Dead Letter Circus, Sydonia, Rincon @ The Corner Hotel, Melbourne (11/09/2009)

Rincon open the night with some big riffing. Soaring vocals are underpinned with chugging guitars, and it’s easy to see why they were chosen for tonight’s support slot. The crowd is still a bit small this early in the night, but those who are here seem pretty attentive and appreciative.

Sydonia start out a little slow, but as their intensity builds they manage to steal the show, in my mind, as most interesting band of the night. I saw Sydonia about three years ago and liked them, but they didn’t make a huge impact. Clearly the years in between have taught them a lot as they now seem tighter and more energetic. As a four piece they beef up their sound with extra percussion played throughout the set by their guitarist and bass player. This adds interesting rhythms to the songs and an oomph to their live sound. A rhythm based song which sees the band joined by members of Dead Letter Circus on additional percussion (including an upturned rubbish bin) is a highlight. They’ve also gathered quite a following since I last saw them, with a dedicated crowd at the front and many punters walking around in Sydonia merch.

Up until this point I’d been wondering how there could be so much room to move in a sold out Corner Hotel. But there’s a massive influx in the 20 minutes between bands and suddenly all is understood. By the time Dead Letter Circus hit the stage it’s hot, hard to move and there’s a mosh pit down the front. They kick things off with a fast pace and the crowd jumps along. DLC have somehow passed me by up to this point. I’ve seen the name around and had a vague idea of the musical style, but tonight is the first time I’ve really heard them. It’s easy to tell I’m in the minority here not just by the size of the crowd, but by how enthusiastically they respond to the band. And it’s also easy to see why.

Once again we’re treated to some soaring vocals and a strong rhythm section, this time with some more atmospheric and melodic guitar work layered over the top. Tracks from a forthcoming album are given an airing, as are tracks from their self-titled EP which are lapped up by the crowd. Disconnect and Apply particularly stands out with singer Kim Benzie grabbing a camcorder to film the crowd as they sing the song’s closing refrain. If I have one suggestion for Dead Letter Circus it’s that they could up their on-stage presence a little, especially when following a band like Sydonia. Only Benzie really interacts with the crowd, while the rest of the band seem a bit still. But this doesn’t bother the audience who more than make up for it with their own energy. Also surprising is that there is no encore, given how excited the crowd are by the end of the set.

Still, a great night all up with strong performances from all three bands. Surely we’ll be hearing from them all a lot more over the coming months.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

top six local albums

i thought i should post a new blog finally. and then i thought i should make it music related. and then i thought i should make it local music related. and then i remembered how i was listening to uisce last night, and how much i enjoyed it. and how it reminded me how i always think it's a shame that not enough local bands in musical styles i'm interested in really try to make their own style and make an impact rather than just sounding like international bands. this may also have been influenced by reviewing the new butterfly effect single the other day, and my growing feeling that most of the well known bands in these fields are given support because they're considered the best aus bands we have, but when you put them in an international field, they're not that far up the list at all.

so here are my seven favourite australian albums. albums that i think have done something original and have found really enjoyable, and most importantly, exciting:

the grand silent system - gift or a weapon
silverchair - neon balroom
theredsunband - peapod
non-intentional lifeform - uisce (ish-ka)
architecture in helsinki - in case we die
regurgitator - tu-plang

disclaimer:
why six? because i limited it to one per band, full length albums and tried to make it only stuff that is fairly readily available - cutting off a lot of bands like twitch, tirany, behind crimson eyes,
pyramid, sydonia, young love, a ghost devotion and many others who have all put on a great live show/released a great ep/self-released a great recording/all of the above. if anyone wants to make any criticisms of this list, just know that i wont respond to anything that concerns the following issues: first and most importantly, it has to be something i've HEARD (and preferably have in my possession). second it has to be something i ENJOYED and got a response from ME. this list is completely subjective, and i make no apologies for that. you make think X album belongs on there, but if i haven't heard it, or if i have and it wasn't my thing, i'm not gonna put it on MY list. plain and simple. also i know they're all albums from the last 10 years (or less), but remember, i'm still in my early 20's. i'll readily admit that i'm far more excited by music that i grew up with or is emerging now than by things that happened before my time. i'm not trying to make a definitive all time most important and influential list. just things i think are really fucking cool. ok? good. any other suggestions, i'll listen to, as i'm always extra excited when a local
band excites me.