The Dissociatives

An article I wrote for On Dit got me thinking about my favourite albums, the ones that really had an impact on me. I ended up writing about 2001 album that was special to my Dad and I, but there are a whole bunch of others (equally embarrassing) that made a pretty big impact on me 'back in the day'.

I remember when the Dissociatives album surfaced in 2004 I had just been getting into Diorama-era Silverchair, and thought I was pretty damn alternative to be listening to the 'Chair and The Vines instead of Maroon 5 (Note: any album bought available at Big W is not alternative). With their self-titled album, the combination of Daniel John's songwriting, the joyous up vibe and, honestly, the really cool visuals, were a revelation to little Walter. All the little electronic flourishes from Paul Mac and the strange whimsy of Johns' lyrics (something that I might now place closer to pretensious wackiness) also made me feel pretty edgy.

Listening back, it has some sweet songs. They're at their best with their relatively earnest and simplest songs like 'Thinking In Reverse' and 'Forever and a Day'. It's nice to think that this was a truly transitory record for Johns, casting off the final shackles of the grunge sounds he'd been mining since he was a tween and embracing a different tack of songwriting. Sure, he's more than a little self-inflated and indulgent since, with most people sick to death of his "happy voice" and pining for angstier times, but listening now, The Dissociatives was just cool.

(Note: This was written through goggles of nostalgia, a lot of this album is actually pretty wanky. But don't diss it, yo!)

The Dissociatives - Thinking In Reverse

Love Parade

I remember back in Year 9 taping rage overnight in the hopes of catching the new video from my then-favourite band The Pictures, and then going through the 3-5 hours captured to try and catch a glimpse of Davey Lane, Luke Thomas and their luscious sideburns.

As most people who do this know, this opens you up to experiencing a lot of videos that are strange, crappy, utterly puzzling but at the same time damn endearing. Love Parade's video "Pink Shoes" was one of them. Sure, they weren't a mind-blowing musical experience, and the main hook of the song reminded me a bit of 'Coin Operated Boy', but what's not to like about such a painstakingly created video clip with all its wacky special effects whilst never pretending to be anything other than a home made labour of love. The best thing was, this wasn't their only video clip. They made lots.

Later I found these songs on Unearthed, one of which seems to be named after something Peter Combe said. In conclusion Love Parade are utterly dorky, totally un-self-conscious and write some pretty cool/uncool left of centre 60's influenced pop songs. It's the perfect package.

Love Parade - Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy

Love Parade - Mission Bell

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Midnight Static

You might not know it, but over the past few months I've been involved in the Student Radio program at Radio Adelaide. More specifically, I am hosting the Wednesday installments of the 12-1am music and general interest bonanza that we like to call Midnight Static! Woo! I present with my chum and "bad music" buff Sebastian Tonkin, who plays all sorts of odd stuff alongside the little pop nuggets I try to unearth each week.

Here is a photo of us looking super charming in the studio:

Such faces are wasted on the radio...

Anyway, if you're up between 12 and 1 on a Wednesday night/Thursday morning, tune in or listen online at http://radio.adelaide.edu.au

(Shameless self promotion over. Now back to thinking of actual things to blog about.)

http://studentradio.com.au

Sincerely, Grizzly

These guys have been kind of elusively on my radar for the last six months. Despite playing a show with them I still had little idea of their sound due to a combination of fatigue and... well, thank you, Rocket Bar rider. When combined with the fact that their recorded work consisted of 15 seconds of silence on their myspace player, the combination of the unknown and the gnawing feeling that they might be awesome was pretty darn frustrating. It's times like these I'm glad Spoz videos songs, otherwise I'd have no idea what I was in for.

I don't really have an awful lot to say about their debut EP, except that I think it is pretty special. Somewhere between the way their multi-part songs weld together disparate time shifts and segments without feeling too laboured and inorganic, the lushly layered guitars and the choppy rhythm section, these four tracks are, as far as first sounds go, pretty sweet.

And Two-Face is just awesome, with all its somewhat jarring tempo changes and odd samples of Aaron Eckhart in "The Dark Knight". It's them at their most relaxed, effortless and effective, with a rad whispery chorus hook to boot.

Sincerely, Grizzly - Two Face

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