Parramatta’s premiere summer festival The Plot returned this year ready to bring Plotters some of the biggest up and coming names in Australian music. Part I features Gold Fields, Indian Summer, Ocean Alley, Polographia, Tash Sultana, Ivan Ooze, Ziggy Alberts, Dylan Joel, Montaigne, Vera Blue, Elizabeth Rose, Alex Lahey, Pierce Brothers, Confidence Man, Luca Brasi, Japanese Wallpaper, Allday and The Bennies. Check the action below.
Gold Fields
Indian Summer
Ocean Alley
Polographia
Tash Sultana
Ivan Ooze
Ziggy Alberts
Dylan Joel
Montaigne
Vera Blue
Elizabeth Rose
Alex Lahey
Pierce Brothers
Confidence Man
Luca Brasi
Japanese Wallpaper
Allday
The Bennies
Photos: Teresa Pham/Howl & Echoes
It’s video roundup time! Once again, Howl And Echoes are coming in hot with the freshest, most eyeball-stimulating music videos to be dropped by the artists you love and some of the artists you don’t know you love yet this week. We do all the dirty work and herd them all into one convenient web-based location for you to enjoy every Friday so that you don’t have to. Have yourself a good old gander at the latest offerings from:
Xiu Xiu – Into The Night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgBcmaRfxlE
Kicking off with the San Jose grown experimental noise pop trio Xiu Xiu and their enormous new single Into The Night. With their twelfth studio album Xiu Xiu Plays The Music Of Twin Peaks arriving today, an album that, you guessed it, sees the trio covering music from the Twin Peaks soundtrack. A challenging project given the show’s manically cult following.
At a gigantic 12-and-a-half minutes, it’s a sprawling opus of distorted noise and crosses the threshold of a litany of genres, making for some gripping listening. The video, directed by Diego Barrera, explores the creation of the alchemical siren, a union between masculinity and femininity. The visuals are like a confronting dream and are very open to interpretation, best to watch for yourself to get the best understanding.
Xiu Xiu Plays The Music Of Twin Peaks is out now via Polyvinyl.
Gonzo Jones – Misty Dreams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu5AnZB8lWc
The latest Good Manners Records signee is Gonzo Jones and Misty Dreams is his debut single. Hailing from Cape Liptrap in Victoria, the singer-songwriter has kicked off his career with a beautifully melodic, cloud-soft rock tune in the vein of Mac DeMarco. Some of the easiest and breeziest listening you will do all this week.
The accompanying video is a sepia-tinged road trip in a Mustang convertible through sand and scrub, the late-60’s aesthetics striking. As auspicious a debut as they come, we’re looking forward to some very big things from Gonzo Jones.
Mitski – Your Best American Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_hDHm9MD0I
Popping over to Brooklyn next with the latest single from singer-songwriter Mitski. Part of the lead-up to her fourth studio album Puberty 2, she has released Your Best American Girl with its video this week and the results are pretty much stunning. Soothing vocals over a gently strummed acoustic guitar, before the amps turn on and the drums crash around grungy riffs and Mitski’s vocals lifting off. It will reach down as far into you as it can in pushing your emotional buttons, side effects include goosebumps.
The video is equally as striking, a young couple exchanging a passionate kiss with each other juxtaposed with Mitski having an equally as passionate exchange with her hand. It’s a metaphor for, as a Japanese American girl, not quite fitting in in white America.
Puberty 2 is out June 17th on Dead Oceans via Inertia.
SilentJay x Jace XL – Rockabye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyRHe6KWZjY
Joining forces once again on this next one are producer-singer tag team Silentjay and Jace XL. Part of the Hiatus Kaiyote ensemble, their newest track is Rockabye; a track full of soft RnB melodies, shimmering production and the soulful vocals of Jace XL weaving the narrative. Late night bedroom listening at its finest, this is a song that will warm you up with colder months ahead.
The video is as sensual as the song itself, a tender love story covered in a haze of smoke and lights both warm and inviting and the neon of the nightlife. Rockabye is part of the lead-up to the duo’s forthcoming debut EP but this is a pair that definitely needs to stick together.
Sacrifice is out next Monday April 18th via Rhythm Section.
Noonie Bao – Reminds Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnjSkmMdm34
Lauded as one of pop’s greatest hidden talents (though we’re not sure how hidden you can possibly be when you’ve been nominated for a Grammy Award) is Stockholm’s Noonie Bao. Reminds Me is her latest single, a track that begins off-kilter with dreamy verses delivered like lymerics before building to a chorus that takes flight. Haunting and frantic, it’s easy to see why people rave about Noonie Bao.
The video, directed by Sebastian Mlynarski and shot in Death Valley in California is gorgeously picturesque, a collage of cut and pasted shots with the chorus finding her running across a desert highway in and out of the moonlight particularly striking.
Noonie Bao’s latest EP Noonia is out now via 2ManyFreckles.
Ash Koosha – Mudafossil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kSm7saCoXQ
London producer Ash Koosha has a brand new single this week. Mudafossil premiered on Adult Swim on the weekend just gone. Distorted and ambitious, the track features Eastern instrumentals and production that is as warped and fluid as the accompanying visuals.
Yes this video is a trip. We’ve seen quite a number of CGI-based videos popping up lately, but this one takes the cake as far as sheer trippiness goes. Conveying the overarching themes of his album I AKA I, the video merges the human body with technology using rippling, pulsating effects. Just watch and absorb yourself.
I AKA I is out now on Ninja Tune via Inertia.
Bibio – Light Up The Sky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgrgCaSo8e4
Next up is another English producer in Bibio and his latest single Light Up The Sky. A track that begins with big piano chords and 80s-style synths, it quickly melds into almost dripping tap percussion and some ethereal falsetto vocals. The video is a rainbow of colours and lights, a live performance with a twist with microscopic mineral imagery projected onto the instruments to breathtaking effect.
The effort and love put forth into this video cannot be understated, shot in three days and edited meticulously. It’s another stellar track from Bibio’s latest record A Mineral Love; out now on Warp Records via Inertia.
Kate Martin – Kintsukuroi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oSpl4CZ-fg
Back home for this next video, with Melbourne-via-Townsville singer-songwriter Kate Martin and her first single since 2013’s Awaken in the brilliant Kintsukuroi. Textured, beautifully layered with gentle guitars slithering across the track and rich, gentle vocals anchoring it all. The song crashes like a roiling wave in its crescendo.
The video is simple but effective, featuring Kate twirling in the darkness and playing her guitar, the focus solely on her as it should be. With a third studio album, Set My Life To Fire, on its way in Autumn of this year, amazingly prolific for an artist only 24 years of age, this is a very encouraging sign of things to come.
Catch Kate Martin on her Kintsukuroi single launch in May and June.
Elizabeth Rose – Playing With Fire (ft. REMI)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmihmGgHi8E
Interactive music videos are catching fire in 2016, and Elizabeth Rose has teamed up with the good people at Google Play in crafting one of her own for her latest single Playing With Fire from her huge debut LP INTRA. The song mixes modern day trap beats with melodies and production that harken all the way back to the pop music that was commanding the charts in the late 90s and early 00s. REMI stops by to drop a hard-hitting verse to add a lot of extra depth.
We won’t spoil the fun for you, but you can literally play with fire (and apparently Elizabeth Rose’s own emotions) by going to https://www.elizabethrose.com.au/play/
INTRA is out now via Midnight Feature/Inertia
City Calm Down – Your Fix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26AQCCQKkcc
One of 2015’s biggest breakout stories were City Calm Down. Releasing their Bibically-proportioned album In A Restless House and enjoying lauded spots on festivals and headline tours around Australia. They’ve not shown any sign of slowing down in 2016, just announced for Splendour, currently on an all-but-sold-out headline tour of Australia and this week releasing the video for one of In A Restless House’s standouts in Your Fix.
It’s a New Wave belter, driving synths and guitars over frontman Jack Bourke’s Robert Smith-reminiscent vocals. The video is awash in neon pinks and blues, the band playing the song on a rotating Lazy Susan stage and somehow not looking the slightest bit dizzy. Great stuff from one of Australia’s best bands going.
In A Restless House is out now via I Oh You. Catch City Calm Down on their In A Restless House tour now.
A full length release from Sydney triple threat (that is, DJ, singer, producer) Elizabeth Rose has been a while coming at this point and Intra is it. With an impressive roll call of collaborators, Intra is a wide and varied selection of electro-pop driven by Rose’s gorgeous voice and grounded by topical, thoughtful and occasionally political subject matter. Rose blends the topical (marriage equality, war, gun violence, social media anxiety) with the catchy, amid crunchy, popping beats and washed out layers of ambiance.
Intra starts off strong, though the M-Phazes-produced Shoulda Coulda Woulda is a somewhat surprising choice in opening track. Shoulda Coulda Woulda invaded airwaves and head-spaces alike late last year and placed Rose in prime position to get hella plays over summer. The problem with placing this incredibly catchy, beat-driven track not simply early, but as the first cab off the rank, is that there’s a real danger of missing the rest via a click of the repeat button.
https://soundcloud.com/elizabethrose/shoulda-coulda-woulda
Should you refrain from pressing repeat -and I suggest you do- you’ll slide right into In 3s. Decidedly even more pop in direction, In 3s makes perhaps the best use of Rose’s vocal capabilities and creates a fervent desire to dance with a feel good sense of self-assurance. It does a good job of hitting the nail on the head of self-empowerment, where the REMI featuring Playing With Fire, a track currently doing its rounds on radio, narrowly missed.
https://soundcloud.com/elizabethrose/playing-with-fire-feat-remi
Piano-lead Kensho feels out of place, even when balanced with Division a few tracks later. Kensho is a purely instrumental piece that wonders dangerously close to filler territory. Division, on the other hand is a swirling track beginning much the same with piano at the open. It instead builds upon itself with layers of textured, defiant vocal tracks and washes of colour throughout. It’s particularly poignant, fitting then, that it is her marriage equality anthem.
Steel Hearts closes Intra and mirrors Shoulda Coulda Woulda as one of, if not the, best offering on the album. Where the first track opens with an instantaneous rhythm set to stick with you for days, Steel Hearts is a slow burn. It takes the opportunity to make a real showcase of those iridescent layers of ambient electronica hinted at earlier in the album. It’s a fitting end to the album, and a reminder of Rose’s greatest strength: her knack for melody.
Though Rose’s talent as a vocalist and producer with wonderful pop/electro sensibilities are undeniable, Intra, it pains me so to say, falls short of the mark. There is an almost dead even mix of truly remarkable, all consuming tracks alongside a handful that find the listener wanting. It’s curious; the standout tracks aren’t simply standout because of their less impressive neighbours; Intra has a number of treasures to be uncovered within. However there are just as many gems which might have done with a more thoughtful cut and some extra polish.
Intra is out March 4th
Elizabeth Rose is quickly becoming our next big thing in pop, thanks to her inviting blend of electro and RnB thrown into the mix and her impressive ability to make infectious songs, time after time. She’s been kicking around for a few years now, and has released a slew of awesome EPs, remixes and singles along the way – but no debut album. Until now.
Intra, the name of her debut LP, is set to finally drop in two days time, and is already shaping up to be one of the best pop releases of the year. With singles Another Earth, Shoulda Woulda Coulda, Division and now Playing With Fire already out in the world, we can’t wait to hear what else she is sitting on with this one.
And what better way to hear a record than with a live performance by the artist herself? Not only is Elizabeth Rose’s debut album dropping this week, but she is also set to embark on a national tour in support of it this June! Before things well and truly blow up for her (and trust us, she will), we asked her to tell us a bit more about herself and the three albums that changed her life. Check her answers below, as well as her national tour dates!
https://soundcloud.com/elizabethrose/playing-with-fire-feat-remi/s-4o94S
Aaliyah, More Than A Woman (2001)
This was actually the second album I ever bought as a kid (the first being Aquarium by Aqua lol!) and wow! It still inspires me right to this day. I saw Aaliyah as a powerful, sexy, intelligent woman and it really spoke to me – I knew that when I heard it for the first time it was the kind of career I wanted to have. Standout tracks for me are Rock The Boat & Try Again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRcAvsZgjXA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVMcIEPZ9YY
Joni Mitchell, Blue (1971)
My year 9 singing teacher gave me this album to listen to and I was instantly drawn in. Joni Mitchell is the only musician I ever had a full on obsession with – I listened to every album she ever released, watched a documentary on her and even wrote an essay on her in year 10. What I love about her is just how colourful her use of melody is through her voice and through her unique tunings she uses on her guitar. I taught myself her tunings at the time and used to write my own songs in them. Her honesty in her lyrics is what still inspire me today; I’m a big believer in saying exactly what you mean and not worrying about being direct in songwriting, and this all comes from her. Standout tracks are River & This Flight Tonight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAK9Pj5-QXY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxs8wz4Vb9w
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Trouble (2012)
This album was huuuuuge for me. I got so hooked on the sound that he had on his vocals as well as the synths he used too. I loved that his live shows were quite theatrical too! The record really inspired me sonically. I began to use more hardware synths in my writing and started to become poorer by buying them too! The fact that he produces, writes and sings on his tracks is super cool – it’s exactly the kind of area I want my music to sit in, it’s still hook-y but the production is really fresh and clean. Standout tracks for me are Closer & American Dream.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctRFFUNZ6BA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvO_3LqEdkw
Intra is out March 4 via Midnight Feature/Inertia.
Ahhh, Friday. You bring a lot with you; contagious good vibes, a promising feel and an excited air, but you also bring our weekly playlist of best new tracks – and that is our favourite Friday factor of all!
This week is guaranteed to get the party started. We’ve got it brimming with fantastic new electro slices, some desert blues tunes and even a remix of a track by The Kooks to give you that nostalgic feel. We’ve listened to a hell of a lot of music this week, but we reckon these 10 are the best. Enjoy!
Anatole, Colours
Anatole could quite literally be one of, if not the best producer in the country right now. We here at Howl & Echoes cannot possibly rave about him enough. Every single song is astounding,and every single song outdoes it’s predecessor. Colours is probably my favourite release of his yet, and it’s easy to see why. Recruiting a bunch of fellow Sydney Conservatorium musicians to jump on violins, violas, cellos, double bass, clarinet and flute whilst he lays down his typically meticulous and intricate production, you can hear just how much time and effort he has put into this song. It’s truly in a league of it’s own, as is it’s creator.
Left., IOU
The message along behind this track earns it a special place in our heart. One half of the Sydney duo, Sarah Corry said it’s about “standing your ground and being the sexy, strong, smart woman you are, celebrating an existence where you can live without fear of being mistreated by anyone. It’s at once sexy and powerful, which I think all women are – even though we’re not always made to feel that way.” Fuck yes, Sarah! Not to mention the slinking beat and Sarah’s impeccable vocals – this track has it going on in all the right ways. Yaaaasssss lady!
Lontalius, Kick In The Head
This song reminds me of Noah & The Whale in the way it paints a grand picture with all it’s elements and draws you in almost instantly with it’s emotive nature. Slightly melancholy and forlorn, Lontalius is detached but engaging, and sounds quite nonchalant for someone who has created such an intricate song. This is a track you can listen to again and again and still pick up new sounds, and one I don’t see myself getting sick of any time soon.
Retro Culture, Cold
As the artist name would suggest, this is full of retro goodness. Flume-esque production is laid down, and whilst the song is called Cold, the track is warm and welcoming. It washes over you and, whilst it’s a slow burner, it still leaves you feeling excited and almost exhilarated as it fades out. Retro Culture might be a relatively new name around the place, but if he keeps putting out tracks like this, that will absolutely change!
The Kooks, Sweet Emotion (Montmartre Remix)
Whilst my 15-year-old self might not have ever thought of a dance pop remix of The Kooks, my 22-year-old self is all about it and more. Montmartre’s remix is the first to come from the recently announced remix album The Kooks are planning, and the bar is well and truly set high from this one. Coming just in time for the start of summer, Montmartre have captured everything fun about The Kooks’ unique brand of indie rock and put it through a dance music kaleidoscope, and the results are just so damn good.
I’lls, Let Me Have Just One (Planète Remix)
Two of Melbourne’s best, finally on the same track. The recently announced hiatus of I’lls was one that left more than a few fans with heavy hearts, but it seems fellow Melbournian Planète is here to save the day. Taking the band’s most recent single Let Me Have Just One and turning it into something entirely his own, Planète works his intricate magic to turn the track into a nearly 9-minute epic. Being a fan of creating entire soundscapes, he starts off small and ends up with an absolute behemoth, all the while exercising a certain element of restraint to keep everything under control in the most enjoyable way possible.
Squarehead, Citamenic
Squarehead have been kicking around since 2011, but they’ve recently returned to the scene in a blaze of glory with their latest two track after a year and a half hiatus. Sprawling, dark, heavy and intricate, this is the exact way you would want to herald your return, and the guys have done it so well. Citamenic is the first song off the release, and is definitely my favourite. It’s electrifying and energetic in all the right places, and absolutely spell-binding in the way it works it’s way along. Welcome back Squarehead, please don’t leave us again!
Elizabeth Rose, Shoulda Woulda Coulda (Sinden Remix)
I love when an awesome new song comes out that you just can’t get enough of, and then a slew of remixes of said song start to pop up as well. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving, and the gift is an almighty slice of dance pop thanks to Elizabeth Rose. She dropped this track a little while ago, but now it’s starting to get some fresh life breathed into it – and who better to do that than Sinden? The legendary producer has jumped on the Sydney up-and-comer, and the two are a match made in musical heaven.
Sophie Lowe, Pink Flowers (Kuren Remix)
Kuren is 17 years old, but is already sitting on hundreds of thousands of Soundcloud plays and a very steady growing fan base – and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why. From just one listen to any of his emotion-drenched electronic tracks, it’s obvious he’s onto something seriously good. He just dropped his debut EP recently that has everyone talking, and now he’s showing off his remix abilities too by jumping on Sophie Lowe’s Pink Flowers. Let’s just say, this doesn’t disappoint either. Is there anything he can’t do?!
The Family Jordan, It Won’t Be Long
Brisbane mega-group The Family Jordan are local staples in their hometown, but for some reason they’ve never fully broken through. Whilst it is beyond me as to why not, something tells me that they may be about to finally hit their stride with the news of a new album on the way and a new single to boot. Sprawling, captivating and really special, The Family Jordan have always done things their own way and when they sound this good, who are we to complain?
Sydney electronic artist Elizabeth Rose has jumped from strength to strength throughout the past couple years. She’s recently released the gorgeous new single Shoulda Woulda Coulda, the first taste of what we can look forward to on her long-awaited debut album Intra, dropping on March 4th 2016.
Every day, more artists are emerging with pristinely-produced electronic beats. It can be hard to sift through it all and pick out the gems, but luckily for us, Elizabeth Rose got our back. She’s picked out her favourite upcoming local artists to keep an eye on as we inch towards 2016. Strap on those headphones and get ready to dive into some amazing Aussie music:
This boy knows production and he is just growing bigger and bigger each year… if you haven’t heard his stuff yet, I suggest you check him out quickly!
She’s been around the tracks for a few years now, her latest offering Once is a really fresh song. Her triple j like a version of Tame Impala‘s The Less I Know the Better is incredible.
Dennis is a mate of mine who I worked on with Division with. His solo stuff as Deutsch Duke is so sexy – I’m obsessed with his latest track Harder Without You
This local Sydney producer is so underrated – I’m still puzzled as to why he hasn’t blown up yet. I had a writing session with him recently and boy was I blown away…
Aka the new boss of techno / house
The project of one cool kid from Sydney, also a mate of mine, he’s made a lot of high profile mixes and his production is so on point.
Three boys outta Sydney made up of Lavurn Lee (aka Guerre), Marcus from Collarbones and Jarred Beeler. Have a listen, their sound is like no other.
- Alba
I played some of my very first shows with Alba about 4 / 5 years ago and they are so impressive to watch live because they only use analog gear!
Want more? Tune in to Triple J this Saturday as Elizabeth Rose hosts Mix Up Exclusives from 9pm.
It’s video roundup time! Once again, Howl And Echoes are coming in hot with the freshest, most eyeball stimulating music videos to be dropped by the artists you love and some of the artists you don’t know you love yet, of this week. We do all the dirty work and herd them all into one convenient web-based location for you to enjoy every Friday so that you don’t have to. Have yourself a good old gander at the latest offerings from:
Fascinator – The Traveller
Johnny Mackay, the artist otherwise known as Fascinator is at it again with the second track off of his much-anticipated debut album Man and its music video. The track is titled The Traveller, and is deliciously off-beat, layers of funk and dream pop punctuated by haunting vocals and regal trumpets befitting of the subject of the video, which is excellent in its simplicity.
It’s a day in the life of your average New York City dwelling, decked in full battle armour knight. Eating his morning serve of Special K, riding the subway to and from New York’s Renaissance Fair (where of course nobody bats an eyelid, because New York) and going medieval on everybody’s ass getting in on all the fun.
Man is due out early 2016 via Spinning Top Records.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7C7-eV0wDs&feature=youtu.be
Manor – Grand Mal
Melbourne duo Manor have been on our watchlist of late. They just last week released a new tune, Grand Mal, and this week released its music video counterpart. The track itself is an odd and spinetingling hybrid of psychedelic and industrial, vocalist Caitlin Duff’s ghostly vocals wrapped up in some jarring instrumentation from Manor’s other half Nathaniel Morse.
The video is a kaleidoscope of colours and shapes interposed with overlapping shots of Duff, it fits the sonic appeal of Grand Mal perfectly. The track is from their upcoming EP, and if this and previous single Can You Hear Me Talking At You are anything to go by it should be a solid bedrock of a debut release upon which the duo can build bigger things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVcsnnhAviM&feature=youtu.be
Daughter – Numbers
London-based trio Daughter have an album of their own due out in the waking light of 2016, their sophomore LP Not To Disappear. They’re getting all kinds of ambitious with it as well, this week releasing the second installment in a cinematic trilogy they’ve commissioned for the album. The first was Doing The Right Thing earlier in the year and now we have a sequel in Numbers.
The tune kicks off with some minimalistic instrumentation surrounding the gorgeous vocals of frontwoman Elena Tonra before taking flight via the aid of an unrelenting drumbeat that dances around some nifty low-key guitars, and from there it doesn’t touch the ground again. The kind of song made for late nights and loneliness, Daughter do a wonderful job of bringing the listener all but to their knees. The journey of the woman in red around a neon-drenched after dark urban wonderland is beautifully shot and only enhances a wonderful song.
Not To Disappear is out January 15th, 2016 via 4AD/Remote Control Records.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-fD3PIRSO8
Tindersticks – Lucinda
Nottingham rockers Tindersticks have been plugging away for more than two decades, putting out ten albums in total so far and just a few months shy of releasing their 11th, The Waiting Room, in January of next year. It’s set to be an ambitious record both sonically and visually, with each song to be accompanied by a short film.
Hey Lucinda is one of those songs and it’s absolutely bone-chilling in both sound and context. It’s a duet between Tindersticks frontman Stuart Staples and Lhasa De Sela, a friend of his who tragically lost her life after recording the track. It burns slowly and builds beautifully throughout, the video a dusky wander through the seen-better-days nightlife of an English town.
The Waiting Room is out January 22nd, 2016 via Inertia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxZS7uXSvEU
Plaitum – LMHY
Another London-based act, this time a duo, is Plaitum. They’re another one we’ve had our eye on for quite a while and their latest single and video for LMHY, from their forthcoming and eponymous debut EP, are keeping them glued firmly there. It’s electro-pop gone through a grimy shredder, urgent vocals that alternate between ethereal and screaming, twisting and writhing around stark and shuddering synths and off-kilter trap beats.
The video is a mesmerising lo-fi light show, shots of the duo filtered through all manner of clashing greens and oranges that arrests your eyes as much as the sound does your ears.
Plaitum is out December 4th via Wolf Tone/Caroline Australia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KKuHOuHLTU
Here We Go Magic – Be Small
Brooklyn indie rock trio Here We Go Magic recently released their newest LP Be Small, their first since 2012s A Different Ship. Critically acclaimed as an album, the band have since released the eponymous first single from it as well as a video to go with it.
I loved it, a contemporary grim reaper who wears uh… sandals and wheels around a suitcase along with the traditional tattered black robes and hood, wandering around the pedestrian parks and streets of Hudson New York like it ain’t a thing.
Be Small is out now via Secretly Canadian on Inertia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2Ab4_3OgWM&feature=youtu.be
Ivan Ooze – Fire
Ivan Ooze, apart from sharing the name of that evil purple motherfucker who brainwashed all the parents in the Power Rangers movie, is a Melbourne MC who continues to drop jaws everywhere. His latest single is FIRE, both in title and in general sonic terms.
The video is awash with scuzz and sleaze, featuring burning dictionaries, tables, laptops, spliffs (you name it, he’ll burn it) and an array of 0ther pyrotechnics around an orange-jumpsuited Ooze, whose snarling machine gun flow never once hints at relenting. The production is fittingly industrial and stomps along wonderfully as Ooze shrieks over the chorus ‘I bring the fuckin’ fire’ (pronounced ‘fiyahhh’ of course).
Not your conventional Aussie hip hop by any means, refreshingly bizarre and masterfully crafted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2zdtDj2AAE&app=desktop
Elizabeth Rose – Shoulda Coulda Woulda
I’m not someone who thoroughly enjoys pop music usually, but Sydney songstress Elizabeth Rose has really captured me with latest single Shoulda Coulda Woulda. Co-produced by M-Phazes, the track has been spun like a spiderweb on Australian airwaves since its release, hypnotic and warped synths the driving force behind Rose’s sugary (but never saccharine) pop voice.
That’s what ensnared me, the sound is sonically pleasing pop but not in the traditional sense. Everything about the track, the lyricism and the production in particular, are highly intelligent and deftly-crafted. The video is mesmerising too, featuring Rose trapped in a 360 degree mirror room, alternating neon lights and rhythmic dancing all but chokeholding the attention of your eyeballs.
The track is from her upcoming debut LP Intra, all indications thus far suggesting Australia has produced yet another wonderfully talented pop artist in Elizabeth Rose.
Intra is out March 4th via Midnight Feature/Inertia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HhL0V_EnRE
MS MR – Criminals
Heading back to the Big Apple for the next video, we’ve got the latest from much-acclaimed duo MS MR. Their latest offering is for single Criminals. It’s nothing short of infectious, each verse guided along by the heavenly vocals of singer Lizzy Plapinger until the driving chorus drops in and grabs you by the collar. The production from the MR of MS MR, Max Hershenow, is nothing short of stellar. Criminals is multi-layered dream pop with lashings of darkness and its thumping chorus will have you hitting the repeat button to no end.
The video landing with it is a neon dream, directed by Charlotte Rutherford, who has previously worked with artists like Charlie XCX and Marina And The Diamonds. Like the song it visualises, the video is full of glitzy neon lights but with a shadowy vibe throughout. Watch it and be enthralled.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1jI774ZWF8
Polish Club – Beeping
Having dropped their debut EP just last month and winning over damn near everyone, Sydney power-duo Polish Club are set for a massive breakout very soon. Their raucous old time rock and roll sound, driven by the raw and guttural vocals of frontman Novak that are damn near inimitable, is catchier than the clap and few new releases from an Australian band have grabbed me the way theirs did.
Beeping, their third single from their eponymous debut, was one of those tracks. Two and a half minutes of raw, foot-tapping rock and roll straight out of the garage. The video is lo-fi renaissance art in itself, made using a fucking photocopier. I don’t even want to know how many hours this took to put together, just watch and appreciate and tell everybody you got on the bandwagon while there were still seats.
Polish Club is out now via MGM Distribution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-iy8ns0CLg
With Ireland legalising gay marriage, and Shorten and Abbott squaring off in Parliament, Australia’s musicians are also gearing up for the fight for marriage equality.
Sydney’s Elizabeth Rose has just released her new aptly named single Division to throw her weight behind the cause.
“Australia is tipped as the ‘lucky’ country, but reflecting upon what we stand for, I’m not sure that we are all that we’re cracked up to be. Our peers fall victim to acts of discrimination and are denied the right to equality. For a country that boasts of multi-culturalism and acceptance, why aren’t we accepting of this?” she said.
Musicians have always been some of the most vocal spokespeople in Australia in the past, with bands such as The Presets rightly stirring the pot with vocal opinions on asylum seekers and the Bali 9.
While Elizabeth Rose’s new song may not be a polished masterpiece, it is a compelling song with an important message. For the next two weeks it will be available for download on a pay what you choose basis – with all the proceeds going to the Australian Marriage Equality campaign.
You can head here to buy the single.
It’s a bit of an eclectic mix this week, with heavy helping of dance music of course! From the modern take on 70’s disco of Kaytranada remixing Tuxedo, the intricate, unpredictable vibes of Hopium, the summery feels of Patrick James or some fresh, new techno from Stephane 1993 – you know we got you covered!
1. Tuxedo – The Right Time (Kaytranada remix ft. BADBADNOTGOOD)
These three are a total match made in heaven. Tuxedo’s 70’s/Studio 64 era tunes combined with the modern touch of Kaytranada and the live drums of BADBADNOTGOOD? Yes please! Somehow managing to throwback whilst still being futuristic, Kaytranada once again proves he is THE man!
2. Nocturnal Sunshine – Believe ft. Chelou
British/Japanese producer Nocturnal Sunshine (also known as Maya Jane Coles) has released her second single for this current alter ego. Immediately reminiscent of Seekae, the glitchy, swaggering track features the relaxed but emotive vocals of Chelou, and evokes a hell of a lot imagery with it’s powerful lyrics, and expertly pulled off production.
3. Angie – Out of Age
Garage rock will always have a special spot in my heart, and it’s songs like Out of Age that remind me why. Also playing in bands like Circle Pit and Straight Arrows, Angie (Angela Garrick) is up there as one of my favourite ladies in the Aus music scene. Her own description of the track is “a power pop tribute”, and whilst I’m not sure about that “pop” word hanging around in there, it certainly is powerful!
4. Hopium – Right Now
Melbourne duo Hopium have just dropped this new track, and it is one of the more intriguing tunes I’ve heard in quite a while. Combining R&B stylings in the vocals and lyrics, harmonies and echoes, as well as some very intricate, slick, unsuspecting production, the pair have made Right Now an artistic offering that separates them from the pack.
5. Patrick James – California Song
I’m not normally one for this kind of alt-folk/pop, but there is something so easy, breezy, and colourful about this track, I just couldn’t say no. The driving beat and fun, relaxed guitar combined with James’ undeniable vocals has lulled me into a summer haze, right when it’s getting cold and awful. Summer’s here for a little while longer with California Song!
6. Seven Davis Jr – Sunday Morning
Ninja Tune legend Seven Davis Jr is dropping a new album titled Universes on July 24. Sunday Morning is the first taste of this album – and what a taste it is! You’ve gotta be pretty good to have the likes of Four Tet or Mos Def raving about you, and that’s what this track proves. Making me wanting seize the time in question with the track title (instead of laying in bed until the morning has well and truly passed), this “intergalactic soul” number has elements of hip hop, house, soul and funk all thrown together with some future sounds chucked in for good measure. In other words, a total dream.
7. Cassian – Takeover
One of my absolute favourite Aussie acts right now, and has been for a really long time, is Cassian. Since signing to Sweat It Out! Music, it’s been all systems go for the house-pop maestro, and his latest song Takeover is simply another exercise in showing just how good he is. An immediately feel-good track, the crisp house beat and chopped vocal samples work wonders here, just before things really take off into a place I only seem to visit when listening to Cassian.
8. Elizabeth Rose – Another Earth (HWLS remix)
Elizabeth Rose’s Chrome Sparks collab is one of my favourite tracks of this year (we actually featured it in a previous playlist), so for it to be remixed by the likes of HWLS is a very good thing indeed. HWLS is, of course, a joint project by Ta-Ku and Kit Pop, so you can probably understand my excitement. The result is a chilled out trap number that is actually perfectly suited for Rose’s voice. Perhaps she should consider a trap venture…?
9. Mio – Back To You (ft. Lindestad)
If I told you that the person behind this track is the same person behind Tkay Maidza‘s Brontosaurus, you might have a hard time believing me. However, such is the beauty of alter egos and side projects, a single person can make a huge array of different sounds, all the while categorising them into different names. This is the story of Adelaide’s Mio, who has delivered a stunning and immersive tune with Back To You. Add to that mix the the vocals of Swede Erik Lindestad, and you’ve got yourself a beautiful little track indeed!
10. Stephane 1993 – Saffron Smoke
The perfect track to end our playlist and get your weekend well and truly started, this newcomer from Newcastle has just dropped this bad boy, and he dropped it through BoyNoize Records. If that wasn’t huge enough, he’s been played in Steve Aoki‘s live sets, and is won the Maitland Groovin’ The Moo Triple J Unearthed comp. Having just one listen to Saffron Smoke will explain all of the above accolades, with his hip hop and ghetto infused techno undoubtedly taking him places!
Okay, I admit it, I was late to the party with Elizabeth Rose. Of course I had known her from one of my favourite Flight Facilities‘ songs, I Didn’t Believe, but for some reason I never caught onto the woman behind those impossibly catchy vocals. It wasn’t until this year, when she teamed up with another one of my favourite, Chrome Sparks, did I realise that I must have been missing out on something, and headed down to The Brightside in Brisbane to see just what it was I had looked over for so long.
Curating a lineup of “discotheques”, each of the three dates of her national tour featured a different lineup showcasing national and local talents. Although I suffered some severe FOMO from missing out on the Melbourne leg (Oscar Key Sung, Banoffee and Klo were all along for the ride), I was saved in the fact that Rose was bringing a Seekae DJ Set to play alongside local talent Tyler Touche and newcomer/Pilerats affiliate Floria for her Brisbane show.
It was truly an unfortunate turn of events that caused me to miss the latter two acts, but was pleasantly greeted with the DJ set by Seekae member George Nicholas. DJ sets always intrigue me, especially when they are done by artists who have a special place in my heart. I am a massive Seekae fan, and have been for years, so it was a little disconcerting to see Nicholas in this setting, but all unease faded away after listening to not only his exceptional music taste but his ability as a DJ. Perhaps I don’t give the notion of DJ set much credence, much preferring live performances, but it was enjoyable to see such a musician whom I respect and admire so much doing something different, doing it well, and enjoying it. Props to you, George!
It didn’t take long for Rose to set up, flanked by a fellow lady on keys. The two women looked a little uneasy at first, and that could perhaps have something to do with the dismal turn out for the main event. Only a scattering of people were present for Rose’s set, which was really disappointing considering just how much energy she brought to her performance. For a small lady, she really does pack a punch. Don’t let her adorable aesthetic fool you, with her bangs, eccentric outfit and Adidas shoes, Elizabeth Rose is a seriously talented performer and artist. Getting stuck in from the first track, the few that were in attendance got down to boogying just like you should at a discotheque in no time.
Featuring old and new material in her set, including stand out tracks The Good Life and Another Earth – two tracks that show completely different sides to her – Rose proved she was more than just a “Flight Facilities Girl” as she has so unnecessarily been labelled. In fact, she is perhaps one of the country’s best kept secrets, it’s just a shame the secret doesn’t get out sooner. If her steady output of quality tracks (that have since been constantly on repeat for me), and her energetic live shows even when performing to a very small but nevertheless adoring crowd are anything to go by, Elizabeth Rose will only need to sit tight for a little while longer, before receiving the credit and success she so obviously deserves.