Concrete Playground

music Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks

Wednesday, 23rd September - 1PM
@ Metro Theatre

News has started to filter through the music industry rumor mills that legendary indie rock band Pavement are reforming for a tour next year and will be coming to Australia. For those who saw the band in the 90s this news might not be so exciting, but for those of...

music Sideways Hitchhiker Single Launch

Saturday, 5th September - 1PM
@ QBar

Sydney’s Sideways Hitchhiker are four young dudes thrashing-out. While relatively new to the scene, they’ve already won over the largely-jaded Sydney music industry and music media, largely because while their tracks are rooted in classic grunge and punk, their sound is more excitable and inspired than apathetic. Here you find...

music Danimals at Curious Works

Sunday, 23rd August - 12PM
@ Curious Works

With the innumerable Animal Collective ‘homage’ bands circulating the local live scene, it’s a wonderful and refreshing thing to hear a performer who borrows sounds of now, but uses them to create something engaging and unique. With roots in pop, r&b and atmospheric electronica (think Stereolab and Prefuse 73), Danimals...

music Sherlock's Daughter EP Launch

Friday, 28th August - 1PM
@ Hopetoun Hotel

Sydney band Sherlock's Daughter are launching their new EP at the Hopetoun Hotel and in true-to-form style have grabbed two of Sydney's most exciting emerging acts to perform in support – Megastick Fanfare and Kyu. Freya from the unsigned but hugely promising Kyu has a gorgeous, resonant voice that lingers...

music 'Upstarts' featuring No Art

Sunday, 23rd August - 1PM
@ Spectrum

When a band are described as “recalling Liars, Sonic Youth and echoes of an African mountain tribe” you have to take notice. Another reason to notice Sydney’s No Art, is that despite having been together less and a year, they’ve already performed with Midnight Juggernauts, Lost Valentinos, Sherlock’s Daughter, Songs,...

music Flip Out Festival

Sunday, 30th August - 7AM
@ Manning Bar

With a wardrobe consisting mainly of cute little dresses, ballet flats and tailored cropped jackets, I always look really out of place at punk and hardcore shows. I love going to them, but often catch people eyeing me off with “what is she doing here” looks. But as unsuited to...

music Mike Simonetti

Sunday, 30th August - 2PM
@ La Campagna

If you’re after sparkling, sexy new disco, New York label Italians Do It Better is for you. Label head (and one of disco's best advocates) Mike Simonetti is in Sydney this weekend, playing at La Campagna thanks to Resident Advisor. Simonetti was last in Sydney mid 2008 and turned out...

travel music Sound Summit 2009

Friday, 2nd October - Monday, 5th October
@ Sound Summit

Held annually during This Is Not Art (TINA), Sound Summit turns 10 this year! Happening in and around Newcastle over the October longer weekend, Sound Summit is a series of panel discussions, workshops and live sessions all about independent and innovative music. Learn things, share things, take things, make things...

music Gay Bash Spring Fling

Saturday, 5th September - 2PM
@ The Club

After a brief hiatus while location-scouting, Sydney's iconic hipster party Gay Bash is back. Spring, skip, sprawl, bounce, bound, buck, hop, leap, or lope. Whichever way best suits, get sprung at the first Gay Bash for Spring, Friday September 4. Featuring Nina Las Vegas, Dangerous Dan, Bitch Science, Sleater Brockman,...

music Tenniscoats

Saturday, 12th September - 12PM
@ Serial Space

Serial Space is teeny tiny. Being fashionably late will just not fly: you need to arrive super early. Finish up work a few hours before you normally would, call in sick, fake death, just do whatever you need to do to. The upcoming Tenniscoats show is one of those shows...

music The Pixies

Sunday, 14th March - 8PM - Tuesday, 16th March - 8PM
@ Hordern Pavilion

When the Pixies last came to Australia for V Festival, they thought the festival and the audience wasn't the best fit for their sound. So, to make it up to us, they're coming back!The tour is also celebrating the twentieth anniversary of their classic album Doolittle. The band will be...

free play Green Ups Bike Love-In

Wednesday, 2nd September - 11AM
@ The Alexandria Hotel

As a child, I equated riding a bike with my younger brother’s cup-cake fuelled birthday parties at the Centennial Park Bike Track. Not so cool. Now as an adult (and after attending the Deus Bike Swap Meet for the Bicycle Film Festival last weekend), bike riding has become something entirely...

music In An Absolut World - DJ's Rock!

Friday, 4th September - 12PM
@ Oxford Art Factory

I am always super self-conscious about my music selection when I play tunes at parties. Firstly, you need to suit songs to the ambience of your venue. Tricky. Then, do you play your favourites first but risk late-comers missing the magic, or save all the best for last and hope...

music Lost Valentinos Afterparty

Thursday, 10th September - 1PM
@ Fringe Bar

Lost Valentinos are a band who’ve been gigging in Sydney for forever-and-a-day, and after years of hard work and shows in grotty bars, finally have a debut album to show for their efforts. Their full-length EtcEtc released album Cities Of Gold is out now, and to celebrate they are throwing...

free play Ching-a-lings Cook Out!

Monday, 7th September - 7AM
@ Ching-a-lings

Sometimes I just really feel like a piece of steak. I ran into my friend at the butcher the other day and we discussed this and he shared my sentiment. Sometimes, without reason, your body cries out for a piece of meat and you really just have to obey. Every...

music Animal Collective

Friday, 11th December - 7PM
@ The Enmore

I’m currently listening to Merryweather Post Pavilion, the latest album by Brooklynites (now globally based) Animal Collective. There are so many bands ripping off this sound at the moment, but I guess that just reinforces the age old saying that from little things, big things grow.Animal Collective are here in December...

music Future Classic Label Night featuring Woolfy

Sunday, 6th September - 2PM
@ Civic Hotel

Future Classic are on the ball, often touring producers before they are too well-known, which means you can see them in smaller more intimate venues instead of at mega-summer-fluro-festival-stadiums. The latest guest Future Classic are bringing to our shores is UK born, Californian based producer Simon James. He turns out...

music Wamp Wamp featuring Mumdance (Mad Decent UK)

Saturday, 12th September - 3PM
@ La Campagna

Sydney’s favourite almost-monthly/sometimes-weekly/often fort-nightly Crunk, Baltimore Club, Baile Funk, Hyphy & Dancehall party Wamp Wamp is back after taking a few months off to rest and refresh. The party features all the regulars (Sleater Brockman, Kato, Jimmy Sing) alongside Mad Decent fave and UK up-and-comer Mumdance on his first ever Australian tour....

music Flo Rida at The Metro

Monday, 14th September - 1PM
@ Metro Theatre

Flo Rida has the silliest name in rap, but Beyonce is a fan of his which makes me think twice before throwing criticisms. He also wrote one of the catchiest rap jams of 2008, Low, featuring T-Pain. I seriously love that song. AND he toured with the 2 Live Crew when...

music TV Club

Friday, 18th September - 1PM
@ Candy's Apartment

Always wanted to get your face on TV but not talented enough for Australian Idol? Advertised as “taking social photography to a whole new level” TV Club can turn that dream into a reality! The Neon Hearts team are turning Candy’s Apartment into a wacky social experiment by installing video cameras and...

music White Men Can't Crump

Sunday, 20th September - 3PM
@ Taxi Club

Once home to Bingo nights and Karaoke, Taxi Club has been treated to a tidy makeover and is being taken on by Sydney’s indie social scenesters - we’re always looking for a new place to party, right?! This week the ladies of Duke Magazine are transforming the venue into a Gangster's Paradise!...

music Vivian Girls first Australian tour

Saturday, 26th September - 1PM
@ Spectrum

If you’re not familiar with Vivian Girls, get acquainted. When the Brooklyn band released their debut album last year, a combination of 60’s girl-group harmonies, scuzzy garage guitar riffs and shoegaze and surf-punk sounds, the music industry went a little berserk. The vinyl-only LP sold out in weeks, leading to...

music Arabian Prince

Sunday, 27th September - 2PM
@ Oxford Art Factory

Duke Magazine’s White Men Can’t Crump party has got me reminiscing all my favourite 90s R&B and Hip Hop, and you can’t ever look past N.W.A with Ice Cube, Dr Dre, Eazy-E, MC Ren and Arabian Prince (Professor X). Straight Outta Compton is still one of the best gangster rap...

music Oh Mercy Lisa Mitchell Tour Support

Sunday, 27th September - Saturday, 26th September
@ Mona Vale Hotel

Lisa Mitchell is everywhere at the moment - on TV, on radio, playing in video stores... I even spotted her getting a take away coffee from my local cafe over the weekend... (can you say oversaturation?!)Oh Mercy are a Melbourne duo who are supporting Miss Mitchell on her upcoming National...

music Skoolapalooza

Friday, 13th November - 7PM
@ Big Top Sydney, Luna Park

When I was in high school I associated Luna Park with the wild-mouse, the gravitron, dodgems and the ferris wheel... not dance parties. Times have changed! The crew of Skoolapalooza have decided that the best way to shake off the HSC exams stress is with loud music, lights shows and...

music Cabins supporting The Scare

Saturday, 31st October - 8PM
@ Annandale Hotel

The only think you need to know before going to see Sydney band Cabins live, is that they are really good. There are so many new bands in Sydney at the moment that it can be a little tricky trying to keep up with them all: Who is playing where,...

music Urthboy Spitshine Launch

Saturday, 3rd October - Friday, 2nd October
@ Metro Theatre

Already sponsors of the successful nation-wide V Festival, Virgin Mobile have just signed on as sponsors of Sydney's Metro Theatre. One of the most successful live venues in the country, this re-branding won't change much about the iconic venue for some, but if you are a Virgin Mobile customer you'll reep the benefits...

free music After Work Art

Saturday, 3rd October - Friday, 30th October
@ Oxford Art Factory

When Oxford Art Factory opened, Sydney breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, a music venue large enough to house international acts but not too showy to make locals feel out of place. They also combined many people’s two loves – music and art – with a gallery space in the...

music El Perro Del Mar

Friday, 9th October - 2PM
@ Oxford Art Factory

Around June 2008 El Perro Del Mar recorded a Take Away show for The Blogoteque with fellow Swede popstarlett Lykke Li. At the time buzz around Lykke was really thriving and El Perro’s performance took the backseat, despite being the older and more accomplished of the two.Literally translated as ‘The Dog From...

music NAS & Chali 2na

Sunday, 1st November - 8PM
@ The Enmore

Chali 2na has one of the most unique and unforgettable voices in rap, his dramatic low bass baritone first heard with Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli, now as a solo artist with a new long awaited solo record released (after five years in the making). The fact that he’s touring with...

music Underground Lovers

Friday, 4th December - 8PM
@ The Annandale Hotel

OMFG! The line up of the original The Underground Lovers has reunited for Homebake but are playing a special show at the Annandale! Dust off Underground Lovers, Leaves Me Blind, Rushall Station, or whichever of their records you call your favourite and remind yourself of how wonderful this seminal and horribly underrated...

music Camera Obscura at the Sydney Festival Becks Bar

Thursday, 21st January - 8PM
@ Hyde Park Barracks Museum

Scottish collective Camera Obscura make deliciously delicate whistful folk pop with notes of country and soul. Their 2006 album Lets Get Out Of This Country is the perfect recipe for a bad day; put it on your stereo and float away. The band have performed in Sydney a few times...

music Girl Talk Australian Summer Tour

Monday, 25th January - 7PM
@ Enmore Theatre

If you are predisposed to crazy dancing, mega pop hits, golden oldies and banging electro remixes, then going to a Girl Talk (producer/DJ Gregg Gillis) show is probably the most fun you will ever have. There will be nudity, there will be classic hits (Elton John) mixed with crazy new...

travel music Peats Ridge

Tuesday, 29th December - Friday, 1st January
@ Glenworth Valley

Everyone keeps asking me what I am doing for New Years Eve... Last year I was in Egypt with my parents, before that it was at the hotel bar with a few cocktails and some complimentaty nuts. This year, I plan to celebrate with a little more enthusiasm. Always good...

music King Khan & The Shrines

Wednesday, 6th January - 8PM
@ Oxford Art Factory

King Khan & The Shrines are pretty much the most fun you will ever have at a live show - their psychedelic, raucous, in-your-face, garage explosions will have you screaming for more and rolling around on the floor.The 11-member band (which includes 60-year-old Chicago-born Ron Streeter who performed as a percussionist...

music The Paper Scissors

Friday, 4th December - 7PM
@ Bald Faced Stag

After two years hiding their light under their bushel baskets, gorgeous indie boys The Paper Scissors are once again letting their light shine. Last month they released a new song called Howl and since then have been touring the country performing songs from their forthcoming (yet to be titled) album. To celebrate...