Listening: Bridezilla & those Casablanca moments

Bridezilla - The First Dance

Finally, something new to talk about. Two reasons; one, because, by my own admission, I have been lost in nostalgia-dom - helplessly indulging with the ghost of albums past, and two, nothing new has really grabbed my attention.

That's not to say I haven't been trying. I listen to a lot of music (one of the perks of working at BudTrap) - my headphones get a solid 8 hour workout. Mostly it flows in and out of consciousness, a backing track to the thought process - and then, every so often - kerpow! - something hits you in the 'wow - who's that?' lobe/cortex.  It's a "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" moment.

I had one of those moments this week, listening to Bridezilla's aptly titled debut The First Dance. I'd briefly listened to the Sydney quintet's 5-track EP a year or so ago and, while impressed, had promptly reformatted the brain-space for something else. Not so this time - packing an impressive reputation for formidable live performances and coming off All Tomorrow's Parties appearances in both Aus and the US, The First Dance caught me pleasantly by surprise. Kerpow.

The Bridezilla sound is part ethereal, part classical, part eclectic rock. It is entirely beautiful; the seamless interplay of violin and saxophone (compliments of the annoyingly talented and classically trained Daisy Tulley and Millie Hall respectively) yielding an unusual yet strangely seductive aesthetic - an experimental eclecticism not unlike the instrumental excursions of Arcade Fire. Its music to have a moment to; turn the lights down and the stereo up and let the rich, textured melodies wash over you.

The First Dance is both expansive in vision and daring in execution, creating a unique fusion of classical musicality and modern pop sensibility. It reminds a little of Mercury Rev, softer Goldfrapp and Dirty Three - lofty company indeed. Yet the album flows with such understated effortlessness that you suspect this was no fluke - Bridezilla have staked their claim as enchanting and supremely talented craftsmen. Keep an eye on them. 

About this column:

BudTrap was born out of our love of music - and the frustration of having to deal with headphones that kept getting tangled up. Nothing's changed. We still listen to an awful lot of music - and go to a stack of gigs; it's our passion. So each week we like to share a little about what we've been listening to - good or bad - and spread that passion. Yeah we get a bit opinionated and worked up, that's what it's all about. We encourage you to bite back, join the discussion and let us know what's been rocking your world.

What we've been listening to this week

Whitley - Go Forth Find Mammoth

The feeling of unbridled anticipation is one of the simple pleasures that the enjoyment of music brings. It marks the beginning of a beautiful journey and a moment in time, discovering and sharing an artist’s personal reflections and thoughts through their lyrics and melodic sound. Having heard Whitley’s amazing and infectious first single “Head, First, Down” from his, then upcoming, sophomore CD “Go Forth Find Mammoth” (a month out from its official release) that anticipation was well and truly set and growing.

I first heard Whitley about 12 months earlier, performing a stripped back acoustic version of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” and what impressed me, besides his original arrangement, was his voice; a low, husky, whispering tone that put a totally different slant on that timeless pop gem. Yes, I know, ABBA that guilty pleasure much akin to the “M” word, an activity everybody participates in but no one admits to, anyway I digress. That was the last I heard of Whitley (real name Lawrence Greenwood) the 22-year-old musician who hails from Melbourne Australia, for a considerable while but it would not be the last.

“Go Forth, Find Mammoth “(released 31 October, 2009) is a beautifully crafted and addictive musical collection of folk infused pop, that takes you down a path of life’s experiences, setbacks, joys and unexpected mysteries. From the CD’s opening instrumental song “1945”, you seem instantly swept away by gorgeous ambient sounds, subliminally substituted for any lyrical content, effortlessly morphing into the second track “Poison In Our Pocket”. From here the combination of acoustic guitar (fingers plucking away up and down the fretboard) and those unmistakable Whitley vocals, take us on a hypnotic journey allowing us to reflect on times that may have once past us by. The same could be said of “Winter Warmer Sky” and “Killer” where the former acts as the perfect precursor that guides us dreamily into the latter, suddenly opening with the successive progression of catchy chords. However, in my opinion, it’s the lush vocals of Hazel Brown that completely mesmerise the listener, perfectly complementing Whitley on this track.

The sound of a rainstorm introduces (and subsequently completes) the reflective and emotionally stirring track “The Piece You Took From Me”, the interesting fact is that the sound isn’t a synthetic reproduction but an actual recording taken during a storm: - only organic additives allowed on this CD and absolutely nothing wasted. The journey ends, pretty much in the same way that it started, with the coupling of interrelated and intertwining tracks, this time “Facades I” and “Facades II”, provide a fitting closure, a moment that musically marks the end of the road and a time to appreciate.

You can’t help but listen to the stories that unfold musically before you, the entire CD is honestly “all killer with no filler”, no sub standard tracks have been inserted in a bid to flesh out its content. This being said, it’s a CD that really needs to be listened to in chronological order, otherwise you lose the sense of the intended magical and mystical journey that Whitely cleverly paves in the form of the carefully arranged track listing.

As with Silverchair, MGMT and more recently Muse, Whitley has the ability to captivate and attract alternate and mainstream listeners alike, without compromising his musical credibility. So give your ears, mind and soul an early Christmas present, “go forth” and discover this hidden gem of 2009 from a truly gifted and talented artist.

About this column:

BudTrap was born out of our love of music - and the frustration of having to deal with headphones that kept getting tangled up. Nothing's changed. We still listen to an awful lot of music - and go to a stack of gigs - it's our passion. So each week we like to share a little about what we've been listening to - good or bad - and spread that passion. Yeah we get a bit opinionated and worked up, that's what it's all about. We encourage you to bite back, join the discussion and let us know what's been rocking your world.

What we've been listening to this week

Ida Maria

How do you solve a problem like Ida Maria?

All week I've been trying to work out why I like Ida so damn much, with 'Fortress Round My Heart' (her debut) dominating office airplay. (apologies for digging up yet another oldie to rant about - will cover some brand new stuff next week, promise :)

The obvious springs to mind - she's chaotic, a little unhinged and bangs out smart, sexy, kick-ass rock 'n roll. Throw in that she's from a tiny Nordic village (less than 2000 people), has synesthesia (a neurological phenomenon that results in Ida envisioning colors when she hears music) and her repeated hedonistic confessionals  - and this is one interesting lady.

Digging deeper, the album sounds like its about to burst with energy - like the four-piece are all hopped up on caffeine and playing for their lives. Its raw and chaotic and seems to deliberately lack the polish of other pop rock albums. This makes the album sound slightly unstructured, like an intimate, volume-cranked-to-eleven gig with devil-may-care Ida & co in full swing.

The songs are instantly catchy; a mix of fist-pumping anthems ("Oh my God" reminds me of why I used to love moshing as a young 'un), witty pop ditties and heartfelt ballads. It's damn fine work, and well worth a good listen.

About this column:

BudTrap was born out of our love of music - and the frustration of having to deal with headphones that kept getting tangled up. Nothing's changed. We still listen to an awful lot of music - and go to a stack of gigs; it's our passion. So each week we like to share a little about what we've been listening to - good or bad - and spread that passion. Yeah we get a bit opinionated and worked up, that's what it's all about. We encourage you to bite back, join the discussion and let us know what's been rocking your world.

Your brand strikes back

Our second vid has been released! 100% handmade by BudTrap crew, our latest effort highlights how BudTrap offers a high visibility, low cost branding platform to companies looking to get their brand in their customer's hand. Check it out.

Behind the scenes this was our biggest production yet. Over 120 sprites and 850 frames were used - however coaxing me, against my better judgement, to do the voiceover was the biggest challenge :)

Dr. Estebesteban also makes his long awaited return to budtrap.com. After a brief hiatus (and a little too much fun in Rio) the good Dr. shows off his golfing skills.

What we've been listening to this week

Magic Dirt @ Annandale Hotel

“HELL Yeah” both articulately and succinctly describes the Magic Dirt experience, in particular the night of November 6th at Sydney’s Annandale Hotel.

The Annandale Hotel is the Geelong garage/grunge/rock band's home away from home and tonight’s concert was always going to be something special and spiritual. The band came together to pay special tribute to their fallen band mate and co founder, Dean Turner, who passed away from a rare form of cancer a few months earlier and the night was completely sold out. This however did not for one moment mean that this special occasion was going to be a sombre affair; the band rocked, charged, blazed and owned the stage from the opening song. That’s what Dean would have wanted and the only way he knew to deliver a Magic Dirt performance.

Front woman Adalita Srsen, as I have always maintained, is the most energetic, entertaining, enigmatic and charismatic female lead singer in Australia (and among the very best within the international music industry). If there is a better woman then she must be so indie, alternate, independent and underground that she’s playing a nomadic cave somewhere in the vast Australian wilderness. Adalita rocked the stage, traversed the Annandale bar and, in a noble gesture to her hard core fans, jumped off stage into the mosh pit floor for a “meet and greet” and for a period of 5 minutes played lying on her back flanked by her adoring fans. To her credit, she never missed a chord!

Drummer Adam Robertson was totally in his own zone, watching him pound those skins with complete abandon at times he looked like he was channelling late great “skinsmen” Keith Moon and John Bonham. Sweat pouring out of him, almost in synch with the beat, his handy pack of Becks ensured a source of quick liquid replenishment. Guitarist Raul was amped for a huge night, from the warm up he was ready to give all and he did; enjoyment personified, rock jamming guitar licks a-plenty and he didn’t wane for a second throughout the hour and a half set. Matt Sonic, who replaced Dean, did so with much grace and conviction - a long time friend of Dean’s there was no one more fitting and capable to fill that role, he was solid and did Dean proud.

The set-list, handpicked by the band, primarily consisted of songs that were special to Dean, which meant that they pretty much spanned Magic Dirt’s entire back catalogue and also resulted in the band playing songs like “Snow White”, which by their own admission, had not been played in a long while. For die hard fans this was a definite bonus and they lapped it up with complete insatiable gusto, which drove Adalita into a further rock inspired frenzy. Other Dean favourites that were cranked to the max were ”Dirty Jeans”, “Vulcanella”, “White Boy” and “All My Crushes”, to name just a few.

There was a brief pause about a third of the way into the night where the band stopped to honour Dean. In a hearted felt speech by Adalita, which had the crowd applauding for several minutes before she could continue (she was openly moved by this gesture), she then continuing in an emotional epilogue honouring her cofounder and dear friend. A beautiful moment complemented by an ambience and an audience that was engaged in the moment.

As Adalita eluded to earlier on, the night belonged to Dean and the incredible legacy he left behind, through Magic Dirt, his music will live for a considerably long time. An amazing band, an unforgettable night and a heartfelt goodbye… Dirty Jeans forever.

About this column:

BudTrap was born out of our love of music - and the frustration of having to deal with headphones that kept getting tangled up. Nothing's changed. We still listen to an awful lot of music - and go to a stack of gigs - it's our passion. So each week we like to share a little about what we've been listening to - good or bad - and spread that passion. Yeah we get a bit opinionated and worked up, that's what it's all about. We encourage you to bite back, join the discussion and let us know what's been rocking your world.

New Packaging

Check out our new kit - getting out of tangles in style!