An Horse – ‘Postcard’

If you’ve never wanted to buy a Mercedes Benz more in your life then that’s probably because the song featured in their latest commercial is a great tune by Brisbane’s An Horse.

These guys have had a big year – they released their debut EP, toured through the US with Tegan & Sara, through Australia with Death Cab, performed at CMJ in New York, and somehow found time to record their first album (to be released in 2009). Judging by the quality of the EP, I’m Not Really Scared, there’s hardly a more deserving band nor hardly a more promising Australian release for next year.

The song itself is simple but bold, showcasing the duo’s ability to construct fuller sounds out of just guitar and drums than most could do with entire orchestra. Pop music with muscle and a heart on its sleeve.

If you haven’t heard it already then it’s definitely time to jump on the bandwagon.

www.myspace.com/anhorse

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Clue To Kalo – ‘User to a Carrier (By the Sister)’

Adelaide outfit Clue to Kalo have been kicking around for a number of years, although they haven’t made much of an impact on the Aussie musical landscape. Instead, they’ve been focusing most of their energy on the overseas market, particularly the US, where they’ve toured a handful of times, including this year with lo-res popsters Casiotone for the Painfully Alone.

The main man – and progenitor of the sounds – of Clue to Kalo, Mark Mitchell, records all of his group’s music on computer and then takes it to the rest of the members so they can embellish it in a live setting. It’s amazing the sumptuous sounds that a record like the latest (and third) Clue to Kalo one, Lily Perdida, has despite it being recorded on a cold and clinical Mac. That’s indicative of Mitchell’s innate pop sense. A concept album of sorts, the whole disc is based upon this character Lily Perdida who we never hear from on record, but instead we hear songs from people that know her. So by the end, we’ve got a picture of who Lily is through those that know her best. This song, ‘User to a Carrier’, is sung in the voice of Lily’s sister… if you didn’t guess that one already.

http://www.myspace.com/cluetokalo

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Ernest Ellis – ‘Bad Blood’

In his use of layered, reverb-soaked vocals and a sublime falsetto, Ernest Ellis echoes the likes of Bon Iver and TV On The Radio.

Anthemic folk may sound like an oxymoron but it neatly encapsulates Ellis’ ‘Bad Blood’. Applying his expansive, organic production to simple, repetitive melodies ‘Bad Blood’ sits halfway between the sounds of Americana and out of space.

Little information about Sydney-based Ellis is available which serves only to build anticipation for new material. As one of the first signings to the new Dew Process publishing arm and a guest on the recent ‘Blogger’s Delight’ lineup, Ellis is making an impression on the the right people. Expect big things…

www.myspace.com/ernestellis

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Skipping Girl Vinegar – ‘Sift the Noise’

There’s an irrepressible positivity to Skipping Girl Vinegar and their debut record Sift the Noise that makes them instantly appealing. I mean, the emo parade have the monopoly on depression in music, so why not explore other emotional avenues? And if anyone has a reason to be upset, it’s their chief songwriter Mark Lang, who lost family members during the four-year making of his band’s debut. Yet it’s a loss that doesn’t phase him, because throughout Sift the Noise he consistently looks through the negatives to discover the positives. There’s a lesson in there, I reckon…

http://www.myspace.com/skippinggirlvinegar

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