Check out the previous video for the same song.

Phrase – ‘TV N Radio’

So I actually got sent Phrase’s album months ago, but by the time I got around to uploading anything from it, blogging about him seemed about as temporally vital as getting excited over ACDC’s return (NB: I’m not). This guy’s been everywhere for a while and good for him. The album is fairly diverse and while there’s a lot on there that I don’t particularly fancy, there’s still some that I do. If nothing else, Phrase deserves some praise (rhyme! yes!) for trying out some different sounds and production tricks – not Aussie hip hop’s strongest point.

This song had a lot to live up to. TV On  The Radio are my favourite band going at the moment so calling your song something so similar perhaps unfairly instilled high expectations. The song doesn’t sound anything like that band but is actually a rant on the titular media (lucky for newspapers that they’re off the hook, right?). Still, it’s an ambitious track and sounds like there’s a fair bit of work behind it (something they share with TVOTR). Quite long so not one you’re likely to hear on radio and also a highlight off the album – two good reasons to post it here, despite being fairly late to do so…

www.myspace.com/bigphrase

Oh Mercy – ‘Lay Everything On Me’ (mp3)

More than two years ago I put Oh Mercy on a weekly indie night I was booking at the time in Melbourne. They played on a few shows then but I could hear that singer and writer Alex had the gift of story telling. Nowadays you can hear him getting played on Triple J on any given day and the band through the constant grind of support touring are slowly winning fans. If you’re in Sydney or Melbourne you can catch them at the Hopetoun on Thursday 11th June or the Toff on Saturday 13th June.

www.myspace.com/ohmercyband

Lauren Horton – ‘Postcard Guy’

Sydney songstress Lauren Horton’s folky blend of jazz and french-pop makes me want to cut the crusts off cucumber sandwiches and spend sun-dappled afternoons in a row boat drinking Pimms. There’s a leisurely decadence about her quirky, syncopated vocals, which has made her musings the perfect soundtrack to recent icicle days spent daydreaming about a life post-exams, a house with central heating, and a Melbourne without swine flu.

‘Postcard Guy’ is off Lauren’s debut EP There will be Static. Sydneysiders can amble down to the EP Launch at the OAF, next Wednesday 17 June. Lauren will take the stage with accompanying instrumentals from The Clockwork Trumpets, and support from Sui Zhen and Steve Smyth.

www.myspace.com/laurenmhorton

Scotch Of St. James – ‘The Happy Peacock’ (mp3)

The Scotch are possibly one of the most underrated bands to be poking their heads above the battlements of the WA music scene right now.

With each successive release their brand of Black Rebel-esque rock ‘n’ roll has slowly grown and matured. Starting as a bit of a mish mash of influences and gradually maturing into a well-honed sharp pointy stick of stoner-cool-as-fuck-rock.

I’ve seen them play at my local a couple of times and they can back up all the tight rock licks in their recordings with enough swagger to make Vince Noir self conscious.

The Scotch Of St. James have just finished the tracking for their debut album with Dave Parkin (Snowman/Sugar Army/Red Jezebel). I daresay it’s one release we should all be saving the change from our beer money for.

www.myspace.com/thescotchofstjames