John is singing on this new album. This is the most “mainstream” song on this album, and could not be a better ending to American Ghetto.  I think I even detect a touch of sitar – a nice touch. I love this song. I think this album had a lot more parts working together, like the guitar or keyboard following the vocal melody and that’s refreshing out of Portugal. The Man. I particularly love the resurgence and fade out – I wasn’t expecting that at all, but it works amazingly well. “When the war ends, we’ll wonder what it was about,” could that line be any more accurate?

Basically: I love this album. It’s everything you would expect from Portugal. The Man, including elements you loved about each album, like acoustics  and harmonies from Censored Colors, grooves from Waiter: “You Vultures!”, catchy beats and vocals from The Satanic Satanist, and classic guitar from Church Mouth. The only people who won’t immediately fall in love with this album (in my opinion) are people who were introduced to Portugal. through Censored Colors, which I have only recently fallen in love with, after years of listening to it. American Ghetto certainly has some outstanding tracks with completely new sounds, new instruments, and new styles, but it isn’t so different than it wont fit into Portugal. The Man’s already eclectic discography.

Best song: It’s a tie between “All My People,”  “The Pushers Party,” and “When The War Ends.”

It’s available for pre-sale (with an immediate digital download) and streaming at http://portugaltheman.com/ghetto/.

If you’re in Melbourne this weekend, head on down to Abbotsford Convent for the annual Pushover festival! With a slew of amazing local bands, you’ll be guaranteed to see someone you like!

After a huge lineup last year, including international band McFly as well as local heavyweights Parkway Drive, the lineup this year once again is [...]]]>

If you’re in Melbourne this weekend, head on down to Abbotsford Convent for the annual Pushover festival! With a slew of amazing local bands, you’ll be guaranteed to see someone you like!

After a huge lineup last year, including international band McFly as well as local heavyweights Parkway Drive, the lineup this year once again is looking promising. There’s hardcore, there’s rock, there’s pop punk and there’s even a hip hop stage. Tickets are limited, and the event sold out last year, so get on it and get your tickets.

I sure as hell will be there, so come say hi if you see me and I might even take your photo

Hello! I’m Nicole (Philly born, Jersey raised, DC chillin’). I’m a feminist, cuddler, writer, ukulele player, activist, boxer, etc., and I’m here writing this because I get angry when I see celebrities and artists with so much money and power and such loud voices not doing anything to create positive social change…the way that art [...]]]>

Hello! I’m Nicole (Philly born, Jersey raised, DC chillin’). I’m a feminist, cuddler, writer, ukulele player, activist, boxer, etc., and I’m here writing this because I get angry when I see celebrities and artists with so much money and power and such loud voices not doing anything to create positive social change…the way that art is measured only in entertainment value. I know that sometimes it seems like this superficiality is all that there is, but it’s not. This column is a way to highlight activists and organizations, high profile and almost unheard of, using their talents and ambitions to raise awareness and create social change. Keep reading, but more importantly, get involved and start making your own mark!