Happy long weekend, ya’ll. You deserve a break. Sit back, chill, and enjoy these amazing tunes from around the country as your weekend soundtrack.
Hue Blanes – Fernando
This track is a slow burning, beautiful and haunting number from one of Australia’s most promising musicians. A member of the hard working and consistently fantastic Jazz Party, Hue Blanes’ first single from his upcoming sophomore record Holiday is ‘Fernando’ and it is a hypnotic tear jerker of a number. Hue’s voice is utterly entrancing, and the simple piano progression which underpins the track is just so gorgeous texturally, and there is so much beauty to be found in the simplicity. It is hard to adequately explain the impact of hearing a song like ‘Fernando’ – it clings to you like smoke to clothing, and carves out a special place in your heart with its forlorn and stunning delivery. The video, which sees Hue Blanes candidly making his way through the streets of Brunswick is a lovely watch.
Donald Dank & The Naughty Boys – Engineered To Perfection
Don’t let the intro to this clip for Donald Dank & The Naughty Boys new single ‘Engineered to Perfection’ turn you off (or turn you on, depending what your into.) Vocalist Donald Dank makes a plea to the viewer to listen to the single – a plea which you should certainly adhere to. We’ve written about Donald Dank & The Naughty Boys in the past, and we’re quite big fans here at Speaker. Something about their tongue in cheek approach, musical skill, lush harmonies and tones harking back to decades passed just hits you right in the feelings – nostalgic, brimming with fun, and utterly infectious. ‘Engineered To Perfection’ is executed with a keen ear, impeccable musicianship and just the right amount of zero-fucks-given.
Magnets – Lonley
The second single from Melbourne based talent Siobhan McGinnity as Magnets is a sign of very good things to come from this artist. ‘Lonley’ boasts relatable lyrics, a gentle and friendly chord progression complimented by a flawless vocal delivery, and well executed harmonies. The delicate balance of a clean guitar track and a fuzzed out one creates a unique textural pallet which guides the song. ‘Loney’ showcases a different side of Magnets than previous single ‘Flight’ did, and these two songs side by side demonstrate the apparent versatility of her music. Her rich and prolific artistic background could perhaps lend explanation to this versatility, as she has in the past been a classical pianist, a musical comedy artist, and a prog rock keytarist. We simply cannot wait to hear more music from Magnets.
Cool Explosions – Cold Fire
This single from Melbourne electronica trio Cool Explosions serves as a fantastic introduction to a promising young group of musicians. Clearly influenced by 80’s music, but with a very modern twist, ‘Cold Fire’ ebbs and flows between minimalist and maximalist qualities, allowing it to have many unique musical aspects. The powerful vocal delivery guides the track which reaches impressive heights throughout its runtime. The production is slick, the selection of varied and intricate synthesiser tones creates a warm bed of sound, and the accompanying video which sees colourful projections dancing on the bands faces serves as a perfect compliment to this electrifying number. Cool Explosions are one to keep a very keen eye on.
These New South Whales – We Don’t Need You Anymore
This track from NSW based group These New South Whales straddles a fine line between a restrained and all out performance. This delicate balance is executed fantastically, and it allows this single ‘We Don’t Need You Anymore’ to sound simultaneously raucous and pleasant – it has the calling cards of a punk song, but it isn’t limited to that audience. There is a clear musical skill here, though it is doubtful that a band whose members names are Workhorse, Durry, Slacky and Sheppo take themselves all that seriously. Clocking in at just over two minutes, ‘We Don’t Need you Anymore’ manages to pack a whole lot of fun into its brief runtime. Their debut album will be out later in 2017.
Royce Drixhen – A Cityside Story
Royce Drixhen has come on to the Australian hip hop scene as it is in a state of metamorphosis. Trailblazing artists are turning a genre which was once geared exclusively to Australians into something with an international appeal, and Royce Drixhen is one of the phenomenal young artists leading that charge. This international appeal is partly in Royce’s impeccable vocal delivery, and partly in the Atlanta trap scene influenced production. Unlike his previous single ‘The Cause’ ‘A Cityside Story’ features no rapping, though this is not to the track’s detriment – his performance as a singer absolutely carries the song, and demonstrates a vast appeal.
