The Wire Mag
DAILY LOW WIRE
BILLY RAY CYRUS STATES OBVIOUS
Billy Ray Cyrus has surprised no-one with his latest album title: I’m American. You’re also a dick, Billy Ray.
June 2011
101 posts
NEW SOUNDS: The Ghost Hotel
NAME: The Ghost Hotel
ORIGIN: Perth
Country rock fans eat your hearts out because these Perthies are bringing that wide-dusty-road-with-a-tumble-weed-rolling-across-it sound back with a highly contagious, guitar-driven twist.
We hate to use the overused word “supergroup” but the outfit is comprised of members of some of Perth’s most respected bands, including Red Jezebel, Capital City, Grand Central and more.
Apparently their latest WAMi award-winning countrified treat, Juliette, was penned while a couple of the members got bored watching a very unimpressive Eagles footy match. On this occasion, we’re glad the Eagles were losing.
Check out their myspace page here
May 2011
109 posts
HARD WIRED
This may surprise you, but not everything you read on news websites was necessarily written by the person whose name is at the top of the web page. The world is moving ever faster, and as a result the people who write your news are speeding up too.
The sad result has been a proliferation of ‘churnalism’ – articles in which large phrases are lifted verbatim from press releases, and hurriedly slapped into shape as a news story with little or no verification, clarification, or extra context.
But lazy journos could now be caught red-handed, by a new British website that aims to separate the proper reporters from the cut’n’paste merchants.
A TO Z OF PLACES YOU'D RATHER BE
F IS FOR FERNANDO DE NORONHA
When Peter Allen’s baby smiled at him he went to Rio but when the strain of shaking those maracas got too much, we’d like to think he would have yearned for somewhere like Fernando de Noronha.
Located 350km off the coast of Brazil, this archipelago of 21 islands appears on the “best beaches” lists of only the most discerning travel guides, which is probably how it has managed to retain its hidden gem status.
DAILY HIGH WIRE
GLEE TO BRING ABOUT ARMAGEDDON?
This week sees Glee cover Rebecca Black’s Friday, creating a nexus of pop culture evil more powerful than three Ghostbusters crossing the streams from their proton packs.
Say your goodbyes, folks, this looks like the end.
DAILY LOW WIRE
OFFSPRING LINKED TO BLINDNESS?
A new advertising campaign by Network Ten is hoping to boost male viewer numbers of sappy soap opera Offspring by encouraging blokes to tune in for the show’s raunch value - even suggesting they watch it “alone” (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).
Let’s be clear, there is no raunch value. It’s about as sexy as watching your mum have a shower. Only more boring.
NEW SOUNDS: Carl Fox
NAME: Carl Fox
ORIGIN: Perth, Western Australia
Carl Fox is making a name for himself in the indietronica stakes. The Good Little Fox lead vocalist and guitarist’s debut solo album Chunky Rainbow has been getting plenty of love too.
The twee, minimalist mix of live instrumentation and electronics is like bouncing through a pastel-coloured dreamscape.
Fittingly, the lyrics tell tales of utopian dreams, magical places, and his experiences during a year-long sabbatical in Switzerland. What’s not to like?
This delightful wunderkind is definitely one to keep an eye on.
See the clip for The Key by Carl Fox here.
FEATURE: The Hives
“We’re entertainers, we’re not supposed to be boring, we’re supposed to look like a million bucks and play really well.”
Since they first burst on to the international scene in the early 2000s, the Hives have always come across like a gang of unconquerable garage rock superheros — indefatigable, dressed to kill and downright better at what they do than just about anyone else.
So it is initially startling to discover that hyperactive drummer, Chris Dangerous, is suffering with a nasty flu as he speaks from his Swedish home. But, while they may be mere mortals after all, it clearly takes a damn sight more than the flu to bring down a Hive.
FEATURE: My Morning Jacket
“This record reminds me of when we started making albums. It was very simple gear, a simple space and us doing our thing.”
Sometimes it can take several years to realise that the place you want to be is in fact where you started.
That’s exactly what happened to Louisville’s My Morning Jacket, who ditched the idea of recording in a big-budget studio in Manhattan for a makeshift one at a hometown church gymnasium when it came time to work on their sixth album, Circuital.
FEATURE: Holy Ghost!
“We just don’t really know any good rappers so, if you have any suggestions…”
It doesn’t hurt having friends in high places. Never has. Holy Ghost! know all about that. Speaking on the eve of their debut album release, vocalist and one half of the New York production duo, Alex Frankel, says he’s not afraid to admit that getting the tick of approval from James Murphy and co. at DFA right from the start made all the difference.
IN SEASON: The Hangover Part II
THE HANGOVER PART II
Directed by Todd Phillips
Rated MA15+
3 STARS
When you’re on to a winner, stick with it. That seems to be the motto by which Todd Phillips (Old School, Road Trip) directs this quickie sequel to the surprise smash comedy that banked $444 million worldwide. Hey, why mess with success?
In sticking almost slavishly to that formula, all that has changed in The Hangover Part II is the setting (Thailand) and the II in the title (which doesn’t even bother with a subtitle). It’s lazy filmmaking. But it is very, very funny and very, very wrong.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK: 27.05.11
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
Codes and Keys
Warner
4 STARS
After the largely disappointing Narrow Stairs in 2008, Death Cab for Cutie return in fine form on Codes and Keys, their best effort since Plans or perhaps even Transatlanticism.
Unified by progressive, often electronic-oriented production and consistent subject matter usually involving disaster of some description (natural or otherwise), it’s also, individually, Ben Gibbard and Chris Walla’s best work in years.
IN BED WITH SASHA
ALL IN A DAY’S WORK…
Hey you! Do you get bored at work? Are you stressed out? Do you have a spare 10 minutes? If the answer is yes, have I got a suggestion for you!
Take yourself to the toilets and have what is known in the trade as a “work wank”. Ladies, you can play too, but only if you’re one of those lucky girls that are capable of getting the job done in less than 10 minutes – taking a 30-minute toilet break isn’t a good look. Most people will probably just think you’re constipated.
“Arnie as the T-800 series Terminator travels back in time to prevent himself fathering love children. In a pivotal scene, Cyberdyne’s finest busts through the wall and interrupts himself getting busy with the hired help: “Hasta la vista, baby,” he says as he applies a future condom. Re-using iconic dialogue is sequel gold, trust me.”
— Ben O’Shea - The West Australian
TAKE ME OUT
THE SEARCH FOR PERTH’S BEST
TAKE-OUT CONTINUES…
WHERE: V Burger, East Victoria Park
WHAT: F.B.A (Full Blooded Aussie) burger + Onion rings
PRICE: $17.80
America is the spiritual home of the hamburger and the undisputed champion when it comes to this bastion of fast food. In that country, the measure of a good burger is often the number of napkins (or serviettes as we’d say) you go through in the process of eating one, five being a decent yardstick.
Working my way through the F.B.A from V Burger took four and a half. Respect.
DAILY HIGH WIRE
THAT’S THE SPIRIT
NASA has given up hope of establishing contact with rover Spirit after more than six years of Martian exploration and has called it quits on the mission.
Originally designed for a three-month stint, the little guy has exceeded all expectations and must be ranked among the most succesful interplanetary explorers of all time.
In his six years, he travelled nearly eight kilometres and took over 124,000 pictures, none of which he posted on Facebook - which is a feat in itself.
Thanks for the memories, little Spirit rover.
PIC: NASA
