Bluejuice - On My Own

Our old mates Bluejuice always come up trumps with their videos, and their latest one certainly doesn't disappoint. A Karaoke-inspired gem featuring Victor Chow, the clip is directed by the band's long-term video collaborator Sam Bennetts.

On My Own is taken from the Sydney band's recent album Company, which is in the shops now. You can catch Bluejuice live over the coming months on their headline Australian tour in April or at Groovin' The Moo in May.

Illy - The Chase

Here at BobbySix.com, we have a love/hate relationship with Aussie hip-hop. While we absolutely adore Bluejuice and their outstanding, energy-fuelled genre-mashing, we'd rather pour fresh cat diarrhea in our ears than listen to Hilltop Hoods.

Whatever we think though, there is certainly a big audience for hip-hop in Australia, so we thought we'd bring to your attention to the latest video clip from Melbourne's Illy. There can be no denying that this poppy effort is pretty catchy, but, the big question is, do you like it? Hit us with your verdict in the comments section...

ARIA Award Nominations

The ARIA Award 2010 nominations were announced last week (for the English readers amongst you - the ARIAs are kinda the Australian version of The Brits), with Angus & Julia Stone, Sia, Bird of Tokyo, The Temper Trap (pictured, above) and Tame Impala featuring featuring heavily across the categories. If I were a betting man, which I am, I'd put money on Sia and Angus & Julia to win big.

Winners of the major categories will be announced on November 7th at the Sydney Opera House. Tickets for the event are available through Ticketek. Here is an overview of the nominations:

Album of the Year
(I think this one will be between Angus & Julia Stone and Sia)

Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way
Birds of Tokyo - Birds Of Tokyo
Sia - We Are Born
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Washington - I Believe You Liar

Single of the Year
(A tough call. Big Jet Plane has made it onto movie soundtracks while Clap Your Hands is a belting tune. And Washington seems to be able to do no wrong at the moment).

Angus & Julia Stone - Big Jet Plane
Birds of Tokyo - Plans
Sia - Clap Your Hands
The Temper Trap - Love Lost
Washington - How To Tame Lions

Best Female Artist
(Sia or Washington will win this one. Probably Sia)

Clare Bowditch - Modern Day Addiction
Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite
Lisa Mitchell - Oh! Hark!
Sia - We Are Born
Washington - I Believe You Liar

Best Male Artist
(Yawn. next...)

Dan Kelly - Dan Kelly's Dream
Dan Sultan - Get Out While You Can
Guy Sebastian - Like It Like That
John Butler - April Uprising
Paul Dempsey - Fast Friends

Best Group
(This one could be any of the five ways. Maybe Temper Trap or Angus & Julia)

Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way
Birds of Tokyo - Birds Of Tokyo
Powderfinger - Golden Rule
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
The Temper Trap - Love Lost

Best Independent Release
(As long as it isn't Art vs Science, I'l be happy enough)

Art vs Science - Magic Fountain
Dan Sultan - Get Out While You Can
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush to Relax
John Butler Trio - April Uprising
Sia - We Are Born

Best Adult Alternative Album
(Angus & Julia? Hopefully)

Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way (Original Matters/EMI)
Basement Birds - Basement Birds (Basement Birds)
Clare Bowditch - Modern Day Addiction (Island/UMA)
The Cat Empire - Cinema (EMI)
Washington - I Believe You Liar (Mercury/UMA)
Whitley - Go Forth, Find Mammoth (Dew Process/Universal Music)

Best Dance Release
(Dunno. Don't care)

Art vs Science - Magic Fountain
Miami Horror - Sometimes
Midnight Juggernauts - The Crystal Axis
Pendulum - Immersion
Yolanda Be Cool and Dcup - We No Speak Americano

Best Pop Release
(Should be Bluejuice. Won't be Bluejuice)

Bluejuice - Head of the Hawk
Empire of the Sun - Half Mast
Guy Sebastian - Like It Like That
Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite
Sia - We Are Born

Best Rock Album
(Tough one to call, this. Cloud Control or Tame Impala would be nice.)

Birds of Tokyo - Birds Of Tokyo
Cloud Control - Bliss Release
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush to Relax
Powderfinger - Golden Rule
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker

Breakthrough Artist
(Washington, probably)

Amy Meredith - Restless
Cloud Control - Bliss Release
Philadelphia Grand Jury - Hope is for Hopers
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Washington - I Believe You Liar

2010 ARIA AWARD PUBLIC VOTED NOMINEES

Most Popular Australia Album
(Don't trust the public to have decent taste. Guy Sebastian might sneak it.)

Angus & Julia Stone - Down The Way
Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
Guy Sebastian - Like It Like That
Jimmy Barnes - The Rhythm and the Blues
John Butler Trio - April Uprising
Kate Miller-Heidke - Curiouser
Powderfinger - Golden Rule
Stan Walker - Introducing
The Temper Trap - Conditions
Vanessa Amorosi - Hazardous

Most Popular Australian Single
(a pretty weak field here. Temper Trap should win as there's is the best song, but they won't. If Brian McFadden wins, it will act as proof that there is no justice in the world)

Brian McFadden - Just Say So
Gabriella Cilmi - On A Mission
Guy Sebastian - Like It Like That
Guy Sebastian - Art of Love (featuring Jordin Sparks)
Kate Miller-Heidke - The Last Day on Earth
Stan Walker - Black Box
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
Vanessa Amorosi - This is Who I am
Vanessa Amorosi - Mr. Mysterious
Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup- We Speak No Americano

Most Popular International Artist
(take your pick from this shitty selection).

Beyonce
Black Eyed Peas (Really?)
David Guetta
Eminem (Is he still going?)
Jason Derulo
Katy Perry (Could be the winner here)
Ke$ha
Lady Gaga (Yawn)
Michael Buble
Mumford & Sons (Even more popular here than they are in the UK)
Owl City
Rod Stewart
Susan Boyle (Yeah, I know...)
Taylor Swift
Train (Jesus Christ... Train?)

There are also loads of other categories that no-one really cares about. Check back in at the start of November and we'll see just how much I got wrong.

Sencity Sydney is this Friday!

Sencity - the multi-sensory, multi-faceted, unique event that brings deaf, hard-of-hearing & hearing people together to enjoy live music, dance, food and drink - hits Sydney this Friday.

Since commencing in Holland in 2003, Sencity has taken place in seven locations around the world, including Berlin, Cape Town, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. As well as a live set from Bluejuice and host of DJs, performers and MCs, there will be many other highlights including a Vibrating Dance Floor which is hooked up through the PA so that the bass beats are felt throughout your whole body. There will be Sign-Jockeys, Video-Jockeys and even Aroma-Jockeys and Food-Jockeys.

It's going to be a unique experience so get along to Home Nightclub in Darling Harbour from 10pm on Friday and Party With Your Senses.

You can purchase tickets (priced $17 pre-sale) online via FundBreak and Moshtix, from the Deaf Club @ Club Burwood or Parramatta RSL until tomorrow (email gwelldon@tpg.com.au to reserve them) or on the door at Home for $25.

Bluejuice to headline Sensity Sydney

Photo courtesy of the ridiculously talented Daniel Boud.

When someone tells you about an upcoming musical event for deaf people, you can do one of two things: make the obvious joke about how Jet must be touring again soon, or pay attention and get behind a rather wonderful idea. Sencity is a multi-sensory, multi-faceted, special and unique music event for the deaf, hard of hearing and hearing. The success of the concept has catapulted Sencity into fame within the deaf community in Europe and Africa and, excitingly, is now heading to Australia.

Going out to music events is, for deaf people, often not really an option and so they end up staying within the deaf community, meaning that opportunities to interact with others are pretty limited. And so, to combat this, Sencity was born. At Sencity's Sydney event - on Friday August 27 at Home nightclub, deaf people will be able to feel the passion, emotion and atmosphere of going out to a music event like they never have before. The event is sure to bring together deaf and hearing people and create more networks for young deaf people.

Through the use of special techniques such as vibrating dance floor, deaf people will be able to feel the music the way others hear it. Lyrics are interpreted into sign language by Sign-Singer, while Visual-Jockeys and Food Jockeys will also provide positive sense impressions. There are even Aroma-Jockeys.

A while ago, the good people at Sencity contacted BobbySix.com for suggestions as to which local bands would be suited to play at such an event. They needed to be dynamic, visually interesting, bursting with energy, danceable and, of course fun. One name jumped to mind immediately - Bluejuice.

As well as the loveable Sydneysiders, the recently-announced line-up includes Bang Gang (Doom), DJ Joey Kaz, Samba Ninja and a host of others. So, regardless of whether you are deaf, hard of hearing or simply fancy a memorable and fun night out, then snap up your tickets here and prepare to party with your senses!

The Essential Festival, Sydney

I spent my Anzac day at Sydney's Essential festival, which takes place across three indoor stages in the city centre:With ticket prices perhaps seeming a tiny bit steep, pre-sales clearly didn’t take off amazingly well, judging by the fact that the three venues did feel quite empty in the early part of the day, but those who were there were treated to a lovely set from Cuthbert and the Nightwalkers in The Gaelic Theatre. Conversely, Centipede started proceedings on The Madison Stage with female-fronted poppy electronica/noise that lacked charisma and charm and at times was clunky and ugly.

Following Centipede was Erin Marshall (above). Now, I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but the singer/songwriter continues to impress with every performance. Today, a beguiled audience was won over by her acoustic ditties, which went from being powerful and gutsy when accompanied by her brother on drums to being pretty and delicate when she performed alone. The highlight was the beautiful Once Upon a Time, during which you could hear a pin drop amongst the crowd. Just remember, when Marshall inevitably becomes absolutely massive in the not-too-distant future, you heard it here first.

Watching Bird Automatic was a nice enough way to fill half-an-hour, not least because they have a frontman who, in a dark room and from distance, looks a bit like David Walliams. Meanwhile, in the upstairs Gaelic Club, The Seabellies were also perky and pleasing.With a sound that included elements of rock, electro and dance, Bluejuice (above) flew the flag for Aussie hip-hop better than most. Admittedly this isn’t too hard, but there can’t have been a person in the increasingly busy Gaelic Theatre who didn’t get a kick out of their energetic performance. Vocalists Jake and Stav clearly absolutely love being on a stage and their infectious high-energy filtered though to a crowd that had so far found little on the bill to dance to. Stirring stuff, and fucking loud too. The day belonged to Bluejuice, no question.

Sydney boy/girl duo WOW won the title of being the weirdest band of the day. With a frontman who looks like a futuristic incarnation of The Young Knives’ House Of Lords and hacking out crazy garage-electro-disco-punk-lunacy to the bemused handful in attendance, it’s hard to tell if they were the best thing in the world or the worst. One thing’s for sure though, Nathan Barley would love them.

While American band Ratatat impressed with their beautifully-crafted and layered instrumental indietronica, local lads The Kahn Brothers offered sweet acoustic harmonies to a much smaller crowd on the Madison stage. Sure, it was incredibly twee and fairly bland, but pretty enough in places.Up in The Gaelic Club, an ear-busting turn from Cassette Kids was as far from twee as it is possible to be. In vocalist Katrina (above*), they have a captivating frontwoman in the mould of Be Your Own Pet’s Jemima Pearl or Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O. She stamps, stomps and screams her way around the stage, hollaring through a mop of blonde hair like she is having the most fun tantrum ever. Sometimes their songs do kinda blend into one, but the band does have some really interesting guitar effects up its sleeve and what the set lacked in variety it made up for with sheer fucking raw energy. Theirs was one of the highlights of the day, even if the turnout to watch them was undeservedly low. On this display though, 2008 might just be their year.

With Regurgitator and The Holidays wrapping things up, another Essential Festival could justifiably call itself a success. A low-key success, but a success nonetheless.

(*I actually took this photo of Katrina two days later at Oxford Arts, after all the ones I took of her at Essential were of poor quality. Incidentally, they put on another awesome show)