Monday, August 13, 2007

Stuffwelikelive #2

A few months ago we made our first recommendation about great live local acts, and after seeing almost all again since, on reflection I'm pretty happy with our selections. I think The Basics and Wagons are two of the most the most entertaining local acts bar none, Pikelet has quickly gained a reputation for herself, while I'm confident dark horses Silver City Highway will start to impress a niche audience as they build up to their debut long player release of their stormy prog country crescendos.

Since then we've seen a bunch of good acts. Some like hipster neo-grungers Children Collide are signed to a major label and have national radio play, and have probably already been seen or are already known by most of you reading this post. Others such as Souls on Board, The Nation Blue and You Will Die Alone have been plugged here because of their studio recordings, but these bands have also been good enough to back up their talent with excellent live performances.

So for our second batch of recommendations we try not to focus on acts that have already established a reputation for themselves or we have already given a big plug on this site. Instead we try and recommend a new batch that took us by surprise or perhaps are lesser known on the Melbourne scene.


Emily Williams

Emily is a cellist…with a delay pedal. Her string plucks, body taps and bow glides are add layers of depth and shade to her moody compositions, but best of all is her soulful, seductive voice. It’s only used sparingly but it resonates like a sultry dub-like echo, reminding me of female voices in Wicked Beat Soundsystem or Moloko. Definitely enjoyed best at a quiet, intimate sit-down venue.

Emily Williams is performing at NGV late on Wednesday night until early October.


Et Al

Fierce dynamic art rock with a sharp pop sensibility. With shared vocal duties, bassy mix and flair for instrumental songs, Et Al are probably most comparable to Love of Diagrams out of any local band I’ve seen. But they have a stronger preference for structural variations and pacier blasts of guitar energy than a dedication to any distinct angular style. Given a few months of giggin’, and some decent audiences I wouldn’t be surprised if these guys start to rip it up live.

Et Al are playing a Wednesday residency in August at the Tote


James McCann

With his band The Dirty Skirts, James McCann plays a swaggering, reflective, outback Australian influenced blend of hard rock. As a solo artist (and sometimes with fellow Dirty Skirt, Jo Brockman) McCann’s music is an intimate and bluesy affair. While such a contrast would be beyond most artists, McCann is able to demonstrate his pure craftsmanship, paring back his songs so they only reveal a raw and honest emotional intensity.

James McCann is playing solo at the North Melbourne Town Hall on Friday August 17


Sailors and Swine

It’s the confrontational in-your-face performance of the lead singer of Sailors and Swine which makes them so interesting live. While his persona is a bit obnoxious, his relentless punk attitude is pretty rare with live performers these days. Its almost refreshingly provocative to see him thrusting himself into the music and spitting out the violent and damaged lyrics. A nice primal and throbbing swampy blues-punk rhythm section too. One to watch.


Tic Toc Tokyo

While the new revolution of new wave acts has been heavily criticised for displaying a lack of substance and originality, dark and danceable four piece Tic Toc Tokyo should be able to avoid most of these criticisms. Sharp bouncy guitar lines, tribalistic drumming and distressing wails from their small staid frontman mean these guys are a cut above many of the other local acts of this genre. Radio friendly but not cliched, sombre yet catchy, serious but not boring. Could do with some improved mixing though.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said:

thanks for this! emily williams sounds interesting...will have to check her out.

12:26 pm  

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