Right now I'm very, very eagerly awaiting November 6, i.e this Thursday, for the announcement of the Sydney Festival acts. My expectations are pretty high going on how incredibly amaazing last January turned out (which the Sydney Festival was largely responsible for), with Andrew Bird, Joanna Newsom (and symphony orchestra!), Sufjan Stevens and the National all out here. I'd be pretty! excited if the two rumours I've heard - Bon Iver and Grizzly Bear - turn out to be true, which Im fairly confident they would be (source 1- Bernard Zuel from the SMH and Grizzly Bear has had multiple sources so surely). I can see them fitting in well and Bon Iver has been an absolute obsession of mine lately so- here's hoping.
Also while we're on shows, I've just heard that Fleet Foxes' January 3 show at the Metro will also feature Dodos, very much a pleasant bonus/surprise. Honestly, I was thrilled enough to be able to see Fleet Foxes twice, but ok, sure! Why not.
Segue................... review number 1 (albeit a short one), the quite special 'Microcastle' by Deerhunter
I've been itching to get my ears upon this all week. Im not yet acquainted with the songs intimately but Microcastle- or just Deerhunter, I'm not sure what it is this being my first adventure in Deerhunter-land - have this beautiful sound/aura/feel that just grabs you immediately and kind of lets you know its important and exciting. And you can tell its going to be a good one. Delicately carved, soft but still electric and masculine in places, notes that bounce off and reverberate as if its all been made in some kind of echo chamber. An early favourite is 'These Hands'. It immediately conjures up an image of woods with the tallest trees, dark, at night, lit up with a majestic green light. I first heard this album on the radio where they played the segue from 'These Hands' to 'Twilight at Carbon Lake', the final two tracks. Its stunning but in the quietest way.
