Eddy Current is arguably my favorite new band from the last five years, and that the guitarist is breaking out in such successfully divergent ways is akin to what happened after the Oblivians split- even more great music and from different angles. Total Control is channeling influences probably too obscure for my rock-heavy shelves, but snatches of Gary Numan and Joy Division and Kraftwerk, with a healthy helping of several eras of Wire, make this sound sketchy on paper, at least if I were reading that description. It's a whole 'nother thing in the air, though, as this dude and his friends make it work, no matter how many left turns they take in mood and style from song to song. It's synth-heavy, yea, but the boy has groove in the blood, and if you dug some of the more atmospheric stuff on the last ECSR, this offers fascinating strands expanding in unexpected directions. Gloomy Curtisian atmospherics, OK, but with the right parts to keep things moving through the existential angst. Old tricks made new again- that's a good thing when it works.
12 comments:
Hey, this is really got me thinking about all of the great stuff coming out of Australia over the past couple of years.
How about a overview of records from the recent Aussie scene, Sonny or Bruce (or Mitch)?
How about I assign you guys some work???
i'll think about it. total control is amazing live, they lose the more "dance band" leanings and go for the jugular with the punk stuff, i guess something like lost sounds would be the closest description. if you were to look at the easter bilby site, i try to update with reviews, when i see good ones (well written or that i find funny, not necessarily good), you might have to go back a few pages though. currently i think it's a review of lost domain and per purpose at the top of the page
Holy shit, Bruce. This is great stuff. Love your blog. Is it just reviews, or do you sell stuff too?
it all whole sale, how about those cardinals taking down the title
Great series. Thursday night's game was nuts. St Louis would not die! Amazing. I felt sad though for Texas manager Ron Washington. He just had this look on his face like "why is this happening to me?" one pitch from winning it all, and the St. Louis come storming back. Again and again.
Saw Total Control in Oakland last week. Loved them when they came through last year with UV Race, but liked them even more this time. Very punk, very awesome. Struck me as much closer to Crisis and/or Wire than Lost Sounds, but we can just call it "dark" and leave it at that. Mikey is one hell of a guitar player though. Best I've seen since Chris Gunn of The Hunches.
Bruce is obviously far more on top of Aussie than me, as I'm merely someone who buys what he imports. BUT, if you are anxious to check out newer Aussie stuff, here's what I would consider the cream:
ECSR
Ooga Boogas
UV Race
Total Control
Chinese Burns
Royal Headache
Dead Farmers
Straight Arrows
Others like Circle Pit, Deaf Wish and Kitchen's Floor are OK as well, but I much prefer what's mentioned above to anything I've heard out of this lot (who all seem "downer" in comparison).
thanks for the recs, Mitch- sorry I missed Total Control cuz this is a great record. I just can't get into that Dead Farmers album at all, though- it sounds like an early Monoshock practice session= not good. I'm sure I'm missing something, but I've given up trying. Is that UV Race better than the first one? I really like the first Deaf Wish from 2007- have you heard that one?
Ken
i think mitch writes off deaf wish too easily, it took me a bit before i flipped over them. i swear them and dead farmers are probably my favorites going from oz right now. with dead farmers, i think along the the lines of grunge, mudhoney, fluid, etc...if you can find a download of their 1st 7" it will make more sense i think.
i think it's impossible to get anything from chinese burns at this point, though there are some copies of their previous band at goner, http://www.goner-records.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=53&products_id=6381
My girlfriend loves Deaf Wish (her fave from Gonerfest) and we have the LPs at home. I'm sure it'll be played at home a lot (assuming she can pry my ABBA LP off the turntable).
Dead Farmers played Budget Rock this year and were outstanding. A shame more folks weren't out that night. And I agree that the singles are better than the LP
2nd UV Race LP is far better than the 1st. That said, I think their finest work thus far is on their singles (like 5 or 6 of them, I think?), which ought to be compiled at some point by some smart person somewhere.
yeah, i think larry will do the 7" comp thingy, they are working on a grant to record the next lp in china right now, uv race that is.
can't wait to see dead farmers this weekend. they didn't have a drummer last time i was in oz, so i've never seen them
can't believe I missed all of Budget Rock this year- my wife was in Holland with a sick mother, so no chance- I hope it was a good time (I'm sure it was), and I'm also hoping/guessing this won't be the last one- maybe in a few months the pain will go away- like childbirth.
thanks for all the info, guys- will seek second UV Race
i'm sold out, not sure who is holding
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