It takes a good artist release a solid single. It takes better one to release a solid album. But when a band is consistently throwing out masterpiece after masterpiece, as well as reworking their old songs however they please, that’s when you know they’re seriously talented.
Fat Freddy’s Drop puts the heart and soul back into contemporary music.
The talented seven-piece band from Wellington combines guitar, synths, brass and vocals to create a hybrid of dub and reggae that is both modern and down to earth. Joe Dukie’s smooth vocals dip in and out of the songs like an instrument in their own right, giving life to the songs without defining them.
Their first album Hope for a Generation achieved immediate success in 2004, and since then the tunes they’ve been releasing have just become better and better. Fat Freddy’s latest iTunes session, released last Friday consists of some new and some old tracks, including a gorgeous reworking of This Room that melds in vocals and instrumental riffs from Wandering Eye.
If you haven’t heard already them you seriously need to check these guys out. They’re awesome.
You can purchase and listen to the sweet, sweet iTunes session right here.
Check out their website:
http://www.fatfreddysdrop.com
Dear Chinese Laundry,
Please would you install air conditioning?
Sincerely,
Everyone.
Last Saturday night one of Sydney’s longest running clubs, Chinese Laundry was graced by the presence of DJs Touch Sensitive, Bag Raiders, A-Tonez and more. It was a crazy fucking night.
Touch Sensitive kicked us off with an amazing set at midnight, although it was hard to fully appreciate whilst being crushed in the incredibly sweaty throng of people. To dance uninhibitedly, one ran the risk of either punching someone in the face, or being confronted by their neighbour’s sweaty armpits. Not fun.
One could argue that the humidity and the sheer quantity of people is the hallmark of Chinese Laundry. But would it really kill them to install some ventilation?
Luckily by the time Bag Raiders came on the crowd had thinned out a bit, and that’s when the night really went to the next level. Bag Raiders had people jumping and screaming right up until their unwanted departure at 3am. They really played to the crowd, letting the music fade and encouraging fans to scream parts of the song and then pumping it right back up again.
All in all the night was amazing, both DJs really know how to keep a crowd buzzing. But for the love of God turn on some fans or something!
Shlohmo has finally released a new song called Emerge From Smoke, and it’s gorgeous.
More upbeat than his other recent releases, Shlohmo combines the grimy synth sounds that we so love, with a subtle layering of beats to build an incredible sense of anticipation. Perhaps that is why he’s been using the song to open his set at Coachella, and now on his tour around Canada.
This is the first new music we’ve seen from Shlohmo since his stunning collaboration with Jeremih in their 2014 album No More and his signing with revered Indie Label True Panther, and what a reaction it’s had! Posted to Soundcloud on Tuesday, Emerge From Smoke has already received over 29,000 hits and floods of positive feedback. We can only hope Shlohmo takes the hint and starts delivering more of those classic bangers.
Shlohmo please keep releasing music like this. You are amazing. We love you.
Walking into the dark, smoky back room of Sydney’s Goodgod Small club at 11pm you could have easily assumed that the evening would be a quiet one. There weren’t too many people. The beats were minimal, paired back. But you would be oh so wrong.
They kept it simple for the first hour or so, letting the intensity of each track rise slowly and then die back down. But as the set went on, the music transformed; growing faster, more intricate, and then absolutely mind-blowing. Devout fans moved to the front and the dance floor was suddenly heaving.
These guys really know how to play to a crowd, keeping the audience begging for more as those beats kept growing and building, before finally delivering those glorious drops. The night climaxed around 2:30 am, to massive cheers from the crowd, following a particularly amazing moment of musical mind-fuckery.
All in all Cliques have definitely proven themselves as musicians to watch out for. With a talent that should rank them alongside the likes of Peking Duk, Wave Racer and Cosmos Midnight, we can only hope to see a lot more of them this summer.
Groovin the Moo Festival has released their 2015 dates, as we prepare for an 11th year of regional action!
Like last year, the festival kicks off in Oakbank, South Australia on April 25. It then journeys upwards, hitting the regular sites of Bunbury, Bendigo, Canberra and Maitland before signing off on May 10 in Townsville.
Groovin The Moo began as a humble event in 2003, and its growth has been enormous – especially in the last couple years. With a focus on bringing big acts to regional areas, with an added dash or two of international stars, they define what an Australian festival should be all about: good music, picturesque rural locations and smooth, chilled out vibes.
Last year featured an incredible lineup that featured Dizzee Rascal, Disclosure, Peking Duk, Wave Racer, Vance Joy and Violent Soho, expectations are soaring for the 2015 event.
The full lineup come out on Jan 25, and ticket sales start on Feb 3… So stay tuned!
It’s hard to know how to react to Frank Ocean’s latest musical debut, a two-minute song called Memrise, which he posted straight to his Tumblr last Friday. The track combines dreamy, atmospheric beats with some staggering lyrics. Though it is more paired back and experimental than the stuff that we’re used to, more of an interlude than a finalised song.
Perhaps this is a teaser for new music to come. We do know that he’s been signed to management with Three Six Zero according to Billboard, possibly working with producers such as Hit-Boy and Rodney Jerkins, after parting ways with agency 4 Strikes earlier this year. Yet so far no announcements have been made confirming the release of a new album.
Whether this is Ocean’s attempt at remaining charmingly elusive, or simply a musical gift to his Tumblr fans, we can only hope that he has more in store for us.
All in all, if his new music is even close to the immense quality that we enjoyed with Channel Orange, we know we’re in for something damn special.
I memorized the wayward expressions
Never look down
Never let you see me down
I memorized the way no directions
Can I come over now
I’d like to stay a little while
I memorized your body exposed
I could fuck you all night long
From a memory alone
I never forget a face
Don’t go plastic on me
Nothing’s set in stone
You’re not dipped in gold
Dipped in gold
You can’t breathe if you’re dipped in gold
You are not on paper
You are not a copy
You’re so, you’re so..so thick, so thick
Nothing says cool like obscurity.
Perhaps this is what the success of Meanwhile – arguably Sydney’s best-known late-night dance club – is hinged on. Born out of the abyss created by 1.30am lockouts, the dark, hazy space situated below the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville provides the perfect antidote to the Sydney’s CBD’s wounded late-night dance scene.
Kicking off in August this year, the club is a collaboration between the Maker Agency, and well-known promoters Sam Korotkov and Kiran De Silva. Sitting just outside the lockout zone, they’ve already pulled off some massive nights, with DJ sets from Rüfüs, Nina Las Vegas, Indian Summer and Sampology just to name a few. But it was the Flight Facilities after-party from their Down to Earth tour that really changed the game.
A surge of ravers from across Sydney transformed what began as the domain of hardcore inner west music lovers into a club for people all-over. The lines were long, to say the least. The disappointment was bitter for some, as many people without pre-ordered tickets had to be turned away. But the night was worth it.
Flight Facilities revealed a different side to their musical talent, providing a brilliant set of grungy beats which kept the energy of the club pulsing. The dance floor went off like never before, and the DJs like Charlie Chux and Cassian ensured that those serious party vibes continued well into the morning.
Meanwhile have not only thrown a sick party, they’ve thrown themselves into the spotlight for music fans citywide. No doubt they will continue to outdo themselves as the summer holidays roll on.