Listen To Progan Stone

This is the first instalment of a new music column written by none other than myself, Progan Stone. Every issue I’ll be filtering through piles of music to tell you what’s hot. I’m not going to tell you what’s not cause while negativity is always tempting, this column is meant to be inspirational and you should be able to smell a pile of shit through your own nostrils without me holding your head over it. Instead, I want to fall in love with music again. I want you to go into that records store and spend the last of your cash on that album. It’s fucking worth it and you can always eat at your girlfriend’s house. Plus, summer’s coming up and there’s no point being negative when there’s jasmine in the air, pretty girls in bikinis and bands sprouting quicker than alfalfa. Yep, it’s that time of year when everyone who has locked themselves inside over winter, being all cold and creative, decides to share the fruit of their hibernation. A new Melbourne band called The Plurals did this recently, playing their first show at a Rocktober house party. Think of two Asian beauties that haven’t yet mastered the art of the singular and one Aussie beast on guitar, playing songs about money and liquid assets like designer handbags. They also do Jealous Guy (or Guys as the girls sing) and it is one of the best covers of any song by any band I’ve ever heard. On another tangent, it’s indicative of the power of Myspace when a band plays their first gig and most of the people watching already know how to sing along. While we’re talking about the monster that is Myspace, if you don’t know already we’ve started a collaboration with them. Every week we’ll be uploading the Vice Pick of The Week to the MySpace Music homepage. So far we’ve done Ariel Pink, My Disco, HTRK, Macromantics, Pop Levi and the Amazing Phillips Sisters. Basically you can read about the band and what they’re up to and follow the link to their Myspace page for further info. More convenient than 7/11. At the Vice office, we’ve been obsessed with the new Dead Moon compilation Echoes of the Past. We awarded it album of the month in our last issue, put a track on our latest sampler and now we’re fucking excited cause they’re touring in February. They’re one of the most DIY bands ever and have been playing together for almost 20 years. Even though two thirds of the band are over fifty they still kick you in the head like no one else. If you’re stuck in a record store and don’t know what to buy here’s a few to get you started: Ecstatic Sunshine, Beach House, The Blow, Pop Levi, and the collaboration between Sunn 0))) and Boris. Then get yourself a cocktail shaker, a few good Hawaiian albums (they’re usually cheaper than dirt) and remember that summer’s rad cause while we deplete our serotonin levels over the festive season all you’ve got to do is soak up some Vitamin D and everything balances out. PROGAN STONE