I had this idea a few months back for a Youtube video clip. I was going to line up hundreds of beer bottles. All would be meticulously filled to appropriate levels, such that when I sprinted passed them with a stick they would sound out The Flight Of The Bumblebee. I was stoked at the idea. I'd even thought of particular circular configurations for the bottles, which would allow me to jump from one section to the next and back again. I'd sorted out the venue for the shoot, started hoarding some bottles etc etc... So you could imagine I was pretty deflated when a friend suggested I watch this.

After waiting more than two months for an album launch, I braved the miserable and wet Sydney night to see the wonderfully talented and beautiful Sarah Blasko launch her new album. Produced by Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn & John, As Day Follows Night has a brighter, rockier and more voluptuous sound than its two predecessors. Recently nominated for 5 ARIA awards in 2009 (Album of the Year, Best Female Artist, Best Pop Release, Best Cover Art and Best Video) it was easy to see why Blasko received these nominations after seeing her spectacular live show.

Bears. We're the only continent that's never had them. Yet they are unquestionably the animal du jour in the Sydney band name stakes. Earlier in the year I interviewed Bearhug (who had recently changed their name from Skeletal Explosive to become more bearlike), and this week I have the pleasure of talking to Boy And Bear. On top of this, the next Sydney band on my 'to-see' list is the doubly bearish Brown Bear Black Bear. They've come as hugely recommended from a few sources, and i'm certainly excited to see a band that boasts twice as much bear as your average.

Most of us would like to think we're pretty open minded when it comes to music. That said, in the privacy of our own iPod headphones, we still tend to confine ourselves to particular genres (though perhaps not so much as this guy). Whatever our comfort levels with other genres, there's usually a more-than-healthy dose of contempt reserved for anything that could be labelled experimental. As much as the late John Cage was lauded for his vision and musical innovation, 4'33" is a real buzz-kill on any party playlist. I'll admit I sniggered at a Sydney University bandcomp performance some years back, where a doublebass was being dragged along the floor by one 'band' member while the other was reading a book at a desk... crucially, the page turns were mic'ed up.