THE SYDNEY DAILY

In their own words:

1. Please introduce yourselves and tell us how you met Hey, we are a Sydney based band called “Bears With Guns”. We all grew up in the small country town of Parkes, in western NSW, so we’ve known each other from an early age, with the exception of Lachlan. After high school we parted ways for a year, all doing different things, trying to figure out what to do with our lives, and by some cosmic coincidence we all decided to move to Sydney together and study music. All we wanted to do was play music. That’s when we met Lachy, and this musical adventure really started rolling forward. 2. What/who would you say are your biggest influences? It seems as though it’s just a melting pot of different flavours, because every person in the band comes from a different music background. Over time we’ve come to appreciate each others musical taste, which has led to us influencing each other. 

Music that is constantly being played in the van is; Alt J, Bonobo, City and Colour, Incubus and Death Cab For cutie, just to name a few. But influence is always evolving, and our music evolves with it. 3. How would you describe your sound Being so close to it, we find it very hard to define, so we like to others describe our music to us. It’s funny - everyone seems to have a different answer. If I had to describe it; gentle, intertwined melodies, driven by strong worlds rhythms. We like to keep our music raw too.  We feel it makes the music more alive and more real.

4. What kind of scene would we find at a typical BWG rehearsal? In an old fishing shack by the river - this is where the magic happens.  Tea is made or beers are opened and we open up the song vault and lose ourselves in creative jams. Dream catchers with big feathers, our favourite band and festival line up posters, swags and miscellaneous instruments are the furniture that lines the walls.  The lounge room has really become the home and cave for the creation of our music.

5. Can you give us a hit at what you’ll be getting up to for the rest of the year We’re going to play as much as possible in various places around Australia and visit as many new places and faces.  You’ll find us in your local bar/street corner in Sydney, Parkes, Broken Hill, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Melbourne, Ballarat, Adelaide and Mildura…just to name a few.  Keep an eye out on our Facebook for new dates.

Try not to FREAK THE FUCK OUT

Frenzal Rhomb are playing at Manning Bar on July 12 supported by Bloods.

It’s been three years since British indie rockers Klaxons hit our Aussie Shores riding the incredible success that was their 2010 album Surfing The Void. A largely self-made band, Klaxons took their new rave psych pop from the streets of London to the world stage following massive accolades for debut album Myths Of The Near Future in 2007, for which they won a Nationwide Mercury Award. The boys return to our shores victorious in 2013 both to rock the Splendour in the Grass festival (Byron Bay) and get a little loose with a DJ set at the Modular ‘What We Do Is Secret’ party (Oxford Art Factory). Groupie caught up with Jamie Reynolds to try and glean a little insight into what Australia can expect from these bawdy Brits.

Reynolds is very chatty for a famous musician still their PJ’s; he’s in his bedroom staring out the window and contemplating the long trip down under. It will be Klaxons first time playing Splendour In The Grass, something they’re looking forward to for a couple of reasons. Firstly, whispers of the wonder of Splendour have found their way to the UK, and it’s been on Reynolds mind for a long time. “I can’t wait” he says “I’m really excited about it. For the last seven years all I’ve heard is ‘You HAVE to play this show (Splendour)’ and it’s finally happening”

Their second reason to be excited is that though they are strangers to Splendour, Klaxons are no stranger to the infamous Byron Bay. In fact, Reynolds cites the Northern NSW town as one of his favourite touring destinations of all time, having visited it in 2008 as part of the Nevereverland Modular 10th Birthday Tour. “That”, he says “Was absolutely incredible. We toured with a handful of bands on the Modular label and stayed in Byron Bay for a couple of days. We generally had a kind of nuts, wild time as we generally do in Australia”.

Though admittedly in Australia for a “stupidly short amount of time” Klaxons will be making one other stop on their trip; playing a DJ set at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory for Modular’s What We Do Is Secret party on Saturday July 27. Reynolds assures us that he has his DJ skills down pat and that we’re in safe hands, despite admitting being fired from a club night in his younger days for playing “obscure records that no one knew or liked at the time (laughs)”. And in case you’re wondering, Reynolds is a man with a party plan. “I want to be told what’s going on after we play so we can go and do whatever that is (party). We’re definitely up for it. Tell me what’s going on and I’ll be there”. Sounds like a date to us.

 It’s a long journey from the UK to Australia for just a few days, so what do a group like Klaxons so with all that air time. “Depends how it works” says Reynolds “But I’d imagine we’ll have a few drinks and then I’ll probably read something I haven’t read yet. Shall I pick one up now that I plan to read on the plane?” Proving he is indeed sitting on his bed with his books close to hand. “I’ve got a book here called The Secret Life Of Plants” he continues (and repeats as we blankly let the title sink in). “It’s described as ‘The fascinating account of the physical, emotional and spiritual relationship between plants and man’ (pause) It sounds great!”

Contemplating his intellectually stimulating library for a moment, we comment that perhaps Reynolds is not merely a musician. “No” he says, “I’m an idiot as well (laughs)”.

Abbe May is a girl who doesn't care what you think, and isn't afraid to say it. Playing to a packed out crowd at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory last Friday, the Perth starlet brought straight sex to the stage as she commanded her way through the dark and brooding set that is her 'Kiss My Apocalypse' tour. Notably impressed were the young men that clamored their way to the front of the floor to get a little closer to this (and I quote) "incredibly sexy" enigma.

May eased into the set mechanically with Want Want Want before smashing out the high notes in T.R.O.U.B.L.E. Tantric Romantic was a crowd favourite, with May's band driving the dirty home.

Kiss My Apocalypse and Sex Tourette's were the highlights of the show, and If I were a wanker I'd write something like "Sex Tourettes penetrated the set bringing the crowd to a screaming orgasm" or similar. In all seriousness, it was a dirty show, dark and entertaining. As an interesting choice of encore, May chose to do a cover of Ginuine's Pony. Which somehow, fit her like a glove.

Genuinely entertaining, lusty and titillating. May is one chick unafraid to give you that extra sauce you wanted.

I imagine Sex Tourette's to be spewing forth a tidal wave of profanity during an intimate encounter. Intimate encounters feature heavily on Perth based diamond Abbe May's new album - entitled Kiss My Apocalypse. It's heavy, dark and features a lot of spoken word stuff akin to RAPPING. It's synth driven doom pop and we dig.

May is playing at the Oxford Art Factory tomorrow (Friday) night joined by The Chemist and Old Willy Dear. The Sydney Daily will be there - if you find us you win a prize.

Dear Readers.

Klaxons are MIA, so there will be no interview tonight. Even though I dressed up like a newsreader with full makeup, hipster jersey - AND - very un-glam pajama bottoms and thongs (flip flops). You know, so I could stay in bed comfortably but look cool if we accidentally face-timed. It happens.

Hopefully this interview will be rescheduled for early next week. If not - I’m coming for you Jamie. You’ve seen Game of Thrones - you know what happens to Lannister’s that don’t pay their debts*

We have a hot date with the above mentioned this Friday night and we'd love to ask them a reader question. Ask me anything. Especially you, Daniel Radcliffe. I know you're a huge fan. Accio interview

I asked Andrew Stockdale (Wolfmother) what we could expect on his upcoming 2013 National Solo Tour.

"We’re going to play new songs, Cosmic Egg, first record, a bit of everything together, step up the production get some cool lighting, heaps of vintage amplifiers... I was thinking a rainbow lorikeet puppet hanging from the ceiling with a laser coming out of it’s mouth. So that’s one idea."

I love this guy.

Daenerys Targaryen is a character in the uber popular HBO television series  Game Of Thrones - a fantasty epic derived from author George R. R. Martin's series 'A Song of Fire and Ice'.

She's basically a hot fearsome chick who goes from being a bit of a downtrodden kid from an old-money type family to a fully fledged warlord fighting for ownership of seven kingdoms.Got that so far? Good.

Every time Daenerys achieves another medieval life goal she tacks an additional title on to the end of her name. First it was 'Daenerys Stormborn', which I take to mean she was born in a storm. Cool. Then she jumped into a fire with her burning husband and survived, becoming 'Daenerys Stormborn The Unburnt'. In this husband-burning fire were three dragon eggs turned to stone by the ages. They miraculously hatched and baby dragons conveniently covered the more intimate parts of Daenerys body, revealed when her clothes burnt off. With this feat, she became 'Daenerys Stormborn, The Unburnt, Mother Of Dragons'

You get the idea.

Daenerys ends up having a pretty impressive and ever-changing name that reads something like a resume. It ends up *something (don't quote me psycho fans) like this:

Daenerys Stormborn, the Unburnt, First of Her Name, Mother of Dragons, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Trueborn Queen of the Andals, Rhoynar, and the First Men, and Lady of the Seven Kingdoms.

Bravo. That's an impressive name. 

Now it's your turn to try!!!

HOW TO GET YOUR TARGARYEN NAME:

Answer the below questionnaire and use the numbered answers to fill in the sentence below. Good luck!

Your first Name

The weather forecast on the day you were born

Last time your flesh was exposed to flame it was:

How many people in the world had your name before you did

The name of your first pet

You describe your lawn as:

Any inheritance you will come into

The area in which you live.

Now to put it together!

Your Targaryen name is...

1, 2 Born The 3, 4 of his/her Name. Mother/Father of 5, Khaleesi/Kahl of the 6. Trueborn Queen/King of 7, Lady/Lord of 8

And there you have it!!! Y'all are dying to hear my name right? Ok... Here it is. I AM!....

Kelly Cumulus-Born The Singed, 567,037th of her Name. Mother of Merseyport Rap-Dancer, Khaleesi of the Uneven Red Brick Sea. Trueborn Queen of Some Tupperware and Possibly a Stamp Collection, Lady of The Eastern Suburbs

Yes. I'd love to hear yours.

If you haven't been watching it, start.

As previously mentioned the gang at The Sydney Daily experienced a figurative* crap attack when they heard track Oxymoron from band The Love Junkies. Who are they? They're an alt-rock trio from Perth that just supported British India on their national tour. They're dropping debut album Maybelene on June 7 (MGM), and embarking on their premier headline tour soon after. They're supporting the mighty mighty Grinspoon on their tour of WA in July - AND - (the clincher) NME has listed them as one of the Top 5 Australian Bands to watch in 2013. Papapishu!

We were fortunate enough to score a quick chat with these lovely lads on the cusp of imminent greatness. This is what they said.

Who are your daddies and what do they do? Adam West, The Rock and Willie Nelson. I shouldn't have to answer the second half of that question.

Run us through who y'all are, what y'all play and how y'all met. There's Lewis Walsh (Bang!), Robbie Rumble (Booooom) and myself, Mitch McDonald (Twang,Squawk). We all met in Costa Rica at a gay bar in '87. Good god, they were some high times!

Your debut album Maybelene drops on the 7th June. Without spoiling anything, what can we expect? There's a couple a heavy numbers left on it and a few softies. Robbie has a track on it. 11 songs. Sunshine. Tears. It's a roller coaster. Nah it's not. I don't know.

Your track Oxymoron gave our editor have a crap attack. That's how good it is. Who are your influences? Does this set the tone for the record? Is your editor okay!? Nobody deserves to shit themselves... (figurative) The obvious late 80's, early 90's bands like Nirvana, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, Big Black etc.. Then just about everything else. I draw a lot of influences from all kinds of different music. "Oxymoron" is however, a total 90's track. I think so. The record is all over the place really. There's a couple of serious moments. Sad moments. Angry moments. I'm not sure what you mean but yer, why not.. So many semi DEATH vocals.

Semi. When are you coming to Sydney? We'll be in Sydney town at the end of June. We'll be announcing the dates shortly.

Can we hang out? Of course :)

There you have it - strong words and a tentative rendezvous with these up-and-comers on the eve of their national tour. If you'd like to check them out (and you should) catch them here:

June 2: State of the Art @ Perth Concert Hall- Perth WA June 8: Mojo's North Fremantle (with support from FOAM, Mudlark and Flowermouth) June 25: Flinders Bar - Sydney NSW June 27: Lambda @ Alhambra Lounge Brisbane, Qld June 28: The Retreat - Melbourne, Vic June 29: Plus One @ Ed Castle - Adelaide, SA

I've received information about a certain musical movement gaining popularity in leapz and boundz over in the UK. It's called Trap - and has been around since the early 2000's (allegedly).

Trap originates from the American South where badass neighborhoods are referred to as Trap - as in you're trapped there and gunna get dead.

Trap has undergone a number of transformations since it's inception and has come out as chunky d-floor burners with a southern flavour that don't make you want to kill yourself like a lot of other electronic music.