Mixtape #22
Featuring Band Of Horses, Block Party, Hayden Calnin, Nikko, Pigeon, Tame Impala
Another great week in new Australian and International releases. On the local front new Tame Impala, Nikko, Hayden Calnin and Pigeon tracks and on the international front Bloc Party just in time for their Splendour performance and delightful new track from Band Of Horses.
Tame Impala - Apocalypse Dreams
Reverbed vocals, psyched up funk bass and general tripped out rock. Yes that’s right, we have the first taste of new Tame Impala and it’s everything we could have hoped for. Jumping piano bounces underneath Kevin Parker’s falsetto vocals before leading into a swaying half time chorus and back again. At the halfway mark it launches into full swirling psychedelia and never leaves, the phasers are turned all the way up.
Nikko – The Child
It’s not too often that a young Australian band is incomparable to their contemporaries but Brisbane-based four-piece Nikko tick that box. ‘The Child’, off their recently released record Gold & Red , is a Nick Cave-esque tune with layered vocals and heavy guitars to boot. Recorded in Brisbane’s iconic Old Museum, the track has valleys and peaks, which are carried extremely well by vocalist Ryan Potter. The band are touring around the country in July to support their album, check out the track, it’s pretty indicative of the record.
Bloc Party – Octopus
The first song of one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2012 is your standard Bloc Party track. ‘Octopus’ is unsurprisingly guitar driven, with a nagging riff filtering through. It has the chorus to incite fan participation at their forthcoming Splendour set. It may not be revolutionary, but you can’t deny this indie gem will appease Bloc Party’s fan base. The aptly titled ‘Four’ is set to be released in August.
Hayden Calnin – For My Help
From his upcoming City EP out next week, ‘For My Help’ sits fondly between Bon Iver and Matt Corby. The song has the typical folk ambience and falsetto that we know Justin Vernon by, while his deeper singing voice is reminiscent Corby. Calnin’s vocals reach dizzying heights as the background is filled with a potent drum beat. You can expect to see the Melbourne-based 22 year old follow in the same footsteps as his contemporaries with plenty of Triple J love in store.
Pigeon – Oh Hebe
Brisbane five piece Pigeon have just delivered the electro pop anthem of 2012. Eerie synths and haunting percussion leads into straight up four to the floor dance music. The trumpet outro is a particular highlight, perhaps a little homage to M83′s Midnight City. A guaranteed festival crowd pleaser, everyone will be singing along to this one.
Band Of Horses – Knock Knock
Mirage Rock is the fourth LP from the Seattle rock band after Infinite Arms was released two years prior. Due to be released on September 18th, ‘Knock Knock’ is the first single to surface from the album. With the southern rock influence that has characterised Band of Horses sound, the song is more consistently upbeat than anything from their previous record. The chorus is also far more pop than it is mellow. Hopefully this signals a heavier direction for the band after the downbeat blues of Infinite Arms. <iframe
