We start our latest mixtape with Melbourne’s “It Girl” Courtney Barnett and her new fabulously titled track ‘Avant Gardener’, followed the first taste of Vampire Weekend’s forthcoming album, into local bands The Messengers, Atolls, Dick Diver & Skipping Girl Vinegar, before turning out ears to internationals Austra and newcomer Chlöe Howl.
Courtney Barnett – Avant Gardener
Melbourne’s favourite slacker garage gal, Courtney Barnett, has a shiny new single. Cheekily titled “Avant Gardener”, it features her signature slacker guitar in all its glory yet has a brighter production than previous releases. At the 2-minute mark the bridge neatly breaks up the consistent rhythm with distorted guitars and a catchy, wordless vocal refrain that’s repeated at the end. In her thick Aussie accent, Barnett manages to maintain her charm while singing about allergic reactions to plants; a skill in itself.
Vampire Weekend – Diane Young
Decidedly rockier than anything they’ve previously done and featuring a some very 80s vocal effects, the first release from Vampire Weekend’s upcoming third record Modern Vampires In the CIty seems to be proof that the band everyone wrote off in 2008 as being a one-album wonder can in fact venture out musically while still staying true to their culturally-infused jams.
The Messengers – We Can Get Along
With a soon to be released EP on the way, The Messengers bringus ‘We Can’t Get Along’ a surfy pop number complete with catchy harmonies andjangly guitars. The Melbourne lads are definitely moving in the right directionalongside this 60s revivalist movement, a nostalgic yet garage take on Brit popin a similar vein to The Frowning Clouds. ‘We Can’t Get Along’ is a fun andexciting track for The Messengers that makes us want to do the twist on thebeach with the Beach Boys.
Atolls – Worn
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have already spawned their Nuggets-devoted offshoot The Murlocs, and now it appears King Gizzard bassist Lucas Skinner and his band Atolls are starting their rise to prominence. Their slack debut single ‘Mumble’ received widespread acclaim when it dropped last year, and now they’ve followed it up with ‘Worn’, their raucous second single from their upcoming ‘Hair Machine’ EP. It combines acoustic guitars and reverb drenched vocals with fuzz-soaked guitars and a maximalist rhythm section. It’s a more-or-less spoken word depiction of waking up worse for wear, and the larger-than-life song the lyrics rest on serve as a definitive celebration of the night prior.
Skipping Girl Vinegar – Making Our Way
The Melbourne indie rockers have been keeping quiet as of late but this brand spankin’ new track is here to let you know they’re back and ready to steal you away on this sweet rhythmic tune. ‘Making Our Way’ is a charming song that captures your imagination from the get-go with a driving beat and catchy chorus. The lyrics tell a tale of moving forward, of forging your own path and way in life — a universal idea that’s easy to get on board with. It’s the kind of song that would fit perfectly as the soundtrack to road trips across the country, cruising down the coast with a bunch of mates piled into the back of a kombi van, a vision shared by the band themselves as you can see in the accompanying video clip.
Austra – Home
With an immediate modern day Kate Bush vibe, boasting of hypnotic piano and distinct vocals, ‘Home’ is the new single taken from Austra’s forthcoming sophomore album ‘Olympia’ due for release through Domino in June. Repetitive intense lyrics draw you in as the track opens out into jungly percussion, flutes and other instrumentation including the use of backing vocals. ‘Home’ has all the the ingredients to be a dance hit, without being a dance track and will no doubt become a remix favourite.
Dick Diver – Water Damage
Dick Diver have done an amazing job of transcending past the labels they’ve been given. After all, being subbed ‘slacker rock’ can’t be easy. This latest cut off their recently released album Calendar Days showcases a new side to the band with drummer Stephanie Hughes being allowed more of a vocal presence. The boy-girl harmonies offer a new texture to their sound, one that we didn’t release was missing until we heard it. Fantastic track.
Chlöe Howl – Rumour
18 year old London pop singer Chlöe Howl, has burst onto the scene in the UK filling the big hole left in pop music scene due to the likes of Kate Nash and Lily Allen growing up. ‘Rumour’ is edgy with killer drum n bass beats that burst into each chorus. Lyrically it’s clearly a teenager singing about the pains of growing up, but it’s delivered in polished and grown up manner. To celebrate her coming of age Chloe has released a free EP for download through her website. Well worth a listen.
