Mitzi

Mitzi might sound like the name of your next-door neighbour’s cat or your first born daughter if your were Scandinavian, but that’s wrong. Mitzi actually sound like groovy, upbeat disco-pop of an impressive standard for a young band from Brisbane. Their sound comprises dreamy synths and twangy guitars over melodic basslines coupled with some tight drumming. The occasional faux horn is thrown in for good measure too.

I caught them on Thursday supporting Strangetalk at Good God. To my surprise they had quite a good crowd for the start of their set and quickly had the dancefloor moving (including myself and my severely inebriated friend). I mean genuinely dancing up a storm, their potent grooves even afflicted the cynical hipsters and piss-guys in the place. Really impressive to see, especially for a “smaller” support band. Strangetalk unfortunately were quite disappointing. Just too keen it seemed, they played climbing walls twice which I think is just a tad self-indulgent. Mitzi definitely outshone them.

Here are some good tracks for your consumption including a top remix from Cassian and another good Strangetalk track.

India – Mitzi

Morning Light – Mitzi

All I Heard – Mitzi

All I Heard (Cassian remix) – Mitzi

Eskimo Boy- Strangetalk

Seekae

Seekae are an excellent Sydney Band signed to the Rice is Nice record label, alongside Seja, another excellent Australian artist. They produce ambient non-linear shoe-gaze electro made in the bedroom (well that’s what I’m calling it) of an enviable pedigree. They played Manning Bar over the weekend, which was an excellent gig expect for the smoke machine setting off the fire alarm and telling everyone to “evacuate in an orderly fashion, whoop whoop”. Mild OH&S threat aside, it was an industrious performance from the trio.

Their second album +Dome has just dropped and is receiving much deserved acclaim. It is an accomplished equal to its predecessor The Sound Of Trees Falling On People. Both are available for purchase HERE, and are wise investments.

Void – Seekae. Off “TSOTFOP”

Bloodbank – Seekae. Off “+Dome”

We have made contact

Contact High from Architecture in Helsinki on Vimeo.

This was easily the best Australian song of the last month.

Moment Bends is out now.

Contact High – Architecture In Helsinki

Christmas Cheer from Summer Camp

A tad late on this one, seeing as the festive season is over already, but good music is always a gift worth giving and it’s always a good time to receive. Summer Camp popped out a little cover of The Waitresses cynical Xmas pop tune late last year.

I like this song very much, mainly due to the smart lyrics and the original description of the joys of the festive season. Summer Camp’s typical subdued electro pop style suits the track very well, although I have trouble deciding which one I like best.

You can have both for your enjoyment.

Christmas Wrapping – Summer Camp

Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses

New Toro y Moi

How exciting! TyM has just dropped his new track. It is typically fantastic with great beats and groove. I love this man. “Still Sound” is the first sample of the upcoming Underneath The Pine record to be released on 22nd Feb on Carpark Records.

He is playing an upcoming gig at Good God Small Club in the city on the 23rd of February. Unfortunately I’ll be in Japan so I am deeply upset on missing out.

Still Sound – Toro y Moi

Beach House Anyone?

I’ve posted Beach House before. They’re good. I have been listening to them a lot lately and have realised that they are really very good. At first I thought they were a bit too laid-back/lo-fi/la-zy and their music might have an adverse affect on low-resistance insomniacs, but I have changed my mind. They really are excellent.

Their third LP Teen Dream came out about an e-lifetime ago (1 year, that’s how fresh I am) and they are wrapping up touring for it early next year with the Sydney Festival. If you were disorganised like I was, typically, then you might have bought tickets to Sufjan Stevens on the same night Beach House are playing and by being  incapable of being in two places at once or some form of osmosis then you have missed out. Others might still be able to get tickets.

Lover Of Mine is my pick of the tracks, hence it featured in the first post, but Silver Soul and especially Walk In The Park are really just as good. Still, I do wish they would rock out with their cocks out every once in a while. It is only the two of them I suppose.

PS How rad and serious do they look in this photo! A duo you wouldn’t want to meet in some dark back alley. No sir.

PPS I bet you want to go on holiday to the beach now, don’t you!

Walk In The Park – Beach House

Silver Soul – Beach House

Blatant Pop Indulgence

I have been listening to a decent amount of shameless pop lately so I thought it was only appropriate, and fair, that I share it with you. I am not ashamed.

First on the list is the freakishly good-looking and stylish Danish Songstress Oh Land. “Oh” is not her first name but it is easier to pronounce than her actual title. Ethereal modern pop with occasional glimpses of a harsher edge. I like it.

Sun Of A Gun – Oh Land

Perfection – Oh Land

Next is this track Baby Lee by Teenage Fanclub. Simple, beautiful melodies over moderate tempo acoustic guitar strums. This is the kind of stuff that fills the playlist for any road trip I have to do with my Mother, because it is incapable of offending anyone. I find a great similarity between this and R.E.M., which I used to put on our road trip mix tapes a decade ago, and would explain why I like it so much. Don’t judge me.

Babylee – Teenage Fanclub

To add some much needed balls to this post I will add on the Yuksek remix of Sun Of A Gun, which is typical Yuksek, and fucking brilliant.

Sun Of A Gun (Yuksek Mix) – Oh Land

Summer Camp

Summer Camp are a quaint duo from London. They make nostalgic pop music fused with soft-rock and synthetic tinges. Blending some of the best elements of the 50’s through to the 80’s, their sound is remarkably pleasant to the ear.

Whilst they may fall into the “Dickheads” sub-culture, Summer Camp sure do make excellent music. Their lo-fi, hi-charm sound belies their genuine ability and strength in composition. Elisabeth Sankey busts out a surprisingly powerful voice and when she harmonises with counterpart Jeremy Warmsley the sound is just right. The highly relatable lyrics and fairly universal themes make the tunes even more accessible.

I listened to these guys almost exclusively throughout September, such is the potency of their charm. One of my favourite Artists of this year.

Their latest EP Young was released last month and is pure quality. A few of the highlights are available below. They also have an odd tendency to title songs with full names of their theoretical protagonists, interesting.

Jake Ryan – Summer Camp

Veronica Sawyer – Summer Camp

Round the Moon – Summer Camp

Klaxons return

UK’s Klaxons return with a new record and not one but two tours down under this year. Now that’s good value.

First things first, the record cover takes out Album design of the year, hands (or paws) down. The resolute yet apprehensive expression planted on the cosmo-cat’s face as he prepares to enter the unknown, or surf the void, is as hilarious as it is stirring.

Now on to the music. The second album from the group sees the characteristic punk-tinged electro-rock fusion return but with a harder edge, attributed to nu-metal god-like producer Ross Robinson’s influence (credits include Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Vanilla Ice…?). The sound is good. Modern, hard melodic electro-rock that is an original and valuable contribution to the British shoegaze tradition. The standout tracks on the record are the openers, Echoes and Same Space, available for tasting below.

Klaxons play two exclusive shows in Sydney and Melbourne in a few weeks, hitting the Enmore Theatre on Thursday Sep 2nd. More info on that gig here. They then return over NYE to do the Falls Festival and several other festivals on the new year circuit.

You can order Surfing The Void here.

Echoes – Klaxons

Same Space – Klaxons

Cee-lo says “Fuck You!”

Cee-lo Green recently dropped the first track off his upcoming solo release titled Lady Killer. Known as the vocal half of Gnarls Barkley, the duo collaboration with Danger Mouse, Cee-lo sure knows how to deliver a killer vocal track with one of the most distinctive and interesting voices around.

Cee-lo’s new track, simply titled Fuck You, sees him lay his powerful pipes down on a retro mo-town sounding beat overflowing with “ooooohs” and “doo-wops”. The opening major chords on the grand piano contrast perfectly with the ironic lyrics about love, ataris and gold diggers. Cee-lo may just have created the best anti-love song of the year. The video is also thoroughly satisfying and especially useful for karaoke sing-along purposes.

Keep an eye out for Lady Killers coming out in the next few months.

Fuck You! – Cee-lo