Tag Archives: 2020

BAMBARA: Stray.

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My love for Bambara is something else. I practically live in my Bambara shirt, and I still think about their show from last year at the Soup Kitchen. I had no expectations from what I was going to witness, but I knew that from their records I was going to witness something that would blow my mind.

 Stray was released on Valentine’s Day- the perfect date for this record. Stray is made up of dark, deathly and romantic songs that totally justify my belief that Reid Bateh is one of the best songwriters around. For me he possesses that same genius that Nick Cave has. A fearless approach with unconventional romantic tones. Think Rimbaud, think Baudelaire and mix it with William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg- then you’ll get it. My point is this- Reid is an exceptional writer, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if one day, he writes a novel and that novel gets turned into a film with the band creating the score for it. Can you imagine?! It would be insane.

 

 

 

There’s a fair amount of references to death on this record, and you know, it’s something we cannot avoid at all. My enjoyment for things has dipped a bit since losing my Grandma in August, but I’ve found comfort in music. Bambara have reinforced everything I love about music on this record. They just nail everything I love about dark music that is unafraid to expose the things that we try to shy away from. Everything from the production to the order the songs are in on this record is so carefully done, and you can truly hear the growth in the band on Stray. If you’ve seen them live, you’ll know exactly how intense their shows are. Reid is one of the most captivating front men I’ve ever seen. Blaze is up there as one of my favourite drummers of all time and William is so effortlessly laid-back and cool. You wish you could do what each of them do, and not only do they have this presence live but they also have it on record. Stray shows us all why they are one of, if not THE most vital band around.

 I can’t possibly pick a favourite song on this record; it’s one of those records that you go back to and with every listen, something else just blows your mind. The record is like one euphoric story that builds and builds. I adore the intense sounds on this record and maybe it has this feel due to Reid and Blaze being twins and having this bond but with William he adds this feel to the band that sort of calms the storm slightly. The way Blaze annihilates the drums and how Reid has this snarl-like feel to his vocals is beautifully wrapped up in how soothing William unleashes his inspiring bass playing, and beyond. All three of them are exceptional musicians, and for me, they do justify this on all of their records, but Stray takes you some place else. It’s another world, and a world you never ever want to escape from. It is such a comforting and powerful record, and the production is out of this world.

 Ben & Lily is a prime example of Reid’s songwriting, and how brilliant it is. The way the song flows reminds me a bit of The Bad Seeds’ Thirsty Dog. It also sounds like something you’d hear in an old cowboy film- it’s got a great Spaghetti Western feel to it. Play it loud, and maybe have it on repeat for your next few listens. It feels like a short story, but one you don’t want to end. I just adore the places that Bambara take you and how they can just take you on this ride with them; their music is so soothing and comforting. To others maybe it is too ferocious, but that’s where I find comfort the most.

 There is one part of the record from one song in particular that I keep getting drawn to. This is taken from Made For Me: “Lit cigarettes will rain. On a field where horses roam untamed. See you running with them through the flames. Wild flowers in their manes as you lead the stampede my way.” There is something about this that just hits me in the gut. I mean the whole song does, but this part really hits me. I don’t know why, but it’s just so powerful and beautiful. However, if you’re looking for a song to truly break your heart- then listen to Sweat and I mean REALLY listen to it. It’s fucking brutal, and really heavy.

 

 

 

Stray is magnificent, but what else do you expect from a band as powerful as Bambara? Stray is probably going to end up being my most played record of the year. I cannot get enough of it, nor do I want to. I’m happy to have this record on repeat for the foreseeable now. I felt this way about Shadow On Everything, and they’ve done it again with Stray. I feel I could write about this record forever, and ever. Until words become pointless and no longer carry any meaning. An absolute honour to listen to.

 

NICK NUISANCE & THE DELINQUENTS.

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If you’re looking for some rowdy Punk, then get your ears turned onto Nick Nuisance & The Delinquents. They’re a might fie band from Australia, and they take you way back to when Punk was starting out, and bands were solidifying their sound. Nick Nuisance & The Delinquents are everything you could possibly want from a gloriously rambunctious band.

 Nick’s vocals remind me slightly of Bobby Gillespie. I can’t really pinpoint what it is exactly but maybe it’s that wonderful sleazy tone that really locks you in. It’s incredible and will just blow your mind. They remind me of Primal Scream mixed with New York Dolls, with a Ramones attitude. But there’s something else going on and it defies any genre or band comparison that I or anyone else could put together. They’re worth way more than that, but I just wanted to give a slight indication to you on how great they are. When you listen to them, you’ll get what I mean.

 

 

Last year they released the dreamy Dumb Fuzz record. Five new songs that just made you want to have a good time an escape into your own little world. Talk To No One, Head, the songs on this release are so great and you cannot get enough of them but for when five songs just won’t do- we’ve got other records to fawn over. Cheap Things is another record of theirs that will just blow you away; this one came out in 2017 and the six songs on this release again just show us how amazing the band are. I think this is their most trashy/sleazy Rock ‘n’ Roll record. It’s got this 70s Glam Rock feel to it, that at times I can do without but here it truly works. It’s an exceptional record, and sure six songs aren’t enough, but it is a strong taster of what the band are about.

 Something really impressive to note about Cheap Things is that the band recorded it live to tape in just two days. If this is what we can get in two days from them, imagine what a week could churn out! I’ve got high hopes for this band, and one being that they find their way to the UK and melt our faces and steal our souls at their live shows. I love the sound that they have, and I love how it just sounds so natural to them. There is nothing forced about their sound, and they aren’t afraid to experiment with sounds that some may be cautious of dabbling in. An utterly fearless sound is what they possess, and collectively they are just a real treat to listen to. They are excellent musicians who just make you feel a sense of joy when you listen to them. Their songs go from being house party anthems to songs to waste the day to. Whatever you’re into, or whatever you spend your days doing- Nick Nuisance & The Delinquents are the perfect soundtrack to it.

 

 

Most of their songs don’t really hit over the two and half minute mark, and I guess this is one of the reasons why you just crave more music from them. They are just an absolute pleasure to listen to and when you listen to them, you just imagine yourself either hanging out with them, at their show or just anywhere that’s your happy/safe space. That’s what music should be about and given the state of the world at the moment, we should take that feeling any chance we get.

MAC MILLER: Good News.

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From last Friday, the only song I’ve listened to is Good News by Mac Miller. I won’t declare to be his biggest fan, but I absolutely adored him and his music. I thought he had something about him that just made you feel less alone, and less weird. It’s totally okay to be weird, but I mean in a headspace kind of way. When he released Swimming in 2018 I felt like, and I think most did, that this was HIS record. The record he had always been destined to make. I imagined the tour and how these songs would sound live. I was one of the unlucky ones who never got to a Mac show.

Then he left us. It’s a loss that ripped through so many. Mac wasn’t just a rapper. He was something else, something bigger. His way with words, his soothing voice, his production skills, his mind, his talent- everything. It was just out of this world. After the release of Swimming, I wasn’t sure if we would get anything else. That was until last week when it was announced that Circles will be released this Friday. I’m so excited about it, but I know it’s going to be a tough listen. Good News came out last Friday; initially I found it too painful to listen to. The second I heard his voice, I cried. If you want to understand the power of this song- check out Anthony Fantano’s review on YouTube. He breaks down, and it’s so easy to understand why.

As someone who has a daily battle with depression and anxiety, and with it being worse with the loss of my Grandma recently- I cling onto the songs that really hit me. I sometimes search for them. They’re in the music I love and own already, but something else has been needed. That’s why Good News really hit me in the gut. The essence of it? People only want to know you when you’ve got something good to say. No one wants to hear the bad side, and how you wish you could escape your mind for a little while.

The first verse is so brutally honest and delicate:

“I spent the whole day in my head

Do a little spring cleanin’

I’m always too busy dreamin’

Well, maybe I should wake up instead

A lot of things I regret, but I just say, “I forget”

Why can’t it just be easy?

Why does everybody need me to stay?

Oh, I hate the feeling

When you’re high but you’re underneath the ceiling

Got the cards in my hand, I hate dealing, yeah

Get everything I need then I’m gone, but it ain’t stealing

Can I get a break?

I wish that I could just get out my goddamn way

What is there to say?

There ain’t a better time than today

But maybe I’ll lay down for a little, yeah

Instead of always trying to figure everything out

And all I do is say sorry

Half the time I don’t even know what I’m saying it about.”

 I don’t think there’s anyone in this world that hasn’t related to a single part of this verse. Being tired of being tired and feeling like shit is exhausting; Mac sums it up in the most accurate and beautiful way possible. He does it so simply, he doesn’t need to go overboard or be pretentious with his words. They naturally come out like this, and that is why it is so easy to connect with this song and his words. It’s why we are fucking miss him.

 

 

The song feels like a journey. The ending of the song makes you feel like he has written this from the other side; that he’s got to where he wanted to go to have a clear headspace. Or maybe he’s realising it can get better. The latter makes it more heartbreaking. Although he had been around for ages, Swimming was the record he needed to make and it was going to take him places. But, the universe didn’t work out that way. I feel that Good News is his way of letting us know that in time, it’ll be alright. It’s a really tough listen, even if you’re not a Mac fan you’ll probably still find it a tough listen.

Mac’s voice is so soothing on this. I mean, it always is but there’s something about Good News and Self Care that make you feel he is talking right to you and is letting you know it’ll all be alright. He had that about him. Wise beyond his years.

Good News is a heartbreaking listen, but it is an important one. Maybe it’ll be your crutch. Maybe it’ll get you out of that rut. Maybe, just maybe.

MINI SKIRT.

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Finding information about the band Mini Skirt is impossible without searches bringing up weird images and the like. Fortunately, I’ve got what I need to write about this proper rowdy band. A band that make you feel like you’re listening to Black Flag for the first time. Are you ready to throw things out of the window and trash your living room? Yes? No? It doesn’t matter. Mini Skirt are a brilliant band who have this refreshing angst and humour in their music.

 Mini Skirt formed in Byron Bay (yes, another Australian band that I’m writing about) and although I know basically nothing about the Australian music scene (I know what I like, and what I’m not big on) I can safely say that there are some fucking incredible bands out there. I’ve written about the ones I’ve found and loved, but I know there’s more out there. It’s the turn of Mini Skirt right now, and there’s something about their extremely honest and to the point lyrics that just makes you fall in love with them instantly. They have this charm that makes you feel like you’re hanging out with your best friends; they see the world in a way that may or may not irk some, but they’re telling us what they see and what they see in others. They unleash their disappointments and the like, and the way they express it is done in a way that you wish more would do. Their humour is what lures you in but it’s their evident talent that keeps you there. Completely locked in.

 

 

A band I can liken them to is Viagra Boys- they both have this undeniable charm and wit in their songs, and it is just a real privilege to listen to. Mini Skirt are a band that observe, and I mean really observe. Their song (Untitled) taken from Hello Possums (ten points if you get the reference!) is one of my favourites, and it really captures the way we observe others, ourselves and the world; and how our thoughts can just turn into a bunch of nothingness. Sometimes you just gorm out and your brain focuses on things that probably hold no worth to others, but it matters to you. So, it does matter.

 I’m not entirely sure when the band started, it may have been around 2016 with their Taste EP- which you must listen to! They have such a solid and gnarly sound; they’re just consistently brilliant, and I think that’s why what they do works. Songs like Out Of Place (from 2016) to last year’s Pretty shows just how far they have come, and how their sound has got stronger and the toughness in the lyrics is really coming through. Mini Skirt aren’t afraid to be brutally honest and call out bullshitters. We need more of that, and the way they call out various injustices is brilliant. Dying Majority is a prime example of this and is definitely one of the most vital songs of our time. Listen to it. Listen to it really loud and take in the lyrics. Going back to the Taste EP; it is made up of 6 songs that are the perfect introduction to the band. If you’re going to start here with the band, then you won’t be sorry. Songs like Billy Elliot and Dogs are so effortlessly great, and they have this lo-fi sound that makes you feel like you’re watching them rehearse right in front of you. If only we could be that lucky! It’s such a fantastic EP. They aren’t afraid to call people/society out on their shitty behaviour, and that alone makes them easy to love.

 

 

Mini Skirt are nothing short of exceptional, and I hope they take over the world someday…somehow. I love everything about their sound. I love how they make music for them, and aren’t afraid to be bold and honest, and of course- loud. The snarls in the vocals (especially on Security) to the drums that sound like a riot and everything else, it’s just incredible. They’re made up of some of the best musicians you’ll probably ever hear, and their newest release Pretty shows us that. Go listen to all the music they’ve given us, and you’ll truly hear something that will blow your mind.

 

*photo by Dougal Gorman

DRAGGS.

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So, we know that Kel Mason from Gee Tee is an exceptional musician, right? If you’re a fan of Gee Tee then you’re probably aware of his other project, DRAGGS. DRAGGS are ridiculous. They’re this super lo-fi sounding band that are really creepy. You don’t feel safe when you listen to them, and I’m totally fine with that. I love the heaviness of the sound, and I love how really weird it all is.

 DRAGGS are obscure and everything you want from creepy sounding lo-fi Garage Rock. I’m hooked. I love how distorted it all is, how difficult to listen to it is- I mean this in the best way possible. They aren’t an easy listen, and I love that about them. I love how you have to be really focused to listen to DRAGGS in order to really get the sound. This isn’t a band that you casually listen to, oh no! This is a band that you set time aside for, so you can really hear everything that’s going on. And trust me, there’s a LOT going on.

 

 

The more you listen to DRAGGS, the more obvious it is that Kel is a genius. That’s for another post though, right now I just really want to tell you as many reasons as I can as to why DRAGGS are incredible- but maybe you already know this. If you do, then sorry for wasting your time. Anyway, the thing to really become obsessed with is the production. The production on their records is INSANE. It is pretty much perfect, but there’s this strong DIY feel that just makes you feel like you could do this. Maybe you could. Are YOU the next Kel Mason? Let’s move on quickly.

 DRAGGS sound like you’ve taken Night Nurse during the day and you’re attempting to hold yourself together. There’s this woozy feel to their sound that I’ve not really heard before. Or maybe I have, but with DRAGGS it is something else. You feel like you have zero control over anything, and sometimes that is totally fine. Songs like New Teeth, Slob City and the whole of Slime Street will make you feel odd, but in a good way. This is some of the weirdest music I’ve ever heard, and I adore it. It’s part futuristic, part outer body experience. There’s enough going on here to keep you hooked- I just love how weird and off the wall it all is. It’s something that I know I’ll keep going back to. But like I said, DRAGGS aren’t a band that you just listen to casually. You need to really focus when you listen to them; you might miss something important if not!

 

 

 

Slob City and 3D Funeral are two of DRAGGS releases that were made to purely blow the minds of anyone who listens to them, and they truly succeed in doing this. I absolutely adore the Slime Street release, but to be honest I just find the whole catalogue of music to be nothing short of fantastic. They don’t make for an easy listen, and I’m all for that.

HIDEOUS SUN DEMON.

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Here’s another great Australian band for you; Hideous Sun Demon. A three-piece Garage Punk band from Melbourne via Perth. Three buddies who have an incredible sound that you cannot help but play at a volume that would cause others to complain. The band were recommended to me, and can safely say that I am so glad that they were.

With a number of releases to their name now, Hideous Sun Demon have a solid sound that makes them standout in the most beautiful way possible. I love how their songs are direct insults to those who really get on your tits (Fungle Club is great, and it’s up there as being one of my favourite songs by them.) Last year they released the effortlessly cool Good Time EP, and prior to that was 2018’s Fame Erotic Dream, which is truly worth becoming obsessed with. Like I mentioned about Fungle Club, a lot of the songs on Fame Erotic Dream are exquisite put downs to those who try too hard or are just incessant dickbags that won’t shut the fuck up. The kind that believe all they see on Social Media to be real and probably compare themselves to those who aren’t even worth likening to a piece of dog shit on the street. You know the type. Hideous Sun Demon fully express this wealth of disdain better than most, and they just make you feel comforted that someone else feels this way. Then you just let go of it because someone else has already put it out there.

 

 

Hideous Sun Demon make the kind of music that you’d expect to hear at house parties or in a dive bar really late at night, and you’d make your way home afterwards chanting their songs probably disturbing those lucky enough to fall asleep at a normal hour. They pick up on the things in the world and society that irk them, and the way they want change certain things in their surroundings- this is beautifully put on the song, Can’t Live Like That. The sheer honesty in this song is brutal and it would probably make a lot feel uncomfortable, but it is so well done, and the way the words are like a battle really takes you aback. There’s even a mention of Mark E. Smith which I love. It’s a brilliant song, and it’s a declaration of no longer wanting too much, too soon. It is definitely one of their most emotional and poignant songs for sure.

They are one of the strongest sounding bands around, and I adore how Vin can really hit you in the gut with his vocals. Andy is a brutal drummer- the kind that makes you wish you could play like him. Combine this with Jake’s slick bass skills and Vin’s ferocious guitar sounds; they just make for an exceptional sound. They encourage each other to play a little louder, a little faster and before you know it- your mind has well and truly been blown by them.

When you go back and listen to the likes of their Industry Connections record (when there was four of them) and last year’s Good Time EP, you can truly hear how they are band that aren’t afraid to experiment with sounds, and go beyond what has been done before. They are easily one of the most exciting and interesting bands around, and the Good Time EP is just a taste of what is to come. They’re a good few years into this now, and they are most certainly a band that no matter how many times you listen to them, you feel like it is a brand new discovery every single time. Whether they have four, three or ten members in the band they are just phenomenal at what they do.

 

 

If you want to get into them by starting with last year’s release, that’s fine but honestly- start from their first release (the Meat EP from 2013 is a treat for the ears and soul) to truly hear how they’ve grown and developed this remarkable sound that will leave you wanting more and more.

 

*photo by Alec Thomas