Sunday Washup

JUNGLE LOVE DAY 2 REVIEW

Words - John

Jungle Love Festival – Day 2

You know what is great about smaller boutique festivals? The one thing that really separates them from huge national festivals is the incredible atmosphere. The BYO and camping aspects definitely help as well, however Jungle Love is a festival that really stood out to me last year. With fewer than 1000 people, it seemed like everyone was a friend. Whether you had met them before, if you knew them through a friend of a friend or if you sparked up a conversation in passing. It was this relaxed and friendly nature that really sparked its way through the festival grounds on the second day.

JUNGLE LOVE DAY 1 REVIEW

Words - Keziah

Jungle Love Festival – Day 1

  First off, I just want to take my hat off to everyone who had a part in putting together Jungle Love Festival. The weather may have been scorching, but it didn’t stop people from having the best fucking weekend of their lives.

I’ve now discovered the perfect combination to a perfect weekend = Lake Moogerah + BYO + epic bands + good vibes.

  Arriving in 30+ degree heat on Friday morning, we chucked up our tents with the sounds of Mega Ogre floating over us from the festival site. They sounded pretty swish, and after a few drinks we made our way over so as not to miss the next band, The Bacchanales. It was hot and early and not many people had shown up yet, but the boys gave it their all, playing a wicked set. There’s nothing like a bit of rock n’ roll to start a music festival – the vibe had been set.

  Next up were Fat Susan, who drew us in by ‘slappin da bass man’ in their soundcheck, and preceded to play a loose set of tunes that seemed to be influenced by every genre under the sun, but mostly a dirty mix of rock and funk. Basically, they were a lot of fun.

  After a quick break (aka drinks, water and sunscreen application in the shade), we checked out Baskervillain. I’ve wanted to check out this band for a seriously long time, and lo and behold, they did not disappoint. They rocked, they psychedelic’d, and they blew me away with some legendary harmonica. These guys seem to be talented musicians and were a truly masterful act.

  By this stage it was 3pm, and though the worst of the heat was probably over, it was time for a dip in the lake. It was muddy, there was a lot of lake-weed, but it was blissful.  Unfortunately we couldn’t stay in the pond forever, as there was one band I didn’t want to miss.

  I’m talking about The Jensens. They had the biggest turn out so far, with a decent crowd of dancers up front who got their boogie on to favourites like Shark Thunder, and their latest single Fears. These guys were one of my favourite bands of the whole weekend. Maybe it’s because their indie rock sound takes me back a few years to my careless teenage years, or maybe it’s because they’re just that fucking good. Solid drums and bass, dreamy guitar tones, catchy vocals, harmonies, some tambourine - what more could you want? They even smoked a joint on stage like true rock stars.

  Skip forward a little while and it was finally starting to cool down, and HRBRT (pronounced Herbert, I think) took us on an instrumental funk/jazz adventure as the most beautiful sunset played out overhead. It was the perfect moment to sit on the hill and chill to some wicked music. I’m pretty sure there were even calls for more when their set was over, they were that good.

  Tin Can Radio performed one of the most rousing sets of the night, with their indie/electro tunes set to an amazing backdrop of lightening. It went on for basically their whole set, almost as though they’d arranged it somehow. It was stunning, and so to was the music. They played a mix of old and new songs, and while I wasn’t as enamored with the new stuff (it was still great, don’t get me wrong), songs such as Hot Trash from their 2012 LP had me the most excited. It was such a delight hearing these guys live again.

  Next up were The Mouldy Lovers, who brought the love and made it hard not to go crazy for these gypsy-ska folk. Saxophonist Jonathan Sri (Greens candidate for Sth. Brisbane) opened things up by laying down an epic social commentary rap, and the rest of the set only got better from there. At one stage there was even a double decker horns section, with trumpet player Matt sitting atop trombonist Bodie’s shoulders. And yes, they did manage to play like that. The crowd pulled out all the stops with their crazy dance moves and it was a joyful time to be alive.

  So after all that mayhem, I didn’t think any other act would be able to impress me, but Bec Laughton did exactly that. I have no idea how a somewhat tiny redhead has such a big voice, but Bec brought the soul to the Jungle Love stage. She powered through some of her own epic songs that had me transfixed, and topped off her set with a medley of 90’s classics (we’re talking TLC, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and even Captain Planet), as well as an epic mash up of danceable songs such as Jamiroquai’s Canned Heat. She commanded the audience with her voice and her dance moves, and was the perfect end to my first day of jungle love.

BIGSOUND - GIG REVIEW - PART 2 (HIGHLIGHTS)

 Words - Keziah Davies

WEDNESDAY

  Yeo

Playing at the ‘new’ Wooly Mammoth bar, Yeo was possibly my favourite act of the night. Playing as a two man group with a heavy reliance on pre-recorded backing, which I normally hat, I was blown away by how great the sound was. The energy was off the hook; Yeo’s drummer was a genius (and his light up sticks were pretty sweet) and keytar was used in at least 50% of the songs, which is obviously a major positive. Songs like Kobe and Girl were clearly already favourites of the small but passionate audience, and Yeo was clearly putting his emotions into the set. It was a killer set of songs that got me pumped up for his Come Find Me EP (which is out now).

  Thelma Plum

Well didn’t Thelma Plum grow up? Ok, so I’m not much older than her, but Thelma’s set was a synthy, electronic-guitary mix of delightful tunes that surprised me just a little bit. I knew her second EP Monsters was a change to her acoustic-driven first ep, but this was my first time seeing her and her new sound, and it was brilliant. The packed out venue was eating it up. Her voice was confident and dripping with talent, and my only complaint was that she didn’t smile more, because I sure know I was.

  Mosman Alder

A fairly small crowd was at Black Bear Lodge to see off the night with some Mosman Alder tunes. The Brisbane band had just released their debut album Humdrum Star (produced by Paul Dempsey) and delivered a set of beautifully crafted masterpieces. And I’m not even exaggerating. Their set was dynamic, with beautiful call and response harmonies and mixed lead-vocal duties, an abundance of lush musical melodies, sprawling arrangements and what is just generally a refreshing sound that stands out from the rest. The best part about Mosman Alder is that they make it seem effortless.

THURSDAY

Airling

Airling, aka Hannah Shepherd, was an interesting set at Bigsound’s outdoors stage. Unfortunately, police were onsite after some noise complaints, and at times the sound of people chatting almost over powered the level of the music. Though I honestly have no idea why people felt compelled to chat away when an amazing display of dreamy, chill-wave, experimental stuff was happening. Hannah has a gorgeous voice and mixes beautiful melodies and curious lyrics with refreshing synth backings, resulting in songs such as Ouroboros and The Runner, two already popular songs off her Love Gracefully EP. Airling’s set was still a great one despite the unfortunate effect of the police presence, and is definitely a star on the rise.

  Morning Harvey

BIGSOUND - GIG REVIEW - PART 1 (WEDNESDAY)

Lime Cordiale:

Due to a series of public transport misadventures, we missed out on the early acts which included gold like Rolls Bayce and Panama. Consumed by regrets and mutinous thoughts directed at Translink, we headed to The Zoo, eager to drown our sorrows in a much needed glass of Lime Cordiale. Fortunately, Lime Cordiale’s sexual brass section (brass sexion?) made it impossible to stay down for long. The blond Leimbach brothers who front Lime Cordiale have an irresistible stage presence – their charismatic charm and catchy tunes making them a choice act to kick off the night.

Karl S. Williams:

We then galloped from The Zoo to catch the end of Karl S. Williams set. In his unique blues and roots style, Williams serenaded a Press Club so packed that the audience was spilling out onto the street. He concluded his performance with a raw a-cappella song, steeped in emotion. It was a wise call, because his is one of those rare voices that sounds even better without accompaniment.

It was a relatively warm night, but everyone who walked out of Williams set was covered in goose bumps.

Thelma Plum:

At The Elephant Hotel the atmosphere was thick with excitement as the crowd eagerly awaited local indie-darling Thelma Plum. After some technical issues, Thelma came into her stride. In the flesh, Thelma Plum exudes the same ethereal vibes which pervade her most recent EP. Waif-like and sparkling eyed, she looked for all the world like she had just stumbled out of an enchanted forest. Thelma, you are a beautiful intergalactic-fairy-queen. Never change.

Mosman Alder:

Before tapping out for the evening, we headed to Black Bear Lodge for a late-night helping of Mosman Alder. It was nearing midnight, and the mood at Black Bear had mellowed into a pleasant, lazy buzz. Mosman Alder worked to take the audience out of this comfort zone, their violinist lending these guys a subtle country flavour which set them apart from your run-of-the-mill indie exports. They concluded their set with the very catchy ‘Germland’, a certified foot stomper of a tune which was a delightful way to tie-off the night’s festivities.

TL;DR:

Edit - The Love Junkies just released their ALBUM Blowing on The Devil's Strumpet - not Flight Test EP as stated.

I warm up your BIGSOUND week with a heap of artists playing this week! I also talk snoops supply and ben's burgers with The Royales. Bands played include Major Leages, The Love Junkies, Thelma Plum, The Phoncurves, Mighty Duke and The Lords and Harlequin.

www.facebook.com/majorleaguesmusic www.facebook.com/thelovejunkiesmusic www.facebook.com/thelmaplum www.facebook.com/thephoncurves www.facebook.com/mightydukeandthelords www.facebook.com/harlequin.au

THE ROYALES (Interview) - www.facebook.com/theroyales

SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS HIGHLIGHTS

 Words - John Larney

What words can I say about Splendour in the grass that hasn’t already been said? It was a blurry, smoky haze of tunes, beer and grass that blends into one ridiculous weekend.

 In the wise words of Danny Brown himself, “smoking and drinking, drinking and smoking”. And from the get go there were at least people trying to do that. From the front gate fiasco of people trying to smuggle in full 3 litre bottles of vodka to the few that got pulled over by the sniffer dogs wandering the entry (against the strong advice of Art Vs Science). Though I in no way advocate ‘drinkin and smokin’, waking up to both a free ice break, excited chatter of the festival goers AND a cold beer in hand (not drank with the ice break – gross) was a great way to start any morning.

There’s no way I could cover the full extent of the Splendour lineup by myself so I’ll give you a few highlights for me over the length of the festival. There were just so many amazing acts that I don’t talk about, but they were there, strumming, strutting and doing their thing.

MOSMAN ALDER - BIGSOUND 2014 - ARTIST HIGHLIGHT

Words - Jel Rush

If two is company and three’s a crowd, then what, dare we ask, is six?

Well if six-piece Brisbane outfit Mosman Alder is any indication, six is a sure-fire recipe for indie success. Because Mosman Alder is pure musical escapism.

Like the more upbeat cousins of the Brit band Arthur Beatrice, Mosman Alder has cultivated a sound that is addictively hopeful. Theirs are the sort of foot-stomping tunes that totally transport you. Each track makes you want to take off your clothes and sing your heart out until the hills echo with the sound of Mosman Alders sweet music. ‘Germland’, a taster from their upcoming LP, is one such track. In it, endearing vocals, a tinkling piano and uplifting violins combine to liberate the listener. Like a musical anti-anxiety pill, this is a track that will soothe your nerves and boost your confidence – with varying results:

2000 words due by midnight? No wukkin furries, m8.

Job interview tomorrow? Go to sleep bae, you’re flawless.

Court summons for public nudity on account of above naked-hill-singing? Werk that prison jumpsuit, you smooth criminal, you.

Words - Will Purcell

In 2013, Brisbane-based producer Danny Harley, better known as The Kite String Tangle, uploaded "Given The Chance" to the internet. It went onto become an inarguably hit single within Australia’s indie scene. People voted it onto Triple J’s Hottest 100 beating a myriad of Australian and international songs and left a lot of people wondering where they could find more of his dreamy, romantic electronica. After a collaboration with American dubstep duo Adventure Club, Harley’s anxiously awaited debut EP, Vessel, is finally here.

 Vessel—like most electronica on the radio these days—attempts to find some middle ground between the bedroom and the festival tent. Making mud-covered eighteen year olds dance to the musical equivalent of late night text messages seems to be the current trend of electronic producers and TKST is paving the way. While some might describe this trend as cathartic, others describe it as shallow to take painful memories and turn them into a club banger. It’s a fine line between processing feelings and exploiting them for mass appeal and TKST falls either side of that line throughout Vessel.

After listening to Vessel, “Arcadia” makes sense as the opening track. The initial transition from Harley’s signature vocals to wall-of-synth sound demands attention. Listen to "What If" and "Words" for more examples of this effective blueprint. Another noticeable feature is his penchant for reverb and echo. On Vessel, Harley is alone in an open space, dreaming and caring.

What works the most on this EP is TKST’s first and greatest single, “Given The Chance”. It’s a pop masterpiece that showcases Harley’s stellar production ability. Born from such a clear idea and executed passionately, it’s xylophone melodies, harp arpeggios and synth stabs are supremely organic and meld beautifully. The way the vocal samples bend in pitch could elicit an emotional response from even the most jaded listener. In it’s final minute, all these elements come together for a near euphoric collection of sound that even veteran producers wish they could make.

BIGSOUND HIGHLIGHT - AIRLING

Words - Jel Rush

For over a decade, the conference-festival-hybrid BIGSOUND has reigned as Australia’s top annual music industry event. It is a much coveted gig which gives new acts a platform to network with various VIP’s and professionals of the industry.

Airling, the moniker of local music maker Hannah Shepherd, is just one of the many acts converging upon Brisbane this September as part of the BIGSOUND lineup.  After winning Triple-J’s national Unearthed competition, and performing the opening set at Splendour, Airling has enjoyed a great deal of exposure recently. With this in mind, you could be forgiven for being a little sceptical as to whether the buzz is actually justified. Fortunately however, Airling is a genuinely solid talent who lives up to the hype and then some.

For a fledgling performer, she is refreshingly experimental, unafraid of coupling her soft, dreamy sound with layered electronic work. With a distinctly chill-wave flavour, Airling’s smooth-as-honey voice permeates her tracks, to create tasty morsels like “Ourobos” and “The Runner”. Unobtrusive yet addictive, these are the sort of songs that belong to the realm of lazy, Sunday mornings. For curing a hangover, Airling isn’t quite as effective as a dozen of McDonald’s finest hash browns – but she’s a damn close second.

For those lucky enough to be attending BIGSOUND 2014 be sure to check out her set. For those who aren’t, press play and allow Airling to soothe those lack-of-BIGSOUND-ticket feels.

THELMA PLUM – MONSTERS - ALBUM REVIEW

Words - Jel Rush

Inconvenient Truth about the Music Industry #427: it is astronomically difficult for an artist to follow up a promising debut with an equally well-received successive album.

But with her second EP, Monsters, Thelma Plum – Brisbane’s very own intergalactic starchild – seems to have done exactly that. Rather than crashing and burning, Plum has soared to even greater heights following last month’s release of Monsters. Damn, she’s soared so far, the gal is out of this world.

Monsters marks a departure from the sweet, acoustic sound Plum debuted in 2012. It’s a risky manoeuvre: to strike out in a completely new direction after establishing a formula for success. But for Plum, it is a move that has ultimately paid off. In Monsters, a more mature Plum takes the listener upon a mesmerising trip through the cosmos. In a soupy, electronic galaxy of orbiting synths and electric guitars, Plum’s vocals reign supreme – as dark and mysterious as the universe itself.

As Monsters is a record that demands to be enjoyed as a whole, it’s impossible to isolate and praise a single track. Whether it’s the eerie titular track, the melancholic ‘Candles’ or the vengeful ‘How Much Does Your Love Cost’ – each is guaranteed to get you starry eyed. At just four songs, Monsters is a short listen and well worth your time. For those of you who require further convincing, apparently Yoda himself, upon listening to the EP, said: “Hear this EP in full, you must”.

With Monsters, Thelma Plum has established herself as one talented space cadet who shows no sign of running out of creative fuel. You can follow her on her journey to infinity and beyond (space pun game/10) here:

Blurst of Times is back for another year. If you don't remember last year - I can't blame you (it was crazy). The lineup featured the likes of Violent Soho, Velociraptor, Bitch Prefect and Major Leagues to name a very limited few. 

This years lineup is filled with much of the same style - hard, fast and psychedelic. The ever incredible DZ Deathrays (fresh from an amazing Splendour slot) are there to headline along with the likes of metal/thrashers the Hard Ons and (if you like your tunes mellow, and sexually chilled the fuck out) you've got Dick Diver. The lineup also features the return of Major Leagues, the continually pleasurable Babaganouj and a string of others.

This epic festival hits the Brightside and the Zoo on the 18th of October and you can grab your early bird $46.95 +BF tickets on Oztix here - http://bit.ly/1q4h6qc

A quick 5 track EP-release themed podcast. We feature Meg Mac, Mercians, Bugs, Hound., and Reverie! All great Brisbane bands or touring artists hitting town soon.

www.facebook.com/MegMacMusic www.facebook.com/MerciansMusic www.facebook.com/bugzzzmusic www.facebook.com/HOUNDBRIS www.facebook.com/reveriebrisbane

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Babaganouj - Bluff - Single Review

Words - Will Purcell

Babaganouj are touring with the release of their latest single ‘Bluff’,

I got into the brisbane indie mindset to review this single. I felt that listening to it on repeat in the background while playing videogames wasn’t giving Babaganouj a fair chance. I needed to go scummier. I drove to my local 24 hour convenient store and bought a pack of cigarettes. I then drove to a park, sat on the trunk of my car and played 'Bluff' through my phone's terrible speakers while smoking a cigarette. I listened to it on repeat until I came to this conclusion: it’s above average.

Bluff definitely has that Brisbane indie charm, which isn’t surprising since all four members of Babaganouj have already been making tunes in brisbane brands Yves Klein Blue, Go Violets and Inland Sea. Harriette Pilbeam’s voice dominates with an endearingly Australian accent with lyrics that made me cringe a few times in the track’s three minute length. The delivery of “you made me feel better/but now you just make me feel sad” made me want to single-handedly redefine ‘self-expression’. Most of the lyrics would have been better suited to a passive-aggressive facebook rant rather sung to a crowd of people. 

Besides that, ‘Bluff’ is a solid indie-pop tune that doesn’t rush itself and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Moments of heavy guitar distortion and screeching walls of sound behind the astonishingly clear vocals and catchy chord progression makes this an extremely pleasant listen. It’s as smooth and as harsh as a Marlboro gold ciggy on a cold night.

They’ll be playing this Saturday night at Black Bear Lodge with the John Steel Singers and Tempura.

Here’s the other dates for their tour.

Friday August 1 -  FBI Social  (Sydney)

Saturday August 2 – Brighton Up Bar (Sydney)

Sunday August 3 - Rad (Wollongong) / underage show

Sunday August 3 - Rad (Wollongong) / 18+ show

Saturday August 9 - Black Bear Lodge (Brisbane)

Saturday August 16 - The Gasometer Hotel (Melbourne)

Sunday August 17 - The Catfish (Melbourne)

Words - Will Purcell

In the last decade, skepticism has become the default lens through which we critique the world around us. Exposing what is false is now the hobby of those with too much time on their hands. We can still feel good but it’s always despite the pain of modern existence. Twentysomethings everywhere are disenchanted, disengaged and spiritually inert. Sex, drugs and rock n’ roll is more of a necessary evil than a lifestyle. We haven’t been to church in a long time and for good reason. Fortunately, pioneers like James Blake and Frank Ocean are reinventing soul music for the mainstream. Megan McInerney, going by the name Meg Mac, is following this trend of soul pop with the release of her self-titled debut EP. 

I’m not saying that Meg Mac is the savior of soul but she’s clearly contributing to a genre of music that’s in desperate need of revitalization.

Meg Mac starts off with the jarringly optimistic track “Roll Up Your Sleeves”. Like watching a squid walk on dry land, it’s unsettling hearing anything that’s meant to empower. Devoid of any angst whatsoever, bright pianos and uplifting handclaps introduce the EP as something different than what makes up the rest of what's on the radio waves right now. 

However the tracks that follow play safe in their subject matter. Coming from a place of hindsight, what makes up most of the rest of the EP are lies (“Every Lie”), mistakes (“Turning”) and regrets (“Known Better”). It's unsurprising, McInerney at only twenty-two years of age sings about relationships and the problems that follow. What takes this EP to another level is her voice, which is somewhat versatile but always smooth, sultry and affective. Her vocal hooks rival Sia in their ability to induce chills.

The highlight of this EP is smack-bang in the middle of it's five track length. “Grandma’s Hands” turns up the soul and turns on the synthesizer for church on Sunday morning. While the tracks before it had only subtly experimented with electronic samples and synths, “Grandma's Hands” takes a breath of fresh air and finds a contemporary sound that blends seamlessly with McInerney's deliberately mature voice. It's during “Grandma's Hands” the synths rise from the background and match her soaring vocal ferocity which then for the first time isn't front and centre. 

It’s impossible to not at least mention McInerney's affinity for James Blake. The singer/songwriter lists the English blue-eyed soulster as one of her inspirations. Luckily enough, she has enough of an individual sound that she's not just riding on his stylish coattails.

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD HERE - www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/inigo

Inigo are a 7-piece outfit devoted to providing chicken soup for the jazzy soul. Their first track “Constant Beat” is an impossibly smooth winter warmer, capable of thawing the heart of even the staunchest jazz hater. It is apparently the demo of a forthcoming track called “Fiction”. Considering, however, how polished “Constant Beat” is, I’d argue that there’s little room for improvement.

Inigo seems to practice a democratic approach to music making, where no-one band-member is allowed to dominate. In this track, it’s an approach that works, allowing them to showcase the various talents of the band. By the end of “Constant Beat” you feel intimately acquainted with the brass section, the bassplayer, the piano man and drummer – all in equal measure.

Special mention, however, must go to Erin Fitzsimon, the vocalist and founder of Inigo. Suckers for slick, jazzy vocal work (a la Norah Jones or Erykah Badu) will fall hook, line and sinker for Fitzsimon’s rich tones.

So, much kudos and many respect to Inigo for their honourable work in making the niche genre of jazz (tragically dominated by middle-aged, fedora-clad men) more accessible to the young ‘uns.

Keep an ear out for Inigo’s first EP, which is set for a September release!

I interview Sahara Beck in a mellow come down from the weekend that was Splendour in the Grass. Accompanying chill (and amazing)acts to sway to include Shag Rock, Wafia, the Mercy Project, Potato Potato and Rolls Bayce.

www.facebook.com/saharabeckmusic www.facebook.com/themercyprojectmusic www.facebook.com/WafiaMusic Shag Rock - www.facebook.com/kodiaklawnparty www.facebook.com/pages/Potato-Potato www.facebook.com/rollsbayce

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Little Bigsound is a “Music Industry Conference for Youth by Youth”. This youth conference has graced Brisbane yet again, and this year brings a no holds barred music industry ensemble to educate and bedazzle us with tales of woe and free beer.

  The day, which was sponsored by QMusic and Youth Music Industries, was host to 5 main sections. First up talking to a hall of fresh-faced youth and industry reps were Panelists Paul Watson, Maggie Collins, Fiona Campbell and Jesse Barbera. Sitting down between school groups and music hopefuls I couldn’t help but resonate with something Maggie said, “When I was in school, there weren’t things like this.”

  Sometimes, while living in Brisbane, a city plentiful with culture and arts I sometimes miss the great opportunities available. So it was great to see so many here to dip their toes in the great ocean of music industry.

  The day was then partitioned into a few sections of your own choosing. However only being able to choose 2 of the available 11 different classes were quite hard to choose from! Performance technique, Pro tools, Marketing, Know your rights, Teacher networking, Fund your music and Explore your sound are just a few of the available selections.

  The interval/lunch between sessions featured a performance by up and comers The Worriers, Youth Allowance and Sahara Beck. All bands showed off the reason they were there – bubbling talent. The Worriers and Youth Allowance blasted some fun indie rock at our packed lunch, while Sahara Beck serenaded us with some fun sing-alongs and her new single Brother Sister.