Splendour in the Grass 2012 edition

It's that time of year again, after months of rumours and internet fighting, the Splendour announcement has gone live, now in handy video form!

Just in case you can't see it, here's the list:

Jack White
Bloc Party – Only Australian show
Smashing Pumpkins
At The Drive-In – Only Australian show
The Shins
Hilltop Hoods
The Kooks – Only Australian show
Gossip
Miike Snow
Dirty Three – Only Australian show
Lana Del Rey
360
Azealia Banks
Tame Impala
Explosions In The Sky – Only Australian show
Ladyhawke
The Afghan Whigs
Missy Higgins
Wolfmother
Metric
Kimbra
Mudhoney
Band Of Skulls
Spiderbait
Django Django
Gypsy & The Cat
San Cisco
Last Dinosaurs
Electric Guest
Muscles
Angus Stone
DZ Deathrays
Howler
Lanie Lane
Fun.
Big Scary
Michael Kiwanuka
Seekae
Friends
Yacht Club Dj’s
Bertie Blackman
Jinja Safari
Blue King Brown
Youth Lagoon
Pond
The Beautiful Girls
Tijuana Cartel
Ball Park Music
The Rubens
Ben Howard
Bleeding Knees Club
Zulu Winter
The Medics
Shihad
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Husky
Kate Miller-Heidke
Father John Misty
Emma Louise
Chet Faker
Here We Go Magic
Parachute Youth
Mosman Alder
The Cast Of Cheers
Wolf & Cub
Gossling
Bob Dylan tribute: Kav Temperley, Kevin Mitchell, Holly Throsby and Patience Hodgson will join forces with an array of surprise Splendour guests

There's two bands in there I haven't seen that I'd like to see. Fun. and of course At the Drive-In. Okay, maybe the Kooks, Metric, the Shins and the Bob Dylan tribute as well.

It's back down in Byron this year, which of course means that promoters consider it a suburb of Brisbane and we won't get any shows from it. It's the 27th-29th of July.

It says it's ATDI's only show in Australia, which is absolute balls.

EDIT: Tickets are $350+BF, $99 camping or $135 for single day passes. Looks like I'll go the Friday for ATDI

One Sentence Album Reviews

Because it took me forever to finish my 2011 list, here's the first for the year!

Tennis - Young And Old (2012): another girl/boy duo making dreamy summer tunes; makes me think of pastel polo shirts and country clubs 3/5

Anti-Flag - The General Strike (2012): As always, Anti-Flag make a fun punk album full of catchy hooks and politics. It's damn catchy 4.3/5

Every Time I Die - Ex Lives (2012): typical ETID album: features the same guitar/vocal styles & funny titles but with a more metal edge 4.3/5

Bleeding Through - The Great Fire (2012): This metal album tries hard, but falls short. Especially with its overuse of fake synth violin 3/5

The Mars Volta - Noctorniquet (2012): The poppiest album Omar/Cedric have released yet. Short songs, no spacey solos, understandable lyrics 3.7/5

Caliban - I Am Nemesis (2012): Breakdowns, samples, clean singing parts, swearing. A fairly typical metalcore album 3.2/5

Hank Williams III - Rebel Within (2010): Someon with a hardcore background decided to imitate the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack 4/5

Air - Le Voyage Dans La Lune (2012): accompanying soundtrack to the 1902 movie is a return of form. The music doesn't even need the movie 4.8/5
Sonic Armada may be the song of the year

Quiet Steps - Secular (2012): The screamo influence is largely cast aside on this album, substituted for some great noodly melodies 4/5

Bleeding Knees Club - Nothing To Do (2012): Retro sounding garage rock from the Gold Coast. It's like a 60's surf party! 4/5

Narrows - Painted (2012): Every year there's a dirty, sludgy hardcore album I dig. I'm pretty sure this is it for 2012. 4.2/5

MxPx - Plans Within Plans (2012): A flashback to when I was 16 and pop-punk blared through my car windows as loud as it could go 3.8/5

Sleigh Bells - Reign Of Terror (2012): Not much changed for the 2nd album, except the riffs are more 80's power-metal. Not in a good way 2.3/5

Fanfarlo - Rooms Filled With Light (2012): Delightful indie-pop, but the album lacks a standout wow factor, it'll be forgotten quickly 3.5/5

Fun. - Some Nights (2012): Imagine if you were in a cute romantic (indie) movie, this would be your soundtrack 4/5

Kaiser Chiefs - Start The Revolution Without Me (2012): Unlike their last few albums, they don't sound totally bored. Still not great 2.4/5

Useless ID - Symptoms (2012): The melodies! I find this album so gosh darn catchy in a good pop-punk way 4/5

Lucero - Women & Work (2012): A more upbeat Lucero album, probably thanks to all of the horns. Magnificent whiskey fueled rock still 4.6/5

Ceremony - Zoo (2012): It appears the hardcore and anger is gone, replaced with a brooding almost indie sound. Not what I was expecting 3.3/5

Young Guns -  Bones (2012): an attempt at a big stadium-rock, radio-friendly sound. Meh 2.3/5