Words: James Frostick
Image: Lou Conboy
Record art: Molly Dyson
A few months removed from the release of one of their most accomplished works (and a personal album-of-the-year contender) John Sharp Toro, The Native Cats are putting forth a new three-track 7” EP. Spiro Scratch is an epilogue of sorts; one that sees the acclaimed duo embarking on a new chapter with a clear sense of identity, unburdened by the demons that were exorcised in their still-resonant LP.
Coinciding with an incredible showing and response at their mini-fest HEXFEST, incandescent Melbourne-based quartet HEXDEBT have announced that a new album is approaching on the horizon. The first taste of the record is ‘Covenant’, a brilliant and searing example of HEXDEBT’s near-unmatched intensity and barely contained fury.
The mind behind bands such as Cracodile and Hot Sludge Fundae has emerged with a new project, a wiry post-punk outfit by the name of Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice. Living up to its name, the band produces an unusual sort of minimalist noise that pierces with surgical precision. We’re premiering the band’s first recorded tune – a a pointed spray at faceless corporate entities.
Words: James Frostick
Image: Jamie Wdziekonski
Cover art: Paris Richens
Melbourne’s Parsnip are back with a brand-new 7” single, out officially at the end of November. The single’s lead track ‘Feeling Small’ finds Parsnip at their brilliant best, with a charming sing-along pop sound that sees the band calling out those with messed up priorities and fixations on material worth.
Michael Vince Moin’s malleable bedroom jazz-psych pop project Tram Cops is on the cusp of releasing Not Forever – an earnest and engrossing record of unique and affecting tracks about life, love, happiness, sadness and death. ‘LA’ is the record’s second single, a sparsely ornamented tune that is grogged-out and woozy on love, smitten with the kind of emotions that soothe the soul in one moment and quickens the pulse in another.
A few short weeks before the November arrival of Candy’s LP Under The Weather, the Melbourne singer-songwriter is offering another personal insight into his mind. In ‘Validation’, Candy yearns for positive reinforcement, but grapples with a deep-seeded unhappiness within himself that prevents him from attaining or accepting the satisfaction he craves.
After puncturing eardrums with their hardy brand of dauntless rock and roll, CIVIC return with a new 7” release that sees the group change gears and find a new cruising speed. ‘Pleasure’ is the lead single from the four-song collection Those Who No, a track that evidences growth and composure while still displaying plucky punk sentiments that helped propel CIVIC to notoriety.
