Isle Adore – ‘Keep A Lid On’ (mp3)

Underlapper – ‘Elephant Shoe’ (mp3)

I’ve written about New Weird Australia before, the super rad blog/podcast/radio show that features the best and latest in experimental/electronic Australian music. They’ve just put out the sixth and latest in their series of  free compilation albums,  and they announced that this volume (number six) will be the last of its kind. Future compilations will take on a themed/artist-curated format, but Volume Six is a great way to send off their old approach – it’s the strongest of their compilations series so far.

The above tracks by Underlapper and Isle Adore stood out as worth drawing attention to. The former, because I’m a blogger and thus like anything that sounds like Animal Collective; the latter because I’m a blogger and thus like anything that sounds like chillwave. I’m kidding (not really, send me all your Aus chillwave). What these songs show is the diverse territory that NWA cover, from the almost-pop of Isle Adore to the laptop beat of Underlapper, through to the opening doom/drone track by Ambrose Chapel. Volume Six is a wonderful compilation, and the above songs are a great place to start but not the end of your relationship with NWA Vol. Six.

LUV U NWA. Get the compilation HERE.

newweirdaustralia.com

Read Post →

Loon Lake – ‘Easy Chairs’ (mp3)

Here’s a sweet new jam from Melbourne newcomers Loon Lake, who wowed me with their track ‘Into The Office’ earlier this year. Thankfully these bros still sound like they’re just kicking around in their garage, keeping shit loose and direct. Even though it’s actually pretty melodic with crisscrossing guitars, it’s all sounds so effortless thanks to the way singer “Sam” (couldn’t find a last name on Myspace so I gave up) talk-sings (in a slight Julian Casablancas drawl) his way through the verses and half strains for bigger notes in the chorus. It’s great.

So I haven’t seen these guys live and I’ve still only really heard a handful of tracks from them, but Loon Lake are one of the most promising bands I’ve caught wind of in 2k10. I hope they keep the rawness of their demos in subsequent work because they wear it well. I’ll defs be keeping my eye out for more.

www.myspace.com/weareloonlake

Read Post →

Nike sportswear are sponsoring a series of six mixtapes from all around the world. Recently it was Australia’s turn, and we were represented Modular/DFA dudes Canyons. It’s a pretty sweet mix, heavy on summer vibes (see: Avalanches, Tame Impala PLUS Tame Impala side-project POND).

You can check it out/download it at the The Fader.

Read Post →

Papa vs Pretty – ‘Heavy Harm’ (mp3)

When I was first introduced to Papa vs Pretty they were significantly more weird and electronic. ‘Heavy Harm’ retains an offbeat feeling and roughness to it, but it sounds surprisingly a lot like The Okkervil Rivers, down to Thomas Rawle’s imperfect, Will Sheff-aping yelp. It’s a pretty sweet tune that shows their song-writing has matured to leans less on weirdness and more on, you know, melody. No doubt this move to more folk-rock territory was helped by Paul Dempsey who produced the EP from which this track is pulled.

Obviously being the lead track you would assume that it’s the more accessible thing on there, so it will be cool to see how reigned in (or not reigned in) the rest of  their stuff is – hopefully not too much more than in ‘Heavy Harm.’ I say “hopefully” because I notice that their Myspace has had that major label makeover, with OTT customisation that hasn’t impressed anyone this side of 2006 (sorry y’all, but it looks a bit like an emo band). Not that we should draw concrete conclusions based on Myspace redesigns or anything like that…

Point is, I like where ‘Heavy Harm’ is at. It’s a cool track. Let’s stick around here.

www.myspace.com/papavspretty

Read Post →

Charlie Why – ‘I Am Deliciously Wired’ (mp3)

[audiohttp://whothehell.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/I-Am-Deliciously-Wired-Ch.mp3]

The latest release in Bang Gang’s 12″ series is by the prolific Charlie Why (aka Charlie Murdoch aka 50% of production/remix team Rio Lobotomy aka 25% of Brisbane indie upstarts Comic Sans). Charlie Why is Murdoch’s solo project and above is the title track from his long-awaited debut EP, which acts as an apt introduction to his ultra-compressed and thumping electro-house leanings.

‘I Am Deliciously Wired’ is painted with a few broad brush strokes and lands like a punch in the face – which isn’t to say that this is background music for morons. Despite its immediacy, the track sounds considered and thoughtfully constructed, moving forward with purpose as variously sounds move in and out of the near perfect mix. Good stuff.

www.myspace.com/charliewhy1

Read Post →

Bearhug – ‘Grapefruit’ (mp3)

Here’s a sweet new jam from Sydney’s Bearhug. Been sitting on for a while due to business/laziness so you might’ve heard it elsewhere already. If not, here it is: ‘Grapefruit.’ I posted a sick demo by Bearhug last year in which I implored them not to tidy up their sound too much. ‘Grapefruit’ kinda disregarded my plea – this shit sounds like it was actually recorded in a studio high end – but it still keeps things a bit loose, switching up tempos and whatnot. That tropical riff that drops in and out is total winner.

Looking forward to their full-length debut EP To Anything pretty hardcore right now, which will released through Spunk later this year June 25 (cheers to Polaroids of Androids for doing my research on that one). If you don’t know much of their stuff, their demo EP is available for free from their Myspace. You should get it.

www.myspace.com/bearhugtheband

Read Post →

Buchanan – ‘Mr Keeperman’ (mp3)

Sometimes I wish bands gave me all the information I needed when they sent me a song. That way, I wouldn’t have to Google them and stumble across posts on Coldplay message boards about how they met the singer in the line at the Coldplay concert and thinks they’re good. That kinda shit is pretty damning on a band. I’m willing to chalk up one’s presence at a Coldplay concert as “I was a fan of their first album,” but having fans of Coldplay go pushing your band on forums is kind of like being a fashion designer and having a middle aged mother you met at KMart telling people about your new collection at Playgroup.

Point is, send me the information I need for a post lest the above happen again. Even when I found the band’s Myspace, it was only to discover that a) yes, they were Australian, and b) the above song was the only decent one. I came pretty close to deleting this post, but I am putting it up to thinly veil my elitism to those who think being musical elitist is a bad thing.

Oh, and the above song is a pretty decent pop tune that I can see making waves on radio. Did I not give you enough information about the band? Just hit Google and see what you find…

www.myspace.com/buchanan.band

Read Post →