10 ARTISTS TO CATCH LIVE THIS WEEK(END)
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10 ARTISTS TO CATCH LIVE THIS WEEK(END)

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MOLLUSC

Dark wave

Let’s go down. Mollusc can take us there. This is dank and murky post-punk. It’s a reflection of all the shit we’re constantly consuming and producing. A gut reaction to the fact we’re already fucked. It’s no over-serious though, and it’s certainly not exclusive. So carn, let’s go down.

 

 

Thursday August 20 – The Grace Darling – Melbourne, VIC

 

BANDCAMP | FACEBOOK | SOUNDCLOUD

 

THE DRONES

Nihilistic industrial garage

 

Of all the major cities spread across this vast landmass, there seems nowhere more suited to The Drones’ Aussie-hued dissonance than Darwin. Darwin is a city; a place with buildings and industry and the like. But it’s a city that can’t quite hide the remnants of real-life catastrophe – the gaping holes in our welfare system and general application to being kind to one another. The Drones are rock band; they work with loud guitars and the like. But they’re a band who can’t ignore the seriously depressing shit that’s sitting right under our noses.

 

 

Thursday August 20 – The Lighthouse – Darwin, NT

 

THE DRONES | FACEBOOK

 

SUIIX

Hazy synth pop

 

There’s a misty dreaminess that pervades the music of SUIIX – the solo moniker of She Rex/Shady Lane member Sarah Julienne. But on her latest release ‘Hi’, that hazy cloud is merely a support act to a locomotive sub bass riff and some damn tasty vocal hooks.

 

 

Thursday August 20 – Manning Bar – Sydney, NSW

 

SOUNDCLOUD | BANDCAMP | FACEBOOK

 

MASCO SOUND SYSTEM

Psychedelic boogie

 

There’s so much rock music that celebrates the virtues of drinking long and chain smoking until your fingers become sticks of charcoal. The blues, on the other hand, draws attention to the woes that lead one to drinking and smoking to excess. Masco Sound System are upset, been having too much wine, too much nicotine, and the troubles aren’t leaving them alone. But by establishing a solid Canned Heat boogie – replete with hyper-harmonica – you get the feeling there’s a celebration just around the corner.

 

 

Thursday August 20 – The Old Bar – Melbourne, VIC

 

BANDCAMP | FACEBOOK | UNEARTHED

 

THE PISSEDCOLAS

Fuzz punk

 

Last year Perth fuzz merchants The Pissedcolas dropped a seven-song cassette called Demo Suzuki. While it’s a bloody great name, the title is something of a misnomer, as their music doesn’t strike much resemblance to krautrock progenitors Can (who were fronted by a fellow named Damo Suzuki). OK, there’s fluctuating tempos and a general F-you to conventional structure. But this shit is filthy, more akin to the desert rock of Kyuss or the sludge tones of Melvins.

 

 

Friday August 21 – The Bird – Perth, WA

 

BANDCAMP | FACEBOOK

 

WEST THEBARTON BROTHEL PARTY

Rock

 

It’s EP time for Adelaide rock collective West Thebarton Brothel Party. They’ve been a hotly touted act for a little while now – labelled a band to watch, Aus-rock savours and other such superfluous tags. But the new EP shows they haven’t been distracted. It’s a stern block of distorted rock tunes, which aren’t afraid to tackle sensitive topics, such as chemotherapy and Glenn McGrath. 

 

 

Saturday August 22 – Jive – Adelaide, SA

 

BANDCAMPFACEBOOK | UNEARTHED

 

CLEOPOLD

Pop/R&B

 

We’re now so far into the age of white-guy-loners making electronic-laced pop/R&B that the style’s intriguing essence was exhausted long ago. This means those continuing in this vein will have to work extra hard to give us something that’ll endure. Cleopold has been behind the scenes on various Miami Horror tunes and was recently signed by Chet Faker. Warning signs right? But the LA-based Melburnian has got the edge on his contemporaries – these are real-deal pop hooks, the electro production is stimulating and he doesn’t ham up the broken-hearted earnestness. 

 

 

Saturday August 22 – Republic Bar – Hobart, TAS

 

SOUNDCLOUD | FACEBOOK | WEBSITE

 

DOCTOPUS

Crusty slacker

 

OK, in recorded form, Doctopus aren’t particularly interesting. The guitars are scrappy and distorted, the crude ocker vocals sing of middle class ennui, and the production is lazy (which, by the way, is different to lo-fi). But these boys have got some energy. That’s for damn sure. If you want permission to let loose and really not give a shit, then let Doctopus show you the way.

 

 

Saturday August 22 – Mojos – Perth, WA

 

BANDCAMP | FACEBOOK

 

FRANK YAMMA

Folk/spiritual

 

Frank Yamma is a fascinating performer. He holds weight as a gifted guitarist, engrossing storyteller, and speaker of multiple languages. But at the end of the day it all comes down to his voice. At times conversational, at times emphatically poignant, Yamma’s one of the best vocalists you’re going to see anywhere, anytime soon.

 

 

Saturday August 22 – The Lighthouse – Darwin, NT

 

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK

 

HIATUS KAIYOTE

Future soul

 

We’ve been trained to hear music in a linear manner – to expect things to sit in obvious cohesion. No one’s fault, it’s just a part of ‘making sense’ of the world. But music has the ability to push our senses onto new discoveries, which opens up the potential to uncover new ways of formulating thoughts and understanding the world. Multi-dimensional, poly-rhythmic funk/soul superforce Hiatus Kaiyote are helping us get started.

 

 

Sunday August 23 – Woolly Mammoth – Brisbane, QLD

 

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | SOUNDCLOUD