Music news

Sydney band Pivot have been doing all sort of good things lately; gaining favourable reviews in the ever-fickle NME; wowing audiences at shows all around Europe and becoming the first ever Australian band to sign with Warp Records (thus becoming bedfellows with the likes of Jamie Lidell, Battles and Maximo Park). Their latest and perhaps greatest achievement though is O Soundtrack My Heart; a new album that's "part cathartic-rock, part visionary synthesiser, part electronic-fantasy" and wholly excellent. Because we're good like that, YEN has 20 copies of O Soundtrack My Heart to give away!! Woot!! If you'd like to win one than email us with "pivot, give it" in the subject line and include your name and address.

Admit, you'll be there.

Love this video. Who can deny the sheer awesomness of this song? More importantly, who can deny the sheer awesomness of Brix Smith's slammin' get up?

Sometimes you feel like nothing more than embracing the adolescent elation that accompanied your very first kiss and dancing wildly around your bedroom (curtains drawn of course). Reminiscent of MGMT's infectious electro-pop and the childish sing-song of Matt & Kim, Boston five-piece Passion Pit is the perfect accompaniment to life's momentary snippets of delirium. The solo-project-turned-band is the brainchild of Michael Angelakos and has just been signed to the coveted Frenchkiss Records, with an EP due for release in September. Christened after a slang term for the drive-in movie theatres where teenagers engaged in 'extra-curricular activities', Passion Pit deliver explosive tunes characterised by an almost desperate immediacy. Cut the coffee and get an instant pick me up the old fashioned way - turn the volume up so loud it hurts.

Like battle of the bands on steroids, MTV Kickstart offers bands from around Australia the chance to, well, "Kickstart" their music careers. The five finalists from each state will be singing for their supper in their capital over the next two months, so if you have any love for local music you should be of the couch and in the pub supporting your town's entrants. The overall winner from each state will go on to compete in a big 'ol National final, with the overall overall winner (as voted by the public) receiving 15,000 cash, hook-ups with Australian music labels and of course, publicity support from MTV. To find out who the finalists are and when and where you can catch them, check the Kickstart website.

What do you get when you stick Julian Casablancas, Santogold and Pharell in a recording studio together? Oh, you know, just one of the catchiest songs of the year. My Drive Thru was the first tune created for Converse's 100-year-anniversary Three artists, One Song project and, with Pharell's production talent, Julian's dour vocals and Santogold's general untouchable-nes, it's a certified, trans-genre, on-the-money banger. YEN and Converse have ten copies of the all-star (geddit? geddit?) single to give away. To score yourself one, just tell us what you would sell at your drive-thru.

here's a few links to several of my favourite all time songs via you tube: number one, number two, number three, number four, number five