Grinding to a halt
Nick Cave and his band Grinderman have announced they are no more after putting out two albums. Rather than the usual press conference or tweet to their fans they took the opportunity at their most recent performance.
Playing at the Meredith Music Festival in Victoria under the lunar eclipse of last week in Australia, Cave announced “that’s it for Grinderman, see you in 10 years” at the end of their headlining set.
The band which had released their second album ‘Grinderman 2’ a year ago was the new project for Cave and his former band mates from the Bad Seeds, Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey and Jim Sclavunos.
We’re sorry to see the end of Grinderman and their gritty, dirty rock style although we suspect 10 years is too long for Cave and co to stay away from the Australian music scene. Considering the Bad Seeds never officially broke up and Cave also likes to pen the occasional ballad in his spare time we expect and wish for a speedy return by the man.
Perhaps under a new name? Hey, he can call himself Dorothy the Dinosaur as long as he keeps punching out the music.
Brick by brick
The fate of the famed Aussie music venue the Annandale Hotel in Sydney’s inner west has been under a dark cloud for several years now. Through luck and fate its doors have stayed open and the music still plays.
Central to the issue is the mounting debts of the pub and the necessity for renovations, especially those beer-stained carpets from the 1970’s. After owners the Rule Brothers unsuccessfully tried to sell the place earlier this year which led many to believe it would be torn down, the brothers are working towards maintaining it as a live venue.
Now they are calling on the public and fans to get involved and help keep it alive. For between $AU20 — 250 individuals and groups can ‘buy a brick’ for the venue with the money going towards renovations and donators’ recognised with their own plaque on a memorial wall at the front of the venue. For all music lovers and bands that have frequented the venue they now have the chance to be immortalised in stone. Very rock and roll.
Your vote counts!
Is it that time of year already? Seems only yesterday we were celebrating Angus and Julia Stone taking out the 2010 Triple J Hottest 100 number one. Just like your third jaeger bomb for the night or your receding hairline, it’s crept up very quickly for yet another year.
Voting has opened for the public to declare which was 2011’s best song. The world’s largest musical democracy (or so the Triple J wiki page says) allows you to pick your 10 favourite songs of the year with the countdown held as usual on Australia Day early next year.
Parties will be thrown, radio’s tuned in and sweeps held on the day as the countdown has become one of the most popular ways to celebrate our national day. Before you go throwing on the snags and slapping on the zinc (or thermals in our case in the UK) the important business of your picking your favourite 10 songs of the year remains.
Yes you’ve got a month but don’t delay; it’s not as easy as it looks to whittle down to only 10 songs, especially with 2011 producing a multitude of fantastic Australian and international music. We predict many a sleepless night at Motherland HQ over the next few weeks while angst over who makes the cut and who doesn’t. The stress has already begun!
Check out last year’s full Triple J Hottest 100 list