There seems to be a bunch of new, post-rocky bands hailing from Perth at the moment. Our dalliance with hippie rock is over and our love affair seems to be coming back to ‘90s rock and roll.
Runner are a band from Perth who I know little about. They may not even know much about themselves, but they are quite the wonder. Nothing new but dreamy, melody filled hooks and lines that drift through your head.
Check them out at their myspace page.
Peaking Lights are a great duo who make dreamy pop music. Their single “All The Sun Shines For You” taken from their debut record 936 and available on the Not Not Fun label has a droning bass line that dreams subtle loops and melodies, but it’s “Key Sparrow”, and the video for it, that we’re featuring here.
Their vocals are what most bands vocals seem to be at the moment, reverb-filled and very simple but here it works. I’m personally quickly moving away from this psych wonderment that seems to be plaguing musical circles but this may be the last band of that ilk that I will enjoy. Read the rest of this entry ”
1. TRUE WIDOW
When a band is described as a heavier Low, any real music fan’s ears should prick up and they should be pushing children over to hear it.
Well True Widow are described as such and although I would not commit assault to hear them, they are fucking fantastic.
They have recently shared the stage with …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead, a band they fit perfectly with. They’re ‘stonegaze’, whatever that means but if it means “grungey drone but filled with melody”, then I’m a ‘stonegaze’ fan.
Their second record As High As The Highest Heavens And From The Center To The Circumference Of The Earth is due in March on the Kemado record. It will be a trip into drudgey heaven.
1. KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS
Interesting name, interesting band. A wonderful blend of lounge tunes with just a little bit of indie flair.
Their new track “Hauntin Me” is a follow up to their now sold out debut 12” release, In Love With Dusk. Released via the Transparent label in the UK it’s a good exploration into the down tempo, vocal based electronica.
There is nothing amazing and new about this band but it is a dream to hear a band do what they do very, very well but have yet to be taken over by a mainstream model.
Check them here. Read the rest of this entry ”
1. ALGODON EGIPCIO
I don’t speak much Spanish. In fact I speak none. With that in mind I can’t tell you a great deal about this solo artist. I do know that his debut record is about to drop in March through the Lefse Label.
La Luche Constante is a pretty interesting affair. Filled with heavy bass lines but with vocals that soar above the melodies. A little bit of Latin flavor is definitely a fashion at the moment.
Think El Guincho without as much samba.
Check him here. Read the rest of this entry ”
1. JAMIE WOON
This is one of those names that just keep popping up. So much so I do believe this guy once watched me play basketball, what? A friend of a friend kind of thing but I kept ignoring the name.
I really wish I hadn’t. He has released a bunch of singles over the last few months, with his latest “Blue Truth” being the highlight. This is down-tempo dubstep music with a true and relevant element of soul.
You can tell he has a true music talent, perhaps even classically trained. With that as an element he creates very, very good electronic music.
Check him here.
2. WHY ARE WE BUILDING SUCH A BIG SHIP?
What a great question? What the hell are we doing with such big ships? Well I don’t know and to be frank I don’t really care. But I do know, behind the rhetorical question is a pretty interesting “punk” band.
They define themselves as punk but there is a cabaret sound here. Hailing from New Orleans, they have that big band sound with a catchiness that is joyous. Music heads may frown, they may even curse at this choice but as 2011 starts, a little bit of fun is well at hand.
Why Are We Building Such A Big Ship are signed to a very tiny label, Domino Sound.
Check them here.
3. DIRTY BEACHES
Self confessed romantic crooner Alex Zhang Hungtai is the man behind Dirty Beaches. This is simple music with monotonic, dull vocals but there is something great behind it all.
Think a less conceited Morrissey with the simple chord structures of The Vivian Girls. A fairly nomadic type, his music is not for everyone but it will strike a chord with a few.
Check him here.
4. TEEN INC
Recently described by Dam Funk as a band to watch out for, I heard Teen Inc a few months ago and it never really struck a chord with me. However, when I listened a little harder there is a little bit to this.
It has an almost Prince-like quality. Prince without the polish, a little raw, a little haphazard but pretty funky and very, very interesting.
Check them here.
5. THESE SHIPWRECKS
These Shipwrecks have been through a few line-ups over the last few years. Starting as a jam band around 2007, they have moved around in their musical styles and wants until now, and now they are creating very good post rock jams.
Hailing from Perth they have always used a talented scene to help create well thought out, melodic and intricate music. From previous incarnations they have shortened their tracks to more concise and well-produced recordings.
They have just released their debut record Salt, Sulphur, Mercury through Heartless Robot Recordings.
Check them here.
Zebulon Pike
The title of this blog indicates everything is new. Not always the case, sometimes you just find things that have always been there and come steaming into your life.
Zebulon Pike are such a band. A friend of mine in Minneapolis led me to them and their doom heavy, progressive heavy sounds are extremely good.
Their newest record Intransience is their third and is available via Unfortunate Sounds. They are currently recording a new release in their hometown of Minneapolis.
If you like the sounds of Mastadon, Pelican, Zombi and Maserati then these guys will be down your Christmas alley. Read the rest of this entry ”
FERGUS & GERONIMO
The best ever garage band out of Denton.… Well maybe not the best ever and that’s a long way from John Darnielle’s lyrics but I have made my point. Hailing from Denton, Texas Fergus & Geronimo are a pretty sweet, poptastic two piece.
They’re in a sense a throwback to early ‘60s pop bands. There is a definite delta blues feel to them but with a definite 2010 vibe. Not a bad combination.
They have just release their debut long player, Unlearn through Hardly Art Records.
Check them here. Read the rest of this entry ”
The Notes
Out of London, this three-piece and a drum machine are a throw back of sorts to a pre-Brit Pop England. Dark and brooding and sensual, singer Lauren has a pretty rocking voice with none to the pretense of trying to sound ‘cool’.
Perhaps they would improve by simply finding themselves a drummer but it gives this band a true DIY, let’s-figure-this-out-as-we-go feel. They have themselves a debut full length, Wishing Well, as well as a few EPs, all released this year.
You can download their record here for a price that you set… set a high price. Help them out. Read the rest of this entry ”
Arabrot
Black Metal is deeply entrenched in the Scandinavian music scene and not always to warm applause nor a huge amount of critical acclaim. Occasionally though one band comes flying out of Norway like a Viking at a pillaging convention. Arabrot are that band.
They have been around for quite some time but are about ready to drop their second album, Revenge. Named after a garbage disposal in their hometown, which now houses a school for troubled youth, there is definitely the hint of troubled youths in this band but no sense of garbage. Read the rest of this entry ”
Tjutjuna — Tjutjuna
How do you pronounce that one? That’s what you are saying, correct? Well it’s “Choo-Choo-Na” and if you are interested, that’s a Russian mythical beast.
This band is neither Russian nor a beast. Instead they are an unbelievable psyche rock four-piece form Denver, Colorado. This was an impulse buy due to the fantastic record label that they are signed to, Fire Talk. Impulse is a wonderful thing, it ended up being played over and over again. It will be played over and over again, again.
Check them here. Read the rest of this entry ”
Headless Horsemen — KSSHD HM
Hailing from the shores of New York City, this duo make quite creepy music. It does take a few listens to gather all that is going on through their multi-layered arrangements. Underneath the overly compressed vocals there are some lovely hooks and full melodies.
They have some pretty special sound blaring from their synths, guitars and keys. Yet to be signed, they do have a digital EP available at their bandcamp site, and in January they will take up residency in coolest of cool bars, Piano’s on Ludlow Street in NYC.
Check them here. Read the rest of this entry ”
Woodsman — Rare Forms
No this is not a band from the Bear Grylls school of survival, but rather a intricate, loop filled exploration in expansive music.
Hailing from Denver, Colorado but settling in good old Brooklyn they are set to release their second record. Titled Rare Forms, with one hell of a trippy front cover, this is a little brighter then previous releases but still quite amazing and eerie.
It’s set to be released on Lefse Records and Fire Talk for the vinyl. Fire Talk is headed by Woodman’s member Trevor, oh so symbiotic. Read the rest of this entry ”
Kylesa — Spiral Shadow
There is nothing new about this Georgian five-piece. Not Georgia the country, Georgia the state. They have been around since 2001 and have five records under their belt.
However, with their new record Spiral Shadow released via Season of Mist records their unique and ball-breaking metal sound may be heard beyond the realms of the underground metal scene of the American wheatbelt.
Their double drumming is pretty damn impressive but nothing on their vocalist, the aptly named Laura Pleasants. Read the rest of this entry ”
Every week here at life at noise, we give you a peek at some of the tunes that have been rocking our world. Here’s five of the best.
1. Apache Beat — Last Chants
This New York five piece formed in 2007. They have given us a few very DIY releases, but in 2010 we will see their debut record, Last Chants. There are certainly elements of a hipster New York band here but there are also, and wonderfully so elements of a true post-punky, indie joys. Read the rest of this entry ”
SLEEPY SUN
Fever
ATP Recordings
It seems that psychedelic soundscape music is coming from every corner of the world. Every record label has their ‘hippie’ band, their band that can play in bare feet out in the forest. ATP Records are no different, but they offer us Sleepy Sun, an extraordinary band who – with their second album Fever – have transcended the notion of psyche rock into the realm of downright brilliant rock and roll. Read the rest of this entry ”
Every week here at life at noise, we give you a peek at some of the tunes that have been rocking our world. Here’s five of the best.
1. Dead Confederate — Sugar
Hailing from Athens, Georgia, Dead Confederate are a five-piece of true talent. These guys rose to popularity in the Athens scene four years ago, with their new record Sugar being the band’s second LP and their fourth release in total.
Produced by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jnr, Sonic Youth, The Hold Steady), Sugar is a tour de force of nineties grunge tilts. Read the rest of this entry ”
