Introducing Spirit Faces, proprietors of 70s soul backed groove mumbling, cymbal heavy jazz referencing free beats and overwhelmingly underwhelming basslines. That basslines bit sounds negative, but it’s not. I’m effectively trying to argue that the basslines have an overwhelming subtlety, in as much as I’d like to be overwhelmed by a bassline (so, you know… a bit). Central to the band’s ethos is freedom of direction (read: improv) which you can hear spattered throughout their only available track, ‘Feels Like Nothing’. It’s just bass, drums and guitar conversationally interacting with a few props littered around the set. Is that a wind-up toybox? Maybe. I don’t know and truly, I don’t care because despite the sweet contrast it creates with singer Pete Covingtons deep husk, it’s not the point of the track. Plus, I’ve recently learned that very few of you will actually read this far through each of my posts so for all intents and purposes I could just start rattling off any old nonsense. Violent offender sells house for bogus skin graft. The first three Apollo missions were largely funded by white supremacists. Sports cheese shares fierce fire shame.

You might know Pete from his work in Sydney’s second biggest Islamo-vegan folk collective Valar who, if the rumours are to be believed, will be releasing their debut record sometime in the latter part of this year. I. Am. Keen. In the meantime, stream and download and share the first Spirit Faces tune below:

Sometimes everyone makes me angry all the time and in those moments it’s only the voice of Marcus Teague that stops my throttle reflex from surging past all my better judgement. It’s for the best, too, because though largely unknown, it’s a fact that X-Men’s Juggernaut is a character loosely based on my own exploits within and without of wartime. Single Twin’s music is frequently the only thing that stands between society and iron-fisted apocalypse.

Marcus Teague is both the name of the debut record from Single Twin and the name of the man behind the music, which is yet another beautiful parallel underlying the pseudonym ‘Single Twin’. It must be one of the saddest band names I’ve ever heard, compelling me to think of something meant to exist in tandem though through some awful twist of fate, now confined to be distinctly alone. The record is rife with this selfsame melancholy but luckily it never becomes a taxing listen. It’s a simple, beautiful storytelling that is as poignant as it is introspective so if you’re into discrete and relatable then I have thirteen treats for you.

Don’t let its sinister beginnings put the fear in you, ‘Never’ is far more upbeat than it’s introduction promises. Hooray For Earth’s debut full length was one of my favourite records of 2011 and the groups new single exhibits the same strengths that drew me in so deeply with True Loves. The verses are driven by reverb-laden vocals and while the choruses are just oceans of choral synth. This new track is one of two tracks that are due for release late this month though there’s no word on a second release presently.

This one goes out to Jack Milas, Oli Chang, Zachary Lipkins, the three gentlemen that make up High Highs, the trio whose new single has been in a quiet state of inanimate zen. Tune is pretty good but I’m hoping the full length (due out early next year) pushes the artistic envelope a little further. Though really pretty, this feels a touch easy for me which is the last thing it should be given the time it’s taken the trio to get this out. Nonetheless I’m still very keen to hear the rest. Keep your ear to the ground people.

Sorry for the extended absence. I’ve been super busy with a new interactive theatre art piece that I’m putting on later in the month in conjuction with Theatre Australia. Nah just kidding, I’ve probably just been playing xbox hey, but I’m back up in this with a frightening sense of excitement. D.D Dumbo has got me all twisted in a jam by virtue of his six astounding pieces of savoir-faire musicality. I am smitten beyond most anything else I’ve heard this year and I need you to agree with me to assuage my diminishing sense of self. Worry not, I’m not asking much, even if you’d like to disagree with me on principle, you’ll have a hard time railing against a record this charismatic. Don’t even click play, just head to his bandcamp and get it done. It won’t cost you a cent lest you’re feeling charitable and though I don’t want to sound conceited, I should mention that I gave four of my hard earned. Ain’t no thing when you’re top dog in the music biz.

Anyway, six songs, each of them magic. I heard this for the first time just last week when hero blogger Thomas Lukaitis shared them as part of Who The Hell’s new Collective PEG segment. Two Australian music blogs you need to keep your eye on right there.

This is the work of Oliver Perry, who legitimately broke my brain with ‘Alihukwe’. The track starts with Perry doing his thing on what I think is probably a Hammond or a Wurlitzer or something (throw me a bone here Perry, seriously. Not an ounce of information across any of his social platforms) but then the key slots home, the gears click and grind before suddenly, the beat drops and we’re inside. That beat huh? Subtly reverbed and probably recorded in a scout hall on three dollar mics, it’s a crispy wafer crushed between thumb and palm. It’s crunched gravel beneath the boot soles of Kapooka recruits. Then a full minute or so later, old mate decides it just might be time to start wailing again and we’re too stoked to chastise him for being late to his own party so we just grin and high five each other. That’s ‘Alihukwe’.

There’re five other tracks you can dig through at your leisure but here are two other picks that will hopefully make clear what D.D Dumbo is about. The first is ‘I Woke Up Covered In Sand’ which immediately glides into motion with Perry in lower register and backing harmonies to boot. Look out for the late game guitar line lifted straight from the xx songbook.

Lastly, this is Roy Orbison’s ‘Crying’ bathed in reverb. No punches pulled this time.

I haven’t even touched on the lead single ‘Tropical Oceans’ but that’ll do [pig, that'll do]. The self-titled EP is a peyote fueled quest to discover one’s spirit animal which obviously means it rules all over the place. I give this release the highest rating possible on Sound Doctrine: eleven metaphors out of eleven.