Words: James Frostick Band image: Stapled Together
Two years on from the release of its debut LP A Handful of Ash, scintillating Boorloo/Perth-based post-punk quartet New Talk is back with ‘Amytis’, the first taste from the band’s sophomore long-form effort Time & Memory. Coruscating in sound and tone, ‘Amytis’ touches on displacement of culture, alienation and isolation, and a longing for home – drawing influence from a legend from the distant past to underscore the societal issues permeating the present.
Words: James Frostick Band image: Rik Saunders Cover art: Spiderxdeath
Today brings us a slab of chugging goth-tinged post-punk from Warrang/Sydney crew Enclave. The band’s new track ‘Crossfire’ is a gristly, caustic and acrimonious assault – a fury-laced indictment of systems that perpetuate trauma, dispossession and oppression.
Ever-entertaining Perth/Boorloo three-piece Hideous Sun Demon are making a racket of late – creating new music in anticipation of a to-be-announced release later this year. On Thursday the crew will officially drop a fresh single called ‘Distractions’, but we’ve got the pleasure of giving it the first spin today. Hideous Sun Demon have pivoted from the psych-fuzz of their earlier releases, crafting a gripping post-punk churner that explores our constant need for a diversion from life’s underwhelming reality, especially after the methods we use to offset it have lost their efficacy.
Words: James Frostick Band image: ZK Photo Cover art: Adam J Bragg
After a few years of inactivity, Canberra-born post-punk/noise act Agency return with a new collection of music in tow. The band’s forthcoming record Wild Possession is finally seeing the light of day more than three years after its creation. This clamorous collection of haywire sound is as engrossing as it is chaotic, and we’re stoked to be hosting the premiere stream of the full album ahead of its official release on Friday July 3.
Phenomenal Perth-based goth-tinged post-punk unit Nerve Quakes have stepped back into the spotlight with news of a new album close on the horizon. ‘Dive Wreck’ is the first cut from the record – a dynamic and stirring track examining the loneliness of anxious episodes and the necessity of a caring support network.
Emerging post-punk three-piece Crash Material will be beaming their debut EP to the masses on Sunday June 14, delivering the work via a special collaborative broadcast. Ahead of the EP’s arrival, we’ve got the first spin of lead single ‘Opia’ – a piece of urgent and turbulent noise freighted with vulnerability and inner strength.
Bizzaro post-punk outfit Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice caps off a frenzied run of activity with its new four-track EP Remember The Future? Vol. 1. Packed with off-beat instrumentation and on-point observational commentary, the record arrives at a time where the picture of our future has never been muddier.
Sydney post-punk crew Low Life return with a new 7″, containing a track clipped from the recording sessions of their first LP Dogging. ‘Catholic Guilt’ is an unflinching look at organised religion and the sins of the church, arriving at a time when the ire aimed at the institution of faith has never been more hostile.
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.
Melbourne/Naarm’s Plastic Chairs have released a new four-track offering filled with frenetic and off-kilter post-punk jams. The combination of quick-stepping percussion, serrated and angular guitars, and a weighty low end create an intense listening experience that threatens to go off the rails in the best way.
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
