“New Music Monday” sounded waaaaay better, but that didn’t happen, (nor the night after), so this is the best effort from the B squad coming at you. Since it’s not always about me me me I thought I’d share a few tunes from the unheralded underground that exists outside of Australia’s predictable pay-to-play hype-machine.
First up…
“Mantras For A Failed Academic”
–Sad Hill (Perth, AU)
This is a new song from a (forthcoming) new album from a new band called Sad Hill. They’re coming in hot with a stellar pedigree, with at least one member (and possibly/probably two but can’t confirm coz they’re so new that info is hard to track down and it’s raining in Port Mac at the moment so the internet is playing up weird), being drawn from the ashes of former WA indie hard rockers Emperors, which means that their entry into the Australian music scene is basically a retread of Lester Burnham applying for a job as a cashier at Mr. Smiley’s. Trust me: they definitely have fast food experience.
They were recently named Band Of The Day (#146, to be exact), over at UK blog Overblown, to which we immediately thought “Oh, good for them!” [Also: “Hey, we’re jealous but gonna a smile through the pain & envy, make it a double thanks.”] Any press is good press, for realz, but they also described the single as “Some very lo-fi and chuggy punk that seems to be inexplicably mixed with Iron Maiden“, to which we internally replied…wait, what? Is this what we’re calling lo-fi these days? Damn. I don’t even want to know what counts as hi-fi then. They also threw us another curve-ball by listing the band members listed as
Jonathan, Anton, Simon & Elias. Charlie Lopez – Drums, 2011-2014
…even though there are only three people in the band pic and I know that my mate’s name is Greg (unless they are operating an entirely different Andy Kaufman-level and I’ve been left out of the joke). But, that’s the sort of new-band hijinx that warms the heart, really. Check it if you like things on the slightly heavier side but still like to use a thesaurus now and again. “Intelligent rock” is probably loaded with negative connotations, but it shouldn’t be.
We’d like to now direct your gaze to our favourite haunt of Sydney, and apologize now for being a few weeks late getting the word out about the latest from Whispering Jackie. This is “Fast Life”, and I knew this song fairly well before I ever heard the recording after doing quite a few shows with them last year. [Full disclosure: yeah, we did quite a few shows with them last year.]
This is a very fast & catchy number, with a chorus in 6/4 that keeps you slightly off balance but still in step, plus lyrics that somehow manage the impossible feat of directly quoting Neil Young yet leaving the listener feeling better, not worse because of it.
Whispering Jackie have become not only one of our most beloved bands to tour with, gossip over drinks with, and generally be part of the scene with, but they are definitely mates and I don’t use that term lightly (coz I’m not actually Australian and am probably using it wrong anyways.) Everything this band touches turns into furious garage-pop gold, and I am envious in so many ways. Top stuff.
I’ve been meaning to write about Fingermae since our last show together in 2017 at Vic On The Park (ed: it was last May. Damn, I am slow]. I saw a few days ago that they had a new song out called “Not Racist But”, which immediately made me seethe with envy over the title alone.
WordPress is being a dick about embedding certain music players coz of blah blah blah I don’t know I’m old and tired and have been trying to finish this post for three days, so instead of embedding a proper music player from Fingermae’s Triple J Unearthed page I had to scrounge up this YouTube clip.
You get the idea.
I can’t say enough about Fingermae’s frontwoman Sally, as she is staple of the Newtown music scene, and thanks to her role as booker and soundie at the Town Hall Hotel in Newtown she has probably single-handedly done more to keep my own band going than anyone, including myself. Beyond that, Fingermae have hit upon that one style of music that no one ever does and no one ever even thinks to do: anti-folk.
Their self-styled description alone ticks all of the boxes for me:
“We call it Jazz Punk; there’s lots of chords with unreasonably long names played fast, heaps of sarcasm, adult themes and beats that will compel motion.”
This was literally me for so, so long, and now I want to go back. I remember having so much to say, and it all needing to come out, and watching & listening to Fingermae just makes me straight up…happy. Stupidly, ridiculously happy.
There’s a surfing adage that “the best surfer in the world is the person having the most fun”, and I always think of that when I see Fingermae’s drummer Lauren on stage. Her irrepressible joy behind the kit makes me jealous. I ask myself, “have I ever had that much fun? HAVE I?!?!?”
I honestly don’t know.
We’ll say good night and leave you with a new clip from our mates Wasters, who have joined forces with our fav US director Matt Clements to bring you their new clip for “Keep Me Waiting”.
Again, I cannot say enough good things about this band and their music. They have been great tour mates & given me much food for thought over the last 4-5(?!?!) years we have been kicking around together, and this is another gem in their ever-expanding quiver of impeccable pop-punk hits. Check it.
That’s all from the front lines for now. Blast these loud and show them some love if you feel so inclined. As easy as it can be to get so jaded about music and whatever scene you’re in, trust me: your voice always matters–make yourself heard.
Call/Shout/Complain/Preach/Annoy/Demand Better
xoxo
slantrhyme 