photo by boudist.com

Kid Confucius – ‘Moment’

Sydney-based nine piece soul hip-hop band Kid Confucius is back, after winning Best Urban Act at the 2006 Dance Music Awards, they are armed with a new album to be released in the coming months and one very hot “ghetto love song” single! Thanks to a notorious Sydney photographer friend of mine I was lucky enough to help out at the photo shoot for their new promotional pics and look in on the filming of part of their new video for ‘Moment’, that boast one of the funkiest guitar leads I’ve heard for a very long time.

I was completely intrigued at the dynamics of the group, dashingly dressed and equipped with equally cool moves, they sit somewhere between Welcome Back Kotter and The Wanders. At times they were a playful gang of mates with hearts and smiles filled with prankster affection that could almost instantly shift into a hard working tough guy exterior, plus each are extraordinarily proficient at their instruments. With an album launch planned for Sydney in March I’m looking forward to seeing how this chemistry translates live. My prediction is that Kid Confucius could well bring down a full house, with their seriously sexy moves and funk filled rhythms. Though, it is mere speculation, check them out for yourself, and let me know what you think.

www.myspace.com/kidconfucius

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Richard In Your Mind – ‘The New Sun’

I met these guys waaaay before they won the Unearthed competition to be on the Sydney Big Day Out lineup……around two years ago actually. Richard is the bespectacled fella that’s always happy and in a good mood. He told me how he went to India for a year and learnt to play the sitar. He then came back and started busking near Sydney’s Central Station, and was so good an Indian restaurant owner asked him to play. Wasn’t long before he started Richard In Your Mind with roommate Conrad Richters of Sydney band Terrapin. Their sound of psychedelic pop sounds familiar yet refreshing. Can’t wait for the album. Congrats guys!

http://www.myspace.com/richardinyourmind

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Directed by film maker Campbell Hynam-Smith on a shoestring budget, this clip has some rather high cinematographic values, compared to most of the independent music videos floating around on YouTube. ‘Lookin’ Over My Shoulder’ is the new single from The Basics.

More on The Basics

www.myspace.com/the3basics

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Jakob – ‘Oran Mor’

Though we claim to be all about “New Australian Music”, sometimes the rule wanes somewhat and we slip in the occasional band from our Trans-Tasman brethren, New Zealand.  Case in point: Jakob.

Regular visitors to this site have probably caught onto my penchant for dark, moody instrumental rock.  It’s a classification than Jakob, who originate from Napier, slot into perfectly.  Their dirge rock leanings and amorphous song structures bring to mind similar bands such as Isis and Pelican, and indeed the band are supporting Isis in Auckland on February 10.  Although what sets them aside from the aforementioned bands is that Jakob focus extensively on the atmospheric elements of their music, and their heavier sections aren’t as heavy metal based as what other similar bands are: even when the distortion pedal is switched on, Jakob still work in the realm of soundscapes and atmospheric darkness.

2006 saw the release of Solace, their third album (having released two previous albums – Subsets of Sets & Cale:Drew – since their 1998 inception).  It’s an excellent album that encapsulates all the elements of this great band.  They made it to Australia for a brief tour in November, so hopefully they’ll be back sometime soon.

http://www.myspace.com/jakobmusic

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Jay K & The Amazing Z – ‘Pop Kulcha’ (mp3)

I am not that big of an expert or even fan of the local hip hop scene. It’s for a multitude of reasons: the fairly outdated beats, awkward delivery, or the overly serious approach to lyric writing that prevents hip hop from being accepted in the wider listening public in Australia. But this song is simple and funny, a running commentary on pop culture that drops references to the MySpace culture, race tensions in Cronulla, other hip hoppers in the scene, Kramer, Australian Idol and lots more. Another discovery from Triple J’s Unearthed program, this Sydney duo have made a very clever and relevant Australian hip hop number, the best I’ve heard in a while. The song has delivery that is reminiscent of Eminem though this is not a fault – I would prefer this to the angry tough suburbia approach that a lot of other local hip hoppers adopt. Overseas readers might have trouble connecting with the lyrics, but like all good hip hop it’s very often a reaction to local events and issues.

Jay K & The Amazing Z, known to their mothers as Jay K Catagay (19) & James Woods (20), formed in late 2006 in Sutherland Shire, which is where the beachside suburb of Cronulla in Sydney is. Although they’ve only been together a couple of months as this outfit, the two high school friends has been involved in projects for a long time, and started to rapping about two years ago. This song was out two weeks after they formed and was soon on rotation on the local urban radio station. They have yet to play live but this is very promising start.

www.myspace.com/popkulcha

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A video as the first post of the year? Why not if it’s this good eh? This video actually makes following the rather out of this world lyrics a lot easier. Funny too.

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photo by boudist.com

The Ghosts – ‘Redversion’

I’d like to introduce Sydney four piece The Ghosts. A mixture of boyish stage benevolence and ear friendly melodies, this group has been together not even a year and yet their potential is yet to be contested by anyone who has been to one of their live support shows, which have only been sighted in few Australian cities. They have attracted the attention of industry moguls and regular live music observers alike, working recently with producer Nick Littlemoore (PNAU & Teenager) and playing live at the Modular/Ksubi Christmas party as well as standout support sets for Australia’s salient Mercy Arms and 80’s revival act Van She.

If the demos on their MySpace are mere premonitions of what’s to come from the beaty beaus song wise, then dare I say it, they just might be Australia’s next big thing. I’ve indulgently been at many of the band’s shows (and intend to keep appearing), at times standing pensively within a sea of frenzied dancers. What I revel at most is how their sound has always seemed fitting as a support, despite having shared bills with very different acts, from the likes of The Infadels to the Klaxons and Mercy Arms, and how they seem to always strike a chord with each nights’ audience. This said it’s the songs, whose genesis can be credited to Gabby the band’s eye wandering vocalist, and the performance of equally able band apparitions that make this fraid of musicians worth a watch. Have you seen a Ghost lately?

http://www.myspace.com/theghostsms

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