Theredsunband

Theredsunband (yes that’s the official spelling) are a three piece droney rock outfit from Arncliffe, in Sydney. Vocalist Sarah Kelly sings very much like Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star, with most of the songs hovering in that hollow, dreamy way. A couple of years ago they released debut album Peapod which bore two singles each reaching high rotation on national youth broadcaster Triple J’s playlists. This got them on the road playing big supports to The Shins and Sonic Youth, and eventually Big Day Out where they won a young songwriter’s grant they are currently using to record their second album.

Much of their appeal rests with Sarah’s indie-girlfriend image, she’s the kind of girl music critic wannabes love to date. Even when she doesn’t do much in her live shows she seems to have a certain magnetic quality that most guys can’t ignore. After repeated listens to the two radio singles, I bought their album last year and was quite disappointed that those two songs were the only upbeat tunes out of the entire collection. The rest of the songs consisted of slow stoner riffs coupled with Sarah’s thin voice that quite frankly I found hard to listen to. Everytime I tried to enjoy the whole album I couldn’t stop myself from skipping to ‘Devil Song’ and ‘Sleep Forever’. Perhaps I need a rather big joint to enjoy this body of work to its fullest extent, but I do hope their second album avoid these moody David Lynchesque numbers that edges slowly to nowhere.

Theredsunband – ‘Sleep Forever’

http://www.theredsunband.com
http://www.myspace.com/theredsunband

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Velure

Velure probably would have been big if they were around in ‘96-’98, they are firmly rooted in the genre that came and went: Trip-Hop. Being a massive fan I spent those years building up my collection of Bristol influenced slow rapping albums whose gods were Tricky, Portishead and Massive Attack. Yes, I was a big sook.

I saw Velure at a very intimate sit down gig at the Hopetoun three years ago, they were one of the winners of the Whatever Sessions, a music competition held by alternate TV station SBS. They won recording time in their studios, a place in the CD compilation plus publicity tours. I had no idea who they were, but was very impressed with their ability to get people in that brooding mood, much like the better known Decoder Ring. That gig was very much a trip back in time for me to that period when everyone knew who Beth Gibbons was. This song is off an old single they were selling at the show, I’m not sure if it was ever released.

Velure – ‘Walk Home’

http://www.velure.com.au
http://www.myspace.com/velure

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The Valentinos have kindly given us an exclusive to their newly recorded single, ‘Rain’ taken from their upcoming Damn and Damn Again EP. Produced by Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes of Pnau, this is the band’s debut release on new Sydney based label Mosquito Tweeter.

The Valentinos – ‘Rain’

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The Scare – photo by Ami Barwell

Is screamo a one word joke nowadays? Not for these guys, they are having lots of fun and going places with their music. Alright, they’re not really a screamo band, but the vocalist’s stylings remind me a lot of the Blood Brothers’ twin pronged screaming attacks. Not as frantic, but punchier. The Scare are originally from Brisbane but moved over to Birmingham, UK this year. Doing well for themselves, they’ve shared the stage with Pretty Girl Makes Graves, Les Savy Fav and Alexisonfire. Recently their Vacuum Irony EP came out in the UK and got good reviews and modest airplay on the BBC, and now they’re on another national tour with Finland’s Disco Ensemble. Check out the single below.

The Scare – ‘If I’m Choking, Make A Scene’ (mp3)

http://www.thescare.net
http://www.myspace.com/thescare

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Group Seizure

I’ve been told that the electro-clash movement peaked two years ago. What about the electro-punk movement then, did I miss it altogether or did it not happen at all? Because that’s what I think of when I’m trying to describe Group Seizure’s music. It’s electronic music written in punk structures. Or maybe, a punk song written with sequencers and looping stations. Dance-punk? Does it matter?

Aside from the very cool band name, Group Seizure are three hyperactive Melbourne kids who play music with two guitars, a keyboard and a drum machine. They recorded and mixed their 5 track debut EP in one day last year and got some good reviews in the music street press, but nothing much happened. Most people outside Melbourne wouldn’t have heard of these guys, and I’m not sure if this type of music will ever get big, probably not in Australia. I like it though.

Group Seizure – ‘Love Recovery’

http://www.groupseizure.com
http://www.myspace.com/groupseizure

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Sparkadia – photo by boudist.com

Time for more pop, courtesy of Sydney three piece Sparkadia. I first heard of this band on Sydney radio FBi 94.5fm, about two years ago. The singer Alex seems to have a gift for melody and catchy hooks. So I went to their next show, a free new music night called Jager Uprising. This was my first time going to one of these and by the time the band came on it was jam-packed. The band has invited all their friends to impress industry types. Tick.

Next, I heard Sparkadia played a few warehouse shows in the city and around Annandale, pulling up to two hundred people in tiny spaces. Creating more buzz to get everyone talking about it. Another Tick. Soon enough they signed to a booking agent and started scoring international supports, and the last time I saw them they were main support for Canadian cuties Tegan and Sara. Triple Tick on the list.

I wasn’t there but when they recently played at Rebel Rebel in Sydney, everyone crammed into the tiny 100 capacity room and sang their hearts out to this tune that you can listen to right here. Tick.

Sparkadia – ‘Up In The Air’

http://www.sparkadia.com
http://www.myspace.com/sparkadia

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My Sister The Cop

My Sister The Cop are bad ass. OK I’ve never actually seen them but from the reviews that I’ve heard, comparisons to Test Icicles and Atari Teenage Riot fly frequently and that gets me excited. From the listening to the two tracks they have up on MySpace I know I would love their dance-punk repertoire if I just get the chance to see them. Alas, the drummer who recently became a dad decided that he won’t go for gigs outside their home state of South Australia. Now I know that’s a beautiful thing, putting his new baby priority above all else. But I wish I could still see them. Being in Adelaide is tough for a band.

My Sister The Cop – ‘Sorry We’re Not All Wolves’ (mp3)

http://www.mysisterthecop.com
http://www.myspace.com/mysisterthecop

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