Batrider myspace/batrider
Why We Can’t Be Together (Shock)

Featured tracks: Homie Gnomie, Can’t Keep Up

Homie Gnomie is actually my favourite song at the moment – I can’t stop listening to it – and I have a discman because my iPod broke and I keep having to shamedly take it out of my bag to flick it back to this track because it’s just so damn good. In fact, I think Homie Gnomie is almost the piece de resistance of Batrider to date and encapsulates everything they’re about without being overtly guitar-core or angry. Although it’s pretty angry. And then the rest of the album is pretty guitar-core. So Why We Can’t Be Together as an album takes everything that Batrider does musically and compiles it in different ways into different tracks. Homie Gnomie takes everything Batrider is about thematically and hammers it home in 3 and-and-a-half minutes. Yes please.
COURTNEY FLURO

Jay Reatard myspace/jayreatard
Watch Me Fall (Matador)

Featured tracks: Hang Them All, Rotten Mind

This is a relentless album that starts off with abrupt, nasally vocals to shock you into the mood. The album is punchy and professional, taking you on a handclap-inducing trip through the paranoid life of Mr Reatard. Upon first listen Watch Me Fall is really intense – almost to the point where it is almost offputting. BUT, delve a little deeper and you will get to know the real album – more affectionate, melodic and sophisticated than it would first make you believe. I think what Jay Reatard wants is a little love and dedication – give it to him!
MINTY FRESH

Wavves myspace/waaves
Waaves (Shock)

Featured tracks: Waaves, The Boys Will Love Us
The other day Scott was like “I played Wavves by the band Wavves from the album Wavves on my radio show” and it sounded fucking crazy because they’re were no mid levels at all. In other words: Xtreme. And this is totally the point of Wavves. Everything he’s about he is about to the extreme. He’s extremely lo-fi, extremely screamy, extremely short and extremely intense. Which makes for an intensely short hard-out listen. But that intensity means for that short amount of time you my friend are listening to nothing else: which is for the best, because this guy has got the musical goods. Beware: you may need some easy listening after this.
COURTNEY FLURO

The XX myspace/thexx
The XX (Young Turks/The Label)

Featured tracks: Heart Skipped A Beat, Shelter

The XX have blown up (in an underground way) from their home in London. Best friends, singer/songwriters Romy & Oliver are out front, and production is taken care of by Jamie and 4th member Baria is a fly keyboardist. Haunted Pop is the best way i can describe it. It has been labelled a few things but the album speaks for itself & The XX defy description really. Vocally & lyrically beautiful with a hint of genius going on in the music. Diverse but consistent. Hyped? Yes, but deservedly so on this occassion.

DJ LOTION

Slow Club myspace/slowclub
Yeah, So (Rhymemethod)

Featured tracks: It Doesn’t Have To Be Beautiful, Our Most Brilliant Friends

So I interviewed Rebecca from this band a couple of nights ago and she was the NICEST person ever. All like “yeah, like I’m actually at me ma’s house because we played V Festival at the weekend and I’m knackered” in her super thick Sheffield accent. And it’s appropriate that she was super nice because Slow Club’s music is super nice in that folk-country prettily melodic sense. But like all good country music there’s this underlying sadness in the lyrics and (sometimes) the music that sort of makes you feel bad about dancing to it or listening to it in the sun when you’re all happy and stuff. But not bad enough to make you stop doing it.
COURTNEY FLURO

Amanda Blank myspace/amandablank
I Love You (Downtown/Inertia)

Featured tracks: What You Got (feat. Spank Rock), Might Like You Better

Oh shit this gurl is fiiiiieeeerce. As a quick reference, think Peaches with a broader lyrics book and more banging beats – I Love You is as clubby and sexy as all hell. Getting hot and heavy with the likes of Spank Rock, Lykki Li and Chuck Inglish, put this shit on if you feel like shakin yo assssss. I mean, it’s not rocket science but if you wanna feel like you own this city – you will totally get pumped to this. How many ways can you say ‘Fuck me’? Heaps.
MINTY FRESH

Papercuts myspace/thepapercuts
You Can Have What You Want (Spunk / Rhymemethod)

Featured tracks: Jet Pane, The Wolf (feat. Alex Scally)

My first introduction to Papercuts was via a Ruby Suns remix of the ‘Future Primitive’ track. Upon getting the album proper, it has succeeded in keeping me going back to it. Soundwise it is comparable to The Ruby Suns but also Beach House & Panda Bear. Papercuts are San Francisco-based and is the brainchild of songwriter Jason Robert Quiver. Jason has help from his buddies including Alex Scally from Beach House who pops up numerous times on the album. Indie Folk with a twist of Psychedelia – this is a solid album which will delight and suprise.
DJ LOTION

Oh Mercy myspace/ohmercyband
Privileged Woes (Shock)

Featured tracks: Met A Wizard, Couldn’t Let You Down

This album makes me wanna beg. In a similar vein to Camera Obscura and the Go-Betweens, these charmers from across the Tasman swoon so softly you’ll cuddle up tight with your warm fuzzies and be swept up in their emo-enducing lyrics. Musically it’s totally pop-tastic and makes you smile like you’ve just seen the cutest thing ever, but lyrically it comes with a whole lot of heart break. It’s like a kitten that has just spewed up milk and looks all confused but is forever forgivable due to its endearing nature.
MINTY FRESH

Arctic Monkeys myspace/arcticmonkeys
Humbug (EMI)

Featured tracks: Crying Lightening, Dangerous Animal

I have been a total proponent of Arctic Monkeys from day one and I stay by that through all the hate, the overexposure, and that single. Finally rewarded by Alex Turner’s Scott Walker-esque side project The Last Shadow Puppets the Monkeys’ newest venture is in the same vein: witty, sleek vocals and lyrics coupled with heavy R.O.C.K production by Josh Homme.
COURTNEY FLURO

Ze 30 myspace/zerecords
Ze Records 1979 – 2009 (Strut Records)

Featured tracks: Material (feat. Nona Hendryx) Bustin’ Out, Suicide – Dream Baby Dream

Ze records solidified New York as the epicenter of Amazing, and this collection of tracks are an absolute cluster-fuck of awesome. It’s the dirty underbelly of Donna Summer heaving and humping over a steady drum beat. It is that cynical, angular 80’s style that absorbed capitalist culture and shat it out into that wasted, clubby post-punk. Coupled with disco sensibilities that reminds us who the Juan Maclean, DFA, The Rapture, Chicks on Speed and Gossip et al. sold their soul to.
MINTY FRESH

James Duncan myspace/jamesduncanmusic
Hello-fi (Round Trip Mars / Universal)
Featured tracks: My New Flumes (feat. Bachelorette), …Of Everyone Around You

James Duncan has just (& finally!) released his debut album called ‘Hello-Fi’. A play on words clearly cause this bad boy is anything but under-produced. From the get-go it’s a keeper. ‘My New Flumes’ featuring Annabel Bachelorette on the guest vocal kicks things off in fine style. Other radio singles follow The Cupboards Bare & Don’t Close Your Eyes. Nearly every track however, shows a music creator on top of his game. James Duncan is also a guitarist in Dimmer, SJD & Punches so he is a busy man… Too busy in fact – when does he eat?
DJ LOTION

Dodos myspace/thedodos
Time To Die (Shock)

Featured tracks: Two Medicines, The Strums

Time to Die has the same Dodos you know and love (ooO I love that guitar sound), but also progresses beyond the rawness of Visiter into a more complex assortment of journeying songs – does that make sense? I guess I’m meaning if I could personify it, each of the tracks would be like its own individual traveling folk gypsy. I think Two Medicines is one of my favourite songs of the year too. The album still has those beautiful harmonies without drowning itself in overproduction, and holy crap that dude can play guitar. These guys have really pushed their sound to give more character to each of the songs too – well done Dodos. Well done.
MINTY FRESH

Tiddabades myspace/tiddabades
EP (self-released)

Featured tracks: Colours, Romance Dance

Wellington 4-piece that have been getting all the cool support slots. Original sounding band, although they do owe a nod to Joy Division & Gang Of Four for some ol’ skool Post-Punk inspiration. Tiddabades have been working on this EP for a while so it’s good to see it out there in a tangiable form and available for your purchase via the bands myspace page www.myspace.com/tiddabades. Punchy production, clever arrangements, lyrically sharp and a local release worthy of praise. Kicking the corpse back to life!
DJ LOTION

Milky Disco 2
Let’s Go Freak Out (Lo Recordings / Border)

Featured tracks: You Are Amen, Big City Lights

I never heard Milky Disco 1 but if number 2 is anything to go on, it is essential listening. Since receiving this double album of various artists, it has been a mainstay in DJ Lotion radio shows & has also found it’s way into DJ Lotion club sets. It’s foundation lies in Cosmic Disco (as the title suggests), but it’s a real mixed bag of tempo’s and flavours. It features ‘So-Hot-Right-Now’ names such as Expanding Head Band, Canyons, Black Devil Disco Club, Soft Circle, CFCF, Windsurf & Ghost Note. Lo Recordings is also a very accomplished electronic label on the indie tip… so seek child, seek!
DJ LOTION

Fiery Furnaces myspace/thefieryfurnaces
I’m Going Away (Rhymemethod)

Featured tracks: Champagne Charmaine, Cut The Cake

Elanor Freidenberger is a Brooklyn babe who together with her brother (who in an interesting twist is Elanor’s boyfriend’s – Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand – guitar tech) write the most weirdly eclectic pop-folk-rock-with vocally bluesy tinged music this side of well, something super weird. I’m Going Away is no different. Employing all manner of instruments, time signatures and actually – smoothness – this album sounds like everything else The Fiery Furnaces have done, which in turn, sounds nothing like anything else.
COURTNEY FLURO