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://www.facebook.com/TheRuminaters
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://www.facebook.com/suizhen
Polographia – ‘Righteous Hit’ mp3
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://www.facebook.com/WeArePolographia
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.
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.
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
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.
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…