The Gifthorse – ‘Awake and Waiting’ (mp3)

The Gifties are one of my favourite Brisbane bands, so of course they’re breaking up on Saturday. I’m a bit bummed to tell you the truth – their final single ‘Awake and Waiting’ gave hints of a band keen to look in new directions, but perhaps they feel they’ve done their dash. The good news is that they’ve rounded up a bunch of mates and split into two new bands.  It’s cheap and easy to draw comparisons between the new outfits and the old,  so let’s just move on and hear the new stuff.

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Headaches – ‘Boy Division’ (mp3)

Vocalist Shane Collins and guitarist Chris Anning make up the Gifthorse contingent of Headaches, a band on the Bad Religion/Rancid end of the punk spectrum. The songs are short, the pace is unrelenting and there is no screaming. There’s a bit of whinging from Collins though – the lyrics to “Boy Division” aren’t particularly inspired.  Their shows will be fun, at any rate, with their first one with Break Even on the Gold Coast.
www.myspace.com/headachesbrisbane

Fires of Waco
If you like Polar Bear Club and Hot Water Music; well son, Fires of Waco is the band for you! Gifties drummer Luke Gal and guitarist/vocalist Stevie Scott are in this band, with Allan Reid on lead vocals. Reid’s voice sounds best when supported by Scott’s rough shouts – without those, it sounds a bit thin and flat. Sorry for the lack of audio aid here – the band assures me their song ‘Risk and Reason’ is downloadable from their MySpace, but I think Rupert and his new music player have other ideas. Check it out though.
http://www.myspace.com/thefiresofwaco

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Otouto – ‘Astronauts’ [mp3]

Exciting new trio Otouto from Melbourne have released a new single called Astronauts on their own artist collective label Two Bright Lakes. You may recognise singer Hazel Brown’s voice from Whitley’s song ‘Killer’. So catchy.

www.myspace.com/hazelbrownmusic

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Snake Face – ‘Ignorant Youth’ (mp3)

So Imma level with you – I don’t think this is very good. But then I don’t really like hardcore music so this kind of just sounds like any overdriven guitar music that sounds like getting fucked in the ear with a cheese grater.

But we all love a side-project, and this one features members of Parades (yes, including Jonathan “SK8R BOI” Boulet). Plus it was recorded in a house over two days on borrowed equip so mad props for DIY yo.

Above is the title track from their debut album Ignorant Youth. If you like hardcore music (I’m looking at you, Sophie) then let me know what you think. I really can’t judge, but here it is for your aural pleasure/torment.

www.myspace.com/snakefacehc

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New clip from Yves Klein Blue. Directed by Brisbane’s Tom Slater, who’s currently working on a play about a cowboy from the old days who ends up in modern times and struggles to communicate because he has no ears.

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I’m not really a Whitley fan, but my bro’s pretty mad keen on his new album and this film clip for latest single ‘Killer’ is actually pretty cool – it’s an animated murder mystery.

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Do The Stomp from The Snowdroppers

The second single from The Snowdroppers album Too Late To Pray is another well-written and produced number from The ‘Droppers (I’ve opted for that, instead of “The Snowies”), who have continued their rise to power in the local scene since the album release in 2009.

Directed by the bands managers Craig Ridgwell and Russall Beattie, the style of the clip for ‘Do The Stomp’ is reminiscent of the Blues Brothers scene where they play behind chicken wire and are violently attacked with bottles from the crowd, which hopefully won’t encourage the crowd to re-enact this at live gigs, in a disastrous example of life imitating art (i.e Lisa Mitchell being showered in coins when she sings “do you have a dollar?”)..

Despite the safety concerns, the clip looks fantastic and definitely captures the bands live energy, and… interesting fans. Drawing so heavily on past musical and visual aesthetics gives The ‘Droppers a more refined sense of authenticity within the scene they are developing around them (old school feel, with cool tatt’s and alternate appeal). A credit to the crew at Difrnt Music and their management for giving the boys a solid push in the right direction, should be an interesting year no doubt!

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