The Drones - Havilah

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http://www.thevine.com.au/music/reviews/the-drones-'the-minotaur'.aspx

The first taste of the highly anticipated forthcoming album Havilah from The Drones comes in first single 'The Minotour'. Considering their last record, the feted Gala Mill was recorded before the AMP award winning Wait Long By The River and The Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By, this is the first new record from the band since back in 2004. Hard to believe.

With new axe-slinging supremo Dan Luscombe on board they've traded some of their *******ity with a wider sonic palette. On 'The Minotaur' there's even some Marc Ribot style tremelo licks. But thankfully its not at the expense of glorious white noise. Which could also be a euphemism for singer Gareth Liddiard's vocal technique, barely containing his venom to get the words out. Which, according to the band, "manages to draw the historical line between ancient Greek mythology and current-day time-wasting. A half-salute to modern-day sloth, and the painful decisions our future leaders face, between holding the destiny of the world in their hands, or holding another X-Box controller."

The Minotaur is out digitally on July 29, while the mud-brick recorded Havilah is out September 20. I've preached the effect of this band before. The affair continues.:thumbsu:
 

ize_

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Easily my favourite Australian band at the moment. The Minotaur does not disappoint.
 

mansize rooster

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The new world of The Drones is an exotic place, one populated by dark corners, rarely explored avenues, sparse canvases and dense, exhilarating peaks. In February, front man Gareth Liddiard began writing new songs for the album, in a mud brick cottage in deep within the splendid isolation of Mt Buffalo, in country Victoria. Two months later guitarist Dan Luscombe, The Drones' most recent addition, and drummer Michael Noga joined Liddiard and Kitschin to rehearse the new material. Producer and engineer Burke Reid (The Mess Hall, Gerling) lugged his recording gear through the door and off they went _ two weeks flat out _ until it was done. Havilah is The Drones highly anticipated 4th studio LP, it will be released through ATP Recordings and MGM Distribution on September 20th, 2008.

Havilah, like everything The Drones have done, is an album of contradictions, where bombast meets beauty, melancholy wrestles with violent guitars and singer Liddiard's incendiary voice lights up his angular poetry, this time on the nature of, in no particular order, the moon (Penumbra), divorce (The Drifting Housewife) and the acquisition of godlike power and the cult of John Frum (I Am the Supercargo).

It's an album that's brimful of the innovation and artistic integrity that has made The Drones one of Australian rock's most critically acclaimed acts here and overseas during the past four years.
It was that spark of originality and blunt-edged chaos that won the Melbourne band the inaugural Australian Music Prize in 2006 for their breakthrough album Wait Long ByThe River and Your Enemies Will Float By.

That same need to push boundaries took them to an old mill in Tasmania to record the follow-up album, 2006's award-winning Gala Mill, and in 2008 their invention, innovation and isolation have combined to produce the fireworks of their most accomplished work to date.

There are vaguely familiar nods to Neil Young's paint-stripping guitar spasms on Supercargo and Oh My, while the deliciously meandering pop dirges of Suicide and the Velvet Underground echo in Careful As You Go and Luck in Odd Numbers.
The outstanding ballad here, Cold and Sober, is a song The Drones have recorded several times during their eight-year reign without it ever making the grade.

There's also the relative immediacy but still complex structure of the first single The Minotaur, Liddiard's scathing rant on the wasters of the world, while the lengthy opening Nail It Down perhaps best reflects The Drones' grand scope, flitting as it does between acoustic ambience and rumbling rock 'n' roll meltdown.

Once you've been around these 10 songs for a few hours, its not hard to make up your mind about them.

Havilah Track Listing:

1. Nail It Down
2. The Minotaur
3. The Drifting Housewife
4. I Am The Supercargo
5. Careful As You Go
6. Oh My
7, Cold And Sober
8. Luck In Odd Numbers
9. Penumbra
10. Your Acting’s Like The End Of The World


Havilah will be in store September 20th 2008, through ATP Recordings and MGM Distribution.

Also after slaying the usa the drones will be home for a tour later this year..
Fri 17th Oct - Republic Bar - Hobart TAS
w/ Rocket Science

Sat 18th Oct - The Forum Theatre - Melbourne VIC

Fri 24th Oct - The Metro Theatre - Sydney NSW
w/ The Gin Club

Sat 25th Oct - The Zoo - Brisbane QLD
w/ The Gin Club

Fri 31st Oct - The Gov - Adelaide SA

Sat 1st Nov - The Gov - Adelaide SA

Fri 7th Nov - The Bakery - Perth WA

Sat 8th Nov - Mojo's - Fremantle WA
w/ The Gin Club

Tue 30th Dec - Falls Festival - Marion Bay - Marion Bay TAS

Wed 31st Dec - Falls Festival - Lorne - Lorne VIC
 

chickawah

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I bought the album today...........but then I left it in my friends bag.......F***!!!!!!!! I won't see the friend again for a while too, worst thing I've ever done.
 

mansize rooster

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good bump

yeah its another top album. again they bring an amazing opening song. 'nail it down' is amazing. supercargo + Cold and sober realy stick out from the first few listens to. production is more refined with this one.:thumbsu:
 

ize_

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How? How do they continue to make such good music where everyone else cannot, everyone else falls down at some stage? Everything The Drones do is gold. The Drifting Housewife and Nail It Down standouts so far.
 

nobbyiscool

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october 1 i believe for the new album, strange tourist its called

although... well, i think the drones are the best australian act of the last decade - but for me this isnt something i'll buy immediately before sampling it... dunno why that is.
 

deledio7

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With the complete lack of decent music in the world today, I have been forced to rekindle my love with the Drones. **** me this band is good. I was sure they peaked with Gala Mill but Havilah supasses it. I literally find myself yelling obscenities when listerning to this band.

I was quite concerned when I heard that Gareth was releasing a solo acoustic album. Only because the elements that attract me to the Drones are the raw sounds and immersed emotion. No need to worry, unbelievable record. I went down to the Thornbury for the first gig of his Strange Tourist tour and was absolutely blown away. Cool dude as well. Had the audience in hysterics the whole night.

Nothing new to discuss really. Gareth and The Drones are just ****ing good.
 

sixteenstraws

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I absolutely love the Drones. Gala Mill is my favourite album of theirs, but Havilah, Wait Long... and the first two albums are incredible too. Sixteen Straws is one of my favourite songs from any band, so I was really looking forward to an album of just Gareth and his guitar, and it surpassed my expectations.

I thought Strange Tourist was the best album of '10. Liddiard's storytelling is incredible, especially on The Radicalisation of D which is, even though I hate the word, epic.

There's an interesting article with Gareth talking about the song here

http://www.culturebully.com/gareth-liddiard-radicalisation-of-d-influenza
 

Matching Mole

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Hell yeah!!!!:thumbsu: Might even make me forget Gareth's solo cd.:p

Seriously?

Christ, I've played that thing into the ground since late last year - it's a phenomenal record, esp. "Blondin", "Strange Tourist", "Did She Scare All Your Friends Away" and "Radicalisation of D". Different sonic approach from the Drones, but the same passion and directness and force, even all acoustic. And his voice, his voice, his voice, that most astonishing instrument, which makes all other singing sound utterly cowardly and uncommitted.

His solo show at the East Brunswick Club in April was the best show I've ever been to.
 

Matching Mole

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So who got tickets for their upcoming tour? I've never been so excited for a gig.


The one at the Corner Hotel? Yep. Am doubly excited because I've never seen them live. I only got into them after a friend loaned me Havilah about a year and a half ago. I'd given up on new music (I'm in my early-to-mid thirties) and had dived into jazz/country/old stuff. I'd stopped listening to the radio/online sources completely. Then along came Havilah and that was that - completely obsession, where the hell had these guys been my whole life? I've been so affected by music before - I know that sounds like breathless teenage gush, but it's true. I love Here Come The Lies and The Miller's Daughter, and think Wait Long... is nearly perfect, but Gala Mill and Havilah are astonishing records. "Luck In Odd Numbers" - my God. The raw "live" feel of the records, the song-writing, and Liddiard's voice....something like "The Minotaur" nails existence like nothing else. "My head is like an oven and I rest it on my palms". Yes.

I missed tickets to their show at the Forum last year, so the level of anticipation for this one is almost too much - don't want to build it up and be disappointed! Then again, I was worried I was doing that for the Liddiard solo show at the Brunswick East in April, and I left that gig certain I'd seen the best show of my life. So who knows?
 

deledio7

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The one at the Corner Hotel? Yep. Am doubly excited because I've never seen them live. I only got into them after a friend loaned me Havilah about a year and a half ago. I'd given up on new music (I'm in my early-to-mid thirties) and had dived into jazz/country/old stuff. I'd stopped listening to the radio/online sources completely. Then along came Havilah and that was that - completely obsession, where the hell had these guys been my whole life? I've been so affected by music before - I know that sounds like breathless teenage gush, but it's true. I love Here Come The Lies and The Miller's Daughter, and think Wait Long... is nearly perfect, but Gala Mill and Havilah are astonishing records. "Luck In Odd Numbers" - my God. The raw "live" feel of the records, the song-writing, and Liddiard's voice....something like "The Minotaur" nails existence like nothing else. "My head is like an oven and I rest it on my palms". Yes.

I missed tickets to their show at the Forum last year, so the level of anticipation for this one is almost too much - don't want to build it up and be disappointed! Then again, I was worried I was doing that for the Liddiard solo show at the Brunswick East in April, and I left that gig certain I'd seen the best show of my life. So who knows?
Yep, got my Corner ticket today. I can relate to almost all of that. I joked with a friend not long ago that The Drones have ruined music for me because everything I listen to pales in significance.

I'm a huge fan of The Miller's Daughter also. Almost my favourite Drones record.
 

Matching Mole

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Yep, got my Corner ticket today. I can relate to almost all of that. I joked with a friend not long ago that The Drones have ruined music for me because everything I listen to pales in significance.

I'm a huge fan of The Miller's Daughter also. Almost my favourite Drones record.

The best songs on The Miller's Daughter are mighty indeed - love the frenzied last 30 seconds of "Bird In a Church", every second of the lurching title track, and of course "The City". Someone on youtube's cut together pieces of Taxi Driver really nicely to the music -

[youtube]ckgPFNUcy1I[/youtube]

I know what you mean about other music paling in significance. I decided the other day it's got to do with something like "resonance". I've heard plenty of good music this year - old, new, whatever - but nothing has quite hit me like this band. I've been digging LiLiPUT and Sleater-Kinney and John Prine and Shellac tons lately, some songs in particular; I mean, I love some of their stuff, but it stops there, right on the edge of passion and fan advocacy. I can't tell if what's going on with The Drones is purely subjective - they work for me, I can identify, the songs "speak" to me (whatever that might mean) - or something provably objective. Of course I can argue if need be why I think they're amazing, but the part of me Liddiard's voice and songs hit inside me goes beyond "oh, he's a good songwriter". It's more than that, much more, but hard to quantify. And writing about like this probably makes me look like a bellend on a message board.
 
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I can't tell if what's going on with The Drones is purely subjective - they work for me, I can identify, the songs "speak" to me (whatever that might mean) - or something provably objective. Of course I can argue if need be why I think they're amazing, but the part of me Liddiard's voice and songs hit inside me goes beyond "oh, he's a good songwriter". It's more than that, much more, but hard to quantify. And writing about like this probably makes me look like a bellend on a message board.
This is how I feel too. I guess we're both bellends, haha.
 
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