New Music Releases 12/08/2015

New music for your ears including the Vernons, Gardens & Villa, the Ruminaters, Youth Lagoon, Petite Noire & more!

THE VERNONS – SNAP MY FINGERS (FIRESTARTER)

Gold Coast blues-rockers The Vernons are back with an in-your-face hip shakin' number titled ‘Snap My Fingers’. The first single from an as yet untitled but soon to be released EP, 'Snap My Fingers' visits the darker side of the human psyche while belting out a punchy, rockin’ and rollin’ ear-fest. The track's infectious vibe is built on the foundation of a tight riff, great groove and Jonny Nyst's dazzling vocal acrobatics. The super production of the new sessions come courtesy of Brisbane guru engineer Konstantin Kersting (Moses Gunn, Belligerents, Junkyard Diamonds).

GARDENS & VILLA – EVERYBODY (SECRETLY CANADIAN)

“Music For Dogs” is a deeply personal album that pokes, prods, and even strangely celebrates the zeitgeist of music commerce, pleasure culture, technological advances and the new home they've found in Los Angeles. The New Age and Eastern Religion sentiments that rippled across their first two albums (2011's “Gardens & Villa” and 2014's “Dunes”) have been swapped out with a new sort of zen pop-Nihilism.

THE RUMINATERS – GHOST PORN (PAVEMENT)

‘Ghost Porn’ is the second single off The Ruminaters’ yet to be released sophomore album. The song was recorded by producer Rohin Brown (The Walking Who, Angus Stone) and shows a continued change in the development of their sound. The track takes a bold step towards a more psychedelic sound, whilst maintaining their signature ‘Rumie’ style.

MERCURY REV – ARE YOU READY? (BELLA UNION)

Two years on, “The Light In You”, from which the single ‘Are You Ready?’ is lifted, more than lives up to its billing. The record is filled with wondrous and voluminous kaleidoscopic detail, but also intimate moments of calm, and altogether stands up to the very best that this notable band of maverick explorers has ever created. Its ecstatic highs and shivery comedowns also reflect a particularly turbulent era in the lives of Grasshopper and fellow co-founder Jonathan Donahue, of calamities both personal and physical, but also rebirths and real births (Grasshopper became a father for the first time in 2014). There’s a reason for the 7-year gap since the band’s last album, “Snowflake Midnight”.

KUČKA – HONEY (MIDNIGHT FEATURE / INERTIA)

‘Honey’ is defined by an enchanting flow that marries seamlessly to KUČKA's delicate vocals. The track is characterized by unexpected beats which punctuate and complete the song. Along with her other releases, ‘Honey’ gives a broad and detailed picture of what we can expect from the “Unconditional EP”.

YOUTH LAGOON – HIGHWAY PATROL STUN GUN (PAT POSSUM / INERTIA)

This sense of gilded rebirth floods the instrumentation on “Savage Hills Ballroom” – Trevor Power’s vocals are largely unadorned and his pop-conscious electronics reach new feats of precision. Meanwhile the lyrics explore darker territory. ‘Kerry’ is the story of Powers' revered uncle whose drug addiction led him to running from the law for most of his adult life, while ‘Highway Patrol Stun Gun’ imagines Biblical end-times through the lens of the recent cases of police brutality.

GINGER & DRUM – HABIT (INDEPENDENT)

Indie-electro pop outfit Ginger & Drum have released their second single 'Habit.' The track is the combination of Gault's ethereal vocals swirling dreamily above a badass baseline and earworm-worthy synth arrangements. The Sydney-based two-piece will bring their equally engaging live show to Sydney and Melbourne to celebrate the launch of their follow up single later this month.

PETITE NOIR – BEST (DOMINO)

‘Best’ is the second track to be heard from Petite Noir’s forthcoming debut album, “La Vie Est Belle / Life Is Beautiful”. Recorded at Box Ten Studios in London with Oli Bayston (Boxed In) and Leon Brichard (Ibibio Sound Machine), “La Vie Est Belle / Life Is Beautiful” is a highly accomplished album with a unique concoction of influences. The record seamlessly fuses intricate contemporary electronics and raw post-punk energy with Yannick’s stirring, soulful vocals and African shuffles that echo his homeland.