Another huge mixtape this week, this time fronted by one of our favourite Splendour acts Surfer Blood. Along with that we’ve got some new tunes from Wolf & Cub, Sures, Friendships, the Adelaide muso who’s bound to be your new favourite one-woman band, Summer Flake, and more.
Surfer Blood – ‘Dance Demon’
With these guys hitting Australia this week it seems only fair that we feature Surfer Blood’s new track “Dance Demon”. Hailing from West Palm Beach, Florida, the four piece sure know how to write a catchy rock tune, that is catchy and, but lyrically is rather dark; “I can suck the venom out of your bones“. Riding the wave of fuzzed out guitars and almost but not quite a 90s sound, this track hooks you from beginning to end. Band to watch at Splendour for sure!
Wolf & Cub – ‘I Need More’
With the Wolf & Cub pack doubling in size, you’d half expect the increased lineup to mean a bigger sound but instead they’ve gone leaner. Everything here benefits from a ‘less is more’ approach. The coarse guitars scratch like a cat’s tongue (and sound like they’re on loan from Queens of The Stone Age), while the percussion track snaps with dry hiss and cowbell. Operating on a slick yet sleazy regimen of cursory pieces, ‘I Need More’ ironically needs little else.
Me – ‘Sleepwalker’
A brand new single from the Google-proof Aussie expats – their first with new guitarist Joshua Murphy – shows them outgrowing some of the Muse/Queen comparisons and instead bolstering their kinetic energy. ‘Sleepwalker’ is a pretty insistent battering of galloping drums and riffs, but there’s still a touch of glam about it that ensures an edge above limp-wristed rock wannabes, not least in the keening vocal theatrics of frontman Luke Ferris; who still wants to be Jagger, Plant, and Mercury all at once.
The Ape – ‘Crawl Back’
Rock n Roll supergroup The Ape aka Raul Sanchez, Gus Agars, Pat Bourke and Tex Perkins have delivered a funked out rock tune in the form of “Crawl Back”, boasting of dirty rockin’ blues guitar riffs, fat basslines, laid back drum beats and of course the main ingredient the vocals of the one and only Tex Perkins. Solid tune, solid line up and no doubt a solid show when these guys hit the road together this August!
Friendships- ‘Ssloww’
“Trying to make club music for people who hate clubbing” is the motto of this electronic Melbourne duo, and their bootleg of Kylie Minogue’s 2003 pop anthem achieves this mantra perfectly. Their sad-wave remix transforms ‘Slow’ into a down tempo, bass-heavy jam with a gritty RnB beat and a drop that’s bombastic and pulsating without becoming obnoxious. If you’ve ever been to a Friendships show before, you know how much better it is than clubbing.
Summer Flake – ‘Blue’
Taken from their upcoming debut album You Can Have It All out on Rice Is Nice on Sept 6, the first track summons imagery of 90s drone-core with some incredible musical likenesses to Melbourne’s Courtney Barnett. The one-woman band made up of Adelaide muso Steph Crase is embarking on a tour to support her upcoming album in October so be sure not to miss it. You can also listen to her first three EPs on her BandCamp here.
Emilíana Torrini – ‘Speed Of Dark’
This dance track is the first glimpse of Emiliana Torrini’s upcoming fourth album, Tookah, which is due for release on September 10. The versatile Icelandic songstress, perhaps best known for her 2009 track ‘Jungle Drum’, returns with that same lovable brand of pop but in slightly different packaging. ‘Speed Of Dark’ has a distinct ‘80s flavour to it, built by warmly textured synthesizer tones and an understated pop beat with her vocals glimmering over the top. According to the woman herself, this one is perfect for “a time where you need to go out with your girlfriends and dance”. Can’t argue against that.
Sures- ‘Waste’
With some very 90s sounding harmonies, and a tempo shift a third of the way through, the new track from Sures is bound to get stuck in your head due in large part to the enticing vocals including a half-minute forway into the world of ‘woohoos’. Having supported the likes of Best Coast, Real Estate, and Waaves we’ve got no doubt there are huge things to come for the Sydney band.
