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Yeah Yeah Yeahs to headline The Falls Festival

With a menagerie of talent that includes a zoo-full of Bears, Rabbits and Birds and an A+ list of merriment from near and far (many for the first time to the fair lands of Oz), it is with gusto and pleasure that The Falls Music & Arts Festival bellows the first instalment of the 2009 line-up, including;

The kaleidoscopic vocals of Karen O guiding the formidable YEAH YEAH YEAH’S (USA); equipped with his full band comes iconic songwriter and producer, MOBY (USA); rewriting the hip hop rulebook comes HILLTOP HOODS; nerve-shatteringly beautiful and likely contender for Album Of The Year, GRIZZLY BEAR (USA – First Ever Australian Shows);  the unbridled dynamic energy of incendiary guitar virtuosos RODRIGO Y GABRIELA (Mexico); harmony-laden whole hearted dynamism of THE TEMPER TRAP; in his first Oz performance with new international band comes XAVIER RUDD; captivating soaring vocals and sonic alchemy of EMILIANA TORRINI (Iceland); the driving energy and soulful melodies of LITTLE BIRDY; local electro-dance heroes MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS;  Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and lyricist, the eclectic ANDREW BIRD (USA); the undeniable funk and hip hop party starter grooves of LYRICS BORN (USA); Brooklyn based experimental pop magicians CHAIRLIFT (USA – First Ever Australian Shows); the 11-peice psychedelic-soul big band explosion from dynamite act KING KHAN AND THE SHRINES (Germany – First Ever Australian Shows); iconic modern rockers EDITORS (UK); garage pop brilliance laced with punk from the infectious PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY;  the dazzling guitar work and shimmering tapestry of future folk from  KAKI KING (USA); the ethereal, organic and immaculate performance of SARAH BLASKO; three sets of funky hands from the feel-good brand of obscure pulsating electro/pop from ART VS. SCIENCE; one of Britain’s most admired club DJs and audio visual manipulator DJ YODA ; awe inspiring, live phenomenon that is LIAM FINN (NZ) ; sweet pop-folk sensibilities of LISA MITCHELL ; the spawn of Diplo and Switch’s futuristic dance-floor-insurgent-sonics of MAJOR LAZER (Soundsystem) (USA); the dream-like tapestries that weave an aural delight from PATRICK WATSON (Canada – First Ever Australian Shows); a hootenanny hoedown from bluesman SEASICK STEVE (USA); rock’n’roll renditions from great Scott’s THE VIEW (Scotland); Aussie hip hop stalwart URTHBOY; dark pop meanderings from  WHITE RABBITS (USA – First Ever Australian Shows); a simmering intensity from pocket full o’ punch noise lovers  FUTURE OF THE LEFT (Wales); some high energy tunes from high priestesses the KILLAQUEENZ*; diversely mixed palate of classic gypsy-pop from YVES KLEIN BLUE and the rare multi-instrumentalism and indie-rock melting-pot of THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS. *Vic only

Plus, LOADS MORE LOCAL & INTERNATIONAL ACTS to be announced along with the exciting line-up for Dec 29 in both states! Stay tuned.

The Falls Music & Arts Festival: The three day soiree begins December 29, 2009 along the beautiful coastlines of Marion Bay, Tasmania and Lorne, Victoria; featuring around 60 performers, comedians, The Falls Arts Village, films, spectacular natural amphitheatres and FREE CAMPING.
Subscribe: Online NOW and before August 24, for further artist announcements to come, and for your best chance to get tickets.

Tickets: The majority of the tickets will be allocated to subscribers who have the opportunity to subscribe for the ballot before August 24 and all remaining tickets go on sale 9am on September 9. MORE Acts/Performers/Bands: Mountains more from near and far still to be announced!

For further info on the magnificent talents gracing the stages at The Falls Music & Arts Festival, read on below or check www.fallsfestival.com

A Little more on the Folk who will be joining us this year……..

At the turn of the twenty-first century the New York City music scene floated in a surfaceless orbit of samplers, shoegazers and delay pedals. Then came the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (USA), fronted by the psychologically kaleidoscopic vocals of Karen O. The trio’s first full-length album, Fever To Tell, was simultaneously filthy, infectious, sloppy and brilliant. You could dance to it, and you could probably die to it. It would have been easy enough to record another spastic, live-sounding garage album after the success of Fever To Tell, but their next full-length, 2007’s Show Your Bones, added acoustic guitar and more serious compositions. Now their brand new effort, It’s Blitz, signals both a glance backward and a step forward for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
www.myspace.com/yeahyeahyeahs

Few have had more influence on modern pop music than Moby (USA). The iconic songwriter and producer has been making music since he was nine-years-old. He released his first single, Go, in 1991(listed as one of Rolling Stones best records of all time), and has been making albums ever since. His own records have sold over twenty million copies worldwide, and he’s also produced and remixed scores of other artists, including David Bowie, The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. His new album, Wait For Me, was released to much acclaim this year. After his successful European summer festival circuits Moby brings his full band to Oz to play such favourites as ‘Honey’, ‘Bodyrock’ and ‘Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad’.
www.myspace.com/moby

Hilltop Hoods are easily Australia’s most important – and successful – hip hop act today. State Of The Art, the chart topping, platinum-selling fifth studio album from Australia’s premier hip-hop crew is the Hoods’ official follow-up to their 2006 award-winning album, The Hard Road. It’s been a long time coming, but State Of The Art is everything Hood fans could have wished for: dark, heavy, challenging, raw and occasionally funny. It’s State Of The Art in sound and soul. It’s Hilltop Hoods continuing to rewrite the hip hop rulebook.
www.myspace.com/hilltophoods

Billed by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood as “my favourite band in the world”, Brooklyn’s Grizzly Bear (USA) are one of the most talked-about and widely celebrated bands to arise in the last few years. Already being lauded as ‘the best record of the 00s’ by Fleet Foxes’ frontman, Robin Pecknold, and singled out by the critical establishment as a likely contender for the Album Of The Year, their new album Veckatimest (pronounced veck-ah-tim-est) is undoubtedly a modern classic. This is Grizzy Bear’s first ever-Australian tour.
www.myspace.com/grizzlybear

“So ear-poppingly dexterous, so ineffably charming and so supremely entertaining…their hyper-speed virtuosity is mesmerising.” That’s how the UK’s Guardian Newspaper described the brilliance of Mexican acoustic duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela (Mexico). With a new studio album set for release – 11:11 – this exciting duo have been one of music’s great word-of-mouth success stories of recent times. 11:11 is the long awaited follow up to 2006’s Rodrigo y Gabriela, which has so far enjoyed worldwide sales in excess of half a million albums.
www.myspace.com/rodrigoygabriela

A lot of water’s passed under the bridge since The Temper Trap’s delay soaked opening to Sweet Disposition first began causing a stir on Australian radio late last year. The track was the first taster of their recording sessions with UK producer Jim Abbiss (UNKLE, Adele, Arctic Monkeys) and it clearly made the world sit up and take notice. The track instantly won the band a steady stream of influential fans around the globe. The new year only saw the momentum gather pace with the band signing a worldwide record deal with Korda Marshall’s newly re-launched Infectious Records (previously home to Muse, Garbage and Ash), scoring a trailer and key film placement for Sundance buzz US film 500 Days Of Summer and continued glowing reviews. Thank goodness the band’s debut album, Conditions, has finally arrived to quench the hunger.
www.myspace.com/thetempertrap

He’s one of Australia’s most loved artists. And he’s back with another album of unforgettable anthems that aspire for a better world. It’s been a whirlwind couple of years for Xavier Rudd. In between sold out tours in Europe, Canada, Australia and the US, both headlining and supporting the likes of the Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson and Ben Harper, he has been working on the film score for fellow-surfer and Rudd-enthusiast Matthew McConaughey called Surfer Dude, starring McConaughey, Woody Harrelson and Willie Nelson. His latest album, Dark Shades Of Blue, is dusky and cool, more sober than any work Rudd has ever done. The results are less ‘world music’ than they are the makings of a truly global record.
www.myspace.com/xavierrudd

Following on from her critically acclaimed debut for Rough Trade Fisherman’s Woman, Me And Armini saw Emiliana Torrini (Iceland) rise to greatness with one of the best albums of 2008. Me And Armini is a hugely ambitious and inspirational pop record with Torrini’s soaring voice centre stage, bolstered by a rich gamut of musical styles. “Iceland is a big influence for me,” she explains of her unique music. “The landscape, the people, my family… my Aunt and I decided to go for a little drive. Six hours later we were on top of Snaefells glacier in the middle of the bright night. You could really feel the weird energy.”
www.myspace.com/emilianatorrini

The Falls favourites Little Birdy return after the success of new album Confetti. “Confetti fell out of my mouth, the word just literally came out of nowhere,” reflects Little Birdy’s singer/songwriter/guitarist, 25-year-old Katy Steele. It was a happy accident because the title perfectly captures the yin/yang, bittersweet feelings that inspired this special album. Literally jumping out of our seats to hear the greatness of this album live at The Falls, including some of our fave tracks, “Hairdo” and “Brother”.
www.myspace.com/littlebirdy

It’s been almost two years since Midnight Juggernauts released their debut album, Dystopia, on an unsuspecting musical public. And now a new journey is in the making. The trio has been busy producing album number two alongside Chris Moore (TV On The Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars, Foals, Yeasayer). In the Midnight Juggernauts’ constellation a line could be traced from the modern symphony of M83 and Air, all the way back to the electronic psychedelia of CAN and the pop smarts of Electric Light Orchestra. With finishing touches being put to album number two, expect the most thrilling journey yet from Midnight Juggernauts. The final destination may still be a mystery but it’s guaranteed to be an exciting ride.
www.myspace.com/midnightjuggernauts

Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and lyricist Andrew Bird (USA) picked up his first violin at the age of four. He spent his formative years soaking up classical repertoire completely by ear so when it came time for a restless teenager to make the jump to Hungarian Gypsy music, early jazz, country blues, south Indian etc, it wasn’t such a giant leap. On listening to Bird’s latest offering from his genius repertoire, Noble Beast, it is no surprise to hear that he is a must-see live artist that spellbounds the crowd with looping antics and improvisational flair.
www.myspace.com/andrewbird

One of the most successful hip hop party starters to ever grace our shores, it is with open arms that The Falls welcomes Lyrics Born (USA) to the stage. From the world wide hit track ‘I Changed My Mind’, to minimalist grooves and undeniable funk of his record ‘Later That Day,’ this is one Bay Area resident not slowing things down. Now, with a new record in tow, Lyrics Born can promise you one thing; that you’re in for a good time (and will play with his full band!). And that’s what hip hop should be all about.
www.lyricsborn.com

If you’ve been hiding under a rock and don’t know this band –well, you’re about too. Chairlift (USA) are about to infiltrate your world in a big way. Their hit song ‘Bruises’ is out’n’about and almost everywhere (including on latest iPod advert). And they’re good. Although formed in Boulder, CO, Chairlift quickly headed for the bright lights of Brooklyn. It proved the right move at the right time, for pop magicians were aplenty in the form of MGMT and Yeasayer. Their sound quickly developed into a hypnotic yet tongue-in-cheek attack of synth-pop. The world soon started to take notice. The release of their debut album, Does You Inspire You, consolidated the hype with huge success that has made them one of the most name-checked bands of the year.
www.myspace.com/chairlift

The 11-piece psychedelic-soul big-band explosion known as King Khan & The Shrines (Germany) finally detonates their musical dynamite for the very first time in Australia! The Supreme Genius of King Khan & The Shrines have been spreading their love like peanut butter since 1999 – and after catching these guys live in action in the States, we’ve handpicked them to close the main stage in Lorne – they’re THAT GOOD! We’d go as far as saying one of the best live acts out there. With an insanely impressive line-up that includes muso’s who have worked with Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, and many other Soul-Legends, King Kahn leads a super bad ass 10 piece soul inferno! A not to be missed festival first (if we could predict the best of the fest, this would be it!). www.myspace.com/kingkhantheshrines

They are one of the most iconic bands of the decade. Their debut album, The Back Room, is already considered a modern rock classic. They are Editors (UK), and it’s time for album number three. Comparisons with Joy Division are nothing new when it comes to this Midlands quartet — mainly thanks to the military funk of Ed Lays’s drumming. But they’re even less avoidable in a live context. If front man Tom Smith’s sonorous baritone recalls that of Ian Curtis, his painfully skinny frame seems no less able to contain the energy being summoned around him. The light and shade of third album, In This Light And On This Evening heralds the start of a new chapter for Editors with a determination to push their sound into wholly new territory.
www.myspace.com/editorsmusic

Equipped with their slamming, melodic punk and infectious pop hooks, Sydney posse Philadelphia Grand Jury are a rare modern band; living up to the media hyperbole and delivering face-slappingly larger than life live shows. With superb single ‘Going To The Casino (Tomorrow Night)’ dominating the J’s the Philly Jays just keep on creating garage rock full of shouts, handclaps, riffs and rhythms that bristles with an undeniably infectious energy, channelling The Sonics at their best whilst delivering the perfect punch of rawk. www.myspace.com/philadelphiagrandjury

Thumping bass lines, tapping melodies, and slapping percussion on her guitar, Kaki King (USA) is a one-woman force wreaking havoc. She’s a riveting performer; combining jaw-dropping technique with unique compositions. Her playing has a passion and an edge that keeps her tenuously balanced, one foot in the acoustic world, the other in rock’n’roll. Her latest album Dreaming Of Revenge is a winning, gorgeously eccentric indie pop offering that aims straight for the heart.  Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters fame has given KK his stamp of approval, inviting her on tour and stating “There are some guitar players that are good and there are some guitar players that are really fucking good. And then there’s Kaki King.”  - quoted in NME
www.kakiking.com

With the release of her brilliantly produced 3rd album (made with the helping hand of Bjorn Yttling of famed Swede’s Peter, Bjorn and John) As Day Follows Night , Sarah Blasko serves a platter of veritable goods that traverse the fragile landscapes of relationships and self preservation that has been lauded as her best album yet. Overlaid with Blasko’s renowned otherworldly qualities, punctured with ethereal lyrics and stunning vocals. Sarah’s live shows are always something special, and a never-to-be-missed experience of sheer joy.
www.sarahblasko.com

Art Vs. Science is one of the few outfits in Australia that play all the right ingredients for the perfect club night – live. No laptops, no backing tracks, just drums, keyboards, synths and three sets of funky hands.  Art Vs. Science breathe fresh air into the genre, with an immediate, breath-taking live show, and songs, such as favourite ‘Parlez Vous Francais’, that are pleasing, joy-inducing; as if meticulously designed, element by element, to intensify user stimulation.
www.myspace.com/artvsscience

DJ Yoda (UK) is one of Britain’s most admired, original club DJs and an AV pioneer who is constantly pushing the possibilities of audio-visual manipulation. Encapsulating the very essence of good times, DJ Yoda has transformed clubbing as we know it, throwing down styles as diverse as Hip-Hop, Funk, Baltimore Club, Drum n Bass and even Country music, all cut-up with a awe-inspiring selection of film, TV show and You Tube visuals that elevate his sets to the uniquely sublime. Tipped by Q Magazine as one of ‘The 10 DJs you must see before you die’ – not to be missed!
www.djyoda.co.uk

The notion that music is in the blood couldn’t be truer of tremendously original troubadour Liam Finn (NZ). Mr Liam devastatingly cancelled on us last year…Luckily he had a brillant excuse – to record the ‘Seven Worlds Collide’ record with his Dad (Neil Finn), alongside members of Wilco, Pearl Jam and Radiohead; unsurprisingly, we’ve forgiven him, and Liam returns to Oz this December. Playing damn near everything live and each song as if it’s his last, this passionate, defiant savage pulsates through his chaotic, whirlwind like shows, with an intensity of vulnerability and desperation. Sheer explosions of unadulterated joy, Finn’s live translation of his music is the physical manifestation of being in music for all the right reasons. And bless him for that!
www.myspace.com/theliamfinn

Lisa Mitchell has had a year most artists only dream of – she’s headlined her own national tour, played in the UK at the legendary Glastonbury Festival and worked with industry heavyweights on her stunning debut album. Wonder aptly displays Mitchell’s surreal world of sweet pop-folk sensibilities. Her songs display an incredible wealth of talent that is offered as sparse and simple tracks that rely heavily on Lisa’s incredible vocal quality that is both unique and stunning; driving her unique flavour of folk wonderment.
www.lisamitchell.com.au

Recorded at Bob Marley’s legendary Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica, Major Lazer’s (USA) Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do is a collection of tracks that draws from the rich dancehall tradition of Jamaica, and the futuristic dance-floor-killing aesthetic of Diplo and Switch. The record runs global pop culture through the filter of Major Lazer’s particular brand of 1980’s-inspired digital dancehall, at once homage to a bygone era and a look to the future of dance music. In combining their styles, Diplo and Switch spawn music of high-tech, insurgent, and strangely supernatural character. Packed with dense dub textures, insurgent sonics, and banging ghetto-crunk beats, Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazer’s Do is the most electrifying musical hybrid of 2009. The Major Lazer (Soundsystem) will be rockin’ the dance-pants off the crowd at this year’s festival.
www.myspace.com/majorlazer

Patrick Watson (Canada) is no ordinary human and for the first time ever, he brings his deft-defying ability to raise those hairs on the back of your neck to these sunburnt lands and onto The Falls Stage. You may remember Patrick’s vocal brilliance from track ‘To Build A Home’ with Cinematic Orchestra. He’s a damn incredible sight to behold live, with crowd antics that have seen him walk into the pit with an amp as a backpack and then have the entire band follow him and plug themselves in! With his love of chamber pop music that he’s aptly married to electronic sound scapes it’s no wonder Mr Watson has been nominated for the coveted Canadian Polaris Music Prize. His unique dream-like sonic tapestries will be an aural delight to behold come The Falls.
www.patrickwatson.net

“I guess they kinda like hearin’ me with an acoustic guitar stompin’ on a box” states rambunctious bluesman Seasick Steve (USA). Well, yes indeed we do! Grease up that slide guitar and get yer stomping boots ready, because Seasick Steve’s a-comin’ to Oz this summer, bringing his gravelly charm and corn-fed rock’n'roll with him. Seasick Steve will holler out to y’all with his one stringed ‘Diddley Bow’ and  ’Mississippi Mud Box’ for percussive stamping to pay homage to the likes of Charley Patten and Son House with enough bluegrass ballads to create a genuine southern hoedown in our very own backyard.
www.seasicksteve.com

One of the most exciting and on-the-edge bands of recent years, Scotland’s The View (Scotland) emerged in late 2006 and has continued to move forth as a whirlwind of destruction and great tunes, embodying all that is vital about rock ‘n’ roll. With great hits such as ‘Same Jeans’  from their brilliant first release, and ‘Shock Horror’ from their second album Which Bitch, they present a heavy joyful rush that makes their sound so exciting whilst it weaves its way from rip-roaring heads-down boogie, to sea-shanties, via pit-stop moments of real beauty.
www.theviewareonfire.com

Urthboy’s first solo album Distant Sense Of Random Menace was released in 2004 to nationwide applause. The Brag went so far as to proclaim: “Aussie Hip Hop needs this album”. 2007’s The Signal kicked things up a notch with the exceptional production of Count Bounce (TZU) and Elgusto (Hermitude), as well as the success of the first single We Get Around. The Signal received two AIR Award nominations, a J Award nomination and it was shortlisted in the prestigious Australian Music Prize. Besides his solo work Urthboy is one of the main lyricists of The Herd, whose four albums have seen them build a huge fan base in Australia. 2009 sees the release of Urthboy’s much-anticipated third solo album, Spitshine.
www.myspace.com/urthboy

After spending the better part of two years on the road (including festival stops at Lollapalooza, Glastonbury (UK), Sasquatch, Monolith and tours with The Walkmen, Spoon, Richard Swift, The Cribs, White Denim and Tokyo Police Club) White Rabbits bunkered down in their Brooklyn practice space to set about re-envisioning the dark pop of their debut Fort Nightly, while adding new sounds and influences to achieve an original work. The result is It’s Frightening, their second full-length album. Now they bring their revolutionary new sounds to Australia.
www.myspace.com/whiterabbits

Borne from the ashes of some of the brightest burning lights from Britain’s post-Brit-Pop scene, Cardiff noise lovers The Future of the Left (Wales) carry with them a simmering intensity that is sure to bubble over. Forming in 2006 by former lead singer from McClusky Future of the Left have refined their sound to be one part jagged and angular rhythms , two parts bile filled adrenaline and wholly powered by a tongue in cheek sense of humour that settles down into an unmistakeable groove.
www.futureoftheleft.com

The KillaQueenz are one of the most promising Hip Hop acts in the dance scene; renowned for their high energy shows and unrivalled dedication to the art.  Hailing from Uganda and Belize, Kween G and Belizean Bombshell draw inspiration from their respective homelands to bring a fresh sound to the Australian Hip Hop scene. Since their formation in 2000, KQ have been performing across the country and have supported the likes of Bone Thugs  N Harmony, Lucky Dube, Macromantics, and many more with a live show consisting of rhymes, beat boxing, dancing and the raw energy that only KQ can deliver.
www.myspace.com/killarqueenz

Yves Klein Blue are wry storytellers who expound their jangly tales as a sophisticated, entertaining and spirited mixed palate of clashy blends. Their album Ragged & Ecstatic is a wild, irresistible ride that subtly and cleverly captures the exuberance and experience of life via classic pop ditties, old punk, indie rock, gypsy jazz and a touch of 70′s glam.  “Their irresistible mélange of pop-hooks, fuzzy guitar and Arctic Monkeys cheek will charm even the most cynical listeners.” Sunday Age
www.yveskleinblue.com

The Brisjanglian brood The John Steel Singers, deliver a catchy blend of pop that has seen them become firm Triple J favourites as well as tour with the likes of the Polyphonic Spree, The Panics, Yves Klein Blue, Built To Spill and many more. Having been raised on a steady diet of ‘60’s and 70’s records, it’s the pop ethos of yesteryear that is firmly at the centre of the indie rock band. Rarities in the music world, The John Steel Singers have not one, but three singers and a number of multi-instrumentalists! With a slew of fans, wicked shows under their belts and a whole lotta love ‘n’ rock ’n’ pop to offer, The John Steel Singers are indeed something special.
www.myspace.com/thejohnsteelsingers