The Red Tree – ‘Ziah’

Ziah is the first single off the debut album from Melbourne’s The Red Tree. Like some of Mogwai’s best work, Ziah plays on a thumping, double-time beat over slow melodic cadences filled out by guitar reverb. Ambient textures swirl around the rhythm section, sounding like the chimes of a hundred bells in the distance. It’s hard to discern exactly what is happening outside of the drums and vocals but there’s a lot contributing to the forest of noise that hijacks the song.

It’s probably not as ‘out there’ as I’ve made it sound but it’s a dense listening experience. The song itself doesn’t jump out at you but that fits in with the aesthetic of the piece. Only time will tell if it eventually reveals itself to be a great composition or an average one draped it impressive production. Still, there’s enough here in the mean time being to provide enjoyment.

www.myspace.com/theredtree

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Watussi – ‘Echale Fuego’

Watussi is something a bit different for WhoTheHell. I happened to catch a set recently on m brother’s recommendation and was stunned at the crowd response – barely anyone not shouting along and dancing.

He ‘s not content to just use his ethnic authenticity (Watussi is Columbian-born but these days rocks Bondi) to peddle beige, ‘Dexter-incidental-music’ style latino funk; no, Watussi writes songs that soundtrack the raddest parties that South American’s have in your head. They’re filled with pop hooks, funk grooves and call and response.

If you get the chance to see him live with his full band, it’ll be a fun night.

www.myspace.com/watussimusic

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Screamfeeder – ‘Dart’

Screamfeeder have been around for, like, ages. And, like most indie bands that tend to hang around for extended periods of time, they’re really good.

They’re currently touring their album Kitten Licks in full. It was released in 1996 (making this the… 13th anniversary? Celebration!) and so I was too little to get into them then. My Screamfeeder loving started with 2003’s Take You Apart, a great indie power-pop, but for some reason I only recently started looking into their back catalogue.It’s fairly extensive and I’m far from getting through it all but I know enough to confirm that Kitten Licks is a highlight and will we worth checking on the aforementioned tour.

The song Darts was the first single off the album (so I’m told – like I said, I wasn’t really listening to much beyond Backstreet Boys at the time). This is the kind of song that makes me wish I had Screamfeeder posters under the lid of my school desk instead of Hanson ones. I would’ve been, like, the coolest kid in school. Well luckily Screamfeeder are still around and still cool so I can make up for it now by sharing it with you here.

A re-mixed and re-mastered version of the album that includes original b-sides has been released to coincide with the tour. Check it out.

www.myspace.com/screamfeederrock

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The Cairos – ‘Whales’

The Cairos have been getting some buzz around Brisbane for over a year and so have  wisely figured now is a good time to release their debut EP. It certainly capitalises on said buzz by building on their poppier take on post-punk tropes with Aria Award-winning producer Magoo and representing their strongest collection of songs at the peak of their profile in the local scene. ‘Whales,’ with its chorussed bassline directing the song,  has unsurprisingly been courting the most radio attention t. Containing the same washes of guitar delay and reverb that typically colour their songs,  a pounding rhythm section  and urgent vocals, the song has an intensity and sonic depth that a lot of  the superficial style-hacks lack. Importantly, dummer ‘BC’ really knows when to ride those hats. Mmmm.

www.myspace.com/thecairos

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Regular John – ‘Abbattoir Noir’

Regular John are a grunge/garage revivalist band who relocated to Sydney from the sticks and have, in a short period of time, amassed some impressive support slots and media coverage.

‘Abbattior Noir’ sounds like early BRMC soundtracking a spaghetti western in the early 90s. The wet, fuzzed-out bass rolls along beneath alternating spider-y guitar work and beefed up powerchords while the vocals work the full spectrum from slurring and slinking to strained shouting. The thumping toms during the song’s bridge/faux-outro make for an exciteable rhythmic bed for the minimal but effective solo.

The track is taken from their forthcoming debut, ‘The Peaceful Atom is a Bomb.’ The track can be downloaded for free from JJJ at http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/listen/mp3s.htm

www.myspace.com/regularjohnmusic

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Lost Valentinos – ‘Midnight’ (Parts 1 & 2)

What more need I say about Lost Valentinos? You’ve read about them here previously and probably on several other sites as well. They’ve been inviting media attention for a couple of years now but they’ve only recently announced details of a long-awaited debut. Suffice to say, we’re shivering with anticipation.

‘Midnight’ is another exercise in indie-meets-dance, again featuring great production courtesy of Berlin-via-UK producer Ewan Pearson and again sounding like they’re spending equal time figuring out arrangements as guitar pedal settings. Whereas other bands try to achieve a blend between rock and dance by mixing guitars and electro pop, these guys go for straight dance like deep house and work pop arrangements into the repetitive, grinding structure. Opening with a rubbery bassline, ‘Midnight’ soon moves to sound like a Stone Roses offcut with spaghetti western guitars replacing John Squires’ ‘wah-wah’ fuss. These guys have really mastered the art of surging rhythms, which push forward unrelentingly until a brief respite in between parts 1 and 2, only to re-emerge as a four-on-the-floor house beat.

I’m less excited about news that their album will be a concept record about finding a lost city of gold in a volcano on Mars or something. Still, ‘Midnight,’ ‘Serio’ and ‘The Bismark’ bode well for things to come. Seriously, at three singles deep this album is still sounding like total winner. Hopefully they can maintain that streak.

www.myspace.com/lostvalentinos

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Grand Atlantic – ‘She’s A Dreamer’

Grand Atlantic – ‘Single Ladies’ (Beyonce Cover)

It’s important not to lose sight of the fact that this post is about Grand Atlantic’s forthcoming single She’s A Dreamer. Forget that they’ve done a cover of the best pop song of the last bazillion years. Forget that their straight-faced, soft-rock version is both moving and hilarious without actually trying to be either. Just forget that song exists for a moment.

She’s A Dreamer is less modern sounding than the previously covered Tripwires (ie. there’s no synth) but it’s no less catchy. With a chorus as big and circling as something by The Lovetones or Oasis at their wettest, its muscle and stomp is matched by a hook and bass groove that keeps the head bobbing for three and a half minutes.

The song is available for free download from their Last.fm page and is pulled from the forthcoming ‘How We Survive’ (which also includes Tripwires).

Also, apparently the band have done a cover of Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies.’ Might be worth checking out…

http://www.last.fm/music/Grand+Atlantic

…

‘Woah-oh-ooh, woah-oh-ooh oh-oh-oooh…’

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