Surf City – ‘Teachers’ (mp3)

New Zealand’s Surf City have been bouncing around the blogosphere for a while now, mainly on the back of much love from Rose Quartz. But at the peak of surf rock’s reported revival, you can hear bands that sound like this on almost any Hype Machine top 50 blog. This makes it hard to get super excited about a band based on one track alone. Surf City were a bit different in that I actually remembered their name, but I still wasn’t totally sold on their wares until I heard their stuff packaged as an album. And this shit is tight. When listened to consecutively, the greatness of these tunes really starts to shine. The songs sound stronger and the strengths and quirks of the band become more distinct.

Those cunts bros over at POA beat me to the punch in posting album highlight ‘Icy Lakes,’ an eight minute collision of krautrock and beachboysripoffwave. In it’s place, I present ‘Teachers,’ my second favourite track on the album. It’s a shorter, tighter pop song – full of infectious “ooos” and the like. If you listen to both then you’ll have a pretty good idea of the awesomeness to expect from their debut Kudos.

www.myspace.com/killsurfcitygo

How good are viral videos? They can do amazing things like make me site through two minutes of Yolanda Be Cool…

Sweet Fawn used to be called The Dandilions, who I posted about yonks ago. Singer/guitarist Vanessa Hodgins is also a member of Brisbane folk collective Cascadeer.

Awesome new clip for PVT’s ‘Light Up Bright Fires.’ The ‘one-take’ thing is still totes ‘in.’

Kins – ‘The Bold Frown’ (mp3)

The top tune I’ve been spinning at the moment comes from the delightful Thom Savage (Oh Mercy) who now fronts Melbourne outfit Kins. I’ve been told that Oh Mercy is “sailing east as we sail west”.

‘The Bold Frown’ is more temperate and withdrawn than offerings of Privileged Woes, but still holds on it’s own. Those guitar hooks are bliss, while subtle nuances that loiter around the verse have some nice Thom Yorke undertones. A delicate, introspective gem with lazy Sunday afternoon charms. Worth lending an ear to.

www.myspace.com/hellokins

kins facebook page

Heirs – ‘Burrow’ (mp3)

Here’s some Sunday morning hyperbole for ya –  Heirs are the best post-metal instrumental act to come out of Australia. Sure, maybe the local music scene isn’t exactly crowded with bands like them, but that doesn’t make them any less remarkable. Their aesthetic is dark without self-indulgent depression, and they’ve mastered the “product” side of music with aplomb. The release of upcoming album Fowl will see them tour Europe through October – let’s hope we can get them back.

http://heirs.bandcamp.com/

The Holidays – ‘Broken Bones’ (mp3)

A little bit of calypso never hurt anyone, but The Holidays do tropicana with a vengeance. These guys seriously outdid the headline act when I saw them at the East Brunswick Club a few weeks ago. The newer tracks they’ve released are a far cry from their first EP, but on my behalf, the addition of an extra percussionist and a tweak to their sound has been a good move.

Here’s their new track ‘Broken Bones’ that doesn’t hit radio until next week.
The intro drops nice galactic synth scuzz backed by a slouchy big beat, before floating out out to a spacey chorus with some schmexy guitar hooks. While this is milder material compared to the conga vibes off ‘Moonlight Hours’ and ‘Golden Sky’, it would sound pretty slick in a remix. Until someone takes up that call, I’ll be winding down to this one on long late night drives.

Not long until their debut record ‘Post Paradise’ drops on Sep 24. They’re pretty tight live, so make sure you hit up one of the dates below.

The Holidays National Headline Tour

SAT  25 SEP – Coaster Festival, GOSFORD, NSW
WED 29 SEP    – Beach Road Hotel, BONDI, NSW
FRI  01 OCT –  Elsewhere, GOLD COAST, QLD
SAT  02 OCT – The Troubadour, BRISBANE, QLD
SAT  09 OCT – One Movement Festival, WA
THU 14 OCT – Transit Bar, CANBERRA, ACT
FRI  15 OCT – Grand Hotel, WOLLONGONG, NSW
SAT 16 OCT – The Gaelic Hotel, SYDNEY, NSW
THU 21 OCT – The National Hotel, GEELONG, VIC
FRI  22 OCT – East Brunswick Club, MELBOURNE, VIC
SAT 23 OCT – Jive, ADELAIDE, SA

www.myspace.com/theholidays

www.theholidaysband.com