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INTRODUCING: Little May

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Little May

I love Australian folk music. I’m in Canada right now, and being away from home has made me appreciate the distinct sound of our local singer/songwriters on a whole new level. Right now, it’s Sydney outfit Little May who are helping with the queasy feeling of homesickness.

Little May’s debut single ‘Boardwalks’ is such a wonderful package of everything you love about folk music: soft, weathered vocals, a driving rhythmic section and lyrics that offer something a bit more. It’s difficult not to fall in love with the trio as they send you down a pensive spiral with their words and sounds. Taking inspiration from Fleetwood Mac and Local Natives, the trio features Liz Drummond, Hannah Field and Annie Hamilton. While the trio are relatively new, having formed only last year. They may be a folk outfit, but they are also undoubtedly resonating.

The three piece have handpicked certain elements to create their own fusion of percussion-heavy, guitar-driven folk. Coupled together with some intriguing storytelling, they’re doing it right.

 

‘Hide’ is the second taste of Little May’s upcoming EP, due in November.

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PREMIERE: Unity Floors – ‘Day Release’

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unity-floors

 

Here’s the first listen of ‘Day Release’ from Sydney duo Unity Floors. Words that could be used to describe this track are ‘shabby’, ‘friendly’ and ‘pleasurable’ (especially the former). Those descriptors sound like real estate copy for a fancy smack-den, but mouldy suburban lounge rooms do plenty of good for the imagination. Following ‘Nice Fit’, ‘Day Release’ is the next excellent track off the band’s upcoming debut LP Exotic Goldfish Blues (which I’m assuming is the shitfaced, slightly more humorous cousin of ‘Sharkfin Blues’).

‘Day Release’ is an exemplary snippet of ‘polite’ garage. The band have a mutual affinity for bands like The Clean and Dinosaur Jr, as much as they like digging on lost love, petty theft and women’s golf. The new track is a fun cut-and paste project with Henry Gosling’s nod-along drumming at the wheel and Gus Hunt’s choppy riffs chugging away back and forth on all ends of the good-time spectrum. All I can hear when I listen to this is Gerling’s 4 record – eternally chuffed. I’m so glad Sydney bands are bringing back some optimism, because the sad majority of what I’m wringing out of Melbourne at the moment are skinny things wanting to 2 B THA FUTURE, trying to fart out appropriations of R&B in drop-crotch pants and double-mounted hair buns (prove me wrong).

Unity Floors have been quick to dismiss their jams as ‘scrappy rock music’, but the whole two-piece setup lends Unity Floors a weird connectedness that’s both slapdash and completely engaging. I’ve been nodding along to this one for the last hour. You’d be hard-pressed not to as well.

‘Day Release’ will be available on Unity Floors’ debut LP Exotic Goldfish Blues, available on November 15th via Popfrenzy.
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PREMIERE: Sleepy Dreamers – ‘Bike Song’

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Sleepy Dreamers

I listen to reasonably aggressive music when I ride my bike on the morning commute (makes me pedal faster, bro). Not condoning multi-tasking or listening to music while on the road (don’t do it) but if it’s any indicator of personality, I’d imagine that the Sleepy Dreamers guys would probably be the gentle, passive, half baked folk who give you creepy smiles at the lights and always give way to traffic.

‘Bike Song’ is the brand new track from the Melbourne band. The band’s previous Creatures EP was full of  ‘homecoming’ tracks – you know, the type of soft, lulling folk-acoustica stuff that used to make you reflect on nice things and feelings before you became a hard arsed adult with a shit job and a need for music to match. The wager for upbeat, ‘feel-good’ tracks seems to be getting more complex, so it’s kinda nice to hear something simple once in a while. ‘Bike Song’ effectively ticks the trifecta – graduating treble hooks, handclap things and the sort of bouncy drumming that bands like Givers and Crystal Fighters flash when they want to good time. Sweet, simple travellin’ music indeed.

 

‘Bike Song’ will be available for purchase on Bandcamp from the 18th of October. The band are gearing up for a stint at Inca Roads Festival during Nov 29 – Dec 1st, more details here.

 

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LISTEN: boatfriends – ‘Sport Billy’

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boatfepcover

boatfriends are a Newcastle band who’ve recently moved to Melbourne, based around the songwriting duo of Shanna Watson and Clinton Edwards. In two years they’ve put out just two singles, but this June the pair finally met their Pozible campaign target to fund a debut release and supporting tour and the boatfriends EP is now up and streaming.

The band’s first singles had a brash, EDM feel, with hints of Nu Rave (‘Kaleido’, for example, has been tagged ‘Skrillwave’ – with more than a little self-awareness, I assume – on Soundcloud). New track ‘Sport Billy’, on the other hand, is a veritable psych banger, falling somewhere between Twin Sister and the Klaxons on the dance-punk spectrum. Watson and Edwards cite the British shoegaze scene as an important influence, and there is something here that’s reminiscent of Warp band A Sunny Day in Glasgow, who’s whirling dream pop involves at least as much synth as Jazzmaster. boatfriends have well and truly absorbed the lessons of this approach, creating a stellar EP closer in ‘Sport Billy’. The track opens with panned snares that are as heady and disorienting as Watson’s distinctive vocal which comes through like it’s beaming in from outer space. There are synth flutters and some high-pitched glass-factory ambience, all underwritten by propulsive bass and plenty of kicks.

Be sure to keep your eye out for the upcoming tour – and official EP release, including vinyl!

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MAP October 2013

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map

MAP (Music Alliance Pact) – the global new music initiative we’re lucky to be a part of is back for October! It’s easy to get caught up in our little ‘scene’ happening here, but it’s really exciting to hear all the other wonderful music pursuits happening around the world.

While you’re there, make sure you check out MAPCAST,  a free podcast of Robbie’s favourite picks from this month’s list! Robbie’s whipped up this month’s podcast at a ridiculous pace – listen/download/update your playlist pronto HERE.

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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 29-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Juani – Déjame Entrar

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Juani’s involvement with music began during his teenage years and it hasn’t stopped since. Songwriter, singer, musician, producer, cultural manager… you name it. In between his multiple projects (one of them being involved with Rosario’s biggest independent label Planeta X), Juani managed to pull out a new solo album called La Paz Ciencia (a pun between the words “peace” and “science”), with songs that range from Argentine folk to pop and acoustic rock. Déjame Entrar is our favorite track but you can download the whole thing from the website.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
White Caves – I’ve Lost

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White Caves is the new venture from Melbourne songwriter Darren Cordeux. The former Kisschasy frontman has completely left behind the acoustic teen psyche of 2006 for a much looser sound. I’ve Lost carves a completely uplifting vibe out of sombre song content. Thanks to some clear-cut production, soaring vocals and a vibe that sounds like MGMT’s Andrew VanWyngarden fronting a slacker-pop band, White Caves is lending a new dimension of fun to typical ‘pop-jams’ right here.

AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
Amere Meander – Something I Am Not

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Three kindergarten friends form a band and make pop music. Viennese Amere Meander appeared out of nowhere with songs that are sometimes dreamy and sweet, sometimes mysterious and noisy, drawing inspiration from anything from shoegaze to Fleetwood Mac. Always catchy but never unpredictable, Something I Am Not is taken from their debut album To Lead Astray.

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WTH PRESENTS: Cull – ‘Inside Your Head’ Tour

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Cull_inside-your-head-tour-A3_web_2

Cull sort of sound like Deerhunter and Brian Eno at a scientologist’s housewarming party. If you can get your head around that, then you’ll probably dig them, as we do.

If you’ve heard ‘World Inside Your Head’, ‘Good People Disappear’ or managed to grasp an earful of the band’s strange, starry-eyed schtick, you’ll agree it’s pretty special. Cull’s sound is warm enough to feel familiar, but the odd face-melt of a solo makes keeps things interesting and makes the rest of our exports look a bit Lame Impala.

We’re presenting the band’s upcoming ‘Inside Your Head’ tour. We’re also giving away a double pass to each show – email editors@whothehell.net with your details and why you’d like ’em.

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Cull – ‘Inside Your Head’ Tour

Friday November 1st – World Bar, Sydney

Friday November 9th – Grand Central Hotel, Brisbane

Sun November 19th – The Den, Wollongong

Sat November 30th – Reverence Hotel, Melbourne

 

ATTEND HERE.

 

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INTRODUCING: Rolls Bayce – ‘Arrows’

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Rolls-Bayce

Rolls Bayce are a Brisbane three piece with some serious pop pedigree. The band is a new project for Hungry Kids of Hungary lead Dean McGrath, Neal Apel and James Wright, better known around these parts for drumming for Millions and Emerson Snowe and fostering all types of weird song requests doing DJ stints around Brisbane. While Wright is known for DJ skills, this song is definitely more for putting on at home after the club (alone, or not) than dancing.

The band do a good job of easing you into ‘Arrows’ with a smooth and slinky funk intro. McGrath has such a distinctive voice it’s hard not to immediately hear Hungry Kids of Hungary when his vocal kicks in. The drums and bassline here sounds as fresh and crisp as a brand new suit. The song has a real ‘groove’ to it, so any comparisons to Hungry’s more pop aligned catalogue are quickly shrugged off. It’s a very cool sound, and one we rarely hear done this well.

Get this in your ears.

 

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