Spotting Black Trains On My Black Vacation

It's been a while (two weeks to be exact), but I am back from holidays. To celebrate, Sonic Masala is combining with Trainspotters to help launch 'Glazed', the newish single from Brisbane's own purveyors of lackadaisical guitar pop whimsy, Black Vacation. They are growing in stature, and should be huge by the time 2013 tolls its final bell (if there is any justice in the world).

The supports are incredibly stellar too. Shambolic rocktards Cobwebbs have an album of sorts coming out on Long Gone Records, with more potentially on the way. 

Brainbeau are another band that defy categorisation and are so goddamned good that Grimes should be tweeting about them...or something. They are squirrelling out from the underground cracks they have been trapped in, and to see them playing bigger, brighter shows is a true blessing.

Newcomers Dag are something of an unknown quantity, but if this track is anything to go by the trio will safely make a home here on Planet Masala.

It's all happening at the Grand Central Hotel tonight. The band times is below. It's free entry, beers are relatively cheap (most pints will give you change from a tenner - not to be sneezed at in this money-crunching age), Black Vacation have a few more shirts on sale, and it goes into the wee hours. See you there.

Don't Take Naked Maja For Granted

Local dream sculptors Naked Maja took to Trainspotters on Saturday to launch their single 'Take' - the night was a resounding success. There is a bit of vested interest here - I had the band's Cedie Janson play the first Campfire Tales show at the End only two nights previously, and I helped write their presser. They have a longer release in the wings, which is mightily exciting, so rather than babble on with new terminology and hot air, Ill give you the "old" terminology and cold air that is the presser:

"Constantly evolving Brisbane five-piece Naked Maja represent the new sound of Brisbane’s burgeoning experimental pop scene. The release of their first single ‘Take’ shows the band broadening their horizons to the farther regions of ambiance and Krautrock. The music inhabits a netherworld of searching melodies and misshapen harmonies that embody a waking dream state. Their MO is to beguile, to seduce, yet to deny.

Disembodied vocals waver in and out of focus of a magnetic wall of sound, made up of ethereal guitars, synthesizers and propulsive motorik rhythms. Naked Maja draw inspiration from a cosmic sinewave that includes Stereolab, Slowdive and Eno as corresponding frequencies. Captured in the studio by local experimental producer and musician Michael Whitney of Nite Fields fame, the mesmeric ‘Take’ is the band’s most self-assured and exploratory work. It represents a sizable step forward for the five-piece and a promising indicator of what’s to come."

You can buy Take in cassette form (alongside two other original cuts and two remixes by Brisbane's aheadphonehome and Adelaide's Swimming) here. Naked Maja are travelling to Melbourne this Thursday to grace the Grace Darling with their presence, alongside the aforementioned Swimming as well as Sui Zhen, then stick around on Friday to join No Art (also launching a 7"), Infinite Void and Halt Ever at the Public Bar. Rad times in Melbournetown. They are playing Tassie too, not sure on the dates there though (sorry!)

Glazed Haze On Our Black Vacation

I meant to get this out sooner, seeing as their first two shows (in Newcastle and Sydney) were this weekend. Better late than never I guess... Local woozy amblers Black Vacation have just released new single 'Glazed', and its a suitably excellent track that doles out nonchalance and whimsy in equal, chiming measures. Its the most concise, crystalline effort that the Ford brothers have slapped their name to thus far (Daniel and Matt are also in Kids Cryptic and Thigh Master), whilst the added gravitas of Helena Papageorg (Feathers) and Michaela Chin (Marl Carx) helps to anchor Black Vacation's sound somewhere between the Australian slacker pop revelation and the Stateside introspective fare that the likes of Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing delve in. Excellence par none.



Black Vacation travel down to Melbourne and the Gasometer on Friday July 5 (with support from SM faves Velcro as well as Legendary Hearts and Aktion Unit), before finalising their launch in their hometown (and a Sonic Masala Presents!) at Trainspotters on Sat July 13. Supports for that one will be Cobwebbs, Stress Waves and Dag.

Campfire Tales w/ Tutts, Ceeds and Uncle Sonic

Last weekend was incredible for Sonic Masala Presents. It was the first time we have (officially) gone back to back with SM Presents... shows, plus the first time we had (officially) moved away from the hallowed ground of The Waiting Room - and it was a huge success! A sellout crowd came to see No Anchor smash out yet another stellar set, ably backed by the brutality of O and Vassals, and the proceeds went into funding NA's trip down to Sydney the following night. I would have booked a ticket with them (seeing as I was partially responsible for the windfall) but instead I handed over all the dough and moved on to Saturday night, where the first official SM curated Trainspotters night took place at The Grand Central Hotel. Dreamtime's first show since their triumphant return from playing the Austin Psych Fest was incredible, with Multiple Man killing it (despite, or maybe because of, Chris' disdain in proceedings ha) and Gazar Strips ripping apart the place with new songs. The venue was packed, easily the biggest SM show to date, so thanks to all who came.

But this week is still rollin', and I have one more surprise in store. This Thursday we travel back to West End, this time the intimate surrounds of The End on Vulture St, for what I'm tentatively calling Campfire Tales, a night of two solo artists doin their thang. It's Sonic Masala though, so it isn't straightforward. The first show is the EP launch for Andrew Tuttle (the artist formerly known as Anonymeye). He will be assisted in the wings by the dulcet tones of Naked Maja frontman Cedie Janson. I'm really looking forward to this one, and you should be too. It kicks off at 8.30 and is free entry, so come have a boutique beer and turn this 3-day weekend into 4.

Sonic Masala Presents A Double Whammy Of Shows!! EXHIBIT B

The second Sonic Masala show this weekend takes place on Saturday at the Grand Central Hotel, in conjunction with Trainspotters. It marks the triumphant return of local psych lords Dreamtime, fresh from their US jaunt where they ruled Austin Psych Fest, grace the pages of Impose Magazine, and spent all the hard earned. The trio (sometime foursome) just announced they have snagged the highly coveted local support slot for the legendary Bardo Pond when they come to Brisbane in August too which is further cause for celebration. They are supported by the bucolic excellence of sibling androids Multiple Man, and the cantankerous merchants of phosphorous sneers Gazar Strips. It promises to be another killer showcase of burgeoning talent, plus its free entry, and it's right next to the train station. No excuses then. Check out more on the event here.




Multiple Man : Whipping Boy, (Film Clip By #459) from = ) #459 on Vimeo.