Batpiss : Drag Your Body

With a relentless five-note descending mutant riff that threads the entirety of Drag Your Body, Collingwood’s Batpiss claw you right in the Achilles tendon and don’t let up till you’re fully...
music single review
Is Tropical : Dancing Anymore Posted 15 May 2013 @ 1:40pm 93 views 0 comments The video for Dancing Anymore is most definitely the best of the year, detailing a wank romp fantasy taken to the logical extreme. It’s almost a shame that the clip is so good, as the track itself is a joyous pop romp. In short: cum for the video, stay for the tune.
Camera Obscura : Do It Again Posted 15 May 2013 @ 1:35pm 51 views 0 comments God dammit I just got flashbacks to the PS2 game Project Zero where you had to take pictures of ghosts using a camera obscura and it scared the fuck out of me and when one of my mates played it stoned he reached a state of shock where he could only communicate with chicken noises for a whole night. Anyway, I also have faint memories of Camera Obscura the band, and Do It Again is a fairly safe...
Midnight Juggernauts : Memorium Posted 15 May 2013 @ 1:31pm 70 views 0 comments Lifted from their upcoming full-length Uncanny Valley, Memorium is a majestic return to the dancefloor for the freshly resurgent synth purveyors. Never overreaching, frontman Vince Vendetta commanding baritone draws you in with the inflections of Bela Legosi’s Dracula. Percussive rave synths are on point, and the minimalist coda has an eerie undercurrent, sounding like a spaced-out Angelo...
Daughter : Human Posted 15 May 2013 @ 1:25pm 75 views 0 comments There’s an enticing swirl of hypnotic instrumentation present on Human – a disjointed snare punctuation, understated guitar pulses and a subtle orchestral build. The cries of “despite everything/I’m still human” skirt between a razor’s edge of fragility and empowerment, eventually surrendering with the final line which is best enjoyed spoiler-free.
Queens Of The Stone Age : I Appear Missing Posted 15 May 2013 @ 1:20pm 76 views 0 comments Approaching the release of their first LP in five years, Josh Homme and co. are riding a wave of near-infallibility. It’s deserved, I guess, considering that QOTSA have never produced anything truly awful – and memories of their greatest moments can carry them over more languid moments such as Era Vulgaris and this, a slowed down carousel-like track that never really lifts. It’s solid, and Homme...
Palma Violets : We Found Love Posted 15 May 2013 @ 1:18pm 50 views 0 comments Was really hoping this would be a RiRi cover, but alas, it’s a shitty dose of drunken Brit guitar that tries to act clever with a tempo switch-up. Do these NME-knighted lads know what fate is in store? They’re bound to end up on the indie scrapheap alongside that band I can’t remember that sounded like The Libertines and that other band that sounded like the band I can’t remember. No one can...
Sweet Jean : Tomorrow Morning Posted 15 May 2013 @ 1:16pm 95 views 0 comments A measured little folk jaunt, Tomorrow Morning balances the two strong vocal leads from Sweet Jean – aka Sime Nugent and Alice Keath. Lush strings and orchestral percussion bolster the Fleet Foxes-esque core. Nothing too spectacular, but still sitting well above most of the mainstream folk glut.
J-Lo Feat. Pitbull : Live It Up Posted 15 May 2013 @ 1:14pm 67 views 0 comments It’s approaching summer in the northern hemisphere, so here we have a tilt at a summer YOLO club banger anthem. Despite a slick intro and signature Miami-shoutout from Pitbull (who, for some reason, I find really listenable), Live It Up falls apart due to the rampant folly of cramming as many hooks into a pop song as possible. Pretty much everything J-Lo sings could classify as a chorus, none of...
Vampire Weekend : Ya Hey Posted 8 May 2013 @ 2:23pm 226 views 0 comments It’s right there in the title. On the surface, it’s a switch up of one of the best pop tracks of the last decade. But put in the context of the biblical explorations contained within the track, it’s a play on Yahweh, the ancient name of the lord. It’s Ezra Koenig’s greatest showing as a lyricist, achieving an impossible mesh of millennia-old culture and modern pop culture shoutouts to The...
The Novocaines : Freedom Please Posted 8 May 2013 @ 2:19pm 86 views 0 comments Freedom Please doesn’t fuck about, kicking straight into a venomous barrage of meaty post-hardcore. It’s a little bit Pulled Apart By Horses and a little bit The Vines, all of it pretty solid. Maybe two and a half minutes might be pushing it for tolerance to the throat shredding vocals on offer. Still, it’s pretty exciting stuff coming out of ol’ Perth way.
Heavenly Antennas : Misery Posted 8 May 2013 @ 2:07pm 121 views 0 comments Though the production is a little more Owl City than Postal Service, Misery is saved from a solid vocal take from singer Larissa Rate. The hooks aren’t quite hooky enough, but there are some interesting moments on offer.
Dark Matter Of Story Telling : I Lay Posted 8 May 2013 @ 2:04pm 194 views 0 comments Rising above the saturation of Fleet Foxes/Mumfords And Sons-derived plague of Australian folk, Dark Matter Of Story Telling have produced a captivating slow-burner in I Lay. Opening with a spectral choral showcase before easing into something a little more conventional, the track ascends to genuinely uplifting heights.
Breakaway : At The World's End Posted 8 May 2013 @ 1:56pm 111 views 0 comments Striving toward a stadium-sized pop-rock anthem, Sydney’s Breakaway scrap together a hideous piecemeal of emo tropes into an ambitious but largely forgettable few minutes. Plus it has the weirdest fucking bass drum I have ever heard. It’s real distracting. Probably for the best I suppose.
Sue-Anne Stewart : Love Gets Sweeter Posted 8 May 2013 @ 1:43pm 91 views 0 comments The last thing I thought I’d be saying about a track from an acoustic singer-songwriter is “this beat is dope”. However, this beat is dope. Love Gets Sweeter isn’t quite as saccharine as the title implies, but it’s a breezy display of acoustic noodling over a crisp layer of handclaps. Something about it brings back memories of mainstream ‘90s folk, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The Vanturas : Tightrope Posted 8 May 2013 @ 1:34pm 83 views 0 comments The first taste of The Vanturas’ upcoming debut album is a no-nonsense lil’ belter, flirting with rockabilly and a trace of horror country but ultimately playing it straight. The chorus hook doesn’t quite live up to the promise of the menacing verse, but Tightrope still holds up as a worthwhile burst of rock‘n’roll swagger.
Empire Of The Sun : Alive Posted 8 May 2013 @ 1:21pm 119 views 0 comments Here we see the wretched ouroboros that is Empire Of The Sun breach the point of crapulent self-parody, regurgitating up rancid chunks of electro-pop trends of yore accompanied by cringe-inducing opulent filmclip. It raises many questions – is that a kid-led sing-along in 2013? Who keeps giving Luke Steele so much goddamn money? Has Luke Steele ever fucked anyone while wearing his ludicrous...
Peak Twins : Steppin' Off Posted 8 May 2013 @ 1:20pm 166 views 0 comments Equal parts British Invasion, Britpop and Melbourne jangle, Steppin’ Off is a fairly turgid meander from some dumb boys singing about a ‘bad’ girl who stays out all night. Musically weak and in poor lyrical taste, Peak Twins are splashing about in the rancid dregs of our fair town’s fertile garage productions of the past few years.
Montero : Passions Posted 8 May 2013 @ 1:16pm 277 views 0 comments Stemming from the same school of retro-pop fetishism as US masters Ariel Pink and John Maus, Montero set their ship on a smoother and sexier course with the effortlessly dreamy Passions. The lovelorn themes provide a stylistic allegory, “Destined to repeat our history”, and everything comes together for a sultry launch into the stratosphere with keys and guitar interplay.
Majical Cloudz : Childhood's End Posted 8 May 2013 @ 1:10pm 71 views 0 comments Okay this sounds heaps like Chet Faker – the earnest vocals, the stripped back vintage-tinted electronics. But what sets Canadian duo Magical Cloudz ahead of Melbourne’s oh bearded one is a penchant for devastating lyrical exposition. Despite the fairly heavy themes of patriarchal loss, Childhood’s End manages to pull it off without ever seeming overbearing or melodramatic. 
Carb On Carb : You’re Bound To Fall, Give Posted 1 May 2013 @ 8:41am 240 views 0 comments Auckland duo Carb On Carb deal in a dreamy brand of minimalist shoegaze, forming a tenacious and cohesive wash of tonal bliss. You’re Bound To Fall, Give bears a palette that stretches beyond the limitations of being a two-piece, with a forlorn vocal interplay weaving in between drum-guitar breakdowns. Tidy stuff. They play The Public Bar on Wednesday May 1 and The Gaso on Friday May 3.
The Murlocs : Rattle The Chain Posted 1 May 2013 @ 8:37am 119 views 0 comments A solid blues-rock stomper, Rattle The Chain is a slinky lil’ track that showcases frontman Ambrose Kenny-Smith’s inimitable howl and formidable harmonica chops. A fine initial warning shot ahead of the reputable live outfit’s upcoming full-length debut.
Rainy Day Women : My Poor Mind Posted 1 May 2013 @ 8:34am 137 views 0 comments Really wish this was bad enough for me to pull a “Shit Sandwich”-esque three word review that reads “My Poor Ears”. It’s bad, but not quite that bad. My Poor Mind sounds like what would happen if The Strokes and Band On The Run-era Wings merged together in unholy union.
The BellRays : On Top Posted 1 May 2013 @ 8:32am 95 views 0 comments Diving headfirst into turbo-charged rock‘n’roll cliché territory, On Top sees The BellRays crank their dickhead riffs to 11 – taking it from the garage to a Halen, Crue-ready arena setting. It doesn’t pretend to be anything its not – sticking it to the man, purporting a Long Way To The Top ethos, dealing in single entendres with quips like “I’ll be your slut.” Does what it says on the tin,...
Lord Huron : Lonesome Dreams Posted 1 May 2013 @ 8:30am 99 views 0 comments Seems like Lord Huron is aiming for a little bit of Jim James on Lonesome Dreams, but Australian listeners would find more in common with our troubadour Josh Pyke. The lyrics give the impression that Lord Huron took a day trip out to the forest and simply listed every single thing he saw – “rocks and trees”, “wooded mile”. A hackneyed strain of Americana.
Flyying Colours : Wavygravy Posted 1 May 2013 @ 8:27am 193 views 0 comments Belying its goofy as hell title, Wavygravy is a powerhouse display of shoegaze might from rising Melbourne outfit Flyying Colours. It sounds big and it sounds good, like it was recorded with a cliff-face of amps in an abandoned wind tunnel. It’s all taken to greater heights when the animalistic rhythm section cuts loose two-thirds of the way through. Far from worshipping at the foot of early-‘...
Sigur Rós : Ísjaki Posted 1 May 2013 @ 8:24am 88 views 0 comments Ah post-rock, how I’ve tried to embrace thee. The closest I’ve came to enjoying the genre was staring at the stars while Sigur Rós took to the grounds of Werribee Mansion late last year. Ísjaki sees the now three-piece reel in their tonal triumphs into a more concise form, bounding along with joyous pomp. Apparently the lyrics mark a move away from the made-up Hopelandic dialect into their home...
Deerhunter : Back To The Middle Posted 1 May 2013 @ 7:37am 128 views 0 comments Taken from Monomania, the band’s fifth full-length LP, Back To The Middle retains many of Bradford Cox’s aural signatures – the gentle breakdowns and swerving guitar melodies – while serving up a side of garage distortion. Far from overreaching, the track is a short but sweet taste of Cox’s pop-genius spittle.
Bleeding Knees Club : Feel Posted 1 May 2013 @ 7:25am 97 views 0 comments I guess if levelling up from scrappy garage to pop-punk-by-numbers is considered maturation of sound, Bleeding Knees Club have ‘matured’ on their first new track since their debut album of last year. It’s not exactly terrible, but if you’re gonna strap yourself in to the hopefully ephemeral ‘90s pop-punk revival you need to do it a little better than phoning it in with four minutes worth of...
Gotye Feat. Perfect Tripod : Quasimodo’s Dream Posted 1 May 2013 @ 7:21am 160 views 0 comments Released on a limited run of 7” as a fundraiser for SLAM (Save Live Australian Music), Quasimodo’s Dream sees all-round top bloke Wally De Backer team up with comedy troupe Perfect Tripod (Tripod plus Eddie Perfect) an obscure cut from the Australian ‘80s canon. The kooky flourishes of The Reels’ original are transformed into an endearing a capella beauty, with Wally’s contemplative vocal...
Bill Ryder-Jones : He Took You In His Arms Posted 24 Apr 2013 @ 1:21pm 299 views 0 comments Former lead singer for The Coral and collaborator with the likes of Alex Turner and Graham Coxon, Bill Ryder-Jones is a cool breeze on a hot day, a loveliness so pure it feels like release. From his second solo album, with the perfect title A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart, He Took You In His Arms is a deflated, accusing ballad about adultery; about that image of your love with someone else that you...