Hear
HEAR is the enema your iTunes needs. Bringing you the most thought-provoking and up-to-date music reviews this side of Lester Bangs, HEAR sifts through the ever growing mountain of press releases and promos to only feature albums, EPs, LPs and mixes that we want to, not that we have to. Also, we try and make things make sense in 200 words or less so that you can just listen to the music.
Kite Club, Esoterica
Ever been to the forest when it's still dark out so that you're awake to hear the near-invisible sounds of a thousand monsters coming to life through the woodlands as though you were in Fern Gully? They're the kind of sounds Nicholas D Futcher, aka. Kite Club specialises in. Esoterica, his debut EP sets the mood for spring (in both senses of the word).
Insurgents, 'Fad Cash'
Since starting out with some Circle Jerks and Bad Brains covers, a couple of demos and a seven inch, these Brisbane punks have been slurping on the 1.5 litre Haterade and are now hitting red on the rageometer. The result is Fad Cash – four tracks of blistering and intense hardcore.
A line from the first song 'Vermin's Tain't 'Why regain consciousness?' sounds a lot like 'so why Reagan consciousness?' It's just coincidence but their ultra-fast, ultra-pissed-off hardcore is reminiscent of much of the punk blasting from Reagan's America in the early and mid eighties.
'Butterfly House', The Coral
English band The Coral seem to exist in similar territory to their namesake; tucked away from the rest of the world. Since their wonderful self-titled debut in 2002, they have consistently released praise-worthy, often awe-inducing albums.
On Butterfly House, they bring a sense of creative wildness akin to 70s bands Love and Big Star.
Nuojuva Halava, Ous Mal
Twenty-two-year-old Finn Olli Aarni is a lot like Girl Talk. No, really - ok, he relies far less on the generosity of Fair Use, but both men compose primarily by sitting around, listening to mountains of music. What a living! The similarities end though when you consider whateach man samples. Gregg Gillis wants you to dance, possibly like you'venever before.
Beach Fossils self titled LP
Beach Fossils is a collection of inevitably mellow, sun-dazed tunes, written and performed almost entirely by one Dustin Payseur from his apartment in Brooklyn, New York City.
The mood here is of contented laziness, and this never varies. Unlike most prolonged laziness, which tends to develop into agitation and self-loathing, this music frolics along unabated with joyful optimism and a clear conscience.
Strange Weather, Isn't It?, !!!
!!!'s new full-length Strange Weather, Isn't It? is a reflection on the band's glary decade together. The lyrics point towards a serious life stock-take; "You'll never hear the same song again/nothing in the rear view mirror/except a trunk full of reasons" or "I felt strangely free as I caught the last bus from the place I'm supposed to be/and it's a good thing I like being alone I made a promise to the mirror long ago.
Tully: Live at Town Hall 1969-70
Time has an astounding way of killing off musical performances and groups. Recordings are lost and buried; destined never to have a release. Albums and singles die a slow and agonising death; shelved into obscurity. Chapter Music have recently exhumed the corpse of Sydney psychedelic group Tully in the form of two live recordings the band made at Sydney Town Hall circa 1969 - 1970.
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