on returning

At last! It's been two weeks since returning to Brisbane from my European jaunt, and I have been nothing but stupidly busy since arriving back. Pray tell, what have I been doing? Terribly exciting things - uni assignments, a work trip to Sydney and Melbourne, lots of unpacking and cupboard clearing, to make way for all my delightful new stuff, and, yes, not updating my blog. Argh! So, then, here is a brief summary of highlights:

- Last time I wrote I was contemplating attending How Does It Feel To Be Loved? on my own, down in scary ol' Brixton. Thankfully, my lovely friend Leigh accompanied me, and I ended up having one of the best nights out ever. Oh boy, did I have fun or what - Amelia Fletcher DJed everything from Elastica and The Long Blondes to Tiger Trap and Bis, and when Ian played about three Belle & Sebastian songs, I danced like no other. Here is some photographic proof of my ridiculous dancing to boot:

Yup, pretty much dancing like this all night long. I made friends with a super sweet Swedish girl called Diana, who I instantly befriended because she was wearing a Nixon badge. Yay!

- The following night, I then ventured off to Chalk Farm for a super pop night featuring Zipper, Horowitz, MJ Hibbert and the Bumblebees. I must admit, it was a bit scary going to a pop show on my own in a city where I knew nary a soul, but at the same time it's kinda liberating. I suspect lots of Anoraks were at the show, but I only met a couple, including the delightful Marianthi, Tom from Indie MP3, and Pete from Horowitz, who has been kind enough to send me lots of records and zines. Of course, the bands were pretty great - Horowitz ripped through their set in fine form, while Zipper were buzzing like no other. Everyone loved them, but especially the kids from the Bumblebees up the front. I must admit, I didn't go much for MJ Hibbert - perhaps it's a very British thing, I'm not sure.

- I was lucky enough to meet up with another traveller, Andrew, who comes from Boston and plays in oh, a band I only kinda like, Pants Yell! So great! We went shopping, bought souvenirs and hung around East London on a busy Sunday afternoon. I also met his friend Lachlan, who plays in Sleeping States - I'm going to listen to them a lot more, because they sound terrific from what I have heard. Watch this space.

- Going to Munich to see The Long Blondes was one of the craziest things I've ever done, but also one of the most exciting. Somehow I managed to communicate with little more than "bitte" and "danke" under my German language belt, and really, I loved the place. The show was cracking - it was great to hear all the songs from "Couples" live, plus they played 'Autonomy Boy'!! And it was wonderful to see Dorian again - I'm now fairly well certain that the best looking boys only exist in places in the northern hemisphere, or pretty much anywhere apart from Brisbane. Speaking of which, I missed seeing The Lodger, which might be a good thing because I may well have just gawked at them all night long. I've been listening to "Life Is Sweet" a whole lot and it is up there for the best dancefloor albums of the year.

(crap, I just looked at The Lodger's website - they're playing shows in Japan but not venturing down to Australia. Siiiiiiiiiigh.)

- At first, I was concerned the Pitchfork-curated All Tomorrow's Parties would be a total beard-fest, but it ended up being a brilliant festival, mostly because of the people I was spending time with. Best bands? Of Montreal were so grand and theatrical that even when they hit the 9 minute mark of that 11-minute track off "Hissing Fauna...", I still liked them a whole lot. The Clientele were unfortunately scheduled as the first band on the Friday, and I must admit, I wanted to hear noise rather than their dreamy pop at that time of day. Jens was as charming as ever, but, admittedly, the best bands were the noisy ones I wouldn't normally listen to - Times New Viking, The Hold Steady and Deerhunter, in particular.

- After ATP, I went record shopping with Chris and found the best records ever, but I might need to spend another night writing about my recent record shopping exploits. Suffice to say, when I found a copy of "Back In Denim" at Flash Back in Islington, my heart skipped ten thousand beats.

So yes! That's it! I'm now planning all the shows I want to attend in the next few months, because short-term planning is impossible in Brisbane with nary a show to attend on weekends. Sigh.

Now, back to writing about pop songs when I find a spare moment...

travel update #1

Hello blog readers!

As you may be aware, I'm on the other side of the world at the moment. I'm currently sitting in a flat in north London, having just returned from a week in Sweden. Yay! I'm currently contemplating travelling to Brixton on my own tonight, to attend Amelia Fletcher DJing at How Does It Feel To Be Loved?, but I am awfully scared about doing so.

Unfortunately, I'm not posting from my own computer - it seems to have an aversion to wireless internet and broadband networks over here. As a result, I haven't been able to upload any photos of my travels so far. Instead, a brief update of some of my travel (and music) highlights so far!

- Last Friday night I went to see Minisnap and Ghost Club at the Brixton Windmill - it was fitting to watch New Zealand bands with antipodeans on Anzac Day (a major Australian and NZ memorial day), and it was a great show. Tiny Kay from Minisnap was wearing a Magic Marker t-shirt, and if the venue wasn't so small and full, I would have danced a whole lot more. Ghost Club played Sonic Youth esque noise rock, and the songs were really terrific.

- I went to Another Sunny Day, an indiepop club in Stockholm, with one of my oldest internet friends. It was so strange and exciting to meet someone who I'd known via the internet for ten years, but had never met. Moofish Catfish played at the club, and they were a whole heap of buzzy fun, and afterwards the Swedish pop the DJs began playing certainly had some of the crowd dancing. Unfortunately we had to leave to catch the last subway home, but it was fun to hear Suede, Moneybrother, Hakke Hellstrom and more at a club night.

- The last day of April is a major day of celebration (and drinking) for Swedish students, and I was right in the epicentre, in Uppsala, one of Sweden's biggest university cities. Even though I didn't get to see any bands, it was a crazy experience to sit in the Swedish spring sunshine, drinking beer and attempting to speak Swedish. Luckily there was an American guy to share poor Swedish language skills with!

- Records? Not very many so far, but that will change this week, I'm sure.

Tonight is How Does It Feel To Be Loved?, featuring a DJ set from Amelia Fletcher. I'm a bit scared about going, but perhaps I can drag my sister along for a drink and a dance!

More updates soon, and I will share some photos when I have an opportunity to.

an intermission

Recently, I've been busier than I think I have ever been in my life. I mentioned the other day how my life has been a whirlwind of working, work travelling and studying, with socialising and, of course, music listening squeezing in there in small intervals. As such, my time hasn't been spent finding music to write to you about, and as much as I would love to write something special about some recent discoveries, I haven't listened to them enough to give these special bands the words and time they deserve. So perhaps you'll receive that entry in the next couple of days, before I embark on my journey to the other side of the world.

In saying that, there are two things I'd like to write to you about:

1. Tyler Brûlé
In late 2006, I developed an infatuation with Canadian-born journalist, editor, columnist, entrepreneur and man-about-the-world Tyler Brûlé. He produced a series for the BBC called "Counter Culture", which explored aspects of consumerism within different societies throughout the world. Just yesterday, I bought my first copy of his magazine, Monocle, which openly targets the well-heeled travellers and business types of the world. Clearly, the intellectual wank points are high here, but he just has such charisma and appeal, and, most of all, he's on the mark with his thoughts on design, research and media. If you are exactly like Tyler and aren't gay, please marry me now. Here is a video of him at a design conference in Germany:



2. Travels and mix CDs
As I prepare for my first big holiday in five years, I have been thinking about how songs can influence various moments in one's life. I still have a copy of the mix CD I made for my wonderful friend Lina before I went last time, and it defined the three weeks I spent in Scandinavia and London. Since then, I can't listen to songs such as Broadcast's "The Book Lovers", Ride's "Vapour Trail", or The Raveonettes' "Attack of the Ghost Riders" without thinking of this trip, which is such a good memory to have. Similarly, when I hear Clinic's "Walking With Thee", I automatically think about sitting around a campsite at Roskilde with a bunch of Danes and Swedes, not understanding a single word they are saying.

I haven't made such a CD this time around, but I am sure that, over the few weeks I am away, certain songs will come to define this period. What they are, I don't think I will be able to say until a few months from now at the very least.

horowitz

There's nice bands out there, there's some super nice bands, and there's Horowitz. Yes, Skatterbrain has raved about them for months, and now it's my turn to indulge in some of the best DIY pop songs around. Even though I have had all of no time during the past week to do anything apart from pretty much work, study, travel, eat and sleep, I've certainly made plenty of time to fill my ears with their super super album "Frosty Cat Songs".

Here are five reasons why I think Horowitz are great:

1. The song titles: "It's Better To Eat Twinkies With Yr Friends Than to Eat Broccoli Alone" (so true), "Popkids of the World Unite" (even moreso), etc. - I love bands with wonderful song titles and creative lyrics, and these songs are no exception.

2. The songs themselves: Full of dancing melodies, English vocals and lyrics about dancing to Yeovil Junction and Talulah Gosh. They make my late afternoon train rides all the more enjoyable.

3. The artwork: Look at all that cute DIY artwork! It's like they tore pages out of the best kept zines of the world and made it their own. Plus, any artwork with kittens is instantly endearing.

4. The band: A nicer bunch you're unlikely to ever meet.

5. The shows: They're so nice, they're even playing a show in London while I'm travelling. Yay! Come along to the Zipper/Horowitz show on May 3rd and have a wonderful dancing time with me.

the lodger - new single, video + album!

This is a novelty for me - at home, on a Wednesday morning, instead of being at work. So, as I wait for my colleagues to pick me up so we can visit a flavoured milk factory (yes, I am serious), I have an opportunity to indulge myself in new sounds from The Lodger!

Their new single "The Good Old Days" will be released by Slumberland on May 2nd, and the video for it is an orange fizzy funk delight. Watch this and dare to tell me they aren't the most crushworthy boys ever:



Then, on May 19th, you can acquaint yourself with their new album "Life Is Sweet", which is sure to make everyone dance their pants off. As for live shows - well, they're playing a bucketload around the UK and Europe, conveniently when I am in town. They're touring Germany with the Long Blondes! I'm hoping to be at the following shows:

- April 24th at Blow Up in London
- May 7th at the Atomic Cafe in Munich

Say hi to me if you'll be at these shows - I'll be the girl stealing secret glances and dancing away like a tourist up the front.

italia!

Italy has been responsible for objects of great beauty for centuries, but recently my expectations have been exceeded - the new Fiat 500, enviable Miu Miu outfits and Marni bags have all taken my fancy of late, and now I'm falling for some fine Italian pop songs. While the first three may be only objects of desire at this stage (although I am awfully tempted to trade little Coldplay for a creamy Bambino), I can enjoy the delightful pop songs by the following bands until my little heart beams with sunshine.

I'm not quite sure what to make of Fitness Forever, but I know the two songs on their Myspace page are made of the same pop stardust that's sprinkled all over Sweden. Twin boy-girl vocals, hints of keyboards, violins, handclaps and horns, and melodies to charm even the stoniest heart. By the sounds of it, their debut album should be released later this year, which I'll certainly have to add to my gym bunny playlist. Full credit goes to This Is Pop Music for this recommendation.

Hailing from Bologna, Federico and Margot are Tiger Tiger!, who make the type of fun, punky, shambolic pop songs very much in the style of Eux Autres. There's so much going on in these songs - one minute I'm hearing drums that sound like they're being played on cardboard boxes and proclaimations of "i don't give a fuck", and the next I'm being serenaded by cute keyboards and sweetheart vocals. Super! You can buy their record "11pm" from MyHoney Records.

Lastly, another MyHoney band - Le Man Avec Les Lunettes. Having previously confessed to having zero French language skills, the old faithful online translator assures me this translates as "The Man With The Glasses". Oh look, there's the charming Ale with some very nice spectacles. There's some great tunes to complement the fine eyewear - buzzy pop songs with synth touches, sadder songs with an empty bar feel, and even a Christmas song. They are playing shows around Scandinavia and Germany in June - lucky them!

Now, all I need to do is find myself some pistachio gelati and a Lambretta, and I will be set.

the long blondes - "couples"

As you may have guessed, I like the Long Blondes. A Lot. So nothing pleases me more than listening to their new album, "Couples", and falling in love with a whole new bunch of songs. It's officially released on Monday, but for now, you can stream "Couples" from NME.com. So far I'm up to track two, 'Guilt', and all I want to do is don some sparkly lurex socks and peep-toe patent heels and find myself a dancefloor. So good, so good!