My Disco Cancer

Melbourne three-piece My Disco are notorious for their tendency to make their own way there. Their debut release Cancer is no exception to this rule. It’s a risk – going your own way - that too often has negative outcomes. Not so with My Disco.

Clocking in at 24 minutes and 34 seconds, Cancer is a germinaly short-but-sweet welcome addition to the late-year Australian releases of 2006. The beauty of this album lies in the fact that the minimal vocals do not result in a lacking in the overall sound, Ben W. Andrews’ guitar slots in effortlessly, not so much taking over the vocal role but more so becoming it. Instead of the possible void often felt when listening to a more instrumentally based album the Cancer experience is a full, possible even rich one. You know there is a message lying in there amongst it all - especially from the desperate feel created by the vocals in Patterns Surgical and St. - but you can’t help but let the drums rock you happily away from all woes.

Cancer is a self structured, oft times bass driven piece of work that is true to the My Disco live sound, reflecting all of the elements we have come to know and love in the bands from past gigs. This return to guitar, drum and bass three-piece are only limited by the choices they make from here.

Anita Stein

Figurines Skeleton

Fresh and hip sounding like those other fresh and hip bands, Franz Ferdinand and The Strokes. The latter I hear a lot here. But wait… there is a fair bit going for this album. The opener Race You has a lovely piano accompaniment and a good level of yearning in the vocals.

From then on its go-go speed racer! Short, fast sub-3 minute tunes with television sounding guitars present and lots of down stroke/staccato rhythms. There is even some Devo like 80’s white boy-comedy-soul-pop here.

Still, this rare subgenre has been given a new lease on a few tracks and this album sounds about right for our black-jeaned times. You may even impress your friends with this unknown group. Unfortunately overall the songs just don’t seem to have a point. (Expect the one I like Race You).

Engaging voice the singer has. Whiney, kinda like the guy from Mercury Rev but without the enraptured, serpent prince imagery. This guy works with the band. But his ESL (English as a Second Language) roots shin through on his lyrics which are a bit simplistic. Bet Marissa and Ryan wouldn’t dance to that shit.

Cute, stylish, bouncy. But remember: “You know it takes time to get it together for a long time”. (Lyrics from track 2 The Wonder). So taking that wisdom on board I think the next album might be worth looking out for.

Flipper

The Dears Gang of Losers

It starts off softly, sweetly and instrumental. Like the turning point in your favourite childhood romance film. Picture two once-lovers walking across a park towards each other through the mist-shroud twilight, close to the high school, dressed in denim and pink. In come the vocals and it may as well be you falling in love all over again… with The Dears… just like you did last time, when you first listened to No Cities Left.

If you ever doubted The Dears’ ability to create another seminal album then shame on you, they proved you wrong. Gang of Losers is an album for lovers, haters, losers and fighters.

If you don’t have a romantic bone in your body (we’re talking life and love romance here, not just the soppy valentine Hallmark kind) then steer right clear of this slice of chaotic indie brilliance. It won’t touch you like it could. You won’t feel it and you’ll probably just end up bitter at the rest of us for the love of life that touches us daily.

If, on the other hand you have once loved, hated, lost or fought, then you will undoubtedly find yourself wrapped up in the majesty that is Gang of Losers in the opening notes… and possibly not released from its thrall until the final song is sung. The only complaint? Why did it have to end so soon?

Kat Hartmann

Kasabian Empire

Kasabian’s second album is the perfect example of a group taking the next step up after a fairly successful debut. While their self-titled debut effort wore a lot of its influences (Primal Scream, Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses, Oasis, The Verve) on its sleeve and was a good album, Empire is the sound of Kasabian finding their own sound.

The title track and lead single is a piece of dirty, thumping electro rock that sounds like it could be the theme to a sci-fi film. The repetitive chant in Shoot the Runner has so much attitude and swagger it's near impossible not to feel 20 foot tall when pumping it through your headphones.

Other songs on the album range from full on dance music (Apnoea) to acoustic balladry (British Legion). It’s a genre-hopping journey that shows that Kasabian are a band unable to stay in the one place for very long.

Album closer, The Doberman, exemplifies Kasabian’s genre mixing. There are electro and acoustic parts and when you think that’s all they can do, in come the trumpets, evoking images of a western movie shootout.

Touring with the likes of Oasis seems to have taught Kasabian the importance of the gigantic statement and this album is exactly that – a giant that is definitely a contender for album of the year.

Michael Hartt

The Walkmen A Hundred Miles Off

Imagine if Bob Dylan was a young musician in 2006 and fronted an indie band.

Imagine no more, introducing The Walkmen.

A Hundred Miles Off is The Walkmen’s third album and sounds as world-weary and pissed off as Robert Zimmerman ever was in his hey-day.

The similarity between the voice of head Walkman, Hamilton Leithauser, and Dylan’s is one of the first things you’ll notice on this album, but once you get past that novelty you’ll find this to be a very strong album in its own right.

Escapism seems to be the main theme throughout this album that combines blues, folk, rock and psychedelia with impressive results. The jangly opener, Louisiana, sounds like one of those picturesque summer days when the cool breeze softly blows while there isn’t a cloud in the sky.

Good For You’s Good For Me and Emma Get Me A Lemon (weirdest song title of 2006?) sound like a rougher version of The Strokes in that there’s a similar sense of urgency and claustrophobia to these songs as with some of Julian Casablancas’ songwriting.

This Job Is Killing Me should be the anthem for anyone who’s ever been stuck seething at their desk after being pushed that millimetre too far. The beat even sounds like the endless pounding of computer keys (or possibly typewriters) and the drudgery of working 9-5.

This is an album that goes through many moods and phases. It sounds great on the first listen and gets better with each play.

Michael Hartt

Tosis This Social Disease

Tosis never intended their debut album This Social Disease to be a mass-marketed media hyped affair, they only had 100 copies pressed. Rather the album was made more as a personal showcase, a fact that potentially helped create the intimate tone that runs throughout.

From the self-reflective syncopated opening track Sober, through to the beautifully mournful A Little Rain In Us All, Tosis takes us on a ride through our own subconscious. A stunning oft times haunting journey, but an adventure none the less.

The flow of This Social Disease is dexterously flawless. However should you choose to break the album down track-by-track, and play each one independent of the other you could be excused for thinking the aforementioned comment is well off the mark.

The structure is seemingly chaotic, with the beat driven Ladder Of Life followed by the pop sensibilities of Unbelieveable yet somehow each track lends something to the next. Somehow - in the final note, the style contradictions make perfect sense. The final product; a pleasantly unpredictable work of art.

Anita Stein

the album leaf Into the Blue Again

This is a beautiful record from a relatively unknown Californian artist. Essentially this is an electronic, instrumental album that brings to mind groups like Mogwai and Sigur Ros.

Magnetic samples and organic instrumentation give this album a soul unlike less thoughtful elevator electronica. The highly melodic keys are the standout on this album. This is a great weekend album for when you have time to really listen to music. The songs are thought provoking and the album really holds your interest despite being mostly instrumental. It's nice to hear the beauty of drums, bass and keys without someone singing something corny over the top. Opiate electronic beats are scattered from beginning to end - the standout Broken Arrow with a disorienting beat. All the songs however have the same slow tempo which never really rises.

All in all a solid album with impressive instrumentation. Could use a couple of Mogwai crescendos or just some plain noise. Still waiting for something extra or something a touch more brash to happen on the album. Well maybe it's a double album and I only have the first CD.

Flipper

The Mars Volta Amputechture

Recorded in LA, California, El Paso, Texas and Melbourne, Australia The Mars Volta deliver their timeless, distinctive style in their new album, Amputechture.

Intensely indulgent introductions and macabre subject matters (such as an obsession with embalming, body fluids and all things posthumous) archetypal of these poster boys mean these newly released tracks are not designed for any short journeys and may not always suit the happy springtime bbq, but make for truly powerful listening nonetheless.

Sound wise and lyrically, Amputechure is nothing spectacularly revolutionary for the Mars Volta. While still satisfied, old fans won’t be too surprised- and new ones inducted to a true to form, stylistically assured band who are so clearly confident and honest with themselves, what they do and the sound they produce.

What is permanently clear with Mars Volta is that they truly love what they do, and that they have the experience, talent and ingenuity to show it every time. There is no trickery to it either. The Mars Volta are as flawless live as they are pre-recorded, and are among the most polished and interesting performers in the industry. They also like to make up compound words out of other words to make new words that don’t really exist.

All I can say it that if you liked them then, you’ll like them now and if you don’t get all the lyrics, don’t panic, you just can’t speak Spanish yet.

Mandy Chapman