Some amazing bands I discovered in Australia!

Jamilla

Even a casual music observer cannot help to notice that a huge proportion of buzzy bands, (mostly in  indie/ psychedelic rock circles) over the past few years have hailed from Australia. This includes indie heroes such as Tame Impala, Courtney Barnett,  Avalanches, DMA's, Pond, (my personal favourites) King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard ans recent breakthough stars such as Amyl and the Sniffers and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. Earlier this year I decided to go and explore the country for myself on an epic two-month journey that took me from major cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane), smaller cities (Darwin, Townsville, Newcastle), Tourist staples (Uluru, Byron Bay) and the middle of fucking nowhere's (Tennant Creek, Erdunda). When I wasn't taking in epic scenery, delicious food and meeting exotic animals I was searching for new bands. Luckily enough I was spoilt for choice Australia has a liberal attitude to promoting new music. Their government funded station Triple J puts the UK equivalent to shame. However actually finding shows proved to be a little harder in my first major city stop of Sydney.

Sydney. 

Luca Brasi 

I only saw one show in Sydney. Luca Brasi supported by Tiny Moving Parts and Eliza and the Delusionals. In order to get to this show I walked across the city from my hotel near Kings Cross all the way to the university. Once I got there finding the student bar hosting the show proved to be nearly impossible. Until I asked for directions and found the unmarked building. 

Eliza and The Delusionals were the gold coast indie rock four piece who kicked things off. From what I can remember I was pretty impressed by them. Although not nearly as much as i was by Tiny Moving Parts. An American emo band who seemed to have already conquered the hearts of many an Australian despite it only being their first tour over there. Some readers may already be aware of Luca Brasi from their UK tour with Moose Blood. Being unfamiliar with them I was pretty blown away by the energy in the room from them. This young emo band have sold out small rooms all across Australia and have packed them out with the same fanatic crowds that i have seen attend UK shows for the likes of Creeper or Milk Teeth. I don't rate them as highly as some of their UK emo/pop punk contemporaries. Yet based on the love they receive in their home country I am sure they could be conquering our shores any time soon. 

Darwin. 

Aside from a few performers in Byron Bay it wasn't until a month after that gig in Sydney that I caught another show. I was lucky enough to catch the Australian legends The Preatures in Darwin. Coming towards the end of a mammoth Aus tour The Preatures performed a fantastic set of sexy, swaggering rock n' roll that few other bands can deliver nowawdays. I was lucky to see them in Darwin as few major bands play them and as i can attest to, even a huge act such as The Preatures can struggle to fill a venue in Darwin. I was also impressed by how outspoken they were, particularly in regards to their respect for aboriginal culture. The support came from the endearingly awkward Ali Barter. Her live show was stripped back to just her and a guitar, a far cry from the full band sound of her album. Despite fighting against a crowd that would not shut up her incredible voice stood out as an obvious sign of her talent. Ali Barter's songs are a candid look at her mental health and sexuality. She tackles heavy topics with a dry sense of humour and is therefore an artist who I feel could be making some very vital music in the future. 

Adelaide.

W.M.N

Adelaide may be overshadowed by it's big brother Melbourne but it has a thriving music scene of it's own. I caught a show at a small pub that opened with the political, alternative RNB duo Argus and The Liar. The duo mix conscious rhymes with a trippy neo soul style backing. Perth native Jamilla followed on with her very modern style of alt-RNB. Her songs can be both reflective of her experiences being a young black woman and overtly sexual. While at time her sound felt a bit artificial it was the strength of her voice and personality which made her shine. W.M.N are a band like none other that I have seen. I am only going on my assumptions but one member appeared to be a classically trained violinist with an operatic voice. While two other members appeared to be transgender. These 4 people mixed electronic production with, violin accompaniment and elements of rap and spoken word. I have little other way to describe it yet I can think of few other bands so evocative of the age that we live in.   

Draining

Another night I found the (quite literally) underground punk club 'Ancient world'. I saw a plethora of local acts. From the grunge trio Agapanther, the post-rock duo Still They Slept and best of all the shoegaze band Draining.  The self described 'Sad Punx' Draining played a fantastically noisy set of punk rock drowned in guitar effects. They capped things off by smashing up their gear. 

Melbourne.

Sophisticated Dingo

I couldn't wait to go to Melbourne. While the inner city is chaotic and crowded the suburbs are every bit the hipster paradise I imagined the city to be. The Yarra suburb is an oasis of bars, cages, restaurants, tattoo parlours and of course.. live venues. Having known the city for producing acts such as King Gizzard and Rolling Blackouts I was eager to find the next big thing. After scouring about 30 shows alone that night in the local rag 'Beat' I settled on local heroes Deathbeat. A punk duo who mix heavy grooves with furious rapping. While there are similarities to UK punks Slaves, Deathbeat have created a sound that is unique to them. One of the supports for that show Slim Jefferies also supported Sophisticated Dingo on the next gig I saw in Melbourne. Their a scrappy hardcore band who are endearingly rough around the edges. By the time Bad Bangs, Face Face and House Hats had finished their fantastic sets it was getting late. Sophisticated Dingo were launching their EP 'Tastes just like the real thing' with a hour plus long set in front of a packed out room. They bought some trippy light projections to make their show that little bit more special. If you've guessed by their name alone that Sophisticated Dingo are a scuzzy two piece surf punk band then you'd be spot on! They ooze an especially Aussie sense of not giving a fuck and as such their show was heaps of fun!

So it turns out that just as I had expected the fantastic Australian bands who have broke through in the UK are only the tip of the iceberg. 

Deathbeat

Links

www.elizaandthedelusionals.com

www.facebook.com/lucabrasipunkrock/

www.thepreatures.com

www.alibartermusic.com

www.facebook.com/pg/argusandtheliar

www.facebook.com/pg/jamillamusic/

www.facebook.com/pg/wmnmusic

https://draining.bandcamp.com/

www.facebook.com/pg/deathbeatband

sophisticateddingo.bandcamp.com/

Shame, Sorry, Fontaines D.C. Live at the Institute Birmingham review (28/11/18)

FONTAINES D.C are a band who are much like Shame in their post-punk sound, and overtly political lyrics. At least i think their singer's lyrics are political. It's kind of hard to tell what he's saying with his thick Irish accent. With his thrift shop clothes and punch drunk swagger he evokes the spirit of Mark E Smith. I was impressed by Fontaines D.C. as much for their great tunes as their attitude. 'Liberty Bell' and 'Hurricane Laughter' are some of the best punk rock songs to come out of Ireland since The Undertones Penned 'Teenage Kicks'. Overall Fontaines D.C seem like they've come out of some sort of wormhole. Their contemporaries seem more likely to be Stiff Little Fingers or Boomtown Rats than IDLES or Shame. Yet seeing such a young band with great songs, a great sound and attitude is uplifting in whatever decade you're in. I have no doubt that big things are coming this bands way. (8.4/10)
SORRY hail from the same tight knit London scene as Shame. They're one of the most intriguing and unique bands to emerge from that scene in the past year. They lack any clear influences and in the current pantheon of indie rock bands there is no-one to compare them too. Their downbeat lyrics, keyboard flourishes, jangly guitars and hints of shoegaze are all familiar yet add up to a sound that is totally their own. However their live show wasn't as engaging as the bands before and after them. I enjoyed their set but I didn't love it. (7.6)

Shame have been on stage for a little over two minutes and their newly blonde singer, Charlie Steen is already crowd-surfing on a bed of frenzied fans. Shame are riding high at the end of a triumphant year. Their début album 'Songs of Praise' was released back in January. This album marked them out as being one of the best of a new wave of post-punk bands to crawl out of the UK's underbelly. Almost a year later and the record is topping end of year lists, Shame have become a tabloid target in the sun and played one of the most memorable 'later...' sets of the year. For this Birmingham show the lucky crowd was to hear three brand new songs. 'Human for a minute', 'Cowboy' and 'Exhaler' are not just new but possibly three of the best songs Shame have written yet. It seems that Charlie Steen is taking a bit of a break from tory baiting to write songs that are more introspective. 'Human for a minute' is quite openly about the feeling not being a functional human. 'Cowboy' seemed to feature the line 'sometimes I want someone to sit by me and tell me every-thing's fine'. When the next album comes around Shame may be tacking mental health as well as the state of things. If this sounds like Shame have gone a bit emo then don't worry. Despite being more in touch with their feelings they sound more punk than ever. Charlie proudly announced that 'One Rizla' was a pop song and the first song they wrote together. The crowd at this show was a mix of teens, old school punks and 20 somethings, yet the crowd was still happily bouncing around for the band who can unite these tribes together. On stage Shame are unable to stand still for a minute, moving and jumping around with the energy that only such a young band can. 'Angie' was a rare calm moment, before the raucous punk rock of 'Lampoon'. An encore was brief and unnecessary as Shame returned after a minute or so to play 'Gold Hole'. Once again Charlie was crowd surfing and standing on the palms of Shame's adoring fans. Proof if any were needed that Shame are one of the most vital young bands in the UK. A band to be treasured.  (9.2)

FRIGS, Mutes, Odmansbox. Live at the Hare and Hounds review (7/11/18)

Odmansbox (7.6/10) were an odd addition to the bill supporting FRIGS but no less enjoyable. A three piece prog-pop group that fit in somewhere between Mat Berry's Prog rock revivalism and Jermaine Clement's various Bowie pastiches. Odmansbox have a dry sense of humour that shines through in their songs and stage presence, from their tributes/laments of hippie culture and the Sparks-ish 'Who the fuck are you', Odmansbox manage to write music that is both very clever and very catchy. Mutes (7.6) have changed a lot since their inception as a bedroom post-rock project. Their singer James has brought some of the charged rock n' roll sound of his other band God Damn and has turned Mutes into his own rock trio. Mutes are now much more Cribs than Mogwai yet the shoegazy sound of their earlier releases still occasionally pops through into their live performances. Best of all was the krautrock style closer for their set that seemed to last forever, mixing motorik drums with a mess of distorted guitar noise made for a thrilling end to their set.
FRIGS (8) have been compared to legends such as Sonic Youth and PJ Harvey, yet while well intentioned these comparisons seem rather lazy. The band that FRIGS most closely resemble is their fellow Canadians and friends Preoccupations. I feel that they also should draw comparison to other post-punk revivalists such as Protomartyr or Savages. Whatever the case FRIGS make the kind of dark, claustrophobic post-punk that I'm a sucker for. Any mix of growled vocals, propulsive drums, rumbling bass and wiry guitar leads is likely to win me over and FRIGS are one of the best bands I've come across who are likely doing this. A big part of what makes their live shows so thrilling is their singer Bria. Bria is a confrontational singer, who was eager to get right into peoples faces. Here raspy vocals were distorted past being understandable, which only added to the sinister edge of the music. She did little to engage the audience despite the occasional shout of 'Birmingham!' but the slight detachment between crowd and band worked to their favour. Overall this was a pretty fantastic show from a band who deserve to stand out amongst their peers.

IDLES, live at the Birmingham Institute review (26/10/2018)

You don't need to see IDLES live to realise that they're one of if not the most important bands of the decade. Everything that makes them special is already on display on their two albums so far. Everything about Idles just seems to epitomise the mood and feel of the troubled times were living in. From the smart, funny and endlessly quotable lyrics of front-man Joe Talbot and the empowered post-punk noise that the rest of the band give him to shout it over, it's obvious that Idles haven't just captured the Zeitgeist so much as they have wrestled it to the ground.
Idles already have the perfect support act with them on this tour. Heavy Lungs (7.2) are a similarly gritty band in the post punk vein. Notable for having Joe Talbot's 'blood brother' Danny Nedelko as their singer. However the Latvian born Danny is more than just a catchy song. From the moment he gets on stage it's impossible to take your eyes off him. Heavy lungs may lack the instant catchiness of Idles' songs but they have a gloomy aesthetic of their own, which makes them an intriguing and beguiling new band to watch out for. (7.2/10)

When IDLES hit the stage they were silhouettes shrouded in dry ice and flashing white lights. This made for a menacing backdrop for the opener 'Colossus'. For all his focus on positivity Joe Talbot is still a formidable presence on stage, leering at the crowd and delivering the lyrics on his typical dry tone. For most bands a slow burner such as Colossus would be an odd way to start the show yet IDLES had the audience in the palm of their hands from the moment they walked on stage. Following the song's incendiary finish and launching right into the brilliant 'Never fight a man with a perm' had the crowd in a frenzy. The crowd instinctively knowing every word to this darkly funny take of losing a fight to 'A heathen from Eaton, on a bag of Micheal Keaton'. 'Mother' and 'I'm scum' also made for great examples of what makes IDLES special but it was 'Danny Nedelko' that really shows what the band are all about. An embrace of unity and immigration as Joe embraced his 'blood brother' Danny on stage. Joe Talbot is as quotable between songs as he is during them, giving shout-outs to the AF gang, local heroes UB40 and Table Scraps, before declaring that 'our country is run by psychopaths'. He may be preaching to the choir but it's still a sermon worth hearing. It was around this point that things started to get a little bit out of hand, with both IDLES guitarists deciding to have a go at crowd surfing. This prompted a plucky fan to try and get on the stage. Joe growled at the security to let him on stage. The fan ran over to help out bashing drums and next thing the stage was swarmed with lucky fans playing IDLES instruments and generally making as much noise as possible. It's this close relationship with their fans that has allowed IDLES to make their massive dent in the UK scene. Joe was quick to clear out the suddenly rather empty stage for their cover of 'cry to me'. IDLES don't do encores because they think it's weird, but after delivering more anthems with 'Well done' and Rottweiler, they'd delivered more than enough. The last 10 minutes of the show was a cacophony of guitar feedback and flashing lights, leaving The Institute with a show it would never forget.

9.2 

(love IDLES as much as I do? join the AF Gang! https://www.facebook.com/groups/231316577380254/)

The best albums of May 2018

Kali Uchis - Isolation
2018 may have seen several female pop stars break into the mainstream yet none of them are as cool, smart or as effortlessly sexy as Kali Uchis. With her début record 'Isolation' Kali brings together artists as diverse as Steve Lacy, Tyler the Creator, Boostsy Collins and Thundercat. The result is a gorgeous ride through the best bits of vintage funk and soul, 60's girl groups and even Kali's take on the Latin trend. Yet it's her modern take on classic funk and soul where Isolation is at it's best.
Check out - Flight 22


Playboi Carti - Die Lit 
Die Lit is where Playboi Carti takes trap to its logical conclusion. While the subversive cover looks more like the sleeve of a hardcore punk record, Die Lit can be judged by its cover. Carti embraces a minimalist punk aesthetic using psychedelic tinged yet minimalist backing tracks. Carti's bizzare style of rapping could almost be seen as anti-rapping, constantly ad-libbing, changing his flow and his voice. Die lit comes across as being completely improvised and off the cuff, much like the punk bands proved you didn't need to be a virtuoso to play rock, Carti proves that you don't even need to rap to be a rapper. Check out - Poke it up


Parliament - Medicaid Fraud Dogg
Parliament's first new album in over 30 years can be a daunting prospect, clocking in at 1 hour 46 minutes and 23 songs, it's hard to take in one listen. Instead of simply trolling for streams, MFD, sounds more like the work of a band with too many ideas to fit into a single 40 minute record. Sounding both retro and cutting edge at the same time, MFD may be the album that brings Patliament a new generation of fans, mixing the classic P-Funk sound with trap bangers and a running commentary on the ethics of the pharmaceutical industry.
Check out - Mama Told Me

Parquet Courts - Wide Awake!
After many years Parquet Courts have delivered what may be their definitive album. Wide Awake is the NYC punks at their smartest, catchiest and most diverse. The title track bursts with funky energy, while 'Back to earth' is the sound of the punks gone Prog. Best of all is the saloon bar Ballard 'Tenderness'. A Savage lyrically focusses on the era we live in with his usual sharp, funny wit, and his observations are backed by the best songs PC have written yet.
Check out - Tenderness

Arctic Monkeys - Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino
Some fans may disagree but Arctic Monkeys have always been at their best when at their strangest. Tranquillity base... is by far the strangest that Arctic Monkeys have ever sounded and therefore probably their best. While AM smoothed out their quirks until they had little personality left, TB mixes Alex Turner's surreal ramblings and piano into an odd mix that has been compared to Robbie Williams and David Bowie alike. The rambling off beat nature of the songs here only makes them more lovable and memorable. The best Arctic Monkeys album to date is their biggest reinvention yet.
Check out - She looks like fun

Peace - Kindness is the new rock n' roll

The title track of this album is an example of what Peace have always done best, taking a simple idea and ramping it up until it's as epic as possible. Mixing all the charisma that people miss from Oasis with a beating heart and soul that makes it far more endearing than one of Noel Gallagher's surreal platitudes. The songs here sound more like a Harry Koisser solo album than a new Peace record. Writing honestly about depression, and 'lying in my empty room on my broken bed...left alone with my big fucking mental head. While early albums found Peace naive and in love with the idea of love itself. ‘Kindness’ finds Harry maturing as both a songwriter and a person. For all the heartbreak that Peace have been through, they conclude that not only is 'Kindness the new rock 'n roll, love is also the salvation that we sometimes need.

Check out - You don't walk away from love 

I also liked...
Jon Hopkins - Singularity
Beach House - 7
Courtney Barnett - Tell me how you really feel

Milk Teeth, Fangclub, Nervus. Live at Mama Rouxs (20/3/18)

Nervus are not your typical run of the mill pop punk band. For example, the Watford four piece sell own brand coffee on their merch stand. While their singer Em is one of the few openly trans rock vocalists. Yet really sets them apart is the quality of their tunes. Nervus mix Em's introspective and biographical lyrics with instantly memorable guitar hooks and piano melodies. Nervus' opening slot was a fun show with a party atmosphere.  Em shouted out the other bands comparing the tour to a school trip where all the bands were naughty school children getting each together into trouble. Nervus’ keyboardist also entertained with his extravagant dad dancing. Em gave a shout out to all the trans kids in the audience. All three of them danced alongside the band to the finale song of the set ‘it follows’ and had the last word of the set ‘protect trans kids’. (8/10)

While Nervus’ were light hearted and fun Fangclub were relatively dour by comparison. Fangclub take Nirvana style grunge-pop to new levels of noise and heaviness. Keeping their heads down and delivering huge heavy riffs much like my faves God Damn. The Dublin trio’s singer plonked his mic stand into the audience twice and gave the Birmingham crowd a master-class in no frills rock n’ roll. (7.2)

I will always remember a Beckyless Milk Teeth headlining an almost empty Sunflower Lounge many years ago. In the years since then I have watched with pride as Milk Teeth have deservedly become one of the UK’s hottest and best rock bands. Milk Teeth’s show at Mama Roux's went down much like their last show in Birmingham where they turned The Flapper into a sweaty chaotic mess. Burly dudes and skinny emo teenagers alike came together in a violent mix of crowd surfing, moshing and circle pitting. Milk Teeth themselves weren’t safe either as (unknown to me at the time) guitarist Webby somehow broke his ankle during the first song and fought opn through the pain till the end. Fresh from supporting Enter Shikari on an epic US tour, Milk Teeth were in a reflective mood, playing ‘Bagels’ for the final time, having instructed everybody present to learn the words beforehand. Presumably to give Webby a chance to rest his ankle Becky and Billy gave the crowd an acoustic version of crooked spoons, ‘Kabuki’ and a surprise cover of Foo Fighters ‘Everlong’. Business was soon resumed as the rest of the band joined for some heavier songs. When he wasn’t encouraging the crowd to jump around Billy asked everyone to get their phones out and shine a light at the stage. Mama Roux’s was soon ablaze in bright white light. Milk Teeth saved the best for last with ‘Owning your okayness’ now officially their signature song. Becky announced that there would be no encores giving the crowd once last chance to sing the words out loud. A few people chanted for an encore but it didn’t matter. Milk Teeth had already delivered more than enough. 

9.2/10

 

Note: I forgot my camera batteries so I had to use my phone to take these crappy photos. My gig photography is usually a lot better than this.