Ecca Vandal
Rhythm’n’punk
Ecca Vandal’s music ain’t for the fainthearted. Whether she’s melodiously rhyming over mid-tempo electro beats or unleashing a demonising tirade over toxic guitar noise, the Melbournian makes music that’s impossible to ignore.
Thursday September 17 – Goodgod Small Club – Sydney, NSW
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Ghyti
Indie alternative
Ghyti are a hard one to figure out. On the surface, there’s not much going on; strumming guitars, stripped back arrangements, innocuous tempos. But a depth of intrigue emerges as their songs play out. With vocal harmonies, flourishes of synthesiser, church organ and flits of glitchy electronics, it’s worth taking the trip.
Friday September 18 – Hotel Metropolitan – Adelaide, SA
Frida
Indie soul
In their own words, Melbourne six-piece Frida make “pop music, even if it tastes a little funky.” Latest single ‘Slowly’ backs up this claim – it’s rooted in guitar-inscribed discord and a foreboding rhythm, but once Eilish Gilligan’s celestial vocals enter the picture, you’ll soon become hooked.
Friday September 18 – Gasometer Hotel – Melbourne, VIC
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Koi Child
Hip hop/future funk
Perth collective Koi Child have a whole lot of firepower. Their arrangements are interesting enough to warrant release in instrumental form. But at the centre of the action is a whole lot of rapidfire wordplay, not imposing but wholly captivating.
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Saturday September 19 – Goodgod Small Club – Sydney, NSW
The Vedders
Garage/fuzz
In terms of contemporary exponents of fuzz-filled, ‘70s-leaning guitar music, there’s perhaps no one more prolific San Francisco’s Ty Segall. Clearly, Launceston’s The Vedders are fans of Segall’s work, and as they say, if you can’t be them, join them. The Vedders don’t try to mimic Segall exactly, but they do thrash guitars around like they just don’t care – a lesson they surely learnt from him.
Saturday September 19 – Brisbane Hotel – Hobart, TAS
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Young Monks
Alt-pop-rock
Young Monks trawl widely through the indie pop sphere sucking in influence wherever they roam. As a result, the Canberra fivesome are prone to the odd dreadlocked, board-shorted reggae tune. These ones aren’t particularly interesting. But they’ve also got the capacity to deliver slices of speak-sung, ‘90s-slacker-invoking indie pop numbers. These ones are indeed interesting.
Saturday September 19 – The Phoenix – Canberra, ACT
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Tijuana Cartel
Psychtronica
Over the course of their career, The Chemical Brothers have had a few stabs at echoing The Beatles’ 1966 revolutionising psych-experiment ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’, siphoning and manipulating organic instruments through their electronica lens. This approach essentially laid the foundations for Tijuana Cartel’s entire sonic universe. And thus far the results have been, while not revolutionary, predominantly charming.
Saturday September 19 – Woolly Mammoth – Brisbane, QLD
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Dougal’s Casino
Left-field pop
Dougal’s Casino is the live iteration of Perth’s wacked-out pop collagist Dougal McMullan. McMullan’s recordings rarely follow a linear path, but the sense of rabbit-hole discovery gives them an endearing, near-infectious quality.
Saturday September 19 – The Bird – Perth, WA
Jack Colwell
Baroque melancholy
You get the impression Jack Colwell’s got a few inner demons. Let’s face it, we all do. But instead of letting them crush him with inertia, Colwell turns his introspective thoughts into wonderfully evocative baroque pop songs.
Sunday September 20 – Empty Gallery, Fitzroy – Melbourne, VIC
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Owen Rabbit
Wonky R&B
Owen Rabbit is probably more than capable of making sweet, innocent R&B music. But who wants to hear sweet, innocent R&B? Thankfully, Rabbit’s compositions include a range of distinguishing kinks, such as eye poking distortion, modulating chords and freak-faced vocal refrains.
Sunday September 20 – Mojos – Perth, WA
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