Today’s Song of the Week may be an oldie (sorta), but it’s most certainly a goodie. This track from Sydney group Gang of Youths draws on a number of indie rock influences from the past decade and delivers an up-to-date yet nostalgic sound.
The repetitive lyrics, husky vocals and distinctive bass rhythm certainly bring to mind The National, and the build in the middle has Arcade Fire written all over it. I mean listen to to the part at 1:55 – you could easily be forgiven for mistaking it for the end of “No Cars Go“:
Enjoy this easy tune for your Saturday afternoon. Gang of Youths have played some pretty cool gigs around the place including at FBi Radio’s new live venue and even dropped by triple j for Like A Version, so they’re doing great things. Check it out here, and enjoy your weekend!
As a warm welcome to March and the Autumnal change here in Australia, we felt it was a perfect time to put together another mixtape to share some of our favourite tunes with you for the coolest season of the year.
This playlist showcases some of our favourite new releases, golden oldies, local favourites and highlights from some of our favourite gigs last month, including Wet, Highasakite and Tkay Maidza. Overall the mix has a rather warm and 70s inspired sound and is perfect to listen to as you soak up the sun in the last few weeks of warmth we have left.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, perhaps for some time: Newtown Social Club is my favourite live venue in Sydney. Some may find this controversial, but to me there is nothing controversial about the venue always delivering an intimate show with on-point mixing and a relaxed yet enthused crowd. Not to mention the opportunity to chat with the band members (and with it, the opportunity to fan-girl). On Monday night, each act provided a variety of sounds and styles, which made for a well-rounded evening.
Slum Sociable played a mixed set – they had an unusual sound that began very polished, which drew the crowd in quickly. The best thing about these Melbourne dudes was how relaxed and laid back they were on stage, and how naturally their music came across. While they only have one single out at the moment (“Anyway”), they had a lot of catchy tracks in their set which I personally can’t wait to hear recorded.
Grace brought the audience closer in towards the stage and enticed with her smokey melodies. While she seemed uncertain at first just singing, once she found her guitar in hand she became more comfortable, and rounded off a pleasant set.
When Mansionair came on, the most notable aspect of their performance was vocalist Jack Froggart’s well-supported silvery vocals. He cruised through their singles ‘Hold Me Down’ and ‘Second Night’ sensually, while drummer Alex Nicholls and guitarist Lachlan Bostock held the rhythm of each piece together. Effects on the mic made the sound effortless and brought to mind the beats of Glass Animals or the delicate sounds of producers like RUFUS.
The banter between band members and singing of ‘Happy Birthday’ to Alex (complete with cake) made the gig an intimate one, and made the band seem down to earth and approachable. Though the audience shouldn’t be fooled, Mansionair packs a punch live, and is an act to watch grow in the future.
For a taste of their sensuality, try listening to ‘Second Night’:
Kilter is one of my favourite live producers at the moment (along with Touch Sensitive) for one main reason – he shows off his musicality on stage. It’s easy for producers to play what seems like more of a DJ set due to the electronic nature of their work, so it can disconnect the audience slightly from their live presence. But for Kilter, percussion is a large element of his live shows, and you can also hear this in recordings of his original tracks and even his remixes.
Kilter’s recently released remix of Odesza’s “All We Need” is a great example of the integration of his own style of percussion into this bouncy track. Check it out for yourself:
But really, try and see Kilter live. He’s got a super engaging presence – as I saw clearly at Mountain Sounds Festival. And if you can’t get enough in the meantime, listen to his original track “They Say”:
Vinyl Garden 