3 posts tagged “the grates”

Patience Hodgson, from the Grates, tells me for Halloween, she dressed up as a cowgirl. She went into a store and saw a guy working there, all decked out in a cowboy outfit. She complimented how great his costume was, only to realized that it was how he's normally dressed. That's Texas for you.

That's the kind of weird stories you hear from her, even on stage, they're referencing strange things like trying to hi-fi-ing the "fat guy with the beret" or asking if there were any vikings in the audience. But before I get to all those crazy details from the 7th Street Entry last night - opening up for them was Zoo Animal (official / myspace). I had seen singer Holly Newsom before, but as a soloist. This time, she's doing Zoo Animal songs, not just her solo material.

Holly made some jokes, like how 'grate' the Grates should be to noticing that They Might Be Giants were playing next door and how "we might be miniatures". Most of the audience that showed up early, I think showed up because of Zoo Animal and possibly Ice Palace.

Unfortunately, at the last minute, Ice Palace canceled (I am told the singer was sick), they were replaced by Story of the Sea (official / myspace). Bassist John admitted that they only had a five hours notice. Despite the feedback and false starts, I thought they held up pretty well all things considering.

I will say that they seem older, for the kind of crowd that was there last night. Their music sounds like classic progressive rock. I don't know any of their songs, but I did like the song that had something to do with eyes and being gone. 

The Grates came on with full energy with their often-intro song "Trampoline". Yes, Patience does do that weird rabbit hopping dance, as seen on their Til Death Do Us Party: Live At The Forum DVD. Patience is now a blonde, dressed in a gymnastic outfit.... making her look even more child-like than ever. Which may sound quite weird to hear her talk about wanting a baby of her own (I thought to myself, well there's always cloning...)

Other things I learned from Patience: if you eat enough of your hair, you'll have to take a pill to poop out the hair. Hence "hair butt". Fist-bumping, she tells us is called "boning". She likes to climb onto things, or jump into the audience and singing... while using a twirling baton. Fun to watch, but they also require audience interaction.

"It was this big!"

I thought the highlight of their set was either "Howl" or "19-20-20". I'm not that familar with their new material, but I did recognize their single, "Burn Bridges", from the setlist.

If you are looking for a good time or see cuteness in action, check out Brisbane's export, The Grates touring through your area. They are quite approachable, so please have a friendly chat with them after the show. Their lastest album is called Teeth Lost, Hearts Won, which if you get it on vinyl, will come with a bonus CD. I might also suggest checking out their debut album, which four singles from that album made it onto Triple J Hottest 100. I'm sure Sally will keep us informed of the 2010's Hottest 100.

The Grates - Trampoline

 11/04/2009 04:57:32 ♥ vu () ♥ thegrates.com ♥ myspace.com/thegrates 

The Drones

Just a quick one here. After being on the scene for quite a few years now, I've never been a huge fan of the Melbourne band, The Drones; just not my thing. But don't get me wrong, The Drones do what they do (epic, dreamy, well-constructed rock) extremely well. So they are very much worth a mention. The news that I'm wishing to share with you is that although their latest album Havilah was released months ago (March 2009) in Australia The Drones have added US dates to their upcoming Havilah Tour. Support includes Model/Actress (USA) and Bridezilla (Aus), so well worth nipping along.

There's no shortage of dates, so whether you be in the US or, it seems, in any city in Europe (slight exaggeration), you'll get a chance to see them in the near future. Some of the closer dates include:

September 9 - Bell House - Brooklyn, NY
September 15 - Schuba's - Chicago, IL
September 16 - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA
September 17 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
September 18 - Cafe DuNord - San Francisco, CA

Just a little sample to whet your appetite, have a listen to the tune, Nail It Down, from their live album recorded at The Hi Fi Bar in Brisbane. The live record is set to be released later this year. 

http://thedrones.com.au/
http://www.myspace.com/thedronesthedrones
http://atpfestival.com

Dappled Cities
I've always had a soft spot for Dappled Cities although I must admit I've kinda let me interest slide over recent time. Have they been hiding? or has living in suburbia alienated me that much?

What's to love about Dappled Cities? Well... many things. What I mostly value about their music is the variety in their songs. From mellow, soothing, chill-out type tunes to feel-good pop songs that force you to get up and have a little dance. I must also say that, as a bonus, they do put on a splendid live show.

So what's the news? It seems I haven't really been that out of touch after all, the band have been spending time in the US... I can't be expected to be keeping up with all this news!. The big news is that this Sydney band have recently released their third album, Zounds, which happened to debut at #1on the Australian Independent Music Charts... and will be released in the US on September 15th. (An interesting fact: all 12 songs on the album feature the sounds of a "Gakken" – a $40 build-it-yourself cardboard synthesiser from Japan)

The first single, The Price, has a bit of a disco feel. But what's new about this track, to me, is the inclusion of a string section, intermingled with that infectious indie pop that they are best know for. I'd have a dance. I have yet to hear the entire album, but off the back of their first single, I'm sure to be hunting it down in the near future.

If you happen to be in Perth, you are in luck. You can catch the final show of their Wall of Zounds tour tonight at the Norfolk Basement in Fremantle... run!

http://www.myspace.com/dappledcities
http://www.dappledcities.com

The Grates
Look at these guys, awww.... everything appearance-wise about The Grates oozes cuteness and fun (feel free to look at their website for further evidence), but don't be fooled too easily. There's a definite rawness to The Grates, guitar-rich pop songs, complimented by the voice of Miss Patience Hodgson, which can sway from sugary sweet to rock vixen-esque in a matter of seconds within the same song.

Since bursting on to the scene several years ago (with their debut album Gravity Won’t Get You High) The Grates rose to an immense level of popularity in Australia and not for the first time, they are set to head overseas on the back of their latest, self-co-produced album, Teeth Lost, Hearts Won. (Due to be released in Canada and the US on September 15th)

I can assure you that these guys put on a splendid show and i whole-heartedly advise you to pop along if they happen to be swinging through your neighbourhood. Check there website (or their MySpace page for show dates).

http://www.myspace.com/thegrates 
http://www.thegrates.com
http://www.twitter.com/thegrates

The Scare
Originally from Queensland, The Scare now spend a great deal of time in the UK. The other day i managed to pop along to the album launch of their new release Oozevoodoo. I must say I was concerned that I'd have a terrible time. Just reading about them before the show... "It is abrasive but clear, we like being noisey but channeling it in a fashion that you can still make out the melody", I was a little apprehensive that it'd be some kind of horrid punk monstrosity. But what do you know! It was excellent. I haven't heard the album itself, but what I can say is The Scare are an excellent live band. The tunes are a bit more heavy than i'm used to, but there was no absence of melody, which i loved.The frontman, Mr Kiss Reid, channels enthusiasm and entices the crowd to feel the tunes rather than just stand there watching like a stunned mullet.

So, on that note.... here are some live dates that I feel you should pop along to:
Sept 5 - Hobart - Republic Bar Sun
Sept 6 - Launceston - Hotel New York
Sept 9 - Albury - Sodens
Sept 10 - Wollongong - The Harp
Sept 11 - Sydney - Gaelic Club
Sept 12 - Central Coast - Coaster Festival
Sept 17 - Adelaide - Fowlers Live
Sept 18 - Perth - Rosemount Hotel
Sept 19 - Bunbury - Prince of Wales
Sept 20 - Fremantle - Newport Hotel
Sept 24 - Maroochydore - Sands Tavern
Sept 25 - Gold Coast - Miami Tavern
Sept 27 - Brisbane - The Step Inn

http://www.myspace.com/thescare
http://oozevoodoo.blogspot.com/

And with that... it's time to bake some scones.

Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com