Dyson Stringer Cloher and Spike Fuck also feature.
Dyson Stringer Cloher – ‘Falling Clouds’
‘Falling Clouds’ isn’t an obvious earworm. Mia Dyson, Liz Stringer and Jen Cloher sing a droning melody in unison over a sludgy guitar riff, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t get stuck in your head. Named after Falling Joys and The Clouds, two ’90s female-fronted indie rock bands, the uber-trio reunite to pay homage to the individuals who “kicked the door wide open so [they] could walk onto that stage”. The song’s final line is the real kicker, but I’ll leave it for you to discover.
Label: Milk! Records
Spike Fuck – ‘Body By Crystal’
Spike Fuck claims to have originally excluded ‘Body By Crystal’ from her Smackwave EP because it was too raw. Thank goodness she finally relented because it’s a bloody beauty, even if the details of drug abuse and a life in chaos evoke a stark image. There’s nasty, dated drum machines, nasty, dated electric guitar, and an apt channelling of Lou Reed vocally, lyrically and melodically.
Label: Partisan
Private Function – ‘Talking to Myself’
As I’ve gotten older, I feel I’ve become saner, calmer and gained a shitload more self-awareness. That hasn’t freed me of quirks and doddery compulsions, though. So I instantly related to this anguished, scruffy punk rock song from Melbourne’s Private Function – namely to its core lyric: “Every day I’m talking to myself/A little bit more.” It’s fast, doesn’t seem particularly bothered about precision, and smells a bit like a blokey moshpit.
Label: Disdain Records
Rebel Yell – ‘Night Drive’
No idea why Rebel Yell isn’t one of the biggest names in techno. Pleased, however, that Sydney’s Grace Stevenson just keeps cranking out music. ‘Night Drive’ hews to the project’s signature, boasting muscular programming that slaps you into action and a reverb-soaked Sprechgesang lead vocal that makes a statement of sociocultural import.
Label: Rice Is Nice
