Laneway aptly marked it’s humble beginnings in a Melbourne laneway in 2005. It has since built a reputation as a festival with it’s finger firmly on the pulse of the music industry, despite canning one of Australia’s foremost up-and-coming artists from the bill this year (cc: Kirin J Callinan).
Nevertheless, we savour the release of each lineup with intense anticipation because the event delivers a solid slew of talent from around the world every single year; from artists who we don’t usually see in this neck of the woods, to absolute crowd favourites we can’t get enough of.
Part II had us at Mac DeMarco, who is and always will be a festival favourite with his random tangents, on-stage quirks and warm adoration for his fans. We caught the enigmatic Moses Sumney next who walked out in a black cloak, surrounded in mystery. Anderson .Paak and his band The Free Nationals were arguably the most anticipated act of the day and they delivered in droves. BADBADNOTGOOD served up some sonic smoothness before we caught Father John Misty changing guitars several times due to technical difficulties. “I think ODESZA has, like 60 acoustic guitars. How can I compete?” And, on cue, the Seattle producers took the Garden Stage with their shiny new drumline (sans the guitars) and gave us a taste of their impeccable live show.
Then we headed over for POND who never fail to amaze, with manic frontman Nic Allbrook fawning over the stage and amongst the crowd all at once. Thirsty for some heavy electronica, TOKiMONSTA’s set was exactly what we ordered before we rounded out the night the only way one should, with a wall of hot shoegaze and Slowdive came correct. Another hectic time full of unforgettable moments.
Until next year, Laneway.
Photos: Dani Hansen
Mac DeMarco
Moses Sumney
Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals
BADBADNOTGOOD
Father John Misty
ODESZA
POND
TOKiMONSTA
Slowdive
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
After 23 glorious years, Falls Festival continues to provide us with the most unforgettable moments across the New Year festivus. The 2016-17 lineup saw some major international names, as well as our best local acts rounding up another year in style. In Byron Bay, it was a balmy 33 degrees across the three day event and climaxed with a torrential downpour for the very last performances on day three.
Straight into day two, multi-instrumentalist Hein Cooper opened the amphitheatre to a nice swell of punters, braving the extreme heat just after midday. Meanwhile, Sydney locals Middle Kids ambled their way across the Forest Stage with a stellar set, followed up by Norwegian act Lemaitre. Ultra-talented crowd favourite Matt Corby delivered an as-per-usual spine-tingling performance, with POND and Violent Soho going on to take the Valley Stage later in the night. Finally, The Avalanches and The Rubens clashed to close out another massive day of amazing music.
In this gallery you will find Hein Cooper, City Calm Down, The Jezabels, Middle Kids, Lemaitre, Matt Corby, POND, Ta-ku, Violent Soho and The Avalanches.
PHOTOS: Falls Festival Day I
PHOTOS: Falls Festival Day IIIHein Cooper
City Calm Down
The Jezabels
Middle Kids
Lemaitre
Matt Corby
POND
Ta-ku
Violent Soho
The Avalanches
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
Your favourite garage-psych group King Lizard and the Lizard Wizard know a thing or two when it comes to pioneering in the world of production. They recorded and distributed their first EP entirely off their own backs, went on to release 8 albums in about four years, have five more projects lined up for 2017, they’ve just won an ARIA, and have also managed to gift Australia with its very own psychedelic festival, Gizzfest.
After debuting last year, Gizzfest’s sophomore undertaking has seen a bunch of national and international acts hopping around our shores, including the legendary White Fence, POND, Stonefield, Los Angelenos Mild High Club, ORB, The Murlocs, and funk master Boulevards. We blissed out to all of these and more at Sydney’s Luna Park.
Body Type
White Fence
Greta Now
Dinner
POND (with special guest Kirin J Callinan)
Boulevards
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
Hey everyone, here’s your weekly playlist. We start off with one very heavy trap remix, but fear not – everything else is a lot more mellow. We’ll dance between mellow electronic, sweeping synths, a little funk and a little indie, before ending the mix on two powerful songs, both dedicated to Mike Brown.
- TNGHT, Acrylics (RL Grime edit)
Getting this track out of the way first, because I may be the only one who actually likes a song this heavy. I love TNGHT way too much, and I’ve recently started getting into RL Grime. He just dropped this remix (or edit, remake, redo, whatever) a testament to his talent. This won’t be for everyone, but it gets me going every time and I fucking love it. - Argonaut&Wasp, Higher Ground
Okay, you might need something a little softer after that, so here’s Higher Ground. Clean and slick, the Vermont duo’s unique blend of subdued funk and soul-infused neo-disco (is that a thing?) get me going, and I don’t usually like stuff this subdued and disco-oriented. Their debut EP is dropping next month, and I’m getting pretty excited about it. - The Outdoor Type, Are You Happy?
I don’t think you’ll find much harmonica on these playlists, but there’s a first for everything, right? The Outdoor Type have really nicely blended a traditional folk sound with a more indie feel, creating a jingly jangly tune that’s both fun and wistful. I love the blend of distortion and acoustic guitar – it’s not easy to get it right, but this song works. - Pond, Zond
Does this track need description or review? It’s POND, you know it’s good. Zond is a weird word, but somehow the exact perfect word to describe the trippy, fuzzed-up psych-pop that it is. These guys go from strength to strength, and it’s easy to see why. - Oceaan, Veritas (Hoodlem remix)
I was recently introduced to Oceaan, and fell in love very quickly. To have been remixed by Melbourne’s Hoodlem, is a match made in heaven. It’s swish, sparse and strange. I can’t really pinpoint a way to describe this. The electronic layers are swift and punchy, while the brassy layers are funky as hell. - Spirit Faces, Cloudplay ft. BUOY (Time Pilot Remix)
I posted about the original track here a while ago, and Time Pilot’s remix gives it a whole new facelift. Managing to somehow traipse between laid-back and all out insane, the breathy melody anchors the track down, while glitches, flickery percussion and immense bass start bursting at the seams beneath. So strange, but so cool. - Eves The Behaviour, TV
Formerly known as just Eves, Eves The Behaviour’s new single is seductive, powerful and gloriously dark. The husky melody is rich and really strong, the chorus is so satisfyingly explosive. One of my favourite tracks this week, I cannot wait to see this live at Laneway. - Art of Sleeping, Crazy (Tom Scary remix)
The original of this song was in my top ten songs of the year, so a Tom Iansek remix? Hell fucking yes. The entire vibe is completely different, which for some reason I didn’t expect. The melody vs. beat contrast has intensified, a signature Iansek sound, and the wavering melody shuffles around a lot more than the original, tapering off into almost Jeff Buckley territory. - Jarryd James, Do You Remember
Almost out of thin air, Jarryd James and his new single has been the talk of the blog town over the past couple days. It only takes one listen of Do You Remember to see why. There’s a sinister feel to the melody, coupled with a deep beat, and beautiful plucks in between it all. The chorus is fucking great too. Really keen to see what’s next for this guy. - Jonathan Emile, Heaven Help Dem ft. Kendrick Lamar
Opening with a dedication to Mike Brown and Trayvon Martin, this is a strong track on every single beat. The kind of rap you really need to hear a few times in order to really grasp the lyrics. Such a sharp flow, with the help of Kendrick Lamar of course, and a simple but cool backing rhythm. A really powerful song that I’ve listened to a LOT over the past couple days. - Raury, Fly ft. Malik Shakur
Last but absolutely not least, another tune written about recent events in the USA. Raury was my favourite discovery of 2014, and an obvious artist to watch this year. This is a really beautiful, simple ballad, written right after Raury found out that Darren Wilson was not convicted for the murder of Mike Brown. It’s incredibly wonderful. I’m just going to leave it here, just listen to it.
Our depressing Monday morning was made a little better this week. We woke up to some epic news.
POND have announced two Laneway sideshow dates in Sydney and Melbourne!
The announcement came alongside a colourful video clip for Zond. Both are in support of their new album Man It Feels Like Space Again, which is set to drop on January 23. With a few changes from their last one, it’s said to be “their best yet”.
Zond gives us a pretty good idea of what’s in store. Lord Fascinator, the clip’s director, says some parts of the video were difficult to pull off; from what we can see, it was well worth it.
“The Ben Montero artwork makes the whole thing, really – as well as the characters themselves who, to be honest, I could have just shot walking through the supermarket and it would have been just as weird and funny”.
We think it’s pretty cool, check it out below!
Sideshow dates:
Tues 3 February: The Corner, Melbourne
(Tix here)
Thurs 5 February: Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
(Tix here or 1300 GET TIX)
Tickets on sale tomorrow Wednesday 14 January, 9am AEDT!
Man It Feels Like Space Again is available for pre-order via the POND store on CD and Vinyl LP with bonus tote bag. JB Hi-FI are giving away a limited edition of signed CDs. If you order the album from iTunes, some of their tracks, including ‘Zond’, ‘Elvis’ Flaming Star’ and ‘Sitting Up On Our Crane’ will appear straight into your music library!
Here are some finnnnne new video clips for you to enjoy!
1. Ghostface Killah & Kandace Springs: Love Don’t Live Here No More
Member of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan (who released a decent album this month, read our review here) has not only been spending his time rapping with Paralympic gold medallists, but releasing sick new tunes, and a video clip too! If you’re in Sydney, catch this man in action tomorrow night at the Metro alongside Pharoahe Monch and The Tongue! The video, from recent solo album 36 Seasons, features Michael K Williams, who you may recognise from Boardwalk Empire and The Wire.
2. St Vincent, Birth In Reverse
It took me a while to get on the St Vincent bandwagon, but I’m so glad I have. Her new video, like her and her music, is quirky, smart, fun and immensely good. The track is frantic and punchy, a total punk sentimentality shot through a hipster frame. The clip starts off simple and a little strange, progressively growing more intense, more fluid, more smoke filled and generally excellent. Did I mention she’s probably the best female guitarist around these days?
3. Seekae, The Stars Below
This clip freaks me out. I’m not sure why. I think it’s the weird angles, the beady eyes, the sweaty faces, the empty scenery and the unnerving serenity of it all. It’s interesting, considering that this is one of the more ‘normal’ tracks on the Sydney trio’s recent, excellent album The Worry (read our review here). I’ve been a big Seekae fan for ages and this has been a massive year for them (read our interview here to learn more) – hopefully 2015 will be even bigger. It finally seems like they’re starting to get the recognition they’ve deserved for a long time.
4. POND, Sitting Up On Our Crane
Perth’s psych heroes are at it again. The track is a washed up slow burner, a heavenly lo-fi dream of gentle beats and twangy guitars, slowly building up to a glorious peak with a syncopated rhythm and oh-so-catchy chorus. The video is weird, as you might expect. I’m probably not even going to describe it. It’s animated and trippy. If you stare at it for too long you’ll probably have an acid flashback. I love it – both the song and the clip.
5. Electric Mantis, Flips and Flops (Ego’s ‘Where The Wild Things Are AV Edit)
This one’s a little different as it’s not really a video clip per se, more an updated video edit of another tune. Ego has taken Electric Mantis’ neo-disco electro track, and added all sorts of strangeness from classic children’s story ‘Where The Wild Things Are.’ Fun, trippy and completely wacky. The track itself manages to stay fairly low key – in between the huge beats and blaring brass synths, that is – with a catchy sampled melody and plinky plonky synth flickers topping it all off.
6. Maples, Stars
Upcoming artist Maples has just released the video for her hit single Stars. The track is ethereal and seemingly innocent, driving and emotional, while the video is made up of gorgeously lit close ups, stunning landscape shots and all kinds of wholesome, beautiful scenarios. A really fitting clip for the ethereal tune, it really just makes me want to head straight to the countryside and dance around a sun-drenched field with a horse by my side.
7. Rosie Lowe, How’d You Like It
Electronic artist Rosie Lowe (who shared some her favourite tracks with us recently!) has just released this incredible film clip for new single How’d You Like It. It’s simple but haunting, to a point where it’s almost frightening. Naked bodies joined by what seems like huge silky strings or spider webs, distorting themselves, stretching and pulling their way through an empty house. The perfect complement to a dark, delicate and wonderful new track.