Teaser Pony

From the artwork alone you can guess that Melbourne band Teaser Pony might be affiliated with the excellent Dick Diver. That is Steph Hughes' silkscreen artwork - and as soon as you hear the strains of 'Champion Fullback' you will note it's DD's Al McKay on the drums. Out on Cinnamon Records next month, the four track EP is a laidback jokey affair, yet it's still a rich sonic tapestry that evokes sepia-sun-soaked Australiana from the 80s and some excellently acerbic lyrics. And again we hear the sax rearing its not so ugly head - Australian bands really are grasping the proper usages of those strangled tones. The jumped up 'Headed For The Door' meanwhile could easily be a stripped to the chassis Royal Headache or a garage version of Blank Realm covering Split Enz. Overflowing with charm - you can pre-order the 7" here.

PREMIERE - Primary Colours Keep It Basic With Compact Disc (VIDEO)

Today I kiss the ground of Australian soil for the first time in nine months - AND IT FELT SO GOOD. Ill be offline for a few days as I lose myself in the Victorian countryside (and head to Golden Plains too), so let's welcome each other into a warm embrace by premiering the new Primary Colours video, 'Compact Disc'. It's their scrappy post punk nonsense, which gets heady and serrated if suitably loose, but the looped, VHS faded, cartoon cigarettes, smiles and starts-imposed clip is its own streamlined beast.

Primary Colours are about to embark on a tour to launch their Compact Disc/Services Rendered 7" release:

March 14th @ The Phoenix Pub Canberra w/ Bare Grillz 

March 20th @ Black Wire Records w/ Sadfaces + Twin Rover 

March 22nd @ The Grace Darling Hotel for Minimum Wage w/ Orlando Furious.

Seeing Primary Colours On A Compact Disc

Let's finish off this Australia Day with Canberrans Primary Colours who are prepping their Compact Disc/Services Rendered 7". The bass/drums punk/dance noiseniks (Wives' Gus McGrath (also of California Girls) and Jordan Rodger (also of TV Colours)) construct and destruct simultaneously, playing out like the Faint if they hung out at the Jamison Centre. It's raw enough to appeal to the punk aesthetic that permeates the richest seams of the Australian underground, while danceable enough for white hipsters to move their hips a quarter of an inch at a time without breaking a sweat or their crossed arms. There is a lurking menace to 'Services Rendered' though that I would like to become more fully realised - that swing from a more raucous level to something approaching synthetic danger.

Grab the 7" here.

High and Mightily Furious

I spoke about High And Mighty, Melbourne's resident genius weirdo Orlando Furious' new tape (out through Cinnamon Records), briefly when vibing out on his 'Fresh' video. But I really think High and Mighty needs more recognition.

I'll start with 'Dogs' the last song on side A. Why? Because I can't figure out if Orlando is doing some weird British Caribbean quasi accent. Because when he says 'Who gave me constables?' it sounds like he is saying cunts. Because when he says 'Who gave me dogs from the east?' he immediately ratifies the statement by saying 'Obviously I'm not being serious but, like, who told me about the dogs from the east?' Will the brain be expected to fail? The songs winds down with warped voices echoing over Orlando, the oxygen being weaned, stolen, suppressed, expunged. The static beats maintaining a narcotic pulse until it becomes erratic, then stops. It's kinda dumb, but also kinda genius. And that is High and Mighty, and indeed Orlando Furious, to a tee. The aberrant yet charismatic vocal rants are at once absurdist, nonsensical and rapturous. His is an addictive presence. The slightly sinister beats/rhythms (which are great all the way through High and Mighty, by the way) of 'Assets' propels the forever-on-the-verge-of-a-breakdown vocal stressings of Orlando to a plateau where he overlooks us all - as he is no coward, no drifter - he is 'the master'. Hot tamales, anyone?

Even when 'Peace' is nothing but a coalescing disturbance, a tape-loop explosion, it falls into a VHS vortex of Korine-like despair and gurning grotesqueries. And hearing 'Fresh' as the closing statement rather than on its own, it underscores my initial correlation with Liars - but I feel like this is more truly 'experimental', pushing aural, lyrical and physical barriers rather than setting the quirk flag in weird yet nonetheless familiar territory (and I love Liars). This stuff will always be an acquired taste for many - but Orlando, give me your 'Porkrawl' any day of the fucked-up week.

Dissolve yourself in High and Mighty here. Orlando Furious' next hit is supporting Old Mate launch their excellent LP It Is What It Is this Saturday at The Tote in Melbourne (also with Cool Sounds) - get there early if you know what's good for you.