Just Rolled In: Redspencer - "Ride It Out" and "Happy Slow Riverbends" [jangle pop / indie rock / lo-fi]

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Based in Melbourne but originally from New South Wales, the jangly indie rock trio Redspencer have shared two catchy singles this month in anticipation of the June 1st release of their debut EP.

The first single, "Happy Slow Riverbends", is the sunnier of the two and gives off a sort of Darwin Deez or Spoon vibe with its bouncy rhythm, punchy guitar riffs, and distorted vocals, while the newest single, "Ride It Out", is a more introspective cut, allowing the restless guitars to do most of the talking, much like summery guitar-pop poster boys Real Estate and Mac DeMarco.

Stream Redspencer's two new singles below and be sure to buy the debut EP coming out June 1st via Deaf Ambitions! And if you're in Melbourne, hit up their EP launch show at Bar Open on Friday, June 5th with Tourist Dollars and Head Clouds.

Just Rolled In: Crepes - "Stages of Fear" [slacker pop / indie rock / jangle pop / psychedelic]

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The promising Melbourne-based slacker-pop band Crepes have just put out their second single, "Stages of Fear", which sticks to the psych-tinged jangle pop we were introduced to in "Ain't Horrible" but shows that they can do upbeat just as well as downbeat. This bouncy track along with its contrasting predecessor paint a pretty clear picture of the range of songs that you can expect on their debut EP being released in mid-April. In the meantime, boogie down with "Stages of Fear".

Just Rolled In: Crepes - "Ain't Horrible" [slacker pop / jangle pop / indie rock]

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One of the most recent additions to Melbourne's robust indie music scene, the four-piece band Crepes (originally from Ballarat), has just released the easy going indie pop track "Ain't Horrible" as the first single from their forthcoming 2015 debut EP. The song's laid-back guitar/drums interplay and singer Tim Karmouche's lackadaisical vocal delivery remind me of a mix between Cass McCombs and Melbourne "dolewave" band Dick Diver, while its gratifying blend of harmonizing vocals and keys and the sometimes-strange assorted sound effects layered throughout the choruses and latter half of the song give me the feeling that I'm falling in slow motion into the freaky psychedelic realm of Connan Mockasin or Mac DeMarco. However, the way that Crepes have managed to draw from multiple influences to make a "slacker pop" song sound so rich, smooth, and catchy is what makes them truly unmatchable, and as the title seems to suggest, not horrible.

Swell Album: #1 Dads - About Face [indie rock / soul / experimental pop]

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Tom Iansek has been featured on holaOLA before, but as half of the award-winning Australian duo Big Scary. Now, the Melbourne songwriter is back, further proving his excellent musicianship, songwriting, and vocal skills as the force behind #1 Dads, his solo project, which recently released the beautiful record About Face on Pieater Records.

Formed as a way to keep busy creating new material between recording sessions and touring with his more established music project, #1 Dads first made its mark back in May 2011 (as Dads) with the debut release, Man of Leisure. The only real sonic connection that can be made between the two projects is that they both feature Iansek's passionate vocals and experimental pop sensibilities. Comparing #1 Dads' new record with Big Scary's recent genre-defying Not Art LP, Iansek not only mellows down his vocals a bit (albeit without sacrificing any of the soul), but he tones down the music too, favoring subdued piano arrangements and acoustic guitars to punchy keys and percussion. The presence of guest vocalists (Tom Snowdon of Lowlakes, Ainslie Wills, and Airling) on select tracks of About Face also adds a new dynamic to his minimal indie rock, making for an engrossing listening experience that's just as diverse as the list of genres tagged to his previous music.

Stream/purchase the entire album below and hop on over to #1 Dads' BandCamp page to stream and/or buy 2011's Man of Leisure.

Swell Album: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Oddments [garage / psychedelic / soul]

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Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have just released their fourth LP, Oddments, in as little as eighteen months. The most impressive part is that each album successfully pulls off something different—the Thee Oh Sees-indebted garage-psych of 12 Bar Bruise, the experimental narrative-led spaghetti western album Eyes Like the Sky, the 60s-influenced psychedelia of Float Along – Fill Your Lungs, and the soulful pysch-pop kaleidoscope of their most recent LP Oddments. Since the first installment of this hyperactive recording series, the Gizz & Liz Wiz have scraped away a good amount of the fuzz signature of any psychedelic garage rock band to let the vocals breathe a bit more and to reveal their more soulful side, making this record the most dynamic and accessible listening experience.

While there's no doubt that garage rockers like Black Lips or Thee Oh Sees have played a part in driving the seven-piece to produce their energetic, and often humorous, brand of psychedelic garage rock, a likening to Unknown Mortal Orchestra is also plausible, especially in the comparably unhurried lo-fi track "Stressin'". The main difference between Oddments and its predecessors is that it doesn't cling too hard to any one idea. Each song brings something different into the mix, leaving us with a melting pot of influences and most importantly, a really fun record, maybe just as fun as saying the band's name—King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.

Stream the entire album below or listen to it on their Bandcamp, along with the rest of their discography.

Just Rolled In: Big Scary - "Luck Now" [experimental pop / indie folk / soul]

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Here's another Melbourne, Australia band sure to turn some heads in 2013: Big Scary. Seemingly boundless with their genre exploration, the experimental indie pop duo is set to release their sophomore album Not Art June 28 via Pieater (Aus) and September 17 through their new US home, Barsuk Records.

After listening to Big Scary's previous releases (their debut LP Vacation and previous EP collection The Big Scary Four Seasons), I find it difficult to stick a label on the music, which is a good thing in my mind. On one track they're floating through a delicate piano-based folk tune, then they explode into an energetic rock'n'roll jam that drops off into a more glossy indie pop song, just to do it all over again.

The Australian duo's second single from Not Art, "Luck Now", finds them in one of their more stripped down, subdued moments, but the track is given extra life with lead singer/guitarist/pianist Tom Iansek's soulfully stirring vocal performance akin to that of Bon Iver's Justin Vernon. "Luck Now", one of my favorite songs released this year, marks a shift in musical style for Big Scary as they have incorporated a hip hop-influenced, syncopated drum loop embellished by percussion samples they recorded in a garage while hitting various objects. It all comes together quite nicely, if you ask me.

Listen to "Luck Now" below followed by Big Scary's first single "Phil Collins" and grab a copy of Not Art on iTunes at the end of June!

Artist Making Waves: Vance Joy [indie folk / folk pop]

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In a year you probably won't see me posting about Vance Joy, the 25-year-old skyrocketing indie folk artist from Melbourne, Australia, mostly because he will be more popular than The Lumineers and Of Monsters And Men and this blog tries to focus more on the lesser known acts. Either way, here he is now, and for a good reason: he's damn good! When I mentioned those bands above I didn't mean to liken Vance Joy to them, but rather hint at the mainstream success and radio play that his golden voice and expertly crafted folk pop songs will surely gain.

Born James Keogh, he only has one EP under his belt, God Loves You When You're Dancing, which contains the hit single "Riptide", but he has already gotten snagged up by music industry giant Atlantic Records. They signed him on for a five-record deal after a bidding war that broke out following his performance at SXSW in Austin, Texas this March. As long as Atlantic doesn't completely change his sound or make him do duets at the Superbowl with Skrillex or Sean Paul then you can still color me interested in Vance Joy's future as an artist.

Take a listen to two tracks from his EP ("Riptide" and "From Afar") and watch a video of him performing the opening track "Emmylou" live with his band. You can purchase the the God Loves You When You're Dancing EP here.