Jonathan Boulet - Mangle Trang (Tom Vek’s RAM Mix)
Jonathan Boulet is a youngster from Queensland, Australia. Yes, don’t let the beard confuse you, the Modular muso is still in his early twenties! He recently released his wordy sophmore LP We Keep the beat, Found the Sound, See the Need, Start the Heart in June this year.
I was a big fan of Jonathan Boulet’s tracks A Community Service Announcement and North to South East to You from his self-titled debut album, yet somehow I haven’t felt the need to check out his latest offering in more depth after feeling somewhat underwhelmed with the short iTunes preview listens.
Nevertheless, Jonathan Boulet has an undeniable knack for talented songwriting which shines through even on this remixed version of Mangle Trang. The harmonised backing vocals, synth and array of percussion ensure that there is never a dull moment on this fast-paced arrangement.
Enjoy.
Hurricanes - Say You’re Mine
For fans of Noah And The Whale and Set Sail.
Sometimes it’s easy to overlook the music made on your doorstep when you’re searching far and wide for music. That’s what happened to me until I stumbled upon the Hurricanes, a six piece group from Adelaide. The indie pop song features some radio friendly harmonies and a sweet message.
The group have just released a three track demo EP and judging from the quality so far, there will most definitely be an audience and a demand to hear more from this promising band in the near future.
Download - Say You’re Mine
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A Landslide Coming Down
Kid Sam |
Kid Sam - A Landslide Coming Down
Cousins Kishore Ryan and Kieran Ryan form the Melbourne duo Kid Sam. This song is so delicate yet it is driven by a definite tension. The bittersweet guitar picking and Kieran’s haunting vocals give it a etherial sound.
While the instrumentation is fairly minimal, the percussion and guitar have enough impact on the listener to give this soft player replay quality.
I recommend listening to this song in a haunted house or before a thunderstorm.
The band have sinced released a debut self titled album in 2009. Click below for a free mp3 courtesy of the group’s Triple J Unearthed page. Enjoy!
Download - A Landslide Coming Down
For fans of Big Scary and Grand Salvo
Paul Dempsey - Ramona Was a Waitress
The other day I was at an engagement party and Ramona Was a Waitress was playing. It was a song I thoroughly enjoyed when it was released in 2009 and I was glad to hear it again. Paul Dempsey, the frontman of Something For Kate, released this track as the lead single from his solo album Everything is True. The track tells a story of love for a waitress by the name of, you guessed it, Ramona.
The personal details in the song give the listener an acute snapshots in to the life of the singer and the subject in the song -
“there’s a way you’ve always known her, telephone between her cheek and her shoulder”
The track was a triumph for Dempsey who has suffered writer’s block and depression for a long period before releasing Everything is True. Since June 2010, Paul has been living in New York with his wife playing his music in clubs. There is no word about any forthcoming releases yet. Hopefully that will change soon.
Enjoy.
Alpha Channel - Taboo Island
Alpha Channel are a Melbourne duo who draw on samples, exotic instrumentation and their vast knowledge of music production software to craft their music.
Taboo Island is a surreal musical odyssey. Listeners are greeted by laid-back tropical guitar riffs, turntable scratches, and spacey psychadelic sound effects. Both producers have been teaching music production for over a decade at Melbourne’s famed JMC Academy and their expertise is palatable.
Credits to Psychadelic-Freak for the photo. For more info about the group check out Omlette Records.
Enjoy.
Little Red - Rock It
I was sad to hear that Melbourne rock outfit Little Red have decided to call it quits after six years, two albums and a nationwide fanbase.
I managed to see the band twice, after shortly after they released both of their albums and the group had a fantastic energy onstage.
Little Red’s most popular track was Rock It, an uncomplicated track that combined piano, steady drumming and a funky bassline which made for a catchy anthem. Rock It finished second in Triple J’s inaugural Hottest 100 competition, beaten narrowly by Angus & Julia Stone’s Big Jet Plane.
According to the band’s Facebook, Quang from the group has left to pursue his project Naked Bodies(a name which poses a definite Google minefield), whilst Tom left the band earlier in May to work on his project Major Tom and The Atoms. Quang’s announcement coincides with the announcement of Little Red’s demise.
Dom and Adrian from the band are speculated to continue writing songs together, although this has not been confirmed, and it is unlikely that there will be a continuation under the name Little Red.
Good luck to all ex-members and thanks for the music.
Download - Rock It (right-click & save)
Atlas Genius - Trojans (Xaphoon Jones Remix)
Chiddy Bang’s Xaphoon Jones has added his magic touch to Atlas Genius’ debut single Trojans and it’s nothing short of bombastic.
The Australians’ single has been shaken up with a few herbs and spices from Xaphoon’s pantry of synth apparatus. His remix sensibilities will not disappoint dancefloor diehards nor will it be the buzzkill material for energy drinkers running on adrenaline. The remix further adds to Xaphoon’s growing repertoire of indie/hip hop/electro productions/mashups/remixes. On that absurd note, I’ll leave you with a free download.
Enjoy.
Download - Trojans (Xaphoon Jones Remix)
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Charleston
Set Sail |
Interview with Set Sail
Set Sail are a band based out of Sydney who have an irrepressible upbeat sound to their music. The trio are known for their city busking shows and their combination of violin, guitar/uke and makeshift percussion at such performances. Set Sail are on the verge of releasing their debut mini-album on June 15th and have just premiered the lead single Charleston today. I had a quick chat with Josiah from the group.
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Q1: I understand you’ve been busy gallivanting around Europe. What have you been doing over there?.
Josiah: Hey! We got back from Europe and the US last September actually, we had a mad time over there travelling around filming guerilla shows. Played in an old spy base, under the Eiffel Tower, on a plane, heaps of places. Super budget trip (we ate rice for a solid month haha) but great fun.
Q2: You are working on your debut album. Tell us a little about it.
Josiah: It ended up just being a mini-album, it’s got a much more developed and less radio-pop sound than the last one. We wanted to explore some more classic sounds and arrangements for some of the songs, definitely has some Beach Boys influences on some of the songs. The process has been hectic, we started demoing last December and have been working solid since then, we’re very excited to finally be releasing it!
Q3: Do you have any favourite songs on the new record?
Josiah: I quite like ‘Kids’
Q4: I’ve seen videos of you playing on the streets in Melbourne and Sydney and there seems like there’s a lot of positive energy at your shows. Do you prefer playing in venues or outdoors to unsuspecting crowds?
Josiah: That’s a tough question, the vibe is so different between them. I’d have to say I love doing both, it’s mad fun hanging out at the street shows but the energy of the shows at places like Oxford Art Factory or the HiFi in Melbourne is pretty incredible as well.
Q5: What 5 artists have you been listening to lately?
Josiah: Grimes, Balam Acab, Django Django, Broken Social Scene & Calvin Harris
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Thanks again to Set Sail for the interview and keep an eye out for upcoming shows and their mini-album Hey! which will be released June 15th in Australia.
