This was the post that almost wasn’t. I didn’t want to write about this band because their sound is everywhere and they’re everyone right now. There’s not a whole lot creative, new or exciting about them but I’ll be damned if they don’t write a catchy hook. So, I guess inasmuch as I’m reconciled with writing about pop songs, I’m ok with doing this. Listen to these songs, consume them and move on. The pair of them are free at Unearthed.

San Cisco - Golden Revolver

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San Cisco – John’s Song

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And yes, before you say anything, I’ve also noticed that one of the band members (let’s call him Kyle) is wearing a native American Indian headband in the photo. Don’t shoot the messenger here, I didn’t dress the guy. That said though, it does fit with Kyle’s barefoot, freespirited, living loose lifestyle. Kyle can’t be tied down. Kyle can’t be held back. Kyle lives daily upon a dream. A few months ago he was at a party and a friend mentioned he’d love to own a dog. Kyle’s response was “can any of us ever truly own a dog?”. And I guess we can all take a lesson from Kyle. He fully understands what it means to be in touch with our own (or a completely unassociated and contextually irrelevant) culture. Maybe in their next shot he’ll be wearing a sailor’s cap. Nice one Kyle. Keep pushing those boundaries!

Apparently I have new readers in Spain and Netherlands now (according to James Watson and Google Analytics) so I’ll be endeavoring to make my posts less Sydney specific and more accessible for our friends from across the seas. We’ll see.

Meanwhile, Leon Sommer is back with a pair of particularly chill tracks that are more comfortable than a pair of Amsterdam’s most finely crafted wooden clogs on your feminine, uncalloused feet. You may remember the absurd history I wrote for Leon Sommer back in November (which, having reread today, I feel inclined to apologise for). Honestly though, he’s more relaxing than an afternoon siesta in the Castilian sun.

He’s got a new mixtape coming out on February 22 so sit tight and you’ll soon have a mochila full of tracks to digest at your leisure.

Leon Sommer – Wonder If

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Here’s a lone song from Alberta Cross called Low Man. I have the containing record from which this song has come and it’s not much to write home about but this song is heartbreak riddled dynamite. Johnny Cash once sung, “Hard times, hard times, come again no more” but hard times, they never end. This tracks a little something something to push us through said times.

I really want to give you a free download but I don’t have it in me. Maybe you can buy it on iTunes or something? Is it too much to ask you to find your own link? (yes, it is)

Alberta Cross – Low Man

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I know a girl. More than that (though that itself is significant for me this year) I know a girl who knows music. She said this about New Animal.

“It’s different to all the repetitive “we’re artsy surf-pop” unearthed stuff that’s everywhere at the moment. That’s probably because they’re not australian- and we all know Australians are nothing on Great Mother America (although, at least we don’t kill palestinians*). It’s definitely not happy music. It’s interesting music. I can’t really think of any music that it ‘sounds like’ but that could be because Justin Vernon is constantly on repeat on my itunes, which doesn’t leave much opportunity for me to appreciate anything other than folksy “I’ve-lost-all-faith-in-love” genres. Or maybe they’re just new and different.“

*She has retrospectively apologised for how grossly uninformed this comment was. She’s taking a Middle Eastern studies class this semester. Things are looking up.

New Animal – Nightmares of Candy Yang and the Black Italian

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Also, I recognise that I shamelessly work a Valar reference into a good portion of my posts about other bands but does the production here remind you a little bit of Make No Sound? I argue that it should. If you like what you’re hearing (or you don’t but you like the thought of a free album that you’ll never listen to) then download the full album right here. No charge.

Here’s a band whose major single, Young Blood, I was pretty familiar with. It’s upbeat, it’s catchy, it makes you want to dance. Something I didn’t know however, is that their target demographic is 30-something year old drunken, obnoxious, average white folks. The crowd at their show last night were something of a cross between an aged, Riverview formal afterparty and the regular clientel of an Outback Steakhouse.

I had more beer spilled on my ankles than I’ve had at any other show in my life and I’ve seen my fair share of shows. Lyn suggested that we’d have saved money on drinks if we’d attached capture bags to our thighs and drunk of our pals’ spillage. A disgusting idea, given, but economically sound. They weren’t even dancing, they just didn’t possess the fine motor skills to perform the basic glass to mouth maneuver.

I think we realised it was going to be a bizarre night when we brought the wrong tickets to the show yet were allowed in nonetheless. Here’s a song you’ve no doubt heard from the strongbow ad.

The Naked & Famous – Young Blood

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