Zeahorse Pooling Their Brutal Strengths

I have to say that the success of a couple of my favourite Sydney bands recently have really surprised me. First seeing Yes I'm Leaving on Stereogum, now Zeahorse embarking on their US tour. Not that either of these bands don't deserve it - they are two of the heaviest, brutal and rad bands in Australia - but they have been bands slaving away in an environment that has never seemed to suit them. But then again, with the rise of likeminded creeps like Narrow Lands, Tanned Christ and Sour Cream in the city, the world is becoming a much more accepting place for festering scuzz. Now we see Zeahorse are releasing their Pools EP Stateside too (through Dine Alone Records). Zeahorse's sound is a bit easier to palate I suspect - their hardened riffs are given a shoegaze wash, softening the blows in just the right way - but a song like 'Pool' still maintains the power - it's a great song. And then 'Career' - well, that just rips in and doesn't really let up.





Zeahorse will be doing the US rounds in October. Good luck lads.

Broncho's Hip To Be A Woman

Oakland outfit Broncho have just released their new album Just Enough Hip To Be Woman, and it’s eleven slices of slightly-reverbed, massively-addictive guitar rock in the self-effacing, humorous, garage-tinged vein. The staccato delivery of ‘Class Historian’ is instant hookworm material, that also bares some resemblances to The Cars (I goddamn love The Cars). ‘Deena’ stretches further back, taking carbon copies of 60s surf rock and dropping it into the hyperdrive of 80s synthesised synapse-eroding rock. 'Stay Loose' could be a Joan Jett cover done by Unknown Mortal Orchestra at half speed. ‘Taj Mahal’ is a young Finn brothers cast-off. Its this pastiche of rock evolution that permeates Broncho’s song deconstructions that makes their songs both imminently likable and eerily recognisable. It is so indebted to past “glories” at times that a clear personality becomes opaque – as much as I dig ‘Stop Tricking’ and especially ‘Taj Mahal’, I can’t shake the comparisons off. It’s funny then that the last three songs are so intent on blowing the speakers, the groove and growl suddenly at the forefront when most other bands would top-load these tracks. ‘Kurt’, ‘China’ and ‘It’s On’ blast forth with a newfound grit, set in sepia and leather – it’s here, as in the giddiness of ‘Class Historian’, that Broncho become a combustible beast in their own right. A strange ride, then, yet it’s hard to resist their charms.





Just Enough Hip To Be Woman is out soon on Dine Alone Records - buy it here.

Sliding Under The Sun In Under Twelve

I wasn't overly enamoured with San Fran psychers Sleepy Sun's last LP Spine Hits - it had some salubrious belters, but overall it sorely missed Rachel Fannan. The album was too much of the same thing, the dude factor overstating things. It seems that the now five-piece have taken time out to readjust, doubling down on the distortion and pulsing forth with '11:32', the first single on an upcoming 7" on Dine Alone Records. It has that heavy groove that The Black Angels do in their sleep - Bret Constantino even channels Alex Maas here - yet whilst there isn't anything inherently new, it makes for a refreshing return to form. Let's hope this strong step forward continues.

You can pre-order the 7" here.