You have to pay me to listen to .....

What band would have to pay you to listen to their music? Hmmm... I could name a couple...

The Reclusive Barclay Brothers, an unsigned band in the UK has gained a lot of attention recently by doing just that. They are offering to pay £27 (around $50 AUD) to 100 people who listen to their single 'We Could Be Lonely Together', randomly selected from their online mailing list. Which for around $5000 plus the price of the video clip it is a pretty cheap marketing campaign to get a lot of international media attention and therefore getting a lot of people listening to the track, who hopefully liking it and buying it. Quite smart.


But personally I think they should have spent a few more pounds on a better stylist and photographer... and more thought into a better band name.

The video clip is really interesting, with an explanation of what they are doing. The music is nothing to get excited about, but I have heard worse on the radio.



If you are keen to signup to their e-newsletter the website is NewLowForMusic.com

What band would you like to collect a few dollars from?

Taylor Momsen - The Fashion Police

Recently ex-Gossip Girl actress / wannabe rock star Taylor Momsen said in an interview:

"People think pop is rock, and the lines are getting blurred. Now Rihanna's wearing fuckin' leather jackets, and it's really annoying"

Hmmm... this brings up a number of questions... I wonder what she would say about my mum also wearing a leather jacket? Is she international fashion police or just in the music industry? But really who would ever take fashion advise from a 17 year old who dresses trashier than the average roadside hooker?


Check out some of her other classic outfits here.

Check Out Mashable

Mashable is a great source for all social networking news, technology and web culture. With dozens of interesting articles a day covering essential topics like Why You Can’t Block Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook, Snoop Dogg Promotes “Mafia Wars” by Blowing Up a Truck and Explore Hip Hop History in Google Maps .

I just read this great article Top 5 Tips for Aspiring Music Bloggers. So check it out or befriend on Facebook... it will make you feel smarter.

Oh, and the CEO is surprisingly good looking.

I Guess I'm Easy

I came across this article today by the UK Daily Mail which claims that more than half of UK men think tight-fitting dresses made women look easy. Other fashion items that make the easy list are stilettos, pencil skirts(!!), knee-high boots, mini skirts, hipster jeans, underwear-as-outerwear, crop tops, corset tops and lace (watch out nannas, you may be sending the wrong message).

I don't know about you but I probably wear one of these items each day and I consider myself a pretty conservative dresser. Although I never embraced Underwear-as-outerwear or corset tops, a pencil skirt or skinny jeans make up my usual work uniform.... I mean the bottom half of it.

The article quotes a survey of 1,348 men and also came up with this "One in three admitted that they didn't like their partner to wear tight clothing on a night out and a quarter would forbid their wife or girlfriend from wearing something they disapproved of on a night out."

That sounds rediculous. Especially coming from the home of some of the trashiest dressers in the world, Amy Winehouse and Jordan AKA Katie Price. This is what Katie Price wore to her recent book launch (but at least this time she didn't get her husband to dress as a transvestite).

Are people in the UK really that much more conservative than Australians?

Here is the full list of trends that make women look easy:

- Body-con dresses (57 per cent)
- Crop tops (53 per cent)
- Corset tops (51 per cent)
- Lace (45 per cent)
- Underwear-as-outerwear (43 per cent)
- Pencil skirts (38 per cent)
- Knee-high boots (32 per cent)
- Stiletto heels (29 per cent)
- Mini skirts (22 per cent)
- Hipster jeans (19 per cent)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1302543/Are-seasons-fashion-trends-giving-men-wrong-message.html#ixzz0wSxukJtr

Song of the week... Rock It

My song for this week is "Rock It" by Melbourne dudes Little Red. The band has been around for a couple of years now and have played at a number of festivals including the V Festival, Big Day Out, Splendour In The Grass and the Falls Festival.

Review: Florence + The Machine @ The Enmore Theatre

Photo by Jess, Florence & The Sewing Machine

Florence + The Machine put on and awesome show last night at the Enmore theatre! She sung her heart out for nearly two hours covering everything from the hugely successful ‘Lungs’ album. I really did not expect her voice to be as powerful and beautiful as it was on the album, but the sound was truly amazing. Backed up by Rob Ackroyd on guitar, Chris Hayden on drums, Isabella Summers on keyboards and Tom Monger on the harp, the harp really made it. Florence also had her own drum up the front which she used for a few songs and really built up anticipation.

What I didn’t expect was how sexy Florence Welch is! The photos and videos really don’t do her justice. She is one beautiful woman who didn’t stop dancing and floating around the stage the show, at the end of the night one friend exclaimed “She looks just like a fairy!”. She wore a see-through lace dress which looked an old night gown she picked up from the a Newtown op-shop on the way with a black bodysuit which had a skin coloured back which made her look naked from the back. I have never seen someone work a crowd into such frenzy by just turning around and wiggling their hips.

I was really hoping for a few costume changes. For one song she did add a black bat-like lace cape but I felt the show could have been more theatrical like the film clips. But I really think the one thing missing from the show was this…..

I was waiting all night for Florence to be lowered to the stage on a giant moon like in the film clip of “You’ve got the love” but sadly it didn’t happen.

She finished the show with a knockout extended version or “Dog Days Are Over” which had everyone screaming and dancing and shaking the whole theatre.

Here are a few of my blurry photos of the night:

The Amazing Race Australia!

Channel Seven are looking for contestants for an Australian version of The Amazing Race! I am super-excited and seriously thinking of applying.

Applications are now being taken from the series, just get yours in before the 6th of September. To apply you have to be over 18, have a team of two, have a passport and all that, they go on to ask if you have ever worked for Channel Seven, drink, smoke, or have tattoos, but the application form gets a bit more interesting... have you every hit somebody (even siblings count), currently being sued or have cosmetic surgery.... really? I wonder if that would make you more or less likely to be selected?

You can download an application form from Yahoo7.

Would you go on The Amazing Race?

Song of the week...You've Got the Love

I'm seeing Florence + The Machine tonight at the Enmore! If you need a a pick me up this Friday morning check out the video below. Check out the guy at 2:22 pulling off his wig, that made me laugh.



Florence is being supported by Ernest Ellis, who to me sounds a lot like Bon Iver with drums.

This makes me want to reproduce!

Channel Ten aired their new promo for Junior MasterChef this week. It looks great! The kids look so amazingly talented, but with over 5000 kids appling i thought that some would be able to cook but not like this!

Apparently the new series will have no eliminations, no tricks and hopefully less tears. Anna Gare will also be joining the series as a judge.

“Hopefully there will be a lot more frying than crying,” judge Anna Gare says.
“We’re going to keep things light. It’s going to be a totally positive show with lots of encouragement.”

MTV Video Music Awards

Love her or hate her (or in my case, not really fussed) Lady Gaga has already taken over this years MTV Video Music Awards. My first thought is how will she top the crazy she pulled off last year, or if you don't remember here is a pic:

Lady Gaga is not only the most popular person on Facebook, she has just broken another record after getting 13 nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards! This is the most ever for any artist in a single year. She has two songs "Bad Romance" and "Telephone" are up for Video of the Year.

This is what she had to say about it:

"I'm so honored for all the little monsters and self-professed freaks of the universe, to have more VMA nominations in a single year than any artist in MTV history. Ironically, I'm even more proud it's an unlucky number: 13."

Although one lovely lady also got a few surprise nods. Florence Welch, of Florence + The Machine, has "Dog Days Are Over" nominated for four awards: Best Rock Video, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and also Video of the Year. Is Kanye invited this year??

Eminem also earned 8 nominations for a male artist. Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, Pink, Katy Perry and Usher were also nomincated for awards.

The MTV VMAs will be held on the 12th of September.

Interview with The Drums on Triple J

I heard a great interview the other days with Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham of the The Drums. They have just finished up their first and sold out tour of Australia including the biggest festival Splendour In The Grass.

They spoke with Triple J's The Doctor about how image is just as important as the music, how they can't play instruments and how they are going to give it all up when they get 'good' at what they do.

Check out the interview on the Triple J website at www.abc.net.au/triplej/media/s2972485.htm

New York, I Love You But You're Stuck In My Head

New York has given us an impressive list of musical acts including LCD Soundsystem, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Strokes, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Jay-Z, Vampire Weekend, The Drums, Danger Mouse, Velvet Underground, The Bravery, Interpol, Public Enemy, Run-D.M.C., The Ramones, Blondie, Beastie Boys and The Rapture just to name a few!

For some reason songs about New York often get stuck in my head. I have never been to the city, but it is top of my list of places I want to go.

Here is a list of my favourite (most contagious) New York songs:

1. "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" by LCD Soundsystem

2. "Moving to New York" by The Wombats

3. "New York City Cops" by The Strokes

4. "Empire State of Mind" - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys

5. "This Mess We're In" by PJ Harvey and Thom Yorke

And finally what would a list like this be without a bit of Sinatra....

6. "New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra

Do you have any favourites to add to the list? For some inspiration check out Wikipedias extensive list.

Art of the Trench

Art of the Trench is an amazing website by Burberry made as a living document of the Burberry trench coast and the people who wear them. The site features specially commissioned trench portraits by fashion photographers and photos from everyday people such as yourself. You can even submit your own photo.

The site is fun to navigate and has a great soundtrack with tracks from the White Lies, The Kooks and Bloc Party.

Now I am dreaming of this Burberry trench.....

Florence + The Machine @ Splendour in the Grass

I wish I was at Splendour in the Grass this year. I was really keen to see The Strokes, Mumford and Sons and Florence + The Machine but 14 hours is a long drive.

Instead I got Florence + The Machine tickets for this Friday which I am very excited about. From all reports it sounds like they were the highlight of the festival with the amphitheatre reaching capacity even before they started. People were so keen to see them they tried to climb or push down the security fences.

Can't wait for Friday!

Here are a few photos from TripleJ of Florence + The Machine playing to a packed main stage at Splendour. Check out more TripleJ pics and all the Splendour action live at www.abc.net.au/triplej/events/splendour/10/