Wizard Oz – ‘Pull Out Slow’

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Wizard Oz – ‘Pull Out Slow’ mp3

Whilst Wizard Oz’s stuff is a bit hit and miss for me – especially the computer game sounds on the last ep, I don’t mind this one. Lo-Fi will only last so long in my playlist as it mostly starts to blend but there are a few stand out tracks in here and I recommend downloading the free ep ‘Flashing Lights’. There is a bit of an Ariel Pink vibe going on and it’s kinda sweet. The ‘tape’ version will be released on the 5th May (Yeah tapes? seriously what is going on… are kids gonna raid vinnies stores to find Sony Walkman’s and old foam covered headphones… probably, yes.) at The Grace Darling in Melbourne for a lazy $8. You’ll also get to see ‘Pop Singles‘ supporting.

Grab the digital ep here – http://whothehell.net/1QJ

Post Paint – ‘Cultural Capital’

Post Paint – ‘Cultural Capital’ (mp3)

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Baked in summer and fresh out of the oven, Post Paint are sweet indie-pop darlings ready to explode into your hearts and minds. Cultural Capital is a charming track, sweeping us all into winter with a dash of sunshine mixed amongst jumping guitars and rolling drums. Can’t wait to hear more from these guys.

Post Paint on Facebook

Calling All Cars

Calling All Cars - ‘Animal’

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Calling All Cars is a collision of myriad different styles – lo-fi garage rock (just listen those overdriven single-coil electric guitars), punk rock (there is a definite palpable energy here), pop-punk (inflected within the chorus) and straight-out Aussie pub rock (ummm… I’m stuck for another bracketed sentence).

Real Aussie rock seems imbued into the collective unconscious of Australians; there’s something about a rough’n'ready band sweating it out on a pub stage that automatically endears us towards them. There’s an exploding Aussie rock scene at the moment, although sadly there’s a tendency towards mediocre output on record (Gyroscope, I’m looking at you). Calling All Cars is perhaps slightly generic in their delivery, but their point of difference is a gruff heart that bleeds out onto their music. It’s not blowing me away, but it’s not shunning me either. And it’s certainly an evolution in the right direction. I reckon the chorus would rock live.

I’m intrigued.

http://whothehell.net/QN

Mammal: ‘Smash the Pinata’

Mammal - ‘Smash the Pinata’

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Mammal are moving further and further away from Ezekiel Ox’s former band Full Scale and finding a sound of their own, which sits somewhere in the middle of a triange of metal, funk and alt. rock. The typically loquacious Ox is again preaching to the masses, but he’s the ultimate frontman: his effusive personality and unbridled energy which is the key to Mammal’s blistering live shows is captured perfectly on their new tune, ‘Smash the Pinata’. It’s not as simplistically catchy as their other material, but it’s still got that stomping beat.

http://whothehell.net/NO

Nucleus

Nucleus - ‘Dissolved Girl’

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Sound familiar? Sydney’s proponents of prog-rock goodness, with a penchant for Tool and Dream Theater, Nucleus have lent their hand to a reinterpretation of Massive Attack’s ‘Dissolved Girl’ on the band’s second EP, Circumvolution. The whole EP was an in-house affair: the band’s guitarist Dylan Mitrovich produced, engineered, mixed and mastered the six tracks, and for a home studio the quality of the Circumvolution EP is top notch. And this isn’t a bad cover, either!

Sydney-siders, Nucleus are launching Circumvolution at the Excelsior Hotel in Surry Hills on Saturday August 9 if you feel like some heavy guitars for your post-Splendour weekend.

http://whothehell.net/7W2

Birds of Tokyo: ‘Broken Bones’

Birds of Tokyo - ‘Broken Bones’

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Although I haven’t really settled down and got cosy with Birds of Tokyo’s new disc Universes just yet, my initial reaction to the album is that it’s a fairly hit-and-miss affair. Having said that, ‘Broken Bones’, which is essentially the opening track on the disc (there’s an ambient intro song), is a wicked tune, and the best track on Universes.

http://whothehell.net/sU