OISIMA
Electro-World
Oisima sounds like he’s been everywhere, man. On his new album Nicaragua Nights, the Adelaide producer – of Anglo and Fijian background – adheres to contemporary electronic eclecticism by integrating an earful of jazz with neo-soul and Middle Eastern colour. The key to the record’s distinct appeal is that, while Oisima’s tastes are obviously vast, he refrains from going overboard.
Thursday July 9 – Black Bear Lodge – Brisbane, QLD
SOUNDCLOUD | FACEBOOK | BANDCAMP
TWIN CAVERNS
Electro Soul
Twin Caverns is a couple of Sydneysiders who would’ve fit in nicely during the second wave of trip hop. You know, when the likes of Frou Frou, Zero 7 and Little Dragon started making a bit of commanding down-tempo noise. Twin Caverns are soulful and slick – nearly to a fault – but not too sure of themselves to limit the sense of tension.
Thursday July 9 – Oxford Art Factory – Sydney, NSW
FACEBOOK | BANDCAMP | SOUNDCLOUD
LAZER BABY
R&B
All right, there are few things I like less than a self-important bass player who’s given a free pass to indulge in slap-happy wankery. On account of this, I should automatically reject Hobart’s Lazer Baby. The thing is, though, there’s some sharp pop/R&B hooks here that just about make up for the bassist’s indiscretions. At the very least, it promises to be a pulsing live experience.
Friday July 10 – Republic Bar – Hobart, TAS
HIDEOUS TOWNS
Jangle Pop
We’ve all been to a hideous town. A lot of us probably come from one – places populated by misshapen humans and at least 13 fast food joints per 100-metre block. Thankfully, the music of Melbourne quartet Hideous Towns is in no way reminiscent of such a suffocating scene. On the contrary; they make delightful, tumbling jangly guitar pop. There’s not enough brimming fuzz to classify it shoegaze. And besides it’s more openly melodic.
Friday July 10 – Hotel Metro – Adelaide, SA
BANDCAMP | FACEBOOK | SOUNDCLOUD
Dizz1
Hip Hop/Bass
Aww yeah, I’m on board with this. But it looks like I’m a tad late to the party, seeing as though the likes of Roots Manuva and Aloe Blac have already reached out to the Melbourne producer for beats. Dizz1 has a new LP, In Sickness and In Health, featuring a stack of vocal guests fortifying a bunch of hip hop originals that you feel good, without being outwardly ‘feel-good’.
Friday July 10 – Mojos – Perth, WA
FACEBOOK | SOUNDCLOUD | BANDCAMP
SEEKAE
Minimal Electronic Dance
Last year, Seekae made a brilliant album called The Worry. If you haven’t heard it yet, that’s fine. It’s still available, and prepared to convert you into a devoted follower. The Worry is a work of terse electronic programming, unflinchingly emotive and grippingly precise. Frontman Alex Cameron seals the deal with his dry baritone. Does he care? Is he disaffected? Is he desperate? It’s hard to tell. But the questions compel you to keep listening.
Friday July 10 – Howler – Melbourne, VIC
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | SOUNDCLOUD
CATLIPS
Experimental House
There’s all this talk about Perth’s experimental pop underground. But to be honest, most of this chatter concerns dudes with guitars. There’s a whole bunch else going on out west, and Catlips is a perfect example. The very dance-y electro experiments of Katie Campbell are certainly worth our attention.
Friday July 10 – Flyrite – Perth, WA
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DARTS
Indie Rock
Darts’ recent signing with boutique Sydney label Rice Is Nice was more or less inevitable. The label’s roster doesn’t adhere to set of stylistic principles, but everything has a home made appeal. It’s the sound of people giving it their all, often in a slightly off-kilter, uncompromising manner. Darts make indie rock music that incorporates a breadth of influence in a similar manner to ‘80s college rock. They’re often described as have a ‘90s sound. Nothing wrong with that; there was a lot of good music made in the ‘90s. But these songs could only have been made by one group of people, and those people are making them in 2015.
Friday July 10 – Uni Bar – Wollongong, NSW
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | SOUNDCLOUD
METHYL ETHEL
Psych Pop/Freak Folk
Methyl Ethel’s debut Oh Inhuman Spectacle is bloody delightful. Make no mistake, it’s not passively pleasing, middle of the road, easy-listening fare. Mastermind Jake Webb weaves elements of trip hop and psychedelic electronics with astute indie guitar pop. Throughout, the album evokes an image of marginal characters finding solace is sound. And it’s just bloody delightful.
Saturday July 11 – Brighton Up Bar – Sydney, NSW (w/ The Babe Rainbow)
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ALEX CAMERON
Avant-Glam
Alex Cameron’s solo LP Jumping The Shark is a multi-faceted masterpiece. Is that an exaggerated statement? Perhaps, but who cares. Cameron’s low-key, lo-fi karaoke croon-pop is impossibly engaging. From minimal elements, he cultivates a landscape of humour and melodic affectivity. At times it’s decadently joyful, but overall, Cameron conveys a sense of perverse sickness. Fuck it’s good.
Saturday July 11 – Shadow Electric – Melbourne, VIC
