Posted by Ant on Mar 25 2012 to Acoustic
It gives me great pleasure to be able to highlight new artists from my own country, Australia: my play list is dominated by the talents of overseas artists, and tends to overlook the amazing work coming out of Australia. It is with this point that I introduce to you all the efforts of Washington, and boy howdy, what an amazing group it is. Washington is the moniker of Ms. Megan Washington, whom I discovered from the Australia music quiz show Spicks and Specks* (which has sadly wrapped up its seven year run). She participated in a segment on the show called “Substitute”, in which the contestant sings a selection of songs with lyrics substituted in from a book. Given my complete weakness for cute ladies with mesmerising voices, I was hooked.
Washington’s music is mostly pop-y, but it mixes in a nice dash of spunk within the lyrics, making it a heck of a lot more interesting than whatever is currently playing on the radio. She also dabbles in some beautiful jazz covers and original tunes.
As per usual, this is a rubbish post that really doesn’t cover why I’m currently enthralled. Oh well! Do check out that YouTube link above, and maybe check out her website too.
*The word ‘spicks’ doesn’t have the racial connotations in Australia that it does in other countries, so apologies! The show is named after the Bee Gees song of the same name.
From I Believe You Liar
Rich Kids – YouTube
Spanish Temper – YouTube
Posted by Ant on Jun 2 2011 to Indie
Now that Australia is snuggled under doonas and getting toasty by the heater, I find myself looking towards the warmer seasons. Isn’t it always the case? In the scorching heat of summer, you can’t imagine what winter is like, but you know you want it, and vice-versa in winter. Perhaps that’s why I’m drawn to Triptides’ recently released Tropical Dreams EP (which, incidently, was recorded in winter): it’s the kind of music that you’d love to hear when that warm summer breeze comes a’callin’ at a quiet, local beach.
Ok, I will dispense with the poetry, but I will say that Triptides plays some smooth, mellow surf rock that, despite not quite disguising its lo-fi origins (it was recorded ‘in a basement and a bedroom’ on a four track), feels warm and friendly. Yay!
Yet again, no downloadable media, but that’s alright because I again present the entire album to stream! If you like it, you could be a total pal and hand over some money for it too, with the totally awesome price of pay what you want. Just don’t be a royal douche by putting in “-$2000″.
Downloads
From Tropical Dreams
So Long to Sunshine
Diving Board
Posted by Ant on May 19 2011 to Downtempo
There are times where you want to rock out till the sun comes up. There are other times where simple, pretty music is all you want to close out a rough day. You Are Plural are perfect for the latter situation, so fare be warned if you are looking for EXTREME EXCITEMENT with this post.
Not to say that this boy + girl group are dreary. You Are Plural have some of the most soothing and soft tunes I’ve heard in ages. It’s not really the type of music that you could listen to at any instance, but when the moment strikes, it is pure heaven. It’s elegant, pretty, and quietly moving; a blend of classical instrumentation with a smidgen of electro-pop underpinnings, all tied together with male and/or female vocals (and no, that doesn’t mean the singing is androgynous: it just means that sometimes it’s a male singing, sometimes it’s a female and sometimes it’s both).
Yet again, I have no downloadable media, but the entire Hand it Over EP is available to stream as well as buy for the most agreeable price of $5. They also allow you to download it in whatever format you like, so if you’re a crazy audiophile with a thing for lossless audio formats, then they have your back.
Posted by Ant on May 12 2011 to Folk
It is sometimes a good thing that some groups pick and choose with their musical collaborations, because they have the potential to offer up a barrel full of agreeable music selections. If you’re like me, however, you probably don’t do enough research into groups to find the musical gold buried within. Woe is me! Such is the case with this gentleman, who contributed to Zero 7′s, The Garden record.
Unlike that particular record, José’s music is certifiably folk. Veneer, his first album, is pretty sparse on instrumentation: for the most part, it’s a whole bunch of layered classical guitar and some rad harmonies. Surprisingly, the tracks don’t blend into themselves, even with this lack of instrumental variety, which is more than can be said for a lot of music these days. Instead, we’re treated to a veritable symphony of soothing guitar pickin’, all pleasantly driven by his wonderful singing and lyrics, with tunes that drift in, out and away from the moody night and into the beautiful sunrise. And yes, despite the fact that Heartbeats track has been somewhat overused in various things, it most definitely fits in nicely with the rest of the album and is still a great cover.
This is probably my wankiest post to date! Also, as per usual, no downloadable media: I am seriously full of disappointments. :<
Downloads
Crosses – (YouTube)
Slow Moves – (YouTube)
All You Deliver – (YouTube)
Posted by Ant on Apr 17 2011 to Indie
Since I can never dredge up enough material to put together a mix, I’m forced to post about artists, even if they only have one good tune. Not that Kimbra doesn’t have more than one good tune in her; it’s just that she hasn’t released anything else yet!
Having said that, the tunes I have for you today are rather lovely. The first, Settle Down, is eclectic and almost unidentifiable by genre, but I’ll take a stab at it anyway: a bit of old fashioned soul and jazz mixed with a smidge of RnB, followed by some good old fashioned pop slatherings. But perhaps I’m entirely wrong.
Kimbra is an up and coming artist hailing from the land of the long white cloud (New Zealand!) who’s debut album, Vows is due this year. I can hardly wait!
Downloads
Settle Down – (YouTube)
Two Way Street – (YouTube)
Good Intent – (YouTube)
Posted by Ant on Apr 13 2011 to Alternative
I have a good feeling that we’ll be hearing more from these plucky English lads in the future, if not already. Their music has been liberally sprinkled on all manor of things, including films, ads (apparently anyway: we certainly don’t get them here) and awesome video game trailers starring Batman (which is where I happened upon their music). This isn’t a bad thing, everyone: what better reward could there be for producing great music than to make sure a wide variety of people get to sample it?
And boy howdy, what music it is too. It’s a delectable mix of indie rock, mixed in (at times) with just a hint of gypsy punk and also what Wikipedia calls Neo Funk. Which is seriously awesome! As I’m sure that I’m doing a disservice to them with this lousy post, I highly recommend that you dive into the following YouTube links and then proceed to buy their album. It’s the only right course of action.
Downloads
From The House That Dirt Built
Oh No! Not You Again! – (YouTube)
How Do You Like Me Now – (YouTube)
Short Change Hero – (YouTube)
Posted by Ant on Apr 10 2011 to Alternative
Like m’colleague, Hugh, I was pretty smitten with Imaad Wasif’s first solo album. I believe his words were “I think I’m in love”, and they’re sentiments that I also reflect. Unfortunately for me, I forgot to keep checking up on Mr. Wasif, so you can all thank the revival of either/or that I’m here to alert you to his newer stuff.
Since one of our mottos is something about being better late than never, I bring you The Voidist from the historical depths of… 2009. This is most certainly a different album to his debut, but it retains the dreamy vocalisation and mesmerising lyrics that defined it. There’s something kind of lo-fi with this release, almost as if it was recorded in the 60s or something: a bit of psychedelic twang and a darker sort of ‘flower power’ feel that moves way past the quiet, reflective mood of the debut.
As per usual, I am lousy with describing music! Also, as per usual, I have no MP3s, but I do have YouTube links and one to his page on the Tee Pee Records site.
Downloads
From The Voidist
Redeemer – (YouTube – Video is a bit NSFW)
Widow Wing – (YouTube)
Imaad Wasif on Tee Pee Records
Posted by Hugh on Nov 24 2009 to Indie
To continue something of a trend, The Mugs are a band that e-mailed me last September, and I’m just getting around to posting them now. They are an indie rock band out of Brooklyn, and a good one at that. These songs are all from their latest EP, Ravel Day, which came out last year. They are not such a great band if your intent is to blow out your eardrums, but if you want to listen to something nice and relaxing, perhaps something similar to The Shins, then The Mugs are probably the way to go.
In other news, this is the last autopilot post for either/or, so hopefully I (or someone else!) will be back to post something nice for you to listen to.
Downloads
From Ravel Day
Could It Be – (MP3, 4.9 MB)
Mile Seven – (MP3, 5.2 MB)
True – (MP3. 5 MB)
Posted by Hugh on Apr 22 2009 to Indie
Mock Orange is a band I’ve been sitting on for months now, so it’s high time I’ve posted them. The album these songs are from, Captain Love, did not manage to capture my attention as a whole, but songs like World Of Machines certainly did. Undeniably catchy and slightly odd at the same time, you’d find yourself singing along if the lyrics made more sense. Song In D isn’t nearly as catchy, but one song of musical herpes (in a good way, I swear) is enough for any album.
Downloads
From Captain Love
World Of Machines – (MP3, 4.5 MB)
Song In D – (MP3, 5.1 MB)
Posted by Hugh on Mar 30 2009 to Indie
You weren’t expecting me to write another post so soon, were you, curious visitor? Hah! As luck would have it, I’ve made the mistake of telling a few bands that I’d write about their music. The Happy Hollows aren’t one of these, but that’s OK. They are basically a somewhat crazy indie-rock band from Los Angeles, with a crazy lady for a singer. I recently noticed yesterday that nary a band with a male singer has been posted on this site since December, so I also figured I’d keep the streak going strong. Anyway, I’m quite certain you indie-rock hipsters out there will love their song Lieutenant, and while Tambourine isn’t as noisy or crazy, it’s still damned good. And if you like what you hear, you can grab the rest of the EP from their website for free if you sign up to their mailing list. I think it’s pretty well worth it!
And it has come to my attention that the guy who provides our hosting, well, it’s his birthday. So happy 21st birthday kol, may there be much whiskey and many wenches in your immediate future.
Downloads
From Imaginary EP
Lieutenant – (MP3, 4.6 MB)
Tambourine – (MP3, 3.7 MB)
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