Sam and Hannah – ‘Who’s Bitten You?’ (mp3)
Something I stole from the Triple J Unearthed site, Sam and Hannah are two 17 years olds from the ACT who play peppy pop music that’s part Moldy Peaches, part Pony Up; there’s an anti-folk vibe without the alienating vocals. The harmonies are really gorgeous and although the simple instrumentation of piano and glockenspiel don’t do much, this rough (what sounds like a) home recording is charming and endearing. I’m keen to hear more from these kids.
The Drones – ‘The Minotaur’
These guys are too good, sometimes. ‘The Minotaur’ is the long-awaited new tune from Melbourne’s The Drones, and the first song with new guitarist Dan Luscombe. It’s from their forthcoming record Havilah which’ll be out in September so for now enjoy The Drones with devil horns. This one’s so evil… I just love the last 20 seconds of this song!
British India – ‘I Said I’m Sorry’
I’ve never got British India. Are they a hard rock band, or an indie band? Their popularity seems to have exploded, despite the fact they’ve never released anything that’s actually worthy of such grand acclaim. I guess there’s something to say for a catchy chorus. ‘I Said I’m Sorry’ is OK, but there’s nothing all that exciting about this song. Sure, they’re aping the Clash in the chorus, but aside from that the song is just one big plateau.
She’s 16, but they’re selling her as one sexy vixen, which – let’s admit – she is. ‘Don’t Want to Go to Bed’ might sound like an innocent title, but listen to the lyrics…
The Seabellies – ‘Prairie’
Has anyone else noticed the resurrgence in piano accordian use? First Holly Throsby, then Baseball and now the Seabellies on their new single ‘Prairie’, continuing their trend for ’08 of releasing only digital singles. This follows on from ‘Heart Heart Heart Out’ and finds them returning to their Canadian music influences, building a bombastic tune not alike that of Arcade Fire but compressing their multilayered sound into more standard song structure fare. It’s build nicely, there’s plenty of textured harmonies, but at the time of writing this, the song hasn’t grabbed me just yet – and I’m a fan of these guys. Maybe I just have to give it time.
Mammal – ‘Smash the Pinata’
Mammal are moving further and further away from Ezekiel Ox’s former band Full Scale and finding a sound of their own, which sits somewhere in the middle of a triange of metal, funk and alt. rock. The typically loquacious Ox is again preaching to the masses, but he’s the ultimate frontman: his effusive personality and unbridled energy which is the key to Mammal’s blistering live shows is captured perfectly on their new tune, ‘Smash the Pinata’. It’s not as simplistically catchy as their other material, but it’s still got that stomping beat.
You Am I – ‘Dilettantes’
A gift courtesy of Andy Kent from the band, this is the brand new song from arguably one of Australia’s greatest rock bands, You Am I. ‘Dilettantes’ is the title track from the band’s forthcoming album, set for release in September. Gone is the dirty, garage rock sound that this band is so renowned for; in its place is a beautifully country-inflected tone, similar to what their iconic frontman Tim Rogers was doing with his solo material. A lush orchestration really lends this song a sense of melancholia, and it’s a fitting backdrop to Rogers’ always-engaging lyrics.
Latest Comments
V
Still trying to purchase!!!ANTHONY J LANGFORD
Cool track. Congrats Joshua. Hope the release is a success.Tristan
Man I love these guys. I can't believe they are not releasing any new music. I've been to so many…sophie
^^ I love Grimes! Banoffee is one of my new favorite music artists! :) I love With Her, Reign Down,…Ace
Read your review then listened to the EP. Fantastic ! Different to most hardcore punk I listen to. Somewhat more…