Aussie Rockin'

The Temper Trap. CONDITIONS.

Its true, there are great bands both from and in Australia. Its a redundant debate so just take a listen to this album if you still need convincing. Its like early 90's brit pop (think Fine Young Cannibals falsetto harmonies and those other skinny gay guys with the short crew cuts who had that film clip about some bad 80's dance party getting broken up by the moral police) mixed with electronic-feel highly repetitive guitars and straight up and down beats. Very catchy, bordering on pop but um you won't find any pop here on Hand Jive. I would have to think these guys would put on a very fun live show, lots of dancing and mahem.

Wheel Chair Rockin'

Pearl Jam. BACKSPACER.

Ok Ok it too hard to say that Pearl Jam are really wheel chair rockers, after all they probably aren't that much older than yours truly and none of them look like Keith Richards but they just seem to have been around forever, since I started first noticing real music anyway. Elsewhere on this Blog I refer to their album Ten as being therir best and of course we all know that's true, this album however is quite good and if you like Peal Jam you should give this a good listen. The problem I find with P.Jam is that everything they do gets compared to Ten and that's a shame because in their own right, a few of their post-Ten albums are really good and this one is no exception. Getting older has only made their work wiser and they don't have anything to prove and on this album you can hear them sending out a few of life's messages to the young-in's and also reminding us you don't need ink and black hair to rock. P.Jam are finding themselves at an interesting place, almost like the custodians of a great musical tradition of which they helped spawn in the early 90's but have been talented enough to keep re-inventing and changing. Its a testament to them as people and artists. Great stuff.