GRANDSISTER.
This track, ‘Our Company’, it sounds easy. You could go as a far as to suggest that perhaps, not a lot of effort went into making it.
I think that’s an easy route though. Sure, I think lots of people might hear this and think, oh but I could make that maybe. And i’d go, hey man, wanna fucking medal? The fact that it sounds as though you could do it is not the point. I mean, it is partly the point in that it helps to make the track feel relatable, but the main point that I think is really important to get across is that this is a project that, sure, wears it’s influences on it’s sleeve (New Order, Grafton Primary etc), but it still manages to sound fresh and not like anything else being created NOW. And I think that’s where the ingenuity lies – GRANDSISTER obviously knows where he’s going with this project, and it’s being stuck in that sense of propelling, continuous motion that makes this work.
GRANDSISTER is the work of a Sydney based dude by the name of Will Colvin who you might also know as front man of HEDGE FUND. Looking forward to hearing more of this fellas work.
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Miks
NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE.
So great to have these fellas back in our earholes. Northeast Party House were a bit of a favourite of mine a while ago. I’ve written about them a couple of times.
And man, this new one, ‘The Haunted’ takes everything they did, polishes it up and adds even more of a punch than their earlier material. Equally as excellent is the fact that those staccato stabs that frequent the whole thing act as the momentum. The drums are great and everything, but the way those stabs sit in the mix, they sit at the front, propelling everything else towards that jam out final minute and a bit.
This is the track that I think will finally get these boys the coverage and love that they deserve!
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Miks
PIGEON.
Babes with regrets. That’s essentially what Pigeon‘s new clip for their tune ‘Curtain Call’ is all about.
Pretty much.
If you have regrets then probably best you check out these guys as they do a massive tour (sahhhh mahny dayyytttes). More details on that here.
And, if you haven’t seen it already, then check out their 9min Daft Punk medley. Pretty fahckin imprhessive!
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Miks
TYLER TOUCHÉ.
This is a track I can only post on a Friday (hence the late uptake on my behalf).
And whilst the above sentence is a pretty good excuse/lie (instead of me telling you of how many gems are still sitting in an inbox that is still 172 unread because I am crazy busy with PhD lyfe), the newy, ‘Heart in Motion’, from Tyler Touché is actually pretty suitable for a Friday night, heck, even a Friday afternoon.
Big 70’s nu-disco vibe on this track, something that this kid (he’s fucking young) is known for. And that vocal take draws you right in, especially sitting high against that mean ass deep bass line.
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Miks
STERLING SILVER.
So it’s a bit of a Wednesday post lunch rave time.
Sterling Silver (killer name) is that kind of bigroom dance stuff – think RAC and Empire of The Sun. His first official single, ‘End Up Like This’ nails that big part of the night (or Wednesday afternoon).
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Miks
PACES.
Gold Coastian (that’s a thing right?) Paces has released a new EP, The Pact EP. It came out a fortnight ago (slow on the uptake I know) and is really excellent. Think Hudson Mohawke-esque, and a little bit of Ta-Ku thrown in.
You can stream the military style opener and title track ‘The Pact’ below. The track features the shwaeeet vocals from another local lass, Chela. You can stream the full EP on Paces’s soundcloud, and if you dig, give it a purchase.
Finally, if it really gets you keeeeeeeen, then make sure you check out Paces as he tours round the place – more details here.
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Miks
WORLD’S END PRESS.
Brand new jam from Melbourne fellas World’s End Press, a band who is finally releasing their debut album in the second half of this year. New single ‘To Send Our Love’ is almost a little darker than previous work, and with Tim Goldsworthy (of DFA records) at the helm, the production is fucking mint too.
The gents are doing a run of shows to help launch the new single. If you’re in Sydney, make sure you check them out at Brighton Up as they play three Thursday nighters there throughout August. Full tour details here.
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Miks
MESSRS.
Brand newy from Adelaide gents Messrs. Doing that live indie dance vibe pretty well, these guys know their way around a killer pop song too.
The guys are launching their new single Running Wild with a fair few shows around the country – dates here.
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Miks
NEW MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS.
So finally, some brand spankin’ new Midnight Juggernauts. These guys would easily have to be one of my favourite Melbourne bands, so news that the gents are ready with some new stuff forced me to go buy a new pair of pants. And that’s a double win, coz I needed a new pair.
And if Russian pop music shows (ala Countdown) are your kinda thing then I reckon the clip will be up your alley. Even if it’s not your thing, then you’ll love the freaking clip. Too good. Fucking ace song too!!
Ballad of the War Machine is the first taste off the bands 3rd album due out for release mid 2013 via Siberia Records / Remote Control.
If you’re a Juggers fan, then make sure you check ’em out as they tour the new single. They’re always ace live.
MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS
‘Ballad of the War Machine’ Tour
Friday 19 April – The Zoo, Brisbane
With special guests YesYou and Young Men Dead
Details here.
Saturday 20 April – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
With special guests YesYou and Four Door
Details here.
Wednesday 24 April – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
With special guests YesYou and Client Liaison
Details here.
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Miks
BACK BACK FORWARD PUNCH.
Great name for a band aye? Back Back Forward Punch are outta Melbournetown and producing some really catchy disco pop. Complete with piano lines, filters galore and some smooth silky vocals.
Their latest single ‘Zero To Disco’ has gotten the remix treatment from Sydney’s Coupons as well as Melbourne dudes Dublin Aunts. Both are excellent, but I think it’s the Coupons remix that takes the cake for me – they’ve taken the original and made it their own.
You can stream the original as well as the two remixes below. SO GOOD!
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Miks
CLUBFEET + GUERRE
I wasn’t too fussed on the original of this track. Whilst getting a whole heap of radio play and love on the blogzzz, it lacked something for me. It sounded a little thin on the ground. Clubfeet are definitely a great band, and pretty much nail that fun, summery feel good vibe. But ‘Heartbreak’ was a little off the mark for me.
Guerre has had his way with it though, and takes away any resemblance of fun. Or summer.
Instead, it’s turned into a dark, glitch-beat and cut-up vocal driven trip, taking you stumbling through a pretty freaky dreamstate.
It’s also really really good.
Props to the excellent FBi Radio up in Sydney for the heads up.
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Miks
DEJA + COSMO BLACK.
To my ears, this feels as though it should be the other way around. The original track sounds like a remix, and the remix sounds like the original.
Maybe that’s DEJA‘s rather excellent sense of production -that slowed down groove of the original is big as all hell and absolutely kills. Then there’s Claire’s vocals – sitting so tightly with that groove.
Cosmo Black‘s remix ramps up that groove into a more dancefloor friendly big club track. I really dig the Cosmo Black boys and yeah, they kill it with this remix – THAT SAX!
You should also check out Cosmo Black’s new project Saturn Program, something that the DEJA peeps helped out on.
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Miks
CITY CALM DOWN.
You may or may not have noticed that City Calm Down have signed to awesome local label I OH YOU (home to Bleeding Knees Club, Snakadaktal, DZ Deathrays etc). The boys are releasing a new EP, Movements on November 2nd, but we don’t need to wait that long to hear the first taste.
Up this morning on the bands soundcloud is ‘Pleasure and Consequence’, a real builder of a track (seems to be a theme). The track is broken up into two distinct halves – the first sounding reasonably sparse (if compared to the second) with a warm bass line, some nice padded synths and Jack’s wonderfully dark and brooding vocals. Then smack bang at 1:51 it brings in these amazing three note synth lines, some faint but incredibly uplifting horns and some atmospheric ‘ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh‘s. It’s the 2 minute 18 second long climax you could only ever wish was possible. BAM!
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Miks
SOUTH CITY SUSHI COP
I was lucky enough to get my hands on an EP entitled Bad Blocks by a duo called South City Sushi Cop and had that ‘shit, these dudes are fucking incredible’ moment. With a name like South City Sushi Cop, I didn’t really know what I was getting into. But it’s one of the best thoughtful, ambient-techno pop releases I’ve heard this year.
Sitting at 6 tracks long, Bad Blocks is definitely something danceworthy, and hey, look, on one hand, it’s an EP 5/6ths full of dancefloor ready techno-pop bangers (track 5, ‘Seven Fields of Sigh’ offers some respite from the crazy moves). But on the other hand, and if you listen to the production, the instrumentation, and the reflective vocals, it has this really carefully constructed, interesting quality to it. There’s a heightened level of atmosphere, a bed of warmth sitting underneath every track that although the music itself doesn’t necessarily elicit a strong summer vibe, still helps to keep me warm on a cool Melbourne afternoon.
I’d highly recomend you get your dirty hands onto this release – it’s pretty fucking good. I got streams of my two faves below though – the sporadic, manic, chiptune infused ‘Forest Spitting Cola’ and ‘Where You’re From’, a track with a really strong club vibe to it, complete with elements of Presets, be it from the big chorus drops, or the pulsating, full-on kick drum groove.
Free download of the EP over on the bands bandcamp page.
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Miks
FAUX PAS.
Faux Pas is back with some new stuff! I’ve been following Tim Shiel for a while (yeah dude, that was me knocking on your window last night. nah, not really.).
Tim is releasing a new album entitled Remixes on August 20. And funnily enough, it’s an album full of remixes.
The first track from the album is his remix of Sydney glitchy folk superstar Caitlin Park‘s track ‘Baby Teeth’. You can check out the original here.
The remix is some killer, moody dance floor goodness. Extends the original into something quite amazing – those little piano flourishes are so nice!
You can stream/download the track below and make sure you keep your eye out for the album. Looking forward to this one!
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Miks
RÜFÜS.
This is a pretty big EP, absofuckinglutely complete with some of the big big big (read: BIG) names of the Aussie dance scene…and a London duo thrown in for good measure.
RÜFÜS are one of those live dance acts that are slaying it. After some large releases, the boys have put out the This Summer/Selena Remixes EP. You’ve probably noticed a few of the remixes around a bit, that Lancelot one has been getting a fair bit of coverage!
For me, it’s the Softwar remix – it messes the vocals a bit – you have to listen to hear it sit, but hell man, when it clicks, it’s one good techno remix masterpiece. You can stream that below, and if you dig, make sure you buy it.
RÜFÜS – This Summer (Softwar Remix)
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Miks
NEW NAVY.
I loved the original version of this track when it came out – was one of those tracks that opened up my eyes to electronic music.
Now Sydney fellas New Navy have done a cover of it…and it’s actually really fucking good! Done in colab for their label Future Classic and clothing giant Le Coq Sportif.
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Miks
PIGEON.
Pigeon are out of Brissie and do some killer electro pop. They have this quite dark undertone to their music which cuts through really nicely on a lot of their tracks.
New single, ‘Oh Hebe’ fits the bill rather nicely with that intro that gets you. The choruses are big too. And that warpy sound that sits beneath the majority of the song adds that dark, but consistent element to it. Adds an extra level to it all.
We got a stream of the track, the clip as well as the dates they’re doing to launch the newy.
OH HEBE TOUR 2012
Friday 10th August – Sol Bar – Maroochydore
Saturday 11th August – Alhambra Lounge – Brisbane
Thursday 16th August – Transit Bar – Canberra
Friday 17th August – Great Northern Hotel – Newcastle
Saturday 18th August – Goodgod Small Club – Sydney
Thursday 23rd August – Workers Club – Melbourne
Friday 24th August – The Loft – Warrnambool
Saturday 25th August – Ed’s Castle – Adelaide
Friday 31st August – Great Northern – Byron Bay
Saturday 1st September – Red Deer Festival –Mount Samson
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Miks
AIRWOLF + MUSCLES.
So, the new Muscles album drops tomorrow. I’m kinda keen…but really wonder whether he can top Guns, Babes, Lemonade. We wrote about the new jam, ‘Ready For A Fight’ a little while ago.
Anyway, Melbourne fella Airwolf has gone remixed the latest. Makes it slightly more accesible, and more club friendly. It doesn’t lose any of it’s energy though. Makes something that was originally pretty discordant and uneasy (which, can I say, I really love), into something that makes a bit more sense, ready for the smashed kids at Can’t Say or something. Like it.
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Miks
VAN SHE
Can’t really wait for the new Van She album. Gonna be pretty killer I reckon, and a bit of a departure from their indie pop stylings of a few years ago. New track, ‘Jamaica’ is a tropical jam, that on a cold Melbourne day – it is seriously about 10 degrees outside – makes me want to raise the body heat.
Album drops on July 6 locally – I’ve pre-ordered my copy. The guys are also heading out on tour – deets here.
Van She – Jamaica by modularpeople
Miks
NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE.
These gents are killer, and so is this new single. Northeast Party House have had a fair bit of coverage over the past couple of years with a bit of Triple J play as well as a small reputation as a killer live band.
New single, ‘Pascal Cavalier’ is a bit of a moody indie dance thing – can hear elements of both City Calm Down and World’s End Press in there too. Always a good thing! I especially love the build ups that are part of this track – something these boys do really nicely. And then when that big chorus hits, it just kills.
You can catch Northeast Party House on an East Coast tour as they launch the newy. Make sure you check ’em out. You definitely won’t be sorry will be dead inside if you miss out. Details here.
Northeast Party House – Pascal Cavalier by StopStartMusic
Miks
CATCALL + LANCELOT.
From a song that I already dig heaps, comes a remix that I dig equally as much. Sydney’s Lancelot has gone and had his way with Catcall‘s new single The World Is Ours. Makes it into a super late night deep house vibe and fucking hell. It kills it. One of the best remixes I’ve heard this year so far, of one of the best pop tracks I’ve heard this year.
It be a WIN WIN!
Catcall – The World Is Ours (Lancelot Remix) by LANCELOT
Miks
WORLD’S END PRESS.
THIS!
Really really really enjoying this new track from Melbourne disco wonderkids World’s End Press. The single got it’s debut over on Mess & Noise, and I’ve been visting that page ever since because I couldn’t find an actual direct soundcloud link! Tricky work fellas.
But now, it’s gone live, and as soon as I jumped online this morning, it was over to iTunes to download the badboy.
Dan Whitford helped them out with this track…and you can tell. The whole sound is a little more produced than the stuff on the Faithfull EP. Having caught them live at Laneway last year though, I think this track would work as well live as their earlier stuff. Those synth stabs in the chorus would surely make people go ape shit.
The guys’ debut full length is coming out later on in the year, and going by the first cut, looking forward to it a heap!
World’s End Press – Second Day Uptown
Miks
NEW MUSCLES.
Muscles is gonna be releasing his second album in a few weeks. Entitled ‘Manhood’ it’s one album I’m definitely keen on hearing this year. More info about the album over on the Modular site.
Anyway, the first single from the album dropped the other day. It’s some hard Euro disco kinda stuff, but still with that distinctive lazy Muscles vocal. There’s some uneasyness in this track, that major triad that’s played in the chorus (music nerds unite!) against that almost harsh sounding vocal sound. I really like that. It’s not just another track that makes immediate sense and follows some formula. I think given Muscles‘s music chops, he’s able to pull this off rather well.
Make sure you check out the fella when he launches the new album throughout June and July. Deets in that massive poster above!
Muscles – Ready For A Fight by modularpeople
Miks
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