Tagged By alternative

Wizard Oz – ‘Pull Out Slow’

, , No Comment

Listen to

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://wizardoz.bandcamp.com/

Read Post →

Calling All Cars

, , 2 Comments

Calling All Cars – ‘Animal’

Listen to

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://www.myspace.com/callingallcars

Read Post →

Mammal: ‘Smash the Pinata’

, , No Comment

Mammal – ‘Smash the Pinata’

Listen to

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://www.myspace.com/mammaltheband

Read Post →

Nucleus

, , No Comment

Nucleus – ‘Dissolved Girl’

Listen to

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://www.myspace.com/nucleusband

Read Post →

Birds of Tokyo: ‘Broken Bones’

, , 3 Comments

Birds of Tokyo – ‘Broken Bones’

Listen to

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://www.myspace.com/birdsoftokyo

Read Post →