CANBERRA - PARLIAMENT HOUSE GETS A MASS EXORCISM

Very, very, very strange things were afoot in Australia's capital city this weekend. Allow us to set the scene... A few weeks ago, we saw photos of a blood stained pillar on the top of a hill overlooking Parliament House and heard associated rumours of satanic rituals and animal sacrifices being performed by members of what is apparently a large Wiccan population there. It turns out that national Christian organisation, Catch the Fire Ministries, heard about it also and took this as further evidence to support their belief that Satan is at work in and around our policy-determining hub. In order to combat this evil, they organised a mass "prayer offensive" at the site with the triple-barreled intention of 1. reversing any spells cast by the witches, 2. hopefully changing politicians minds about things they disagree with such as abortion and gay people and 3. sending out good vibes to ensure a bushfire-victim free summer. Really, what on earth could go wrong?

MELBOURNE - A SPOT OF LIFE DRAWING

Last week, The Rapture were in town to play Park Life. Wary of subjecting them to yet another of what must be hundreds and hundreds of tiresome interviews, we got our lawyer/life drawing model friend KK to do the questioning. In the end, neither of the guys needed us to tell them to keep their day jobs, but it's fair to say that while Vito was much more forthcoming as a conversationalist, Gabe was probably the better drawer.

NEW YORK - A MIX FOR PEACE

As everyone knows, President Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in New York today. On the table for discussion: the necessity for the immediate start of peace talks between Jon and Kate. Just kidding--Obama met with the leaders in the hopes that long-stalled peace negotiations between the two countries can be resumed. Obvs. To mark the occasion (and to promote their monthlong North American tour), our friends in everyone's favorite Israeli garage-rock band, Monotonix, (read an interview here, whydontcha) sent us a sweetly trippy mix of their favorite Israeli songs. 

LONDON - HE WHO CREATES DRUG CULTURE MUST HATE IT

As 1989 moves back into journalists’ crosshairs and we’re treated to one more round of documentaries on the roots of British club culture – as the familiar who’s who zoo of Mike Pickering, Carl Cox, Danny Rampling, The Hartnolls, Mr C, Tony Coulston-Hayter, and so on all traipse across our screens to tell us again how “mental” it was at Shoom – James Palumbo, founder of Ministry of Sound, is one key figure of the period who won’t be grinning a mouthful of ground-down molars back at the world. In fact, you won’t see him at all.

NEW YORK - M∴M∴M∴ (SPELL IT WITH A K)

Tonight and tomorrow at Santos the O.T.O.'s throwing a festival of experimental musicks by practicing magickians, the first one of its kind. No one on the bill is a member of the O.T.O. though, so this isn't some kind of recruiting gimmick--you really think they'd do that? No, it was put together in a more general way to explore the impact of Thelemic culture on music and art, and maybe to make sure no one mispronounces Crowley's name again, thanks to Ozzy Osbourne. Tonight's performers at the Musicka Mystica Maxima (check out the site--it's just as cryptic and bare-bones as you'd think it would be) are Genesis P-Orridge & Thee Majesty, Amber Asylum, Arrington de Dionyso, Larkin Grimm, and Nautical Almanac. Between each set there'll also be live ritual action performances including an invocation from Crowley's Gnostic Mass and Crowley's "Hymn To Pan," which is totally worth going to alone, especially if you're into veils and swords and salt.

TEXAS - GLEAMING GRAY SOUND ON LOCK

 Sorry to dwell on a band's name, but Silver Shampoo? I didn't really get it, so I googled it and it turns out it's the name for a shampoo for people with gray hair, which makes sense. I guess it turns you into a silver fox, like Clooney or Gere. It's the opposite of those evil ads where the precocious, disrespectful children convince the withering widower to clasp life to his chest once more, dye his hair, and go on a date with that hot widow who teaches at their school. Silver Shampoo encourages people to embrace their silvery locks and the beauty of age. So much more posi.

NEW YORK - LONG LIVE THE KING

This might not seem like a big deal if you're not from down South, but, if you are like I am, then you'll understand that what I'm about to say actually is a big deal. Growing up, I didn't like barbecue. Not ribs, not chicken, not pulled pork--nothing.

NEW YORK - THE ALMIGHTY DEFENDERS ARE HERE FOR YOU

It's a pretty widely known fact that Vice outsources all of its blog posts to India. So when the Black Lips came to my country earlier this year, I was pretty pumped on experiencing some sweaty American rock 'n' roll. Unfortunately, the Black Lips were kicked out before I had the chance to see them. Instead, they flew to Berlin, where they recorded an album with their friends King Khan and BBQ. Needless to say, the album kicks ass (and they recorded it in under a week!). 

LOS ANGELES - WIDOW BABIES DRINK MOON MILK

Danny, Tabor, Elise, and Neal are the Widow Babies, magnificent eccentrics whose first release was a concept record about Minutemen and fIREHOSE bassist Mike Watt's battle with a vampiric Abe Lincoln. Track titles include "Mike Watt Created the Universe With a Bass Solo" and "In Which Watt Wins His Hands Back and Basses a River Into Existence." As concept records go, it's not quite up there with The Point! by Nilsson (which he even made into a cartoon), but it's certainly not half-assed.

BROOKLYN - GO SEE URGEHAL TONIGHT

Norwegian black metal bands don't make it to New York too often, so despite the unfortunate Polish disco venue of Europa, the Urgehal show tonight should be mandatory for any black metal fan. For a band that started in 1992 during the second wave of black metal, appearing with half of the original members is a rare feat. Their obsession with rape and female dismemberment bums me out but I'll let it slide--this is black metal after all. Also playing are the unfortunately named Spearhead. I guess when you are from the UK it's OK for your black metal band to share a name with these guys.