We listen to a lot of music here at Tone Deaf HQ, and we’re the first to admit we’re perhaps a little biased towards sounds of the Australian variety. We do make the best music in the world, after all.
In honouring our favourite Aussies, we’ve once again compiled a list of the most outstanding local releases you should be listening to right now – whether they’re smaller indies acts or big-name essentials, these are the newest Australian records you should be adding to your ‘must-listen’ list.
Let’s get started.
Baro – HowGoodIsGood? (Independent)
In 2014 it’s getting increasingly lazy to slag off Aussie hip hop. If you still subscribe to the stigma of Australian rappers being politically-troubled tank top bros, you’re really looking a) in all the wrong places or b) not hard enough.
Meet Melbourne bedroom rapper Baro, a 17-year-old who has just dropped an utterly impressive debut mixtape that has unquestionably cemented him as one of the most exciting names in our country’s bustling hip hop scene alongside its current lineup of fresh-faced purveyors, like REMi, Milwaukee Banks and Jackie Onassis.
HowGoodIsGood? Very. It’s the quintessential hip hop record every stoner needs for those early hour smoke ups with your best mates. The perfect wind-down, packed with plenty of smooth, chilled out jams built around blunted, head-nodding jazz production and Baro’s infectiously cool lyricism.
Light one up, have some munchies at the ready, press play, and float away into Baro’s blissful soundscapes. (Dylan McCarthy)
Total Control – Typical System (Iron Lung Records)
Australian post-punk supergroup Total Control have released their second full-length effort, Typical System, a record that virtually stands as a representation of everything that’s good about Australian rock-revitalism.
The six-piece, comprising of members from revered bands like Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Dick Diver, expertly weld distorted punk noise with deftly-applied pop sensibilities.
Their sophomore efforts takes a more refined approach when compared to its predecessor (the Pitchfork-praised Henge Beat) with Total Control once again proving their unbeaten musicianship. They really are, simply put, a powerhouse band, with each member melding together the best elements from their other projects into a totally awesome force that can’t be reckoned with.
‘Black Spring’ marches across the listener in growing waves of needling post-punk over seven minutes, while ‘Systematic Fuck’ gets the job done in a third of the time. From synth-sculpted opener ‘Glass’ to catchy conclusion ‘Safety Net’, Typical System is the sound of a band operating near the peak of their still-growing powers. (DM)
Ciggie Witch – Rock And Roll Juice (Osborne Again)
You don’t need to be a forensics expert to figure out that Melbourne band Ciggie Witch are of the dolewave persuasion. Heck you wouldn’t even need to hit play on the delightful opening cut, ‘Long Weekend’ – you could just spy the artwork and titles like ‘Uni Break’ and ‘Internet’.
But just as easily as it seems to be categorised nor should Rock And Roll Juice be so swiftly dismissed.
It might sound like they’re cruising in the slipstream of Dick Diver’s Calendar Days (or Boomgates, Lower Plenty, Bitch Prefect et al.), especially given their lyrics fixate on the same late-20s minutiae and everyday profundity, but Ciggie Witch offer something a little more, musically speaking, with their seven-strong lineup.
Led by Ocean Party drummer Zac Denton, there’s room in the aural canvas for more than just dinky guitars and one-note bass, like slide guitar, harmonising keys, and organ sounds right outta Dire Straits’ ‘Walk Of Life’. Plus, there’s violin on four tracks provided by Robert McComb of The Triffids. And if it’s good enough for an esteemed Aussie musician like that, it’s good enough for you too. (Alister Newstead)
White Hex – Gold Nights (Felte Records)
Melbourne synth-pop duo White Hex, aka Tara Green and Jimi Kritzler, have returned with Gold Nights, the glistening follow-up to their 2012 debut.
Recorded in Paris, Berlin, New York and Melbourne, album #2 explores pigments of Italo disco, minimalist techno, and acid house. Produced by Forces’ Alex Akers, the pair have described their latest opus as “tropical goth fleshed out in glorious electro colour,” that combines their “love of high fashion, 1980s New York vogue techno and the mutant explorations of Whitehouse, Arthur Russell, Craig Leon and Gianni Rossi.”
White Hex’s dark, mysterious aesthetic sees horror-esque synths blaring over scintillating 80s disco beats while Green’s droning vocals narrate over the top; the kind of technicolour electro you’d expect to hear in a hidden, strobe-lit warehouse somewhere in Berlin.
Tape/Off – Chipper (Sonic Masala)
You know those records where it’s quicker to just say ‘it sounds like the album artwork’ than attempt to describe its contents? Chipper is one of those records.
Hailing from Brisbane, ‘Australia’s Most Liveable City’, as the four-piece’s opening track (ironically?) calls it, Tape/Off’s alt-rock aesthetic – shoegaze-blotted, drone-focussed, claustrophobic yet aggressive – is beautifully mirrored in the white-washed steel wool fuzz of Chipper’s sleeve.
As well as excelling in the kind of spitfire riffs that’ll have fans reaching for the ‘fuzzed out’ tags, Tape/Off also scratch the nostalgia itch, recalling the glory days of 90s guitar rock.
Better than that, is that guiding these songs is the subtle yet critical eye of contemporary culture’s hollow promises. Even if you’re tuning out to the lyrical topics, Tape/Off’s music is just as commanding, alternatively dreamy (‘Where To Begin’), drilling (‘Pedastal Fan’), or a cultivated mix of both (‘Believe In You’).
If you didn’t manage to catch this quartet on their recent East Coast album launch tour, take a spin of Chipper and you’ll hear the killer live show you missed – after you’re done fawning over its visceral delights that is. (AN)
Runner – Cloud Kingdom (Independent)
Initially starting as an instrumental post-rock three-piece in 2011, Perth outfit Runner have unveiled their dreamy debut album, which serves as a testament to their blossoming growth over the past three years.
Now standing as a five-piece, they’ve not only expanded in size but also in sound. Their soundscapes are vast and lush, with dreamy melodies, angelic harmonies and rich instrumentation combining together to create beautifully textured, reverb-soaked shoegaze. All justifying their longer-length, well-paced numbers like ‘Islands’, ‘You Fear The Light’, and ‘Roam [Part Two]’ (all 6-ish minutes).
If you’re a fan of summery indie pop along the lines of Snakadaktal and I’lls, Runner and their stunning three-year culmination, Cloud Kingdom, is definitely worth your while. (DM)
