Music news

The Wishing Well is a band with a busy time ahead of them. On March 9, this captivating group will launch their first single, Life on the Border, ahead of a nationwide tour. Their sound has being compared to Ryan Adams (really, why does his name have to be so similar to Bryan Adams?) and David Gray, but truly, their sound is uniquely theirs. They are relative newcomers to the music scene, performing as a band for only 12 months, but the acoustic and orchestral sounds really come together to create music that is just as good live, maybe better, than as recorded. Their single launch at the East Brunswick club is sure to be a massive affair, as the band are supported by Tim McMillan, Benson Campain and comedian Alison Bice, between sets. The Single Launch tour continues through regional Victoria, than to areas such as Surfer’s Paradise, Byron Bay, Mt Beauty and Hobart, surely there's a venue  that anyone can catch this perfectly tuneful band in the perfect place, live on stage. So turn up the sound on your laptop, grab a glass of red wine, and listen to their music and buy tickets on their MySpace page. You’ll feel seriously relaxed afterwards. And then you can thank me.

We sent one of our trusty Melbourne interns, Jessica Friedman to the Melbourne Laneway Festival to spread some YEN love. Here's what she had to report: Waves of sound skim across an ocean of skinny-legged hipsters, and the festival has begun. We're running late, dressed in YEN T-shirts and brandishing lollipops as though they can protect us against the rampaging hordes. For the most part, they do. Even whisper-thin indie kids need a sugar high occasionally.
The crowd is high, on life, sugar and maybe surreptitious vodka shots. My feet hurt and I realise that this was not the day to break in new shoes. The light riggers and so forth keep stealing lollipops – Broken Social Scene and Clap Your Hands tear up the stage. Twilight falls and the trams rattle past. Sunburned, feet blistered, out of lollipops, we turn to Feist, and her sweet lullaby of a voice sings us all the way home.

From punchy popette, material girl and saucy - bottle fellating - madam; right through to that weird gothy phase circa 1999 and the awkward yoga stylings of 2006 - Madonna has had enough stylistic (and religious) metamorphoses to creatively fund about 50 pop careers. Only right then that she should this year, together with Leonard Cohen, The Ventures, John Mellencamp, Little Walter and The Dave Clark Five, be inducted in the Rock'n' Roll Hall of Fame (rock'n'roll clearly being a loose term in this instance). And who should be doing the inducting but Madge’s latest collaborator, Justin Timberlake.  The pair have worked on a few tracks for her madgesty’s upcoming album "Hard Candy" - named so (according to her publicist) because "she loves candy. It's [the album title] about the juxtaposition of tough and sweetness, or as Madonna so eloquently expressed 'I'm gonna kick your ass, but it's going to make you feel good.” Hmm, I’m not so sure how pleasant Madonna’s sinewy foot against my bottom would feel compared to, say, the eating of a licorice all-sort, but hey.

I am a little bit biased with this one as I live with two of the band members but, ahem, my opinion is in no way swayed by the fact that they make really yummy dinners and I can honestly say that Cloud Control are a fantastic band. Alister Wright. Heidi Lenffer, Jeremy Kelshaw, Ulrich Lenffer are four schoolyard friends (and a brother and sister) from the Blue Mountains who make smart, sweet and catchy alt-folk using milk-bar melodies and boy/girl harmonies and everything! Cloud Control have had massive support from Triple J and FBI (you may have heard the single "Vintage Books" on heavy rotation) and since relocating city-side have become a regular live presence around the way. You can next catch Cloud Control at the Playground Weekender as well as back on home turf for the Blue Mountains festival of folk, blues and roots.

The UK has far more than killer fish'n'chips and rickety piers on its southern coast.
No, not the White Cliffs of Dover or Fat Boy Slim. I'm talking British Sea Power.
They've just release their brand new record "Do You Like Rock Music?" and words can't describe how great it is. One could try though, how does "Jaw-Dropping" sound? Or maybe "Awe-Inspiring"? Get this record.

What were you doing at sixteen? From memory I was arguing with my siblings, pining over boys I would later look back on in “what was I thinking?” wonder, planning a ride to whatever party/ concert was on that weekend and sometimes cramming for exams. At Sixteen Harlem based Teyana Taylor is about to release an album under Pharell’s “Star Trak’ label, has choreograped music videos for Beyonce, appeared in videos for Jay-Z and has opened the doors for any young person who’s creativity thrives on the idea that age is but a number. Alas, Taylor recently appeared on that infuriating MTV show “My Super Sweet Sixteen” sporting an attitude that was less than desirable (not to mention a custom-made Heatherette dress which I’m sure looked hot against the Range Rover she received from Pharell as a wee birthday gift) so yeah – she probably is a bit of a brat. But hey, little lady got swag - and if I had Skateboard.P grooming me for stardom I’d no doubt be backing myself pretty hard as well.

"Cos you're stupid, baby, when you're safe"; never has a lyric been more apt than when discussing the latest Single from The Kills. Given the band's reputation as an assured go-to for raw guitars and a gutteral, bristling embodiment of rock and roll, "Cheap and Cheerful" is quite the departure. I'm not sure what to make of it yet; the drum machine snaps and rhythm (not to mention the video) remind me of music bands like the Ssion- and even The Gossip - were making two years ago. I cannot imagine Kate Moss having a wild orgy to this one. Having said that though, it could be a grower. And VV in a blonde wig? whoah. See for yourself anyway. The Kills new labum "midnight Boom" is due out very soon.