There’re a few tracks presently on my mind so decisions have had to be made. I’m going to run with an international track to start with, the first cut from Local Natives’ sophomore release. The album will be called Hummingbird and come January you’ll have it in your sweaty yet delicate palms.

Do you like it? What do you think? Lots of reverb? No reverb? I’d love to hear your opinions so please leave them in the comment box below. For one reason or another it’s crucial that you tell me what you think. Don’t bother dwelling on it too deeply, just spew forth your least considered response. Ideally, I’d like to hear that ‘this is not as good as something else’ or that the drumming is ‘sick’. Better still, why don’t you just tell me about your day or CTRL-V whatever you’ve currently got cached on your clipboard. Nothing is beneath me!

Sick drumming though. Breakers is a step up in terms of production but it’s a step back for songwriting with an over-reliance on pretty wails and swelling noise. Don’t get me wrong, I like both those things, but the first LN record had that and more. Still a great track but here’s hoping that this is the radio release from the record.

Sorry about all that before. I actually really like hearing your opinions. You’re alright.

If you’re at all familiar with indie-award-winning-pseudo-literary music blog Sound Doctrine you’ll know that we don’t do a whole bunch of giveaways, because we’re a combination of underfunded and uninspired. Also, there’s not really a ‘we’, it’s just me. Or I, or whatever. Anyway, it’s not that I don’t want to give you good things it’s just you’re better than a free ticket to Busby Marou or a promotional copy of the new Mumford record. So in celebration of getting some cool guy memorabilia made up for myself (see above) I’ve got my hands on a few very, very, very (very) limited edition split EPs by The Middle East / Sleeping In Trains (see below). I’ve got fifteen of these to give away in a week’s time when I’ll physically pulling names out of a literal hate. Maybe a snap back cap, maybe a bowler, this is yet to be decided.

These were first available at their shows about six or seven years back. I got mine when they played a set at Blackstump (I know right!?) and to this day, the four Middle East tracks from this split are #2, #5, #6, #7 in my all-time most played songs. That first set blew my mind just as they did every subsequent time I saw them on stage.

Let’s not underplay the tracks from Sleeping In Trains though. Their side of the split is outrageously good. Sleeping In Trains was the band from which Mark Myers would emerge to join The Middle East (and his own project The Starry Field) so it’s a safe play to assume it’ll be king kong.

THE MIDDLE EAST
1 The Bats and the Brave
2 At Home In Our Convictions
3 The Streets
4 Gold

SLEEPING IN TRAINS
5 Rabbit Hole
6 Tie your Heart
7 Away
8 Cameron
9 Sweet Dreams

Aluka are an a capella three piece straight outta Compton Melbourne who’ve just now released the first track from their debut full length. Think a poppier Mountain Man and you’re probably not far from the truth of it. The track has also been remixed by Oscar Key Sung whose idea of a remix is obviously not far from cover. Obviously it’s killer though, as it is, afterall, Oscar Key Sung. Guy can’t do much wrong as far as I’m concerned and I’m very concerned indeed. I’ve spent the week listening to the new Tame Impala and while I’m knee deep in appreciation for the thing, the jury’s still out on ‘Is it as good as Innerspeaker?’

Probably not. This track from Aluka has been a good interlude from the mind-spiralling Lonerism in that this is a definite, concrete set of sounds without an excess tone to be found. It’s been an even better interlude still from the B.O.B playing over the work loudspeakers. I wish my life was a permanent B.O.B interlude. That’s the dream though, isn’t it?

This week I’ve been listening Melbourne’s Cold Hiker whose wailing Radioheadisms were passionate enough to keep me more than interested for the full duration ‘Phosphenes’ a whole bunch of times. Old mate’s fluid falsetto was the draw card that pushed me through the first listen but the off beat tom hits and swaggering flow were what’s bid me play it through a few more times. Let’s be honest though, there’s more than a little Paranoid Android in there. I’m a man of faith though and I’ve forgiven it in the foreknowledge that this is just the tip of the Cold Hiceberg.

Anyway, has been sitting in my drafts all week and it’s not getting any more significant with each passing day so I’m going to cut this bird free before I strangle it to death. That hour we lost via daylight savings hasn’t done me any favours even if it’s allowed me to witness natural sunlight for the first time in since March. Heavens above.

Laurence probably won’t last that long. Not as a band I mean, just as the name under which they’ll perform. When they start hitting their straps and these frequencies hit those (read: your) ears, you’ll know that what was meant to happen has happened and that life is good. Your woman will finally start respecting you and maybe that gimp who works the xerox will stop hitting on her when he senses your newfound closeness. Plenty of potential in this track, obviously. Bright Eyes turned americana and vocodered through a tincan + a bonus introductory instrumental. It’s a moving joint if you’ll let it be.