STACK #190 Aug 2020

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STACK Issue 190 AUGUST 2020

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PERRY

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ISSUE 190 AUG

CONTENTS

2020

NEWS 6 Life Tech news MUSIC 9-12 The Music Room:

YOUR TO FILM, TV,MUSIC, GAMING& LIFE TECH ESSENTIALGUIDE

GAMINGG

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KATY STACK Issue190 AUGUST 2020 “I got theeye of the tiger, a fighter,dancing through thefire”

New release interviews and bulletins 14 Roving Reporter, vinyl chart and offers 15 Two-thousand-and-great: The best of the Noughties 18-19 Cover feature: Katy Perry 20-22 AlbumTales: Prince’s Sign “O” The Times (1988) 24-28 Album reviews LIFE TECH 32 Life Tech Intro 34-48 Father’s Day Gift Guide 50-58 Your guide to electric rideables 60-62 Online security – are you covered? 64 Wi-Fi 6 and Netgear’s MK 63 mesh network router GAMING 71 Roving Reporter 72 UFC 4 74 Ubisoft Forward 76 Wasteland 3 77 Fast and Furious Crossroads 78 Asus FX505DV gaming laptop 80 Out this month 81 Games recommends FILM & TV FLIP MAG AND READ FROM BACK 4 Roving Reporter 6 Bob J’s Movie Trivia 8-9 Flash Gordon 10-11 Friday the 13th 12 Classics on Blu-ray 14 Sniper: Assassin’s End 16-17 Films &TV for Father’s Day 18-26 Reviews

PERRY

LIFE TECH TECH L FE

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190 Aug ’20

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INSIDE: FRIDAYTHE13 TH •FATHER’SDAYGIFTGUIDE LIFE TECHH L E ISSUE 190 Aug ’20 YOUR TO FILM, TV,MUSIC, GAMING& LIFE TECH ESSENTIALGUIDE LIFE LIFE TECH E TECHE MEMBER EXCLUSIVE COMPETITION WIN 1of2 SegwayNinebot GokartBundles! okr + Your MONTHLYGUIDE to the HOTTEST TECH at TheUltimate Father’sDayGiftGuide Hittheroadwithour e-transportspecial Ouronline securitysolution Wi-Fi6and meshnetworks INSIDE

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WELCOME It’s been another busy month at STACK . Katy Perry is back with a brand new album; Alex the Astronaut sends her debut down to Earth; and Megan Washington waxes philosophical on the fascinating Batflowers . In Life Tech we’ve put together a handy gift guide for Father’s Day in September including a few pressie suggestions along the way if you’re stuck for ideas. If you’re wondering what the big fuss about e-scooters is, check out our five-page feature and prepare to go mobile. UFC 4 is heading back to the Octagon in games, and in movies, the cult classic Flash Gordon makes a return in a newly restored 4K transfer and Friday the 13th ’s Jason Voorhees is also back in a bumper 9-Movie Blu-ray collection. Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

Founder Nic Short Editor-in-Chief Paul Jones Film & TV Editor Scott Hocking

Marketing Manager Fleur Parker Chief Contributors Bob Jones, Gill Pringle Contributors Bryget Chrisfield, Glenn Cochrane, Jeff Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Billy Pinnell, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Nathan Lawrence, Jake Cleland, Tim Lambert, Holly Pereira, Adam Colby,

Anthony Horan, Nicholas Kennedy, Dan Nicholson, Alex Deutrom, Bec Summer Social Media Manager Imogene Lewis-Granland Production Manager Craig Patterson Correspondence STACK 33 Jessie Street, Richmond, VIC 3121

Music Editor Zoë Radas Online Editor Amy Flower

Creative Director Gary Siewert Movies Consultant Kerrie Taylor Games Consultant Sachi Fernando Music Consultant Mike Glynn

RATINGS GUIDE

Parental guidance recommended

Recommended formature audiences

Notsuitableforpeople under15.Under15smust beaccommpaniedbya parentoradultguardian

Restricted to18andover

General

Disclaimer STACK is published by Scribal Custom Pty Ltd (ACN 092 362 135). © Copyright Scribal Custom Pty Ltd, 2020 All rights reserved. All material appearing in this publication is copyright unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the provider of the supplied material or advertisement. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of Scribal Custom Pty Ltd. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of advertisements or information. Whilst care has been taken in the research and preparation of this publication, the publishers, writers or anyone else associated cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, injury or hardship arising from the content contained herein or reliance therefrom, howsoever caused, and it remains your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any such content. Views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher or the editor. By the very nature of this publication, things change daily and we cannot take responsibility for any changes or inaccuracies that occur subsequent to going to press.

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The HW-Q950T is Samsung’s latest premium soundbar featuring immersive True Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 9.1.4 surround sound with HDMI eArc connection. Two rear speakers are also included. And guess what? We’re giving away a HW-950T in August! WIN a SAMSUNG HW-Q950T SOUNDBAR

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Segway Ninebot Gokart Bundles! Each bundle includes a Segway Ninebot S Gokart Kit and a Segway Ninebot S-PRO Electric Transporter Please Note: Each state and territory in Australia has a different set of rules and regulations pertaining to the usage of e-scooters and e-boards (including where e-scooters and e-boards can legally be used and whether e-scooters and e-boards need to be registered with the relevant road traffic authority). Any user of this product must ensure that they check and abide by their local by-laws and use responsibly. Ride with caution and always wear a helmet and protective gear when riding your e-scooter and e-board. Enter now and view full competition details at stack.com.au/competitions/gokart Already a member?

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LIFE TECH NEWS

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUBBLE! E ven if you’re not much of a space geek, you’ve likely heard of the Hubble Space Telescope, which launched into low Earth orbit back in 1990 and is still floating along out there somewhere in space, capturing incredible imagery as it goes. NASA love people showing interest in their work, and to help celebrate the telescope’s 30th anniversary they’ve added a cool feature to their website whereby you can see what Hubble saw on your birthday – or, more accurately, one of your birthdays.

SAMSUNG SEPTEMBER

I f you’re into all the latest gear then you’ll want to save the date of September 2, for that’s when Samsung plan to unveil an array of its newest upcoming technology releases. The 45-minute online event,

friendly time of 6pm (AEST).

What do we expect to see from this “innovative and interactive space”, as Samsung are billing it? While there are rumours

of everything from an updated Galaxy Fold to a new smart watch, Samsung are keeping things close to their collective chest, promising “a selection of mobile phone, wearables, TV, audio and home appliance tech.”

the announcements. The good news for those who often have to lose sleep to watch these things is that it’s happening at the very Aussie-

entitled 'Life Unstoppable', will be open for all to view, but don't stress if you miss it, STACK will be covering all

T o some, they’re just those little pictures that others insist on peppering their text- based missives with, but to others emoji are important ways to communicate – or just a way to add a bit more fun to life. So, when new ones come along it can be big news, and we’ve had a peek tea, coin, dodo, lungs (to go with that heart!), nesting dolls, ninja, piñata, tamale and a transgender symbol, plus Apple’s take on the much-discussed new emoji pinched fingers, which many have taken to calling “Italian hands”. NEW EMOJI ARE TURTLE-Y COOL…

Want to find out the

at some of those in-store for later in 2020. Android-wise, the much-loved classic 2013 turtle returns, along with facelifts to many other animal emoji, including the frog, pig, chick and octopus. They’ll be part of an update that will hit before we say goodbye to 2020 and will include all 117 new emojis announced earlier in the year. Naturally, Apple users don’t miss out, with new designs heading to phones, tablets and Macs. Those shown already, via Emojipedia, include an anatomical heart, beaver, boomerang, bubble

cosmic wonder that coincided with your special day? Pop along to www.nasa.gov/content/ goddard/what-did-hubble- see-on-your-birthday and gaze in wonder!

New and existing STACK members have the opportunity to win one of 30 $50 JB Hi-Fi digital gift cards every month!* 50 $ MEMBER REWARDS If you’re already receiving STACK 's newsletters, you’re in with a chance to win – if not, join now for free: www.stack.com.au/member/ Thanks to JB Hi-Fi

1 of 30

GIFT CARDS EVERY MONTH *

*Terms and conditions apply. Full terms and conditions at www.stack.com.au/competitions/members-rewards-50/

JULY 2020

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Read on to get the lowdown on four of the best new releases around! See and hear more in our stores this month

At JB Hi-Fi we love to turn our customers on to NEWMUSIC

Photo Credit: Pooneh Ghana

GLASS ANIMALS Dreamland

TIMMcGRAW Here On Earth

Here On Earth is Tim McGraw’s 16th studio album and first solo album in five years. Including 16 tracks that tell the stories of love, self-

Glass Animals are back with their highly anticipated third album Dreamland .

Featuring the singles Tokyo Drifting , Your Love (DéjàVu) and Heat Waves it’s shaping up to be their biggest album yet! Out August 7.

ORDER ONLINE HERE

reflection and fun while reminding listeners “that we are here on this earth to take care of each other.” Out August 21.

Photo Credit: Tim Ashton

PAUL KELLY & PAUL GRABOWSKY Please Leave Your Light on The new collaborative album from two of Australia’s most highly acclaimed musicians.

TROYE SIVAN In A Dream

Global superstar Troye Sivan EP In A Dream features six new songs including Take Yourself Home and Easy. CD with deluxe packaging, poster, sticker and seven artcards. Out August 21. Pre-order the In A Dream Blue LP exclusive to JB Hi-Fi. Out October 9.

This unique body of work sees Kelly performing selections of his catalogue with new interpretations by Grabowsky on piano. Out Now.

FEATURE MUSIC

INTERVIEW

WASHINGTON Multi-hyphenate creative powerhouse MeganWashington has ideas. Lots of them. In conversation we scud across many topics – Beyonce's Homecoming , Ginger Rogers, Gurrumul, podcasting, ego, lyrical Easter eggs, 'givers' and 'takers' in performance – but they're all interconnected with her thoughts on the gorgeous, teeming thicket that is her new album Batflowers . Words Zoë Radas

M egan Washington is a believer in the endless interplay of all life’s components, particularly when it comes to art and narrative. “I want to make something that’s sort of connecting my eyes to my ears, and realising that all music is musical theatre,” she says. “All music, all songs, everything. Even how a baby cries is like musical theatre – it’s got its own code inside it. It’s audio cinema; it’s telling you a story. Even a chord: whether a chord is major or minor, that’s emotional information. So the whole record for me is a musical. It’s a musical about getting back up again.” This role Washington has found for herself – existing in tandem with those afore-mentioned hyphenates, which include podcaster, film and television scorewriter, sound engineer, hand- drawn animator (the fruits of which you can see in the lyric clip for her single Dark Parts ), mother, and a pile more – is one she cherishes deeply. “I love to be an artist. It’s a gift to be able to make people feel how you feel, especially

years. So I’m just trying to do what I can, which is to have fun, to invite people in. Even if it’s ten minutes of ‘ not this .’” In being ‘ not this’ , Batflowers succeeds with thrilling, agile grace. Switches glides through an electrical storm with a Sorrento Moon sort of magic, and is connected lyrically to the jaw-dropping Catherine Wheel , which preserves a moment in which Washington forgot her piano chords (but couldn’t bear to re-record

arrangement from Paul Hankinson, which Washington performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Opera House in 2017). Meanwhile, Dark Parts thumps through a 7/8 time signature which lashes its piano roots bewitchingly against your brain, with lyrics that threaten to fall over one another but never do: “Show me all your icky blacky yucky/ Show me all your sticky tacky lonely/ ...Let me show you all my shadowy and cynical/ Let me show you all the dark parts of me." Washington asserts that Batflowers sprang from the visceral seam between dreaming and singing. “For me, dreaming is very passive and singing is very active,” she explains. “When I sing about what I dream, I become a true creator – which is being active and passive together. Like, that’s when I am the dude and the lady.” What does she mean by

this super intimate take on a piano in Berlin; this track has also received an orchestral

collapsing that binary? We get closer to it when talking about the pervasive desire of some listeners to find out the

when how you feel is good , despite the sh- tness of the world, its horrendousness

It's a gift to be able to make people feel how you feel, especially when how you feel is good , despite the sh-tness of the world

definitive meaning behind a piece of art, thinking their own interpretation may be

– to make space for beauty and for people to come and connect with their feelings and to connect with themselves,” she explains.

wrong; ‘What is the true meaning of this song?’ “The answer is always both,” Washington says with feeling. “For me, the big cosmic joke is: Is it man or woman? No, it’s both, dummy! Is it night or day? No,

“'What can I do in this global movement of whatever the f-ck is happening to Earth, like, this massive adjustment?'” she asks, recalling her thoughts at the beginning of the journey towards assembling this new album. “'What is the service that I can provide?' Because nobody needs any more sad girl pop about me and all my f-cking problems. We’re all having to be there for each other in a way that we’ve never had to do before, because we’ve never had something affect the whole planet before, not for ages – not for 100

it’s both. Is it gay or straight? Both! Actually, it’s everything.” She clarifies: “The answer to what those people are asking is, yes, I do have a sense of where this song is coming from, and that’s me. And there’s a sense of where the song is going, and that’s you. Both of those points are necessary for the song to exist at all, in any way. It’s not a wall that exists in time and space when I’m not there or you’re not there. The song needs me, but it also needs you.”

Batflowers by Washington is out August 28 via Island.

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MUSIC FEATURE

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But … those things are flammable as f-ck. Just had to drop it immediately onto the stovetop.

In one of your recent cover videos, you said you always have toys in-studio, because if you get stuck you can grab one, distract your brain, and suddenly come up with a new idea.What sort of toys do you have scattered about? Loads. I’m in the studio now so will just look around… a Pez dispenser, a miniature remote control car, a larger remote control car, glow-in- the-dark slime, prototype Denzel Curry x Glass Animals nunchucks, a few action figures, some Pokémon cards, a Gameboy, a Super Nintendo, and a huge collection of art zines. You refer to yourself a number of times throughout the album (“It’s 2020… you go make an album and call it Dreamland ” – Dreamland ; “Davey’s on fire, you still got it” – Tokyo Drifting ).They whipped me out of my mesmerised state.Was it your intention to jolt us to attention with some meta? Oh, interesting. In Dreamland the idea was to put the listener in the driver’s seat, with that line – to ask them to go make their own version of the album and to go through their own memories. So yes, I guess the intention was to take you out of my head and put you into your own for a second. Tokyo Drifting , yes: ultimately it is meant to pull you out of Dreamland and put you firmly in the third person… that’s what I’m doing to myself in that song. The idea is that I’m meant to be assuming this swaggery alter-ego, and pushing myself to do things I’m not really confident enough to do. Glad both of those pulled you out and held you as an outside viewer for a second! Aside from the home videos we can hear throughout the album, what other kinds of visual aids did you use to jog your memory about the past? I was watching loads of old movies and TV I grew up with... Just had them spinning in the background on mute while I was working. I have a little retro TV in the studio here. I also have a huge folder of images I’ve found that I like. Lots of retro stuff in there. The cars I used to dream about having when I was a kid. Pictures of old teletext screens. Clothes I used to want. Toys I had. Food I ate. Video games I played. Pictures of all of it. You can see all

Read the full Q&A online at STACK.COM.AU

DAVE BAYLEY GLASS ANIMALS On third album Dreamland , Glass Animals frontman Dave Bayley combs through the entire beautiful mess of his life to date: childhood obsessions, pop culture touchpoints, uncertain loves, unabashed lusts, and all things hilarious, heart-breaking and -warming. He answered our questions about this gorgeous achievement in psych-pop experimentation.

sometimes those old memories that we’ve slightly forgotten and buried under

You’ve pointed out that people love nostalgia, but also noted that we’re in a hiatus –

our everyday life can feel fresh and new when we dig them up again. We can see them

that in isolation it's difficult to make new memories, almost

Things you've forgotten and remembered can feel a bit like you're experiencing

in a different light. Like sampling in music, you know. Sometimes if you bring those older songs – sad or happy – into a modern context, it can feel new.

like anterograde amnesia. Do you think it’s human nature that we must have

them again... like sampling in music

experiences (old memories or new info) flowing through our brains?

those objects on the album and single covers too. And as I said, the zines. My favourite at the moment: Pol-Edouard’s drawings. We snuck one of those on the album cover too… he very kindly gave us permission. ZKR

In the Dreamland clip, we can see that the instructions say to burn the photograph in a pan, but you put it directly on the burner. Did you ruin the stovetop? You know what… I got a pan out as well. And I was hoping to set the corner of the photograph on fire and then drop it in the pan.

I think so, yes… I think we have to be experiencing and

seeing our loved ones in some capacity, as that’s what gives us a reason to exist. Things you’ve forgotten and remembered can feel a bit like you’re experiencing [them] again. And

Dreamland by Glass Animals is out August 7 via Polydor.

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FEATURE MUSIC

BAAUER

Watching the superb mini-movie for the album, it became apparent to me how weird the human (and alien!) urge to dance is – we hear a beat, and we are compelled to move our bodies around in time.What are your thoughts on that bodily drive? I move all the time. I move when I’m making music. I’m kinda infamous for this on my twitch channel. As far as my thoughts, well - we’ve been making musical instruments before we could make vessels. We’ve been making music and dancing to music since before we even made a bowl. At some point you’d have to say it’s the most fundamental art form of being human – just making music and responding Crossover dance rediscovers its spirit in the phenomenal new record from decorated producer and Harlem Shake creator Harrison Rodrigues, AKA Baauer. He answered our questions about Planet's Mad , which tells the thumping, glimmering tale of a bizarre cosmological event during which a kaleidoscopic alien planet – and its cast of strange lifeforms – merges with Earth. Suffice to say, we're not in Harlem any more. Words Zoë Radas

Pedro

Read the full Q&A online at STACK.COM.AU

We have been making music... since before we even made a bowl. At some point you'd have to say it's the most fundamental artform of being human

to music. Kind of amazing. I don’t think you can separate the idea of being human from dancing, actually. At several points during the film we see a lens-flare containing the letter ‘B’ – it’s like we are literally seeing through your lens, or eyes. Do you feel the visuals did capture your vision as accurately as possible? Yeah the whole concept is about the world- making idea of creating an album. And so the entire visual album is directly meant to represent my perspective and imagination. The little lens fx you picked up on was a nice subtle gesture to that idea, from Rick Farin.

44 ] – which is a techno record I guess – the lead percussion splits into two lines of drum fills, seeming to split off in different directions. So when making it I already knew this should represent a worm that had been split into two sections. And over the process of months this became a creature drawn by Chloe Scheffe and animated by Rick Farin, who now has a full back-story and name. It’s awesome. It’s just about giving body to these songs. It’s something I guess I’ve always done but we’ve never directly honoured that in the visuals quite so well as this project. Which of our new alien pals is your favourite? Probably Pedro. He sits on my shoulder while I’m making music. He’s cute. He smells terrible. ZKR

Baauer's digital depiction in the mini-movie for Planet's Mad , directed by the artist and animated by Actual Objects.

How did the extra time you had to create the album’s world and characters impact the outcome of this record? Just having that luxury of time through lockdown... [and

through] continuing to discuss the world we were making, meant it all came together really easily. But the initial spark for everything was just a gut reaction to the music. In [ HOT

Planet's Mad

by Baauer is out now on clear and green vinyl (2LP) and CD via LuckyMe/Inertia.

11

MUSIC FEATURE

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music and beat myself to death making these records to prove that.” Another auspiciously golden beam which lit SUGAREGG ’s creation was the fact Bognanno tracked these guitar-wheeling, palpably emotional, wildly triumphant tracks during the summer – something she’d never done, because of the planning of tour cycles. “I tell you what, I will never record a f-cking record in the winter again – over my dead body!” she says. “It was so nice to be outside, having space to be creative, having my dog… it was a new experience.” Bognanno’s dog Mezzi can be heard a few times across the album (a little woof in Come Down , and responding to a ‘speak’ command at that cut’s conclusion), as can other details of life: “Oh yeah, I just wanted to pick up the tempo,” Bognanno sing-songs to her studiomates at the beginning of Stuck In Your Head ; she also offers an enthused, “Shall we?” before Every Tradition unleashes its sunny, soaring electric guitar riff. “Those things are like, my favourite parts of records,” Bognanno smiles. “I love the things that kind of make them authentic, and give you a little personality on top of the songs.” She says she was experimenting a lot with ambient sounds too, and describes one exercise in which she

laid out every voicemail she’s ever saved from people she loves, and played them in the background of Come Down. That little venture didn’t make it to the record’s final form (“’What the f-ck is going on here?!’” she mimics her label’s response), but investigations into new writing methods reaped great rewards – such as creating structures on bass rather than guitar, which Bognanno says “opened up a lot of doors” for her. Stand-out Stuck In Your Head contains multiple overlapping vocal melody segments, Bognanno’s signature throaty-but-feminine howl, and a very slashy hi-hat rhythm on the kit. “It’s just me talking to myself about this larger meaning that I’m not seeing – stressing out about little things that, when something drastic has happened, don’t matter as much any more,” she explains of the song. “One voice is saying ‘I’m trying to get out’ and the other one’s saying ‘I can’t f-cking get out!’ – it’s this opportunity for inner dialogue that I think the sound calls for. So much of my writing is in the demos. I’m working out: ‘This is going to be reverb, this is going to be distortion, this needs an echo here.’ It really depends on what I’m trying to convey emotionally in the song, and what kind of tension is going to be there.” As for John Congleton’s influence and

INTERVIEW

W hen we spoke to Alicia Bognanno for the release of Bully’s 2017 album Losing , the singer-songwriter- guitarist-audio engineer said she would be “really bummed” to ever relinquish production control to another pair of hands. For Bully’s superb third album – the buoyant, blithe and fuzzed-up SUGAREGG – that control has been ALICIA BOGNANNO BULLY Buoyant, blithe, and typically serrated, SUGAREGG is the new album fromAlicia Bognanno's project Bully.

yielded to one of the indisputable best in the biz: Grammy winner John Congleton. How did that revolution of responsibility happen? “I had so much change,” the musician says from her hometown of Nashville, as the gentle buzz of summer cicadas floats down the phoneline. “My mental state changed the most. A lot of it had to do with… just not feeling like I had that responsibility to constantly prove myself! I didn’t need that validation anymore. "I was like, as a female and an audio engineer, I want to do this for young women. And I just realised I can still be an engineer, I can still do other peoples’ stuff, and I don’t have to sacrifice my

skills, Bognanno extols the man’s astonishing capacity to act as a kind of translator; he could articulate abstract ideas which Bognanno was having trouble communicating to her musicians. “It was the craziest sh-t, I swear to God,” she says in awe. “Another thing he was great at was, he could sense when I was getting a little stressed out in my head, and he’d say, ‘Just take a break,’” Bognanno says. “That meant the world to me, because I never would have allowed that of myself. He just has this sixth sense. It blew my mind. I fully trusted John; I'm so glad I did it.” ZKR

SUGAREGG

by Bully is out Aug 21 via Sub Pop.

S ince that moment in 2004 when you first heard the jewelled little guitar line which you’d come to learn signals the beginning of Mr Brightside , The Killers have sold over 28 million albums across the world and toured their tushes silly; their sixth album Imploding The Mirage is due to drop this month, and comes three years after their last (chart-topping) release, Wonderful Wonderful. Incorporating guest spots from some remarkable names both emerging

THE KILLERS

Imploding The Mirage by The Killers is out Aug 21

(Weyes Blood) and established (kd lang), Imploding The Mirage explores themes of overcoming sorrow through the strength of friendships and fam, and moving forward into joy and celebration. AC

via Island/ Universal.

12 AUGUST 2020

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TUKA Nothing in Common But Us Through classic albums with his band Thundamentals and his solo LPs, Tuka has built a reputation as a chameleonic rapper. Soak it up on new one Nothing In Common But Us . Out Now VARIOUS ARTISTS Cannot Buy My Soul: The Songs of Kev Carmody (2020 Edition) The re-release of the 2007 Kev Carmody tribute album with new recordings by Courtney Barnett, Kasey Chambers and Jimmy Barnes. Available on vinyl for the first time. Out Aug 21

ALANIS MORISSETTE Such Pretty Forks in the Road One of the most influential singer- songwriters in contemporary music, seven-time Grammy Award winner, Alanis Morissette, delivers her highly anticipated ninth album, Such Pretty Forks In The Road . Out Now

JOHN LEGEND Bigger Love

LUKE BRYAN Born Here Live Here Die Here

Multi-platinum, 11-time Grammy Award winner John Legend has released his seventh studio album Bigger Love . Bigger Love is about bringing light and love at a time when things feel

Luke Bryan is back with his seventh studio album Born Here Live Here Die Here featuring the singles One Margarita, Knockin Boots and Build Me A Daddy . Out Aug 7

otherwise. Out Now

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PIXIES Bossanova (Limited Anniversary Edition red vinyl)

GREAT GABLE Tracing Faces

OUT AUG 7

OUT AUG 21

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Ltd. Ed. Blue Vinyl

VARIOUS ARTISTS Cannot Buy My Soul: The Songs of Kev Carmody (2020 Edition)

VARIOUS ARTISTS They Will Have Their Way (Limited Edition pop-up gatefold)

GLASS ANIMALS Dreamland

THIS MONTH at

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post-show, and had “a good chat” – Billie even admired Isabella’s orange camo pants) and Lana Del Rey, of whom she is a massive fan. “My favourite person ever,” she laughs. “I have three different pressings of her new album [ Norman F-cking Rockwell! ].” Those three LPs (the JB deep blue, a US-released pink with alternate cover image, and a UK-released green edition) are part of a cherished collection of vinyl, which runs the gamut of Isabella’s diverse musical interests from the big guns like U2 over to local Aussie acts like electro-pop fivesome Parcels. “I went to their

concert at The Metro in Sydney last year and I was absolutely blown away,” Isabella says. “[I love how] in touch they are with their instruments. There was one part where the guy on the piano tuned a radio to blend in with one of their songs… this is past [live looping like] Tash Sultana! It was taking something that was live, on-air, and incorporating it. It was insane.” That Isabella gets to talk about music and discover new artists in her role at JB is dear to her, but not moreso than the friendships she’s created at Glendale store – “friends for life,” she says. You can experience that delightful community feeling when you

SHOP TALK

I f you see as many live shows as Glendale JB music staffer Isabella Hottes does, you get to know the outfit requirements of each venue – specifically, the likelihood of the temperature rising to magma-level in the moshpit. But on the freezing evening Isabella went to see BROCKHAMPTON at the Enmore Theatre in ‘18, she somehow made the terrible choice to wear a turtleneck. “A bad idea,” she laughs, “but

1. DMA'S

THE GLOW 2. Lime Cordiale

14 Steps To A Better You

3. Queen

Greatest Hits II 4. The Smith Street Band Don't Waste Your Anger 5. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Chunky Shrapnel 6. Queen Greatest Hits 7. Pink Floyd The Dark Side Of The Moon 8. Billie Eilish WHENWE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DOWE GO? 9. Ocean Alley Lonely Diamond 10. Ocean Alley Chiaroscuro

pop in-store, to talk either of Isabella’s most anticipated upcoming titles – BROCKHAMPTON’s Iridescence on clear vinyl, and Lana’s Violet Bent Backwards Over The Grass , an audio recording of the musician’s poetry – listen to some Tame Impala (" The Slow Rush was a fantastic album of this year; I play it in the store so much, everybody probably hates me!") or anything else music- related. Get in!

that’s a good show, when you come out sweating! And wow, what a show – triple j still talk about it. Just the energy in that room – the whole place was bouncing.” Isabella rates that concert up there with her favourites, alongside U2 (she attended their last two tours), one of Billie Eilish’s early EP tours (at which she actually bumped into the artist outside the bathrooms

Isabella Hottes @ JB Hi-Fi Glendale, NSW

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14 AUGUST 2020

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FEATURE MUSIC

The Noughties were rich with stand-out releases from indie guitar bangers to delicate piano cuts, from big pop to phat (remember that one!?) rock.We look back at a few of the best. Words Zoë Radas TWO-THOUSAND-AND-GREAT: THE BEST OF THE NOUGHTIES

Dulcet, honeyed vocals and elegantly mellow piano in a jazz-inflected bun: not the kind of sound you’d imagine would take the world by storm. But that’s what happened when a bright-eyed 23-year-old from New York City, Norah Jones, released her debut album in 2002. Jones's especial brand of jazz-pop grasped the ears and hearts of listeners who loved her take on a very old genre. (Universal) The Killers, Hot Fuss (2004) When two twenty-something Las Vegas musos named Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning got together in 2001, they hadn’t a clue they were on a path to five chart- topping albums in a row – not even after

wanted to title Heartbreak Is A Motherf- cker ) is full of allusions to the fun-but- terrifying nature of life and love. Australians showed their love for the vocalist during the Funhouse tour: P!nk broke several (of her own) records when she sold-out 35 shows across the country (17 in Melbourne alone) and performed 58 shows in Oz in total. (Sony) Arctic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006) By the time Arctic Monkeys’ debut album came out, the Sheffield four-piece were

Delta Goodrem, Innocent Eyes (2003) The first time Australia heard Born To Try – the earnestly wholesome first single ever released by Delta Goodrem – we were confused:

The Killers

they penned a hell of a first song together: Mr Brightside . You couldn’t get through a day in 2004 without hearing Mr Brightside , Somebody Told Me , or the earwormy gang- vocal “I’ve got soul, but I’m not a soldier” from All These Things That I’ve Done . All three of those tracks were nominated for Grammy Awards, and the album went on to spend 252 weeks in the UK albums chart. (Universal) The White Stripes, Get Behind Me Satan (2005) Back in the days when we still weren’t clear on whether Jack and Meg White were siblings or romantic partners (they are in fact ex-husband and -wife, having

Delta Goodrem in Neighbours

this is the Neighbours girl? And she can sing higher than a dogwhistle? One year later Goodrem released her debut album Innocent Eyes , which was packed to the gills with piano-led pop hits. It debuted at #1 and stayed there for 29 weeks, breaking a record held by John Farnham’s Whispering Jack (1986). That same year, at the age of just 18, Goodrem was diagnosed with cancer (Hodgkin’s lymphoma) and then won seven ARIAs. She went on to kick cancer’s butt, and Innocent Eyes became the highest- selling album in Australia of the entire decade. (Sony) P!nk, Funhouse (2008) “I guess I just lost my husband/ I don’t know where he went,” P!nk shrugs in the opening of So What , the first track from fifth album Funhouse . It’s true that the popstar had just separated from longtime love Carey Hart, and Funhouse (which P!nk reportedly

Arctic Monkeys

already major bigshots thanks to their rollicking single I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor (which frontman Alex Turner famously introduced at the clip’s beginning with a deadpan, “Don’t believe the hype” – clearly no one listened). The single landed bang on #1 in the UK (see ya, Sugababes’ Push The Button ) and the album became the fastest-selling debut in British music history, also picking up the Mercury Prize. (Universal) Norah Jones, Come Away With Me (2002)

married in 1996 and divorced in 2000), the world was a-broil with the lashing, enigmatic sounds of Get Behind Me Satan , the fifth album from the Detroit duo. Mining garage rock, punk and blues influences,

Norah Jones

TheWhite Stripes

the record’s smash singles (most notably the scuzzy Blue Orchid and the piano-led stomp of My Doorbell ) paved the path to the Best Alternative Music Album award at the ’06 Grammys. (Inertia)

P!nk

15

Kick-ass albums of the 2000s

MUSIC FEATURE

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KATY PERRY: THE WHOLE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU

T he world’s enduring romance with Katy Perry is full of the kinds of milestones that prove the Californian artist could never have been a flash in the cupcake pan; her sixth album Smile – out this month – follows five others (2001’s Katy Hudson [released under her birth name], 2008’s One Of The Boys , 2010’s Teenage Dream , 2013’s PRISM , and 2017’s Witness ) which all – with the exception of her debut – were met with ardent approval from critics and immediate devotion from fans. She was the first female artist to have four videos surpass a billion YouTube views each, and in Australia, her combined single sales total over 95 times platinum. She’s been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2013 and she received the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award

in 2016, having advocated for awareness around HIV/AIDS, empowering girls, and children’s rights to health, education, and protection. FOR THE LOVE OF OZ And lo, it turns out she digs us Down Under. In March this year, Perry performed at the final of the International Cricket Council Women’s T20 World Cup, held on International Women’s Day – a show which saw the Aussie women’s team take to the stage in their gold medals and dance about like wild things as Katy sang her hit Firework (from Teenage Dream ). Three days later she performed a free concert in Victoria’s regional town of

Katy in Bright, VIC, for her free charity concert

Bright, to raise money for bushfire-affected communities and our incredible firefighters. “As a native Southern Californian, I know firsthand the devastation of wildfire across my home communities, and was particularly heartbroken by the Australian bushfires,” she said. “Australia has always given me so much love and support, so FIGHT ON is one way to return that love, and help provide a little bit of joy to a country that’s given me so much joy.” THE MAKING OF A MOMENT Then there’s the fact that her massive 2015 Super Bowl performance – the one with the dancing sharks and the giant, golden,

Performing at the final of theT20Women's World Cup

On stage with the dancing sharks

18 AUGUST 2020

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FEATURE MUSIC

Perry had to complete each wardrobe change in under ten seconds, hence the looks were designed to nest into one another like Russian dolls: “Four looks on one performer is really pushing it,” he said. Entering the arena on an enormous mechanical lion, Perry performed Roar in an orange and yellow ‘flame’ dress; this was followed by Dark Horse , during which acrobats spun around the stage. Lenny Kravitz then turned up for a duet of Perry’s debut hit I Kissed A Girl . After a set-change to a balmy tropical paradise, Perry performed California Gurls and Teenage Dream in a beach- ball-inspired two-piece of halter and skirt. The antics of one of

Top to bottom: On the Super Bowl stage during Roar, Firework, and with Missy Elliot

Perry is a stellar songwriter; having written or co-written almost all of her songs, there’s also been a few occasions when other artists have been blessed to end up with a Perry-penned track on their hands. SONGS FORME, & SOME FOR THEE

Kelly Clarkson, I Do Not Hook Up (2009) I Do Not Hook Up was co-composed by Perry along with Grammy-winning musician and producer Greg Wells, and singer-songwriter-producer Kara DioGuardi. Perry originally intended to use

her full-body shark-costumed back-up dancers during the latter song saw an immediate deluge of memes online. (Perry’s lawyers later tried to register a trademark for ‘Left Shark’, but were rejected.) After this section, Perry changed

the song for herself, but following her departure from the Def Jam label, she gave this track, and a second one she’d written – Long Shot – to Clarkson. What a darling! Both songs appeared on Clarkson’s fourth album All I Ever Wanted . Selena Gomez, Rock God (2010) This synth-pounding cut turned up on Selena’s 2010 album A Year Without Rain .

Her massive 2015 Super Bowl performance... is still the highest-rated halftime show in the history of the event

Upon its release, the singer told MTV News : “I had to fight for that song, I wanted it so bad – it’s kind of funky… I used [Katy’s] style and we mixed it up with my style, so we made it a bit more techno.” Katy also provided some background vocals for the track. Britney Spears, Passenger (2013) Passenger glimmers with a frenetic, bleeping synth, then falls into heavy

into a custom Super Bowl 49 jersey as Missy Elliott entered stage to perform her tracks Get Ur Freak On, Work It , and Lose Control . The final number saw Perry in a gleaming silver Moschino gown dotted with stars, riding a shooting star stage prop which soared in celestial glamour over the crowd as she sang her smash Firework . Perry’s performance garnered rave reviews across the board, and two days later it was revealed the halftime show received more viewers than the Super Bowl game itself (118.5 million versus 114.4 million, respectively, within the US).

half-time as Britney sings about the joys of taking a new relationship to the world “without a map.” It’s from her album Britney Jean , and the artist said of Perry and her songwriting talents: “I’m a huge fan of hers; I think she’s an amazing vocalist, she has a beautiful voice. And I love the song – the moment I heard the song, I was like ‘This is really beautiful.’ I’m really proud that I was able to do it.”

low-poly lion – is still the highest-rated halftime show in the history of the event. In preparation for her performance, Perry watched previous halftime shows by Madonna (2012), Beyoncé (2014), Diana Ross (1996) and Michael Jackson (1993), and met with Bruno Mars (who’d appeared in Beyoncé’s halftime performance) to seek his advice on prepping for the giant affair. Perry created four costumes in collaboration with designer and creative director of fashion house Moschino, Jeremy Scott. Scott later revealed that

Iggy Azalea Feat. Rita Ora, BlackWidow (2014)

Black Widow is another cut which Katy initially intended to keep in her own pocket, but she decided to hand-ball the demo she’d recorded over to Oz artist Iggy Azalea for completion. Iggy spun a rap, grabbed Rita Ora to sing the hook, and the whole she-bang ended up on Iggy’s debut album The New Classic .

Smile by Katy Perry is out August 28 via Island/Universal.

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MUSIC FEATURE

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PRINCE SIGN “O” THE TIMES Bryget Chrisfield explores the creation, impact, and astonishing legacy of her favourite classic records.This month: Prince’s Sign “O” theTimes .Warner are set to release a number of different re-releases in September this year.

“I n France, a skinny man died of a big disease with a little na-ame/ By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the sa-ame/ At home there are 17-year-old boys and their idea of fu-un/ Is being in a gang called ‘The Disciples’, High on crack, and totin’ a machine gun” - Sign ‘O’ The Times. Way to kick off the opening statement of this album, Prince! In monotone-rap style, Prince delivers this significant social commentary over sparse instrumentation: twitchy, syncopated rhythms and a funky groove that was largely created by exploring the then-new and groundbreaking Fairlight synth’s presets (with keyboard programmer Todd Horriman). The song’s chorus is just the one word (“Ti-imes”) repeated, and the official music video for Sign ‘O’ The Times features just the lyrics – like a karaoke video minus the usual cheesy visuals. The first album to be released after the dissolution of The Revolution, Prince wrote, produced and recorded Sign “O” The Times , which is actually an amalgamation of multiple different Prince projects since he was simultaneously working on two albums: The Revolution album Dream Factory (eight songs from which appear on Sign “O” The Times ) and the pseudonymous Camille (which saw Prince adopting a female persona, complete with pitched-up vocals – the polar opposite to Emma Louise’s 2018 album Lilac Everything , on which her vocals are pitched-down from soprano to baritone). Once The Revolution were dismissed, Prince consolidated material from these shelved albums, added some new cuts, and voila! A triple-album set of 22 songs titled Crystal Ball , which was eventually released in 1998 by The Artist (Formerly Known As Prince) via Prince’s own NPG Records.

Prince had initially presented Crystal Ball to Warner Bros. Records, but his label refused to release it; Sign “O” the Times – a double album – is a trimmed-down version of Crystal Ball (plus one new song: the Sheena Easton-feating belter U Got The Look , which opens the album’s second disc). Easton recounted first meeting Prince back in the ‘80s: “I walked into the studio and there was no 12 bodyguards, just him. He was very quiet and shy.” Susan Rogers – Sign “O” the Times engineer/long-term collaborator – revealed that Prince would often ask her to leave the room before he recorded vocals: “We’d get the track halfway or three-quarters of the way there, and then set him up with a microphone in the control room. He’d have certain tracks on the multi-track that he would use and he’d do the vocal completely alone. I think that was the only way he could really get the performance.” And on the rare occasion that Rogers remained in the room? Prince would turn his back to her to record. It was around this time that Prince started resenting his label for restricting

Year 1987

statement. Prince also announced he would no longer go by this name, but rather a ‘Love Symbol’. Since this glyph was impossible to type, news outlets received floppy discs containing a font download. Media soon began referring to him as The Artist (Formerly Known As Prince). Rewatching the Sign ‘O’ the Times concert film reminded me that Prince

his output. He also wanted to own his original master tapes. There were the public appearances where he scrawled the word “SLAVE” across his face, most notably during his Best International Male acceptance speech at the 1995 BRIT Awards. “If you don’t own your masters, your master owns you,” is how His Royal Purpleness explained this powerful visual

had classical ballet training. Those effortless pirouettes

and entrechat (jumping then crossing and uncrossing feet in mid-air)! And Prince’s backing band during this film’s performance footage showcases an array of badass, talented females. All hail, Sheila E! Her drum solo is astonishing.

Those fortunate enough to be in attendance at one of Prince’s Piano And A Microphone shows

Prince at the 1995 BRIT Awards

20 AUGUST 2020

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