Best Of 2011 cont.
by Thomas Grant
Best Single
Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra)
Gotye's Somebody That I Used To Know is quite simply the best single this year by a long, long margin. Featuring the impossible-not-fall-in-love-with Kimbra, Somebody... is the perfect pop song, yet it avoids all the over-the-top pop sheen that makes it a genre so oft-derided.
Best Album
Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Deciding against venturing out into the woods as he did in the production of his first album, Justin Vernon opted for a grander scale in the recording process, and it paid off. Bon Iver showcases the delicacy and musicianship which the band obviously takes so seriously, and when in it's in it's full force, it's hard not to be overawed by it's beauty.
Honourable Mentions: PJ Harvey - Let England Shake, Cut Copy - Zonoscope
Best Of 2011 Cont.
by Thomas Grant
Best Festival
Splendour In The Grass
While it was derided this year for not living up to 2010's gigantuan lineup, this years installment of our favourite winter bash reinforced one fact: not only is Splendour the closest we will get to having something like the major European/American festivals, it's almost starting to match them. Consider the size and reach of this years line up, combined with the obvious vision that it's runners have and it's significance cannot be questioned. To bring the biggest ego in the world as well as the biggest band to the used-to-be-humble event really says something about where this is going, and it's only looking up.
Honourable Mentions: Harvest Festival, St. Jeromes Laneway Festival
Best Gig
Foo Fighters @ Goat Island, Sydney (24/3/11)
In what was originally a corporate gig full of bigwigs, bartenders and competition winners, this special concert quickly descended into mayhem (the good kind) when Dave Grohl and his fellow fighters refused to leave the stage without giving everyone something special. After playing their new album, Wasting Light, in full, the band then played an extensive greatest hits set, and when they ran out of songs they started taking requests. With the idyllic surrounds of Sydney Harbour acting as a backdrop, the Foo Fighters were eventually ushered off stage after a lengthy three hour set, but as talisman of awesome Dave Grohl says: “If your favourite rock band only play an hour twenty, they suck! If your favourite rock band only play an hour fourty-five, they fucking suck!”.
Honourable Mentions: Les Savy Fav @ St. Jeromes Laneway Festival, Sydney (6/2/11), Explosions In The Sky @ The Metro Theatre, Sydney (11/12/11)
Best Of 2011
Who here believes that this year is already over? Not me that's for sure. It's been a great year for music and we're here to bring you the best of it. Here are bandit.fm Best Of 2011 lists, starting with Best Breakout Band and Best Filmclip
Best Breakout Band
Royal Headache
http://youtu.be/44Pf2WpELgY
Royal Headache have been milling around the joint for a few years now, but the release of their self-titled debut album has catapulted them from the local Sydney hype-scene into the national viewpoint. Clocking in at a mean 26 minutes, the album showcases all there is to love about this band: punchy choruses, loud in-your-face guitars and a haziness that makes it sound like it was recorded through your old discman.
Honorable Mentions:
Underlights
Sticky Fingers
Best Film Clip Of 2011
The Black Keys - Lonely Boy
It's hard to go past this simply wonderful video from serial offenders The Black Keys, who have never disappointed with their attempts at joining the two mediums of film and music. The lone middle aged dancer in this film clip has created the single-ladies-dance for the modern age, moving his rotund figure around the screen with the volition and skill of Mrs Knowles herself. It helps that it's a pretty great song as well.
Honorable Mentions:
Foo Fighters - Walk
Children Collide - Loveless
Molly Meldrum In Intensive Care
by Thomas Grant
Australian music icon Molly Meldrum is currently fighting for his life in The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne after he suffered injuries when he fell from a ladder in his St. Kilda home. Meldrum, 65, suffered injuries to head including a fractured skull and is currently in an induced coma.
Everyone at bandit.fm sends our thoughts to Molly's family and to the man himself: we wish him the speediest of recoveries.
Cut Copy Earn A Grammy Nomination
by Thomas Grant
Fresh off their win at the Arias, our very own Cut Copy have been nominated a Grammy. The boys will be competing for the Best Dance/Electronica Album against the likes of Deadmau5, Skrillex, David Guetta and Robyn.
This may be the patriot inside me talking, but the rest of those chumps don't compare to the carefully considered, forward thinking music of Cut Copy. It would a travesty if they didn't win.
Kanye West & Soundgarden BDO Sideshows
by Thomas Grant
With a long list of sideshows already announced for next years Big Day Out, the two main headliners have now joined the party. Chris Cornell's Soundgarden and Kanye West have both announced sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne with The Bronx to strip their Mariachi costumes especially for the Soundgarden shows.
Kanye West Big Day Out Sideshows:
| Friday 27th January | Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney (AA) |
| Tuesday 31st January | Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne (AA) |
Soundgarden Big Day Out Sideshows:
| Wednesday 25th January | Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney (AA) |
| Wednesday 1st February | Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne (AA) |
Florence & The Machine to tour
by Thomas Grant
Hot off the release of her sophomore album Ceremonials, Florence Welch and her machine will be returning to Australian shores with their biggest shows yet. Welch and her band have catapulted in fame since the release of her debut album, Lungs, a rise which was punctuated by one hell of a Splendour set in 2010.
Florence & The Machine 2012 Tour:
| Thursday 17th May | Bursdwood Dome, Perth (AA) |
| Sunday 20th May | Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne (AA) |
| Tuesday 22nd May | Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide (AA) |
| Thursday 24th May | Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney (AA) |
| Saturday 26th May | Riverstage, Brisbane (AA) |
Boy & Bear Sweep The Aria Awards
by Thomas Grant
In a result that is eerily close to bandit.fm's own predictions, last night's ARIA Music Awards were dominated by Sydney folksters, Boy & Bear. The quintet took out the all important Album of The Year gong, as well as the Best Group, Breakthrough Artist and Best Adult Alternative Release awards. Meanwhile, Gotye took out three awards for his hit single “Somebody That I Used To Know” (feat. Kimbra). Aussie icons Kylie Minogue and The Wiggles (!!!) were inducted into the aria awards hall of fame were they join the greats of Australian music history.
2011 ARIA Music Awards:
| Album Of The Year | Boy & Bear – Moonfire |
| Single Of The Year | Gotye – “Somebody That I Used To Know” (feat. Kimbra) |
| Best Male Artist | Gotye – “Somebody That I Used To Know” (feat. Kimbra) |
| Best Female Artist | Kimbra – Cameo Lover |
| Breakthrough Artist – Album | Boy & Bear – Moonfire |
| Breakthrough Artist – Single | Boy & Bear – “Feeding Line” |
| Highest Selling Album | Altiyan Childs – Altiyan Childs |
| Highest Selling Single | Guy Sebastian – “Who’s That Girl” (feat. Eve) |
| Best Group | Boy & Bear – Moonfire |
| Best Independent Release | Art vs. Science – The Experiment |
| Best Dance Release | Cut Copy – Zonoscope |
| Best Pop Release | Gotye – “Somebody That I Used To Know” (feat. Kimbra) |
| Best Adult Alternative Album | Boy & Bear – Moonfire |
| Best Adult Contemporary Album | Billy Thorpe – Billy Thorpe’s Tangier |
| Best Urban Album | Drapht – The Life Of Riley |
| Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album | Front End Loader – Ritardando |
| Best Rock Album | The Living End – The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating |
ARIA Music Awards Preview
by Thomas Grant
With the ARIAs only a few days away now, the time has come for speculation and wonder. This year's nominees are more closely matched than they have ever been before, and the ceremony is sure to be watched with intent by millions.
So without further ado, here is bandit.fm predictions as to who we think should win the major awards, and who will.
Best Rock Album
Nominees:
| Children Collide | Theory Of Everything |
| Eskimo Joe | Ghosts of the Past |
| Jebediah | Kosciuszko |
| Papa vs. Pretty | United In Isolation |
| The Living End | The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating |
Who should win: It's hard to go past Melbourne trio Children Collide here. The band have grown in stature substantially since the release of their debut album, and their sophomore effort Theory Of Everything illustrates this. The album takes everything that was great about the band in the first place, and added some needed sheen that was necessary for them to take the next step.
Who will win: Though they've probably received more praise than most, The Living End have easily been the most consistently rockin' band over the past decade. They deserve every accolade they get for their sixth studio album, The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating.
Best Dance Release
Nominees:
| Bag Raiders | Bag Raiders |
| Cut Copy | Zonoscope |
| Miami Horror | Illumination |
| Pnau | Soft Universe |
| The Potbelleez | From the Music |
Who should win: Cut Copy have never made it easy for themselves. Their music, particularly their nominated album Zonoscope, is so intricately considered it's easy to forget that it is party music. Zonoscope illustrates Cut Copy's strength's as a completely unpretentious and unobnoxious band. When you break down the technical perfection of their work, it becomes clear that all Cut Copy want is to create great music that people will dance to, and that's exactly what Zonoscope is.
Who will win: Cut Copy
Best Group
Nominees:
| Boy & Bear | Moonfire |
| Birds of Tokyo | "Wild at Heart" |
| Eskimo Joe | Ghosts of the Past |
| Grinderman | Grinderman 2 |
| The Living End | The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating |
Who should win: For over 30 years Nick Cave and company have been the most innovative and challenging musicians in Australian, and their latest reincarnation only confirms this fact. Grinderman's sophomore release, Grinderman 2, sees Cave, Ellis, Casey and Sclavunos further exploring the ways that depravity and sexuality can be explored in music, and for a bunch of 50-somethings, they all do it pretty well.
Who will win: The all conquering Boy & Bear will be hard pressed not to take out this gong. Their debut album, Moonfire, has captivated the minds of indie kids and folksters alike and has catapulted this humble Sydney band into stratospheric heights. The Sydney lads have come a long way since their beginnings as Unearthed discoverees and seem to be making the most of their new found fame.
Best Female Artist
Nominees:
| Adalita | Adalita |
| Clare Bowditch | Are You Ready Yet? |
| Kasey Chambers | Little Bird |
| Kimbra | "Cameo Lover" |
| Washington | "Holy Moses" |
Who should win: In what was a weaker year for Aussie ladies (but lets face it, 2010 was dominated by them), Kimbra stands out as a highlight. The latest Kiwi to be stolen and rightfully claimed as our own, Kimbra's unique blend of soul, jazz and pop has captivated the nation completely. Her exposure as a solo artist was hindered slightly by her featuring on Gotye's Somebody That I Used To Know. However, her perseverance and skill has made sure that she has been respected as an artist in her own right.
Who will win: Kimbra
Best Male Artist
Nominees:
| Drapht | The Life of Riley |
| Gareth Liddiard | Strange Tourist |
| Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu | Rrakala |
| Gotye | "Somebody That I Used To Know" (feat. Kimbra) |
| Josh Pyke | "No One Wants a Lover" |
Who should win: The Drones frontman Gareth Liddiard is easily the most underrated Australian singer-songwriter around today. Through his work with The Drones and with his debut solo album Strange Tourist Liddiard has showcased his supreme ability to capture emotion and distinctly Australian themes within his visceral howl. For a man who has never gained much mainstream success it's already a win, but it'd be great to see him achieve the ultimate success.
Who will win: Wally de Backer (aka. Gotye) will probably win this award on the back of the lead single of his album, Making Mirrors, but the quality that the rest of the album leads should get him over the line as well.
Single Of The Year
Nominees:
| Birds Of Tokyo | "Wild At Heart" |
| Boy & Bear | "Feeding Line" |
| Drapht | "Rapunzel" |
| Gotye | "Somebody That I Used To Know" (feat. Kimbra) |
| Guy Sebastian | "Who's That Girl" (feat. Eve) |
| The Jezabels | "Dark Storm |
Who should win: Gotye - "Somebody That I Used To Know" (feat. Kimbra). Let's face it, it's just a great song. The build up fr0m the whisper start to the cacophonous ending, the straining wait for Kimbra to feature, the relatable subject matter, everything about it is a success. To put it simply, it's the perfect pop song, and the perfect candidate for this category.
Who will win: Gotye - "Somebody That I Used To Know" (feat. Kimbra)
Album Of The Year
Nominees:
| Boy & Bear | Moonfire |
| Cut Copy | Zonoscope |
| Eskimo Joe | Ghosts Of The Past |
| Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu | Rrakala |
| Grinderman | Grinderman 2 |
Who should win: Grinderman - Grinderman 2
Who will win: Gurrumul's Rrakala is the perfect mix of digestible music and a heart warming story of courage and conviction, and this will see him presented with the final gong of the night. Gurrumul's ethereal voice mixed with the sensetivity and simplicity of his backing music will make it a favourite with the voters. If he wins this award, he will become the first Indigenous Australian to win the award, and to be honest, it couldn't go to a nicer guy.
Big Day Out Sideshows
If you, like many others, have turned off this years Big Day Out as a whole, but still fancy a band or two on the line up... then fear not, because the travelling festival has announced a sizable bunch of sideshows to whet our appetite.
While no word has arrived on any Kanye West or Soundgarden sideshows, the rest of the international line up has provided shows in all the major markets including Foster The People, and a double bill featuring Kasabian and The Vaccines.
Kasabian with The Vaccines:
- Tuesday 24th January – Horden Pavilion, Sydney
- Saturday 28th January – Festival Hall, Melbourne
Foster The People sideshows:
- Monday 23rd January – The Tivoli, Brisbane
- Wednesday 25th January – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
- Monday 30th January – Palace Theatre, Melbourne
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds:
- Monday 23rd January – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
- Tuesday 31st January – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
My Chemical Romance with Closure In Moscow:
- Tuesday 24th January – Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane
- Friday 27th January – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
- Tuesday 31st January – Festival Hall, Melbourne
Odd Future:
- Tuesday 24th January – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
- Wednesday 1st February – Palace Theatre, Melbourne
Royksopp:
- Friday 27th January – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
- Thursday 2nd February – Palace Theatre, Melbourne
Best Coast:
- Wednesday 25th January – Manning Bar, Sydney
- Saturday 28th January – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Girl Talk:
- Saturday 28th January – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
- Tuesday 31st January – Palace Theatre, Melbourne
Mariachi El Bronx with The Vasco Era:
- Wednesday 25th January – Metro Theatre, Sydney
- Monday 30th January – Billboard The Venue, Melbourne
Battles:
- Monday 23rd January -The Metro Theatre, Sydney
- Saturday 28th January – The Forum, Melbourne
