So the DJs behind Australia’s most popular indie club night are put out an official mix, We Mix You Dance, on their own imprint via Inertia on June 11th. Inertia have kindly provided us with a ‘promo mix’ to give you a taste of what WMYD will sound like. Check out the stream below to hear some of the fine selections of indie ‘blog-rock.’ The (mostly international) is after the jump.
Purple Sneakers DJs – ‘We Mix, You Dance’ Promo Mix by inertiamusic
Parades – ‘Loserspeak in New Tongue’ (mp3)
Like a lot of peeps, I’ve been a fan of Parades for a while. The singles I’d heard mixed splashes of electronica and interesting rhythms with understated guitars and big vocals. Though those earlier songs like ‘Dead Nationale’ and ‘Past Lives’ were pretty exciting in their own right, that hint of adventure in the arrangements suggested that perhaps their best work would be found on the non-single cuts. Although the first half of their debut Foreign Tapes is strong, the back half totally proved that theory correct and won me over.
I wasn’t sure which song to post given that the last four tracks of the album (from the above through to ‘Vulturehood’) mark the records high point (with ‘Hunters’ and ‘Springboarder’ also up there). In the end, ‘Loserspeak in New Tongue’ is the song I’ve come back to most, drawn in by its refusal to settle for a conventional structure. It’s reminiscent of some of Foals’ album cuts, with yelping vocals riding an odd rhythm that’s kept check by tight drumming, while the rest of the instruments building up to consecutive climaxes helped largely by the pounding piano.
Possibly my favourite Australian track of the year and a real accomplishment for the young band. Colour me well impressed.
Time For Dreams – ‘ZRH – Flight To Lichtenstein’ (mp3)
Last November I posted a sweet jam by Clue To Kalo that was part of the compilations CDs that came January’s issue of The Lifted Brow. I found myself listening to those CDs the other day fell in love with this track by Time For Dreams all over again. Time For Dreams is a new project for Tom Carlyton of awesome Melbourne/Berlin band Devastations.
Time For Dreams shares a slinky, sleazy feeling with Devastations, but the repetitive bass lines, programmed kicks, and female vocals leave it sounding more like a cut from HTRK’s debut covered in a synth gauze.
This track is absolutely stunning. I remember really enjoying it upon first listen, but now I’ve totally fallen for it. The Time For Dreams and Devastations sites are light on details of forthcoming releases, and no doubt HTRK will be quiet following the tragic death of bassist Sean Stewart (RIP). ‘ZRH – Flight To Lichtenstein’ will have to do for now, so luckily it’s damn good.
Oldest Trick in the Book
Motocade | MySpace Music Videos
A slick new pop song outta NZ. I’m usually against low-budget clips rocking SFX, but it works kinda well here.
Calvin – ‘Both Kinds of Music’ (mp3)
The new Philly Jay’s b-side is by Calvin (yes, ‘Calvin,’ like ‘Madonna’), their new drummer. Technically maybe this isn’t an Australian track since Calvin is a fifty-six year old African American dude, but how can we ignore anything related to PGJ? Especially when Calvin is probably the coolest drummer in the land right now. And ‘Both Kinds of Music’ is a sick funk-groove tune.
Philadelphia Grand Jury are on tour right now. In case you’ve missed them playing in your town, they’re also one of approximately 10, 000 bands playing at this year’s Splendour In The Grass. Even if you did see them, they’re always worth seeing again – especially since they’re relocating to the UK in the near future. (On a side note, can anyone confirm that Calvin is making the move with Berkfinger and MC Bad Genius? I hope so…)
Bon Chat, Bon Rat – ‘A Still Life’ (mp3)
Bon Chat, Bon Rat – ‘Map of São Paulo’ (mp3)
It’s 2010. You’re delusional if you think mixing pop, rock, electronica and effects pedals is in any way advancing popular music. Don’t get me wrong, that can be a rad mix of musical elements, but too often I hear bands leaning back giving themselves wristies because they put a synth pad and some pops, clicks and claps underneath a guitar track rather than bothering to finish writing songs.
Bon Chat, Bon Rat aren’t that band. Their songs are the product of actual thought; their arrangements use the aforementioned instruments, but they’re deployed so in a dynamic way that rewards their attention to detail. Their tracks never slow down to pat themselves on the back, and the disparate elements rub against each other to create tension and never feel awkwardly sandwiched together.
Their self-titled debut EP is avaiable for you to download for FREE right now and I highly recommend you do. It’s really good.
Gentleforce – ‘Oh The Mystery, Oh The Wonder’ (mp3)
I’ve been digging this album so much lately that I’d actually forgotten that I’d not posted about it yet.Gentleforce’s Sacred Space is the latest edition in Feral Media’s excellent POWWOW series. It’s also one of my favourite albums of the year, pulling together all sorts of ambient-leaning electronics into a dense, glacial listening experience.
I struggled with which track would work best when removed from context and placed on a blog at 128kbps. I went with ‘Oh The Mystery, Oh The Wonder,’ partially because – at 6.22 – it’s one of the shorter songs. I suggest you hunt down the album and hear it in its full glory if you the above.
Latest Comments
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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…