Music News 19/01/2012

Things have gone from bad to terrible for the Big Day Out with the recent announcement that this year’s Aukland event will be the last.

This year they’ve seen downsizing, Vivian Lees leave and a partnership with C3 Presents. It’ll be sad if the festival doesn’t continue, but genre festivals have made it so easy to see a certain type of band without most of the bogans.

If you feel like getting your sad on, The Mountain Goats are touring in May.

I’m actually looking for someone to come to the Melbourne show with me, so if you’re keen tweet, email or carrier pigeon me. I promise I’ll only swoon a little bit.

The dates are as follows:

The Bakery, Perth
Tuesday 1st May

The Great Northern, Byron Bay
Thursday 3rd May

The Zoo, Brisbane
Friday 4th May

The Metro, Sydney
Sunday 6th May

The Clarendon, Katoomba
Tuesday 8th May

The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Thursday 10th May

Surely Gene Simmons doesn't need a codpiece THAT big

If you like rock and rolling all night and partying every day then you’ll be more than happy to hear the Kiss are coming in 2013. Sure, given their collective age of 2 million there’s a possibility it might be a bit shit, the pyrotechnics alone will be totally worth it.

However at the moment, there are no dates.

If you’re anything like me, Valentine’s day usually involves copious amounts of chocolate and Colin Firth movies. But this year you’ll be able to get your quirky pop on  because Aleks and the Ramps will be releasing their 3rd album Facts. 

The first single Middle Aged Unicorn On Beach With Sunset (I think I need a lie down after typing all that) is excellent and the album will be out on digital download or vinyl depending on how much of a hipster you are.

New Aleks and the Ramps Video

It’s hard to talk about Aleks and the Ramps without using the Q word. Not because they wear fun socks, or exclusively play xylophone, but because you can never quite tell what they’re going to throw at you next.

The band have a new album due out  on the 14 of February and the first single Middle Aged Unicorn on Beach With Sunset outshines it’s terrible name by being ten types of brilliant. The lyrics are witty and the delivery could almost match Stephin Merrit on the sarcastic baritone front. And it’s catchier than herpes.

The video for the song features setting soft toys on fire, trampolines and smoke machines and was made by Aleks himself. Awesome? You bet it is.

 

Aleks And The Ramps

I have only recently come across this Melbourne band and am really enjoying what I’ve heard so far. I don’t know if  bands would like their music described this way, but I find their music kind of cute.  The song Antique Limb in particular. They play the kind of  quirky pop music with fun lyrics that I’m an absoulte sucker for, and hopefully you guys will dig it too.

They have a show at Triple R’s perfromance space for subscribers only, or people who buy their album from the site linked on the band’s myspace. The rest of us  will get to hear it live to air on 102.7, or over the internet, from 6:30.

Aleks and the Ramps- Antique Limb.mp3

http://www.myspace.com/aleksandtheramps