The Waiting Room Never Saw It Coming From Iowa

Next week Brisbane is going to be invaded by Iowa. Not by the state of the USA; not by Mitt Romney; not by obscure Russian divas; not by fanatical Slipknot acolytes. No, Brisbane is going to be destroyed by the Melbourne trio whose debut LP Never Saw It Coming is a head mixture of all the best alternative/noise rock conventions of the 1990s, including adherence to hook and melody behind all the feedback. They are playing X&Y on the Friday August 17 (with able supports from Tape/Off and Sleepwalks), an afternoon sesh at Tyms Guitars on the Saturday, and then - drumroll - at The Waiting Room as headliners for this month's Sonic Masala Presents. They are bringing their new album in tow (including some on sexy yellow vinyl!) and a new single in the form of 'Love Song'. This is one not to be missed, including as it does support from the resurgent Seaplane, the destructive El Motel (who are promising something special for this show) and the debaucherous Crass Creatures. It's all for a tenner, with BYO, and I PROMISE YOU that this will be one of the strongest shows you will see this year. If not, Ill drink some beer - that'll teach me!

Here's the streamed Iowa album:


...and here is a little mixtape of tracks from the bands...

El Motel - Black RiderCrass Creatures - Cement
El Motel - Carnival Kid
Iowa - Panic Attack
Crass Creatures - Snake Hole
El Motel - Crazy Love
Iowa - Complete Control

...and because I don't have any Seaplane mp3's at work, here is a live version of 'Soiree'.



Get keen!

Sleepwaling Robots In The Nite Fields Motel

In October we had our very first sponsored/curate/whatever show, imaginatively called Sonic Masala Presents. It was a graveyard smash. Greg Charles was gloriously shambolic; Psy Ants were awesomely explosive; Nova Scotia were inimitably fun.

Tonight it all happens again for the second instalment. Headlining are the upper crust grungeheads Sleepwalks, whose debut LP The Milk Has Gone Sour (produced by Steve Albini no less!) came out at the crowning of the year. A smash and grab affair, it is a fun piece of work (despite the fact I gave it only three stars for Time Off at the beginning of the year, a fact I may never live down). This is likely to be a fantastically sloppy earblast, and the lineup is rounded out by much-loved husband/wife dream-pop manipulators Do The Robot, garrulous shoegaze explorers Nite Fields, and new kids on the block, rusty blues duo El Motel. All for a tenner (and BYO means it stays a cheap night!) It looks like it could rain again, but don't let that deter you for an awesome night of eclecticism and alcoholism! Should be madness, and it kicks off at 8pm - see you there!

First SONIC MASALA PRESENTS... A Resounding Success!

Well, all's been quiet on the Sonic Masala front, and some of you must be wondering if it had anything to do with our first live music showcase that was due to be held last Saturday. Well, it went ahead, and despite a couple of minor setbacks (a few pre-show amp explosions, Charles Curse's Codeine Choir not making an appearance), it slayed!


Charles Curse (AKA Greg Charles) really stood up in the solo guise, and infused the largely old material (he's had most of these songs in the bag for years now) with a scratchy sense of urgency found wanting in most of his counterparts.


Psy Ants were a force to be reckoned with, a visceral punch to the eardrums, and the news that they are using their hard-earned dosh to put a recording out soon is fantastic news. Seriously, Psy Ants stood out tonight and were all the better for it! Get these guys more gigs pronto!


And Nova Scotia - what superlatives haven't already been used for these lovely lads? They may be down to a quartet (and soon to be taking a break - massive sigh), but they command every ounce of your attention. It was an assured yet inherently fun set from Brisbane's best band of the moment.

Nova Scotia - Round The Twist

Thanks to those who came out and shared in the fun and frivolity, especially Joanne Thies for the poster work, Ash Timms for helping out with the production, Vanessa Johnson who kindly gave her time to take photos, Belly and Dan over at 4ZZZ's Wake & Bake, Time Off magazine, Cam and Innez at The Waiting Room and Dave who did an amazing job at the coalface. If you didn't make the show (or even if you did), check out more of Vanessa's ace photos below.












SEE YOU DECEMBER 2ND...