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Simone Pitot – ‘If I Could’

Brisbane’s a funny place. Despite releasing a stellar EP, gigging consistently and being both incredibly good-looking and hard-working, Simone Pitot appears to have flown under the radar in this big country town. Sad, but not surprising; we don’t really know what to do with female singer-songwriters with serious crossover potential.

‘If I Could’ is a fantastic example of what vintage synths and clever production can add to a song with good bones. Producer Caleb James has really brought Pitot’s songs into their own, tempering her folk and pop influences with obvious good taste.

Simone’s debut self-titled EP is out now. If you’re a Brisbanite, catch her at Rics on Wednesday night; not only is she a solid live performer, she has the most spectacular wardrobe this side of the Tropic of Capricorn.

www.myspace.com/simonepitot

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Mr. Maps – ‘Your Heels in Sand, Soul in Pursuit’ (Lines version)

Mr. Maps is a band borne of precision and practice. The songs that form the group’s debut EP were originally guitarist Chris Perren’s honours degree submission, a product of hundreds of hours worth of recording, editing and programming. When Perren assembled a band to play the songs to punters in small venues across Brisbane, he and his fellow musicians found that collaboration had changed and energised the songs enough to warrant a fresh recording.

The group’s debut EP, Mimicry of Lines and Light, is a double-disc showcase of Perren’s compositions, first in their shiny master-planned glory and then roughed up a little by the idiosyncracies of live performance. It sounds a tad self-indulgent and perhaps it is, but if you appreciate music which somehow manages to tell stories using details, layers and everything except vocals, you’ll appreciate this.

I was at Mr. Maps’ first gig at Brisbane’s infamous Lofly Hangar in mid-2008 and I am quietly ashamed that it has taken me this long to put a post up about them. They are truly special.

www.myspace.com/mistermaps

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Fushia – ‘Eraser’ (mp3)

Bands seem to getting younger and younger, don’t they? Fushia are a pop-rock band from Brisbane with a median age of 18, but the chops and professionalism of a much older band. That said, they’ve been together for three years already – plenty of time to get through the Blink-182 covers stage without embarrassing themselves publicly.

They’ve won the 2008 National Youth Week songwriting competition, been a Triple J Unearthed feature artist and bagged a great slot on this year’s Valley Fiesta in Brisbane.

Their debut EP is in the works and all band members are finally legal drinking age – brace yourself, licenced venues.

www.myspace.com/wearefushia

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DZ – ‘Blue Blood’

In between touring,  getting their gear stolen and causing indie music reviewers all along the east coast to cream their black skinnies, DZ have gathered a super-profesh team around them and recorded their debut EP. Lead single ‘Blue Blood’ is pretty simple – shouting and metronomic riffing over slightly sloppy drumming, but it just works.

I kind of hope this dance-grunge movement dies in its own vomit at a house party somewhere soon, but only because very few bands do it as well as these guys. Party on, Wayne.

www.myspace.com/dzparty

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