Bringing the jams
It’s Friday afternoon and I can’t imagine a better time for some fantastic tunes to take into your weekend. Today our weekend vibe tune comes by was of Melbourne based artist Pure Moods and the new single “Tide”. This one has an absolutely lovely grooving vibe with some slacker rock tendencies and some bright guitar numbers. It’s my favorite song of the week.
Pure Moods will release new album Upward Spiral on November 29th via Tear Jerk Records.
I’m always scouring the Melbourne scene hoping to stumble upon something really incredible, which seems to happen more often than not. That’s sort of how I stumbled onto Annual Leaf who have a handful of releases to their name, with Stay Fresh coming in as their 4th EP of the last few years. The geographical region probably forces you to look right at the guitar pop, but while I adore that, I really loved the way that singers Matt and Mel play off of each other. To me, they seem the perfect fit for the sound, sort of like all those great Comet Gain albums I’ve been hoarding for years. These are songs of warmth with a definite Aussie flare that’s immediately recognizable. Take a chance on this EP right away!
You all know how I love the Melbourne scene quite a bit, and Michael Beach has definitely been on my radar beforehand (he’s currently playing in the live Thigh Master band). His latest project, Michael Beach & the Artists just dropped a hook-laden 7″, which we’d love for you to listen to below. The A-side “Curtain of Night” carries this almost honky-tonk Replacements vibe; it’s got this country swagger, under the guise of traditional discordant indie rock with the faintest hints of pristine melody. On the flip B-Side, you get more of an experimental bit, with this bounding keyboard and waling guitar playing backing roles to Beach’s spoken word poetics. The group kick off a US tour at Gonerfest, followed by some East Coast dates at the start of October. The 7″ is being released by Tall Texan.
We as an ATH crew absolutely love that moment when you try a new piece of music and immediately love what you’re hearing. Today my new discovery joy comes by way of Melbourne based artist Lachie Gilmour and his project known as Bluey. Along with his mate Michael Vince Moin, Gilmour created an EP of new music working solely in his tiny bedroom studio. The product of his efforts so far is this single, “No Plans” which is a lovely blend of songwriters like Elliot Smith with a more electronic/bed room sound of bands like Toro y Moi or Hoops. Somehow it’s similar to those artists yet creates something truly special and unique at the same time.
No word yet on the official release date for the new EP from Bluey, but it should be coming sometime this fall on Roolette Records.
When watching this new Parsnip video, I honestly was perplexed; I’m still perplexed, which ultimately is the point, I reckon…to leave you thinking after you’ve watched. It’s filled with beautiful scenery, choreographed dance and Victorian-nutcracker attire crafted by Tim Burton. But, while I was mesmerized and trying to figure out what I was watching, my ears were burning with joy. Guitar lines jangle in psychedelic fashion while the rhythm section employs the proper cymbal work to keep this mystical enchantment. The Melbourne quartet will release their debut When the Tree Bears Fruit on August 30th via Trouble in Mind Records.
It hasn’t taken long for Cool Sounds to follow up their excellent Cactus Country with another new LP, More to Enjoy. Today, we’re super glad to share the title track from the new LP, offering up this textural blend between psychedelia and tropicalia; it’s an intoxicating mixture of pop sensation you won’t want to miss. The band almost opens up with this classic rock vibe, harkening back to a late 60s groove, but then begin to weird it up as they build in a nice rhythmic underbelly. You’ll find the vocals have this natural wistfulness, they’re bright and melodic, but also seem to be out there searching…though ultimately finding there’s “nowhere to go.” The new LP will be out this Fall via Osborne Again and Meritorio Records.
Having been damn near 5 years since we last heard from our Melbourne friend Wilding, I was quite excited to receive some new music from him a few days ago. His latest effort, “Speed King of the Commonwealth” is more of a loud, indie rock pop song worthy of dancing and head banging. It reminds me of early singles from Kaiser Chiefs with it’s chant inducing “la la las” and breezy guitar sound. This song is out now on all formats via Half Cow Records.
Only the beginning, Wilding is currently hard at work on his third album entitled The Death of Foley’s Mall coming sometime later this year.
We in the ATH crew love our indie pop and we get excited when someone sends us something new from the genre. Today I’m pleased to share this new single “Too Hot” from Melbourne based all girl group Tight Knit. This one is a sort of mellow take on the genre made complete with crunchy guitars and a simple drum beat. The band just put out this single via 7″ vinyl on Not Unloved out of Glasgow. If you’re into it, check out the label’s bandcamp page to make a purchase.
I love the simplicity of Melbourne’s Way Dynamic, especially on the latest single. It’s a pretty easy formula in my eyes, offering up light guitar strumming, minimal percussion and some warbling electronics for spiritual support. Of course, if the vocals weren’t so musically attractive it could all fall to pieces, though luckily that’s not the case, with the perfect care given to the melodies. It’s the best way to start out your Monday, drifting into this wintry mix outside my window. The band have a new EP titled What’s It All For Now, which will be released on November 16th via Our Golden Friend.
I can always count on Bedroom Suck Records to keep me in the know when it comes to the Aussie music scene (among other labels of course). What I’ve grown to appreciate about the label, and come to think of it, most of the Australian labels is that they don’t seem too intent on always operating with the same musical styles. Take this brand new Cyanide Thornton tune that they just released; it spends almost two minutes exploring various sonic textures, building you a world where its safe for the lyrics to come into play. Once Sienna enters the fray, she controls the listener with ups and down in pitch, smoothed out notes follow. Musically, the landscape of the track has these folk motifs, but the latter half has the faintest hint of post-punk laying in wait. The self-titled album will drop on November 9th.
