Felicity Cripps Band
Alternative/pop
Former Hoy bandleader Felicity Cripps is now fronting her own band. Hoy were capable of sparking a flurry of emotions via the subtle triggering of dynamics. With Cripps’ nostalgia-tinged voice and pop melodiousness out front, you can expect more of this from FCB.
Thursday October 13 – Gasometer Hotel – Melbourne, VIC
Thigh Master
Garage rock
Brissie lads Thigh Master have gone ahead and made a new record. Early Times is the name and it’s a glorious mess. Guitars thrash through amplifiers that sound like they’re about to blow a fuse. The vocals are perceptibly belched, yet have to compete with the background noise for exposure. It’s good shit.
Friday October 14 – Hotel Metro – Adelaide, SA
The Finks
Alt-folk
The Finks are a funny bunch – well, songwriter Oliver Mestitz certainly is. He writes amusing folk ditties loaded with double meaning and tactile realisations. The Milk! Records signees are promoting their new LP, Middling. With the inclusion of a rhythm section and three vocalists plus guitars, pianos and cellos, it’s their most widescreen effort yet.
Friday October 14 – Newtown Social Club – Sydney, NSW
Simi Lacroix
Pop/nostalgia
Simi Lacroix is an unashamed nostalgist. ‘80s-come-‘90s glam pop is his chief reference point, and he doesn’t fail to deliver the necessary melodic hooks and tonal bombast to pull off the gag.
Friday October 14 – The Foundry – Brisbane, QLD
Pikelet
Space folk
Musical expeditionary Evelyn Morris has continually turned out surprise innovations over the last several years. Her latest Pikelet release, the three track TRONC EP, is somewhere between electronic dance music, warped psych folk and space rock. It’s bloody excellent.
Friday October 14 – The Bird – Perth, WA
Lower Plenty
Folk/experimental
Everybody listen up. Lower Plenty features four great songwriters who make brilliantly scrappy experimental folk music. The handmade grit doesn’t impede upon the affecting melancholy; if anything it enhances it. They don’t play live very often, so get along to see this one.
Saturday October 15 – The Post Office Hotel – Melbourne, NSW
The Dinlows
Roots rock
As far as I know, “dinlow” is Pompy slang for a stupid person (and Pompy is the slang name for the English city Portsmouth). Perhaps Sydney sextet The Dinlows are such fools they didn’t realise this when choosing a name. But judging by their technically-advanced roots rock – that merges bits of soul, hip hop and rock – it’s more likely a tongue in cheek moniker. Either way is fine by me.
Friday October 14 – Brighton Up Bar – Sydney, NSW
Jade Imagine
Indie pop
Jade Imagine is my favourite new band. Though, it isn’t exactly a band. The project of Melbourne songwriter Jade McInally debuted a couple of months back with the single ‘Stay Awake’. It’s a lackadaisical psych pop number that sits somewhere between late-Beatles George Harrison, early Brian Jonestown Massacre and Melody’s Echo Chamber.
Saturday October 15 – Northcote Social Club – Melbourne, VIC
The Spunloves
Garage pop
Perth bunch The Spunloves make back-to-basics garage rock. The guitars sit in the zone between a jangle and a grunt. The vocals aren’t quite howled but they’re not lethargic either. There’s a tinge of blues and a tinge of pop and it keeps up a steady pulse.
Saturday October 15 – Mojos – Perth, WA
Alesa Lajana
Country
Here’s a little country music for your Sunday evening. Can’t complain about that, right? Alesa Lajana has an album out called Frontier Lullaby. It took her eight years to make. I can sympathise. Eight years ago I vowed to learn how to knit. No progress as yet.
Sunday October 16 – Camelot Lounge – Sydney, NSW
