Oops, as it turns out, my internet at home went down for a few days, some hangover from Y2K or something. Anyway here’s some tracks from Auckland outfit Sidewalk Meese. They played a house show alongside fellow bros Nevernudes and Nice Birds last month (year?! DECADE?!) here in Wellington, and seriously impressed with their kiwi-grunge tendencies, sweet cover of The Verlaines’ Pyromaniac too. The songs are only demos but they feel pretty well crafted and realised, well-thought through flourishes like the hi-hat taps post-chorus in 813. In addition to being well written, there’s a definite sense of familiarity to their songs. Not just in a negative ’sounds like this band’ way either, but in an almost nostalgic way, particularly the opening guitar in Broke for Today. Plus, you know, there is also the fact that they’ve written three good good good songs here, dipping from tender melody into some solid grungeness that’s been getting really well utilised by a bunch of Auckland bands over the last year. That whole ‘next boat’ thing is uber reductive, but it does seem like Sidewalk Meese are yet another young band to be unfairly good and will get even better. Pretty jealous, I’ve gotta say. Also, make sure you check out their badass t-shirts on their myspace.
