Shrimpwitch – Lust For A Kick
A garage punk 80’s flashback, that is as riveting as it is joyous. The loose, expressive vocal and the quintessential, perfectly executed muddy progression allow for an overall tone that harks back to decades past. In a modern musical landscape dominated by clean, polished electronic music it is rather refreshing to hear a track that is a stripped back and raw as ‘Lust For A Kick‘ – sometimes the simplest ingredients are all you need. Shrimpwitch are like the margherita pizza of music. The Melbourne based duo, part of the Hysterical Records roster, have a very engaging aesthetic with the tunes and stage presence to back it up. They are sure to cement themselves on the Australian scene with this outstanding number.
Miss Blanks x Midas.Gold – Gassed Up
A slice of lo-fi hip hop from rising Brisbane based talent Miss Blanks. Characterised by a swaggering self confidence, Miss Blanks has the commanding presence of Kanye West at his best, and the stone cold yet tongue in cheek attitude of Lady Leshurr. The production by Noah Harvey leans on current rap tropes, but compliments Blanks delivery well, and the verse delivered by Midas.Gold is nothing short of stellar. Miss Blanks is one to keep a close eye on.
Martin King – The Way We Crush
As soon as this track begins, the listener is whisked away by Martin King‘s emotionally driven, fragile and utterly mesmerising vocal. The intricate production starts out as a scattered skeleton, but quickly finds its feet as a somewhat elaborate drum and bass number. Martin King is the latest Good Manners signee, and is not out of place on their diverse and experimental line-up. The way his voice sits over the production here is startling; it causes your attention to remain firmly on the vocal, which is utterly haunting. A gorgeous, moving track. Martin King has said of the lyrical subject matter – “In one way it is literally about crushing on someone, and how that manifests in the ways you act to one another. It’s about the anxiety of wanting to take a relationship from a purely physical level to one with feelings.”
Honey Badgers – She’s Alright
There is something very interesting about the tones and textures of Honey Badgers recent single ‘She’s Alright.’ When you discover that this track, as well as the remainder of their upcoming EP Lover was recored live to cassette the warm tones start to make a bit more sense. In a day and age when digital editing and manipulation can make anything sound perfect, there is something truly delightful about hearing something which is as it was when performed. That is the beauty of recording to tape; there is no room for error, and every blemish is simply part of the overall character. The song is a a sweet slow dance number, with cute lyrics that are sure to make you blush, and a chord progression that feels nostalgic due to its familiarity. Wonderfully packaged and with a very unique sound, ‘She’s Alright’ has gotten us very excited for Honey Badger‘s upcoming EP, which they will be launching at The Tote in Melbourne on the 29th of April.
River Blue – Mark Of A Man
A delightful, swaying guitar based road trip song. River Blue is the moniker of Lachlan Duthie, a songwriter from Melbourne who has a silky and smooth voice which compliments his impeccable songwriting perfectly. The arrangements of ‘Mark Of A Man’ are simplistic and tasteful – the song is draped over a subtle backdrop of synth and percussion, while being driven by Duthie’s strummed chords. He cites his influences as folk and alt-country, which he filters into a “unique rock outlet,” and these influences shine through with clarity. ‘Mark Of A Man’ is taken from River Blue‘s upcoming debut EP, set to be released in the coming months. With a three piece band in tow, River Blue will launch ‘Mark Of A Man’ at The Workers Club on Thursday the 30th of March.
High Society – Introduced Species
High Society have only recently made their debut on the Melbourne music scene. The band describe their sound as “original instrumental music celebrating strong grooves, catchy sing-able themes and intricate counter melodies.” This description is pretty spot on. Although ‘Introduced Species’ was released about a month ago, we’ve only just stumbled upon it, and fallen in love. The track has the atmosphere of a bedroom recording, which gives it something of a vintage vibe. The smoky weariness of the recording quality possess an enormous degree of purity, and emphasises the naked musical skill of the band. There is a subtle energy and warm, enveloping atmosphere to the track.
rabbit legs – Caravan
rabbit legs dropped their debut EP at the end of last month. This track taken from that EP is experimental, utterly artful, and wholly unique. Where do a looped vocal sample, an accordion, a shaky vocal, a synthesiser and offbeat percussion meet? Somehow, ‘Caravan’ answers that question in a truly haunting and slightly disconcerting manner. It’s the kind of song that makes you stand at attention – whether you like it or not, it is hard to deny the absolute originality of this number. Check out the rest of rabbit legs EP entitled ‘The Milk Teeth Extended Play.‘ It’s certainly one to get your head around.
D’yer Mak’er – Illicit Renegades
One of the most thirst inducing tracks we’ve come across this week, ‘Illicit Renegades’ gets a tip of the cap from us here at Speaker TV. Small town group D’yer Mak’er have pooled their collective influences (namely, Sticky Fingers, RHCP, Jimi Hendrix) to produce this skanked up rock-reggae laced offering just in time to bid summer farewell. Set to provide similar follow-up tunes in the near future, D’yer Mak’er’s upcoming EP Moonshine Divine is set to drop in just over a fortnight on April 14. Whispers of a debut album by the end of the year provide a good reason to keep in the loop with the five-piece.
