Don't Let Caterpillar Hood Evaporate

This has been out a whiles (sorry Danny!), but new local "un-pop" label Lost Race Records has released a cassette from new Cobwebb on the block Caterpillar Hood entitled Evaporate. I tend to be a sucker for these ambient downer sounds, whereby I feel like I'm listening to someone shred A Scanner Darkly, Snow Crash and 1984 into confetti, blend it with ketamine and resin, distill it into an amorphous, gelatinous substance, before forcing it into your ears. it's a fugue state whereby everything and nothing makes sense, and Caterpillar Hood pretty much nails it. The only predictable thing here is its unpredictability, and its immersive to the point that it feels interactive, especially on headphones. It seems to be an incredibly busy album sonically, yet everything is in its right place. I'm a big fan.


Evaporate is available over here.

Caterpillar Hood - I Was Born Then I Was Dead

Sonic Masala End Of Financial Year Party Profile #3 - Bottlecock

Two more sleeps until the greatest 2012 end of financial year party ever, and Bottlecock are raring to rip into it. The local trio are steeped in grunge's afterbirth, sounding like early Magic Dirt yet with even more heroin. They have an elongated song that lovers of punchy grunge music hate, but I love. They are a sight to behold. They are some of the loveliest people Ive ever met, although they look like (and probably will) punch you in the face because you are wearing a Nirvana T-shirt. They just played in Melbourne last weekend with Penguins, another amazing noisy racket of a bunch, but also mnttaB - so they are primed for destruction. Above all else, they will melt your face off and give it to you in a Pablo Picasso Paster of Paris mould. That's worth $10 in itself.



Check out the deets to the Sonic Masala part-A here. Here is a funny write up about mnttaB from Nite Fields/Lost Race Records' Danny Venzin for website The Thousands. If that doesn't get you hot and bothered - then we just ain't compatible.

Let This Bee Mask Envelop You

Tomorrow marks a special night at the Judith Wright Centre, as Brisbane labels Room 40 and Bon Voyage presents the music of US synthetic sorcerer Chris Madak AKA Bee Mask. This will be his first Australian appearance after making waves in the underground DIY scene over the past few years with some interesting, beguiling compositions that ebb and flow with low-end pulses and blasts of electric fission, all emanating from his homemade instruments. He is here to celebrate his upcoming full length 12" (his 4th) through Room 40 called Vaporware/Sacanops, of which you can hear an excerpt below. Rounding out the night are noise explorers Secret Birds and ambient Siren Rites Wild.


This is already shaping up to be a incredible, immersive show, one not to be missed. Be sure you get tickets here.

A Familiar Yet Refreshing Sojourn Down Sonic Avenues

I have had Television Youth, the ace record from Canadian punks Sonic Avenues, in my inbox for months (it came out in January). I was meant to post about it for The Styrofoam Drone (amongst a plethora of things - sorry Zac, I'll be back on top of things in the upcoming week!), yet it fell through the cracks (expect to see the Happy New Year/Nite Fields split 7" soon though). This is a great album though, and it has jumped on my hunched back and beat me around the ears insistently this week, so I thought I better purge by vomiting it all over you, beautifully warped listener. It harkens back to days when punk was really just anarchic rock - The Clash, The Jam, The Ramones. Yet it shines a light on many of the shitty things that slacker kids can find themselves latching on to - namely, apathy. Above all though, it is the romantic notion of hope rising out of the angst that is most endearing. This is no throwback, it is merely a bunch of dudes writing a brace of killer songs that refuse to not kick arse. Actually, maybe that is a throwback...


Television Youth is available through Dirtnap Records.

Sonic Avenues - Givin' Up On You
Sonic Avenues - Television Youth

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.

Happyfest Playlist

I haven't spoken much about Brisbane community radio station 4ZZZ other than in passing, but suffice to say it is the only way to hear decent music on this side of the world on the radio (of course you could stream WFMU, but I like my wireless). Anyway, they have a mega old transmitter of death, it's on its last legs, and the station has been raising funds (aiming for around $30 000) to replace it. Good news is they have almost done it. Better news, you can help get em over the line by going to a cool boutique festival they are putting on this Saturday, at the last show at the sadly defunct(ing) Woodland. The festival's called Happyfest, and the lineup is pretty radtacular. As far as outside bands go we have Lost Animal (Melb), Kirin J Callinan (Syd) and Ghastly Spats (Syd), with the local contingent led by Blank Realm, Feathers, Dreamtime, Martyr Privates, Nite Fields, Per Purpose, Cannon, Outerwaves, The M-Humm...Jesus tittyfucking! For a palty $20 you can be there, have the time of your life, see off Woodland in style, and help save your local musical taskmasters. Win-win, kids. And if THAT doesn't win you over, check out this lil playlist. See you there punks.

Blank Realm - Full Moon Door
Feathers - Wild Horse Mountain
Dreamtime - Robe
Nite Fields - Come Down

Get Lost In The Zoo On These Shjips

The great shows continue tonight, with SF psych legends Wooden Shjips sailing into The Zoo to deliver what will most likely be an incendiary tripped out performance. Ably supported by Secret Birds and Nite Fields, this is going to be one of the best shows of 2012, HANDS DOWN.

Wooden Shjips - Lazy Bones

Skewed Wooden Shjips? Well I Never...

San Francisco psych juggernauts Wooden Shjips has a remixes 12" out through Thrill Jockey, featuring remixes by Andrew Weatherall and Sonic Boom, and a collaborative track with kandodo (aka Simon Price of The Heads). The 12" was originally available on crystal clear vinyl with black streaks, yet those sexy pieces have been snavvled so you will have to be content with just plain ol black wax.

As for the remixes... Andrew Weatherall (Primal Scream, New Order, My Bloody Valentine, Bjork) remixed "Crossing". Pete Kember, also known as Sonic Boom of Spacemen 3/Spectrum fame mastered Wooden Shjip's most recent (and fucking excellent) West album, and contributed "Wiking Stew (aka Red Krayola-ing)".
Finally there's the track "Ursus Maritimus (Last Bear's Lament)", a long distance collaboration with Simon Price aka kanodo. Ripley Johnson, the wired lead of Wooden Shjips created the bed of the track in Colorado in between tours and sent if off to Simon, in London. Simon added all the additional instrumentation at his home studio.

These three tracks are incredibly special. Grab the 12" here.

Wooden Shjips - Crossing (Andrew Weatherall remix)

Finally, Wooden Shjips sails into Brisbane for a show at the Zoo Sunday March 25. Supported by Secret Birds and Nite Fields, this is going to be such a great show! Pity I have to teach kids in the morning...I guess it's never stopped me before though...

These Tiny Spiders Have Bite

Tying off the first day back in the saddle we have Brisbane sludge pop duo Tiny Spiders. Consisting of Cam Smith (Ghost Notes, Mount/St Augustus, runs Incremental Records and West End venue The Waiting Room) and Innez Tulloch (Feathers, Pastel Blaze, co-runs Nowhere Records and West End venue The Waiting Room), Tiny Spiders are simple, yet complex. Simple, because they play scuzzy as fuck guitar and rickety drums. Complex, because they are inherently pop. Result? Some of the rustiest, dirtiest pop sounds you are ever likely to hear. Which is something I inherently love.


Tiny Spiders have just released new single 'Shoot The Rainbow Rays Out' which is their tastiest slice yet, and have put it on record with three live cuts in what then becomes the Shoot The Rainbow Rays Out EP. The three tracks were recorded when they supported other local behemoths No Anchor during their 7-day squat at The Waiting Room, and the recordings are as close you will get to being at that performance without a revamped Delorean. Its great stuff. Get the EP here.

The terrible twosome are also launching said EP at the Alhambra Lounge in the Valley tonight for a tenner, and have roped in some stellar names for support, including Happy New Year (also spreading the love for her recent split with Nite Fields, that you can read about and hear in the previous post!!), Go Violets and Tangle.

Tiny Spiders - Shoot The Rainbow Rays Out

Happy New Year With Some Happy New Year On The Nite Fields!!!

YAWN.

Sorry guys and gals, but Ive been hibernating for some time, no? I best get back on the horse and mainline some tunes into your psyche. Some new music fit for 2012 is warranted after such a long time away, right?

Here is the radtacular 7" split between Brisbane soulmates Happy New Year and Nite Fields (on Lost Race Records). Both groups share a moody avant-pop air, with Happy New Year leaning more towards pop territory, and Nite Fields having more of an ambient-punk vibe.

Brooklyn based and Brisbane born Eleanor Logan's music embodies the 'art of noise', with a pop base and focus on producing avant singles. Her songs blend DIY recordings of percussion, drones, and tech sounds with silky vocals to create pop music that's equally as explorative as it is addictive. Her contribution takes the bitter pain of love and loss and turns it sweet as sugar.

Happy New Year - High Sea

For Nite Fields, a SM fave who graced our Sonic Masala Presents showcase back in December, this split see the first release for this young moody group. Taking cues from electronic and shoegaze spheres, to post-punk, and weaving in some goth rock basslines, Nite Fields are forging a new explorative rock sound coming out of Brisbane sharehouses. Having been together for less than six months, Nite Fields are already establishing themselves as a force, not of nature nor of reason, but an innate neurological urge to enter a Lynchian coma en masse. Which actually sounds like a good thing, if the Mayans would have the apocalypse come our way this year...

Nite Fields - Come Down

Grab the 7" here - its sex on wax, and with only 150 copies available, they will fly out the door. Happy New Year kids!

Sleepwaling Robots In The Nite Fields Motel

In October we had our very first sponsored/curate/whatever show, imaginatively called Sonic Masala Presents. It was a graveyard smash. Greg Charles was gloriously shambolic; Psy Ants were awesomely explosive; Nova Scotia were inimitably fun.

Tonight it all happens again for the second instalment. Headlining are the upper crust grungeheads Sleepwalks, whose debut LP The Milk Has Gone Sour (produced by Steve Albini no less!) came out at the crowning of the year. A smash and grab affair, it is a fun piece of work (despite the fact I gave it only three stars for Time Off at the beginning of the year, a fact I may never live down). This is likely to be a fantastically sloppy earblast, and the lineup is rounded out by much-loved husband/wife dream-pop manipulators Do The Robot, garrulous shoegaze explorers Nite Fields, and new kids on the block, rusty blues duo El Motel. All for a tenner (and BYO means it stays a cheap night!) It looks like it could rain again, but don't let that deter you for an awesome night of eclecticism and alcoholism! Should be madness, and it kicks off at 8pm - see you there!

First SONIC MASALA PRESENTS... A Resounding Success!

Well, all's been quiet on the Sonic Masala front, and some of you must be wondering if it had anything to do with our first live music showcase that was due to be held last Saturday. Well, it went ahead, and despite a couple of minor setbacks (a few pre-show amp explosions, Charles Curse's Codeine Choir not making an appearance), it slayed!


Charles Curse (AKA Greg Charles) really stood up in the solo guise, and infused the largely old material (he's had most of these songs in the bag for years now) with a scratchy sense of urgency found wanting in most of his counterparts.


Psy Ants were a force to be reckoned with, a visceral punch to the eardrums, and the news that they are using their hard-earned dosh to put a recording out soon is fantastic news. Seriously, Psy Ants stood out tonight and were all the better for it! Get these guys more gigs pronto!


And Nova Scotia - what superlatives haven't already been used for these lovely lads? They may be down to a quartet (and soon to be taking a break - massive sigh), but they command every ounce of your attention. It was an assured yet inherently fun set from Brisbane's best band of the moment.

Nova Scotia - Round The Twist

Thanks to those who came out and shared in the fun and frivolity, especially Joanne Thies for the poster work, Ash Timms for helping out with the production, Vanessa Johnson who kindly gave her time to take photos, Belly and Dan over at 4ZZZ's Wake & Bake, Time Off magazine, Cam and Innez at The Waiting Room and Dave who did an amazing job at the coalface. If you didn't make the show (or even if you did), check out more of Vanessa's ace photos below.












SEE YOU DECEMBER 2ND...

HTRK Back To Work (Work, Work)

It may seem from a cursory, outsider's perspective that its strange - morbid, even - that HTRK are still together. The Australian band have called both Berlin and London home, their brand of cold, icy synth soundscapes evoking an alien landscape devoid of feeling or empathy, all masquerading as pop songs, and the live shows are delivered with an air of detachment yet innate sexual tension. Everybody wants to be loved, right? But in the seven years HTRK (pronounced Hate Rock) have been together, only two effective releases have come to light - Marry Me Tonight and this year's Work (Work, Work). Furthermore, the tragic suicide of band member Sean Stewart has rocked them to their very foundations.

However, it is apparent that Nigel Yang and Jonnine Standish - the two remaining members of HTRK - find the band a platform for expressing their own sense of what is happening in the world. Attacking a world viewpoint of indifference, Work (Work, Work) is darker and icier than Marry Me Tonight, yet much of this was planned before Stewart's untimely passing. Yang and Standish are quick to note Stewart's distancing himself from the traditional bass and gravitating towards more electronic based digital manipulations, especially after his time in Berlin. The culmination is a work that manages to unsettle, unnerve, yet connect - all of which are major attractors to the duo, and indicates that not only did they hit their intended mark, but that HTRK as an entity will go on.

HTRK will be playing in Brisbane for the first time, taking over the newly-formed Bridge Club on November 26. Ably supported by Nite Fields, Lakes and Secret Birds, this promises to be a stellar night of oscillating noise.

HTRK - Ice Eyes Eis
HTRK - Eat Yr Heart