Every week a plethora of big name acts, Australian musicians and little-known musos drop brand spankin’ new tracks on the internet. We’ve trawled through the internet to find some of our favourites and plucked them from the masses.
This week we’ve got cuts from a few highly anticipated records. Alt-J, Interpol and Spoon have got us counting down the days for their respective releases, while Pond, Angus & Julia Stone and Ara Koufax (the new project from Naysayer & Gilsun) are just a few of the locals we think are worth spruiking this week.
Alt-J – ‘Hunger Of The Pine’
Alt-J have just given us their first new music as a trio in the form of ‘Hunger Of The Pine’, the lead single for the zeitgeist-capturing indie band’s sophomore album, This Is All Yours. It’s a delicate, sombre beast constructed first from a droning electronic bleep before gently ascending on a bed of propellent drum pads, horns, and a curious vocal sample: Miley Cyrus from her track ’4X4′ (yes, really). It’s more brooding than anything on debut An Awesome Wave, but with Joe Newman’s distinctively needling vocals and enigmatic lyrics (linking longing for someone with starvation), it captures the same blend of lingering menace and sonic invention as ‘Breezeblocks’ or ‘Fitzpleasure’ but without the same aggressive immediacy. (AN)
Willow Beats – ‘Merewif’
NSW wood-nymph duo Willow Beats have finally emerged from their seven-month hibernation in a big way, inking a new record deal with Pilerats, announcing their sophomore EP, as well as dropping this brand new potion of their mystical, elemental electronica, ‘Merewif’. ‘Merewif’ conjures a lush soundscape that transcends reality and plunges into a spiritual realm somewhere “under the sea”. The pair are experts at weaving fantasies – Kalyani’s dreamy, elven-like vocals narrative the listener through an aural trip of Narayana’s addictive, textured production, and for four-and-a-bit minutes you almost feel like you’re dancing barefoot as part of a tribe at a bush doof. (DM)
Interpol – ‘Anywhere’
With the trio returning to the country for Splendour (and headlining a special pre-party event) the excitement for Interpol’s fifth record, El Pintor, is reaching fever pitch. The band just recently shared this live Brixton Academy performance of their first new material since 2010’s self-titled release and it sounds just as Interpol should. Bounded by dark electric guitars and Paul Banks’ commanding vocals this one’s for the diehards and the nostalgic. (CT)
Spoon – ‘Rent I Pay’
Its been four very long years since the Austin five-piece released the brilliant Transference and with ‘Rent I Pay’ heralding the release of their eighth studio album, They Want My Soul, we’re thankful we’ve finally been spoon-fed our fix. The track is everything you love about Spoon and then some. Groovy riffs explode from Britt Daniels’ guitar as he lyrically disarms any control, easily working into your subconscious. Classic drum patterns from Jim Eno give the track a stripped back feel and an overwhelming sense of anticipation – the perfect recipe for creating that unforgettable rock n roll swagger. (JM)
Pond – ‘Elvis’ Flaming Star’
With the Perth psych rock extraordinaire’s new album Man It Feels Like Space Again – the follow up to last year’s Hobo Rocket – due for release in September/October and named in our 25 most anticipated albums for the second half of 2014, their latest track is likely to be on there and yes, our arousal levels have increased ten fold. ‘Elvis Flaming Star’ launches listeners back into the cosmos with a ‘Footloose’ sounding drum sequence kicking it off before moving into a rolling bass line and wavy fuzzed out guitar. The new tune is jammed with swag and spaced out synth lines. Judging by the footage, the guys love their new tune so much they couldn’t contain it anymore. (JM)
Angus & Julia Stone – ‘Death Defying Acts’
How do the Stone family throw a spanner in the works? Siblings Angus and Julia provide the answer with the second taste of their forthcoming third studio album. While ‘Big Jet Plane’ may have catapulted them towards mainstream audiences with its incessant chorus, the duo have always fell between adult contemporary and folk in a way that is pleasant enough to appeal to just about anyone. Which is why ‘Death Defying Acts’, while carrying an obviously Rick Rubin influenced blues swagger and a cocksure sauntering Julia, is daring yet still nice enough to keep their fans in tow. (CT)
Sleepy Tea – ‘Hold On To Your Breath’
Brisbane outfit Sleepy Tea have just released their newest single ‘Hold On To Your Breath’. A follow up to their 2013 EP, The Place Where We Lay, this new single is an absolute dream-pop gem. Having spent the first half of 2014 in studio induced hibernation, recording their upcoming new EP Specks ‘Hold Your Breath’ is the first taste from this anticipated release. (LD)
Ara Koufax – ‘Converge’
Do the names Sam Gill and Luke Neher sound familiar? They should – they were the duo behind the group Naysayer & Gilsun. Despite having worked together before, Ara Koufax marks a new direction for the creatives with first cut ‘Converge’ distilled from a six-hour jam, slowly boiling down percussion loops and raw synth hooks into the foundation for the new project. On the new track Ara Koufax climb dizzying euphoric heights through melodic noise and chaos. Distorted and ever intensifying drum sequences, soulful vocals and synth lines – it sounds like the gents have driven to a place where it’s summer and bought back the glimmers of warmth with them. (JM)
