Losing Sanity On These Juan Wauters

I meant to post about this 7" on Thursday TWO WEEKS AGO, but as always things got a little caught up...so here it is.

It has been a little while since we've heard anything from NY spazzniks The Beets. Their last release wasn't all that long ago - they released two albums in 2011, after all - but with their proclivity for brevity and insanity, it's not hard to understand why the wait has been a little concerning. Fear not, however, as frontman Juan Wauters spreads his wings and his sanity thin by taking on the solo thang. Sanity is the 7" single (see what I did in the last sentence? DO YOU SEE?), and it's a two minute slice of pop irreverence sublimely rendered for your easy and repeated consumption. It's radness in other words, and hope this isn't the only thing we hear from either of Wauters' acts in 2013...

You can buy Sanity here through Wayward Records. Wauters played Shea Stadium in New York last Thursday with Brisbane's own Dune Rats, hence me wanting to post back then. Wauters had been very keen for that particular show - I'm sure Dune Rats were the ones showing their gratitude by night's end... he has done a tour with Veronica Falls recently and has some Beets dates lined up too, so all's swell. Here's the rest of the dates:

04.09.13 - Brooklyn, NY - Silent Barn w/Sea Lions (THIS IS TONIGHT!!! GET ON THIS NYers!) 04.17.13 - Wilkes-Barre, PA - The Crimson Lion
04.18.13 - Oberlin, OH - Oberlin College
04.19.13 - Columbus, OH - Double Happiness
04.20.13 - Chicago, IL - TBA
04.21.13 - Ypsilanti, MI - Woodruff's
05.04.13 - Brooklyn, NY - Death By Audio w/Bass Drum of Death

 

Dune Rats Like Fuckin' It

Here's the newie from Brisbane's Dune Rats. It's a clearer produced track and shows some growth in their surf-rock malaise blueprint, the flippant and fragrant use of curse words notwithstanding. The single is out on Monday, with a national tour to follow.

Two Sydney Gigs That Will Rock The Casbah

So I have been in Sydney the past week, enjoying some sun, sand, tequila, food - and fucking gust winds! Jesus Bondi, ease up! Anyway, before I trek around Surrey Hills for another cheap hole in the wall, I thought Id throw up two gigs coming up in the next two nights that, if you are in the unofficial Australian capital, you should really get to.

First up is tonight, down at Bondi Beach Hotel, who have started hosting some pretty killer shows, like last week's Royal Headache Easter show - for free - which was something else... It must be said that tonight's bill is also free, and features not one but two of Brisbane's up and coming acts. Bleeding Knees Club are riding high on the release of their debut LP Nothing To Do. The slacker duo, who are still striving to be anything more than a couple of dudes throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks (it's some pretty fun shit though) will be accompanied by another band rich in laissez faire surf rock tunes, Dune Rats. The bill is rounded out by Sydney band March Of The Real Fly. This will be one hell of a fun show, and with no rubles being thrown down at the front door, more booze can fuel the night forward! Bring it on.


Then tomorrow night is another rad showcase, Neighbourhood Watch, this time highlighting some of the best Sydney acts that you are probably yet to hear about. I mentioned only last week the shoegaze wooziness that is Colours AKA Tom Crandles. His rich tapestries of noise are incredible especially coming from one man, and it will be a delight to see it in action. On top of this, we have the excellent Day Ravies offering their shoegaze pop and rapscallion punks Bachelor Pad. Add to that ping-pong, $5 beers, $5 vodkas, all for $5 on the door, and you get a bucketload of holy-shit-this-is-awesome! Ill be at both shows - come and say hey.

Dune Rats Are Everywhere!

Dune Rats are slowly rising in stature on the national music scene, their shambolic garage pop the envy of many hipster wannabes, and they are ready to make the most of the wave and the climate by taking to a national Spring tour! Starting in Byron Bay tonight, they will visit Gold Coast, Adelaide, Toowoomba, Sydney and Newcastle, with Brisbane shows filtered throughout the September weeks. And to up the ante, they are prepping the release of new EP Social Atoms by releasing a new track, 'Pogo', which is as apt a title for a song as you can get.

Check you local ticket outlet for the shows in your town, whilst you can pre-order Social Atoms (plus other merch) here.


POGO - DUNE RATS by Pedestrian.TV

Punching Above Their Weight

I received an email from Guy, a Rhode Island native whose band, Kid Chocolate, have just released their self-released debut record, Gold Star Winner. I downloaded the album they offered me - but it came up as gsw, with no reference to the band. I forgot about it for a couple days, then put it on - and it blew me away. It has the surf pop twinges that we are hearing a lot of these days, but there is a mischievous twinkle in the eye, showing their grungier garage legs, and occasionally (like on 'What The Big People Do' or the strangely punchy-yet-slinky 'Roll Of Thunder') emulating the 60s melodic pop groups they are indebted to. In fact, Kid Chocolate remind me of a Brisbane band that are making some noise at the moment, Dune Rats, yet a far better version (no offence Dune Rats, I love your guff, just Kid Chocolate is punching above your weight here). Wait, a boxing joke? See, I knew the reference all along kiddos - hence the above picture! But all silliness aside, this is one helluva addictive album. There are even slight Harlem comparisons here - now, that makes my day... You can get it either at their Bandcamp here or here for a physical copy.

Kid Chocolate - Coco Drugga
Kid Chocolate - Safety Surf

And I really really enjoyed this album, so here it is to stream in its entirety - get behind it, buy it, it is a cracker!

Dune Rats Sex It Up On The Beach

Just a quick post to introduce Dune Rats, a scuzzy duo from Brisbane that are slowly building up the street cred with their throwaway garage rock. They show a hell of a lot of promise - and if you are in Brisbane tonight you can catch them as they set about releasing their new (most likely sexually infected) EP Sexy Beach into the wild. They are playing the Alhambra Lounge after 9pm tonight for $10. Nice!

Dune Rats - Color TV
Dune Rats - Wooo!