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When it comes to Aussie hip-hop, it doesn't get much bigger than Perth's Drapht. We speak to the man about partying and his stratospheric rise to the top.

Also in the mag, interviews with SBTRKT, Howling Bells, Flogging Molly and Active Child.

Plus, we review the eagerly anticipated debut album from the Jezabels, look at the unholy union of music and fashion and question the wisdom of a K-Rudd comeback.

Throw in a bunch of giveaways, reviews and our guide to your astrological future and you've got one helluva a way to waste 45 minutes or so.

Pick up your copy of The Wire Mag with The West Australian every Thursday.

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Tomorrow in The Wire Mag we chat to Melbourne comedian Lawrence Leung about his coming stage show, Lawrence Leung Wants a Jetpack.

We chat to alt-pop diva Owl Eyes, Kiwi indie rockers Batrider as well as Dead Letter Chorus.

While RocKwiz host Julia Zemiro gets ready for a Christmas tour.

Plus social pics, gig and album reviews, gig guide, tour announcements and loads more.

The Wire Mag, now with a weekly astrology guide - we're not kidding. Get it every Thursday inside The West Australian.

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Tomorrow in The Wire Mag Swedish pop chanteuse Lykke Li has some explaining to do when discussing sophomore LP, Wounded Rhymes.

The Jezabels are set to drop their highly anticipated debut. We catch up with them ahead of the release to talk feminist literature and staying independent.

Plus, stoner rockers Monster Magnet say no to drugs and Sebadoh brings back 90s indie rock. And social pics, reviews, news and more.

Get it every Thursday inside The West Australian.

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In The Wire Mag tomorrow we chat to Gotye about his new album and chart-topping single.

We talk to psychedelic sister act Stonefield, indie dance kids Bear Hands and Oz music journeyman Ben Salter.

Etc Etc heads to the Dark Side and Last Word gets a sense of deja vu with Underbelly: Razor.

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In this week's edition of The Wire Mag quirky Kiwi artist Kimbra discusses her jazz-influenced sound and stand-out look ahead of her debut release.

Plus, interviews with Melbourne MC Phrase, electro outfit Seekae and US rockers Anberlin.

We review gigs from the weekend and preview all the good stuff happening for Rottofest.

And Last Word puts Jay Z and Kanye's partnership in context.

The Wire Mag. Get it tomorrow and every other Thursday in The West Australian yo.

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In this week's edition of The Wire Mag rock trio Calling All Cars chat about their home town in country NSW, the art of songwriting and their second LP, Dancing With a Dead Man.

Viral sensation The Tunnel scared the wits out of us. We get the low down from the Australian horror film's director.

Indie five-piece Boy & Bear discuss their debut effort, while Eagle and the Worm keep it loose and Jack Ladder talks about his third LP.

The Wire Mag. The number one youth entertainment lift-out of all time*. Get it every Thursday in The West Australian.

* What? Every other mag toots their own trumpet, why can't we?

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CLIP ART: Loving the new Washington track and the film clip isn't too bad either.

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This week in The Wire Mag English knock-abouts Arctic Monkeys talk music-making, Nirvana, media attention and their latest LP, Suck It and See.

We chat to chill-wave act Memory Tapes and noise-folk artist EMA, and review gigs, CDs, movies and more.

We look at a documentary about the life of influential reggae king Lee "Scratch" Perry.

Plus, Last Word examines the woeful state of the US economy and asks you to dig deep to help them break the poverty cycle.

The Wire Mag. Inside The West Australian every Thursday.

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Want to check out the next big thing in Australian music? In this week's edition of The Wire Mag we showcase four of the most promising acts about to hit a stage near you.

We reflect on the rocking, muddy awesomeness that was On the Bright Side and other weekend gigs.

Plus, interviews with Gomez and Matthew Lewis (aka Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter).

The Wire Mag. Hiding inside The West Australian every Thursday.

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CAUGHT OUT: Big Ape @ Shape

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A TO Z OF PLACES YOU’D RATHER BE

K IS FOR KRAKOW

Not many corners of the world have experienced as much rapid change in the past 20 years as Eastern Europe.

What you’ll find is far from the Borat-esque villages and decrepit Commie cities where you fear your jeans might be ripped from your backside and sold on the black market, scenarios often imagined by our parents’ generation (or by that God-awful American film, Euro Trip).

After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the younger generations have embraced Western culture and, in this century, all the so-called economic perks of being part of the European Union. And in the past decade it’s lost a lot of its mystery.

Now all the cheap European airlines have been established, many of its cities have also become the dirty weekend destination of choice for some Brits and Western Europeans who previously shunned travelling to the “dangerous” Eastern Block.

There’s no shortage of golden arches (i.e. – Maccas), Mango boutiques, Tesco’s and denim-wearing locals to be found. Kind of a shame, especially when you think about the way the globe is becoming more and more culturally homogenised.

But I digress… The spectacular architecture and fascinating history still stands and a roaring example of this rich majesty is Krakow, the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland.

While Warsaw was all but flattened, Krakow remained mostly intact after the devastation of World War Two.

Its crowning glory would have to be the magnificent Main Market Square (Rynek Główny - pictured), the largest medieval town square in Europe. Located in the Old Town, it’s lined with historical churches, palaces and colourful town houses in a number of architectural styles, plus a few interesting sculptures, buskers, street food carts dispensing ice cream and baked goods, and plenty of sky rats (otherwise known as pigeons).

Sitting pretty in its centre is the colossal Renaissance-style cloth hall. Once a major centre for international trade, it’s now occupied by a museum upstairs and souvenir and craft stalls down below.

A bugle is played from one of the church towers every hour, ending quite abruptly. This is an intentional move to commemorate the time when, centuries ago, a warning bugle was sounded and its player was shot in the throat mid-note by an enemy Tatar arrow.

Not far beyond this is the old Jewish Quarter, Kazimierz. Like most former Jewish Quarters emptied during the Holocaust, the precinct was populated by criminals, artists and the poor after the war. And like most former Jewish Quarters, it’s now the cool part of town.

It’s stuffed with Jewish-themed cafes, bars and restaurants so perfect for dinner followed by a pub crawl. Speaking of which, there is no end to the quaint cellar bars and restaurants to stumble upon in Krakow. Make sure you try the beer. This part of the world has what I consider the best (and cheapest) beer you can find.

A pint of Zywiec goes down real easy but if you’re after something stronger, zubrowka (traditional Polish dry herb-flavoured vodka) will put hairs on your chest.

A key attraction in Krakow is the massive gothic Wawel Castle on the top of a hill. Within its walls is also a cathedral, palace and other official structures.

Located on the edge of town is the ancient Wieliczka Salt Mine, which includes dozens of statues, chandeliers and an entire chapel, all carved out of rock salt by the miners. Don’t leave town without checking out this beguiling curiosity.

But once you see all this, it’s best to just take your time and go for a wander. From cavernous antique stores to lively bars set in medieval dungeons, you’ll stumble upon treasure after treasure. JACQUI BAHR

FYI

Another nearby must-see includes former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz, a sobering reminder of humanity’s dark side. It’s only 50km away and should not be missed. The breathtaking High Tatras mountain range bordering Slovakia in the south is not far away either.

Poland’s capital Warsaw pales in comparison to Krakow but this doesn’t mean it’s not worth visiting. Most of the old town was rebuilt in its original form after WW2. Unlike most Eastern European cities, the culinary scene is thriving and it’s also home to the spectacular Warsaw Uprising Museum.

You will freeze your proverbial off but if you visit Krakow in the middle of winter when the city is cloaked in snow and wire angel statues glow with fairy lights at night, it is truly magical. You’ll also dodge the hoards of summertime tourists.

PIC CREDIT: telegraph.co.uk

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FEATURE: PNAU

"Music is a form of therapy and what kind of therapist would I be if I told my patients to jump in the lake..."

They say things come in threes and this certainly applies to Nick Littlemore’s life right now.

He has just moved to New York City, has a new girlfriend, and this week his long-term dance-pop project, Pnau, drop their fourth album, Soft Universe.

“It’s all coming up trumps, ” he says on the phone from London.

“I do miss Australia though. I miss the nature and I miss my parents . . . I miss my brother and the ocean. Oh my God, how much do Australians talk about the ocean when they’re overseas,” he laughs.

“We must need to be near a body of water. It’s like we need to know how isolated we are — to look into that everlasting horizon.”

Apart from obvious bouts of homesickness for hometown Sydney, Littlemore and his musical partner-in-crime, Peter Mayes, moved to London many years ago, built a studio and began working on a record that would hopefully propel them to the next level — in a not too dissimilar fashion to Littlemore’s last successful record, Walking on a Dream by Empire of the Sun, which he created with Perth’s own Luke Steele.

“When we first arrived in England we had a manager who used to run a label called Island Records in the UK in the 70s and 80s and he worked with a lot of big bands like U2, The Bangles and all kinds of stuff.

Initially the plan was to reframe us as a stadium band,” he reveals. “We’re not denying our roots — that we come from the dance world, but over the course of this record it became more about being truer to the songs.

"It went through many incarnations. I don’t think we set out to make a big pop record, but we did set out to make something that was more global than anything we had done before and that could reach a wider audience.”

An expansive pop record is what Soft Universe certainly is. It’s emotional and anthemic as Pnau records tend to be, but this time it’s more song-based, as opposed to being tailored for the dance-floor and it sends out positive life-affirming messages.

While it tackles some bleak subject matters — Littlemore wrote this album while dealing with the grief of a relationship break-up — the vibe is most definitely euphoric.

“I think it was a message to my future self that life is full of hope and wonder,” he says openly.

“There are so many magical things about our lives; to find the extraordinary within the ordinary and to punch a hole in the sky . . . There’s always light to be found.

"This doesn’t have to be taken in any religious context, but when you’re beaten down you can always get back up and come back stronger than you’ve ever been before.

“This record had to be uplifting because ultimately, music is a form of therapy and what kind of therapist would I be if I told my patients to jump in the lake,” he says.

They wrote numerous songs with their mentor, Elton John, but none of those actually made it on to this record. Littlemore says Pnau produced over 50 songs in their own London studio, in Sir Elton John’s studio in Atlanta, plus in studios in Los Angeles and New York. Elton John has had a huge influence on the duo.

“He has brought a new perspective to any kind of artistic endeavour or creative venture,” he says.

“He’s allowed us to dream as big as we can dream and let nothing stand in the way of that. It’s a beautiful thing to be given a sense of belief and trust that what we’re doing is good and vital and that we should continue to reach further within our own world to come up with more challenging things.

“He’s also a very funny man — bright, sharp and generous. He cracks me up a lot when we hang out and talk, I find myself laughing.”

While the record itself took about two and a half years to make, for 12 months Littlemore was based in Montreal, Canada to work on the music for the new Cirque du Soleil production called Zarkana, which debuted in New York last month.

“I’m just making the album for the show now,” he says. “It’s very psychedelic, it reminds me of Clockwork Orange come Nina Hagen in an acid bath — it’s pretty out there. There’s some crooning and the ghost of Elvis past. I think it’s going to be a cool album, really weird.

“It’s been a big experience. I got very emotional. I started crying every day towards the end because I was so exhausted; it was intense.”

Littlemore reveals he’d love to do more of that type of work in the future, liking the fact it’s more like a day job, but his other recording project, Empire of the Sun, is already under way writing album number two.

“We just started writing two or three weeks ago in New York, ” he says. “Luke and I got into a studio, which was run by blind people — it was great. It’s good to be in weird places with Luke, we enjoy that. He has an extraordinary mind — it’s sounding so good.” RACHEL DAVISON

THE PLUG: Soft Universe is out now.

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FEATURE: Funeral Party

“(The stabbing) just happened because LA is such a melting pot of different people."

“I know it’s all been done before, and it will all be done again,” sings Chad Elliott on the Funeral Party single, New York City Moves to the Sounds of LA.

Given a lot of artists seem to constantly proclaim their work as original no matter how derivative it may actually be, conceding to the recycled nature of most music nowadays is a startlingly honest statement from the US four-piece.

And as Elliot speaks down the line backstage from Omaha, Nebraska, it becomes clear that startling honesty is one of the Californian’s most noticeable traits.

“I grew up in the 90s, and being jaded with everything,” he begins. “So that song comes from me just being my jaded self: ‘Oh, this has all been done, nothing’s new.’

“As an artist it’s different, because you want to be able to tell yourself that you can create something new, but I don’t know. You kind of have to lie to yourself a little bit to give yourself a bit of happiness.”

While Elliott’s attitude seems to embody 90s grunge nihilism, the same can’t be said for Funeral Party’s debut full-length, The Golden Age of Knowhere, a collection of enthusiastic indie dance-rock from a music scene which sprouted and then quickly dissipated around the group’s East LA home of Whittier.

The less-than-glamorous areas of the city are renowned for producing hardcore or hip-hop scenes, yet East LA instead birthed a party-rock scene, with bands performing at various houses and warehouses.

“There was this weird new vibe ” Elliott recalls of the time. “It was like all the cool cliques you get in high school all of a sudden throwing a big party, and they were all there at once.

“LA is very phoney and has that aspect of being stupid and all about celebrity and fakeness — this was a really nice wave of fresh air. But then all of a sudden it went back to being fake again, and everybody trying to do DJ shit, and it was just stupid.”

Playing random venues throughout the city inevitably landed the band in some dodgy neighbourhoods, resulting in an oft-publicised incident where a punter was stabbed during one of the band’s early shows.

Though tales of violence at shows in and around LA are nothing new, Funeral Party is hardly NWA or Suicidal Tendencies, and having to constantly recount such a violent incident certainly contrasts strongly with the type of band it is.

“(The stabbing) just happened because LA is such a melting pot of different people,” Elliott explains for the record.

“We were playing where there are gangs, and certain people came, and it was a different gang’s territory. That’s how it happened.”

So, sans knife-crime, what is the band expecting from audiences when it hits Perth to play its first Australian show ever?

“Absolutely no idea,” Elliott laughs. “I’m going to be really vocal with the crowd and tell them ‘Hello, we’re not from here, it’s our first time, so if you have any suggestions of what we should be doing be vocal about it, because we have no idea what to do’.” SAM JEREMIC

THE PLUG: Funeral Party play Capitol on August 2, supported by Boy in a Box. Tickets through Ticketmaster or Moshtix.

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FEATURE: James Blake

 “I don’t want to be in a two-year album cycle; I don’t think it’s necessary and it doesn’t suit me..."

If you care for top album lists — and let’s be frank, the music world is obsessed with them right now — one album topping all 2011 album lists so far is James Blake’s self-titled debut.

Praised for adding real emotion and soul to dubstep and rising above the genre with gospel chords and more traditional song structures, his album has resonated with people the world over and turned this young, intelligent guy from London into an overnight sensation.

“I’m very happy it has (resonated with people) and I didn’t expect it, really,” he says on the phone from Portugal the day after a show there.

“I thought it would only connect to . . . I don’t know really,” he yawns, his voice trailing off.

“I always knew that if you had something with a good melody it would connect with a lot of people, but I wasn’t sure if the album was so universal it could appeal to that many people.”

And so the fascinating rock’n’roll journey for Blake begins. In between his own shows, he’s recently played Britain’s Glastonbury Festival and Denmark’s Roskilde, before arriving in Australia for Perth’s On the Bright Side this weekend and Splendour in the Grass in Queensland later this month.

“I take my laptop around with me all the time,” Blake says. “I’m always thinking about music, I suppose because I’m always subjected to it, but (the best ideas) normally arise when I’m not being subjected to it. It’s nice to get away from it all and do something cool on the computer.

“Normally I don’t have a piano with me or any way of recording so it’s quite hard to come up with things,” he explains.

“It’s not a very easy way to work, which is why so many second albums are deeply uninspiring because no one’s got any time to write while they’re touring the shit out of their first album for 18 months.

“It’s a very destructive process towards the creative side of things, but luckily I’m in a place where it’s not necessarily happening to me.”

Blake is referring to his ability to not be reliant on studios, producers and vast amounts of equipment in order to churn out new tunes.

“I’ve written a lot of music that will end up on something but it’s not going to be an album,” he says adamantly.

“I don’t want to be in a two-year album cycle; I don’t think it’s necessary and it doesn’t suit me — I can just write it at home in my spare time.

“Although I haven’t really had a week where I can put myself in my own space since December,” he says, opening up.

“It’s kind of confusing because I don’t really know what the (new) music I’ve written really is — whether it’s coming from a space that’s true.”

He pauses, before adding: “Well, it is coming from a space that’s true but it sounds different.

“I don’t always feel like what I’m writing when I’m on the move is very good because you’re not in a space where you can really think. You’ve got the blare of the fucking plane engine and you’re at a festival and all you can hear is the other stage.

“It’s a strange time for the creative side of things but it’s definitely interesting and topsy-turvy.” RACHEL DAVISON

THE PLUG: James Blake's self-titled debut album is out now.

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ALBUM OF THE WEEK: 22.07.11

SBTRKT SBTRKT Young Turks/ Remote Control 5 STARS

The debut album from SBTRKT is first and foremost compellingly beautiful and moving. Genre classification comes as an afterthought.

There’s a strong portrayal of the human condition that flows through, with all but one of the tracks featuring vocals.

The primary contributor is Sampha, who imbues the lyrics with an honesty in his delivery and thus an increased emotional presence. “You’re giving me the coldest stare/Like you don’t even know I’m here, ” he sings with genuine woe on Hold On.

SBTRKT has remarked how he introduces bass as the final element in his compositions and it’s made abundantly clear in his music where the bass lines complement rather than cloud the tracks.

There is an R&B influence on Never Never and Something Goes Right. On the latter, Sampha ponders his thoughts out loud over a pretty, syncopated melody: “Is it better to let you go or is it better to let you know?”

Pharaohs has a deep neo-soul vibe and the raspy vocals from Roses Gabor add a seductive edge. On Ready Set Loop, SBTRKT offers an updated twist to the nu-jazz genre.

And, of course, there’s the infectiously catchy first single Wildfire, a collaboration with Swedish electro outfit Little Dragon.

SBTRKT’s impressive debut album boasts an ample selection of potential singles. Picking one is the hard part. ALICIA SIM

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LOOSE WIRE: This is either divers at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China, or the six most unpleasant bowel movements in history. 

PICTURE: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

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TAKE ME OUT

THE SEARCH FOR PERTH'S BEST TAKE-OUT CONTINUES... WHERE: McDonald's WHAT: NYC Benedict Bagel + 2 Hash Browns + Espresso Pronto flat white (LRG) PRICE: $11.05

Fast food giant McDonald's wants you to feel better about eating food out of a brown paper bag by suggesting their fare is a cut above the rest - it's a little bit fancy.

This is, of course, a nonsense. It ain't fancy whatsoever. If it were, there'd be a saucier out the back whisking melted butter, egg yolks and lemon juice to create the Hollandaise that went into my bagel.

And there was not. Instead, I'm assuming a 15-year-old with limited cooking ability pushed the plunger on a sauce dispenser.

To describe it as one of les sauces mères is the culinary equivalent of saying Abba tribute act Bjorn Again is as good as the real thing.

That said, I've had worse.

Who hasn't been to a restaurant or cafe and ordered the Eggs Benedict only to find the Hollandaise curdled or overly acidic or both?

To its credit, whatever vat McDonald's poured its Hollandaise from, the end result is acceptable - even if it isn't fancy.

And combined with rasher bacon, tasty cheese, an egg and a lightly toasted bagel... You know what, it was quite good.

Better than good were the hash browns but when are they not, I ask you?

If anyone can think of a better use for potatoes that doesn't involve pelting them at Rupert Murdoch, speak up now or forever hold your peace.

As for the coffee, McDonald's has gone to great lengths to convince us its coffee is decent and I'll pay it the same compliment I did the Hollandaise - I've had worse.

I've long described Maccas' first meal service of the day, with tongue firmly in cheek, as the breakfast of champions and, though my NY Benedict bagel won't win any prizes, I'll be coming back for another one. BEN O'SHEA

THE SCORE Taste: 5/10 Affordability: 4/5 Convenience: 2/2 Healthiness: 0.5/2 Hangover Cure: 0.5/1 TOTAL: 12/20

WHAT IT MEANS: 0-7 (Last resort), 7-10 (Acceptable), 10-12 (Decent), 13-16 (Recommended), 17-19 (Obsession-worthy), 20 (Move next door)