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.
Royal Headache 7"
Sydney's Royal Headache could be Australia's finest garage power-pop band. It seems that every song they write is infectious as hell, taking sugary '60s garage hooks and blasting them through your speakers with punkish fervor and velocity.
Opening track ‘Eloise' is the one that incited frenzy on Pitchfork, and if your misanthropic punk mate scoffs at the exuberance of the "nah, nahs" in the outro, chances are they're the only good thing that happened to him that week.
Sleepwalks, 'Clicks'
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be pinned down by a friendly but (obviously) psychotic centaur who is desperately trying to tell you something? Of course you haven't. Clicks, the first track on Sleepwalks' debut EP is this. Well, it's not as terrifying, but equally thrilling and intense.
Have One On Me
Everybody has their One. Mine used to be Zooey Deschanel, before the malicious bitch decided that her One was Ben Gibbard. A single listening of Have One on Me was all it took to put thoughts of Zooey well and truly to bed (unfortunately not mine). The album, Newsom's third, sprawls across three CDs and showcases Newsom's constantly developing range as a songstress.
The Ruby Suns interview
Ryan McPhun is a musical Krishna; the multi-talented operator behind The Ruby Suns has a new album out on Sub-Pop called Fight Softly. With an almost entirely new sonic palette compared to that of 2008's lush Sea Lion, the Sun's new album represents a trip out into sparse synth land. I spoke to Ryan during my lunch break.
The Besnard Lakes, 'Are The Roaring Night'
Sometimes I wish I didn't have to tell you about music via a flashing computer screen.
I wish I could just play you something at a party. Or make you a mix CD. Some things are better if you find them out by accident, or from a friend. The Besnard Lakes have too much personality for the impersonality of a computer screen.
Houlette, 'Bless Bless'
Houlette is the sugar cube in your Stockholm Blend tea. Their French-pop, country-esque folk minimalism reminds you of better times, of simpler times when salt came iodised and men rode horses.
Bless Bless (which translates to ‘farewell' in Icelandic) is the band's debut album, following the successes of their precursor releases.
Spoon, 'Transference'
The fact that this is the first self-produced Spoon album was a surprise to me. They've always been so ridiculously full of sound-purpose and sound-awareness. As you might expect, it sounds just as good as anything that they might pay some dude with a massive beard and a concerned look on his face to record.
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