Rock City becomes Frock City
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Total Control have released an AMP contender with Typical System. Good show, chaps.
Source: Supplied
LIKE the picture above, The Australian Music Prize panel has been a sausage fest in the last two years. This year Renee Geyer is taking some time off and the AMP have added Sarah Smith from Faster Louder, Bryget Chrisfield from themusic.com.au and Jen Cloher. Shannon Logan of Jet Black Cat Music returns as a judge too and Sam Lockwood of The Jezabels is in too. Another female judge looks like saying “ie” too. That’s yes in Welsh. HINT!
Time we picked Sarah Smith’s brain for her Top 7 Australian albums at the halfway mark of ’14 … with very specific, esoteric categories. Take it away, good ship SS.
1.Most Authentically Australian Album?
Swans – To Be Kind. “It’s so brutal, so terrifying and so filled with dread that it conjures up a gruesomely, dark Australian aesthetic. It will crawl under your skin, scratch away at your sanity and leave you short of breath.” [NB: yep, sure, Swans aren’t Australian, Smithie is just being facetious.]
2.Maximum Lyrical Waxin’ Album?
Remi – Raw x Infinity. “Aggressive flow, sizeable swagger and propped up by the clever production of J and Dutch. ‘Ode to Ignorance’ is a ferocious indictment of racism in this country and one of the strongest statements to come out the scene for years”
3.Surprise Packet Album?
Teeth and Tongue – Grids. “Experimenting with samples, electronic sounds and layered vocals she has taken Teeth and Tongue into brave new territory.”
4.Genuine Article AMP Contender Album of ‘14?
Total Control – Typical System. “Head and shoulders above anything else I’ve heard this year. Combining kraut-rock, post-punk, synth pop and fleeting moments of hardcore Total Control have done the unthinkable to make a record that is both explorative and laser focused.”
5.Lagavulin Whisky on a Drizzly Day Album of ‘14?
Chet Faker – Built on Glass. “Seductive. All whisky and drizzle. Such an assured debut it strikes just the right balance between funky ‘90s R’N’B and minimal electro. Was worth him scrapping this record the first two times round.”
6.Espresso Martini on a Scorching Day Album of ‘14?
Blank Realm – Grassed In and DZ Deathrays – Black Rat. “Grassed In is kind of like an off-kilter Go-Betweens record. It’s both sweet and dark and for every piece of uplifting jangle pop there is a shade of something darker. And it’s tied in this category with DZ’s Black Rat which is guaranteed to make you want to chug back those Espresso Martinis.”
7.Bated Breath Album To Come Out soon in ‘14?
“I want to say Avalanches, but chances are I’ll pass out if I hold my breath too long waiting for that to arrive. So let’s go with Dick Diver’s new record, which – judging by their hazy new single, New Name Blues – could be the start of a whole new chapter for the band.”
Chapter ay, niiiice zinger.
blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/mikeycahill
Going at a Clip – 9 new videos Under The Mikeyscope
1. Limitless – Washington
Who dat, who dat? Washington, Megan Washington. She’s back with her Australian Story and plenty o’ new cuts.
When do I get to laugh? Unless someone has cut the cheese and we missed something…she’s not playing it for the LOLs. There’s nothing funny about a fart in an elevator anyway. Sorry Andrew Bolt.
When do I get to sing? “There’s a certain sort of lonely when you’re sleeping in your jans and I know that.”
2. When We’re Older – Mia Dyson
Who dat, who dat? Our Mia delivering a paean to growing old together. “We’ll get high when we’re older” shows she’s not going quietly into the night.
When do I get to laugh? From the first frame. Elderly person’s “high-jump.” Laughing with/at you, Senior Sistah.
When do I get to sing? “I wanna love you when you’re older”
3. Right Now – Allday
Who dat, who dat? Raw Comedy runner-up gets a lil (Wayne) sizzurp skip hop and becomes the next polarising ‘Strine MC after 360. Start Up Cult out today.
When do I get to laugh? When he raps about having an existential crisis. Props to the ambition though, he’s cluey. Also, the Log Lady bit at 2.47 is quaint.
When do I get to sing? “Tell her give it to me right now, Tell her give it to me right now
Uh oh oh.”
4. Family Home – Teeth & Tongue
Who dat, who dat? Jess Cornelius, the diminutive lass who has just had her GRIDS album Longlisted for The AMp in a clip directed by Sunny Leunig.
When do I get to laugh? 1.18 when she pretends to get hit. Stop laughing at 1.32 when she cops one in the kisser.
When do I get to sing? “We’re both exactly alike in our peculiar ways.”
5. The Writing’s On The Wall – OK Go
Who dat, who dat? Yet another killer clip by OK band.
When do I get to laugh? 1.27, DUDE YOU’RE ABOUT TO FALL OVER!!!! CAREFUL!!!!!1!!!1!!!! No wait you just punk’d us.
When do I get to sing? “The writing’s on the wall, and I… I just want to get you high tonight. I just wanna see some pleasure in your eyes.” Bit of a theme this week….getting hiiiiigh-high.
6. Heaven – New Navy
Who dat, who dat? Clubfeet meets maudlin pop. Gets under your skin.
When do I get to laugh? You don’t. You don’t always need to be laughing, Laughy McLaughin.
When do I get to sing? “I could be in heaveeeeeeen.” Real purdy.
7. Dancing World – Clockwise
Who dat, who dat? Rogue “pop provocateur” Andy Clockwise has hints of TV On The Radio covering The Beatles A Day In The Life. He invests in the performance.
When do I get to laugh? 1.50 for the jazz hands bodyroll.
When do I get to sing? “Yeah I guess I seeeee the lyyyyy-eee-at.” Lotsa hooks in this nifty, strings-soaked number.
8.
Who dat, who dat? Only Brian Eno Version 2.0. Who plays in the clurrrrrb. So much ping in all his jams. The UK gene will win a Mercury Prize with his next album.
When do I get to laugh? No laughing, just lapping (it up).
When do I get to sing? “Diiiii-eeeiiiii-sapppear [repeat]”
Finally, a little nod to Key and Peele (who were SPOILER ALERT unceremoniously disposed of on Fargo last week by that grim little trickster Lorne Malvo) who heckle a movie like nobody’s business.
Pack and blow, twitter.com/joeylightbulb
Originally published as Rock City becomes Frock City
www.news.com.au/entertainment/music
