Words: James Frostick Meat Thump band image: Marriah Geles
Brisbane/Meanjin label Eternal Soundcheck has reached into the past to haul three unheralded projects into the present. The newest additions to the label’s catalogue include a compilation of EPs and unreleased tracks from dissonant no-wave band look!pond, a rediscovered live recording of outsider punk trio Meat Thump and a polished reworking of Liam Kenny’s 2016 solo album The White Man Is Oppressor. We chat to label head Matt Kennedy about the motivations behind releasing all three works in 2020, why he considers them special and what we can expect from Eternal Soundcheck moving forward.
Brisbane/Meanjin post-punk four-piece CNT EVN have dropped a dynamo six-track EP encapsulating the group’s brand of sound – fidgety and electrified rippers delivered with a snotty sneer.
Brisbane avant-punk outsiders Soot have released a brand-new 7″ EP containing five tracks of its signature junkyard noise. Crafted in part as an homage to an unorthodox and enigmatic musical icon, Silt sees Soot leaning into their most left-field ideas, utilising everything at their disposal to add further depth to their discordant din.
Brisbane musician Glen Schenau is releasing a new 7″ later this month, boasting two tracks that showcase the musician’s versatility and unorthodox style, proving what’s possible creatively when you commit to getting weird with it.
Back in February, short-lived abrasive industrial/noise group Jousting released a four-track taster of its pummelling and dissonant noise rock. Although aurally confronting at first, Jousting’s knack for chaotic groove and vicious stomp will make you yearn for more of what disappeared for good long before you knew you had it.Continue reading Listen: JOUSTING – SNOUT METHOD EP→
Brisbane goth-punk trio Occults are finally releasing a new seven-song LP comprised of tracks recorded back in 2017. Celebration is the final word from the leather-clad crew, capturing the band’s bleak and critical worldview that positions them as eerie prognosticators of what was to come.
Words: James Frostick
Image: Tia W. / Glen Schenau
Brisbane’s crown prince of downer-rock Matt Kennedy is back with a new Kitchen’s Floor release. Two tracks from a now-scrapped 7″ have been released via a free online download – both tracks imbued with Matt’s desperation-tinged worldview that’s suitably characteristic of the times we are living in.
Brisbane-based experimental noise punks Star Slushy are set to release a new cassette filled with a mixture of studio and live recordings. The group revels in beautifully dissonant skronk – the kind that’ll have you recoiling at first, but stomping with the beat before long.
Words: Riley Fitzgerald Band image: Ruby Gabe Varbørton and Bridghid Russell
Brisbane’s Devotions have recently emerged onto the scene, keeping movement inconspicuous and humble, but hooking us instantly with their first (and currently only) track, ‘Nil By Mouth’. Lush and engrossing, ‘Nil By Mouth’ is as enchanting an introduction as one could hope, and we’re already craving more.
The ranks of Brisbane’s new crop of post-punk up-and-comers has swollen to include cerebral mood-moulders Local Authority. The trio has recently dropped its second-ever single ‘Oil Rigs’ – a lavish and textural track indebted to the band’s to shoegaze forebears, but angles to look inward, rather than downward.
Weirdo Wasteland is an Australian-based music blog that examines musical endeavour from the cultural fringe. The site regularly features reviews and interviews from the underground scenes from Australia and New Zealand. Weirdo Wasteland acknowledges the original custodians of the land upon which it operates. Sovereignty has never been ceded. To get in touch, contact: weirdowasteland (at) gmail.com
