Tagged By pop

INTRODUCING: Curlew

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curlew

Curlew is a brand new project from Brisbane musician Sam George-Allen, who’s previously turned heads from behind synths with space hippies Mega Ogre and hardcore punks Low Season (who also perform this song live, though very differently).

Curlew is not much like either of those bands. ‘Blood Disease’ is built around George-Allen’s vocals, with low synth that growls and pulses while the beats stay upfront. It’s not until the vocal loops come in that you get the true impact of this track, with aching harmonies where George-Allen shows effortless control over her subtly interesting voice.

There’s something here that reminds me a little of Kid A. Or maybe in what seems like a sacrilege to say, what I refer to as the ‘pling plong’ synth. This is an excellent debut from an artist who’s sure to keep impressing.

‘Blood Disease’ is available as a pay-what-you-want download from Curlew’s Bandcamp, where you can also check out a very pretty cover of The Drones‘ ‘They’ll Kill You’ too.

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INTRODUCING: Twin Caverns

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twin caverns

Too bad I love easy/sleazy listening. I cultivated this when Portishead was apparently a thing, when torrenting Ministry of Sound’s ‘Chillout Sessions’ catalogue was a thing and more recently when someone ousted me for listening to Sade’s greatest hits after leaving my Spotify on public.

Anyway, new Sydney duo Twin Caverns (Louise Millar and Michael Macias) recently did nice things to my ears and feelings. The pair draw similar parallels to other beat/vocal heavy duos like Alta and Audego – and more recently, every internet person’s rework of that Japanese Wallpaper x Wafia tune. Millar isn’t related to fellow Sydney vocal cameo star Nicole Millar, although the two do share an affinity for making a soundtrack for pool days and vanilla coated vocals.

Twin Caverns recently released their second single ‘Undiscover’. Similar to previous track ‘Swell’, the duo lean towards a more simple equation. That incandescent treble guitar line that starts the track off leaves Millar’s vocal refrain hanging from the ceiling. Thankful that this is probably one of the few decent duos that aren’t milking the drop vocal effect or the Flume formula which makes every downbeat sound like it’s being wrung through the ass end of a Microsoft vocoder. Twin Caverns need to give themselves a big midi hi-five here. Slick composition x thoughtful chords work perfectly together. This needs to happen IRL.

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LISTEN: Roku Music – ‘Collider’

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Roku Music

 

Impressively spearheaded by Donovan Miller of No Anchor and Innez Tulloch from Tiny Spiders, Roku Music are a Brisbane four piece who make heavy shoegaze music that feels drawn-out, but always bloody tough.

After a few lineup changes, the band now feature bassist Jody Gleeson of Brisbane throwback girl-group The Madison and Thomas Roche of The Rational Academy on drums. Late 2013, the band entered the studio (Miller and Tulloch’s own) to record their first album. ‘Collider’, the name of the band’s forthcoming album and first single is the most solid statement of intent we’ve seen from this band yet.

Miller and Tulloch are both formidable guitarists. Both get an incredible amount of power out of their instruments; layers of distortion turn to whirlpools under a sweetly expansive vocal. The production here is epic and tense without ever being cluttered – and the track still weighs down around your shoulders, but in way that’s more comforting that claustrophobic.

Roku Music’s debut album Collider will be released through Sonic Masala Records in March.

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LISTEN: Naked Maja – ‘Disillusion’

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Disillusion

Naked Maja are an ambient four piece from Brisbane. The band’s first EP was a curious shoegaze pop jaunt which built strange downbeat gems out of sparse synth and distorted vocals. ‘Disillusion’ is their latest offering. First track ‘#59’ comes at your ears with a straight-up rock guitar that’s both heavy and sharp at the same time. There’s an atmosphere of dark cynicism that permeates through the rest of this strange, sinister record. The band take a step back on ‘Soft Edge’, while glitchy percussion eases you into standout track ‘Disillusion’. ‘Mind Not Thinking’ earns the experimental tag that the band has evolved into with this record too. This is a listening experience that’ll leave you feeling unsettled and oddly moved.

 

If you’re into the devastating combo of babes, bright colours and optical illusions check out the video for ‘#59’.

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LOOK: HOY On Tour

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Graffiti

Hoy recently capped off a national tour with The Basics (good to have you back guys). The trio recently finished working on their debut album Aquaslum which will making the rounds in February next year if all goes to plan. Felicity, Cecelia & Liam took some photos on the road for us.

Also below, you’ll find the new video for Hoy’s new track ‘Brigitte Bardot’ which was filmed in the old Newstead Butter Factory and features more than one allowed Godard reference. The band are launching the new track tonight at the Northcote Social Club with Minibikes, and tomorrow night at the Bridge Hotel in Castlemaine with Tim Richmond.

Sunny Tassie breakbast

Sunburnt in Launceston….

Cupping the Goulburn Ram

Cupping the Goulbourn Ram. Post Canberra surrealism.

Fresh on Charles Vego Dinner

Fresh on Charles dinner. Soul food.

Post show Jam with the Basics

Post show jam with The Basics. Kris Schroeder taking us through some classics…

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LISTEN: The Phoncurves – ‘Heartstrings’

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the_phoncurves

Sometimes when I get sent press releases that describe a band as the ‘darlings; of a particular scene, I like to set my laptop on fire and throw it out the window.

Luckily, in the case of excellent Brisbane two-piece The Phoncurves, I restrained myself and listened to the song. The duo’s latest single ‘Heartstrings’ is actually pretty sweet. Abbie Roberts and Naomi Burrell’s voices are the most immediately striking; their harmonies are open and resonant – filling up all the space in what appears to be a seemingly simple acoustic pop song. But multiple listens reveal a depth in their songwriting. This is a track that swings and moves in waves; it’s well-structured and smart while still being soft on the surface….

‘Heartstrings’ is the first single off The Phoncurves second EP to be released early next year. Catch the duo heading out on these dates in December:

Thur, 5 December – SYDNEY @ Factory Floor

Fri, 6 December – MELBOURNE @ Victoria Hotel

Sat, 7 December – BRISBANE @ South Side Tea Room

 

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