When the shattered shingles of Kadina suffocated his soul through it’s stained walls and Bitsy’s howling calls summoned him during the night, Will Stoker knew he wanted to be in a band. Influenced by Elvis and everyone that he affected, the human condition and belief manifestations and the influence upon the plebs, Will set off on his journey to find friends to play music with.

"I met Ashley at a party, he thought my t-shirt was rubbish. I met Ben fishing under a bridge. I met Kynan at an exhibition for his art. And I met Gareth at a party discussing the wonderment of The Clash." After inducting his new friends to his band, he dubbed them The Embers. Drawing on the bands from the 1950s, Will added his name to the beginning so that they’d be known as Will Stoker & The Embers.

Their first gig would be the heat of the Next Big Thing. They made it through to the grand final, but blew the show completely by spitting on the MC for the evening, none other than the infamous Peter Barr from RTRFM. Off the success of that competition, they entered into the National Campus Bands Competition.

After taking Perth by storm and winning the WA final, they went off to Melbourne to compete against the hottest campus bands in the country.

Judges - James Clements from Beat Magazine, George Hatzigeorgiou from Shock, Heidi Braithwaite (The Vasco Era’s Manager), Con Kalamaras (APRA), Monique Brumby (ARIA award winning singer/songwriter) and Jimmy J. Rodriguez (Beat TV) crowned the boys from Kadina the winners of the National Campus Bands competition.

"We are destined to be Eskimo Joe, so in effect writing songs about the countries you want to be big in and black clothes are the keys to success apparently. I thought it was about writing songs that weren’t shite." The blank faced, Will Stoker mumbled.

With their winnings "Bitsy will use it to take over the world" and "Kadina will rise". Who Bitsy is and where Kadina is located no one knows. Rumoured to be playing Melbourne in February, I asked if there was an EP in the works, "patience, my pet" Will replies simply. At least there’s one thing for sure, this band that speaks so fondly of such mysterious objects kicks fucking arse.

AMY DOROZENKO

Friend them on myspace, motherfuckers!

How’d you come up with the name – Regurgitator?
I don't know but it's really awkward to have to explain it to my mother's lady friends.

Your fans criticised you for getting rid of Martin, do you still feel that this was a good idea?
Ok..? No I don't feel it was "good" idea. He was a great drummer. It was just really fucking hard for everyone at the time.

What do you think of the current Australian music scene? Who are your favourite Australian bands at the moment?
Scene's really thriving and cutting edge at the mo. I love The Angels, Men at Work, Spy vs Spy, Daddy Cool.

How did you come up with the Band In The Bubble idea? What is it? Do you feel that it helped with the promotion of Mish Mash!?
Paul, our manager first sparked a version of the idea ages ago. Then I resparked it while the band was on tour in Britain and Paul spent the better part of the next year getting it to happen. Essentially it's a public space performance/inside look at a band's recording process/voyeuristic reality TV thing. Band gets locked into Glass house in crowded public space and doesn't leave area or public eye and 24hr media eye for 3 weeks whilst recording a full album.

I don't think it helped with marketing the album in terms of sales. A lot of people certainly knew about the event. But I think the album was bought on its merit as an album. So while a part of me is a little disappointed that it didn't make us as famous as electricity another part of me is very glad that we failed so miserably at hoodwinking the general public with our blanket marketing propaganda. :)

While you are one of the best and most influential Australian bands to come ot of the 90s, there’s still a lot of people that haven’t heard of you. Does this bother you at all?
Fuck yeah. I weep openly when I meet someone who's never been tainted with our shit.
I always envisioned us like Elvis or The Beatles or electricity or the wheel.

If you were on a deserted island with nothing to eat but the band of your choice, who would you choose? Why?
Probably Man o War. Lotsa protein.

What was it like recording in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil?
Different. Kinda Werner Herzog, without the complex plot.

How’d you get the name Love and Paranoia? Were you reflecting on current experiences?
The working title - 'Shaved Unicorn Airbrush Painting', though having a distinctly catchy ring to it just didn't really some up the overwhelming sentiment of the album.

You’ve had plenty of musical direction changes since you formed, where are Regurgitator going next?
On tour.

Thanks!!
Welcome!!

AMY DOROZENKO

 

For most, high school orientation can be a very daunting experience. For teenagersintokyo it would go down in history as being the day that they were formed: "we all met on a Thursday at high school, the first day of orientation." They would go on to meet Rudi who would become their drummer after a falling out with their ex-drummer whose name is better off not knowing. "He fits how we work and where we live."

Dubbed as Australia’s new favourite ‘no/nu-wave revivalists’ where "no genres are taken for prisoners", teenagersintokyo have been playing the Sydney club scene for years. Frequenting cool underground clubs, Modular parties and other functions as a DJ set, it was a "good way of generating income, as well as getting our name out there in the scene," keyboardist Miska Mandic said. Before too long they were a five piece band, being compared to Brazil’s own CSS (or Cansei De Ser Sexy), more because of the crazy disco fashion both bands love to wear than their actual sound.

To record their debut self-titled EP, they enlisted Jono Marr to produce it. "Jono is a good friend of ours, from Lost Valentinos, who we’ve been really good friends with since they first started. He watched us grow and develop and he saw the potential in us and we saw the potential in him as a producer. So it was an obvious choice and it turned out amazingly well, even if I do say so myself."

All kinds of adventures are bound to ensue when you spend as much time in a Tarago as bands usually do. "When we were driving back from Canberra, we were in two different cars. There was a van in front of us that had Rudi, Linda and her boyfriend in it.

"We had a call about 5am saying that they’d run out of petrol on the Hume Highway, so we had to go pick up petrol for them. When we got there, the battery had run out because they’d left the hazard lights on, so they had to call the NRMA to go pick them up," Miska laughed.

"The uncertainty of whether it’s going to go well or not, it’s not a feeling that you really understand ‘til you’ve been on stage. There’s a lot of things that make it really exciting and different every night; it’s never the same." Miska wistfully says, finding herself in a love/hate relationship.

You may or may not know that Triple J’s Linda Marigliano is also one fifth of teenagersintokyo. I wonder if this has helped get the band more recognition than otherwise deemed accessible. "It hasn’t really to be honest, we can’t think of anything worse than taking advantage of things that wouldn’t have been offered to us if we didn’t have any of those connections. We don’t engage with them, they don’t engage with us."

Together with this ‘doing it for ourselves’ attitude is their knack for designing their own t-shirts and merchandise. "We didn’t want to do things with our name plastered on the front. There’s something equally wonderful and daggy in shirts that have a band name on it unless it’s a seminal band, we loved how they were multi-purpose, both a band shirt and an every day shirt."

Amy Dorozenko

After two weeks of mixed up interview times, endless phone troubles and several emails back and forth between publicists, Ghostwood were proving themselves to be somewhat troublesome and elusive. When I finally got through to guitarist and vocalist Gab Navidzadeh, I was greeted warmly and asked what my name was. "Natasha says hi, guys" shouted to Paddy Harrowsmith and Tom Crandles, lead guitarist and bassist of the band, all having gathered that afternoon for practice ahead of their Sydney EP launch the following night, having had their Melbourne launch the weekend before.

And to think, the lead up to my Year 12 VCE/HSC exam period was spent freaking the fuck out and spraying some ineffective herbal stress relief spray under my tongue, not launching my EP and playing dates around Australia.

Okay, right, so let’s put it out there. Ghostwood are a young band. Navidzadeh, Harrowsmith and Crandles, all having met at school, only started playing together in February last year; their drummer James West who the three met through friends joining them later on. They then went on to play their first show in June that year under the guise of The Ghosts. Since then, the four have shot from relative obscurity to support names like The Horrors, Maximo Park and Mercy Arms and having played alongside Pixies, Jarvis Cocker and The Rapture at V Festival this past March. They also changed their name; look up "The Ghosts" or "Ghosts" on Last.fm and you’ll see why.

While it's evident that the quartet work hard to achieve their constantly rising status, having gigged heavily around Sydney and the other capitals for the last year or so, "I think we’ve just had a lot of luck. I - ha, will you guys shut up?" Navidzadeh, is interrupted, muffled laughter heard in the background "The guys also want me to say that we’re really very good."

Which can definitely be attested to. During the interview, the determination and conviction in what they want to achieve, both sonically and career-wise is of that I have seen in no other band, and it’s definitely a quality that shows through in their live set.

First having seen them live at Maximo Park, where they were a last minute support, replacing Operator Please, fellow Arcady writer Chris Chinchilla summed it up best in saying "I'm glad they cancelled otherwise I wouldn’t have experienced the wondrously restrained and arranged set of Ghostwood".

This resolved quality also presents itself in the EP. Although the tracks, bar "Pencils", were from the first generation of song writing for the band Navidzadeh having written Red Version when he was 15-years-old and don’t necessarily reflect where Ghostwood are currently; the four consider it to be a shame not to release the earlier songs; "I love their innocence and they are very childish and I love that. It’s quite a tame EP, especially if you compare it to our live performances, and I think that’s actually a good thing. Now you could say we’re more maybe more honest with our writing, probably a bit stronger, a bit heavier. We’re just growing so much we’re still getting our influences, we’re 17, 18 and 21, we’ve still got a lot of music to listen to."

With talk of influences, bands like My Bloody Valentine, Radiohead and Ride are thrown around blog sites to describe the band‘s music and while they’re fans, the bands aren’t really influences. The shoegaze label that Ghostwood have been tagged with probably has more to do with their live performance, with complete detachment, not addressing the crowd. "I really see no point in it. I always like to reinforce the fourth wall of the performance."

And with a single release sometime in the near future, a trip to the UK booked for February next year and plans to start working on an album release in the new year, Ghostwood’s future seems bright. But the next few months? "We’re taking it easy. We do have our HSCs to do..."

Natasha Theoharous

Hi Whitley, Your new album ‘The Submarine’ has just been released, you must be really happy with it?
I am glad it's out. I'm probably someone who likes to focus on the next project, so right now I'm just enjoying playing live with my friends and working towards creating an environment where I can work for a few months on the next record. I will also be eating a lot of peyote and looking for the 'new sound' in the desert.

It was mixed by Jonathan Burnside, who has previously worked with bands such as Nirvana and Fugazi, what was the decision to work with him?
He had mixed some of the other bands on the label I'm on and I really liked the desk he uses to mix on. Also my friend wanted a job with him, so it was a good way to hook him up with Burnside.

You perform under the name Whitley, out of all the other performers with single word monikers (Prince, Madonna, Sting etc) who would you say is the best?
Magnet. Evan Johannsen Is his real name. He lives in Norway and records music. It's generally great pop music.

Your sound is described as ‘Folktronica’ (I like the term Laptop-Pop but that never caught on) are you a Mac guy or PC ?
Mac.

I wish there was another option, but for artistic purposes the Mac's are light-years ahead. The last thing you want is your PC crashing due to a virus your little brother put on there whilst on a porn site. P.s. Electronicana is my fav.

Your Bio says that you used to play in punk bands until a friends Dad took you to see Kieren Kane and Kelvin Welch. What was it that grabbed you about alt-country?
It just had an honesty about it. I liked the fact that the songs were crafted in a digestible, strong, haunting format. Since then I've started with other sorts of more powerful styles.

Also it seems that you’re playing everywhere around Australia over the next few months supporting The Panics and then Josh Pyke, looking forward to it?
I am. Any excuse to drink every night and act like a princess is fine by me. I always love playing with the band, because all the guys are my friends. Lucky for me they're extremely talented fellows, I feel quite lucky to play with them most of the time.

It seems that all bands seem to do on tour is watch DVDs, is that what you do and if so, what will you be watching?
I tend to read. I'm trying to use my mind a bit more. I've been reading bits and pieces on John Cage and Andy Warhol. My biggest challenge at the moment is to learn Icelandic. It's very hard and I need a tutor.

I just watched your show at The Toff in Melbourne, were you aware of the fire scare, and if so was it your way of adding a bit of pyrotechnics to your show?
Yes. I lit my friends ugg boot on fire and threw it into a flammable liquids area, I then assaulted an old woman and dragged my face on some concrete.

You’re based in Melbourne, any local bands or artists that Arcady readers should go see?
Seagull, Nick Huggins and Hazel Brown. If you don't you have mental problems that will never go away. Seagull for the adventurous, Nick Huggins for the intelligent, unfulfilled or frightened, Hazel Brown for the good times.

Also I’m reviewing your CD for Arcady (and don’t worry, it will be good), any quotes you would like me to use so you can slap it on Bio’s and Posters for the next three years?
This guy’s next album will be amazing if he survives the next year on carrots, peas, junkyard sleeves.

JOSH EARL

Fresh from the sweaty gothic floors of their tour with The Horrors, Dandi Wind have recently displayed their love for art, costume, animation, drama and of course their gothic/glam/new rave sound to crowds across the world.

Starting out as a collaboration with Dandi providing animations to Szam Findlay's instrumental music, "I have made sculptures and animation for far longer than Dandi Wind the musical project has existed. I enjoy making these more than i do music as they are not social activities and thus are more artistically pure". Since then the band has progressed into a complete feast of noise and energy, with the band creating their own amazing animated music videos and outrageous costumes.

Inspiration for the band comes from many different areas Dandi explained, but in terms of music she said, "Probably Skinny Puppy because they're from Vancouver as well and are likely the most interesting band visually of all time. Also Kate Bush, Prince et al… lately though we don't listen to music for pleasure and are more inspired by film, books and current events."

On stage Dandi's performance is more than energetic to say the least, chaotic five year old on too much red cordial perhaps, which has contributed to a couple of injuries she tells me,"I've been injured countless times onstage. Once i got hit on the head by a ceiling fan. I've fallen off the front and back of the stage a few times. I've broken my thumb twice and fractured my collarbone… also i've had a few concussions."

The costumes Dandi wears on stage differ from show to show, usually themed to some unrecognisable idea, and I wanted to ask what inspires each of these creations, "We've played well over 200 shows and I have created all sorts of them just insipired by bits of clothing or whatnot I find as well as from looking at pictures of tribal clothing or theatrical/dance performances from the past."

Although the band had put out many EPs along the way, Yolk of the Golden Egg is only their second studio album. Dandi described the initial idea of this album was due to "a series of disappointments and treacheries following the release of our first album".

The Horrors also being a band I have seen recently, I wanted to find out any news from the recent tour, and what some of the highlights were, as Dandi explained, "The Horrors tour went great - they are all awesome guys and totally unpretentious. The highlight of the tour was in Madrid with Ferris hitting a giant mirror ball on a fans head. I saved him from getting his ass kicked in the dressing room by a bunch of huge spanish bouncers while a riot ensued outside!"

CAROLINE MCCURDY

"It’s not the most original name," Karina Utomo admits when we discuss Young & Restless, the name she and her bandmates rock under. "The ‘restless’ bit at the moment is fitting, but I don’t think we feel all the young anymore: it’s like we’ve aged two years!" It’s understandable: when we speak, she has just returned from a five week tour with Damn Arms and Midnight Juggernauts, and is preparing to embark on a belated tour to celebrate the release of the band’s debut album. "It was really busy; it was really intense. Today, I was so excited to have a day off, but I didn’t know what to do, so I just started cleaning," she says with a laugh. By the time Arcady calls, she’s "just making tea and shit", which is pretty domestic for a girl who throws herself around on stage like a terrified racehorse. Our conversation turns to Young & Restless’ explosive live shows, and its increasingly violent consequences.

"It’s intense to talk about, especially as a girl – it’s pretty brutal!" she says when I ask her about her self-inflicted injuries. "We played this show with The Mint Chicks. The crowd was just really fucking intense. They pulled me in, and I can’t remember if someone had accidentally punched me in the groin or if, when they chucked me back on stage, I’d landed with my legs apart. I didn’t realise how caned I was until I went to the bathroom the next day." To my surprise, she laughs.

Karina Utomo, it seems, can see the light in any dark situation. As the talk of guitars and high heels wears out, we discuss Utomo’s childhood. (Don’t worry, there are no surprising child abuse revelations ahead.) Utomo grew up in Jakarta, before moving to Canberra when she was eight. She then returned to Jakarta for a sizeable chunk of her adolescence, and so I wondered if her status as a foreigner changed the way people treated her in the music industry. "People always get treated differently, because of race, gender, whatever," she says. "When I first moved to Australia, I had this fear of being treated differently: it’s a matter of how well you know the social norms, what’s acceptable and what’s not. I think a lot of the time when people get treated differently, it’s not because of the colour of their skin, but it’s because of what they understand about the environment around them.

"I noticed that there were a lot of things that were okay for me to do in Indonesia, but were not okay in Australia. Really simple things, but it really made an impact on how people treated me When I was growing up, my grammar was really bad. I did ESL, and I got a lot of shit from my schoolmates. Some pretty funny things happened to me, though: I rocked up to school in 1992 with a New Kids On The Block t-shirt. It was so uncool!. I adapted really quickly, and that’s why I wanted to learn English and make Australian friends. Australia’s a great place, and I didn’t want to be treated differently. Now, I’m just Australian, you know?"

Even in her adopted country, she’s been nomadic, moving from Canberra to Melbourne a few years ago. "I moved to Melbourne because I was really interested in studying fashion," she explains when I ask her why the band didn’t relocate to Sydney or, let’s go crazy, Brisbane. "It was really hard for me to get into this course at RMIT, so when I did, my mum said ‘Do it, just go there’. So I packed up my bags really quickly, and went and did this course. I didn’t want to give up the band, because it meant a lot to me. I travelled between cities for ages, which in turn affected my studies. I ditched the course, and the guys moved here anyway for their own reasons, except for Nugie, who is still in Canberra. We didn’t have any intention of moving to Melbourne because we thought it would be better for the band. Everybody in Canberra eventually wants to get out of there, whether they go to Sydney or Melbourne or overseas or whatever. I live by myself now, and it’s really nice. Once you know your area and you make friends that you actually want to hang out with, it doesn’t matter where you live."

Like Dorothy Gale, Utomo has had many crazy and magical adventures, but she still knows that there’s no place like home.

LIAM CASEY

You state the nineties and disco amongst your influences for Guns Babes Lemonade. How do all of your ideas fit together?
I’m not sure. I know some people say it sounds a lot like the nineties and some people say it sounds a lot like the eighties. All the synths that I use are from all the decades, from grabbing little bits here and there. I use different synth sounds there (Guns Babes Lemonade) from the seventies, eighties, nineties and the last seven years as well. I wanted something bursting with creative energy and when doing something like music, I can kind of put it all into that. I just record heaps of different crazy parts.

On the album there are a few references to illicit substances, i.e. "Sweaty" mentions ecstasy and "My Friend Richard" refers to acid, which poses the question: are you a real badass?
Probably not. I don’t take any illicit substances. I don’t even take panadol if I’ve got a headache. In "Sweaty" I refer to ‘peace, love and ecstasy’ which is an old raver-type anthem. I’ve used those words in contrast to what would be an instant love song I think. "My Friend Richard" is actually a track about acid house music. I’ve actually got a friend called Richard who was teaching me about early nineties house. The use of ‘Richard’ is also a slight reference to Aphex Twin whose name is Richard, and he release all those 12 inches and CDs as kind of throwback to all the acid techno. There are certainly no references to illicit substances. I’m completely sober all the time. I drink a little every now and then but that’s it. I’ve never ever smoked a cigarette before, so I guess that’s completely thrown that question out of the water and the whole angle of a drug-raver kid.

This is a bit of a wanky question. You seem to transcend the line between rave and indie. When recording the album did you intend to be the cool rave for the indie kids or did that just happen?
I love wanky questions! It was pretty natural. I’ve always listened to dance music except for maybe the last five or six years, which is when I started listening to a lot of indie bands and indie dance music, and that’s kind of just really naturally progressed. When I’m working on beats, I just walk around the room in circles, and if it doesn’t make me want to dance then I just throw it out and move onto the next song. All the tracks that made it onto the album are the tracks that made me want to move involuntarily.

The album on a whole is very infectious and lively. Is this a true representation of who you are, or who you want to be?
I don’t know. I feel that when you make music, you kind of become the music. So I guess it’s just like bridging the gap of who you are and who you want to be. I don’t know. I guess my personality now is being Muscles 24/7. I can do this as a job now. I can do music for a living. This is all I do, so I guess you kind of become the music.

Where did the name Muscles come from?
I met a friend who called their dog Muscles and the dog kind of looked like me…so I got the name from him.

How has touring been? Any overseas plans?
Touring has been huge. I’ve been playing shows non-stop. I’ve played in Brisbane recently and I did the Parklife tour as well. I’m going to America for a few weeks because the album is coming out there next month. After that I’ll be coming back to Australia to do an Australian tour with a very special ice cream van with speakers and stuff that will be driven everywhere. I don’t know what it looks like yet but I’ve heard its spectacular.

So it’s definitely happening?
I think so. I think it’ll happen around the end of October or maybe November. I haven’t planned it yet, but pretty soon details will come.

Do you have any plans for world domination while in America?
I don’t think it will happen straight away. It might happen by the fourth or fifth album. If you want to make it over there, you need to tour non-stop, forever and just keep writing really amazing songs. I’m happy that so many people are into my music here before I even attempt to do anything overseas.

I’ve noticed high demand for your t-shirts.
We’re making some new t-shirts soon which will be pretty cool. It’s weird because I only ended up making up maybe two hundred of them a few months ago. I haven’t had many since. I think I’m going to design a new amazing t-shirt. Well, I get a friend to do (design) it for me.

You’re quite the active Myspace user aren’t you?
Yeah I like it. I operate my Myspace and official website myself, so any input on there comes from me. I’m very selective with Myspace. If someone says something on their Myspace that I don’t particularly like, then I’ll deny their friendship. I’m a very fussy friend adder.

ADELA AMANOVICH

Orange Juice. The Jesus and Mary Chain. Such a review makes apparent just how long gone Glasgow’s golden age really is. Yet when three Glaswegian chums banded as 1990s to play tunes with the premise of having a good time, only their wildest conceptions could have predicted they would be signed to the legendary Rough Trade after barely 6 gigs. The NME-induced whirlwind of hype and exposure which followed, most bands only [wet] dream of. Frontman Jackie McKeown admits that initially label-head Geoff Travis’ reaction seemed normal; "It wasn’t till I went to bed that night that I suddenly thought ‘oh MY GOD…we’re signing to my favourite label of all time’ …then fell asleep with a smile."

Typecast as an anti-scene band of lads ill-concerned with mere fashion and fame, 1990s instead profess to create music through "ideas [that] get bounced around at parties and then we take ‘em home and strap them to riffs and beats which make us smile. It’s a happy process. Making 1990s’ music is a joy." Worlds away from the likes of fellow-Glaswegians Franz Ferdinand, members Alex Kapranos and Paul Thompson of whom were both members of 1990s in its embryonic stage, Jackie remembers all too well seeing his former bandmates catapult to indie-rock stardom. "I think most people who knew the band as friends were really pleased that something exciting had happened in Glasgow, and it was really funny seeing yr pals on daytime TV talking to kooky chat-show hosts." So no jealousy, then? "We sat watching Top of the Pops and cried when the chart position came in," jokes McKeown.

Drawing inspiration from such varied sources as "Bowie and reggae," the 1990s sound differs greatly from the synth-drenched electro and angular post-punk which has so dominated the indie scene of late. Their Bernard Butler-produced debut LP Cookies, instead abounds in the kind of Stones-esque riffage to strut cocksurely to, a nostalgic grasp on the notion of traditional, good time rock’n’roll.

Yet barely weeks before their first Australian tour however, the news emerges of bassist Jamie McMorrow’s departure from the band. Assured by Jackie that his loss is a sad one, he guarantees Jamie’s live replacement Dino Bardot [of fellow Glaswegians V-Twin] saves 1990s from becoming a "tragic and unlistenable 2-piece." Thus with high expectations devised by immense media exposure, the next night, as the boys arrive in Melbourne, Arcady heads out to their show at the much-loved Hi-Fi Bar. Still riding on the immense wave of Splendour sideshows we had immersed ourselves in for so many weeks, the pressure was on 1990s to deliver the grand finale needed to bring the gig season to a satisfying end.

Though their riffs and ba-ba-baing all too often fall ever so short of mundane repetition, their good-time premise casts a friendly atmosphere over the surprisingly reactive crowd in the jungle-like humidity of the venue. Looking down from the bar, British backpackers and genuine music fans bop along in toe-tapping unison as singles "You’re Supposed To Be My Friend", "You Made Me Like It", and the radio-friendly "See You At The Lights" garner positive responses from the mixed crowd. Yet with the exclusion of Jackie’s cheerful between-song banter, the remainder of the set seems like a laborious task sloppily fulfilled, the crowd becoming increasingly discontent through mutterings of ‘Didn’t they already play this song?’

Come the end of their borderline mediocre set, the encore feels entirely forced, executed only because their set list tells them to. An air of unfulfilled potential seeps through the moist atmosphere as the crowd departs, the token exception of course emanating from the encore chants of drunken geezers to whom pub cover-bands are ‘top fooken shows,’ and Arcady leaves perplexed by the lack of romance so preached by the British music press.

Aleena Glentis.

Where are you right now?
I’m just in the local park, with a coffee. Nice and quiet, good for interviews.

Ok, onto questions. Fantastic Playroom, it’s been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize this year, congratulations.
Thank you.

What does an accolade like that mean to you and the band?
It means a hell of a lot, actually. Especially to me and Tai, who kind of made the record, it’s a real vindication of all the hard work we put in, and that we’ve written a great album. I mean, you look at the other albums on that list and just to be on there… it’s great.

I guess you’ve been doing heaps of press lately then, because of the Prize and for general pimpage of the band. What’s one question that you’re sick of being asked?
I think probably, "Where’d the band name come from?". Anything about nu-rave can go to hell.

What’s one question you wish people would ask you, but they never do?
"How’s my mother?"

How’s your mum?
She’s great! Thanks for asking!

How long did it take to put this album together?
Uh, took quite a long time, but it was spread over a long time but me and Tai got together only once a week in the beginning, we were both doing other doing other things. We started writing about 3 years ago, towards the end it sort of got more and more intense.

Do you have a favourite music making instrument? As a producer, you must have a lot at your disposal.
Yeah, my drum machine probably, that’s the thing I usually start from, just basic rhythm. Oh, and bass, no probably bass actually. The bass is most prominent sound on the album. So that’s my favourite.

Do you have a favourite track on the album?
It changes, you know, I haven’t listened to it in a while cos we just listened to it so much already. I’ve always thought "The Get Go" was one of my best songs ever, to be honest.

How would you describe Fantastic Playroom to someone who isn’t familiar with the music that you make? What would you say to make them buy this album?
I’d say this is an album for someone who really likes pop music, but doesn’t want to hear something that’s been made by a machine or by a committee, something that’s got some soul and some personality. Something that’s gonna make you dance, you know. If you like moving, you’re gonna like this, probably.

Have you ever thought of collaborating with people outside the dance-type genre to make some music?
Not yet, it’d be good to do that actually. We’ve talked about a few collaborations with Le Tigre and people like that, but yeah, it’d be great to do something a bit out there, something a bit different, like with The Horrors of something like that. Really different.

You’ve remixed The Gossip’s Jealous Girls. Any other artists you’re keen to do a remix of?
Mark Ronson has asked us to do a remix, so I’m really excited about that, I don’t know which song it’s going to be yet, but he’s a big fan of the band, so yeah we’re definitely gonna do that one. Just did Amy Winhouse as well, well, that was a few months ago now. I like doing any remix for a good vocal, it’s gotta be vocal really otherwise it’s like doing a new track.

Are you actual mates with any of your label mates [Modular]?
Never met Wolfmother in my life, Cut Copy are dear friends of ours, they kind of helped us to get signed to Modular, they name-checked us in magazines and stuff, they were really instrumental in getting us signed to Modular, Jonno worked with Dan to design the horse logo.

Who would you guys cite as influences to the music you make?
We’ve got loads, listening to the music, and some you don’t even realise, like Prince, Duran Duran, we’ve got a lot of 80s pop influence that we kind of haven’t even recognised before… I mean, early Duran Duran, I mean fuck, sounds really like us- I mean we sound like them, they were the originals.

Where’s the best gig you’ve ever played?
We always mention this one, V Festival in Sydney this year, I mean it was really amazing, just to see how many people turned out, it was massive, we were on a side stage and literally 15,000 people trekked over to see us and it was amazing. Really good gig.

So, you ever had a really shit gig?
We got kicked out of a gig, yeah, where was it, The 333 Club which is the shittiest club in London. Basically the dressing room for the band was next door and they kept stopping us going in and out, and kept making us queue, and making us wait outside for ages, and not letting us take out drinks back and forward, and we were like, "Look, there’s our dressing room". In the end, some one just kind of kicked off, and both sides went mad, and security and the bouncers were like, "That’s it! You’re not getting back in!" and like, all my gear’s in there, what you gonna do? And I kind of kicked off, and they grabbed me, so it all got very messy.

What do the crowd get at a New Young Pony Club Live Show?
A lot of energy, Tai jumping up and down and practically killing herself, you hear great music, some really good songs, and we want to see everyone bouncing, dancing and moving.

How do you get the energy to do that night after night?
Lots of drugs. No, that’s not true, playing live you get this energy, you feel it from the crowd and it wakes you up and you give it back out.

Who’s the sexy one in the band? Do you all share the title?
We all think we’re the sexy one, we always get messages from people on myspace saying, I fancy everyone in this band, I can’t decide. I think there’s something for everyone in there, it’s a real variation, you’ve got the blonde, the feisty singer, you’ve got me the moustachioed-one, you’ve got Sarah-brunette.

Walk me through New Young Pony Club 2017.
Hopefully we’re still together at least, still making music, and having fun really. I do imagine we’ll retire from live music and just make studio albums like The Beatles did. Hpefully making good music, that is relevant in that time.

That’s me out of questions, then. Cheers Andy.
Thanks, take care.

LEANDA CHIA

This EP consists of the track "Tonto". Four times over. And "Leyendecker". Twice.

Now, whoever called math rock tedious?

So there's the album version, a version live at Fuji Rock, a Field Remix and a Four Tet remix. Where the original track and the live performance stand up brilliantly, testament to the precision and flair the band perform with live, the Field remix isolates the most repetitive and alienating element of the song, decontexualizing and repeating it to the point where you just wonder whether your CD player is skipping. For eight minutes straight.

Fortunately the Four Tet remix offers something new to the table, imparting the track with a dream-like quality, drawing out the underlying qualities of the track and bringing them to new light.

And the DJ EMZ Leyendecker Remix Featuring Joell Ortiz? Definitely the right Battles track to give the hip-hop treatment, unleashing the potential of more complex rhythms being applied to genre. Not necessarily what you’d call a "Battles remix", but instead a great and somewhat groundbreaking application of the track.

And with Tonto+ accompanied by a DVD containing the videos for Atlas and Tonto, produced by Warp Films and celebrated light artists UVA, not only is the footage bound to be Tate-tastic, but it’s sure to tide fans over until the next release.

Amy Dorozenko

Opening The Live Artex with its raunchy synth and jagged guitar licks, "Edie" is the perfect beginning to the Damn Arms debut album. Having been my favourite live track since seeing them for the first time in September with Midnight Juggernauts, with a little help from Nick Littlemore and Kevin "The Caveman" Shirley, it has just become one of the best opening songs I’ve heard from an album all year.

Track Two, "The Not So Progressive Punks" is about people who care more about what they’re wearing than what band is playing (Click Click, anyone?). Considering how many scene fags have been going to Cut Copy and Midnight Juggernauts gigs lately, it’s not surprising that Damn Arms would write about this - they’ve toured with both bands already this year.

"The Boss" makes me dance the two step indie waltz, while "Wooden Leg, Evil Claw" reminds me that Damn Arms can still create the type of songs that first made me fall in love with them. It sounds like a re-worked "Now That’s A Reaction" but it’s brilliant enough to stand out on it’s own above the others.

I have only one criticism - "Thirty Six". What the hell were Damn Arms thinking when they wrote this? Did they want to become a bad rip-off of the Midnight Juggernauts? Were they on some really bad drugs at the time? Seriously? Sounding nothing like their other stuff, it’s disappointing to find this song tarnishing the Damn Arms name. Every time I hear it I have to stifle laughter. It’s not a good thing.

Let’s put all personal feelings towards the band aside, The Live Artex is one of the best albums to be released this year, re-affirming my faith in Australian music. Bring on the drugs, its party time!

Amy Dorozenko

You can probably blame – or thank – Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba for modern emo. His confessional lyrics – delivered with an acoustic guitar and a nasal voice – collided with pop-punk and hardcore in the late 90s and, voila!

He did a Dylan and went electric for a couple of albums before returning to his original acoustic sound on The Shade Of Poison Trees. To be honest, I don’t really have a preference for the acoustic or the electric sound.

Dashboard Confessional are a band who have always been around me – many friends are obsessed, so the albums feature frequently at parties – but I never really liked or disliked them. Repeated listens to The Shade Of Poison Trees hasn’t really changed that. It’s competent, and it’s catchy, but it doesn’t really draw me in. I found myself humming "Keep Watching For The Mines" and "Little Bombs", so I can understand how these songs burrow into people’s hearts. They just don’t get much further than my skin, is all.

Liam Casey

When you are given CDs to review the record company puts a sticker on the back recommending what tracks you should listen to (because obviously we can’t decide for ourselves which ones we like!) In the case of the debut album of Future of the Left (the new band made of two parts McLusky one part Jarcrew) they missed out about five songs from that list, from the incredibly ace "Manchasm" with its chant of "Colin was a pussy" to the misleadingly titled "Suddenly it’s a Folk Song".

What made McLusky the best band to ever come out of Wales (It’s true, don’t argue otherwise. McLusky Does Dallas is amazing, better than anything Super Furry Animals have released. And Tom Jones and Stereophonics can fuck off!) was apart from the music being brilliantly brutal and catchy as hell were the lyrics (and song titles. And album titles!). And Future of the Left carry on that tradition with Curses, "ran out of limbs on our big day / we left our thumbs in the hotel" on Fingers Become Thumbs and ‘hope is a hat stand and hats are essential for travel in climates of conflicting temperate condition’ from the aforementioned "Suddenly it’s a Folk Song". Not only brilliant but sun smart too.

While it is hard for anyone to comeback after a band breaks up (except Axl Rose, he makes it look easy. Sorry I meant having ginger corn rows. He makes that look easy. I mean stupid. He makes it look stupid) Future of the Left seem to have made that transition, and made it look easy.

JOSH EARL

"If you haven’t noticed yet, we are the prettiest girls you’ve ever met – we are The Pipettes!" announce Riotbecki, Gwenno and Rosay. The idea behind their music is simple and effective, reimagining the girl-group and doo-wop sounds of the sixties for the modern indie generation.

Of course, it’s twee as fuck, but it’s also thoughtful and easily likeable. "Pull Shapes" and "Why Did You Stay?" are gorgeous pop songs, draped in strings and propelled by handclaps that have a quiet sadness clinging to them. Think of Lesley Gore, Sandie Shaw and Marianne Faithfull before the heroin got her and you’re on the right track.

Their formula is most enjoyable on tracks like "Sex and One Night Stand" when their adorable arrangements are paired with sassy and sexually frank lyrics. At eighteen tracks, however, the concept wears a little thin after a while. The material is, after all, a recreation of and an homage to a long-dead genre. That’s what makes it sweet, but also what makes it forgettable. Overall, though, these girls are a whole lot of fun.

Liam Casey

This is the third time I have announced the arrival of my "album of the year", but this time, I really mean it. As many pioneering female artists of the 80s and 90s degenerate into irrelevant cultural forces (I’m looking at you, Tori Amos!), artists like St Vincent show themselves more than able to take control. You may have already encountered St Vincent’s work: she wields the guitar for The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens under her birth name, Annie Clark. (As if she needed a little more musical credibility, her talent was strong enough to attract David Bowie’s long-time pianist, Mike Garson, who also contributes his own brief musical interlude in the form of "We Put A Pearl In The Ground".)

Marry Me is a stunning and varied release, combining elements of high-camp cabaret (the lop-sided and glorious "Paris Is Burning"), smoky torch songs (the sensual "What Me Worry", the lonely jazz of "All My Stars Aligned") and glossy Goth pop (the unsettling "Your Lips Are Red"). While the songwriting is strong, it’s the dense and deft production that catapults Clark into the heavenly heights of Kate Bush. Tracks like "Now, Now" and "Jesus Saves, I Spend" are built around quirky vocal loops, the former featuring Clark transforming herself into a choir of schoolchildren, promising "I’ll make you sorry". Buy this album: I promise you won’t be sorry.

Liam Casey

"Sure, I’ll review the debut album of Norwegian three-piece Ungdomskulen!" I told Arcady’s editor. It’ll be fun, right? Some cute Scandinavian indie band I’ve never heard of. The album arrived in the mail, and I was a little worried: the cover features a Converse-wearing teenager stalking through a rubbish dump with a sword covered in green goo. Uh oh, was this one of those ridiculous hair metal bands that continue to dwell in the coldest, darkest nations of the world?

No, not at all. Ungdomskulen (who take their name from the Norwegian word for middle school) are an indie band, but not in the way that we know. Most of the tracks clock in at between five and seven minutes, and cram more ideas and instruments into themselves than most bands can fit in an album. "Glory Hole" starts with a bass line reminiscent of The Mint Chicks, before introducing…what is that? A cow bell? A xylophone? Whatever it is, it’s simultaneously funky and creepy.

The band follow the noise-rock tradition of Sonic Youth, but don’t forget the value of a good hook. The press release describes them as "the sound of Steve Albini playing progrock disco", and it’s a pretty fitting description. I wish I’d thought of it.

Liam Casey

When I first put this album on I thought "This is quite good" , the second time I put it on I thought "this is really good", and by the third listen I thought "Wow,this is great". Now I don’t know if this means that The Submarine is a grower or that I’m just a bit simple (probably a little bit of column A a little bit of column B) (Probably just B – Ed). Produced by Jonathan Burnside (Fugazi, Nirvana) Whitley has recorded a beautiful album.

Most people (or those who listen to the radio) will be familiar with "‘I Remember" with its sweet melody and lovelorn lyrics but, really, that could describe any song on the album. Highlights include "All is Whole" with its slow build and haunting choir, the simple "More than Life" and the title-track "The Submarine".

While there is still a bit to go in 2007 one can’t help but think that this largely unheard of 22 year old has recorded the Australian album of the year. On the track "Lost in Time" Whitley sings ‘Suddenly it’s all about to change’. And you know what, I think he may be right.

JOSH EARL

A crowd of teenagers, decked out either head to toe in Pete Wentz's very own Clandestine Industries clothing range or Supre and Dangerfield skull-print items; most of them shorter than my 173cm frame, allowing for easy yet visually painful viewing. All of them at the mercy of my vicious elbows.

Being knocked down to the dirty, sticky floors of Festival Hall only to be helped up again by a not-yet-jaded sixteen-year-old boy.

Having to listen to countless of the aforementioned members of the teenage crowd bitch about "how hard school was that day and what a fucking dictator Ms. Williamson is" or how "Jodie is such a whore. I mean, she gave Daniel a hand job in the park right after school on Tuesday" or how "OMG!!11!! IT IS LIKE SO HOT IN THIS MOSH PIT, I AM DYING!!!!1!1!! OMG YOU BASTARD, STOP FUCKING PUSHING WE CAN'T MOVE ANYWHERE LIKE OMG CAN'T YOU SEE???/?!?/1!!? "

And it all being worth it, just to catch glimpse of Patrick Stump's ardent strawberry blonde bangs, peaking out from under one of his famed hats.

Ahh, to feel young again.

Natasha Theoharous

When Modular announced, barely a year ago, that their Unfair Christmas parties would be headlined by then newcomers Klaxons and New Young Pony Club, it seemed almost inconceivable that such a budding scene would reach Australia so quickly. This scene, none other than the now-dirty new-rave, brought with it new notions of fashion, and the gig, enjoyed by the elite few who attended, went down in the collective crowd consciousness as one of the most insane affairs of the 2006 gig calendar. It felt as if finally, the mundanity of so many years of Gang of Four cover bands was finally coming to an end. But come a year later, such is not the case.

Swarming with moronic scenefags, Melbourne’s gorgeous Forum Theatre is entirely the wrong place for an electro shindig, as the masses flitter around the bars and booths during Damn Arms’ support set like they’re at their regular indie disco. Clad in enough fluoro to singe one’s retinas, they seem unphased by what’s actually going on onstage, and through their utter disregard for any sort of music they pronounce the scene long-dead.

This is not to say that Klaxons as a live band aren’t amazing. Tighter than ever, they execute their set of mostly album tracks with instantly charming fervour; "Golden Skans" and "Atlantis To Interzone" procure chaotic responses, and as Jamie Reynolds apologises to the crowd for being the unfortunate cause of the tour’s previous postponement, I can’t help but think how different things could have been had this gig occurred barely a few months prior.

Aleena Glentis

Despite the fact that most of us don't understand what Sigur Rós sings about (or in the case of their Untitled album, NONE of us understands), their music is always associated with this ethereal, innocent imageries. The lucky 500 or so people in the building that night was treated to an amazing three-part show - an acoustic set by the band, the Australian premiere of their new DVD, Heima and a Q&A session right after.

The acoustic session was a different take of their music, stripping back everything to its core sounds. And in turn, we see just how talented they all are. The documentary Heima explores the raw beauty of Iceland, and putting in place that ethereal, innocent imagaries on screen for all of us to physically see.

The Q&A session was awkward, with the band's limited knowledge of the English language. But then again, it could just be the fact that the crowd was full of journalists and indie wankers (like us!), and the questions they came up with are all too deep and meaningful. When in reality, Sigur Rós are simple, and as jón þor said "no bullshit."

Maria POWELL

Arcady’s love for Patrick Wolf is well-documented, so let’s forget about journalistic objectivity. The 24-year-old Englishman is a genius. He’s also erratic, temperamental and self-destructive, but a genius nevertheless. Although his unpredictable behaviour was clearly evidenced by the diva strop he threw on stage in Melbourne, his Sydney show was celebratory and relatively hitch-free.

After a brief tour of solo acoustic shows in July, Wolf returned for several Australian dates with his full band: violin, double bass, and drums, while Wolf himself played viola, ukulele and piano, alongside a swag of samples. He stalked onstage in wearing glitter, fur and a smile, beginning with the delicate beauty of "Wind In The Wires". For most of the set, Wolf concentrated on his more upbeat numbers: the hopeful "Bloodbeat", the majestic "Bluebells" and the joyous "Accident & Emergency", during which Wolf nearly destroyed the drum kit. In fact, his poor roadie was constantly rushing the stage to clean up after Wolf’s destruction. This destruction never seemed malicious: Wolf was just intoxicated with the joy of performing (as well as the vodka he was swigging in the encore). He climbed monitors and walls, and leapt into the crowd during songs like the aggressive "Tristan".

While quieter than on his last tour, Wolf’s stage banter was still friendly and funny, and his mood was playful, as evidenced by his sing Spice Girls’ "2 Become 1" and Britney Spears’ "Gimme More" over his own "Bloodbeat" (previous interpolations include Rhianna’s "Umbrella" and T.A.T.U.’s "Not Gonna Get Us"). With its grand sense of pagaentry, Wolf’s performance seemed more suited to the Opera House (a fact he lamented as he changed costumes behind a monitor). Oh well – as long as he’s performing for us, it doesn’t matter where it is. In one word: incredible.

Liam Casey

There was something in the air that night. The crowd was ready for a big show, armed with bubbles, glitter, balloons, stickers and whatever party items they could get their hands on. We're all expecting a big party, and spirits were high and excited.

Patrick Wolf came on stage dressed in his usual glittery attire, looking tired and nonchalant. The first couple of songs went without any hiccups, other than some twat in the back yelling out "play some Mika songs!" (in which Wolf replied: "I think there's a diseased person in the room!")

Then "Tristan" came along. As the chorus started, Wolf climbed onto the stool, and it gave way, which caused him to fall. Everything was all a little bit crazy from then on. He threw his keyboard and violin violently on the stage and broke a glass in the process. He cut his foot and collapsed onto the ground, still singing. He then sang out "My name is Tristan, and I am sick of this shit!" and walked off stage, leaving the crowd and the band completely confused.

He reappeared about ten minutes later sans elaborate costumes, looking quite forlorn as he sat down at the back singing "The Stars". He deviated from the setlist completely and ended up playing the slower, calmer songs.

Wolf seemed to be happier as the night went on. He gave a quiet performance of a post-Magic Position song named "Thickets", which he explained to be about him riding through this place with a broken heart. The night ended with "The Magic Position", where confettis were strewn about and "Accident & Emergency". By this stage, the party spirit was back and it was all smiles in the room.

Maria POWELL