violent soho

kimbra

howl

megan washington

pikelet

dirty three

parades

jonathan boulet

twerps

the holidays

jezabels

pond

So after Mel’s awesome review last year and an interesting lineup for Sandcastles Festival in St Kilda,
I was really excited about this show and another day in the sun, having just returned from Marion Bay in Tas.
The festival setup, sound and security were fairly dodgy but the bands were pretty cool.
Howl was definitely a highlight with loads of energy and infectious thrashing sounds – it was a fun set.
Oh and they do have really nice haircuts. Check out their myspace here.

Howl – ‘ I Hear It’s Love’ (mp3)

 
Howl, you animated bunch of little twerps, you smug teenage dirtbags with your corresponding assymetrical haircuts and your sharp monochromatic attire; thank you for compelling the bulk of the population of twenty-something musos to shirk back to their factory day jobs screwing lids on toothpaste tubes. What is wrong with you? Kids your age should be spitting in burgers. Not winning national radio band competitions or sharing stages and stealing riders from the Scare, British India and Grafton Primary. Or getting a ‘Goon Machine’ tattoo on your foot. Or breaking egos, girls hearts and gym floors for that matter. You may have put your rural hometown in the spotlight lately for reasons other than Sovereign Hill, bogans and boiled lollies, but what makes you think you have the right to slapdash your promising musical finesse up the arses of other pimply compatriots your age who are still fiddling with Chilli Peppers covers?

And the new single ‘I Hear It’s Love?’ Fuck. Off.
I can’t stand the way that you roll up gritty, abrasive garage punk, sexually frustrated lyrics and fleeting bursts of blissful harmonies into a colossal joint at your live shows leaving each audience member convulsing around the floor in a feverish fit. I hate that I squealed like a twelve year old when you whipped out a Justin Timberlake cover at your last gig. I hate the way Daniel doesn’t miss a beat in the quake of his volatile drumming. Screw you Tim and Jonathan for thrusting those catchy persistent riffs and danceable basslines in our faces. Why did you even bother roping two charming lead singers, merging gritty shrieks and subtle melodic charms into thwarts of clever dynamo? And for that boy for Galen Strachan? Have some sympathy for the thousands of listeners who’ve had that bloody contagious, unremittent  ‘Blackout’  keyboard jam of yours lodged in their head for months.

Screw your ridiculously infectious new radio friendly single. While the most school leavers will be manning drive ins, knocking up thirteen year olds or watching Skins re-runs this summer, you’ll be having fun basking in the glory of your new found success at the Queenscliff, Stereosonic, Field day, Sandcastle and Apollo Bay Festivals, breathing into the same sweaty mic as the Bloody Beetroots and LCD Soundsystem and being asked by itinerant teenage girls to sign their tits.

Howl boys, I hope you’re happy.

 
www.myspace.com/thehowlmusic