Liam Finn – ‘Gather To The Chapel’

The fact that Liam Finn looks like Michael J Fox from Teen Wolf may help hide the family resemblance, but his lineage is given away in the first line of ‘Gather to the Chapel’ (“Your photo hung over the altar“). Those unmistakable tones and harmonies can only come from the Finns. Yes, Liam Finn is the son of one of our generation’s greatest songwriters, Neil Finn.

Originally making a name for himself in the rocking Betchadupa, Liam’s now stepping out on his own with his debut solo record I’ll Be Lightning in which the multi-talented Finn played every instrument! He’s definitely inherited some of his old man’s skill, and maybe more. His music is like mixing ’90s indie bands with Beatles song structures and harmonies. It has a folk-rock aesthetic but he builds upon it with some imaginative instrumentation.

http://www.liamfinn.tv
http://www.myspace.com/theliamfinn

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The Late-Night Sound – ‘Silver Dreamers’ (mp3)

Incest in the Sydney music scene continues with The Late-Night Sound. Featuring Liam Judson from Belles Will Ring, Lauren Crew and Mark Waite-Pullan from Sister Jane and Joe Driver from too many bands to mention, The Late-Night Sound are much like their name: evoking images of hazy, smoke-filled rooms and alcohol-fuelled nights.

There’s a big ’60s influence in their sound, particularly in the vocal harmonies in the chorus. There’s also a nod to acts like The Velvet Underground, early Stones, as well as Phil Spector’s wall of sound. The lo-fi production gives it added authenticity. They’ve only recently reared their head, so keep an eye out for them in ’08.

http://www.myspace.com/thelatenightsound

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The McClymonts – ‘Don’t Tie My Hands’

Whatever McClymonts song is here is irrelevant really, it’s purely arbitrary. Though I could twattle on about how this is our first country music post on Who The Hell, this entry’s only purpose is to include a photo of these three hottie siblings as this band could be the best all-girl menage e toi this country’s music scene has to offer (unless they’ve lathered on the Photoshop effects, to which my expectations have been extremely unrealistically heightened).

They’re the golden children of the Aussie country music scene and I’m not gonna lie, I’m not much of a country music fan. Hey, they do it and they do it very well, but seriously, The McClymonts sound more like the Dixie Chicks than even the Dixie Chicks do.

The exaggerated Amer-ee-cayn country accents, soft vocal harmonies, fiddle, mandolin, lap steel and brushed drums are all indictive of the blueprint of American bluegrass/country music. It’s a shame Aussie arts have to bleach out the Australian touch in their music to appeal to the American market and to those who believe that “this” is what country music should sound like.

Still, it’s good to see you can still have sibling sex appeal without the incestual innuendo…

http://www.myspace.com/themcclymonts

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