The Grates @ Spaceland 7/5/06

Patience Hodgson gets some air while Alana Skyring drives the beat as The Grates charmed the crowd at the Silver Lake club Wednesday night. The Aussie trio (John Patterson, not pictured) return home to Brisbane at the end of this week, winding down their US tour as they prepare to release their new single "19 20 20" back down under.

The Grates were full energy. Dazzling the typically sedate Spaceland crowd with unbridled giddiness and joy. Our girl was going to bounce on that stage and the balloons were going to watch.

Their forthcoming album "Gravity Won't Get You High" is due out in the UK on 7/17 and on 8/29 in the US and Canada. Ask for it by name on Dew Process/Cherry Tree/Interscope records.

We're curious how the contagious "InsideOutside" will be edited if it ever wants to see the light of day in Wal*Mart or K-Mart or on US airwaves. It's the perfect pop tune whose hook unfortunately comes :02 seconds into the track when Patience declares quickly "Some motherfuckers seem to be born to dance/Some motherfuckers seem to be born to dance...", harking back the hillbilly playfulness of the Presidents of the United States of America's "Kitty".

Four tracks of "Gravity Won't Get You Down" available now on their MySpace page