New Young Heretics Video and Track

I know what you’re all thinking. “Is that the guy from The Getaway Plan?” Yes, it is. But don’t worry, because you don’t have to be fourteen and depressed to enjoy listening to Young Heretics.

The Melbourne duo create dark, atmospheric pop songs and they have just released the video for their track Risk/Loss. It was directed by James Lawler and aside from being one of the most visually interesting clips of the year (not including Lady Gaga), it also doubles as a tourism ad for Melbourne with lots of great shots of the city’s laneways. It’s defenitly worth a look.

I can’t embed it because the internet decided it hates me, but you can see it here.

They’ve also been kind enough to offer the track as a free download which you can grab below.

Young Heretics- Risk/Loss.mp3

They’re embarking on a national tour to launch their debut album We Are The Loves. If you like what you saw/heard above, make sure you come along to one of their shows.

NATIONAL TOUR DATES:

Sat 10 July – Spectrum, Sydney NSW  w/ Guineafowl and Siren Lines

Fri 16 July – Beach Hotel, Byron Bay NSW  w/ Comic Sans and Siren Lines – FREE ENTRY

Sat 17 July – The Troubadour, Brisbane QLD w/ Comic Sans and Siren Lines

Fri 23 July – Jive, Adelaide SA w/ Secrets in Scale and Siren Lines

Sat 24 July – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne VIC  w/ Guineafowl and Siren Lines

Thur 29 July – Prince of Wales, Bunbury WA  w/ Arms Like Branches

Fri 30 July – Norfolk Basement, Fremantle WA

Sat 31 July – Amplifier, Perth WA w/ Arms Like Branches, Place of Indigo and The Japanese Tongue Sisters

Sun 1 August – Indi Bar, Scarborough WA w/ Arms Like Branches and Place of Indigo

[Giveaway] Purple Sneakers Party

Tomorrow night I’ll be surround by fake tan and bad music at my school formal. If you’re not attending school events tomorrow night, we should come down to Miss Libertine in Melbourne for a Purple Sneakers party featuring Purple Sneakers DJs, PhJD, Toki Doki and Beat TV DJs. Perhaps the most exciting inclusion in the line up is Gaz who, judging by the poster, could very well be involved with Yacht Club.

What’s even better is that I have five double passes to giveaway. Because it’s tomorrow and I have schoolwork to attend to, the first five people to comment this post with their full name  will win a double pass* Awesome? I think yes.

*One comment each. Don’t go spamming or I’ll ignore you completely.  Also, I’m assuming that I haven’t left it too late. So don’t be too disapointed if I have.

Goodnight Owl Release Maps and Compasses Video

You know what’s better than paying $60 to see the Temper Trap at *shudder* Festival Hall? Going to the Workers Club in Melbourne to see Goodnight Owl lauch their debut video.

Goodnight Owl sound like the lovechild of Josh Pyke and The Postal Service (and in case you wre confused, they have nothing at all to do with the greatly inferior Owl City). They released their debut EP last year and it’s one of those releases that still sounds good after the 13,oo0th listen. Suprisingly, the video for Maps and Compasses is their first, and it certainly fits well with their laidback and glitchy music.

The video will be launched on the 24th of July at The Workers Club. Until then, you check out the video below.

Note: The date has now been changed to the 31st of July. So now you really have no excuse not to go.

Dan Parsons – Firestarter

When there are literally thousands of other Australian male singer-songwriters, how do stand out from the crowd? While it’s no easy feat, Brisbane musician Dan Parsons has done exactly that on his debut album Fire Starter.

Shying away from the acoustic folk of his Old Brown Shoe EP, he opts for the full band approach on Firestarter with the help of his friend James O’Brian (The Boat People) and producer John Castle (Washington). The result is an album full of memorable and honest pop songs.

If album opener Run With Me doesn’t make you melt, it will certainly charm the pants off you. With the main focus on John Castle’s strong percussion and Parsons’ voice, the track never feels overcrowded, even with the addition of synths. That said, it is easy to hear how the song would sound in acoustic mode and it’s almost a shame that it’s a side of Parsons that we don’t get to hear on Firestarter.

The album’s title track is the most obvious choice for a single and the closest thing to a straight-out rock song the album has to offer. With a catchy, soaring chorus about the possibility of a one night stand becoming something more, it’s surprising that radio isn’t all over this.

While the first two tracks are certainly the strongest, that’s not to say the rest of the album is not worth listening to. I Can’t Watch You hides its scathing lyrics under a layer of cheerful indie pop that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Little Red record. Closing track Cedar Creek features just piano Parsons’ voice and is one of the highlights of the album. It’s almost a shame that we don’t hear more of this style on the album because it is one of the most memorable tracks, despite the sparse instrumentation.

Overall Firestarter is a great collection of sincere indie-pop songs. It’s very promising debut album and I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more from Dan Parsons in the future.

You can download some of his tracks for free at his unearthed page.

Drawn From Bees- Fear Not The Footsteps Of The Departed

You could call Brisbane band Drawn From Bees many things, but lazy is not one of them. For the past two years the band has followed a self-imposed goal to write record and release new music every six months. Fear Not The Footsteps Of The Departed is the final chapter of this project and it truly is a perfect finish.

Fear Not The Footsteps Of The Departed is moody pop perfection. Despite the morbid cover art and the art-rock tag that always seems to be attached to the band, Drawn From Bees have created an album that is dark enough to be a soundtrack to write bad poetry to yet catchy enough for almost anyone to enjoy.

The fourteen tracks on this album flow together seamlessly and draw you in until you find yourself disappointed that the album has come to an end. In this day and age of iPods and short attention spans, It is one of those rare albums that make a skip button seem superfluous.

Recommendations?

1. Stand Against The Storm: Nestled halfway through the album, Stand Against The Storm is probably the most obvious standout track. Beginning with nothing more than sparse guitar and drums, it doesn’t take long for the soaring chorus of “Pretty sure it’ll kill us all” to kick in. However it’s the lead up to the chorus that’s the real highlight, showcasing the band’s ability to craft an engaging build up. While it is hardly cheerful stuff, the upbeat music stops it from being bogged down and makes it the most memorable track on the album.
2. Undertakers: I’m one of those slightly twisted people who actively seek out depressing music and, if you hadn’t already guessed from the title, this track certainly fits the bill. The duel vocals harmonise perfectly and have a hymn-like effect. The melody is both pretty and memorable and it’s easy to imagine this being absolutely amazing live. It’s simply stunning.
3. Why Bother: The final track on the album and also the sparsest. This is hardly a bad thing however, with vocalist Dan James’s voice carrying the delicate tune. Despite the short running time of two minutes and six seconds, it is one of the most effective tracks on Do Not Fear The Footsteps Of The Departed. The haunting backing vocals and subdued percussion from Matt Wedmaier have a memorising effect, and when it stops suddenly, it feels like you’ve been snapped out of a trance. A perfect finish to a fantastic album.

It’s hard to believe Drawn From Bees have been releasing new music every six months and still managing to sound so good. With great attention to detail in every track, Fear Not The Footsteps Of The Departed is a great closing chapter and will (almost) be enough to tide us over until the band unleash their next crazy project on the world.