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PREMIERE: Naked Maja – ‘Out of Mind’

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Naked Maja

Wrap your ears around ‘Out of Mind’, the new single from Brisbane’s Naked Maja.

If the bottled-up, experimental tumult of last year’s brilliant Disillusion EP was a restless savant – then the first taste of the band’s forthcoming EP, The Vagrant, is its calmer, neutral-decision making, Moog toting, younger brother.

We’ve heard Restless Maja (‘Soft Hands’), Dismembered Maja (‘#59’) and Wandering Maja (‘Take’). ‘Out of Mind’ may be a gentle Eno coax over from their other musings, but the band aren’t flailing everything on the line. Naked Maja have always been discerning in their generosity; careful with their sound. That’s rarely a bad thing when experimental pop too often lands overcooked. Even when their angular samples and tense guitars have taken precipice, the band haven’t been quite tipped over the edge.

The synth direction on ‘Out of Mind’ is sustained, the lead vocal never tethers too far from the moonlight. And perhaps in that, this temperance keeps the band’s vision where it needs to be.

naked maja megan cullen

The video for ‘Out of Mind’ (see still above) was directed by Megan Cullen and will also be released in the next few weeks. Naked Maja are playing a number of dates soon, see below for details.

 

Sat 26 April – The Underdog (Brisbane) supporting Gazar Strips w/ The Steady As She Goes

Thurs 22 May – The Underdog (Brisbane) EP Release w/ Keep On Dancin’s + No Sister + Ultra Material

 

The band’s forthcoming EP The Vagrant, is set for an independent release next month.

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INTRODUCING: Tempura Nights

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tempura nights

Tempura Nights are a Brisbane three-piece made up of the power combo of members of Go Violets (who bummed us all out a couple of weeks ago by breaking up), Major Leagues and The Good Sports. They’ve been pretty quiet since the release of first single ‘Cocky’ early last year, but this song shows that they mean srs bsns for 2014.

‘R.I.P. Chix’ is kinda getting pushed under the category of dream pop, but that label doesn’t quite do justice to how likeably tough singer/guitarist Alice Rezende comes across in the verses. Her lyrics about those romantic, over-privileged girls in their own own perfect worlds that we love to hate (and sometimes straight-up hate), are delivered in a downbeat monotone which is nicely dark and understated.

There’s stuff in here that you’ve heard before, from influences like Speedy Ortiz and Joanna Gruesome, but Tempura Nights are approaching the style in a different way, messing with form and structure to make a super cool sound that never seems derivative.

‘R.I.P. Chix’ is the first taste of Tempura Nights’ White Whine EP which will be out in the middle of the year. It’s also available for free download. Woop!

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MAP April 2014

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map

Looks like the Eurovision panel felt a little sorry for our tiny, insignificant island in the middle of the Pacific by choosing to ‘include’ us in Eurovision this year. Who needs Jess Mauboy? If we had it our way, we’d have sent off Dianas to Copenhagen instead.

Scroll down to hear our track by the Perth trio, and more tracks compiled by our bro/sis blogs around the world.

Speaking of global roaming, Robbie our MAPcast podcast host is out travelling in Thailand for Songkran – the country’s best water festival or biggest wet t-shirt competition. Before he returns with the photos, he’s taking a break from the usual podcast this month and will be back soon.

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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 27-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
The Plasticos – Marfil

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This band from La Plata usually cites British rock acts such as The Kinks, Blur and The Stone Roses as their main influences. However, this track from The Plasticos’ new album, Kilómetros, is one of our favorites because of its grungy sound that reminds us of the new Argentine rock movement from the late 90s. You can listen to the album on Bandcamp.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Dianas – Dix

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There are moments when all you want to do is kiss the guy who invented the internet. Such is the case when one Bandcamp tag after the other, we stumbled upon Dianas, a trio from the distant city of Perth. Dix is a dreamy drone-pop tune with all those floral notes typical of Scottish indie; kind of like what Camera Obscura might have sounded like on a hot summer’s night in Western Australia.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Isaar – Tudo Em Volta De Mim Vira Um Vão

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Sort of a sad waltz, Tudo Em Volta De Mim Vira Um Vão is taken from Isaar’s new album, Todo Calor (roughly translated as “All The Heat”). Originally from Recife, one of Brazil’s most prolific cities, Isaar shows her strong influences of local culture such as frevo, maracatu and manguebeat, but also flirts with pop music and other contemporary artists like Siba and Orquestra Contemporânea De Olinda.

CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
Zoo Legacy – CRWD

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Hybrid hip-hop rockers Zoo Legacy are from Ottawa but have a world-conquering sound. Blending indie-rock, R&B, hip-hop and pop, it’s impossible to pinpoint which element is the band’s focus, and that’s exactly what they’ve intended. Lines blur and genres blend, but Zoo Legacy’s gift will always be musical alchemy.

Listen to the full list below.

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GUEST: Palms x Gooch Palms

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Palms and Gooch Palms have more in common besides naming rights to subtropical plants. Leroy from the Gooch Palms was previously Palms’ bassist. Both outfits have featured on the previous Nuggets Compilation, have contributed to each other’s albums and recently set out during March for ‘Palmarama’ tour; violating personal space and every major Australian monument in their path (giant Cottlesloe goon bag below).

Words and photos by Palms.

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Approaching the tour, Brendan was too excited by Palmarama to practice Palms’ songs. He was moved to express himself with art.

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These were our touring buddies: Leroy MacQueen of the Gooch Palms…

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And Kat Friend of the Gooch Palms.

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Together, Palms and the Goochies played some of Australia’s premier live music venues…

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Connecting with new fans..and charming the ladies…
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By day, we would visit important monuments to Australian culture.
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And by night we would practice dance moves that are currently very popular.
Over four weeks both bands grew to know one another very intimately.

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And the temptation was there to form an inevitably world famous supergroup, and tour together forever – but the Gooch Palms are committed to the charms of their home town, Newcastle.

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So for now, us Sydney boys will stick with what we know best —which is hugging and kissing in bed.

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Palms’ Step Brothers is out via Spunk Records and the Gooch Palms’ latest Novo can be purchased via their Bandcamp. Buy both records here and here.

Palms – Facebook / Twitter / Web

Gooch Palms – Facebook / Twitter / Bandcamp

WATCH: Tape/Off – ‘Pedestal Fan’

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Tape Off

Tape/Off are a Brisbane band who’ve been around for quite a few years making consistently rad, dingy rock music. Maybe part of the reason these guys are so good is that they’ve all got other ‘projects’ and shit to do. Recording, producing, radio announcing and, of course, plenty of other bands keep the members busy enough that they’re free to make music that’s unpretentious and loose. Tape/Off always sound like a mostly fun and recreational band, though they’re still serious as hell about making great songs.

Their latest single ‘Pedestal Fan’ was released ages ago, but the video has just been put out so if you haven’t checked it out yet now’s your chance. The clip is shot in black and white and features a relaxed approach to road rules; band members shredding and singing and smashing drums in an old van (which apparently was put out of its misery by a medium sized hill not long after this shoot). Usually clips that just rely on one idea like this get boring halfway through, but this one is fast and frantic and totally watchable until the last second.

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Tape/Off’s first full length record Chipper comes out in June, but you can check out their two previous EP’s (and also get ‘Pedestal Fan’ as a pay-what-you-like download!) on Bandcamp.

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LISTEN: Bad//Dreems – ‘Dumb Ideas’

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bad dreems

Is it just me or does everyone wish they were in a band after a breakup so you could write a song like this? ‘Dumb Ideas’ from Adelaide’s Bad//Dreems is packed with barbs that are filed to a point by grinding rhythm guitar, accented with that trademark caustically catchy lead. “Thought that you were somethin’ but you’re just another dumb idea” Ben Marwe sneers, voice scratching at the edges in a way that lets you know that at least part of this cruel kind of bravado is a front.

This band gets a lot of old school Aus rock comparisons, but they’re way more than just conduits for the unearned nostalgia of 20 year olds; they’re one of the strongest bands in the country right now, and a full length release can’t come soon enough.

You can hear ‘Dumb Ideas’ on Youtube right now, and there’s a digital release scheduled for April 14th.

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To support this track, and celebrate recently being snapped up by Ivy League Records, Bad//Dreems are doing a few ‘intimate’ shows in independent record stores around the country, a prospect that anyone who’s ever seen them live will find both really exciting and just a bit bloody scary. In good way.

Dates below. Tickets at baddreems.com.

Saturday May 17 – The Exeter / Title, Adelaide
Friday May 23 – Black Wire Records, Sydney (All Ages)
Saturday May 24 – Music Farmers, Wollongong  (All Ages)
Saturday May 31 – Record Paradise, Melbourne
Saturday June 7 – Rocking Horse, Brisbane (All Ages)

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TRACK BY TRACK: Dollar Bar – Paddington Workers Club

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dollar-bar

It’s been 10 years now since Dollar Bar released their self-titled debut LP. In 2013 the band emerged from a six-year hiatus with the excellent follow up, Paddington Workers Club, named after ‘a shitty old bar room’, long shut down, that was a focal point of Brisbane’s Spring Hill scene.

The album could have been recorded back in the 90s, when Dollar Bar first formed, its sound falling somewhere between early Pavement and GBV. The band hasn’t lost its sense of humour, but these days the tracks (e.g. ‘Hipster Mental Ward’, ‘City Pricks Sitting Pretty’) take aim at the kids inhabiting the stages and the dives that Dollar Bar long left behind.

Dollar Bar sent us a track-by-track account of Paddington Workers Club. Check it out below:

 

‘Diff’rent 4 Gurls’

I’d formed a new band with my brother David, along with John and Cuffy from Dick Nasty. We did this song based on White Town’s ‘Your Woman’. Dollar Bar liked it and gave it a burl. After several attempts at re-recording and overdubs, we agreed that our original take, including guide vocals, was strongest. Basically it’s the poor man’s Strokes. (Dale)

‘Hipster Mental Ward’

This song was inspired by my time working in administration at a mental hospital in Toronto. Opposite the hospital was an arty stretch of Queen Street West – one of the hippest spots in town. I wrote the lyrics on my walks through the lush park grounds to purchase caffeine hits, and there were literally always tattooed girls riding bikes outside. The part about the guy putting his $20 bill in the microwave to sterilise it is a true story too. (Patrick)

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