The raucous night of nights finally arrived with Queens of the Stone Age rolling through Sydney on their way to Splendour in the Grass. The iconic five-piece were last in the country on a double headline tour with Nine Inch Nails in 2014 so this solo return Down Under is as sweet as ever. While they’ve been busy with their various side projects since then, their highly anticipated new album Villains is set for release in exactly one month from today.
Melbourne electro-punk outfit Ecca Vandal took the room first and damn-near nuked the stage with their signature abrasive, eve-of-destruction steeze.
QOTSA shortly followed, each member striding onto the stage with singer Josh Homme taking the rear; a silhouette hobbling out with a cane in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. They themselves ooze unadultered coolness but their music takes it to a whole other level. It was a truly unforgettable night.
Read our full live review here.
Ecca Vandal
Queens of the Stone Age
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
Bluesy soul in its finest form, Australian songstress Meg Mac is back with some gorgeous new material. Low Blows is her debut LP and hones in on her minimal recording style and incredibly soulful and melliflous vocals which struck a chord on her self-titled EP back in 2014.
Following her first Triple J Unearthed upload straight out of university, Mac has experienced some fairly rapid success. She’s toured the US with the likes of D’Angelo and Clean Bandit, as well as headlined her own, played a round of gigs at SXSW, become a mainstay at our largest festivals back home, and collaborated with some incredible talent all in the space of just a few years. Recorded in Texas with Niles City Sound (who also produced Leon Bridges’ debut), Low Blows is the next milestone in Mac’s burgeoning catalogue and features the raw, lyrical stories that have become a staple of her signature style.
Her next national tour kicks off in September and this is something you don’t want to miss. We caught up with the songstress herself for a quick portrait session on her record release day.
Tickets: https://www.megmac.com.au/tourdates
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbVceVtYoX4
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
The last time I saw Queens Of The Stone Age live was back in 2014, when they played a stadium co-headline show with Nine Inch Nails. It was wonderful, don’t get me wrong, but experiencing a rock show while sitting a million miles away in a massive arena is an entirely different experience to standing amidst a sweaty crowd at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion. This week’s concert felt like my first true QOTSA experience. It’s the way you’re supposed to see a rock show.
In town ahead of a headline set at Splendour in the Grass, and a month away from their highly anticipated new album Villains, there was a raucous energy in the air from the moment you stepped inside.
In the time since their last visit, the band has been incredibly busy with side projects; among other things, bassist Mikey Shoes last visited us with side project Mini Mansions in late 2015, while Josh Homme released his Iggy Pop collaboration Post Pop Depression as well as performing with Eagles Of Death Metal, and guitarist Troy Van Leewen also toured with Homme and Iggy Pop, released an album as rock supergroup Gone Is Gone this January, and is set to feature on Chelsea Wolfe’s forthcoming album Hiss Spun. So, for them to finally be performing together once more as Queens of the Stone Age, is thrilling to say the least.
Melbourne’s Ecca Vandal warmed the stage with a three-piece band, her uniquely cacophonous concoction of electro-fuelled punk hitting the mark across the fast-filling venue for half an hour ahead of the main event.
When the band took to the stage after a break, there was an immediately electrifying energy that neither decreased nor disappeared once for the remainder of their set; it took hold, and controlled the crowd for the remainder of the show. It was the opposite of sedate.
There was something genuinely fresh about the performance, perhaps because they haven’t played together much lately, perhaps because their nightly setlist varies wildly from show to show. That they kicked off with a track from 2007’s Era Vulgaris, Turnin’ On The Screw, was an wonderful surprise, and there was no shortage of career-spanning favourites to follow.
A little under half the set came from their last album, 2013’s …Like Clockwork. The album’s peaks and troughs served similar purpose to the movement of their stage show, such as the powerful boom of If I Had A Tail, and the lighter, more top-heavy Smooth Sailing. Elsewhere came tracks from Era Vulgaris, Lullabies to Paralyse and Rated R, with a seriously bugged out, drunken, extended version of Feel Good Hit For The Summer, marking the gig’s woozy halfway point — and I think they added a brief Amy Winehouse, Rehab, reference in the middle there, for kicks.
Those hoping for a set plied with new music may have been left for want, with only two new tracks, The Evil Has Landed and The Way You Used To Do coming through. With a catalogue this stellar though, it’s hardly a bad thing, and both tracks were at once brash and fresh, leaving me even more excited to hear Villains in full.
To everyone’s delight, the tail-end of the night was an affair strictly soundtracked by Songs For The Deaf’s biggest moments, only made heavier in the live setting. Homme and co. roared through Go With The Flow and No One Knows, before returning for a final encore rendition of its title track.
The set was peppered by bits and pieces of audience interaction, not much, just enough; this isn’t a band you come to see for the conversation. Their performance is unequivocally what a rock show is meant to look, sound and feel like; they serve up their tracks on a guitar-shaped platter with power and fervour unmatched by almost anyone else in 2017. It was refined and breathless – not rushed, but impressively tight. They know what they’re doing, and they know what their audience wants. It was a phenomenal night, one well worth the wait.
Images: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
Chicago’s Vic Mensa has announced his long-awaited debut album, The Autobiography, set for release later this month on July 28.
The 23-year-old Roc Nation rapper first came to attention with 2013’s Innanetape, and has since seen a remarkable shift in style, themes and delivery; to say he’s grown up before our eyes would be the understatement of the century (and a point of conflict for many of his fans). Last year’s tremendous There’s A lot Going On EP revealed a great deal of internal conflict, admission of mental health, substance abuse and relationship struggles among other issues, including external topics like police brutality and the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
In case it wasn’t obvious that he’s grown up and changed, new single Wings announces the introduction of “Victor, not Vic Mensa, the one you never meet in a XXL issue.”
The Autobiography comes shortly after The Manuscript, a four-track “capsule” (aka EP) preempting the album by providing context about where he is in his life right now. One of its tracks will feature on the full album, Rollin’ Like A Stoner, a satirical anti-party anthem-that-sounds-like-a-party-song, not unlike Kendrick Lamar’s Swimming Pools (Drank). OMG ft. Pusha T and Rage have both been tacked on as bonus tracks, bringing the tracklist total to 15.
Giving the revealing nature of his last releases, on top of the album title, it’s likely that the album really will sound like an autobiography; expect real, detailed, personal stories about love, loss and life. “This is my blood sweat and tears,” he wrote in press release. “I’m so infinitely grateful to everyone that’s been here with me for the ride. A lot of you were down with me when I was going through some of the hardest parts of my life, and I wrote an album about them, my debut album. I got so much love for the people that support me and I really did this album for y’all. Based on a true story.”
The album is another notch on Roc Nation’s bulging belt this year. Executive produced by No I.D, who is currently enjoying some serious time in the spotlight thanks to his brilliant work on Jay-Z’s new 4:44, the album features a carefully selected guest list including The-Dream, Syd, Chief Keef, Joey Purp and even, bizarrely, Weezer.
Ahead of the album, Vic has also dropped a confronting new single, Wings ft. Pharrell Williams and Saul Williams. The song covers a really wide range of topics, assumedly preparing us for the heavy nature of the album.
Opening on a psychedelic instrumental that wouldn’t be ill fitting on Tame Impala’s latest record, he begs to be taken away from the drama surrounding him, commenting on the volatile nature of the rap game. From there he questions his own success and personal value, asking if his friends appreciate him, or the attention he gets. He speaks about his depression, drug addiction and suicidal behaviour, before ending on “Climb the tallest building and spread your wings”. The line – and the subsequent hook of “Jumping, jumping, jumping jumping, falling, falling, falling to the sky” could be interpreted a couple ways; spreading his wings and jumping could mean rising and succeeding, but it could also mean defeat, resignation, even death. It’s likely an intentional contradiction – one he clearly battles with often, and one we’ll hear a lot more of on The Autobiography.
Listen here via Apple Music or below via Spotify, and get excited.
Image: Frank Ockenfels III
It’s been an insane week for Tyler, The Creator. After announcing a new album, Scum Fuck Flower Boy and dropping two new tracks – Who Dat Boy ft. A$AP Rocky and 911/Mr Lonely ft. Frank Ocean- the album leaked early. Several of its lyrics have since set the internet ablaze, as they seem to possibly suggest that he is gay, and this album might – I repeat, might – signify his coming out. Lucily, Tyler is now drawing attention away from the gossipy side of things by doing what he does best – releasing really great music.
Today, Tyler has released a new song, Boredom, with additional vocals from Rex Orange County, Anna Of The North and Corinne Bailey Rae
The song is absolutely gorgeous and summery as hell, which is frankly rather unexpected.
https://youtu.be/jxlBOBOZHqI
It couldn’t be further from the controversial, aggressive, abrasive tunes that first catapulted him to attention during his Odd Future days. Mellow and melodic, the instrumental feels more like something out of Frank Ocean’s catalogue than Tyler’s.
With subdued, introverted lyrics about the anguish of being alone, losing friends, and the painstaking reality of boredom, it looks like the 26-year-old artist’s new album will be more inward-looking and bare than we’ve ever seen before. The class clown seems to be exiting the building.
Tyler, The Creator’s new album officially comes out on Friday, July 21. Tyler himself has produced the entire thing, as well as co-designing the artwork (below) with Eric White.
Tyler, the creator, Scum Fuck Flower Boy tracklist
01 Foreword
02 Where This Flower Blooms
03 Sometimes…
04 See You Again
05 Who Dat Boy?
06 Pothole
07 Garden Shred
08 Boredom
09 I Ain’t Got Time!
10 911/Mr. Lonely
11 Dropping Seeds
12 November
13 Glitter
14 Enjoy Right Now Today
SCUM FUCK FLOWER BOY: 7/21 pic.twitter.com/b6gonFc3o1
— T (@tylerthecreator) July 6, 2017
I’m always going to love Australian hip-hop. It’s a fact I’ve come to accept, and it all started with three dudes from Adelaide. Growing up, one of the major debates was always Hilltop Hoods vs Bliss and Eso. Without question, I – like a majority of people around me – loved Hoods and hated Bliss N Eso. Though I’ve mellowed my stance on Bliss N Eso, my love for Hilltop Hoods is strong as ever, and a lot of that is because of State of the Art.
I first heard State of the Art back in 2010, having just started high school. I’d heard of them before, of course (who could escape The Hard Road, still their most notable release), but I’d never really delved further. Until State of the Art, that is.
What really struck me was that it was also my first real experience with really loving an artist. Sure, I had my Rogue Traders phase back in primary school (I even remember lining up to buy their albums at Borders, which feels like a very long time ago), but this was a whole new experience. I actively sought out the Hoods’ music, making sure that I had access to all their albums (which was a pretty hard task back then).
State of The Art feels like a career-defining album, which is impressive considering the songs and albums that came before it. Not may acts release their best work on their fifth album. The Nosebleed Section, The Hard Road and Clown Prince were all massive songs when they came out, and it’s true that the former two are bigger than anything on State of The Art. But this album held more influence as a whole, for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, Chase That Feeling was omnipresent when it came out, from radio to Channel 10 and beyond; even today, the opening piano riff is immediately recognisable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq8PyyMbrYQ
Secondly, Classic Example features Pharoahe Monch. This was huge at the time, one of the first Australian hip-hop songs to feature an American artist (to come would be Bliss N Eso with Nas, A.B. Original with Guilty Simpson, Killer Mike with Tkay Maidza and plenty more).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jrkmkn_xAY
We’ve come a long way in terms of accepting Australian hip-hop, but this was the first time an American artist really appeared to acknowledge one of our own. While we’re still waiting for an Australian rapper to break overseas (Iggy Azalea doesn’t count), it’s bound to happen soon, and it all began right there.
For me, it was the confidence of each song that made the album so great. To this day, Super Official is still my favourite Hilltop Hoods song; Suffa and Pressure deliver some of the best verses of their career, spitting back and forth over a powerful horn-led beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n3D_3rOmiw
From the scratches to the accents (yes, I love Australian accents in hip-hop, fight me), on top of easy-to-follow lyrics that were perfect for a younger me to understand, all in all, this was an incredible album. It still is.
Every time I go back and listen to State of the Art, I’m still blown away by its timeless originality. Still Standing, for example, brings together a West Indian influence and orchestral instrumentation (they had previously released the orchestral The Hard Road Restrung reworking of their previous album). For me, those lyrics remain as relevant as ever to the groundbreaking group; “We still sharp, still craft hip-hop that they played in the park/Still jamming, still paving the path/Still making our mark, still ain’t for the faint of the heart/Still standing, still state of the art”. In many ways, they created the sound that would dominate Australian hip-hop right up until a few years ago, when the whole scene started splintering off into countless new directions.
While many came before and even more have (and will) led the way since, for me, Hilltop Hoods are Australian hip-hop to a tee. No matter where their career continues to take them, they’ll forever be legends of the scene, and we might just look back one day at this album as their best.
Words by Ben Madden
Image: Seshanka Samarajiwa/Howl & Echoes (full gallery here)
Chance the Rapper has taken the stage – well, desk, this week, delivering an emotional performance for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert.
The Colouring Book rapper announced that he was a huge fan of the series, and promptly delved into a short, soulful, low-key set. Avoiding his typically high-energy performances, he shared a stripped-down rendition of Juke Jam (sans Justin Bieber), backed by four vocalists, trumpet, keys and light percussion. It was intimate, cheeky, sensual and sweet.
Chance then did something a little unexpected; he recited a poem he’d written earlier that day, titled The Other Side. Appearing visibly moved by his own words, the recitation offered a rare glimpse of Chance, with neither musical accompaniment nor prideful bounce, and though he joked that there were funny moments in the poem, it was steady and honest, touching on past relationships with women, prescription drugs, and a how-the-other-half-live fantasy.
Finishing the concert with a final swell of emotive gusto, he dedicated his second song to “somebody close to me, that just lost somebody close to them.” Backed by light keys, woozy harmonies and Nico’s iconic trumpet, he covered Stevie Wonder’s gorgeous They Won’t Go When I Go to gorgeous effect.
Check it out below.
The Kite String Tangle, a.k.a. Danny Harley, is something of a homegrown indie electronic music prodigy. After winning Triple J’s Unearthed comp to perform at The Falls Music and Arts Festival in Byron Bay a few years back, he has been booking festival and support slots thick and fast, including a headline tour earlier in April and appearances at SXSW and Coachella. The Brisbane based 20-something year old also released his Vessel EP in 2014 to rave reviews that earned him an ARIA nomination for “Best Breakthrough Artist”.
The guy has been breaking down genre barriers with his own incredibly emotive style of electronica. Beautifully crafted synths and intelligent drum patterns coupled with almost homiletic vocals; gentle and even trance-like with a peaking damaged, humanistic element to them. This style hasn’t just earned him the attention of the people and scored him millions of Spotify plays, but has also piqued the interest of his peers. He’s toured with the likes of RÜFÜS and Dustin Tebbutt and has just been announced as the opening act for ODESZA’s headline tour around Australia later this year.
Similar to his Seattle counterparts with their independent collective Foreign Family, Harley also launched his own record label Exist. Recordings earlier this year. He has said that it’s an opportunity for him to hone in on the A&R and creative side of a project that’s designed to develop the music, talent and careers of other gifted artists.
His self-titled debut album is out July 14, and with the release of latest single The Prize featuring Bridgette Amofah, it’s sounding very spicy indeed.
We recently caught up with the electronic master himself for a cazh analogue portrait session.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7ffcNgLmak
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
Since Kendrick Lamar released one of the surefire contenders for album of the year in fourth studio album DAMN earlier in 2017, its visual accompaniments have been nothing short of spectacular. Humble saw traditional themes of Catholicism (including a #lit Last Supper) intertwined with gritty urban scenes and a torrent of dollar bills. DNA told a more cohesive story, Don Cheadle guest starring in a lie detector interrogation of Lamar. The latest video released today for fourth album track Element is at once as gripping and symbolic as Lamar’s previous two efforts.
Co-directed by Jonas Lindstroem and the Lil Homies (the duo of Lamar and President of TDE Dave Free), the video for Element is far more deliberate and slower-paced than the previous two. The track itself, featuring production from James Blake, Sounwave and Ricci Rivera, was speculated to be a subtle diss at any combination of Drake, Big Sean or Jay Electronica, but it’s physical violence providing the broiling undercurrent to the video with shots featuring brawling gangs, a father instructing his son in boxing and even Kendrick himself throwing hands (and pool cues) at one point. Watch it below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glaG64Ao7sM&t=99s
The video is mostly slow-motion shots beautifully compiled together, adding so much more malice to the more visceral scenes and juxtaposing it with utter tranquility for the more harmonious shots like the small child playing with a bug in the grass and the silent group of nuns and ramping up the menace for the more disturbing images, including a small child aiming a revolver and a bloodied victim coming to on the pavement.
Element is must-see music cinematography, and goes a long way to sitting an artist like Kendrick Lamar on an entirely different level to his contemporaries.
DAMN is out now via Top Dawg Entertainment.
Image: Exclaim