Recent Posts

MAP October 2014

, , No Comment

map

Our submission for MAP this month features minor spandex indulgence from The Twoks. Don’t forget to check out our Soundcloud for our monthly MAPcast podcasts.

Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 21-track compilation through Dropbox here.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Ubika – Fahrenheit

Listen to

Hard rock guitars, solid bass and drums plus strong female vocals are the formula behind Ubika. Fahrenheit is the first single from their latest album, Amigos Del Bosque, and it’s inspired by Ray Bradbury’s novel. The song has a video directed by Diego Stickar, which you can watch here.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
The Twoks – First Light

Listen to

The Twoks are a Melbourne two-piece comprising Xani Kolac on violin and vocals, and Mark Leahy on drums. Initially the solo instrumental project of Kolac, who studied jazz and improvisation at Victorian College of the Arts, the duo is now renowned on the local live circuit for their unpredictable sets which feature Kolac on loop station and a smorgasbord of effects. On The Twoks’ latest release, First Light EP – which boasts crisp production from Tony Buchen (The Preatures) – Kolac’s improvisations have been whittled down to concise retro-pop tunes in the vein of Pat Benatar or Kate Bush.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Baleia – Breu

Listen to

Breu is one of the strongest songs from Baleia’s debut album, released last year. They first caught the attention of the indie press in Brazil with a jazzy cover of Justin Timberlake but in their album they show a handful of influences, resulting in experimental indie-rock that dabbles in baroque pop and folk.

Hear the full compilation below.

(more…)

LISTEN: Pleasure Symbols – ‘Ultraviolence’

, , No Comment

Pleasure Symbols

‘Ultra Violence’, the first thing we’ve heard from Brisbane duo Pleasure Symbols is one of those tracks that immediately creates a video montage in your head. When I listen to this I see myself better looking, better dressed and more badass, smoking cigs and stalking the streets like a goddamn killer. This song makes me want to be a worse person, in the best way possible.

‘Ultra Violence’ is all cold bass, synth and drum machine. Vocals are monotone and dark, crushed under the malevolent buzz, only lightened slightly when the mildly hysterical treble-y synth comes in at the end, still spiralling you into the abyss. Definitely wanna hear more of this (well, what they’re calling) ‘coldwave’ business.

Facebook / Soundcloud

WATCH: Contrast – ‘Drum Machine’

, , No Comment

Contrast

We really dig Contrast. It’s not hard to tell: we really dig them. They put out an EP a little while back that got us all in a buzz and now they’ve followed up by releasing a dreamy clip that suits their music perfectly.

‘Drum Machine’ was one of the five tracks on Contrast’s Less Than Zero EP, and it’s also one of the best. Sound wise, it sits at a cross point between Real Estate, Major Leagues, Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing – what a sweet spot! The clip is simple but nice; VHS fuzz, retro aesthetic and simple execution. This is the perfect clip for the song at hand because it never threatens to overshadow the music – the way a clip should be.

YouTube Preview Image

You can pick up a copy of Contrast’s EP Less Than Zero here.

Facebook / Bandcamp

INTRODUCING: Pronto

, , No Comment

Pronto Press Photo

Hold your bloody horses, garage fans. Forget about that sick new band you saw on the weekend, cos I’ve found your new favourite act: Pronto. Of course these guys are out of Melbourne, and obviously they’ve been living on a steady diet of Eddy Current Suppression Ring. They’re fast, furious and insanely addictive.

Pronto, like many of Australia’s best garage punk bands, have helped an old genre grow up a little bit. They take early 70’s proto-punk, like The Troggs, and brutalise it into something that Hozac Records would eat slugs to put out. On their debut album, When You’re Gone, Pronto speed through their 11 tracks with frightening ferocity. They do bands like Dead Farmers, Royal Headache and Straight Arrows proud.

Between the gale force guitar solos, the crunchy, hollow vocals and stampeding drums, there are a few particular standouts. If you’re any sort of fan of loud, fun guitar music, you’ll love songs like ‘Soldier’, ‘Red Flag’ and ‘Cry’. These tracks will blow down your house like it’s a greedy wolf and you are soon-to-be bacon. Best played loud.

Bandcamp / Soundcloud

WATCH: Multiple Man – ‘Persuasion’

, , No Comment

Squaready20141007183850

The first time I heard Brisbane two-piece Multiple Man for real was at this year’s Shedstock festival in June (which is a travesty considering how often they play in my town). I had ‘fallen asleep’ early and was lying in my tent when outside started what sounded like the most insanely fun party ever. The music was violent and dark but driven by these bouncy synths that made everything so bloody danceable.

I wanted to get up and throw my body around and yell for no reason but being too ‘sleepy’ I just lay on my half-deflated blow up mattress and had a fucken great time throwing shapes internally.

‘Persuasion’ is Multiple Man’s newest single, and comes with a suitably dark, Euro-electro inspired video by Alex Dunlop. The title track from their forthcoming EP, it sounds like someone found everything good about the 80s and put it in a dance song, when what they kinda wanted to do was tell you to go fuck yourself. It’s sexy, aggressive, fun and really, really cool.

Facebook / Bandcamp

Rock 4 Renewables: Nun of the Tongue

, , No Comment

Nunofthetongue
Leigh Ewbank, former Damn Terran drummer and Yes2Renewables campaigner interviewed Melbourne trio Nun of the Tongue, ahead of tomorrow’s Rock4Renewables fundraiser. All proceeds from tomorrow’s show at the Gasometer go to support Y2R’s continued work campaigning for climate change action.
_____
 
Name + instrument: Oscar (guitar, vocals).
In three words, how would you describe your band? Lo-fi, trashy fun.
Any tours, notable gigs or record releases lately? We just launched our debut 7″ EP last month at Bar Open, titled Burger Porn Real Estate.

 
Why do you support renewable energy? 
Electricity is one of the most important aspects of modern day life. Finding a self-sustainable energy source is one of the most important tasks as a species.
 
There’s an election coming up in Victoria, do you have a message for Victorian politicians on renewable energy and climate change? 
It would just be to look at the facts and decide through that. Creating a renewable energy infrastructure would create jobs and cut c02 emissions. It’s all about what the science says.
 
Your band is a renewable energy source. What is it? 
Wind power. From our butts onto Tony Abbott’s face.
YouTube Preview Image
_____
Rock4Renewables’ fundraiser happens at the Gasometer Hotel in Melbourne tomorrow from 4PM until late.
Bands include Nun of the Tongue, Jess Ribiero & the Bone Collectors, Empat Lima, Alysia Manceau, DJ Emma Peel, Knave Knixx + more. 
More details at the FB event page. 

EXCLUSIVE: The Dead Heir – ‘Cooked’ EP

, , No Comment

Dead Heir

Here’s your first taste of Cooked, the new EP from Melbourne six piece The Dead Heir. The band recorded with Joey Walker from King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard, which probably justifies the splintered guitar intros, tandem vocal biking and why it takes more than six people to make a psych song. As per usual legacy, these are still the slack-eyed, major-minor poems about nothing parading as something. Case in point, and all in good fun.

The Dead Heir launch the Cooked EP at The Toff In Town on Thursday October 9 with special guests, The Citradels & The Infants. Buy the EP over at Bandcamp.

YouTube Preview Image

Facebook / Soundcloud