Slow news month

The blog, she's been a bit quiet of late. After the glut of concert announcements of February (and the glut of concerts) things have slowed down as we await the April/May insanity of touring. This weekend alone I've got at least 3 gigs to attend, and more that I just can't. To say I'm a little excited is on understatement.

So in my normal fashion, here's a listing of news and things I should've blogged about but just never got around to doing.

AC4/Star Fucking Hipsters
I've been ranting about this for a while, but on Thursday I finally get to see Dennis Lyxzen perform (in non-techno format). He's back in hardcore mode with AC4 and he's pretty much invented most dance moves singers perform these days.

The local bands for this gig at the Zoo are the Mercy Beat and the Quickening, two of the better heavy bands around. I'm especially in love with the Mercy Beat since seeing them at the Bronx and getting my hands on their album. Get there early for a great night of punk. An amazing night of punk.

Phantoms/Friends With the Enemy
More Australian bands that I love. Phantoms are awesome hardcore punk from Sydney that I've been following since a small basement show last year and Friends with Enemy are like A Wilhelm Scream with a female singer.

They're coming together for an awesome punk night at Girls and Boys (X & Y). April 14th, with special 2 for 1 entry if you're a student. And of course cheaper if you know the password.

The Beards
They are a band that sing songs about beards. While having massive beards. With a folk/humour angle. Basically, they're awesome. And the Beards are playing Rics on April 10th.

You can get some of their stuff from Triple J Unearthed. And after listening, you know you want to see this with a few beers. And beards.

Segression
When I was younger, and just moved to the USA, I got all nostalgic for Australian music. And at the same time I was obsessed with metal. All that together lead to me being obsessed with Segression. 15 years on and I had forgotten about them. They still sit their on my CD case though and once a year I pop it back in.

Turns out they are still going strong, and are about to hit the road again. Playing Rosies on May 20th.

MySpace

All these gigs mentioned are 18+.

News Post

I hate doing all the news in one blog post, but I've been snowed under this month and it's not picking up. And I am inherently lazy. So here's a bunch of news in bullet points.

• Kings of Leon tour is now officially postponed until November 8, but still at the Entertainment Centre. Tickets for the march tour can be used there.
• Fleet Foxes, the folk-rockers, has a free MP3 from their new album here for you: http://www.fleetfoxes.com/helplessness-blues.html
• British India also have a free MP3 for you: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/listen/mp3s.htm
• Unkle were one of the bands on the Groovin' the Moo festival announcement that I got excited for. And now they're doing sideshows! May 3, HiFi. Now if only they had Ian Astbury come on that tour with them...
• Christian rockers (with a Jesus lookalike on keys) Emery are coming on another tour. They're a great live band, but unfortunately, much like the Chariot tour, the only Queensland date is at Easterfest in Toowoomba, April 23. BOO TO YOU.
• The Rics Big Backyard festival on March 26 has added a few more bands: Violent Soho, Velociraptor and Numbers Radio being the highlights.

Now good day to you.

Big Backyard Festival

I was going to put this under the flood news, but it turns out it is not a flood fundraiser. Rather, it's just a kick ass show. Ric's is a great bar known in the past for their indie/hipster music and support of live music. And also delicious chips during lunch time in the Valley.


Now, they're going to have a festival. In their backyard. And upstairs. And downstairs. Three stages. 21 bands. A kind of awesome bar.

So on the 26th of March, expect to see these bands and more:

• You Am I
• Die Die Die
• Pangea
• Six Ft Hick
• King Cannons
• the Cairos
• the Mercy Beat

All playing intimate stages in Rics.

I for one, can't wait.
And of course, it's 18+. It is a bar after all.

I'm Stranded

So the floods continue. It's supposed to have peak 20 minutes ago. It's dark and early in the morning and no one knows. But here's a picture from yesterday:


The floods have affected the music scene. Yesterday I blogged about the Zoo cancelling shows. There's a few others. Talib Kweli/Mos Def at the Tivoli tonight is gone. X&Y and Rics have cancelled all gigs for the forseeable future.

It seems that there is a great show on tonight that I didn't know about in the Valley. Gold Panda, an electronic producer/artist, who put out a great album in 2010 is playing at Alloneword. Here's the Facebook link. They're doing a fundraiser for the floods, like everyone. So go along and support and have a great time at one of my new favourite bars, with one of my new favourite artists.

As for me, I'm at my parents safe for now. My apartment...Who knows, probably underwater. The Saints said it best.

If anyone in Brisbane is doing any benefits or anything, leave a comment/contact my twitter/email me and I will do a plug for it. Brisbane and Queensland will need all the help it can get and what better way to do than with music?

Quiet Steps

I have no idea how I stumbled across this band. I've yet to see them live, but somehow they rocked up in my playlist one day. This is Brisbane's own Quiet Steps:

These guys tick all the boxes for me right now, as I am currently in a weird mood of listening to a lot of screamo and mathrock/noodly indie bands. And hey, guess what, they combine math rock/noodly indie and screamo!

They've put out a new album this year and you can get it for free as well. Right here.

If you like what you hear, go check them out playing Ric's on December 29. 18+