This was certainly a strange Halloween week, everyone. Halloween has always been the holiday where your freak flag can hang high, but this year, too many other strange occurrences went down. Case in point, a portion of the country got hit with one of the worst early snowstorms imaginable. Yes, New England hailed to the Pumpkin Throne in 10 inches of fresh powder. It literally was a scene out of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Everybody else in the nation probably went about their usual business, but weird things were still afoot. Here at Cluster 1, things still had a ghoulish vibe to it. We posted some terrifying videos this week (“T.O.Y.S” anyone?), and saw a few artists’ spooky side (Duck Sauce). Things may have been a little off-kilter for the holiday, but that’s how it’s supposed to be.

With that in mind, start your Christmas shopping, and if you want to give yourself a present, submit some videos so that maybe you can make the next top 10. Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, too!

Akron/Family – “Cast A Net”

It feels like kids today have lost that thrill of going on an outdoor adventure. Those moments when they practically leap out of their homes to explore the surrounding country is tougher to hold on to in major cities. Akron/Family’s music video for “Cast A Net” brings that feeling back, showing the journey of a young girl through forests and beaches. This isn’t your average nature walk, though. There’s something mystical to be found as well. -JM

Architecture in Helsinki – “W.O.W.”

Depression is a terrible thing to be stuck in. The overwhelming feeling of sadness just doesn’t affect your emotional or mental states. It’s physical as well, leaving you listless and exhausted. The main character of Architecture in Helsinki’s latest piece is in such a state. However, a ray of happiness manages to break through his despondent cloud and rejuvenates him. What is his cure? Let’s just say it lives under the sea. -JM

Beyonce ft. J. Cole – “Party”

With “Party”, Beyonce takes us to a gritty trailer park, where she adds some luster to the rusty surroundings, shining through as the beautiful pop icon that she has become. It just goes to show it doesn’t matter where Beyonce is, or where her music is playing, she can turn any spot into a rager. And she can somehow get a Bugatti into a trailer park. -TM

Born Gold – “Lawn Knives”

“Lawn Knives” may be either one of the strangest dreams a child has ever had or the result of an LSD experiment with religious imagery. Two words: grass fights. -JM

Duck Sauce – “Big Bad Wolf”

What starts out as two really horny workers, turns into a total freak show. The two men are not cursed with sexual frustration; they are cursed with having human heads instead of average male genitalia. And these heads howl…loudly. Luckily though, some girls are into that. -TM

Echo Lake – “Alisa”

Remember that beginning scene in John Carpenter’s Halloween, when young Michael Myers kills his sister, and the audience experiences it in first person? The opening shot of Echo Lake’s video for “Alisa” plays off that scene very well, and rightfully so. How timely. -TM

Gringo Star – “Count Yer Lucky Stars”

Gringo Star isn’t afraid to get in your face and stuck in your head. In the video of the title track from Count Yet Lucky Stars, each member takes turns doing exactly that. Rather than viewing from a distance, Gringo Star puts you right in the center of the action. -JM

Pepper Rabbit – “Murder Room”

One of the most classic scenes in The Lost Boys is when the late Corey Haim wakes up in the night and finds himself staring at a huge owl that his grandpa stuffed. Pepper Rabbit knows their pop culture well – at least their video for “Murder Room” has us thinking they do. -TM

Secret Music – “T.O.Y.S.”

Springer-style fights, dark movie clips, and news snippets from promiscuous workout videos flood Secret Music’s latest video. It’s straight out of the ’80s and ’90s, and the use of toys takes us back to a more innocent time in our lives. Remember when puppets used to educate us? -TM

They Might Be Giants – “You Probably Get That A Lot”

They Might Be Giants have always been a classy group of guys. In “You Probably Get That A Lot”, the band gets a classy image to match. Performing the song in monochrome and dressed in suits, they bring to mind the Beatles’ appearances on Ed Sullivan or a background band for Casablanca. After seeing this video, you’ll want to put on your sharpest suit and head to the nearest lounge for a stylish evening out. -JM

The 21st annual Big Day Out music festival hits cities throughout Australia and New Zealand during late January and early February of 2012  – which of course is summer over there. So if you’re looking for a winter getaway, this is it.

Today, the festival unveiled the first 20 acts set to appear and Kanye West, Soundgarden, and Kasabian lead the way. Other early notables include Girl Talk, My Chemical Romance, Odd Future, Battles, Best Coast, Röyksopp, Architecture in Helsinki, Boy & Bear, and Mariachi El Bronx. In all, some 60 acts will fill out this year’s bill, so stay tuned to our Big Day Out page on Festival Outlook for updates.

Specific ticket information and on-sale dates can be found on the festival’s website.

Big Day Out 2012 Dates:
01/20 – Auckland, NZ @ Mt Smart Stadium
01/22 – Gold Coast, AU @ Gold Coast Parklands
01/26 – Sydney, AU @ Sydney Showground
01/29 – Melbourne, AU @ Flemington Racecourse
02/03 – Adelaide, AU @ Showground
02/05 – Perth, AU @ Claremont Showground

When a friend or acquaintance makes a mistake, a note of error or proper apology normally quells any irritation. However, when a band makes a fairly large misstep in artistic expression, they may have to reach a bit further to recapture a disappointed market. Case in point: the ongoing world tour Architecture in Helsinki has plotted to help recover from their less-than-stellar LP, Moment Bends.

Following a 13-country European jaunt (sorry Finland, no love this trek), the indie-pop outfit will land in Los Angeles on November 1st, and spend the month traveling through the U.S. hitting markets large and small. Support for the dates will be provided by Dom and Sweden’s Lo-Fi-Fnk.

Catch a ”Contact High” with the band below, and then make sure to examine the complete list of stops.

Architecture In Helsinki 2011 Tour Dates:
08/31 – Wollongong, AU @ Wollongong Uni Bar
09/01 – Sydney, AU @ Metro Theatre
09/02 – Newcastle, AU @ Bar On the Hill
09/10 – Melbourne, AU @ Forum Theatre
09/17 – Adelaide Hills, AU @ Bird In The Barrel Hall
09/24 – Cairns, AU @ Tanks
09/25 – Brisbane, AU @ The Tivoli
10/05 – Stockholm, SE @ Strand
10/06 – Oslo, NO @ John Dee
10/07 – Malmo, SE @ KB
10/08 – Aarhus, DK @ Train
10/09 – Copenhagen, DK @ Rust
10/11 – Munster, DE @ Gleis 22
10/12 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
10/13 – Schorndorf, DE @ Manufaktur
10/15 – Bologna, IT @ Estragon
10/16 – Milan, IT @ Bloom
10/17 – Rome, IT @ Circlo Degli Artisti
10/18 – Trevizo, IT @ Apartamento Hofman
10/20 – Lille, FR @ L’Aeronef
10/21 – Brussels, BE @ VK
10/22 – Caen, FR @ Le Cargo
10/23 – London, UK @ Heaven
10/25 – Montpellier, FR @ Rockstore
10/26 – Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz
10/27 – Madrid, ES @ Moby DIck
10/28 – Istanbul TR @ Salon IKSV
10/29 – Beirut, LB @ Indie Sessions #2
11/02 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre #
11/03 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore #
11/04 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theatre *
11/05 – Mexico CIty, MX @ El Plaza Candesa
11/07 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s #
11/09 – Tallahassee, FL @ Club Downunder #
11/10 – Tampa, FL @ Crowbar #
11/11 – Miami, FL @ Grand Central #
11/12 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade #
11/14 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle #
11/15 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club #
11/16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer #
11/17 – Boston, MA @ Royale #
11/18 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza #
11/19 – Alfred, NY @ Alfred University #
11/20 – Oberlin, OH @ Oberlin College #
11/21 – Chicago, IL @ Metro #
11/22 – St. Paul, MN @ Macalester College #
11/26 – Canberra, AU @ Foreshore Festival
12/03 – Sydney, AU @ Homebake

# = w/ Dom and The Sandwitches
* = w/ The Sandwitches

We decided to scope out Vivid LIVE.

As we reported a month ago, legendary UK goth troupe The Cure planned on reuniting with older faces at the event and dusting off their first three albums, performing each in their entirety. Luckily, Del Grande captured this moment, in addition to some other favorable performances, including sets by Architecure in Helsinki, Cut Copy, and what appeared to be a breathtaking gig by Spiritualized, who brought their 1997 seminal album, Ladies and Gentlemen we are Floating in Space. Now, admittedly, this isn’t Consequence of Sound‘s traditional festival coverage. But we truly felt that there were some important moments in the live scene happening here, and we wanted to share some glimpses with you.

So, enjoy…

Spiritualized – May 28th

You couldn’t ask for a better setting than the Sydney Opera House. The historic landmark was perfect for the English space rock group Spiritualized to revisit their 1997 effort, Ladies and Gentlemen we are Floating in Space. On Saturday night, the celebrated UK outfit arrived at the surprisingly quite intimate venue, squeezing onto the stage with their gospel choir, brass section, and string section.

Although Jason Pierce (J. Spaceman) is on vocals and is arguably the main focus, he still chose to sit on the right side of the stage, where he sat with his guitar, leaving the middle front section bare. This was actually ideal as the focus was on the band as a whole. In other words, you just sat back and went on a trip (sans any cannabis, of course, especially at this venue).

Starting off with “Ladies and Gentlemen”, complete with the sampling of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, spectators were immediately pulled into an idyllic dream world. Quickly following, the brass section and guitars came into heavy play on “Come Together”, though just as you started to rock out and move a bit via “Electricity”, the music settled and the trip took a different turn.

Spiritualized is a test of patience at times, but at the Sydney Opera House, it all worked. It was refreshing to not have your eardrums pounded with manic drumming, shredding, and high-pitched vocals. Instead, the set commanded your attention (“Broken Heart”) and soaked you with full-on noise (“Home of the Brave”, “The Individual”).  Listening and watching a full band like this without the cheat of tracks was unreal and because of the sheer size of the performance, I knew this was the only time I was going to have this experience. I wasn’t alone, either.

[nggallery id=214]

Architecture in Helsinki -May 29th

Before heading to the USA, the Australian (they are not from Finland) indie pop band Architecture In Helsinki also made a stop at the Sydney Opera House. Down now to six members, it’s been at least three years since we’ve heard from the lively Cameron Bird, Gus Franklin, Jamie Mildren, Sam Perry, and Kellie Sutherland.  Performing songs from their latest LP, Moment Bends, the quintet were also accompanied by a couple of sax players and sort of  “choir” of friends who they need a name for.

Bird, sporting a Lyle Lovett hairdo, let his smooth whispery vocals soar across the vacuous and world adored acoustics the Opera House offers. The mutli-vocal/multi-instrumental band made some easy transitions from poppy numbers to beautiful ballads.  It wasn’t until more than half way through their set, however, that Sutherland observed how odd it was to play to a seated crowd. He insisted for people to enjoy the music and dance, stating, “It won’t be disrespectful.” Thankfully, everyone got up and moved.

[nggallery id=224]

Cut Copy – May 29th

There are two places at the Sydney Opera House to hold shows.  One is the Sydney Opera House and one is the Concert Hall, which is slightly bigger. The dance party was held by Cut Copy at the latter. With a stage set up by foilage to mostly hide their equipment, it seemed as if we were partying in a modernized rainforest. Unfortunately, what’s difficult about the Concert Hall is that it’s entirely seated, exactly like the Opera House. In fact, it’s almost impossible for a dance crowd to actually get their groove on with no room whatsoever. Still, life found a way, and soon enough, people poured on the side aisles to finally break free. Band members Dan Whitford, Tim Hoey, Mitchell Scott, and Ben Browning did what they do best and, as a result, there were no hiccups on sound or with the lights. Lesson learned? The electropop band needs a general admission floor to have the proper energy it craves.

[nggallery id=213]

The Cure – May 31st-June 1st

Fans of The Cure from all over the world did whatever they could to get inside the Sydney Opera House. Why wouldn’t they? It was hands down the most anticipated event within the Vivid Sydney lineup. As rock history has shown, Robert Smith’s The Cure remains one of the most influential bands in the world. At Vivid, they did the impossible: They reunited with former bandmates and performed their first three albums in its entirety: 1979′s Three Imaginary Boys, 1980′s Seventeen Seconds, and 1981′s Faith. Roger O’Donnell (keyboards) returned to the band for the latter two and original member Laurence “Lol” Tolhurst (keyboards/percussion) for Faith.

The night started off with Smith (vox/guitar/iconic hair and bad-ass outfit), Simon Gallup (bass/moves like a cat), and Jason Cooper (drums/hair almost as high as his drum kit) for Three Imaginary Boys. What was surprising is that it took forever for people to get out of their seats. When the set came to “Foxy Lady”, I, personally, was dying to hear Smith sing this as he didn’t on the actual recording and from I hear, he wasn’t too fond of it. But to hear him play the guitar and belt out the lyrics during these shows, it worked and it actually yanked fans out of their seats. (Finally, right?) Although they left out “Weedy Burton” the first night, they did include it on the second night, especially after the band was made aware that people noticed the first night’s slip.  Sneaky guys, but diehards notice these things!

When it was time for Faith, however, Tolhurst joined the aging rockers and received plenty of cheers to welcome him back. All of the songs on this set were as solid as can be, with “The Funeral Party”, “All Cats Are Grey”, and “Faith” invoking so much passion, placing The Cure at a level like no other. A nagging idea lingered, even long after the performance: These are songs that make you feel. During the show, I was completely motionless and tears came out of nowhere. Fingers crossed you can experience that, too.

Cut to 2011. With the release of the album Moment Bends, Architecture in Helsinki has decided the best course of action to take in its young-ish career is to recreate Limahl’s “The NeverEnding Story” over the course of 11 songs (12 if you count bonus track “Out of Focus”). There are different lyrics for copyright purposes and the speeding up and slowing down of certain tracks to avoid any pesky lawsuits. Is this paragraph full of conjecture and out-and-out lies? Yes. Is it a believable paragraph, nonetheless? Sadly, yes. For (current) band members Cameron Bird, Gus Franklin, Jamie Mildren, Sam Perry, and Kellie Sutherland, this is quite the misfire.

Oh, Architecture in Helsinki’s new album isn’t terrible. Much of the following will concentrate on three songs that fall into the category of “quite good.” They don’t make the album worth purchasing, but that’s why god (or just Steve Jobs) created the “Buy Song” option on iTunes. After all, Architecture in Helsinki didn’t gain popularity by skating by as a group of untalented Australians in search of success by any means possible. Look at Moment Bends as a miscalculation and its creators are more forgivable. We’ll focus on the positive, because if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t talk about 72% of Moment Bends.

“Desert Island” is certainly one of the good tracks up for discovery. If its placement in the tracklisting was anything other than the lead song, perhaps its quality would diminish. As the album continues on through its 43-minute run time, the sound of synths and drum machines wears itself out. However, the first four minutes and fifteen seconds of Moment Bends are perfectly pleasant. With digital pan flutes and “NeverEnding Story” synths (that movie just keeps coming back, doesn’t it?), Cameron Bird’s voice lifts the song into the “utopia playground” the song invokes. The absolute positivity that emanates from not only this track but much of the entire album is undeniable. It’s ultimately the lack of variety that does the album in.

The best track by far is Moment Bends’ midway mark, “Sleep Talkin’”. A proper acoustic guitar strums in the background, as Bird sings of how “sleep talkin’s almost letting go.” A heartbeat of a drumbeat welcomes the listener in for the most soothing track on the record. The synthesizers are not intrusive in the least; they only lend in lilting us to sleep in our auditory hammocks and ridiculous analogies. The buildup leading into the track’s breakdown is another indicator of how good this band can be when everything is clicking. Pity there is only one more keeper after this track.

The last bit of good news pertaining to Moment Bends comes in the form of “Everything’s Blue”. It’s got a seductive beat to it that resembles Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”, and the chorus features a musical arrangement straight out of 1978. With about a minute left, the big production drops out and leaves Bird revealing that he’s “found a universe to call my own.” And that’s it folks. Three good songs, and they were given plenty of focus in this here review. Credit is given where credit is due.

The rest is simply forgettable. Much of Moment Bends feels like it was left in the hands of a producer, who ran off to Rave, drank and smoked way too much, then ran to the studio at four in the morning. Sometimes, this leads to greatness! With Architecture in Helsinki’s latest, we’re left with half-baked ideas, culled from Hot Chips’ digital recycling bin (“Contact High” being the biggest offender). Okay, so “W.O.W.” has potential to be a great mid-tempo track (with lovely female vocals courtesy of Sutherland), but the vocal setup in the chorus plummets into a rehash of Stacey Q’s “Two of Hearts”. Sutherland can’t save “That Beep”, and “I Know Deep Down” reaches AOR levels of pop depravity. That track and “Denial Style” could have been written by (insert Swedish hitmaker here). Plenty of blips, but no soul.

That sums up Moment Bends in a nutshell. It’s always admirable when an artist or a band attempts to create a piece of music that differs from what came before. Unfortunately for Architecture in Helsinki, their new work fails as a cohesive whole, salvaged only by two or three songs here and there. The NeverEnding Story jokes aside, there isn’t enough variety here to keep the momentum going. Dance music should cause the listener to tap his or her feet on the floor, or bob one’s head back and forth, back and forth. Causing the listener to squint their eyes and shake their head in displeasure? Not so much.

Recorded over two years at the band’s studio space, the royally-titled Buckingham Palace, the band enlisted friend/collaborator Francois Tetaz to aid them in creating dance floor-ready rhythms that are as sophisticated and romantic as they are move-inducing. According to songwriter Cameron Bird, the LP is all about “being at one with our ideas, obsessed with popular music and falling in love with our hometown. We wanted to build a record to get lost in. A record that always feels exactly what you are feeling.”

For an early taste, watch the video for “That Beep” below. The band will also be on tour in the U.S. starting in June, with a few gigs in their home country of Australia later this month and a tour of Europe through April kicking things off. Moment Bends hits stores May 3rd via Cooperative Music USA/Downtown Records.

Moment Bends Tracklist:
01. Desert Island
02. Escapee
03. Contact High
04. W.O.W
05. Yr Go To
06. Sleep Talkin’
07. I Know Deep Down
08. That Beep
09. Denial Style
10. Everything’s Blue
11. B4 3D

Architecture in Helsinki 2011 Tour Dates:
02/19 – Wiseman’s Ferry, AU @ Playground Weekender
02/26 – Launceston, AU @ MS Festival
03/13 -  Meredith, VIC, AU @ VIC- Great Plains Festival
04/06 -  Hamburg, DE @ Knust
04/07 -  Luxembourg, LX @ Rotondes
04/08 -  Paris, FR @ Gaité Lyrique, Super Mon Amour! Festival
04/09 -  Rotterdam, NL @ Motel Mozaique Festival
04/10 -  Strasbourg, BE @ Laiterie, Super Mon Amour! Festival
04/12 -  Manchester, UK @ Academy3
04/13 -  London, UK @ XOYO
04/14 -  Glasgow, UK @ Oran Mor
04/15 -  Dublin, UK @ The Button Factory
04/16 -  Brighton, UK @ Concorde2
04/18 -  Cologne, DE @ Genaude 9
04/19 -  Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
04/20 -  Berlin, DE @ Maria
04/21 -  Vienna, AT @ Wuk
04/22 -  Prague, CZ @ Sperm Festival
04/24 -  Zurich, CH @ Kaseme
04/25 -  Turin. IT @ Spazio 211
04/26 -  Milan, IT @ Magnolia
06/01 -  Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda
06/02 -  San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
06/03 -  San Francisco, CA @ Slims
06/05 -  Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
06/06 -  Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s
06/10 -  Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity
06/11 -  Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
06/14 -  Boston, MA @ Paradise
06/16 -  New York, NY @ Webster Hall
06/17 -  Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
06/18 -  Washington, DC @ 9-30 Club
06/19 -  Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall

Named for the next single from their fourth full length, 2007′s Places Like This, the Like it or Not EP is a collection of retakes and remixes centered around the title track. There is also the introduction of long time, live only favorites that have not been released until now. Starting with a more polished “Like It Or Not (Version 2)”, the latest take on the track gives it a sloppy psychedelic Flaming Lips appeal with its shortened introduction that goes right into an acoustic guitar driven “wa wa” chant with a much larger sounding verse and chorus through out. The updated incarnation also amps up the horn section, adding cutting escalating vocal effects right before the break down.

Next up come two songs that have long been played live by this five piece, and are now recorded for mass consumption. “Beef In A Box” throws around some serious disco flavor with knob fiddling weirdness. Bird, Franklin, Mildred, Perry, and Sutherland take turns chanting, “you don’t stop till the beef’s in the box”. Guitars take the job of holding down the funk only to break for that lyric, perfect for crowd interaction, or your next indie dance party. “One Heavy (February 2008)” opens like something out of the synth new wave scene, and with a rise in volume, claps bring up another electronic throw back to the era of tight jeans and chest hair. They keep things interesting by switching up the song into a quick break beat, then closing out where they began.

The last two tracks are both remixes and offer again more fun and out of the box versions of songs from Places Like This. England’s own Max Tundra remixed “Hold Music”, and it mostly resembles the B-52′s flavored original. The opening guitar riffs have been chopped into and electro beat spilling out how the rest of the song will sound, polished and cheesy. “Like It Or Not” brings an odd close to the EP with a remix by El Guincho. With out seeing the title you would not be able to tell what it is you are listening to. The song sounds nothing like what it is a remix of. It comes across as a tripped out Thievery Corporation tune instead. The lyrics are chopped up and left almost inaudible, serving more as a beat. It is the jungle acid fueled pipe dream of Guincho.

Architecture in Helsinki remains to be quirky, funky, and weird yet again. There is nothing new here, so fans should enjoy themselves quite nicely.

Check Out:
“Beef In Box” (via)

Like it or Not EP is now available via Polyvinyl Records…