A long week in music

When it rains, it pours. And the past week has given us a flood in the music industry, both Australian and worldwide. Here are some of the major stories.

THAT Splendour line up

If you don’t know what Splendour in the Grass is, you should probably go to find out. The biggest and most popular music festival in Australia, the … placid setting of Byron Bay will host an amazing line up in July 2018. This includes headliners like Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, Khalid, The Wombats, Vampire Weekend, Hilltop Hoods and Chvrches. It then branches out to a vast smorgasbord of native acts, with the likes of Angus and Julia Stone, Gang of Youths, PNAU, DMA’s, Ball Park Music, Amy Shark, Dean Lewis, The Jungle Giants, Methyl Ethyl and Ocean Alley accompanying other famous worldwide artists in James Bay and MGMT. All of this in the space of three days – what more could you ask for?

What is ‘Beychella’?

An interesting term, this one. You wouldn’t believe it, but it’s a mash up of pop star Beyonce and the American music festival Coachella. If you are good at joining the dots, you can pretty quickly surmise that Beyonce is the headline act at the place, and her on-stage reformation of girl group Destiny’s Child has turned the ongoing indie festival into her own private show. It’s pretty rare to please a crowd so much that they intermingle your name into the title of the most popular musical festival in the world.

The controversial return of Sticky Fingers.

Drug-addled, lackadaisically Australian and alcohol-infused, the Sydney rock/ indie band re-formed after lead singer Dylan Frost worked out drug problems, mental health issues and violence against women accusations. However, the groups Triple J interview left more questions than answers, as the release of their new single ‘Kick On’ did little to smooth over the cracks of their dysfunctional return. It’s a good tune, but it’s not your typical Sticky Fingers vibe, as the removal from indie and the trial of a heavier rock sound is still a pleasing tune, yet after waiting for over a year it hasn’t quite reached its lofty expectations.

Also on Coachella, how good was The Weeknd’s acoustic catcall?

Accompanying ‘Beychella’ was The Weeknd, or Abel’s, version of new release song ‘Call Out My Name’ to a swaying and mesmerised crowd. Instead of his trap drums and hip hop synth keyboard, the ‘Starboy’ singer waltzed to the microphone and belted it out without any instruments. With only passion and a talented voice echoing out, the true hurt behind the song, and its relation to his break up with Selena Gomez, was made painfully clear in a emotional and amazingly memorable performance.

What sound, and look, is James Bay going for?

After the top-hatted, long haired Pom blew us all away with his 2015 effort ‘Chaos and the Calm’, including smooth alternative/ rock hits in ‘Hold Back the River’, ‘Let It Go’ and ‘Scars’, his sophomore EP ‘Electric Light’ is producing a completely different vibe. Gone is the long locks, the shy performer and the focus on a guitar-laden singer-songwriter. Now there’s a clean shaven and attractive rock star who wears flashy clothes, plays pop-heavy riffs and flips his hair every thirty seconds to show his newborn confidence in himself. Not always a bad thing, his first single ‘Wild Love’ was a lot more synth heavy and contrasting to his acoustic manners, yet still a decent and groovy sound. To juxtapose his identity even more, the next single ‘Pink Lemonade’ is a pop rock tune that openly exposes his evolving performance with a 1975-like riff and a dominant chorus. Fair play – a bit enamouring to begin with for Bay fans, yet ultimately a differing sound that I personally enjoy. But now he’s back to his old sound on third release ‘Us’ – a highlight so far that contradicts all he has built up in appearance so far with a stripped back guitar, gentle drum and growling voice that represents the beautiful vocal chords that we fell in love with.