Indie Shuffle » monicam

Step-Panther – Step-Panther

monicam — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:57:45 +0000

Sounds like: Bleeding Knees Club, Wavves, The Drums

Song: Step-Panther - Rock And Roll Alone [download here]

What's so good?

Step-Panther are like that garage band that you always wanted to play in when you were in high school (and is it just me or does their name also remind you of Anchorman?) Their self-titled debut album was released at the end of last year, so I’ve been a bit slow off the mark on this one, but Step-Panther have slotted nicely into the faction of garage punk bands cutting a swathe through the Australian music scene at the moment.

My pick of the tracks is the one I most want to sing along to, “Rock And Roll Alone,” although the rest of the album displays a surprising amount of depth. I’m not sure whether Step-Panther are a bit schizophrenic or have intentionally put a bit of thought into their music, but I’m going to go with the latter. Some of the tracks have more traditional garage punk sounds, but there are also some 90s pop punk throwbacks, 60s rock’n’roll influence, and even a couple of songs that I swear have a tinge of The Cure.

Maybe it’s a contradiction in terms to call them intelligent garage punk rock, but I’m going to go ahead and do it any way. Don’t get too serious about it though, just listen to Step-Panther because their music is lo-fi fun.

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1. Original post: Step-Panther – Step-Panther

2. Posted in: lo-fi, garage, garage rock, punk, australian

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Chet Faker – Thinking in Textures

monicam — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:14:50 +0000

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Sounds like: Gayngs, James Blake, Active Child, Oliver Tank

Song: Chet Faker - Terms and Conditions [download here]

What's so good?

Chet, you are such a charmer. I’m a terrible one for replaying songs that I like until I don’t like them any more, but I’ve had Chet Faker’s latest single “Terms and Conditions” on high rotation since it came out a couple of months ago and it still sounds amazing. The single is off Chet Faker’s debut EP Thinking in Textures, a surprisingly solid album for a new artist.

Each track on Thinking in Textures is beautifully crafted, managing to strike a balance between experimental and accessible. Faker’s sound sits somewhere on the genre spectrum between jazz and chillout, drifting from the summery “Cigarettes and Chocolate” to the introspective “Terms and Conditions,” and taking a segway to the groove laden cover of “No Diggity.”

Chet Faker’s just come back from a successful tour of the US, including a spin at SXSW, and will be touring Australia in August. Pretty good stuff from a guy that only a few months ago had a SoundCloud page and not much else. Thankfully, I’ve got tickets to one of the Sydney shows. I reckon I still won’t be sick of “Terms and Conditions” by August.

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1. Original post: Chet Faker – Thinking in Textures

2. Posted in: chillwave, dreamwave, chillout, active child, groove

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Charli XCX – You’re The One

monicam — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:09:30 +0000

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Sounds like: La Roux, Marina and the Diamonds, Santigold, Hooray for Earth

Song: Charli XCX - You're The One [download here]

What's so good?

I hate Charli XCX a little bit. Not only is her music ridiculously catchy and awesome, she is also a seriously attractive and stylish woman. She recently graced the cover of V Magazine, alongside fellow pop heavyweights Sky Ferreira and Grimes. Damn.

Charli XCX’s latest single “You’re The One” is a gothic 80s sounding track, with dirty electro bass overlaid with power-pop vocals. Charli XCX isn’t just a pretty face, she’s got an impressive voice and belts out most of the song, cutting in with a spoken word section at the end of the track that’s surprisingly appealing. Even though most of the lyrics are overly romantic and cheesy, it works with the whole 80s vibe that’s going on.

The song’s also got an accompanying music video that’s like a 2012 version of Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart. After watching it I got a sudden urge to go out and buy a pair of massive platform creepers a la Charli, but something tells me they may not look quite so glamorous on a normal person. I might just stick to listening to “You’re The One” on repeat for a few more weeks.

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1. Original post: Charli XCX – You’re The One

2. Posted in: female vocalist, electro pop, 80s, marina and the diamonds, Santigold

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Bloods – All The Things You Say Are Wrong

monicam — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:12:06 +0000

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Sounds like: Straight Arrows, Bleeding Knees Club, Sex Pistols, The Clash

Song: Bloods - All The Things You Say Are Wrong [download here]

What's so good?

“All The Things You Say Are Wrong.” Right there, with the track title, Bloods have sold it to me. This song is an ode to the brat in all of us. Maybe I have a particular affinity with this song because I’m an irritating know-it-all, but it’s probably just because it’s catchy and awesome.

For those of you expecting some gangster rap, sorry. We don’t really have gangs in Australia (just lots of animals that will kill you instantly). Bloods is actually made up of two ladies, Sweetie and MC, and a gentleman, Dirk, who probably had nothing to do with Biggie’s murder and seems much more interested in charmingly refuting your argument.

I wouldn’t start playing Bloods to your granny any time soon, though. When I was researching the band I discovered their single “Goodnight” was produced by Owen Penglis of Straight Arrows, which makes a lot of sense. The few singles Bloods have released so far are raucous, gritty and energetic. Sort of like a 60s surf pop record that someone threw up on, put through a blender, melted back together again and then sprinkled some glitter over. Nice.

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1. Original post: Bloods – All The Things You Say Are Wrong

2. Posted in: female vocalist, lo-fi, garage, garage rock, Surf pop

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Straight Arrows – It’s Happening

monicam — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 14:09:44 +0000

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Sounds like: Bleeding Knees Club, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Wavves

Song: Straight Arrows - Something Happens [download here]

What's so good?

Punk music, you took a terrible detour during the 90s, but I am learning to forgive you with your latest wave of lo-fi tunes. I’m not entirely sure how to explain the attraction of messy, mumbley, repetitive, wall-of-sound music like “Something Happens” from Straight Arrows’ album It’s Happening, but damn this music is lot of fun. It’s unpretentious and catchy, and that makes for a winner in my books.

It’s Happening sounds like it was recorded in one take, in an attic, on a tape recorder, in the 60s. That’s how lo-fi it is. I don’t even know what they’re singing about half the time because the vocals are so distorted, but hey, Straight Arrows aren’t exactly about lyrical complexity or melodic intricacies.

The band has been a bit quiet recently, probably because Straight Arrows guitarist and ex-Red Riders frontman Alex Griggs is off doing more commercially interesting things with Palms, who have been touring with Catcall. I still haven’t seen Straight Arrows live though, and I get the feeling they’d be more in their element lurching around on a poorly lit stage than on disc, so I’m hoping they resurface soon.

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1. Original post: Straight Arrows – It’s Happening

2. Posted in: lo-fi, garage, garage rock, punk, punk rock

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Battleships – In Retrospect

monicam — Sun, 27 May 2012 16:08:39 +0000

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Sounds like: Radiohead, Oasis, Supergrass, Underlights

Song: Battleships - In Retrospect [download here]

What's so good?

Whenever I hear that a band is from Queensland, I assume they’re going to be some sun-drenched pop or surf punk outfit, but Battlefields are ruining my stereotype with their moody, atmospheric brand of indie rock. Maybe that’s why they moved to Sydney.

Battleships haven’t yet released an EP, but their single “In Retrospect” has already been picked up and cast into the orbit of Australian national radio where it happily reached my eager ears.

Battleships make it sound easy with “In Retrospect.” The track starts off modestly stripped back with simple guitar and fragile vocals before kicking into a fuller sound with some sweet chords, driving rhythm and satisfying harmonies. Yep, they do cite Radiohead as an influence, and you can definitely hear the result of hours of angsty teenhood listening to Thom Yorke’s quavering melodies throughout “In Retrospect,” but Battleships manage to give it their own flavor and pull it off.

Apparently the band got off to a bit of a rocky start after two of the three band members moved to Sydney and the final member took some convincing before he agreed to follow, but I’m glad they managed to get it together.

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1. Original post: Battleships – In Retrospect

2. Posted in: indie rock, indie, Australia, radiohead, local natives

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Hooray For Earth – True Loves

monicam — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:14:13 +0000

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Sounds like: Yeasayer, Purity Ring, Cut Copy, Animal Collective

Song: Hooray For Earth - True Loves [download here]

What's so good?

The first time I heard Hooray For Earth was when I saw their video for the band’s single and title track off their album True Loves. It was my favorite song as well as my favorite music video of 2011, and I must have played it hundreds of times. But it still sounds special and fresh to me.

I listen to a lot of music, and I like a lot of bands. Some of them I like because their music is fun or has a good beat or good lyrics, or they remind me of another band I like. Every now and then though, I come across a band that really makes me feel something when I listen to their music. Hooray For Earth is one of those bands. Whenever I hear their music I want to close my eyes and ignore everything else and just listen.

“True Loves” is an epic track. I was a bit obsessed with it for a while and have posted probably about 20 comments on the band’s Facebook page asking when True Loves was going to get distribution in Australia. I finally got sick of waiting, managed to pull some strings and get their album sent to me about a week ago, and I’ve been listening to virtually nothing else since then.

I bought Hooray For Earth’s EP Momo online (even though the shipping cost more than the album itself) after hearing “True Loves” because I thought the track would be on it. Sadly, it wasn’t, and I didn’t love Momo at first — but, it definitely grew on me. Momo was more experimental than what I’d heard from True Loves, but hey, I didn’t like Animal Collective when I first heard them either.

Honestly, I was expecting that it would be an OK album and that “True Loves” would be the standout track, but I was oh-so-happily wrong. The entire album is a solid display of slightly experimental but still melodic tunes. Standout tracks are “Sails,” “True Loves,” “Same,” “No Love,” “Bring Us Closer Together” — well, yeah. Pretty much the whole album.

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1. Original post: Hooray For Earth – True Loves

2. Posted in: Electronic, indie rock, experimental, animal collective, cut copy

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Underlights – Underlights

monicam — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:50:33 +0000

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Sounds like: Tame Impala, The Beatles, Oasis, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Song: Underlights - Now That You're In Love [download here]

What's so good?

The first time I heard Underlights, I immediately contacted my brother Hugh and insisted he review it. He didn’t, so I thought I’d better take up the mantle because I think this band is too special to keep playing small gigs in dingy Sydney bars. Not that I don’t love dingy Sydney bars.

Underlights suddenly popped up on my radar out of nowhere. Their track “Now That You’re In Love” was the band’s only available track (released on an Australian radio website), and started getting a whole bunch of positive reviews and domestic airplay. I think a few people would have assumed it was a one-off piece of genius but Underlights have just released a solid follow-up single from their self-titled EP, “Remnants,” to equally positive reviews.

“Now That You’re In Love” has some great Beatles-esque psychedelic riffs and vocal harmonies, with other tracks from the EP showing more of a later 90s Brit-pop influence. The whole EP takes me back to rainy days in London, although that might just be because vocalist Jack Friels has refreshingly avoided putting on a fake American accent like most Australian artists seem to do these days. Respect.

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1. Original post: Underlights – Underlights

2. Posted in: psychedelic pop, tame impala, australian, brit pop, the beatles

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Gaz Coombes – Hot Fruit

monicam — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:32:31 +0000

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Sounds like: Kasabian, Supergrass, The Rapture, Digitalism

Song: Gaz Coombes - Hot Fruit [download here]

What's so good?

Supergrass is the band that keep on giving. They’ve been around for almost 20 years now, so I suppose it shouldn’t be so much of a shock that frontman Gaz Coombes’ wanted to do something new and has gone solo after Supergrass decided to call it quits. Coombs has just released “Hot Fruit,” off his upcoming album Here Come the Bombs, which is due to be released at the end of this month.

Happily for all Supergrass fans, after being in the one band for almost 20 years, Coombes’ solo material has more than a tinge of that familiar Supergrass sound. Coombes has pushed a little bit further into electronic territory on his solo material though, and he’s gotten a bit fancy with the futuristic music video for the single. “Hot Fruit” isn’t quite Brit-pop and it’s not quite electro, floating somewhere on the spectrum near Kasabian.

I’m tentatively registering my excitement for the release of Here Come the Bombs. I’m an old fan of Supergrass so it’s sad to see the members going their separate ways, but at least “Hot Fruit” has given me the opportunity to look upon Gaz Coombes splendid sideburns for a while longer.

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1. Original post: Gaz Coombes – Hot Fruit

2. Posted in: indie rock, electronic-rock, electro, brit pop, the rapture

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Architecture in Helsinki – Contact High

monicam — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:13:06 +0000

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Sounds like: Prince, Cut Copy, Yelle

Song: Architecture in Helsinki - Contact High [download here]

What's so good?

There is some serious 80s funk genius happening in “Contact High.” I remember hearing it for the first time and being slightly cranky about having to completely reassess my previous views on Architecture in Helsinki.

The Australian group have been around for ages, I remember noticing them briefly in the early 2000s but they disappeared off my radar until releasing Places Like This in 2008. I found some of the singles from Places Like This irritating enough to switch radio stations when the songs came on, so it was a bit of a surprise to realise how much I liked “Contact High,” their first single from latest album Moment Bends.

“Contact High” definitely owes a lot to Prince’s influence, starting out dirty and funky with lead singer Cameron Bird’s vocals hitting all the right falsetto notes. The song evolves into a more modern interpretation of an 80s groove, full of melodic synthesizer kicking into an enjoyably cheesy key change.

Aussies are doing a lot for 80s revival, with Architecture Helsinki leading the charge alongside international darlings Cut Copy. I can’t say I was a huge fan of all the tracks off Moment Bends; it’s got a few highlights like “Escapee” and “Yr Go To”, but is a bit too patchy for me to completely discard my preconceptions about the band.

Having said that, “Contact High” is just too darn funky a track for me to ignore. I’m always a sucker for a key change.

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1. Original post: Architecture in Helsinki – Contact High

2. Posted in: electro pop, dance, funk, 80s, electro funk

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Bleeding Knees Club – Nothing To Do

monicam — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:41:15 +0000

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Sounds like: Wavves, The Drums, DZ Deathrays, Best Coast

Song: Bleeding Knees Club - Nothing To Do [download here]

What's so good?

Bleeding Knees Club just want to have fun. They’re a couple of surfie punk kids from Australia’s Gold Coast that started jamming in a garage together, and recently turned out album Nothing To Do — an ode to sun, girls, and generally just being irresponsible.

Let’s be honest. Bleeding Knees Club isn’t the next intellectual math-rock band. There’s nothing complicated or showy about their music, but that works in their favor, as their short, punchy songs are easy to listen to and damn catchy as well.

Standout songs are opening track “Teenage Girls,” the charmingly titled “Beach Slut,” as well as their latest single from the album “Nothing To Do.” They all sound a little bit the same but hey, it’s a good formula and the songs are all short enough that it never gets tedious.

I feel a little bit of a phoney listening to Bleeding Knees Club as I’m long out of high school, but there’s something enjoyably immature about listening to songs like “Hate Me” and “Problem Child.” So be a rebel. Put Bleeding Knees Club on your playlist and listen to it when you’re suited up and on your way to work. Maybe knock a garbage can over on your way. You know the boys would be proud.

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1. Original post: Bleeding Knees Club – Nothing To Do

2. Posted in: lo-fi, surf rock, best coast, Surf pop, punk rock

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Zulu Winter – Silver Tongue

monicam — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:37:51 +0000

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Sounds like: Delphic, Friendly Fires, Little Dragon, Klaxons

Song: Zulu Winter - Silver Tongue [download here]

What's so good?

I’d be surprised if we weren’t hearing a lot more about Zulu Winter soon. The band was only formed in late 2011 and “Silver Tongue” is the second single released from upcoming album Language, which will be out 14 May. Mark it off on your calendar and keep an eye on this band. Their melodic indie pop is friendly and catchy enough that the masses will be quick to pay attention.

Zulu Winter aren’t really doing anything new with “Silver Tongue,” which sounds a lot like Delphic and Friendly Fires. Having said that, I imagine the familiar sound will work in their favour for the release of their first album, help them find new fans and gain them plenty of airtime.

Zulu Winter are touted as being a well-educated, intelligent band, and I’m hoping this translates to a more exploratory sound in other tracks on Languages. In the meantime, “Silver Tongue” is a great indie-pop track which will slot nicely into my playlist.

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1. Original post: Zulu Winter – Silver Tongue

2. Posted in: indie pop, synth-pop, post-punk, friendly fires, zulu winter

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

DZ Deathrays – Bloodstreams

monicam — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:20:00 +0000

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Sounds like: Death From Above 1979, The Rapture, Crystal Castles, LCD Soundsystem

Song: DZ Deathrays - No Sleep [download here]

What's so good?

If you’re listening to DZ Deathrays, I would advise you to play them loud. Very loud. Apologize to your mother, shut your door, and twist that volume knob. DZ Deathrays are Shane Parsons on guitar and vocals, Simon Ridley on drums, and a hell of a lot of distortion.

Australia’s been experiencing a bit of a punk revival in the last couple of years, and DZ Deathrays’ Bloodstreams is a solid addition to the genre for 2012. Bloodstreams is made up of mostly drum-heavy thrash tracks with a few slower, sleazier tunes thrown into the mix.

Their more orthodox punk tracks like “Teenage Kickstarts,” “Cops Capacity,” and “No Sleep” are hammered out in an energetic assault of noise, but it’s OK because it’s punk and it will all be over in less than three minutes. “No Sleep” has been the biggest release from the album so far, getting a fair amount of domestic radio airplay and YouTube hits from the music video featuring Arj Barker.

Some of the tracks like “Dollar Chills” and “Gebbie Street” have more of an electro influence, grinding along at a sexier, more deliberate pace. Parson’s rhythmic chanting, shrieks and groans in these tracks sounded so similar to Death From Above 1979 that I had a little moment of nostalgia.

I really liked Bloodstreams. I find a lot of punk music a bit samey, but DZ Deathrays provide enough variety to keep me attracted without the hit and miss factor. Their website states that the band started playing at house parties and will probably end at one, but before that happens you can catch them on tour in Europe during May.

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1. Original post: DZ Deathrays – Bloodstreams

2. Posted in: punk, crystal castles, lcd soundsystem, the rapture, noise pop

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.