This is a great local hard-rock album, despite its strange title. Reminds me a lot of Helmet and The Mark of Cain. Saw them play at the opening of The Alley, but the sound was terrible.
The debut record of local hard rock outfit The Mercy Beat does not seem to contain explicit instructions on how to clean Himalayan bovine. Instead, the Brisbane quartet offer a journey into a realm where guitar riffs are hard currency. Landing somewhere between Kyuss and Helmet, The Mercy Beat valiantly attempt to recreate the electric atmosphere for which their live shows are renowned. For the most part this strategy succeeds, as demonstrated on tracks such as Arouzin Yispouse and I Was Born Yesterday, where the band opts to jump out of the gates guitars blazing. 2 Nein No, perhaps the record’s most interesting track, deftly uses dissonant lead riffs and punk-inspired rhythms to describe the perils of Devo-inspired dance floor chaos. While it can occasionally feel that a few of the slower numbers want for an injection of tempo, The Mercy Beat’s debut record is ultimately a satisfying experience
This was one of my first indie reviews for Rave Magazine, local act At Sea. I was still getting used to describing entire releases in only a few sentences (I still am). In Transit proved to be an enjoyable release. I've yet to check them out live, but it is something I look forward to when they start playing again.
Indulging in the moodiness of alt-country and garage rock, local quintet At Sea demonstrate adept songwriting on their second EP, In Transit, built around sounds reminiscent of Echo & The Bunnymen and Mark Lanegan. On this release, At Sea showcase their ability to create gothic inflections that speak in tones of premonition and dread, evident on tracks such as Doll and Weapon. Neon Lights shows psychedelic edges, meandering towards a climax spurred on by some neat vocal repetition (“You are my saviour”) courtesy of the charming Lauren Walker. Zero X Zero proves the most memorable offering, largely due to its addictive guitar hook evoking the likes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. However, some tracks suffer from the overpowering use of reverb that occasionally obscures Walker’s vocals. Despite this, In Transit shows a group heading in a positive direction.
Seems At Sea will have to content with new local up-and-comers Inland Sea for the battle of the band names. Some may get confused!
Why hello there! My lack of posts can be explained by a move to Woolloongabba and a battling the dread plague. I can't promise much more this week due to similar reasons - and the fact that I'm working a heap. However I thought I'd pause to mention the launch the third record by localsThe Stress of Leisure, Soft Approach, at the Zoo this Friday.
The Stress of Leisure is the brainchild of Ian Powne. The group plays something akin to Pulp / Pavement / Bowie, but with a definitive Brisbane feel. I've heard the record, and its something special (review forthcoming sometime soon). The new video, "Death on the Magic Mile", of course contains a known local reference. The song is interesting, seeming a lot more abrasive than some of the band's previous work. Check it out below.
'Death on the Magic Mile' from Soft Approach.
Supports include Grand Atlantic and Girl with Cake.
Once upon a time some English guy attempted to blow up Westminister. The years, decades and centuries following this nefarious scheme, people throughout the world have celebrated this event ostensibly to commemorate the failure of the Gunpowder Plot, despite it being more likely that they generally seem to enjoy ‘blowing shit up’. While bonfire night was banned here in Australia in the 70s, locals Ruth Nitkiewicz and Steve Forster have appropriated the name for their latest musical endeavour, presumably with the objective of setting off some fireworks of their own.
Questionable metaphors aside, Bonfire Nights self titled EP is the product of an ongoing collaboration between the couple. It would be incorrect for the reader to assume this is an opportunistic attempt to tap into the ‘girl / boy’ duo trend. The genealogy of Bonfire Nights is rich enough to dispel notions that this is simply another iteration of the seemingly fashionable ‘girl/boy make indie music’ dynamic, a common trope in today’s indie pop landscape (Sleigh Bells, I’m looking at you).
So what does the EP tell us about the duo's creative journey? Well, it is obvious that Bonfire Nights have produced an accessible yet personal record. A cursory glance at the track listing hints at seemingly existential questions. ‘Own Worst Enemy’, drawing parallels to the sounds of BRMC and The Kills, is cautionary rock anecdote that indulges in the odd flange-tinged guitar solo (the flange is back in business baby!). Further investigation of the EP reveals themes of personal reflection, such as in the ballad ‘Leave Yourself Open’ (‘there ain't no sense in choice you make/ leave yourself open / when the feelings real but the words are fake / say I'm not broken’).
Despite only having two musicians on the roster (Ok, sometimes three), Bonfire Nights show a startling array of diversity over five tracks. Standout 'We Don't Care', embracing a more pop aesthetic, is designed to make ones feet shuffle. 'Don't Have to Be Here' builds from a simple guitar and vocal line into a song of operatic dimensions. The emphasis seems to be on creating a tapestry of contrasting melodies and the song is assisted by some great, yet indistinguishable, backing vocals from Ruth.
The closing song, an interesting take on the Undertones signature tune 'Teenage Kicks', continues the ideal of introspection that seems to draw the EP together. Ruth and Steve wind back the intensity of the original song, their voices whispering the famous lyrics over a simple fingerpicked guitar lick. My guess is that fans of the original song might be divided on Bonfire Nights version, but it is interesting enough to warrant some attention.
While obvious comparisons will be made to other girl/boy groups such as the White Stripes, the Ravonettes and the aforementioned (The) Kills, Bonfire Nights are not simply reproductions of these famous duos. Instead, as this EP shows, Bonfire Nights is defined by experimentation with the indie rock genre, that not only the fulfils personal goals, but is palatable to the general public.
Somewhat ironically, in a week where our new supreme leader cracks the whip on asylum seekers, Brisbane indie-pop group The Boat People release what is probably their most accessible album to date, Dear Darkly. This is the group’s third record and comes on the back of two critically acclaimed records, Chandeliers (2008) and yesyesyesyesyes (2005).
Generally, this record doesn’t disappoint. Dear Darkly advances musically upon the base constructed by its predecessors but doesn’t stray to far from a winning formula; that of Australiana pop music. In fact, there seems to be a streak of Australian melodic tropes, common to popular 70s and 80s Australian groups such as the Triffids, INXS, Australian Crawl and the Church, that permeates the Boaties music on Dear Darkly. Have a listen to ‘Dance to My Pain’ to get where I’m coming from on this point.
Opener ‘Under the Ocean’ explicates themes that seem to resonate strongly in Australian music. We love the beach, we love the ocean and, thus, we will identify, at least on the surface, with the aesthetics of this song. Well, that’s a pretty good formula because it works to great effect (though, I have to admit, the chorus melody keeps reminding me of Icehouse’s ‘Great Southern Land’ every time I hear it).
The lyrics of ‘Soporific’, presumably written by someone with medical training, may have you reaching for your dictionary (it’s a drug that induces sleep by the way), but that shouldn’t put you off what is a strongly structured tune with a rather surprising bridging section that sounds similar to the dungeon level in Super Mario Brothers. The fact that I was humming the tune to the song on my nightly jog can only mean that it’s memorable enough to warrant endorsement as one of the best songs on Dear Darkly. ‘Echo Stick Guitars’ conjures technocratic images of futuristic rock bands armed to the teeth with digital samplers and some beat-machine rifles. I’m not sure what ‘Echo Stick Guitars’ are but I think I want one.
If those songs were not enough, the record is peppered with even more highlights. ‘Damn Defensive’ features of a cascade of sounds that combine well to produce what is probably the standout track of the record. There are simply so many interesting textures being painted simultaneously that it is difficult not to feel moved. ‘Hidden Buses’ is nothing more than lower fidelity recording featuring acoustic guitar and vocals, but is effective in conveying a matter-of-fact mood that is tremendously appealing ‘Cat’s Collar’ is a joyous singalong which preaches the immorality of sleeping with close acquaintances. ‘Pornography’ features a great little guitar riff that leads into a descriptive pop gem that recalls the best of McLennan and Forster.
However, perhaps some of the tracks work better than others. ‘Live in the Dark’ repeatedly asks some sort of rhetorical question about living in the dark (strangely enough!), but, simply put, is not as engaging as the aforementioned tunes. My problem with this song may not exactly be the song itself, but possibly its placing on the tracklisting. Perhaps it would have worked better at the very beginning. Furthermore, ‘You Are Adored’, the excessively long track that closes the record, could have been more concise. I’m not sure how the several minutes of ‘ohs’ and ‘ahs’ tagged on to the end make it a substantially better song. Perhaps this facet might become more obvious in a live setting, but in the context of the record, it seems a trifle overwrought.
Overall, despite some fairly minor reservations, Dear Darkly is a solid record and perhaps the best the Boat People have put out so far in their career. The good songs are far more frequent that ones that are not, and are lot more interesting and accomplished than many other songs doing the rounds on Australian radio, to the extent that I would not be surprised that Dear Darkly gets nominated for a J Award. These facts alone justify my decision to purchase the record. Also, I’d wager that a live performance of this record would be a special occasion indeed.
See them perform at the Troubadour on July 24th with support from Skinny Jean. I saw the band play some of these songs during a support of a very ordinary Red Riders at the Globe last year. They were quite good (as you can read here). I presume they’ll be even better this time.
The Zebras used to live and play around Brisbane a few years back. For a time it seemed like they were the only band that practiced pop music in this town, back when it seemed people stupidly assumed it was wrong to like jangly guitars.
“Worry a Lot” is The Zebras second long-player and featured a more assured direction than the self released debut. Layers upon layers of guitars dominate the album, but most songs are absolute gems. ‘Worry a Lot’, ‘Science Competition’, Fine Lines’ and’ Doong Doong’ are all fine songs and worthy of prolonged attention. Almost as if the band took the best features from their self titled debut – specifically the two first songs from that record ‘Forces of Light’ and ‘Look Confident’ – and employed this formula across the entire follow up. That is not to say that “Worry a Lot” is formulaic, though ‘Fine Lines’ and ‘Science Competition’ sound curiously melodically similar, and even if one did find a certain similarity evident, this doesn’t really mean that much at all; if it works, bloody well use it.
They’ve been doing the rounds in Melbourne, a town that seems curiously more attracted to jangly pop music than the likes of Brisbane, which I’m somewhat annoyed about considering my own fondness for this stuff. It seems Lost and Lonesome have signed up all these bands, and ‘encouraged’ them to move to Melbourne. Not that anyone would need encouragement – it’s a great city. Though, it is a shame they're not here, plying their wares, there is not enough of this in this town.
