Maddie and Froz were invited along to take some snaps at Teen Sensations‘ ‘Monster Beach Party’ video shoot a couple of weeks ago in Brisbane. Jeremy Neale’s new band of heart-throbs (Georgie Sensation, Corky Sensation, Your Sensation and Jerry Sensation) are launching their debut 7″ on an east coast tour beginning tomorrow night in Brisbane. Dates and more pics after the jump.
Jeremy Neale seems to have a new hobby: releasing what are ostensibly novelty songs, but then making them too goddamn good to be novelty songs. With his solo band earlier this year he put out ‘Stallion Rider’ – a power metal song so outside his usual sound it had to be at least kind of a joke, but done with an obvious love and respect for that kind of music. It was so badarse it gave meaning back to a way overused descriptor: fucken EPIC.
Now with Beach Boys worshipping surf-pop outfit Teen Sensations he’s gone and done it again, releasing the Halloween-themed single ‘Monster Beach Party’ on new Brisbane label Heath Street Wax. Sure, this kind of thing aint for everyone (lookin’ at you, SRS Music fan), and I know, I know – you’re ten seconds in and you’re hearing teen-idol vocals and lyrics about zombies and werewolves and it’s all a bit cute. But then that vocal hook in the chorus comes in, and the wonderful songwriting that makes this band so hard to dismiss as a joke shines through.
Yuri Johnson’s also given it a bit of sad surf guitar in the chorus, which is a smart move because this, combined with Neale’s semi-pleading ‘I avoid the sunlight baby, so stick around’, gives you some emotional pathos that takes this song out of the realm of ‘forgettable fun’ and into ‘Hang on – this is actually good’ territory.
You can check ’em on tour on the east coast in the next couple of months, on the following dates:
Sat 29 November – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane (with Love Signs)
Fri 5 December – The Gallery Bar, Sydney (with The Electric Vogues & Dr. Spaceman)
Sat 6 December – The Toff, Melbourne
Thurs 11 December – Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane (with Pluto Jonze).
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I ran out of lazy adjectives and miscellaneous blogger labels to describe Brisbane bands a long time ago (see also ‘tweewave,’ ‘summertime pop’ etc.). Here are some awesome studio photos Major Leagues sent us recently. All the usual studio behaviour here; drop tuning, fondling pets and gazing dreamily into the camera while hanging off a wooden slat from the roof.
The band are capping off a big year touring with Jeremy Neale, The Preatures, landing the Australian support slots for Beach Fossils & Wild Nothing – and releasing their excellent debut EP Weird Season a few weeks ago. Not to mention, putting together the most appeasing video clip you’ll ever watch of a bunch of young people slobbering over tacos. A national tour has just been announced for early next year and Wagga via Osborne St pals The Ocean Party are tagging along for the ride. Contrary to the smug faces that appear in all of their press shots.. this looks like fun! Tour dates below.
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This song has been around for a little while now but it makes me so flipping happy that I’ve decided to bring it back. A collaboration between Jeremy Neale and Go Violets, ‘In Stranger Times’ is a terrific, 60’s-indebted tune that conjures up daydreams of milkshakes, roller-skates and TV dance parties.
If you haven’t already heard of him, Brisbane playboy Jeremy Neale fronts the 12-piece band Velociraptor (so named because ‘Dinosaurs rule’, obviously), as well as his solo work. He’s basically the Australian Jonathan Richman, with his effusive charm and knack for writing naive and catchy pop songs.
Fellow northerners Go Violets love 60’s soul and garage too. They’re one of a wave of new Aussie bands referencing the riot grrrl movement. We posted their single ‘Teenager’ last year (it also featured on NME and an American Kellogg’s commercial) and we’re still vibing the girls’ latest release, ‘Josie’.
Check out the video for ‘In Stranger Times’ co-directed by Neale and Jesse Hawkins. It’s a technicolor mod gem.
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Both Jeremy Neale and Go Violets are scheduled to play Brisbane’s Four Walls Festival on 3 August. Keep your eyes peeled for Go Violet’s debut EP, which is due out some time this Spring.
‘Beat It’ is the first thing we’ve heard from Brisbane duo Tiger Beams since their incredible (and criminally underexposed) debut album In Your Dreams, which came out in 2011. Plenty of other projects have kept singer/drummer Jesse Hawkins and guitarist Jeremy Neale busy, but it’s still massively exciting to see them back and in fighting form. ‘Beat It’ comes strutting out of your speakers, dark and tough (even while referencing Willow Smith), with Jesse Hawkins’s spikey, erratic beats starting out front and centre and staying there throughout the whole track.
The song builds up a great sense of rising suspense, Hawkins’ vocals are cool and snarky in the verse, the choruses exploding with that howling thing that these guys do so well. With ‘Beat It’, Tiger beams have found a sweet spot of music that’s both sparse and dangerous, and supremely danceable and catchy. Here’s hoping another album isn’t too far away…
The video is also very cool, and very creepy – watch it here.
Also, do yourself a favour if you haven’t already and snag a copy of In Your Dreams.
‘A Love Affair To Keep You There’ is the new single from Brisbane’s spy rock Star Jeremy Neale. This track is more of a melancholy outing than previous singles ‘Darlin’ and ‘Winter Was The Time’, but Neale’s talent for deliciously constructed pop songs with breezy immediacy is still out in full force. The chorus sneaks up on you, ripping through a hazy vocal and spring-loaded beat. Like the other tracks we’ve heard from Neale, this one puts his vocal squarely front and centre, which is a great move cause he’s got a hell of a voice that can charm your pants off and knock you out of your chair at the same time.
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Latest Comments
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Still trying to purchase!!!ANTHONY J LANGFORD
Cool track. Congrats Joshua. Hope the release is a success.Tristan
Man I love these guys. I can't believe they are not releasing any new music. I've been to so many…sophie
^^ I love Grimes! Banoffee is one of my new favorite music artists! :) I love With Her, Reign Down,…Ace
Read your review then listened to the EP. Fantastic ! Different to most hardcore punk I listen to. Somewhat more…