It is one thing to make an album that is critically acclaimed for its technical brilliance and genre defining in its variety, and it is quite another thing to re-create this music for a live environment.
Yet TV on the Radio have not only mastered what is required to make an impressive studio sound, they have applied their own special brand of genius in making a live set that harnesses the energy of each song and sends it pumping out to the dancing masses in the crowd.
Playing for close to an hour and a half, TVotR kept the crowd constantly wowed by the vast sound they managed to produce, and the ability to take so many different musical elements and bring them all together so flawlessly. Throwing in a spattering of songs from previous albums, the majority of the set focused on tracks from the critically acclaimed 2008 hit, Dear Science.
The Metro Theatre yet again proved itself to be an intimate venue, where every audience member can feel close enough to the action to really feel a part of it, and there is no doubt in my mind that the venue played some part in producing an animated connection between the charismatic lead singer Tunde Adebimpe and the crowd.
Oh, and as a side note for those who haven’t seen TVotR live (or even a YouTube video of a live performance), Adebimpe’s dancing alone makes seeing these guys worthwhile...R.E.Ms Michael Stipe definitely comes to mind.
Labels: Metro Theatre, R.E.M, Tv on the Radio
The boys from Sheffield know how to keep a crowd happy, and carefully chose songs from the two albums that would keep the crowd going. But I was happy to see that they were willing to play plenty of their new stuff. Every since hearing that Josh Homme was producing the new record, and that recording had taken place at the famous Rancho De La Luna, I have been eager to hear what the new album will be like. The answer? Darker. I won’t say too much about the songs except to say that they are considerably more mature than anything I had heard from the Arctic Monkeys before. New tracks played included: Dangerous Animals and Would you Like Me To Build You A Boat, as well as a cover of Nick Cave’s Red Right Hand.
The only sour note of the night came when some dickhead in the front of the crowd decided to show his enormous gratitude by throwing a 50-cent coin at lead singer Alex Turner mid song. After pointing out that this was “not cool”, the band continued the rest of the song before stopping to further discuss the issue. As Alex pointed out, throwing currency is never a good idea, “particularly considering the current economic conditions.”
In my opinion, the Hordern Pavillion is only a good venue for people that manage to get in the front 15 or 20 rows of standing, and everyone else sought of misses out. That is not to say that I didn’t enjoy myself or the music, but there are simply better venues in Sydney, even for a band as popular as the Arctic Monkeys.
Labels: Arctic Monkeys, Hordern Pavillion, Josh Homme
2. MGMT – Electric Feel
3. Kings of Leon – Use Somebody
4. Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream
5. MGMT – Kids
6. The Presets – Talk Like That
7. Pez – The Festival Song (feat. 360 & Hailey Cramer)
8. The Presets – This Boy’s In Love
9. The Ting Tings – That’s Not My Name
10. Drapht – Jimmy Recard
11. Ladyhawke – My Delirium
12. Pnau – Embrace
13. The Herd – The King Is Dead
14. The Rapture – No Sex For Ben
15. Cut Copy – Lights and Music
16. Ben Folds – You Don’t Know Me (feat. Regina Spektor)
17. Dizzee Rascal – Dance Wiv Me (feat. Calvin Harris and Chrome)
18. MGMT – Time To Pretend
19. Flight Of The Conchords – Business Time
20. Birds Of Tokyo – Broken Bones
21. Bon Iver – Skinny Love
22. Birds Of Tokyo – Silhouettic
23. The Living End – White Noise
24. Kings of Leon – Closer
25. Kaiser Chiefs – Never Miss A Beat
26. Ladyhawke – Paris Is Burning
27. Josh Pyke – The Lighthouse Song
28. Architecture In Helsinki – That Beep
29. Josh Pyke – Make You Happy
30. Vampire Weekend – Oxford Comma
31. Cog – Bird Of Feather
32. Vampire Weekend – A-Punk
33. The Kooks – Always Where I Need To Be
34. The Grates – Burn Bridges
35. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
36. Death Cab For Cutie – I Will Possess Your Heart
37. British India – I Said I’m Sorry
38. Cold War Kids – Something Is Not Right With Me
39. Ida Maria – I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked
40. Bliss N Eso – Eye Of The Storm
41. Soko – I Will Never Love You More
42. Emiliana Torrini – Jungle Drum
43. Laura Marling – Ghosts
44. Art vs Science – Flippers
45. Muscles – Ice Cream {triple j live acoustic version}
46. Lily Allen – The Fear
47. Little Red – Coca Cola
48. Something With Numbers – Stay With Me Bright Eyes
49. Mystery Jets – Young Love (feat. Laura Marling)
50. Ash Grunwald – Breakout
51. Birds Of Tokyo – Wild Eyed Boy
52.The Killers – Human
53. The Butterfly Effect – Window and the Watcher
54. Pnau – Baby
55. Ween – Your Party
56. The Presets – Yippiyo-Ay
57. Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes
58. Vampire Weekend – Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
59. The Getaway Plan – Where The City Meets The Sea
60. Flight Of The Conchords – The Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room)
61. Bliss N Eso – The Sea Is Rising
62. Faker – Sleepwalking
63. The Herd – 2020
64. Does It Offend You, Yeah? – Dawn Of The Dead
65. Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal
66. Children Collide – Farewell Rocketship
67. Flight Of The Conchords – Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros (feat. Rhymenoceros and the Hiphopopotamus)
68. Empire Of The Sun – We Are The People
69. Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor
70. Kings of Leon – Crawl
71. Vampire Weekend – One (Blake’s Got A New Face)
72. Band Of Horses – No One’s Gonna Love You
73. The Killers – Spaceman
74. Black Kids – I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You
75. Tame Impala – Half Full Glass Of Wine
76. Yves Klein Blue – Polka
77. Drapht – Falling
78. The Ting Tings – Shut Up And Let Me Go
79. Sparkadia – Jealousy
80. The Grates – Aw Yeah
81. Weezer – Pork and Beans
82. Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses
83. The Grates – Carve Your Name
84. Rise Against – Re-Education (Through Labor)
85. Gyroscope – 1981
86. Muph & Plutonic – Beautiful Ugly
87. Jack White & Alicia Keys – Another Way To Die
88. Metallica – The Day That Never Comes
89. Kanye West – Love Lockdown
90. Lily Allen – Guess Who Batman? (Aka F**k You)
91. Lisa Mitchell – Neopolitan Dreams
92. Pendulum – Propane Nightmares
93. Sigur Ros – Gobbledigook
94. Bliss N Eso – Woodstock 2008
95. Wiley – Wearing My Rolex
96. Dizzee Rascal – Flex (Dave Spoon Reflex)
97. Cog – Are You Interested?
98. Lyrics Born – I Like It, I Love It
99. Muph & Plutonic – Don’t Worry About Nothin’
100. Dukes Of Windsor – It’s A War
Welcome back, so CB did alright picking some of the top songs of the year, here a are mine.
I think its safe to say my picks got crushed , anyway , its always a good day hanging out and listening to the countdown.
1. Booka Shade - Charlotte – (Didn’t make top 100)
2. Chemical Brothers - Midnight Madness - (Didn’t make top 100)
3. Cold War Kids - Something is Not Right With Me - (38)
4. Franz Ferdinand - Lucid Dreams - (Didn’t make top 100)
5. Kings Of Leon - Sex on Fire - (1)
6. Ladyhawke - Paris is Burning – (26)
7. MGMT - Electric Feel – (2 )
8. Presets - Yippyo - (56)
9. Sparkadia - Too Much To Do - (Didn’t make top 100)
10. Ting Tings - Not My Name - (9)
So, for those of you not in Australia (or hiding under rocks), the 2008 Triple J Hottest 100 was counted down yesterday, taking into account over 800,000 votes from around Australia and the world. Kings of Leon's Sex on Fire took out the top spot, which was almost as big a surprise as Heath Ledger winning Best Supporting Actor at the SAGs.
SO, in the interests of openness and honesty, here is my Top 10 songs of 2008 (as I voted for them in the Hottest 100) and where they fell in the countdown:
British India - You Will Die & I Will Take Over (not in Top 100)
Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (65)
Holidays - The – Holiday (not in Top 100)
Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody (3)
Little Red - Coca Cola (47)
MGMT - Electric Feel (2)
Rapture - The - No Sex For Ben (14)
Saboteurs , The - The Switch And The Spur (not in Top 100)
Sparkadia – Jealousy (79)
Vampire Weekend - M79 (not in Top 100)
OK. So I missed the boat on a few of my picks, and I suppose Sex on Fire should have been an obvious choice, but it was good to see some local Australian acts getting amongst the action.
CB
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