- Tiana Speter
FAVE 5: DIY post-punk lengend KAI CULT unveils his current fave artists to spice up your playlists!
Melbourne lord of the avant-garde KAI CULT is writing sonic checks you will vehemently want to cash with his dystopian dance-punk new tune Massive Checks which dropped late last week.
Warping out of lockdown and into some dank post-punk, KAI CULT's latest endeavour bustles with prowling bass, hazy guitars and the man himself flitting between carefree sung-spoken verses and menaced rasp in the chorus as Massive Checks pokes angsty fun at the irony of millennial living in a world gone mad. And while the song's been bubbling away in the world for a few days now, today to celebrate his new release, KAI CULT divulges his Fave 5 artists currently doing the rounds in his speakers right now. Read on and get ready to find your next musical crush, KAI CULT-style!
PLOVERS
Plovers are an amazing band from Melbourne that combine killer noise-rock guitar riffage with catchy vocal hooks and soaring choruses. Influenced by bands such as The Future of the Left, Cloud Nothings and The Jesus Lizard, they put on a very entertaining and energetic live show that even resulted in a circle pit at The Tote! They have very socially conscious lyrics combined with an intensity that connects with the frustrations living under an arrogant government that struggles to assist it’s most vulnerable citizens within a global pandemic. They have an impressive resume too, having shared stages with bands like the Gang of Four, Screaming Females, Pagan, and Private Function! Their song ‘Not Australian’ is my favourite as vocalist Jared speaks about his frustration of the treatment of refugees in Australia due to their seemingly eternal pending visa status due to government policy, leaving them in permanent life limbo and causing grave mental distress.
TUNE TO CHECK OUT: Not Australian
STIFF RICHARDS
Stiff Richards are an insanely fun band to see live! In my eyes, they epitomise quality Australian garage-punk, with their own unique flavour too. Their song writing is just jam-packed with hooks and catchy guitar riffs aplenty! They’ve got an energy to them that really gets the crowd moving and just makes you want to sink heaps of frothy beers and participate in a good ol’ push pit! They’ve got such a charisma and honesty to them too – that make them relatable to punters and musicians alike. No bullshit, just power chords, choruses, and a guaranteed good time! There is always a dedicated group of friends and fans in the front rows of their shows shouting back lyrics to them, which gives them such a powerful draw to attend a live show. Just honest, catchy music.
TUNE TO CHECK OUT: Bad Disease
APCO
APCO are garage punk band from the Western Suburbs of Melbourne. We got really close to sharing a stage together, but the damned pandemic hit and now we’re both fiddling with our drum machines and mixers in our bedrooms! They have a unique flavour to their brand of ‘servo- core’, with influences from bands such as Uranium Club, GOGGS, and Viagra Boys. They have three guitarists which will surely be able to pack a punch on a stage whilst performing live and have members from well-known local Melbourne bands such as Hollow Everdaze and Bench Press. I really enjoy their twangy guitar riffs that draw influence from post-punk and heavy metal! Hopefully as the restrictions lift in Victoria, we can attempt to book a show together for the second time!
TUNE TO CHECK OUT: Schizophrenimares
SHEPPARTON AIRPLANE
We were really lucky to have shared stages together with Shepparton Airplane at the beginning of a year at a bushfire fundraiser I organised – such a humble band for the huge noise they make. They rock up at The Tote with sprawling pedalboards and massive Soviet Amplifiers and begin to play their pummelling brand of post-punk/shoegaze/noise rock to a cheering audience. Another band I absolutely love due to just their sheer honesty in song writing and also straightforward live show – they’re there to just rock and have a good time. Not a single second of stage time is spent without a solid riff or a hook. There’s just some really great song writing there that really encapsulates all the best parts about the post-punk genre for me and they definitely do not hold back when it comes to their live sound – there’s just something about a grinding fuzz bass and wailing offset guitars that really captures my fancy.
TUNE TO CHECK OUT: Sharks
PARTY DOZEN
Party Dozen are one of the most innovative Australian bands at the moment in my eyes – a drummer with a sample pad and a saxophonist running effects through a guitar amp. Seeing them live is a really intense, intriguing experience. They have really off-kilter song writing and also draws on an avant-garde style of music that really gets me engaged. Their songs are very full- on and also surprisingly very multi- textured and layered given that they have minimal members. I really give their drummer/producer Jonathan Boulet props for juggling drum parts alongside triggering the bassline, and also for the absolute lung capacity of saxophonist Kirsty Tickle as she screams experimental jazz cacophony into her instrument. It’s chaotic, heavy, and definitely a hallmark for Australian experimental music in general.
TUNE TO CHECK OUT: Party Dozen
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BY TIANA SPETER