Wednesday, May 04, 2005

underneath the radar: week twenty

So Music is My Radar has ended for the first grid of 2005. Thank you all so much for your listenership, I really appreciate it. I started off this whole experience with fear, trepidation, anxiety. I left with all those feelings intact but along the way I managed to make some really amazing friends & musical alliances. I talked to some incredibly inspiring musical figures, I indulged in some deep and meaningfuls with the least suspecting individuals. I made some mistakes, I made some improvements. I came to terms with the idea that people don't really care all that much. When I realised they did, I came to terms with the exposure. It's been a real epoch for me.

i know it's over..

For the last Radar showdown, there was a running commentary of the show, as interpreted by a huge and largely international listenership from the unofficial Bloc Party forum, alwaysnewdepths.com. You can check this out, in a thread that extended 12 pages, 166 posts and 740 views in the two hours the show went to air. Gawd. Isn't that unbelievable?

CLICK FOR OODLES OF RADAR PRAISING

The show was more or less a best of session, my favourite tracks really. Songs from the Front Row featured White Stripes covering Bobby Dylan, Muse covering Nina Simone and Queen singing in Hungarian in Nep Stadium, Budapest.. as well as some Bloc Party, live from Paris. More covers included Placebo and Supergrass covering the Smiths and the Futureheads' impressive Kate Bush cover, Hounds of Love. Electronic Ecstasy featured Ladytron, Fischerspooner, live Depeche Mode and some rare New Order.

Playlist for May 2nd
Hot Hot Heat - Get in or Get out
The Departure - All Mapped Out
Elastica - Annie
White Stripes - Lovesick (live)
Muse - Feeling Good (live)
Queen - Tavaszi Szel (live)
Bloc Party - The Marshalls are Dead (live)
The Dears - 22: Death of All Romance
Blur - Clover Over Dover
Handsome Boy Modelling School - The World is Mad
The Futureheads - Hounds of Love
Placebo - Bigmouth Strikes Again
Supergrass - Some girls are bigger than others
Ladytron - Evil
Fischerspooner - Never Win
Cranberries - When You're Gone
Depeche Mode - Shake the Disease (live at the Pasadena Rose Bowl)
Arctic Monkeys - Fake Tales of San Francisco
Bloc Party - Pioneers
Placebo - Special Needs
Interpol - Slow Hands
The Cure - Gone!
New Order - The Perfect Kiss (recorded from the video shoot)
Morrissey - There's a Place in Hell for Me and My Friends

So that's it. Fear not, Amanda of belief=function=belief shall maintain the indielove lineage for many weeks to come, catch wonderful tunes and reflections, Mondays 8pm-10pm. Before I go I'd like to extend special love and thanks to many in no particular order. This especially includes Adam, Amanda, Laur, Spiro, Nadine, Andrew, Ethan, Mez, Tina, Ang, Luke, Sharron, Karen, Adrian, Mary-Anne and all the other listeners, regular or irregular. Love you all. Goodnight, xx

Thursday, April 28, 2005

radarlove: retrospective

To celebrate the end of Music is My Radar (20/12/2004 - 2/5/2005), I've decided to put up the collection of interviews, audio documentaries, unaired and blooper material for everyone to download. Enjoy, enjoy!

Radio Documentary: This is for the Fans (Week Two)
Commonly described as "That Documentary about Queen", This is for the Fans is a dizzying aural collage of intimate stories from rock music's most devoted and passionate. The feature particularly concentrates on fans that express their passion through different creative methods. Characters range from the writer, who composes poetry based on the music of his favourite band, to the fashion designer who has designed clothing inspired by that shown in a video clip. These stories are contrasted by a grim narration, which indirectly associates love of music with society’s negative perception of fandom. The piece contains the underlying conclusion that love or hate can occur with the associations fans have with music, not with the music itself.

Download
Radar Documentary - This is For The Fans.mp3 (7,612MB, 25m58s at 40KBS)

Interview: Bloc Party (Week Three)
Perhaps best described as "Bloc Party's first Australian interview", recorded long prior to their worldwide recognition, Gordon Moakes discusses everything from recording to Reading.

Download
Interview - Bloc Party (8,459MB, 20m54s at 56KBS)

Interview: The Polyphonic Spree (Week Seven)
Psychedelic symphonic pop group the Polyphonic Spree join Radar on the eve of the 2005 Big Day Out. Audrey Easley discusses the group dynamic, happiness and robe envy.

Download
Interview - The Polyphonic Spree (3,204MB, 11m07s at 40KBS)

Interview: Elle Milano (Week Eight)
An interview with lead singer Adam of upcoming post pop Leicester act, Elle Milano. An amusing exploration of Girls Aloud, sampling BBC sound effects records and adventures in lo-fi.

Download
Interview - Elle Milano (8,431MB, 16m50s at 128KBS)

Unaired - Elle Milano formed a band (837kb)

Interview: Prosaics (Week Eleven)
A series of deep and meaningful discussions with Andy Comer, lead singer of New York City three piece, Prosaics. The interview covers topics ranging from the production on their impressive debut EP, Aghast Agape, their compelling lyrics and comparisons to contemporaries, as well as Interpol and the Stills in contrast to their inspiring forefathers, Joy Division.

Download
Interview - Prosaics (8,892MB, 15m18s at 80KBS)

Interview: The Dears (Week Fifteen)
A compelling interview with the Dears' frontman Murray Lightburn, considered among the most inspiring and articulate musicians of our time. A dissection on everything from philosophy to colonisation, and relationships to Morrisey, in the midst of a nation-wide tour.

Download
Interview - The Dears (6,796MB, 19m54s at 48KBS)

Unaired - Murray Lightburn on Morrissey (435kb)

Interview: Cause & Effect (Week Nineteen)
The synthpop duo of Keith Milo and Rob Rowe join Radar for a conference call, covering long distance production, song writing and those parallels to revered English band Depeche Mode.

Download
Interview - Cause & Effect (4,809MB, 16m47 at 40KBS)

So that's it. Thank you all for your love, listenership and support. Many thanks go out to G, Audrey, Andy, Adam, Murray, Keith, Rob for taking the time out for speaking to me. Many thanks in particular go out to Tina, Pauline, Mike, Daniel, Donna, Jase, John & many others who helped out with the documentary. I cannot forget the people such as David Benge, Steve Baker, Blaine Kaplan and Kate Eccles who helped out in getting in contacts with these great inspiring people. Those are all the admin people, emotional support people will come after Monday night. Do try and tune in. See you guys then :)

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

underneath the radar: week nineteen

It was really inevitable, the week full of old school, new wave electronic ecstasy. Celebrated by airing the much anticipated interview with Rob Rowe & Keith Milo of the synthpop duo, Cause & Effect. Also indulged in playing some really awesome new and old electronic tracks (with the odd rock intermission).

nothing in this world can touch the music that i heard..

Otherwise, Songs from the Front Row featured on of my favourite New Order tracks, Dream Attack, live at a Cleveland show in 1989 and synth gods Depeche Mode performing Strangelove for their 101st show at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. Cover-ups featured an acoustic Postal Service cover by Iron and Wine and the now infamous Mash-ups sessions showcased the Futureheads collaborating with the Streets as well as the Beatles mixed in with Queen.

The rest of it was synth. Really.

Playlist for April 25th
Maximo Park - Graffiti
Pulp - Babies
Elastic - Connection
Republica - Ready to Go
Chromeo - Needy Girl
Clor - Love & Pain
Cause & Effect - You Think You Know Her
Cause & Effect - Nothing Comes to Mind
Cause & Effect - She Said
New Order - Dream Attack (live)
Depeche Mode - Strangelove (live)
Cause & Effect - Another Minute
Cause & Effect Into the Light
Le Tigre - TKO
1984 - 2.4
Iron & Wine - Such Great Heights
Pet Shop Boys - Tonight is Forever
Cause & Effect - What Do You See
Yaz - Nobody's Diary
Hat Turbonegro - Get it On
Streets vs Futureheads
Beatles vs Queen - Dear Prudence/Fool on a Hill/Crazy Little Thing Called Love
LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk is Playing at My House

PS Everyone, next week is the last Music is My Radar for a while so don't forget to tune in, turn it up and rock (or should I say, synth) out. Thanks for your support :)

Monday, April 25, 2005

radarlove: cause & effect

as the sun rises on the west coast of america, the sun sets on one of the last radars & the severity of el's love for synth finally comes out of the shadows

Described as a gorgeous electronic fusion of perfect pop arrangements, Cause and Effect captivate listeners with their lush sonic soundscapes and thought provoking lyrics. How was that for rock journalism hyperbole? No, but seriously, this synthpop duo has long been a new wave favourite. Their dark electronic romanticism has underscored such events such as the car ride to my school formal, plans for my international Radar music festival and my love affair with synths altogether.

Personal associations aside, their background is so interesting & their fundamental approach to music so intriguing that I recommend anyone into likes their dark, romantic new wave to check them out. Check out Cause & Effect's website for samples of their clips. Oh! And don't forget to tune in Monday night to *actually* hear the full interview with Rob Rowe and Keith Milo of Cause & Effect!

Thursday, April 21, 2005

underneath the radar: week eighteen

Yes, people, I'm still alive barely. After a horrific week of 15th century Russian iconography, Criminal Procedure and Medical Law takehome exams/more exams/more essays I can finally chill for a few moments and tell you what's happened with Radar this week.

Well, in a word it was crazy. Fun, but crazy. I had my ubersarcasticyetlovely brother Andrew on as well as the surlyyetslightlycalm friend Spiro as well as beautifulyetcompletelyexasperated Lauren on the line. We actually had a completely incidental and illegal feed from another radio station, so most of talk time was dead air, trying to figure out what this ghost station was talking about. Sounds weird? Yeah, well it was. Do you think my delusions of gradeur were obliterated? yeah.

Regardless I got the sweetest sms from the studio's sms line from a faithful listener during the show which cheered me up immensely, I thought she wouldn't mind if I shared it:

"Hail Queen of the Down Underground! How fares they noble brother and fair companion? The show is running well as of yet and I am much looking forward to the infamous MixUp. Love from your itty bitty fan (I'm very short you see, hehe)"

Gosh it just makes me so happy. Ha!

Despite appearances, the show actually featured some fantastic content. Songs from the Front Row featured live covers from Graham Coxon and Elliot Smith as well as a live rendition of London Calling by the Clash. Mashups featured some odd mixtures of BRMC & Basement Jaxx as well as Alanis Morrissette & the Prodigy.

el's desire to be in sixteen candles start here

There was an odd expression of the radarlovemixedtape which showcased songs from my exasperated, heartbreaking and totally sweet teen movies. Featured soundtracks included Pretty in Pink, Never Been Kissed and Donnie Darko. EY - it IS a teen movie ok?!

Playlist for April 18th
John Frusciante - Carvel
Morrissey - The More You Ignore Me the Closer I Get
The Jam - A Town Called Malice
Graham Coxon - Time for Heroes (live)
Elliot Smith - Jealous Guy (live)
Pete Doherty - Albion
The Clash - London Calling (live)
Suzanne Vega - Left of Centre
The Cardigans - Erase & Rewind
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle
Tears for Fears - Head over Heals
White Stripes - Blue Orchid
Weezer - Beverley Hills
The Stills - Killer Bees
Mclusky - There Ain't No Fool in Ferguson
New Order - Guilt is a Useless Emotion
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club vs Basement Jaxx
Alanis Morrissette vs The Prodigy
Richard Ashcroft - Check the Meaning
Cake - Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
The Robocop Kraus - In Fact, You're Just Fiction

See you guys next week! xxx

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

underneath the radar: week seventeen

Mmm. A weird and wonderful week, the playlists will be a testament! Many thanks for the people that tuned in this week & fledged support via email/sms/phone. I really appreciate it. For those people, as promised, here is the link to the J-Lo/Tenacious D mashup which made ears prick up all over Melbourne. It makes so much musical sense, hehe.

In other news, radarmates Bloc Party made it onto David Letterman the other night. So impressed, they never cease to astound. Their Australian tour has been announced for July, coinciding with the Splendour in the Grass festival in Byron Bay. Am I excited? Maybe, bit too numb to describe. Do check out the lineup though, acts include Queens of the Stone Age, Interpol and Moby & it's only the first announcement. Please New Order, I know you're busy with Hyde Park but cancel that and come here! I'm sorry about the things I said about Waiting for the Sirens' Call, Barney, I'm sorry! Please come!

Songs from the Front Row featured some live Jam and acoustic Cure - as well as a chorus of hysterical Melbourne fans squealing to That Ain't Bad by Ratcat. See! I do like Australian music! A HAR! Music of the Muses, which has been aptly renamed My Music is Better Than Your Music by Amanda featured the highbrow bilingual workings of the Beatles, Kent, Björn Kleinhenz and Queen. Oui, c'est vrai.

Electronic Ecstasy showcased some Chicks on Speed and some mighty old skool Bomb the Bass, especially for my brother Andrew. Other tracks included the Headcleaner Rock Mix of Nothing by Depeche Mode, featured on their latest release, Remixes 81-04. Only Martin Gore can compose a song about Nothing and make it sound like a lyrical triumph. Mashups featured a mixes between Tenancious D vs J to the L to the O and The Killers' Somebody Told Me integrated with The Cure's Forest.

morrissey: there's a place in hell for me and my milk

Playlist for April 11th
Arctic Monkeys - Fake Tales of San Francisco
The Smiths - Handsome Devil
Bloc Party - Luno
The Jam - In the City (live)
Ratcat - That Ain't Bad (live)
The Cure - Friday, I'm in Love (still!)(acoustic)
Muse - Muscle Museum (Soulwax Remix)
The Thermals - Stare Like Yours
The Faint - Phone Call
The Beatles - Besame Mucho
Kent - Palace & Main
Queen - Las Palabras de Amor
Depeche Mode - Nothing (Headcleaner Rock Mix)
Chicks on Speed - We Don't Play Guitars
Bomb the Bass - Megablast
Inspiral Carpets - Dragging Me Down
Spiritualized - Out of Sight
Blur - Coffee & TV
Tenancious D v Jennifer Lopez
The Cure vs The Killers
Depeche Mode - Somebody
The Decemberists - Leslie Anne Levine
The Smiths - Suffer Little Children
Björn Kleinhenz - Out of Style
The Cure - Birdman Girl

Want to hear something? Want to say something vastly complimentary and not discouraging in the slightest? Write your message in that little Tag box!

Coming Up: The end of Radar, talks with Cause & Effect

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

underneath the radar: week sixteen

Oo, this week was great. Condolences for those who missed, but Spiro joined me once again to speak of highly humourous and irrelevent matters. As for the musical part of the show, I introduced a high-brow musical segment which I have just christened Music of the Muses. It really just includes me ranting on about slightly pretentious musicians. This week showcased Aqualung, Smashing Pumpkins and Cat Stevens. Not that I consider Cat Stevens to be pretentious but I think to love Cat Stevens as much as I do, you can't be completely bourgeouis.

Well what can I say, she no longer likes a-sides, she gave me a tape of bootlegs and b-sides!

matt hales aka aqualung, napping on a piano, el style

Other segments included the resergence of Nice Video, Shame About the Song, featuring Gorillaz' brilliant new single, Feel Good Inc. Mashups was comparatively huge this week, including many mixed up efforts of Greenday, Oasis, Eminem, The Beatles & The Cure. In three songs. Yeah. Not to mention some Big Audio Dynamite heading up Songs from the Front Row, The Cure showing us how to do it with the sublime b-side to Friday I'm in Love, Halo and Electronic Ecstasy showcasing Moloko & lead singer Roisin's brand new solo effort. Whew.

Please be nice and leave a message on the tagboard. I know people visit & are too intimidated by the purple tape involved in leaving a message so do your bit!

Playlist for April 4th
Battle - Tendency
The Rapture - Out of the Races & Onto the Tracks
The Cure - Halo
Joy Division - Warsaw
Big Audio Dynamite - Rush (live)
Aqualung - Extra Ordinary Thing
Smashing Pumpkins - Disarm
Cat Stevens - Sad Lisa
The Bravery - Unconditional
The Killers - Andy, You're a Star
Dirty Little Secret - Guns Guns Guns
Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Pulp - Common People
Art Brut - My Little Brother
Ash - Starcrossed
Greenday vs Oasis
The Beatles vs The Cure
Beatles mashup
The Beatles - I'm Happy Just to Dance with You
Roisin Murphy - Night of the Dancing Flame
Moloko - Pure Pleasure Seeker
Queens of the Stone Age - Little Sister

Thursday, March 31, 2005

underneath the radar: week fifteen

Exceptionally big show this week. I indulged in airing the deep philosophical musings of the Dears' Murray Lightburn (along with some beautiful tracks penned by the aforementioned group). God I sound really highbrow now..

There was also a joint gig review with the sweet Amanda (of belief=function=belief fame), discussing Sunday's Moving Units gig at the Stage. My views of the gig are tainted from the somewhat hostile interview earlier that afternoon, along with the fascinating crowd but yeah. Would have been a great concert if neither the crowd nor the band were there. No hard feelings.

Songs from the Front Row this week featured live Supergrass, New Order's first performance of True Faith & Coldplay, live in Paris. While Electronic Ecstasy featured Cause & Effect, some new Daft Punk & St Etienne.

And yes the rumours are true. I did turn 20 on air, thank you for the lovely warm wishes & presents. I had such a great day. I'm grateful anyone really cares at all cause I didn't realise it was coming in some sense. This isn't my cake, I'm just doing my thing with google image search.

HEY just cause he's dead doesn't mean i shouldn't be allowed to eat him in cake form

Playlist for March 28th
French Kicks - Young Lawyer
Q and Not U - Wonderful People
Zutons - Zuton Fever
New Order - True Faith (live)
Supergrass - Caught by the Fuzz (acoustic)
Coldplay - Trouble (live)
The Dears - Who Are You, Defenders of the Universe/Warm & Sunny Days
Cause & Effect - Nothing Comes to Mind
Daft Punk - Robot Rock
St Etienne - Avenue
The Dears - Lost in the Plot/Heathrow or Deathrow
Arctic Monkeys - Mardy Bum
Blur - End of the Century
Smiths - A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours
The Dears - 22: Death of All Romance
Queen - Dragon Attack
Damien Rice - the Professor
Brendan Benson - Emma J

PS. So where young hopeful interviewees Elle Milano got to now? Ah, on a lineup with Neil's Children in Reading! Ahar! Check out their little minifeature on the BBC website thingie! So proud..

Friday, March 25, 2005

radarlove: the dears


Tune in this Monday night from 10pm to hear El chat with the lead singer of the Dears, Murray Lightburn. Based in Montreal, the group recently embarked on their first Australian tour promoting their remarkable epic, No Cities Left, highly acclaimed by such publications as the New York Times, Rolling Stone and the NME. During their Melbourne stay, Music is My Radar mused with Murray about the group's motivation, production and their inherent British influences.

UPDATE
Check out an unaired excerpt of the interview here, where Murray talks about the overwhelming awe of when he first met Morrissey
Download (435kb)

underneath the radar: week fourteen

Hey guys - it's been a really big and busy week in the studios. There was a superindulgent Songs from the Front Row featuring Queen, The Buzzcocks and Ben Harper. There was also a minor Decemberists segment, both celebration of their brand new LP, Picaresque and in memory of their gear trailer which was nicked during their tour of SE Portland last week. If you find it, please return it. Otherwise there was a minor feature on awesome fiery female anti-heroines, Nellie McKay and Regina Spektor. Respek, girls, respek.

regina spektor: glug

Ah, LA's electro trio Moving Units are in town (+ expect a Radar interview soon, yeah!), be sure to catch them:
  • Saturday 26th March @ Ding Dong
  • Sunday 27th March @ The Stage on Smith St

    Congrats to sweet Amanda of belief=function=belief for Best Show on SYN this week. Totally well deserved, so proud. Tune in on Monday for her 78 Saab interview - not either one of 67/68/78 Special/Saab. Don't forget Radar cause I'll be talking to Murray Lightburn from the Dears also. Stay tuned my lovely people.

    Playlist for March 21st

  • Cake - The Distance
    The Others - William
    Stroke 9 - Little Black Back Pack
    Kaiser Chiefs - Born to Be A Dancer
    Detroit Cobras - Cha Cha Twist
    The Clash - Rock the Casbah
    The Cure - In Between Days
    Queen - The Prophet Song (live Osaka 1976)
    Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen in Love (live)
    Ben Harper - Walk Away (live)
    The Decemberists - Engine Driver
    The Decemberists - Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect
    The Spill Canvas - The Tide
    Nellie McKay - David
    Regina Spektor - Us
    Ben Harper - Strawberry Fields
    Erasure - A Little Respect
    Bluebottle Kiss - Girl Genius
    The Dears - Lost in the Plot
    Strokes vs Christina Aguilera
    Brendan Benson - Alternative to Love

    Tuesday, March 15, 2005

    underneath the radar: week thirteen

    el's preferred rockstar activity: napping

    Since little of this activity has gone down this week, I'll have to leave you with the basics.

    Playlist for March 14th
    The Faint - In Concert
    Moving Units - Submission
    Fischerspooner - Never Win
    Regina Spektor - Ghost of the Corporate Future
    The Libertines - France
    Josh Kelley - Smalltown Boy
    Queen - The Night Comes Down
    The Radio Department - Pulling Our Weight
    Ben Kweller - In Other Words
    Coldplay - Talk (new single!)
    Franz Ferdinand - Come On Home
    Travis - Happy Hang Around
    Oasis - Shitelife
    Oasis - Wonderwall (live 2005)
    Arctic Monkeys - Dancing Shoes
    Arctic Monkeys - Sticking to the Floor (live)
    The Smiths - Still Ill
    Ordinary Boys - Talk Talk
    At the Drive In - One Armed Scissor
    Kaiser Chiefs - Everyday I Love You Less & Less
    Le Tigre - TKO
    Bloc Party - Banquet (Phones Disco Edit)
    Depeche Mode - But Not Tonight (Robert Margouleff remix)
    Beatles - I Me Mine
    Snow Patrol - Spitting Games
    Primal Scream - Some Velvet Morning
    Watchment - Stereo

    Wednesday, March 09, 2005

    underneath the radar: week twelve

    Man, Monday night at SYN studios went going off, no really, foshizzle. Many thanks, once again, go to DJ Spiro for coping with my untimely metamorphosis into the stressedoutindiechikfromhell. Regardless there was much hilarity & I'm so grateful.

    To sample some of what Spiro had to put up with, download the following MP3:
    el-goes-test-match-on-spiros-ass.mp3

    In other news, I'm gonna be DJing at the Blanc Franc Music Exchange this Friday 11 March. It's a monthly indie shindig held at the Royal Derby, on the corner of Brunswick St & Alexandra Pde. I'm on straight after the band at 11pm so be sure to check it out.

    As for the show, we had another radarlove mixedtape of songs to drive safely to (in memory of that 1984 Toyota I wrote off last week). If anything got across during Radar this week, let this message roam free to all the kiddies out there, drive safely and for godssake - GIVE WAY, GIVE WAY GODDAMIT!

    el's next mode of transport: bed on wheels

    Songs from the Front Row included Supergrass & a very exclusive radarsession of the Dears live in Melbourne. So much gratitude goes out to Amanda of belief=function=belief (Mondays 7-8.30pm) for coming to see the Dears with me last Wednesday night & helping out with the Dears' Live Radar Review. How good is this? You put radar in front of any word and it becomes a segment.

    Cover-ups featured Neil Finn & Johnny Marr performing a live cover of There is a Light That Never Goes Out (can you legimately cover a song that you co-wrote?), contrasting with Peaches' cover of Electric Six's Gay Bar. That's right, I wanna take you to a..

    Electronic Ecstasy showcased a track from the inserthyperbolicadjective forthcoming Fischerspooner album, Odyssey. SO GOOD. Other tracks included a George W remix of Mass Destruction by Faithless and some delicious poptrash with Cam Farrar's Wasted.

    Playlist for March 7th
    New Order - Crystal
    Doves - Black & White Town
    Peter Gabriel - Digging in the Dirt
    The Decemberists - Engine Driver
    Kings of Convenience - I'd Rather Dance With You Than Talk With You
    Neil Finn & Johnny Marr - There is a Light that Never Goes Out (live)
    Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Me & Mia
    Supergrass - Mary (live)
    Thirteen Senses - Into the Fire
    The Dears - Who Are You, Defenders of the Universe (live radar session)
    Patrick Wolf - The Libertine
    Arctic Monkeys - Scummy
    Flamingo Crash - Ladies Say Stop
    Fischerspooner - Cloud
    Faithless - Mass Destruction (George W Mix)
    Cam Farrar - Wasted
    Mooney Suzuki vs Nelly
    Blur vs Beyonce
    Peaches - Gay Bar
    Morrissey - Tomorrow
    Blur - Colin Zeal

    See you next week people :)

    Wednesday, March 02, 2005

    underneath the radar: week eleven

    What a great week. Loved airing my Prosaics interview, playing delicious tracks & analysing everything. Admittedly I was on a high after managing to interview singer Murray Lightburn from the Dears! Many thanks go out to David Benge for organising everything. What a thrilling afternoon, one I won't forget for a fair while! Expect the chat to be broadcast in the coming weeks, hopefully by then I'll be able to describe the experience with some coherency... ok maybe not.

    In other news, much love and gratitude goes out to uksuperfanboy Adam who managed to chase up Art Brut's Eddie Argos after their gig and ask him for an interview on Music is My Radar! Man, way to impress El, my god! So fantastic, love Art Brut. If you don't know these guys, do endeavour to check out artbrut.org.uk. I'm all for serious bands and all but there are few artists that can make me grin like Eddie Argos does. So funny.

    12:51 is the time my voice found the words i sought

    Uni started again today so that can only mean that the original prototype for Music is My Radar, Cassettes and Chocolate Milk is back on Latrobe's SUB FM each Wednesday afternoon from 1pm. The C&C Milk Factory is a bit different to Radar so if you like the show, I suggest you listen online on the SUB website!

    Playlist for Feb 28th
    Pink Grease - Strip
    The Strokes - 12:51
    The Faint - Typing 1974-2048
    The Jam - This is the Modern World
    Art Brut - Modern Art
    Elle Milano - Ooo Beyoncé Baby
    Sunshine Trash - Velvet Suicide
    Prosaics - Teeth/Crawling
    Gang of Four - Natural's Not It
    Dears - 22: Death of All Romance
    Bloc Party - Always New Depths
    Morrissey - The World is Full of Crashing Bores (live)
    Prosaics - Failure/Now the Shadow of the Column
    Smashing Pumpkins - 1979 (live)
    Noel Gallagher & the Stereophonics - I'm Only Sleeping
    One Giant Leap - My Culture
    Prosaics - Tenants
    Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again
    Morrissey - Suedehead
    Blur - Clover Over Dover
    The Bravery - Out of Line
    Phantom Planet - Lonely Day

    Coming Up: Talks with Cause & Effect, The Dears & Moving Units!

    Sunday, February 27, 2005

    radarlove: prosaics

    ... is that a SMILE?!

    This Monday night, I'll be talking to lead singer Andy Comer of the intensely dark and prodigal New York three piece, Prosaics about the production on their EP, Aghast Agape, their compelling lyrics and those inevitable comparisons to other postpunk New York acts. You know the ones we mean..

    If you haven't heard Prosaics, do head on over to their MySpace to preview some of the passion and urgency I've been talking (read:ranting) about... Otherwise, I do recommend you all download Teeth (4.1mb) care of the lovely people at Insound.

    For all those NYC people who are unable to catch the show, the interview is also available for download here (9mb). Now there are no missish excuses to miss it, hehe...

    Tuesday, February 22, 2005

    underneath the radar: week ten

    Much love and acknowledgement go out to all those who caught the show this week. I also extend apologetic thanks to DJ Spiro who I continue to obliterate on-air. I am so sorry. I somehow turn into missyel:djsuperbitch on air. Regardless my stomach muscles still ache from the laughing.

    faux-indie-band pretend to be new order for crystal

    This week's show featured tracks from New Order's forthcoming album, Waiting for the Sirens' Call. The album is officially released in Australia on March 27 through Warner - or you can always preorder the album on Amazon. You can watch the video for their new single, Krafty here. The album doesn't grab me yet, I must admit. It doesn't have the musical immediacy of 2001's Get Ready or the addictively sublime elements of Sumner's effort on Electronic's Twisted Tenderness. But I figure it's only a matter of time until it's on heavy radar rotation.

    Minor rants included:
  • The New Morrissey Express
  • . RIGHT. Picture this. The last of the British music publications, NME decide to publish an article about you, patching together weak evidence that you are indeed a fascist. Evidence includes waving a British flag at a festival and writing a song called the National Front Disco. You know, cause it's the type of thing that would stand up in court...

    OK. As a sexy quiffed up rockstar, you swear off the magazine. You vow to never do an interview with the NME again - consequently influencing fans to never purchase the magazine. As the fine beast that you are, you manage to have some sort of an influence over the masses. In the past, you have managed to swear fans off eating meat (via Meat is Murder) and listening to insensitive radio DJs (think Panic).

    Twelve years later, you need press for your new album. You decide, for some reason unbeknownst to everyone concerned, you decide to go to the last of the British music publications, the NME. Likewise, you decide to speak to Steve Wright again. WHY? Where's the love? Integrity? Conviction? You'll be promoting British Beef next, mark my words Moz.

  • For love of B-Sides - where artists have the opportunity to slack off and produce B grade music without consequence. A band's B-side ethic has a lot to do with how musicians produce music when they know their ever loyal circle of fans will accept almost anything.

  • Pressure & conformity in the music industry - specifically looked at Queen's efforts to refrain from popular trends. You'd imagine that a career spanning from 1973 to 1991, the group had pressure to conform to passing trends such as punk, funk, hip hop, new wave and disco. They did OK for five years, but the pressure really buckled with 1982's much dissed release, Hot Space
  • . You'd hardly think that their effort to be fashionable was almost unwholly unfashionable. By that time, funk was five years out of date. Good for us that FUNK IS BACK YEAH. VIVA HOTSPACE!

    Playlist for Feb 21st
    The Libertines - Boys in the Band
    Morrissey - National Front Disco
    Art Brut - Bad Weekend
    House of Love - She Shine On
    The Church - The Unguarded Moment
    House of Love - Loneliness is a Gun
    New Order - Krafty
    New Order - Dream Attack <3 br="">New Order - Dracula's Castle
    Frou Frou - Holding out for a Hero
    Postal Service - Such Great Heights
    Moving Units - Anyone
    Bloc Party - Tulips
    Oasis - Underneath the Sky
    Cure - Halo
    New Order - I Told You So
    Interpol - Obstacle 1
    The Smiths - Rubber Ring
    Queen - It's Late
    Rufus Wainwright - Cigarettes & Chocolate Milk
    Pet Shop Boys - How Can You Expect to be Taken Seriously?

    PS: More apologies for musical crankiness. I still love you, Barney, Moz & Freddie. BRIAN, however, I'm still thinking about it. Going on a Queen tour without a campy frontman. Pfft.

    Tuesday, February 15, 2005

    underneath the radar: week nine

    Well, Summer of SYN is ending so the station can draw a heavy sigh of relief. But don't breathe too soon because "SYN is the Word" is about to be pumped down the airwaves for the next 12 weeks. Ignore the fact that SYN is not really a word but an acronym for the Student Youth Network. Regardless, it's sure to be great. Do be tuned to 90.7FM

    This week's show was really sweet. The theme was the incredibly self indulgent radarlove mixed tape of love and radar. I brought it upon myself to play uncharacteristically romantic tracks - note the departure from gloom (ie Morrissey) and sex (ie The Faint). Despite this I made no promises about the radio-friendliness of these songs. So good. Love radio.

    Songs from the Front Row featured Freddie Mercury encouraging the masses to sing Love of My Life with Brian May on an acoustic twelve string. That's with Queen by the way. This provided something of a contrast to the Postal Service's efforts to create something of a live atmosphere on their KCRW studio session. Karaoke? Yeah. I think so.

    Cover-ups featured Merril Bainbridge's sublime cover of Being Boring, originally penned by the Pet Shop Boys for their album, Behaviour. Other tracks included Wilco's live interpretation of Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper, Cat Power trying out Wonderwall and Sub Pop's star act Low, in fact Dreaming Last Night That Somebody Loved Them. I am so tacky aren't I?

    Fallen Figures featured the rise of INXS and the fall of Michael Hutchence.

    PLUS! An unutterably bizarre collaboration leaked from the Radar Vaults - Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury. Many have disputed this track actually exists but guess what, Radar has it. And Radar played it. HA.

    Playlist for Feb 14th
    The Music - Breakin'
    Prosaics - Teeth
    Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure
    Queen - Love of My Life (live - 1979)
    Postal Service - Clark Gable ("live")
    Erasure - My Heart, So Blue (orchestral mix)
    Badly Drawn Boy - Logic of a Friend
    Coldplay - Trouble
    Bloc Party - Pioneers
    Merril Bainbridge - Being Boring
    Wilco - Don't Fear the Reaper (live)
    Cat Power - Wonderwall
    Low - Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved me
    Frou Frou - Close Up
    Moving Units - Unpersuaded
    Franz Ferdinand - 40 Ft
    INXS - By My Side
    Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays
    The Cure - A Letter to Elise
    Freddie Mercury & Michael Jackson - There Must Be More to Life Than This
    The Decemberists - Shiny
    Depeche Mode - Policy of Truth
    Broken Social Scene - Cause=Time

    Tuesday, February 08, 2005

    underneath the radar: week eight

    This week was a great deal of fun, did enjoy it immensely. Aired the Elle Milano interview, integrated with many great tracks. If you want to hear only the interview, scroll down to the next entry about Elle Milano & you'll be able to download the zipped audio. If you are bouncing around the UK at the moment check out their website as they've got a few dates coming up shortly.

    As I came through the door last night I was informed I said something inherently stupid during the show:

    "So check out ellemilano.co.uk - but the milano only has one elle, but the L has two elles"

    Say it out loud, you'll see I said L like 4 times in that sentence. OK ANYWAY...

    As for news, I've managed to semi organise an interview with the Dears who are going to be in Melbourne at the end of the month -- as well as chats from Moving Units who will be here at the end of March! So thrilled to even see either of these guys live let alone talk with them. AHH VERY HAPPY!

    And for people that are interested, Bloc Party's album launch is on this Thursday night at 161 (that's 161 High Street Prahran). This means the official date for Silent Alarm is drawing closer people. Hope to see you all there.

    Hopeless selfpromotional plug - I'll be DJing at the Blanc Franc Music Exchange this Friday night. It's at the Royal Derby which is at the corner of Brunswick St & Alexandra Pde. I would encourage visitors at the beginning of the night - in contrast I do *not* encourage visitors for my DJ gig at Federation Square the next night. Too. Public. Not. Indie. Enough. AGH.

    Songs from the Front Row featured Dave Gahan and the devoted Depeche Mode boys live circa 1993. You know it's what any band in their right mind would do. Their lead singer is obviously too incapacitated to record an album. He's completely out of control on tour. So what do they do? Release a live album which completely rehashes their last studio effort. But whatever, I still love it.

    take my hand, come back to to the land, where everything's ours, for a few hours

    Songs from the Front Row also featured a rendition of Pictures of You by The Cure from their most recent tour. There was also a track from the Futureheads, doing an acoustic track which ironically far outshines the original version.

    New segment Mash-ups Go Home Production's relatively famous Karma in the Life which combines the Beatles' A Day in the Life and Radiohead's Karma Police. Look out for this segment cause no doubt it'll contain more weird and wonderful combinations...

    Electronic Ecstasy featured some chilled out tracks from Faithless and Frou Frou.

    Playlist for Feb 7th
    Richard Ashcroft - A Song for Lovers
    Brendan Benson - Emma J
    Charlatans - Up at the Lake
    Depeche Mode - Walking in My Shoes (live 93)
    Cure - Pictures of You (live 2004)
    Futureheads - Meantime (acoustic)
    Elle Milano - Swearing's for Arts Students
    Elle Milano - All American
    Elle Milano - Ooo Beyoncé Baby
    Hot Hot Heat - Goodnight Goodnight
    The Dears - Who are you, Defenders of the Universe?
    The Strokes & Regina Spektor - Modern Girls & Old Fashioned Men
    The Beatles vs Radiohead - Karma in the Life
    +/- - Trapped Under Ice Floes
    Elle Milano - Private Thoughts
    Elle Milano - bbb burn the bigger picture
    Frou Frou - Let's Go
    Faithless - Evergreen
    Elle Milano - La Presidente
    Elle Milano - Men Are Bastards
    Smiths - Back to the Old House (Troy Tate session)
    Colin Meloy - I Know Very Well How I Got My Name

    Just to stop all those rumours, Music is My Radar will be continuing into the first grid of 2005 on SYN. Same bat time, same bat station. How menacing those rumours were..

    Coming up: Prosaics, Cause & Effect, The Dears & Moving Units.. OMG!

    Friday, February 04, 2005

    radarlove: elle milano

    Elle vs Elle

    This week, El talks to lead singer Adam from Elle Milano about the mechanics of hype in an age of the unsigned indie band. Styling from Leicester in the UK, Elle Milano have sparked a wildfire of interest within the scene despite their passive publicity methods. Their music does all the promoting for them: fast, furious, darn catchy with lashings of sarcasm in their politically charged lyrics. On Monday night, we'll talk about the value of hype, confronting lyrics along with their adventures in lo-fi. Imagine - all this combined with the group's insatiable love of pop music. How can you not love this band? Check out what these guys are all about on their website..

    .. or you can just download Swearing's for Arts Students

    Check out how the band got together in an excerpt that didn't make the final cut due to the inordinate blandness of the question & the creatively odd answer. It also missed the final edit because the interviewer (ahem) was having a laughing fit mid sample.

    Download here! (837kb)

    UPDATE!
    Download the whole interview here. It's about 17.3mb. Very entertaining listen, I like it quite a lot.

    Wednesday, February 02, 2005

    underneath the radar: week seven

    Had a great amount of fun & music this week. Things are sure to be huge for many weeks to come so stay posted...

    Featured Interview - Audrey from the Polyphonic Spree. The 3 part interview should be posted on the site shortly..

    Tour News - I just heard last night that Canadian group The Dears are coming to play at St Jeromes'! It's for the St Jeromes' Laneway Festival. Check out the lineup, it's about $36 + bf. So very excited! YEA.


    Songs from the Front Row featured Jack White shouting at crowd surfers during a rendition of De Ballit De Boll Weevil. Also featured Bloc Party in Amsterdam and Death Cab for Cutie doing a live cover of the Stone Roses' I Wanna Be Adored.

    Electronic Ecstasy featured the work of Bernard Sumner & Johnny Marr (formally known as Electronic) and some early Cause & Effect. Synthlove? I think so..

    Playlist for Jan 31st
    !!! - Intensify
    Blur - Charmless Man
    The Dears - Warm and Sunny Days
    Pulp - This is Hardcore
    The Polyphonic Spree - Hold me Now
    White Stripes - De Ballit De Boll Weevil (live)
    Bloc Party - Positive Tension (live)
    Death Cab for Cutie - I Wanna Be Adored (live)
    Mclusky - To Hell with Good Intentions
    Arctic Monkeys - Scummy
    Libertines - Don't Look Back into the Sun
    The Polyphonic Spree - Two Thousand Places
    Morrissey - It's Hard to Walk Tall if You're Small
    The Bravery - Fearless
    Prosaics - Tenants
    Electronic - Vivid
    Cause & Effect - You Think You Know Her
    The Polyphonic Spree - One Man Show
    The Rakes - Strasbourg
    The Departure - Dirty Words
    A Certain Ratio - Do the Du
    The Stills - Love and Death

    Coming up: Elle Milano, Prosaics and Cause & Effect interviews.

    Friday, January 28, 2005

    radarlove: the polyphonic spree

    spreeing is believing

    The Polyphonic Spree are in Melbourne to douse crowds with their unique brand of psychedelic symphonic pop at this year's Big Day Out. This tour follows on from one of the most radiantly happy records of 2004, Together We're Heavy. Complementing their immensely euphoric sound, The Polyphonic Spree are nothing short of a visual splendor, consisting of 24 multi-instrumentalists donned in brightly coloured choir robes.

    So what's up with it all? Why all the happiness? Robes? Sun and Colours? Next Monday 31st January (10pm til midnight), I'll talk to flute player Audrey Easley about all those things and more. We even talk about robe-envy :)

    Feel the love, glory & happiness and listen to Hold Me Now (4.3mb)

    Wednesday, January 26, 2005

    underneath the radar: week six

    Nice to be back in SYN studio for another week. Really big show with lots of great tracks and special features.

    Songs from the Front Row featured a rare live collaboration between Ben Folds & Rufus Wainwright (singing Wham, yuhuh) & Franz Ferdinand performing an early Beatles track

    Fallen Figures examined incredibly stupid rock star behaviour & its contribution to the downfall of artists, the KLF. In their short time at the top,
  • they managed to get around their lack of conventional promotion by indulging in extensive billboard graffiti
  • at 92's Brit Awards, Drummond opened blank semiautomantic fire on the crowd during their performance
  • there was delivery of dead animals to afterparties
  • a few days later their back catologue was deleted
  • in the early hours of the 23 August 1994, in a boathouse on Jura off the west coast of Scotland, Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond burned the assets of the foundation — £1 million in £50 notes.
  • last year they said they regretted it..

    Apologies to the KLF but if you indulge in such recklessly stupid behaviour you don't get airplay on Radar. But what a mess, my god.


  • This week, Radar also looked at the Demise of Pop with special reference to how the genre died, how it lives today in mashed up genres and how we regard pure pop music now. Tracks from Head Automatica proves one of the most interesting mashed up piece, including inherently pop, indie and heavy metal influences. Rooney indicate how much the corporate pop genre is still scorned, nearly 8 years after its "offical death". I included Elle Milano too because they like pop and use it an unusual influence. That and they're very good.

    Electronic Ecstacy featured Depeche Mode, Chemical Brothers, Client & Pet Shop Boys.

    Playlist for Jan 24
    Placebo - The Bitter End
    The Departure - All Mapped Out
    Bloc Party - Pioneers
    Ben Folds & Rufus Wainwright - Careless Whisper (live)
    Franz Ferdinand - It Won't Be Long (live)
    No Standing - Drive On
    Hives - Two Thousand Timing Broken Bones
    Polyphonic Spree - Hold Me Now
    Art Brut - Good Weekend
    Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Passtimes and Lifestyles
    Arkarna - Rehab
    Wheat - I Met a Girl
    Rooney - Popstars
    Elle Milano - La Presidente
    Head Automatica - Heart Beating Baby
    Depeche Mode - Dream On
    Chemical Brothers - Believe (feat. Kele Okereke)
    Pet Shop Boys - Home & Dry
    Client - Pornography (feat. Carl Barat)
    Elefant - Tonight Let's Dance
    The Dears - Who Are You, Defenders of the Universe?
    The Smiths - Pretty Girls Make Graves
    Guster - Two Points for Honesty
    Bright Eyes - Lover, I Don't Have to Love

    Coming up: Talks with Audrey from the Polyphonic Spree (she wears the PINK robe!), Adam from Elle Milano and the lead singer Andy from fabulously dark, intense and goodlooking New York act, Prosaics. See ya next week!

    Sunday, January 23, 2005

    radar in the press: the guardian

    Who wouldn't be chuffed to see an oblique press reference to Music is My Radar in Britain's Guardian newspaper?? This was in their Guide magazine from Saturday 22nd January. OOH I SAY!


    I love you guys at blocparty.net, thanks so much for hosting the interview. The Bloc Boys have also headed up a very recent issue of the New Musical Express, so very proud.


    In other news, I'm talking to the flute player of the Polyphonic Spree tomorrow. Interviews with the Prosaics, Moving Units & Elle Milano coming up. I promise you - I deliver... sometimes

    Tuesday, January 18, 2005

    underneath the radar: week five

    Due to unforeseen technical difficulties, SYN hasn't been broadcasting the past few days. Very sad to convey that there were no radio festivities this week. I thought I'd attach a photo of how Morrissey's taking the news...

    I'm sure AUTO DJ had a blast though >:(


    Fear not, will be back on next week. Elle Milano interview is in the editing rooms at the moment, keep posted for the radar and the love! In the meantime, check out ellemilano.co.uk and fall in provocative and controversial love.

    Tuesday, January 11, 2005

    underneath the radar: week four

    This week's show was so much fun. Massive thanks to DJ Spiro for coming on Radar this week for what proved to be an excessively wild, fun and irrelevent (not irreverent) show.

    Listening to it back only a few moments ago, I was reminded why I do radio solo: I am rude and I don't listen all that well. My communication skills are kind of at a minimum...

    One of my favourite on air moments has to be

    Spiro:
    (swivelling on chair, hyper) Y'know El, you have like way too much sugar.. whenever we talk on the phone you're always like, having chocolate or eating junkfood. It was never like that at my house. We never had food, blah blah blah.
    El: (not really listening) OMFG, I have the BIGGEST slurpee craving right now!

    SO stupid. But it's good thing I'm doing a show about MUSIC and I don't actually have to listen like, at all....

    Songs from the Front Row featured the Ocean Colour Scene and Oasis. Oasis track featured Liam going off at Noel for tuning his guitar: "It dunnit matter if it's outta tune - cause you're cool!"
    Radar Reviews the Faint's fantastic performance in St Kilda on 7/01/05
    Electronic Ecstasy featured Le Tigre, New Order and Yaz
    Oddly Special Radar Mixed Tape featured songs to drive cars to

    i disappear..

    Playlist for Jan 10th
    Von Bondies - C'mon C'mon
    Mooney Suzuki - Alive and Amplified
    Radio 4 - Sink So Low
    Ocean Colour Scene - The Day We Caught the Train (live)
    Oasis - I am the Walrus (live)
    The Faint - I Disappear
    The Stills - Allison Krausse
    OK GO - Hello My Treacherous Friends
    The Smiths - There is a Light that Never Goes Out
    Elle Milano - Private Thoughts
    Prosaics - Failure
    Moloko - The Time is Now
    The Anniversary - Sweet Marie
    MV - Ma Baker
    The Roots - The Seed
    Wolfmother - Woman
    New Order - Everything's Gone Green
    Le Tigre - Deceptacon
    Yaz - Nobody's Diary
    Travis - Quicksand
    Franz Ferdinand - Michael
    Belle & Sebastian - Step into ma office baby
    Iggy Pop - The Passenger
    Elvis Costello - I Don't Want to go to Chelsea

    Coming up: Radarlove overdose with the Gear interview coming up. Talks with lead singer Adam from Leicester's own Elle Milano and LA's Moving Units. Thrilled? I think you should be...

    Monday, January 03, 2005

    underneath the radar: week three

    Happy New Year all! Hope you had a fantastic time bringing in the new year. God knows I enjoyed playing trashy music to the trashed out masses. Sounds like fun? Well, kind of. I am a closet pop addict.

    Onto the news at hand, had an enormous week in radio at SYN studios. Aired the Bloc Party interview & indulged in so many Bloc tracks. Ahem, apologies for that but I really couldn't help myself :) If you missed the interview, scroll down cause it's available for download! Much thanks to James L of blocparty.net for hosting!

    Songs from the Front Row featured live Interpol & a track from the last Smiths concert
    Electronic Ecstasy featured the glitchy and sublime Postal Service & Depeche Mode
    Nice Video, Shame About The Song included Weezer! Ahh so nice! You can watch their videos ici!


    Playlist for Jan 3rd
    Futureheads - Meantime
    Sons & Daughters - Broken Bones
    Elle Milano - Oo Beyoncé Baby
    Interpol - PDA (live in Lille 2004)
    Smiths - Some Girls are Bigger Than Others (live at the Brixton Academy 1986)
    Bloc Party - She's Hearing Voices/Banquet
    Embrace - Gravity
    Travis - Love Will Come Through
    Eskimo Joe - From the Sea
    Postal Service - Nothing Better
    Depeche Mode - Shake the Disease
    Bloc Party - Tulips
    Franz Ferdinand - Dark of the Matinée
    New Black - Booze Olympics
    Bloc Party - Helicopter/Little Thoughts/Blue Light
    Guster - So Long
    Weezer - Buddy Holly
    Blur - TOPMAN

    Updates soon my peeps

    Thursday, December 30, 2004

    radarlove: bloc party

    God Bless BLOC PARTY

    It is coming up people! This Monday night, El will chat to bassist Gordon Moakes from London's Bloc Party about the music press, the group dynamic, tours & festivals, the new album & songwriting methods. Keep your ears poised to the speakers because it should be great. I love this band too much, really.

    For all you international people, you can stop the fear, I'll post the interview shortly after airtime! But if you want to hear the show to air, you can click here & listen to the show streaming in your little corner of the world! You can even see your own SYN FM get a mention alongside The Guardian, John Peel, MTV & Jools Holland on blocparty.net's interview page! O the pride! The glamour!

    In the meantime, get yourself acquainted with the Bloc's discography. If you're too lazy to even do that, I thoroughly recommend you listen to the relentlessly intense Banquet (3.2mb). Their forthcoming album Silent Alarm is unspeakbly beautiful, even I'm a little gobsmacked about it. The UK release date is Valentine's Day, but we have to wait til the Feb 19th. Tis too long even now - but it is worth it. Radarlove overdose.

    UPDATE
    Download the interview here:
    Part 1: The Music Press (2.3mb)
    Part 2: The Band (2.3mb)
    Part 3: The New Album (1.8mb)
    Part 4: Songwriting (2.2mb)

    Wednesday, December 29, 2004

    underneath the radar: week two

    Where it all began...

    Many thanks to those who caught the show this week, it was positively huge. Bursting at the seams one might say. I did the honours of premièring my half hour radio documentary I produced for uni. As quoted by the accompanying essay:

    "This is for the Fans" is an aural collage of intimate stories from rock music’s most devoted and passionate. The feature particularly concentrates on fans that express their passion through different creative methods. Characters range from the writer, who composes poetry based on the music of his favourite band, to the fashion designer who has designed clothing inspired by that shown in a video clip. These stories are contrasted by a grim narration, which indirectly associates love of music with society’s negative perception of fandom. The piece contains the underlying conclusion that love or hate can occur with the associations fans have with music, not with the music itself.

    If you did miss the documentary and you do want to hear it desperately.. well, you can ask me if you really really want it. I'll probably turn you down, but there's nothing to lose in trying!

    Fallen Figures featured post punk gloom and doom with Ian Curtis & Joy Division
    Under Cover featured covers from Jamie Callum covering Radiohead & Ben Folds covering the Darkness. Yes, I speak true..
    Electronic Ecstasy featured The Faint & New Order (new album in March!)
    Nice Video, Shame About the Song featured The White Stripes & showcased their work with music video director Michel Gondry


    Playlist for Dec 27th
    The Strokes - Automatic Stop
    Hot Hot Heat - Touch You, Touch You
    Le Tigre - Deceptacon
    Kings of Convenience - I'd Rather Dance With You Than Talk With You (live)
    The Stills - Retour a Vega
    Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better
    !!! - Hello, is this thing on?
    The Faint - Worked Up So Sexual
    Bloc Party - Banquet
    Queen - In the Lap of the Gods (revisited)
    Jamie Callum - High & Dry
    Ben Folds - Get Your Hands off Ma Woman
    The Faint - Southern Belles in London Sing
    New Order - Someone Like You
    Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Peel Session)
    Joy Division - She's Lost Control
    White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
    White Stripes - Truth Doesn't Make a Noise
    The Zutons - Pressure Point

    Til next week my people!
    Love E xx

    Thursday, December 23, 2004

    underneath the radar: week one

    So mad to be back on air. For a bit of background, I'm El + I'm hosting Music is My Radar on SYN FM. Be sure to catch all festivities on 10pm - midnight on Mondays only 90.7 - but if you can't catch it, be sure to check back frequently to see what's going down each week during the summer grid.

    International times for non Melbourne people, check out what time you have to listen in!

    Listen online to SYN FM streaming 24/7

    Background Stuff
    About two years ago, I started doing radio at Latrobe Uni's SUB FM. Originally it was an outlet because their music department was shut down ten years ago. I found out that I had come to really love radio, to the point where I later named the show after two things I love excessively, Cassettes and Chocolate Milk. Admittedly, it felt weird about going through a whole summer with no radio action. So in the early summer of 2003, I came to SYN FM where I co-presented Music For the Masses on SYN FM's indie night with Fi for two grids.

    Later I helped out Tony T's ever popular happy hardcore show, The Global Underground. After MT4M was wrapt up, I went on to co-present Tuesday's Hoist which used to be SYN FM's All-Australian drive time music show. During this time I also did a bit of TV producing on Channel 31's SYN TV. Once radio adventures ceased at SUB FM for the summer, I decided to present a solo show on SYN FM called Music is My Radar - and now I'm back on SUB, Wednesdays 1-3pm. So yes. El spends way too much times with ugly earphones on her head.

    Week One News + Features
    A completely weird week for music lovers - for me at least. The Libertines played their last gig Paris. On the same bill, PJ Harvey announced she wasn't doing live shows anymore. Queen reformed without Freddie Mercury. They plan to tour Europe April 2005 with Paul Rogers on lead vocals. Rumours circulated that Morrissey plans to tour Australia in March/April. Andy Bell of Erasure announced he was HIV Positive. Weird, sad and tragic.

    The Fallen Figures of Rock closely examined the relationship between Pete Doherty and Carl Barat following the demise of the Libertines. Other features included On the Radar + tracks from the Radar vaults.

    Playlist for Dec 20th
    Elefant - Misfit
    Interpol - Small Hands
    Erasure - Ship of Fools
    Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence ('04 Remix)
    The Faint - Desperate Guys
    Franz Ferdinand - Shopping for Blood
    The Strokes - Reptilia
    Bloc Party - Skeleton
    The Futureheads - Hounds of Love
    Gwen Stefani feat. New Order - The Real Thing
    Spoon - The Way We Get By
    The Libertines - Don't Look Back Into the Sun
    Babyshambles - Killamingaro
    The Kinks - All Day + All of the Night
    The Jam - In the City
    Queen - Orge Battle (Live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1975)
    Prosaics - Teeth
    Moving Units - Unpersuaded
    Phantom Planet - First Things First
    Gang of Four - Ether
    Bloc Party - Staying Fat
    Phoenix - Run Run Run
    Razorlight - Golden Touch
    Blur - Magic America
    Badly Drawn Boy - Once Around the Block
    The Smiths - Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
    The Killers - Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself (Morrissey Cover)
    Radio 4 - How the Stars Got Crossed

    Coming up: El's Radio Documentary about musical fandom + its sociological ties. Interview with Gordy from UK act Bloc Party. Interview with local indie act The Gear. Interview with Californian synthpop act Cause + Effect.