Tame Impala have performed on the French TV program Le Grand Journal, busting out expectedly wonderful renditions of Currents singles Let It Happen and The Less I Know The Better, along with their beloved hit single Feels Like We Only Go Backwards, from 2012 album Lonerism.
The performance featured the band’s trademark dreamy lighting production and sound effects, with Let It Happen shrouding frontman Kevin Parker‘s voice in a veil of reverb, as well as showcasing Jay Watson’s talents with a vocoder in the song’s outro. Watch the performance below.
The performance comes as part of the band’s European tour in support of their Aria award-winning third album Currents.
The tour, which has already seen them perform in Australia, will see them take to venues throughout Scandinavia and West Europe before heading across to the British Isles in the middle of the month.
The band will then embark upon a South American tour throughout March, including a co-headline slot at Lollapalooza Festival in Brazil, followed by a brief tour of Asia before moving into the States in June. View the band’s tour schedule here.
Currents has seen the band go to new heights, selling out amphitheaters around both Australia and the world.
Tame Impala have just dropped their new music video for The Less I Know the Better, an utterly surreal love story, the technicolour tale of a high school girl and a gorilla.
The video begins in high school. It’s gym class, and two students are eyeing each other off on the basketball court. Things escalate very quickly, as we soon find our male protagonist between the thighs of his female costar.
The male protagonist soon turns out to be a gorilla, the female begins to dance, and the song kicks in.
It’s impossible to look away. This is genuinely one of the strangest, yet most enchanting videos I’ve seen in a really really long time. Amidst the increasingly weird and often hilarious scenes, the live shots are broken up by gorgeous, hypnotic scenes of paint being poured, followed by an incredible moving illustration.
Watch below:
It’s been a massive year for Kevin Parker and co., with the release of their critically acclaimed album Currents, sell-out tours and festival sets, covering Kylie Minogue, and this week picking up three ARIA Awards for Best Rock Album, Best Group and Album of the Year, on top of which Parker picked up two more for his production, taking home out both Producer of the Year and Engineer of the Year.
Tame Impala will continue their world tour in early 2016, with dates across Europe and South America, including a spot at Lollapalooza in Chile. Find a full list at their website here.
Currently in the country for a national outdoor amphitheatre tour, Australian treasures Tame Impala popped into the triple J studios for this week’s Like A Version. Although speculation has been rampant all week as to who or what they will cover, the Perth (and France) boys knocked everyone for a six when they announced they would be covering the one, the only, Kylie Minogue.
Now, for the avid Tame fan like myself, this wouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Back in 2012, ahead of the release of their album Lonerism, Kevin Parker first said he “had a whole album waiting” for Minogue in an interview with Pitchfork. He then reaffirmed his love for her in an interview with Vogue, where he first expressed his love of “cheesy pop”. Then, of course, he released Currents, which is Tame Impala’s most pop record yet – so his love of the Princess of Pop has been around for quite some time.
Choosing to cover her song Confide In Me, Kevin and his band put their own Tame spin on the track. Amping up the funk levels and giving it an almost sinister, dramatic feel, Parker shows off his vastly improved pipes and hits some almighty high notes. The pop sounds perfectly lend themselves to Tame’s still psych-tinged feel, as the track turns into a kaleidoscopic and thunderous tune with serene Parker vocals. The band also launched into a ripper live rendition of their Currents track, The Less I Know The Better. They’re in the midst of their tour, and if there are any tickets at all for the remaining dates, we strongly suggest snatching them up ASAP. This is not a band you want to miss.
Tame Impala tour dates:
Saturday 7 November – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
Wednesday 11 November – Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney
Saturday 14 November – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth
Wednesday 18 November – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
Saturday 21 November – Riverstage, Brisbane
The musical guests of Stephen Colbert‘s Late Show continue to be of the highest quality lately. Florence + The Machine, Kendrick Lamar, The Dead Weather, Run The Jewels and more, whoever is booking these acts is doing a fucking fantastic job.
The next cab off the rank last night was none other than Australia’s own Tame Impala. Performing The Less I Know The Better from their latest album Currents, the band performed the track with an air of expertise whilst remaining typically “chill”. Performing under a truly remarkable light show for a television gig, the kaleidoscopic backdrop provided the perfect environment for the forlorn love song. Seemingly transporting them to the 70’s, the lights combined with the trudging riff, airy synths and frontman Kevin Parker‘s almost Bee Gee-esque upper register, the psychedelic disco track was really performed in all it’s glory. Check the performance below:
Tame Impala are still in the midst of their international album tour on the back of Currents, which picked up quite a few ARIA nominations recently. The critically acclaimed album has taken them even further into the stratosphere, and they have steadily become one of the biggest acts in the world. The boys will be heading back home for a string of shows this November in some of the country’s most beautiful venues, including the Sydney Opera House. Check here for more details on that, and snap up the very few remaining tickets now.
Tame Impala have not been short of legal controversy over the last year. With two separate lawsuits in the works, both in Australia and overseas, it appears their success and talent in the charts hasn’t translated to the courts.
Both of these lawsuits related to the band’s former label Modular and it’s founder Steve Pavlovic. The first alleged that he failed to pay Tame’s quarterly royalty payments, while in the second suit, he took on label goliath Universal, after they claimed that they had seized Modular at the end of 2014. This was apparently done in response to Pavlovic signing away his shares.
In the latter case, Universal Music initially succeeded in the Supreme Court as they found that even though Pavlovic hadn’t signed the actual agreement, he had represented to Universal that he had signed the documents over emails and had agreed to it. However, this was all reversed in the last week in the NSW Court of Appeals who ruled in favour of Pavlovic as they deemed a binding agreement hadn’t been reached. As a result, Pavlovic has maintained his 50% ownership of Modular and directorship.
The Chief Justice stated, “Whichever way the matter is looked at, I do not think that a binding agreement was reached.”
Pavlovic was understandably relieved at the news; “I built Modular out of sheer passion and a belief in unique creativity. I regret terribly that the bands I have nurtured and adored all these years were caught in the cross-fire between Universal and I.”
“It’s stressful to be one man staring down a corporate giant the size of Universal however I felt I had no choice but to fight for myself, the label I created and for the bands that we represent.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFptt7Cargc
But it also appears the case closer to the hearts of Tame Impala (and their pockets) has also failed.
Back in June, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker commented on Reddit that “Up until recently, from all of Tame Impala’s record sales outside of Australia, I had received…. zero dollars. Someone high up spent the money before it got to me.”
Universal Music and Modular have always denied the claims, and it seems the Southern District Court of New York agrees with them, as the claim that Tame Impala are owed over $450 000 in royalties has been dismissed.
Tame Impala are yet to respond, but Pavlovic has said, “I’m deeply sorry for any upset caused to Tame Impala given that I’ve always been a staunch supporter and fan of the band; and to BMG given the relationship we’ve always enjoyed with them.”
“I also regret the heavy-handed press coverage of this aspect of Modular’s affairs which was completely inaccurate and out of hand. However I hope that with Universal and Modular’s respective obligations to BMG on behalf of Tame Impala now resolved that a line can finally be drawn under this unfortunate chapter.”
Tame Impala are yet to comment on the findings of the US Court.
Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker recently chatted with BBC Radio 6, and shared his views on downloading music. Much like the easy going tunes that he produces, his opinion is pretty relaxed:
“I guess I’m not saying that I think music should be free, but I do think that if people can get it for free, there’s nothing anyone can do to stop them… It’s kind of a waste of energy to try and force them to pay for it if they don’t have to.”
As a musician who has had his own struggles with royalty payments and labels, he has perhaps come to the conclusion that as long as his fans are getting the music he created in some way, the means is pretty insignificant. He admits that he has downloaded music himself and that “no-one is innocent” of doing just that, and states he is okay with people obtaining his records for free:
If someone says, ‘Hey man, I love your album, it really got me through a breakup, but I downloaded it for free,’ I’ll be like, ‘Good! That’s good!’ Maybe he didn’t have the money for the album, but if he still listened to it and it’s an important part of his life, that’s all I can ask for. I don’t want his twenty bucks.There are other ways to get money in music. Like an ad for a car or a phone company ors omething. Good money. If people are willing to not rag out on artists for using their music in ads and movies and stuff, then I’m cool with them getting it for free. Because then it just means that the corporations are paying for it. And they’re the ones with the money.
It is an interesting and insightful take on a change in shift in the industry, where artists have historically been branded as “sell-outs” for corporate engagement, and hardcore fans have always spent their last cents on cd’s and vinyl. Parker admits he doesn’t have all the answers, but takes a pretty sage approach to it all:
For me, it just shows that it’s not really about how much you pay for it or even whether or not it’s physical—it can still have the same effect on you. I’m not really sure what that says about artists making money in the future. Like, obviously artists need to make money and stuff like that, but if you do something good or if you make good art or make good stuff, the wealth will find you in some way. Not to be kind of overly spiritual about it, but it’s not the kind of thing that’s worth complaining about.
You can check out the segment below, and the whole interview here.
Tame Impala will be touring their stellar album Currents in the coming months, with plenty of fans willing to pay the price to see the mind blowing live shows these guys produce. If you have just emerged from a winter long hibernation and have not heard the record, get ready for those lazy sunny days and grab it now legally, or by whatever dodgy means you see fit.
Too often these days, ‘remix’ entails a version of the original song with some sick new synths, maybe an effect on the vocals and a tropical summer house beat running underneath (we explore this in detail here). Thankfully this is not that. Soulwax’s remix of Tame Impala’s Let it Happen is a creative masterpiece in its own right.
Leaving the vocals relatively untouched, Soulwax completely reinvents the instrumental layers and the overall structure, creating a completely different atmosphere. What was four minutes of bubbly psych-synth, is now nine minutes of intense, incredibly expansive electronica. As the vocals fade in and out the beat builds, becoming deeper and heavier at about two minutes in. Despite lasting over nine minutes, the song goes through so many subtle transitions that it is electrifying the entire way through. Soulwax has done what a remix should do, respecting the integrity of the original track at the same time as giving it a completely new feel. Allowing the signature sounds of each artist to merge and complement each other.
Tame Impala have had an incredible year, performing at Splendour in the Grass, being accused of inappropriate sampling and released a stunning new album just to name a few. They’ve also been remixed by Haim and released some amazing new music videos for the tracks on their album. The band is set to tour around Australia and some if its most iconic venues this November, including the Sydney Opera House, Riverstage in Brisbane and Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. Unfortunately these shows are booked out, but you can check out their upcoming international tours on their website.
To wrap up the end of perhaps his biggest year yet, Kevin Parker and Tame Impala have announced that they will be treating their home audiences to a spectacular run of shows in some of Australia’s best venues. Considering they’ve released one of this year’s best albums (maybe even THE best album…), these shows are definitely not to be missed.
Bringing their newfound synth pop sounds that can be heard in third album, Currents to amazing venues in Brisbane. Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and even the Sydney Opera House this November. It’s been a long two years between national tours – excluding their astounding Splendour In The Grass performance – and fans can expect a set heavy on the new material.
Joining them for the ride will be Mini Mansions on the full tour, and Koi Child, a seven piece Perth hip hop band that Parker has been producing for, for Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. Tickets go on sale Monday 31 August, and it will not doubt be difficult to nab one. Check the dates below and don’t delay!
Tame Impala tour dates:
Saturday 7 November – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
Wednesday 11 November – Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney
Saturday 14 November – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth
Wednesday 18 November – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
Saturday 21 November – Riverstage, Brisbane
Tame Impala’s in hot water again after being accused by Samm Culley – lead singer of 70s band Skull Snaps – of sampling the famous drum beat from Skull Snaps’ track It’s A New Day on their own hit Eventually, fresh off their new record Currents.
“Mr. Parker, my name is Samm Culley From Skull Snaps on your song Eventually you are using our drum sample from It’s A New Day you have not cleared this sample with us our musicologist says it is indeed our sample if we don’t hear form you in three days we will file the necessary papers in court against you and the record company,” writes Culley in an email signed off with “Sent from Windows Mail” and riddled with myriad spelling and grammar mistakes (sics for days).
This isn’t the first time Tame Impala has been accused of apparent plagiarism, with Chilean music site Rata claiming in 2014 that Feels Like We Only Go Backwards stole from pop singer Pablo Ruiz’s song Océano. She later admitted that the article was merely a joke.
It’s no surprise then that Tame Impala vocalist Kevin Parker has taken Culley’s warning with a grain of salt, posting it on Instagram with a less-than-serious message. “WOW unexpected compliment!” he writes, evidently chuffed that his work has been compared to It’s A New Day, which has been sampled by artists such as Common and The Pharcyde. “Sam Culley you have 3 days to fire your musicologist,” Parker jokes, “Anyone think this could be a hoax though?”
Check out the two songs for yourself below and decide for yourself. Hoax or no hoax – only time will tell!