Groovin’ the Moo 2012 Preview

While it warms up in the northern hemisphere during May, it cools down in Down Under – but don’t tell that to Groovin’ the Moo! The traveling festival crosses Australia May 5th to 19th, eschewing the usual city suspects for smaller ‘burbs, hitting up Bendigo (VIC), Townsville (QLD), Maitland (NSW), Canberra (ACT), and Bunbury (WA). Here’s the low-down on who to see when you’re groovin’ the moo for three weekends in Oz:

Kaiser Chiefs Leeds’ Kaiser Chiefs (QRO photos at a festival) had an alt-cheek to their 2005 debut Employment, but like other Anglo alt-acts that broke out around then (such as Bloc Party – QRO album review), they’ve declined since then, with the mixed Off With Their Heads (QRO review) and poor Yours Truly, Angry Mob (QRO review). At least singer Ricky Wilson hasn’t gone solo like Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke (QRO solo album review). Last year’s The Future Is Medieval was recently released in the States as Start the Revolution Without Me (QRO review), and while it’s no return to Employment, they’ve still got a job.

Digitalism Hamburg electronic duo Digitalism (QRO photos) knows how to spin it (QRO photos doing a DJ set at a festival) – and I Love You Dude (QRO review).

Hilltop Hoods Adelaide’s Hilltop Hoods are one of Australia’ biggest hip-hop acts, with ARIA Awards by the bucketful. They return from their latest world tour to Groove the Moo.

Adrian Lux Swedish DJ/producer Adrian Lux is already known by the big names in house music, and comes to GTM behind his just-out self-titled debut.

Kimbra While she’s only just getting known in the States thanks to contributing vocals on “Someone I Used To Know” by Australia’s Gotye (QRO album review), New Zealand’s Kimbra (QRO photos on tour with Gotye) is already well known down under, as her debut Vows charted in ANZAC – and now the dance songstress returns (QRO photos at a festival).

Bluejuice While certainly dance- and electronic-heavy, Groovin’ the Moo doesn’t short the rock, such as Sydney’s own Bluejuice.

Public Enemy Before rap was mainstream and became today’s highly successful commercial product, Public Enemy (QRO photos outdoors) broke the doors open by combining modern civil rights activism with the then-unknown music of streets, hip-hop. Chuck D & Flavor Flav (before he descended into VH1 ‘celebreality’, from which he seems to be clawing his way out of) shocked America with such records as It Takes a Nation of Millions and Fear of a Black Planet (which has since been inducted in the Library of Congress!?!), with seminal tracks like “Don’t Believe the Hype”, “911 (Is a Joke)”, and “Fight the Power”, which had the most charged controversial line since the Vietnam War, “Elvis was a hero to most / But he never meant shit to me / You see, straight-up racist that sucker was simple and plain / Mother-fuck him and John Wayne!” You know what time it is!

Muscles Muscles had the #1 Australian dance album in 2007 with his debut, Guns Babes Lemonade, and comes to Groovin’ the Moo before the June release of his follow-up, Manhood.

City and Colour Dallas Green, singer/guitarist of emo-punk band Alexisonfire, embraces his sad, acoustic side as City and Colour (he’s Canadian, thus the extra ‘u’ – 2005’s Sometimes only came out in America in 2009 – QRO review).

Wavves Redemption? After WAVVES singer/guitarist Nathan Williams (QRO photos at a festival) had a very public breakdown, on stage two years ago at Barcelona’s Primavera Festival (later blaming technical problems, and ‘alcohol addiction’ – isn’t that what disgraced Rep./To Catch a Predator favorite Mark Foley said?…), the San Diego act cancelled their whole European tour. However, since then Williams got back on the road (QRO photos at a festival), recruited the backing band of the late Jay Reatard (QRO photos), put on the much-praised King of the Beach (QRO review). And he seems to have cut down on imitating Pauly Shore… (QRO photos at a festival)

Andrew W.K. No artist in this millennium has done as many different things, worked with as many different people, while staying true to who he is, than Andrew W.K. (QRO photos). He started as a party-rock impresario with 2001’s I Get Wet and “Party Hard”, but has since built a wide list of accomplishments, from founding his own NYC venue, Santos Party House (QRO venue review), to doing self-help & motivational speaking, his own MTV series (and guest-appearing on Adult Swim’s Aqua Teen Hunger Force), playing with a classical string quartet (QRO photos), and hosting the World Snowboarding Championship in Oslo earlier this year (QRO kick-off review). And now brings back I Get Wet for its tenth anniversary (*QRO live review of I Get Wet* show**).

MUTEMATH Putting some ambience and psychedelica into their alt-rock is New Orleans’ own MUTEMATH (QRO live review), who have been building in success, acclaim, and sound, most recently with last year’s Odd Soul (QRO review). The band (QRO photos) blew up in 2007 with their video “Typical”, where the band performs the song backwards…

The Maccabees South London indie rock comes to Australia in the form of The Maccabees (QRO photos at a festival).