New. Australian. Music.    

The Dirty Secrets - ‘Lighthouse’

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Perth synth rockers sends us their brand new song, hot off the mastering studio. The singer’s rather unusual singing voice fits quite well with the groove, this song sounds like it’s ripe for remixing.

www.myspace.com/thedirtysecrets

Machine Translations - ‘You’ll Change’ (mp3)

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Bedroom musical maestro J. Walker has been making sounds under the moniker Machine Translations since 1997. For many, though, he first bleeped onto the musical radar with his 2002 album Happy and the quirk-pop of ‘She Wears A Mask’.

Since then, his brand of abstract pop has never seemed to gain the collective attention like ‘She Wears A Mask’ did. But he’s made a name for himself as a deft producer, lending his skills to other musicians, and the construction and composition of his own tunes are testaments to J’s incredible musical ear.

However, his singing voice isn’t strong enough to carry his own straight-foward pop songs, which ‘You’ll Change’ demonstrates. Built around simple open acoustic guitar chords, when J’s required to drive the song forward with the vocals, it stagnates. Subtlety in the layering of instruments help give ‘You’ll Change’ enough variety for its noticably short 2:30 duration, which makes it a good song, but not a great one. It’s no ‘She Wears A Mask’.

http://www.machinetranslations.org
http://www.myspace.com/machinetranslations

Pnau - ‘Embrace’

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This track features one of the most exciting feature up and coming talent Pip Brown aka Ladyhawke, originally New Zealand. Another great cut from one of the best albums to come out in 2007. If you are not yet convinced on how much of a talent Ladyhawke, well you’re a fool.

http://www.myspace.com/pnaupnau

A week or so ago I managed to catch one of the most-hyped bands going round the Sydney scene at the moment, Cassette Kids, at Candy’s Apartment. Expecting an audience full of Mogans I was surprised to find a small but passionate crowd of CK fans getting their groove on.

I really dig Cassette Kids’ Klaxons-meets-YYYs brand of post punk / indie rock. and it was good to hear it in a live context. I still think they’ve got a little way to go with their performance, as the lack of charisma made parts of the set seem a bit cold and distanced the band from those watching, but those skills will come in time.

http://www.myspace.com/cassettekids

Oh man, bluejuice are the funniest, and most insane, band in Australia. Another hilarious filmclip by these funksters, they had to sky-jump three times while lip-synching the words to their new single ‘The Reductionist’. This is the result.

http://www.bluejuice.info
http://www.myspace.com/bluejuice

The Jezabels - ‘Disco Biscuit Love’

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I don’t really know that if it was ten years ago today, if I’d enjoy listening to this song during one of my post rave comedowns, as when I was coming down, I was really down. Down to the point where listening to trip would brighten up the day. But kids nowadays don’t go to raves to take pills, they go to gigs. Since the whole gig-and-club type nights got really popular a few years ago, you can get away downing smileys in the middle of the gig so you can really peak when that DJ really hit his stride right when the band finishes. Anyway, my wondering words is not being fair to this song, because The Jezabels have written a good song, whether you are an ex-pill popper or not.

www.myspace.com/jezabelsband

Death Set - ‘Distressed (Bonde Do Role remix)’

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Well Brazillian fun band Bonde Do Role is no longer together, shame they split just before their Australian tour and ended up cancelling their dates. But they did manage to squeeze in a remix under the name for Australians-now-New-Yorkers Death Set. Check out their Baile Funk (or is it Baltimore? I can’t really tell) infected treatment of this pseudo-screamo outfit.

www.myspace.com/thedeathset

The Arrogance - ‘Pillars of Dust’ (mp3)

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Unknown band from Sydney, formed late 2007. I’m digging the mean bassline.

www.myspace.com/thearroganceis

Peacocks - ‘Hit It Up’

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Melbourne band Peacocks may have only played four or so gigs, but their band members are nowhere near short of experience. Comprising members of now defunct band 1QA and Puppetman, these guys have got the pop awareness and stage know how to make a party out of any crowd. Guitarist Josh Moriarty is a bit of band slut, he plays guitar for Young and Restless, has another band Rise and Demise, slated to do vocals for Miami Horror and a few other projects I can’t really remember the names of. Look out for a gig near you soon.

www.myspace.com/peacocksltd

Damn Arms - ‘Edie (Tybalt remix)’

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Sydney remix crew Tybalt has come up with another re-edition, this time of Melbourne’s Damn Arms.

www.myspace.com/tybaltdjs

http://www.myspace.com/flamingocrash

Video directed by Sydney filmmaker Dave Regos.

www.myspace.com/cloudcontrol

Cut Copy - ‘So Cosmic’ mix (mp3)

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Soooo apparently I’m the only one who’s been missing out on this mix that Cut Copy made and released for download. It’s a selection of new songs and old songs that has inspired Cut Copy in making their new yet to be released album. There’s a lot of ’80s dance songs and disco beats, and I’m not that excited hearing the new songs being mixed in and out of the set. Still, looking foward to their album since the first one was such a grower.

www.myspace.com/cutcopy

CHAINGANG - ‘Get Off My Stage’

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So if you were wondering after yesterday where the punk went from Pinky Tuscadero, it went straight into CHAINGANG which features feisty vocalist Hayley and Mike from PT. Taking the lead from the darker spectrum of ’70s punk, CHAINGANG straddle the line between indie and punk, much like their contemporaries Die! Die! Die! and Young and Restless, though they do it with a slight touch of morosity; almost Nick Cave in its darkness.

Live, Pinky Tuscadero soared mainly due to the impressive stage presence of Hayley, and I could probably guess CHAINGANG will have the same response as she’s a formidable figure live. Combine that with the rawness and bite of the boys behind her, and heads will roll and faces will melt when this four piece hits the stage for the first time in February.

http://www.myspace.com/chaingangpower

Lions At Your Door - ‘LAYD’ (mp3)

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In a split worthy of an At The Drive-In comparison, Sydney’s high energy indie punksters Pinky Tuscadero split in 2006. And just like The Mars Volta and Sparta forming out of the ashes of ATD-I, so did two bands from the demise of Pinky Tuscadero - one of them being Lions At Your Door. The other, CHAINGANG, will be featured tomorrow, so check back yo.

Lions At Your Door feature Dave, Kirsten and Dirk from Pinky Tuscadero playing keys, drums and guitar respectively. Lions At Your Door maintains much of the frenetic dance energy that Pinky Tuscadero had but imbue their music with a stronger sense of rock rather than Pinky’s punk roots. It’s easy to see why Lions have snuck their way into Sydney’s music hearts: infectious, in-your-face and living up to their name - the lions are roaring at your door, are you game enough to let them in?

http://www.myspace.com/lionsatyourdoor