Following tonight’s opening show in Perth, Florence + The Machine will play shows in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane before heading to New Zealand for a one-off show at Vector Arena in Auckland. While in Sydney the band will also perform at the Opera House as part of the Vivid LIVE festival.

Florence + The Machine headlined the Californian Coachella Festival in April, which was streamed live to the world via YouTube, giving Australians an early taste of what we were about to experience in May.

The last time Florence + The Machine visited Australia was in November last year for a one-off show promoting Debit Mastercard at the Seymour Centre in Sydney. Tickets to the event sold out in seconds and fans across the country were hanging out for a proper tour announcement, which to their delight came just a few weeks later.

View Florence + The Machine’s full Australia/New Zealand tour dates here.

*All updates are in Perth local time

22:10 Apparently she tripped backstage and her foot is bleeding

21:34 Haha she literally broke down in the middle of BREAKING DOWN and then stopped the song and is now starting again!! Her endearing banter makes this little mishap forgivable

Though in the wake of the huge lineup announced for this year’s Rock The Bells Festival in the US, which features massive names like Kid Kudi; Missy Elliot + Timberland; NAS; and the entire Bone Thugs family (Krayzie Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Bizzy Bone and Flesh-n-Bone), Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are back together as one.

The group will be performing the entire E. 1999 Eternal album, in memory of hip hop legend and mentor to the rappers, Easy-E. The album includes grammy award-winning tune Tha Crossroads.

The two-day event is looking to be off chops with some of the biggest, newest and oldest names in hip hop set to play.

It’s been some time since Blink-182 showcased their ability for hilarious antics, but a new sketch has emerged courtesy of College Humor that features bassist Mark Hoppus.

In fact, the skit features a whole heap of bassists and is titled Bassists Look Too Bored. The premise is a seminar in which Hoppus encourages his fellow bass players to look more lively on stage, if for no other reason then to increase their chances of getting laid.

In other recent Blink-182 news, the band was forced to cancel several dates on their North American tour, including an appearance at this year’s Bamboozle Festival, due to drummer Travis Barker needing an emergency tonsillectomy.

Watch: Mark Hoppus – Bassists Look Too Bored

Kody, Michael and Bic settled into place with Bic on drums, Michael on bass and Kody on keyboard as they opened with Watchful Eye. I was immediately surprised with Bic being a tiny creature absolutely smashing it out on the drums. I have never seen a drummer feel every beat as if it were an extension of their own pulse. I was completely surprised because my knowledge of Bic Runga was that she had that song Sway back in the late nineties. There was no existence of an acoustic love songstress here tonight.

Between songs throughout the whole night there was little communication to the audience except for Kody repeating “Happy Mothers Day” a few times. I couldn’t interpret whether it was shyness or lack of enthusiasm towards the crowd.

After the second song, Kody and Bic changed places, which I thought was a damn shame because I could watch her play drums all night. But make no mistake, she is just as comfortable behind a keyboard as she is behind the drums, and Kody was just as impressive playing the drums. There was a little banter between the members, about not being able to hear vocals etc. They had an effortless chemistry with each other, as if they had been doing this together for years.

When they played Fly you really got to hear the vocals. Bic had been doing back up singing, but this song really got her to shine. Kody’s drumming was so intense that a piece of his drumstick splintered and flew into the crowd. The single Blue Meanies is so darn catchy and happy that it should surely be a radio favourite. The upcoming album Electric Hawaii is the kind of song that would sound great on vinyl or MP3; it has influences of psychedelic rock but with a more modern feel, kind of like music you think that you and your ageing hippy parents would happily listen to.

Inhaler Song has a slow, steady beat that Kody said is about the good old high school days. And it totally is. It sounds like the kind of song to which you would have done your first slow dance with the opposite sex back in year seven.

For the song Why Why Bic changed from keyboard to guitar. Is there anything she cant do?! Kody’s vocals are punchy and confident; I couldn’t really tell if he has showmanship potential as he was seated for the entire performance. This song has a fast funky beat that will be a hipster dance floor favourite. It’s even got my tired ass bopping along.

The last song was Cola Elixir. It has a cute harmonising intro before leading into a meatier fast beat with the tempo speeding up for a completely climatic finish. The end of the set was near but I didn’t want it to end. After not even an hour, I was craving more, eagerly waiting for the album to come out next month to get my fix.

Example Instragramed the following image of Bondi Beach with the caption: “Goodbye Australia. See you again in November when i’ll be doing some shows with my band!”.

As Stoney Road points out, the timing and the fact that Example is bringing the whole band would seem to indicate an appearance at Stereosonic 2012.

Music Feeds previously reported that DJ Superstar, Tiesto, let slip via his Twitter account that he’ll be playing at this year’s festival.

Stereosonic 2012 Dates

Saturday November 24th – Sydney
Sunday November 25th – Perth
Saturday 1st December – Melbourne
Saturday 1st December – Adelaide
Sunday 2nd December – Brisbane

The Australian reported today that original Wiggles Greg Page, Jeff Fatt and Murray Cook have announced their upcoming retirement, which will take effect at the end of 2012, making way for a new breed of Wiggles.

When speaking about their plans to retire, Murray Cook said it was time for a change within the group.

“We’ve been entertaining children around the world for 21 years and it’s important that we plan for the future so that The Wiggles can keep wiggling in the years to come”, said Cook.

“The touring and performing over the past 21 years has meant that we’ve spent a long time away from our own families and friends. We miss them and want to spend more time at home, which is a major reason why the three of us decided it was time to hand on our skivvies to a new generation”, he said.

Blue Wiggle Anthony Field will continue on and will be the only founding member after 2012.

The new lineup will include 20-year-old Emma Watkins, who is currently a backup dancer for the group. She will take up the yellow turtle-neck and will be the first female Wiggle. The other two new Wiggles will be Lachlan Gillespie and Simon Pryce, who were selected by their predecessors to become the purple and red Wiggles.

Melbourne-based Loon Lake had earlier kick-started proceedings with their feel-good indie-pop gems, Bad To Me, and In the Summer. They were shortly followed by psychedelic-pop quintet, Deep Sea Arcade, who opened with Seen No Right, a quirky performance laced with ethereal guitars and unshakeable pop-hooks. Both support bands provided light-hearted entertainment for a rapidly filling venue.

Kaiser Chiefs emerged on stage to the shuddering beat of Dire Straits’ hit Money For Nothing.
Notorious for his extravagant showmanship, frontman Ricky Wilson didn’t waste a second. Climbing atop the front security-barricade during the opener, Na Na Na Na Naa, he continued rousing an already-eager, unruly audience.

The theatrics continued into Everything Is Average Nowadays, as Wilson thrashed his tambourine and microphone-stand erratically about the stage. The energy was steadily leading into Everyday I Love You Less and Less, Little Shocks, and I Predict a Riot, which sent arms and bodies flying in the front rows.

New material from The Future is Medieval (2011) was infrequent amid a setlist heavy with the crowd-pleasing classics of Employment (2005), and Yours Truly, Angry Mob (2007). This came as no surprise ahead of Kaiser Chief’s greatest hits release Souvenir: The Singles, available on June 4.

A short moment of composure during cow-bell driven Modern Way, gave the heaving audience a chance to regain themselves, as Wilson’s impressive vocals radiated above sombre instrumentals.
The Angry Mob prompted a cult-like momentum, the progressive tempo and repetitive chants resonating through the venue.

Then, as guitarist Andrew White thrust into the opening chords of Ruby, the crowd hit fever-pitch. A mass sing-along of the anthemic chorus line, ‘Ruby-ruby-ruby-ruby’ sparked a thrilling atmosphere in the trembling Palace Theatre.

In true rock-star fashion, Wilson bounded from the stage, dashed through the crowd, and stood on the bar, declaring “We’re the Kaiser Chiefs!”. It wasn’t the first time during the evening that the animated frontman had informed us of that. “I’m going to need something stronger!”, he joked, dramatically throwing his beer to the ground. “Give me a shot of Jack Daniels!”

Kaiser Chief’s power to engage an audience was proved yet again, as Wilson annihilated the shot, clambered up the stairs to the front balcony, and belted out a blistering performance of Take My Temperature.

He quickly returned to the stage to join the band in, Listen to Your Head, the rowdy audience applauding as the quintet bowed and disappeared from sight. There was little chant for a return, as the room burst into chatter, the audience patiently anticipating an encore without having to work for one.

The band returned to stage, launching into a bass-heavy Loves Not a Competition (But I’m Winning). Nick ‘Peanut’ Baines led the Leeds’ heroes into an impressive finale of Oh My God, with a skilful jangling of keys.

The crowd were on their feet, roaring from the upper levels of the shaking Palace, “Oh my god I can’t believe it, I’ve never been this far away from home!”

The band finally retreated from the stage, elated and exhausted. The closing song proved to be a worthy end to an all-round engaging, high-energy performance.

That’s the question raised by vocalist Bethany Cosentino in the latest single and title track from Best Coast’s second record The Only Place due out this Friday, May 18, 2012.

Given Best Coast’s alluring brand of surf rock/pop and the lacklustre climate of our recently passed Australian summer, it’s difficult to argue with the the young songstress.

However, for Cosentino The Only Place doesn’t function as a platform to simply brag about her homestate, but rather serves as a conduit to expand upon her capacity as a singer.

“I wanted to perform better then on the last record since we were recording it in Capitol Studios where they have these infamous echo chambers that were used on everything from Frank Sinatra to like the Beach Boys… Making this record was definitely a bigger process and because of that I wanted to go harder with my vocals and just go to the best of my ability.”

“I wanted people to hear my voice better than on the last record”, Cosentino simply states.

As you might expect, Cosentino’s preparation consisted of numerous vocal exercises, but the youthful songbird also decided to digest an assortment of ‘weird drinks’ intended to strengthen her voice.

“I drank a lot of tea called Throat Coat, which is just like a peppermint licorice tea that’s good for your throat.”

“Then I drank this drink that was like lemon juice with cayenne pepper and ginger and agave syrup and it was disgusting, but it would help clear out all the mucus that I had. So it would make it easier to sing, but it was truly the grossest drink, like it burned really badly to drink it”, Cosentino giggles.

Cosentino’s commitment to bettering her craftsmanship extended the writing and recording time frame of The Only Place. Whereas Best Coast’s debut record Crazy For You was recorded in a matter of weeks, The Only Place was carefully constructed over several months.

Usually shooting straight from the hip in regards to the creative process, it was producer Jon Brion who opened up to Cosentino the idea of revisiting and reworking certain elements of songs that may have otherwise fallen by the wayside.

“I’ve never revised anything and that was something that John had suggested I do… We were working on this song (Why I Cry) and I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t like this, I don’t think it’s good’ and he was like, ‘No, I think it’s good, I think you just need to rework the lyrics a little bit’. So I took it and worked on it and then that inspired me to do the same thing on a couple other songs and it’s inspired me to do the same thing on some songs I’ve written, like post-making the record.”

“I don’t know if I’ll continuously do it on every song, but I’m sure it’s something I’ll carry along with me and do every once in a while; but I definitely have the belief that when you create a piece of art it comes out of you the way that it comes out because it’s meant to be that way. I think that if you fuck around and try to change it a bunch, it just ends up losing some of its emotion and value”, Cosentino suggests.

With a focus on vocal quality and lyricism The Only Place sees Cosentino explore aspects of her lifestyle and personality that aren’t immediately definable.

“This record was definitely like I’m trying to figure out who I am and what interests me and what kind of sparks my fire as a person because I spent the last three years on tour and I was growing up kind of in a spotlight. It’s not something that I ever really imagined happening for myself so I think that those songs all kind of like question who am I; but I think this record is a lot more existential than the first record.”

“It’s definitely asking a lot of questions that I think a lot of…people probably wonder to themselves like…just sort of like that mid life crisis that everybody seems to go through at some point. I think that was what I was experiencing while writing this record. Even though I’m not mid life, I’m quarter life”, Cosentino jokingly admits.

When a musical artist self-reflects and attempts to tackle the ponderous themes of life, the music often reflects the weight of these universally elusive questions. However, for fans who are attracted to the breezy, upbeat spirit of Best Coast’s music, there’s no need to worry. The Only Place is still a sonically warm experience even if the lyrics at times take a more contemplative tone.

“I think it just happens that I write more upbeat music and then the lyrics are kind of more down. Crazy For You is the same way as well, a lot of the songs are melodically upbeat and poppy sounding and then the lyrics…if you listen them they’re a little bit more dark and sad. So I think it’s just organically that’s just kind of how I write. I don’t really know exactly why that is but I think it’s just something that happens with me,” Cosentino muses.

“Also I think about bands like the Beach Boys and The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac and bands that really inspire me and a band that had a very specific…like they came from this scene in the 70s that was like Southern California and that’s what people thought of. Most every Eagle’s song has down depressing lyrics except for Take It Easy or something, which is one of their more optimistic songs, but I think it’s like a lot of the bands I listen to do the same thing lyrically and melodically, so it’s probably just something that’s seeped into my subconscious.”

Best Coast – The Only Place – Out Tomorrow

Over the past few months, fans have been pulling at their hair trying to find out news, leaks, clips, anything from his wildly anticipated, yet-to-be named mixtape. Set to be the older brother of sorts for Gambino aka Donald Glover’s previous release, Camp, rumours of the mixtape has sent shivers down the spine of all those who consider themselves Glover’s peers.

Two previous tracks have been leaked from the mixtape, including Fuck Your Blog and Unnecessary. Now Glover has released We Ain’t Them, a track that had been circling the blogosphere in the form of a live bootleg video, putting fans in a mild frenzy for more.

You can stream the track right here, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more information in the illusive mixtape.

Vocalist Dougy Mandagi talks about the meaning behind the song, explaining how he went back home to his original home country of Bali during a break from touring. He visited a friend’s Villa, which had a wide and dramatic view, and it was one day while he was there looking out over the landscape that he started to realise how small we are in the world, and he started to conjure up in his head existential questions like: Who am I? Where am I going? Watch the video below:

Watch: The Temper Trap ‘The Sea Is Calling’ Song Teaser

In addition to being included as part of Vivid Live 2012 lineup, The Temper Trap will also be touring Australia beginning on May 26 at BASSINTHEGRASS in Darwin. The tour will coincide with The Temper Trap’s new self-titled record, and also includes stops in Melbourne and Sydney. For Sydneysiders, Vivid will be the only chance to catch the Australian indie rock act, who will be performing on May 31 and June 1 at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House.

The Temper Trap Australian Tour Dates

Saturday May 26 Bassinthegrass, Darwin Amphitheatre
See http://www.bassinthegrass.com.au for ticketing details

Tuesday May 29 the Forum Theatre, Melbourne
Ticketmaster http://www.ticketmaster.com.au or 1300 111 011

Wednesday May 30 the Forum Theatre, Melbourne
Ticketmaster http://www.ticketmaster.com.au or 1300 111 011

Thursday May 31 the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House for Vivid Live
See http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/vividlive for details or call 02 9250 7777

Friday June 1 the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House for Vivid Live
See http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/vividlive for details or call 02 9250 7777