time out

be back soon

go home be safe

fifties sunday

Pretty psyched for Vivian Girls version of this

Available first week in March as b-side to new single 'My Love Will Follow Me', but pre-release orders being taken now at Rough Trade store. Go get get get it.

the splinters

The Splinters Myspace

These ladies are releasing their first full length in March on Double Negative. They're currently playing shows and are appearing with The Fresh & Onlys and Foreign Born next week on Feb 24 in San Fransisco. Go! (PS. San Fransisco you are ruling my world right now.)

Like loads of other bands currently circulating, theirs is low fi garage with a 60s girl group vibe. But I think they do it a lot better than many of those other bands. They look tight and confident, and I feel like they would jump at the chance to work in a studio and polish their sound a little if offered that opportunity. DIY or die sure, but sometimes a little level readjustment and smoothing out can go a long way. I'm excited to watch where these guys go... SXSW here they come

moon duo

Been listening to this a lot today. The repetitive riff is hypnotic.

Moon Duo 'Stumbling 22nd Street'

Turn up loud, get fucked up, and sway

Moon Duo 'Escape' LP/CD is out today on Woodsist. They're on tour at the moment before playing sxsw. Check out the dates at their Myspace.

sonny days

My San Fransisco love affair continues

Sonny & The Sunsets 'Too Young To Burn'

I bought mp3s of this record last night on a whim after reading that Tim Cohen from The Fresh and Onlys and Kelly Stoltz play in his band. Its been out for a while, released early last year after being recorded in home studios for the most of 2008. Buy the album (mp3s or vinyl) here

Sonny is working on a project for a San Fransisco gallery now. Local artists have been creating covert art for fictional records, and Sonny has been writing music to match each one. The show opens on April 9 - head along if you're in the area.

Also if you're a little lonesome (or its been a while between dances), Hole In The Sky wanderer Fred Cherry is playing on Saturday at Good God

Dance, get loved up

All I need is someone to take me home

The Proper Ornaments 'Home'
(via Vice)

One of the guys from Veronica Falls (I posted their track 'Beachy Head' a while back) is in a new band called The Proper Ornaments. Yesterday I was checking in with Make A Mess (who release Grass Widow who I love) and they had posted news of a Proper Ornaments release on their website. Then today, the Vice blog posted two songs by the duo.

While reminiscent of the smooth melodic pop of the Flying Nun label in the early 80s (think bands like The Clean) their sound also pays homage to the low fi pop of the 90s currently being revived by so many. It's just the early stages, but it does sound promising. Their song 'Home' is very sweet - A short simple pop track with sugary lyrics. Everyone wants someone to take them home and make them smile. Come on baby darling.

morning vibes

Members of Girls and every other San Fransisco hipster you would want to be friends with perform 'Excuses' by The Morning Benders (get their latest double single from Rough Trade store)

Even with a full choir this acoustic rendition sounds more delicate than their Spector wall of sound debut with less echo on Chris Chu's vocals, which I really like.

I spent this past weekend at a beach house and my friends and I listened to The Morning Benders album 'Big Echo' a lot. It rained for most of the three days we were away, and we found it perfect for cooler evenings staring out at the ocean. Greedy Hen wants to move to San Fransisco so she was particularly vibing the record. Hey San Fransisco, can Greedy and I come hang out for a while? I'm really good on a tom tom and she's got sweet dance moves.

get wet

When we go down to the water side, we always have a lot of fun

Can't wait for you to see this one!

Coming soon...

casual dog

My friend Mikey is a very talented man. He is a graphic designer, and a DJ, and hosts a super fun party called Jingle Jangle. Plus, he has excellent taste in tunes.

He was saying that for a while he has been flirting with the idea of hosting a weekly radio show in an attempt to broaden his knowledge of past sounds and to introduce his favourite things to interested music fans. Instead, he has decided to launch a blog where he will host fortnightly themed mix tapes. The first is now online at his new site Casual Radio

Centered around the Blues music of Piedmont on the US East Coast, the mix is a wonderful collection of plucked, melodic, and more obscure blues including three tracks by Blind Boy Fuller (pictured above).

Casual Radio #1 'Blues Came Down'

when I break I break

I love Nina Nicki but after this I LOVE Nina Nicki!

(I always call her Nina! Why?! Urgh. Probably because I am a white, Australian Jewish girl who mostly listens to obscure indie records. I didn't even realise that I'd written Nina until someone emailed me about it (Thank you, Ben xx))



Mariah doesn't even need to try anymore. A few high notes, a tight dress and a tongue-in-cheek video and she's in business. Sure it's no Fantasy, but she gives us red lips, tight hips and a heap of cheek to make up for the missing roller skates.

And you know what. There are a few boys I know who I'd like to have made a video like this for...

grass canyon

Just as I am telling myself I should go to sleep, this starts playing on my iTunes. I'd forgotten all about it. Drift off. Good nights with spaced dreams.

Grass Canyon 'If you seen a pleasant peninsula, look about you' excerpt

Grass Canyon haven't released anything for a while, not since their three-cassette compilation, but do have some shows coming up in Chicago and Detroit if you check their myspace

If you like the above drifter, you can download a portion of Shakra from Don't Die Wondering and stream 'Great Lakes' from If you seek... here

veronica falls

Veronica Falls 'Beachy Head'

What do four Londoner's know about beachy heads? Does the water at Brighton give you sandy, full bodied locks the same way it does at Bondi? Does the slapping water against the sand wash away soft footprints in the same way? Raging seas, passing waves and riptides dragging you further and further out. Sounds far too menacing for an Australian coastline.

This song is so simple. A great pop tune that will stay in your head for hours. I love the "aahhs" that introduce the vocal line and then continue to the harmonised chorus. Transparent and GvB blogged a song by Veronica Falls last year called Found Love In A Graveyard. While I didnt dislike it, I didn't love it. Despite that, I went to the Veronica Falls myspace yesterday to see if they had any new stuff online and listened to Beachy Head. Today is Australia day and because Australia is basically one large beach this song seems wonderfully appropriate. Well, aside from the depressing lyrics. I also just got home from the beach, which made me want to listen to this song, which in turn made me want to post it online for others to enjoy. Happy Australia/Beach Day!

dear life

this is making you so much easier right now

blondes 'moondance'

misty balearic for walking on the moon making the fourty degree celcius weather slightly more bearable

blondes myspace

release out sometime soon on the great meerok records (salem, teengirl fantasty, rainbow arabia, titus andronicus)

playing favourites

I hate logging in to youtube just so I can listen to songs, but sometimes it is all that is available. Same goes with Myspace.

Mid this week a big parcel of records arrived from across the water which included Fergus & Geronimo from Pure Groove. 60s pop inspired low fi. Is that all I am listening to at the moment? I came to these guys late. I was looking on the sxsw line up a month or so ago and realised I knew their name but couldn't recall their sound. A quick www search later and voila - a 7" ordered, and some mp3s downloaded to jive around my room to in the meantime.

Fergus & Geronimo 'Tell it in my ear'

Buy the 7" for the above single here and grab details for their other releases (including the latest Woodsist 7" and Tic Tac Totally release) here.

should you be blue here is a couple just for you

Quail Lungs 'Dumb dada Dum'
via rdrclbl

"why do all the the beautiful ones go dum dada dumb"

VOICEsVOICEs 'Origins'

via fader

Both of these are out Jan 26. Quail Lungs 7" via Post Present Medium, and VoicesVoices E.P out through Manimal Vinyl

PPM webstore
Manimal Vinyl webstore

wetdog

I am so super psyched by this album. So much so that this is all I have listened to all day (seriously like a l l d a y).

Wetdog 'Lower Leg'

Frauhaus is their second record and was released on Angular late last year. Buy or download it here. Captured Tracks is releasing it in the Americas sometime soon.

"you are like the most awesome-est band in the world"

Dance! Dance all the time!

a sydney new year

still looking for something to do tonight?



go carve up the dance floor for me, and ill meet you in two thousand and men

down time

photo: by radge

Happy holidays

Drink and eat a bunch. Read some good books.

Fresh and Onlys 'Lets Hang'

See you on the flip side

x Michaella