Tagged By New Music

LISTEN: Tenth Court – ‘Black Light’/’Goon Punch’ split cassette

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There are definitely hints of Joh Bjelke-Petersen in the style of Queensland’s stodgy new overland, Campbell Newman.  As self-appointed censor, he’s certainly been doing what he can to thwart development of the arts up in the sunshine state, but it seems he has not, as yet, deployed the storm troopers against Brisbane’s music underground. In fact, the damn thing’s thriving – as evinced by this little gem from brand new label Tenth Court, which features two tracks each from local upstarts Martyr Privates and Thigh Master.

Three-piece Martyr Privates formed in 2011 in the then flood-ravaged suburb of Milton. Their contribution to the cassette consists of loud, repetitive sludge rock, not unlike the swampy dirges of Kim Salmon’s the Scientists or Sydney newcomers Ruined Fortune. ‘Black Light’ and ‘Pale Lunch’ have been mixed with greater clarity than the songs from the band’s 2012 7”,  with punchy riffs carrying along these otherwise heavily distorted drones. (Martyr Privates, by the way, have an album coming out on Bedroom Suck and the UK-based Fire Records in March – check out the lead single here.)

Thigh Master’s offerings, meanwhile, are urgent and unkempt, band members flailing through ‘Goon Punch’ and ‘GAB CAB’ as quickly as they can while guitar strings bend and a bratty wail sails overhead. But, as a look at their tight live set demonstrates, Thigh Master’s approach is more focused than it may seem upon first listen. The tracks are melodic and to the point, and never overstay their welcome.

Tenth Court is hosting a shindig across three Brisbane venues from 21-23 February. Martyr Privates and Thigh Master will both make an appearance on a terrific bill that includes Cobwebbs, Keep on Dancin’s, Multiple Man, Orlando Furious and Per Purpose, plus label signees Barbiturates, Dag, Shrapnel, Screaming Match, Yoghurt Blood and heaps more. Weekend passes are available here, or you can get tickets on the door.

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PREMIERE: Grand Prismatic – ‘Footscray and Fancy Free’

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Grand Prismatic have been pretty quiet since the release of their debut album, Birds and Beasts, back in 2012. They have been dabbling, mind you – a couple of tracks came out early last year, and singer Brendan Clarkson and percussionist David Freudenstein both featured on the Peking Tapes compilation that we reviewed last week.

But today they’re back with the first single off their forthcoming EP: an ode to Melbourne’s inner west called ‘Footscray and Fancy Free’. The track comes on strong right from the start with a swaggering intro, before slowing to a folksy canter that has the cheerful circularity of a drinking song.

Grand Prismatic show a different kind of chutzpah here than on the Supergrass-style kook of earlier single ‘Bells Will Ring’. The new one’s all about the sing-alongs and the horn accompaniments, the whole circus led by Clarkson’s eccentric vocal (think Tim from Dappled Cities, minus the acrobatics). Expect some more bombast from these guys soon – the Footscray and Fancy Free EP is due out in March.

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LISTEN: Peking Tapes – Summer Lovin’ 2013

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Last year Sam ‘Rusty’ Crockett and Richie Shilton of cassette label Peking Tapes decided to collect a stash of their friends’ unreleased material for the Summer Lovin’ 2013 compilation. Coincidentally, Rusty and Richie’s friends play in just about every band in Melbourne, so they had loads of stuff to trawl through. The result is a fascinating document of the workings of this thriving little scene from Brunswick, and hopefully a sign for the future.

Summer Lovin’ features old mates Lachlan Denton from The Ocean Party, Curtis Wakeling of Velcro and Zone Out’s Ashley Bundang, who, as usual, has the reverb turned up to ‘desert mirage’. There’s also Wizard Oz’s excellent chillwave cover of TV Colours’ ‘Bad Dreams’ that had the kids frothing at the mouth in 2013.

But there are a number of revelations in here, too. Most exciting is the work coming from the sub-constellation of musicians around the band Big Tobacco, which features Peking Tapes honchos Crockett and Shilton alongside Tom Bradbury and Cam Hassard. Hassard’s contribution, ‘New York’, is far and away the highlight of the compilation. Channelling Bruce Springsteen without a care, Hassard belts out a tale of American wanderlust replete with bangin’ 80s-style sax solo, which is performed by Cam himself. As far as I’m aware, no other solo material by Hassard has yet been released, but here’s hoping.

Big Tobacco also do the 80s just the way it should be. They sound like the Jesus and Mary Chain meets the Church on their track ‘Broken Telephone’, with vocals from Bradbury that have just the right amount of ache to make the song feel anthemic.

‘Happy’, Bradbury’s own track, comes from his 2011 EP, Dream About a Girl. Its buoyant melody is underscored by a churning acoustic riff, with some low-key strings to round the edges.

As for the remaining contributors, Jordan Thompson of the Ocean Party offers a synth-interpolated alt country ballad which is the other clear standout here. Romantic but not a love song, ‘The Carnal Embrace’ seems to be about the disappointment of sex for its own sake; a track in the tradition of ‘The Wrong Girl’ (but better), with Thompson singing, ‘I don’t wanna know what he said/don’t wanna know what she said/don’t wanna meet a girl like that’.

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LISTEN: Sarsha Simone ‘Gold’ EP

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I feel there could be a turf war between Melbourne and Sydney soul soon. Down here, we’ve got a knack for big brass; as Saskwatch, Clairy Browne, and The Cactus Channel have gone on to reflect the city’s penchant for gritty live shows. And in true form, Sydney’s hit back with something slick. That person behind it all is Sarsha Simone.

Previously front woman of Dojo Cuts—a revivalist funk outfit—Simone has brought out the Gold EP: five tracks that serve up a mix of neo-soul, hip-hop, and contemporary RnB. But, Simone’s voice is hard to place.  It’s raspy in part, but it’s smooth as well — almost like Winehouse’s raw voice on her debut Frank. You can her this more clearly on Jazz Soul Scent, Simone’s recent collaboration with French artist DJ Moar. And, in the vein of your neo-RnB revivalists, she can rap to boot.  This could raise ire in others, but she seems to rap in a style that’s akin to spoken word poetry on tracks like ‘All Night’. And of course, you could look to the likes of Candice Monique for further comparisons.

The EP ticks all the boxes of the RnB tragic. Gold presents themes of lust, sensuality, and sultry nights out in language of the genre. You’ve got your usual dose of heavy bass, with Simone directly addressing you on tracks like ‘Move’.  And while it’s safe to say that Hiatus Kaiyote has broken the ceiling for local neo-soul, this EP doesn’t seem to following its direct path. On ‘Gold’, the EP ramps up the electronica, with vocal lines distorted and melodies that break out of RnB’s DNA.

But, ‘Goin On’ seems to be the front-runner. With a bass line that subtly references funk, this track illustrates why future soul has become as big as it is now. This reminds me of ‘Everytime’, a track from British producer Eric Lau, precisely because production takes a back seat to vocal agility. Here, Simone’s voice is allowed to fully branch out as you’re enveloped in her vibrato.

On the whole, Gold is a tight release that knows how to play to its strengths. Considering the sheer amount of acts that have spawned from the neo-soul trip, Simone’s yet another welcome addition to a scene that’s hitting its stride.

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LISTEN: Sunbeam Sound Machine – ‘Cosmic Love Affair’

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Sunbeam Sound Machine is Nick Sowersby, a young guy who’s been playing in bands around Melbourne since he was in short trousers. His debut release, double EP One/Sunbeam Sound Machine, is coming out through Dot Dash/Remote Control Records on 29 November.

First single ‘Cosmic Love Affair’ is psychedelic pop in the original sense – woozy and detached, it gives you the odd sensation of having stepped into someone else’s waking dream. The song staggers along, half asleep, as Sowersby’s multi-tracked vocal floats in: ‘Everyone changed / I stayed the same / Everything’s gonna be different from now’. Escapist and dissociative, this is sure to provide some lovely summertime listening.

 

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INTRODUCING: Chunyin

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Rainbow Chan, the Sydney-based songstress who’s responsible for one of Australia’s more notable pop releases this year, has come out with a side project, Chunyin.

Chan’s Long Vacation EP (out through Silo Arts & Records) set indie scensters alight with her brand of delectable pop, but this latest project sees a break in that trajectory.

Often associated with Sui Zhen (hopefully not because of inadvertent racism), Chan’s melodies inhabit a space that could be considered whimsical—no doubt fostered by a love of vintage toys.

However, Chunyin’s a whole new ball game.

The first, and only track posted on Soundcloud, ‘Monochrome’, is reminiscent of Collarbones circa Iconography. It’s an abstract work that probably won’t be as blissful to the ears as say ‘Fool’s Gold’. The vocals that underpinned that release aren’t present here. Tagged as ‘Stonewashed’ on Soundcloud, ‘Monochrome’ distorts the the ‘vintage toy’ aesthetic into that of chopped up samples, loops, and general electronic goods.

What propelled Chan to break open this side-project is anyone’s guess, but it’s going to be interesting to see Chunyin develop as a counterpoint to the stylings of Rainbow Chan.

It’s hard not to read over this track with the multitude of sampled influences that could’ve been referenced in the making of ‘Monochrome’. From Four Tet’s ‘Rounds’ to Mount Kimbie’s back catalogue, the creation of Chunyin taps into a scene which places the musical ‘figurehead’ in the backseat. And, considering all the attention Chan’s received for Haircut, can Chunyin be seen as an antagonist to the pop idolarity fostered by the Long Vacation EP? 

Probably not, but I’d love to find out.

 

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LISTEN: Popolice – ‘Would You Believe’

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I picked up the first two Popolice EPs on my brother’s recommendation back in about 2006, and I was glad that I did. I loved Marc Regueiro-McKelvie’s angsty, angular indie pop and those dynamic progressions – there are no overwrought two-chord dirges here. I’ve still got a copy of Middle Ground in my glovebox (the only place for CDs these days), which I spin from time to time on my way to the shops.

Although he’s been making music since around 1997, Regueiro-McKelvie doesn’t seem to have had a strong PR machine behind him (or maybe he’s just been flat out playing with Teeth and Tongue, Enclosures and New Estate) because he ought to be a local sensation. That’s all changing now: this new track has been popping up all over the place, and a debut album (!) is due out soon.

Though he was citing crossover bands like Gerling way back at the turn of the millennium, ‘Would You Believe’ has got to be the most danceable Popolice track yet. The song’s catchy, stop-start rhythm matches Regueiro-McKelvie’s scratchy delivery perfectly, and it’s got a chorus that just keeps on getting bigger.

The accompanying video was made by Matthew Cribb, who recently filmed clips for WTH favourites Teeth & Tongue and The Ocean Party. It features Popolice striding along a Melbourne boardwalk as though caught up in a private rock stadium fantasy, Stratocaster hooked up to headphones and elegant legs encased in a sweet pair of tights. Meanwhile he’s being trailed by some sort of entropic VHS vortex…

 

‘Would You Believe’ is available now as a free download on Bandcamp.

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