Floored By Unity Of Women's Golf

This has been out for some time - last year I think - but seeing as Sydney's Unity Floors has only just come to my attention in the past month, I think it's safe to talk about it anew. Besides, it's very likely that anyone outside of Sydney will have heard their excellent 7" Women's Golf, which is a goddamned shame, because it is one of the best slices of slacker pop to come from Australia for a few years - and there has been some excellent rock releases delving in this territory from this fine land recently. It's nostalgic, it's rambling, it's archaic, it doesn't care. But best of all, it's full of more hooks than the world's biggest shower curtain (six posts in one day is frying my vernacular...).


What I'm sayin is, this is a must have. Grab it here - you will NOT regret it (it's $3! Chump change!).



PS Got to see these guys kick it out when out on my Sydney fact-finding mission back in April, and they were just as good as they are on this record, if not better. There really are some quality acts going round in Sydneytown - hopefully Sonic Masala can lure a few up over the border for a show or two...

Two Sydney Gigs That Will Rock The Casbah

So I have been in Sydney the past week, enjoying some sun, sand, tequila, food - and fucking gust winds! Jesus Bondi, ease up! Anyway, before I trek around Surrey Hills for another cheap hole in the wall, I thought Id throw up two gigs coming up in the next two nights that, if you are in the unofficial Australian capital, you should really get to.

First up is tonight, down at Bondi Beach Hotel, who have started hosting some pretty killer shows, like last week's Royal Headache Easter show - for free - which was something else... It must be said that tonight's bill is also free, and features not one but two of Brisbane's up and coming acts. Bleeding Knees Club are riding high on the release of their debut LP Nothing To Do. The slacker duo, who are still striving to be anything more than a couple of dudes throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks (it's some pretty fun shit though) will be accompanied by another band rich in laissez faire surf rock tunes, Dune Rats. The bill is rounded out by Sydney band March Of The Real Fly. This will be one hell of a fun show, and with no rubles being thrown down at the front door, more booze can fuel the night forward! Bring it on.


Then tomorrow night is another rad showcase, Neighbourhood Watch, this time highlighting some of the best Sydney acts that you are probably yet to hear about. I mentioned only last week the shoegaze wooziness that is Colours AKA Tom Crandles. His rich tapestries of noise are incredible especially coming from one man, and it will be a delight to see it in action. On top of this, we have the excellent Day Ravies offering their shoegaze pop and rapscallion punks Bachelor Pad. Add to that ping-pong, $5 beers, $5 vodkas, all for $5 on the door, and you get a bucketload of holy-shit-this-is-awesome! Ill be at both shows - come and say hey.

Local Colours Offers A Wall Of Sound

The second artist to share names with other artists I love! First it was Ceremony, no it's Colours. Not the English slacker rock band that are coming on in leaps and bounds, but a ambient noise artist outta Sydney called Tom Crandles. He's been doing a lot of recordings lately, all on his Bandcamp here, but also has some videos to flaunt, two of which are below. This guy is a serious talent - expect to see some shows in June here in Brisbane combined with Nite Fields and yours truly! Stay tuned. Until then, take all this in...

COLOURS - Without A Way from PɨK on Vimeo.

COLOURS ~ In The Summer from Toto Vivian on Vimeo.

VIDEO VACUUM - Future Of The Left, Girls, Colours, Witch Hats

A slow start to the week, but here are some luscious moofies to drag you out of the doldrums, yeah?

It's common knowledge that I have infinite amounts of respect for Andy Falkous. I'm a bit of a groupie, and getting to speak to him last year before the release of his band Future Of The Left's Polymers Are Forever EP was one of the crowning achievements of my life thus far. Now we are creeping ever closer to the release of their third album, The Plot Against Common Sense, and to whet our appetites (it's not out til May, dammit!) we have the video for teaser track 'Sheena Was A T-Shirt Salesman'. Ill be brutally honest - it's not their best. But it's good, and Falkous' lyrics are as acerbic, drenched in bile and tickled pink as ever. It has me on tenterhooks - I'm hoping for upwards and onwards...Plus it's good to see the Blue Man Group getting a job.



Girls was one of the best bands to grace us with their presence on the recent Laneway Festival circuit, and I've grown to embrace Christopher Owens and his inherent revivalist shtick more and more. Here is the rather disquieting flick for 'My Ma' and as always it is somewhat sumptuous and off putting, like a Gregory Crewdson photograph come to life. Intensely alluring.



Now I received this in the mail only the other day, and immediately thought it was a new track from British slacker rock band Colours. Turns out there is an artist right here in Australia called Colours, and 'In The Summer' is his contribution to the incoming compilation by Electronic Voice Records. It's hazed dream pop of the highest order, and has me hankering for more of the same. As far as I know there isn't a full length in the immediate future, but the compilation will be out on cassette as well as 12" vinyl soon, with pre-order starting March 10 (this Saturday!) here.

COLOURS ~ In The Summer from Toto Vivian on Vimeo.

Finally we have Melbourne's Witch Hats, who have had a bit of a directional change of late as witnessed on their stellar second LP Pleasure Syndrome. Here is the new video for 'In The Mortuary' off that very album.



NOW GET BACK TO WORK!

Vale Not Cool...Or Lazarus From The Grave?

Last month one of my favourite, most underrated bands in London, Not Cool, announced their split after only a couple of years destroying everything. They were to play their last ever show at the Old Blue Last on Friday February 3 alongside other great bands such as Warm Brains, Colours, Weird Dreams and Dignan Porch. Alex Kapranos (yes, he of Franz Ferdinand and culinary snipes) was providing the turntable toons. Sounded like a fitting farewell. I was so gutted by the news that I pretty much ignored the emails from the trio, preferring to play there Rugged Raw release until my ears fit that description also.

Then last week I mentioned another great UK band, Colours, and their Drip Haze 7". And it took me a while, but it sunk in that I saw the words "not" and "cool" in consecutive sequence somewhere on their press release. And lo and behold! They are supporting Colours on their 7" launch, also at the Old Blue Last, TONIGHT! So will this be the end? Or a new beginning? Please put me out of my misery! (Only if the answer is: "Yeah man, Not Cool are totally together, forever! Didn't you know? Douche!" I would cry a little, but overall I'd be damned happy...

Either way, GET THERE!!!

Dripping Colours Provide The Haze

All the way back in January 2010, just before Sonic Masala threw down its first entry into the blue yonder, I went to a show in London at The Lexington. The headliner - Real Estate. As many people may know by now, I found that set so fucking boring that I refused to watch it all, walked downstairs to drink whisky on my own. Support #1 - Yuck. Before the self-titled album and shedloads of acclaim. Again, I thought they were boring. Support #2 - Colours. Now THESE guys push my buttons in the right way. They nailed the 90s slacker/80s Pixies amalgam that night, something that Yuck would warm to in later months and Real Estate - well, they are Real Estate, they do what they do, perfect for a mid afternoon snooze.

Since then they have put a track out through Art Is Hard Records, but I kinda lost touch with what they were up to. Then a little while ago they founded Marshall Teller Records and put out a four way split that included Gross Magic and Echo Lake that was pretty sweet (sorry that i didn't post about that guys!! It was worthy though). They have also had a hand in bring to our ears the fairly great Total Slacker (who we do really like, and their 'Psychic Mesa' track made out hot singles of last year), Warm Brains, Weird Dreams and Dignan Porch.

Recorded by Warm Brains' Rory Attwell, Colours have a new 7" out. Its fucking sweet! Even sweeter is the launch at the Shacklewell Arms on March 2nd alongside SM faves Sex Beet as well as Dignan Porch and Yrrs.

Pre-order the Drip Haze 7" here.

Colours - Drip Haze

Return Not So Yucky

2011 has been a Yucky year. The quintet from London have really come into their own, dominating most festival stages, being at the pinnacle of the hip as fuck blogosphere intelligentsia, and raping the slacker rock songbook writ large.

As you can see from the above, I don't have the biggest love.

It stems from the only time I have seen them play, as a support for another massive band that I don't "get", Real Estate, back in January last year. Real Estate I found to be incredibly boring - I spent most of their set standing at the downstairs bar at the Lexington drinking Jagerbombs and talking shit to my sister and some other person to this day I cannot remember. Yuck and Colours supported, and whilst both acts exploited the Pavement MO, it was actually Colours who came away with the most points in my opinion that night.

Yet the release of Yuck has gone gangbusters for the Londoners, and although im happy for them, I haven't really given them the time of day (except for Mogwai's ace remix of 'Rubber'...). It seemed that they filled out the right questionnaire or application form, for, like Colours, there seemed to be many bands mining the 90s penchant for noodling guitars and haphazard pop hooks yet they remained on the periphery, whilst Yuck conquered the US and jammed with Jools.

Now Fat Possum is re-releasing Yuck as a double LP stacked with B-sdies and rarities. The editor at Time Off magazine in Brisbane implored me to listen, to be more forgiving (as he has seen millions of bands on many different continents, it kills him to know that he hasn't seen Yuck, an employee has, and said employee slags off his favourite new band on regular intervals).

TRACKLISTING

Get Away
The Wall
Shook Down
Holing Out
Suicide Policeman
Georgia
Suck
Stutter
Operation
Sunday
Rose Gives a Lily
Rubber
Milkshake (previously available on limited vinyl only, streamed digitally)
The Base of a Dream is Empty (vinyl and digital B-Side to Rubber)
Cousin Corona (iTunes bonus)
Soothe Me (brand new)
Coconut Bible (B-side to Holing Out)
Doctors In My Bed (vinyl B-side to Get Away, only streamed digitally)

So I have. And it's...pretty good. Im not changing my tune too much - I really don't get hooked on these tracks at all enough to spin the record on frequent occasions - but it's ok. Right place, right time perhaps? 2012 will tell...

Below are two of those "new" cuts. Believe me, there is substance here. 'Soothe Me' has seen a lot of press due to the blatant Kevin Shields stealing, but who doesn't in this day and age? It is also a sound that is stolen precisely because its a style that can go with almost any other genre, and its cool as fuck. And it probably isnt their fault that they have been lauded so hard. AND, as seen by my intermittent Real Estate posts, I will give bands a second chance if it's deemed warranted. And on the strength of these two tracks alone, I may still be bemused at the level of hype and adulation, but it has me soothing the previously held rage. These kids seem ok. Bring on LP #2.





Before the band retreat into the studio however, they are slamming the UK in one final jaunt - although the London show is already sold out (again, THAT confuses me...)



UPCOMING LIVE DATES

November
14 – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
15 – Academy 3, Manchester
16 – Leadmill, Sheffield
18 – Academy 2, Newcastle
19 – Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh
20 – King Tuts, Glasgow
21 – 53 Degrees, Preston
22 – Wedgwood Rooms, Portsmouth
23 – Waterfront, Norwich
24 – Electric Ballroom, London
26 – The Button Factory, Dublin
27 – Speakeasy Bar, Belfast