Sing It Again – Broadway Sounds
Eccentric Melbourne trio Broadway Sounds describe their sound as a combination of “R&B, afro rock, boogie funk, psych pop, calabash rock, township jive, soul, kwela jazz, exotic folk and soca/calypso with a pop song sensibility”. If that sounds like a fruit salad you could happily tuck into, take a listen to the band’s instant earworms Booby Trap or, this one, Sing it Again. Despite heavy references to the funk of the 60s and 70s, electronic elements give the songs a steely backbone, making the music sound completely new. Catch them at Sydney’s GoodGod on 7 June as part of Vivid and stay tuned for a new EP due the latter half of 2015.
The Hedonist – Foreign/National
The five members of Melbourne band Foreign/National share a love of “jazz chords, nostalgic pop ... and the Cote d’Azur”. Their latest single The Hedonist has strong psych pop strains, and no wonder when it was mixed by Joey Walker of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard fame. With lyrics like “there’s nothing quite like hedonism” and “I don’t care about love, it just fucks me around” the song treads some familiar territory, at least for the jaded rock Don Juan. Catch the band touring Australia throughout May, before finishing up at Come Together festival in Sydney on 7 June.
Keep Running – The Venusians
Brainchild of guitarist Ben Panucci, Sydney seven-piece The Venusians blend jazz with soul, with their music boosted by a spoonful of electronica. Among their influences are Little Dragon, FKA Twigs and Son Lux, as evident in their fun, punchy and groove-heavy live shows. There’s a lot of charm to be found in the smoky vocals of lead singer Meklit Kebrit on latest single Keep Running, and added richness from the harmonies of Christian Hemara. The band will release their debut EP later in 2015. Till then, head to the Red Rattler in Sydney on 22 May to catch the band in the flesh.
This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things – Olympia
Melbourne based singer songwriter Olivia Bartley, aka Olympia, has released a romantic new single with plenty of pretty, baroque pop vocal flourishes that give Kate Bush a run for her jumpsuit. Bartley has said This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things was written about the “sticky, unresolved nature relationships can take on, imbued with the DayGlo emotions and Benzedrine-driven plots of an [Pedro] Almodovar film”. She was particularly inspired by the Spanish director’s film Talk to Her with its female bullfighter taking on six bulls post break up. Catch Olympia supporting Alpine on their national tour of Australia, beginning in Adelaide on 24 June.
The Worry (Roland Tings Remix) – Seekae
In 2014 we described Sydney electronic trio Seekae’s third album as “romantic and nightmarish, like something out of David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive”. New single and title track, The Worry, comes with three house music remixes that manage to take the track to dance floors whilst still preserving the music’s haunted quality. The DJs responsible include Melbourne’s András and Roland Tings, as well as German deep house veteran Henrik Schwarz. Catch Seekae playing the Future Classic anniversary party during Vivid Live at the Sydney Opera House (29 May), before heading to Melbourne’s Howler (10 July) and then Splendour in the Grass (24-26 July).
