Laneway aptly marked it’s humble beginnings in a Melbourne laneway in 2005. It has since built a reputation as a festival with it’s finger firmly on the pulse of the music industry, despite canning one of Australia’s foremost up-and-coming artists from the bill this year (cc: Kirin J Callinan).
Nevertheless, we savour the release of each lineup with intense anticipation because the event delivers a solid slew of talent from around the world every single year; from artists who we don’t usually see in this neck of the woods, to absolute crowd favourites we can’t get enough of.For the Sydney leg of the tour, the weather was cool, clear and decidely perfect. We tipped in just in time for UK boys Shame who have received nods from the likes of Fat White Family, which might offer some indication of what we walked in on. Unwinding, The Babe Rainbow lulled us into a flowery frenzy right before we caught a highly anticipated set from Alex Cameron straight off the back of about two years of touring everywhere but Oz, including opening for The Killers (yes, they did Madison Square Garden). Roy Molloy’s stool review was an authentic delight.
Billie Eilish rolled out in a red tracksuit with a Louis Vuitton purse strapped to her back and she belted out her first song into a bung mic which somehow went completely unnoticed by the sound guy. We snuck in some quick muzzing courtesy of Kllo at the Red Bull stage before blissing out to (Sandy) Alex G over at Spinning Top. Sylvan Esso followed shortly after and systematically blew our minds with perhaps the most high-energy set of the day before we landed firmly back on the ground in time for Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. Then, back over to the Garden Stage for big favourites The Internet who always receive the warmest reception. Guitarist Steve Lacy also played a bit from his solo EP to the glee of literally everyone present.
Photos: Dani Hansen
Shame
The Babe Rainbow
Alex Cameron
Billie Eilish
Kllo
Sandy Alex G
Sylvan Esso
Rolling Blackouts CF
The Internet
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
We love new music. You love new music. Here’s some of our favourite new music that we think you’ll love.
Illy, You Say When (ft. Marko Penn)
You Say When is the third single from Illy’s recent ARIA award nominated album Two Degrees, which pairs the dizzying romance of a new relationship off with the hedonism of getting faded in a hotel room. It feels like a club hit, with dark pulsing synths and a bass drop in the hook that’s bound to get audiences jumping on his upcoming Australian Tour.
The video features beautiful moody lighting to match the aesthetic of the tune, as well as Illy himself fully-clothed and half-submerged in water. Shot on Sydney’s northern beaches, the video showcases exactly what you’re likely to find there: two beautiful people being all emotional.
Lyrics like “Ain’t no emoji for the feeling/Let ’em autocorrect that” made me cringe but generally the song really captures that overly-romantic, love-drunk feeling we’ve all felt on a night out with a crush. Besides, this is a real pop tune from Illy, so maybe he gets away with referencing emojis?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh35NOGfynI
DJ Premier & Miguel, 2 LOVIN U
Any fans (me) of Miguel‘s 2015 album Wildheart might recognise this collaboration with the legendary DJ Premier.
The vocals are taken straight from Wildheart‘s track Damned, but DJ Premier’s incredibly simple version flips the original’s halftime stadium-rock haze for a choppy, clean Strat sound that lands somewhere between classic rock and disco. Underneath, the simplest drum beat ever drives the track forward and leaves you skipping back to the beginning wanting more.
A real ‘less is more’ masterclass from DJ Premier. More collabs like this please, gents.
Lonelyspeck, Settle
Taken from their debut Lave EP, out on Friday 3rd March, Settle comes from Adelaide outfit Lonelyspeck.
Coming very much from the Shlohmo and Lapalux school of trippy, glacial hip-hop sounds, Settle plods and whirs at the same time as it builds up an incredible amount of energy in its sub-three-minute length.
When it kicks in, the band live up to their name by making us feel like lonely specks. It feels as though the cosmos is opening out to meet you in all its dreamy euphoria as the vocals echo benevolently above the mix. One for walking home at night, studying or bed time.
Billie Eilish, Bellyache
This girl is 15. Fifteen. Years. Old. What are you doing with your life, eh?
This is the fourth track Billie Eilish has released – the first, Ocean Eyes, came out back in 2015. We’re yet to hear a full EP from her, but Bellyache feels like a statement of intent from the young Californian about what 2017 might have in store.
Compared to her other tracks, Bellyache leans much closer to the hip-hop production that proliferates the charts right now. Supposedly written in her bedroom with her brother, it features Eilish’s wonderfully folky overdubbed voice and a creative lyricism that you would expect from someone much older.
Age has no doubt been a talking point when it comes to Billie Eilish, but that is to do her music a disservice. Bellyache is a neatly written tune that show her talents transcending her years.
Confidence Man, Bubblegum
A few months ago I got an email from a friend at work that said “CONFIDENCE MAN” and a link to the Brisbane band’s first track Boyfriend (Repeat). I was hooked and couldn’t wait for the next funk-filled track to come out. Then it happened.
New single Bubblegum picks up where the Triple j Unearthed artists left off. With a maddeningly catchy hook and far-too-simplistic lyricism, the track grooves, bounces, flirts, and shakes. I dare you to listen to it without having a little desk boogie.
Excitingly, Confidence Man have just signed to UK label Heavenly Records – also home to King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – and have announced a bunch of AUS dates including Golden Plains Festival, Newtown Social Club and Hot Dub Wine Machine.
https://www.facebook.com/confidenceman1/photos/a.970351809730879.1073741827.970346429731417/1227318300700894/?type=3&theater
Image: Confidence Man (Supplied)