Puff 'n Stuff

With 'The Rugged Uncut Project' making plenty of noise, local whiz kid Dialect is set to take things on the road with fellow hip-hoppers Social Change, Funkwig and Snair, and make sure they get some national buzz with shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in the next few months.

Hip-hop of a slightly different bent is that offered by The Streets, and those who can't make it up to the Playgrounder festival will be happy to know that Mike Skinner's making it down here for a show on Mon 9 Feb at HQ. Then, the following night sees Primal Scream celebrating 26 years (!) of making music and doing their thing also at HQ on Tue 10 Feb.

Another local band heading interstate is City Riots, who after touring not just Australia but also the UK and US this year, are ready to launch their 'Socialize' EP and will do so here on Fri 12 Dec at Jive.

Crayon Fields have just popped out their first 7", 'Mirror Ball', as a precursor to a sophomore album due in March next year, and unsurprisingly it sounds pretty damn good. Fortunately, they're not making us wait quite that long for a live taste of the new material, with a show at the Metropolitan Hotel supported by Birth Glow and Supper on Sat 13 Dec.

In the tradition of Dr. John and Professor Longhair, transplanted New Orleans pianist Jon Cleary knows how to put on a party, and after touring with his superbly named band, The Absolutely Monster Gentlemen, early this year he's back to do kick off 2009 with a series of solo spots including a grand piano show at the Norwood Hotel on Sat 3 Jan.

Another edition of Puff, another new Pink show to report. The Tue 11 Aug gig at The Ent Cent is her sixth announced in Adelaide so far, and brings the national number of shows to 40 (and ticket sales over 400,000).

And another old school punk rock gig, this time it's Propagandhi that'll be coming to town, hitting Fowler's Live on Tue 24 Feb. Ooh, political.

Not so those soporific brits Coldplay, who are giving us a miss despite announcing not one but two Perth shows, though with the state government announcing that the Ent Cent revamp will go ahead after all, hopefully we won't be missing out on the big names quite so regularly in the future.

If you're after a night of crazy, zany, wacky, madcap type antics, then the Producer's Bar has you sorted. On Fri 14 Dec, they'll be bringing two-piece drum and bass outfit Inappropriate Tough Guy Behaviour (featuring members of Firewitch) out with Patriarchal Death Machine, Patrick Saracino and Lara.

Jon English and Peter Cupples return once more with their 'Uncorked' project, which will no doubt result in the Old Clarendon Inn overflowing with both merriment and frivolity when they drop in on Fri 12 and Sat 13 December, while Victor Harbor's Beach CafŽ gets its turn on Sun 14 Dec.

Cold War Kids are about to reward their Australian fans with a tour early next year, taking them to The Gov on Tue 3 Feb.

That 1 Guy sure knows how to put on a show, following in the tradition of sonic experimenters like Bob Log III, and sometimes carrying things even further. He's got a brand new version of his instrument, the fabled Magic Pipe, ready to unleash upon audiences and will be doing so at The Promethean on Sat 20 and Sun 21 Dec.

And another Day On The Green concert has just been announced, with an all star Aussie rock cast headlined by Jimmie Barnes and also including The Angels, Mark Seymour and Mahalia Barnes taking place at the Clare Valley's Annie's Lane on Sat 28 Feb.

You may have heard by now that James Blundell will be making his way into town soon, just ahead of his next album release. He'll be performing, as so many acts do at the Norwood Hotel these days, in acoustic mode that promises to be both stripped back and intimate, on Thurs 11 Dec, with an additional show at McLaren Vale's Singing Gallery on Wed 10 Dec and some more rural shows at Melrose's North Star Inn on Fri 12 Dec and Parachilna's Prairie hotel on Sat 13 Dec, supported by Bec Lavelle (who sang the theme song for 'McLeod's Daughters') and Peter Denahy, whose just been nominated for 5 Golden Guitars. James will be available for autographs and photos before the Norwood show, from 7:30 to 8.

Congratulations to Kate Bradley and her band The Goodbye Horses, who won the national UncharTED competition and as a result will be playing at the Adelaide BDO on Fri 30 Jan. They'll be joined by a host of new acts added to the bill, including Fantomas, Quan (who's 'The Amateur' was last edition's feature album), The Butterfly Effect, T-Rek and local acts including The Shiny Brights, Lowrider, Robotosaurus, The Transatlantics, Dialect and Wolf & Cub DJs. The Vines, in case you hadn't heard, are out.

St Jerome's has also announced a few more acts, with Brisbane polka popsters Yvex Klein Blue and locals Clue To Kalo, Fire! Santa Rosa! Fire! and The Waterslides joining the incredible line-up including Girl Talk, Architecture In Helsinki, The Hold Steady, Stereolab, The Drones, Jay Reatard, El Guincho, No Age and lots and lots of other very talented musicians in the Fowler's Courtyard on Sat 7 Feb.

Internationally acclaimed dubstep D N-Type will be playing at Rhino Room on Sat 3 Jan.

With a debut album under her belt, Fi Claus is right and ready to hit the road and launch the damn thing, hitting the Grace Emily in full band mode on Wed 21 Jan and bringing Little May along for moral and musical support.

Having just been in town for the Guitar Festival, Magic Dirt are heading back home to prepare for the Freakscene festival, which they're organizing. Held at Victoria's Lakes Entrance from Fri 19 till Sun 21 Dec, it's got plenty of music but incorporates a Short Film Fest as well, open to all films up to 20 minutes. Entry is free, and you've got until Mon 15 Dec to submit DVDs for consideration, with all details and application forms available on the website, www.magicdirt.com.

For quite some time now, Wednesday afternoons have been somewhat noisy at Big Star in Rundle Street, due to the fact that the friendly, obliging staff there have played host to a plethora of rockin' bands in their basement. Their last show of the year takes place on Wed 10 Dec - yep, that's the day this goes to print, so you'd better hurry if you want to catch Snake Run, Patriarchal Death Machine and Prison Bitch. It starts at 5pm and is 100% free.

Brenton Manser And The Disciples Of Zen have been doing pretty well of late, thankyou very much, what with the band's debut EP 'River's End' sitting pretty at the number one slot on both the Three D and Awesam Sales charts, but apparently that's not enough. Where to go from there, you ask? Well for Mr. Manser the answer was obvious and he's got a solo record out now, which he'll be launch with the Disciples (featuring a new percussionist) at the Grace Emily on Fri 19 Dec.

If you're looking for a new percussionist for your band (or in fact any type of musician) or want to join someone else's band, then Ozjam is what you need. Connecting musicians as well as featuring interviews and tips on how to increase your exposure and plenty more, ozjam.com.au are doing their best to take the hard work out of being in a band.

With New Year's Eve not too far off, it's time to start making plans, and if you're looking for something dark, it's a fair bet you won't do too much better than Necromancy's New Year's Evil party. The Masquerade Ball will have a range of giveaways, 'Labyrinth' on the big screen and a range of DJs upstairs at Enigma Bar.

Before New Year's though, there's Christmas to contend with, and Angelik's Cranka Xmas Show is set to go off at the Crown & Anchor Hotel on Fri 19 Dec with Angelik joined by Miss Golly Gosh and Twelve Dollar Monkey for one big rock party that will also mark Twelve Dollar Monkey's final show.

Also doing the Christmas show thing are Lazaro's Dog, who have chosen that very same night, Fri 19 Dec, to have their own annual rockstravaganza for a worthwhile charity at Jive. This year they're choosing to help put a Christmas meal on the table for homeless people, and will take up to $5 off the door entry price for every item of Christmas food punters bring along to the gig, which they'll then donate to the Hutt St centre. The line-up includes Lazaro's Dog, The Beards, The Torrens, and Nobu The Japanese Folk-Pop Fireman.

Loud and proud Eighties English punks Peter & The Test Tube Babies bring the oi to town on Sat 10 Jan with a show at Enigma Bar. You want an idea of what the show will be like? Their debut album was called 'Pissed And Proud'. Just have a look at this lot and tell Puff if you think they'll be rowdy.

Though there are plenty of bands who take themselves far too seriously, it's not a charge that could very well be levelled at psychobilly madness merchants Nancy Vandal, who have announced their first release in almost 10 years, a new EP called 'Quite Partial To Rock', as well as a national tour with dates to be released in the new year.

The Guitar Festival may be over, but the folks at Nexus evidently can't get enough, announcing their own Menage a Guitar program featuring the flamenco guitar of Aloysius Leeson (accompanied by dancer Kristy Manuel), The Caliente Guitar Trio's Brazilian choro and samba stylings and The Baker Suite, who have grown out of the John Baker Duo and now include an accordion and double bass as well as guitar. All of the acts played at last year's inaugural Guitar Fest, and join forces at Nexus Cabaret Space, just behind Fowler's, on Fri 12 Dec.

Well-loved Irish singer-songwriter Luka Bloom returns once again next year for a show at The Gov on Thurs 16 Apr... Stealing O'Neal are back in town once more, with a show at Fowler's Live on Sat 20 Dec...Local lad Vorn Doolette plays a show with East Coast-based roots artist Jez Mead at The Wheaty on Thurs 18 Dec.

When Puff heard about The International Led Zeppelin Project, this news column made the astute guess that it was dedicated to playing the music of a certain classic rock and roll band. Indeed that's exactly what former Zep Boys Rob Pippan and John Zak do with the assistance of bass player Paul Cartwright and special guest vocalist Bully Kulke, rated as one of Europe's leading Zeppelin cover vocalists, flying in from the UK for shows at the Gov on Thurs 18 and Fri 19 Dec.

¼When Avalon Drive disbanded in the middle of their tour, it left support act The Missing Hours with a bit of spare time on their hands, and as they've got plenty of family and friends here in Adelaide, they decided to put on a Christmas Show at Jive on Tue 23 Dec.

The Justin Walshe Folk Machine and The Handsome Young Strangers are two of the country's most formidable folk-rocking forces, so you can expect their Colonial Convoy Tour to be a raucous road trip of tall tales, long nights and ferocious folk music. Don't say you haven't been warned, then, if you happen to venture in the vicinity of The Grace Emily on Thurs 11 Dec or The Exeter on Fri 12 Dec, then.

It's refreshing to have a bit of honesty in a press release every now and again, so while it's sad to hear of the demise of The Mad Shapes, Puff salutes them for their honesty. Quoth lead singer and guitarist Shane Shepherd, "internally the relationships are a train-wreck and there are personal issues that are only made worse playing in such an intensely fun but chaotic band." Shepherd is currently writing for a new band to feature keyboard player Lucy Watson, while bass player Ben Green intends to revive his previous band Move To Strike and percussionist Jenie Kusic will continue running her own successful Adelaide hair salon. A recording of their final show is now available on their MySpace page.

Not since Biggie commanded all and sundry to "throw your Roleys in the sky/ wave 'em side to side" has Puff felt such a desire to wear a Rolex, but with Wiley announcing a show at the Adelaide Unibar on Fri 23 Jan it's once again on the agenda. Guess this means he's not retired after all, but what's for certain is that the PA will get a serious workout when the godfather of grime hits the stage.

Newly reformed hardcore punk stalwarts Gorilla Biscuits are getting ready to blast into town, with Stolen Youth, Infection and Something More supporting them on Sat 13 Dec at Enigma Bar.

Local dark pop band The Battery Kids will be road-testing brand new tracks for their upcoming album at a free show at The Crown & Anchor. Surrounding their rock'n'roll with organs and vocal harmonies, their next show is on Fri 12 Dec, supported by Bellusira and Impartial.

The UK-based club night 'I think It's...' is launching in Adelaide, with DJs Patseph Pacino, Matt Reverie, Reid Jones and Terence Towelling kicking it off at Garage Bar on Fri 12 December.

Back from four and a half months living, playing and studying in Europe, Monski Mouse will be playing at the closest thing Adelaide has to a Parisian bar, La Boheme, bringing her quirky retro sets on Sat 20 and Sat 27 December.

After selling out their last national tour, Birds Of Tokyo have sensibly opted for some slightly larger venues this time around, following up festival appearances at Southbound, Pyramid Rock and the Big Day Out with a licensed all ages Thebarton Theatre show supported by Trial Kennedy on Sat 14 March.

Fini.

Get Out Of The House!