Since rising from the ashes of the Mustang Bar (shudders), Woolly Mammoth in the heart of Fortitude Valley is quickly becoming one of the best places to catch gigs in Brisbane. It’s a balmy Friday night and they’re hosting one of the final dates of the East Coast EP-launching Barely Moving tour of heavy psych masters Upskirts tonight with some special guests.
Local quartet Shady Bliss kick proceedings off very, very nicely, their new single Deluge is a gorgeous instrumental track that they mesmerise the modest early evening crowd with and old standards like The Clouds Are Almost Over and Monster are solid psych jams with some subtle grunge undertones that provide a really nice and laidback start to the evening. I’m lucky enough to meet and have a brief chat with one of the band members (I think?) over a cigarette afterwards and he asked me to give a shoutout to keyboardist/vocalist Chrissa. Hey Chrissa, you’re alright.
Some more Brisbane residents in Twin Haus are up next. They released their debut EP Waxen Myriad in March of last year, headlined a ripper of a Psych Night earlier this year and are known as being an outstanding live act, the crowd understandably beginning to swell in number and sway along to some more stellar psych rock. Their latest single Blood Tapes is mind-bendingly good, burning along very softly before creeping up and positively chokeslamming us all into the dirt with some monster riffs that are even more gargantuan live than on record.
They have shades of Foals in a lot of their music, I personally loved both Night Locust and old standard Lumberjack Loveshack for this reason, and the bouncing and upbeat Blackwater from their EP is a total crowd-pleaser as well. By the end of their rather rapturously received set the dancefloor is getting just a little cramped, so thank God we have a little bit of breathing room for a beer and a dart in between Haus and Upskirts.
I’ll be completely honest, I’d never actually heard of Sydneysiders and tonight’s headliners Upskirts before about 2pm this afternoon when the Friday beers were frosty and my night was wide open. All it took was one track (see below) to have me hooked and incredibly keen to catch them live as well as incredibly remorseful that I’d been sleeping on such a fantastic up and coming Australian band.
The Woolly Mammoth area isn’t exactly an aircraft hangar in size and so the Godzilla riffs of songs like Mind’s A Burden and the aforementioned Where are just about shaking the walls and certainly rattling the teeth of everyone in attendance, an experience I’ll never not enjoy.
The tracks from their new EP are a solid collection of psychedelic rock. Much more progressive and juiced up in both size and scope, they translate to a live environment ever so nicely and the Upskirts boys know how to get a crowd going with a well-timed jam here and there.
It’s a reverb heavy set that stands many a hair on end The fuzzy solo from their latest single Open Yourself To The Sky has everyone in attendance in awe before we’re all kicked back into clarity with the ten-tonne guitars that close the song. Lo-fi slow burner Nothing Happens In Roseville is an auditory treat, dreamily filtered vocals over some initially sleepy guitars, progressing hypnotically and building to an absolute hammering crescendo.
The crowd enjoys every moment of it and so do I. The chemistry between the band is easily palpable, the musical gifts of each member interacting so very fluidly to create one heck of a sound. If Upskirts weren’t on your radar already then live shows like this will catapult them straight onto it (and if you want to get to know them a little more personally, we got the hot tip on their favourite tunes). Hats off to the bands and to Woolly Mammoth for a bloody good night of psych!
Barely Moving is out now via Inertia Access
We’re pretty damn impressed with Upskirts here at Howl & Echoes, and we’ve gathered by now that we’re not the only ones. Last month they came out with their most recent EP, Barely Moving, giving us some serious low-fi, psych-garage vibes with the single Nothing Happens In Roseville. Now, we’ve got a video to go along with the track, as well as a tour announcement.
The video (which you can watch below) has a laid back, tour-dairy kind of vibe, following the band as they trek around Australia (interjected with some shots from their recent excursion to England). Live footage, airports, airplanes, petrol stations, winding roads and general rad times abound, giving a bit of an insight into what we can expect on their next tour, which is coming up in August.
The upcoming East Coast tour will be the first time that a number of the tracks off Barely Moving will be played to a live audience and we can hardly wait. Below are all the details for Upskirts’ Barely Moving Tour below.
To get you in the mood for some sweet live Upskirts action, check out this wicked playlist they recently curated for us.
Fri, August 7: Moonshine Bar, Manley NSW (tickets)
Fri, August 14: Newtown Social Club, Newtown NSW (tickets)
Fri, August 21: Rad Bar, Wollongong NSW (tickets)
Sat, August 22: Shebeen Bandroom, Melbourne VIC (tickets)
Fri, August 28: Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane QLD (tickets)
Sat, August 29: Northern Hotel, Byron Bay NSW (tickets)
Sun, August 30: at Sounds of Sunday, Broadbeach Tavern, Gold Coast QLD
Sydney’s Upskirts have been on our radar for some time now, and they’ve really started making headway of late. Their latest EP, Barely Moving, just came out through Inertia, and trust us when we say it’s one fine musical offering. Don’t believe me? Check out the washed-out, psych-grunge single that is (the hilariously titled) Nothing Happens In Roseville.
It’s refreshing to hear lo-fi grungy music like this coming out today – and with such an original, fresh tweak to it too. Managing to steer clear of that plain old nostalgia territory, Upskirts are doing their own thang, and they’re doing it so damn well.
We wanted to get to know them a little bit better, so we asked them to share some of their favourite tunes with us. Enjoy!
My favourite track to wake up to is… Manipulator, Ty Segall
The best track for cooking is… Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast, Pink Floyd
The best track for spring cleaning is… You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire, Queens of The Stone Age
The ultimate road trip track is…. LA Woman, The Doors
My favourite love song is… Into My Arms, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
The best track for sweet love makin’ is… I’m Not a Man Unless I Have a Woman, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard
The track that always gets the party started is… Breed, Nirvana
The best track to wind down a crowd is… Red Right Hand, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
My favourite drunken karaoke track is… Round & Round, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Grafitti
My favourite song to sing in the shower is… Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues, Bob Dylan
A song that always makes me cry is… Heroes, David Bowie
I love going to sleep listening to… To Here Knows When, My Bloody Valentine
I can’t stop dancing when I hear…. Pushin’ Too Hard, The Seeds
We’ve got a smooth playlist for you today, the perfect way to kick off the weekend. From sultry electronica to lo-fi indie, sit back, relax and enjoy the best new songs this week.
Alice Ivy, Mean Man’s Bite ft Chloe Beckwith
Step back into a land of day’s past, where glitter, funk and soulful vocals are the hottest thing in town. Melbourne’s Alice Ivy has released this gorgeous new track and it is packed with serious groove. With a light, bluesy voice playfully dancing around guitar licks and a wicked bass line, this track is sure to get you moving.
Club Cheval, From the Basement to the Roof (Oliver remix)
French electro quartet Club Cheval have received the remix treatment from Oliver, and the end result is a tantalising, thumping club-ready track. A catchy, airy vocal loop leads the way, while rich synths splash all sorts of colour into the soundscape. This is really cool, and an interesting interpretation of the heady original.
Chance the Rapper, Jeremih (Planes remix)
Sparse vocals and a distant beat create an instantly cool, intimate atmosphere in what has got to be one of the best remixes around right now. The melody is absolutely beautiful, and as the accompanying synths begin to grow, the rhythm just envelops you. You can really listen to this track on repeat and discover something new each time.
Upskirts, Nothing Happens in Roseville
This is a cruisey, nostalgic track filled with washed-out guitars and atmospheric chords. The vocal melody is warm and hazy, and it really opens up when the huge chorus kicks in. Upskirts are making music of a style that’s hardly groundbreaking, but they’ve injected an impressively fresh sound that really sets them apart from the pack.
Avec Sans, Resonate
London-based duo Avec Sans have released this incredible, uplifting track and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head all week. Like a breath of fresh air, the breathy melody soars up above the shimmering electro-pop synth layers. This song feels like a breath of fresh air. My favourite for the week.
Leisure, Got it Bad
New Zealand’s Leisure have released new track Got It Bad, and it just evokes all kinds of good feels. The atmosphere is seductive and smoky, with a sensual trip-hop vibe, not unlike Glass Animals, coupled with sultry vocals that hint at a Tame Impala influence. The wonderful rhythm is laid back and so smooth, embellished to perfection by chunky chords and sublime harmonies.
Solar Heist, Wait For Love
Opening on demanding piano chords, this funky, disco-inspired track grows bigger and bigger with each phrase. I really love the vocal melody, and when that ridiculously crunchy bass kicks in, the whole soundscape just pieces together to create something really catchy and really strong. The twangy guitars are a great contrast to the synth layers, creating a vibe that’s organic and just so captivating.
MNDR & Sweet Valley, Dance 4 A Dollar (Alt mix)
Another track with a LOT going on, everywhere you look and listen. From the psychedelic, echoey vocals to the experimental synth bleeps and bloops and the subtle beat beneath it all, this track waxes and wanes endlessly between sparse obscurity and gorgeous rhythms. Unique, strange and utterly fascinating, this track just oozes cool from every pore.
Colornoise, Amalie
Colornoise’s new track has serious swagger and seductive temperament. Channeling Siouxsie Sioux in the rich melody and deep bass, the verses contrast with the huge, soaring chorus in a way that has me really mesmerised. Bluesy, powerful and really original, I’m really looking forward to hearing Colornoise’s forthcoming EP, due out later this year.
Last Dinosaurs, Evie
Last Dinosaurs are back, and they’ve got a bright, funk-filled to track for you. A dance-floor ready track that’s so catchy you can’t help but love it, this will undoubtedly translate to the live stage with perfection. And that’s great news, considering the band have just announced a national tour on top of their Splendour in the Grass appearance in July.