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Hi all. I've had some time off 'real' work this week, which means I've had time to 'upgrade' PLOASD to a hosted wordpress CMS. Blogger has been convenient, but it's hardly the greatest platform ever for doing what I want to do.

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New Future of the Left Demos

If you don't like Future of the Left, leave immediately. I'm serious. The alternative rock/punk band that will perpetually live with the label 'that which was mclusky' are on the cusp of releasing a new record (sometime in the new year) and they're about to head to Australia to play a run of shows with their new line-up, which includes Julia Ruzicka on bass (who replaces the most awesome Kelson Mathias - Julia is also Australian) and a new guitarist, Jimmy Watkins.

I'm excited to say that they've released a few early demos for our appreciation, and the early signs are grand indeed. You can have a listen to them by clicking here. 'I am the Least of Your Problems' is particularly abrasive and completely awesome. The rest of the tracks are promising as well.

I was fortunate to talk to Falco a few weeks back for Rave Magazine and he was a super good bloke. The interview will appear in that publication sometime soon (i.e. when I get round to actually writing it up, tomorrow I swear). They play the Zoo on January 3 and I guarantee it will be brutal (having been to past FoTL & Mclusky shows).

Here's a classic live 'cover' of Mclusky classic Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues to get you in the mood.

Tenda McFly - The.Story.Of.My.Life

I'm not shy in admitting that I'm not a huge fan of current trends in hip-hop. Commercialisation almost destroyed it. A whole bunch of annoying idiots got involved in making fairly sub-standard music. The Australian versions have been almost as bad, and much derided and I think, in many respects, for good reason. Still some people are plugging along and creating some interesting stuff.

Some time ago, I received an email from a Brisbane hip-hop artist by the name of Tenda McFly, but didn't get a chance to listen to his stuff until tonight. He has created a free mix tape for download that is surprisingly catchy. He uses a bunch of well known indie songs and adds in rapping and other beats to make something that fairly interesting. Artists include Grizzly Bear, Regina Spektor, Jamie T and The XX.



You can download the record for yourself and have a listen [ here --> http://tendamcfly.bandcamp.com/album/thestoryofmylife]

Review: Jinja Safari - Self Titled.

I did this a while back now. My mind hasn't changed. My original tag line was 'forest rock needs a bit of logging'. Seriously, this feels like anti-music. I appreciate musicianship and all those fancy things that make those waves coming out of the radio palatable, but Jinja Safari annoy me. How is this innovative? Its just the same fleet foxes/bon iver/mumford & sons/vampire weekend crap all over again. And to title it 'forest rock', makes me want to punch a tree in the face.

With the benefit of hindsight, I think I was being too kind in the review.

Marcus Azon and Pepa Knight of Jinja Safari have come a long way in a short period of time. Triple J awarded the band the privilege of opening this year’s Splendour In The Grass festival, they secured the support on the upcoming Art Vs Science tour and also invented the genre of ‘forest rock’ – a whirlwind coming of age, particularly when you consider that the group only played its first show in May. Their debut self-titled EP reveals glimpses of both prodigious talent and slick marketing. The first two tracks, Mud and the lauded Peter Pan, are enjoyable enough, making good use of non-conventional instruments. However, the EP becomes weighed down by complex songs with overwrought instrumentation that becomes increasingly distracting, such as on Vagabond and Forest Eyes. Clearly in the mould of Vampire Weekend and Animal Collective, it’s hard to shake the feeling the Jinja Safari are exploring all too familiar territory.

Originally in Rave Magazine.

Record Review: The Mercy Beat - How to Shampoo a Yak

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

.

Originally in Rave Magazine.

Record Review: At Sea - In Transit

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!

Originally in Rave Magazine.

Spotlight: His Merry Men

I don't usually like funk or that popular swing type jazz stuff. For instance, I find The Cat Empire are vomit-inducing. However, local group His Merry Men seem an enticing prospect.

I randomly stumbled into Rics on Friday evening, drunk, and ill suited for music appreciation (I blame my Irish cousin for my state of mind). His Merry Men started to play, and by gosh, they were a lot of fun.

Composed of percussion, bass, guitar, keys, and not one but THREE sax players. Vocalist Megan Crocombe has that sultry voice that's well suited to the funk aesthetic and I really enjoyed the little jigs that sax players would bust out, the enjoyment heightened by my level of inebriation.

A few songs were particularly well done, such as Bobby Got and Been Around, both which you can hear on Myspace and TripleJ Unearthered. Though their recordings do sound a bit generic (in the sense that I find many jazz/funk numbers to all sound very similar, but my knowledge of this genre is fairly limited), but as a live band, I think they're great.


Bobby Got-The HiFi

His Merry Men | Myspace Music Videos

Looks like they play the Joynt on December 3 and Rics again on December 12. Attendance recommended.