New Music

SMAC Awards 2008: We’ve been nominated!

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Who the Bloody Hell Are They has been nominated for the inaugural SMAC Awards – The Sydney, Arts and Culture Awards – presented by FBi 94.5fm and Time Out Sydney. As you can probably guess, we’re pretty chuffed to be nominated, and we’re in the running for the SMAC In Your Face Award alongside former Mess + Noise and now world-conquering writer Emmy Hennings, the rogue anti-World Youth Day bloggers No To Pop Coalition, the Raise The Bar crew who helped rally support for changes to the NSW Liquor Licensing Laws and event organisers-turned-bloggers The Supper Club.

And then there’s us, who have no little to no social value whatsoever in comparison to the four other nominees in our category – but that doesn’t matter! We’d still like to win (maybe even more so because of it) but we need your vote!

You have to vote for every category, but that’s just a minor inconvenience isn’t it? I’m not sure what we win, though I’ll guess we’ll find out at the awards ceremony which is being held at the start of December or something.

ANYWAY – please, please, please head to http://smacawards.com/smacawards/smac-in-your-face-award.aspx and vote for us!

http://smacawards.com/smacawards/smac-in-your-face-award.aspx

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Canyons

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Canyons – ‘Big City Lights’

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Our great southern land has become renowned in recent years for producing blogloads of world-class dance music, particularly that of the indie/electro crossover.  However, while our Cut, Copied, and Preset Juggernauts have all released stellar records and conquered the planet, our real strength down under lies in regurgitating trends from across the equator – with all dials set to “party” and a singalong hook slapped on top.  This has become Australia’s signature sound, (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but when it comes to true innovation, the cities where it all began are still the hotspots – namely the colder climes of New York, Berlin & Paris.

Occasionally though, a group like Canyons slides in under the radar – giving the proverbial finger to populist convention and renewing faith in the ability to create something truly new in a saturated market.  Canyons are a duo from Sydney (via Perth) and like fellow statesmen and new Modular darlings Tame Impala, their sound seems to have embarked on some far-out trip to drag itself across the Nullabor.  This is the new psych – it’s dubby, downtempo disco that owes equal amounts to Balearic and 70’s rock.  It’s that weird record playing in the smoky stoner parties of your mind.  It’s dirty, danceable, and most incredibly, sounds like nothing you’ve ever heard before – yet with enough familiar references to make you swear you had.

Canyons have recently released a split 12″ with Tame Impala, and will be sharing the bill with them at Modular’s monster Nevereverland fest in December, plus hitting the cities for Laneway dates.  Could this double-pronged assault on the bastion of antipodean cool pave the way for a new movement in original Australian sounds?  Probably not, but make sure to get there early and sway along to them anyway.

www.myspace.com/thecanyonsinfo

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Tragic/Athletic

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Tragic/Athletic – ‘Three Months At Sea’

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Tragic/Athletic are the kind of band that have steadily outgrown their initial post-punk roots to inhabit a space that’s both more accessible yet also more complex.

‘Three Months At Sea’ is a dynamic entry that displays their new-found proficiency in slower, more contemplative compositions before building to a euphoric outro complete with brass section. It’s measured and alluring, investing as much in organs and atmosphere as guitar squall. If this is what ‘maturing’ sounds like then I might just apply for my Senior’s Pension.

The EP Brakes is available as a 10″ from the bands’ own vinyl-only label Mt. Field Recordings – in case the song itself didn’t quite solidify their indie cred. Here’s hoping there’s a full-length follow up is released soon.

www.myspace.com/tragicathletic

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Bag Raiders: ‘Shooting Stars’

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Bag Raiders – ‘Shooting Stars’

It seems like our upcoming festive season is shaping up to be one of sublime summer jams; the kind of tunes that sound just as good on your car stereo as you cram in on your way to the beach or a festival as they do in a dark dirty nightspot after 3am.  A slew of these gems are emerging from some of our favourite home-grown beatmakers i.e Empire Of The Sun, Miami Horror, and Damn Arms – but I think my favourite so far is the new Bag Raiders production Shooting Stars. The Sydney duo have been kicking parties into high gear for a while now – see last year’s ubiquitous stomper Fun Punch – but this release transcends the club and manages to be that rare thing – a truly brilliant pop song.  The electrified power cheese of their earlier work is abandoned in favour of a more mellow approach, with swirling melodies slowly building to one of the most joyously bouncy choruses you’ll hear all year.  Rhys of Like Whoah/Ted & Francis lends his vocal talents to this track and wouldn’t sound out of place on a Backstreet Boys record, but underpinned by that kickin’ disco bass it’s a deliciously pop combination that you can’t help but grin and nod your head to.  Get this now or miss out!

Turbo Love is the other single that’s been thrown onto the web, and it’s more typical munter fuel.  All thick, juicy synths, robot voices and a whole lot of Bang, it sounds a bit too much like a disposable Van She Tech remix from last year to get too excited about, but the ‘Raiders typically slick production talents make it well worth a listen.

The Turbo Love single with both of these tracks is out now on Bang Gang 12 inches and the boys are heading to Japan in December, so make sure to catch them before the year is out.

http://www.myspace.com/bagraiders

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Adrian Whitehead

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Adrian Whitehead -‘ Caitlin’s 60s Pop Song’

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Melbourne’s Adrian Whitehead has a voice and song-writing ability reminiscent of Elliott Smith circa XO.

His debut album, One Small Stepping Man, shows off a pop sensibility that makes a vintage sunshine aesthetic sound fresh and exciting. Fittingly, the opening track is called ‘Caitlin’s 60’s Pop Song’ – both an apt name and a solid example of Whitehead’s sound and ability.

The right stuff to get you in the mood for Summer.

www.myspace.com/adrianwhitehead

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