Where is The Dirty Skanks’ Nathan Cavaleri? That’s surely the question on everyone’s lips following Australian Guitar Magazine’s list of the Top 50 Aussie Guitarists. Topped by AC/DC’s Angus Young, the list includes many worthy (ie. M+N -approved) contenders such as Deniz Tek, Lobby Loyde, Adalita, Tim Rogers, Marty Willson-Piper, Mick Harvey, Spencer P Jones, Gareth Liddiard (pictured left, giving Dan Kelly an impromptu guitar lesson), Brad Shepherd, Kim Salmon, Ash Naylor, Tom Lyngcoln, Oren Ambarchi and, of course, the late Rowland S Howard, who recently had a custom pedal made in his honour ...

“We are drinking a lot of beer, eating heaps of meat, listening to the Bee Gees and maintaining excellent hygiene.” So says Oh Mercy lead singer and songwriter Alex Gow from Portland, Oregon, where the band are recording their third album, the follow-up to last year’s Great Barrier Grief . Following a 13,450 kilometre road trip of the USA – we assume some shows were involved – the Melbourne outfit have holed up at The Family Farm studio with none other than producer Burke Reid. Reid, a former member of backpack-pop oddballs Gerling , has produced acclaimed albums by Gareth Liddiard ( Strange ...

Like its counterpart further down High Street, The Thornbury Theatre, Fanny’s Receptions in Northcote has been returned to its former glory as The Regal Ballroom. Several round tables were set up and scattered around the gaudy interior of the 1912 cinema/theatre for the ‘dinner and a show’ option offered for those arriving early. Fans, friends, and members of The Drones stood towards the back of the room and at its sides, beers in hands, the general feel of the room straddling an odd middle ground between that of a pub and a theatre. It indeed seemed like a ...

Jack Ladder has released some new/old material from the sessions that yielded last year’s Australian Music Prize-nominated Hurtsville . The menacing Joy Division-esque '3 Stomachs/No Weekend', like the rest of Hurtsville , was recorded with producer Burke Reid in the same Yass mansion where The Drones’ Gareth Liddiard recorded Strange Tourist . (Look out for the souvlaki reference!) Meanwhile, Ladder’s whistle-stop east-coast tour kicks off this Sunday (March 25) at Yours & Owls in Wollongong. More dates below. Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders - '3 Stomachs/No Weekend' by SpunkRecords JACK LADDER MARCH TOUR Sun, Mar 25 – Yours & Owls, Wollongong, NSW Tues ...

Off the double A side single “See The Light // All Through The Night” Out now via the Wolf & Cub Bandcamp . Produced, recorded and mixed by studio wunderkind Burke Reid (Gareth Liddiard, Jack Ladder, Dan Kelly) at Big Jesus Burger in Sydney, both "See The Light" and "All Through The Night" offer documented aural proof of an evolving band. "See The Light" is primarily driven by a snaky bass line, the reverb rich vocals deliver a subtle but persuasive hook tempered by chiming delayed guitars. Meanwhile, "All Through The Night" is dreamy pop floating on a fragile falsetto vocal, with amphetamine ...

With his pizza oven presumably complete Gareth Liddiard has turned his attentions to The Drones’ protracted fifth album, which he hopes to have out by the end of the year. "[We'll release it] at the end of the year if all goes well. Its early days yet but that's the plan," Liddiard told triple j’s Dom Alessio. "I've been writing but, I mean, no one has played yet – [drummer] Mike [Noga’s] in London, Dan [Luscombe’s] in Melbourne and I'm in the country - but I've been writing. I'm just getting past the ...

Gareth Liddiard (The Drones) will be playing a one off solo show at the Regal Ballroom March 23rd. Gareth is currently writing songs for the follow up to 2010’s Strange Tourist and will soon be heading to Tokyo and beyond with The Drones for ATP’s I’ll Be Your Mirror. But before then you can catch him [...]

– Drones frontman and outdoor pizza oven-maker Gareth Liddiard will play a one-off solo show at Melbourne’s The Regal Ballroom on March 23. Liddiard has been laying low over summer, reportedly writing material for a “new album”, which may or may not be the follow-up to 2008’s Havilah , or 2010 solo debut Strange Tourist . He’ll also be heading to Tokyo soon with The Drones for ATP’s “I’ll Be Your Mirror”. Tickets for the Regal Ballroom show are $25 available via www.webtickets.com.au . Supports from Lost Animal. – The Applecore Backyard Festival will take place once ...

Gareth is currently writing songs for a new album and will soon be heading to Tokyo and beyond with The Drones for ATP's I'll Be Your Mirror.

Grizzly Bear – While You Wait For The Others Elliot Smith – Stupidity Tries Vincent">St. Vincent – Cruel Gareth Liddiard – Strange Tourist Spektor">Regina Spektor – Laughing With Augie March – Lupus The Bedroom Philosopher – Northcote (Youtube Comments) Coquettes – Hand in Hand [Performed Live] Coquettes – Maria! [Performed Live] Coquettes – Sunday Night [...]

December of every year is the month of lists, where you get to see what people thought about the music of the past twelve months and either rant at said person's shit taste, laud your similarities, facepalm over forgotten gems, or scramble for something hitherto unheard of. But a list in January for the year before is more redundant than use by dates on a nymphomaniac's condom (sorry). Still, at first I thought that 2011 was a little low on the good music front, but after a sift there was some pretty killer moments. I'm sure things ...

In the second installment of our two-part news wrap, we countdown the final six months of 2011, which saw Royal Headache get a bad review, among other significant events. Part one here . July Hottest 100 Australian Albums: Triple J Listeners proved that they had short memories and a preference for meat’n’potatoes rock when the station announced its hottest 100 Australian albums of all time . Powderfinger’s Odyssey Number Five took out the title, followed by silverchair’s Frogstomp and AC/DC’s Back In Black . The bankable likes of Crowded House and INXS filled out the list, along ...

Venue closures, Nirvana tribute gigs and rising flood waters dominate an eventful first half of 2011. Part two here . January Brisbane floods: As rising flood waters devastate Queensland, several venues within Brisbane’s CBD and Fortitude Valley entertainment precinct are forced to close and cancel gigs . Benefit shows are held across the country, however newly retired Powderfinger decline calls from local MPs to “dust off” their guitars for a once-off benefit show, choosing to release a single for victims instead. M+N contributor Andrew Stafford writes a moving column about what records he’d save, while Custard and Regurgitator sign ...

For the second time in its short history, the M+N Lunchbox series will head to Sydney for a free lunchtime performance by Expatriate at Goodgod Small Club on January 20. The band, who recently returned to Australia following an extended stint in Europe, will play a set of songs from their forthcoming second album Hyper/Hearts , including new single ‘Miracle Mile’ . The follow-up to 2007 debut In The Midst Of This , the album was recorded at Monnow Valley Studios in Wales with producer Andy Savours (PNAU, The Killers) and completed at Expatriate’s home studio in Berlin. It’ll ...

You’ve had the chance to tell us your favourite local albums of the year in our sixth annual Readers Poll . Now, it’s our critics’ turn to weigh in. Here’s the first installment (50-21) of our selections for Album of the Year 2011. Tomorrow, it’s the Top 20. 50. Nick Huggins Five Lights (Two Bright Lakes/Remote Control) Key notes: First solo album in four years for the Melbourne-based producer (Otouto, Kid Sam) and Two Bright Lakes Records co-founder. Follows 2007’s Shipwreck What we said: “In its weaker moments Five Lights can be just as ephemeral ...