He covers Ashlee Simpson

Was at the very cool cruisey Alley Bar (if only they had a website I would link it) last night, and this "band" called Harvey Britain was playing. The "band" consists of one guy named Dan singing and strumming an acoustic guitar. Strange. Even stranger, he did a cover of an Ashlee Simpson song (I didn't recognise it myself, as if you would Mad!).

Anyway he seemed rather nice, so I thought I'd give his myspace a plug, though in a less spectacular fashion than he did, because he spelled out the address in song. And he's playing at the Alley Bar again in two weeks, on Wednesday July 5.

Everyone thought it was a shame for Belle and the boy Sebastian...

... to have to end the show!

One of the funnest gigs I've ever been to! 2 hours of jumping around and grinning our heads off at the band of guitar, bass, trumpet, percussion, keyboard, violin, cello, flute, toy instruments... and oh so deliciously sweet harmonies. They were full of character and having a ball on stage.

My highlights:

• A funky version "If She Wants Me" (possibly my fave song)
• "I'm A Cuckoo", the only song about breaking up that's fun to dance to
• A lovely cover of the Go-Betweens' "Bye Bye Pride"
• The panda chick! So jealous! There were a bunch of cool crazies who all wore animal masks, and threw their masks on stage, which the band used as props from time to time, and Stuart pulled this girl in a panda mask on stage for a dance and she was supercool, I wanted to be her!

Setlist:

• The Stars Of Track And Field
• Another Sunny Day
• Funny Little Frog
• Like Dylan In The Movies
• Sukie In The Graveyard
• Electronic Renaissance
• If She Wants Me
• To Be Myself Completely
• Dress Up In You
• Bye Bye Pride (The Go-Betweens)
• Piazza, New York Catcher
• Act Of The Apostle Part 1
• If You're Feeling Sinister
• The Blues Are Still Blue
• Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie
• I'm A Cuckoo
• Jonathan David
• White Collar Boy
• The State I Am In

ENCORE
• Your Covers Blown
• The Boy With The Arab Strap

Ahh so sad it's over, I want to see them again!!!

Where will all the cool kids be tonight?

At the Tivoli to see Belle & Sebastian! Stay tuned for a review.

Outclassed

Now THIS is pretentious, opinionated and wanky! Thanks Sal.

Today I wish I was cool like...

She's so cool. I just love blues, it just hits the spot somehow. And Mia rocks out so good, she expresses herself through both vocals and guitar with so much power, so effortlessly. There's something authentic about her - despite that she's not an oppressed black American male from the south in the early 1900s, she somehow appropriates the blues to her own unique style and identity.

I'm so cut that I didn't realise she played at The Zoo just last week. I knew it was coming up, and heard her on the radio this morning so I looked it up today... grr. And I missed her last time too. Vow to see her next time. And must buy one of her CDs at the next affordable moment (along with many other CDs - they're addictive but at least they don't cause gangrene). In the meantime I'm listening to the few tracks on her official site and her myspace, and so should you.

Ohh that deliciously sick feeling of guilt distraction gives...

I gave this album a third listen today, while doing some work. Until I stopped doing work and just sat and listened for an hour. I'm so glad I'm getting into them right before Splendour (and no, I'm not just jumping on the bandwagon because they're touring, I started listening to them before I heard the line-up), sooooooo looking forward to seeing them live. I just can't get enough of the angsty vocals... together with the lush melodic riffs... coming over dissonant distortion... above a once again melodic bass... accompanied by an impelling drum beat... ahhh I love it. I can't say whether I prefer it to Sonic Nurse or not though, or any of their older stuff, because I've only recently become acquainted with their sound altogether.

Anyway it's late so I won't go getting too analytical here, but you can listen to the ENTIRE album for yourself, streaming online on their official site. For free, fools, for FREE. Go! Go on! Do it now! Do it! Do it! Or you can go buy it from a shop, like I did, even though you can't afford it, like I can't, just because you love it, like I do.

Indulge Me

Since I sort of enjoyed making a blog called Trance Mission for MSTU2000, I thought I'd start this blog just as a place I can crap on to whoever will listen about music that I like (because most of my friends are quite sick of it). And because I should be doing some actual work right now. I'm also thinking of allowing other people to join this blog and post as well, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet.