Melbourne’s Tinpan Orange are back with a beautiful new single, ‘Like Snow’, in the lead up to their national tour next month. Combining luscious violins with a strummed acoustic folk beat, the track is as gentle as it is subtly forceful, evolving from a slow show to quietly frantic sawing. Vocalist Emily Lubitz goes from quiet crooning to a unison chant with the violins in between verses, creating a sense of unity as the track continues to build intensity. Perfect track for a brisk winter morning, and goodness knows we’ve had plenty of those lately.

Tinpan Orange play The Vanguard on Saturday 14 August as a part of their national tour, after which they’ll be jetting off to Europe in support of The Cat Empire.

DOWNLOAD: Like Snow (mp3)

One of the big announcements around these parts recently has been the Unknown Pleasures tour about to hit our fine shores (dates on that page), starring “Peter Hook and friends” – Hook being the original Joy Division bassist. The band will perform the classic Joy Division album in full for the first time ever in Australia, and “other early Joy Division tracks, as well as the classic non-album singles ‘Transmission’ and ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’.”

Now don’t get me wrong, I understand what a big deal this is for some people. Joy Division are one of the most seminal acts of their genre of all time, and I know more than just a handful of folks who will be stoked to go along to this. Especially for those of around my age, an opportunity like this has rarely existed because of the fact that Joy Division disbanded long before we were even born, and to be able to hear the band’s debut album performed from start to finish is a really cool little occasion (having seen the Pixies’ Doolittle tour a few months back, I can totally understand this).

Except that it’s Peter Hook “and friends” and, well, you know, that tiny little bit about Ian Curtis being dead for the better part of 30 years.

Aside from the fact that I’m not sure why anyone would be interested in seeing any Joy Division performed without Curtis’ distinct vocals, I kind of am inclined to believe that this seems like a bit of a cash cow by Mr. Hook to pick up some dollars, perhaps stroll down memory lane a bit – but how interesting that none of the other members have decided to join him in this venture. There’s a little article here in which Hook claims that he is “celebrating Ian’s life” and celebrating “a fantastic start for a group and a milestone in my life”.

I’ve watched a couple of videos of past performances on this tour and while they’re certainly not bad, I don’t understand what the real appeal here is (especially at a pretty hefty price tag). For example, this version of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ is a little…upbeat?…besides the fact that Hook’s vocals don’t hold a candle to Curtis’.

Let’s put it in a similar context – would you be interested in paying $70 to see, say, a Nevermind tour starring Kurt Novoselic “and friends”?

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Hipsters, get your tissues ready – another Splendour sideshow is on the cards, this time starring indie darlings Grizzly Bear in their second Australian appearance for the year.

The Grizz last popped up on our shores in January, selling out Sydney Festival crowds thanks to the hugeness of their 2009 album Veckatimest. They’ll return in July for shows in Sydney and Melbourne (the rest of Australia must be pretty pissed), in venues significantly larger than those of their tour six months previous.

Dates as follows:

Sunday July 25 – Enmore Theatre, NSW
Tuesday July 27 – Palais Theatre, VIC

Tickets on sale next Tuesday May 4 through Ticketek for the Sydney show and Ticketmaster for the Melbourne show.

In honour of the recently announced Australian leg of Metallica’s ‘World Magnetic’ tour, I would like to share some conversations that ensued today about everyone’s favourite past-their-prime metallers.

SCENARIO ONE, in which I message my boyfriend to inform him of the joyous news that the Sydney date is also my birthday.
Giselle: OMG METALLICA PLAYS SYDNEY ON MY BIRTHDAY.
Peter: OMG I WILL TAKE YOU.
Giselle: We can totally make out during ‘Nothing Else Matters’, because no one else in the history of ever has done that.
Peter: But how can we make out when I’m holding up my lighter?

SCENARIO TWO, in which I inform my work friend, Edwina, about the tour.
Giselle: Dude, Metallica is touring in November. Happy birthday me.
Edwina: I once dated a guitarist who had two fatty tumours in his arm. He named them Lars and James.
Note: I loled forever but then felt bad because we were talking about tumours. But the lol still stands, however guiltily.

And in case you were actually interested in the dates for this tour, here they are:

Monday October 18 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, QLD
Friday October 22 – Burswood Dome, WA
Wednesday November 10 – Acer Arena, NSW
Monday November 15 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, SA
Thursday November 18 – Rod Laver Arena, VIC

Tickets on sale Thursday May 13 via Ticketek, with a presale happening from noon on the 11th. Tickets are limited to four per customer – because, you know, I wanted to buy six for myself and that’s selfish.

News of Splendour sideshows are starting to roll in and it looks like electronic big guns LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip are teaming up for a hell of a show.

The double bill, which will hit Sydney and Melbourne ahead of the festival in its new Woodford location, may well be the last time you ever see LCD live – frontman James Murphy told triple j recently, “This is our last tour. So this is our crazy, no punches pulled… we have to do the weirdest stuff. It’s like the most ramshackle basement show ever. It’s the end of this type of thing for us.” How very cryptic.

LCD Soundsystem last wowed Australian audiences at the 2008 Big Day Out and are releasing their third record, This Is Happening, on May 14. Hot Chip played here last BDO to sellout crowds and are back again on the back of their latest effort, One Life Stand.

Dates are as follows:

Monday July 26 – Hordern Pavilion, NSW
Thursday July 29 – Festival Hall, VIC

Tickets on sale next Friday May 7 from Ticketek, either online or via phone (132 849). Snap ‘em up quick if you’re keen on this one, they’re sure to go fast.

And as an aside, ‘All My Friends’ is still one of the fucking best songs ever.

It’s that time of year again when the Splendour in the Grass lineup is announced and the internet generally implodes. Let’s take a look at this year’s artists for the festival that will take place at the end of July in its new location, Woodford (QLD).

The Strokes are headlining this year, on top of their already sold-out sideshows in Melbourne and Sydney. The last time they toured was on the back of First Impressions of Earth in 2006, so this is an exciting announcement for fans who have been waiting for years to see the return of the band.

International artists who have toured in the last year and are making a return to our shores are Pixies, Mumford & Sons, Passion Pit, Florence + The Machine, Ben Harper & the Relentless 7, Laura Marling, School of Seven Bells and Grizzly Bear. This is something that really bothers me, when international bands are on our shores so frequently – really takes the excitement out of it, doesn’t it? But it will present a good opportunity for those who missed the last tours to catch these bands live again.

Bands making their first Australian appearances include Two Door Cinema Club and The Drums, as well as Jonsi, who has visited with his band Sigur Ros but never as a solo artist.

Other international acts this year include Band of Horses, The Scissor Sisters, Delphic, We Are Scientists, The Ting Tings, LCD Soundsystem, Broken Social Scene, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and more.

And of course, a selection of local music including The Temper Trap, Empire of the Sun, Angus & Julia Stone, Jonathan Boulet, Lisa Mitchell, The Vines, Wolfmother, Paul Kelly, Operator Please and many more.

Check the lineup out in full:

THE STROKES, MUMFORD AND SONS, PIXIES, THE TEMPER TRAP, BAND OF HORSES,PASSION PIT, FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE, LAURA MARLING,GRIZZLY BEAR, BAND OF SKULLS, SURFER BLOOD, ALBERTA CROSS, MIIKE SNOW, THE DRUMS, TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, MIDLAKE, FOALS, FRIGHTENED RABBIT, GOLDFRAPP, KATE NASH, JONSI (Sigur Ros), BLACK REBEL MOTORCYLE CLUB,SCISSOR SISTERS, THE TING TINGS, HOT CHIP, YEASAYER, ASH, BEN HARPER AND THE RELENTLESS 7, WE ARE SCIENTISTS, RICHARD ASHCROFT AND THE UNITED NATIONS OF SOUND, K-OS, DELPHIC, FAT FREDDY’S DROP, SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS,THE MAGIC NUMBERS, ANGUS AND JULIA STONE, EMPIRE OF THE SUN, WOLFMOTHER, THE VINES, TAME IMPALA, PAUL KELLY, OPERATOR PLEASE, LISA MITCHELL, MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS, LITTLE RED, SPACE INVADAS, BRITISH INDIA, OH MERCY, THE MIDDLE EAST, BLUEJUICE, WASHINGTON, WHITLEY, DAN SULTAN, CLOUD CONTROL, MIAMI HORROR, CLARE BOWDITCH, PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY, JOHN STEEL SINGERS, VIOLENT SOHO, THE MESS HALL, JONATHAN BOULET, BOY AND BEAR, GYPSY AND THE CAT, LAST DINOSAURS, ERNEST ELLIS, TIM AND JEAN, BAG RAIDERS, VAN SHE TECH, ANNA LUNOE, KID KENOBI, YOLANDA…BE COOL, THE ONLY, PURPLE SNEAKERS DJS, MIAMI HORROR DJS, GRAZ and LEVINS.

What do you think? Will you be shelling out the ridiculous $465 to see all these bands in action (keeping in mind, of course, that even more will be announced)? Personally, I think the lineup is fantastic but can’t afford it and am not a fan of festival culture, but I could potentially be swayed…