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Best music from Australia – Tame Impala

Published by Adam on April 17, 2015

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

tame impalaAll 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!

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New Rock Review (Vol. 1)

Published by Adam on August 20, 2012

Tired of hearing the same old bands? There’s new music all around if you know where to listen. Here are a couple reviews of new albums by bands you may not have heard. Stay tuned for more reviews in the coming weeks.

The Asteroid Shop – Distant Luxury EP

Dark swagger seems to come naturally to the Asteroid Shop. Eric Brendo and Co. find the most success when they combine the heavy atmospherics with a driving beat and a good pop hook, as they do on the EP’s finale, “Hazy Love.” It’s a slow burn you can sing along to. The Austin band’s musical talent shines through on the other three songs (“Burn Out” in particular has a dreamy beauty to it), but they lack the pop punch needed to stick in your head. The smoky dance of title track “Distant Luxury” works to a point, but at 5:31 feels a couple minutes too long.  There’s some real potential here but a little more editing could elevate the Asteroid Shop to new heights.

Click here to listen to “Hazy Love.”

Deep Sea Arcade – Outlands

Like fellow Australians Tame Impala, Deep Sea Arcade combines bass-heavy psychedelia with hypnotic Lennon-esque vocals. Deep Sea plays up the pop side of the equation and the result is an album of catchy numbers that hum along in your head long after the album’s through. The single “Girls” is by far the best result, featuring a verse as catchy as the chorus.  Like a lot of debuts, the best songs are packed into the first half, but side B is no slouch. It can get better from here, for sure, but you walk away excited about what’s to come.

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Moving to Sydney

Published by Adam on April 9, 2012
This will be my view.

So, yeah, my wife and I are moving to Sydney.

No, really. Like, the one in Australia.

Moving abroad is something we’ve been talking about doing for years.  We both had amazing, life-changing experiences studying abroad in college. We share the strong belief that you can’t really get to know a city unless you live there, and we are beyond excited to experience Sydney. We leave next month!

Whilst down under, I will continue to work as a technology reporter and simultaneously forward my creative endeavors, including a screenplay of WE, THE WATCHED and hopefully a few short stories. I’ll also continue to pitch my second novel, DIVIDED WE FALL, to the literary world. And of course I will keep the blog updated with news of my Australian exploits!

By the way, please check out my new Twitter account (@WatchAdam).  I plan to use it for some quick takes on the latest music, movies and videogames, as well as news on my projects.  If you’re only interested in news on my novels and other creative work, my Facebook page is probably the easiest way to stay up to date.

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Adam Bender | adambenderwrites.com | watchadam.blog