MONTGOMERY + JAPANESE WALLPAPER.
Sometimes it all just hits you – everything feels as though it’s sitting in the right place. Things are moving at a pace familiar, but yet you’re still excited to see where it all goes. It reaches the points you know will bring you that extra buzz, that subtle push to the wry smile already forming. It gives you that warm and fuzzy, but it also gives you something else, something a lot bigger than that feeling you get. It feels as though it is actively accompanying something, maybe a memory, or maybe just this current moment, as you sit at your kitchen table after devouring your tuna salad sandwich.
It seems everything Gab Strum/Japanese Wallpaper touches immediately has this pureness and honesty. His latest, a remix of Montgomery‘s ‘Pinata’ took me everywhere that opening paragraph went. No doubt, as it accompanies the mad scurry that is the end of the year, it’ll add a calmness and a stillness – something I’m sure we could all do with.
The track is available as a free download until Boxing Day, so if you need something to play on repeat on Christmas morning as you jump on that plane back to the city you grew up, then this is your chance.
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Miks
DZ DEATHRAYS.
Ohhhh mate. So good to know that the DZ Deathrays aren’t completely going in that pop direction of their earlier single, ‘Northern Lights’.
The newy ‘Gina Works At Hearts’ basically sounds like a more polished version of their first album, and for that, I’m fucking grateful. The track comes from the band’s 2nd album, Black Rat due out May 2nd through those rad dudes I OH YOU. Pre-order here.
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Miks
CITY CALM DOWN.
So I’ve been a big ol’ fan of these boys for a fair bit. Since they first started a couple of years ago, through to last year’s signing to I OH YOU, to say that Melbourne’s City Calm Down have progressed a bit would be a freakin’ understatement. They’re still doing the moody, live dance vibe, but man, everything is so much more confident and tight.
At first, I was a little unsure about this new tack ‘Speak To No End’, but man, it really does have everything you’ve come to expect from a CCD track. That massive euphoric chorus, that slick slick slick bass line, and Jack Bourke‘s amazing vocal tone. And I love how the end isn’t just a big old jam out of the chorus. I like all that distortion that finishes the track, that manic distorted line that echoes Jack’s rather manic yelling.
The track is the first of two singles from the band’s debut full length. The second single, ‘Pavement’ is due out early next year.
As I heard it described a couple of days ago by maamf mate Nick Clarke over on the Poncho podcast, these guys are a career band. And, I think i’d have to agree. They do do that party dance stuff, but they create room in each release, so as to suggest a longer, more sustainable career than a lot of those other party bands.
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Miks
SNAKADAKTAL.
So some things are meant to be impressive. When I OH YOU announced the other day that Snakadaktal were releasing a new song this afternoon, I got pretty stoked. And the new song, exceeds my expectations (READ: is a fucking good song!).
‘Ghost’ is the first taste off the bands debut album Sleep In The Water which is due for release August 2. It’s slow sleepy layering showcases how these guys use atmosphere superbly. There’s also a complexity and a sophistication to it too – even moreso than their previous work. Head over to the band’s website for details on purchasing the album – snakadaktal.com
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Miks
DZ DEATHRAYS
Awesome new clip from Brisbane kids DZ Deathrays. These guys have been going absolutely great guns over the last year or so, absolutely killing it. New single ‘Cops Capacity’ is dope as. And man, dogs are awesome. But you know what’s even awesomer? Dogs as humans/humans as dogs. YOU CAN NEVER EVER GO WRONG!
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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
VIOLENT SOHO.
The new track from the Violent Soho dudes is a small bit killer. It’s called Tinderbox, and still has that trademark grunge feel, especially in the verses. But man, when that chorus kicks in, it goes fucking big. When I first heard it, I was really afraid that it sounded a bit like Birds of Tokyo (a very bad thing). But after a full listen (and about 10 more), I’ve realised that the chorus just lifts the track up and gives you that big massive punch in the face that you perhaps needed.
The single had a digital release yesterday (iTunes) and will be getting a physical 7″ release as a double A-Side later on in the year through those dickheads, I OH YOU (and by dickheads, i mean really fine, amazing gentlemen).
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Miks
SNAKADAKTAL.
‘The most talented kids in Australia’
That’s something you’ll probably hear a bit about the Snakadaktal peeps. Seriously great song writers who haven’t put a foot wrong yet. We caught new single ‘Dance Bear’ a few months ago when they played at the Northcote Social Club. It was killer then – went off a bit! – and now, we got a recorded version. You can stream it below now, and grab it from iTunes from tomorrow.
So keen on hearing their debut. Big loves to the I OH YOU crew aswell. Those kids be completely nuts.
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Miks
Howl – Brothers In Violence Clip
So, I is feeling generous n shit. Two posts in the day of our return. Ballarat dudes Howl have a new clip for their new track Brothers In Violence.
They’re on a pretty sweet little label called I OH YOU, who are also responsible for putting out that Bleeding Knees Club EP a few weeks ago.
Anyway, the track is awesome, and the clip is super well produced and looks awesome..
bleeding knees club
Bleeding Knees Club are two dudes from up on the Gold Coast, doing some saweeeeet as bluesy punk. Guys have signed to I Oh You (They’re the dudes behind Howl) and they’re debut EP entitled Virginity was dropped a few weeks back (grab it from iTunes).
Their stuff sounds like it’s over before it’s begun, but then you remember the party you had for that 2 or 3 mins and you wanna hear it all over again. It’s stripped back indie bluesy punky pop like you aint heard before
The fellas also have a few gigs coming up. Deets over on their MySpace
And for you listening pleasure, we got their track Bad Guys off their EP. YES!
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