AoTW Splendour in The Grass Special

Dates: 25 & 26 July 2009 Locations: Belongil Fields, Byron Bay
The bill for now: The Flaming Lips, Bloc Party, The Specials, MGMT, Friendly Fires, Jane’s Addiction, Hilltop Hoods, White Lies, Augie March, Decoder Ring, Yves Klein Blue, Jack Ladder, and more to be announced!
The wrap up: Set in beautiful Byron Bay, Splendour has grown from a low key event with a couple of thousand people, to one of the hottest tickets in town that sells out in minutes (literally – 2008 sold out in something like 38 minutes). This festival has a really laidback, cruisey vibe and the majority of the crowd turn up to actually enjoy the music – not just to take lots of drugs and look tres cool in cut-out bikinis (will this trend ever end?). The Splendour line up is always incredibly diverse with a selection of the old and the new, the big names and the Indie locals, and artists that spread across several different genres - from the gothic-metal jams of the re-formed Jane’s Addiction to the soothing electronica of Decoder Ring and legendary ska-revivalists, The Specials.
Don’t miss: The Flaming Lips. It’s a no-brainer. Hearing Wayne Coyne singing ‘Do You Realise??’ while hugging your neighbour under the stars is about as close to heaven as it gets. Also, make sure you have an organic donut. Trust me. They are off the hook.
Avoid: Mud. Well, it would be physically impossible to avoid the mud entirely. Just make sure you are well-equipped to deal with it: pre-purchase gum boots, stick to dark colours, take a garbage bag to sit on, etc.

Here is a little slice of our favourite albums from some of the great bands on the line up. If you haven’t already listened to them please check them out to make your Splendour experience all that and more. Album of The Week will be covering it closely, so watch this space as we add more great Splendour artist albums to the list as new acts get announced in the coming short weeks.
Chin chin.



The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
The Lips have been around for over twenty years. They’ve experienced several highs (winning three Grammys, being voted the creators of the Official rock song of Oklahoma) and survived a number of lows (hardcore drug addiction). At different stages of their existence as a band they have evolved from the psych-rock garage scene, through the early grunge movement (the scene that produced their only “hit” to date: ‘She Don’t Use Jelly’), into an experimental phase of instrumentation and noise, and most recently a unique and psychedelic style of alternative rock.
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002) was their tenth full length album, and it remains one of the most ambitious, lush, chaotic, thought-provoking and sonically beautiful records released in the last ten years. From the album’s thoughtful opener ‘Flight Test’ to the bubbly electronic-fused pop of the title track, to the joyous single ‘Do You Realise’ – an existential journey in layman’s terms that is simultaneously sad and uplifting.
The Flaming Lips belong on the list of bands to see before you die, and we are super excited to see them at the Splendour in the Grass festival this year.




Yves Klein Blue – Yves Klein Blue Draw Attention to Themselves EP
Lead singer Michael Tomlinson and his band of rocking red heads have something kind of special going on. They aren’t your standard indie outfit of well-dressed youngsters. Inspired by their dads record collections and a rangy mix of musical influences, Yves Klein Blue create an unpredictable, exciting pop-based sound that meshes rock n roll riffs, waltz-inspired rhythms, pounding piano soul jams, nouveau gypsy flourishes, and addictive pop melodies. The result is a collage of sounds completed by the theatrical vocals of Mr Tomlinson.
We’ve heard the quality of this EP and seen how exciting their live shows are, now we eagerly await their debut full length album set for release this June, so watch this space...



Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
You know THAT individual who in social situations will always find a way of ‘place dropping’ and referring to their ‘overseas’ travels? Example: “Actually when I was Paris there was this wonderful little blah blah.” Unless you finish your story with the words “…so It was up to me to land the plane” NO ONE CARES. So I apologise in advance if I start sounding like said individual in the following story:
Listening to Bloc Party’s debut long player Silent Alarm will always take me back to sleeping on the floor at a certain European Airport with an 18 hour wait until my next flight. Having just spent six months in a remote Canadian skiing village I had been completely disconnected from pop culture, so in order to re-familiarize myself with the real world and 18 long hours to burn, I wandered into the airport music store and bought Silent Alarm on a whim.
There is something very liberating (especially today with the instant access to music through the internet) of purchasing a real life record that you know nothing about and have no idea what it will sound like. And it’s even more rewarding when that random record turns out to be a very good one.
Labelled “Art Punk” by many critics, the majority of the album does consist of fast guitars, speedy base and pounding drums. But that’s where the punk stops and the so called “art” begins. Lead singer Kele Okereke’s emotional vocals are reminiscent of the Cure's Robert Smith at times. But not all of the album comes on hard and fast. “Blue light” and “This modern love” are beautiful ballads mixing Kele’s softer vocals with scattered layers of blips and echoes that give the tracks their own subtle power. Since Silent Alarm, Bloc Party have established a different sound and created a massive following after the release of their next two albums, but I have to say Silent Alarm is the superior of the three. It’s also ideal when you’re next to a large snoring man in a European airport… uh… and… so it was up to me to land the plane.



Decoder Ring – Somersault (OST)
Decoder Ring's original score to Cate Shortland's film Somersault (a film that follows the main character Heidi, as she deals with isolation, loneliness and sexual maturity) is a beautifully crafted album that has an (appropriately) cinematic soundscape: textural, evocative, subtle and very atmospheric.
The album begins with bells and xylophones of “Heidi’s Theme”, a sweet and innocent piece that grows with building layers of guitars and violins that soon add echoed guitar notes and gently violins. The title track, “Somersault”, introduces the beautifully hushed vocals of Lenka Kripac, whose soft childlike voice is a perfect foil to the often-dreamlike instrumentation of the band’s main players. The rest of the record has touches of electronica, wavering percussion, simple rock guitar licks and deep organ chords that sigh underneath the melody. Past reviews have compared Decoder Ring to bands like Royksopp, Sigur Ros, Air and My Bloody Valentine, and their live shows are a beautiful and haunting musical experience.



Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires released this, their self-titled debut, in September of last year. Their catchy opening track ‘Jump in the Pool’ kicks off what is a very enigmatic, addictive dance-rock record. The songs are filled with captivating percussion showcasing the beloved cowbell and some seriously insane rhythms, as well as melodic vocal lines that will have you hooked. There’s a number of standout tracks filled with fun grooves and infectious dance beats, like ‘Paris’ and ‘Lovesick’. Friendly Fires genuinely entertaining music fills the space somewhere between M83 and the Klaxons, so I recommend taking your dancing shoes (or, more appropriately, your gum boots) to Splendour in preparation for what is sure to be an unanticipated highlight.

official splendour in the grass website
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