Splitsville In Hopelesstown, Lake Michigan

Here is the first of two split releases we are looking at today. Fred mentioned not too long ago about a Queensland label called Ruined Smile - his childhood memories are back here. Reaching across the globe to give voice to unheralded acts, one of their first releases is this split cassette between English pastoral explorer Lake Michigan and his Australian counterpart Hopelesstown (split released with Canberra-based label Lacklustre).

Now this comes at a weird coincidental cross roads for me, as yesterday I was looking for an album to put on the record player while my girlfriend did her college work. Flicking through I came across Out Of The Shadow, the 2003 debut record from Rogue Wave. I don't remember ever buying it, let alone playing it. We played it - it suited the gentle 'I'm doing work' vibe we were looking for. Then I looked up what they had been up to since, and saw they had written that 'Lake Michigan' song that I had heard on a hell of a lot of TV commercials a few years ago...

Then I saw this in the inbox. It's not the same - it's much better. Each artist shares three tracks. Lake Michigan is not like Rogue Wave. These three meditations reverberate due to their witching hour permutations - floating out of focus, somewhere between warmth and freezing cold, condensation setting on windows, the heat emanating from a lightly strummed guitar and the breath hovering in front of the lips. Reclaiming life, whether it be through mumblecore mantras ("Every fight, and fuck, and falling over...is ours") or through static-ridden proclamations from Dr Frasier Crane, is the order of the day. A melancholic yet positive experience.

Hopelesstown feels like a pea from the same pod - maybe even rubbing spherical shoulders. The reverb is heavily on display, but the songs play with recorded convention - 'Smitten' is fuzzed and roughed up, a scratchy and sedate declaration of unrequited love. 'Other' opens up a little more, although the autumnal cryogenic permutations continue to permeate. Closer 'Spring 2' sits somewhere between the two, and glows lazily, a sunrise warding off the frost.

Lake Michigan/Hopelesstown might fuel many a frigid morning here in the Northern Hemisphere, but is sure to warm the cockles in the drenching summer heat too. Nice work. Buy it here (there's only 4 left).

Sonic Masala Presents Number 5 Is Alive!

In two days' time, the fifth instalment of Sonic Masala Presents at the Waiting Room will take place. Its exciting on a whole bunch of levels. Let's break those levels down...


1) It features my first interstate band! Yes, Franco Cozzo (the musical spazznuts, not the furniture magnate and crazy commercial guy) hail from Melbourne - you may remember me talking about them here - and whilst I haven't heard anything new from them since this pretty dirty EP of 2010, I'm envisioning an incredibly loud and raucous affair. Specialties abound.

2) We have two celebrities coming! Actually that isn't true. But we do have two bands that have appropriated celebs' names into their monikers. Firstly we have Fred Savage Beasts, whose Method Is A Just Cause demos release (freely downloadable too!) offers some cool lo-fi meanderings. The band is essentially Nathan from local slacker behemoths Tape/Off, and if this is what's possible from some half-baked afternoons in the bedroom, imagine what some invested time will produce. This will be their first show - highly anticipated...



Then of course there is the man with the gravitas and one of the most iconic calming voices in movie history, Morgan Freeman. He is also the epitome of cool, thus - Motherfucking Morgan Freeman. This two-piece is a love affair with all that is rambunctious and shambolic in the world. Expect an ever-shifting morass of noise. Some covers will be unearthed, including one or two of their own from their past band, Librarians/We Are Librarians/Ex-Librarians (I never know what their name is/was/will be...) You may remember we spoke about em some time ago also - check that out here.

3) We certainly can't leave out new skids on the jocks Crass Creatures either! I saw them support Fucked Up last year in what has to be one of the coolest debut support slots ever picked up, and they certainly stepped up to the plate. There are exciting elements here - even a trace of Murder City Devils, which is soooooooooo good - and whilst the rust on the edges still shows from a fledgling act, they are only going to get better. Check these guys out before they are blowing up like DZ.



4) There isn't really a part four, I'm just really excited about this one! It's, as always, all for a tenner, and with takeaway bottle shops all around West End there is an endless supply of cheap drinks, enough to have moolah in the pocket to burn on merch (or probably booze on Boundary St later).

See you there chumps!