Sleepyhead/Better Things Double A-Side, Passion Pit
If you've spent any time on music blogs in the past few months, you'd have heard the growing murmur about Passion Pit. The hype has built to levels rivaling fellow New England psych-poppers MGMT before they hit the mains.
Unsurprisingly, NME has gotten all fuzzy about them. This time though, it's entirely justified.
Songs EP
Describing music is, almost inevitably, a frustrating series of inadequate analogies. In the case of Songs, my grey matter latched onto the following: Punk lilt and guitar-driven melodies that recall Is This It-era Strokes. Vocals that channel a stripped-back Velvet Underground; driving rhythms that might have been picked up off the floor after The Wrens finished The Meadlowlands; Constrained, Stooges-like brevity in a four-track EP.
The Beagle And The Dove
I've never been to Brisbane, but I wanna go. Everyone I've ever dealt with there has been super friendly, and judging from their perky, upbeat bands (The Grates, Operator Please), it must be all sunshine and fun times up north.
Bouncing into town with a van full of instruments is another blast of sunny Brissie disposition - The John Steel Singers.
Artefacts EP
If their debut is anything to go by, Tic Toc Tokyo have some exciting times ahead. Artefacts sees their tribal-infused post-punk styling expertly merged with no-wave inclinations, making for one tidy little package indeed.
‘Colour of Place' launches proceedings - disjointed guitar riffs and percussive beginnings grow then kick with confidence.
Harshup Edge EP
Aphex Twin, AFX, Caustic Window, Bradley Strider, The Tuss – doesn’t matter; the godfather of electronica’s sound is unmistakeable. Hot on the heels of the 11-volume Analord series – a collection of acid-electro dubs – Richard D. James is back with his first properly visionary material since 2002’s intense major label double album, Druqks.
Theatre of Disco EP
Electronic music can get predictable. To hold an audience’s attention, it helps if you douse yourself in fake blood and put on a theatrical live show with dancers dressed like Leigh Bowery, or write interesting, inventive songs.
Sydney duo Theatre of Disco does both. Their sound combines electro with glitchy samples and over-the-top humour (at times they veer into all-out indie territory, like on the fantastic ‘Oke’).
Plug-In City EP
Pixelated palm trees blur into the background as your cherry red Lambo speeds into the sunset. That's the scene set in the video game world of Plug-In City, the latest foot soldiers from Modular Records' ‘80s dance dance revolution.
This heaving, seething Melbourne five-piece wields slinky bass lines, squelching synths and urgent flock-off vocals.
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