Finally! A new tune from ritalined vibesters Bang Bang Eche, and it trumps all their previous work in the first 30 seconds. From its cinematic intro to its glitched finale, Fist Full of Dollars packs punches. It seems the band have found their feet, figured out what they do best and done it in spades. The dominant synth line is frenetic and groovy as all hell, the guitars are edgy, glitched and reworked, the vocals are witty and delivered with savage conviction and the drums are have more groove than ever before. Overtop of all of this the tune is mixed and produced beautifully. Download it here, and hang on for the ride.
Blues-rock overlord, Jack White, is determined to stay unpopular until he’s popular. He’s neglected the blogability or safety of trendy genres in favour of his own brand of gunmetal-heavy, whisky-fuelled
rock. His latest musical reincarnation is with the semi-super group The Dead Weather. Joined by the stunning Alison Mosshart of The Kills on vocals, QOTSA mainstay Dean Feritita and former Raconteurs
band-mate Jack Lawrence, White has released their début LP, Horehound, through his own label, Third Man Records. Furthermore, White has traded his jangly piano and guitars for a drum kit, opting for a black light role as director of this project, while laying simple and sturdy grooves.
Despite drawing heavily on blues influences and White’s former work, the album floats effortlessly into relevance, sitting gracefully on that blurry line between the new and old. Part hi-fi, part lo-fi, Horehound is instantly likable without being poppy; minimalistic without being boring; rough, sexy, crude and sophisticated. It is dumpster diving with a war veteran, or golf with a hobo. Stand-out tracks include the singles Hang You From The Heavens, Treat Me Like Your Mother and slow groover I Cut Like A Buffalo, in which White and Mosshart’s vocals are barely discernible from each other. Their treatment of the Bob Dylan cover New Pony is also exemplary, sugar coating the tune with grit and sass while keeping the tone of the original. You can hear the album in its entirety free on facebook, or through the usual outlets and online stores. Go on, flirt with the unpopular.
More Melbourne magic! Yet another Melbourne act have broken out of the garage and onto international eardrums. Their name is The Eddy Current Suppression Ring, an obscurely named, motly group of Ozzie blokes, producing a beautaful mix of youthful angst and simplicity. Their latest tune, Wrapped Up, is awash with valvestate tones and simple hooks. It is the proverbial hug to your bad day at work, a filthy porche, or Mick Jagger with make-up. It is beauty draped over raw grit or vice versa. On the first listen it is easy to dismiss the tune for its simplicity, lo-fi production and repetition. However, these lads know that in pop music, less is more, and more is the kind of magic we haven’t heard since The Troggs. Enjoy falling in love.
Water and wine is the latest release by glue-sniffing Christchurch mainstays, Von Klap (the band formely known as The Klap). It is also the leading single from their hotly anticipated debut album, which is currently being recorded in Churchtown’s finest boutique studio, The Sitting Room. Accompanied by a stunningly crafted video, this single is the first release from Von Klap that masks the depravity of the members’ minds behind a facade of composure. Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, or maybe more appropriately, a closet trani at their day job. This track wears its slease on its sleave, opting for vivid imagery of salvation over the graphic tales of violence and incest of their former work. Musically, the tune drapes evocative meloddy over a skeleton of gritty mongrel. The vocal delivery is unexpected and perfect, the founding chord progression keeps you guessing, and the verse/chorus dynamic is subtle and delicious. While it doesn’t have the charming hook and swagger of RDU favourites “Not Getting Younger” or “Screenplay”, this is the first tune released this year that has hugged me like an old friend and clung to the memory glands. Good luck getting it out of your head.
