SAMUEL OTIS
Samuel Otis takes you on an exquisite voyage through a swirling melange of emotions and rich imagery at the hand of nothing but his piano.
In an instant, one is swept into a weightless reverie in “Bizarre Footnote”, soon returning just as swiftly to reality. Textures ebb and flow from silk-like delicacy to coarse and angular, in a way that is both utterly uplifting and strangely unnerving.
The sheer greatness of this piece becomes emphatically clear when you consider just how easy it is to listen to. That said, I feel that it has the potential to soar to even higher levels of brilliance if it were to feature a vocal element. I can almost hear the mellifluous strains of a woman’s voice wafting in and out of this one.
Nonetheless, an utterly enchanting composition. Very much looking forward to more from this young musician!
MP3: “Bizarre Footnote” // “Little Something”
[Words by Erin Felton]
HUNTING GROUNDS // Studio Exclusive
Hunting Grounds. Chances are you’ve heard the name before. Perhaps you recognise their former moniker, ‘Howl’ under which the boys carved their teeth up until being crowned winners of Triple J’s prestigious Unearthed High competition.
If both names seem to evade any sense of familiarity with you, it’s probably quite likely that you’ve spent the past 15 years of your life sequestered in a subaqueous cavern, feeding off algae and listening to nothing but Rick Astley on a hand-powered walkman - or something of equally bizarre/depressing semblance.
If you do, however, I’m tipping you know them as a bunch of Ballarat born indie-rock reprobates, raring to ”fuck your sister, and kill your brother” (or so their band bio facetiously implies).
Sharing a control room with the boys at Red Door Sounds could surely work only to uphold that reputation, though on the subject of music, it seems there’s a whole other side to this troupe…
MESA COSA
Songs about the devil are so much cooler in Spanish. Enter Mesa Cosa, a bunch of legit latino-punks who’d rather shot tequila with the Prince of Darkness than beg for mercy.
“666” sums up this band to a tee, cramming a tangle of discordant guitars and vocal chants into just under three minutes of unbridled chaos. Seriously. It’s like a mariachi band having an exorcism. Pure awesome.
“Shoplifter” leans more in the direction of typical ruckus-raising garage punk, immediately bringing to mind Black Lips’ early recordings. It’s actually hard to resist the impulse to get ludicrously drunk and break every law you can possibly think of on the spot.
Getting ludicrously drunk at one of their shows certainly suffices though. Highest recommendation for anyone with the capacity to have fun.
MP3: “666” // “Shoplifter”
[Words by Erin Felton]
GUNG HO
For many, the ever-growing imminence of winter brings about a great deal of dissatisfaction. Gone are those carefree summer months of cocktails and coastal vacations and it’s with each dreary day in the meantime that this becomes an increasingly sour reality.
To others though, summer (especially here in Australia) is an inescapable taste of hell on Earth, riddled with sweaty, sleepless nights and sunburn. It’s all a matter of perception really.
When it comes to translating all that nonsense into music though, Gung Ho have their shit sorted. Their ultra-endearing take on indie rock embodies all the romanticism of summer in a Bombay Bicycle Club meets Beach House kind of way.
New tune, “Side By Side” captures this comparison to a tee, blending lush guitars and lazy vocals with a dynamic rhythm section. As far as summer and music goes for these guys, it seems that ignorance really is bliss…
MP3: “Side by Side” // “Twin Rays”
[Words by Erin Felton]
DIRT FARMER
Introducing Dirt Farmer. Another band that will make you want to quit song-writing forever out of sheer envy…
“Kick It” sounds like a pared-back Phoenix tune. An iridescent gleam seems to envelop it, dazzling you into an almost instantaneous sense of heightened spirits. It’s candid indie-pop at it’s very best; awash with tropical vibes and all the trimmings. There’s not a whole lot more you could really ask for.
By contrast, “Johnny Marble” (although taking much the same approach) allows the band’s love for 60’s rock ‘n’ roll to really shine through rather than being left to bubble under the surface like in “Kick It”. A brilliant composite as far as I’m concerned. Pop music needs more harmonica.
MP3: “Kick It” // “Johnny Marble”
[Words by Erin Felton]
KIDS OF ZOO
Fuck the bells and whistles. Fuck musical dress-ups. Kids of Zoo dress down for the occasion.
This is music that regards an amp’s distortion setting as more important than basic hygiene. If this isn’t ‘punk’, then I don’t know what is.
Enter, “Mechanical Foetus”. A jarring assemblage of guitar feedback and flippant one-liners that could very well be Australia’s best answer to Mclusky.
It’s kind of like having your hearing aid turned up far too loud after taking a bunch of MDMA, to the point that each ear-splitting reverberation becomes semi-arousing…
“Anal Pastry” gets my vote on title alone, but beyond the kick-ass title lies an equally kick-ass song. Shrieking guitars and pummelled drum skins make for a haphazard tip of the hat to Melbourne’s DIY punk scene.
A beautiful scene at that too. Consider these guys another brilliant feather in the cap of an ever-expanding clique that we can only hope will continue to thrive.
MP3: “Mechanical Foetus” // “Anal Pastry”
[Words by Erin Felton]
BUCKLEY WARD
Listening to “So Pretend” for the first time was instantly and inexplicably appeasing. It felt like I’d been stuck in the desert for weeks on end; scarcely managing to survive before stumbling across a bountiful oasis resort, complete with cable television and busty babes delivering ice-cold refreshments on demand.
The opening strains seem to wash over you in a glistening wave of lush synths and soothing vocal harmonies. It makes me wonder what Foals would sound like on valium.
“Into The Darkening Blue” brings about more of an insidious sense of danceability, evoking moments of The Maccabees. A brilliantly subtle and sophisticated tune that is equally enchanting.
With a new album imminent, I’m struggling to contain my eagerness. Get excited kids.
MP3: “So Pretend” // “Into The Darkening Blue”
[Words by Erin Felton]
THE WHITE GOODS
For a band that mockingly call themselves ‘The Goods’, Melbourne’s The White Goods actuallyseem to have a lot going for them. Their unpretentious take on indie-pop is loaded with so many hooks and harmonies it’ll make your head spin. Spur this with a mean sense of humour and you’ve got a band that’s very difficult not to like.
Fresh tune, “The Night” upholds this with flying colours, offering a mishmash of beguiling melodies and Strokes-esque guitars, delivered with the gawky charm of Michael Cera.
“Gina” wins extra points solely for the fact that it’s a love song about a prostitute (and yet somehow manages to retain a sense of sentiment). Especially with such brilliant lines like “I don’t have the cash to see you anymore” and “I’d marry you if you weren’t a whore”.
Well played boys, well played…
MP3: “The Night” // “Gina”
[Words by Erin Felton]
MANNEQUINS
‘Indie’ music seems to have embarked down a celestial, free-spirited path of jangly sounds and over-coated themes of love in recent times - not that there is anything wrong with this. It’s fun and all, but it’s fucking nice coming across an authentic indie-rock outfit every so often… Right?
Cue, Mannequins. This Sydney troupe oozes excellence with a seemingly ‘hall of fame’ cross-generational concoction of underground sounds; it’s a virtual orgy of the Pixies, The Libertines and Interpol, spawning another form of a stalwart genre. Brilliant.
Take “Loog Oud” for example. Holy balls this song is good. It’s riffy, it’s catchy, it’s raw and it’s downright radical - then you’re hit with the final 60 seconds. A subtle build leads to an explosion of unprecedented awesomeness, and will inevitably blow your mind. I will leave you to make your own judgements, but know this: no like, no life.
Follow this with “Dark Night MC” and hey presto, you’ve got music. The kicker? It’s even better live.
Go on, venture into the nitty gritty and grab your fix of indie-rock splendour (and for once, scarcely shy on the ‘rock’).
MP3: “Loog Oud” // “Dark Night MC”
[Words by Jason Andriske]
Interview // THE RUBENS
Globe-trotting in pursuit of musical fulfilment is nothing new to Sam Margin. The small-town kid from Menangle has already spent time abroad as a solo singer-songwriter, but since his return, has banded together with brothers Zaac and Elliot, along with buddy Scott Baldwin - who now, are all quickly being swept up in a whirlwind of local success as The Rubens.
In their surprisingly short lifespan, the band’s first two singles have scored them a truck-load of success, having played a string of packed out shows, placing in Triple J’s prestigious Hottest 100 countdown and just recently signing with Ivy League Records.
The boys have also been invited to join David Khan (Paul McCartney, The Strokes, Regina Spektor) in recording their debut album and it is right here at his New York studio that Sam has kindly taken a moment to chat with Deaf Ambitions…
SCOTDRAKULA
Upon first seeing the name Scotdrakula, I could’ve sworn I was about to drag my eardrums through a muddle of beat-matching mediocrity. Oh man, how wrong I was!
From the first few seconds of “Kick Out The Amberlamps” I knew my prejudgements were about to be scrunched up and tossed into a raging inferno of falsification. A whirl of noisy percussion rattles into gear, followed by a jarring bassline - vaguely resembling some kind of dodgy tape recording of the Pixies.
“Don’t Do Anything Stupid” takes a step more in the direction of early Real Estate, bringing about lazy tropical vibes and low-fidelity production so gloriously fuzzy it’ll make your teeth chatter.
It can be hard to achieve distinctiveness in a subgenre that’s being done almost to death, but with a keen knack for songwriting, you can attain just that. Scotdrakula have nailed it. Expect to be hearing more of that misleading moniker in the near future.
MP3: “Kick Out The Amberlamps” // “Don’t Do Anything Stupid”
[Words by Erin Felton]
BAD DREEMS
Say hello to Bad Dreems, the collective lovechild of four musicians currently tucked away in the scarcely-explored musical depths of Port Adelaide. A band that by no means deserves to stay so tightly bound by relative obscurity.
The sheer songwriting capabilities of these guys really shine through with debut single, “Chills”. A hazy and deceivingly drab take on indie pop, bringing to mind moments of Best Coast (ironically enough with mumbled lines like “winter chills, come take me away”). Just replace that associative sound of crashing waves with the light patter of rain and that piña colada with a cheap bottle of wine.
It must be said though, a name like Bad Dreems would go to serious waste without a track in the vein of “Close To God”. It’s a comparatively grim and contorted jaunt riddled with nightmarish imagery. Glum vocals trundle through guitars quivering with feedback, whilst a jittery rhythm leaves you with an underhanded feeling of angst.
Think early Children Collide. Stripped right back to the bone and injected with a hearty dose of post-punk.
Our verdict? Unequivocally good. I’ll have more, thanks.
MP3: “Chills” // “Close To God”
[Words by Erin Felton]
MADE IN JAPAN // SIGHTS & SOUNDS
In case you haven’t heard, Made in Japan are a dreamy indie-rock four-piece from up Sydney way, formed in 2006 by school mates James Cooney and Jono Graham. Soon after rounding out their line-up with Tom Davis and Andrew Knox, the quartet independently released their debut EP in 2009 (the launch for which sold out in a lightning twenty minutes).
The boys have continued this momentum, making waves and winning hearts across the Australian music scene and touring with an impressive list of acts including the likes of Sparkadia, Bluejuice and End of Fashion, just to name a few.
Before the launch of their debut album “Sights and Sounds” this Saturday at Melbourne’s Horse Bazaar they were kind enough to let the D.A. team get a quick earful - and to say the least, it’s a real gem that plays like a happy, pared-back Bloc Party, or a creamier, hazier Foals.
SLOW DANCER
“Leave It To Me” is a slow-burning and broody take on pop, drawing audible influence from 1960’s soul and classic rhythm and blues.
It’s intimate recording, layered with bluesy guitar twiddlings and velvet-smooth vocals will have you slavishly swaying in utter enchantment.
It’s the sort of song that will win you over in a matter of seconds, whilst remaining as easy on the ears after the tenth play through - thankfully for me. I just can’t get enough of this tune.
MP3: “Leave It To Me”
[Words by Erin Felton]
I, A MAN
Nothing can quite comprehend the amount of unbeknownst joy and satisfaction that is accrued from discovering unequivocally good music; Melbourne’s I, A Man is one such case.
Above all, they are simply pleasant on the ears. Steady rhythms resonate throughout - a feature that defines the borderline hypnotic nature of their songs - all the while accompanied by melodic escapades of the highest accord; case in point, fresh single “You’re Boring Us All”.
Music often suits moods; this band (and particularly track) however, creates them. Irrelevant of the context in which one listens, you are duly swept up in ambient textures and layered harmonies, taken far away from immediate circumstance and dropped in colourfully good spirits.
Constant builds and consequent explosions of amazingly well thrown together musical arrangements, bursting with atmospheric pleasure, is the basic foundation of their brilliance. It’s little wonder they’re sharing stages with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club.
MP3: “You’re Boring Us All” // “Sometimes”
[Words by Jason Andriske]
