(Virgin, 2008)

I have a very vivid memory of M83’s previous album Before the Dawn Heals Us being played at a thunderous volume while sleeping at a friend’s house early one morning, and it shook through the drunken spillover of the night before as if the ceiling inside my head was about to cave in. With Saturdays = Youth, Anthony Gonazalez poises himself to revisit his own adolescence, as if he were Bender, fist in air in the final scene of the Breakfast Club, making a soundtrack to his own eighties film.

Living proof that great bands and great songs endure all, Sydney’s Hoodoo Gurus are the epitome of the walking jukebox, with a back catalogue of classic singles and albums that have become as much part of the Australian consciousness as any other. From their conception in 1981 they have been captivating audiences the world over with their inspired blend of garage rock and power pop.

Thanks to the good folks at Inertia Records we have three fantastic songs for you to download in MP3 format. Santagold's genre bending dub rock of "Say Aha", Malcolm Middleton's paen to take home booze "Blue Plastic Bags"and the spaced out country rock of Husky Rescue's "Nightless Nights". Get clicking!

(Inertia, 2008)

Malcolm Middleton, previously one half of gritty Scottish miserablists Arap Strap, establishes the modus operandi for his fourth album Sleight of Heart right from the get go. When he sings ”We’re having a week off/We’re having a rest” from “Week Off”, he means it; Sleight of Heart is a lighter, more relaxed record than his previous effort A Brighter Beat.

(Cooking Vinyl, 2008)

Having scored a Golden Globe nominated film soundtrack with Eddie Vedder, appeared on recent albums for Tegan and Sara and the Foo Fighters, and being named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the new gods of guitar, you’d think that everything is coming up roses for Kaki King, the 28 year old Georgia-born songstress, but as her fourth album Dreaming of Revenge shows, this is just the beginning.

"I can still recall the time" began Dave Faulkner, as he stood in front of 1500 Australians (and some locals) at London's Forum last Friday night. This time those words held a little more poignancy, playing in the same venue Hoodoo Gurus once played a little over twenty years ago. Powering through with a set packed with songs from their classic debut Stoneage Romeos, Hoodoo Gurus turned back the clock and let the good times roll. Webcuts was on duty to take stock of the action and record it for posterity. Enjoy!

Photos

Darren Hayman and Jack Hayter played a full set of Hefner songs at The Luminaire, London on the 13th of June 2008. Webcuts was there, camera and pen in hand, to jot down the setlist and video "The Sad Witch".

Hailing from Helsinki Husky Rescue are the brainchild of songwriter/bassist Marko Nyberg assisted by the magnetic Reeta-Leena Korhola on vocals, Miika Colliander on guitar, Ville Riippa on keyboards, and Anssi Sopanen on drums. Webcuts questions Marko, one of Finland's finest, about the new album, Ghost Is Not Real, the Finnish countryside, blueberries and all things Husky.