Photo courtesy of creativeloafing.com (not the same night)

Proving their growing popularity, local heroes Philadelphia Grand Jury’s arrival on stage was met by an almost full venue, with the majority of punters already inside ready to be shaken by the Sydneysiders’ eclectic mix of cutesy keyboard tunes and frenzied garage rock. Interspersed with eccentric pre-recorded chitchat, the band’s set was quirky but still likeable, with the twee ‘Phillip’s Not In Love With You’ an early crowd pleaser. The loudest cheers, however, were saved for ‘Going To The Casino’ and the raw, edgy punch of ‘I Don’t Want To Party’, the furious outro jam providing the perfect bang with which to end the set.

By the time Atlanta five-piece Manchester Orchestra hit the stage, the sold-out crowd was visibly desperate with anticipation. Vocalist Andy Hull kicked the night off with an unnamed acoustic number before the band blitzed into the high electric energy of ‘Shake It Out’. Most of Manchester Orchestra’s songs – mainly from their latest album, Mean Everything To Nothing, with a smattering from earlier efforts – were met by rabid crowd reactions. Between songs, the obviously substance-addled band bantered light-heartedly on bizarre topics, with one member muttering “fuck, I’m so high” between talk of dingoes eating babies and the sound of swords, much to the crowd’s amusement. High or not, their musical performance was tight, filling the tiny space with arena-sized sounds. From impassioned howls on ‘Where Have You Been?’ (which included a spectacular crowd singalong) to the shy whispers of ‘I Can Feel A Hot One’, the band flitted seamlessly from huge choruses to introspective poetry within minutes. Though Hull’s voice sometimes fell short of capturing the band’s recorded urgency (especially on single ‘I’ve Got Friends’), the performance peaked during the five-song encore, with keyboardist Chris Freeman taking to a second set of drums to create a frighteningly chaotic wall of sound on ‘Everything to Nothing’ and ‘The River’. Closing with ‘The Only One’, which began acoustically with each member joining to eventually create a full electric version, Manchester Orchestra ensured that everyone in the room was aware of the one fact that shone from their live show – their music, though not altogether groundbreaking, is the result of not only a vicious passion, but also the art of not taking anything too seriously and just having a good time making it.

Bonefinger Records – March 13 2009

The debut album from self-labeled art rockers Drawn from Bees is a challenging one. Packing nine songs into just 31 minutes, the Brisbane quartet flies across a range of styles and ideas from big Kansas-like choruses to timid keyed subtleties – it’s an album which requires multiple spins by a patient listener to make full impact.

First single ‘Long Tooth Setting Sun’ opens the album with a flashback to ‘70s stadium rock with a catchy but awfully corny triple-layered chorus that sets the precedent for the recurring three-part harmonising that flows through this album (including a 28-second acapella interlude). This careful harmonisation has drawn constant comparison to the Beatles and the Beach Boys, although it is also reminiscent of more current bands like Fleet Foxes and, on the album closer, Copeland.

Luckily, the cheesiness disappears as the album progresses and the band paints a musical spectrum of varying colour. From the Wild West (‘Waiting for the End’) to straight-up rock opera (the angst-ridden ‘They Close the Door’) and raucous foot-stomping (‘Amelia’), the journey occasionally slows for honeyed downbeat cuts like ‘People (Living Underground)’ and the sublime piano-littered tinkle of closer ‘Lullaby’. These more calculated moments provide much-needed reflection and rest; the album is, after all, a fast-paced adventure that leaves little room to breathe.

This record is so packed with operatic melodrama, especially for its length, that the first few listens are quite overwhelming – but after settling into the groove, this theatricality lies at the very heart of its charm. Sit down, plug in and listen until you scratch right through to its beautiful bones; whilst not completely flawless, this album possesses a quaint beauty all its own.

TRACK LISTING
01. Long Tooth Setting Sun
02. Waiting for the End
03. You Can’t Relax
04. Frozen Over Kid
05. People (Living Underground)
06. They Close The Door
07. Amelia
08. These Philistines
09. Lullaby

DOWNLOAD: Long Tooth Setting Sun (m4a)

Tonacity/Stomp – May 26 2009

You might not be familiar with Kelly Pratt’s name but he’s sure been around the place, having played with big guns like Coldplay, Final Fantasy, Beirut and Arcade Fire. With Team B, he ditches backing player status and speeds to the forefront – collaborating with fellow Beirut and Arcade Fire members, as well as members of bands like LCD Soundsystem and The Jealous Girlfriends, the resulting album sounds both everything and nothing like the bands from which it was born.

Opening with the lounge jazz of ‘On My Mind’, the album progresses through a slew of genres, from the folky Beirut-esque ‘Mystery Man’ to the tubular minimalism of ‘Misma’ and the piano virtuosity of ‘Empty Hallways’. But despite striking many immense notes with these more complicated techniques, Pratt saves himself from going the way of so many artists who lose themselves on the hallowed path towards indie cred – his trick is not to take things too seriously. ‘No Purchase Necessary’ throws in the profundity towel for a Weezer-styled pop-punk hurrah, and the tugboat whistle of ‘Life (Remix)’ features a bouncy flute and bass accompaniment over Pratt happily chirping “Life is a bore! Life is a bore! It sucks you dry and then you die! Life is a bore!”

I dare you to not have a smile on your face by the time the album closes with ‘Salad Days’ (which wouldn’t sound out of place on the Grease soundtrack). The beauty of this album is that it never allows itself to be predictable – without deriving too much from its bigger affiliated projects, Team B is a band truly on its A game, creating music that manages to be both fun and intelligent.

TRACK LISTING:
01. On My Mind
02. Hang Me
03. Tons of Fun
04. Mystery Man
05. No Purchase Necessary
06. Redd’s Opus K607
07. Misma
08. Empty Hallways
09. Life (Remix)
10. Salad Days

DOWNLOAD: On My Mind (m4a)

Atlantic – June 1 2009

In 2006 a shy Scottish teenager with an Italian name stole hearts and minds with his voice, mature beyond his 19 years, and the guitar-driven pop sheen behind his songs about everything from new shoes to older women on a record called These Streets. Three years on, Paolo Nutini is back with a second collection of songs – one which sees him grasp songs that, whilst more suited to his deep croon, fail to capture his youth as well as his debut did.

Sunny Side Up sees Nutini experimenting with a number of techniques he hasn’t previously touched – opener ’10/10′ is an upbeat trumpet-infused number that wouldn’t sound out of place in a swing club, whilst ‘Growing Up Beside You’ sprinkles a generous slab of harmonica upon his seasoned sensitive romancing and dapper closer ‘Keep Rolling’ is based largely around a sombre choral progression which fades out over a decelerating 90 seconds. There are almost no traces of These Streets left in these 12 songs – Nutini seems to have grown up lyrically and musically, but what is missing is the earnestness of that first record, the surprisingly charming coupling of a voice so mellow with sweetly naïve and innocent lyrics, bursting with the sap of youth.

But everyone has to grow up sometime, and Sunny Side Up is certainly a coming-of-age. ‘No Other Way’ illustrates just how powerful that voice is, whilst the bulk of ‘Chamber Music’ is a beautifully swirling Celtic instrumental including flutes and pipes. This album feels a little like watching your little boy grow up – there’s a sense of nostalgic loss, but also a sense of pride as you realise he’s found his footing and landed exactly where he wants to be.

TRACK LISTING:
01. 10 /10
02. Coming Up easy
03. Growing Up Beside you
04. Candy
05. Tricks of the Trade
06. Pencil Full of Lead
07. No Other Way
08. High Hopes
09. Chamber Music
10. Simple Things
11. Worried Man
12. Keep Rolling

DOWNLOAD: 10/10 (m4a)