The theme of girl boy groups continues this week, this time featuring the esoterically named Our Husband, a interstate collaboration between Freya (from Adelaide) and Nathaniel (from Melbourne).
Their track 'Villages' from their forthcoming debut record speaks with voices akin to Cocteau Twins and the more contemporary baltimore duo, Beach House. Featuring a striking piano , Villages immediately grabs the listener's attention with a striking interplay between guitar and piano, adding the obligatory 'dream' elements, a steady rhythmic bass line that combine to create an ethereal atmosphere.
Nathaniel, from the band, kindly gave me permission to share the love. Link below.
I get the feeling that people either love or hate the post-rock genre. I also get the feeling that many people simply don’t know enough about it, considering that it's not exactly the most radio friendly music going round. Have you ever actually heard of Mogwai song being played on the radio? I guess it is fortunate that I happen to really enjoy listening to bands such as the aforementioned Mogwai and other masters of the genre like Explosions in the Sky. For that reason, I get excited when I see and hear Australian bands who embrace such influences.
The debut long player from Adelaide quartet Steering by Stars, Cables is notable on such a basis. Comparitively few contemporary Australian bands embrace the post-rock genre. Decoder Ring is an obvious exception. At a stretch, you might include PVT (or Pivot as they were once known) or My Disco. Mr Maps is a great local Brisbane example.
On first listen, Cables seems reminiscent of paths walked by Decoder Ring. Early track ‘Spirits’ sounds like it would be found on Decoder Ring's They Blind the Stars and the Wild Team. Standout track ‘Closer’ comes fairly early in the mix and shares a similar genealogy. However, 'Closer' is as good as anything produced by the band’s contemporaries, featuring a slow burning instrumental weaving and yearning vocal melody that builds to the triumphant conclusion that seems so common within the genre. It is visceral stuff.
While often elative, there is always a danger that such formulas might become overwrought. Thankfully, Steering by Stars seem keenly aware of this potential pitfall and vary the record accordingly. ‘Blush Response’ uses layers of keyboard sounds and effects to create a reflective mood while ‘Gloom’ is nothing more than a instrumental piano ballad. As such, both tracks are well placed to take the listener back down to ground level after the peak of the aforementioned 'Closer'.
Like many of the individual songs, the record builds towards crescendo. “I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon” (whose vocal lines perhaps strangely reminds me of Scottish indie group Arab Strap) begins what I believe the strongest part of the record. Drawn out over four songs, the ending stanzas speak with both brooding and unkempt enthusiasm. ‘These Knives’ begins with a frantic and overlapping delay effects before settling into a rock groove. I'd wager that it is this song that could really work well within the live setting. ‘Ether’, perhaps the most radio friendly song on the record, embraces a more indie pop mentality while closing track ‘Residue’ is a great track in isolation, but even more stunning as the concluding part of a four-part movement. These songs all seem to connect so effortlessly together that they almost seem like one large composition.
Indeed, the entire record plays out like a sine wave. It goes through sonic peaks and valleys, allowing the listener to be engaged by the differing layers of sounds, timbres, and textures. This metaphor is not a reflection on the quality of the record. That graph will be most certainly linear, if not exponential, for some listeners.
I feel that one shouldn’t constrain a band by its alleged influences. If you’re a fan of the post-rock genre, Decoder Ring, Mogwai, you’re going to get something out of this record. If you’re a fan of acts like Deerhunter or Sigur Ros, you’re going to get something out of this. Even fans of more esoteric groups like the Mars Volta might even appreciate some of the tones that shine through. I’m not going to end by saying this band are the Australia’s ‘next big thing’ (doesn’t every record review end this way?), but Steering By Stars Cables is an enjoyable record and worthy of your pocket money.
The record is available both electronically and on vinyl (no cd?) on July 8th. Keep your eyes out on their website, where you can grab a mp3 copy of 'Closer' on the media page. Fellow blogger Bianca also did a great interview with the band recently which you might find interesting, just click here to access.
You know what? I really disliked Tame Impala's 2008 debut EP. Other than the opening track, “Desire Be, Desire Go”, I didn't feel much inclined to what seemed derivative wankery. I wasn't convinced, instead, I was bored. At the time, I thought Tame Impala would be more suited to domesticating african antelopes rather than subjecting the public to Wolfmother 2.0.
Well, put the fish in the kettle, things have changed. Innerspeaker is so accomplished that even our musical overlords felt kind enough to give it a review that didn't feature a monkey urinating into its own mouth. What has changed? Well, the songs got better.
I can't really fault the record. In particular, "Alter Ego" is a bollucking journey through psychedelia-land that makes me feel like driving out west, over the Great Dividing Range and finding a field to dance around in. It is the first song in a triad of consecutive greatness. "Lucidity" shows us all the things that Wolfmother seemingly can't do, playing music without their heads getting stuck up their own arses. "Make Up Your Mind" is hypnotic while instrumental track "Jeremy's Storm" is determined, much like the storm it is allegedly named after. The jewel in the crown comes near the end, "Expectations" with its great chorus phrasing shows us that the land of the flange has finally reopened. Maybe my poor flange pedal can finally show its face around town now that Tame Impala have made it socially acceptable again.
Much of Innerspeaker's appeal lies in the way it’s recorded. Deliberately lower fidelity and flatter than the usual 'slickness' that comes out of modern day recording studios, makes this record a lot more interesting than a lot of the stuff that gets shoved on the airways these days. It’s very listenable, much more so than their previous EP. Some have criticised the record for being so deliberately derivative that it may lead to questions over the band's ability to sustain their current appeal. I think this 'derivative' assessment a bit harsh. How can any band hope to escape the weight of their influences? I believe a better approach is to appreciate Innerspeaker for what it is, and that is, a great debut record.
It seems that Australia's 'Mogwai' (a pretty inaccurate description in my book), Sydney group Decoder Ring are about to release the follow up to the great 'Fractions' LP. After touring around the country supporting Coldplay (strange choice of touring buddies if you ask me but I suppose great for mainstream exposure), it looks like they'll release the new album in Mid 2009.
It seems that the universally adored Lenka who sung vocals on 'Somersault' and the aforementioned 'Fractions' will not be a part of the new record, having gone solo and sowing the seeds of pop stardom in the United States (don't quote me on this, but the internet reports that she is no longer in involved).
Hopefully they'll tour again without attaching themselves to stadium soft rock bands so I might actually get the chance to see them for a reasonable price!
You can download 'Beat the Twilight', a sample of the new work at Decoder Ring's official website.
This is a bit of a thought piece, but I’ve stumbled upon a personal musical crisis. I’ve been away from Australia for over 10 months now and thus away from the Australian music scene for the same amount of time. When it comes to think about it, other than local Brisbane acts, I have been generally out of touch with Australian music for about two years now. I generally used to listen to the radio in the car, but then I invested in an mp3 car stereo and thus ended my usual exposure to new music died. Triple J dominated my radio and then suddenly I had alternatives.
The defining moment of my alienation from Australian musical tastes became readily apparent when I read the Triple J album of the year awards along with the picks from the Triple J staff. Generally, Kings of Leon, The Presets and MGMT dominated the lists, groups which I’m not particularly fond of. What does that mean? Ten years ago I would have sworn that I’d never get sick of Triple J and the music they chose to play. I would never think to doubt the word of Richard “The King” Kingsmill? But now, I do. Does it mean that everyone has poor taste, or my taste has dramatically changed?
In the case of Kings ofLeon and MGMT, these albums are generally acknowledged by the industry throughout the world that these are great albums. That’s fair enough, however I don’t like them. Does that mean I’m fundamentally out of touch with popular music? From a certain point of view it is quite depressing that I’d prefer listening to the greatest hits of Electric Light Orchestra than putting the ‘Sex on Fire’ single anywhere near my compact disc player.
It is somewhat funny. You grow up thinking your parents tastes in music is fundamentally terrible and that you will never become out of touch with the popular pulse, but already I find it happening. At a mere twenty seven years, I already feel middle aged.
I've known of The Bell Divers for a few years. In fact, you could say that I know them more than the average punter, having lived with a former member, and played with most at least two of the five piece in our local futsal competition. These facts alone don’t bode well for an objective album review, so keep that in mind as you read. But wasn’t that nice of me? Admitting my inherent bias straight up like that? I thought so.
Well, I really do like their songs, and I really do like their album. I think many other people would too.
"June, July" is their Tim Whitten produced debut album. For those not in the know, Whitten is the man responsible for twiddling the knobs for quite a few popular Australian acts such as Powderfinger , Gaslight Radio, the Go-Betweens, and many others. Stylistically, the Bell Divers are closest to the aforementioned Go-Betweens.
"June, July" features the songwriting of Clinton Toghill, tackling a variety of subjects such as love, lust and lower middle class idiosyncrasies. "Life in a Caravan" and "I Love a Man in Jail" romanticises such subjects, with uplifting melodies weaved on top of tales of pool-table fornications.
Other songs such as "Swimming in the Flood" and "As Bad as We Can Be" retell tales of youth in a whimsical and yearning fashion, tunes that are immediately accessible to the more sentimental listener such as myself. Both of these tunes make good use of the extro (or outro or however you describe it), the former utilising a Rhodes-sounding piano over a driving drum beat, the latter featuring some great use of slide guitar which melds effortlessly into sweet meandering conclusion.
All the songs on the album are neatly structured, feature a good mix of instrumentation, and never become boring, a sign of adept song writing. For instance, "Window View" has a great mix of little melodies intersecting at straight angles, guitars, vocals and keys blending seamlessly in a way that just feels right. Furthermore, this song also features some well-penned lyrics, a staple of many Bell Divers songs.
However, the highlight of the record has to be the triumphant lead single, "Fallen Down", a gem of a tune which seems over much too soon, clocking in at a brisk one minute and forty-eight seconds.
Anyway, those are my thoughts, do yourself a favour and have a look into checking the Bell Divers debut album out. These guys (and one girl) are so nice they’re even giving their debut away via their website. However, I strongly encourage you to purchase it along with the single "Fallen Down", also available at their webernet site.
The feeling you get when your ears catch hold of the opening bars of a great song is one of immense pleasure. In fact, this happened to me today. Seconds after I inserted the new released debut Cloud Control self-tilted EP into my laptop’s compact disc drive a new chapter of my life opened up. Now I can divide my life into to distinct parts - Before Cloud Control and After Cloud Control. Yes, true story!
It seems I have the much maligned myspace social networking site to thank. While I might think myspace is a terribly designed social networking website, it has changed the dynamics of how music lovers and musicians interact, and one of its strongest points is how it enables musicians to communicate new material to the general public without having to rely on the “old media”. I stumbled on Cloud Control through a link from a blog post by another band that I rather like (for reference, it was The John Steel Singers).
On the strength of their myspace recordings, I went out and purchased the EP my local Brisbane record shop. As you’ll realise about four seconds after you read this sentence, I”m mightily impressed with Cloud Control”s debut effort. To reinforce this, I’m mightily impressed to the point of over-the-top gushing.
The EP starts off strongly and never really fades away. "She’s Crazy and She Doesn't Care" sounds like a melange of verses from an Eels song, with a Brian Wilson chorus. The chorus hook, "We’re not likely to make a profit anyway" is glorious in its false modesty. I'm sure that making songs as quality as this one will eventually ensure the band make a handsome profit. Furthermore, you can never go wrong with handclaps, which make their appearance during the second half of the song. “Buffalo Country” conjures images of a song that has come out of a Go-Betweens/Tim Smith (of Midlake fame) side project, if one such project were to exist. The result is one killer track that leaves you grinning from ear to ear. Speaking of ears, once they have grown accustomed to the pop pleasure being pumped through the speakers, the third track “Fine Teacher” begins with a piano melody similar to the "LA Law" television theme song, and takes the listener down a mellower path than its predecessors. All in all, if I had to nominate my least favourite track - it would be this one. However, I think that might be a little harsh - on any other record, this song would be one of the standouts, its just I feel that the other tracks are a bit stronger. The vibe established in the first two tracks suddenly re-establishes itself again by track four.
“Vintage Books” opens with some great little lyrics, "Would you wait like I wait for you? Would you jump if I asked you too?" This is the clear standout track of the EP, with verse chords that are just to die for (E, A, G#m, I believe). “In Your World<” is instantly familiar, and I’m swallowed by images of the early 60s. It’s like I’ve been suddenly transported back to this time and am preoccupied with cruising round a dusty city in my large gas-guzzling automobile. Perhaps Cloud Control have deliberately inferred this imagery - one repeated lyric states "car on the road, to the sound, yeah I know". While it may be a bit clichéd, Cloud Control end their EP with a slow winding song “Into the Line” which produces images of ghost towns and fugitive gunslingers. Beginning with dripping wet keyboard sounds (which left me thinking Icehouse "Great Southern Land"), a country vibe seems to emanate and a slow chorused guitar solo begins to meander down the last phrase of the song.
And as soon as it began, the EP is over and you’re left wanting more. This is one of the best records I’ve purchased this year. Go buy it. I had the pleasure to see Cloud Control do their thing at Rics café in Brisbane the same day I purchased this EP and, in short, it was probably one of the best shows I’ve seen at Rics in all the years I’ve been going there and watching live music. Cloud Control were also supported by a great local act Mt Augustus (who I will have some words to spare for in the near future when I get around to writing my thoughts on their debut EP).
Thus, do yourself a favour and go watch Cloud Control manipulate the weather at a local music venue somewhere near you, sometime soon, before they become big and hugely famous and you’ll be forced to purchase tickets off some bastard scalper on eBay just so you can see them play. Don't say I didn't warn you!
