Presents

"Brilliance creates its own climate: expect the world to be banging to the beat of The Drums before the year’s out." – NME

Dubbed ‘New York’s official coolest new band’ by NME, The Drums have heralded a return to the simplicity of the mind-invading catchiness unique to good, solid, guitar-pop songs. “We love the 1950s,” they say, “it was the beginning of basic pop music. They did it from scratch and pulled these amazing, timeless melodies out of thin air." And The Drums’, with their New Order-style trebly, melodic bass, Ventures-esque guitar songs about surfing, do exactly that.

On stage their infectious energy manifests as near-lunacy, the band playing their chirpy, whistle stopstart ditties with breathtaking mania. It’s no wonder that after only a year of living in NYC The Drums’ concerts became a weekly dance-party attended religiously by even the most cynical of music fans.

The Drums took the coveted opening slot of the NME tour throughout February this year, before being crowned winners of the “Philip Hall Radar Award” (’08 and ’09 winners were Glasvegas and The Big Pink), at the NME Awards. They also played an intimate, sold out three-date UK tour during the last week of March where they were watched by Morrissey, Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke of The Smiths.

Now it’s our turn, don’t miss The Drums for the first time on Australian shores this August.

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Ten years in the making, Strange Powers is an intimate documentary portrait of songwriter Stephin Merritt and his band the Magnetic Fields.

With his unique gift for memorable melodies, lovelorn lyrics and wry musical stylings that blend classic Tin Pan Alley with modern sounds, Stephin Merritt has distinguished himself as one of contemporary pop’s most beloved and influential artists. Both a prolific recording artist and composer of theater and film scores, he performs most famously as the Magnetic Fields, whose 1999 three-disc opus 69 Love Songs is widely considered a masterpiece of traditional song craft and irresistible synthpop.

Strange Powers explores Merritt’s songwriting and recording process, and focuses on his relationships with his bandmates and his longtime manager, Claudia Gonson revealing an artist who has produced one of the most engaging and confounding bodies of work in the contemporary American songbook.

Popfrenzy is proud to present a very special one off screening of Strange Powers on Wednesday August 4th (7pm sharp) at the Chauvel Cinema.

Tickets available from www.popfrenzy.com.au or www.chauvelcinema.net.au $15 / $12 (FBI members)

Website/trailer: www.strangepowersfilm.com

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Touring together this September are two of the most intelligent bands around today: Xiu Xiu and High Places.

There is a brutal intimacy to Xiu Xiu work, with songs that are both refined and intricate yet melodically vibrant, proving art can be pop and pop can challenge you to look inside yourself. Their songs are a sort of exposé of responsibility, fear, healing, and societal roles all wrapped in rich gothic pop sound.

High Places’ use range of aural layers: bells and bird calls over a wash of ocean waves; mallets hitting mixing bowls over treated guitar and glockenspiel; Mary's reflective vocals over Rob's homemade beats. The result is an imaginative and spacious amalgamation of sounds with a unique, almost Caribbean undertone that is as immediate as it is refreshing.

Xiu Xiu and High Places together is undoubtedly one of the most exciting combinations you’ll see touring this year.

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