Remember Sleepyhands? Yeah you do! They’re a fan favourite here at Sound Doc and they’re back with a free Christmas tune for you to download for free without paying because it’s Christmas and because you’ve earned it for passing three out of your four subjects at uni this semester. Don’t get too excited though, you’re going to have to retake Geopolitics next year. Serves you right for spending 13 weeks of lectures drawing geometric shapes on your lined pad. Also, why did you bring just a pencil to the exam? It’s not multiple choice, idiot. Next time we’ll know better, won’t we. Listen and be merry.

Sleepyhands – Noel

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There’s exciting rumblings going on beneath the surface for Sleepyhands at the moment so keep your ear to the ground over the next few months. What I can say for sure though, is that they should be appreciated live. You can mark these dates into your moleskines: December 17 at the Spectrum and January 15 at Oxford Art.

It’s been a long time between drinks if you’re a fan of the Middle East but at last we have something new to sate the thirst. It’s been three years since the Recordings of the Middle East was released (the full length, not the EP) and a year since they released Dirty Looks but a few days ago Triple J played the new song Jesus Came To My Birthday Party.

There are differences and similarities to The Recordings. Bree’s vocals now seem to be the main focal point of the harmonies and it’ll be interesting to see if that continues to be the case with the rest of the album when that drops, whenever that drops. Anyway, enough from me, just listen to it. I’d provide a stream but the mp3 isn’t available yet.

Midway through the year I wrote an article about Mountain Man for the Spit Press, Sydney based streetpress for the creative individual. I’ve given that time to cool, but it’s been long enough. Here’s a song from Mountain Man. If you want to read the original article I wrote then click here and turn to page 18. It’s pretty funny. Not laugh out loud funny, more like “this bitter twenty-something is attempting to convince me that he himself is outside of pop-culture” funny. You know, like a hipster calling a hipster a hipster even though they are both hipsters. We’re all hipsters, some of us just don’t know it yet.

Mountain Man – Animal Tracks

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Mountain Man – River

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There are four songs available as free downloads from their Daytrotter session. Just click here and they can be yours.

Mountain Man are playing the Famous Spiegeltent in Sydney on Monday the 14th of January. I won’t be there as I’m away on camp but you should be there. It’ll be all time. Imagine the dead silence with these harmonies hovering above it.

I could find next to no information about him, so without wasting time, here’s what I assume to be an accurate though unconfirmed backstory to Leon Sommer.

Leon Sommer was conceived in 1984 as, having won $20 on a $1 scratchcard, his parents celebrated with drunkenness and accidental impregnation. Fast forward 7 years. It’s 1991 (simple math). A seven year old Leon Sommer first picks up a guitar. Within 11 minutes he’d written his first song, a wonderful track titled ‘Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Salmon!’. Lyrically it was exactly what people needed to hear at that time but another fifteen minutes later he recorded the track using a MacBook, some straw and several paper cups, renaming it ‘Sun Looks’. Shortly afterwards Leon was signed to Sony BMG. After a falling out between label and artist a lengthy court case ensued which left Sun Looks bound up in legal proceedings until mid 2010. Finally, Sony traded the rights to Sun Looks for several magic beans and Leon was able to take control of his music once more. In the August this year Leon Sommer was awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize for his work in astrology, having found the 13th sign of the zodiac. Leon now resides in Geneva where he is simultaneously the assistant to the UN secretary general and world bantam-weight boxing champion.

Leon Sommer – Sun Looks

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If you want to hear more from the man, the myth, the legend, then visit his bandcamp. His most recent collection of tracks is available for download with the option of paying nothing or something. I recommend you at least give him something. Heads up courtesy of Holly at East to West.

I hope everybody had a great Halloween. I know I sure did. I had a particularly scary evening spent out west. Something that’s neither Western nor scary however, are the melodious songs of Inland Sea, a band from the fiery Northern realm (I’ve been reading fantasy novels lately) of Queensland. Don’t even act like you didn’t love every bit of that segway. One moment we’re talking about Halloween then- What!? Did we just change topic!? I know. I know.

Anyway, Queensland, harmonies, violins, you’ll love it. They cite Arcade Fire as an influence, probably because they both have way too many band members to fit comfortably on a stage. A ten piece! Imagine dragging that around the country. I ‘spose the upside is that they can arrange some glorious five part harmonies. I guarantee- I GUARANTEE you’ll be hearing a lot more about the Inland Sea in months to come.

Here’s one of three tracks that they’ve made available for free download.

Inland Sea – No Time

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A copy of their EP will set you back $8.45 on itunes.