Little Birdy at Metro Theatre May 13.

Dont really feel like writing anything, but Little Birdy was awesome!

It was the second time i saw them, and they were even better than i remember!!

The Drones at Metro Theatre April 25 2009

Mike Noga smiled at me three times and I got a taste of Gareth Liddiard's vodka.

I'm officially in heaven, and The Drones is officially so underrated!

It was my first The Drones show, and i was more than excited to see them take over the stage at Metro Theatre, one of my favourite venues for its small intimate size. The show was opened by the Melbourne band Witch Hats, and to be honest I didn't expect them to be that good. My first thought when they came onto the stage was they looked really young, like high school young, but once they started they proved me wrong. They sounded mature, even though I personally think that the sound balance between the vocal against the band wasn't that great. The energy was great though, especially on the drums. The drummer who looked very english to me was enjoying himself a lot, and the guitars were blasting throughout. By the end of their performance, the drummer was drenched in sweat. What a great way to start the show.


The second opening was Kev Carmody, the indigenous singer/songwriter who is a Queenslander. Carmody had such persona, such warmth that makes the crowd loved him. He complimented the crowd for the great energy, giving credit to the beautiful weather Sydney has this weekend. He even made a joke about how odd it was the he was placed between Witch Hats and The Drones, being a 65 yo who was there on stage alone with a guitar. The highlight of his performance is of course the song From Little Things Big Things Grow, in which the audience was invited to sing along. I also loved the instrumental piece, and I salute Carmody for his great techniques and honest performance. It is a tough gig replacing Qui (who'd be more similar to the two bands) at the last moment, but i think it created a great balance for the atmosphere of the show.



When The Drones finally came out, I have to admit of how much of a "fangirl" I was, screaming and squealing at Liddiard. Fiona Kitschin looked so gorgeous in her black dress and she's just oh so pretty, while Dan Luscombe was just so into the performance I could see him pouring his heart into his every fingers on every strings. Soon the birthday boy Mike Noga caught my eyes by being the most interactive and warm member of the band.I swear to God he smiled back at me every time I smile at him, and he was so pleased when the crowd sang happy birthday to him. The energy of the band did not fade out until their last songs, and the dynamic between the members is unbelievable. Oh My and The Miller's Daughter were actually the best two songs for the night for me, but seriously, i won't try to review their songs too much because I haven't listened to them as much and I won't try and pretend to be their greatest fans who know all their songs and styles. For the encore, Liddiard and Noga came back and silenced the audience with their acoustic performance, Noga on the harmonica and Liddiard on the guitar. The show was closed with the great final performance of I Don't Ever Want to Change. And as the band was leaving the stage, Liddiard kicked his half-consumed vodka (which an audience earlier mistaken as a beer, teasing Liddiard to consume "real beers" instead and was replied "this is not beer, it's vodka. It's the REAL beer") onto the audience and splashed the front row. Trust me, it happened. I got splashed on the face and i got a taste of the vodka indeed. It was sweet.



Overall, I was satisfied to say that even though I was new to The Drones (and totally oblivious about the opening performers), it was a great show. I will surely listen to more of The Drones and I promise myself that I will be able to sing along to the songs the next time I catch them live. Definitely underrated, and definitely a must see. All pictures taken by meeeeeeeeeeeeee. UPDATE: I was asked by the writer of this article to contribute some piccies and here they are!

Fantasies by Metric

So i picked up Fantasies by Metric today, along with A Woman A Man Walked By by PJ Harvey and John Parish. This post, however, will talk about Fantasies. Then i'll review AWAMW this weekend, and i'll tell you also about The Drones concert! EXCITEMENTS!!!

First of all, HOW PRETTY IS THE PACKAGING?!

With the black basic design and one mysterious light bulb as a cover, it is a simple yet very attractive design. Very minimalist and also modern, just like Metric itself. Lyrics to the songs are included in this cd in a booklet attached to the inner side of the packaging. The cd itself has a big gorgeous turquoise butterfly on it, and the inner background of the cd slot has another butterfly, a brown one. I don't know why they juxtapose each other, the soft slightly fragile-looking turquoise on the front, against the tough moth-like butterfly on the back. Anyway i'm not here to talk about the designs right, what do i know about designs and philosophy?!

So of course I will have to start by reviewing their first single: Help I'm Alive. I've actually heard of the single once when it was featured as a background music on a tv show. Anyway since i had listened to the acoustic version too many times, i think it was difficult for me to shift to the modern electronic version. I believe that the CD version is indeed more Metric, but you can hear how beautiful Emily Haines' voice was on the acoustic version. It's not disappointing though, it's just different.

One thing that i realise when i first go through the songs is the lack of war-related lyrics from Metric. I have often read that Metric includes their political views in their songs, but i personally think that everybody to some extent has their own views on the current issues, and Metric has never actually sided with anybody in the political world. Their message was always clear: make peace, not war.

This album is, however, a little different. As Haines has vowed, the album is less depressing and more cheerful. The main topic of this album is indeed, as cliche as it might sound, LOVE and RELATIONSHIP. But don't get put off by this! Metric successfully tells the stories of love and relationships combined with adolescent angst. How i imagine the role that Haines play in this album is a young girl who's recently fallen in love, totally overwhelmed by her own feelings, and now she's just trying to cope, either by denying it or embracing it.

Gold Guns Girls is a strong contender for my favourite song of the album. It starts with a great funky riff that is repeated throughout the song, then the electronic dancey music comes in and Haines' voice soon follows. The song is upbeat, fun and playful. My first impression of the song is that it tells about a girl who's in love but thinks: I don't wanna bend, Let the bad girls bend. I just wanna be your friend. Is it ever gonna be enough.

Sick Muse is also a great song, one with lyrics i am still trying to figure out. I thought it was pretty obvious, a girl falls for a boy and just trying to deal with her feelings. But then how does the money is a sick muse come into the picture? Who cares, really! With that beats that makes me wanna dance around my room in my pajamas, I'll let the lyrics unfold itself to me

Gimme Sympathy and Twilight Galaxy are more on the mellow side. The songs are calmer, with lyrics that are like dagger to your heart. Well, my heart, at least. I'll remember someday all the chances that we took. We're so close to something better left unknown. All of you who have read my older posts will remember my breakup last year, and Gimme Sympathy reminds me of that part of my life. So close to something that is now better left unknown. Oh seriously, you're gonna make mistakes you're young. And i love how they cite the Beatles in the song, what a great choice.

So the only one song that is very Metric-like in terms of their war-related lyrics is Blindness. That is if you read the lyrics and take the literal meaning. It might means surviving in other circumstances.

Metric stays true to their own unique style in this album. Haines still play a big role as the sole vocal in the songs, with unforgettable beats and great electronic sounds. Great female vocalist, fun electronic sounds, and poetic lyrics. The reasons I first fell in love with Metric are still the reasons why I am totally recommending the new album!

Keep my closer I'm a lazy dancer. When you move I move with you --- Collect Call.

So I'm rating all the songs (5 stars = excellent!) below. Do remember that i'm doing this after listening to the whole album probably only three-four times, so this is a prelim :) As you know, Metric songs find their ways to grow onto you.
1. Help I'm Alive ****
2. Sick Muse ****
3. Satellite Mind ***
4. Twilight Galaxy ****
5. Gold Guns Girls *****
6. Gimme Sympathy *****
7. Collect Call *****
8. Front Row ***
9. Blindness ***
10. Stadium Love ****

Alela Diane

Let's move to Portland. Really. REALLY.

Folk singer/songwriter Alela Diane is one of my latest findings for great musicians. And yes she now lives in Portland. That makes me wonder what kind of place Portland is. I guess when i finally go to the States i'll make sure i visit Portland and see the place that creates the greatest musicians that have entertained my empty life.



To Be Still is the name of her latest album, released in February. She is a friend of Joanna Newsom, and that didn't surprise me. They both have really unique sounds, and the originality of their music is just stunning. Some of her songs can be heard in the playlist below, and i totally recommend this chilling, honest, trapped-in-the-forest singer. Yeah.. that's how i would described Alela. Trapped in the forest, with a piece of paper and a pen and her guitar. Her music has been categorised into the genre of New Weird America, which is a totally new genre that i've never encountered before. Her music is soft, simple, light-as-a-feather, and her lyrics are captivating and philosophical. I also enjoy her voice, which reminds me of Martha Wainwright. You might not agree, but who cares about what you think lol. Just kidding. Her song White As Diamonds is the first single of the latest album, and i think this song is breathtaking. It calms me down when i'm feeling negative, and i love how poetic the lyrics are.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com