Groovin’ the Moo 2013 Preview

While the festival season is only just starting in North America (QRO Festival Guide) and U.K. (QRO U.K. Festival Guide), it’s been running all Southern summer long Down Under...
Groovin' the Moo 2013 Preview

Groovin' the Moo 2013 Preview

While the festival season is only just starting in North America (QRO Festival Guide) and U.K. (QRO U.K. Festival Guide), it’s been running all Southern summer long Down Under (QRO Australian Festival Guide) – and is still going, with Groovin’ the Moo.  Eschewing the big cities for regional centres just outside lets the touring fest stretch out – and also bring some great acts:

 

The Temper Trap

From Melbourne comes The Temper Trap (QRO photos), who have broken out there & elsewhere (QRO live review) thanks to 2009’s Conditions (QRO review) and last year’s The Temper Trap (QRO review), which channels the great eighties of John Hughes movies.  They’ve already seriously moved up in terms of venue size (QRO photos) for their regular shows (QRO live review), so catch ‘em headlining Groovin’ the Moo (QRO photos at a festival).
The Temper Trap
The Kooks

With Inside In/Inside Out and “Naïve”, The Kooks (QRO live review) burst out of Brighton as alt-pop stars beloved by girls everywhere (QRO photos).  2008’s Konk (QRO review) kept that up, more or less, though 2011’s Junk of the Heart (QRO review) saw the band (QRO photos) get pretty simple (QRO live review).
The Kooks
Tegan & Sara

Identical twin sisters Tegan and Sara (QRO interview) Quinn emerged out of Calgary at a young age over a decade ago (QRO spotlight on), and are coming to Groovin’ the Moo (QRO photos at a festival) before the release of their seventh record, Heartthrob (QRO review) after a hiatus following the end of their touring behind 2009’s Sainthood (QRO review).  The duo manages to combine both the mature songstress(es) style and today’s indie-rock (QRO live review) – along with some great between song banter (QRO live review).
Tegan & Sara
Example

U.K. rapper Elliot John Gleave – a.k.a. Example, a.k.a. ‘E.G.’ (abbreviation of ‘exempli grata’, or ‘for example’) – is set to marry Australian model & actress Erin McNaught the week after Groovin’ the Moo ends, so expect him to be in particularly high spirits & particularly in love with Oz.
Example
Tame Impala

From Perth comes the psychedelic rock of Tame Impala (QRO live review), touring off of 2011’s Innerspeaker (QRO review) & last year’s Lonerism, whose critical acclaim has won them fans across the world (QRO photos at a festival).
Tame Impala
They Might Be Giants

John Linell & John Flansburgh may have been performing as They Might Be Giants (QRO live review) for over thirty years now, but have also stayed perpetually young (QRO photos), thanks to young-friendly memorable songs like “Birdhouse in Your Soul”, “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)”, and Grammy Award-winning Malcolm In the Middle theme song “Boss of Me”.   Recent times saw them go wholeheartedly in that direction, releasing a series of children’s albums, including Here Comes the ABCs, Here Comes the 123s, and Here Comes Science.  However, they returned to ‘adult’ (if that can ever be said about TMBG – QRO photos) with 2011’s Join Us and this year’s Nanobots.
They Might Be Giants
Yolanda Be Cool

Using fun, unorthodox samples, Australia’s own Yolanda Be Cool makes bouncy, energetic, sometimes goofy, always enjoyable pop music.  And get this; it’s fun to dance to.
Yolanda Be Cool
Frightened Rabbit

Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit (QRO live review) are at the forefront of the tragic, heartfelt wave coming from England’s neighbor to the north, most recently with this year’s Pedestrian Verse (QRO review) and 2010’s The Winter of Mixed Drinks (QRO review).  They also really put themselves out there on record, but their live show (QRO photos at a festival) also sees them joking (QRO photos), in their Scottish brogue, capture on 2009’s live album, Liver! Lung! FR! (QRO review).  Also a strong festival band (QRO photos at a festival), they can even take requests (QRO live review of all-request show).
Frightened Rabbit
Matt & Kim

Serious, long-time ‘Friends of the Q’ (QRO spotlight on), it’s been great watching Matt & Kim (QRO photos at a festival) blow up so seriously – without losing their infectious cheer (QRO live review).  Singer/keyboardist Matt Johnson (QRO interview) and drummer Kim Schifino (QRO interview) bring a self-described ‘onstage pizza party’ with their sugar-filled hyper-pop/rock on stage (QRO live review).  Known for spreading their giant, ever-present grins (QRO photos) to every crowd they play for (QRO live review), large, outdoor stages (QRO live review outdoors) don’t faze them, and neither do massive festivals (QRO photos at a festival), nor even foreign crowds (QRO live review overseas) or playing on holidays like New Year’s Eve (QRO live review on New Year’s Eve) or Halloween (QRO live review on Halloween).  They also stepped up their musical game on 2009’s Grand (QRO review), with Sidewalks (QRO review) the following year, and most recently with last year’s Lightning (QRO review).  So expect them to rock the crowd (QRO photos), from old tracks like “Silver Tiles” (QRO video) and “Yea Yeah” (QRO video) to Grand ones like “Good Old-Fashioned Nightmare” (QRO video) and “Daylight” (QRO video) to Sidewalks’  “Good For Great” (QRO video) and even a cover of Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” (QRO video) – as the kids go nuts (QRO photos at a festival), and so do Matt & Kim (QRO live review).  And those up front better be ready when Matt (QRO interview) sends Kim out to do her ‘booty shakin’ crowd surf’ (QRO photos at a festival)…
Matt & Kim
Midnight Juggernauts

Amid the many Melbourne acts that have broken through, one of the first was Midnight Juggernauts (QRO spotlight on).  The trio (QRO interview) made their name known with 2007’s Dystopia (QRO review) and a live show (QRO live review) far more electric than most electronica (QRO live review).  2010 (QRO photos at the festival that year) saw them release follow-up The Crystal Axis (QRO review), and this year the group (QRO interview) will put out Uncanny Valley, so get your chance to hear what’s new from the Juggs (QRO photos).
Midnight Juggernauts
YACHT

Originally one-half of The Blow, Portland’s Jona Bechtolt has since made even more of a name on his own as YACHT (QRO spotlight on), with 2007’s I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real (QRO review), 2009’s See Mystery Lights (QRO review), and last year’s Shangri-La (QRO review), bringing in partner Claire Evans (QRO interview with both).  But it’s their exciting live shows (QRO photos at a festival) that are really breaking them through (QRO live review), whether in the club (QRO photos) or outdoors (QRO photos outdoors at a festival), featuring such items as whole songs done from amongst the crowd, question-and-answer sessions (QRO live review) – and their own signature dance style (QRO photos).
YACHT
The Bronx

Last few years, certain hardcore bands have been breaking into the indie-mainstream, such as Canada’s Fucked Up (QRO live review) and Los Angeles’ The Bronx (other than Chicago & Boston, are any bands named after their own hometowns?…).  Not that The Bronx (QRO photos at a festival) are your run-of-the-mill hardcore act – see their Latin alter ego, Mariachi El Bronx (QRO photos at the same festival).
The Bronx

 

 

Festival dates & locations:

Saturday, April 27 – Showgrounds, Maitland, NSW

Sunday, April 28 – University, Canberra, ACT

Saturday, May 4 – Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo, VIC

Sunday, May 5 – Murray Sports Complex – Cricket Grounds, Townsville, QLD

Saturday, May 11 – Hay Park, Bunbury, WA

 

 

For festival website, go here: http://www.gtm.net.au/

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