Lyyar – ‘Afterall’

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Lyyar – ‘Afterall’ – mp3

Lyyar, pronounced ‘lee-ar’ have released their debut ep Outside, Elsewhere. This is the first track off what is a post prog rocky, dark winding, wave of dirty guitars with heavy bass and solid drumming. It gets darker and heavier, then takes a slight pych detour and back again. They really step it up in the last minute of the ep but overall I prefer the loose mish-mash of the first track. These guys would def be worth seeing play live.

You can check it out on their bandcamp and mail away for vinyl too – http://whothehell.net/U2U

The Ruminaters – ‘Timmy’

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The Ruminaters – ‘Timmy’ – mp3

These guys caught Mel’s attention with their first single ‘Deadstuff’ and this is their new one called ‘Timmy’. It’s a cabaret slacker-rock affair that’ll get you up doing the polka with your friends. Surfer guitar licks and a little story telling go along way when you add some back ground yelps and a damn catchy hook. Good times Ruminaters.

Go drink in their youth here – http://whothehell.net/CmZ

Sui Zhen – LP ‘Two Seas’

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Sui Zhen – LP ‘Two Seas’ – sampler mp3

This track is a sampler of songs from the new record by Sui Zhen called ‘Two Seas’. It’s a nice ADHD taste of what you’ll find on the record which sounds pretty sweet. Sui Zhen has a lovely and delicate sensibility that she expresses through her indie-folk-pop melody. I like the comparison others make to Joanna Newsom because Zhen does seem to do her own thing and isn’t afraid to experiment with her sound. This record is out now so check out her page for details here – http://whothehell.net/Zkr

Polographia – ‘Righteous Hit’

Polographia – ‘Righteous Hit’ mp3

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Polographia is producer Moktar Youngblood and Daniel Finn. I caught these guys supporting RÜFÜS at the Phoenix Public bar and they were pretty rad. Their ep ‘Sunsets’ has been out for a little while but if you don’t have it, drop into their bandcamp page for a free download – it’s very good. The production is smart and on stage it’s producer Moktar Youngblood, that really shines. I’m not sure their live show has been fully realised yet. These boys are probably more comfortable in a club scene but they are close to crossing over. With more tracks under their belt and perhaps some live drumming, Polographia would be very dope. I find this sound real infectious and the edgy darkness is very appealing.

Band page here – http://whothehell.net/eeX

Rewiggled Party feat. Dead Letter Chorus

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Dead Letter Chorus – Wiggle Bay

I went along to the Rewiggled party with a healthy dose of skepticism tucked firmly into my pocket. I mean, it’s a Wiggles cover album – those songs were cool when I was in diapers, but there’s no way they can transcend genre boundaries (as well as a couple of decades) – and the live performance wasn’t going to be any better. Boo to me, it turns out. Dead Letter Chorus pulled out one hell of a cover, and delivered their own track Run Wild with their usual style – and the album, well shit. It’s fantastic.

Rewiggled has only just gone into final production, but the gentlemen and women at the ABC were kind enough to provide a preview CD, and I can assure you, it’s damn delightful. At points it’s bittersweet – listening to your reimagined childhood is an odd experience – but one full of grins and these ridiculously warm moments. It jumps across all kinds of musical boundaries – rolling folk from Dead Letter Chorus, hard-style rawk from Frenzal Rhomb, softly spoken awesome from Oh Mercy and almost heart-breaking stillness from Paul Greene (among so many others) – and really captures the heart of The Wiggles, as well as showcasing some of Australias best music.

I really can’t wait for you all to listen to this, ‘coz it’s one hell of an experience. To say that The Wiggles have had an impact on Australian culture is a massive understatement – and Rewiggled truly does them justice. Stay tuned for more of this goodness – or head along to the ABC store and get your pre-order on. There’s also a Facebook page, where you can check out a few previews, and revel (wriggle?) in the musicy goodness. You can pick it up on November 4.

Oh, and check out Dead Letter Chorus. They’re real good. By the way, that guy at the top – that’s Murray. He’s a Wiggle.

Lonely Kids Club Launch @ OAF

Do you like to have fun? Do you like to dance and Roll in good times? Drink merrily with your stylish friends while bathing in some of Australia’s finest music at one of Sydney’s greatest venues?

The answer is probably yes, ‘coz you’re here. The Lonely Kids Club are doing us all a favour and putting on a show at the Oxford Art Factory, featuring Rufus, Collarbones, Fishing and Albatross (alongside many others), launching their summer lineup.

October 16 is the date, Oxford Art is the place. I’ll be there, and I’m a charmer, so you should be there too. While you’re waiting, listen to/watch this stunning clip from Rüfüs. I’m in love.

You should check out Lonely Kids Club as well – their clothes are pretty and their attitude balling.

The Polar Knights @ Verge Festival

We’re talking darling indie-pop here – darling as in your first girlfriend, holding-hands-on-a-summer-day-but-never-kissing sweetness with a dash of hipster charm and a surprisingly mature style & implementation. They’re called Polar Knights, they’re punny & witty and also delightfully virginal for all their top-shelf presentation. Looking forward to their EP whilst tapping to this free-as-balls track, Burst at the Seams.

Their set wasn’t perfect, but it was honest and heartfelt, with real moments of (seemingly) emotional purity. One particular standout was City Fail, an ode to the spectacular failings of Sydney’s rail system – something I think we can all identify with. The venue itself was awesome – many thanks go out to the Verge Festival. I love a sneaky gazebo.

More photos after the break

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sleepmakeswaves – ‘(hello) cloud mountain’ (video)

Let’s get one thing straight – post rock isn’t elevator music. Sure, some of it’s a little winding & pretentious and there are usually far too many words in post-rock band names (as well as grammatical confusion), but as a style it’s enthralling, interesting and often confronting – when done well.

Thankfully for the Australian post-rock scene, sleepmakeswaves do it well (and in less than 140 characters). (hello) cloud mountain is off their new album, and comes pre-packaged in a beautiful film clip, laden with tidy visual metaphors. It was directed/filmed/edited by Frederick Lloyd, a 20 year old Brit doing amazing things with a camera.  The track itself manages to pull off the epic feel of post-rock without the epic lengths – at just over three minutes, it’s a long step from some other opus’. If I was going to dive into clichés, I’d use words like “sweeping sound-scapes”, “delicate” and “multi-instrumental aural experience, filled with dreams of home and lost love” – but since it’s Tuesday, I’m not going to do that. Instead you get one of the best pieces of post-rock that I’ve ever heard come out of Australia.

If you haven’t listened to much (or any) post-rock, sleepmakeswaves are a great starting point. If you listen to a lot, their new album …and so we destroyed everything is available right now on bandcamp, and well worth the $12-something.

Check out their FB for more details on their (very fast approaching) shows. I know I’ll be there.

Oh and also, if you haven’t already – make the video huge, crank your speakers, and chill. It’s worth it.

Founds, Tin Sparrow & Tigertown @ FBi Social

Last night I went down to the Kings Cross Hotel for FBi social and caught Tigertown, Tin Sparrow and Founds – or more should I say, they caught me. Fanboy Alex is on the prowl, again…

Openers Tigertown were totally harmless, rolling out some of the smoothest indie-folk around. The seven piece bask in a couple of  indie cliches – mandolin, extraneous floor toms, pan-pipey keys – but executed them with class & aplomb.  At points I felt like I was floating in and out of an indie dream, nursed by these sweet, rolling tunes. Therein lies the fault of Tigertown – instead of occasionally challenging the audience, they stay firmly within a (albiet, very comfortable) formula. The set seemed to melt into itself at points and lacked discernable climax as a whole. While each song was a catchy piece of indie-folk sweetness, there was no release, and very little development of emotional tone.

Maybe I’m just afraid of things that are pretty, but I don’t want this to happen again. Watch the space, either way.

Tin Sparrow were up next. They’re one of Sydney’s best folk-acts and are really in their prime right now, playing an exceptionally tight, dynamically gorgeous set. Spinning in off the back of their latest EP (and tour), they delivered a whirlwind set. Their performance is laced with emotion and energy, pushing out a sound much bigger than the shape of the band. They also prove that, contrary to popuar belief, drummers can write AND sing songs, following Mark Piccles (the drummer) belting out an amazingly powerful track. Great band, great set.

Now to Founds. They were recently announced triple j unearthed winners of the Bigsound opening spot – and their set proved they deserve it. They’re unique in the Australian music scene, combining indie-folk with soaring Scando-ambiance and subtle post-rock, merging many styles into something unbelievably solid. In some ways, they remind me of Melbournians Alpine – but with balls, and a better drummer. That said, they resist classification so strongly that I’m loathe to compare them to anyone.

Combine all that mystery with a fantastic live show and you’ve got something special. Their opener was a brief and chaotic instrumental piece, really setting the “epic” tone that permeates their set. Their latest single, Holograms, is an absolute killer live – it’s not pop or folk or rock – it’s just a sparkling piece of music, absorbable no matter how you cut your cloth. There wasn’t a single track they played I didn’t love.

Founds are amazing for what they’ve done in such a short time. After twelve months together they’re producing and performing music that is unmatched – and perhaps unmatchable – in Australian music. I’d love to see what happens as they grow as a band and as performers. This is a space that I’m watching, so you should as well.

More photos after the break.

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Tank – ‘Last Night I Heard Everything In Slow Motion’

Tank – ‘Last Night I Heard Everything In Slow Motion’

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‘Last Night I Heard Everything In Slow Motion’ by Tank is an in exercise super sweet ambience, strung together with violin & heavy reverb (as well as a tasteful dash of autotune). Tank’s new to the scene but already producing reliably listenable music. Some of the best up-and-coming chillwave in Sydney.

He’s currently working on an EP, so keep an ear to the ground – or just the computer screen, if you want to keep your ears clean.

Tank on FB / Soundcloud