You may have heard that I’m leaving Australia. After spending three amazing years in the land down under, my wife and I are moving back to the United States. While I’ve been here, I’ve tried to check out as much of the local rock scene as I can.
In this multi-part series, I’ll tell you about my favorite Australian musicians. First up…
Tame Impala
All right, so I knew about this band before I came to Australia. But in my mind, Tame Impala truly broke out while I was here, releasing an amazing second album and playing a bunch of killer shows. Hailing from Perth, these lads have a sound that’s big enough for large venues, but the tunes are so multi-layered and intricate, you’ll want to play their tunes through some good headphones, too.
Singer Kevin Parker also appears on three funky tracks on the new Mark Ronson album, Uptown Special.
I got to see Tame Impala live for the first time at the Enmore Theatre in Newtown and they just destroyed.
If you like psychedelic rock music, you owe it to yourself to check this great band out. Here’s a video for “Elephant,” the big single off of 2012’s Lonerism. Tame Impala is expected to have a new album out later this year, so stay tuned.
Check back next week for another great Australian band!
Now I’m not saying I’m getting old or anything, but I seem to have hit that age when all the songwriters from the bands you like decide to go solo. You know, stretch their wings creatively, as it were.
No, seriously. I think I’ve bought more solo / spin-off albums this year than any other year in my life.
Anyway, where there’s a theme, there’s a blog post, and so I now present to you: “So many solo albums!”
Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots
Let’s be honest. Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) has been a solo act for a while now. I mean that’s why Graham Coxon ditched Blur (the first time) right? Gorillaz is collaborative in the sense that any song with “featuring” in the title is collaborative … which I guess is, sort of collaborative.
But I digress. Albarn brings his best creative juices to his first true solo album. This is classic Damon — happily sad (or is it sadly happy?) tunes with social commentary and intriguing bleeps and bloops. It’s not exactly the kind of music you’d blast out of your convertible in the summer, but cuts like “Mr Tembo” are sure to get your head pleasantly bobbing.
Dan Wilson – Love Without Fear
You know who Dan is. He wrote “Closing Time” for his old band Semisonic.
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end,” so after Semisonic, Dan began scooping up Grammy awards left and right for his writing with acclaimed acts like the Dixie Chicks and Adele (He wrote “Someone Like You”).
On his second solo album, Dan once again shows his songwriting chops. There are a bunch of a really solid songs on this one, including “Your Brighter Days” and “I Can Never Stay Mad at You.”
I must admit there’s nothing on the album quite as shout-along-fun as the best Semisonic tunes, but Dan Wilson is a guy who doesn’t write bad songs. Hell, even “Get a Grip” was catchy, and that was about masturbation.
Owl John (eponymous)
Okay, so that was two guys from the ’90s in a row. But here’s a more modern example — Singer Scott Hutchison from Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit released an album this year under the name Owl John.
I’ve got to say, while I’ve always liked Frightened Rabbit a bit, Owl John has fookin’ swooped out of the fookin’ sky and made that fookin’ bunny its fookin’ supper. (Sorry for all the cursing but that’s how they roll in Scotland. Just sayin’.)
Whereas Frightened Rabbit songs can sometimes get a bit rambly, the songs on Owl John are always tight and melodic. My only complaint is that the album ends too soon. Here’s hoping Owl John isn’t a one-off.
Grant Nicholas – Yorktown Heights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdkVXRvoD2s
Right, so technically with the guy from Feeder we’re back to the ’90s, but the band’s best album Comfort in Sound came out in the mid 2000s, all right?
Feeder has lately seemed to be undergoing a sort of identity crisis, at one point even pretending to be a new punk-ish band called Renegades, before releasing that album under the name Feeder anyway. I think the problem is that they have three types of fans — the ones that like that hard and fast songs, the ones that like the more mid-tempo, orchestral epics, and the ones like me who like a balanced mix of each.
With his first solo endeavor, Welsh singer/guitarist Grant Nicholas has indulged in his more thoughtful acoustic side. For the most part, it works. These songs are full of hope, and on catchy single “Time Stands Still,” Grant sounds happier than he has in years.
My only worry is that Grant is going to start putting all his quiet songs on solo releases and all his more rocking songs on Feeder albums. Comfort in Sound struck the right balance of both and I’m hoping we’ll see another album like it in the future.
Tweedy – Sukierae
That’s Jeff Tweedy, from Wilco, and his son Spencer. And on his debut solo album, the Tweedys (Tweedies?) sounds pretty much like Wilco.
As he admits on Sukierae: “I’ve always been low key / Well, you know me.”
Now, I don’t like all of Wilco’s albums, but I was a big fan of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and their last album, The Whole Love. This solo album is much in the vein of those two releases — bluesy rock with a sprinkling of distortion, robotic blips and a little county twang for good measure.
With 20 songs and a runtime of over an hour, it’s not exactly the most focused release. But it’s all very listenable, perfect both for concentrated headphone sessions and those other times when you just want some nice background music.
I’m not exactly sure why Jeff Tweedy decided this couldn’t just be a Wilco release. Politics? Wanting to sound like a brand new act? But I can’t complain about the results.
Julian Casablancas + The Voidz – Tyranny
They can’t all be winners. Spinoff albums often are about indulging a band member’s more out-there ideas, and on Tyranny the singer from the Strokes indulges.
For me, the worst Strokes songs are the ones where Julian screams a lot and — conversely — the ones where he’s awkwardly quiet. This unfortunately is a good summary of Tyranny.
There are a couple of songs with catchy riffs (“Crunch Punch”) and there are moments I would deem intriguingly ambitious (“Nintendo Blood”) — but mostly this is a weird and overlong album. It’s not anywhere near as “bad weird” as MGMT’s infinitely disappointing self-titled release last year, but I got nightmarish flashbacks all the same.
I mean, whatever happened to just sounding cool for three minutes?
Let’s hope Julian’s gotten the strangeness out of his system for the next Strokes LP.
That’s it for now, though a couple of weeks ago I learned that Tim Wheeler from Ash is preparing a solo album, too. Something tells me I’ve got to go find out what the kids are listening to these days.
By the way, if you agree or disagree on any of my reviews above, I’d love to hear it. Please leave a comment below!
Wow, there goes another great year of music! There were some great comeback albums (Saves The Day) and at least one big disappointment (MGMT). Today, the last day of December, I thought I’d highlight my favorite LPs of the year.
Please keep in mind this is not a definitive “Best of 2013” list since there was no way I could have listened to every single album out there. Also, my tastes are mainly within the indie and alternative rock realm. In other words, just take these recommendations!
SavesTheDay
This eponymous release was the Saves The Day album I had been waiting for. Combining the bright spunk of early 2000’s hit StayWhatYouAre with the mature soundscapes of its underrated followup In Reverie, this is 21st Century pop punk at its best. Read my full review here.
CloudControl – DreamCave
Cloud Control play sunny harmonies against dark grooves on their mesmerizing second album. That might sound heavy but rock anthem highs like singles “Scar” and “Happy Birthday” prove that this is a band that wants to have fun, too
Snowden – NoOneInControl
Haunting synths and echoing vocals take the listener on a journey. Hope shines through the gray in the catchy and immediate “The Beat Comes.” While the brilliance fades in the second half, the strength of the first five tracks more than cover the price of admission.
MinorAlps – Get There
Matthew Caws (Nada Surf) and Julianna Hatfield (Blake Babies, Some Girls) join forces to spellbinding effect on this excellent debut. Side projects often disappoint but Get There showcases a pair of rejuvenated musicians performing at the top of their game.
TheDodos – Carrier
While they have always showed talent, The Dodos demonstrate growth through control on their most recent LP. Carrier conveys tragedy and triumph through tight guitar-and-drum rhythms and powerful lyricism.
The new album by Saves The Day might be the most fun record I’ve heard all year.
On their new self-titled album, the New Jersey band brings wave after wave of infectious pop punk. On first play it’s all sunny and sweet, but repeated listens reveal honest lyrics about lost-and-found love and run-ins with racist drunks (see: “Xenophobic Blind Left Hook”).
It’s all over in just over 30 minutes, but Saves The Day pack a lot into these 11 tracks. It’s not easy to write a three-minute song that actually feels complete–with a few verses, chorus and bridge–but these boys seem to pull it off effortlessly. There’s not a dud on the record and when it’s over you want to play it again.
I hadn’t seen it before, but singer/songwriter Chris Conley reminds me a lot of John K. Samson from Canadian indie darling, The Weakerthans. Both Conley and Samson come from a punk background, and yet both stand apart from others in the genre with clever, observational lyrics that fit big literary words around instantly catchy hooks.
As someone who first heard this band in high school (back in the early 2000s), it’s very cool to see Conley has matured so much as a songwriter. Saves The Day isn’t writing exactly the same kind of songs they used to, but they have harvested the best elements.
Some other reviewers on the Web say that Saves The Day have overdone the cheerfulness on this one, but to them I say, “Lighten up!”
It’s refreshing to hear music with such positive energy. It’s not a concept album. There’s no political agenda or “screw you” to the mainstream. It’s just a bunch of guys having fun and hoping their fans will come along for the ride.
Happy New Year! This is the time to think about the people you’re most grateful for. But rather than do that, I’m going to tell you about my favorite rock songs of the year!
I don’t do top 10 lists* so instead I’m going to give you my 2012 mix. What’s the difference, you say? Well, they are ordered by flow rather than rank — the idea being this actually works as a mix!
But enough talk! Click the links to hear the tunes yourself, then let me know what you think in the comments below.
Deep Sea Arcade –Girls From the first sha-la-la, this throwback to the ’60s/’70s simply rocks.
Divine Fits – Would That Not Be Nice The guys from Spoon and Wolf Parade create a groove that sticks in your head all day.
Walk the Moon – Shiver Shiver
Hit the dance floor and don’t feel embarrassed singing along: “Shall we get intimate, again?”
Django Django – Default This song is catchier than is possible to describe. Just click the link above and see.
Tame Impala – Feels Like We Only Go Backwards A bass-heavy, retro jam from possibly Australia’s best young band. Get their whole LP, “Lonerism,” while you’re at it.
Bleeding Knees Club – Lipstick Add a lot of sarcasm and sneering to ’60s beach tunes and you pretty much get this band. If you like Wavves, you’ll like Bleeding Knees Club.
Green Day – X-Kid Green Day’s trilogy of albums this year was mixed to say the best, but this one is gold.
Bloc Party – Real Talk The British band, known for mixing dance-y rhythms with spiky guitars, slows things down a bit. Oh, and there’s a joke about breasts at the end (on the LP).
Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know So this one is technically from 2011, but most of us heard it in 2012. Indie finally broke into pop radio! Even Glee covered it!
Hunting Grounds – In Colour Straight-ahead rock from Ballarat in the style of The Vines. Try not to bang your head.
The Shins – The Rifle’s Spiral This track opened the Shins’ latest LP and sends you straight down a hypnotic rabbit’s hole. OK, not sure what I meant by that, but the song is really good.
Snow Patrol – Called Out In The Dark Snow Patrol can occasionally get a little sappy, but this tune is pure fun; it’s got everything I like about them.
Two Door Cinema Club – The World Is Watching The Irish outfit, known better for dancy rock, produces epic longing — and it works!
Feeder – Quiet Just an all-around pretty song by the Welsh/Japanese veterans.
Earlimart – A Goodbye Heart breaking, but in a good way.
Rhett Miller – Marina The leader of the Old 97’s has written yet another catchy-but-simple acoustic number. How does he keep doing this?
All right, so I knew about this band before I came to Australia. But in my mind, Tame Impala truly broke out while I was here, releasing an amazing second album and playing a bunch of killer shows. Hailing from Perth, these lads have a sound that’s big enough for large venues, but the tunes are so multi-layered and intricate, you’ll want to play their tunes through some good headphones, too.