Friends: Nightmaster

Nightmaster have the groove to make you move. Nightmaster have liberal use of Bigsby-equipped guitars and Fender Bass VIs. Nightmaster are having their EP launch in two weeks from today on Friday the 29th of January. Nightmaster decided this would be at The Curtin Bandroom with Scott and Charlene’s Wedding, (the awesome) Mesa Cosa and Milk Teddy. Nightmaster decided to title their EP "Tiger" and give this away for free to every attendee at this gig. YIS thinks this is a proposition too good to pass up. Nightmaster agrees.

Friends: Wrong Turn

Y'know when you get a CD of your mate's band, and it ends up sounding like it was recorded for $0 under their house on a walkman?

Well, I had the pleasure of driving around with the excellent new CD by Wrong Turn in my car for a few hours last night after catching them blast through a set to some appreciative diners at The Retreat on Sydney Rd last night. Apart from being some of the nicest dudes you'll meet, Myles and Ian pack a lot of punch for a two piece. The sound is pretty straight vintage (their description of Chuck Berry/Bo Diddley style rock is pretty spot on); it sounds like they grew up on the same stuff Jon Spencer did and came to a similar, but less zombie-Elvis-like conclusion.

And gear whores take note; there is some seriously nice ampage going on up there including some vintage Australian VASE gear and a set of Ampro speakers on wooden legs. I was thinking how nice it must be to play in a two-piece and not having to worry about all that gear until I saw Ian packing a station-wagon to the gills with his two speakers, two heads in massive roadcases and three guitars. I spose Myles' Ludwig kit is orrite as well...

Anyway, check out the Myspace for the next show details and some tunes, and get the cd thru Off The Hip.

Photos: The Strange Attractions @ Blue Tile Lounge, 23/10/09

Some average camera-phone shots of an above-average gig... These guys are getting very good... so much so that I'm gonna have to cut their set to 20 minutes at The Tote so that they don't destroy the place/Tim doesn't destroy himself/they don't upstage us...

Friends: Kate Wilson of The Laurels & The Holy Soul

Seeing as Kate is in town this week, I thought it'd be appropriate to give her bands a plug.... not that they need it really, with The Holy Soul just having played a sold-out show with The Mess Hall at NSC over the weekend, and The Laurels playing a pair of sold-out shows with Tame Impala at the Corner tonight and on Friday (as well as a Karova Lounge show on Wednesday)... All that traveling must be tough, so, here's a sympathy plug: The Holy Soul are launching their album "Damn You, Ra" at The Oldie on Saturday, November 7th, and I reckon that they'll struggle to get a crowd supported by Mick Turner, Miniature Submarines and Late Arvo Sons... we might have to offer to do a free YIS T-Shirt signing out the front on the night to help get some people through the door...

Friends: Zac Oblivian & Pissing on the Mainframe

Pissing on the Mainframe

Zac Oblivian was kind enough to give us a payola-free shoutout over on his blog; while you stop by, be sure to check out his tale of bowling with Teen Archer at Crown and other adventures... As well as excellent tour news and releases. Watch that you don't get sprayed...

Friends: T.J. Honeysuckle & Last Tram Home

(Left: Simon Fazio. Right: Trevor Block. Middle : an eternal struggle. Photo by Elizabeth Clark.)

YIS met Block about four years ago. He makes a mean rice salad. He has a Google top search term. He's the inspiration behind one of our tracks "Trevor Block Rockin' Beats" (which'll be posted here as soon as we record it).

He also runs a blog; Last Tram Home. Check it out.

Friends: The Strange Attractions

(click for full sized image)

Here's an illustration of our friends The Strange Attractions by the multi-talented Andre Fazio, full-time drummer and occasional bassist with YIS. They've been kicking around for a couple of years now and have been getting better every time I've seen them. Check out their stuff on Myspace.

Apart from our Live Mixtape gig at the Tote on Sat Oct. 31st, you can catch them at The Royal Derby on Thurs Oct. 8th.

The Strange Attractions - Light & Dark (.mp3)