>>READERSHIP ADVISORY: Please be aware that we will continue to update the posts between this date and last Christmas in the coming days and that they will appear below this post until we catch up to February. There are some great posts to come (including some awesome animal videos) so keep on the lookout!<<
Over the past months in Oz, we've discovered some dynamite tunes from new and local music artists, a delightful cornucopia that has become our adventure soundtrack in the Marsupial World. As much as stories and pictures can be emblematic of an experience, music has a way of filling in the cracks of your nostalgia and bridging the emotional gap for those who couldn't be there with you. That being said, we'd like to share a sampling of the music that has carried us through our travels in Australia since Perth, post-Devin and Emily adventures.
For a few of the songs below, you might notice a familiar, slightly hilarious theme. When we got our first taste of the Australian indie music scene, it became abundantly clear that the 80s had returned with a vengeance, and it was wearing neon leggings and a cutoff sweatshirt. Gaudy synthesizers and octo-drums were back, only this time produced with a contemporary, playful aesthetic. It was as if the musicians of Australia handpicked what was creative and groundbreaking (and gloriously cheesy) about the 80s and left out the schlock and shoulder pads. OK, maybe a few shoulder pads got to come back, but only if sequins could come too. An Aussie music journalist recently wrote about this curious revival, asking the question as to whether the 80s had come back because of overlooked artistic merit, or because something needed a comeback and the 80s happened to be sitting alone in the corner, unloved. He felt it was probably the latter, but you can judge for yourself. We hope you enjoy.
We apologize to our readership with slow internet connections. This one's a doozie.
o Abbe May, “Mammalian Locomotion” – from Western Australia - dirty guitar rockouts blended with muted, Garbage-esque vocals. This guitar solo may actually melt your face.