Nova Scotia

Scratchy five-piece indie-rockers Nova Scotia have been preaching their glorious live shows and fine music for six years around Brisbane. In that time, they have gained a huge local following and opening slots for the likes of Built to Spill and the Vivian Girls. The three-guitar attack, clear melodies and dynamic rhythm makes me ashamed I haven’t mentioned these guys earlier.  After two EP’s, early 2011 saw Nova Scotia release their self-titled debut album.

Teeming with ambiguous  riffs and keen pop sensibility, Nova Scotia have created an album that has brought the best of their earlier EP’s into one fiercely beautiful collection of sound. Simple drums and supportive bass give much needed room for their thick lattice of fuzzed guitars. The efforts of  Dan, Nathan, Scott, Ash, Cam and the production and mixing from Andrew White have resulted in an album that comes across with ferocity from their tasteful layering and crunchy texture.

Listen to:           Teeming With Voices, Everything is Perfect, Doz Titanic

Discography:

• Bear Smashes Photocopier- EP (2007) 
• Maritime Disasters- EP (2008) 
• Nova Scotia- Debut Album (2011)

See More:

• BANDCAMP
• FACEBOOK

Swan Song

A newly formed project made up of members from Brisbane punk bands Fires Of Waco, To The North, Epithets, Waiting Room and Shakes. Don’t know if they play this stuff live yet, but the music they’re making on record is definitely worth the mention.

Everything about this EP shows how the coming together of separate parts makes the most interesting music. Its melodic, but moody, relatable but disparate.  The production of Mark Perry and the greatness of the band has accomplished making music with the mood of sombre post-punk at its heart.  Everything has sense, like everything played on tape is there only because it has to be.  The minimalist guitar of Ryan Sim underpins the melancholic and  emotional lyrics of Steven Millar Scott ring through. The bass of Cameron Gillard and drums of Simon Reynolds provide a solid underlying rhythm that carries the melodies and notes to a far stronger place. Hope these guys don’t make this project a once off- because their chemistry in creation is obvious, otherwise these songs would not sound as strong as some of these tracks do.

Listen to:           2000 Years, Hold Up Your Right Hand

• Love is a Consciousness- EP (May 2012)

See More:

• BANDCAMP

Junkyard Diamonds

Imagine mixing raw garage, post punk and gritty attitude into a blender and never turning the thing off. That’s one humble way of describing this 5 piece powerhouse.  But who knows how much longer Junkyard Diamonds will go before they explode? Hopefully their subtle pop sensibilities will keep that meltdown at bay, at least long enough for their new EP to be released.

Due out in August, Junkyard Diamond’s self-titled EP screams with face-smashing crunch and dances with moments of textured cleanliness. The songs are either drawn out and slow to change, or they’re packed with punch and power. The gargling vocals provide a rare anchor for a band flying around their tantalizing possibilities. More than anything, the EP reveals a bunch of guys who are on the verge of fully harnessing their noise and chaos. An example of their potential for awesomeness is blared out in full glory with Chrysalis; a rare moment on the EP where the fusion of rhythm, melody and rawness is easily jackhammered into the brain. This EP seeps out signs of life from a band who are teasing with their ability and possibilities. Their next release will show whether these guys are headed for eruption or stagnation. 

Listen to:           Chrysalis, Love Candle

Discography:

·         Junkyard Diamonds EP (August 2012)

See More:

·         FACEBOOK

Valley Vibes @ Fortitude Valley PCYC

Separated by car dealerships and community pools, Fortitude Valley's PCYC sits isolated from all the other live venues. It's definitely  the king noisemaker of  Wickham Street's northern end; given the closest contestant would probably be the local church's choir. After second-guessing the existence of a venue in such a place, it was nice to walk though the PCYC's doors and find a little nest of live noise. Full of animal costumes and all age rejoice, the vibe inside was completely insular to the nothingness of outside.

With a total of two stages, bands were divided between a basketball court and a tiny upstairs room- easily found by following the vibrating walls. The fact that these bands were playing all ages gigs should make people feel warm and fuzzy- but it probably won't. The festival featured bands from Brisbane, Gold and Sunshine Coast- from the noise of Those Clever Foxes to the cringey pop-punk of Double Lined Minority. There were dancing gorillas, stormed stages and more sounds than you could poke a stick at.

In the basketball court there was volume, room, and overused smoke machines. Head upstairs and it was the opposite. Everyone sitting down, mellowed out and entranced in the mild mood. That was until a band started on the basketball court. The volume boomed upstairs through the walls and floors, which resulted in herds of people migrating towards the tantalising rumbles. Apart from that, the festival seemed average for an all ages gig, and hats off to the bands though- playing to a sober crowd is always harder. Smoke machine abuse and sweaty costumes had taken their toll by the tender closing time of 9pm; just as the 18+ begin to swarm the venues of a Saturday Fortitude Valley.