So this band is pretty cool, they have just released a new EP called The Pacific which is brill, they are currently touring with Ball Park Music and Papa vs. Pretty and they are Australian!
The music video for “House of Cards”, which was directed by Gemma Lee is our top pick this week because of its simple, yet retro feel. All the footage is very interesting to watch and ties in nicely with the lyrics of the song. The song is great, the beach is great, and the use of mirror imaging and the black and white colour scheme make this video look a little bit fancy, which is what we like to see!
Artist: Ball Park Music Album: Puddinghead Hometown: Brisbane, QLD Genre: Indie Rock
Brisbane five-piece Ball Park Music released their new album Puddinghead last Friday, exhibiting a renewed indie-rock style and healthy amount of angst in their catchy tunes.
The first half of the album is particularly strong. Just check out their opening track “She Only Loves Me When I’m There” for one, a great introduction to a fantastic record. With a powerful hymn-like style vocal line and eerie keys, it feels like Sam Cromack forms a full choir. Then it’s back into a more rock-y feel, some catchy lyrics and it’s here that we get an idea for what the rest of the record is going to be like.
We are lead swiftly onto a standout track of the album with “Next Life Already“, where we can experience a high-school-teenager level of indie rock angst. With lyrics like “I just wanna float downstream, I just wanna forget everything” to a great rocky beat, this track makes for some very good headbanging to get it all out of your system.
By track three, “A Good Life Is The Best Revenge”, we’re really starting to see some recurring themes here. It’s almost as if we’ve had a bad break to a friendship or relationship and it’s time to start expressing some of these emotions through motivation! Then “Teenage Pie” leaves us back wallowing again. But hey, those back up vocals from Jennifer Boyce are really something.
After these, it’s time to “get your mojo back” and “feel 100%” with “Trippin’ The Light Fantastic”. Another highlight of the album for sure, and a solid singable tune.
The second half of the album hosts some gems too. I haven’t figured out what a “Cocaine Lion” is, but the song itself has some beautiful moments, particularly the build towards the end of the song and magical rock harmonies. “Everything Is Shit Except My Friendship With You” is also either really depressing or really sweet, I still haven’t decided which. Nevertheless, it’s a very fun listen.
Eventually we are led out of the album by “Girls From High School”, with a ‘wub-y’ bass line and a folky-indie feel vaguely reminiscent of the hopeful tunes of The Format, and told aptly “I never got to say goodbye, bye bye“.
This is a lyrically strong piece of work by Ball Park Music and an album absolutely worth listening to in full. Sing, hum and dance highly embarrassingly along (in the comfort and privacy of your room of course).
Puddinghead is out now. Grab a copy in store or hit up Spotify to experience Ball Park Music’s latest masterpiece.
The Oxford Art Factory never fails to provide the perfect balance between intimacy and buzz in a crowd, the ingredients of which make for a great Sydney gig. And the audience was certainly in for a treat on Saturday with solid sets from electronic acts Fishing, SAFIA and Elizabeth Rose.
Starting with a pulled back performance by Fishing, the night took on a very chilled atmosphere as everyone had a beer and a good chat. Their simple, dulcet tones made for some very easy listening, adding a touch of danceable beat occasionally, including a stunning performance of “Choy Lin”.
SAFIA Tearing It Down
Then Canberra electronic trio SAFIA graced the stage and pulled together a full crowd to experience a tight performance. Whilst it took a moment or two to adjust their mixing mojo and awaken the relaxed audience, SAFIA produced a standout sound, receiving particularly intense reactions from the crowd to their remix of The Aston Shuffle’s “Tear It Down” and their popular single “Listen To Soul, Listen To Blues”. An energetic and tingling cover of James Vincent McMorrow’s “Cavalier” was also just one unexpected trick up their sleeves.
Elizabeth Rose and her rockin’ light show
Finally, the electric Elizabeth Rosebrought her own unique energy to the show with a sporty-stylish getup and her silky smooth tunes. Her echoing vocal effects engaged the crowd as she strutted her stuff with songs such as the catchy “Sensibility” and a fun rendition of Corona’s “Rhythm Of The Night”. Her positive vibes were contagious, naming the gig as the “best one so far” on the tour.
Elizabeth Rose is now wrapping up her tour on the west coast of Australia, and you can also catch SAFIA supporting Lorde in her upcoming Australia tour.
A song that we have been loving this week and that has been getting a lot of international attention since its release is Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me”.
Sam’s smooth vocals, which you might recognise from his feature on Disclosure’s track “Latch” are stunningly beautiful, and although this track is a bit mainstream, it is a good listen. The gospel chorus and heartbreaking melody will connect with anyone lovesick listener, as Rolling Stone’s Mike Powell commented “If ninth-graders still made mixtapes for their crushes, this would be on all of them” (2014).
Keep an ear out for Sam’s new album In The Lonely Hour which will be released 26th May 2014.
Listen Here to my favourite remix of the track by Rainer + Grimm:
References:
Powell, Mike (2014) ‘Sam Smith, Stay With Me Review’, Rolling Stone, available at: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/songreviews/stay-with-me-20140404, date of entry: 06/04/14
Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s outstanding first EP Winter offers a poetic and chilling arrangement of tracks, taking the listener on a seasonal journey of heartbreak, loss, regret and acceptance.
As you listen, the effortless and sleepy tracks slowly emerge, bringing with them a refreshing spirit, melancholy attitude and at times revitalising tone. The musical arrangements, angelic vocals, and outstanding lyrical artistry make for unique and at times exciting experience.
Starting off with a “Collapse”the listener is given a chilling taste off what Winter has to offer. This track leaves you feeling a bit empty and regretful but definitely wanting more. It feels bitter yet optimistic, a perfect collision of emotions. “Collapse”is a slow start, but a perfect opening, providing space for growth, seems fitting as the song proclaims “we’ve been outgrown”.
Before too long we begin to see some “Flaws”of Winter. This track was my favourite to begin with, but has slowly fallen down the ranks. Although catchy, and very beautiful, after a couple listens the repetition gets rather tiring and tone draining. This song kind of confuses me, because I really love it, but I also really hate it.
I really do like that there is a sound that is carried out across all the tracks of the album, connecting them and turning them into a collaborative story. “Stakes”, is a strong addition to the narrative, it has a rather enchanting sound that you can easily get lost in. It’s strengths lie in the high’s and low’s of the song, and the buildups that happen in between. It also reveals a shift in mood for the EP, moving away from the bitter optimism of earlier tracks into a more hopeful realm. Hinting at a readiness to let go and “wash away”.
Acting as a perfect intermission, the beautifully instrumental “(Aftermath)” takes the stage, allowing for a moment of thought, slowly lifting spirits and letting go of the iciness of Winter:
Oh lover, asleep at last Oh lover, it’s in the past Of dust we rise and dust we part So bless these lungs and save my heart.
As if to say spring has arrived “Vapour” is introduced, ready to accept the past and move forward. Another favourite from the EP this track has been exceptionally crafted, there is not much more that can be said, just listen- it is lovely:
“Rebirth” is the finale of the album, an incredible track that beautifully brings the Winter story to an end. The song allows for the past to be forgotten and somehow creates a special calmness that leaves the listener feeling fearless and happy. The song is very reflective of the EP as a whole and carefully takes the opportunity to find a sense of completeness as the journey comes to a close: “It’s taken the winter to find who I am”.
Winter is available for your ears now, be sure to check it out on iTunes or Spotify, it is wonderful.
Vinyl Garden 