Adam Kelly is an artist manager for Melbourne favourites Jakubi, in addition to his work as a promoter, music industry consultant, and project manager at A Thousand Hills, a media project encompassing music, documentaries, and photography.
In his own words, “Every week I get a dozen new artists emailing me asking about my thoughts on their music and whether I’d consider managing them. I get dozens more from friends around the world working in the industry wanting to share something new they are excited about.”
“I have a general rule when listening to new music. The rule is that I will listen to two tracks, but if they don’t grab me in the first 30 seconds, I move on to the next one.” Naturally, Adam gets plenty of music that doesn’t make it past that point.
“But I get plenty again who I think make some incredible music and deserve the opportunity to have it heard by a wider audience.” Tone Deaf have decided to help Adam give those bands and artists that opportunity.
“Every month I’m going to list the five or six best new tracks I’ve heard and what it is I like about them. Hopefully you find something you like in there too.” So, without further ado, here’s the best of what’s come into Adam’s inbox this month.
PHOX
I was sitting with a friend and getting some work done and wanted something new to keep me going. His first suggestion was PHOX. Holy wow. It’s a fusion of blues, jazz and folk with a voice that would make any straight man say ‘I do’.
They have three tracks up on their SoundCloud that you can peep for free but I seriously recommend that after you’ve done that you head to itunes and grab the album… Their ability to cross over diverse genres and their use of under-appreciated instruments make each track a musical journey that you’ll wish kept going long after the album has been spun.
Beautiful Beasts
Beautiful Beasts are a four piece hailing out of Melbourne. They have bunch of fun tracks up on their SoundCloud you can check out for free. The guys describe themselves as ‘soul-infused pop’ and that is exactly what they are, if you’re not careful, after pressing play, you’ll find yourself bopping your head along to them and getting lost in the feel of it. Their new single, Papaya (Room to Move), is definitely no exception.
You need to give this track a minute to really appreciate it. The intro doesn’t give you a lot, vocals over a simple guitar riff. But at 36 seconds it finally lets itself go. It is an explosion of funk and pop that make this track a HEAP of fun. Get ready to tap your fingers on the steering wheel while listening to this one.
Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird
These guys get instant kudos for the film reference. Kevin Spacey is one of my favourite actors. Lachy, the bands vocalist, has one of the coolest voices I’ve heard this year. It’s Lior-esque in it’s delivery. The music is splendid too, a folky pop blend, but it know’s its place in the final mix. The vocals are definitely the hero and so they should be.
These guys would be right at home at festivals like The Hills Are Alive (hint hint Aidan and Rhett). Aussie folk music is, in my opinion, up there with the best in the world and CTBNF continue that tradition magnificently.
Yeah Boy
Yeah Boy is the new musical venture of Johnny Castro, one half of what was Parachute Youth. He’s released an EP under this moniker and it proves to everyone that he has something special.
The first drop in his single, Wildfire, is rad. It’s all about getting you up on your feet and dancing. This song is in here because in it’s own right it deserves to be. But, as an artist, Yeah Boy makes the cut because he is someone worth getting familiar with… Like his Facebook, follow his SoundCloud, keep your eye out for any lives shows… This guy isn’t just good, he’s great, and is among a very small percentage of people who could literally blow up at any minute.
Kings.
I came across this track when looking for support acts for Jakubi. I’ve had a few people mention their name to me in the last few months and for good reason. Their new single, Fall in Fall out, caught my attention straight away. It’s an electro-pop fusion that is super easy to listen to. It’s dreamy in parts and almost brit-pop in others.
The single isn’t going to change the game but it’s certainly proof of a young band heading in the right direction. Half a dozen more tracks like this and a couple of big singles and you have a solid album. You can catch them live supporting Jakubi at Max Watts in Melbourne on Dec 5.
