The Avalanches

News from Triple J this week on a new album from lost-in-action sample-maestros The Avalanches (pictured above before they reverted to just a 3 piece).

Modular's label chief Steve Pav told Triple J:

"After many, many moons and several years that have passed by and several promises of getting a new album I've been assured that on Christmas Day they're going to deliver their new album to my little grotty hands." link

If it does surface (and this scribe isn't hedging any bets) it will be The Avalanche's first release since their incredible album of 2000 - Since I Left You. Pitchfork were reporting on the existence of its mythical follow-up way back in January 2007, quoting the band as saying of the new album, which never surfaced:

"much of last year was spent cutting up the spoken word/instructional records we need to tell the albums musical story, and we have some 40 odd songs we're narrowing down and finishing. so its real, it exists, and you know we wouldn't be serving anything up unless it was gonna give you that same special feeling that since has. funnily enough its ended up sounding like the next logical step to since, we just had to go around in a big circle to get back to where we belong." link

Oh, yeah? So the last two years have been spent doing what exactly? Going around in more circles? Some new Avalanches sounds (about 52 seconds anyway) has popped up on this teaser for the upcoming Nevereverland festival. It will be interesting to see if this represents their future aesthetic (more orchetral, pastoral, lush). But even if Santa does give Pav the album for Xmas, its likely to be a while before we get to hear it. No doubt the sample clearing is gonna be another monumental effort.

In the meantime (which could be a long time) check out details on their epic Since I Left You (a must own record) on Wikipedia, more of their tunes (including remixes) are on myspace and below is the lovely little video of that album's title cut...

1994

I have my lazy blogger socks on at the moment - no time, even less enthusiasm. There's so many gigs on this weekend i could plug: Songs/Love of Diagrams split 7" launch; Tame Impala at The Espy for free tomorrow etc. Good shit. Great for the soul. Beat has the word (of course).

But for the moment I'll get the self-indulgence on and just plug my DJ gig next Friday at the Red Room at Roxanne in the city. I'll be spinning music from 1994, a golden year for some... a shitstorm of mediocrity for others. Its free entry, and a chance to rock out to daggy/awesome tracks from Blur, Beasties, Charlatans, Pavement, Weezer, Hole, NIN etc. Feel free to suggest some tunes... and check the flyer for details!

Bon Iver for Australia

photo by angela n

Very excited to hear today that Bon Iver will be touring Australia for the first time this Summer. And he's playing some massive shows - The Forum and The Hi Fi in Melbourne, plus three nights at the Spiegeltent in Sydney. I saw him at ATP in Camber Sands UK earlier this year. His set was without doubt the highlight of that festival and Bon Iver's album "For Emma, Forever Ago" is one of my favourite records of the past year. Tickets for these shows should be on sale now. Check Handsome Tours for details.



And speaking of ATP (All Tomorrows Parties), more artists have been announced for the upcoming event at Mt Buller in January. They include The Reels, Bill Callahan (who also plays the Sydney Festival) and The Dirty Three performing their classic Ocean Songs.

Also announced this week was the 2009 Golden Plains Festival lineup. It takes place on the Meredith site on 7-9 March next year and will feature The Drones, Gary Numan, Luluc, Of Montreal, Black Mountain, Mogwai and You Am I among others. Details on the official site. I've missed out on tickets in the initial ballot, so fingers crossed for the second one!