Karnivool
Formed in 1998, independent alt-rock band Karnivool capture a perfect blend of both melodic beauty and spine-bending rock. Their debut 2005 album Themata, which has now spent over two years in the national AIR Independent Charts, appeals to anyone who desires a truly unique sound. For a band that has done it all themselves, the album represents the apex of their efforts and endeavours over the last three-year slog since their last EP.
Karnivool will spend most of the back end of 2007 touring the US promoting the Themata, which has now been released in the UK, USA, Canada and Mexico .
www.karnivool.com.au www.myspace.com/karnivool
The Kill Devil Hills
The Kill Devil Hills are a six-piece based in Fremantle, Western Australia. Formed in early 2003 as a cow-punk trio, they have mutated into a sonic stew of rock, folk and punk, while carving out their own weird take on the great Australian tradition of swamp music. With a visceral live show, the KDH walk a crooked line between fierce psychedelic noise and haunting balladry.
This is a band searching for the delicate balance between beauty and savagery: gristly electric guitar and overdriven violin vying against the fragile twang of a banjo; a heart-aching drawl matched against the swelling cacophony. Two albums have been released to date, 2004's Heathen Songs and 2006's The Drought, both received with open arms by the bands' growing audience. The Kill Devil Hills are currently at work on their third studio album to be released early 2008, along with an imminent European tour.
www.thekilldevilhills.com www.myspace.com/thekilldevilhills
Le Hoodoo Gurus
The Hoodoo Gurus formed in Sydney on January 1, 1981 to play their first "show" in an inner city lounge room. Core members are Dave Faulkner and Brad Shepherd, but three of the four original members -Faulkner, Roddy Radalj and James Baker -were originally from Perth. Their first single was 'Leilani', followed by 'Tojo' and 'My Girl' which were both released in 1983.Blow Your Cool, released in 1986, was a massive pop hit propelled by the bands' highest charting single 'What's My Scene'.
Faulkner on his hometown; "I came from Perth and a lot of bands wouldn't go over there because of the logistics of touring in Western Australia so you'd always feel deprived. I was determined not to let that happen when I was playing. So, whoever I could get to listen to me could."
Numerous successful albums and an international profile later the band officially disbanded in 1997 before reuniting in 2004.
www.hoodoogurus.net www.myspace.com/hoodoogurus
Little Birdy
Let's get it out of the way at the very start . Little Birdy got their name from a song by Ween, OK?
Along the way Little Birdy have revealed themselves as one of a startling new generation of bands to explode out of the isolated musical hotbed of Perth, Western Australia. The quartet is fronted by 24-year-old singer/guitarist Katy Steele. Her vocal range, songwriting, and sartorial splendour have attracted favourable comparisons to PJ Harvey and Chrissie Hynde. In a distant Perth bunker, Katy, guitarist Simon, bassist Scott 'Barney' O'Donoghue and drummer Matt Chequer have honed their unique sound since their inception in 2003.
In the same way, Little Birdy's second album Hollywood, was recently elevated to Gold Record status and made good on the extraordinary promise of their acclaimed October 2004 debut, Big Big Love, which saw them nominated for four ARIAS on top of their nomination for their earlier EP release Relapse.
www.littlebirdy.net www.myspace.com/littlebirdy
The Manikins
The Manikins were members of the same class of Perth bands (inclduing the Cheap Nasties, the Scientists and the Victims) whose members graduated from their own local rock n roll high school around the turn of the '70s and moved on. The band formed in August 1977 as 'the Cheap Nasties', along with co-founder Kim Salmon before he moved on to form the Scientists in December of 1977. With Robbie Porritt joining as lead vocalist, the rest of the band continued as The Manikins.
The raw sound of the Cheap Nasties gradually gave way to a poppier, new wave-oriented musical direction of the Manikins. Following his stint with the Victims, Dave Faulkner joined for a brief period as keyboard player before moving on to form the Hoodoo Gurus in Sydney. The band relocated to Melbourne in the early 1980s, but broke up soon afterwards.
www.citadel-records.com
New Rules For Boats
Since their inception New Rules For Boats have been pushing forward - trying to create something that mirrors a mix between Bruce Springsteen and Kate Bush - if such a thing can exist. Lyrics that make you listen again just to make sure you heard right. A rhythm section with just enough urgency and confrontational poise - like gentleman Jim Hird living on a main road. Grace and courage juxtaposed with chaos and disorder.
The band is a product of kids growing up in a tiny town full of even tinier suburbs. The kind of town tourists laugh at as their jumbo descends on the skyline. The Bankwest building and the Bell Tower. That's it? Yeah man, that's pretty much it. Thank Christ! They're the result of strong friendships and a lot of bullshit.
Best friends, siblings, housemates, teammates, workmates and bandmates - chances are whatever New Rules For Boats mean to you, they mean more to each other. It's okay though - you're more than welcome.
www.myspace.com/newrulesforboats
The Painkillers
James Baker played drums for many of Australia's great rock bands - the Victims, the Scientists, the Hoodoo Gurus and the Beasts of Bourbon - but left before they took off. And now he has applied his powerful primitive drumming style to new duo The Painkillers, teaming up with acoustic guitarist Joe Bludge.
Their debut album Drunk on a Train contains a suite of 11 lo-fi organic songs that fuse the early acoustic Bob Dylan with the detached cool and New York drawl of '80s solo era Lou Reed. The catchy title track and 'Wild & Western Land' are reminiscent of the punk folk stylings of soon-to-be-touring 'Hammell on Trial' and punk poet Jim Carroll; while 'Facility Friend' and the whimsical 'Honey Bees' recalls slacker rocker J Mascis' mellower offerings. while 'Porcupine' is reminiscent of the Lemonheads at their most reflective. It's the cracked vocal, lived-in lyrics, loose playing and 3am-on-the-couch-and-beers charm that make the Painkillers so appealing.
www.myspace.com/thepainkillers
The Panda Band
As word spreads, the traffic is getting heavy and they need to make a few upgrades; a couple more lanes each way, some bigger supports, perhaps some up lighting for spectacular night time viewing. Maybe even a truck stop for hungry travellers. These will come in the form of their new album This Vital Chapter.
The bedroom charm of the Sleepy Little Deathtoll Town EP has served them well this past year, with love being spread and pouring in from all around the globe. For those swayed by big name international publications, Rolling Stone Magazine said we're No.1 in one of those top 10 lists.
'...Deathtoll Town' was also voted No.73 on one of the world's biggest radio listener polls (Triple J's Hottest 100) and charted on the top five playlisted songs on Australian alternative radio.
There's more love where that came from...
www.thepandaband.com www.myspace.com/thepandaband
