Pumping Out Babies In Ipswich

No, that title is not poking fun at the south-eastern town in Queensland, only half an hour away from where I write this post (although it easily could be a news headline - claws out!), but a reference to the debut record from New Zealand abrasive noiseniks Ipswich, called Baby Factory. Recently signed to Muzai Records, the trio have thrown a bilious record all over the musical world's favourite white shirt, wiped their face on the nearest shih tzu before necking paint thinner and lighting a match. It opens brutally with 'Oxymoron' and refuses to abate, even as it apes a more conventional sound palate on tracks like 'Haze'. This track alone shows how much Ipswich have grown since even their Living In A Strangers House EP less than a year ago. There is some great acid-drenched darkness going round the Great White Cloud - God Bows To Math's record was also brilliantly breakneck and revelling in its own bilge pump - and Baby Factory is doing its utmost to eviscerate all in its path.


Baby Factory is out now - definitely grab it here.

Sinking Into The Sea At Null Hour

Due to my self-imposed exile there are a few albums that got released in the past couple of weeks that are hurriedly deserved of attention. The first I want to focus on is Null Hour, the debut LP from Wellington, NZ trio Sunken Seas. Leaning heavily on the post-punk roots of its members, yet delving into far colder territory, the ten tracks on display procure a feeling of spiralling despair that is impressive in its all-encompassing nature. Its density and darkness mirrors that of harder-hitting doom dwellers Heirs, yet the compositional flourishes throughout out Null Hour into another realm. Think something in the murkier regions of post-rock, grafted onto HTRK's back and set forth in Snowman's backyard. There is much to be mined here, Ive been living with it for a fortnight, and I feel like I'm only scratching the surface. A great release that needs exposure.


Null Hour is out now through tenzenmen and Muzai Records. You can (and should) grab it here.

Sunken Seas - High Rise
Sunken Seas - Paid Your Price

Minute Men, Noise, New Zealand, Sonic Masala, Waiting Room = FUCKING A!

This post is fucking amazeballs for three reasons. Firstly, I initially wanted to talk about the incredible debut album from NZ's God Bows To Math. Put out by the indelible Tenzenmen Records (responsible for helping bands like Nikko, To The North and Dead! put stuff out, whilst also bringing many Asian acts such as Dear Eloise and Carsick Cars to Australian ears - there will be many posts coming from their quarter in due course) as well as our trans-Tasman friends Muzai Records, the self-titled releases is heavy, unmitigated sound that pounds the eardrums with the relentless monotony of a king tide. Three years in the making, and recorded twice after a hard drive failure wiped the originals, it makes sense that the final product was mastered by the hallowed Chicago Mastering Service (run by Bob Weston and Jason Ward). It has that nihilistic yet pedantic brutality that Melbourne's My Disco are the kings of, yet flirts with the serrated wit of Welsh legends Mclusky. They aren't reaching either of these heady heights yet, but what they have come up with is very exciting nonetheless.



Then it came to light that they are enacting an assault on Australia's fine shores in April! This is incredible news, all the more amazing seeing as it was put together by local act Make More. Here are the dates:

April 13th - Adelaide - Crown & Anchor - with No Action and SparkShifter
April 14th - Melbourne - Gasometer - with Shit Weather
April 15th - Melbourne - Irene’s Warehouse (All Ages) - with Palisades
April 17th - Newcastle - Pharmacy - with Lennin Lennon
April 18th - Wollongong - Yours & Owls – support TBA
April 19th - Canberra - Phoenix – support TBA
April 20th - Sydney - The Roxbury - with Hira Hira and Mere Women
April 21st - Brisbane - Fat Louie’s - with Make More
April 22nd - Brisbane - __________________________________________________

What's that gap, you ask? It's the third reason that this post is blowing my mind, as Sonic Masala is combining with Tenzenmen to put on a second Brisbane show at The Waiting Room for the band! Supported by Make More and Tiny Spiders, the show will be on the Sunday April 22. This is a fantastic chance to see a brilliant abrasive up and coming act from across the ditch, up close and personal (well, up closer and more personal than Fat Louie's, anyway...not that I'm dissing that show, go see em twice you donkeys!). They may only be from the other side of the Tasman, but this counts as Sonic Masala's first o/s band, and that is all that matters!

Get there!!!

Angry Equations Will Get You To Heaven

Wow. NZ's God Bows To Math (gleaning their name from an ace Minutemen track) are on the verge of releasing their self-titled debut LP, and it is killer! The Auckland three piece, shovel angular noise in bursts straight to the core of your brain. There is definite menace in there thar hills (obvious in the bristling opener 'Slow Decline'), and this its the kind of dark tension that offers the payload in wanton fits of explosive fury. Im a big fan, you will be too. There are rumours that the band will make a trip to Australia soon too - I will keep you posted on that...

God Bows To Math (through MUZAI Records) is out November 14 - pre-order it here. Their opening track, 'Slow Decline', is also the leading single - listen below. If you like (and Im positive you will), buy it digitally - the cash is helping to make back the cash spent on making the record. Its not much to help an ace band out, right?

RIGHT.

god bows to math - Slow Decline by MUZAIRecords