Virgin

Post War Years singer Si took time out from tour preparations to chat with little old us about the state of music, living in a hairdressers and, of course, Jack Bauer…

Now this was the first time I’d been in the refurbished Academy One and it was much improved in layout. Although one problem is that the gig didn’t seem to get the same atmosphere that Manchester got the last time Rise Against toured. The boys from Chicago were supported by the newly famous Flobots and pop punk boys Anti Flag…

Ian Easton has only got himself a preview copy of the new Peter Doherty album, Grace/Wastelands. To hear his verdict, quotes from the Babyshambles man himself, as well as details of the track listing, Peter’s tour dates and how to get a free (legal!) download of one the tracks, read on…

Watching bands at the Enterprise can feel often feel like chancing upon something a bit unusual. Maybe it is the climb up the narrow, creaky stairway to escape the Britpop blast of the downstairs soundsystem, or the hole in the toilet wall, or the pokey stage with just enough elevation to perform. But it all suits First Aid Kit, the daintily elusive duo in town tonight…

All we were told to expect beforehand were balloons and cupcakes, but we were delivered much, much more with the basement of the Slaughtered Lamb in London proving the perfect setting for the Heartbreak Ball on February 15. To start the evening’s events, the host, Jeremy Warmsley took to the stage with his new outfit, Little Words, to perform a series of Magnetic Fields’ covers. Sets from folk favourites such as Gossamer Albatross, Stars of Sunday League, Johnny Flynn and Slow Club followed…

Lissy Trullie has introduced herself to NYC with too-cool-to-eat rock-chic attitude. After all, so few chicks can pull off punked-out garage rock but Lissy can. It helps that she’s a hot lesbian model who likes leather and calls Mark Ronson on a regular basis…

Manchester punk and ska promoters TNSrecords are branching out. They have taken their monthly band nights further a field before, showcasing local talent in the North-West outside of the city! This weekend it was time for the first TNS Leeds, and I followed the promoters to the other side of the Pennines for a night of punk-rock at The Packhorse - featuring Nana’s Revenge, The Kirkz, Revenge of the Psychotronic Man and Sounds Of Swami…

With the music industry swarmed with indie boys with perfectly straightened hair and pop princesses miming along to ready made songs, it is a delight to come across an artist that is completely detached from the current trend. With the Duke Special ringing bells while marching along the bar top, and intermissions where the drummer Chip Bailey would play tunes on a cheese grater using an egg whisk, it was a far cry from the stereotypical music gig. This is what makes the Duke so very special. His originality and experimentation make his shows a must see even if they are on the verge of sounding like a musical. So stand up, salute and all hail Duke Special for he is good.

Land Of Talk have always been good live, but this show brought them to another level entirely, obviously more than ready to take their place amongst the best new bands in Canada…

Leopard Lady embarked on one of the most memorable road trips ever - to see the much anticipated show of Grace Jones… and show she DID! Appearing exclusively in Sydney as a part of The Sydney Festival, after almost 20 years between visits to Australia, Grace Jones brought her new and solid album, Hurricane, to a very hungry and devoted following…

When a band doesn’t come onstage until 11.30 pm, it can mean one of two things: the crowd is so pissed at having to wait all night that the band is slated, or the crowd is simply so pissed that the crowd is elated. It appears the latter is the case here, as Golden Silvers bring their musical mish-mash to the Macbeth…

This year has seen Kings of Leon go from strength to strength and what better way to end it than a packed, sweaty performance in the 02 - it took just 4 minutes to sell out!! As usual the boys were on form, preferring to belt out the blinders than any elaborate stage antics. They were tight, polished and utterly, utterly brilliant - a strong contender for gig of the year. Highlights were Molly’s Chambers, The Bucket, Charmer and Sex on Fire. Caleb did take the time to thank the audience, attributing KOL’s now international success to the UK fans’ loyal support. Bless. Here’s a video of their new single Use Somebody, performed on the Jools Holland Show. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

On the 19th of January, the uber-sexy record label DFA are throwing a killer fiesta at (Le) Poisson Rouge, a new, rather luxuries opium-den-for-millionaires resembling music club in Greenwich Village. Label co-founder, LCD Soundsystem frontman, and cute pug owner James Murphy is going add his special disco always-anywhere-anyhow DJing, along with Pat Mahoney, while the electro-furious Juan Maclean plans to perform a “live acid” sets. Add Italians Do It Better superstars the Invisible Conga People and you need no longer wish for “a partridge in a pear tree”…

Though Winnipeg can legitimately claim to have been where he began his musical journey, Neil Young was born in Toronto. So whenever he comes back for a show – or shows, as one date is never enough to meet demand – it’s a special occasion. Memories of his intimate, three-night stand at Massey Hall last year are still fresh in most fans’ mind, but last week he was back yet again for two dates at the considerably larger Air Canada Centre with Wilco and Everest in tow. With his long-awaited “Archives” set still to see the light of day, there wasn’t any particular reason for Young to be on the road, but then he doesn’t need a reason. He’s Neil Young.

Inevitability has plenty of time to wait. She isn’t distracted. She’s always working on something else. She keeps herself going. “When me and the Dap Kings aren’t doin’ our funk stuff, I’m doin’ some other stuff.”

On the same night that arguably the current biggest brand in Canadian indie rock – that’s Broken Social Scene if you were wondering – were putting on the first of two sold-out hometown shows at the cavernous and generally awful Sound Academy, a lineup that could well represent the next wave of great Canadian artists were putting on a night to remember at the much cozier quarters of Lee’s Palace. And while The Acorn, Ohbijou and The Rural Alberta Advantage have thus far achieved different levels of fame, they all share the talent and potential to be this country’s next great musical ambassadors.

While Leopard Lady realised that Bloc Party was a pretty big deal (the sold out show at Brisbane’s Riverstage - 9000 Capacity - was quite telling of that as well) she didn’t really know much of their music or story. Leopard Lady found out what the fuss was all about.

This is for all the music heads out in Toronto: on December 5th Keys N Krates have a huge show in their hometown of Toronto at Wrong Bar. Be sure to catch this live remix show because if you haven’t yet, then you are seriously behind. Nick Catchdubs from Brooklyn, New York will also be in the house mixing it up on the 1’s and 2’s as well.

The first act, School of Seven Bells, came on the stage at roughly 9:30pm and WOW! The group, from Williamsburg Brooklyn played a seriously solid set. Shortly after M83 came out to a host of screams and cheers. The crowd went crazy when “Kim & Jessie” came and M83 could feel the love as they played with a loving smile on their faces.

‘Rock & Roll Means Well’ – it certainly seems like a benign enough sentiment. But put in the context of a tour featuring two of the premier guitar bands in America right now, the sprawling Southern rock monsters of Athens, Georgia’s Drive-By Truckers and the boozed-up barstool poetry of Brookyn, New York’s Hold Steady, and you’d have a bill that’d be better advertised as Rock & Roll Means Well But If You Find You’ve Lost Your Hearing Due To Exposure To Extended Guitar Solos Or Your Hands Are Frozen In Three-Finger Devil Salutes Then Sorry But It Can’t Be Helped. But that probably wouldn’t fit on the marquee.