Hello my new aurally aware friends! My name is Katie Dazzle, and I am a listaholic. I also love music a lot, and this tends to result in mixtape madness. Each week I’ll be bringing you a column that focuses on new and upcoming music in the indie vein, via an album or gig review.
And luckily for you, I’ll also be sneaking in a few mini-mixes wherever I can.
First things first, I am feeling quite shady. Shady Lane that is. A cute electro-pop four piece from my backyard in Sydney, and they’ve been tugging at my heartstrings all day with their brand new debut album, Here We Go Down The Black Hole.
As the title would suggest, the lyrics to these 12 songs do not tread a light path – they question life, religion, science, and are all wrapped up in a pre-occupation with death, dying, futility and existentialism, but rather than being preachy or depressing, the warm electro fuzz and melody contained within each song allows for a kind of hopeful contemplation. I haven’t seen these guys live but apparently Shady Lane perform on stage, not with a whiz-bang mac book, but rather an old school clumsy looking desktop. I like this. Apparently you can buy them for $15 from some magical computer emporium. My flatmate and his girlfriend want to start making fishtanks out of them. I’m suitably nonplussed.
The music of Shady Lane is shoe-gazey enough to make me lie on my bed with my feet up the wall, electro enough to make me start tapping them about, and poppy enough to make me commando roll myself onto my feet and turn the volume up a little louder. Definitely check out ‘Galileo’ and ‘This Is Death’. Sweet in one ear and subdued out the other.
Something else I will let you know about me is that I’m not the sportiest ball in the net, but my first mini-mix is simply titled Hatrick. Blame the Ashes. My Hat trick has nothing to do with cricket, but 3 super talented artists who will knock you out for 6 once you give them a listen.
Kinematic is a band from Melbourne, and by the looks of both their MySpace and official websites, they have been pretty busy kids over the past few years. I have used my magical powers for good to give you an amazing track from their forthcoming album – which, on the down-low, I believe will be called Kites. Like pinpoints, this song will prick you and then stay under your skin from the first tinkle. I’m looking forward to more from these guys this year – shows in Melbourne in August, get down there 4 seasoners!
Check them out on 
Grouper – Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping
Liz Harris has a dreamy, breathy voice and as the guitar strums open up this song, it feels ethereal. Which is good, because sometimes I get stuck on the point that groupers are big, ugly fish. For just one little lady, Grouper has a big sound, but there’s nothing ugly about it – this is from the album Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill.
Like what you hear? Buy it on
Melbourne keeps coming up with the goods, these guys are from there also. Two cousins, Kieran and Kishore are the most excellent boys who make up Kid Sam. They released their self-titled debut a couple of months ago and it’s really lovely to listen to when it’s rainy. Lucky for these boys, we’ve had a lot of that lately. Although, I would actually listen to Kid Sam in any climate – I couldn’t even pick just one track – here’s another one for you. Sneaky. Kid Sam are also doing shows in various places around Australia right now – go and see them.
Find Kid Sam’s music on
