I don’t normally bulk post stuff released on the same label, but A) all these arrived in the same envelope, B) I have a heap of stuff in the drafts folder to get through following exams, and C) they’re all super sweet and I figured you should get a taste ASAP, in time for sweet weekend chilling. All are available digitally  via Speak’n’Spell/Intertia either now or over the coming weeks.

Castratii – ‘Orchids’ (mp3)

Castratii, out of the blue mountains, are an industrial-leaning electronic band that couldn’t be further from the sounds we’re used to from that region (see: Cloud Control, Belles Will Ring, The Maple Trail). I commented last time that the vibe they project is of a more intense psuedo-metal band (that’s the cover art above – no one but metal bands uses that font). This is possibly fueled by an obvious love for Trent Reznor. They actually do a pretty good job of emulating their hero’s recognisable aesthetic, but they sound closer to his latest project, the dreamier How to Destroy Angels, than the more ferocious Nine Inch Nails (which ain’t a bad thing, I totally dig that HTDA EP). ‘Orchid’ is taken from their forthcoming EP The Telling Of Bees, which is released digitally on 3rd July.

www.myspace.com/castratii

Kite Club – ‘Downstairs’ (mp3)

Another band that I posted about earlier this year, Kite Club really caught my attention with their track ‘Royal Gums.’ It’s easily the best track he (Kite Club is one dude) has written, bringing the best of his pop sensibility and love of reverb and layered falsetto together into a tight, memorable tune. He probably needs to get that balance right on more of his tracks if he really wants to stand out above the rest of the indie-bedroom-pop crowd, but there’s still enough to enjoy on his debut EP Esoterica. ‘Downstairs’ is another strong track – not single material but a good display of what could potentially make Kite Club’s sound instantly recognisable.

www.myspace.com/kiteclubclub

Dear Time’s Waste – ‘Room For Rent’ (mp3)

Dear Time’s Waste is the name of Auckland she-bro Claire Duncan. Although at times a bit singer-songwriter-ish for my taste, her debut EP ‘Room for Rent‘ is very solid first offering. Especially strong is the title track, which damn near literally stopped me in my tracks upon first listen. It’s a hazy bedroom pop number not far from international buzzband Twin Sisters, until it builds to a transcendental coda, full of harmonies and floor toms, that slowly drift away. It’s a beautiful tune and I hope to hear more like it on whatever she releases next.

www.myspace.com/deartimeswaste

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Dear Matt Hickey,

I know your position on Birds of Tokyo and this blog. Ordinarily I would respect your wishes. However, the ousting of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd by his ranga deputy has indicated that this is no ordinary day.  So, in the spirit of things that are a bit distasteful, but make me feel proud to be an Aussie, here is the new Birds of Tokyo video.

Your pal,

Sophie Benjamin.

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Richard In Your Mind – ‘This Face’ (mp3)

Richard In Your Mind’s latest My Volcano actually reminds me of Beck’s classic Odelay in that both are kind of a melting pot of genres and schizophrenic production, elements of folk, hip hop and psychedelia interchangeably drifting to the fore. And, like Odelay, it’s not entirely successful – some parts try a bit too hard, other kind of miss the mark – but every song that strays that bit too far or clashes against the previous makes this album what it is. It’s a bit of a mess, but it revels in it and it works in that weird way.

I like the WTF factor of RIYM. Although on first listen you’ll likely find the more direct tracks like ‘I Will,’ ‘Losing Our Mind,’ and ‘The Sun Broke Into Your Heart’ the stand outs, others will eventually work their way under your skin as they did mine. It’s an album that not only sustains but rewards repeated spins, and every time I put it on I find a new track that I dig. Today, it was ‘This Face,’ which sits comfortably between their straightforward and more far-out tunes.

www.myspace.com/richardinyourmind

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Ernest Ellis – ‘Taking Shapes ‘(mp3)

Dew Process finally released Ernest Ellis’s debut album Hunting on Saturday! Huzzah. That’s right, you can get yr hands on this chestnut right now, and  I highly recommend that you do.

I’ve been posting about EE for a couple of years now so you can do a lil search and check out a bunch of his tracks, all of which are featured on his debut (except the version of ‘Bad Blood’ is slightly different, maybe some overdubs and a new mix/master?) The clip for the latest single ‘Want For Anything’ is below, and above you can check out ‘Taking Shapes,’ which open the last third of the album and pulls it out of the singer-songwriter territory Hunting briefly wanders into and back into whatever canyon/cave/church he layers his guitar and vocals in. The fact that the back end of the album features tunes like ‘Taking Shapes’ and his original buzz-making tune ‘Bad Blood’ shows that the album has some real depth.

You can also check out the impressive ‘I Am The Beast’ over at Polaroids of Androidz (as of about two weeks ago).

www.myspace.com/ernestellis

Ernest Ellis – ‘Want For Anything’ from Dew Process on Vimeo.

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Here’s the debut video for ‘Blind’ from Magnetic Heads out of Sydney. The clip was directed by Michaela Sanders, whose work includes ‘Keeping It Clean’ for Songs.

Jonathon Miller’s vocals edge on the verge of Morrissey and Ian Mc Culloch, but this track would could have been just as at home on a b-side  on the Go Betweens’ iconic 16 Lovers Lane. There’s a sincerity underlying ‘Blind’ that reminds me a lot of growing up in the suburbs. Commanding percussion, staunch vocal tenor, echoing riffs; I can’t quite put my finger on what characterises that distinct ‘Australian’ sound of these sort of bands (Panics, Triffids, You Am I, Church etc.), but there’s a real touch of nostalgia here I keep drawing back to.

Magnetic Heads are on the verge of releasing their debut EP, recorded and produced by Simon Berkfinger (Philadelphia Grand Jury).

Real gem of a track, looking forward to the release.

www.magneticheads.net

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This is the video to ‘Closer’ by Adelaide act Steering By Stars which Matt blogged last year (read more here). The clip was directed by Nick Matthews, the cinematographer for Beautiful Kate, Look Both Ways & 2:37.

Steering By Stars debut album ‘Cables’ will be released digitally via iTunes & on 12” vinyl (including a free digital download of the album) from www.steeringbystars.com on Thursday 8 July 2010.

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