OK. Been meaning to get round to this for a while. Last time I encountered one of these, it served as a welcome introduction to the city we're still living in (much to our continued surprise).
This time, however, my fascination is somewhat tempered by the fact a) I can no longer by any stretch of the imagination be rated as a professional critic, b) I am no longer writing a weekly column for a sassy NYC newspaper (Village Voice: incidentally, they've taken to ignoring my emails about pay once more - which means THEY STILL OWE ME THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, BASTARDS), c) I haven't actually been out to a gig in Brisbane since January because... well, I hate to go where I'm not welcome. That's always been the case.
Nonetheless, I am still of the opinion that there's gold to be unearthed everywhere, long as you can be bothered looking. Brisbane is as thriving and vital as Melbourne as Seattle as London as Tel Aviv. Just depends on your focus. Brisbane Sounds 2009 collects together the (a) cream of the city's "indie" and garage bands - 22 of 'em, no sign of dance, electronica, hip-hop, etc. But fuck it. Someone else can collect them. This is the indie rock demographic, you understand.
I've no mind to focus on the bad.
Last year's darlings I Heart Hiroshima turn in so loving a cover of The Chills' 'Pink Frost' as to be entirely pointless, but maybe I'm too old and hell it's a good choice of a cover, and surprising too, bearing in mind they were all early Grates last time I listened. An Horse I keep expecting to break straight into a Nirvana song, but I mean that nicely. DZ fuzz like they've just discovered effects pedals; Mary TREMbLES rock like it's still 1993 and I'm not sure that's so good. You can guess what Smokestack Orchestra sound like.
I'm not sure why I feel so isolated in this city, it feels like it's stuck in a grunge timewarp.
Oh, wait. I hated grunge.
Genius pick-up garage band The Young Liberals contribute their weakest track (out of hundreds) in what can only be seen as an act of two-fingered defiance. Bearing in mind they still ain't released anything beyond a song on that Go-Mag #100 compilation I put together, it'sbloody odd.
Shakedowns sound like they'd be great fun to get drunk with. Really drunk, mind.
Hits rock like they're The Blue Orchids - which is a helluva recommendation round these parts (someone remind me to shove a video up on Great 80s DIY and Pop) - a band they claim to have never heard, which clearly is a bald-faced back-breakingly heinous lie seeing as how frontman Tom Beaumont works in one of the finest record stores it's been my privilege to order calypso and Buzzcocks records from (Rocking Horse)... oh wait, that's The Heels. Hmm. That would explain why the Hits song rocks like good Primal Scream imitating good Rolling Stones and not like Velvets-influenced, whiny, intelligent, keyboard-laden post-Fall whatsoever.
The Heels aren't present. Bah.
Texas Tea have a female singer who sings like she enjoys good-time country music. Me too. This being Queensland, they play it straight (don't devolve into post-Cat Power whimsy, thank Bangs).
I'd be a fool to deny Gentle Ben And His Sensitive Side's sensitive side. So I won't.
Fuck, where did Gentle Bunnies come from? Did someone shove this song on especially for me? Oh wait, too much Frightwig not enough Ethical Debating Society. Some great female shouting and primal drumming, though. This is what I really, fervently, wish Butcher Birds sound like cos they're such nice people.
The Mercy Beat flat-out rock. So hard, that I actually thought they were the next band in line, the mighty Vegas Kings. Who also flat-out rock.
So, in summary... fuck it. Why have a summary?
dear everett,
ReplyDeletewhat do you mean you hate grunge. You have written copious amounts about the genius of Kurt and Nirvana. so like I said what the hell do ya mean?
regards
tone
"I’m not sure why I feel so isolated in this city, it feels like it’s stuck in a grunge timewarp."
ReplyDeleteI think this is a good summation of why I left Brisbane. The line-up on this compilation could have been from any of the last five years, except previous years' compilations would have included better bands who have since moved onto better cities.
Ouch, sorry Brisbane.
Texas Tea are great. Did they do the one about the stunt motorcyclist? That song slays me every time.
ReplyDeletewhere's the deadnotes!
ReplyDeleteThere's some good stuff on it(another vote for the greatness of Texas Tea and a recent DZ show was the best show I've seen from a live band in a while) but it probably does have a bit too much from bands peddling a similar sound and bands that have been on the compliation in previous years. There's no way I'd call it 'grunge' though, it's more of a blues/rock (an awful term i know) Black Keys type-thing.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried last year's excellent 'Stranded' compilation? http://before-hollywood.blogspot.com/2008/07/stranded-compilation-of-brisbane-music.html. Think you'd find some stuff on there that you'd like.
Struggling to think of too many 'better bands who have since moved onto better cities'. Scul Hazzards? Flamingo Crash? Hope you're not thinking of The Scare...
Hey Everett, have you seen Blank Realm yet? Also, Do The Robot is great. www.myspace.com/idorobots
ReplyDeleteAs a founding member of The Smokestack Orchestra, I'm curious as to what folks do guess we sound like.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone cares, the name was picked partly to evoke images of great big machines grinding the surface of the planet to dust, and mostly because our first rehearsals were at an oil refinery.