Dew Process

Guineafowl is a band that’s becoming a mainstay on the local circuit here in Sydney – around the creative force of Sam Yeldham, the six-piece plays summery music that is all the bigger onstage, hand claps and shimmies aplenty.

Hello Anxiety is the band’s debut EP and comprises five tracks of said summery pop music that’s providing some much-needed warmth to the ever-growing cold. They play with rather stereotypical ‘indie’ sounds, like jangly hand-picked guitars that meld into a luscious waterfall as on first track ‘In Our Circles’, and Yeldham’s voice is glistening with the kind of high reverb that many of these bands seem to enjoy so much. In fact, an easy comparison point on first listen is Cloud Control, especially on this first track – the same layered vocals, even a similar-sounding lead, that typical mid-song die-down of instruments to focus on the voice alone – but Guineafowl mixes things up a little by adding synth in at the end.

Ah, the synth, that most mystical of all creatures. It’s something that can make or break a song, really – when used carefully it can add interesting little touches, but when applied too liberally it’s awfully cheesy. See second track ‘Little Fingers’ – its glimmery synth-tastic intro brought this immediately to mind:

…which is not the best thing to think of. It seems a little too cutesy, too twee, and when the drums come in you almost expect Adam Young to come forward spewing something about planet earth turning slowly. Thankfully as the song progresses and the guitars come in, the cheesy synth eventually dies off, its riff replicated and almost completely replaced by guitar. When it’s applied in smaller doses throughout the track it’s a pleasant spacey touch – the intro is a little saccharine, though.

Layered vocals make another appearance on ‘Botanist’, a live staple for the band (one of the hand-clappers mentioned before). Here the gang vocal is prevalent throughout the track, which could easily muddle the sound but actually works quite well in fleshing it out. Synth and guitar battle it out for attention in the middle, both fare pretty well but it’s guitar that wins, punching out the end of the track.

‘My Lonely Arms’ starts out seemingly as a slower cut, Yeldham’s voice sitting shyly against sparse background music before bursting into a higher energy level. It’s slightly less refined but still slick as hell, boasting a guitar solo to break it up and a chorus to boot.

The EP rounds off with a demo song, ‘Mothr’, sounding tinny with its layered vocals and rattly percussion. It’s interesting to hear the voices here in a barer setting, especially when the track dies down, seeing them sit against the keys with no other distractions. Demos are especially interesting when compared to full studio versions, so the jury’s out until they chuck one of those out if they do, but the track is darker than their others and has a moody atmosphere of its own.

Hello Anxiety is a very able EP from a band that has consistently proved itself (and likes to end songs abruptly, apparently), though sometimes teeters a little too close to modern indie pop expectations and could use some elements a little more sparingly. For the full Guineafowl experience I’d recommend heading to see them live – this recording is a pleasant listening and toe-tapping experience, but their gigs are super energetic, fun and convey much more the feeling of what this band is about.

On the first day of 2007 I started chatting to a fellow named Taylor Everett thanks to the wonders of Last.FM – he was, back then, a fresh-faced 16-year-old with a startlingly mature taste in music but who did also enjoy the odd pop punk band (if you don’t you’re not a human. Seriously).

Fast forward three years and Taylor, who hails from College Station, Texas, is busy making music of his own – though to be fair, that’s been an ongoing venture since before we started talking. He has released a bunch of albums independently and continues to make them, first going by Hand Me That Piano and, more recently, Eaux Neaux.

Taylor has asked if I would feature his latest album for free download on Shakespeare’s Sister. Misery Swimmingpool was self-released by Taylor last month and sees him do a complete 180 from the work he was doing as Hand Me That Piano. While before he was focused on being a acoustic singer-songwriter, this first release as Eaux Neaux finds Taylor Everett’s interests turned sharply towards the fusion of electronic and pop.

MISERY SWIMMINGPOOL
01. Thinking of You
02. Disappointed
03. Always the Same
04. Questions
05. I Cheated on You
06. Stupid Plaid
07. New York City
08. Taken Away
09. Apartment
10. Untitled 25
11. Information
12. It's a Trap
DOWNLOAD (78.5MB, includes digital booklet)

For more information and further downloads, keep yourself updated at eauxneaux.tumblr.com.

It’s not news to anyone who’s not living under a rock that revered ’90s band Pavement is about to embark on their first tour together since 1999. The tour starts on Monday in New Zealand, before moving to Australia, the UK and countless other stops around the world.

To celebrate this momentous reunion, record label Filthy Little Angels has put together a compilation album of Pavement covers that will be available free online from Monday, to coincide with the start of the world tour. It features artists like Benjamin Shaw, Billy Ruffian, Captain Polaroid, The Dead Cassettes and Jack Lewis and the Golden Indies, covering songs from every part of Pavement’s short but legendary career.

Though Pavement is a band who can’t easily be imitated, this compilation has some great moments and is worth checking out for the diehard Pavement fan who already has everything else related under the sun.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Cut Your Hair – Cats and Cats and Cats
02. Carrot Rope – Mascot Fight
03. Box Elder – The International Karate Plus
04. Zurich is Stained – Vom Vorton
05. Starlings of the Slipstream – Benjamin Shaw
06. Serpentine Pad – Black Heart Generator
07. In The Mouth A Desert – Postcode
08. Secret Knowledge of Backroads – Ace Bushy Striptease
09. I Love Perth – Horowitz
10. Here – Captain Polaroid
11. Gold Soundz – The Dead Cassettes
12. Stub Your Toe – Jack Lewis and the Golden Indies
13. Trigger Cut – Later
14. We Dance – Olympic Swimmers
15. Stereo – Billy Ruffian
16. Silence Kid – Miss Halliwell

Curious? Download Jack Lewis and the Indies’ cover of ‘Stub Your Toe’ to see what it’s all about!

Download the whole album free from Monday at filthylittleangels.com.

Fans began whispering when Joanna Newsom’s label Drag City recently posted a mysterious comic strip on their website with the text “Joanna Newsom Have One On Me” with the date February 23 2010 on it. And the news is out, days after that comic first appeared – the elven harp-playing lady will be releasing her new album, Have One On Me, on the date mentioned on the strip. We lucky Australians get it a few days early, though – it’ll be available on our shores on the 19th.

Newsom’s last full-length release was 2006′s critically acclaimed Ys. She plays the Sydney Opera House next Monday, and Anita’s Theatre in Thirroul the following Saturday.

Swedish indie popsters Shout Out Louds are just about to release their third album Work and, a month before the record drops, have thrown a new single out into the world. The band who gave you the crunch of ‘The Comeback’ and the constant roll of ‘Please Please Please’ continue along their usual path with ‘Fall Hard’, a straight pop piece with thumping drums and crystal clear guitars which flick between bubbly and ethereal. As always, the Shout Out Louds bring their appeal with the beautiful intertwined vocals of Adam Olenius and Bebban Stenborg, always charming with their boy-girl vocal interaction. The track also features horn accompaniments and is a diversion from their usually more upbeat style, choosing instead to showcase a serious side of the Shout Out Louds that sounds almost sympathetic, but never hasty.

DOWNLOAD: Fall Hard (mp3)

Work is out February 26 through Dew Process.