Brainbeau
Sci-fi dance
The events hosted by Adelaide artists’ collective Format are quickly becoming things of cultish legend. They have an eye and ear for that which pushes the boundaries of convention. Not simply for the sake of it, but to express new thoughts and discussion-provoking ideas. And that’s just what Brisbane’s Brainbeau do; purveying sci-fi soundscapes and immersive grooves to transport you somewhere unique.
Thursday January 7 – Format – Adelaide, SA
Amateur Childbirth
Lo-fi folk
‘Amateur’ and ‘child’ are useful signifiers to prepare you for the music of this mysterious Brisbane outfit. It’s scrappy stuff, and the outlook is certainly a bit skewed. Think early Darren Hanlon and Jeffrey Lewis.
Thursday January 7 – Bearded Lady – Brisbane, QLD
Ezekiel Ox
Hip hop/experimental
Ezekiel Ox calls himself an activist and a radical. And for the most part he backs it up, fighting against neo liberal greed, racial discrimination and oppressive social norms. But we’re here to talk about music, and Ox’s music is an appropriate complement to his tenacious activism – hard hitting hip hop that doesn’t mince words.
Thursday January 7 – Oxford Art Factory – Sydney, NSW
Golden Girls
Post party
Golden Girls are tidy, but they’re not super sweet. Post party is an excellent name for a style of music. This won’t just nourish the senses on the morning after the night before, but it could well trigger some of the previous evening’s existential thoughts, be they positive or negative. After all, it’s all necessary.
Thursday January 7 – The Tote – Melbourne, VIC
Leafy Suburbs
Glitchedelic noise
I often contemplate what music I’d take to the desert island if given just one choice. I know who I claim to be my favourite artists, but that’d likely change if I had to listen to it on repeat forevermore. The music of Leafy Suburbs is a good candidate. It’s an intriguing collection of sounds – drops of nature join truncated glitches and sensual electric organ. The beat kicks in from time to time, but it’s not the centre of attention. Plenty to ponder, plenty to unwrap.
Friday January 8 – The Bird – Perth, WA
Caitlin Park
Collage folk
There’s a simple core to Caitlin Park’s songs. At least that’s the impression they give off. They’re easy to wrap your head around, yet not so simple to figure out. I mean, we really don’t listen to music just so we can figure it out now do we. We listen so it can take us places, and that’s what Park’s compositions do, time and time again.
Friday January 8 – Newtown Social Club – Sydney, NSW
FACEBOOK | UNEARTHED | SOUNDCLOUD
Twin Beasts
Hardy pop
Twin Beasts (formerly Toot Toot Toots) have been hard at it for the last half decade or so, making a bewilderingly difficult to categorise, utterly rowdy and immaculately memorable pop country vaudeville ruckus. This weekend they’ll say goodbye forever as the members move onto various side projects. Crowd surfing, shirtlessness, trombones and booze will all flow in equal measure.
Saturday January 9 – The Tote – Melbourne, VIC
BANDCAMP | FACEBOOK | UNEARTHED
Rag n Bone
Cowboy post punk
I guess you’d call this angular. It rocks, but doesn’t throw everything in the pot at once. Smoke blows in from the crusty desert, and meanwhile you’re trying find your way out of a dimly lit hovel. Guitars and tough attitude and melody persist.
Saturday January 9 – Mojos – Perth, WA
FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | SOUNDCLOUD
Avaberee
Pop tapestry
Avaberee consists of three gifted and chemically attuned vocalists. The lead vocal stirs your attention while layered background vocals pique the subconscious. All around, deftly compiled electronics and tumbling hip hop beats play an apt side role.
Saturday January 9 – The Foundry – Brisbane, QLD
FACEBOOK | SOUNDCLOUD | UNEARTHED
Ribognia
Melodic dance
This is fairly of the moment. It’s glimmeringly upbeat, melodically rich house music. Just what you’re likely to see kids losing their shit over at any number of summer festivals. But what’s in vogue needn’t necessarily be avoided. Ribognia gets it right, steering clear of nauseating obviousness while still hammering out sticky beats and melodies.
Sunday January 10 – Carriageworks (FBi SMACS) – Sydney, NSW
